http://www.jagjaguwar.com/ Independence since 1996. (c) 1996-2006 http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#189 Fait Attention! BON IVER! En public! Aux KCMP! Yesterday, Justin performed stirring renditions of "Skinny Love' and "Flume" AND "For Emma" live in-studio at KCMP in Minneapolis. Hear him weave the epic tale of Wisconsin winter, and describe how last winter got so good. Click here and listen. ( ) North American Dates: 01/18/08 Chicago, IL - Schubas w/ Wax Fang + Illinois + Cloud Cult 01/19/08 Milwaukee, WI - Mad Planet w/ Conrad Plymouth + Collections of Colonies of Bees 02/10/08 Eau Claire, WI - The Nucleus 02/15/08 Bloomington, IN - Bear's Place w/ The Hollows 02/18/08 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 02/19/08 Washington, DC - The Rock and Roll Hotel w/ Black Mountain 02/20/08 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's w/ Black Mountain 02/22/08 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom w/ Black Mountain 02/23/08 Brooklyn, NY - Glasslands 02/24/08 Boston, MA - Middle East Upstairs w/ Black Mountain 02/25/08 Portland, ME - The Space Gallery w/ Black Mountain 02/26/08 Muncton, NB - The Manhattan w/ Black Mountain 02/27/08 Halifax, NS - The Marquee Club w/ Black Mountain 02/29/08 Montreal, QC - La Sala Rosa w/ Black Mountain 03/05/08 Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace w/ Black Mountain 03/06/08 Cleveland, OH - The Grog Shop w/ Black Mountain 03/07/08 Louisville, KY - Headliners w/ Black Mountain 03/09/08 Knoxville, TN - The Pilot Light w/ Black Mountain 03/10/08 Nashville, TN - Exit/In w/ Black Mountain 03/11/08 Little Rock, AR - Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack w/ Black Mountain 03/19/08 San Diego, CA - Che Cafe w/ Phosphorescent 03/20/08 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo w/ Phosphorescent 03/21/08 Santa Barbara, CA - Muddy Waters w/ Phosphorescent 03/22/08 Visalia, CA - Cellar Door w/ Phosphorescent 03/23/08 San Francisco, CA - The Independent w/ Phosphorescent 03/24/08 Portland, OR - Holocene w/ Phosphorescent 03/25/08 Vancouver, BC - Media Club 03/26/08 Seattle, WA - Nectar Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#190 Will Sheff from OKKERVIL RIVER performed a cover of Big Star's "Big Black Car" for Black Cab Sessions (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWxQWmSRcAs). Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#188 Vancouver's Black Mountain make their national television debut on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on Thursday, February 21. The band will take a break from their tour to share a track from their new album in living rooms across the nation. Black Mountain's eponymous debut, "a modern heavy psych masterpiece," according to Mojo magazine, came out almost three years ago. In the subsequent years the band has grown in scope and scale, refining their sound while blowing it out to massive heights. So it's no surprise that the advance word on the new album "In the Future" from the UK and US press has been glowing. The new album lands on January 22nd, and here's what folks are saying: WORD magazine -- "…heady, heavy and brilliantly executed: stoner rock for the masses." Mojo (lead review by Jon Savage, 4 stars) -- "…an ambitious state-of-the world address that delivers on an emotional and visceral level." NYLON -- "Black Mountain make thundering anachronistic prog-rock. And there's nothing wrong with that." Elle -- Black Mountain "fashion twisting riffs into a heart of guitar darkness that's all their own." WIRE Magazine: In The Future "eclipses their previous output and hits a consistent note of righteous force." The band will be rolling out their news songs during the Black Mountain tour, which kicks off January 31. This time around, tour-mates include HOWLIN' RAIN, BON IVER, LADYHAWK, BLOOD ON THE WALL and DEAD MEADOW. Full dates below. And in the meantime, when you pre-order Black Mountain's CD, limited edition 2xCD, or the 2xLP version of "In the Future", you will receive MP3s of the full album before the release date (and before the physical records arrive). This can be done at participating brick-and-mortar record stores, or via mailorder at Insound or direct from Jagjaguwar (at http://www.scdistribution.com). The limited edition 2xCD version includes three additional songs, two of which were on the tour-only Bastards of Light 12". Finally, for a limited time, anyone and everyone can listen to a full album stream of the full album on the band's myspace page, at http://www.myspace.com/blackmountain . North American Tour Dates: 01/31/08 Seattle, WA - Neumo's   w/ Yeasayer, MGMT, Howlin' Rain 02/02/08 Portland, OR - The Doug Fir   w/ Howlin' Rain 02/04/08 San Francisco, CA - The Independent   w/ Howlin' Rain 02/05/08 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour   w/ Howlin' Rain 02/07/08 San Diego, CA - Casbah   w/ Howlin' Rain 02/08/08 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress   w/ Blood on the Wall 02/10/08 Austin, TX - Emo's   w/ Blood on the Wall + Dead Meadow 02/11/08 Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre   w/ Blood on the Wall + Dead Meadow 02/13/08 Birmingham, AL - Bottle Tree   w/ Blood on the Wall 02/15/08 Atlanta, GA - The EARL   w/ Blood on the Wall 02/16/08 Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle   w/ Blood on the Wall 02/17/08 Chapel Hill, NC - The Local 506   w/ Blood on the Wall 02/19/08 Washington, DC - The Rock and Roll Hotel   w/ Bon Iver 02/20/08 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's   w/ Bon Iver 02/22/08 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom   w/ Bon Iver 02/24/08 Boston, MA - Middle East Upstairs   w/ Bon Iver 02/25/08 Portland, ME - The Space Gallery   w/ Bon Iver 02/26/08 Muncton, NB - The Manhattan   w/ Bon Iver 02/27/08 Halifax, NS - The Marquee Club   w/ Bon Iver 02/29/08 Montreal, QC - La Sala Rosa   w/ Bon Iver 03/05/08 Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace   w/ Bon Iver 03/06/08 Cleveland, OH - The Grog Shop   w/ Bon Iver 03/07/08 Louisville, KY - Headliners   w/ Bon Iver 03/09/08 Knoxville, TN - The Pilot Light   w/ Bon Iver 03/10/08 Nashville, TN - Exit/In   w/ Bon Iver 03/20/08 Kansas City, MO - Record Bar 03/22/08 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle 03/23/08 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon 03/24/08 Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry 03/25/08 Fargo, ND - Aquarium 03/27/08 Winnipeg, MB - Pyramid Cabaret   w/ Ladyhawk 03/28/08 Regina, SK - The Distrikt   w/ Ladyhawk 03/29/08 Saskatoon, SK - Amigo's   w/ Ladyhawk 03/31/08 Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room   w/ Ladyhawk 04/01/08 Calgary, AB - The Warehouse   w/ Ladyhawk 04/05/08 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom  w/ Ladyhawk Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#187 For those of you who enjoy your rock'n'roll soaked in alcohol, we have good news. Come March 4th, 2008 (UK release April 7th), LADYHAWK will release a new full length titled "Shots". With a full length and 12" under their belt, Ladyhawk took up residence in an abandoned farm house behind the shopping mall in the band's childhood hometown of Kelowna, British Columbia, armed only with recording gear, sangria and a piss pot. Two weeks later "Shots" was born. It is an album filled with the cold creaking and ghostly echoes of the old house in the dead of winter. Like a party for the last house standing in a sea of strip malls and condos, surely near the end of its time. "Shots" is the sound of Ladyhawk getting loose, turning up loud, downing a few more and howling at the moon. It evokes the devilish sounds of Goats Head Soup guitars, the honey-slides and howling of Neil Young in his darkest hours, and the phantoms that haunted Roky Erickson at the Holiday Inn. Experts at bottling the misty mountain ghostly blues offered on their self titled debut, it should be clear, this is not classic rock; this is not southern rock. "Shots" is a step forward toward someplace your compass doesn't point. A sneak peak of the album is being offered by our friends at Fader Magazine. You can hear the track "I Don't Always Know What You're Saying" here (http://www.thefader.com/articles/2008/1/7/premiere-ladyhawk-i-don-t-always-know-what-you-re-saying) LADYHAWK tour-dates: 03/18/08 London, ON - Salt Lounge 03/19/08 Hamilton, ON - Casbah 03/20/08 Montreal, PQ - Le Divan Orange 03/21/08 Ottowa, ON - Zaphod Beeblebrox 03/22/08 Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern 03/27/08 Winnipeg, MB - Pyramid Cabaret w/ Black Mountain 03/28/08 Regina, SK - The Distrikt w/ Black Mountain 03/29/08 Saskatoon, SK - Amigo's w/ Black Mountain 03/31/08 Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room w/ Black Mountain 04/01/08 Calgary, AB - The Warehouse w/ Black Mountain 04/02/08 Kelowa, BC - The Habitat 04/05/08 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom w/ Black Mountain American tour dates, as well as other cool goodies to be announced soon. Stay tuned. Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#186 BLACK MOUNTAIN's "In The Future" (http://jagjaguwar.com/onesheet.php?cat=JAG090) is now available for pre-order. When you pre-order the record, whether it is the limited-edition 2xCD version, the regular 1xCD version or the 2xLP version, you will receive a digital download code that will allow you to get FREE FULL ALBUM MP3s as early as January 8, up to two weeks before the release date. (And if it isn't obvious, the 2xCD version is the same price as the 1xCD version, and comes with three additional songs, so you might as well order that while supplies last.) The link will be up until the release date, January 22. Go here to pre-order: http://www.scdistribution.com/cat/jag_catalognew.php (http://www.scdistribution.com/cat/jag_catalognew.php) Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#185 The Odawas have had a busy year since the release of their masterful second album "Raven and The White Night" in March. Brad Cash has moved away from the active Odawas ranks, moving to North Carolina. Michael Tapscott and Isaac Edwards moved from their home in Indianapolis to Chicago, continuing their northern migration that started in the land of the Jagjaguwars, Bloomington, Indiana. And now they bring you a Christmas offering. There are plenty of Christmas tunes out there that celebrate the holiday spirit, with sleigh bells, pristine white snow, and lots of jolly characters. However, for all of you feeling the Christmas blues, the Odawas bring you "I Tell Lies (Odawas Remix)". Originally crafted for frontman Michael Tapscott's side project More Animals Of The Arctic (which Tapscott lovingly refers to as "the Parliament to the Odawas' Funkadelic"), "I Tell Lies" has been lovingly recrafted with a new mix by Isaac Edwards and a new vocal track from Mr. Tapscott. Enjoy! "I Tell Lies (Odawas Remix)" (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/itelllies.mp3) Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#184 Today, OKKERVIL RIVER released a 9-track collection of cover songs called "Golden Oppportunities", which will be available for free download exclusively at okkervilriver.com (http://www.okkervilriver.com). The album will feature songs from The Fugs, John Cale, and Randy Newman and will contain thematic ties to their critically acclaimed album "The Stage Names". The songs from Golden Opportunities were recorded at various radio stations, concerts and empty hotel stairwells while the band was on tour in Europe and America. Okkervil River has also confirmed new dates in Europe and Australia beginning February 2. The band also released a video for “A Girl in Port,” which was shot by Mike Torres on their 2006 European tour. Describing the making of the video Sheff explains, “We had a day off in the area surrounding the walled city of San Elpidio a Mare, Italy. We took the van down to the beach; Scotty and Brian skipped rocks; Patrick and Travis played this weird little pseudo-poker shell and rock game; and I pulled out my guitar to play this song inspired by the whole seaside scene. It was one of my favorite afternoons in recent memory.” See the video here (http://scjag.com/mp3/jag/agirlinport.mov) Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#182 HARP Magazine has named Okkervil River's "The Stage Names" as their album of the year for 2007. For a more in-depth look at their coverage, you can check out their feature in the November 2007 issue, or view it online here (http://harpmagazine.com/articles/detail.cfm?article_id=6345) Congrats, guys! Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#181 MANISHEVITZ are back! After a long hiatus, (since Jag released "City Life" back in 2003) the band has a brand-new record. "East To East" was released on Tuesday, by the good folks at Catbird Records. The first 100 copies come with a 4-song bonus CD in a had-decorated sleeve. It can be yours here (http://www.catbirdrecords.com/cbr_012.shtml) You can sample a track right now on Stereogum (http://www.stereogum.com/archives/mp3/new-manishevitz-dead-birds.html) Want more? Visit the Manishevitz MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/manishevitzband). Woo! Thu, 06 Dec 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#180 While on their fall tour, SUNSET RUBDOWN paid a visit to our good pals at Daytrotter Studios. The band recorded three songs for their latest session, one from their current full-length ("The Mending of the Gown"), one from an older EP ("Three Colors"), and one brand-new track ("Idiot Heart"). Listen to them all here (http://www.daytrotter.com/article/1088/he-cant-believe-he-belongs-to-nowhere-the-human-aurora-borealis) Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#179 Quite a few of Jagjaguwar's 2007 releases have been nominated for "Best Album of 2007" by the good folks at NPR. And the nominees are..... - Okkervil River - The Stage Names - Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover - The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse Exercise your democratic right here (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16511748) Sat, 01 Dec 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#178 Jagjaguwar finally reveals all! Bon Iver's "For Emma, Forever Ago" is being heralded as a masterpiece of a debut and an early contender for King of the Hill in 2008. And it hasn't even been released. Well, mark your calendars, Jagjaguwar has an official release date for the album: February 19th, 2008. We've also got an album cover we can share. The icy artwork reflects the cold winter months Bon Iver spent recording the album in rural Wisconsin.  See the cover art here (http://jagjaguwar.com/press/boniver/boniverpress.php) "Irresistible." - The New York Times "Bon Iver is simply astounding." - Stereogum "The album is a ruminative collection of songs full of natural imagery and acoustic strums - the sound of a man left alone with his memories and a guitar...Rarely does folk - indie or otherwise - give so much over to ambience..." - RECOMMENDED by Pitchfork Bon Iver has also climbed down from his deer stand for the rest of the month to go support Elvis Perkins for an east coast tour of the United States and Canada. And it starts tonight! We had to take a break from marching in our Bon Iver fandom parade to drop our "too good to be true" attitude and chop up press bits and archive nuts for the long winter ahead. That is, we're doing all we can to just hang on to the thrill ride that is Bon Iver. Muzzle of Bees had the following to say: "Seeing him live is simply a treasure that doesn't come across too often. Vocally, his reach is otherworldly and I can't even begin to count the times were I caught myself shaking my head in awe and appreciation."  11/29/07 Montreal, Quebec - Cabaret Music Hall   11/30/07 Burlington, VT - Higher Ground   12/01/07 Providence, RI - AS 220   12/02/07 Boston, MA - Paradise   12/03/07 Northampton, MA - Iron Horse  12/05/07 Vienna, VA - Jammin' Java  12/06/07 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's 12/07/07 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom   MP3 for "Skinny Love" here (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/skinnylove.mp3) Stream "For Emma, Forever Ago" in its entirety here (http://virb.com/boniver) Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#177 MINUS STORY has released a new video for the song "Stitch Me Up" from their album My Ion Truss. You can check out the video on the Jagjaguwar media page (link is on top of page) or watch it on YouTube here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0I4Hlm6GOM) After recording My Ion Truss, the band still had a lot of material and gumption to record, thus a full length's worth of material was recorded. It became Make The Dead Come and it's the band's favorite recording to date. This album was only available from Minus Story at their live shows. They had some leftover and we are happy to make Make The Dead Come available to stores December 4. Ask your favorite retailer about it. Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#176 Finally, a taste from Black Mountain's ( http://jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=blackmountain) upcoming album, "In The Future", is available. You can now download the 8-minute epic song called "Tyrants" HERE (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/tyrants.mp3) . And, yes, please share "Tyrants" with everyone you know. We're also excited to announce that Black Mountain will start their North American tour in support of "In The Future" with Howlin' Rain, which features Ethan Miller from wonderful psych rock outfit Comets on Fire. Five tour dates on the west coast have been announced so far. 02/02/08 Portland, OR - The Doug Fir w/ Howlin' Rain 02/04/08 San Francisco, CA - The Independent w/ Howlin' Rain 02/05/08 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour w/ Howlin' Rain 02/07/08 San Diego, CA - Casbah w/ Howlin' Rain 02/10/08 Seattle, WA - The Crocodile w/ Howlin' Rain For all BLACK MOUNTAIN tour-dates: (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/shows.php (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/shows.php)) Mon, 26 Nov 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#175 JAGJAUWAR has been fortunate enough to receive no less than 4 PLUG award nominations this year. Here is the list of the lucky nominees: Okkervil River - Artist of the Year Okkervil River - Indie Rock Album of the Year Sunset Rubdown - Indie Rock Album Of The Year Jagjaguwar - Label of the Year From right now through February 8, 2008, you can head on over to the PLUG website (http://www.plugawards.com/general_vote.php) and cast your vote. The winners will be announced at the awards show on March 6 in New York. We're keeping our fingers crossed! Wed, 21 Nov 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#174 It's been nearly three years since Canadian quintet Black Mountain's ( http://jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=blackmountain) eponymous debut - "a modern heavy psych masterpiece", according to Mojo magazine. Fans included The Flaming Lips, J Mascis and Mudhoney, the latter inviting British Columbia's finest to join them at All Tomorrow's Parties in April 2006; Black Mountain will return to the festival in December 2007 at the invitation of Nightmare Before Christmas curators Portishead. Immediately preceding their 2007 ATP appearance, Black Mountain will be performing throughout Europe and the UK (see tour dates below). They will be performing many songs from their upcoming second full-length called "In The Future" (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/onesheet.php?cat=JAG090), which comes out on CD, LP, and as a limited edition double CD on Jagjaguwar on January 21, 2008. If, as Plan B magazine noted of the first LP, "Every song could be an album to itself, by a band with lesser ideas and the ability to express them", then "In The Future" sees those distinctive individual strands woven into a seamless studio tapestry that's a quantum leap, both sonically and compositionally, from its predecessor. Stay tuned for additional Black Mountain announcements regarding extensive touring throughout 2008, as plans are in the works to hit up every nook and cranny of this wondrous globe. For those who can't wait to experience some live Black Mountain, check out their live performance at Pop Montreal that happened in October, courtesy of CBC Radio: http://radio3.cbc.ca/concerts/Black-Mountain-2007-10-06/ (http://radio3.cbc.ca/concerts/Black-Mountain-2007-10-06/) BLACK MOUNTAIN tour-dates (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/shows.php (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/shows.php)): 11/16/07 Barcelona, Spain - Sala Apollo 11/17/07 Mallorca, Spain - Sa Pobla 11/19/07 Cesena, Italy - Officina49 11/20/07 Zurich, Switzerland - Rote Fabrik 11/21/07 Vienna, Austria - Flex 11/22/07 Prague, Czech Republic - Klub 007, Strahov 11/23/07 Dresden, Germany - Star Club 11/24/07 Berlin, Germany - Festsaal Kreuzberg 11/25/07 Hamburg, Germany - Uebel and Gefahrlich 11/26/07 Aarhus, Denmark - Voxhall 11/27/07 Oslo, Norway - Garage 11/28/07 Stockholm, Sweden - Kagelbanan 11/29/07 Malmo, Sweden - Debaser 11/30/07 Groningen, Netherlands - Vera 12/01/07 Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli 12/02/07 Antwerp, Belgium - Trix 12/03/07 Paris, France - La Maroquinerie 12/05/07 London, UK - Cargo 12/06/07 Nottingham, UK - Rescue Rooms 12/07/07 Minehead, UK - All Tomorrow's Parties Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#173 OKKERVIL RIVER's new Daytrotter session is now up here (http://www.daytrotter.com/article/1068/forcing-them-to-talk-all-of-them-scene-stealing-what-comes-of-it) For their latest session, the band dusts off some chestnuts, beginning with a full-band version of "April Anne", originally from former the Mamas and the Papas member John Phillips' out-of-print 1970 solo debut. Sheff's stark, solo acoustic renderings of a song Carole King wrote for Dusty Springfield ("No Easy Way Down") and a Jimmy Webb song once recorded by Nina Simone, among others ("Do What You Gotta Do") put Sheff's quavering vocals, the emotional centerpiece of 2007's "The Stage Names", in a more feminine light. The session closes with a "skiffle version" of the new album's "You Can't Hold the Hand of a Rock and Roll Man" backed by the full band, with Sheff comping on acoustic guitar and member Brian Cassidy trading his electric guitar for piano. Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#172 RICHARD YOUNGS has contributed a track to "Migrating Bird: The Songs Of Lal Waterson", which was recently released on Honest Jon's Records. He is in good company, the album also features such luminaries as Michael Hurley, Alasdair Roberts, and Vashti Bunyan, to name a few. Richard covers the song "The Welcome Sailor". Lal Waterson was an English folk singer who played an important role in the resurgence of interest in traditional British folk songs for more than four decades. She and her brother, sister and second cousin formed The Watersons in the early 60s. The group released a trio of groundbreaking folk albums, including "Frost and Fire", which was named Best Folk Album of 1965 by Melody Maker. She continued to record music throughout her life, though she was forced by illness to retire from touring in 1981. She succumbed to cancer in 1998. For more info, or to purchase, please visit the Honest Jon's website (http://www.honestjons.com/shop.php?pid=31513andCatID=124) Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#170 PandL's BJ Warshaw has just released his first solo record under the moniker Shooting Spires, on the band's own Cardboard Records. It has been described as "an agoraphobic mix of soaring choruses and tormented electronics, fueled on Brian Eno, Boredoms and Peter Gabriel". Warshaw fuses off-kilter electronic beats, oscillator blips, glitchy loops, toy keyboards, distorted guitars, saxophone, drums and found percussion. All of this is the therapeutic underscore to lyrics about failed relationships ("Embers"), redemption in the face of seemingly inescapable cycles ("Quarantine"), the persistent threat of personal and global catastrophe ("Alive And Well") and finding solace in decay ("Right"). It can be purchased through the Cardboard Records website (http://www.cardboardrecords.com) Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#169 We are seriously thrilled to announce the addition of Bon Iver to the Jagjaguwar family. In early 2008 Jagjaguwar will properly release the debut full-length "For Emma, Forever Ago" that has been making major waves in critics circles based on the strength of an early artist-pressed advance cd and a couple awe-inspiring sets at CMJ a few weeks back. The New York Times called it "irresistible" and Pitchfork stamped its early review of the album with a Recommended tag. For those of you hiding away in a cabin of your own, it's time that you hear the story, and more importantly, the music. Bon Iver (pronounced: bohn eevair; French for "good winter" and spelled wrong on purpose) is a greeting, a celebration and a sentiment. It is a new statement of an artist moving on and establishing the groundwork for a lasting career. For Emma, Forever Ago is the debut of this lineage of songs. As a whole, the record is entirely cohesive throughout and remains centered around a particular  aesthetic, prompted by the time and place for which it was recorded. Justin Vernon, the primary force behind Bon Iver, seems to have tested his boundaries to the maximum, and in doing so has managed to break free from any pre-cursing or finished forms. It wasn't planned. The goal was to hibernate. Vernon moved to a remote cabin in the woods of Northwestern Wisconsin at the onset of winter. He lived there alone for three months, filling his days with wood splitting and other chores around the land. This solitary time slowly began feeding a bold, uninhibited new musical focus. The days slowly evolved into nights filled with twelve-hour recording blocks, breaking only for trips on the tractor into the pines to saw and haul firewood, or for frozen sunrises high up a deer stand. All of his personal trouble, lack of perspective, heartache, longing, love, loss and guilt that had been stock piled over the course of the past six years, was suddenly purged into the form of song. Free MP3 of  "Skinny Love" from "For Emma, Forever ago": http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/skinnylove.mp3 (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/skinnylove.mp3) Stream the entire album at: http://virb.com/boniver (http://virb.com/boniver) "The album is a ruminative collection of songs full of natural imagery and acoustic strums -- the sound of a man left alone with his memories and a guitar... Rarely does folk -- indie or otherwise -- give so much over to ambience..." -- RECOMMENDED by Pitchfork (10.04.07) - Pitchfork You can catch Bon Iver live this fall as he joins Elvis Perkins on a short jaunt through the Northeast United States and Canada. 10 Nov 07 - Madison, WI -Madison Pop Festival - Great Hall and also on tour with Elvis Perkins- 29 Nov 07- Montreal, QC- Cabaret Music Hall 30 Nov 07- Burlington, VT- Higher Ground 2 Dec 07 - Boston, MA - Paradise 3 Dec 07 - Northampton, MA - Iron Horse 4 Dec 07 - Vienna, VA - Jammin' Java 6 Dec 07 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's 7 Dec 07 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom Website: http://www.myspace.com/boniver (http://www.myspace.com/boniver) Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#168 In support of their critically acclaimed avant-pop masterpiece "The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse" CD/LP (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/onesheet.php?cat=JAG106), THE BESNARD LAKES (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=besnardlakes) will be spending late 2007 on tour with Sweden's PETER BJORN AND JOHN. It has been a magical year for The Besnard Lakes. They have toured both North America and Europe twice over, playing the most intimate rooms as well as on large festival stages where they've opened up for the likes of Smashing Pumpkins. They have been nominated for prestigious prizes, such as for the POLARIS PRIZE, recognizing the best Canadian album of the year, and the ECHO SONGWRITING PRIZE for their song "Devastation". And their album has been an underground success story, being deemed by Pitchfork as one of the excellent overlooked records this year and having garnered great praise from prominent print media outlets such as Mojo (4 star review; see below.) Likely to make it on many year-end "best of 2007" lists, the Besnard Lakes make one last splash with a few weeks on the road with PETER BJORN AND JOHN. Also recently available from the Besnard Lakes is the "Casino Nanaimo" 12-inch (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/onesheet.php?cat=JAG116) and a re-introduction of their debut album "Volume I". All dates with Peter Bjorn and John: 11/23/2007 Houston, TX - Warehouse 11/24/2007 Dallas, TX - Palladium 11/25/2007 Oklahoma City, OK - Cain's 11/26/2007 Kansas City, MO - Madrid 11/27/2007 Indianapolis, IN - Vogue 11/29/2007 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom 11/30/2007 Louisville, KY - Headliners 12/1/2007 Detroit, MI - Majestic 12/2/2007 Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's 12/3/2007 Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls 12/5/2007 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom* *w/o Peter Bjorn and John For comprehensive, up-to-date tour listing, go HERE (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/shows.php). Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#167 It's Fall. We know this because the leaves in Indiana are turning many shades of awesome, and because there's a new Richard Youngs album in the hopper, readymade to soundtrack your late mulled cider nights. The album is called "Autumn Response" (release 11/06/07), and it is a spartan folk-"pop" record filled with tinder-box intimacies. It is a singer-songwriter album, as Youngs' fingers slip over the steel strings with little feet and whispery toes, his gently prophetic songs evoke Roger Waters and the folk phase play is sure to appeal to fans of Animal Collective's Sung Tongs. The album is composed of some of the shortest songs ever recorded by Youngs. Bringing it back to Youngs basics, the simplest form of trickery comes from his restrained use of the acoustic guitar. Twenty-six seconds into "I Need the Light", the first track off the album, the listener is confronted with the pivotal element of the record, the drawing line between the hardcore Youngs purists and fairweather fans: the track, like others on the record, features Youngs' double-tracked voice splitting in two - as one overlaid performance veers away from the other. While we're not always sure of the "King of the Progressive Minimalists" tag - which is often used beside his name - this gesture warrants such a title as the confident inclusion of such an effect grants it legitimacy. Youngs' voices slipping away from one another is on par with other intense representations of singularity such as Donald Judd and Malevich's Suprematist Composition: White on White. Here pop is a gesture, a stance, a pose. Jagjaguwar artist page (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=youngsrichard) "Low Bay of Sky" mp3 (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/lowbayofsky.mp3) Richard Youngs on Virb (http://www.virb.com/richardyoungs) Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#166 Tired of seeing the same old compressed version of the brilliant "For Agent 13" video, on the Jagjaguwar site or through You Tube? Well, the video is airing in all of its full broadcast quality glory on October 22, on MTV2's Subterranean. We are told it will air after 1 am, so if you ae like some of us in the midwest and need to wake up early to milk the cows, then hopefully you have a Tivo or something like it. Here again is the link to the ye olde compressed version: here (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/BesnardLakes_Agent13.mov). Also feel free to visit the additional links below to view larger video versions. http://www.stereogum.com/archives/video/new-besnard-lakes-video-for-agent-13.html (http://www.stereogum.com/archives/video/new-besnard-lakes-video-for-agent-13.html) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMOyBHIGjnY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMOyBHIGjnY) http://pitchforkmedia.com/page/forkcast/44277-the-besnard-lakes-for-agent-13 (http://pitchforkmedia.com/page/forkcast/44277-the-besnard-lakes-for-agent-13) Tue, 16 Oct 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#165 RICHARD YOUNGS' newest creation "Autumn Response" is now available for pre-order on CD or LP from the Jagjaguwar mailorder page. Autumn Response is a spartan folk-"pop" record filled with tinder-box intimacies, composed of some of the shortest songs ever recorded by Richard Youngs. The simplest form of trickery comes from Richard Youngs' restrained use of an acoustic guitar, bringing it back to Youngs basics. Twenty-six seconds into "I Need the Light", the first track off the album, the listener is confronted with the pivotal element of the record, the drawing line between the hardcore Youngs purists and fairweather fans: the track, like others on the record, features Youngs' double-tracked voice splitting in two - as one overlaid performance veers away from the other. Reserve one here (http://www.scdistribution.com/cat/jag_catalognew.php) Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#164 Will Sheff will be in New York next weekend, performing at AAM's CMJ Celebration. The show will be held at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday, October 20. And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Simian Mobile Disco, Mika Miko, Oh No! Oh My! and Anna Ternheim will also be performing. This is one awesome lineup, so come on out and feast your ears if it's geographically possible! Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#162 The stars aligned, a bunch of touring routes lined up, and we were thus very fortunate to be able to get four bands very close and dear to our hearts together for one show at Pop Montreal this year. It is happening on Saturday, October 6, at THÉÂTRE NATIONAL (1220 Sainte-Catherine E.) in Montreal, Quebec. And the running order (last to first) with times is as follows: 24:00 Black Mountain 23:00 Sunset Rubdown 22:00 Oakley Hall 21:00 Lightning Dust We hope very much you can make it out. For more information on how to purchase tickets, etc., please check out Pop Montreal's website at http://www.popmontreal.com/ (http://www.popmontreal.com/) Wed, 03 Oct 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#163 It will not only make your heart flutter, but it will cause your temples to pulse and, if you stare long enough, your eyes to bleed. You must check out the new and very psych-and-prog-spiritual Black Mountain album cover at the new Black Mountain website: www.blackmountainarmy.com (http://www.blackmountainarmy.com/) If you already don't know, the new album is coming out on January 22. And the track-listing of this record that has been in the works for over two years, is as follows: 1. Stormy High 2. Angels 3. Tyrants 4. Wucan 5. Stay Free 6. Queens Will Play 7. Evil Ways 8. Wild Wind 9. Bright Lights 10. Night Walks You can check out live previews of the album wherever the band is performing this month and into the next. Click HERE (http://www.blackmountainarmy.com/tour.php) for a comprehensive list of tour dates for Black Mountain. Also, a reminder, that the band will be taking along with them a very special tour-only record, which includes a digital download coupon that will provide a preview of the upcoming full-length on November 13. Wed, 03 Oct 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#161 Bevel has a new full-length album coming out next Tuesday, October 9. Phoenician Terrane (http://www.contraphonic.com/con/bevel.php) is Bevel's first release since 2004's Down the Puppet Strings, Marrionettes (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/onesheet.php?cat=JAG063) and its first release for Contraphonic Records (http://www.contraphonic.com/). It is a record of densely orchestrated American wonder. This is the Great American Songbook as discovered by the descendants of Harry Partch and Charles Ives upon a rock in the sand. As a whole, Phoenician Terrane evolves over a cinematic arc, leading the listener across pages of a sonic story, a historical journey parlayed through a personal lens. Languidly plucked guitar lines pave trails amongst violin and flute embellishments, transient Gypsy-laden tones swash about warm synthesizers, with everything cast in a soft, psychedelic haze. Further buttressed by Nuon's haunted vocal delivery, the songs create a tapestry of tales related in the realm of the surreal. Assembled with a cast of contributors featuring members of Califone, Boxhead Ensemble, and Manishevitz, among others, Phoenician Terrane is BEVEL's finest work to date. It is a tome of delicate artistry and intricate instrumentation, a piece of work that transcends mere medium, and into lasting effect. Tue, 02 Oct 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#160 The Besnard Lakes (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=besnardlakes) keep racking up the awards nominations. Their album "The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse" (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/onesheet.php?cat=JAG106) was recently nominated for the prestigious Polaris Prize, and now their song "Devastation" from the same album is in the running for the Echo songwriting prize. Although the nominees of this prize were selected by a panel of judges, the final winner is determined by votes from the public. So, please, if you are inclined, go HERE (http://www.echoprize.ca/echoenController) to vote for the Besnard Lakes. Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#159 Just in case you missed Okkervil River's appearance on the Weekend All Things Considered program on September 2, you can check it out, via the NPR archives. Here it is! (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14084600) Thu, 13 Sep 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#158 For those itching to get a hold of the new SUNSET RUBDOWN (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=sunsetrubdown) album, pre-orders are now available. The "Random Spirit Lover" CD and double LP can be purchased from Jagjaguwar's mailorder (http://www.scdistribution.com/cat/jag_catalognew.php) as well as participating retailers, and those customers who pre-order between now and the release date will receive a digital download coupon code to download the full album as early as September 25, a full two weeks before the release date. Finally, we're excited to announce that a limited amount of hand-numbered and silk-screened Sunset Rubdown posters will be given away for free to those buying the new album at select retail establishments. There are less than 800 of these beautiful posters portraying a herd of unicorns fighting a winged man-thing, so purchase the CD or double LP early to get one (and please check in with your local store to see if they are bringing them in; we're trying to make them available to all, as long as supplies last.) For those who are geographically challenged, Insound.com will have a limited amount, available on a first come first serve basis. This limited-edition poster will not be made available through Jagjaguwar's mailorder. So you can pre-order the album through Jagjaguwar, and get MP3s of the album two weeks early, or pre-order through Insound.com and get the poster, or, if you need both, hopefully your local record store, if approached early enough, can provide both for you. Also, Sunset Rubdown's North American tour in support of "Random Spirit Lover", their new album on Jagjaguwar that comes out on October 9, begins with a Pop Montreal festival performance with BLACK MOUNTAIN, OAKLEY HALL and LIGHTNING DUST. Their tour then spans the breadth of the continent, including shows on the east and west coasts as well as the midwest. SUNSET RUBDOWN tour dates (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/shows.php (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/shows.php)): (10/07 through 10/31 with JOHNNY AND THE MOON and MAGIC WEAPON) 10/06/07 Montreal, Quebec - Theatre National w/ Black Mountain + Oakley Hall + Lightning Dust 10/07/07 Cambridge, MA - Middle East Downstairs 10/08/07 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg 10/09/07 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom 10/10/07 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church 10/11/07 Washington, DC - Black Cat 10/12/07 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 10/13/07 Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn 10/15/07 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon 10/16/07 Austin, TX - Emo's 10/18/07 Tucson, AZ - Plush 10/19/07 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre 10/21/07 San Francisco, CA - Independent 10/23/07 Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre 10/24/07 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe 10/25/07 Vancouver, BC - Plaza Club 10/26/07 Victoria, BC - Logans 10/28/07 Calgary, Alberta - Broken City 10/29/07 Edmonton, Alberta - Velvet Underground 10/30/07 Saskatoon, Sask. - Amigos 10/31/07 Winnipeg, MB - Royal Albert Arms 11/01/07 Fargo, ND - Aquarium 11/02/07 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club 11/03/07 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle Finally, Jagjaguwar is making available a second MP3 preview of the record, of the song "WINGED/WICKED THINGS", which can be checked out HERE (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/wingedwickedthings.mp3). Please listen, share, disseminate this MP3. For those who want extra credit, you can compare it to the live Daytrotter version of the song that has been available for some time at a daytrotter.com (http://www.daytrotter.com/daytrotterSessions/99/free-songs-sunset-rubdown). Thu, 06 Sep 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#157 In celebration of ONEIDA's 10 years as an awesome rock n roll band, we have put together a retrospective compendium of their work, entitled "Seeds Of Contemplation". This will be available for FREE download for the entire month of September on eMusic. You can find it here (http://www.emusic.com/album/Oneida-Seeds-of-Contemplation-MP3-Download/11089243.html). Also, if you're looking to expand your CD collection with some sounds of the O, look no further than the Jagjaguwar mailorder page (http://scdistribution.com/cat/jag_catalognew.php) where all Oneida full-length CDs are $2 off and all EPs are $1 off. The sale lasts all month long. Wed, 05 Sep 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#155 With "Little Hours" now available in stores and online, Spokane is set to hit the road. The band will be traveling from East to Midwest starting August 30th in support of the new record which was released August 7th on Jagjaguwar. SPOKANE TOUR DATES: 08.30.07 - Richmond, VA - The Camel w/ Liza Kate, Tulsa Drone 09.01.07 - New York, NY - Piano's w/ Liza Kate 09.02.07 - Portland, ME - Strange Maine w/ Liza Kate, South China 09.03.07 - Providence, RI - as220 w/ Jennifer Gentle 09.04.07 - Boston, MA - PA's Lounge w/ Liza Kate, Brownbird 09.07.07 - Chicago, IL - South Union Arts w/ Liza Kate, Astronomer 09.09.07 - Bloomington, IN - Cinemat w/ Liza Kate, Tamar In addition, SPOKANE have put the finishing touches on the video for 'Minor Careers,' available here (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/minorcareers.mov) The MP3 and Video for 'Thankless Marriage', also from 'Little Hours,' are available for download here: video (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/thanklessmarriage.mov) mp3 (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/thanklessmarriage.mp3) Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#154 "Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe," the first video for Okkervil River's "The Stage Names", was directed by Margaret Brown, whose acclaimed documentary about Townes Van Zandt, "Be Here to Love Me", was released theatrically in 2005 by Palm Pictures. Jagjaguwar link: http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/okkervilmovie.mov (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/okkervilmovie.mov) You Tube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROlCPlnCIfo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROlCPlnCIfo) Released earlier this month, Okkervil River's "The Stage Names" has already garnered an impressive amount of critical attention; on National Public Radio's "All Songs Considered," producer Robin Hilton called the record "one of the most anticipated albums of the year" and concluded, "it's the band's best album yet." Pitchfork's Stephen Deusner went further and called it "without doubt one of the year's best." "Over the course of nine tracks that play like an indie-noir updating of "The Day of the Locust", [Will] Sheff creates cinematic miniworlds populated by tragically faded actresses [and] liquored-up barflies," raved Mike Usinger in No Depression, while Scott Mervis agreed in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the band's "majestic fourth album is a near-cinematic experience." "Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe" is the first single off of "The Stage Names" as well as the first song on the album; the band played it on NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" on August 28 before embarking on their North American and European tours which will take them through the end of the year. Check out the Conan O'Brien performance here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=fvsjbsUjwoA (http://youtube.com/watch?v=fvsjbsUjwoA) Wed, 29 Aug 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#153 It has been almost two years since everyone's favorite rock quintet from Vancouver, British Columbia, have gone on a full North American tour. And if your pent-up demand for maximal prog-psych-folk-rock for the heart, soul and mind is not enough, then know this: BLACK MOUNTAIN (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=blackmountain) will be previewing their upcoming full-length record on the tour. The new album is called "In The Future", it is epic, and it is coming out on Jagjaguwar in January of 2008. The band is also carrying with them a very special tour-only 12-inch release featuring two new songs, "Bastards of Light" and "Thirteen Walls", that you can't get anywhere else and that won't be on "In The Future". You have to go see Black Mountain (see tour dates below) to get the 12-inch. And included in this 12-inch is a digital coupon that will become active on November 13, providing a preview of "In The Future". It is our ham-fisted way of giving the first introduction of the new album to fans of the band who came out to see them perform live this fall. (And fans of Black Mountain in Europe and the UK: don't fret. Black Mountain tour-dates in your neck of the woods will be announced very shortly, to occur in November and December, and to end at the Portishead-curated All Tomorrow's Parties event at Butlins Minehead.) Supporting most of the North American tour-dates below are the Cave Singers, good friends of the band from Seattle, who are releasing their excellent debut called "Invitation Songs" on Matador on September 25. All tour dates with The Cave Singers, unless mentioned otherwise. (up-to-date at: http://www.jagjaguwar.com/shows.php (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/shows.php)) 09/27/07 Boise, ID - Neurolux 09/28/07 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court 09/29/07 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive 10/01/07 Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room 10/02/07 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry 10/03/07 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle 10/05/07 Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern   w/ The Cave Singers + Oakley Hall 10/06/07 Montreal, Quebec - Le National   w/ Lightning Dust + Oakley Hall + Sunset Rubdown 10/07/07 Portland, ME - Space 10/08/07 Allston, MA - Great Scott 10/10/07 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge 10/11/07 Brooklyn, NY - Southpaw 10/12/07 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's 10/13/07 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop 10/14/07 Bloomington, IN - Bluebird 10/15/07 Louisville, KY - Headliners   w/ The Cave Singers + Wax Fang 10/17/07 Norman, OK - The Opolis 10/18/07 Denton, TX - Dan's Silverleaf 10/19/07 Austin, TX - Emo's 10/21/07 Phoenix, AZ - Modified 10/22/07 San Diego, CA - Casbah 10/23/07 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo 10/24/07 San Francisco, CA - The Independent 10/26/07 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge 10/27/07 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe 11/03/07 Vancouver, BC Canada - Richards on Richards (no The Cave Singers) 11/09/07 Victoria, British Columbia - Sugar   w/ Bison Tue, 28 Aug 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#146 ONEIDA will be hitting a seriously impressive milestone next month. They've been unleashing various forms of sonic pandemonium since 1997, when they were just pups in a Brooklyn warehouse. Since then, they've been responsible for 8 full-length records, countless tours, numerous collaborations (with Liars, Brother JT, Plastic Crimewave Sound, and Songs:Ohia, to name a few), two recording studios (Sunset Grill and the Ocropolis), and one record label (Brah Records!), all while maintaining equally fulfilling and completely unrelated day jobs. Perhaps the most accurate (and not in the least bit hyperbolic) characterization comes from the O themselves: "Oneida, greater than the Phoenix, achieves repeated rebirth without the necessity of death or all-consuming fire". Cheers to that! To celebrate, Oneida will hit the stage for an anniversary bash at the PS1 Contemporary Art Center on Saturday, September 1, along with fellow brahs Ex-Models, Dirty Faces, and Sightings, plus a few secret special guests! DJs Knox Overstreet, Michael Troutman (of Awesome Color), Brad Truax (of Home), and John Fitz will ably man the wheels of steel. If you can't make it out to Long Island, Oneida will be playing with Finnish Kraut-masters Circle at the Knitting Factory on September 22. For the Irish fans, you can catch them in Cork, Dublin, and Galway in early October. The band will wrap up this anniversary year with their second appearance at All Tomorrows Parties in Minehead, UK, where they'll be sharing the stage with Portishead, Thurston Moore, Boris, Aphex Twin, and label-mates Black Mountain, among many others. Also, for a limited time, we will be offering a free career-spanning Oneida Compendium. which will be available on Emusic for the entire month of September. It includes tracks from all of Oneida's classic full-lengths on Jagjaguwar, along with a rare treat from an early 7". Tour Dates: 09/01/07 - Long Island, NY - PS1 Contemporary Art Center w/ Dirty Faces + Sightings + Ex Models 09/22/07 - New York, NY - Knitting Factory w/ Endless Boogie + Circle 10/05/07 - Cork, Ireland - Pine Lodge Myrtleville 10/06/07 - Dublin Ireland - Whelan's 10/07/07 - Galway, Ireland - Roisin Dubh 12/8/07 - Minehead, UK - All Tomorrow's Parties MP3s: Up With People (from 2006's Happy New Year) - http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/upwithpeople.mp3 (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/upwithpeople.mp3) Run Through My Hair (from 2005's The Wedding) - http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/runthrough.mp3 (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/runthrough.mp3) Mon, 27 Aug 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#151 Jagjaguwar is excited to share PARTS and LABOR's latest video with the world! Made for 'The Gold We're Digging' from "Mapmaker," released last May, this visual roller-coaster-ride artfully complements the band's supersonic rock propulsions. This is what PandL had to say about it: "At long last, our video for 'The Gold We're Digging' sees the light of day. It was directed and edited by Nicholas Chatfield-Taylor. I can't say enough good things about the work he's done, the video came out even better than I anticipated. Thanks Nick!" They also describe the meticulous shooting plan: "We did well over 400 takes total over the course of two days of shooting (34+ hours). We divided the song up into sections, each section had different camera placements. We'd set up a "frame" of the background and play in front of it for however long the animation was to play for, which for the solid colors was the entire song." Stereogum.com was psyched to post this video exclusively yesterday and today. Now you can also check it out here (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/thegold.mov). Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#150 The new BESNARD LAKES 12", entitled "Casino Nanaimo", is now available for pre-order. In early 2007, the Besnard Lakes released a full-length album on Jagjaguwar that quickly made it onto numerous and budding best-albums-of-the-year short-lists by a whole range of music-listening pedigree -- critics, casual and not-so-casual rock listeners, garden variety pop fans, and headphone junkies. Now, on the heels of "The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse", these inspired Montrealers continue what they've started, re-stoking the flames and releasing two additional tracks, as embodied on a 12-inch vinyl single. Side A is "Casino Nanaimo", a place where repetitive sound and lights engulf addicted gamblers all vying for space on the eternal wheel of fortune. And then there is side B, "Devastation (alternate version)", the unedited and original straight-to-two-track nine-minute version, recorded live-off-the-floor at Breakglass Studios. Make it yours here (http://www.scdistribution.com/cat/jag_catalognew.php) Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#147 OKKERVIL RIVER launched their new website yesterday. Go to okkervilriver.com/ (http://okkervilriver.com/) to take it for a spin. Also, join Will Sheff and The Stage Names producer Brian Beattie as they discuss the making of The Stage Names in the fifth installment of the Jagjaguwar Podcast series. Click the following links to subscribe to the Jagjaguwar Podcast Series using your favorite feed. Itunes (http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=203251142) Yahoo (http://add.my.yahoo.com/rss?url=http://feeds.feedburner.com/JagjaguwarPodcast) Google (http://www.google.com/ig/add?feedurl=http://feeds.feedburner.com/JagjaguwarPodcast) Feedburner (http://feeds.feedburner.com/JagjaguwarPodcast) Fri, 10 Aug 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#145 OKKERVIL RIVER's latest The Stage Names is out now in all good record shops in North America. For those who prefer to order from their digital nook, we've got some treats for you. There are two non-album bonus tracks available for download via Itunes and Emusic. Itunes has the pop gem "Starry Stairs" available and Emusic has the brooding ballad "Love To A Monster" availalble. "Starry Stairs" on Itunes (http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=260546775ands=143441) "Love To A Monster" on Emusic (http://www.emusic.com/album/Okkervil-River-The-Stage-Names-MP3-Download/11071092.html) Wed, 08 Aug 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#143 While on their recent North American tour, the Besnard Lakes stopped at WBEZ Chicago Public Radio's famous "Sound Opinions" program. They were interviewed by Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot and were described as "the next great indie rock band out of Canada". The Besnard Lakes also recorded a session in the studio. The show will be broadcast on 8.10.07, and can be downloaded or streamed online on soundopinions.org (http://www.soundopinions.org/) Tue, 07 Aug 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#144 Today is a special day at Jagjaguwar. We have a new Lightning Dust video for the song "Highway" to share with you. You can check out the new video at the following links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Nkjr0xB1rQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Nkjr0xB1rQ) http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/highway.mov (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/highway.mov) Tue, 07 Aug 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#142 Okkervil River's latest The Stage Names is out tomorrow (Tuesday, Aug 7) and like a giant ape just off the boat, the band has its sights set on New York City. In case the previously announced Sept. 28th show at Webster Hall (with tour mate Damien Jurado) doesn't feel like it'll satiate Joe and Jane Fan, we hope they'll be stoked to hear that we've got two new confirmations for citizens of the Big Apple: an in-store at Sound Fix in Brooklyn on Aug. 18 (at 8pm) and a performance on Late Night With Conan O'Brien on Aug. 28. Since the former of the two is going to be a quaint solo affair, with Will Sheff playing songs from the new album to whoever can fit into the pearly gates of Sound Fix, the latter is a decidedly more public affair. We're sure millions across the globe will tune in, holding hands in this new satellite age in the way they know best — in their beanbags in front of their TV, watching the band perform on a soundstage at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in the heart of Manhattan. Mon, 06 Aug 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#141 The Besnard Lakes have received plenty of attention this year, topping it all off with a nomination for the Polaris Prize. Now from Globe and Mail Productions, a look at how Dark Horse was born. Jace, Olga, Steve, Nicole, and Kevin on the road, in the studio, and taking a moment to discuss the ole' ups and downs. To catch the new video go HERE (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070727.windiemusic0728/BNStory/Entertainment/home). Thu, 02 Aug 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#140 Okkervil River is now streaming their entire new album, "The Stage Names", on Myspace.com. Listen to the full album here (http://www.myspace.com/okkervilriver) "The Stage Names", Okkervil's fourth full-length, will be available August 7th and is currently available for pre-order here: http://www.scdistribution.com/cat/jag_catalognew.php (http://www.scdistribution.com/cat/jag_catalognew.php) Tue, 31 Jul 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#139 After dazzling fans and critics with their latest full length, "Mapmaker" (Jagjaguwar, May 2007), and slaying audiences across the U.S. on their recent headlining tour, Parts and Labor bid a fond farewell to Chris Weingarten and issue an open letter to the world in search of a new drummer: "After nearly three years of bashing, we're sad to report that our drummer, Christopher Weingarten, is leaving Parts and Labor. Chris is moving on to more rigorously pursue his work as a music editor and writer. He's the editor in chief at PaperThinWalls.com, and will soon be penning a book about Public Enemy's "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" for the esteemed Thirty Three And A Third book series. But so without further ado, we're searching for a new drummer. We're looking for someone who can tour a minimum of four months out of the year, starting this fall with trips in the UK/Europe as well as the U.S. They'll have some difficult shoes to fill. Tracks can be heard on our site and myspace, and the new record is streaming at virb.com/partsandlabor. Email us at partsandlabordrummer@gmail.com. Save the Spinal Tap jokes; we've heard 'em. Thanks, BJ/Dan/PandL" Parts and Labor will support Battles in the UK this fall before returning to the States for more touring. Thu, 26 Jul 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#138 You’ve already heard about THE BESNARD LAKES’ recent Polaris Prize nomination. Now we’re happy to tell you there is a video available for “For Agent 13” directed by Kara Blake. You can now view it on the Jagjaguwar site here (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/BesnardLakes_Agent13.mov). Also feel free to visit the additional links below to view larger video versions. http://www.stereogum.com/archives/video/new-besnard-lakes-video-for-agent-13.html (http://www.stereogum.com/archives/video/new-besnard-lakes-video-for-agent-13.html) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMOyBHIGjnY (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMOyBHIGjnY) http://pitchforkmedia.com/page/forkcast/44277-the-besnard-lakes-for-agent-13 (http://pitchforkmedia.com/page/forkcast/44277-the-besnard-lakes-for-agent-13) Tue, 17 Jul 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#137 BLACK MOUNTAIN (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=blackmountain), your favorite maximal rock pioneers, will embark on their first North American tour in almost two years. They will be bringing along with them a very special release, details of which we will reveal shortly. Also, just around the corner, is their new full-length record, already recorded but not yet titled, which will be released on Jagjaguwar in early 2008. All good things to those who wait. For a complete list of Black Mountain tour dates, click here (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/shows.php). Fri, 13 Jul 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#136 As you know, the new OKKERVIL RIVER album "The Stage Names" is now available for pre-order (in advance of its 8/7/07 release date) from Jagjaguwar in two formats: special limited 2xCD version (with bonus disc of solo demo versions of each song on the album) and LP. For a special limited time we're offering instant gratification here at Jagjaguwar. Almost instant, anyhow. If you pre-order either format between now and 8/7/07, you'll get emailed (within one business day of ordering) a coupon and a link at which you can redeem the coupon for a free MP3 download of the entire album. Go to our MAILORDER PAGE (http://www.scdistribution.com/cat/jag_catalognew.php) now to partake. Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#134 Two of Jagjaguwar's finest, The Besnard Lakes and Julie Doiron have both been nominated for the prestigious Polaris Music Prize. This award recognizes the best Canadian album of the year, as decided by 200 prominent Canadian journalists. The winner will be announced on September 24. We're keeping our fingers crossed! For more info on the Polaris Prize, go here (http://www.polarismusicprize.ca/) Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#135 The Stage Names takes place in an unmistakably modern world, where snowy televisions blast into cheap hotels the spectral images of soap stars endlessly betraying each other, where losers in late-night bars languish to the beat of their favorite songs, where broken-down actresses place their final cell calls from lonely mansions high in the hills. Reverberant with echoes of Motown snap and girl-group pop, redolent with ripe whiffs of dirty rock ‘n’ roll, shining with the shimmy of Bo Diddley, with the shimmer of the Velvets, with the swagger of the Faces, and with a glittery sprinkling of cheap perfume over the top of it all to disguise the stink, The Stage Names is a relentlessly-paced and ruthlessly thrilling journey. Little Hours is the patient sheen of stillness after a short, violent burst of intention. The lingering, resonant decay of a nail being hammered into wood. A piano laden marriage of small hopes and quiet violence. There are the echoes of insistent cats running through the skeletal frame of the house, pillaged, infant birds in their mouths, left half-dead at the foot of the hole where the stair would be. The brutal gutting of the earth to build a foundation wall of concrete and brick, by sheer will and intent and arrogance. There is the crude muscling of lifted walls that block out the sun and obscure the trees. And the thought of future inhabitants, laughing and arguing and sitting, each alone, the ghosts of these songs wilting and remnant in the air. Little Hours is packaged in a vinyl sleeve with both record and CD inside, 50 of which are handmade and numbered. Make them yours here (http://www.scdistribution.com/cat/jag_catalognew.php) Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#148 Two of Jagjaguwar's finest, The Besnard Lakes and Julie Doiron have both been nominated for the prestigious Polaris Music Prize. This award recognizes the best Canadian album of the year, as decided by 200 prominent Canadian journalists. The winner will be announced on September 24. We're keeping our fingers crossed! For more info on the Polaris Prize, go here (http://www.polarismusicprize.ca/) Tue, 10 Jul 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#133 Julie Doiron has just finished an immensely fun and successful tour across the States and parts of Canada with K Records' Calvin Johnson, but that certainly doesn't mean she's done with playing live anytime soon! As a matter of fact, the 2nd Annual Sappy Records Music Festival (Aug. 3-5) is going down next month and as co-founder of the label and festival, it's guaranteed that you will run into her if you find yourself in Sackville, New Brunswick that weekend. Not only will she be playing a solo set, but she's reuniting once again with the legendary Eric's Trip! Other highlights will surely include an impressive set by the Constantines, Chad Van Gaalen, Mt. Eerie, and her old friend, Calvin Johnson. Check it: http://www.sappyrecords.com (http://www.sappyrecords.com) Mon, 09 Jul 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#132 After four years, Spokane return with their fifth full-length LP, Little Hours, out August 7th on Jagjaguwar. "Little Hours" is the patient sheen of stillness after a short, violent burst of intention. It is the lingering, resonant decay of a nail being hammered into wood, a piano laden marriage of small hopes and quiet violence. In Church Hill, a borough of Richmond, Virginia, there is a small yellow cottage. Next to the cottage is an austere replica of a mid-nineteenth century, white Federal period house. The principal members of Spokane, Rick Alverson and Courtney Bowles, hand built the structure over the course of 2006 while recording and revising their first new album in four years, "Little Hours." The record is both a document of and an aural parallel to that difficult, meticulous process. In the emotional vein of folk singer Jackson C. Frank, with the textural emaciation of composers Zbigniew Preisner and Morton Feldman, the songs themselves are hinged on concepts of failure and stillborn ideas, on the conflicted process of building or birthing a cerebral image into the world. There are the echoes of insistent cats running through the skeletal frame of the house, pillaged, infant birds in their mouths, left half-dead at the foot of the hole where the stair would be. "Little Hours" features the core ensemble of 2003's "Measurement", which MOJO magazine called "a uniquely enthralling treasure", along with contributions from members of Brooklyn's orchestral, minimalist band Gregor Samsa. Alverson directed a video for the song "Thankless Marriage" which is now available online at: http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/thanklessmarriage.mov (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/thanklessmarriage.mov) A "Thankless Marriage" MP3 is also available for free download here: http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/thanklessmarriage.mp3 (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/thanklessmarriage.mp3) The LP packaging also includes a CD copy of "Little Hours," and will also be available for digital download through the traditional venues. In addition, 50 copies of "Little Hours" will feature LP sleeves specially hand-made by the band. Track-listing for "Little Hours" LP+CD 1. Singing 2. Minor Careers 3. If There Is Hope, It Lies In The Proles 4. Thankless Marriage 5. Building 6. Middle School 7. Addendum 8. These Things 9. Leases and Promises 10. Tell Me Mon, 02 Jul 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#129 We're very excited to announce to you all the United States and Canadian dates for Okkervil River's headlining tour in support of their brand-new long-player "The Stage Names," out August 7. Damien Jurado will be opening for all shows. The dates can be found "http://jagjaguwar.com/shows.php"here/ Wed, 27 Jun 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#128 After having filmed a video in Super 8 for her song 'Me and My Friend' and a lavish, Lynchian piece for 'No More', what better way to follow than with a stop animation video for 'Swan Pond' (http://www.verysillymonkey.com/swanpond.htm)? Part 'Pee-Wee's Playhouse' and part Peter Gabriel 'Sledgehammer', Tara Wells of Very Silly Monkey creates a captivating world within the span of 2 minutes and 24 seconds. And before you ask "What about some live black-and-white footage of one of her shows I've been hearing so much about?", let me direct you to a link of her performance June 13 in San Diego at the Che Cafe graciously posted on the blog Hey Wakka Wakka! (http://www.archive.org/details/6.13.07_JulieDoiron) Tue, 26 Jun 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#125 Yes, those almost famous disseminators of gorgeous but grounded experimental pop music, the Besnard Lakes, are returning to the United States in July, four months after their last U.S. tour, and having just returned from their first European tour, which was a rousing success. Their July tour will hit cities they didn't get to perform in last time, like New York, Boston and Washington D.C. Tour dates (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/shows.php) 07/12/07 Cambridge, MA - T.T. the Bear's Place 07/13/07 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge 07/14/07 New York, NY - City Sol w/ Les Savy Fav + Land of Talk 07/15/07 Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell's w/ Dirty on Purpose 07/16/07 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's w/ Dirty on Purpose 07/17/07 Washington, DC - Black Cat (backstage) w/ Dirty on Purpose 07/18/07 Chapel Hill, NC - Blend w/ Dirty On Purpose 07/20/07 Columbus, OH - Wexner Center for the Arts w/ Dirty on Purpose 07/21/07 Bloomington, IN - Uncle Fester's w/ Dirty on Purpose 07/23/07 Chicago, IL - Schuba's w/ Handsome Furs 07/24/07 Chicago, IL - Schuba's w/ Handsome Furs 07/26/07 Cleveland, OH - Beachland 07/27/07 Buffalo, NY - Big Orbit's Soundlab Also, in the works and set for a September 11 release is a new 12-inch by the Besnard Lakes, called "Casino Nanaimo". Side A is "Casino Nanaimo", a place where repetitive sound and lights engulf addicted gamblers all vying for space on the eternal wheel of fortune. And then there is side B, "Devastation (alternate version)", the unedited and original straight-to-two-track nine-minute version, recorded live-off-the-floor at Breakglass Studios. Earlier this year, the Besnard Lakes released a full-length album on Jagjaguwar, called "The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse", that quickly made it onto numerous and budding best-albums-of-the-year short-lists by a whole range of music-listening pedigree -- critics, casual and not-so-casual rock listeners, garden variety pop fans, and headphone junkies. Recently, Pitchfork recently wrote: "...almost every song builds to a crucial moment where the Besnards bravely step out of the shadows, and in the process, transform from being a merely good band to a great one." Other critical praise: "Incorporeal warmth... a sensation of other-worldy oddness...like specs of dust caught in a beam of projector light." - MOJO, giving 4 stars to The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse "It's like a Beach Boys album when it's calm and a Queen album when it's crunchy, but all filtered through what must be one hell of a record collection..." - ALL MUSIC GUIDE They've "retrofitted classic-rock grandeur to indie rock dimensions and forged their own special niche-space rock that's down to Earth." - Pitchfork Media "Sounding like Roy Orbison scoring a David Lynch movie, with spooky horse imagery to boot, Montreal's The Besnard Lakes are on a mission to take you to the dark side of rock'n'roll." - DAZE and CONFUSED The Besnard Lakes' "overarching fingernail-meets-chalkboard eeriness... is what prevents a lapse into the preciousness that sometimes accompanies indie rock, making [their] album a rousing success." - UNDER THE RADAR The Besnard Lakes Links: The Besnard Lakes on Jagjaguwar's website (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=besnardlakes) The Besnard Lakes on MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/thebesnardlakes) The Besnard Lakes webpage (http://www.thebesnardlakes.com/) MP3 of "And You Lied To Me" (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/andyouliedtome.mp3) Wed, 13 Jun 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#126 As loyal readers of the Jagjaguwar news blurbs, you probably already know that Julie Doiron has been on the road in the States with K Records ambassador/minstrel Calvin Johnson for a couple weeks now supporting her latest album 'Woke Myself Up'. We've always wondered what else goes on during a tour when the artists involved aren't up on the stage. Apparently, it's more than just staring straight ahead in a van for hours on end. Garrison Reid caught up with Julie and Calvin in Denton, TX before their show to record a stripped-down version of the Halo Benders classic 'Lonesome Sundown' for his blog radio. Lonesome Sundown (http://gorillavsbear.blogspot.com/2007/06/lonesome-sundown.html) Wed, 13 Jun 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#123 Never a band to sit back and bask in its success, Parts and Labor is moving forward double-quick since the release of their 2nd Jagjaguwar/Brah album, "Mapmaker" on May 22. After touring with ADULT. in April and May, PandL will hit the road again in June to bring their array of berserk, malfunctioning instruments and intricate, pummeling rhythms back to fist-pumping fans in North America - see tourdates below. Taste-maker extraordinaire, KEXP (Seattle), has been showing "Mapmaker" respect and love since its release, putting tracks on their nationally-recognized podcast and charting the album at #5 on their weekly Top 90 (5/29.07). Tour Dates (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/shows.php) Thu, 07 Jun 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#124 These 2 fab new release for June are now available for pre-order at SC Distribution: Lightning Dust - s/t cd/lp Amber Webber and Joshua Wells have been playing together for many years as part of Black Mountain. With an abundance of creative energy to spare, the two decided to start a separate project together, that they named Lightning Dust. Committing themselves to a more simplistic approach with Lightning Dust, Webber and Wells also decided to escape the comforts of their familiar instruments and writing styles. On their self-titled debut, minimal and spacious arrangements and a moody, theatrical vocal-style aptly expose the demons, creating songs that creep into your bones with a haunting chill. Minus Story - My Ion Truss cd/lp My Ion Truss is Minus Story's Studio Album. It was recorded at Electrical Audio in Chicago with John Congleton (Explosions In the Sky, The Polyphonic Spree). Having a producer behind the controls for the first time allowed them to work more collectively as a band, giving them the freedom to record the primary tracks completely live. It is the closest thing to Minus Story's cathartic live show that they've put to tape to date. The result is an epic and anthemic cross between Pearl Jam, Queen, Brian Eno, and Roxy Music. Here! (http://www.scdistribution.com/cat/jag_catalognew.php) Thu, 07 Jun 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#122 Lawrence.com sat down with and interviewed MINUS STORY's Jordan Geiger and Nick Christus about their new album My Ion Truss (out 6/19/07). You can hear the interview as well as music from the upcoming album at: http://media.lawrence.com/mp3/podcasts/dogandponyshow/2007/070705minusstory.mp3 (http://media.lawrence.com/mp3/podcasts/dogandponyshow/2007/070705minusstory.mp3) Tue, 05 Jun 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#120 Contact Records will release a DVD commemorating several of the live performances that took place at the Brooklyn-based DIY art/performance space Mighty Robot. It features Liars, Lightning Bolt, Ex-Models, and our very own Oneida (among many others). The DVD will be released June 30. Read the full story here (http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/43089-liars-lightning-bolt-oneida-on-mighty-robot-dvd) Fri, 01 Jun 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#121 Last week legendary rock journalists Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis invited Parts and Labor to be guests on the 78th installment of their Chicago Public Radio show, Sound Opinions. Their tag: "This week on Sound Opinions: our loudest, most rocking guests to date. Brooklyn trio Parts and Labor visit the show and blow Jim and Greg away with their unique experimental rock." The broadcast is now available for streaming or download here (http://www.soundopinions.org) Fri, 01 Jun 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#119 Black Mountain (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=blackmountain) will play the Primavera festival in Barcelona this Friday (June 1st) at 7.30pm on the All Tomorrow's Parties stage. Vancouver's rock behemoths are also among the first batch of acts confirmed to play the Portishead-curated ATP: The Nightmare Before Christmas festival in Minehead this December, alongside Aphex Twin, Julian Cope, Sparklehorse, Seasick Steve and Jagjaguwar labelmates Oneida. Read all about it here... http://www.atpfestival.com/events/portishead/news.php?view=640 (http://www.atpfestival.com/events/portishead/news.php?view=640) The follow-up to Black Mountain's self-titled 2005 debut is scheduled for an early 2008 release on Jagjaguwar. A new song by the group - Stay Free - can be heard on the Spiderman 3 soundtrack album, which is out now. Wed, 30 May 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#118 Being cave singers themselves (see the full description of their upcoming new album HERE (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/onesheet.php?cat=JAG112), it is only natural that Lightning Dust will be touring North America in June with their good friends The Cave Singers. 06/20/07 Seattle, WA - Neumo's Crystal Ballroom w/ Cave Singers 06/21/07 Bellingham, WA - Chiribins w/ Cave Singers 06/23/07 Portland, OR - Dunes w/ Cave Singers 06/24/07 Eugene, OR - Sam Bond's Garage w/ The Cave Singers 06/26/07 Santa Cruz, CA - The Attic w/ Cave Singers 06/27/07 San Francisco, CA - Bottom Of The Hill w/ Cave Singers 06/28/07 Fresno, CA - Tokyo Garden w/ Cave Singers 06/29/07 Los Angeles, CA - El Cid w/ The Cave Singers 06/30/07 Los Angeles, CA - 6th St. Warehouse w/ Cave Singers + Darker My Love 07/01/07 San Diego, CA - Casbah w/ Cave Singers Also, you can now check out, for the first time, a free MP3 of the Lightning Dust song "Listened On", which is on their debut record, at: http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/listenedon.mp3 (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/listenedon.mp3). LIGHTNING DUST is Amber Webber and Joshua Wells, who have been playing together for many years as part of BLACK MOUNTAIN. They've toured the world and have played impenetrable space-rock to the unlikeliest of audiences. With an abundance of creative energy to spare, the two decided to start a separate project together. Committing themselves to a more simplistic approach with Lightning Dust, Webber and Wells also decided to escape the comforts of their familiar instruments and writing styles. On their debut, minimal and spacious arrangements and a moody, theatrical vocal-style aptly expose the demons, creating songs that creep into your bones with a haunting chill. Tue, 29 May 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#117 Minus Story's latest opus "My Ion Truss" is to be released on 6/19/2007 and will be followed by US tour dates with Shearwater and Old Canes in June and July. The album, which mp3.com has called "beautiful and moving" is an approximation of what one can expect live, as it was recorded mostly live at Electrical Audio with producer John Congleton (Explosions In the Sky, Polyphonic Spree). It is the closest thing to Minus Story's cathartic live show that they've put to tape to date.Some of our favorite blogs are hosting exclusive mp3s from "My Ion Truss." "Stitch Me Up" on Gorilla vs. Bear (http://gorillavsbear.blogspot.com/2007/04/premiere-stitch-me-up.html) "Mama Mama" on You Ain't No Picasso (http://www.youaintnopicasso.com/2007/05/04/minus-story-mama-mama/) "Aaron" on mp3.com (http://www.mp3.com/artist/minus-story/summary/) Newly Announced Tour Dates: 06/15/07 Denton, TX - Rubber Gloves w/ Shearwater 06/16/07 Austin, TX - Emo's w/ Shearwater 06/18/07 Tucson, AZ - Plush w/ Shearwater 06/19/07 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo w/ Shearwater 06/20/07 San Francisco, CA - Bottom Of The Hill w/ Shearwater 06/21/07 Portland, OR - Dante's w/ Shearwater 06/22/07 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe w/ Shearwater 06/25/07 Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club 06/26/07 Chicago, IL - Schubas w/ Old Canes 06/27/07 Cleveland, OH - The Grog Shop w/ Old Canes 06/28/07 Buffalo, NY - The Icon w/ Old Canes 06/29/07 Brooklyn, NY - Southpaw 06/30/07 Bridgeport, CT - Two Boots Roadhouse w/ Old Canes 07/01/07 Allston, MA - Great Scott w/ Old Canes 07/02/07 Philadelphia, PA - The Khyber w/ Old Canes 07/03/07 Washington D.C., - Rock And Roll Hotel w/ Old Canes 07/05/07 Newport, KY - Southgate House  w/ Old Canes 07/06/07 Champaign, IL - Cowboy Monkey 07/07/07 Lawrence, KS - Jackpot w/ Old Canes Mp3.com has an exclusive interview with Minus Story's Nick Christus that provides insight into their writing and recording processes, longtime friendships with each other and their relationships with Xiu Xiu and Okkervil River. Read the interview here (http://www.mp3.com/news/stories/9533.html?tag=gumballs;title;1andom_act=convertandom_clk=gumballs) Mon, 21 May 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#115 With as many as twelve tracks, and featuring many of the songs the Montreal band performed on their most recent North American tour with XIU XIU, a tentative track-listing for their new album has emerged: The Mending of the Gown Magic vs. Midas Up on your Leopard, Upon the End of your Feral Days The Courtesan has Sung Winged/Wicked Things Colt Stands Up, Grows Horns Stallion For the Pier (and dead shimmering) The Taming of the Hands that Came Back to Life Setting vs. Rising Trumpet, Trumpet, Toot! Toot! Child-Heart Losers "Random Spirit Lover" is the new full-length record following their critically acclaimed 2006 album, "Shut Up I Am Dreaming", that was released on Absolutely Kosher. Plans are in the works for a 3 to 4 week North American tour in October, in support of "Random Spirit Lover". The album will be physically released in both the CD and vinyl formats. SUNSET RUBDOWN (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=sunsetrubdown) began as the solo project of Spencer Krug. After the release of his first solo album, Krug enlisted the help of Michael Doerksen, Camilla Wynne Ingr, and Jordan Robson-Cramer, all residents of Montreal, Quebec. A solo EP was released at the same time as the newly-formed group was preparing songs for “Shut Up I Am Dreaming". Most recently, they contributed a track to the Xiu Xiu covers and remixes record released by 5RC. A prolific and talented musician, Krug is also a member of FROG EYES and WOLF PARADE, and, in the fall of 2006, Krug released a highly anticipated collaborative album (with Dan Bejar of DESTROYER and Carey Mercer of Frog Eyes) as SWAN LAKE (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=swanlake) called "Beast Moans" (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/onesheet.php?cat=JAG098), which was released on Jagjaguwar. Ingr used to be in PONY UP!, and Jordan Robson-Cramer is currently a member of MAGIC WEAPON and MIRACLE FORTRESS. For a recent live performance of "For the Pier (and dead shimmering)" in Bloomington, Indiana: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvTYrWcuvgQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvTYrWcuvgQ) recent Daytrotter session of "Winged/Wicked Things": http://www.daytrotter.com/daytrotterSessions/99/free-songs-sunset-rubdown (http://www.daytrotter.com/daytrotterSessions/99/free-songs-sunset-rubdown) Thu, 17 May 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#114 Jagjaguwar artist Julie Doiron joins K Records founder Calvin Johnson (ex-Beat Happening, Halo Benders, Dub Narcotic Soundsystem) on a tour playing intimate venues, galleries, churches and art collectives during the month of June. This tour is supporting Doiron's January release, "Woke Myself Up", an album detailing the great highs and terrible lows of familial beauty, intimacy and turmoil. Doiron presents a cathartic performance of this heart-wrenching record. The legendary Calvin Johnson is, of course, not to be missed. TOUR DATES HERE (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/shows.php) Thu, 10 May 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#113 We're excited to formally announce the release of Okkervil River's latest masterpiece The Stage Names, to be unleased upon all good music retailers this August 7. Okkervil River's Black Sheep Boy was one of the most acclaimed releases of 2005. “Wordy and dense, prone to murder ballads, full of soft strings and Wurlitzers…both violent and bookish; it's a striking, woebegone work that…plays out like the strangest Cocteau movie you've probably never seen,” wrote the Chicago Tribune’s Allison Steward. Kelefa Sanneh wrote in the New York Times that "Will Sheff, leader of the Austin indie-rock band Okkervil River, writes like a novelist.” This underdog of a record even managed to come to the attention of rock icon Lou Reed, who on the MTV Video Music Awards and in the Denver Post pronounced Okkervil River one of his favorite contemporary bands. With their newest release, The Stage Names, Okkervil River dynamite the walls of Black Sheep Boy’s gothic, moss-walled castle from the inside to let in the glaring sun. Where Black Sheep Boy presented a fairytale of dark babbling streams and high distant towers, The Stage Names ¬takes place in an unmistakably modern world, where snowy televisions blast into cheap hotels the spectral images of soap stars endlessly betraying each other, where losers in late-night bars languish to the beat of their favorite songs, where broken-down actresses place their final cell calls from lonely mansions high in the hills. Riddled with characters real and fake, with true-life biography and brazenly fabricated autobiography, with the relics of high culture and the crumpled-up trash of low culture, The Stage Names is a cinemascopic take on the meaning of entertainment. Their fourth full-length may also be Okkervil River’s most conceptually gnarled work to date, as frontman Will Sheff’s intricately detailed lyrics leap from the ornate to the blunt, encompass philosophical inquiries and goofily playful riffing, invite the listener into confidence only to con them. With a voice both poetic and toughly slangy, these songs are equal parts high-concept filigree and low, street-level kicks; they’re both artistically ambitious and refreshingly unpretentious. Written on the beds and beat-up couches of hotels, guest-rooms, and fourth-floor walk-ups during the itinerant Sheff’s travels around the United States and tenure in New York City, recorded in Austin with longtime Okkervil River co-producer Brian Beattie, and mixed with Jim Eno of Spoon at his Public Hi-Fi studio, The Stage Names eschews outsider guests to focus on the core lineup of a backing band made tight and road-weary in rock clubs around the world. These songs give members of this usually shambolic troupe (keyboardist Jonathan Meiburg, drummer Travis Nelsen, electric guitarist Brian Cassidy, bassist Patrick Pestorius, and coronet player Scott Brackett) the occasion to turn in bravura performances as Sheff’s distinctively heated vocals, never more assured or in control, sail on top of them. The music soars, the lyrics cut, chaos is skirted, mystery is courted, and it all looks easy. This is the sound of a band at the height of their powers, effortlessly making good on their earlier promise long after the point where they remember or care that they even made that promise in the first place. TRACK LISTING: 1. Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe 2. Unless It’s Kicks 3. A Hand to Take Hold of the Scene 4. Savannah Smiles 5. Plus Ones 6. A Girl in Port 7. You Can’t Hold the Hand of a Rock and Roll Man 8. Title Track 9. John Allyn Smith Sails Wed, 09 May 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#112 These 2 fab new release for May are now available for pre-order at SC Distribution: Parts and Labor - Mapmaker cd/lp Mapmaker is the second Jagjaguwar/Brah album from Brooklyn noisepunks Parts and Labor. Expanding on the soaring melodies and cracked electronics of 2006's Stay Afraid, PandL explores a wider array of berserk, malfunctioning instruments and intricate, pummeling rhythms. These 12 political/personal anthems about ambition and distraction boast bigger choruses, denser drones and shinier hooks. Ladyhawk - Fight For Anarchy 12" Ladyhawk entered a recording studio for a day-long session between tours in the first half of 2006. Perhaps they then soared too close to the sun, like moths drawn into the flame, only to fly again into the shadows, their wings singed. And then maybe, gathering their burned and broken instruments about them, they limped their way home, rearranging the pieces and sounds haphazardly, letting them all lay as they fell. The end result is the sound of four brothers breaking something down to create something new, reaching into the fire again. It is a shattering 6-song march called Fight For Anarchy, all unmuzzled and jawing out, nothing edited or expunged. And on it Ladyhawk show that, like Spoon, Dinosaur Jr. or Tom Waits, they have the ability to conjure growls, snarls, and storms of sound into musical lightning, never striking the same place twice. Here! (http://www.scdistribution.com/cat/jag_catalognew.php) Mon, 07 May 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#111 Anyone who has had the opportunity of seeing Minus Story perform live knows that they are meant to be on stage. On June 19, the pride of Lawrence, Kansas releases its fourth album, "My Ion Truss". June and July will be spent on the road, presenting these songs the way they should be heard: live and loud. Ruminations on the new album: In the distance the land kisses the sky. If you squint just right you can see Minus Story in flux there, somewhere between earthbound and ethereal, making sunspots on the horizon line with their noisy and melodic headphone pop. Reared together in America's Midwestern cradle, Minus Story speak their own codified musical language as only childhood friends can share. Tirelessly artistic yet unpretentious, they are unafraid of abject noise, folk, soul, or straight-up pop rock. My Ion Truss is Minus Story's Studio Album. It was recorded at Electrical Audio in Chicago with John Congleton (Explosions In the Sky, The Polyphonic Spree). Having a producer behind the controls for the first time allowed them to work more collectively as a band, giving them the freedom to record the primary tracks completely live. It is the closest thing to Minus Story's cathartic live show that they've put to tape to date. The result is an epic and anthemic cross between Pearl Jam, Queen, Brian Eno, and Roxy Music. Free MP3: "Stitch Me Up" (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/stitchmeup.mp3) from "My Ion Truss" Tue, 24 Apr 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#108 Okkervil River has two very exciting shows coming up in the next two weeks. This Saturday, April 21st, the band will play a very special hometown show as a 21-piece band at the University of Texas' Hogg Auditiorium. They will be playing a one-time-only orchestral set backed by a full string section, horn section, and backup singers from Austin band Brothers and Sisters. The show will be recorded and will feature rare songs and fan favorites spanning the group's 9-year catalogue alongside new material the group will be unveiling from its upcoming 2007 full-length release. In addition to this, the band was asked to open for Lou Reed on April 30 for the already sold out grand opening of New York City's new Highline Ballroom. Reed recently named Okkervil River as one of his favorite contemporary bands on the MTV Video Music Awards. Stay tuned folks for more info on Okkervil River's new album, set for release this summer! Fri, 20 Apr 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#110 Alex Delivery (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=alexdelivery) have recorded an album of immense proportions, called "Star Destroyer" (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/onesheet.php?cat=JAG099) (out next week, on April 24), that words under-serve. Please check out a FULL ALBUM STREAM of it: FULL ALBUM STREAM (http://www.address0.com/sc/player/pl.php?playlistid=473) If you need a third party's take on this album before you consider adding it to your privileged library of sound recordings, here is what WIRE MAGAZINE has to say about the debut record: "...Alex Delivery announce themselves with a familiar boast - that they draw on elements of space rock, musique concrète and Krautrock. Too often, this sort of press release blurb means little more than an enthusiasm for such music... Alex Delivery, however, do deliver - even to the point of exceeding the promise. Theirs is a brutalist sound, a thrashing, upwardly mobile maelstrom, achieved using the sort of dangerously primitive electricity generator ethic preferred by Faust..." Now curious about who these Alex Delivery kids are? Here are some things we know about them: * Nik Bozic, who was born in pre-liberation Yugoslavia, and Marika Kandelaki, born in Tbilisi, Georgia, are a married couple * Nik was the first person in his hometown to own a Nintendo (although it was limited to black and white, no sound) * at the tender age of five, Marika attempted to poison her older brother and his friend with rat poison; she was unsuccessful * Marika and Yegang Yoo went to Parsons School of Design * in the past, Marika designed clothes for Steven Tyler and Lenny Kravitz * Yegang never played in any bands before Alex Delivery, with the exception of playing komungo as a hired musician for funerals in her hometown in Korea * Yegang works as a patternmaker for up-and-coming fashion house Vena Cava in Brooklyn; she hopes to make clothes that do crazy things to people. She has also worked for visionary designer Hussein Chalayan in London. * Robert Lombardo studied literary theory and philosophy at Rutgers University; he paid off his college tuition with high-stakes backgammon winnings. * Nik and Robert love meat * Robert's had only one broken bone, which was a rib, when Colin Ryan punched him in the chest. * Colin was not available for comment Thu, 19 Apr 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#109 As Parts and Labor continues to drop metric tons of aural shrapnel on fans across the U.S. on the current ADULT. tour (see dates below), their new full-length is on course for a May 22 release: "Mapmaker" is the second Jagjaguwar/Brah album from these Brooklyn noisepunks. Expanding on the soaring melodies and cracked electronics of 2006's "Stay Afraid", PandL explores a wider array of berserk, malfunctioning instruments and intricate, pummeling rhythms. These 12 political/personal anthems about ambition and distraction boast bigger choruses, denser drones and shinier hooks. Parts and Labor cites the following bands as influences and is totally cool with you name-checking them: Hüsker Dü, Sonic Youth, Boredoms, Minutemen, Neutral Milk Hotel and Amps For Christ. Listen to Fractured Skies, the first track from "Mapmaker" on Jagjaguwar's website here (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/fracturedskies.mp3) Birthing a new album and incessant touring aren't enough to keep this band occupied; PandL has the following choice offerings slated for 2007: - an iTunes bonus track on the 5RC/KRS Xiu Xiu tribute comp (covering the song "Apistat Commander") - an exclusive track on an upcoming compilation for "No Pain In Pop", a new UK-based label - an exclusive track for an Oh No Records vinyl compilation in support of Trees Not Trash, a Brooklyn non-profit organization - an exclusive track for a split 7" with the UK's Fuck Buttons - another U.S. tour is taking shape for June/July - a European tour is tentatively scheduled for the fall - all three members of PandL have solo material in the pipeline as well: Dan Friel is working a new album; BJ Warshaw is finishing up the debut CD of his project Shooting Spires (scheduled for release on Cardboard Records this summer); and Chris Weingarten is wrapping up his Poisson d'Avril full length Out of breath yet? So are we... Tour Dates: 04/17/07 New Orleans, LA - House Of Blues Parish w/ ADULT. 04/18/07 Houston, TX - Engine Room w/ ADULT. 04/19/07 San Antonio, TX - The Sanctuary w/ ADULT. 04/20/07 Austin, TX - Emo's w/ ADULT. 04/21/07 Denton, TX - Hailey's w/ ADULT. 04/24/07 Hollywood, CA - Safari Sams w/ ADULT. + Erase Errata 04/25/07 San Francisco, CA - Bottom Of The Hill w/ ADULT. + Erase Errata 04/27/07 Portland, OR - Holocene w/ Erase Errata 04/28/07 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey w/ ADULT. + Erase Errata 04/29/07 Missoula, MT - The Laboratory 05/01/07 Fargo, ND - Aquarium w/ Nudity 05/02/07 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry w/ ADULT. 05/03/07 Milwaukee, WI - Stonefly Brewery w/ ADULT. + Tussle 05/04/07 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle w/ ADULT. + Tussle 05/05/07 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick w/ ADULT. + Tussle Mon, 16 Apr 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#107 Following a series of triumphant performances at SXSW, the guys in Vancouver's LADYHAWK are taking their incendiary live show on the road. The first leg of the tour finds them teaming up with Constantines for some pure rock 'n' roll nights throughout Central and Western Canada. Soon after the completion of the Cons/'Hawk extravaganza, Ladyhawk hooks up with Tapes N' Tapes to cut a swathe across the U.S. While fans of Ladyhawk's debut will be pleased to know those songs still form the crux of Ladyhawk's performance, what makes these shows so exciting is that it's a chance to hear songs from the band's upcoming (release date: May 22) six-song EP, "Fight For Anarchy", as well as from their as yet unnamed second album. Due out in spring 2008, the new disc was recorded by Colin Stewart (Black Mountain, Pink Mountaintops, Lightning Dust, etc). It may seem like a long way off, but time flies and excitement's in the air. You can hear "War" the single from Ladyhawk's upcoming "Fight For Anarchy" EP right here: http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/ladyhawkwar.mp3 (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/ladyhawkwar.mp3) Ladyhawk Tourdates: 04/03/07 Winnipeg, MB - Pyramid Cabaret w/ The Constantines 04/04/07 Regina, Saskatchewan - The Exchange w/ The Constantines 04/05/07 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Louis' Pub w/ The Constantines 04/06/07 Edmonton, Alberta - The Starlite Room w/ The Constantines 04/07/07 Calgary, Alberta - The Hi-Fi Club w/ The Constantines 04/08/07 Calgary, Alberta - The Hi-Fi Club w/ The Constantines 04/09/07 Canmore, Alberta - Canmore Hotel w/ The Constantines 04/12/07 Vancouver, British Columbia - The Plaza Club w/ The Constantines 04/13/07 Victoria, British Columbia - Sugar Nightclub w/ The Constantines 04/14/07 Tofino, British Columbia - The Legion w/ The Constantines 05/02/07 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall w/ Tapes N' Tapes 05/04/07 Portland, OR - Dante's w/ Tapes N' Tapes 05/05/07 Seattle, WA - Neumo's Crystal Ballroom w/ Tapes N' Tapes 05/06/07 Vancouver, British Columbia - Plaza Club w/ Tapes N' Tapes 05/09/07 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre w/ Tapes N' Tapes 05/10/07 Omaha, NE - Sokol Underground w/ Tapes N' Tapes 05/11/07 Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews w/ Tapes N' Tapes 05/12/07 Chicago, IL - Abbey Pub w/ Tapes N' Tapes 05/14/07 Ottawa, Ontario - Barrymore's w/ Tapes N' Tapes 05/15/07 Montreal, Quebec - Le National w/ Tapes N' Tapes 05/16/07 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace w/ Tapes N' Tapes 05/17/07 Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place w/ Tapes N' Tapes 05/18/07 New York, NY - Irving Plaza w/ Tapes N' Tapes 05/19/07 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club w/ Tapes N' Tapes 05/22/07 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop w/ Tapes N' Tapes 05/23/07 Columbus, OH - The Basement w/ Tapes N' Tapes 05/24/07 Newport, KY - Southgate House w/ Tapes N' Tapes Tue, 03 Apr 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#105 Think Can or Faust all mashed up with the personal disco of Arthur Russell. Think of the electric organ of Terry Riley's Shri Camel, slowly morphing and perpetually in motion, but remaining in step with a guitar-less and Moroder-charged Sparks. And think of a more composed Dead C, where Michael Morley sings about Big Thunder Mountain while holding a beach ball in one hand and fending off the digital shards of musique concr?te humming around his ears with the other. Alex Delivery have gleefully exposed their myriad gifts and influences with their debut full-length Star Destroyer, almost two years in the making. On it the New York-based quintet have demonstrated their penchant for the electro-organic, seamlessly blending the sharp and gentle, like a chain-gang draped in organza. You can hear the chattering of insects resonating from the inside of a kettle drum, and you can imagine this colossal robo-beast wobbling and waltzing down an abandoned carnival boardwalk. Sylphs soar across strings, occasionally descending to enjoy some wiggle-worthy poly-rhythms. These and many more colorful characters have climbed aboard the Star Destroyer. Order it here (http://www.scdistribution.com/cat/jag_catalognew.php) Fri, 30 Mar 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#104 Alex Delivery hail from the bustle and noise of Brooklyn New York, and their sound reflects it. Their new album and Jagjaguwar debut "Star Destroyer" (available in stores on April 24) challenges right away by beginning with the high screech of grinding metal. It is a sound that is both difficult yet intriguing. From here "Star Destroyer" continues to expand and challenge with traditional, found, and industrial sounds heaving and crashing in dense polyrhythms. The result is a fascinating collection of almost danceable experimental music that is sure to amaze and mesmerize. You can catch a sneak preview of Alex Delivery live, performing "Sheath-Wet" at Tonic in New York right here (http://www.alexdeliverymusic.com/ad.wmv) or youtube embedded here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHZSSMmz5B8) Now Alex Delivery are poised to hit America's highways with a tour that will take them coast to coast. Joining them on this trek for most of the way will be the indelible and incredible Frog Eyes. Alex Delivery Tour Dates: 04/26/07 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle 05/01/07 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe 05/02/07 Portland, OR - Holocene w/ Frog Eyes 05/04/07 San Francisco, CA - Bottom Of The Hill w/ Frog Eyes 05/05/07 Los Angeles, CA - Echo w/ Frog Eyes 05/08/07 Tucson, AZ - Plush w/ Frog Eyes 05/10/07 Denton, TX - Rubber Gloves w/ Frog Eyes 05/11/07 Austin, TX - Emo's w/ Frog Eyes 05/12/07 Houston, TX - Proletariat w/ Frog Eyes 05/14/07 Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn w/ Frog Eyes 05/15/07 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 w/ Frog Eyes 05/16/07 Washington DC, - The Rock And Roll Hotel w/ Frog Eyes 05/17/07 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's w/ Frog Eyes 05/18/07 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge w/ Frog Eyes 05/19/07 New York, NY - Union Hall w/ Frog Eyes 05/20/07 Cambridge, MA - Middle East w/ Frog Eyes Additional Information on Alex Delivery: Alex Delivery mp3 "Komad" (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/komad.mp3) Alex Delivery Band Web Site (http://www.alexdeliverymusic.com/) Alex Delivery Myspace (http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofileandfriendid=13226506) Thu, 29 Mar 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#103 Many, many thanks to everyone who came out for the Jagjaguwar/Secretly Canadian/Dead Oceans SXSW showcase. We had a great time playing host(ess), and the Mohawk turned out to be a perfect venue to encase all the madness. Jagjag bands bookended the evening on the outside stage, with Besnard Lakes kicking things off in properly epic fashion, and Okkervil River tugging at the heartstrings to close the show. Ladyhawk brought the thunder to a packed crowd inside, and everyone made us proud. We are still groggy, and our feet still hurt, but it was worth it. SXSW was some serious fun. See you all next year! You can read some second opinions here: http://www.youaintnopicasso.com/ (http://www.youaintnopicasso.com/) http://www.stereogum.com/archives/004860.html (http://www.stereogum.com/archives/004860.html) http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/41740/SXSW_Report_Thursday_Dave_Maher (http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/41740/SXSW_Report_Thursday_Dave_Maher) Thu, 22 Mar 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#100 We're hiring! If you have experience in the music industry, and are interested in a Project Manager position, please contact Ben (mailto:ben@secretlycanadian.com) for job description, requirements, and further details. If you have accounting experience and are interested in a Controller position, please contact Chris (mailto:chris@secretlycanadian.com) for job description, requirements, and further details. Tue, 20 Mar 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#98 Introducing The Latest Addition To The JAGJAGUWAR Label Jagjaguwar is proud to announce the imminent release of LIGHTNING DUST's self-titled debut on June 19, 2007. LIGHTNING DUST (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=lightningdust) is Amber Webber and Joshua Wells, who have been playing together for many years as part of BLACK MOUNTAIN (http://www.jagjaguwar.com/artist.php?name=blackmountain). They've toured the world and have played impenetrable space-rock to the unlikeliest of audiences. With an abundance of creative energy to spare, the two decided to start a separate project together. Committing themselves to a more simple approach with Lightning Dust, Webber and Wells also decided to escape the comforts of their familiar instruments and writing styles. On their debut, minimal and spacious arrangements and a moody, theatrical vocal-style aptly expose the demons, creating songs that creep into your bones with a haunting chill. Lightning Dust will be touring North America in June with good friends The Cave Singers, so please stay tuned for tour dates as they are confirmed. Also, in the latter half of this year, Webber and Wells will rejoin the rest of the Black Mountain army for touring prior to the release of the second Black Mountain full-length, slated to come out the very beginning of 2008 on Jagjaguwar. Mon, 12 Mar 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#97 For those of you who have been holding your breath for some new Oneida, exhale and be glad. The song " Hippy Hippy Take" was originally intended to be one side of a split 12" with The Constantines, but the project was never completed, so Oneida kindly passed the track along to Stereogum. The song is coupled with a pair of mini-interviews with Hanoi Jane and Fat Bobby. Enjoy! (http://www.stereogum.com/archives/004785.html#more) Wed, 07 Mar 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#96 Since the release of "Stay Afraid", their first full-length on Jagjaguwar/Brah in April, 2006, Parts and Labor has made life imitate musical art: frenetic, fast-paced and ferocious. In less than a year PandL has completed three North American tours, two European tours, an instrumental EP ("Escapers 1", released by Broklyn Beats), a contribution to a 6-volume cassette tribute to Oneida's "Sheets of Easter" ("Sheets of Easter Everywhere", released by Furniture Records), AND a new full-length record, "Mapmaker", due out on Jagjaguwar/Brah on May 22. Expect new things from Parts and Labor's new record as they take their aural assault and channel it with melody into a tight and twisting tempest that will rip your previous state of sonic reckoning to shreds. Before pummelling the public with this newly recorded epic, Brooklyn's hardest-hammering trio will besiege concert-goers in Canada and the U.S. as part of the upcoming ADULT. tour. You've got a month to stock up on ear protection. Tour Dates: 04/04/07 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace w/ ADULT. + Erase Errata 04/05/07 Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rossa w/ ADULT. + Erase Errata 04/06/07 Brooklyn, NY - Luna Lounge w/ Alex Delivery + Big Bear + Gowns 04/07/07 Allston, MA - Great Scott w/ Big Bear + Creeping Nobodies + Gowns 04/08/07 New Haven, CT - BAR Nightclub w/ Erase Errata 04/09/07 Washington DC, - Rock and Roll Hotel w/ ADULT. + Erase Errata 04/10/07 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar w/ ADULT. + Erase Errata 04/12/07 Atlanta, GA - The Earl w/ ADULT. 04/14/07 Orlando, FL - Back Booth w/ ADULT. + Dan Decon 04/13/07 Jacksonville, FL - TSI w/ ADULT. 04/17/07 New Orleans, LA - House Of Blues Parish w/ ADULT. 04/18/07 Houston, TX - Engine Room w/ ADULT. 04/19/07 San Antonio, TX - The Sanctuary w/ ADULT. 04/20/07 Austin, TX - Emo's w/ ADULT. 04/21/07 Denton, TX - Hailey's w/ ADULT. 04/24/07 Hollywood, CA - Safari Sams w/ ADULT. + Erase Errata 04/25/07 San Francisco, CA - Bottom Of The Hill w/ ADULT. + Erase Errata 04/27/07 Portland, OR - Holocene w/ Erase Errata 04/28/07 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey w/ ADULT. + Erase Errata 04/29/07 Missoula, MT - The Laboratory 05/01/07 Fargo, ND - Aquarium w/ Nudity 05/02/07 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry w/ ADULT. 05/03/07 Milwaukee, WI - Stonefly Brewery w/ ADULT. + Tussle 05/04/07 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle w/ ADULT. + Tussle Recent Press: "Brilliant, sustained noise-rock minimalists with a monumental impact." - The New York Times "Fist-pumping choruses and chaos; the sense of a song not just being sung, but being hurled over the side of a mountain." - The Chicago Tribune "What Parts and Labor have figured out how to do, in a way no one else really has, is to make noise anthemic." - Pitchfork Media Tue, 06 Mar 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#95 This week, The Besnard Lakes released their Jagjaguwar debut, The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse, to a warm reception all over the globe. Among the praise heaped on this musically ambitious Montreal six-piece is Pitchfork's stellar review (not too shabby 8.2 score, along with the "Also Recommended" tag), that enthused, "...instead of coming down, the Besnards turn it up another notch thanks to bassist/Lasek's belle Olga Goreas' star turn on "Devastations", a hellacious, fuck-the-man screen delivered in 70s-smooth girly harmonies that provides an uncanny contrast to song's monstrous psych-metal groove and -- oh yes -- climactic three-way drum solo." Read it here (http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/41230/The_Besnard_Lakes_Are_the_Dark_Horse). Sat, 24 Feb 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#92 The latest addition to the Jagjaguwar Podcast Series features Odawas exploring the dark corners of their spellbinding new Jagjaguwar LP, Raven and The White Night. Mike, Isaac and Brad discuss the creative process and inspirations behind the LP, and after the interview, Odawas perform "Beware", a song off the LP that can only be heard here. Available March 6th, the LP will include a gratis CD and will be available via iTunes, eMusic and all good digital retailers. Enjoy! Click the following links to subscribe to your favorite feed. Feedburner (http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=203251142iTunes/a http://add.my.yahoo.com/rss?url=http://feeds.feedburner.com/JagjaguwarPodcast Yahoo/a http://www.google.com/ig/add?feedurl=http://feeds.feedburner.com/JagjaguwarPodcastGoogle/a http://feeds.feedburner.com/JagjaguwarPodcast) Fri, 23 Feb 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#91 Our two March releases are now available for pre-order, including: - Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy (Definitive Edition) This is the definitive double-disc set which brings together Okkervil River's ground-breaking Black Sheep Boy project in its entirety - including the original album, the 7-song Black Sheep Boy Appendix EP, the song "The Next Four Months" (originally released on the "For Real" CD single), the "For Real" video as well as a new video of a magical alternate slower take of "No Key, No Plan". Enjoy this panoramic perspective of a modern masterpiece and one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the new millennium. - Odawas - Raven And The White Night Odawas' 2005 debut on Jagjaguwar, The Aether Eater, was a fiery space oddity detailing the brave, the lost, and the maligned. The journey was epic. But the obstinate darkness and disastrous side-effects of space travel are getting lost, and thus turning inward on their follow-up album Raven And The White Night. Odawas' continual pursuit of this experience leads them again and again to these dark corners where the lines between "the journey" and "the chronicler" can easily be blurred. It is here, in this amorphous abyss that Odawas nestle down and create music that bundles our struggles, rumors, egos, failures, and paranoias. Odawas allows us, the patient learners, to see a parallel universe where fear, apathy and uncertainty can lead to a natural bridge that releases us from our own abyss. This LP package also comes with a gratis compact disc version of the album. Check them out here (http://www.scdistribution.com/cat/jag_catalognew.php) Fri, 16 Feb 2007 12:00:00 CST http://www.jagjaguwar.com/news.php#90 It's time for you all to get acquainted with the band that The Deli Magazine calls "the most original still-obscure band playing in New York". ALEX DELIVERY is Nik Bozic, Marika Kandelaki, Robert Lombardo, Colin Ryan and Yegang Yoo. This Brooklyn-based quintet sounds like nothing you have ever heard before. They take cues from elements of Krautrock, space rock, electro-dance music, and musique concr?te and mash them all into a delicious sonic goo with a flavor all its own. Their otherworldly approach extends far beyond the auditory, as Alex Delivery have demonstrated their penchant for unique visual expression, as well. Their beautifully detailed album cover art comes from 6 original oil paintings made by multi-instrumentalist Kandelaki. After nearly 2 years in the making, Alex Delivery's debut full-length, "Star Destroyer", will be available on April 24, 2007. In the meantime, the lead song, "Komad", is available for free download here (http://www.scjag.com/mp3/jag/komad.mp3) For those of