steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

august 2007

Key (for news after 24/03/03): Upcoming releases in blue.  New releases in red.  Other news in black.

SPECIFIC NEWS: punk hardcore and emo | experimental and noise | jazz | reissues and boxsets

Modest Mouse's upcoming Sony/Epic album, Good News For People Who Love Bad News will be released on April 6.  The release was produced by Dannie Herring (Camper Van Beethoven, Throwing Muses, Cracker.)

Feb 9 2004

OOIOO's Kila Kila Kila album is out now on Thrill Jockey, as is Trans Am's new Liberation CD/LP.

Tanakh's follow up to Villa Claustrophobia, Dieu Deuil, is out now on Alien8 Recordings.

The Smugglers and The Evaporators are touring Canada in March!  Dates, as per Mint Records:

Wed 03/03/04 - Level 3, St. Catharines ON (ALL AGES)
Thu 03/04/04 - The Dominion Tavern, Ottawa ON (w/ Andrew Vincent and the
Pirates - 19+)
Fri 03/05/04 - Le Swimming, Montreal QU (w/ L'Attack - 18+)
Sat 03/06/04 - CANADIAN MUSIC WEEK MINT PARTY! The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto
ON (w/ the High Dials, Death From Above, the Candidates - 19+)
Sun 03/07/04 - The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto ON (w/ Death From Above, thee
Goblins - ALL AGES AFTERNOON SHOW)

Feb 2 2004

Múm's new Summer Make Good album is set for an April release on Fat Cat Records.

Pedro The Lion's new Achilles Heal album will be out in May on Jade Tree Records.  An exact release date has not been given, but we're looking at a mid-month release.

The Canadian Alien8 label has just released Shalabi Effect's Pink Abyss CD.  It is, apparently, their most melodic effort thus far.

Modey Lemon's Predator is out now on Birdman Records.

Gang Wizard's Jeckyll Loves Hyde LP is out now on the Ecstatic Peace label.

Pianist / multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach has left Wilco.  The band still plans to release their follow-up to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

Phil Kline's Zippo Songs is out now on the Cantaloupe label.  As the press sheet reads:

"Zippo Songs is a collection of deeply moving and intense songs featuring poetry inscribed on the cigarette lighters of American GIs during the Vietnam war. Kline has set these profound and often desperate poems with a calm and sacred spaciousness that echoes through the listener as if the soldiers themselves are singing to us from the afterlife. Coupled with songs set too texts by current US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Zippo Songs is Kline's fascinating and eloquent statement on war and politics of war, and a fresh and new take on the age-old tradition of the protest song."

Dec 15 2003

Morrissey has set May 2004 as a ballpark figure of when his new album, which is so far to-be-entitled, will be released.  This, of course, will be his follow-up to Maladjusted, which came out way back in 1997.

Wilco's new album is penned for a Spring 2004 release.

Dec 8 2003

Ween is planning to release Live By Request, previously performed live via The Internet™.  It will be unleashed upon the world courtesy of the band's own label, Chocodog, and will feature sixteen fan favourites, including the five "Stallion" tunes and their rejected Pizza Hut theme song extraordinaire, "Where'd the Cheese Go?"

Rejoice!  The new Minus 5 album, I Don't Know Who I Am (Let the War Against Music Begin, Vol. 2), is due out now on Return To Sender Records.

Dec 1 2003

Weird War's If You Can't Beat 'Em, Bite 'Em is due out in January on Drag City.

Canadian project Beef Terminal's the isolationist CD is due out Dec. 4 on Noise Factory Records.

Belle & Sebastian's Fans Only DVD will be released January 20th on Matador Records, as will Preston School of Industry's Monsoon CD/LP.

Oct 27 2003

Stereolab's upcoming album, Margerine Eclipse, will be released on January 27 2004 on Elektra Records.

Mice Parade's new Obrigado Saudade album is out now on FatCat Records of Britain.  It features collaborations with Doug Scharin of HiM, Kristin Valtysdóttir of Mùm and Rob Laakso of Swirlies, among others.

Oct 13 2003

A new Microphones live album, and that is Microphones, not Mount Eerie, will be released on K Records come February 3, 2004.  It will be titled, quite matter-of-factly, Live In Japan: Recorded Feb. 19th, 21st & 22nd, 2003.

A new Mountain Goats LP, We Shall All Be Healed, will be released "early 2004" on 4AD.

The Walkmen have finished recording their new album, Bows and Arrows, and is planning to release it in February on Record Collection Records.

Paula Frazer's A Place Where I Know CD is out now on Birdman Records.  Frazer was a member of Tarnation, though you knew that already, didn't you?

Do Make Say Think's Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn album is out now on Constellation Records.

Sep 15 2003

The new Modest Mouse album, originally expected for a September release, has now been pushed back until spring 2004.  This is apparently the evildoings of their (major) label, Sony/Epic, and the band is both apologetic and angered by the development.  As are we all, as are we all.  Good News For People Who Love Bad News' exact release date remains in limbo for now.

Aug 25 2003

Songs: Ohia mastermind Phil Elverum Jason Molina intends to retire his "Songs: Ohia" name and record a new album under the name "Magnolia Electric Co.", which also happens to be the name of his last album.

New on Strange Attractors are: Tsurubami's Gekkyukekkaichi CD and Rebel Powers' Not One Star Will Stand The Night.  Look for Indieville reviews of both discs soon.

Aug 19 2003

The new Belle and Sebastian album, Dear Catastrophe Waitress, will be released on October 7 on Rough Trade.  It is the band's first full-length for the label.

Rufus Wainwright's new album, Want One (his third so far), will be released on DreamWorks on September 23.

Aug 11 2003

!!! are working on a new album to follow up their recent Me and Giuliani Down by the Schoolyard EP.  The album, to be released on Touch & Go Records, is expected to come out in "early 2004".

Kind of old news now, I suppose, but maniacal music releasers Guided By Voices are planning a new six-CD box set, Hardcore UFO's, that will include a greatest-hits CD, a DVD of Watch Me Jumpstart (a documentary by the band), an unreleased tracks comp, and a CD version of the band's 1986 debut EP, Forever Since Breakfast.  It will be the band's third box set, and is due out on November 4.  To promote the release, GBV will hide 25 tickets in random copies of their upcoming album, Earthquake Glue, that will entitle the finder to a free copy of the box set.  Gnarly!

Aug 6 2003

The Notwist's soundtrack to Lichter, a German film made by two young directors.  The soundtrack is on vinyl only, on German label alientransistor, and features three tracks from the film and one Console remix of the whole thing.  Apparently the music is largely based on a piano loop and minimal electronics.  So it isn't Neon Golden II then.

American Music Club have reformed.  The legendary, Mark Eitzel-fronted band plan to release a new album [eight tracks are already recorded], after which they will embark on a tour.

The Shins' new album, due out on October 7 on Sub Pop Records, will be titled Chutes Too Narrow.

Jul 28 2003

A new six-song EP, Black, is being readied by uber-hipsters Interpol.  A demo version of "NYC" and a new version of "Obstacle 1" are among the songs to make the track listing.

Jul 7 2003

Bardo Pond's On The Eclipse is out now on All Tomorrows Parties.

A new Constantines album will be released on August 19 on Sub Pop Records, a change from their usual release on homegrown Toronto label Three Gut.

The Liars' They Were Wrong So We Drowned, which has apparently already been recorded, mixed, and everything (even the artwork is done, supposedly), has had its release date pushed back.  No biggie, right?  Right?
The new release date is February 28.  In the year 2004.  Fun.

Broadcast's Hahasound is penned for an August 11 release on Warp.

Elbow's Cast of Thousands will be out on August 18 on V2.

Jun 24 2003

UI's Answers is out now on Southern Records.

The Recoys' self-titled album and Tussle's Eye Contact are out now on Troubleman Unlimited.

Old Time Relijun's Witchcraft Rebellion will be released on July 1 on K Records. As well, a K Records compilation entitled Invisible Shield will be released on the same day.

Minmae's Microcassette Quatrains will be out July 1 on BlueSanct.

Bardo Pond's On The Eclipse album will be released on July 8 on All Tomorrow's Parties.

Postal Service's The District Sleeps Tonight is heading for a July 8 release on Sub Pop Records.

Sixteen Horsepower's Olden will be put out by Jetset Records on July 8.

Paris, Texas' Are You Ready? will be released on July 15 by Polyvinyl Records.

The Appleseed Cast's Two Conversations album will be out July 22 on Tiger Style Records.

El-P's El-P presents Sunrise in Bklyn will be out on July 22 on Thirsty Ear, as will Mark Eitzel's The Ugly American.

The Super Furry Animals' Phantom Power CD and DVD will be released on XL Recordings on July 22. For the sake of balance, this record's lyrics are in obscure-dialect German.

Mice Parade's new album is heading for an August 1 release on Bubble Core.

The Casket Lottery's Possiblities and Maybes will be seeing an August 4 release on Second Nature Recordings.

Guided By Voices' Earthquake Glue will be released on Matador Records on August 19.

John Vanderslice's new album (not yet titled) is heading for an August 26 release on Barsuk Records.

Modest Mouse's as-yet-untitled new album will see a September 1 release on Epic Records.

The Liars' Who Needs $$ When We Got Feathers will be released on Mute Records on September 16.

The Dismemberment Plan's The People's History Of The Dismemberment Plan will be put out on September 22 on DeSoto Records.

A new Califone album is planned for an October 7 release on Thrill Jockey Records.

A new Howe Gelb album, Ogle Some Piano, is penned for an October 7 release on Owom.

A new Shins album is set for an October 7 release on Sub Pop Records.

Jun 16 2003

Morrissey's Under The Influence CD is out now on DMC Records  As the press release reads: "DMC launch their new compilation series Under the Influence, which draws on the inspirations and all time loves of the world's greatest recording artists. Morrissey, the legendary Smiths frontman and solo-artist extraordinaire, provides this first unmixed selection of tracks."

Out now on Drag City are The Suntanama's Another album and Papa M's new Three CD.

Vice Recordings' Yes New York compilation, with tracks by The Strokes, Longwave, Interpol, Le Tigre, and more, is out now.  More here including a full stream of the compilation.

Steve Turner's Searching For Melody CD is out now on Loose Records.  Stateside fans of the Mudhoney guitarist will likely cry because it's a UK-only release (those dang imports are so bloody expensive).

May 26 2003

Forthcoming on the Blast First label is Sonic Mook Experiment 3: Hot Shit, a compilation featuring Pink Grease, Big Two Hundred, Whitey, Chrome Hoof, klang, Mommy And Daddy, Erase Errata, Puppy B & Donny C, Montana Pete, Crack Village vs. Radioactive Man, Radio 4, Queens Of Noize, Ex Models, Part Chimp, !!! , Kings Have Long Arms, Valerie, Ed Laliq, Todd, Groop, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Martini Henry Rifles, Bane Overlord, and Disastronaut.

May 19 2003

Following up on the release of last year's terrific Kill The Moonlight, indie supahstahs Spoon will be celebrating the release of a seven song "mini-LP" on 12XU Records.  It is penned for an August release date; see more at www.12xu.net.

!!! will be releasing their new Me and Guiliani Down By the Schoolyard on 12" and CD on Touch & Go in the US and Warp in the UK.

A new Belle and Sebastian album is looking at a summer release on Rough Trade.

May 12 2003

No news this week due to technical difficulties.  We're very sorry about this; we'll have new announcements up next week!

May 5 2003

Wire's new album, Send will be out soon on their Pink Flag label.  It will contain four new pieces, four tracks from Read & Burn 02, and three from Read & Bear 01.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre will be playing a bunch of shows over the next two weeks.  Dates:

5/5 - San Jose - Blank Club
5/7 - Portland - Satyricon
5/8 - Seattle - Graceland
5/9 - Vancouver BC - Pat's Pub
5/10 - Victoria, BC - Thursdays
5/13 - Denver - Larimer Lounge
5/15 - Las Vegas - The Rock
5/16 - Flagstaff, AX - Monte Vista Loune
5/17 - San Diego - Casbah

Apr 28 2003

The Sea and Cake's Glass CD is out now on Thrill Jockey Records.

Americans and Canadians (me included) will be able to look forward a nice I Am Spoonbender tour coming up:

May
Fri 2: 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis MN
Sat 3: Empty Bottle, Chicago IL
Tue 6: 360, Toronto ON
Wed 7: La Sala Rossa, Montreal QC
Thu 8: Tishman Auditorium, Bennington VT
Fri 9: TT The Bear's, Cambridge MA
Sat 10: Knitting Factory, New York NY
Mon 12: First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia PA
Wed 14: Echo Lounge, Atlanta GA
Thu 15: off
Fri 16: Rubber Gloves, Denton TX
Sat 17: Emo's, Austin TX
Fri 23: Great American Music Hall, San Francisco CA

As if that weren't enough, The New Pornographers will be touring the US and Canada to celebrate the release of their new Electric Version album.  Dates:

June
Mon 2: Liquid Joes - Salt Lake City UT (with The Organ)
Tue 3: Gothic Theatre - Denver CO (with The Organ)
Thu 5: Nita's Hideaway - Alburquerque NM (with The Organ)
Fri 6: Solar Culture - Tucson AZ (with The Organ)
Sat 7: Casbah - San Diego CA (with The Organ, Cinerama)
Sun 8: El Rey - Los Angeles CA
Mon 9: Bimbo's 365 - San Francisco CA (with The Organ, Cinerama)
Tue 10: Bimbo's 365 - San Francisco CA (with The Organ, Cinerama)
Thu 12: Alladin Theater - Portland OR (with The Organ, Cinerama)
Fri 13: Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver BC (with The Organ, Cinerama)
Sat 14: Showbox - Seattle WA (with The Organ, Cinerama)
Sun 15: Sugar - Victoria BC (with The Organ)

July
Tue 1: venue tba - Calgary AB
Wed 2: Amigo's - Saskatoon SK (with The Organ)
Thu 3: venue tba - Regina SK
Fri 4: venue tba - Winnipeg MB
Sat 5: venue tba - Minneapolis MN
Sun 6: Metro - Chicago IL
Mon 7: venue tba - Detroit MI
Tue 8: Phoenix - Toronto ON (with The Organ)
Wed 9: venue tba - Quebec City QC
Thu 10: venue tba - Boston MA
Fri 11: Bowery Ballroom - New York NY (with The Organ)
Sat 12: Bowery Ballroom - New York NY (with The Organ)
Sun 13: venue tba - Washington DC
Mon 14: venue tba - Cincinatti OH
Tue 15: venue tba - St Louis MO

Playboy magazine is working on a new poll to decide the "Sexiest Babe of Indie Rock".  Participants include Neko Case, Chan Marshall, Rainer Maria's Caithlin De Marrais and more; the most voted-for girl will be asked to do a nude photo shoot.  You can vote here.

Apr 21 2003

Arab Strap's new Monday At The Hug & Pint CD is out now on Matador UK.

Twig Infection's The Big Blowjay CD is out now on the 2.ND REC label of Germany.  Expect a combination of math rock, art rock, and sharp pop.

Jandek's 20th album, One Foot In The North, originally released in 1991, has been reissued by Corwood Industries.

Worth mentioning sheerly out of weirdness value: The newly reissued Labyrinths & Jokes compilation is out now.  From the press release:

"Labyrinths and Jokes was originally released on LP in 1998 in a small edition of only 500 copies. Six tracks of diverse and creative noise from six completely bizarre bands. This LP was the first statement from an utterly brilliant and fucked up group of musicians and friends who have since spawned such musical monstrosities as Andrew W.K., Wolf Eyes and the Nautical Almanac. Six tracks of diverse and creative noise from six totally fucked up bands."

Apr 14 2003

Molasses's new A Slow Messe 2CD is out now on Montreal's Alien8 Recordings; the band's debut CD You'll Never Be Well No More has also been reissued.

Three new releases out now on Drag City:
Monade's Socialisme ou Barbarie CD
Alasdair Roberts' Farewell Sorrow CD
Papa M's Two CDEP

Derniere Volonte's Les Blessures de L'ombre CD will be released on May 5.

Grandaddy's just finished recording their new album, Sumday - it's release is penned for June 10.  A new 27-date tour with Pete Yorn will start on April 21.

Apr 7 2003

Power pop darlings Ozma will be releasing their new album, Spending Time On The Borderlines, on May 6 on Kung Fu Records.

The new Alkali Trio album, Good Mourning, will be released on May 13 on Vagrant Records.  This is a particularly controversial release for the band, because they enlisted the production assistance of Joe McGrath (Blink 182) and Jerry Finn (Blink 182, Green Day, Bad Religion).  As if enough people didn't hate Vagrant Records already.

The new Ultimate Fakeboox EP, Before We Spark, will be released on May 13 on Initial Records.

Set Fire To Flames' Telegraphs in Negative/Mouths Trapped in Static double-LP will be released on Apr 28 on Fat Cat Records.  The North American release will be handled by Montreal label Alien8 Recordings.

The new Radiohead album, Hail To The Thief, will be out on June 10 on EMI Records.

Mar 31 2003

XBXRX have re-formed.  They will be playing some shows in April.  So will Deerhoof.  The major Xiu Xiu tour, meanwhile, has been cancelled as a result of their equipment being stolen.  Tourdates are available here.

Matador Records has singed Pretty Girls Make Graves.

Deep Elm Records had just released The Appleseed Cast's Lost Songs CD.

Mar 24 2003

Arab Strap's Mondays At The Hug & Pint album out on Matador Records on April 22.

Mogwai's Happy Songs for Happy People CD will be released on June 9 on the PIAS label.  This is their first album since the highly-acclaimed Rock Action.

Black Tape for a Blue Girl's best-of 2CD collection, with a million tear-stained memories, will be released on April 17 on Germany's Trisol label.  A May 13 release is expected on Projekt Records in the US.

Brassy's Gettin Wise CD is penned for release on May 12 on the Wiiija label.

Mar 17 2003

Quasi member Sam Coomes has taken a little breather from the band to form Blues Goblins, who have just released a self-titled CD of... you guessed it... BLUES!  Psychedelic blues, to be exact.

Thrill Jockey has just released two albums, Califone's Quicksand/Cradlesnakes and Howe Gelb's The Listener.

Three new offerings from the Drag City label are out now.  Dianne Bellino's Slitch is the first release - it's actually a DVD and CD package that includes the movie Slitch ("a short comic film about a teenage girl's summertime lust") and its soundtrack.  The second offering is (Smog)'s new Supper, which sees him playing the guitar with guest female singers.  Lastly, there's Imitation Electric Piano's Trinity Neon.  Apparently, the usually instrumental band actually enlists vocals on some of the tunes.

Mar 11 2003

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks' Pig Lib will be out next week (17th in the UK, 18th in the US) on Matador/Domino.

Of course, you already knew this already, but:
Guided By Voices will be releasing a new album, entitled Model Prisoner In The Five Senses Realm, on Matador Records on August 19.

(Smog)'s Supper album is due out on March 18 on Drag City Records.

A new Enon album, In This City, is due for release on June 3.  In This City is also the name of a song on the band's recent album, High Society.  How... mysterious.

WFMU are doing their annual fund-raising marathon.  It started last week and continues until Sunday, March 16.  Visit www.wfmu.org for more.

4AD apparently has reissue fever.  On May 20, 2003 (like I really need to mention the date), the legendary label will be re-releasing not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, but SEVEN Pixies albums.  Included in the mass reissue are Come On Pilgrim, Surfer Rosa, Doolittle, Bossa Nova, Trompe Le Monde, Pixies at the BBC, and The Complete B-Sides.  Whoa nelly.

Dead Can Dance fans will have something to look forward to (and criticize the track listing of) when 4AD Records releases the new Wake 2CD best-of anthology on May 6.

The twentieth edition of the Little Darla Has A Treat For You compilation is due out on March 25.

Set Fire To Flames' Telegraphs In Negative/Mouths Trapped in Static CD is due out on April 7 on France's Fat Cat Records.  

Mar 3 2003

On the German Euroralph label is a special 3000-copy limited edition version of The Residents' new Demons Dance Alone album.  The special edition is a double-CD set (a whole bonus disc not on the regular version) with special suede packaging.

Massive Attack's Robert "3D" Del Naja" has been arrested for possession of child pornography and drugs.  But you already knew this already, didn't'cha?  Charges have yet to be pressed.  This is one in a series of over 1600 arrests in the UK related to a recent child pornography sting that also affected ex-Who member Peter Townshend.

PJ Harvey is apparently working on a follow-up to 2000's Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea.  She is also working with Queens of the Stone Age guitarist / vocalist Josh Homme on an unrelated project.

Feb 24 2003

April 25 will see the release of space rockers Spiritualized's The Complete Works Volume One.  The release will be a double-cd set on Arista Records.  Collecting early singles, compilation tracks, and other rarities, it's sure to please fans everywhere.  Now if volume one is two CDs long, what's going to be one volume two?

