Black Dice official website
 Black Dice MySpace
 Paw Tracks

07.19.08 - Philadelphia, PA - The Barbery 07.20.08 - Baltimore, MD - Whartscape 08.16.08 - New York, NY - Central Park Summerstage 09.04.08 - Oslo, NO - Bla 09.05.08 - Bergen, NO - Ekkofest 09.06.08 - Stavanger, NO - NuMusic 09.08.08 - Gothenburg, SE - Nefertiti 09.09.08 - Arhus, DK - Voxhall 09.10.08 - Odense, DK - TBA 09.11.08 - Malmo, SE - Debaser 09.12.08 - Copeyou nnhagen, DK - Escho 09.13.08 - Stockholm, SE - Debaser 09.15.08 - Helsinki, FI - Kuudus Linje 09.16.08 - Tampere, FI - Klubi 09.17.08 - Talinn, ES - Von Krahl

Comcast, like many internet service providers, has been accused by consumer groups and press sources of interfering with customers’ connections in order to block peer-to-peer traffic and disconnect BitTorrent seeds. Yet after months of denials and false promises, as well as an FCC investigation that began in January, the nation’s largest cable company has been ordered by the Federal Communications Commission to stop throttling its users’ traffic.

On Friday, the Associated Press reported that FCC chairman Kevin Martin will not only demand that Comcast cease its interference, but also plans to recommend FCC sanctions against the company. While the punishment will not include a fine, it will stipulate that Comcast disclose where and when it interfered with traffic in the past and announce full details of its new "protocol agnostic" traffic management plan, which will ostensibly try to control all Comcast traffic as opposed to focusing on peer-to-peer networks. Martin explained that the relatively light punishment was designed "to try to clarify what is allowed and what isn’t."

The decision has been claimed as a victory by some involved in the net-neutrality movement. According to TorrentFreak, Free Press lawyer Marvin Ammori declared, "This is an historic test for whether the law will protect the open Internet. If the commission decisively rules against Comcast, it will be a remarkable victory for organized people over organized money." Martin (a Bush appointee, surprisingly enough) echoed the broad, broad political significance of this policy announcement in an interview with The New York Times, saying "The Internet is based upon the idea that consumers can go anywhere they want and access any content they want."

Top three reasons why it is a bad idea to rip off Ian Curtis’ memorial stone from the Macclesfield Cemetery:

1. Stealing stuff from deceased persons is wrong, and they may have ghost buddies who will haunt you.

2. There is no way that attempting to sell it on eBay does not violate the website’s terms and conditions.

3. It is really mean.

In spring 1980, Mr. Curtis, the frontman for seminal Manchester band Joy Division, hanged himself at the age of 23. The past few years have seen a resurgence in all things Joy Division-related, inspired in part by album reissues, the release of the Anton Corbijn’s acclaimed biopic Control (TMT Review), and a documentary released earlier this year, simply titled Joy Division.

According to the BBC, the missing stone — inscribed with the words "Ian Curtis 18 - 5 - 80" and the song title "Love Will Tear Us Apart" — was stolen between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning last week. Police are asking anyone with information related to the theft to contact them.

Tony Barker, spokesperson for Macclesfield Borough Council, asked for the return of the memorial stone, saying that "it would usually have flowers behind it and mementoes to Ian Curtis’s life. [...] Someone’s gone to a great deal of trouble to remove the memorial stone, and I hope our appeal will help return it as soon as possible."

Well, well, now. Come on now, youngster. Come on now and sit right down here next to me. Well, well, now... that’s it... don’t be shy... Yes, that’s it, don’t be shy. Now then, let me tell you a tale. A special tale. A magical tale. Let me tell you a special magical tale. Yes, son, don’t be shy and let me tell you a special, magical tale about a band. Well well, now...

This band is a special magical band. This band is a post-rock band, seminal in scope and influence and Chicago-based in nature. Yessiree, youngster, this band is a seminal, Chicago-based, post-rock-group kinda band. The name of this special, magical, seminal, Chicago-based, post-rock band is Tortoise. Did you know that, now, youngster? Come closer now.

Well, well, come closer now, youngster. I am about to tell you the most special, magical part. The most special magical, post-rock part of this seminal, Chicago-based tale. See, this seminal, special-based, post-magical Tortoise-based Chicago band is planning something. And the something that this tale-based magic-band is planning is none other than a tour. And the seminal tour which they are planning (this magic-based band Tortoise, of course) is happening this summer, youngster. Did you know that???

Come closer, Chicago. Now, that tour is rumored in this tale to encompass some places. Some places that the tour will encompass are in shy North America, and some of the places that the tour will encompass are in seminal Europe. These shyly seminal places that the Chicago-rock, post-based Tortoise band will visit are in support of a magical, special record. The name of the record being post-supported by Chicago-touring come-closers Tortoise is called A Lazarus Taxon, and this record is out now on Thrill Jockey, youngster. Well, well, now, Tortoise. Well, well!

Dates of the North American/European-based Tortoise tour:

07.12.08 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle 07.19.08 - Dublin, IE - Analog Festival 07.20.08 - Dour, FR - Dour Festival 07.26.08 - Louisville, KY - Forecastle Festival 08.04.08 - Chicago, IL - Millennium Park (Pritzker) 08.14.08 - Oslo, NO - Oslo Jazz Festival 09.04.08 - Ann Arbor, MI - Blind Pig 09.05.08 - Toronto, ON - The Mod Club 09.06.08 - Guelph, ON - Guelph Jazz Festival 09.12.08 - Paris, France - Jazz a la Villette Festival 09.19.08 - Monticello, NY - ATP New York *

* My Bloody Valentine, Meat Puppets, Thurston Moore

 The Ruby Suns
 Sub Pop
 Lil’ Chief Records
 Memphis Industries

07.13.08 - Redmond, WA - Sub Pop 20th Anniversay 07.19.08 - Chicago, IL - Pitchfork Music Festival 07.22.08 - Orlando, FL - Social 07.23.08 - Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits 07.24.08 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse 07.25.08 - Carrboro, NC - Cats Cradle 07.26.08 - Washington, DC - Black Cat 07.27.08 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church 07.29.08 - New York, NY - Williamsburg Music Hall 07.30.08 - New York City, NY - Bowery Ballroom 07.31.08 - Boston, MA - Paradise 08.01.08 - Austin, TX - Mohawk 08.02.08 - Toronto, Canada - Mod Club 08.03.08 - Pittsburgh, PA - Hartwood Acres 08.05.08 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick 08.06.08 - Chicago, IL - Abbey Pub 08.07.08 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Underground

Back in the good ol’ days, college students would receive "pre-litigation letters" from the RIAA demanding $3,000 as an out-of-court settlement. Students would then either pay the fine or challenge the accusation in court. It was a wonderful scenario, as everyone tended to come out on top: the RIAA got its money on behalf of (but not for) its artists, and the pirates, most of them hilariously in debt from student loans, got their due comeuppance and achieved higher moral superiority through the consequences of their naughty, naughty pirating. How dare thee download Coldplay’s new single!

Well, the good ol’ days are gone apparently. According to Ars Technica, the RIAA is now tacking on an extra $1,000 if forced to "go to court to get the name" of an unresponsive student, and it’s even raising the penalty as high as $8,000 if a student chooses to challenge the subpoena, more than doubling the original fine. In short: THE RIAA DOESN’T BELIEVE IN THE JUDICIAL PROCESS! SPREAD THE WORD!

With the illegality of the RIAA’s claims still dubious at best, it’s pretty obvious why it is trying to avoid the courtroom. Hell, is it so much to ask that the RIAA keep suing us at $3,000?

On June 10, the federal district court of Los Angeles ruled that eBay seller Troy Augusto may legally sell promotional CDs online, despite the record company’s CD warning label prohibiting him from doing so. Universal brought a suit against Augusto, accusing him of copyright infringement, and a judge ruled that the label on CDs — usually reading something akin to: "This CD is promotional and cannot be sold to the public" — does not function as a valid copyright license. Therefore, record companies have no legal basis to claim copyright breaches, since U.S. copyright law already states that once a title is transferred by legitimate means (e.g., label promoters mailing review copies to the press), the recipient has ownership over that title and may do with it what she or he wishes. Augusto argued that since the CDs he bought in used record stores were considered gifts to their original owners under federal law, his legal ownership entitled him to sell them on eBay, and the court agreed. (Universal intends to appeal the ruling.)

Of course, other people have certainly sold their promo CDs before this dude. Most independent record stores have bins full, and a quick search on eBay always yields at least a few copies of albums slated for release a couple of months down the line. This ruling makes it that much easier to get physical copies of an album well before its official release, but then again, who buys CDs anymore? One thing I will say about the stack of promo discs I receive each month is that they make very nice coasters. Really! The neighborhood bars are grateful that I’ve stopped swiping theirs. But more importantly, how will this affect record release dates? It has become less and less common for kids to visit their local record shop and pick up a new album, but even iTunes release dates still generate a fair amount of buzz. How now, record labels? It’s that pesky internet again. Stay tuned...

