Eddie Vedder is releasing a solo album and a concert film on May 31. The 16-track Ukulele Songs (Monkeywrench) collects original and cover songs performed by Vedder on ukulele and features guest appearances by Cat Power and Glen Hansard (Swell Season), while the Water On The Road DVD compiles 24 tracks Vedder performed live at Washington, D.C.’s Warner Theatre in 2008. Vedder starts a month-long solo tour of the U.S. on June 15 in Providence, R.I. … Rufus Wainwright is readying a limited-edition boxed set of outtakes, demos and the like, although there’s no release date or further info available thus far … Keeping it in the family: On May 3, Nonesuch will issue Tell My Sister, a three-CD set of the music of Kate & Anna McGarrigle that compiles the sisters’ 1976 self-titled debut, 1977’s Dancer With Bruised Knees and a disc of previously unreleased material. Tell My Sister coincides with a two-night tribute to Kate, who died last year, featuring her children Rufus and Martha Wainwright, as well as Emmylou Harris, Antony Hegarty, Norah Jones, Teddy Thompson and others … Matador will release Demolished Thoughts, a nine-track CD/double LP by Thurston Moore, on May 24. Demolished Thoughts (Moore’s fourth solo album) was produced by Beck and features a backing band made up of violinist Samara Lubelski, harpist Mary Lattimore, bassist Bram Inscore, drummer Joey Waronker and Beck … Hot off a sold-out residency at L.A.’s Spaceland, the Melvins are planning two-night stints in Seattle, San Francisco, Austin, Chicago, Boston and Brooklyn for May and June. The band’s 13-track Sugar Daddy Live is out May 31 via Ipecac … On June 7, Joe Jackson is releasing Live Music (Razor & Tie), a dozen-track live album recorded on his 2010 European tour. Jackson is also working on a Duke Ellington tribute record to be cut in Amsterdam, Berlin and New York and released next year … My Morning Jacket launches a tour in support of the forthcoming Circuital (ATO) on June 16 in Chicago … Art Brut returns May 24 with the Black Francis-produced Brilliant! Tragic! (Downtown), the follow-up to 2009’s Art Brut Vs. Satan … Bullet For My Valentine kicks off an 18-date tour May 3 in Springfield, Mass., that will find the Welsh rockers opening for Avenged Sevenfold and Three Days Grace, as well as doing a few headlining club shows. Bullet For My Valentine is supporting Fever Tour Edition (Jive), the deluxe CD/DVD edition of its third album … 1971-1977: The Man Who Fell To Earth, the first-ever documentary on Brian Eno, is out on DVD on May 17 via MVD Entertainment Group … Modest Mouse just announced a four-date May tour that will culminate in Isaac Brock and Co.’s appearance at the Sasquatch Music Festival in George, Wash. … Dolly Parton is back this summer with Better Day, an album of all-new studio material written by Parton. The follow-up to 2008’s Backwoods Barbie will be issued by Parton’s Dolly Records … Minus The Bear has added new tour dates in support of fourth album Omni, which came out via Dangerbird last year. The Seattle band has two shows in April before embarking on a tour in May … The seventh annual Nelsonville Music Festival takes place May 13-15 in Nelsonville, Ohio. Presented by Stuart’s Opera House, this year’s fest features headliners the Flaming Lips, George Jones and Neko Case, as well as other artists including Yo La Tengo, Justin Townes Earle, Over The Rhine and Lost In The Trees … On May 10, Secretly Canadian will issue The January EP by Here We Go Magic. The six songs were recorded during the same sessions that resulted in last year’s Pigeons, and the band will be touring next month in support of the EP … Noah And The Whale kicks off an 18-date U.S. tour in support of Last Night On Earth (Mercury/Island Def Jam) in San Diego on May 24 … Canadian supergroup Blackie And The Rodeo Kings are releasing Kings And Queens on June 14 via File Under: Music/Dramatico/Universal. The album pairs the band with a who’s-who of female musicians, including Rosanne Cash, Exene Cervenka, Emmylou Harris, Sam Phillips, Lucinda Williams and Patti Scialfa … On April 5, UNKLE is releasing the five-track digital Only The Lonely EP, featuring guest appearances by Nick Cave, Liela Moss (Duke Spirit), Gavin Clark (Clayhill) and Rachel Fannan (Sleepy Sun).
