Pitchfork

Welcome once again to the Pitchfork Guide to Upcoming Releases, our seasonal guide to upcoming releases! This installment covers a wide swath of the crucial cuts you'll be jamming on through the summer and into the fall, from LPs and EPs to singles and music-related DVDs of note.

Compiling such a list isn't easy in this day and age, with different release dates for digital and physical versions of albums, as well as different release dates for different countries. So we tried to stick with North American physical release dates as much as possible, with exceptions as noted. When an album's North American release date differs from its overseas one, we also made a note of that. Keep in mind that release dates are as shifty as manual transmission, and any one of these is subject to change at any moment.

07-04:

Various Artists: Independents Day ‘08 Compilation

07-07:

Beck: Modern Guilt [XL] [UK release]
Black Kids: Partie Traumatic [Almost Gold] [UK release]
Hercules and Love Affair: "You Belong" single [DFA/EMI] [UK release]
Tricky: Knowle West Boy [Domino] [UK release]
UNKLE:  End Titles... Stories for Film [Surrender All] [UK/European release]

07-08:

Alison Moyet: The Turn [Decca]
Architecture in Helsinki: Like It or Not EP [Polyvinyl] [physical release]
A Storm of Light: And We Wept the Black Ocean Within [Neurot]
Abe Vigoda:  Skeleton [PPM]
The Baseball Project:  Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails [Yep Roc]
Basic Channel: Basic Channel 2 [Basic Channel]
Beck: Modern Guilt [DGC] [North American release]
Black Ghosts: Black Ghosts [IAMSOUND]
Cam'Ron: Harlem’s Greatest [reissue] [Amalgam Entertainment/Sony BMG]
Chicks on Speed: Art Rules [Chicks on Speed]
CocoRosie: "God Has a Voice, She Speaks Through Me" 7" [Touch and Go]
Daedelus: Love to Make Music To [Ninja Tune]
Damon and Naomi: More Sad Hits [reissue] [20/20/20]
Dark Captain Light Captain: Circles [Loaf]
David Bowie: Live in Santa Monica '72 [Virgin/EMI]
The Dutchess and the Duke:  She's the Dutchess, He's the Duke [Hardly Art]
Ellen Allien: Sprung/Its 12" [Bpitch Control]
Free Blood: "Royal Family" 12" [DFA]
Goldmund: The Malady of Elegance [Type]
Gun Outfit: On the Beach 7" [PPM]
Albert Hammond, Jr.: ¿Como te Llama? [RCA/RED] [North American release]
Heartthrob: Dear Painter, Paint Me [Minus]
Hero Destroyed: Hero Destroyed [Relapse]
Icy Demons: Miami Ice [Obey Your Brain]
Jean Grae: Jeanius [Blacksmith Music]
Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten DVD [Sony Legacy]
Jucifer: L'autichienne [Alternative Tentacles] [vinyl release]
Leila: Blood, Looms & Blooms [Warp]
Liars: Freak Out EP [Mute] [U.S.digital release]
Lustmord: [Other] [Hydra Head]
Melvins: Nude With Boots [Ipecac]
Noisia: FABRICLIVE40 [Fabric]
Paramount Styles: Failure American Style [Konkurrent]
Party Fowl: Four-song 7" [PPM]
Ratatat: LP3 [XL]
Ron Sexsmith: Exit Strategy of the Soul [Yep Roc]
Saturday Looks Good to Me: Cold Colors EP  [Polyvinyl]
Saul Williams: The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust [FADERLABEL] [physical release]
Son, Ambulance: Someone Else's Deja Vu [Saddle Creek]
Sunny Day Sets Fire: Summer Palace [IAMSOUND]
Totimoshi: Milagrosa [Volcom Entertainment]
Tu Fawning: Succession EP [Polyvinyl]
U.S. Christmas: Eat the Low Dogs [Neurot]
Various Artists: Notwave 12" [Rong]
Various Artists: Life Beyond Mars – Bowie Covered [Rapster]
Venetian Snares: Detrimentalist [Planet Mu]
Wynton Marsalis and Willie Nelson: Two Men With the Blues [Blue Note]
Xiu Xiu: Fabulous Muscles [Absolutely Kosher] [vinyl reissue]
Xiu Xiu: La Forêt [Absolutely Kosher] [vinyl reissue]
Z'Ev vs. Pita: Colchester [Editions Mego]