Four Cocteau Twins reissues are due out on June 2 on 4AD.  Expect to relive the classics with:

Garlands
Head Over Heels
Treasure
Victorialand

A new Hawksley Workman album, (Last Night We Were) Delicious Wolves, is out now on Ba Da Bing! Records.

Feb 17 2003

The Notwist's fantastic Neon Golden album is finally getting a North American release on Feb 25, when the Domino US label will be releasing it on a CD boasting three whole bonus tracks.

Feb 10 2003

Godspeed You! Black Emperor have planned a 29-day tour in March through much of the US, as well as Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.  The latter dates will include guests Black Dice and Jackie-O-Motherfucker.  Dates are available here.

(Smog) aka Smog aka Bill Callahan has a new release, Supper, planned for a March 18 release on Drag City.

The New Pornographers' follow-up to their heavily-acclaimed debut release Mass Romantic, called Electric Version, will be released on May 6 as a co-release between Mint and Matador Records.  Après ça, you can bet they'll be tourin'.  We'll try to link to the dates as soon as they're announced.

My Pal God Records has announced the release of Lefty's Deceiver's Cheats CD.  May 5 is the planned release date.

Feb 3 2003

Bob Ostertag's Say No More Volumes 3 & 4 (a 2CD set) will be released on Negativland's Seeland label soon.

John Fahey's final album, Red Cross, will be released on Revenant.

A new 7-CD boxset entitled Kentucky Mountain Music: Classic Recording of the 20s & 30s is coming out on Feb 25th on the Yazoo label.  As the promo blurb reads out:

"As the Mississippi Delta is to blues, Kentucky is to fiddle music, banjo playing, and classic old ballads and songs. No other state comes even close in both terms of amazing diversity of styles and just pure prodigious amounts of great classic performances. This 7 CD box set contains almost 200 all-time great performances by some of the finest country musicians who ever lived. It is a treasure trove of Americana, and one of the most important roots projects ever assembled. Since all the recordings are from the 1920s and 1930s, its as close to ultimate sources as anything can be."

Jan 20 2003

The 11th annual Noise Pop Festival will be held this year from Feb 25 to Mar 2 around San Francisco.  Alongside lectures, film screenings, and panel discussions, there will be a whole host of wicked bands performing.  So far confirmed are Tortoise, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, the Donnas, Cat Power, Calexico, Hot Rod Circuit, Trans Am, Dead Moon, the Pattern, Folk Implosion, the Dirtbombs, the Go, No Knife, Smog, and the newly-united Camper Van Beethoven.  More information is available at the Noise Pop website.

Four new Cocteau Twins reissues are penned for a Feb 10 release on 4AD this year.  Fully remastered and re-released on CD are Garlands, Head Over Heels, Treasure, and Victorialand.

Laika's Lost In Space album will be given a CD reissue on Too Pure on Jan 27.

Einsturzende Neubauten fans can look forward to a live album, 9-15-2000 Brussels, due out on Jan 27 on Underground, Inc.

A Mouse on Mars EP collection, entitled Rost Pocks: The EP Collection, is due out on Feb 17 on Too Pure in the UK.

Jan 13 2003

Coming on My Pal God Records on January 20 is Bitter, Bitter Weeks aka Brian McTear's debut album.  Pre-release press has been very positive.  Also, McTear will be touring to celebrate the release - dates are available on the My Pal God website.

Out on Jan 21 is the new Sea And Cake album, One Bedroom, on the Thrill Jockey label.

New Erasure covers album, Other People's Songs, is due out on Jan 28 on Mute Records.  Includes songs by Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Peter Gabriel, The Righteous Brothers, and more.

Dec 16 2002

Call 2003 the year of REM.  Not only will they be releasing a new album, but also a re-release of Document (in DVD audio format) and a best-of collection.  As well, they will be touring through the latter half of 2003 and part of 2004 to help promote the releases.  Exciting!

Dec 2 2002

February 3, 2003 will mark the release of a brand new Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds album, Nocturama, on Mute Records in the UK.  Due out the following day in the US on Anti/Epitaph, this marks the first release since 2001's No More Shall We Part, which was released after a four year silence from the band.  Check out the press release here.  You heard it here first, folks!

A while back we told you about the new 4CD Retro boxset of New Order tracks coming out on the London label on Dec 9.  The latest word is that along with that release, the label will be issuing a special limited edition 5CD set featuring an extra disc filled with assorted rarities.  As well, on the 10th, the label will keep the theme going with a live DVD entitled Live At Finsbury Park.

Coming out on Virgin UK are two Human League reissues, Reproduction and Travelogue.

Three new albums are coming out on the Drag City label on January 28: Bonnie "Prince" Billy's Master and Everyone, Loose Fur's self-titled album, and The Scene Creamers' I Suck On That Emotion.  All three will be released on both compact disc and vinyl formats.

Lou Reed is releasing a new solo album, The Raven, which will contain many spoken-word readings of Edgar Allen Poe's poetry.  Sire/Reprise will be handling the release, which will come as a double-cd set.

Nov 25 2002

Due out on Sub Pop on January 21 are Holopaw's self-titled CD and Kinski's Airs Above Your Station.  Sub Pop's recently been in a bit of a slump, releasing critically-panned garage rock albums and other bland material.  These new releases are relatively big risks - Holopaw is essentially a completely unknown band and comes as a bit of a risk for the label.  Kinski, meanwhile, is a well-established psychedelic group who are prematurely being called the "saviors of Sub Pop," as they've just been recently signed the label.  Strange Attractors Audio House will be handling the 2LP version of Kinski's debut.

Announced for release on January 21 on the 3 Men With Beards label is Television's Marquee Moon LP.  From the promo blurb:

"To call it punk rock is like describing Dostoevsky as a short-story writer... it's hard to conceive of a world without Marquee Moon being part of it... a revolutionary album! Features: exact reproduction on 180 gram vinyl, original artwork including lyrics and memorabilia, detailed liner notes by Michael Layne Heath, all-analog mastering from the original master tapes."

Two Gary Numan reissues, of I, Assassin and Warriors coming out on Beggars Banquet in December.  Both reissues will be on CD.

New Mountain Goats 7", See America Right, out now on 4AD.

Japanese label PSF has two new records coming at you this month, the Doo-Dooettes / Keiji Haino Free Rock CD (orig. released 1982) and Keiji Haino's new work Mazu Wa Iro O Nakuso Ka.

Nov 18 2002

Cat Power will be releasing her new album, You Are Free, on CD and 2LP on February 18, 2003.  Matador Records, as usual, will be handling the release.  Fans may note that it was recorded by Adam Kaspar, who also served as engineer for bands like Pearl Jam and The Foo Fighters.

Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks (that's Stephen, not Steven) fans should look forward to March 2003.  Because guess what?  The second Jicks album is coming out!  Pig Lib's the name and Matador Records is the game.  Wait, what did that even mean?  Matador is the "game"??  Never mind.  You get it.

Remix Cornelius, get a prize.  Actually, I don't know if there's any prize.  Err... the winners might end up on a future Cornelius release... Matador's website is vague, and Cornelius' isn't in proper English.  But check it out anyway.  Who knows, maybe you'll win a million dollars.

New Pulp best-of collection, Hits, due out on November 26 on Universal.

Nov 4 2002

Johnny Knoxville, head of the famed Jackass show (a TV program featuring a bunch of stupid stunts done by a bunch of presumably stupid), will be starring in a movie about Gram Parsons' life.  An interesting decision, is it not?

David Cross Shut Up, You Fucking Baby! 2CD set out now on Sub Pop.

loscil Submers album out now on Kranky.

The Anomoann Asleep Many Years in the Woods album out now on Palace.

Oct 28 2002

As stated in an article in Eye Magazine, the Elephant 6 collective is now officially defunct.  While many of the bands continue to make music, they will no longer display the wonderful Elephant 6 logo on their cover art.  What impact this has on the scene is yet to be felt, but, as Of Montreal is quick to point out - Elephant 6 is dead in name, not in spirit.

A new Microphones concept album, Mt. Eerie, is due out in January 2003.  The release will take the form of three parts: the album itself, an a-cappella version, and a drums-only version.

A new New Order "best-of" anthology, entitled International, is due out this week on the London label.  It will be issued on CD.  But that's not the best of it!  Warner will be issuing a 4CD New Order boxset soon, named IV.

In the world of indie pop comes a number of announcements from legendary label Happy Happy Birthday To Me.  Upcoming releases include Orchid Pool's Imaginary Instruments 7", Fablefactory's Freak Out Hard on You CD/LP, Calvin Don't Jump's so-far untitled CD/LP, a new Birddog album, and a further installment of the HHBTM compilation series.

Oct 21 2002

New Cat Power album, You Are Free, is expected for release in February 2003, according to Matador Records' website.

Malcolm Middleton of Arab Strap has a new solo album coming out soon.  Entitled 5:14 fluxyotine seagull alcohol john nicotine, it is a collection of 12 acoustic tracks on the Chemikal Underground label.

Oct 14 2002

A new Badly Drawn Boy album, Have You Fed The Fish, is due out on October 21st on Twisted Nerve/XL.

Sep 30 2002

A Flaming Lips oddities, demos, and live tracks compilation can be expected in October on Rykodisc.  It will be released as a 2CD set.

A Suicide comeback album is penned for release on October 29.  While many are skeptical, only time will tell whether the album, titled American Supreme, will be any good.  Direct your hate or love mail to the folks at Mute Records and Blast First!

A new Stereolab live collection, ABC Music: Radio 1 Sessions is coming out on Strange Fruit Records on Oct. 14.  It is, apparently, a double-cd set.

A Pop Will Eat Itself (Clint Mansell's old band) best of collection, creatively titled 1986-1994, is coming out on Oct. 14 on Castle Records of UK.

Sep 23 2002

Six new Simple Minds albums are being reissued on Virgin on Sep. 30.  A bit odd?  Yes.  Here's the list of albums:

"Empires & Dance"

"Life In A Day"

"New Gold Dream"

"Real To Real Cacophony"

"Sons & Fascination"

"Sparkle In The Rain"

All will be released on CD.  Meanwhile, Cruelty Without Beauty, a new Soft Cell album (when I say new I mean NEW, freshly written) is coming out on Cooking Vinyl.  Is it raining frogs outside?

New Laika 2CD set, Lost In Space, out this month.  It collects the band's favourite songs, as well as oddities, outtakes, remixes, and the whole shebang.

Porcelain's new album, called (jot this one down) "i've got a really important thing to do right now but i can't do it cause i'm asleep" is out this month on Drunk Dog Records of France.  I mention it because I like the name.

