Janet Weiss Talks Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks

It looks like Janet Weiss' previously reported gig with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks is definitely a permanent thing. She is now an official member of the band, who will tour the West Coast in January, though specific dates have yet to be announced. In an interview with the Portland Mercury's blog, Weiss said she is excited about "the fall/winter seasons [which] will most likely be dedicated to working on new material, and gearing up to record an album."

Weiss further explained the circumstances of her arrival in the band by saying, "I've been intrigued with the possibility of playing with the Jicks ever since John Moen left to be a Decemberist full-time. My schedule hadn't really allowed it though, until recently, when I became much more available. [Jicks bassist] Joanna Bolme joined Quasi on our last round of tours, so I knew for a fact that our rhythm section could stir up some magic. And what self-respecting musician wouldn't jump at the chance to play with one of the staggering guitarists of our generation?! I'm excited to be in a situation where folks like to improvise, to push the envelope."

She also hinted at the sound of some of Malkmus' new material. "Steve's got a bunch of ballsy new songs. I'm enjoying getting inside a new and very different brain, trying to find the drum parts that suit his creativity. I appreciate how far out and wild he gets with his playing, and look forward to forging into some new territory."

Exclusive: El-P Talks New LP, Featuring Cat Power
Reznor, Mars Volta, TVOTR, Aesop Rock, James McNew, Cage, Mr. Lif also guest

Four years after the release of his first solo record, Fantastic Damage, Def Jux label head El-P is finally finishing its follow-up, the previously reported I'll Sleep When You're Dead. The always busy producer-rapper said, "It just feels good to be on the mic again," when he spoke to Pitchfork Monday about the album, which he hopes to release March 6 on Def Jux.

His collaborators on I'll Sleep When You're Dead include Trent Reznor, the Mars Volta, Aesop Rock, Cage, Mr. Lif (whose track "might end up becoming a bonus cut" due to scheduling), Tunde Adebimpe (TV on the Radio), Matt Sweeney (Chavez/Bonnie "Prince" Billy/Zwan), James McNew (Yo La Tengo), Rob Sonic, Mr. Dibbs, and Cat Power (more on that later).

El-P qualified their involvement by saying, "I don't really like records that are all about hardcore collaboration. It's really just about friends, and when I'm making shit people drop by, you know? So they'll pop up on little things, background vocals, but most of these people won't be listed, except in the credits."

El-P met Trent Reznor and the Mars Volta in separate instances of mutual fandom, which led to him remixing their songs. He called his remix of the Mars Volta's "The Widow" "probably the best remix I've ever done." When it came to the collaboration on the new record, he said, "I had them come in at the end of a song and kind of built something up around Cedric [Bixler-Zavala] singing and Omar [Rodriguez-Lopez] playing guitar."

As for Reznor, who contributes to a song called "Flyentology", "he basically does the choruses and breakdowns, and he also plays guitar and bass in a section of it. I've had the comment thrown at me for years: 'You're the Trent Reznor of hip hop!' I like his shit, so I was perfectly happy to take that, and it started to make sense to me: 'Hey, that would be a pretty crazy collaboration.'"

An even crazier collaboration is the one with Chan Marshall, who El-P said he knows from "bumping into each other here and there." Working with Marshall on "Poisonville Kids No Wins", the last song on the album, "made a lot of sense," because El-P originally wrote the song while "looping up 'Love & Communication' [from Cat Power's The Greatest]. I kind of forgot that I had done that, and then I went in and I sampled some heartbreaking James Brown shit that I threw in at the end. But I was like, "Well a) I can't pay for this ever, and something's wrong here. Then I bumped into Chan and asked her to do it, and it wasn't until after she said yes that I realized that I had actually written the song to her music. I didn't want to weird her out, but I told her afterwards."

El-P plans to remix "Love & Communication", as "kind of our trade, you know?" [MORE...]

Stream: Beck: "Dark Star" (TV on the Radio remix)

You already knew that Beck's new album, The Information, which came out today on Interscope, comes packaged with a DVD featuring videos for all of the songs. Well now, as we've come to expect from Mr. Hansen, there's more.

