Beck's Information Deluxe Edition Revealed
Includes remixes by Ellien Allien, Jamie Lidell, David Sitek, and Ricardo Villalobos

Never one to let up on his constant barrage of media spectacles, Beck has announced that last year's The Information will receive the deluxe edition treatment. And boy is this deluxe.

The pimped-out version of The Information will be available February 27 on Interscope and will be a three-disc set. The first disc includes the album as well as three bonus tracks previously only available internationally. The second disc boasts six remixes, featuring the star-studded knob-tweaking of Ellen Allien, Bumblebeez, David Andrew Sitek (of TV on the Radio), the Chap, Jamie Lidell, and Ricardo Villalobos.

The third disc is a DVD containing all of Beck's homemade videos originally packaged with the album, as well as two videos for bonus tracks and the album's two music videos-- Patrick Daughters' clip for "Nausea" and Michel Gondry's clip for "Cell Phone's Dead".

Of course, the deluxe Information will also include the sticker sheet that came with the original, so you can create your own deluxe album cover.

Beck has also announced a few tour dates in Japan in April. [MORE...]

Photos: Deerhoof/Hella/Busdriver [Los Angeles, CA; 01/24/06]

Photos by David Horvitz

Hyper-prog trio Deerhoof kicked off a tour last night in support of their Best New Music-garnering LP Friend Opportunity-- and if these shots from photographer and Xiu Xiu tour manager David Horvitz are any indication, it looks like the one-two-three punch of Deerhoof, Hella, and Busdriver just might have rocked the pants off of fans at Los Angeles' El Rey Theatre.

Bonus! Check out the merch table photo below, where Deerhoof's Greg Saunier had one heck of a friend opportunity: that's Minuteman/Stooge Mike Watt busting out some bucks for a Deerhoof CD, along with acclaimed artist and illustrator Raymond Pettibon (left), whose work graces the covers of numerous Black Flag and SST Records releases, as well as Sonic Youth's Goo.

Speaking of artists, don't forget to share your own masterpieces with other Deerhoof fanatics at the band's art website. There's a long road ahead for our hoofers-- check out the remaining dates below.

DEERHOOF


BUSDRIVER


HELLA


BFF

[MORE...]

Capitol and Virgin Totally Hook Up
Whilst drunk on Perrier at a raging board meeting

Shrewd matchmaker/third largest music company in the world EMI Group has set up two of its own for a long-term relationship/merger, according to several reports today. Capitol Records (which EMI acquired back in 1955) will join forces with Virgin Records (which EMI purchased in 1992) in the U.S. under the snazzy new name the Capitol Music Group.

The likeness of former Virgin Records America chief executive Jason Flom will now grace Capitol Music Group underlings' dartboards, while former Capitol Records honcho Andy Slater is likely perusing monster.com as we type this. The CMG will, it should be noted, continue to release records under both the Virgin and Capitol tags.

This means Capitol favorites like Coldplay, LCD Soundsystem, the Decemberists, and Lily Allen will get to party at last with those Virgin kids from the other side of the tracks, including Dem Franchize Boyz, Bubba Sparxxx, Gorillaz, and Enigma.

Industry insider types suggest the London-based EMI is looking to step up its game after suffering significant financial losses in this new era of digital music-- this despite the presence of Saosin and Starsailor on the EMI roster.

"By bringing Capitol and Virgin into one label group," snoozed EMI Group CEO Eric Nicoli in a statement (as quoted on Variety.com), "we will be better equipped than ever to promote and nurture artistic talent." And, most importantly, they will be better equipped to find the next Korn.

Photos: Of Montreal [San Antonio, TX; 01/21/07]

Photos by Zach Vowell

Though the term "show" has come to connote any old indie rock concert, rarely do you see a band as steeped in showmanship and entertainment as Of Montreal. Genuinely interested in serving up more than just richly textured pop to their audiences, Kevin Barnes and company delivered a non-stop 90-minute set comprised of equal parts back catalogue highlights, tracks from their latest LP, Best New Music selection Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? (Polyvinyl), and circus-like theatrics.

