Elf Power, Man Man Play Team Clermont Fest

As sweet and clean as moonlight through the pines, here comes some summer fun in Georgia. The PR firm Team Clermont will host its annual Summer Festival and Blue Ribbon Ball August 3-5 in Athens. Featuring a bunch of national and local artists on the Team Clermont roster, the fest will include performances by the likes of Elf Power, Man Man, John Roderick of the Long Winters, Now It's Overhead, and White Whale.

The last night of the festival is devoted to the Blue Ribbon Ball, complete with balloons, photo ops, and spiked punch. (Guess what beer company is sponsoring.) According to a press release, the Ball will feature Elf Power performing "cover songs and originals in the manner of the proverbial, slightly cheesy ‘prom band'." (I wish my prom had featured some cool Elephant 6 band instead of that lame rent-a-DJ.)

There will also be a college radio kickball tournament on Saturday afternoon. Because if there's anything college radio DJs are good at, it's sports.

Georgia, Georgia...

08-03 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club - LYLAS, Iron Hero, Now It's Overhead, Modern Skirts
08-04 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club - Pattern Is Movement, White Whale, Dark Meat, Man Man
08-05 Athens, GA - The Go! Bar - John Roderick
08-05 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club (Blue Ribbon Ball) - Elf Power

Flaming Lips Prep UFO, Live CD/DVD
Also Prep for LSAT

Whether through headphone concerts, insane pyrotechnics, giant mirror balls or explosions of confetti, the Flaming Lips are famous for redefining the live music experience. And now, for their September 15 show at the Oklahoma City Zoo Amphitheater, the band is upping the ante by unveiling a giant UFO that will descend upon the stage amid noises, flashing lights, and (no doubt) enthusiastic applause.

Paging George Clinton!

A brief video clip of the UFO's test run can be viewed here.

Footage from the Oklahoma City Zoo show will be paired with a recording of the Lips' July 23 performance at the Hollywood Bowl on the band's first-ever live CD/DVD, tentatively due out in the first part of 2007, according to Billboard.com.

Billboard also reports that the Lips have recorded an alternate version of "Free Radicals" to be included in the next Sims video game. It features Wayne singing the lyrics in the Sims language. Because the song just wasn't trippy enough to begin with.

Flaming Lips tour dates after the jump. [MORE...]

Video: Flaming Lips: The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song

Xiu Xiu, Gossip at Homo A Go Go

Attention ladies, fags, and rollerskate jammers: report to Olympia, Washington immediately. The biennial Homo A Go Go festival kicks off today, and runs until August 6. It features queer music and spoken word showcases, film screenings, craft and fashion shows, karaoke, and educational/socio-political workshops.

All gigs are all-ages, all-inclusive, and take place along 5^th Street (vegan burritos!) or in the Capitol Theatre (Bikini Kill!). Swapmeets abound, so bring yr zines.

More than 100 performers are scheduled, including the Gossip, Xiu Xiu, Shoplifting, Hey Willpower, Amy Ray (of the Indigo Girls), Blowoff (featuring Bob Mould), Lesbians on Ecstasy, Des Ark, Lovers, DJ John Cameron Mitchell (the Hedwig dude), Mikaela's Fiend, Addicted2Fiction, and many, many more.

Proceeds benefit the Gender Variant Healthcare Project.

Exclusive: Flaming Lips, DFA on Goldfrapp Remix LP

Goldfrapp love to be played with, manipulated, tweaked, and generally poked and prodded. Over the years, Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory have let plenty of musicians put their dirty hands all over their body of work, and soon, they'll reveal the fruits of some of those lascivious unions.

On October 17, in America only, Mute will release We Are Glitter, a collection of Goldfrapp remixes from the likes of the Flaming Lips, the DFA, Alan Braxe & Fred Falke, Múm, and more. All of the originals come from Goldfrapp's latest album, Supernature, except for a re-worked version of "Strict Machine" from 2003's Black Cherry. Goldfrapp themselves have remixed that track, and it will also appear on the Miami Vice soundtrack (as will Mogwai).

Tracklist:

Stream: Goldfrapp: Ooh La La

Emily Haines Reveals New Song, Dates

Written over four years, in various cities, before and after the death of a parent and during a hectic touring schedule, Knives Don't Have Your Back, the forthcoming solo debut by Metric's Emily Haines, is nothing if not a long time coming.

Though the full-length isn't due out until September 26 on Last Gang Records, fans can temporarily satisfy their appetites with an exclusive stream of the airy, piano-backed "Our Hell" by clicking on the link below.

Before the release of Knives, Haines will play shows in a few select cities, accompanied by a rotating group of musicians dubbed the Soft Skeleton. In Toronto, the Soft Skeleton band will consist of the Tokai String Quartet and a horn section of Jimmy Shaw (Broken Social Scene, Metric), Evan Cranley (Stars, Broken Social Scene), and Chris Seligman (Stars). Elsewhere, Haines will be backed by Sparklehorse drummer Scott Minor and bassist Paul Dillon. [MORE...]

Stream: Emily Haines: Our Hell

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Announce Fall Tour

Clap Your Hands Say Fall American Tour. Yeah.

That is all.

Must go party now.

See ya at the festival!

[MORE...]

MP3: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood

Art Brut, Pollard Donate Rare Tracks to Charity

Nothing tops wrasslin' for a good cause, and VS. Dobbs, creator of the blog Wrestle the Future to the Fucking Ground, knows it. Dobbs is taking part in a Blogathon, a 24-hour writing marathon in which he will post blog entries every 30 minutes from 9am on Saturday, July 29 until 9am on Sunday, July 30. So while we're all out partying in the hot sun at the Pitchfork Music Festival, he'll be in a nice, air-conditioned room, all alone at the computer.

As is the case in cancer walks, Jump Rope for the Heart, etc., readers can volunteer to sponsor Dobbs, with all donations going to Sweet Relief, a charity that aims to provide financial assistance to musicians dealing with illness, disability, or age-related issues.

Yeah, we all give a big thumbs down to the sickness, but how about some incentive here? Those donating to Sweet Relief will be entered into a raffle, making them eligible for an iPod, a copy of Expression Engine blogging software and Expression Engine Discussion Forum, and a Secretly Canadian/Jagjaguwar Prize pack.

But wait, there's even something for the freeloaders! And here's the good part: Anyone visiting Wrestle the Future to the Fucking Ground after the Blogathon's kickoff can, for the low, low price of $F-R-E-E, download rare tracks from a variety of bands including Art Brut, Akron/Family, Dengue Fever, the Handsome Family, Psycho and the Birds (Robert Pollard), Jana Hunter, Kingsbury Manx, and more. Dobbs approached each artist individually, asking for unavailable tracks (this includes those that have not yet been released, will not be released, or were once released but have since gone out of print-- demos, home recordings, outtakes, remixes, and upcoming jams are all part of the mix).

The artists that complied have supplied Dobbs with one track each, and these tunes will be posted on WTFTTFG this weekend and remain until either a) the artist requests it be taken down or b) Dobbs' blog is out of the picture.

The tracks will be inserted into some of Dobbs' blog entries during the Blogathon and are available for the downloading pleasure for anyone and everyone.

Those interested in sponsoring, donating, or just plain finding out more about the event can check out Dobbs' Frequently Asked Questions section here .

For a list of the featured tracks, see below [MORE...]

Bishop Allen Tour, Star in Movies

Justin Rice, singer/guitarist for the Brooklyn based band Bishop Allen, stars in the indie film Mutual Appreciation, directed by up-and-comer Andrew Bujalski (Funny Ha Ha). Appearing in theatres nationwide starting in late August, the film features Rice playing an um, musician who moves to um, New York after his band calls it quits. There he decides to keep pursuing music and is, of course, met with instant success and a run on the late night talk show circuit.

Ok, just kidding. Actually, he runs into various challenges related to self-promoting his work and his relationships with women. Throughout Mutual Appreciation, Rice plays his own songs, as well as some Bishop Allen ones.

When not acting (Bishop Allen's other lead singer, Christian Rudder, played one of the leads in Funny Ha Ha), the band is putting out a four-track EP for every month of 2006. In addition, they're touring with the Teeth and Chris Mills. [MORE...]

MP3: Bishop Allen: Butterfly Nets

Thom Yorke Readies Single

Thom Yorke's Mercury Prize-nominated solo album, The Eraser, isn't exactly the kind of record you'd expect to launch hit singles. But XL Recordings are giving it a go anyway, with the release of "Harrowdown Hill" on CD, 7" and 12" on August 21. The track's slippery ambience will have a tough time competing with Lily Allen and McFly, but we're not going to underestimate the power of Radiohead fans, oh no.

A sneak preview of the video is available here. Looks like it's footage of stuff falling/diving into water. Coooool. The whole thing will premiere on Monday, July 31.  Tracklists: [MORE...]

Video: Thom Yorke: The Clock (live on the Henry Rollins Show)

Beirut Tours, Preps New EP

Zach Condon is picking up some serious speed with this whole music thing. Better known as Beirut or "The Second Coming of Jeff Mangum", Condon continues to take on more and more stage time with no apparent intention of slowing down.

His updated tour itinerary includes shows with Deerhoof, Calexico, and buddy and recording partner Jeremy Barnes. Barnes will serve as part of Beirut's backing band for his October North American dates and all scheduled UK appearances. In addition, he's lined up to play a free event in Moscow, Russia with Calla, Buck 65, and Dengue Fever tonight, and two back-to-back NYC gigs at the Bowery Ballroom in late November.

The ball is rolling on a new Beirut release as well. Condon's band has started recording songs for an EP, a one-sided limited edition 12" due this fall. According to his label, Ba Da Bing!, its tracks, many of which are live staples already, depart from Gulag Orkestar's Balkan folk sound. The EP will be the first official recording featuring Condon's live band.

May we mention once more that Condon is just twenty years old? Don't worry about that pain in your stomach-- it's just the agony of defeat. [MORE...]

MP3: Beirut: Postcards From Italy

Exclusive: Minus the Bear Remix Album

Minus the Bear's Menos el Oso is set to get remezclado. According to Babelfish, that's "remixed" in Spanish. Can't be sure if that's correct, but it sure sounds neat.

Dälek, Tyondai Braxton, Weird Science (aka Steve Aoki of Dim Mak Records), P.O.S., Fog, Pretty Girls Make Graves' Jay Clark, Dark Baby, IQU, and the slew of yet-to-be confirmed artists will remix Minus the Bear's 2005 album in its entirety. The remix disc, currently untitled, is due February 20, 2007 on Suicide Squeeze.

P.O.S. and Minus the Bear will join forces on the road as well. The two, plus Russian Circles and the Velvet Teen, have scheduled a lengthy fall U.S. tour. Don't Minus the Bear ever get homesick for those cold, damp, hibernation-worthy caves? [MORE...]

Video: Minus the Bear: Pachuca Sunrise

Boris to Tour U.S., Collaborate With Sunn 0)))

Someone still loves you, Boris. In fact, a whole lotta people (us included) continue to spin the Japanese trio's 8.7-scoring Pink on a regular basis. Or when we're in the market for a serious brain-melting, anyway.

We'll soon be able to melt our brains in public, in the company of other people, as Boris have announced a fall American tour.

Dates out West and Northwest are in the works, but for now:

09-05 Birmingham, AL - Bottletree *
09-06 Athens, GA - Calendonia Lounge *
09-07 Atlanta, GA - Earl *
09-08 Asheville, NC - Orange Peel *
09-09 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 *
09-10 Baltimore, MD - TBA *
09-11 Brooklyn, NY - North Six *
09-12 New York, NY - Knitting Factory *
09-13 Boston, MA - TBA *
10-20 Los Angeles, CA - EchoPlex (ArthurNIGHTS Festival)

* with Pearls and Brass

MP3: Boris: Farewell

Do you have a news tip for us? Anything crazy happen at a show you attended recently? Do you have inside info on the bands we cover? Is one of your favorite artists (that's not somebody you know personally) releasing a new record you'd like to see covered? You will remain completely anonymous, unless we are given your express permission to reveal your identity. (Please note that publicists, managers, booking agents, and other artist representatives are generally exempt from this rule, but will also be granted anonymity if requested.)