• Finger-picking folk revivalist Jack Rose unexpectedly passed away Saturday of a heart attack. He was 38. Rose was set to release his Thrill Jockey debut after a string of release for smaller labels, most notably Three Lobed. Scene magazine, Arthur, has posted a video retrospective, and friend Windy Weber (of Windy & Carl) remembers Jack fondly here.

• Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo was admitted to St. Mary’s Hospital in Amsterdam, New York, yesterday after a bus accident as the band was en route from Toronto to Boston. According to CNN, but bus skidded on a patch of ice, ending up in a ditch on the side of a highway. As a result, Cuomo, who “complained of rib pain” and one other, were brought to St. Mary’s.

  Update: Weezer’s MySpace page recounts the accident, which left Cuomo with three broken ribs and an injured leg, in detail, with several photos of the damage. As a result of the crash, the rest of the December Raditude Tour has been canceled.

  

• Juliana Hatfield, the once-lead chanteuse for such alternative era acts as The Blake Babiesand her own trio, is returning with her latest solo album Peace and Love. In the true spirit of Hatfield, she’ll be self-releasing the album just as she self-produced and self-played the album.

• Happy 60th birthday, Tom Waits! Swedish trio Twiggy Frostbite recorded this chilling version of his song “Little Drop of Poison” in his honor:

• Speaking to an Australian newspaper, Chan Marshall let it slip that she was in the earliest stages of working on a new Cat Power album featuring all-new material. She also hints that the album could be bandless.

• Material from Machinefabriek, Jazz Finger, and Benjamin Freeth headline the live performance, workshop, and publication spectacle, Echolalia. Helmed by the Preslav Literary School’s Adam Thomas, the event looks to explore the resurrection and sustainability of the cassette culture with a future release capturing the event’s live performances set for a future release.

• Earlier this week, the New York Times reported that Apple was nearing the purchase of Lala. Lala allows users to stream music they own from the web, which Apple hopes to harness to save users of their products the trouble of syncing multiple devices and computers. And of course, to reassert their world dominance.

• When one thinks of Delaware, they likely don’t think of it as an emerging capital for underground sounds. Of course, one would be neglecting much of the teeny Northeastern states that have produced a wealth of experimental favorites. Perhaps this is why Mike Haley, proprietor of 905 Tapes has been documenting the avant talent that has been flowing in and out of Wilmington recently. The label now has its very own YouTube channel, so you can scope out performances from Spiritbird, Joe Breitenbach, and Emeralds.

• UK act These New Puritans are readying their 2010 release, Hidden (March 2nd), with another stark, striking (but somewhat less creepy) video, this time directed by Daniel Askill, for “We Want War”:

• Of the talkshow appearances this week, why would we recommend Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli (besides the fact that he has a great voice)? Because the Muppets are appearing with him, and thanks to their brilliant rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” they’re the hottest thing going. Other highlights include the Black Keys-meets-hip hop project BlakRoc on Letterman and Fallon, Passion Pit on Kimmel, The XX on Carson Daly, and Morrissey on Lopez Tonight. Here are the rest:

  Monday, December 7

  Jay Leno: Andrea Bocelli with the Muppets

  Tuesday, December 8

  David Letterman: BlakRoc
  Jimmy Kimmel: Passion Pit
  Jimmy Fallon: Jawbox

  Wednesday, December 9

  Lopez Tonight: Morrissey
  The View: Aretha Franklin

  Thursday, December 10

  David Letterman: Tori Amos
  Jimmy Fallon: BlakRoc
  Carson Daly: The XX

  Friday, December 11

  Craig Ferguson: They Might Be Giants

• As mentioned Monday on this here KEXP blog, The Pixies will be playing on Conan tomorrow. What wasn’t known is that they’ll be breaking out the classic “Here Comes Your Man,” which is kind of exciting to this guy, at the very least.

• Rachel Yamagata will be hitting the road in support of The Swell Season, who recently performed an incredible set of music for a select group of KEXP donors. Ms. Yamagata doesn’t have the 11/22 Seattle date listed, though.

• Chart news: Michael Jackson is back at #1 this week with This Is It. A little more surprising is that, last week, The Flaming Lips cracked the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 album charts for the first time with their new record, Embryonic. They were the top new entry at #8 if you don’t count the new Twilight movie soundtrack, which got #2.

• So, I don’t want to keep writing about Weezer, but they keep doing bizarre newsworthy things. This time, they’ve collaborated with singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles (?), rapper Chamillionaire (??), and Kenny G (???). See the results here.

• And speaking of weird collaborations while taking any opportunity to talk about the Pixies again: apparently Weird Al Yankovic will join the Pixies on stage to sing “I Bleed” for a benefit show on December 8 at LA’s Echoplex. Actually, for two nights, December 8 & 9, Black Francis will host a benefit for Winston’s Village, where he’ll perform solo, with members of the Pixies, Flea, and his wife Violet Clark (with whom he performs as Grand Duchy). A bunch of other artists, including Love and Rockets, will also take the stage.

