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Sufjan Interviews Labelmate Rafter, Mentions Cali LP
Pitchfork starts 24-hour Stevens news service, SUF-SPAN
OK, Sufjan Stevens is officially procrastinating on his 50 States Project. As if ranking horror films and reviewing live gigs from his Asthmatic Kitty kin weren't enough, Sufjan has now taken to interviewing his labelmates.Today he posted a Q&A with Rafter on AK's Sidebar, as part of the "Half-Week of Rafter Love". We wouldn't be surprised if Sufjan then took four consecutive "power naps," moseyed over to the vending machine for his ninth Mountain Dew of the night, and gazed detachedly out the window until dawn.
Sufjan's interview is a strange thing that has him alternating between the sincere and academic-- "Do you feel music should inspire the listener and/or the performer?"-- and the ironic and, um, neurotic: "You have red hair. Do you belong to a Redhead organization? Do you feel Redheads suffer special discrimination in society? Do you think Redheads have special advantages? Do you feel some ulterior motive in my capitalization of the word 'Redhead'?..."
The whole thing, however, is rather cute, and Rafter reveals his convoluted music-making process, the origins behind the wacky title of his recent LP (Music for Total Chickens), the joys of fatherhood, how he doesn't much care for Antony's vocals, and how "one of [his] favorite things to get from music is a sense of total doom and annihilation." Huh??
Read the entire interview here. Oh, and pssst, Sufjan? Pitchfork is, like, looking for a news reporter, so...
As part of the Half Week of Rafter Love, Asthmatic Kitty has also posted the winners from the Rafter music video contest and promises more Rafter-riffic content in the next couple days. Annnnd Rafter has officially agreed to collaborate with Sufjan on "a record about California," which means OMG SUFJAN POSSIBLY RELEASING CALIFORNIA ALBUM IN NEAR OR FAR FUTURE MAYBE.
Rafter heads to SXSW in mid-March, while Sufjan woos the Grand Rapids masses at a long-sold-out Calvin College gig March 30.
Battles Talk Mirrored, Vocals, Side Projects
"We're no more an instrumental band than we are a rock'n'roll band with no lead singer." --Tyondai Braxton
There's a new behemoth in town, and Battles is its name. The fire-breathing, Warp-signed supergroup comprised of Tyondai Braxton, Ian Williams (ex-Don Caballero), John Stanier (ex-Helmet, Tomahawk), and Dave Konopka (ex-Lynx) drops their proper debut LP Mirrored on May 15, as previously reported. EP-based excitement has been brewing for a few years now, but longtime fans may be in for a few surprises.For one: vocals. First single "Atlas"-- out April 2 in 12" and digital formats-- has 'em. So do several other tracks on Mirrored, as Battles' Braxton and Williams revealed to Pitchfork during a recent chat. So what's the deal, guys?
Said Braxton, who does all the quote-unquote singing, "It's not just straight vocals throughout on every track. Sometimes it's more conventional, sometimes it's more affected and used more as a texture. So there's no clear definition of the way that we use the vocals-- but we do have maybe three or four songs with lyrical vocals in them."
For Braxton and band, it's all about pushing boundaries. "The thing that I really like about other bands that I grew up listening to-- that I was inspired by-- is they have the same tools that other bands use-- you've got your lead vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, whatever-- but the way they use them is so different. So I always wanted to try my hand at using those same tools to go in the direction that I was interested in, and that we were interested in as a collective."
"We all are very cool with just trying out a bunch of different things. We're no more an instrumental band than we are a rock'n'roll band with no lead singer. We just try different things and do what we want to do, which is refreshing-- it's a refreshing formula to have in this band, where there's nothing that's too out of bounds.
"And though the vocal thing might be a little more conventional in a lot of ways, even there there's no fear of being able to go that route and see what we can come up with. And I had wanted to sing and wanted to see what it would be like to have a Battles song written, so we explored that direction." [MORE...]
Field Music's Brewis Talks Covers, Hiatus, Futureheads
Compiles greatest collection of Aerosmith cover band names ever
What do young people do, stuck all the way out in quaint, remote Sunderland, England? If you're David Brewis, one-third of Memphis Industries trio Field Music, you make music with your family and friends, you kick back and watch Trapped in the Closet with the Futureheads, you rework Thompson Twins classics...and you start Doors and Aerosmith cover bands??
"I was really trying to avoid getting involved," David told Pitchfork yesterday via phone, "but I ended up being Robby Krieger in a friend's Doors tribute." Bandmates Andy Moore and Peter Brewis (David's brother) joined him for this anomaly at a sort-of "Sunderland Stars" night this past December. "And it was quite fun."
"Unfortunately, on that night we were billed as blooming Field Music, which would have been a disappointment for anyone expecting 'If Only the Moon Were Up'-- and we turn[ed] up and actually did probably an eight or nine minute version of 'The End' instead. It was confrontational, which I liked."
David's cover band aspirations are hardly limited to the Doors.
"I'm having an Aerosmith phase at the moment, so maybe I'll end up in
an Aerosmith covers band." For a list of potential Aerosmith cover band names, including "PharaohSmith" ("This will involve Egyptian headgear"),
"Hair-O-Smith" ("This will involve wearing wigs, and the singer can rename himself
Steve [Hair] Styler"), and "Aeroschmitt" ("Krautrock"), skip to the end of this story. It's worth it, believe us.
The Doors and Aerosmith aren't exactly the first bands to come to mind when listening to the succinct, rhythmically precise music of Field Music, whose sophomore LP Tones of Town, out now in the UK, hits U.S. shelves February 20 via Memphis.
Fans who turn out for Field Music's UK dates this month and North American dates with Menomena and Land of Talk in March probably needn't worry about any such classic rock-covering confrontations, however. "We'll probably end up playing quite a lot of stuff from the new record," David said. "The biggest surprise for anyone who hasn't seen us live is what we manage to do between the three of us. People watch and say, 'How the hell are they doing that?'"
After the tour, however-- and the release of single "She Can Do What She Wants" on April 9 (coupled with a "radical reworking" of Tones' "Sit Tight" titled "Sit Tighter")-- the men of Field Music plan to go on a sort-of hiatus.
"The general plan for Field Music is that after that tour in North America, we're going to take a break for a while," David told Pitchfork. "Our money runs out then."
Money isn't the whole story, however. Brewis also wants to keep the spark of creativity alive, and some of the more routine aspects of being in a band have stifled it. Touring and other matters "get in the way of being able to be creative on a regular basis," David explained. "Even rehearsing for us is not a particularly creative experience-- it's an interesting problem-solving challenge. We make good music, and it's quite enjoyable for performance, but it's not usually creative. When all of that time goes out, we realized that we don't get a lot of time to spend writing new music or having ideas percolate.
"So the ambition for all of us for the months after March is to find ways to get into the habit of being creative...All three of us have got quite a bit of stuff which is just not Field Music. So we're going to have to find other ways to do it." [MORE...]
Will Sheff "Talks" Lost Voice, New Okkervil Album
"I've spent stretches of several days where I only talk with a pad of paper and a pen."
As reported earlier this week, one too many emotive yelps sent poor Will Sheff's voice a-packing. Vocal chord strain forced the Okkervil River frontman to to cancel his solo tour with Josh Ritter and suspend work on the band's new album.Figuring Sheff might be trolling the interweb a little more frequently right now, Pitchfork caught up with the man for a brief e-mail interview, in which he revealed what happened to that expressive voice of his, what fans can expect from the new LP, and just how definitive the Black Sheep Boy Definitive Edition (out March 6 on Jagjaguwar) is.
But first, that lost voice: Following several months of intense touring last fall, Okkervil River set to work preparing for the new album. "We rehearsed every day, four hours a day for about a month," wrote Will. "An unintended and painfully ironic consequence of all that work was that, by the time I stood in front of a microphone to record the vocals for the record, I could barely get a sound out of my mouth."
Sheff visited an ear, nose, and throat doctor-- "he had all these signed head-shots of local opera singers hanging on the wall"-- for the first time in his life. As the specialist told Will, while things could have been worse, "my vocal chords were inflamed and fatigued and I'd developed a couple other problems that just had to do with using my voice too much. He put me on two different medications and prescribed a month of vocal rest."
"Since then," Will told Pitchfork, "we've stopped all work on the record and I've just been sitting around Austin waiting, trying to use my voice as little as possible."
It hasn't been easy. "I've spent stretches of several days where I only talk with a pad of paper and a pen. Whenever I'd go to the grocery store or something, I'd run into friends; they'd walk up to say hello and I'd have to stick a pad of paper in their face with the words 'Sorry - I lost my voice!' on it, and they'd say, 'oh!' and try to ask me a few questions about it. I'd try to scrawl a few responses down before we'd both kind of back away from each other wearing embarrassed looks." [MORE...]
Maximo Park's Smith Talks Pleasures, Displeasures
"I was listening to [Clipse's Hell Hath No Fury] this morning. I was shouting, 'I don't fear Tubbs and Crockett,' all the way down the street...And I was saying something about being a snowman..."
Maxïmo Park will release their previously reported new album, Our Earthly Pleasures, via Warp on April 2. "Our Velocity" is the album's first single (with a recently Forkcasted video here), and it's due out March 19. Lead singer Paul Smith described the sound of the record in an exclusive interview we did with him in August, but we recently caught up with him to get the scoop on the U.S. release of Our Earthly Pleasures, his opinions of some of his peers, and what he's been listening to lately, including a mutual favorite: Clipse's Hell Hath No Fury.
"I'm pretty sure I'm not revealing any secret information by saying we'll be on Warp again and that [Our Earthly Pleasures] will come out [in the U.S.] around the time [of the UK release], if not on the same day," Smith said. Maxïmo Park also plan to tour the U.S. soon. "I think we'll do one or two tours, depending on if people are interested or not."
Since Maxïmo Park were originally grouped with a whole crop of British bands who recently released sophomore albums (see: Field Music's Tones of Town, Bloc Party's A Weekend in the City, and, slightly less recently, the Futureheads' News & Tributes), Smith also gave us his thoughts on where his band currently stands among their cohorts.
"I know Peter [Brewis] from Field Music quite well, and we were fortunate enough to support Bloc Party and the Futureheads on tour. They're part of our history. Even if I hated them, I'd still be affectionate toward those times, and as it stands I think the unfortunate thing is that we're often lumped in with another section of bands that we don't really have anything in common with, like Kaiser Chiefs or Hard-Fi. Bands like Bloc Party and the Futureheads and Field Music have always tried to reach out for something. [Bloc Party frontman] Kele [Okereke] is always talking about r&b music and stuff that I love, and Field Music don't really care what's cool. They just make records that are totally representative of their tastes, which go in directions not thought of before. And the same could be said of the Futureheads; their first record to me was really exciting. And it made you think about what you're doing. You actually felt challenged by the music, as well as exhilarated. [MORE...]
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 CassThis 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...]
Exclusive: Voxtrot's Ramesh Srivastava Talks Debut LP
Album set for release via Playlouder on May 22
Pitchfork's been crushing on Austin, Texas indie pop quintet Voxtrot for well over a year now, so it's hard to believe they've yet to actually release a full-length record. Oh, they've got EPs alright-- three thus far, including last fall's Your Biggest Fan. And they've got a pretty sweet record deal. So what's going on with that inaugural full-length foray?
Well, it won't be long now. With the band in New York City mixing their debut, Pitchfork caught up with Voxtrot frontman Ramesh Srivastava, who generously disclosed some of the album's dark secrets, shared his thoughts on the record-making process, considered the blogosphere, and revealed just what took so long with that record.
First, the essentials: Beggars Group imprint Playlouder will deliver the Voxtrot full-length worldwide on (or around, as the case may be) May 22. It was produced and mixed by Victor Van Vugt (Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Mojave 3) and recorded in December and January at Premier and Cacophony studios in Austin. To tide over fans in the UK, Beggars/Playlouder will release "Trouble" backed by "Your Biggest Fan" as a limited edition 7" and download single on February 26.
The album doesn't have a name yet, but Ramesh is leaning toward either a self-titled affair ("I guess it's the first time we're presenting ourselves to a lot of people, so maybe we'll just name it after us") or (said in jest) Remember Us From the Blogs? At least we think he's joking.
As an added treat to Voxtrot's biggest fans who've held their breath for nearly two years now anticipating the full-length, the record will contain "12 or 13" entirely new Voxtrot songs (i.e., nothing from the three EPs or the seven inches) drawn from a pool of 16 new jams. Among them, Ramesh's present favorites: "Kids Gloves", "Blood Red Blood", and "Firecracker".
In particular, Ramesh loves "Firecracker" because it sounds the least like his band's previous material. "It's kind of like an odd marriage of styles," he said. "Beats that we haven't used before. I just like the bigness of it, sonically."
The tune, as it turns out, is autobiographical. "In a way it's sort of about the intense experience we've had making a record for the first time with a record label, and what that's been like, and how it affects your self-confidence."
Srivastava and confidence, it seems, have an
on-again/off-again thing going on-- and when the band released the Your Biggest
Fan EP late last year, Ramesh and self-confidence were on the outs. "I like
[the EP], and I like the songs on it, but I wasn't overjoyed with the way that
it sounded, because it all had to be done in this very rushed environment. I
think when that came out I was overly terrified of critical response, because I
thought that we'd gone against ourselves-- because we didn't have time to do it
right."
Fortunately, they made up: "In the end, it ended up not being that big of a
deal. Now I like it, and I realize it's just songs. I like the songs, and it
really doesn't matter that much, the sound of every instrument and every note." [MORE...]
Jamie Klaxon Talks Success, Violence, Family, Future
On Klaxons gigs: "It becomes this bloke-fest with men everywhere trying to fight each other!"
Riding the crest of the new rave wave they inadvertently
spawned, Klaxons are poised to crash North American shores at last this spring,
where they'll drown all the glow-stuck party kids with their frantically-paced,
herky-jerky genre-hybrid hits. Before all that, however, the UK trio has some business to wrap up back home: they're headlining a massive, NME-sponsored tour with CSS, New Young Pony Club, and the Sunshine Underground. Oh, and their first full-length-- Myths of the Near Future-- might just wind up topping the UK charts next week.
Sound a bit overwhelming? Not for these kids. As Klaxon Jamie Reynolds revealed in a chat with Pitchfork yesterday, the trio is taking things one dance step at a time.
"Just after the mayhem last year," Reynolds explained, "we were really into the idea of getting a good pace going...rather than going full steam ahead and crashing."
The mayhem, however, has just begun. While the record sales week hasn't quite ended, as of yesterday, Klaxons have the number one album in the UK. "It's absolutely ridiculous!" exclaimed Jamie.
So how does he intend to celebrate? "I'm going stop in on my
mother and a couple of friends. And I'm going to play a gig to 200 people in my
hometown. [It's] perfect, honestly. Today is what it's all about."
That Southampton gig went down last night, as part of a handful of "warm-up"
shows before Klaxons hit the road with CSS and company. "It's great to come
here and get to see old friends I haven't seen in a long time," said Jamie.
Nevermind all the new friends he'll likely make when Myths hits the States in late April, as previously reported, via Rinse/DGC. Not surprisingly, Jamie's psyched: "The whole idea of being on the same label as Nirvana and bands like that is mind-blowing!" [MORE...]
Kaiser Chief Wilson Chats Album, Na's, No's, Hit'n'Run
Wilson on the hit-and-run driver: "He was probably an Arctic Monkeys fan or something."
They predicted a riot, and now they've got an Angry Mob. As previously reported, Brit buzz band Kaiser Chiefs return with Yours Truly, Angry Mob-- out March 27 on Universal in North America, and February 26 everywhere else-- and a continent-spanning tour. As the UK press darlings brace for fan reception to their sophomore outing, Pitchfork caught up with genial lead vocalist Ricky Wilson for a chat about leaps in songwriting, onstage leaps, and a certain life-saving leap over a speeding vehicle last spring.
First and foremost, however, just how many "na"s can fans of 2005 debut Employment expect from Yours Truly, Angry Mob? "I don't do any 'na's, I think. Nick [Hodgson, drummer] might, but it's because he doesn't bother learning the lyrics! He goes in and does these backing vocals, and he just makes it up as he goes along.
"The thing is, with the first [record], we needed that, because we were always a support band. We needed to get the audience to sing along, and that was the best way of doing it: having no lyrics and having big bits that went, "oooh," like that. We don't need them anymore. We've got one song that's got a big 'la la la' in it, but that's about it, I think."
In addition to the move away from catchy playground taunts, Wilson's confident that Angry Mob marks a step forward for the band on the whole. "I would say the album, if it wasn't better than the first one, would never be released. We don't want to be one of those bands that just get worse. We think it's better and it's the best we can do at this moment in time. So if it's not good enough, then we're in the wrong job. But I think it's fucking great, so I'm happy.
"The record is worth hearing," the Kaiser Chief continued. "I know all bands say that, but if they didn't, I'd be worried."
If Wilson sounds proud, maybe he has a right to be. Apart from the touch of producer/mixer Stephen Street and mixer Cenzo Townshend, the Kaisers pretty much went it alone on Angry Mob. "We made a conscious decision not to have any other musicians involved on it...everything that's played on it is played by us, because we've got no reason to hide behind anyone else. If we want something to sound big, surely we should be able to do that on our own." [MORE...]
!!!'s Offer Talks Myth Takes, Out Hud, Politics, Welfare
"I like to think of myself as somewhere in between the second coming and dog shit."
People don't dance no more-- particularly people of the scrawny, white variety-- but thanks to dance-punk acts like the Rapture and !!!, they're at least trying. When !!! release their much-salivated-over, previously reported third full length-- Myth Takes, their first for Warp Records worldwide, due March 6-- those people will have ample reason to try the two-step once again. And, while they're at it, brush up on their chin-stroke: The disc's ambitious, often electrifying production and arrangements should have pundits' minds cranking and jaws flapping just as much as its infectious grooves and gnarled guitar lines keep those hips gyrating. Just check out the disc's scintillating centerpiece, "Heart of Hearts", and color us stoked.
Pitchfork caught up with Nic Offer by phone this week as the !!! (and former Out Hud) vocalist/ party-starter was about to catch a plane-- on a quest, no doubt, to stir up some ruckus in exotic far-off locales. Sort of.
Pitchfork: Where are you off to?
Nic Offer: London for the beginning of the year, for the European promo trip.
Pitchfork: How does that work?
Nic: I'm just doing press. It's going to be a long month of talking to myself. I just came back from Japan, doing a press fair, and then I was back for a couple of days. We just did a video yesterday-- I flew back for that, and now I'm going back overseas.
Pitchfork: Sweet-- Which song is the video for?
Nic: "Must Be the Moon".
Pitchfork: Who directed it?
Nic: The official disco-punk director, Ben [Dickinson], the one who does LCD, Juan Maclean, Supersystem, Rapture, and now he did us. His treatment looked great, and actually he was a great guy to work with. We couldn't really turn him down. You find it's good to work with people who are a bit hungry, you know? And he definitely is. And I guess he likes disco-punk.
Pitchfork: So what's the treatment?
Nic: It's kind of tongue-in-cheek; he wanted it to look like a Kenneth Anger film, or Performance, the Mick Jagger movie. So he's got us in all kinds of 60s garb...To me it seemed like such a New York story, but everybody came away with the haunting effects of the moon-- that seemed to be the image people got from the song. It's pretty tongue-in-cheek, and it's going to give a lot of people a reason to hate us.
Pitchfork: Do you think a lot of people hate you right now?
Nic: Anyone who gets any level of press has to deal with some level of hate, and I think we're especially hateable-- and when you see the video you'll know what I mean. There's going to be people who just don't get it. If you look at it and think we're taking ourselves seriously, you're going to fucking hate us. But we had a blast, it was ridiculous and really fun. So, whatever.
Pitchfork: So Myth Takes, is that the way someone with a lisp says 'mistakes?' Where does the title come from?
Nic: You know, I'm really into meanings-- to have exactly five meanings, and that's what that one does. So of course it means that.
Pitchfork: Fair enough. So how does Myth Takes depart from !!!'s previous work, if at all?
Nic: Lyrically we tried a less-direct approach. I feel like with the last record [2004's Louden Up Now] I tried to say everything very plainly. And it seemed like it was too in people's faces. So I tried to say what I felt was a similar message, but told more through stories. Sometimes it seems like you get your point across more by taking a more abstract view. Sometimes the point hits harder-- comes through more directly. It was definitely fun to take that approach, and I felt fresher writing that way. And it opened up a new side of me...and I've been exploring more since then.
