Gang Gang Dance's DeGraw Talks Album, EP, Films

Last time Pitchfork chatted with Gang Gang Dance's Brian DeGraw, he was filling us in on how his Gang's powers transcend those of a mere band-- and mulling over some appropriately ambitious extra-musical activities for the bunch: plays, restaurants, automobile design, and a freaking gorilla sanctuary, to name a few.

DeGraw and company haven't ruled anything out yet, but from the sound of it, the Gang is going to stick to a certain tried-and-true pursuit for the time being, one popularized by more conventional bands. They're going to release some records.

"We're just too busy right now," DeGraw told Pitchfork last week. "We're really still working on the record."

That record, the follow-up to 2005's God's Money, won't reach completion for a little while though, as GGD have "about six hours' worth of material" to sort through.

"We record all our practices," said DeGraw. "[We] then go back and listen to the tapes, pick out some parts, and then compose new songs using all these different parts stuck together. So when we're recording we'll do the same thing: we'll roll tape for a few hours and just improvise, then pick out all these really sweet spots and try to make them into something."

This reductive approach of course leaves many enticing musical paths untrodden, but Gang Gang Dance hope to try a few of them on an as-yet-untitled EP that will proceed the album. "We have all this extra stuff...so we figured we'd just take some of the stuff we knew we weren't going to use on the album and just put it out." The Social Registry will deliver that EP Stateside, while Young Turks will serve it up in the UK.

"Sound-wise," offered DeGraw, the album is "going to sound like a Gang Gang record. I think it's maybe just a lot tighter, [with] less improvisation and more composed songs."

The percussion-heavy band has a new weapon in its arsenal now too: a sequencer. "Recently in practices," said DeGraw, "I'll just throw some drum pattern on for fun; then we start realizing that we're really into it. Tim [Dewitt] started stepping out from behind the kit and just grabbing a mic, and it's sounding pretty interesting. I think it might become a big thing in the future for us, using less drums and more drum machines." [MORE...]

MP3: Gang Gang Dance: Nomad for Love (Cannibal) [from the God's Money LP]

BrakesBrakesBrakes Hit the Gas for U.S./Canada Tour

Video: BrakesBrakesBrakes: Spring Chicken [from the The Beatific Visions LP]
MP3: BrakesBrakesBrakes: Hold Me in the River [from the The Beatific Visions LP]

Modest Mouse Extend Tour
Johnny Marr designs shoe for charity

Video: Modest Mouse: Dashboard [from the We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank LP]

New Stephen Malkmus Album: "67.4685% Completed"
Janet Weiss drumming for Bright Eyes

That's right you hyper-literate slackers: put down the Pynchon and the peace pipe for a moment, and bask in the good news for people who love Pavement: Stephen Malkmus is putting together a new album (with his trusty Jicks, one assumes), and according to his official website and confirmed by Matador, he's just narrowly more than two-thirds done with it!

Spake the scribe at Malkmus' web-home, "basic trax for album committed to tape...67.4685% completed...Looks to be done sometime in Late June." Pessimists take note: the new Malkmus album is 32.5315% not completed.

"Apparently, the songs are so BIG that Matador is pushing for an early 2008 release."

So there you have it! Mr. Stephen Malkmus, fresh off a solo appearance at this summer's Pitchfork Music Festival, should have a new artifact out early next year.

Steve-o's also teamed with T.J. Doherty, perhaps the only living human being cool enough to have worked with both Steely Dan and the Rapture. T.J. "kept an eye on the meters," which leads us to believe he assisted in some sort of production capacity.

BONUS: HUGH MILLER POINTS US IN THE DIRECTION OF PHOTOS FROM THE RECORDING SESSIONS. SWEET!

As for that P4k fest appearance, Malkmus' interweb doppelgänger had a few words on that as well: "[Latest Jicks initiate] Janet Weiss is busy this summer pushing tempo for Bright Eyes, so Chicago gets just one Jick. I've seen him do the solo thing, and i hate to say its ......not........ exactly....... Genius. Still, you get the dude and his voice and some strumming; I say check it out."

If you won't settle for anything less than Genius, then you probably shouldn't purchase festival tickets here immediately.

