Pinback are headed out on an extensive U.S. tour starting next week. I've heard they will hopefully have a new EP for sale at shows. Click the magic button for tour dates.

Xiu Xiu (pronounced something like "shoe-shoe"), who released their incredible new album, A Promise, on February 18th via 5RC, are headed out on a major US tour starting on March 20th. Try the KRC/5RC fact sheet for tour dates and MP3s.

According to a recent interview, The Movielife frontman Vinnie Caruana and Glassjaw frontman Daryl Palumbo are working together on a side project called H.A.. The duo have said that they plan to release an album and possibly tour with the project. In other Palumbo news, the tortured frontmans has also formed another group, goes by the name Geometry, along with Jim Kimball of J. Majesty. You can find live audio downloads of that project at this website.

The "bonus features" we mentioned that would be contained on the new EP, The Secret Of Elena's Tomb, from ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead are video clips of "Another Morning Stoner", "Relative Ways" and a gallery of artwork from member Conrad Keely. You can find the EP in stores on April 1st. The Trail of Dead have also announced some upcoming dates in April, with an early appearance at SXSW a week from today.

Monday, Jade Tree made the announcement that Omaha, NB band Statistics, fronted by Desaparecidos member Denver Dalley, have been added to the label. According to Jade Tree, the music can be described as "percolating, hushed electro-pop melded with power-rock dynamics and pure, timeless hooks." The self-tiled debut from Statistics will drop on June 17th, with pre-orders starting on April 1st. Head over to the Jade Tree to download a MP3 of the song "Another Day."

The X-ecutioners have announced that they will be releasing a compilation, Scratchology, on April 8th. It's not a really new album per se, more like a mixtape compiled by the band. Featuring artists like Grandmaster Flash, Herbie Hancock, Public Enemy, DJ Q-Bert and the X-ecutioners themselves, the compilation aims to "educate people about the history of scratching and the scratch songs that have influenced" the band. Click "more" for the tracklist.

NME is reporting that Radiohead have finished their latest album and will release it June 9th. Of corse, we've already told you all of this, but it's good to get a solid confirmation. They'll also be embarking on a UK club tour in May, their first such tour of small venues in six years. So, who wants to place bets on when the album leaks out onto the internet?

To balance out some of the negative feelings many may be feeling about the upsetting news from earlier, here's something to hopefully brighten your day... If you meander on over to the Official Eels site each tuesday for the next 13 weeks, you will be treated to a new track from the upcoming album Shootenanny! (which arrives in June 3rd, about 13 weeks from now). The first tune is known as "All in a Day's Work."

It is with a heavy heart that I report some truly sad news. The end of an era has come for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds as Blixa Bargeld has parted company with the Bad Seeds. Blixa had this to say, "My leaving has nothing to do with artistic or personal differences with the band, I just feel it is time to concentrate on other creative areas in my life." Blixa has been a core member of the band since around the time The Birthday Party melted into Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. That's about 20 years for those counting. Blixa will continue to work in his other legendary band, Einstürzende Neubauten, as well as various other interesting thingies.

Brand New have a new E-card in which you can listen to their new album Your Favorite Album in its entirety. By the way, it also has upcoming tour dates and a form to sign for their online street team.

Thursday have finally launched their new site Thursday.net. They will have pictures, news, and video's of the band to help keep you updated while in the studio recording their new album War All the Time. The new album will be released this summer.

Further Seems Forever's new video for "The Sound" will premiere on MTV2's Rock Show Wednesday, March 5th at 6:00pm. After you watch the premiere, head to the MTV.com website to vote to keep the video on TV.

The Donnas have been added to the Lollapalooza line up. It's nice to see a little gender diversity in the already testosterone filled outing.

The Roots performance with Eminem at the Grammies was stunning, but prepare to be knocked off your feet once again: A video for "The Seed (2.0)" is coming to your local video channel soon, and the performance-based clip, features Cody Chesnutt and was shot recently in New York. Watch and enjoy.

There's a lot of special things going on at Warp Records, so here's your quick capsule update: There are new Squarepusher t-shirts on sale if you wanna at least look like a hard normal daddy, then go to Warpmart now. Also, only this month, Warpmart is giving away a free 10-track sampler CD (There's Plaid, there's one of Aphex's 26 mixes, there's Autechre...) with all orders for any of 16 discounted back catalogue albums (you need to go here for the list). If you own all these albums already, and you can prove it (with photos of you and your albums thru email) then get a free sampler CD also. Mail to rave@warprecords.com with your address included.

Bridge 9 has sent Terror on tour with Madball for four shows in California this month, so if you live there, check the more for dates. Ditto for if you don't live there.

Michael Moore, the man behind the lens for such movies as "Bowling for Columbine" and videos like Rage Against the Machine's "Sleep Now in the Fire" has hooked up with System of a Down in Los Angeles to start shooting the video for "Boom!" from Steal This Album!. To read more about the token political aspects of the video and the filming, go to VH1.com.

Remember when MTV2 was cool? Well, they seem to be trying to reclaim that title, as The Beautiful Mistake's video for "On Building" will premier on MTV2's Rock Show, March 5th. Check out this KRS band ASAP.

Mogwai, who most people probably only know as "that cool music in that crappy Levi's ad," have announced that their new album will be called Happy Songs For Happy People (and not Bag of Agony, as previously announced). The new name was chosen from submissions to the band's website. Anyway, the Happy album is due in June.

The always wonderful Ipecac Records is sending a few of its (and our) favorite artists out on tour together. The Geek Show Tour will feature Tomahawk, the Melvins and either Skeleton Key (April 28-May 14) or Dalek (May 15 - June 4). Only a few dates have been announced so far, so keep your eye on the Ipecac Records calendar for more dates as they trickle in. In the meantime, be on the lookout for a reissue of the Melvins first album (which has been retitled 26 Songs) on March 11th and the new Tomahawk album, Mit Gas on May 6th.