Ponys, Roky, Brightblack, Annuals to Play Noise Pop
Erase Errata, Comedians of Comedy, Dandy Warhols, Malajube, Lyrics Born also on lineup

For its 15th anniversary, San Francisco's Noise Pop festival is doing things big. The event has tacked an avalanche of new artists onto its roster since we last reported.

Lineup additions include the legendary Roky Erickson, the Ponys, Brightblack Morning Light, Annuals, Erase Errata, Comedians of Comedy, the Coup, the Dandy Warhols, Malajube, Langhorne Slim, Lyrics Born, So Many Dynamos, Matt & Kim, the Spinto Band, Trainwreck Riders, the Watson Twins, Damien Jurado, and more.

Sebadoh, Ted Leo/Pharmacists, John Vanderslice, Jolie Holland, Clinic, Will Sheff (of Okkervil River), French Kicks, Josh Ritter, Macromantics, Richard Swift, Autolux, Midlake, Earlimart, Vic Chesnutt, Ghostland Observatory, Pop Levi, and Seawolf will also be there. But you know that already.

Noise Pop runs from February 27 to March 4 at clubs all over San Francisco.

The Swedish American Hall will also house the event's first-ever Noise Pop Expo, a panel/design fair/art installation/poster show scheduled for March 3-4.

Attendees can also look forward to the Noise Pop Film Festival as well, where they'll catch screenings of Who Is Harry Nilsson (and Why Is Everybody Talkin' at Him?), You're Gonna Miss Me (a Documentary about Roky Erickson), Sonic Youth: Sleeping Nights Awake, the David Kilgour documentary Far off Town: From Dunedin to Nashville, and more.

Earl Greyhound OK After Tour Van Accident
And the shows go on (mostly)

Six-stringers everywhere should strum a big riff of relief today, as hard-rocking New York trio Earl Greyhound-- whose "S.O.S." knocked the socks off more than a few 'fork folks last year-- is alive and well and back on the road following a fun tour van crash in North Dakota last Tuesday (January 23).

Wait a minute-- fun??!

You bet. At least, that's pretty much the gist of EG bassist/co-vocalist Kamara Thomas' assessment of the tragedy-that-wasn't. Blogged Thomas on the Periodic Label website:

"As our blue Chevy Gladiator van careened off the highway and tumbled into the soft snowy center divide, all I could think was 'Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!' I watched everything in the van circulate, including myself. My life did not flash before my eyes. The moment we stopped was the only moment I was scared, lots of yelling to see if everyone was okay and hoping. And we are!

"I have a bruise on my elbow, Matt [Whyte]'s got a bump on his head, and stiff necks all around, but incredibly that's it! Providence wins, as it always does, if you believe in Providence, which I do. ROCK ON EARTH PEOPLE!!"

Rock on, indeed.

Earl Greyhound were forced to cancel a pair of gigs in Seattle and Portland, but have since hit the road again undaunted. They secured a new van thanks to some kind folks in North Dakota and promise to return to the Northwest as soon as possible to make up for the missed dates. For now, catch them rocking earth people at a West Coast/Dust Bowl/NY venue near you. Special thanks to alert reader Chester Hartin for the tip! [MORE...]

Flaming Lips, Metric, Lil Jon Team Up With Playboy
Sorry ladies, no Wayne Coyne nude pix involved

Now all Playboy needs is drugs. The magazine will add rock'n'roll to its tried and true sex-sex-sex approach with a project titled "Rock the Rabbit" that will debut in February.

According to a press release, Rock the Rabbit invited an enormous crew of musicians to design t-shirts offering "their own personal stamp on the Playboy brand and logo" in cooperation with Playboy's Annual Sex and Music Special Issue. Contributors include the Flaming Lips, Rhymefest, Lil Jon, Metric, Soulwax, former Luna members Dean & Britta, Kasabian, Thievery Corporation, stellastarr*, Oh No! Oh My!, and bunch of low-level indie bands. (What, Tommy Lee was busy?)

These limited edition t-shirts and the artists who designed them will appear in a six-page fashion feature (shot by photographer Mick Rock) in the March issue of Playboy, which-- true to the somewhat confusing nature of print publication-- comes out February 9. Playboy will make the t-shirts available for public purchase in late spring/summer at select retailers and online at www.shopthebunny.com. In the fall, Playboy will auction the "original prototype" t-shirts to benefit LIFEbeat: The Music Industry Fights AIDS.

So just to set all of this straight for you, a porn magazine asked some musicians to make t-shirts for a fashion spread and eventually an AIDS benefit. Hey, maybe the folks at Playboy are on drugs after all!

Our heads are still spinning, but the full list of artists who contributed t-shirt designs is below. [MORE...]

Klaxons Send Myths Stateside via Rinse/DGC

Sound the alarm! Having stirred up quite the new rave ruckus in their native UK, band-of-the- moment Klaxons have announced their U.S. invasion objectives-- and first up is the release of their debut LP, Myths of the Near Future.

Out today in the UK via Rinse/Polydor, Myths won't cross the ocean until late April (provided it doesn't run into any visa troubles). DGC, which fostered some bands that got pretty popular (Nirvana, Sonic Youth), has taken the young trio under its wing in the big scary United States (in conjunction with Rinse).

Myths' U.S. release will likely coincide with a Klaxons Stateside tour. Thus far, the lads have Coachella on April 29 and quite the cavalcade of UK and European engagements lined up in the, er, near future. Don't miss CSS opening up that UK/Ireland stretch. [MORE...]

Exclusive: Xiu Xiu, Larsen Team for New XXL Album
Cover art to include Lil' Kim's cleavage, lots of beef-slinging

At the time of this writing, "Spicchiologi" doesn't register a single hit on Google (not even google.it), which is pretty damned exciting in a way (even if we've just ruined the novelty by publishing this). I mean, how many combinations of letters in the Latin alphabet has Google not wrapped its grimy tentacles all over yet?

Chalk it up to two of the world's more original bands to invent such a word-- and then follow it up with a big ambiguous question mark. Spicchiologi? is the sophomore LP from XXL, the transatlantic collaboration between Italian post-rockers Larsen and American avant-shriek-rockers Xiu Xiu. The eight-track disc follows up 2005's exclamatory ¡Ciaütistico! (another Google first, it would seem) and arrives, tentatively, May 29. Like its predecessor, Spicchiologi? bears the stamp of experimental Massachusetts imprint Important Records.

This time around, Jamie Stewart and Caralee McElroy rep for Xiu Xiu, while Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo, Marco "Il Bue" Schiavo, Paolo Dellapiana, and Roberto Maria Clemente go to bat for Larsen. The results? Undoubtedly huge. [MORE...]

Arcade Fire Launch Most Anticipated Tour of All Time

Arcade Fire fans, your prayers have been answered. Win, Regine, Richard and their cohorts are gearing up to take their still-unopened Neon Bible on the road.

The band will kick off their bi-continental teaser trek this evening with the first of five shows in London, followed by five-night runs in Montreal and New York City in February. All of those shows are hella sold out, of course.

In March, they return overseas to tour the UK and Europe.

They're also slated to appear at Coachella on April 28, and, according to NME.com, are rumored to be playing England's mammoth Glastonbury festival in June.

As previously reported, the Arcade Fire will release Neon Bible on March 6 (March 5 in Europe) via Merge Records. [MORE...]

Exclusive: Cornelius' Sensuous Comes to the States

Cornelius has found a U.S. home in Everloving Records, which will release his latest album, Sensuous, on April 24. The U.S. release of the album will have the same tracklist as the Japanese release, though it will also include bonus features (such as the video for "Fit Song" and the "360-degree view" thingy that can currently be seen at his website).

Cornelius has plenty of tour dates scheduled in his native Japan before the U.S. release of Sensuous, and he'll follow those with a full-blown tour of the U.S. Those dates have yet to be announced, except for his April 28 appearance at Coachella. [MORE...]

T.V. Eye: January 29-February 3, 2007

Pitchfork's T.V. Picks for This Week:

 

Monday, January 29:

ABC: "Jimmy Kimmel Live": Spank Rock (rerun)
CBS: "Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson": Billy Bragg
Fuel TV: "The Daily Habit": the Broken West
NBC: "Late Night With Conan O'Brien": Peter Bjorn and John

Tuesday, January 30:

ABC: "Jimmy Kimmel Live": Patton Oswalt

Wednesday, January 31:

ABC: "Jimmy Kimmel Live": Robin Thicke and Pharrell
CBS: "Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson": RZA
NBC: "Last Call With Carson Daly": Emily Haines
NBC: "Late Night With Conan O'Brien": Paul Weller

Thursday, February 1:

ABC: "Jimmy Kimmel Live": Damian Marley
NBC: "Last Call With Carson Daly": Ludacris
NBC: "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno": Christina Aguilera

Friday, February 2:

ABC: "Jimmy Kimmel Live": Nas
NBC: "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno": the Game

Saturday, February 3:

PBS: "Austin City Limits": Wilco, Bright Eyes (rerun)
NBC: "Saturday Night Live": Lily Allen

Ted Leo Expands Living With Chumbawumba Cover
Also rocks you in latest Touch and Go Anniversary Festival video

We don't mean to lionize, but Ted Leo is one happening dude. A dude's dude. When he isn't breaking up scuffles, doing punk-rock Pilates, or killing raccoons with his ear-to-ear smile, Leo's hopscotching across the continent, mulling the plight of the opening band, and beefing up his forthcoming LP with bonus disc that includes a Chumbawumba cover. And it's not even "Tubthumping"!

Believe it: when Leo and the Pharmacists' Touch and Go debut Living With the Living goes live March 20, the first pressing edition will come bundled with a free five-song bonus EP. Said article collects new tunes Ted put to tape in December 2006 at Brooklyn's Wild Frontier Studios-- including a cover of the Wumba's pre-fame non-hit "Rappaport's Testament: I Never Gave Up" (from 1990's Slap!)-- and one of those oh-so-cool hidden tracks (so actually, a six-song bonus EP). Vinyl hounds needn't fret: initial LP pressings will include a coupon to download the entire album in digital format, and the bonus disc too, all for the price of that bandwidth you're stealing from your neighbors.

And that's not all: Leo takes centerstage in the latest Touch and Go 25 Festival video, up now on the imprint's website. Watch Leo discuss why he loves his new label and why new bands have it bad, then stick around for a Leo/Pharmacists live rendition of new jam "The Sons of Cain" from last September's celebration. Don't forget to swoon at Leo's regular-guy valediction, a gruff "ANKS e'rybuddy." No, dude, thank you.

Finally, as previously noted, Mr. Leo and company cut rugs across North America beginning this March. [MORE...]

Pitchfork Music Festival SXSW Party Revealed!

The flyer don't lie: SXSW is getting its own miniature indoor version of the Pitchfork Music Festival! On March 16, Pitchfork, in association with our pals at Chicago booking firm The Windish Agency, is set to take over the venerable Austin venue Emo's, to present 12 of our favorite artists from the Class of 2006-07 on two stages. And just like the festival itself, the party will be an all-ages event.

Attendees will be eligible to win tickets to the actual Pitchfork Music Festival, which as previously reported, returns to Chicago's own Union Park this July 14-15. You can also expect the festival's very first lineup announcements to be made between sets from the following bands:

>> Emo's
Girl Talk [5:30 p.m.]
Menomena [4:30 p.m.]
Rjd2 [3:30 p.m.]
The Ponys [2:30 p.m.]
The Pipettes [1:30 p.m.]
Do Make Say Think [12:30 p.m.]

>> Emo's Jr.
Deerhunter [5:00 p.m.]
Simian Mobile Disco [4:00 p.m.]
Fujiya & Miyagi [3:00 p.m.]
Beach House [2:00 p.m.]
Marnie Stern [1:00 p.m.]
Crystal Castles [12:00 p.m.]

March 16, 2007
Noon - 6:00 p.m.

Emo's + Emo's Jr.
603 Red River St.
Austin, TX 78701

Special thanks to sponsors Ticketweb and Readymade. See you in Texas! Until then, keep your eyes peeled for more information at pitchforkmusicfestival.com.

Afghan Whigs Retrospective Revealed

On May 1, Rhino Records will release Unbreakable (A Retrospective), an 18-track overview of the Afghan Whigs' dark, decadent career. Notice how it isn't called Unbreakable (Greatest Hits), because the Afghan Whigs didn't really have any hits. It also isn't called Unbreakable (Best Of), because "Summer's Kiss", "When We Two Parted", "Fountain and Fairfax", and "You My Flower" aren't on it, and that's just criminal. (What were the criteria for inclusion on this thing anyway?)

What is on Unbreakable is 16 songs from the band's Sub Pop albums Up in It and Congregation, Sub Pop EP Uptown Avondale, Elektra albums Gentlemen and Black Love, and Columbia album 1965. And, as previously reported, the compilation includes two brand new Afghan Whigs songs, "I'm a Soldier" and "Magazine", recorded when singer/guitarist Greg Dulli, bassist John Curley, guitarist Rick McCollum, and drummer Michael Horrigan reunited last fall.

It's doubtful that the reunion will extend beyond those new songs, however, as Dulli is still very busy with the Twilight Singers and his collaboration with Mark Lanegan, the Gutter Twins. [MORE...]

Pretty Girls Make Graves Split

After just a little over five years together, punk band Pretty Girls Make Graves have announced that they are breaking up after one last tour.

(Thanks to reader Andrew Willis for the tip.)

Citing the departure of drummer Nick Dewitt as the impetus behind the split, the Seattle group posted the following message on their website late Sunday night:

"We are sorry to announce that our upcoming tour in May will be our last. Nick quit the band and the rest of us feel like it wouldn't be right to continue on without him. The 5 of us feel very lucky to have met and worked with some truly amazing people over the years. Thank you all so much..."

Pretty Girls Make Graves formed in 2001, fusing members of several Pacific Northwest bands, including Murder City Devils, Kill Sadie, and Death Wish Kids. They released a self-titled EP on Dim Mak and an album, Good Health, on Lookout! before signing to Matador in 2003. Matador put out their second and third albums, The New Romance and Élan Vital, in 2003 and 2006, respectively.

The complete itinerary for PGMG's final tour have yet to be announced; so far, the dates we could dig up are May 13 at the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, May 17 at Boston's Middle East, May 20 at the Black Cat in Washington, DC, and May 22 at the Earl in Atlanta, Georgia.

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.)