New Primal Scream LP Gets U.S. Release
But the 2.3 stands, dammit

As previously reported, Primal Scream-- on their new album Riot City Blues-- chose to abandon the caustic, electro-fuzzy sound cultivated on 2000's XTRMNTR to pursue a Stones-ier, more rollicking, mandolin-plucking throwback program, à la 1994's Give Out But Don't Give Up. Bad move, some would say. Regardless, those genre-transgressing Scots have announced a release date of August 22 for the bonus-track-flossing North American version of Riot City Blues-- which debuted at #5 upon its June 5 release in the UK, where mandolins must be the pinnacle of hip.

The album, recorded last June at London's Olympic Studios, was produced mainly by Martin "Youth" Glover (Killing Joke, Crowded House, The Verve), with a couple tracks produced by PS's own Andrew Innes. The riotous line-up features Bobby Gillespie on vocals, Innes on guitar, bango, and mandolin, Martin Duffy on piano, harmonium, Hammond B3, and harmonica, Gary "Mani" Mounfield on bass, and Robert Young on guitar and harmonica. ('Cause nothing spells "rollicking" like two harmonica players!) In addition, Riot City Blues includes contributions from fiddler Warren Ellis (Dirty Three, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds), guitarist Will Sergeant (Echo & the Bunnymen), and vocalist Alison Mosshart (the Kills).

In other news, NME.com is reporting that PS frontman Bobby Gillespie got his arse handed to him in a pub row in Madrid back on July 14, suffering "a couple black eyes," according to his manager, Rab Andrew. That hasn't stopped Primal Scream from singing the Blues on the European festival circuit this summer. Another UK tour is slated for November.

A little bit country, a little bit rock'n'roll:

08-25 Reading, England - Richfield Avenue (Reading Festival)
08-26 Leeds, England - Bramham Park (Leeds Festival)
11-14 Newcastle, England - Newcastle Carling Academy
11-15 Aberdeen, Scotland - Aberdeen Music Hall
11-17 Glasgow, Scotland - Glasgow SECC
11-18 Manchester, England - Manchester Apollo
11-19 Birmingham, England - Birmingham Academy
11-21 Liverpool, England - Liverpool University
11-22 Nottingham, England - Nottingham Rock City
11-24 London, England - London Hammersmith Apollo
11-27 Cambridge, England - Cambridge Corn Exchange
11-28 Bristol, England - Bristol Academy
11-29 Southampton, England - Southampton Guildhall

Music video director Jonas Akerlund (Madonna, U2, Smashing Pumpkins, The Prodigy) filmed a Primal Scream video for Riot City's first single, "Country Girl"-- a weird, Hollywood-ified tribute to them girls with the daisy dukes on. Viewable here: