Actress Jena Malone Records Social Registry 7"
Gang Gang Dance, Growing also contribute to Social Registry singles series

"Actor/actress-turned-musician"...is there any scarier phrase in the English language? (Yes, and it's "reality-TV-star-turned-musician.") From Keanu "Dogstar" Reeves and Russell "30 Odd Foot of Grunts" Crowe to Jennifer Love "BareNaked" Hewitt and Gina "I toured with Girls Against Boys" Gershon, history is littered with embarrassing accidents involving beautiful people and guitars.

So what makes Jena Malone different? Well, she's not a huge movie star yet, for one thing-- you might remember her from Donnie Darko, Saved, Pride and Prejudice, or, um, Stepmom. And she doesn't have a team of assistants, stylists, marketers, and managers controlling her every move. It's just her, "recording and producing all of my own music with the help of whatever musician is around at the time," as she told Pitchfork in a recent email exchange.

So far, Malone has recorded two demos, Bloodstains for Sailors and A-NEWT; EMOTIONAL NUTRITION. A pair of tracks from each demo can be heard on Malone's MySpace page. They're pretty out-there-- bedroom electronics, spaced-out keyboards, and Malone's spare vocals, falling somewhere in between Scout Niblett and Karen O.

It makes sense that Malone has hooked up with the experimental NYC label the Social Registry, home to such acts as Gang Gang Dance and Blood on the Wall. Malone will release two Bloodstains for Sailors tracks, "Tested Dry" and "Greeneyed Monster", on a Social Registry 7" sometime later this year. The former features Harper Simon on guitar, while the latter features Louis Schwadron on keyboards.

The 7" will be a part of an upcoming singles series run by the label, which will launch this summer. Each month, Social Registry will put out 500 copies of a single, each hand-numbered and in silk-screened jackets. Along with Malone, the series will include singles by Gang Gang Dance, Total Life (Kevin Doria from Growing), Brian DeGraw of Gang Gang Dance, IUD (featuring Lizzie Bougatsos of Gang Gang Dance), Sian Alice Group, Douglas Armour, and TK Webb. [MORE...]

Stream: Jena Malone: Various Tracks

Rakes Release Ten New Messages, One New Remix EP
Tour UK and Europe from March to May

The Rakes will release their second album, Ten New Messages, in England via V2 on March 19. First single "We Danced Together" will precede it with a March 12 release. Though they are still deciding on a permanent U.S. label since V2's American arm called it quits, Dim Mak has shown quite a bit of interest, going so far as to release the Rakes' Remixes EP on February 20 in the U.S.

The Rakes will tour the UK and Europe for a couple of months beginning on March 19, the day of Messages' release, at Nottingham's Rock City [MORE...]

Video: The Rakes: Retreat [from the Capture/Release LP]

Spank Rock Headlines Disco D Tribute Show

Considering the booty-shaking music he made, it's fitting that a tribute for the late Disco D would take the form of an all-night party.

And that's exactly what will take place at Brooklyn's Studio B on February 21. Beginning at 10 p.m., the show will include sets from Stretch Armstrong, DJ Funk, Derek Plaslaiko, DJ Assault, Annalyze, and headliner Spank Rock. Lauren Flax and Oxy Cottontail will host. All proceeds from the $10 entrance fee will go to Ann Arbor's the Neutral Zone, a center committed to providing teens with music education programs.

Stream: Disco D: Various Tracks
Video: Spank Rock: Rick Rubin (Clean) [from the YoYoYoYoYo LP]

Dan Deacon Signs to Carpark, Tours
They smoke some crazy shit down in Baltimore

Baltimore wildman Dan Deacon has signed to Carpark Records, joining such Baltimore-connected pals as Beach House and the Animal Collective guys on the roster. His new LP, Spiderman of the Rings, is slated for a May 8 release. In addition, it will digitally distribute and reissue Deacon's Meetle Mice (2003) and Silly Hat Vs. Egale Hat (2003).

In support of the new record, Deacon will embark on a Stateside tour in early March with a few creatively named pals-- Santa Dads, Butt Stomach, and Video Hippos-- from Baltimore artists collective/venue Wham City. He has a handful of local gigs slated for this month as well. [MORE...]

MP3: Dan Deacon: The Crystal Cat [from the forthcoming Spiderman of the Rings LP]

Mates of State Tour With "This American Life"
Future band/radio show pairings: Neko Case and "A Prairie Home Companion", Lupe Fiasco and "All Things Considered", Fall Out Boy and "Loveline"

Mates of State's Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel are themselves a heartwarming human-interest story: a happy married couple with a baby who also happen to be a rock band. So it's fitting that they will join a slew of contributors to the heartwarming human-interest NPR show "This American Life" on a special tour through the U.S. this month and next.

The pair will play four songs each evening, sharing stages across the country with host/producer Ira Glass, as well as Sarah Vowell, Dan Savage, Jonathan Goldstein, David Rakoff, Alexa Junge, and Chris Wilcha.

We're sure they'll have lots of questions for Dan Savage.

In addition to this short trek, Mates of State have a few one-off dates on the agenda, including a stop at Albany, New York's Valentine's Music Hall tonight. Too bad they couldn't have played there two days ago... on Valentine's Day. [MORE...]

MP3: Mates of State: Think Long [from the Bring It Back LP]

Photos: Audion [Chicago, IL; 02/15/07]

Audion (aka Matthew Dear) got nasty on the ones and twos last night at Chicago's Sonotheque, as part of Spectral Sound's "Death Is Nothing to Fear" bi-monthly residency. The Detroit native attacked his set with stoic concentration, unleashing track after track of minimal house and techno to maximum effect. Dear finally broke from his steely demeanor during a particularly hushed moment of his second-to-last record, only to salute the packed dance floor with outstretched arms, flash a smile and pump up the volume to its peak.

Photographer Steve Mizek was there to capture the rhythmic onslaught as it unfolded. More pictures and tour dates after the jump.

[MORE...]

Elephant Man Collects Greensleeves Tracks for Comp

Though he is currently signed to Bad Boy Entertainment, Jamaica's Elephant Man will release a 20-track compilation of his recordings for the Greensleeves label on February 19. The comp is the first in the Monsters of Dancehall series celebrating the label's 30-year anniversary. [MORE...]

Stream: Elephant Man: Various Tracks

Domino Continues Triffids Mania

Domino will follow the August reissue of the Triffids' Born Sandy Devotional with its next two entries in the Triffids reissue campaign: 1986's In the Pines and 1987's Calenture. While both reissues came out February 5 in the UK and Europe, the label will release them on February 20 in the U.S.

The In the Pines reissue intersperses its bonus tracks with the tracks from the original album. Though they were recorded in the same session, most of the bonus tracks on In the Pines appeared in different versions on Calenture. Originally produced by Gil Norton (Pixies, Echo & the Bunnymen), the Calenture reissue comes as a two-disc set. The first disc features the original album along with five bonus tracks, and the second is comprised almost entirely of rehearsal and studio demos.

Domino recently commissioned a video for Calenture's "Save What You Can" featuring occasional Pavement cover artist Steve Keene painting portraits in his Brooklyn studio. In the next week, the label will give away Keene paintings inspired by the video to five randomly selected people who sign up for the Triffids newsletter here.

Domino will reissue even more Triffids albums this year and next year. Those albums are Treeless Plain, Raining Pleasure, The Black Swan, and Field of Glass. [MORE...]

Video: The Triffids: Save What You Can [from the Calenture LP]

El-P Reveals LP Tracklist, Single With Trent Reznor

El-P's previously reported, guest-heavy new album, I'll Sleep When You're Dead, comes out March 20 on Def Jux. The album finally has a tracklist, which is below in all its detailed glory.

Vocals by the Mars Volta, Cat Power, Trent Reznor, Aesop Rock, Slug! Guitar by Matt Sweeney of Chavez/Superwolf/Zwan! Keyboards by the dude from Glassjaw! "Intro Moog Liberation played by Wilder Zoby"!

The first single, "Flyentology", features Trent Reznor and comes out digitally via iTunes on February 20. "EMG" is the B-side, and Adult Swim created a video for "Flyentology".

El-P will kick off a short tour on March 16 in Austin at the Def Jux South by Southwest showcase, which also doubles as his CD release party. [MORE...]

Stream: El-P: Various Tracks

Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy Team Up for Tour
New York Times critics, cocaine dealers rejoice

Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne will begin a string of U.S. tour dates together on March 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The tour borrows a Young Jeezy phrase for its title, "The Street Dream Tour", and also includes Rich Boy, Fat Joe, Jim Jones, and Baby on the bill.

Get T.I. and R. Kelly on there, and it's a "Make It Rain (Remix)" reunion!

Young Jeezy has a few dates by himself before the tour starts, including a show tonight at Las Vegas' Icehouse Lounge. All confirmed dates are below. [MORE...]

Stream: Birdman & Lil Wayne: Stuntin' Like My Daddy [from the Like Father, Like Son LP]
Video: Young Jeezy: Go Getta [ft. R. Kelly] [from The Inspiration LP]

Mew to Tour North America This Spring

Last month, Mew's 2003 album Frengers finally arrived in North America. Now, the band members themselves are headed this way, too. (Not for the first time, though. Oh no.)

The Danish trio has announced a spring tour, and it will kick off with several stops at SXSW in March. In addition, Mew will play Norway's Quart Festival this summer. [MORE...]

MP3: Mew: Snow Brigade [from the Frengers LP]

Brother Ali to Spread Undisputed Truth on the Road

Minnesota rapper Brother Ali's debut album Shadows on the Sun was one of the best albums of 2003; too bad most people didn't hear it. (I give you permission to stop reading this story and go listen to "Star Quality" over at the Rhymesayers website right now.)

Hopefully, that injustice will be righted this spring, when Brother Ali releases his second album, The Undisputed Truth, on Rhymesayers on April 10. Once again, it features Ali in collaboration with producer Ant (also of Atmosphere). If you pre-order the album from Rhymesayers' store Fifth Element, you get a free Brother Ali sticker and mixtape. And a lot of love.

Brother Ali will support the record with a jillion shows across America this spring. All dates will also feature Rhymesayers MC Psalm One and DJ BK One. [MORE...]

MP3: Brother Ali: The Truth Is [from the forthcoming The Undisputed Truth LP]

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