Dismemberment Plan Tour the World
Pearl Jam not invited

From there, the Dismemberment Plan will make their way through England, Scotland, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, and France before making their way back across the Atlantic for some East Coast and midwest action on more familiar turf. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists will be opening for the Plan on select dates towards the end of the tour.

10-18 Reykjavik, Iceland - Vidalin
10-19 Norurkjallari, Iceland - Menntaskolinn Vi Hamrahli
10-22 Norwich, England - TBA
10-23 Exeter, England - Cavern Club
10-24 Milton Keynes, England - Zacs
10-26 Glasgow, Scotland - 13th Note
10-27 Leeds, England - Joseph's Well
10-28 Nottingham, England - The Social
10-30 Belgium - TBA
10-31 Bielefeld, Germany - Forum
11-01 Groningen, Netherlands - The Vera
11-02 Tilburg, Netherlands - 013
11-03 Monheim, Germany - Sojus 7
11-04 Berlin, Germany - Wah
11-05 Munich, Germany - TBA
11-07 Ferrara, Italy - Zoo Animal Sound Club
11-08 Yverdon, Switzerland - Amalgam
11-09 Lyon, France - Pezner
11-10 London, England - The Garage
11-14 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
11-15 Cambridge, MA - Garment District (w/Ted Leo)
11-16 Cambridge, MA - Middle East (w/Lake Trout)
11-24 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick (w/Ted Leo)
11-25 Chicago, IL - Metro (w/Ted Leo)
11-27 Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar (w/Ted Leo)
11-30 Fayetteville, AR - Clunk Music Hall (w/Ted Leo)
12-01 Denton, TX - Rubber Gloves (w/Ted Leo)
12-02 Austin, TX - Emo's (w/Man or Astroman, Trans Am, Ted Leo)
12-05 Tallahassee, FL - Cow Haus (w/Ted Leo)
12-06 Orlando, FL - Sapphire Supper Club (w/Ted Leo)

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/d/dismemberment-plan/emergency-and-i.shtml
Dismemberment Plan: http://www.thedismembermentplan.com
DeSoto: http://www.desotorecords.com

Fridge Raided by Gear-Starved Bandits
Crisper thankfully left unplundered

Jon Whitney, tour manager for electronic post-rockers Fridge, has reported that the band's gear has been stolen. The shit hit the fan between 5:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on Monday, October 11th, when a pack of morally bankrupt (and possibly mentally incapacitated) goons discovered Fridge's gray Dodge van parked overnight in Arlington, Massachusetts, and proceeded to help themselves to its contents. The dastardly villains escaped into the early morning with the following ill-gotten loot (all flight cases are marked by distinctive circular blue "FRIDGE" stickers):

Cream Fender Telecaster guitar (case w/orange Brainwashed stickers) #N7293594
Dark red sunburst Fender Jazz Deluxe V bass #N7236945
Brown Sunburst Fender Stratocaster Guitar
Hartke 300W Bass Amp/Head
Akai MPC2000 sampler #A9855-01035
Two Iomega SCSI ZIP drives and leads
EMU Proteus 2000 sound module #109901940
Roland PK5 Midi trigger footpedals #AL62788

The equipment list has been forwarded to the proper authorities (music shops, the fuzz), but the future of the band's current U.S. tour with Low hangs in the balance. Whitney fears Fridge may have to cancel their Friday show in Portland, Maine, but there is no word on other ostensible cancellations. If you have any information, please contact Jon Whitney (phone: 781-648-2898; e-mail: jon@brainwashed.com).

Fridge: http://brainwashed.com/fridge/
Temporary Residence: http://www.temporaryresidence.com

FUGU Goes on Tour with Stereolab
Hide the baguettes!

There's no question about it: French bands need to stick together. Otherwise, the Eiffel Tower-climbing, green-scarf-and-mustachio-wearing, escargot-slurping artists would be in danger of being swallowed up by us barbaric, stereotyping Americans. It's no surprise, then, that Minty Fresh artists FUGU are riding established art-pop band Stereolab's coattails around the United States through October and into November.

