Cory Branan is set to begin recording his long-awaited follow-up to 2006's 12 Songs this April at a studio in San Francisco. Reportedly, Branan will have "some very talented folks at the helm, behind the board and playing alongside of him."
In a post on their website, Eels have announced the release of Hombre Lobo, their first album since 2005's Blinking Lights and Other Revelations. The 12-track album was recorded at E's Studio in Los Angeles and will be released on June 2nd.
Following the reunion, Far have inked a deal with Vagrant and will release their fifth full-length this spring. [www.thebandfar.com]
Allen Epley and The Life and Times will finally release a proper follow-up to 2005's Suburban Hymns on April 14th with Tragic Boogie. The group have bundled a film about the making of Tragic Boogie with orders of the documentary DVD Life Is Pleasure, shot during their 2006 Japanese tour. Watch the trailer on YouTube.
New York based space-rock outfit White Hills have signed with Thrill Jockey. The group will tour this spring and then get to work on a new full-length. In the meantime, Thrill Jockey will reissue a couple White Hills albums from the back catalog. [www.aversion.com]
Cursive is offering digital orders of Mama, I'm Swollen before the March 10th release date. Better yet, the album is currently only $2. The deal started yesterday at $1 and will increase each day by a dollar until March 10th. Order the album on saddle-creek.com. [www.punknews.org]
Spin recently recorded Emily Haines and guitarist Jimmy Shaw performing a few unplugged songs from the forthcoming Metric album, Fantasies, due April 14th. Watch "Twilight Galaxy," "Front Row" and interviews on spin.com. [www.spin.com]
Axl Rose revealed a bit more than usual in a interview with road manager Del James for spinner.com. Rose discusses Guns N' Roses past, present and future. [www.spinner.com]
AFI have titled their eighth album Crash Love. As reported, the band hit the studio last year. [www.punknews.org]
Magik Markers will release Balf Quarry on April 27th. The duo recorded the new album with Animal Collective's Scott Colburn. [www.nme.com]
Apparently, U2 have plans to release another album this year. In a New York Times profile, the band revealed a No Line On The Horizon "companion album" with a "more meditative and processional tone" will be out before the end of the year. Update: The album is titled Songs Of Ascent and the first single is "Every Breaking Wave." [www.nytimes.com]
Maximo Park will release their third full-length, Quicken The Heart, in May through Warp Records. The album was recorded with producer Nick Launay in Los Angeles. [www.nme.com]
Matt Bellamy recently spoke with BBC and further hinted at the classical influences on the forthcoming Muse album. Late last year, Chris Wolstenholme mentioned a possible three-part orchestral opus on the tail end of the new album. However, Bellamy stated that influence could "take over the album." [news.bbc.co.uk]
Atlanta's Mastodon has announced a North American tour in April and May, following the Crack The Skye release on March 24th. The band will play the new album in its entirety on the tour and hope to record a short film based on the record. [www.roadrunnerrecords.com]
MSTRKRFT has scheduled tour dates around the release of their new album, Fist of God. During the jaunt, the duo will make stops at SXSW and Coachella. [www.livedaily.com]
Wilco have announced an "upcoming soon-to-be-titled LP" due some time in June. The album was recorded with producer Jim Scott. As reported, the band will hit the road in April. [www.nme.com]
Members of Suicide Machines, MEST, and Frank White have formed The A-Gang, a band that vows to "worship at the altar of the MC5, Black Flag, and Chuck Berry." The band is currently in the studio working on its debut full-length. Listen to a few demos on MySpace. [www.myspace.com]
Brooklyn's Dirty Projectors will issue their fifth album, Bitte Orca, on June 9th via Domino. The first single, "Stillness Is the Move," will be released on April 21st. [www.nme.com]
Rhino Records will issue A Cabinet of Curiosities, a Jane's Addiction rarities box set, on April 21st. The set includes demos, live recordings and the documentary Soul Kiss on DVD. [www.pitchfork.com]
Juliette Lewis has posted a few songs from her forthcoming album, Terra Incognita, on MySpace. The Licks have been retired in favor of The New Romantiques and the full-length was recorded with Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (The Mars Volta). Lewis will perform new material at SXSW. Read the full press release on Lewis' blog. [www.myspace.com]
