Yo La Tengo, M. Ward Join Bright Eyes Orchestral Gala

Bright Eyes photo by Paparazzi by Appointment

How do you make the prospect of Bright Eyes playing with an orchestra that much more enticing? Answer, thy name is opening acts. And opening acts? Thy names are Yo La Tengo and M. Ward.

Ward, as you may recall, has long been a companion to Conor Oberst, opening tours for the young troubadour stretching back to the Lifted days, and even doing that three-sensitive-dudes-with-guitars triptych tour along with Conor and My Morning Jacket's Jim James. Yo La Tengo, as you may recall, have been making music since Conor was a toddler.

Both will set the stage for Bright Eyes and the Los Angeles Philharmonic September 29 at the Hollywood Bowl. And although there are no immediate plans for either opener to receive orchestral backing themselves, who's to say whether Ward and Oberst will exercise their BFF-dom in some fashion, or whether Ira, James, and Georgia will dance a little jig to "Hot Knives"? Guess you'll just have to drop by to find out.

Bright Eyes also has plenty of shows sans string sections, Yo La Tengo have tacked some engagements onto their Freewheeling tour, and M. Ward's got himself a few gigs too. [MORE...]

The Slits' Return of the Giant Slits Reissued

Photo by Anton Corbijn

Chances are, if you know the Slits, you know Cut. That cover! Those songs! That influence! That cover! You're probably less familiar with what came next: The Slits followed Cut, their 1979 debut, with 1981's Return of the Giant Slits, an expansive pastiche of jarring punk, limber Afrobeat, and ghostly dub. The record was never released in the U.S. and rarely heard in the rest of the world, but with the Slits' recent return to the stage, the folks at Blast First (petite) want to change at least some of that.

On October 8, they're reissuing Return with new artwork, classic photos (like the one above) by noted lensman Anton Corbijn, and a bonus disc containing an interview and dub versions of a number of the original LP's tracks. All this should restore the neglected gem to its proper place: on your CD shelf next to Cut. [MORE...]

Marc Bolan's Birthday Celebrated With Reissues, More

September 16 will mark the 30th anniversary of the death of Marc Bolan, mastermind behind glam-rock titans T. Rex. Bolan died only a few weeks before what would've been his 30th birthday, and in remembrance of both anniversaries, a number of Bolan projects are underway in the next few weeks.

First up is "Souls We Miss", an exhibition of photographs of Bolan taken by the late Keith Morris. The photos will be exhibited at London's Redferns Music Picture Gallery for the seven weeks following September 14. On September 15, London's Shepherd's Bush Empire will host Marc Bolan: The Celebration, a concert featuring Marc's son Rolan, Marc Almond of Soft Cell, producer Tony Visconti, T. Rex tribute band T. Rextasy, Blondie's Clem Burke, and many more.

There are also several Bolan documentaries in the works, including a BBC 4 special, ITV's "20th Century Boy" airing September 8, and a BBC Radio 2 program on September 15. Apparently, the ITV special contains such revelations as the fact that Bolan lost his virginity at age nine. Whoa.

Then come the records, and there's a lot of 'em. Edsel Records will release a trio of T. Rex vinyl singles with previously unavailable tracks on each B-side. September 17 sees "Metal Guru" backed with an acoustic demo of "The Slider". The next Monday finds "Children of the Revolution" paired with a electric demo of "The Leopards". And October 1 finds "20th Century Boy" matches with "Teenager in Love", an acoustic duet between Marc and his longtime girlfriend, soul singer Gloria Jones.

Following on October 1, also on Edsel, is Live 1977 + In Conversation, a double-disc set consisting of live cuts and an interview. The first disc contains performances from the final T. Rex tour, with punk icons the Damned guesting on the encore of "Get It On". The In Conversation disc is culled from an interview conducted by Steve Wright with Bolan and Gloria Jones. It includes several acoustic on-air performances.

Finally, on October 15, Edsel will release Interstellar Soul, a three-CD set collecting exclusive tracks, home demos, and other rarities. The package will arrive in a numbered edition of 5000. A fantastic amount of tracklist information for these reissues is available after the jump. [MORE...]

Band of Horses, CSS, Bradford Cox Cover Grizzly Bear
Beirut's Zach Condon, Dirty Projectors also appear on new Grizz EP

Looks like Grizzly Bear have really seized their Friend opportunity. As the tracklist indicates, the quartet has turned its forthcoming, previously reported ten-track EP for Warp into a nice little variety pack compendium of all things Grizzly.

You've got Grizzly Bear covering other people's songs, represented here by their take on the Crystals' "He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)" (a Grizzly live staple). You've got other people-- including Band of Horses, Grizzly party pals CSS, and Atlas Sound (aka Deerhunter's Bradford Cox)-- covering Grizzly Bear tunes. And you've got an assortment of one-offs and alternate versions, including a "Choir Version" of Horn of Plenty cut "Alligator" featuring Beirut boy wonder Zach Condon and Dirty Projectors.

