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The folks at Asthmatic Kitty have put together a two-disc compilation to benefit Habitat for Humanity, and true to their co-chief/flagship songwriter's ambitious tendencies, they've turned the release into a conceptual affair.

Habitat features 29 exclusive tracks tackling the subject of architectural space in some form or another. While the contributions are all electronically oriented, they come from a wide variety of sources: Alias, Sole, Jim Guthrie, Stars Like Fleas, DM Stith, Son Lux, Blevin Blectum, Richard Swift's Instruments of Science & Technology, and a trio comprised of Sufjan Stevens, Asthmatic Kitty founder Lowell Brams, and the National's Bryce Dessner that goes by the name Tidal River.

Physical copies of Habitat are available exclusively from Asthmatic Kitty beginning today (October 28), and a digital release will follow on November 18. The compilation's artwork features photos by architect and photographer Craig McCormick, and DM Stith handled the layout.

San Diego scene staple, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Terrin Durfey has passed away after a decade-long bout with cancer, according to a post on the Electrical Audio message board verified by Touch and Go. Durfey spent time in the 90s as the bassist for San Diego indie rockers Boilermaker, and in recent years had played with the likes of the Jade Shader and Pinback.

Durfey intended to join Pinback on their recently wrapped fall tour, but a recurrence of his cancer kept him from the road.

He is survived by his wife and six-year-old son.

Diplo will release a compilation called Decent Work for Decent Pay: Collected Works: Volume One worldwide on January 26 via Big Dada/Ninja Tune. True to Diplo's eclectic and collaborative form, the disc is loaded with original tracks and remixes he has produced for Daft Punk, M.I.A., Hot Chip, Bloc Party, Black Lips, Peter Bjorn and John, Kano, CSS, Bonde do Rolê, and Spank Rock, among others. The collection also features several tunes credited solely to Diplo.

Retail copies of Decent Work will come with plenty of digital bonus material, including high quality MP3s of Diplo tracks "Percao", "Baby", and "Diplo Rhythm", the man's remix of Spoon's "Don't You Evah", and the Johnny Blaze remix of Diplo's "Way More", plus a video for "Percao".

Diplo's also still on that crazy-ass Mad Decent tour [ft. Abe Vigoda, Boy 8-Bit, Telepathe, and dancing pizza]. The next stop is tonight (October 28) in Salt Lake City.

Photo by Kathryn Yu

Just in time for Winter Wonderland dances the world over, the folks at Mute Records will issue five M83 albums-- the self-titled debut, 2003's Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, 2005's Before the Dawn Heals Us, last year's Digital Shades Vol. 1, and this spring's exquisite Saturdays=Youth-- on vinyl come November 25.

Each, with the exception of Digital Shades, is a double LP, and each comes with a bonus CD containing the music from the respective LP. Digital Shades, a download-only release in these parts since its arrival last summer, was issued on CD for the first time in the U.S. today from Mute.

M83's Anthony Gonzalez and band are presently wrapping up a few European dates before they hit North America with School of Seven Bells in November and the UK with Kings of Leon in December.

"We don't want to be our own tribute band," Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones told the BBC at a recent guitar show in Exeter, England. Yet the rock legend paradoxically explained that he, Jimmy Page, and John Bonham offspring Jason had been "trying out a couple of singers. We want to do it. It's sounding great and we want to get on and get out there."

As for what "it" is? "There would be a record and a tour," Jones told the BBC, "but everyone has to be on board." What's not clear is whether the "everyone" here includes a certain Led Zeppelin vocalist by the name of Robert Plant.

Plant issued a statement via his website late last month claiming he had no intention of participating in any touring for a couple years in the wake of his recent run with bluegrass maven Alison Krauss, despite his participation in a highly successful reunion gig late last year. But a Led Zeppelin record without Robert Plant? Dude, that's like a, um, Led Zeppelin record without Jimmy Page.

"There's no point in just finding another Robert," Jones also told the BBC. Looks like there's not much danger of that, at least: Billboard.com reports rumors are circulating that Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy is in the running. Hey, if he was good enough for the tattered remains of Creed...

In other rumblings from the land of Led, Billboard.com notes that Rhino will release a 10-CD box set on November 4 featuring Led Zeppelin's nine studio albums and the Coda rarities set, all packaged to look like vinyl. But not.

Illustration by Todd Webb

Early next year, ebullient Apples in Stereo frontman Robert Schneider will release the debut album from an alter ego even more euphoric and innocent than the one he uses in his regular band. That alter ego is Robbert Bobbert, an "inventor/scientist character" according to a press release , and that debut album is Robbert Bobbert & the Bubble Machine. Robert Schneider as an inventor/scientist character? That's not too far off from real life!

The album, a collection of songs for children, features such songs as "I Am a Clock", "Fee Fi Fo, Fee Fi Fum", "We R Super Heroes", and "The Mighty, Mighty Elephant". It comes out January 20 via Little Monster Records and includes a comic book designed by artist Todd Webb.

Robbert Bobbert & the Bubble Machine also have a single show scheduled, taking place November 16 at New York City's 92Y Tribeca.

Tip of the hat to Stephen Colbert for his choice of guests this Thursday. Chicago heroes Wilco will perform one song on the Comedy Central show "The Colbert Report" this Thursday, following in the footsteps of such previous Colbert musical guests as Feist, Nas, R.E.M., Apples in Stereo, the Roots, and, of course, those dastardly Decemberists.

The Colbert appearance kicks off a busy fall/winter for Wilco, who will play a Concert for Change in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday, November 1 before hitting the road with Neil Young in December. And don't forget to pick up your free download of Wilco and Fleet Foxes' take on Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" here-- if you're an American citizen and you plan on voting in the election next week, that is. AND YOU'D BETTER BE VOTING.

Colbert, meanwhile, is gearing up for his new musical comedy special "A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All", which hits Comedy Central November 23 and DVD two days later from Comedy Central Home Entertainment/Paramount. As previously reported, it features appearances by Feist, Elvis Costello, John Legend, Willie Nelson, Toby Keith, and Jon Stewart.

Neon Neon-- the improbably awesome weirdo superduo featuring Super Furry Animals front-creature Gruff Rhys and producer Boom Bip-- are eking yet another bit of mileage out of this year's sleek Stainless Style. Say hello to a new UK single for standout track "Dream Cars".

The original tune is joined on the new set by "Mr. Right", a Neon Neon rendition of Young Marble Giants gem "Searching for Mr. Right" recorded for a BBC Radio 1 live session and featuring Stainless Style contributor Cate Le Bon. Los Angeles duo Brother Reade round things out with a pair of "Dream Cars" remixes. The single is due December 8 from Lex.

Neon Neon will hit the road tonight (October 24) for the first of a few weeks' worth of headlining dates. These gigs have the core duo joined at all turns by Le Bon, Har Mar Superstar, a full live band, and openers Yo Majesty.

Photo by Kathryn Yu

Baby creating London MC M.I.A. released a new digital EP today (October 28) via Interscope/XL. The EP is called How Many Votes Fix Mix, and the first of its three songs is the Jay-Z-bolstered version of Kala track "Boyz". The other two songs are Kala UK bonus disc tracks "Shells" and "Far Far". How Many Votes Fix Mix is only available from iTunes at the moment, but it will get a full digital release on November 4.

Hey, check out the totally subtle and understated cover art:

Cheap Trick are releasing a four-disc 30th anniversary edition of their breakthrough live album At Budokan that they are calling Budokan!: 30th Anniversary Edition. In total, the new release features 56 separate tracks but only 20 different songs. Some of the performances come from different nights, but still...come on! I think I'm gonna reheat the vegetable soup I had yesterday and call it Soup!: The Next Day.

Here's how the redundancy breaks down:

The first disc of Budokan! is a DVD featuring the band's full performance at the Japanese venue on April 30, 1978. It was aired on Japanese television only once, and this is the first time it's been officially released. There are four bonus features in the form of "Come On, Come On", performances of "Voices" and "If You Want My Love" from Cheap Trick's return to Budokan this year, and a documentary about the experience featuring interviews with the band called Looking Back.

The second disc, a CD, rehashes the DVD and adds two tracks.

The third and fourth discs exactly recreate the 20th anniversary reissue of At Budokan from 1998, except remastered.

Hooray for spending money on stuff you already have in the midst of an economic crisis!

Columbia/Legacy will release Budokan!: 30th Anniversary Edition on November 11. A vinyl edition of the original 10-track album precedes that release today, October 28.

The non-redundant bright spot here is that Cheap Trick have tour dates this fall, quite a few of which are in Australia with Def Leppard. "I want YOU...to pour some sugar...on ME!"