Stereolab, CSS, Crystal Castles Remix Little Ones

Los Angelenos the Little Ones-- bringing their California dreams to pals of the pure pop since 2006-- will issue a digital-only EP on Astralwerks June 5, featuring some of the biggest names in impure pop tackling some of the band's most beloved cuts.

Big remixes of Little Ones by Stereolab, CSS, Crystal Castles, and Radioclit-- along with an edit of "Lovers Who Uncover" by James Ford of Simian Mobile Disco and the previously unreleased "There's a Pot a Brewin'"-- are collected on the Lovers Who Uncover EP, which follows the Ones' diminutive Sing Song mini-LP from last year.

The Little Ones are presently across the pond, showing off their big hooks all around the UK. [MORE...]

Sunn O))) Tour, Issue New 12"
Very, very slowly

Photo by Drazen Smaranduj

Looking to liven up your summer barbecue? Set those pork ribs in the marinade and grab a frisbee, 'cuz the season won't sizzle without a little Sunn O))). The low-riding metal rumblers go down easy like a cool glass of lemonade and are sure to please the sunburned masses even better than that Baha Men disc you've relied on all these years.

Actually, have you heard Sunn O)))? They sorta sound like the fridge-dwelling demon dog from Ghostbusters. Awesome, no? And they're touring, too, with a few European festivals serving as the bread for the proverbial tour sandwich, filled with a portion-controlled string of West Coast dates.

In other Sunn O))) news, the doomy duo will release Oracle, a two-track 12" on Southern Lord, at the onset of their new tour. A CD version of Oracle, available only at the upcoming Sunn O))) shows, will come coupled with a bonus disc including tracks culled from their 2005 European tour and featuring guest vocals from Attila. [MORE...]

Xiu Xiu Add Member, Jamie Stewart Tours Solo

Dave Matthews' new favorite band (no, really) has come full circle at last. Originally a four-piece, Xiu Xiu are now officially four once more, with the permanent addition of Devin Hoff (Nels Cline, Carla Bozulich, Scott Amendola) on bass. Hoff joins somewhat recent addition Ches Smith (who also plays with Hoff in Good for Cows) and near-constant companion Caralee McElroy in the ever-tempestuous orbit of Jamie Stewart.

To celebrate Xiu Xiu version 4.0, Stewart will-- what else?-- embark on a solo tour. He has four West Coast dates lined up in June, all of them with recent Xiu Xiu tourmates Shearwater.

The newly re-christened Xiu Xiu quartet has five dates on the calendar as well, as previously reported. They recently hit us with the second Larsen collaboration as XXL, Spicchiology? (Important Records), and a split 7" on Stickfigure Records, with a Polaroid book on the way. Look for Xiu Xiu's sixth album-- featuring the talents of Michael Gira (Swans, Angels of Light), Greg Saunier, and John Dieterich (both Deerhoof)-- on Kill Rock Stars in early 2008. [MORE...]

Portishead Grab Aphex Twin, Black Mountain for ATP
Also: Earth, Oneida, Crippled Black Phoenix

The resurrection of Bristol trip hop pioneers Portishead as curators and performers at the 2007 installment of All Tomorrow's Parties' Nightmare Before Christmas isn't the only exciting aspect of the festival. ATP has just announced the initial lineup for the event, and it looks to be another good one, with a rare performance by Aphex Twin leading the charge, along with sets from Sparklehorse, Oneida, Black Mountain, Julian Cope, Earth, Seasick Steve, Team Brick, Fuzz Against Junk, and Mogwai/Portishead side project Crippled Black Phoenix.

This year's Nightmare Before Christmas will take place December 7-9 in the same place as usual: Butlins Minehead in Somerset, England.

And, of course, don't forget about a little something called the Pitchfork Music Festival, going down July 13-15 in Chicago's Union Park. The first evening of the fest, July 13, is a collaboration between ATP's Don't Look Back series and Pitchfork, bringing you three classic albums performed live in their entireties: Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation, GZA/Genius' Liquid Swords, and Slint's Spiderland.

Junior Boys' Greenspan Talks New Tunes, High School
"In a year's time I'm going to have another album, and I have no idea what it's going to be."

With So This Is Goodbye's goodness bleeding on well into 2007-- what with the iTunes session, the remix EP, the Goodbye Special Edition (which collects the former two, plus the album), and the touring hysteria-- it comes as no surprise to find that alpha Junior Boy Jeremy Greenspan is eager to get cracking on some new jingles.

"I like touring a lot," Greenspan told Pitchfork recently, "but, you know, you get really, really itchy to start making more music."

Greenspan and partner-in-groove Matt Didemus were swept up in the throes of a North American tour for the past couple months, but Greenspan said, "now that we've settled down, we've got a lot of ideas going. So I'm really eager, basically, to start working in earnest."

Junior Boys haven't completed anything yet, but pieces of the puzzle are slowly falling into place. "What we're doing right now is amassing a whole bunch of sketches-- this is how we work. We come up with loops and little ideas for songs. Right now I'm really happy with some of the stuff I've started. It's even more pop than our last album."

As for just what that pop puzzle will sound like? "It's sort of too early to say," according to Greenspan. "The thing that's kind of exciting for me is when we did So This Is Goodbye, I sort of knew what the album was going to be before we started, because a lot of the songs were already written. But now it's different...I feel sort of like I did when I was much younger, making music where you have no idea what you're about to do and you're just playing around. It's much more fun."

"In a year's time I'm going to have another album, and I have no idea what it's going to be." [MORE...]

Arcade Fire, LCD, Interpol, TVOTR Super Rock Lisbon
With JAMC, Klaxons, Bloc Party, Rapture, CYHSY

Super Bock, the curiously orange-hued Portugese lager with the brilliantly surgical dispensing system, will Super Rock Lisbon, Portugal's Sacavenense Sports Stadium over two weekends in late June and early July.

