Drive-By Truckers to record live album with Jack White

Athens, Georgia rock band Drive-By Truckers will be recording a live album with Jack White (of The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather if you've been living under a rock for the last ten years) at his Third Man Records in Nashville, Tennessee on January 30. The show "will be recorded direct to analog tape for release as a live LP (and a limited Black & Blue split colored LP for those in attendance)" and David Hood will sit in with the band. David Hood is the father of Drive-By Truckers frontman Patterson Hood and he's a member of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, who backed great soul artists like Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and The Staple Singers on many of their studio records in the '60s and '70s.

The show, and the following live lp, will have a special focus on southern soul music featuring both tracks from the upcoming Drive-By Truckers album Go-Go Boots and covers of southern soul songs. Hopefully recording with a high profile artist like Jack White can help Drive-By Truckers get the attention they deserve. Go-Go Boots is out on February 14 in the UK and February 15 in the US on ATO Records, and it's definitely recommended. You can download "Used To Be A Cop" from Go-Go Boots using the widget below.

Damien Jurado announce Scandinavian tour in April

American indie folk singer-songwriter Damien Jurado has announced a Scandinavian tour in April this year, which will take him to Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland, and before travelling across the Atlantic he'll be touring the US in March. Secretly Canadian released Jurado's newest record Saint Bartlett on May 25 last year to critical praise.

Here's two mp3s from Saint Bartlett, courtesy of Secretly Canadian:
"Cloudy Shoes"
"Arkansas"

or stream the whole album through Spotify, here.

Scandinavian tour dates:
04.11 - Copenhagen, Denmark – Huset I Magstraede
04.12 - Trondheim, Norway – Credo
04.13 - Oslo, Norway – Sub Scene
04.14 - Turku, Finland – Dynamo
04.15 - Helsinki, Finland – Korkjaamo
04.16 - Jyvaskila, Finland – Jyrock Festival
04.17 - Gothenburg, Sweden – Pusterviksbaren
04.19 - Stockholm, Sweden – Södra Teatern
04.20 - Malmo, Sweden – Debaser

The US tour dates are available at his myspace page.

Glasvegas on the cover of this week's issue of NME

Glasvegas singer James Allan is on the cover of this week's issue of NME. Releasing a new album, going on tour and being pretty awesome over-all might be the reason why.

Brother

On NMEs list of "the bands you need to hear in 2011" you find Brother. A four-piece gritpop band(gritpop is their self-styled genre) from the little town Slough just outside London. Their biggest aim is to play on Glastonbury's main stage. Let's wish them luck!

This is the first released single from the debut album expected in July:

Chapel Club releases debut album

I have had my eyes on a UK based band called Chapel Club for a while now and they are finally about to release their debut album Palace (out 31st January). They have released a few singles already, including "Five Trees", "O Maybe I", "Surfacing" and "All The Eastern Girls", which I all think gives you a pretty good picture of how the album is going to sound like.

"Five Trees" is a pretty amazing tune! See for yourself.

New Bright Eyes mp3: "Haile Selassie"

Conor Oberst's Bright Eyes will be releasing The People's Key, its first album since 2007's Cassadaga, on February 15 and earlier today they released the track "Haile Selassie" for free (or rather in exchange for your e-mail). "Haile Selassie" is the second track to be released from The People's Key with the first being "Shell Games", and you can download both tracks below. Bright Eyes will do a short European tour in February, including one sold-out date here in Stockholm which I will personally attend, before touring the US in March and April (tour dates here). The album cover of The People's Key is the featured image above, which hardly belongs among the better album covers of the year.

White Lies - Bombastic music in its best form!

When White Lies’ debut album To Lose My Life… came out in 2009 it was a big success. The album debuted at number one on the UK Album Chart. Their mix of bombastic modern pop and Joy Division darkness really fascinated me and it was also highly praised by the critics.

Now two years later they have finally released their second album named Ritual. My expectations were extremely high and I was not disappointed! At first I thought it impossible to beat the 2009s greatness but I was apparently completely wrong. I have now listened to the album for approximately one week and the album has just grown on me. I think it's almost better than the debut. They have kept their big dark sound and their love related lyrics. What distinguishes this album from the first is the use of a more electronic sound. Just my liking!

And here's a little introduction to White Lies:

"Farewell To The Fairground" - my favorite track from To Lose My Life


"Bigger Than Us" - the first single from Ritual

Little Majorette - Bite The Bullet

Stockholm/London band Little Majorette. Kind of catchy. Listen and love!

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit announce US tour

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit just announced a fifteen-date tour of the US in March and April, including one date at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX on March 17 (all dates below). Country singer-songwriter Hayes Carll will be the opening act on seven of the shows, touring behind his fourth record KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories) which is out on February 15 on Lost Highway Records. Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit is set to release Here We Rest, their second album (and Isbell's third after leaving Drive-By Truckers in 2007), on April 12 via Lightning Rod Records.

Tour dates:
03.12 - Destin, FL - Harbor Docks
03.15 - Baton Rouge, LA - Manship Theatre Studio
03.17 - Austin, TX - South by Southwest Festival
03.18 - San Antonio, TX - Sam's Burger Joint
03.19 - Alexandria, LA - Spirits, Food, & Friends
04.08 - Florence, AL - Shoals Theatre
04.09 - Birmingham, AL - Zydeco
04.13 - Greenville, SC - The Handlebar*
04.14 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
04.15 - Louisville, KY - Headliner's Music Hall*
04.19 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre*
04.20 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theater*
04.21 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live*
04.22 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom*
04.23 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall*

*with Hayes Carll

The Strokes reveal Angles tracklist

As we've previously mentioned The Strokes will release their fourth studio record on March 22 through RCA. The album is called Angles and they've now also released the tracklist for the album, which is available below. The first single from the album will be its second track, Under Cover Of Darkness, and it will hit the radio in February. Angles will be released by Rough Trade in the UK, a day before its US release, on March 21.

Tracklist:
1. Machu Picchu
2. Under Cover of Darkness
3. Two Kinds of Happiness
4. You're So Right
5. Taken for a Fool
6. Games
7. Call Me Back
8. Gratisfaction
9. Metabolism
10. Life Is Simple in the Moonlight

(via Pitchfork)

Mark Kozelek to release live album on March 1, entitled Live at Union Chapel & Södra Teatern

Mark Kozelek is mostly known as the architect behind Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon but he's also been, releasing solo albums for more than a decade now. Most of the records are minor releases consisting of covers or live recordings, and the main difference between Sun Kil Moon and Mark Kozelek records seems to be whether he wants it to be a low- or high-profile release, and that he's usually backed by a full band on the Sun Kil Moon records.

Last year Sun Kil Moon released one of the year's best albums in Admiral Fell Promises, which broke from the mould in that it was really an all-acoustic Mark Kozelek solo effort without any band involvement. Kozelek went on a solo tour to promote the album and he is now releasing the live album Live at Union Chapel & Södra Teatern on his own Caldo Verde Records label. The album was recorded during his gigs at the Union Chapel in London, UK on July 29 and at Södra Teatern here in Stockholm, Sweden on October 25, with yours truly in the audience - and I can assure you that it was a great performance.

The album contains 14 tracks spanning 78 minutes (the tracklist is available below) and consists of  seven songs from Admiral Fell Promises, four songs from Sun Kil Moon's 2008 album April, "Katy Song" from Red House Painters' first self-titled record from 1993 which is often known as Rollercoaster, "Cruiser" from Red House Painters' 2001 swansong Old Ramon and the folk traditional "Get Along Home Cindy". A cover of Thin Lizzy's "Randolph's Tango" is included as a bonus track on the digital and vinyl release.  

Live at Union Chapel & Södra Teatern will be released digitally on March 1 on the official Caldo Verde Records website, and will also be included for free with all orders from there. The release date for the vinyl lp is yet to be announced.

Tracklist:
1. Third And Seneca
2. Moorestown
3. Katy Song
4. Australian Winter
5. Heron Blue
6. Blue Orchids
7. Bay of Skulls
8. Cruiser
9. Like The River
10. Half Moon Bay
11. Get Along Home Cindy
12. You Are My Sun
13. Church Of The Pines
14. The Leaning Tree
15. Randolph's Tango (digital and vinyl bonus track)

The Vaccines announce gig at London's Electric Ballroom

NME published the announcement that The Vaccines are having their biggest show in the U.K. so far on the 7th of April at the Electric Ballroom in London yesterday. Their debut album What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? is planned to be released on the 21st of March.

The best of... Arctic Monkeys

I'm having an Arctic Monkeys week, I've been playing them on repeat on my iPod for a couple of days now. Because of that I concluded that I should introduce to you the best tracks from each of their three studio albums Humbug, Favourite Worst Nightmare and Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. Thus, in my opinion, the three best songs by Arctic Monkeys. Listen and love!




”My Propeller” is the first track of the album Humbug from 2009. A great, almost perfect, intro that makes you listen through the whole album nonstop, over and over again.



“Fluorescent Adolescent” is the fifth track from Favourite Worst Nightmare, the second single from the album. The melancholy lyrics and the kind of cheerful melody is such a great combo.



“Mardy Bum” is my last contribution to this list. The ninth track from the album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not.

Timber Timbre to release Creep On Creepin' On on April 5

Folk rock band Timber Timbre have announced the release of their fourth album on April 5 via Arts & Crafts, entitled Creep On Creepin' On. Creep On Creepin' On is the follow-up to their acclaimed self-titled album from 2009 which helped the Canadian three-piece gain recognition, and among other things led to a support slot on Phosphorescent's European tour last year.

The tracklist for Creep On Creepin' On is available below:
01. Bad Ritual
02. Obelisk
03. Creep On Creepin’ On
04. Black Water
05. Swamp Magic
06. Woman
07. Too Old To Die Young
08. Lonesome Hunter
09. Do I Have Power
10. Souvenirs

(via One Thirty BPM)

UPDATE: this appears to be the album cover:

Below is a video for "Demon Host", the opening track of Timber Timbre:

The Gaslight Anthem's Brian Fallon start side-project called The Horrible Crowes

In a post on his blog, Cassettes In The Mailbox, Brian Fallon revealed that he's working on a new musical project with British musician Ian Perkins, and that they're calling themselves The Horrible Crowes. Fallon is mostly known as the singer, guitarist and songwriter of New Jersey rock band The Gaslight Anthem, which he also said wouldn't begin recording their fourth album until fall, with a 2012 release planned. Fallon describes The Horrible Crowes as "if Tom Waits, the National, the Afghan Whigs, Bon Iver, and Nick Cave made a band with Percy Sledge". Fallon and Perkins are currently writing for the project with a summer release for the lp planned and they hope to do a small tour of the US and Canada, plus the UK and Europe. Read the whole entry here. They've also got a blog, a twitter account and a facebook page.

First Aid Kit working on new album

Yesterday morning Swedish folk-pop duo First Aid Kit guested the Swedish tv show Nyhetsmorgon and performed three songs, "I Met Up With The King" from their debut lp The Big Black And The Blue, a cover of blues standard "It Hurts Me Too" and a cover of Swedish indie rock band Johnossi's "What's The Point".

"It Hurts Me Too" was recently released as the b-side of "Universal Soldier" on a 7" single recorded with and produced by Jack White in Nashville, which was released on his Third Man Records label. In an interview during the show First Aid Kit also revealed that they're currently working on songs for their next album, which they hope will be out sometime in 2011.

Here are videos of First Aid Kit performing the three songs: