Skank Your Art

Skank Your Art Does America

2007-09-29T23:58:00.000-05:00

Maureen and I are doing it. We're embarking on the great American adventure... the cross-country road trip. I am currently en route to North Carolina where I am going to pick up my Toyota Camry, drive up to Brooklyn, pick up Maureen and hit the road where we will aim to see a show a day in a different city.

Our stops:
Chicago (Bat for Lashes)
Omaha
Denver (Deerhoof)
Las Vegas (Celine Dion???? hahaha. No seriously.)
Los Angeles
San Francisco

So if anyone has suggestions for shows in Omaha (10/3) and Las Vegas (10/5), please give us a shoutout and email us at skankyourartblog@gmail.com!

Check back here later this week to read about our crazy adventures!

P.S. Maureen... bring your iPod! ....And some Redbull.

Free Deerhoof Album

2007-09-19T02:15:00.000-05:00

Do you like free stuff? Of course you do! San Francisco-based art rockers, Deerhoof, have released a free album on the Kill Rock Stars website (link below). Why do we love Deerhoof? Because they are absolutely bananas. Eclectic instrumentation, Satomi's near gibberish lyrics, and unconventional song structures... still don't believe us that they're bananas? Check out their music video for "The Perfect Me."

DOWNLOAD: Deerhoof mp3 Album

Sia Announces New Tour Dates

2007-09-15T01:45:00.000-05:00

Her music kind of made us teary eyed when Claire left in her Prius to go to art school. Actually, I wasn't crying.. it was just raining on my face.

Anyway, Sia is back with a new LP, "some people have REAL problems" set to release on January 8, 2007. Beck will also make an appearance on the album. In preparation for the release, she will be touring the States.

Oct 22 San Diego CA @ Belly Up Tavern
Oct 24 Los Angeles CA @ El Rey Theater
Oct 25 San Francisco CA @ Fillmore
Oct 27 Portland OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
Oct 28 Seattle WA @ Crocodile Cafe
Oct 29 Vancouver Media Club
Nov 1 Minneapolis MN @ Varsity Theater
Nov 2 Chicago IL @ Metro
Nov 4 Philadelphia PA @ World Cafe
Nov 5 NYC @ Highline Ballroom
Nov 7 Boston MA @ Paradise
Nov 8 Washington DC @ 9:30 Club

Apple does Feist

2007-09-10T01:34:00.000-05:00

Prototypes had "Who's Gonna Sing?"
The Fratellis had "Flathead"
Orba Squara had "Perfect Timing (This Morning)"
... and the list goes on.

Lately, Apple has been pretty damn good at picking music for their commercials. Now, welcome Feist's "1234," which is featured in the new iPod Nano Pastels commercial.

A perfect interpretation, I must say!... Afterall, they did do it one camera shot :)

First Date with... St. Vincent

2007-09-05T01:45:00.000-05:00

I was fanning through the CDs at the famous Ameoba Music (one of the best record stores ever!) in the Haight (SF) and came across St. Vincent's "Marry Me." To be honest, I knew very little about St. Vincent. I knew she was a part of Sufjan's entourage and a part of our favorite indie cult/army: Polyphonic Spree. I was definitely in for a surprise.

Armed with clever, but sincere lyrics and classy soprano pipes, the 24-year old Tulsa-born Annie Clark gives us a glimpse of her world in on her solid debut album released on Beggars Banquet on July 10th. While some tracks like, "Paris Is Burning," can be very dark, I would compare her to My Brightest Diamond, but way less moody.

The record incorporates elements of jazz, Broadway musicals, cabaret and electronica which will surely be pleasing to your ears especially since she plays a ton of the instruments on the album including, but not limited to, the xylophone, vibraphone, dulcimer, guitars, bass, piano, organ, Moog and the triangle! She definitely puts me to shame when it comes to the number of instruments she can play.

Check out the album -- it's surely a treat! Standout tracks include "Marry Me," "All My Stars Aligned," and "Landmines."

DOWNLOAD: "Now Now" - St. Vincent

DOWNLOAD: "Marry Me" - St. Vincent (via Said the Gramophone)

P.S. If you want to stalk Ms. Clark.. check out her blogger here.

Ferraby Lionheart @ Mercury Lounge

2007-08-31T11:44:00.000-05:00

Last night [August 30th], I saw Ferraby Lionheart at Mercury Lounge. He has a pleasantly awkward demeanor, and his unique voice definitely steals the show. I don't know how to describe it.

Overall, the show was pretty mellow. In a good way though. He performed some solo acoustic songs on guitar and piano, and he also had a band for a lot of the songs from his new album Catch the Brass Ring. The band consisted of a drummer, a bass player and a trombonist. Apparently, Ferraby had just met the band the night before, so I won't fault them for not being tight at all. They were a nice addition to the show.

~~I'm mad at myself because I can't find the song that was my favorite last night. I could have sworn it was on Catch the Brass Ring, but it's not :(~~UPDATE: I found it! The song is "The Ballad of Gus and Sam" off Ferraby's self-titled EP. I LOVE this song and it was so great last night (MP3 below!). Anyway, other song highlights from last night include "Put Me In Your Play," "The Car Maker," "Under the Texas Sky" and "Small Planet."

Ferraby will be back at Merc on October 3rd with The Brunettes. Tix are on sale for $10.

Catch the Brass Ring is out this Tuesday, September 4th. Buy it at Insound.

As I was searching for this MP3, I found that Spin also has some interesting background on the song.

During the spooky session, a guitar amp in the room started making ghostly noises as the board "made references to a spirit named Gus, who confessed to murdering a girl named Sam," Lionheart told SPIN.com. "A couple of days later, one of the girls [at the Ouija session sit-in] said she was visited in her bedroom by the ghost of Sam. One time I was playing that song at a show, and the lights on the whole block went out. It's haunted."

DOWNLOAD: Ferraby Lionheart - "The Ballad of Gus and Sam" (MP3)

Ferraby Lionheart In NYC Tonight

2007-08-30T14:48:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to remind you all that Ferraby Lionheart will be in NYC at the Mercury Lounge tonight!

Thursday, Aug. 30th (tonight)
come to The Mercury Lounge
8:00
Record Release Show
copies of the new album will be available
and i miss you

Need any better reasons?

DOWNLOAD: Ferraby Lionheart - "Small Planet" (MP3)

Feist and BSS @ McCarren Pool

2007-08-30T10:15:00.000-05:00

I don't know how you could have walked away from McCarren Pool last night [August 29th] and not be in love with Feist. She was truly adorable.

I forgot that McCarren Pool has a 10PM curfew, so I only arrived at the venue for Kevin Drew and Broken Social Scene's last 3 songs. But those songs kicked ass. I saw Kevin and Brendan perform "Superconnected" on Sunday at the Book Eaters show, and it was a sub-par performance at best. Last night, however, it was rocking! I hope that they come around again soon and play one of their three hour shows. They closed with "Major Label Debut," and Feist came out to sing with them. Kevin and Feist were so cute together. Aw.

Shortly after, Feist came back on for her set. She opened with "When I Was A Young Girl," which was amazing. She was so cute and charming, and she managed to somehow turn McCarren Pool into an intimate venue. She sang a lot of songs off The Reminder, and quite a few off Let It Die as well. Last night was also the first night she was performing with her new guitar, and she encouraged the audience to help her name the guitar by putting suggestions in a box or throwing paper airplanes on stage. Some people were a little mean about it, but some others had good suggestions, like "McCarren" and "Mr Irkins." Um yeah...

She closed with "Mushaboom" and "1234." Then for her encore, she played a solo acoustic "Ituition." Next Grizzly Bear and BSS came out to sing "Sea Lion Woman" with her, and she closed with a slow dance of "Let It Die." Overall, it was a great show. I'm sad that I completely missed Grizzly Bear's set, because they were so good on Sunday night, but hopefully I'll get the chance to see them soon.

BSS pix via Kyle Dean Reinford on flickr.
Feist pix via RyanDombal on flickr.

Earlimart @ Joe's Pub

2007-08-29T12:03:00.000-05:00

Last night [August 28th], I had the pleasure of seeing Earlimart at Joe's Pub. They played with what was billed as The String Dream Team, and if you know me, you know that I'm a sucker for strings.

Now I'm not going to pretend that I'm too familiar with their music, but from the moment they came on, I was mesmerized. They're great with dynamics and creating a nice atmosphere. I think that I like their new stuff better than their old stuff. But one of my favorites last night was an old one called "Heaven Adores You," which is on Treble & Tremble. They also played "Everybody Knows Everybody," "Nevermind the Phonecalls" and encored with "We Drink on the Job."

DOWNLOAD: Earlimart - "Nevermind the Phonecalls" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Earlimart - "Everybody Knows Everybody" (MP3)

Their new album Mentor Tormentor was released last week. Buy it at Insound.

The above picture is from Earlimart's recent visit to KEXP. I didn't get any photos last night because my camera still sucks and I didn't want to be the jerk with a camera and ruin the mood.

I Wanna Be Made

2007-08-29T02:48:00.000-05:00

If I were to be made... I wouldn't waste it on muthafuckin-wanting to be a hipster! Just what the world needs.. another hipster, right?!

Made: I Wanna Be A Hipster is a 30 minute parody of the MTV self-improvement show. It's incredibly funny.. because you know it's so true. Skinny jeans, Cons, vintage tees... in other words .. the whole East Village basically.

Check out a small snippet:

If you want to watch the whole episode, go to here

Feist w/ Indie Rock All Star Choir on Letterman

2007-08-28T10:28:00.000-05:00

SYA probably wouldn't be an indie rock blog without posting this today:

That's Feist performing "1234" on Letterman. Her backing choir wearing all white and some flashy sparkly things include: The National, Mates of State, Broken Social Scene, Grizzly Bear, AC Newman (and new wife Christy!) and Nicole Atkins! Letterman has no idea that almost everyone in that choir has performed on his show before.

More Bands For CMJ 2007

2007-08-28T09:47:00.000-05:00

Maybe this year's CMJ will actually be worth all the headaches.

These bands were just announced this morning:

Band of Horses – M.I.A. – Vampire Weekend – Earthless – o'death – Celebration – The Meat Puppets – Rock Plaza Central – The Black Hollies – Old Time Relijun – Takka Takka – Jennifer O'Connor – Health – Centro-matic – Chris Mills – The Teeth – Le Loup – The High Strung – De Novo Dahl – Lewis & Clarke – Moon + Moon – AIDS Wolf – Joan as Policewoman – Catfish Haven – Monotonix – Mike Kinsella – Palomar – Get Him Eat Him – Nashville Pussy – Big Bear – Ecstatic Sunshine – Gowns – The Warlocks

Daft Punk Live Album

2007-08-27T16:48:00.000-05:00

Score, Daft Punk is releasing a live album from their Alive tour on November 20th via Capitol. The disc will be offered in two options, a regular single disc or a two-disc edition with extras. It will be titled "Daft Punk Alive 2007." That will make a great Christmas gift ;)

Via Billboard:

Daft Punk's June 14, 2007, show in its Paris hometown forms the basis of "Daft Punk Alive 2007," due Nov. 20 via Capitol. The album will be available as a single-disc set or a two-disc edition that features the encore and a 50-page book.

The tour version of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" will be issued as a single from the live set, and a video, directed by Oliver Gondry, will feature footage shot by fans during an Aug. 9 show at Coney Island in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Tracklisting:

Disc one:

"Robot Rock" / "Oh Yeah" / "Touch It" / "Technologic" / "Television Rules the Nation" / "Crescendolls" / "Too Long" / "Steam Machine" / "Around the World" / "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" / "Burnin'" / "Too Long" / "Face to Face" / "Short Circuit" / "One More Time" / "Aerodynamic" / "Aerodynamic Beats" / "Forget About the World" / "Prime Time Of Your Life" / "Brainwasher" / "Rollin' And Scratchin'" / "Alive" / "Da Funk" / "Daftendirekt" / "Superheroes" / "Human After All" / "Rock'N'Roll"

Disc two:

"Human" / "Together" / "One More Time" (Reprise) / "Music Sounds Better With You" / "Stardust (Instrumental)"

Revenge of the Book Eaters @ Beacon Theater

2007-08-27T10:33:00.000-05:00

Last night [August 26th] was such a great event at Beacon Theater. Revenge of the Book Eaters is a charity event to benefit 826NYC, which is an organization that helps students with their writing needs. The line-up last night was fantastic, and the show flowed really nicely. Starting at a little after 7PM, the show ended at 945PM. Perfect for a Sunday night.

Demetri Martin was the host for the evening. His jokes are always so random, and there's no transition between one joke and the next, but he makes me laugh. The first performer up last night was AC Newman (New Pornographers). He went through a set of 4 or 5 songs, of which my favorite were "Challengers" and King Missile cover of "The Hemophiliac of Love."

Next up was Grizzly Bear. I hadn't seen them before last night, which I now really regret, because they are amazing. Their music is really intense and haunting, and they put on an equally intense and haunting performance. The highlights of their set for me were "Knife" and "Marla," a song written by Ed Drost's great-aunt in the 1930s. Feist also came on to sing a short song with them, and then Grizzly Bear closed with a cover of Paul Simon's "Graceland."

Jim James (My Morning Jacket) then came out, and started off with "What A Wonderful Man." He played mostly on acoustic guitar, but for a couple songs played on a white instrument, and I couldn't figure out what it was. Some kind of synthesizer maybe? Anyway, it was such a cool instrument. I need one.

Then there was a little break in the music and Sarah Vowell came out to tell us more about 826NYC. She showed us a couple trailers from the summer filmmakers series that they have, and then Eugene Mirman, Demetri Martin and Leo Allen came out and did a little sketch of Tutored George Washington vs. Un-tutored George Washington.

Later, Feist came on again and read a few stories written by students at 826NYC, then she performed "The Water," which was really beautiful.

Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning were up next, and performed two songs just on piano and guitar: "Fucked Up Boy" and "Superconnected." Apparently, they originally thought they were performing at a church in Brooklyn last night, so they were a little unprepared.

Closing the night was Britt Daniels (Spoon). I thought Britt was a great closer, as he can really take command of the stage. He opened with "I Summon You" and then sang "Black Like Me." Then AC Newman came out again, and he and Britt sang a song together. Anyone know what that was? I can't remember.

So to sum it all up, last night was a really solid evening of great performances. I couldn't have asked for anything better.

Pics via TammyLo on flickr.

The Long And Short Of The Decemberists

2007-08-23T16:27:00.000-05:00

The Decemberists are touring the US with a new concept this fall, called The Long And Short Of It Tour.

