R. Kelly's Double Up Tracklist Revealed
Still not revealed? R. Kelly's trial date

"Everything I did in the past," R. Kelly says of his new album, "I'm about to double up on it." Double the pleasure, double the fun, double the extended metaphors for his bone; it's all there on Double Up, Robert Sylvester Kelly's latest epic, due May 29 on Jive.

Like every R. Kelly album before it, Double Up will eagerly and inexplicably soundtrack any church picnic, hotbox session, or freakin' of dat booty you might be partaking in. Fans of TP.3 Reloaded might've wondered how their boy Kells could possibly top the untoppable two-fer of "Sex Weed" and "(Sex) in the Kitchen", but Double Up's got that on lock: "Freaky in the Club"? "The Zoo"? "Sex Planet"? The man gets around.

Of course, we couldn't leave this little track-order curio uncommented-on: "Sex Planet"-- we delight in the possibility of a line rhyming "Venus" with, well, you know-- immediately proceeds "Rise Up", the track R. penned to commemorate the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings. That R. Kelly; he's nothing if not tactful.

And, like every R. Kelly album before it, Double Up is doubled-over with guest spots; this time, from the likes of Snoop, Luda, T.I.P., Polow Da Don, and, on "Rock Star," Kid Rock. From this, we gather R. Kelly hasn't met a rock star in, like, eight years.

In addition to crafting Double Up, Robert's apparently been working on the next "Trapped in the Closet" installments (13-23 due this summer, allegedly!) and surfing the web (parents: now might be a good time to invest in that Net Nanny). He's started a YouTube channel in hopes of revealing the inner life of the man they call Kells. If the first episode is any indication, R. Kelly's life consists of singing silly sex songs off the dome to unsuspecting ladies. Exactly as I'd hoped. Observe:

And me? I accept! [MORE...]

Lauryn Hill to Play Rare Shows
Collaborating with Conor Oberst?!

Though her official website doesn't seem to contain any information from later than 2002, singer/rapper Lauryn Hill will play three rare live dates in England in July. The former Fugee will do that thing she does starting July 8 in London and ending in Manchester on July 10.

Thanks to reader Nathan Haldane for the tip.

UPDATE: SHE'S ALSO PERFORMING IN THE U.S.! TWO CALIFORNIA DATES ARE SCHEDULED FOR LATE JUNE.

AND IN BRAZIL!

AND IN NORWAY!

Also, Conor Oberst recently told Performing Songwriter magazine that a collaboration with Hill is in the works, but since she hasn't released an album since her 1998 solo debut (unless you count her 2002 installment in the MTV Unplugged series), she'd have to be a pretty big Bright Eyes fan for that to happen. [MORE...]

CSS, Okkervil, Bonde Play Seattle HIV/AIDS Benefits
So do Handsome Family, Matt and Kim, Sera Cahoone

Seattle area showgoers: skull-jackhammering hangover and instantly-regrettable stop at the merch table aside, your next trip out might be one of the best things you do for yourself, and way better for a deserving group of young folks.

Noise for the Needy, a series of Seattle area shows put on to help children and teenagers afflicted by HIV/AIDS, will make a racket on the philanthropy tip at a variety of Seattle venues June 5-10. Some of your favorite bands-- including CSS, Okkervil River, the Handsome Family, Matt and Kim, Sera Cahoone, and Bonde do Role-- will generate some revenue for the AIDS advocacy group Rise n' Shine, as will a super-secret cadre of rappers playing a pre-Noise benefit May 26 at Chop Suey.

In addition to the week of concerts, Noise for the Needy will host an online auction beginning May 30; among the prizes are VIP passes to benefit shows. A current schedule of all the do-goodery is available on the Noise for the Needy website.

Pretty Girls Make Graves Farewell Tour Begins Tonight
Speakers will push the air for the last time

And so, we begin to say our fond farewells to Pretty Girls Make Graves, who will toss their final pop darts at the target that is our hearts on their retirement tour. Their last hurrah kicks off tonight and wraps in what's sure to be a blowout in the band's Emerald City home June 9.

They leave us with three fine records, one heck of an EP, a history of audience-pleasing live shows, and many a memory inextricably linked to "Something Bigger, Something Brighter", "Parade", and all the rest. [MORE...]

