Devendra, Beth Orton on New Bert Jansch LP

What?! That’s right, it’s not a typo. According to Jansch’s publicist, his new album features contributions from Devendra Banhart, Beth Orton, Otto Hauser of Espers and Vetiver, and Currituck Co.’s Kevin Barker. The album is titled The Black Swan and comes out on Drag City later this year.

The Black Swan was produced by Noah Georgeson, who also manned the boards on Cripple Crow and The Milk-Eyed Mender. The detailed story of the album’s creation is as follows: "Basic tracking was done at Bert's home studio in London, and overdubbing was overseen by Noah in studios in NYC and L.A., with all the principle contributors having previously met in London, November 2005 at a Devendra Banhart concert; the participants all met again at the end of the project at the United Sounds of ATP Festival in Camber Sands, in the UK, earlier this month, when Jansch shared a bill with Devendra and Hairy Fairy, Vetiver, Espers, Jandek and others."

Jansch will appear at the Lynton and Lynmouth Festival in North Devon, England on June 10, and while The Black Swan may be all wrapped up, that shouldn’t stop aspiring Devendras and Joannas from trying to coax Jansch into letting them guest on his next album.

Brian Eno to Play Bestival

Occurring September 8-10 in Robin Hill Country Park on the Isle of Wight, the whimsical fest (its website has floating puffy clouds and an animated ice cream truck) announced a partnership with Amnesty International and its Make Some Noise Project, a global campaign that combines "music, art, and action" to protect human rights. Eno, who has been active in opposing the Iraq occupation, will make a mainstage appearance with the Rachid Taha Band in support of Stop the War initiatives.

When not hanging out in one of the festival's unique accommodations (like the Bohemian Bivouac or Beach Hut) or taking breakdancng lessons, Bestival-goers can catch more live music from acts like Lily Allen, Scritti Politti, Pet Shop Boys, the Boy Least Likely To, the Go! Team, Scissor Sisters, Devendra Banhart, Love Is All, Brakes, Long Blondes, Amadou & Mariam, Hot Chip, the Fall, the Pipettes, Carl Cox, Kelley Polar, Kid Creole & the Coconuts (!) and many, many more. Radio 1 DJ Rob da Bank curated this year's festival and promises "shedloads of new bands and DJs to get your ears around." I guess he'd know best(ival)!

The Streets, Lady Sovereign Launch Tour

After the after-party comes the hotel lobby, but we kind of don't want to know what Mike Skinner or Lady Sovereign do at their hotels.

The grimy tour will push things forward starting tonight in Seattle and continue through the end of June, after which the two will split up to hit their own, personal favorite festivals.

Streets dates:

06-07 Seattle, WA - Showbox *
06-08 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom *
06-09 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore *
06-10 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre *
06-14 Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre *
06-16 Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa *
06-18 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo
06-21 Boston, MA - Avalon Ballroom *
06-22 Montreal, Quebec - Spectrum de Montreal *
06-23 Toronto, Ontario - The Phoenix *
06-24 Chicago, IL - Intonation Music Festival *
06-27 New York, NY - Webster Hall *
07-01 Roskilde, Denmark - Roskilde Festival *
08-05 Westmeath, Ireland - Hi:Fi Festival
08-26 Reading, England - Carling Weekend
08-27 Leeds, England - Carling Weekend

* with Lady Sovereign

Lady Sovereign dates:

07-05 Kristiansand, Norway - Quart Festival
07-15 Amsterdam, Netherlands - 5 Days Off Festival
07-30 New York, NY - Central Park Summerstage
08-04-06 Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza
08-12 Tokyo, Japan - Summer Sonic
08-13 Osaka, Japan - Summer Sonic
08-25 Leeds, England - Leeds Festival
08-27 Reading, England - Reading Festival
09-02 Seattle, WA - Bumbershoot Festival

As previously reported, the Streets will perform on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" on June 12 and the "Late Show With David Letterman" on June 30. Just don't let these appearances keep you from returning your DVDs on time.

