Maximo Park, Interpol, Kings of Leon, Timberlake & Arctic Monkeys

A flurry of indie-rock touring activity is to take place in the UK later this year as three of the scene’s biggest stars take to the road with a string of dates covering October to December - playing some of their largest venues yet. First off is angular Newcastle quintet Maxïmo Park who will kick things off in Glasgow on October 2nd before ending up in London ten days later. All the info. Next to hit the road are NY’s Interpol who will play Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom on November 28th and London’s Alexandra Palace on November 29th and hot on their heels are Nashville rockers Kings of Leon who will play nine dates across the UK starting from November 30th.

Kings of Leon tour dates:
Hull Arena – 30/11/07
Aberdeen, AECC – 01/12/07
Glasgow, SECC – 03/12/07
Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena – 04/12/07
Brighton Centre – 06/12/07
Nottingham Arena – 07/12/07
Manchester Central – 09/12/07
Birmingham, NIA – 10/12/07
London, Wembley Arena – 12/12/07

Not content with being one of the biggest selling pop acts around, Justin Timberlake is branching out into the corporate world with his own label, Tennman Records, which is a joint venture with Interscope. The artist will act as chairman and CEO with former Sony BMG VP of A&R Ken Komisar taking the role of President. Speaking recently on the subject Justin said: "We are all excited about the talent we have to offer already on our roster and I cannot wait to introduce the world to my new discoveries". Justin will continue to release his own music through Jive Records.

Finally, those nice people at Domino are to release two exclusive Arctic Monkeys tracks – ‘Matador’ and ‘Da Frame 2r’ – via a 7” white label. Previously only available on the Japanese release of their recent album ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ the 7” will be released on 18th June and can be pre-ordered now via Domino Mart. Be quick though as they are limited to 1000 copies.

News: Good Books, CocoRosie, SFA, Liars & Cream

After trying to keep details of their secret Morden gig on the down-low, south London’s Good Shoes have been rumbled by the local council. But it’s all good though, as they’ve decided to let it go ahead anyway. The band will play Morden park bandstand at 2pm on bank holiday Monday 28th. It’s free and open to all and there is also a Flickr group for photos of the day so make sure you take a camera. Map (bandstand bottom left).

After their mysterious arrest earlier this month it seems that everything is back on track for NY indie/folk-hoppers CocoRosie. The sisters have announced a string of UK dates in June in support of their latest Touch and Go released effort ‘The Adventures of Ghostborn and Stillborn’.

Tour Dates:
12 June - Brighton, Komedia
13 June - Nottingham, Trent University
14 June - Bristol, Ansom Rooms
15 June - Glasgow, The Arches
16 June - Manchester, Academy 2
17 June - London, Bloomsbury Ballroom

How does Gruff Rhys fit it all in? Having recently released his latest solo LP ‘Candylion’ and still putting the finishing touches to the Neon Neon LP - his electronic side project with Boom Bip - he has just revealed details of the newly completed Super Furry Animals album and a string of various UK dates. The new album, ‘Hey Venus’ will be released via Rough Trade on August 27th. Tracklisting and tour dates.

New York art-rockers Liars have also unveiled details of a new album. The self-titled follow-up to last year’s superbly intense ‘Drums Not Dead’ will be out on August 20th courtesy of Mute records. Speaking to Pitchfork, singer Angus Andrew has proclaimed a change in direction that might be a bit easier on the ears for some listeners: “I'd never felt like a songwriter 'til this album... If you said I'd be playing guitar solos, I'd have called you a liar… this time I’m a bit shocked.”

Finally, bassist Jack Bruce of 60’s British rockers Cream has revealed that the band will reform this summer for one or more shows with guitarist Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker. Although not specifying when, Bruce stated that it would not be at Live Earth. Speaking to Associated Press he spoke of the recent denial that they would ever reform: “Then, the next day, it came up we're doing something if I wanted to. Obviously, I'm not going to be the one to say no”.

News: Prince, Justice, Simian Mobile Disco

If you failed to get tickets to Prince's month-long London residency, make plans to be in Los Angeles in June. It is highly anticipated that the diminutive 80s legend will announce a seven-week residency at the Roosevelt Hotel beginning June 15, where he will perform two-hour sets every Friday night with a different celebrity guest each week. The shows won't start until 11.30 and comprise a built-in aftershow wherein the star's private chef will serve after-hours food whilst Prince and friends entertain dinners as part of a jazz ensemble. The fun will finally wind up at 4am. Ticket information is expected this week.

Parisian techno hipsters, Justice, have announced their debut London live show on June 11. The gig will feature support from Ed Banger labelmates Busy P and DJ Mehdi and tickets are only available via a competition on their MySpace page - www.myspace.com/etjusticepourtous.

New hope has arrived for Internet radio stations in the US, whose future is threatened with unrealistically high royalty charges. SoundExchange, a non-profit organization responsible for collecting digital royalties may prove the saviour of net stations like Pandora. It has offered to extend the current royalty rates until 2010 and give Internet radio stations a chance to develop before seeking payments "based on the value of music in the marketplace."

Finally, in preparation for this summer's live dates from UK new-rave standard bearers, Simian Mobile Disco, here's a clip of them playing "Sleep Deprivation" at Brighton's Great Escape festival last weekend:



In addition to their festival appearances, you can catch the band on the following dates:

Friday 25th May – Thekla, Bristol

Saturday 26th May – Stylus, Leeds

Sunday 27th May – The Custard Factory, Birmingham

Thursday 31st May – Music Box, Manchester
Friday
1st June – Fabric, London
Saturday
2nd June – Chibuku, Liverpool
Tuesday
5th June – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
Thursday
7th June – The Empire, Middlesbrough
Friday
8th June – The Arches, Glasgow
Saturday
9th June – The Plug, Sheffield

News: OutKast, Stones Throw, Stone Roses, Animal Collective

Countering fears that the working relationship of OutKast's Andre 3000 and Big Boi's has completely broken down, the former has confirmed they are planning a new album together. However, it will be another dual-solo release in the style of "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below". "It's almost like a picnic," he told MTV of the planning stage. "You call your auntie and say, 'You bringin' some greens? Yeah? OK, I'm not gonna bring any greens.' I gotta find out what I gotta cook up. But to quote James Brown, 'Whatever it is, it's got to be funky.'"

Tunetourist's favourite purveyors of independent hip hop, California's Stones Throw records, continue to give their music away. Their latest podcast (number 21) is themed around the remixes of senior beat konducta, Madlib. It features ten years of the maestro's refix agenda and is mixed by the peerless J. Rocc. Click here to download.

Speculation is never-ending regarding the possible reformation of the Stones Roses but according to insider-blogger Johnny Famethrower, it'll never happen. Having a quiet word with the Roses and Primal Scream bassist after he was grilled on the very question by a BBC news crew, Famethrower learned that Mani is more likely to become intimately acquainted with the Queen mother than take part in a Roses reunion. Read the full story here

Spiky Brit trio The Cribs release their new album "Men's Needs Women's Needs Whatever" today (May 21) and embark on a short tour of the UK beginning at Keele University tonight and winding up at Leeds University on June 9. The latest instalment of their podcast is available now and features Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos - click here to download it.

Baltimore-bred psych-pop visionaries Animal Collective release a new album, "Strawberry Jam", in September. Melodies and lyrics were written largely by band members Panda Bear and Avey Tare and the album came together through full-band writing sessions with Geologist and Deacon. The full track listing is as follows:

1 Peacebone
2. Unsolved Mysteries
3. Chores
4. For Reverend Green
5. Fireworks
6. #1
7. Winter Wonder Land
8. Cuckoo Cuckoo
9. Derek

I Am Kloot - Bar Academy, London, 17.05

Was it around the time that Noel Gallagher lent his endorsement that it started to look like it was never going to happen for Manchester three-piece I Am Kloot? Certainly, it didn’t help that their greatest shot at a hit, 2003’s “Proof”, had its single release fudged by their then label just around the time the Oasis oracle chose to speak. Since, they’ve remained impossible to align with any of the winds of fashion blowing in British guitar music, defiantly and marvellously individual.

The upside is, we get to sit on the floor in the relatively intimate Bar Academy and watch singer Johnny Bramwell run through a knowing selection of their best tracks, largely taken from the first two albums. All are worthy of acoustic treatment; his Dylanesque flair for simple folk songs having been obvious on both “No Fear Of Falling” and “Not A Reasonable Man”.

Bramwell is often characterised as having a knack for grim realism and sound bite but in truth his poetry can be much more nuanced than that. As a singer he controls vocal dynamic like a draughtsman controls line: gentle verses giving way to the thick black line of his voice in full flight, perfectly seasoned by cigarettes and Guinness. Happily, new material played tonight – particularly the elegant yearning of “At The Sea” – suggests they plan a return to the simple songcraft at which they excel, after the relative diversion of “Gods And Monsters”. Perhaps it’ll be the one to finally break them… if so, you’d better get down to the Bar Academy next month when Bramwell’s going to bring Elbow singer Guy Garvey along with him for another cosy little show.

Battles at The Scala last night, 16/05

Beastie Boys - Off the Grid

It appears that the Beastie Boys' new instrumental 'post punk' album is shaping up to be quite a winner as evidenced in this new video for the track entitled 'Off the Grid'. At first it sounds like the usual funky Beasties affair circa 'The In Sound From Way Out' until the track really heats up about two minutes in, although the term 'post punk' could be hotly debatable.



The album, entitled 'The Mix Up', will be released through Parlophone on June 26th.

Tracklisting:

1. B For My Name
2. 14th St. Break
3. Suco De Tangerina
4. The Gala Event
5. Electric Worm
6. Freaky Hijiki
7. Off The Grid
8. The Rat Cage
9. The Melee
10. Dramastically Different
11. The Cousin Of Death
12. The Kangaroo Rat

What's on the Tunetourist stereo?

News: Pete Doherty, The Game, Pink Floyd, Drag City

Babyshambles frontman / walking disaster Pete Doherty is turning his attentions to the art world this month in his usual outrageous fashion. The singer will be exhibiting artwork which he has painted with his own blood – so don't get too close. The ‘Bloodworks’ exhibition runs from May 15th for one month at Notting Hill’s Bankrobber Gallery where fans will be able to pick up prints signed in blood by the man himself for up to £2,500.

The Ibiza Rocks festival is back for the third year running with a rather impressive line-up to give the dance clubs a run for their money. The current line-up includes: Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, CSS, LCD Soundsystem, Mika, The Fratellis and The View alongside resident DJs Zane Lowe, and Rob Da Bank. The all-summer event will take place at Manumission’s Bar M from June 19th to September 11th.

Hip Hop bad boy The Game has been arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats after police searched his house for three hours last week. A spokeswoman for the LAPD stated that the arrest was also related to an incident that occurred in February but declined to elaborate any furthur. After being released on $50,000 bail the 27-year-old rapper told a film crew “I want to say that I’m not guilty and I love California”.

All four surviving members of Pink Floyd took part in a tribute concert at London’s Barbican venue last week in memory of their former frontman and founder Syd Barrett. Dave Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright reformed to play the band’s debut single ‘Arnold Layne’ whilst Roger Waters – still clearly at loggerheads with Gilmour – performed a solo version of one of his own tracks ‘Flickering Flame’, which we assume is a tribute to his old friend.

Finally, renowned Chicago indie label Drag City – who can claim Pavement, Joanna Newsom, Will Oldham and Royal Trux amongst their discoveries – are setting up a world music wing to their label. Yaala Yaala Records receives its proper launch on May 22nd with the release of three albums by West African artists Pekos & Yoro Diallo, Daouda Dembele, and a collection recorded at house parties in the Malian locales of Bougouni and Bamako.

Just easy as ABC...

It’s been near impossible to escape the Ed Banger label for the last year, either at indie discos or on house dancefloors. From the potty outpourings of ‘butter wouldn’t melt’ Uffie, to electro heavyweights Sebastian and Mr Oizo, the label’s consistent sound and style could teach Coke a thing or two about brand. The ultimate expression of their twisted machine groove, of course, comes from the distorted synths and filtered basslines of Gaspard Auge and Xavier de Rosnay, aka Justice (try saying it with a French accent, its fun).

That Simian remix aside, Justice became inescapable when they put out last year’s pummelling “Waters Of Nazareth” in which the harder extremes of Daft Punk were reimagined through the mangled mind of Iggy Pop circa “Fun House”. With all the steely impulses of techno, yet as funky as anything on “Discovery”, this was a party soundtrack made somewhere between heaven and hell. Perfect.



Now the full-length is finally upon us and if you were expecting it to exhaust you, well yes, “†” is a fairly unrelenting 45 minutes of a sound whose chief flaw is its own distinctiveness. But only “Phantom” turns the distortion up to such ear wax-curdling levels as “Waters Of Nazareth”, current single “D.A.N.C.E.” taunts cynicism with irresistible disco drops and we bet Daft Punk wish they could still pull off a trick like “New Jack” with its complete reconfiguration of the tired filtered house formula into stupidly good new shapes. At times it sounds like one of those synth albums that EMI released to showcase Dolby technology; “Stress” is like a library music soundtrack to Catherine Deneuve’s nightmares in that Roman Polanski film, Repulsion.

Shall we start a petition to see them supporting Prince at the O2 Arena in August? You know it makes sense.

News: New Order, CYHSY, SMD, Hot Chip

Mancunian dance-pop legends New Order have broken up – for the second time – according to bassist Peter ‘Hooky’ Hook. Speaking on his Myspace blog he referred back to his previous allusion to the split during an interview with Clint Boon on XFM: “(the rumour) was out at last. I’m relieved really hated carryin (sic) on as normal with an awful secret so let’s move on shall we?”

Following in the footsteps of Tom Waits, Bowie and Ice Cube, quirky Brooklyn-based indie rockers Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are branching out into Hollywoodland. Director - and former erotic movie scribe - Sean McGinly has cast the band, who will also write the score, in his latest film ‘The Great Buck Howard’ alongside Tom Hanks, Colin Hanks and Emily Blunt.

Indie-dance kings Simian Mobile Disco will be taking their acid frenzied live show on the road with a string of UK dates this May and June in support of their anticipated debut LP ‘Attack Decay Sustain Release’ due out June 4th on Wichita recordings. Full Info.

If you’re a New Young Pony Club fan, fancy winning £500 and would like to see a video directed by yourself on MTV then look no furthur my friends. NYPC have put a call out to their fans to make a video for new single ‘Ice Cream’ due out June 11th on Modular/Island. All you have to do is submit your entry to the band's You Tube channel to be in with a chance of winning.

Finally, Music Recommenders favourites Hot Chip have announced a series of DJ appearances throughout the UK to promote their installment of the DJ Kicks compilation series. The mix album will be released on May 28th via !K7 Recordings with an exclusive single from the band – ‘My Piano’ – released on June 4th.

Dates:

Glasgow The Arches (May 10)

Dublin Triniti Ball (11)

Newcastle Empire (11)

Leicester Sumo (12)

Middlesborough Empire (18)

Belfast Stiff Kitten (25)

Edinburgh Sugarbeat (25)

In an exclusive Music Recommmenders interview, frontman Alexis Taylor describes the selection process behind the compilation. Read it here .

News: Happy Mondays, Robert Wyatt, Kitsune, Boredoms

Happy Mondays fans who want to experience the shambolic Mancs playing live in a chip shop better get their skates on. As part of T-mobile’s Street Gigs season Bez, Shaun and co will be playing a chip shop on Brighton Pier and have also promised to debut material from their new LP – working title: ‘Freaky Funky Fish and Chips’.

Domino Recording Co. continue to expand their empire as a flurry of established indie artists join their ranks. First Animal Collective, then Spank Rock, now Robert Wyatt – with an album due in June - who’s going to be next to join the ever-growing roster of the nation’s favourite indie label? If that wasn’t enough they've also taken it upon themselves to reissue the classic LP ‘Colossal Youth’ by Young Marble Giants with a plethora of extra tracks taken from various singles and comps. The double LP will be released on July 2nd.

Paris’s hipper than thou indie/dance/fashion label Kitsuné are to release the eagerly awaited fourth instalment of their ‘Maison Compilation’ series. Featuring Kitsuné favourites, new-rave luvvies, and even some post rock artists, the compilation looks set to be another winner, as testified by the tracklisting:

1 : Darkel - Be My Friend
2 : The Whip - Divebomb (Short Edit)
3 : Feist - My Moon My Man (Boys Noize Classic mix)
4 : Hummer - Foals
5 : Hadouken! - Tuning In (H! re- rub)
6 : Passions - Emergency (Radio Edit)
7 : Riot In Belgium - La Musique (Adam Ski mix)
8 : Dragonette - I Get Around (Midnight Juggernaut remix)
9 : Guns N' Bombs - Crossover Appeal (Radio Edit)
10 : Punks Jump Up - Dance To Our Disco (Original)
11 : Thieves Like Us - Drugs In My Body
12 : Crystal Castles - Knights
13 : Whitey - Stay On The Outside

Finally, Boredoms are on the look out for 77 volunteering drummers to help out with their free ’77 Drum’ perfomance installation. So if you’re a drummer with a penchant for intense, druggy, aggressive and psychedelic noise rock then you can get in contact with the band via their Myspace page. The gig will take place July 7th on the lawn of the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park section of Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Matthew Dear’s “Asa Breed”

It’s good to have albums from Queens of the Stone Age, The White Stripes – Devendra Banhart, even – on the horizon but, in fairness, we’re not really expecting any of them to reinvent the wheel. That’s why it’s nice on occasion for an exciting, ambitious, arguably flawed record to arrive out of the blue and twist your head around. “Asa Breed”, Matthew Dear’s second artist album on Detroit’s consistently inspiring Ghostly International label, is shaping up as the summer’s big contender for that fix.

Dear you may know as Audion, the moniker under which he’s dispatched heavy 4/4 acid workouts over the past couple of years, culminating in unlikely club hit, “Mouth To Mouth” late last year. As with other Ghostly artists - like avant hip hop producer Dabrye who also records techno as Tadd Mullinix - it’s probably wise to forget what you know in preparation for this record, which reaches the shops in early June.

Dear throws a lot at the wall on “Asa Breed” and falls between two musical personas: Eno/Byrne-inspired electro-pop innovator and, more unexpectedly, Texan Tom Waits delivering sun scorched tales in laconic baritone. Not since Beck was in his prime has an artist been simultaneously both so futurist yet rooted in genre traditions.

Tracks like “Will Gravity Win Tonight?” open as anyone who heard Dear’s Fabric mix might plausibly expect but they quickly shift into wholly unanticipated territory. “Good To Be Alive” could be the most perfectly formed four minutes of modern pop music this year. From a processed plucked-string Afro melody and 4/4 beat, it builds up electro claps and synth riffs around a repeated vocal to grow a groove that’s then punctured with increasingly intense electro squelching. Pause... and it all drops back in. It's an understanding of what makes machines ‘groove’ that couldn’t have been learned outside of nightclubs. And then the track that follows it sounds like Mark Lanegan!

Not everything works; “Pom Pom” sounds like Erasure covering one of Kraftwerk’s more throwaway moments and in places the record leans a little heavily on Talking Heads and Eno and Byrne’s “My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts”, the reference point most reviewers will probably reach for as they struggle with this uncategorisable record. Whatever, what’s certain is that “Asa Breed” is defiantly not what you were expecting.

News: Bjork, Zombies, Big Boi, Lupe Fiasco

OK Bjork fans, if you weren’t lucky enough to get your hands on Glasto tickets and don’t have the cashflow - or time - to jet around the world to catch her US tour or various European festival appearances then salvation is at hand in the form of a webcast! We know, its not the best substitute - but its still a damn good one. NPR will broadcast her May 5th gig (with Konono No1) live from NYC’s United Palace and will also host it as a pocast free of charge whilst WNCY will re-broadcast the show on their website on May 14th.

British psych-pop legends The Zombies will be reforming – with deceased guitarist Paul Atkinson being replaced by Keith Airey - for a series of shows commemorating the 40th anniversary of their classic LP ‘Odyssey and Oracle’. À la ATP’s Don’t Look Back concert series the band will perform the album in it’s entirety but they will also find time to fit in some other gems from the rest of their back catalogue. More Info.

Lupe Fiasco has unveiled details of his follow up to grammy nominated debut ‘Food and Liquor’. Speaking to Billboard at Coachella Mr. Fiasco reiterated on his desire to rope in Pink Floyd: “Nothing has developed yet. But once the stew gets swirling and people start talking, you never know. I hope it does work out.” We hate to say it, but don't get your hopes up Lupe. He also cryptically mentioned a secret project with “another superstar rapper and someone who is a rapper/producer”. ‘The Cool’ is slated for a Halloween release.

After Andre 3000’s undefeated reign as hip hop’s King of Camp it appears that his own partner in rhyme, Big Boi, is going to be first to challenge the throne. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution Big Boi will be performing with the Atlanta Ballet on April 10-13 next year. It has been described by the ballet company as "an adventuresome, exhilarating evening featuring the world-renowned musical artistry of Big Boi of Outkast as well as artists of Purple Ribbon Entertainment. Daring, progressive, and soulful, these very talented artists perform a stunning collaborative piece, LIVE on stage with Atlanta Ballet's exquisite dancers." Can you imagine Purple Ribbon signee Bubba Sparxxx in a leotard?

Finally, America’s answer to the Mercury Music Prize, the Shortlist Music Prize, has announced its list of nominees. The lists are compiled by a panel of musicians and journalists known as ‘listmakers’. The listmakers this year include Franz Ferdinand (nominating LPs by Belle & Sebastian, Hot Chip, Liars), Sufjan Stevens (Dabrye, Danielson, Matmos) and Snow Patrol (Beirut, Bonnie Prince Billy, Mates of State).