Silver Scooter Guy Produces Fivehead EP
Description of band's sound possibly stolen off box of Kibbles n' Bits

The Austin-based band Fivehead recently released Big Mistake Factory, a new EP featuring six original songs that have been described as "thick and meaty with a delicious blend of guitar hooks, warm lyrics, and driving rhythms." Produced by Silver Scooter founder Scott Garred, the sound is similar to their previous full-length album, It's Not All Good and It's Not Alright. In case you missed their showcase at SXSW, the four guys in Fivehead are planning to tour the eastern U.S. beginning in late September and running into October. And now, we'd like to tell you where they'll be playing. 'Cause we're just that way.

09-20 Houston, TX - Rudyards
09-21 New Orleans, LA - Mermaid Lounge
09-22 Tallahassee, FL - Club Down Under
09-23 Montevallo, AL - Barnstormer's Pizza
09-24 Athens, GA - Engine Room
09-25 Nashville, TN - Springwater
09-26 Philadelphia, PA - Pontiac Grill
09-27 Boston, MA - TT the Bear's
09-28 New York, NY - Parkside Lounge
09-29 Washington, DC - Galaxy
09-30 Raleigh, NC - Kings
10-01 Columbus, OH - Little Brothers
10-02 Indianapolis, IN - Melody Inn
10-03 Davenport, IA - TBA
10-04 Chicago, IL - Hideout
10-05 Wichita, KS - Kirby's Beer Store
10-06 Oklahoma City, OK - Blue Note

Fivehead: http://www.fivehead.com

Former Velocity Girl Singer Goes Solo
Simpatico! was the Believo! of the 90s

Former Velocity Girl vocalist Sarah Shannon is in the midst of preparing her first-ever solo album. Blake Wescott, who mixed Pedro the Lion's Winners Never Quit album will be manning the boards for her debut. Shannon's also planning to tour behind the as-yet-untitled release in the early months of 2002, possibly starting in February.

It's been over five years since Velocity Girl disbanded. The band started out on the Washington D.C. scene in the early 90s and released a number of albums, including Copacetic and Simpatico!, the latter yielding the college rock staple "Sorry Again." Their final release came with 1996's Gilded Stars and Zealous Hearts, whose timing was perfect to receive one of the first-ever Pitchfork reviews, in which listeners were advised to "pick up the old and dig into the new stuff later, alligator," as we "[didn't] want you kids gettin' no salty opinions." Trust us, it's not worth reading.

Velocity Girl are often remembered for sounding bright and happy in a time when grungy guitars and heroin were like, it, man! The members went onto a number of different projects, including the Heartworms, the Nord Express, and the Saturday People.

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/v/velocity-girl/gilded-stars.shtml

Underdog to Front Pop Group on Air Label
Ring-concealed energy pill also enhances dancing powers

Source Records is planning a fall release for the self-titled debut album by Playgroup, the pop band fronted by Trevor Jackson (aka the Underdog), and featuring vocalist Luca Santucci and some guy named Rob. Philip Ascoli, the head of Source Records, and the man who "discovered" Air, is putting together an exciting new roster on Source, along with Simian and Turin Brakes. The first single from the Playgroup album, entitled "Make It Happen," is reported to be "an exciting display of 80's disco-pop-funk with amazing production." Ascoli has been quoted as saying, "It's the kind of album that changes the rules of club culture." But not the dress code.

Jackson, well known for his "mad" remixes of the Gravediggaz, Sabres of Paradise, and Massive Attack, is also label head of Output Records, the label that claims responsibility for the debut albums by Kieran Hebden's Fridge and Four Tet albums. (We were under the impression that Fridge was on Hebden's own Text label, and that Four Tet was signed to Domino, but what the fuck do we know?)

Source Records: http://source.astralwerks.com

Superchunk Announce Tour to Support New LP
Our favorite is the guy on the right

10-26 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
10-27 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
10-29 Nashville, TN - TBA
10-31 New Orleans, LA - Shim-Sham Club
11-01 Houston, TX - Engine Room
11-02 Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa
11-03 Fort Worth, TX - Ridglea Theater
11-06 Los Angeles, CA - Knitting Factory
11-07 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
11-08 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
11-10 Portland, OR - B Complex
11-11 Seattle, WA - Showbox
11-16 Chicago, IL - Metro
11-17 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
11-18 Toronto, ON - Opera House
11-20 Montreal, QC - Cabaret
11-21 Cambridge, MA - Somerville Theater
11-23 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
11-24 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
11-25 Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
11-26 Washington, DC - Black Cat

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/s/superchunk/come-pick-me-up.shtml
Superchunk: http://www.superchunk.com

Stephen Malkmus Tours, Solves Jick Mystery
And they would have gotten away with it if it hadn't been for that meddling Steve

In case you're still wondering what the hell a jick is, Malkmus' website has the answer. And since we've been there, we can conveniently relay this information to you. So we will. Apparently, a "jick" another word for the Jack of Hearts in a Sicilian card game. Further reading adds that a jick can reference a valuable card in the old game Pitch (similar to Spades) where the Jack and Jick-Jack are worth one point each. And you thought it was something crass and tasteless. Jaded you!

