Pitchfork Music Festival Tickets ON SALE NOW

Ladies and gentlemen, start your web browsers! Tickets for the 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival-- bringing music lovers the world over to Chicago's Union Park July 18-20-- are available right now for the purchasing via TicketWeb.

As in past years, we have ticketing options for people of all festival-going persuasions. Gunning for that one cherished act? The $30 individual day pass is the one for you. Weekend warrior? Opt for the $50 two-day Saturday/Sunday pass. In it for the long haul? Stretch your dollars for all they're worth with the $65 three-day full festival pass.

In case you need a reminder, here are 13 reasons to get your tickets RIGHT NOW:

Friday, July 18:
Pitchfork Music Festival and All Tomorrow's Parties present Don't Look Back

Public Enemy performing It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

Saturday, July 19:

Animal Collective
!!!
Vampire Weekend
Dizzee Rascal
No Age
Atlas Sound
Fleet Foxes

Sunday, July 20:

Spiritualized
M. Ward
Boris
Extra Golden
El Guincho

Pitchfork's Guide to SXSW 2008

Hundreds of millions of bands playing hundreds of millions of venues* in Austin, Texas over four nights-- you didn't think we were going to send you into that mess without a little guidance, now did you?

So here we are again with a primer/handbook/tipsheet/what you will for the 2008 South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival, which begins today (Wednesday, March 12, yo) and runs through Saturday, March 15.

We're ignoring the innumerable day parties here (Pitchfork does not condone partying, after all) and focusing exclusively on highlights from the official nightly music showcases and daily panels.

Naturally, we can't cram every last deserving act into this thing, so consider the SXSW Music website your friend as well. Festival organizers have assembled a thorough and fairly straightforward list of showcases here (try sorting by day), and many performing artists have bios, photos, and free mp3s available for download. Poke around a bit; you never know what you might find.

The Pitchfork news staff is headed down to Austin early this morning, so regular news updates will be suspended until Monday, March 17. We'll be posting daily SXSW diaries though, so watch this space.

With that out of the way, we now take you to Pitchfork's SXSW guide:

* not actually hundreds of millions bands or venues, but it sure feels like it

Wednesday, March 12:

Day Stage

Planningtorock, A Place to Bury Strangers, Akron/Family, Ra Ra Riot, Saul Williams

Showcases

** Domino Records: Simian Mobile Disco, These New Puritans, Lightspeed Champion, Sons & Daughters, the Kills, White Williams - Antone's
** Austin Music Awards: Okkervil River featuring Roky Erickson - Austin Music Hall
** Ola Podrida, Bowerbirds, David Karsten Daniels, Peter and the Wolf - Central Presbyterian Church
** Shearwater - Club de Ville
** The Slits - Elysium
** The Lemonheads performing It's a Shame About Ray - Emo's Annex
** K Records: The Blow, Kimya Dawson, Saturday Looks Good to Me, Mahjongg, Jeremy Jay, Karl Blau - Emo's IV Lounge
** Knitting Factory: Dan Deacon + Jimmy Joe Roche's Ultimate Reality, Japanther, Free Blood, Wizardzz, Meneguar - Emo's Jr.
** The Black Keys, Autolux, Be Your Own Pet - Emo's Main Room
** Bun B - Fuze
** Stones Throw / Duck Down: Percee P, Kidz in the Hall, Guilty Simpson - Habana Annex Backyard
** Cardboard Records: Parts & Labor, Gowns, Ecstatic Sunshine, Pterodactyl, Shooting Spires, These Are Powers - Habana Calle 6
** Paper Bag/Upper Class/XLR8R: Cadence Weapon, the Acorn, the Russian Futurists, the Cansecos - Habana Calle 6 Patio
** Modular: The Tough Alliance, Cut Copy - Karma Lounge
** Van Morrison - La Zona Rosa
** Free Yr Radio: Simian Mobile Disco, Yeasayer, Times New Viking - La Zona Rosa
** eMusic: Bon Iver, Frightened Rabbit - Maggie Mae's Rooftop
** Frenchkiss: The Dodos, the Big Sleep, the Plastic Constellations, Fatal Flying Guilloteens - Mohawk Patio
** Almost Gold / Fenway Sessions: Peter Morén - The Parish
** Naked Raygun - Red Eyed Fly
** Orange Twin: Dark Meat, Elf Power - Spiro's
** Steve Reich showcase, hosted by Steve Reich - St. David's Church
** R.E.M. - Stubb's
** Smalltown Supersound: Lindstrøm, Kim Hiorthøy, DiskJokke, Bjørn Torske, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Arp - The Thirsty Nickel
** Afro Punk/Matrix Saul Williams - Vice

Thursday, March 13:

Panels

Keynote: Lou Reed - Austin Convention Center
Interview: Seymour Stein (Sire Records founder) - Austin Convention Center
Interview: Steve Reich/Thurston Moore - Austin Convention Center
Panel: "Through the Lens: Photographers on Musicians" with Michael Azerrad, Autumn de Wilde, etc.
Panel: "The Moment of Truth" with Superchunk/Portastatic's Mac McCaughan, Nada Surf's Matthew Caws, Hanson's Taylor Hanson, etc.
Panel: "Widening Hip Hop's Global Reach" with Sway, etc.

Day Stage

The Hood Internet, Cadence Weapon, Murs, White Williams, the Cool Kids, the Blow

Showcases

** Spoon, Del the Funky Homosapien - Auditorium Shores Stage
** NPR: My Morning Jacket, Yo La Tengo - Austin Music Hall
** AM Only/IHeartcomix/Deaf Dumb and Blind: Beauty Bar Backyard: Working for a Nuclear Free City, Boyz Noize, Thieves Like Us
** Anti/Utne Reader: Man Man, Islands, DeVotchKa - Cedar Street Courtyard
** Caldo Verde/Proxy Media: Mark Kozelek, Retribution Gospel Choir - Central Presbyterian Church
** Ninja Tune/Counter: Ghislain Poirier, TheDeathSet - Elysium
** Relapse: High on Fire, Genghis Tron, Vverevvolf Grehv - Emo's Annex
** We Are Free: Yeasayer, Indian Jewelry, Ponytail, Pit Er Pat, Le Loup - Emo's IV Lounge
** Swami: The Night Marchers, Dan Sartain - Emo's Jr.
** Kork Agency: Jens Lekman, Islands, Howlin Rain, the Octopus Project - Emo's Main Room
** Upset the Rhythm: No Age, High Places, Gowns - Habana Annex Backyard
** Table of the Elements: Northampton Wools (Thurston Moore) - Hideout
** Secretly Canadian/Jagjaguwar/Dead Oceans: Black Mountain, Jens Lekman, Bon Iver, Evangelicals, Bodies of Water, Phosphorescent, Parts & Labor, Citay, the Explorers Club, Throw Me the Statue, White Hinterland - Mohawk and Mohawk Patio
** El Guincho, Fuck Buttons - Red Eyed Fly
** The Social Registry: Blood on the Wall, Sian Alice Group, Psychic Ills, Samara Lubelski - Room 710
** Def Jux/Dirtee Stank: Dizzee Rascal, El-P, Devin the Dude & the Coughee Brothaz, Jammer, Newham Generals - Scoot Inn
** Siltbreeze: Times New Viking, Psychedelic Horseshit, Blues Control, Pink Reason - Soho Lounge
** Jay Reatard, Fucked Up, the Raveonettes, Dark Meat - Vice
** NME: YACHT, Holy Fuck, Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip - Wave Rooftop

Friday, March 14:

Panels

Interview: Mick Jones (The Clash) and Tony James present Carbon/Silicon
Panel: "Resolving Webcast Fees"
Panel: "The Blog Factor" with Sleater-Kinney's Carrie Brownstein, Matador Records' Gerard Cosloy, etc.

Day Stage

The Slits, El Guincho, Lykke Li, Lemonheads, Bodies of Water, Cut Copy, Kim Hiorthoy, Georgie James

Showcases

** Constantines, Vampire Weekend, DeVotchKa - Antone's
** Sub Pop: No Age, Blitzen Trapper, Fleet Foxes, Handsome Furs, the Helio Sequence, Pissed Jeans, the Ruby Suns, Grand Archives, Kelley Stoltz, Sera Cahoone, Love as Laughter - Bourbon Rocks and Bourbon Rocks Patio
** Bowery Presents: Tapes 'n Tapes, Rogue Wave, the Little Ones - Cedar Door
** Bug Music: Lyrics Born - Cedar Street Courtyard
** Asthmatic Kitty and friends: Castanets, My Brightest Diamond, Cryptacize - Central Presbyterian Church
** Big Shot Touring: White Rabbits - Club de Ville
** Kill Rock Stars: Mika Miko, Panther, Telepathe - Emo's IV Lounge
** Leafy Green Booking: Akron/Family, the Dodos - Emo's Jr.
** Biz3 Publicity: Clipse, Kid Sister, A-Trak, the Cool Kids, Flosstradamus, Crystal Castles - Emo's Main Room
** Super Deluxe: Human Giant, Eugene Mirman, Todd Barry, Janeane Garofalo, Brian Posehn - Esther's Follies
** Panache/Lovepump United: The Mae Shi, HEALTH, Old Time Relijun, Apes, RTX, Mika Miko - Flamingo Cantina
** Ernest Jenning: Dälek, O'Death - Friends
** Polyvinyl/Team Love: List Christee (Kevin Barnes of Of Montreal), Tilly and the Wall, Headlights, Aloha, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Habana Calle 6 and patio
** FM3 - Hideout
** M for Montreal: Krief, Nadja, Plants and Animals - Maggie Mae's
** The Great Escape Festival: Lykke Li - Maggie Mae's Rooftop
** Ecstatic Peace: Thurston Moore (with band and with Northampton Wools), J. Mascis, Be Your Own Pet, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Sightings, Samara Lubelski, Leslie Keffer - Mohawk and Mohawk Patio
** Sway - Molotov Lounge
** Rob da Bank and Friends: Lykke Li, Born Ruffians, Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip - Ninety Proof Lounge
** Billboard: Robyn - Pangea
** Merge: Destroyer, She & Him, Shout Out Louds, Radar Bros., Wye Oak, Portastatic - The Parish
** Atlas Sound, White Rainbow, Valet, Fuck Buttons, Jana Hunter, Knyfe Hyts - Prague
** It's GRIM Up North: Enslaved - Red 7 Patio
** Solid PR/Sailor Jerry: Man Man, Fucked Up, Paint It Black - Scoot Inn
** WFMU: Half Japanese, Citay, Evangelista, the Homosexuals, Lexie Mountain Boys, Psychedelic Horseshit, Gary Higgins - Spiro's and Spiro's Amphitheater
** N.E.R.D., Santogold - Stubb's
** X, Daniel Lanois, Dizzee Rascal - The Bat Bar
** Super Deluxe: Human Giant, Janeane Garofalo, Todd Barry, Eugene Mirman, Brian Posehn - The Velveeta Room
** A Place to Bury Strangers - Wave Rooftop

Saturday, March 15:

Panels

Interview: Ice Cube and DJ Pooh
Interview: Daryl Hall
Panel: "It's Not Easy Being Green" (environmental issues in music)
Panel: "Vinyl Revival"
Panel: "'16' Magazine and the Birth of Music Journalism" with Taylor Hanson, etc.

Day Stage

HEALTH

Showcases

** Jarboe, Nadja - The Ale House
** Ice Cube, Jean Grae, Pete Rock, Talib Kweli, Lyrics Born - Auditorium Shores Stage
** David Banner, Murs - Austin Music Hall
** Summer Lovers Unlimited: The Tough Alliance, the Homosexuals - Beauty Bar
** Indie 103.1: A Place to Bury Strangers, Neon Neon - Cedar Street Courtyard
** Jandek, Christina Carter (Charalambides) & Shawn David McMillen, the Weird Weeds - Central Presbyterian Church
** Saddle Creek: Tokyo Police Club, Two Gallants, Georgie James, Neva Dinova - Dirty Dog Bar
** Oya Festival / Oh My Rockness: Shining, Hanne Hukkelberg, Videohippos - Emo's Jr.
** X, the Raveonettes - Emo's Main Room
** Tomlab/Anticon: Why?, Hey Willpower, Thee Oh Sees, Son Lux, Misha - Lamberts
World's Fair: Maggie Mae's Rooftop - British Sea Power
** Free Agency / Todd P: High Places, Ecstatic Sunshine, Matt & Kim, These Are Powers, Ponytail - Mohawk and Mohawk Patio
** DFA/Metromix.com/GBH: Still Going, Holy Ghost!, Digitalism, Planningtorock - Pangaea
** Arts & Crafts: Los Campesinos!, Constantines, Jason Collett - The Parish
** Load: Clockcleaner, Sightings - Scoot Inn
** Cock Rock Disco/Deathbomb Arc: Jason Forrest - Scoot Inn Inside Stage
** Jim James, M. Ward - St. David's Church
** Soundexchange/Mojo: Roky Erickson, Okkervil River - Stubb's
** URB/Squeak E. Clean/Vans/Soundexchange: GZA, Wale, NASA - Stubb's
** Graveface: Black Moth Super Rainbow, Laura Gibson - The Thirsty Nickel
** Fool's Gold/Matrix: Chromeo, A-Trak, Kid Sister, Flosstradamus - Volume
** NME: Crystal Castles - Wave Rooftop

The Wrens' Charles Bissell Joins Okkervil River
Okkervil River backing Roky Erickson tonight in Austin

Wrens photo by Matthew Solarski, Okkervil River photo by Akmal Naim

Big doings in camp Okkervil River. Tonight at the Austin Music Awards, taking place at the Austin Music Hall, they'll play backing band for the legendary Roky Erickson. That will kick off a series of four SXSW appearances, which will be bittersweet for the band: they're the last shows Okkervil River will play with guitarist Brian Cassidy as a full-time touring member.

See, Cassidy and his wife Megan are expecting their first child, and Cassidy has chosen being a dad over being a rock'n'roller. (Probably a wise decision). Okkervil frontman Will Sheff said in a press release, "All the sadness we're feeling about Brian's not being able to tour with us for the foreseeable future is outweighed by our happiness for him and his family."

Cassidy's replacement? None other than Charles Bissell of the Wrens! Well, for now at least. Bissell will accompany Okkervil River on the road throughout the spring and summer, including on their spring trek with the New Pornographers.

In the fall, Okkervil River will look for a permanent replacement. Which means the Wrens can finally get back to work on their new album. Right guys? Right?

(P.S. If you tune in to WNYC today around 2 p.m. Eastern, you just might hear Will Sheff on "Soundcheck", chatting about SXSW with some dork from Pitchfork News, provided her plane arrives on time.) [MORE...]

White Rabbits Become Radiohead's Labelmates on TBD
Dave Matthews becomes their boss

Joining the likes of Radiohead, Underworld, and, you know, Radiohead at ATO subsidiary TBD Records are none other than Columbia, Missouri-born, NYC-bred White Rabbits. The band, whose Fort Nightly gained a good following around these parts circa its release in May of last year, will release their second album on their new digs in early 2009.

Impressive company, sure, but the Rabbits are used to that sort of thing by now. Peep, if you will, this giant list of tour dates they've got lined up for the next quarter, with shared bills aplenty with Spoon, the Walkmen, Guillemots, and Loney, Dear. [MORE...]

Cloud Cult Feel Good About New Album, Tour

Though April 8 marks the official release of Cloud Cult's sixth LP Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornados), let me help you help yourself. If you want to, you can order the disc via Cloud Cult's website and listen to it right this very second. Or, you can skip on down to your local record mart April 8 and greet these Ghosts head-on.

Whether you opt for patience or haste, your (physical) copy of the Cult's follow-up to last year's The Meaning of 8 will arrive via the band's eco-friendly Earthology imprint. And, of course, it will be full of the kind of genre-skipping electronic-tinged symphonic swell these Minneapolitans have made their own over the last five LPs. So it's win-win!

In the most environmentally-friendly way they possibly can, Cloud Cult are on the road, sharing a bill with My Brightest Diamond before a spate of shows at SXSW and a full-blown tour in April and May. Just make sure to mind the splatter: Cloud Cult are known to perform with a live painter. [MORE...]

Midnight Juggernauts, Dystopia Hit UK, North America

Their name is more than likely familiar to anyone with a fondness for the rockier side of dance music circa this very moment, but despite their notoriety (due in no small part to famous fans/occasional tourmates/sonic brethren Justice) Midnight Juggernauts still don't have an album in stores in North America or the UK.

All that changes this spring, when the Juggernauts' debut LP, Dystopia, hits UK shelves May 19 on the reactivated Charisma label and comes to North America May 27 on Astralwerks. Man, imagine how big these guys will be when you can actually hear their music outside the confines of the internet and Justice shows! A single for "Shadows", meanwhile, lands in UK shops May 12.

The Juggernauts aren't just bringing their LP beyond their Australian homestead; they're taking themselves on a tour as well. After a few dates around Australia, they'll ship off to the UK and Europe before making their way to North America and eventually visiting Japan with Foals. [MORE...]

New Pornographers Issue Live From SoHo on iTunes

Recorded at a December, 2007 stop at the Apple Store in New York City's storied SoHo neighborhood, The New Pornographers' fittingly-titled Live From SoHo is available now on the iTunes store via Matador. Collecting ten tracks from the three most recent volumes in the band's fine catalog (no love for Mass Romantic?), the set is further bolstered by their take on the Electric Light Orchestra's "Don't Bring Me Down".

You can watch the band performing said ELO cover on the French television show "Taratata" here.

But, hey, what's a live album when there's real live New Pornographers dates comin' at you in less than a month? Er, a handy stopgap and a nice bit of ear candy, duh. Still, you've got but a handful of weeks to rock out to Live From SoHo before the real thing comes along when the New Pornographers kick off their double bill with the lads of Okkervil River. There's been a few additions to those dates since we first ran 'em down, as well as announcements of the band's stops at Sasquatch! and All Points West.

In other news from the Pornos, "All For Swinging You Around" pops up on the "Heroes" soundtrack, and frequent Pornographer Dan Bejar's Destroyer will issue his Trouble in Dreams March 18 on Merge. [MORE...]

Shy Child Sign to Kill Rock Stars, Make Noise in U.S.

Keytars are always, always, always wacky, which must make Shy Child a wackier band than their meek moniker would suggest.

The ostentatious electro-punk duo of Nate Smith and Pete "I Play the Friggin' Keytar" Cafarella has signed with the Kill Rock Stars crew, who'll issue the band's 2007 LP Noise Won't Stop in North America for the first time May 5. The disc, produced by White Rabbits/Les Savy Fav knob-twister Chris Zane, features MC Spank Rock on the tune "Kick Drum". And keytar! So very much keytar.

Shy Child will unload gobs of keytar fury all over the U.S. this spring with Midnight Juggernauts, though the crowd gathered at Kill Rock Stars' SXSW showcase down at Emo's this Friday (March 14) will be the first to have their ivories plastics tickled and their (nonexistent) strings bent. Can a single club really contain a magical instrument that combines a keyboard and a guitar? Yeah, probably. [MORE...]

Waits, Bruce, Bright Eyes on Body of War Soundtrack
Plus: Public Enemy, Neil Young, Lupe Fiasco, Kimya Dawson, Talib Kweli

Body of War is a documentary focusing on the daily struggles of Tomas Young, a 26-year-old veteran of the Iraq War who was paralyzed from a gunshot suffered within his first week of service in Iraq. Produced and directed by Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro, the film has been racking up awards (including the National Board of Review's "Best Documentary of 2007" prize) on the festival circuit, and will be released theatrically all over in the coming weeks.

Body of War's resolute anti-war message is backed up by a politically-charged double-disc soundtrack entitled Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran, due March 18 on Sire. Pretty much anyone with an eye on the electorate and a pen of poison shows up here, including Tom Waits, Public Enemy, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Bright Eyes, Lupe Fiasco, Against Me!, Kimya Dawson, Rage Against the Machine, Bad Religion, Talib Kweli, and John Lennon. All proceeds from the sale of the soundtrack go to Iraq Veterans Against the War, a charity chosen specifically by Tomas Young.

What's more, Body of War will be screened this Thursday, March 13 at Austin, Texas' Paramount Theater as part of the SXSW festivities, with Young and the filmmakers answering questions as a postscript. After that's wrapped, Stubb's will host performances from another who's who of politically-minded folks, including Billy Bragg, Kimya Dawson, Tom Morello, Serj Tankian, and Ben Harper. [MORE...]

Sonic Youth Reissue Remastered EP, Prep SYR 7 Vinyl
Band, copious side projects line up dates

There's never a dull moment for indie rock's resident Energizer Bunnies Sonic Youth, who have swiftly followed up news of more art-world dabblings and the unlikeliest festival appearance in the history of ever with a flaming slew of activity.

On the release front, Kim and the boys recently served up a remastered reissue of 1987's Master-Dik EP, marking the release's debut in compact disc format. The EP includes a Ramones cover ("Beat on the Brat") and a "sound collage of psycho-distorto-soundscapes" (ooo!), among other sonic treasures. Copies are available right now, exclusively via the band's website.

Sonic Youth also keep going and going and going with the seventh SYR release, due April 22. The limited edition self-released slab of vinyl includes an NYC Ghosts & Flowers-era "22 minute drone-piece" and a composition intended for an aborted collaboration with a fashion designer. Keen!

On the live front, you can't sneeze over the next couple months without getting germs all over a member of Sonic Youth performing in some capacity. In addition to the full band's sure to be legendary appearance at the Dickson St. Music Festival and a gig the night before in Nashville, Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore will team as Mirror/Dash tonight (March 11), Moore will bring all manner of ruckus to SXSW this week and No Fun Fest in May, and Lee Ranaldo will team with the Bang on a Can All-Stars and hit up No Fun himself. We've put our asterisks to good use below in the hopes of sorting everything out for you; have a look.

Finally, Free Kitten have returned! And a few more details recently came to light regarding Sonic Youth's career-spanning traveling art exhibit: it's called "Sonic Youth Etc.: Essential Fix", and it has a museum tour of its own shaping up. Get your "Essential Fix" at Saint-Nazaire, France's LIFE from June 17 to September 9, Bolzano, Italy's Museion from October 10 to January 4 of next year, and Dusseldorf, Germany's Kunsthalle from January 31 to April 26, 2009.

Tum tum tum tum tum tum tum tum... [MORE...]

Malkmus Whips Up New 10" for Record Store Day

Photo by Nilina Mason-Campbell

Above the din of your Soulseek client's insistent friend request beep and that nasty "server seems to have been compromised" message they throw at you whenever you've got too many torrents open, you may have caught wind of the troubles the record industry's been facing lately. People just aren't buying Bow Wow records in the numbers they once did, and the same, of course, could be said for the artists that generally grace these pages. Sucks for Wal-Mart, but whatevs, they deserve it.

But it sucks in a totally sucky way for indie record shops, where you should be acquiring a vast majority of your recorded music and related bric-a-brac. Seriously.

With that in mind, a group of artists and record labels have come together to support Record Store Day, taking place April 19 at a mom and pop shop near you. Participating record stores-- and there are a lot of 'em-- are hosting special events throughout the day, and will have special merchandise for sale. One of those pieces of merchandise comes from a young man by the name of Stephen Malkmus (via his record label, Matador).

Anyway, Malkmus and the Jicks are issuing a limited-edition 10" single for Real Emotional Trash's "Cold Son", featuring a trio of unreleased jams. The disc will only be available through stores participating in Record Store Day, though some will also be available on the Jicks' tour.

There's a song on here called "Carl the Clod"! Good cause and all, but how could you not want this thing?

Oh, and that Malky tour? Dates after this. [MORE...]

Citay Embrace the Road

Photo by Alissa Anderson

Cosmic wailers Citay are extending the reign of last year's Little Kingdom with some U.S. tour dates in support of the record. The San Francisco many-piece begin schlepping their psychedelic jams with a trip to SXSW this week.

Throughout the tour, the Dead Oceans band will play shows alongside Sunburned Hand of the Man, Old Time Relijun, Bodies of Water, Howlin Rain, Rings, and Wooden Shjips, among others. [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.)