Wolf Parade to Tour With Frog Eyes

Follow their tracks:

08-04 Ottawa, Ontario - Barrymore's Music Hall *
08-05 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix *
08-06 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick *
08-07 Chicago, IL - Metro *
08-08 Chicago, IL - Metro *
08-09 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue *
08-20 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom *
08-22 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom *
08-24 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore *
08-25 Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theatre *
08-27 Salt Lake City, UT - In the Venue *
09-03 Montreal, Quebec - Osheaga Festival
09-15 Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Festival

* with Frog Eyes

Os Mutantes LPs Available in North America Again

But thanks to the Seattle label and distribution company Light in the Attic, that problem has been remedied. LITA has become the North American distributor for the Os Mutantes catalogue, and now all of the band's albums-- 1968's Os Mutantes, 1969's Mutantes, 1970's Divina Comedia and Technicolor, 1971's Jardim Electrico, 1972's E Seus Cometas, 1973's "A" e o "Z", and 1974's Todo Foi Feito Pelo Sol-- are readily available on CD for sensible prices.

Light in the Attic is also handling the distribution for several other classic titles from Os Mutantes' Brazilian countrymen and countrywomen, including 60s and 70s releases from Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, and Jorge Ben.

An interview with Os Mutantes' Sérgio Dias Baptista was recently posted on the Light in the Attic website, in which he talks about the band's history and influence on a new generation of musicians. He also revealed the current touring incarnation of the group:

"The band has ten guys. Me and [brother] Arnaldo [Baptista] and [Ronaldo] Dinho [Leme] from the original, and then there are two keyboard players, one of them is like a multi-instrumentalist, he plays flute and recorder and cello-- a bunch of instruments we need to be able to make this happen. A percussion player, Simone Soul, a girl we need who is fantastic, which we need to cover all the sound, the different parts, including the backing vocals. And there's Zélia Dunkan who is going to be our guest."

Sounds like a party!

Baptista also mentioned that the reunion should continue after the current tour. "I'm hoping that this won't stop at this point. You know, Sony just called us today, and our manager's going to have a meeting with them tomorrow morning here in Brazil. They want to probably do a DVD and a CD out of the tour."

With all that to look forward to, here's Os Mutantes' itinerary, including, of course, the Pitchfork Music Festival:

07-21 New York, NY - Webster Hall *
07-23 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl #
07-24 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore Auditorium $
07-26 Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre %
07-28 Denver, CO - Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
07-30 Chicago, IL - Pitchfork Music Festival !
08-02 Miami, FL - Artime Theater

* with Death Vessel
# with the Flaming Lips, Thievery Corporation
$ with Brightblack Morning Light
% with Sir Richard Bishop
! with Spoon, Yo La Tengo, Devendra Banhart, Mission of Burma, Aesop Rock, the National, Jens Lekman, Danielson, Tapes 'n Tapes, Diplo, Dominik Eulberg, Ada, Glenn Kotche, Tarantula A.D., CSS, Bonde Do Role, Jeff Parker/Nels Cline Quartet

Johnny Cash's American V Revealed

Once again produced by ZZ Top understudy Rick Rubin, the album will feature twelve selections taken from the country legend's final 2003 recording sessions. The official tracklist has made its way into the Pitchfork inbox, via a recent press release from Lost Highway Records:

01 Help Me
02 God's Gonna Cut You Down
03 Like the 309
04 If You Could Read My Mind
05 Further on up the Road
06 The Evening Train
07 I Came to Believe
08 Love's Been Good to Me
09 A Legend in My Time
10 Rose of My Heart
11 Four Strong Winds
12 I'm Free From the Chain Gang Now

A less flashy batch of tunes than the previous American entry (which saw the Man in Black singing on such square-peg covers as "Personal Jesus" and a dazed Fiona Apple duet on "Bridge Over Troubled Water"), the record offers a genuinely warm epitaph to Cash's influential career with weathered but spirited takes on Bruce Springsteen, Gordon Lightfoot, and Rod McKuen tunes, as well as his own "Like the 309", which marks Cash's last original composition put to tape.

