Murder City Devils Call It Quits
Upon realization that greased-hair-and-switchblades gimmick sucks

According to their official website, the Murder City Devils made official on Monday what had already been the subject of many rumors: after their current U.S. tour, the band will "no longer continue as they currently exist." The band's newly added keyboard player Leslie reportedly left the band and moved away from Seattle, the band's hometown. After much discussion, the remaining members decided that the band would continue touring with friend Nick DeWitt (no relation to Joyce, that we know of) on keyboards. However, following the tour, bassist Derek Fudesco will focus on his new band, Pretty Girls Make Graves, with the rest of the band continuing together, although no additional details are known. For your last chance to see the Murder City Devils until their 2025 reunion tour, check out the remaining dates, where they'll be performing with Rocket from the Crypt, Botch, American Steel, Grade, or Thursday:

10-01 Pomona, CA - Glasshouse
10-02 Phoenix, AZ - Bash on Ash
10-03 El Paso, TX - E9
10-05 Austin, TX - Emo's
10-06 Dallas, TX - Trees
10-07 St. Louis, MO - Club Z (aka Side Door)
10-08 Louisville, KY - BRYCC House
10-10 Washington, DC - Black Cat
10-11 Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
10-12 Hoboken, NJ - Maxwells
10-13 Boston, MA - Middle East
10-14 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
10-16 Chicago, IL - Metro
10-17 Detroit, MI - St Andrews Hall
10-18 Cleveland, OH - Beachland
10-19 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
10-20 Iowa City, IA - Gabe's Oasis
10-21 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
10-22 Salt Lake City, UT - DV8
10-24 San Diego, CA - Canes
10-25 Los Angeles, CA - El Ray
10-26 Los Angeles, CA - El Ray
10-27 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
10-28 Santa Cruz, CA - Vet's Hall
10-29 Chico, CA - Brick Works
10-30 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
10-31 Seattle, WA - Showbox

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/m/murder-city-devils/in-name-and-blood.shtml
Murder City Devils: http://www.murdercitydevils.com

Trail of Dead Tour North America
Might we suggest a stop off at Tommy Bartlett's Robot World in Wisconsin

10-15 Athens, GA - TBA
10-16 Baltimore, MD - Otto Bar
10-17 Philadelphia, PA - Khyber Pass
10-18 Boston, MA - T.T. the Bear's
10-19 New York, NY - Knitting Factory
10-20 New York, NY - Knitting Factory
10-21 Montreal, QC - Cafe Campus
10-22 Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
10-23 London, ON - Call the Office
10-24 Hamilton, ON - The Raven
10-25 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
10-26 Chicago, IL - Abbey Pub
10-27 Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry
10-30 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe
10-31 Vancouver, BC - Starfish Room
11-01 Portland, OR - Meow Meow
11-02 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
11-03 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
11-04 Los Angeles, CA - Silverlake Lounge
11-05 Phoenix, AZ - TBA
11-06 El Paso, TX - Cantina La Tuya

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/a/and-you-will-know-us-by-the-trail-of-dead/madonna.shtml
Trail of Dead: http://www.trailofdead.com
Merge Records: http://www.mergerecords.com

The Album Leaf Gets Their Big Break
Sort of like that movie where that kid gets to hang with the rock stars

Tristeza guitarist Jimmy Lavalle's solo project, the Album Leaf, is hitting the road with Sigur Rós as the opening act on their two-week U.S. tour. The Album Leaf recently released One Day I'll Be on Time, an album which Lavalle wrote, performed, and recorded almost entirely by himself, through Tiger Style Records. A member of such bands as Swing Kids, Crimson Curse, and the Locust, Lavalle's first release under the Album Leaf name came with 2000's An Orchestrated Rise to Fall. It was followed by the In an Off White Room 10-inch, released as part of the Troubleman Solo Singer Series. Lavalle is also preparing to release a collaboration 7" series on Better Looking Records with Her Space Holiday and Bright Eyes. Busy guy, eh? See the Album Leaf (and, of course, Sigur Rós) at these (sold-out) shows:

09-19 Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
09-21 Boston, MA - Berklee Performance Center
09-24 New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
09-25 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
09-27 Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
09-28 Minneapolis, MN - Woman's Club Theatre
10-01 Vancouver, BC - St. Andrews Cathedral
10-02 Seattle, WA - King Cat Theatre
10-04 San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
10-05 Los Angeles, CA - Wilshire Theatre
10-06 Los Angeles, CA - Wilshire Theatre