We here at Decemberists HQ are pleased to announce our fall US tour, "The Long and Short of It" Tour, which will find your humble Decemberists playing multiple runs in each city -- performing 2 different programs: one, "The Long of It" will be made up of our longer, more epic-in-inclination songs, and the second, "The Short of It" will be made up of songs which, while not being entirely peppy in tone, are quite a bit more succinct and, well, short. A limited number of two-night passes will be available at a $10 discount this Saturday, the 25th of August at noon, via http://www.decemberists.tickets.musictoday.com . On top of the discount, those buying tickets for both nights will recieve a Carson Ellis-drawn custom ticket and a poster.

Here are the dates:

10/28 Chicago, IL Vic Theater ("Long of It")
10/29 Chicago, IL Vic Theater ("Short of It")
11/1 New York, NY Terminal 5 ("Long of It")
11/2 New York, NY Terminal 5 ("Short of It")
11/3 Boston, MA Orpheum ("Long of It")
11/4 Boston, MA Orpheum ("Short of It")
11/6 Winston-Salem, NC Millennium Center ("Long of It")
11/7 Winston-Salem, NC Millennium Center ("Short of It")
11/9 Washington, DC 9:30 Club ("Long of It")
11/10 Washington, DC 9:30 Club ("Short of It")
11/11 Washington, DC 9:30 Club ("Long of It")
11/12 Washington, DC 9:30 Club ("Short of It")
11/15 Columbus, OH Lifestyle Communities Pavilion ("Long of It")
11/16 Columbus, OH Lifestyle Communities Pavilion ("Short of It")
11/18 Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theater ("Long of It")
11/19 Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theater ("Short of It")
11/23 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore ("Long of It")
11/24 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore ("Short of It")
11/25 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore ("Long of It")
11/26 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore ("Short of It")
11/29 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern ("Long of It")
11/30 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern ("Short of It")
12/1 San Diego, CA Spreckels Theatre ("Long of It")
12/2 San Diego, CA Spreckels Theatre ("Short of It")
12/5 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom ("Long of It")
12/6 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom ("Short of It")
12/7 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
12/8 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre ("Long of It")
12/9 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre ("Short of It")

You can purchase two-night passes starting on Saturday here.

Also, on September 25th, The Decemberists are releasing a new EP called The Perfect Crime 2. A Junior Boys remix of the title track is available for FREE by clicking here.

Oh! And just now, as I was finding the link to the T5 shows, I saw that Laura Veirs and the Saltbreakers are opening for them! (At least in NY).

PS1's Warm Up

2007-08-23T12:35:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday [August 18th] I went to PS1 for one of the Warm Up parties. I wasn't really that into the music that they had at the party, but walking around the museum was pretty amazing.

However, on September 1st, the music at the Warm Up party looks like it'll be something more my speed:

Twisted Ones hosts a Brooklyn/Pittsburgh Underground Rock Celebration with:
Oneida
Sightings
Ex-Models
Dirty Faces
DJ Knox Overstreet
DJ Weirds
DJs Fitz and Brad Truax
Mighty Robot AV Squad

I've always wanted to see the Ex-Models and the last time I saw Oneida was really fun, so I highly recommend trying to get to this show if you'll be in town.

Jose Gonzalez @ Spiegeltent

2007-08-23T09:45:00.000-05:00

I only have one really blurry picture from Tuesday night's [August 21st] Jose Gonzalez show at Spiegeltent. This is mostly due to the fact that my camera sucks, but is also due to the fact that the show was GA standing room and not seated! I mainly chose this Jose show, as opposed to the 3 others scheduled in September, because I thought this one would be more intimate and comfortable.

But aside from any frustrations that I may have with the venue, the show was pretty great. He played a lot of In Our Nature, with some songs from Veneer and Stay in the Shade thrown in as well. The highlight of the night for me was his Kylie Minogue cover, "Hand On Your Heart." That song just makes me melt.

I don't have an MP3 of "Hand On Your Heart," but here's "Stay in the Shade," which was also amazing the other night.

DOWNLOAD: Jose Gonzalez - "Stay in the Shade" (MP3)

First Date With... Montag

2007-08-23T00:27:00.000-05:00

"We have no time for life, but we have sound" has become my new mantra for the week.

After stumbling upon Montag's album, "Going Places" last week -- it easily became my new favorite record of the month. Hailing from Montreal, Montag (AKA Antoine Bedard) presents us with an orgasmic aural experience of "symphonies of incandescent electronic pop" and his minimalist style. We'd describe him as an even more eccentric m83 with a beat--laden with retro elements and sounds you don't hear in everyday music.

Montag's colorful compositions and arrangements of analog, electronic and acoustic instruments easily makes him one of Canada's most promising electronic artists. "Going Places" features guests artists including Anthony Gonzales of M83, Amy Millan of Stars, Victoria Legrand of Beach House, Au Revoir Simone and Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy.

Standout tracks include the title track, which is a collage of 70 collaborators from 15 different countries. Others include, "I Have Sound," "Best Boy Electric," and "Alice."

Check them out on tour this summer:
August 23rd - Denver, Colorado @ Mercury Café
August 24th - Des Moines, Iowa @Vaudeville Mews
August 25th - Milwaukee, Wisconsin @ Cactus Club
August 26th - Madison, Wisconsin @ The Annex
August 27th - Chicago, Illinois @ The Empty Bottle - FREE SHOW!
August 28th - Detroit, Michigan @ Scummage University
August 29th - Cleveland Heights, Ohio @ B Side Lounge
August 30th - Hamilton, Ontario @ Pepper Jack Café
August 31st - Toronto, Ontario @ The Whipper Snapper Gallery
September 1st - Ottawa, Ontario @ Zaphod's
September 2nd - Montreal, Qc @ Casa del Popolo
September 3rd - Burlington, Vermont @ Kriya Studios
September 4th - Peterborough, New Hampshire @ Reynolds Hall
September 5th - Cambridge, Massachusetts @ Middle East (upstairs)
September 6th - Brooklyn, New York @ Union Hall
September 7th - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania @ First Unitarian Church
September 9th - Washington, Washington DC @ DC9

DOWNLOAD: Montag - "Best Boy Electric"
DOWNLOAD: Montag - "Going Places"

New Stars Video: "Take Me To The Riot"

2007-08-21T13:13:00.000-05:00

Here's the first video from Stars' latest album In Our Bedroom After The War. The album releases on September 25th, but is currently available in digital formats.

Catch Stars at Town Hall on October 18th.

The New Pornographer Wedding

2007-08-20T13:50:00.000-05:00

Carl (AC) Newman, of New Pornographers fame, had what most indie rockers would consider the dream wedding recently: Neko Case singing, Eugene Mirman as the master of ceremonies and Mates of State at the afterparty.

Via P4K:

And while normally we'd let our favorite indie rockers go about their marryin' in peace and private, this particular ceremony just so happens to have been written up in The New York Times.

The Times also reports that groom Newman and bride Christy Simpson, a marketing manager at Newman/New Pornographers label Matador, were hitched to the tune of Neko Case belting out a bunch of "songs about love gone wrong."

It was typically surreal for a ceremony that also included Eugene Mirman as master of ceremonies, David Cross in whale-print pants, and fellow Pornographers Dan Bejar, Kathryn Calder, Blaine Thurier, and John Collins in attendance. Mates of State even performed at the afterparty, which soon spun karaoke-ways, with Newman doing Phil Collins' "Against All Odds" and Neko and Kathryn teaming for Pink's "Get the Party Started".

DOWNLOAD: The New Pornographers - "My Rights Versus Yours" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The New Pornographers - "Myriad Harbour" (MP3)

Jose Gonzalez In Town

2007-08-20T10:42:00.000-05:00

In preparation for Jose Gonzalez's show tomorrow at Spiegeltent, I've been listening to all his music that I have on my computer. And I realized that I totally forgot about the Dert remix album, featuring Jose's songs from the Veneer album with rapping over it. The rappers include Kayne West, Talib Kweli and Common.

DOWNLOAD: Jose Gonzalez - "Heartbeats / The Light" [featuring Common and Erykah Badu] (MP3)

Tickets are still available for tomorrow's show for $35.

Jose's new album In Our Nature is out on September 26th. He'll be back in NYC on September 27th and 28th at The Gramercy Theater and in Brooklyn on September 29th at the Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Above is the video for Jose's new single, "Down The Line."

Walk Hard

2007-08-17T13:59:00.000-05:00

Written by: Judd Apatow

Featuring:

Jack White as Elvis Presley
John C. Reilly as Dewey Cox (the parody of Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, etc...)
Jenna Fischer as Darlene (the parody of June Carter)
and many more cameos

Release Date: December 21, 2007

Georgie James: Places

2007-08-16T13:44:00.000-05:00

Indie pop rock duo Georgie James will release their debut full-length next month via Saddle Creek. Entitled Places, the new album is set to be out on September 25th.

Georgie James consists of John Davis (of Q and Not U fame) and Laura Burhenn. They will be on tour this fall to support the album, including a stop at the Greenpoint joint Europa on October 3rd. Tix are on sale for $10.

Tracklisting for Places:

01. Look Me Up
02. Cake Parade
03. Need Your Needs
04. Long Week
05. More Lights
06. Henry And Hanzy
07. Comfortable Headphones
08. Hard Feelings
09. Places
10. Cheap Champagne
11. You Can Have It
12. Only Cause You're Young

DOWNLOAD: Georgie James - "Need Your Needs" (MP3)

Via CMJ.

Visual Aids: Andrew Bird

2007-08-16T02:15:00.000-05:00

Andrew Bird does music videos? Apparently he does -- the video for "Imitosis" was posted today on his Myspace page

Andrew Bird - "Imitosis"

Also, he will be hitting the road once again in his bio-diesel tour bus:

Sep 1 - Vancouver, BC - Richard's On Richards
Sep 2 - Seattle, WA - Bumbershoot 2007 (Mural Stage)
Sep 8 - Chicago, IL - 11th Annual Hideout Block Party
Sep 10 - Knoxville, TN - The Bijou Theater
Sep 11 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
Sep 12 - Durham, NC - The Carolina Theatre
Sep 13 - Atlanta, GA - The Variety Playhouse
Sep 15 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Festival
Sep 17 - Lawrence, KS - The Granada (solo show)
Sep 18 - Louisville, KY - WL Lyons Brown Theatre (solo show)
Sep 19 - Bloomington, IN - Buskirk Chumley Theater (solo show)
Sep 20 - Madison, WI - Wisconsin Union Theater
Sep 21 - Urbana, IL - 2007 Pygmalion Music Festival at Tryon Festival
Theatre, Krannert Center (solo show)
Sep 22 - Iowa City, IA - The Englert Theatre (solo show)
Sep 24 - Buffalo, NY - Asbury Hall at The Church (solo show)
Sep 25 - Toronto, ONT - The Opera House
Sep 26 - Montreal, QUE - La Tulipe
Sep 28 - South Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
Sep 29 - Baltimore, MD - Sonar
Sep 30 - Richmond, VA - Toad's Place Richmond
Oct 1 - State College, PA - State Theatre
Oct 2 - Pittsburgh, PA - Carnegie Music Hall

Leah Siegel @ Joe's Pub

2007-08-14T15:04:00.000-05:00

Leah Siegel has been on the NYC music scene for a few years now, but she's only now gaining the recognition she deserves. Her music is dynamic, in a way that we so rarely hear nowadays. I've seen her a couple times at Rockwood Music Hall, and she's blown me away each time.

Listen for yourself:
DOWNLOAD: Leah Siegel - "A Day At The River (With You And Your Lover)" (MP3)

Leah's playing at Joe's Pub tonight at 7PM. Tix are still on sale.

The Illusive Terminal 5

2007-08-14T10:20:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, we posted about The Shins coming to NYC in October, playing at a venue called Terminal 5. On the pre-sale page for the shows, they listed the address for Terminal 5 as 61 W. 56th Street. Confusing, because I work a mere 4 blocks from there, and can't imagine a rock show happening in this neighborhood.

BUT the NY Times enlightens us today, with news that music mafia Bowery Presents is opening a new venue where the old club Exit used to exist at 610 W. 56th Street. Terminal 5 will have a capacity of 3000, is three floors and by far the largest venue to open this year. All that is great, but my favorite part of this news is the band BP chose to open the venue: The National. I cannot wait.

Terminal 5 opens on October 11th. Tix for The National show go on sale on Friday for $20. Other acts booked for the venue include: M.I.A., Justice, The Shins, State Radio and Ween.

Via My Headphones.

Feist's Handwritten Note

2007-08-13T23:10:00.000-05:00

If you go to Feist's site right now, you'll see the above image. Apparently, Feist wasn't happy with how she's been represented online, so she took the site OFFLINE. "It was a robot with a paper mask of my face on it." Umm, a little melodramatic, eh?

So if you wanna find Feist online, head to her myspace. Obviously that makes sense, because myspace isn't owned by an evil corporation or anything. I think her statement would have more meaning if she took everything offline. Diva alert!

Soirée à Emporter

2007-08-13T12:47:00.000-05:00

La Blogotheque held their first Soirée à Emporter on July 30th, with "Beirut & SiDi ALi, the mighty Kocani Orkestar, Inlets, Jeremy Warmsley and David-Ivar Herman Düne. Sparrow House & Sebastian Schuller also made surprise appearances."

I can't tell you how much I enjoy watching La Blogotheque's Take Away Shows. They simply amaze me. The videos just capture a sense of spontaneity that is very unlike seeing an artist or band perform at a show. Seeing someone play in an unexpected place conjures a feeling of excitement at a different level than you normally get.

Anyway, watching this video of the first Soirée à Emporter with Beirut definitely brings that same excitement of a Take Away Show to a live show. What a brilliant concept. "Sunday Smiles" is great to watch, but the real magic here is "Siki Siki Baba," when Zach Condon plays with the Kocani Orkestar.

Via La Blogotheque:

That initial astonishment infuses this song with Kocani Orkestar. "Sunday Smile" is taut with anxiety and joy. It is bursting with Zach’s gratitude for the beauty of this moment. By the end of the song he is nearly bowing down before his guests from Macedonia.

When the call for "Siki Siki Baba" is sounded, Zach raises himself up and promptly jumps into the fray. "Watching me listen to this song," he wrote last year for Said the Gramophone, "is like watching a hyperactive four-year-old without his Ritalin. Pure excitement." Watching him not only listen but play along to this song is doubly exciting.

The crowd that only an hour ago was held spellbound by delicate sounds is now erupting, their energy in each chorus threatening to break out the windows of this former train station. Zach gushes along with the rest of them, waving his arms like some deranged conductor. His eyes are often closed or fixed upon the distant ceiling as if the sight of this swell is just a little too much. When he opens them and looks around, he can barely contain his laughter.

We are so thoroughly whipped into musical fervor that the end of the song is not an option. The crowd continues to bleat out its ecstasy in chorus after unscripted chorus. Our consolation, when the last note falls, is that this song is only the beginning of our night with Kocani Orkestar.

Let’s hope this is also only the beginning of these Soirées à Emporter.

Energetic Apples

2007-08-13T10:12:00.000-05:00

So, Apples In Stereo will be in NYC soon again! Well, Brooklyn and Hoboken to be specific. On September 16th they'll be at the Music Hall of Williamsburg and on September 20th they'll be at Maxwell's. Tix are still available for both shows. Still haven't seen them live yet myself. Thoughts?

Above is a New Balance commercial where their song "Energy" is featured. If I were in an indie rock band and licensed my songs for commercial use, this one would be up there with the cooler ones.

Scavenger Hunt with Dan Deacon?

2007-08-11T20:26:00.001-05:00

Oh New York Magazine. You spoil us so. Another amazing NYxNY event? Incredible!

This latest event in New York Mag's series is a Scavenger Hunt during Labor Day weekend on September 2nd at McCarren Park. It features open bar all night AND a performance by the dance circle man himself, Dan Deacon.

Gather your most ruthlessly resourceful gang together to see if you can find your way to the hidden-away parts of the city and win somewhat interesting prizes. Do you know where to find boiled peanuts in New York City? Where is the original Original Ray's Pizza? Can you figure out how to-- Britney Spears style-- get married and divorced in the same day? We're going to bring you to places that you never knew existed. It'll be totes fun, we promise. The teams will be in competition to win a prize, or a few of them. Then of course, we'll reward those sore losers who couldn't claim their prize with the ultimate after party.

Tix are $25, and as always includes a year's subscription to New York Mag.

DOWNLOAD: Dan Deacon - "The Crystal Cat" (MP3)

The Shins: New Tour Dates!

2007-08-11T20:02:00.000-05:00

Speaking of The Shins, apparently they'll be coming to NYC in October (not for CMJ). They'll be here on October 23rd and 24th at a venue called Terminal Five with special guests Vetiver. Anyone ever heard of this venue? I can't find anything about it, other than what's on The Shins site. It's on 61 W. 56th. New?

Anyway, there's a pre-sale going right now for tix on The Shins site. Tix are $39.50.

And here are the dates for the rest of the tour:

Oct 5 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre
Oct 6 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
Oct 7 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre – LA
Oct 9 – Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheater
Oct 10 – Albuquerque, NM @ Univ. of New Mexico/Popejoy Hall
Oct 17 – Atlanta, GA @ Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center
Oct 18 – Charleston, SC @ The Plex
Oct 19 – Raleigh, NC @ Progress Energy Center – Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
Oct 20 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
Oct 22 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
Oct 23 – New York, NY @ Terminal Five
Oct 24 – New York, NY @ Terminal Five
Oct 27 – Las Vegas, NV @ Sam Boyd Stadium /Vegoose Festival
Oct 28 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel

New Shins Video: "Turn On Me"

2007-08-10T14:47:00.000-05:00

The Shins - Turn On Me

"Turn On Me" is one of my favorite songs from Wincing the Night Away by The Shins, and let me tell you, the video does not disappoint. It's full of suspense, and includes: a leathery old lady sun bathing, a leathery old man cleaning the pool, a dog waiting for scraps of food, a crane carrying a piano and a construction worker. You need to watch this video in its entirety to see what happens when their worlds collide. Shocking!

Daft Punk @ Keyspan Park

2007-08-10T10:34:00.000-05:00

The stars aligned last night [August 9th] for the most amazing show I've been to this summer. The weather was perfect, with an amazing breeze all night. Keyspan Park is the perfect venue, with views of the Cyclone and the Wonder Wheel, plus its proximity to the beach. And the crowd just had that electric energy. People were in the mood to DANCE!

Daft Punk put on a most incredible show. Their light show was indescribable. And their beats definitely kept you moving. Every single person was dancing last night. You can't say that for any other show in NYC.

They played all the favorites: "Around the World," "Harder Better Faster Stronger," "One More Time" and "Technologic." But I think the highlight for me was "Face To Face."

CMJ 2007!

2007-08-09T17:20:00.000-05:00

So it was another busy day at work that didn't lend itself to blogging, but I wanted to post the first round of artists announced to perform at this year's CMJ. I glanced at it really quickly, and I'm already impressed. Have a look for yourself:

Spoon
UNKLE
Justice
British Sea Power
Mates Of State
Coheed And Cambria
Rodrigo Y Gabriela
Xiu Xiu
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien
Dirtbombs
Mute Math
Jesu
Devin the Dude
The Ponys
Islands
Tiny Masters of Today
Eisley
Vietnam
Little Brother
Mickey Hart & Zakir Hussein
Brother Ali
Marnie Stern
No Age
Crystal Castles
MSTRKRFT
Chromeo
The Brunettes
1990s
Ruins
A-Trak
Foreign Islands
Kavinsky
Simian Mobile Disco

What d'ya think?

Enter Shikari Enters the States

2007-08-08T14:48:00.000-05:00

I never got a chance to write about my In The City of New York experience, but it was amazing. I saw a lot of great UK bands, including the Pigeon Detectives, The Rakes and most notably Enter Shikari.

So I'm definitely NOT the person you'd peg for listening to scream-o, but after seeing Enter Shikari live I was floored. I've never seen a band with so much energy before. And they just took absolute control of the crowd; it was amazing.

Enter Shikari will be in NYC at Bowery Ballroom on September 11th. Tix are on sale for $15.

Don't forget to bring your finger lights:

New Ferraby Lionheart Out Now!

2007-08-08T13:24:00.000-05:00

Ferraby Lionheart's new album Catch the Brass Ring is officially out on September 4th via Nettwerk, but it's available digitally now. You can get it on iTunes or eMusic.

The album is very mellow and pleasant to listen to. Highlights include "Small Planet," "Youngest Frankenstein" and "A Bell and Tumble."

New Flight of the Conchords: The Distant Future

2007-08-07T15:08:00.001-05:00

Ok don't really have time to blog due to craziness at work, but I wanted to point you to Spinner. They're streaming some great albums this week, including the new EP by Flight of the Conchords called The Distant Future and another release from Sub Pop by another New Zealand band, The Brunttes Structure and Cosmetics.

New Bjork Video: "Innocence"

2007-08-07T13:20:00.000-05:00

Bjork held a contest on myspace, and the winner's video was dubbed the "official" video for "Innocence."

Innocence

The digital single for "Innocence" is out now and includes 3 remixes, the Simian Mobile Disco twelve inch remix, Alva Noto Unitxt Remodel twelce inch remix and Ghotigital Untouchel Innocence Still Amazes Fearless remix. Check it out on iTunes.

Mutha Uckers

2007-08-03T16:03:00.000-05:00

I didn't have time at work today to really blog, but I wanted to leave you guys with this mutha uckin' Flight of the Conchords clip.

Too many mutha uckas uckin' with my shhhhh.