As Rubin said in a previous statement about the collection, "These songs are Johnny's final statement. They are the truest reflection of the music that was central to his life at the time. This is the music that Johnny wanted us to hear."

Mojave 3 Complete Puzzles, Goswell Falls Ill

The rare exception has been Mojave 3, made up of singer/guitarist Neil Halstead, singer/bassist Rachel Goswell, drummer Ian McCutcheon (formerly 3/4 of Slowdive), guitarist Simon Rowe (formerly of Chapterhouse), and keyboardist Alan Forrester. Unlike its predecessors the folk-pop quartet traded sound for songs, haziness for clarity.

Mojave 3 released its fifth album, Puzzles Like You, on 4AD yesterday in the U.S., with a UK release date of June 19. The follow-up to 2003's Spoon and Rafter sees the band moving toward more upbeat pop. The first single, "Breaking the Ice" arrived Monday in the UK; its accompanying video was filmed by Bradley Beesley, director of the Flaming Lips documentary The Fearless Freaks. It features the band performing...at an ice rink. Talk about being literal.

Puzzles Like You:

01 Truck Driving Man
02 Puzzles Like You
03 Running With Your Eyes Closed
04 Big Star Baby
05 Breaking the Ice
06 Most Days
07 Ghost Ship Waiting
08 Kill the Lights
09 You've Said It Before
10 To Hold Your Tiny Toes
11 Just a Boy
12 The Mutineer

Mojave 3 are currently in the middle of a brief UK tour, with a few European festival dates scheduled for July. A North American tour will commence in September. Unfortunately, it appears that the band will not be joined by Goswell, who is suffering from ear problems. Posting on her MySpace page recently, Goswell revealed that she suffered a nasty inner ear infection, resulting in tinnitus, hearing loss, balance problems, and nerve damage.

Writes Goswell, "I'm at a point now when I don't really know when I'll be well enough to do music. I've been told it will take a few months for the physio to work...Mojave 3 did a video for the new single this week. I wasn't able to take part in that. Touring is not looking like an option I can do right now either. Things are left open for me with all this. If I'm able to, I will take part. A friend has been brought in to cover me for the time being for gigs. The record needs to be released and promoted right? I'm just in no fit state to do any of it at the moment and it all feels pretty harsh."

We wish Goswell the best as she undergoes treatment.

Finally, Halstead plans to work on a second solo record later this year. His solo debut album was 2002's Sleeping on Roads.

Drift to these dates:

06-07 Glasgow, Scotland - Kings Tut's
06-08 Manchester, England - Jabez Clegg
06-12 London, England - The Borderline
06-13 London, England - The Borderline
06-17 Devon, England - Queens Theatre (Wild West Country Festival)
07-04 Paris, France - La Maroquinerie
07-21 Caminha, Portugal - Vilar De Mouros Festival
07-22 Benicassim, Spain - Benicassim Festival
07-23 Oxford, England - Truck Festival

David Thomas Broughton, Doveman Kick Off Trek

Today Doveman and David Thomas Broughton take their first step towards the rock n' roll big leagues, and you can bet their moms were there snapping pictures as they loaded up the van. They left New York, NY and Leeds, England, respectively, young dreamers. Will they return home Golden Gods? Or hedonistic man-children? Or really, really broke young dreamers?

Doveman are touring in support of their debut album, last year's The Acrobat (Swim Slowly), the perfect soundtrack to that dimly lit after-hours bar where everyone's too busy smoking to enforce the smoking ban. Comprised of five to six regular members, most of whom play in a variety of other projects in addition to Doveman, the band will be represented on this tour by leader Thomas Bartlett on vocals and keyboards, Sam Amidon on banjo and guitar, and Shahzad Ismaily on guitar and electronics, with all three taking turns on drums.

