New Pornographers and Okkervil River Team for Tour

Time for 2008's first big indie rock mega-tour! In this corner: Carl Newman and his New Pornographers. In that corner: Will Sheff and his Okkervil River.

Who will charm us more with their witty lyrics and soaring melodies? Who will inspire the biggest sing-along? Who will induce the most swoons?

Find out this April, when they go head to head in North America's rock'n'roll venues! [MORE...]

Colin Meloy Sings Sam Cooke, Announces Solo Tour

On previous tour-only EPs, Colin Meloy has sung Morrissey and Shirley Collins. Now, he's taking on quite a formidable target: soul legend Sam Cooke. Yup, the Colin Meloy Sings Sam Cooke EP will only be available on the Decemberists frontman's upcoming solo tour.

This has the makings of a total disaster. But I hope I'm pleasantly surprised.

Wait, what Colin Meloy solo tour? Ah yes, the one previously alluded to now has a full list of dates, taking our man across the country from April 7 to May 3. The trek is in support of Meloy's live solo album, Colin Meloy Sings Live!, due April 8 on Kill Rock Stars on CD and Jealous Butcher on vinyl.

Laura Gibson will open the trek. She also provides harmony vocals on Colin Meloy Sings Sam Cooke. [MORE...]

Rachael Ray Asks Battles, Holy Fuck to Play SXSW Party
Holy Fuck indeed

When we saw this on Idolator, we were like, no fucking way. Yes, we already knew foodie superstar Rachael Ray is an indie rock fan-- she put twee group the Boy Least Likely To (along with Nellie McKay and Puffy Amiyumi) on her Too Cool for School Mixtape for Kids back in the fall of 2006.

But there's a big difference between the Boy Least Likely To's gentle coos and the abrasive instrumental art rock purveyed by Battles and Holy Fuck. I mean, if you try cooking to this stuff, you might end up with a whole arm chopped up in a blender.

Regardless, we've just received confirmation that yes, Rachael Ray did indeed invite Battles to perform at her SXSW party. And Holy Fuck too! (Can you even say that word on the Food Network?) Alas, Battles won't be participating-- they aren't doing SXSW at all this year. No word yet on Holy Fuck.

According to this Earl Boykins post, Rachael's party is called "FEEDBACK Showcase...a feast of hot bands and tasty foods" and is taking place Saturday, March 15 from 12pm to 6 pm (rumor has it that it will take place at Beauty Bar).

We're sure of one thing though: no matter which bands play, this party is going to have the best catering table at SXSW.

Panther Gain a Member, Issue 14kt God LP, Tour

The one-man incarnation of plinky Portland funksters Panther had bite, sure, but one guy ain't quite enough to give a Panther proper pounce. So Charlie Salas-Humara enlisted the help of former 31Knots drummer Joe Kelly and turned Panther into a two-piece just in time for 14kt God, the new duo's forthcoming LP and Kill Rock Stars debut. KRS will assist the Panther boys in dropping the golden God February 19. Not on their toes, we hope.

Care to catch a glimpse of the Panther in its natural habitat? Check 'em out on the road, where they'll spend a good chunk of the winter-- including a little time with that questionable lot in Why? and those puzzlers in Cryptacize. [MORE...]

Mission of Burma, Shellac Donate to Callum Auction
Also stuff from the Evens, Shudder to Think, Kristin Hersh, Jawbox, John Vanderslice

Callum Robbins turned two over the weekend, but he's got more buds than most folks twice his age. As you know, Callum is the son of Jawbox/Burning Airlines/Channels man J. Robbins and Channels' Janet Morgan. Unfortunately, Callum has Type 1 Spinal Muscular Atrophy, an incurable genetic motor neuron disease.

The indie rock community has come out in droves to support Callum's cause, holding numerous fundraisers to help J. and Janet in paying for Callum's treatment and care. Now, more pals of Callum have started an auction of cool swag on eBay that oughta help keep you and the Robbins family rockin'.

