Marvin Lin reports:
That dueling duo-- indie heartthrob Ben Gibbard from Death Cab for Cutie and Dntel's Jimmy Tamborello-- have completed work on the debut full-length release from their side project The Postal Service. The album, titled Give Up, will see release on February 18th through that Northwest indie powerhouse Sub Pop, packed with ten beautifically glitched-out pop dramas.

Much like the songwriting process for Tamborello's other non-Dntel pop project, Figurine, Give Up was created via tape exchanges through this fine nation's potassium iodide-popping U.S. Postal Service. (Hence the name, smart guy.) Jimmy sent rough music tracks to Ben; Ben bounced them right back with raw vocal takes; Jimmy then cleaned any dirty spots and polished as he deemed necessary. In fact, the only time the duo hooked up in person was during the final vocal recordings and mixing phase. Ingenuity and comely exteriors? 'Scuse me while I kiss these guys.

Whenever asked, Tamborello describes the project as "more dancey and poppy" than the duo's first collaboration, "The Dream of Evan and Chan", from Dntel's excellent 2001 release, Life Is Full of Possibilities. There's even a song called "Nothing Better" which is said to be inspired by the Human League's "Don't You Want Me?". It, along with the album's first single, "Such Great Heights", will feature guest vocals by ex-Tree Records songstress Jen Wood. And she's not the only guest star-- Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis sings a few bars here and there, and Death Cab guitarist Chris Walla even played a little piano and recorded some vocals and instruments at his studio, The Hall of Justice, and at home.

Recent Pitchfork correspondance with Tamborello revealed special plans for the forthcoming "Such Great Heights" single: in addition to a b-side titled "There's Never Enough Time", the disc will contain two Postal Service cover songs by shit-hot Sub Pop colleagues The Shins and Iron & Wine. Exactly which songs remains a mystery for the time being, but our Nancy Drews in the exclusive members-only Pitchfork Research Division were able to uncover a tracklist for Give Up. And it goes a li'l somethin' like this. Hit it!:

01 The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
02 Such Great Heights
03 Sleeping In
04 Nothing Better
05 Recycled Air
06 Clark Gable
07 We Will Become Silhouettes
08 This Place is a Prison
09 Brand New Colony
10 Natural Anthem

Tamborello has announced plans to drag these pop ditties on the road, but nothing has been finalized as of yet; the band is working around everyone's schedules and, frankly, they haven't even figured out who'll be involved. Still, they should have a secure lineup and be ready to hit the road by Summer 2003. Both artists also seem eager to record another album sooner rather than later. However, with Tamborello currently at work on remixes and compilation tracks-- not to mention new Dntel and Figurine records-- and Death Cab still eating up most of Ben's time, we might have to wait a bit on that.

.: Pitchfork Review: Dntel: (This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan EP
.: Pitchfork Review: Dntel: Life Is Full of Possibilities
.: Pitchfork Review: Death Cab for Cutie: You Can Play These Songs with Chords
.: Pitchfork Review: Figurine: The Heartfelt
.: Pitchfork News: Death Cab's Ben Gibbard Joins Postal Service
.: Sub Pop: http://www.subpop.com
.: Iron and Wine: http://www.subpop.com
.: The Shins: http://www.artisdead.net/theshins

Ryan Goldman reports:
Descending on New York, riding yaks and lowrider bicycles, the Beastie Boys have set up shop in a new studio and are laying down beats for their sixth album. Mix Master Mike, former-Invisibl Skratch Pikl (and current opening act on Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy tour) will join Adam "Ad Rock" Horowitz, Adam "MCA" Yauch, and Michael "Mike D" Diamond, to pick up where he left off on Hello Nasty. Speaking to Rolling Stone, Mix Master said: "Right now, we're at the incubation stage. We've got all the beats in the incubator. They're eggs. We're waiting for them to hatch." Which reminds us of the turntablism documentary Scratch, where Mix Master brags about making the Beasties rap over samples of hens clucking and whatnot. Mike, what's up with the chicken shit?

Neither the Beasties nor their label, Capitol Records, have announced a release date for the new album, but late 2003 feels like a good guess; in fact, let's make it September 2nd, 2003, just 'cause. The boys have had their hands full in the four years since their last LP with various side projects and extracurricular activities, including the New Yorkers Against Violence 9/11 benefit concerts, MCA's Milarepa Fund for a free Tibet (when you buy two!), and Ad Rock's second album with BS2000. The bad news: the Beasties' beloved record label Grand Royal has since gone under, and Mike D is still recovering from surgery on the shoulder he injured in a bicycle accident, which had forced the band to cancel their co-headlining tour with Rage Against the Machine in 2000. Two years it takes the man to heal! And they say age ain't nothin' but a number.

Most interestingly, the Beastie Boys have also been embroiled in a civil suit for the past two years regarding their use of a sample in "Pass the Mic" off Check Your Head. A Los Angeles district court found in favor of the Beasties in May 2002 after seventeen-time Downbeat Magazine Jazz Flutist of the Year James Newton sued for $150,000 in May 2000 on grounds of copyright infringement for the digital sampling of a three-note, 6½-second piece of his original multiphonic flute composition "Choir" from the 1982 album Axum. The Beasties licensed the sample (which is repeated forty times throughout the original version of "Pass the Mic") from Newton's label, ECM, and credited him in the liner notes of all albums containing the piece, but did not request permission from the artist, who claims ownership of the original music's copyright. The judge denied Newton's claim that the combination of three notes, even when making up the most recognizable part of a notable multiphonic piece, constitutes a composition in itself and is distinct from the recording licensed for use on "Pass the Mic."

Newton has since filed an appeal with a California circuit court and has been countersued for $492,000 in legal fees by the Beastie Boys. Newton's legal representative has set up the James Newton Legal Defense Fund so that fans and supporters can help defray the cost of the ongoing case:

James Newton Legal Trust Account
c/o Law Office of Alan Korn
240 Stockton Street
3rd Floor
San Francisco, California 94108

.: Pitchfork Review: Beastie Boys: Hello Nasty!
.: Pitchfork Feature: Top 100 Albums of the 90s
.: Beastie Boys: http://www.beastieboys.com
.: Milarepa Fund: http://www.milarepa.org
.: James Newton Legal Trust Fund: http://www.meetthecomposer.org/newton.html

Catherine Lewis reports:
New York City's Shout, the magazine with the highest self-esteem ever ("the only high-end, smart, independent alternative to glossy celebrity, culture, and lifestyle magazines," they say) is holding a holiday benefit tomorrow night at Brooklyn, NY's Warsaw venue featuring Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks. The band will be premiering material from their forthcoming Matador full-length, Pig Lib, which is due out on March 18th. As previously reported, the Jicks are curating the September 2003 All Tomorrow's Parties in Asbury Park, NJ. That event will take place at the Convention Hall and Paramount Theatre, with dates and participants still to be determined.

.: Pitchfork Review: Stephen Malkmus: Stephen Malkmus
.: Pitchfork News: Stephen Malkmus to Curate NY Edition of ATP
.: Stephen Malkmus: http://www.stephenmalkmus.com
.: ATP: http://www.wayahead.com/atp/main.htm
.: Matador: http://www.matadorrecords.com
.: "Us" MP3: http://www.matadorrecords.com/music/mp3s.html

Phil Locke reports:
After disappointing sales for her 4AD swan song Slide, one-time high school cheerleader and former John Mellancamp fiddler Lisa Germano hinted at an early retirement from solo recording. Subsequent tours and recording stints with the Eels and Neil Finn kept her in the public eye, and apparently reinvigorated her muse. Now she's back with a brand-new solo album, two compilations of her work, and her first-ever producing gig.

According to Germano's official website, the solo disc Lullaby for Liquid Pig is scheduled for release on the new Ineffable label (via ArtistDirect) sometime in March. Germano's seventh full-length, the album is a dark account of her relationship with alcohol, and features guest spots from Neil Finn, Johnny Marr, Wendy Melvoin and others. Fans can preview "From a Shell" and "Paper Doll" at the Flash-heavy Lisagermano.com. The tentative tracklist:

01 Nobody's Playin'
02 Paper Doll
03 Liquid Pig
04 Pearls
05 Candy
06 Dream Glasses Off
07 From A Shell
08 It's Party Time
09 Lies, Lies & Lies
10 Lullaby For Liquid Pig
11 Into The Night
12 To Dream

While waiting for that album, Germano-philes can spend their Christmas bonuses on Concentrated, a 21-track collection of Lisa's "hits" and demos, and/or the 13-track Rare, Unusual or Just Bad Songs, which collects cuts from compilations, soundtracks, EPs and more. Both discs are now available directly from Lisa. Check out the official website for ordering details.

Tracklist for Concentrated:
01 Screaming Angels Dancing In Your Garden
02 Energy
03 The Dresses Song
04 Way Below The Radio
05 Sexy Little Girl Princess
06 Lovesick (Underdog Mix)
07 Miamo-tutti
08 Lullaby For Liquid Pig
09 Just Geek
10 Cry Wolf
11 Cowboy
12 If I Think Of Love
13 The Mirror Is Gone
14 Victoria's Secret
15 Singing To The Birds
16 Simply Tony
17 Messages From Sophia
18 Wood Floors
19 Paper Doll
20 The Darkest Nite Of All
21 Late Night Dresses

Tracklist for Rare, Unusual Or Just Bad Songs:
01 Oh...Just A Melody
02 Starfish
03 Fun Fun For Everyone
04 I Love A Snot Instrumental
05 Dreamland
06 Angels Turn To Devils
07 Cat Mask And Cowboy Hat
08 ...Breathe Acrost Texas
09 Offering
10 Ice Cream Truck
11 Guardian At The Exit Gate
12 Fun Fun For Everyone!
13 Bud's Theme

Also available now through the official site is Denise Bonis' The Biggest Smallest Place, where Lisa debuts her production chops. It features nine tracks of shadowy, atmospheric beauty custom-built for fans of the quieter tracks on Lisa's Geek The Girl. What's Mirov's cell again?

.: Pitchfork Review: Lisa Germano: Slide
.: Lisa Germano (Official Website): http://www.lisagermano.com
.: Artist Direct's Lullaby Page: http://ubl.artistdirect.com...