Wedding Present Re-Team With Steve Albini for New LP

El Rey, the latest full-length from indie vets the Wedding Present, hits shops May 20 in North America via Manifesto and May 26 in the rest of the world via Vibrant.

Recorded by Steve Albini at Chicago's Electrical Audio, the disc bears a bit of the mark of Wedding Present frontman David Gedge's newish surroundings in L.A. in its lyrics. And, of course, there's some steely wisdom buried in El Rey's grooves. The set is the first collaboration between the band and Albini since 1991's Seamonsters LP, and a UK digital single for album track "The Thing I Like Best About Him Is His Girlfriend" is available now via Vibrant.

In other Wedding Present news, a DVD of the band's November 20, 2005 performance at London's Shepherds Bush Empire was released last month by Secret Records. And just in case the takeaway version doesn't hack it for you, the band has a handful of UK dates coming along, with the promise of a North American tour to follow in the fall. [MORE...]

Clogs Score New Flick, Turn the River

Clogs-- the neo-classical quartet featuring Bryce Dessner and Padma Newsome of the National-- have provided the score for the recently-released, Chris Eigeman-directed flick Turn the River. That score includes compositions from Clogs' 2006 LP Lantern, along with all new material.

The film, about a woman (Famke Janssen) who gambles in order to support her young child, just opened in New York City after a lengthy go at the festival circuit. It makes its way to Los Angeles this weekend.

As for the National, they're in the UK at the moment, with but a week or so to go before they kick off that very high profile tour with R.E.M. and Modest Mouse. [MORE...]

Radiohead, Live Nation Respond to Virginia Washout
Live Nation offers New Jersey gig tickets to fans who missed Radiohead's VA show

Photo by Margarita Gonzalez

"Huge disappointment."
"A disaster."
"The worst concert-going experience of my lifetime."
"Total heinousness!"

Those are just a few of the colorful comments sent in by Pitchfork readers regarding Radiohead's May 11 gig at the Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Virginia. They're not talking about the quality of the band's performance, mind. Most of them, in fact, never got to see it.

As a Washington Post report indicates-- echoing what confused and upset fans wrote to Pitchfork and posted to blogs and message boards this week-- torrential rainfall flooded access roads leading to Nissan Pavilion, resulting in a traffic jam that stranded more than a few of the gig-bound within miles of the venue, left only to imagine how awesome "Bodysnatchers" sounds live.

A Post review of the show even notes that Thom Yorke dedicated "Fake Plastic Trees" that night "to those who missed the show because of the rain and traffic."

Some flustered folks report having been directed to drive in circles for hours before giving up and going home, and all seem to agree that the Live Nation-run Nissan Pavilion-- apparently no stranger to lousy weather-- could have handled the situation much, much better. Nearly all who were given the run-around (drive-around?), understandably, want their money back.

Radiohead's Colin Greenwood took to Dead Air Space the day after the show to offer the following commentary:

To everyone who made it, and put up with the torrents on the lawn, and came early to catch the Liars and our show, thank you so much for braving the deluge. I hope you heard what you came for, the music and lights diverting you from the wet. We got out of there around three am...We've had floods at Bull Creek, lightning at the RFK stadium, so there must be some kind of Biblical fix between us and DC. Frogs next time?

Yet the next day (May 13), after the fan outcry had mounted, this posting from W.A.S.T.E. appeared on Dead Air Space:

Due to Sunday night's torrential rain storm and consequential multiple road closures, many fans were unable to reach the Nissan Pavilion. While acknowledging a lack of control over the ensuing flooding and detours, the members of Radiohead are nevertheless disappointed regarding this turn of events. For further inquiries, ticketholders who didn't get in are urged to contact: customerservice@nissanpavilion.com

According to a Billboard.com report, Live Nation is indeed addressing grievances sent to the above email "on a case-by-case basis" and offering fans who were turned away tickets to either another Nissan Pavilion show of their choosing (slim pickings there) or Radiohead's August 12 gig at Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, New Jersey (over three hours from Bristow).

Yet some fans have already noted that the New Jersey tickets-- lawn seats instead of pavilion ones, in some cases-- don't match their original tickets in value. And Live Nation seemingly has no intention of refunding anyone. The concert behemoth shouldn't be held accountable for acts of God, of course, but many feel they should be held accountable for the way Nissan Pavilion managed things.

Further compounding the matter is a whole flaming heap of irony. Radiohead, recall, commissioned an extensive Best Foot Forward report that helped them determine how to tour in the most carbon-efficient manner possible. They also harped on about carbon-friendliness repeatedly to their fans. All of this of course makes their choice of venue for the DC-area (named after a car manufacturer, no less!) rather suspect, especially a venue whose personnel kept cars driving in circles for hours on end.

The first leg of Radiohead's North American tour wraps up this weekend. Check out the band's many remaining gigs below, and just to be on the safe side, leave extra early. [MORE...]

The Dodos Extend Tour All the Way to the Fall

Photo by Francis Chung

The Dodos-- they of the truly kickass live show and the better-every-time-I-listen-to-it Best New Music recipient Visiter-- have snuck quite a few more dates into their tour schedule. The scrappy San Franciscan sorts will skip back and forth between Europe and North America a coupla times before the summer's up, with dates stretching well into October.

One stop in particular stands out among the many: their set at this year's Pitchfork Music Festival. And, though it looks like they won't be available for a hand delivery, the band will issue Visiter in the UK July 7 with a little help from Wichita Recordings. [MORE...]

Weezer Issue New Single, Cover Talk Talk, The Band

They've already pushed the release of Weezer III up by a few weeks "due to popular demand and the intense reaction to the 'Pork and Beans' single" (akin to indigestion, I'd say), and now, Weezer are throwing even more Red Album at us and hoping it sticks.

A digital single for the "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations on a Shaker Hymn)" has made its way to the U.S. iTunes store, and, well, here's a sample lyric: "I've got the money/ And I've got the fame/ You've got the hots / To ride on my plane." So, yeah, pretty much another "Beverly Hills".

We've also caught wind of the extra goodies Polydor have thrown on the Red Album for its June 9 digital/June 16 physical release in the UK. In addition to the ten tracks from the regular old U.S. release, Weezer tackle the Band's "The Weight" and Talk Talk's "Life Is What You Make It". The U.S. deluxe edition, as you know, sports four very different bonus cuts. It, as with the regular edition, is due June 3 from DGC/Interscope. [MORE...]

Nas Shares Some New Album Details, Tours

So Nigger didn't come out late last year, as planned. But don't you worry. The controversially-titled new LP from Nas (his follow-up 2006's controversially-titled Hip Hop Is Dead), not unlike the issues he addresses on it, isn't just going to conveniently vanish.

Originally slated for release in 2007, then bumped to February, then April, the album is now due, head-turning title intact, July 1 on Def Jam. Due very tentatively, it goes without saying.

Nas recently sat down with MTV.com to preview and discuss his latest opus. Addressing the delay, he told the website, "Somebody asked me, what's your inspiration for this album? Everything that's happening every day. I can't really turn an album in when, like, next week it will be something else that will come to light and make me want to write about something. It's hard to finally wrap it up, but I finally got there. I'm finally there now...This year looks like it's going to be amazing."

Nigger will include the tracks "Project Roach", featuring a point-of-view rap, and "Y'all My Niggers", on which Nas delves into the history of the titular epithet. Other songs include "This Is Not America", produced by Stargate, "Sly Fox", produced by Stic.Man of Dead Prez, and the title track.

As of a February MTV.com report, an unnamed DJ Khaled-produced track and a Polow Da Don-produced number called "My Legacy" were jockeying for first single status. Another track called "Be a Nigger Too", co-produced by long-time Nas knob-twiddler Salaam Remi and Big Jack, recently surfaced as well.

Jermaine Dupri and DJ Toomp are also rumored to have produced tracks on Nigger, and Rick Ross, the LOX, and both halves of Dead Prez will potentially guest on the record.

In other Nas news, according to a Billboard.com report, the rapper guests on the forthcoming Ice Cube album, Raw Footage. He'll also link up with the 2008 Rock the Bells tour for the duration of its summer run, but not before playing a handful of shows this month up north. [MORE...]

Decemberists' Moen Recruits Malkmus for Solo Debut
"Think a much less agile Dave Grohl."

Photo by Kathryn Yu

John Moen, former drummer for Elliott Smith and Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks and current drummer for the Decemberists, has released his debut solo album under the name Perhapst. The self-titled LP is available now from In Music We Trust Records. Though Moen handles most of the instrumental duties on Perhapst, he's joined on the eleven-song set by his old Jicks boss Malkmus, who contributes a little guitar action, as well as Eric Lovre from Moen's old band the Dharma Bums. Chris Funk from the Decemberists plays in the Perhapst live band.

In mentioning the Perhapst record in the Decemberists newsletter, Moen says, "Think a much less agile Dave Grohl. You can go ahead and make all the Phil Collins jokes you want, but you must listen to the album at least once before you crack wise."

Perhapst have no live plans to speak of at the moment, but the Decemberists do: a single date May 24 at Bend, Oregon's Les Schwab Amphitheatre with Death Cab and Rogue Wave. [MORE...]

Hot Chip Announce Fall North American Tour

Photo by Shannon McClean

They're already stuffed to the gills with singles and tons of tour dates, but Hot Chip have made time for North America again with the announcement of even more shows. This second round of U.S./Canada support for Made in the Dark starts in September.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Hot Chip have a lot to get to before that newly added trek, including a summer full of festivals. The band's next appearance is of the DJ variety at tonight's (May 15) Stag and Dagger. [MORE...]

Thunderbirds, Sloan, Von Bondies, Apes Play Rock City
Plus: Matt & Kim, the Death Set, VHS or Beta, Friendly Foes, Javelins

Detroit area culture mag Detour will restate the city's non-car-manufacturing claim to fame next month with the arrival of its Rock City Music Festival. From June 12-14, over 50 bands will play at the Majestic Theater Center and the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit, the latter home to the festival's Saturday afternoon barbecue.

Among the names on Rock City 2008's bill are Sloan, the Von Bondies, Thunderbirds Are Now!, Friendly Foes, Javelins, Matt & Kim, the Death Set, VHS or Beta, Apes, Zoos of Berlin, Child Bite, and Juiceboxxx.

Hold Steady Line Up Summer Tour, First Positive Single

"Constructive Summer"? Yeah, I should say so. The Hold Steady, already set to drop Stay Positive on us July 15 in the States on Vagrant (and July 14 in the UK on Rough Trade) have lined up a full-stop U.S. tour immediately following the album release. Plus, there are dates aplenty both at home and abroad before this new leg of shows. And don't forget that the Hold Steady are playing the Pitchfork Music Festival July 19.

The first single from Stay Positive, "Sequestered in Memphis," will be available on the U.S. iTunes store May 20. [MORE...]

T.I. Unveils Paper Trail Release Date, Tour Dates

You'd think the last thing a dude with legal woes like T.I. would need was another Paper Trail, but come August 12 (god willing), he's gonna have a few million of 'em on his hands. The Atlanta rapper will issue the follow-up to last year's inconsistent-by-design T.I. vs. T.I.P.-- which he's been working up while on house arrest in his Georgia home-- via Grand Hustle/Atlantic.

According to a Billboard.com report, the disc will feature production from DJ Toomp, Drumma Boy, Keith Mack, JR Rotem, and Lil' C, with a potential first single in the Kanye/B.O.B.-assisted "Top of the World". And, as we've mentioned, the album's name reportedly refers to the fact that, for this first time since his 2001 debut I'm Serious, our friend Clifford actually wrote out his lyrics instead of reciting them from memory in the recording booth. Take a listen to the Danjahandz-produced "No Matter What" for a little insight into the revived process. Dude is sounding sharp.

Beyond starring in a flick called For Sale, appearing on the forthcoming season of "Entourage", and keeping up his album-a-year average, T.I. has lined up a handful of live dates in June. [MORE...]

Feist, Jarvis, Lidell, Peaches Join Gonzales on Megamix

Multi-instrumentalist, crooner, rapper, producer, and remixer Gonzales is almost certainly better known for the company he keeps than his own solo joints. That's no knock to the man or his work; it's just that, for example, the guy's had a hand in the recent records from both Feist and Jamie Lidell, and, as you've probably noticed, those turned out rather well for all parties involved.

That in mind, Gonzales also puts out a fine jam or two on his own from time to time, and he recently issued his latest collection of said jams, Soft Power, digitally in Canada. The disc is due in physical form June 3 from Arts & Crafts, and those who opt for the dry goods will be offered a golden ticket for a very special bonus track: a "megamix" of album cut "Let's Ride".

We've all been burned by supposed megamixes that let us down in the mega-department, but shit, is this one every bit as mega as you imagined (and maybe more so)! As we've established, Gonzales rolls with a pretty choice crew, and he's brought just about all of them along for the "Ride". The expanded "Let's Ride" sports additional contributions from Feist, Jarvis Cocker, Jamie Lidell, Peaches, Princess Superstar, Mocky, Katerine, Teki Latex, Taylor Savvy, Ad Hawk, So Called, Katie Moore, and Abd Al Malik. Phew! As you can see, that is a track worth acquainting yourself with. [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.)