Daniel Johnston and Mark Linkous to Collaborate
You're a mess, I'm a mess, what the fuck

Judging a press release sent out by Johnston's PR firm, Fanatic Promotion, Linkous took care of the music and production, and Johnston handled the singing and songwriting duties. The album, entitled Fear Yourself, will hit stores in mid-2002 and is described as having an "eerie and epic" sound. According to publicist Josh Bloom, "Some tracks harken back to Johnston's earlier career with simple guitar and piano accompaniment, while others lean more towards the Modern Lovers or some large-scale, off-kilter show tune." Quite the melange.

Both artists released albums last month. Johnston's Rejected Unknown saw domestic release on Gammon Records, and Sparklehorse's It's a Wonderful Life was given the Capitol Records seal of approval. Both artists are also known for being a little bit-- how do you say this politely?-- troubled. Johnston's battle with mental illness is as well-known as Linkous's drug problems. Fortunately, both of these issues are largely behind them, and they can now move on to better things. Like getting crazy together. Oh, Daniel!

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/s/sparklehorse/its-a-wonderful-life.shtml
Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/j/johnston_daniel/rejected-unknown.shtml
Sparklehorse: http://www.sparklehorse.com
Daniel Johnston: http://www.hihowareyou.com

Tara Jane O'Neil & Dave Pajo in Soap Opera
Scenes involving Pajo's archnemesis, the cat, deleted

Here at Pitchfork HQ, we sit in front of our television every afternoon watching the latest installments of One Life to Live or Days of Our Lives, depending on who's got the remote control. And though we love our stories, we can't help but wonder what it would be like if our favorite indie-rock superstars had their own soap opera. Well, our dream has finally come true. According to Monitor Records, we can expect to see "some form of a somewhat understandable soap opera" sometime in the near future. Sounds like scripting problems.

Broadcast over Monitor's website, the first episode will lock in just under a minute, and without any "real" plots, scripts, or actors, it should be pretty fucking avant-garde. We just want to know: who'll be written out first?

The man of a thousand identities, David Pajo, is presently also known as Papa M (and formerly known as Aerial M, and on occasion, simply M), and made his name with bands like Slint and Tortoise. Tara Jane O'Neil, known best as a member of Rodan and Retsin, released a solo album, In the Sun Lines, in September. She also appears on the new Papa M full-length, scheduled for release in mid-October on Drag City Records. The album is titled Whatever, Mortal, and its tracklist looks a little something like this:

01 Over Jordan
02 Beloved Woman
03 Roses in the Snow
04 Sorrow Reigns
05 Krusty
06 The Lass of Roch Royal
07 Many Splendored Thing
08 Glad You're Here With Me
09 Tamu
10 Sabotage
11 Purple Eyelid
12 The Unquiet Grave
13 Northwest Passage

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/o/oneil_tarajane/in-the-sun-lines.shtml
Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/m/m/live-from-a-shark-cage.shtml
Monitor: http://www.monitorrecords.com

Vagrant Raises Money for Fireman's Relief Fund
That's kind of nice, actually

According to their website, Vagrant Records is doing their part to help the victims of the September 11th tragedy. As of October 1st, people can send a $20 donation to Vagrant in exchange for a grab bag, which will include at least two CDs, a t-shirt, stickers, buttons, posters, and any additional items they can scrape together. The merch will all come in a canvas bag with the Vagrant logo on the side which will surely propel you to the top of your local emo community. But wait, there's more. Some of the items will even be signed by band members, and some will be one-of-a-kind collectors pieces. eBay, here you come.

All profits will be donated by Vagrant to the NYC Fireman's Relief Fund. In addition, Vagrant is planning two charity shows-- one on each coast-- whose proceeds will also go to the Relief Fund. More information can be found on the label's website.

Vagrant: http://www.vagrant.com/

Sweep the Leg Johnny Heads Out on Tour
Concentrate, Richard-San!

Sweep the Leg Johnny is set to tour the United States again. The band released their third full-length, Sto Cazzo!, on Southern Records in May 2000 to much critical acclaim. However, their real strength is, without question, is their intense live show, which features mad sax antics, the band playing art-punk so complex it sounds nearly random (yet, is not), and frontman Steven m. Sostak's infamous penetrating gaze. Mixing jazz with Jazzercize, the five members of Sweep have attempted to create a new sound that mixes the flavor of sweat, Old Style beer, and rocking guitars. It's frenetic, yo.

