Tussle Work With Liquid Liquid, Hot Chip, Optimo

It's 90 degrees outside, we're stressing out about the festival, everybody's computers seem to be breaking down at the same time, and the new Basement Jaxx isn't as good as we'd hoped it would be.

In other words, Pitchfork's in the mood for a Tussle.

Tussle the band are ready to satisfying the cravings of fighters everywhere with their second record, Telescope Mind, due October 16 on Smalltown Supersound.

The San Francisco four-piece have pulled together 12 new tracks for the follow-up to 2004's Kling Klang, all of which were recorded last year with Quinn Luke. The closer, "Pow!" features Liquid Liquid's Sal Principato and Dennis Young, and the disc's artwork was created by Kim Hiorthoy.

Tussle plan to release a limited edition 12" single titled "Warning" also on Smalltown Supersound on September 25. In addition, it features a 10 minute Hot Chip remix containing several TM numbers and an Optimo remix. Fans can preview a clip on Tussle's MySpace. [MORE...]

Stream: Tussle: Various Tracks

Mat Brooke Leaves Band of Horses

Mat Brooke has fallen off Band of Horses, and it doesn't look as if he has plans to hop back on. The group's co-founder (along with fellow ex-Carissa's Wierd member Ben Bridwell) hasn't been touring with the band, although he played an integral part in the creation of Horses' debut album, Everything All the Time.

An official statement from the band reads, "Mat was originally in the band to help with songwriting, and that due to his other projects taking off, he is no longer in the band."

So for those who were wondering why Brooke didn't show for BoH's performance on the "Late Show With David Letterman", there you have it.

The rest of the Band will continue to gallop across America on tour over the next few months, including, of course, a stop at the Pitchfork Music Festival. [MORE...]

MP3: Band of Horses: The Funeral

Throwing Muses Return

Kristin Hersh has kept busy since her old band, Throwing Muses, broke up in 1997 and then reunited to record a second self-titled album in 2003. She is putting the finishing touches on the follow-up to her sixth solo album, The Grotto, (currently untitled and without a tracklist, but mentioned plenty, albeit mysteriously, on her official blog), and she has also stayed active with her post-Muses band 50 Foot Wave.

But it seems Hersh just can't keep those Muses away, as the band have scheduled precious few live dates in August, with support from 50 Foot Wave. Then, in September, 50 Foot Wave will open for Mission of Burma's West Coast tour. [MORE...]

MP3: Throwing Muses: Speed and Sleep

Phoenix, French Kicks Shill for Camel Smokes

Hey kids! Want to see Phoenix and the French Kicks rocking up close and personal? Well, you better start smoking. That's right-- the bands' current U.S. shows, which kicked off last night in Minneapolis, are being billed as "invite only," and passes can allegedly only be obtained via reps for Camel Cigarettes.

The whole thing seems kinda fishy, though, since you can buy tickets for most of the shows on Ticketmaster. And they're only five bucks. Ah well, logic was never a smoker's specialty. [MORE...]

Video: Phoenix: Consolation Prizes

R.E.M.'s Early Years Collected

Music industry, launch your acronym attack! On September 12, R.E.M. will drop the first-ever complete CD and DVD anthologies of their 1980s I.R.S. Recordings. OMG, LOL, etc.

The collection, titled And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987, will come in two packages. Number one (for the likers) is a 21-track single-disc collection of fan and band favorites. Two (for the lovers), a dual-CD collector's edition with Anthony DeCurtis-penned liner notes, includes the aforementioned material as well as 21 rarities, alternate takes, previously unreleased mixes, live recordings, unreleased songs, and more. R.E.M. were responsible for compiling the set, which is being released via EMI on September 12.

A DVD, When the Light Is Mine... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 will be released separately on the same date. It brags 2+ hours of content, featuring previously unreleased television performances, interviews, outtakes, and every one of the band's I.R.S.-era music videos, including "Wolves, Lower," which debuts with the film (unless you want to spoil the fun and click on the YouTube link below). [MORE...]

Video: R.E.M.: Wolves, Lower

Wilco's Kotche and Cline, Alone, Together

Hey, check it out-- two Pitchfork Music Festival artists performing together alone for the first time!

Glenn Kotche and Nels Cline are scheduled to make their debut performance as a duo (so no Wilco) this Saturday at Milwaukee's Pabst Theater.

The appearance, titled "Alone & Together", will premiere at 8:00pm, with Kotche and Cline each playing a solo set and later joining forces to bring the noise as a pair.

Those unable to make it to the gig can see the guys separately at our fest's Biz 3 stage on Sunday. [MORE...]

Stream: Glenn Kotche: Mobile samples
MP3: Nels Cline: Angel of Death

Swan Lake Reveal Debut Album

It's time to officially add a second supergroup to Dan Bejar's resume because the debut album from Swan Lake-- the collaboration between Bejar, Wolf Parade/Sunset Rubdown's Spencer Krug and Frog Eyes' Carey Mercer that has only been hinted at until now-- finally has a release date.

The album is called Beast Moans and will be released November 21 on Jagjaguwar. Though the tracklist is below, the specific songwriting credits remain mysterious.