• Apparently the entire Beatles catalog will be released on a special apple-shaped 16gb USB drive later this year--12/8 to be exact--which could have nothing to do with the holiday season. Along with the 14 studio albums, the drive will feature 13 “mini-documentaries.”

• Kings of Leon could use a whole load of somebodys to buy from their new clothing line. If you’re interested in being such, check it out at the store’s website/blog.

• Just when you thought this post couldn’t get any more commercial, check out the following, well, commercial, featuring Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz, Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo, Blink-182’s Travis Barker, and Kanye West’s Taylor Swift. Ugh:

Happy Election Day, everybody! Though we may not be electing the big guns (so to speak) today, it’s important to remember that often the most work gets done at a local level, so get out there, cast your vote and effect change!

In the spirit of free choice, we collect samples from each week’s new releases for you to make informed decisions as you head out to your local record shop. This week, The Strokes vocalist Julian Casablancas breaks from his party with his solo debut, Phrazes for the Young (better make sure to vote for more school funding, particularly in regard to language arts and spelling!). Norwegians Kings of Convenience may appear to be learning the American way with Declaration of Dependence, but their stripped down, breezy sound is a relaxing moment of freedom in your otherwise productive day. Young New Zealand rockers Bang Bang Eche exercise free speech with their FCC-violating new EP, while if there’s any right Canadian garage rockers King Khan & BBQ Show are fighting for, it’s definitely for the right to party on their new album, Invisible Girl.

There are plenty of other candidates eager for your support this week, and unlike in most elections, it’s far more than a two party system: check out the latest from The Mary Onettes, Lymbyc Systym, Vitalic, Gift of Gab, Jookabox, Holopaw, and a brand new single from Yeasayer, who vying for world domination with their sophomore release. For those content to sit on the porch in the moonlight with a jug of whiskey (those are true ‘merican values!), there’s the debut from indie veterans Jason Molina and Will Johnson (a.k.a. Molina and Johnson), who practically define American indie songwriting with their folky self-titled collaboration. But for those with a continual eye to the future, Ghostly International imprint Moongadget has collected in Nocturnal Suite “the diversity in electronic music.” You can find the complete ballot over at Largehearted Boy’s blog but not before viewing (and downloading) our electoral coverage here:

• Seminal rock group the Pixies have announced their full schedule for their Doolittle tour. The band will be performing their classic album in its entirety with a few surprises along the way. The Seattle dates are November 11 and 12 at the Paramount Theater; be sure to check out our presale, which starts today at 10AM and runs to Friday at 10PM. Use the password “KEXP”.

• Master MC and accomplished actor Mos Def has assembled a fall tour behind his latest effort, The Ecstatic. A Seattle date is scheduled for August 28 with no word on the venue quite yet.

• You know you love yourself if you cover your own album. Twice. Indie-pop sibling duo The Fiery Furnaces plan to re-record their album I’m Going Away, with siblings Matt and Eleanor Friedberger each releasing their own versions of the album.

• Unlike most bands, Weezer seem to get less mature with age, as evidenced by two new songs they debuted at a recent show in South Korea called “I’m Your Daddy” and “The Girl Got Hot.” Apparently they sound just like the titles. If you must, check ‘em out at Stereogum.

• Memphis maniac rocker Jay Reatard is hitting the road this August for a batch of free all-ages in-store performances. Can you say awesome? He’ll be in Seattle for two shows, August 26 at East Street Records and August 27 at Sonic Boom Records playing songs from his new album, Watch Me Fall, out that same month. You can also look forward to a Jay Reatard documentary. Check out the trailer here.

• Ex-Be Your Own Pet frontwoman Jemina Pearl has set tour dates and a release date for her upcoming solo album, Break It Up, on Ecstatic Peace. She’ll be at Chop Suey on October 19.

• Don’t worry: The Mountain Goats won’t be touring the Christian rock circuit any time soon (not that there’s anything wrong with that!). But you might get that impression when first reading about the new album, The Life Of The World To Come (due on 4AD on October 6), which features a dozen songs named after Bible passages, like “Genesis 3:23.” “It’s not a screed,” claims songwriter John Darnielle, who assures us he hasn’t “had some sort of religious awakening.” He says rather vaguely that “It’s twelve songs the Bible taught me, kind of.”

• If you’ve never watched the kids show Yo Gabba Gabba, you’re missing out. The show has already featured tons of rad performances from bands like Tilly And The Wall, The Ting Tings, MGMT, and Chromeo, and now Super Furry Animals are getting in on the action. The Welsh band are hard at work writing a song for the show but there’s no word yet if they’ll appear in person.

• Someone had to say it, but who thought it would be David Byrne? They typically polite veteran of rock not so subtly pointed out on his blog that U2’s spending “$40 million to build the stage” and their estimated “200 semi trucks crisscrossing Europe” for their upcoming world tour is a bit “overkill, and just a wee bit out of balance given all the starving people in Africa and all.” Byrne, who admits to being a little bit peeved for getting bumped from Letterman during the week-long U2 residency, is at least thankful that Live Nation, who’s promoting both his and U2’s tours is allowing him to play clubs who might not otherwise be able to afford it.

• Pearl Jam is promoting their upcoming album Backspacer with a scavenger hunt. After collecting nine images, created by Tom Tomorrow, across the interweb, fans will be treated to a download of some sort. You can start your collection at Spinner.

• Snuggie, the totally unnecessary blanket with sleeves, has teamed up with Weezer to produce the Wuggie, basically a Snuggie that says Weezer on it.

• Iggy Pop has begun talks with former Stooges member James Williamson about a reunion. Williamson co-wrote the bands ‘73 album Raw Power, the album that’s likely to form the basis of any reunion.

• On Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, the Beastie Boys revealed the title of their forthcoming album, Hot Sauce Committee. In addition to spilling the beans on the title of the September release, the trio performed their classic So What’cha Want backed by the shows stellar house band, The Roots. Check it out:

• Speaking of new release revelations, Matador just announced Jay Reatard’s upcoming full-length, his first in three years, called Watch Me Fall, due August 18, and made this MP3 freely available:

• It seems MIA is in the news more these days for her political views than for her music. She sat down with Bill Maher on Friday to discuss the Sri Lankan civil war and the media’s handling of it. See for yourself:

• Lastly, Kanye West, who has been quoted as saying I am not a fan of books and I am a proud non-reader of books, has unsurprisingly written a book. Can 52 pages of ‘Kanye-isms’ be considered a book?

photo by Ron Henry

• Ryan Adams, characteristically resistant to capital letters, has announced on his blog three things he’s cutting back: (1) smoking; (2) blogging; and (3) making music. In a long testimonial, he explains his decisions and discusses some of the recent difficulties he’s faced. On a more positive note, he describes himself as happy “for the first time in [his] life.” Adams concludes: “maybe we will play again sometime and maybe i will work my way back into some kind of music situation but this is the time for me to step back now, to reel it in and i wish everyone peace and happiness and if music is your dream, or if just dreaming is your dream, may you find your way through the rough patch with ease and i hope you let go and it takes you all the way there — loving kindness to all.” Apparently, some of this has been taken out of context by other news outlets, causing Adams to reiterate today, “i did not say i was quitting i said i was taking a step back…” Don’t worry, Ryan — the thought you not putting out at least one album a year seems unbelievable.

• The Decemberists, though, are still going strong. After releasing a series of EPs, they’re set to release their fifth full-length, The Hazards of Love, on March 24. Right now you can download for free “The Rake’s Song” from the album, beginning today, at the band’s website.

• Just a few months after good ol’ Times Square saw Kathy Griffin mortify poor Anderson Cooper, it will be witnessing the exit of an icon (and no, we’re not talking about TRL): The Times Square Virgin Megastore, which has proudly served as the highest volume music store in the United States, will shut down in April. It seems the store is still profitable — it’s just not paying the rent it could be. (Apparently Virgin pays only $54 per square-foot while the market rent in the area is over 10 times that figure.) Rents, shments; it still seems appropriate to blame the Stupid Recession. Oh, and it’s being replaced with a Forever 21. Here’s to capitalism.

• Support a good cause, hear some good tracks, what’s not to like: War Child International (a network of organizations helping children affected by — you guessed it — war) has released another tribute album, and there are some ringers in there: Beck covering Dylan, The Hold Steady covering Springsteen, TV On The Radio covering Bowie, Hot Chip covering Joy Division, you name it. Check out the full list.

• Could 2009 be the year of The Wrens? Celebrating 20 years together, the hardest working band in New Jersey is offering up a brand new single, “Pulled Fences,” recorded live at Abbey Road Studios. Does this mean the band is ready to record a follow up to their sensational Meadowlands? Seems so. They report on their newly updated website, where you can also find out how to get the new single, that on this coming Monday they will “reconvene in the basement and start recording music.”

• MySpace now sports an 18-minute documentary that follows Oasis and “a group of street musicians” as they debut songs off Oasis’s new album (Dig Out Your Soul In The Streets) in New York. The documentary, free and available for your viewing pleasure, purports to be the first “to debut in high definition in the history of MySpace.” Further kudos to them Internets.

• Speaking of videos, Weezer just released a new one for “Pork and Beans,” featuring an array of YouTube personalities and other characters (like Kathy Lee Gifford):