Pitchfork: What inspired you to take that new route with your writing?
Nic: Uh, bad reviews.
Pitchfork: So you pay attention to your press?
Nic: No, I mean, you don't, but you catch a drift. I personally don't read anything on the internet-- I mean, aside from you guys [Pitchfork]. You kind of have to pay attention to you, because you're the barometer of all the internet stuff-- but I can't weed through the internet, because I can have my ego blown to gargantuan sizes and then shattered within seconds. It's all there. I always say, if you believe all that stuff, you either think you're the second coming-- or total dog shit. So I like to think of myself as somewhere in between the second coming and dog shit. [MORE...]
Kristin Hersh's back catalog stretches for miles, encompassing releases by her bands Throwing Muses and 50FootWave, as well as several solo records. But we're pretty sure that nothing in her discography was ever titled after a piece of spam email...until now.
Tomorrow, January 23, Yep Roc will release Learn to Sing like a Star in the U.S.; 4AD will put it out overseas on January 29. (An EP, In Shock, lands today, January 22 on 4AD. It features the album track "In Shock" as well as three non-album tunes.) According to Hersh, she also has new Throwing Muses and 50FootWave albums in the works, as well as an Appalachian folk project.
So, that title. Hersh explained it in a recent interview with Pitchfork, saying, "It's hard to pretend that there's anything artful about titling a CD. It's an artificial grouping of songs. Even titling a song is sometimes a little fakey if you ask me!
"But this just kept coming up; it just wouldn't shut up...this stupid 'American Idol' thing or whatever the hell it was. I couldn't ever bring myself to click on it, but as soon as it became meaningless-- you know, I'd heard the syllables so many times-- that's when it got pretty to me...I mean, like, stars--it sounds like something out of a Madeleine L'Engle book or something."
In the interview, Hersh also spilled a lot more information about the album, as well as talked about signing to Yep Roc, her upcoming tour, and what's going on with Throwing Muses and 50FootWave. [MORE...]
Islands' Nick Thorburn Talks All Kinds of Crazy Stuff
"This record is going to be so good, I'm afraid that we won't get our shit together and be able to record it."
Despite near-non-stop touring in recent months, Islands principal Nick Diamonds-- now going by his given name, Nick Thorburn-- somehow managed to write up enough new material for two whole records, one of which will follow up 2006's Best New Music selection Return to the Sea."I feel a lot of unease and anxiety when I don't have a guitar near me," Thorburn revealed to Pitchfork during a recent chat. "I think that's where [the creative spark] comes from: an urge, a real desire to expunge music from my inner-being."
Thorburn also had mouthfuls to say about his band's latest exploits, his present songwriting ambitions, numerous periphery pursuits, the appeal of his "government" name, disowning "Rough Gem", cryptomnesia, the Killers, and Jelly Donut.
While Thorburn's reluctant to reveal titles, the first of Islands' two new discs should reach the mainland in September-- that is, if it gets made at all. "This record is going to be so good," enthused Thorburn, "I'm afraid that we won't get our shit together and be able to record it."
Thorburn seems invigorated of late by a new songwriting sensibility, one that might throw fans of the previous record for a loop. "The last time I talked to you I wanted to make the perfect pop song and pop record," the ex-Unicorn recalled. "And I realized I misquoted myself, because I have no desire to write popular songs for the populace. I want to make interesting, good music, and I think that's what I meant...I feel a need to write songs that are 15 minutes long right now. Maybe I'll get over that phase."
So what are we in for? "It's a physical record. It's someone plunging your face into a river and rescuing you. If Return to the Sea was the water record, this is the bodies." [MORE...]
Exclusive: Gustav Ejstes Talks New Dungen Album
"I say people should eat and drink music as much as they want."
International success can make for some pretty basic misunderstandings. So when the vintage psychedelia of Dungen's third album-- 2004's Ta Det Lugnt-- caught on outside of singer, songwriter, and bandleader Gustav Ejstes' native Sweden, he was suddenly forced to answer questions about why he sang in Swedish, as if it was the result of an aesthetic choice and not simply his native tongue. ("Hey Sufjan, why don't you sing in Portugese?")We were able to avoid the question when we talked to Ejstes recently, though we did ask if he ever writes nonsense lyrics just because he could probably get away with it (he doesn't). He also told us about the recording process, his interest in production, and his love for hip hop (especially Madvillain). Oh, and there was the matter of Dungen's currently untitled upcoming record (tracklist below), which Kemado will release May 1 in the U.S. A Swedish release on Subliminal Sounds is scheduled for around the same time, and Dungen plan to tour "later this spring."
Pitchfork: How is this new album different from Ta Det Lugnt?
Gustav Ejstes: Each song stands out more. [There are] shorter songs than on Ta Det Lugnt, [which] had that collage vibe [where] one song slips into another one, changing and fading into each other.
Pitchfork: Are there fewer of the jazz-influenced instrumental passages?
GE: There are instrumental parts, and the jazz influences are still there. [But] I think the songs are more like traditional songs. The album is not Ta Det Lugnt 2. I think it would be bad if it were just a "volume two." [MORE...]
Sam Prekop Talks New Sea and Cake Disc
Believe it or not, it's been nearly four years since we've heard so much as a whimper from the Sea and Cake, but that doesn't mean the veteran Chicago jazz-inflected pop quartet has slowed down. Cakers Sam Prekop and Archer Prewitt spent the last few years focusing on individual pursuits-- each released a solo record in 2005 (Who's Your New Professor and Wilderness, respectively, both on Thrill Jockey). Drummer John McEntire, meanwhile, has concentrated on his work with Tortoise, while also recording up a storm at his Soma Studios. And Eric Claridge traded the bass for a palette and paintbrush, turning out a pretty sweet series of oil paintings last year.
Now the fire, wind, earth, and heart of the Sea and Cake (water is lame, man) have reunited at last, and by their powers combined, nearly completed work on album number seven. Pitchfork caught up with Sea and Cake captain Sam Prekop yesterday for a chat about recording the latest LP at a "rock'n'roll boot camp," his photography book, his electronic record with McEntire, and the fine art of the album cover.
"We're almost done" with the as-yet-untitled record, reported Prekop. "We have one more song to mix, and then the sequencing." It should see the light of day in May, and like all previous Sea and Cake full lengths, bear the Thrill Jockey stamp.
That's not the only continuing trend here: like the six Sea and Cake LPs before it, number seven will contain exactly 10 tracks (including "Scribble On" and "What Tonight Is")-- which was far from Prekop's intention.
"I was very anxious to make a record that had more than ten songs," he said. "[But] this one has ten, too, which I didn't think was going to happen, because we had actually prepared 15. But for whatever reason, five of them didn't make it. If we felt that we could have pulled off more than ten, we would have, or if it felt right.
"It could be a thing where we just know that ten, that's it, that makes the best record, you can't get further than that." [MORE...]
Justin K. Broadrick Talks New Jesu Album, Tour
Plus exclusive MP3
For someone who's known as one of the godfathers of experimental extreme metal, Justin K. Broadrick is a pretty happy guy. Or at least he sure seemed that way when he spoke to Pitchfork recently about his current band, Jesu, which also includes bassist Diarmuid Dalton and drummer Ted Parsons. The former Napalm Death/Head of David/Godflesh/Techno Animal member was chatty as a schoolgirl when discussing Jesu's upcoming album and North American tour with Isis, not to mention his slew of other projects.
The second Jesu album, Conqueror, comes out on Hydra Head on February 20 in the United States, February 19 in the UK and Europe, February 2 in Japan, and February 27 in the rest of the world. (Whew.) The Japanese version will be amended with a bonus disc containing the songs "Sun Down" and "Sun Rise", originally released on a limited edition vinyl EP on Aurora Borealis. The vinyl version of Conqueror comes out February 27 on Conspiracy Records.
The appropriately epic title track can be heard by downloading the exclusive mp3 below. [MORE...]
Final Fantasy Talks New LP, Arcade Fire, Polaris Prize
"I try to be candid in interviews...but I've learned that whenever you try and make a point about anything, you always end up sounding like a douchebag."
Arcade Fire strings wizard Owen Pallett put himself at a distinct disadvantage by naming own project Final Fantasy. Google it: dude's official website doesn't come up until page seven, such is the interweb might of the RPG juggernaut with which he shares his name. But who needs Google when you've got the Polaris Music Prize, the Canadian honor Pallett received for 2006's He Poos Clouds, and the $20,000 that comes with it? Or an adoring fanbase? Or friends in the Arcade Fire? Or plans up the wazoo? As Pallett told Pitchfork recently via e-mail, with 2006 drawing to a close, he's on a roll.
First up: releases galore. "Right now I'm at work on some 7"s and some EPs," wrote Pallett. "Down the line, I'll follow up He Poos Clouds with an LP with the inoffensive/boring title of Heartland."
"The connotations of Heartland are intended," Pallett elaborated in a post on a message board he frequents at Scandalized Human Zine. "The album title is meant to evoke that mysterious sense of homestead nationalism."
Pallett continued: "It's another concept album, but this one has an overarching narrative. A plot arc, if you will. Like a Batman comic or... or... a 19th century Romantic song cycle like [Robert Schumann's] Dichterliebe.
"Recording wise, it's going to sound exactly like He Poos Clouds but with better microphones, better writing and we're using compressors to make it sound taut and clicky. No more weak, fey shit! Except the singing. That will always be tacky."
Pallett also disclosed some info to Pitchfork on his contributions to next Arcade Fire record, which even your mom is excited about. "I played on a bunch of songs with a string quartet... six? Seven? I don't remember. I also worked with Régine [Chassagne] on a couple of orchestral arrangements. It was fun! Régine is a genius!
"It was the first time I'd ever written orchestral arrangements for a pop album. It was a heavy task. I listened to a lot of Ravel and Rimsky-Korsakov, and looked at a lot of scores. And I had to convince Régine that trumpets and woodwinds were necessary... they were against the idea at first. But everything turned out great in the end." [MORE...]
Nigel Godrich Talks "From the Basement", Radiohead
"The whole point is to get people who are having their moment...and get a definitive record of what they're doing."
As previously reported, producer Nigel Godrich's "From the Basement"-- a sort-of television show that's on the Internet and thus has nothing to do with television at all-- will be available for download December 18 on www.fromthebasement.tv (okay, almost nothing to do with TV) and iTunes. For a small fee viewers may scoop up the show, which presents live performances in intimate settings without all the bells and whistles that usually hamper these things. Thom Yorke, the White Stripes, and Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid all play the debut episode, and if the trailer's any indication, it looks pretty effing fantastic.
The follow-up episode (due in February) will showcase performances by Beck and Jamie Lidell, and Godrich has high hopes for the series. Taking time out from working on the new Radiohead record, Godrich told Pitchfork in a recent interview, "We've got a lot of people that I'd like to see on the show [that] we're talking to. [But] I don't want to mention their names. Obviously, I'm really interested to capture some really iconic, bigger names-- really the whole point is to get people who are having their moment, to try and get a definitive record of what they're doing."
"And also, I've got a lot of friends in smaller bands," continued Godrich, "and there's an element of trying to promote stuff that we think is good."
Indeed, Godrich first conceived of "From the Basement" as a means of authentically documenting the pulse of music being made today. "Beck and I [had] been watching Rock and Roll Circus, that Rolling Stones movie that they made after they'd been on tour...we were just saying how amazing it was to see such a snapshot of that time: You get to see them, warts and all...hanging out with John Lennon and Eric Clapton and all these people.
"[We were] just saying what a shame it was that there wasn't anything that really felt as honest as that anymore, at the moment." [MORE...]
Saint Etienne's Stanley Talks Label, Films, Music
Hopes to reissue Shangri-Las, Scott Walker, 10cc, Billy Fury, Richie Havens, more
For most self-acknowledged music obsessives, having access to a treasure trove of gems for one's reissue label would be a dream come true. For Bob Stanley, self-acknowledged music obsessive of London-centric (but globally-adored) pop band Saint Etienne, it's certainly exciting, but it's also just one of many, many things he has going on at the moment.
The powers that be at Universal Records have graciously agreed to allow Stanley and bandmate Pete Wiggs access to their archive (which includes the Philips, Decca, A&M, Island, Polydor, Mercury, ABC, Dunhill, and MCA catalogs, and more) for the pair's new reissue imprint, Eclipse (not to be confused with the U.S. psych and hard rock labels of the same name, or the Canadian dance label). With four reissues out already, Eclipse is on a roll.
Pitchfork recently talked to Stanley about the new label and his varied pursuits in film, writing, and-- of course-- music.
Pitchfork: Let's talk Eclipse. How did the arrangement between yourselves and Universal came about?
Bob Stanley: We did a compilation called The Trip for them [released in 2004]. That did reasonably well, I think, and it was fun to put together. There were so many tracks on it that were from albums that we really love and would like to see reissued. So we just approached them and said, 'Well, do you think there's any chance that we could get an imprint of our own as a reissue label?" And they said, "Yeah."
Pitchfork: Wow, just like that, huh? Were you given free reign over the catalogue or was there a lot of input by Universal as to what you could and couldn't put out?
Bob: No, we've got total free reign. I mean, obviously there are a lot of things where we'll have an idea and then they'll go, "So-and-so's gonna use that for part of Island's forty-fifth anniversary that's planned for 2009" or something like that. But apart from that, yeah, they've given us absolutely free reign. Some ideas that we've come up with are a 10cc box set and a Billy Fury box set.
Pitchfork: Were you planning on more obscure things or complete singles collections from well-known artists, like the Dusty Springfield Complete A and B Sides?
Bob: Well, when I say "free reign" I'm exaggerating. Of every four we release I think we can only put out one that's pretty obscure. I think with every batch that we put out there's going to be a Complete A and B Sides. There should be a Billy Fury one. We've got the Impressions, the Shangri-Las, Scott Walker...
Pitchfork: Nice! So they will still be released in chunks of four?
Bob: Yeah, that's the plan. Yeeaaah [laughs]. I'm only saying that slightly reticently because they all clear at different speeds. Some of them can clear in a day if they just have the paperwork, then it's all fine. Others, like a Richie Havens double we want to do-- he owns about a third of the tracks and he doesn't really want to let them go, which is a shame, but hopefully we can still try to persuade him. [MORE...]
Clientele's MacLean Talks New Record, New Member
"It's a record that can laugh at itself."
"You should only make records if you've got something to say," remarked the Clientele's Alasdair MacLean in an interview with Pitchfork's Scott Plagenhoef that took place late last year. Lucky for us, MacLean and his bandmates still have plenty to say, and thus, God Save the Clientele, the band's third full-length proper, should be gracing audio-playing devices in April 2007.This time around, however, as MacLean told Pitchfork today, the Clientele have some slightly more positive things to say. "It's a lot more cheerful. It's a lot more of a happy record. It's an upbeat record, a fun record. Whereas the other records were very neurotic and depressed, I think."
Merge, the Clientele's longtime U.S. home, will deliver the new artifact, while the band haven't settled on a UK label. And although the tracklist has yet to be finalized, God Save the Clientele should include the telling "These Days Nothing But Sunshine", "Here Comes the Fountain", "Wench on Victoria Street", "The Dance After Hours", and "Bookshop Casanova"-- a disco number.
"There's a groovy, disco song, which still sounds like the Clientele," according to MacLean. "I said to the people at Merge, 'This is going to make us millionaires.' And they just laughed at me.
"But we'll have to wait and see." [MORE...]
James Murphy Talks Exercise, New LP, Future Plans
"People were like, 'What the fuck is this? Why would I buy this? This is retarded people music!'"
DFA co-captain James Murphy is set to have a big 2007. His 2006 (and many of ours) was dominated by the release of a 45-minute, single-track exercise mix, 45:33, a collaboration with Nike that showed creativity and corporate sponsorship can happily co-exist in the pursuit of telling runners, "shame on you."
On March 20, he'll release the second LCD Soundsystem full-length, Sound of Silver. A European tour is also scheduled for March. And when he's not touring, he hopes to spend his free time recording new material. Murphy discussed his plans for the busy year with Pitchfork-- but not without also telling us about his approach to taste and how it affects his recording process, reading exercise blogs, and the commonalities between Prince and himself.
Pitchfork: How are you doing?
James Murphy: I'm doing okay. I've been having record company meetings. It's been really interesting being on a major label because you have a Machiavellian idea of what goes on, and then you get involved in it and it's more like M*A*S*H.
Pitchfork: In what way?
JM: It's a little more slapstick. If they were as Machiavellian as one would imagine, the music industry would be doing a lot better.
Pitchfork: So when you say "Machiavellian," you mean that you thought they would be the Machiavellians, not that it would be you planning to take over the world?
JM: Exactly. I prefer to be the Machiavellian in the room. I don't like other Machiavellis in the rooms. There's only room for one.
Pitchfork: So M*A*S*H was a nice surprise, then?
JM: It was good. It's really funny because it's just really banal and weird. It's very surreal, because I'm kind of a forward-moving person and they live in an actual industry reality. Every time we talk to people that work in the industry [or] in radio, they like my record. And I'm like, "Can we get them to play it?" And they remind me that, yes, the programmer likes it, but they won't play it. Radio here is a weird industry. They just play 11 songs, half of which are from the same band.
I was mulling over the concept of coming up with a campaign: wouldn'titbefunnyifwecharted-dot-com. It would be so funny to chart. I want to ask people that are going to buy the record, "If you are thinking about buying it, buy it this week." [I can] sell the exact same amount of records. I just want to do it in a week. I think it would be so awesome and so weird and unsettling, instead of being like, "This is how it works, and we know it sucks," actually doing something and making it work organically and not just be a mystery. Not like, "Oh, this is luck!" "No, this is not luck. We asked people who cared about music to go buy the record: 'If you're not going to buy it, fine. I don't care. But if you are, go buy it that week, and see what happens.'"
Pitchfork: It's much less cynical that way.
JM: Exactly. I happen to be a very optimistic guy. [If I weren't] then I would be making horrendous big records with horrendous big people and buying houses. But I can do that later.
Pitchfork: That's for the third record.
JM: Exactly, when I have no soul left and get a funny thin haircut with highlights and tell people how awesome I think they are.
Pitchfork: You could get a reality show, like "LCD: Supernova".
JM: Dude, I'm so there. It's called "Bummer Road".
Pitchfork: Whoa!
JM: It's just going to be a videotape in the bus, and everyone is going to be bummed out. And then there's "Bummer Alley". I like the idea of needing hair and makeup to actually look like myself. [MORE...]
Mahjongg...whoa, now that name's a blast from the past. According to the Pitchfork Time Machine, May 2005 was when we last heard from the Chicago punk/funk (or "junkyard afro-new wave" as our own Pete Macia called it) party-starters. A whole year-and-a-half ago! That's, like, a decade in internet time.
Since then, Mahjongg have been laying low, but they haven't disappeared. In fact, they're gearing up for a busy 2007, working on their debut album for seminal indie label K Records.
Recently, Pitchfork spoke with multi-instrumentalist Hunter Husar about what he and his crew have been up to, including their signing to K.
"We are really excited to be on K," Husar said. "It's the best possible situation we could find ourselves in. Calvin [Johnson, K head honcho] is really nice. On a personal level, I found him to be an interesting guy."
Husar said that he hopes to release a 7" in the spring on K, and then an album later in the year. The 7" will feature the tracks "Problems" and "Those Birds Are Bats"; so far, the only album track title being floated is "Kottbusser Tor", named after "a place in East Berlin where you get drugs," according to Husar.
Not that he'd know anything about that, right? "No. Nothing." [MORE...]
Panda Bear Talks Animal Collective, Solo Work
2007: When Animals Attack!
Like the endangered species from which he gets his name, Noah "Panda Bear" Lennox, does not hibernate. He's too busy chewing the bamboo shoots of musical creativity. (Terrible analogy. Just terrible. I'm sorry. I'll stop now.)
Although he and his band Animal Collective have laid relatively low in 2006, touring a bit and releasing just a smattering of tracks and a reissue, 2007 looks to be a blockbuster year for Lennox. In a recent interview, he updated Pitchfork on the status of Animal Collective's next album, the Animal Collective live box set, his own solo album, and many, many other projects.
Animal Collective's year will start off with the January 23 FatCat worldwide release of the People EP, previously available only on the band's just-wrapped Australian tour. As previously reported, it features the tracks "People", "Tikwid", "My Favorite Colors", and "People (live)".
Also in January, the band will begin recording the follow-up to 2005's Feels, at a studio in Tucson, Arizona. Lennox said that they hope to release the album in the fall, "but I couldn't say for sure." Although reluctant to reveal any potential song or album titles ("I have a feeling the other AC boys would be mad if I told you, just because we like to have the thing be new and fresh for everyone if we can"), he did say that "there will be some songs on the album that we've never played live. We wrote them and prepped them but consciously avoided playing them live so that they would be totally new for everyone on the album." Brief tours of America and Europe are in the works for the spring of 2007.
And speaking of Animal Collective in concert, Lennox offered an update about the AC live box set: "I'm really psyched about it and I guess I can speak for all of us in that respect," he said. "I don't know exactly when it will be released, as we're all being kind of relaxed about that part of it. I guess we feel like the Hollinndagain reissue just came out so it's no rush for us to get out another live recording type thing. But I imagine it will be done and out in the spring of next year, like May or something.
"It's going to be three LPs worth of jams: one side of our first New York shows and stuff from around the Danse Manatee time, one side of acoustic jams (including some recordings from home-- most of us used to live together and we would play quite a bit just around the house after work and on the weekends), one side from around the Here Comes the Indian time, one side of solo jams (I think this is mostly from shows that just Davey [Portner, aka Avey Tare] or I did), one side of what we called "The Pumpkin Trilogy" which is a three-part jam from around the time between Danse Manatee and Here Comes the Indian (same time as the Hollinndagain tour), and one side of live Sung Tongs." Whew!
Animal Collective are also working on a film project with director Danny Perez, the friend behind their "Who Could Win a Rabbit" video. Will it be Animal Collective's Purple Rain? Or their Glitter? We'll find out soon...
"We worked together for a while coming up with the scenes and parts and that sort of thing," Lennox said. "Then this past September we started filming it. Sometime in the next four months or so, after Danny's done editing all the footage, the AC will make the music for it." [MORE...]
Report: Stephin Merritt with Rick Moody [New York, NY; 11/27/06]
One composes urbane indie-pop songs, the other is a Pushcart Prize-winning author who has written Sleater-Kinney's press bio and liner notes for Sufjan Stevens. Stephin Merritt (of Magnetic Fields, 6ths, Future Bible Heroes, and Gothic Archies fame) and Rick Moody (best known for 1994's The Ice Storm) traded wits last night at the 92nd Street Y in New York City.As part of the Y's November reading series, the two sat down to talk about "The Lyricist's Voice." Merritt also performed three songs on his ukulele, including one from the Gothic Archies' recently released The Tragic Treasury: Songs From a Series of Unfortunate Events, an accompaniment to Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events book series.
The song, "Walking My Gargoyle", has only a "tenuous" connection to Snicket's stories, Merritt admitted. "I have a Chihuahua which has gigantic, gargoyle-like ears," he said. "It's a song about the pleasure of walking your pet, but it's a gargoyle."
In a constant deadpan, Merritt downplayed the extent to which his other songs are autobiographical, however. "I've been wildly mischaracterized as saying none of my songs are autobiographical, when they are far too short to be," he explained. "'Let's dance now'-- is that autobiographical? 'I love you, baby'-- is that autobiographical?" [MORE...]
Lady Sov Talks Breakdown, Missy, TRL, Gonzo Date
"I couldn't breathe, and I really did think that was it. I thought I was going to die."
Biggest midget in the game Lady Sovereign wasn't simply getting random when she broke down onstage only a few songs into her November 15 gig in L.A.
"Bawling hysterically and falling to the ground", according to one bystander, Sov was "practically dragged" offstage and forced to cancel the performance and two subsequent shows in Las Vegas and San Diego, much to the dismay of the emcee and her fans alike.
"I honestly thought I was going to die," Lady Sovereign told Pitchfork last week.
And while Sov isn't all better yet, she was hell-bent on finishing the tour when we spoke to her. "I'm going to power through [the remaining dates], regardless. If I kill myself, then my family's going to have to take all the money that I'd make."
Sov disclosed all: "What happened was, I was sick in San Francisco, and I did one of the most awful shows of my life. And I probably totally fucked up San Francisco, but at least I did the show. So the next show is in L.A....and I get on stage and three or four songs into it, it just felt like someone had got an ice pick and pounded it into my chest and heart. I couldn't breathe, and I really did think that was it. I thought I was going to die. [MORE...]
Peanut Butter Wolf Talks Stones Throw Anniversary
Stones Throw Records recently celebrated its tenth anniversary with the release of the Chrome Children compilation and a subsequent tour. Label head Chris Manak, aka Peanut Butter Wolf, will head out on the European leg of the anniversary trek with Aloe Blacc in December, but Pitchfork took advantage of his break to speak with him about the label's past, his hip-hop history, and giving advice to his artists when they struggle.
Pitchfork: On the tenth anniversary tour you took to DJing using music videos. How does that work? Do you mix the videos so that the footage bleeds together, or are there quick jumps?
Peanut Butter Wolf: They're just jumps, quick cuts, and the crossfader is hooked up to it, so when you go from left to right or vice versa, the video cuts to the other one as well. But if you scratch back and forth, then the person [in the video] moves back and forth.
Pitchfork: So there is manipulation of the video going on?
PBW: Yeah, definitely. It's difficult to try to re-train yourself, because with the videos you can either manually switch them or you can do it automatically. And [when you do it] manually, you can bring in the video afterward, like, have the audio playing for a little bit so someone will recognize a song and then go into the video. Or vice versa, you can bring the video in first while the other song is going on. It gives you some extra stuff to think about.
Pitchfork: Would you ever release a DVD of this kind of stuff?
PBW: That's definitely something on the plate for me next year for the label. And a lot of other people have been asking me to do stuff since I did this [tenth anniversary] tour. I think I'm kind of the default go-to guy for people. They don't know who [else] does it, or maybe they just like what I did. Our distributor asked me to do a DVD mix for them; they were going to do like 40,000 copies or something. I'm [also] in talks with another company right now.
Pitchfork: Do you have a favorite era of hip hop videos?
PBW: Just the 80s, because that's when people started doing videos, and there were no rules at that point. There was no formula. Everybody was just experimenting. [MORE...]
Four Tet Talks Remixes, Collaborations, New Music
Kieran Hebden remixing Thom Yorke, Arab Strap, Explosions in the Sky, Aluminium, working with Fridge, Steve Reid, Sunburned Hand of the Man
Kieran Hebden gets around. The man also known as Four Tet had quite a year in 2006, releasing the CD/DVD package Everything Ecstatic 2 (a companion to 2005's Everything Ecstatic), a remix compilation, a volume in the DJ-Kicks series, two discs of collaboration with jazz drummer Steve Reid, and a song for children, as well as touring with and without Reid and remixing the likes of Jamie Lidell, ex-Cure keyboardist Roger O'Donnell, and His Name Is Alive.
As the year comes to a close, Hebden hasn't slowed down one bit. Pitchfork caught up with the workaholic recently, and he filled us in on what he's been up to, when he's not slacking off and doing something counter-productive like eating or sleeping.
Not surprisingly, Hebden has been steadily adding to his remix discography. He recently got his hands on the Aluminium version of the White Stripes' "Forever for Her Is Over for Me", available as an exclusive download from Rough Trade's brand new MP3 store, Rough Trade Digital. As previously reported, Aluminium is "avant garde orchestral" versions of White Stripes songs, as envisioned by XL Recordings founder Richard Russell and composer/arranger Joby Talbot.
"I'm a huge fan of the White Stripes," Hebden said. "Particularly the last album I really, really liked. It was a nice thing to remix because the instrumentation was so diverse on it."
Hebden just finished his take on Thom Yorke's "Atoms for Peace", though he has "no idea what the release plan for that one is." His version of Arab Strap's first single, "The First Big Weekend", is the B-side to the retiring Scottish band's final release, a 7" also featuring "There Is No Ending". It's out now on Chemikal Underground.
Finally, as previously reported, the Four Tet remix of Explosions in the Sky's "Catastrophe and the Cure", from their forthcoming album All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone, will be included on the bonus disc that comes with the limited edition deluxe version of that album. It's due out February 20 on Temporary Residence.
"They are really good friends of mine," Hebden said of EITS. "It's one of those things that we always talked about but never got around to. It finally happened." [MORE...]
Futurehead Barry Hyde Talks Label Limbo, Next Record
Once in a while, the Futureheads are forced to slow down for a moment and consider the present. And here in the present, the band has no UK label, having just been politely dumped by 679. The Sunderland four-piece served up this year's solid News and Tributes to UK audiences via the label, as well as their self-titled debut. (It came out on StarTime/Vagrant in America.)
Now, with the young, sexy band back on the market, the question is: what next?
"At the minute we haven't found a label," Futureheads vocalist/guitarist Barry Hyde told Pitchfork in an interview on Monday. "I suppose you could say we're in between labels."
Hyde doesn't seem terribly miffed by the split, which was ultimately at the label's discretion. "Basically, [679] decided not to take us up on our options, for various reasons. But I was pretty pleased, to be honest with you. I was kind of hoping that it would happen, because I would love for us to have a fresh start-- try it a different way with some different people, so we're all very excited about next year."
Hyde's reluctant to say the band's experience with the label has led him to desire a "fresh start"-- instead, according to him, it's the age-old it's-not-you-it's-me scenario: "I suppose we weren't unhappy with the label [or] the people at the label. We were just unhappy as a band, I suppose, during that period when we were on their label...we did a lot of touring, and it was quite exhausting."
But Hyde admits, nonetheless, that he had higher hopes for the relationship with 679. These things are give and take, of course, and it seems the label slacked a bit on the giving end. "We made an album, News and Tributes," said Hyde, "and we're really pleased with it. But we don't think that enough was done with it...they just seemed to kind of go quiet. And maybe they've got lots of other things to think about, I'm not sure."
Hyde added that things are cool with the Futureheads' American mistress, StarTime/Vagrant. "We're happy being with Vagrant in America. [The split is] just in the UK."
However, the band's American A&R representative told Pitchfork in an e-mail yesterday afternoon that things aren't quite so simple. "StarTime/Vagrant licensed News and Tributes from 679/Warners UK for release in North America," he said. "It was not a direct signing of the artist. As the Futureheads are no longer on 679/Warners UK, our contractual relationship with the band is (unfortunately) over as well.
"Obviously, we love the band and would love the opportunity to keep working with them."
Since both Hyde and StarTime/Vagrant clearly still have feelings for one another, we sincerely hope they can work something out. [MORE...]
Dipset A&R; DukeDaGod: Powerballin'
Updates on Jim Jones, Cam'ron, JR Writer, Freaky Zeeky, Juelz Santana
George "DukeDaGod" Moore has to be the most recognizable A&R man in hip-hop. The Dipset magnate's name and likeness has graced countless mixtapes and two official compilation albums (2005's More Than Music, Vol. 1 and this year's The Movement Moves On) and, in the grand tradition of Diddy and Dame Dash, he has a gift for rambunctious, revolutionary song intros.
On the phone with Pitchfork last week, he was a bit more reserved. Currently, Duke is enjoying the success of his crew's clownish troublemaker, Jim Jones. The rapper's single "We Fly High" (a.k.a. "Ballin'!!!") has been worked into an anthem for the New York Giants and it serves as the backdrop to the current Jay-Z/Jim Jones "beefmix".
Talking about the song's football tie-in, Duke said, "That's just a connection between hip hop and sports. It's a universal word and everybody can relate to it-- especially if you're playing pro sports. It's a beautiful thing." Speaking on the Jay beef, Duke was downright, er, diplomatic: "We listenin', it's like studying the film of the other football team," he said. "We'll let the streets decide."
Jones will keep things moving this holiday season with A Dipset Christmas, which will surely stand tall next to Bing and Frank on mom's three-disc stereo system come dinnertime. Track titles for the album include "If Everyday Was X-Mas," "Ballin' on X-Mas", and "It's X-Mas So We Ballin' Everyday Because It's X-Mas". (OK that last one was made up…but I wouldn't be surprised if it made it onto A Dipset Christmas 2).
Citing Run DMC's classic "Christmas in Hollis" as a reference, Duke actually kind of played down the epic release. "There are gonna be little Christmas melodies on the songs, you know," he said.
Fair enough...snow-ballin'!!! [MORE...]
Graham Coxon Talks Love, Blur, Milky
"That's pretty gross, isn't it? Being called Milky? Weird."
Beginning during his tenure with Blur and continuing since his messy departure from the band in 2002, guitarist Graham Coxon has mounted a fairly successful solo career, spanning six full-length albums and counting. His latest, the solid Love Travels at Illegal Speeds, hit UK shops back in March and landed Stateside just last week via Parlophone.Pitchfork recently phoned up Graham for a brief but revealing chat about the predominant forces behind Love Travels at Illegal Speeds, a desire to lead a simple life, the inevitable Blur/Coxon reunion question, and why people should leave that poor animated milk carton in peace.
"Dislocation, regret, and despondency," a matter-of-fact Coxon cited as three of the primary muses behind his work. "I think they're key to good music, really."
According to Coxon, Love Travels' "Don't Believe Anything I Say" best captures and balances those unfortunate sentiments. "I dig that one. I just got across the feeling that I was feeling at that time about regret, being on your own, feeling dislocated from everybody-- all people. It's got the right levels of despondency and regret."
As Coxon wryly continued, "I guess I always find something to moan about: my skill." So what's the talented songsmith, writer, and visual artist bemoaning these days? [MORE...]
Dean Wareham Talks Dean & Britta Album, Galaxie 500
"My son said it's the worst band name ever."
Now that we've had some time to let the polite disbandment of polite rock favorites Luna wash over-- and now that the last few hangers-on are finally coming to terms with a life in a Luna-less world-- the beloved band's Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips have reemerged with some new musical offerings.
Come February 27 the pair will deliver its second full-length set of honey-sweet duo work, following up 2003's L'Avventura and the recent Words You Used to Say EP, under the revised moniker Dean & Britta. Zoë/Rounder have signed on to share Dean & Britta's Back Numbers, an 11-song, Tony Visconti-produced (David Bowie, Morrissey) affair mixing originals and some eclectic covers-- including Donovan's "Teen Angel" and Lee Hazlewood's "You Turned My Head Around". As Wareham told Pitchfork in a recent interview, the adjusted band name boils down to simple record-shopping practicality.
"For the last record," explained Dean, "it was Britta Phillips and Dean Wareham. The main problem we ran into with that [is] it was difficult to alphabetize that and our last record got put under 'Phillips', so people who were going to look for the record just didn't know where to look." And the order of names? "I think 'Dean & Britta' rolls off the tongue better."
Fair enough-- although not everybody's feeling it. "My son [Jack] said it's the worst band name ever.
"He's seven," said Wareham with a laugh. "What does he know?" [MORE...]
Rufus Wainwright Talks Christmas Show, New Album
"The Wainwright Family & Friends Christmas" to feature Lou Reed, Antony, David Byrne, more
When it comes to Christmas extravaganzas in New York City, you'd be hard pressed to match the fabulousness of the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. But Rufus Wainwright is going to try. On December 13 at Carnegie Hall, Rufus and his sister Martha will host "The Wainwright Family & Friends Christmas", a concert "celebrat[ing] the spirit of the holidays and family camaraderie" according to a press release. It's the sequel to last winter's "The McGarrigle Christmas Hour", hosted by the Wainwright siblings along with their mother Kate McGarrigle and aunt Anna McGarrigle.
"It's an off-the-cuff evening of friends and family kind of popping on and off stage as if the stage was our living room," Rufus said in an interview with Pitchfork late last week. "There will be many amazing guests like Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, Antony, David Byrne, Linda Thompson, and Teddy Thompson. Sort of an old fashion Christmas sing-along, but with, you know, Carnegie Hall."
"I like the idea of people singing to each other in the privacy of their homes. I think it should happen more often. So that's what I want to recreate...We are all going to be up there pretending to be WASPs, having eggnog. Maybe we will get a black lab on stage or something. Or a golden retriever."
Will they be wearing ugly Christmas sweaters? "Perhaps. Either that or a loud tie. A tie that you never wear that your aunt gave you." [MORE...]
Deerhoof's John Dieterich Talks Ballet, New Album
Bonus: New 2007 American Tour Dates!
Deerhoof have a lot of cool stuff going on right now. The band's eighth album, Friend Opportunity, is due out on Kill Rock Stars on January 23, 2007. They just finished tours with the Flaming Lips and the Fiery Furnaces. They picked up a Goldie Award, given out by the San Francisco Bay Guardian to honor the best in local arts, and have been nominated for a Plug Award for Live Act of the Year. And they recently finished work on the score for Justin Theroux's film Dedication, due out next year.
But, far and away, the coolest thing that's happened to Deerhoof lately has been the Milk Man Ballet, a production by the North Haven Community School in North Haven, Maine featuring participation from both students and community members and based on Deerhoof's 2004 album Milk Man. (See photos and video from the performance.)
Earlier this week, Pitchfork spoke to Deerhoof guitarist John Dieterich about the ballet, the new album, and the band's constant barrage of side projects. [MORE...]
Gretta Cohn, Ex-Cursive, Talks Cat Power, Solo Work
Since leaving Saddle Creek manic emo-ters Cursive-- for whom she shredded cello for four years, lending an electrifying edge to band's live show, LP The Ugly Organ, and EPs Burst and Bloom and 8 Teeth to Eat You-- Gretta Cohn's days have only gotten busier. Presently she's collaborating all willy-nilly, chipping away at a solo/not-solo record, and appearing with Cat Power and Charles Barkley on national late-night television.Cohn joined Chan Marshall's Memphis Rhythm Band for several shows on the chanteuse's recent tour. As the ace cellist and sometime Pitchfork contributor-- now living once again in her native New York-- wrote in a recent e-mail to Pitchfork, playing with Chan Marshall and Co. has been an absolute blast.
"They were so welcoming, and we just sat around for hours in between shows, talking about music...I've never played a show where everyone smiled at each other during the set," she enthused.
Cohn also performed with Cat Power on this year's Halloween episode of "Late Night With Conan O'Brien". Also a guest that night: none other than Charles Barkley, famous for having his name pun'd by Gnarls Barkley. Apparently he played basketball too, or something.
"Late night is so funny," wrote Gretta. "Hours of waiting, two minutes of playing, and some serious makeup on the face." [MORE...]
Conrad Keely Talks Trail of Dead Past, Present, Future
"There's nothing glamorous anymore to what we do; there's barely any profit in it."
Conrad Keely is frustrated and not a little defeated. When ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead's third album, Source Tags and Codes, grabbed the ears and hearts of listeners and critics (including us) in 2002, he seized the opportunity to write and record a follow-up that would top it in every way. And it flopped. 2005's Worlds Apart took a beating by critics (including us), and it didn't help that it happened at a time when Trail of Dead were undergoing some difficult personnel changes.
Cut to the present. The band's fifth album, So Divided, is scheduled for a November 14 release on Interscope, and they are in the middle of a massive tour with the Blood Brothers. Recently, Keely spoke to Pitchfork about the album (and music in general), the tour (and touring in general), the powerlessness we all feel, and what-- if anything-- makes being in a band still worth it.
Pitchfork: The release of So Divided was pushed back six weeks, and then it leaked. There was a rumor that you leaked the album yourselves. Is that true?
Conrad: No.
Pitchfork: How did that rumor get started?
Conrad: I guess they thought it would be funny if we'd done it ourselves, but I don't know why we would leak the record when we worked so hard on it.
Pitchfork: I thought it was telling that the letter on your website kicking off the current tour was addressed to "fellow pirates."
Conrad: Well you know I'd be a hypocrite if I said I didn't do that type of thing, but I don't usually look for records that are unreleased.
Pitchfork: Is it just a source of frustration for you, or have you thought of a way to solve the problem?
Conrad: I really don't think it's something I can waste my time worrying about. I don't know how it affects record sales or if it does. To be honest, I don't really know that record sales affect-- in the long run-- the career of a band as more-or-less insignificant as we are. We've never recouped a record. Our record sales don't make us or lose us any money. We don't really make money off of it, so it's like, "What do I care?" If I wrote a platinum record, maybe that would be a different story, but these days, we're too insignificant for it to really matter. [MORE...]
