Pitchfork

Chris Leslie-Hynan and Brandon Dameshek report:
According to sources at Mint Records, The New Pornographers are ready to release their sophomore album on May 6th. The new record, entitled Electric Version, follows the band's beloved 2000 debut Mass Romantic, which Pitchfork dubbed "the first great straightforward pop record of the new century" as we nestled it snugly into our #9 slot of our 20 Best Records of 2001 list. Though the band has been and will continue to represent for Mint Records in Canada, the album will be licensed for release on venerable Matador in both the U.S. and Europe, further proving that wherever Stephen Malkmus goes, porn follows. Tracklist:

01 The Electric Version
02 From Blown Speakers
03 The Laws Have Changed
04 The End Of Medicine
05 Loose Translation
06 Chump Change
07 All For Swinging You Around
08 The New Face Of Zero And One
09 Testament To Youth In Verse
10 It's Only Divine Right
11 Ballad Of A Comeback Kid
12 July Jones
13 Miss Teen Wordpower

Recorded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Electric Version was produced by band members Carl Newman and John Collins. Dan Bejar, currently of Destroyer, also contributed some songs and sings lead vocals on them, but is listed in the credits separately from the other members as "secret member," as he no longer tours with the band, and contributes on record only. Guitarist/keyboardist Todd Fancey, who played with fellow Pornographer Kurt Dahle as a member of the mid-90s grunge-pop band Limblifter, has recently taken Bejar's place on the road, and more recently, endured a mean initiation in order to become a permanent member of the band. Nora O'Connor (Andrew Bird's Bowl of Fire) appears as a guest vocalist on the record as well. A new song from Electric Version, "The Laws Have Changed", is available now for download on MP3 via the Matador website.

And finally, as reported like three days ago, New Pornographers vocalist Neko Case has kicked off another tour in support of her solo album, Blacklisted. Here's them dates again:

02-07 St Louis, MO - Off Broadway *
02-08 Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck *
02-10 Denver, CO - Gothic Theater *
02-12 Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad *
02-14 Austin, TX - Mercury *
02-15 New Orleans, LA - Shim Sham Club *
02-17 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club *
02-18 Asheville, NC - Stella Blue *
02-19 Chattanooga, TN - The Attic *
02-20 Louisville, KY - Headliners *
02-21 Columbus, OH - Little Brothers *
02-22 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick *
03-29 Seattle, WA - Experience Music Project
03-30 Seattle, WA - Experience Music Project

* - w/Catherine Irwin, Carolyn Mark