Sep 16 2002

Those in search for more Camper Van Beethoven will be happy to note that SpinART Records is issuing a 5CD box set of the band's first three records, as well as an odds-and-ends record and a live album.  It will be out on November 5th for about the price of a 3CD set.

Luna will be releasing a mini-album called Close Cover Before Striking on Oct. 22.  It will be released on Jetset.

Sep 9 2002

New Yo La Tengo single announced for release in November.  It will consist of several versions of Sun Ra's "Nuclear War," none of which will appear on the band's upcoming album.

Matador Records (Cat Power, Guided By Voices) has signed a new band, Dead Meadow.  The album will follow in 2003.  Matador describes them as creating "heavy distorted psychedelia and electric sludge blues with expansive instrumental passages".

Sep 3 2002

Godspeed You Black Emperor! will be releasing their third album, Yanqui U.X.O., on Constellation Records on November 11.  Recorded by Steve Albini, the album will be released as a double-lp set or a single cd.

New Sigur Ros album, entitled:

'( )'

due out on October 28.  On Fat Cat Records, of course.

Dinosaur Jr. alum J. Mascis' new album, Free, is due out on October 8; Ultimatum music is the label.

Aug 27 2002

Matador will be reissuing Pavement's classic Slanted And Enchanted in a 2CD edition that includes Summer Babe and Trigger Cut b-sides, as well as Peel sessions, a live recording, outtakes, and the Watery, Domestic EP.  It will be titled Slanted And Enchanted: Deluxe and Re-Duxe.

Also in indie rock history land, Royal Trux gets the treatment with the release of Hand Of Glory, a previously untouched record of Twin Infinitives era sounds (recorded 1989-1990).  Released on both CD and LP on Drag City.

ITALIAN PROGRESSIVE RELEASE OF THE DAY!! In 1972 lived a prolific Italian prog band called Area.  Now, from Akarma Records, comes the box set.  Four discs, four albums, one release.

New CD from Cynthia Dall out now on Drag City.  Sound Restores Young Men is the name, formats are both CD and LP.

The influential Townes Van Zandt has released a new CDR entitled Absolutely Nothing.  This is some of the great songwriter's last music.  Self-released, naturally.

Aug 12 2002

LATE-BREAKING (literally, today!) MEGA LABEL NEWS!  Matador Records is now a part of the Beggars Group of labels!  That's right, the Beggars Group has purchased a whole 50% of Matador.  Both sides are very positive about the agreement; Matador head honcho Chris Lombardi commented that he expects the team-up of Matador and Beggars Banquet to be "a force to reckon with".  Other members of the Beggars Banquet group include 4AD, Mo'Wax, Mantra, XL, Wiiija, Too Pure, and, of course, Beggars Banquet.  Matador boasts such bands and artists as Mogwai, Guided By Voices, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and the much-hyped Interpol.

Emilie Autumn, whose previous recordings were released on Traitor Records, is releasing her entire back catalogue for free here in order to assist internet radio webcasters who are being oppressed by the CARP's new laws.  Since webcasters only have to pay fees on music that was released be a member of the RIAA, there are no charges for playing Autumn's downloads on internet radio.

July 29 2002

The debut record from Taking Pictures, Friends are Ghosts, will be released on My Pal God Records in November 2002.  Touring starts in September.

New re-pressings of Hood's first two records, Cabled Linear Traction and Silent '88 on Slumberland Records.

July 27 2002

The annual Terrastock festival is coming to the  Boston area this year!  The Terrascope team (who run the Ptolemaic Terrascope zine) have released all sorts of information about the event on their website.  Three day tickets are $70 American and the festival is running from October 11 - 13.  The band list is here.

July 22 2002

There's a new Yume Bitsu record to look out for, called "The Golden Vessyl of Sound".  Yume Bitsu features members of Surface of Eceon and focuses on psychedelic drone music. Check it out!

Planned for release on K Records later this year: new releases by Dennis Driscoll (of Beat Happening), Little Wings, and COCO.

More stuff about the new Low album available here.  Includes track listing and select mp3s!

AREN'T WE LUCKY??  New releases coming up on Kill Rock Stars:

Sleater-Kinney's One Beat CD/LP (Aug. 20)

Mecca Normal's The Family Swan CD/LP (Aug. 20)

Stereo Total's Musique Automatique CD (Oct. 8)

Men's Recovery Project's Night Pirate CD (Nov.)

Also penned for release on TBA dates: Albums by Bangs, C Average, Gina Birch, Danielle Howle, and Slumber Party.

Also planned for KRS sister label 5 Rue Christine:

New Hella 7" (Sep. 10)

New Xiu Xiu CD (Feb. 2003)

July 15 2002

Tim Prudhomme (of Fuck), Sonic Youth, and various others on the Smells Like roster are touring.  Check out the dates here.

A new Low album, Trust, can be expected for release on Sept. 23.  It will be released on none other than Kranky Records.

June 9 2002

The NEW Flaming Lips album, "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots", is set to be released at LA's Knitting Factory on July 17th!  My lips are flaming in anticipation!

New records by Blurtonia and Shy Child are available now from Grenadine Records.

June 24 2002

New Beachwood Sparks album out now, on Sub Pop.

June 17 2002

Blisscent Records, the baby of long-time online mailing list Blisscent, has released it's first album - a cd compilation entitled "Blisscent I".  Check out the review here.

June 9 2002

Belle and Sebastian's singer / cellist, Isobel Campbell, has left the band.  Her new solo album will be released later this year.

Fuck's singer/guitarist, Timothy Prudhomme, has a new solo album out on Smells Like Records.  It is entitled "With the Hole Dug".   This does not signify that Fuck is splitting up, although perhaps the other band members could group together to form a new band, Shit.

Steven Malkmus is busy at work on a new album (with the Jicks, of course).  It will most likely be released on Matador.

Pere Ubu's eighteenth album, "St. Arkansas", will be out on spinART soon.  No official date has been set.

Arlo's got a new album coming out on Sub Pop.

Jason Loewenstein (of Sebadoh fame) has a new release, "At Sixes and Sevens," penned for release on July 9. ... [more]

Feb 9 2004

The Germany-based Compost label has released volume two of the Ennio Morricone Remixes project.  From the press sheet:

"Not your ordinary remix project, the Ennio Morricone Remixes Vol. 2 goes above and beyond the call of duty to tastefully combine Ennio's legendary melodies with almost every possible style of dance music -- from Downtempo to Drum & Bass, Jazzed-Up-Broken-Beats and House / Tech-House to Electropop, Easy Listening and Ambient to Hip Hop. This highly anticipated second installment of the Morricone features 2Raumwohnung, Hird, Domu, Nick Holder, Doctor Rockit, Tom Middleton, Moonstarr, Fussible, Dan Curtin, Hosono, Computerjockeys and many more."

Sixtoo's Almost A Dot On The Map: The Psyche Years retrospective is out now on the Vertical Form label of Britain.

Feb 2 2004

Ellen Allien's Remix Collection culls all of her remixes from 1995-2003 on one CD [or double-LP].  The set is available now from the German Bpitch Control label.

Dec 15 2003

The latest chapter in Pete Namlook's Air series, Air 3, is out now on the German Fax label.

Dec 8 2003

Air's new album, Talkie Walkie, will be released on January 27, courtesy of none other than Astralwerks Records.

Silicon Soul's Pouti CD and LP is out now on the German Disko B label.  The group is most famous for late 80s / early 90s club hit "Who Needs Sleep Tonight?"

Dec 1 2003

Influential electronic label Warp Records, home of Aphex Twin, Autechre, Boards of Canada, Plaid, and many more household names, is opening up a new website, bleep.com, that will make available every Warp track on every Warp record (old and new) in high-quality digital MP3 format.  The catch?  Each tune will set you back 99 cents.  Though that price can get steep, it's still a nice way to get access to all those songs off those old, long out-of-print records Warp's been hiding from us.

Warp Records is also releasing Savath & Savalas's Apropa't CD/LP on January 26.

Oct 27 2003

Venetian Snares' new The Chocolate Wheelchair Album is out now on Planet Mu.  It is available in both double-LP and CD formats and features more of his standard mess-with-your-head electro-hardcore insanity.

Chicks on Speed's 99 Cents CD is out now on Chicks on Speed Records.  It features collaborations with Miss Kittin, Le Tigre, Nicola of Adult and Tina Weymouth from Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club.

Plastikman (aka Richie Hawtin, obviously) has a new disc out and it's called Closer.  Available on Mute Records, it apparently "further delves into the mind of this unique figure in the electronic music world, making this his most personal work ever."

Herbaliser's Herbal Blend CD is out now on Ninja Tune Records.

Oct 13 2003

Three Klaus Schulze reissues are out now on the German Brain label (all on CD): Irrlicht, Timewind, and Black Dance.

Jah Wobble's English Roots Music is out now on 30 Hertz Records.

Aug 25 2003

Kraftwerk's Tour De France 03 EP is out now on Astralwerks Records: "Not to be confused with the 1983 hit 'Tour de France', these new recordings update the band's original concept and are intended to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the French cycling tournament of the same name."

Prefuse 73's Extinguished EP is out now on Warp Records.  As the promo sheet reads: "The new 23 track, 39 minute EP proves that Herren has a reservoir of music flowing from him. He throws away the most hypnotic beat you've ever heard by stopping it after 30 seconds to move on to the next track. Lesser talents could base their whole career on a single one of these abbreviated sketches, but not Prefuse 73 -- he has plenty to spare."

Req's Car Paint Scheme is out now on Warp Records.

Tigerbeat6 has just released two new albums, Pimmon's Snaps*Crackles*Pops CD and Stars as Eyes' Loud New Shit CD.

Aug 11 2003

Plaid's Spokes album will be released on October 20 on Warp Records in the UK.

Aug 6 2003

BT's Emotional Technology album is out now on Nettwerk Records.

Broadcast's "haha sound" will be released on August 11 on Warp.

Jul 28 2003

Goldfrapp is going to embark on a tour of North America in August.  Here are some nice dates to peruse.
09/17 Wed Washington DC 9:30 Club
09/18 Thu New York Irving Plaza
09/20 Sat Boston Paradise Rock Club
09/22 Mon Montreal Le Spectrum
09/23 Tue Toronto The Opera House
09/25 Thu Chicago The Park West
09/26 Fri Minneapolis Fine Line Music Café
09/30 Tue Vancouver Commodore Ballroom
10/01 Wed Seattle Chop Suey
**Portland date is TBA
10/04 Sat San Francisco The Fillmore
10/05 Sun San Diego Cannes
10/08 Wed Los Angeles Henry Fonda Theatre

Jul 7 2003

The Orb's Bicycles & Tricycles is coming out soon in the US (it's already available in Japan), as is a new Live In Belgium DVD.