Items up for grabs include: a signed eight-piece set of ultra-rare Mission of Burma 12" singles issued just prior to The Obliterati, copies of Shellac's hard-to-find LP The Futurist, a copy of Craig Wedren's Shudder to Think lyric notebook from the Pony Express Record era, a 4-DVD set of footage from the Pony Express Record sessions, a signed 250-gram vinyl test pressing of John Vanderslice's Emerald City, a vinyl test pressing of Jawbox's (awesome) For Your Own Special Sweetheart, a children's package from Kristin Hersh, and a silkscreened Evens poster signed by Ian MacKaye and Amy Farina.

In the non-tangible department, they're also auctioning off a guitar lesson from Geoff Farina of Karate/Glorytellers and a drum lesson from Jawbox's Zach Barocas.

All that is available for your bidding pleasure right here. Most of these auctions end in just about a week, so you'll want to act fast.

Not sure you're ready to step up to the auction block, but still want to support the cause? You can donate directly to the Robbins family here. Or you can support Callum Robbins via Gordon Withers' Jawbox on Cello: A Benefit for Callum Robbins, a CD of Jawbox tunes rearranged for a cello quartet. That disc is available now. Finally, for a great collection of live tracks from past Callum benefits (plus another opportunity to donate), head to Bradley's Almanac at once.

J Mascis' Witch Issue Paralyzed, Hit the Road

They barely play live and they don't practice, but with a pedigree like theirs, why would they bother? Witch, the gnarly punkish-metal meet-up of Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis, old Mascis chum Dave Sweetapple, and Kyle Thomas of out-there folkies Feathers, will issue their sophomore effort, Paralyzed, March 18 on Tee Pee.

The disc, like its predecessor, ought to bewilder those looking for a searing Mascis shredfest, as the six-string king heads behind the drum kit where Witch is concerned.

And that "barely play live" thing? That may just be a thing of the past. Following a set at SXSW and a handful of U.S. dates, Witch will take to Europe for a few weeks in the spring.

In other Witch news, they're among the bands in Volcom's ongoing singles series. [MORE...]

Eliot Lipp Steps Outside on New LP

From the din of the studio into The Outside comes the latest long-player from electro whiz-kid Eliot Lipp. The disc-- which, with its clattering beats and murky instrumentation, still seems better suited for a dimly-lit room than a church picnic or something-- is due from Mush April 8.

Lipp's got quite a few live engagements to his name over the coming months, with those dates after the jump. And Mush has an engagement with producer/master remixer Pedro March 8, when they issue his You, Me & Everyone in the UK. [MORE...]

King Khan Takes BBQ Show, Shrines on the Road

Photo by Dania Heller

Woo! Yeah! Awright! Should you dare step into the strange world of King Khan & BBQ Show or King Khan and the Shrines on their European tours, expect exultations like these-- and a fair number of retro-minded rock'n'roll psych-outs-- to rattle around in your brain for days afterward.

Khan and his various collaborators will follow up a trio of previously reported Irish gigs with an all-out assault on Europe, barreling through February, March, and half of April.

Care to catch a glimpse what you've been missing? Check out this way trippy photo set posted in these pages Monday and, like, see the music, man. [MORE...]

Photos: Peter Moren [Los Angeles, CA; 01/30/08]

Photos by Sung Kim

It's never too early to start drumming up support for your adventures in solo-dom, and if you're Peter Morén-- the dreamy-eyed Swede with the knack for penning catchy tunes-- where better to start than with a couple tiny shows at a pair of coastal, singer/songwriter-friendly venues?

November saw Bjorn and John-less Peter get his solo feet wet at Joe's Pub in NYC, while last night Morén appeared before an intimate gathering of fans at Los Angeles' Hotel Cafe. Joined by a string section, Morén kept the small crowd enrapt and gleefully told them that his debut solo disc, The Last Tycoon, would hit shops via Quarterstick on April 8-- a fact he admitted to learning from some website or something.

Catch Peter DJing tomorrow night, or at SXSW in March.

PETER MORÉN





[MORE...]

