RecaPitulation: Silversun Pickups, Dappled Cities, Cave In, Merge Records

"What is she, the governor of Guam?" - GW Bush on Sarah Palin

So about a week ago, the LA Weekly announced that Detour, its sorta-successful downtown festival held the past three summers, is on “hiatus” and not happening this year. “Call it festival fatigue,” Randall Roberts wrote in the mag’s blog. “Blame the economy, the industry, the biz, the Powers That Be, the health care system, or the glut of afternoon-into-evening music events.” Well, the festival fatigue must’ve worn off - and the economy, industry, biz, etc. must’ve improved substantially (unbeknownst to us), ’cause the Weekly has thrown together a new festival: LA 101. Silversun Pickups will headline the shindig, even if it is being cosponsored by KROQ and taking place at the crappy Gibson Amphitheatre at the Universal CityWalk, on November 3. The Dandy Warhols, Matt & Kim and others are also onboard, but we’d expect a lot bigger names for a show happening at a venue of that size. A whopping 25 cents from each ticket - we don’t know the full prices yet - will go to local charity Friends of the LA River. More info to come, perhaps. …

Wish Jason Pierce would finally float back to the noisy realm where he started? Don’t bother waiting around for that return to Spacemen 3 to happen anytime soon; instead, ingest the latest pill from Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound, When Sweet Sleep Returned (Tee Pee). The album’s actually been out for a spell - it dropped in April - so if you’re already familiar with it, plan to see the San Franciscans in concert instead. They’re playing one of those Union Pool jobbers in Brooklyn on Wednesday, and the day after that kick off a tour with Sleepy Sun that starts in Providence and concludes in Portland, Oregon (on October 4). Curious? Here’s a free dose of Sweet Sleep (although “By the Ripping Green” sounds more like My Morning Jacket than Spacemen 3):

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Not sweet or sleepy enough for you? Then look no further than this new, vocal-heavy slice from Brooklyn’s Savior Adore:

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“Sarah’s Secret” is from the band’s In the Wooded Forest (Cantora), out today. …

With the Shins in flux - frontman James Mercer reportedly gave the boot to a couple of members over the summer - tide yourself over with this new jingle from Sin Fang Bous, “Catch the Light“:

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This is a solo project from Sindri Mar Sigfusson of Seabear - don’t worry, we’d never heard of them either. The musician will be dotting the States next month and into November, as he treks with fellow Icelanders Múm. The adventure starts October 21 in Somerville, Massachusetts, and ends November 11 in Santa Ana, California. And by the by, Múm’s Sing Along to Songs You Don’t Know (Euphone) is due September 22. …

Whoa, here’s one you’ll want to try on for size. And we mean that - better free up some storage space, ’cause Dappled Cities have just made their last album, Granddance, available entirely for free. Don’t get too distracted by it, though - the Grizzly Bear-sounding band’s trying to get you to focus instead on its new one, Zounds, which just dropped today through the same label (Dangerbird). …

If you’re keeping tabs on Warpaint, make note of this release-date tweak: Exquisite Corpse (Manimal Vinyl), previously due September 22, has been postponed until October 13. Till then, enjoy these two songs we’ve had recurring in our iTunes:

“Billie Holiday”

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“Elephants”

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The fiery L.A. deconstructionists - who sound like Björk with a really bad hangover - will be spreading their twisted gospel with School of Seven Bells from October 5 in their hometown through October 17 in Boston. After a few more East Coast gigs, they’ll link up with Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson on October 24 in Philadelphia and hang with him through a November 3, when they make their way back to L.A. …

You know a band is just getting its sea legs when none of the songs featured on its MySpace profile have netted triple-digit plays yet. Such is the case with Miracle Condition, a new experimental band out of Chicago. The drony group was formed by two U.S. Maple guys, Mark Shippy and Pat Samson; if gaseous clouds were music, they would sound like this. Miracle Condition slipped out a limited-edition record, 68 Degrees, earlier this year through Tizona - it’s available on the Chicago Independent Distribution site - but have a self-titled one due November 24 on the same label. Fall shows are on the way too, although that info ain’t available yet. …

To clear up any lingering confusion, we still dig Scion, even if we dished some skepticism in our review of the free Torche show they put on last month. So we were happy to hop aboard for the next installment in their metal series at the Hollywood Knitting Factory - Cave In and Coalesce are heading up the show, happening October 8. Go here to RSVP. …

Merge sure knows how to milk a birthday. The li’l ol’ label from Chapel Hill has already pumped out a box set, staged a festival and stitched together a book reviewing the past 20 years in Merge music. As if that isn’t enough, a second, CD-size volume is on the way - it’s called The Merge Records Companion and depicts all the label’s albums, DVDs, 7-inches and so on. But clearly the label isn’t only putting out the book to puff its own ego; all proceeds from the limited-edition, 350-page tome are going to charity. If you’re planning to pre-order, look for your copy in the mail on November 3. …

If you’ve got a soft spot for cheesy metal, head over to Katatonia’s new site for Night Is the New Day (November 10, Peaceville), sign up for the mailing list, and you’ll get a free track. They wish they were Opeth but will never come close. …

Oh, and anyone who believes all this Kanye shit needs to read up on the history of VMA stunts. …

RIP Jim Carroll.