Long Blondes Release Single, Tour

Today, February 5, in the UK, the Long Blondes release their latest single from last year's Someone to Drive You Home LP, "Giddy Stratospheres", on CD, two different 7"s, and as an iTunes-only download. Each version includes a exclusive B-sides produced by Erol Alkan.

The band will not go ahead with their in-store performances at Manchester's Virgin Megastore tonight and Leeds' Jumbo Records on Wednesday as intended, because frontwoman Kate Jackson has tonsillitis. We wish her a speedy recovery.

If all goes according to plan, the Long Blondes will launch a UK/Euro club tour on February 9. As previously reported, they'll spend several nights opening for the Kaiser Chiefs.

Alas, there is still no word on an American release for the Long Blondes album. (Come on, people!) But you can get a few Long Blondes tracks on the new What's Your Rupture? compilation Imagine the Shapes. [MORE...]

Folk Singer, Dylan Pal Eric von Schmidt Dead at 75

An inspiration to Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, and countless others, folk singer/songwriter Eric von Schmidt passed away on February 2 in Fairfield, Connecticut, according to The New York Times. Eric was 75; the exact cause of death is not known at this time.

Son of Saturday Evening Post illustrator Harold von Schmidt-- and a skilled artist in his own right, painting album covers for Baez and others-- Eric von Schmidt re-worked folk classics and composed quite a few of his own, releasing several albums after settling in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the late 1950s. It was there that he would meet-- and influence-- Dylan, Baez, and others in the burgeoning folk scene.

Dylan, in particular, lauded the man extensively, declaring von Schmidt "could sing the bird off the wire and the rubber off the tire" in the liner notes to one of the latter's records. Dylan also shouted out "Ric" in the opening to "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down" (which von Schmidt taught Dylan) on Dylan's first LP, and included a von Schmidt LP on the cover of 1965's Bringing It All Back Home.

Along with Jim Rooney, von Schmidt penned a book about the Cambridge folk scene titled Baby, Let Me Follow You Down. While throat cancer and Lyme disease stifled his playing and singing in recent years, von Schmidt continued painting until his death.

Eric is survived by daughters Caitlin von Schmidt and Megan Richardson, as well as three grandsons.

Motown Pianist Joe Hunter Dies

Joe Hunter-- pianist, Funk Brother, and Motown's first bandleader-- died Friday, February 2 at age 79, according to the Associated Press. The AP claims Hunter was diabetic, though the exact cause of his death was unknown when his son, Joe Hunter Jr., spoke to the Detroit News.

Hunter won three Grammys with the Funk Brothers, Motown's house band memorialized in the 2002 documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown. He was the label's first hire, and he played backup with Smokey Robinson in addition to contributing to songs such as Martha and the Vandellas' "Heat Wave" and Marvin Gaye's "Pride and Joy". He did not, however, make the move with the label from Detroit to Los Angeles in 1972.

After the reception of two Grammys in 2003 and one in 2004, Hunter toured with a reunited version of the Funk Brothers.

[Photo by Karen Sas, Artisan Entertainment]

Frog Eyes' Mercer Talks Blood, Sweat, Tears, Bowie
"Dan Bejar once suggested to me that all of my art is crumbling into that most classic and vaunted of forms: the drunken speech of the deposed dictator."

Photo by Sarah Cass

This May Day, why not inject a little chaos into the ol' maypole dance routine by broadcasting the new Frog Eyes LP? As previously reported, the frenetic Victoria quartet unleashes its fourth full-length beast, the nine-track Tears of the Valedictorian, on May 1 via Absolutely Kosher in the U.S. and Scratch in Canada.

Since Tears' perplexing song titles have our ribbons a bit tangled, Pitchfork went straight to Frog Eyes frontman Carey Mercer with a few e-mail questions. Thanks to the magic of interweb discourse, we learned a little about the new LP, the toil of touring, Swan Lake's auto show gig that wasn't, and the influence of David Bowie-by-proxy. We're also more confused now than ever.

Pitchfork: Tears of the Valedictorian-- in 100 words or less, what's it all about?

