RecaPitulation: Nick Cave, Junk Culture, Saint Vitus, Lou Barlow

Quote of the day: "People go into TV because of a genetic fault." - Jay Leno on "Tavis Smiley" last night

What you’re looking at above is the second work of fiction by the thin white Aussie, who scribbled a story about the death of a (traveling) salesman. Nick Cave assembled a wicked cool site just for the volume - it’s loaded with videos, an interactive map and pieces of the audiobook he put together with best bud Warren Ellis. And get this: said audiobook, which’ll be available as a deluxe box set and as a download, was recorded as a “3-D audio spatial mix” specifically designed for headphones. So if you’re too lazy to read, hear Cave stereophonically tell you the story himself instead. We also recommend you add your e-mail to the sign-up page, which’ll enroll you in a contest to win a bunny suit. That wouldn’t be as cool as winning the one Naomi Watts wore in “Inland Empire,” but hey, it’s still a bunny suit. Faber & Faber will release the 288-page tome on September 1. … 

Tuesday morning listening, courtesy Deepak Mantena’s Junk Culture:

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The somewhat meditative electronic “West Coast” borders on being annoyingly repetitive. But knowing that it was recorded entirely on a low-budg handheld recorder? Dude deserves props. Junk Culture’s first release, an EP of the same name, will street October 27 via Illegal Art. …

Here’s another one, a remix of Wye Oak’s “That I Do” by B-more rapper Mickey Free:

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He manipulates the song’s guitar foundation into a gallery of echoes, livens up the droll beat and tosses in some of his own verses for good measure. …

Hell hath frozen over: For the first time in 22 years, Saint Vitus will return to Brooklyn; Worcester, MA; and Baltimore for shows featuring the (al)mighty Wino. The gigs’ll take place on October 16, 17 and 18, respectively, with Saviours warming up the stage each night. That cotton-mouthed band - whose Accelerated Living is due October 27 on Kemado - has also been summoned by none other than Dinosaur Jr. to join them for a free show at New York’s Central Park on Sunday. Even though Saviours’ riffage weighs 10 pounds heavier than Dino’s, the matchup makes sense; J Mascis has always had a metal fetish - don’t forget about his Witch side project, and that time Kyuss opened for Dinosaur Jr. way back when. …

Along those same lines, we just found out that Dale Crover is all over the new Lou Barlow album, contributing to six tracks. ”My band Folk Implosion had toured with the Melvins in 2001, and I had remained in touch with Dale and his family (we both have 4-year-old girls who attended the same pre-school),” he said in a statement. If you’re keeping track at home, Lou’s Goodnight Unknown comes out October 6 on Merge. …

We’re not sure why some sites are reporting today that Barlow collaborator Imaad Wasif just signed to Tee Pee. We told you that, like, two weeks ago. …

And finally, we just can’t resist weighing in on this: Elton John has contributed to the new Alice in Chains record, the terribly titled Black Gives Way to Blue (September 29, some major label). The royal queen plopped down at the piano to play a part for the title track, an ode to - you guessed it - Layne Staley. As David Cross would say, “Where’s Ashton?” Alice are also lined up for Epicenter ‘09: So Cal’s Rock Explosion, a ridiculously named KROQ event. Tool, Aesop Rock, Atmosphere and others are also on the bill - but so are Linkin Park. So don’t say we didn’t warn you.