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Jim O'Rourke Parts Ways With Sonic Youth, for Now

Jim O'Rourke has accomplished many things in his thirty-six years: produced, remixed and collaborated with countless indie- and avant- rock heavyweights, recorded a slew of solo pop and experimental albums, been a member of Gastr del Sol, Loose Fur and, until last week, Sonic Youth. But, it turns out, what he really wants to do is direct. Just like George Clooney.

In an interview with Pitchfork on Friday, Sonic Youth guitarist/vocalist Lee Ranaldo confirmed rumors that O'Rourke has left the band. "We are in the process of parting ways for a number of different reasons--all of them amiable," he said. However, he isn't closing the door to the possibility of future collaborations. "We will continue to work together in various capacities, but he's been in a period recently of re-examining a lot of aspects of his own life and what he wants to do. I think that what he really wants to do at this point is move more into working in film. I don't think he really wants to do that much music at this point.

"I think he's really absorbed in the world of cinema and would like to be making films with directors and to be a director. I think he just felt that we were busy enough that he wasn't able to pursue that as a goal at this point. I think he'd really like to live in Japan for awhile and get further immersed in the world of Japanese cinema."

O'Rourke is no cinematic newbie. He was "music consultant" on Richard Linklater's Jack Black tour de force School of Rock (helping the kids learn how to play their instruments, if I remember the DVD extras correctly) and has worked on the soundtracks to such films as Grizzly Man, Love Liza and Julien Donkey-Boy. He has also named three of his solo albums after Nicolas Roeg movies. Does any of that mean he'll be a good director? Who knows? Although "Halfway to a Threeway" would make a pretty rad movie.

Ranaldo also hinted at what's in store for the Sonics in the Post-O'Rourke age. "We've decided that we're going to go ahead and make our next record as a four-piece again," he said. "It's gonna be interesting because on one hand it's what we've always been, except this last period with Jim, but on the other hand, having a fifth member opened up the group to different things. We could flex different muscles as a five piece."

"I really don't have any idea what the future will hold, whether we'll bring other people out on tour with us or if we'll just go out as a quartet. But we are most of the way through a really cool group of songs that are being written as a quartet." He added, "Change is always good. It always works out for the better. It brings you to a new place." Unless that place is NYC Ghosts & Flowers, we're cool with it.

Ranaldo described the new songs as "sort of rocking in a way that maybe we haven't really tried before. Some of them are kind of an extension of the last couple records, and some of them are almost more like noise-slash-sound pieces that either shoot off in their own direction or hark back to earlier works. There are a few things that are more sound-process pieces."

As previously reported, Ranaldo recovered two of his beloved custom-modified guitars, lost since an equipment heist in 1999, this summer in California. Although the guitars are currently in pretty bad shape, Ranaldo is optimistic that they will be rehabilitated to working order soon. And then he can get back to ripping up "Eric's Trip" just like the old days.

Sonic Youth: http://www.sonicyouth.com/
Posted by Julianne Shepherd and Amy Phillips in on Mon: 10-17-05: 12:00 AM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink
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Exclusive: Mission of Burma Talk New Album

Sometimes you can go home again. Sometimes you can be just as good, if not better, than you were before. And sometimes (ok, rarely), you can keep apace with your own monumental legend.

Mission of Burma represents the exception and not the rule: a criminally underappreciated band that breaks up too soon, gets inducted into rock sainthood, reunites to play sellout crowds, and releases an album to prove time can actually stand still. Met with rapturous praise, 2004's OnOffOn showed the band was in as fine a form as they were on their classic Signals, Calls, and Marches and Vs.. What makes this all so wondrous is that it was so unexpected; you can't help but feel that Burma could leave it all behind once again and go into another 20-year hibernation. So when they announce they're recording a new album, think of it as a gift.

In emails to Pitchfork, guitarist Roger Miller and tape manipulator/sound engineer Bob Weston report that the band completed mixing on Wednesday night for the as-yet untitled album, due in spring 2006. The next step will be mastering. The album was recorded at Q Division Studios in Somerville, MA, where OnOffOn was made, with the band producing and Weston engineering. (Check out the Q Division website for funny photos of Burma mugging with teenpop sensations the Click Five!)

