Photos: Patrick Wolf [Brooklyn, NY; 04/06/07]

Photos by Kathryn Yu

Patrick Wolf descended upon New York this weekend for his first U.S. shows in support of The Magic Position, Wolf's third LP and a recent Pitchfork Best New Music selection (out May 1 Stateside via Low Altitude/Universal). According to Pitchfork photographer Kathryn Yu, the kids at Studio B "went crazy" for Magic's title track and delighted at Wolf tossing quotes from "SexyBack" into "Bluebells". Dude also covered Kelly Marie's disco hit "Feels Like I'm in Love" while awash in strobe lights. Nice.

Apparently things didn't go quite so well at the following night's gig at Don Hill's, however. According to a reader, Wolf's drummer more or less passed out during a performance of Lycanthropy's "Bloodbeat", prompting the vocalist/multi-instrumentalist to toss a cymbal stand at the guy, slap him around a bit, and fire his ass before returning front and center to continue the show.

Best stay awake if you plan on catching Wolf's upcoming gigs in Europe!






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Spank Rock DJ/Producers Step Into the Spotlight
Armani XXXchange remixing Thom Yorke, Bjork, working with the Kills, Kid Sister

Spank Rock is pretty confusing. It's the name adopted by MC Naeem Juwan, but it's also the collective name for Juwan and the trio of DJs and producers who surround him. Increasingly, those three have been striking out on their own. Alex Epton (aka Armani XXXchange), Chris Devlin (aka Chris Rockswell), and Ronnie Darko have a slew of projects in the works, starting with FABRICLIVE.33, their previously reported entry in the Fabric mix series. It will be released on April 16 in the UK and April 24 in the U.S.

Chris Devlin spoke to Pitchfork recently about the mix as well as the other projects he and the other members of the Baltimore crew have brewing this year. Right now, their biggest priority is recording the follow-up to last year's YoYoYoYoYo.

Devlin was less forthcoming about specific details of the album, however, saying its release date is "really anytime between now and some time from now." Nonetheless, after their performances at Coachella and Primavera Sound, as well as a Devlin and Darko DJ tour, they plan to "hit the studio pretty hard and get the record finished."

In the meantime, Devlin will release his first collaborative 12" EP with Baltimore producer Chipset via Flaming Hots Records, and Armani XXXchange has fielded quite a few requests for production and remix work, which he does through his own Royal Castle Productions.

The only XXXchange remix Devlin mentioned was of Thom Yorke's "The Eraser", but Alex's brand spankin' new website lists his recent production work for Kid Sister, Amanda Blank, and the soundtrack to the EA Sports game Skate. XXXchange also has collaborations and remixes with the Kills, Yo Majesty, and... Björk (!) in the pipeline. Next up: Armani XXXchange Presents Shoxxx Value. [MORE...]

Björk, SY, JAMC, Modest Mouse Up For Electric Picnic
The Stooges, Beastie Boys, Jarvis, LCD Soundsystem, Clap Your Hands too!

Your picnics probably consist of Kentucky Fried, Frisbee golf, and fireants. Stradbally, Ireland's picnic consists of electricity, Soul II Soul, and a giant smiling sun. Which is better? That's a toughie, dude.

The fourth annual Electric Picnic festival lays out its blankets August 31 through September 2 and passes its potato salad between Björk, Sonic Youth, Modest Mouse, the Jesus and Mary Chain, and a couple dozen others. Full-weekend tickets can be yours presently, as can the whole of the confirmed lineup, but highlights are down here. [MORE...]

Magazine Reissue Studio LPs

Plenty of people know the Buzzcocks, Public Image Ltd., and Siouxsie and the Banshees, but Magazine is one of a large number of post-punk bands that have slipped between the cracks of history, despite boasting members from each of those three bands.

Magazine songwriter and frontman Howard Devoto left the Buzzcocks in 1977 to form the kind of band that would cover both Sly and the Family Stone and Captain Beefheart. Over the course of their four studio albums in as many years as a band, Magazine explored a weird, indirect kind of pop music, and they worked with producers Martin Hannett (Joy Division) and John Leckie (the Stone Roses) in the process.

On April 24, Virgin Records will reissue the band's four albums, Real Life (1978), Secondhand Daylight (1979), The Correct Use of Soap (1980), and Magic, Murder and the Weather (1981).

All four of the reissues come digitally remastered and expanded with bonus tracks, with the aforementioned Beefheart cover ("I Love You, You Big Dummy") featured on Secondhand Daylight. Together, these reissues form the band's complete recordings, a Magazine encyclopedia of sorts. [MORE...]

