Wednesday, October 24th, 2001

Ryan Schreiber reports:
Detroit's bluesiest rock duo, the White Stripes, have announced on their website that they're preparing several new releases this winter. The first will be a CD single for "Hotel Yorba" which will feature the previously unreleased b-side "Rated X," which was recorded in a room at Detroit's own Hotel Yorba, as well as the video for "Hotel Yorba" in enhanced multimedia form. The CD (which will also be available on seven-inch) is being released in the US by Third Man Recordings, and by XL in the UK.

After that, they'll be reissuing their long out-of-print, second-ever seven-inch, "Lafayette Blues," which was originally limited to only 500 copies. Like the first edition, it will contain the b-side "Sugar Never Tasted So Good," a song that's also available on their 1999 self-titled debut. However, the new version will not be released on the prototype's white vinyl, and will be packaged with different artwork. The Stripes are also reissuing the first seven-inch of their career, "Let's Shake Hands," which features an exclusive cover of Marlene Dietrich's "Look Me Over Closely." Both of these seven-inches will be reissued by their original label, the Detroit-based Italy Records. No release dates were listed for any of these releases, but it's expected they'll all be out by the end of the year. Ordering info is available at their website.

The White Stripes are also preparing to embark on a UK tour, during which they'll be supported by fellow Detroiters the Von Bondies, whose debut full-length, Lack of Communication, was issued earlier this year on Sympathy for the Record Industry. But first, the Stripes will hit the Detroit Institute of Arts on November 2nd to play two hometown shows. Here are the upcoming tour dates:

11-02 Detroit, MI - Detroit Institute of Arts
11-11 Brighton, UK - Concorde 2
11-13 Liverpool, UK - L2
11-14 Manchester, UK - University
11-15 Glasgow, UK - QMU
11-16 Edinburgh, UK - Liquid Rooms
11-17 Sheffield, UK - Leadmill
11-19 Wolverhampton, UK - Wulfrun Hall
11-20 Bristol, UK - Anson Rooms
11-21 London, UK - Astoria

.: Pitchfork Review: White Stripes: White Blood Cells
.: White Stripes: http://www.whitestripes.com

Michael A. Cavagnaro reports:
The rumors are true: all three Shipping News guys have decided not to work with each other for a while. Don't worry, though-- it's not their egos getting in the way, and nobody is sleeping with anyone else's wives (that we know of, at least). In actuality, Kyle Crabtree, Jeff Mueller, and Jason Noble have each committed to recording one song apiece for a series of three EPs, to be released under the name RMSN.

The RMSN songs were to be recorded as a solitary affair, with no communication between band members as to what they were like. This songwriting experiment, while it may or may not exactly pan out as expected, will at very least enable the band to cleanse their palate of all those nasty solo artist germs that linger when a group has been around for a few years.

The first EP, entitled Carrier, was released on October 23rd in extremely limited quantities. The packaging features elaborate hand-stitching that you have to tear to open. The next two installments in the series are due on February 23rd, 2002, and June 23rd, 2002. Keep your eyes peeled.

.: Pitchfork Review: Shipping News: Very Soon, And In Pleasant Company
.: Shipping News: http://www.southern.com/southern/band/SHIPN

Jonah Flicker reports:
On November 9th, Warp Records will be celebrating the art of ass shaking and the music that inspires such controversial body movements. The party will be held at London's Ocean Club, which according to the people at Warp, "has one of the best club sound systems we've ever seen and easily holds 1500 people." The current line up for the rave is as follows:

Anti-Pop Consortium (abstract NYC hip hop performing live)

DJ rolfroydenard.d.jims-cash'n'carry

Leila

Mark Bell

Mira Calix

Plaid (performing live)

and various Warp DJ's spinning records

.: Warp Records: http://www.warprecords.com

Meredith Levin reports:
If you live in Boston, you've probably seen the Ivory Coast a million times. They're that band with Lou Barlow's doppelganger for a lead singer who seems to play the Middle East or Paradise every weekend. Well, consider November a Barlow-clone-free month. The Ivory Coast will hit the road for a one-month tour this Saturday night, starting in New Haven, Connecticut and finishing up the first of December in New Jersey. They're touring in support of their latest album, Clouds, which was released this past August. The album, their second full-length, was the follow-up to their 2000 debut, The Rush of Oncoming Traffic. Dates look like this:

10-27 New Haven, CT - Rudy's
10-28 New York City, New York - Mercury Lounge
10-29 Buffalo, NY - Broadway Joe's
10-30 Bowling Green - Howards
10-31 Grand Rapids - Pop Cafe
11-01 Chicago, IL - Fireside Bowl
11-02 Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club
11-03 Madison, WI - Der Rathskellar
11-04 Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle
11-05 St Louis, MO - Rocket Bar
11-06 Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light
11-07 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
11-08 Chapel Hill, NC - Go Rehearsals
11-09 Richmond, VA - Alley Katz
11-10 Washington, DC - Black Cat
11-11 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
11-12 Boston, MA - Middle East
11-16 Hamilton, NY - Colgate University
11-17 Northampton, MA - Smith College
11-30 Providence, RI - TBA
12-01 South Amboy, NJ - Club Krome

.: Pitchfork Review: Ivory Coast: Clouds
.: The Ivory Coast: http://www.theivorycoast.org
.: Polyvinyl Records: http://www.polyvinylrecords.com