Smoke Weed on Stage With the Streets!

The Streets' follow-up to The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living isn't much closer to release than when we last reported on it (sometime next year is the new goal). Still, Mike Skinner and co. are getting plenty of mileage out of their remaining three tour dates by holding a bong-making contest for fans who'd like to appear on stage with them in London on August 26.

Appropriately enough, the gig in question is the Streets' headlining appearance at the Get Loaded in the Park festival. Skinner plans to end the set with Original Pirate Material's "The Irony of It All"-- you know, the one about how smoking weed is better than drinking. Since the song's lyrics reference homemade bongs, he is asking fans to design their own to smoke on stage with him and the live band.

If you're interested, all you have to do is email a photo or drawing of your design along with a description of your bong to loadedbong@hotmail.com and include your name, address, and phone number. And if your bong is chosen, you'll receive a pair of VIP passes to Get Loaded as well as the opportunity to get loaded at the gig using your bong.

According to the episode of "Beat Stevie" (Skinner's online TV show) in which the contest was announced, you'll also receive a signed octagonal shaped cymbal from the Streets' live drum kit.

Contest entries must be in by August 22, and Skinner will announce the winner on his blog the next day.

(Side note: This is the second bong-related band contest we have reported in three weeks.)

"Beat Stevie" contest announcement:

 

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Arp (Ex-Tussle) Remixed by Panda Bear, Remixes Lindstrom
Arp preps debut LP, single

Former Tussle mastermind Alexis Georgopoulos will release the debut album from his newest project, Arp, on November 6.

The album, In Light, will come out via Smalltown Supersound, and despite its electronic nature, it was recorded almost entirely live. Following the album's release will be a 12" single, "St Tropez/Potentialities", featuring remixes from German proto-ambient legends Cluster and Georgopoulos' own Expanding Head Band project. A Panda Bear remix of Arp will soon follow, although details have not yet been confirmed.

Arp recently did a little remixing of his own as well. One Arp remix will appear on a forthcoming Lindstrøm 12" on Feedelity, and another, for a Charlotte Gainsbourg track, should turn up on a forthcoming Vice release. [MORE...]

Wilco Cancel Shows Due to Nels Cline's Chicken Pox
Alas, we're saving our good chicken pox jokes for Smoosh

Photo by Shannon McClean

Curse you, chicken pox! The most popular excuse for missing a week of kindergarten has claimed another victim: Wilco guitarist (and solo artist) Nels Cline. Yep, Cline is rife with tiny, itchy hives, and as such, the band has been forced to duck out of a pair of forthcoming dates.

Sez Wilcoworld.net:

We're sorry to report that our good friend and Wilco guitarist extraordinaire Nels Cline has recently contracted a rather nasty case of the CHICKEN POX (not sure that should be in all caps... but judging from the gruesome details in email correspondence we've had with NC, we'll leave it so). He is slowly on the mend but is not quite there yet...

And you thought Sky Blue Sky was wimpy! (Zing! Actually, we hear chicken pox is particularly nasty for adults.)

Thanks to reader Steve Jones for the tip.

Tomorrow night's gig in Duluth has been rescheduled for September 4, and the Winnipeg date the next evening is off, to be either rescheduled or nixed completely. Barring a nasty case of grass-stained knees from our boy Jeffy, the updated Wilco tour schedule is yours after the jump. [MORE...]

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Play Russia!
Russians retaliate with new band: No One Will Ever Love You George W. Bush

Seriously, somebody make this into a childrens' book already. Nearly four months after their namesake's passing, Polyvinyl-signed upstarts Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin made it to Russia late last month.

Seems the Missouri-bred quartet were the talk of the Annual Afisha Picnic, which went down July 28 at Moscow's Kolomenskoye park. There they competed against native heavyweights like Mumiy Troll-- as well as cartoon viewings, fashion shows, backgammon and chess tournaments, sculpture gardens, manicures, an interactive "cardboard kingdom," and a whole lotta food-- to win the hearts and raise the eyebrows of our brothers and sisters of the former Soviet Union.

But why simply read about it when you can scope some rad pics direct from the band (including a requisite Saint Basil's Cathedral shot), as well as a news report video from Russia Today (whose anchorpersons conveniently deal in British English)?

SSLYBY are presently recording the follow-up to their 2006 debut Broom, with eyes on a 2008 release. Catch them on their home turf at several upcoming late summer gigs.


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Patrick Wolf Scores Film, Boosts Nudity, All Ages Shows
Plans tours, works with Alec Empire, disses Perez Hilton

Photo by Nilina Mason-Campbell

This just in from the cluttered desk of Patrick Wolf: nakedness is a-okay. Opined Wolf in a recent blog post, "a naked body does not offend me in any way, it can be used as a communication device, a performance piece. It need not be perfect and there is no such thing as perfection when it comes to the body."

Patrick felt compelled to assume this magic position after taking a swing at celeb gossip hound Perez "soulless vacuous im sorry your life is so superficial gustav mahlers dog will be waiting for you in the afterlife to eat you" Hilton, who apparently refers to Wolf as a "Swedish stripper." Right, then.

Wolf also howled about the foul English injustice that is the 18+ show. "The government has restricted so much of the fun and feelings you deserve," he wrote. "[They're] denying new generations of a healthy musical upbringing and its [sic] becoming boring. If it means all venues are over 18 these days, then I will try my hardest to play halls and bandstands and anywhere where music can be heard for everyone."

Speaking of playing shows, the man who claimed his "final concert" will be this November is planning tours in America, the UK, Japan, and Australia "before the year is through."

Wolf also assures us that he is indeed working with Atari Teenage Rioter Alec Empire on material for Wolf's fourth album, which is "becoming an epic."

What's more, Wolf's lending his boundless creative juices to an enterprise by filmmaker John Jenkinson (not the quality car salesman, we'll assume). Jenkinson's feature No Ghosts will include original music from Wolf; you can hear a snippet of the piano'n'strings tune "The Days" (recorded in Vienna, fittingly) on the film's website.

While No Ghosts is "only in the early stages," you can settle for the whole live Patrick Wolf spectacle for now, which goes down at a number of upcoming festival gigs. [MORE...]

Jennifer Gentle, Sean Lennon, Earlies Cover Os Mutantes

Photo by Sanchez and Kitahara

Hey hey! There's a new Os Mutantes tribute album out today! Jardim Elétrico: A Tribute to Os Mutantes features fifteen different artists tackling tracks from all over the catalog of the highly influential, stupendously great Brazilian psych-pop experimentalists.

You'll likely get quite a kick out of contributions by the Earlies, Jennifer Gentle, Residual Echoes, and Sean Lennon and Yuka Honda (Cibo Matto), as well as White Flag's take on "Mysterious White Roses," a Mutantes gem that never made it to a proper album but did show up in a 1968 film. The disc features an insert poster drawn by Mutant Arnaldo Baptista, which we'd wager might look pretty cool under a blacklight. All this can be yours from Italian label Madcap Collective.

There's also a clause in this here press release suggesting this album was made available at all Os Mutantes tour dates. Since those suckers have, for the time being, come and gone, you may already own this album. If not, get to searchin'! [MORE...]

Ted Leo Bassist Dave Lerner Leaves Band
Bonus! Photos: Ted Leo + Pharmacists / The Thermals [Brooklyn, NY; 08/12/07]

Photos by Ryan Muir

A Ted Leo and the Pharmacists show is a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. You've got Ted's boundless energy (and penchant for self-injury), drummer Chris Wilson's bug-eyes and bountiful beard, and, up until Sunday, bassist Dave Lerner's ever-expanding mass of curly hair.

We're sure going to miss those flowing locks, as Leo announced on Sunday during a show at Brooklyn's McCarren Park Pool that this would be Lerner's last performance with the band. No hard feelings-- Leo toasted Lerner with a bottle of bubbly, and fans rushed the stage. Leo and co. were in a celebratory mood, even
treating fans to a cover of Daft Punk's "One More Time".

No replacement for Lerner has been announced just yet. But the Pharmacists have a few weeks to regroup-- their next show isn't until September 1. A lengthy North American trek awaits in November.

The show was the penultimate Pool Party, the JellyNYC-sponsored free outdoor concert series. (The last one takes place this Sunday, August 19, and features Ghostland Observatory, YACHT, Kid Sister, the Cool Kids, and more.)

The Thermals also played-- check out more photos below.

TED LEO AND THE PHARMACISTS




THE THERMALS

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Waits, Davies, Coleman, Hook Judge Song Contest
Plus: Robert Smith, Frank Black, Julian Casablancas, Loretta Lynn, David Cross, Nelly Furtado

Miffed that that overrated hack Brian Wilson totally dissed your masterpiece last year? Hopeful that Tom Waits spent the past year getting a freaking clue about what it means to write good songs? Well, my friend, why not give the International Songwriting Competition another go?

Like last year's contest, this one invites aspiring songwriters to submit their best fare before a veritable Supreme Court of music legends, including Tom Waits, Ray Davies, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ornette Coleman, Loretta Lynn, Peter Hook, Robert Smith, Frank Black, and Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, as well as contemporary hitmakers like Julian Casablancas (The Strokes), Nelly Furtado, Macy Gray, and Sean Paul. Also: Hinder.

What's more, "Weird Al" Yankovic, David Cross, and Cheech Marin (of Cheech and Chong fame) will judge the newly inaugurated Comedy/Novelty category, while a number of industry heavyweights will have their say as well. View the complete list of judges here.

The ISC aims to "provide the opportunity for both aspiring and established songwriters to have their songs heard in a professional, international arena" and "nurture the musical talent of songwriters on all levels, and promote excellence in the art of songwriting." To those ends, the 2007 competition will award a $25,000 cash prize to the overall winner, plus some $20,000 in prizes. First, second, third, and "Peoples' Voice" victors also rake in some cash.

Entries may be submitted via mail or online-- check out the official entry form here. And make haste! All submissions must be postmarked by October 15, 2007 to be considered.

The Shins Announce Fall Dates

The Shins have added an October leg to their marathon tour in support of Wincing the Night Away (and the UK release of the "Turn on Me" single on September 3).

The new dates are all in the U.S., and a select number of them feature Vetiver (who knew the Shins dig the freak folk?) and the Shaky Hands as openers.

The band still has plenty of love left for Europe, though, as that's where they'll be until the end of the month. Their next show is in Erfurt, Germany on August 17. [MORE...]

Jana Hunter Founds Label, Releases EP, Tours

Devendra Banhart cohort Jana Hunter is following up the release of her latest album-- this year's There's No Home-- by releasing an EP, forming a label, and going on tour.

First, the EP: It's called Carrion, and it features alternate versions of Home tracks in addition to material written during the same period. It comes out September 18 via Gnomonsong. (The vinyl version will be released the same day on Woodsist.)

Her label is called Feow!, and it will launch next month with the September 4 release of Deer Tick's War Elephant, followed by Bring Back the Guns' Dry Futures on October 2. (Matthew Brownlie of Bring Back the Guns founded the label with Hunter.)

Future Feow! release include a Hunter/Indian Jewelry split 10" this winter, full-lengths from Sharks & Sailors and Woozyhelmet next spring, and a Wicked Poseur full-length next summer.

Following an August 18 show in Denton, Texas, Hunter will hit the road with Devendra for a trio of dates this October, and she will announce a November tour with Matteah Baim shortly.

Finally, Hunter will begin recording her full-length follow-up to There's No Home at the end of this year. [MORE...]

My Brightest Diamond, Long Winters, Apostle of Hustle Cover Huey Lewis
Or: Huey Lewis in the news

A few weeks back, there appeared in Forkcast a My Brightest Diamond cover of the Huey Lewis and the News song "Naturally". The song is from a forthcoming compilation titled Are You Still With Me?! A Tribute to Huey Lewis and the News. The compilation still has no label nor specific release date in 2008, and both the line-up and tracklist await finalization. But the project's MySpace has information about some of the other contributors, for those wondering if Shara Worden was the only one who had rediscovered the heart of rock and roll.

Those contributors include Apostle of Hustle, the Long Winters, Centro-matic's Will Johnson, Bound Stems, Oh No! Oh My!, Windsor for the Derby, and Catfish Haven, among many others. In fact, all of the confirmed contributors are listed below in alphabetical order, along with the songs they cover and the Lewis/News albums they're from. [MORE...]

Spoon, Deerhunter, Grizzly, Thermals on MFNW Comp
Plus: Okkervil River, YACHT, many more

Musicfest NW: Not just a PDX-rockin' festival, but also a boombox-rockin' festive compilation!

For the second year running, the peeps behind the choice Portland music gathering-- going down September 6-9 this year at assorted city venues-- will unleash a CD comp showcasing festival talent. Sure, most of these songs were originally released elsewhere, but that doesn't make them any less awesome. And the Deerhunter track-- the appropriately out-of-season "Spring Break"-- is exclusive to this release!

Musicfest NW Vol. 2 comes out tomorrow (August 14) and features such fine folks as Spoon, Grizzly Bear, the Thermals, the aforementioned Deerhunter, Okkervil River, YACHT, Dirty Projectors, Tiny Vipers, Eugene Mirman, Viva Voce, Blue Scholars, Adrian Orange (Thanksgiving), and the Shaky Hands ruminating on such fine topical fare as lives, lies, lights, and knives.

Proceeds from CD sales go to the Rock and Roll Camp for Girls and the Oregon Music Hall of Fame. [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.)