10-19 Los Angeles, CA - All Tomorrow's Parties
10-20 Sacramento, CA - Colonial Theatre
10-21 San Francisco, CA - Fillmore
10-23 Salt Lake City, UT - Liquid Joe's
10-25 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre
10-26 Lawrence, KS - Bottleneck
10-27 Omaha, NE - Sokol Hall
10-29 Columbia, MO - Blue Note
10-30 St. Louis, MO - Mississippi Nights
10-31 Champaign, IL - High Dive
11-02 Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
11-03 Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's
11-04 Louisville, KY - Headliners
11-06 Nashville, TN - 328 Performance Hall
11-07 Athens, GA - 40 Watt
11-09 Columbia, SC - Uncle Doctors
11-10 Charleston, SC - Music Farm
11-11 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
11-13 Charlottesville, VA - Starr Hill Music Hall
11-14 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
11-15 Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
11-16 New York, NY - The Roxy
11-17 Boston, MA - Avalon Ballroom
11-19 Montreal, QC - Club Soda
11-20 Toronto, ON - The Guverment

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/m/malkmus_stephen/stephen-malkmus.shtml
Stephen Malkmus: http://www.stephenmalkmus.com
Matador: http://www.matadorrecords.com

Live Review: The Dismemberment Plan & Juno
But you were going to see them anyway

By the end of the second set, legs aching, the big question of the evening was established: could Seattle guitar juggernauts Juno blow the good Dismemberment Plan boys off the stage, deep in the cryptlike recesses of the Baltimore club scene? Without pausing to build suspense, the answer: it's not a football game-- both bands were great.

But the intensity of the show was such that there might well have been a competition in the offing. There, on September 8th at "intimate" Baltimore venue Fletcher's, in the famous Fell's Point belching district, the Dismemberment Plan and Juno, with support from the local band Slow Jets, played joyous, electrifying sets to the delight of a delirious young crowd of meticulously unkempt scamps.

Juno, fronted by seething singer/guitarist Arlie Carstens, turned their amps to twelve and began an all-too brief assault on the audience, aggressive, yet also friendly in the manner of a snarling, frothing Newfoundland that bowls you over and licks your face. Guest bassist Jason Lajeunesse made the most of his final show with the band, rediscovering the ages-old rock concert tradition of taking a quick leap onto to the floor monitor and pitching off. As the aural carpet-bombing intensified, guitarist Jason Guyer joined Lajeunesse in his step aerobics. Guitarist Gabe Carter finessed each note as if it were his last while smoke spewed from Carstens' ears, and drummer Greg Fergusen pounded away jubilantly. The intensity of the set might have been quantifiable if one had kept track of the number of times a player's instrument clocked another player's forehead. It happened.

Highlights included the entire set, intensely and-- dare I say-- emotively played. Juno favors long-winded, oblique song titles, so I had to consult my two-disc Juno discography for the setlist. Opening with an instrumental version of (ahem) "The Great Salt Lake/Into the Lavender Crevices of Evening the Otters have Been Pushed"-- and including cuts such as "A Thousand Motors Pressed Upon the Heart," "Covered with Hair," and "You Are the Beautiful Conductor of this Orchestra"-- the set blistered like napalmed Jiffy Pop.

The band closed with a simmering reproduction of "The French Letter" from their latest offering, A Future Lived in Past Tense. Unfortunately, deferring to the Plan, no encore was in the offing.

After midnight, the technically savvy Dismemberment Plan took the stage. Offering a contrast to Juno's wall-of-sound whitewash, the virtuosic bass of Eric Axelson and the keyboards and guitars of Travis Morrison and Jason Cadell were distinct and isolable on most songs. Joe Easley's drumming amazed, though he was unfortunately behind Morrison, so I couldn't baselessly assess his technique. Morrison, for his part, like Juno's Arlie Carstens, possesses a tremendous stage presence-- emoting, shaking, screaming, and singing in an almost Pentecostal display. Both bands needed Gatorade.

During an ebullient set played to a fatigued yet ecstatic crowd, the Dismemberment Plan showcased songs from their forthcoming album, Change, which is due in stores on October 22nd. The guys have taken a compelling turn with their new songs, shedding much of their prog-punk Talking Heads guise for a more downbeat and reflective refinement of the heralded music of Emergency & I.