Beast Moans:

01 Widow's Walk
02 Nubile Days
03 City Calls
04 A Venue Called Rubella
05 All Fires
06 The Partisan But He's Got to Know
07 The Freedom
08 Petersburg, Liberty Theater, 1914
09 The Pollenated Girls
10 Bluebird
11 Pleasure Vessels
12 Are You Swimming in Her Pools?
13 Shooting Rockets

Don't forget, Bejar will perform as Destroyer this weekend at the Pitchfork Music Festival, and Sunset Rubdown will play our Friday night pre-party at Metro.

Photos: Casiotone for the Painfully Alone / This Song Is a Mess but So Am I [South Union Arts; 07/21/06]

It was Attack of the Unwieldy Band Names as Casiotone for the Painfully Alone and This Song Is a Mess but So Am I shared two unique approaches to cathartic, bedroom music-making-- beneath a neon crucifix, no less-- at Chicago's church turned performance-space-cum-art-gallery, South Union Arts.

For TSIAMBSAI, it was all about spazz calisthenics performed over relentless, Xiu Xiu-esque beats played at ear-numbing decibel levels. Sounds pretty awful on paper, but it was surprisingly hypnotic to behold. Bathed in devilish red floodlights, This Song's Freddy Ruppert shrieked and flailed his way to salvation, and given the enthusiastic applause, it seemed his pew-seated audience was right there with him.

Casiotone literally utilized the church pulpit for his keyboards and delivered a lush, synth-pop sermon on being lonely, desperate, and twentysomething. While far too brief a set to get completely wrapped up in, Casiotone's Owen Ashworth conjured an impressive array of sounds from his fairly primitive set-up, putting those who stuck around in just the right mood to go home and sob into a dark corner somewhere. Amen, brother.

Pretty pictures and remaining dates are just a click away. [MORE...]

Video: Band of Horses on Letterman

If you're keeping your T.V. Eyes open, the Band of Horses performance that aired earlier this month on "Late Show With David Letterman" is old news.

But for those who missed it, all is not lost. Fans can now see their fav farm animals perform "The Funeral" live on YouTube.

This appearance marked Band of Horses' network television debut, so come on over to Union Park for the Pitchfork Music Festival this Saturday and get some autographs from the stars.

MP3: Band of Horses: The Funeral

The Streets Make Longest Music Video Ever

While the Streets' Mike Skinner will probably never reach the lofty heights achieved by Kim Goodman, the Guinness World Record-holder for eyeball popping (11 mm.!), he does have some record-breaking in store for us. In conjunction with MTV's 25th anniversary, Skinner, director Alastair Siddons, and 25 young MTV UK viewers will release the longest music video of all time.

The project is set to run for 20 minutes, passing Michael Jackson's 1983 masterpiece, the 18-minute "Thriller", on the way. It focuses on five stories filmed by the "young people" (according to a press release) who each spent one week with a video camera and some good old fashioned creativity.

Skinner and Siddons teamed up, using the video footage to inspire lyrics and music for an accompanying track. Skinner, who will be featured in the video, said in a press release, "Alastair and I have been blown away by the creativity and imaginations of the young people involved, and we have read hundreds of treatments and watched hours of videos in order to find the most interesting and intriguing content for this epic work."

Profits from the lengthy single will go to the Staying Alive Foundation, a charity dedicated to fighting HIV and AIDS.

The video will premiere on MTV UK at 8:30pm on August 1.

Video: The Streets: When You Wasn't Famous

Calexico Schedule More Shows

Having extricated themselves from that unhealthy codependent relationship with Iron & Wine (they're just friends now), Calexico are celebrating the single life by scheduling a whole bunch of shows in support of their latest album, Garden Ruin, out now on Touch and Go.

The Tucson troop will hit New York City's Central Park Summerstage and Lollapalooza before embarking on a four-month tour that flip-flops between America and Europe, keeping up a hellish pace (think the "grueling" setting in Oregon Trail) all the way through early November. It's a good thing they don't have oxen. [MORE...]

Video: Calexico: Cruel

Elvis Costello, Death Cab, Jenny Lewis Smoke "Weeds"

Marijuana and music go hand in hand, and Showtime's hit series "Weeds" has stepped right up to take advantage of this relationship.

For season two of the show, "Weeds"' theme song, "Little Boxes" by Malvina Reynolds, will be reinterpreted each week by a different artist. Musicians signed up for this cover extravaganza include Elvis Costello, Death Cab for Cutie, Jenny Lewis, the Polyphonic Spree's Tim DeLaughter, Regina Spektor, Englebert Humperdinck, McGarrigle Sisters, Tom Maxwell and Ken Mosher (formerly from Squirrel Nut Zippers), and Ozomatli. There has been no word as to whether or not these tracks will be released.

The second season of the series kicks off on August 14 and will feature guest appearances from Zooey Deschanel and Snoop Dogg, who will play himself and record a pot-related number on the show.

This isn't, however, the only time the Costello-Death Cab love connection has popped up lately. Costello and his band Imposters played a show for VH1's "Decades Rock Live" last May alongside Death Cab, Fiona Apple, and Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong. The all-star band performed a high-energy rendition of Nick Lowe/Costello's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding" at Atlantic City, New Jersey's Trump Taj Mahal. It aired last Friday, and is now available on YouTube:

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.)