Pitchfork: News - February 1, 2008

12 Recent Items

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Iron & Wine to Tour U.S. With Califone
Add Australian, New Zealand dates as well

Following a one-off gig in Wheaton, Illinois this month (a solo set) and a brief trek Down Under in March, Sam Beam's Iron & Wine will hit the road across the U.S. for a spell. He'll be joined for the second time in a while by his chums in Califone, making this truly the most beards and vests you're likely to see on a single stage this spring. Man, is that a funny line.

After hanging up with Califone, Sam and whoever he can smuggle over the pond in those flowing locks will hit the Explosions in the Sky-curated ATP Festival.

Califone, meanwhile, have a couple more music and film engagements to attend to before heading out on tour. [MORE...]

Video: Iron and Wine: Concert webcast (live in Amsterdam)

Video: Califone: Pink and Sour (live at the Pitchfork Music Festival)

Posted by Paul Thompson in tour on Fri: 02-01-08: 05:30 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Parts & Labor, Shooting Spires Line Up Tours

Jagjaguwar Mapmakers Parts & Labor will do a little more cartography this March on a three-week U.S. tour with SXSW smack dab in the middle. The band also has a solitary show before the tour, which takes place tomorrow, February 2, in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Also before the P&L tour is a February outing from bassist/vocalist BJ Warshaw's Shooting Spires side project, in support of his self-titled bedroom-spun debut. For the tour, Warshaw has expanded the Spires lineup from just himself to a four-piece band. [MORE...]

MP3: Parts & Labor: Fractured Skies [from the Mapmaker LP]

MP3: Shooting Spires: Right [from the Shooting Spires LP]

Posted by Dave Maher in tour, sideproject on Fri: 02-01-08: 05:20 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Jay-Z to Headline Glastonbury

Photo by Kyle Gustafson

H to the Izzo! Jay-Z to the UK! To Glastonbury in a hurry like a blurry... broken... P.A. Yeah, I dunno either, but Jay-Z is confirmed to headline Glastonbury 2008, and between that and the three-foot-deep snow drifts burying Chicago right now, we're all a bit loopy this afternoon.

The news comes from a BBC report, which indicates Neil Diamond will perform at the rather large summer festival as well on June 29. Our moms couldn't be happier.

Jigga and Diamond (OMG plz collaborate) are the only confirmed performers thus far for Glastonbury 2008, though rumors abound, as always. The festival pops off near the English town that bears its name from June 27-29 this year.

Jay-Z doesn't have any other activity planned at the moment, but having abdicated the throne of Def Jam and regained our respect, you know he's ripe for more live action.

Video: Jay-Z: Pray (live) [original from the American Gangster LP]

Posted by Matthew Solarski in festival on Fri: 02-01-08: 05:05 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Sally Shapiro Reveals Remix Romance Details
And look who's on it: Junior Boys, Juan Maclean, Lindstrom, Holy Fuck

Photo by Frida Klingberg

As promised, Sally Shapiro will continue spreading the love found on last year's Disco Romance with a remix album packed with offerings from other people we like to get excited about. As also promised, Junior Boys and Lindstrøm are among those people, tackling "Jackie Jackie (Spend This Winter With Me)" and "Time to Let Go", respectively.

Also dishing out the rejiggered Sally tracks: Juan Maclean, Holy Fuck, the Cansecos, Skatebård, and more. It all adds up to Remix Romance Vol. 1, invading record shops and lovesick hearts near you April 15 via Paper Bag Records. Ooh, does this mean there will be a Vol. 2??

In other Sally news, Permanent Vacation and Diskokaine have paired to unleash a hyper-limited white label version of that forthcoming "Jackie Jackie" single. Only 80 of these things exist, and they're available now via the Clone webstore. Permanent Vacation will unload the official "Jackie Jackie" single in Europe later this month, with a North American release to follow in April.

Finally, Sally and producer/songwriter Johan Agebjörn have added two dates to their unlikely DJ outing. A February 9 record release party in Gothenburg will mark Shapiro's first public appearance ever, while both will be on-hand at the PLUG Awards March 6, appearing in an as-yet-undetermined capacity. If there is a God, that capacity will of course be the receiving of an award. [MORE...]

Video: Sally Shapiro: Jackie Jackie (Spend This Winter With Me) [from the Disco Romance LP]

Posted by Matthew Solarski in remix, album, tour, single on Fri: 02-01-08: 04:30 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Prodigy to Perform H.N.I.C. 2 Live in Its Entirety
Album to be translated into 1,500 languages!

That Prodigy sure knows how to say goodbye in style. He's facing a three and a half year jail sentence for a 2006 gun charge, and his term begins February 13. The Mobb Deep rapper knows his days of freedom are, for the time being, numbered.

