Pitchfork

San Francisco singer/songwriter, studio-owner, and huge prop-giver to the Tascam 424 model III four-track analog recorder John Vanderslice has revealed to Pitchfork exclusive information about his brand new album. Arguably the best singer/songwriter working the indie music scene today-- and one heckuva a nice guy to boot-- Vanderslice said that the new record that is, at present, approximately 80% complete. The as-yet untitled offering will be released on August 26th via Barsuk Records. It was recorded mostly at Vanderslice's Tiny Telephone studio in San Francisco, with he and Scott Solter handling the production as they did on last year's excellent Life and Death of an American Fourtracker. Vanderslice was able to offer us this tracklist, which he said is "close to final":

01 Cellar Door
02 Up Above The Sea
03 Wild Strawberries
04 When It Hits My Blood
05 Lunar Landscapes
06 A Bomb In Reverse
07 My Family Tree
08 Untitled
09 Heated Pool and Bar
10 They Won't Let Me Run
11 June July

The new record will include the assistance of most of the musicians that Vanderslice has worked with in the past year including: Christopher McGuire (12 Rods, Kid Dakota) on drums; Paul Hoaglin (Mother Hips) on bass, flute and guitar; Dan Carr (Vanderslice's former bandmate in MK Ultra) on bass; Tom Heyman (ex-Go to Blazes guitarist) on pedal steel guitar; Scott Solter on bass and "unknowable percussion"; and Bill Rousseau (The Monolith) on guitar. Vanderslice will also be getting by with a little help from his friends as he has on his past solo efforts, with members of Court and Spark and Death Cab for Cutie joining him in the studio along with Red House Painter Mark Kozelek playing Portuguese guitar and Bill Swan of Beulah back on trumpet.

We asked Vanderslice if fans could expect the Mountain Goat, John Darnielle, to lend his songwriting skills or participate in any fashion this time around, but he will not. However! Vanderslice said that he's very excited to be producing the next Goats record for 4AD in May at Bear Creek Studios in Seattle. Interestingly, the duo were booked out of Vanderslice's own house by studio hog Death Cab's Chris Walla and ex-Dismemberment Plan frontman Travis Morrison, who will be working on their first collaborative effort during the entire month of April.

As far as his own new material is concerned, Vanderslice said that we can expect the sound to be in the same general trajectory of his previous three solo albums: the aforementioned Life and Death of an American Fourtracker, 2001's Time Travel is Lonely, and 2000's Mass Suicide Occult Figurines. "This record may be more orchestrated (there are a lot of trumpets, trombones and strings) but my trademarked and patented Sloppy HiFi process will keep everything nice and undercooked," said Vanderslice. Expect the vibraphone and tympani to make an appearance as well.

Do not, however, expect a "theme" to play a role this time out, as it has on the last two albums: "There are songs about movies (Donnie Darko, Mulholland Drive, Requiem for a Dream), books (the songs "Lunar Landscapes" and "Up Above the Sea"), and a few that are autobiographical ("My Family Tree", "June July" and "They Won't Let Me Run"). [But] it's funny, I've been so immersed in the Kinks lately, especially Arthur and Lola vs. the Powerman, that I've been thinking about concept records again. I wonder how long I can stay away!" At this pace, John, we'd venture to guess about a year.

Oh yeah, Vanderslice and crew are hitting the road, too, starting this weekend. The plans are to play three dates in the Western part of the U.S., as well as a performance at this year's South by Southwest affair. The band will include McGuire on drums (dude is a fucking maniac, you have to see him), Hoaglin on bass and vocals, and Jay Pellicci handling sound and samples. Tour dates:

03-09 Los Angeles, CA - Knitting Factory (w/ Kennedy, all ages)
03-10 Las Vegas, NV - Huntridge Theater (w/ Death Cab For Cutie, Hella, Velvet Teen, The Thermals,all ages)
03-11 Phoenix, AZ - Modified (w/ Hella, Ted Leo, Communique, all ages)
03-13 Austin, TX (SXSW) - Mother Egan's (Barsuk Showcase w/ Death Cab for Cutie, Nada Surf, Jesse Sykes, Long Winters, The Prom)
03-14 Austin, TX (SXSW) - Emo's, (Barsuk/Touch and Go/Post Parlo Party, all ages, free w/ Pinback, Quasi, Britt Daniel, and Death Cab for Cutie)
03-15 Austin, TX - Waterloo Records (in-store, 5pm, free, all ages)

Speaking to his relentless schedule of recording, releasing albums and touring over the past three years, and the relative lack of "mainstream" accolades it has brought, Vanderslice had this to say: "I am always surprised that people pay attention to what I'm doing, to be honest. My goal throughout my life has always been the same: to be able to make a record a year on an indie label and tour. Now I can do that, it would be nitpicking to ask for more."

Be sure to check out his website, which he said is set for a redesign sometime in the coming weeks, courtesy of Joe Williams of BiFi Records. Vanderslice has got a ridiculous amount of high-quality MP3's available for download there, including tracks from all of his solo records, the MK Ultra records and numerous b-sides and live tracks.