Dean & Britta Launch North American Tour

Dean & Britta have added a handful of extra dates to the end of their previously reported North American tour in support of Back Numbers, out now on Zoë/Rounder. The jaunt has them playing select Luna and Galaxie 500 songs in addition to those from the Dean & Britta albums.

The tour kicks off tonight in Philadelphia, and while keyboard/melodica player Lara Meyerratken is still a part of the duo's touring band, Anthony LaMarca will replace Matt Johnson as drummer. Vibraphonist Sean McCaul will also join the band in Philly, Boston, and New York.

Dean & Britta recently debuted a video for Back Number "Words You Used to Say". The Richard Agerbeek-directed video is colorful and softly focused, with Britta Phillips doing her best Stevie Nicks impression.


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Bracken Releases LP in Edition of One

Chris Adams-- aka Bracken and, along with his brother Richard, one half of Hood-- is a prolific guy. Case in point: He released his Anticon debut, Bracken's We Know About the Need, in January. And now he's releasing the follow-up, Eno About the Need, via Anticon on March 12.

Eno is a scattershot collection of experiments, found sounds, and occasional songs, but rather than go the Ryan Adams route with the extra material, Chris Adams is aiming the record at Luddites and those with a few extra bucks for postage.

Let us explain. Eno About the Need is a double-vinyl LP in an edition of exactly one. Yes, one. Its "release" consists of the label sending it to someone (whoever requests it on Bracken's MySpace) and instructing the recipient to pass it on when he or she is finished listening. "In other words," according to a press release, "in the age of digital downloads it's the world's most awkward, cumbersome, end-user hassling record out there today."

Bracken's MySpace will serve as the home for requesting the record and tracking its progress, and "those unfortunate enough to get involved are encouraged to modify the record's sleeve, post up a photo of it, or just generally do something stupid with it, and warned that keeping it just spoils it for everyone. One day the hope is that it finally finds its way back home to the Bracken labs to be safely filed away and never spoken of again. And what will we have all learned? Absolutely nothing."

We're a little fuzzy on whether or not the first person to whom Anticon mails the record will have to pay anything. But for those who are willing to pay for a live performance in lieu of putting in a request for Eno, Bracken will tour Europe this spring starting March 16 in Sheffield, England. [MORE...]

Liars Get to Work on Next Album
"Get ready for our new record, rub your palms, download some porn, light a candle, cause we, are like a train, out of control, with no brakes."

Liars' Julian Gross took to the band's MySpace blog yesterday with ramblings on topics ranging from espresso and fried chicken to his recent cover design work and the recording of the follow-up to Drum's Not Dead.

That's right, Gross and Aaron Hemphill recently traveled to Berlin to record with frontman Angus Andrew for three weeks, though that's about all the info he gave. He did, however, write that the new tracks have "a chilled out vibe." No title, release date, or tracklist yet, but considering how quickly Liars are getting back into it, we're hardly complaining.

Gross also recently designed artwork for the Blood Brothers and Sean Na Na. The Blood Brothers artwork, which Gross says is "kinda childlike and cute and lovelorn," is for their new tour poster and the "Set Fire to the Face on Fire" and "Laser Life" singles. There are no specifics about what exactly he designed for Sean Na Na, but the band's label, Dim Mak, does have some shirts for sale with his designs.

Gross ended the post with a particularly inspiring parting word: "Get ready for our new record, rub your palms, download some porn, light a candle, cause we, are like a train, out of control, with no brakes."

Thanks to reader Matthew Krenning for the tip. The full text of Gross' fairly entertaining post appears below in unedited form. A short follow-up post explains that Andrew is taking antibiotics for a pretty heavy illness. Get well soon, Angus! [MORE...]

Stax Reveals Greatest Hits Tracklist, SXSW Party

Following the announcement of their return to actively releasing music, the folks at Stax Records are kick-starting their catalog with the release of the previously reported Stax 50: A 50th Anniversary Celebration compilation. Stax 50 includes contributions from the Staple Singers, Booker T. & the MGs, Otis Redding, and Isaac Hayes. The label will release the two-disc hits collection, featuring liner notes by Stax historian Rob Bowman, on March 13.

In addition to being on the label's roster back in its 60s and 70s heyday, Hayes joins Angie Stone, Soulive, and Leon Ware as the first signings to Stax's 2007 incarnation. He also gets the honors of hosting the Stax Records Revue at South by Southwest on March 15. Booker T. & the MGs, William Bell, Eddie Floyd, and some surprise guests will play the 90-minute revue, which starts at 7:30 p.m. at Antone's.

Another Stax tribute is scheduled to take place at the Porretta Soul Festival in Porretta Terme, Italy from July 19-22. Booker T. & the MGs, Eddie Floyd, and Jimmy McCracklin are among the performers at the festival. [MORE...]

Times New Viking Kick Off Tour

Recent Matador signees and Columbus, Ohio residents Times New Viking kick off a U.S. tour tonight in Cleveland.

The trio will play three shows in Austin during South by Southwest, and new Load Records signees Clockcleaner will join them on all but the last date, in Somerville, Massachusetts. [MORE...]

The Gossip Sign to Columbia

Oh, Kill Rock Stars, you do your job too well! You spend years building up a band's career, and then BOOM!, the band leaves you for a bigger label. Happened with Elliott Smith. Happened with Sleater-Kinney. Happened with the Decemberists.

And now, it's happened with firebrand punk trio the Gossip, who have signed to the Columbia subsidiary Music With a Twist.

According to a press release, Music With a Twist is "the first major music label dedicated to identifying and developing lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and trans gendered (LGBT) artists." ("Identifying"? What does that mean?)

The Gossip contributed their breakout tune "Standing in the Way of Control" to the Music With a Twist compilation Revolutions, due out April 17. A new Gossip album is coming later this year. In the meantime, the band has a few shows scheduled for March and April, including, of course, SXSW. [MORE...]

Brightblack Morning Light Take Flak for Troops Request
Band amends tour rider to reflect anti-recruitment stance

Photo by Magic Andy McLeod

Matador-signed swamp-folkies Brightblack Morning Light-- responsible for Pitchfork's 36th favorite album of 2006-- found a bunch of yolk on their faces this week following a minor syntactic blunder blown to blog-sized proportions.

It all began in Tucson, Arizona, where the duo played Club Congress last night as part of its previously reported U.S. trek. A tour rider-- basically a list of requests, mostly sustenance-related (unless you're Gnarls Barkley), that a band gives a venue prior to a show-- surfaced on AZ NightBuzz music blog "Hard to Explain" the day before the Tucson gig.

Among the usual amenities-- wine, apples, organic snacks, and "hot, healthy meals"-- that rider contained the contentious request, "No U.S. Military entities in any form allowed within the event."

As Tucson is home to an air force base and an army intelligence center, not to mention countless active and retired U.S. military personnel, plenty of folks reading the blog took serious offense, interpreting the request as "arrogant," "discriminatory," anti-troops, and, hell, anti-American.

Some blog commenters were more eloquent than others. Said one "c.k.", "Its good to see,that with all our Men & Woman defending our Flag. There are still,Bussiness that care for the Kids over seas. The Brightblack Moring Light Band…...Isnt the Brightess Bulb on the block." Indeed.

Club Congress, meanwhile, gave the band the benefit of the doubt and simply struck the clause from the rider and allowed the show to go on. Everyone who paid was admitted-- military and civilians alike-- and while poorly attended, the event apparently went off without incident.

According to a Congress venue spokesperson, the sensible folks at Matador apologized for what was a "miscommunication" and simply amended the tour rider to read, "No military recruitment for the US Government may be held on site." 

See? Everything's okay now. Please, good people, turn off the computer and go outside and play.

Catch Brightblack as they continue defiling everything America holds sacred while on tour this spring. And just to show how much they hate this land of freedom, Brightblack and Matador are teaming to reduce tour-related carbon emissions. Matador has pledged to buy 50 pounds of carbon dioxide offset from environmental group TerraPass for every purchase made from the label's webstore. They've set a 30,000lb goal; help them reach it here. [MORE...]

Numero Group Releases New Comp Into Rotation

The folks at the illustrious Numero Group will release the next installment in the "Eccentric Soul" series of compilations paying tribute to forgotten soul labels on March 13.

Eccentric Soul: Twinight's Lunar Rotation tells the story of Chicago's Twinight label through 40 of its singles. The set includes five previously unreleased songs, two of which were only rumored to exist until now.

The two-disc compilation is the result of over two years of research and two thousand hours of interviews, and the Numero gang is doing right by the songs by issuing them with 13 unpublished photographs inside one of their dependable slip cases. They're going even further by reissuing the compilation's original 45s over the course of the year, the first three of which are due out this month. [MORE...]

Prefuse 73 Talks Double LP, New Savath Album
Tyondai Braxton, José González guest on Savath & Savalas LP; Prefuse produces Japanese MC

Forget pigs-- 2007 is shaping up to be the year of the Herren. As in, Guillermo Scott Herren. The Prefuse 73/Savath & Savalas/A Cloud Mireya mastermind returns this spring with a Prefuse double-album, a new Savath LP, and even some trans-Pacific production work.

But first, the Prefuse double-disc. "It has been a joy to make, yet possibly the hardest," Herren told Pitchfork recently via e-mail. Of the two records, one contains "the next round of beats and madness," while on the other Prefuse took the beats in question and "notated [them] via cello, flute, clarinet, and voice into what some would consider 'modern classical' or heavily influenced by 'italian' soundtracks.

"Those curious enough and interested in those beats being interpreted as compositions will see a side of my music that I'm not even used to," according to Herren. Look for Prefuse's as-yet-untitled two-scooper this June on Warp. UPDATE: NO RELEASE TIMETABLE HAS BEEN SET FOR THIS ALBUM

Since preparing two albums just isn't enough, Herren's also gearing up to reveal the latest Savath & Savalas disc, which Anti- will tentatively release in June. Golden Pollen follows up 2004's Apropa't full-length and Mañana EP and features guest appearances from Herren's wife/A Cloud Mireya co-conspirator/School of Seven Bells member Claudia Deheza, Warp labelmate and Battles principal Tyondai Braxton, Triosk drummer Laurence Pike, and car commercial crooner José González, "who kills it in his Argentine accent that no one has gotten the pleasure to hear yet."

Despite the guest spots, Golden Pollen consists mainly of "me alone with a guitar and whatever else," said Herren. The disc, produced in part by John McEntire (of Tortoise and the Sea and Cake) and mastered by Dave Cooley (who's mastered or produced everything from J Dilla to Silversun Pickups to Karen Dalton), features cover art by Soft Circle's Hisham Bharoocha.

According to Herren, Golden Pollen presents "another challenge [to] people's patience in transcending language in music, as it is still strictly in Español lyrically once again. I'm just trying to send all the love I've gotten back with this one. I really want people to hear music related to my culture and other cultures without any novelty or going over the top with it."

In related news, Hisham's brother Hashim (anagrams! cute!) and Herren have been working with veteran Japanese MC Twigy, who's collaborated with Boredoms' Eye, among others. Prefuse produced Twigy's latest, Akasatana, and composed all the beats. The disc, out via Rush Japan in spring, features guest appearances by Del Tha Funky Homosapien, Murs and the Grouch, Aloe Blacc, and more.

"It's the weirdest album I've ever had to produce, just based on the variation and diversity of the tracks," said Herren. "I watched him choose the most fucked up and challenging beats to calmly write to...I had to actually think twice about it because some seemed way too noisy or not so 'MC-friendly.'

"Of course, it took several listens to take it all in but I was beyond impressed. Here is this calm, humble, quiet man, just throwing fire back at me over odd beats from my entire catalog."

Prefuse doesn't have any immediate tour plans, but according to his website he'll be playing gigs in April with Battles.

Neko Case Adds Shows to Spring Tour

Neko Case has added April dates to her previously reported bi-continental tour, which is now whittled down to its U.S. leg.

Jon Rauhouse joins her for most shows, though she will also play dates with Sonny Smith and Matt Pond PA as well as country elders Emmylou Harris and Charlie Louvin.

Case also has a trio of shows with the New Pornographers, two of which are at festivals: Langerado and Coachella. UPDATE: Case isn't playing Langerado with the band, and it's up in the air whether or not she's playing Coachella with them. [MORE...]

Cat Power, Califone, CSS, Fujiya Play Triptych
Also Lindstrom, Ratatat, Damo Suzuki, uh, DJ Premier (!?)

The Scottish Triptych Festival, which takes place in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Glasgow from April 25-29, has announced its lineup.

A partial list of the artists who have signed on to play Triptych this year includes Cat Power, CSS, Califone, Field Music, Fujiya & Miyagi, Ratatat, Damo Suzuki, Simian Mobile Disco, the Twilight Sad, Einsturzende Neubauten, Black Lips, Electrelane, Espers, Idlewild, Gruff Rhys, Lindstrøm, Bat for Lashes, Marley Marl, the Cinematic Orchestra, Pajo, Erol Alkan, Prinzhorn Dance School, Various Productions, Stuart Braithwaite, Emma Pollock, Micah P. Hinson, Prins Thomas, Sons & Daughters, Terry Riley, Aidan Moffat, Alasdair Roberts, Boom Bip, Chris "Beans" Geddes, and the Funkmasters (featuring Fred Wesley, Bernie Worrell, Clyde Stubblefield, and John "Jabo" Starks). DJ Premier will also take time out from hanging with Christina Aguilera to head to Scotland.

If you recognize a few of these names as part of another group, it's because quite a few of them contributed to the previously reported Ballads of the Book compilation, and there will be an all-day event at the festival featuring Ballads of the Book artists in readings, recitals, one-off collaborations, DJ sets, and other performances.

There is also a film portion of Triptych, which includes screenings of Johnny Cash: Live at San Quentin, two movies devoted to Nick Drake (A Skin Too Few and A Place to Be), one devoted to Love's Arthur Lee (Love Story), Beat Kings: The History of Hip Hop, and Jim Jarmusch's Down by Law, which features Tom Waits.

For the full lineup and a schedule of who or what will play which cities and when (and other Ws), visit the Triptych website.

Exclusive: Matthew Dear Reveals New LP Details
First single, backed with Four Tet remix, out in May

Photo by Will Calcutt

It's been four long years since Matthew Dear hit us with microhouse gem Leave Luck to Heaven, and three since the equally delicious Backstroke EP. In the meantime Dear's put in many hours under his club alias Audion, plus he's been mixing and remixing and DJing and just generally looking quite dapper, I dare say.

On June 5, quite dapper Dear returns at last with Asa Breed, his second full-length proper. Ghostly International will deliver the 12-track set in CD and double-LP formats, but before that, they'll treat the world's lounges and dancefloors to first single "Deserter". Out May 8, this 10" comes backed with a Four Tet remix and a non-album cut called "You Know What I Would Do". Look for an exclusive stream of the single in Forkcast very soon. right now.

Asa Breed, meanwhile, collects music Detroit-based Dear's been cooking up over the past few years. He recorded parts of it in the Motor City, and others in Texas, his original home. Said Dear, "A lot of the record deals with abstractions of human relationships. I didn't realize until afterwards that this was the theme of the record because when I write it's spontaneous and ideas come quickly-- but it's very much a record about love."

This record about love features a guest appearance by Dear's labelmates Mobius Band on a track named, yes, "Elementary Lover". Not to be confused, of course, with The Present Lover or Here Comes Love.

Dear and a new three piece band will debut Asa Breed at two very special April gigs in Detroit and Chicago. Before that, he plays a handful of dates under his Audion guise, including the Winter Music Conference in Miami. [MORE...]

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