Girl Talk Remixes Of Montreal!

Having already tweaked the likes of Simian Mobile Disco, Grizzly Bear, Peter, Bjorn and John, and Beck, mixmaster Girl Talk has taken on yet another challenge: remixing Of Montreal! Gregg Gillis has committed to renovating the glam-poppers' bouncy falsetto-fest "Gronlandic Edit", from their fantastic latest album, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?.

The best part? You aren't going to find this remix on a CD, or for sale on iTunes. Nope. It's going to be available as a free download ... right here on Pitchfork! We can't tell you exactly when, because we don't know. Gregg is actually working on it right now-- probably adding the guitar riff from "Party Like a Rockstar" or something as we speak. So stay tuned!

Both Of Montreal and Girl Talk are playing the (sold out!) Pitchfork Music Festival, on July 15 and 14 respectively. And they both have tons of tour dates-- Of Montreal heading to Europe, and Girl Talk covering North America both with and without Dan Deacon.

Of Montreal's "Suffer for Fashion" video will "debut" on MTV2's "Subterranean" this Sunday, although you can already see it here. [MORE...]

Digitalism Trot Around the Globe on Tour
Man, that little guy really looks like Luke Skywalker

All the Idealism in the world won't save the handsome Hamburgers of Digitalism from themselves. One hopes they've plugged into a steady stream of some good multivitamins or at least started hitting the treadmill if they're ever going to make it through the nearly four full months of tour dates they've lined up for themselves, including a two-week stint in the U.S. come October. If not, they're likely to run into another, uglier "ism": defeatism. We've got faith that they can pull it off, but load up on plenty of electrolytes now anyway, fellas; you've got many miles to go before you sleep.

It all begins tonight in Stockholm. [MORE...]

Correction: Built to Spill Not Controlled by Demon
But they are putting out a new single

It has come to our attention that, contrary to false information reported by Pitchfork on Wednesday afternoon, Built to Spill do not actually "take orders from a tiny, omnipotent demonic being" named Gurguroth.

While this psychic monstrosity is renowned throughout the music industry for allegedly controlling the careers of such other bands as the Goo Goo Dolls, Blake Shelton, and Lil Scrappy, we have been assured by Warner label spokespersons that Gurguroth does not, in fact, have any hand whatsoever in determining Built to Spill's touring or release schedules, nor does he reside within the billowy depths of Doug Martsch's beard, where he could theoretically sustain himself on small crumbs and various soup particles.

Pitchfork regrets the error.

In related news, Built to Spill will release a new single on Warner Bros. Records on July 10: new song "They Got Away" backed by a cover of the Gladiators' "Re-Arrange". Yes, the reggae Gladiators. In fact, both songs are reggae songs. But, according to a press release, Doug Martsch says, "I want to make sure that people don't think we are becoming a reggae band. We play reggae because we love to play it."

The single will be available as a 12" and digital download, and will be in stores, online, and for sale at the band's many, many shows from July 10 onward. Those shows again... [MORE...]

Pelican Take City of Echoes to Cities of People

Chicago instrumental metalheads Pelican will hit the road this summer in support of their newest album, City of Echoes (Hydra Head).

The big bird's tour dates start with a run of European shows kicking off July 1 in Belfort, France.

Their North American dates, however, begin July 19 in Cleveland Heights, which is like France with less of all that weird French stuff (just kidding, crepes rule!). [MORE...]

Photos: Blitzen Trapper [Portland, OR; 06/28/07]

Photos by Nilina Mason-Campbell

Last night at Holocene, in Blitzen Trapper's hometown of Portland, Oregon, lead singer Eric Earley was first to take the stage. He performed a medley of songs in tribute to his grandparents, playing the acoustic guitar and banjo. Eventually, the rest of the band filled the stage, surrounded by handmade cardboard decorations of waves and trees. Despite technical difficulties, Blitzen blazed through an energetic set.

More photos and tour dates below.




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Lily Allen Questioned for Assaulting a Photographer

Lily Allen visited a central London police station yesterday (June 28) for questioning about her alleged assault of a photographer, according to a BBC News report.

The photographer, a man in his 40s, was assaulted near the Wardour club in the Soho area of London in March.

BBC News reports that Allen was freed on police bail following the questioning, and according to the report, "A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said a woman arrested over an alleged assault had been bailed to return in late July." We assume this is referring to Lily and that the Yard just preferred not to disclose her identity, but obviously, we're not entirely sure.

Lily has quite a few performances to keep her busy between now and late July (and afterward, assuming she doesn't follow the path so famously tread by Paris Hilton recently). Her next show is tonight (June 29) in Werchter, Belgium. [MORE...]

DFA, Glass Candy, Escort Warm Up P.S.1 Fest
Plus: Rub-n-Tug's Duncan, Poni Hoax, Services, Zeena Parkins

Photo by Mark Lentz

New York City's P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center will host its weekly summer Warm Up music festival/parties for ten consecutive Saturdays starting tomorrow, June 30.

Organizers David Weinstein, Jason Drummond, and Zach Layton rounded up DFA, A Touch of Class, Objektivity, Tummy Touch, Troubleman Unlimited/Italians Do It Better, and others to host installments of the series at the Queens museum.

Some of the acts playing this year's Warm Up include the Juan Maclean, DFA co-head Tim Goldsworthy and Beats in Space's Tim Sweeney (as Tim & Tim), Glass Candy, Shit Robot, Poni Hoax, Zeena Parkins, Eric Duncan (Rub-n-Tug), Services, Morpheus, JB Wiz, Ex Nihilo Crew, Dennis Ferrer, the Martinez Brothers, and Escort.

Though each night's lineup is subject to change and expand (the one for the August 4 event remains completely TBA), the lineups to date are all listed below. [MORE...]

Do Make Say Think Bring Their Verbs on Huge Tour
You can unpack your adjectives when they're done

On record, Do Make Say Think don't actually say much, but it's what they imply with their relative silence that's key. And, in announcing a tour nearly as epic as one of their skyward post-rock jams, they seem to be saying, "We're just as sick of sitting at home watching 'Judge Joe Brown' as you are." The Toronto-based Broken Social Scene associates have dates all over the upper two thirds of North American for the foreseeable future.

In other DMST/BSS 411, their Ohad Benchetrit and Charles Spearin will do their thing on the forthcoming Kevin Drew record. Canada: population 14. [MORE...]

Uncut Take Currencies to U.S., Tour With Dears' Krief

Self-proclaimed Canadian hunks (check their website) Uncut will finally release their super-double-awesome second album, last year's Modern Currencies, in the U.S. on July 17 via Paper Bag Records.

The U.S. release of Modern Currencies comes without the dead weight that usually masquerades as bonus tracks or extra features, but it does come with a decent-sized tour with fellow Canuck Patrick Krief of the Dears, who is hopefully doing a little better since being the victim of gear theft a couple months ago. That tour kicks off in July, but both Uncut and the Dears have dates before then.

Uncut's shows start tomorrow (June 30) in Detroit, and the Dears' start July 11 in London (England, not Ontario). [MORE...]

Erase Errata's Jenny Hoyston to Issue Solo Joint, Tour
Erase Errata line up some dates as well

Jenny Hoyston of San Francisco's Erase Errata would like to cordially invite you to Isle Of. Isle of what, you ask? Isle of longing? Isle of cereal? Isle of the 80s?

Nah, Isle Of is the title of Jenny's forthcoming solo album, which she'll issue September 11 from Southern Records. You might've seen Jenny perform under the Paradise Island nom de rock (so maybe that's where she got the Isle Of business?), but this new disc's under her given name.

Jenny's got a few tour dates planned around Isle Of's release as well. Those of you praying this isn't also a story about Erase Errata's demise, well, your prayers have been answered; despite Jenny's solo strides and the postponement of a number of recent dates, the band is A-OK, and ready to play a week's worth of European gigs early next month. Trust me, we'll milk the heck out of the "Erase Errata Erase Themselves" headline when that sad day arrives. [MORE...]

Prince to Give Away Planet Earth in UK Newspaper
UK record store owners: "Oh no he di-n't!"

Never one to shy away from con-tro-ver-sy, Prince has pissed off UK music retailers with his plan for Planet Earth's release there. According to a report in the Guardian, the Fragrant One will give away the album for free with "an 'imminent' edition" of UK newspaper The Mail on Sunday, which will make it the first place in the world where the album is available.

The Mail on Sunday will prepare for the increase in sales by upping its print run from the two million copies per week it already sells.

Paul Quirk, co-chairman of the Entertainment Retailers Association, said the following about the deal at a recent music conference: "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince should know that with behavior like this, he will soon be the Artist Formerly Available in Record Stores [Zing! --Ed.]. And I say that to all the other artists who may be tempted to dally with The Mail on Sunday."

As a gesture of appeasement to the protesters, the Artist Who Went Back to Being Known as Prince Seven Years Ago's UK label, Sony BMG, has withdrawn from his global promotion/distribution deal and thus will not distribute the album to UK stores, which seems like the exact opposite of what these store owners want.

Prince will also continue a past promotional tradition by giving away a free copy of Planet Earth with the purchase of tickets to his London performances this summer.

The exact date of The Mail on Sunday release of the album remains a mystery (though the chances of it happening on a Sunday seem pretty bankable), but Planet Earth comes out via Columbia on July 24. Prince also has a few shows before his London residency, continuing tonight (June 29) in Hollywood. [MORE...]

National, Camera Obscura, Au Revoir Join Seaport Fest
Plus: Rock Central Plaza, Bishop Allen, Ra Ra Riot, the Forms

Back in April, we did a sneaky, underhanded thing; something we're awfully proud of. We posted a list of all the bands we knew for sure were playing New York City's Seaport Music Festival-- including Battles, Menomena, and Fujiya & Miyagi-- before the official lineup was even announced. Of course, we didn't get 'em all; we're resourceful, but premonitory genie types we ain't.

But, thanks to the magic of the internet, we've now got the nearly full lineup for the summertime series, including Ra Ra Riot's first live outing since the death of their drummer John Pike, which goes down tonight (June 29). As Seaport Music producer Steve Dima wrote in an email, organizers hope "New York's indie music community and fans alike come out in mass to support Ra Ra Riot and hear the music John helped create." The band will continue from there with a series of U.S. and European dates, including quite a few with Tokyo Police Club.

Other Seaport highlights since our last report include the National, Camera Obscura, Au Revoir Simone, Rock Plaza Central, Bishop Allen, the Forms, and some kind of Billie Holiday remix night.

For the delight of eye and brain alike, the remaining Southport schedule-- and the rest of the Ra Ra Riot dates-- lie just beyond this red word here. [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.)