Video: The Horrors: "Sheena Is a Parasite" (directed by Chris Cunningham)

Turns out Sheena wasn't a punk rocker after all. In Chris Cunningham's first music video in seven years (his last one was for "Afrika Shox", by Leftfield and featuring Afrika Bambaataa), the director of videos by Björk and Aphex Twin turns Samantha Morton inside out to the tune of British punks the Horrors' "Sheena Is a Parasite". As if we needed more nightmare fodder from the man.

Video: The Horrors: "Sheena Is a Parasite"

Rock Camp for Girls Takes Over America

Ever heard of Coco Chanel and the Zeppelinettes? How about Hellish Relish, the Pink Kitties, or Smokestorm? Maybe not, but familiarize yourself-- these bands, fresh out of Brooklyn's Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls, could be the next big thing. The camp, part of the nationwide Rock Camp for Girls network, is training the next generation [ages 6 to 18] of female rockers; its most successful graduate so far has been Jemina Pearl of Be Your Own Pet.

Rock Camp for Girls is a non-profit day camp that offers girls across the country the chance to learn an instrument, write songs, perform live music, make band buttons, t-shirts, and album art, and more. The camp isn't strictly limited to rock music either-- attendees can study hip hop, salsa, pop, and more, or invent their own genre altogether, no boys allowed.

(Editor's note: Where oh where was this camp when I was spending my summers making bracelets in the Arts & Crafts cabin?) [MORE...]

Stream: The Killers "When You Were Young"

And we have a title: The new Killers album will be called Sam's Town, and it's due out October 3 on Island Def Jam in the U.S.

I guess Sam's Club would have gotten them into some nasty copyright fights.

We also have a full version of the first single, "When You Were Young", for your streaming pleasure. I like it. A lot. Everyone else in the office hates it. I am not surprised.

Stream: The Killers: "When You Were Young"

Pixies Plan Live Acoustic DVD

Nearly 40 years after Bob Dylan plugged in the amp heard ‘round the world at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, the Pixies ventured a step back into the acoustic world at that same festival with a set of stripped-down versions of 22 of their best songs. Now the rest of us finally have something to show for it: the Pixies: Acoustic - Live in Newport DVD.

August 22 will see the release of the DVD on Eagle Rock Entertainment. In addition to the band's entire freshly reunited 2004 festival set, the DVD features a 21-minute behind-the-scenes look at rehearsals for the show (their acoustic debut!), including an attempt at deconstructing "Debaser", which ended up being cut from the final set list. [MORE...]

Video: The Pixies: "Velouria"

Video: Yeah Yeah Yeahs: "Cheated Hearts"

Remember when we told you that you could do your best Karen O impression and end up in a Yeah Yeah Yeahs video? Well, we weren't lying, but it's too late now. The "Cheated Hearts" video is here, and it's chock full of look-alikes and cute kids (make sure to watch to the very end for the cutest).

The video made its world debut on Yahoo! Music yesterday, and the band are adamant about thanking their fans for all the hard work and ‘tude they put into their performances. However, it's not all fans and games, as the NY trio make several appearances in the video themselves.

According to a press release, "You can spot them among the doppelgangers. Or can you?" Hmm... might they be the ones with the professional looking footage labeled "New York, NY?" Come on, dudes, give us some credit.

Stream: Yeah Yeah Yeahs: "Cheated Hearts"

Wrens, Frank Black, Long Winters on TMBG Tribute

Bar/None is taking They Might Be Giants full circle. In honor of the 20^th anniversary of TMBG's eponymous first album, which came out on Bar/None in 1986, the new Jersey label (in conjunction with MM3 Records) has released Hello Radio, a tribute album to everyone's favorite educational rockers.

Contributors to the disc include Frank Black, the Wrens, OK Go, and the Long Winters. [MORE...]

Video: They Might Be Giants: "Ana Ng"

Weezer Finished?

Rivers Cuomo finally made it across the sea. According to an MTV.com interview with the Weezer frontman yesterday, not only is he married and hanging at his in-laws' place in Japan (ahh, it all falls into place), he may be saying goodbye to his band for good.

It's no surprise that Weezer are, at the very least, on hiatus right now. Not much has happened with the band since they dropped Make Believe back in 2005, including regular conversation.

"Well, the band is all back in Los Angeles, and I sometimes I speak with Patrick, and I occasionally e-mail with Brian and Scott, but we've never mentioned getting together," Cuomo told MTV. "Really, for the moment, we are done. And I'm not certain we'll ever make a record again, unless it becomes really obvious to me that we need to do one."

There you have it. Not that the dudes are fighting or anything dramatic like that (they all served as groomsmen at Cuomo's wedding last month); it may, in Weezer's collective mind, simply be time to move on. We couldn't agree more. [MORE...]

Video: Weezer: "Perfect Situation"

Devendra Plans New LP, Film

Nothing like finding an updated entry in front of the color-changing orb on Devendra Banhart's official website, especially when it brings tidings of a new album.

In late September, Banhart will begin recording his next record, the tentatively titled Smokey, though he warns readers that this name will most likely be given instead to a movie accompanying the album ("its [sic] a one or so hour collection of tours, the writing and recording of the album, and images that make up Devendras [sic] home and life, it will have sound but be mostly scored").

The album, his second for XL Recordings, will be recorded "mostly in California (half on the land and half on the sea, a boat is being rented to track on) and a little in Rio De Janeiro." The music is described as "half extremely mellow, breezy, one quarter melancholic drone bummer, and one quarter equatorial pop." Since "its [sic] been a rough year," "the album is about simple hopes."

Possible guests on the project include Vashti Bunyan, Linda Perhacs, Vetiver, Cibelle, Bat for Lashes, Moon and Moon, Bert Jansch, Hecuba, the Metallic Falcons' Matteah Baim, and more. Production will be handled by Banhart, Noah Georgeson, and possibly Arto Lindsay. [MORE...]

Stream: Devendra Banhart: "Chinese Children"

The Kooks Invade America

Brit kids the Kooks will attempt to carry their hype across the ocean with the U.S. release of their debut full-length Inside In/Inside Out on Astralwerks. Released last year in the UK, where it went double platinum, the album currently occupies the #2 position on the UK charts.

The teen quartet is hoping for similar reception in North America when Inside In/Inside Out appears stateside on October 3. But given the way every other recent NME buzz band that isn't Franz Ferdinand has fared here, they probably shouldn't get their hopes up. [MORE...]

Stream: The Kooks: Various Tracks

Sufjan, Byrne, Gibbard to Play 826 Benefits

Tour titles don't get much better than "Revenge of the Book Eaters". Awesomely enough, a student at 826NYC, a nonprofit organization in Brooklyn dedicated to helping kids ages 6-18 develop their writing skills, came up with the name. And now the tour is being used to raise money for the 826 organization, so more kids will soon think up cool concepts and stories and novels. Everybody wins!

Especially you guys. The Revenge of the Book Eaters tour will stop in six cities across America, with a rotating lineup of musicians, comedians, and writers including Sufjan Stevens, Jon Stewart, David Byrne, Stephin Merritt, Dave Eggers (who founded 826), Mark Kozelek, Aimee Mann, Ben Gibbard, Mountain Goats, Patton Oswalt, Andy Richter, Sarah Vowell, John Hodgman, Ira Glass, David Handler, ZZ Packer, John Roderick of the Long Winters, and more.

The revolving cast of celebs will stop in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Ann Arbor to raise money for each city's respective 826 workshop. [MORE...]

Okkervil River Plot Fall Tour

Recently, Okkervil River tided over fans on the other side of the Atlantic with the European re-release of last year's Black Sheep Boy and Black Sheep Boy Appendix on Virgin, as well as a late spring tour of the UK and Europe.

This fall, Will Sheff and co. will take their autumnal tunes to other continents, playing a handful of dates in Australia and North America. They'll be accompanied by singer/songwriter Elvis Perkins on the U.S. tour, making stops at a number of venues that conjure the Old West: High Noon Saloon, Iron Horse Music Hall, and The Grey Eagle. Today, the band plays a one-off free outdoor show at Castle Clinton in Battery Park in New York City. [MORE...]

MP3: Okkervil River: "No Key, No Plan"

Out Hud Break Up

Looks like it was indeed one life to leave for electro-punks Out Hud, who have called it quits. The confirmation of the band's dissolution comes after months of speculation and rumors. Today, band member Molly Schnick made the following terse statement: "Yes we did break up. We figured everyone already knew. There are clues about it all over the last record. Solo records to follow..."

Well, now everybody does know.

The spirit of Out Hud lives on in sibling band !!!, featuring members Nic Offer, Tyler Pope, and Justin Vandervolgen. They are currently on tour in Europe and finishing up their third album.

MP3: Out Hud: "It's for You"

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