12 Recent ItemsNegativland to Unveil New Projects
How appropriate that as U2 loudly re-enters our public consciousness, theur arch-enemy Negativland subversively prepares to once again say "Hola!" as well. The multimedia prankster savants are approaching their 25th (!) birthday, and for a bunch of hype-eviscerating culture critics, the occasion will be marked with a not inconsequential amount of activity and fanfare.
First up was the recent reissue of 1989's Helter Stupid. The album detailed a bizarre media hoax in which the band claimed an earlier tune, "Christianity Is Stupid", had somehow become entangled in an axe murder and gotten the whole band placed under house arrest. Or, to let Negativland describe it, " a little prank involving real-life tragedy and wholly unsubstantiated 'facts' on side one, and side two contains everything you once needed to know about radio's selling of the past in a future which hadn't happened yet, but is now old news." Call it sound-collage art rock at its finest.
And there's a lot more on the way.In early 2005, Negativland will unveil their latest project, No Business, a CD/essay hybrid that tackles the most modern of technological evils: file-sharing. Also in the works: a DVD entitled Our Favorite Things, which comes packaged with a "top-secret bonus CD"; a West Coast tour; a solo disc from founding member Mark Hosler; and, in fall 2005, a "mid-career retrospective" of visual art and audio/visual shenanigans in NYC.
If the anticipation is unbearable, you'll be happy to know that a couple other Negativland-related projects are floating in the ether. Band collaborator/satellite member Jonathan Land (DJ Dr.) is proudly offering The Spam Letters, a chronicle of wise-ass correspondence that "taunts, prods, attacks, mocks, and parodies the faceless salespeople in your electronic inbox." And for the more academic, Hosler will conduct a trio of New England college lectures in early December: Coolidge Corner Theater on the 6th, MIT on the 7th, and Yale (complete with a DJ Spooky set) on the 9th. Rhe band helpfully explains: "The presentation covers pranks, media hoaxes, media literacy, the art of collage, creative activism in a media saturated multi-national world, file-sharing, intellectual property issues, evolving notions of art and ownership and law in a digital age, artistic and funny critiques of mass media and culture, and so-called 'culture jamming.'"
Flaming Lips, Walkmen, Death Cab Highlight the Stubbs the Zombie Soundtrack
We rarely have full tracklists for records seven months before their release for the same reason that we haven't yet nailed down our plans for New Year's Eve 2010-- although if you know any good parties, feel free to hook us up. Video game development takes time, though, which is why game/music cross-promotions leave us with news spanning a nearly precognitive time-frame.
And so we pass that early, strange, marketable news on to you-- in the summer of 2005, Aspyr Media will release Stubbs the Zombie - The Soundtrack, featuring some of your favorite focus-group tested favorite bands performing covers of songs from the 1950s or earlier. This is all, as you may have guessed, connected to the upcoming release of Stubbs the Zombie in "Rebel Without a Pulse", an XBOX/Mac/PC game. Players will slake the undead protagonist's hunger (or so we assume) to the sound of these tunes:
01 Ben Kweller: "Lollipop"
02 The Raveonettes: "My Boyfriend's Back"
03 Death Cab for Cutie: "Earth Angel"
04 Rogue Wave: "Every Day"
05 Cake: "Strangers in the Night"
06 The Walkmen: "There Goes My Baby"
07 Dandy Warhols: "All I Have to Do Is Dream"
08 Oranger: "Mr. Sandman"
09 The Flaming Lips: "If I Only Had a Brain"
10 Clem Snide: "Tears On My Pillow"
11 Rose Hill Drive: "Shakin' All Over"
12 Milton Mapes: "Lonesome Town"
13 Phantom Planet: "The Living Dead" (non-cover, but zombie-themed song)
The anachronistic feel of the soundtrack extends to the game itself, which is set in 1959, but takes place in a World's Fair-style "City of the Future." Imagine yourself as an inhuman monster bent on revenge, trashing a proto-Epcot Center while Wayne Coyne croons you a song from The Wizard Of Oz. That, my friends, is high culture.
The bands were given substantial leeway in suggesting songs for the project, with nudges by Aspyr's producers. But it apparently didn't take much nudging, as Nick Harmer of Death Cab had this to say: "We absolutely had to be a part of it. We had such a great time recording "Earth Angel" for a zombie game that we even decorated the recording studio to look like a 1950's prom just to get us in the mood. Thankfully, we didn't have to eat each other as well."