There is no firm tracklist yet, but Miller writes, "We recorded 15 songs, more than required for a 12-song album. So we don't know what songs will be included, or what the order will be. Possibly the songs "Thirteen," "Twice," and "Spider's Web" (all performed over the last two years in various urban centers) will be included. We recorded four songs we have not yet performed live - this is a first for the band. Listening to the mixes, they sound as completed as the rest of the songs." To this list of potential tracks, Weston adds "Good, Not Great", "Nancy Reagan's Head", and "Ridiculosity". Weston also mentions that cello and viola appear on a few of the songs.

As for the modus operandi of the new record, Miller, with cheeky humor, says the band wishes to move forward in Burma, Part Deux. He writes, "Perhaps ONoffON picked up where 1982's Vs. LP left off. On this next recording (Nash Neesh? Banner of Bleeding Meat? Lure of the Pollinators?), the band is no longer concerned with picking up where we left off in the post-punk era. Song structures, sonic stew, humor and existential angst are all refurbished and laughed about behind their backs." We'll keep you posted on this brewing sonic stew as more details emerge.

Mission of Burma: http://www.missionofburma.com/
Posted by Caroline Bermudez in on Mon: 10-17-05: 12:00 AM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink
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Stars Working on Side Projects, Starting Death Cab Tour

As the disturbing effects of Canuckophilia continue to ravage the warped minds of Pitchfork reviewers, our evil friends in Stars seem bent on keeping them in padded rooms. Members of the Montreal fourpiece are currently prepping for a bevy of side projects, which are almost assured to keep our writers' fingers and toes decidedly curled.

Vocalist/guitarist Amy Millan is currently wrapping up work on her long-anticipated debut solo record, Honey from the Tombs. Arts & Crafts plans to put out the disc--which features production from Canadian indie rock veteran Ian Blurton--sometime during the spring of 2006. Chief songwriter Torquil Campbell is hard at work on the next album from Memphis, his side project, while guitarist Steve Ramsay is recording a solo album under the astronerdtastic name Young Galaxy.

For the time being, however, Stars are still supporting of their stunning 2004 release Set Yourself on Fire with a healthy fall tour opening for [insert "O.C." joke here] Death Cab for Cutie. DJ Thomas Morr, head honcho of the Morr Music label, will DJ several dates at the end of the jaunt.

Where soul meets body:

10-19 Northampton, MA - Iron Horse
10-20 New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom *
10-21 Carlisle, PA - Dickinson College *
10-22 Providence, RI - Lupo's at the Strand *
10-23 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club *
10-24 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club *
10-25 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory *
10-27 Raleigh, NC - Disco Rodeo *
10-28 Nashville, TN - War Memorial Auditorium *
10-29 Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle *
10-30 Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live *
10-31 Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock South Florida *
11-04 Ft. Worth, TX - Ridglea Theater *
11-05 Austin, TX - Stubb's BBQ *
11-06 Austin, TX - Stubb's BBQ *
11-08 Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre *
11-09 San Diego, CA - SOMA *
11-11 Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern *#
11-12 Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern *#
11-13 San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre *#
11-14 San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre *#
11-15 Santa Clara, CA - Santa Clara University *#
11-16 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom *#
11-17 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom *#
11-18 Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre *#
11-19 Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre *#

* with Death Cab for Cutie
# with DJ Thomas Morr

In related Stars news, the band recently recorded a cover of the Pogues' "Fairytale of New York" for the independent medical organization Doctors Without Borders. No word on whether the track will go toward a charity compilation album, but DWB is known to be a favorite cause of Stars. What we can tell you is that the cut will appear as a b-side to the "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" single in the UK. The band is also making progress on a remix album, but details remain under wraps. Our dream lineup of remixers: Arthur Baker, BT, Michael Watts, Deep Dish, Jermaine Dupri, Kid 606.

Stars: http://www.arts-crafts.ca/stars/
Posted by Matt Amis in on Mon: 10-17-05: 12:00 AM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink
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Hot Hot Heat Announce post-Weezer/Foos Tour

While their tour with Foo Fighters and Weezer is winding down, Hot Hot Heat have announced headlining dates of their own, with a few up-and-coming, throne-stealing bands pulling opening duties. The Redwalls will support the bulk of the tour, while We Are Scientists (but I don't believe that they are) will take the first leg and Diamond Nights the second.

