MP3: Lily Allen: "Smile (Gutter Mix)"

"Smile", Lily Allen's UK chart-topping summer jam has gotten a sweaty club makeover courtesy of Baltimore/NYC DJ/producer Aaron LaCrate and his partner Debonair Samir. Bringing silly Lily to the streets, the pair have layered synthesized handclaps, electro-fuzz, and aggro WHAT! WHAT!s over Lily's chopped-up vocals to produce a club mix that'll give Allen-ites something else to play, like, a million times. (Current MySpace plays on "Smile": 786,891!)

The "Smile" remix isn't the only thing on Aaron LaCrate's plate right now. The man-about-town has been busy championing Baltimore club music everywhere from mix tapes to MTV, producing and remixing (along with Debonair Samir) Spank Rock, Jurassic 5, Busta Rhymes, Jim Jones, E-40 and others, and designing shoes through his clothing label Milkcrate Athletics in collaboration with Vans. LaCrate will release his self-produced solo debut Bodymore Murdaland (featuring Lily Allen, Biz Markie, Uffie and others) next year, as well as a mix tape on Koch this October.

Allen isn't slowing down either. The fast-rising star tours the UK and Australia in August and on into the fall. [MORE...]

MP3: Lily Allen: Smile (Gutter Mix)

Thom Yorke Versus Tony Blair

It's no secret that Thom Yorke isn't much of a Tony Blair fan. Last year, he publicly turned down a meeting with the British Prime Minister to discuss climate change (on behalf of the Friends of the Earth campaign), because, Yorke said, Blair has "no environmental credentials."

Yesterday, in light of the heightened, multi-front war in the Middle East, Yorke called for the immediate resignation of the Prime Minister. On Radiohead's official blog, Dead Air Space, Yorke wrote:

"I've had enough of this. Our government sitting on the fence with the U.S. while World War 3 appears to be breaking out in Lebanon and Northern Israel. We must throw Tony Blair out of office NOW. He does not represent the views of the British people. He does not represent the views of his foreign office and officials. He does not even represent the view of those in his cabinet. He cares far too much about his relationship with Bush, and Murdoch. The man is not fit to be our Prime Minister. It's a nice sunny day. Come on, let's do it. You know it makes sense. A vote of no confidence. Or something. Anything."

For reasons unknown, the blog entry was quickly removed from Dead Air Space, though it's not hard to come up with conspiracy theories. (Radiohead being somewhat of a musical superpower and all.) Yorke's publicist had no further information.

Video: Thom Yorke: Harrowdown Hill

MP3: Exclusive: Luomo: "Really Don't Mind"

Make your reservations now, because we're going on vacation to Vocal City. On October 24, Vladislav Delay will release Paper Tigers, the third album under his Luomo moniker. It will come out on Huume, the producer's own label.

According to a press release, the music on Paper Tigers ranges from "experimental ambient house" to experimental permutations of "chart-hitting hyper-pop." Basically, expect some experimenting. Long-time Luomo collaborator and Finnish jazz singer Johanna Iivanainen sings all the vocals on the album, except for a single track sung by AGF (a.k.a. Antye Greie).

The album's first single, "Really Don't Mind", will be released as a 12" on Huume on September 26. The album version will be backed by "an exclusive vinyl-only club mix." The song is a floor-friendly track featuring Iivanainen playing diva, but, as is always the case with Delay's music, there's a lot going on beneath the surface.

Huume has given Pitchfork exclusive access to the radio edit of "Really Don't Mind", which can be heard by clicking below. [MORE...]

MP3: Luomo: Really Don't Mind (Radio Edit)

Shapes and Sizes Tour

Humungo triangles, teensy squares, and average rhombuses (rhombi?) alike will be thrilled to find out that Asthmatic Kitty's Shapes and Sizes are starting a brief West Coast tour tonight in Vancouver.

Though this trek sticks to the Pacific, citizens of more Easterly cities need not fret-- a more extensive tour of the States is on its way come September.

In other news, fans interested in mashing and mixing Shapes and Sizes tracks for big prizes ($300 and the entire Asthmatic Kitty catalog--better than a piece of the Agro Crag, right?) can send submissions to the AK staff by August 15. Details can be found here. [MORE...]

MP3: Shapes and Sizes: Island's Gone Bad
MP3: Shapes and Sizes: Wilderness

Pipettes to Release New Single

Hip-swinging, polka-dotted British girl group the Pipettes have pi-prepped a new single from their debut album We Are the Pipettes on Memphis Industries. "Judy", which follows the UK Top 40 hit "Pull Shapes", arrives on September 25. Like the Pipettes themselves, it comes in three spiffy formats. (However, I highly doubt that the women of the Pipettes are singles! Just sayin'.)