07-11:

Patti Smith and Kevin Shields: The Coral Sea [PASK]

07-14:

Annie: "I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me” single [Island] [UK release]
CSS - Donkey [Warner] [UK release]
The Hold Steady: Stay Positive [Rough Trade] [UK release]
Neon Neon: "I Told Her on Alderaan" / "Trick for Treat" single [Lex] [UK release]

07-15:

Black Devil Disco Club: Eight Oh Eight [Lo Recordings]
David Banner: The Greatest Story Ever Told [Universal Motown]
Free Blood: "Royal Family” single [Rong/DFA]
Hans Joachim Roedellus & Tim Story: Inlandish [North American release] [Gronland]
The Hold Steady: Stay Positive [Vagrant] [North American release]
Lloyd: Lesson in Love [The Inc./Universal Motown]
Nas: Untitled [Jones/Def Jam]
Sic Alps: US EZ [Siltbreeze]
UNKLE: End Titles... Stories for Film [Surrender All] [North American digital release]|
U.S. Girls: Introducing [Siltbreeze]

07-21:

Crystal Castles: "Vanished" 7" [Different Recordings] [UK release]

07-22:

Alva Noto: Unitxt [Raster Noton]
Azeda Booth: In Flesh Tones [Absolutely Kosher]
Bodies of Water: A Certain Feeling [Secretly Canadian]
Black Kids: Partie Traumatic [Columbia] [North American release]
Brendan Canning: Broken Social Scene Presents... Brendan Canning: Something for All of Us [Arts & Crafts, out now digitally]
Cryptacize / Why?: Unusual Animals Vol. 4 7" [Asthmatic Kitty]
CSS: Donkey [Sub Pop / Warner]
Daft Punk: Electroma DVD [Vice]
Dr. Dog: Fate [Park the Van]
¡Forward, Russia!: Life Processes [Cooking Vinyl]
Fuck the Facts: Disgorge Mexico [Relapse]
Fucked Up: Year of the Pig [reissue] [Matador]
Helena Espvall (of Espers) and Masaki Batoh (of Ghost): Helena Espvall and Masaki Batoh [Drag City]
High Places: 03/07-09/07 [Thrill Jockey; out now digitally]
Individuals: Fields/Aquamarine [Bar/None]
Jay Reatard/Deerhunter: "Fluorescent Grey"/"Oh It's Such a Shame" 7" [Matador]
Josephine Foster: This Coming Gladness [Bo'Weavil]
Julie Doiron: Loneliest in the Morning [reissue] [Jagjaguwar]
Lackthereof: Your Anchor [Barsuk]
Loved: Everything, Anything, Nothing [Temporary Residence Limited]
M83: "Kim and Jessie" single [Mute]
Menahan: Street Band [Daptone]
Nico Muhly: Mothertongue [Brassland]
Nine Inch Nails: The Slip [Null Corporation] [CD/DVD release]
One Day as a Lion: One Day as a Lion EP [Anti-]
Paavoharju: Laulu Laakson Kukista [Fonal]
Paul Weller: 22 Dreams [Yep Roc]
PAS/CAL:  I Was Raised on Matthew, Mark, Luke & Laura [Le Grand Magistery]
Poni Hoax: Images of Sigrid [Tigersushi]
Prurient: Arrowhead [Editions Mego]
Radio Slave: "Grindhouse" Remixes 12" [Rekids]
The Red Krayola: Fingerpointing [Drag City]
Sonic's Rendezvous Band: Live [Bomp/Alive]
Sunfold: Toy Tugboats [Terpsikhore]
White Savage: TBA 7" [Flameshovel]
Zozobra: Bird of Prey [Hydra Head]

07-28:

Atlas Sound: Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel [vinyl release on Kranky, out now on CD]
Ellen Allien: "Out" Remixes 12" [Bpitch Control] [European release]
Simian Mobile Disco: Sample and Hold [Wichita] [UK release]
Sonic Youth: SYR8: Andre Sider Af Sonic Youth [SYR]

07-29:

