Epic Hugeness of a Muse Show, Coming to CD/DVD
Subscription to Harp magazine, AARP membership not included with purchase

London's Wembley Stadium is a big-ass place, and it takes an awfully big-ass band to fill it. On two consecutive evenings last June, a big-ass (some more delicate writers might opt for "epic") band by the name of Muse sold out the 75,000-capacity Wembley. And now, those two big-ass concerts have become one big-ass CD/DVD set. They're calling it HAARP, and it's due March 17 in the UK and April 1 in the U.S. on Warner Brothers Records.

The CD was lifted from their gig June 16 of 2007, while the DVD documents the following night's work. In another fine big-ass band tradition, the setlists don't seem to change too much from one night to the next, and the set favors more recent material over their pre-Absolution days. Still, it's a whole lotta Muse, without the annoying half-hour queue for a pee.

And, hey, it would only be appropriate to line up some high profile live dates to coincide with the concert release, eh, gents? Indeed. Muse will head to the United Arab Emirates and South Africa in March before their set at a Teenage Cancer Trust benefit gig in London come April. They'll also headline both days of England's V Festival in August.

They plan to craft their fifth proper LP, the follow up to 2006's Black Holes and Revelations, for a 2008 release. Do it big, Muse. [MORE...]

Video: Muse: HAARP trailer

Merge Launches Digital Music Store
Kicks off with exclusive/out-of-print releases from Superchunk, the Rosebuds

RTX Hit the Road
Jennifer Herrema to appear in Alia Raza film with Kim Gordon

OMG, RTX! WTF? I hear you had to cancel a bunch of dates after guitarist Brian McKinley broke his hand! Ah, but the bones are mended, and you're ready to rock anew? Splendid. And you're already doing so! Man, even better.

Former Royal Truxer Jennifer Herrema's long-running jamfest set off on a little March tour earlier this week, with plans to cover quite a bit of ground before the month is up. Like a lot of bands, they'll be bakin' in the heat at South by Southwest, and like a lot of rockers, Herrema herself will appear (alongside Kim Gordon, Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark, and others) in Alia Raza's short film Pure White Light.

And now, RTX, CYA. [MORE...]

Video: RTX: Balls to Pass [from the Western Xterminator LP]

The Moondoggies Sign to Hardly Art

Photo by Nate Pits

Sub Pop spawn Hardly Art has welcomed Seattle quintet the Moondoggies into the fold. That makes four signings for the label this year alone, which begs the question: Does Hardly Art know something we don't? Is music going out of style?!

Right, so...probably not. But either way, the Moondoggies will release their debut full-length on the label later this year, and they have a handful of hometown and Portland dates scheduled for the next two months, starting with a Seattle show tonight, March 6. [MORE...]

Stream: The Moondoggies: Various Tracks

Lindstrom Announces Debut Solo Album

Photo by Tyler Grisham

As an intimate acquaintance of Hans-Peter Lindstrøm's oeuvre, you may have seen this story's headline and thought to yourself, "Wait a minute, you jokers are forgetting 2006's It's a Feedelity Affair. Didn't you already report that as his solo debut?" But no, you haven't caught us in a web of lies.

Though it was indeed of LP length, Feedelity Affair was a collection of previously released Lindstrøm 12"s. The Norwegian soundscape architect won't make his official solo full-length debut until the June 2 release of Where You Go I Go To on Feedelity/Smalltown Supersound. The LP consists of all previously unreleased material, and Lindstrøm's Smalltown Supersound labelmate Kim Hiorthøy designed the album's artwork.

(We're also not forgetting about 2005's Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas, because that wasn't a Lindstrøm solo album, now was it?)

This news comes mere days after we reported the formation of Strømland Records, Lindstrøm's new label with Smalltown Supersound founder Joakim Haugland.

Lindstrøm will give a one-off preview of Where You Go I Go To with his single SXSW performance at the Smalltown Supersound showcase. The show takes place at Austin's Thirsty Nickel on March 12, and Lindstrøm's set will consist of Where You Go from start to finish in its entirety. Then, in the next couple of months, Lindstrøm has a few others shows scattered throughout Europe. [MORE...]

Stream: Lindstrom: Let's Practise [from the Let's Practise single]

Jenny Lewis Pals the Watson Twins Sign to Vanguard

Perhaps you know the Watson Twins as those two ladies just behind Jenny Lewis on their collaborative Rabbit Fur Coat LP. Or maybe you know Chandra and Leigh Watson from their 2006 EP Southern Manners. Perhaps you even heard one of their tunes on the popular doctor-based soap opera "Grey's Anatomy". But whether they're familiar faces to you or just a couple of girls who look a lot alike, allow me to introduce you to a new Watson Twins: recent Vanguard Records signees the Watson Twins, that is.

Indeed, the Kentucky-raised, L.A.-based Watson Twins will issue their debut full length, Fire Songs, for their new label June 24. The disc, produced by Russell Pollard (Sebadoh, Alaska!) and J. Soda, will find the Twins in fine folkie company, with new labelmates like Doc Watson and the Band's Levon Helm. Their more immediate next move, however, finds them joining up with the ironic moustache set down at SXSW. (That almost makes them CocoRosie! Ba dum dum.) They will be only be performing new material at SXSW.

In other Watson Twins news, their take on Neil Young's "Powderfinger" was recently released on the (almost) all-female Cinnamon Girl tribute LP. [MORE...]

Stream: The Watson Twins: Various Tracks [from the Southern Manners EP]

Danger Mouse Producing New Beck Album

You'd think a resume that includes collaborations with Cee-Lo, the Rapture, MF Doom, the Black Keys, Sparklehorse, the Good, the Bad & the Queen, and the late Ike Turner would be enough for Danger Mouse. But nooooo! He has to go and blow all of those projects out of the water with his highest profile partner* yet: Beck.

That's right, according to a HARP report (via URB.com) confirmed by Danger Mouse's management, the two weirdos are working together on Beck's follow-up to 2006's The Information.

This is in addition to all that recent Gnarls Barkley video craziness, not to mention their new album. You know, Mr. Mouse, it's okay to take a break once in a while. You're making everyone this side of Madlib look bad.

* not counting Jay-Z and the Beatles

Video: Gnarls Barkley: Run [ft. Justin Timberlake] [from the forthcoming The Odd Couple LP]
Video: Beck: Timebomb [from the Timebomb single]

Old Time Relijun Preach to the Choir on Tour

Photo by Michael Elvin

The weather's getting a little warmer, and the spirits have started to reawaken after a long winter's hibernation. That can only mean one thing: Time for a big ol' tent revival!

And who brings more reverent excitement in service of the Lord or whoever than Washington State's Old Time Relijun? Arrington de Dionyso and friends, still fresh off last year's completion of their Lost Light trilogy (my, how these relijius nuts love their trinities) with Catharsis in Crisis-- which featured Pitchfork's 98th favorite song of 2007, "Indestructible Life!"-- are headed out on quite an evangelizing mission this spring, which will span continents and openers and hopefully at least one instance of speaking in tongues. It's crazy when that happens! Catch your share of the fervor at the following spots. [MORE...]

MP3: Old Time Relijun: Indestructible Life! [from the Catharsis in Crisis LP]

Death Cab, Decemberists, Breeders Hit Oregon
Update: Modest Mouse, the National not yet confirmed

It's not a festival per se, as it's got no fancy name to call its own (well, okay, at least part of it is the "Wells Fargo Concert Series", but that's not really a festival, and is definitely not a stellar name), and there's no particular financial incentive to not pick and choose which days you'd like to attend and which you'd rather sit out.

Still, over Memorial Day weekend at Bend, Oregon's Les Schwab Theater, some fine fine bands are coming to the very same spot, and if you'd like, a single ticket will give you access to all of 'em. You know, like a festival!

And just who is playing this nifty non-fest, you query? Well, there's Michael Franti & Spearhead on Friday night, May 23, with a special guest still waiting in the wings to be revealed. The next evening, May 24, sees Death Cab for Cutie headlining a bill that also features the Decemberists and Rogue Wave. The thing wraps up Sunday evening, May 25, with the Breeders opening (opening?!) for soon-to-be R.E.M. tourmates the National and the evening's headliners Modest Mouse.

UPDATE: The event promoters sent out a premature press release. Modest Mouse and the National have not been confirmed for the May 25 show yet. 

Whatever you want to call it, that's a pretty sweet lineup. According to a press release, these performances feature the bands "in their only Oregon shows," but since Death Cab are already scheduled to play Eugene on April 19, and Rogue Wave are playing in St. Helens on August 20 with Jack Johnson, we'll take that with a grain of salt.

Why? Launch Massive Tour Tonight
Hey, why not?

Photo by Jacob Hand

If you happen to notice a pack of Wolfs at your door sometime between tonight and June, well, take shelter at the nearest possible venue. It's Why?, the genre-defying chatterboxes set to afflict you with their Alopecia March 11 on Anticon. (It's out now in Europe on Tomlab.)

Yoni and Josiah Wolf and the rest of their set kick off their world tour tonight in San Francisco, which leads them across North America until mid-April, and then heads to Europe in May and June. Along the way, they'll meet up with a really strange and stellar crew for support, including Cryptasize, YACHT, Son Lux, Panther, and other like-minded oddballs.

Note that amidst all the other dates, Why? will field any and all queries next week at SXSW. Why, you might just see them there! [MORE...]

MP3: Why?: The Hollows [from the Alopecia LP]
MP3: Why?: Close to Me (Cure cover)

Ted Leo Announces Spring Dates

Photo by Akmal Naim

Ted Leo has laid pretty low recently, spending his rare bit of time between tours filling his website's news section with seasonally appropriate political screeds and helping out some buds over at the WFMU radio station.

But Ted and his merry band of Pharmacists will return to the road this spring, starting with a pair of near-St. Patrick's Day dates in Massachusetts with Celtic punks Dropkick Murphys.

Then, in April, they will keep the Irish theme going by starting a tour there in the homeland, before heading off on a two-week trek across Europe.

UPDATE: The final four shows of the tour, all in Spain, have been cancelled. [MORE...]

MP3: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: Nothing Much to Say (Live on Fair Game)

Wilco, Bright Eyes, Wrens on Rock the Net Compilation
Also: Portastatic, DJ Spooky, They Might Be Giants, more to come

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.)