So on February 6, P will take a break from video blogging (dude is a regular Ron Paul with this internet game) to join a few friends at New York City's B.B. King Blues Club for a sendoff party. But not just any farewell: Prodigy will perform the entirety of his forthcoming H.N.I.C. 2 LP onstage at the event, and guests aplenty-- including a few of his G-Unit associates-- are expected to appear and pay tribute to P.

H.N.I.C. 2 is due March 25 from Infamous Music/Voxonic. Wired reports that Prodigy will employ the company's really sci-fi "Voxonic" speech-conversion software that will translate the album into up to 1,500 languages. (Indeed, H.N.I.C. 2's last track is a Spanish version of "ABC".) That's kind of like how Avril Lavigne made a bunch of "Girlfriend" translations.

Man, Avril and Prodigy, together at last. [MORE...]

Video: Prodigy: Mac 10 Handle [from the Return of the Mac LP]

Posted by Paul Thompson in album on Fri: 02-01-08: 04:21 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Goldfrapp Announce Spring, Summer Dates

Where Seventh Tree is concerned, Goldfrapp sure aren't interested in rushing things. What began with standard pre-album chatter became a name and a release date, which begat a tracklist, then finally, a first single.

None if it's out yet, of course, but they've surely given us plenty to talk about, if not necessarily all that much to listen to. And now, there's a UK tour, albeit a fairly brief one, and it doesn't kick off until late June. (The band does have a couple London dates in the interim, though those aren't for a while yet either.) Man, by the time that rolls around, they may very well be halfway into their next stylistic gear-shift. Goldfrapp does grindcore, pretty please?

Seventh Tree falls into stores February 25 in the UK and the following day in the U.S. thanks to Mute. Geez, guys, slow your roll!

In related news, Goldfrapp soundman Will Gregory's previously reported original score for Victor Sjöström's 1924 film He Who Gets Slapped can currently be heard on BBC Radio 3's website. [MORE...]

Video: Goldfrapp: A & E [from the forthcoming Seventh Tree LP]

Posted by Paul Thompson in tour on Fri: 02-01-08: 03:42 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

American Music Club Tour the World
World Music Club

The release of American Music Club's ninth LP The Golden Age (February 19, Merge) is coming on fast. It may have been four years since their back-from-hiatus album Love Songs for Patriots came out, but Mark Eitzel and company are getting right back in the saddle for a frankly humongous world tour.

The band is in Europe right now, starting February off with shows in the UK and Ireland. But soon enough, they'll move on to the rest of the continent before returning to North America in April and May.

Finally, for the AMC fans who just can't wait two and a half weeks to find out what their boys have been up to, Merge is now hosting an mp3 of Golden Age track "All the Lost Souls Welcome You to San Francisco". Download it at the link below. [MORE...]

MP3: American Music Club: All the Lost Souls Welcome You to San Francisco [from the forthcoming The Golden Age LP]

Posted by Dave Maher in tour on Fri: 02-01-08: 03:30 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Black Moth, Seven Bells, Bazan Do Suicide Squeeze 7"s
Plus: the Coathangers and, as you know, HEALTH

Another year, another series of shit hot sevens from those sluggers at Seattle's Suicide Squeeze.

That HEALTH 7" we spoke of a short while back, it seems, was only the beginning. In the months to come we can also look forward to nifty song-etched plastic discs from the likes of psych weirdos Black Moth Super Rainbow, Atlanta's raucous Coathangers, the Secret Machines-descended School of Seven Bells, and Pedro the Lion tamer David Bazan.

The HEALTH single lands first, as you know, on February 19. Following not far in its wake is the Coathangers' "Shake Shake", backed with "Dreamboat" and set for release March 18. Skip forward a month and we have School of Seven Bells' "Silent Grips", due April 8 and backed with a cover of Wire's "Used To".

Then, come May 6, Black Moth Super Rainbow summon "Zodiac Girl" with an as-yet-undetermined B-side. Finally, flip all the way to the back of your datebook to mark November 4 as the day the fifth and latest David Bazan Christmas single comes down chimneys. No word yet on the tracks for that, though I sure hope he does Wham!'s "Last Christmas" b/w "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer".

Like highly collectable past 7"s from Suicide Squeeze, all of these are limited to 2,000 copies. [MORE...]

Posted by Matthew Solarski in single on Fri: 02-01-08: 02:50 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Islands Reveal New Album Title
It's pun-a-riffic!

Photo by Kathryn Yu

Most bands don't announce their tours until word of a new album has already surfaced, but Islands are just tricky like that. Following the post-Unicorns ensemble's announcement of a European and U.S. tour later this winter and spring, they have revealed the title of their new album.

The Return to the Sea follow-up is called Arm's Way (this from the folks who coined the phrase "Islands are forever"). We don't have a confirmed release date yet, nor do we have a tracklist. All we have is "The Arm", a first taste of the album, streaming over at Islands' MySpace now.

Also, Juiced Elfers, the "supergroup" consisting of Islands' Nick Thorburn, ex-Islands dude Jamie Thompson, Les Savy Fav's Syd Butler, and members of AIDS Wolf, have a gig tonight (February 1) in Brooklyn at Glasslands Gallery.

Thanks to reader Mike Kendall from snakesgotablog. [MORE...]

Stream: Islands: The Arm [from the forthcoming Arm's Way LP]

Posted by Dave Maher in album on Fri: 02-01-08: 02:45 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Colin Meloy Sings Sam Cooke Tracklist Revealed

Meloy photo by Nilina Mason-Campbell

Well, at least he's not doing "A Change Is Gonna Come". We all know how that turned out the last time someone tried it.

But Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy is indeed covering five Sam Cooke numbers on his forthcoming tour-only EP Colin Meloy Sings Sam Cooke. And now we know what they are: "Cupid", "That's Where It's At", "Summertime", "Good Times", and "Bring It on Home to Me". (The latter was also recently tackled by M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel, aka She and Him, apparently.)

As reported yesterday, the EP will be available at Meloy's spring solo shows. Joining the Decemberist on backing vocals is Laura Gibson, who will also open the trek.

To hear Meloy take on the Smiths, R.E.M., Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, and Shirley Collins, get your hands on Meloy's live solo album, Colin Meloy Sings Live!, due April 8 on Kill Rock Stars on CD and Jealous Butcher on vinyl. [MORE...]

Stream: Colin Meloy: Various Tracks

Posted by Amy Phillips in cover, EP on Fri: 02-01-08: 01:45 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Microphones' The Glow Pt. 2 Reissued With Bonus Disc

The Microphones' 2001 windswept epic The Glow Pt. 2 is, with love to Cody ChesnuTT, a true headphone masterpiece.

The disc-- which some website called its favorite album of that particular year-- was a triumph for young Phil Elverum (then calling himself Phil Elvrum), who somehow managed to encapsulate the unique beauty of the Pacific Northwest in Pt. 2's crackling sonics and delicate homespun songcraft. So if your copy's as well-worn as mine (damn coffee cup rings) or if you're curious to hear just what was setting Pitchfork's ears aflame around the turn of the millennium, you need only wait until April 8. That's when K Records will issue an expanded version of The Glow Pt. 2 on two CDs and three LPs.

Two CDs? Three LPs? Wasn't that album long enough already? Not for Phil, who has added a bonus disc of previously unreleased material to the set for the reissue, turning a hefty 20 tracks into a colossal 40. Say goodbye to the fire-stompin' elephant on the original cover, as there's brand new art as well. As with anything from Camp Elverum, even if you don't listen to the music, the packaging alone generally justifies the cost. And you should listen to this album, because it's really, really beautiful.

Thanks to reader Anders Bjornberg for the tip!

In related news, Elverum also lent his voice, instrument playing, and recording touch to Karl Blau's latest record. Titled AM and featuring renditions of poems by Winnie-the-Pooh author A.A. Milne, it's due March 18 on Whistler Records. [MORE...]

Video: The Microphones: The Glow Pt. 2 [from the The Glow Pt. 2 LP]

Posted by Paul Thompson in reissue on Fri: 02-01-08: 01:00 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Brightest Diamond, Au Revoir Simone Hit the Catwalk

Photo by Matt Wignall

In case the various press photos, magazine spreads, and live shots all over the interweb didn't clue you in, My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden and the ladies of Au Revoir Simone are some pretty fashionable sorts. So it's only natural that these gals, along with Gillian Chadwick of Language of Stone-signed folk act Ex Reverie, will find themselves in the throes of haute couture this very afternoon.

Beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern today (i.e. right now), the aforementioned and other female musicians of note will model designer Alice Ritter's spring collection at NYC's Bubble Lounge. Ritter, a former music publicist, will even offer up a CD compilation of all the partaking acts to those who drop by today.

My Brightest Diamond open for the National on two Brooklyn dates later this month, while Au Revoir Simone recently wrapped up their little tour and recorded a cover of David Bowie's "Oh You Pretty Things" for a forthcoming !K7 compilation. Ex Reverie's debut, The Door Into Summer, arrived late last month on Espers dude Greg Weeks' Language of Stone imprint. [MORE...]

Stream: My Brightest Diamond: Naturally [from the forthcoming Are You Still With Me?! A Tribute to Huey Lewis and the News compilation]

MP3: Au Revoir Simone: The Lucky One [from the The Bird of Music LP]

MP3: Ex Reverie: Dawn Comes for Us All [from the The Door Into Summer LP]

Posted by Matthew Solarski in fashion on Fri: 02-01-08: 12:10 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

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Fri: 02-01-08: 05:30 PM CST
Iron & Wine to Tour U.S. With Califone