Reclusive pop genius Ariel Pink and his Haunted Graffiti band will tour North America this summer in support of the June release of Before Today, the group’s 4AD debut. Before Today is said to be the most accessible record ever from Pink, and the group will unleash those new sounds upon a capacity audience at New York’s Mercury Lounge on May 4, then continue touring the rest of the country starting in July. And with the first single “Round and Round” floating all over the internet, fans can easily whet their appetites for Pink’s record and live show. Check out tour dates after the jump!

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti Tour Dates

04-May New York, NY Mercury Lounge *
09-Jul Los Angeles, CA Echoplex#
10-Jul San Francisco, CA Bimbo’s #
12-Jul Portland, OR Doug Fir #
13-Jul Seattle, WA Neumo’s #
14-Jul Vancouver, BC Biltmore #
16-Jul Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge #
17-Jul Denver, CO Bluebird #
19-Jul Minneapolis, MN Entry #
20-Jul Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall #
21-Jul Detroit, MI Pike Room #
22-Jul Toronto, ONT Mod Club #
23-Jul Montreal, PQ La Sala Rosa #
24-Jul New York, NY The Fillmore / Irving Plaza #
25-Jul Boston, MA Middle East #
27-Jul Philadelphia, PA JB’s #
28-Jul Washington, DC Rock N Roll Hotel #
29-Jul Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 #
30-Jul Atlanta, GA Earl #
31-Jul Birmingham, AL Bottle Tree #
02-Aug Denton, TX Hailey’s #
03-Aug Austin, TX Mohawk #
05-Aug Tucson, AZ Plush #
06-Aug San Diego, CA Casbah #
07-Aug Costa Mesa, CA Detroit Bar #

* = w/ R. Stevie Moore
# = w/ Pearl Harbor & Magic Kids

After a year of shying from the spotlight, Khaela Maricich has resurrected her musical endeavors as The Blow with a string of tour dates and promises of new material. This time out, in lieu of collaborating with YACHT founder Jona Bechtolt, Maricich has enlisted the help of audio/visual artist Melissa Dyne to craft the backdrop for her airy vocal delivery. No final details have been shared on when the new material will be released or who will put the music out, but we’ve got a short list of East Coast tour dates for The Blow below.

05/04 Buffalo, NY The Ninth Ward
05/06 Portland, ME Space
05/07 Winooski, VT The Monkey House
05/08 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Music Hall
05/10 Hamden, CT The Space
05/11 Providence, RI The Speakeasy @ Local 121
05/13 Brooklyn, NY Glasslands

DJ/producer Dubbel Dutch is just like any self-respecting southerner: he likes his beats interesting and his bass big. Austin resident Marc Glasser is currently taking his proclivities on the road for a string of dates on the West Coast—including some already completed stops in LA, a show tonight in Costa Mesa, and a special performance this Saturday at San Francisco’s premiere future-house-flexing club, Icee Hot. As a special treat, Glasser crafted a stellar mix of the kind of tunes you’re likely to hear in his set: global riddims, UK funky, and all sorts of other party-appropriate genres from likes of L-Vis 1990, Nguzunguzu, and LOL Boys. Stream and download the mix here, and peep the tracklist and Icee Hot flier below.

1. L-Vis 1990 – River Riddim
2. Jason Cheiron – Ciccada
3. SL2 – DJs Take Control
4. Cosmic Revenge – River of Diamonds
5. Mercurial Myrmidon – Hold the Thought
6. LOL BOYS – Cloudy (Nadus Remix)
7. DJ Assault -Vandalism
8. DJ Deeon – Don’t Leave
9. DJ Mouse – La Kuinna
10. DISTAL – Boss of the South
11. NGUZUNGUZU – UNFOLD 2010
12. Melé – Bombay (Nadastrom Remix)
13. Costuleta – So Co Tó
14. Monkey – Cygnas x1 Feat. Dread MC

The summer wildfire season is still a few months away, but Los Angeles is on fire right now. Seriously, the Southern California beat scene is absolutely bursting with talent and it seems like a new mindblowing record appears every few days. On April 27, Matthewdavid‘s Leaving Records will be adding El-Aylien Part 1, the latest EP from abstract beatmaker and Flying Lotus cohort Ras G, to the canon. Set for release on cassette and digital formats, El-Aylien Part 1 is the first half of a two-part “cosmic exhibit in sonic explorations of collage and rhythm.” We’re still figuring out exactly what that means, but in the meantime you can preview the entire EP below.

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The boys of Horse Meat Disco are back with the second installment of their mix series on Strut Records. Following in the tradition of their first mix, the collection includes everything from rarities such as Madleen Kayne’s “Cherchez Pas” to Italo classics such as Kasso’s “Walkman,” thus illuminating the astounding breadth of the disco genre. With a teaser mix now up, the most popular disco crew from the UK seems set to continue winning fans of their disco-love vibes. Check out the tracklist after the jump!

Horse Meat Disco 2 comes out June 22 on Strut.

Tracklisting:

1. EL COCO – AFRODESIA
2. LEONORE O’MALLEY – FIRST TO BE A WOMAN
3. STEPHANIE MILLS – YOU CAN GET OVER
4. TEMPEST TRIO – DO YOU LIKE THE WAY IT FEELS
5. SCHERRIE PAYNE – I’M NOT IN LOVE (GIRL, YOU’RE IN LOVE)
6. KASSO – WALKMAN
7. CYCLADES – FIRE TO DESIRE
8. FIRST LOVE – DON’T SAY GOODNIGHT
9. MADLEEN KANE – CHERCHEZ PAS
10. LAURETT RUSSELL GRANT – HOT TO TROT
11. ELECTRA feat. TARA BUTLER – FEELS GOOD
12. BRAVO – TOUCH ME NOW
13. NIGHTFALL – NIGHTIME BOOGIE

After a year-long battle with cancer that also included a much-publicized heart attack, MC Guru passed away last night. Founder of the pioneering hip-hop group GangStarr, Guru was not only known for his uncompromising flows, but an approach to hip-hop production that paid homage to (and included collaborations with) jazz legends such as Donald Byrd and Branford Marsalis. Though recent years had seen conflicts emerge between Guru and former partner DJ Premier, Guru’s close friendship and collaborations with MC Solar flourished, though the duo’s productions did not garner as much critical praise as hoped. Nonetheless, as Solar wrote late last night, “the world has lost a great man and a true genius,” and with his back catalog continuing to represent a golden era of hip-hop production, it is hard to disagree with that sentiment.