Chemical Brothers dub new 2 disc set Brotherhood

The Chemical Brothers are dropping a new collection this upcoming September on Astralwerks Records, with the set being led off by the duo’s new single, “Midnight Madness,” which will hit radio in mid-August. The album itself, due on September 2, has been dubbed Brotherhood, and will include two discs, with disc one featuring 13 of the Chems’ electronica hits - among them “Block Rockin’ Beats,” “Setting Sun,” and “Let Forever Be” - while disc two will present nine rare tracks previously released only in limited form. In addition, the Chems are playing a dozen European festival dates over the remainder of this summer...
The Shins are beginning work on their upcoming fourth studio album, and may not release the set on their familiar Sub Pop label, which released the band’s first three albums; instead, they might release their latest on frontman James Mercer’s Aural Apothecary label, although Sub Pop could still remain in the picture as a distribution partner. So what’s the reason for the shake-up? The Shins want to own their own master recordings, and will probably get to do just that, given as that their last album, Wincing the Night Away, debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and has sold well over half a million copies...
Kings of Leon have wrapped work on their latest studio set, which they previewed last week at a bar in NYC’s Village; eleven tracks in all were showcased, including the spacey “Closer,” and the funky “Crawl,” both of which were highlights of the album, which has been titled Only by the Night. The new CD will hit stores on September 23, and will serve as follow up to the band’s 2007 release, Because of the Times - Kings of Leon will also be touring Europe this summer, and will hit the U.S. for an appearance on August 9 at the All Points West fest in New Jersey...
And in more album news, formerly pop singer-songwriter Michelle Branch is keeping with the country music she began working with as part of the duo The Wreckers; her newest collection of songs is called Everything Comes and Goes, and it’s set to include songs “Texas in the Mirror,” and “Crazy Ride,” among others. Produced by John Leventhal (who also worked on The Wreckers album), it’s expected out before the end of the year; in the meantime, Branch will be on the road this summer, including her appearance at the GM River Days festival in Detroit...

MODERN ROCK LINK OF THE WEEK
Now that you’ve got your Firefox 3 upgrade (you’ve upgraded, right?), it’s time to get the cool new FoxyTunes plug-in for Firefox. You’ll be able to control your music player from within the Firefox browser; see what’s playing in your player; find lyrics, covers, bios, and videos; post songs from your recent listening history as a Signatune; and more. Go get it for free at www.foxytunes.com/firefox/download/...

MINI BUZZ:
UK band Oasis have just signed a new three-album deal with Sony BMG, with the first release expected to be Oasis’ seventh album, due before year’s end; Oasis’ short North American/Mexican tour begins August 26 in Seattle...
The MTV Video Music Awards are on the move once again - after broadcasting from Las Vegas last year, this year’s 25th annual event will happen live from Hollywood, California on September 7...
Mercury Rev have booked a dozen live dates in November for the UK and Ireland, and will release not one, but two new albums on September 29...
Aussie rockers Jet have just begun starting to write songs for their new album, which is due early in 2009; they’ve also signed a new management deal with Tenth Street...
Indie-rocker buzz band Fleet Foxes have just been picked by Rolling Stone as a “Breaking Artist”...
The lineup for the 2008 Siren Music Fest has been confirmed for Saturday, July 19; the Brooklyn, NY event will include sets from Broken Social Scene, Beach House, Film School, Annuals, and The Helio Sequence, among others...
And confirmed for this week are these new releases... ON CD: Albert Hammond Jr.’s (The Strokes) Como Te Llama?... Beck’s much-anticipated Modern Guilt... Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith’s Exit Strategy of the Soul... Sunny Day Sets Fire’s Summer Palace... Sigur Ros’ Meo Suo i Eyrum Vio Spilum Endalaust (With a Buzz In Our Ears We Play Endlessly)... and Patti Smith’s live CD, The Coral Sea... ON DVD: The Coldplay Phenomenon: The Independent Review... Manu Chao: Babylonia En Guagua... Goo Goo Dolls’ Live in Buffalo... The Eurovision Song Contest 2008... and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.
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