Wilco to rock Prairie Home Companion

Nothing says "down-home" like avant garde noize rock. On May 12, Jeff Tweedy and the trend setting Chicago rockers invade Garrison Keillor's beloved old time radio show A Prairie Home Companion, blasting eardrums and upsetting apple carts from here to Northern Minnesota.

The show airs from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm Central check your local listings for which station carries it, and will be broadcast from the State Theater in Minneapolis.

Wilco's new album, Sky Blue Sky, which dropped earlier this year out on the Nonesuch label on May 15, but you can hear it right now, streaming from the band's website. Wilco appears on Late Night with David Letterman on May 15, and will spend most of the summer on tour.

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.

Dresden Dolls' Amanda Palmer teams with Ben Folds for solo album

Dresden Dolls' Amanda Palmer is in Nashville recording her debut solo album with ubiquitous performer, producer, pianist, and rocker Ben Folds.

In a recent Billboard interview Palmer said, "The songs range from intimate ballads to faster and harder Amanda-assaults-the-piano thrillers." No release date for the untitled solo effort. "We've been adding everything from organs and Leslie cabinets to strings, horns, and tympani. The final result should be Biblical," says Palmer.

The Dolls have a busy upcoming schedule. They will hit the road in June 2007 for their True Colors tour, which will feature Cyndi Lauper, Erasure, and former Blondie star Debbie Harry. Dresden Dolls are also working on a video to be shot next month for "Shores of California," the third single from the Dolls' 2006 album Yes, Virginia.

mp3: Dresden Dolls - "Coin Operated Boy"

New Feist video for 1234

Canadian darlings Feist have released the video for 1234. Feist's latest, The Reminder dropped earlier this year.

Watch It

Radiohead snippets available on web

Fans anxious to hear any and everything from the Brit rocker's work in the studio can rest easy. Yorke and company have posted a short "behind-the-scenes-at-the-studio" spot on their website via VapourBrothers. “This is what happens when you spend too long listening to the same thing over and over again until you just cant tell anymore and you have to do something else instead,” says Yorke. The short film contains a collection of sounds, some of which might be snippets from a new Radiohead album.

MP3 - Radiohead: "No Suprises" (live @ KROQ)

Video - Radiohead short

High Fidelity: Regina Spector to tour

Russian born, Bronx raised, Indie siren Regina Spektor embarks on her U.S. tour, beginning in Portland on April 24.

This upcoming tour is Spektor's second of the US in support of last year's Begin To Hope. Her September 2006 tour sold out venues across the country. The tour is scheduled to stops by both the Coachella and Bonnaroo festivals.

Spektor's confirmed tour dates:
Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom (4.24)
Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre (4.25)
Sacramento, CA - The Empire (4.26)
Indio, CA - Coachella (4.28)
San Diego, CA - House of Blues (4.29)
San Francisco, CA - The Warfield (4.30)
Denver, CO - Odgen Theatre (5.4)
Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre (5.13)
Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival (6.17)

MP3: Regina Spektor - Fidelity

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"

Live: Arcade Fire rocks New York church

Arcade Fire's 2004 debut Funeral, was one of the decade's most remarkable and innovative rock albums. The Canadian octet's sophomore album Neon Bible proved to fans and critics alike that their creativity, enthusiasm, and ingenuity were the genuine articles.

The band performed at New York's Judson Memorial Church, Feb 17, 2007. Arcade Fire originally broadcast the concert as a live webcast courtesy of All Songs Considered.

Listen Now - Arcade Fire Live @ Judson Memorial Church 2.17.07

New Pornographers record "epic" album

Canadian sextet The New Pornographers are currently recording their follow up to 2005's indie smash Twin Cinema. They plan to drop the album in late August on the Matador label.

Twin Cinema showcased the band's willingness to take risks lyrically and musically as well as explore different musical genres. In a recent Billboard.com interview, group member Carl Newman stated that, "all bets were off for this new album" adding that the new album is, "maybe slightly more epic. It has our first song that passes the six-minute-long mark. In fact, it might have our first songs that pass the five-minute mark!" in the same interview.

Alt-Country phenom Neko Case joins the band again featured on three songs, one of which, the track "Go Places," Newman describes as, "one of the biggest departures for us."

Also on the new album is Newman's work "Salinger," that he describes as, "more of a ballad than we've ever had before. You don't want to depart too much from what you are, but at the same time, you don't want to totally repeat."

The New Pornographers plan to play some of the album's new songs at several upcoming shows and will appear in April at Coachella. Their headlining tour will run from September to October.

Watch Now: The New Pornographers - Sing Me Spanish Techno

Alive and Kicking: Modest Mouse's We Were Dead Before the Boat Even Sank

The fifth album from Modest Mouse, We Were Dead Before the Boat Even Sank finds us in the same places we've been before. Bummed out, pissed off, and crafting some of the finest indie music of our generation.

Much the same subject matter (grief, depression, etc.) is mined as in the band's four previous albums "Bang your head like a gong/
'Cause it's filled with all wrong/Ah ha ha! Clang, clang, clang!" but given the success of Good News for People Who like Bad News, Epic Records gave Modest Mouse the opportunity to showcase their talents. They delivered. The boys sound more cohesive and cleaner than ever before. Frontman Isaac Brock's growls are growlier. The sonic layers are deeper and the musical twists are twistier.

The addition of guitarist Johnny Marr enlivens the already superb and nuanced guitar work and guest spots from The Shins' James Mercer make the album that much more brilliant. Brock's lyrics are in their finest form. Wordy, dark, and whimsical, each track is emotionally charged without being whiny or adolescent. Instead, these songs deal with feelings of isolation, depression, and confusion with matter-of-fact sobriety acknowledging that life goes on despite ourselves.

Longtime fans will be pleased to know that the band is as dour as ever. Those looking for another "Float On" may be disappointed as many of the tracks on We Were Dead are less accessible than much of Good News. The nearest pop single is Dashboard, the opening track. Everyone will be pleased to know that sing along suicide choruses abound. 2007 has been a great year for music and this album may just help make it a landmark. With outstanding songwriting, flawless musicianship, and brilliant production We Were Dead is certain to become one of Modest Mouse's seminal albums. We Were Dead Before The Boat Even Sank is scheduled to drop March 20. - Highly Recommended

Listen Now - Modest Mouse - Dashboard

Free indie rock downloads from Hanes, Rhapsody

Undergarment titan Hanes recently partnered with online music site Rhapsody to launch an "Indie Rock Downloads" section. Each week the site posts three completely free music downloads, provided the viewer can stomach a thirty second underwear spot.

The selection changes weekly and archives only date back one week. Artists range from the relatively well known (Apples in Stereo and Sloan) to the more obscure (Apartment, Sholi Sholi). All tracks are premium quality, full length, and advert free.

Listen Now - Apples in Stereo - Energy (Sound Advice Exclusive)
Get more music - Hanes' Indie Rock Downloads