Constantines Announce Spring Tour, Cancel NYC Show

From Kensington Heights to a borough within spitting distance of yours-- if you live on the right half of North America, that is-- come the Constantines. They'll show off their weathered word-rock to fans in both the States and their native Canada this spring on a modest tour. Set to issue Kensington Heights April 15 in Canada and April 29 in the States via Arts & Crafts, the band will preview the disc at SXSW before really going for it in April and early May.

Note, however, that the band's previously reported date at New York's Mercury Lounge on March 3 has been moved back to April, as guitarist Steve Lambke broke a bone in his right hand and can't rightly sling his axe to the best of his ability just yet. The date has been moved to April 16 at the very same spot. [MORE...]

Wire Return to the Road, Record New Album

We reported in October that Wire were planning a new album; since then, the band has been as short on information about it as their earliest songs were on time. But according to a recent newsletter from the band, Wire are in the thick of recording and mixing their 11th record, and they plan to release it this year. Non-specific hooray!

To whet our appetites until then, Wire have announced their first three concerts of the year, which also happen to be their first live dates since 2004. Taking place in late April and early May in Belgium and France, these shows are only the beginning of the band's itinerary, which looks to include more European festivals this summer and a North American jaunt in the fall. [MORE...]

R.I.P. Buddy Miles, Drummer and Hendrix Collaborator

Drummer/vocalist Buddy Miles, known for his work with Jimi Hendrix and a performing career that spanned nearly five decades, passed away at his Austin, Texas home yesterday, February 26, according to his official website [via Billboard.com]. He was 60.

Born September 5, 1947 in Omaha, Nebraska, Miles began playing music with his father's band the Bebops at age 11. He went on to work with the Delfonics, the Ink Spots, Wilson Pickett, and Electric Flag before contributing to the Jimi Hendrix Experience's seminal Electric Ladyland LP and co-founding the short-lived Band of Gypsys with Hendrix and bassist Billy Cox.

Miles also performed with David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, Muddy Waters, George Clinton, Barry White, Bootsy Collins, and Carlos Santana over the years, releasing or appearing on some 70 albums in all. Drug charges in the late 1970s and 1980s led to some jail time for Miles. He remerged later in the 80s as the voice behind the California Raisins television commercials, and continued releasing albums into this century.

Just prior to his death, Miles had toured to help raise money for Children's Craniofacial Association and various hurricane/disaster relief funds.

The following statement was posted to Miles' website following his death: [MORE...]

Mount Eerie Go "Hard Core" on New EP, Tour All Over

Gasp! Could our Phil Elverum be ditching the gentle rustling of the Pacific Northwest's trees for the sweaty, diamond-studded hardcore underground? Well, almost. Alongside Norwegian drummer Kjetil Jenssen and Jason "Wolf Colonel" Anderson, the Microphones/Mount Eerie head honcho has crafted Black Wooden Ceiling Opening, a new six-song EP performed, as Phil notes, "in a 'hard core' style (kind of?)."

That "kind of," it would seem, is key. The Black Wooden in the title actually refers to Phil's new hybrid sound, which he calls "kind of like Black Metal but made of natural materials." The set features radical reworkings of past Elverum triumphs in this Black Wooden idiom, carved into white vinyl and available from Phil/Southern Distribution May 27. Check out "Don't Smoke" in that little stream box down there.

But that's not all! In addition to the EP, a ten-track Mount Eerie bootleg CD and a big double-sided poster (printed on recycled stock at Hemlock Printers, the same place they made up that crazy felt-y paper for the Mount Eerie photobook) will join the party.

Speaking of parties, Phil's got quite a few of those lined up over the next several months. In addition to dates both at home and abroad, he'll hit Europe in May with No Kids, and pop in along the way at Malmö, Sweden's KRETS gallery on May 10. There he'll find an exhibition of his own art, including a ton of photos from the Mount Eerie Pts. 6 & 7 book, on display from that day through June 8.

And speaking of books, Elverum has yet another one in the works. DAWN comes our way later this year courtesy of Buenaventura Press and features 136 pages of "very intense journal writing from time spent in a cabin in northern Norway," along with photos, drawings, and a CD collecting "all the songs written there, played once and for all [with] just guitar and singing."

Finally, Phil fans the world over have only a few weeks before K Records lets 'em revel in that giant reissue of the Microphones' brilliant 2001 set, The Glow Pt. 2.

[MORE...]

Jamie Lidell Announces World Tour

Jamie-- pardon me, Jim-- Lidell has already revealed plans for a new LP, a UK single for "Little Bit of Feel Good", a mess of tour dates, and an increasingly guffaw-worthy string of promotional photographs in 2008, and the gifts just keep coming.

That up there is the artwork for Jamie's new album, Jim-- due April 28 in the UK and April 29 in the U.S. from Warp-- for your gazing pleasure. And all those numbers and cities below the jump comprise the itinerary for Jamie's spring world tour. Mr. Lidell will get real busy in Europe and the UK come April and early May, before heading to North America from late May through mid-June.

He'll have more than just a little help along the way, as his previous one-man-plus-computerz setup (as seen here) will be augmented by guitars, saxophones, keyboards and drums. A veritable full band, they call that! Despite the number of bodies onstage, expect Jamie and company to leave plenty of room for improv and experimentations in the mix. It's just his way.

In addition to Jamie's trip to the States, he'll also hit U.S. HD airwaves March 7 on Nigel Godrich's "From the Basement" show along with fellow lotharios Beck and Jarvis Cocker. [MORE...]

Yo La Tengo Light Up the Airwaves This Week
Classics, prepare to be MURDERED ANEW

Radioland tends to favor booming voices, big personalities, and a lotta drive-time giveaways. But despite his involvement with one of the finest rock'n'roll bands in modern history, Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan rarely speaks above a whisper, seems far from ostentatious in his manners, and has nothing to give away but his song and a few well-honed witticisms.

Still, Ira's long been a fan and a favorite of New Jersey radio station par excellence WFMU. Over the next few days, both Ira and his band will grace the WFMU airwaves to help the station with its annual pledge drive, on and poppin' from now through March 4.

First, Ira will don the cans awful early tomorrow morning (February 28), stepping in-- as he's been doing a bit lately-- from 6-9 AM EST for a web-only broadcast. He will, as he says, "wake up at an ungodly hour to do whatever I can to help WFMU raise the money they need to stay on the air for another year."

Then on Sunday March 2 from 5-8 PM EST, Yo La Tengo-- accompanied by Bruce Bennett of the A-Bones-- will once again perform extemporaneous covers at the behest of WFMU listeners. Folks call in and, in exchange for a pledge, get Ira, Georgia, James (and Bruce) to play whatever song their heart desires.

I hope you folks know "Crank That (Soulja Boy)", cuz I am so getting paid this weekend!

All this should prove a fine warm-up for Yo La Tengo's March 13 appearance at South by Southwest, which will be broadcast live on several NPR stations and webcast on NPR.org. Hey, this band really does love radio!

In other Yo La Tengo-related SXSW news, The Toe Tactic, the newest addition to their film-scoring resume, will premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. Directed by Yo La Tengo drummer Georgia Hubley's sister Emily, the film is a live action/animation hybrid starring David Cross, Mary Kay Place, Lily Rabe, and Kevin Corrigan.

They'll be back with more-- plus sports and weather-- after the jump. [MORE...]

The Verve Schedule More U.S. Dates, Work on New LP

You didn't think the Verve would have the nerve to play just one North American date and skip on out of here, now did you? Not unlike last year's big reunion story the Jesus and Mary Chain, the Richard Ashcroft-fronted, recently reunited skygazers have added a handful of U.S. dates surrounding their appearance at Coachella.

Late April finds them in Las Vegas and New York City, according to a Billboard.com report. They'll also hit up Glastonbury and T in the Park as the summer festival season swings into high gear. UPDATE: A May 1 gig in Toronto has been added as well.

For those pining for more new Verve material (following the little mp3 jam session they treated fans to last fall), the Billboard.com report quotes a Parlophone label rep as saying the band is "currently writing only," so the holding of breath would be ill-advised at this point. A new album is tentatively set to arrive in the UK as soon as June (no U.S. details yet, as the Verve remain unsigned here), however, so those guys had best get crackin'! [MORE...]

Air's Moon Safari Reissued for Tenth Anniversary

If you've never made out to Air's Moon Safari, you're probably doing it wrong. The slinky, synthy 1998 debut from the debonair French duo has served as soundtrack to many an indie rock love affair over the years, and, in addition to its many other musical merits, happens to sustain a pretty perfect rhythm throughout for smoochin' and such. Try it! You'll like it.

In celebration of ten years of contributing to the population explosion, Moon Safari will be reissued in an expanded, limited edition form March 31 in the UK on Virgin (according to NME) and April 15 in the U.S. on Astralwerks (according to Astralwerks). Tucked inside a DVD-sized bound book, the three-disc set includes original ten-track LP, another disc sporting ten more "remixes, rarities and radio sessions,"-- including Beck's pretty strange take on "Sexy Boy" and the Moog Cookbook remix of "Kelly Watch the Stars"-- and a DVD.

The DVD features the documentary Air: Eating, Sleeping, Waiting & Playing, a 60-minute chronicle of Air's first tour directed by Mike Mills (not that one) and originally released in limited edition in 1999. Also included on the disc are the video clips for "Sexy Boy", "Kelly Watch the Stars", "All I Need" and Premiers Symptomes' "Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi", and some previously unseen album graphics by Mills himself.

But how am I supposed to look at the telly when you are kissing on my face?

Air have a pair of appearances at the Australian V Festival in late March and have added a few more dates around the fest sets, though that seems to be about it for their touring plans at the moment. If I made music like this, I'd find excuses to stay home and "listen," too. [MORE...]

Carbon/Silicon Bond With Matt Pond PA on Tour

Matt Pond PA photo by Jeremy Balderson

Carbon/Silicon, meet two parts hydrogen, one part oxygen, and a guy named Matt. Yes, Carbon/Silicon-- the ex-punker supergroup spearheaded by Mick Jones of the Clash and Tony James of Generation X-- will be joined by Matt Pond PA on a North American tour this spring.

The two bands will link up in mid-March for about a month of nearly-nightly rock of both the raucous and gentle varieties. Both have terminally-titled 2007 releases to plug: Carbon/Silicon issued The Last Post back in October on Caroline, and Matt Pond's new one Last Light, with special guest Neko Case, dropped in September on Altitude.

Matt Pond PA have a tour of their own to attend to before they meet up with Carbon/Silicon, while the band of vets is mostly supplementing its time around the Pond with festival gigs and the odd club date. [MORE...]

Techno Overlord Carl Craig Anthologized on Sessions

How's this for a coronation? After twenty years behind the boards and in the spotlight, Detroit dynamo Carl Craig gets a career-spanning retrospective.

Craig and !K7 will issue the two-disc Sessions on March 3 in the UK and mainland Europe and March 11 in the U.S. Sporting more than twenty of Craig's groundbreaking compositions and remixes, it includes classic of all classics "Bug in the Bass Bin", that bangin' remix of Delia Gonzalez and Gavin Russom's "Revelee", and Craig's Grammy-nominated spin on the Junior Boys' "Like a Child".

Mr. Craig also has a handful of appearances in the coming months. [MORE...]

Shins, Wolf Parade, Rilo Kiley Design Charity Shirts
So do Au Revoir Simone

Many moons ago, we reported on the Yellow Bird Project, a fairly ingenious bit of rock'n'roll largesse. The Montreal-based non-profit drafts indie rock stars like Devendra Banhart, Stars, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and My Brightest Diamond to design t-shirts, with money from the sale of the shirts going to the charity of each band's choice.

Well, a little birdie-- or, rather, the Shins' MySpace blog-- reminded us that Yellow Bird's still doing their thing, and whaddya know, they've got a few noteworthy new designs since we last checked in. Experienced shirt designers the Shins contributed a sad sack guy standing in front of an exit sign, to benefit the Nature Conservancy. Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade scrawled a bird-like creature about to get swallowed by a dragon tail (or something), with the proceeds going to Eugene, Oregon's Glass Casters Union. Rilo Kiley doodled a leafy branch, to benefit the Elliott Smith Memorial Fund. And Au Revoir Simone have a little fun with squares on theirs, which gives it up to Transportation Alternatives.

All of these t-shirts are $25, available now. Many of the designs we mentioned way back when are still available as well.

Here are the Wolf Parade, Shins, Rilo Kiley, and Au Revoir Simone designs:

Pattern Is Movement Unveil New Album, Tour

Whittled from a trio to a duo in the past year, Philly's Pattern Is Movement (aka Andrew Thiboldeaux and Chris Ward) will return with their fourth album All Together on May 6. The ten-song record comes at us via Boulder, Colorado label Hometapes, and first taste "Right Away" is available for download at the link below.

Before All Together arrives, Thiboldeaux and Ward have two months of tour dates lined up. Their next show is tonight, February 27, in their hometown. [MORE...]

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