The fest, separate not simply by the turn of the calendar page but a crushing sonic divide, is split into two acts: one day of neuron-punishing metal June 28, and a whole weekend of less brutal but equally noteworthy fare July 3-5.

Your friends and ours Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, TV on the Radio, Interpol, Mastodon, Blood Brothers, Jesus and Mary Chain, Klaxons, Bloc Party, the Rapture, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, the Gossip, Maximo Park, Underworld, Scissor Sisters, the Magic Numbers, and fookin METALLICA will have a shot at the Super Rock stage, and, presumably, partake in complimentary libations all the while.

Thanks to reader Pedro Cruz for tipping us off.

Photos: Handsome Furs [Montreal, Quebec; 05/28/07]

Photos by Alexi Hobbs

Having been denied entry into the U.S. for some of their inaugural tour dates, Wolf Parade offshoot Handsome Furs poured all their frustration and festering energies into a homecoming gig at Club Lambi in Montreal, which is in Canada, which is this magical place where people are still allowed to dance and play music.

And the CD guest of honor? That would be Plague Park, which dropped last week on Sub Pop.

Pending U.S. customs approval, the Furs have two U.S. dates lined up in the coming months, plus one in Canada.




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Pitchfork Seeks Head Web Developer

Pitchfork is seeking a high-spirited, enthusiastic Ruby on Rails developer for full-time work as head webmaster/developer in our Chicago or New York office. The position entails continued buildout of our current Ruby-based CMS, development of future projects, and innovative day-to-day web solutions. Work environment is fast-paced, friendly, creative, and non-corporate, with competitive pay and great benefits.

Preferred experience:

* 1-2+ years with Ruby on Rails
* 2-5 years work experience in commercial web development
* Delivery experience on a commercial Ruby/Rails development project
* Extensive experience in Ruby/Rails development and database technology, MySQL, Mongrel, Linux admin, and Apache proxy
* Object-oriented programming experience
* Ability to build functional Web applications and modules using Ruby on Rails
* Experience developing/launching complex Ruby systems for high-traffic websites a plus
* Strong non-technical communications skills a must

Interested parties should send a resume to jobs@pitchforkmedia.com, along with a link to your portfolio, and references from previous clients/employers. (Examples of additional dev projects would be ideal, but are not essential.) Deadline is Monday, June 4 at 6:00 p.m. CST.

Ryan Adams Plays More Shows

Stephen King-approved rock star Ryan Adams has added North American tour dates to his itinerary in order to promote the June 26 release of his new album, Easy Tiger, on Lost Highway.

First, Adams has a trio of dates overseas starting June 3 in Paris, but he'll make the trip back in time to kick off the new dates on June 18 in Minneapolis. He also has three shows scheduled for much later this summer, two in late July/early August and one in early September.

Thanks to reader Michael Coleman for the tip. [MORE...]

T.V. Eye: May 29-June 3, 2007

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

Tuesday, May 29:

NBC: "Late Night With Conan O'Brien": Calexico (rerun)
NBC: "Last Call With Carson Daly": VietNam (rerun)
ABC: "Jimmy Kimmel Live": Kelly Clarkson (rerun)

Thursday, May 31:

NBC: "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno": Peter Bjorn & John (rerun)
ABC: "Jimmy Kimmel Live": Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (rerun)

Friday, June 1:

CBS: "Late Show With David Letterman": Modest Mouse (rerun)
NBC: "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno": OK Go (rerun)
IFC: "The Henry Rollins Show": Peeping Tom

Klaxons Add U.S. Tour Dates, Get Remixed
Soulwax, Simian Mobile Disco, Erol Alkan get their grimy hands all over 'em

Their fondness for neon duds and ubiquity of glowsticks at their gigs aside, could Klaxons' proclivity for issuing thousands of remix-heavy one-offs be where all this nu-rave stuff comes from? Though they look, sound, and thrash about like a rock band, Klaxons issue deep cuts and singles like a dance crew. And they'll give the DJ some yet again July 10, when they let loose yet another bit of turntable fodder.

In addition to their plan to issue the cover-laden single for "It's Not Over Yet" June 25 in the UK, the boys will treat the U.S. to three limited edition slabs of 12" vinyl this summer courtesy of Dim Mak. All three will feature remixes of songs from their debut album, Myths of the Near Future. July 10 offers up Soulwax's take on "Gravity's Rainbow", with the future holding Simian Mobile Disco's tweaking of "Magick" and Erol Alkan's remix of "Golden Skans".

Check out the Soulwax remix of "Gravity's Rainbow", streaming for your pleasure right here. Hands in the air!

The band also just added a string of July U.S. dates surrounding their appearance at the Pitchfork Music Festival. [MORE...]

Photos: The National / The Broken West [New York, NY; 05/28/07]

The National photos by Kathryn Yu
The Broken West photos by Stephen Lindley

The National evidently have a dark sense of humor: singer Matt Berninger took to the Bowery Ballroom stage last night-- for the first of five consecutive sold out shows-- dressed in all white, "for Memorial Day," with a bottle of white wine in hand. The New-Yorkers-by-way-of-Cincinnati played a rousing set of songs, including highlights from their Best New Music-tagged latest album, Boxer.

For a band that's recently impressed critics with their restraint and subtle moods, things got a little hairy for Berninger, who tore a mic stand apart during the set and was heckled by an audience member for recently quitting smoking. "You can look cool chewing Nicorette," Berninger retorted.

Recent Merge Records acquisition The Broken West opened the show; they'll play a handful of dates with the National next month. More photos and a slew of both bands' tour dates after the jump.

THE NATIONAL





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