Jason Isbell Leaves Drive-By Truckers

Drive-By Truckers guitarist Jason Isbell has parted ways with the veteran country-fried rockers under what bandmate Patterson Hood describes as "extremely amicable" circumstances in a statement on the band's website.

Since hopping on the Truckers' convoy mid-tour 2001, Isbell served as one of DBT's trio of axe-slingers, enjoying a place at the center of the Drive-By Truckers' well-regarded Decoration Day, The Dirty South and A Blessing and a Curse records and riding shotgun on their ceaseless roadshow. Isbell's wife Shonna Tucker, who joined the band on bass in late 2003, has expressed no plans to leave.

Isbell has a handful of solo dates in the works, and will issue his solo debut Sirens of the Ditch July 10 on New West Records. The Isbell-less Truckers will travel on through the late spring and summer. [MORE...]

Lily Allen, Kanye, Dilla Help Common Find Forever
Plus: D'Angelo, Nina Simone, will.i.am, Devo Springsteen

Chicago's dapper hip-hop smiley-guy Common returns to the fore July 10 with the release of his latest LP, Finding Forever (Geffen), according to Billboard.com. As the man whose mother named him Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. told the industry website today, "I want to leave a mark on this earth...making music and saying what I have to say in my music is one of the ways I will exist forever."

To achieve his Achillean aims, Common has enlisted the talents of top-tier folk like Second City paisano Kanye West, revered late producer J Dilla, and clothes-shunning crooner D'Angelo, as well as a Nina Simone sample, and, yes, Lily Allen.

Allen turns up on a tune called "Driving Me Wild", which features the lyric "Driving herself crazy like the astronaut lady/ Love is not a mystery, it's everything." Um, no comment.

Black Eyed Pea will.i.am and Kanye/John Legend buddy Devo Springsteen take turns in the production chair as well.

Catch Common if you can-- the man woos girlfriends at Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University April 14 and New York's Central Park SummerStage on June 20.

QOTSA's Era Vulgaris Tracklist Revealed
This news post is rated R for adult themes and partial dude-ity

Bring on the rampaging riffage! As if its histrionically heavy title wasn't enough, the upcoming Era Vulgaris-- the fifth proper release from red-eyed riff-maker Josh Homme and motley crew Queens of the Stone Age-- now has a tracklist, rife with potential fist-pumpers like "Suture Up Your Future" and "Run Pig Run."

As we previously reported, Vulgaris is out June 12 on Interscope, and will offer up guest spots by a Stroke, a Nine Inch Nail, a Screaming Tree, and a sharp dressed man. QOTSA (alongside some, all, or none of those folk) will hit European soil in late June for a whole lotta festivals and, presumably, at least a daytrip to Amsterdam. Bros love them some Van Gogh Museum! Wink wink. [MORE...]

Constantines Line Up U.S. Dates

Photo by Davida Nemeroff

Undaunted by the actions of Keanu Reeves, Canada's spirited rockers Constantines are primed to return to the U.S. later this month, supporting maple leaf icons the Tragically Hip on a bunch of East Coast engagements. For a surefire cure for a tragic state of hipness, try the Cons' 2005 LP Tournament of Hearts on Sub Pop.

At present the troupe's wrapping up a string of previously reported dates up yonder with Ladyhawk. [MORE...]

T.V. Eye: April 9-15, 2007

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

Monday, April 09:

ABC: "Jimmy Kimmel Live": Ciara
CBS: "Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson": Paul Wall

Tuesday, April 10:

CBS: "Late Show With David Letterman": Andrew Bird
NBC: "Late Night With Conan O'Brien": Cold War Kids

Wednesday, April 11:

CBS: "Late Show With David Letterman": LCD Soundsystem

Thursday, April 12:

NBC: "Late Night With Conan O'Brien": Of Montreal

Friday, April 13:

NBC: "The Today Show": Lily Allen
IFC: "The Henry Rollins Show": Peaches
NBC: "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno": The Shins
NBC: "Late Night With Conan O'Brien": Joseph Arthur
CBS: "Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson": Cold War Kids

Photos: Patrick Wolf [Brooklyn, NY; 04/06/07]

Photos by Kathryn Yu

Patrick Wolf descended upon New York this weekend for his first U.S. shows in support of The Magic Position, Wolf's third LP and a recent Pitchfork Best New Music selection (out May 1 Stateside via Low Altitude/Universal). According to Pitchfork photographer Kathryn Yu, the kids at Studio B "went crazy" for Magic's title track and delighted at Wolf tossing quotes from "SexyBack" into "Bluebells". Dude also covered Kelly Marie's disco hit "Feels Like I'm in Love" while awash in strobe lights. Nice.

