Ever find yourself wishing you had children? How about wishing that Colin Meloy would tuck those imaginary children in and read them a bedtime story? Well, sometimes dreams do come true. Word just leaked that Meloy and his wife/artist Carson Ellis have teamed-up to write a children’s book together, with Meloy handling the words and Ellis tackling the illustrations. Though you might not recognize Ellis’ name, you probably recognize her work: he’s been responsible for the art of every Decemberists and solo Meloy album. Ellis recently dropped some hints regarding the book on her blog, but the details were slim. What we do know is that it will be titled The Unfortunate Demise of Whitley Rackham and it’s due for a limited-edition, letterpress-printed release.

No word yet though on when the perfect gift for hipster parents will be published. In the meantime, I suggest they put on their copy of Lullaby Renditions of Radiohead.

The Decemberists new “A Short Fazed Hovel” tour is almost too high-brow for my brain to take so early in the week. As you might expect from Camp Meloy, this is no ordinary tour—on this here jaunt across the States and through the UK, the Decemberists are playing their most recent album, The Hazards of Love, in its entirety.

If they’re not coming to your train stop, NPR Music is going to broadcast the Decemberists’ performance (a special set, not The Hazards of Love) at Newport Folk Festival on August 1. The band also appeared on NPR’s World Cafe with an interview and performance, so get all caught up here.

Tour dates are as follows:

08.01.09 Newport, RI @ Newport Folk Festival
08.02.09 Montreal, QUE @ Osheaga Music & Arts Festival
08.03.09 Toronto, ONT @ Kool Haus*
08.05.09 Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theater*
08.06.09 Chicago, IL @ Metro*
08.07.09 Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08.08.09 Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Egyptian Room*
08.10.09 Louisville, KY @ W.L. Lyons Brown Theater+
08.11.09 Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Theater*
08.13.09 Buffalo, NY @ UB Center for the Arts*
08.14.09 Pittsburgh, PA @ Byham Theater*
08.15.09 Schwenksville, PA @ Philadelphia Folk Festival
08.16.09 Holyoke, MA @ Mountain Park*
09.20.09 Burlington, VT @ Flynn Theater**
09.21.09 Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theater**
09.23.09 Norfolk, VA @ The Norva**
09.24.09 Charlottesville, VA @ Charlottesville Pavilion**
09.25.09 Asheville, NC @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium**
09.27.09 Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium**
09.29.09 St. Augustine,FL @ St. Augustine Amphitheater
09.30.09 Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live**
10.02.09 Houston, TX @ House of Blues**
10.03.09 Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Music Festival
10.04.09 Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom**
10.06.09 Lexington, KY @ University of Kentucky, Lexington**
10.07.09 Columbia, MO @ Ninth St. Fall Fest**
10.18.09 San Francisco, CA @ Treasure Island Music Festival
11.18.09 London, UK @ Forum 11.19.09 London, UK @ Coronet
*with Heartless Bastards
+with Blind Pilot
**Laura Veirs & the Hall of Flames

Written By Phillip Mottaz

Dedicated to those songs that I can’t stop playing, humming, or thinking about; the 4+ minutes you fall head-over-heels in love with. Past instances have included ‘Til Tuesday’s “Voices Carry,” The Groovie Ghoulies’ “I’m Doin’ Fine,” and The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s “Bold As Love.”
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[Photo by Daniel Perlaky]

Here’s your second really good reason to head down to Austin this year: Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band and the Beastie Boys have been announced as headliners for this year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival, October 2-4 in Zilker Park.
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SXSW is just a few short weeks away, and the performance schedule has finally been officially released via the event’s website. Yes, it is only the “official” line-up, and there are sure to be tons of “unofficial” parties announced in the next few weeks, but it’s nice to get a few confirmations to add to our schedule.
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