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All Articles for Pitchfork Feed: Music News 
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No, silly: Like Bees is the next EP from the shoe-glancers of Dirty on Purpose. Like Bees manages to pack in four originals, a cover of Aussie new-wavers Real Life's "Send Me an Angel", and guest appearances from the Jealous Girlfriends' Holly Miranda and New York folkie Jaymay.
You can net Like Bees when it emerges January 15 on North Street Records.
Having recently wrapped a spate of shows with those Fujiya & Miyagi gents, the Dirty dudes have but one gig to their names at the moment. It's not one to be slept on, however: Tomorrow, November 3, they play an all-night "Takeover" party at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (post-Sufjan) along with Be Your Own Pet, Antibalas, Heartless Bastards, and the Exit.
Once rested up, the band plans to record some new tunes (four, apparently) to be released through RCRD LBL next year. [MORE...]
Video: Dirty on Purpose: Car No Driver [from the Hallelujah Sirens LP]Stream: Dirty on Purpose: Like Bees / Audience in the Room / Send Me an Angel [from the forthcoming Like Bees EP]
So that Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks album that's coming out in March on Matador now has a title. And it is...drumroll please...
Real Emotional Trash *
That's got a nice ring to it.
Looks like they're going to tour the United States in the spring, and then Europe and Asia. Right now, they've only got two shows scheduled: December 19 at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco and on December 21 at the Doug Fir in Portland, Oregon. Both shows feature Blitzen Trapper opening.
All of this was posted yesterday on the band's website, along with a strange rant against the city of Stockton, California that involves Todd Haynes' new Bob Dylan movie I'm Not There. (As you know, Malkmus contributed to that movie's soundtrack.)
* (FYI, Matador Records hasn't confirmed any of this information yet, so don't be too surprised if the album title changes.)
Full rant below. And thanks to Colin Loustalot for noticing it! [MORE...]
Photos by Akmal Naim
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists joined their spiritual brethren the Pogues on Wednesday night for a Halloween show at Los Angeles' Wiltern. Shane McGowan, reunited with his classic crew, assumed the guise of a mariachi band in celebration of the holiday, while Leo and the boys dressed up as, um, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. Great costume, guys!
More photos and tour dates below.
TED LEO AND THE PHARMACISTS
THE POGUES
[MORE...]
Photo by Shervin Lainez
Another cancellation today? Nah. It's just a postponement for the Smashing Pumpkins, who've moved a handful of dates on their current tour due to the illness of drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. Experiencing chest pains, Chamberlin was taken to an Atlanta hospital Tuesday where he was diagnosed with a partially blocked artery. He was released yesterday, but due to his recovery, the band was forced to shelve their last two shows and the next three, all of which have been moved back a few weeks starting November 11. All tickets will be honored for the rescheduled dates.
Quoted on the band's MySpace blog, Chamberlin says, "the good news is that my heart checked out. No damage. Basically a small build up of plaque on one of my arteries. This combined with stress, fatigue, and all of the other good things that go along with being on tour was the cause of my pain. So obviously we had to postpone the end of the tour while I recover. It should only be a week or so until JC is ready to rock again." For a full message from, um, JC, go here.
Just to recap: Jimmy Chamberlin refers to himself in the third person, by his initials. This band, I tell ya. [MORE...]
Right at this very moment, an opera house full of some very lucky New Yorkers is taking in the premiere of Sufjan Stevens' orchestral piece "The BQE" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The rest of us are patiently waiting to find out what the hell "The BQE" actually is.
Lucky for us, the Asthmatic Kitty website posted today a tractor-trailer-load of information about the piece.
Want to a brief overview of Sufjan's fascination with the hippest highway in indie rock? Go here. How about Sufjan's thoughts on how the hula hoop is related to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway? There ya go. Or a list of things Sufjan and the NYPD found on the side of the road? (Choice quote: "4. Your cane. Why walk, when you can drive the BQE!") The official bird of the BQE? The House Sparrow, of course.
