Music For Robots has the original ‘86 demo version of “Monkey Gone To Heaven” from the upcoming Frank Black Francis record coming out on Spinart.

The Liars have unfortunately had to cancel all their dates with Blonde Redhead.

News to me: There’s a new Solex record out (via jon).

Catch this one over at Pitchfork? Enon’s putting together a rarities disc, collecting all the miscellaneous singles. I got sold on Enon the first time I heard Fly South.

A track from the new Delgados record, Universal Audio:

And one from the new Panda Bear (as in “Avey Tare and…”, aka “Animal Collective”) disc:

Plus some weirdiness from the new Les Georges Leningrad record:

Matt Pond will be out on tour very very soon. Dates:

There’s also an mppa myspace group now, complete with some “streaming” tracks. I say “streaming” in “quotes” because since I got Wiretap for the Mac, I can record all that shit out there on the interweb. Like for example, those Shins live tracks just up over at CBC (thx Frank). PC Users, I got no help for you, but then again, I don’t ever remember you ever coming to bail me out whenever launch.yahoo.com or mtv.com bitches me out and tells me my browser won’t support their weak-ass video formats.

Frank also tracked down the tracklist for that upcoming Matador at Fifteen comp. Looks good, whatwith unreleasedish stuff from the New Pornographers, M Ward, Cat Power, Malkmus &c.

Billboard Baggins recently talked to Malkmus about his upcoming album, due out in April or May. Also, don’t forget that enormo-sized Crooked Rain Crooked Rain re-release is out October 26th.

LA Weekly has an actually very good article on the future of music up right now. (via ToT).

Silence Is A Rhythm Two is currently serving up the Britt Daniel remix of that new Interpo’ track.

Matt dropped me a line to let me know that Grumble Grumble is no longer known as Grumble Grumble, due to the fact that there’s already band with a similar name, and what’s more, that band has a lawyer. But no, they have not changed their name to Grumble Grumble Grumble, nor the Grumble and Mary Chain, but have opted to rename theyselves “Get Him Eat Him“. They recently posted a new mp3, “Early Scarlet Globes“, and their full-length is still due out this Spring on Absolutely Kosher, it’ll just say Get Him Eat Him on the cover now.

Comes With A Smile #16 is up for pre-order. Articles and other word-y type stuff, plus new, unreleased tracks from The Decemberists, Jim Guthrie, Matt Pond, Joanna Newsom, Tara Jane O’Neil, Royal City, Solex, Unbunny, and more. Around thirteenish bucks.

The Hidden Cameras‘ I Believe In The Good Of Life single is out October 18th on Rough Trade. Flipside is “High Upon The Church Grounds” (a lost track from the Smell Of Our Own sessions) and “Steal All You Can Motherfucker” (recorded with an 8 member choir in a tiny sauna).

There’s also a 1000-ltd. 7″ coming out at the end of the month on Earworm Records, ft. demo versions of “Ban Marriage” and “The Dying Galatian”.

Also, here’s a big hunk of videos from a Toronto “Mississauga Goddam Show” back in July.

I assumed it was a gimme that the next Spoon record would be out on Merge, but the last thing I read made it sound as if it only “might probably” be on Merge. But whatever. They’re also saying now that it will “only maybe” be titled The Beast and Dragon are Adored, and may in fact actually be called Romeo’s Apprentice. (I know, I’m really stretching for Spoon news here).

Sally Crewe, who gave us 2003’s excellent Drive It Like You Stole It, has completed her recent move to the States (Austin, to be exact), and as such, is looking for, well, an entire new band:

- Drummer
- Bass player (ideally w/ backing vocals)
- Guitar player (ideally w/ backing vocals)
- Keyboard player

Give Sally a holler if you’ve got the skills.

I forgot to mention that the Futureheads‘ “Meantime” video is out. I can’t load the Windows Media version, but I can tell you that the Real Player version’s quality is horrendous. FWIW.

Did you know that there was a limited-edition 7″ box-set of the new Interpol material? Christ, man, good luck getting a complete set of that shit.

Almost 2 full years later, Subpop decides that that Postal Service disc should probably be available on vinyl. They say it will be packaged with a bonus six-song 12″ collecting all of the b-sides and remixes from their CD-singles, which means the tracks would be:

There’s Never Enough Time
We Will Become Silhouettes (performed by The Shins)
Such Great Heights (performed by Iron & Wine)
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight (DJ Downfall Remix)
Such Great Heights (John Tejada Remix)
Suddenly Everything Has Changed (cover of Flaming Lips)

Devendra Banhart’s new one, Nino Rojo is out this week. I liked Rejoicing In The Hands, but I think Nino Rojo’s much better.

There are some new tracks up over at the Futureheads Yahoo Group. There are several tracks recorded with Andy Gill of Gang of Four, plus also, demo versions of Hounds of Love, My Rules, and more. If you didn’t join the group 3 months ago when I urged you to, now is as good a time as any. The demo tracks will only be up for a week.

Hey, pre-order Pinback’s Summer In Abaddon from Insound and you’ll also get a free 7″, “Fortress” b/w “Todo” (a non-album track).

On October 5th, SCTAS presents the
inaugural release from
Slight Records: The
Holy Sons/Dolorean split 7″.
3 unreleased songs (2 Holy Sons, 1 Dolorean), limited 500 on Coca-Cola
Green vinyl. Five buckaroos.

Merge has finally
posted
those 3 Arcade Fire tracks.
And again,
remember those are “streaming” tracks, and
I can’t imagine how they could possibly be downloaded as mp3s.

And there’s another track from my other favorite Canuckistan band,
Wolf Parade, up over at
Molars.

Barsuk’s new puppies are some
bedroom poppers called Aqueduct,
and their EP, Pistols At Dawn, will be out next month. I have
vetted their stuff
for you, and guess what, it’s pretty good. There’s one mp3 available
from the EP, and
four older tracks:

border="0" hspace="4" align="right"/>There’s an incredibly short Divine Comedy tour
going on right now. I bet you didn’t know. It’s true that I got
headbutted in the face at a
Divine Comedy show a few years ago, but I assure you, that’s not
typically a standard occurence.
Now, Neil and Co. don’t make the rounds stateside all that often, so I
strongly urge you to attend if
there’s a show scheduled (that’s “shed-you-ulled”) for your town.
Quite honestly, I can think
of few better ways to spend an evening. In addition to new songs from
the latest, Absent Friends,
there are other new selections in the repertoire, including a cover of
the Queens Of The Stone Age’s “No One Knows”,
which leads into a full-on “Request” period, during which time Neil and
the boys will have a go at whatever
song the audience happens to call out.

Remaining Dates:
15th September - Toronto, ON, Canada - Horseshoe Tavern
17th September - Chicago, IL - Schuba’s
18th September - Minneapolis, MN - Ascot Room
20th September - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
22nd September - San Francisco, CA - Cafe Du Nord
23rd September - San Francisco, CA - Cafe Du Nord
25th September - Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe (w/ The Turn-Ons, Delays,
& Futureheads)
26th September - Vancouver, BC, Canada - Sonar

I finally got to see Robbers On High Street
last night, and they were great. Columbus booking being the way it is,
it will probably
be a very long time before I get another chance to see ‘em. Anyway
though, they’re out there
now, and you’re doin’ yourself a disservice if you don’t go check ‘em
out. They’ve got a couple more
dates with Sloan, and then they’re hooking up with JV for
a bunch of dates:

w/ Sloan:

09/14/04 The Gargoyle Club - St. Louis, Missouri
09/15/04 Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack - Little Rock, Arkansas
09/18/04 Mary Jane’s @ Fat Cat’s - Houston, Texas

w/ Vanderslice:

09/22/04 Berbatis Pan - Portland, Oregon
09/23/04 Rusty Nail @ Lewis & Clark - Portland, Oregon
09/24/04 Crocodile Cafe - Seattle, Washington
09/25/04 Department of Safety - Anacortes, Washington
09/27/04 Kilby Court Gallery - Salt Lake City, Utah
09/28/04 Larimer Lounge - Denver, Colorado
09/29/04 Knickerbocker’s - Lincoln, Nebraska
09/30/04 Maintenance Shop - Ames, Iowa
10/01/04 Triple Rock Social Club - Minneapolis, Minnesota
10/19/04 The Hi-Tone Cafe - Memphis, Tennessee
10/20/04 J.R.’s Lightbulb Club - Fayetteville, Arkansas
10/22/04 Hailey’s - Denton, Texas
10/23/04 The Parish - Austin, Texas
10/25/04 Plush - Tucson, Arizona
10/26/04 Modified - Phoenix, Arizona
10/27/04 The Casbah - San Diego, California
10/28/04 Troubador - West Hollywood, California
10/29/04 Cafe du Nord - San Francisco, California

If you need to re-acquaint yourself, here are some mp3s:

And don’t forget this live KEXP set from back in March.

DOA notes that Damien Jurado’s next record, On My Way To Absence, will be out early ‘05. A live-to-tape 5-song EP, called Just In Time For Something should be out in November, though. An effing incredible tour is lined-up for Oct/Nov, featuring Buckner, Jurado, and Dolorean. Looks like I’m a be schlepping my ass to Pittsburgh for that one.

Pitchfork gave The Arcade Fire’s Funeral a 9.7.

Nine. Point. Seven.

Insound has an mp3 now, but Merge still hasn’t posted the tracks on their site, those slack motherfuckers. (Get it, “Slack Motherfuckers”? Bwah-ha-ha!
Haha! Ha. Ha? Er… Ahem.)

My favorite Sunderland, England band The Futureheads, have posted some mp3s for you. Since they have, like, 968 different variations of each single, I can’t say for sure where these tracks come from. But I think “Remote Control” is from the Decent Days and Nights single, and “Piece of Crap” is from the First Day single.

The Decemberists‘ Billy Liar EP comes out next week. Tracks:

1. Billy Liar
2. Los Angeles, I’m Yours
3. Everything I Try To Do, Nothing Seems To Turn Out Right
4. Sunshine

Their next full-length is due out next March. If this footage is any indication, things are proceeding swimmingly.

Also, the Decembs are on-tour all over the damn place for the next two months. I wouldn’t miss their live show if I were you.

In October, there’ll be a new TV On The Radio single out, “New Health Rock” b/w an acapella cover of the YYY’s “Modern Romance”.

Earlimart’s new record Treble & Tremble is out in a few weeks. Ein mp3:

After clicking the above link, you may get bugged to register or somesuch, but that’s Epitonic for you.

The Arcade Fire tracks keep a-comin’. Stereogum has posted “Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)”.

I will be very surprised if that record doesn’t turn out to be the biggest deal of the whole goddamn year.