David Thomas Broughton released his own debut LP last year on Plug Research. It's called The Complete Guide to Insufficiency, but most people who heard it found it completely sufficient. Impressive considering it's just him, his acoustic guitar, some loops, and a drum machine. Doveman no doubt appreciate this minimalism as it takes up less room in the van.

The Insufficient Acrobat Tour '06: Falling Off the High Wire Never Sounded So Good:

06-07 Montreal, Quebec - The Green Room
06-08 Boston, MA - PA's Lounge
06-09 Northampton, MA - Gallery TK
06-11 New York, NY - Joe's Pub
06-12 Washington, DC - The Red and the Black
06-14 Chicago, IL - Subterranean *
06-15 Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews
06-17 Missoula, MT - House Party &
06-18 Clarkston, WA - Muddy Waters Coffee House
06-19 Portland, OR - Towne Lounge
06-20 San Francisco, CA - Café du Nord
06-21 Los Angeles, CA - Tangier
06-22 Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture
06-23 Phoenix, AZ - Modified
06-27 New York, NY - Tonic

* with Roommate
& with Jucifer

Later in the summer, Broughton has a few gigs scheduled in England:

07-21 Sheffield, England - The Grapes
08-06 Herefordshire, England - Eastnor Castle Deer Park
09-15 Dorset, England - End of the Road Festival

Buzzcocks Hit the Road

Now they're turning their gaze toward our shores for a June/July jaunt from Toronto to Vancouver, with brief a detour to London. Alas, the first leg is part of the Vans Warped Tour, so be sure you've been vaccinated against huge vinyl banners bedecked with snowboarding-company logos. Or just wait until July, when the Buzzcocks will headline their own tour of this vast continent.

Moving away from the pulsebeat:

06-10 Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Theatre (NXNE)
06-11 Boston, MA - Axis *$
06-12 New York, NY - Irving Plaza *$
06-14 Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar *$
06-15 Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion #
06-16 Columbus, OH - Germain Amphitheatre #
06-17 Milwaukee, WI - Marcus Amphitheatre #
06-18 Minneapolis, MN - Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome #
06-19 Bonner Springs, KS - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre #
06-21 Antioch, TN - Starwood Amphitheatre #
06-22 Jacksonville, FL - Jacksonville Fairgrounds #
06-23 St. Petersburg, FL - Vinoy Park #
06-24 Miami, FL - Bicentennial Park #
06-25 Orlando, FL - Tinker Field #
06-26 Ladson, SC - Exchange Park Fairgrounds #
06-27 Raleigh, NC - Alltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek #
06-28 Atlanta, GA - HiFi Buys Amphitheatre #
06-29 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club
07-08 London, England - Finsbury Park (Rise Fest)
07-11 New York, NY - Warsaw *%
07-12 Buffalo, NY - The Town Ballroom *%
07-13 Cleveland, OH - House of Blues *%
07-14 Detroit, MI - Shelter *%
07-15 Chicago, IL - Double Door *%
07-16 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock *%
07-18 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre *%
07-19 Albuquerque, NM - Launch Pad %&
07-21 Tempe, AZ - The Clubhouse %!
07-22 Las Vegas, NV - Celebrity Showroom %!
07-23 San Diego, CA - Canes %!
07-25 Anaheim, CA - House of Blues %^
07-26 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre %^
07-27 San Francisco, CA - Mezzanine %!
07-28 Portland, OR - Dante's *%
07-29 Seattle, WA - El Corazon *%
07-30 Vancouver, British Columbia - Red Room *%
08-04 Scunthorpe, England - The Baths Hall
08-05 Newcastle, England - Gosforth Gathering
08-13 Leicester, England - De Montfort Hall (Summer Sundae festival)
08-20 Devon, England - Escot Park (Beautiful Days festival)
08-27 London, England - Clapham Common (Get Loaded in the Park festival)
09-01 Bastogne, Belgium - Ward'in Rock Fest
09-03 Milan, Italy - Rock in Idro 06 Fest

* with the Adored
$ with the Choke
# with the Warped Tour
% with the Strays
! with Lola Ray
^ with Easy Image
& with the Sharpies

While the band's away from home, their butler is replacing all those "PB" monograms around Buzzcocks Manor with "DF", because longtime drummer Phil Barker has been replaced by a dude named Danny Farrant. Scrape hard, Jeeves-- Barker had been in the fold since 1989, so those appliqués are bonded pretty tight.