Apparently things didn't go quite so well at the following night's gig at Don Hill's, however. According to a reader, Wolf's drummer more or less passed out during a performance of Lycanthropy's "Bloodbeat", prompting the vocalist/multi-instrumentalist to toss a cymbal stand at the guy, slap him around a bit, and fire his ass before returning front and center to continue the show.

Best stay awake if you plan on catching Wolf's upcoming gigs in Europe!






[MORE...]

Spank Rock DJ/Producers Step Into the Spotlight
Armani XXXchange remixing Thom Yorke, Bjork, working with the Kills, Kid Sister

Spank Rock is pretty confusing. It's the name adopted by MC Naeem Juwan, but it's also the collective name for Juwan and the trio of DJs and producers who surround him. Increasingly, those three have been striking out on their own. Alex Epton (aka Armani XXXchange), Chris Devlin (aka Chris Rockswell), and Ronnie Darko have a slew of projects in the works, starting with FABRICLIVE.33, their previously reported entry in the Fabric mix series. It will be released on April 16 in the UK and April 24 in the U.S.

Chris Devlin spoke to Pitchfork recently about the mix as well as the other projects he and the other members of the Baltimore crew have brewing this year. Right now, their biggest priority is recording the follow-up to last year's YoYoYoYoYo.

Devlin was less forthcoming about specific details of the album, however, saying its release date is "really anytime between now and some time from now." Nonetheless, after their performances at Coachella and Primavera Sound, as well as a Devlin and Darko DJ tour, they plan to "hit the studio pretty hard and get the record finished."

In the meantime, Devlin will release his first collaborative 12" EP with Baltimore producer Chipset via Flaming Hots Records, and Armani XXXchange has fielded quite a few requests for production and remix work, which he does through his own Royal Castle Productions.

The only XXXchange remix Devlin mentioned was of Thom Yorke's "The Eraser", but Alex's brand spankin' new website lists his recent production work for Kid Sister, Amanda Blank, and the soundtrack to the EA Sports game Skate. XXXchange also has collaborations and remixes with the Kills, Yo Majesty, and... Björk (!) in the pipeline. Next up: Armani XXXchange Presents Shoxxx Value. [MORE...]

Björk, SY, JAMC, Modest Mouse Up For Electric Picnic
The Stooges, Beastie Boys, Jarvis, LCD Soundsystem, Clap Your Hands too!

Your picnics probably consist of Kentucky Fried, Frisbee golf, and fireants. Stradbally, Ireland's picnic consists of electricity, Soul II Soul, and a giant smiling sun. Which is better? That's a toughie, dude.

The fourth annual Electric Picnic festival lays out its blankets August 31 through September 2 and passes its potato salad between Björk, Sonic Youth, Modest Mouse, the Jesus and Mary Chain, and a couple dozen others. Full-weekend tickets can be yours presently, as can the whole of the confirmed lineup, but highlights are down here. [MORE...]

Magazine Reissue Studio LPs

Plenty of people know the Buzzcocks, Public Image Ltd., and Siouxsie and the Banshees, but Magazine is one of a large number of post-punk bands that have slipped between the cracks of history, despite boasting members from each of those three bands.

Magazine songwriter and frontman Howard Devoto left the Buzzcocks in 1977 to form the kind of band that would cover both Sly and the Family Stone and Captain Beefheart. Over the course of their four studio albums in as many years as a band, Magazine explored a weird, indirect kind of pop music, and they worked with producers Martin Hannett (Joy Division) and John Leckie (the Stone Roses) in the process.

On April 24, Virgin Records will reissue the band's four albums, Real Life (1978), Secondhand Daylight (1979), The Correct Use of Soap (1980), and Magic, Murder and the Weather (1981).

