Halloween With The Police

Guess who's throwing the biggest Halloween party this year? No, you don't know? Oh, it's The Police.

That's right, in addition to their sold-out shows in August at Madison Square Garden, the recently reunited rock trio will be performing on Halloween, also on Madison Square Garden. For only $254.50 + service fees!

Ticket info is below:
Best Buy Presale:

Start:Wed, 05/30/07 10:00 AM EDT
End:Fri, 06/01/07 12:00 PM EDT

Fan Club Presale:
Start:Thu, 05/31/07 10:00 AM EDT
End:Fri, 06/01/07 12:00 PM EDT

Fan Club Bundle:
Start:Thu, 05/31/07 04:00 PM EDT
End:Fri, 06/01/07 12:00 PM EDT

Onsale to General Public:
Mon, 06/04/07 09:00 AM EDT

Via PSNYC.

Anyone care to share the pre-sale passwords?

The National @ Bowery Ballroom

Last night [May 31st], at Bowery Ballroom, was one of those nights where all the elements came together to make a beautiful show. The band was pretty much on time, the weather was warm and breezy, and there was breathing room at Bowery. Actual room to move and not feeling like four other people were on top of you is a rare occurrence at a sold-out show in Bowery Ballroom. But even besides all that, The National performed one of the best shows I have seen in a while.


After a couple songs, they played "Secret Machines," which totally opened both the band and the crowd up. After that, there was a series of amazing moments in the show. It was the kind of show where you just could not take your eyes off the band. Matt Berninger is such an interesting frontman to watch. At times he seems both physically pained and happy at the same time, standing in this nervous and anxious manner but with the biggest smile on his face. You could just tell that the band was so excited for the show, so happy to be playing 5 straight sold-out shows in their home town. It just made the energy in the room shoot up, and as the band continued on in their set, the high energy was consistent and translated to the crowd. Also, I don't know the violinist/keyboardist's name, but he was amazing to watch. Who knew you could rock so much on the violin?

Playing equal parts Alligator and The Boxer, the highlights for me last night were "Ada," "Gospel," "Squalor Victoria," "Mr. November," "Fake Empire," and "Looking for Astronauts." But it was during their encore when they played "Abel," when everyone was crazy, including Matt.


He walked his way to the left side of the stage, climbed on all the equipment from the previous bands, and jumped into the crowd. So rock star.

In short, the best thing that I can say about the show is that I'm going again on Friday. And you should go too.

DOWNLOAD: The National - "Secret Machines" [Remix] (MP3)

BK in BK

Oh baby, it looks like Brooklyn'll get a good taste of indie rock's friendliest rocker, Ben Kweller, this summer! As you can read above, and in his new issue of Kweller News, BK is kicking off his new tour with a 3 night residency at Park Slope's own Southpaw. Yes! And this is no ordinary residency, no it's not. Each night is dedicated to one of the BK albums.

July 30th: Sha Sha
July 31st: On My Way
August 1st: Ben Kweller

In his email above, Kweller even gives suggestions for you out-of-towners, or you Manhattanites that think Brooklyn is a whole country away, for places to stay. Holiday Inn Express and Brooklyn Motor Inn. Ha!

Tix are available through BK's website 'til Friday, at which point tickets become available to the general public. So buy 'em while you can. Individual nights are $18 and a 3-day fun pass is $50. A bargain, indeed.

Galapagos Moves: Williamsburg Dying?

Today, the NY Times did a feature on Galapagos Art Space that confirms the pioneering space will be moving to Dumbo.

With this move to Dumbo, its hard not to think of this as the beginning of the end for Williamsburg. 5 years ago, it made sense to move to Billyburg; everyone you knew was there, the restaurants were many, but there was still a "starving artist" culture in the air that isn't there anymore. Last week, I was up on a roof in Williamsburg, and the most glaring thing to me was the insane number of condos going up everywhere.

“We’re doubling our size and halving our rent,” said Robert Elmes, who started Galapagos in 1995, when it opened in fits and starts on North Sixth Street, which at the time was notable mainly for the rancid smell of nearby meat-processing plants.

But Williamsburg has changed a bit in the intervening years. It has long since become an established, even respectable neighborhood of fashionable restaurants and expensive condos. The rent increases have followed.

The monthly rent for the Galapagos space had increased to $10,000 a month in December 2005, Mr. Elmes said, and the landlords were asking for a 30 percent increase next month.

