Mastodon Kick Off Winter Tour

We're still waiting for the third installment of our favorite mind-melting Southerners' (duh, Mastodon!) video tour diary, and if anything will inspire them to future YouTube greatness, it's hitting the road again.

The Blood Mountain climbers kick things off tonight in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida with tourmates Priestess and Converge before snaking around the eastern U.S. Then in March, they'll get international, with stops in Ireland, England, and the United Arab Emirates.

Mastodon also announced their first summer festival date recently. It's in June at Norway's Hovefestival, where one of the bands with whom they will share the bill is... Slayer!

We could have guessed it, but since they went out of their way to list "w/Slayer" in the tour section of their website, it's obvious that Mastodon are beyond psyched. And so are we, especially if they upload a video document of the occasion for all the internet to see. [MORE...]

Pattern Is Movement Tour With David Bazan

Philly trio Pattern Is Movement will hit the road with prickly Pedro-no-more David Bazan in February, and they're bringing producer Scott Solter along with them to play guitar.

Solter produced the band's last album and the corresponding remix record, Stowaway and Canonic: Scott Solter Plays Pattern Is Movement. Solter will return to the studio with Pattern Is Movement this summer to record their third album for release early next year on Hometapes.

The tour begins at Kenyon College on February 9 and includes an appearance at Hometapes' SXSW showcase. Bazan has two dates of his own, one tonight with Damien Jurado and another February 10 with Iron & Wine's Sam Beam. [MORE...]

Smashing Pumpkins Announce First Reunion Shows

Last month, we told you that the Smashing Pumpkins were slated to play "some European festivals" in the summer of 2007. Well, they've finally announced exactly where and when fans can, for the first time in over six years, catch the band live.

The Pumpkins will play Germany's Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals, taking place in Nuremburg on June 2 at Nürburgring and June 3 at Zeppelinfeld, respectively.

They're sharing rosters with the likes of Linkin Park, Korn, Evanescence, Dave Matthews Band, Slayer, and My Chemical Romance. Muse, the Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs, the Kooks, Wolfmother, and Mando Diao are lined up to perform as well.

Who, exactly, is in Smashing Pumpkins? We still don't know.

Secretly Canadian Artists Cover Each Other for Comp
Jens Lekman does Scout Niblett, Danielson do Dave Fischoff, Songs: Ohia do Nikki Sudden

After 11 years of existence, Secretly Canadian is finally celebrating itself. The Indiana label that brought us everybody from Antony and Jens Lekman to Danielson/Br. Danielson/Danielson Famile and Songs:Ohia/Magnolia Electric Company/Jason Molina will release the retrospective compilation SC100 on April 10.

And what better way to document Secretly Canadian's history than with a big ol' song swap? SC100 features 18 SC artists covering other SC artists. Jens Lekman covers Scout Niblett, Danielson does Dave Fischoff, Songs: Ohia take on Nikki Sudden, Nikki Sudden does June Panic, June Panic do Danielson, Marmoset do Jens, Suzanne Langille does Songs:Ohia... Yup, it's a big ol' orgy.

Although Secretly Canadian has put out over 150 records by now, SC100 is still a technically correct title, since it's been in the works since it was the label's hundreth release. Therefore, the compilation only includes artists from SC's first 99 records. So no Antony or I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness or Frida Hyvönen, sorry. [MORE...]

Shins, Lily Allen, Cold War Kids Play KCRW Fundraiser

Southern California NPR affiliate radio station (and adult-alternative mecca) KCRW has unveiled the details of its sixth annual A Sounds Eclectic Evening fundraiser.

This year, the event is scheduled for April 14 at Universal City, California's Gibson Amphitheater. The Shins, Lily Allen, the Cold War Kids, Rodrigo y Gabriela, and Bitter: Sweet will perform, and the Pinker Tones will rock the after-party.

Additional artists have yet to be announced, but "surprise special guests" are promised. Ooh, we hope it's James Blunt and Corinne Bailey Rae!

Proceeds will assist the station in digitizing its massive (60,000+ albums!) music library.

Danny! = Next Def Jux Artist

Following through on a two-month promise, the heads at Def Jux-- in collaboration with mtvU and its college student viewership-- have selected Danny! to be the newest member of their family. The 23 year-old Savannah College of Art and Design student, born Danny Swain, will record a digital EP for the label and collaborate with Def Jukie Mr. Lif on a single and music video, the latter of which will exclusively premiere on mtvU and mtvU.com later this year.

Danny! is just the first winner of the college-only network's "Best Music on Campus" monthly contests to hook up independent college-enrolled artists with record contracts. In his profile on the site, he claims to sound like "a cross between Björn Borg and a vacuum cleaner", with A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Gang Starr, EPMD, and, um, Barry Manilow as his influences.

What we wouldn't give to hear Mr. Lif on a version of "Copacabana"!

Girl Talk Seeks Dancers for Vegas Gig
Just leave the stripping to Gillis

As Girl Talk's Gregg Gillis prepares to take on Jackie Chan this Valentine's Day (February 14) in Las Vegas as part of the previously reported festival Fusion (which also features Kanye West, Gnarls Barkley, Lupe Fiasco, Spank Rock, and several of China's finest pop acts), he's looking for a little help from six very special, choreographically inclined individuals.

Gillis posted a MySpace bulletin yesterday morning (mad thanks to reader Eric McKinney for the tip) asking for backup dancers for his Fusion gig. Do you have what it takes to help Gillis get the party started? Can you shake it like a Polaroid picture? Can you back that thang up? Can you let that shoulder lean? Can you get jiggy wit it??? (If you said 'yes' to that last one, you're automatically disqualified.)

Quoth Gregg, "Here are the duties: dance on stage, hype the crowd, throw confetti, wear a costume and/or extreme clothing (that you provide yourself), get buck wild." Sound like something you'd be doing at a Girl Talk gig anyway?

Then pay attention: First make sure you can get to Vegas, then make sure you're not, like, twelve years old. Next, fire an e-mail to Gillis at girltalkgirltalk@gmail.com with the subject line "Las Vegas Performance". Include the answers to the following questions from Gregg:

1. Full Name:
2. City that you live in:
3. Age:
4. How will you get to Las Vegas:
5. What will your be costume and/or clothing:
6. Performance experience:
7. Best dance move:
8. Have you been to a Girl Talk show before and if so, where:
9. Phone number:
10. Why I should pick you (no longer than 5 sentences):

And remember: this is what you're up against.

Gillis' six lucky picks get free tickets to Fusion and backstage passes. And hey, even if this doesn't pan out, you still have ample opportunities to reinvent the Macarena onstage or off at one of Girl Talk's other upcoming performances, including stints at Langerado and Coachella. [MORE...]

Q-Tip Readies Renaissance, Kamaal LPs

It's been eight years since former A Tribe Called Quest MC Q-Tip released his solo debut, 1999's Amplified, and he has yet to release a proper studio follow-up. Kamaal the Abstract, his sophomore record scheduled for release in 2002, never came out, but it seems the recent Tribe reunion tour lit a fire under him.

Though he tells Billboard.com that another Tribe reunion is unlikely, he has big plans to release two solo albums, including the release of Kamaal with bonus tracks (the original's tracklist is below). Tapping like-minds Andre 3000, Common, and D'Angelo as his only guests so far, Tip assembled a "hip hop band" for The Renaissance, technically Kamaal's follow-up even though with its spring release on Universal Motown it will likely precede it.

"I wanted a hip-hop sonic feel, something pure to the sound of hip hop with real drums, real emotion and people taking solos. In that sense this record feels like we're moving in a new direction...something hip hop should do," Tip told Billboard.com to explain the idea behind the band.

He also said he will feature songs from Kamaal when he tours in support of The Renaissance, and we're pretty sure he'll visit with some of the many "Bonita Applebum"s among his MySpace friends, who all seem to be participating in the ill-defined "Bonita Applebum MySpace Contest". The "voice message from Q-Tip" doesn't do much to clear up exactly what the contest is beyond a ranking of female MySpace users willing to change their profile names to Bonita Applebum in order to possibly-- according to Tip-- "extend your friend networks and all of that."