Carey Mercer: Well, there are a few 'down with people' songs and a few 'up with people' songs, and a few songs that suggest an affinity for stock/archetypal tragic images. Two songs are quite long.

Dan Bejar once suggested to me that all of my art is crumbling into that most classic and vaunted of forms: the drunken speech of the deposed dictator. Tears was mastered a little quieter than Californication, and therefore will not get as much radio play.

Pitchfork: The titles of the previous Frog Eyes albums proper have all followed the pattern: [definite article] [adjective] [noun]. This one is noticeably different. Any particular reason? Why not name it, say, The Valedictory Tear?

Carey: I had the feeling that I was leaving all the nonsense of the last three records behind, and then the pompous absurdity of such a feeling made me remember, with a love in my heart, that my oldest friend Peter cried while delivering his Valedictorian speech. My favorite art combines humor and crushing Pathos, human squalor and immutable, natural beauty. That is why it is called Tears of the Valedictorian. [MORE...]

Photos: Yo La Tengo [Atlanta, GA; 02/03/07]

Photos by Stephen Lindley

On a cold night in Atlanta-- but not a "hat cold" night, according to Ira Kaplan-- Hoboken, New Jersey's Yo La Tengo beat some serious Ass before a packed house. Tickets to see the indie legends were going for as much as $75 outside-- a fair price, perhaps: with an over two hour long set, complete with three encores, the band never seemed to tire.

Through the course of the evening the attended learned that James McNew "hates poetry" and heard covers of the Velvet Underground's "I Heard Her Call My Name" and Sun Ra's "Somebody's in Love." In addition to several songs off latest LP I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass (Matador), YLT rocked several fan favorites, including "Sugarcube", "Stockholm Syndrome", and "Autumn Sweater" off 1997's I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One. Even though, as Kaplan claimed, Variety Playhouse is only YLT's second favorite Atlanta venue-- the Masquerade, where they were infamously billed as Yo La Tango, is number one-- the band did not disappoint the sell-out crowd, who were still clamoring for more well past midnight.

Yo La Tengo wrap up their U.S. tour this week, then ship off to Japan and Australia.







[MORE...]

Nine Inch Nails Set New LP Release Date

Year Zero hits April 17, 2007. On that day, all that has passed will cease to exist and we will return to the black void from whence we came. Our memories will be erased, our bodies will crumble to ash, the earth will become ether, the stars will collapse unto themselves, the sun will burn out. Time's forward march will stop. History will end. God will die. And no one will care.

Oh yeah, a new Nine Inch Nails album is coming out that day, too. From the looks of this here website, it seems it will have 16 tracks, one of which is called "The Beginning of the End".

Also, Trent Reznor is a little grumpy.

Rabbit Factory Unleashes Soul of Neal Hemphill
Plus exclusive MP3s from Ralph "Soul" Jackson

Tomorrow, February 6, Chicago label Rabbit Factory will release Birmingham Sound: The Soul of Neal Hemphill Vol. 1. (It's available on eMusic now.) It's a compilation of soul from Birmingham, Alabama in the 60s and 70s named for plumber-turned-studio owner Neal Hemphill. Hemphill was responsible for a great deal of the music produced in the city during that time, and the 23-track compilation includes tracks by Frederick Knight (who wrote "Ring My Bell", a hit for Anita Ward), the Blue Notes, and Ralph "Soul" Jackson.

Rabbit Factory will also use the two Jackson tracks on a 45 release in conjunction with the compilation, with "Set Me Free" on the A-side and "Take Me Back" on the B. The label has offered both tracks for download at the links below. "Set Me Free" is an uptempo plea backed by a female chorus, while "Take Me Back" is a little more wistful. [MORE...]

Exclusive: Okkervil River Deluxe-ify Sheep, Enter Studio
Frontman Will Sheff loses voice, cancels tour with Josh Ritter

Despite a few snags, the mighty Okkervil River just keeps on rushing. The emotive Austin folk-pop troupe has announced plans to release a new album-- the follow-up to 2005's quite well-received Black Sheep Boy-- later this year. Indeed, the boys were in the studio just a moment ago, laying new jams to tape with producer Brian Beattie (BSB, Don't Fall in Love With Everyone You See).