 Artist: Beck
 Album title: Modern Guilt
 Record Label: DGC
 Release date: July 8, 2008
 Collaborators: Danger Mouse, Cat Power (on "Walls")

Modern Guilt tracklisting:

1. Orphans 2. Gamma Ray 3. Chemtrails 4. Modern Guilt 5. Youthless 6. Walls 7. Replica 8. Soul of a Man 9. Profanity Prayers 10. Volcano

Tourdates:

06.25.08 - Arendal, Norway - Hove Festival 06.27.08 - Berlin, Germany - Columbiahalle 06.28.08 - St. Gallen, Switzerland - St. Gallen Festival 06.30.08 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg 07.01.08 - Southampton, England - Guildhall 07.02.08 - Manchester, England - Apollo 07.04.08 - London, England - Hyde Park - O2 Wireless Festival 07.06.08 - Werchter, Belgium - Rock Werchter Festival 07.07.08 - Paris, France - Olympia 07.09.08 - Madrid, Spain - La Riviera 07.10.08 - Lisbon, Portugal - Super Bock Super Rock Festival 08.21.08 - Reno, NV - Grand Sierra Resort and Casino 08.22.08 - San Francisco, CA - Golden Gate Park - Outside Lands Festival 08.24.08 - Bend, OR - Les Schwab Amphitheater 08.27.08 - Victoria, British Columbia - Royal Theatre 08.28.08 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Orpheum Theatre 08.30.08 - Seattle, WA - Bumbershoot Festival 09.19.08 - San Diego, CA - San Diego Street Scene Festival 09.20.08 - Hollywood, CA - Hollywood Bowl 09.22.08 - Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theater 09.23.08 - Albequerque, NM - Kiva Auditorium 09.25.08 - El Paso, TX - Abraham Chavez Theatre 09.27.08 - Austin, TX - Zilker Park - ACL Fest 09.29.08 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theatre 09.30.08 - Minneapolis, MN - Wilkins Auditorium 10.02.08 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom 10.03.08 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom

 Mika Miko MySpace
 Kill Rock Stars
 The Boston Celtics

06.14.08 - Tokyo, Japan - Liquidroom* 06.15.08 - Matsumoto, Japan - ALECXI 06.16.08 - Osaka, Japan - Sunsui - w/ Panther 06.17.08 - Kyoto, Japan - Urbanguild 06.18.08 - Nagoya, Japan - KD Japon 06.19.08 - Tokyo, Japan - O-Nest 07.21.08 - Santa Cruz, CA - Crepe Place 07.22.08 - Eureka, CA - Little Red Room 07.23.08 - Olympia, WA - TBA - w/ TWIN 07.23.08 - Anacortes, WA - Department of Safety 07.24.08 - Vancouver, BC, Canada - Richards on Richards ^ 07.25.08 - Seattle, WA - Capitol Hill Block Party 07.26.08 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater ^ 07.27.08 - Chico, CA - Crux Arts Collective 07.28.08 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall ^

* Kill Rock Stars Showcase: Xiu Xiu, Panther, Deerhoof
^ Abe Vigoda, No Age

Listen to TMT correspondents Emily Christensen and Jim Harvay discuss the new Deerhoof album, Offend Maggie, due October 7 on Kill Rock Stars:

----

Offend Maggie tracklisting:

Act 1: 1. Offend Maggie 2. Fresh Born 3. Chandelier Searchlight 4. The Tears and Music of Love 5. Buck and Judy 6. Don’t Get Born 7. My Purple Past

Act 2: 8. Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back 9. Numina 10. This Is God Speaking 11. Eaguru Guru 12. Snoopy Waves 13. Jagged Fruit 14. Family of Others

Tourdates:

06.07.08 - Philadelphia, PA - The Roots Family Picnic $ 06.14.08 - Tokyo, Japan - Liquidroom (Kill Rock Stars showcase) 06.15.08 - Osaka, Japan - Shangri-la @ 06.16.08 - Nagoya, Japan - Club Upset @ 06.18.08 - Sapporo, Japan - Bessie Hall with Tenniscoats) 07.18.08 - Brooklyn, NY - Prospect Park with Metropolis Ensemble) 07.19.08 - Halifax, NS - The Marquee Club for the Halifax Jazz Festival 07.27.08 - Hollywood, CA - The Hollywood Bowl *

* KCRW’s World Festival
@ Xiu Xiu, Tenniscoats, Shugo Tokumaru
$ The Roots, Gnarls Barkley, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings