Royksopp has announced some North American dates in March supporting their latest albums, 2009's Junior and 2010's Senior. Check out the band's website for full details. [royksopp.com]
According to the BBC, a Tori Amos penned musical will "open in the Lyttelton auditorium [of the National Theatre] in April 2012." NME thinks it will be an adaptation of George MacDonald's 1864 fairy tale The Light Princess. [www.bbc.co.uk]
Dropkick Murphys will release their seventh album, Going Out in Style, on March 1st. The album will sport performances from Bruce Springsteen, Fat Mike of NOFX and Chris Cheney of The Living End. You can stream the songs "Memorial Day" on Rolling Stone and "Hang 'Em High" Alt Press. The Meanest of Times was released in 2007. [www.punknews.org]
LCD Soundsystem will play its final show ever on April 2nd at Madison Square Garden, reportedly to be "the best funeral ever." The announcement states the band will "be playing with friends and family for nearly 3 hours" and then "retiring from the game." [lcdsoundsystem.com]
Okkervil River will return on May 10th with I Am Very Far through Jagjaguwar. The album features "string and horn section, choral and orchestral arrangements" and sometimes "over a dozen musicians performing in a single room." [jagjaguwar.com]
Mike Skinner has released a new mixtape, Cyberspace and Reds, ahead the final album from The Streets, Computers and Blues, out today in the UK. Stream and download the set over on SoundCloud. A US release date is still not known. [the-streets.co.uk]
The Lonely Forest will release a new album, Arrows, on March 22nd through Chris Walla's Trans Records. The group will support The Joy Formidable on tour in March and April. Check out a video for "Turn Off This Song" on Vimeo. [www.absolutepunk.net]
Omar Rodriguez Lopez will release a 37-song compilation, Telesterion, on April 16th (Record Store Day) through Sargent House/Rodriguez Lopez Productions. The release hopes to grab "those unsure where to begin discovering Omar's vast catalog." [rodriguezlopezproductions.com]
Stephen Brodsky will release a two-song single through Little Black Cloud Records this summer. The release features a new song, "Muddy Jars," backed by a cover of Lee Hazelwood's "Your Sweet Love." Check out the tracks on YouTube. [littleblackcloudrecords.com]
According to his official website, drum god Josh Freese will release a new EP, My New Friends, on April 1st. The songs were written for fans who bought Kickstarter-esk packages for the release of Since 1972 in 2009. In other news, 2011 will see Freese backing Weezer, A Perfect Circle, Devo, The Vandals and Paramore. [www.joshfreese.com]
Braid has reunited 12 years after parting ways. They will write and record new songs with producer J. Robbins, to be released sometime in 2011 on Polyvinyl. Check out an short interview with Bob Nanna on on A.V. Club. [www.avclub.com]
According to Billboard, Wilco made good on their promise to launch their own label. The new entity will be called dBpm Records and will be run by their manager (and a little distribution through ANTI-). Nels Cline hinted last summer that the new label might act much like Jack White's Third Man Records. [www.billboard.com]
Explosions in the Sky will return on April 26th with Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, their follow-up to 2007's All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone. Pitchfork has the track list and you can check out a teaser video on Vimeo. [pitchfork.com]
The Whites Stripes have "officially ended," according to a statement on the band's website. Specific details weren't given, but a major factor is an attempt to preserve "what is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way." Third Man Records will continue to release the duo's unreleased live and studio recordings. [www.whitestripes.com]
As reported, the fourth album from The Strokes is due on March 22nd through RCA Records. The full-length is now officially titled Angles. Guitarist Nick Valensi recently spoke with MySpace about the band's time off, expectations and future Strokes releases. Check out the album track list and details on the band's website. [www.myspace.com]
Lars Frederiksen (Rancid) has launched a new side-project under the moniker The Old Firm Casuals, described as "a 3 piece american Oi! band." The group are currently prepping an EP and 7" single for Oi! the Boat Records. [www.facebook.com]
Yellowcard will return on March 22nd with When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes via Hopeless Records. Stream "For You, And Your Denial" on AbsolutePunk. [yellowcardrock.com]
Olafur Arnalds recently hit Sundance for the debut of Sam Levinson's first film, Another Happy Day, for which he provided the score. Stream "Lynn's Theme" on SoundCloud and check out a featurette on TrailerAddict. [olafurarnalds.com]
According to a Billboard interview with Scott Avett, The Avett Brothers "have completed one session of recording" at Echo Mountain studios in Asheville, NC. The group will once again team up with producer Rick Rubin. The goal is to record as many as 25 songs and then pare down the material into the follow-up to 2009's I and Love and You. [www.billboard.com]
North Wales' The Joy Formidable will release their new album, The Big Roar, on March 15th. In support of the release, the band will tour the US this spring (including a Coachella stop). [www.thejoyformidable.com]
