Well, Goldfrapp is conspiring to make me feel foolish. They send me an email telling me the title of their album, and then they go and change it. Oh well. Next time the word “tentative” might be in order.

In any event, some new news to report.

The album formerly known as Ooh La La shall henceforth be known as Supernature. The release date remains the same (8.22) as does the release of the single still titled “Ooh La La” (8.8).

The official tracklisting is as follows:

01. Ooh La La
02. Lovely 2 C U
03. Ride A White Horse
04. U Never Know
05. Let It Take You
06. Fly Me Away
07. Slide In
08. Koko
09. Satin Chic
10. Beautiful
11. Time Out From The World
12. No. 1

Look like she’s been using instant messenger too much. Goldfrapp also took the time to admonish those claiming to have posted the official tracklist on their own messageboard. Future attempts will result in theremin beatings.

And anyone out there traipsing about Eurpoe following fesitvals and htting up the local hostels, several additional dates have been confirmed to get your Goldfrapp on:

08/13 Creamfields (Spain)
08/19 Pukkelpop (Belgium)
08/20 V2005 (England)
08/21 V2005 (England)
08/26 Rock en Seine (Paris, France)
08/28 TDK Cross Central (London, England)
09/03 Electric Picnic (Dublin, Ireland)

Finally, for those who just can’t wait till August 8th, a 40 second clip of “Ooh La La” can be heard here. Dial-up users like myself, beware.

Now click something so my 25 minutes of googling will have been worthwhile:

*Goldfrapp: www.goldfrapp.co.uk
*phiLL(er) news: Goldfrapp to Release Album, Single
*Creamfields: www.creamfields-andalucia.com
*Pukkelpop: www.pukkelpop.be
*Rock en Seine: www.rockenseine.com
*V2005: www.vfestival.info
*TDK Cross Central: www.crosscentral.co.uk
*Electric Picnic: www.electricpicnic.ie

Ahem. Please excuse my ridiculous news title, but I just couldn’t resist.

Through his official site, Morrissey announced today that he will not be performing at the Isle of Wight Festival as planned. The website indicated that “The pressure of preparing the new album and losing his drummer earlier this month has made it impossible to do the gig without massively compromising both the gig and the album.”

Before you start speculating about what led to Morrissey “losing” his drummer, it is actually that he is touring with Good Charlotte. Yes, that Good Charlotte. And no, you are not being Punk’d. Further details regarding the new album, however, are not yet available.

The departure of Morrissey does put a noticeable dent in the June 10-12 lineup of the festival, but the performers still include Roxy Music, R.E.M., Snow Patrol, Supergrass, and Idlewild among others.

*Morrissey: www.morrisseymusic.com
*Isle of Wight: www.isleofwightfestival.org

On August 9th, Saddle Creek will release a compendium of Cursive’s past 7″ as well as two unreleased tracks entitled The Difference Between Houses and Homes (Lost Songs and Loose Ends 1995-2001).

Tracklist:

01. Dispenser (Previously Unreleased)
02. Pivotal (The Icebreaker 7″)
03. Sucker & Dry (Sucker And Dry 7″)
04. Icebreakers (The Icebreaker 7″)
05. And the Bit Just Chokes Them (Sucker And Dry 7″)
06. There’s a Coldest Day in Every Year (The Disruption 7″)
07. A Disruption in the Normal Swing of Things (The Disruption 7″)
08. Nostalgia (Makoto Split 7″ w/ Small Brown Bike)
09. Knowledgeable Hasbeens (The Disruption 7″)
10. Polar (The Icebreaker 7″)
11. A Disruption in Our Lines of Influence (The Disruption 7″)
12. I Thought There’d Be More Than This (Previously Unreleased)

The CD/LP will also feature a 24 page “storybook” conaining a short story by Tim Kasher and illustrations by Eastern Youth (the touring partner in support of The Ugly Organ) artist Yuriko Yoshino

No word yet on whether they will be making Collision Course II with Jay-Z or not. We’ll keep you posted.

As you may or may not have read elsewhere, John Vanderslice has recently completed his 5th solo long-player, Pixel Revolt to be released August 23, 2005 via Barsuk Records.

The album features solitary narratives that still feature some form of a story arc, so you know, what he always does.

Tracklist:
01 Letter to the East Coast
02 Plymouth Rock
03 Exodus Damage
04 Peacocks in the Video Rain
05 Trance Manual
06 New Zealand Pines
07 Radiant with Terror
08 Continuation
09 Dear Sarah Shu
10 Farewell Transmission
11 Angela
12 Dead Slate Pacific
13 The Golden Gate
14 crc7173, affectionately

In other jv news, while on tour playing guitar for The Mountain Goats, someone busted into his apartment and made haste with some vintage gear. While the police investigated, he contemplated stealing their gun, but decided not to. Bill Gates could not be reached for comment.

And finally, the first mp3, “Trance Manual” has been released from the new disc and is now available on his website. So, you’ll just have to listen to it a few hundred thousand times before the album comes out to get your vanderslice on. Better get started.

* John Vanderslice - www.johnvanderslice.com
* Barsuk Records - www.barsukrecords.com

Fresh off the relatively successful (if success is determined by appearing as background music in about 20% of VH1 and MTV programming at one time or another) go round of 2003’s Black Cherry, Goldfrapp has returned to the studio this spring to record what is sure to be another soundtrack to the porn movie you never made entitled, of all things, Ooh La La.

The album drops on my birthday (Hint hint) August 22nd and the single of the same name hits stores August 8th.

It’s billed as “sexy and sulky”, but what else would you expect from an artist who wrote a song about a vibrator and uses a theremin inappropriately onstage?

In preview-related news, the official website has been pre-emptively launched in anticipation of the new album and it is as impressive and annoying as the last redesign, featuring flash up the wazoo. Thankfully it does not feature any half-human-half-dog cartoons licking crotches this time (see the archive, then you shall understand), but does feature footage of the band using the microwave in studio. Exciting.

And just for the sake of being complete and as a service to those across the pond, several UK dates have been confirmed for the summer and fall:

Aug 20/21 - V2005 Festival
Oct 6 - Brixton Academy
Oct 8 - Manchester Academy

Ok, not several, three. But it’s a start.

* Goldfrapp - www.goldfrapp.co.uk