Pitchfork: McCarren Pool Gets Ted Leo, Dan Deacon, Man Man

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McCarren Pool Gets Ted Leo, Dan Deacon, Man Man
Five bucks says Dan Deacon's a Speedo fan

Brooklyn, it is time to big up yourself. McCarren Park Pool, the local swimming hole that isn't, has been firming up this summer's slew of free Sunday afternoon shows put on by the generous folks at JellyNYC. Man Man, Superchunk, Ted Leo, Blonde Redhead, Dan Deacon, Erase Errata, Illinois, and a wellspring of others will buff up and oil down for denizens of the hippest borough on nine straight steamy Sundays from June 24 to August 19. As previously reported, Sonic Youth, Built to Spill, Cat Power, and I'm From Barcelona are all playing non-free, non-Sunday shows at the pool. [MORE...]

Posted by Paul Thompson in misc on Thu: 05-17-07: 01:30 PM CDT | Permalink

Black Dice "Roll" Out Singles, New Album Tidbits
Black Dice's Eric Copeland Rolls Solo

Photo by Jason Frank Rothenberg

Those betting on a new Black Dice disc in 2007, the odds are shaping up in your favor. The trailblazing DFA trio hope to treat you guys and dolls to another boat-rocking craps-shoot in October via Paw Tracks, sure to be wacky and wonky and weird and yet, somehow, danceable.

For those who can't hold out until then, luck be a Paw Tracks single out next week. Black Dice's "Roll Up" comes backed with "Drool" on nifty 12" vinyl May 22. Limited to 1,000 copies, the record's two tunes-- said (in a press release) to inhabit "a wide gray area between jam bands and minimal techno"-- were recorded at Brooklyn's Rare Book Room.

Another 12" will follow soon on Catsup Plate Records. The songs from this one will join both "Roll Up" jams, the offerings on last year's DFA "Manoman" 12", and a few unheard compositions on the October-penciled Black Dice album.

Good old reliable Dice-man Eric Copeland, meanwhile, has a solo Paw Tracks LP on the way in August, titled Hermaphrodite. Now isn't that just lovely?

And if you're looking for action, a Black Dice North American tour is in the works for this fall.

Stream: Black Dice: Various Tracks [from the Broken Ear Record LP]

Posted by Matthew Solarski in album, single on Thu: 05-17-07: 01:00 PM CDT | Permalink

Victoria Bergsman Solo Album Details Revealed
Peter Bjorn and John, Electrelane members help out

Having spent the last year or so in the shadow of both her former band and her own stellar taste in guest stints, the wispy wonder that is Victoria Bergsman will bring her iridescent inflections to Open Field, Bergsman's first solo album as Taken by Trees.

The ex-Concretes singer will issue Open Field on Rough Trade June 18 in the civilized world (the U.S., alack, shall have to wait an indeterminate amount of time). Recorded over the course of six straight days in an attempt to keep the songs concise and spare, the album features instrumental turns from Peter Bjorn and John's Bjorn Yttling and John Eriksson. (Victoria and Bjorn co-produced the album together.) Additionally, Electrelane's Verity Susman contributes piano arrangements and some backing vocals, and some chap named Andreas Soderstrom plucks the six-string.

And, yes, the name Taken by Trees is inspired by Bergsman's own proclivity towards tall, leafy things. We don't have a tracklist yet, but we do have a link to a number of demos of tunes likely to appear on Open Field, including "Tell Me", "Too Young", "Lost and Found", and "Hours Pass Like Centuries".

Stream: Taken by Trees: Various Demos

Posted by Paul Thompson in solo, album on Thu: 05-17-07: 12:15 PM CDT | Permalink

KRS-One Says Hip Hop Lives With Marley Marl

The parade of responses to Nas' Hip Hop Is Dead just keeps on keeping on, and even MCs and producers who were around way back when aren't immune to joining it.

To wit: former BDP MC KRS-One and groundbreaking Juice Crew producer Marley Marl-- once on opposite sides of one of rap's most heated battles in New York City in the 80s-- have teamed up to release a collaborative album titled, simply, Hip Hop Lives. It's an album consisting entirely of Marley Marl beats and KRS-One lyrics, with only a few guest vocalists: Blaq Poet, Magic Juan, and Chief Rocker Busy Bee.

KOCH Records will release Hip Hop Lives May 22, and the version of the album sold at Circuit City stores will feature bonus tracks "Stop the Violence (Part 2) [ft. Peedo]", "Strictly Hip Hop", and "The Most Dangerous EMCEE". None of those bonus tracks feature production from Marley Marl, but if a guy can't have a little diversity in his bonus tracks, where can he have it?

KRS-One has a handful of tour dates as well, the first of which is tomorrow (May 18) in D.C. [MORE...]