FUGU frontman Mehdi Zannad and crew make exactly the kind of music you'd imagine: nice, warm chamber-pop with boyish vocals. Hey, wait! I saw you go for your mouse-- don't scroll down just yet. They're pretty tight with Stereolab; Laetitia Sadier even sang on one of their songs at a recent show. If that's not an endorsement, we don't know what is.

10-21 Los Angeles, CA - TBA (w/o Stereolab)
10-22 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
10-23 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
10-24 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
10-25 Vancouver, BC - Commodore
10-26 Seattle, WA - Showbox
10-28 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
10-29 Kansas City, MI - Madrid Theatre
10-30 Minneapolis, MN - First Ave
10-31 Chicago, IL - Vic
11-02 New York, NY - Brownies (w/o Stereolab)

Minty Fresh: http://www.mintyfresh.com

Converge and American Nightmare to Tour
You can use tofu as a substitute for anything!

Converge and American Nightmare are combining for what will probably be the best hardcore tour of the winter. Beginning in Rhode Island, the hardcore capital of the universe, on November 21st and continuing through most of December, they'll be joined by Thursday (November 21st - December 2nd), Thrice (November 26th - December 5th), the Hope Conspiracy (November 21st - November 25th), Carry On (December 9th), and Over My Dead Body (December 11th). If you like neck tattoos, sharpies, Xs, or talking about your vegan diet, you'll want these dates:

11-21 Providence, RI - Met Cafe
11-23 Wilkes-Barre, PA - Club HomeBase
11-24 Buffalo, NY - Showplace Theatre
11-25 Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre
11-26 Pittsburgh, PA - Roboto2
11-27 Detroit, MI - The Shelter
11-28 Chicago, IL - Fireside Bowl
11-29 St Paul, MN - The Whole Music Club
11-30 Omaha, NE - The Cog Factory
12-01 Boulder, CO - Tulagi
12-02 Jackson Hole, WY - Hogs Den
12-04 Seattle, WA - The Paradox
12-07 San Francisco, CA - Pound SF
12-09 W. Hollywood, CA - Troubadour
12-10 Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction
12-11 San Diego, CA - Che Cafe
12-12 Mesa, AZ - Nile Basement
12-14 Ft. Collins, CO - Starlight
12-15 Lawrence, KS - Bottleneck
12-16 St. Louis, MO - Hi-Pointe
12-17 Nashville, TN - Next Generation
12-18 Atlanta, GA - Under The Couch
12-19 Baltimore, MD - Side Bar
12-21 South Amboy, NJ - Krome

Converge: http://www.hydrahead.com/converge
American Nightmare: http://www.americannightmare.net

Warp Records Founder Rob Mitchell Dies

Warp released this statement concerning Mitchell's death on their website yesterday:

"It feels strange posting this news on our website but we want to stop any unnecessary speculation. Co-founder of Warp Records Rob Mitchell passed away on Monday morning 8th October after a hard-fought battle with cancer. This is obviously a very sad time for us and all who knew Rob. Everyone here at Warp will continue to build on what Rob has given us."

Warp Records initially began as a record store in Sheffield, England in 1987. Two years later, owners Mitchell and Steve Beckett decided to start the record label of the same name. Since then, Warp has grown into England's most creative and prestigious electronic imprint, with a roster boasting ranging from the IDM elite (Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Autechre, Boards of Canada) to glitch-hop pioneers like Prefuse 73, Anti-Pop Consortium, Nightmares on Wax and Red Snapper.

Warp: http://www.warprecords.com

They Might Be Giants Plan Holiday Release
In contrast, birth of Christ seems only a footnote

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/t/they-might-be-giants/mink-car.shtml
They Might be Giants: http://www.tmbg.com

Nobukazu Takemura, The New King of Robot Dog Musicology
Isn't that a Cap'n Jazz album?

Japanese sound sculptor and Thrill Jockey recording artist Nobukazu Takemura has recently completed audio designs for the latest addition to Sony's AIBO robot dog family. Takemura lent his mastery of musical timbres to the project, resulting in diverse emoting and speech simulating capabilities for Ol' AIB. AIBO LM was developed in conjunction with famed animator Katsura Moshino, who designed the techno mutt's physical aspects and gave it its "softer, cuddly" look. Sony is currently taking pre-sale orders for the product which, at $850, is available at roughly one-third of its predecessor's price.