Barnes (performing as his alter ego "Georgie Fruit") sang into a golden mic and played guitar throughout his four or so costume changes, while his merry band of stylish road warriors-- including fellow Elephant 6er the Late B.P. Helium (aka Bryan Poole) on guitar-- relished every song and successfully translated Barnes' home-recorded music for the White Rabbit's stage. You couldn't help but smile at the sunny pop vibes bouncing through everyone, especially when Barnes nailed "Gronlandic Edit"'s soaring high notes: "I just want to hold the dee-vi-i-i-i-i-ine in mi-i-i-ine, and forgeehhhhhhhhhhhhtt all of the beauuuuutteeee's waaaaasted."

Throughout Of Montreal's first appearance in San Antonio, whether he was waving a giant lobster claw arm or donning a ten-foot tall robe atop a ladder just as tall, Barnes' extravagant stage antics mirrored the band's myriad musical influences-- and, yes, they played up their glam tendencies most of all. Barnes was strutting around and singing like Prince by the end of the set, and earlier they even indulged in a rousing rendition of Bowie's Ziggy Stardust rawker "Moonage Daydream". But musically and visually, the show gobbled up all those influences and spit out a unique treat, and-- despite one errant drum track and Barnes' inability to smoothly slip out of the long robe and down the ladder-- Of Montreal made it look easy.







[MORE...]

Joanna Newsom Tours Australia, New Zealand, Japan
Well I'll be-- some guy named Bill Callahan opens a few shows

Joanna Newsom needs to trade in that infamous animal hat (to yr left) for something a little lighter, because she's headed to Australia and New Zealand, where-- to the dismay of our Northern Hemisphere-residing readers-- it's currently summertime.

Labelmate/boy-toy Smog-- err, excuse us-- Bill Callahan will be alongside Newsom for a handful of shows.

Callahan has a few of his own dates on the agenda as well. As previously reported, he's got an album and a single in the works on Drag City, Woke on a Whaleheart due April 24 and "Diamond Dancer" due March 20.

Following her Down Under run, Newsom will head to Japan in mid-February. She'll also appear at the Dirty Three-curated All Tomorrow's Parties in late April. [MORE...]

Lemonheads Tour America, Down Under
VietNam opens most of U.S. trek

Evan Dando might have had time to rest during the Lemonheads' lengthy hiatus, but from this evening through early April, he'll be hard at work.

The reincarnated Lemonheads (the touring band includes bassist Vess Ruhtenberg and drummer Devon Ashley) kick off a sizable U.S. tour tonight in Carrboro, North Carolina.

The band will forge across the States through February, with Kemado Records stoners VietNam opening most of the shows. The Lemonheads then break for a month before journeying to New Zealand and Australia. [MORE...]

Tom Waits Settles Another Goddamn Lawsuit
Can DJ Drama please hire Tom Waits' lawyer?

What is it with European car companies and Tom Waits soundalikes? For the second time in just over a year, the grizzled bard has come out on top in a lawsuit against an auto manufacturer for using what sounds a helluva lot like a Tom Waits song in its advertisements.

It was announced today that the singer-songwriter had settled a suit brought against Adam Opel AG and advertising agency McCann Erickson Germany for the use of what seemed to be a Waits impersonator in Opel television commercials in 2005.

Waits issued this characteristically smirking statement: "I'm glad to be out of the car sales business once and for all."

A McCann Erickson rep said, "We respect Mr. Waits, and deeply regret any embarrassment this may have caused."

Embarrassment? C'mon. Dude is gloating. Remember what he said last time, when he won a suit against Audi for ripping off "Innocent When You Dream"? "Now they understand the words to the song better. It wasn't 'Innocent When You Scheme' it was 'Innocent When You Dream'."