If you buy The Information from iTunes, not only does it come with all of those videos, but you also receive an exclusive remix of "Dark Star" by David Sitek of TV on the Radio. Yeah, the one he talked about in this interview, when he said, "It's turning into a free jazz song....I have saxophone players and flute players in here."

It's hard to tell where the original song ends and the remix begins from the stream of Sitek's remix below, but there are plenty of laser noises and sleigh bells and, yes, saxophones and flutes. I'll bet Beck's pleased.

Mastodon Announce Tour

After receiving a Best New Music delegation for their supremely heavy new album Blood Mountain, Mastodon are ready to take on the world, or at least the Europe. Come November, Mastodon will head to the Continent for a trek opening for Tool. It ends December 16 at Athens' Olympic Fencing Hall.

Death to false metal... by fencing!

Before the European tour kicks off, Mastodon have a few dates scheduled in the U.S. and Japan, including a show tonight in Dallas. And on November 1, the band will appear on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien". It will be their first appearance on national television.

We hope the Cysquatch plays piano with them. He's probably just as good as Andrew WK. [MORE...]

Photos: Xiu Xiu / Serena Maneesh [Austin, TX; 9/29/06]

Pretty soon after I realized that everyone around me at Emo's waiting for Xiu Xiu was wearing Xs on their hands (due to being underage, not to rabid Xiu Xiu fan-dom), Jamie Stewart and Caralee McElroy took the stage as a trio, this time bringing a live drummer, Ches Smith (aka opening act Cong for Brums) in tow. The added momentum suited the material from their latest album, The Air Force, well, and gave a nice shot in the arm to crowd favorites like "I Luv the Valley OH!".

Stewart's voice was buried deeper in the mix than expected (judging from past encounters), leaving me to conclude that the night was about songs rather than edgy emoting. It was a welcome change at first, but what's a Xiu Xiu show without having to confront Stewart's vocals head-on? And what was up with his buzz cut?

Over in the adjoining room of Emo's, Serena Maneesh prompted a question of their own: where was Amazonian bassist Hilma Nikolaisen? Her presence was missed, though Norwegian psych/motorik/nu-gaze sextet wasted no time in barreling through the still-fresh material from their self-titled debut.

Frontman Emil Nikolaisen's vocals were mixed even further into oblivion than Jamie Stewart's had been, but I couldn't care less. Tommy Akerholdt's drums had already swept the music into a headlong frenzy that didn't really relent, save for some extended psych-noise treats and a rather dubby version of "Don't Come Down Here". By the end of the show, Nikolaisen's makeup had survived the Texas heat, but he still felt the need to don his sequined mic-stand dressing during the concluding freak-out of "Your Blood in Mine".

More Xiu Xiu and Serena Maneesh photos and tour dates below. [MORE...]

Ryan Adams, Jon Langford, More on Bloodshot DVD

Celebrating over 12 years in this wild and woolly biz, beloved Chicago imprint Bloodshot Records has announced the release of its first-ever DVD, cunningly titled Bloodied but Unbowed: Bloodshot Records' Life in the Trenches. Due out October 10 and packed with over three hours of alt-country goodness, it's sure to make your eyes go, er, bloodshot. Yee-haw!

The roundup includes concert footage, interviews, documentaries, short films, photo galleries, and more from artists on the quality-assured Bloodshot Records roster, as well as a "mockumentary" depicting a day in the life over at Bloodshot World HQ. Those outrageous alt-country rockers!

Among the urban cowboys and cowgirls on this hootenanny of a DVD: Alejandro Escovedo, Robbie Fulks, Jon Langford, Sally Timms, Old 97s, Kelly Hogan, Split Lip Rayfield, Waco Brothers, the Sadies, the Detroit Cobras, Bobby Bare Jr., and Ryan "Aw Shit" Adams.

Scope some hot clip action here. [MORE...]

Nurse With Wound Reissue An Awkward Pause
Bonus disc allows fans to create their own NWW remix! Kewl!!

Nurse With Wound: it's not for everyone. But perhaps it's your thing, which is why you clicked on this here story, and in which case you'll be psyched to know that Steven Stapleton's venerable experimental outfit will soon re-release 1999's much-loved An Awkward Pause. It's slated to arrive November 1 via David Tibet's (Current 93) Durtro/Jnana Records.


"Meh," you say. "I already have An Awkward Pause," you say. And "it's the original pressing, with the bonus vinyl, and Stapleton signed it. In blood."

Well, my friend, what you most certainly don't have is the brand new bonus second disc, featuring demos, remixes, and alternate versions of Pause tracks, and-- get this-- an "Ingredients" version of "Two Shaves and a Shine", which means you can totally create your own Nurse With Wound deep cut. Hands on! DIY! Do try this at home!

An Awkward Pause (both new version and old) also features contributions from numerous NWW associates, including Tibet, Christoph Heemann, Colin Potter, and Petr Vastl (aka Aranos). And nothing says holiday cheer like a Nurse With Wound gig. Catch them at the Thurston Moore-curated All Tomorrow's Parties event The Nightmare Before Christmas, going down December 8-10 at Butlins Holiday Centre in Minehead, UK. [MORE...]

Grizzly Bear Unveil Euro Tour, Goofy Videos
Plus BBC Session mp3

Oh my! I just watched Grizzly Bear's Ed Droste, Christopher Bear, Daniel Rossen, and Chris Taylor playing their song "Shift" together in the shower. I feel so dirty now. And after that, I watched the guys sing "Knife" a cappella on the streets of Paris.

These YouTubular goodies were made possible by the French site La Blogothèque. Lucky for them, Grizzly Bear have just announced that they will head back to Europe on tour in November, after finishing their previously reported North American TV on the Radio-supporting tour.

But the band has been doing a lot more than just booking overseas flights. Grizzly Bear recently made on-air appearances on KEXP (where they performed "Plans", "Shift", "On a Neck, on a Spit", and "Knife"), Indie 103.1, and BBC Radio 1 and 6 ("Knife", "Lullabye", "Colorado", and "On a Neck, on a Spit"). Click below to download the dreamy version of "Knife" recorded at the BBC.

The Grizz will return to KEXP tomorrow, October 4, at 4 pm PST, and will make their debut on WXPN's World Cafe next Tuesday (October 10).

Also, Rossen and Droste created an alcohol-induced clip of themselves rocking "Knife" as "Dan and Ed as José González as Grizzly Bear." In the same blog post, they warn, "Collaboration with Feist coming soon." Whoa! [MORE...]

Photos: Mew [Chicago, IL; 10/02/06]

Danish dreamweavers Mew left cloud cuckoo land for moment to play a gig in Chicago last night, bringing along a massive projected backdrop that spilled fantastical, eerie, and often unsettling imagery over the entire back wall of the Metro. It proved a perfect complement to the painfully un-hip (in a good way) aesthetic of Mew, here a five-piece comprised of two guitars, bass, drums, and keyboard, and all bad haircuts, un-ironic mustaches, and corny lyrics about giraffes and rockets. Fairytale stuff.

Yet somehow, like Peter Pan or The Little Prince, these were fairytales with considerable emotional heft, for kids and adults alike. Mew weren't afraid to punch up the drama with soaring harmonic choruses that wound up being bridges to even higher-altitude choruses. The set included a number of tunes from this year's Pitchfork Recommended And the Glass Handed Kites, as well as older favorites, including a scintillating rendition of "Am I Wry? No".

Singer Jonas Bjerre was the focal point, a starry-eyed man-child with considerable range (most of it in the upper registers), a street urchin trying to sing his way into our hearts and our homes. Turns out he creates the video projections too, the most oddly memorable of which featured an interminably hovering fleet of dolls and stuffed animals playing violins. Elegiac and wondrous in equal measure, it more or less encapsulated the unique appeal of a band bored or just plain oblivious to de rigeur cynicism and intent on conjuring its own fascinating, sonorous universe.