Takemura is also working on a new full-length record for Thrill Jockey, due January 15th. Entitled Sign, it features four songs spanning over an hour's length. Two of the tracks, committed to tape in Chicago, feature contributions from labelmates Tortoise and Pullman. The aforementioned "it" animator of the moment, Katsura Moshino, also contributes to the record in the form of a ten-minute animated short. According the press release, the little film "pits the peace loving environmentalists against the evil death mongering Barons of industry." No, not that Red Baron pizza guy who snuck in through the oven and seduced your mom.

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/t/takemura_nobukazu/hoshi-no-koe.shtml
Thrill Jockey: http://www.thrilljockey.com
AIBO: http://www.aibo.com

Julie Doiron Tours Canada
Surname suddenly bearing uncanny similarity to Celine's

Former Eric's Trip bassist/songwriter and current solo artist Julie Doiron is headed out on tour through her homeland to promote her most recent release, the all-French Desormais. Doiron will be joined on tour by her Endearing Records labelmate Christine Fellows, whose second full-length album, Last One Standing, hits stores next year.

If you like Julie Doiron but can't stand French, sit tight-- Doiron is expected to release an English-language companion to Desormais in May 2001. Like Desormais, the album will be released in Canada by Endearing Records and in the U.S. by Jagjaguwar.

10-12 Halifax, NS - The Kyber
10-13 Moncton, NB - Aberdeen Cultural Centre (Julie only)
10-25 Montreal, QC - Casa del Popolo (Julie only)
11-05 Vancouver, BC - Sugar Refinery
11-06 Victoria, BC - Thursday's
11-07 TBA
11-08 Edmonton, AB - The Rev
11-09 Lethbridge, AB - TBA
11-10 Calgary, AB - Night Gallery (w/ Songs:Ohia)
11-11 Saskatoon, SK - TBA
11-12 Winnipeg, MB - Ms. Purdy's

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/d/doiron_julie/and-the-wooden-stars.shtml
Julie Doiron: http://www.juliedoiron.com
Endearing Records: http://www.endearing.com/
Jagjaguwar: http://www.jagjaguwar.com

Members of At the Drive-In Tour as Sparta
Haircut plans still on backburner

Sparta plans to record and release an album soon, but no dates have been set. In the meantime, they've made three MP3s available through their website. The band describes the MP3s as "a rough draft," but they're certainly better than nothing. (Or are they? We don't know. We haven't haven't heard them.) As for At the Drive-In, they still have no plans to reform. Crushing.

10-10 Phoenix, AZ - Nita's Hideaway
10-11 Pomona, CA - Glasshouse
10-12 San Diego, CA - Mira Mesa Epicenter
10-14 San Francisco, CA - Slim's
10-15 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
10-20 Reykjavic, Iceland - Iceland Airwaves Festival

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/a/at-the-drive-in/relationship-of-command.shtml
Sparta: http://www.spartamusic.com

Barsuk's Rilo Kiley Hit the Big Time
Dawson's Creek appearance may be great publicity, but is it worth the shame?

Rilo Kiley, the latest purveyor of sweet indie pop from Los Angeles, will be getting a chance to sing their heart-rending songs of breakups and desperation to the masses when they open for the Breeders at L.A.'s famous Troubadour venue. The Echo Park-based quartet released an album on Barsuk this past summer called Take Offs and Landings, joining the ranks of Sassiest-boy-band Death Cab for Cutie and San Francisco's John Vanderslice. This is just the latest in a string of successes for the band, whose songs are slated to appear on the WB's Dawson's Creek in the near future. Keep an eye out for James Van Der Beek at the following shows:

10-12 Berkeley, CA - Lower Sprowl (at noon)
10-12 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
10-18 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour (w/the Breeders)
11-09 San Diego, CA - The Epicentre
11-16 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey

Rilo Kiley: http://www.rilokiley.com
Barsuk: http://www.barsuk.com

Crimson Rain Releases Ween Tribute Album
The bands are their own joke

Crimson Rain Records and a plethora of devoted Ween fans have gathered together to release How to Be Brown: A Tribute to Ween. The album, which was constructed by bands who know how much ass-kicking Ween does on a regular basis, is a 100% non-profit tribute to the boys, and features renditions of Ween classics by bands such as the Pleebs, PooP, and High School Pussy Car. Appropriate enough.

