The Fall, Raincoats, Faust Pay Tribute to the Monks
Also: Jason Forrest, the Gossip, Jon Spencer, Mouse on Mars

Fresh off of the August 19 world premiere of the Monks: The Transatlantic Feedback documentary at this year's Chicago Underground Film Festival and an appearance in Pitchfork's 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s feature, the Monks are back with a tribute album and even a few live performances.

The tribute album is called Silver Monk Time: A Tribute to the Monks, and play loud! will release it on October 23. The compilation features 29 tracks on two discs by artists ranging from the Fall and the Raincoats to the Gossip and Jason Forrest. The Monks themselves even appear in collaboration with Charles Wilp. There are plenty of such collaborations, the others between Jon Spencer and Solex, Silver Apples and Alan Vega, Die Goldenen Zitronen and Chicks on Speed, and Gary Burger with both Alec Empire and Faust on two separate tracks. A seven-inch single with the contributions from Alec Empire ft. Gary Burger and the Fall is also scheduled for an October 23 release on play loud!

The Monks will appear live in London, Zurich, and Berlin in October, with the latter show serving as the record release party for Silver Monk Time. Screenings of the documentary will follow the shows in Zurich and Berlin. For more information on specific events in those cities and any that are added in the future, visit http://www.playloud.org/themonks.html.
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Joan Jett and Eagles of Death Metal Tour

Following the release of her 11th studio album, Sinner, Joan Jett will embark on a fall tour, or as she describes it, "a punk rock circus." She'll share the ring with the Eagles of Death Metal. SO MUCH ROCK...can you handle it? The circus starts off in Philly and rolls westward across the U.S. and back in a rock 'n' roll caravan full of Eagles and Blackhearts.

Besides touring, Ringleader Jett is keeping herself busy by celebrating the 25th anniversary of her label, Blackheart Records, putting together a re-release of much of the Joan Jett and the Blackhearts catalog, performing on "The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson" on September 25, as well as continuing her weekly radio broadcast, The Revolution with Joan Jett, part of Little Steven's Underground Garage Network on Sirius Radio. [MORE...]

Video: Jeff Tweedy: Sunken Treasure Trailer

He mesmerizes sold-out audiences with a single note! He calls rock'n'roll his savior without sounding like a complete douchebag! He shakes hands with a giant hot dog! Ah, a day in the life of Jeff Tweedy, Wilco tunesmith extraordinaire.

As previously reported, Tweedy's DVD Sunken Treasure: Jeff Tweedy Live in the Pacific Northwest hits stores October 24 via Nonesuch. It's directed by the "Burn to Shine" team of Christoph Green and Fugazi's Brendan Canty, and it's bound to make Wilco-ites swoon. Check the trailer:

Photos: Junior Boys [Emo's; Austin, TX; 9/15/06]

The last time Junior Boys made it to Austin, the Boys' leader Jeremy Greenspan had caught some stomach virus, and he seemed a little road-weary for it. Not that the music suffered, but this time around Greenspan and co. brought both a kinetic, bubbly performance and their haranguing sense of humor.

Amongst the many quips, when his laptop crashed and booted back up with Limewire, Greenspan laughed and said, "I wonder if the new Junior Boys is on there." Greenspan's partner on the beats, Matt Didemus, didn't seem to care, and, indeed, barely seemed awake. But with a live drummer providing mostly cymbals and percussive accents, the trio was far from sleepwalking. It helped that the So This Is Goodbye songs catch on like wildfire, but they still need Greenspan to sing and dance to them. And in case you were wondering, the live rendition of "Under the Sun" still kills.

More photos, as well as the Junior Boys' current tour itinerary, below. [MORE...]

Christopher O'Riley Tackles Nick Drake

Keeping with his trend of covering indie kid favorites (both Elliott Smith and Radiohead have now received the black-and-white key treatment on record-- the latter twice), classical pianist and "From the Top" radio host Christopher O'Riley will once again interpret the work of a beloved and decidedly non-classical act: the late English folk singer Nick Drake.

As part of UCLA's Artists Without Limits series, O'Riley will premiere "Time Has Told Me: A Nick Drake Tribute" live on February 16 at the university's Royce Hall theater. While there is presently no official word of a Drake covers album release from O'Riley, given the man's track record, we certainly wouldn't rule out the possibility.

Bound Stems Celebrate New LP With Tour, Daytrotter

With their new album finally on shelves (September 19 via Flameshovel), Bound Stems deserve an appreciation night all their own...and that they will get.

On Friday night, the Chicago five-piece will celebrate with not one, but two (early and late) record release shows at the hometown venue Schubas. These gigs kick off an extensive trek through the States, slated to run through mid-November. Along the way, Bound Stems will meet up with Asobi Seksu, the Velvet Teen, Maritime, and more.

Not sure what to expect? Make an effort to scope out the Daytrotter session versions of Appreciation Night tracks "Andover", "Excellent News, Colonel", "Refuse the Refuse", and "Risking Life and Limb for the Coupon" here (there's a nifty little interview, too). [MORE...]

Yo La Tengo, Ladytron, BYOP Play NEMO
Plus over 297 other bands

Finding NEMO shouldn't be a problem, as the massive three-day festival takes over practically every live venue in Boston from September 28-30.

A networking event for artists and music industry peeps, the NEMO Music Festival and Conference also features nightly showcases from over 300 local and national acts, including Dr. Octagon, Yo La Tengo, Ladytron, Be Your Own Pet, the Long Winters, the Black Lips, 7L & Esoteric, Diamond Nights, Joseph Arthur, and Fancey, to name a few.