The Album Leaf: http://www.albumleaf.com
Tiger Style: http://www.tigerstylerecords.com

Wilco Stream New Album from Website, Tour
Hear LP as if they'd recorded it in Batcave

Well, it seems they've found a solution: stream the album through their website and hit the road as usual. The band says they've made progress in "narrowing the list of potential labels," and hope to officially decide on one in the next few weeks. The new record, Yankee Foxtrot Hotel-- whose title is culled from a recently released four-disc box set of recordings of shortwave numbers stations called The Conet Project (it's really quite fascinating)-- was recorded in various locations with indie-elite producer Jim O'Rourke. You can listen to the album in RealAudio at Wilco's official website, in the "news" section.

Tracklist:
01 I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
02 Kamera
03 Radio Cure
04 War on War
05 Jesus, Etc.
06 Ashes of American Flags
07 Heavy Metal Drummer
08 I'm the Man Who Loves You
09 Pot Kettle Black
10 Poor Places
11 Reservations

Tour Dates:
09-21 Dallas, TX - Gypsy Tea Room
09-22 Austin, TX - Stubb's
09-23 New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
09-24 Atlanta, GA - Roxy Theatre
09-26 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
09-27 New York, NY - Town Hall (sold out)
09-28 New York, NY - Town Hall
09-29 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
09-30 Burlington, VA - Higher Ground
10-02 Boston, MA - Avalon Ballroom
10-04 Toronto, ON - Phoenix
10-05 Detroit, MI - Majestic Theatre
10-06 St. Louis, MO - Pageant

*Thanks to Brian Hamilton for the tip

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/w/wilco/summer-teeth.shtml
Wilco: http://www.wilcoweb.com

Beta Band's Hot Shots Tour, Part Deux
Now they will kill you until you die from it

10-15 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
10-17 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
10-18 New York, NY - Supper Club
10-19 Philadelphia, PA - TLA
10-20 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
10-22 Montreal, QC - Club Soda
10-23 Toronto, ON - Opera House
10-24 Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
10-25 Chicago, IL - Metro
10-26 Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line
10-27 Lawrence, KS - Granada Theater
10-29 Boulder, CO - Fox Theater
11-01 Portland, OR - B Complex
11-02 Seattle, WA - Showbox
11-03 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
11-05 San Francisco, CA - Fillmore
11-06 Los Angeles, CA - Mayan Theater

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/b/beta-band/hot-shots-ii.shtml
Beta Band: http://www.betaband.com

Silver Jews to Release New Album, EP
2 Live Jews all but forgotten

The new album features the lyrical song-stylings of Berman, along with Tim Barnes and Mike Fellows, both of whom played on the American Water sessions. In addition, several musicians in the Nashville area contributed to the mix. Past collaborators Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastonovich, however, aren't said to have made any contributions to the new "lonely-sounding, make-you-cry" album. Tracklist:

01 Slow Education
02 Room Games and Diamond Rain
03 Time Will Break the World
04 I Remember Me
05 Horseleg Swastikas
06 Transylvania Blues
07 Let's Not and Say We Did
08 Tennessee
09 Friday Night Fever
10 Death of an Heir of Sorrows

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/s/silver-jews/american-water.shtml
Drag City: http://www.dragcity.com

Beulah Continue Tour in Support of a Clear Coast
Wasn't that the name of that spooky PE teacher in Porky's?

Despite the postponement of the CMJ New Music Festival, San Francisco's Beulah intends to continue on with their current tour. The New York CMJ dates more or less opened up their current tour schedule.

Beulah's new album, The Coast Is Never Clear, was released September 11th on Velocette Records, and marked their first release for the label. The band's wonderful blend of 60's psychedelia, power fuzz-pop, and the charming vocals of Miles Kurosky all swirl into a beautiful chorus of gorgeous hymns that sweep you into the whirling ether and fill your body with the orgasmic delight of 1,000,000 nights of Turkish sex. Ahem.

