Rufus Wainwright Wants You to Turn the Lights Off

Front page photo by Akmal Naim

With three months of tour dates ahead of him, Rufus Wainwright will have plenty of time this year to showcase the theatrics he displays on Rufus Does Judy Live at Carnegie Hall. But one of his upcoming shows is a little more than entertainment.

On March 19, Wainwright will play an intimate, unamplified, candle-lit NYC benefit for Blackoutsabbath, an energy conservation initiative he is organizing. Simply put, he's proposing an intentional blackout for 12 hours from 12 noon to 12 midnight on June 21. Inspired by the 2003 blackout, it's intended to give people time to think of ways they can help the environment.

Part of the Blackoutsabbath plan is for people to make lists of their environmental solutions, which they would then post to their refrigerators and re-evaluate every year. Thus, to promote the initiative, Wainwright is asking fans to donate refrigerator magnets by either approaching him with the magnets at one of his upcoming shows or mailing them to him at the following address:

Rufus Wainwright
c/o MCT Management
520 8th Avenue, Suite 2001
New York, NY 10018
[MORE...]

Le Loup Tour, Play Dates With the Ruby Suns

Photo by Brian Stansfield

Le Loup may have trickily bypassed being lumped into the "Wolf band" trend by using French, but they have yet to circumvent the entire music industry. Thus, when they release an album, they follow it with a tour. And the band's next tour in support of the Godspeed-ily titled The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly is a big one, starting in Europe this week before sweeping through the U.S. in March, April, and May.

New Zealand's own the Ruby Suns-- whose Sea Lion arrives in March-- will join Le Loup for a big chunk of the Stateside jaunt. [MORE...]

Vampire Weekend, Times New Viking Join ATP vs. P4k
As does Jay Reatard

People, May is nearly upon us! Okay, not really, but the much-ballyhooed ATP vs. Pitchfork weekend of music-oriented mirth and diversion-- happening May 9-11 at Camber Sands Holiday Centre near Rye in Sussex County, England-- will be here sooner than you think.

Today we present three more reasons not to miss out. All in the Pitchfork corner, they are: totally obscure newcomers Vampire Weekend, hook-inclined noisemakers Times New Viking, and garage rock demigod-in-the-making Jay Reatard.

These latest additions will ship off to Camber Sands in May to join the rest of the gang, which now looks a little something like this:

Chosen by Pitchfork:

Vampire Weekend
Times New Viking
Jay Reatard
The Clientele
Jens Lekman
A Place to Bury Strangers
Yeasayer
The Hold Steady
Black Lips
Hot Chip
Les Savy Fav
No Age
Of Montreal
Man Man
Los Campesinos!
Caribou
Glass Candy
Dirty Projectors

Chosen by ATP:

Black Mountain
Born Ruffians
Howlin Rain
Harmonia
Car Sick Cars
Even
Redd Kross
Marissa Nadler
Deerhunter
Wooden Shjips
Meat Puppets
The Black Angels
Shit and Shine
Sebadoh
Ween
Pissed Jeans
Fuck Buttons
Apse

By now you know the drill: passes are £140 and include accommodations at Camber Sands' chalets, which feature private bathroom suites, bars, a swimming pool, restaurants, a supermarket, go-karting, mini-golf, and possible awkward morning run-ins with members of Ween. Tickets for the weekend can be purchased through All Tomorrow's Parties' website in blocks of four, six, or seven. (Blocks of five and eight are sold out.)

And one great ATP weekend deserves another, so Explosions in the Sky have their thing going down at Butlins Holiday Centre in Minehead, England some five days after ATP vs. Pitchfork wraps. Passes for that one are now completely sold out, but recent lineup additions of note include Raekwon, Okkervil River, Atlas Sound, the Field, and the Octopus Project.

Morrissey's Greatest Hits Collection Coming to U.S.

Quite a while in the making, Morrissey's Greatest Hits collection is coming to the U.S. March 25 on Decca. And, well, with a solitary exception, you'd have a real hard time distinguishing its tracklist from that of its overseas counterpart, which is out now.

The tracklisting for the U.S. Greatest Hits is identical to that of the UK version, and the limited edition bonus CD, Live at the Hollywood Bowl, is practically the same as well, with the lone addition of a U.S.-only bonus take on new single "That's How People Grow Up" from the same show. Like the UK version, the set will arrive on single CD, limited edition two-fer with the live disc, and a double vinyl edition.

Moz has big plans to hit the road in Europe later this year, and, of course, issue that new studio album now due in the fall. Plans so big, he's not even letting us in on 'em. Yet! [MORE...]

