December 2005

Indie pop-rockers Tegan & Sara are set to release their first full length DVD, entitled It

If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “J Mascis’ guitar solos piss me off”, well, maybe his drum solos will touch you in the right spot. The long-haired dude from the recently-reunited Dinosaur Jr. is now behind the kit in a new stoner rock band: Witch. Standing in front of J in Witch are Kyle Thomas of Feathers on vox, Asa Irons (also of Feathers) on guitar, and Mascis’ longtime pal Dave Sweetapple on bass.

For those lacking faith in Mascis’ ability to pull a reverse Dave Grohl, have no fear. He was originally the drummer in Deep Wound, his pre-Dino Jr. hardcore band with Lou Barlow, and has pounded the skins with people like Mike Watt, Epic Soundtracks, the Velvet Monkeys, and Gobblehoof, as well as on various Dinosaur Jr. records.

As for Feathers…why does that name sound familiar? Well, the eight-piece Vermont band bearing crazy mountain instruments like the dulcimer and the lap harp have been opening for quite a few big shots lately, like Sufjan Stevens, Smog, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, and, of course, Dinosaur Jr. They also guested on Devendra Banhart’s Cripple Crow album (hey, who didn’t?), and self-released an album last summer.

Witch’s self-titled debut album, recorded with John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Son Volt, Screaming Trees) is due out on Tee Pee Records on March 7, 2006. The tracklist is short. This either means no bang for your buck or, more likely, lots and lots of solos. Check it out and don’t let track three put you to sleep:

01 Changing
02 Seer
03 Rip Van Winkle
04 Hex
05 Hand of Glory
06 Black Saint

Source pitchforkmedia.com.

In a post on their website, due to Jim James’ health complications from a recent case of pneumonia, My Morning Jacket has announced the cancellation of their New Year’s Eve show at Madison Square Garden and their European tour that was to be begin on January 18th. My Morning Jacket hopes to reschedule the European dates as soon as Jim is fully recovered and able to perform.

Nine Inch Nails has added new dates to its North American tour, which now extends to March 2006. The Trent Reznor-led act will take a two-month break after performance Saturday (Dec. 10) at KROQ Los Angeles’ Almost Acoustic Xmas show and resume touring Feb. 10 at University of Illinois

Scott McCaughey gets by with a little help from his friends, and that’s okay with us. For the seventh album from his chamber pop collective the Minus 5, the former Young Fresh Fellow has thumbed through his massive rolodex and come up with the kind of guest list indie rock wet dreams are made of: R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, and Glenn Kotche, the Decemberists’ Colin Meloy and John Moen, the Posies’ Ken Stringfellow, Sean Nelson of Harvey Danger and the Long Winters, singer-songwriter-author John Wesley Harding, alt-country chanteuse Kelly Hogan, and, why not, Ministry’s Bill Rieflin and Mott the Hoople