Exclusive: Merge Signs Oakley Hall
Raucous indie roots band Oakley Hall have been snapped up by Merge Records, Pitchfork can exclusively announce. After releasing two albums this year--Second Guessing on Amish and Gypsum Strings on Brah (the vinyl version of the latter is out December 5, by the way)--the sextet plans to have their next full-length ready for the world by next August.
Vocalist/guitarist Patrick Sullivan told Pitchfork that Oakley Hall chose Merge for several reasons. "They're incredibly nice, approachable people, which is always a plus when you have business," he said. "We did a tour with M. Ward this September, and he was a major cheerleader for them; he couldn't recommend them enough. We hit it off with him and really respected his opinion.
"They're also the kind of label that's getting rarer these days, [in that] you can trust the Merge brand. We look at everybody else on that label, and I'm a fan of every one of those bands. We wanted to be a part of that tradition, and we're very excited about it." [MORE...]
Black Mt.'s McBean Talks Album, Spin-offs, Coldplay
Chris Martin on Black Mountain: "We've never played with a band that's made us look like such pussies every night."
In Canada, the hallowed land of Godspeed You Wolf Parading Broken Social Pornographers, national pride must be measured by the sheer number of side projects a given band has spawned-- which would make Vancouver resident Stephen McBean a model Canadian citizen. When the one-time Jerk With a Bomb dude's not fronting psych-rockers Black Mountain, he's scaling sex-damaged Pink Mountaintops, while his Black Mt. bandmates Matthew Camirand, Joshua Wells, and Jeremy Schmidt do their respective thangs as Blood Meridian (the former two) and Sinoia Caves (the latter). And this is just the beginning, McBean recently told Pitchfork."If [label Jagjaguwar] want[s] the next Black Mountain record," McBean teased, "they have to put out everything that we hand them. They have to spend as much money as we want on our side vanity projects."
We'll get to those vanity side projects in a moment, but first, that new Black Mountain record. McBean and Co. have been working sporadically on the follow-up to last year's much-loved, self-titled debut, and hope to complete it this January.
As for the new disc's sound, "I guess you'll have to see," said McBean flatly. "It's different songs-- it's not the same songs recorded again. We're not trying to make a Kid A or anything. It'll be a rock'n'roll record, probably." [MORE...]
Jim Fairchild Talks Grandaddy Breakup, Solo Album
Not long before the demise of West Coast indie rock institution Grandaddy at the beginning of this year, guitarist Jim Fairchild set to work recording a batch of his own tunes under the adopted name All Smiles. The fruits of Fairchild's songwriting labor will blossom early next year, with L.A.'s Dangerbird Records releasing the All Smiles debut, Ten Readings of a Warning, on February 20. Eager for a taste, Pitchfork recently sat down with Fairchild to chat about his new record, some very special guest drummers, and Grandaddy's last days."I recorded a lot of it in Portland," Fairchild said of Ten Readings, "because I lived there for six months last summer. Granddaddy hadn't broken up yet, and it was a really bizarre time. That had been most of my life for ten years, maybe more, and then Jason [Lytle] was making the last record, and the band was definitely gray, and I was like, 'I should probably put [out] these songs that I've always been working on...I should try to turn this into something."
To realize his vision, Fairchild hooked up with some of the Pacific Northwest's finest drummers, with the Black Heart Procession's Joe Plummer playing on most tracks, and Danny Seim (of Menomena) and Janet Weiss (ex-Sleater-Kinney, currently of Quasi and the Jicks) lending their kit-work to a couple songs.
"Janet is so good," enthused Fairchild. "I never saw Sleater-Kinney until last year-- no exaggeration, no hyperbole: that is by far the best rock band in the world." [MORE...]
Figurines' Hjelm Talks New Album, Facial Hair
"I'm actually very content with the volume of this beard at the moment."
Denmark's Figurines unexpectedly took the Pitchfork office by storm earlier this year with Skeleton, a record brimming with peppy, sinfully-catchy indie pop tunes played with relentless vim and jovial abandon. While Figurines' incessant touring will finally come to a close this weekend at CMJ, the four-piece won't be settling down for long, as they set off to record Skeleton's follow-up early next year.
Pitchfork recently chatted up chief Figurine Christian Hjelm about the new record's direction, the band's Stateside success, tourmates Tapes 'n Tapes, and the seasonally-appropriate hair that presently adorns his face. [MORE...]
David Pajo Talks Possible Slint Reunion, Dead Child EP
Plus bonus Dead Child MP3
Fresh off the release of his second solo album as Pajo, 1968, the always-busy David Pajo is gearing up for the release of an EP by his newest project, the previously reported metal band Dead Child. He's also starting to think about the feasibility of a Slint reunion.
"I've been kind of talking to the Slint guys again, and we've been trying to figure out what we should do with ourselves," Pajo said in a recent interview with Pitchfork. "We're sort of attempting to exist as a band again, but we don't want to-- whatever is precious about Slint, we don't want to step on that. We want to play together again, but we've been trying to figure out what our next step should be if we do anything at all."
So what would be the determining factors in deciding just what that next step is? "It's mostly just what everybody wants to do with themselves. There was a huge gap between the 2005 reunion and the last time we played together [before that]. We've spent all this time developing our own lives, and it's kind of hard to put everything that you've been working on for the past 14 years on pause so that you can do Slint again. Brian [McMahan] wants to go back to school, and people have different things that they want to do with themselves, so we're trying to find out if there's even a window where we could all work together in the same capacity again. Me and Britt [Walford] and Brian have this camaraderie [where] there's so much that we don't have to explain to each other, that we just understand when it comes to putting songs together, and it seems like kind of a shame to not do that, even if it's not under the name Slint. I feel like we should continue to play together." [MORE...]
Belong's Turk Dietrich Talks PS3 Video Game Score
When the Playstation 3 hits the streets on November 17 (start lining up now, kids), its earliest adopters will be happy to learn that among the device's high-tech, new-fangled features, the PS3 comes equipped with a means of purchasing and downloading video games. Among these arcade-style games slated for launch with the console: Blast Factor, a three-dimensional shooter that just happens to feature a bangin' soundtrack by Drop D, the electronic duo comprised of Belong's Turk Dietrich and Telefon Tel Aviv's Josh Eustis.Pitchfork recently chatted with Dietrich about scoring Blast Factor, what's next for Belong, and of course, general gaming nerdery. [MORE...]
Gang of Four's Allen Talks Wet Confetti, Faux-Hoax
Exclusive MP3!
It's official-- Dave Allen is back in the picture. As previously reported, the bassist is heading out to London next week to set the ball rolling on a new Gang of Four record, the first with the band's original lineup since 1981's Solid Gold (barring last year's Return the Gift re-recordings work).
But recapturing the post-punk movement isn't all Allen's been up to. On Tuesday, he spoke with Pitchfork about Portland, Oregon trio Wet Confetti. In addition to producing the group's sophomore record alongside former Shriekback bandmate Mike Cozzi, Allen contributed bass to the track "Sorry Dinosaur", which is available as an exclusive download below.
The album, titled Laughing, Gasping, will be released February 6 on Allen's Pampelmoose label (/management company/blog extravaganza). [MORE...]
PB&J;'s Peter Talks Album, Tour, Trash
It all began with that infectious whistle on "Young Folks", then the unforgettable melodic lilt of "Amsterdam", the fuzzed-out verve of "Objects of My Affection", and the desolate cold of "The Chills"-- and before we knew it, Pitchfork was completely won over by Writer's Block, the latest full-length from Stockholm, Sweden-based trio Peter Bjorn and John. "Young Folks" quickly found its way into our Infinite Mixtape, and earlier this month, Writer's Block finally scored Best New Music. Eager to learn more about these latest indie pop ambassadors-- who've actually been kicking it trio-style since the late 1990s, and as a duo long before that-- Pitchfork recently phoned up PB&J's Peter Morén for a chat about shared songwriting duties, what keeps Sweden musically savvy, and he and his band's distaste for a certain 29-member indie pop collective.
Pitchfork: Do you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?
Peter Morén: Nah, it's too sweet. I like desserts, but the peanut butter-- I'm not so sure about that. I'd rather have a proper dessert and a proper main course. Peanut butter and jelly's a mixture.
Pitchfork: Did you purposely configure your bandname so its acronym would be PB&J?
Peter: [laughs] It wasn't on purpose. The thing in the beginning was, we couldn't pick a proper name but then some friend said, 'Why don't you have your own names?' So we started to think about that and after a while it seemed like a very good idea. Because a lot of bands have a pre-formed attitude or formula through their name-- you can tell what kind of music they play just by the name. I wanted to avoid that and also have a down-to-earth feeling about the whole thing-- that it's just us and our songs, and not a whole big package of attitude and image.
Pitchfork: It seems like a lot of great music is coming out of Sweden these days.
Peter: We have this tradition here of picking up, early on, things from other countries-- like a lot of the jazz musicians went here early on, before they were known in other territories. And also I think the Beatles did their first tour here outside the UK, so I think things come here quite early and that may have something to do with it. Also, we have this [federally-funded] music school where you can learn to play an instrument quite early on.
For me, personally, we come from really small places in the north of Sweden, and you have far between the houses. There's a lot of deserted, beautiful nature, but not too many friends to hang out with, so you're really bored and you want to have something to do. And for us it was music.
Pitchfork: What have you been listening to lately?
Peter: I've been listening a lot to M. Ward's new album [Post-War], and Yo La Tengo, the new one [I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass] quite a lot.
Pitchfork: Is there anything out there you hate, that you can't stand?
Peter: Yeah, there is, but I'm not sure I should mention it. It's this Swedish band, I don't know if you can guess-- they've been reviewed on your site, called I'm From Barcelona. I can't stand them! The lyrics are terrible! Terrible, terrible lyrics, and it's just too, too happy, and there's no depth at all. And also the idea that they have 29 people on stage and they don't do anything. They don't sing any harmonies, they just stand around like it's a football crowd or something. It's just to lose money, I think.
Pitchfork: Haha, they're pretty popular in Stockholm and Sweden, right?
Peter: Yeah, they've been playing them a lot on the radio... I guess we're in the same league here. Perhaps they are a bit more popular. [MORE...]
Rhymefest Talks UK Visit, New Album, Tour
"I think they know Rhymefest might just hit one out of the park."
In true Blue Collar fashion, Rhymefest likes to take his own, hands-on approach to career-building, whether that means meeting with a member of British Parliament to discuss the state of hip hop, scheduling a tour where he will stay at fans' houses and document it for a potential TV show, or recording the theme song for "Crank Yankers". The Chicago MC discussed all of these things in a recent conversation with Pitchfork. He also talked to us about turning 30, his new album, and what it is that Chicago brings to hip hop in 2006 that no one has seen before.
Pitchfork: You just got back from a meeting with David Cameron, the Leader of the Conservative Party in the UK, who invited you to tea after reading a letter you wrote him addressing some comments he made about hip hop back in June. What was that like?
Rhymefest: It was crazy. I mean, he's up to be the next Prime Minister. And I'm the first rapper to ever go to the House of Commons and perform for them, and there were MI5 and MI6 everywhere. They had me in the papers like I was some big gangsta rapper. You had members of the opposite party rallying against me. You heard black people in black neighborhoods looking at me like I was Tupac-- and they didn't even know who I was-- saying, "Yo, he's speaking for us. He's speaking for hip hop!" All from a letter I wrote.
Pitchfork: Did you really perform for the whole House of Commons?
Rhymefest: No, it wasn't a performance. I went to the House of Commons to meet with him, and [I brought] Ged Doherty-- the CEO of BMG UK-- with me because it had to be a meeting of the heads. I'm an artist; I don't have control over who puts records out or who puts money behind them or who does promotion. Hell, I ain't worth platinum. My shit was a brick. As good as Blue Collar was, it didn't sell a hundred thousand records. So I had to take him because he's the one that can affect a change. And when I rapped for [Cameron], it wasn't a performance. It was more of a, "Look, rap music isn't all 50 Cent. It isn't all gangster. It isn't all misleading to the youth. Some of it goes a little something like this..." And I rapped for him.
He said, "All I'm saying is this: I never said, 'Ban hip hop.' Because I understand that everyone needs to be heard and I understand expression." And then he said the word that I have been talking about for the longest [time], and it really lit me up. He said, "[We need] balance." And I said to him, "I agree with what you're saying. But on the other hand, if your policies promote poverty, the problem is that the people don't believe you. If your policies don't coincide with your concern about our music and our expression, then the people are not going to respond to you. Rap music comes from disenfranchisement; it comes from urban rebellion. So until we can calm that down, then you're going to hear a lot of things you don't like. And you can't tell the people, 'Don't cry.' You have to ask them why they're crying, just like we're doing now." [MORE...]
Dave Allen Talks New Gang of Four Album
"I think there's enough going on in the world for us to start pontificating again."
Having come a damn long way-- from being a gang of lads in Leeds in the late 1970s to becoming one of the most exciting and influential bands of the post-punk era to proving their lasting vitality with a recent reunion tour-- Gang of Four won't be slowing down anytime soon. Now comes news that the Four-piece have a brand new record in the works, their first set of new material since 1995's Shrinkwrapped and first with the original lineup since 1981's Solid Gold, barring last year's re-recordings disc Return the Gift.
Pitchfork recently phoned up the man behind Gang of Four's groove, bassist Dave Allen, for a chat about GoF's musical offering to the twenty-first century.
"We're in the very early stages," Allen told Pitchfork. "[Guitarist] Andy Gill and I have been talking-- that's how Gang of Four starts with stuff like this: there's a lot of talking about what do we want to do, how can we do it, is there a need for it? That was a big question for me. After Entertainment! and Solid Gold, we've got to be careful, we've got to deliver something rather special.
"I wanted to be sure that me Andy and [vocalist] Jon [King] especially were fired up about things, and I think we are. I think there's enough going on in the world for us to start pontificating again." [MORE...]
Klaxons Talk Visa Troubles, Debut Album
U.S. Immigration to Brits: "You're not a real band"
Klaxons are in a rush. The British electro-rockers are at the airport in Iceland when Pitchfork catches up with them, heading from a triumphant set at the Iceland Airwaves festival back to a gig in their home country.
"That's pretty much the story of our lives," lead Klaxon Jamie Reynolds says. "We go to the most beautiful places in the world but don't actually get to see them. We just sit in the back of a taxi and then go home."
But the band's hurry isn't just a struggle not to be late. Their music races frantic grooves through candy-colored riffs and comet-chasing synthesizers, and it has propelled the trio to near-instant fame. Despite having only released a few singles in England and an EP (Xan Valleys on Modular) in America, Klaxons have already rocketed to the top of the buzz bin, appearing on the cover of the NME, signing to Polydor, and selling out shows everywhere. Ah, the magic of the internet!
However, Klaxons' rapid rise has been both a blessing and a bit of a curse, when internet hype meets real-world logistics. The band was scheduled to go on its first U.S. mini-tour in early November, but were forced to cancel the shows when the members were denied visas due to the band's youth and its small recorded output. "I guess it's something about not being able to have a visa unless you've been together for a certain period of time," Reynolds says. We haven't even had our [one year] anniversary yet. It's on the fourth of November or something. It does sound a bit crazy doesn't it? Certainly they can't mark your popularity on the amount of time that you have been in existence."
The band is using their newfound extra time to finish up work on their debut album, set to be released January 29 on Polydor in the UK. (They're still negotiating with labels in the U.S.) "We have recorded the majority of it; we have just not finished mixing it yet," Reynolds says. "It has just been a case of the buying the time to make sure that we make the best record possible." [MORE...]
Fujiya & Miyagi Already at Work on Next LP
It's only been a few months since the up-and-coming Brighton-based electro/krautrock trio Fujiya & Miyagi released their latest full-length, the Best New Music-worthy Transparent Things, in Europe-- and it won't even be available in North America until its stateside release January 23 (via the Deaf, Dumb & Blind label). But that hasn't stopped the Can- and Kraftwerk-indebted Brits from getting to work on the follow-up album. Talking to Pitchfork recently from across the Atlantic, Fujiya & Miyagi vocalist David Best seemed inspired to make fast progress."We've been making up songs since we finished [Transparent Things], really," said Best. "We're recording again in November, just demoing stuff. We've got about ten songs now, and I want to get like 15. It's not a million miles away from Transparent Things so far, but I think the stuff we've come up with on the whole is better."
As with Transparent Things, recording of the new material is being split between the band's home and Church Road Studios near Brighton, with band member Stephen Lewis producing and Alan Boorman (of prankster rockers Wevie Stonder) mixing. Also onboard will be newfound collaborator Lee Adams, best known for his drum work in Stereolab bassist Simon Johns' side project Imitation Electric Piano, who'll be adding percussion. "Last time we played Brighton he played with us, so on the next album, we're going to introduce live drums with electronic beats as well, and Lee's going to do that for us," Best told Pitchfork in an interview last week.
Fujiya & Miyagi haven't finalized any potential song titles as yet, but Best is toying with a title for the album proper: Lightbulbs. "My ex-girlfriend always had a thing about changing lightbulbs immediately," Best stated, "and I always ended up doing the washing up, so it's like a gender reversal. It'll look nice with a lightbulb on the cover."
Yet, for all this progress, the finished product is still a ways off, giving new fans and listeners plenty of time to absorb the excellent Transparent Things. "I reckon we'll be finished by about March maybe," revealed Best. "The songwriting process is well on its way. Then we've got to record it with Lee, and we've never recorded with [live] drums before, so that's going to take a lot longer. But I think we can pretty much sort it out by March, and then hopefully get it released pretty soon after." So we should expect it by summer then? "Hopefully. It might get held up in the cogs of the industry. Or, we've got to find some cogs for it to get held up in."
MP3: M. Ward on AOL's Interface
Ward all about Wallace & Gromit
Those dudes and dudettes at AOL's The Interface must, like, know somebody, because they keep getting top crop to drop by their studio and record exclusive sessions. Spoon's Britt Daniel, once-elusive Cat Power, and now, gravel-voiced M. Ward have all taken the Interface plunge.Perhaps there's just a certain charm in sincerely fielding some hopelessly bland interview questions-- like those Britt and Chan put up with in recent sessions-- from a nervous-sounding gentleman. Poor Ward gets probed on influences, song-writing process, and recent favorites, and you can pretty much see his eyes rolling as he talks up Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Seriously.
Graciously, he shares a few tunes too, including "Chinese Translation" and "To Be Home" from this year's Pitchfork Recommended Post-War, and "Paul's Song" from 2005's Transistor Radio. Both discs are available now from Merge. Ward also kindly shares at least one looooooow sigh into the mic, which some folks out there might find sexy.
Ward's presently flexing his finger-picking muscles in Europe, and closes out the year with a couple festival dates in Australia. [MORE...]
Perry Farrell Talks Satellite Party
Also talks about actually partying on an actual satellite
We've all been there: lying in bed late at night, mind restless, pondering the mysteries of life, when the thought seizes us-- "How awesome would it be to party on a satellite that's orbiting the Earth?" Ex-Jane's Addiction/Porno for Pyros chief Perry Farrell has been there too, but instead of just writing about it in his Live Journal, Perry did something about it. He formed a band.That band, the Satellite Party, debuted in nascent form last year, playing a gig in L.A. and a set at Lollapalooza 2005 in Chicago. They've since signed to Columbia Records, and have a full-length, self-titled debut slated for release in March of next year. Pitchfork recently spoke to Farrell, who was more than happy to chat about the new project's sound and concept, rock vs. hip hop, parties in space, party people, party drugs, Lollapalooza, and partying. [MORE...]
Interview: Mew
"We're probably one of the biggest bands in Scandinavia today."
Mew seem to come from another world-- and no, we don't mean Denmark. On this year's epic And the Glass Handed Kites (a recent Pitchfork recommendation), the dream-rock combo explores realms most of us abandoned long ago at the onset of adulthood, while proudly hinting at its alternative rock, shoegaze, and indie influences. From their soaring atmospherics to their childlike lyrical content to their eerie animated backdrops, Mew seem intent on drawing you into their own odd universe-- and if you're willing to suspend disbelief for an hour or so, it's well worth the plunge.