To be sure, the new songs sounded excellent live, but it was the classic tracks that really got the place jumping. The band ran through "Memory Machine," "Gyroscope," "The City," "You Are Invited," and "What Do You Want Me to Say" with flawless execution and the intense, passionate energy that's made their live show renowned as one of the greatest experiences modern indie rock has to offer. They also threw in some older material for good measure-- a blistering extended version of "OK, Joke's Over" from their 1995 debut, "!", and "Do the Standing Still" and "Ice of Boston" from their 1997 sophomore release, The Dismemberment Plan is Terrified. Smashing.

As was the entire show. Smashing. An unlikely pairing of labelmates, who joined forces earlier this year on a split EP, it was a bill I'd love to see again. Worth the money, worth the effort. Both bands at their prime. A joy to witness.

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/d/dismemberment-plan/juno.shtml
DeSoto: http://www.desotorecords.com

Weezer Tribute CD Out This Fall
Green Album material clearly unworthy of salutation

When word first got out last year that Dead Droid Records was planning the release of a Weezer tribute compilation, people were confused. After all, it's not often that tribute is paid to a band still very much in its prime. But given the string of occurrences in the last few months, including the mental hospital and the unfortunate release of The Green Album, the tribute seems rather appropriate. Titled Rock Music, the compilation is scheduled for release sometime this fall. Rumor has it that the vinyl version will have a few surprise tracks. For now, the tracklist looks a little something like this:

01 Mycomplex: Tired of Sex
02 Ataris: Butterfly
03 Affinity: My Name is Jonas
04 Glasseater: Holiday
05 Piebald: No One Else
06 Grade: Surf Wax America
07 Midtown: Susanne
08 Stereo: El Scorcho
09 Further Seems Forever: Say It Ain't So
10 Chris Higdon (of Elliott): The World Has Turned and Left Me Here
11 Dashboard Confessional: Jamie
12 The Impossibles: The Good Life
13 Mock Orange: Only in Dreams

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/w/weezer/weezer-green.shtml
Dead Droid Records: http://www.deaddroidrecords.com/

Engine Down's European Vacation
Bassist's tedious refrain of "I miss Jack" to grate on band's nerves throughout trip

Virginia's Engine Down will retreat to the European continent for a slew of tour dates this September and October. Apparently, they're tired of the rigid constructs of the terms "emo," "hardcore," and "post-rock" that we silly Americans love to throw about. In the meantime, the boys have kept busy by writing a bunch of songs for their forthcoming Lovitt Records release, which is slated to be recorded next month. Engine Down, which consists of former members of Sleepytime Trio, the Weak Link Breaks, and Bughummer, have released two LPs to date, including their most recent release, To Bury Within the Sound.

09-12 Hamburg, Germany - Hafenklang
09-13 Rotterdam, The Netherlands - Waterdown
09-14 Mol, Belgium - Peir Oan
09-15 Margate, UK - Lido
09-16 Nottingham, UK - Old Angel
09-17 Peterborough, UK - Old Locomotive
09-18 Leeds, UK - Basement
09-19 London-Kentish Town, UK - The Verge
09-20 Rennes, France - La Baleine Bleue
09-21 Bordeaux, France - Le Zoobizarre
09-22 Alicante, Spain - Stereo
09-23 Valencia, Spain - So What
09-24 Barcelona, Spain - Rock & Trini
09-25 St. Feliu, Spain - Club de Tennis St. Feliu
09-26 Tolouse, France - TBA
09-27 Yverdon, Switzerland - L'Amalgame
09-28 Imperia, Italy - Babilonia
09-29 La Spezia, Italy - Skaletta Club
09-30 TBA (Italy)
10-01 Zagreb, Croatia - KSET
10-02 Budapest, Hungary - TBA
10-03 Linz, Austria - Kapu
10-04 Prague, Czech Republic - 007 Club
10-05 Rosswein, Germany - Juze
10-06 Magdeburg, Germany - Hot
10-07 Monheim, Germany - Sojus
10-08 Fulda, Germany - Kulturzentrum Kreuz
10-09 Freiburg, Germany - KST
10-10 Munchen, Germany - Kafe Kult
10-11 Halle, Germany - Reilstrasse 78
10-12 Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
10-13 Munster, Germany - Barracke
10-14 Koln, Germany - Underground
10-15 Saarbrucken, Germany - Hellmut

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/e/engine-down/to-bury-within-the-sound.shtml
Engine Down: http://www.enginedown.com
Lovitt Records: http://www.lovitt.com

SeeThru Broadcasting Loses Funding
We wish we could get the "bankrupt" sound from Wheel of Fortune

Without this funding, SeeThru has no other option than to shut down later this month. This means that the seven bands on SeeThru's roster, which included Enon, the Starlight Mints, and the Radar Bros., are searching for new labels to call home. This will also likely delay the projected fall release of Enon's sophomore album.

