2012 marks the 10th birthday of the Walkmen, who are currently recording their as-yet-untitled sixth studio album with the help of producer Phil Ek. It’s currently slated for a summer release. However, the band will be playing a handful of career-spanning celebratory shows in January, where 2002 debut Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone will be available on vinyl … Eight And A Half is a new trio formed by Broken Social Scene’s Justin Peroff and the Stills’ Liam O’Neil and Dave Hamelin. Its debut album will be released via Arts & Crafts on February 7, and the band plans to hit the road to support it … The 30th anniversary of Shonen Knife will be celebrated with a new maxi single, “Sweet Christmas,” on November 29 via Good Charamel Records. The single will also include an acoustic version of the song as well as a cover of “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” … On February 14, Shearwater’s new album, Animal Joy, will be out on Sub Pop. The release will be supported by a North American tour … Matt Pryor of the Get Up Kids is set to release his sophomore solo album, May Day, on January 24 … Blues Funeral (4AD) is the new album by Mark Lanegan Band, the first since 2004’s Bubblegum. The record will be available February 7, and the band will embark on a European tour soon after … Fat Possum Records is issuing the second release from Tennis, Young And Old, on February 14. Single “Origins” will be available on seven-inch vinyl on December 6 via Forest Family Records … The Numero Group is planning to reissue Codeine’s three Sub Pop albums—Frigid Stars, Barely Real and The White Birch—on May 8, complete with bonus features. The band’s original lineup is also planning to reunite for a string of dates in the U.S. and Europe, the first of which will take place at All Tomorrow’s Parties … Neil Diamond is being honored by Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings with the December 6 release of The Very Best Of Neil Diamond: The Original Studio Recordings.
—Emily Costatino