Possibly because few people would be willing to pay much more, the album, which contains 22 tracks, is available from Crimson Rain Records for the super-low price of $3.00. A cup of Starbucks mud costs more than that, for god's sake, and it's never musical. It also won't amuse you with stoner jokes and scatological references.

01 Don't Laugh I Love You (Goner)
02 The Rift (Mike Flagella vs. Looptloop)
03 Big Jilm (Big Ass Superstar)
04 Cover It with Gas and Set It on Fire (JAMF)
05 Touch My Tooter (Mr. Stubbornpants)
06 Dos Bullshit (The Cryogenic Strawberries)
07 Polkadot Tail (The Beer)
08 Birthday Boy (Lick the Star)
09 Don't Shit Where You Eat (Sunday machine et la demission particluliere)
10 The Blarney Stone (Ziggy and Shasta)
11 Sketches of Winkle (PooP)
12 Rights to the Ways and the Rules of the World (Volumen)
13 Don't Get 2 Close (High School Pussy Car)
14 Don't Sweat It (Mark Meat)
15 Mononucleosis (The Pleebs)
16 Buckingham Green (Daniel Kent Greene)
17 You Fucked Up (R. Moses vs. The Sharp Foundry)
18 Buenos Tardes Amigo (Dave Wood)
19 Mutilated Lips (Dickie Blue's Hazey Invasion)
20 She Wanted to Leave (Prettyguns)
21 Baby Bitch (Smazzi)
22 Sorry Charlie (The Minus Men)

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/w/ween/god-ween-satan.shtml
Ween: http://www.ween.com/
Crimson Rain: http://crr.50megs.com/index.htm

Drums and Tuba Postpone Recording Plans
"Guys, guys! Could we get a goat to produce it? I know this really awesome goat!"

Righteous Babe recording artists Drums and Tuba are alive and well on the road. Their fall tour is taking them from coast to coast, including a dip into the Midwest for some dates opening for Oysterhead, the new supergroup featuring Les Claypool, Trey Anastasio, and Stewart Copeland.

The band was planning on recording a new full-length album in the back of their van, but their recording plans have been unfortunately postponed. Their engineer, Goat, was badly injured in a motorcycle accident in New Orleans. He's doing all right now, but he suffered a broken hip, leg, foot and arm, so he's just a little immobile for the time being. The band's official website reports that Goat is doing all right, but will be unable to continue the tour and record the album, unless he can command from a hospital bed via satellite. There's no word at this time as to when Drums and Tuba will record their next album, which will be the follow-up to this year's Vinyl Killer.

10-19 Chapel Hill, NC - Go Rehersal
10-10 Raleigh, NC - Kings
10-11 Greenville, NC - Peasant's Cafe
10-12 Asheville, NC - Stella Blue
10-13 Athens, GA - Tasty World
10-14 Athens, GA - Brandyhouse
10-15 St. Louis, MO - Side Door
10-16 Columbia, MO - Mojo's
10-17 Kansas City, MO - Hurricane
10-18 Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck
10-19 Fayetteville, AR - TBA
10-20 Houston, TX - Rudyards
10-27 Austin, TX - Mercury
10-30 Denver, CO - Fillmore (w/Oysterhead)
10-31 Denver, CO - Fillmore (w/Oysterhead)
11-02 Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom (w/Oysterhead)
11-03 W. Lafayette, IN - Elliott Hall of Music (w/Oysterhead)
11-04 Ann Arbor, MI - Hill Auditorium (w/Oysterhead)
11-08 Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst
11-09 Santa Monica, CA - Temple Bar
11-10 San Diego, CA - Wintston's
11-11 San Diego, CA - Casbah
11-15 Berkeley, CA - The Starry Plough
11-16 San Francisco, CA - Tongue and Groove
11-17 San Francisco, CA - Tongue and Groove
11-20 Eugene, OR - Taylor's Bar and Grill
11-21 Portland, OR - Berbatis Pan
11-22 Seattle, WA - Graceland

Pitchfork Review: http:///record-reviews/d/drums-and-tuba/flying-ballerina.shtml
Drums and Tuba: http://www.drumsandtuba.com
Righteous Babe: http://www.righteousbabe.com

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.)