Beulah will be embarking on an extensive U.S. tour with the married duo, Mates of State (unless otherwise noted), at the following dates:

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, D.C. - Black Cat
10-05 Philadelphia, PA - The Khyber Pass
10-06 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
10-07 Cambridge, MA - Middle East
10-09 Toronto, CAN - Horseshoe Tavern
10-10 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
10-11 Chicago, IL - Abbey Pub
10-12 Madison, WI - Club 770
10-13 Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar
10-15 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre (w/Maybellines)
10-20 San Francisco, CA - Great American (w/Starlight Mints)

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

Rah Brahs Tour Europe
What, no Afghanistan?

Rah Brahs are at it again! You know, Rah Bras! Yeah! Rah Bras! Those Rah Bras we're always talking about all the time! Alright, let's be real. You've never heard jack shit about the fuckin' Rah Bras, so listen up. 'Cause if they get all fat and successful, and all your friends are all, "Dude! Fuckin' Rah Bras, man!" you're gonna wish you be like, "Yeah! Fuckin' Rah Bras, dude!" instead of standing there like an insolent dumbass. So let's get on this shit.

The noisy trio (Isabellarah Rubella, Boo Rah and Jean Rah) is set to release a new CD in late October on Lovitt Records. According to the Lovitt website, the new album will be called Ruy Blas! and will feature their trademark "melodic assault and spectacular beats." Plus lots of little symbols in their bandname that can't be replicated with your standard American keyboard. The new record is reported to be a step forward for the Brahs that will combine pop sensibilities with electronic abrasiveness into a tasty breakfast cereal of whup-ass and Prozac. This will be the band's third release, and their first full-length, after an EP on Vermiform and an EP on Lovitt. Catch the Rah Brahs on tour with Melt Banana and Atom and His Package in Europe this fall:

09-17 Hamburg, Germany - Rote Flora
09-18 Sweden/Denmark/Germany
09-19 Malmo, Sweden - Lundavagen
09-20 Goteborg, Sweden - Gump-Jazzhuset
09-21 Oslo, Norway - Blitz
09-22 Sarpsborg, Norway - TBA
09-23 Vasteras, Sweden - TBA
09-24 Stockholm, Sweden - Kafe 44
09-25 Copenhagen, Denmark - Ungdomshuset
09-26 Nijmegan, Netherlands - Doornrosje
09-27 Rotterdam, Netherlands - Waterfront
09-28 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Vrankrijk-Festival
09-29 UK - TBA
09-30 London, UK - TBA
10-01 Brighton, UK - TBA
10-02 Nottingham, UK - TBA
10-03 Lyon, France - TBA
10-04 Bilbao, Spain - Cafe Antzoki
10-05 Madrid, Spain - Sala Siroco
10-06 Alicante, Spain - Sala Stereo
10-07 Valencia, Spain - TBA
10-09 Torino, Italy - El Paso
10-10 Roma, Italy - TBA
10-11 Modena, Italy - Scintilla
10-12 Vittorio Veneto, Italy - TBA
10-13 Zagreb, Croatia - TBA
10-14 Munchen, Germany - Kafe Kult
10-15 Linz, Austria - TBA
10-16 Wien, Austria - TBA
10-17 Prague, Czech Republic - 007 Club
10-18 Nuremburg, Germany - K4-Zentralcafe
10-19 Dresden, Germany - Az Conni
10-20 Tangermuende, Germany - MS Prasident
10-21 Berlin, Germany - Bastard

Lovitt Records: http://www.lovitt.com

More Details on Forthcoming Clinic LP
They're really quite fetching beneath the masks

"It's always gonna have a sort of twist to it," frontman Ade Blackburn said of the band's music. "[The new album] will have the main sort of elements that were on the Internal Wrangler album. On Internal Wrangler, I think it was kind of shorter fragments of ideas, and the newer songs are sort of fuller and more spacious, allowing more rooted ideas to develop." Internal Wrangler originally saw release last year on the then-UK-only independent, Domino Records.

Though not yet titled, the new record will definitely feature four songs Clinic debuted in August of 2000 on the BBC's John Peel Show, namely: "The Bridge," "Jouster," "The Nuns," and "Daishiki." Blackburn said that the album should be released early next year. Presently, they're planning on rescheduling some tour dates in New York and New Jersey that were canceled due to last week's World Trade Center tragedy, after which they'll join Radiohead on tour for some dates in Japan. When asked whether they would play at this year's CMJ Festival, which was pushed back until mid-October, Blackburn said that it was not definite, but that there is a good chance.

