SXSW: Good Bad & Queen, Mountain Goats, Mastodon
Also added: Beirut, Jandek, Thurston Moore, Blonde Redhead, Jesu, more

For some reason, the organizers of this year's SXSW haven't been too forthcoming about the bounty of bands that will perform at their music festival in Austin, Texas come March 14-18. But today in an email newsletter, they leaked a few more artists. Also, the Beggars Group, Barsuk, and Hydra Head revealed their showcases, we announced our party, and we received a few more confirmations.

So let's round up what we know so far.

Back at the end of February, SXSW announced Bloc Party, Interpol, Lily Allen, the Stooges, and many more performers, plus interviews and talks by David Byrne, Pete Townshend, Emmylou Harris, and others.

Earlier this week, we unleashed the lineup for the Pitchfork Music Festival party, taking place at Emo's and Emo's Jr. on Friday, March 16 from noon-6 p.m. [In case you forgot, we've got Girl Talk, Menomena, Rjd2, the Ponys, the Pipettes, Do Make Say Think, Deerhunter, Simian Mobile Disco, Fujiya & Miyagi, Beach House, Marnie Stern, and Crystal Castles.)

In various news stories, we reported that Voxtrot, 120 Days, Magik Markers, a Nick Drake panel and film, Jesse Sykes, Frog Eyes, YACHT, Badly Drawn Boy, Datarock, Pattern Is Movement, and many, many more would be heading to Austin in a month.

Today, SXSW announced the additions of performances by the Good, the Bad and the Queen, Thurston Moore, Reigning Sound, the Automatic, Mastodon, and Steve Earle, as well as a few more speakers, including Iggy Pop, David Cross, and Patton Oswalt.

There will also be a screening of the Jandek performance film Duality of Self, as well as a live show by the man himself, taking place Saturday, March 17 at the Central Presbyterian Church.

The Beggars Group showcase will take over Emo's and Emo's Jr on Wednesday, March 14, with sets by Blonde Redhead, Mountain Goats, Beirut, Emma Pollock (formerly of the Delgados), Wolf & Cub, Voxtrot, Calla, ILiKETRAiNS, Future of the Left, and the Early Years. Barsuk will occupy Buffalo Billiards on Thursday, March 15, bringing Menomena, Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter, Aqueduct, Viva Voce, and Rocky Votolato. That same night, Hydra Head will terrorize Emo's Annex, with sets by Pelican, Jesu, Big Business, Daughters, Oxbow, and Stephen Bordsky's Octave Museum.

Whew. My feet hurt just reading that.

Rah Bras Call It Quits
…Until 2037

Rah Bras are leaving us, and chances are, you missed them. The disco-noise spazztro trio were crazy and awesome and only a few people cared about them, but they kept at it for over ten years. In 2005, they released their last album, Whohm, which I loved and the rest of the site liked, um, slightly less than I did.

Tonight at the Richmond Renaissance Center in Rah Bras' hometown of Richmond, Virginia, the band will perform their last show. It is part of local community radio station WRIR's anniversary party, and "space suits [are] optional", according to the band.

After the show, Rah Bras will go "on sabbatical until 2037, when truth is revealed and your place on the new ark is secure."

So I'll see you at the reunion! I'll be the 55-year-old lady in the front row.

Video: Rah Bras: Live

Love Is All Release Single, Tour

Stream: Love Is All: Various Tracks

The Juan Maclean Kicks Off DJ Dates

The Juan Maclean has kept pretty quiet recently. That is, unless you count his MySpace blog, where he posted recent entries about the Gossip's "Standing in the Way of Control" and "What it means to be gay." The latter is pretty detailed and includes the line, "That one Top Gun dude is an example, not Goose but the other guy."

Hopefully this won't start any fights.

He has, however, finally peeled himself away from the computer to kick off a tour of DJ dates that begins tonight in Washington, D.C. Presumably, this means no more treatises on sexual orientation for a while, but we think his party-rocking will make up for it. [MORE...]

Stream: The Juan Maclean: Various Tracks

All Seven Sly and the Family Stone LPs Reissued
Sly Stone world tour to follow this summer, with special guests Thomas Pynchon and Jandek

Contrary to the accepted wisdom regarding pot smokers, Sly Stone was productive as hell in his heyday, releasing seven albums in as many years with his band the Family Stone. On March 20, Epic/Legacy will celebrate the 40-year anniversary of the release of the group's 1967 debut, A Whole New Thing, by reissuing it along with the rest of the band's seven pre-solo Sly or Family Stone "comeback" albums.

All seven albums (chronologically: A Whole New Thing, Dance to the Music, Life, Stand!, There's a Riot Goin' On, Fresh, Small Talk) will come as limited edition digipaks with bonus tracks, plenty of which are previously unreleased. According to a press release, they will also feature "restored and expanded packaging, including rare photos, memorabilia, and new liner notes by a diverse group of writers and artists."

The bonus tracks for each release are as follows. [MORE...]

Video: Sly and the Family Stone: Dance to the Music/I Wanna Take You Higher (live on the Ed Sullivan Show)

Ratatat, 120 Days Tour Together

Forecast for late March and early April: heavy synth-rock with a chance of hipster haircuts. Yup, Brooklyn bangers Ratatat and Norwegian kraut-dancers 120 Days are hitting North America this spring. Both bands also have several U.S. and European dates scheduled separately both before and after the trek. 120 Days will also hit up SXSW, though Ratatat have better things to do, like playing in Buffalo.

