Pitchfork

Photo by Francis Chung

-- Welsh septet Los Campesinos! are already having a great 2009, playing a bunch of sold-out U.S. shows with Titus Andronicus. This is especially impressive since-- in my humble opinion-- they released not one but two of 2008's very best albums, Hold On Now, Youngster... and We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed. Live, their thumb-in-socket energy peaks early and stays there; when they did "You! Me! Dancing!" at NYC's Bowery Ballroom last Sunday, any semblance of Gotham cool evaporated amidst a fever of hand claps. And now even more people will get the chance to be a part of this burgeoning band's success story as they continue to lug their equipment to places like Mexico, Seattle, and the Coachella Festival over the next couple months. Cross your fingers and check the full itinerary.

-- With its jagged beats and ragged stomp, White Rabbits' debut album Fort Nightly was more than a little Spoon-y. So it makes perfect sense for Spoon main man Britt Daniel to man the boards for the follow-up, It's Frightening, due out May 19 on TBD Records. According to a statement from the Spoon man, "[White Rabbits singer Steve Patterson] would meet me at the studio with his dog, some power bars, a couple things of kombucha, and a 40-oz of Budweiser. I got the dog, but his diet never made a lick of sense to me." And if you're not making sense to Britt Daniel, you're probably doing something right. Those living in the NYC area can catch White Rabbits tonight and tomorrow at the Mercury Lounge, while a U.S. tour is in the works for the summer.

-- Flossin-- it's not just for teeth and gums anymore! So put the mint-flavored string down for a moment and pay attention to Flossin, the bonkers experimental band led by ambient maestro Christopher Willits and Hella drum nut Zach Hill. (And it's cool, you guys can use that "not just for teeth" line in future promos if you want.) Flossin just released the improvisational Serpents EP-- download the aptly titled "Crystal Cobra" off of it here -- on Willits's avant-music hub Overlap.org. The release features fellow boundary-busters Matmos. In celebration, Willits is taking a bunch of zonked out visuals with him on a mini-tour hitting New York and Baltimore next week.

-- Techno guy Gui Boratto releases a new album called Take My Breath Away on Kompakt March 3 in the U.S. (It'll be available at online store Beatport starting February 23.)  Boratto will play beats for you in person at these dates and places in the near future. You can hear the title track here. The album's cover is not subtle: