Patti Smith Talks New LP, Rock Hall, Inspiration
"I had this dream that I heard this voice going 'you have to do [the Doors’] 'Soul Kitchen'." And I woke up and I go out on the street and then this truck comes and it’s blaring ‘Soul Kitchen’. I was like, 'OK. I'll do the damn song."

In 1974, poet, activist, and rocker Patti Smith, then dizzy with youth and desire, performed a poem, "Piss Factory", about inspecting pipe in Jersey. "You know the fiery potion is just about to come," she wrote. "I'm gonna be a big star and I will never return."

Last month, after nine albums, 33 years, and two children, Smith was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside the Ronettes, Van Halen, Grandmaster Flash, and Smith super-fans R.E.M. After dedicating the honor to Fred "Sonic" Smith, her late husband, she launched into her 1978 song "Rock n Roll Nigger"-- apparently her mother's favorite song, and also an indirect challenge to prim media outlets covering the concert. (The New York Times called it only "a punk anthem about being 'outside of society,'" which, uh, totally narrows things down.)

Today, April 24, Columbia will release Smith's tenth album, Twelve, which consists entirely of covers of the likes of Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, and Nirvana. It features contributions from Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, Television guitarist Tom Verlaine, Smith's daughter Jesse and son Jackson, and playwright Sam Shepard, among others. On the morning of her induction, Smith spoke with Pitchfork about Twelve, politics, inspiration, that fiery potion and those big stars. [MORE...]

White Stripes Reveal Special Single Releases

The White Stripes are all set to Icky Thump their way back into our hearts on June 19 (June 18 in Europe)-- and celebrate their tenth anniversary-- but the first (and second) tastes of the forthcoming album will be for those who love the analog as much as the Stripes themselves.

According to the Stripes' website, the first of two 7" singles the duo will release prior to Icky's arrival is a limited edition, gatefold "Rag and Bone" single on red vinyl with an etching on the B-side. For a limited time, the single will come free with copies of the June 6 edition of NME.

The second single is the album's title track, which will come out on CD and white vinyl with an etching of its own on June 11. Apparently if you combine the two 7" B-side etchings, a hologram of Jack White appears and reveals to you the meaning of life and the whereabouts of D.B. Cooper's fortune. Or something. "Icky Thump" is also the album's first radio single.

The White Stripes still have a couple weeks' worth of tour dates in the first half of June, and they have added a show in Milan on June 7 and an appearance at the Ottawa Bluesfest in July since our last report. [MORE...]

Albarn Announces Extinction for Gorillaz?
Feel Bad, Inc.

Go ape, if you must; seems that following musical pencil-sketch Gorillaz's very-tentative upcoming Untitled Gorillaz Project (reportedly with Brazil director Terry Gilliam), the cartoon crossover will draw their last frame. Monkey man Damon Albarn set off a firestorm last week when he told a BBC2 interviewer that the next Gorillaz record "will be a film score. There won't be another pop record."

So that's it, then? Careful. An evasive Albarn made the above remark during a Thursday, April 19 chat with BBC2 host/lost Marx brother Steve Wright. Pressed further, Albarn told Wright: "Alright, I'll call every record I make a...Gorillaz pop record. Does it matter what record I make? It's just music, isn't it?"

He beats around the bush even more regarding Blur's status: "I really don't know," said Albarn when asked if the iconic Brit-pop act was still together. "I mean I think it's possible that we might be, but I'm really not sure that we are...it's just really difficult to explain in the formats that you're given."

Albarn did say "I'd always like to make another record," but balked at Wright's suggestion that this would be a Blur record. He does sorta have this other thing going on, after all. If you'd like to offer your own interpretation of Albarn's remarks-- and you have RealPlayer and three hours to spare-- check out last Thursday's complete Steve Wright broadcast here.

Yorke Drops Hints on New Radiohead Album
They say true love waits, but we're too impatient

'Tis true: Radiohead could put a phlegmmy napkin on eBay and we'd probably run a story about it. But when their official blog hints that perhaps their latest album is nearing completion, we figure even the less-obsessed amongst you wanna know quick-like; we are, after all, speaking on Radiohead (my generation's Arcade Fire). Following a lengthy post about a British proposal to limit carbon emissions, Thom filled the Dead Air Space with this:

"radiohead starts up again having finally caught up on some sleep next week
i have a cd of what we;'ve been up to...
and you haven't.
yet.
(sorry)

i must listen to it, after taking an ear break
that always makes me nervous
hope you're well"

I am, Thom. Thanks for asking. By the way, could you maybe be a little more cryptic next time? KTHX.

