Belle and Sebastian to Tour With New Pornographers

The Glaswegian faves will swing into Canada for two dates, pick up their maple-leaf counterparts, and embark on a month-long trek across the States. They'll touch down in Austin for the Matador SXSW showcase, also featuring Mogwai and Cat Power--better get in line now. The New Pornos drop off the tour one random random show in Vancouver. Wait, aren't Carl Newman and co. from Vancouver? What gives?

Flip up your white collar, boy:

02-25 Toronto, Ontario - The Docks
02-26 Montreal, Quebec - Metropolis
02-27 Boston, MA - Avalon
02-28 Boston, MA - Avalon
03-02 New York, NY - Nokia Theatre
03-03 New York, NY - Nokia Theatre
03-04 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
03-05 Washington DC - 9:30 Club
03-06 Washington DC - 9:30 Club
03-08 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
03-09 Louisville, KY - Brown Theatre
03-10 Chicago, IL - Riviera
03-11 Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theatre
03-12 Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theatre
03-14 Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre
03-15 Austin, TX - Stubb's (SXSW)*
03-18 Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern
03-19 Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern
03-21 San Francisco, CA - Concourse @ SF Design Center
03-23 Portland, OR - Roseland
03-24 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom #
03-25 Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre

* with Cat Power, Mogwai
# without New Pornographers

Belle & Sebastian: http://www.belleandsebastian.com/
The New Pornographers: http://www.thenewpornographers.com/

Will Oldham Plans Tours; Tribute to be Reissued

On January 24, Oldham's much anticipated collaboration with Tortoise, the covers collection The Brave and the Bold, will finally be released on Overcoat Recordings (It comes out a day earlier on Domino in the UK). We haven't printed that tracklist in a little while, so here it is again:

01 Cravo e Canela (Milton Nascimento)
02 Thunder Road (Bruce Springsteen)
03 It's Expected I'm Gone (The Minutemen)
04 Daniel (Elton John)
05 Love Is Love (Lungfish)
06 Pancho (Dan Williams)
07 That's Pep (Devo)
08 Some Say (I Got Devil) (Melanie)
09 Cavalry Cross (Richard Thompson)
10 On My Own (Quix*o*tic)

Following that release, Oldham and company, or "multiples musicians" according to the folks at Drag City, will visit New Zealand and Australia to play some shows. Makes sense, since it's summer there, and "superwolf" is Australian for beer...

The bonnie crew will take a few months off after this sojourn before paying a visit to the land of kilts, whiskey, and indecipherable accents for a short April tour. That would be Scotland...sorry, no American shows seem to be written in the stars at the moment. The dates:

01-27 Raglan, New Zealand - AquaVelvet Café
01-28 Leigh, New Zealand - Sawmill Café
01-29 Leigh, New Zealand - Sawmill Café
02-02 Wellington, New Zealand - Indigo Bar
02-03 Nelson, New Zealand - Mean Fiddler
02-06 Golden Bay, New Zealand - Mussel Inn
02-09 Oamaru, New Zealand - Penguin Club
02-10 Dunedin, New Zealand - Sammy's
02-11 Christchurch, New Zealand - Creation
02-16 Melbourne, Australia - Forum
02-17 Melbourne, Australia - Forum
02-18 Sydney, Australia - Newtown
02-19 Sydney, Australia - Newtown
04-10 Aberdeen, Scotland - Lemon Tree
04-11 Glasgow, Scotland - ABC
04-12 Edinburgh, Scotland - Queens Hall
04-13 Gateshead, England - Sage
04-16 Perth, Scotland - Perth Theatre

And that's not all. On January 31, Tract Records will reissue the 2004 Oldham tribute album I Am a Cold Rock. I am Dull Grass., featuring a bevy of bands nobody's heard of and a smattering of better known acts, including Calexico, Iron and Wine, and Scout Niblett. Originally a double-disc affair, the collection has been paired down to a single for the reissue.

However, the new version features six additional artists that didn't appear on the original release: Jolie Holland, Elephant Micah, Court and Spark, Viking Moses, Unbunny, and tribute king Mark Kozelek. According to the label, Sufjan Stevens was originally slated to contribute a cover, but he got wrapped up in a little record called Illinois and had to withdraw his offer.

The first 400 people to order the album directly from the label will receive a bonus disc filled with Tract artists and their associates covering each other's songs. Feel the love!

Tracklistings:

I Am a Cold Rock. I am Dull Grass.:

01 Mark Kozelek: "New Partner"
02 Moyra Mcbride and Maxon Blewitt: "Disorder"
03 The Strugglers: "Riding"
04 Boy Omega: "A Sucker's Evening"
05 Jolie Holland: "Drunk at the Pulpit"
06 The Impossible Shapes: "Rider"
07 Calexico: "I Send My Love to You"
08 Pinetop Seven: "Minor Place"
09 Elephant Micah: "Ohio River Boat Song"
10 Sodastream: "Southside of the World"
11 Pink Nasty: "May It Always Be"
12 The Court and Spark: "The Sun Highlights the Lack in Each"
13 Iron and Wine: "We All, Us Three, Will Ride"
14 Racingpaperplanes: "Careless Love"
15 Viking Moses: "When Thy Song Flows Through Me"
16 Rivulets: "You Will Miss Me When I Burn"
17 Unbunny: "For the Mekons, Et Al"
18 Scout Niblett: "Trudy Dies"

Engano Bonus Disc:

01 Everything Is Fine: "Trenchcoat Blues" (Pink Nasty)
02 The Strugglers: "Pendleton" (The Virginia Reel)
03 Racingpaperplanes: "By Car" (Jeffrey Fields)
04 Boy Omega: "Rejection Letter" (The Strugglers)
05 Derek Joe Brockett: "Long, Long Time" (Theath)
06 Tiger Saw: "Mt. Erebus" (Everything Is Fine)
07 Theath: "Lover's Lane" (Derek Joe Brockett)
08 Viking Moses: "Best Suit" (Tiger Saw)
09 Pink Nasty: "Sandstorms" (Viking Moses)
10 Jeffrey Fields: "Melt to One" (Racingpaperplanes)

Will Oldham: http://www.bonnieprincebilly.com/
Tract: http://www.tractrecords.com/
Drag City: http://www.dragcity.com/

Andrew Bird Announces U.S. Tour, Reissues

There will. While he's not exactly handing out Gushers and Dunkeroos, Bird has reissued two self-released out-of-print 2001 gems: the live disc Fingerlings #1, and The Ballad of the Red Shoes, an instrumental album swathed in a package designed by Bird's printmaker mother, Beth. The Fingerlings reissue features new artwork by Jay Ryan, the man behind the captivating artwork for Bird's 2005 beauty, The Mysterious Production of Eggs. (That album, by the way, is slated for vinyl release soon.)

Tracklists:

01 Action/Adventure
02 Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning
03 Gotholympians
04 Richmond Woman
05 Sweetbreads
06 Why?
07 Headsoak
08 How Indiscreet
09 T'N'T

The Ballad of the Red Shoes:

01 Theme 1 (waltz)
02 Something Sinister
03 Chorus of the Swan
04 Theme 1 (restated)
05 Dance of Death
06 The Door
07 Swedish Folk Tune

Bird will also team up with Anticon associate Martin Dosh once again for a small US tour. It kicks off in early February and comes with this writer's highest recommendation.

Snacks:

02-02 Milwaukee, WI - Miramar Theatre *
02-03 Urbana, IL - Canopy Club *
02-04 Bloomington, IN - Buskirk-Chumley Theater *
02-06 Louisville, KY - Louisville Free Public Library *
02-07 Lexington, KY - The Dame *
02-09 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club *
02-10 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder (Florida State University) *
02-11 Atlanta, GA - Eyedrum *
02-13 Oxford, MS - Proud Larry's *
02-15 St. Louis, MO - The Pageant *
02-16 Ames, IA - Maintenance Shop *
02-17 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon *
02-23 Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Café *
02-24 Duluth, MN - Weber Music Hall at UMD *

* with Martin Dosh, Haley Bonar

Andrew Bird: http://www.andrewbird.net/
Righteous Babe: http://www.righteousbabe.com/

Pedro the Lion Call It Quits

It's all gravy between these bros, though. According to a press release, Walsh had the following to say about the split: "Dave and I are still buddies. I wish him the best, and I know that he'll continue to thrive and grow as an artist on his own...I think his best work is still ahead of him. As for me, I'm thankful for all the experiences that my tenure with the band provided, but I am sure that this was the right decision for me and my family." Best of luck to you, T-dub.

Walsh plans to make an epic return to his career as a software engineer and will continue work on his own music project, christened The Soft Drugs. Meanwhile, Bazan plans to release his first solo record in early 2007 via Jade Tree and will reprise his side project Headphones shortly after that. (Walsh, who contributed to Headphones' 2005 debut album, is also no longer part of that group.)

As reported yesterday, Bazan will join forces with fellow troubadours Will Johnson (Centro-matic, South San Gabriel), Mark Eitzel (American Music Club), and Vic Chesnutt (his own damn self) to form the Voltron-esque touring entity known as the Undertow Orchestra, which will head out on the road in February. Bazan will also play a couple of solo in late January.

Winners never quit:

David Bazan solo:

01-25 Columbia, SC - University of South Carolina
01-26 Seattle, WA - Neumos *

* with Ester Drang

Undertow Orchestra Tour:

02-08 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club
02-09 Carrboro, NC - Carrboro Arts Center
02-10 Arlington, VA - IOTA
02-11 Arlington, VA - IOTA
02-12 Philadelphia, PA - World Café Live
02-13 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
02-14 Boston, MA - Museum of Fine Arts, Remis Auditorium
02-16 Grand Rapids, MI - Calvin College, Fine Arts Center
02-17 Chicago, IL - Park West
02-18 Madison, WI - Orpheum Stage Door
02-19 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
02-20 Ames, IA - Maintenance Shop
02-21 Lawrence, KS - The Granada
02-23 Denton, TX - Hailey's
02-24 Austin, TX - The Parish
02-25 Houston, TX - Walter's on Washington
02-27 Memphis, TN - Hi-Tone
02-28 Nashville, TN - Belcourt Theatre
03-01 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse

David Bazan / Pedro the Lion: http://www.pedrothelion.com/
TW Walsh / The Soft Drugs: http://thesoftdrugs.com/
Jade Tree: http://jadetree.com/

Tweedy, Farrar, Califone to Play Chicago Benefit Shows

For the past two decades, Chicago scene veteran Gary Schepers has manned the soundboards at venues like the Empty Bottle, the Abbey Pub, Schubas, and the now-defunct Lounge Ax, and worked as the sound man for local stars Eleventh Dream Day, Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, Material Issue, and John Parish. He has also produced and engineered records for the Bloodshot label, and played tuba with the alt-country band Devil in a Woodpile.

Unfortunately, Schepers was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and spent the most wonderful time of the year in the hospital. To lessen the financial blow of medical bills for the insurance-less Schepers, Bloodshot has organized a series of benefit concerts taking place at various Chicago venues later this month. Jeff Tweedy, Jay Farrar (no, not together!), Califone, Devil in a Woodpile, Edith Frost, Jeff Tweedy's son Spencer's band the Blisters, and more have volunteered their services.