And with that, we finally understand what's taken Tip so long to make a new album: cruising for chicks on MySpace. [MORE...]

Badly Drawn Boy Tours Europe, North America

Badly Drawn Boy is proud of having been Born in the U.K., and to prove it, he's playing three shows at fish and chips eateries in England in February. Tickets are obtainable only attainable via a mobile phone contest, so get to texting.

But greasy fast food establishments aren't the only place you can catch Damon Gough performing this season. He kicked off a European tour last night in Switzerland, and hits North America in March.

Gough also has a single, "A Journey from A to B", on its way February 19. It will be available on CD and two seven inches, one featuring "This Is the Day (Oui FM)" as its B-side, and the other "Welcome to the Overground (live)". The latter track is included on the CD as well. [MORE...]

RJD2 Extends North American Tour

RJD2 hit a slight roadblock when his unfortunate middle finger was cut in an in-studio tangle with some scissors (full story on MySpace), but he's not letting one little mishap hold him back-- the show must go on. Shows, that is. Many, many shows.

The sound sculptor has tacked a whole bunch of dates onto his previously reported North American tour. On the trek, he'll perform both as a DJ and, for the first time ever, with a four-piece band.

The tour is in support of RJD2's XL debut, The Third Hand, which, as you well know by now, lands March 6.

Customers who pre-order a copy from select indie record stores will receive a digital bonus EP featuring three previously unavailable tracks.

Those purchasing the record via iTunes can expect a different extra-- a song RJD2 describes as "epic!!!!! nine minutes!!!! four movements!!!!" [MORE...]

Beck's Information Deluxe Edition Revealed
Includes remixes by Ellien Allien, Jamie Lidell, David Sitek, and Ricardo Villalobos

Never one to let up on his constant barrage of media spectacles, Beck has announced that last year's The Information will receive the deluxe edition treatment. And boy is this deluxe.

The pimped-out version of The Information will be available February 27 on Interscope and will be a three-disc set. The first disc includes the album as well as three bonus tracks previously only available internationally. The second disc boasts six remixes, featuring the star-studded knob-tweaking of Ellen Allien, Bumblebeez, David Andrew Sitek (of TV on the Radio), the Chap, Jamie Lidell, and Ricardo Villalobos.

The third disc is a DVD containing all of Beck's homemade videos originally packaged with the album, as well as two videos for bonus tracks and the album's two music videos-- Patrick Daughters' clip for "Nausea" and Michel Gondry's clip for "Cell Phone's Dead".

Of course, the deluxe Information will also include the sticker sheet that came with the original, so you can create your own deluxe album cover.

Beck has also announced a few tour dates in Japan in April. [MORE...]

Photos: Deerhoof/Hella/Busdriver [Los Angeles, CA; 01/24/06]

Photos by David Horvitz

Hyper-prog trio Deerhoof kicked off a tour last night in support of their Best New Music-garnering LP Friend Opportunity-- and if these shots from photographer and Xiu Xiu tour manager David Horvitz are any indication, it looks like the one-two-three punch of Deerhoof, Hella, and Busdriver just might have rocked the pants off of fans at Los Angeles' El Rey Theatre.

Bonus! Check out the merch table photo below, where Deerhoof's Greg Saunier had one heck of a friend opportunity: that's Minuteman/Stooge Mike Watt busting out some bucks for a Deerhoof CD, along with acclaimed artist and illustrator Raymond Pettibon (left), whose work graces the covers of numerous Black Flag and SST Records releases, as well as Sonic Youth's Goo.

Speaking of artists, don't forget to share your own masterpieces with other Deerhoof fanatics at the band's art website. There's a long road ahead for our hoofers-- check out the remaining dates below.

DEERHOOF


BUSDRIVER


HELLA


BFF

[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.)