Win Butler, Will Butler, Regine Chassagne and Jeremy Gara of the Arcade Fire will be playing a free concert on Sunday, March 2nd at Stuart’s Opera House in Nelsonville, Ohio in support of Barack Obama’s bid for the Democratic nomination. The show is at 7 p.m., first come first serve.

They will also be playing a free show at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland on Monday, March 3rd. Doors are at 7 p.m., and the show is 18 and over, first come first serve.

Though the Arcade Fire is known as a Canadian band, Win and Will were born and raised in the U.S. (and spent their formative years in Texas), Regine is a dual citizen whose dad served in Vietnam, and Jeremy Gara is just a really nice Canadian who likes playing music and is sick of explaining to Americans what universal health care means.

Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel, the he and she music factory know as Mates of State, have confirmed the May 2008 release of their fifth full length album, Re-Arrange Us.

Re-Arrange Us follows Bring It Back, written and recorded around a schedule mandated by the birth of Gardner and Hammel’s first child and hailed upon its spring 2006 release as “truly unique, wonderfully complex pop” (NYLON), “a top-shelf treat” (ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY), an Essential by GQ and a Best of the Month in ELLE.

Though conceived (no pun intended) as a duo, Mates of State’s have never failed to generate a trademark wall of sound built on dozens of varied voicings of keys, drums, and alternately lushly layered and playfully dueling vocals. On Re-Arrange Us they move beyond these boundaries (their traditional organ sound is a distant memory, replaced with organic piano and synth sounds) with additional instrumentation-not to mention a quantum leap in song craft apparent on instantly indelible gems like “Now,” “Jigsaw” and “Get Better.” Throughout Re-Arrange Us, Kori’s piano and the emergence of both Mates’ lead vocals from their trademark harmonizing signal the next stage of Mates of State’s evolution.

Mates of State have been equally busy outside the studio: Last February, the band was the sole musical guest on NPR’s This American Life tour, providing interludes for Ira Glass, Dave Eggers, Dan Savage, Sarah Vowell and David Rakoff’s readings to 3000 crowds in Boston, Seattle, Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and beyond.

Mates of State’s pre-Bring It Back discography included the albums My Solo Project, Our Constant Concern, and Team Boo, as well as numerous singles and EPs, most notably 2005’s All Day EP.

The combination of acoustic instrumentation – Kori on baby grand, Jason playing with brushes – and an almost entirely new audiences inspired a subsequent fall run through New York, Northampton, and Boston (at the Museum of Fine Arts) accompanied by cello, trumpet and back-up vocalists – making it very likely that they’ll be taking additional instrumentation on tour for the first time when they hit the road later this year, both headlining and making the rounds at a slew of US festivals this summer and fall.

A new album, a new daughter, a new sound, and a new round of world touring. That’s Mates of State: truly prolific in every sense of the word.
For more information, please contact Steve Martin or Amy Grote at nasty little man tel 212 343 0740 email amy@nastylittleman.com

TOKYO POLICE CLUB
ELEPHANT SHELL
DEBUT ALBUM OUT LATE APRIL ON SADDLE CREEK (U.S.), MEMPHIS INDUSTRIES (UK)

Following on one of the most well received 16 minutes of music in recent history (2006’s A Lesson In Crime EP), Ontario’s favorite sons TOKYO POLICE CLUB confirm the completion and release of their first full length album, Elephant Shell, due out late April on Saddle Creek in North America and Memphis Industries in the UK.

Tokyo Police Club was formed in 2004 by David Monks (vocals, bass), Josh Hook (guitar), Graham Wright (keyboards) and Greg Alsop (drums) during their senior year in high school. Within two years they had released the aforementioned debut EP, immediately eliciting raves from Entertainment Weekly (”We can hardly wait for the full length… A-), Rolling Stone (”If only all young guitar bands were smart enough to rock out this fast”), Interview, Blender and Nylon among others. Since then, TPC has been touring virtually non-stop, pausing only to release last year’s Smith EP and digital-only single “Your English Is Good” / “Swedes In Stockholm,” and of course to record Elephant Shell.

The complete track listing for Elephant Shell is: “Centennial,” “In A Cave,” “Graves,” “Juno,” “Tessellate,” “Sixties Remake,” “The Harrowing Adventures Of…,” “Nursery Academy,” “Your English Is Good,” “Listen To The Math,” “The Baskervilles”

Tokyo Police Club begins a tour tomorrow night at Connexion in Oakville, ONT, with dates running up to the release of Elephant Shell and beyond (Tonight’s show at Ottawa’s Algonquin College has been rescheduled due to weather conditions). See the attached listing of all confirmed dates.

For further information, please contact Steve Martin or Eliot Wadsworth at nasty little man t 212 343 0740 e eliot@nastylittleman.com

TOKYO POLICE CLUB ON TOUR:
Jan. 23, 2008 Connexion – Oakville, ONT
Jan. 24, 2008 The Wall – North Bay, ONT
Jan. 25, 2008 Quarters – Hamilton, ONT
Jan. 26, 2008 Nathan Phillips Square – Toronto, ONT
Jan. 30, 2008 The Ale House – Kingston, ONT
Jan. 31, 2008 Algonquin College – Ottawa, ONT (re-scheduled from Jan. 22)
Feb. 1, 2008 Forwell Hall – London, ONT
Feb. 2, 2008 Sleeman Centre – Guelph, ONT
Mar. 18, 2008 Call The Office – London, ONT
Mar. 19, 2008 Birdy’s Bar and Grill – Indianapolis, IN
Mar. 20, 2008 Jackpot Saloon – Lawrence, KS
Mar. 22, 2008 Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, UT
Mar. 24, 2008 The Independent – San Francisco, CA
Mar. 25, 2008 The Glass House – Pomona, CA
Mar. 26, 2008 Troubadour – Hollywood, CA
Mar. 28, 2008 Soma – San Diego, CA
Mar. 29, 2008 The Clubhouse – Tempe, AZ
Mar. 31, 2008 Meridian Red Room – Houston, TX
Apr. 1, 2008 House of Blues – Dallas, TX
Apr. 3, 2008 Club Downunder – Tallahassee, FL
Apr. 4, 2008 Studio A – Miami, FL
Apr. 5, 2008 Backbooth – Orlando, FL
Apr. 8, 2008 Exit/In – Nashville, TN
Apr. 9, 2008 The Spot – Cleveland, OH
Apr. 18, 2008 Barrymore’s Music Hall – Ottawa, ON
Apr. 19, 2008 Cabaret du Musee Juste Pour Rire – Montreal, QC
Apr. 20, 2008 Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
Apr. 21, 2008 Music Hall of Williamsburg – Brooklyn, NY
Apr. 24, 2008 Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
Apr. 26, 2008 Pearl Street Night Club – Northampton, MA
Apr. 28, 2008 First Unitarian Church – Philadelphia, PA
Apr. 29, 2008 Black Cat – Washington, DC
Apr. 30, 2008 Big Orbit’s Soundlab – Buffalo, NY

The Walkmen & White Rabbits To Support

Spoon has begun confirming cities and venues for its April 2008 victory lap of the United States.
Confirmed dates as of press time are:

Wed/Apr-02 Kansas City, MO @ Uptown *#
Fri/Apr-04 Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre *#
Sat/Apr-05 Cincinnati, OH @ Bogarts *#
Sun/Apr-06 Detroit. MI @ Emerald Theater *#
Mon/Apr-07 Pittsburgh, PA @ Carnegie Music Hall *#
Wed/Apr-09 New York, NY @ Terminal 5
Thu/Apr-10 Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory *
Sat/Apr-12 Norfolk, VA @ Norva dgfev online casino *#
Mon/Apr-14 Atlanta, GA @ Centerstage *#
Wed/Apr-16 Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution *#
Fri/Apr-18 Nashville, TN @ Vanderbilt University (Rites of Spring)
Sat/Apr-19 Indianapolis, IN @ Vogue

* = w/ The Walkmen
# = w/ White Rabbits

Additional cities and venues will be announced as they are confirmed.
For information on tickets, please go to www.spoontheband.com.

For further information, please contact Steve Martin or Amy Grote at nasty little man t 212 343 0740 e amy@nastylittleman.com

Jimmy Eat World and Paramore have announced the routing of a U.S. co-headline tour scheduled to kick off April 1st. Said Jimmy Eat World singer Jim Adkins, “We’re very excited for the upcoming tour with Paramore. We got to know them last December while playing festivals together. They put on a great show and we think it’s going to be an awesome bill.” Adds Hayley Williams (Paramore), “If it all ends tomorrow, we will be happy knowing that we got a tour with the band that gave us a reason to play music.”

Recently hailed by Blender as “the Judd Apatow of pop-punk,” Jimmy Eat World have already shifted their new year into high gear, as the band is in the midst of an international headline tour that includes the UK, Europe and Japan. 2007 saw the release of Chase This Light, which Entertainment Weekly called “a masterclass in hard rocking for the soft-hearted”. Executive produced by Butch Vig, Chase This Light features the singles “Always Be” and the chart-topping “Big Casino”, which Rolling Stone described as “an exhilarating seize-what’s-left-of-the-day anthem.” For more information on the band and the upcoming tour, visit jimmyeatworld.com.

Fueled By Ramen recording group Paramore has toured nearly nonstop for over three years, most recently selling out a major headline tour of North America. Their sophomore album “RIOT!” has gone on to sell over 700,000 units and has been certified RIAA gold. The album features the breakthrough hit singles, “Misery Business” and “Crushcrushcrush”, both Top 5 at Modern Rock radio casino spiele and on MTV, FUSE, MTV2, and MTVu. The band has received coast-to-coast acclaim with a recent Grammy nomination for “Best New Artist” as well as with a variety of national publications. Alternative Press recently hailed Paramore as “Band of the Year” on the cover of their February issue while Revolver called “RIOT!” “a masterful mix of springy drum beats, crisp guitar hooks, and (Williams’) girlish snarl.” Spin praised the album for its “arena- rocking potential.” For more information, visit paramore.net and fueledbyramen.com.

Confirmed tour dates below. For press inquiries, please contact:

Jimmy Eat World – Eliot Wadsworth, eliot@nastylittleman.com
Paramore – Christina Kotsamanidis, christina.Kotsamanidis@atlanticrecords.com

April 1st – San Antonio, TX – Freeman Coliseum
April 2nd – Lubbock, TX – Lonestar Amphitheater
April 3rd – El Paso, TX – El Paso County Coliseum
April 5th – Irvine, CA – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (Bamboozle West)
April 6th – Bakersfield, CA – Rabobank Arena
April 8th – San Jose, CA – Event Center at San Jose State
April 9th – Sacramento, CA – Sacramento Memorial Auditorium
April 10th – Salem, OR – Salem Armory
April 12th – Pocatello, ID – Holt Arena
April 14th – Orem, UT – McKay Events Center
April 16th – Council Bluffs, IA – Mid America Center
April 17th – Springfield, MO – The Shrine Mosque
April 18th – Des Moines, IA – Val Air Ballroom
April 19th – DeKalb, IL – Convocation Center
April 22nd – Dayton, OH – Hara Arena
April 25th – Rochester, NY – Gordon Field House
April 26th – Washington, DC – Bender Arena
April 28th – Albany, NY – Washington Avenue Armory
April 30th – Lowell, MA – Paul E. Tsongas Arena
May 2nd – Atlantic City, NJ – Taj Mahal Mark G. Etess Arena

RADIOHEAD has confirmed the dates and venues to be visited on the first segment of its upcoming North American tour. They are:

May 5 – Cruzan Amphitheatre – West Palm Beach, Florida
May 6 – Ford Amphitheatre – Tampa, Florida
May 8 – Lakewood Amphitheatre – Atlanta, Georgia
May 9 – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre – Charlotte, North Carolina
May 11 – Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge – Bristow, Virginia
May 14 – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater – St Louis, Missouri
May 17 – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion – Houston, Texas
May 18 – Superpages.com Center – Dallas, Texas

Pre-sale for the above dates will begin February 14 via W.A.S.T.E. with general on-sales following on February 16.

The second half of the North American tour will follow the band’s summer tour of the UK and Europe.

Beastie Boys schooled Chris Botti, Dave Koz, Spyro Gyra and Kirk Whalum and took home the Best Pop Instrumental Album Grammy at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.

The Mix-Up is the band’s first instrumental Grammy and third Grammy overall, the previous two wins being in the Best Rap and Best Alternative categories for 1998’s Hello Nasty.

Beastie Boys are currently in the studio but will be taking a break from their recording schedule to play three shows this spring:

03/04/08 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY
* Special benefit for the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (SOLD OUT)

03/07/08 – Big Cypress Indian Reservation – Clewiston, FL
* Langerado Music Festival

03/08/08 – Centro Dinamico Pegaso – Mexico City, MX
* Beat Soundfest

THE BEDLAM IN GOLIATH #3 ON U.S. ALBUM CHART
More Dates TBA

The Mars Volta, whose current album The Bedlam In Goliath, crashed into the Billboard Top 200 at #3 last week, have confirmed the first dates of their spring 2008 headline tour, beginning April 1 at the House of Blues in Orlando, Florida, and including a make-up date at the Newport Music Hall in Columbus, Ohio (the band’s previous engagement having been rescheduled due to illness).

Hailed by THE NEW YORKER as “Perhaps the most musically adventurous act currently signed to a major label,” The Mars Volta was formed in 2001 by Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala. The band has released four albums to date: The gold-certified De-Loused In The Comatorium (2003) and Frances The Mute (2005), Amputechture (2006) and the just-released The Bedlam In Goliath. The new album and tour have been generating the most enthusiastic reviews of the band’s career, with THE NEW YORK TIMES describing the band’s recent New York City performance as “a mixture of rigorous virtuosity, psychedelic euphoria and punk intensity” and praising them as “rock’s finest avatar of excess.”

Confirmed dates are below. More will be announced shortly.

04/01/08 – House of Blues – Orlando, FL
04/04/08 – House of Blues – Myrtle Beach, SC
04/05/08 – The Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
04/17/08 – The Pageant – Saint Louis, MO
04/18/08 – Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH
04/20/08 – Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, IL
04/21/08 – Roy Wilkins Auditorium – St Paul, MN

Foo Fighters have expanded their career Grammy take to six, as the band won Best Rock Album and Best Hard Rock Performance at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards last night. Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace is the third Foo Fighters release to win Best Rock Album, after One By One and There Is Nothing Left To Lose in 2004 and 2000 respectively.

The Hard Rock Performance award was for “The Pretender”, the first single from ESP&G, which holds the record for consecutive weeks at #1 on the Modern Rock radio chart. The Foos performed the massive hit at the awards ceremony, assisted by the My Grammy Moment Orchestra as arranged and conducted by Led Zeppelin’s legendary multi-instrumentalist John Paul Jones.

Next week the Foos will embark on the second leg of a national tour, including a sold out show at New York’s Madison Square Garden, a rescheduled date in Fayetteville AR, and a two night stand at The Forum in Los Angeles. In addition to the band’s core foursome, this tour features Jessy Greene on strings, Drew Hester on percussion, Rami Jaffee on keyboards, and Pat Smear on guitar.

U.S. tour dates below. The Foos will also be back on the road in the states this summer, stay tuned for announcements. For more information on the current tour, Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, and the band’s Grammy wins, please contact Steve Martin or Eliot Wadsworth at Nasty Little Man.

2/18/08 – Worcester MA – DCU Center
2/19/08 – New York NY – Madison Square Garden
2/21/08 – Philadelphia PA – Wachovia Spectrum
2/22/08 – Binghamton NY – SUNY Binghamton
2/24/08 – Detroit MI – Joe Louis Arena
2/25/08 – Rosemont IL – Allstate Arena
2/27/08 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
2/28/08 – Council Bluffs, IA – Mid America Center
2/29/08 – Fayetteville AR – Barnhill Arena
3/2/08 – Glendale AZ – Jobing.com Arena
3/3/08 – San Diego CA – Cox Arena
3/5/08 – Inglewood CA – The Forum
3/6/08 – Inglewood CA – The Forum

GA GA GA GA GA SWEEPS YEAR END BEST OFS

Currently touring the Pacific Rim with a few Euro/UK one-offs on the horizon, the gentlemen of Spoon will soon announce cities and venues for an April 2008 victory lap of the United States.

2007 is now universally regarded as the year of Spoon: The band’s sixth full-length studio album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, was released July 10 on Merge to raves from everyone from TIME and THE NEW YORKER to PITCHFORK and STEREOGUM to MEN’S HEALTH and ELLE and all points between.

Last year was also a year of firsts for Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga was the first Spoon album to debut in the top 10, while Oct. 6 marked the band’s debut appearance on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. They got some sweet photos out of that deal too.

The year closed with Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga atop year-end best lists including NPR, GQ (”The Best Music of 2007″ lead), NEW YORK (#3 Best in Pop Music), ROLLING STONE (#10 album), PITCHFORK (#7 album), BLENDER (#12 album), ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY (Top 10 Viral Video), SPIN (#9 album), HARP (#6 album), THE ONION, PASTE, the WASHINGTON POST and many more-as evidenced by the HYPE MACHINE “2007 Music Blog Zeitgeist” index of the blogosphere’s most discussed artists and albums, which ranked Spoon #5 artist and Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga #5 album.

Spoon is comprised of Britt Daniel, Jim Eno, Eric Harvey and Rob Pope. The band’s debut album Telephono was released in 1996 and was combined with the 1997 EP Soft Effects for a recent re-release. Other Spoon full-lengths have included A Series Of Sneaks (1998), Girls Can Tell (2001), Kill The Moonlight (2002), Gimme Fiction (2005), and Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007).

For further information, please contact Steve Martin or Amy Grote at nasty little man t 212 343 0740 e amy@nastylittleman.com