Lollapalooza Reveals Festival Schedule

The folks behind Lollapalooza have just posted the schedule for the Chicago festival, which goes down in Grant Park August 7-9.

Time to start making some tough decisions! Fleet Foxes or Crystal Castles? TV on the Radio or Lykke Li? Dan Deacon or Gang Gang Dance? Vampire Weekend, Neko Case, or Passion Pit? Andrew Bird or Of Montreal? Depeche Mode or the Kid Cudi/Crookers party apocalypse? Deerhunter or Lou Reed (or, um, Snoop Dogg)? You've got almost two months, so start planning. (via Chicagoist)

Posted by Tom Breihan on June 17, 2009 at 2:15 p.m.

Tags: Festival, Lollapalooza

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Echo Chamber: Blur's Alex James

"There were a lot of people crying."

-- Blur bassist Alex James sums up the reaction to his reformed band's show at London's Rough Trade East on Monday. (via The Independent via The Daily Swarm)

Posted by Ryan Dombal on June 17, 2009 at 2:05 p.m.

Tags: Alex James, Blur, Echo Chamber

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White Stripes Doc Gets Title, Screening

Photo by Autumn de Wilde

The upcoming White Stripes tour documentary-- yes, the one chronicling their ambitious 2007 Canadian tour that we told you about extensively just yesterday--now has a title.

It will be called The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights, according to a National Post story (via TwentyFourBit). The title makes sense considering the band's strict color scheme and the fact their their previous live DVD was called Under Blackpool Lights. Now they just need to play a show in the middle of the Red Sea and all will be well with the world.

Northern Lights is due to screen at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, which goes down September 10-19, says the Post.

Posted by Ryan Dombal on June 17, 2009 at 1:15 p.m.

Tags: Film, The White Stripes

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Battles' Tyondai Braxton Preps Solo LP

While we all wait to see what kind of mutant urchin fight music Battles will come up with next, the group's big-haired, chipmunk-on-speed vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Tyondai Braxton is readying a solo album. The LP, Central Market, is out September 15 in the U.S. (Sept. 14 in the UK) courtesy of your friends at Warp.

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Boredoms to Play on Boat During Eclipse

On July 7, 2007 (07/07/07), tranced-out Japanese freaks the Boredoms played a show in Brooklyn with 77 drummers. On August 8 of last year (08/08/08), they did the same thing in Los Angeles, only this time they had 88 drummers, while their buddies Gang Gang Dance lead 88 drummers at a simultaneous event in Brooklyn. Simply put: the Boredoms know how to make a show feel like an astral event. Even at a regular Boredoms show, watching them play can make you feel like one of the cavemen in 2001 discovering the alien monolith.

So if you've got 168,000 yen (or about $1,700) sitting around for a rainy day, you may want to blow it on what sounds like a pretty incredible show: Boredoms, along with Gang Gang Dance and others, performing on a boat, during a solar eclipse. OMG.

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Jay Reatard Planned Chris Knox Collab

As well wishers continue to voice their support for influential Tall Dwarfs punk rocker Chris Knox, who is currently recovering from a stroke he suffered last Thursday, disciple Jay Reatard has posted a tribute on his website. (Via the Daily Swarm.)

During an introductory meeting with Knox in New Zealand earlier this year, the two "made plans to tour together this upcoming year and to record a single together as well."

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New Release: Castanets: Texas Rose, The Thaw, and The Beasts

New Release: Castanets: <i>Texas Rose, The Thaw, and The Beasts</i>

Artist: Castanets
Album: Texas Rose, The Thaw, and The Beasts
Release Date: September 22
Label: Asthmatic Kitty

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The Dodos Ready New Album Time to Die

The Dodos Ready New Album <i>Time to Die</i>

Talking to Pitchfork last month, Dodos singer/guitarist Meric Long had this to say about the band's forthcoming album: "We have a whole new element in all the new songs right now-- an electric vibraphone. That's what's really standing out. It was something I wanted to incorporate a while ago when I heard about this company that made pick ups for vibraphones so you can actually plug it in and really fuck up the sound while retaining that organic element."

It's true; the strummy, stompy San Francisco duo are now a trio, with electric vibraphonist Keaton Snyder on board. And now we can tell you that the Dodos' third LP, the scarily titled Time to Die, is due September 15 from Frenchkiss. The band recorded Time to Die with Fleet Foxes/Shins producer Phil Ek, and according to Long, "This album sounds more like a band." We've got the tracklist below.

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Quasi Sign to Kill Rock Stars

Portland indie vets Quasi-- Sleater-Kinney's Janet Weiss, Elliott Smith cohort Sam Coomes, and Joanna Bolme of Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks-- are all set to release their follow-up to 2006's When the Going Gets Dark, on October 27 via new label Kill Rock Stars. (They used to be on Touch and Go.)

The trio are set to play just three dates this summer, including a set at Spoon's SpoonX3 fest in Austin, Texas in July. Dates below:

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Modest Mouse Announce Tour

Without Johnny Marr, again Modest Mouse Announce Tour

Modest Mouse, still one of the indieverse's biggest bands, will hit the road again this summer. And once again, former Grandaddy (and current All Smiles) axe-wrecker Jim Fairchild will fill in for Johnny Marr, who is busy with other things. The trek will take them to a few festivals: Street Scene, Outside Lands, and Bumbershoot. Dates below.

Earlier today, we posted "Autumn Beds", a new song from Modest Mouse. The "Autumn Beds"/"Guilty Cocker Spaniels"" "Whale Song" 7" will hit independent record stores on June 20, Vinyl Saturday, and it'll go into wide release on June 23.