Club 8 Back Catalog Gets Expanded Reissue Treatment

Perhaps recent offering The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Dreaming served as your entry point to the wonderful, winsome indie pop world of Club 8. Or perhaps you've worn down your copies of the duo's numerous releases with play after loving play. Either way, great news for you! A hefty portion of the Club 8 back catalog saw reissue this week, bolstered by bonus tracks galore.

Longtime fans and new converts alike now have cause to snatch up expanded editions of 1998's The Friend I Once Had, 2001's Club 8, 2002's Spring Came, Rain Fell, and 2003's Strangely Beautiful, available now via Labrador (and distributed by Darla in the U.S.). No fewer than 18 bonus tracks in all populate the extended tracklists, available for eager eyes below.

What's more, Club 8 have several live dates lined up, with the next happening right about now in Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Labrador-- run by Club 8's male half, Johan Angergård-- has kept plenty busy in 2008. Most recently the label signed another Swedish duo, the Sound of Arrows, who will unleash the nine-track EP Danger! this May. A Sound of Arrows full-length will follow in the fall, and 2008 should also hold new Labrador releases from the Radio Dept. and Suburban Kids With Biblical Names. That's enough to keep our twee hearts a-pitter-patterin' straight on till winter! [MORE...]

Subtle to Hit the Road in May

Once May rolls around, Adam "Doseone" Drucker and the rest of his Subtle crew will take to both ExitingARM and entering clubs all over North America. The bizarre and frequently brilliant assemblage will take to the road in support of Lex Records' May 13 release of their third proper LP. Along for the ride in various opening band slots are Black Moth Super Rainbow, Efterklang, Slaraffenland, Fog, and Pit Er Pat.

One can expect more North American dates through June to emerge, and a trek to Europe is in the works. In the meantime, the band are hunkering down with Big Gulps, furiously coding that as-yet-unveiled ExitingARM website of theirs, and, of course, going about their business with more than a modicum of reserve. [MORE...]

Lil Wayne, Condom Spokesperson
"No vaseline" doesn't mean "no protection"

UPDATE: Image removed, sorry

Chronological thoughts upon seeing Lil Wayne's ad for Strapped Condoms [above]:

1) Anything promoting safe sex is commendable, right?

2) Something something obvious homoerotic implications something something.

3) Wait, why are we associating wrapping it up with criminal behavior??

We're just...stunned. Also, we'd be remiss not to point out the Strapped Condoms MySpace blog post titled "STRAPPED CONDOM LARGE ORDERS". Act now!

(Via XXL / Nah Right)

Lil Wayne has some tour dates too, but, like, whatever. [MORE...]

Earlimart to Issue Hymn and Her in July
Playing in Austin a lot next week for some reason

Earlimart are known for a few things-- palling around with the late Elliott Smith, a deft wit in the title department, being pretty good-- but they're not exactly renowned for their prolificacy. In fact, in their decade or so of existence, they've averaged about one album every two years, and the space between 2004's Treble & Tremble and last year's Mentor Tormentor was-- as you math majors have already worked out-- three years.

But that may well be changing. Having pared their lineup down to a two-piece for their last LP, Aaron Espinoza and Ariana Murray crafted its follow up, Hymn and Her, "rather quickly," and expect to have it out July 1on the Shout! Factory subsidiary Majordomo. What's more, the pair have made a vow to "release at least one record every fiscal year for the next 10 years. Or, unless Aaron and Ari decide that they don't want to," according to a press release. Cheeky.

Still, this fiscal year, we'll get Hymn and Her, recorded at the band's very own Ship Studio in Eagle Rock, CA. Due perhaps to its more spontaneous creation, the disc is described as the band's most "organic and diverse" set yet. Oh, sure, that's what you'll be telling us about the follow-up come tax time next year.

You'll have plenty of chances to sneak a peek at Hymn and Her at next week's SXSW. Beyond that, there's nothing in the way of tour plans, though between Austin and the album's release, "Ari will be busy writing her first musical 'Hop Sing'......some sorta kung fu/bob fosse thing............i'll be busy with volunteer work at the gas station......and working on my moustache............," according to a MySpace post from Espinoza. [MORE...]

Low Add Dates, Subtract Bassist
Related: Retribution Gospel Choir Add Dates, Subtract Bassist

Photo by Tim Soter

Their music may be slowcore, but their bass player situation is pure heavy metal. After just a few years handling the low-end of Low, bassist Matt Livingston-- himself the successor to Tool-touting, comics-crafting Zak Sally-- has left both Low and Alan Sparhawk's side project that goes to 11, Retribution Gospel Choir.

For the latest on this development, we take you to the official statement from Low:

"Low has lost another bass player. Mimi [Parker] and Alan [Sparhawk] are beginning to wonder if maybe THEY are the problem. Matt Livingston is no longer in Low and Retribution Gospel Choir. He is going through some personal situations right now that have made it impossible to remain with the band. Steve Garrington will be playing bass for both bands on tours coming up this year."

Greet Garrington and wish him luck on a whole mess of upcoming dates for both acts. Since our last report, Low have bookended their European jaunt with a few U.S. dates, while RGC have lined up an assortment of gigs on both sides of the Atlantic reaching into July.

Thanks to reader Jeremy Marshall for the tip.

Finally, don't forget the amped-up and rather awesome Retribution Gospel Choir arrives March 18 on Caldo Verde. [MORE...]

Report: Plug Awards [New York, NY; 03/06/08]

Text by Matt LeMay, photos by William Kirk. Above: Nick Cave

Last night, music fans young ("Indie rock? I love that!") and old ("Hey, cheap Nick Cave show!") packed New York City's Terminal 5 for the third annual Plug Awards ceremony. As an indie rock awards show with extensive corporate backing, the event was predictably awkward and weird; a cordoned-off counter set aside for "bloggers" bordered on self-parody, and the inescapable presence of the event's numerous sponsors made the awards' name seem oddly apt.

The presentation of the actual awards was almost hilariously anti-climactic-- big wins by the Arcade Fire (Album of the Year, Live Act of the Year) and Radiohead (Artist of the Year) were met with what could only be described as deafening "meh"s, and only a handful of winners were actually on hand to give brief and inadequately amplified acceptance speeches.

But host Patton Oswalt was gracious and good-natured throughout, tacitly acknowledging the hurried weirdness of the night but never appearing frustrated or bitter. Intermittent mixtape-themed videos provided by Michael Showalter may very well have been funny, but it was almost impossible to hear them over the crowd. Indeed, sound problems plagued the night; the volume of the show often fell just below the not-so-ambient noise of the crowd, with the exception of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' excellent, if too-loud, performance.

White Denim's set started the night on an appropriately haphazard note-- noise emanated from behind the curtain while Oswalt was still trying to make a handful of announcements. As the curtain rose, the band's drummer was flanked by a small group of clapping and shouting cronies; they plowed through two quick songs to a crowd that already seemed antsy fifteen minutes into the night. It wasn't clear whether their parting statement of "thanks for the exposure" was a tongue-in-cheek fuck you to a generally unresponsive and chatty audience, or an attempt at genuine gratitude somehow lost to the night's strange mood.

St. Vincent offered one of the more memorable sets of the night, performing three songs with remarkable confidence and charisma. I hadn't seen Annie Clark since back when she performed under her given name, and I was amazed at how well her music and stage presence worked at a venue as large as Terminal 5. Clark and her band worked seamlessly and forcefully in unison, mirroring the ebbs and flows of her music and keeping between-song delays to a minimum. She was rewarded with a win in the Female Artist of the Year category.

The Forms, who followed St. Vincent, did not fare so well, unfortunately. A short set at a large club with bad sound was definitely not the right environment for them, and cast their songs as generic rock band satire. (Their generic "The ____s" name and status as relative unknowns didn't seem to win them many points with the crowd, either).

Dizzee Rascal suffered almost the opposite problem. While the Forms dutifully performed their songs without engaging the audience, Dizzee's attempts to get the crowd enthused largely fell flat. Even a rousing rendition of "Fix Up, Look Sharp" was met mostly with blank stares and chatter.

José González played a lovely and very short set, but amidst the noisy crowd it was difficult to focus on his performance. By the latter part of the night, the rushed feel of the ceremony itself was beginning to get to everybody; I would be hard pressed to think of a worse environment for taking in González's subtle, attention-rewarding songs.

Ultimately, the night belonged to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, whose 50-minute, nine song set quickly laid waste to the stifled strangeness that had preceded it. It wasn't until Cave took the stage that the odd demographics of the awards show began to make sense. The second Cave appeared on stage, the bald spots dotting the crowd began bobbing up and down excitedly. Even Cave seemed to have just a bit of trouble settling into the night, but by his third song it was clear that we were in the presence of a master. In fact, the formal dress and unerring professionalism of Cave and his band put to shame the night's half-assed hipster approximation of awards show flair.

As the crowd shuffled out of Terminal 5, Cave's performance was clearly the favored topic of conversation, even among relative newcomers to Cave's work (myself, admittedly, included). Sure, the "indie rock trade show" atmosphere of the night was bizarre and a little upsetting, but if that's what it takes to put on a $10 Nick Cave show, maybe it isn't so bad after all.

P.S. Thanks a lot to everybody who voted for Pitchfork for the Music Website of the Year Plug Award. We're very happy to have won for the third year in a row!

More photos below, including a few from Bat for Lashes' pre-party set. [MORE...]

The Explorers Club Unveil Debut Album, Single

Beach-combing South Carolinians the Explorers Club have revealed the details of their debut album, Freedom Wind. Twelve servings of their summery sound are set for a May 20 release on the Club's recently found home, Dead Oceans.

"Do You Love Me?" is Freedom Wind's first single, and it will come out April 8 as a 7" with non-album tune "Carry Me" on the B-side.

The Explorers Club will also herald the album's release with a couple rounds of live dates, with the next gig going down tonight, March 7, in Atlanta. [MORE...]

Radiohead, NIN to Top Lollapalooza 2008 Bill?

Lollapalooza 2008 hits Chicago's Grant Park August 1-3, and it's looking like this year's fest has gone to the gloomy and the angry. A report on Chicago Tribune music critic Greg Kot's blog Turn It Up indicates that frequently unnerved Radiohead and perennially angsty Nine Inch Nails will be the guests of honor at Perry Farrell's next party.

According to Kot, "industry sources have confirmed that Radiohead has been booked as the centerpiece of the festival," not terribly surprising given all of Thom Yorke and company's other planned festival activity. Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails will occupy two of the fest's three nightly headlining spots, and it's doubtful anyone will bat an eyelash if Jack Johnson winds up with the third one.

Representatives for Radiohead and Lollapalooza have not yet responded to requests for confirmation. UPDATE: Both bands and Lollapalooza say that nothing can be confirmed at this time.

Foals Add Dates, Open for R.E.M.

Photo by Nilina Mason-Campbell

Though they hail from Oxford, England, pretty young things Foals haven't been shy about their overtures toward North American audiences. They're dropping their Antidotes on this side of the pond April 8 via Sub Pop (March 24 on Transgressive in the UK, lest you thought they'd forgotten their home completely), and despite a total lack of citizenship on their part, they've already endorsed a candidate for the presidency of the United States.

Soon, they'll do a little campaigning of their own, heading to North America in late April after some six weeks on the road in Europe. There are plenty of newly-added dates around the globe besides, including some in Japan, even more U.S. and Canadian gigs later in May, and a coveted slot opening for R.E.M. in London on March 24. Citizens of the world, these Foals. [MORE...]

Shellac Announce Rare Tour

The typical "record, release, tour, repeat" schedule has never played too well with the dudes in Shellac, but if their willingness to busy up their schedules for the first half of 2008 holds through the second half, Steve, Bob and Todd are gonna have an uncharacteristically productive year.

Shellac's next move is to South America, where they'll head later this month for a weeklong tour. The infrequent travelers must've grown some sealegs over the winter holiday, as they'll follow a month-long break after the South American dates with a trip to Europe in May and a lone French date in June.

After that, who knows? Another record, perhaps-- a follow-up to 2007's excellent Excellent Italian Greyhound? Holding one's breath is inadvisable in this matter.

Also, this is so awesome (Via Chicagoist / The Rich Girls Are Weeping):

[MORE...]

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...]

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

One of the most reliable names in quality indie rock has taken the plunge into the 00s. Merge Records-- home of releases from Arcade Fire, Spoon, Magnetic Fields, Neutral Milk Hotel, M. Ward, Caribou, the Clientele, Camera Obscura, Destroyer, and label founders Superchunk, among so many others-- launched its very own digital music store this week.

Releases available from the Merge digital store will come in high quality MP3 and CD-quality FLAC file formats, and soon, the label will offer full album art and liner notes as well.

In addition to its recent, classic, and readily available physical releases in digital form, Merge will be littering the store with new, exclusive, and out-of-print material.

The first such goodie is Superchunk's out-of-print 2002 live compilation The Clambakes Series Vol. 1: Acoustic In-Stores East & West, which hit the store this week. Then in April, the store will play exclusive host to a free Rosebuds remix album, featuring remixes of every tune on last year's Night of the Furies.

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.)