Alice Cooper: Along Came a Spider [Steamhammer/SPV]
Arbouretum/Pontiak: Kale [Thrill Jockey] [split LP, vinyl only]
James Jackson Toth: Waiting in Vain [Rykodisc]
JEFF the Brotherhood: The Boys R Back in Torn EP [Infinity Cat; vinyl only]
The Rolling Stones: Shine a Light DVD [Paramount]
Takka Takka: Migration [Ernest Jenning Recording Co.]
Young Jeezy: The Recession [Def Jam/Corporate Thugz Entertainment]

July:

Bubblegum Lemonade: Susan's in the Sky EP [Matinée]

08-05:

Adam Franklin/Handsome Furs: "Shine a Light" 7" [White Whale]
Apollo Sunshine: Shall Noise Upon [Headless Heroes]
Atlas Sound: "Atlas Shrugged" 7" [K]
Brazilian Girls: New York City [Verve Forecast]
Clinic: Funf reissue [Domino]
Conor Oberst: Conor Oberst [Merge / Wichita]
Correcto: Correcto [Domino]
Darker My Love: 2 [Dangerbird]
David Vandervelde: Waiting for the Sunrise [Secretly Canadian]
The Faint: Fasciination [Blank.wav]
Gun Outfit: TBA 7" [PPM]
Helms Alee: Night Terror [Hydra Head]
Inara George: An Invitation [Everloving]
Ida: My Fair, My Dark EP [Polyvinyl]
Joseph Arthur: All You Need Is Nothing [Lonely Astronaut]
LL Cool J: Exit 13 [Def Jam]
The Lord Dog Bird: The Lord Dog Bird [Jagjaguwar]
Luciano: FABRIC41 [Fabric]
Mars Black: Stay Black [Team Love]
Music Go Music: Reach Out [Secretly Canadian]
Nine Inch Nails: The Slip [Null Corporation] [vinyl release]
Ne-Yo: Year of the Gentleman [Def Jam]
Oneida: Preteen Weaponry [Jagjaguwar]
Oxford Collapse: Bits [Sub Pop]
Prints: Just Thoughts [Temporary Residence Limited]
Racebannon: Acid or Blood [Southern]
Randy Newman: Harps and Angels [Nonesuch]
Re-Up Gang: Clipse Presents: Re-Up Gang [Koch]
Robyn Hitchcock and the Egyptians: Luminous Groove box set [Yep Roc]
The Rumble Strips: Girls and Weather [Gigantic] [North American release]
Shannon McArdle: Summer of the Whore [Bar/None]
Suicide Note: Empty Rooms [Hawthorne Street]
Talkdemonic: Eyes at Half Mast [Arena Rock]
Ulrich Schnauss: Stars EP [Domino]
Various Artists: No Band Is an Island [Knw-Yr-Own]
Weight: Are Men [Tee Pee/ Colonol Records]

08-12:

Dark Romantics: The Good Kind of Sad [Lujo]
The Gutter Twins: "God's Children"/"Spanish Doors" 7" [Sub Pop]
Original Silence: The Second Original Silence [Smalltown Superjazzz]
Pierre de Reeder: The Way That It Was [Little Record Company]
Willoughby: I Know What You're Up To [Sargeant]

08-18:

Stereolab: Chemical Chords [Duophonic UHF Disks/4AD] [worldwide release]

08-19:

31Knots: Worried Well [Polyvinyl]
The Dandy Warhols: Earth to the Dandy Warhols [Beat the World] [out now digitally]
Death Vessel: Nothing Is Precious Enough for Us [Sub Pop]
Don Caballero: Punkgasm [Relapse]
The Fiery Furnaces: Remember [Thrill Jockey]
Hotel Lights: Firecracker People [Bar/None]
Human Highway: Moody Motorcycle [Suicide Squeeze / Secret City]
Jaguar Love: Take Me to the Sea [Matador]
Jeff Hanson: Madam Owl [Kill Rock Stars]
Jennifer O'Connor: Here With Me [Matador]
Jesu: Why Are We Not Perfect? [Hydra Head]
Juliana Hatfield: How to Walk Away [Ye Olde Records]
Lee "Scratch" Perry: Repentance [Narnack]
Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez: Why Is Bear Billowing? [Carpark]
Lindstrøm: Where You Go I Go Too [Smalltown Supersound/Feedelity]
Lykke Li: Youth Novels [LL Records] [North American release]
The Moondoggies: Don't Be a Stranger [Hardly Art]
The Music Tapes: Music Tapes for Clouds & Tornadoes [Merge]
Nelly: Brass Knuckles [Derrty/Universal]
Perhapst: Perhaps [In Music We Trust]
Pram: The Moving Frontier [Domino]
Ra Ra Riot: The Rhumb Line [Barsuk]
The Royal We: The Royal We [Domino]
sBach: sBach [Suicide Squeeze]
Starling Electric: Clouded Staircase [Bar/None]
The Stills: Oceans Will Rise [Arts & Crafts]
Saurasama: Fajar Di Atas Awan [Drag City]
T.I.: Paper Trail [Grand Hustle/Atlantic]
The Uglysuit: The Uglysuit [Quarterstick]
Various Artists: Como Now: The Voices of Panola County, MS [Daptone]
The Verve: Forth [Parlophone] [North American release]
Vordul Mega: Megagraphitti [Backwoodz Studioz]
The Walkmen: You & Me [Gigantic Records]
Xavier Rudd: Dark Shades of Blue [Anti-]

08-26:

Alias: Resurgam [Anticon]
Dragonforce: Ultra Beatdown [Roadrunner]
The 88: Not Only…But Also [Island]
The Game: L.A.X. [Black Wall Street/DGC]
Matthew Sweet: Sunshine Lies [Shout! Factory]
The Silent Years: The Globe [self-released]
Solange Knowles: Sol-Angel and the Hadley Street Dreams [Geffen]
Tussle: Cream Cuts [Smalltown Supersound]
Zach Hill: Astrological Straights [Ipecac]

August:

Fabolous: TBA (tent. titled Working Hard, Playing Harder) [Desert Storm/Def Jam]

09-02:

Brian Wilson: That Lucky Old Sun [Capitol]
Duchess Says: Anthologie des 3 Perchoirs [Alien8]
Giant Sand: Provisions [Yep Roc]
Jazzanova & Mr. Scruff: Southport Weekender, Vol. 7 [suSU]
Shugo Tokumaru: Exit [Almost Gold] [North American release]
Syleena Johnson: Chapter 4: Labor Pains [Aneelys]
UNKLE: End Titles... Stories for Film [Surrender All] [North American physical release]

09-08:

Hauschka: Ferndorf [FatCat]
Mogwai: Batcat EP [PIAS/Wall of Sound] [UK release]
Yo Majesty: Futuristically Speaking...Never Be Afraid [Domino] [UK release]

09-09:

Angela Desveaux: The Mighty Ship [Thrill Jockey]
Boston Spaceships: Brown Submarine [Guided by Voices, Inc.]
Bound Stems: The Family Afloat [Flameshovel]
The Broken West: Now or Heaven [Merge]
Calexico: Carried to Dust [Quarterstick]
Chad VanGaalen: Soft Airplane [Sub Pop]
Don Chambers: Zebulon [Warm]
The Donkeys: Living on the Other Side [Dead Oceans]
Emiliana Torrini: Me and Armini [Rough Trade]
Horse Feathers: House With No Home [Kill Rock Stars]
Kimya Dawson: Alphabutt [K]
La Rocca: OK Okay [Dangerbird]
Missy Elliott: Block Party [Goldmind/Atlantic]
Mogwai: Batcat EP [Matador] [North American release]
The New Year: The New Year [Touch and Go]
Okkervil River: The Stand Ins [Jagjaguwar]
Parenthetical Girls: Entanglements [Tomlab]
Pontiak: Sun on Sun [Thrill Jockey] [reissue]
Rafter: Sweaty Magic EP [Asthmatic Kitty]
Rahim: Laughter [Pretty Activity]
The Shaky Hands: Lunglight [Kill Rock Stars]
Tricky: Knowle West Boy [Domino] [North American release]
Various Artists: Of Great and Mortal Men: 43 Songs About 43 U.S. Presidencies [Standard]

09-10

The Radio Dept.: Clinging to a Scheme [Labrador] [Swedish release]

09-13:

The Cure: TBA [I AM/DGC]

09-16:

Adventure: Adventure [Carpark]
Alexander Tucker: Portal [ATP]
Amanda Palmer: Who Killed Amanda Palmer? [Roadrunner]
Fujiya & Miyagi: Lightbulbs [Deaf Dumb & Blind] [North American release]
James: Hey Ma [Mercury; out now in the UK]
Radioactive Man: Growl [Control Tower]
Simian Mobile Disco: FABRICLIVE 41 [Fabric] [U.S. release]
Tindersticks: The Hungry Saw [Constellation] [North American release; out now in the UK]

09-22:

Serena-Maneesh: "Impregnated" 12" [Smalltown Supersound] [European release]
Serena-Maneesh: SM Backwards [Smalltown Supersound] [European release]

09-23:

All Girl Summer Fun Band: Looking Into It [AGSFB]
Brightblack Morning Light: Motion to Rejoin [Matador] [North American release]
Faun Fables: A Table Forgotten EP [Drag City]
Girl Talk: Feed the Animals [Illegal Art] [physical release, out now digitally]
High Places: High Places [Thrill Jockey]
The Howling Hex: Earth Junk [Drag City]
Jay Reatard: Singles Collection [Matador]
Karl Blau: Nature's Got Away [K]
Max Richter: 24 Postcards in Full Color [FatCat]
Mogwai: The Hawk Is Howling [Matador/ PIAS/Wall of Sound]
Nagisa Ni Te: Yosuga [Jagjaguwar]
Ten Kens: Ten Kens [FatCat]
The Week That Was: The Week That Was [Memphis Industries]

09-30:

Dressy Bessy: Holler and Stomp [Transdreamer]
Mercury Rev: Snowflake Midnight / Strange Attractor [Yep Roc]
The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello): The Fabled City [Epic]
T-Pain: Thr33 Ringz [Nappy Boy/Konvict/Jive/Zomba]
Trivium: Shogun [Roadrunner Records]

September:

Morrissey: Years of Refusal [Polydor]

10-06:  

Annie: Don’t Stop [Island] [UK release]

10-07:

Deerhoof: Offend Maggie [Kill Rock Stars]
Lambchop: OH (ohio) [Merge]
Margot & the Nuclear So and So's: Animal/Not Animal [Epic]
Marnie Stern: TBA [Kill Rock Stars]
Of Montreal: Skeletal Lamping [Polyvinyl]

10-14:

The Organ: Thieves EP [Mint/604]

10-21:

The Sea and Cake: Car Alarm [Thrill Jockey]

October:

Deerhunter: Microcastle [Kranky]

Summer:

Metallica: Death Magnetic [Warner Bros.]
R. Kelly: 12 Play: Fourth Quarter [Jive]

You know, for a bunch of dead guys...well, anyway. Legendary psych-pop troupe the Zombies, having recently wrapped a good sized UK tour, will hit the road tonight (July 3) in North America.

Anchored by founding members Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent, the lineup for these tours varies slightly from the more reunion-y shows the boys did to fete the 40th anniversary of their still-striking Odessey and Oracle LP last year. The current touring roster is rounded out by Rod's former Argent bandmate Jim Rodford on bass, Jim's son Steve Rodford on drums, and guitarist Keith Airey. Also note that Argent and Blunstone have been "collaborating on new studio material" under the Zombies umbrella. Fingers crossed for another Odessey, or, at least, something a fair sight better than 2004's As Far I Can See...

Photo by Sung Kim

The more things change, eh? Mastodon may be kicking it with the Boss and recording their Blood Mountain follow-up with nü-metal production king Brendan O'Brien, but they'll reach into the past to rekindle their touring partnership with Slayer this fall.

Slayer and Mastodon previously joined forces on the first two installments of the "Unholy Alliance Tour", so it's only appropriate that their new dates together are being billed as the "Unholy Alliance Tour, Chapter III". Trivium will also play all dates on the tour.

For now, the "Unholy Alliance Tour, Chapter III" is a European affair, but more dates are still to be announced.

Both Mastodon and Slayer have shows apart this summer.

It's not so far-fetched, really: Lily Allen has worked with producer Mark Ronson in the past on a number of projects. Mark Ronson is the big brother of DJ Samantha Ronson. Samantha Ronson, by all accounts, has been spending an awful lot of time with that Lindsay Lohan character lately. And yet, one wonders just who could have seen this coming. According to a recent (and, it should be noted, totally unconfirmed) report on the OK! Magazine website, Lily and Lindsay have collaborated on a track entitled "Wherever You Go", which will appear on Lily's follow-up to 2006's fantastic Alright, Still.

Again, no word on whether or not this is true; OK! claims Lindsay's people aren't talking, and Lily hasn't blogged about it explicitly, though she does mention meeting someone named Samantha-- who "brought a rather famous friend with her", nudge nudge wink wink-- for a recent dinner. Ever heard Lindsay's song "Rumors", Lil? Sounds like you're soaking in it.
 
In other Lily news, a recent NME.com report suggests that the album-- tentatively (we hope) titled Stuck on the Naughty Step-- is coming along nicely. Allen recently posted a brief clip of a cheerfully profane tune called "Guess Who Batman" to her MySpace, though she claims label constraints have kept her from laying more than just a snippet on us at the moment.

Photo by Nilina Mason-Campbell

Not long after Lykke Li brings her fine debut LP, Youth Novels, to the States, the Swedish songstress herself will once again make the trek to North America for a brief tour of the continent. The new run of October and November dates comes on the heels of quite a few intercontinental gigs Ms. Li has planned through the rest of the summer.

As a reminder, Youth Novels hits this side of the pond August 19 via Lykke Li's own LL imprint.

It would seem "scheduling conflicts" have forced the Gutter Twins to postpone seven North American dates on their forthcoming tour. Every show from their July 24 gig in Baltimore through to their August 1 date in Detroit is now off, though the band has plans to reschedule as many of the dates as possible on a soon-to-be-announced tour set to follow a Voodoo Experience appearance in late October. All other dates are on as planned, and the updated roster is available below.

In other Gutter Twins news, Sub Pop will issue a 7" single for Saturnalia's "God's Children" with a truly frightening cover August 11.

Gutter Twins:

07-10 Los Angeles, CA - The Roxy *
07-12 Seattle, WA - Showbox (SP20 event) !
07-24 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
07-25 Asbury Park, NJ - Stone Pony
07-26 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts
07-29 Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw
07-30 Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Small's Theatre
07-31 Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
08-01 Detroit, MI - Saint Andrews Hall
08-02 Chicago, IL - Grant Park (Lollapalooza)
08-06 Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia
08-07 Gothenburg, Sweden - Way Out West Festival
08-08 Aarhus, Denmark - Voxhall
08-09 Haldern, Germany - Haldern Festival
08-11 Oxford, England - Zodiac ^
08-12 Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms ^
08-13 London, England - Shepherds Bush Empire ^
08-15 Hasselt, Belgium - Pukkelpop Festival
08-16 Biddinghuizen, Netherlands - Lowlands Festival
08-17 Hohenfelden, Germany - Highfield Festival
08-19 Dresden, Germany - Beatpol
08-20 Munich, Germany - Ampere
08-21 Prague, Czech Republic - Palac Akropolis
08-23 Warsaw, Poland - Proxima
08-25 Bielefeld, Germany - Forum
08-26 Brighton, England - Komedia ^
08-27 Sheffield, England - Leadmill ^
08-29 Stradbally, Ireland - Electric Picnic ^
08-30 Liverpool, England - Academy 2
08-31 Argyll, Scotland - Hydro Connect Festival
09-03 Tel Aviv, Israel - Barby Club
09-04 Tel Aviv, Israel - Barby Club
09-06 Vitoria, Spain - Azkena Rock Festival
09-08 Lisbon, Portugal - Santiago Alquimista
10-24-26 New Orleans, LA - Voodoo Experience

* with Ed Harcourt
! with Brothers of the Sonic Cloth [ft. Tad Doyle]
^ with Carina Round

Well, here's a handy little update from those Dandy little Warhols. Recall that Earth to the Dandy Warhols LP they recently issued to the 'net in an unorthodox fashion via their own new label Beat the World? The Portland popsters have settled on a date for the physical release of said opus in the States, and that date is August 19. That's just weeks before the Warhols hit the road in North America for a fresh new tour, and just weeks after they wrap the European jaunt they've got lined up in July. Oh, puns.

In October, Kanye West revealed that he was working on a collection of jewelry with Graduation cover artist Takashi Murakami. Our first thoughts upon hearing the news included "Silly Kanye, you sure love expensive shit," and "Way to expand the brand." Apparently Kanye's thoughts were more of the "Damn, I gotta work on matching shoes" variety.

According to an NME.com report citing WWD.com (Women's Wear Daily's website, which also broke the jewelry news), Kanye revealed at a recent Louis Vuitton show in Paris that he is working on a line of men's shoes with the fashion design company famous for its luggage. Fitting for a guy who has called himself "The Louis Vuitton Don".

But Kanye didn't stop with shoes. According to the NME.com report, he is planning to unveil a collection of women's wear this fall. It won't be long before that expensive shit he posts on his blog is all of his own design.

Steppin' out:

07-04 New Orleans, LA - Essence Festival
07-25 Stratford-upon-Avon, England - Global Gathering
08-01 Cincinnati, OH - U.S. Bank Arena
08-03 Chicago, IL - Grant Park (Lollapalooza)
08-05 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
08-06 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
08-07 Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand at Foxwoods
08-10 Baltimore, MD - Pimlico Race Course (Virgin Festival)

Mere months after the release of the seventh installment in Sonic Youth's even-more-experimental SYR series, plans have already been drawn up to bring out round eight. SYR8: Andre Sider Af Sonic Youth captures a "structured improvisation" from 2005's Roskilde Festival. The work features the band-- then with Jim O'Rourke on guitar-- plus Thurston and Jim's Original Silence bandmate Mats Gustafsson (also of the Thing) and Japanese noise icon Merzbow. The hour-long performance was set up so that musicians exited the stage one at a time, eventually leaving Merzbow up there by his lonesome. It's due July 28 exclusively on CD from the band's SYR imprint.

Of course, it wouldn't be a Sonic Youth update without a quick rundown of all the other stuff these inhumanly creative people are getting up to of late. The well-traveled band's got a few shows throughout the rest of the summer, including an Independence Day jamfest with the recently reunited Feelies. As part of WFMU's 50th anniversary, that show will be broadcast live on the NYC-area radio institution beginning around 4:15 p.m. Eastern, as well as streamed at the station's website.

Thurston's got a few dates as well, and the second Original Silence LP is due August 11 from Smalltown Superjazzz. Original Silence, minus one Jim O'Rourke, will take the stage at the Øya Festival in Oslo, Norway on August 7 for a rare gig. And it looks like Lee Ranaldo will make an appearance with the Bang on a Can All-Stars July 19 at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, MA.

Sonic Youth:

07-04 New York, NY - Battery Park *
08-04 Leucate, France - Les Méditerranéennes Festival
08-05 Lokeren, Belgium - Lokerse Festival
08-07 Oslo, Norway - Øya Festival
08-08 Gothenburg, Sweden - Way Out West Festival
08-09 Saint-Nazaire, France - Escales Festival

* with the Feelies

Thurston Moore:

07-05 New York, NY - Club Rehab (with Gene Moore) *
08-07 Oslo, Norway - Øya Festival (with Original Silence)
09-19 Monticello, NY - Kutshers Country Club (My Bloody Valentine ATP) #
09-27 New York, NY - Stone (with Northampton Wools)

* with Metal Mountains
# performing Psychic Hearts

Maybe it's the outfits, but Björk as Nostradamus kind of makes sense. When the Icelandic singer cancelled her set at this year's Wild in the Country festival, citing the event's "volatile nature" and organizers' inability "to secure any staging, sound, and lighting," we should have known to expect further repercussions, and here they are: organizers have made the decision to cancel Wild in the Country 2008 entirely.

According to the official statement, "The cancellation is due to lower than expected ticket sales and a key investor withdrawing at the last minute, leaving the event in an unsustainable position."

Wild in the Country was scheduled to take place in Knebworth, England on July 5, which means this announcement comes only a couple days in advance. According to the statement noted above, festival organizers "will make every effort to ensure that ticket purchases will be refunded."