Blitzen Trapper Release iTunes, Tour EPs
Collaborative recordings with Fleet Foxes in the works

Photo by Jade Harris

As Blitzen Trapper gear up to take this Wild Mountain Nation (and Canada) by storm on tour starting this weekend, the Portland band is stocking up on the studio goodies for the fans.

First, there is their Live/Acoustic EP, which hit iTunes exclusively this week. It contains five songs, amongst them a single new original ("Going Wrong"). More originals grace the Trappers' other EP release, that previously reported tour-only CD they've prepared for the upcoming trek. On it are six brand spanking new, previously unreleased studio tracks.

Getting back to that tour, it begins February 22 in Seattle and includes stops alongside Man Man, Menomena, Mahjongg, Grand Archives, and others. Most of the dates, however, are with Sub Pop labelmates Fleet Foxes, and they will use the time together to record a collaborative Daytrotter session.

Speaking of Daytrotter sessions, one from last year was just posted this week, featuring the previously unreleased songs "Big Adventure", "Stolen Shoes", and "Preacher's Sister's Boy", the latter of which is also on the tour EP. [MORE...]

GZA Does More Swords, RZA Plans Gigs, Designs Gear

Attention, San Diego, L.A., and San Fran: the head to the Wu-Tang's Voltron body, GZA, is coming to your city to perform 1995's classic Liquid Swords in its entirety.

This trio of Cali dates finds the Genius swinging Swords and cutting clowns much as he did last year at the Pitchfork Music Festival, in London, and a couple times in New York. Bodies will drop, heartbeats will stop, and rhyme thoughts will travel at tremendous speed as the GZA tackles the 1995 classic in full. Come to think of it, that line about "natural blends of weed" will probably apply to the proceedings as well.

RZA has a few shows of his own lined up too. The one they call Bobby Digital will rock Brooklyn this weekend and head to Toronto next month, and he'll also drop by the Hollywood branch of Guitar Center before long for the unveiling of one hella sweet piece of swag, the Roland RZA/Forat Custom MV8800. Co-designed by RZA and audio guy Bruce Forat, the sampler/synthesizer is limited to a run of eight machines. They go on sale February 28 and will put you back nearly six grand, but the price includes a tutorial session with the RZA himself that very day.

RZA's also working on a new Bobby Digital album for Koch records, and will appear in the upcoming movie Gospel Hill with Danny Glover, Julia Stiles, and Angela Bassett.

In other news of the Wu, they recently wrapped their kickass (if RZA/8 Diagrams free) winter tour, U-God's suing the Wu Music Group over royalties for said 8 Diagrams, and the Tough Alliance recently showed some love (and their stripes) in tribute to a fallen Wu legend. [MORE...]

PJ Harvey to Issue "The Devil" Single

Front page photo by Kathryn Yu

Swooping down on CD, 7", and digital packets of data and such comes "The Devil", the third single from PJ Harvey's stark and stunning White Chalk LP. The tune will be backed with the previously unreleased track "Liverpool Tide", which NME reports dates back a decade. "The Devil" emerges March 10 in the UK on Island.

Polly Jean and her band have a handful of dates on the way at the moment, including one tonight in Melbourne, Australia. No plans to return to the U.S. right now, but we can watch her perform on the March 21 episode of Nigel Godrich's TV show "From the Basement".

And, should you need yet another reason to worship this woman, she and John Parish will meet yet again for their follow up to 1996's Dance Hall at Louse Point due later this year. [MORE...]

Pumpkins Add Dates, Corgan Sings for Hook's Freebass
New Smashing Pumpkins jam turns up on Guitar Center comp

Photo by Shervin Lainez

Wherefore art thou, Billy Corgan? It's been some six weeks since you and your Smashing Pumpkins last graced our news pages, but here you are again, with plentiful items of interest for your devotees.

First there is the matter of Freebass, the Peter Hook/Andy Rourke/Mani all-bass supergroup. Freebass, as you know, have been recording with a number of different vocalists, including ex-Stone Rose Ian Brown and the Charlatans' Tim Burgess. A BBC 6 Music report yesterday quotes Hook as saying, "We persuaded Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins [to work with us]." Mr. Corgan will, presumably, assist in the vocal capacity, as will Haven frontman Gary Briggs, UK singer Rowetta, and celebrity dope-dealer Howard Marks ("doing a rap," according to Hook). Oh boy!

Then there is the matter of new Smashing Pumpkins tune "Superchrist", which will appear exclusively on a Guitar Center compilation due from the retailer March 1. According to a Billboard.com report, said compilation will be rounded out by a bunch of bands comprised of Guitar Center employees. Oh boy!

And finally, of course, there is the matter of the Smashing Pumpkins' touring travels, which have expanded since our last report to include three stops in New Zealand and one in Adelaide, Australia. Oh etc. [MORE...]

Spoon Announce Spring Tour With the Walkmen
White Rabbits, too

Spoon photo by Matt Jordan, Walkmen photo by Natalie Kardos

In a teaming of two of the most nattily dressed bands in indie rock (at least in an Esquire magazine sort of way), Spoon and the Walkmen will hit the road together this April. Expect a run on well-tailored, high-quality button-down shirts just before the outing begins April 2 in Kansas City.

Up-and-comers White Rabbits will open the trek. They have also been known to go business casual.

Spoon have also added a few U.S. dates sans Walkmen and White Rabbits. The Walkmen have that tour with Vampire Weekend coming up as well, speaking of business casual.

And don't forget that just in time for the tour, Merge will release Spoon's "Don't You Evah" EP on April 8. [MORE...]

Arctic Monkeys' Turner Preps Last Shadow Puppets LP
Strings by Final Fantasy's Owen Pallett, production by Simian Mobile Disco's James Ford

Arctic Monkeys frontguy Alex Turner writes well into the margins, and it's no real surprise that-- even with his Monkeys' current "one album a year" average-- he's got even more to say than a single band can contain. So he's teamed up with old friend Miles Kane, formerly of onetime Monkeys tourmates the Little Flames and presently of the Rascals (not the "Good Lovin'" Rascals, mind), for a forthcoming LP.

Calling themselves the Last Shadow Puppets, Turner and Kane will release their debut, The Age of the Understatement, via Domino on April 21 in the UK and May 6 in the U.S. The disc features production from Simian Mobile Disco's James Ford (who also helmed the sessions for the last AM disc), and packs in 12 tracks. Orchestration was provided by another young talent: Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy, who conducted the 22-piece London Metropolitan Orchestra for the recording.

The world will get a glimpse of the Last Shadow Puppets on April 15, when Domino unleashes a single for title track "The Age of the Understatement" in 7" and digital formats.

First the first time in some time, there's not a whole lot else going on with those Arctic Monkeys at the moment, though their own Matt Hedlers did recently remix the Hives, so that's something. [MORE...]

Dalek Tour With Russian Circles, RJD2
Young Widows join in the fun as well

Starting now, February becomes a loud month, as noise-hoppers Dälek and headbanging Chicago now-duo Russian Circles join up for a U.S. tour that will take them from Chicago to Rockford, Illinois (with, admittedly, quite a few stops in between). The jaunt kicks off tonight at the Windy City's Subterranean.

Both groups have plenty of shows following the tour. For Dälek, those shows include a run with RJD2 and a bunch of gigs in Europe (including pretty much every nook and cranny of France). For Russian Circles, who release their new album Station May 6 on new label Suicide Squeeze, the shows are at SXSW and with Red Sparowes beyond.

Jade Tree UPDATE: THEY JUST SIGNED TO TEMPORARY RESIDENCE post-punkers Young Widows will join Dälek and Russian Circles for all dates of the joint tour. And speaking of Jade Tree, the label released Paint It Black's New Lexicon today, which features production by Dälek's Oktopus. [MORE...]

Black Mountain, Bon Iver Kick Off Joint Tour Tonight
NPR to stream tonight's gig, 4AD to issue Bon Iver' album in UK/Europe

Black Mountain photo by Jessica Miller

From Forever Ago to way off In the Future, they'll flock: Jagjaguwar labelmates Black Mountain and Bon Iver kick off their joint North American tour tonight at Washington, DC's Rock and Roll Hotel. From there, the two entities will bring their potent blend of arresting, atmospheric folk and punishing hard rawk to stages far and wide for three weeks or so before jointly making their ways to SXSW.

And if you're not available for a trip to the District this evening, feast your ears on this: NPR's All Songs Considered Live in Concert series will bring the whole streamin' thing to its website starting tonight at 9 PM EST. And, if you've been unable to make it to a North American record shop today to pick up the Jagjaguwar reissue of Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago, 4AD will bring the disc to the UK and Europe May 12.

Bon Iver recently added a few Midwestern dates in April to follow his brief post-Mountain run with Phosphorescent, so we've got those if you're looking for 'em. And Black Mountain's "Don't Run Our Hearts Around" (along with tracks from Ladyhawk and Vetiver) appears in Murray Siple's shopping cart racing flick Carts of Darkness, which is making the festival circuit at present.

And, hey, speaking of the festival circuit, Black Mountain will join the rest making the rounds at the ATP vs. Pitchfork festival in early May. [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.)