Tokyo Police Club to Guest on "Desperate Housewives"

A lesson in prime time
Tokyo Police Club to Guest on "Desperate Housewives"

What do a fresh-faced Canadian power-pop foursome and the sexy sex-havin' sexpots of Wisteria Lane want with each other? More than you'd think, that's what!

Today and tomorrow (October 6 and 7), the boys of Tokyo Police Club are hitting the set of ABC's popular suburban satire "Desperate Housewives" to tape both a performance and a little hot Thespian action for a forthcoming episode.

It seems, through some wacky plot contrivance that probably involves lingerie, the men of "Desperate Housewives"-- played by James Denton, Doug Savant, Kyle MacLachlan, Ricardo Antonio Chavira, and Neal McDonough-- have formed a musical act. In an episode set to air sometime in November, their musical act will take all comers in a battle of the bands at a local club. Tokyo Police Club are indeed one of those bands that will be battling.

Get this: Not only will Tokyo Police Club perform in the episode, but will also take on speaking roles. And then get it on with Eva Longoria, as seems to be the case with anybody I ever see on that show. Nice work if you can get it.

In a bit of news that actually makes sense in a rational world, Tokyo Police Club are out on the road at the moment with Weezer.

Posted by Paul Thompson on Mon, Oct 6, 2008 at 5:30pm

Radiohead Lead New UK Musician Advocacy Group

So do Klaxons, David Gilmour, Gang of Four, Chrissie Hynde, the Verve, Kaiser Chiefs, Travis
Radiohead Lead New UK Musician Advocacy Group

Over the weekend at Manchester, England's In the City event, a group of UK artists of note opened their pockets, saw a cartoon fly coming out, and decided to do something about it.

Thus begat the Featured Artists Coalition, a new artist's advocacy group that "campaigns for the protection of performers' and musicians' rights. [Via Billboard.com]

The group's mission statement says, "We want all artists to have more control of their music and a much fairer share of the profits it generates in the digital age. We speak with one voice to help artists strike a new bargain with record companies, digital distributors and others, and are campaigning for specific changes."

More than 60 acts have already signed on, including Radiohead, David Gilmour of Pink Floyd Gang of Four, Klaxons, the Verve and frontman Richard Ashcroft, Chrissie Hynde, Kaiser Chiefs, Travis, the Cribs, Billy Bragg, and Kate Nash.

Wait, Chrissie Hynde? Isn't she from Ohio?

The Coalition will soon begin lobbying for changes in laws that affect the British music industry. Their six-point plan can be found here.

Posted by Paul Thompson on Mon, Oct 6, 2008 at 5:05pm

Junior Boys Frontman, Kelley Polar on Morgan Geist LP

Junior Boys Frontman, Kelley Polar on Morgan Geist LP

Photo by Jimmy Edgar

It's been more than a decade since Metro Area's Morgan Geist issued a solo album, but all that changed with the release of Double Night Time, available now via Geist's own Environ label.

The record features guest contributions from Jeremy Greenspan of Junior Boys, Geist's Environ labelmate Kelley Polar, and an orchestra. A 12"/digital download single for opening track "Detroit", backed with a couple remixes by Carl Craig, is available now as well.

Mr. Geist will celebrate Night Time's arrival at handful of upcoming gigs, some under his own name and some with Metro Area.

Posted by Paul Thompson on Mon, Oct 6, 2008 at 4:25pm

T.V. Eye: October 6-12

T.V. Eye: October 6-12

Live Music on T.V. this week:

Monday, October 6:

VH1: Hip-Hop Honors: Ghostface Killah, De La Soul, Lil Jon, Slick Rick, MC Lyte, Big Boi, Q-Tip, Bun B, Scarface, Chuck D, Cee-Lo, Flavor Flav, Estelle, EPMD, Juelz Santana
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Jenny Lewis
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: the Pretenders
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live!: Solange Knowles

Tuesday, October 7:

NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Death Cab for Cutie
Syndicated: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Kanye West
CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Tegan and Sara
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live!: Black Kids

Wednesday, October 8:

Syndicated: The Ellen DeGeneres Show: Kanye West

Thursday, October 9:

CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Beck
NBC: Last Call With Carson Daly: Young Jeezy, Nas
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live!: Foals
NBC: The Tonight Show With Jay Leno: Rachael Yamagata

Friday, October 10:

CBS: Late Show With David Letterman: Lou Reed
CBS: Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson: Tom Morello
ABC: Jimmy Kimmel Live!: Atmosphere
NBC: Late Night With Conan O'Brien: Dead Confederate

Saturday, October 11:

NBC: Saturday Night Live: Lil Wayne (rerun)
PBS: Austin City Limits: Bettye LaVette
Fearless Music TV: Black Kids, O'Death, Gemma Hayes

Posted by Amy Phillips on Mon, Oct 6, 2008 at 4:10pm

New Animal Collective Album in January?

Maybe called Merriweather Post Pavilion?
New Animal Collective Album in January?

Photo by Kathryn Yu

The Satan Fish on Animal Collective's website has spoken!! And, well, it all came out demonic gobbledygook. Nobody at AC home Domino Records is talking either, so we can't translate the Satan Fish's words into plain English just yet.

But it seems as if Animal Collective maybe have a new album coming out in January? The maybe follow-up to last year's way rad Strawberry Jam LP and this year's Water Curses EP is maybe called Merriweather Post Pavilion? Just like the Maryland venue? Hey, that's confusing! Also: Paul is dead.

As for Animal Collective, they still have their fall tour of semi-exotic places to attend to. That one begins October 11 in Berlin.