Stream: KRS-One and Marley Marl: Hip Hop Lives [from the forthcoming Hip Hop Lives LP]

Video: KRS-One and Marley Marl: Hip Hop Lives [from the forthcoming Hip Hop Lives LP]

Posted by Dave Maher in album, collaboration, tour on Thu: 05-17-07: 11:30 AM CDT | Permalink

Think About Life's Van Pelt Builds Miracle Fortress
Look, he's thinkin' about life right now

Solitude's a good look for Graham Van Pelt of Montreal-based art-rock collective Think About Life. He spent some time holed up in his Friendship Cove performance space and emerged with Five Roses, a full-length album marrying the in-sounds of Canuck indie and the skyward symphoneering of Brian Wilson. He'll release it under the Miracle Fortress nom de plume May 22 on the Secret City label.

Miracle Fortress play the Capital Idea! fest at Ottawa's Babylon Nightclub on June 21, alongside Sunset Rubdown. Indeed, fans of selfsame Canuck indie would do well to check them out: the MF roadshow includes Sunset's Jordan Robson-Cramer (also of Magic Weapon, perhaps the only thing that can penetrate a Miracle Fortress?), Telefauna's Adam Waulto, and SS Cardiacs' Jessie Stein. [MORE...]

MP3: Miracle Fortress: Have You Seen in Your Dreams [from the forthcoming Five Roses LP]

Posted by Paul Thompson in sideproject, album, tour on Thu: 05-17-07: 11:20 AM CDT | Permalink

Land of Talk Gab With Rosebuds at Gigs, Lose Drummer

There's chatter afoot in the Land of Talk; behind-the-back whispers of recording sessions for the follow up to last year's Applause Cheer Boo Hiss have popped up in interviews of late, and there's of course been plenty of mumblings about their tour, which sets off tonight in Brighton, England. The back-talk won't let up until frontlady Elizabeth Powell and her band have dragged the Rosebuds, the Decemberists, and Grizzly Bear into their sordid personal business. Save the drama for your mama, Land of Talk!

And speaking of drama, Powell revealed in a recent interview with publication Gen Art Pulse that Land of Talk drummer Bucky Wheaton has left the trio. As Powell explained, "He was like, 'I don't want to be a rock drummer for the rest of my life.' He's a jazz guy at heart. And he didn't like the touring. Just psychologically and physically, it's not good for anybody. His heart was in the music, but not the lifestyle, which I completely understand."

Wheaton's friend Eric has stepped in behind the kit for Land of Talk. [MORE...]

MP3: Land of Talk: Speak to Me Bones [from the Applause Cheer Boo Hiss EP]

Posted by Paul Thompson in tour on Thu: 05-17-07: 11:00 AM CDT | Permalink

Elijah Wood Confirmed to Play Iggy Pop in New Film
Your pretty face is going to Mordor

Frodo Baggins himself, Elijah Wood, has been pegged to portray punk pioneer Iggy Pop in a new film. Confirming rumors that have been swirling for what seems like years, Variety.com reports that the flick The Passenger tackles a time when a Stooge wasn't an idiot, focusing on Iggy's early years with the hamfisted visionaries.

Filmmakers (including director Nick Gomez of Drowning Mona, er, fame) anticipate a summer 2008 release for the flick.

Gawky sweetheart Elijah Wood as raw, powerful Iggy, huh? The whole "being short" thing is really paying off for our boy North.

Of course, this isn't Wood's first foray into rock and roll. Not only is he the head of Simian Records, Wood plays a large part in the back-burner-relegated Flaming Lips flick Christmas on Mars. (This could be the year, right, boys?)

As for Ig, he's given The Passenger his blessing but will play no part in its conception. Would that he'd taken the same tack regarding the Stooges reunion.

Iggy and the Stooges will be out most of the summer. [MORE...]

Video: The Stooges: Early Live Footage

Posted by Paul Thompson in film, wtf on Thu: 05-17-07: 10:49 AM CDT | Permalink

Al Green, Antibalas on Soul Sides Covers Comp

Soul Sides blogger (and Cal State university professor) Oliver Wang has once again teamed with Zealous Records to release a compilation of rare soul songs.

Soul Sides Volume Two: The Covers is, true to its title, dedicated entirely to cover songs, including Al Green's rendition of "I Want to Hold Your Hand", a version of Gil Scott-Heron's "Home Is Where the Hatred Is" by Esther Phillips, and an Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra cover of the Latin-flavored "Che Che Colé" (by Willie Colon). It also features a Laura Lee cover of "What a Man" as a bonus track; the original version of the song appeared on the first Soul Sides comp.

Zealous will release the compilation on May 22. [MORE...]

MP3: Various Artists: Various Awesome Tracks [from the Soul Sides blog]

Posted by Dave Maher in cover, compilation on Thu: 05-17-07: 10:30 AM CDT | Permalink

Erasure Tour World Endlessly, Issue End of the World

In the beginning, there was light. Shortly thereafter, there was Erasure. Twenty-plus years later, there's Light at the End of the World, the synthy mainstays' billionth album, out on Mute May 21 (in the UK and Germany) and May 22 (in the U.S.). Don't be turned off by the truly tacky cover art; Light's full of the sort of pulsating preening you've grown accustomed to from the Erasure boys over these many years.