BK Finishes Off His Residency

2007-08-02T10:53:00.000-05:00

Last night [August 1st], I saw Ben Kweller's last night at his Southpaw residency. He performed his newest album, the self-titled Ben Kweller. It was great. On Monday, Southpaw was so overcrowded. They must've really filled up the guest list that night; I could barely move and it was so sweaty and gross in there. But I digress. Last night was a much more pleasurable show experience.

I felt like that band might've been a little tired, but they still gave it their all. Ben announced that he'll be recording in September in Austin and again in NYC in February. Yay, new BK album!

Encores from last night:
"Walk On Me" Sha Sha
"Hospital Bed" On My Way
"Different But the Same" On My Way
"Wasted & Ready" Sha Sha

DOWNLOAD: Ben Kweller - "I Need You Back" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ben Kweller - "On My Way" (MP3)

Photos via Kyle Dean Reinford on flickr.

The Mates Are Back!

2007-08-02T10:09:00.001-05:00

Good news: Mates of State are coming back to NYC! And not only that, they've been in the studio recording their new album!

We have some action for your listening pleasure. There's a new record in the works -- we just recorded 3 songs with Chris Walla at Tiny Telephone, and later on we'll be recording with Jim Eno, Peter Katis, and Bill Racine, among others, in various locales.

We're trying out some new songs and re-arranging some old ones in the acoustic configuration some of you saw during the This American Life tour. Baby grand and all, these are special shows not-to-be-missed:

They'll be playing NYC twice in October, one rock show and one acoustic:

October 18th - Club NME @ The Annex [rock]
October 19th - Joe's Pub [acoustic]

And they'll also be playing two more acoustic shows, one in Northampton (10/24) and one in Boston (10/25).

Download "Goods" below. It's one of my favorite songs, and also inspired the name of this blog.
DOWNLOAD: Mates of State - "Goods" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Mates of State - "Fraud in the 80s" (MP3)

Dancing At Spiegeltent!

2007-08-01T14:09:00.000-05:00

Ok so this isn't exactly an indie rock posting, but it looks like so much fun so I had to let you know about it.

Spiegelworld, the people behind that amazing teak/velvet/mirror-encrusted Spiegel Tent at Pier 17 on the South Street Seaport, invite you to unleash your inner dance fiend every Wednesday night at Wednesday Night Fever. Of course, Spiegel doesn’t want you to flail around completely uninformed, so they’ll be giving attendees a crash course in how to dance like a different superstar every week (see full schedule below). It all starts at 8 PM, and it’s all FREE! Every performance is also a chance to do something good for the world, as you’ll have the opportunity to donate to Dancers Responding to AIDS.

TIME: 8pm-9:30pm
LOCATION: Spiegelworld – Pier 17, South Street Seaport

WEEKLY SCHEDULE:
Aug 1 - Madonna "Vogue"
Aug 8 - Michael Jackson "Thriller"
Aug 15 - Patrick Swayze "Dirty Dancing" Sals! a
Aug 22 – Janet Jackson “Rhythm Nation”
Aug 29 - Sandy & Danny in Grease
Sep 5 - Penguins from "Happy Feet"
Sep 12 - John Travolta "Saturday Night Fever"
Sep 19 - Swing
Sep 26 - Shakira "Oh Baby"

Tonight's Madonna!

Trey Told 'Em

2007-08-01T11:14:00.001-05:00

Trey Told 'Em is the duo of Gregg of Girl Talk fame and Frank of Heart of Darknesses fame. They currently have two amazing remixes posted on their psychedelic myspace: a remix of Tokyo Police Club's "Cheer It On" and a remix of Simian Mobile Disco's "I Believe." The mixes will definitely get you dancing.

Joe's Pub in the Park

2007-08-01T10:56:00.000-05:00

Yes, 'tis the season for Joe's Pub in the Park. This year, I think the best free show will be the Michelle Shocked, Toshi Reagon & BIGLovely and John Boutte on Friday, September 28th. Also, I previously mentioned the Beirut show at the Delacorte theater, which is a part of this series as well. Tickets for that show are $25 and can be ordered here. That show also features Balkan Beat Box and the NY Gypsy All-Stars.

Check out the rest of the schedule for the series here.

New Kevin Drew Video: "Backed Out On The..."

2007-07-31T12:52:00.000-05:00

This video looks like so much fun. Broken Social Scene look like they can really party.

"This song was recorded with Joules Scott Key of Metric and Bang Lime on drums and J Mascis and Kevin Drew on guitar and vocals. The video happened last minute after a Dinosaur Jr show in Toronto. John Caffery from KIDS ON TV was hired to come and dance his ASS off and a spontaneous party was put into effect.

There were seven mirrors, one disco ball, four lights, one bottle of rum, three bottles of tequila, 62 beers, four crew and 17 people. It got put together on the day of the shoot and became the party of the year. It cost three thousand dollars to make... It was priceless." - Kevin Drew

Sha Sha-ing!

2007-07-31T10:22:00.000-05:00

Last night [July 30th], Ben Kweller performed his first album Sha Sha in order, in its entirety at Southpaw. And it was amazing. BK is currently on tour with what he's dubbed the Trio on the Train Track, which means him, Chris Morrissey on bass and Mark Stepro on drums. They had so much energy last night, and were so excited to be doing this 3-night stint. And the crowd was psyched! I've never seen a crowd sing along to every word of every song before.

BK wore the polka dot/black shirt combo that he wore on the Sha Sha album art, and even came out with the hat and a red toothbrush! He also told the audience the story behind some of the songs and gave out some treats from his Sha Sha Box.

They encored with requests: "On My Way," "Sundress" and "Penny on the Train Track."

Tim Fite opened for BK last night. He's quite a character. He had incredible videos projected behind him, and was definitely fun and interesting to watch.

Catch BK and his trio at Southpaw again tonight for On My Way and on Wednesday for the self-titled Ben Kweller album. You won't be disappointed.

DOWNLOAD: Ben Kweller - "In Other Words" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ben Kweller - "Commerce, TX" (MP3)

Architecture On Tour

2007-07-30T15:09:00.000-05:00

Architecture In Helsinki have just announced their North American tour this fall, to support Places Like This. The tour kicks off in Philly, ends in Florida and includes stints at Studio B and the Gramercy Theater.

10-10 Philadelphia, PA - Starlight Ballroom
10-11 New York, NY - The Gramercy Theatre
10-12 Brooklyn, NY - Studio B
10-13 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
10-16 Chicago, IL - Metro
10-18 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace
10-19 Montreal, Quebec - La Tulipe
10-24 Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar
10-26 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
10-27 Salt Lake City, UT - In the Venue
10-29 Seattle, WA - The Showbox
10-30 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
11-01 San Francisco, CA - Fillmore
11-02 San Diego, CA - House of Blues
11-05 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
11-10 Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture
11-13 Denton, TX - Hailey's
11-14 Austin, TX - Emo's
11-15 New Orleans, LA - The Republic
11-16 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder

Download "Debbie" off Places Like This for a bit of a 80s synth/ska combo.
DOWNLOAD: Architecture In Helsinki - "Debbie" (MP3)

Places Like This is out on August 21st via Polyvinyl.

Ben Kweller Residency Starts Tonight!

2007-07-30T14:48:00.000-05:00

Whoops. I've really been slacking on the blog lately. But I'm back now! And tonight I'm going to see Ben Kweller perform Sha Sha at Southpaw. So excited.

Just wanted to announce the openers for the BK residency:
July 30th - Sha Sha - Tim Fite
July 31st - On My Way - Adam Green
August 1st - Ben Kweller - Jeffrey Lewis

See you there!