Malkmus and his Jicks also play the Green Man Festival, from August 17-19 at Wales' Brecon Beacons National Park. Check out the Malkmus statement/update-- a good read-- in full, just beyond the pale...er, the jump. [MORE...]

MP3: Stephen Malkmus: Various Tracks

Exclusive: Architecture in Helsinki Sign to Polyvinyl
Third album, Places Like This, due August 7

The geographically-misled Aussies of Architecture in Helsinki now have a new home in the northern hemisphere, as Polyvinyl Record Company has signed AIH for all their North American concerns.

Concerns that'll soon include a pair of previously-announced remix-and-cover-laden singles for the new track "Heart it Races" and, not long after, ten knotty pop tunes united as the third AIH full-length Places Like This, yours to keep August 7.

Oh, and there's still the matter of AIH's world tour, popping off next month. [MORE...]

Stream: Architecture in Helsinki: Heart It Races (DJ/Rupture's Ital Hymn mix feat. Mr. Lee G)

Animal Collective, Danielson, Battles Play NYC's Seaport
Also: Fujiya & Miyagi, Menomena

Though the full lineup of New York City's Seaport Music Festival, held in summertime at Manhattan's South Street Seaport on the beauteous banks of the East River, hasn't been announced yet, a few stellar acts have been confirmed.

June 1 sees a double dose from the cup of cultishness in the form of Animal Collective and Danielson. July 6 snags loop-lovers Fujiya & Miyagi and Menomena (both of which, we're pleased to gloat, will be playing our own Pitchfork Music Festival later in the month). And the last day of August finds math blasters Battles (also playing our fest) adding up the awesomeness.

More to come, of course. [MORE...]

Photos: The Books [Somerville, MA; 04/15/07]

Jesus and Mary Chain Add Tour Dates

Video: Sister Vanilla (The Jesus and Mary Chain plus sister): Can't Stop the Rock [from the Little Pop Rock LP]

Ornette Coleman Wins Pulitzer Prize
John Coltrane receives Special Citation

The winners of the Pulitzer Prize were announced yesterday, and among the ranks of journalists, authors, and critics are two jazz giants.

Free jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman won the Music Pulitzer for his most recent full-length, last year's Sound Grammar, and John Coltrane (maybe you've heard of him?) was awarded a Pulitzer Special Citation "for his masterful improvisation, supreme musicianship, and iconic centrality to the history of jazz," according to the Pulitzer website. Fahrenheit 451 author Ray Bradbury was the other Special Citation recipient.

We're still waiting for Coleman's foray into investigative reporting. Then it's really on.

Coleman also has a couple handfuls of mostly TBA dates this summer, but his appearances at Bonnaroo, London's Royal Festival Hall, and the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam are all confirmed. [MORE...]

Stream: Ornette Coleman: Turnaround [from the Sound Grammar LP]

+/-'s Deaner Explains Kelly Clarkson Drumming Gig
"My first show with them was the Daytona 500. A nice intimate little show to get my feet wet."

Pitchfork: How did you hook up with Kelly Clarkson?

Chris Deaner: Her current guitarist, and co-producer on [Clarkson's forthcoming] My December album, Jimmy Messer, is an old friend of mine. We were roomates in college actually. Kelly's band needed a drummer, one that was used to playing with and triggring samples live, so he gave me a call.

Pitchfork: How long have you been in her band?

CD: Not very long. My first show with them was the Daytona 500 [on February 18, 2007]. A nice intimate little show to get my feet wet.

Pitchfork: Did you play on the new record?

CD: I did not. It was already finished when they called me.

Pitchfork: Are you going to tour with Kelly?

CD: That's the plan, I'll be touring and playing all TV performances.

Pitchfork: Are you playing Live Earth?!

CD: I hope so! What an amazing opportunity. It's a dream come true to be able to be playing music on something as historic as Live Earth. It gives me chills just thinking about it...

Pitchfork: Is your being in Kelly Clarkson's band going to affect your role in +/- at all?

