Pitchfork: News

Photos: Yellow Swans' Final U.S. Show [Chicago, IL; 06/09/08]

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:55:00 -0500

Fans turned out at Chicago's AV-aerie last night to bid a fond farewell to Yellow Swans, as the Portland ambient/noise duo played its final U.S. show and penultimate gig ever. The Swans were in high spirits, thanking the crowd profusely even as a bittersweet pall hung over the proceedings. When tears are shed at noise shows, it's seldom for sentimental reasons, but last night would prove an exception.

Joining the Swans for one last excursion into the realm of high-decibel bliss-outs were a number of hand-picked openers, including Chicago post-rock mainstays Zelienople, St. Louis sound manipulator Raglani, and Windy City resident U.S. Girls, whose eerie sonics resounded down the industrial blocks surrounding the third-floor AV-aerie space like an unholy beacon.

As previously reported, Yellow Swans' Pete Swanson and Gabriel Mindel Saloman will part ways for good following one more gig at Barcelona's Sónar Festival on June 19. They will be missed.

Yellow Swans

[MORE...]

Coldplay Postpone Start of North American Tour

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:15:00 -0500

"Production delays" = magic balls way more magical than they'd anticipated

One day, you think you've got the world by the magic balls, and the next, you wake to find those balls good and busted. That's the sticky situation Chris Martin (and the rest of Coldplay, whose balls we do not know by name) has found himself in, as "production delays" have forced the Brit-rock juggernaut to do a little reshuffling of their North American agenda.

Though their trio of free gigs in London, Barcelona and New York City remain very much on (you want the balls, you pony up the dough), the tour no longer starts in Philly on June 29, but, rather, Los Angeles on July 14. The amended itinerary is available after the jump.

Disgruntled ticketholders, take note: you can bandage this fresh wound with a little Coldplay when the band hit "The Daily Show" June 26 or "The Today Show" the morning of June 27. Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends is due June 16 in the UK on Parlophone and the next day in the States from Capitol. And you can hear it right now here. [MORE...]

Video: Coldplay: Viva la Vida/Violet Hill [live on Jimmy Kimmel Live]
Video: Coldplay: Violet Hill (alternate) [from the Viva la Vida LP]

Oxford Collapse Piece Together More Bits Details, Dates

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:55:00 -0500

It's looking like the dudes of Oxford Collapse might have been funnin' a bit when they referred to their forthcoming LP, Bits, as an expansive double-disc affair. The set will in fact clock in at a lean, mean baker's dozen tunes when it arrives August 5 from Sub Pop. Still, it's a welcome return to long form for the Brooklyn rockers, who recently graced us with new jams in the form of a single and an EP.

Currently out on the road in search of the wily Frightened Rabbit, Oxford Collapse will lie fairly low through much of July before picking up again on a bunch of just-announced dates with We Are Scientists. [MORE...]

MP3: Oxford Collapse: Amongst Friends [from the Hann-Byrd EP]

CSS Cover the Breeders' "Cannonball" on New Single

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:30:00 -0500

Photo by Roberta Ridolfi

As if the mid-90s alt-rockiness of the first few kicks from CSS' Donkey weren't throwback enough, for a B-side on the UK-only CD single for Donkey cut "Left Behind", the Brazilian quartet will tackle one of the field's true sacred cows: "Cannonball", from the Breeders' 1993 sophomore set Last Splash [via NME.com / confirmed by a press release].

The single will also arrive on two 7"s, one sporting B-side "Blackwing" and the other, a demo version of Donkey's "I Fly", though both 7"s will be sans CSS' take on the bong in the reggae song. There's a digital single as well, which gathers the original track with a remix from Midnight Juggernauts. The digital incarnation of the UK-only single is due July 7 from Warner, with the trio of physical releases due July 14. Donkey is due in the UK from Warner July 21, while Sub Pop will issue Donkey in the States July 22.

CSS' massive world tour picks up again fairly soon, with dates in Europe and North America all the way through the end of the summer. The Breeders, meanwhile, are still on the road. [MORE...]