Waits will donate the net proceeds from the settlement to an unspecified charity.

Datarock Transmit Grooves on North American Tour
Play European dates too

Photo by Knut Åaserud

They'll bring the tracksuits, the shades, and the ass-shaking grooves-- you just bring the ass. Norwegian disco-pop party duo Datarock ship off to the States and Mexico for a spring tour that will whisk them from Miami's Studio A to Brooklyn's Studio B and everywhere in between-- even to Mexico, a Datarock first!

The groove-laden jaunt kicks off tomorrow night in Berlin. Following a string of European shows, Fredrik Saroea and Ket-ill join Girl Talk, CSS, Diplo, and ADULT. for one hell of a party in Mexico City, then hop the border for a SXSW stint and gigs on all three U.S. coasts (Midwest included, kiddies). So fuck Chromeo-- this is the real shit. [MORE...]

Yo La Tengo Hit the Road

Yo La Tengo are getting down to the business of ass-beating, launching another tour in support of last year's Matador release, I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass.

The show starts tonight in Louisville and continues on across the U.S. through early February. Following their Stateside jaunt, Yo La Tengo will hit Japan, Australia, and Singapore

As previously reported, Yo La Tengo dropped an iTunes live session EP earlier this month. Read up on its lead track, "El Es Gay", here. [MORE...]

The Rapture Launch Winter Tour

American, European, and Australian Rapture fans will be happy to know that the NYC four-piece begins its quest for tri-continental dance domination this evening.

The Rapture get down in the land of Disney tonight at Orlando, Florida's Club at Firestone, and head across the eastern half of the country before making their way to Europe in late February.

After that, it's off to Australia's traveling V Festival and, finally, Coachella. [MORE...]

Times New Viking Sign to Matador, Prep Second LP
Pillage and plunder settlements of Arial, Courier New, Perpetua Titling MT

Capitalizing on a bull market in indie rock, Matador Records went on a binge signing spree in 2006, bringing a bunch of underground luminaries into the crimson folds of their capote-- including the Ponys of Chicago and Australia's Love of Diagrams-- as well as raucous, lo-fi Ohio trio Times New Viking.

Comprised of Beth Murphy (keyboards/vocals), Adam Elliot (drums/vocals), and Jared Phillips (guitars), the three-piece helped usher noted DIY imprint Siltbreeze-- responsible for early releases from Guided by Voices, the Dead C, and more-- back into the record-pressing game. Times New Viking have garnered mad praise for their 2005 Siltbreeze debut LP, Dig Yourself, and you can bet they have the kids chattering about the intense, fuck-all rock-itude of their live gigs.

While Matador has dibs on the act's third LP, which they'll record later this year, Siltbreeze will issue Times New Viking's sophomore long-player, Present the Paisley Reich, on February 12. And speaking of those celebrated gigs, TNV have two coming up in their native Columbus, Ohio, where they'll likely be hawking copies of a recent split 7" with hometown buds Psychedelic Horseshit. [MORE...]

Scott Walker Documentary Drifts Into Theatres
Film features Radiohead, David Bowie, Jarvis, Brian Eno, Damon Albarn, Johnny Marr

So this Scott Walker guy-- wasn't he, like, some kind of crooner back in the day? And what's all this I keep hearing about his reclusiveness? And why are folks so gosh darn excited about this Drift album? It gives me the creeps, man!

Fear not, my inquisitive friend, for the answers to all these questions and more lie just beyond the theatre door. (Hey, like, that rhymes.) Anyway, the previously reported documentary Scott Walker: 30 Century Man-- which charts the eclectic career of the enigmatic singer/ songwriter-cum-noisemaker-- will finally land in London film palaces this April.