All four of the reissues come digitally remastered and expanded with bonus tracks, with the aforementioned Beefheart cover ("I Love You, You Big Dummy") featured on Secondhand Daylight. Together, these reissues form the band's complete recordings, a Magazine encyclopedia of sorts. [MORE...]

M. Ward on Fire: Soundtrack, Reissue, Zooey D. Collab
Plus: Gigs with Boston Pops Orchestra, more Norah Jones dates, film cameo

Photo by Autumn de Wilde

If M. Ward were a character on the ol' NBA Jam video game, he'd be executing a whirlybird, boom-shaka-laka, fly-off-the-screen, Tarzan-chanting, ball-on-fire dunk right about now, and he'd totally break the glass with it.

But Ward's just a regular joe, with some sublime finger-picking skills and a voice as familiar and welcome as old photographs. Besides, he apparently prefers first-generation hockey video games.

Still, none of this has stopped Ward's indomitable winning streak in 2007. Exactly one week from today, he'll become your mom's new favorite band as he hits the road with a jazz-tinged pop singer named Norah Jones, on a tour that's practically doubled in size since we last reported.

Ward will have to sit a couple nights out in late June, however, as he has a hot date with the Boston Pops orchestra. M. will appear backed by the celebrated ensemble June 26 and June 27, as part of the "Pops on the Edge" series. Both gigs go down at Boston's Symphony Hall.

Not long after that (and maybe even before) you can catch Ward's cameo in Martin Hynes' film The Go-Getter-- which Ward also soundtracked, as previously reported-- alongside folks like Zooey Deschanel and Jena Malone. The film premiered at Sundance a few months back, and its creators are presently seeking a distributor. In addition to Ward classics and some unreleased tunes, the soundtrack also includes cuts from Elliott Smith and the Replacements, and culminates with Ward and Deschanel dueting on a cover of Richard and Linda Thompson's "When I Get to the Border".

Matt and Zooey must have really hit it off, because the gravel-tongued folkie will soon begin working with the honey-voiced actress on an album of her own songs. Pitting Zooey's take on "Baby It's Cold Outside" from Elf against Scarlett Johansson's try at Gershwin's "Summertime", our money's on Zooey for best lusted-after-sorta-indie-actress album of 2007. Who knows though, dark horse Malone could surprise us all.

Ward simply won't stop there, however. Merge will reissue his difficult-to-find early LP Duet for Guitars #2 on July 10, the same day Jealous Butcher delivers it on vinyl for the very first time. The new Duet will include several tracks not featured on the original, Co-Dependent Records version of the album (but found on the subsequent Ow Om Recordings reissue), including "Were You There", "Not a Gang", and "Duet for Guitars #1".

Finally, start scrimping and saving now for a Ward digital charity single-- including a song from the Post-War sessions featuring Neko Case-- out this November. [MORE...]

Hold Steady Add Dates, Finn Jams With Springsteen

Continuing their quest for world domination, the Hold Steady have added dates to their previously reported tour in both North America and Europe. They'll still finish their North American dates at Bonnaroo, but the month of June now looks a little busier for them than it did before.

Thanks to reader Kevin Purring for the tip about the added dates!

In late June, the band will start their European festival dates in Germany and plow through to their final (currently) scheduled date at the Oxegen Festival in Dublin on July 8. We're not sure how they're going to keep up with baseball along the way. That's practically the All-Star break!

The band took some time out of their busy schedule to appear at Carnegie Hall last night as part of that previously reported Bruce Springsteen tribute concert. You can see a video below of Finn performing "Rosalita" alongside the Boss and a whole ton of other people. Apparently, the Hold Steady also performed "Atlantic City", and we have been crying all day because we missed it. [MORE...]

Klaxons Launch North American Invasion This Weekend

Klaxons don't just deal in myths. They also deal in cold, hard facts. Facts like their previously reported North American tour, which kicks off Easter Sunday in Toronto. The tour is in support of the March 27 release of Myths of the Near Future in the U.S.

The band have added another Chicago date to their itinerary, a free show at Urban Outfitters on April 15 as part of a Yaris-sponsored campaign to benefit non-commercial radio called "Free YR Radio".

After they end their visit to North American shores with their Coachella appearance, Klaxons will take to Europe, where they have a ton of shows in the UK as well as a heap of festival gigs. [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.)