10-17 Evanston, IL - Nevin's
10-18 Lawrence, KS - Replay Lounge
10-19 Denver, CO - 15th St. Tavern
10-20 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
10-22 Seattle, WA - Paradox Theater
10-23 Portland, OR - Blackbird Theater
10-24 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
10-26 Santa Ana, CA - Koo's Cafe
10-27 San Diego, CA - Casbah
10-30 Denton, TX - Rubber Gloves
10-31 Austin, TX - Emo's (w/Drums & Tuba)
11-01 Fayetteville, AR - Clunk Records
11-02 Iowa City, IA - Gabe's Oasis
11-10 Princeton, NJ - Terrace Club (w/Ted Leo)
11-11 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge (w/Karate)
11-12 Cambridge, MA - The Middle East (w/Ivory Coast)
11-15 Carrboro, NC - Go Rehearsal
11-16 Atlanta, GA - The Earl (w/Immortal Lee County Killers)

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/s/sweep-the-leg-johnny/sto-cazzo.shtml
Southern: http://www.southern.com

GBV on DVD
Tape hiss sparkles in 5:1 surround sound

The hour-long DVD features the band rocking out on Pollard's back porch in Dayton, Ohio, the way that only he and GBV can. Among the "back-porch" tracks featured on the film are "Submarine Teams," "Big School," and "Tractor Rape Chain." The DVD will also include bonus footage filmed at the Whiskey in Los Angeles. Live footage includes such GBV classics as "Shocker in Gloomtown," "Motor Away," "Liar's Tale," and, of course, "Hot Freaks."

In other Bob Pollard news, the 15th release in the ongoing Fading Captain series has been finished. Circus Devils, a collaboration between Bob and brothers Tim and Todd Tobias, is set to unleash Ringworm Interiors. It's said to be "unlike anything that Bob has ever done but in other ways combines all the off beat musical influences that Bob has." Um, Bob's not a big Skynyrd fan, right? The album-- all 45 minutes and 28 tracks of it-- is due out this Halloween. Here's its tracklist:

01 Devil Speak
02 Feel Try Fury
03 Buffalo Spiders
04 World 3
05 Blanks
06 North Morning Star Trip
07 Ringworm Interiors
08 Spectacle
09 You First
10 Knife Song
11 Kingdom of Teeth
12 Oil Birds
13 Lizard Foods
14 Not So Fast
15 Apparent the Red Angus
16 Playhouse Hostage
17 Straps Hold Up the Jaw
18 Correcto
19 Star Peppered Wheat Germ
20 Silver Eyeballs
21 Decathalon
22 Peace Needle
23 Drill Sgt. Soul
24 Protect Thy Interests
25 Let's Go Back to Bed
26 Sterility Mega Plant
27 New You (You Can See and Believe)
28 Circus Devils Theme

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/g/guided-by-voices/isolation-drills.shtml
Guided by Voices: http://www.gbv.com

Thrill Jockey to Distribute Overcoat, All City
AOL Time Warner fears new competition

In a move that seeks to further solidify Thrill Jockey's standing in the indie world, the post-rock-leaning label has acquired the distribution rights to fellow Chicago labels Overcoat and All City. Amongst the riches of these arsenals are idiosyncratic country singer Richard Buckner, North Carolina closet-prog-rockers Kingsbury Manx, and Ireland's the Frames. Overcoat and All City join an impressive roster of distributed titles in the Thrill Jockey collection, which also includes Chicago's avant-garde OkkaDisk and Mouse on Mars' IDM imprint, Sonig. Perhaps controversially, the new Thrill Jockey titles include a 7" called All City Nomad by Bonnie "Prince" Billy, usually known to pledge his allegiance to the Jockey's arch rival, Drag City.

Thrill Jockey: http://www.thrilljockey.com
Overcoat: http://www.overcoatrecordings.com

Mercury Program Embarks on Fall Tour
Band arrested when suits begin to fall off

It's been a while since Gainesville's the Mercury Program released their critically lauded EP All the Suits Began to Fall Off and kicked their precise jazz-flecked post-rock into the stratosphere. With no other goals besides taking their mix of angular guitars and ethereal vibraphones for a shuttle mission along the east coast, the four-piece has decided to tour for a month. The tour begins and ends at what one can assume is their homebase, Gainesville's very own Common Grounds. Gotta love those hometown crowds.

