The Walkmen

To road test tunes constructed in their decrepit Manhattan studio for the band's forthcoming LP, Walkmen have mapped a nine-date mini tour set to kick off Jan. 16 in Pittsburgh. From there, towering frontman Hamilton Leithauser and crew will hit cities like Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago, Columbus, and Philadelphia before concluding at the Langerado Festival.

Walkmen tour dates:

1/16, Pittsburgh, PA (Diesel) *
1/17, Pontiac, MI (The Crofoot) *
1/18, Milwaukee, WI (Turner Hall) *
1/19, Madison, WI (High Noon) *
1/20, Chicago, IL (Schubas) *^
1/21, St. Louis, MO (Duck Room) *
1/22, Columbus, OH (The Basement) *
1/23, Philadelphia, PA (Johnny Brenda's) *
3/6-9, Everglades, FL (Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation)

(* w/ White Rabbits)
(^ w/ White Denim, Bound Stems)

Noise Pop Returns in 2008

Officials for San Francisco's Noise Pop Festival have named Magnetic Fields, the Gutter Twins, Mountain Goats, and Cursive as the first acts slated to perform at the 2008 installment, set for Feb. 26 - March 2. Additional artists set to perform at the weeklong metropolitan extravaganza, established in 1993 and now approaching its sixteenth birthday, will unveil as the event draws near.

Gang of Four Post Demos, Plot LP

Dave Allen, a.k.a. bassist of seminal Brit post-punk outfit Gang of Four, has posted two new demos, "Second Life" and a few versions of "Password," to his personal music blog. And according to Allen, the band, which last released Return the Gift -- a collection of re-recordings -- in 2005, are prepping a four-song digital EP channeling the sounds of the outfit's initial release, 1978's Damaged Goods EP. In addition to the pair of new tracks, Allen also promises demos for "Faking It," "American Man," and another version of "Second Life," will appear next week.