Björk, Interpol, Pumpkins Play Virgin Festival
Also: Tokyo Police Club, Metric, the Killers, Hot Hot Heat

For its second year in Canada, the Virgin Festival has expanded to include weekends in both Toronto and Vancouver. Of the acts announced so far, the Killers are the only ones to play both festivals.

The Vancouver festival takes place May 20 and 21 at Thunderbird Stadium, and, in addition to the Killers, its lineup includes My Chemical Romance, Metric, Hot Hot Heat, Thursday, Sebastien Grainger et les Montagnes, Rise Against, Stars of Track and Field, and AFI.

The Toronto weekend is September 8 and 9, and its lineup features Björk, Interpol, Smashing Pumpkins, Tokyo Police Club, Amy Winehouse, Paolo Nutini, and, of course, the Killers.

Like the 2007 Sasquatch! Festival, the Virgin Festival is aiming to be a carbon-neutral. The folks behind the festival also hope to raise over $100,000 for Virgin Unite, a charity focused on youth-related issues and HIV.

TV on the Radio Transmit Amoeba Live EP

The gentlemen of TV on the Radio sure like to mix their media. Not only do they let cathode ray tubes and radio waves intermingle, they also play live shows in record stores. Like last September's gig at Amoeba Records in Hollywood.

Missed the show? Don't sweat it. Next Tuesday, March 27, Amoeba will exclusively release the Live at Amoeba Music EP, collecting four live TV on the Radio jams from that September 22 session. Score a copy through one of Amoeba's Cali locations, or on the venerable store's website. While you're around, check out the video footage from the performance. That's right: TV on the Radio on the Internet.

TVotR continue their spring tour with Subtle, and later, the Noisettes, through late April. [MORE...]

Pretty Girls Make Graves Head to China on Final Tour

Before they call it quits in June at the end of their final tour, Pretty Girls Make Graves are making one last pit stop: China. In late April, the punk five-piece will launch their farewell trek with dates in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, hopefully not inciting a riot along the way. Then, come May 10, they'll launch the American portion of the tour in the slightly less exotic environment of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Thanks to Berwin Song of That's Beijing for the tip. [MORE...]

The Field Prepares to Go Sublime on Kompakt Debut

Man, that Kompakt is on a roll once again. Following up last month's supremely well-received Gui Boratto long-player, the German techno powerbrokers return with a full-length from Sweden's Axel Willner, aka the Field.

From Here We Go Sublime does just that, if you define "here" as the first second of opening track "Over the Ice" (aka Pitchfork's 62nd favorite track of 2006, when it kicked off a divine Field 12"). Axel re-appropriates a couple other cuts from that 12" onto From Here's seamless current of sound, along with several new jams and some surprise samples. Find out just how majestic loop pedals can get on March 26 in the EU and April 3 in the U.S. [MORE...]

Bjork Announces Tour Dates, Talks Timbaland Collab
"The first time I met him, he was like, 'So what do you wanna do? You wanna do something weird? Or something like a hit?' And I'm like, 'How can you say that?' I could never work like that-- sort of decide what it is before you even start."

A Björk tour is always cause for celebration. Less a rock show than a circus or an opera, her live show is truly a spectacle unto itself. And the tour in support of her forthcoming album Volta, due out May 7 in Europe and May 8 in America on One Little Indian/Atlantic will be no different.

In a recent interview with Pitchfork's Brandon Stosuy, Björk revealed that the Volta live show will feature accompaniment from percussionist and album contributor Chris Corsano, longtime collaborator Mark Bell, a ten-piece, all-female brass band, and "an old friend of mine who is an Icelandic Chinese concert pianist, and I got him a huge pipe organ, so he's going to wear tails and do some very virtuoso dramatic performances in between sets."

"I think it's going to be a lot of fun."

Just a smattering of North American dates and international festival appearances have been announced so far, but more are in the works. The dates can be found at the end of this story.

Unfortunately, one person who will not be joining Björk on tour will be Volta contributor Timbaland. In part two of Pitchfork's Björk interview, Stosuy chats with Björk about her collaboration with the superproducer.

Read part one of the interview, in which Björk talks about the politics and sonics of Volta, HERE. [MORE...]

SXSW Report [Zach Vowell]

Even though Pitchfork's gang of four wore our soles thin trekking from showcase to showcase in the name of SXSW festival coverage, there was still plenty we didn't get a chance to see. Lucky for us, Pitchfork correspondent and Austin resident Zach Vowell was on the prowl as well. As you endure SXSW withdrawal and jetlag today, check out Vowell's photos and thoughts on several festival performances, including Arbouretum, Crystal Castles, Dosh with Andrew Bird, and Frightened Rabbit.

And hey, how about a handy guide to the rest of our SXSW coverage? Voila:

Amy Phillips: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Matthew Solarski: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Dave Maher: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Jessica Suarez: Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Pitchfork Music Festival/Windish Agency Day Party at Emo's

Frightened Rabbit [Mohawk Patio; March 14, 9:45 p.m.]






Scots Frightened Rabbit set the stage for fellow countrymen the Twilight Sad, sharing nervous racket and liberally applying a din to their set of indie pop songs. It was an appropriate brand of propulsion for the first night of festivities, when neither the audience nor surname-less Rabbit frontman Scott seemed able to stand in one place for too long. Indeed, the catchiness of their songs approached anthemic hypnosis-- until you realized you had somewhere else to go. [MORE...]

The Go! Team Announce Shows

On your marks, get set...Go! Team. Brighton's brightest have broken out of huddle formation and revealed their first 2007 dates, a pair of special UK gigs going down in April and May.

The first has the Go! Team crashing the holy confines of Edinburgh's Mansfield Traquair on April 20, while the second pits our junior kickstarters against you (the fans), as part of All Tomorrow's Parties' ATP Versus: You (The Fans) super-mega-insane festival in Somerset, England. Joining the Go! Team for the fest: a dream lineup that includes Modest Mouse, Mogwai, Yo La Tengo, Built to Spill, Patti Smith, Les Savy Fav, Wilco, Explosions in the Sky, Battles, Band of Horses, the Books, Sparklehorse, Grizzly Bear, Isis, and more.

Look for more festival dates and info on the forthcoming follow-up to Thunder, Lightning, Strike very soon. And get your G!T fix by shaking your shit to Ninja's guest vocal on Simian Mobile Disco's "It's the Beat", set to appear on the dance duo's forthcoming Wichita debut, Attack Decay Sustain Release.

Blackalicious, Lif, Cage, Sage Francis Head Paid Dues
Plus: Brother Ali, Jean Grae, Devin the Dude, Felt

Residents of San Bernardino, California, get ready for mic checks, one-twos, shout-outs, and yes-yes-y'alls of the conscious variety as the second annual Paid Dues Independent Hip Hop Festival graces the city's Orange Pavilion.

Blackalicious, Sage Francis, Brother Ali, and Def Jux heavyweights Mr. Lif and Cage hit the Pavilion stage March 24, along with Devin the Dude, Jean Grae, Zion I & the Grouch, Evidence with Alchemist, Visionaries, Pigeon John, and more. Felt will headline-- not the mopey Brits, mind you, but the rap troupe featuring festival co-presenter and Living Legend Murs, along with Ant and Slug of Atmosphere.

To learn details and pay your ticket dues, hip-hop on over to the fest's official website.

Rob Crow, Ex-Heavy Veggies Reunite as Other Men
Prep debut for Crow's Robcore label

Once upon a time, Rob Crow played in a San Diego trio called Heavy Vegetable (Remember: assonance was a cool thing in the early 90s). Crow would go on to do Pinback, Three Mile Pilot, the Ladies, Goblin Cock, solo stuff, and, sure, a few dozen other bands in the process, while the other members of Heavy V-- drummer Manolo Turner and bassist Travis Nelson-- pursued similarly intense careers in professional gardening and monk-dom, respectively/allegedly. Vocalist Eléa Tenuta, meanwhile, later played with Crow in Thingy.

Now things come full circle, as Crow, Turner, and Nelson have reunited under the moniker Other Men. The trio will unleash its debut, Wake Up Swimming, on March 20 via Crow's brand new, previously reported, awesomely-named imprint, Robcore (for which Rob is way too busy to build a website). Get amped, because they'll hit the road soon, but first Rob must wrap up a tour in support of his Temporary Residence solo disc, Living Well. He bows with a homecoming gig at San Diego's Brick by Brick on March 21. [MORE...]

Modest Mouse Announce North American Tour

The Ship sinks tomorrow, and in celebration, Modest Mouse have revealed a bunch of new North American tour dates in support of their brand new album. Our seafaring adventurers plan to hit a few unexpected places on their journey, including Fargo, North Dakota, Rochester, New York, and Birmingham, Alabama. Basically, Johnny Marr just wants to get as far away from Morrissey as possible.

Thanks to Evan Smola for the tip-off. [MORE...]

T.V. Eye: March 19-25, 2007

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

Monday, March 19:

ABC: "The View": Nelly Furtado and Timbaland

Tuesday, March 20:

CBS: "Late Show With David Letterman": Lucinda Williams
NBC: "Last Call With Carson Daly": VietNam

Thursday, March 22:

ABC: "Jimmy Kimmel Live": The Kooks

Friday, March 23: NBC: "Late Night With Conan O'Brien": The Fratellis

Exclusive: Grizzly Bear Announce European Dates

Grizzly Bear have added European dates to their previously reported tour. The North American dates end at Coachella on April 29, and the European tour begins in Cologne on May 11.

The band will return to the U.S. for dates at the Sasquatch! Festival and our own Pitchfork Music Festival this summer. [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.)