In 2011, Matthew Friedberger (a.k.a. one half of the Fiery Furnaces) plans to release an eight-LP solo series, with a new album out every two months. (The sixth album comes with two bonus records.) Each will feature Friedberger on a single instrument. The piano album, Napoleonette, is being released by Thrill Jockey on January 25. Download “Shirley” … Another musician taking some solo time is David Lowery of Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven. He’ll be releasing his first solo album, The Palace Guards, on February 1 via 429 Records … Taking place now through December 14 is the Andy Kotowicz Family Foundation Auction, in which you can bid for rare and collectible items from Band Of Horses, Bon Iver, Foo Fighters, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Muse, Pearl Jam, the Rolling Stones, the White Stripes and many more. The auction is to raise money for the family of Kotowicz, Sub Pop’s VP of sales/director of marketing, who sadly died from a car accident in October … The Handsome Family has announced a tour of the West Coast in early 2011, which will be in support of the self-released Scattered: A Further Collection Of Lost Demos, Orphaned Songs And Odd Covers … Tao Of The Dead is the seventh full-length from longtime MAGNET fave …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, and it’s out February 8 via Richter Scale/Superball. The first single from the album, “Summer Of All Dead Souls,” will be released Tuesday … 200 Years—Ben Chasny (Six Organs Of Admittance) and Elisa Ambrogio (Magik Markers)—is currently in the studio recording material written in a tool shed in Seattle over the past year. The duo’s first LP will be released on Drag City sometime next year … Scotland’s King Creosote has quietly released a whopping 40 albums over the past decade, and on February 8, Domino is issuing Thrawn, a collection of re-recordings of some of his best material … On February 15, East River Pipe’s seventh album, We Live In Rented Rooms, will be released by Merge. Download “Cold Ground” … Monotix is releasing its sophomore album, Not Yet (Drag City), on January 25. Download “Give Me More”
—Emily Costantino