KRS' Sound the Hare Heard Tour Begins

The gathering of singer-songwriters (or whatever) features big-name boys Sufjan Stevens, Colin Meloy, other KRS kids such as Wooden Wand, Nedelle, and Jeff Hanson, and crooners like Southerly, Lauren Hoffman, Lovers, and Thao Nguyen among others. And as these acoustic aficionados all seem to have touched a little piece of Kill Rock Stars' hearts, why not have a tour to go along with it? If a band can tour to support an album, a bunch of artists can tour to support a compilation, right?

The Sound the Hare Heard tour kicks off tonight in San Francisco, with Southerly along for the whole ride and Thao Nguyen for most of it as well (Lovers recently dropped off the tour). Suffice it to say, leave the Red Bull at home, kids; grab a candle, a peace sign and maybe a pillow.

Sounds on tour:

Thao Nguyen and Southerly:

06-07 San Francisco, CA - Café du Nord *@
06-09 Goleta, CA - Hard 2 Find Showspace *
06-10 Los Angeles, CA - Knitting Factory (Alterknit) *#
06-11 Phoenix, AZ - Modified Arts #
06-12 Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture #
06-14 Denver, CO - Monkey Mania #
06-15 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court #
06-16 Boise, ID - Neurolux #
06-17 Portland, OR - The Artisery #$%
06-18 Seattle, WA - Mars Bar #%
06-19 Spokane, WA - The Shop
06-20 Missoula, MT - Higgins Alley
06-21 Billings, MT - Level 504 Gallery
06-22 Bismarck, ND - TBA
06-23 Sioux Falls, SD - Black Sheep
06-24 Fargo, ND - The Aquarium

Thao Nguyen, Southerly, Lauren Hoffman:

06-25 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club ^
06-26 Madison, WI - Slipper Club ^
06-27 Chicago, IL - South Union Arts ^
06-28 Cedar Rapids, IA - Emerald City ^
06-29 Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews ^
06-30 Lawrence, KS - Jackpot *
07-01 Warrensburg, MO - The Setlist *
07-02 Kansas City, MO - Record Bar *
07-03 St Louis, MO - Lucas School House *
07-05 Indianapolis, IN - Big Car Gallery *
07-07 Detroit, MI - Lager House *
07-08 Ypsilanti, MI - Banana Tina *
07-09 Buffalo, NY - Kitchen Distribution
07-10 Pittsburgh, PA - Garfield Artworks +
07-11 Philadelphia, PA - Clap It Off (Toast & Jam Music Series) +
07-12 Brooklyn, NY - North Six +
07-13 New York, NY - Knitting Factory (Tap Bar) +&
07-14 Wilkes-Barre, PA - Café Metropolis
07-15 Washington, DC - The Red and The Black +

Southerly, Lauren Hoffman:

07-16 Norfolk, VA - Relative Theory
07-17 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
07-18 Spartanburg, SC - Ground Zero
07-19 Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits
07-20 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
07-21 New Orleans, LA - The Republic
07-23 Houston, TX - The Proletariat
07-24 Austin, TX - Red Eyed Fly
07-25 Fort Worth, TX - Metrognome Collective
07-26 Oklahoma City, OK - The Conservatory

Southerly only (not part of Sound the Hare Heard tour):

07-27 Denver, CO - Hi Dive
07-29 Boise, ID - Neurolux
08-01 Portland, OR - Food Hole

* with Aliccia BB
@ with the Moore Brothers
# with Simone White
$ with Laura Veirs
% with Corrina Repp
^ with Jeff Hanson
+ with Essie Jain
& with Death Vessel, Owen McCarthy

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.)