Pitchfork

[Posted Friday, October 31st, 2003 04:00:00 Pitchfork Central Time]

Two long years have passed since the release of Rebecca Gates' Ruby Series EP, and ever since we've been waiting anxiously to hear more smart, sultry music from the former Spinanes member (and one of indie rock's most talented women). While we can't exactly report on a release date, let alone brandish Pitchfork's signature you-read-it-here-first tracklist, we can tell you that Ms. Gates has been working on some new songs, and tells us she hopes to record "sooner rather than later."

But we can hardly call her a slacker: in fact, there's genuine Gates tracks on the horizon. She's been working with guitarist Mick Turner of Dirty Three on a double-billed album. Because they are working across continents, the process is slow, and thus, no firm release timeframe has been announced.

Furthermore, Rebecca Gates and New York artist/Bomb magazine editor Lucy Raven have teamed up for the development of an audiomagazine called The Relay Project. According to the website, this quarterly CD release will feature "work of varying duration and content, each track authored by a different contributor." The material ranges from found-sound to audio interviews; from music to virtual vacations. The Relay Project audiomagazine will be sold at record, book, and museum shops as well as through the website.

While that's more than enough to keep any musician busy for a while, Gates has also announced a fall tour beginning Wednesday in Montreal. She'll be touring the eastern U.S. and Midwest with Chris Brokaw, each of them performing solo, but promising to perform a few songs together.

Chris Brokaw is quite possibly the busiest man in indie rock, lending guitar and drum work to no less that six different musical outfits in addition to his solo career. You may remember him from such formidable rock bands as Come and Codeine. After releasing his second proper solo album, Wandering as Water this year, he got to work recording with his band The New Year (comprised of Brokaw, ex-Saturnine bassist Mike Donofrio and ex-Bedhead members Matt and Bubba Kadane). They plan to release their second album in February 2004 on Touch & Go. Brokaw and Gates appear together for all dates below:

11-02 Boston, MA - Middle East
11-03 New York, NY - Tonic
11-04 Washington, D.C. - Black Cat
11-05 Baltimore, MD - Talking Head
11-06 Pittsburgh, PA - Quiet Storm
11-07 Bloomington, IN - Vertigo Lounge
11-08 Chicago, IL - WNUR Live Radio Appearance
11-09 Chicago, IL - Bottom Club
11-10 Columbia, MO - Mojo's
11-11 Lawrence, KS - Tap Room
11-12 Fayetteville, AK - Jr's
11-13 Oklahoma City, OK - The Conservatory
11-14 Denton, TX - JJ's
11-15 Austin - Emo's<
11-17 Athens, GA - Tastyworld
11-18 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
11-19 Nashville, TN - Springwater
11-20 Winston-Salem, NC - Project Space 211
11-21 Brooklyn, NY - North 6