The band is currently in the midst of an ambitious North American tour, opening for NME lovechildren Kasabian. In between shows, Pitchfork sat down for a chat with the impresario behind Mew-- vocalist, guitarist, lyricist, and visual artist Jonas Bjerre-- about fairy tales, J Mascis, and yes, that album cover.
Pitchfork: The record seems to take itself pretty seriously, but what happened with that cover art?
Jonas: Well, there's this company in Paris called M/M (Paris), and they are very avant-garde or cutting edge or whatever you call it. They've done a lot of work for Björk, and everything they've made we really like a lot. We decided to approach them to make the cover, and we simply left everything up to them so that [their] vision would be intact and uncompromised.
We thought it was a bit bold for a band of our type to put our faces on the cover. It's usually more of a pop thing, but the way they did it was so strange. And the way that our faces interact-- it kind of makes sense that our music is the same way, the result of all our combined chemistry together.
Pitchfork: So you're satisfied with the way it came out?
Jonas: Yeah. It took us a while to get used to the idea, but now I really like it. I think it's very artistic. I'm quite happy with it.
Pitchfork: What's a "Glass Handed Kite"?
Jonas: A lot of our lyrics are very abstract, and when we get asked about them we kind of try to rationalize them and explain them. But a lot of them come from a very subconscious place. If I were to make an attempt, I'd probably say that the kite is a symbol of our music, because it's very fragile, made of canvas that can be ripped apart very easily, but at the same time it soars very high, and I think that's true of our music as well. It has both of those sides: very fragile, and still very strong in points. But I think it's better to leave the image up for interpretation.
Pitchfork: You got J Mascis to sing on "Why Are You Looking Grave?" How did you manage that?
Jonas: We've kind of bumped into him over the years a few times. A long time ago when we'd just started the band, our old guitar player met him in Copenhagen, where he was doing a show and he'd lost his luggage. So Bo [Madsen] went with him around to some shops and got him some t-shirts and stuff, and he also gave him a Mew t-shirt which he played in that night, which was really nice for us. And then [Mascis] was playing a show in L.A. while we recorded there, so we went to see him afterwards backstage, and convinced him to come sing in the studio. We really like his voice, and I think it's a great contrast to mine. [MORE...]
Two Gallants Speak Out About Houston Incident
"It's a sobering feeling to have the law be completely lawless, and feel like there's absolutely nothing I could do."
When Pitchfork reached Two Gallants on the phone yesterday to talk about the fiasco at their Houston, Texas show on Friday night, singer/guitarist Adam Stephens and drummer Tyson Vogel sounded tired, angry, and slightly bewildered. And they have every right to be.
"It's been a confusing few days," Stephens said. "I guess I'm getting over feeling absolutely powerless in a so-called free and democratic society. It's a sobering feeling to have the law be completely lawless, and feel like there's absolutely nothing I could do. I think everyone there that night felt the same."
Quick catch-up: On Friday night, the Saddle Creek band headlined a show at the Houston club Walter's on Washington. Trainwreck Riders and Langhorne Slim opened. After receiving a noise complaint, the Houston Police Department sent officer G.M. Rodriguez to the club. Rodriguez took the stage as Two Gallants played, and demanded that the band stop performing. When they refused, a melee ensued. Rodriguez shot several people with a Taser gun, and there were numerous arrests. Vogel and Trainwreck Riders vocalist/guitarist Andrew Kerwin and bassist Sean Kohler were arrested and spent the night in jail. Stephens was Tasered, but escaped.
On Sunday, the Houston Chronicle reported that HPD Sgt. Nate McDuell claimed that Rodriguez had been attacked and had acted out of self-defense. Stephens and Vogel said that was far from the truth, and explained their side of the story. [MORE...]
We already mentioned last week all the love Brighton-based trio Fujiya & Miyagi have received-- not only from the international music press, but from DJs like Optimo, Erol Alkan, and the DFA's James Murphy, as well-- for their latest full-length, Transparent Things. So, with the album now slated for North American release January 23, and in heavy rotation 'round Pitchfork HQ, we sat down with F&M vocalist David Best to talk about their origins, hanging with Can's Damo Suzuki, and why they seem so taken with Japan.
Pitchfork: The most commonly cited reference point for your music is Krautrock-- Can, Neu!, Cluster, and the like.
David: That music really struck me when I first heard it. I was 16 when I first heard Can, and I was like, "What's that! That's amazing!" So that's something I always go back to. All those Harmonia and Cluster and Can records are great-- although we've had a lot of people saying it's maybe a bit too near it. It's part of us, but hopefully we add something else as well. Because we're quite English, and we sing in an English accent. If you combine synthesizers and vocals, you don't necessarily want to be Yes.
Pitchfork: But vocally, it seems like more people detect a Japanese affectation than an English accent.
David: Well, that comes from... I'm not a great singer, so everything I do is based around the rhythm of stuff, so I might miss that word or say words phonetically, which makes it sound less like your normal English guitar band. For me, it's just a rhythm thing; it has to sound good rhythmically. And because the Japanese language maybe has some connection with that...
Pitchfork: But David, the bandname is Japanese, and one of your lyrics even goes, "We're just pretending to be Japanese!"
David: That "just pretending to be Japanese" was trying to clear it up, really, because initially we thought we might just release two records, and wouldn't have to do any gigs. We just thought of a name and thought, "Yeah, that'll do." We thought we could put Japanese people on the cover so it would throw people; it just sounded more interesting than two blokes from Brighton. But then when we started playing, obviously, it sort of backfired, because then people are going, "Who are these white blokes?" Honestly, it's probably more a Damo Suzuki thing than the whole of Japan.
Pitchfork: So it wouldn't be safe necessarily to call you a Nipponophile.
David: No, not at all. I mean, I've never been there. I like the old Bruce Lee films, but it's not a major thing. [MORE...]
Aziz Ansari Talks "Human Giant" MTV Show
Pitchfork Music Festival Pre-Party standup comedian Aziz Ansari and the rest of his Human Giant comedy troupe (Rob Huebel, Paul Scheer, and Jason Woliner) have just announced that their own comedy series, creatively titled "Human Giant", will debut on MTV in the first quarter of next year.
All four troupe members will executive produce the show, with Ansari, Huebel, and Scheer also starring in it and Woliner directing it.
Ansari explained the MTV deal in an interview today with Pitchfork. "We didn't pitch them a show or anything, they just saw the shorts and they really wanted us to do some sort of show for them. 'Shutterbugs' we shot on our own, and 'Illusionators', we shot in Vegas. We put a teaser trailer up for ['Illusionators'], but we never released it because it was too long. And we started talking to people about doing some sort of show, so we thought, 'We shouldn't release this so we have something in our back pockets. When people meet with us, we can show them this other thing.' So those two videos and then the mixtape video-- we had all those on a DVD. MTV got ahold of that DVD and told us they wanted us to make a pilot of short films like that. We started the pilot in April and finished it in July, and that's when we found out we got picked up. They ordered eight half-hour episodes and it'll be on regular MTV.
"When they said we got picked up on regular MTV and not even MTV2, I was really taken aback because if you think about it, I can't even think of any shows on MTV that are scripted anymore. They're all reality TV and stuff like 'My Sweet 16' or 'My Parents Just Set Me Up on a Date' or whatever, [but] with stuff like YouTube out there, people are familiar with sketch comedy. They understand that format, so I feel like if people see a sketch of ours on the internet and they like it, hopefully they'll want to watch our show." [MORE...]
WOXY Returns!
GM Bryan Jay Miller to Pitchfork: "We're really stoked."
"Hey folks, we'd like to save woxy," began a simple September 19 post on the message boards of WOXY.com, the venerable Cincinnati-based radio institution that-- citing financial shortcomings-- pulled the plug last month after 23 years of playing quality music to the masses. "We're very well funded and humbled by the great work the people here have done," the mysterious post continued. "Please tell the fab four at woxy to contact us." Most thought it a hoax, but the post's author-- Bill Nguyen, co-founder of CD-trading service lala.com-- was quite serious.
Today, his noble offer saw fruition, as WOXY returned to the internet airwaves at 10:10am EDT, 10/10/06. Now partnered with Nguyen's La La, WOXY is not only back, but it has a few new surprises up its sleeves. Allow us to spoil them for you.
The first: listener-generated playlists, or what WOXY and La La have deemed "Citizen Radio". Beginning in a matter of weeks, WOXY fans will be able to program their very own set of favorite tunes over at lala.com, drawn from the extensive and always growing WOXY digital catalog. Quite a few test playlists are already up and running at La La's website.
With La La's help, WOXY also has designs on extending its much-loved Lounge Acts series of live sessions by erecting additional studios in cities across the country. As with the main Cincinnati studio, these satellite Lounge Acts studios will host national touring acts; they'll also record sessions from promising local talent. The first will go up in San Francisco in the near future, and WOXY and La La hope to establish more in Austin, New York, Chicago, Seattle, and elsewhere eventually.
La La is essentially a CD-trading network that allows users to list CDs they want, and those they already have. By drawing from a vast body of subscribers, it facilitates multi-party trades for a small fee ($1.00 per exchange, with $0.20 going to the artist, plus $0.75 shipping)-- so if Manny in Missoula has OK Computer but wants Loveless, Billy in Boise has Loveless but wants Cracked Rear View ('cause he's crazy like that), and Ginny Sue Beth in Dallas has Cracked Rear View but wants OK Computer-- well, a few postage stamps later, everybody's satisfied. And, when trades involve deceased artists, La La donates that $0.20 to its "Z" Foundation, dedicated to "address[ing] the economic challenges [working musicians] face"-- health care, and the like.
Pitchfork recently chatted with WOXY General Manager Bryan Jay Miller, a 13-plus-year veteran of the station, about the partnership with La La and the new direction for WOXY. [MORE...]
Exclusive: Earlimart Talk New Album, Elliott Smith
Share exclusive MP3s
Some bands come raging out the gates with some landmark debut album, then break up or fizzle off into mediocrity. Some toil for years and years before hitting their stride. And a few just plug along the old fashioned way, learning from their mistakes, growing steadily as songwriters, and improving by degrees with each release. Like Los Angeles rockers Earlimart. The Aaron Espinoza-fronted combo has four albums under its belt, each building upon the merits of the last. "I think [with] every album I'm getting better [as a producer], and the albums sound better and the songwriting gets better," Espinoza recently told Pitchfork. By that logic, the self-produced, as-yet-untitled latest offering from Earlimart should be the band's best yet. While he's "still tinkering" with the new disc, which has no label or set release date yet, Espinoza was happy to talk about its genesis. [MORE...]
Ted Leo Talks New Album, Head Injury
Ted Leo is Mr. Punk Rock, right? He spends all his time in the van, he wears the same t-shirt to two festivals in the same city within five weeks of each other, he plays so hard he bashes his face in (more on that later).
So what's he doing recording his new album on a farm in rural Massachusetts? Isn't that something that, like, Devendra or Brightblack Morning Light would do?
Actually, Ted Leo is being as punk as ever. At Long View Farms, where Leo, bandmates Dave Lerner and Chris Wilson, and producer Brendan Canty (Fugazi) recently holed up to work on their fifth album, conditions were pretty hardcore. "They have a barn with a recording studio," Leo explained in an interview with Pitchfork over the weekend. "The only drawback to the whole thing is you're tracking in the area above where all the horses are. By like the tenth day, the constant flies were really starting to bug me."
Perhaps because of those flies (or perhaps because we live in George W. Bush's America in 2006), the as-yet-untitled album is "a little more aggressive" than what we're used to from Mr. Leo. "In terms of sound, the drum sound and guitars and everything, kind of sounds like a 77 punk record," Leo said. "We did a lot of work on actually getting things like we wanted them to sound on the front end, and then listening back it was like, 'Wow that's the sound of an older record."
Not surprisingly, many of the titles of the 14 songs that have been recorded are appropriately punk-sounding: "Sons of Ten", "La Costa Brava", "World Stops Turning", "Born on Christmas Day", "Who Do You Love" (not a cover), "Some Beginner's Mind", "A Bottle of Bucky", "Army Bound," "Bomb Repeat Bomb", "The Toro and the Toreador", "The Unwanted Things", "The Loft Brigade", and "CIA".
All of the music has been recorded, and the band is working on vocals and mixing this week, with a spring 2007 release in mind. "There's some piano on there, some more folky instruments. I played a lot of mandolin on it," Leo said. Aggressive mandolin! We like the sound of that. [MORE...]
Dan Bejar, Sydney Vermont Talk Hello, Blue Roses
MP3: Hello, Blue Roses: "Hello Blue Roses"
Gee, ain't love grand? Were it not for love, the world would be a grayer, grimmer place, a place devoid of Mates of State, Sonny & Cher, and t.A.t.U. Thank love as well for bringing to life Hello, Blue Roses-- the new project from Destroyer/New Pornographer/Swan Laker Dan Bejar and girlfriend/visual artist/Bonaparte bandleader (more on that later) Sydney Vermont/Hermant. Thank love and, well, boredom."It's stress free and fun," said Vermont of the Hello, Blue Roses collaboration in a recent e-mail interview with Pitchfork. "The glory of a two person band: 'I'm bored, want to record an HBR song? OK!'"
Vermont and Bejar have become bored enough to write and/or record about seven or eight songs thus far, including a couple covers and "our anthem song," says Vermont, called "Hello Blue Roses" (sans comma). The Vermont-sung tune sounds kind of like a medieval minstrel song, except for the handclaps and Bejar's background mumbles. It appeared on a recent compilation of Vancouver artists and you can hear it right now on HBR's MySpace or download it below.
The pair, which took its name from a line in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, has been seriously collaborating "for about a year now," says Vermont. She writes the lyrics and melodies, sings, and plays flute, while beau Dan "arrangers, adds instrumentation, and sings back-up," according to Vermont. Or, as Bejar put it: "I am a budding engineering star."
Hello, Blue Roses jet off to Spain soon to spend six months with Bejar's family. There they hope to continue writing and recording, and "maybe [play] a small show," with the goal of "having a finished record by the time we return [to Vancouver] in April." [MORE...]
The Wrens Reissued, Rejuvenated
Silver, Secaucus due November 14; split singles, EP in the works
Last week, Wind-Up Records announced that they will reissue the Wrens' first two albums, 1994's Silver and 1996's Secaucus, on November 14. (Silver is currently available on iTunes, and Secaucus will be shortly.) If the news comes as a surprise to fans, it pales in comparison to the reaction of the band members themselves.
"Our eyes shot out of our heads," singer/guitarist Charles Bissell told Pitchfork in a phone interview Friday afternoon. "We were like 'WHAT?!'"
Let's start from the beginning.
Most Wrens followers are probably familiar with the complicated backstory: Silver and Secaucus were originally released on Grass Records, which would eventually become Wind-Up under the leadership of Alan Meltzer. As the band reached the end of their contract with Grass, Meltzer sought to polish the Wrens' sound into something more radio-friendly. The band refused, and did not renew their contract with the label.
The Wrens went on to release the Abbott 1135 EP on the Ten 23 label in 1997, and their triumphant third album, The Meadowlands, on Absolutely Kosher in 2003. Grass morphed into Wind-Up, signed Creed and Evanescence, and basically took over the world. For years, the Wrens have wrangled with Wind-Up for the rights to Silver and Secaucus; most recently, in the summer of 2005, Absolutely Kosher offered $100,000 to purchase the albums. Their offer was declined. Meanwhile, the records continued to run up expensive price tags on eBay. So a year later, in the summer of 2006, when the Wrens' publisher Rough Trade told the band about Wind-Up's plans to finally reissue the albums, the band was understandably floored. "We only found out about it through our publisher who was contacting them to get other information," Bissell explained. "[Wind-Up] were like, 'Oh it's funny that you mention this because we're going to be re-releasing the records.'" [MORE...]
Clap Your Hands Talk New LP
It's due out January 30 on their own label
We love Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and all, but that self-titled debut from last year is getting kinda boring. They need new tunes! We sat down yesterday with CYHSY guitarist/keyboardist Lee Sargent for a brief chat about just that-- the new tunes, new direction, new album, new producer, and that plain old self-released approach.As previously reported, mighty Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, Sleater-Kinney, Low) will produce CYHSY's sophomore full-length, which has no title yet, but is set to arrive January 30. The band wrapped up recording a short while ago, and received the master for LP2 just the other day. "There might be some revisions to it," said Sargent, "but we're done." Applaud and yell affirmatives, folks!
So what can the legions of Clap-o-philes expect? "The songs are really different-- it's an entirely different thing from the first one. There are certain elements that tie it to the first one, but there's a lot more going on, we had the resources to make it a little more involved...[and] we just had a lot of time to try out some different things."
Don't worry though, it's not like they're rapping about their new website or something. According to Lee, "different" here means "the arrangements are more complex." This certainly holds true for new tunes "Some Loud Thunder" and "Satan Said Dance", both set to appear on the next album, and another recent jam, "The Sword Song", which Lee says likely won't.
Now, the big question for these DIY posterboys: who's putting out the new record? "It's going to be the same arrangement as the first one," said Lee. "Wichita is going to put it out in the UK, and they get distributed by V2 in other parts of the world, but we're going to hold onto it in the U.S. and do it the same way we did the first one."
For CYHSY, the decision to go without a U.S. label once again was motivated by practicality more than bleeding-heart ethics. "The first one worked out nicely doing it that way, so there's really been no discussion to even consider changing that arrangement."
Working with Fridmann, Sargent recalled, was "awesome."
"He's just really good at coloring the songs, and his production is unique-- he makes things really sort of gritty, but in a nice way. He has really tasteful approaches to adding little things here and there, and just...fills out the songs." [MORE...]
Exclusive: El-P Talks New LP, Featuring Cat Power
Reznor, Mars Volta, TVOTR, Aesop Rock, James McNew, Cage, Mr. Lif also guest
Four years after the release of his first solo record, Fantastic Damage, Def Jux label head El-P is finally finishing its follow-up, the previously reported I'll Sleep When You're Dead. The always busy producer-rapper said, "It just feels good to be on the mic again," when he spoke to Pitchfork Monday about the album, which he hopes to release March 6 on Def Jux.
His collaborators on I'll Sleep When You're Dead include Trent Reznor, the Mars Volta, Aesop Rock, Cage, Mr. Lif (whose track "might end up becoming a bonus cut" due to scheduling), Tunde Adebimpe (TV on the Radio), Matt Sweeney (Chavez/Bonnie "Prince" Billy/Zwan), James McNew (Yo La Tengo), Rob Sonic, Mr. Dibbs, and Cat Power (more on that later).
El-P qualified their involvement by saying, "I don't really like records that are all about hardcore collaboration. It's really just about friends, and when I'm making shit people drop by, you know? So they'll pop up on little things, background vocals, but most of these people won't be listed, except in the credits."
El-P met Trent Reznor and the Mars Volta in separate instances of mutual fandom, which led to him remixing their songs. He called his remix of the Mars Volta's "The Widow" "probably the best remix I've ever done." When it came to the collaboration on the new record, he said, "I had them come in at the end of a song and kind of built something up around Cedric [Bixler-Zavala] singing and Omar [Rodriguez-Lopez] playing guitar."
As for Reznor, who contributes to a song called "Flyentology", "he basically does the choruses and breakdowns, and he also plays guitar and bass in a section of it. I've had the comment thrown at me for years: 'You're the Trent Reznor of hip hop!' I like his shit, so I was perfectly happy to take that, and it started to make sense to me: 'Hey, that would be a pretty crazy collaboration.'"
An even crazier collaboration is the one with Chan Marshall, who El-P said he knows from "bumping into each other here and there." Working with Marshall on "Poisonville Kids No Wins", the last song on the album, "made a lot of sense," because El-P originally wrote the song while "looping up 'Love & Communication' [from Cat Power's The Greatest]. I kind of forgot that I had done that, and then I went in and I sampled some heartbreaking James Brown shit that I threw in at the end. But I was like, "Well a) I can't pay for this ever, and something's wrong here. Then I bumped into Chan and asked her to do it, and it wasn't until after she said yes that I realized that I had actually written the song to her music. I didn't want to weird her out, but I told her afterwards."
El-P plans to remix "Love & Communication", as "kind of our trade, you know?" [MORE...]
Kill Rock Stars' Slim Moon Leaves KRS for Nonesuch
Moon's Wife Portia Sabin to Run Kill Rock Stars
Kill Rock Stars and Nonesuch might not seem like they have much in common. One label is known for launching pioneering riot grrrl bands (Bikini Kill, Bratmobile), experimental outfits (Deerhoof, Xiu Xiu), and indie rock titans (Sleater-Kinney, the Decemberists).
The other, a Warner Bros. subsidiary, specializes in "world" music (the Nonesuch Explorer Series, Youssou N'Dour, Caetano Veloso), NPR fare (Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin), and Wilco (Wilco).
But the pair just got a lot tighter with the announcement that the founder/head honcho of Kill Rock Stars, Slim Moon, will leave his position at KRS sometime this fall to work in A&R for Nonesuch. Moon's wife, Portia Sabin, will take over both Kill Rock Stars and its 5RC imprint.
Pitchfork got the story straight from Moon and Nonesuch Senior Vice President David Bither. [MORE...]
Jenny Lewis Talks Too $hort, Rilo Kiley, Postal Service
North American tour kicks off tonight
Jenny Lewis is about to hit the road on her fall North American tour. She's working on new solo material and the next Rilo Kiley record, and a new Postal Service album looms in the future. But we'll get to all that later.
Right now, Jenny Lewis wants to talk about Too $hort.
Recently, Lewis went to a Justin Timberlake record release party in L.A. ("I myself was not invited, but I was tagging along with my friends," she points out. "Justin didn't perform, but he was there. And Lil Jon was there wearing a Bad Brains jacket. It was a pretty exciting evening, and the champagne was free.") And who should she bump into but the legendary Bay Area rapper?
"This, I feel, is something to brag about. Too $hort is one of my idols, and he didn't know that I was in a band or played music or anything. But I was gushing, 'God, Too $hort, I've really loved you since high school, and "Don't Fight the Feelin'" is one of my favorite raps, and I know all the words and I think it's a true equal opportunity song for men and women' and at the end of our conversation he said, 'Well let me get your email address', but first he asked me if I was a real redhead, which was kind of uncomfortable, and then he said 'Let me have your email address,' And I was like 'Of course!' and he typed it into his Blackberry and then typed in his phone number and sent me an email with his phone number! So exciting!
"But then when I got home I realized that he faked me out and he didn't actually send it."
OOH! Dissed by Too $hort! That's gotta burn! [MORE...]
Jason Forrest isn't just a DJ, producer, and party-starter. He's also a fuckin' rock star. As previously reported, the laptop destroyer (who also goes by the alias Donna Summer) is now the frontman for a band, for which he provides "laptop-ery and singing" (Elisabeth King plays keyboards and Ethan Schaffner plays guitar).
The trio will be headed out on the road on an American tour in October. (Forrest will make a detour to perform solo at Brazil's Tim festival on October 28.) [MORE...]
Sugarcubes' Einar Orn Talks Reunion
So much for catching them when they come to the U.S. Pitchfork talked with Sugarcubes trumpet player/vocalist Einar Örn yesterday about the band's previously reported reunion, and he said that it is indeed a one-time thing. No tour is scheduled, and there are no plans for recording. Örn was, however, very forthcoming about the origins of the reunion.
"We've got a record company together [Smekkleysa SM, English translation: Bad Taste]. We have a standing meeting on Tuesdays. When our schedules permit that we are all together, we just meet during lunchtime, have lunch together, and discuss culture and music and various things. During the summer, we were talking about [the fact] that it was twenty years [since] the band and the company were formed, and we were sort of thinking that [since] we'd missed the actual birthday of the company [June 8, 1986], the next birthday was the birthday of [the group's first single] 'Birthday'. We said, 'Okay, let's celebrate that,' and everybody was game and we decided to go for it," Örn said.
To prepare for the concert, he said the band is "contemplating what kinds of songs we're going to play and seeing what songs might translate, be fit for playing." Though their first musical rehearsals are scheduled to begin "next week," Örn said, "When the Sugarcubes get together, the first they do is not to play music together. So we're just having fun together and enjoying each other's company. We haven't played together for 14 years, but we've spoken together for 20." [MORE...]
Chan Marshall Tells All to New York Times
"Saturday Night Live" audition?!
First, we were skeptical, then pleasantly surprised. But now it's evident that Chan Marshall is doing victory laps. In an interview published today in The New York Times, Marshall (aka Cat Power) talked about her battle with alcoholism and her past struggles with performing live, as well as her future plans.
"I never noticed they really liked me before. Man, these people stuck with me," Marshall said of her audiences, explaining that her erratic behavior at past shows had more to do with being uncomfortable with herself rather than the audience or the instruments onstage.
She also talked about the events leading up to her stay at the Mount Sinai Medical Center earlier this year, where she was hospitalized right before the release of her latest album, The Greatest. "I was looking at death. I wanted to die," she said, adding, "I lost my mind... I asked God, I said, 'I'm tired, I can't do this.' I was asking him to just take me."
For the full article and a video of Marshall answering some of the interview questions, click here. [MORE...]
Exclusive: RJD2 Signs to XL, Ditches Hip-Hop
"I'm a folk musician at the end of the day."
"I've gone rap free in 2006," claimed RJD2. The Columbus-by-way-of-Philadelphia producer spoke to Pitchfork earlier this week about his currently-untitled third album, which will be released on the indie- and electronic-centric label XL, rather than RJ's longtime home of Def Jux. And instead of the sampledelic hip-hop/electronica of previous albums Deadringer and Since We Last Spoke, the new album was recorded with live instrumentation played entirely by RJ himself.
"Rhythmically, I feel like there's a continuous thread that would run throughout everying that I've done, and I'd like to think the new stuff still has that kind of emphasis on the rhythm section and groove," RJ said. "[But] there are a lot more songs in major keys. There are a lot more vocal harmonizations. I think it's a lot prettier than anything I've ever done. And it's all live. There's, like, one or two samples on there.
He said that, since he began, he wanted "to make pop music. The same shit everybody listens to: the Beatles, your Led Zeppelins, your Tears for Fears. And there are new groups: Elliott Smith or Dungen or Queens of the Stone Age. These are all groups that I feel make-- at the end of the day-- pop music. They do it with their own flavor and their own thing." [MORE...]
Spiral Stairs Talks Pavement Reissue, Reunion Rumors
Scott "Spiral Stairs" Kannberg must be sick of talking about the possibility of a Pavement reunion. But when Pitchfork got him on the phone to chat about the forthcoming deluxe reissue of Pavement's third album, Wowee Zowee (due November 7 on Matador), we had to ask.
So, Spiral, is there going to be a Pavement reunion?
"I guess, yeah, we'll see."
Um, what?
"[Laughs] I mean, I can't tell you. I don't know. I mean, yeah there's been some talk over the last year about kind of getting together eventually. But I think it makes more sense to let more time go past, you know? It would probably work well for a 20 year anniversary or something like that. But I don't know. I'm going to Steve [Malkmus]'s wedding, I think, so we'll see, maybe we'll have a reunion there."
And there you have it. Unless you've got an invite to the Malkmus nuptials, the chances of witnessing a Pavement reunion anytime before 2009 (the band formed in 1989) are slim. [MORE...]
Dosh Taps Andrew Bird, T'nT for The Lost Take
Tapping TNT generally not conducive to one's well-being
Anticon composer Martin Dosh will release his fourth solo disc as Dosh, The Lost Take, on October 17. It's a bit reductive to call this a solo release, though, as Dosh recruited some of his chief musical pals to record for the album, turning the Dosh experience into something of a Twin Cities Lovefest.A horde of Minnesota cats-- from Tapes 'n Tapes guitarist Erik "I Am Not Horatio" Applewick to Dosh's sometime bandmates in Fog, including multi-instrumentalist Michael Lewis (also of Happy Apple) and guitarist/producer Jeremy Ylvisaker-- all contribute to the record.
One non-Minneapolis marquee musician, Andrew Bird, appears on several of the record's tracks, his violin chopped and screwed by Dosh and producer Ben Durrant. Premiere ornithologists (bird scientists, get it?) already know that Dosh splits drumming duties with Bowl of Fire's Kevin O'Donnell on tour and on Bird's forthcoming follow-up to The Mysterious Production of Eggs, now being finished in Durrant's Minneapolis studio. Bird and Dosh began collaborating after someone convinced Dosh to give Bird's manager a copy of 2004's Pure Trash.
"I guess Andrew liked it," Dosh told Pitchfork, "and he asked me to open for him in Minneapolis in February of last year. And then he saw my set and said, 'What are you doing later in the summer? Wanna get together and play?'"
It appears Dosh checked the "yes" box with one of those crayons big enough for your little nephew. "So, we got together, and it worked out pretty cool." [MORE...]
Of Montreal's Barnes Talks LP; Plus Exclusive MP3!
Barnes also explains Outback Steakhouse jingle
How Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes finds the time to pump out as many tunes as he does is still a mystery to us, even after chatting with him about Of Montreal's recording process and the sound of their upcoming album, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? (due January 23 via Polyvinyl). But we did uncover some information about the album's artwork and the band's touring plans.
We also received an exclusive mp3 of Hissing Fauna's leadoff track, "Suffer for Fashion", which can be downloaded by clicking on the link below. It's a propulsive, high-energy track for our fast-paced, high-energy, fashion-conscious culture. "If we're all gonna burn out, let's do it together," quips Barnes, "Let's all melt down together." Once again, the band puts a comical spin on consumerism.
And speaking of consumerism, Barnes also explained that whole Outback Steakhouse jingle thing. A clip of the jingle can be heard here. (Extra special thanks to super awesome Pitchfork reader Doug Williams for sending that in.) [MORE...]
Cage Talks New Album, Canceled Tour
It's been just about a year since Chris Palko, aka Cage, released his Def Jux debut, Hell's Winter. Since the record hit stores, he's logged over 80 days on the road, according to his own estimation-- enough to weary even the most steadfast rapper. However, last month, Cage dropped off a tour with friends Gym Class Heroes that was to begin on September 14. (He was replaced on the tour by Def Jux labelmates Hangar 18.) Pitchfork recently had a chance to catch up with the emcee to find out his reasons for the cancellation, as well as some news about his forthcoming record, Depart From Me.
"It was a number of things," said Cage, regarding his decision to stay off the road. "At that point, I was in the middle of a grueling tour. I was just kind of losing it. And the label was like, 'When's the next record coming?' I wasn't getting anything done on the road. I'd come home for a couple of days and then go back out for a straight month."
On top of that, it seems that, financially, it just wasn't worth his while. "I would have had to [pay] out of my own pocket to open up clubs that I had already been selling out. That on top of everything, was just like...I just couldn't do it. It was just asking way too much." He is planning a headlining tour for this coming January, however, so fans will only have to wait a few more months to catch Cage live.
But the wait should be worth it, as he's hard at work on the new LP and may showcase new tracks. [MORE...]
Future of Music Coalition Takes on Musician Healthcare
Prepares for Policy Summit 2006
If you're an indie musician, supporting yourself is standard operating procedure. But while some methods of self-support are taken for granted, others are almost ignored entirely. Just ask Jenny Toomey, former frontwoman of Tsunami, co-head of the now-defunct Simple Machines label, and Executive Director of the Future of Music Coalition. "Indie bands need to learn how to sell their own CDs at gigs or silkscreen their own t-shirts or sometimes sleep on floors to save money. [Those] things are just givens in the DIY scene. Getting your own health insurance should be one of those things," Toomey said in a recent interview with Pitchfork.In order to accomplish this, the FMC has launched HINT, the Health Insurance Navigation Tool. Funded by a grant from the Nathan Cummings Foundation, the HINT program offers free, confidential thirty-minute phone consultations in which the ins and outs of insurance are explained to musicians in order to help them find the resources that will best meet their needs. It is the FMC's hope that these consultations will demystify the process of obtaining affordable health insurance and assist in identifying organizations aimed specifically at helping musicians.
HINT has been around for "about a year," but Toomey said the FMC is pushing the program now because "I just don't think it's getting enough usage. We initially believed this was something that, 'If you build it, they will come.' But I think there's a lot of shame and a lot of denial in the music community about [getting health insurance]. A lot of musicians are young, so they deny. If you can convince yourself that you don't need to spend another hundred dollars a month to protect yourself from financial ruin, you'll do that."
[MORE...]
Architecture in Helsinki Talk New Album
AIH-Clan Ain't Nothing to Fuck Wit'
A few weeks ago, Australian indie pop band Architecture in Helsinki sent out a MySpace message filled with news. In addition to an update about their new album (which we'll get to in just a little bit), the band announced that they have slimmed down to a six-piece, as members Tara Shackell and Isobel Knowles (no relation to Beyonce) have left the group.
"Their presence and pizzazz over the past few years has helped make AIH what we are," the group wrote. "We want to thank them endlessly for their heart and energy and wish them the very best with their future endeavors."
As for their third full-length, the follow-up to last year's In Case We Die, "the jamz are sounding dope, though, we are probably getting a little too into [member] Cameron [Bird]'s Latin percussion drum machines (the Phil Collins influence is definitely putting a damper on that!)"
We got in touch with Bird, who said that Architecture in Helsinki are hard at work on "a little pan-continental cyber-sonic wang-exploration." He provided Pitchfork with a kind of verbal 'blueprint' of the new album. [MORE...]
Blonde Redhead Talk New Album
Still undecided on title, songs, concept, release date, hair color
New York art-rock trio Blonde Redhead threw many longtime fans for a loop with the stylistic departure of 2004's lush Misery Is a Butterfly (4AD). Gone were the Sonic Youth-y noise jams of yore, replaced by baroque, cinematic, and kaleidoscopic tunes reflecting abstractly on vocalist/keyboardist Kazu Makino's then-recent horse-riding injury. The result polarized, and was largely ignored by certain publications, but damned if it wasn't a gorgeous record.Recently Makino and twin brother bandmates Amadeo (guitar) and Simone (drums) Pace returned to the studio to record Misery's follow-up, which will see release early next year via 4AD. Curious as to what to expect, Pitchfork caught up with Simone for a brief chat about the recording process, the desire to create more economical songs, and the new disc's malleable concept. [MORE...]
Thermals Tour With Cursive, Talk New Album
Also: New Video
Fresh off last month's
release of the phenomenal The Body, The Blood, The Machine, the Thermals have penciled in a
massive fall tour, on which they will serve as Cursive's opening act.
The Portland natives took a test run last weekend at Seattle's Bumbershoot festival, where Pitchfork was fortunate enough to catch up with them for a chat.
Outside of Easy Street Records (the Thermals were gearing up for an instore performance), we discussed Halloween costumes, makeout music, and their upcoming jaunt through the States. [MORE...]
David Yow Talks Scratch Acid Reunion
As previously reported, the much-missed Austin noise rock outfit Scratch Acid will reunite this month for a few shows. It all started when Scratch's one-time home Touch and Go Records announced that the long-broken-up quartet-- featuring David Yow and David Sims, who would go on to help form the Jesus Lizard-- would play the label's 25th anniversary block party. Right now the reunion stands at three dates, with a show in Austin this weekend and a Seattle date post-T&G fest, but the question remains: could this thing develop into a more scathing, less heart-warming equivalent of that Pixies globe-trotting reunion tour?
Pitchfork could only hope so when we spoke with Scratch frontman Yow over the phone recently. Unfortunately, the hope didn't last long. From his home in Los Angeles, Yow confirmed that the three shows will most likely be the entirety of the reunion. When asked what prompted Scratch to reconvene at all, Yow explained, "It's all because of the Touch and Go celebration. And we just figured that it's not fair to play in Chicago and not play Austin." He went on to admit, "It was pretty tough getting me to agree." [MORE...]
Exclusive: Paul Smith Talks New Maxïmo Park Record
In the wee days of August,
Maxïmo Park posted a mysterious blog entry on their official website. It read,
"Maxïmo Park have started working today on the follow up to A Certain Trigger with producer Gil Norton (Foo Fighters, The Pixies). They
will be recording in London."
Leaves a bit to be desired, yes? Well Maxïes, this is your lucky day, because your buds over at Pitchfork have tracked down Park frontman Paul Smith for more information, and boy did he have a mouthful to share. The man was kind enough to enlighten us on the details surrounding the band's upcoming record, the importance of lyrics, opening for the Stones, and a run-in with a certain Eddie Vedder. [MORE...]
Xiu Xiu Talk Myriad Projects, Share Exclusive Video
Run marathon, write novel, cure cancer, start investment firm...
So last week we scooped you on the latest news from camp Xiu, including new albums, new videos, new tour dates, and about 62 side projects and collaborations. For a fun and enumerated list, consult said scoop here.
All caught up? Good, 'cause your Xiu-lovin' pals at Pitchfork have just talked to Jamie Stewart, who was kind enough to share a little more information about the forthcoming Xiu Xiu remixes/covers disc, new band member Ches Smith, the lasting effects of horror movies, and more.
But first! Check out the video for "Bishop, CA", one of four vids from Xiu Xiu's forthcoming The Air Force (due September 12 via 5RC). Directed by XX tour manager David Horvitz, the clip features, according to Jamie, "Super 8 [film footage] that [Horvitz] shot when he was in Israel recently, and Super 8 footage of his family that he found in a box in the closet." The results are appropriately eerie; view it by clicking on our exclusive download here. [MORE...]
Cardigans Talk U.S. Release of Gravity
No one-hit lovefools, enduring Swedish pop rockers the Cardigans are poised to finally release their sixth long-player in the U.S. Nettwerk will issue the 11-track affair, titled Super Extra Gravity, on September 19-- although the most devout Cards fans have been rocking the European import for nearly a year now.
Pitchfork caught up with charming chief Cardigan Nina Persson to discuss the release's delay, her film debut, a cancelled U.S. tour, Japanese audiences, and yes, "Lovefool". [MORE...]
Menomena Talk Barsuk Signing
Below: Menomena sign on the dotted line
As reported by Portland, Oregon's Willamette Week, Menomena have joined the Barsuk roster. Menomena's Danny Seim was kind enough to chat with us on the phone earlier this week; he enlightened us on not only the signing but on the band's upcoming record, side projects, tour plans, and parental advisory intentions.
On Menomena's choice of new label, Seim said, "It was a decision kind of long in the making. We felt that we had kind of reached the point in our career in the band that we needed someone to kind of take over the reins a bit, and allow us to focus more on the creative side of things for once.
"I think that the Barsuk thing, we've really grown to trust them over the past year or so that we've been talking to them and it just seemed like a good fit for us."
Menomena's split from their old home FILMguerrero was completely amicable. In fact, it wasn't even a full-on departure. Seim explained that he has every intention to keep FILMguerrero in the picture when it comes to the band's back catalog, as well as future vinyl releases. In addition, the dudes from Barsuk and FILMguerrero are buds! That's like fooling around with your old significant other while dating her best friend with permission. (FILMguerrero owner John Askew is also in Seim's new side project, Faux Haux, along with Gang of Four's Dave Allen.)
Menomena have already finished up most of the work on their Barsuk debut, Friend and Foe, and plan to release it in January 2007. Blankets author Craig Thompson did the artwork. [MORE...]
Giddy Motors Tell Their Crew to Do Easy
Encourage multiple playings of their record
A jittery, raucous debut album (Make It Pop) and a soundboard manned
by Steve Albini helped make South London's Giddy Motors grade-A
art-punkers in 2002, and brought instant comparisons to the Jesus Lizard, Captain Beefheart, and Mclusky. But after a string of hiatuses (hiati?) and a seemingly endless search for a bass player (Justin Stone, at present, is their sixth), the future of the band came into question. So, like, what's the answer?
Well, we're still not entirely sure. Neither is frontman Gaverick de Vis-- but more on that later. First, we have some good news. Gaverick and the Giddy boys have a new album coming our way: Do Easy, due out via FatCat on Monday, August 21 in Europe and November 28 in North America. [MORE...]
Erlend Oye Talks Kings of Convenience
Album 4 or 13 or 26% Done
Erlend Øye seems to enjoy being one of the Whitest Boys Alive. (As previously reported, his latest musical project-- called yes, the Whitest Boy Alive-- will release its debut album on September 5 on Bubbles Records.) However, he also enjoys being a King of Convenience. And he wants to impress upon fans that his collaboration with Eirik Glambek Bøe still exists.
"I would love to not have to get asked 'is Kings of Convenience over?' after every show I play with WBA," Øye told Pitchfork recently. As proof, he offered that there will be a new Kings album, even if the duo has yet to hammer out exact details.
"I have no idea about when or what or where [we'll record]. We have tons of ideas, but from experience, it takes us as long to get from 0 to 90% done, as it does from 90 to 100%," said Øye.
So just how long does it take to complete 10 percent of an album? "There is a tiny chance we could get a record out in 2007," he said, "But 2008 seems more likely."
Perhaps the process will be sped along by the fact that Bøe recently finished up school (where he studied architectural psychology), making it more convenient for him to participate in Kings of Convenience full time.
Not one to pale in comparison, Øye remains busy touring Europe with WBA this fall.
Gang Gang Dance Talk DVD, Gorillas
Gang Gang Dance aren't a band. They're a gang. "I just think that the term 'band' is very limiting," multi-instrumentalist Brian DeGraw says. "It suggests that you solely make music, play shows, and maybe make a video here and there. But I feel it should be different. I like the word 'band' in its non-musical definition...like a 'band' of outsiders. Something that refers more to the idea of a group of people rather than a group of musicians. And if said group of people happen to be passionate and creatively inclined, then I see no reason why they shouldn't be producing things outside of music. We're a gang more than a band...a very non-violent gang who are very interested in exploring all there is to explore artistically."
Thus, rather than release a new album to coincide with their European tour (which kicks off today in France), the band is putting out the DVD Retina Riddim via the Social Registry. It will be in stores in December, and available at the band's merch table in the meantime. [MORE...]
Walkmen Talk Pussy Cats; Exclusive Stream
The Walkmen's idea to record a song-for-song recreation of Harry Nilsson's 1974 album Pussy Cats started out as a joke. That lighthearted vibe lasted throughout the recording process for "PUSSY CATS" Starring the Walkmen, due out October 24 on Record Collection.
"There was no real plan. It just sounded like a really fun idea," said Walkman Walt Martin. "We decided what we wanted is do it pretty fast so it would stay fun the whole time, and we got lucky somehow and were able to do it fast. It never got to where it was a real drag. It was fun the whole time, somehow."
That sense of playfulness is evident in the outcome, which can be sampled in the exclusive stream of "All My Life", available by clicking below. [MORE...]
Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan Talks Ass-Beating
Also: New Tour Dates
Here at Pitchfork, we do our best to go for the hard-hitting scoops, the things the people really want to know. Like, what's up with the title of the new Yo La Tengo album, I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass, due out September 12 on Matador (September 4 in Europe)? The band has been reluctant to explain themselves...until now. Sort of.
"Well, I mean, the explanation is...it's really not dissimilar to a lot of things we've done over the years in terms of what we want to talk about and what we don't want to talk about...it's kind of like the name of the band," singer/guitarist Ira Kaplan told Pitchfork last week. "Obviously there's something that--you know, it didn't come to us in a dream, but where it came from is ultimately kind of irrelevant to us. It just kind of touched a nerve for everybody in the band and made us laugh."
"As a rule, we sort of let other people decide these things rather than do it for them, but there is a lot of ways to do that. Let's say, 'We're not beating anyone to death. Just a small ass beating.'"
Well, that's good to know, I guess. [MORE...]
Glenn Kotche, Nels Cline Talk Tour, Wilco
By now, one expects seasoned musicians like Nels Cline and Glenn Kotche to have it all mapped out. The dudes are winners, right? After all, Cline's discography stretches back to 1979 and drops some pretty heavy names along the decades, from Willie Nelson and Rickie Lee Jones to Thurston Moore and Mike Watt. Kotche has played with Maureen Tucker, Jim O'Rourke, Fred Lonberg-Holm and Bobby Conn, and his latest album, Mobile, released this year on Nonesuch, is a fascinating exploration of his rhythmic questions. Plus, both Cline and Kotche insist that they're in some band called Wilco.
But a little more than a month before their first solo/duo tour, sweetly dubbed Alone/Together, the guitarist and drummer aren't quite sure how they will be handling the six East Coast and Midwest dates. Cline will play a solo set, followed by Kotche. They will then pair as an improvisational duo. But it's so improvisational they're not sure what they'll be playing. [MORE...]
What a bad time for Canadian indie rock bands with names starting with "D". Like their fellow Torontonians Death From Above 1979, blues-punks the Deadly Snakes have called it quits.
Last week, Pitchfork spoke to multi-instrumentalist Maxwell McCabe-Lokos aka Age of Danger, about the end of the band, various side projects, and his foray into the world of acting. Before everyone gets caught up in their new ventures, however, the Deadly Snakes have a final show scheduled at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern on August 25.
"The main reason is that it's been like 10 years and...it's not fun like it used to be and it's not enough of a career to justify the lack of fun that we're having," McCabe-Lokos said. "It's not excruciating by any stretch, but I think that we're all getting a little tired of going on tour and playing in Ozona, Texas for two or three people. Some people can do that until their eyes fall out.
"I think we went about as far as we could with this band...and we're all still friends and the main thing is that we were friends before, and we wanted to remain friends after, so we decided to call it a day. [MORE...]
Art Brut Sign to Mute UK, Work on Second LP
Also Announce Fall Tour With We Are Scientists
They formed a band, released an enormously great debut record on two different labels, and played one of the most rousing sets at the Pitchfork Music Festival. And now with a tour and a split seven-inch with We Are Scientists, a new record in the works for an early 2007 release, and a new UK label, it's safe to say Art Brut are taking over the world at an astonishing clip.
In an interview at the festival on Saturday, Eddie Argos and guitarist Jasper Future revealed to Pitchfork that they have signed to Mute in the UK. The label has given them a deadline to have their second record "mastered and done by the middle of December," said Argos. "We don't think it's going to happen. But that's the plan." Both Argos and Future, however, were insistent that the album will be released early in 2007.
About the move, Future said, "We were just shopping and we're on so many different labels all over the world that it's like, ‘Oh we just signed to another label.' ‘Oh, great, that's nice.' And then you find out, ‘Oh, that is pretty good. That's amazing.'"
The band have "seven or eight" songs ready for the currently untitled album. Future said, "We've got the music done, and we're just waiting for Eddie to write the words. That takes a bit longer. Eddie's an artist. He needs time to think...We'll be, ‘Have you written the words?' And he'll say, ‘The best way for me to write is on this sofa with my eyes shut.'"
Argos responded, "One time, I was ‘writing' with my eyes shut, and I woke up and they had four new songs."
Among the songs on the record is "Direct Hit", which the band played in unfinished form at the festival. "That was really an unfinished song. We have Eddie bang out the lyrics on the spot," said Future. "It's hard now, though," said Argos. "We play bigger shows. So you can really embarrass yourself." "So we thought we'd embarrass ourselves at the Pitchfork Festival. No one's going to know about that," said Future.
"I have deadlines," said Argos. When asked what the deadline for "Direct Hit" was, he joked, "About forty minutes ago." [MORE...]
Remember Ratatat? Infectious melodies and synthy goodness that you can never get out of your head even if you try? You've been rapping for about "Seventeen Years"? Right, them.
The duo is back with the follow-up to 2004's self-titled release. The album, entitled Classics, will be released August 22 on XL Recordings. Ratatat-er Evan Mast took some time to talk to Pitchfork about the new album and tour plans.
"We worked on it for a long time, like two years maybe," Mast said. For me, my head has been so far into it. I think overall it's much more broad. We were super limited with the first recording--we were confined by space, we had no equipment. This time, things are easier. We expanded the space and recorded in a couple of different places. We had a lot more at our disposal with lots of different thing--recording techniques, a lot of outtakes, getting a lot of stuff out there."
"A lot of stuff" would include not only both acoustic and slide guitar, but sleigh bells and cello. "The little bits and pieces are what make the album...different sounds, different ideas," Mast said. "It's a lot more varied. I think people that know the first album will be kind of surprised. There are definitely mellow songs, but there are songs that are really weird that you wouldn't want to dance to. I think it's a good mix. We like making the dancey songs, but you can only do that so much. A lot of times we would start with a dance song and then went in a weird direction. You just follow where it goes."
They just kick it from their head, you know what I'm sayin'? [MORE...]
Exclusive: New Les Savy Fav Album!
Oh heck yes! Sorry I can't be more eloquent at the moment, but for obvious reasons, a string of curse words (each followed by "YES!" of course) sprang to mind when Les Savy Fav bassist Syd Butler revealed exclusively to Pitchfork that LSF are not dead and are in fact READYING A NEW ALBUM!!!!1 Feels good, don't it?
After 2005's semi-hiatus, talk of Rabbit Trancing, and a slew of mini-releases (the digital EP, limited edition 7"s, etc.), Les Savy Fav are ready to slip into their goddamn-this-band-is-awesome uniforms and get back in the game.
Pitchfork spoke with bassist Syd Butler today about the past, the present, and what's yet to come.
First of all, Rabbit Trancing, a long rumored-about compilation of quiet material and studio experiments, has been called off. Butler explained, "We just got so excited from going to Australia and the Pitchfork festival last year and playing rock songs again that it felt more comfortable to just go back and write new stuff rather than just releasing just noise and practice tapes."
The record Les Savy Fav are working on now does not feature any of the tracks originally intended for Rabbit Trancing, nor any 7" tunes. It's 100% new, and will reflect where the band's at now, which, judging by Butler's enthusiasm, is a place so cool it makes Discovery Zone look like a firepit in comparison.
"We've started practicing, and we have time booked in a studio in three weeks. We'll be recording it with Chris Zane at Gigantic Studios, and then hopefully it'll come out in the spring by SXSW time," Butler said. "We have practice tonight, and it's our third or fourth practice now. We're still trying to decide what it's going to sound like. Is it gonna be a balls-out rock record or is it gonna have some of the more quiet stuff?"
LSF's charismatic frontman Tim Harrington has already prepared lyrics for the as-of-yet untitled effort. According to Butler, this process is a little abnormal ("Usually the lyrics come after, where we're just in the studio banging stuff out and then Tim's rushing to come up with lyrics"), but the point of the hiatus in the first place was to break routine, so all is well in the Les Savy lair.
The record's sound is clearly still in the works, though Butler commented on the weirdness of performing quiet music live. In addition, he mentioned the LP might take a dub route: "I've been listening to so much dub lately, so some of my basslines might be super sparse and dubbed out."
The record, ideally slated for a March or April release, may feature guitar and drum guest contributions from friends of the group.
Finally, and most importantly, "This is definitely gonna happen. We don't want people to think we're aloof or pulling someone's leg. We've booked the time. We know that we're going in November to record it, and we're freaking out and really excited about it."
So are we, Syd. So are we.
Exclusive: Subtle Sign to EMI
Wolf Parade Collaboration Coming Soon
Doseone (aka Adam Drucker) and his Subtle crew (including Jeffrey "Jel" Logan, also of Anticon fame) have made the move to a major label for their upcoming full-length, for hero : for fool. EMI-- who is also backing Lex Records' long-forthcoming Danger Mouse and MF Doom releases-- will co-release for hero : for fool with Lex on October 3 in the U.S. and October 2 in the UK.
In an email to Pitchfork, Drucker said, "We have taken [EMI's] ears by storm and retained all aspects of our creative control and [our] friendly contract with Lex while doing so."
The album's first single will be "The Mercury Craze", scheduled for an October 17 U.S. release (October 16 in the UK). It will have two B-sides. The first is a remix of "The Mercury Craze" from Pitchfork's own Drew Daniel, aka one half of Matmos and one whole of the Soft Pink Truth. The second is "Middleclass Haunt" a single-track remake of two album tracks, "Middleclass Stomp" and "Middleclass Kill", which Drucker described as "sister songs or...a poem that took two songs to paint."
"Middleclass Haunt" is especially notable for being the collaboration with Dan Boeckner of Wolf Parade we previously reported. Drucker "gave Dan the lyrics to them both ["Middleclass Stomp" and "Middleclass Kill"], and he took what rang true to him and sung. Never let him hear the originals though. Made things interesting." In addition to the lyrics, "the music is also an amalgam of the two songs," with Boeckner's "hard rock voice & guitar" featured heavily on the track. [MORE...]
Exclusive: The Rapture Reveal New Album
It's been three long years since the release of the Rapture's last record, Echoes, which also happened to be Pitchfork's favorite album of 2003. But come September 12 (September 4 in the UK), the wait will finally end, with the release of the NYC dance-punk group's second LP, Pieces of the People We Love. In the UK, it will be preceded by the single "Get Myself Into It", which comes out August 21...but wait! You can hear it on the band's MySpace page starting today.
The album comes out on Vertigo Records in the UK, and Motown/Universal in America. Yes, we now live in a world where the Rapture are on Motown.
Pitchfork spoke to band members Vito Roccoforte and Gabriel Andruzzi about Pieces yesterday. They revealed that in addition to "Get Myself Into It", the album will also feature the title track, the previously leaked song "W.A.Y.U.H." (which stands for "Woo, All Right, Yeah, Uh Huh", in case you were curious), and "The Devil". They haven't finished working out the final tracklist, but they're looking to make the album 50 minutes and 10 tracks long. [MORE...]
Kill Your Idols, a documentary film, takes a look at New York's art-rock scene over the last thirty years. It features interviews with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, Liars, Black Dice, Arto Lindsay, Glenn Branca, Lydia Lunch, Michael Gira, and more.
Director Scott Crary's film took the prize for Best Feature Documentary at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival, as well as a distribution deal with Palm Pictures. Kill Your Idols will screen at Cinema Village in New York City starting July 7. There are plans for more widespread release and the film will come out on DVD early this fall. [MORE...]
Imaad Wasif Tours Alone, With YYYs
Former alaska!/Folk Implosion/lowercase member and oft-cited Fourth Yeah in the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Imaad Wasif, recently made an understated splash into the world of solo recordings with his self-titled debut on Kill Rock Stars. To support the record, Wasif is currently traveling the sunny roads of the West Coast; in mid-July, he'll head Down Under to open for and play with the YYYs. [MORE...]
Postal Service Begin Work on New Album
LP to Arrive Weeks Late, Covered in Stamps, At Someone Else's Address
Back in 2003, when music was still in its infancy, Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello came together as the Postal Service to release a little record called Give Up, making it okay for indie kids to get down. And the world was never the same.
In years to come, Give Up will serve as an education in the entirety of music's history all by itself. That is, unless its follow-up improves upon it, in which case we can include it in the curriculum as well.
Gibbard has spoken of that ever-elusive follow-up in a recent interview on MTV.com, in which he said, "We're slowly starting. We're crawling right now, and whether that crawl turns into a walk remains to be seen. But we'll know more towards the end of the year. I've just been touring so much and trying to find time to make it happen and make our schedules line up."
Jimmy Tamborello echoed Gibbard's statement in a recent Pitchfork interview, saying, "We're talking about wanting to finish an album by sometime next year, because we have to work with Death Cab's schedule and stuff. I definitely want to do another one."
Tamborello also said he hopes Jenny Lewis will be more involved in the process this time around. The Rilo Kiley frontwoman and solo artist was a vocalist on Give Up, and, depending on her schedule, she might contribute as a songwriter on the upcoming record. [MORE...]
Voxtrot Talk Playlouder Signing
Texas indie-pop band Voxtrot are set to expand their reach beyond the blogosphere, as they have signed with the Playlouder label, an imprint of the multi-tentacled Beggars Group that is also home to Serena Maneesh. Currently, Playlouder has no plans to put out the band's previously self-released EPs Raised by Wolves and Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives, so Voxtrot won't really be on their radar until the band completes their first album, which is tentatively scheduled to be released early next year. They'll head into the studio this fall.
When Pitchfork spoke to Voxtrot frontman Ramesh Srivastava yesterday, he said, "I wonder what will happen to us now that we're 'signed' and no longer an unsigned band. Will people lose interest now? It seems like last year it was us and Tapes 'n Tapes and a few others, and we were these exciting 'unsigned' bands. Will folks start referring to us now as 'signed indie band Voxtrot'?" [MORE...]
Aesop Rock Writes "Children's" Book
Plot features asshole who learns to sweet-talk princess
All those tongue twisters weren't for nothing. Aesop Rock has just been warming up for his magnum opus: a "children's" book. The Def Jux MC has collaborated with visual artist Jeremy Fish on The Next Best Thing, "a short story about the creative process," according to a press release. This "children's book that's not for kids" is 24 pages long and comes with a 7" picture disc that features a song with lyrics corresponding to the book's images.
According to an email from Aesop Rock, "The song is a rap song that incorporates a 'chimes' sound into the beat. At the top of the song, the reader is asked to turn the pages with each chime. The song is a full rap song in which I describe the steps, in chronological order, to this writer's block cure."
Exclusive: Mercer, Bejar, Krug Join Forces as Swan Lake
Mercer, Bejar, and Krug. Slimy investment firm? Used car sales-team? Or-- god help us-- nu-jazz combo?? Nope. We're talking Carey "Frog Eyes" Mercer, Dan "Destroyer" Bejar, and Spencer "Wolf Sunset Parade Rubdown" Krug, Canadian indie luminaries, and now, supergroup partners.The three originally hoped to call their collaborative band "Thunder Cloud", but since that machismo moniker was already taken, the boys have instead donned metaphorical leotards and christened themselves Swan Lake. Oh lord, not another animal band name!
Pitchfork caught up with Carey Mercer to get the full scoop on how this unlikely confluence came about. The nutshell version: "I proposed that we each bring in four songs and put them together to make a record. It worked!"
There's a bit more to it than that, however. Mercer and Bejar previously hooked up for Destroyer's Notorious Lightning and Other Works EP, and all three toured together behind the record in Europe. One thing led to another and, mused Mercer, "we wanted to formally have a chance to contribute/collaborate on each other's songs; I have never actually sung with Spencer, and Dan and Krug have never recorded together. These songs were all written with the other two members specifically in mind."
"It blows my mind with friendly joy that this can actually happen. It should be stated here that we are friends outside of music as well as inside." Aw shucks everybody, group hug!
What can fans of three of Canada's leading indie stars expect from Swan Lake, apart from pirouettes? Mercer shed some light: "hard [to say], because each band is both Protean in its slipperiness but at the same time always, always, always sounding exactly the same. If not surprised, then [fans will] hopefully [be] impressed. It is kind of trippy."
Song titles include "Shooting Rockets" ("a fucking wicked" Dan Bejar-penned track "that reminds me of "Your Blues"), "Nubile Days" (a Krug ditty that reminds Mercer of Dr. Dre's 2001), and "The Partisan"--not a Leonard Cohen cover--"which might be the best song I have ever written," Mercer enthused.
Although the group lost the name Thunder Cloud, Mercer hopes to keep his cumulonimbus aspirations aloft with the album title. "Sometimes I want to call it Thunder Cloud Reverberates Off Port so that our t-shirt makes sense," remarked Carey. "I had this idea that we could make T. Cloud t-shirts with our faces in the cloud, like in the Lion King or something else that I am confusing for the Lion King."
The tentatively-titled Thunder Cloud was recorded at Dante DeCaro's (Wolf Parade, ex-Hot Hot Heat) studio in Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia. Mercer playfully credits the production to "my will, Spencer's grace, Dan's poetry." If all goes according to plan, the disc will dive-bomb record racks courtesy of Jagjaguwar toward the end of 2006.
Frog Eyes has also begun recording its next LP, titled Tears of the Valedictorian and set to dock early next year. "[I'm] trying to take my time so it sounds good," said Mercer.