In addition to screwing around with Photoshop, Erasure's been busy plotting a step out on a truly monumental, summer-engulfing tour-- including a run on the Human Rights Campaign-backing True Colors Tour with the Gossip, the Dresden Dolls, Debbie Harry, and yes, Cyndi Lauper-- which they'll step out on starting soon. If that's not enough Erasure for you, there's a "Sunday Girl" single due in the U.S. July 17. [MORE...]

Video: Erasure: I Could Fall in Love With You [from the forthcoming Light at the End of the World LP]

Posted by Paul Thompson in album, tour on Thu: 05-17-07: 10:15 AM CDT | Permalink

Animal Collective to Spread Strawberry Jam This Fall

Okay, no more monkeying around. No more people-pitching or ill-fated tape-flipping experiments. The post-millenial fab four have reconvened, the masks are off, the tour's begun, and Animal Collective have, at long last, revealed the details surrounding their rather wildly-anticipated new LP.

Thanks to reader Kevin C. Card for pointing out a post on the Animal Collective board Collected Animals, which offered the new album's title, Strawberry Jam (yum!), and tracklist. The information has been confirmed by the band's publicist.

Strawberry Jam arrives at some point in September (no exact date yet) via new Collective zoo Domino, and includes nine tracks sure to incite much mind-expanding (and, eh, probably a due share of head-scratching). This latest menagerie of tunes follows up 2005's Feels and January's People EP, and it does indeed include electronics-fried, carousel-death-trip "Cuckoo Cuckoo" (formerly just "Cuckoo"), which the quartet has been testing live of late. It was recorded at Wavelab in Tuscon, Arizona with Scott Colburn, who also worked on Feels and People (not to mention a little record called Neon Bible by some other band whose name we forget), as well as at the Rare Book Room in Brooklyn with Nicholas Vernhes.

The Crayola commercial stars' U.S. travels bring them to Chicago tonight, while Panda Bear teases most of the world with four East Coast date in June. Their current tour schedule stretches through July, but a fall tour appears to be in the works, as a lone date is on the calendar for Austin, Texas on September 22. [MORE...]

Video: Animal Collective: Cuckoo Cuckoo (Live)

Posted by Matthew Solarski and Amy Phillips in album on Thu: 05-17-07: 09:49 AM CDT | Permalink

Girl Talk Adds Summer Dates, Quits Day Job
Update: Opens for Widespread Panic!

Gregg Gillis, aka Girl Talk, is quitting his day job (in biomedical engineering!) to focus on music full-time. In a funny little post to his MySpace blog, the Pittsburgh resident writes the following:

"i'm done with my day job in exactly two weeks! i'll be a full time music man

here's a list of my non-music plans this summer...

- play basketball all the time

- sun tan

- walk around shirtless

- eat ice cream outdoors

- get a season pass to Sand Castle water park

- check out the Genesis reunion show

- eat at Peppi's and Village Pizza a ton

- watch movies

- do push-ups

- get to some some beaches

- Pirates games"

The Pirates' current record is 17-22, so it could be a very long summer for Gillis. Fortunately for the rest of us, he plans to make plenty of road trips to alleviate the pain of Pirates fandom and, you know, play shows. And he has added a few dates since our last report, including an appearance alongside one-off tourmates Clipse (?!) at our own Pitchfork Music Festival.

AND, WHOA, A GIG OPENING FOR WIDESPREAD PANIC IN BOSTON. [MORE...]

MP3: Girl Talk: Pure Magic [from the Bone Hard Zaggin 7-inch]

Posted by Dave Maher in tour, gossip on Thu: 05-17-07: 07:00 AM CDT | Permalink

Audion, Boratto, Booka, Mayer Play Movement Fest
Plus: Model 500, Vladislav Delay, Richie Hawtin, Pole, Luciano, Rhythm & Sound, Monolake

The city that birthed techno will throw it a big ol' birthday bash, as the latest annual Movement festival dominates Detroit dancefloors this coming Memorial Day weekend.

From May 26 to May 28, "Detroit's Electronic Music Festival" takes over four Motor City stages, with genre stalwarts and boundary-pushers working the dance-happy hordes into hysteria over twelve consecutive hours each day (then, of course, come the afterparties).

Highlights include live/DJ sets from Gui Boratto, Booka Shade, Vladislav Delay (aka Luomo), Pole, Monolake, Mathew Jonson, A Guy Called Gerald, Butane, Kate Simko, Robin Judge, and scene legends Model 500 (aka Juan Atkins), Moodymann, and Jeff Mills-- as well as a ball-busting six-hour set from Rhythm & Sound.

Audion (aka Matthew Dear), Michael Mayer, Richie Hawtin, Luciano, Sassmouth, Steve Bug, Misstress Barbara, and Damian Lazarus will also spin. To plan your grind right, consult the complete schedule of events here.

Posted by Matthew Solarski in festival on Wed: 05-16-07: 05:15 PM CDT | Permalink

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Fri: 05-18-07: 02:49 AM CDT
Interpol's Carlos D: Aspiring Film Composer