M. Ward on Fire: Soundtrack, Reissue, Zooey D. Collab
Plus: Gigs with Boston Pops Orchestra, more Norah Jones dates, film cameo

Photo by Autumn de Wilde

If M. Ward were a character on the ol' NBA Jam video game, he'd be executing a whirlybird, boom-shaka-laka, fly-off-the-screen, Tarzan-chanting, ball-on-fire dunk right about now, and he'd totally break the glass with it.

But Ward's just a regular joe, with some sublime finger-picking skills and a voice as familiar and welcome as old photographs. Besides, he apparently prefers first-generation hockey video games.

Still, none of this has stopped Ward's indomitable winning streak in 2007. Exactly one week from today, he'll become your mom's new favorite band as he hits the road with a jazz-tinged pop singer named Norah Jones, on a tour that's practically doubled in size since we last reported.

Ward will have to sit a couple nights out in late June, however, as he has a hot date with the Boston Pops orchestra. M. will appear backed by the celebrated ensemble June 26 and June 27, as part of the "Pops on the Edge" series. Both gigs go down at Boston's Symphony Hall.

Not long after that (and maybe even before) you can catch Ward's cameo in Martin Hynes' film The Go-Getter-- which Ward also soundtracked, as previously reported-- alongside folks like Zooey Deschanel and Jena Malone. The film premiered at Sundance a few months back, and its creators are presently seeking a distributor. In addition to Ward classics and some unreleased tunes, the soundtrack also includes cuts from Elliott Smith and the Replacements, and culminates with Ward and Deschanel dueting on a cover of Richard and Linda Thompson's "When I Get to the Border".

Matt and Zooey must have really hit it off, because the gravel-tongued folkie will soon begin working with the honey-voiced actress on an album of her own songs. Pitting Zooey's take on "Baby It's Cold Outside" from Elf against Scarlett Johansson's try at Gershwin's "Summertime", our money's on Zooey for best lusted-after-sorta-indie-actress album of 2007. Who knows though, dark horse Malone could surprise us all.

Ward simply won't stop there, however. Merge will reissue his difficult-to-find early LP Duet for Guitars #2 on July 10, the same day Jealous Butcher delivers it on vinyl for the very first time. The new Duet will include several tracks not featured on the original, Co-Dependent Records version of the album (but found on the subsequent Ow Om Recordings reissue), including "Were You There", "Not a Gang", and "Duet for Guitars #1".

Finally, start scrimping and saving now for a Ward digital charity single-- including a song from the Post-War sessions featuring Neko Case-- out this November. [MORE...]

Hold Steady Add Dates, Finn Jams With Springsteen

Continuing their quest for world domination, the Hold Steady have added dates to their previously reported tour in both North America and Europe. They'll still finish their North American dates at Bonnaroo, but the month of June now looks a little busier for them than it did before.

Thanks to reader Kevin Purring for the tip about the added dates!

In late June, the band will start their European festival dates in Germany and plow through to their final (currently) scheduled date at the Oxegen Festival in Dublin on July 8. We're not sure how they're going to keep up with baseball along the way. That's practically the All-Star break!

The band took some time out of their busy schedule to appear at Carnegie Hall last night as part of that previously reported Bruce Springsteen tribute concert. You can see a video below of Finn performing "Rosalita" alongside the Boss and a whole ton of other people. Apparently, the Hold Steady also performed "Atlantic City", and we have been crying all day because we missed it. [MORE...]

Klaxons Launch North American Invasion This Weekend

Klaxons don't just deal in myths. They also deal in cold, hard facts. Facts like their previously reported North American tour, which kicks off Easter Sunday in Toronto. The tour is in support of the March 27 release of Myths of the Near Future in the U.S.

The band have added another Chicago date to their itinerary, a free show at Urban Outfitters on April 15 as part of a Yaris-sponsored campaign to benefit non-commercial radio called "Free YR Radio".

After they end their visit to North American shores with their Coachella appearance, Klaxons will take to Europe, where they have a ton of shows in the UK as well as a heap of festival gigs. [MORE...]

ACRN Week Gets Magnolia, Vanderslice, St. Vincent
Plus: Georgie James, Koufax, Sybris, Margot & the Nuclear So and So's

Ohio University has plenty to boast of; they're the only school in Ohio to offer an osteopathy specialty in their medical school, and noted Athens-campus alums include Arsenio Hall and Al Bundy.

