Fucking Champs Tour with Trans Am
Is there any vehicle more metal than a Trans Am?

San Francisco indie-metal trio the Fucking Champs are set to unleash themselves upon US and UK audiences throughout Indian Summer. The threesome will be touring in support of IV, their latest collection of abrasive odes released to acclaim last year on Drag City. This will be followed by a UK tour alongside electrockers Trans Am, for which both bands will be supporting their forthcoming collaboration as Trans Champs, Double Exposure, which is due out on Thrill Jockey on October 23rd. Trans Am will also be along for the lightning ride for three of the U.S. dates.

The Fucking Champs are led by ex-Nation of Ulysses guitarist Tim Green, who moved to San Francisco in 1995 and found drummer Tim Soete and guitarist Josh Smith soon thereafter. Their efforts culminated in a series of homemade tapes and seven-inches under various incarnations, most notably C4AM95. If you liked IV, we highly recommend a listen to their double album, III. Just don't play it backwards.

09-13 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
09-20 Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
09-21 Los Angeles, CA - The Smell
09-22 Santa Ana, CA - Koo's
09-23 San Diego, CA - Casbah
09-27 Philadelphia, PA - Khyber
09-29 Cambridge, MA - Garment District
09-30 Providence, RI - AS220
10-06 New York, NY - Brownies
10-07 New York, NY - Brownies
10-14 Brighton, England - Volks Club
10-17 Birmingham, England - Flapper & Firkin
10-19 Dublin, Ireland - Whelans
10-20 Cork, Ireland - The Lobby
10-23 Glasgow, Scotland -13th Note Club
10-24 Dundee, Scotland - On Air East
10-26 Leeds, England - Brudenel Social Club
10-27 Nottingham, England - The Boat Club
10-29 London, England - 93 Feet East
11-17 Pordenone, Italy - Velvet Club

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/f/fucking-champs/iv.shtml
Drag City: http://www.dragcity.com

New Sparklehorse Record Due Out Next Week
Careful now, Mark. Valium is a gateway drug

Also on the agenda is a collection of short films, one for each Life track, which will air together as a special on the Sundance Channel this fall. Contributors to the project include Jonathan Donahue of Mercury Rev, Sparklehorse drummer Scott Minor, Grandaddy's Jason Lytle, and Grant Gee, the director, cinematographer and sound engineer of Radiohead's documentary, Meeting People is Easy. Online previews will be made available prior to the televised event. The band's recent performance for "Sessions at West 54th" may also be seen this fall on PBS.

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/s/sparklehorse/good-morning-spider.shtml
Sparklehorse: http://www.sparklehorse.com
Capitol: http://www.hollywoodandvine.com/sparklehorse

The Goblins Make New LP Upon Discovery of The Coffin
Was Criswell in it?

According to My Pal God Records, Missing Fits, the third album by "masked rockers" the Goblins, is the product of an unusual discovery. Allegedly in late 1999, the band was hanging out with Corey Rusk, the man behind Chicago's Touch & Go Records, when he let them look at The Coffin, a prized prop of hardcore horror punks the Misfits. When left alone with The Coffin, the Goblins discovered "a secret compartment full of papers, props, artwork, record sleeve designs and sheet music." The Goblins spent the next thirteen months in the studio recording these previously unreleased Misfits songs. To sweeten the deal, the Goblins will include three Quicktime clips of Goblins archival video footage and a video game demo.

If the above story doesn't stretch the band's credibility enough for you, perhaps the exhaustive liner notes written by noted scholar Dr. Yuri Strier, Chairman of the University of Chicago's Musics and Cultures Department, will push you over the edge. They claim that "this collection should appeal to the rawest teenage Misfits fan, the most sophisticated punk and hardcore connoisseurs to the most clinical ethnomusicologists." No, really, they actually said that! Missing Fits is slated for an October 1st release.

If you want it now, goddamnit, the Goblins website has a limited edition version of the album including bonus tracks, lyrics, a poster, a badge, a comic book, and ashes of a former drummer called The Missing Fits Urn Set. We wonder if the ashes all come from the same former drummer.

The Goblins: http://www.roctober.com/goblins
My Pal God Records: http://www.mypalgodrecords.com

Weezer Announce Tour, Bassist Checks into Hospital
That N'Sync video made it look so glamorous

"We unfortunately still don't know what's wrong with [Mikey], and continue to find it very difficult to find out any more from those who might know. We wish him the very best and we hope he comes back soon."

But the show will go on-- Weezer have hired Scott Shriner to act as a stand-in for Welsh on their upcoming dates, for which they will share the bill with Cold. (Cold?! Cold.) Come October, the guys will dispose of Cold, and continue touring with dignity, just to see if they can still do it. The band has reportedly rehearsed 23 unreleased songs, many of which they'll be playing at these gigs. To see if they're playing a hockey arena named after a major corporation near you, here are the dates:

08-25 San Bernardino, CA - GlenHelen Blockbuster Pavilion
09-11 San Jose, CA - San Jose State Events
09-12 Oakland, CA - Henry J. Kaiser Arena
09-14 San Diego, CA - Cox Arena at Aztec Bowl
09-15 Las Vegas, NV - Cox Pavilion
09-17 Salt Lake City, UT - E Center
09-18 Denver, CO - Coliseum
09-20 St. Paul, MN - Roy Wilkins Auditorium
09-21 Chicago, IL - United Center
09-22 Detroit, MI - Cobo Arena
09-24 Mississauga, ON - Arrow Hall at the International Centre
09-25 Worcester, MA - Worcester Centrum
09-26 Philadelphia, PA - First Union Spectrum
09-28 Fairfax, VA - Patriot Center
09-29 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/w/weezer/weezer-green.shtml
Weezer: http://www.weezer.com

Edith Frost Tours for Wonder Wonder
Will Oldham love chanteuses. Nightly

Following the recent celebration of her 37th birthday, Drag City chanteuse Edith Frost will play twenty U.S. venues throughout September. Frost released her third Drag City full-length, Wonder Wonder, in July, the long-awaited follow-up to her previously lauded 1998 effort, Telescopic.

Frost grew up in Texas and Mexico, eventually venturing to Brooklyn for her post-collegiate duration as an Internet programmer and singer for three different groups, playing country, rockabilly and swing. Soon thereafter, she began penning her own tunes and sent recordings to one of her icons, Will Oldham at Drag City. After a self-titled EP culled from demo material issued in 1996, her full-length debut, Calling Over Time, brought acclaim the next year. And the rest, as they say, is her-story! Gah. Can we just get those dates, please?:

09-06 Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club
09-07 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
09-09 Iowa City, IA - Green Room
09-10 Kansas City, - MO Hurricane
09-12 Denton, TX - Rubbergloves
09-13 Austin, TX - Stubbs BBQ
09-14 Houston, TX - Rudyard's
09-15 New Orleans, LA - Mermaid Lounge
09-16 Atlanta, GA - Earl
09-17 Wilmington, NC - Third Floor
09-18 Carrboro, NC - Go Rehearsal Room
09-19 Asheville, NC - Vincent's Ear
09-20 Washington, DC - Black Cat
09-21 Philadelphia, PA - NXNW
09-22 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
09-23 Cambridge, MA - TT the Bear's
09-24 Tivoli, NY - Black Swan
09-25 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
09-26 Pittsburgh, PA - Millvale Industrial Theater
09-28 Detroit, MI - Detroit Contemporary

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/f/frost_edith/telescopic.shtml
Edith Frost: http://www.edithfrost.com
Drag City: http://www.dragcity.com

Stars of the Lid to Release Triple Album This Fall
Ambition rivaled only by 2Pac

On October 8th, droning duo Stars of the Lid will release the cheekily titled triple album The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid. Tired Sounds is the fifth album the "nocturnal lullaby giants" have recorded for Kranky. It's hazy as to why the previous release, Avec Laudenum, was issued by the ultra-obscure Sub Rosa imprint, but what do you expect from the Stars, if not a little mystery? This will more than make up for the wait and the confusion they have afforded their bleary-eyed fans.

Stars of the Lid, the duo of Adam Wiltzie and Brian McBride, were originally centered in Austin, but have become a more global proposition of late. With Adam in Brussels, Belgium and Brian in Chicago, things like writing and recording take a little longer. Both band members have done the side project thing as well: Adam Wiltzie with Labradford's Bobby Donne as part of Aix Em Klemm, and Brian McBride with the slowcore unit the Pilot Ships.

The new album will continue the expanding palette to include strings, horns, and piano, along with the usual guitars and field recordings. And for over-caffeinated pop spazmos, more overt melody! Of course, it'll still be ambient enough to put down a charging rhinoceros. Or perhaps even a charging Bald Bull. Left hook, Little Mac! Join the Nintendo Fun Club today!

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/s/stars-of-the-lid/per-aspera-ad-astra.shtml
Stars of the Lid: http://www.brainwashed.com/sotl/
Kranky: http://brainwashed.com/kranky

Mates of State Unveil More Tour Dates
Pulsars unavailable to play at wedding, already scheduled for another

Organ-toting San Franciscan newlyweds Mates of State just finished recording ten new tracks for their next full-length, which is due out in early 2002. Following their 2000 release, My Solo Project, the new album features Dave Trumfio at the control panels, plus a healthy dose of PDA harmonies and gooey duets. In the meantime, the band has scheduled more tour dates to follow their already exhaustive U.S. jaunt with Appleseed Cast and Beulah. Dates of Mates:

08-24 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
08-25 Denver, CO - 15th St. Tavern (w/Dressy Bessy)
08-26 Lawrence, KS - Bottleneck
08-27 Oklahoma City, OK - Green Door
08-28 Dallas, TX - Good Records
08-28 Denton, TX - Rubber Gloves
08-29 Austin, TX - Emo's
08-30 Houston, TX - Rice University
08-31 Fayetteville, AR - Clunk Music Hall
09-01 Murfreesboro, TN - Red Rose Cafe
09-03 Detroit, MI - Detroit Contemporary
09-04 Chicago, IL - Fireside Bowl
09-05 Minneapolis, MN - Turf Club
09-10 Milwaukee, WI - Globe
09-11 Iowa City, IA - Gabe's Oasis
09-12 Columbus, OH - Bernie's (w/Waxwings, the Minders)
09-13 New York City, NY - Mercury Lounge (CMJ Festival)

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/m/mates-of-state/my-solo-project.shtml
Mates of State: http://www.matesofstate.com

Jim O'Rourke Finally Realizes Insignificance
Shelters self from harsh American press in cuturally superior Japan, where they draw bunnies sucking the wangs of fat, balding manbabies

A go-getter if there ever was one, Jim O'Rourke, has recently completed a new full-length solo record. Amidst production efforts on Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Stereolab's Sound-Dust, Jimmy has found time to O'Rourkify an LP of his own, his third for Drag City. Entitled Insignificance and slated for November release, it's said to explore O'Rourke's rock instincts and burgeoning mainstream appeal as well as his newfound affection for reverse psychology. After performing Hoffman Estates material with such names as Alan Licht, Loren Mazzacane-Connors, Rob Mazurek, Chad Taylor and Ken Vendermark, O'Rourke plans to tour Japan for four October shows with Thurston Moore and Swede avant-saxophonist Mats Gustafsson. But not before Jim and Thurston crash New York with Wizz Jones. Full-length tour this winter with Piss Smith is still up in the air. Dates:

09-17 New York, NY - Tonic
10-24 Kyoto, Japan - Club Metro
10-25 Osaka, Japan- Fandango
10-27 Tokyo, Japan - 20000 Volt
10-28 Tokyo, Japan - CAY

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

Mountain Goats Reissue Rarities on New Label
We bet we can guess what they sound like

John Darnielle, Mr. Mountain Goats, is a complicated fellow. He counsels troubled youth as a job, he writes music and cultural criticism for varied publications, including in print and online for his zine Last Plane to Jakarta, and he is (basically) a one man band. He also earnestly claims to adore both death metal and Spandau Ballet.

Prolific, powerful, and wonderful, he has recorded for over 30 labels, mostly straight to boom-box. Over the past year, some of the band's rarer recordings have been collected in three compilations, most (if not all?) for the first time ever on CD. Protein Source of the Future...Now! and Bitter Melon Farm have already been released. A new label (Ajax reborn in a manner), 3 Beads of Sweat, will release the third volume of the Mountain Goats compilation series this fall or early in 2002, entitled Ghana. The label will also reissue the two previous compilations, as well as the classic Zopilote Machine (prominently featured in Spin, oh so many years ago...) and the band's other Ajax releases. The Mountain Goats recently signed to 4AD, so there may be some brand-new releases on the horizon. We'll keep you informed.

