Label Shuffle: 4AD Absorbs Too Pure, Beggars Banquet

The mighty Beggars Group umbrella keeps quite a stable of stellar labels dry, including Matador, Rough Trade, XL, 4AD, Too Pure, and Beggars Banquet. But even under the mightiest of umbrellas, space is limited, and rather than leave any poor imprint to the mercy of the rain, the Beggars Group has decided to shuffle things around a bit.

According to a Billboard.biz report and a Beggars Group press release, the Too Pure and Beggars Banquet imprints will "not be used in the near future" as both artists and staff with each of these labels "migrate on to 4AD." This means Beggars Banquet gang heavies like the National, St. Vincent, Calla, Film School, and Tindersticks will get to tangle with Stereolab, Future of the Left, Scout Niblett, and the other kids from the Too Pure side of the tracks, all under the watchful eyes of the Mountain Goats, Blonde Redhead, the Breeders, and Scott Walker. Whatever you do though, do not tangle with Scott Walker. I mean it.

The newly beefed-up 4AD will get its first boost in 2008AD from Stereolab when the act's previously reported and chatted-up Chemical Chords LP arrives August 19 bearing the 4AD and Duophonic UHF Disks insignias.

So long, Too Pure and Beggars Banquet. It's been real.

Bikini Kill's Tobi Vail Hits the Road With the Old Haunts

Olympia, Washington trio the Old Haunts are in the midst of visiting haunts old and new on a U.S. tour. This is drummer Tobi Vail's first time on the road since her days in Bikini Kill, so these performances promise to be pretty special, especially the ones at such colorfully named venues as Stab Mountain and Spazzatorium Galleria.

UPDATE: DUE TO MISINFORMATION FROM KILL ROCK STARS, WE WERE LEAD TO BELIEVE THAT THIS TOUR WAS TOBI VAIL'S FIRST TOUR SINCE BIKINI KILL. IN FACT, SHE WAS ON THE OLD HAUNTS' LAST TOUR.

But getting Vail some air isn't the main reason for this tour. That'd be the Old Haunts' new album, Poisonous Times, which is out right now on Kill Rock Stars.

The Old Haunts' next show is tonight (April 29) in Phoenix. [MORE...]

Radiohead In-Studio Performance Headed to VH1

Couldn't tell you the last time I visited VH1.com, but nestled somewhere amid the T&A that's blowing up all over their homepage right now is one pretty exciting morsel of news: on May 3, VH1 will broadcast "Radiohead_In Rainbows_From the Basement".

The title tells it like it is: Radiohead will perform selections from In Rainbows on the program, direct from the confines of Nigel Godrich's famed basement studio. According to an At Ease report, we can look forward to "Bodysnatchers", "Nude", "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi", "15 Step", "House of Cards", and "Reckoner", plus non-Rainbows cuts "Optimistic", "Myxomatosis (Judge, Jury & Executioner)", and "Where I End and You Begin (The Sky Is Falling In)".

VH1 even has a clip of "Reckoner" up right now, and gosh does it sounds awful purty. Just the thing to get you even more stoked for that Radiohead tour, which finally kicks off early next week in Florida.

And hmm, live in-studio Radiohead performance, now why does that sound familiar...? [MORE...]

Robyn Kicks Off North American Tour Tonight
Self-titled LP out in the States right this instant

Happy National Robyn Day!

What's that you say? It's already International Dance Day? Well, hell, that's perfect. Robyn and dancing, two things worth celebrating.

April 29, 2008 is the day that Robyn's fantastic 2005 self-titled LP finally, finally, finally hits Stateside record stores from Konichiwa/Cherrytree/Interscope. And if that weren't enough, tonight's also the night that Robyn kicks off a brief but exceedingly welcome run of North American tour dates. Robyn takes the stage at Boston's Paradise for the first of 11 intracontinental gigs, including a recently added stop at the Virgin Megastore in New York. She'll also make her first Stateside television appearance on the "Late Show With David Letterman" this Thursday, May 1.

Since it's been years since Robyn's initial Swedish release, the set's American counterpart is a little-- okay, kind of a lot-- different. The tracklist's been shifted around a tad, just about every subsequent song you've heard Robyn do in the last three years makes an appearance, "Bum Like You" and "Robotboy" have a bit more pep, and the Christian Falk-produced "Dream On" appears to be stripped of the backing vocals from the Ark's Ola Salo. Whatever-- it still rules, and I am totally gonna go buy a copy after work.

Once her North American trip wraps, Robyn's headed to the UK for a run in June and a newly added stop at the Perfect Day Festival. Oh, and if you haven't yet, take a gander at Pitchfork contributor Nitsuh Abebe's recent chat with Robyn over there at Pitchfork.tv. [MORE...]

Twilight Sad Rework Autumns Tracks on New EP

Those upstart Scotsmen in the Twilight Sad are as intent on soundtracking our summer as they were on comforting us through those Autumns and Winters. On June 10 in the U.S. and June 9 in the UK, Fat Cat will release the EP Here, It Never Snowed. Afterwards It Did. It will be available digitally and on vinyl in the UK and digitally in the U.S. (a vinyl U.S. version is in the works).

The EP features the previously unreleased title track, a cover of a Daniel Johnston and Jad Fair song ("Some Things Last a Long Time"), and re-workings of four tracks from their 2007 LP. Instrumental contributions come from My Latest Novel's Laura McFarlane (violin) and Aereogramme's Campbell McNeil (bass), and it was recorded and mixed by Iain Cook of Aereogramme.

Touring has slowed a bit for the Twilight Sad, but they still have a handful of shows scattered across the spring and summer. And if you'd like to help the band out while they're on the road, but aren't heading to Dunfermline, Scotland or Gdansk, Poland any time soon, check out Insound's Give More Get More program. [MORE...]

Photos: Wulapalooza: Blitzen Trapper / The Blow / Panther [Salem, OR; 04/26/08]

Photos by Nilina Mason-Campbell

Wulapalooza packed in several of the Pacific Northwest's finest over the weekend at Salem, Oregon's Willamette University. Blitzen Trapper, the Blow, and Panther left the dingy club settings they typically haunt to embrace the sunny outdoors and the verdant surroundings of WU's Brown Field. Nothing like a little color to further enliven these already energetic acts.

Blitzen Trapper










The Blow






Panther



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David Bowie Reissues 1972 Live Set

Put to tape the night of October 20, 1972 in the midst of David Bowie's first U.S. tour, David Bowie: Live in Santa Monica '72 is the stuff of bootlegger legend. The Santa Monica Civic Center gig was broadcast as it happened over the Los Angeles airwaves on the now-defunct KMET, and it served as Bowie's first live American radio appearance. On July 8, Virgin/EMI will reissue the out-of-print set digitally and on limited edition CD and 2xLP.

At the time of the show, Bowie was fresh off the release of his landmark Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust album, and his band the Spiders From Mars (Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder, Mick Woodmansey, and Mike Garson) was in top form. Even Bowie himself is pretty proud of the gig some three and a half decades after the fact. In a press release, he states, "I can tell that I'm totally into being Ziggy by this stage of our touring. It's no longer an act; I am him."

The set features Bowie and the boys blasting through tracks from Ziggy Stardust and its glamtabulous predecessor, Hunky Dory, as well as covers of Jacques Brel's "My Death" and the Velvet Underground's "Waiting for the Man". He also offers a preview of his next work: "The Jean Genie" from the then-forthcoming Aladdin Sane. Guy was on a bit of a roll back then, huh? [MORE...]

Photos: Les Savy Fav / The Dodos [San Francisco, CA; 04/27/08]
Both bands add dates, Dodos plan UK release for Visiter

Photos by Francis Chung

Poses were struck, clothing was removed, and fans' fingers were, um, liberally sucked on at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall over the weekend. It was, yes, just another night with Les Savy Fav, who unleashed their previously reported live album After the Balls Drop today (April 29). Songwriter and Frenchkiss labelmate Meric Long opened with his outfit the Dodos, and later lent his trombone skillz to Les Savy Fav's glorious racket.

Those Dodos have already delivered a Frenchkiss to their home country in the form of debut LP Visiter, and now they're ready to show some love to the rest of the world. Having signed on with Wichita Recordings, the Dodos will release Visiter in the UK on July 7. The label will herald the album with the single release of "Red and Purple" in June.

Both the Dodos and Les Savy Fav have plenty more live engagements on the docket, recapped for your viewing convenience below. If you look closely, you'll notice Les Savy Fav are due to rock ATP vs. Pitchfork in May, while both acts barnstorm our own Pitchfork Music Festival in July.

Les Savy Fav








The Dodos



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MBV, Aphex Twin, Breeders, Lidell, CSS Do Bestival
Ditto Hot Chip, St. Vincent, Crystal Castles, Fuck Buttons, Fleet Foxes, Lee "Scratch" Perry,

Get pumped for some self-aggrandizement! Bestival, a festival celebrating the joy of smashing two words together-- oh, and music of some sort-- will take place way the hell in the distance over the weekend of September 5-7 at Robin Hill Country Park on the Isle of Wight.

And as a festival with the chutzpah to call itself the Best(ival) ought, it boasts a lineup that's nothing to cough at. It is, however, something to write about, and so we shall.

The reunited My Bloody Valentine will headline Friday night's proceedings, in what will be their only English festival date of 2008. Aphex Twin will also deliver his only English fest appearance of the year. Additionally, Bestival will welcome the Breeders, Jamie Lidell, Hot Chip, St. Vincent, CSS, Crystal Castles, Fuck Buttons, Foals, Fleet Foxes, Sebastien Tellier, These New Puritans, the Count & Sinden, Two Gallants, the Teenagers, George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic, Baaba Mal, Underworld, Amy Winehouse, Black Kids, Chromeo, Does It Offend You Yeah?, Ida Maria, Lykke Li, Pete & the Pirates, the Duke Spirit, Micah P. Hinson, Gary Numan, Lee "Scratch" Perry, 808 State, Human League, Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip, Santogold, the Wedding Present, the Sugarhill Gang, Metronomy, Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong (so fun to type!), and many, many more.

There'll be DJ sets aplenty as well, from the likes of A-Trak, Kode 9 and Spaceape, Carl Craig, Idjut Boys, Vicarious Bliss, Coldcut, and Bestival curator Rob da Bank of BBC Radio 1.

And don't forget about Bestival's new little sister festival, Camp Bestival, happening July 18-20 at Dorset, England's Lulworth Castle, and featuring the Flaming Lips, Chuck Berry, Hercules and Love Affair, Black Kids, and more.

Nick Cave & Bad Seeds Announce North American Dates
More Nick Cave goodies: new single, art book, Grinderman festival dates

It figures that only a mature adult like Nick Cave would have the foresight to schedule his North American tour five months in advance. No disorganization for him, thanks. Leave that to the kids.

Thus, as Cave and his Bad Seeds traverse Europe through early June in support of the howlin' new Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!, the band has announced three weeks of North American shows to take place this fall.

Mute will release "More News From Nowhere", the next single from Lazarus, in the UK on May 12. It will be backed by the non-LP song "Fleeting Love".

Due in June is a tiny (four inch square!) book chronicling the creation of the song "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!" as well as the light sculpture artists Sue Webster and Tim Noble crafted for the album's cover art. The book comes with a 3" CD containing the song.

Even though he's been busy with the Bad Seeds lately, Cave hasn't forgotten about his other band, Grinderman. They've lined up a bunch of summer festival shows as well.

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' next show in tonight (April 29) in Paris, and just in case you needed reminding, dude is crazy (in a good way). [MORE...]

Jay Reatard Toronto Snafu: Promoters Respond
Reatard signs worldwide multi-album deal with Matador

As previously noted in these pages, Jay Reatard pulled the plug just a few songs into his April 17 gig at Toronto's Silver Dollar after rowdy fans wrecked his (and his bandmates') gear. At least, that's how Jay put it in a MySpace message he posted in response to the incident. Jay blamed poor security and a club filled way past capacity for the mess, decrying "greedy promoters...who don't care about doing right by the audience."

The promoters Jay called out in his MySpace message, however, strongly disagree. One of them is Jeff Cohen, co-owner of Against the Grain, the promotions company that put on the Silver Dollar show. As Cohen wrote in an email to Canada's ChartAttack.com, "Jay's rant on his blog...was not only highly unprofessional[,] it was factually inaccurate. While passionate, it was just a blame the promoter diatribe.

"Not cool. [In my opinion], Jay, everyone who works with him, his agent, his label, the promoters he works with, and especially his fans, deserve much better."

Cohen specifically takes issue with Reatard's handling of the situation (Jay did tear some kid's shirt and jack that kid in the face, after all) and insists there was, as the ChartAttack.com story puts it, "a security person present." He also calls into question Reatard's claim that he "refunded people's money out of [his] own pocket" by insisting Reatard did not take up an offer from Cohen's colleague, ATG co-owner Craig Laskey, to refuse pay and refund show attendees.

Silver Dollar booker Dan Burke, who launched into an anti-Jay Reatard onstage rant following the performer's abrupt departure from the Toronto show, also spoke out to ChartAttack.com. He claimed there were not, as Reatard suggested, 350 people at the Silver Dollar show, and also noted that previous events at the club in question have attracted crowds on par with the Reatard gathering, sans incident. Neither Burke nor the ChartAttack.com report, however, mention how many people were in fact at the Jay Reatard gig.

In non-sensational Jay Reatard news, the previously reported "Painted Shut" 7" single arrives in late May thanks to Matador. The label's signing of Reatard has been extended to a worldwide, multi-album deal, with a brand new Jay Reatard full-length due in early 2009. Additionally, Jay's former label, In the Red, is preparing a collection of early Reatard singles for June release.

For the latest Jay Reatard tour dates, including a newly-minted happening with another crowd-friendly bunch called Les Savy Fav, check out the listings below. And for an admittedly awesome shot of a smiling Ripped Shirt Dude just microseconds before Jay Reatard clocks him in the face, check out photo #11 here. [MORE...]

Cave Singers, Love as Laughter Line Up Joint Dates

East meets West next month as Brooklyn's Love as Laughter team up with Seattle's Cave Singers for a run of shows in early May. Love as Laughter are, of course, building anticipation for their forthcoming album, Holy. Glacial Pace even has a release date for the thing: June 24.

Meanwhile, the Cave Singers are still riding last year's Invitation Songs into a whole spring full of shows. They've even got some summer festival appearances. [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.)