If that's not enough brochure-fodder to get your pen flyin' across the application page, they're also home to student-sponsored, internet-based radio station ACRN's ACRN Week, which, for some reason, is nine days long. Maybe you OU types should spend less time cracking wise with the cans on and more time hittin' the math books! Still, nine glorious days of indie rock and other delights in the middle of Ohio? Go Bobcats!

This year's ACRN Week kicks off April 12 with a set from Magnolia Electric Co, with other highlights including PopFest with Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, Georgie James, Sybris, and Koufax on April 14, and John Vanderslice with St. Vincent the next night. As if the idea of a weeklong student-run radio station festival didn't already smack of an 80s college flick setup, the week's events will lead up to a ribbon-cutting ceremony for ACRN's gleaming new studios. I hope that crusty old dean doesn't find some way to bust up their party before the week is through!

For a full schedule of all the erudite excess-- and to stream ACRN's broadcast-- check out the ACRN website.

Oasis, Killers Remake Sgt. Pepper's, God Knows Why
Why oh why couldn't it have been Wings' Back to the Egg?

If the Beatles' 1967 chamber-pop masterwork Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band isn't the finest album ever recorded, it's not far from it. For evidence, peep every critic's poll ever, or simply take out your copy (you do own Sgt. Pepper, right?).

On June 1, Sgt. Pepper turns 40. BBC Radio 2, in bizarre, ill-advised tribute to that otherwise momentous occasion, has commissioned thirteen bands to cover the venerable album's songs, with the results being aired June 2. The bands will use the Beatles' original recording equipment and Beatle engineer Geoff Emerick will oversee the project.

Roughly half of the bands have been announced so far: Oasis (no shit!), the Killers (erm, okay), Kaiser Chiefs, Travis (...getting colder), James Morrison, the Fratellis and Razorlight. Durr!

Look, I'm sure these things seem like a good idea in boardrooms or over a few pints; there's money to be made, the source material won't suffer for these fools, and there's a fairly good chance Oasis will pull something worth hearing out of their inevitable take on the title track. But unless they peg Radiohead for "Within You Without You" or Olivia Tremor Control for "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" or Jesus H. Christ for "Lovely Rita," there's no way the finished product will be anything but a bold experiment in screwing up an otherwise perfect thing. I can't be the only one who remembers the I Am Sam soundtrack.

Arbouretum Back Cass McCombs on Tour

Arbouretum will reprise their one-time role as Cass McCombs' backing band on their upcoming tour with the California songwriter. In May, the band will join him on his first East Coast dates in over a year, where they will open for him and perform as his backing band at each show (except for May 3's gig at the Tribeca Film Festival, where they'll only play as McCombs' band).

Two dates of Arbouretum's own previously reported April tour will also have them opening for McCombs. [MORE...]

Iha Definitely Out for Pumpkins Reunion

Speaking to RollingStone.com's Rock & Roll Daily blog today, NYC man-about-town and label honcho James Iha revealed that he will most certainly not be a factor in the recently announced Smashing Pumpkins reunion hysteria.

"I'm not part of the current Smashing Pumpkins album or tour," claimed Iha. "I haven't spoken to Billy [Corgan] in years."

Instead, Iha's working on another solo record and devoting time to helming the imprint he co-heads with Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne, Scratchie Records, which recently put out Stroke Albert Hammond, Jr.'s own solo dabbling.

Apart from Corgan himself and possibly his drummer and BFF Jimmy Chamberlain, it's been frustratingly unclear just who will be part of that dadgum Pumpkins reunion. Guess we'll find out when the thing ignites at May 22's inaugural reunion gig in Paris, then gets consummated with the July 7 release of Zeitgeist. Perhaps Billy's spent the post-Zwan years creating clones of himself to back him, because dude would totally do something like that.

Since we last hollered, the Pumpkins have added a September 8 engagement at Montreal's Osheaga Festival. [MORE...]

Ulrich Schnauss Shares Heartfelt Goodbye

July 10, dream-popping foot-looker Ulrich Schnauss will release his third LP, the gauzy Goodbye, on Domino Records. Canned in his native Kiel, Germany, Goodbye reflects a period of steely, self-imposed isolation as a kickstart to creativity; kind of like Bowie's Low, or Liars' Drum's Not Dead, or Scorpions' "Wind of Change," or basically every other record ever recorded in Germany.

Before the Goodbye comes the fond hug of the Quicksand Memory EP, due May 22. Quicksand features an edit of Goodbye's "Medusa", a collaboration with Rob McVey of UK act Longview (for which Schnauss plays keys), and a pair of remixes of older Ulrich songs by Cocteau Twin Robin Guthrie.

Catch Schnauss on the ones and twos at London's Roxy Bar April 14. [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.)