Pitchfork: David Thomas Broughton Cuts Mini-Album With 7 Hertz

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David Thomas Broughton Cuts Mini-Album With 7 Hertz

Elusive-yet-prolific UK songwriter David Thomas Broughton will unleash his latest not-quite-full-length release via Spanish label Acuarela.

The five-track, hour-long mini-album is a collaboration with experimental Leeds band 7 Hertz. It is simply, fittingly titled David Thomas Broughton vs. 7 Hertz. It comes out in Spain on October 2, in the rest of Europe on October 22, and in the U.S. on October 23. It is, however, already available at your nearest digital outlet.

Broughton has a few shows scattered through the end of this year as well. His next date is in Leeds, England on September 29. [MORE...]

Stream: David Thomas Broughton: Various Tracks

Posted by Dave Maher in collaboration, album on Fri: 09-28-07: 03:15 PM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

The Blow Kick Off Brief Fall Tour Tomorrow

Photo by Sarah Cass

Now that Khaela Maricich's flying solo in the Blow, how does she entertain herself on those long, dull hours on the road without her buddy Jona Bechtholt to keep her amused? Books on tape? A rousing game of solitaire eye spy? Singing along with Fergie songs on the radio?

These burning questions and more-- plus some music, presumably-- will all be sorted out on the Blow's all too brief fall tour, kicking off tomorrow night in Grinnell, Iowa. With only a week on the road and nary a particularly long trip between dates, she might not make it all the way through War & Peace, but she'll probably finally have the time to learn Harry Potter's fate. Don't ruin it for the rest of us, Maricich. [MORE...]

Video: The Blow: Parentheses [from the Paper Television LP]

Posted by Paul Thompson in tour on Fri: 09-28-07: 03:06 PM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Baltimore's Videohippos Hit the Road

In his review of their Unbeast the Leash, Pitchfork's Mike Powell referred to Baltimore's Videohippos as creators of "terse theme songs for an eight-hour day of cartoons and video games." So stuff a couple pixie sticks down your gullet, pack extra batteries for your Gameboy, and head out to see these Videohippos as they tour a wide swath of North America.

The Dan Deacon-affiliated Hippos have a date with that beloved weirdo and shows with quite a few other strange sorts besides. Just pray the show's over before the pesky saccharine crash sets in. [MORE...]

MP3: Videohippos: Koolshades [demo]

Posted by Paul Thompson in tour on Fri: 09-28-07: 02:00 PM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Rock Hall Noms: Madonna, Beasties, Cohen, Summer
Plus: John Mellencamp, Afrika Bambaataa, Chic, Dave Clark Five, the Ventures

The Roll and Roll Hall of Fame today announced the finalists in its annual ~~beauty~~rock pageant, with nine of music's finest vying for five imaginary tiaras and five very real invitations into the hallowed pantheon next year.

Madonna, the Beastie Boys, Leonard Cohen, Donna Summer, Afrika Bambaataa, John Mellencamp, Chic, the Dave Clark Five, and the Ventures all lead the Class of 2008. To be eligible for induction, an act must have released its first single at least 25 years ago.

From these nine, the lucky five will be chosen by what the Rock Hall site calls an "international voting body of more than 500 rock experts," and immortalized at a March 10, 2008 ceremony at New York City's Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

The chosen will join last year's inductees-- R.E.M., Patti Smith, the Ronettes, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, and Van Halen-- and, like, Elvis and stuff in the Cleveland edifice and in our hearts forever.

God knows why, but Tom Waits, T. Rex, Roxy Music, Abba, Kraftwerk, and the Stooges aren't in there yet.

Posted by Matthew Solarski in award on Fri: 09-28-07: 02:00 PM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Cat Power's Second Covers Disc Gets Release Date

Photo by Nilina Mason-Campbell

Mark those calendars now: January 22, 2008 is the day we cash in all those Best Buy and Target holiday gift cards* and purchase copies of Cat Power's previously discussed sophomore plunge into the realm of cover-dom. The date comes from a Billboard.com report and has been confirmed by the purveyor of said plunge, Matador Records.

The disc, which does not yet have a finalized title (apparently Covers 2 and Covers II are neck-and-neck-- the drama!), is, of course, the sequel of sorts to 2000's The Covers Record; unlike that disc, round two finds Chan Marshall backed by her trusty Dirty Delta Blues Band. Marshall is still in the process of paring down a heap of recordings into a crisp, clean tracklist.