Mew continue weaving across the country with Kasabian, then play a string of headline shows. Dates and more photos ahead. [MORE...]

Weezer Sue Miller Beer
Meet the new Weezer, same as the old Metallica

Like plenty of bored rock stars before them, Weezer have taken up legal pursuits during their hiatus from such traditional musical pastimes as recording and touring (i.e. actually playing music). According to reports from TMZ.com and E! Online, the band filed a lawsuit against the Miller Brewing Company in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday over three ads that ran in Rolling Stone in 2004.

The suit claims that Miller used the band's name and image without their permission, and, in return, they are asking for "all profits received by Miller and fellow defendants from the ads in question; punitive damages amounting to three times either the actual damages or the defendants' profits, whichever is higher; and an injunction against any further use of the band's image," according to the E! report. Weezer also named Miller's marketing company, Young & Rubicam, and the production company responsible for the layout of the ads, Giannini Creative Imaging, as defendants in the suit.

And just to add that extra dash of ridiculous to the mix, the band claimed that the other musical acts featured in the advertisements (including Audioslave, who filed a similar suit last year), are "bands and musical performers with whom [Weezer] do not wish to be associated in any advertisement." Those performers included Velvet Revolver, Bon Jovi, Puddle of Mudd, Trapt, and Incubus.

Come to think of it, we'd be a little pissed too. But don't Weezer have anything better to do?

New Clipse Bumped, Pusha Revokes Lynching Comment

Yep, again. Hell Hath No Fury, the looooong-awaited follow-up to Neptunes-produced Virginia rap duo Clipse's 2002 debut, Lord Willin', has been bumped back for the umpteenth time. According to Billboard.com, it's now slated for release on December 12.

As previously reported, Clipse had some harsh words for label Jive Records, partnered with their own imprint Re-Up Gang Records. In a recent interview, Pusha T told RollingStone.com, "I hate Jive [Records]...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." Um, yikes.

It's rumored that these comments caused the latest delay, although Pusha T recently rescinded (sort of) to Billboard.com, declaring, "I don't hate every Jive staff member, I love some people up there.

"I just got a little emotional."

Whether those remarks really set things back or not, it's clear legal gobblygook has had plenty to do with tying up the release of Clipse's second album for what seems like an eternity now.

"The album's limbo was through no fault of our own," Malice told Billboard.com. "The battle was between Star Trak and Jive, and we were caught in the middle. And we had to wait until they settled it. And when you're suing somebody, every step of paperwork takes six months. And before you know it, years have gone. Who wants that?"

Clipse have a few gigs lined up, including a November 3 show at Philadelphia's Starlight Ballroom, and a spot at San Francisco's Be the Riottt! festival on November 11. They will also appear at this year's CMJ Music Marathon, and, according to Billboard.com, hope to join Young Jeezy and Rick Ross' upcoming tour.

Eagles of Death Metal Prep DVD
Eww...funholes

It doesn't come as much of a surprise, but when the press release for the forthcoming Eagles of Death Metal DVD, DVD by Sexy, claims the release "will pound your funholes full of fantastic until you SEXPLODE!!," it's still a little gross. Nevertheless, that is apparently what the band's new DVD will do when it comes out on October 10.

DVD by Sexy was directed by Liam Lynch (yes, that one, but also the director of Sarah Silverman's Jesus Is Magic and the upcoming Tenacious D movie, Tenacious D in "The Pick of Destiny") and features "never-before-seen rehearsals, music videos, imaginary friends & behind-the-scenes footage" of the band. There are also live performances of the following songs: "I Like to Move in the Night", "Cherry Cola", "I Got a Feeling (Just Nineteen)", "Solid Gold", and "I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News)".

As previously reported, Eagles of Death Metal begin their U.S. tour with Joan Jett on October 12 in Philadelphia.
[MORE...]

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.)