They've had to abandon recording for the moment, however: Okkervil frontman Will Sheff regretfully revealed to Jound.com message board hounds recently (special thanks to reader Kevin Lok for the tip) that he has been forced to cancel his previously announced tour with Josh Ritter. All those emotional outbursts strained Sheff's voice considerably; he's following his doctor's advice and resting up while keeping his trap shut. "My voice is damaged and the only thing that will really make it get better is not using it for a little while," wrote Sheff. We wish him a speedy recovery.

On a brighter note, Okkervil River will play an Austin show at the University of Texas' Hogg Auditorium on April 21. They're also onboard for SXSW, playing Quack!Media and Found magazine's day party (at Bourbon Rocks) and Jagjaguwar's night showcase (at the Mohawk) on March 15.

Additionally, the Okkervils serve up a deluxe reissue of Black Sheep Boy, bundled with companion EP Black Sheep Boy Appendix and bonus goodies, on March 6 via Jagjaguwar. Titled Black Sheep Boy (Definitive Edition), the two-CD set boasts both releases plus B-side "The Next Four Months", the fine animated video for "For Real", and a new video for an alternate version of Appendix's "No Key, No Plan".

The Definite Edition further bolsters its claim of definitiveness by including "a big fat booklet and a gold-embossed sleeve," according to a press release. We're told it "combin[es] style and substance like never before," which, while hyperbolic, still sounds pretty damn sweet.

Cancelled dates ahoy. [MORE...]

Chin Up Chin Up, Boris Yeltsin to Tour

Midwesterners Chin Up Chin Up and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin are teaming up for a tour later this month. The former is supporting This Harness Can't Ride Anything (Suicide Squeeze) while the latter is pushing a reissue of Broom (Polyvinyl).

Both Chin Up Chin Up and SSLYBY have dates on their own as well, including stops at SXSW. [MORE...]

Bjork Reveals Release Date?

Hidden away in the top right-hand corner of Björk's website, written in small font in the "Future Releases, Radio + TV section", it says this:

07.05.07 - New Album (tbc)

So it seems that Björk has set a tentative release date for her highly anticipated new album-- you know, the one that features collaborations with Antony, Timbaland, Lightning Bolt's Brian Chippendale, and many more. That would be May 7, a Monday-- so we assume that's the European release date.

Thanks to eagle-eyed reader Jason Hoyos for pointing it out!

As previously reported, Björk is playing Coachella, Glastonbury, Roskilde, and Poland's Open'er festivals this spring and summer. Next stop: your neighborhood block party!

Mysterious Arcade Fire Pamphlet Surfaces

No, we have no idea what's going on here either. But it appears to have something to do with the fable of "The Wolf and the Fox" that mysteriously appeared alongside the Neon Bible lyrics on the album's website yesterday. If you turn the thing upside down, the text of that fable is written, alongside what seems to be its French translation.

Click here here for a larger version of the pamphlet.

LSF, Wolf Parade, Islands Members Team Up for Benefit

Dave Eggers has once again called upon his friends in high places for the benefit of his nonprofit 826 tutoring centers. Eggers' publishing house, McSweeney's, has put together the McSweeney's Presents: the World, Explained event, set to take place March 15 at New York's Symphony Space. Proceeds will go to both 826NYC and 826LA.

Performing at the event will be an "indie supergroup" comprised of Les Savy Fav's Syd Butler, Wolf Parade's Dan Boeckner and Hadji Bakara, and Islands' Nick Diamonds. The group's name? Internet. Yes, Internet. Clever, guys.

The show will also feature "comedy, music and[/or] extreme power point presentations" from Mac pitchman/"Daily Show" contributor John Hodgman, author/"This American Life" contributor David Rakoff, author/Wired contributing editor Joshua Davis, and author/former "Late Show With David Letterman" writer Rodney Rothman.

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.)