Lady Sovereign “So Human”Around the time this blog began, there were a lot of dancehall acts making amazing new songs out of the “Cure Riddim,” which was basically just a slightly modified version of the Cure’s “Close To Me.” On the other end of this decade, Lady Sovereign has released her own variation on the track, further proving its remarkable malleability. However, unlike Ce’cile and Tanya Stephens, both of whom virtually ignored everything from “Close To Me” aside from the sound of the music itself, Lady Sov integrates bits of Robert Smith’s lyrics into her verses, making it feel a bit like a cover at some points. The melancholy tone of the original also affects her lyrics and vocals, making her come off significantly more introspective, defensive, and low-key than she did on her earlier records.

Pre-order it from Amazon.

The Lonely Island “Incredibad” Well, it looks like the best Beastie Boys song in eleven years was outsourced to three dudes from SNL. Stranger things have certainly happened, like, for example, when those same three comedians lost their virginity simultaneously to a guy from Mars.

Buy it from Amazon.

This Is Nottingham interviews Bloc Party's Matt Tong.

The Boston Globe profiles Los Campesinos!.

Hopelessness in the face of poor romantic choices, dark nights of the soul spent on one's knees in locales of dubious repute, and the gut punch of seeing an ex with a new love are but a few of the tragic tales the band tells with pathos and humor. But with giddily psychedelic organs that veer into stinging new wave dance riffs and gritty punk rock, "Doomed" is no downer - even though Gareth, the primary singer-lyricist who unleashes a torrent of words over his bandmates' fervent musical excursions, admits to a slight obsession with mortality.

The Irish Independent interviews singer-songwriter Emmy the Great.

Also, you're apparently in danger of going out of fashion. Didn't I read somewhere that heartfelt folk pop is like, SO, last year?

Really, where did you see that? Anyway, when our album was put back from last September, we knew that there was a general vogue we were missing out on. But even if folk was "last year" or three years ago, we'd still be making music, we'd still be using the arrangements we're using. So to separate yourself from all of the fads is quite a good thing in a way.

Daytrotter's Friday session features in-studio mp3s fro Haley Bonar (whose Big Star was one of my favorite albums of 2008).

Kristin Hersh's online music label, CASH Music, has relaunched as a non-profit organization.

Birmingham Weekly profiles local band Vulture Whale.

Mashable lists 5 online sites that find concerts happening near you.

NPR creates a Valentine's Day mixtape of hip-hop romantic laments.

Ingrid ZThose who sought to ride out the global recession by investing their money in Patrick Wolf should be pleased - the project has already yielded dividends! What had originally been intended to be a double album entitled Battle will now instead be two single-length albums entitled The Bachelor and The Conqueror.

In an interview with Spinner, Wolf describes the differences between the two as follows - “The Bachelor [has themes of] loneliness, hedonism, depression and melancholy, the second album is all my depression being suddenly lifted by true love.” The Bachelor will be released in June, The Conqueror sometime before the year is out. He also talks to Black Book about approaching Tilda Swinton to appear on the new record and his rather unique sense of style and assembles his dream band for The Independent.

Wolf blogs that the first single from Bachelor, entitled “Vulture”, will be released in early March but until then, there’s a “megamix” sampler of songs from the new record streaming at his MySpace.

Myspace: Patrick Wolf

Stereogum gets a progress report on Kingdom Of Rust from Doves, though with its April 6 release date less than two months off, I hope there’s not much progress left to be made. Which is to say it better be done. The video for the title track is done, at least.

Video: Doves - “Kingdom Of Rust”

Drowned In Sound and Contact Music make conversation with Sky Larkin. My copy of The Golden Spike arrived yesterday. That made me happy.

Nouse and The Irish Independent interview Emmy The Great, who continues her own interview duties for Drowned In Sound by talking to Beach House and Sleeping States.

Clash and Virgin Music interview Saint Etienne, who will release a new best-of comp in London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne next week.

NME reports that The Stone Roses‘ debut album will be reissued this June to mark its 20th anniversary in a fancy pants box set form and a less fancy “legacy” edition (yes, they already did this ten years ago for the 10th anniversary). But what might make this more than just a naked cash grab is the fact that the album has been remastered by original producer John Leckie - considering that the original record could do with some sonic polishing, I may be interested to hear if the new version actually gives the album some low end.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs give Spin the lowdown on their new album It’s Blitz!, set for release April 14.

NPR is streaming a session with Shearwater.

The Wrens have put together a video to go along with the new song they unveiled a few weeks ago.

Video: The Wrens - “Marked Up”

MPR is featuring a session with School Of Seven Bells and The List has a short interview with Alley Dehaza.

There’s now a trailer available for Ashes Of American Flags, the Wilco live DVD due out on April 18

Trailer: Ashes Of American Flags

The previously-mentioned Iron & Wine rarities collection has been officially announced. Around The Well is due for release on 5/19, and is a 2-CD/3-LP collection of tracks that spans the pre-Creek Drank the Cradle era all the way to 2007′s Shepherd’s Dog. A lot of the tracks are previously unreleased (“officially,” I mean– I seem to recall Soulseeking a bunch of stuff marked “Iron & Wine Demos” about 6 or 7 years ago), but there are also a lot of gem singles, covers, and other odds and sods, including the fantastic “Trapeze Swinger” (to which the entire 3rd LP is dedicated).

In conjunction with the release, I & W is doing a 5-city/10-show tour, with fans choosing the setlist in advance via voting on IronAndWine.Com.

Dates:
5/4: Seattle, Vera Project
5/5: Seattle, Triple Door
5/6: San Francisco, Swedish American Hall
5/7: San Francisco, Swedish American Hall
5/8: Los Angeles, Masonic Hall at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
5/9: Los Angeles, Troubadour
5/12: Chicago, Lakeshore Theatre
5/13: Chicago, Schuba’s
5/17: New York, Abrons Arts Center
5/18: New York, Abrons Arts Center

Tickets go on sale 2/20.

Normally, I consider “ALBUM TRACKLIST REVEALED” to be one of the most-useless things that music sites can post, but I gotta tell you, in this case, I think it actually serves a purpose– most people have some familiarity with many of these tracks:

Disc 1

1. Dearest Forsaken
2. Morning
3. Loud as Hope
4. Peng! 33
5. Sacred Vision
6. Friends They Are Jewels
7. Hickory
8. Waitin’ for a Superman
9. Swans and the Swimming
10. Call Your Boys
11. Such Great Heights

Disc 2

1. Communion Cups & Someone’s Coat
2. Belated Promise Ring
3. God Made the Automobile
4. Homeward, These Shoes
5. Love Vigilantes
6. Sinning Hands
7. No Moon
8. Serpent Charmer
9. Carried Home
10. Kingdom of the Animals
11. Arms of a Thief
12. The Trapeze Swinger

Sleepwalking Through the Mekong chronicles the journey taken by Los Angeles-based Khmer rock band Dengue Fever to lead singer Chhom Nimol’s native Cambodia during the Water Festival. The band’s performance marked the first time a Western band has ever performed ‘60s Cambodian rock in the country where it was created. Most of the musicians who originally created the music were killed during the Pol Pot regime. The film serves up a portrait of modern Cambodia as the band tours through Phnom Penh and beyond, crossing a great cultural chasm with the same spirit of Cambodia’s original rock pioneers.

It’s out 4/14, and you can view the Sleepwalking Through The Mekong trailer here.

MP3: Dengue Fever – “March of the Balloon Animals”