One can only assume that a CD of what they've been up to isn't just AM Gold or something, but, rather, demos from the follow-up to 2003's Hail to the Thief. And, although they're starting up again, if they've got songs enough for a CD/an irritatingly brief snippet, they must be getting close to completion. Right?

Justin, Eminem, Timbaland, Dre Spice Up 50's Curtis

Oh no. Just when we thought the beef between 50 Cent and Cam'ron was over, 50 Cent announces that his third album's title is Curtis. It's not quite Cuuuuuuurrtiis, but it's close enough to make us think Mr. Jackson was either inspired by Cam'ron's rant, is firing back at the Harlem-based MC by embracing his own first name, or somehow has an excellent, self-deprecating sense of humor that eluded the public eye until now.

Timbaland, Dr. Dre, and Eminem all contribute production to the album, which also features an Eminem guest spot alongside vocal contributions from Justin Timberlake, Akon, Mary J. Blige, Robin Thicke, and the Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger.

Shady/Aftermath/Interscope will release Curtis on June 26, and its first single is "Straight to the Bank".

Exclusive: Datarock Reveal North American Tour

Photo by Knut Åaserud

Dilated disco duo Datarock rang the travel agent, got the neighbor kid to mow the lawn, and canceled the paper; for the next few months, the punchy pair are embarking on a global trek in support of their just-reconfigured Datarock Datarock LP, available for the purposes of chest-clutching in North America June 12 courtesy of Nettwerk.

The trek includes a string of newly-minted North American dates, kicking off June 1 in Philly.

In other Datarock news, they'll release a brand new EP in their native Norway April 23. It features five tracks tipping their hoods to the Madchester sounds of which D-Rock are clearly so fond. No word on a U.S. release, but patience may be in order; after all, it took Datarock Datarock two years to get here. And besides, we Yanks always sorta appreciated that new-rave stuff better a few years after the fact. [MORE...]

Decemberists, Hold Steady, Interpol Pen Indie Recipes
Plus: Death Cab, Franz, Devendra, Belle & Sebastian, Walkmen, My Morning Jacket

Though we indie rock writers subsist on a combination of Chipotle and take-out thai, turns out the indie rockers we cover are deft with the self-styled num-nums. At least, that's the contention of Kara Zuaro's I Like Food, Food Tastes Good, a collection of recipes and various munchie-miscellany from the likes of Interpol, the Hold Steady, the Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie, and over 100 others.

Peep the ingredient list from Devendra Banhart's contribution:

"RIGHT ON!!!!!!
here is my favorite recipe for:
AFRICANAS RICAS!
you shall require!
many bananas!
a box of graham crackers!!!
two eggs!!!
SOUR CREAM!!
HONEY!"

Right on, indeed.

Other I Like Food contributors include Belle & Sebastian, Grizzly Bear, Franz Ferdinand, Ted Leo, the Mountain Goats, My Morning Jacket, the Walkmen, Camera Obscura, Battles, Okkervil River, Drive-By Truckers, Shonen Knife, Smoosh, They Might Be Giants, and the Violent Femmes.

The book sees release tomorrow, April 24, with a string of events to go with it. There'll be a happy hour at Manhattan's Hi Fi (at which the Hold Steady's Galen Polivka is bartender) Wednesday (April 25), a release party at Union Pool May 5, and a May 17 in-store performance event at the Brooklyn Barnes & Noble.

Dizzee Rascal Unveils Maths Tracklist, Cover

After much speculation, Dizzee Rascal's third album finally has a tracklist, a U.S. release date, and, um, some fuchsia cover art. Maths & English will arrive in classrooms (read: record stores) June 5 via Dirtee Stank/XL, and its previously reported June 4 UK release is still intact.

Eagle-eyed readers might notice that the Lily Allen-featuring tune, "Might As Well Quit", is absent from the tracklist. But don't worry Lily fans, the song just has a new name. It's now called "Wanna Be". That's right, a mere space and capital letter away from the Spice Girls' breakout hit. Maybe we should be worried?

Dizzee has added a few tour dates since our last update as well, and most of them are in the UK. His next goes down May 25 in Plymouth, England. [MORE...]

Photos: Jarvis [New York, NY; 04/22/07]

Photos by Kathryn Yu

Caddish former Pulp fictioneer Jarvis Cocker swaggered into New York City's Webster Hall last night for his first gig on a brief North American tour, treating us Westerners to jams off his solo debut, Jarvis. That record finally hit Stateside shops earlier this month via Rough Trade. Catch Jarvis as he serenades a select few more cities on this continent, then crosses the Atlantic for a limited summer festival run.








[MORE...]

Sigur Ros Prep Acoustic Album, DVDs, EP
How do you say "on my grind" in Hopelandic?

For a lot of slow movers, Sigur Rós-- the DJ Screw of the post-rock set-- sure do accomplish plenty; though it's been some time since their last record, Takk, plodded its way through the glacier of our hearts, the frosty foursome have the rest of the year blocked out for a string of big projects.

Hlemmur, the 2002 Ólafur Sveinsson documentary to which Sigur Rós provided the soundtrack, will be joined alongside its soundtrack for your purchasing pleasure in July. August will see a new, as-yet-untitled EP, the tracklist for which can be found by looking down. October finds a live DVD of their summer 2006 jaunt around Iceland, as well as a full-length album of acoustic (!!) Sigur Rós tunes store-ward bound. And in the wee hours of next year, a DVD/CD combo of their orchestral Odin's Raven Magic-- an Edda poem composed circa 1500 A.D.-- will land in shops. And, of course, there's also the Sigur Rós fanbook we announced last Thursday to tide you over.

Shucks, all I've got planned for the rest of the year is lunch. [MORE...]

T.V. Eye: April 23-29, 2007

Pitchfork's T.V. Picks for This Week:

Monday, April 23:

NBC: "Last Call With Carson Daly": The Thermals
FUEL TV: "The Daily Habit": k-os

Tuesday, April 24:

NBC: "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno": Amy Winehouse
ABC: "Jimmy Kimmel Live": The Stooges

Wednesday, April 25:

CBS: "Late Show With David Letterman": The Fratellis
NBC: "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno": Mavis Staples
NBC: "Late Night With Conan O'Brien": Andrew W.K. (non-performing guest)
ABC: "Jimmy Kimmel Live": The Nightwatchman
NBC: "Last Call With Carson Daly": Akon

Thursday, April 26:

ABC: "Jimmy Kimmel Live": Arctic Monkeys
NBC: "Last Call With Carson Daly": Human Giant

Friday, April 27:

CBS: "Late Show With David Letterman": Jarvis Cocker
NBC: "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno": Kings of Leon
IFC: "The Henry Rollins Show": The Mars Volta

Patrick Wolf: "My Final Concert Will Be This November"

Twenty-something best new music-maker Patrick Wolf may be reconsidering this whole pop-auteur thing. Responding to his drummer-clockin' bug-out at a recent New York show, Wolf-- in a post on a Wolf fan message board apparently from the man himself-- went on to reveal that he may be quitting live music, and indeed "public communications," for good:

"I have made a decision, my final concert will be this november, a retrospective with an orchestra in London. I am not sure whether there will be anymore public communications after that, In fact I am pretty sure there will be none. Of course, this has nothing to do with my drummer.. but a creative clock is ticking and I have many many projects to be creating with my time left on this earth. I hope to share my last shows with you this year...

I have enjoyed making and performing music for you all, I have enjoyed trying to give a little hope and inspiration to the world. But I feel, especially when I read all this and I go about my days that I have failed."

Seems sudden fame's hit the poor guy hard. In arriving at his decision, Wolf had this to say: "I dont think when I was 16 and dreamt of releasing records there would ever be so much crazy speculation about the person I am and that you want me to be. I have become so tired of this behaviour, sometimes I wake up and have to do six hours of interviews before doing a show, then go straight to bed to sleep a couple of hours to fly to a new country to be cross examined in the same way.. I dont know what is left of me sometimes, some mornings i dont know how i get on the flight or even open my mouth to sing that night..."

Check out Wolf's complete post, including a detailed explanation of the drummer incident, here. Again, this could indeed be a fake-out-- we have been burned by this sort of thing before, after all-- but if it's not, howlin' cries will resound from fans of the Wolfman.

Thanks to various readers for tipping us off to this. Wolf dates-- some of his last ever?-- after the jump. [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.)