WHAT: Constellations Festival
WHEN: November 12
WHERE: Leeds, England
WHO: Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, Wild Beasts, Yuck, the Antlers, the Big Pink, Spectrals, Braids, Gardens & Villa, Exitmusic, more
WHAT: Orlando Calling
WHEN: November 12-13
WHERE: Orlando, FL
WHO: Pixies, the Raconteurs, the Roots, Iron & Wine, Gogol Bordello, Kid Cudi, the Avett Brothers, Drive By Truckers, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Dr. Dog, Justin Townes Earle, more
WHAT: Semibreve Festival
WHEN: November 10-13
WHERE: Braga, Portugal
WHO: Fennesz, Alva Noto, Murcof, Jon Hopkins, Qluster, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, more
WHAT: Cropped Out
WHEN: November 11-12
WHERE: Louisville, KY
WHO: Scratch Acid, Sun Araw, Bill Orcutt, Angel Olsen, MV & EE, Dope Body, Coliseum, the Men, more
WHAT: HARD Haunted Mansion
WHEN: October 28-29
WHERE: Los Angeles, CA
WHO: Major Lazer, SBTRKT, Rusko, Skream + Benga, Fatboy Slim, Soulwax, Switch, Gaslamp Killer, Kingdom, Pearson Sound/Ramadanman, more
WHAT: Voodoo Music Experience
WHEN: October 28-29
WHERE: New Orleans, LA
WHO: TV on the Radio, Girl Talk, Odd Future, the Raconteurs, Major Lazer, Ray Davies, Mastodon, Band of Horses, Mates of State, X, Mannie Fresh, A-Trak, Kreayshawn, Soundgarden, more
WHAT: Bozar Electronic Weekend
WHEN: October 28-29
WHERE: Brussels, Belgium
WHO: Rustie, Modeselektor, Girl Unit, Lucky Dragons, Plaid, Hyetal, Siriusmo, Jacques Greene, Balmorhea, more
WHAT: Sonic City Festival
WHEN: October 28-30
WHERE: Kortrijk, Belgium
WHO: Liars (curators), Washed Out, the Melvins, Optimo, Factory Floor, Chris & Cosey, Oneida, HTRK, Sightings, more
The Raconteurs capped the first week of their reactivation on Sept. 17, closing the inaugural MI Fest with a blazing 90-minute set at the Michigan International Speedway.
Rockers both modern (Kid Rock, the Killers, the Raconteurs) and classic (Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band, the Doobie Brothers) will be performing at the inaugural Orlando Calling festival.
-- Glasgow label Chemikal Underground has teamed up with Cargo Publishing to release the audiobook version of the anthology The Year of Open Doors. The audiobook is out today and features contributions from Arab Strap's Aidan Moffat and many authors.
-- Greg Cartwright of the Oblivions and the Reigning Sound and the Ettes' Coco Hames have formed the Parting Gifts. Their debut album, Strychnine Dandelion, is out today on In the Red. Members of the Black Keys and the Raconteurs guest.
-- Speaking of the Raconteurs, members Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler (along with Craig Fox) release their latest Greenhornes album, ★★★★, this week on Third Man. Listen to a few of the tracks here.
-- Folk quartet Fern Knight release their fourth LP, Castings, this week on VHF.
Singer tells NME the band are on hold as two members restart their old band![]()
It's the role Will Oldham was born to play: mariachi loverman! In "Hombre Sencillo", the new seven-minute video from directors Britt Govea and Brian Ziffer, the man known as Bonnie "Prince" Billy plays a wandering guitarist who wakes up one day with the power to turn pretty girls from black-and-white into color by giving them roses. He does well for himself.
The song in the video is a cover of Graham Nash's "Simple Man" (renamed "Hombre Sencillo"), taken from the forthcoming Nash tribute album Be Yourself: A Tribute to Graham Nash's Songs for Beginners, which is out May 25 on Grass Roots. Other artists contributing to the tribute album include Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes, Brendan Benson of the Raconteurs, Port O'Brien with the Papercuts, Vetiver, and Alela Diane.
Watch the video below or at Pitchfork.tv.
Fire up your wallets: tomorrow, April 17, is Record Store Day, the holiday that helps keep the independent vinyl emporiums of the world in business. As in years past, scores of bands and labels are helping out, sending exclusive material to indie stores, or playing or DJing in-stores sets. All of this is to convince people-- people like you-- to leave their houses and spend some hard-earned currency on physically released music, something that people seem less and less willing to do all the time.
Because there's so much going on on Record Store Day, we've compiled a list of some of the more notable releases to seek out, as well as which in-stores you might want to hit up. This isn't a definitive list; the Record Store Day website lists everything that's going on, and we're only skimming the most interesting stuff. Check here for a list of participating stores, and here for a list of exclusive releases.
There's even a surprise Beastie Boys white label 12"-- so be on the lookout!
* Lots of new material from Sub Pop, including Beach House's "Zebra" 12" single, which features four songs, including new versions of two Teen Dream tracks. Also: Casual Nostalgia Fest, a compilation of songs recorded live at SP20, the label's 20th anniversary...
Artist: Brendan Benson
Album: My Old, Familiar Friend
Release Date: August 18
Label: ATO