Gal will also, we suspect, test drive plenty of those covers she's stockpiling while on the road this fall.

* JK, we sell those things to mom for cold, hard cash, which we promptly take to indie record shops. [MORE...]

Stream: Cat Power: It's Alright to Fail [from the The Hottest State soundtrack]

Posted by Matthew Solarski in album on Fri: 09-28-07: 01:15 PM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Pumpkins Concert Death Not an Injury

Photo by Shervin Lainez

After conducting an autopsy yesterday, September 27, Vancouver regional coroner Owen Court determined that the death of 20-year-old Richmond, British Columbia resident Kenny Leung at a Smashing Pumpkins show earlier this week was not the result of moshing or crowd-surfing, according to a report on The Globe and Mail's website.

The Globe and Mail quoted Court as saying, "There is absolutely no evidence of any injury and therefore I would say, what you would call moshing or crowd-surfing would have nothing to do with this whatsoever. There was no injury on this young man."

In the absence of a trauma injury, the coroner is looking to toxicology tests to provide an explanation for Leung's death.

The Pumpkins responded to the tragedy with a post on their website:

"The Smashing Pumpkins were deeply saddened to learn about the passing of a young man who attended their Vancouver show Monday night (September 24). As they and everyone else await news from the investigation into the nature of his passing, the band want to express their sincerest condolences to his family and friends."

The band's tour continues tonight, September 28, in Salt Lake City. [MORE...]

Video: Smashing Pumpkins: Tarantula [from the Zeitgeist LP]

Posted by Dave Maher in misc on Fri: 09-28-07: 12:45 PM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

SY, Rapture, Klaxons, Grizzly, Man Man on Radio Comp
Plus: Voxtrot, Tapes 'n Tapes, Dinosaur Jr., El-P, Ponys, Annuals, Dntel

Forget that Mumia guy for a moment and turn your attention to another in need of emancipation: your radio dial. Presently incarcerated somewhere in the high-90s/low-100s frequency range, this unjustly neglected little machine has been crying out for freedom for years now. And a few kindly folks have stepped up and heeded that call.

Sonic Youth, the Rapture, Grizzly Bear, Man Man, Voxtrot, and Dinosaur Jr. are among those contributing rare and exclusive tracks to the forthcoming Free Yr Radio compilation, which shares its name with the Urban Outfitters in-store series of this past summer. Both were put together by said raiment retailer and the heads at Toyota.

As such, the comp-- which lands October 20 and also features Tapes 'n Tapes, El-P, the Ponys, and Annuals, among others-- will be available exclusively at Urban Outfitters stores. If the acts alone don't have you reaching for your wallet, consider this: all proceeds from sales of this compilation go to non-commercial radio.

The stations benefitting include WLUW (Chicago), KTRU (Houston), KEXP (Seattle), Y-Rock on XPN (Philadelphia), KZSC (Santa Cruz), 89.3 The Current (Minneapolis), WERS (Boston), WKNC (Raleigh/Durham), WBWC (Cleveland), KGNU (Boulder), WHNU (New Haven), and KXLU (Los Angeles). Well played, all. [MORE...]

Posted by Matthew Solarski in benefit, compilation on Fri: 09-28-07: 12:10 PM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Caribou Kicks Off North American Trek, Drops Tour EP

Dan Snaith is saying goodbye (again) to Melody Day and hello again to you, rumbling electro psych-pop fan, as he sets off on the North American leg of Caribou's massive fall tour.

The roadshow, which begins in earnest tonight (September 28) in Hamilton, Ontario, finds Dan and his Caribou assemblage taking the stages of this continent for nearly 45 consecutive melody days, performing all the while with Born Ruffians, and making nice with Battles, Miracle Fortress, and Dirty on Purpose along the way. Peer through the kaleidoscope/down the rabbit hole/through the looking glass of your choice, then head to the stops after the jump.

Might want to peer under the couch cushions too and scrounge up some change to buy the latest Caribou tour EP, which Dan has been selling on the road. Depicted above and tracklisted just after the jump, it includes one 30-minute Snaith DJ mix and six exclusive tracks. Score! [MORE...]

Video: Caribou: Melody Day (Live in Dan Snaith's home studio)

Posted by Paul Thompson in tour, EP on Fri: 09-28-07: 11:15 AM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Peter and the Wolf Get Into Youthful Mischief on Tour

Cue that lilting little flute riff: ahhh, yes, that's the stuff. Peter and the Wolf, the brainchild of young Red Hunter and whoever dares make his acquaintance, have embarked on yet another leg of their "perpetual tour" which finds them traversing the countryside ~~fleeing the ravenous canine~~performing music in a live setting.

Young Red's a friendly fellow, and as such, he'll supplement his tour itinerary regularly with house parties and the like. Updates can be found on his MySpace throughout the tour. Not quite comfortable splashing around in some stranger's bathroom between sets? Head to one of the slightly less homey spots after the jump. [MORE...]

MP3: Peter and the Wolf: The Fall [from the Peter and the Wolf LP]

Posted by Paul Thompson in tour on Fri: 09-28-07: 10:30 AM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Stones Throw Roster Tours Behind B-Ball Zombie War

They're spawning... and taking on other forms! As promised, the Stones Throw label's B-Ball Zombie War non-soundtrack album has spawned its very own tour, with Madlib, Peanut Butter Wolf, J. Rocc, Percee P, and other mic-wielding monsters trolling the countryside seeking hip-hop 'heads (and the delicious, nourishing brains contained within). The identities of the additional performers have not yet been revealed-- nor have those of any of the performers for the tour's last two stops-- but with this crew you know you can expect goodness.

In other Stones Throw news, the origin of all this zombification drops October 2. Meanwhile, MF Doom is alive and well in the Peach State. That is... until the zombies come and get him. [MORE...]

MP3: Guilty Simpson: Make It Fast [from the Peanut Butter Wolf's 2K8: B-Ball Zombie War LP]

Posted by Paul Thompson in tour on Fri: 09-28-07: 10:20 AM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Photos: The Brunettes / The Lucksmiths [Chicago, IL; 09/26/07]

This past Wednesday night Chicagoans experienced an indie pop invasion from the other side of the equator, as the Brunettes of New Zealand and the Lucksmiths of Australia crossed paths at Schubas.

The Lucksmiths, hopping oceans to support their just-released Spring a Leak double-disc rarities comp, played an all-too-brief opening set, inviting us to trick late-arriving friends into thinking the band had been onstage for a couple hours already. I wish they had gotten two hours to play; one hour of their sly, sweet, jangly tunes and one hour of their tack-sharp banter. Also: accents.

Luckily the Brunettes gave us much to love as well, bolstering tunes from their North American debut, Structure & Cosmetics-- packed with arrangements more complex and lyrics more knotty than most twee kids are probably used to-- with a dance contest, a "Born to Run" cover, and a "Name Game" ("Anna Anna bo-banna...") take on band introductions. With winter's chill well on its way, Chicago could use more of this sunny stuff.

Also, if someone could please tell me why these two aren't touring the continent together, that would be nice.

THE BRUNETTES

THE LUCKSMITHS

[MORE...]

Posted by Matthew Solarski in tour, photos on Fri: 09-28-07: 09:45 AM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Coming in 2008: Broken Social Scene, the Book
All BSS, no BS

Come fall 2008, Anne Geddes and her frumpy flower children will have to find a new home. That's because coffee tables across the land must be cleared for the arrival of This Book Is Broken, an oral history of Broken Social Scene penned by members of the band, with help from Toronto Eye Weekly editor/Pitchfork contributor Stuart Berman. A little like this, one suspects, only Joycean in scope.

Kevin Drew (he of the recent Spirit If...), Brendan Canning, and Jason Collett are among the Scenesters sharing their inside perspective, while bandmate Justin Peroff will help make this document as colorful as the band it dissects by compiling, according to Berman, "lots of photos, gig posters, flyers, scrapbook ephemera, etc." Publishing duties fall on Toronto's House of Anansi Press.

(Since Stuart was too modest to tip us off himself about the book at first, thanks to reader Le Skiv for the heads up.)

The Kevin Drew-centered incarnation of Broken Social Scene, as you may have read on these pages just yesterday, has expanded its tour of the land-- determined, no doubt, to procure material for This Book 2: Still Broken. [MORE...]

Video: Broken Social Scene: Various Tracks

Posted by Matthew Solarski in book on Fri: 09-28-07: 07:00 AM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

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Wed: 10-10-07: 12:30 PM CDT
Nirvana's Unplugged Gets DVD Release