March 21st is the release date for the new Pugwash album Modern Antiquities, according to the cool new blog Red Track Music. Guests include Andy Partridge & Dave Gregory of XTC, Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy, Michael Penn, Jason Falkner, The Section Quartet and Nelson Bragg of The Brian Wilson Band. You can get a preview of the album at http://www.myspace.com/11modernantiquities.

If you aren’t hip to Pugwash yet, and if you’re a fan of the jangle, you NEED to check out their last CD Jollity right now!

[ Thanks Harris ]

SXSW has published the list of showcasing bands for 2008. Check it out. Quite a few Rockhead faves on there!

[ Thanks Chris ]

Nuggets on the top, soda on the bottom. Amazing!

Enjoy!

Would you eat a cheeseburger in a can? I probably would.

R.E.M. have announced their first batch of tour dates to promote their upcoming disc, Accelerate:

Vancouver – 5/23 – DEER LAKE PARK
Los Angeles – 5/29 – HOLLYWOOD BOWL
Berkeley – 5/31 – THE GREEK THEATRE
Denver – 6/03 – RED ROCKS
Chicago – 6/06 – UNITED CENTER
Toronto – 6/08 – MOLSON AMPHITHEATRE
Raleigh – 6/10 – WALNUT CREEK AMPHITHEATRE
Washington DC – 6/11 – MERRIWEATHER POST PAVILION
Boston – 6/13 – TWEETER CENTER
Long Island – 6/14 – JONES BEACH THEATER
Philadelphia – 6/18 – MANN CENTER
New York City – 6/19 – TBA
Atlanta – 6/21 – LAKEWOOD AMPHITHEATRE

Looks cool so far, but…. Lakewood? Argh…. Oh well. The opening bands will be Modest Mouse and The National.

Check out NinetyNights for some artsy video teaser goodness.

I wonder how much dough Sony BMG spent developing this idiotic scheme.

[ via Daring Fireball ]

I’m in my third decade of being in this business of music, and I’ve seen a lot of strange and unnatural things– things that have left lesser men shrinking in the corners crying for their mothers. Yet, in my travels and explorations I have never before seen or heard of The Spotnicks until today. Now I question everything.

Originally a club band named The Frazers in Sweden in the late 50s and early 60s, they embraced the nascent space age in 1961 and changed their name to the one that will forever be emblazoned in my brain. Get the cheese to sick bay and feast your Vulcan squinties on this:

You may now close your gaping maw.

YouTube user Thundernest has a fine selection of Spotnicks videos, as well as footage of some other crazy and obscure twanglers. And remember, if ever you really need to score some Velveeta-smooth fret work, there’s always Arch Hall, Jr!

[ via io9 ]