All of these bands are supporting newish albums: Hot Hot Heat's Elevator, Foo Fighters' In Your Honor, Weezer's Make Believe, the Redwalls' De Nova, and We Are Scientists' With Love and Squalor. For what it's worth, Pitchfork doesn't care for any of these albums. We haven't reviewed Diamond Nights' Popsicle yet, but we did give their Once We Were Diamonds EP a 4.9. Maybe they'll crack the 7.0 mark, but probably not. Hopefully everybody is much, much better live

Coast to coast, big and small:

10-17 Columbia, MO - Blue Note 10-22 Long Beach, CA - Long Beach Arena *
10-23 Long Beach, CA - Long Beach Arena *
10-25 Portland, OR - Memorial Coliseum *
10-26 Seattle, WA - Key Arena *
10-28 Oakland, CA - Oakland Arena *
11-06 Louisville, KY - Jillian's @
11-07 Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall @
11-09 Syracuse, NY - Club Trunda @
11-10 Buffalo, NY - The Icon @
11-12 Hartford, CT - Webster Theatre @
11-14 Burlington, VT - Higher Ground @
11-15 Johnson City, NY - Magic City Music Hall @
11-17 Sayerville, NJ - Starland Ballroom @
11-19 Baltimore, MD - Sonar @
11-25 Oklahoma City, OK - Bricktown Live %
11-26 Dallas, TX - Trees %
11-29 Tallahassee, FL - Floyd's Music Store %
12-02 Orlando, FL - House of Blues %
12-04 Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues %

* with Foo Fighters and Weezer
@ with the Redwalls and We Are Scientists
% with the Redwalls and Diamond Nights

As of this writing, the Hot Hot Heat website seems to think they're touring with Diamond Knights. That sounds like a medieval minor league baseball team

Hot Hot Heat: http://www.hothotheat.com/
Posted by Rob Kleckner in on Mon: 10-17-05: 12:00 AM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink
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American Analog Set to Break Up After Tour

Sometimes it's hard to be the messenger, but as professional (albeit barely) reporters, it's our duty to inform you that in a mere six days, American Analog Set will begin their last tour ever. And once that finishes this December, the band will be officially "broken up", as they say in the business. Sucks, don't it?

Naturally our first question was "On good terms or bad terms?" Frontman Andrew Kenny says, "We're still friends and we still like making music together but we've all got other projects that we'd like to concentrate on for a while." Fair enough, but what exactly does he mean by projects? Well, guitarist Sean Ripple has a book coming out in 2006, Craig McCaffrey is working on some music of his own and focusing on some design work, and drummer Mark Smith plans to perfect his game at FIFA Soccer for the PS2. Meanwhile, Kenny himself is going to continue writing songs for a new project, and finish work on the next AmAnSet rarities compilation. But there is a silver lining to all of this. The band is bringing former Furry Thing Chris Michaels with them on the road to manage the boards. Michaels owns the Laboratory, where American Analog Set recorded their final album, so he's no stranger to working with these guys. As sad as saying goodbye can be, the band seems pretty geeked to get to work with this gentleman one last time.

Here are the dates - What's that, we've already posted most of these? Well, Mr. Smart Ass, it's their last friggin tour ever, so can the cynicism and just read them again. Jesus, would it kill you to show a little sensitivity?

10-20 Chicago, IL - Schubas *
10-21 Chicago, IL - Schubas $
10-22 Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater *
10-25 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey %
10-26 Vancouver, BC - Media Club
10-27 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge %
10-28 Eugene, OR - WOW Hall
10-29 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill %
10-30 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill %
11-01 Los Angeles, CA - Knitting Factory %
11-02 San Diego, CA - Casbah &
11-03 Tucson, AZ - Plush &
11-11 Chicago, IL - The Metro
11-12 Pittsburgh, PA - Andy Warhol Museum
11-13 Toronto, Ontario - Horseshoe Tavern
11-14 Montreal, Quebec - Petit Campus
11-16 Cambridge, MA - TT the Bear's #
11-17 Philadelphia, PA - Khyber
11-18 Brooklyn, NY - Southpaw #
11-19 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge #
12-02 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
12-03 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
12-08 Chattanooga, TN - Lamar's
12-09 Jackson, MS - Hal & Mel's
12-11 Austin, TX - The Parish

* with Chin Up Chin Up
$ with Court and Spark
% with Verevin
& with Via Satellite
# with Headphones

American Analog Set: http://www.amanset.com/
Arts & Crafts: http://www.arts-crafts.ca/
Posted by Timothy Najmolhoda in on Mon: 10-17-05: 12:00 AM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink
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Jeff Tweedy, Cat Power to Play Free NYC Shows

"Hey, wanna go see Jeff Tweedy?"

"I dunno, man, I'm broke. Also, I hate guitars."

"But it's free."

"Oh, well in that case...guitars are the shit!"

That's right, free Jeff Tweedy in New York. Also, free Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, free Aimee Mann, free Keren Ann, free Cat Power, free Blind Boys of Alabama, free Buddy Guy, and free Rickie Lee Jones. This sounds like a benefit to release these folks from prison (well, maybe music prison, where they have unfair record contracts). But it's not that. This is just a series of free shows called Music Downtown. The shows will take place from November 14-20 at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center.

So what's the catch? You have to sell your soul and $50 to Rob Kleckner c/o Pitchfork Media, Chicago, Illinois. No, all you really have to do is wait in what will probably be a pretty long line. Tickets will be distributed at the Downtown Information Center at 25 Broad Street in New York City on Monday, October 17 (hey, that's today!) from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., so take and early lunch break. First come, first served. Also, only two tickets per person and you can only get tickets to two different shows. So if you want to go to a few shows, bring your posse.

Schedule:

November 14: Blind Boys of Alabama and Cat Power
November 15: Buddy Guy with Shemekia Copeland
November 16: Jeff Tweedy with Nels Cline
November 17: Jeff Tweedy with Glenn Kotche
November 18: Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
November 19: Rickie Lee Jones with Vic Chesnutt
November 20: Aimee Mann with Keren Ann

Music Downtown: http://www.musicdowntown.org/
Posted by Rob Kleckner in on Mon: 10-17-05: 12:00 AM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink
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Futureheads to Release New EP

One of the few things we've learned about the Futureheads during our brief and sordid love affair is that these nerds truly care about us. They toured extensively following the release of their self-titled debut, they hit all the major festivals this summer and they even let us sing along during "Hounds of Love" no matter how badly we flubbed it up. Now, the Sunderland fourpiece are throwing us a much-needed bone before holing up to break ground on a new album. On November 28, the band will release the Area EP, a three track disc built around the live favorite "Area". Here's the rest:

01 Area
02 Help Us Out
03 We Cannot Lose

Area EP was recorded in between gigs last month in London and Newcastle, and according to NME, the band is prepping to head back into the studio with producer Ben Hillier (who's done work for Blur and Doves in the past) to record their second album. If all goes according to plan, they'll wrap up sometime in January and have the thing to our grubby hands sometime during mid-2006.

Prior to all this however, the band must wrap up their supporting gigs with the Foo Fighters. They're making stops at British arena venues in December, but evidently, they're all already sold out. Best keep those a cappella pipes warm for next year. OH oh oh, oh OH OH:

12-11 Birmingham, England - NEC Arena
12-12 Glasgow, Scotland - SECC
12-14 Manchester, England - MEN
12-17 London, England - Earl's Court
12-20 Dublin, Ireland - The Point

Futureheads: http://www.futureheads.com/
Posted by Matt Amis in on Mon: 10-17-05: 12:00 AM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink
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Flaming Lips Finish Filming Christmas on Mars

If you were a scientist celebrating Christmas on Mars for the first time, what would you ask Santa Claus for? We'd request some of that space ice cream from the local museum, 'cause hey, it's out of this world! Anywho, everyone must have been pretty good (or naughty?) this year, as the Flaming Lips have finally... finally... FINALLY wrapped up their feature film, Christmas on Mars.

Wayne Coyne told Billboard.com, "We transferred it all down to computer land within the last couple of days. Now I just have to remember what it is that we were trying to say [laughs]." So don't expect to see Wayne Coyne in an alien suit at the local multiplex just yet. Now that the shooting process is over and done with, it's time to crack down on the editing... or, as the Lips seem to prefer, just get around to it whenever.

The band will offer teaser clips on their website in the coming months, and they're aiming for the finished product to be viewable in late summer 2006, at which point the Lips will be touring in support of their upcoming album, At War With the Mystics. So it will probably drop around the same time that common folk like us are actually celebrating Christmas in outer space.

Coyne also told Billboard, "I'm thinking of taking it to theaters and having it be an experience where we bring in giant sound systems, smoke machines, Christmas lights, shit falls on you from the ceiling and you can smoke pot and do whatever you want. There's something about the communal experience while something intense and unexpected is happening. I'm sure it will come out on DVD and there'll be a soundtrack, but that isn't the real experience." Zaireeka! We think he's got it! Speaking of smoking pot and communal experiences, the Flaming Lips set sail on the Xingolati Groove Cruise this weekend, traveling on the high (heh heh) seas between Long Beach, California and Ensenada, Mexico with stoner faves G. Love and Special Sauce, Banyan, DJ Logic, Slightly Stoopid, Particle, DJ Greyboy, Medeski, Martin & Wood and more. Next month, they play a couple of Brazilian fests.

Dates:

10-14 The Open Sea - Xingolati Groove Cruise
10-15 The Open Sea - Xingolati Groove Cruise
10-16 The Open Sea - Xingolati Groove Cruise
10-17 The Open Sea - Xingolati Groove Cruise
11-26 Sao Paulo, Brazil - Claro Festival
11-27 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Claro Festival

Billboard.com seems to be Wayne Coyne's best buddy these days (what, no love for Pitchfork news?!), as he also provided them with some new details about At War With the Mystics on Wednesday. The album's heavier rock vibe was inspired by a cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" the Lips have added to their live show.

He said, "You can't tell if [the members of Sabbath] are farmers, wizards, hippies or members of a cult. It's mysterious territory. Part of that, we really fell in love with. So, there are some tracks we've delved into production-wise, where we're trying to get some of that heavy rock'n'roll with heavy guitar riffs, but not just to be aggressive. On the last couple of records, we've tried to be more expressive in beautiful ways. But sometimes, volume and intensity are great too." Yes, and volume and intensity are also things you want your hair to possess, if those shampoo commercials are to be believed.

Another song, "The Wand", is a riff on an Oklahoma City homeless man who walks around carrying a big stick: "I feel like the stick, to him, is a magic wand. So much of your confidence is in how much you believe in yourself, and there was something about the day I saw him holding this old stick. He thought it was magic, so it seemed like he could do things that a less confident person couldn't do. It's just a dumb old stick, but it was like, 'I've got some power here. My magic stick will get me through the troubles of the day.' If only we all had something like that. Within the song, hopefully this is an empowering mysticism and not something silly from the Dark Ages." Insert "walk softly" or Lil' Kim/50 Cent joke here.

"The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" features Queen-style harmony vocals, influenced by the Lips' cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody" on that godawful Queen tribute album that came out this summer: "We were perfectly able to conquer the challenges Queen presented, so Steven [Drozd] continued doing these strange vocal arrangements of him singing into a microphone 30 times or something. We took that vocal treatment and made a song out of it. It ends up being a self-empowering thing -- almost like an MC5 thing, but it's not talking about external things. It's talking about the power within you. What would you do if you had the power?"

"Time Travel" might feature a special guest: Lips buddy and former "Blue's Clues" star Steve Burns. Coyne said, "One version was me sort of acting like a deranged priest, talking about the idea of time travel being something we're all able to do in our own minds. Since then, we've had Steve Burns try it and now we're putting different music to it, so we'll see how that works out."

Since there aren't enough drugs in the world to contain this band, they've recently allied themselves with a much more addictive and sinister substance: Coca-Cola. That's right, the Flaming Lips, as well as Guided By Voices, Fischerspooner, Swedish psych rockers Citizen Bird, and Japanese DJ Towa Tei have joined that long list of esteemed pop stars, from Tom Jones and Elton John to New Kids on the Block and Paula Abdull in lending their music to the caffeine empire.

It's all part of some mysterious internet ad campaign called "M5". According to the M5 website, the soda giant approached five style-conscious design groups to create "visions of optimism" through forward-thinking Coke ad campaigns. Positive thinking via cola consumption? God, that's a depressing thought.

The Designers Republic, MK 12, Lobo, Caviar, and Rex & Tennant McKay each signed up and banded with a different artist to create an online music video collage. Guided By Voices' and MK12's "Back to the Lake", Citizen Bird and the Designers Republic's "Joy", and Caviar and Towa Tei's "Milkyway" are all currently viewable on the site, with The Flaming Lips/Lobo and Fischerspooner/Rex & Tennant McKay coming soon. Accompanying the clips are making-ofs, band bios, and related links and downloads.

And while you can rest assured that the official "Pitchfork sellout detectors" are all equipped with fresh batteries, we can safely say that the resulting audio/visual mashups are definitely more successful than the Cosby-promoted "New Coke" blitz of the 80s. Now if only Radiohead would ante up "Fake Plastic Trees", they'd really be onto something.

The Flaming Lips: http://www.flaminglips.com/main.php
Posted by Kati Llewellyn, Amy Phillips and James Gregory in on Fri: 10-14-05: 12:00 AM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink
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Decemberists Plan New Single, European Jaunt

Here at Pitchfork, we make a point of reporting at least three Decemberists-related stories a month, but of late we have slackened. While we were fawning over Deerhoof and Wolf Parade and "Lost" and video iPods, those cockfarming bastards were busy readying a new UK single and tacking European tour dates onto their Brobdignagian itinerary.

First, that single. It's for "Sixteen Military Wives", arrives November 21, and in this age of options, Rough Trade gives you two, provided you live in the UK: seven inch and CD single. This also being the age of optimizing profits, the two formats boast different tracklistings. Gotta catch 'em all, Joe Completist:

7":
Side A: Sixteen Military Wives
Side B: From My Own True Love (Demo)

CD Single:
01 Sixteen Military Wives
02 The Kingdom Of Spain
03 Sixteen Military Wives (Video)

And like a plague that brings joy instead of death, the Decemberists are presently sweeping across North America on their "Flight of the Mistle Thrushes" tour, and will descend upon Europe next month for "A Jaunt 'Cross the Pond".

Come, join the Youth and Beauty Brigade:

10-14 Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall *
10-15 Cleveland, OH - Odeon Concert Club *
10-16 St. Louis, MO - Mississippi Nights *
10-18 Chicago, IL - Metro *
10-19 Chicago, IL - Metro *
10-20 Madison, WI - Orpheum Theatre *
10-21 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue *
10-22 Omaha, NE - Sokol Hall *
10-23 Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre *
10-25 Boise, ID - Big Easy Concert House *
10-26 Spokane, WA - Big Easy Concert House *
10-27 Seattle, WA - Showbox *
10-28 Seattle, WA - Showbox *
10-29 Las Vegas, NV - Vegoose Festival#
10-30 Memphis, TN - Voodoo Festival%
11-01 Eugene, OR - Macdonald Theatre $
11-04 Portland, OR - Roseland Theatre &
11-14 Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms
11-15 Manchester, England - Academy 3
11-16 Glasgow, Scotland - ABC 2
11-17 London, England - ULU
11-19 The Hague, Holland - Crossing Border Festival ^
11-20 Berlin, Germany - Magnet
11-21 Köln, Germany - Gebäude 9
11-22 Hamburg, Germany - Knust
11-24 Bilbao, Spain - Antzokia
11-25 Madrid, Spain - Aqualung
11-26 Valencia, Spain - Republica
11-27 Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz
11-29 Paris, France - La Boule Noire
11-30 Brussels, Belgium

* with Cass McCombs
# with Beck, the Shins, Devendra Banhart, Steel Train
% with New York Dolls, Cake, Carl Cox, H.I.M., Mindless Self Indulgence
$ with Viva Voce
& with the Minus 5
^ with Mercury Rev, John Parish, Van der Graaf Generator, Frances McKee, Salif Keita, Teitur, Boubacar Traoré</FONT>

A one-legged carrier pigeon sent by the broken-hearted ghost of a civil war-era concubine also tells us the following: those smarmy Decemberists have begun employing an actual whale prop for the storied "Mariner's Revenge Song" interactive portion of their set. But you were there when it was just Chris Funk and his brawny arms, weren't you? You were totally there. They have also been covering ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky". No song is too cool for the Decemberists.

href="http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/d/decemberists/picaresque.shtml">The Decemberists: Picaresque
* The Decemberists: <a

Posted by Matthew Solarski in on Fri: 10-14-05: 12:00 AM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink
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The Go! Team Release New Single, Cheer up America

It's not every day a Ninja takes a plane from England to the USA to kick some behind in various major cities. Fortunately for you, today is a special one indeed, particularly if you live in Houston. The Go! Team, frontwoman Ninja included, blast off across North America starting tonight, on a tour that might just strike your hometown, like thunder or lightning or something.

