Download an MP3 of Wilco covering Woody Guthrie’s “The Jolly Banker.” And donate a few bucks, if this economy has left you with any bucks to donate.

Leigh RightonVancouver fuzz-merchant duo Japandroids chose an interesting way to celebrate the release of their new album Post-Nothing and the attendant “Best New Music” laurels bestowed upon it by Pitchfork - they cancelled nearly their entire scheduled Spring tour.

Okay “chose” is probably the wrong word, as singer-guitarist Brian King probably didn’t decide this was the perfect time to suffer a perforated ulcer and go in for emergency surgery. But that’s what happened, and so nearly a month’s worth of dates were scrapped but almost immediately rescheduled - Pitchfork has the new dates, including a July 16 date at the El Mocambo in Toronto to make up for the nixed May 9 date.

In the meantime, they can try and keep up with the increased media interest that this record is sure to generate - witness them already on the cover of the latest Exclaim. There’s also interviews with them at JAM and View, while Metro talks to them in the context of what it identifies as a new trend of “lo-fi” bands.

MP3: Japandroids - “Young Hearts Spark Fire”
Video: Japandroids - “Heart Sweats”
MySpace: Japandroids

Metric week continues at Drowned In Sound as the band plays tour guide - bassist Josh Winstead relates his favourite things about New York City and guitarist Jimmy Shaw does the same for Toronto.

There are Fucked Up features over at Vue and Uptown.

MP3: Fucked Up - “No Epiphany” (No Age remix)
MP3: Fucked Up - “No Epiphany”

The Los Angeles Record gets the boys from No Age to interview Bob Mould.

Aquarium Drunkard interviews James McNew of Condo Fucks.

NPR has a World Cafe session with School Of Seven Bells.

The Guardian profiles St Vincent’s Annie Clark. Her new record Actor is out next week.

M Ward stops by MPR for a session. Metro also offers up an interview.

Paste goes Bob Dylan-crazy on the occasion of his new album’s release. Together Through Life came out earlier this week and is streaming at Spinner.

Stream: Bob Dylan / Together Through Life

Metromix talks to Stephin Merritt about his score for the stage version of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline.

photo source

Matt Harding - “Stay Always” You know something is going to happen. You're not sure what it is but you're sure it's going to happen. Certain. You see its signals in the white of clouds, in the red glare of sunsets. You see it in the ripple in the flags. Every glance is a harbinger. Something is going to happen and you are going to have to seize it at that moment, wrap hands around it, make it stay forever. Something is going to happen; prepare your traps. [blog/myspace/buy]

Tom Zé - “Defeito 2: Curiosidade” Carlos unlocked the recording studio's red steel door, just as he had done ten or fifteen times a week for the past sixteen years. He pressed the code on the security pad, flicked on the three light-switches. He booted up the machines. He was a precise sitter. He sat down precisely, on the rolling chair behind the mixing desk. He stared through the studio glass at the empty stage. His client would not arrive for 22 minutes. Really, the client would not arrive for 52 minutes. Bands are always late.

Once the musicians had arrived, Carlos helped them to set up. It was always different and yet always the same. He made a note that he needed to vacuum the studio's carpet. Carlos undid his top shirt button and nodded to the percussionist to begin. He watched the red and green LEDs, the flickering needles. His fingertips rested on black sliders. He watched the musicians with calm, blackbird eyes.

Later, he spooled back the session and pressed play. The song came out on tiptoes.

“What is that?” said Manuel, who plays the bass guitar.

“What is what?” said Carlos.

“What is that voice?” said Suzi, who plays rhythm guitar.

“It is the singer,” said Carlos. “You.”

“Not that voice,” said the singer. “The other voice. The little voice.”

Carlos started the song again. This time he heard it immediately, of course he heard it, the gibbering little voice that had snuck into his microphones. Carlos stared at his flickering needles. “I do not know,” he said. “Was it one of you?”

“No,” said the band-members, jumbling and together.

“Hmm,” said Carlos. He slid sliders, pressed buttons, turned knobs. He tried to isolate the voice and eliminate it. He could not.

“What is it?” said Manuel.

“I do not know,” said Carlos.

“It sounds like a gremlin,” said the singer. “Your studio has gremlins.”

“It did not have gremlins before,” said Carlos.

[buy]

Helado Negro – “Deja” Asthmatic Kitty has signed quasiexperimental musician Roberto Lange, with his project Helado Negro (ft. members of Prefuse 73, Feathers, and Stars Like Fleas), and will release the first full-length, Awe Owe, on 8/4.

Apparently, Bro. Danielson designed a limited-edition custom shoe for Fluevog. The bowling shoe-cum-saddle oxford-cum-Pee Wee Herman bar-dance footwear is in stores next week.

FYI, also- there’s a Danielson “Micro-Tour” starting May 1:

5/1 – Audobon, NJ – Auction House (w/ Dan Zimmerman)
5/6 – LA – Spaceland
5/15 – NYC – Mercury Lounge (w/ Dan Zimmerman)
5/23 – Philadelphia – The Trocadero

2 new videos for old Danielson songs have recently been posted for your viewing pleasure: “Body English” (from Tri-Danielson), and “Fetch the Compass” (from Fetch The Compass Kids).

Phoenix – “1901” (The Tremulance Remix) Beep beep boop boop– It’s a new remix of Phoenix’s excellent “1901” by The Tremulance.