Friend drops November 6. Peruse the star-studded tracklist, as well as the latest round of Grizzly Bear tour dates, just after this web speed bump here. [MORE...]

Photos: Dirty Projectors / YACHT [Chicago, IL; 09/01/07]

Dave Longstreth looks like a big cock. No really; between the carefree crest of hair erupting from his brow and the man's penchant for straining his already long neck, the Dirty Projectors mastermind really does resemble an overlarge rooster. In keeping with the analogy, he's flanked by a pair of prized hens on guitar and bass, who heed Longsteth's secret language of neck-stretches and somehow keep up with his almost-random-seeming guitar scrapes (dude also flips his righty guitar into a lefty). The present combo is rounded out by a volatile drummer, although I'm not quite sure where he fits into this corny chicken coop setup.

Of course no one makes music in a vacuum, but a case can be made for Dirty Projectors being one of the most innovative and original acts organizing sounds into patterns today-- fractured bits of math rock and R&B being but two of the many strains that course through their songs. And like anything on the fringe, they're not for everyone: Longstreth's bleats (okay, so he's a rooster who sounds like a goat), at their bleatingest, make Joanna Newsom sound like Sade. But the group achieved a rather glorious synergy at moments, performing rejiggered versions of newer tunes here at Chicago's Beat Kitchen, as well as a bunch of selections from the forthcoming Black Flag reinterpretation disc Rise Above (out September 11 on Dead Oceans).

Old Projectors pal YACHT opened, doing his best to incite a fairly tepid Chicago crowd into believing the title of his latest LP: I Believe in You. Your Magic Is Real. Some bought into it fully and danced with abandon, others just watched with amusement, befuddlement, or disinterest. Give YACHT a gold star, though, for taking it into the crowd to compensate for some sound hiccups.

Dates for both acts and more photos ahoy!

DIRTY PROJECTORS






YACHT



[MORE...]

Faint, Spank Rock, Flosstradamus Play L.A. Fest
With Kid Sister, A-Trak, Crystal Castles

L.A.'s Exposition Park is home to plenty: A science center, a sports arena, a big ol' plane, and at least a few passed-out USC sophomores just a few steps from their nearby beds.

Rise and shine, Biology Bob: September 29, you'll be awoken by the Neighborhood Festival, a daylong event bringing notables like the Faint, Spank Rock, Crystal Castles, Shit Disco, Amanda Blank, Aaron Lacrate, Squeak E. Clean, and Santo Gold to the 'hood. The Chi has a pretty good showing at the event, with Flosstradamus, Kid Sister and the Montrealian man both Kid Sister and Kanye share-- A-Trak-- each making appearances. But really, this fest is all about L.A., with local club stars Steve Aoki, DJ AM, Mickey Avalon, Brother Reade, Squeak E. Clean, and many more also appearing.

Remember that Aoki mix album we posted about earlier today? Yeah, this is basically the festival version of that.

Animal Collective Kick Off Fall Tour Tonight

What a year 2007's already been for the noisemakers of Animal Collective. With tour after tour, solo project after solo project (your move, Geologist), cool video after cool video, it seems the premium pop-experimentalists have done all they can with '07-- and they haven't even dropped their album yet!

But no spin through the calendar pages is complete without a fall tour, and the lads of Animal Collective-- in whatever configuration, playing whatever album-after-the-next-album they see fit-- have got one for us, all right.

Rolling over North America before heading to Europe in October, the Collective will kick out the Strawberry Jams (or will they?) to all those willing to open their ears and furrow their brows. Those of you who prefer to keep your animals in captivity can take in Strawberry Jam in the comfort of your own cage September 10 in the UK and September 11 in the U.S., thanks to Domino. (Or you can get the whole thing on Rhapsody now.) Either way, you'll find them flinging fireworks at the places after the jump. [MORE...]

Bjork Preparing Live-ish Album, Adds Dates

Hey! Remember the time Björk toured the globe and there were lasers and exploding columns of flame and an all-lady brass section? Well hold tight to those memories, because Björk has a live album on the way, but from what we gather it won't quite be like that.

Instead, according to the swan princess's website, this will be a "Live Session Album", recorded a few weeks back at London's Olympic Studios and featuring Björk's present live band (so at least we'll get the brass section, plus the electronic-gizmo-handler people).

No word yet on such silly matters as titles, tracklists, release dates, formats, labels, and the like, but hey, the very notion of a Björk live album's existence is enough to take to the water cooler.

And speaking of live Björk, Björk plays live at scattered dates throughout September. She's also added some shows in Mexico and South America. [MORE...]

No Age Sign to Sub Pop, Begin Work on New Album

Congratulations to No Age, the latest band to be whisked away into the loving arms of Sub Pop Records. The L.A. noize-pop duo recently released the excellent, spastic compilation Weirdo Rippers on Fat Cat, and they're in the studio as we speak recording their next full-length. Sub Pop hopes to release a new album in spring 2008.

In the meantime, No Age are keeping hella busy with a fall tour that takes them across the continent and back, starting in a couple of weeks. Drummer Dean Sprunt also runs PPM Records, which has a bunch of stuff in the works, including a CD from Melvins/Big Business/Locust collaborator David Scott Stone, the vinyl version of Eric Copeland's Hermaphrodite (the CD came out on Paw Tracks), and 7"s from Soft Boiled Eggies, Party Fowl, and Silver Daggers.

PPM will also release a DVD compilation of videos from the likes of No Age, Deerhunter, Xiu Xiu, and High Places in the coming months. [MORE...]

Band of Horses, M.I.A., Deerhunter Join CMJ Lineup
Plus: Papercuts, Bowerbirds, Professor Murder, St. Vincent, Matt & Kim, Imperial Teen

The musical circus known as the CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival has revealed even more of the acts that will grace New York City stages from October 16-20 as part of its festivities.

New additions to the lineup include Band of Horses, M.I.A., Deerhunter, Bowerbirds (who are on Pitchfork contributor Grayson Currin's label), Papercuts, Professor Murder, Flosstradamus, Imperial Teen, St. Vincent, Lifetime, Matt & Kim, Fog, Vampire Weekend, Meat Puppets, Prince Paul, Rock Plaza Central, Georgie James, Aa, Takka Takka, Jennifer O'Connor, Old Time Relijun, Centro-Matic, Joan as Police Woman, Z-Trip, Yo Majesty, Get Him Eat Him (fronted by Pitchfork contributor Matt LeMay), Clockcleaner, AIDS Wolf, Sightings, Palomar, Nashville Pussy, Catfish Haven, Ecstatic Sunshine, Wooden Shjips, O'Death, Mike Kinsella, the Apes, the High Strung, Earthless, Celebration, Japanther, the Black Hollies, HEALTH, Le Loup, De Novo Dahl, Yip Yip, Lewis & Clarke, Gowns, Dengue Fever, Scissors for Lefty, Radio 4, the Warlocks, and more.

Just as a reminder, the rest of lineup includes Spoon, Xiu Xiu, Deerhunter, Dan Deacon, Justice, Simian Mobile Disco, Marnie Stern, Jesu, Islands, Mates of State, Devin the Dude, No Age, the Ponys, Crystal Castles, Brother Ali, the Brunettes, MSTRKRFT, A-Trak, UNKLE, Little Brother, British Sea Power, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, KavinSky, and Ruins.

In addition to all of these artists, there are still plenty of lineup announcements forthcoming.

Waits, Spektor, Metallica Play Neil Young School Benefit
Plus: Jerry Lee Lewis, Eddie Vedder, Tegan and Sara, Kronos Quartet

The headbang sure has come a long way since "Great Balls of Fire", and to demonstrate just how far, Metallica and Jerry Lee Lewis will soon rock the very same stage. For the kids!

Yes, it's the latest Bridge School Benefit-- the 21st annual, to be sure-- put together by Neil Young. Young's wife Pegi co-founded the school, which, according to its mission statement, seeks "to ensure that individuals with severe speech and physical impairments achieve full participation in their communities."

Along with Metallica and Mr. Lewis, Young will also perform at the October 27-28 event, as will Tom Waits (joined by Kronos Quartet!), Regina Spektor, Bridge School Benefit vet Eddie Vedder (joined by Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers), and Tegan and Sara. Also: John Mayer. The two-day fundraising bash takes place at the Shoreline Amphitheater near San Francisco.

Neil Young, as previously reported, has a new album on the way titled Chrome Dreams II. It's due October 16 from Reprise, and according to Mr. Young's website, the new LP will come bundled with a bonus disc at select retailers. In a Pumpkins-esque move, different retailers' bonus discs will each house a different preview track from "The Riverboat", a live disc from the forthcoming Neil Young multi-disc set Archives Volume 1, planned for release early next year.

In addition to the Bridge School Benefit, Young also plays Farm Aid at NYC's Randall's Island on September 9.

Charlie Louvin Tours, Issues Live Disc

We music writers toss a lot of words around lightly: "transcendent," "epic," "boners." But when we refer to someone as a "legend," we're often going a little far. Sure, your band slogged it out on the DIY touring circuit, playing VFW halls and surviving on ramen noodles. But did you sign your first record deal in 1947, count Johnny Cash as a fan and Elvis Presley as an opening act, and have your songs covered by the Byrds, Uncle Tupelo, and the Raconteurs? I don't think so.

So believe me when I tell you that Charlie Louvin is a legend. The 80 year-old country mainstay has released dozens of albums both with the Louvin Brothers-- the group he formed with his late sibling Ira some 60-odd years ago-- and on his own, including this year's self-titled, star-studded LP.

On October 30, Louvin will release a live album on Tompkins Square, recorded at a May 2007 performance at Cincinnati's Shake It Records. And, as befits a guy putting out a disc showing off his live prowess, he'll tour the U.S. for a month starting in mid-September, sharing a few dates along the way with Ms. Lucinda Williams. [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.)