CD:

01 Judy
02 Simon Says

White Vinyl:

A Judy
B Feminist Complaints

Blue Vinyl:

A Judy
B The Burning Ambition of Early Diuretics (Monster Bobby cover) [MORE...]

Video: The Pipettes: Pull Shapes

Sub Pop Soundtracks Hockey Video Game
Ben Gibbard, Carrie Brownstein, Mark Arm, Ben Bridwell Form Killer Flying V

While it might seem strange for 12 of the bands on Sub Pop's roster to be contributing to 2K Sports' NHL 2K7 video game, I think I can explain the phenomenon in six words: Hot Hot Heat and the Constantines. Those crazy Canucks and their hockey!

But let's back up a second. Here's the deal: In addition to the more northerly Sub Pop artists, Band of Horses, Mudhoney, Sleater-Kinney and the Postal Service are all contributing previously released tracks to the NHL 2K7 soundtrack. In the case of the Thermals' "I Hold the Sound", which is on their forthcoming The Blood, The Body, The Machine LP, the track will end up being released before the video game hits stores in September.

A Sub Pop representative explained the label's involvement in the project as follows: "2K Sports...approached us earlier this year about wanting to use some of the artists we work with in the soundtrack for their game...They had some specific criteria and we tried to direct them to music that seemed to fit their needs, but ultimately they selected the tracks they wanted and then we asked the bands if they were into participating."

Guess the Thermals like video games more than they like Hummers.

So while it may seem weird to be listening to "Brand New Colony" while playing someone in "rivalry mode," just remember that those aren't freckles in your opponent's eyes. They're flecks of blood.

Remember, this isn't the first time a powerhouse indie label has hooked up with 2K Sports: earlier this year, Matador licensed several tracks to the company's Major League Baseball 2K6 game.

The NHL 2K7 soundtrack has 18 songs, with six of them being provided by non-Sub Pop artists. There is no word of a separate release for the soundtrack, but the list of songs contributed by Sub Pop is after the jump, in alphabetical order by band name.

The non-Sub Pop bands featured on the soundtrack are Recliner, Dozer, Green Carnation, Grinder, Jupiter Hills, and Throttlerod.

Tracks:

Arlo - "Runaround"
Band of Horses - "Wicked Gil"
The Constantines - "Working Full-Time"
Hot Hot Heat - "Talk to me, Dance With Me"
Kinski - "Hot Stenographer"
Love as Laughter - "Temptation Island"
Mudhoney - "Empty Shells"
Nebula - "Giant"
The Postal Service - "Brand New Colony"
Seaweed - "Losing Skin"
Sleater-Kinney - "Rollercoaster"
The Thermals - "I Hold the Sound"

"'Sub Pop is the leader in bringing the underground sound to the mainstream without compromising their integrity,'" said Tim Rosa, director of brand and lifestyle marketing for 2K Sports. "'Because we share this mindset when developing our games, NHL 2K7 is the perfect vehicle for Sub Pop to stay true to its vision.'"

"'While Sub Pop and hockey are rarely mentioned in the same breath, the vibe of our music really suits the action of NHL 2K7,'" said Steve Manning, Publicity/Marketing Director, Sub Pop Records. "'Because 2K Sports values authenticity in its games with the same passion we treasure authenticity in our artists, we knew this partnership would resonate with fans of both the sport and our music.'"

Beck, Shins, Yeah Yeah Yeahs Play Download Festival
Radiohead bootlegs play download festival (on my computer)

The West Coast version of the second annual U.S. Download Festival comes to San Francisco's Shoreline Amphitheatre on September 30, and headliners include Beck, the Shins, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Muse, Wolfmother, Rogue Wave, and Coheed and Cambria. Tickets are on sale now, and there are plenty more acts to be announced.

Unlike most festivals with multiple locations, which usually look pretty similar, Download has created an odd, sucky version of itself for its first venture to the East Coast. The bands hitting Boston's Tweeter Center on August 20 include 311, the Dropkick Murphys, G. Love & Special Sauce, Jurassic 5, and the Wailers. This Boston version of the festival comes to the Tweeter Center August 20. Contact high, here we come!

Delgados to Release Peel Sessions

Much like John Peel himself, the Delgados are gone but not forgotten. And the members of the band are not forgetting their erstwhile fans, either, which is why they've assembled The Complete BBC Peel Sessions for an August 8 release on Transdreamer in America. (It came out on June 12 on Chemikal Underground in the UK.)

Exactly what it claims to be, The Complete BBC Peel Sessions collects every Peel Session track from the group's debut on the show in 1996 through to their last appearance in 2004 on a two-disc, 29-song set that includes covers of ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" and the Dead Kennedys' "California Über Alles" (back to back!). According to a press release, "extensive liner notes that deal with the background of the sessions, the recording of specific tracks, and the odd anecdotal aside" will also be included. Check the tracklist after the jump. [MORE...]

MP3: The Delgados: A Parcel of Rouges

Ex-Lifetime Bassist Arrested for Hoarding Body Parts

Back in 1992 and 1993, Lifetime had a bass player by the name of Linda Kay. She performed on the original version of the band's album Background, but wasn't featured on the actual recording. Her photo does, however, appear in the disc's artwork.

Over the past 13 years, Kay hasn't exactly followed a usual punk rock career path-- solo records, starting a label, other musical endeavors, etc. Oh no. She's been stripping at an all-nude Union, New Jersey bar called Hott 22...and apparently collecting human body parts in her South Plainfield home, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

Whoa.

On Friday, July 28, Kay was arrested after police found a human hand in a jar of formaldehyde and six human skulls in her basement. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported today that yesterday, August 1, Kay pleaded not guilty to "unlawful disposal of human remains." She is currently in the Middlesex County jail, with bail set at $50,000.

MP3: Lifetime: Young, Loud and Snotty

Red Krayola Kick Off Rare Tour

With Introduction (their latest full-length on Drag City) outta the way, the Red Krayola is reacquainting with the road for a six-date tour, starting tonight in New York City. Accompanying vocalist/guitarist and Red Krayola mainstay Mayo Thompson are Introduction contributors Noel Kupersmith (bass), Jon McEntire (drums), Tom Watson (guitar), and Stephen Prina (vocals).

For the Philadelphia show, the band will be joined by fellow Drag City-dweller and multi-instrumentalist David Grubbs.

Shows:

* with White Magic, DJ Magik Mike

As previously reported, Drag City is prepping a Red Krayola documentary, showcasing live footage and archived ephemera gleaned from the last 40 very colorful years of the band's existence. According to the label, the project is nearing completion and director Amy Cargill will be filming Mayo & Co. on most of their East Coast tour, as well as on an October tour slated for Japan.

In November, Drag City will release a six-track Red Krayola EP titled Red Gold, although a tracklist has yet to be revealed.

Video: Red Krayola: War Sucks (live)

Stream: Ryan Adams: "France"
I see London, I see...

Only a songwriter as prolific as Ryan Adams could schedule a ton of tour dates and still call it an off year. While there are rumors of three records still to come in 2006 for Adams, in this case it's best to stick with the facts. And the fact is that there is a new song streaming from Adams' website.

(Hopefully it will stay there, unlike that new Beck song that appeared and then magically disappeared from his site.)

Cryptically placed in the top right corner of the page under the words "ryan adams...france," the song continues the full band mode Adams has been pursuing recently. It's a pleasant, straightforward rock song about a lover who has moved on. What a surprise, right?

Anyway, we're not sure if the song is actually called "France". Maybe it was recorded there. Maybe it's the title of a new record or four. Maybe it's the name of an opera he's composing. It could be anything with him. The only other thing we know is that, as previously reported, Adams is currently on tour with his band the Cardinals and will remain so into the fall.

Stream: Ryan Adams: France

Jeremy Enigk Returns

On his second solo LP, World Waits, the social agitator and former Sunny Day Realtor assures that there are simple solutions to such problems. "People are starving--feed ‘em," he said in a press release, "As an American especially, it's so easy for me to put on blinders and live in TV land. That frustrates me, that laziness to take responsibility."And what better way to take responsibility than to release a solo album? Wait, don't answer that.

World Waits will appear October 17 on his own Lewis Hollow Records (distributed by Reincarnate/Sony), ten years after the release of his debut solo LP, Return of the Frog Queen. Since SDRE's break-up in 2000, Enigk has not, in fact, been lazy or stuck in TV land. (Or feeding the starving.) Rather, he made an album with the Fire Theft, scored a film (The United States of Leland), and been a regular topic of conversation on Internet message boards. (The kids just adore debating Enigk's spiritual awakening. A friend of mine in college was always trying to point out the salvation messages encrypted within "In Circles".)

World Waits contains ten epically-titled tracks, including the title cut, which Enigk describes as his "love letter to the world." Enigk is currently touring North America, making a stop at Lollapalooza on August 4 and at Bumbershoot on September 3, before heading to Europe for a couple late-summer fests. [MORE...]

MP3: Jeremy Enigk: Been Here Before
MP3: Jeremy Enigk: River to Sea

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.)