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/c/clinic/internal-wrangler.shtml
Clinic [Unofficial]: http://surf.to/clinic
Domino: http://www.dominorecordco.com

I Am the World Trade Center Change Name
Fear confused terrorists may target their CDs in future attacks

Kindercore electro-poppers I Am the World Trade Center undoubtedly saw a spike in visitors to their website last Tuesday, as a search for "World Trade Center" at Google.com directed web surfers to their official homepage. However, the band is being sensitive to the issues at hand, revealing in a statement on their website last week that they will change their bandname in light of recent events. Said Dan Gellar, one half of the duo:

"I Am the World Trade Center was named after a symbol of New York, the city where we got our start. The Twin Towers represented many things to us, their giant presence on the skyline reminded us every day of what an amazing and overwhelming place we were living in. Also, the two towers, equal and independent yet still one entity are a metaphor for the relationship Amy [Dykes] and I have developed both professionally and personally.

"With this said, for the time being I Am the World Trade Center will be shortening our name to "I Am the..." out of respect to those who have lost so much in this tragedy. The name and symbol will still live with us and in the future we hope that once again we can use our entire name which we are so proud of."

The band has also said that they will donate a portion of the proceeds from their current album, Out of the Loop, to the United Way of New York's September 11th fund.

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/i/i-am-the-world-trade-center/out-of-the-loop.shtml
Kindercore Records: http://www.kindercore.com

The Coup to Change Cover to Non-WTC Disaster
Oops!

The Coup, the lauded rap duo recording for Dan "The Automator" Nakamura's hip-hop imprint, 75Ark, made a statement last week announcing that they would change the cover image of their forthcoming LP, Party Music, to something that doesn't involve New York's Twin Towers exploding. The anti-capitalist group's intent with the album cover was reportedly to give the message that music could destroy the capitalist state.

According to ITN, a British news organization, Coup founder Boots Riley had requested that the band be allowed to keep the artwork despite the terrorist attacks, but 75Ark would not allow it, calling the cover wholly inappropriate. Well, yeah.

The artwork was created in July, with the album slated for a November 6th release. It is not presently known whether this will cause any delays. The label was reported ready to print the covers last week, but were able to pull them just in time. "75Ark recognizes the importance of artistic freedom," said the label on their official website. "However, recent extraordinary events demand that we create new artwork for the album. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone whom this tragedy has touched."

75Ark: http://www.75ark.com/

Varnaline Tours In Support of New LP
Maybe they're born with it!

Anders Parker, frontman for the New York-based folkadelic band Varnaline, is currently touring in support of the band's fourth full-length release, Songs In a Northern Key. The album was released on Steve Earle's E-Squared label, and features production work by Earle himself, as well as progressive country star and Fleetwood Mac producer Ray Kennedy.

Backed by a hodge-podge of musicians, including Mascott's Kendal Meade who lends vocals to several tracks, the album is an Anders Parker spotlight, so to speak. Having played most of the instruments himself, not to mention the majority of the songwriting credits, Parker combines lush guitar strings with fuzzed-out keyboards. In essence, he gets it right this time.

Anders Parker is currently in the midst of a solo U.S. tour alongside California Überguy Richard Buckner. You can catch these two gunslingers at the following locations:

09-19 Baton Rouge, LA - Chelsea's Cafe
09-20 Oxford, MS - Proud Larry's
09-21 St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway
09-22 Kansas City, MO - Davey's Uptown
09-24 Nashville, TN - The End
09-26 Athens, GA - Tasty World
09-27 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
09-28 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
09-29 Ashville, NC - The Grey Eagle
10-01 Arlington, VA - Iota Club
10-04 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
10-05 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
10-06 Providence, RI - As220
10-07 Northampton, MA - Bay State Hotel
10-09 Ann Arbor, MI - The Ark
10-10 Grand Rapids, MI - Intersection
10-11 Berwyn, IL - Fitzgeralds
10-12 Madison, WI - Cafe Montmartre
10-13 St. Paul, MN - Turf Club
10-20 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/v/varnaline/sweet-life.shtml
Varnaline: http://www.varnaline.com

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