Portishead's Third Gets Tracklist, New Release Dates

Front page photo by Eva Vermandel

People of the world, Gloomsday hath cometh. Break out the black raiment, finesse those frowns, and purge your minds of all happy thoughts come April 28 (UK) and April 29 (U.S.), as those are the dates we can now expect Portishead to unleash their latest paean to pain and misery, Third.

The April 28 UK unveiling is updated from a previously reported April 14 release date, while the April 29 U.S. date is entirely new. Mercury/Island will ensure Third finds a place on record store racks, which haven't seen a Portishead disc of any kind since 1998's live offering PNYC.

A lot has changed in 10 years, but Portishead's penchant for parsimonious song titles apparently hasn't. The tracklist for Third, printed in full below, is comprised almost entirely of single- and double-word names; it also includes all those enticing-sounding tracks the Pop Group's Mark Stewart recently sampled.

And how about that cover up there? Beauty in simplicity, I suppose.

Portishead's European trek begins March 26 in Portugal, and the trio has added A Hawk and a Hacksaw and Kling Klang as support on mutually exclusive dates. They'll also headline Coachella on April 26, and let's hope that's but the beginning of their travels on these shores this year. [MORE...]

Baroness Tour With Converge, Genghis Tron

More like Baron-yessss, right, ya'll?

Savannah, Georgia's own Baroness-- they of last year's most kickass Red Album and general metal-based mayhem besides-- will wrap a few European dates this weekend, hash out the details for some proposed East Coast, Southeast, and Texas dates, and prepare themselves for joining forces with Converge, Genghis Tron, and the Red Chord for a three week tour kicking off in late March that could be best described as "loud." Oh, right, also: "awesome." That oughta cover it. [MORE...]

Gnarls Barkley Share Odd Release Date, Video Plans

Gnarls Barkley's follow-up to 2006's St. Elsewhere now has a release date. Downtown/Atlantic will release The Odd Couple on April 8, a date still far enough away to keep a tracklist at bay.

Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse are also in the planning stages of the new album's music video assault, starting with one for first single "Run". Filmmaking team Happy is directing that one, and "Gone Daddy Gone" director Chris Milk will take the reins to the video for second single (already?!) "Who's Gonna Save My Soul".

Gnarls are currently planning an American and European festival tour for this summer, but their only confirmed date so far is a headlining show at the Hollywood Bowl in, of course, Hollywood on July 27.

And for a reminder of how odd a couple they really are, check out the new Gnarls press shot above. Something borrowed, something blue indeed.

John McCain's Daughter: Music Blogger
"I love the vibe and emotion I get from music... I take that energy and run with it."

"Back in my past life," admits 23-year-old Meghan McCain in a recent posting on McCainBlogette.com, "I wanted to be a music journalist."

McCain is the daughter of Arizona Senator and Republican presidential hopeful John McCain, but don't think she's abandoned those music journalism aspirations completely. As one of the three women behind McCainBlogette.com, the potential future First Daughter and her pals have taken it upon themselves to share a series of playlists "of the songs we just can't get enough of."

As young McCain writes, "I love the vibe and emotion I get from music...I take that energy and run with it."

Please, Meghan, tell us what we should be listening to!

Hmm, ok: David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Beach Boys, Madonna, Jay-Z, the Smiths, Björk, Kanye West, the Cure, T. Rex, the Velvet Underground, 2 Pac and Dr. Dre, Elliott Smith, Modest Mouse, TV on the Radio, JAMC, Tom Waits, the Roots, Pulp, Blur, Ladytron, Spoon, Iggy and the Stooges, Goldfrapp, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, "Young Folks", and something called "Lilly Allen", among many others. Hey, we can't argue with those-- and all paragons of Republican values.

But Meghan knows a thing or two about irony. "An interesting thing happens when you're a music fan," she writes in a February 8 posting. "There's always some great irony in between life and art. I posted a link to the Ramone's [sic] 'My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)' yesterday and some people seem to think there's some message in the fact that it was written in part as a criticism of a trip President [Ronald] Reagan made to Bitburg, West Germany in May 1985.

"Wow...I happen to like the song and figured it was a bit of an edgy choice considering the content...BUT those of you who know that, also probably know Johnny Ramone was a proud Republican and big fan of President Reagan who insisted the title of the song be changed to its refrain. So if you've been following along with us these last few months, you already know things aren't always what they seem on the Blogette...enjoy the song...love the irony... and keep watching... it's only bound to get more fun!" Well, um, that settles that, clearly.

And if dad should worry? Burt's got his back.

The Gutter Twins Kick Off Tour Tonight
Add a ton of European dates

Though they've been slowly oozing details and the occasional track over the past several months, tonight, the sludgy stuff pouring out of the Gutter Twins is really gonna start flowing.

This very evening in New York City (happy Valentine's Day, kiddies!), the duo of Screaming Tree/Soulsaver/Queen of the Stone Age/Isobel Campbell collaborator Mark Lanegan and Afghan Whig/Twilight Singer Greg Dulli will play the first of a pretty massive string of dates they've got lined up over the next few months in North America, the UK and Europe. Since the last time we checked, the band have added a ton of European gigs, and, as always, more menace.

P.S. Doesn't Mark Lanegan look kinda like Hellboy in that picture up there? Eerie.

The Twins' debut, Saturnalia, is due March 4 from Sub Pop. [MORE...]

Matmos Announce Supreme New Album

As our own Mark Richardson said in his recent Forkcast post about new song "Rainbow Flag", experimental electronic duo Matmos have largely eschewed the lavish, overarching concepts of previous records in favor of something simpler on Supreme Balloon.

While adhered to just as strictly, Supreme Balloon's concept is just "a lighthearted 'cosmic pop' record made entirely out of synthesizers," according to Matador's missive about the record. The label will release Supreme Balloon in the U.S. on May 6 and in the UK/Europe the day before. And not just any synthesizers: "the exotic and antiquated synths used on the record heavily spotlight the classic 60s/70s/80s consumer electronic rigs of Arp, Korg, Roland, Waldorf and Moog, and feature modular systems from Electro-Comp, Doepfer and Akai (hell, even a stylophone and a Suzuki Omnichord show up)."

The duo of M.C. Schmidt and Johns Hopkins English professor/occasional Pitchfork scribe Drew Daniel are joined by several contributors on Supreme Balloon, including Sun Ra Arkestra member Marshall Allen, electronic music artists Jon Leidecker (aka Wobbly), Jay Lesser, Matthew Curry (aka Safety Scissors), and Keith Fullerton Whitman (aka Hrvatski), and pianist Sarah Cahill. And on the bonus track "Hashish Master" (available on iTunes and vinyl only), minimalist legend Terry Riley.

Although the full tracklist isn't available yet, the album will include the previously mentioned "Rainbow Flag", as well as "Mister Mouth" and a "'cover' of French baroque composer Francois Couperin's 'Les Folies Francaises'", according to Matmos' website.

In live land, Matmos will perform four times in NYC next week, but, this being Matmos, none of them are traditional concerts. The first, taking place February 18 at the Advent Lutheran Church, is "A So Percussion event with M.C. Schmidt performing 45' for a Speaker by John Cage," according to Matmos' MySpace. The next three are all at John Zorn's space the Stone, as part of a month-long series curated by Zeena Parkins. On February 21, Blevin Blechdom and Chris McIntyre will perform, joined in some capacity by Schmidt and/or Daniel. On February 22, Schmidt will join Lesser and Nate Boyce in Phase Chancellor, "an improvisational 3 synthesizer trio". And finally, on February 23, Matmos will perform two sets, playing stuff from the new album as well as a "'cover' of 'The Backyard', the final act of the Robert Ashley tele-opera 'Perfect Lives'".

Also: Drew Daniel's 33 1/3 series book about Throbbing Gristle is out now. [MORE...]

Sir Richard Bishop Blasphemes All Over New DVD

God Damn Religion! No wait, I didn't say it, I swear! It was him! The one over there with the gnarly beard and the six-string! Also, I'd check the papers on that knighthood if I were you...

That's right, Sir Richard Bishop has a DVD coming your way, and it bears the rather bold head-turner of a title seen above there. If the name alone makes you queasy, just reading about the contents will most certainly result in a lost lunch. But look at you, you're reading on anyway. Don't say you weren't warned!

In the man's own words, God Damn Religion is "a diabolical experiment in hypnotic mind control-- a phantasmagoric presentation of demonic and divine imagery, meticulously assembled and designed to put the viewer into an altered state of darkened awareness...If you ever wanted to go to hell and back, this film will get you halfway there."

But wait, it gets better: "Some viewers may find the imagery used in my movie to be disturbing, but that's the idea. Contains some strong sexual content (as all true religion should). Not for the weak-minded, faint of heart, or those suffering from occasional seizures."

Whatever your feelings on the subject, you'd do well to check out God Damn Religion when the DVD hits shelves via Locust on February 26. Sir Richard Bishop fanatics can rejoice in knowing they will not only receive a provocative film with their purchase, but also a CD of their guy's out-of-print, 2006 vinyl-only release Elektronika Demonika (music from which also appears in the film).

God Damn Religion will screen a few places as well, including the Cake Shop in New York City on March 4.

And while some might chide this "Bishop" for blasphemy, let none accuse the guy of sloth. After unloading two albums in quick succession last year and playing live a whole bunch, Bishop is already back at it, touring the Old Countries right now with Earth. He'll also appear at the Suoni Per Il Popolo festival in Montreal this June with brother and fellow ex-Sun City Girl Alan Bishop. [MORE...]

Broken Social Scene Expand Tour
They're going to Russia and Turkey!

Broken Social Scene seem pretty damn tight for such a loose-knit bunch, but they must be a little tired of the frequent farewells they have to give each other after every one-off and chance run-in. So, in the spirit of band unity and togetherness and all that mushy stuff, the Scene have thrown a whole new leg onto their previously reported tour, making it months before they'll have to say those farewells.

In addition to the previously reported string of dates around Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Singapore, the band are headed to Taiwan, Mexico, Turkey, Luxembourg, Russia... and, um, your more standard rock show locales, like the UK, France, and the States.

As previously mentioned, they'll make appearances at the Explosions in the Sky-curated ATP Festival and Bonnaroo. I bet when these kids play a festival, they get two artist trailers.

And, while we're touching on Scene unity, know that Brendan Canning's solo LP-- bearing the Broken Social Scene Presents stamp-- will appear via Arts & Crafts May 27. [MORE...]

Vetiver Share Covers LP Info, Tour With Jayhawks Dude

Photo by Alissa Anderson

Hey, remember that "all-covers LP" Andy Cabic and his Vetiver gang were cooking up way back when? Seems it's well on its way to a listening device of your choosing, complete with title, tracklist, release month, and all those other vital stats your analytical mind craves.

A Thing of the Past is the rather appropriate title Vetiver have given to their tribute to assorted songs of yesteryear. In addition to previously mentioned covers of jams by Hawkwind, Townes Van Zandt, Elyse Weinberg, Biff Rose, and "Spirit in the Sky" guy Norman Greenbaum, the set also includes takes on tunes by Michael Hurley, Ian/Iain Matthews, and Bobby Charles, among others.

Look for this Thing in shops come May (exact date TBA) bearing the Gnomonsong stamp, and listen closely for guest appearances from Vashti Bunyan, members of the Chapin Sisters, and Hurley himself (who sings on Vetiver's "cover" of his own "Blue Driver" and contributes mock trumpet elsewhere).

That Vetiver remix 12" on Gnomonsong is out now, while Cabic continues writing new material for the next, non-cover-centric Vetiver album.

Perhaps you'll hear some of the new stuff as the band hits the road this March and April, where they'll be pulling double duty on founding Jayhawks member Gary Louris' tour. Vetiver will both open and act as the backing band for Mr. Louris, so go easy on 'em, eh? [MORE...]

Lou Reed, David Byrne, Antony Play Iraq Peace Benefit
With Blonde Redhead, Scissor Sisters, Laurie Anderson, Moby, Norah Jones

Believe it or not, there are still some folks out there who don't think the decision to invade Iraq was such a good one! Relegated to the outskirts of society, these rabid peaceniks have seen zero representation for their way of thinking in any of the major political parties or their respective pundits. And for good reason, since the Iraq war is going so splendidly. Why would anybody want to complain about it?

On March 18 at Brooklyn's St. Ann's Warehouse, a bunch of these weirdos will gather for SPEAK UP!: A Benefit Concert for Peace in Iraq & Justice at Home. They will be entertained by the likes of Lou Reed, David Byrne, Antony, Laurie Anderson, Blonde Redhead, Scissor Sisters, Damien Rice, Moby, Bill T. Jones, and Norah Jones, among others. The performers "will be joined by speakers from the worlds of politics, media, war, and social justice in a call for action," according to the St. Ann's website.

The evening, which marks the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq war, will also feature a photo exhibit by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders of portraits of injured soldiers.

(Via BrooklynVegan.)

sBACH (Hella's Spencer Seim) Signs to Suicide Squeeze
Sebastian Bach ponders lawsuit for about five seconds before returning to text messaging Axl Rose

Man, this new project from Spencer Seim sounds Hella crazy! Seim, guitarist and founding member of cacophonous Californians Hella, has a new little thing on the side he's calling sBACH.

According to a press release, Seim "promises to have no idea what the record will sound like until he sits down to record." (Though, uh, "kinda crazy" is probably a safe bet, even this far out.) We did note, however, that his MySpace claims "sBACH makes music only old people can hear." Hey, kinda like that other S. Bach!

Suicide Squeeze will release Seim's debut August 19, with an sBACH tour to follow. Since those dates have yet to come to light, and Hella don't seem to be up to much now, we will encourage patience, in ourselves as well as in others.

Battles Sketch out Spring Tour

Photo by Sanchez and Kitahara

So casserolin' with Rachael Ray (and, alas, SXSW at large) is a no-go for Battles. In fact, from what we can gather at the moment, it won't be until late April that the frantic foursome hit another stage, when they make their way to Coachella.

But they've added plenty of dates after Coachella including a brief European tour, a few UK dates (including their appearance at the Explosions in the Sky-curated ATP Festival), a trip to Bonnaroo, and a few U.S. gigs to follow.

But what are they gonna do with their time off? Come up with fancy new intra-band handshakes? Study each other's movements under a microscope in order to better lock in those trusty grooves? Hold a bake sale to raise money to get John Stainier's kinda inhuman cymbal-arm extended even further? Record another kickass space-prog LP? These Battles aren't saying much. (And when they are, it sounds like a crazy alien talking!)

In other Battles news, they recently popped up on Rough Trade's Counter Culture 07 comp. [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.)