PIAS also axed funding for their PIAS America label, who issued the domestic pressing of Sigur Rós' Ágætis Byrjun. This will once again send Ágætis Byrjun into import-only bins until it can be reissued by Sigur Rós' new label, MCA. Also now in limbo is the September 25th release of the Reindeer Section's Y'all Get Scared Now, Ya Hear!. Reindeer Section is the Scottish supergroup fronted by Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody, which features Willie Campbell, Charlie Clark, Gareth Russell and Michael Bannister of Astrid, Richard Colburn and Mick Cooke of Belle & Sebastian, Gill Mills and Andrew Meehan of Hercules, Arab Strap's Aidan Moffat, the Mull Historical Society's Colin Macintyre, Mogwai's John Cummings, Bob Kildea of V-Twin, and Eva's Jenny Reave.

SeeThru Broadcasting: http://www.seethrubroadcasting.com

Cursive Launch Second U.S. Tour of 2001
Shouldn't have got married so young, man

Saddle Creek Records' Cursive are back on the road after touring earlier this summer to promote their latest EP, Burst and Bloom, which hit shelves in July. The four-piece band from Omaha, Nebraska formed in 1995 and have released four EPs and three albums, including last summer's well-received Domestica. The band will be hitting the road in October for a mini tour with Sorry About Dresden and Bright Eyes' side project, Desaparecidos. Another week of West Coast dates are expected in the future. Until then:

09-15 New York, NY - Knitting Factory (CMJ)
10-08 Denton, TX - Rubber Gloves
10-10 Austin, TX - Emo's
10-13 Tampa, FL - Orpheum
10-14 Orlando, FL - Sapphire Club
10-17 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
10-18 Richmond, VA - Alley Katz
10-19 Washington, DC - Black Cat
10-20 Philadelphia, PA - Killtime
10-21 New York, NY - Knitting Factory
10-22 Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell's
10-23 Boston, MA - Middle East (Downstairs)
10-24 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
10-25 Chicago, IL - Centrum Hall
10-26 Milwaukee, WI - The Globe (two shows)
10-27 St. Paul, MN - Turf Club

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/c/cursive/burst-and-bloom.shtml
Cursive: http://www.cursivearmy.com
Saddle Creek: http://www.saddle-creek.com

Bis Touring the States
Powerpuff Girls merchandise burned at venues in protest

Following the September 18th release of Return to Central, their first album for spinART Records, Scottish trio Bis will tour North America in October. Bis, the sole members of the Teen-C Revolution, are notable for their mix of sugary punk and lo-fi new wave years before groups like Ladytron hopped on the gravy train. Their appearance on the British TV institution "Top of The Pops" in 1996 is notable for being the first time in the show's 32-year existence that an unsigned band had ever appeared. Nearly destroyed by the bidding war that followed, Bis wound up on the highly sympathetic Grand Royal label. And we all know what happened to them. As for the band, enthusiasm has waned as their highly volatile concoction has aged. If album titles mean a damn thing, Return to Central may indicate a turn back for the New Transistor Heroes. Or it could just be nonsense, like the fact there will actually be a couple of people at these shows:

10-06 New Haven, CT - Time Inn
10-07 Boston, MA - Axis
10-08 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts
10-10 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
10-11 Northhampton, MA - Smith College
10-12 Washington, DC - Black Cat
10-13 Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell's
10-15 Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace
10-17 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
10-18 Detroit, MI - Shelter
10-19 Chicago, IL - Metro
10-20 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
10-23 Los Angeles, CA - Knitting Factory
10-24 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/b/bis/music-for-a-stranger-world.shtml
Bis: http://www.bisnation.com
SpinART Records: http://www.spinartrecords.com

Cramps Make a Deal With Mordam
The record label, not the soul-eating demon

Decades-old NYC social critics and punk rockers the Cramps have struck a deal with Mordam Records for the distribution of their six full-lengths, as well as the once and future discography of their newly reanimated label, Vengeance Records.

The Cramps' albums will be reissued beginning in October-- many on colored vinyl, which can get you laid. Titles are RockinreelininaucklandnewzealandXXX (which, loosely translated, means "decline in lamb exports forces infrastructure cuts"), Smell of Female, A Date with Elvis, Stay Sick, Look Mom No Head, and Big Beat from Badsville. But wait, there's more! A new Cramps album is slated for next spring. That'll give you one for each day of the week. Mondays will never be the same.

Mordam Records: http://www.mordamrecords.com/

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