Decemberists Ask Fans to Finish "O Valencia!" Video
Also appear on AOL's Interface

The Decemberists have been whoring themselves (in a good way) all over the digital music universe this week. First, they released a Sony Connect digital EP. Then, today, they hit up AOL's Interface and mtvU.

The band kicks off their Interface studio time with "O Valencia!", followed a charming rendition of "Summersong", and finally, "The Crane Wife 1 & 2", during which the strumming is so forceful at times, you're waiting for the snaps of broken guitar strings. (If you're experiencing deja vu, yes, the Connect EP also features "O Valencia!" and "The Crane Wife 1 & 2".)

The interview questions, directed toward Colin Meloy and drummer John Moen, are straight from the book. The boys are asked about The Crane Wife's back story, the Capitol signing, the record's sound, favorite local Portland bands (the new Thermals record, Alela Diane, Norfolk and Western, etc.), the slightly more-inspired "Do your fans hate that you're not as old-timey as they thought?" (paraphrased), and the grand finale, "Do you think reviewers feel the need to use big words when reviewing your records?" Hey, that's a good question!

Over at mtvU, the band and the network have a little contest going on, in which they want YOU to finish the brand new video for (you guessed it) "O Valencia!" Click here to download the clip as it stands now, with the band performing the song in front of a green screen. Then, add your own special effects. Put the Decemberists on a pirate ship, draw funny hats on the band members' heads, transport them to outer space--but whatever you do, for the love of god PLEASE edit out that terrible hint of a moustache on Colin Meloy's face.

Send your version of the video to Capitol Records by December 15 and you could win a new iMac, as well as the glory of seeing your work aired on mtvU and mtvU.com. Nope, not mtv1 or mtv2. Just mtvU. Sorry.

More details about the contest are available here.

Ennio Morricone’s Birthday Bonanza Begins
Celine Dion records a track of herself gargling cake in tribute

Today, November 10, is Ennio Morricone's 78th birthday, and to celebrate, the excellent Italian film composer announced that next year he will conduct a 200-piece orchestra and choir in the performance of some of his most well-known works for his first U.S. concert ever. The event will take place February 3 at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. (Rumors have swirled that Morrissey may join him at the concert.)

New York's Museum of Modern Art will join in the festivities with screenings of six Morricone-scored films in its collection. Those films are The Battle of Algiers, Once Upon a Time in the West, Two Mules for Sister Sara, Once Upon a Time in America, The Mission, and U Turn. MoMA will run them from February 1 to February 7.

Now for the bad and the ugly: the requisite Morricone tribute album, which is scheduled for release in the spring and will feature contributions from Bruce Springsteen, Metallica (who regularly open shows with Morricone's "L'Estasi dell'Oro" from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly soundtrack), Yo-Yo Ma, the Simon Cowell-from-"American Idol"-designed international "popera" group Il Divo, and Celine Dion. Better yet, according to a press release, "Celine Dion's track was produced by Quincy Jones, marking the first time the two artists have worked together." Finally!

Yorke, YYYs, Cat Power, Rapture on Benefit Comp
Also Feist, Junior Boys, the Walkmen, Franz Ferdinand, Death Cab's Chris Walla, and more

Thom Yorke, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Rapture, Feist, Franz Ferdinand, Junior Boys, Cat Power, Wolfmother, the Walkmen, Death Cab's Chris Walla and a slew of other big name artists have joined together to help raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Unfortunately, to reap the fruits of their labor, you have to go to Urban Outfitters. Sorry.

Filter Magazine and the overpriced clothing merchant have teamed up to release the third comp in their Give.Listen.Help. benefit series. The disc features exclusive and live tracks, as well as B-sides, and will be sold only at Urban Outfitters locations, as well as on the hipstore's website. $8.99 out of $9.99 from every sale will go to the aforementioned foundation for education, screening, treatment, and breast cancer research. Hopefully, the other dollar doesn't go to Rick Santorum.

The CD will be available starting in mid-November and is limited to 10,000 copies. [MORE...]

Exclusive Video: The Divine Comedy's Muse Revealed
Latest album gets Stateside release

Victory for the Comic Muse, indeed! Or Parlophone, anyway, for giving the Divine Comedy's album by that name a proper Stateside release. Hear chief Comedian Neil Hannon chat up his new record in this exclusive video interview, courtesy of the good folks at his label. As an added bonus, click the track titles listed below to watch Neil discuss the inspiration behind each song on his latest opus.

In the interviews, Hannon reveals the story behind the album's eclectic feel, how he finds inspiration in movies and Johnny Cash, his wife's insistance that the raunchy original lyrics to "To Die a Virgin" be changed, and his desire for Dolly Parton to sing "Mother Dear".

Victory, originally released last June (also on Parlophone), will make its U.S. landing this coming Tuesday, November 14-- at which point Hannon and band will have just wrapped up a tour of Ireland/Northern Ireland, with no immediate plans for a visit to North America.

But we can't be too irked by Neil's snub of our continent, as he recently joined in on the Cake Sale, "a band featuring a loose and expansive collective of musician and writers" (according to the Divine Comedy's website) who, on November 3, released a self-titled LP on Oxfam Records in Ireland. All profits from sales of the disc support the Oxfam organization's Make Trade Fair campaign (you know, the one Chris Martin loves).

Others musicians who contributed to The Cake Sale include the Cardigans' Nina Persson, Damien Rice, Josh Ritter, Gemma Hayes, the Thrills' Padraic McMahon, and many more.

Meanwhile, the Divine Comedy's third single from Victory, "A Lady of a Certain Age", was released on November 6 in both limited edition seven-inch (available exclusively through the band's online shop) and digital download formats. One of Neil's finest songs to date, "A Lady" received a 4.5-star rating on this very website earlier this year. [MORE...]

Photos: Islands [Portland, OR; 11/07/06]

All photos by Nilina Mason-Campbell.

Unicorns-spawned Islands treaded Les Savy Fav territory at Portland, Oregon's Disjecta this past Tuesday, using props to enhance their performance, if only for absurdity's sake. Couple a noose and a mannequin head with Nick Diamonds' mime-like makeup and his penchant for snatching items from audience members and you have a show heavy on band-audience interaction in the middle of general ridiculousness and musical greatness.

The band tossed four new tunes into its set, all of them typical Islands fare-- diverse, danceable pop-- and by far some of their strongest yet. Of the fourteen-song set, the crowd responded most enthusiastically to Return to the Sea's "Rough Gem" and "Where There's a Will, There's a Whalebone". And while L.A. emcee Busdriver was onboard to deliver his "Whalebone" verse last time Islands rolled through town, this time opener Subtitle joined the band onstage to recite his part.

Despite a smaller Islands line-up than shows previous, a delayed start time, and the towing of some concert-goers' cars during a changeover, the infectious energy from Islands appeared to conquer all.





Islands' tour with Subtitle and Blueprint continues through Thanksgiving. Dates and additional photos ahead. [MORE...]

My Morning Jacket Announce More Shows

Fresh off the Halloween release of the live concert DVD Okonokos (the double CD version came out September 26), My Morning Jacket continue to tour their own and all of our asses off.

They have dates scheduled across the U.S. for the rest of November and into December, and they will pick back up again at the end of the year in time to play three dates at the Fillmore in San Francisco (where Okonokos was recorded), culminating in a show on New Year's Eve. And then they'll tour some more.

The band will also appear on "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" on November 29. [MORE...]

Panda Bear Releases Split With Excepter, Preps Solo LP

Animal Collective will record their follow-up to last year's Feels this winter, and Panda Bear's sophomore LP will be released on Paw Tracks by March, with "mixing maestro Rusty Santos flying over to Lisbon later in November to finalize the jams," according to a press release.

But for fans who want an early taste of the Panda Bear album, Paw Tracks will release a split 12" between him and Pitchfork CMJ faves Excepter on January 23. Panda Bear's contribution is album track "Carrots", and Excepter's track is called "KKKKK".

Animal Collective will finish a handful of down under dates tonight at Wellington, New Zealand's Indigo Bar. Later this month, Collective member Avey Tare will play a trio of dates with Kria Brekken, aka Feels guest and múm member Kristin Anna Valtysdóttir. Before those dates, Valtysdóttir will join the rest of múm to open for the Sugarcubes at their November 17 reunion/20th anniversary show at Reykjavík's Laugardalshöll. [MORE...]

Bloc Party Drummer Suffers Collapsed Lung

Last night, Bloc Party drummer Matt Tong suffered a collapsed lung following his band's gig with Panic! at the Disco and Jack's Mannequin at Atlanta, Georgia's HiFi Buys Amphitheatre. He is currently being treated in one of the city's hospitals and, according to a statement on the band's website, is in stable, "comfortable condition" and "not in any danger."

Tong will remain at the hospital under observation for the next three days, and as it stands, it is unclear when he will be well enough to play again.

So far, four Bloc Party dates have been cancelled: Charlotte, NC, Fairfax, VA, and both New York City shows.

According to the BBC, a spokeswoman for the band said Tong may have been injured while drumming.

"Matt is known for his energetic drumming style," she said. "It's not clear at this stage when he will be fit to resume performing."

Our thoughts are with Matt, his friends, and his family. [MORE...]

Rafter Makes Music for Total Chickens
Laments being just another guy in a chicken costume

Rafter Roberts-- noted San Diego music producer/engineer, bearded half of Asthmatic Kitty pop duo Bunky, and fancier of animal costumes-- is about to go Total Chicken on your ass. While the Shins wince away and Deerhoof get Friend-ly on January 23, Rafter will lay his latest golden egg via Asthmatic. And after intense deliberation, he's decided to title this seventeen-song affair Music for Total Chickens. So you know this guy means business.

What you may not know is he's also all about the YouTube. Following in the platinum-plated footsteps of Lil Jon, and probably inspired by all those clowns who filmed themselves dancing to "Chicken Noodle Soup", Rafter has announced a music video contest. Fans have from now until the album's release date (January 23, in case you missed it) to squawk together a filmed sequence worthy of Total Chickenhood, using one of the four album mp3s linked below.

A panel of "celebrity" Asthmatic Kitty judges (like, omg, maybe Sufjan!) will choose one clucky winner on the basis of video quality, while YouTube fiends will choose a second on the basis of quantity of views. Each gets $500, which should be enough for a Sufjan Christmas box for every soul on your holiday shopping list.

Bunky-- the duo of Rafter and Emily Joyce-- play San Diego's Ken Club on November 15 with the Places. [MORE...]

Johnny Cash Legend Lives on With Vol. II
Stars pay tribute with star-power in star-studded video of stars

Best hit the ATM for some, er, dough, because the Man in Black is back on record shelves in earnest this holiday season, with the previously reported Johnny Cash at San Quentin deluxe reissue hitting shops November 14, and the recently announced The Legend of Johnny Cash Vol. II following up on November 21 via Island/UMe.

Like its predecessor, released last fall, Vol. II chronologically collects Cash favorites, running from 1956's "There You Go" to recent covers of Tom Petty ("I Won't Back Down"), Sting ("I Hung My Head"), and Leonard Cohen ("Bird on a Wire")-- the third a live orchestral version previously only available on the 2003 Unearthed box set. The new collection also boasts the Bob Dylan-bolstered "Girl From the North Country".

Loads of famous folks-- including Iggy Pop, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Chris Martin, Kanye West, Flea, Johnny Depp, Brian Wilson, and, um, Kid Rock-- pay tribute to Cash in the new video for the Man's "God's Gonna Cut You Down", from his 2006 posthumous set American V: A Hundred Highways. You may view it right now on MTV's godawful website or YouTube. [MORE...]

Video Premiere: Tom Waits: "Lie to Me"

In the new video for "Lie to Me", Tom Waits is hanging out in the backyard of a brokedown shack cluttered with stereo parts, a piano, a refrigerator, and a mean ol' dog. Honestly, would we expect Tom Waits to hang out anywhere else? The mall? A Lakers game?

The clip for the rockabilly-ish rave-up is composed of strips of still photographs strung together to look like Waits is dancing as he mugs and struts through the tune. It's what I imagine we all look like when we're air guitaring in front of the mirror, except he has a real guitar, and is in front of a camera, and is famous. The dog is not amused.

"Lie to Me" is from the forthcoming Waits three-disc set Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards, due out on Anti- on November 21. As previously reported, Waits will appear on "Late Night With David Letterman" and "The Daily Show" on November 27 and November 28, respectively.

Jens Lekman Recording With El Perro Del Mar
Also giving away his trusty ukulele to one lucky, adventurous fan

Less than a year ago, Jens Lekman was talking about taking up a day job and ditching the whole music thing for good. Now he's back to being Captain Prolific. As the charming Jens revealed in a recent e-mail to Pitchfork, he has already recorded a heap of new songs for his next record, technically the follow-up to his Secretly Canadian-stamped U.S. debut, When I Said I Wanted to Be Your Dog. And speaking of dogs, he's also begun working with another Swedish Pitchfork favorite: El Perro Del Mar. In the man's own words:

"I have recorded about 30-40 new songs here in Kortedala [an area in Gothenburg], where all my previous songs were recorded. But I feel that I can't work here anymore. It has turned into such a depressive and violent place. People go to bed at nine and after that everything is dark and silent. I used to like that cause it meant I could go for endless walks without meeting a single person, but after having been mugged and beaten several times I'm too scared to go out.

"So to get away from that and to finish the record I've headed over to my friend Sarah Assbring / El Perro Del Mar. She's helping me with details such as vocal arrangments and sorting out the rotten apples. Her studio is right by the ocean.

"I can't say much more than that, I hate reading about artists in the studio and I don't wanna be one of them myself. I like to pretend that my songs record themselves during the night and when I wake up I will find it sitting on my bed with a cup of tea saying: 'Good morning, I am your new song.'" [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.)