Patti Smith Celebrates Horses With Reissue, Shows Raw, intelligent, and shockingly original, Patti Smith's 1975 debut LP Horses stands as one of the defining albums of the 1970s. With its mix of beat poetry, innovative song structures, and Smith's distinctive street smart yowl, the John Cale-produced disc proved a major jumping point for up and coming punks, as well as a landmark sonic blueprint for countless generations of forward-thinking artists. November 2005 marks the 30th anniversary of the classic release, and Smith is throwing a healthy birthday party for the album with a double shot of year-end Horses-themed activity.

Kicking off the proceedings is a new two-disc expanded release of the album via Arista/Columbia/Legacy, which will arrive in U.S. stores on November 8.

Horses/Horses will include the original '75 album on the first disc, with a cover of the Who's "My Generation" tacked onto the original eight-song running order. The second disc is a live performance of Horses in its entirety, recorded at the Royal Festival Hall in London on June 25, 2005. The performance features Smith backed by guitarist Lenny Kaye, drummer Jay Dee Daugherty, bassist Tony Shanahan, as well as legendary Television guitarist Tom Verlaine and, um, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea.

Kaye, Daugherty, and Verlaine all played on the original album. Flea did not. Smith has even more reason to celebrate in 2005, as she has been selected as this year's recipient of the Woman of Valor Lifetime Achievement Award by the ROCKRGRL Music Conference.

The conference, an offshoot of ROCKRGRL Magazine, will take place in Seattle on November 11-12, with Smith receiving her award at an honorary dinner on the first night, and delivering the keynote address on the morning of the second day. Speaking about the punk poet's selection for the award, conference founder Carla DeSantis said, "Patti has always been such a force and inspiration to so many women. We are thrilled to be honoring her contributions.

" As previously reported, Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde), Bonnie Raitt, and Ann Wilson (Heart), among others, are scheduled to appear at the conference. 11-20 Glasgow, Scotland - Optimo at Sub Club 11-21 Newcastle, England - Club NME at Digital 11-25 Liverpool, England - Evol at Korova 11-26 Nottingham, England - Stealth at Rescue Rooms Given the, um, half-cocked nature of Philly spaz-rockers An Albatross (not to mention their song titles: "Vitally Important Pelvic Thrust" anyone?), it seems less than coincidental that the letters A-N-A-L appear in succession in the band's name.

Just sayin'. Nonetheless, An Albatross have announced that they will head into the studio at the end of October to record their debut full-length, to be put out in spring 2006 on both the Ace Fu and GSL imprints. The still unnamed album will be the first new material from An Albatross since their 2003 release We Are the Lazer Viking.

No word on the band's plans for anal bum cover. Er, an album cover. In the meantime, the band has a handful of shows lined up for this month and next, with more US dates to proceed in January and February, and a European jaunt to follow after that.

Screw Trebek: With the days growing increasingly cooler and ragweed season wrapping up, we figured allergies were over and done with for the year. Well, to assume is to make an ass of u and me, as Sleater-Kinney singer/guitarist Carrie Brownstein's allergies have caused the cancellation of her band's upcoming European tour, which was expected to launch on November 8 in Brighton, England. Brownstein has had two extreme allergic reactions recently, both causing trips to the ER.

.. and not the George Clooney version.

A statement on Sleater-Kinney's website explained, "Her doctor has advised that she not travel/tour for prolonged periods of time until the condition stabilizes and further tests are conducted." Uh oh. According to NME.

com, Sleater-Kinney are aiming to reschedule the tour dates for Spring 2006 because, as previously reported, they'll be in the UK curating one day of the All Tomorrow's Parties festival. Until then, we regretfully advise Brownstein to stay out of the woods-- those pine needles can send any nose running. Zing!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year won't be here for a couple months, but to yuletide us over, DFA Records is sneaking a new compilation, DFA Holiday Mix 2005, under the tree nice and early. Available in the UK on Halloween for the price of a CD single, the mix will be cheap and yummy enough to hand out to trick-or-treaters. Us Americans will have to hold our horses until November 22, when the mix will become available as download-only release.

And get this-- the whole thing is only gonna cost 99 cents (limited-time offer, folks)! The mix was, uh, mixed by what we deem the Tim Team: Tim Goldsworthy (the half of DFA who isn't James Murphy) and Beats In Space's Tim Sweeney. It features recent releases by but four acts: LCD Soundsystem (including a never-before-released Rub N Tug mix of "Too Much Love"), Black Dice, Delia Gonzalez Gavin Russom, and the Juan MacLean, tweaked by the likes of Soulwax, Cajmere, Tiga, and more.

Because "Holiday Mix" translates literally, the UK CD version will only be in stores through January 2006, so stock up on these stocking stuffers ASAP. After all, the best kind of gift is the one that sells on eBay for buttloads, right? If that ain't up your alley, there are always the "frame that mint collectible and hang it on the wall," "forge Black Dice's autographs on the album and brag," and "actually listen to it" options.

Panda bears, rabbits, bees, ducks, banshees-- who knows what creatures Animal Collective will birth next? We do! Well, kinda.

We have some vague, tantalizing information about various AC-related releases on the horizon, but we're all going to have to wait until the forest creatures are good and ready to give us the full details. In March 2006, Animal Collective's label, Paw Tracks, will release a full-length from Terrestrial Tones, the duo of Avey Tare (Dave Portner) and his roommate, Eric Copeland from Black Dice. Should we expect double the yelping?

Maybe, but we should definitely expect "experimental afro-pop" on at least part of the record, according to the label. The 2000 Animal Collective LP Hollindagain will be reissued on Paw Tracks sometime next year, which is good news for everybody who didn't get their paws on one of the 200 original copies, which came in hand-painted (or paw-painted) sleeves. Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) hasn't been hibernating on the solo recording front.

He's got two vinyl releases in the works, one on Fat Cat / Paw Tracks, and one on UUAR, which will one day be compiled onto one CD. The UUAR release is a single entitled "I'm Not / Comfy in Nautical", which will be available on both seven inch and CD on November 22. The single was recorded in Lisbon, Portugal, Panda Bear's current home, and features "optimistic lyrics," triumphant melodies," "pitch perfect vocals" and "ambient rhythms," according to the label.

In other Paw Tracks news, Ariel Pink's House Arrest, originally released on the Ball Bearings Pinatas label, will be reissued on January 24. Pink is currently recording a new album, and plans to tour North America in February and March. The label has also signed a new band to their roster, with plans for a seven inch release in the spring, but the band is so new, they don't have a name yet.

Of course, that only adds to the whole mystery thing going on. Animal Collective are currently galloping across Europe on tour, with three measly dates in the U.S.

in December. But don't worry-- a full-scale U.S.

migration is scheduled for February. What do you get when you mix Sufjan Stevens, John Ringhofer, and Daniel Smith's basement? No, silly, not a DIY Sunday mass, but an EP!

Unless E and P stand for Ecclesiastes and Proverbs, it looks like there are some new tunes comin' atcha. Well, sort of new. According to the Asthmatic Kitty website, this EP was put together "many years ago", so like our grandparents, the Beatles, and Sufjan's second-favorite Testament, these songs are old.

Half-handed Cloud's John Ringhofer and Sufjan Stevens', uh, Sufjan Stevens, got together in Danielson Famile man Daniel Smith's basement way before all this 50 States business and recorded songs about "Friendship, Kinship, Sons and Fathers, and Broken Promises," says the AK site. Do don't expect any cuss words. The five-songer, titled What's the Remedy EP and available only in 7" form, hits stores today.

The tracks were written by Ringhofer, who also sang, played piano, organ and acoustic guitar. Good ol' Sufjey also sang, pianoed, organed, acoustic guitared, in addition to playing drums, banjo, flute, and tambourine, and producing the track. That's teamwork!

The EP's cover art is a print by Ringhofer himself, a self-potrait featuring a bloody wound. Stigmata? We think notta.

The cut is on his chin, but it's still pretty nasty. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the Brit-rock water, NME.com is reporting that Pete Doherty, the troublemaking ex-Libertine and current leader of Babyshambles, was arrested on October 1 at the Shrewbury Music Hall on drug-related charges.

According to NME, Doherty was detained by police after a drug squad and sniffer dogs raided the concert hall following Babyshambles' set. The swift truncheon of the law also came down on opening act, fellow Rough Trade signees, and Doherty collaborators Littl'ans. Here's a regular rockstar shocker: Doherty remains convinced of his innocence.

Speaking to BBC News following his release from a Shropshire police station, Doherty claimed that police had mistaken a drug-rehab implant in his lower abdomen for the real thing. Sez Doherty: "It's just some sort of mistake, that's all." That's what they all say, Pete, that's what they all say.

Being incarcerated and all, Babyshambles were forced to postpone their October 2 gig in Norwich, although the band intends to reschedule with due haste. And we all know how reliable that band is when it comes to playing shows. The first incident of Doherty-centered hijinx this ain't.

As previously reported on Pitchfork, Babyshambles canceled a string of shows last summer when Doherty shoved off to France for drug rehab. His 2005 batting average isn't shaping up much better: there were the blackmail and robbery charges back in April (he spent four nights in jail for that one), the fight with his guitarist Patrick Walden (on stage) in February, and his on/off dating of fallen supermodel Kate Moss (presently in rehab herself and refusing to see him). He's a winner, that Pete.

But wait! Hope reigns in Blighty, and what better harbinger of inspired vibes have we than Sir Elton John?