The Shins Announce U.S. Tour

On February 8, in the very spot where Prince once went crazy, heard doves cry, and saw you laughing in the purple rain (Minneapolis' First Avenue club), the Shins will launch their American tour in support of their new album, Wincing the Night Away (due January 23 on Sub Pop, if you don't have that etched on the underside of your eyelids already).

They'll wince their way across half the country over the course of the following two weeks, after which they'll wince on over to England. Sub Pop says this is the "first leg" of the trek, so expect the second leg to appear sometime soon.

And just a reminder: the band will perform "Phantom Limb" and "New Slang" on "Saturday Night Live" on January 13. [MORE...]

MP3: The Shins: Phantom Limb [from the forthcoming Wincing the Night Away LP]

Rock Plaza Central Horse Around on Tour

Granted, most of that road is confined to Eastern Canada, but the septet will duck into the U.S. for a pair of dates in February and March. And given all the empty days surrounding those gigs in Brooklyn, and yes, Iowa, don't be surprised if Rock Plaza decides to rock all over their Southern neighbors' faces in the near future. Consider our fingers crossed. [MORE...]

MP3: Rock Plaza Central: SexyBack [Justin Timberlake cover]

Wilco Side Project Autumn Defense Prep New LP

Wilco members John Stirrat and Pat Sansone are about to wave goodbye to Papa Tweedy and embark on a jaunt all their own.

Their duo, the Autumn Defense, will spend February and March on a North American excursion in support of their previously reported self-titled record, which is due January 16 on Stirrat's Broadmoor label (note: the first 100 pre-orders will be autographed).

Then, hopefully, they'll get back to working on that new Wilco record. [MORE...]

Stream: The Autumn Defense: Various Tracks

RJD2 Reveals Tracklist, Tour Dates, New Song

RJD2's third album-- titled The Third Hand, appropriately enough-- comes out March 6 on XL, and he's done the trad rock thing by booking a tour the same month as the album release. The trek begins March 9 in his hometown of Columbus and, as it stands right now, ends March 24 in Baltimore.

RJD2 has also announced The Third Hand's tracklist, which includes the previously reported "You Never Had It So Good" and "Get It", which is newly streamable from his MySpace page. Despite the claim in his Pitchfork interview that Third Hand was a pop album, we're still hearing a lot of hip hop in "Get It"'s syncopated drums, clipped vocal coos, and tinkling background electronics. It sounds like just the sort of downbeat instrumental that he brought in spades to Since We Last Spoke.

So RJ, you're on watch. We expect nothing less than a full-blown chorus from your next MySpace track! [MORE...]

Stream: RJD2: Get It [from the forthcoming The Third Hand LP]

Peter Bjorn and John Tap Victoria for U.S. Gigs
Add Los Angeles Show on February 1

Now U.S. audiences are in for a special treat: not only have Peter Bjorn and John tacked a third date onto their previously reported U.S. invasion foray (February 1 in Los Angeles), but the gentlemen have also announced that Victoria herself will be present at all three U.S. gigs to trade lovelorn verses with Peter. Maybe she'll shake a tambourine or ride a pony around the stage too or something, who knows?

That trio of U.S. dates falls smack dab in the middle of a PB&J world tour, which also has our pop-tastic Swedish friends hopscotching about Europe, Australia, and Japan.

As previously reported, Peter Bjorn and John's fantastic Writer's Block-- which squeaked into Pitchfork's Top 25 Albums of 2006-- finally receives a proper U.S. release on February 6 via the brand new AlmostGold Recordings. The Stateside edition comes bundled with a lovely six-song bonus disc. [MORE...]

MP3: Peter Bjorn and John: Young Folks [ft. Victoria Bergsman] [Infinite Mixtape #37; from the Writer's Block LP]

Modest Mouse, Shellac, Books Join Fan-Curated ATP

In the greatest fight of summer 2007, it's looking like everybody's a winner. As previously reported, All Tomorrow's Parties' May fiesta boasts the knock-down, drag-out matchup of ATP Versus You (the Fans). Half of the festival's lineup is being curated by attendees, using a handy online voting system. The other half is chosen by All Tomorrow's Parties themselves.

So far, the bill is pretty great. Modest Mouse, Shellac, the Books, Apples in Stereo, Micah P. Hinson, and Youth Movie Soundtrack Strategies have been added to the previously announced squad of Built to Spill, the Notwist, Sparklehorse, Echo & the Bunnymen, Akron/Family, Do Make Say Think, Brightblack Morning Light, and Death Vessel.

As we type, Pavement, Björk, Interpol, the Shins, Mogwai, Sonic Youth, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, PJ Harvey, Iron & Wine, and Belle and Sebastian head up the fans' wishlist. The Shins, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Sonic Youth, and Pavement (duh) are all unavailable, as are the Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens, Ween, and Silver Jews.

ATP Versus You (the Fans) runs from May 18-20 at Butlins Minehead in Somerset, England.

Meanwhile, the curating of the first ATP of the year, which takes place at the same venue from April 27-29, remains in the gnarled hands of the Dirty Three. Newly revealed artists for that festival include Joanna Newsom and White Magic, in addition to previously reported performers Cat Power, Bill Callahan, Spiritualized, Low, Nick Cave and Grinderman, and many more.

Fugazi's Lally Takes There to Here From Here to There
Beefs with Fujiya & Miyagi over Fujagi portmanteau

Lally will tour in support of There to Here, his solo debut, released by Dischord this past October. Joining him for all U.S. dates are spastic Oberlin College upstarts Capillary Action and mathy Italian trio Zu, whose sax stylings lovingly recall Sweep the Leg Johnny. All three members of Zu will play as part of Lally's live band as well, beginning at a January 12 gig in Pittsburgh and continuing through the end of the U.S. tour, which culminates in happening Delaware.

Then in February, Lally and his pals in Zu jet off to Europe for a string of UK shows and one gig in Switzerland. Lally promises a tour of Scandinavia to follow in March. He'll jaunt through Japan in June.

Lally also runs Fugazi Live Series, offering choice live recordings of fan-favorite Fugazi gigs. Thus far he's released thirty shows spread out over two sets, including Fugazi's most recent performance, a 2002 engagement in London. Hard to believe that's five years ago. Five painstaking, insufferable, Fugazi-less years. Could an end to this plight be in sight? [MORE...]

Stream: Joe Lally: Various Tracks

Wu-Tang Plan New Album, Contribute to Compilations
MP3: Hell Razah, Talib Kweli, and Viktor Vaughn: "Project Jazz"

Wu-Tang Clan plan to release their first group album since 2001's Iron Flag this year via SRC Records. Label CEO Steve Rifkind-- whose now-defunct Loud Records released the first two seminal Wu-Tang albums-- made the announcement with a video on the label's blog. Explaining that he just got off the phone with RZA and Wu businessman Divine, Rifkind said, "It's official," though there is no information currently available about potential titles, release dates, or musical guests.

The Clan have also teamed with Nature Sounds for a couple of compilations. The first-- Wu-Tang Clan & Friends: Unreleased-- collects rare and previously unreleased tracks from every living Wu-Tang MC, curated and remixed by Wu DJ and occasional beatmaker Mathematics. Unreleased also features contributions from Wu associates like Cappadonna, Killah Priest, and Solomon Childs. Nature Sounds will release the compilation on January 23.

The second compilation, titled Natural Selection 2.0: A Digital Survival Guide, is a digital-only release currently available from iTunes and scheduled for a January 23 release at all other digital outlets. It features contributions from GZA, Raekwon, U-God, Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck, and Mathematics as well as Pete Rock, Talib Kweli, Little Brother, and MF DOOM (under his Viktor Vaughn alias).

Nature Sounds has offered a taste of Natural Selection 2.0 by making the Viktor Vaughn, Talib Kweli, and Hell Razah track "Project Jazz" available for download. It's a pleasant organ-and-saxophone-sampling jaunt through each MC's musical and personal history, with the exception of whatever MF DOOM is rapping about. We're not complaining, though. His mouth-full-of-cookies voice is always a blast to hear, and even though there are no Wu MCs on the track, there are few better summations of the Wu-Tang aesthetic than "enough combined slang to bang all year." [MORE...]

MP3: Viktor Vaughn, Talib Kweli, and Hell Razah: Project Jazz [from the Natural Selection 2.0: A Digital Survival Guide LP]

Sublime Frequencies Film Explores Moroccan Music

One of those partners, world traveler and filmmaker Hisham Mayet, has contributed a number of DVDs to Sublime Frequencies' eclectic output, including visual pieces exploring the regional musical treasures of Libya, Niger, and Thailand. Mayet's latest offering, Musical Brotherhoods From the Trans-Saharan Highway, captures Moroccan street musicians and premiered at ArthurBall last February. If you missed it there, don't fret: the film screens in several U.S. cities beginning tomorrow night in New York.

According to a press release, Musical Brotherhoods "showcases an assortment of spectacular musical dramas presented live and unfiltered on the home turf of the world's most dynamic string/drum specialists performing and manifesting the ecstatic truth!

"Ancient mystical brotherhoods have been flourishing for centuries in and around the cities of Marrakesh and Essaouira in Morocco where the trade caravans have gathered from their long journeys across the Trans-Saharan Highway.

"This is some of the last great street music on Earth."

Check out the trailer for Musical Brotherhoods here. Mayet will be on hand for question and answer sessions at all screenings except Cleveland (where Alan Bishop and Mark Gergis' Sumatran Folk Cinema will also screen). As a bonus, folks in Baltimore can catch Mayet's Niger: Magic and Ecstasy in the Sahel as well. We might be going out on a limb here, but we're going to assume all of these films will be better than Night at the Museum.

Sun City Girls play Berlin's Volksbuhne Theater on January 25. [MORE...]

Video: Musical Brotherhoods From the Trans-Saharan Highway: Trailer

The Curtains (Ex-Deerhoof) Launch U.S. Tour

MP3: The Curtains: Go Lucky [from the Calamity LP]

Pelican Reveal Details of Next Album

Windy City metalheads Pelican are lining up a brand new album for spring. Titled City of Echoes, the disc was laid to tape at Chicago's Electrical Audio studios with Andrew Schneider (Daughters, Cave In) last month, and mixing is wrapping up even as you read this. Expect the album to hit May 22 via Hydra Head.

In no particular order, song titles include "Bliss in Concrete", "City of Echoes", "Lost in the Headlights", "Winds With Hands", "Dead Between the Walls", "Far from Fields", "Spaceship Broken -- Parts Needed", and "A Delicate Sense of Balance".

In addition, Pelican also plan to tackle the release of the multi-format set After the Ceiling Cracked, which, as previously reported, includes a live DVD shot in London and directed by Muckspreader Productions' Michael Ward (with mixing by Godflesh/Jesu mastermind Justin Broadrick!), plus a three-inch CD and 12" vinyl featuring the previously unreleased "Pink Mammoth" (a major-key version of the band's original "Mammoth", from their 2003 self-titled debut EP) and a remix by Prefuse 73.

The collection was initially slated to hit shelves this month, but has been rescheduled for a mid-2007 release due to technical setbacks.

Later this year, Pelican will also swoop into Austin, TX and Tilburg, Holland for the South by Southwest (March 15) and Roadburn (April 21) festivals, respectively. We can also expect U.S., UK, European, and possibly Japanese treks to make their way onto the band's '07 touring agenda in the near future.

Of course, if you simply cannot wait another second for new Pelican (or at least Pelican-related) music, guitarist Trevor de Brauw's hardcore-meets-IDM side project Teith have just issued a new EP, Oak City, on Migration Media.

Stream: Pelican: Various Tracks

MP3: DJ Jaguar Skills: "1979-2006: A Hip Hop Odyssey"

A lot of people have taken the title of Nas' new album personally. And while we tend to agree with those who maintain that interesting things are happening all the time in hip hop, we're intrigued by one enterprising DJ's attempt at a history of the genre.

DJ Jaguar Skills' "1979-2006: A Hip Hop Odyssey"-- a retrospective mix recently featured on BBC 1Xtra that boasts 800 tracks in 48 minutes-- is now available for download via station DJ Mistajam's blog. That's an average of 3.6 seconds given to each track, which means even the ones you do recognize, you won't recognize. It's schizophrenically assembled, with little attention paid to the careful blending of tracks or the featuring of particularly noteworthy lyrics. Thus, those listening for a history lesson can learn just as much by paying attention to omnipresent host Lord Basis Supreme's shout-outs.

Though Mistajam's blog has a very helpful complete tracklist for the mix, we have composed a randomly sampled paragraph approximating the finger-on-the-skip-button effect of actually listening to the whole mix in one sitting: [MORE...]

MP3: DJ Jaguar Skills: 1979-2006: A Hip Hop Odyssey [MP3]

Low Hit the Road

Okay, not really, but it sure is funny to think so. Anyhow, Drums and Guns-- the previously reported 13-track follow-up to 2005's The Great Destroyer-- arrives March 20 via Sub Pop and features production from Dave Fridmann.

Come April Low kick off the first prong of a two-pronged tour assault, which has them drumming up love in the Eastern and Midwestern U.S. Phase two launches in June and covers the West Coast-- where, mysteriously, Low play every venue exactly twice.

Fellow Sub Popper and Swede sensation Loney, Dear opens a handful of dates on the first leg of the tour. His Sub Pop debut, Loney, Noir, hits the streets February 6.

Low's Alan Sparhawk, meanwhile, hasn't simply been grumbling about all the violence in the world these days-- he's been out there making a difference. Sparhawk visited Namuncha, Kenya recently, where Low are helping fund the building of a school. Read all about the project here. "I saw beautiful things and met beautiful, inspiring people," wrote Sparhawk on Low's website. "I still shake my head in amazement." [MORE...]

MP3: Low: California [from the The Great Destroyer LP]

Video: Hot Chip: "Arrest Yourself"

Hot Chip? H0t Ch1p's more like it. In their latest video, for The Warning track "Arrest Yourself", the London crew visually answer the question, "What would Hot Chip look like in ASCII?"

Here, the band does its thing utilizing only zeros, ones, commas, apostrophes, and periods. The result is a flickering, fuzzy dance episode that gets an A for effort, even if our continually waning interest in the clip did force us to alt-tab over to our WOW game every once in a while. [MORE...]

Video: Hot Chip: Arrest Yourself

MV/EE Hit the Bummer Road

Ecstatic Pacifists MV/EE and the Bummer Road-- aka Matt Valentine, Erika Elder, Michael Ehlers, and friends-- will take their self-described "lunar blues" to galleries, churches, museums, and regular old clubs all over North America beginning January 31. The kickoff show, at Northampton, Massachusetts' Iron Horse, will feature label head Thurston Moore as the opening act.

The tour is in support of the group's newest album, Green Blues, which Ecstatic Peace will release January 23. [MORE...]

Stream: MV+EE: East Mountain Joint [from the forthcoming Green Blues LP]

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.)