Photos: Scandalous Xiu Xiu Tour Polaroids
Put the graphic in photographic

As Xiu Xiu forge ahead with what has certainly been one of the more-thoroughly- documented indie tours in recent memory (remaining dates below), road manager David Horvitz has happily offered Pitchfork a batch of scandalous Xiu tour Polaroids, hell bent on corrupting the minds of our readership.

Well, okay-- one semi-scandalous pic (the line about rocking out with one's cock out comes to mind), a little knife play, a little blood, and a bunch of family-friendly vacation shots. As you may recall, Horvitz invited fans to drop off film at their local Xiu gig, promising to mail participants unique photos of Xiu gang hilarity on the road.

Best of all, it's not too late to get your own prized piece of original photographic Xiu tour memorabilia-- if you're lucky, it just might be NSFW. Buy ye some film (Polaroid 600, plz) and get ye to a Xiu show now. [MORE...]

MP3: Xiu Xiu: Boy Soprano [from the The Air Force LP]

Sonic Youth, Beefheart, Devendra Exhibit at NYC's P.S.1
So do Black Dice, Eye of the Boredoms, Alan Vega of Suicide

We all know that people like Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon and Don Van Vliet (aka Captain Beefheart) are killer musicians, but they also like to express their creativity through things you can see with your eyes. For proof, see New York City's P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center's "Music Is a Better Noise", an exhibit opening on October 29 and running through January 8.

Taking as its mission the "bringing together [of] musicians who make art and artists who make music, or for whom music is an integral part of their creative process," according to a press release, "Music Is a Better Noise" will occupy both the Drawing and Painting Galleries of the New York museum and will also include a video portion in the Vault.

Contributors to the exhibit include the aforementioned Moore, Gordon and Van Vliet, Devendra Banhart, Eye from the Boredoms, Barbara Ess from Y Pants/the Static, Christian Marclay, Delia Gonzalez and Gavin Russom, Bjorn Copeland from Black Dice, Rammellzee, Tim Kerr, and Suicide's Alan Vega, who "will unveil a suite of new sculptures from New York City's detritus and discarded junk." There is also a video by Ara Peterson that features a score from Sonic Boom (aka Peter Kember of Spacemen 3).

The opening day of the exhibit, October 29, will also include two live performances, one from Vega, who will perform during the day, and another from Sunn O)))'s Stephen O'Malley, who will provide musical accompaniment to a screening of Watch the K Foundation Burn a Million Quid (yes, the infamous KLF incident) as part of a different exhibit, "Defamation of Character".

Video: Will Oldham on "Wonder Showzen"

Previous guests on the Saturday-morning-cartoons-on-acid-styled "Wonder Showzen" have included Amy Poehler (look closely), Amy Sedaris, and Flavor Flav, but this clip belongs to a guy who we're pretty sure is the old ham himself. More accurately, it belongs to David Cross (a semi-regular on the show) and Zach Galifianakis, who do most of the talking here, but Oldham does get a few looks in. Those of you who have always wanted to see the world's most bitter hipster comic literally in bed with the guy who sang about being "on a bench with your twisted fingers in me," this is your Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Bratmobile's Alison Wolfe's New Band: Partyline

Like girls with glasses? Step in Partyline. The DC trio, fronted by former Bratmobile frontwoman Allison Wolfe, is putting out its debut LP, Zombie Terrorist, next Tuesday, October 24 on Retard Disco Records.

The album, produced by ex-Q and Not U/Ris Paul Ric man Chris Richards and Don Zientara at the legendary Inner Ear Studios, features the Loved Ones bassist Michael Cotterman lending a hand on each and every song. One number, "Trophy Wifey", is available for download below.

Tomorrow, Partyline launch a tour of the States, Australia, and New Zealand, hitting up a few Ladyfests while they're at it. The band will again make its way through the U.S. in January and February, and head to Europe for March and April; these dates have yet to be confirmed. [MORE...]

MP3: Partyline: Trophy Wifey

Spiritualized’s Jason Pierce Launches UK Tour
In space, no one can hear you rawk

Stream: Spiritualized: Various Tracks

MP3: Pavement: "Fight This Generation (Live)"

Remember that nifty pre-order party Matador is throwing for their reissue of Pavement's Wowee Zowee, due out November 7? Well, it has a website now, and those elusive "participating record stores" have been named, with more being added as we speak.

But what's really exciting is that the label has been kind enough to give Pitchfork a little taste of the action, by allowing us to offer you just one of the many, many treats awaiting those who enroll in the "Wow Out!" program. As previously reported, the pre-order nets the buyer a poster, a limited edition 7", and access to download a full live Pavement show (in addition to the two-disc reissue, of course).

What we've got here is a tiny piece of that concert, which took place April 21, 1994 at the Palace in Los Angeles (not April 24 as we said before--sorry, Pave-dorks). This take on "Fight This Generation" is loose and sloppy (in Pavement's trademark endearing way, of course), stretched out to over seven minutes of riffing, slide whistle solos, and the chanting of "GENERATION!" over and over again in every possible manner of silly voice.

God, we miss these guys so much.

Matador also has the mp3 of "Heckler Spray" and "In the Mouth of a Desert" from that same concert available for download from their website, as well as the remastered version of Wowee Zowee's first single, "Rattled by the Rush". So go listen to those, too.

MP3: Pavement: Fight This Generation (live) [from the Wowee Zowee: Sordid Sentinels Edition pre-order]
MP3: Pavement: Heckler Spray/In the Mouth of a Desert (live) [from the Wowee Zowee: Sordid Sentinels Edition pre-order]
MP3: Pavement: Rattled by the Rush [from the Wowee Zowee: Sordid Sentinels Edition LP]

Asobi Seksu Can't Stop Touring

The smell of Citrus is in the air as Asobi Seksu cross America once again. The New York foursome are off on a winter trek, much of which will be spent alongside Mates of State.

Fans can also open their ears to Asobi Seksu at the movies, as the band contributed music to indie flick Flannel Pajamas, which lands in select theaters next month. [MORE...]

MP3: Asobi Seksu: Thursday [from the Citrus LP]

Exclusive: Video: Catfish Haven: "Tell Me"

Airbrushed t-shirt of the Chicago skyline? Check. Catatonic hipsters snapping? Check. Directors Mark Bachara and Michael P. McGrath's uncomfortable shots down the token hot blonde's nightgown? Check-- with a side of tighty whitey dude junk.

I didn't think it was possible, but Andrew WK got even gnarlier when he became the lead singer for Catfish Haven.

Arthur Nights Kicks Off Tonight
Kyp Malone of TVOTR, Van Dyke Parks added

L.A. is getting a whole lot freakier this week, as Arthur Magazine (in conjunction with the Echo Presents and Spaceland Productions) launches its Arthur Nights festival tonight.

The event, which runs from today, October 19, through Sunday, October 22, is set to take place at Los Angeles' Palace Theater. It was moved from its original locations, the Echo, Ex_Plx, and Jensen's Rec Center.

Lineup highlights, many previously reported, include Devendra Banhart, Boris, Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio, Comets on Fire, Fiery Furnaces, Ruthann Friedmann, Six Organs of Admittance, Be Your Own Pet, Wooden Wand, Charalambides, OM, Josephine Foster, Archie Bronson Outfit, Espers, Belong, the Howling Hex, the Nice Boys, and Bert Jansch. Dirty Three's Jim White will drum with White Magic, and the legendary Van Dyke Parks will join Living Sisters, the acoustic trio of Inara George, Eleni Mandell, and Becky Stark (Lavender Diamond).

Visit the festival's website for a full artist list.

Skygreen Leopards Become Disciples of California
Battle RHCP for crown of Most Cali-Whipped

MP3: Skygreen Leopards: Disciples of California [from the Disciples of California LP]

Dirty Three Curate ATP, Rock Asia, Exhibit Art

Australian mostly-instrumental rockers Dirty Three will curate the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in 2007, which will take place April 27-29 at Butlins in Minehead in Somerset, England. The lineup has yet to be announced, but tickets for the event are on sale now.

Before then, the trio will leave their home continent for somewhere a little closer but no less exotic: Asia. They will play five dates in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Malaysia beginning October 26 at Shanghai's Yun-Feng Theater. And on October 21, Dirty Three drummer Jim White will play with White Magic at the Palace Theater in Los Angeles as part of the Arthur Nights festival.

Finally, things get truly multimediary with the exhibition of Dirty Three guitarist Mick Turner's paintings at the blank space gallery in Sydney, Australia. Turner's paintings have served as the cover art for all seven Dirty Three albums, and this exhibition is part of a Sydney/Melbourne gallery swap with BRIGHTSPACE, where Turner's March show sold out. His blank_space show is called "New Works: Canvas, Print & Bronze". It opens October 19 and runs through October 23. [MORE...]

Video: Dirty Three ft. Cat Power: Great Waves [from the Cinder LP]

Max Richter Taps Robert Wyatt for New Disc

As previously reported, Richter contributed to fellow FatCat Vashti Bunyan's sophomore album, Lookaftering, as a producer/co-arranger. He also mixed and co-produced the self-titled, forthcoming EP by labelmates and Glaswegian upstarts the Twilight Sad, due November 14 on FatCat.

As if that weren't enough, Richter's still doing the film thing, scoring a series of never-before-seen Super 8 Derek Jarman shorts and a new film by Stanislaw Mucha and Kieslowski-collaborator Krzysztof Piesciewicz titled Hope. Finally, Max is also collaborating on music/video project Siberia with British artist Darren Almond, and a music installation/gallery work with New York-based artist Monica Bravo. Dude gets around.

Somehow, Max plans to find the time to tour the U.S. and the UK in the near future. [MORE...]

Stream: Max Richter: Various Tracks
Video: Max Richter: Song [from the Songs From Before LP]

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.)