CD: Unfortunately, yes. I am going to try to play all the shows I possibly can with +/-, but there is no guarantee that I'll be able to do all of them. In the event that I might miss any +/- shows (the European tour is an example), my friend Karl Lundin is going to fill in for me. He's a super great drummer and the other half of a two drumset band we have called Loudest Boom Bah Yea. (shameless plug)

Pitchfork: Is Kelly Clarkson as awesome in person as she seems to be on record/video?

CD: Yup. Maybe a little awesomer? She's exactly as you would think she is: grounded, funny, and very very very talented. Every time we rehearse with her I'm struck by how amazing her voice is.

Pitchfork: You mention that you're shooting a video right now. What's the deal with that?

This time I won't be behind the camera at all, but instead in front of it. We are filming the video for Kelly's single, "Never Again". Should be exciting! I plan on geeking out quite a bit while on set.

In addition to keeping time for Kelly, Deaner has also been helping his ex-roomie Messer record some demos in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, +/- themselves recently remixed a track off the Rosebuds' latest, Night of the Furies. They have a DVD, collecting 12 videos and some bonus goodies and titled Self-Titled Long-Playing Debut DVD, out soon via original home Teenbeat.

Finally, the +/- European tour Deaner mentions-- in further support of 2006's Absolutely Kosher LP Let's Build a Fire-- kicks off (plus or minus Deaner) May 15 in Cologne; the band also hopes to swing through the U.S. East Coast in September with Japan's Moools. [MORE...]

MP3: +/-: Steal the Blueprints [from the Let's Build a Fire LP]
Stream: Kelly Clarkson: Never Again [single; from the forthcoming My December LP]

Exclusive: Shout Out Louds Sign to Merge

Sweden's Shout Out Louds have made the label switch from Capitol to Merge for the North American release of their follow-up to 2004's Howl Howl Gaff Gaff.

The new album is titled Our Ill Wills and was produced by fellow brother of the blue and yellow Bjorn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John.

Our Ill Wills' first single, "Tonight I Have to Leave It", is out now in Sweden, and the album comes out there April 25 via Bud Fox Recordings. Bud Fox will release the record in Denmark on May 21 (in collaboration with At:tack Music) and in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on May 25 (in collaboration with Haldern Pop Recordings). North American residents have to wait until September 11 for the Merge release.

A full North American Shout Out Louds tour won't happen until then either, but limited U.S. dates are in the works for July. The band will, however, take Europe (and Scandinavia in particular) by storm this spring and summer starting with their April 19 and 20 appearances at London's Camden Crawl. [MORE...]

Video: Shout Out Louds: Tonight I Have to Leave It [from the forthcoming Our Ill Wills LP]

Lily Allen Definitely Cancels North American Tour

Turns out, Lily Allen did indeed cancel much of her North American tour over the weekend. Though she looks assured as ever in our pictures from the KCRW Sounds Eclectic Evening on Saturday, Lil complains of rattled nerves and a far-too-friendly relationship with the bottle in her just-posted MySpace blog explaining the tour hiccup:

"Hey Guys ,
I'm writing to tell you that I have cancelled many of my May and June tour commitments in America . The reason for this , is because my mummy and daddy are very rich , and I have never been in a position where i have actually had to do any hard work before . I thought that being a popstar meant going out getting trashed with famous people and sleeping in all day . The fact that this is not true has come as a huge disappointment to me , and as a result I am throwing the towel in .

No but seriously , I have been on tour with this album for a year now , I have fulfilled every commitment up to this point . I am tired , but more than that I don't think I have been giving my best performances recently . I have been getting really drunk because i've been so nervous about doing bad shows , and I don't want people spending money on a going to see a show that isnt the best it could be . I am not falling apart at the seems , I am not suffering with exhaustion , I am not pregnant , and I am not going to rehab . I will be here in America , promoting the album and also starting to write the second album , which I am beyond excited about . The LA and New York shows will still be happening , and I am still playing Coachella and Bonaroo and all the other festivals .

I'd like to apologise to anyone who has bought tickets , but you can get your money back , if you take 'em back to the place you bought them from ."

Get better soon, Lily! Glad to see your sense of humor hasn't suffered a bit. [MORE...]

Video: Lily Allen: Littlest Things [from the Alright, Still 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.)