If you're cheering for the Go! Team, the fact that Thunder, Lightning, Strike FINALLY dropped in the States last week (hence the tour) is good news for you. But you've probably had the album for a year already. For those back home in the UK, the Go! Team released the single for "Bottle Rocket" on vinyl, CD and, uh, electrons (that means you can download it). The 7" features "Did You Feel It Too?", which previously turned up on their Australian tour EP. The CD and download also includes a Radio One session version of "Huddle Formation" and another Australian EP track, "We Just Won't Be Defeated".

A truly brand new Go! Team song, "Phantom Broadcast", was recorded specifically for the Help: A Day in the Life benefit compilation last month, and an 11-minute documentary about the band aired on October 1 on Channel 4. Wow, a documentary! You guys are really famous now!

So send Sufjan's cheerleaders to the following venues on the following dates, 'cause it's root, root, root for the Go! Team:

10-14 Houston, TX - Engine Room
10-15 Dallas, TX - Trees *
10-16 Austin, TX - Emo's *
10-18 Phoenix, AZ - Clubhouse *
10-19 San Diego, CA - Casbah *
10-20 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey *
10-23 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore *
10-24 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom *
10-25 Seattle, WA - Showbox *
10-28 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue *
10-29 Chicago, IL - Metro *
10-30 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Theatre *
10-31 Montreal, Quebec - La Tulipe *
11-01 Boston, MA - Paradise *
11-02 New York, NY - Webster Hall *
11-04 Lille, France - Aerone #
11-05 Paris, France - Cigale $
11-06 Nantes, France - Olympic #
11-07 Bordeaux, France - Theatre Barbet #
11-26 Munich, Germany - Bayerische
11-27 Berlin, Germany - Magnet &
11-28 Cologne, Germany - Prime Club &
11-29 Hamburg, Germany - Logo &
12-01 Basel, Switzerland - Kaserne
12-02 Bologna, Italy - Covo &
12-03 Rome, Italy - Circolo degli Artisti &
12-04 Turin, Italy - Cafe Procope &
12-05 Zurich, Austria - Mascotte &
12-06 Vienna, Austria - Flex &
12-08 Brussels, Belgium - Botanique &

* with the Grates
# with Antony and the Johnsons
$ with Gang of Four
& with Her Space Holiday

* Pitchfork Review:The Go! Team: Thunder, Lightning, Strike (U.S.)

The Go! Team: http://www.thegoteam.co.uk/
Posted by Kati Llewellyn in on Fri: 10-14-05: 12:00 AM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink
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Iron & Wine/Calexico Kick Off Tour

On a 1992 episode of Full House titled "Captain Video", Michelle Tanner joined her local Honeybee troop. She started off with a blank sash and was determined to earn a cooking badge. Several attempts involving (if we remember correctly) ice cream and olives, pudding and cheese, and other equally endearing but disgusting recipes didn't turn out so hot. Uncle Jesse advised little Michelle to keep it straight, and in the end, she earned her Honeybee badge with a combination of juice, Popsicle sticks, and the freezer. The moral of the story had to do with perseverance, but I'd like to concentrate on the "mixing different things can suck, or be great" part.

Fortunately for everyone involved, Iron & Wine and Calexico's newly released In the Reins EP is the juice-and-popsicle-sticks of indie collaborations. Sticking with what works, these two artists kick off a short US tour tomorrow in Calexico's hometown of Tucson, AZ. Hopefully they won't melt out there, hardy har har!

As previously reported, each band will play their own set, and at the end join forces for a final extravaganza. They just added a bunch of new dates in December, so now the East Coast and Midwest can revel in the sea and the rhythm and the feast of wire.

