Joanna Newsom Working With Van Dyke Parks

All that's well and good, but dude also did "Bare Necessities" from The Jungle Book and three songs from my favorite children's film of all time, The Brave Little Toaster. See, that's impressive.

Now, Parks is busy ramping up his indie cred. In a recent interview with Bandoppler magazine, Parks revealed that he has been working with femme folk fave Joanna Newsom, handling the arrangements for the singer-harpist's follow-up to her 2004 debut The Milk-Eyed Mender.

"She's marvelous, and modest. I've never had a bigger challenge, or more joy in discovery," Parks said. Awwwwwww.

Parks also mentioned that he's at work on a new solo album, scheduled to be released later this year. We wish we could tell you more about the Newsom collaboration, or Joanna's album in general, but Drag City won't respond to our inquiries. Oh well.

The story-telling songbird has one show scheduled right now, taking place in East Sussex, England, at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival on May 20. Surprisingly, she's not playing the ATP date curated by former tour partner/kindred spirit Devendra Banhart. She's participating in Sleater-Kinny's day. Girl power.

Drag City: http://www.dragcity.com/

DJ Shadow Gets Freaky on New Album

Shadow, known for his darkly cinematic hip-hop, may be on the verge of a musical about-face. It seems he's getting crunk on his new record.

Posting on his official web site recently, Shadow said, "Stylistically, it's very different from The Private Press. Some have said Press was an inward-looking album. If that's true, than [sic] this album is the opposite, and that suits me just fine. I've also stopped worrying if my changing taste in music costs me fans; life's too short to live in anyone's box, especially if that box is constraining your shine."

Shadow expects to complete the as-yet untitled album soon. No word on a firm release date, but fans can listen to the single "3 Freaks", featuring Bay Area rappers Keak Da Sneak and Turf Talk, on Shadow's web site. The video for the single is also available for viewing and a remix of the track is forthcoming. To put it mildly, "3 Freaks" is indeed a departure from the library to the sweaty club. Also, check out the picture of Shadow and David Banner in the site's Album Update section! (Then check out the photo of the orchestra.)

Shadow has also announced two English tour dates for this summer, with more to come later. Writes Shadow, "After the album comes out I'll probably tour, so you can expect the site to be hopping with tour date information this summer. I don't think, however, that the tour will be on the scale of the 2002/2003 Private Press 'In Tune and On Time' tour. The risk is that I get stuck in a 'BIGGER! BETTER!' kind of mentality, when really I think the time is right to scale back and concentrate on putting a show together that highlights what I'm doing now, rather than an exhaustive retrospective."

Oh, the pain! Dates:

06-23 London, England - Wireless Festival
06-24 Leeds, England - Wireless Festival

DJ Shadow: http://www.djshadow.com/

Eagles of Death Metal Prep Second Album

But that's OK, because their sassy dance beatz will make you forget the misnomer. The dance party continues for EoDM with their sophomore album, Death by Sexy, due out next Tuesday, April 11 on Downtown Records.

Death by tracklisting:

01 I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News)
02 I Gotta Feeling (Just Nineteen)
03 Cherry Cola
04 I Like to Move in the Night
05 Solid Gold
06 Don't Speak (I Came to Make a BANG!)
07 Keep Your Head Up
08 The Ballad of Queen Bee and Baby Duck
09 Poor Doggie
10 Chase the Devil
11 Eagles Goth
12 Shasta Beast
13 Bag O' Miracles

EoDM, which includes frontman Jesse "the Devil" Hughes and Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme (who produced Death by Sexy and plays drums for the band), are currently wrapping up a tour supporting the Strokes. Before they peace out on the live dates, they'll wrap it up at Coachella where they'll be joined by Downtown labelmates Art Brut and Gnarls Barkley, among many others. Obviously.

Solid Gold dates:

04-04 Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre *
04-07 Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom *
04-08 St. Louis, MO - Vintage Vinyl (in-store)
04-08 St. Louis, MO - The Pageant *
04-09 Milwaukee, WI - Atomic Records (in-store)
04-10 Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Club *
04-11 Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theatre *
04-13 Detroit, MI - State Theatre *
04-14 Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre *
04-14 Hollywood, CA - Virgin Megastore (in-store)
04-21 Philadelphia, PA - The Khyber
04-22 Washington, DC - Black Cat
04-23 New York, NY - Irving Plaza
04-24 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
04-29 Indio, CA - Empire Polo Field (Coachella)

* with the Strokes

The band has also completed a video for the first single from the album, "I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News)", that features not only Homme and Hughes but Jack Black and Homme's sometimes QOTSA-partner Dave Grohl. The video was directed by Akiva Schaffer of The Lonely Island (the comedic filmmaking/writing collective that also includes Jorma Taccone and Andy Samberg of SNL/Narnia fame). You can watch the video here on The Lonely Island website.