Anyway, Galapagos will be continuing with their regular schedule until June 17th, at which point it is unclear what their plans will be. Go to Burlesque Mondays while you can!

Sufjan Buckey Beaver Billy Bird Stevens

So as I was doing the blog rounds just now, I got to Stereogum and got super excited when I read the title "New Sufjan Stevens: 'In The Words of the Governor.'" Umm NEW Sufjan? Sweet, I thought.

Then as I read through the rest of the post, S'gum talked about what a "mind explosion" this song is, which piqued my curiosity even more. Let me tell you, I can't even believe that this is Sufjan. It is NOT the Sufjan that you know and love, the orchestral arrangements have been traded in for raw ROCK. Like White Stripes-y garage, dirty, amp feedback rock. It's amazing. Listen. To. It. Now.

Yay Canada Day

Apparently, Canada Day really translates to Day of Rock, as can be seen by this year's Central Park Summerstage line-up for Canada Day. This year, on June 24th, Sloan, Apostle of Hustle and The Duhks will be gracing us New Yorkers with their presence. While that isn't exactly Canada Day (the real one is July 1st), it's close enough, isn't it? Could there be better way to celebrate Canada than rocking? I think not.

A post detailing all the fun, free music this summer in NYC is coming, but I couldn't resist posting about this particular event first because I'm so excited about it.

DOWNLOAD: Apostle of Hustle - "A Rent Boy Goes Down" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Sloan - "Even Though" (MP3)

New Releases May 22nd

Another week, another slew of awesome releases.

Two that immediately come to mind are:
The National - "Boxer"
I have been listening to this album all week! I loved their last album, Alligator, which was released in 2005. Expect this album to be alot more restrained and subdued, so don't expect any epic tracks like, "Mr. November." Instead, you'll find slower and sensitive songs like, "Slow Show" and "Green Gloves."

Standout tracks on this album are "Guest Room", "Fake Empire" and their single, "Mistaken For Strangers."


DOWNLOAD: The National - "Fake Empires"

Then there's Voxtrot - Voxtrot. After listening to their last few EP's, Raised By Wolves and Mother, Sisters, Daughters & Wives, I just KNEW that this next album would be good.

I only listened to the album for a brief moment, but methinks that it sounds like a great buy.

They've been hyping this album release with their youtube series called, "Reaching 4 Lasers." Check it out here.



DOWNLOAD: Voxtrot - "Kid Gloves".

Go buy them.

Little Ones to Release EP

This is another band that I've learned to love in the last couple of weeks. The The Little Ones, on Astralwerks, will release a digital-only EP entitled, Lovers Who Uncover. The Little Ones recently released, Sing Song EP, which pitchfork rated a 7.0.

The EP will feature a radio edit of "Lovers Who Uncover" and four remixes.
Here is the tracklisting:

"Lovers Who Uncover" radio edit (James Ford mix)
"There's A Pot A Brewin'" (previously unreleased)
"Lovers Who Uncover" Crystal Castles vs. The Little Ones remix
"Oh, MJ!" Stereolab vocal remix
"Lovers Who Uncover" CSS remix
"There's A Pot A Brewin'" Radio Clit Mix

The band will be performing at Austin City Limits on Sept 16.

Stream stuff here:
Crystal Castles Remix
Stereolab Remix

Kings of Leon at the Apple Store

If you can't catch the Kings at Roseland on June 5th, or don't wanna pay the $27 + service fees ticket price, then you're in for good news! Kings of Leon will now be making a FREE in-store appearance at the Apple Store Soho on June 8th!

Kings of Leon will be doing a very special in-store appearance at the New York Apple Store in SoHo on Friday, June 8 at 6:00 PM. The store is located at 103 Prince Street in Manhattan. Fans can begin to line up at any time, however, admission for the event will not be until between 5:30 - 5:45 PM. The first 200 people will get wristbands for seats, approximately another 200 will have standing room admission. Be sure to get there early to guarentee your admission to this very special event.

Hopefully I can get out of work early enough for this.

Listen to "On Call" from Because of the Times on their space.

Lady Sov's Billyburg Meltdown

I wasn't there, but apparently on Friday [May 18th], Lady Sovereign put on quite the show at Studio B.

Here's what Rock Star Diary says:

Went to go see Lady Sovereign perform at Studio B in Greenpoint. I am not sure what happened, the show started off quite well. She performed two songs and then she got on the Mic and started complaining about how poor she was, and how she had no money and then BAM! she walked off stage, much to the dismay of Studio B.????? and the entire crowd who showed up to see her.

And this via Perez Hilton:

Sov was scheduled to play a 2 A.M. set at Studio B in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, but she rolled in super late and didn't take to the stage until around 3:30 A.M.

After taking the stage tardy, she then started complaining that the crowd was too small and she complained that she was only playing the show because she was "poor" and "about to get evicted from her apartment," sources tell us.

After her first song - Love Me or Hate Me, appropriately - she complained to the audience about having to sing the same songs for two years.

"She didn't even finish her second song (Cha Ching), and instead leaned against the speaker as the audience listened to the pre-recorded vocals she was singing over," a spywitness tells us.

It gets worse!

Adds another source, "When the music finished, she complained about her poverty again, said she hated America, was depressed, showed the audience her arm which bore razor cuts (v. Courtney Love of her), and eventually went to the back of the stage and began crying as a body guard tried to calm her down and encourage her to finish her set, which was only slated to be 3 songs!"

She then was like "Fuck this, I don't care if I don't get paid" and walked off after a quick talk with her DJ.

Sovereign left the stage in tears , the crowd booed, and the promoters apologized.

Uh, not good Lady Sov! Way to piss off the hipsters.

Well try and catch her at her next few shows, cause who knows how much longer she'll be performing:

MAY 21- MOHEGAN SUN AREA: UNEASVILLE, CT
MAY 23- TWEETER CENTER: MANSFIELD, MA
MAY 24- TWEETER CENTER WATERFRONT: CAMDEN, NJ
MAY 27- THE BORGATA HOTEL: ATLANTIC CITY, NJ
MAY 29- BELL CENTRE: MONTREAL, QC
MAY 30- AIR CANADA CENTRE: TORONTO, ON
JUN 1- PALACE OF AUBURN HILLS: AUBURN HILLS, MI
JUN 2- VERIZON WIRELESS MUSIC CENTER: NOBLESVILLE, IN
JUN 4- QWEST CENTER: OMAHA, NE
JUN 5- XCEL ENERGY CENTER: SAINT PAUL, MN

DOWNLOAD: Lady Sovereign - "Love Me or Hate Me" [Remix feat. Missy Elliott] (MP3)

Photo from pixxiestails on flickr.

Hawaii Hates Aloha

Over at Daytrotter, they have a great feature on Polyvinyl's Aloha. Along with a rather amazing metaphor to how Tony Cavallario writes his songs, there's also an interview with Cavallario and drummer Cale Parks. (Btw, Cale Parks is a great Rock'N'Roll name).

Anyway, in the interview Daytrotter asks Aloha if they are hello or goodbye guys (clever question) and if they've ever played in Hawaii. Here's what they revealed:

CP: Hawaiians hate us. For real, we have a couple of pieces of hate mail in our MySpace inbox. One specifically from this Hawaiian soldier. I couldn’t make this up: “I would like to say that the name of your group is OK, but ALOHA isn’t a name. It belongs to something more greater then you. Please change your name to something else. YOU ARE NOT HAWAIIAN AND ALOHA IS. So before we start a boycott on you guys we’re gonna ask nicely for you haoles to change um. If this comes off a little harsh it should. My people have been living aloha for thousands of years, and for an outsider (haole) to just decide aloha is a good name is bullshit. Like I said before, you cannot understand fully what aloha is and means. So mahalo nui loa and please heed my advice. —1 tru HAWAIIAN.” We know what it means. It is a beautiful word, and wouldn’t have chosen it otherwise.
TC: We get the occasional hate mail from Hawaii. We’re always saying hello and goodbye, it’s part of being a travelling band in an ephemeral subculture. Fans come and go, venues open and close, scenes live and die, friends you know from one place move to some other place. It’s all temporary and delicate.

Umm, that sucks Aloha! That's some pretty harsh hate mail you got there. Well, rest assured that there are indie rockers in the 49 other states that love you.

DOWNLOAD: Aloha - "Moonless March" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Aloha - "All the Wars" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Aloha - "Ice Storming" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Aloha - "Mountain" (MP3)

Girls Talks' Summer Plans

Everyone's favorite Not-A-DJ, Girl Talk, recently posted a very cute and charming list of his summer plans.

i'm done with my day job in exactly two weeks! i'll be a full time music man

here's a list of my non-music plans this summer...

- play basketball all the time

- sun tan

- walk around shirtless

- eat ice cream outdoors

- get a season pass to Sand Castle water park

- check out the Genesis reunion show

- eat at Peppi's and Village Pizza a ton

- watch movies

- do push-ups

- get to some some beaches

- Pirates games

Aw congrats on quitting your full-time job, GT. It's every musicians dream, even if they're a biomedical engineer.

Visit Pitchfork for tour dates and an MP3.

Siren Fest Partial Lineup

The Village Voice does it every year: The Siren Fest! On July 21st...Rain Or Shine... indie hipsters will invade Coney Island for a day of music, games and long port-a-potty lines. Why do I like this festival so much? It's FREE.

Earlier today, Village Voice announced a partial line-up:

New York Dolls
We Are Scientists
Matt and Kim
The Black Lips
Dr. Dog
Noisettes
Lavender Diamond
The Detroit Cobras
Elvis Perkins
The Twilight Sad

For Your Listening Pleasure:
DOWNLOAD: Matt & Kim - "Yea Yeah"
DOWNLOAD: Lavender Diamond - "Open Your Heart"

Arctic Monkeys @ Hammerstein Ballroom

I was anxious to see the Arctic Monkeys after their Coachella set, because they sounded so good, which was surprising to me since I wasn't the biggest Arctic Monkeys fan. So, last night [May 15th], I went on down to Hammerstein Ballroom to check it out. I got there a couple songs in, but the energy in the crowd was just contagious. Crazy kids were crowd surfing, everyone on the floor had their hands up, and it was just a fun and sweaty atmosphere. Crowd favorites include "Brianstorm," "From Ritz To Rubble," "I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor," "When the Sun Goes Down," and "Leave Before the Lights Come On." The band sounded really good, and they're really tight. I just wish that they would go a little more crazy on stage, that's all. Otherwise, fun show!

DOWNLOAD: Arctic Monkeys - "I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Arctic Monkeys - "From Ritz To Rubble" (MP3)

Full setlist at PSNY.

Photo from ypkang on flickr.

Final Fantasy's Stars Mix: "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead"

Final Fantasy's remix of Stars' "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" is amazing. Starting off with what sounds like a mix of adults and little kids saying the Stars intro of "When there's nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire," a burst of violins follows and then morphs into a delicate piano backdrop. Owen Pallett definitely does the song right, creating a very different atmosphere than the original version, both haunting and magical at the same time. The violin is the perfect accompaniment to Torquill and Amy's vocals.

DOWNLOAD: Stars - "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" [Final Fantasy Mix] (MP3)

Stream/download/purchase the rest of Do You Trust Your Friends?, the Star's remix album of Set Yourself On Fire on the Arts & Crafts GalleryAC website.

Photo from roboppy on flickr.
Via CMJ.

Previously:
Stars: Do You Trust Your Friends?
More on Stars & Friends

New Releases May 15th

This is another good week for album releases.


First, screw Pitchfork's 5.2 rating for Wilco's Sky Blue Sky. I like it. It definitely deserved at least another point. You did good, Jeff Tweedy. Key tracks for me are, "What Light" and "On and On and On."

I'm telling you, it's better than the latest Bloc Party album, which Pitchfork generously gave them 7.5 (really generous). P4K is so inconsistent these days.



Next up is Rufus Wainwright's Release The Stars. The album has probably been guarded tightly in the Geffen vaults because we can't find a leaked copy of it anywhere! From what I've heard so far, it is certainly worth checking out.

His voice has such a great color to it! The song structures are also solid, playing with all of our favorite classical music tricks. It's obvious that he came from a family of music (eprops to Loudon and Kate!) After listening to "Going To A Town," which easily could have been a cheesy song, I'm definitely sold. You can preview another track entitled, "Sanssouci" on his Myspace page.


Also, I also got a chance to check out Six Degrees Record's Spanish Harlem Orchestra's United We Swing. This is random and not typical indie, I know. But how can you hate this? A little Nuyorican salsa never hurt anyone. These 13 songs will make you feel good.. promise.

RS's 15 Worst Albums By Great Bands

Another week, another list by the list queen, Rolling Stone. Lists are great -- they're controversial, people can't help but look at them, and they're easy to read. So we're jacking the list and putting it here. Enjoy!

Rolling Stone's 15 Worst Albums By Great Bands
1) Bob Dylan, "Down In The Groove"
2) Rolling Stones, "Dirty Work"
3) David Bowie, "Tonight"
4) Van Morrison, "Beautiful Vision"
5) The Clash, "Cut The Crap"
6) Neil Young, "Old Ways"
7) Van Halen, "Diver Down"
8) The Who, "Faces Dances"
9) Elvis Costello, "Mighty Like A Rose"
10) Red Hot Chili Peppers, "One Hot Minute"
11) Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, "American Dream"
12) Aerosmith, "Rock In A Hard Place"
13) Lou Reed, "Mistrial"
14) Morrissey, "Kill Uncle"
15) Led Zeppelin, "Presence"

The Smashing Pumpkins Residencies

The Smashing Pumpkins just announced a set of residencies in North Carolina and San Francisco for this summer. While preparing for the release of Zeitgeist on July 10th, the band will be playing 9 nights at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC and 8 nights at The Fillmore in San Francisco.

Tickets go on sale May 20th. $20 for the North Caroliners and $25 for the SF-ers.

06/23 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
06/24 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
06/26 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
06/27 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
06/29 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
06/30 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
07/02 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
07/03 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
07/05 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
07/22 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
07/24 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
07/25 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
07/27 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
07/28 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
07/30 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
07/31 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
08/01 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore

Via CMJ.
Fan art by Kerrie.

Gracias por Las Memorias, Arcade Fuego

Ah, the week of Arcade Fire in New York has ended, and us New Yorkers are left a little sad at the fact that AF will not be in here for a while. But we are comforted by the many many shows taking place this week (LCD Soundsystem, Silversun Pickups, Arctic Monkeys, !!!, Mates of State, Elvis Costello, Andrew Bird, and the list goes on...).

Anyway, Gothamist has this great feature called Tourist that I'd like to draw your attention to right now. They had the drummer from The National, Bryan Devendorf, document his journey with Arcade Fire.

Here's what he thought of playing at United Palace Theater:

A strange feeling of recurrence and déjà vu permeates each day. I feel stronger. We have entered a Nietzschean time loop. Afternoon arrival, a brief sound check, feeling harassed by union drones, the performance, a quick bite of leftover catering, then witnessing the Great Awakening unfold. However, a new element is introduced at Monday’s show. There is an itinerant masseuse backstage, in the church office, which doubles as our dressing room. It is a heady cocktail, this aroma of massage oil and Jack Daniel’s and worship. What would Reverend Ike think?

And of Wednesday's show:

Wednesday is our final day going up this river. Gracias por las memorias, Arcade Fuego. I am elated to see our name on the Radio City marquee. The place is an awesome specimen of art deco vibrance. Totally stunning. Our show goes pretty well and Arcade Fire are especially good tonight. They make a gorgeous sound. It pulses like a still-beating heart resting in an ordinary-looking reliquary, up from the catacombs of Montréal. Majestic. . . But unfortunately the union thing is even weirder here, the staff is kinda prickly, and the night ends with numerous ejections.

Afterwards, I mill around the 5th floor among the assembled VIPs. A smattering of SNL castmembers is just over there. Rock stars in the corner. It’s been fun. I’m grateful for the chance to peer behind the curtain for a few days but I’m so looking forward to a return to normalcy. I want to wake up each morning in my own bed. And, like the French say, stay home and tend the garden.

Bryan's a good writer, ain't he? Read the whole post here.

First Date With... Bowerbirds

I've been making a huge effort to check out new bands (believe me.. I have), so Maureen and I are starting a feature called "First Date With...," which will highlight the best and brightest up-and-coming bands out there that deserve some attention. Our premier First Date was with Young Galaxy.

Anyway, another one of these up-and-comers is Bowerbirds, a NC-based band made up of Beth Tacular (what a RAD name!), Phil Moore and Mark Paulson. So imagine you and your buddies, living in an Airstream trailer in the middle of the woods in Chatham County, NC and all you do all day is jam... with an acoustic guitar, a drum kit, accordion and sometimes violin. Sounds like the life huh?