Mos Def, Talib Kweli Tour-- Separately
So, like us, you might be wondering to what the title of Mos Def's new album, The New Danger, is referring. Our guess: Overexposure. Danger's fall release earned the rapper his cushiest Billboard chart debut yet, and now he's prepping to embark on a quality-not-quantity December tour that spans from Florida all the way to, uh, St. Louis. Dates:
12-04 St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
12-05 Chicago, IL - House of Blues
12-06 Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
12-07 Detroit, MI - Royal Oak Music Theater
12-08 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
12-16 Atlanta, GA - Earthlink Live
12-17 Fort Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
12-18 Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
Despondent West Coast fans are advised to hustle out to the multiplex, as that eight-day tour schedule gap exists in part to ensure our hero gets to the premiere of The Woodsman, wherein Mr. Def plays a cop alongside Kyra Sedgwick, Eve, and-- in the starring role of a reformed pedophile-- Kevin Bacon. It opens nationally Christmas Eve, and will undoubtedly make for a carefree, uplifting holiday outing. But unless you're a Baconophile, Mos' finest role yet hits theaters in March: He plays Ford Prefect in the gala big-screen debut of the geek-lit classic The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Sam Rockwell, The Office's Martin Freeman, and Zooey Deschanel also star in the film, and we're so fucking there. Don't forget your towels, kids.
Finally, Mos Def recently showed up on BET's 106 and Park and informally announced that, yes, he and fellow MC Talib Kweli will indeed reunite for another Black Star album, sometime down that yellow brick road-- presumably after he's done promoting Danger, and Kweli is similarly tired of his own recently released album, The Beautiful Struggle. Kweli is currently traipsing about Europe with The Beastie Boys, and he'll close the tour at a Paris show with The Roots. Dates:
12-04 Glasgow, Scotland - SECC *
12-06 Manchester, England - Men Arena *
12-07 London, England - Wembley Arena *
12-09 Berlin, Germany - Max Schmeling Halle *
12-11 Brussels, Belgium - Forest National *
12-12 Darmstadt, Germany - Central Station
12-13 Dusseldorf, Germany - Philipshalle *
12-14 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Heineken Music Hall*
12-15 Hamburg, Germany - Grunspan
12-16 Munich, Germany - Zenith *
12-17 Basel, Switzerland - St. Jakobshalle *
12-18 Milan, Italy - Palamazda *
12-19 Paris, France - Zenith #
* With The Beastie Boys
# With The Roots
The Darkness' Second Album to See Light
The success of The Darkness' debut album, Permission to Land, is one of the most baffling musical occurrences of the millennium. The U.K. sensation somehow managed to sideswipe the U.S. music scene twofold, not only proving popular despite their overtly British sensibilities and presentation, but also by creating a mainstream chart smash with an album steeped in a long-dead genre-- 80s pop-metal. And as long as we're keeping score, the disc also had the power to instill temporary insanity in some of my fellow Pitchforkers, causing it to rank at a surprisingly respectable No. 41 on our list of Top 50 Albums of 2003.
And while the album's approach to aerosol-fueled rock benefited from both a tongue-in-cheek humor and a 1000-watt delivery, the possibility of lightning striking twice hasn't exactly been brewing in anyone's crystal ball. Fans and critics will soon be able to test their loyalty, however, because as we reported in June, The Darkness have spent much of 2004 working on tracks for their second album, which guitarist Dan Hawkins has tentatively promised for release next summer.
While full details are still sketchy, Hawkins recently spoke with England's The Daily Record about the band's current progress on the upcoming LP. "We've written enough stuff for an album, but we just want to make sure it's 10 times better than the last one. We've been at it solidly for the last couple of weeks and it has had its ups and downs. Because we've been touring for so long, we're getting used to being creative again." Don't worry, I'm FedEx-ing them my dad's VHS of Queen at Wembley. Ready Freddy.
In the meantime, you can catch The Darkness live in the UK this month, as they spend the year's dwindling days playing a handful of shows across their native land. The following dates still remain:
12-08 Birmingham, England - NEC Arena
12-10 London, England - Wembley Arena
12-11 London, England - Wembley Arena
12-12 London, England - Wembley Arena
And in a final bit of band news, The Darkness can also be heard on the Band-Aid 20 single, a re-recording of the 80s charity smash "Do They Know It's Christmas?" The song debuted at the top of the UK singles chart this week with an estimated 292,000 copies sold. Other notable artists featured on the release include Paul McCartney, Bono, Coldplay's Chris Martin, and Dizzee Rascal. Proceeds from the single will go to aid those in need in the Darfur region of Sudan.
Superdrag B-Sides Comp, John Davis Solo Record on the Way
Eight years ago, Superdrag's John Davis briefly snuck on MTV by wailing "Who sucked out the feeeelin'?" Evidently, as his upcoming solo album will make plain, the feeeeeelin' has now returned. "I didn't set out to make a 'Christian Rock' record or a 'CCM' record," Davis writes to Pitchfork. "I had a profound, first-hand experience with Christ that changed my whole life and my whole way of looking at the world, and I wanted to write a record about that. So I did!"
Davis' self-titled solo debut arrives via Rambler Records March 5 and was cut in Nashville and co-produced by Davis and R.S. Field, who's worked with Buddy Guy and Billy Joe Shaver. If that pedigree and Davis' recent EP, Jesus Gonna Build Me a Home, are any indication, expect a blues/gospel spin to the usual power-pop chicanery. The lyrics, meanwhile, aren't likely to beat around the burning bush. Davis pinpoints his spiritual awakening to a specific date: November 11, 2001.
"I didn't hear a voice, but I felt the voice in my heart and I just knew in an instant that God was there," says Davis. "Bitterness, cynicism, skepticism, any doubts I had, fears I had, all that just-- melted. I asked God to tell me something, show me something, and He did. As human beings we've all got a void inside us, by nature; He let me know right away that mine would never be filled with liquor, or drugs, or anything else that put distance between He and myself. I asked for peace, and through the Holy Spirit God sent peace to me. Since that day, I haven't been the same." Tracklist:
01 I Hear Your Voice
02 Salvation
03 Me & My Girl
04 Nothing Gets Me Down
05 Jesus Gonna Build Me a Home
06 The Kind of Heart
07 Have Mercy
08 Tear Me Apart
09 Stained Glass Window
10 Too Far Out
11 Lay Your Burden Down
12 Do You Know How Much You've Been Loved
Superdrag, meanwhile, has been dormant since 2002's apparently very well-titled Last Call for Vitriol, but in early 2005, 'Drag label Arena Rock will grace us with a b-sides/rarities comp-- even previously released tracks like "Keep It Close to Me" will be alternate versions, first-takes, you know the drill. Tracklist:
01 Here We Come
02 She Says
03 My Day (Will Come)
04 Sleeping Beauty
05 Doctors Are Dead
06 Comfortably Bummed
07 No Inspiration
08 Keep It Close To Me
09 Extra-Sensory
10 I Am Incinerator
11 Relocate My Satellites
12 While the Rest of the World Was Busy Changing
12 Lighting The Way (live)
13 True Beliver (live)
Namelessnumberheadman Hit New York, Chicago
It's amazing what creating good music can do for your mental health. Consider Kansas City-based organo-mechanical trio Namelessnumberheadman, whose excellent summer release Your Voice Repeating has managed to sustain the band despite a dearth of cash and record label representation. Speaking to Pitchfork via e-mail, NNHM's keyboard/device manipulator Jason Lewis told us, "We play quite a bit around the Kansas City area, and are working on more shows in the Midwest for January and February. Strangely, we somehow managed to play in Brooklyn [last April] before we ever played in Omaha, but we've made a pinkie swear to not neglect our home region anymore during the coming year."
More immediately and certainly not in defiance of said pinkie swear, the band will head back to the New York area for a couple of shows before stopping in Chicago on their way back home. At the Chicago show, NNHM will serve as an opening act for a tour-closing DJ set by VHS or Beta (behind the deejayin' guise of Kit Chaps), so it should be a good chance to bask in ethereal sounds and textures before dancing the Illinois night away. A fun time for all, in these metropolitan climes:
12-09 Brooklyn, NY - Southpaw (w/ The Black Spoons)
12-10 Rochester, NY - Visual Studies Workshop (w/ The Black Spoons)
12-12 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle (w/ Kit Chaps, The New Roman Times)
As for the future, Lewis explains, "We've been working on new material, one song of which we have just begun adding to the live sets. We've been writing and recording quite a bit in the last month and have plans to hibernate a bit in the coming winter months to do more." When asked if all this slowly coalescing activity has generated the outlines of an album yet, Lewis replied: "We don't have definite plans for another release in the near future, mainly because we are up in the air in our label situation. We seem to work in a fairly gradual way, in that we get multiple song ideas going in a somewhat rough form and then start layering and honing them. So, we aren't typically debuting a new song every month, but things are rolling in that direction."
In the meantime, the band members will keep themselves fresh with different side projects (drummer Andrew Sallee has played for fellow K.C. rockers Ghosty, while guitarist/keyboardist Chuck Whittington is involved in co-producing local band Trusty Defiant) as well banding together to remix some material from The Belles.
New Order Ready Next LP For '05 Release
Despite some previous skepticism here at Pitchfork, New Order seem to be set to release their next album early in 2005, a mere three-and-a-half years after the release of their most recent LP, Get Ready. Several sources, including the England's Channel 4, say that it is intended to come out as early as February. Worldinmotion.net says that according to "sources close to the band," they were already mixing the finished tracks by November.
The only song with an announced title, "Sugarcane", was reportedly produced by Tore Johansson, whose previous credits include the Cardigans' "Lovefool" and Franz Ferdinand's self-titled album. Brit guitar pop's standby producers, Stephen Street and John Leckie, handled the rest of it; the band apparently worked with Kylie Minogue's producer as well, but that collaboration wasn't completed in time to be considered for the new record.
For over-the-hill Glastonbury all-stars, the boys of New Order have actually been pretty busy-- in addition to finishing an album, Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook appeared on Gwen Stefani's solo album Love. Angel. Music. Baby., which Stefani, who's apparently a fan, said was the result of "kind of stalking those guys." (Allow us to remind you of Pitchfork reviewer Nick Sylvester's verdict on the resulting song: "Anyone remotely involved with "The Real Thing" should find a stray dog and let it bite him.") Nor is Stefani alone in her affections; Moby has said that one of the two albums he hopes to put out in the spring will contain a cover of a mystery song that, from the hints given on his blog, is probably New Order's "Temptation".
Noise Pop Fest to Feature Leo, Newsom
Just when you need another reminder of how much better your life would be if you lived in the Bay Area (not to mention how much less money you'd have), along comes the 13th installment of San Francisco's well-nigh-legendary Noise Pop Festival. The specific locations and bills for each show remain unannounced-- although you can count on pretty much every SF club getting into the act-- and the bookings are still rolling in, but enough top-drawer acts are already confirmed to get any noise popper's drool flowing. Ted Leo + Pharmacists kick off the opening night, February 22nd, with the Polyphonic Spree wrapping it all up five days later on the 27th.
In between, the festival's official website is promising sets by Joanna Newsom, Rogue Wave, Amon Tobin, Portastatic, Les Georges Leningrad, Nada Surf, High on Fire, The Velvet Teen, Nicolai Dunger, and the proverbial "more". It's like a whole year's worth of Conan O'Brien musical guests in less than a week. The usual carnival of sideshows-- a film festival, a music law seminar, etc.-- will return this year as well.
"Our little Noise Pop is growing up so fast," proud papa Kevin Arnold muses in the advance press release. "It seems like just yesterday she was in diapers, crawling around from club to club. Now we can barely get her to sit down for dinner, she's busy running all over town between 10 different clubs seeing dozens and dozens of bands. But you know teenagers!" Actually, judging by what the kids are wearing, listening to, eating, and first-person-shooting these days, we don't. But we'll assume Noise Pop's organizers lack the self-conscious surliness and microscopic attention span of today's young Americans. Why can't they be like we were: perfect in every way?
Although many acts remain unnanounced, tickets for the festival go on sale this Sunday, December 12, through www.noisepop.com. A festival badge will set you back $125.
An era has officially ended, on two counts: 12 Rods, the very first American band signed to V2 Records and a longtime favorite of the Pitchfork brass, has called it quits. Also notable as one of the few (if not the only one-- we frankly didn't have the time nor inclination to check every entry in the archives) bands to score a 10.0 on the strength of an EP (that would be Gay?, their ticket to V2), the Minneapolis band won a steady following over the past decade or so on the strength of their stellar songwriting and unique but familiar sound. Their website now features this epitaph of sorts: "Ladies and gentlemen, 12 Rods is finished. What began in Oxford, OH in 1992 ended in Minneapolis, MN in 2004. The band would like to thank all the people who supported us over the past 12 years." For any superfans out there interested in padding their nostalgia with bootleg MP3s, the band's last show was on August 14 at the First Avenue Mainroom in Minneapolis.
So what's next for the members of this band and their Todd Rundgren-blessed talents? Well, frontman Ryan Olcott has been playing the Minneapolis area with a new outfit called FoodTeam, an unabashedly more experimental affair than his late band, and drummer Chris McGuire has-- along with Low's Zak Sally-- been involved with Kid Dakota, which released their second album, The West Is the Future, in October. KD also have plans to play in Minnesota over the next couple of months.
So, that's the future. As for the past, the 12 Rods website will live on and continue to compile pictures, press articles, stories involving drunken nights at their shows, and "will be available indefinitely for future generations to share." You can also pick up any of the band's releases there, which is what we would recommend if you asked us. Don't wallow in loss-- just lose yourself in your headphones, we always say.
First Posthumous ODB LP Announced
Just weeks after Ol' Dirty Bastard's sudden death in a Manhattan recording studio, the beginning of the last chapter in his sadly truncated career has been announced. Jarred Weisfeld, ODB's manager, and his mother, Cherry Jones, recently revealed that they have formed a new record label (Jarred Cherry Records), apparently created for the sole purpose of releasing posthumous ODB product. The first album on the docket, entitled Osirus (also one of ODB's many aliases), is scheduled to be released January 4th.
According to Billboard, Osirus will contain 15 new tracks from the famed Wu-Tang member. "Dirty's legacy will continue through this album, his music, his DVD [forthcoming] and his clothing line for all eternity," Weisfeld said in a statement. The album will feature collaborations with such guests as Rahzel, the Mountain Brothers' Chops, Mark Ronson and Kdef (aka Ghostface Killah). "Pop Shots (Wu-Tang)", the album's first single, was produced by DJ Premier (Nas, Mos Def, Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G.).
JC Records is also looking toward the future, with a couple of announced projects and the promise of more in the works. Next up will be an album, scheduled for a March release, featuring artists who had worked with ODB... although we have no clarification on an album title, artist listing (for example, is ODB even on it?), or precise release date.
Meanwhile, the album that ODB was working on at the time of his death-- his debut for Roc-A-Fella records-- is reportedly being prepped for an early 2005 release.
Nurse With Wound to Perform This Weekend
They're rolling out the Christmas presents early in indie land-- long-running experimental outfit Nurse With Wound is throwing a bash this week for the simultaneous unveiling of three new releases. The trio of albums have all been (for confusion's sake) titled Angry Eelectric Finger, and offer the combined talents of fellow avant-weird artists Jim O'Rourke, irr.app.(ext.), and Cyclobe.
And while the title thing may seem a little odd to our more buttoned-down readers, a description on the Beta-lactam Ring Records (the band's label) website conveniently explains the projects...sort of. Those with an adverse reaction to "wacky" (read: stupid) indie label copy are advised to skip a paragraph.
"The recipe began with our fearless leader, Steve Stapleton, cooking up some recordings & mixing in a few tablespoons of Xhol Caravan. He then sent this delicious sound casserole, one each, to Jim O'Rourke, Cyclobe & Irr.App.(Ext.) & asked that they bake said casseroles in their own sonic ovens. The 3 separate sound casseroles were then returned to the NWW kitchen where Chef Steve added just a dash of this & a pinch of that. Beta-lactam Ring now serves up these 3 piping hot dishes to you, the hungriest of hungry, hungry hippos."
And as for the release party, you hungry hipposÉColin Potter, Matt Waldron of irr.app.(ext.), and NWW founder Steven Stapleton have been confirmed attendees at the event, which will take place at the Doug Fir Lounge in Portland, Ore., on Saturday, December 11. The gathering also promises live performances by Colin Potter, irr.app.(ext.), and a DJ set by Stapleton himself. But the fun doesn't end there, as the following evening, Sunday, December 12, will feature an art exhibition of Stapleton's handpainted album covers. Tickets are available at www.ticketswest.com < http://www.ticketswest.com > or www.jackpotrecords.com.
Finally, for those unable to attend, the label started shipping Angry Eelectric Finger this week, with CD copies available through their website. A limited run of 550 vinyl copies for each of the three discs are already sold out, the first 25 of which offered a numbered and signed handpainted sleeve by Stapleton, as well as a photo insert. Thankfully Santa does Ebay.
New Architecture in Helsinki EP
We're almost positive that during our collective adolescence, Hoboken's Bar/None Records was largely home to American semi-weirdos like The Embarrassment, Glass Eye, They Might Be Giants, and The Ordinaires. Maybe it was just all the glue we were huffing, though, because in 2004 Bar/None seems to have a surfeit of bands offering gentle, elaborate pop, such as The Mosquitos, Trembling Blue Stars, and Architecture In Helsinki.
AIH's debut album Fingers Crossed won accolades from all over (including Pitchfork) earlier this year, but the eight-member Australian band has already released an EP in advance of their next record, which is reportedly due in February 2005. Do The Whirlwind is available as a CD single and/or limited-edition hand-screened vinyl-- available in Australia now, and in America whenever you get around to ordering it from Australia. Hear, hear:
01 Do The Whirlwind
02 Love Is Evil
03 Find Your Power Animal
You can hear "Do The Whirlwind" for free on the band's website, where you will discover that it's great and that it sounds kind of like-- don't hit us-- electroclash. The two B-sides are apparently anything but, as bandleader Cameron Bird has described them thus: "Love Is Evil started out as a dejected tropical love song and ended up an epic bilingual apocalyptic hip hop opus... Every Japanese friend we have asked to interpret the lyrics sung on the track has no idea at all what [Japanese guest MCs Filmmm and Kaigen] are saying. Find Your Power Animal... We are all big fans of Pharaoh Sanders, Sun Ra, that whole hippy jazz thing, I guess this was us doing a distinctly AIH take on it."
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.)
Mon: 05-05-08: 08:30 AM CDT
Tom Waits Reveals "Glitter and Doom" Tour
Mon: 05-05-08: 07:48 AM CDT
Yet Another Surprise New Nine Inch Nails Album
Sat: 05-03-08: 02:00 PM CDT
Photos: Arcade Fire / Superchunk at Rally for Obama [Carrboro, NC; 05/02/08]
Fri: 05-02-08: 04:55 PM CDT
The Cool Kids' Bake Sale EP, Here at Last
Fri: 05-02-08: 04:32 PM CDT
Everybody and Their Mom Added to Glastonbury Lineup
Today's Other Headlines
- Holopaw, Boyracer, Brittle Stars Play Pop Mayhem!
- A Hawk & A Hacksaw Tour With Hun Hangar Ensemble
- Four Tet Announces Summer Tour
- Mark "BBQ" Sultan Tours, Plays Dates With Clinic
- Spoon Add Dates, Britt Daniel Plays Solo
Browse
Sat: 05-03-08
Fri: 05-02-08
- The Cool Kids' Bake Sale EP, Here at Last
- Holopaw, Boyracer, Brittle Stars Play Pop Mayhem!
- A Hawk & A Hacksaw Tour With Hun Hangar Ensemble
- Everybody and Their Mom Added to Glastonbury Lineup
- Four Tet Announces Summer Tour
- Mark "BBQ" Sultan Tours, Plays Dates With Clinic
- Spoon Add Dates, Britt Daniel Plays Solo
- Gregor Samsa Issue Rest, Tour Tirelessly
- Deerhunter Gain Member for Forthcoming Tour
- Grizzly Bear Add Shows Between Radiohead Gigs
- Yo La Tengo, Sparklehorse Folks Tour With Johnston
- Grand Archives, Helio Sequence Do Air Race, Tours
- Fleet Foxes Add New Member, More Tour Dates
- M.I.A., Franz, Interpol, Death Cab for Cutie Do Latitude
- Midlake Guitarist Starts Fair Trade Coffee Company
- The Cure Herald New Album With Series of Singles
- Photos: Arcade Fire / Superchunk Rally for Obama [Greensboro, NC; 05/01/08]
Thu: 05-01-08
- High Places Sign to Thrill Jockey, Prep Debut Album
- Cloudland Canyon Tour With Singer
- Annie LP Details: Title, Songs, Killer Guest Stars
- The Ocean, Kylesa Join Forces for U.S. Tour
- Spiritualized's A&E: Bumped, Expanded, Deluxe-ified
- Wolf Parade Join the 2008 Cover Art Hall of Fame
- Justice, TVOTR, Vampire Weekend Do Monolith
- Times New Viking Tour Through the Summer
- Norwegian Black Metal Stars Showcased in Photo Book
- Shearwater Tour With Frog Eyes, Evangelicals
- Phil Elverum, Bret Lunsford, Karl Blau Prep D+ Comp
- Black Kids Sign to Columbia for U.S., Reveal LP Details
- The Mary Onettes Line Up First U.S. Tour Ever
- Polvo Offshoot Black Taj Go Beyonder on New Album
- Hold Steady Reveal Stay Positive Tracklist, Release Date
- Feist, Spoon, Deerhoof, Philip Glass Celebrate Brooklyn
- Clipse, Deerhunter, Shellac Play Villette Sonique
- RZA Unveils Snacks Tracks, Ridonculous Cover Art
Wed: 04-30-08
- Deerhunter, Crystal Castles, APTBS Opening for NIN
- Pitchfork.tv Seeks Summer Interns in New York City
- Albert Hammond, Jr.'s ¿Cómo Te Llama? Due in July
- Cat Power, Jim James, She & Him Head Newport Lineup
- Bjork/Antony/Oldham Arranger Nico Muhly Preps LP
- Spank Rock Hospitalized, Dates Cancelled
- Dr. Dog Embrace Fate on New Album, Tour
- Mojave 3's Halstead Joins Jack Johnson's Label, Tour
- New Order Revisit History on Live DVD Set
- Photos: Goldfrapp [New York, NY; 04/29/08]
- Bloc Party Line Up Summer Tour, Work on New Album
- The War on Drugs Reveal Debut Details, Tour
- Bon Iver Extends Tour, Remixes the Rosebuds
- Photos: The Mae Shi / Pre / Panther [Portland, OR; 04/26/08]
- Photos: Menomena's Record Store Day Foosball Challenge [Portland, OR; 04/19/08]
- Yes! This IS the Cover for Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III!
- Justice, Hot Chip, Vampire Weekend Play Radio 1 Fest
Tue: 04-29-08
- Radiohead "All I Need" Clip Raises Slavery Awareness
- Fiery Furnaces Announce Mammoth Live Album
- Photos: Cut Copy / Black Kids [Portland, OR; 04/28/08]
- Liquid Liquid's Classic EPs Compiled, Expanded
- CSS Reveal Donkey Tracklist
- Stephen O'Malley's KTL Tours With Radian's Nemeth
- Dosh Tours, Snags Andrew Bird for Record Release Gig
- RZA, Wire, Junior Boys Play Futuresonic Fest
- Label Shuffle: 4AD Absorbs Too Pure, Beggars Banquet
- Bikini Kill's Tobi Vail Hits the Road With the Old Haunts
- Radiohead In-Studio Performance Headed to VH1
- Robyn Kicks Off North American Tour Tonight
- Twilight Sad Rework Autumns Tracks on New EP
- Photos: Wulapalooza: Blitzen Trapper / The Blow / Panther [Salem, OR; 04/26/08]
- David Bowie Reissues 1972 Live Set
- Photos: Les Savy Fav / The Dodos [San Francisco, CA; 04/27/08]
- MBV, Aphex Twin, Breeders, Lidell, CSS Do Bestival
- Nick Cave & Bad Seeds Announce North American Dates
- Jay Reatard Toronto Snafu: Promoters Respond
Mon: 04-28-08
- Cave Singers, Love as Laughter Line Up Joint Dates
- Walkmen Update: New Album, New Label
- Dirty Projectors, Phosphorescent Cover Castanets
- Will Oldham Shrooms, Reveals All About New LP
- T.V. Eye: April 28-May 4, 2008
- Death Cab for Cutie Extend Tour
- Wolf Parade Album Gets New Title
- Dylan, Stooges, Kanye, Wilco, Lil Wayne Play Virgin
- Secret Machines Preview Forthcoming LP on Tour
- The Breeders Kick off North American Tour
- Photos: Triptych Festival [Glasgow, Scotland; 04/26/08]
- Coldplay to Play Free Shows in London, NYC
- Centro-Matic, South San Gabriel Team for Split LP, Gigs
- Photos: Coachella [Sunday]
- Photos: Coachella [Saturday]
- Photos: Coachella [Friday]
- Report: Dickson Street Music Festival [Fayetteville, AR; 4/25/08-4/26/08]
- Yo La Tengo Scoring Ryan Reynolds Movie
Fri: 04-25-08
- These New Puritans Gear Up for First U.S. Tour
- Simply Saucer Reveal Half Live LP Details, Tour Dates
- Roky Erickson, Ronnie Spector, ? Do Ponderosa Stomp
- Hold Steady, Sebadoh, Caribou Complete P4k Fest Bill!
- Cee-Lo Co-Writes Jennifer Hudson Song for Sex and the City Movie Soundtrack
- Wolf Parade Announce Summer Tour
- Kevin Barnes, High Places Play Over the Top Fest
- Sigur Ros Line Up Summer Tour Dates
- The Field's Band, Gear Denied Entry to U.S.; Tour Nixed
- Strategy Issues New Album, Co-Curates Ambient Comp
- Ono, Lennon Sons Hit Expelled Folks With Lawsuit
- MSTRKRFT, DFA Remix Chromeo on Fancier Footwork
- Boris Line Up North American Tour
- Coachella 2008 Starts Today
- Stereolab's Tim Gane Talks Chemical Chords
Thu: 04-24-08
- Steve Albini Recording New Scott Weiland Album
- Liars Spice up Radiohead Tour With Headlining Shows
- Awesome Color Serve Up Second LP for Ecstatic Peace
- French Kicks Go Swimming on New Album, Tour
- Nomo Prepare New LP, Contribute to Art Installation
- Beck Announces Summer Tour
- Dresden Dolls Compile Odds and Ends on Comp, Tour
- Bonnie "Prince" Billy Sheds Light on New Album, Tour
- Patti Smith and Kevin Shields' Coral Sea Coming to CD
- Atlas Sound, Hot Chip's Taylor Remix Sian Alice Group
- CSS New Album Title: Donkey
- Bill Callahan Extends Tour
- Photos: Paul Simon / Grizzly Bear [Brooklyn, NY; 04/23/08]
- Radio Slave Project Quiet Village Scores a Silent Movie
- Update: Cat Power "Lord" License Agreement Reached
- Paul Weller Dreams Up New LP With Oasis, Blur Mates
- Beach Boys Box Classic Singles, Brian Wilson Tours
- !!!, DJ Shadow/Cut Chemist, MSTRKRFT Do Camp Bisco
- Hold Steady Sign Overseas Deal With Rough Trade
- Interpol, Death Cab, Gnarls, Justice Do Quart Fest
Wed: 04-23-08
- Crystal Castles Caught Up in Artwork Controversy
- Essie Jain Readies Second Album for June Release
- Cut Copy Tour With Shocking Pinks, Juan Maclean
- Shocker: Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III Pushed Back
- Blood on the Wall Touring Yet Again
- Architecture in Helsinki: New EP, Tour With El Guincho
- Earth Hit the Road
- Apples in Stereo, the Coup, Mahjongg Play FreeKY Fest
- Cat Power Reschedules Canceled Dates
- Justice, Spank Rock Lead Ed Rec Vol III
- PAS/CAL Finally Ready to Share Full-Length Debut
- Dirty Projectors Sign to Domino, Prep Two New LPs
- Hold Steady, Vampire Weekend, LSF Rock Capitol Hill
- Richie Ramone Royalties Lawsuit Dismissed
- Islands' Thorburn + Jim Guthrie = Human Highway
Tue: 04-22-08
- My Bloody Valentine Lead Unfuckingbelievable Lineup for New York All Tomorrow's Parties Fest
- Kraftwerk Drama: Alleged Beef With Kling Klang, Florian Schneider Missing From U.S. Tour
- Frightened Rabbit Tour Both Sides of the Pond
- Arcade Fire Plan Obama Shows With Superchunk!
- Tegan and Sara Serve Up Live EP, Add Dates
- Burial to Craft Next DJ-Kicks Mix
- Nellie McKay Scores Election Musical, Plans Shows
- !!!, Yeasayer, No Age Play Free Yr Radio Series
- Ladyhawk Hit the Road With Neva Dinova
- The Cinematic Orchestra Deliver Live Album, Plan Gigs
- Conor Oberst Cuts Solo Album for Merge Records
- Photos: Sunset Rubdown Polaroids
- Mum Kick Off U.S. Tour
- The Next Peter Bjorn and John Album: Instrumental!
- Black Kids Just Keep on Touring
- M.I.A., Goldfrapp, Justice, Hercules Do Sonar Fest
Mon: 04-21-08
- Is This Really the New Weezer Album Cover?
- Hot Chip Line Up New Single, Tour
- Pitchfork.tv Seeks Camera Assistants for NYC Internship
- Peter Moren Kicks Off North American Tour
- T.V. Eye: April 21-27, 2008
- She & Him Postpone NYC Gig, Team With Yo La Tengo
- Photos: Man Man / Yeasayer [Minneapolis, MN; 04/18/08]
- Radiohead to Go "Green" on "Conan O'Brien"
- 4AD Reveal New Version of Atlas Sound's Blind
- Weezer Reveal "Red Album" Tracklist, Bonus Cuts
- Thurston, Ranaldo, Cluster, Tony Conrad Do No Fun
- EPMD Hit the Road
- Jay Reatard Preps Next 7", Chaos Erupts at Toronto Gig
- Mudhoney Gear up for Superfuzz Reissue, New Album
- Yellow Swans Break Up
- The Narrator Call It Quits, Plan Farewell Shows
- RZA Talks Bobby Digital, Wu-Tang Clan Drama
Fri: 04-18-08
- Spoon, Les Savy Fav, Dodos Added to Pitchfork Festival
- Pitchfork's Guide to Record Store Day
- Go-Betweens' Forster Issues First Solo LP in 12 Years
- Au Return With Verbs, Tour
- Nachtmystium Plan New Album, EP, Live Excursion
- Cajun Dance Party Dish Out Debut LP on XL
- David Byrne and Brian Eno Working Together Again
- Cat Power Hurts Vocal Cords, Postpones Dates
- Slaraffenland, Efterklang Do Joint North American Tour
- White Rabbits Tour With Miles Benjamin Anthony...
- Thalia Zedek Expands Backing Band for New Album
- Neil Hamburger Sings Country Winners on Tour
- Neko Case Hurts Foot, Leaves New Pornographers Tour
- Two Pipettes Enter, Two Pipettes Leave
- Islands Throw Some Dates on That Tour
- Stereolab to Issue Chemical Chords in August
- Flight of the Conchords Deliver Debut LP, Hit the Road
- Danny Federici, E Street Band Keyboardist, R.I.P.
Thu: 04-17-08
- R. Kelly Still Sequel-Happy on New Album
- The Orb Send Youth-Boosted New Album Stateside
- John, Yoko, Ben Stein, Killers: Creationist Controversy
- The Mae Shi Act Out "The Wire" on Tour-Only DVD
- Silver Jews Announce Tour, Reveal Cover Art
- Joy Division Coming to DVD and Zune
- Indian Jewelry Dole Out Free Gold!, Hit the Road
- Flaming Lips, Hercules, Black Kids Do Camp Bestival
- Yoko Ono Explores "Female Experience" in Art Exhibit
- Election Fever: Bruce Boosts Barack! Rockers 4 Novick!
- CSS Reveal North American Tour, Dates With Go! Team
- Rilo Kiley Kick Off Tour Tonight
- Wilco Add Dates, Retribution Gospel Choir Join Tour
- Ecstatic Sunshine Hit the Road With Cex
- Polvo's Ash Bowie Talks "Reformation"
Wed: 04-16-08
- RZA's World: Ice Picks, Chess, and System of a Down
- Deerhoof, Times New Viking, Prefuse 73 Go Wordless
- Kanye West's Glow in the Dark Extravaganza Begins
- No Age, Marnie Stern, Hella Dudes on Zach Hill Solo LP
- Magnetic Fields Head to Europe, Prep Vinyl Reissues
- Fleet Foxes and Beach House Link up for Tour
- Destroyer Kicks Off Trouble Tour Tonight
- A Sunny Day in Glasgow Cover Pastels, Cut Singles, Tour
- Half-Handed Cloud Splits 7" With Ariel Pink, Tours
- Morrissey Plans New Single, Show in Israel
- Thurston, MacKaye, Watt in Record Store Documentary
- Earles & Jensen Reissue Prank Call Classic on Matador
- The Chap Sign to Ghostly to Release New Album
- Wombats Sign to Roadrunner in U.S., Issue LP, Tour
- Roskilde Festival Lineup Announced
- Matmos Announce Summer Tour
- Hold Steady, Nick Lowe, Regina Spektor Play Tribeca
- New Pornos, Andrew Bird Play Sculpture Garden
Tue: 04-15-08
- Sub Pop Announces 20th Anniversary Bash
- Aceyalone, Dilated Peoples, Alchemist Do Joint Tour
- Melt-Banana, Cannanes in Art-Swapping Singles Club
- Menomena Issue Record Store Day Foosball Challenge
- Jeff Mangum, Will Cullen Hart on New Instruments LP
- Swervedriver Plan More Gigs, Film School Supports
- Photos: Stars of the Lid / Nudge / Christopher Willits [Los Angeles, CA; 04/14/08]
- Fiery Furnaces Tour With String Cheese Incident Dude
- Diplo, Bonde do Role, Carl Craig Rework Tony Allen
- Photos: The New Pornographers / Okkervil River [Washington, DC; 04/14/08]
- Windy & Carl's Windy Weber Unleashes Hate on Solo LP
- Radiohead Best Of DVD Details Emerge
- Austin City Limits Lineup Revealed
- Photos: Dirty Projectors / No Kids [Los Angeles, CA; 04/12/08]