MP3: CSS: Rat Is Dead (Rage) [from the Donkey LP]
Video: The Breeders: Cannonball [from the Last Splash LP]

Mika Miko Tour, Cover Black Flag on Sub Pop 7"

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:25:00 -0500

With a recent hometown "pancake breakfast" show tackled, L.A.'s punk-rockingest five-piece Mika Miko have plans to take their superlative live thing on the road. First the ladies will hop on a plane and head to Japan, where they'll rock just shy of a week of shows, including a pretty nifty-sounding Kill Rock Stars label showcase in Tokyo with Deerhoof, Xiu Xiu, and Panther. Then it's back to old haunts and old friends all up and down the West Coast, with many a bill shared with No Age and Abe Vigoda. Good pals to have.

And, hey, if all this L.A. area interconnectivity isn't enough for you, know that Mika Miko will help kick off the rejuvenation of the Sub Pop singles club by issuing a brand new two-song 7" with a Black Flag cover. No word quite yet when that will arrive or what else will be on it, but at least good bands covering Black Flag has been a solid gamble of late. [MORE...]

Video: Mika Miko: Business Cats [from the C.Y.S.L.A.B.F. LP]

Dirty Projectors, Ecstatic Sunshine Play Citysol

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:55:00 -0500

While a lot of festivals are going green, NYC's Citysol puts the environment right alongside entertainment at its forefront. The annual celebration of music, art, comedy, and advocacy is solar-powered, and it aims to educate folks on environmental issues and sustainability while they kick back to jammin' tunes.

This year, some of those tunes will come from the likes of Dirty Projectors, Ecstatic Sunshine, Care Bears on Fire, and Steve Reich aficionados/recent Pitchfork.tv co-stars So Percussion. They join plenty more musicians, artists, and comedians from June 26-29 as Citysol descends on Solar One's venue on the East River side of Stuyvesant Cove Park.

Trent Reznor Planning NIN Year Zero TV Series

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:30:00 -0500

Photo by Rob Sheridan

Looks like the transmedia onslaught surrounding Nine Inch Nails' 2007 LP Year Zero (only the fourth-most-recent NIN release, believe it or not) won't stop with that crazy alternate reality game.

As noted in a recent New York Times report, Trent Reznor has his eye on creating a cable television series to "tell the entire [Year Zero] story." Quentin Tarantino's producer buddy Lawrence Bender joins Reznor in the endeavor, but that's all we know of it for now. The NIN man was previously rumored to be considering a Year Zero feature film project, but we suppose he's shelved that so as not to spread himself too thin. Or maybe he doesn't want to put all his eggs in one basket? So many adages to choose from!

While the Times had Trent around, they also took a peek at what the forthcoming Nine Inch Nails "Lights in the Sky" tour with all those rad opening bands may have to offer. Reznor is working with Montreal-based production company Moment Factory on what sounds like a pretty mind-blowing stage setup. Spectacles discussed include "three giant video screens" and "disorienting effects," including some kind of moving video frame that can alter the sound of an instrument as it passes over. Nutty! As Reznor puts it, "What I'm trying to do is use the stage as an interactive instrument. I'm in the world of science fiction now."

And if you're wondering what said tour and said rad opening acts have to offer musically, look no further than the free five-song Lights in the Sky mp3 tour sampler Mr. Reznor recently posted to the NIN site. In addition to a Nails cut off The Slip and hot joints from Deerhunter, Crystal Castles, A Place to Bury Strangers, and Does It Offend You, Yeah? (including a couple Forkcast favorites), the Lights sampler also packs in artwork and enticing "digital extras." DRM-free too! All for the price of your e-privacy.

Nine Inch Nails hit the road beginning July 25. [MORE...]

Stream: Nine Inch Nails: Survivalism [from the Year Zero LP]
MP3: Various Artists: Lights in the Sky tour sampler [email required]

Lindstrom Album Gets Tracklisting, New Release Date

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:00:00 -0500

Due in August, three tracks, all of them long

With three tracks ranging from a generous 10 minutes to a hefty 28+, Hans-Peter Lindstrøm's previously reported solo debut LP, Where You Go I Go Too, is due August 18 from Smalltown Supersound/Feedelity. (Yes, its release date has been pushed from June 2.)

