MMJ, Ted Leo, Besnard Lakes, Evan Dando Play NXNE
Plus: Peanut Butter Wolf, Julie Doiron, Swervedriver, Sloan, These New Puritans

Here comes the latest annual North by Northeast, Toronto's answer to that one thing with the similar name. This year's NXNE goes down June 12-15 at a plethora of Toronto locales, and much like its southerly counterpart, bands, filmmakers, journalists, industry types, and fans will pour into the Big Smoke to rub elbows and pump fists in equal measure.

So who's making the trek to Toronto this year? Well, far more names than a reasonably-sized paragraph can contain, so here are the highlights: My Morning Jacket, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, the Besnard Lakes, Evan Dando, Peanut Butter Wolf, Sloan, These New Puritans, Julie Doiron, Swervedriver, Redd Kross, Sheek Louch, the High Dials, French Kicks, Black Diamond Bay (featuring the Dears' Patrick Krief), the Diableros, Uncut, Young and Sexy, and Carina Round. On the not-strictly-musical tip, one could also stop into an interview with musician and sound tech pioneer Thomas Dolby.

And, just like SXSW, there's a film festival component to North by Northeast. Of particular note is the debut of the premiere episode of "The Side Street Project", which finds Holy Fuck, Buck 65, and Emm Gryner jamming on Springsteen's "State Trooper", Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", and Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me". NXNE is also hosting the first public screening of The Last Pogo, which captures a chaotic Toronto punk show from 1978 and all the ensuing madness. And filmmaker Bruce McDonald will apparently be filming his sequel to 1996's Hard Core Logo at and around the fest, as well as screening his documentary on Toronto rockers Die Mannequin. A full lineup for all entertainment is available through the NXNE website.

More Early Karen Dalton Recordings Collected on LP

Typically, if you were to say to me, "Hey, try this green rocky road," I'd be like, "Gross, dude. Throw that shit away, and break out the pint of Cherry Garcia." But when the Green Rocky Road is a collection of early recordings from under-the-radar 1960s/70s folkie Karen Dalton, I'm more inclined to partake.

Along with last year's live release Cotton Eyed Joe, Green Rocky Road serves as a precursor to the two studio albums Dalton released in the late 60s and early 70s. The record consists of nine home recordings from 1962 and 1963 featuring Dalton's voice over her own banjo and 12-string guitar accompaniment.

French label Megaphone will release Green Rocky Road on June 10. [MORE...]

Extra Golden Line Up Sizable U.S. Tour

Cross-continental Thrill Jockey outfit Extra Golden will tour the U.S. this summer in support of last year's Hera Ma Nono, their second album. This will be only Extra Golden's second tour of the States, and the first since their Obama-assisted trek of 2006. They're making the most of it, bringing along five singers and three guitarists, who will trade off lead vocal and rhythm/lead guitar duties, respectively.

Extra Golden's two-legged Stateside tour kicks off June 9 in Charlotte and surrounds a handful of European dates. It also includes a stop at the Pitchfork Music Festival. [MORE...]

Liz Phair Announces Chicago, San Fran Guyville Shows
Phair also playing a cartoon nurse on a kids' album (?!)

Finally, Liz Phair is bringing Exile in Guyville back to Guyville...almost. On June 24, Phair will perform her classic debut album in its entirety at Chicago's Vic Theatre. The Vic isn't exactly smack dab in the middle of Wicker Park (aka Guyville-- at least back in 1993), but hey, it's close enough. And there aren't really any venues in Wicker Park big enough to contain all the people who probably will want to see this show, anyway.

In addition to the Chicago show and two already sold out NYC performances, Phair has also added a San Francisco Guyville concert, at the Fillmore on June 23.

All of this is in support of ATO's deluxe reissue of Exile in Guyville, out the same day as the Chicago show, June 24.

In other Phair news, both NYLON magazine and The New York Times have reported that she's contributing to a children's album called The Body Rocks, all about the human body. As she told the Times, "I sang crazy 70s-style backup vocals, and for which I have become an animated character: rock nurse with guitar!" [MORE...]

Wire Confirm Object 47 Release Date, Plan U.S. Shows

Art-rock legends Wire are nothing if not precise, which makes it ironic that it took them so long to firm up a release date for their new album. But they've finally got one, and the waiting for the follow-up to 2003's Send will end on July 7, when Object 47 comes out in the UK.

The first taste of the new Object, "One Of Us", graced Forkcast earlier this week.

Wire's next show is tomorrow, May 30 in NYC, and the band has a handful of festival dates this summer. They also have a U.S. tour in the works for October. [MORE...]

Tilly and the Wall Sing ABCs on "Sesame Street", Tour

Omaha's Tilly and the Wall, a band so cute they could test a puppy's patience, have recorded a music video for the upcoming 39th season of "Sesame Street". Parents will be pleased to find that Tilly's "Sesame Street" video is an educational affair. It's their version of the immortal "ABC Song", and it will air on the beloved children's television show this fall.

Before the video airs, Tilly and co. have a busy summer. Their third album-- technically untitled, though folks are calling it O-- comes out June 17 on Team Love, and they've scheduled a large North American tour to support it. The latter half of that tour brings together Tilly and the Ruby Suns. [MORE...]

Oneida Turn Wedding LP Into Live Spectacle, Tour

Photo by Brad Dececco

It seems no one can resist the pull of the Don't Look Back-style "performing such-and-such album in its entirety" concert, and Oneida are no different. The Brooklyn band will bring 2005's The Wedding to NYC venue the Kitchen on June 13 and 14, and the shows will be full-on multimedia spectacles.

Accompanying Oneida at these two gigs will be pianist Emily Manzo (of Social Registry duo Christy & Emily) and a string quartet directed by Brian Coughlin, who wrote the string arrangements for the LP. What's more, the performances will incorporate multimedia art to "re-envision [The Wedding] as an abstract narrative" and "present [each show] as a unique hybrid of multimedia concert and non-didactic rock opera," according to a press release. Sounds crazy.

After these shows, Oneida have a hunk of dates throughout the summer. At the moment, however, they are wrapping up a new album, which is comprised of a single 40-minute composition. The band plans to release the Happy New Year follow-up via Jagjaguwar in August. [MORE...]

Jay Reatard Announces Third 7" Details, More Shows

Only a matter of days after the release of the last one, and the third installment of hyperprolific punker Jay Reatard's ongoing Matador 7" series is almost upon us. The "Always Wanting More"/"You Mean Nothing to Me" single is due June 24, supposedly in a quantity far smaller than the one that came before.

Both jams rest on the clear vinyl single's A-side, with the flip reserved for a silkscreen design. The sleeve insert, which you can see right up there, was designed by Lindsay Shutt. And if "Always Wanting More" sounds familiar, well, that's 'cuz you already downloaded the sucker through Matador's recent Intended Play compilation of a bunch of their recent releases. And if it's not, well, catching up is oh-so-easy.

Having just wrapped a string of UK dates, Jay's got no live plans 'til July. But hey, that just means we're but a few Jay shows away from his set at the Pitchfork Music Festival. [MORE...]

Hey Look, Yet Another Weezer Single on iTunes

So there's a new Weezer single from The Red Album on iTunes right now. Yes, another one. It's called "Dreamin'", and it joins "Pork and Beans", "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)", and "Troublemaker" as Red Album jams out there for the listening in advance of the album's release. It features the lines, "I'm dreamin' in the morning / I'm dreamin' all through the night / And when I'm dreamin' I know that it's all right."

Weezer the third is due in the U.S. June 3 from DGC/Interscope, though it hits the UK in deluxified form digitally June 9 and physically June 16 from Polydor.

RZA Finalizes Snacks Tracks, Adds Date With GZA
Pushes LP release date up a week

Digi Snacks, the latest treat from Wu-Tang Clan maestro RZA under his Bobby Digital moniker, has a finalized tracklist at last. The 15-track set-- due June 24 from Koch Records, up a week since our last report-- will feature various bonus cuts, depending on where the album is purchased: "Don't Be Afraid", "Wolf", and "I Scream" featuring Dexter Wiggles and Crisis.

But no matter where you buy it, it's still gonna come with that amazing cover. Plenty more about the album and the state of the Wu can be found in our recent interview with RZA himself.

Fans of the Wu proper might wanna make their way up to Montreal on July 3. Nah, U-God's hasn't opened up that poutine stand just yet-- rather, that evening, the RZA and the GZA will perform at the Montreal Jazz Festival. The date comes in the middle of RZA's summer tour plans, available after this deal here. Oh, and he's hosting MTV2's "Sucker Free Sunday" this coming Sunday, June 1. [MORE...]

Minus the Bear Reissue Beer Commercials EP

Seattle stalwarts Minus the Bear will reissue their 2004 EP They Make Beer Commercials Like This via longtime label Suicide Squeeze on June 3. The release has almost nothing to do with anniversaries or deluxe treatments, but it does come with a bonus track, plus it marks the EP's first time on vinyl. The 12" will arrive in a rainbow vinyl edition and a gray/magenta vinyl edition, and both come with a download code for obtaining the record digitally.

Minus the Bear will continue to support last year's Planet of Ice by taking their winding indie rock to a few venues soon. The band's next appearance is at Bonnaroo. [MORE...]

Annuals Plot June Tour, Start Label
Terpsikhore label, co-run by Annuals, preps inaugural releases

Photo by Autumn de Wilde

After surviving what's likely the most amicable split in music history, Annuals are back with all original parts intact and ready to hit the road anew. The guys and gal are taking a break from whipping up their answer to 2006's Be He Me with a bunch of North American shows in June.

They'll also be attending to some business with the label they help run, Terpsikhore. Though it was incorporated back in 2004, the imprint will issue its inaugural discs this summer. First up is Toy Tugboats, the debut full-length from Annuals guitarist Kenny Florence's project Sunfold (which has Kenny fronting the rest of the Annuals gang), due July 22. Hot on its heels is a reworked version of the self titled debut LP from Tempe, Arizona's What Laura Says, due August 19. [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.)