Wednesday, October 31st, 2001

Ben Johnson reports:
Stephin Merritt, frontman of Magnetic Fields and like eighteen other bands, has often seemed to owe as much to Gilbert and Sullivan as Lennon and McCartney, so it isn't too surprising to find that he's been lending his talents to a number of extracurricular activities whilst new Fields and Future Bible Heroes albums are in the works. According to Merritt's website, he's presently completing the score for the upcoming indie film Eban and Charley, and is also working with children's novelist Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) on a film musical, currently titled The Song from Venus.

Merritt, this time in his Gothic Archies guise, also produced the theme songs for the recently released audio book version of Handler's children's book sequence A Series of Unfortunate Events. The books are voiced by actor Tim Curry (Rocky Horror Picture Show, Muppet Treasure Island), and are selling relatively well to hipster pre-teens who need something to listen to while relieving their eye-strain from reading those Harry Potter books 17,000 times.

.: Pitchfork Review: Magnetic Fields: 69 Love Songs
.: Magnetic Fields: http://www.houseoftomorrow.com
.: Merge Records: http://www.mergerecords.com

Brock Kappers reports:
Why slow down the party train when you're just building steam? Thats what's going through Ted Leo's mind. He and the Pharmacists are heading all over the country and even to a little-known place called "Canada" this time around in support of his new album, The Tyranny of Distance. The album was produced by Brendan Canty of Fugazi fame, and features guest appearances by members of Trans Am, the Make-Up, Golden, Telegraph Melts, and Fugazi. It's also quite possibly one of the best pop CDs of the year.

10-31 Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club
11-01 Chicago, IL - Fireside Bowl
11-02 London, ON - Call the Office
11-03 Hamilton, ON - Raven
11-04 Toronto, ON - El Mocambo
11-05 Ottawa, ON - Bumpers
11-06 Montreal, PQ - Casa del Popolo
11-07 Burlington, VT - University of Vermont
11-08 New Haven, CT - Rudy's
11-09 Hamilton, NY - Colgate University
11-10 Princeton, NJ - Terrace Club
11-14 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
11-15 Cambridge, MA - Garment District
11-16 Providence, RI - AS 220
11-17 Northampton, MA - Smith College
11-23 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
11-24 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
11-25 Chicago, IL - Metro
11-26 Milwaukee, WI - Miramar
11-27 Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar
11-28 Omaha, NE - Sokol Hall
11-29 Lawrence, KS - Bottleneck
11-30 Fayetteville, AK - Clunk Music Hall
12-01 Denton, TX - Rubber Gloves
12-02 Austin, TX - Emo's
12-03 Houston, TX - Mary Janes
12-04 New Orleans, LA - Howling Wolf
12-05 Tallahassee, FL - Cow Haus
12-06 Orlando, FL - Sapphire Supper Club
12-07 Atlanta, GA - Echo Lounge
12-08 Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club
12-09 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle

.: Pitchfork Review: Ted Leo: The Tyranny of Distance
.: Ted Leo/Pharmacists: http://www.gernblandsten.com/ted/intro
.: Lookout! Records: http://www.lookoutrecords.com

Michael A. Cavagnaro reports:
IDM wunderkinds Múm have hit the big time hawking personal computers for Sony. Their song "I'm 9 Today" has been featured on a commercial for the Vaio, one of those newfangled computer doodads that the kids are all buying up. Hopefully, they won't be joining Nick Drake in the used car lot any time soon.

Múm's recent release, Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today Is OK, mixes organic and electronic instruments to make a pleasing sound, much like Mouse on Mars' new album except without the singing dude and all the farty noises. They've also got a new remix record out, titled Please Smile My Nose Bleed, which features obscuro-but-muy bien IDM artists like Styrofoam, Isan, Phonem, Christian Kleine, Arovane, and B. Fleischmann. Múm also has a bit of that I'm-from-Iceland je ne sais pas to sweeten the mix. So goody for you, Múm. Don't forget us when you're on Dreamworks.

.: Pitchfork Review: Mùm: Yesterday Was Dramatic - Today is OK

Alan Haworth reports:
Home of the Cannon Saints, the first full-length LP from Michigan's Red Shirt Brigade, will be released November 13th. The band's label, Arborvitae Records, is currently accepting pre-orders on their website. If you're not the type who likes to buy before you hear, you can check out a download here at Pitchfork in next month's music preview section. Red Shirt Brigade is also planning a record release party, which conveniently coincides with the singer's Bar Mitzvah on November 9th at the Magic Stick in Detroit. Our boy is becoming a man!

The Detroit quartet released several EPs and appeared on some compilations, making them one of the hottest underground sensations since Basquiat. Ryan Allen (drums/vocals), Dan Clark (bass), Trevor Naud (guitar/vocals) and Scott Allen (keyboards/vocals) have been playing the Midwest since 1998. Their first EP, Mock Election and the Post Selection, was released in 2000 on Suburban Sprawl.

11-09 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick (record release show)
11-10 Champaign, IL - Courtyard Cafe
11-16 Kalamazoo, MI - Space
11-17 East Lansing, MI - Chicken Shack
11-30 Mt. Pleasant, MI - New Moon Records (w/Recital)
12-01 Ann Arbor, MI - Halfway Inn

.: Red Shirt Brigade: http://www.redshirtbrigade.com/
.: Arborvitae Records: http://www.arborvitae.com