Mastermind of experimental metal, Justin Broadrick (founder of Godflesh, Napalm Death and Jesu) recently relaunched his web label Avalanche Recordings. He started the label in 2000 with limited release CDRs and has returned with limited release CDRs that were intended for sale at concerts Broadrick is involved in. But now Avalanche Recordings has its first full release to offer: an album of unreleased Jesu material titled Pale Sketches! Jesu is set to release their newest album, Lifeline, on Hydra Head in October and Justin Broadrick will perform with both Sunn O))) and Jesu for a short tour this Fall! ([More →])

The Black Angels will join Queens of the Stone Age on tour after a few Arizona and Cali shows of their own. The Black Angels opened for the Smashing Pumpkins during their 7 day stint at The Fillmore in SF and recently finished a tour of Europe with the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. They also received some of the best praise I have ever read in Uncut:

the flat, pounding rhythm of early heavy metal; the brassy echo of Peggy Suicide-era Julian Cope; the brooding sludge of Spacemen 3; [and] Grace Slick’s mock-solemn incantations.

Dang. Sounds smooth and dangerous… ([More →])

In my double-life as a jet-setting music enthusiast, I would definitely be in London (again, London… sigh.) on 6 and 7 and 9 September to enjoy two different audio-visual sensory-immersive events at the ICA. The three events feature music by Mathew Herbert, The Chemical Brothers, Battles, Plaid and many more electricians, while the visual includes works by Joji Koyama, Max Hattler, United Visual Artists, Flat Nose George plus many others. ([More →])

As soon as possible, I am going to become a jet-setter; I will acquire a flat near London and a frequent flyer membership. Then, every time I hear about something happening in London that is INFINITELY cooler than anything happening in SF, I am going to book a seat, grab my passport and jump over the pond. If I were able to procure these things in the next month, you would definitely find me in London on 4 October for a very special live performance by Murcof. The Mexican laptop wizard is about to release his third EP, Cosmos, as a CD or triple vinyl on 17 September via The Leaf Label. To celebrate, he will be performing in surround sound at the Peter Harrison Planetarium, at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. I don’t know if there will be a laser show, but just leaning back and gazing at infinite space, swimming in a sea of stars and solar systems, and letting the Cosmos wash over me would be such relaxing bliss… ([More →])

The legendary Looney Tunes independent music store in New York, suffered a devastating fire on Wednesday night. Investigators say that a faulty extension cord caused the fire that decimated 4000 square feet of records, CDs, 57 autographed guitars, and countless Gold and Platinum records. ([More →])

What would Bob Marley think of his albums being released in every new media? These days, there are many options for the rastaman on the go. USB, SD, mp3, and ringtones, Bob Marley and the Wailers are as mobile as a rasta can get! That’s right, ringtones! Verizon Wireless and Universal Music Group announced a deal today that makes an extensive catalog of Bob Marley tunes available as ringtones for Verizon cell phones. A press release about the new ringtones puts Bob Marley on the highest musical pedestal and hails Verizon as a leader in mobile music for inking the deal with Universal. ([More →])

Our favorite psychedelic space-rockers - Spectrum - are currently weaving across the Northern US on their way to V Festival in Toronto. If you heard Sonic Boom on his tour earlier this year, you may have been left with an appetite for a full Spectrum experience. Boom played a handful of songs from the Spectrum archives during his sets, and now we can hear them in proper stereo. Spectrum just played two shows in NYC over the weekend and Tuesday night they were in Cambridge Mass. After that, it’s on to Philly, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Then in September, they hit Chicago, Toronto, Seattle, and a lot of midwest in bewtween. And of course, Portland, SF and LA will get their turn before the band travels through the south, finishing up the tour at the Wall of Sound Festival in Fort Worth, Texas. ([More →])

Many musicians will bring good cheer to the US on 9/11 this year, and Baby Elephant will be one of them with the release of Turn My Teeth Up! But you won’t have to wait to listen to this groovy, ultra-funktastic music - you can listen to it today on the band’s music$pace page. Baby Elephant is comprised of Prince Paul, Newkirk, and Bernie Worrell at its core and they will drop their debut album on Godforsaken Music. Bernie Worrell is a dreamy synthesizer mastermind who has played with the Talking Heads and P-Funk, as well as a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. But the delicious name-dropping doesn’t end there! Also featured on different tracks are George Clinton - the man who put the P in Phunk, David Byrne - the eccentric Talking Head himself, Yellowman - the whitest Jamaican to chat up a mic, Shock G - who put the Hump in Humpty, plus Gabby La La, Nona Hendryx, and Reggie Watts! ([More →])

Jesus and Mary Chain broke up in 1999 but reunited this year with a memorable appearance at Coachella including additional vocals by Scarlett Johansson on “Just Like Honey.” The band, featuring brothers William and Jim Reid plus Loz Colbert, Phil King, and Mark Crozer, is currently on tour in Europe but will return to the US for more shows in October. When speaking with Rolling Stone recently, JAMC spoke of possibly recording an album of new material. Today it’s been confirmed, they will head into the studio again after touring. For the US dates announced thus far, Evan Dando (former Lemonheads) will open each show with a solo acoustic act, while 3 of the shows will feature the Soulsavers (Mark Lanegan’s current band). ([More →])

After their performances at a string of major music festivals in the UK and Europe, Datarock is heading down under for shows in 3 Australian cities, then switches hemispheres again for shows in North America with Kaiser Chiefs. But the 2 weeks on the road with Kaiser Chiefs will miss many major US stops, so the retro rockers went back to the drawing board to drum up some more tour dates. What they came up with is a short but sweet west coast tour that they will headline in October. ([More →])

San Francisco adores the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. No other town loves this band more except maybe New York City. Witnessing a Yeah Yeah Yeahs concert in SF is almost a religious experience. I can feel how much the music means to each person in the crowd: music that reached them in their darkest hour; lyrics that spoke to them directly; or simply a celebration of life and the sparkle that Karen O brings to the room. Whatever the reason, everyone in the room is affected by the music. Tuesday night, August 21, 2007 at the Fillmore in San Francisco was no exception. The floor bowed deeply under the rhythmic jumping of the devoted congregation, and a sea of arms reached out to catch the melodies mid-air. The YYYs have earned this response from the audience with their relentless delivery of stellar shows. Their music and their stage presence isn’t contained on the stage, it imbibes everyone in the room until it feels like we’re actually dancing on stage with the band. If there is one thing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs do well, it’s connecting with each and everyone of their fans in a personal way. ([More →])

It was exactly 40 years ago that Louis Armstrong popularized the tune “What A Wonderful World,” yet it continues to be relevant in today’s social climate. When Louis Armstrong sang it, the world was rife with racial struggles and political upheaval. Now, when Jolie Holland and Booker T. Jones sing it, the world is again struggling with political problems and social collapse. The angelic singer and the tough organist wanted to remind us of how lovely life is, even in the midst of economic and political strife. Their attempt to bring beauty into a world of struggle pairs the equally unusual combination of Jolie Holland’s ethereal voice with Booker T’s earthy organ and piano. ([More →])

We’ve got two grand tours by Ipecac artists: The Melvins with Big Business and Otto Von Schirach with The Locust! The Melvins have announced a jam-packed tour of the US from mid-September to mid-October where they will be screening the new DVD they created with hipster cartoon toy designer Dalek - “Purge of Dissidents” at each show! Big Business will be opening the shows, but first The Melvins play one show with Mudhoney in LA (which will also screen the new DVD). If sludge rock isn’t your mug o’music, but weirdness is, you might want to check out the Otto Von Schirach tour with analog afficionado insectoids The Locust that is winding around Europe! Ahhh, I remember when Otto was just a lad, playing underground warehouse shows in SF and The Locust were scaring kids at The Gilman… ([More →])

Steve Albini strikes again! As a recording engineer, he is one of the few who can be trusted with the task of recording extreme music that has a long history of being improperly mastered and mixed-down. He has made all the difference in the world on recordings with Neurosis, Fugazi, Gogol Bordello, The Stooges, Mono, Godspeed You! Black Emperor and many more. Well, it’s no wonder then, that OM trusted him to record their third full-length album at Electrical Audio studio in Chicago. The album will be titled Pilgrimage and it is due to be released on Southern Lord (OM’s first album on this label) on October 2nd. ([More →])

There’s experimental metal afoot! Never content to rest, a few fantastic bands have extended their tours through the Fall, bringing high caliber metal to many regions of the US. Most notably, Jesu will be back in the states for a Fall tour and they will combine dark forces with various other guitar alchemists along the way. They will play a few shows with Torche and Tim Hecker, a few shows with Sunn O))) and Eluvium, as well as a show with Wolves In The Throne Room! ([More →])