10-20 Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds
10-23 Athens, GA - Caledonia
10-24 Anniston, AL - Room 213
10-25 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
10-26 Nashville, TN - The End
10-28 Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light
10-29 Louisville, KY - Rudyard Kipling
10-30 Champaign, IL - High Dive
11-01 Kalamazoo, MI - Harvey's on the Mall
11-04 Boston, MA - Middle East
11-05 Brooklyn, NY - North 6
11-08 Philadelphia, PA - Khyber
11-10 Richmond, VA - Alley Katz
11-11 Chapel Hill, NC - Go Room 4
11-12 Atlanta, GA - MJQ
11-13 Athens, GA - Caledonia
11-14 Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits
11-16 West Palm Beach, FL - Respectables
11-17 Miami, FL - Churchills
11-18 Tampa, FL - Orpheum
11-19 Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/m/mercury-program/all-the-suits-began-to-fall-off.shtml
The Mercury Program: http://www.themercuryprogram.com
Tiger Style: http://www.tigerstylerecords.com

Jade Tree to Undergo Trial by Fire
It's all just a part of growing up

As another sign of Jade Tree's indecision about whether to rock out or wuss out, the label has signed Trial by Fire, who "rock the hardcore straight from the nation's capital," according to the official Jade Tree website. The band features members of Majority Rule and For the Living and has only released one tiny demo CD thus far, available only at their shows. They will soon be entering Salad Days studio with Brian McTernan to record their debut full-length. Mr. McTernan has worked with the likes of Hot Water Music and Milemarker and should add a large dollop of whup-ass to complete the band's sound, which, according to Jade Tree, is "no nonsense" and "straightforward." An intriguing description, no? The album should drop sometime in 2002, but in the meantime you can catch Trial by Fire on the road. If you live in Pennsylvania or New Jersey.

10-19 Wilkes-Barre, PA - Home Base
10-20 Philadelphia, PA - Killtime
10-21 New Brunswick, NJ - Mashed Potato Sandwich

Jade Tree: http://www.jadetree.com

Ex-Sunny Day Real Estate Agents Recording
Dwindling new construction market leaves them with no other option

Sunny Day fans may also be heartened to hear that the band's former bassist Nate Mendel (currently of Foo Fighters) is playing bass on the album, leaving only ex-guitarist Dan Hoerner, who is presently focusing on his "Art Conspiracy" multimedia project, out of the mix. No word yet on a label, release date, tour, sound, or much of anything else.

Of course, Sunny Day Real Estate have been a dismantled unit before, splitting shortly before the 1995 release of LP2, only to make a 1998 comeback, minus Mendel, with How It Feels to Be Something On. The surprisingly prog The Rising Tide followed two years later, but after label and management difficulties scuttled the recording process of a planned follow-up, the band fragmented again. Although the new Enigk/Hoerner/Mendel project isn't technically Sunny Day Real Estate, Michael Jordan is wearing a different jersey these days, too. We deal.

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/s/sunny-day-real-estate/rising-tide.shtml
Sunny Day Real Estate: http://www.sunnydayrealestate.net

Momus Gives Birth to Record Label
Congratulations, Mr. Currie: it's a pile!

Nick Currie, better known as eye-patched Scottish kook Momus, is pleased to announce the birth of American Patchwork, his brand-new record label. The first releases on American Patchwork-- Phiiliip's Pet Cancer, and Rroland's Reflections on Life as Played on the Roland Synthesizer-- will be released October 22nd. Despite their similarly misspelled names, these two musicians are reportedly rocking different worlds. Phiiliip is twenty-year old Philip Guichard, currently living in Berlin. According to Darla Records, his album "finally sees the dark of day," pretty right on for someone who grew up mainly in darker regions of Olympia and Seattle. Besides music, Guichard writes fiction. But then again, don't we all?

Rroland, on the other hand, lives fiction. Maybe. He says he has memories of his past lives, in different times with different identities. When not farming grapes in Northern California in his present life, Rroland records these memories on antique monophonic synthesizers. Isn't that what all Momus' male proteges do?

Momus has carved out a reputation as "minor god of mockery," with songs on indie-fetish labels like el, Creation, Bungalow, and Le Grand Magistery, not to mention a pseudo-folk album called Folktronic and the pay-per-song fundraiser Stars Forever. In the past, Momus has foisted such dubious talents as Toog and Kahimi Karie on his unsuspecting fans, and with his new record label, we can surely expect more of the same.

