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Bjork Cancels Show, Plans New "Innocence" Single

Front page photo by Ashley Williamson

Björk's never been shy when it comes to belting it out, but that kind of dedication can take its toll. After a gig last night as part of the Sydney Festival, Björk was given doctor's orders to rest her swollen vocal cords. As a result, she's cancelled her appearance at the Big Day Out festival's Sydney stop tomorrow night (1/25).

It's hoped that Björk will recover in time for her appearance in Melbourne on the 28th, and no additional dates have been cancelled at this time. The Sydney Big Day Out will go on as planned, with every other act moving up in the roster. Because Björk's kind of a big draw, Big Day Out are offering ticketholders who don't want to attend a Björk-less Day Out a full refund, to be obtained at the point of purchase. Get better, Björk!

In what's becoming a trend for Björk of late, she's set to release yet another cut from Volta on a big, fancy 12"/CD/DVD single. The set is, again, limited to 10,000 copies, and will be available for preorder via One Little Indian in the UK starting January 29. The audio portion of your program features "Innocence" remixes from Simian Mobile Disco, Ghostigital, Alvo Noto, Jimmy Douglas, and Mark Stent, while the DVD features the winner and several runners-up from Björk's "Innocence" video contest.

Hey, and while we're at it, we might as well mention Travis Sullivan's Björkestra, whose Enjoy!-- a collection of Björk tunes reimagined for an 18-piece modern jazz orchestra-- is out this very moment on Koch Records. [MORE...]

Stream: Bjork: Innocence [from the Volta LP]

Posted by Paul Thompson in single, tour, cancellation on Thu: 01-24-08: 05:30 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

El Perro del Mar Heads From the Valley to the Stars

Photo by William Kirk

For her latest LP under the El Perro del Mar name, Sarah Assbring will spin her tales of romantic woe all the way From the Valley to the Stars.

The new album from the Swedish songstress is due in Scandinavia February 27 on Licking Fingers, and will head to the States April 22 from The Control Group.

Writing about the album in a press release, Assbring notes, "I wanted to make something as unfashionable as an album in the classic sense of the word in terms of its composition and the idea of a theme. The theme itself was initially something as simple yet complex as heaven and it led me into a wide and seemingly endless search for a means, a language in which to express myself. Although during this time I was, even though I mostly didn't realize it, following a certain train of thought that of love, grief and loss, solace and hope, deepest despair and wildest childish euphoria to the lowest and the highest of heights."

El Perro del Mar is joined at times on the 16-track record by members of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the Gothenburg Symphonic Choir. Gosh, she must like Gothenburg or something! Oh, yeah, right, she lives there.

Lead single "How Did We Forget?", which recently made an appearance over at Forkcast, is due as a digital download and 7" on Licking Fingers February 13. El Perro del Mar plan to tour behind the record, though those dates remain elusive for the time being.

Stream: El Perro del Mar: How Did We Forget? [from the From the Valley to the Stars LP]

Posted by Paul Thompson in album on Thu: 01-24-08: 04:40 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

The Dillinger Escape Plan Tour the World

The Dillinger Escape Plan are in the midst of pummeling the masses with their über-precise hardcore on a huge world tour that includes their first UK shows in over two years.

The tour is in support of their newest album, Ire Works, which hit stores last November via Relapse. At various stops, the Plan will play with Killswitch Engage, Poison the Well, and Between the Buried and Me, among others. The tour continues tonight, January 24, in Wichita, Kansas, and even more dates are still to come.

Also, the band just premiered the first Ire Works video, for "Milk Lizard". It's up right now on Headbangers Blog, the online home of MTV2's "Headbangers Ball", where the video will make its TV debut this weekend. [MORE...]

Video: The Dillinger Escape Plan: Milk Lizard [from the Ire Works LP]

Posted by Dave Maher in tour on Thu: 01-24-08: 04:15 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Barsuk Adds Goodies to Chris Walla's Field Manual
But you gotta act fast!

Take heed, adventurers! It won't be long until you can thumb through your very own copy of Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla's Field Manual, which lands in stores January 29 from Barsuk. But if you're fleet of foot and know where to look, you may even find yourself with a few extra chapters in your Manual.

If you order Field Manual from Barsuk's online store anytime from now 'til February 4, you'll be treated not only to Field Manual's dozen tracks, but bonus MP3s of "Like a Spark" and the 2006 demos of album cuts "Our Plans Collapsing" and "Sing Again".

Perhaps wary of crossing any borders, Chris doesn't have any plans to tour behind Field Manual at the moment. Death Cab, however, will play Coachella April 26. Their new album is in the works for a May release; a video of the band working on the record can be viewed here. [MORE...]

MP3: Chris Walla: Sing Again [from the Field Manual LP]

Posted by Paul Thompson in album on Thu: 01-24-08: 04:00 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Dean & Britta Drop Remix EP, Wareham Writes Memoir

Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips can add a few extra ampersands to the Dean & Britta moniker with Rounder Records' digital release of the Variations EP on January 29. The EP features a selection of tracks from last year's Back Numbers and one extra tune, "Song of You", remixed by producer Tony Visconti, My Robot Friend, Sonic Boom, and Phillips herself, among others.

Physical copies of Variations will be available on the duo's previously reported North American tour with Keren Ann, which kicks off February 7 in Boston.

A couple weeks after the tour ends, the Penguin Press will publish Black Postcards: A Rock & Roll Romance. The book is Wareham's memoir of his time in both Luna and Galaxie 500, and it hits shelves March 17. Can't stand the wait? Check out an excerpt in the February issue of Men's Vogue or online right here. [MORE...]

Video: Dean & Britta: Words You Used to Say [from the Back Numbers LP]

Posted by Dave Maher in EP, remix, book on Thu: 01-24-08: 03:50 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Arab Strap's Moffat Returns With NSFW New LP

I Can Hear Your Heart, the forthcoming, mostly spoken word album from ex-Arab Strap frontman Aidan John Moffat, is so vulgar you have to testify to your age (18+) in order to access its website.

The collection of poems and stories from the notoriously ribald Scotsman is accompanied by a book, Poop, that must be consumed before delving into Loop, the audio portion of Hear Your Heart. Moffat's none-too-sweet nothings come accompanied by sonic ephemera on the order of collages, crackles and song snippets, and, of course, a healthy sense of shame in any conscientious listener. The disc emerges February 5 on Chemikal Underground. Presumably in a paper bag.

On a slightly more SFW note, Moffat's band Aidan Moffat and the Best-Ofs plan to release their debut album sometime in 2008. That act, you might recall, had a tune on the recent Worried Noodles collection. Thank the deity of your choice they had David Shrigley's lyrics to work with there; one shudders at the thought of Mr. Moffat working with the term "worried noodle." [MORE...]

MP3: Aidan John Moffat: The Boy That You Love [from the forthcoming I Can Hear Your Heart LP]

Posted by Paul Thompson in album on Thu: 01-24-08: 03:20 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

James Blackshaw Reissues Back Catalog

Since last year's The Cloud of Unknowing (Pitchfork's 34th favorite album of 2007) introduced James Blackshaw and his formidable 12-string skills to a wider audience, fans exploring Blackshaw's back catalogue have been in for quite a dig. Some of the UK guitarist/composer's earliest limited-run CD-Rs and LPs have been out of print. But thanks to his current label Tompkins Square, four of those releases will again see the light of the laser and the prick of the needle on March 25.

2005's Sunshrine, 2004's Celeste, and 2004's Lost Prayers and Motionless Dances will all get individual CD releases, while all three, in addition to 2005's White Goddess, will be split between two vinyl releases (Celeste/Sunshrine and Lost Prayers and Motionless Dances/White Goddess).

JB will come to the U.S. for a handful of shows starting tomorrow, January 25. Then he'll play a bunch of UK and European dates before returning to the States to support his forthcoming new album.

And just this week, Important Records released The Garden of Forking Paths, a compilation curated by and featuring Blackshaw. [MORE...]

MP3: James Blackshaw: Sunshrine (excerpt) [from the Sunshrine LP]

Posted by Dave Maher in reissue, tour on Thu: 01-24-08: 03:10 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

HEALTH Prep New Single for Suicide Squeeze

Straight teeth, clear eyes, "Perfect Skin": they're all indicative of good health. And we can think of no one quite as full of vim and vigor as HEALTH themselves, the loud ones from Los Angeles.

The folks at Suicide Squeeze must be HEALTH nuts too, as they'll inaugurate their 2008 7" series with HEALTH's "Perfect Skin", a tune carved into solid blue vinyl and limited edition to 2,000 copies. The track, from the band's self-titled LP of last year, will be backed with a remix of the song by Curses!. Look for it February 19 in stores, or score a copy right now via the Suicide Squeeze website.

Cold and flu season though it may be, HEALTH are out on the road at the moment, with their long run with Crystal Castles looming. [MORE...]

Stream: HEALTH: Lost Time (Pictureplane Remix)

Posted by Paul Thompson in single, tour on Thu: 01-24-08: 02:55 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

At Last! The Scarlett Johansson Album!

It's here! The album we've been waiting for, breathlessly, all this time. Yes, I'm talking about Scarlett Johansson's Anywhere I Lay My Head, due out May 20 on Atco. And wait-what's this? It's not just ten Tom Waits covers? There's also an original track? Oh man!

Update: Apparently Stars Like Fleas drummer Ryan Sawyer also appears on the album.

As previously reported, ScarJo collaborated with TV on the Radio's David Sitek, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner, and Celebration's Sean Antanaitis on the album.

Album of the year, baby.

Video: Bob Dylan ft Scarlett Johansson: When the Deal Goes Down

Posted by Amy Phillips in album on Thu: 01-24-08: 01:27 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Photos: The Decemberists [Portland, OR; 01/23/08]

Photos by Nilina Mason-Campbell

You may recall back in November that the Decemberists cancelled their most ambitious tour to date: a series of two-night stands in a number of major cities, with one gig to show off their prog chops, and one to display their shorter pop ditties.

"The Long and Short of It Tour" was sadly nixed due to illness after only two dates, but Colin Meloy and crew re-emerged this week in their homeland of the Pacific Northwest with a quartet of shows neither long nor short. Last night Pitchfork caught up with the merry-making band of tunesmiths at Portland's Crystal Ballroom. Their two remaining dates are below, and that's about the long and short of it until Meloy drops his solo album in April.

THE DECEMBERISTS

[MORE...]

Posted by Pitchfork Staff in tour, photos on Thu: 01-24-08: 12:15 PM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Animal Collective Announce Spring Tour

Say what you will about Animal Collective-- "freakin' weirdos" is a popular choice-- but whatever you do, don't call 'em unreliable. Their 2008 laundry list seemed as daunting and insurmountable as my own (pesky grass stains!), but it's only January, and the band have already begun making good on a few of their promises.

They claimed a European trek and "at least one show in April in the USA" were in the works, and by golly, there they are, affixed to the band's tour itinerary. After a few March dates in Japan, the Collective will do their Stateside duty at Coachella, then head off to the UK and Europe as May comes to a close.

Rumors have also been floating around that a new Animal Collective EP titled Water Curses will land via Domino on April 8, but that has not been confirmed.

As for the rest of that stuff, well, that's what June is for. [MORE...]

Stream: Animal Collective: Various Tracks [live in Washington, D.C.]

Posted by Paul Thompson in tour on Thu: 01-24-08: 11:46 AM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

Cut Copy Show Their Colours on New LP, World Tour

Perhaps you caught "Lights & Music", the slinky, new wavey ditty from the Aussies in Cut Copy, over in Forkcast and wondered, "Hey, where can I get a little more of that?" Why, on the internet, of course! And, starting fairly soon, your local record shop.

Cut Copy's forthcoming sophomore set In Ghost Colours is due March 22 in their native Australia, April 8 in the U.S., and April 14 in the UK, one and all from Modular. The 16-track LP follows up Cut Copy's woefully-unreviewed 2004 debut Bright Like Neon Love. What's more, a digital single for "Lights & Music", featuring remixes of the track from Boys Noize and Superdiscount, is out right now.

And in case you'd wanna see the "Lights & Music" for yourself, there's all these Cut Copy tour dates, which find the band heading from Australia to the UK to Europe and finally to the States. They'll play a Modular showcase at SXSW and will hit Coachella as well. [MORE...]

Video: Cut Copy: Lights & Music [from the forthcoming In Ghost Colours LP]

Posted by Paul Thompson in album, tour on Thu: 01-24-08: 11:45 AM CST | Digg this article | Add to del.icio.us | Permalink

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