This year's NEMO Music Fest places particular emphasis on helping artists take their careers to the NEXT LEVEL. In addition to offering performance clinics, a music industry trade show, and panel discussions, the organization will also host the Boston Music Awards. This event raises money for the NEMO Scholarship Fund, granted to musically gifted students in need of financial aid. Sweet.

Clipse's Second LP Pushed Back
To label: "Why you wanna treat us so bad?"

Surprise, surprise, Clipse's long-awaited sophomore LP, Hell Hath No Fury, is not coming out on Halloween, as previously reported. Though their show at CMJ's 2006 Music Marathon is still on, SOHH.com reports that the album will not hit stores until "early December." As usual, the problem is not with the duo but with their label, Jive, and in an interview with RollingStone.com-- which reports the album's release date as November 28-- both Pusha T and Malice had a few choice words regarding the situation.

Since it doesn't seem like you'll be hearing their words on record anytime soon, here are those quotes in full. Pusha said, "I hate Jive. I hate them motherfuckers. With all my heart and all the passion and my soul I hate these bitches. It's about the lynching of every staff member up in this motherfucker...You could ask anyone in here to give you a marketing plan on Clipse and they could never do it. It's like damn, 'What do you understand about hip-hop? You ain't had nobody since Spice 1! You don't know the fucking formula. Everybody in here's like 50 years old! Just drop us. Leave us the fuck alone so we can go where there's plenty of people like Clipse.'"

To this, Malice added, "Have you ever heard anyone say that they'd be happy to get dropped?" "Besides fucking Prince?" Pusha asked. Malice repeated, "Besides Prince." Pusha then said, "And he carved his own face, which I won't do. I won't paint on my face. They ain't going to drive me fucking loony."

Pitchfork sincerely wishes Clipse the best, and we hope it doesn't come to lynching. If Hell Hath No Fury ever has a release, let alone in 2006, it will be more than we expect at this point. Still, here's to hoping.

Daedelus Announces New EP, Tour

We've come to expect Daedelus' frequent record label swaps, but this time around, our brows are just a little bit furrowed. You see, the L.A. noisemaker has teamed with Alpha Pup to release his upcoming Throw a Fit EP, the cover art for which depicts a big ol' cat. Drama.

Assuming all goes smoothly, the work is set for a digital release on September 26 (October 10 on CD). It contains six tracks, five of which are instrumentals. The single song with vocals features labelmate Subtitle who, by the way, has his own release, Terrain to Roam, on its way October 10.

As previously reported, Daedelus will perform at this weekend's Dublab anniversary party in Los Angeles (September 23), but only after a Friday stint at Chicago's Sonotheque. Afterward, he'll make his way to Europe for a series of shows and then head back to the U.S. [MORE...]

Video: Zak Sally Champions Tool on ABC News
"They're quite popular, but not in a Kelly Clarkson sort of way"

Since Zak Sally abandoned his bass-playing duties for Low, he's been keeping busy as a graphic artist, a publisher...and a TV news reporter?

Sally himself sent us the link to this clip from ABC's "World News With Charles Gibson", in which he reports on the awesomeness of the band Tool. I repeat: the guy who used to play bass in Low was apparently on national network television explaining why Tool rules.

We're not sure if this segment actually aired, or if it's an online-only thing, but hey, if Mike Patton can make it onto "All My Children", anything's possible.

Sally seems to be translating his love for Tool into a blossoming journalism career, as he recently wrote a piece for the Village Voice about them as well.

But wait! It seems that Tool guitarist Adam Jones wrote the introduction to a book by Nate Denver, published by Sally's company, La Mano 21. Conflict of interest alert!

Spoon's Britt Daniel Scores Film

Monster's Ball/Finding Neverland director Marc Forster's new movie Stranger Than Fiction couldn't have a more fitting title. Sure it features Will Ferrell as an IRS agent having his life narrated by Emma Thompson, who thinks she's finishing her next novel, but what's really important is a tiny credit at the end of the trailer linked below. Look closely and you'll see, "Music by: Britt Daniel". WHA?!!

Yes, Spoon's "The Way We Get By" is featured at the beginning of the trailer, but you don't get a music writing credit for one song in a commercial. Rather, Spoon frontman Daniel has made his foray into film scoring by lending original instrumental tracks (and previously released Spoon songs) to Stranger Than Fiction, along with Lost in Translation soundtrack contributor Brian Reitzell. Selections from Max Richter's The Blue Notebooks will also appear in the film, which hits theaters November 10-- but that won't stop me from pleading, "Gimme Fiction!"

Sugarcubes' Einar Orn Talks Reunion

So much for catching them when they come to the U.S. Pitchfork talked with Sugarcubes trumpet player/vocalist Einar Örn yesterday about the band's previously reported reunion, and he said that it is indeed a one-time thing. No tour is scheduled, and there are no plans for recording. Örn was, however, very forthcoming about the origins of the reunion.

"We've got a record company together [Smekkleysa SM, English translation: Bad Taste]. We have a standing meeting on Tuesdays. When our schedules permit that we are all together, we just meet during lunchtime, have lunch together, and discuss culture and music and various things. During the summer, we were talking about [the fact] that it was twenty years [since] the band and the company were formed, and we were sort of thinking that [since] we'd missed the actual birthday of the company [June 8, 1986], the next birthday was the birthday of [the group's first single] 'Birthday'. We said, 'Okay, let's celebrate that,' and everybody was game and we decided to go for it," Örn said.

To prepare for the concert, he said the band is "contemplating what kinds of songs we're going to play and seeing what songs might translate, be fit for playing." Though their first musical rehearsals are scheduled to begin "next week," Örn said, "When the Sugarcubes get together, the first they do is not to play music together. So we're just having fun together and enjoying each other's company. We haven't played together for 14 years, but we've spoken together for 20." [MORE...]

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