Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle and John Vanderslice Release Vinyl-Only EP Titled Moon Colony Bloodbath, in Which the Latter John “Vanderslices” the Mountain Goats
By Kasia Galaxy on 04-23-2009
With vinyl sales on the rise and records trumping CDs in coolness, it seems like increasingly more artists are opting to release their stuff in LP form. I mean, there’s no Compact Disc Day, right?
Which is why it’s not surprising that John Vanderslice and John Darnielle have released a vinyl-only EP entitled Moon Colony Bloodbath. If anything, it pisses me off that I still haven’t a proper output for my dust-collecting record player.
Darnielle tells Pitchfork: “Some of the songs have something to do with a loose rock opera/'concept album' idea about organ harvesting colonies on the moon and the employees thereof, who spent their off months living in secluded opulence in remote American locations.”
The EP was recorded for the Johns’ most recent tour. You can buy some of the remaining copies via mail order after they’re shipped to Beggars Group and 3 Beads of Sweat. Vanderslice will reportedly lug a few to his solo shows, while Darnielle will sell some at Bull City in Durham, NC.
The tracklist:
A1 Surrounded
A2 Lucifer Rising
A3 Satori in Denver
B1 Scorpio Rising
B2 Sudden Oak Death
B3 Columns Pillars Steps
B4 Emerging
Sunn O))) Decide That Sunn Amps Aren’t Cool Anymore, Go On Tour With New Name and New Amps: Get Ready for Pignose ((oo))!
By Jon Lorenz on 04-21-2009
May is going to be a busy month for drone doom band Sunn O))). Not only will they be releasing their seventh studio album Monolithis and Dimensions on May 18 via Southern Lord, but they're also hitting the road through half of May and June. The dates will be in support of the new album, which features guest appearances by Dylan Carlson (Earth), Oren Ambarchi, Hungarian vocalist Attila Csihar, composer Eyvind Kang, and a slew of upright bass players, horn players, harpists and flutists, pianists, string ensembles, and even a Viennese women's choir led by Persian vocalist Jessika Kenney.
Before hitting Europe, they will do a few dates in Tokyo and Osaka. The group recently placed Japan's Leave Them All Behind Festival. Here are the rest of the dates:
04.21.09 - Tokyo, Japan - Earthdom !
04.22.09 - Tokyo, Japan - Earthdom +
04.23.09 - Osaka, Japan - Sunsui *
04.24.09 - Osaka, Japan - Sunsui #
05.15.09 - Oslo, Norway - Blå (Stephen O'Malley solo)
05.22.09 - Riga, Latvia - Skanu Mezs Festival
05.24.09 - Berlin, Germany - Volksbühne/Prater
05.25.09 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Worm/Arminius Church
05.26.09 - Leuven, Belgium - Stuk/Predikheren Church
05.27.09 - Paris, France - Sonique Villette
05.29.09 - Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Sound Festival
05.31.09 - Düdingen, Switzerland - Kilbi Festival
06.01.09 - Bologna, Italy - Locomotiv
06.03.09 - Vienna, Austria - Wien Arena - Vienna
06.04.09 - Prague, Czech Republic, Sacre Coeur Church (Stimul Festival)
! Coffins
+ Jim O' Rourke
* Black Ganion
# Runzelstirn & Gurgelstock
Sex & Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Kills Reissue Debut Album with Fancy Bonus Tracks
By Liz Louche on 04-21-2009
Do you ever look at your old albums and think, "Wow, I really wish this had some bonus tracks on it! This album would be so much better with bonus tracks."? If you are a Kills fan, and you often finding yourself thinking that, well, you're in luck! Because on May 5 Domino is reissuing their 2003 full-length debut, Keep on Your Mean Side, with a few dandy tracks thrown in from the Black Rooster and Fried My Little Brains EPs. Sure, you probably already know that Alison Mosshart and Jamie Hince collaborated via tapes sent between her place in Florida and his in London. But did you also know that they recorded Keep on Your Mean Side in London's all-analogue Toe Rag studio, or that they drove around the States in a convertible while on tour? Rock ‘n’ roll! Possibly even more rock ‘n’ roll than dating Kate Moss. POSSIBLY. Q Magazine, at least, seems to agree. I'm not usually one for including magazine quotes in a story, but this one's pretty rad. Behold! the quote:
"Once upon a time rock ‘n’ roll was all about the sex you really shouldn't have. The Kills haven't forgotten."
Tracklisting:
1. Superstition
2. Cat Claw
3. Pull a U
4. Kissy Kissy
5. Fried My Little Brains
6. Hand
7. Hitched
8. Black Rooster
9. Wait
10. Fuck the People
11. Monkey23
12. Gypsy Death & You
13. Gum (Black Rooster EP)
14. Jewel Thief (Fried My Little Brains EP)
15. Sugar Baby (Fried My Little Brains EP)
16. The Search for Cherry Red ("Pull a U" single)
17. Dropout Boogie (Black Rooster EP)
Pixies Release Minotaur Box Set for $175 and $450
By Mango Starr on 04-21-2009
Don't know who the Pixies are? Neither do I! That's why we should consider shelling out big monies in these hard economic times: if we ain't gettin' dough, we better be compensating culturally. To this end, every Pixies studio release -- Come on Pilgrim EP (1987), Surfer Rosa (1988), Doolittle (1989), Bossanova (1990), Trompe Le Monde (1991) -- is getting ye olde reissue treatment, according to Rolling Stone. Yes, readers, now's the time to INVEST. The reissues are coming June 15 as a set titled Minotaur, in two different editions: deluxe and limited.
So what's in it for those of you who already own these albums? Not sure really. Apparently there will be no live versions packaged with the set (yay!), and they haven't finalized any decisions about bonus track (boo!). What's more: the albums won't be remastered in any way, as they wanted to release the albums as they were originally released. But we can confirm this: THERE WILL BE NEW ARTWORK!!
Here are the details:
- Deluxe Edition ($175): Five discs (on 24k layered CDs and a Blu-ray) + DVD of the band's 1991 Brixton Academy gig and all their music videos. Also included is a 54-page book and new artwork. It comes in a "custom clamshell."
- Limited Edition ($450): Same deal as above, BUT: you get five albums on 180 gram vinyl, a 72-page hardcover book, and a print. This version comes with a slipcase.
Pre-order the set at the ArtistsInResidence website.
Meanwhile, the Pixies are working on a dream -- I mean, tour. The only announced date thus far is the Isle of Wight Festival on June 14.
San Francisco Pop Festival Bringing Pop Festival to San Francisco; Tullycraft’s Last Show Ever?
By Elzee on 04-21-2009
If you live within driving distance of San Francisco, you'll want to pack up your car with plenty of rainbows and glitter, because indie pop is invading your city very soon. From May 21-24, an army of unabashedly gleeful and wonderfully talented musicians will converge on several local venues for the San Francisco Pop Festival. Highlights include Oh No Oh My, Suburban Kids with Biblical Names, The Hidden Cameras, Northern Portrait, Pelle Carlberg and, in their last appearance before going on indefinite hiatus, Seattle twee heroes Tullycraft.
For the full lineup, venue listings, and tickets, visit the PopFest website. In addition to shows, there will be a picnic on Sunday afternoon in Golden Gate park featuring acoustic sets from some of the festival’s performers. It doesn’t get much cuter or awesome than that.
Oh, also - DID YOU UNDERSTAND THE FIRST TIME I MENTIONED IT THAT THIS IS PRESUMABLY TULLYCRAFT’S LAST SHOW EVER? If you don’t come, you might actually be stuck listening exclusively to punk rock, ska, rap beats, and house, since you’ll no longer be able to fuck Sean Tollefson (with your eyes) because he’s twee. You don’t want that. All the kittens will die and you can’t bring them back to life no matter how many of them you draw on your homemade t-shirt. You’ve been warned.
Lineup: Suburban Kids With Biblical Names / Oh No! Oh My! / The Hidden Cameras / Tullycraft / Pelle Carlberg / Bailboy / Dear Nora / The Hot Toddies / The Smittens / Eux Autres / My Teenage Stride / Bunnygrunt / Northern Portrait / Magic Bullets / The Tartans / Antarctica Takes It! / The Orange Peels / Apple Orchard / Springfactory / Still Flyin' / Let's Whisper / Champagne Riot / Land of Ill Earthquakes / Gregory Webster / Brilliant Colors / ChEAP RED / Sourpatch / Birds of California / Pocketbooks