Current benefit show schedule:

01-20 Chicago, IL - Fitzgerald's (main room) - Robbie Fulks, Jay Farrar, Corky Siegel
01-20 Chicago, IL - Fitzgerald's (side bar) - Devil in a Woodpile
01-20 Chicago, IL - Fitzgerald's (side building, front room) - Dolly Varden, Bunker Town, Prohibition Orchestra
01-22 Chicago, IL - Hideout (day show) - The Blisters, Wee Hairy Beasties (featuring Jon Langford, Sally Timms, Kelly Hogan, and Devil in a Woodpile), Nora O'Connor
01-22 Chicago, IL - Hideout - Califone, Edith Frost, Chris Mills
01-25 Chicago, IL - Abbey Pub - Jeff Tweedy, Devil in a Woodpile
01-27 Chicago, IL - Schuba's - Bottle Rockets, Tijuana Hercules, Great Crusades

More shows are planned for the near future, with Jim Bohquist, Kelly Hogan & the Wooden Leg, Yellowhammers, Bakelite 78, New Duncan Imperials, Mr. Rudy Day, Jane Baxter-Miller, Hoyle Brothers, James Conway, Eric Nodon, and Diamond Jim Greene expected to participate.

Bloodshot Records: http://www.bloodshotrecords.com/

Nellie McKay Splits with Sony; Album in Limbo

"All that matters to me," McKay professed, "is that I can continue to make irritating music which will baffle and enrage."

In an interview with The New York Times, McKay disclosed that when she received the fateful phone call from Columbia, the label representative "said that she hadn't actually heard the album and said that 'this isn't about the music' - which I thought was really funny." Apparently, money wasn't the issue either, as Nellie purportedly fronted all finances for Head's recording sessions.

McKay continued, "I think for both sides, it's liberating. You have no idea how much of a pain I can be."

Pretty Little Head was scheduled to be in stores on Tuesday, January 3, after months of delays. The label split pushes the release date back again. McKay is currently in the process of purchasing the rights to the mastered recordings and pursuing other release outlets. "There's lots of legal stuff," she told the Times. "We're just trying to get out as soon as we can."

In the meantime, fans can tide themselves over with McKay's contributions to the soundtrack for the recent Jennifer Aniston rom-com flick Rumor Has It, available from digital retailers only. Her six songs include a cover of Cole Porter's "Just One Of Those Things" and "Baby, You've Got What It Takes", a duet with blues legend Taj Mahal.

The movie is terrible, apparently:

01 Black Sheep
02 BB Blues
03 Just One of Those Things
04 Pasadena Girl
05 Face of a Faith
06 Baby, You've Got What It Takes

Also, Nellie's official webpage on the Columbia Records site is currently offering a stream of the Pretty Little Head track "The Big One". We'll see how long that lasts.

Nellie's one scheduled concert date still stands, and as reported earlier, she will appear in a Broadway production of "The Threepenny Opera". The production opens for previews in March at Studio 54 and now stars Cyndi Lauper alongside McKay. (Lauper also guests on Pretty Little Head.) Liberated from the majors, at least for now, it's anyone's guess what sort of brouhaha Nellie will stir up at this performance:

01-22 Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere *

* with Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players

Nellie McKay: http://www.nelliemckay.com

Former !!! Drummer Anthony Mikel Gius Killed

On the !!! website, multi-instrumentalist Mario Andreoni wrote the following about Gius: "I met him when I was 8 after a mutual friend told me I 'had to meet the other guy in the neighborhood with more Kiss posters than you'. We quickly became best friends and went on to share the most significant times of our lives together...family vacations, puberty, crushes, loves, mixtapes, illicit activities, dancing, air guitar/drums, actual guitar/drums, bands, U.S. tours."

"I still love him like a brother and miss him terribly."

* !!!: http://www.brainwashed.com/!!!/

Touch and Go: http://www.tgrec.com/

Aereogramme's Third Album to See American Release

According to guitarist/frontman/erstwhile blogger Craig B., "We have eleven songs waiting to be released and we hope you like them. I guess they do sound quite different to previous Aereogramme releases but don't all boring musicians say that sort of thing? You lot will be the best judge of that. I can only promise you that it has some of our most joyous and most miserable songs yet."

(Yes, Craig, all boring musicians do say that.)

The album currently bears the working title My Heart Has a Wish That You Would Not Go, which has a nice ring to it, and will include the songs ""Exits", "Trenches", "Barriers", "A Life Worth Living", and Nightmares", according to the 'Gramme fansite The Saviours of the Underground. If you're an Aereogramme fan, you're probably looking forward to hearing it.

However, if you're in the U.S., you're a couple years behind things, as the band has only just secured North American distribution for their third album, Seclusion, which came out on Undergroove in the UK in 2004. The album will be released on March 21 via Sonic Unyon over in these parts, and hey, if you ever want to see My Heart... Stateside, you should probably get on board now.

Seclusion is a bit unique in format, as it features six traditional (so to speak) songs followed by a short film created by the band in collaboration with Scottish director Steven Morrison. Two versions of the film are included, with each one featuring a different score. According to the kind folks at Sonic Unyon, the film "is a respectful homage to Aereogramme's favourite Japanese horror directors that will both shock and challenge the listener/viewer." We have no idea what that means, but it's probably gross. Anyhoo, the songs (and visuals):

01 Inkwell
02 Dreams and Bridges
03 The Unravelling
04 I Don't Need Your Love
05 Lightning Strikes the Postman
06 Alternative Score
07 Seclusion [Dreams and Bridges Version - Video]
08 Seclusion [Alternate Score Version - Video]

Numero Group Unearths Miami Soul Label Deep City

Eccentric Soul: The Deep City Label features early recordings from Wright and Kelly, as well as tracks by obscure artists only known to the most devoted collectors, such as the Moovers, Them Two, Johnny K Killens, Frank Williams, and Helene Smith.

Get down tonight:

01 Them Two - "Am I a Good Man"
02 Moovers - "Someone to Fulfill My Needs"
03 Helene Smith - "I Am Controlled by Your Love"
04 Johnny K Killens & the Dynamites - "I Don't Need Help"
05 Freda Gray & the Rocketeers -"Stay Away From My Johnny"
06 Helene Smith - "Thrills and Chills"
07 Betty Wright - "Paralyzed"
08 Moovers - "I Love You Baby"
09 Helene Smith - Pain in My Heart"
10 Paul Kelly - "The Upset"
11 Moovers - "One Little Dance"
12 Betty Wright - "Good Lovin'"
13 Helene Smith - "Willing and Able"
14 Paul Kelly - "It's My Baby"
15 Helene Smith - "You Got to Do Your Share"
16 Frank Williams & the Rocketeers - "Good Things Pt. 1"
17 Moovers - "Darling I'll Go"

Surround Sound Coming to MP3s

This week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS (say that five times fast) will demonstrate two new software components that, when used together, allow MP3s to be converted and played in surround sound. The first program, MP3 Stereo eXtended, or MP3 SX (that sounds dirty), allows users to enhance MP3 files from stereo to surround sound, while the second, Ensonido, gives portable MP3 players the ability to play MP3 SX files in 5.1 surround sound...on two speakers.

According to a press release, MP3 SX "guarantees playback with a stable localization of vocalists and solo instruments even off the sweet spot." We're not going to pretend that we know what that means, or how any of this works. But we are pretty stoked to hear what The Soft Bulletin is going to sound like on our iPods.

Fraunhofer Institute: http://www.iisb.fraunhofer.de/en/homepage.htm
Surround Sound Demo: http://www.all4mp3.com/

The Strokes Reveal More Tour Dates

According to a recent fan club email from Papa Stroke (aka manager) Ryan Gentles, the group will play a batch of American promotional shows this week, starting last nite at Chicago's Park West.

And while news of the Strokes' first U.S. shows in forever is cool and all, it's definitely not cool that the majority of tickets will only be available from local radio station contests. So you'll probably have to make fake fart noises or prank call your boss on air to win.

Juicy Juice:

01-05 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Café <br> 01-06 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
01-09 Atlanta, GA - The Loft
01-24 London, England - Shepherds Bush Empire
01-25 Bristol, England - Colston Hall
01-27 Nottingham, England - Nottingham Ice Arena
01-28 Doncaster, England - Doncaster Dome
01-30 Manchester, England - Apollo
01-31 Manchester, England - Apollo
02-03 Brighton, England - Brighton Centre
02-04 Portsmouth, England - Guildhall
02-07 Glasgow, Scotland - Glasgow Academy
02-08 Glasgow, Scotland - Glasgow Academy
02-10 Edinburgh, Scotland - Corn Exchange
02-11 Hull, England - City Hall
02-13 Wolverhampton, England - Civic Hall
02-14 Blackpool, England - Empress Ballroom
02-17 London, England - Hammersmith Apollo
02-18 London, England - Hammersmith Apollo
02-20 Belfast, N. Ireland - Ulster Hall
02-21 Dublin, Ireland - The Point

More dates are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks, as Gentles also kindly laid out a rough sketch of the band's complete live activity for the remainder of 2006. It just so happens to include a "full" U.S. tour running from late February to mid-April, with a Canadian leg following shortly afterwards. Another trek across Europe is expected in May and June, with the remainder of the summer tentatively set for Australia and Japan.

In other Strokes news, First Impressions of Earth's first single, "Juicebox", debuted at number one on Billboard's Top 100 Singles Sales chart after its December 13 release. Don't get too excited, though-- think about how many artists actually release physical singles in the U.S. nowadays. Exactly.

The Strokes will also promote their new album with a couple of TV appearances. Singer/mumbler Julian Casablancas was recently interviewed on Jim Shearer's "T-Minus Rock" show on MTV2, and the interview will air at 11 am every day this week. The band will also record a half-hour special for Fuse in mid-January, with the show scheduled for broadcast later this year.

The Strokes: http://www.thestrokes.com

Mogwai Announce US Tour

Well, we'd better take an office vacation on the afternoon of March 1, when Mogwai kick off their North American tour right above our heads. The trek is in support of their fifth album, Mr. Beast, due March 7 on Matador (it's out a day earlier on PIAS in the UK). It follows a string of January dates in Ireland, Russia, and Japan, as well as a residency at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts.

We pity the accountant's office next door:

01-07 Dublin, Ireland - Temple Bar Music Centre *
01-08 Belfast, Northern Ireland - Spring and Airbrake *
01-10 London, England - ICA ^
01-11 London, England - ICA &
01-12 London, England - ICA @
01-13 London, England - ICA *
01-14 London, England - ICA $
01-21 Moscow, Russia - Apelsin
01-24 Tokyo, Japan - Unit ~
01-25 Tokyo, Japan - Unit #
03-01 Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium %
03-02 Columbus, OH - Wexner Center for the Arts %
03-03 Lexington, KY - The Dame %
03-04 Charlottesville, VA - Satellite Ballroom %
03-06 New York, NY - Avalon %
03-07 Baltimore, MD - Sonar %
03-08 Chapel Hill, NC - Cat's Cradle %
03-09 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel %
03-10 Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge %
03-11 Atlanta, GA - Whirly Ball Atlanta %
03-12 Atlanta, GA - Whirly Ball Atlanta %
03-14 Houston, TX - Numbers %+
03-15 Austin, TX - Stubb's (Matador SXSW Showcase) =

^ with Errors
^ with Part Chimp vs. Alexander Tucker, DJ Keith Cameron
& with Uncle John and Whitelock, DJ Dr Kiko
@ with Gruff Rhys, DJ Dr Kiko
$ with Electric Wizard, DJ Gary Aspden
~ with Melt-Banana
# with Afrirampo
% with Growing
+ with Torche
= with Belle and Sebastian, Cat Power

Mr. Beast's first single, "Friend of the Night", will be released on January 30 on PIAS, but it's streaming right now on Mogwai's MySpace page. Ah, MySpace. Where would we be without it?

* Pitchfork Review: Mogwai: Government Commissions: BBC Sessions, 1996-2003
* Pitchfork News: Mogwai Reveal Mr. Beast Tracklist
* Matador: http://www.matadorrecords.com/

Mogwai: http://www.mogwai.co.uk/
Mogwai (MySpace): http://www.myspace.com/therealmogwai

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.)