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Photo by Shannon McClean

The video for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks' "Gardenia"-- plucked from this spring's Real Emotional Trash-- is riddled with guest appearances from some of the biggest names in indie rock, and beyond: Gregg "Girl Talk" Gillis, Weezer's Brian Bell, Mudhoney's Steve Turner, the dudes of Ratatat, Modest Mouse's Joe Plummer, Gary Jarman of the Cribs, and Portland, Oregon's mayor-elect Sam Adams.

What isn't clear, however, is whether the video features appearances from Malkmus himself, or any of the Jicks. According to Willamette Week's Local Cut site, Malkmus turned the proceedings over to Portland-based filmmaker/archivist Dan Woods, aka VJ Dantronix. The "Gardenia" clip is his first-ever music video. But as far as being able to capture big-name folks on film, Woods is in a class all by himself. Local Cut reports that Woods has spent years scoring interviews with the likes of Kraftwerk, Belle & Sebastian, Sonic Youth, and the Flaming Lips just by reaching out and contacting them. Seems simple enough, huh?

The "Gardenia" clip, which features the aforementioned crew lip-synching and noodling on air guitars throughout the tune, premiered in Portland over the weekend, according to Spin.com. Folks like Spoon's Britt Daniel, the Thermals, Janet Weiss of the Jicks, and Weiss' former Sleater-Kinney bandmate Carrie Brownstein were in attendance. Spin.com reports that Malkmus himself had family obligations, and could not attend.

Spin.com reports that the "Gardenia" clip is expected to hit the internet later this week, though a snippet is available right now, via Local Cut:



As for Woods, he's working on a documentary collecting his interview footage. It's tentatively called Music Is Everything and should be completed in 2009.

Malkmus and the Jicks will be hitting the road once again later this month for a spin around the UK, with a mess of North American dates to follow in the fall.

Considering that you're reading this right now, it's a fair bet that you like talking about music. Chances are you're even interested in hearing the musicians you like talk about music.

Thus, you'd probably like to know that San Francisco non-profit City Arts & Lectures has enlisted good folks from around the music world for a series of conversations and performances it calls "Talking Music".

The list of music-makers taking part in the series over the next several months includes John Darnielle (the Mountain Goats), Neko Case (herself/the New Pornographers), Will Sheff (Okkervil River), Stephin Merritt (the Magnetic Fields) and Laurie Anderson. Each of these "Talking Music" events feature the musicians "in conversation and song" alongside a literary light acting as host. Merritt has been paired up with his Gothic Archies partner Daniel Handler (who also writes the Lemony Snicket books), while Laurie Anderson is "in conversation" only (no music) with Our Band Could Be Your Life scribe Michael Azerrad.

All "Talking Music" events will take place at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco's Performing Arts Center.

TV on the Radio's new album Dear Science, comes out September 23 via Interscope in the U.S. and September 22 via 4AD elsewhere.

Don't worry, the music on it isn't as boring as this cover might suggest.

In other dull album cover news, Bloc Party have assured us that this isn't actually the cover for Intimacy.

The Pygmalion Music Festival will return to the college town(s) of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois from September 17-20.

Pygmalion 2008 features 20 shows at nine venues across town(s), including sets from Yo La Tengo, Black Mountain, Times New Viking, Titus Andronicus, High Places, Dan Deacon, Evangelicals, the Hood Internet, Thao With the Get Down Stay Down, Oxford Collapse, Dark Meat, Catfish Haven, Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, Monotonix, Pattern Is Movement, Wye Oak, Catfish Haven, Murder by Death, the M's, Headlights, the Forms, Pontiak, and Asobi Seksu.

Additionally, on August 29, Champaign-Urbana town(s)ies Headlights will play one of four festival pre-parties held at Urban Outfitters.

Photo by Mike White

Today, more than two months before its physical release, Deerhunter's third LP Microcastle has made its way to the iTunes Music Store. The disc is still due in physical form October 28 via Kranky in North America and October 27 on 4AD in the rest of the world, but it remains an iTunes digital exclusive until then. [Thanks to reader Oliver Pattenden for the tip.] In the UK, it will be preceded by the single for "Nothing Ever Happened", backed by a demo version of "Little Kids", out October 6 on 4AD.

When Microcastle arrives in stores, it may or may not contain a bonus disc called Weird Era Cont. After the events of last weekend, the decision regarding the inclusion of Weird Era Cont. with the physical release of Microcastle is still up in the air has yet to be announced. See, a few days ago, some Encyclopedia Brown types out there found their way into the MediaShare folder where Deerhunter frontman/Atlas Sound main man Bradford Cox leaves his unfinished demos. Among other things, that folder contained tracks from Weird Era Cont., which Deerhunter had planned to include with the physical release of the long-since-leaked Microcastle. Or, as Bradford put it in a now-deleted entry on the Deerhunter blog, "it was supposed to be a surprise and actually make the idea of an 'Album Release Date' fun. You ruined Christmas" [via At Ease Web].

The archive also contained early demos for Logos, the intended sophomore LP from Atlas Sound. For a brief period of time, Logos was posted to the blog as a free download, with Cox stating, "fuck this shit. I can just make another album. It's not finished and now it never will be." [Via Gorilla Vs Bear].

Make what you will of Bradford calling folks out for finding a public folder on the internet-- "I am a dumbass," he admitted, adding "that does not excuse people from sifting through my garbage"-- but the guy is nothing if not generous, constantly giving away demos for free via the Deerhunter blog.

While all that's being sorted out, feast your ears on the totally legit "Virtual 7" No. 4" from Atlas Sound, and take a glance at Deerhunter's pretty massive tour itinerary and those dates Bradford's doing with Stereolab.

When she's not interviewing Liz Phair or Feist for Pitchfork.tv, Amanda Petrusich can be read on this here website, usually dropping science about the Americana end of the musical spectrum. Petrusich utilized her considerable knowledge of folkish, rockish, and country-ish subjects in the writing of her second book, It Still Moves: Lost Songs, Lost Highways, and the Search for the Next American Music. (Her first book was last year's entry on Nick Drake's Pink Moon in the 33 1/3 series.) Part memoir and travelogue, part sociological study and piece of criticism, It Still Moves features stories and interviews that explore the history and current state of Americana, "from Elvis to Iron and Wine, the Carter Family to Animal Collective, Johnny Cash to Will Oldham," according to a press release.

It Still Moves is out today (August 19) via Faber and Faber, Inc., A few events celebrating It Still Moves' publication are scheduled throughout the coming months. The first one is a reading and Q&A at Brooklyn's Book Court on September 11.

You & Me, the fourth original album from the Walkmen (and the latest Best New Music entry) hits shelves today, August 19, from Gigantic Music. You may be pumped, stoked, and/or jazzed about having You & Me in your arms at last (though you may have been listening to it on your computer for awhile), but your anticipation doesn't hold a candle to that of the folks who work at Nashville's Grimey's New and Preloved Music. Today, Grimey's employees will celebrate You & Me by performing their favorite Walkmen tunes at an in-store event. So much cooler than a free poster, ya'll.

Alas, the Walkmen themselves will only be at Grimey's in spirit, as they'll be in New York tonight for the second night of a two-night stand at the Bowery Ballroom. These shows are serving as both release parties and the kick-off for the band's North American tour.

The Walkmen recently added a Southeastern U.S. run to their previously reported jaunt. All dates are down below.

Europeans waiting to get their hands on You & Me will have to wait a tad longer. France and Switzerland get the album on September 15, while Austria, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg get it on September 22, all via Talitres Records.

Woe is Morrissey. But that sure ain't breaking news. However, this time, the bee that's found its way into his bonnet doesn't have anything to do with heartache. It has to do with a DVD. NME.com reports that a 22-song Moz DVD, Live at the Hollywood Bowl, will be released in the UK on October 6 from Warner. But apparently Morrissey himself had nothing to do with it. The Moz hub True To You posted a statement from Morrissey urging his fans to steer clear of the DVD:

"The slapdash release of Morrissey Live at the Hollywood Bowl is done by Warner without any consultation to me whatsoever, and is in breach of their terms as laid out by themselves in an agreement made for the film between Warner and my ex-manager. Being Warner, predictably the sleeve art is appalling. It is the work of cash-hounds, and I urge people NOT to buy it. I am not signed to Warner, and no royalties from this DVD will come to me. Please spend your money elsewhere.

"Thank you, MORRISSEY."

The drama doesn't stop there, though. We recently reported on a hiccup in the arrival of Morrissey's forthcoming solo album, Years of Refusal. Though Moz had originally planned to get Refusal out there in September, the disc's release has been pushed back to early next year.

Another post on True to You addressed this situation. However, keep in mind that the statements made in this post have not been confirmed as coming from Morrissey or his camp.

According to the post, Universal Music Group (the parent company of Moz's UK label Polydor) were the ones behind the delay, and the disc will now appear on Morrissey's side of the pond February 2. Also, Morrissey is apparently yet again without a U.S. label. Though he partnered with Decca for the Stateside release of his Greatest Hits package, Morrissey was apparently displeased with Decca's handling of the promotion of said release.

True to You also notes, "It is understood that Warner Music in London are releasing a Smiths Greatest Hits album in the final quarter of 2008. This release is without Morrissey's approval or involvement."

Though a spate of live dates previewing the Years of Refusal material might prove a good balm to these newfound woes, there's this unconfirmed bit, too: "There are no further live dates planned for the remainder of 2008."

Gee, Moz, you sure have a knack for bumming out those fans of yours. Oh wait... that's what they love about you!

Photo by Mike White

After their current run-- with some of indie rock's finest-- and an October trek to South America, Trent Reznor and his Nine Inch Nails will bring the pain to North America yet again on a monster fall tour.

The band will now spend much of the rest of Year 2008 on the road, as the new dates stretch well into December. No word yet on just who might be warming up these new dates, but heck, these guys look pretty warmed up to me.

For nearly all of the dates on his North American fall tour, folk-rock legend and Godfather of many styles Neil Young has invited the likes of Death Cab for Cutie and Wilco to take the warm-up spots. Death Cab goes first, with dates running from mid-October to early November, and Wilco takes the reins for the tour's second leg in late November and early December. Then there's a lone Chicago date where their slot has yet to be filled.

UPDATE: Death Cab are NOT playing the October 21 show in Everett, Washington.

Maybe then they'll all get together to make an album a la Mirror Ball, right?

In related news, a recent Billboard.com report suggests Wilco is shooting for a spring release for their follow-up to the sorta Youngian Sky Blue Sky. Death Cab, who recently added some dates of their own, appear on the forthcoming soundtrack to Choke.

And ol' Neil is gearing up for yet another Farm Aid, this time with Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, and Kenny Chesney in Mansfield, Massachussetts on September 20. Don't forget, it's for a good cause.