Gruff Rhys Tours N. America, Neon Neon Prep Single

Fresh off the announcement of his band's new album, Super Furry Animals frontman Gruff Rhys has revealed his first full-blown North American solo tour since the release of his solo LP Candylion.

After a summer of festival dates (including collaborations with Brazilian artist Tony Da Gatorra as part of TrocaBrahma), Rhys will begin the tour in Philadelphia on September 19 and end it October 5 in Mexico City. Joining Rhys on backing vocals and xylophone for the tour will be Lisa Jen of 9 Bach.

Super Furry Animals have quite a few dates of their own planned both before and after the August 27 release of forthcoming full-length Hey Venus! on Rough Trade.

And Neon Neon, Rhys' collaboration with Boom Bip, will put out their first release, the "Trick for Treat" 12" picture disc, June 25 on Lex. The song features Spank Rock and Har Mar Superstar for xxxtra lovin'. [MORE...]

Slint Announce More Summer Shows

Brian McMahan, Britt Walford, and David Pajo-- collectively known to the world as Slint-- have added a few dates to their summer tour. As you know, most of the shows are collaborations with All Tomorrow's Parties, and will feature the band performing its classic 1991 album Spiderland in its entirety. But many of the newly announced dates include are non-Spiderland performances.

The trio's next show is their July 13 performance of Spiderland at the Pitchfork Music Festival, alongside Sonic Youth performing Daydream Nation and GZA performing Liquid Swords. But, as recently reported, tickets to that first, "Don't Look Back" co-sponsored, day of the festival are all sold out (as are three-day passes). [MORE...]

Tortoise Kick Off Tour

The humans in Tortoise kick off their previously reported North American tour tonight (June 14) in Columbus, Ohio, and no way are they stopping this car until their final show in New York City on July 8.

Along the way, Hot Chip, Lichens, Make Believe, and Kieran Hebden with Steve Reid will serve as support acts, and the band will hit Bonnaroo tomorrow night.

Also opening (on Tortoise's six-date "West Coast Fonk Bumps Tour") are Georgia Anne Muldrow and Dudley Perkins, who share a label with Bumps, the instrumental funk trio composed of Tortoise's John McEntire, John Herndon, and Dan Bitney. Stones Throw will release Bumps' self-titled debut on June 19. [MORE...]

Andy Rourke, Mike Joyce Tell Smiths' Story on DVD
Commentary from Mark E. Smith, Peter Hook, Buzzcocks' Pete Shelley, some Kaiser Chiefs guys

Now that Morrissey's mounted a wildly successful solo career and Johnny Marr's overcome a few hiccups to score a welcome spot in Modest Mouse, what are the remaining two ex-members of the Smiths to do? Something tells us Freebass is not the answer.

Instead, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce-- once the defunct Smiths' rhythm section-- have contributed extensively to the forthcoming documentary Inside the Smiths, due on DVD July 16 via Tib Street Films. According to the press release, "this is the first ever documentary about The Smiths to be released on DVD." Guess they forgot about this unauthorized one.

Directed and produced by Rourke's and Joyce's friend, Manchester-based bar proprietor Stephen Petricco, Inside the Smiths attempts to delve into just that-- life from the inside of the legendary Manchester act, from the perspectives of Joyce and Rourke. Joining in on the anecdotal fun are the Fall's Mark E. Smith, New Order's Peter Hook, Buzzcocks' Pete Shelley, Kaiser Chiefs' Ricky Wilson and Nick Hodgson, and Ordinary Boys singer/UK reality TV star Samuel Preston.

If the trailer and press release are any indication, we're in for a wild, candid tale of drugs and debauchery, highs and lows, startling revelations-- and some wacky, fast-motion tracking shots of graveyards and flying bass guitars.

Check it out July 16, or catch either a pre-screening July 15 at Petricco's TV21 in Manchester or a London screening July 18 at the Fopp store on Tottenham Court Road.

Daft Punk, LCD, Antony, Art Brut Play Italian Fest
Also: Lou Reed, Arctic Monkeys

Turin, Italy will host sets from Daft Punk, LCD Soundsystem, Lou Reed (doing Berlin), Art Brut, Arctic Monkeys, and Antony and the Johnsons (who will play with Italian pop stars Franco Battiato and Subsonica) as part of its fourth annual Traffic Festival (full name: Traffic: Torino Free Festival, and it is indeed free).

The festival will take place in the city's Parco della Pellerina from July 11 to July 14, and other attractions include visual art and cinema decided to the city of Berlin as well as after-hours sets from Apparat, Joakim, Namosh, and others along the banks of the Po River.

Peter Bjorn and John Schedule Yet Another Tour

If there is still any doubt as to what Peter Bjorn and John's cure for Writer's Block is, here's a hint: it's a four-letter word that means "a trip with visits to various places of interest for business, pleasure, or instruction." (Thanks to American Heritage for the tip).

Yep, the whistling Swedes are already planning another tour. These new dates pop up in late summer and early fall and see the band visiting Europe, the UK, and North America.

Of course, PB&J still have plenty of dates to keep them busy before then. Their next show is June 23 in Vienna. [MORE...]

Fujiya & Miyagi, Isolee, Joakim Play French Festival

There's you, there's baguettes, and there's dancing: it's Les Siestes Électroniques (which, I believe, means "the electronic nap"), plugging in, turning on, and rocking out June 27-July 1 in Toulouse, France.

Our poor translation skills aside, the lineup's far from a snoozer: noteworthy synth-touchers and beep-makers like Fujiya & Miyagi, Isolée, Joakim, Superpitcher, Sebastien Tellier, and Todd Terje will join what I'd wager are more than one dude named Pierre. There's also a rare performance by Angel, featuring Schneider T.M. as well as members of Pan Sonic and Mùm.

The outdoor festivities, scattered over a few Toulouse hotspots, run well into the night on Friday and Saturday, but Sunday evening's no slouch, either-- you might want to call in sick for the following Monday now and save yourself the trouble.

Art Brut Karaoke, Oh Yes

Watching words on a screen, attempting to sing them as they flash by, and looking like ridiculous fool while doing so? Nothing so complicated about that. But toss Art Brut into the mix and, well, it's going to get a lot more ridiculous.

To get the kids talking about the June 19 (not June 26 as previously reported) Downtown Records/Mute release of It's a Bit Complicated, Art Brut will offer up their new tunes the night before-- minus one fairly crucial element: the witty declarations of charismatic lead vocalist Eddie Argos. Do you have what it takes to fill that man's very, very large shoes? On a Monday night, no less? Are you proficient at just talking-- to the kids??

That's right, it's Art Brut karaoke, going down June 18 at a Beauty Bar near you (that is, if you live in/near NYC, L.A., San Francisco, or Austin). New tunes from It's a Bit Complicated (and some old ones too, we hope) will be available for your butchering pleasure, and in true American spirit, there will be prizes for the best Eddie Argos doppelganger in each city.

If you prefer the real thing, however, you'll probably have to wait for fall, when Art Brut expect to announce a "secret tour" (thereby annulling its "secret" status). Until then, it's a bunch of overseas action, a summer NYC gig, a couple of U.S. fests in early autumn, and a July 11 appearance on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien".

Oh right, and the "Direct Hit" single drops UK-ways next week. [MORE...]

Flaming Lips Do Fests, Tour North America in Fall
Actually just chasing U.F.O.s all over, happen to play shows

Bubble-boy Wayne Coyne-- and his many-splendored spectacle of lights, magic, confetti, and, buried somewhere in there, music-- will cart the insanity overseas this summer, following a sure-to-be carnivalesque Flaming Lips set this weekend at Bonnaroo.

Indeed, the Lips have a number of festival engagements out that-a-ways, but they'll jet back to the States amid the hysteria for a fest performance in Coyne's native Oklahoma in late July. The Lips' live show being a festival unto itself, don't all these festival appearances seem a little redundant?

And then, what's this? A Lips North American tour with Black Moth Super Rainbow shaping up for the fall? You bet your U.F.O.s at the Zoo DVDs it is! All venues presently TBA, but just follow the trail of weirdos and the Lips can't be too far beyond. [MORE...]

MBV, Snow Patrol Members on New Film School LP
It's, uh, an examination of the dual nature of modern manhood... kind of like Norbit

Film School: it's not just for drunkards and washed-up creative writing majors anymore! Shoegazy Californians Film School-- whom you might recall from such past cinematic achievements as their self-titled full-length debut, or that time they were ripped off in a "ridiculous manner"-- are ready to pull back the curtain on their third feature. Hideout is due out on Beggars Banquet September 11.

Sure to be a richer, more mature departure from their early, Truffaut-biting semi-autobiographical work, the record does nod a bit too reverently at Altman with its numerous cameos-- including My Bloody Valentine drummer Colm O'Ciosoig, Snow Patrol bassist Paul Wilson, and mixmaster Phil Ek on the boards. Ultimately, Hideout's inspired use of mise en scéne and creative lighting techniques help separate it from the pack of turgid Evil Dead knockoffs and wispy character pieces.

The Film School kids aren't quite ready to hit the festival circuit with Hideout just yet, but we're told it'll be in the works around the final cut is complete. [MORE...]

Radiohead "Nearly There" on New LP
Pitchfork News "nearly there" on a Radiohead story containing actual news

OMG! OMG!

According to a post from guitarist Ed O'Brien on Radiohead's Dead Air Space blog today, the band is close to finishing their new album. Here's the text of the post in full:

"a word from the studio
Yes I know its been a while ..... but we've been working on this album for a while ...... BUT WE ARE NEARLY THERE .....

Ed"

Um, yeah. That's it.

Yes, we still felt the need to tell you about it. Why? Well, for the same reason we had to tell you that the band posted ten seconds of a new tune on their website and that their songs are in a ballet: BECAUSE IT'S FRICKIN RADIOHEAD.

Rapture, PB&J, Beirut, CSS Rock Istanbul's Radar Live
Also: Jamie Lidell, Kelis, the Long Blondes

Though it seems like everyone has a festival these days, not everyone has a festival in Istanbul, Turkey. But the organizers of Radar Live do, and for their festival's second year, they've expanded from a single-day event to a four-day, three-stage behemoth with performances by the Rapture, Peter Bjorn & John (featuring Victoria Bergsman), Beirut, CSS, and Jamie Lidell (featuring Pablo Fiasco).

Radar Live 2007 will also feature Kelis, CocoRosie, the Long Blondes, Booka Shade, Ellen Allien & Apparat, the Magic Numbers, the Horrors, Plan B, Nouvelle Vague, the Rakes, Piano Magic, SCSI-9, Joan as Police Woman, Radio Slave, Juliette & the Licks, and...wait for it...Marilyn Manson. There will also be dozens of Turkish acts and a host of DJs from Istanbul independent radio station Dinamo 103.8.

The festival will take place from June 29 through July 2 on Solar Beach, which is right on the Black Sea, to match the black hearts of the Marilyn Manson fans in attendance.

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.)