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/m/momus/folktronic.shtml
Momus: http://www.demon.co.uk/momus/
Darla: http://www.darla.com/

Rock*A*Teens Embark on Two Month Tour
Unrocked teens fill message boards with incensed "wtf's"

If you like rebel-heavy roots-rock, you may want to check out the Rock*A*Teens. They'll be hitting the pavement in support of last year's Sweet Bird of Youth, their fifth LP, and their third for current record label Merge Records. The four-piece has also earned comparisons to Spoon and the Flaming Lips.

The Rock*A*Teens began their ascent to indie pop stardom in Cabbagetown, Georgia during the early 1990s. Yes, it sounds like a rock 'n roll myth: little band out of Cabbagetown makes it big. But Chris Lopez, Justin Hughes, William Joiner and Ballard Lesemann are living the life on this tour, opening for such bands as Les Savy Fav, Man or Astro-Man, and the Trail of Dead. Like in Almost Famous, but without that loser kid.

10-06 Atlanta, GA - the Earl
10-12 Athens, GA - Caledonia Lounge
10-13 Carrboro, NC - Go! Studios
10-14 Raleigh, NC - King's
10-15 Washington, DC - Black Cat
10-16 Baltimore, MD - Otto Bar (w/Trail of Dead)
10-17 Philadelphia, PA - Khyber Pass (w/Trail of Dead)
10-18 Easthampton, MA - Flywheel
10-19 Cambridge, MA - Middle East (w/Kelly Hogan)
10-20 New York, NY - Knitting Factory (w/Trail of Dead)
10-21 Brooklyn, NY - Northsix
10-22 Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place
10-25 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop (w/Trail of Dead)
10-26 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick (w/Man or Astro-Man)
10-27 Chicago, IL - Schuba's
10-29 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
10-30 Kansas City, MO - Hurricane
10-31 Lexington, KY - TBA
11-01 Nashville, TN - The End
11-23 Baton Rouge, LA - TBA
11-24 Austin, TX - TBA
11-25 Denton, TX - TBA
11-26 Oklahoma City, OK - Green Door
11-27 Albuquerque, NM - Goldenwest (w/Les Savy Fav)
11-28 Tucson, AZ - TBA
11-29 San Diego, CA - TBA
11-30 Los Angeles, CA - TBA

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/r/rock-a-teens/sweet-bird-of-youth.shtml
Rock*A*Teens: http://www.therockateens.com
Merge Records: http://www.mergerecords.com

Mike Watt Tours with Cartoon Characters
Hanna-Barbera joins rest of world in not laughing

Lock up your daughters, cause Mike Watt has hit the road with the intent to cat about. He's lined up a couple of musicians to play with him, on the goofily named "Time to Cat and Not Mouse" tour. Jerry Trebotic will bang the drums and Tom Watson will strum the guitar. Someone decided to name the touring band Mike Watt and the Jom & Terry Show. Nope, sorry, that's not one of those goofy Pitchfork jokes. Even we wouldn't run a clunker like that.

Mike Watt pleads with fans on the website to print off fliers for each local gig to help promote their arrival to town. Unfortunately, the artwork is the same for each tour date, so the kids won't be able to trade the fliers like pogs. Incidentally, if anyone has any Wayne Gretsky pogs they're willing to let go cheap, we are all over that shit.

10-05 Columbus, OH - Little Brother's
10-06 Detroit, MI - Shelter at St. Andrew's
10-07 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
10-08 Pittsburgh, PA - 31st Street Pub
10-09 Philadelphia, PA - Khyber
10-10 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
10-11 Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell's
10-12 Cambridge, MA - T.T. the Bear's
10-13 Providence, RI - Met Cafe
10-14 Albany, NY - Valentine's
10-15 Baltimore, MD - Fletcher's
10-16 Washington, DC - Black Cat
10-17 Charlottesville, VA - Starr Hill Music Hall
10-18 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
10-19 Atlanta, GA - The E.A.R.L.
10-20 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club
10-21 Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbit's
10-22 Orlando, FL - Sapphire Supper Club
10-23 St. Petersburg, FL - State Theatre
10-24 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder
10-25 Birmingham, AL - The Nick
10-26 Mobile, AL - Splash
10-27 New Orleans, LA - Shim Sham
10-28 Houston, TX - Engine Room
10-29 Austin, TX - Stubb's Bar-B-Q
10-30 Dallas, TX - Trees
10-31 Oklahoma City, OK - VZD
11-02 Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
11-03 Tempe, AZ - Nita's Hideaway
11-05 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/w/watt_mike/contemplating-the-engine.shtml
Mike Watt: http://www.hootpage.com/

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