Human Giant Talk Ghostface, MTV, YouTube
"If you've seen our stuff, you know it's very similar to 'Pimp My Ride'. We're building sketch comedy."

Like a viral video Voltron, the members of Human Giant have banded together and taken the internet by storm this past year. And now that they have their own MTV show, they're poised to sink or swim in the murky waters of mainstream cable television.

Human Giant actors Rob Huebel, Aziz Ansari, and Paul Scheer (the fourth member is director Jason Woliner) spoke to Pitchfork recently about the show, its guest stars (Ghostface, Tony Hawk, Linda Cardellini), and what an excellent piece of equipment the Zune is.

Pitchfork: How did the Ghostface cameo come about?

Rob Huebel: Aziz's best friend is this guy Ghostface, and he called up his best friend and said, "Yo man..."

Aziz Ansari: Yeah, he was my best friend as a kid. We grew up together in South Carolina.

Pitchfork: Oh really? Because I thought he was from Staten Island.

AA: No, all that stuff about Shaolin is just marketing from Def Jam or whatever. He's actually from South Carolina, and we grew up together. We're basically like brothers. Actually, we didn't want him on the show. He was like, "I heard you and Rob and Paul and Jason are doing this show..." [MORE...]

Photos: Explosions in the Sky / The Paper Chase / Eluvium [Chicago, IL; 03/28/07]

Eluvium's Matthew Cooper couldn't conjure much visual spectacle at last night's sold-out Metro gig, cooped up behind a laptop, keyboards, processed guitar, and assorted knobs and wires, but that wasn't really the point. His transcendental soundscapes-- several reenacted from this year's Temporary Residence LP Copia-- cast an even more meditative spell when blared over the Metro's enormous speakers, and those of us who weren't talking over them were very much lost in them.

One of these things is not like the others; can you guess which? The Paper Chase's John Congleton produced Explosions in the Sky's latest, All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone, but that, four dudes, and Texas are pretty much all the two bands have in common. If Explosions were destined to soundtrack high school football in slow motion, the Paper Chase are best suited for erratic super-8 footage of demolition derbies-- with Freddy Krueger and Norman Bates and other figures who straddle the line between horror and kitsch behind the wheel. Indeed, paranoia and gallows humor take centerstage in most of Congleton's lyrics, and he has enough lyrics to make up for both of the instrumental acts his band was shoehorned in between.

The band's still tight and ferocious, at their best on relentless numbers like last year's "The Kids Will Grow Up to Be Assholes". This, of course, was totally not their scene, and Congleton wasn't oblivious to the sea of perplexed and annoyed faces. "I should have been looking at you guys!" he announced after the set, addressing an enthusiastic bunch near the bar who chirped their approval.

Anyway, this is what the kids came to see. And even if they are Godspeed-lite, never quite soaring nor plummeting to the extremes that Canadian post-rock collective frequently inhabited, Explosions in the Sky still command reverential respect from fans. Network television has certainly helped, but let's not discredit the fab four behind the music, who've perfected a formula for tugging heartstrings with mere guitar strings-- and just pouring on the catharses live.

Bassist Michael James brings the muscle, his tremolo wrist working faster than a hummingbird's heart, while guitarist Munaf Rayani adds the passion, gesticulating and falling over in some kind of sonic ecstasy. Laud guitarist Mark Smith for balancing the equation with restraint, his leads often carrying the most emotional heft as well. And drummer Chris Hrasky? I guess he's the cute one.

EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY







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Bjork Trickling Out Volta Teasers

Anyone fond of those Kid A blinking bear bits that MTV played back in the day might get a kick out of this. In anticipation of Volta's May 8 unveiling (May 7 overseas; both via One Little Indian/Atlantic), someone from camp Björk is posting little teaser videos and sound clips on the interweb that contain music and lyrics from the album, as confirmed by a Björk spökespjerson.

As reported on Seattle weekly The Stranger's Line Out music blog, a YouTube user called "VoltaVideos" posted a clip called "Earth Intruders"-- also the name of the first single from Volta-- a couple days back. It features some abstract, pulsating images, some music that might be construed as the "universal tribal beat" Björk recently discussed with Pitchfork, and the closing text, "we are the earth intruders."

Not long after that, web-trollers stumbled upon a mysterious MySpace profile belonging to one Gerome Voltaire of "itshardtofindabandname" from Iceland. The page includes four audio clips, each clocking in under 20 seconds: "Thereza Is He", "Denoisering", and the identical, percussion-heavy "O Is for All Ages" and "Oh It Is".