The Norwegian producer, perhaps best known for the more bite-sized cuts collected on 2006's fantastic It's a Feedelity Affair, claims that the disc's more layered approach is "the opposite of minimalism," and that the elongated track times help lend the disc a bit of drama, and the feel of a long journey. "All the tracks are between 10 and 30 minutes long," Lindstrøm himself says, "and it might be a challenge for some people to listen to it from start to end. It's perfect for a long walk with headphones, or when travelling by train or aeroplane." Duly noted.

Lindstrom's also pretty good for a packed festival set, a crowded theater or a sweaty warehouse, and he'll hit a few spots along that spectrum throughout the next several months. [MORE...]

MP3: Lindstr?m: The Long Way Home (Prins Thomas edit) [from the Where You Go I Go Too LP]

Kevin Barnes Finishes, Blogs About New Of Montreal LP

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 13:00:00 -0500

"I am so bored with art that makes sense and 'works.' I wanted to do somethings that didn't 'work.'"

Photo by Shannon McClean

No two ways about it: according to a MySpace blog post from Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes posted today, the veteran Georgia psych-pop combo's next LP, Skeletal Lamping, is recorded, mastered, and ready to deliver in October. Or, as the subject of the post puts it, "skeletal lamping is done!!!" (Also, Category: Automotive)

"i am very happy with it," Barnes writes of the year-in-the-making set, though he notes a "worry that some people are going to misunderstand it. there's nothing i can do about that though, now, it is done. anyways, i didn't create it to give people something to like. i created it because i was compelled to."

Barnes, quite the blogger when he wants to be, claims "it is possible to view this album as one long composition, with lots of different movements, or just as a collection of pop songs." In crafting Skeletal Lamping, Barnes claims to have set out to "make an album that was unpredictable and, at times, startling, yet always hummable and catchy. some of the transitions are intentionally awkward. i did this to keep the listener off guard and to dismantle people's perception of how an album is supposed to be constructed. i am so bored with art that makes sense and 'works'. i wanted to do somethings that didn't 'work.'"

Though not intended to shock, the unorthodox manner in which Skeletal Lamping was pieced together was Barnes' attempt to avoid the feeling he gets in "most contemporary songs, [wherein] you can basically finish the artist's sentences, musically and lyrically. i wanted to make an album where that was not possible."

There's also a little tidbit about Barnes' current mental state, which he describes as "mild confusion and pensiveness," and the role of Skeletal Lamping in calling all the "puzzling,contradicting,disturbing,humorous... fantasies,ruminations and observations to the surface."

We'll spare you a rehash of the whole thing, but the full text is worth a look for fans of the band seeking a little pre-release insight. Likewise, we recommend Pitchfork contrbutor Mike Carriere's interview with Barnes from last fall.

Kev and co. will spend the summer gearing up for the release of Skeletal Lamping with a smattering of live appearances. [MORE...]

MP3: Of Montreal: Jimmy [M.I.A./Parvati Khan cover]

Lil Wayne Cuts Basketball Film Jam, Adds Dates

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 12:15:00 -0500

Make no mistake: right about now, Tha Carter III is sitting on a record store shelf near you. But don't expect Lil Wayne himself to be quite so sedentary. The verbal acrobatic is making the live rounds as you read this, and he's got a few other things cooking too.

First there's his previously mentioned part in the forthcoming film Hurricane Season, formerly known as Patriots. Not only will Wayne star in the film alongside Forest Whitaker, Bow Wow, and others, but he also penned a new jam especially for the feel-good basketball flick. "Tie My Hands" features Robin Thicke and appears on Tha Carter III as well, though digital editions of the album come with a special Hurricane Season version of the track. The film, meanwhile, is due to hit theaters December 25, known to some as Christmas Day.

In other news, a recent Billboard.com report notes that Lil Wayne's label, Cash Money, has no intentions to sue mixtape-maker DJ Empire, who leaked a number of Weezy cuts. What's more, shooting should begin shortly for a video for Tha Carter III's next single, "Got Money". "Lollipop", meanwhile, continues to reign atop the Billboard singles chart.

And speaking of those live rounds, Wayne has slipped in a few dates since our last report. Take a gander down yonder, why don't ya? [MORE...]