Ratatat have a second remix album on the way, creatively titled Mixtape Vol. 2. It boasts 14 new remixes of people like Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, Young Jeezy, T.I., Beanie Sigel, Ludacris, Juvenile, and Kanye West, as well as exclusive tracks from tourmate (and Def Jux signee) Despot and former Anti-Pop Consortium MC Beans.

As previously reported, Ratatat's E*Vax contributes a remix to the Television Personalities remix EP due February 20 on Domino.

As for those who haven't yet picked up 120 Days' self-titled album that came out on Vice/Smalltown Supersound last fall...well, the early bird doesn't always get the worm. Fans purchasing the record from select independent record stores these days will receive a free limited-edition 7" with an exclusive Secret Machines reworking of 120 Days' track "Come Out, Come Down, Fade Out, Be Gone". According to a press release, it features new music and lyrics, which sort of makes it seem like it might be an entirely different song, but whatevs.

In other news, 120 Days walked away from last Saturday's Spellemannprisen (the Norwegian Grammys) with two awards in hand-- one for Best Rock Album, and one for Best New Artist. [MORE...]

Video: 120 Days: C-Musik [from the 120 Days LP]
MP3: Z-ro, Devin the Dude & Juvenile: The Mule (Ratatat remix)

Jesse Sykes Confesses Like, Love, Lust, Kicks Off Tour

Jesse Sykes will release her third album with her band the Sweet Hereafter via Barsuk on February 6. Like, Love, Lust & the Open Halls of the Soul features a guest appearance from Swedish songwriter Nicolai Dunger and production from Tucker Martine (the Decemberists, the Long Winters) and Martin Feveyear (Mark Lanegan, Kings of Leon).

Remember, Sykes isn't your average folkie-girl-with-guitar. The last time, we heard from her, she was singing on the Boris/Sunn0))) record. And just look a that photo up there! She's such a badass!

Sykes and her band kick off their previously reported tour with Sparklehorse tonight in Austin. [MORE...]

Stream: Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter: Like, Love, Lust & the Open Halls of the Soul (full album)

Exclusive: Ed Banger Delivers Second Comp, Tour
Plus stickers!

Stream: Various Ed Banger Artists: Various Tracks

Midlake Embark on Bi-Continental Tour

Tonight, Denton, Texas rockers Midlake embark on their first North American headlining tour since their The Trials of Van Occupanther LP landed on Bella Union last summer. After this tour ends in March, they're headed to Europe.

Midlake will spend Valentine's Day playing two shows here in Chicago at Schubas. We hope their significant others don't mind. [MORE...]

Video: Midlake: Roscoe [from the The Trials of Van Occupanther LP]

Goldfrapp Ride a White Horse on New EP

Goldfrapp are mining their 2005 album Supernature for yet another release, the Ride a White Horse EP, due this coming Tuesday, February 6 on CD and the Tuesday after that, February 13, digitally, both via Mute.

The Horse EP includes five versions of its title track, including remixes by Serge Santiágo, Ewan Pearson, and two from Francois K--solo and with Eric Kupper. It also features a cover of the Ordinary Boys' "Boys Will Be Boys".

In addition, the enhanced disc boasts the "Ride a White Horse" video, as well as London concert footage of the song.

For a sneak peek, check out this e-card. It comes complete with audio, video, and a carousel of bluish-white horses that look like they just left an ice sculpture exhibit. [MORE...]

Stream: Goldfrapp: Various Tracks

Sufjan, My Brightest Diamond to Play Music Now Fest
Also Clogs, Amiina, plus mad collaborations

As if he isn't busy enough playing in both the National and Clogs, Bryce Dessner has somehow found the time to curate the second annual Music Now festival in Cincinnati.

The event, which is scheduled to run from April 5-7 at Memorial Hall, features Sufjan Stevens, Clogs, My Brightest Diamond, Sigur Rós pals Amiina, Czech cellists/multi-instrumentalists Irena and Vojtech Havel, and the U.S. debut of Spanish flamenco guitarist Pedro Soler.

Now here's where things get interesting (and, at times, incestuous): Both Sufjan and Amiina's Maria Sigfúsdóttir are lined up to perform with separate string quartets. Sufjan will also play with some as-of-yet unannounced special guests. My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden will lend vocals to both Suf and Clogs. And finally, Clogs will, with the help of special guests Worden, Aaron Dessner (of the National), and percussionist David Cossin, premiere new material by their violinist/composer, Padma Newsome (also of the National). Whew!

Pitchfork Seeks Business Intern in Chicago

According to the Chicago Police Department, last month alone several incidents of kidnapping, prostitution, and arson took place within walking distance of Pitchfork World Headquarters.

If you haven't stopped reading by now, you're ballsy, one of the many desired qualities we look for in our internship candidates.

Business intern responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following: Assisting our sales team with client contact and research, working on things that we think are important, helping with accounts receivable and payable, managing promotional materials, executing promotions, and providing overall help to streamline our business operations. All candidates must be excellent at almost everything. We need to make sure you'll be able to handle an office as unbelievably intense as ours. Candidates must reside in the Chicagoland area.

We prefer candidates who are able to obtain college credit for the internship, but this is not mandatory. If you're interested, please email us a cover letter and résumé. Also include your hours of availability and a potential start date. Deadline is Monday, February 5 at 5 p.m. CST.

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.)