What about, you know, the actual music thing? Oh, that. Here's a list of everybody who's performing with Sufjan. Looks like My Brightest Diamond, Marla Hansen, and members of Crystal Skulls, Clare & the Reasons, Antony's Johnsons, and many, many more.
So what did we learn here? Well, Sufjan is a very good writer. And a funny guy! Also, we should all move to Brooklyn.
Photo by Shervin Lainez
Another cancellation today? Nah. It's just a postponement for the Smashing Pumpkins, who've moved a handful of dates on their current tour due to the illness of drummer Jimmy Chamberlain. Experiencing chest pains, Chamberlain was taken to an Atlanta hospital Tuesday where he was diagnosed with a partially blocked artery. He was released yesterday, but due to his recovery, the band was forced to shelve their last two shows and the next three, all of which have been moved back a few weeks starting November 11. All tickets will be honored for the rescheduled dates.
Quoted on the band's MySpace blog, Chamberlain says, "the good news is that my heart checked out. No damage. Basically a small build up of plaque on one of my arteries. This combined with stress, fatigue, and all of the other good things that go along with being on tour was the cause of my pain. So obviously we had to postpone the end of the tour while I recover. It should only be a week or so until JC is ready to rock again." For a full message from, um, JC, go here.
Just to recap: Jimmy Chamberlain refers to himself in the third person, by his initials. This band, I tell ya. [MORE...]
For people who like their music criticism lengthy, in-depth, and focused on one album at a time, Continuum Books' 33 1/3 series is the place to turn. There are currently over 50 books in the constantly growing series, and chances are good there's one about your favorite album just waiting for you to read it. (As previously reported, previous volumes have included the Decemberists' Colin Meloy examining the Replacements' Let It Be, Joe Pernice of the Pernice Brothers writing about the Smiths, and tomes about Prince, Sonic Youth, Nirvana, My Bloody Valentine, the Beastie Boys, David Bowie, and many, many more.)
Pitchfork's own Associate Editor-in-Chief Scott Plagenhoef is responsible for one of the most recent entries in the series, about Belle & Sebastian's If You're Feeling Sinister. Check out an excerpt here. Pitchfork contributor Amanda Petrusich's book on Nick Drake's Pink Moon just came out as well; an excerpt is available here. Stephen Catanzarite's take on U2's Achtung Baby is also out now.
Several other Pitchfork contributors have books forthcoming in the series. December holds the release of Forker Carl Wilson's book on Céline Dion's Let's Talk About Love and Forker/Matmos half Drew Daniel's book on Throbbing Gristle's 20 Jazz Funk Greats.
Lest someone suspect Pitchfork staffers of stealing the show, David Smay's book on Tom Waits' Swordfishtrombones also comes out in December. Then in March and April, the series will reload with books on albums by Black Sabbath (by Mountain Goat John Darnielle), Slayer (by DX Ferris), and Patti Smith (by Phil Shaw).
Or, if you've got a short attention span (or prefer singles to albums-- zing!), there's 33 1/3's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2, which compiles excerpts from many titles in the series.
Now, if you just read over that list of forthcoming titles, you may have noticed that Carl Wilson's choice of a Céline Dion album is, perhaps, less traditionally canonical than the rest of the series' subjects. But wait! The book isn't just about Céline Dion. It's subtitled "A Journey to the End of Taste", and according to the book jacket, "As Wilson strives to understand Céline's immense global popularity, he faces the question of what drives personal taste-- and whether it's possible to change it."
The folks at 33 1/3 are convinced that the book is so good, they will send PDFs of the first two chapters to anyone who sends an email to letstalkaboutceline@yahoo.com. You can also read an excerpt from the book's third chapter at the 33 1/3 blog here. It's just like the library!