The MySpace also includes two videos similar to the "Earth Intruders" clip. One titled "V" depicts a jittery, out-of-focus image that bears striking resemblance to that colorful flaming Björk photo up there. It includes the words, "did I imagine it would be like this?", set against a lush, ambient track that's soon invaded by light percussion.

A second MySpace video, titled "o", features the same tribal drumming audio as the "O" and "Oh" clips and depicts the statement, "I have been filled with steam/ for months/ for years" atop what appears to be a close-up of another Björk photo.

"What I'm presenting here at the moment," writes the enigmatic Gerome on his MySpace, "is something I recorded at some listening session in Reykjavik with an Icelandic artist, which I then cut up and added noises and images to. I hope she doesn't mind." We'd wager that she probably doesn't.

Assorted videos in the same vein have since appeared on YouTube, including a clip titled "save?" that one might interpret as addressing the heated topic of abstinence: "should I save myself for later/ or generously give?"

So do Timbaland or any of Volta's other guest stars factor into any of these? Your guess is as good as mine. Either way, the rich, relatively organic-sounding (by Björk's standards) tidbits of sound here have us pretty durn stoked.

Catch Björk's stage spectacle, intruding on an Earth venue near you soon. [MORE...]

Thurston Moore, Jim O'Rourke Turn Noise Into Silence
Form avant supergroup with members of the Ex, the Thing, others

Picture Ornette Coleman sitting in with the Stooges (the old Stooges, that is) as they tear through "L.A. Blues" and you'd be in the neighborhood of free jazz/noise rock/construction noise hybrid Original Silence.

This ear doctor's dream come true-- made up of producer-of-strange-things Jim O'Rouke, Kim Gordon's husband Thurston Moore, Swedish hornblower Mats Gustafsson, Terrie Ex of the Ex, Paal Nilssen-Love of the Thing, and Zu's Massimo Puppilo-- will issue their inaugural tinnitus-inducing screed April 23.

Squeaks, squalls, and saxophone calls abound on the totally-improvised, two-track The First Original Silence LP, committed to tape at a September 2005 concert in Reggio Emilia, Italy and due from the Smalltown Superjazzz label. The First is the first in a planned series of Original Silence releases. We've heard it. It's loud.

The two tracks are called "If Light Has No Age, Time Has No Shadow" and "In the Name of the Law".

Some other band Thurston Moore's in will be playing through their magisterial Daydream Nation in a few spots in conjunction with All Tomorrow's Parties' Don't Look Back series, not least of which being our Pitchfork Music Festival. Wait, you're kidding, right? You're not?! Score!

Peeping Tom Tour, Spy on People

Perverts and pervettes mark your calendars: Mike Patton is taking the collaboration wagon known as Peeping Tom on the road.

The Mr. Bungle/Faith No More/Fantômas/Tomahawk frontman hasn't announced who will accompany him on these dates, but if he's working from the album's guest list, there could be appearances by anyone from Kool Keith to Massive Attack to Norah Jones. And if by some beautiful twist of fortune Kool Keith and Norah Jones end up on the same stage, we will promptly purchase the entire Hear Music back catalog.

The North American Peep shows start in Dallas tomorrow night, March 30 and end with an appearance at Coachella. Then in June, they travel Down Under. [MORE...]

Jarvis Wants YOU to Open His North American Shows

Do you have what it takes to set the scene for the bespectacled former frontman of Pulp? Can you hold a candle to his indomitable swagger and infectiously wry sense of humor?

Shit no-- but you can still have fun opening for the guy. That's right, Mr. Jarvis Cocker is looking to the common people of the United States and Canada to provide support on his all-too-brief upcoming North American tour.

As Jarvis wrote on his Jarvspace yesterday, "I'll keep this quite short: we are playing in North America soon & need support bands for New York (2 shows), San Francisco, Seattle & Vancouver - do you think you could help?" Jarvis stressed that he wants local bands for each gig, and that links to music and such would be extremely helpful. Drop a note to Jarvspace to apply.

In related news, Jarvis curates the Meltdown festival, taking place across several venues at London's Southbank Centre from June 16-24. A populist through and through, Jarvis has also called upon his MySpace buds to suggest Meltdown-worthy acts. You know what to do.

Jarvis' self-titled solo debut finally crashes U.S. shores April 3 via Rough Trade. Catch him in select North American cities this spring. [MORE...]

David Vandervelde and Richard Swift Tour
Vandervelde also opens for Spoon

Gratuitously-lengthy band names shall reign supreme when the glammy grace and thunderous Technicolor riffage of Moonstation House Band-leader David Vandervelde meets Dressed Up for the Letdown fashion-plate Richard Swift and his Sons of National Freedom on a whole mess of dates next month. Both Secretly Canadian artists have still-warm albums and white-hot shortform releases to plug. Let's explore, shall we?

Vandervelde will release Moonstation's leadoff track "Nothin' No" as a single June 19, backed by a take on the twinkly "Feet of a Liar" from his hour in the Daytrotter booth, a new one called "Cute Pretender", and the probably wordless "Dancing Sea Gulls Instrumental". May 22, Swift's "Kisses for the Misses" will find itself trapped inside a seven-inch-wide ring of plastic, surrounded by "Cowboy Song #6" and a cover of Prince's "Paisley Park".

The two men will split amicably after an April 22 stop in Gotham City, as David's tour leads him Spoonward and Richard heads to the land of the crumpet. [MORE...]

Boom Bip Releases EP, Tours

Boom Bip will release an EP titled Sacchrilege via Lex Records on April 23 in Europe and at an unspecified later date in the U.S. Sacchrilege is a solo effort, though a press release claims it "harkens towards the sound of his next major project, Neon Neon with Gruff Rhys."

Boom Bip will kick off a tour of Europe in support of Sacchrilege on April 1 in Amsterdam.

The Boom Bip/Rhys collaboration still has no release date, tracklist, or much of any information attached to it other than what we previously reported. [MORE...]

Konono No.1 Tour, Release Digital EP

Konono N°1 have raised their profile recently with contributions to Björk's forthcoming Volta (including the first single, "Earth Intruders"), and the Congolese conglomerate will embark on a world tour of their own starting March 31 in Berlin and ending July 28 at the Belgian Sfinks Festival. Along the way, they'll stop over in North America for a string of dates surrounding their Coachella appearance. They are also in the midst of confirming the dates of a UK tour in mid-May.

Konono's label, Crammed, will release the 35-minute three-track Live in Tokyo EP to coincide with the tour. Crammed is only making Live in Tokyo available digitally, and eMusic will have it exclusively in the U.S. [MORE...]

St. Vincent Signs to Beggars
Tours with John Vanderslice

[Photo by Tod Seelie]

Singer and multi-instrumentalist Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent, has signed to Beggars Banquet to release her debut album, Marry Me, on July 10 in the U.S. (with an August release in the UK). The 23-year old is a veteran guitar slinger in two musical armies, the Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens' touring band.

Marry Me, however, features Clark front and center with just a few contributions from longtime David Bowie pianist Mike Garson and Man or Astro-man? drummer Brian Teasley. It also features the greatest song title we've heard so far this year: "Jesus Saves, I Spend".

St. Vincent will kick off a two-month jaunt across the U.S. in Portland on April 6. All non-festival dates of the tour are with John Vanderslice. St. Vincent's last show of the tour is at the Homefires Festival in London on June 2, and Beggars plans to release "Now, Now" as a single around that time. [MORE...]

Queens of the Stone Age Announce Short Tour

Queens of the Stone Age have announced a few European dates-- mostly festivals-- in anticipation of their forthcoming Lullabies to Paralyze follow-up, Era Vulgaris. As previously reported, the record is due out in June and features contributions from Julian Casablancas, Trent Reznor, Mark Lanegan, and ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons.

Queens' tour kicks off in London on June 14 and ends in Glasgow at the T in the Park festival on July 8. But they'll probably schedule a bunch more dates soon. [MORE...]

New Pornographers Tease With Shows, Album Details

Taking a page from Panda Bear's book, the New Pornographers will play a string of dates in June that you can count on one hand. Their three shows at various London venues come in addition to their previously reported appearance at Coachella, and they are planning to hit a few UK festivals in June that might put their total number of shows in the two-hand range.

Principal New Pornos songwriter Carl Newman spoke to Billboard.com recently about the band's follow-up to Twin Cinema, which they hope to release on Matador in late August.

Newman said the new album "is maybe slightly more epic. It has our first song that passes the six-minute-long mark." He also mentioned that Dan Bejar wrote three songs for the record, including one titled "Myriad Harbor". Neko Case sings on three of the album's songs, one of which is called "Go Places". The only other information Newman had in the way of song titles was one of his own: "Salinger". About his vocal contributions, he said, "Nobody ever seems to be singing more than three songs. Kathryn [Calder]'s doing a couple, at least one or two. I'm like, 'Which ones am I singing here?' I'll just sing the leftovers."

Case and Bejar will not appear with the band on their currently scheduled dates, but they hope to have at least Case join them when they tour in support of the new album in the fall. [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.)