Born Ruffians to Issue Colorful Debut LP in Spring
LOL @ "Badonka Donkey"
The band just wrapped a sizeable tour with their countrymen in Caribou. They promise to "tour a ton in 2008," although at the moment it appears they've only begun to sketch out the dates. [MORE...]
Califone, Sparhawk, Kozelek Help Do Presidential Songs
As do Wooden Wand, Charalambides' Tom Carter, Rosie Thomas, Denison Witmer
Nonetheless, Standard Recording Company has thrown us a bone in the politics department in the form of a three-CD box set tentatively titled Of Great and Mortal Men: 43 Songs About 43 U.S. Presidencies. The set's subject matter is apparent, and its backstory doesn't disappoint.
Christian Kiefer, Matthew Gerken (Nice Monster), and Jefferson Pitcher (ex-Above the Orange Trees) wrote nearly all of Of Great and Mortal Men's songs back in February 2006 as part of February Album Writing Month, a songwriting challenge to write 14 songs in 28 days. They pooled their efforts to pen a song apiece about all of the U.S. presidents (3 x 14 = 42, with the George W. Bush tune arriving later), and they came out of it with a heap of demos.
Then, they fleshed (and are fleshing) the songs out with studio contributions from Califone, Alan Sparhawk (Low), Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon/Red House Painters), Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice, Rosie Thomas, Denison Witmer, Marla Hansen (Sufjan Stevens's band), Vince DiFiore (Cake), and Tom Carter (Charalambides), among others.
Kiefer calls the resultant box set "a walk through American history and an inquiry into what makes us Americans as filtered through the lens of our highest public office. There's heartbreak and beauty and criticism and revelation. We're trying to make it work like a big beautiful historical novel."
Of Great and Mortal Men does not yet have a definite release date, but Standard plans to put it out in the summer. The tracklist is here (seriously, it's that simple). Susan Archie is scheduled to design the art for the box itself, and the package will come with 43 cards, each with an image of one of the presidents done by one of 43 different artists.
Finally, Standard will supplement the set with a 44th song, available next November following the election. As soon as the results are official, everyone who bought the box set can go to the label's website and download Mr. or Mrs. 44's song.
Pumpkins, JAMC, QOTSA, Air, CSS Rock Aussie V Fest
Also: The Tough Alliance and Duran Duran
For the traveling Australian edition of the widespread V Festival, organizers have amassed no shortage of talent-- though darn near all of it is imported. Personally, just as we prefer an icy cold novelty-sized can of Foster's to a tallboy of Budweiser, we would prefer Kylie Minogue to Billy Corgan, but that's just us.
Still, the imports V has lined up oughta pack plenty of wallop. The Smashing Pumpkins, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Queens of the Stone Age, Duran Duran's hip-hop tribute to itself, CSS, Sweden's phenomenal Tough Alliance, and the very Australian Presets and Plug-In City will take the stage at four Australia locales in late March and early April. Air and the dreaded Mika will join in on the action in Sydney and Gold Coast, and there only.
Note that these performers are, in fact, just the beginning: more acts can be expected in the coming months. [MORE...]
Lupe Fiasco Talks The Cool, Cheeseburgers, Retirement
"I'm in a dark, melancholy mood. I'm not a happy camper right now."
There's a lot going on on The Cool, but the basic idea revolves around three previously mentioned characters-- what Lupe calls his "three evil angels"-- depicted in symbol form on the record's cryptogram cover. The first character, the Cool, is a zombie hustler of sorts based on the Food & Liquor song of the same name.
"I expand on the story," Lupe explained. "I introduce two other characters, the Game and the Streets. The Streets is a female. She's like the action personification of the streets, the street life, the call of the streets. The Game is the same way. The Game is the personification of the game. The pimp's game, the hustler's game, the con man's game, whatever."
He continued: "Then they've got supernatural characteristics. Like the Cool, his right hand is rotted away. The only thing that rotted away was his right hand. It represents the rotting away of his righteousness, of his good. And the Streets and the Cool kind of have a love affair going on. So she's represented by this locket. And the locket has a key and it's on fire. And as a gift to the Cool on his rise to fame, she gave him the key. And the key represents the key to the Streets. So she wears a locket around her neck at all times.
"And the way the story goes, she has given that key to tons of people throughout time. Al Capone, Alexander the Great, whatever. She's giving them the key to the Streets. Fame and fortune-- but also the prices.
"The Game, he's represented by a stripped-down skull, a skull with dice in his eyes and smoke coming out of his mouth. The billowing smoke is actually crack smoke."
"It's not a full concept album; it's more spread over like five [tracks], really abstractly."
It's also apparently going to spawn a franchise. According to Fiasco, there are plans afoot to spin The Cool into a horror-themed radio program, complete with Vincent Price-inspired voice-overs. "To really tell it," says Lupe. "Because I think it would be corny to try to be spooky on a hip-hop record. We're actually going to tell it as it is, like a horror psycho-thriller kind of situation."
Indeed, folks will notice a less-than-sunny vibe to the new disc on the whole. "This album was influenced more from the dark side. It's more because of the loss I experienced at the beginning of the year," Lupe explains, referring to the deaths of several loved ones. "I'm in a dark, melancholy mood. I'm not a happy camper right now."
After the radio show, according to Lupe, "we're going to do a comic book." [MORE...]
Mahjongg to Finally Issue New Record on K
The last time we spoke of Mahjongg (right after they'd signed up with K Records), Chicago's herkiest, jerkiest, motleyist crew of post-punkers, we mentioned how long it'd been since the last time we spoke of Mahjongg. That was nearly twelve months ago.The time away from these pages has paid off in spades for the band, and-- like a well-played round of the game for which they're named-- Mahjongg have methodically stacked all their tiles and victoriously emerged with Kontpab, their sophomore set, due on K February 12.
A brief tour will go down next year in the weeks leading up to the album's release, with dates conveniently located under the jump. I guess this means goodbye for a little while, Mahjongg? Don't be strangers, now. [MORE...]
Blood on the Wall Ready Third Album
This album is brought to you by the letter "Z"
And that's it! There's no news of tour dates or a Girl Talk remix or a green screen video contest in sight. Maybe that's kind of refreshing, but man, you three could at least play a couple shows, no? [MORE...]
Sufjan's Literary Event Back On for December 17
Well, that didn't take long. Sufjan Stevens' on-again, off-again PEN American Center-hosted literary event, originally scheduled to take place this past Wednesday, November 28, has been rescheduled. It's now taking place December 17 at Brooklyn's Southpaw. There, our boy Sufjan will chat with Wesley Stace, aka songwriter John Wesley Harding, in an evening hosted by author Rick Moody. (Thanks again to BrooklynVegan.)This nice little tidbit brings us again to the Cliff's Notes edition of all that is Sufjan in late '07: he's fresh off "The BQE", he's got a little tour in the works, he's got some stuff up for auction tonight, and that song contest ends tomorrow. [MORE...]
Klaxons Go Crazy for France on Latest Single
The A-side features a remix from Klaxons' pals Justice. And the b-side? It's Klaxons doing "As Above So Below" in French. Zut alors!
Foals Sign to Sub Pop in U.S.
Collaborate with Kieran Hebden (Four Tet) on single, album produced by David Sitek
Thanks to Dominique Lazanski for the tip.
Foals recorded their debut album with TV on the Radio's David Sitek this summer, and the record's first single, "Balloons", is due in the UK via Transgressive Records on December 10. The single comes in four formats: download, CD, 7", and an etched 12" limited to 2000 copies. Featured on the latter is the first of a series of Foals collaborations with Kieran Hebden, aka Four Tet. The other Foals/Hebden collaborations will also take the limited edition, etched 12" form accompanying the rest of the album's single releases.
Foals have quite a few dates in their feed bucket for both this year and next, continuing tonight, November 30, in Nottingham, England. [MORE...]
The Mars Volta Reveal Dates, Puzzling Download
As if their music weren't enough of a brainteaser, now the Mars Volta have made a puzzle of the cover art for their forthcoming fourth album, The Bedlam in Goliath (January 28 in the UK, January 29 in the U.S., via Universal). Anyone who solves the puzzle, which they have placed online here, also gets a free mp3 from the band.The mp3, however, is not a track from Bedlam. It's a cover of the Circle Jerks' "Back Against the Wall" (the Mars Volta call it "Back Up Against the Wall"). Even weirder than an album cover puzzle: a minute-and-a-half-long Mars Volta track.
The puzzle took me 304 moves to complete (it's one of those annoying bastards where you can only move one piece at a time within a fixed square), so it doesn't seem like there's an upper limit at which point the download suddenly becomes unavailable. Never let it be said that the Mars Volta weren't plenty generous to the doofus population.
