Pitchfork

It's pretty safe to say that where there are deer, there are usually trees. Appropriately, where there is Deerhoof, there is Brother Danielson (aka Mr. Daniel Smith), gussied up in his Nine-Fruit Tree costume. Last year, we reported a few nuggets of info about the collaboration between da Hoof and Bro. D. Now, these nuggets have turned to gold. We love it when that happens.

The new album, in which the San Fran cutecore troupe play backing band to the Xian shreiker, will be titled Ships and will be credited to "Danielson". It will be out March 1 on Secretly Canadian, so we'll have plenty of time to digest The Runners Four in all its glory.

Ships was recorded in a cabin in Yosemite State Park, CA and New Jerusalem Recreation Room in Clarksboro, NJ. Jeez, just about anything can pass as a studio these days! The album will be mixed with Serena Maneesh frontman Emil Nikolaisen at Miner Street in Philadelphia, PA. (See Nick Sylvester's Norway feature this week for an explanation of the relationship between Danielson and Nikolaisen.)

Oh, look! The message in the bottle that was thrown off the ship happened to be a tracklisting:

01 Ship the Majestic Suffix
02 Cast It at the Setting Sail
03 Bloodbook on the Halfshell
04 Did I Step on Your Trumpet?
05 My Lion Sleep Tonight
06 Two Sitting Ducks
07 When It Comes to You I'm Lazy
08 Kids Pushing Kids
09 Time That Bald Sexton
10 He Who Flattened Your Flame Is Gettin' Torched
11 Five Stars and Two Thumbs Up

But Daniel Smith isn't the only member of his Famile who's been busting his balls-- err, sorry, that was un-Christ-like-- busy lately! The Women of the Danielson Famile (aka Megan Slaboda, Rachel Galloway, Elin Smith, and Melissa Palladino) have launched Mamma Made, an online retail store offering clothing and accessories for kiddies. As the line expands, women's clothing will be added to the selection. Yes, it's called Mamma Made for Mammas, and no, we're not kidding.

Oh, and a quick reminder: Deerhoof's The Runners Four, our latest member of the Best New Music club, hit shelves today. The band is also offering the original drum, bass, guitar and vocal tracks from The Runners Four song "Rrrrrrright" on their website for fan remixing pleasure. And Deerhoof is on tour, of course, forever and ever. Dates:

10-11 Oxford, England - The Wheat Sheaf *
10-12 London, England - Garage *
10-15 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall #^
10-21 San Francisco, CA - Amoeba (in store)
10-26 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey @
10-27 Vancouver, British Columbia - Richard's on Richards
10-28 Portland, OR - Berbati's Pan ^%
11-08 Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge #
11-09 Lawrence, KS - Jackpot #
11-10 Oklahoma City, OK - Conservatory #
11-11 Denton, TX - Hailey's #
11-12 Houston, TX - Proletariat
11-14 Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds
11-15 Tallahassee, FL - Club Down Under
11-17 Orlando, FL - Will's Pub $
11-19 Austin, TX - Emo's &
11-21 Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture
11-22 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
11-23 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo

* with the drones, Alexander Tucker
# with Octis
^ with the Whysp
@ with Lavender Diamond
% with Nice Nice
$ with the Band of the Name
& with Jana Hunter, Weird Weeds