Pitchfork

Those indie pop kids, they love to share, and today we find them sharing songs, sharing personnel, and poised to share a brand new EP, that perfect-sized morsel of indie pop goodness. More specifically, Brooklyn-based Merge popsters the Ladybug Transistor will hit us with-- no, make that politely pass us-- a four-song covers disc next week, featuring some very special guests.

Here Comes the Rain rings your doorbell on October 31 in all your favorite digital formats. Buy it direct from Merge or any of those other guys on that date, or, if you're lucky/cool enough to live in Europe, scoop it up in tangible CD format on November 1 via Seville, Spain's Green UFOs imprint.

All covers, the four Rain tunes include takes on John Cale ("Empty Bottles"), Trader Horne (title track), Grin ("Everybody's Missing the Sun"), and Kevin Ayers ("Girl on a Swing").

The Gary Olsen-fronted Ladybug Transitor get by with a little help from their friends on this EP, including the Aislers Set's Alicia Vanden Heuvel (who lends vocals to the Trader Horne track), Currituck Co.'s Kevin Barker (guitar), Architecture in Helsinkians Kellie Sutherland, Gus Franklin, and Isobel Knowles (vocals/horns), Lambchop/Calexico gent Paul Niehaus (pedal steel), and Swede pop posterboy Jens Lekman ("additional singing" on title track).

Yeah, we done got you all excited about some "additional singing", but it's Jens, so deal with it.

The Ladybug Transistor are putting together their latest LP, to see release in early 2007 via Merge. Catch them live as they rock an afternoon CMJ show, or as they infest Europe next month with their tasty pop confections.

Here Comes the Rain:

01 Here Comes the Rain
02 Girl on a Swing
03 Empty Bottles
04 Everybody's Missing the Sun

Ladybug transitions:

11-04 Brooklyn, NY - Sound Fix Records (CMJ)
11-14 Stockholm, Sweden - Svenska Musik Klubben
11-15 Bergen, Norway - Kvarteret
11-17 Trondheim, Norway - Samfundet
11-18 Tallin, Estonia - Kuku
11-21 Huelva, Spain - University
11-23 Seville, Spain - Chicote
11-24 Granada, Spain - Sugar Pop
11-25 Lerida, Spain - Cafe des Artes
11-26 Tarragona, Spain - Zero
11-29 Madrid, Spain - Nasti
11-30 Valencia, Spain - Sala Wah Wah
12-02 Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Club Festival *

* with Jeff Tweedy, Cat Power, Laura Veirs, Grupo Salvaje