Wu-Tang Clear First Legal Beatles Sample!!
30 years of sampling culture spontaneously combusts

Photo by William Kirk

We knew RZA could be persuasive, but convincing the Harrison Estate and the Beatles to allow Wu-Tang Clan to be the very first group ever to legally sample the Beatles (!!?!) would be an impressive feat for a Supreme Court attorney. Nonetheless, the Clan accomplished this mission somehow (we imagine RZA and GZA bugging the Beatles in their Coffee & Cigarettes voices: "Hey Paul McCartney!" "Hey Ringo Starr!").

The sample comes from the George Harrison-penned "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and is featured on the Wu's "Gently Weeps", from their forthcoming new album, 8 Diagrams. The song was originally thought to be just a partial cover of the Beatles track, albeit one featuring both Harrison's son Dhani and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' John Frusciante playing guitar. Now, it's obviously something more.

Also, the group thanks Erykah Badu "for helping bring this song to life" in its website missive about the sample clearance. Might the wrap-wearing soul singer also appear on the track?

The Wu-Tang charm appears to have not worked as well on their record company, SRC, though, who will now release 8 Diagrams on December 4 instead of the original November 13 release date.

The Wu have announced the states and most of the cities of their upcoming fall tour, though the venues remain unrevealed. Their first show is in Miami on October 20. Exactly one week earlier, RZA and GZA will appear at that previously reported San Francisco chess festival/tournament, and in December, GZA will make up for his canceled Liquid Swords performance in Brooklyn with two rescheduled dates in NYC. [MORE...]

Voxtrot Reschedule Dates
In Texas, word is bond

Ever true to their indie popping word, Voxtrot have rescheduled a good portion of the shows they were forced to cancel to join Arctic Monkeys last month.

The Austinites will finish their October North American shows with 1990s and the Little Ones and then pick back up again on the West Coast in late November/early December. There's still no word on make-up dates for those postponed UK gigs, though. [MORE...]

Extra Golden's New Album Gives Thanks to Obama
That dude is so handy... he should be President or something!

The press materials for Hera Ma Nono, the forthcoming sophomore LP from the bi-continental benga-makers in Extra Golden, sport a line too inarguable not to quote: "POTENTIAL FUTURE PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS A FAN! ARE YOU?" Gosh, how are you supposed to argue with that?

Surely you've heard the tale of Senator Obama and his expert (some might say downright executive) employment of diplomacy in helping the Kenyan half of Extra Golden (Opiyo Bilongo and Onyango Wuod Omari) make their way to the States last fall. Knowing their time in the same room would be brief, since the other half of the band (Ian Eagleson and Alex Minoff) is American, the Extra Golden gentlemen headed up to the Poconos and, over five days, crafted what would become Hera Ma Nono-- Luo for "love in vain"-- out October 8 in the UK and the day after in the U.S. on Thrill Jockey in both CD and LP formats.

The eight-track album features a previously Forkcasted tune paying tribute to the helpful presidential hopeful. If we may be so bold as to suggest, "Obama" might make a pretty awesome campaign song. Though "Party Like a Rock Star" would suffice, too. Totally dude!

Right now, Extra Golden only have one show scheduled, and it takes place at the Stop Spot festival in Linz, Austria on October 26. [MORE...]

A Gift From the Arcade Fire, Coming This Saturday

This Saturday, October 6, the Arcade Fire will wrap up their blockbuster tour with LCD Soundsystem at an extravaganza on New York City's Randall's Island that also features Les Savy Fav and Blonde Redhead. But that's not the only Arcade Fire goodness going down that day.

If you've visited NeonBible.com today, you might have noticed a link to www.beonlineb.com (clever, guys!), which as of right now, only sports the words "Arcade Fire presents..." and "October 6th."

So what's going on? Well, we know, but we can't tell you. Rest assured, it's pretty fucking cool. Definitely keep your browsers at the ready.

And hey, you were already spending this week in a state of heightened anticipation, so what's a little more excitement? [MORE...]

Photos: Built to Spill [Edmonton, Alberta; 09/29/07]

Photos by Aaron Vanimere

Whether at a demon's whim or not, Built to Spill rolled into Edmonton's Starlite Room this past weekend as part of their umpteenth never-ending tour of one arbitrary epoch or another. If you can believe it, an end is in sight: this latest run wraps up October 6 in Seattle. But then it starts back up again just two months later, with a run Down Under.

Catch the remaining dates and some more hot Martsch-on-guitar action below.






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Nina Nastasia and Jim White Tour Together

Telepathically conjoined duo Nina Nastasia and Jim White (he of the Dirty Three and Cat Power's Dirty Delta Blues band, among other things) have assembled a fall North American tour as carefully planned as their recently released You Follow Me LP (the one with the awesome cover art).

Of course, due to the nature of the music industry, the tour also happens to be in support of the album. Promotion! It's wild, right? This tour is special, though, as it marks the duo's first full-blown U.S. tour together.

The shows commence October 3 in New York City. [MORE...]

Neko Case Readies Trio of Reissues
Fox Confessor Brings the Blacklisted Lullaby

Between her solo career and her on-and-off onstage appearances with the New Pornographers, Neko Case's musical activity can be slightly unpredictable. And while she is definitely performing with the NPs on their current tour (next stop tonight, October 2, in Berlin), the rest of her fall is occupied with some well-deserved steps back into her recording past.

Anti- will reissue Case's previous three studio albums, including last year's excellent Fox Confessor Brings the Flood, on November 6. 2000's Furnace Room Lullaby (credited to Neko Case and Her Boyfriends) and 2002's Blacklisted (both originally released on Bloodshot) will both come unadorned with extras, but the Fox Confessor reissue will feature a bonus disc consisting of a demo of "Behind the House" and a four-song sampler of tracks from Blacklisted and Furnace Room. (What, no love for Neko's 1997 debut The Virginian? It's good!)

Case also has a pair of solo shows scheduled in November. [MORE...]

Photos: Magnolia Electric Co. / The Watson Twins [Boston, MA; 10/01/07]

Photos by Jason Bergman

Jason Molina and his Electric Company (no, not that one) have pulled out their St. Christopher medallions and hit the road, in support of their Sojurner box set on Secretly Canadian. Magnolia stopped through Cambridge, Massachusetts' Middle East club last night, with support from Jenny Lewis collaborators the Watson Twins.

More photos and remaining tour dates below. Molina heads out on a solo trek through Europe in November.

MAGNOLIA ELECTRIC CO.




THE WATSON TWINS



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Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donnelly Reunite for Shows

Perhaps it's not the full-on Throwing Muses reunion that band's slipped in and out of over the course of this decade, but it's still pretty great: Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donnelly, who together formed the creative center of the pioneering alt-rock group, will join up for a pair of shows at Boston's Brattle Theatre October 6. (This weekend? Man, good thing the Sox don't play 'til Sunday.)

As you probably know, both women have enjoyed successful careers apart from each other-- Hersh as a solo artist, and Donnelly as a solo artist and member of Belly and the Breeders.

The pair will play a solo set apiece before joining up onstage to close thing out. Hersh also has a mess of solo shows Down Under scheduled after her gig with Donnelly.

Thanks to reader Pete Savignano for the tip! [MORE...]

Rage, Bjork, Arcade Fire, LCD, Battles Play Big Day Out

A Pitchfork Media one-question multiple choice exam:

1) Big Day Out is:

A. A marathon.
B. A Madeline book.
C. A music festival that tours Australia and New Zealand in January and February, featuring a lineup this year that boasts quite a few impressive names.
D. Dogstar's new album.

It's "C" of course! (Isn't it always?) As for the aforementioned lineup, every date of the touring fest features the Arcade Fire, Björk, Rage Against the Machine, LCD Soundsystem, Battles, Dizzee Rascal, the Clean, and Billy Bragg, among others. Rage's appearance marks the first time their reunion tour has hit non-American shores.

The BDO schedule is after the jump. [MORE...]

Flaming Lips Plan Christmas in March
Easter Bunny grudgingly accomodates

The Flaming Lips are eyeing next March's South by Southwest film festival for the release of their long-forthcoming feature film, Christmas on Mars, according to a recent Billboard.com interview with frontman Wayne Coyne.

"It is coming. In fact, it's better than ever. Because it's taken so long, we've become better filmmakers. There's better computer effects. I think it will be much better," Coyne said. Come to think of it, it makes sense that the Lips would need to build UFOs before traveling to Mars.

After Christmas on Mars' SXSW premiere, Coyne mentioned that the band plans to take the film on a tour of some sort. "I want the Flaming Lips audience to shape this. It'll be like our live show, which evolves as it goes. We'll show it to the audience and let them talk out there on message boards, and then maybe we'll take that and go back and change it and put it out there again and see what they think. It'll be a different experience than sitting at home and watching a DVD, for sure. I don't know if a lot of bands can do that, but the Flaming Lips sure can."

Currently, Christmas is in the final editing stage. The band is also transferring it to HD and adding "in-depth special effects."

Coyne also referred to the possibility of an At War With the Mystics follow-up coming out next year, but he emphasized that finishing the film is the Flaming Lips' first priority. "I have ideas I think could spur a great new Flaming Lips concept and a new sound and things like that, but I feel like we have to finish Christmas on Mars before we jump into anything else. Hopefully we'll be able to do that [new record] next year, though."

Hey, remember when this movie was coming out around Christmastime 2002? Ah, those were the days.

Recently, the band has also contributed songs to movies in which they don't star. They contributed to The Heartbreak Kid and Good Luck Chuck soundtracks, and, according to the Billboard.com report, they have also recorded the theme song for an upcoming unannounced Disney cartoon.

The Lips have two tour dates left on their schedule: one tonight at Amos' Southend in Charlotte, North Carolina and then at the Echo Project in Fairburn, Georgia on October 12. But be careful-- the Charlotte show comes with a surgeon general's warning.

Photos: The Hives [Chicago, IL; 09/30/07]

Photos by Joseph Mohan

On Sunday night, Sweden's Hives gave the Chicagoans at Metro a chance to get up close and personal, before they shuffle off on Maroon 5 opening duties for most of the remainder of the fall. Fear not, though. Howlin' Pelle and the boys have several more headline gigs tucked into their lengthy itinerary with Adam Levine and his goons. They'll also return to Europe in late November.

The release date of the Hives' forthcoming Pharrell-assisted LP The Black and White Album has been pushed back since we last reported-- it's now coming out October 15 in the UK and November 13 in the U.S.

Dates and more photos ahead.








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