Social Consciousness for the Indie Crowd: Wear Your Music

The Indie set may have never got on board with Lance Armstrong's "Live Strong" campaign, but thanks to the music magazine Relix, hipsters don't have to flash those ubiquitous yellow bands to show that they care.

With its "Wear Your Music" campaign, Relix has procures guitar strings from rock icons including Brian May, Pete Townshend, and Les Paul to relative newcomers including The Shins, Death Cab for Cutie, Tenacious D, and My Morning Jacket to be recycled for a charitable cause.

Designer Hannah Garrison of AZU Studio turns these old guitar strings bracelets (see inset), and all proceeds will go to one of more than 20 charities chosen by the artist or by the WYM campaign. Prices for these unique items range from $75 to $300.

Matchstick Women: Tegan and Sara complete "The Con"

Canadian sibling and rock duo Tegan & Sara recently completed recording their third album, The Con, set to drop July 24 via Vapor/Sanctuary Records. The Con is the follow-up to 2004's So Jealous.

Twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin worked with Death Cab For Cutie guitarist Chris Walla to produce the new 14 track album. "They wanted something that was a little bit grittier," Walla told Billboard.com in January. Also sitting in on The Con is AFI bassist Hunter Burgan and the Rentals' Matt Sharp.

Tegan and Sara plan on a series of small club performances in July and August, plus an extensive, headlining, North American tour set for October.

The tracklisting for The Con :

1. "I Was Married"
2. "Relief Next to Me"
3. "The Con"
4. "Knife Going In"
5. "Are You Ten Years Ago"
6. "Back in Your Head"
7. "Hop a Plane"
8. "Soil, Soil"
9. "Burn Your Life Down"
10. "Nineteen"
11. "Floorplan"
12. "Like O, Like H"
13. "Dark Come Soon"
14. "Call It Off"

Ben Gibbard to tour May 2007 with Pedro the Lion

Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service) officially announced that he will be touring with Jonathan Rice and Dave Bazan (Pedro the Lion) to promote his new solo effort while Death Cab for Cutie is between albums and guitarist Chris Walla works on a solo project of his own.

Official Tour Dates 2007
3 - Minneapolis, Minn. @ First Avenue
4 - Chicago, Ill. @ Metro
5 - Detroit, Mich. @ Majestic Theatre
7 - Somerville, Mass. @ Somerville Theatre

8 - New York, N.Y. @ Town Hall

9 - Philadelphia, Pa. @ Theatre of Living Arts

10 - Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club

11 - Carrboro, N.C. @ Cat’s Cradle

12 - Atlanta, Ga. @ Center Stage

13 - Nashville, Tenn. @ City Hall

14 - Dallas, Tex. @ Granada Theater

15 - Austin, Tex. @ Emo’s

17 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ Royce Hall

18 - San Francisco, Calif. @ Fillmore

19 - Portland, Ore. @ Roseland Theater

20 - Seattle, Wash. @ Showbox

Listen Now - Pedro the Lion - Never Leave a Job Half Done