Sad! Just two dates into their fall "Long and Short of It" tour, the Decemberists have announced that they are calling the whole thing off. It looks like the sickness that befell a member of the band a month ago, resulting in the cancellation of their British tour, just hasn't gotten better.
Here's the statement from the band:
"With much regret the Decemberists have cancelled the remainder of 'The Long and Short of It' tour.
"One of our band members has been ill for a while but we thought all would be well in time for these tour dates. After a couple shows, though, it has become clear that the illness is much worse than we had initially realized. We need to return home so our friend can mend.
"It saddens us to disappoint our fans. We hope everybody understands it is only because of an extreme situation that we had to cancel a tour we've all been excited about doing since the idea was originally hatched.
"Our deepest apologies but at this time no plans are being made to reschedule the dates. Ticket holders should seek refunds at point of purchase."
Get well soon, guys! [MORE...]
Photo via Chicagoist
Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter share more than just a first name and a knack for absurd humor. For starters, their resumes both include "The State", "Stella", and Wet Hot American Summer. They also both have new albums (Black's I Am a Wonderful Man is out now, Showalter's Sandwiches & Cats comes out November 13 via JDub). And now, the Michaels have decided to share a handful of U.S. stages in support of those records.
Though three dates of the tour have already passed, there are still six remaining. Their next show is November 14 in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. [MORE...]
The Rumble Strips, those English lads with the tremble-causin' moniker and the loads of punky, horn-y hooks, are coming to the U.S. at last. On November 27, Kanine will issue the boys' first Stateside release, the Alarm Clock EP. In addition to a half-dozen hot slabs of British rock and/or roll (including a cover of Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back in Town"), the disc comes with videos for both "Alarm Clock" and "Oh Creole".
The band will harness that Rumble of theirs on a handful of plotted live appearances both at home and abroad, including a number of rare Stateside gigs in late November and early December. And on November 19, they'll release new single "Time" in the UK. [MORE...]
New Lil Wayne tracks keep arriving from all corners of the internet, and yet, none of them are Bad Ass Grasshopper tunes. But even without an appearance from Wayne's full-band incarnation, there is still a constant barrage of beats and outer space/food/sports metaphors coming from the New Orleans native's camp.
In recognition of his prodigious collection of leaked songs, Lil Wayne will release Tha Carter III: The Leak on December 18, according to an MTV.com report. The record is a preview of sorts for Tha Carter III, his still-forthcoming follow-up to Tha Carter II.
According to the report, Wayne has tentative plans to release the official III on February 12. The album is rumored to feature contributions from Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, and Timbaland.
As for the contents of The Leak, Wayne told MTV.com, "Every song that was leaked is coming out on December 18, and we have four new songs. The song 'Gossip' is gonna be the first single from that album. I'ma shoot the video for that in about a week."
He also said the songs on The Leak will be updated from their original bootlegged versions. "I'm a perfectionist. I'ma change a couple verses, couple of lines. I ain't gonna change nothing up where it fucks up the song; I'll just make it more complete. There are songs out there that weren't finished; I'll add hooks, third verses. We're working for the fans."
As also reported by MTV.com, Wayne appeared in an Atlanta court yesterday, October 31, in connection with the drug possession/fugitive charges that put him in jail in early October. It was only a brief arraignment, and Wayne will return to court November 20.
Lil Wayne currently has a few shows scheduled for the next few weeks, starting November 1 in Nashville.
Finally, Wayne actually withdrew from a previously reported project (a first?). He will no longer be the host of TheNext.tv's "Making the Next Hit!". Instead, those duties will fall to Jagged Edge. [MORE...]
Forgive the fidelity of these photos, please. It wasn't my intention to do anything at last night's Art Brut / Hold Steady gig at Chicago's Metro but have a few beers and throw up a fist or two in the general direction of rock and roll and, as such, I wasn't really packing the proper light meters and whatnot. But when Eddie Argos took the stage in an ill-fitting Elvis getup (the crotch of which, it pains me to report, rode halfway to where the sun don't shine by set's end) and the rest of the Brut followed suit in appropriate Halloween getup, well, it was all I could do not to push my way to the front to help show them off. Alas, guitarist Jasper Future's Gladiator armor and drummer Mikey Breyer's feathered Blades of Glory spandex proved hard to capture, but rest assured, they looked dashing.
A Morricone western soundtrack heralded the Hold Steady's imminent arrival on stage, so it was no big surprise—but still a friggin' riot—when the band emerged dressed as caricatures of Mexican cowboys, draped in serapes with silly little moustaches. Craig's costume lasted exactly two songs, though the moustache glue proved stronger than his resistance to heat. Complete with chomped off stogie, guitarist Tad Kubler's ensemble took the badass crown, but you've got to hand it to a group of dudes willing to don carpets in a hot club and then flail around for an hour and a half.
Oh, and the show? Fucking tops.
ART BRUT
THE HOLD STEADY
Reporting on this year's three-city St. Jerome's Laneway Festival, Pitchfork's Joe Tangari dubbed it "Australia's most insurgent and unique pop music event". Since then, the festival has added another city-- Adelaide-- and lined up a whole bunch of fine bands for the 2008 edition, sending its unique insurgency into previously unheard strata.
Feist, Okkervil River, Kevin Drew, Dan Deacon, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, the Presets, the Brunettes, and the Devastations highlight said bunch, with most showing up on all dates. (The Adelaide gig, perhaps due to its newness, is shy one Deacon, a Drew, and a pair of Brunettes). Adelaide kicks things off February 23 2008, and Melbourne follows the next day. When the working week is done, the fest hits Brisbane March 1 and Sydney March 2.
MP3: Trey Told 'Em: Super Epic Thrill Jockey Mega Massive Mix (excerpt)Stream: The Sea and Cake: Spider's House (Califone cover) [from the forthcoming Plum box set]
Photo by Akmal Naim
Their eerie hold over fictional Jersey gals and the record-buying public being rather well documented at this point, the Shins are turning their strange powers on yet another unlikely target: "Strange Powers", the Magnetic Fields song from Holiday.
According to Uncut, James Mercer and his Shins will take on the track for a B-side on a new UK-only single for Wincing the Night Away's "Sea Legs", appearing on 7" and digital download December 3 from Transgressive.
As for the vinyl pressing of "Sea Legs", well, the Shins aren't gonna press up too many more of those than they need, which makes it one of those "limited" editions. To drum up even more interest in those "Legs", the first 500 seven-inchers will be signed by the band. I hear Jesse Sandoval draws hearts where his "o" should be.
The Shins are off to Europe, with a little help along the way from the well-dressed young men of Vampire Weekend. They'll make their way to Japan mid-month for a brief run of shows there. [MORE...]
Whether they've amassed enough frequent flyer miles to earn them a complimentary trek across the pond whenever they feel like it, or they've just grown fond of the chicken piccata on British Airways' transcontinental flights, Okkervil River are filling up those passports awful quick, as they've added yet another run of UK shows in February 2008. Those dates come after a lengthy European tour set to close out this banner year. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the in-flight movie, fellas.
Before they head to Europe, the band will delight a hometown crowd over the weekend at Austin's Fun Fun Fun Fest.
Oh, and for those of us stuck at home watching Soul Plane and drinking those tiny bottles of scotch, you can flip to NPR's World Café November 10 and 12 to hear a rebroadcast of the band's recent recording session and interview. [MORE...]
They're no strangers, of course, but there won't be any shortage of strangeness each and every night of the Modest Mouse/Man Man tour, which kicks off tonight, appropriately enough on Halloween. From the Brockster's native Washington State most of the way to Man Man's East Coast digs, the shows cover much of November, with a little time apart around Turkey Day.
Following the split, Modest Mouse have a handful of shows of their own in
