Kano to Drop Sophomore LP, Tour

MP3: Kano: Layer Cake [from the Kano Mixtape mixtape]
Stream: Kano [ft. Craig David]: This Is the Girl [from the forthcoming London Town LP]

Mekons Make Natural Return With New Album, Tour

MP3: Mekons: Dickie, Chalkie and Nobby [from the forthcoming Natural LP]

Songs of Green Pheasant Return With Gyllyng Street

Stream: Songs of Green Pheasant: Various Tracks [from the forthcoming Gyllyng Street LP]

Max Roach R.I.P.

Max Roach, the jazz drummer, composer, bandleader and educator whose approach to rhythm had a profound effect on music in the second half of the 20th century, died of an unspecified illness at his home in New York last night. He was 83 years old.

Born in Newland, North Carolina in 1924, Roach and his family settled in Brooklyn in the late 1920s. An early interest in music was encouraged, and he was drumming with bands by the age of ten. Roach is one of the last surviving members of the generation of musicians who came to prominence in New York in the 1940s and set in motion the influential jazz style that came to be known as bebop. Both Roach and fellow drummer Kenny Clarke were ubiquitous on the scene, which also included saxophonist Charlie Parker, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, and pianists Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, among others.

With its faster tempos and adventurous use of harmony, bebop was arguably the first jazz movement to position itself as art rather than entertainment. Roach, building on the innovations of Clarke, strove to free his instrument from its timekeeping role, establishing the drums as an improvisational voice and exploring the textural properties of percussion.

Roach continued to be identified with the first wave of bebop musicians his entire life, an association that peaked upon the release of the landmark Jazz at Massey Hall, a 1953 album featuring Parker, Gillespie, Powell, and bassist Charles Mingus (the album was released on the Debut label, an artist-run imprint started by Roach and Mingus). But he never stayed in one place for long and his music continued to evolve.

During the 50s and 60s, Roach became involved in the civil rights movement, and his activism was reflected in his work. His controversial and ambitious 1960 album We Insist! Freedom Now Suite, which directly addressed oppression in the United States and Africa, became a classic of both jazz and political art.

Roach was a relentless experimenter, working in virtually every setting, from solo to percussion ensembles to duets to big bands. He joined the faculty at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst as a professor in the early 70s and taught at the Lenox School of Jazz. In 1988, he was the recipient of a MacArthur foundation "genius grant," the first jazz musician to receive the award. An outspoken commentator and intellectual who could give a great interview, Roach occasionally drew connections between jazz and the rhythmic innovations and political consciousness of hip-hop (he appeared onstage with Fab Five Freddy and a team of breakdancers at a concert in the early 80s).

Frank Black Covers Waits, Roxy Music on iTunes EP
New Black Francis album gets tracklist, release date

Video: Frank Black: (Do What You Want) Gyaneshwar [from the Christmass LP]

Create Les Savy Fav's Video, Then Go See Them Play
Or, in Headline-Speak: Les Savy Fav Announce Video Contest, Tour

It seems Les Savy Fav have been surrendering the reigns to the ol' workhorse of late. First, they asked their fans to sing on their record, and now, they're actually paying people to stand in for them in a video. I guess you can't spell Les Savy Fav without "lazy," eh? Er, wait.

In truth, these recent overtures smack more of a purposeful breakdown of the barrier between artist and fan than a clever disguise for lethargy. (Besides, anybody who's witnessed this band in action knows that they have more energy than a kitten hyped up on Sparks.)

Les Savy Fav are giving weekend Gondrys essentially carte blanche in a contest to create the clip for "The Equestrian" from their forthcoming album Let's Stay Friends. Entries must be a performance of the song, with lip-synching and at least some attempt to mimic playing instruments. Save that arty, impressionistic mess for your Decemberists thesis, Sally Gradschool; Les Savy Fav want you to rock! Or, at least, pretend.

The winner-- based on the most views on YouTube, where videos are to be uploaded-- will receive full bragging rights, plus $1000 and a bitchin' trophy. Videos are due by September 18, so you oughta get crackin'. Full details are available here.

Even if you don't win, the consolation prizes are choice: Let's Stay Friends is out that very day in the U.S. on French Kiss Records, and October 1 in the UK on Wichita. And the band's touring, too, with European dates trickling out since last we spoke on the subject. [MORE...]

MP3: Les Savy Fav: The Equestrian [from the Let's Stay Friends LP]

Does It Offend You, Yeah? Sign to Almost Gold
Sebastien Grainger (ex-Death From Above 1979) Supplies Vox for New Single

The Almost Gold label's been awfully choosy in who they've signed, and being particular has paid off. Peter Bjorn & John and Calvin Harris have blown/are blowing up, and things look mighty good for Chicago duo Walter Meego, whose first full-length is due on the label by year's end.

So raise those hopes pronto for Does It Offend You, Yeah?, the cheeky Reading-bred electronic twosome that's the latest find for the Columbia Records subsidiary. They've generated a significant amount of excitement overseas via remixes for Bloc Party, Muse, and the Raconteurs, not to mention mixes like this one.

The group, currently working on a debut album for release next spring, already have a notable in their corner: new single "Let's Make Out" features ex-Death From Above 1979 belter Sebastien Grainger on the come-ons. "Let's Make Out" is available now as a free download (see below), and if you live in the UK and sign up for their mailing list, they'll send you a limited edition 5" vinyl single. On September 17, it will be released on a proper 7" and 12" in the UK. (They're on Virgin in the UK; the Almost Gold signing is for the U.S.)

Does it Offend You, Yeah? are also some tourin' fools, and they're out on a massive UK jaunt presently. [MORE...]

MP3: Does It Offend You, Yeah?: Let's Make Out ft Sebastien Grainger [single]

Deerhoof Extend Tour, Reveal Dedication Film Details
Cat Power, Strokes, Lightning Bolt, Au Revoir Simone, Fischerspooner also on soundtrack

Video: Deerhoof: The Perfect Me [from the Friend Opportunity LP]
Video: Dedication: Trailer

Rapture, Spree, RJD2, Bad Brains Pen Soccer Anthems
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!

"Go New York! Go New York! Go New York! Go New York! Go New York! Go New York! Go New York! Go New York! Go!" Thus begins the Rapture's soccer-fied version of "Whoo! Alright, Yeah... Uh Huh", recorded as part of "MLS Represent", a collaborative campaign between Major League Soccer and Adidas to get artists from cities with MLS teams to record theme songs for their local clubs.

The campaign also includes contributions from the Polyphonic Spree (for FC Dallas), Bad Brains (D.C. United), RJD2 (Columbus Crew), OK Go (Chicago Fire), Mike Jones (Houston Dynamo), and... Barenaked Ladies (Toronto FC), among others. The Rapture explain their involvement in the project by saying, "We love soccer. We love New York. It makes sense. Anything we can do to help Juan Pablo Angel score more goals."

The themes are all pretty uniformly funny and kind of awesome, if only for the novelty of hearing so many indie bands get in touch with their jock sides. And thank god, now we can hear the Rapture rework the "people don't dance no more" breakdown as "You people can't score no more/ You just stand there like this/ You cross your arms and stare around/ And whinge and moan and diss!" Ooh, they said "whinge"!

To experience the magic for yourself and download each and every theme (listed after the jump) for free, head on over here. [MORE...]

MP3: Various Artists: Various MLS Theme Songs

Franz, Streets, Raconteurs, Klaxons, Lily Do BBC Covers
Plus: Maximo Park, Kaiser Chiefs, Gossip, Editors, Sugababes, Girls Aloud, Kylie

Sunset Rubdown Extend Tour

When they're not picking spirits at random to love, fondling the afternoon's last light, or adding reverb to everything, Sunset Rubdown tour. So, with a fresh (and really rather good) new record in the can, Sunset Rubdown will hit the road this fall. But you knew that.

What you didn't know is that they've added more dates! Now the trek begins October 5 in Montreal with a blowout featuring Jagjaguwar labelmates Black Mountain and Lightning Dust (as well as Oakley Hall), and it ends a month later in Chicago. Thus, the tunes from Random Spirit Lover-- out October 9 -- will get their first proper Sunset singalongs. [MORE...]

Stream: Sunset Rubdown: Up on Your Leopard, Upon the End of Your Feral Days [from the Random Spirit Lover LP]

Flaming Lips, Cat Power, Man Man Play Echo Project
Also: the Roots, Secret Machines, CYHSY, RJD2, the Killers

The Flaming Lips, Cat Power and her Dirty Delta Blues backing band, and Man Man are among the artists who will perform across 350+ acres of Bouckaert Farm outside of Atlanta on October 12-14 for the Earth-friendly Echo Project festival.

Other performers during the weekend include the Roots, the Killers, Secret Machines, the Polyphonic Spree, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, RJD2, Cypress Hill, Brazilian Girls, the Album Leaf, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Lyrics Born, Stephen Marley, MSTRKRFT, Thievery Corporation, the Bravery, and Son Volt.

In addition to the tunes, the Echo Project is focused on the environment. For the three weeks leading up to the festival, Echo will lead a cleanup effort on the Chattahoochee River, near the festival site. Volunteers who help out will receive "the Be Green Ticket upgrade" for the fest in addition to "exclusive camping spots."

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.)