Sole & The Skyrider Band: Hello Cruel World (Fake Four Inc., 7/19/11)

Anticon co-founder Tim Holland, a.k.a. Sole, is set to release his third album with the The Skyrider Band, Hello, Cruel World, on July 19. It's Holland's first full-length since parting ways with Anticon and striking out on his own. He's far from unaccompanied on the new record, though; guests include Xiu Xiu, Lil B, Pictureplane, Sage Francis, Ceschi, Isaiah Toothtaker, and more.

In the video for the title track, "Hello Cruel World," Sole waxes melancholic, coming to terms with temporality and decay, with a posse of grazing cows at his back. Its a simple, mostly monochromatic journey past snow-capped mountains and waterfalls. The Skyrider Band's dramatic synth-driven instrumentation and strings over the singsong chorus give Sole's vocals room to breathe while maintaining a rich ambience throughout.

This year's five-day festival includes performances by Swans, Marnie Stern, Gotan Project, Holy Fuck, Municipal Waste, Menomena, Liars, Arrington de Dionysio's Malaikat dan Singa, The Budos Band, Portico Quartet, Xiu Xiu, Buke & Gass, Mount Kimbie, Immolation, and many more.

Enter below for a chance to win two tickets to see Xiu Xiu (Saturday), Timber Timbre (Friday), or Bear in Heaven (Thursday).  Each set of tickets comes with two Pop Hopper wristbands, granting access to any show from the same day, depending on capacity.

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Update: Contest has ended.

In an interview with Billboard, bassist Doug McCombs shared details on the upcoming album from jazzy post-rock instrumentalists Tortoise — its first full album of original material since 2004. Still untitled, the album will be released April 21 on Thrill Jockey and feature layers of synthesizers as well as "unconventional drumming and percussion."

The release date for the new Isis album, Wavering Radiant, has been set for May 5 via Ipecac.

Italian sludge-jazz trio Zu has announced the first of its dates for a world tour, which stretches from the end of January through April. Mike Patton (who sings on a pair of tracks from the band's great new album, Carboniferous) joins Zu to perform as the Zu / Mike Patton Quartet for a pair of dates in March.

More bands have been confirmed for the newest incarnation of Neurosis' three-day rock festival, Beyond the Pale at Roadburn 2009. The concerts, from April 23-25, will now include Grails, Earth, and Tribes of Neurot.

Get a free download of Busdriver's song about Obama, "Will He (Inaugural Tribute)," at his website.

Mastodon will debut a new track ("Divinations") from its upcoming album, Crack the Skye, on next week's installment of the BBC Radio 1's "Rock Show."

After 25 years, founding member and multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey is leaving Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

The An Albatross Family Album, one of our favorite releases from 2008, is now available on (white) vinyl from the Eyeball Records webstore.

Long-form psychedelic collective Dark Meat, with its 17 members, has announced a string of concert dates that cover the West and the South. The group also has a pair of new 7" records for sale; one is a split with Long Legged Woman.

Ches Smith's Congs for Brums began a two-week European tour on Tuesday. Smith lends his percussion skills to Secret Chiefs 3, Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog, Trevor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant, and Xiu Xiu.

An interview with Italian prog-metal group Ephel Duath can be streamed here. In the twelve-minute clip, the group discusses its new album, Through My Dog's Eyes, which will be released on Earache next week (January 26). The band, essentially a duo, recently replaced long-time singer Luciano Lorusso George with Guillermo Gonzalez.

Experimental folk group Akron/Family (now a trio) has announced that a new album, Set 'em Wild, Set 'em Free, will be released on Dead Oceans on May 5.

Prog/math rockers Stinking Lizaveta have a new album, Sacrifice and Bliss, that will be released on March 31.

Theater director Richard Foreman is staging a presentation of Astronome, the second album from John Zorn's Moonchild quartet, to run at New York's Ontological-Hysteric Theater for two months, starting on February 5. The Moonchild quartet consists of Zorn, Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn, and Joey Baron.

Twelve Cups Records, the new label run by avant-garde violinist Carla Kihlstedt, has issued its first release. Titled Ravish (and Other Tales for the Stage), the album is a collection of music for theater and dance written by Kihlstedt, bassist Dan Rathbun, and drummer Matthias Bossi — each a member of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum.

The Dillinger Escape Plan has hired Billy Rymer (of The Rivalry) as its new drummer, replacing Gil Sharone, who will resume focusing on Stolen Babies with his brother Rani.

Beautiful electro-acoustic duo Lymbyc Systym begins a European tour today.

The Alex Skolnick Trio, an experimental jazz group led by Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick, has announced a short series of show dates, mostly in California. Skolnick's trio focuses on original pieces but also includes jazz renditions of rock and metal songs, including Testament's "Practice What You Preach."

After performing in France on New Year's Day, risque music/dance troupe Extra Action Marching Band returns to the Bay Area to play at The Uptown in Oakland on January 24.

Rock cellist Helen Money (the solo moniker of Alison Chesley) just finished a new album at Electrical Audio. Details of its release are forthcoming.

Video-game/metal experimentalists Horse the Band will begin recording a new album in March, likely with Xiu Xiu frontman Jamie Stewart at the boards. The album should be released in May or June on an unrevealed new label.

One of jazz saxophonist Ken Vandermark's upcoming recordings is a disc of live and studio improvisations with German saxophonist Peter Brötzmann and Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson. The group, Sonore, will have the album released in fall of 2009 on an undetermined label.

The request of the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) to appeal the retrial of Jammie Thomas has been denied. Thomas was deemed liable for $222,000 in damages in 2007 for sharing 24 songs on Kazaa, but the same judge ruled months ago that the initial case was a mistrial. A new trial is set for March 9.