Jeff Mangum Raids Record Collection for Yeti Comp
Compilation also features Deerhoof, Iron and Wine, Atlas Sound

What's that unmistakable shape lurking in the shadows of a snow-swept indie newstand near you? Why, it must be a Yeti! Yeti #5, in fact.

And as they've done in the past, the offbeat lit/art/music publication has packed its pages with a bonus compilation brimming over with rare and exclusive jams. Yeti #5's attendant disc boasts the likes of Deerhoof, Iron and Wine, Atlas Sound (covering Sparks, "sort of"), Akron/Family, Dean & Britta (covering Dean's own Galaxie 500 über-classic "Tugboat"), Mount Eerie, and D+ (Phil Elverum, Karl Blau, and Beat Happening's Bret Lunsford).

What's more, the 25-track CD also includes four songs hand-selected by Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum and literally culled from the man's personal collection of rare 78s-- Mangum actually sent his old records to the Yeti crew for digitizing.

And that's to say nothing of the magazine itself, which spreads features on Akron/Family, Will Oldham, and the Sublime Frequencies label, just to name three, over its 228 provocative pages.

All that and more can be yours in Yeti #5, available for preorder now and due to hit shops March 7. (Full disclosure: Yeti is owned by Pitchfork contributor Mike McGonigal.) [MORE...]

Knife, Cat Power, Stipe, Animal Collective in Visionaire
Also: Sonic Youth members, Antony, Yoko Ono, David Byrne, Sunn0))), Danger Mouse

"Multi-format album of fashion and art" Visionaire will take the form of five 12" vinyl picture discs [pictured above] for its 53rd issue, "Sound", which will come out in December.

"Sound" features contributions from David Byrne, the Knife, Animal Collective, Cat Power, Michael Stipe, Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Lee Ranaldo, Antony and the Johnsons, Andrew WK, Yoko Ono, Beastie Boy Adrock, Danger Mouse, U2, Courtney Love, Malcolm McLaren, Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Sylvian, Laurie Anderson, UNKLE, Sunn O))), Gang Gang Dance, Christian Marclay, Miss Kittin, Trevor Jackson, Nigo, Robert Wilson, DJ Spooky, Doug Aitken, Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander McQueen, and Helmut Lang, among many, many others from the worlds of art, fashion, and, of course, music.

These contributions amount to over 100 minutes of previously unreleased audio experiments, samples, spoken word pieces, and even actual songs.

The images on the picture discs were created by a number of artists you might recognize from their work on your favorite album covers, including Peter Saville, Cindy Sherman, Raymond Pettibon, and Robert Longo.

"Sound" comes in an edition of 4,000 numbered copies, and the full package includes the five records, an acrylic dome case, a booklet with credits and instructions, two CDs containing all of the audio content, and a battery-operated toy car that plays the records through a self-contained needle and speakers as it drives along the grooves.

Best happy meal ever.

Will Oldham Designs Francis Ford Coppola's Magazine
Latest issue of Zoetrope: All-Story out now, also features Woody Allen

You knew Francis Ford Coppola directed the Godfather movies, and you knew he fathered Sofia and Roman, but did you know dude has a magazine? And he's been publishing it for ten years now? Neither did we, until we found out Will Oldham put together the current issue of Coppola's Zoetrope: All-Story, available now on all the cooler newsstands.

Named for a primitive motion picture device (as is Coppola's American Zoetrope studios), Zoetrope collects writing and artwork and invites a different "artist" to compile and design each issue. Past contributors include David Bowie, Tom Waits, David Byrne, and Laurie Anderson (we suspect the link here is "musicians who act," in one manner or another), as well as Coppola's fellow directors Gus Van Sant and Wim Wenders. Hell, even Dennis Hopper took a swipe at this thing.

Will tackles the Spring 2007 edition, aka the first issue of the 11th volume of Zoetrope. His creation features new pieces of fiction from Woody Allen, Elizabeth McCracken, Rachel Cusk, and Helen Simpson, as well as some interesting graphics. It also has a photograph of a monkey on the cover that Will took. We can't decide if it's aw-shucks cute or goddamn creepy-- doesn't it look like an evil, miniature human? At least a little bit? We're fairly sure it's plotting something heinous.

As previously reported, Oldham hits us with another Bonnie "Prince" Billy single off The Letting Go, "Strange Form of Life", on March 15 via Drag City. He wrapped up a UK tour last month and lands on the European mainland next week for a long stretch of solo shows.

Check out Will's ramblin' Zoetrope introduction bit below and buy the magazine here. [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.)