Band of Horses Cancel Shows
Ben Bridwell's throat is feeling a little ho... oh, you know

They're some fine players, sure, but without those pipes of Ben Bridwell's at their most pristine, Band of Horses just ain't the same. So you'll have to forgive 'em for canceling a pair of Florida dates on their current world tour due to a run-in with the scourge of the season.

"We got hit by a flu bug and played thru it," the band write in a MySpace bulletin posted this afternoon, "but now the voice is completely gone and there's no other option." That's what I'm saying, dude! Shit is integral!

Though tonight in Tallahassee and tomorrow in Gainesville are out, the Gainesville show has already been rescheduled for March 24.

One hopes the Horses are back in full power in time for their appearance on the Conan O'Brien television program this Tuesday (2/12), to say nothing of the rest of their tour. Should they shake the sickness, they'll head to Orlando, Carnegie Hall (with Sufjan), the UK and Europe in the coming weeks. [MORE...]

Video: Band of Horses: Is There a Ghost [from the Cease to Begin LP]

Bonnie "Prince" Billy on Latest Louisville V-Day Comp

When it comes to amorous types and their amorous undertakings, there's no better place to be than Louisville, Kentucky. At least, that's what the folks behind the Louisville Is for Lovers website and compilation series keep trying to tell us. Weird, since all those Slint and Rodan records I've played for my significant others have only scared them away. Maybe I should have been rocking the My Morning Jacket?

Or how about the Will Oldham? Oldham, in his Bonnie "Prince" Billy guise, features on the latest Louisville Is for Lovers comp, Vol. 8. He's joined by the Phantom Family Halo (which includes Michael McMahan of David Pajo's Dead Child), and, well, a lot of bands non-locals may not know so well. But hey, that's what love's about, right? Taking chances? Embracing the unknown? Sure it is.

LIFL Vol. 8 is available now via several Louisville shops and Louisvilleisforlovers.com, so you have plenty of time to snatch up a copy before Valentine's Day. While you're there, why not check out the previously mentioned Louisville Babylon Halloween comps as well?

Thanks to Zach Willenbrink for the tip. [MORE...]

Be Your Own Pet Schedule More Awkward Dates
Like most dates, actually

Stream: Be Your Own Pet: The Kelly Affair [from the forthcoming Get Awkward LP]

MSTRKRFT Check in From Studio, Announce Tour
"I guarantee you when this record is done and people have heard it, everyone will want to talk to us again."

Photo by Geoff McLean

Now that MSTRKRFT have had a few years to hone their krft, the rock-bred club converts are itching to hit us with what they hope will be their most accomplished artistic statement yet. By artistic we of course refer to the art of making your ass shake in spite of itself, and by accomplished, well, we'll let them explain.

Pitchfork caught up with MSTRKRFT's Jesse F. Keeler (ex-Death From Above 1979) and Al-P as the pair was preparing the follow-up to 2006's The Looks and bracing for a sizable tour.

"We base everything we do on really big ideas," says Al-P. "Initially, when we first got our record deal, we had no time to make an album or even really figure out what we wanted to do. We kind of planned on making a full record years in the future, but then suddenly the opportunity came and we had to do it quick.

"Whereas with this one we've been working on it pretty much since the day we submitted the last one. So we've had a ton of time to decide what kind of record it will be...and so far it's a lot like what I was hoping it might be."

The as-yet-untitled sophomore platter should see the light of day in September or so via an as-yet-undetermined label. Among the big ideas on it: a bevy of guest vocalists.

While the guys aren't at liberty to say just who yet, according to Keeler, "I can guarantee that people will be surprised by every single one."

What shouldn't surprise folks nearly as much is the inclusion of popular MSTRKRFT cut and live set favorite "VUVUVU" on the new disc. Not only fun to say, "VUVUVU" also has an amusing backstory.

Says Keeler, "The song was inadvertently named by Xavier [de Rosnay] from Justice. While we were traveling around together, he was describing the kind of music that they make and the kind of music we make. He says the music they make is [imitates] 'PRPRPRPR TISH, PRPRPRPRPR TISH' and the music we make is 'VUVUVU' in this funny Parisian accent.

So when we were making that song we were like, 'Fuck, there isn't a more 'VUVUVU' sounding track in existence!'"

Adds Al-P with a laugh, "As Xav said, [mimics French accent] 'I do not need this VUVUVU, all I need is kicks and snares to drive them wild'-- and then took a drag of his cigarette." [MORE...]

Video: MSTRKRFT: Easy Love [from the The Looks LP]
Stream: Kylie Minogue: Wow (MSTRKRFT Remix) [single]

Photos: Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues [New York, NY; 02/06/08]

Photos: Black Lips [Portland, OR; 02/05/08]

The last Black Lips show at Dante's in Portland resulted in some black eyes and at least one arrest. Tuesday night's festivities at Dante's never quite erupted into fisticuffs, but that didn't mean fans of the scrappy rock quartet were any less batshit thrilled to see their beloved Black Lips.

The Lips returned the love, too, doubling up their PDX gigs with an afternoon performance at Jackpot Records (to the best of our knowledge, nothing was broken). That Lips lovin' knows no bounds, and Cole, Jared, Ian, and Joe will continue to spread it across the U.S. through late March, and-- provided they can secure a visa for that love-- in the UK and Ireland come May.

BLACK LIPS AT DANTE'S








JACKPOT RECORDS IN-STORE

[MORE...]

Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige Co-Headline Tour
Lots of love in the heart of the city, after all

A dozen years ago, a hungry kid from Brooklyn who'd taken to calling himself Jay-Z met up with a rising R&B star named Mary J. Blige to record "Can't Knock the Hustle", the leadoff track from his soon-to-be-classic Reasonable Doubt LP.

Already a couple albums deep into her storied career, Mary was then and is now the queen of hip-hop soul. And Jay's hustle has been pretty much unknockable ever since. They've recorded and performed together plenty of times over the years, including that incredible take on their first collaboration from the must-see Fade to Black concert flick.

This spring, the two icons and old friends will once again join forces to co-headline the 25-date "Heart of the City" tour.

The tour's initial run of dates has been announced, with more to come. In addition to these 11 dates, shows in Houston, New Orleans, and Las Vegas are promised. (Chicago, please!!)

Jay, as you know, recently left his post at Def Jam, though if it means more stuff like this and American Gangster and yanking Glastonbury's headlining spot from Razorlight or whatever, it's looking more and more like a wise move. And Mary's pretty damn good Growing Pains LP dropped in December. [MORE...]

Video: Jay-Z: Pray (live) [from the American Gangster LP]
Video: Mary J. Blige: Just Fine [from the Growing Pains LP]

Gorillaz Documentary Debuts, Monkey Comes to U.S.

Although there's been no hint of a new Gorillaz album any time soon, the band/art project/cartoon collective centered around the music of Damon Albarn and the graphics of Jamie Hewlett has plenty of stuff going on.

The behind-the-scenes documentary Bananaz, directed by Ceri Levy, will premiere at the 58th annual Berlin Film Festival this week. The unveiling begins with industry-only showings of the doc today and tomorrow; public screenings run February 9 and 13-15. Bananaz will also screen in America as part of the SXSW Film Festival, taking place March 7-15 in Austin, TX.

But Berliners will have to trade one Gorillaz experience for another, as the summer run of performances of Monkey: Journey to the West, their spin-off "circus opera," has been cancelled. The production will be coming to the USA, however. It will be performed at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina on May 22-26 and 28-31, and June 1, 3, 5-8.

If you're in London, you can get a taste of Monkey this Saturday, February 9, at the British Museum. As part of their Chinese New Year celebration, the museum will present "Monkey Suite", which is "chamber music and visual excerpts" from the opera.

Hewlett also has another project in the works: "Phoo Action", a kung fu action comedy he's developing for the BBC, according to NME. Carl Weathers is in it! It airs February 12 on BBC3.

Video: Gorillaz: Clint Eastwood [from the Gorillaz LP]

Spend Valentine's Day With TV on the Radio's Malone
How romantic!

Photo by Greg Silver

Wait, it's a week before Valentine's Day, and you still don't know where you're taking your main squeeze for the most ooey gooey evening of the year? Golly, Casanova, step that game up. Sure, a quick stop at the friendly neighborhood Taco John's and a showing of The Hottie and the Nottie might seem like a no-brainer, but you've got that significant other to think of.

You could while away your evening with bean burritos and Paris Hilton... OR you could spend the evening with TV on the Radio guitarist and all around cool dude Kyp Malone! He's hosting an "all you can eat Italian feast" and playing a set this Valentine's Day at Brooklyn's Glasslands Gallery. (Apparently it's an annual thing.)

Hey, why the hell not? Nothing sets a mood like eating a truckload of baked ziti with a famous person.

In addition to the wining and dining, there'll be a show, courtesy of your host and his musical accompaniment for the evening, John Dwyer of Coachwhips/Thee Ohsees. Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson will also perform, as will the Suckers, and DJs Megan Lee and Jaiko Suzuki will round out the musical portion of the evening. Then it's on to the lovin'...or a quick trip to the Duane Reade for some Pepto-Bismol. 'Tis (almost) the color of love, after all.

So what's Kyp up to when he's not elbow deep in the gnocchi? Well, musical stuff, of course. He and TVOTR crooner Tunde Adebimpe will perform as a duo at the Brooklyn Next fest later this month, as well as join the Roots on a track for the Soundtrack for a Revolution, uh, soundtrack.

MP3: Kyp Malone: Playhouses/Winter Song [live on Ma Fama]

Kurt Cobain: About a Son Coming to DVD

In his review of the soundtrack to Kurt Cobain: About a Son, our own Chris Dahlen wrote that AJ Schnack's documentary "has the uncanny effect of making its subject seem like he's still alive." It's true. By combining audio of early 90s Cobain interviews conducted by journalist Michael Azerrad with visuals of the present-day Pacific Northwest, the film presents Cobain in a late-00s context. The people and places Cobain discusses in the film are still around: depressed logging communities, idyllic Olympia, cosmopolitan Seattle. Kurt hated them all, and he probably still would.

Here's one thing I took from About a Son: Kurt Cobain was kind of a jerk. He talks about despising people just from the way they look and how when he's on tour he just wants to sit by himself in a corner rather than talk to people. He talks about how angry he's gotten with his bandmates over songwriting credits. How if he ever loses his family and his money, he's going to seek out bloody revenge on those who have wronged him. Not exactly the kind of guy I'd really want to hang out with.

I understand that he was in a lot of pain; that certainly comes through in the film. But About a Son did a lot of damage to my teenage idealization of Cobain as a saintly fighter of the good fight, cut down in his prime by evil mainstream corporate America (the very channels through which people like me first heard Nirvana, of course.)

For somebody like me who grew up idolizing and obsessing over Cobain, About a Son is eye-opening and heart-breaking. It humanizes him in ways that his music, performances, and videos never could. Sure, most sane, rational adults realize that every rock star is also a real person. But when you spend years fascinated with the mystique, it's sometimes difficult to come to terms with that realization.

So basically what I'm saying is if you want your childhood dreams shattered, go see About a Son. (Kidding.) But really, it's an essential movie for Nirvana fans. (For people who don't care about Nirvana, I'd recommend steering clear.)

On February 19, just one day before what would have been Kurt Cobain's 41^st birthday, Shout! Factory will release the film on DVD. It includes commentary by director Schnack and the features "The Voices Behind About a Son" and "On Location: Scouting Video to Scene Comparison".

Video: Kurt Cobain: About a Son: Trailer
Video: Kurt Cobain: About a Son: Clip

White Stripes Do Spanish Version of "Conquest" Single

Viva Las Rayas Blancas! Viva rock'n'roll! Say hello to "Conquista", the latest single from Las Rayas Blancas, better known to us English-speaking sorts as the White Stripes.

Wait a second. Didn't the Stripes have a single with an awfully similar name not too long ago? Well, yep. But this is different: "Conquista" features Jack crooning the Patti Page classic en español, a muy bien idea if you ask me. The single, in both CD and vinyl form, hits the States February 19 from Third Man/Warner Brothers, though you may have a bit of a time finding it in the usual spots, as the disc will indeed be credited to Las Rayas Blancas. Record store employees of the world, shelf this one responsibly.

The two-track single contains "Conquista" backed by "Conquest (Versión Acústica De Mariachi)", which we're pretty sure means it's acoustic and features a mariachi band.

A Spanish language version of the totally awesome Diane Martel-directed video for the tune will premiere on the music video channel mun2 Thursday, February 7, along with an interview with Jack.

In other news from the Stripes, there's an old sample driving them a bit loco lately, an appearance in alta definición February 22, and a potentially excellente collaboration between Mr. White and Mr. Dylan in the works. Alas, no live dates are in the works appear to be in the works at the moment. Qué malo! Okay, okay, silencio. The Raconteurs are playing Coachella and Bonnaroo, though.

Video: Las Rayas Blancas: Conquista (English version) [from the Icky Thump LP]

The Breeders Announce Mountain of New Dates

Video: The Breeders: Cannonball [from the Last Splash LP]

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.)