Mercer's Frog Eyes and Krug's Sunset Rubdown kick off a tour this May, sure to be laden with jittery guitars and vocal hysterics. Spazz responsibly:
05-06 Victoria, British Columbia - Logan's
05-07 Vancouver, British Columbia - Richard's on Richards
05-09 Calgary, Alberta - Broken City
05-10 Edmonton, Alberta - Starlight Room
05-12 Winnipeg, Manitoba - The Collective Cabaret
05-13 Fargo, ND - VFW
05-14 Mount Vernon, IA - Orange Carpet (OC) at Cornell College
05-17 Northfield, MN - The Cave at Carleton College
05-18 Chicago, IL - Schubas
05-19 Toronto, Ontario - The Opera House *
05-20 Montreal, Quebec - El Salon
05-23 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
05-24 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
05-25 Cambridge, MA - T.T. the Bear's Place
05-26 Hanover, NH - Fuel Rocket Club
* with Islands, Busdriver, Cadence Weapon
Meanwhile, Destroyer (or Big D, as we affectionately call him) is wrapping up his spring jaunt with Magnolia Electric Co. He's just tacked on a few solo dates stretching into May, and will of course totally destroy at the Pitchfork Music Festival this summer. TICKETS ON SALE NOW! Yes! Shameless plug! Yes!:
03-28 New York, NY - Avalon *^
03-29 Washington, DC - Black Cat *
03-30 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle *
03-31 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse *
04-01 Louisville, KY - Uncle Pleasant's *
04-02 Kansas City, MO - Record Bar %
04-12 Vancouver, British Columbia - Richard's on Richards
05-05 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe &
05-06 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
05-08 San Francisco, CA - Café du Nord
05-09 Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
05-21 East Sussex, England - Camber Sands Holiday Centre (All Tomorrow's Parties) #
07-29 Chicago, IL - Union Park (Pitchfork Music Festival) $
* with Magnolia Electric Co
^ with Nedelle
% with White Whale
& with White Rose Movement, Hudson Bell
# with the Shins, the New Pornographers, the Decemberists, Clinic, Big Business, Triangle
$ with Silver Jews, Ted Leo/Pharmacists, Mountain Goats, Band of Horses, Man Man, Hot Machines, et al
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.)
Fri: 02-16-07: 06:04 PM CST
Actress Jena Malone Records Social Registry 7"
Fri: 02-16-07: 02:51 PM CST
El-P Reveals LP Tracklist, Single With Trent Reznor
Fri: 02-16-07: 12:20 PM CST
Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy Team Up for Tour
Fri: 02-16-07: 11:30 AM CST
Mew to Tour North America This Spring
Fri: 02-16-07: 07:00 AM CST
The Wrens Don't Announce New Album Details
Today's Other Headlines
- Rakes Release Ten New Messages, One New Remix EP
- Spank Rock Headlines Disco D Tribute Show
- Dan Deacon Signs to Carpark, Tours
- Mates of State Tour With "This American Life"
- Photos: Audion [Chicago, IL; 02/15/07]
Browse
Fri: 02-16-07
- Actress Jena Malone Records Social Registry 7"
- Rakes Release Ten New Messages, One New Remix EP
- Spank Rock Headlines Disco D Tribute Show
- Dan Deacon Signs to Carpark, Tours
- Mates of State Tour With "This American Life"
- Photos: Audion [Chicago, IL; 02/15/07]
- Elephant Man Collects Greensleeves Tracks for Comp
- Domino Continues Triffids Mania
- El-P Reveals LP Tracklist, Single With Trent Reznor
- Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy Team Up for Tour
- Mew to Tour North America This Spring
- Brother Ali to Spread Undisputed Truth on the Road
- The Wrens Don't Announce New Album Details
Thu: 02-15-07
- Exclusive: Lindstrom to Produce New 120 Days Jams
- CSS, DFA 1979, Gossip on Wall of Sound Comp
- Sufjan Interviews Labelmate Rafter, Mentions Cali LP
- Malajube Tour the World
- Clientele, Portastatic on Go-Betweens/McLennan Tribute
- Dios (Malos) Hit the Road, Share Exclusive New MP3
- P.O.S. Tours With k-os, Warped Tour
- Clipse, Mos Def, Chuck D Featured in PBS Documentary
- Deerhunter Hit the Mark With New EP, Double-Vinyl
- Pixies Tour Australia, Get Another Tribute Album
- Hot Chip Announce U.S. Dates
- Exclusive: Arcade Fire to Play "Saturday Night Live"
- Wilco Reveal Sky Blue Sky Tracklist
- Luaka Bop Seeks U.S. Distro, Preps Os Mutantes Discs
Wed: 02-14-07
- Pitchfork Seeks News Reporter in Chicago
- Arbouretum Tour the States
- Crystal Castles Embark on 8-Bit Terror Tour
- Wooden Wand Taps Sonic Youth for Ecstatic Peace LP
- Factory Honcho Tony Wilson Battling Cancer
- Throbbing Gristle Prep First Studio LP in Decades
- The Rapture Release iTunes EP, Debut Throne of Blood
- Jarvis, Guillemots, Peter Gabriel in BBC Bird Doc
- The Shins Add UK Dates
- Stooges, Arctics, Animal Collective, CSS, !!! to Rock FIB
- Au Revoir Simone Prep Second LP, Big Tour Adventure
- Photos: Arcade Fire [New York, NY; 02/13/07]
- Exclusive: Elliott Smith Rarities Due on Kill Rock Stars
- Art Brut Tour UK With Maximo Park, + North America
Tue: 02-13-07
- Stripes, Franz, Wilco, Lips Onboard for Bonnaroo 2007
- 9th Wonder Teaches Class With Play (of Kid 'n Play)
- Andrew Bird Announces Environmentally-Friendly Tour
- Blood Brothers Announce North American Tour
- Apples in Stereo, Polyphonic Spree Support Critic-Turned-Politician
- The Blow Tour with Mirah, Electrelane
- Charalambides Kick Off Tour
- Bloc Party Add Tour Dates
- Jesus Lizard/Scratch Acid's David Yow Joins L.A.'s Qui
- The Pipettes Schedule UK/Euro Tour
- New Order, Eno, Durutti on Post-Punk Comp Reissue
- CSS Announce Green Screen Video Contest
- Crippled Black Phoenix [ft. Mogwai, Portishead] Tour
- Robyn Says "Konichiwa" to UK With Expanded Robyn
- Devendra, Sunset Rubdown, Why? Cover/Remix Xiu Xiu
- Pretty Girls Make Graves Schedule Farewell Tour
- Rhymefest Turning New Album into Stage Musical
Mon: 02-12-07
- Exclusive: Arcade Fire Unveil North American Tour
- White Stripes Sign to Warner Bros.
- Flaming Lips Announce Spring Tour
- The Police Announce Reunion Tour
- Exclusive: Peter Bjorn & John North American Tour
- Iron and Wine Sics Shepherd's Dog on Fans This Fall
- Battles Talk Mirrored, Vocals, Side Projects
- Devendra, Lavender Diamond, Giant Drag Do Madonna
- Saddle Creek to Distribute Range Life Records
- Nine Inch Nails Year Zero Tracklist Revealed
- Sigur Ros Protest Deforestation With Reykjavik Gig
- T.V. Eye: February 12-17, 2007
- J Dilla, Band of Horses Clean Up at Plug Awards
- Depeche Mode Reissue Construction, Celebration
- Field Music's Brewis Talks Covers, Hiatus, Futureheads
Fri: 02-09-07
- Sweden's Labrador Preps 100-Track Anniversary Box
- Matt and Kim Tour America
- Lifetime Hit the Road, Prep Vinyl Release
- Gnomonsong Update: Devendra Puts Out Jana Hunter, Papercuts, Rio en Medio, Michael Hurley
- Andy Partridge: XTC "Well and Truly in the Fridge"
- Dungen's New Record, Now With 100% More Title
- Photos: Lindstrom [Chicago, IL; 02/08/07]
- Strokes' Hammond, Jr. Adds Tour Dates
- The Shins Expand Tour
- Haggard, Nelson, Price Are Last of the Breed
- Arcade Fire Pick Patrick Wolf, Electrelane to Open Tour
- Vieux Farka Toure Releases Debut LP, Tours
- Silver Jews Documentary to Premiere at SXSW
- Mastodon Extend Tour
- Rosebuds Tour in Advance of New Album
- Rufus Wainwright Announces New Album Details
- The Stooges Announce Tour Dates
- Brian Wilson to Premiere New Work in London
- Death Cab, Lips, Raconteurs Join Townshend on Comp
Thu: 02-08-07
- Dr. Dre, Hollywood Producer
- Akron/Family Launch U.S., European Tour
- Apples in Stereo Expand, Kick Off Tour
- Electrelane Ready Fourth LP, Tour With the Blow
- Lusine Recruits Tejada, Dear, Apparat for Remix Album
- Spiritualized's Pierce Returns to Earth for UK Tour
- Exclusive: LCD Soundsystem Announce Tour
- Panda Bear Reveals Earth-Shattering Three-Date Tour
- Feist Tracklist Revealed
- Sufjan Reviews My Brightest Diamond Gig
- Bonde do Role Announce Album Details, Tour
- Shins Kick Off Tour, Stay in Top 10
- Ghostface Guests on "30 Rock" (Again), Plays Poker
- SXSW Reveals Preliminary Lineup
- Antony Collaborates With All Sentient Life, Plans New Album
- Will Sheff "Talks" Lost Voice, New Okkervil Album
Wed: 02-07-07
- Calla Bloom Anew With Strength in Numbers, Tour
- Modest Mouse Announce More Shows
- Lady Sovereign Expands World Tour
- CocoRosie Ready for Adventures, Euro Tour
- Exclusive: Arcade Fire to Rock NPR
- Klaxons Invade North America
- Flying Canyon's Cayce Lindner, R.I.P.
- Twilight Sad Unveil Debut, Tour North America, UK
- Exclusive: Flaming Lips, Metric Reveal Playboy T-Shirts
- Indie Rock Movie Half-Cocked Comes to DVD
- Smashing Pumpkins Reveal Album Title, Release Date
- Maximo Park's Smith Talks Pleasures, Displeasures
Tue: 02-06-07
- Feist Announces New Album
- Patrick Wolf Reveals U.S. Release Details
- Joni Mitchell Tribute [ft. Sufjan, Bjork] Set for April 24
- Bright Eyes Reveals Cassadaga Tracklist, Euro Dates
- Soft Circle (ex-Black Dice) in Full Bloom on Debut LP
- Grizzly Bear, Band of Horses, Mogwai Join Fans' ATP
- John Cale Travels With Circus
- Deerhunter Announce North American Tour
- Bjork Release Date Disappears! Album Title Revealed?
- Exclusive: Aesop Rock Writes Nike Workout Soundtrack
- Photos: Camera Obscura/The Essex Green [Chicago, IL; 02/03/07]
Mon: 02-05-07
- Long Blondes Release Single, Tour
- Folk Singer, Dylan Pal Eric von Schmidt Dead at 75
- Motown Pianist Joe Hunter Dies
- Frog Eyes' Mercer Talks Blood, Sweat, Tears, Bowie
- Photos: Yo La Tengo [Atlanta, GA; 02/03/07]
- Nine Inch Nails Set New LP Release Date
- Rabbit Factory Unleashes Soul of Neal Hemphill
- Exclusive: Okkervil River Deluxe-ify Sheep, Enter Studio
- Chin Up Chin Up, Boris Yeltsin to Tour
- Bjork Reveals Release Date?
- Mysterious Arcade Fire Pamphlet Surfaces
- LSF, Wolf Parade, Islands Members Team Up for Benefit
- Photos: Sparklehorse / Jesse Sykes [Austin, TX; 02/02/07]
- Beatles, Apple Inc. Settle Lawsuit
- T.V. Eye: February 5-9, 2007
- Photos: Cat Power [New York, NY; 02/02/07]
- Gnarls Barkley Hold Haiku Contest
- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Announce Spring Tour
- Arctic Monkeys Unveil Second Album Details
Sun: 02-04-07
Fri: 02-02-07
- SXSW: Good Bad & Queen, Mountain Goats, Mastodon
- Rah Bras Call It Quits
- Love Is All Release Single, Tour
- The Juan Maclean Kicks Off DJ Dates
- All Seven Sly and the Family Stone LPs Reissued
- Ratatat, 120 Days Tour Together
- Jesse Sykes Confesses Like, Love, Lust, Kicks Off Tour
- Exclusive: Ed Banger Delivers Second Comp, Tour
- Midlake Embark on Bi-Continental Tour
- Goldfrapp Ride a White Horse on New EP
- Sufjan, My Brightest Diamond to Play Music Now Fest
- Pitchfork Seeks Business Intern in Chicago
- Arcade Fire Involved in London Scuffle?
- Exclusive: Battles Reveal New Album Details
- Elvis Perkins Supports XL Debut on Tour
- Mountain Goats, Annuals Head WKNC Benefit
- Exclusive: Voxtrot's Ramesh Srivastava Talks Debut LP
Thu: 02-01-07
- Broken Social Scene Score Tracey Fragments
- Trentemoller "Moan"s, Seances With Lynch, Pynchon
- Herbert Releases Film Work as Score
- R.E.M., Lips, Ward Cover Radiohead, More on Comp
- Jonathan Richman Tours, Scores Indie Film
- Exclusive: Frog Eyes Shed Tears, Tour to Feel Better
- Grizzly Bear Kick Off North American Tour
- Exclusive: Dean & Britta Announce Tour, Share MP3
- Bjork, Chili Peppers Set to Rock Roskilde
- Exclusive: Magik Markers Record With Ranaldo, Tour
- Sea and Cake Ready Everybody
Wed: 01-31-07
- Jamie Klaxon Talks Success, Violence, Family, Future
- M. Ward Tours With Norah Jones
- Coldplay Prep Singles Box Set, Tour
- Air Plan European Tour
- Ladytron Tour With Nine Inch Nails
- You Say Party! We Say Die! Sign to Paper Bag
- Mr. Lif Kicks Off Tour
- Exclusive: Jarvis Announces North American Dates
- The Cribs Enlist Kapranos, Ranaldo for Warner Debut
- The Shins' Wincing Debuts at #2!
- Photos: Peter Bjorn and John [New York, NY; 01/30/07]
- The Killers Announce North American Tour
Tue: 01-30-07
- Isis Frontman Joins Black Metal Supergroup Twilight
- Little Brother Part Ways With 9th Wonder
- Xiu Xiu and Sunset Rubdown to Tour Together
- The Blow Expand Poor Aim, Tour With Of Montreal
- Danielson Movie Heads to DVD
- Steve Reich, Sonny Rollins Win Polar Music Prize
- New Avalanches Album in the Works, Finally
- The Good, the Bad and the Queen Hit North America
- José González Schedules U.S. Shows
- Jay-Z, M.I.A., Timberlake to Shock With Timbaland
- Vashti, ex-Arab Strap, ex-Delgados on Idlewild Lit Comp
- Nick Drake Preps Music From Beyond, Haunts SXSW
- Shellac to Play Robbins Benefit
Mon: 01-29-07
- Police to Reunite for Arresting Grammys Performance
- Anticon Signs SJ Esau, Thee More Shallows
- Photos: Annuals [Atlanta, GA; 01/26/07]
- Clipse Announce Winter Tour
- Decemberists Get Embroidery Treatment
- Maria Taylor Enlists Siblings, Oberst for New Solo LP
- Rogue Wave's Spurgeon Receives Kidney
- Ponys, Roky, Brightblack, Annuals to Play Noise Pop
- Earl Greyhound OK After Tour Van Accident
- Flaming Lips, Metric, Lil Jon Team Up With Playboy
- Klaxons Send Myths Stateside via Rinse/DGC
- Exclusive: Xiu Xiu, Larsen Team for New XXL Album
- Arcade Fire Launch Most Anticipated Tour of All Time
- Exclusive: Cornelius' Sensuous Comes to the States
- T.V. Eye: January 29-February 3, 2007
- Ted Leo Expands Living With Chumbawumba Cover
- Pitchfork Music Festival SXSW Party Revealed!
- Afghan Whigs Retrospective Revealed
- Pretty Girls Make Graves Split
Fri: 01-26-07
- Chatham Gets Sonic Youth, Godspeed for "Guitar Trio"
- Okkervil River's Will Sheff Tours With Josh Ritter
- Modest Mouse Unveil Dead Tracklist, Release Date
- The Good, the Bad and the Queen Kick Off Tour
- Tapes 'n Tapes Schedule North American Tour
- Animal Collective's Avey Tare Records With ex-Múm Gal
- Brian Eno Producing New Coldplay Album
- Kaiser Chief Wilson Chats Album, Na's, No's, Hit'n'Run
- Mastodon Kick Off Winter Tour
- Pattern Is Movement Tour With David Bazan
- Smashing Pumpkins Announce First Reunion Shows
- Secretly Canadian Artists Cover Each Other for Comp
- Shins, Lily Allen, Cold War Kids Play KCRW Fundraiser
- Danny! = Next Def Jux Artist
- Girl Talk Seeks Dancers for Vegas Gig
- Q-Tip Readies Renaissance, Kamaal LPs
- Badly Drawn Boy Tours Europe, North America
- RJD2 Extends North American Tour
Thu: 01-25-07
- Beck's Information Deluxe Edition Revealed
- Photos: Deerhoof/Hella/Busdriver [Los Angeles, CA; 01/24/06]
- Capitol and Virgin Totally Hook Up
- Photos: Of Montreal [San Antonio, TX; 01/21/07]
- Joanna Newsom Tours Australia, New Zealand, Japan
- Lemonheads Tour America, Down Under
- Tom Waits Settles Another Goddamn Lawsuit
- Yo La Tengo Hit the Road
- Datarock Transmit Grooves on North American Tour
- The Rapture Launch Winter Tour
- Times New Viking Sign to Matador, Prep Second LP
- Scott Walker Documentary Drifts Into Theatres
- Shining Put Their Noses to the Grindstone on New LP
- Neko Case Launches Bi-Continental Tour
- Pollard Preps Self-Released EP, LPs for Merge, Ipecac
Wed: 01-24-07
- Perry Farrell's Satellite Party Gets Ultra Payloaded
- The Decemberists Offer iTunes Live From SoHo EP
- Apostle of Hustle Sing National Anthem of Nowhere
- Phil Elverum Re-Adopts Microphones Name for New 7"
- Stuart Murdoch, Will Oldham, Jarvis Head Kiddie Comp
- Can You Make an Album in 28 Days?
- Faust Founder/Producer Uwe Nettelbeck Passes On
- Dinosaur Jr. Reveal Reunion Album Details
- Jennifer O'Connor Tours, Joins Sykes, Dump for 7" Club
- !!!'s Offer Talks Myth Takes, Out Hud, Politics, Welfare
- The Kooks Return to North America
- The Knife's Silent Shout to Become Three-Disc Set
Tue: 01-23-07
- Producer Disco D Commits Suicide
- Yorke Pimps Liars, Spank Rock, Malkmus on iTunes
- Walkmen, Kaiser Chiefs to Tour Together
- Lady Sovereign to Open for Gwen Stefani
- Junior Boys Extend Tour Stateside, Canadaways
- Toto, Spin Doctors, Marky Mark Sign on for Coachella
- Menomena Announce North American Tour
- Band of Horses Saddle Up for Studio, Enhance Lineup
- The Books Announce Spring Tour
- Jarvis Gets U.S. Release Date, Tours Europe
- Hella Kick Off Tour, Get Ready for Outer Space
- LCD Soundsystem to Fans: Send Silver to #1!
Mon: 01-22-07
- Photos: Mission of Burma [New York, NY; 01/19/07]
- Jesus and Mary Chain to Play Coachella!
- Touch and Go Revisit Festival With Video Awesomeness
- Kristin Hersh Talks New Album
- Silver Jews, Avey Tare, Enon, Black Dice on RBR Comp
- Kanye West Applies for Graduation With Chris Martin
- Maximo Park Reveal Our Earthly Pleasures
- Enon Cancel Dates With Of Montreal
- Corsano + Hair Police + Mouthus + Giffoni = Death Unit
- Funkstorung Release Farewell Remix Album
- Deerhoof Give Friends Art Opportunity
- T.V. Eye: January 22-29, 2007
- Jarvis, Lily, New Pornos, Ghostface Added to Coachella
- Ted Leo/Pharmacists to Tour U.S./Canada
Sun: 01-21-07
Fri: 01-19-07
- Pitchfork Music Festival 2007: July 14-15, Chicago
- Kanye West, RZA, DJ Premier on Beat Kings DVD
- Apples in Stereo Tour in Support of New Album
- Summer Hymns, Winter Tour
- Islands' Nick Thorburn Talks All Kinds of Crazy Stuff
- Rock Plaza Central Sign to Yep Roc
- Dosh Drops EP, Dashes Off on Tour
- Fujiya & Miyagi Schedule U.S. Shows
- Lily Allen Announces American Tour
- Ghost Prepare for Stormy Nights
- Iron & Wine and Calexico Tour Japan
- Exclusive: The Pipettes to Charm North America
- Arcade Fire Announce UK Single
- Radiohead Working on Album Again
- Bjork Taps Antony, Timbaland, Lightning Bolt for LP
- Of Montreal Launch Tour, Release Digital Single
Squares, Inc.