Posted by Matthew Solarski on Mon, Oct 6, 2008 at 3:30pm

Pitchfork Seeks Sales Director in Chicago

Pitchfork Seeks Sales Director in Chicago

Pitchfork seeks an inspired individual with excellent management, sales, and marketing skills to manage and develop the sales operations of Pitchfork Media and Pitchfork.tv out of our Chicago office. In this role, you will be responsible for overseeing the site's day-to-day sales activities, establishing and maintaining agency and client relationships, and collaborating with Pitchfork's sales and business team to create strategies designed to grow existing business. Also included would be developing the means to support those strategies with research, market analysis, and other collateral. The ideal candidate should be a confident and polished manager, presenter, and writer-- willing to take any task put in front of him or her.

You should be comfortable with work ranging from conducting cold calls to working with Pitchfork's sales staff and business partners to developing the direction of Pitchfork's sales operation. A commitment to developing a productive, effective sales environment while providing Pitchfork's clients with the best possible online advertising experience is required. This position will report to Pitchfork's Publisher/COO.

Posted by Pitchfork Staff on Mon, Oct 6, 2008 at 2:40pm

TVOTR's Adebimpe, Mike Patton, Doseone Form Group

Scatman John waits patiently by the phone
TVOTR's Adebimpe, Mike Patton, Doseone Form Group

It takes no time at all to pick out the vocal stylings of TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, Subtle's Adam "Doseone" Drucker, or Mike Patton of Peeping Tom/Faith No More/Tomahawk/I Am Legend/etc.

Each is possessed with an inimitable set of pipes and a willingness to mix subtlety (no pun intended) and balls-to-the-wall fury when the occasion calls for it.

One can only imagine what kind of howls and growls await us on a new project the three are working up, which Adebimpe mentioned in an interview with the Onion's AV Club. The TVOTR frontman told the paper that he, Drucker, and Patton are "working on a project that I'm thinking will congeal toward the end of the year. It came from an idea that Adam had, to have the three of us just, basically, mess around vocally and see what comes of it."

No other info about the project is available right now, though it has been confirmed as being in the works. I hope, at the very least, it involves a cover of "Don't Worry Be Happy".

The AV Club reminds us that fans waiting to hear the three spit together could play a little six degrees of salivation at home if they so chose: Tunde shows up on Subtle's Yell & Ice, and Doseone showed up on Peeping Tom's self-titled affair back in 2006. Still, the prospect of the three coming together on record is like one of those Yngwie Malmsteen/Steve Vai/Joe Satriani superjams, minus the old man smell.

In other news from this bunch, TVOTR's amazing Dear Science is out now, and their full fall tour kicks off shortly. Subtle hit the road in November with a new remix record under their many arms. And Mike Patton is co-curating that Nightmare Before Christmas ATP with the Melvins.

Posted by Paul Thompson on Mon, Oct 6, 2008 at 2:35pm

808 State Give Classic LPs Deluxe Reissues, Plan Gigs

808 State Give Classic LPs Deluxe Reissues, Plan Gigs

In celebration of their 20th anniversary together, Manchester acid house heavyweights 808 State are seeing four of their classic albums get the expanded reissue treatment.

ZTT began offering up big new versions of 808:90, EX:EL, Gorgeous, and Don Solaris today (October 6) outside the U.S., with a Stateside release to follow October 14. Each 2CD set contains the original album, plus a bonus disc chock full of rare and previously unreleased bangers and a boatload of remixes to boot. The sets were put together by 808 State's Graham Massey to ensure they arrive in the most immaculate state.

Because, after all, 808s are forever, 808 State will attend to a few live and DJ dates before '08 is up. Massey's Toolshed project also has an engagement tomorrow (October 7) at Trinity Church in Salford, England.

Posted by Paul Thompson on Mon, Oct 6, 2008 at 2:10pm

El Guincho to Release New Album With Coconot

El Guincho to Release New Album With Coconot

Much like Panda Bear, to whom he's often compared, El Guincho can conjure an engaging world of sounds all by his lonesome. And much as Panda Bear's Noah Lennox is often found roaming with Animal Collective, El Guincho's Pablo Diaz-Reixa too has a crew with whom he sometimes explores new sonic territory: the Barcelona-based threepiece Coconot.

Coconot released their first album, Novo Tropicalismo Errado, back in 2005. They'll follow it up with Cosa Astral, a new nine-track set due in shops November 10 from BCore, and available via the label's website beginning October 15. Get a taste of this Coconot's flavor by streaming Cosa Astral opener "Conservad el Rayo" via the link below.

As for El Guincho, he'll be busy touring up a storm with Vampire Weekend and on his own in the coming weeks, while Alegranza! finally gets a proper release October 21 in the U.S. and October 13 elsewhere via Young Turks/XL.

Posted by Matthew Solarski on Mon, Oct 6, 2008 at 1:15pm

Kills' Tour Bus and Gear Found, Driver Still Missing

Kills' Tour Bus and Gear Found, Driver Still Missing

Photo by David Hill

A quick update on the strange saga of the Kills' disappearing tour bus and driver: according to a Domino Records rep, the missing bus was found yesterday (October 5)-- with all gear onboard and intact-- after being spotted by an Argus-eyed fan in a Los Angeles parking lot. The driver, however, remains at large, and has not been seen since he and the bus vanished on Friday, September 26.

Here's hoping this guy turns up and has some crazy-awesome story/explanation that somehow involves David Berman (Silver Jews did play the Echoplex that Friday, just sayin'...). Really though, story or no, we just hope this guy's okay.

The Kills, no doubt half-relieved to at least have their gear and bus back, play a MySpace show in Baltimore tonight (October 6) before heading to Europe later this month.

Posted by Matthew Solarski on Mon, Oct 6, 2008 at 1:10pm