Jonny Greenwood, Beirut, Final Fantasy Do Wordless
Plus: Do Make Say Think, Max Richter, Múm, Nico Muhly, Colleen, Jan Jelinek, Triosk

On a diligent quest to marry the contemporary classical and indie rock worlds-- or at least let them mingle for a few magical nights a season-- the New York City-based Wordless Music Series returns this fall with another generous helping of eclectic aural delights, sure to enchant folks from the highbrow to the underground.

Set for the Series' 2007/08 season are Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood-- who'll oversee a performance of his British Composer Award-winning composition Popcorn Superhet Receiver-- along with Beirut, Final Fantasy, Do Make Say Think, and the U.S. debut of indie-friendly modern composer Max Richter.

Other series highlights include Icelandic dream-weavers Múm, ambient loop mistress Colleen, string savant and indie arranger of choice Nico Muhly, experimental electronic artist Jan Jelinek, and Australian avant-jazz trio Triosk. The complete schedule for the new season (with dates and venues) is still shaping up, but scope the events confirmed thus far below, and bookmark the Wordless website for updates.

Thanks to reader Jason Schupper for the tip!

Closing out a 06/07 program that included Explosions in the Sky, the Books, Amiina, Eluvium, Andrew Bird, and more, Wordless pays homage to the Kranky label with its final performance of the current season, going down May 26 at NYC's Good-Shepherd Faith Presbyterian Church. Loscil and Stars of the Lid's Brian McBride will perform, along with the Caleb Burhans String Quartet, doing Steve Reich's Grammy-winning Holocaust meditation Different Trains. [MORE...]

Battles Add Lots of North American Dates
Math rock bands are always adding stuff

Shit-rippin' supergroup Battles are building up an awful lot of pre-release tension before the public unveiling of their neuron-bombarding Warp-issued debut LP Mirrored, out May 22 in the U.S. and May 14 in the rest of the world.

Everybody's talking about their premium guitar licks, saturnine vocals, and hammer-of-Thor drums, and they're worth talking about. Worth seeing, too, if the live show much of Pitchfork's Chicago staff couldn't help from raving about in late March is any indication.

North American audiences will get another shot at watching Battles play out on a string of dates to follow their current ride through Europe. Residents of Albuquerque, take special note, as the idea of a Battles/Marnie Stern onstage collaboration seems almost (but not quite) too much rock to take in at once.

They'll eventually land at the Pitchfork Music Festival July 14, with every intention of boggling your brain with their maximum riffage. You can't wait, can you? None of us can, either.

In other Battles news, skinsman John Stanier recently contributed a lesson in trap music to the drum instruction site MyDrumLesson.com. An advanced-level lesson, one presumes. [MORE...]

Photos: TV on the Radio / Deerhunter [Middletown, CT; 05/09/07]

Photos by Greg Silver

TV on the Radio and Deerhunter went up against the toasty mid-afternoon sun and a whole bunch of backwards ballcaps and Greek letters to play the Spring Fling at Connecticut's Wesleyan University yesterday. Indeed, between the rays of sunshine and the pastoral collegiate setting, Bradford Cox's dress almost seems appropriate.

Both TV on the Radio and Deerhunter play scattered summer festival dates, with the latter hitting up our very own Pitchfork Music Festival in July.

TV ON THE RADIO






DEERHUNTER



[MORE...]

Jim James' Pre-My Morning Jacket Band Unearthed
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra to join MMJ at Lollapalooza

Back in 1992-- before he helped found the post-millennial rock powerhouse known as My Morning Jacket-- a high school-aged Jim James was in a band called Mont de Sundua (formerly known as Month of Sundays). The Louisville trio featured future Insects members Ben Blandford on bass and Dave Givan on drums.

They released an album and an EP before disbanding, but not before recording another album's worth of material that will finally see release.

The belated self-titled sophomore album was originally recorded in 1998 with help from former MMJ member Johnny Quaid. It is due out May 22 via James' own Removador label, and it will be available in record stores across the U.S.