The film also boasts quite an array of interviews with a first-rate collection of Walker devotees: David Bowie, members of Radiohead, Jarvis Cocker, Damon Albarn, Brian Eno, Johnny Marr, Alison Goldfrapp, the Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon, Richard Hawley, Cocteau Twin Simon Raymonde, one-time One Dove chanteuse Dot Allison, Ute Lemper, and even Sting.

Verve Pictures will deliver the Stephen Kijak-directed, Grant Gee DP'd picture-- executive produced by Walker championeer Bowie-- to cinemas this spring. 30 Century Man is tentatively slated to open April 27 at London's Curzon Soho, with openings in other theatres to follow.

It's unclear whether the film will cross the Atlantic anytime soon, but we have our fingers crossed a few dozen times over. UPDATE: The doc will likely be screened at SXSW.

German audiences (and film nuts) are in luck, however: 30 Century Man will screen four times at the 57th Berlin International Film Festival, which runs from February 8-18. For details, click here.

Shining Put Their Noses to the Grindstone on New LP

Norwegian jazz/metal/prog quartet (and motorcycle helmet enthusiasts) Shining will release Grindstone-- their follow-up to 2005's awesome In the Kingdom of Kitsch You Will Be a Monster-- on January 29 in Europe and February 20 in North America via Rune Grammofon.

All Shining members have "various instruments" credits on Grindstone, which is downright post-rockian in its commitment to song titles both long and absurd (witness the debut of a song with the same title as their last record and another with its title in Morse Code!). According to a press release, Grindstone finds the band continuing In the Kingdom's commitment to "moving between complex riffing, filmic soundscapes, [and] jazz, classical and modern composition." [MORE...]

Neko Case Launches Bi-Continental Tour

Neko Case has got her work cut out for her in the first half of 2007, with tours taking her across Australia and North America. Tonight in Adelaide, she kicks off a series of Down Under dates. Upon her return to North America in early February, Case will support country legend Merle Haggard on the West Coast.

She'll cruise the continent for the rest of the month, rounding it out with two performances as part of Lincoln Center's American Songbook series.

Case starts back up again in late March, playing scattered shows before a stop at the Stagecoach festival, the country music gathering put together by Goldenvoice, the people behind Coachella.

Speaking of Coachella, as previously reported, the New Pornographers are scheduled to appear at that festival on April 28. [MORE...]

Pollard Preps Self-Released EP, LPs for Merge, Ipecac
Silverfish Trivia, Standard Gargoyle Decisions, Sgt. Disco: Spam email subject lines make great album titles!

Robert Pollard's prolificacy is so large that he needs not one, not two, but three record labels to contain his output. Right now, the former Guided By Voices king is prepping a mini-album for his own label, Prom Is Coming, as well as another solo full-length for Merge and a Circus Devils album for Ipecac.

(Yes, Ipecac. Mike Patton's label. So right now, Robert Pollard is labelmates with both Camera Obscura and the Melvins.)

First up: the self-released mini-album. Last month, we reported that Pollard told Billboard.com that he had wrapped up his next album for Merge, Silverfish Trivia, due in the fall. Well, Silverfish Trivia has evolved into a 22-minute, seven-song mini-LP, and it's due April 17 on Pollard's new label, Prom Is Coming.

Prom Is Coming is Pollard's replacement for the Fading Captain Series-- it is not, as Pollard previously told Billboard, called Record Company Records. Pollard cranked out the mini-album with producer/right hand man Todd Tobias, with Chris George of Invert contributing string arrangements.

28 more songs have already been written for Pollard's next full-length solo album, tentatively titled Standard Gargoyle Decisions and penciled in for a September release on Merge. Although Pollard has already fulfilled his original contract with the label (with the release of last year's From a Compound Eye and Normal Happiness albums), a new one is being created.

Sgt. Disco will be the Ipecac debut from Circus Devils, Pollard's collaboration with Tobias. Due in July, it's 32 tracks long and is "sort of like an indie rock Fantomas" with "more experimentation than you'd expect or have heard from Pollard in the past", according to a publicist. [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.)