MP3: Bun B [ft. Lil Wayne]: Damn I'm Cold [from the Ill Trill LP]

GZA Plots Liquid Swords Tour for Late Summer

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:40:00 -0500

Photo by Drew Katchen

Have you missed each and every one of consummate Wu-Tang Clan MC GZA's performances of his 1995 album Liquid Swords? Or did you see him do it at last year's Pitchfork Music Festival and are hankering for more? Well, GZA's got your back. After a few gigs here and there over the past year or so, the Genius has lined up his first proper Liquid Swords tour, cutting clowns (lyrically, natch) all over North American in late August and early September.

Before GZA dives all the way into Liquid Swords later this summer, he's got a smattering of other shows to attend to, including a little more time with the Paid Dues tour, a stop in L.A. to honor the memories of two late high schoolers, and a co-headlining gig with the RZA in Montreal.

And speaking of RZA, he launches his full-band tour in support of the forthcoming Digi Snacks tonight in Houston. [MORE...]

Video: GZA & Son: Daytripping [Pitchfork.tv]
Video: GZA: Duel of the Iron Mic [live at the 2007 Pitchfork Music Festival]

My Bloody Valentine Add "Warm Up Rehearsal" Shows

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:30:00 -0500

Hey, remember that ticket to the June 20 My Bloody Valentine reunion show in London you purchased in a flurry of clicks and refreshes on the morning of November 16, 2007? The one you keep in a lockbox and remove once each evening to stroke affectionately? The one for the very first My Bloody Valentine show since, like, 1918? Well, sorry bro, but it turns out that last bit is no longer true.

My Bloody Valentine have gone and added a pair of All Tomorrow's Parties-sponsored "warm up rehearsal" shows this coming weekend at London's relatively miniscule ICA. Both predate the first proper reunion gig at London's Roundhouse on June 20, thereby making the newly-minted June 13 event at ICA the actual first postdiluvian MBV show or whatever.

But don't sweat it too much, early bird. Let those Valentines scrape off some fifteen years of effects pedal rust at ICA. The better to melt your face at Roundhouse, no?

In other MBV news, ATP New York is hot, and those Loveless and Isn't Anything remasters now land June 23. Oh, and did you hear they're touring? [MORE...]

Video: My Bloody Valentine: Soon [from the Loveless LP]

Band of Horses to Open for Beck

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 09:57:00 -0500

Way off toward the end of August, at a pair of dates in the Canadian province of British Columbia, master funkateer Beck and the boys of Band of Horses will join up for a pair of dates. Once properly acquainted, the two acts will travel in tandem down to Seattle for the Bumbershoot Festival, where both will appear August 30.

Beck, of course, has that album that's probably called Modern Guilt probably coming at us very soon from XL and Interscope, and both he and Band of Horses have good sized tours to attend to. [MORE...]

MP3: Beck: Chemtrails [from the forthcoming Beck LP]
Video: Band of Horses: No One's Gonna Love You [from the Cease to Begin LP]

A-Trak to Serve Up Latest Nike Workout Mix

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 08:00:00 -0500

Step off the treadmill, LCD Soundsystem and Aesop Rock. The latest music-maker to craft a workout mix for Nike+'s "Original Run" series is Kanye/Jay-Z/Kid Sister collaborator A-Trak. The Montreal-born, NYC-based DJ/producer's mix is called Running Man, and it comes out exclusively on iTunes June 24.

The 45 minutes of original music on Running Man serve as A-Trak's full-length production debut (no, Dirty South Dance doesn't count), and the set features guest vocals from Kid Cudi and others. Nike will also offer up a portion of the mix entitled "Say Whoa" as A-Trak's very first official single.

Here's A-Trak's statement about Running Man:

I don't really run. Yet when Nike asked me to do this track I was smitten. There was a musical challenge there, and I got excited. I've been producing mostly uptempo electro tracks as of late, but my background is hip-hop and I think you can hear it in my choice of sounds. I wanted this record to showcase my current style, but I also didn't want to stray away from hip-hop completely. That's why you find guest rap verses in the mix, plenty of chopped & screwed vocals, and a hefty dose of drums breaks that are surely more block party than Ibiza.

Speaking of Ibiza, A-Trak will hit up the island hotspot and quite a few other locales this summer. [MORE...]