James and Givan will celebrate the record's release three days early on May 19 with a release party at Louisville's Mainstreet Lounge, where they will DJ "classic soul and funk jams," according to MMJ's website. The album will also be available for purchase at the party.

Thanks to reader Hank Seltzer for the tip.

In related news, for what seems like the first time in their existence as a band, My Morning Jacket have only a pair of full-band dates scheduled for this summer, none of which include Bonnaroo.

At their Lollapalooza appearance, MMJ will reprise their orchestral incarnation by performing with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, with whom they played a Chicago date in November of last year.

James gave the highest of Emeril Lagasse-like praise to the orchestra in a press release, saying, "The Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra! It is hard to even think of them as 'youth.' Their playing is so 'grown-up' and professional. They hit with diamond-like precision. Pow! I have enjoyed performing with them and look forward to doing it again, Lollapalooza-style! BAM!" [MORE...]

M.I.A., Interpol, Pumpkins Play Osheaga Fest
Also: Arctic Monkeys, PB&J, Stars, Explosions in the Sky

The Osheaga Music and Arts Festival-- that's Festival Musique et Arts to French-Canadians-- will celebrate its second year of existence with sets by M.I.A., Interpol, Smashing Pumpkins, Peter Bjorn and John, Stars, Arctic Monkeys, Explosions in the Sky, Au Revoir Simone, Amy Winehouse, Placebo, Editors, and many more.

In total, over 50 bands will grace the festival's five stages at Parc Jean Drapeau. Most of the lineup is not yet announced, but since it doesn't take place until September 8 and 9, that's understandable. It's not like we've told you yet that My Bloody Valentine and Pavement are playing the 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival. (Kidding!)

Dead Meadow Reissue Howls from the Hills
I bet all that pesticide did it in

Howls from the Hills, the long out-of-print second album from Capital City makers of metallic murk Dead Meadow, will be reissued May 14 in the UK by Xemu Records.

Howls from the Hills is the second entry in the Dead Meadow reissue series; the first, their self-titled debut, was redone last year, while a collection of Peel Sessions recorded in Fugazi's studio is on the horizon. Meadow heads should also be on the lookout for their next album, Old Growth, which will bury its roots later this fall from Matador Records.

Dead Meadow have a few British dates off in the distance, with the promise of more to come on their website. Those, plus the Howls tracklist, after you click. [MORE...]

Qui Actually Sign to Ipecac, Not Touch and Go

Did Mike Patton send his cronies to rough up Corey Rusk and the other peace-loving noise-rock-niks at Touch and Go HQ? Or did Rusk bet his latest acquisition away in a high stakes game of inter-label Uno? Orrrr (most likely scenario) did a drunken, half-nude David Yow pledge himself to two different labels at the same time? Whatever the reason, it appears Touch and Go will not be releasing Qui's first record with Yow, as previously reported. Those duties will instead fall to art-rock powerhouse Ipecac.

"Ok, maybe we got a little ahead of ourselves when we posted a statement about releasing a Qui record," read a follow-up post that appeared on Touch and Go's website earlier this month. "Maybe we rushed it a little...We apologize for getting anyone prematurely worked up. It was an honest mistake, officer. Regardless, we remain friends with all involved, and are sure that Ipecac will do an amazing job with the album."

That album, Love's Miracle, still has the same release date (September 11) and tracklist as previously reported. Qui, meanwhile, terrorize concert-going citizens over a quartet of dates lined up in the coming months, with a U.S. tour shaping up for the fall. And don't forget to introduce to whole family to Mr. Yow via the Jesus Lizard: Live DVD, out June 5. [MORE...]

Kraftwerk's Flur, Faust, Clark Play Futuresonic
Also: Black Devil Disco Club, Apparat

Manchester, England's Futuresonic Festival, feting the electronic and experimental, kicks off tonight and runs through the weekend at various Manchester hotspots. Fest organizers have referred to the festival as "a coming together of pioneers, mavericks and 21st century 'happenings'," which, given the bill, sounds about right: Kraftwerk's Wolfgang Flür, Faust, Apparat, Black Devil Disco Club, Clark, 65daysofstatic, French hip-hoppers TTC, and a whole gaggle of others have plugged into the fest.

A full schedule of performances is available on the fest's website.

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.)