Pitchfork

For a guy who died over 32 years ago, Nick Drake has been awfully prolific these days. Not content simply to loan his music to TV adverts and serve up 2004's Made to Love Magic from beyond the pale, Drake's ready to haunt emotional young people well into 2007.

First up, the deceased has a new LP on the way, tentatively due in late spring or early summer on Island UK. Titled Family Tree, the disc collects some extremely rare Drake material, none of which has been mastered or released officially. While a few of the tunes have crept onto bootlegs, much will grace fans' ears for the very first time. At least, that's what they tell us-- the tracklist is not yet confirmed.

Next, SXSW festival attendees will have several opportunities to indulge in their love for all things Drake. The favorably-received 2000 documentary A Skin Too Few: The Days of Nick Drake-- featuring Drake's actress sister Gabrielle Drake, his producer Joe Boyd, his arranger Robert Kirby, and Paul Weller-- will screen at the Convention Center Theater at 11 a.m. on March 17.

Once sufficiently depressed, drag your feet on over to ACC Room 15 at noon, where Gabrielle, Joe, and special guest Robyn Hitchcock will discuss Nick's legacy at a panel titled "Nick Drake Remembered".

Then get a glimpse of the man himself at the "A Place to Be" photo exhibit, going down at the Habana Annex on March 17 from noon to 6 p.m. This marks the first curated exhibit of Drake's official photographs, most of which were taken by the late British photographer Keith Morris. Several living musical acts will pay tribute to Drake throughout the day.

Finally: If you imbibe enough, you just might catch Drake's ghost playing a few tunes in between sets from Girl Talk and the Pipettes at Pitchfork's SXSW day party.

P.S. As previously reported, classical pianist/radio host Christopher O'Riley reinterprets Drake favorites as part of "Time Has Told Me: A Nick Drake Tribute", going down at UCLA's Royce Hall theater on February 16. Expect O'Riley's Drake takes to appear on Second Grace: The Music of Nick Drake, out this April via World Village/Harmonia Mundi.