* Pitchfork Review: Eagles of Death Metal: Peace Love Death Metal

Eagles of Death Metal: http://www.eaglesofdeathmetal.com
Downtown Records: http://www.downtownrecordings.com

Ex-Test Icicle, Tom Vek Regroup as Naked Babes

The foursome hopped on the MySpace band-wagon (get it?) just last week and already have one gig scheduled, tomorrow night at Madame Jojo's in London. A representative at TI's label Domino Records warns us that these blokes get together and form bands for kicks like most college-aged kids drink beer on the weekends. So, you know, grain of salt. Then again, that's how Test Icicles got together too...

So what do Naked Babes sound like? They sound like, wait for it..."TITS MELTING." So says that MySpace, and ain't nothing on MySpace ever been wrong or sarcastic or facetious, oh no.

As previously reported, Test Icicles will soon part ways, but not before gigging out one last time in their native UK and hitting folks on both sides of the Atlantic with a truckload of swansong releases. First up, Domino UK dishes out the Dig Your Own Grave EP on April 24 in two compelling formats: CD/DVD and double 7". Chock full of tasty remixes by the band and others, as well as new treats, heeeeeere's Johnny:

CD:

01 Pull the Lever (Raaary's Ripmix)
02 Your Biggest Mistake (Unreleased Single Edit)
03 All You Need Is Blood (Dev's Mix)
04 Stuck in the Bend (of a Learning Curve)
05 The Plague and the Pestilence
06 Circle. Square. Triangle (Chrome Hoof Remix)
07 Pull the Lever (Jitset Remix)
08 What's Michelle Like? [hidden track]
09 Who Ate All the Offal? [hidden track]

DVD:

01 Circle. Square. Triangle (video)
02 What's Your Damage? (video)
03 Circle. Square. Triangle *
04 What's Your Damage? *
05 Dancing on Pegs *
06 Boa Vs. Python *
07 Catch It *

* Live at London School of Economics, November 2005

Double 7":

A1: Pull the Lever
B1: All You Need Is Blood

A1: Stuck in the Bend (of a Learning Curve)
B1: The Plague and the Pestilence

Before you fire up that pounds-to-dollars conversion website, know that Domino U.S. will release a different version of the Dig Your Own Grave EP on May 9. This one features seven groovy remixes, including one by Pitchfork/Windish Agency SXSW day-party-mongers Spank Rock. Snap it up:

01 Circle. Square. Triangle (James Ford Remix)
02 What's Your Damage? (Braxe/Falke Remix)
03 Catch It! (Jitset's Grime Mix featuring Statik/Ruffsqwad)
04 Circle. Square. Triangle (Spank Rock Remix)
05 Boa Vs. Python (Statik Grime Remix)
06 What's Your Damage? (Digitalism Remix)
07 Circle. Square. Triangle (Chrome Hoof Remix)

And finally, those mangy Test Icicles will take their final bows at five valedictory UK shows. Spazz out a while and thank them for the memories:

04-18 Glasgow, Scotland - Garage
04-19 Sunderland, England - Manor Quay
04-20 Manchester, England - Academy 2
04-21 Coventry, England - Coliseum
04-22 London, England - Astoria

PS: Word on the Domino streets is fellow soon-to-be-ex-Test Icicle Rory Atwell is presently starting up a band with his dad in Ireland. Hey, if Mystery Jets did it, it must be cool. Or something.

Test Icicles: http://www.test-icicles.com/
Tom Vek: http://www.tomvek.tv
Naked Babes on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/nakedbabes

Peaches Reveals New LP Details, Tours With NIN

Impeach My Bush will be the third Peaches long-player, and it's due out July 11 via XL Recordings. As previously reported, dirty P shacked up with everyone and their baby mamas to record this mammer-jammer of a record, including Joan Jett, the Gossip's Beth Ditto, Queens of the Stone Age / Eagles of Death Metal dude Josh Homme, Hole/Mötley Crüe/Eagles of Death Metal drummer Samantha Maloney, and her one-time roommate Leslie Feist. Production duties fell upon Miss Nisker herself, as well as Mickey Petralia (Beck, Ladytron), with some help from Greg Kurstin (of Geggy Tah, oh my).

Track titles include "Fuck Or Kill", "Tent in Your Pants", "Hit It Hard", "Boys Wanna Be Her", "Downtown", "Rock The Shocker", and "Two Guys (For Every Girl)". Choice lyrical excerpt: "I'd rather fuck who I want then kill who I am told to." Preach on, Peaches!

Peaches' sleazier-than-thou live act has garnered considerable attention, enough that Nine Inch Nails have tapped the potty-mouthed lass to open the second leg of their U.S. tour, also featuring Bauhaus, and, for the first leg, TV on the Radio. For these spectacles she'll enlist a touring band that includes Maloney, JD Samson of Le Tigre, and Radio Sloan of The Need. Who knows, they might just give Reznor-ites a run for their money.

Get taught:

06-16 Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center *#
06-17 Wantagh, NY - Jones Beach Amphitheater *#
06-18 Saratoga, NY - Performing Arts Center *#
06-20 Hartford, CT - New England Dodge Music Center *#
06-23 Boston, MA - Tweeter Center *#
06-24 Toronto, Ontario - Molson Amphitheatre *#
06-25 Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre *#
06-27 Cleveland, OH - Blossom Music Center *#
06-28 Columbus, OH - Germain Amphitheater *#
06-30 Pittsburgh, PA - Post-Gazette Pavilion *#
07-01 Chicago, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre *#
07-02 Milwaukee, WI - Marcus Amphitheater (Summerfest) *#
07-03 Indianapolis, IN - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater *#
07-07 Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater *#
07-08 Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre *#

* with Nine Inch Nails
# with Bauhaus

It's not all sex and games for Nisker, however. Peaches recently posted a message on her website beseeching friends and fans to support stem cell research, on behalf of her sister who "is wheelchair bound and has [a] very aggressive-progressive form of MS [Multiple Sclerosis]."

"She is my hero and my best friend," says Nisker. "It is so hard to see this happen to her."

Peaches' brother-in-law has started the program "Walk a Mile in My Shoes", asking research-supporters to send him an old pair of shoes and a note to George W. Bush, which he in turn will mail to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Read the entire letter and learn how you can help here.

* Peaches: <a

Konono No.1 Travel the World

Founded over 25 years ago by frontman Mawangu Mingiedi, Konono No.1 recorded Congotronics (only the band's second album to receive international distribution) outdoors using a laptop and homemade microphones built from old car parts and makeshift percussion that included pots, pans and (again) used car parts. Take that Man Man!

All that didn't stop Congotronics from becoming one of the most acclaimed albums of the year, and now the group is riding the popularity bus on an extensive world tour. Since there doesn't exist a handy-dandy sub-genre for electronic music from Central Africa (although we think happy hardcore might have originated there), Konono will play a wide array of jazz festivals, electronic festivals, and pretty much everything between.

Dates:

04-05 London, England - Momo's Bar
04-06 London, England - TBA
04-07 London, England - TBA
04-08 Paris, France - Point Ephemere
04-09 Paris, France - Point Ephemere
04-10 Ljubljana, Slovenia - TBA
04-11 Zagreb, Croatia - TBA
04-14 Poitiers, France - Le Confort Moderne
04-15 Clermont Ferrand, France - La Cooperative De Mai
04-18 Nantes, France - L'Olympic
04-20 Lille, France - L'Aeronef
04-21 Brussels, Belgium - Beursschouwburg
04-22 Mulhouse, France - Noumatrouf
04-23 Karlsruhe, Germany - Tollhaus
04-25 Prague, Czech Republic - Akropolis
04-26 Vienna, Austria - Szene
04-29 Aulnay, France - TBA
04-30 Poullaouen, France - TBA
05-04 Florence, Italy - TBA
05-05 Rome, Italy - TBA
05-06 Antwerp, Belgium - Zuiderpershuis
05-11 Orleans, France - TBA
05-12 Madrid, Spain - TBA
06-30 Fossombrone, Italy - TBA
07-01 Rome, Italy - TBA
07-06 Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium
07-07 Montreal, Quebec - Montreal Jazz Festival
07-08 London, Ontario - TBA
07-09 Toronto, Ontario - Harbour Electronica Festival
07-10 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
07-11 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
07-13 Ottawa, Quebec - Cisco Systems Festival
07-15 Quebec City, Quebec - Festival d'Éte
07-19 Boston, MA - Museum of Fine Arts
07-23 New York, NY - Central Park Summer Stage
07-24 New York, NY - S.O.B.'s
07-28 Marseillans, France - Festival Convivencia
07-29 Marseille, France - Festival Mimi
08-03 Brest, France - Bout du Monde
08-05 La Reunion, France - Festival Safiko
08-13 Aulnoye Aymeris, France - TBA
08-19 La Roche, France - TBA
08-26 Tokyo, Japan - Club Quatro
08-27 Tokyo, Japan - Yagay Music Hall
08-29 Nagoya, Japan - Club Quatro
08-31 Hiroshima, Japan - Club Quatro
09-03 Osaka, Japan - Lovely Hall
09-05 Tokyo, Japan - Club Quattro

* Konono No.1: <a

Pitchfork Seeks News Reporter in Chicago

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.)