If this whole musician thing doesn’t work out for War On Drugs guitarist Kurt Vile, he can always go work in supervillainy. I am sure Vile’s a lovely man, but his name seems more suited to creating nuclear monstrosities and doing battle with Iron Man than it is to playing woozy rock. But until Vile grows a robotic crab arm through some experiment gone awry, the songwriter will be sticking with making some songs, which he’ll perform across the East Coast and California these next two months.

Then again, I’m not so sure Vile isn’t organizing an evil Indie Rock Legion of Doom. Aided by the bloodthirsty Violators on the first leg of the tour, Vile — who recently signed with Matador (TMT News) and released a new album God Is Saying This To You... on Mexican Summer — will recruit some of the most dreaded names in indie rock on various dates of this tour: Evil masterminds Sonic Youth! The ghostly Espers! International psych-rock bandits Dungen! Deadly falsetto warriors Built to Spill! Frightening times we live in.

The Indie Rock Legion of Doom vs. The Justice Venues of America:

07.02.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory *+
07.04.09 - Brooklyn, NY - Woodsist/Captured Tracks Fest *
07.05.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie (KRAAK Fest) *
07.17.09 - Brooklyn, NY - Bruars Falls *^&
07.18.09 - Boston, MA - Church (Homegrown Fest) *^
07.19.09 - Montague, MA - Montague Bookmill *^
07.23.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s @&
08.11.09 - Baltimore, MD - Talking Head Club #
08.13.09 - Asheville, NC - Transfigurations * (Harvest Record Fest)
08.14.09 - New York, NY - Cakeshop
08.15.09 - Ridgewood, NY - Silent Barn
08.16.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Vox Populi
08.19.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Rittenhouse Square *
08.25.09 - Santa Ana, CA - Galaxy Theatre %
08.26.09 - Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour $
08.29.09 - Big Sur, CA - Kemado/Mexican Summer/Folk Yeah Festival $
08.30.09 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA $
09.01.09 - Portland, OR - TBD $

* Violators
+ Sonic Youth
^ Blues Control
& Coconuts
@ Tyvek
# Espers
% Built To Spill/Woods
$ Dungen/Woods

After five record labels, countless lineup changes, hundreds of smashed guitars, and a shitload of drama, it’s sort of shocking that ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead are still together. What’s not really that shocking though is that they still haven’t been able to impress critics since 2002’s Source Tags and Codes. AND WE KNOW ALL.

Still, Trail of Dead forge onward, and this time they’re coming to a city near you, presumably. After a European tour, the pasty-faced Texans will return July 26 to get their pool party on at Jelly NYC’s Summer Pool Party series in Brooklyn, NY at the new Williamsburg Waterfront music venue. Oh god, hipsters in bathing suits? No thanks! Trail of Dead will also play the All Points West festival August 1 and in their hometown of Austin for the Austin City Limits Festival October 3.

07.04.09 - Roskilde, Denmark - Roskilde Festival (Odeon Stage)
07.05.09 - Hannover, Germany - Musikzentrum
07.06.09 - Heidelberg, Germany - Karistorbahnhof
07.07.09 - Salzburg, Austria - Rockhouse
07.08.09 - Innsbruck, Austria - Poolbar Festival
07.10.09 - Haarlem, Holland - Paatronat
07.11.09 - Bochum, Germany - Zeche
07.17.09 - Dour, Belgium - Dourfestival
07.18.09 - Herk de Stad, Beligum - Rock Herd Festival
07.26.09 - Brooklyn, NY – Williamsburg Waterfront
07.27.09 - Milford, CT - Daniel Street
07.29.09 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
07.30.09 - Lancaster, PA - Chameleon
07.31.09 - Providence, RI - Jerky’s Live Music Hall
08.01.09 - New York City, NY - All Points West
10.03.09 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits

Although it’s barely July, Andrew Bird has already made plans for the fall. Starting in October, The Birdman is taking St. Vincent back to school — the school of touring, that is. The two stalwart indie heroes will join forces on the road together this fall. TMT managed to get a copy of The Birdman’s lesson plan for the fall, featuring a few tips for St. Vincent:

 English 101: How To Write Lyrics On The Road
 Music 305: Building Your Own Recording Studio
 Algebra 202: How To Use Your Fans’ Disposable Income To Your Advantage
 Whistling 338: You Will Never Be As Good As Me, Seriously

St. Birdman:
09.29.09 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theater
09.30.09 - Columbia, MO - The Blue Note
10.02.09 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits
10.03.09 - New Orleans, LA - Tipitina’s Uptown
10.05.09 - Birmingham, AL - Workplay Soundstage
10.07.09 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle
10.08.09 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle
10.09.09 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
10.10.09 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
10.12.09 - Charleston, SC - The Music Farm
10.13.09 - Knoxville, TN - Bijou Theater
10.14.09 - Cincinnati OH - Bogarts
10.16.09 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
10.17.09 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
10.18.09 - Kalamazoo, MI - State Theater
10.19.09 - Columbus, OH - Southern Theater
10.21.09 - Buffalo, NY - Asbury Hall
10.24.09 - South Portland, ME - S. Portland High School Auditorium
10.25.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
10.26.09 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
10.27.09 - Providence, RI - Lupo’s
10.28.09 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club

St. Vincent:
07.05.09 - London, England - Wireless Festival
07.06.09 - Bristol, England - Thekla
07.08.09 - London, England - ICA
07.11.09 - Naas, Ireland - Oxegen Festival
07.13.09 - Manchester, England - Night & Day
07.14.09 - Glasgow, Scotland - Nice & Sleazy’s
08.01.09 - Jersey City, NJ - All Points West Festival

The Birdman:
07.10.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
07.11.09 - Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre #
07.13.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Red Butte Garden #
07.14.09 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre #
07.16.09 - Jacksonville, OR - Britt Pavilion
07.17.09 - Redmond, WA - Marymoor Amphitheatre *
07.18.09 - Troutdale, OR - McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater *
07.19.09 - Troutdale, OR - McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater *
07.26.09 - South Lake Tahoe, CA - Wanderlust Festival
08.07.09 - Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza
09.19.09 - Madison, WI - Forward Music Festival

*The Decemberists
#Death Cab For Cutie

They were up against some stiff competition, but it looks like the Mile High Festival, taking place in Colorado’s Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on July 18 and 19, takes the cake for the worst lineup of any 2009 summer festival. Or maybe of all-time?

Let’s examine the recently announced lineup for evidence:

Saturday, July 18: TOOL, Widespread Panic, Incubus, Ben Harper & Relentless7, G. Love and Special Sauce, Big Head Todd & The Monsters, The Black Keys, Ani DiFranco, Matt Nathanson, Galactic, Paolo Nutini, Gomez, The Greyboy Allstars, Railroad Earth, India.Arie, Lyrics Born, Rocco DeLuca and The Burden, needtobreathe, Band of Heathens, Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam, The Northern Way (formerly Set Forth), Lukas Nelson & the Promise of the Real, Early Pearl .

Sunday, July 19: Widespread Panic, The Fray, Thievery Corporation, 3OH!3, Gov’t Mule, Gogol Bordello, John Butler, Devotchka, Buddy Guy, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Pepper, The Wailers, Matisayhu, Jack’s Mannequin, Guster, Mat Kearney, Dead Confederate, Jerry Joseph & The Jackmormons, Erin McCarley, Paper Bird, Honeyhoney, Joe Pug, Electric Touch.

At least The Black Keys, Lyrics Born, and, uh, Tool will balance out some of the hippy favorites.

Tickets for the festival are on sale now, including single-day passes, two-day packages, and VIP ticket options (I hear Brandon Boyd will personally smoke you out if you get a VIP pass). Buy tickets online or at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Box Office. Visit the Mile High Festival website for complete details.

Ah, Pixies. For as much as they hate one another, you gotta love how painfully apparent it is that they love money just a little bit more. Already set to drop the half-assed-cash-grab Minotaur box set this fall — which seems to be little more than their discography stuffed in a box (there’s a few pictures, but I mean, come on! Have you seen the band? There’s a reason they never put their faces on a lunch box, kids...) — it has now been confirmed that the Pixies will continue their “no apologies, all nostalgia” vibe when they tour Europe in October, by playing 1989’s classic Doolittle in its rocky entirety.

Yes, the band has promised to play every song from this landmark record, along with all the associated B-sides. Why? Well, unofficially, probably because it’s easy and they don’t have to talk to each other as much this way. But, uh, officially speaking, it’s probably because Doolittle turns 20 this year. "We wanted to do something special for Doolittle’s 20th anniversary,” Frank Black said in a statement, “and we thought this was a good opportunity to play all of the songs from that album, something we don’t normally do at a regular gig." So there you have it. Get ready for all of the “hope everything is alright” chants and “Cookie, I think you’re tame” sing-a-longs you can handle! Aw, who am I kidding? I can’t wait to hear “Dead” live...

Dateslittle:

10.01.09 - Dublin, Ireland - Olympia
10.02.09 - Dublin, Ireland - Olympia
10.04.09 - Glasgow, Scotland - SECC
10.06.09 - London, England - Brixton Academy
10.07.09 - London, England - Brixton Academy
10.08.09 - London, England - Brixton Academy
10.09.09 - London, England - Brixton Academy
10.11.09 - Frankfurt, Germany - Jahrhunderhalle
10.13.09 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Heineken Music Hall
10.14.09 - Brussels, Belgium - Forest National
10.15.09 - Paris, France - Zenith

Well, he’s finally done it. I like their tunes and all, but I think Courtney Taylor-Taylor of The Dandy Warhols has finally pissed off so many people that he is completely avoiding both coasts on his next tour. That’s right, he’s sticking to places like Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, and Sauget, Illinois — places where there are still some bridges left to burn.

Their new CD, The Dandy Warhols are Sound, the "Director’s Cut" of 2003’s Welcome To The Monkey House, comes out July 14 on their own Beat the World Records. As describe on their website:

...late 2001 and into 2002 we recorded an album’s worth of tracks here in Portland and took those tracks to New York’s Electric Lady Studios to mix with famed mixing engineer Russell Elavedo, and the result of those mixing sessions was The Dandy Warhols Are Sound. We absolutely loved this record. However, Capitol, our label a the time, did not. They opted out of using our preferred mixes and remixed the record on their own to create Welcome To The Monkey House, a great album that we, and most of you, also love. [...] We had always intended to release this unheard gem on our own, but life and other records and tours and babies and crepes and red wine got in the way. Now finally, after almost seven years, on July 14, 2009 The Dandy Warhols will be proud to present to you The Dandy Warhols Are Sound.

Tourdates:

09.01.09 - Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue Theater
09.03.09 - Kansas City, MO - Beaumont Club
09.04.09 - Sauget, IL (St. Louis, MO) - Pop’s
09.05.09 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
09.07.09 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
09.08.09 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre
09.09.09 - Austin, TX - Emo’s
09.11.09 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre
09.12.09 - Aspen, CO - Belly Up Aspen
09.13.09 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheater (Monolith Festival)

Yet again, another big, cool fest going on in New York for the weekend of July 4. Last week, I wrote a story about the Upset The Rhythm party going on July 3 in New York, and now the Woodsist/Captured Tracks fest is announced for the same day. Looks like there’s some tough competition going on here.

The Woodsist/Captured Tracks festival will feature, obviously, many of the artists who each label represents, which is made up of some of today’s best underground rock bands. Woodsist will be bringing the newly signed Matador dude Kurt Vile, as well as Blank Dogs, Woods, Vivian Girls, Psychedelic Horseshit, Thee Oh Sees, Real Estate, and Crystal Stilts; meanwhile, Captured Tracks will showcase a few of the same bands (also on its roster), as well as Dum Dum Girls, The Fresh & Onlys, Brilliant Colors, and a few others. Also appearing are Tyvek and caUSE co-MOTION!, who to my knowledge neither label has released... yet?? On both days, you will be able to buy limited-edition, festival-only merchandise from Woods, Blank Dogs, The Fresh & Onlys, and ZODIACS!

For the full rundown and tickets you can go here, and for the schedule you can see below:

Friday, July 3 @ 979 Broadway Backyard
9:45 PM: Crystal Stilts
9:00 PM: Blank Dogs
8:15 PM: Psychedelic Horseshit
7:30 PM: caUSE co-MOTION!
6:45 PM: The Mayfair Set
6:15 PM: Gary War
5:45 PM: Little Girls
5:15 PM: Kid Romance
4:45 PM: Beachniks
4:15 PM: The Gutsies

Saturday, July 4 @ 979 Broadway Backyard
9:45 PM: Thee Oh Sees
9:00 PM: Vivian Girls
8:15 PM: Kurt Vile
7:30 PM: Woods
6:45 PM: Tyvek
6:00 PM: Dum Dum Girls
5:15 PM: The Fresh & Onlys
4:30 PM: Brilliant Colors
3:45 PM: Ganglians
3:15 PM: The Great Excape (pre-Home Blitz reunion)
2:45 PM: The Beets
2:15 PM: Real Estate
1:45 PM: German Measles
1:15 PM: Beach Fossils

sunn 0))), all set to begin playing their already announced Midwest dates this week, have now announced a string of shows on the West Coast! Starting in August, the band will cut a swathe of pure black metal destruction across the Pacific seaboard. Starting with two back-to-back shows in Seattle, the tour will culminate in the Land of Evil: Salt Lake City, Utah. Trust me, I speak from experience when I say that Mormons love music like sunn 0))).

The kick-off show for the westerly jaunt will see the band performing as a duo, playing The Grimmrobe Demos in its entirety, to celebrate the album’s 10th anniversary. The first two nights will also serve as Southern Lord label showcases, with sets by The Accüsed, Trap Them, Black Breath, Earth, Pelican, and Eagle Twin. The first night of festivities will also double (triple?) as a record release show for The Accüsed, who will be offering up their new album, The Curse of Martha Splatterhead.

Immediately following, the tour will move (glacially and without mercy) through California and into Colorado. sunn 0))) will be accompanied by labelmates The Accüsed and Eagle Twin, but their fog machines may have run out of steam by then.

Here’s the new dates:

07.02.09 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
07.05.09 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
07.06.09 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Auditorium/Underground
07.07.09 - Kansas City, MO - The Riot Room
07.08.09 - St. Louis, MO - The Firebird
07.10.09 - Dekalb, IL - House Cafe
07.11.09 - Pontiac, MI - Eagle Theater
07.12.09 - Newport, KY - Southgate House
08.05.09 - Seattle, WA - Neumo’s *
08.06.09 - Seattle, WA - Neumo’s $
08.08.09 - San Francisco, CA - Independent
08.09.09 - Brookdale, CA - Historic Brookdale Lodge
08.11.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Center for the Arts
08.13.09 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre
08.14.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Avalon Theatre

* The Accüsed, Trap Them, Black Breath
$ Earth, Pelican, Eagle Twin

For the last few years, Australia’s Dirty Three have been a bit too consumed with other ventures to make time for their characteristically creaky jam sessions. While violinist Warren Ellis has been busy tending his beard and playing teeny tiny guitars with Nick Cave, guitarist Mick Turner and drummer Jim White have occupied their time as backing musicians on albums by the likes of Cat Power, Bonnie "Prince" Billy and PJ Harvey. The pair has even put out a couple of EPs as The Tren Brothers, making Dirty Three’s recent reconvening all the more remarkable. Inactive since their 2005 LP Cinder, the unkempt trio will play a host of dates this coming September, including a date at All Tomorrow’s Parties New York where they’ll perform 1998’s Ocean Songs in all its disjointed glory. Oh, to be middle aged, hairy and Australian again!

09.10.09 – Boston, MA - Institute of Contemporary Art
09.11.09 – Monticello, NY - All Tomorrow’s Parties
09.13.09 – New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
09.14.09 – Minneapolis, MN - Southern Theater
09.15.09 – Minneapolis, MN - Southern Theater
09.17.09 – Portland, OR - Berbati’s Pan
09.18.09 – Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe
09.19.09 – San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall

There are some things that defy explanation. Gurning, the act of contorting one’s face into something quite sinister and grotesque, is a very old pastime, laugh, and sport, with its own world championship competition held annually at the Egremont Crab Fair in Cumbria, England. This dude seems to win a lot, for good reason. While it may seem like the most ridiculous thing in the world, it really should be taken as a refreshing tonic if not downright soul-cleansing. How can you not forget about the foibles of people and tragedies of life when you look at this? Or this. Or this. See? The day just got a whole lot better, didn’t it?

If any music (when not doing its job repulsing you) has the same therapeutic qualities as a good gurn my vote would be for giddy viddy trio What’s Up. Just listening to Robby Moncrieff’s messed-up missives gets my Duchenne going in overdrive. Moncrieff, with conspirators Teddy Briggs and Brian Marshall, will be playing some dates with Dirty Projectors — who were recently involved in a van accident (TMT News) — in July (Moncrieff helped produce DP’s Bitte Orca (TMT Review)) so put your best face forward and try to catch one of these too few West Coast shows. Before and after these gigs, What’s Up will strengthen their strong bond with the city of Portland with bookend shows in “Little Beirut.”

As a last resort, contort:

06.28.09 - Portland, OR - Superfest at Rotture $
07.02.09 - Vancouver, BC - Richard’s on Richards %
07.03.09 - Seattle, WA - Chop Suey %
07.04.09 - Portland, OR - Holocene %
07.07.09 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent %
07.08.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour %
07.24.09 - Portland, OR - PDX Pop Now

$ Starfucker, Nice Nice, Explode Into Colors, Atole, Mattress
% Dirty Projectors

Here’s the tracklisting for What’s Up debut disc, Content Imagination (TMT Review), which was recently released by Obey Your Brain. I hate to push any sort of product in favor of another but there is no reason why you should not own this remarkably mad album.

Content Imagination:

1. Yes
2. Seasoning’s Greeting
3. Fool’s Gold
4. A Longing Expression
5. Content Imagination
6. Harper
7. The French Song

And as I mentioned, you’ll notice What’s Up dates in Portland above and one that name-checks a mysterious entity known simply as PDX Pop Now!. It would take your average, clueless halfwit three seconds to figure out that PDX Pop Now! is no mystery at all (it took me two-and-a-half days). It is a nonprofit organization working to promote Portland’s music community and it has a pretty cool compilation (available now!) that includes a lot of good tracks from good acts, including What’s Up’s “Seasoning’s Greeting.” If you haven’t bought our comp yet (why the #$@% not!), try this on for size and give some love to Portland, a city that’s desperate to get something going musically (har, har).

Disc 1:

1. The Mint Chicks - "Hot on Your Heels"
2. At Dusk - "For A Reason"
3. aed & Quiet Countries - "Moving Day"
4. M. Ward - "For Beginners"
5. Luck-One and Dekk - "The Coolax"
6. Dirty Mittens - "The Dock"
7. Ethan Rose & Laura Gibson - "Sun"
8. Third Angle New Music Ensemble performing Bryan Johanson - "The Rat Catcher’s Dance"
9. The Thermals - "You Dissolve"
10. Thrones - "Trmph Lfe"
11. Mirah - "Generosity"
12. Magic Johnson - "Las Malas"
13. Chilly Willy - "Grab and Glow"
14. Ravishers - "Keep You Around"
15. Silentist - "Hex"
16. Dykeritz - "Chasing the Wheel Away"
17. Explode Into Colors - "Paper (Hot Sax Version)"
18. The Cysts - "Human Garbage"
19. Caleb Klauder - "Can I Go Home with You"
20. Plankton Wat - "Dawn of the Golden Eternity"
21. Chervona - "Reality Show"

Disc 2:

1. Jared Mees and The Grown Children - "The Tallest Building In Hell"
2. What’s Up? - "Seasoning’s Greeting"
3. Blue Skies for Black Hearts - "Jenny and Steve"
4. Starfucker - "Boy Toy"
5. Lightheaded - "HardRock"
6. Grouper - "Rising Height"
7. Lovers - "Igloos For Ojos"
8. Sandpeople - "Hate Aside"
9. Blue Giant - "Target Heart"
10. Cootie Platoon - "Divided"
11. Benoît Pioulard - "Idyll"
12. Ah Holly Fam’ly - "EIEIO"
13. Breakfast Mountain - "J Hollerday"
14. Gejius - "Let Down"
15. Tara Jane O’Neil - "Dig In" (feat. The Ecstatic Tambourine Orchestra)
16. MY-G - "Take Back Our City" (feat. Liv Warfield)
17. Bird Announced Land - "Sweet Dreams"
18. Blue Cranes - "Broken Windmills"
19. The Taxpayers - "Black Batons"