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/m/mountain-goats/protein-source-of-the-future-now.shtml
Mountain Goats: http://www.themountaingoats.net
3 Beads of Sweat: http://www.3bos.com/label_index.html

Beulah Announce Extensive Tour
Stonehenge Druids to don wizard's caps in honor of Pitchfork coverage

The follow-up to 1999's praised When Your Heartstrings Break was set back due to the previously reported demise of Capricorn Records. The Coast is Never Clear will now be issued on Velocette, an independent label founded by former Capricorn personnel. The album features the help of renowned indie knob-twiddlers John Croslin (Guided by Voices, John Vanderslice, Mates of State) and Roger Moutenot (Yo La Tengo, Sleater-Kinney). Dates:

08-25 Belgium - Pukkelpop Festival
08-26 Netherlands - Lowlands Festival
08-27 Paris, France - La Guinguette Pirate
08-29 Wiltshire Co, UK - Stonehenge Druid Music Festival
08-31 Resolven, Wales - Miner's Welfare Hall
09-25 Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
09-26 Tempe, AZ - Nita's Hideaway
09-28 Denton, TX- Rubber Gloves
09-29 Austin, TX - Stubb's
10-01 Atlanta, GA - Echo Lounge
10-02 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club
10-03 Carrboro, NC - Go Studios Room 4
10-04 Washington, DC - TBA
10-05 Philadelphia, PA - The Khyber
10-06 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
10-07 Cambridge, MA - Middle East
10-09 Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
10-10 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
10-11 Chicago, IL - Abbey
10-12 Madison, WI - Club 770
10-13 Minneapolis - 400 Bar
10-15 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre
10-20 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/b/beulah/when-your-heartstrings-break.shtml
Beulah: http://www.beulahmania.com

Two New Releases from Absalom Recordings
Lassie fuckin' sucked

Upstart indie-rock label Absalom Recordings is planning to release two full-length CDs late this summer. First out of the chute is the self-titled debut from Charity Empressa. This project is the brainchild of Eric Campuzano (ex-Lassie Foundation, Cush) and was nearly three years in the making. Apparently not all that confident in his own voice, Campuzano has recruited friends Matthew Kelly (Autumns), Jason Martin (Starflyer 59), Troy Daugherty (Duraluxe), and Wayne Everett (ex-Lassie Foundation), among others, to handle vocal duties. Charity Empressa seeks to create epic soundscapes which focus on "the power of one note," inspired by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Spiritualized. Just don't expect them to record any songs about taking drugs for breakfast.

The second Absalom release is a compilation entitled seen/unseen. A benefit for a Toronto area youth center, the disc features rare and unreleased material from a cross-section of indie music royalty: Frank Black and the Catholics, Giant Sand, the Czars, Joe Henry, 16 Horsepower and Over the Rhine, plus a few more. Not a bad line-up, if we say so ourselves. (Which we do.) Both albums are due to be released on August 21st.

Absalom Recordings: http://www.absalomrecordings.com/

Death Cab for Cutie Ready October Release, Tour
This is the part where you imagine Sean Connery saying "Rocktober"

Bellingham, Washington's finest, Death Cab for Cutie, have set the release date of their third LP, titled The Photo Album, for October 9th. Chris Walla, resident DCFC guitarist and studio whiz, manned the boards once again for the new record, which stands as the band's first full-length foray outside of their old recording space, the Hall of Justice. The album features ten new songs which display a "more confident" side, according to Walla.

An exclusive limited edition version of the record will be available through Barsuk Records and at Death Cab for Cutie shows commencing September 29th. According to bassist Nicholas Harmer, the limited edition will include a bonus disc with goodies including a recorded version of the band's cover of Björk's "All is Full of Love," which has become a live staple. Labelmates the Prom are scheduled to support all shows. Along for other select dates are the Swords Project and Shiner. Tracklist:

01 steadier footing
02 a movie script ending
03 we laugh indoors
04 information travels faster
05 why you'd want to live here
06 blacking out the friction
07 i was a kaleidoscope
08 styrofoam plates
09 coney island
10 debate exposes doubt

Tourdates:

10-05 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe
10-06 Portland, OR - Aladdin Theatre
10-12 Pocatello, ID - Idaho State University
10-13 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
10-14 Boulder, CO - Tulagi
10-15 Lawrence, KS - Granada Theatre
10-16 Omaha, NE - Sokol Underground
10-17 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
10-18 Milwaukee, WI - Globe
10-19 Chicago, IL - Metro
10-20 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
10-21 Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
10-26 Cambridge, MA - Middle East
10-27 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
11-03 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
11-04 Atlanta, GA - Echo Lounge
11-06 Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds
11-07 Orlando, FL - Sapphire Supper
11-09 Houston, TX - Mary Jane's
11-10 Austin, TX - Emo's
11-11 Dallas, TX - Gypsy Tea Room
11-13 Phoenix, AZ - Boston's
11-14 San Diego, CA - Casbah
11-15 Pomona, CA - Glass House
11-16 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey
11-17 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
11-18 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/d/death-cab-for-cutie/we-have-the-facts-and-were-voting-yes.shtml
Barsuk: http://www.barsuk.com/

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