The band has also gone and supplemented its New Year's Eve show in San Francisco with a bunch of European shows in February and March. [MORE...]
The Mary Onettes Issue Debut in the States
Photo by Peter MogensenThe Mary Onettes list "mostly music from the eighties" as their only influence on their MySpace page, and, well, no one's gonna accuse them of any lack of self-awareness. The Swedish popmakers make some sweetly skuzzy sounds nestled somewhere between the stickiest new wave tunes and those early synthpop-indebted Magnetic Fields LPs, and their "Pleasure Songs" ought to please most ears already tickled by the recent Swedish explosion. The band's self-titled debut came out last year in their homeland, but is due in the U.S. December 11 on Labrador Records. The band recently wrapped a handful of Swedish dates, but no future shows are lined up. [MORE...]
The Teenagers Lust for Scarlett Johansson on Single
Indie girls still waiting for someone to pay musical tribute to Michael Cera
The band's newest single, a follow-up to this year's "Homecoming", is "Starlett Johansson". It's a paean to indie heartthrob/Tom Waits interpreter Scarlett Johansson, and who's to say that when she's done hanging out with Bob Dylan, the Jesus and Mary Chain, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, David Sitek, and Justin Timberlake, these three couldn't be next?
Okay, so it's unlikely the Teenagers will get any alone time with the actress, but at least the rest of us can join the fantasy on December 4, when XL releases the single.
Currently, the Teenagers are recording with producer Gordon Raphael (the Strokes), and they have a couple shows in the UK to close out the year. Then next year, they'll head over to North America for a tour in January/February. [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.)
Fri: 01-18-08: 07:00 AM CST
Stones Throw Compiles Videos on DVD
Thu: 01-17-08: 04:30 PM CST
YACHT Designs Clever Sleeves for New MacBook Air
Thu: 01-17-08: 03:25 PM CST
Thurston Moore Soundtracks Adult DVD (Possibly NSFW)
Thu: 01-17-08: 01:22 PM CST
CYHSY Play Planned Parenthood Benefit Show
Thu: 01-17-08: 12:28 PM CST
Jason Forrest Returns With New DJ Donna Summer LP
- Toumani Diabate Reveals New Album, Tour
- Silje Nes Serves Up FatCat Debut in North America
- X Gear Up for 31st Anniversary Tour
- Sakamoto, Willits Collaborate on Ocean-Healing Album
- Photos: Sufjan Stevens [Melbourne, Australia; 1/16/08]
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- Toumani Diabate Reveals New Album, Tour
- Silje Nes Serves Up FatCat Debut in North America
- YACHT Designs Clever Sleeves for New MacBook Air
- Thurston Moore Soundtracks Adult DVD (Possibly NSFW)
- CYHSY Play Planned Parenthood Benefit Show
- X Gear Up for 31st Anniversary Tour
- Jason Forrest Returns With New DJ Donna Summer LP
- Sakamoto, Willits Collaborate on Ocean-Healing Album
- Photos: Sufjan Stevens [Melbourne, Australia; 1/16/08]
- Mono Release Live/Documentary DVD
- Sparklehorse Leave Astralwerks/Capitol
- Enon Tour the Heck Outta Early '08
- Jamie Lidell Becomes Jim on New Album
- Neko Case, QOTSA's Josh Homme Get "Aqua Teen"-ized
- Update: Pair of Bjork Singles Coming to U.S.
- Cass McCombs Hits the Road With Band of Horses
- Gutter Twins Add Dates, Reveal Tracklist
- Quintron and Miss Pussycat Tour With Black Lips
- Photos: Lupe Fiasco [Solana Beach, CA; 01/15/08]
- Update: Radiohead In-Store Moved by Police
- The Dutchess and the Duke Sign to Hardly Art
- Karen O Pens Tunes for Jonze/Eggers Wild Things Film
- Matador Reveals Mission of Burma Reissue Details
- Sally Shapiro Tours! Remixed by Junior Boys, Lindstrom
- Bjork Concocts New "Earth Intruders" Single
- Radiohead Plan In-Store Webcast Tonight
- These New Puritans Bring Pyramid Across the Pond
- Good Shoes Issue Think Before You Speak in the States
- Decemberists' Colin Meloy Readies Live Solo Album
- Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Prep New LP
- Fiery Furnaces Hold Caucus to Name Next LP
- Clipse, LSF, Man Man, Portishead Do Primavera Fest
- Big Boi Ballet Details Emerge
- Fuck Buttons Start Horrrsing Around on LP, Tour
- M.I.A. Visits Liberia for Television Show
- Black Mountain Add Bonus Disc to In the Future
- My Morning Jacket Announce Release Date, Shows
- High on Fire Join Megadeth's GIGANTOUR
- Daedelus Unveils Live Album, Contest, Dates
- Menomena Raise "Hell" on New Single, Tour
- M.I.A., Fischerspooner, Digitalism on Kitsune Maison 5
- Sonic Youth, Tortoise, Godspeed Folk on Chatham Set
- Will Oldham Guests on New Sun Kil Moon Album
- New Atmosphere Album Gives You Lemons
- Arcade Fire's Win Butler Disses Hillary, Backs Obama
- Stars of the Lid Plan Spring U.S. Tour
- The Black Lips Issue Live iTunes EP
- Taken by Trees Tours N. America, Covers Guns N' Roses
- T.V. Eye: January 14-20, 2008
- Au Revoir Simone Assemble a Little Tour
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arctic Monkeys Remix the Hives
- The National, Ted Leo, Mastodon on Human Giant DVD
- Dead Meadow Slay on Winter Tour
- A Place to Bury Strangers Recording Live LP
- Om and Lichens Team Up for Tour
- The Kills Return With a Boom on New LP
- Bjork Wilds Out on Kiwi Photographer
- Cat Power Extends Tour
- U-God Sues Wu-Tang Clan's Label
- Jay Reatard to Open for Black Keys
- Goldfrapp Shake Tree for Box Set, Vinyl, "A&E;" Single
- Clinic Do It on New Album, Tour
- Carla Bozulich's Evangelista Says Hello
- Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Bat for Lashes on Xfm Comp
- Update: Rejected Justice Fabric Mix Turned Xmas Gift
- Rhymefest and Lupe Fiasco Debate Politics Online
- M. Ward/Zooey Deschanel Album Details Surface
- Thunderbirds Are Now! Guy Fires Up Friendly Foes
- Sally Shapiro, Johan Agebjorn Cut "Spacer Woman" 12"
- Aluminum Group Wrap Happyness Trio With Little LP
- Why? Reveal New Album Details
- The Monks' Dave Day, R.I.P.
- R.I.P. Olga Sarantos, Fiery Furnaces' Grandmother
- The National Schedule More Shows
- Feist, Of Montreal, Bloc Party on Environmental Comp
- HEALTH, Crystal Castles Tour Dates Revealed
- Castanets Head West for Tour, Work Up New 7"
- Gui Boratto Travels the World
- Dirty Projectors, White Williams Split a 7"
- The Breeders Announce First Tour in, Like, Forever
- Common Does Benefit for Chicago Schools Program
- British Sea Power Tour All Over
- Mountain Goats Add Dates, Darnielle's Book Revealed
- Radiohead to Take Over BBC Radio 1 Airwaves
- Thermals Kick Out the Jams for Live Band Karaoke
- Low Tour, Retribution Gospel Choir Prep Debut LP
- Islands Return to the Road
- Morrissey Reveals Greatest Hits Details, Bonus CD
- Annie Returns With New Single, Preps Album
- Blonde Redhead Plan Brief East Coast Tour
- Dan Deacon Inaugurates Wham City Records With 7"
- Cat Power Checks in From India, Bangladesh
- Xiu Xiu Announce Spring Dates
- Serena-Maneesh Compile Early Tracks, Rarities
- Bodies of Water, Sons & Daughters Announce Tour
- Autechre Offer Up Quaristice Tracklist, Tour
- Fogarino/Franklin's Setting Suns Forced to Nix Name
- Kim Gordon, Lavender Diamond's Stark Appear in Film
- Rare Disco, Electro Gems on Disco Not Disco Comp
- Polly Jean Harvey, John Parish Meet Again for New LP
- Arbouretum, Lungfish Dudes Ready Human Bell Album
- Broken Social Scene Head Out on World Tour
- Hukkelberg's Rykestrasse Leads to North America
- No Age Come up With a Few Good Nouns for Sub Pop
- Nada Surf Get Lucky With Ben Gibbard on New Album
- Radiohead (Sorta) Announce North American Tour!
- Spoon Head Down Under
- Black Kids Tour With Sons & Daughters, Kate Nash
- Jay Reatard Signs to Matador, Plans Singles Barrage
- Sufjan, MBD, Asthmatic Kitty Roster on New DVD
- Malkmus' Real Emotional Trash Album Cover Revealed
- Men [ft. Le Tigre's Samson, Fateman] Play Shows
- Marty Crandall Domestic Abuse Case Dismissed
- Jens Lekman Announces Spring Tour
- Von Bondies Return With Album, EP, Tour
- Baltimore's Wye Oak Sign to Merge, Issue Debut
- Hold Steady Work on LP4, Line up UK Tour
- Black Heart Procession Head Out on Short Tour
- The Black Keys Reveal Danger Mouse-Produced Album
- Kenyan Extra Golden Members Need Your Help
- Silver Mt. Zion Lend Tune to "Lost" Ad
- Blitzen Trapper Announce Giant North American Tour
- R.E.M., MMJ, Robyn, Jens Lekman, Bun B Do SXSW
- Spiritualized's Spaceman Scores Harmony Korine Film
- Justice Announce World Tour, Dates With Diplo
- Son Lux Signs to Anticon
- Sub Pop Responds to Arrest of Shins' Crandall
- T.V. Eye: January 7-13, 2008
- Vampire Weekend Plot North American Tour
- Dan Deacon's Ultimate Reality Tour Kicks Off
- Battles Storm Australia
- The Cool Kids Line Up Winter Dates
- Drive-By Truckers Brighten 2008 With Album, Tour
- Bill Callahan Tours the South
- Echo & the Bunnymen, Orchestra Play Ocean Rain Live
- Six Organs of Admittance Set to Hit the Road
- Band of Horses, McCombs Play Halfway to Forecastle
- Caribou Announces Huge World Tour
- Basia Bulat Brings Darling to U.S., Plans Shows
- A Place to Bury Strangers Announce Spring Tour
- Daft Punk, Hot Chip, Pipettes, T.I. Design Playboy Shirts
- Dizzee Rascal Expands Winter Tour
- Silver Jews' David Berman Talks Lookout, Outlook
- Facing Lockup, Rapper Prodigy Turns Video Blogger
- Belle & Sebastian's Jackson, Oakley Hall Do Guitar Fest
- Flipper Recording New Album With Krist Novoselic
- Radiohead Manager Explains Amplive Remix Snafu
- Califone, Fugazi Members Soundtrack Brent Green Films
- MMJ, Wrens, Mekons Folks Aid New Orleans Musicians
- The Go! Team Tour Away Winter Languor
- Walkmen, White Williams, Bon Iver Play Chicago Fest
- The Streets' Skinner Retires the Beats Label
- Raveonettes Plot Tours of North America, Italy
- Robyn Announces U.S. Tour Dates!
- Jose Gonzalez Goes Green for North American Tour
- Under Byen Enlist Symphonic Help on New EP
- Black Mountain Add Dates With Bon Iver
- Nick Cave's Lazarus Gets Tracklist, U.S. Release Date
- The Long Blondes Set Up Couples, UK Tour
- Antony Designs Dress for Charity
- Amplive Nixes Radiohead Remixes at Warner's Demand
- The Fiery Furnaces Add Dates, Surprise Surprise
- Casiotone Drops a Few Singles, Plays a Few Gigs
- Fennesz Releases Two New Singles
- No Age, Mae Shi, Cline Play Smell Anniversary Shows
- Man Man Adopt Rabbit Habits, Tour U.S.
- Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan DJs on WFMU
- Beyonce PWNS Kanye in Connect Four
- Hot Chip Reveal Made Tracklist, Single, New Dates
- M83 Reveals Full Album Details
- Grand Archives Reveal Sub Pop Debut Details, Dates
- Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks Tour for Trash
- Boredoms to Invade America This Spring
- Xiu Xiu Bolster Lovers With DVD, iTunes Exclusives
- Beck's Odelay Given Deluxe Reissue Treatment
- Smashing Pumpkins Issue New EP Today
- Cat Power Plots Jukebox Tour
- R.E.M. Gear Up to Accelerate on New LP
- Oberst Woos Iowans for Obama
- Evan Farrell (Magnolia Electric Co./Rogue Wave) R.I.P.
- Panda Bear Designs Sweatshirts
- Neko Case Schedules Winter Shows
- Bjork Discusses "Independence", Videos, Grammys
- While We Were Out
- Radiohead Celebrate New Year With Webcast
- Jay-Z Leaves Def Jam Presidency
- R.I.P. Oscar Peterson, 1925-2007