Stream: Simian Mobile Disco: Hustler (A-Trak Remix) [from the Hustler 12-inch]

Gnarls, Cat Power, Grinderman Play Eurockeennes

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:00:00 -0500

With Battles, CSS, Vampire Weekend, Massive Attack, Girl Talk, Gnarls, Band of Horses, Yeasayer, N.E.R.D., A Place to Bury Strangers

One would think a festival with the word "rock" prominently jammed in its title-- like, say, the Festival de Rock les Eurockéennes de Belfort in Belfort, France, which has it twice-- would feature plenty of the stuff. And sure enough, this year's edition of Eurockeénees, taking place on the peninsula of Malsaucy in Belfort, France, does not disappoint. Still, a coupla power chords and the truth aren't all Eurockeenees has to offer-- not even close, my friend.

Heading to Belfort July 4-6 are the likes of Massive Attack, Vampire Weekend, Grinderman, CSS, Cat Power, Battles, Girl Talk, Gnarls Barkley, Band of Horses, Yeasayer, N.E.R.D., A Place to Bury Strangers, Santogold, Holy Fuck, Comets on Fire, the Gossip, Cadence Weapon, Babyshambles, the Cool Kids, Lykke Li, Fucked Up, the Wombats, Genghis Tron, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Future of the Left, dEUS, Sebastien Tellier, dan le sac vs Scroobius Pip, Lady Saw, Midnight Juggernauts, Moby, Lyrics Born with Galactic, Tunng, Red Sparowes, Calvin Harris, MGMT, and, as the fest's website wouldn't let me forget, the Offspring.

Perhaps just a bit too much rock on that last count there, but, hey, way to cap off that second decade in style.

Kid Sister, Flosstradamus Rock for Chicago Schools

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:00:00 -0500

With Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley

School's nearly out for summer for most public school kids in Chicago, but tomorrow (June 10), at ~~alien docking station~~Bears HQ Soldier Field, class is definitely gonna be in session. Your lessons for the day? Well, there will be a seminar in verbal gymnastics from Kid Sister, and some home wreckonomics courtesy of Flosstradamus.

They're calling it "School-Out for Schools", and, in fact, it's a giant student rally that seeks to support both non-violence and state funding for the city's public schools. And, hey, if you see a short dude in a suit juking during "Switch Board", well, that would be our esteemed Mayor Richard M. Daley, who will be in attendance at tomorrow's event.

After tackling Soldier Field, both Flosstradamus and recent Downtown signee Kid Sis have dates aplenty through the rest of the summer. [MORE...]

Video: The Count and Sinden [ft. Kid Sister]: Beeper [from the Beeper single]
MP3: HeartsRevolution: C.Y.O.A. (Flosstradamus Remix) [from the C.Y.O.A. EP]

T.V. Eye: June 9-15, 2008

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:33:00 -0500

Monday, June 9:

CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Gnarls Barkley
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Moby
NBC: The Tonight Show With Jay Leno: Aimee Mann
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: MGMT
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: Death Cab for Cutie (rerun)

Tuesday, June 10:

NBC: Late Night With Conan O’Brien: Jamie Lidell
NBC: The Tonight Show With Jay Leno: Justin Timberlake
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live: N.E.R.D.
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Local H
FUEL TV: The Daily Habit: Colour Revolt

Wednesday, June 11:

NBC: Late Night With Conan O’Brien: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

Friday, June 13:

FUSE: Bonnaroo live coverage

Saturday, June 14:

FUSE: Bonnaroo live coverage including the Raconteurs
PBS: Austin City Limits: Rilo Kiley
Fox: Fearless Music TV: Tobias Froberg, Mugison

Sunday, June 15:

FUSE: Bonnaroo live coverage including My Morning Jacket, Against Me!

Sufjan Reviews the New Cryptacize Record

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:30:00 -0500

Still looks ridiculous in that outfit

Photo by Richard Sharman

All's been rather quiet on the Sufjan front for too long now, so of course our favorite soft-spoken songwriting history buff had to be cooking something up. Late last week he made a return to the Asthmatic Kitty website Sidebar, posting yet another review of one of his labelmates, this time Cryptacize and their debut disc Dig That Treasure.

Conflict of interest? Reckon so, but Sufjan's less interested in goading you to buy the new Cryptacize record than he is in delighting in wordplay and offering food for thought. As he writes, "Dig That Treasure offends many of my own musical impulses, the over-achieving bigger-is-better-shock-and-awe approach. Obviously I'm not offended, but rather in complete admiration of the band's minimalist gorgeousness." Sufjan an over-achiever? Get out!

Parse Mr. Stevens' words further and you may catch a whiff of indie rock beef. As he puts it: "Sometimes I worry that the ever-increasing trend toward excessive innovation has pushed the art and music world into a slapstick exhibition of dog breeding, generating increasingly newer, more contemporary fashions: gothic folk, for one. Or Afro-beat Ivy League pop." Uh oh, you guys gonna take that?

Oh, and did we mention the review is entitled "Cryptacize is ALIVE! Decipher that code, yo!"? It is.

Peruse the rest of Sufjan's Cryptacize musings here, and, should you find yourself in Moi, Norway this August, pop by the man's set at the Dalane Festival of Culture. Keep an ear out for his contributions to the forthcoming Red Hot comp and the new Clogs album, too.

As for Cryptacize, Dig That Treasure is out now on Asthmatic Kitty and I hear it contains "songs [that] are not trifles, but rather cryptic haiku poems that expand toward a vast cosmic significance." Bask in that vast cosmic significance at one of Cryptacize's many upcoming live engagements, and/or take part in their karaoke contest. [MORE...]

Video: Sufjan Stevens: The Palm Sunday Tornado Hits Crystal Lake [from the Encyclopedia Asthmatica DVD]
MP3: Cryptacize: No Coins [from the Dig That Treasure LP]

Quart Festival 2008 Cancelled

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:00:00 -0500

Well, dang. This year's Quart Festival-- set to take place July 2-5 in Kristiansand, Norway-- has been cancelled. Organizers for the long-running fest have opted to declare bankruptcy following "ticket sales being weaker than expected and budgetary concerns," according to a press release.

Certainly this year's formidable lineup wasn't to blame, as the 2008 Quart would have featured appearances from Interpol, Death Cab for Cutie, Liars, the Streets, Justice, Battles, Dizzee Rascal, Gnarls Barkley, Spank Rock, Holy Fuck, Trentemøller, Future of the Left, Asobi Seksu, Kool Keith, Lykke Li, I'm From Barcelona, and all those other fine folks we mentioned in our initial report on the subject. No word on whether last year's Quart Festival will prove its final incarnation.

Coldplay Add Dates, "Magic Balls" to Tour

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:15:00 -0500

The Coldplay assault on the planet continues. Chris Martin and co. have lined up a month or so of European dates in September and early October.

Of course, their new album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, comes out much sooner. The disc is due June 16 in the UK on Parlophone and June 17 in the U.S. on Capitol. You can stream it now here. According to NME.com, the band is working with Anton Corbijn on the video for the title track.

In their email newsletter, Coldplay add the aside: "Oh, and by the way, our tour will feature magic balls. We'll tell you more about those on the website soon." Coldplay + balls = shrinkage? [MORE...]

Video: Coldplay: Violet Hill (alternate video) [from the Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends LP]

Photos: The Roots Picnic [Philadelphia, PA; 06/07/08]

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:30:00 -0500

Photos by Matt Ziegler

The very first Roots Picnic turned an already scorching Illadelph Saturday even hotter over the weekend, as those not afraid to break a little sweat turned out at Festival Pier to catch a cache of top-tier acts big up'd by the Roots, as well as no fewer than three sets from the Rising Down crew itself.

Gnarls Barkley, Deerhoof, Diplo (not pictured), Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, the Cool Kids, J*Davey, and Esperanza Spalding rounded out the ?uestlove-emceed event, while DJ Jazzy Jeff swung through to spin for the Roots. Their little hometown hoedown wrapped, the Roots pick up again with Erykah Badu this week, then pepper the weeks to come with headline dates and festival appearances.

The Roots with DJ Jazzy Jeff

Gnarls Barkley

Deerhoof

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings

The Cool Kids

Picnic Portrait

[MORE...]

Bradford Cox, Eleanor Friedberger Join Converse Party

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:25:00 -0500

So do Kid Sister, Does It Offend You, Yeah? Update: And YACHT! And more images!

Pictured above: Jona Bechtolt of YACHT, Kid Sister, Bradford Cox

Everybody loves Converse, right? (I'm not gonna lie, I'm wearing a pair of black hi-top Chucks right now.) Well, the list of famous and semi-famous rock stars getting paid to profess their love for the Nike-owned shoe brand just got a bit longer. And weirder.

The latest print ad campaign for the sneaks features Deerhunter/Atlas Sound dude Bradford Cox and the Fiery Furnaces' Eleanor Friedberger, in addition to previously reported Converse-inspired collaborators Julian Casablancas, Santogold, and Pharrell Williams. We grabbed some scans from the new issue of Blender to show you what it looks like.

Here's Eleanor, Julian, Bradford, and Gallows' Frank Carter:

And here's Sophie Kasakove from Care Bears on Fire, Morgan Quaintance of Does It Offend You Yeah, Santogold, and Pharrell:

Billboard.com reports that Kid Sister and MGMT are also featured in new Converse ads. If you recall, previous spreads in this same campaign featured Sid Vicious, Ian Curtis, Common, Karen O, Hunter S. Thompson, James Dean, and M.I.A. M.I.A. also recently performed at a Converse/Target after-party for the MTV Movie Awards, according to the L.A. Times. She reportedly received $100,000 for her performance, and told the audience that she's going to use the money to build schools in Liberia.

As for that Santogold/Pharrell/Julian collab we first heard in mid-May, well, now you can hear it too, over at Stereogum. It's got a title now, "My Drive Thru", but it's still not very good.

Stream: Santogold, Julian Casablancas, and Pharrell: My Drive Thru [Converse ad]

Meg White Resurfaces at Weekend Raconteurs Gig

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:25:00 -0500

As the adding of Raconteurs tour dates continues

Photo by Matt Jordan

Those White Stripes sure can be cheeky. If last year's wacky-Canadian-tour-closing one-note gig didn't clue you in, Jack and Meg went and pulled another little lovable stunt over the weekend during a Raconteurs gig at Detroit's Fillmore.

According to a Billboard.com report, Raconteurs fans at the June 8 show were surprised to find that their encore applause brought not the Raconteurs back on stage, but rather Meg White along with Jack White. Those hoping for an impromptu White Stripes jam were hoping in vain, however. as Meg merely "tapped on a few of the drums" and sat by as Jack declared, "Hey everybody, this is Meg White!" She then waved and exited the stage as the rest of the Racs returned. You guys are such teases.

According to the Stripes/Raconteurs' publicist, Billboard.com's account of the ensuing moments "is a bit off." Jack and Meg did take the stage together and appear as though they were going to play, but Meg never touched the drums, and Jack never introduced her. Instead, the rest of the Raconteurs turned up and Brendan Benson exclaimed, "Whoa whoa whoa! WRONG BAND!" as Meg "scurried off." Got all that? And Whites, you guys are still teases.

It's nonetheless good to see Ms. White back on a stage for even a minute, since we haven't heard much from her since her bout of anxiety shelved a good portion of the Stripes' fall 2007 tour.

The Raconteurs, meanwhile, have slipped quite a few dates into their vast itinerary since our last dispatch. Have a look below. Oooh, and check out Dictionary.com's "Word of the Day"! [MORE...]

Video: The Raconteurs: Many Shades of Black / Old Enough (live on Late Night With Conan O'Brien)
Video: The White Stripes: One-Note Gig

Photos: Los Campesinos! / Parenthetical Girls [San Francisco, CA; 06/06/08]

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:30:00 -0500

Photos by Francis Chung

Consistently living up to that exclamation point, Los Campesinos! plowed through Bimbo's 365 Club over the weekend, leaving dozens upon dozens of giddy smiles in their wake. The Youngsters are all done with North America for the moment, but they do have plenty of live activity scheduled across the pond over the summer months.

Openers Parenthetical Girls, meanwhile, deliver Entanglements unto the world September 9 via new label Tomlab. As if this world weren't fraught with entanglements enough already!

Los Campesinos!

Parenthetical Girls

[MORE...]