Si Begg's Director's Cut is out on July 14 on Novamute Records.

Spring Heel Jack's Live (A LIVE ALBUM CAN YOU GUESS?) will be out July 14 on Thirsty Ear.

Fluke's Puppy will be out on August 11 on One Little Indian.

Jun 24 2003

Tuomas Rantanen's Emergence Six 12" is out now on Emergence Records. Four tracks in an industrial techno vein. Archae & Grovskopa's Emergence Seven is due for release soon, featuring remixes by Reeko and Persuasion Channel. Emergence is a Swedish techno label run by Archae & Grovskopa.

Electronicat's 21st Century Toy album is out now on Disko B from Munich. See more at www.diskob.com. A 7" single has been released in conjunction with the album - it features "Frisco Bay" from the album, as well as "Shake It," an exclusive non-album track; only 1000 copies will be pressed.

Throbbing Gristle's Re:Mixes double 12" is out now on Novamute Records. It features a remix of "Hot On the Heels" as done by Carl Craig and Simon Ratcliffe of Basement Jaxx, among others.
Also in the pipeline for Novamute: a new Plastikman album, Christian Vogel's first mix CD, an "Autumn 2003" release of a new Tim Wright album, a Cutlass Supreme mix comp, and a 2004 release by Laibach producer Umek.

Ant's Ain't No Stoppin' This! 12" is out now on Power Tools. Aggressive, vicious techno.

Michael Burkat's Dissect 12" out now on Temper Germany. Features three terrific dancefloor movers; nice tempo, deliciously satisfying.

Maxx Cavalerra's smashing At The Front 12" is out now on Toneman Germany. Features the uplifting title track, among others.

9 Lazy 9's Sweet Jones album is out now on Ninja Tune Records. Bonobo's Dial "M" For Monkey" has also been released on the same label.

Slowpho's Summer Flirt EP and Flunk's Treat Me Like You Do - For Sleepy Heads Only remix album are out now on Beatservice Records.  As well, Athome Project's well-received self-titled album is still available.

Chungking's We Travel Fast has been released on Tummy Touch Records.

Seven Fila Brazillia albums have been reissued just recently. The list is A Touch of Cloth, Black Market Gardening, Luck Be a Weirdo Tonight, Maim That Tune, Mess, Old Codes New Chaos, and Power Clown. They've been released as low-price items so everyone can afford them!

Martin Horntveth's The Skull EP has been released by Smalltown Supersound in Norway. For those not in the know, Horntveth is a member of Jaga Jazzist. Jaga Jazzist celebrated the release of Stix earlier on May 5.

Pleaseeasaur's {the yellow pages} album is out now on Imputor?  Yes, the question mark is part of the label name.  Do you really think I'm the type of person to make tpyoes?  Whoops.

Cumulonimbus' Precipitation 12" has been released on Hombre and Ninja Tune.

Adventure Time's Hi-Top Fade Parade 12" has been released on Plug Research.

The Dining Rooms' Tre 12" EP has been put out by American label Guidance.

Komet's Go 12" has been released by Audio NL of Holland.

Noid's Phantom Slasher 12" is out now on Noid Recordings.

Oh! Polo's Love Buzzz is out now on PPQ Records.

Referencered's For Your Safety CD is out now on Pork Recordings.

The Or Music compilation CD is out now on, predictably, Or Music.

Kevin Blechdom's Bitches Without Britches will be released on July 1 (Canada Day) on Dudini Records.

Kid 606's new album is heading for a July 15 release on Ipecac Records. Details are slim.

Aesop Rock's new Bazooka Tooth has been set for a September 26 release on Definitive Jux.

Jun 16 2003

Hoo hoo.  Now the Environ label knows a good idea when it sees one.  They've just started up a new series of releases, "Unclassics."  As the press sheet reads, "Unclassics is a collection of rare and little-known dance floor oddities, remastered and remixed."  Wow.  The first installation of the series is out now - Dance Reaction's Disco Train/Trainsound 12".  "This melodramatic slice of
Leftfield Eurodisco made local waves when it came out in 1981, selling nearly 400,000 copies. Nonetheless, it remains little-known today. A twisted, vocoded ride that is part Dan Hartman 'Vertigo' and part psychedelic synth boogie, 'Disco Train' will get your floor rocking if you are brave enough to play the wild original version."

Moderat's Auf Kosten Der Gesundheit 12" is out now on Bpitch Control, as is Ben Klock's Glow 12".

Venetian Snares and Hecate's Nymphomatriarch album is out now on Hymen Records.  Neat name, huh?  Well it's named that because it's composed solely of the sounds of the two of them having sex.  Just about any type of sex.  Fun! ... Fun?

Dave Ellesmere's Angry Young Computer double-LP is out now on the German Kanzleramt label.

Out now on the Minus label is I.A. Bericochea's Rojo CD.

Daedelus's Rethinking The Weather CD is out now on Mush Records.  It is a remix album of The Weather, as if that weren't obvious enough.

On the Output label now is Four Tet's Dialogue (work of Fridge mainman Kieran Hebden) and Playgroup's Make It Happen.

Nick Forté's Pasted Lakes CD / LP is out now on Schematic Records.  We'll have a review soon.

May 26 2003

A new AFX single, Smojphace, will be released soon on Rephlex and Men Recordings - it features a remix of The Bug Feat. Cutty Ranks' "Run The Place Red" as well as two new tracks.  Exciting!

May 19 2003

Coming out on the simallrec label in September is the Starving But Happy compilation CD, featuring tracks by Dntel, Languis, I am Robot and Proud, .tape., and more.

Meanwhile, I am Robot and Proud's Grace Days CD will be released eventually (release date TBA) on Catmobile Records.

Ken Ishii's Future In Light CD is out now on Exceptional Records.  As the press release so beautifully words, "Having assimilated a wide array of influences (Yellow Magic Orchestra, DAF, Kraftwerk, Nitzer Ebb, Derick May) [Ishii] manages to make them come alive in a context that surpasses all comparison, mutating the very concept of techno itself."  Yum.

React Records have just released a new double-CD mix by Luke Slater entitled Fear & Loathing.  Tracks by Jeff Mills, Two Lone Swordsmen, Rennie Pilgrem, Felix Da Housecat, and more are included.

May 12 2003

No news this week due to technical difficulties.  We're very sorry about this; we'll have new announcements up next week!

June 3rd marks the release of a new Lali Puna album, Left Handed, on Germany's Morr Music label.

Out soon on the Ninja Tune label are:

Fog's Ether Teeth CD/LP

Cinematic Orchestra's Man With a Movie Camera CD/LP

An Amon Tobin remix/collaboration collection, creatively-named Remixes and Collaborations.

Apr 23 2003

Bangkok Impact's much-lauded Traveller CD is out now on Creme Records.  NME is calling it one of the best dance albums of the year.  Neat.

An RJD2 double-CD b-sides/outtakes/remixes compilation, The Horror, is out now on Def Jux.

Apr 21 2003

Anders Remmer aka Dub Tractor's More Or Less Mono is out now on the City Centre Offices label of Germany.

New from Britain's Peacefrog Records comes a collection of Plaid's remixes to date - Parts In The Post - out on both vinyl and CD.

1349 Rykkinn's Brown Ring of Fury will be released on Norway's Jester label. 

Apr 14 2003

Two new releases on the British DMC label: Morcheeba's Back To Mine 3LP.  Originally released in 2001, this is a triple-LP version with tons of remixes.  The other release is Talvin Singh's Back To Mine CD, another remix album.

A new AFX single, Smojphace, will be released on 12"/CDEP format as a co-release between Rephlex and Men Records on Apr 21.

Apr 7 2003

Germany's Bpitch Control label has released Paul Kalkbrenner's F.Fwd 12".  Paul himself tells us to expect "pure techno."

Two new releases are out now on the Salz label of Germany: Turquoise's self-titled CD [electropop] and Akufen's Submarine Mix 12".

Meanwhile, the Akufen / Algorithm split Delgado 12" is out now on the Revolver label of Canada.

A new Panacea / Gridlock split 12" will be released later this month on Component Records.

Matt Elliot (of Third Eye Foundation) will be releasing a solo effort, The Mess We Made, on Domino Records later this month.

The new Senor Coconut album, Fiesta Songs, will be released on May 19 on MultiColor Records in Germany and New State Records in the UK.

Si Begg's new album, Director's Cut, will be released on Novamute Records on June 23.

Dates for the April Tarmvred US tour are available here.

Mar 31 2003

Astralwerks Records has released the collaboration between French electro-pop masters Air and Italian contemporary writer Alessandro Baricco.  The resulting album is separated into three twenty minute pieces and is entitled City Reading (Tre Storie Western).

Pest's Necessary Measures CD is out now on Ninja Tune.  The press sheet warns you not to expect "any arty-fartsy nonsense, knowing winks, to have time to get bored."  Blunt.

Aphex Twin's Rephlex label has three new releases out now.  First is PP Roy's Seven Up CD, a release that could "slide up to Missy Elliot, share some canapés with The Avalanches then compare notes with DJ Shadow."  Second is dark techno in the form of Lory D's Sounds Never Seen CD.  Lastly, we have DJ Scud's Ambush CD/2LP.  Nice.

Mar 24 2003

The Orb's Bicycles & Tricycles album is due out sometime in April.

Natacha Atlas' Something Dangerous CD due out on May 19 on the Mantra label.

Nobukazu Takemura's Assembler/Assembler 2 CD/LP is set for release on April 8 on Thrill Jockey Records.

Dub Tractor's More or Less Mono album out on City Centre Offices on April 28.

Mar 17 2003

Mira Calix's new Skimskitta is out now on Warp Records.  I'd give you a snippet from the promo blurb but it wouldn't help you any.  Aw, what the heck:

"A soul record. By a singer-songwriter. On Warp. Electronic music, but not as we know it. Its predecessor, OneOnOne, was red, but this is white. Beautiful, evocative, romantic, a 61-minute piece, or movement, with no spaces, no gaps, and lots of interesting noises conjured from unusual sources. Mira Calix says that Skimskitta, her new album, is all of the above. Controversially, she also considers it a guitar record."

The legendary FAX label will be celebrating the release of Pete Namlook's Silence - 10 Years of Silence CD, a disc packed full with 5 hours of MP3s, collecting all of the five Silence CDs the label has put out since 1992.

Wobblyhead Records have just released Innerstance.Beatbox's All The Little Boys Do Silly Little Dances CD/LP.  Expect funky, jazzy instrumental hip hop.  We've heard a bit, and boy is it good.

Mar 11 2003

µ-Ziq is back!  Or at least he will be on May 19, when his new Bilious Paths is released (on both CD and double-LP) on his own Planet µ label.

Mouse On Mars' Glam is getting a CD reissue on Thrill Jockey on May 5.

Burnt Friedman and the Nu-Dub Players' Can't Cool CD/LP is expected for release in May on the Nonplace label of Germany.

Mar 3 2003

Roman's 5 Minutes To Match CD/LP is out now on Germany's Karaoke Kalk label.

Feb 24 2003

Goldfrapp's follow up to the wonderful Lovely Head, entitled Black Cherry, is set to be released on April 29 on Mute Records on both CD and LP formats.

Appliance's new Are You Earthed? CD is prepared for release on March 10th on Mute Records.

Prefuse 73's One Word Extinguisher CD/LP is penned for a May 5 release on Warp Records.

Kid Koala's Nufonia Must Fall book/CD has a tentative release date of April 28 on Ninja Tune Records.

Due out on April 14 is a new 12" by the Sofa Surfers, See The Light.  The Leaf label of Britain is responsible for the release.

Tes' x2 CD/2LP will be released on April 21 as a co-release between Lex and Warp.

90s flavour-of-the-week outfit Moloko has a new CD/LP coming out on March 3 on Echo Records.  The name of the album is Statues.

Feb 17 2003

Mute Records is set to release Echoboy's new Giraffe CD on Feb 25.  The press release states that it is "more vocal orientated than any of his previous work" and claims it to be "undoubtedly the finest Echoboy record to date."

Also coming out on Mute, on March 11, is the new EP by Pole, entitled 45/45.

Astralwerks Records has been preparing for the release of A Band of Bees' Sunshine Hit Me CD, due out on Feb 25.

Schneider TM's new 12", out on the City Slang label of Germany, is a poppy new track called "Reality Check".

Feb 10 2003

David Holmes' The Free Association is out now on the 13 Amp label in both CD and 2LP formats.  As Holmes himself puts it, "This is some
of that alligator-gumbo-southern-fried-funk"

From the DMC label of Britain comes a new triple-LP after hours mix set by everyone's favourite chill-out techno outfit, The Orb.  Back To Mine is its title and it features the strangest mixture of songs you're ever likely to hear on one release.  Highlights include Aphex Twin, The Chi-Lites, The Electric Chairs' take on "Barbie Girl" and a Schneider TM rendition of The Smiths' "There is a Light That Never Goes Out."  Wicked!

Hexstatic's Listen & Learn CD is out now on the Ninja Tune label.  It's the second release of the Second Steel series, based on Coldcut's radio show.

The Hydrogen Dukebox label of the UK has just released the second chapter of their Electronic Music For Heroes series.  The CD contains songs by The Black Dog, Technova, Metamatics, The Lithium Project, Chamber, James Hardway, Justice, Globo, Norken, and A1 People.

The legendary Underworld has signed on to headline this year's Ultra Music Festival taking place in Miami on March 22 from 11 AM to 1 AM.  The list so far includes:

UNDERWORLD
PAUL OAKENFOLD
SASHA
JOHN DIGWEED
PAUL VAN DYK
TIESTO
HYBRID - LIVE
TIMO MAAS
ERICK MORILLO
GOLDIE
JOSH WINK
MAURO PICOTTO
SEB FONTAINE
RONI SIZE
JUNKIE XL
STEVE LAWLER
BAD BOY BILL
ELECTRIC SKYCHURCH
SANDER KLEINENBERG
DJ CRAZE / ADAM F
MAX GRAHAM
SANDRA COLLINS
DIMITRI (AMSTERDAM)
UBERZONE ­ LIVE
DJ DAN
RAP
DONALD GLAUDE
DIESELBOY / AK 1200 / DARA (PLANET OF THE DRUMS)
HYPER
DAVE SEAMAN
CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE
LEE BURRIDGE
GEORGE ACOSTA
SIMPLY JEFF
JOHN CREAMER
KEVENS ­ LIVE
PLANET B ­ LIVE
DB / REID SPEED
ED RUSH / OPTICAL
JIMMY VAN M
ANDY C / BAD COMPANY
JOHN DEBO
STEVE PORTER
TIM SKINNER
WILD CHILD
SEAN CUSICK
JOHN GRAHAM
DAVID WAXMAN
CHRIS FORTIER
TOTAL SCIENCE / BARON
SHY FX / SS
TEEBEE / BAILEY
HIGH CONTRAST / INFLUX DATUM
JOHNNY DANGEROUSLY
STORM
DAZEE / EMPRESS
JUJU / KNOW:EL
LEMON D & DILLINJA

With MCs:
RYMETYME, DYNAMITE, QUESTIONMARK,
MC J MESSINIAN, ARMANI, NAVIGATOR,
CHICKABOO, BASS NACHO

Feb 3 2003

Coming soon from the Netherlands' Bunker label is Luke Eargoggle's Audio Warriors CD.  According to the press read-out, it's a whole album's worth of "crazy minimalistic robot electro with a twitch."  Bloody brilliant.

Jan 20 2003

Kid Koala is getting ready for a big release in March.  Penned for release on ECW Press is an interesting little project of sorts - a book!  Apparently a "300 page graphic novel with soundtrack for piano and turntable," the release, Nufonia Must Fall, is his first "serious" work since 2000's Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.  According to the trailer, Nufonia is a love story of sorts involving a robot and a girl.  The release will be followed a major tour, penned the Sit Down Theatre Tour, that will incorporate both audio and visual elements.  How exciting!

From the Warp Records website:
"After pummelling worldwide audiences for the last year with their highly acclaimed live show, Plaid have announced that they are underway with their 5th album which will be released accompanied by a full length DVD mixed in 5.1 surround sound with visual pieces by artist bob."

Stakker's Eurotechno will be released on Aphex Twin's Rephlex label on January 27.

Jan 13 2003

Coming soon on Kid Loco's Another Late Night label is, quite interestingly, Kid Loco's Anotherlatenight mix album.  His mix is set to include tracks by John Lucien, DJ Crystal, The Herbaliser, and more.

Nightmares On Wax's classic Carboot Soul album (originally released in 1999) is being reissued with three extra tracks on CD/2LP on the Warp Label.

New Superpitcher / Quarks split-12" out soon on the German Kompakt label.

Dec 16 2002

Laibach's seemingly inevitable John Peel Sessions have been released this week on the Strange Fruit label of UK.  The recording has been issued on CD.

A new Lemon Jelly 7"/CDEP, Nice Weather For Ducks, can be expected on XL Recordings on January 20.

Nov 25 2002

New Sogar CD due out in January '03 on 12k Recordings

New Current 93 reissue of Dawn out on World Serpent.

New Dabrye 12", Payback, out now on Ghostly International.

Also coming on Ghostly is Tadd Mullinix's Panes CD.  For those who don't know, Tadd is Dabrye's more experimental alter-ego.

Nov 18 2002

The All Tomorrow's Parties Festival is coming to the UK in 2003.  Curated by Autechre and featuring the reunion of Captain Beefheart's Magic Band (sans the Captain himself).  But that's not it - they've released the line-up and OH MY GOODNESS.  I'll just let you look at it yourself:

A GUY CALLED GERALD
APHEX TWIN
BABY FORD
NED BECKETT
MARK BROOM
CANNIBAL OX
CARL CRAIG
COIL
DREXICYAN DJ STINGRAY
DISJECTA
EARTH
EL-P
THE FALL
FARMERSMANUAL
G-MAN
RUSSELL HASWELL
THIRSTIN HOWL III
HECKER
KOOL KEITH + KUTMASTER KURT
LFO
THE MAGIC BAND
GRAHAM MASSEY -
MIRA CALIX
JIM O'ROURKE
O.S.T
ANDREA PARKER
BERNARD PARMEGIANI Sonorum
PITA
REQ
RHYTHM AND SOUND (Dj set)
CURTIS ROADS
ANTHONY 'SHAKE' SHAKIR
SLUTA LETA
SND
SONIC SUM
STASIS
SUNN
SURGEON
YASUNAO TONE
VENETIAN SNARES
ZOVIET FRANCE

(List courtesy www.alltomorrowsparties.co.uk)

I think I share everyone's feelings when I say "<silence>".

Two other All Tomorrow's Parties festivals will be taking place in LA (curated by Matt Groening) and NY (curated by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks), but their line-ups have not been released.

New Atari Teenage Riot release, Redefine the Enemy, due out on November 26 on Digital Hardcore.

New Primal Scream release, Miss Lucifer, due out on Sony on November 26.

Nov 4 2002

Pest Jefferson Shuffle 10" due out on Ninja Tune in January.  Super Numeri Great Aviaries CD/LP due out on Feb 3.

Erasure Other People's Songs CD due out on Mute Records in February.

Oct 28 2002

Two new goodies are penned for release on the Active Suspension label on November 12:

The Active Suspension vs. Clapping Music 2CD compilation; and

O. Lamm's My Favourite Things remix album with mixes by Blevin Blectum, Team Doyobi, etc.

Fatboy Slim has a triple-ep release coming out soon on the Astralwerks CD.  Three CDs, each one a CDEP.  Wow.

Oct 14 2002

A new Mr Scruff album, Trouser Jazz is coming out on October 29!!!  Like my dear friend would say: "Yes, yes, YES!"

GARGANTUAN!  A new Throbbing Gristle artifact, 24 Hours, is penned for release on December 23.  It will contain 24 CDs comprising 24 hours of live performances from the legendary industrial band.  In actuality, it is a reissue of a 24-cassette live performance boxset that came out a long time ago.  The music will be updated and remastered, however.  It's a joint release between Mute and Industrial Records.  The original boxset is doubtlessly worth tons of money on eBay.

A new Add N To (X) album, Loud Like Nature, is due out on October 21.  Expect to have fun.

A new Sea and Cake album, One Bedroom, is slated for release on January 1, 2003.

Normally we wouldn't do this, but trust me... Go to www.osymyso.com and download the "Intro-inspection" mp3 - it's tons of fun!

Sep 30 2002

MASSIVE!  Amon Tobin's back with Out From Out Where, his latest album since 2000's fantastic Supermodified.  It will be released in both CD and LP formats on Ninja Tune.  While we will have to wait until October 14 to hear it, early reports are claiming it's amazing.  YAY!

A new Lemon Jelly album, Lost Horizons, can be expected on October 7 on XL Recordings.

Sep 23 2002

Originally released as a limited edition of 100, Boards of Canada's 1995 debut Twoism is being reissued by Warp Records to the masses - in both CD and vinyl formats.

Claire Voyant's new Love Is Blind album will be out this week on Metropolis.

Sep 16 2002

Warp Records has reissued Aphex Twin's Analogue Bubblebath 3 on vinyl.

New records from Mute Records can be expected in the upcoming months:

Komputer's Market Led album

SFT's Swift album

Luke Slater's I Can Complete You single

Add N To (X)'s Take Me To Your Leader single

Sep 9 2002

DJ Rupture will be playing a live set on WFMU's Advanced D&D with Donna Summer show on Sep 13 at 2am.  It will be broadcast live on the web at www.wfmu.org

Aug 27 2002

New Cassius album, entitled Au Reve, out now on Astralwerks.  Also available from the Werks is Royksopp's new album.  Both are available in both vinyl and aluminum form.

New releases from Appliance and Echoboy on Mute, as well as Cabaret Voltaire's Best of '78 / '82.

BiP_HOp Generation Vol. 6 out now.  Appearances from Scanner, Alejandra and Aeron, Bittonic, Battery Operated, and Angel.  Also on Bip-Hop, full albums by Tonne and Angel, as well as a Scanner/Tonne split!

Aug 12 2002

New Xanopticon album will be released on Tigerbeat6 Records soon.

The new Layo and Bushwacka! album is due out soon on XL Recordings.

July 29 2002

Thrill Jockey Records is planning its tenth anniversary bash in London on September.  Tortoise's website states that it will be a three-day party, but the label website only mentions September 10 as the date.  Tortoise, The Sea and Cake, Trans Am, Bobby Conn, Radian, The Chicago Underground Duo, Brokeback, Eleventh Dream Day, and possibly The National Trust are playing.  Can you say exciting?

If you have some time on August 1 and live in Los Angeles, go out to see the Mochipet / Sutekh / Electric Company / Eight Frozen Modules / Dj Noha concert at the Echo.  Only five dollars.  Guaranteed to be a blast.  More here.

Can't get enough of Ninja Tune?  We've got an exclusive link to a Ninja Tune "virtual flyer" with MP3s from a bunch of the Xen acts.  This includes Mr. Scruff, DJ Vadim, Fog, and four others.  Check 'em out here.  Previous volumes are available here and here.

July 27 2002

Squarepusher is releasing a 2CD set, Do You Know Squarepusher, which consists of studio recordings on disc number one and a live performance on disc number two.  Expected October 1.  Meanwhile, Autechre is preparing a 2CD set - disc number one is a new CDEP and disc number two is DVD retrospective.

July 22 2002

Sonic Dragolgo's "21st Century Asian" will be released in October on Klangkrieg.

July 15 2002

To celebrate their 100th release, OM Records is issuing "OM 100", a double-disc of new and unreleased material from the artists on the label.  OM's artists include Juan Atkins, People Under The Stairs, and Ming+FS.

June 9 2002

New Alec Empire album out now on Digital Hardcore.  Enough to give you bleeding ears.

June 24 2002

Prodigy's new music video for their single, "Baby's Got a Temper", is causing quite a controversy.  It depicts scantily-clad women milking cows in a more-than-suggestive manner.  Then again, they are the "Smack My Bitch Up" people...

June 17 2002

A new album by Christian Vogel is planned for release in early July on Tresor.  It will be entitled "Dungeon Master".

June 9 2002

Remember "A Night At The Playboy Mansion"?  Well, now Dimitri From Paris is back with "After The Playboy Mansion", released on Astralwerks.  Playboy Magazine, meanwhile, has written an article about it in the new issue.  At least Hefner listens to good music.

Dj Vadim has released a new 12" entitled "Combustible" on Ninja Tune.  It features the vocal expertise of Gift of Gab (from Blackalicious).

Crack's debut album is coming out on Tigerbeat6 in the summer.   GLITCH.

New Beef Terminal album out this week on Noise Factory.

New Looper album, called "The Snare", is coming out on Mute Records on June 18.  Yes, Looper's the band with the members of Belle and Sebastian in it.

New Primal Scream album poised for release in late July.

Hepcat's Out of Nowhere album is due out on March 22 on Hellcat Records

Dropkick Murphys' live DVD, On the Road with the Dropkick Murphys, is due out on March 8.

Dec 1 2003

The Buzzcocks are currently touring England, and parts of the USA and Canada.  Dates:

Dec 1 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace
Dec 2 Montreal, Quebec - Club Soda
Dec 4 New York, NY - Irving Plaza
Dec 5 Washington, D.C. - 9:30 Club
Dec 6 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre Of The Living Arts
Dec 8 Bristol, England - Academy II
Dec 9 Brighton, England - Concorde II
Dec 10 London, England - Electric Ballroom
Dec 12 Oxford, England - The Zodiac
Dec 13 Stoke, England - Sugermill
Dec 14 Sheffield, England - Leadmill
Dec 15 Leeds, England - Metropolitan University
Dec 16 Glasgow, Scotland - The Garage
Dec 18 Newcastle, England - University
Dec 19 Manchester, England - Academy II
Dec 20 Stourbridge, England - Rock Cafe
Dec 21 Norwich, England - Waterfront

Oct 27 2003

The Romans' debut 1983 LP, You Only Live Once, has been re-released on CD by Warning Label.  As an added bonus, the disc comes with a nice selection of bonus tracks, including early demos, live recordings, and "ultra-rare soundtrack cuts from the 90's horror cult classic The Hideous Sun Demon."

The Urinals, who were part of the 1978 revolution that spawned the South California punk explosion, have released an all new album, entitled What Is Real and What Is Not on Warning Label.

Aug 6 2003

This year's Futility Fest will take place on Columbus Day Weekend, October 10 to October 12, at Nyabinghi just outside of Youngstown, Ohio.  Headliners include Oxbow, Helios Creed, Skeleton Key, Stinking Lizaveta, and more.  Following is the line-up:

Friday, October 10th: 6PM - 2AM
Creta Bourzia
Grand Ulena
herc.
Trephine
Mezzanine c14
Pankration
Suzukiton

Saturday, October 11: 2PM - 2AM
The Abandonded Hearts Club
Axehandle
Bakerton Group
Dysrhytmia
Electric turn to me
Jumbo's Killcrane
Helios Creed
Oxbow
Pelican
Sicbay
Totimoshi

Sunday, October 12th: 2PM - 2AM
Cheer Accident
Fuzzhead
Keelhaul
Lubricated Goat
Meatjack
Party Dream
Party of Helicopters
Point Line Plane
Skeleton Key
Stinking Lizaveta
Teeth of the Hydra

New Between Us and Division of Laura Lee are heading towards "Early 2004" release dates according to their label, Burning Heart.

The new Snapcase album will be out on November 4 on Victory Records, as will Catch 22's Dinosaur Times.

Jul 7 2003

Noam Chomsky (yes, I know, it's not punk, it's spoken word) will be releasing a new album, The Emerging Framework of World Power, on September 8.

Hardcore band Alexisonfire's new self-titled album will be out on August 26 on Equal Vision Records.

A new Madcap release will see the light of day in 2004.

Jun 24 2003

Infamous oldies cover outfit Me First and the Gimme Gimmes will be celebrating the release of their new album, Jackson, on August 26 on Jade Tree Records.

Envy's A Dead Sinking Story will be released on Level Plane Recrods on August 18.

The Weakerthans' new album, Reconstruction Site, will be releasedd on August 26 on Epitaph Records.

Jun 16 2003

A completely reworked vinyl version of Wire's Send has been issued on Pink Flag.

The Animal Collective's Here Comes The Indian CD is out now on Paw Tracks.

May 19 2003

Thrice's new The Artist In The Ambulance album will be released on July 22 on Island Records.

Reprise Records has a new CD/DVD set coming out compiling The Used's live tracks, demos, and previously unreleased recordings.  Penned for a July 17 release date, it's title is Maybe Memories.

May 12 2003

No news this week due to technical difficulties.  We're very sorry about this; we'll have new announcements up next week!

May 5 2003

n/a

Apr 28 2003

Billy Talent's self-titled debut will be out on September 2003.  Blah.

Apr 14 2003

Asian Man Records has reissues of The Rudiments' The Early Years and Bitch, Bitch, Bitch penned for release on August 4.

April 7 2003

Tooth & Nail Records has released the X2003 compilation double-cd, featuring the likes of Tobymac, Pillar, Relient K, Audio Adrenaline, The Supertones, and more.

Deep Elm will be releasing the first album by the newly-signed Settlefish of Bolgna, Italy on May 5.  It is entitled Dance A While, Upset.  Their new compilation Emo Is Awesome / Emo Is Evil will also come out on May 5; it will be available for $5.99 solely from Hot Topic stores. 

The last Joe Strummer & Mescaleros album, recorded before his death, will be released through Hellcat Records on May 8.  It does not yet have a title.

Mar 17 2003

Oakland, CA punk rock three-piece Sixteens have a new, self-titled LP out now.

Mar 11 2003

The Sex Pistols' There Is No Future is getting a wonderful reissue treatment on premium 180 gram vinyl, made to look exactly as it did upon its initial release.  On the Italian Earmark label.

Also being reissued on vinyl is Motorhead's classic Ace of Spades album, on Earmark Records as well.

Feb 24 2003

Out soon from Dim Mak Records:

The Soledad Brothers' Live LP/CD
The Phantom Pregnancies' Discography LP
Die Monitr Batss' Spead Your Legs/Release The Bats 7" and Youth Controllerss CD
The Gossip's Live LP/CD
The Panthers' Let's Get Serious 12"/CD
A Paradise Island 7"
A Tokyo Sex Destruction CD

Feb 17 2003

A 1500 copy limited pressing of a new Sonic Youth / Erase Errata split seven-incher, the first in Narnack Records' new "Buddy Series" of bi-monthly splits, will be released on Feb 25 along with a special die cut cover.

Feb 10 2003

Two new Melvins 7-inchers are out this week on the Ipecac label.

Jan 13 2003

The new International Noise Conspiracy album, Bigger Cages, Longer Chains, is due out on Jan 21 on the Burning Heart label of Sweden.  It has been out in Europe since November 25.

Dec 2 2002

DOA are celebrating their 25th anniversary with a whole plethora of tour dates.  Stay tuned for information.  So far the following have been announced:

Dec 5 Hero's Pub-Cariboo College Kamloops, BC
Dec 6 The Well-Okanagan College Kelowna, BC
Dec 7 The Pic Pub Vancouver, BC
Dec 21 The Railway Vancouver, BC

Nov 25 2002

epitaph = charity

if it isn't punk, it's pink.  if it isn't pink, it's ?

Nov 18 2002

On December 10, new EPs by The Kills and Pretty Girls Make Graves are due out on Dim Mak Records.

Also coming on Dim Mak in 2003 are:

Jan 21: Dance Disaster Movement We are From Nowhere LP/CD, Soledad Brothers live 12"/CD.

TBA: Panthers 12"/CD, Soledad Brothers LP/CD, Phantom Pregnancies discography LP, The Red Light Sting 7", Huggy Bear Tribute LP/CD.

As well as a slew of reissues.  Excitement abound!

Nov 3 2002

Black Flag have sold the guitar they used to record "Rise Above."  But don't yell out, "THAT'S NOT PUNK!!"  You see, the money goes to the West Memphis 3 Defense Fund.  At press time, the legendary axe was at $4050.01.  The auction closes at 2AM EST on Nov 4, so act fast!

Avail Front Porch Stories album out now on Fat Wreck.

Oct 21 2002

Mock Orange's debut EP is expected out on November 26 on Dead Droid Records.  It's supposed to be really good.

Oct 14 2002

Various new records are planned for release on 625 Thrashcore in the next few months:

A new Futures LP.

A new I Quit! EP.

A new Highscore LP (their second).

A new Spitfire collection.

A debut Never Conform EP.

Possessed to Skate Volume Two 10" LP.

A new Domestik Doktrin (from Indonesia) EP.

A debut Circle (from Japan) EP.

A new They Live LP/CD.

A new Breakfast (skate-thrash from Tokyo) LP.

Sep 30 2002

El Guapo have finished recording a new full-length for Dischord, yet no release date has been set.

Lungfish have been hard at work at some new material, but nothing is known about it.

Sep 23 2002

The new Negativland album, Deathsentences Of The Polished And Culturally Weak, is out this week.  It will be sold as a CD with a book.  Whether it belongs in punk news or experimental news, who knows?

Sep 22 2002

A new punk compilation, Hardcore Breakout 1, 2, 3..., is due out in November on New Red Archives.  Three discs for the price of one, people!

Aug 27 2002

The Theoretical Girls' "Theoretical Record" will be reissued on Acute on October 15.  It was originally released in the late 70s.  This is early no wave, folks!

Aug 12 2002

A Highscore collection album (spanning 1986-1989) will be released on 625 Thrash shortly.  Also out soon is a one-sided EP (with 11 songs) by the Singapore-based Secret 7.  And that's not it!  Check here for all the future releases!

The Butthole Surfers are planning on reissuing their two Alternative Tentacles EPs, the Brown Reason to Live 12", and the Live PCPPEP, with a couple bonus tracks thrown in for good measure.  This will be released on their own label, Latino Buggerveil.

July 29 2002

"BYO Split Series Vol. 4: Bouncing Souls and Anti-Flag" out on September 3.  The Souls cover Anti-Flag and Cock Sparrer; Anti-Flag covers Bouncing Souls, The Romantics, and The Buzzcocks.

July 22 2002

New cd from Seven Days of Samsara to be expected from Harmless Records later this year.

July 15 2002

MAXIMUMROCKNROLL's "Book Your Own Fucking Life #10" is out now!  If the previous editions were of interest to you, or if you're a fan of MRR, then you'll want to look out for BYOFL10 - it's only $4 ppd in Canada and the US ($4.50 elsewhere).  Check out their site for more details.

July 9 2002

Flat Earth Records is, after sixteen years, calling it quits.  Established in 1986, they've since released dozens of punk and hardcore records (in both vinyl and cd formats) from the likes of Submission Hold, Health Hazard, Cress, Hiatus, Disaffect, and Generic.  To celebrate the occasion, they've "released" an MP3 sampler that's available to download here.  So go there.  Now.  Needless to say, Flat Earth will be missed.

June 24 2002

New No Use For A Name CD out now, entitled "Hard Rock Bottom".

June 9 2002

ETA (or Epilectic Terror Attack) and Def Choice are touring.   Check out the dates here.

New releases from Bloodlet and Atreyu are out on Victory Records.  A new Voodoo Glow Skulls album, "Steady As She Goes", is due out on July 2.

The Division of Laura Lee, The Transplants, and Guttermouth have new albums coming out on Burning Heart, Hellcat, and Epitaph, respectively.  Awesome.

The Voice Crack / Carlos Zíngaro Ba Kagpja split CD and Steve Roden's Speak No More About The Leaves album are out now on the Sirr.ecords label of Portugal.

Feb 2 2004

Pete Namlook's Air project has just come out with another album, Elle a du shell, on Ambient World / FAX.

Also out now on the FAX label are Krystian Shek's Eisblumen and Move D's Pop For Dwoozle.

Bob Mazurek's Sweet & Vicious Like Frankenstein CD is out now on Mego Records.

Dec 15 2003

No Face Lives, a new Wolf Eyes / Smegma split LP, is out now on Destijl Records.

Merzbow's SCSI Duck CD is out now on the Fourth Dimension label.  Expect "electronic drizzle, curdled howl, blasted textures, factory clatter & violent waveforms hemmed in by a somewhat more structured approach than is often the case."

Dec 8 2003

A new Scanner / Stephen Vitiello collaboration album is is out now on the Belgian Audiosphere label.

Dec 1 2003

Ukuphambana's Brennschluss remix album will be released on December 15, featuring mixes by Datach'i, Pneumatic Detach, Codec, and more...  Very exciting stuff.

Crno Klank's Etat des Lieux will be released this month on Ad Noiseam.

Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O's The Day Before the Sky Fell in America LP is out now on Eclipse Records.  It is a one-time pressing of 1000 copies, so act fast!

Oct 27 2003

irr. app. (ext.)'s new Dust Pincher Appliances album is out now on Crouton Records.

Soleilmoon Recordings has reissued four Muslimgauze albums, the Veiled Sisters double-disc, the Mazar-i-Sharif CD, his 1999 collaboration with Bass Communion, and the 2002 posthumous exploration Hummus.

Oct 13 2003

Asmus Tietchens' FT+ CD is out now on Crouton Music.

Aug 19 2003

Panicsville's new album, Imperfection of the Organism, is out now on luscious limited red vinyl.

My friend Jim's Blod Records is collecting bands and artists to contribute to a new CDR compilation he's set up.  It will be a holiday tribute album, featuring noise, industrial, experimental, electronic, and power electronics renditions and remixes of holiday carols.  See more at his website.

Aug 6 2003

Darkwood's new The Final Hours, a live album of sorts, is out now.  Expect experimental soundscapes and acoustic ambience.  There is also a box set version out, released in a limited edition of 112; it is described as a "wooden box fitted with metal containing an engraved red wine glass and a Darkwood patch".  Jawsome!  But it's 42 euros.  Nawsome!

Marzbow's new Animal Magnetism CD is out now on Alien8 Recordings (of Montreal).  From the press release: "On Animal Magnetism Akita blends his passion for guitars and more rhythmic elements of progressive rock, metal and his love for animals, even bringing to life the sounds of his very own pet chickens to mind bending results."  Oh Merzbow, you're so pop!

Jul 28 2003

A new Asmus Tietchens CD, FT+, will be released on Crouton Music in August.

Jul 7 2003

G-Nox's Ventre CD and a split CD between Ch District and Duuster are out now on M-Tronic.

A fantastic new compilation on V/VM Test Records called It's Fan-Dabi-Dozi! will be out on July 14.  Features tons of tracks, including contributions by Kevin Blechdom, Madame Chao, Cock ESP, Jansky Noise, and more.

Dtrack Records will be issuing a CD compilation entitled Rising Tide in mid-August.  It will feature tracks by Unitus, Schizoid, Exist, Stuntrock, and Bureau de Change.

August 25 will see the release of Apparat's third CD, Duplex, on Shitkatapult. 

Jun 24 2003

Chris Watson's Weather Report is out now on Touch Records.

Belgian label Sub Rosa have assembled An Anthology of Noise & Electronic Music 1936-2003 Vol. 2, to be released on July 1.

Jun 16 2003

Melt-Banana's Cell Scape, which you have undoubtedly been looking forward to for months, is out now on the band's Azap label.

Vacouous Ninnies' self-titled album is out now on Quatermass Records.  As the press sheet explains: "His method of working is to sit down (very important) and grab a handful of cassette tapes picked at random from a box containing hundreds. 'The tapes can include anything from Autechre, Tortoise and Mouse On Mars to Napalm Death, Stockhausen and Madonna. it really doesn't matter. I then play these tapes on a beaten old ghetto blaster with a knackered EQ. it's completely fucked but gives everything a wonderfully warm and compressed sound. I find a clean digital sample makes the music a little too cold. The signal is then fed through a Korg Kaoss Pad to completely mash things up. I might flick across to the radio, too, to cram as much information into a sample as possible. The more that you have going on in a sample, the less control you have over it. As a result, the end product -- the music -- is far more unpredictable.'"

May 19 2003

After a reasonably long drought of noise from Fennesz, fans will be happy to note that two new releases from the experimental electronic wizard are planned for later this year.  First off is Live in Japan, inked for a June 25 release date on the Headz label.  Then comes an ALL NEW ALBUM (!!!) by the name of Venice, to be unleashed upon the world in September.  Diehards can also look forward to a Japan release of 2001's Endless Summer on the P-Vine label on June 25 - it will include a previously unreleased bonus track called "Ohne Sonne".

A new 3CD set by Cabaret Voltaire is out now on Mute Records.  Methodology '74-'78 Attic Tapes is an experimental ride compiling the recordings made during the same time period as their first releases came out on the Industrial Records label.

Dat Politics' Tracto Flirt album is out now statewide on Tigerbeat6; expect "charmingly fucked-up, glitchy electronic beats, tones and melodies."

May 12 2003

No news this week due to technical difficulties.  We're very sorry about this; we'll have new announcements up next week!

Two new Pete Namlook collaborations are penned for co-release between Ambient World / FAX soon - one with Klaus Shulze (The Dark Side of the Moog 3) and one with Bill Laswell (Outland 3).  Meanwhile, the FAX label will be releasing another Namlook collaboration, with David Moufang - The Move D - Namlook Collection is an MP3 CD with 5 hours and 55 minutes of music to enjoy.

Ant-Zen Records has a new Merzbow boxset in the wo