Beak>, made up of Geoff Barrow (Portishead), Billy Fuller (The Moles), and Matt Williams (The Brick), have announced a few U.S. tour dates.

Beak>’s tour dates are the following:

9/3 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
9/4 – Monticello, NY – All Tomorrow’s Party
9/7 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent
9/10 – Los Angeles – Troubadour

Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Cheyenne Marie Mize are releasing a mini-album, Among the Gold, completely for free (seriously download the whole album below!) The album is a collection of 19th Century American parlor music selected by the duo. Mize says:

“I had had the idea behind Among the Gold brewing for some time- originally thinking it was going to be me alone- to take some of my favorite very, very old tunes and record them. I offered the idea to Will, needing only a mic and a good room for recording, and he offered me a mic and a good room for recording. I asked him to sing a couple of the songs as duets as well. In the process we very much enjoyed singing together and we decided that they would all make great duets so it became more of a collaborative effort, with him helping me to decide on the rest of the tunes we would record, and helping me with instrumentation and arrangement decisions. And then it was.”

Mize’s tour dates are the following:
Jul 27 – Czar Bar – Kansas City, MO
Jul 28 – Vaudeville Mews – Des Moines, IA
Jul 29 – The Mill – Iowa City, IA
Jul 30 – Uncommon Ground on Clark – Chicago, IL
Jul 31 – White Rabbit Cabaret – Indianapolis, IN

Tobacco has announced the premiere of a new video for the song “Grape Aerosmith,” featuring guest musician Beck. Director/Editor Allen Cordell says, “When I was given the opportunity to direct the video for ‘Grape Aerosmith’, I really wanted to make something that worked perfectly with the song, but at the same time was something you wouldn’t normally expect right off the bat. I tried to establish this frustrated guy at work and present it in a playful, docu-drama aesthetic, something akin to The Office. That way, by the time he’s in the woods going insane there’s a pay-off because you don’t see it coming. It makes you wonder about the guy you just met moments before. And by the end, after being confronted by the psychedelic spirits, our protagonist is cleansed, enlightened by the surreal experience. One of the inspirations for this video, aside from the music, was the Japanese horror film Tetsuo the Iron Man, particularly the scenes in the subway when he starts to lose it.”

Tobacco – Grape Aerosmith (feat. Beck) Official Video from Allen Cordell on Vimeo.

Tobacco is also gearing up for a fall tour this September and October. Tobacco’s tour dates are the following:

9/9 – Washington, DC @ DC9 w/ Junk Culture, Dreamend
9/10 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church w/ Junk Culture, Dreamend
9/11 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar w/ Junk Culture, Dreamend
9/16 – Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse w/ Junk Culture, Dreamend
9/17 – South, VT @ Higher Ground w/ Junk Culture, Dreamend
9/18 – Boston, MA @ Middle East w/ Junk Culture, Dreamend
9/23 – Toledo, OH @ Mickey Finn’s w/ Junk Culture, Dreamend
9/ 24 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig w/ Junk Culture, Dreamend
9/25 – Kalamazoo, MI @ The Strutt w/ Junk Culture, Dreamend
9/29 – Greensboro, NC @ Artisika on UNCG Campus w/ Dreamend
9/30 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506 w/ Dreamend
10/1 – Knoxville, TN @ Square Room w/ Dreamend
10/2 – Morgantown, WV @ 123 Pleasant Street w/ Dreamend

Danger Mouse and Broken Bells‘ member James Mercer has filmed an acoustic performance of “Insane Lullaby.” This track was a collaboration between Mercer, Danger Mouse, and the late Mark Linkous on Dark Night of the Soul. Check out the beautiful performance below.

While the band is currently on their summer tour, Of Montreal will be also be touring the world from September – November with Janelle Monae opening on select dates. The band’s new album False Priest will be out September 14th, featuring the lead single “Coquet Coquette.”

False Priest tracklisting is the following:

I Feel Ya’ Strutter
Our Riotous Defects (feat. Janelle Monáe)
Coquet Coquette
Godly Intersex
Enemy Gene (feat. Janelle Monáe)
Hydra Fancies
Like A Tourist
Sex Karma (feat. Solange Knowles)
Girl Named Hello
Famine Affair
Casualty of You
Around the Way
You Do Mutilate?

Of Montreal’s tour dates are the following:

7/29 – New York, NY – Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (TV Performance)
7/30 – Montreal, QC – Osheaga Festival
7/31 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground
8/2 – Asheville, NC – Orange Peel
8/7 – TBA
9/13 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club w/ Janelle Monáe
9/14 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club w/ Janelle Monáe
9/15 – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory w/ Janelle Monáe
9/16 – Boston, MA – House of Blues w/ Janelle Monáe
9/17 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 w/ Janelle Monáe
9/18 – New York, NY – Terminal 5 w/ Janelle Monáe
9/19 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom w/ Janelle Monáe
9/20 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre w/ Janelle Monáe
9/21 – Covington, KY – Madison Theatre w/ Janelle Monáe
9/22 – Urbana, IL – Canopy Club w/ Janelle Monáe
9/23 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue w/ Janelle Monáe
9/24 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theatre w/ Janelle Monáe
9/25 – Chicago, IL – The Riviera w/ Janelle Monáe
9/26 – Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom w/ Janelle Monáe
10/3 – Dublin, IE – Tripod
10/4 -Glasgow, UK – QMU
10/5 – Manchester, UK – Academt 2
10/6 – London, UK – Koko
10/7 – Paris, FR – Cigale
10/8 – Lille, FR – Grand Mix
10/9 – Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg Max
10/10 – Berlin, DE – Admiralspalast (Studio)
10/12 – Stockholm, SE – Debaser
10/13 – Oslo, NO – Rockefeller
10/14 – Copenhagen, DK – Amager Bio
10/15 – Brussels, BE – Botanique / Orangerie
10/21 – St. Louis, MO – Pageant w/ Janelle Monáe
10/22 – Omaha, NE – Sokol Auditorium w/ Janelle Monáe
10/23 – Lawrence, KS – Liberty Hall w/ Janelle Monáe
10/24 – Denver, CO – The Ogden Theater w/ Janelle Monáe
10/25 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex w/ Janelle Monáe
10/27 – Seattle, WA – The Paramount w/ Janelle Monáe
10/28 – Portland, OR – Roseland w/ Janelle Monáe
10/29 – San Francisco, CA – The Warfield w/ Guests TBA
10/30 – Los Angeles, CA – Palladium w/ Janelle Monáe
10/31 – Tucson, AZ – The Rialto w/ Guests TBA
11/1 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theatre w/ Janelle Monáe
11/2 – Dallas, TX – The Granada Theatre w/ Janelle Monáe
11/3 – Austin, TX – East Side Drive In w/ Janelle Monáe
11/4 – Houston, TX – Numbers w/ Janelle Monáe
11/5 – Oxford, MS – The Lyric w/ Janelle Monáe
11/6 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse w/ Guests TBA
11/7 – Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse w/ Guests TBA

Culminating their 30th anniversary, Bad Religion has announced the release of their 15th studio album, The Dissent of Man, out September 28. The album’s first single “The Devil in Stitches” has already made its debut and can be heard on the band’s Myspace. Also, Bad Religion will embark on a North American tour this October with opening acts Bouncing Souls and Off With Their Heads.

The group has stated that the new album will sound new and different, straying form the normal sound. “I feel like the last couple of records have been amongst our most conservative, never straying too far from a Bad Religion sound,” says Brett Gurewitz.  “Whereas on this one we’re taking the songs to a lot of different places, exploring our influences and trying out some new things in a way we haven’t done in years.”

The Dissent of Man tracklisting is the following:

1. The Day That the Earth Stalled- 1:23
2. Only Rain- 2:43
3. The Resist Stance- 2:32
4. Won’t Somebody- 2:42
5. The Devil in Stitches- 3:28
6. Pride and the Pallor- 2:56
7. Wrong Way Kids- 2:43
8. Meeting of the Minds- 2:06
9. Someone to Believe- 2:38
10. Avalon- 3:28
11. Cyanide- 3:55
12. Turn Your Back On Me- 2:24
13. Ad Hominem- 3:27
14. Where The Fun Is- 3:04
15. I Won’t Say Anything- 3:22

Bad Religion’s tour dates are the following:

9/4 – Edmonton, AB – SONiC BOOM (Buy Tix: http://tinyurl.com/2a32xu3)
9/5 – Squamish, BC – LIVE at Squamish (Buy Tix: http://www.liveatsquamish.com/)
9/26 – Fontana, CA – Epicenter (Buy Tix: http://rockontherange.com/epicenter/)
10/7 – Detroit, MI – Clutch Cargo’s (w/Bouncing Souls & Off With Their Heads)
10/8 – Chicago, IL – Riot Fest (Buy Tix: http://riotfest.org/)
10/9 – Milwaukee, WI – Rave (w/Bouncing Souls & Off With Their Heads) (Tix Onsale 8/7)
10/11 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s (w/Bouncing Souls & Off With Their Heads) (Tix Onsale 8/6)
10/12 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues (w/Bouncing Souls & Off With Their Heads) (Buy Tix: http://tinyurl.com/27yh32z)
10/14 – Toronto, ON – TBA (w/Bouncing Souls & Off With Their Heads)
10/15 – Montreal, QC – Metropolis (w/Bouncing Souls & Off With Their Heads) (Buy Tix: http://tinyurl.com/25s5lun)
10/16 – Clifton Park, NY – Northern Lights (w/Bouncing Souls & Off With Their Heads) (Tix Onsale 8/7)
10/18 – Boston, MA – House of Blues (w/Bouncing Souls & Off With Their Heads) (Tix Onsale 8/7)
10/19 – Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory (w/Bouncing Souls & Off With Their Heads) (Tix Onsale 8/6)
10/20 – New York, NY – Roseland (w/Off With Their Heads)
10/22 – Sayreville, NJ – TBA
10/23 – Atlantic City, NJ – TBA
10/24 – Baltimore, MD – TBA
10/26 – Atlanta, GA – TBA
10/27 – Tampa, FL – TBA
10/29 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – TBA
10/30 – Orlando, FL – TBA
10/31 – Myrtle Beach, SC – TBA
11/2 – St. Louis, MO – TBA
11/3 – Kansas City, MO – TBA
11/5 – Houston, TX – TBA
11/8 – Tucson, AZ – Rialto Theatre (w/Bouncing Souls & Off With Their Heads) (Tix Onsale TBA)
11/9 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee (w/Bouncing Souls & Off With Their Heads) (Tix Onsale TBA)
11/11 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theatre (w/Bouncing Souls & Off With Their Heads) (Tix Onsale TBA)
11/12 – Denver, CO – Fillmore (w/Bouncing Souls & Off With Their Heads) (Tix Onsale TBA)
11/13 – Salt Lake City, UT – In the Venue (w/Bouncing Souls & Off With Their Heads) (Tix Onsale TBA)
11/15 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theatre (w/Bouncing Souls & Off With Their Heads) (Tix Onsale TBA)
11/16 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom (w/Bouncing Souls & Off With Their Heads) (Tix Onsale TBA)
11/17 – Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo (w/Bouncing Souls & Off With Their Heads) (Tix Onsale 8/7)
11/19 – San Francisco, CA – Regency Center – Grand Ballroom (w/Bouncing Souls & Off With Their Heads) (Tix Onsale 8/22)

The Sunset Strip Music Festival, set for August 26-28, has finalized the outdoor stage lineup with the addition of hip-hop breakthrough artist Kid Cudi and Travis McCoy, whose single “Billionaire” has been number three of the charts.

The Sunset Strip Music Festival’s complete lineup is the following:

SATURDAY, AUGUST 28 OUTDOOR STAGES:
The Smashing Pumpkins
Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & Fergie
Common
Kid Cudi
Travie McCoy
Neon Trees
Steel Panther
Semi Precious Weapons
Big B

SATURDAY, AUGUST 28 IN THE VENUES:

Cat Club:
Oh No Not Stereo
The Dollies
Hillbilly Herald
Lonely Drunks Club
White Arrows
Rattlesnake Shake
HDR
Casper And The Bad Spirits
Dirty Sweet
Diamond Lane
Prohibition Rose
JD Bender
Cast Of Kings
Love And A .38
Lady Sinatra
The Binges
The Royal Highness
Links

Key Club:
Vanaprasta
Volbeat
The Divine
Awolnation
Dommin
TransferCasxio
Blowing Up the Moon
98.7FM’s Rockstar Battle of The Bands winner

The Roxy Theatre:
Cisco Adler
Tomorrows Bad Seeds
Zen Robbi
Nikki & Rich
John West
Andy Grammer
Wicker
Audible Mainframe
New Kingdom
Juke Kartel
Shuvel

Whisky A Go-Go:
Adler’s Appetite
Billy Boy On Poison
Ankla
Forrest Day
The Shrill
Yeti
Soma
Subliminal Trip
Reason To Rebel
Electra
Lost Patrol
Acidic
Desecrate
Sean Rex
Tornado Rider
Save Our Souls

FRIDAY, AUGUST 27 IN THE VENUES:

Cat Club:
The Outline
Goldenstate
The Paper Dolls
The Other Side Of Morning

Viper Room:
Warner Drive
Run Devil Run
Delta Rose
The Silent Comedy

Whisky A Go-Go:
P.O.D.
Static Pulse
Thick As Thieves
Slant
Asphalt Messiah
Sound Of Ugly

Key Club:
Unwritten Law
Nico Vega
Super Groupie

House of Blues:
Kix
LA Nookie

THURSDAY, AUGUST 26 IN THE VENUES:

House of Blues:
Tribute to Slash

Whisky A Go-Go:
Beth Hart featuring special guests
Son Of A Gun
Whiskey Six
Motive

Key Club:
Y & T
Feisty Piranhas
Riot Brides

Viper Room:
Purple Melon

Cat Club:
David George Band
Rick Cornette
The Branches
Tucker Jameson & The Hot Mugs

Los Angeles singer/songwriter Nicole Simone has announced a full band performance at The Bootleg Theatre on Monday, August 2nd. Simone has recently release her debut EP, including the first single “Melt.” The full band includes Stewart Cole (Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros), Josh Grange (Dwight Yoakam), and Joe Karnes (John Cale/Pete Yorn).

Listen to Simone’s sultry voice below on her single, “Melt.”

Terrible Days

Neil Fridd and his quasi-talented-but-willing friends make up Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, a band known primarily for their engaging, energetic live performances. The name stems from a band member’s irrational fear of pigeons in addition to the paradigm shift they have the tendency to influence on the dance floor. Through the use of novelties such as stuffed animals and costumes, they generate wildly entertaining performances encouraging high audience participation. Such novelties are sorely lacking on their studio album Have the Best Day of Your Life!

Off-key vocal harmonies find a certain dissonant melody on opener “Snakebite,” accompanying military style drumming and trumpet. An odd beginning, though it is an example of the rest of the album, which utilizes primarily harmony-free chanting and high emotion singing. “Fast Forward Regrets” starts with some nice melodic keyboard and the seemingly nonsensical lyrics “Yes, we are John Wilkes Booth Group” with a run time just under a minute and a half. All of the songs are indiscernible party anthems whose high energy level does not make up for their low singing ability. The closer is “Ride Friendship,” which has the fastest bpm on the album (with piano) and simply repeats the phrase “You make my heart explode” with a passive passion.

Abiding by the mantra, “You don’t need talent, just sing attitude,” Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt will definitely get your party on its feet and singing along (if you can make out the words). However, this same vigor doesn’t translate as well into the studio. While you may find yourself reliving that time you saw them play live, or longing for such an event, the actual songs themselves do not provide much depth.

For a man who’s been shying away from the spotlight for some time, yesterday was coming up Kanye West all day long, with news about new songs, Twitter and a rejected (but still awesome) album title.First, West debuted a couple new songs at Facebook headquarters yesterday – and he did so a Capella. Here’s footage of three potential new songs:

Second, West has finally joined Twitter. You can read his musings (and he had a lot of them yesterday) here.

Third, one of those musings was that his album will not be titled Good Ass Job, and that he’s bouncing some other titles around instead. He says as much here.

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