Dan Deacon Cancels Tour Due to Back Problems

According to Pitchfork, Dan Deacon has canceled the remainder of his tour after having been hospitalized with acute sciatica. The tour was originally scheduled to run through next Wednesday, ending at Baltimore's Ottobar.

TMT wishes him a speedy recovery!

Canceled dates:

11.13.09 - Troy, NY - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
11.14.09 - Worcester, MA - Clark University
11.15.09 - Ithaca, NY - Ithaca College
11.16.09 - Purchase, NY - SUNY Purchase
11.18.09 - Baltimore, MD - The Ottobar

Holy Hip-Hop: KRS-One's Philosophical Take on the “Kulture” Now Available in Book Form

Lawrence K. Parker, more readily known as KRS-One, finally saw the release of his book The Gospel of Hip Hop: First
Instrument
this week. Originally slated for release
earlier this year, First Instrument is the first release from the
publishing firm I Am Hip Hop, an imprint of powerHouse Books. The Gospel of Hip Hop, set up in the format of a holy book, is described by the publisher as being “...a spiritual manual for citizens of Hip Hop Kulture that combines classic philosophy with faith and practical knowledge, for a fascinating, in-depth exploration of Hip Hop as a life path.”

Very few artists could pull off such a publication and still demand to
be taken seriously. KRS-One, founder of the legendary Boogie Down Productions and the Stop the Violence Movement, manages to not seem overly hokey in his philosophical treatise on hip-hop culture. The book also seems to serve as an introduction to a series of other projects that KRS-One is taking very seriously, one of these being the launch of The Temple of Hip Hop. As the subtitle of the book
suggests, it's only the first instrument, suggesting follow-up
titles, possibly written by other hip-hop gurus. Time will tell if the ideas
presented take hold with the members of the culture to whom Lawrence
is preaching.

The 818-page hardcover edition can be ordered directly
from the publisher here.

Fish and Chips Are Delicious and Hot Chip Are Releasing a New LP, As Well As Touring

Fish and chips, man! So British, so delicious! Hot Chip, man! Also British, though not necessarily delicious! Maybe they are, I wouldn’t know. Delicious or not, they do seem to have a knack for releasing a new LP of rather nice dance-rock every two years. And so it will be once again, as the group has announced that One Life Stand, their fourth LP, will be released on February 8 via Parlophone. The record will follow up 2008’s Made in the Dark (TMT Review), which in turn followed up 2006’s The Warning, which in turn followed up 2004’s Coming on Strong. See what I mean about them releasing a new LP every two years? Always on time, these guys.

Hot Chip will embark on a tour directly following the new record’s release, though if you want to see them and you don’t live in the U.K., you’re pretty much out of luck, buddy. At least for now. Buck up, I’m sure they’ll announce some dates wherever you live soon. As for me, thinking about fish and chips has made me hungry. I’m going to embark on a tour of dinner

02.12.10 - Glasgow, Scotland - Academy
02.13.10 - Edinburgh, Scotland - Picture House
02.15.10 - Nottingham, England - Rock City
02.16.10 - Leeds, England - Academy
02.18.10 - Newcastle, England - O2 Academy
02.19.10 - Manchester, England - Academy
02.20.10 - Birmingham, England - O2 Academy
02.22.10 - Bournemouth, England - O2 Academy
02.23.10 - Bristol, England - O2 Academy
02.24.10 - Norwich, England - O2 Academy
02.26.10 - London, England - O2 Brixton Academy
02.27.10 - London, England - O2 Brixton Academy

Girls to Tour Again, Will Hopefully Reenact Scenes from "Lust for Life" Video

While Girls' "Lust for Life" gets churned through your local airwaves or news of its SCANDALOUS! naked music video gets 1,000,000+ hits on YouTube from horny college kids, the band has been touring nonstop since the release of their debut album so that everyone may know what it means to be infectious. And while everyone's wishing they had a pizza and a bottle of wine, Girls are merrily strolling along, booking tourdate after tourdate, and possibly stripping and grabbing each other's genitalia while Bowie or Iggy blares in the background.

Hear that? Matador's newest prized pig Girls are gearing up for yet another tour, which is practically sitting on their current tour's lap. But they probably meant it to happen that way. Tourdates are below

01.25.10 - Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar
01.26.10 - Tucson, AZ - Club Congress
01.27.10 - Albuquerque, NM - The Launchpad
01.29.10 - Austin, TX - The Parish *
01.30.10 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues *
01.31.10 - Houston, TX - Walter's on Washington *
02.02.10 - New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks *
02.04.10 - Birmingham, AL - Bottletree *
02.05.10 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl *
02.06.10 - Nashville, TN - Exit/In *
02.07.10 - St. Louis, MO - The Gargoyle *
02.08.10 - Columbia, MO - The Blue Note *
02.10.10 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater *
02.12.10 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge *
02.14.10 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall *

* Magic Kids

St. Vincent Teams Up with Twilight Tweens for Upcoming Winter Tour

To promote her new song with Bon Iver on the Twilight: New Moon soundtrack, St. Vincent has decided to bring the kids from Twilight on the road with her next year. Unfortunately, they’re too busy making headlines with their hand-holding to actually accompany her, so cardboard cut-outs of Robert Pattinson will have to do instead.

The St. Vincent Saga: New Tour:
01.29.10 - New York, NY - Lincoln Center’s Allen Room (American Songbook Series)
02.03.10 - Victoria, BC - Element
02.04.10 - Vancouver, BC - Venue
02.05.10 - Seattle, WA - Neumos
02.06.10 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge (2 shows, 6 + 10 PM)
02.08.10 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
02.09.10 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theater
02.10.10 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
02.11.10 - Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room
02.13.10 - Denver, CO - The Bluebird Theater
02.15.10 - Lawrence, KS - Bottleneck
02.16.10 - Iowa City, IA - The Industry
02.17.10 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall
02.18.10 - Chicago, IL - Metro
02.19.10 - Pontiac, MI - The Pike Room at The Crofoot
02.20.10 - Columbus, OH - Outland on Liberty
02.21.10 - Pittsburgh, PA - Diesel Club
02.23.10 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theater
02.24.10 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
02.25.10 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church - Sanctuary

& Wildbirds & Peacedrums

Help Kids with Cancer AND Watch Some Cool Music: Pablove Benefit Show with Band of Horses, Tom Morello, BRMC, and More

I know what you’re thinking: cancer sucks. It does. And I know that you’re also thinking that kids with cancer sucks even more. Which it does. But you’re not quite sure what to do to help, right? I know, I know, you really want to lend a hand but you have that awesome concert you have to go to on Saturday. Well, how about you go to an awesome show on Saturday and help out kids with cancer? Yeah, you can do that!

The Pablove Foundation, which works to improve the lives of children dealing with cancer by funding pediatric cancer research, helping families without health insurance, and improving hospital playrooms, is throwing a benefit concert on November 21 at Avalon in Los Angeles, CA. The bill includes Band of Horses, Tom Morello, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Shirley Manson of Garbage, Tom Gabel of Against Me!, Sea Wolf, Butch Walker, Jarrod Gorbel of Honorary Title, Songs for Kids, and more!

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and a portion of your ticket purchase directly benefits the various programs that the charity performs and maintains. Just say no to kids with cancer!

Neil Hamburger Touring with Maynard James Keenan (Tool, A Perfect Circle, Bill Hicks Fan)

Beginning November 18, Neil Hamburger will be touring with Maynard James Keenan. TMT readers might have heard of the bands Tool and A Perfect Circle, of which Mr. Keenan is the frontman. The musician seems to have a fondness for ironic American comedians, since Tool's 1996 album Ænima features samples of Bill Hicks' work on the song "Third Eye." Not that I've actually listened to the record... you get fired on TMT for liking that kind of stuff!
11.18.09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Capitol Theatre
11.20.09 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre
11.21.09 - Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre
11.24.09 - Dallas, TX - McFarlin Memorial Auditorium
11.25.09 - Dallas, TX - McFarlin Memorial Auditorium
11.27.09 - Houston, TX - Jones Hall for the Performing Arts
11.28.09 - San Antonio, TX - Majestic Theatre
11.29.09 - Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
12.02.09 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
12.03.09 - Phoenix, AZ - Orpheum Theatre
12.04.09 - Phoenix, AZ - Orpheum Theatre

ON TOUR NOW (SOLO):
11.12.09 - Asbury Park, NJ - Asbury Lanes
11.13.09 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
11.14.09 - Charlottesville, VA - The Southern
11.15.09 - Washington, DC - The Black Cat

Camera Obscura Bring Beauty, Happiness, a Fall/Winter Tour to the Wilds of North America

In these trying times of unemployment and Michelle Bachmann's existence, only one thing can help America (and, in this case, Toronto). Universal healthcare? No. A tearful reunion between America’s favorite couple, Jon and Kate? NO. What the world needs now is Scottish indie pop -- sweet Scottish indie pop.

Fortunately for us, Glasgow’s Camera Obscura are heading to North America for a fall/winter tour. Fresh off the success of their latest release on 4AD, My Maudlin Career (TMT Review), the band can be seen at the following enchantingly-named venues. Pearl Street, anyone? German House? The world is a better place already.

Tourdates:
11.18.09 - New Orleans, LA - Tipitina's
11.19.09 - Birmingham, AL - The Bottletree
11.20.09 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
11.21.09 - Norfolk, VA - Attucks Theatre
11.22.09 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
11.24.09 - Northampton, MA - Pearl Street
11.25.09 - Rochester, NY - German House
11.26.09 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix
11.27.09 - Pontiac, MI - The Crofoot Ballroom
11.28.09 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall
11.30.09 - Bloomington, IN - Bluebird
12.01.09 - St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway Nightclub
12.02.09 - Oxford, MS - The Lyric Oxford
12.03.09 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club

Raekwon, Method Man and Ghostface’s Rumored Collalbum Gets a Release Date, Has the Trailer to Prove It

When last we encountered the Wu-Tang trio of Chef, Meth, and Tony Starks, they were kinda-sorta-uh-huh-pretty-much-sure planning to release an album together sometime in the near future. What had once only been Raekwon’s griping about RZA turned into something wonderful. That is, if only it would actually happen. The sons of Shaolin aren’t the most reliable bunch, as years of patchy concert lineups and endless release-date delays (I’m looking at you, Raekwon!) have taught us. But then again, when the Wu-Tang finally deliver the goods, they rarely disappoint (Lookin’ at you again, Rae).

Luckily this time around, Meth, Ghost, and Rae bypassed all the drama and cold laid out a release date with little fuss and even less muss. But being upstanding members of the one and only W, the three Beez couldn’t just announce the drop date of their highly anticipated collaboration with just any old press junket or mixtape. That’s why this had to happen:

That’s right, people. On December 22, Method Man will murder you in your home and mutilate your pretty little face. God only knows what Ghost and Rae will do to you once their trailers come out in the coming weeks.

MV + EE Hit the Road and That's Definitely Not a Bummer

Counting on things is a blessing and a curse. The devastation that comes with the certainty of Matt Valentine and Erica Elder not writing a Barbie ad jingle or guesting on the next season of Idol is easily offset by the fact that the prolific duo will be playing a select number of live shows on the East Coast of the U.S. and Canada, some opening up for their old mucker buddies Dinosaur Jr. Supporting their recently released "Spectrasound"-abetted, rustic-psych gem, Barn Nova (Ecstatic Peace!), MV + EE have announced a sporadic but hopefully expanding set of dates which has them visiting ten American cities in November, plus three Canadian ones in January

11.13.09 - Syracuse, NY - Metropolis Underground
11.15.09 - Detroit, MI - PJ's Lager House
11.16.09 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle (free early show)
11.17.09 - Madison, WI - Project Lodge
11.18.09 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue $
11.19.09 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom $
11.20.09 - Cincinnati, OH - Art Damage Lodge
11.22.09 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Tavern
11.23.09 - Ithaca, NY - Wildfire Lounge
11.25.09 - Brooklyn, NY - Glasslands (Sonic Youth afterparty)
01.21.10 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Hall $
01.22.10 - Ottawa, ON - Capital Music Hall $
01.23.10 - Montreal, QC - Club Soda $

$ Dinosaur Jr.

A Monthly Dose of Hip-Hop: Madlib Unveils The Madlib Medicine Show

Well, well, well. After what seemed to be a period of stagnation for the usually prolific Madlib comes news of a monthly release schedule from the renowned producer/DJ/rapper with more pseudonyms than there are slang words for cannabis. This announcement comes hot on the tail of the much-rumored new Madvillain project being substantiated; turns out Madlib has been busy.

Starting this December, Stones Throw Records will be launching The Madlib Medicine Show, a 12CD, 6LP monthly series featuring hip-hop productions to live jazz instrumentation and beyond, with unexpected surprises every release. The first volume, aptly titled Before The Verdict, features Guilty Simpson and will be available from the Stones Throw store a month earlier than the worldwide release in January 2010. Spanning 17 tracks of new material alongside remixes, it's a perfect precursor to Madlib and Guilty Simpson's forthcoming OJ Simpson album. Oh, and did I mention the vinyl edition will be hand-screened with a limited pressing, or that the second installment, Flight to Brazil is a mixture of Brazilian jazz, funk, prog-rock, folk, and psychedelia?

Stones Throw has been doing a lot of exciting things the past year, with more and more limited releases, hand-screened covers, and an ever-expanding roster of musicians with non hip-hop backgrounds. You don't need me to tell you that this is a label worth keeping a constant eye on and ear to.

Listen: Madlib & Guilty Simpson - "The Paper" from Madlib Medicine Show No. 1.