Exclusive: Editors Send End Stateside

Front page photo by Daragh McDonagh

The scourge of prolix-penned punters everywhere, UK brood-rock troupe Editors-- whose previously reported sophomore set An End Has a Start lands overseas on June 25 via Kitchenware-- have announced the U.S. album release you've all been praying for every night before you go to sleep. Admit it, you have.

An End has a Stateside start slated for July 17 via Epic/FADER, who also treated us to the Eds' debut, The Back Room. It includes the 10 tracks listed in this here previous Editors news story, among them first single "Smokers Outside the Hospital Door", which our UK brethren can scoop up in handy skinny-cased single form on June 18. Try before you buy by scoping the video below.

Recorded with accolade-earning producer Garret "Jacknife" Lee (U2, Bloc Party, Snow Patrol), End also finds our intrepid Editors combating such heavy subjects as "The Weight of the World", "Spiders", and, most ghastly of all, split infinitives.

Editors intend to boldly tour (whoops!) parts of the Americas in September. Until then, it's a hearty sampling of European festivals for our fair shepherds of the written word. [MORE...]

Exclusive: Leo, Johnston, Circulatory System Do Popfest
Plus: Dark Meat, Bunnygrunt, Casper & the Cookies, American Revolution [ft. Robert Schneider]

Hand-holders, flower-waterers, sticker-collectors: gather round. You too, barrette-donning barista girl and cokebottle glasses guy. And the forest critters and imaginary friends as well. It's time to get all twee up in this bitch. Twee like the fourth annual Athens Popfest, titivating the confines of that Georgian college town's 40 Watt Club and Little Kings Shuffle Club from August 8-11, 2007.

Actually twee frequently proves a misnomer with this initial lineup, which suggests Athens' fest-- presented by beloved local indie-pop imprint Happy Happy Birthday to Me-- seeks to paint Pop in gleefully broad strokes. We have the electrified power-pop of Ted Leo and his Pharmacists, the unabashed, heart-on-sleeve folk-pop ditties of Daniel Johnston, and the psych-pop digressions of the enigmatic and elusive Elephant 6-affiliated Circulatory System, who had better put out their damn second album soon, or I'll cry.

Add to that a rare performance from the American Revolution (featuring Robert Schneider of the Apples in Stereo and Craig Morris of HHBTM act Ideal Free Distribution, who also play) and sets from cuddlecore titans Bunnygrunt, sprawling Athens supergroup Dark Meat, eclectic glam-poppers Casper & the Cookies, Iowa's wacky Poison Control Center, and Apples offshoot the High Water Marks, and you've already got yet another Popfest worth getting giddy about.

This Popfest is not to be confused, of course, with the Memorial Day weekend bash of the same name going down in New York and featuring several of the same twee superstars.

Schedules and additional acts for Athens Popfest 2007 will be announced on the fest's website in the near future. The rest of the lineup to date: Elekibass, Red Pony Clock, Cars Can Be Blue, Baby Calendar, the Smittens, Venice Is Sinking, the New Sound of Numbers, Yellow Fever, M Coast, Darren Hanlon, We Versus the Shark, Cinemechanica, How I Became the Bomb, Velcro Stars, Kite Flying Society, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Fishboy, Ryan Anderson, Birds of Avalon, Violet Vector & the Lovely Lovelies, Titans of Filth, Patience Please, Hat Company, Christopher's Liver, Black Kids, and Jerk Alert.

Exclusive: Shout Out Louds Proclaim, "EP! Tour!"
EP features Essex Green guest spot, remixes by Kleerup, Russian Futurists

The vociferous Swedes of Shout Out Louds are wasting no time consummating their recent marriage with Merge. Knowing well that four whole months is a hopelessly long time for U.S. citizens to wait for the fivesome's forthcoming full-length, Our Ill Wills (out September 11 Stateside), they've announced a special EP to escort us through the summer months.

The Tonight I Have to Leave It EP arrives June 5 via Merge, including the title track (taken from Wills), a tune featuring fellow Merge indie-poppers the Essex Green, and a pair of "Tonight" remixes by the Russian Futurists and Kleerup (responsible for last year's wonderful Robyn jam "With Every Heartbeat"), plus one more jingle.

Shout Out Louds howl and gaff at four U.S. gigs this July, with a full-on tour of the red, white, and blue to follow in October. At present they're cavorting about Europe, where Wills has already dropped (in Sweden) or will soon drop (in Denmark May 21; in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland May 25). [MORE...]

Exclusive: Okkervil River Adopt Stage Names

Front page photo by Jean-Marc Luneau

The mighty Okkervil River rages on this summer with the August 7 release of The Stage Names, the Austin outfit's fifth album of irascible folk-pop (if you count the self-released, not-quite-LP-long, not-quite-EP-short 2000 set Stars Too Small to Use).

Longtime River bed Jagjaguwar will serve up the nine track affair, and judging from a cursory glance over the tracklist (which we've kindly reprinted below), we'll leap to the conclusion that The Stage Names deals with any number of perennial rockstar topics: the high price of fame, the masks we wear when presenting ourselves before others, the meta-points one scores by naming a song "Title Track" (which joins a catalog that already includes "No Hidden Track", no less), and so forth.

Okkervil recorded the album in their Austin hometown with Brian Beattie, who also helmed the last two LPs. Spoon's Jim Eno had the pleasure of mixing Stage Names, while the album artwork you see up there once again comes courtesy of Okkervil's visual-renderer of choice, William Schaff (not to be confused with Okkervil's frontman, William Sheff)-- although we're taken aback slightly by the complete and utter lack of gnarly creatures with horns.

In anticipation of the Black Sheep Boy follow-up, Okkervil River-- recently hand-picked to open a gig for one Lou Reed-- have but three summer engagements lined up (including an HIV/AIDS benefit and Sheff's first in his native New Hampshire). Given they're aware of what a live treat they can be, we suspect they'll tack more dates onto that itinerary forthright. [MORE...]

Exclusive: Aesop Rock Reveals New Album Details

Following his entry in the Nike+ Original Run series and the positive reception of his boss' new album, Aesop Rock is poised to sail the good ship Def Jux to even better times in 2007 with the release of his fourth solo album, None Shall Pass.

As previously reported, the album features contributions from the Mountain Goats' John Darnielle, El-P, Cage, Rob Sonic, DJ Big Wiz, and Breeze Brewin. Most of None's production came from frequent Aesop collaborator Blockhead, but there are also beats from El-P, Rob Sonic, and Aesop himself.

Definitive Jux will release None Shall Pass on August 28. Aesop Rock's only scheduled tour dates at the moment are at the previously reported Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle, which will take place July 27 and 28, and at Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee on June 14-17. [MORE...]

Exclusive: Imperial Teen Reveal New Album Details

The madames and gents of Imperial Teen haven't exactly reflected their band's name in some years, but after a half-decade absence from the recording booth, they're definitely into class reunion territory. Indeed, the moniker-belying title of their upcoming fourth album (and first in five years) demonstrates such adult-like domesticity. The Hair, the TV, the Baby and the Band will step out August 21 thanks to Merge Records.

In the five year interim between 2002's On and now, the band's been busy thinking of good names for their don't-call-it-a-comeback record, and indeed, they had no further to look than the concerns of the day-to-day. Jone Stebbins, with her hairstyling business, is the Hair; Roddy Bottum's work in the televised arts is the TV; Lynn Truell's had an active womb-life (hence the Baby); and Will Schwartz's side-act Hey Willpower is, natch, the Band.

Though there's nothing firmed up at the moment, Imperial Teen plans to usher out the late summer on tour. [MORE...]

Exclusive: Yo La Tengo Join Bang on a Can Marathon
Event also features the Books, Juana Molina, Dälek, Dirty Projectors, Clogs

This year, a heavy clang will resound from contemporary music collective, twentieth anniversary celebrants, and festival organizers Bang on a Can's annual gutbucket-socking Marathon.

Trippy Argentinian songstress Juana Molina, cut-and-paste artists the Books, swamp-rappers Dälek, falsetto wackos Dirty Projectors, and percussive fiends Clogs head up an already rock solid bill brimming over with renowned ensembles and modern orchestral music groups. Now, Jersey's finest Yo La Tengo will join the gathered masses mustering their best Doug Funnie impressions for 26+ hours of revelry at the World Financial Center's Winter Garden June 2-3. The Marathon helps kick off the River to River Festival, and did we mention it's totally free?

Performers will tackle the work of Steve Reich, Brian Eno, Thurston Moore, James Tenney, Edgard Varèse, and many more. Bring the whole family: the event's also chock full of worthy world musicians, and art, and kids' stuff, too.

Yo La Tengo, meanwhile, have a fest-heavy handful of dates lined up in the coming months. [MORE...]

Exclusive: YACHT to Open for LCD Soundsystem

It turns out ultimate fighting and touring have more in common than James Murphy might have suspected: they both require a great deal of resourcefulness. And when faced with the worthy opponent of a Prinzhorn Dance School cancellation, Murphy was forced to act quickly to find another opening act for LCD Soundsystem's U.S. tour.

Enter YACHT, aka Jona Bechtolt, he of the new record (out May 8 on Marriage Records) and the tour on the actual yacht. Bechtolt will take the place of Prinzhorn Dance School on the previously reported tour, which continues tonight (April 30) in San Francisco. The rest of YACHT's previously reported dates remain intact, except for the shows in San Francisco and Los Angeles on May 11 and 12, respectively.

After two weeks together, Murphy and Bechtolt will go their separate ways on summer tours that include European festival dates for Murphy and stints in North America and Japan with Architecture in Helsinki, Au Revoir Simone, and Tussle for Bechtolt. [MORE...]

Exclusive: Mary Timony Band Tours Behind Shapes

In the school of indie rock, Mary Timony's got advanced degrees, having served time in Helium, Autoclave, and solo, and having put dissertations before the boards at Matador, Dischord, Lookout!, and soon, Kill Rock Stars.

Mary Timony's lastest-- as the Mary Timony Band, which includes Medications members Devin Ocampo on drums and Chad Molter on bass-- arrives May 8 via Timony's new home KRS. It's called The Shapes We Make, and features some studio wizardry courtesy of Ocampo (who produced), Jawbox's J. Robbins, and Mary herself. Watch Mary and Band defend this latest long-player on a series of U.S. dates beginning next month, with Joe Wong taking over for Ocampo on drums.

The Mary Timony Band's spring sojourn kicks off May 25 in Austin. Along the way, she'll be joined by the likes of some snotty freshmen like FatCat's Welcome, L.A. aviators Great Northern, angular-addicts the Joggers, and post-Q and Not U pop-savvy quartet Georgie James. [MORE...]

Exclusive: Hot Chip, Rapture, Fujiya Remix Get Physical
Anniversary comp also includes Herbert, Booka Shade, M.A.N.D.Y., Henrik Schwarz, Moby

German dance/techno label Get Physical will celebrate its fifth year of existence this year like any normal five-year-old...with a compilation and a tour.

Titled 5 Years Get Physical, the comp features two discs of exclusive new tracks from Get Physical artists and remixes of GF staples by big-name dance and indie acts like the Rapture, Hot Chip, Herbert, Fujiya & Miyagi, Henrik Schwarz, and Moby. The remixes comprise the first disc of the compilation, while the exclusives fill out the second disc.

Get Physical will release 5 Years on June 5 (what nice symmetry), but the label's anniversary tour begins tonight in Amsterdam. The tour has a constantly changing lineup, so check those dates closely. [MORE...]

Exclusive: Justice Reveal Debut LP Details

French electronic duo (no, not that one... or that one) and Kanye West fan club presidents Justice will release their symbol-heavy † (that's a cross in case your browser hates on certain characters) on Vice Records/Ed Banger July 10.

† includes Pitchfork's 35th favorite track of 2006, "Waters of Nazareth", as well as "D.A.N.C.E.", released in single form this week. The long-awaited full-length debut from pious producers/remixers Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay will bring due process to the world through the summer, and, although the Justice league is currently only scheduled for a handful of live dates, you can expect that to change soon. [MORE...]

Exclusive: Datarock Reveal North American Tour

Photo by Knut Åaserud

Dilated disco duo Datarock rang the travel agent, got the neighbor kid to mow the lawn, and canceled the paper; for the next few months, the punchy pair are embarking on a global trek in support of their just-reconfigured Datarock Datarock LP, available for the purposes of chest-clutching in North America June 12 courtesy of Nettwerk.

The trek includes a string of newly-minted North American dates, kicking off June 1 in Philly.

In other Datarock news, they'll release a brand new EP in their native Norway April 23. It features five tracks tipping their hoods to the Madchester sounds of which D-Rock are clearly so fond. No word on a U.S. release, but patience may be in order; after all, it took Datarock Datarock two years to get here. And besides, we Yanks always sorta appreciated that new-rave stuff better a few years after the fact. [MORE...]

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