Lady Sovereign Announces Tour

Public! Warning! Sov's in town! Or, rather, she will be in town. Def Jam's latest Great White Hope, Lady Sovereign, has announced a fall tour in support of her forthcoming debut album, Public Warning, due out October 17.

Public Warning's first single, "Love Me or Hate Me" is on the airwaves now. In fact, I heard it on the Philly pop station Q102 last week-- crazy, huh? [MORE...]

MP3: Lady Sovereign: Love Me or Hate Me

The Dears Launch Tour
Plus: Video for "Ticket to Immortality"

Or score a "Ticket" of a different kind, and watch the the Dears work their magic from the privacy of your home with this video for first Gang single "Ticket to Immortality". It's a slightly out-of-focus but relatively straightforward shoot of the gang of Canadians playing in front of the silhouettes of images from the album cover. If you like shots of the band staring you down as well as closing their eyes and "getting into it," this is right up your alley. [MORE...]

MP3: The Dears: Bandwagoneers

Silver Jews Kick Off Tour

Then the Joos take three-and-a-half months off before playing a couple of New Year's shows on the East Coast. Or they'll just surprise us and announce a massive cross-country trek in between. [MORE...]

Video: Silver Jews: I'm Getting Back Into Getting Back Into You

Mastodon Climb Blood Mountain
Black Mountain/Blood Meridian members get new side project idea

While TV on the Radio were busy with their Cookie Mountain, Mastodon made plans to visit a far darker place with an equally high altitude. Come September 12, the latter will drop their newest effort and Warner Bros. debut, Blood Mountain. BLOOD! BLOOD! BLOOD!

In anticipation of this release, the follow-up to 2004's Leviathan (this year's Call of the Mastodon featured early recordings), Mastodon have released the "Crystal Skull" 7" (limited to 2000 copies), courtesy of Relapse Records. Two songs, "Crystal Skull" and "Capillarian Crest", were pulled from Blood Mountain, with the former available for streaming at the link below.

And as if that weren't enough, the LP will be released as part of three different packages-- just the album, the album and a limited edition DVD (containing the 45-minute "The Making of Blood Mountain" documentary), and the record, the DVD, and an exclusive t-shirt, oh boy. Before you cough up the dough, however, try trading Mastodon Star Wars collectibles for merch and concert passes. Heheh.

Adding to the Mastodon mystique, drummer Brann Dailor recently described their two forthcoming music videos, for "Wolf Is Loose" and "Colony of Birchmen", to MTV.com.

For "Wolf Is Loose", "We're ghosts in it, and different body parts of ours will be disappearing and falling off." And for "Birchmen", which includes vocals from Josh Homme, MTV says, "the clip will focus on the story of Blood Mountain: a man embarks on a mission up a treacherous mountain in search of the crystal skull, which he needs to place atop the perilous crag, and encounters a smorgasbord of vile creatures, including a vicious wolf and a Cysquatch-- 'a one-eyed sasquatch that can see into the future,' said Dailor."

Holy mother of god, BEST VIDEO EVER!

Beginning tonight, Mastodon launches a North American headlining trek alongside Converge and the Bronx. [MORE...]

Video: Mastodon: Crystal Skull (live)
Video: Mastodon: Capillarian Crest (live)

DJ Krush Self-Remixes "Best Of" Comp, Launches Tour

Video: DJ Krush: Final Home [ft. Esthero]

I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness Launch Tour

Sniff sniff, we smell fear. You do too, I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness? Time to come out of hiding.

Tonight, the scariest quartet in Austin will emerge from the shadows-- and then quickly sink back into them-- at the New Orleans House of Blues. The full I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness tour itinerary includes a handful of U.S. gigs with, ugh, She Wants Revenge, a slot at the Austin City Limits festival, a break, and a couple of months playing Europe. [MORE...]

MP3: I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness: According to Plan

French Kicks Tour With Sound Team, Little Ones
New video featuring lesbian from "The O.C."

Following a string of summer shows with the Futureheads and a smokin' (literally) tour with Phoenix, French Kicks are taking to the road again for a fall tour of North America. This time, they're traveling with Sound Team and the Little Ones and will make a stop at Paste magazine's Rock n Reel Festival in Atlanta.

The French Kicks also have a new video, for "So Far We Are" (from their latest LP Two Thousand), starring Olivia Wilde, who played Mischa Barton's lover on "The O.C." Hotness! The band will play the single on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on September 16.

Sound Team have a busy fall as well. After their stint with French Kicks, they'll jet to England to tour with the Walkmen. Then it's back to the States for a trek with Sparta.

French Kicks - "So Far We Are"

[MORE...]

Video: French Kicks: So Far We Are
MP3: French Kicks: Daytrotter Session

Exclusive: Of Montreal Announce New Album Tracklist
Kevin Barnes Sings You a Love You Song

MP3: Of Montreal: Wraith Pinned to the Mist

Blonde Redhead Talk New Album
Still undecided on title, songs, concept, release date, hair color

Video: Blonde Redhead: Melody

Beirut Signs to 4AD Outside North America
Tours UK With Calexico

And now, 4AD has announced that they have signed Beirut to a deal outside North America. (The band remains on Ba Da Bing! on this continent.) 4AD plans to release an expanded version of Beirut's breakout debut album Gulag Orkestar in late fall.

The 4AD version of the album was remastered at England's Abbey Road Studios and will come packaged with an additional CD containing the Lon Gisland EP, containing four tracks and an interlude.

Condon will take his show on the road across North America later this month. He'll then hit the UK for a series of shows with Calexico. [MORE...]

MP3: Beirut: Postcards From Italy

The Rapture Set to Storm North America

Whoo! Alright - Yeah...Uh Huh. The Rapture have finally announced their first North American tour since 2004. Get yourself into it, people.

The stint is, of course, in support of the band's upcoming Pieces of the People We Love, due September 12 via Motown/Universal (September 18 on Vertigo in the UK).

The boys will first take care of a hometown NYC instore appearance and a festival-heavy European trek. Then it's back across the pond to take on North America alongside openers the Presets. [MORE...]

MP3: The Rapture: Get Myself Into It

Danger Mouse Vs. Paris Hilton
The stunned socialite wonders: 'Maybe I'm crazy?'

So maybe the debut album from controversial pop icon Paris Hilton was never destined for a simple life. Sometime last week, British guerrilla artist Banksy doctored 500 copies of her CD-- adding new artwork (e.g. superimposing a dog's head onto her body), fake song titles ("Why Am I Famous?", "What Have I Done?", and "What Am I For?"), plus a remix CD to replace the original disc.

The albums were signed "Banksy/DM" and distributed across 48 record stores in the UK. So who is this "DM"-- the supposed guerrilla DJ behind the remix album? It appears that it's none another than Danger Mouse.

A statement credited to Waxploitation, Danger Mouse's management company, said, "Waxploitation can confirm the rumors that the 'DM' referenced on the Banksy/DM Paris Hilton CD is in fact Danger Mouse. Danger Mouse and Banksy are believed to have met whilst shopping for disguises in a Soho joke shop. The only comment they have so far offered on their remix is 'Its hard to improve on perfection, but we had to try.'"

Apparently, no one has complained about or returned the doctored versions of Paris. Maybe they realize that when a legendary guerrilla artist and a legendary producer team up for an amazing social-commentary-cum-practical joke, well, that's hot.

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.)