When does their first full-length album come out?
July 9, 2013 in the year of our dark lord.

What is it called?
Summon the Faithless.

What does the cover look like?
Cast your eyes upward to the top of this post.

What are the titles of the eight tracks contained within?
1) In a Frightened State of Gnawed Dismemberment
2) Summoning the Faithless
3) Greed Is Your Horse
4) Descend Into External
5) Dreams of Mercy
6) Perverse Osmosis
7) Water Under a Burning Bridge
8) What Is Not... Is

What formats will the album take?
Long-playing vinyl record, compact disc, and digital download.

Is there a very short album trailer I can watch?
Yes.

Where can I pre-order the album?
From Relapse's site, or on Lord Dying's Bandcamp.

Will this album destroy us all?
Undoubtedly.

Which is why it's only fair to post this wonderful video of Beth Ditto, offering advice via the website Rookie, an online publication for teen girls. This is part of their "Ask a Grown Woman" advice series, kind of like Amy Poehler's "Ask Amy" video series, in which grownup ladies answer questions from the site's young readers.

In this lengthy and thoughtful video (sorry, I don't know how to adjust the aspect ratio fixed!), Ditto answers questions like "Why do people ruin good things?"—in particular, a young girl's questions about coming out to her parents. What Ditto has to say is beautiful, and well worth a listen.

• image via Rogers & Cowan
• Prince in Vancouver, a few nights before the April 21 Portland shows.

From NME:

Acclaimed jazz trumpeter and Artistic Director of the programme Thara Memory said: "The promoter [of Prince’s Portland gigs] is a longtime friend of mine and he told Prince about the programme. Prince was looking for something to give some money to anyway, and that’s how it came about."

OUR STORY SO FAR: Michelle Shocked had a concert scheduled for last night, April 25, at the Alberta Rose Theatre. Then she had some sort of meltdown/rant at a show in San Francisco on March 17, during which the formerly gay/currently born-again singer said some really unpleasant anti-gay remarks. She claims she was misconstrued, but the Alberta Rose show—along with several others on her current tour—were promptly cancelled. In its place, the Alberta Rose scheduled a fundraiser for Basic Rights Oregon called BROmance. Then on March 28, Shocked turned up in Santa Cruz outside one of her own cancelled shows, staging a bizarre protest for free speech, wearing a white jumpsuit and with her mouth taped shut. In this week's "My, What a Busy Week!" we sorta joked about her showing up to the cancelled Portland show and protesting here, too.

Well, that's exactly what happened last night. First, a weird tweet that suggested she was on her way to the Rose City:

God loves baguettes @ipadgoober Gnat in the Hat, is there anything else you like to add to that as we arrive at the city limits of Portland?
— Michelle Shocked (@MShocked) April 25, 2013

At KBOO with Daniel and Brino Send us the HARD questions, citizen journalists who rely on their facts from Reality Media bootlegs Til 7P NOW
— Michelle Shocked (@MShocked) April 26, 2013

• Image via Ryan White/The Oregonian
• Michelle Shocked outside the Alberta Rose last night

Shocked was around the corner in white overalls, sparkly Converse shoes, and sitting on a drum, pounding along. In her mouth, attached to a gold beaded necklace, a gold noise maker... Behind her, a handwritten sign said, "A Poet Assumes Silence Speaks Volumes." She had a cameraman with her recording her and her interactions, though most people didn't seem to have any idea what was going on.

"So what's your deal?" one woman asked.

Shocked responded by blowing her noisemaker.

The new issue features a cover story on Marnie Stern (who's playing at Mississippi Studios on Friday, April 26—she'll be in next week's Mercury as well). There are also pieces on Mary Timony (Helium/Wild Flag), nine-year-old wunderkind Zoe Thomson, Erin Smith (Bratmobile), and an article on female basses, including Kathy Foster of the Thermals, plus gear reviews and tablature. The new cover also showcases the new She Shreds logo, designed by Natalie Baker.

As for this Friday's release show, there will be live performances by Key Losers, Marisa Anderson, and the Ghost Ease, plus the premiere of a short film that documents LKN (Lauren K. Newman) and Lisa Schonberg performing together for the first time inside a local print shop (I watched it; it rips). There's also a raffle, with prizes including a Corin Tucker tote bag full of Kill Rock Stars goodies, and a guitar with two hours of rehearsal-space time from Guitar Center. Also, free Sizzle Pie from 8-9. All this sounds awesome, and now you know.

Troubadour Studio, 1020 SE Market, Fri April 19, 8 pm-midnight, $5, all ages

File this one under: weird but good.

Here's the NFL Network's commercial for the 2013 NFL Draft, which will take place later this month (April 25-27), and it focuses on the emotions of the players and their families. But what's that eerie, evocative, uplifting music playing underneath? That's "Dry Up Those Tears," the 1972 single from blind Oregon guitarist/songwriter Bob Desper.

That single, and Desper's '74 album New Sounds, were reissued in recent years, bringing Desper back into public view after years of only making music for himself and his church. I wrote a review for New Sounds here, and did an interview with Desper here, and also, here's a few words about the amazing, truly amazing show he did at the Woods in June 2010, with Dolorean's Al James and Jon Neufeld backing him up.

While Desper's profile has certainly been raised in recent years, seeing him soundtrack a commercial is pretty unusual, but maybe not all that surprising: Al James works at Mutt Industries, which created the ad for the NFL Network. You can here all of "Dry Up Those Tears" (really a great song) by going here.

Thanks to Paul Montone for the tip.

Will Johnson, frontman of Centro-matic and South San Gabriel, is playing two shows in Portland this week, only I can't tell you where they are. Johnson is in the midst of his Western States Living Room tour, which takes him to a variety of house shows throughout the Western United States. The tour kicked off in Tucson last week, and Johnson plays Eugene tomorrow night, followed by two Portland shows (in two different houses) on Wednesday, April 17 and Thursday, April 18. To buy tickets—and to find out where these shows are—check out the Undertow Tickets page (Facebook events here). Tickets are $15 and each show can only hold around 35-50 people. I'd wager that Johnson will perform a song or two from his 2009 collaborative album with the recently passed Jason Molina, and will probably share a story or two about the man. The chance to see Johnson perform in a club is not an opportunity to pass lightly; the chance to see him in a Portland living room is downright unmissable. Just don't spill any red wine on the carpet.

More info about these shows here. You can also hear Johnson's latest solo album, Scorpion, on Soundcloud. Also, after the jump is the video for Centro-matic's "Only in My Double Mind" from their last album Candidate Waltz, simply because that song is awesome.

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