**This just in from the front lines on the U.S. release date of Modern Guilt**

Breathmint reports that his local Indie record store is giving away a 7″ (Side a: Chemtrails/Side b: Vampire Voltage No. 6) with the purchase of Modern Guilt.  Further investigation finds that this phenomena is probably widespread.  So, for some extra goodies, head over to your local Indie record store and pickup the new album.

Checkout http://www.thinkindie.com/ to find ant Indie record store to you.  And as always, it would be best to call and make sure the store has the bonus 7″.  Also, supply is most likely very limited, so move fast.

Happy Beck Day/Modern Guilt Day to you ALL!

**Update 7/9:  Even though websites for Indie stores have advertised this promotion, reports seem to point to a delay in shipment for these 7″s in the U.S.  When one of these turns up, let us know.

Hey folks, Beck’s tour of Europe begins today at a festival in Norway. The first 3.5 songs were webcast (”Devils Haircut,” “Nausea,” “Timebomb” and “Minus”)… check here, they may be archived there at some point (they’re not right now)? It appears there might be a different drummer from the Echo shows a few weeks ago too…

Anyway I’ll try to be regular with the tour show round-ups, as the tour goes on. If anyone’s at any of these shows and wants to send in setlists, pictures, recordings, or whatever, email us computergirls@whiskeyclone.net

Modern Guilt will have a bonus track on iTunes, called “Vampire Voltage No. 6.”

All the songs are credited to Beck, except “Walls” which DangerMouse co-wrote, and there’s a sample on it by Piot & Guiot.

Still no idea what happened to “Beggar’s Shoes.”

Beck played two shows last week, and cancelled a third (due to illness).

A few new dates were added to the North America tour in August/September:

August 21 - Reno, NV with Devendra Banhart
August 22 - San Francisco, CA Outside Lands Festival
August 24 - Bend, OR
August 27 - Victoria, BC with Band Of Horses
August 28 - Vancouver, BC with Band Of Horses
August 30 - Seattle, WA Bumbershoot Festival
September 19 - San Diego, CA Street Scene Festival
September 20 - Hollywood, CA with Spoon and MGMT
September 27 - Austin, TX ACL Festival

hopefully more will get added soon… Europe tour starts in a week or so too…

So over the last week, there’s been a little bit of news here and there, thought I’d provide a summary.

Two weekends ago, Beck sold tickets on Saturday morning to a show here in LA Monday night. It was at his usual pre-tour warmup club, The Echo (he’s done this 3-4 times in the last few years). On Monday afternoon, the show was cancelled, citing scheduling conflicts. Also there were unsubstantiated rumors about that Beck was unhappy that there were scalpers scalping the tickets for obscene amounts. Either way, show didn’t happen.

Then last night, Beck and his new band finally played The Echo. There was not very much advance notice to fans, tickets weren’t sold. The LA Times, after the fact, called it “invitation-only.” They played a bunch of hits, and 4 of the new songs. I’ll put more on the show on Hijacked Flavors when I get a chance.

Beck’s new band is guitarist (Jessica Dobson (who makes music as Deep Sea Driver), Bram Inscore on bass, Scott McPherson on drums (who played with Elliott Smith), and Brian LeBarton is back on keys (until Wounded Cougar takes off again). Welcome to the new band members!

The album, by the way, is thus:

1. Orphans (with Cat Power)
2. Gamma Ray
3. Chemtrails (listen to it on beck.com!)
4. Modern Guilt (watch Beck play it live at the Echo last night here!)
5. Youthless (also the name of an old poetry zine Beck made as a kid)
6. Walls (with Cat Power)
7. Replica (apparently drum-n-bass-y)
8. Souls Of A Man
9. Profanity Prayers
10. Volcano

Not sure what happened to the song “Beggar’s Shoes” yet; it could be “Soles Of A Man” maybe?

Also… expect the album in about a month (or so I’m told; it could change).

“Chemtrails” is the first song from (what appears to be called) Modern Guilt to hit the webs, and you can listen to it on the beck.com music player, or (I’m told) over on his myspace.

It is definitely a trippy song, with, as mentioned before, Stagecoach Joey Waronker’s mad drumming skills on display. Danger Mouse and Beck cooked up some nice changes and moments, and Beck sings it all in a hazy falsetto.

Enjoy! Beck.com says the album is still untitled, and will be out “early summer.” More info on all that coming soon…

Rolling Stone has more info, if you haven’t heard already, about the new album. To sum: it’s got a mix of songs, a good 60s vibe, was played mostly just by DangerMouse and Beck, and may be called Modern Guilt. Four songs include “Modern Guilt” (sounds like The Zombies, who Beck has covered before), “Beggar’s Shoes” (”twangy guitar and uptempo beat”), “Chem Trails” (epic with Joey Stagecoach Waronker on drums), and “Walls” (melancholy with Cat Power).

YEA!

Here’s the link.