Neon Neon (Gruff Rhys + Boom Bip) Debut LP Revealed
Duo plans shows, heads to SXSW, seeks twins and older folks for video

News of the Gruff Rhys/Boom Bip full-length Neon Neon collaboration first surfaced way back in October 2006 (at which time they were calling themselves Dolorean), and said full-length was supposed to arrive early last year. But even the best laid plans of Super Furry Animals and Lex men often go awry, and thus we have Stainless Style, that Neon Neon debut, finally set for a March 18 release on Lex.

Stainless Style tells the tale of tragic figure John DeLorean, creator of the iconic automobile, with music appropriate to the car's heyday. Those famous winged doors allow plenty of room to pack in the guests, and Style features contributions from Spank Rock, Yo Majesty, Sean Tillmann (Har Mar Superstar, Sean Na Na), Fatlip, several of the Magic Numbers, and Welsh singer Cate Le Bon. But you knew most of that already.

Perhaps you've also already heard two of the album's 12 cuts: "Trick for Treat" and "Raquel" were previously served up on limited edition Lex 12"s.

But you probably haven't seen Neon Neon live yet, which may well change in a matter of weeks. The duo has some shows in the works, including a trip to SXSW.

What's more, they're seeking extras for a Neon Neon video shoot helmed by Klaus Thymann. "I Lust U" will get the video treatment this coming weekend, and if you're 1.) in the Los Angeles area, and 2.) either a.) between the ages of 40 and 70, and/or b.) a twin, you might just get casted. Interested parties should email "Kristen" at mente[at]happycharliefilms.com and include (or link to) a photo of themselves. Casting will take place February 2 in Eagle Rock, California.

In the midst of all this, Rhys is partaking of that Super Furry Animals tour. Hey Venus!, god-awful cover and all, finally hit North American shops last week via Rough Trade.

Finally, Candylion tamer Rhys has contributed to the ambitious Zombieoper project from Brazilian artists Diego Medina and Desirée Marantes. An honest-to-goodness double-disc rock opera record about zombies, Zombieoper can be downloaded in full-- for free-- right here. It doesn't take BRAINS!!! to know that free is a pretty sweet deal. [MORE...]

Elf Power Head In a Cave for New Album

Like the tiny creatures from which they take their name, Elf Power are often overlooked when it comes time to take stock of the Elephant 6 collective. Neutral Milk Hotel, Of Montreal, and Olivia Tremor Control tend to dominate that Athens, Georgia-focused spotlight, and yet, Elf Power continue to record and release albums at a very consistent rate.

In a Cave, Elf Power's ninth album, is the latest entry in the indie/psych band's oeuvre. It comes out March 25 on Rykodisc, and while there is no talk of a tour yet, Elf Power are usually pretty consistent in that area too.

Also, that previously mentioned Vic Chesnutt album on which Elf Power played backing band is scheduled for release in the fall.

Check out the In a Cave cover. It's pretty sweet:

[MORE...]

Futureheads Start Their Own Label for New Album

Label drama: it's a piece of crap. 'Tis a truth the Futureheads know a bit too well. So for their third album, This Is Not the World, the band have forged their own path and created their own label, Nul Records.

This Is Not the World is due in the UK in late May (date still TBC), with individual deals with indie labels in the rest of the world to be hammered out later.

The album's first single, "The Beginning of the Twist", is due on CD, vinyl, and download on March 10. There's also a UK tour, currently in process and recently expanded.

And in a nifty bit of synergy betwixt the previous two sentences, the band will offer a version of "The Beginning of the Twist" recorded at each and every one of the dates on their current UK tour along with the download version of the "Beginning" single. Skip to the end of this particular story by clicking right here. [MORE...]

Do you have a news tip for us? Anything crazy happen at a show you attended recently? Do you have inside info on the bands we cover? Is one of your favorite artists (that's not somebody you know personally) releasing a new record you'd like to see covered? You will remain completely anonymous, unless we are given your express permission to reveal your identity. (Please note that publicists, managers, booking agents, and other artist representatives are generally exempt from this rule, but will also be granted anonymity if requested.)