• Mark Ronson and his live ensemble of musicians will handle house band duties at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas on September 9th. The Dap-Kings (also known as Sharon Jones’ and Amy Winehouse’s band) will guest, along with Stu Zender of Jamiroquai and other still-to-be-announced vocalists.

• LCD Soundsystem and the Arcade Fire will release a split 7″ single on their upcoming joint tour featuring LCD’s cover of Joy Division’s “No Love Lost” and Arcade Fire’s version of Serge Gainsbourg’s “Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son”

• Wilco canceled two dates after guitarist Nels Cline came down with the chicken pox. The Duluth, MN, date has been rescheduled for September 4, but the band has yet to announce a new date for Winnipeg, MB.

• George Michael began serving one hundred hours of community service yesterday at a London homeless shelter as a part of his May sentence for driving while unfit. Michael is also prohibited from taking the wheel for two years.

• Bright Eyes have announced a brief U.S. fall tour, Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore has plotted a short solo outing and the Flaming Lips have added late summer and early fall dates, as well. Dates after the jump.

Bright Eyes Tour Dates:
9/14 - Boise, ID (Big Easy)
9/15 - Spokane, WA (Big Easy)
9/18 - Fairbanks, AK (University of Alaska)
9/19, 20 - Anchorage, AK (University of Alaska)
9/22 - Seattle, WA (End Fest 2007)
9/23 - Eugene, OR (McDonald Theatre)
9/24 - Chico, CA (Senator Theatre)
9/29 - Los Angeles, CA (Hollywood Bowl)

Thurston Moore Tour Dates:
9/24 - Hoboken, NJ (Maxwell’s)
9/26 - Brooklyn, NY (Music Hall of Williamsburg)
9/27 - Boston, MA (Museum of Fine Arts)
9/28 - Princeton, NJ (Terrace Club)
9/29 - Washington, DC (Rock and Roll Hotel)
9/30 - Philadelphia, PA (Johnny Brenda’s)
10/24 - Seattle, WA (Neumo’s)
10/25 - Portland, OR (Doug Fir Lounge)
10/26 - Arcata, CA (Humboldt St. University)
10/29 - San Francisco, CA (Great American Music Hall)
10/30 - Los Angeles, CA (Echoplex)

The Flaming Lips Tour Dates:
8/25 - San Diego, CA (Southern Comfort Music Experience @ Petco Park)
9/7 - Chicago, IL (Aragon Ballroom)
9/8 - Madison, WI (Willow Island @ Alliant Energy Center)
9/9 - Maplewood, MN (Myth)
9/12 - Kansas City, MO (Uptown Theatre)
9/15 - Morrison, CO (Red Rocks Amphitheatre)
9/16 - Las Vegas, NV (Skin Pool @ Palms Hotel)
9/18 - Vancouver, BC (Orpheum Theatre)
9/19 - Portland, OR (Roseland Theater)
9/20 - Seattle, WA (Paramount Theatre)
9/24 - San Antonio, TX (Sunset Station Lonestar Pavilion)
9/25 - Austin, TX (La Zona Rosa)
9/28 - St. Louis, MO (The Pageant)
9/30 - Cleveland, OH (Agora Theater)
10/1 - Detroit, MI (Clutch Cargos)
10/3 - Charlotte, NC (Amos’ Southend)

Photo: Neal/AFP/Getty