Rein ‘em in:

10-15 Tucson, AZ - The Rialto
10-16 Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
10-17 San Diego, CA - House of Blues
10-18 Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern LG
10-19 San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre
10-21 Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
10-22 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
10-24 Salt Lake City, UT - In the Venue
10-26 Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium
10-28 Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
10-29 Fort Worth, TX - Ridglea Theatre
10-30 Austin, TX - Stubb's Barbeque
12-02 Atlantic City, NJ - House of Blues
12-03 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
12-04 New York, NY - Webster Hall
12-05 New York, NY - Webster Hall
12-06 New York, NY - Webster Hall
12-07 Boston, MA - Avalon
12-08 Montreal, Quebec - Spectrum
12-10 Detroit, MI - Majestic Theatre
12-11 Chicago, IL - Congress Theater
12-13 St. Louis, MO - Mississippi Nights
12-14 Louisville, KY - Headliner's

Calexico's new tour CD, The Book and the Canal, can be purchased at the shows, as well as on the band's website. The CD includes vintage live cuts, home-recorded demos and brand-spankin' new studio recordings! Calexico also has a new album in the works, with production by J.D. Foster, and slated for a spring 2006 release on Quarterstick.

The Book and the Canal tracklist:

01 Half a Smidge
02 What's a Little Wait
03 Griptape
04 Muddy Meadow
05 Near the Woodpile
06 Unter Unserem Himmel
07 Painted Over
08 Electric Relay
09 Ghostwriter
10 Dredging
11 Heavy with the Bass
12 Arco Chato
13 Break to Barranca
14 Kiss and Tell
15 In the Cut
16 Drag Storm Around
17 One Last Panoramic

Iron & Wine: http://www.ironandwine.com/
Calexico: http://www.casadecalexico.com/
Posted by Kati Llewellyn in on Fri: 10-14-05: 12:00 AM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink
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Voodoo Music Experience Returns to New Orleans

After Hurricane Katrina made its tragic mark on the Gulf Coast, the eighth annual Voodoo Music Experience fled its New Orleans home like most everyone else and relocated to Memphis. But now, according to the music festival's website, half of the two-day show has been moved back to the Big Easy, in a gesture of thanks towards the people involved in the city's rebuilding.

Unless you've already purchased a ticket to the festival, the New Orleans concert on October 29 will be invitation-only, with the honored guests being firefighters, police, National Guard, military, and other civic healers. Voodoo was initially scheduled for City Park, but it returns to Riverview Park. It will be the first large-scale musical performance in the city since the hurricane.

The lineup for the 29th includes Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age, LCD Soundsystem, New York Dolls, the Bravery, Digable Planets, Death from Above 1979, and the Secret Machines. As previously reported, the festival's original lineup included several homegrown talents, and it's no surprise that most of these musicians, including Rebirth Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins, Bonerama, Supagroup, and Big Sam's Funky Nation, are returning.

But what's left for Memphis? A few acts will make the 400 mile trek from New Orleans to play on October 30 at AutoZone Park, with several more joining for the second show only. Serving double-duty are the New York Dolls, Cowboy Mouth, Sevendust, Dan Dyer, and World Leader Pretend. Rocking only Memphis will be the Decemberists, H.I.M., Cake, Carl Cox, North Mississippi Allstars, Better Than Ezra and others.

A series of free concerts in Memphis will commence October 27 and last all weekend long downtown. Dr. John, the Neville Brothers, Cowboy Mouth, Susan Cowsill, American Princes, the Giraffes, and lots more will party down with the public.

Confused ticket-holders, too, can save their hankies for when their significant other takes a long walk. The key date to remember is September 22. If you got your tix before then, you have a pass to the New Orleans event only, and can keep it, refund it, and/or grab a ticket for Memphis for $35. If you scooped up your tickets after September 22, they don't exist anymore. But you will be eligible to go to both days of music. Anyone not covered by these two categories of ticket-holders can only go to the Memphis show. Those needing bold font formatting and bullet points to understand this scenario can head to the Voodoo website.

The Voodoo Music Experience is now also a benefit concert, so spend deep and spend often, brave consumer, for today you can be a philanthropist. Proceeds will go to New Orleans Restoration Fund, Mercy Corps, and Habitat for Humanity. Several local groups like WWOZ 90.7, New Orleans Roots Radio, YA/YA (Young Aspirations/Young Artists), Audobon Nature Institute, and Bring New Orleans Back will also see some help from your debauchery. New Orleans wouldn't have it any other way.

Voodoo Music Experience: http://www.voodoomusicfest.com/
Posted by Zach Vowell in on Fri: 10-14-05: 12:00 AM CDT | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink
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