Oxford Collapse Craft New Single, EP, Double LP, Tour

For a while there, a couple years ago, it seemed like Oxford Collapse were putting out records on an almost monthly basis. Lucky for us, they were all pretty good, and lucky for them, after a period of extreme prolificacy, the Brooklyn trio had a little time to unwind.

Apparently, they didn't take it. In between tours and more tours last year and earlier in this one, the band managed to crank out enough material for a single, an EP, and a double album, all due in the next few months. Let's run 'em down, shall we?

First up is the "Spike of Bensonhurst" 7", due May 13 from Flameshovel. Backed with "Bloopers", the record is limited to 500 copies, 100 of which will switch out the usual black vinyl with eye-fondling orange vinyl. Buyers will also note that every purchase of the 7" includes MP3 downloads of its tunes.

Then there's The Hann-Byrd EP, so named in tribute to Little Man Tate himself, actor Adam Hann-Byrd. The five song set comes on 500 12"s and all the digital downloads you can shake a credit card at. It's due June 10 from Comedy Minus One.

As for the double LP, we know precious little about it so far, save the title, the label, and the approximate month of its release. Bits, as it's called, is due in August from Sub Pop.

In the midst of all this, Oxford Collapse have a date in New York over the weekend (opening for the Narrator's final show) and a two-week tour of the States to attend to in June. Word of warning, guys? Don't, you know, collapse. [MORE...]

Stream: Oxford Collapse: Spike of Bensonhurst [from the forthcoming Spike of Bensonhurst 7-inch]
MP3: Oxford Collapse: Amongst Friends [from the forthcomign The Hann-Byrd EP]

Eugene Mirman Spreads Hilarity on Tour

Video: Eugene Mirman: Pot Is Bad

Spiritualized Expand North American Tour

Photo by Natalie Kardos

The release of Spiritualized's sixth studio record, Songs in A&E, is approaching at warp speed. Thus, J. Spaceman and co. have decided to expand their itinerary with North American dates, starting with their appearance at the Pitchfork Music Festival. These new shows take place in the midst of an already sizable world tour, and, in contrast to Spiritualized's previous "Acoustic Mainlines" performances, they feature a full electric band. Given Spiritualized's predilection for thunderous electric performances, we advise securing your internal organs in advance.

Before they arrive on North American shores, Spiritualized have a European tour that begins May 18 in Cambridge, England.

Songs in A&E arrives in the UK on May 26 (Universal/Spaceman) and in the U.S. on May 27 (Fontana International/Spaceman). And remember that iTunes thing we told you about last week? Yeah, it took a little longer than expected, but it's available now. [MORE...]

Video: Spiritualized: Soul on Fire [from the forthcoming Songs in A&E LP]

Iggy, M.I.A., Jenny Lewis on Pancake Mountain DVD
With Built to Spill, Wayne Coyne, X, Nellie McKay

Have you seen this crazy "Pancake Mountain" show? It is way crazy, dude. A bunch of puppets, a bunch of indie rockers, and a whole mess of kids get together to say and do the darndest things, and even more wackiness ensues from the mixture that you can possibly imagine.

The fifth "Pancake Mountain" DVD-- collecting episodes nine and 10, plus a handful of bonus features-- is out now, and boy howdy, is the lineup of talent impressive.

The DVD features appearances from the likes of Wayne Coyne, M.I.A., Built to Spill, Iggy Pop, Meat Puppets, X, Nellie McKay, Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, PSAPP, Scissor Sisters, Northern State and so on. Your next dance party/babysitting gig/drug binge so needs this.

As always, check your local listings to see if there's a "Pancake Mountain" anywhere near your airwaves.

Here's Nellie McKay with "Pancake Mountain"'s Rufus Leaking:

Video: Built to Spill, Jenny Lewis: Live on Pancake Mountain
Video: Wayne Coyne: Live on Pancake Mountain

Girl Talk, Cool Kids, Pete Rock, Carl Craig Do Movement
With Peanut Butter Wolf, Richie Hawtin, Newcleus, Egyptian Lover, Moby

Coldplay Announce North American Tour

MP3: Coldplay: Violet Hill [from the forthcoming Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends LP]

Vampire Weekend, Battles, Deerhunter Play Accelerator
So do Band of Horses, Stars, Fuck Buttons, St. Vincent, Hercules and Love Affair

Stereolab Announce North American Tour

When we spoke with Stereolab's Tim Gane a few weeks back about the veteran group's forthcoming album Chemical Chords, he mentioned a North American tour the band were plotting around September. Let it never be said Mr. Gane is not a man of his word.

Plans for Stereolab to wind their way across the continent are presently in place, with the dates kicking off September 20 in Costa Mesa, California. Openers for the first leg of the tour are still up in the air, but Laetitia Sadier will play double duty on the second leg, as her side project Monade is scheduled to take the stage before Stereolab.

Chemical Chords is due August 18 worldwide and August 19 in the U.S. via Duophonic UHF Disks/4AD. [MORE...]

Video: Stereolab: Three Women [from the Chemical Chords LP]

ATP vs. Pitchfork Starts Today!

Aaaand they're off!

Today at the Camber Sands Holiday Centre near Rye, England, the opening chords of the ATP vs. Pitchfork Festival will ring out over the English countryside, bringing bands and fans together for an unforgettable weekend of rocking the hell out.

Of course, the lineup should be well familiar to any and all attendees/envious homebodies. But here are the set times, for your scheduling pleasure:

Friday, May 9

Main Stage

4:30 PM The Clientele
6:00 PM Vampire Weekend
7:30 PM Sebadoh
9:00 PM Ween

Second Stage

4:15 PM Jay Reatard
5:30 PM Man Man
6:45 PM Car Sick Cars
8:00 PM Shit and Shine
9:15 PM Fuck Buttons
10:45 PM Redd Kross
12:30 AM Glass Candy + DJs
1:30 AM Hot Chip DJs

Saturday, May 10

Main Stage

3:45 PM Bon Iver
5:00 PM Yeasayer
6:30 PM Los Campesinos!
8:00 PM The Black Angels
9:30 PM Les Savy Fav
11:00 PM Hot Chip

Second Stage

2:00 PM Even
3:15 PM Times New Viking
4:30 PM Born Ruffians
6:00 PM Howlin Rain
7:30 PM Dirty Projectors
9:00 PM Deerhunter
10:30 PM Black Lips
12:30 AM Various Production DJs
2:00 AM DJs

Sunday, May 11

Main Stage

2:00 PM Jens Lekman
3:30 PM A Place to Bury Strangers
5:00 PM Black Mountain
6:30 PM Of Montreal
8:00 PM The Hold Steady
9:30 PM Girls Against Boys
11:00 PM Harmonia

Second Stage

2:45 PM Apse
4:00 PM Marisa Nadler
5:30 PM Pissed Jeans
7:00 PM Wooden Shjips
8:30 PM No Age
10:00 PM Meat Puppets
11:30 PM Caribou
12:45 AM DJs

These are just the start times, mind; you can dance to the Hot Chip DJs tonight 'til the five o'clock hour rolls around. Just don't forget to set your alarm, as a mere nine hours later, you'll be awakened by the sounds of Even.

Also note that Camber Sands doesn't provide stuff like towels or toiletries, so unless you wanna come out of this thing smellin' like a Schreiber, you'll want to make sure to tuck that stuff away somewhere. (J/K boss!) A full FAQ for all your last-minute inquiries is available here.

As always, we'd like to thank our friends at All Tomorrow's Parties for helping us get this thing together. See you all soon!

Beck Signs to XL Recordings in the UK

At whatever point in the summer that 30 minute, 10 track, Danger Mouse-produced, Cat Power-boosted Beck LP we've been talking about a lot this week happens to arrive, it'll do so in the UK thanks to the folks at his new overseas imprint, XL Recordings. The disc, about which we know literally nothing not contained within these two sentences, will hit the U.S. from Interscope sometime relatively soon.

Says XL founder Richard Russell in a press release: "We can't wait for everyone to hear the extraordinary music that he and Danger Mouse have made together." Says us: As representives of "everyone," we concur. We can't wait.

Beck's summer tour is currently scheduled to kick off June 25 at the Hove Festival in Arendal, Norway. [MORE...]

Video: Beck: Timebomb

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks Prep New Trash Single

Photos by Nilina Mason-Campbell

Stephen Malkmus and his Jicks will release their first UK single from Real Emotional Trash on June 2 via Domino. The tune they've chosen is "Gardenia", and they are backing it with a new song called "Walk Into the Mirror".

The band will walk into the tour vehicle for festival dates this month and European shows in June. Support on the UK shows comes from Domino mates Wild Beasts. Then in August, the band plays Lollapalooza.

In related news, the Crust Brothers' Marquee Mark album was recently released digitally for the first time, courtesy of Comedy Minus One. And who are the Crust Brothers? Why that would be the members of Silkworm joined by Mr. Malkmus. And what is on Marquee Mark? It's a recording of a live show from 1997, and it's all covers. [MORE...]

Video: Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks: Various Tracks (Live on the Take Away Show)

Common Becomes Invincible With LP, Terminator Role

Common, please slow down! Not a year after the Chicago MC released Finding Forever, with a whole mess of activity in the interim, he has given word of its follow-up, not to mention a blockbuster acting role.

According to a Billboard.com report, Common's eighth album is called Invincible Summer, and it is tentatively scheduled for a mid-July release. (However, Common's MySpace page says it will be out June 24.)

Billboard.com calls the sound of Summer "electro-tinged," which is an interesting departure from Common's usual M.O. of beats based around dusty old jazz and soul samples. With a tune called "Runaway" "drawing its guitar riff from Pat Benatar's 'Love Is a Battlefield'," we're kind of imagining Electro Circus.

"I created this music for the summer time. It's about feeling good. This is the type of music I felt was missing from my body of work," Common told Billboard.com regarding Invincible Summer's musical direction, and he certainly surrounded himself with respectable contributors. The record's production comes from the Neptunes and Outkast producer Mr. DJ. Cee-Lo, Santogold, and Neptunes associates Chester French lent their singing and rhyming talents. Frequent Common collaborator Kanye West was absent from the proceedings because he was preoccupied with work on his "Glow in the Dark" tour.

"Universal Mind Control (U.M.C.)" looks to be Invincible Summer's first single, and it is planned for release at the end of May. Billboard.com's preliminary tracklist for the album is after the jump.

As for Common's blossoming acting career, he appears alongside Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, and James McAvoy in the pretty sweet-looking Wanted, which hits theaters June 27. Also, according to a Variety report, Common will join Christian Bale's John Connor in a new Terminator movie called Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins. Common's character is "a freedom fighter and member of Connor's inner circle," and the movie is scheduled to appear in theaters May 22, 2009. [MORE...]

Video: Common: I Want You [from the Finding Forever 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.)