Pitchfork

[Updated Friday, January 16th, 2004 02:00:00 Pitchfork Central Time]

Making good on his apparent New Year's resolution to be even busier in 2004, James LaValle of The Album Leaf is getting his groove on over several fronts. First off, the good word, straight from their manager, is that after several months of shopping the new record around, The Album Leaf have signed with Sub Pop for worldwide distribution (and City Slang in Europe). With the deal inked, LaValle is heading back to Iceland later this month to finish mixing the record in Sigur Rós' studio (and how the frequent flier miles pile up).

The as-yet-untitled album has a tentative June 8th release date, and should be followed by the requisite touring-- we'll keep you apprised. You'll be in good company: Holiday Matinee reports that members of The Postal Service, The Jealous Sound, and Moving Units were all in the crowd at a recent appearance at Los Angeles' Spaceland. But it was hotel heiress/ closet Album Leaf fan Nicky Hilton (whose "hormones were ready to bounce as she headed to the back room and was spotted making out with her boyfriend-actor") that got our attention.

Of course, what Album Leaf update would be complete without a mention of their glacially paced seven-inch series on Better Looking Records? Well, the long-awaited next installment (with Marc Bianchi of Her Space Holiday) is actually ready now for subscribers to the series. In case a tracklist is all you were waiting for before you sprung for the whole collaboration series, here you go:

01 Reso
02 Callinblue

We're assured that the next entry (with Pall Jenkins of The Black Heart Procession) is in the can and ready to be mixed when LaValle gets back from, well, mixing his album. Following that, LaValle will return the favor, as he's been asked to join The Blackheart Procession as their full-time bassist. He'll be joining up with them in March to begin writing songs for a new album, then they'll hit the road for an East Coast tour. I said he was busy, right?

Finally, it should be said that though recent rumors of Tristeza's demise have been greatly exaggerated, LaValle is no longer a member of the band, having departed to focus on The Album Leaf in early 2003 (only so many hours in the day, people). Mitch Wilson replaced LaValle on guitar, and they released an EP of odds and ends in 2003, Espuma, that featured their first post-LaValle composition. The new lineup are now hard at work on a full-length that should be out later this year.