The band offers the lyrical playfulness of Devendra (not Chinese Children playful :D), the Beirut sound aesthetic (in some tracks), and a little Grizzly Bear.

They will be releasing their debut album, Hymes For A Dark Horse, on July 10. In the meantime, they will be touring with Clientele, Ladybug Transistor, and The Rosebuds.

Oh, it's also important to note that they are on the Raleigh-Durham based label, Burly Time, which was started by Pitchfork contributing writer, Grayson Currin.

DOWNLOAD: Bowerbirds - "Dark Horse"
Check out other tracks on their Myspace page.

Tour Dates:
May 10 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle*
May 18 Asheville, NC Grey Eagle #
May 19 Raleigh, NC Bickett Gallery
May 22 Washington, DC Rock and Roll Hotel #
May 23 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s #
May 24 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom %
June 23 Raleigh, NC Rock and Shop Market
June 30 Chapel Hill, NC The Blend
July 17 Carrboro, NC Nightlight
* = w/ Clientele, Ladybug Transistor
# = w/ The Rosebuds
% = w/ The Rosebuds, Ladybug Transistor

Microfilm Remixes Sufjan Stevens

Chicago's Microfilm, the electro/techno duo of Matthew Mercer and Matt Keppel, have a sweet remix of Sufjan Stevens' "Chicago" up on their myspace.

It's a little weird to hear "Chicago" all techno-fied, but Microfilm make it work. Check it out.

Rilo Kiley To Release New Album

According to NME.com, Rilo Kiley announced that they will release a new album on August 20 called, Under The Blacklight.

But we know to take what NME says with a grain of salt, especially when the article spells Bright Eyes' latest album as "Casadanga." Luckily, Pitchfork did the leg work with the fact-checking and this is what they found.

1) August 20 is the UK release date. There is no US release date.
2) NME sucks.

This will be Rilo Kiley's fourth album. Their last was More Adventurous in 2004.

As an aside, Jenny Lewis is so freaking adorable.

Austin City Limits Lineup

Austin City Limits announced their lineup today, and it's great as usual. There are the expected artists: Bjork, Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, The Decemberists, Regina Spektor, etc...And then there are some surprises: The White Stripes, Wilco, Bob Dylan, CYHSY. Head to the ACL website for the full lineup.

3-day passes are on sale now for $145.

And if you want a taste of what last year's festival was like, head to eMusic, where they have a bunch of "Live from Austin City Limits Music Festival 2006" sets, including:

Stars
Gomez
Ghostland Observatory
The Shins
Cat Power & the Memphis Rhythm Band

Arcade Fire @ Radio City Music Hall

Arcade Fire were simply amazing last night [May 9th].

Starting with "Keep the Car Running" and "No Cars Go," they warmed up the crowd. Then came "Black Mirror," "Haiti," "Laika," and "Tunnels." During "Haiti," when Regine wasn't singing, Richard Reed Parry knelt on the stage and took a crash and snare drum with him and went crazy. It was awesome.
Then came the breathtaking part of the set, with Regine's "In The Back Seat" and Win's "My Body Is A Cage." Back to back, these songs had the audience standing in awe.

Later they played "The Well and the Lighthouse," "(Antichrist Television Blues)" and "Ocean Noise." And then it was dance time. "Power Out" into "Rebellion (Lies)." Hands clapping in the air, people rushing the aisles, the band leaves the stage. And the entire theater sings the string part from "Rebellion" until they come back on stage. I can't really convey how amazing and magical that was, because you really had to be there, but you just knew that you were seeing something special.
They encored with "Intervention" and finally "Wake Up," where Win sang amidst the crowd and one of the band members went crazy and kept throwing up a book (a Bible maybe?) and jumping/sliding across stage.

DOWNLOAD: Arcade Fire - "Wake Up" (MP3)

This is the fourth time that I've seen Arcade Fire this year, and I'm honestly addicted to their live show. Their passion and enthusiasm just makes their show so much more than watching a band on stage. They somehow draw the audience so into the experience that you can't help but get caught up in their fervor.

Pic cred to TommyGunz on Flickr.

Secret Kitchen w/ Man Man!

Secret Kitchen is the second event from the New York by New York series. They're on a roll!

It's being marketed as a dinner party, with chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz from The Post Punk Kitchen. Moskowitz is "throwing together an 8-part gourmet dinner featuring contortionists, bling bling, an open bar all night, and the good men of Man Man after din din." Sweet!

The dinner will take place on May 23rd from 730PM-11PM. The "secret location" will be disclosed 24 hours before the event.

Tix are $35, but include a year's subscription to NY Mag. Get them here.

DOWNLOAD: Man Man - "I, Manface" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Man Man - "Van Helsing Boombox" (MP3)

MILF Does A Musical

In addition to being the Year of the Reunion, 2007 is also shaping up to be the Year of the Musical.

We recently reported that Bono and Edge will be doing Spiderman and that The Flaming Lips will be doing Yoshimi. Well, Yahoo is reporting that the self-proclaimed MILF (or MILX), Tori Amos, also wants in on the action.

According to Amos, it is "set for the West End and Broadway" when it is completed. She's "trying to be [Andrew Lloyd Webber and [Tim] Rice. I'm trying to be both [of them]. I'm busy. This is such a big project--a double record, 23 songs and the extras."

1) No!
2) Of all the writers in the world... why would you pick two of the cheesiest?

Unusual Animals This Sunday

This Mother's Day [Sunday, May 13th], if you aren't home spending time with your Moms, head on over to Union Hall in Park Slope for "Unusual Animals," a series presented by Asthmatic Kitty.

If you were at the first Unusual Animals party in Austin at SXSW, you know that it was a huge success, thanks to ample supplies of root beer, chocolate, juice, and fine music - all on a wonderful Saturday afternoon in the back yard of an art gallery. It went so well that the Unusual Animals has bred into a series, the second of which will be a matinee show held in Brooklyn on May 13 at Union Hall.

This new show will also include the release party of Shapes and Sizes' new full length album, Split Lips, Winning Hips, A Shiner. The star-studded lineup also includes Flying, Stars Like Fleas, and Osso. Doors open at 1pm.

Tickets are only $10. Grab 'em here.

Also, the new Shapes and Sizes album, Split Hips, Winning Lips, a Shiner, releases later this month on May 22nd. Listen to the whole album or order it on the Asthmatic Kitty website.

DOWNLOAD: Shapes and Sizes - "Alone/Alive" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Shapes and Sizes - "Head Movin'" (MP3)

Above painting by Carl Osberg.

My Morning Jacket Playing With The Kids

Alternative rockers My Morning Jacket have announced that they are going to perform with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra at Lollapalooza. They played with the orchestra last November, and have invited the kids to join them again at their set in August. According to NME (and we know how reliable they can be), the orchestra contains kids as young as seven!

I wish my youth orchestra days included something half as cool as this. The only cool thing we got to do was play the Kennedy Center. Which, in retrospect, is pretty awesome. But I digress.

Tickets for Lollapalooza still on sale here.

Oldies but goodies:
DOWNLOAD: My Morning Jacket - "Lowdown" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: My Morning Jacket - "Bermuda Highway" (MP3)

Paul Rudd: Recording Artist?

Well, not in real life, but on Veronica Mars he is! Now before you judge me for watching trashy TV, which I do a lot, I do not actually watch Veronica Mars. I just happened to turn on the TV to see Paul Rudd playing an acoustic guitar on a stage. So, of course, I kept watching. And then I did some googling.

I found this, from SpoilerFix.com:

Mars' creator Rob Thomas [revealed]:"Paul Rudd has agreed to play a big role in Episode 17. He'll play past-his-prime English rock star Desmond Fellowes, who is touring American college campuses. Piz, as part of his radio-station duties, will be his host. It'll play as sort of a My Favorite Year-style story. Naturally, this being Veronica Mars, Desmond's suitcase containing many essential items will go missing. Piz will ask Veronica for help."

Umm I love Paul Rudd [remember when he sang "More Than A Feeling" at Indie Rock Karaoke?], but isn't this role a bit beneath him? I'm used to him doing quality roles like Guy Gerricault in Reno 911 or Brian Fantana in Anchorman. Hopefully they paid him lots of money!

Arcade Fire @ United Palace Theater

No real surprises at last night's [May 7th] Arcade Fire show at United Palace Theater, but it was more than worth the trek up to Washington Heights.

They opened with "Black Mirror," then played "No Cars Go." Later in the set came "Haiti" and "Black Waves/Bad Vibrations." They didn't play "My Body Is A Cage." :(

My favorite part of their set was when they payed "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" into "Rebellion (Lies)." It felt like the whole theater was dancing and singing along, and it was just so great to see everyone's hands up in the air and clapping along. Doesn't happen very often here in NYC.


I guess the most surprising thing last night was their super high-tech setup. The backdrop changed for almost every song, sometimes it was a Neon Bible, sometimes it was random videos. They also had a crazy light show, and 8 circular screens that were also sometimes Neon Bibles or were videos of the performance.

Two above pics from InOurHands on Flickr.

The rest are from my camera (I need a new one):

The National opened and sounded so good. Can't wait for their Bowery shows.
DOWNLOAD: The National - "Fake Empire" (MP3)

"No Cars Go"

See the weird face in the backdrop?

"Windowsill"

"Intervention"

Catch AF tomorrow night at Radio City Music Hall for the High Line Festival.

Pete Doherty... you know what I'm about to say.

Pete Doherty (frontman of Babyshambles and former Libertines member) was arrested on Saturday evening in West London on suspicion of possession of a Class A drug (pick your poison).

According to The Miami Herald, he has been in a court ordered drug rehab program after multiple former drug arrests.

Oh Pete... when will you learn.

NEW VIDEO: Rodrigo Y Gabriela "For Diablo Rojo"

Check out this new video for Dublin-based, Mexican guitar duo, Rodrigo y Gabriela's "For Diablo Rojo."



According to their publicity website, This song was "inspired by a wild rollercoaster called 'Red Devil' at a theme park in Copenhagen, Denmark. Three rides in a row, each."

As you may remember, Rodrigo y Gabriela were denied a visa in order to play at SXSW.

DOWNLOAD: Rodrigo y Gabriela - "Orion" (mp3)

Everyone Loves A Good Cover

We're always in search of new fun covers, so when we found out about the Guilt By Association compilation, we were excited.

To be released on August 28th on Engine Room Recordings, the GBA comp will feature artists such an Devendra Banhart, Petra Haden and Mooney Suzuki covering hits by Oasis, Journey and Cher respectively.

Wes Verhoeve of Engine Room gave this as his reasoning for the compilation (like we needed one!):

“A lot of really great bands were being dropped from the major labels at that time, and we thought it would be a cool idea to have bands like that cover some of the acts that were actually being supported by the majors.” Verhoeve adds, “The bands that were approached were all very enthused by the whole concept, and many of them even had a song in mind right away. I think it's a perfect example of a good song appealing to everyone with a love for music, even if the original packaging of the song might not be one’s cup of tea.”

Here's the full tracklisting:

1. Petra Haden: ”Don't Stop Believin’” (Journey)
2. Devendra Banhart: “Don't Look Back In Anger” (Oasis)
3. Mark Mulcahy: “From This Moment On” (Shania Twain)
4. Luna: “Straight Up” (Paula Abdul)
5. The Concretes: “Back For Good” (Take That)
6. Jim O'Rourke: “Viva Forever” (Spice Girls)
7. Goat: “Sugar We're Going Down” (Fall Out Boy)
8. Will Oldham/Bonnie 'Prince' Billy” “Can't Take That Away” (Mariah Carey)
9. Woody Jackson Orchestra featuring Money Mark: Love's Theme (Love Unlimited Orchestra)
10. Porter Block: ”Breaking Free” (High School Musical)
11. Mooney Suzuki: ”Just Like Jesse James” (Cher)
12. Geoff Farina: “Two Tickets To Paradise” (Eddie Money)
13. Casey Shea: “Chop Suey” (System of a Down)
14. Superchunk: “Say My Name” (Destiny's Child)
15. Mike Watt: “Burning For You” (Blue Oyster Cult)

Head to the Guilt By Association myspace to hear the Petra Haden, Will Oldam and Devendra Banhart tracks.

Also, for those of you who got skillz with filming, this contest is for you:

Engine Room Recordings has set up a contest to create a music video for one of three selected tracks off the record (Petra Haden’s a capella version of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’”; Devendra Banhart’s rendition of Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back in Anger” and Will Oldham’s cover of Mariah Carey’s “Can’t Take That Away”). The public is encouraged to pick one or more songs and send in a concept for the video. Five semi-finalists will be selected to create full videos for their selected song(s), with one winner chosen, whose work will be promoted with full credit as the official video. More details and official rules are available on the album’s myspace page.

G'luck!