Michael Showalter's iPod

2007-07-26T14:28:00.001-05:00

Last night [July 25th] I saw Michael Showalter at Union Hall, for one of the performances for the recording of his live CD. He was great, definitely the best I've seen him. One of my favorite bits from last night was his description of what's on his iPod. He started off the night by walking on stage to Vanessa Carlton's "A Thousand Miles." You know that song, you probably heard it in every movie in 2002. Anyway, he went on to say how he's always embarrassed about what's on his iTunes and iPod and usually renames the artists, but that he can no longer hide it. He played a bunch of songs that would be on a "typical" playlist of his:

Dave Matthews Band (renamed Sufjan Stevens) - "Crash" ('When I hear this song, I want to get a white baseball cap and wear it backwards. I want a red plastic cup full of beer. I want a tattoo of a circle of thorns.')
Sheryl Crow (renamed Cat Power) - "My Favorite Mistake"
Train - "Drops of Jupiter"
Christina Aguilera - "Beautiful"
Marc Cohn - "Walking In Memphis"
Goo Goo Dolls - "Iris"

Michael Showalter's album will be released via JDub Records. Don't know when though...

You can try and catch the second night of his recording at Union Hall tonight. Limited tickets should be available at the door.

New Kevin Drew Songs

2007-07-26T11:09:00.000-05:00

Two new Kevin Drew songs are up on his myspace today: "Cocaine Skin" and "Backed Out On The." "Cocaine Skin" is a myspace exclusive b-side and "Backed Out On The" appears on Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew Spirit If...

"Back Out On The" sounds very Broken Social Scene-y, with more straightforward vocals. But of the two, I personally prefer "Cocaine Skin."

Kevin Drew and Feist perform at McCarren Pool on August 29th. Tix are still on sale.

Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew Spirit If... is out on September 18th via Arts & Crafts.

Fiery Sculptures

2007-07-25T15:14:00.000-05:00

The Fiery Furnaces are playing at what looks like an amazing location next month. On August 26th, Fiery Furnaces will be playing a free show at Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, Queens. The show will be from 4PM - 6PM. This is the same night as the Book Eaters show.

New YACHT Video: "Women of the World"

2007-07-25T12:03:00.000-05:00

"Women of the World" by YACHT

"Women of the World" is the YACHT song most commonly mistaken for a Jim
O'Rourke cover, when in fact both YACHT's version and O'Rourke's are merely
an Ivor Cutler poem set to music - O'Rourke's take being orch-pop and
YACHT's being hyper grunge. The video by James Sumner (who also directed
videos for Deerhunter and Dirty Projectors) is appropriately spastic.

Haven't seen enough seizure inducing fun? You can catch YACHT at McCarren Pool on August 19th for one of the JellyNYC Pool Parties, with Ghostland Observatory.

Siren Festival @ Coney Island

2007-07-23T14:50:00.000-05:00

Got to Siren at about 4PM this year, and was just assaulted by the crowd. I guess because it was amazing weather this year, everyone came out. The line-up wasn't that great, so it couldn't have been for that reason.

Anyway, I headed straight to the main stage, by the Cyclone. The Black Lips went on shortly after I got there and they sounded really good. Not nearly as fun as the night before, when I saw them at Silent Barn, but good enough. Then I stuck around the main stage for the We Are Scientists set. I've definitely seen more solid shows from them. Don't know if they are suited to the festival atmosphere, as I know they like crowd interaction, and its hard to get that when there are 5,000 people in the crowd. The guitars were also quite low for their set, so I wish that I heard more of that. Then I tried to catch Matt & Kim at the Stillwell stage, but they ended right as I got there. Bummer. So I went back to the main stage, where M.I.A. was setting up. During my time away from that area, it had gotten at least 25% more crowded. So I headed to the Boardwalk to see if I could hear from there. Alas, the sound was not that powerful, so I just conceded to missing that set. Next up, I headed again to the Stillwell stage for Voxtrot. I really liked them, and haven't gotten a chance to see them live yet. They definitely put on the most solid set I saw that day.

After that, though, I had no energy to brave the crowds any longer, so I set off for Brighton Beach. Not a banner evening, but good enough for a free show!

Dirty Projectors @ Whitney Live

2007-07-23T13:13:00.001-05:00

Last Friday [July 20th], Dirty Projectors played in the basement of the Whitney Museum, where there is a gift shop and cafe. They played a little Black Flag, some originals and mostly won the attention of the free-loading museum crowd. Friday nights at the Whitney happen to be pay-what-you-want, starting at 6PM. I got to the museum around 7ish, and there was a crowd rounding the corner and half way down 75th street. But the line moved pretty fast, and soon I was watching the band from the outside. Dirty Projectors played about a 40-minute set and I must say that I really enjoyed it. There's something that draws me to their sound. Alone, I think Dave Longstreth's voice gets tiresome, but combined with the female vox, their sound is amazingly pleasant.

Catch them in NYC at Mercury Lounge on September 28th.

DOWNLOAD: Dirty Projectors - "No More" (MP3)

Holy Trampolines! New Architecture In Helsinki Video

2007-07-23T10:26:00.000-05:00

This new video for Architecture In Helsinki's "Hold Music" really makes me want to take that trampoline class at Crunch...

Also, if that video isn't enough for you, you can stream their whole album Places Like This on their myspace page. Places Like This is out on August 21st via Polyvinyl.

New Most Serene Republic Album: Population

2007-07-23T10:11:00.000-05:00

The Most Serene Republic will release their new album Population on October 2nd via Arts & Crafts.

The album was self-produced by the band in Toronto over the last year, and was inspired by the sprawling suburbs of their hometown of Milton, Ontario. Musically, they sound as grandiose as ever. On Population, they showcase their prog and jazz influence, while building on the unique sound they carved out with their Arts & Crafts debut, Underwater Cinematographer, which Exclaim! Magazine described as “raucous, arty pop structures and ambient noise with a lo-fi, wall-of-sound approach.

Tracklisting:
1. Humble Peasants
2. Compliance
3. The Men Who Live Upstairs
4. Present of Future End
5. A Mix of Sun and Cloud
6. Battle Hymn of the Republic
7. Why So Looking Back
8. Sherry and Her Butterfly Net
9. Agenbit on Inwit
10. Career in Shaping Clay
11. Solpism Millionaires
12. Multiplication Tables
13. Neurasthenia

DOWNLOAD: The Most Serene Republic - "Sherry and Her Butterfly Net" (MP3)

Dirty Projectors On Tour

2007-07-20T14:12:00.000-05:00

#55.1 - Dirty Projectors - Part 1
Uploaded by lablogotheque

Dirty Projectors are going on tour with YACHT next month and in September.

Dates via P4K:

08-23 Portland, ME - Space Gallery *
08-24 Montreal, Quebec - Casa Del Popolo *
08-25 Toronto, Ontario - Sneaky Dee''s *
08-27 Buffalo, NY - Soundlab *
08-28 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Tavern *
08-29 Cincinnati, OH - Publico *
08-30 Bloomington, IN - Buskirk Chumley Theatre *
08-31 Ann Arbor, MI - The B-Side #
09-01 Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen #
09-02 Grinnell, IA - Grinnell Lounge
09-03 Omaha, NE - Slowdown Jr.
09-04 Denver, CO - Hi Dive
09-05 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
09-08 Portland, OR - Satyricon ^
09-11 Sacramento, CA - Fools Foundation ^
09-12 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill ^
09-13 Visalia, CA - Howie & Sons ^
09-14 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo ^

* with Vampire Weekend
# with Nat Baldwin
^ with White Rainbow

BUT, they are also playing TONIGHT at The Whitney Museum for Whitney Live. So if you haven't yet, you can catch the Summer of Love exhibition and see some great music for basically free, because Fridays are pay-what-you-want admission at the museum. The show starts at 6PM tonight.

Above is a take away show from La Blogotheque. The second song they do is "Six Pack," and sounds nothing like the original Black Flag version. Like it?

You can also catch Dirty Projectors on August 4th at Death By Audio in Williamsburg for a Showpaper Benefit.

Revenge of the Book Eaters Show

2007-07-19T15:52:00.000-05:00

Just like last year's show, this year's 826NYC benefit, Revenge of the Book Eaters, features some amazing artists performing at Beacon Theater.

826NYC and The Bowery Presents present REVENGE OF THE BOOK EATERS, a one-night-only event that brings together some of our most celebrated comedians, writers, and indie-rock songwriters for a rare evening of intimate performances, including FEIST, A.C. NEWMAN (of The New Pornographers), JIM JAMES (of My Morning Jacket), GRIZZLY BEAR, SARAH VOWELL (best-selling author and This American Life contributor), and DEMETRI MARTIN (Daily Show regular, comedy superstar). The night promises once and for all to try to settle the debate: words or music - which is better?
This event, which is named after a story by an 826NYC student, is a follow-up to last year's much-heralded event and six-city tour by the same name - a unique and awe-inspiring synthesis of the literary, comedy, and music communities in support of 826NYC's similarly innovative programming for kids.

Yay! Demetri Martin is hilarious.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10am and range from $35 - $50. And of course BP is the promoter.

Ben Kweller Expands Tour!

2007-07-19T10:10:00.000-05:00

Last time we posted about Ben Kweller, we announced his three-night residency at Southpaw taking place later this month. Now he has a whole tour planned, and ANOTHER three-night residency, this time at The Echo in Los Angeles.

All dates below:


July 30	*Southpaw (Sha Sha)*	Brooklyn, NY	SOLD OUT
July 31	*Southpaw (On My Way)*	Brooklyn, NY	BUY!
Aug 1	*Southpaw (Ben Kweller)*	Brooklyn, NY	SOLD OUT
Aug 7	Variety Playhouse	Atlanta, GA	BUY!
Aug 8	The Social	Orlando, FL	BUY!
Aug 9	Jack Rabbits	Jacksonville, FL	BUY!
Aug 10	Crowbar	Ybor City, FL	BUY!
Aug 11	Culture Room	Ft. Lauderdale, FL	BUY!
Aug 13	Work Play Theatre	Birmingham, AL	BUY!
Aug 15	The Parish	New Orleans, LA	BUY!
Aug 17	Walter's On Washington	Houston, TX	BUY!
Aug 18	Hailey's	Denton, TX	BUY!
Aug 20	Bricktown Ballroom	Oklahoma City, OK	BUY!
Aug 21	Bob's at Cain's Ballroom	Tulsa, OK	BUY!
Aug 22	Juanita's	Little Rock, AR	BUY!
Aug 23	Newby's	Memphis, TN	BUY!
Aug 24	Exit/In	Nashville, TN	BUY!
Aug 25	Grey Eagle	Asheville, NC	BUY!
Aug 26	Satellite Ballroom	Charlottesville, VA	BUY!
Aug 28	Off Broadway	St. Louis, MO	BUY!
Aug 29	Mojo's	Columbia, MO	BUY!
Aug 30	The Bottleneck	Lawrence, KS	BUY!
Aug 31	Club 156	Boulder, CO	BUY!
Sep 1	In The Venue	Salt Lake City, UT	BUY!
Sep 4	Bottom Of The Hill	San Francisco, CA	BUY!
Sep 5 Sep 6 Sep 7	The Echo	Los Angeles, CA	BUY 3 DAY PASSES!
Sep 5	The Echo (Sha Sha)	Los Angeles, CA	BUY!
Sep 6	The Echo *(On My Way)*	Los Angeles, CA	BUY!
Sep 7	The Echo *(Ben Kweller)*	Los Angeles, CA	BUY!
Sep 9	The Canyon	Las Vegas, NV	BUY!
Sep 11	Solar Culture	Tucson, AZ	BUY!
Sep 16	Austin City Limits Festival	Austin, TX	BUY!

Same deal with the LA residency. Each night will be a different BK album in it's entirety, with 3-day Fun passes available.

Patrick Wolf Vents About Bad Music

2007-07-19T10:00:00.001-05:00

So, late last night Patrick Wolf posted this bulletin, with the subject "Somerset House:"

Mika is a twat

but then early this morning, he posted this "translation:"

and what I meant was
Please lets put an end to
over marketed, expensive heartless
tacky rubbish, autotune, airbrush
should i market myself to look OUTRAGEOUS and kooky or would
it be easier if I sold records by playing safe and serene
and for the family
to save more record sales. Cliff richard. enrique iglesias.
mutton dressed as lamb.
what we all need in this time
of super superficialities is gristle
and bone and passion and soul
and true stars that havent come from
the end of showbiz academy jazz hands school
I never got an education for what
i do, I woke up with a passion to sing
and write and communicate from the bottom
of my dirty teenage heart and we should be more aware
of what is fed to us as genetically modified music
and what is organic music, this is not about gender
or sexuality, its just a bad time for music and I cant
stand on the sideline with a fake smile.
Sure, everybody likes a good show.. and and entertainer
but liberace had the flying limousine and hotpants.

I went to hear my violinist Victoria Sutherland play Schuberts last piano trio yesterday morning, it was in st marys church on the strand right opposite somerset house where we played only about thirteen hours before.
it was the first time in many months I heard a piece of music that totally seized my body with emotion. I suddenly woke up out of the forced ataraxy of the previous night.

Franz Shubert died of syphilis and mercury poisoning at the age of 30 with almost all of his compositions refused to be played by orchestras or definitely unpublished,

I demand justice for good music and firebrands who
refiuse to compromise to be popular.
Or at least a good meal or two in the process to keep them going.

Stay true, free and fierce peoples and enjoy your summer....

xxx pw

As crazy and bitter as that first bulletin sounds, I kind of agree with his second posting. Creativity is definitely alive in the indie world, but where is it in the mainstream?

PS. After this and the drummer incident at Hiro Ballroom, I'm now officially scared of PW.

Rogue Wave Is Asleep At Heaven's Gate

2007-07-18T10:17:00.001-05:00

Hailing from Oakland, California, rockers Rogue Wave have released two full-length albums on Sub Pop and are now going for their third. But they switched up labels. They're now with Mr. Banana Pancakes himself, Jack Johnson, on his Brushfire imprint. The new album is called Asleep At Heaven's Gate and is out on September 18th.

Via CMJ:

Collaborating with producer Roger Moutenot (Sleater-Kinney, Elvis Costello, Yo La Tengo) and guest musicians John Vanderslice and Matthew Caws (Nada Surf), the new effort echoes the tumultuous and triumphant events the band endured in 2006, including drummer Pat Spurgeon's kidney transplant, the birth of vocalist Zach Rogue's daughter and the addition of new bassist Patrick Abernethy.

DOWNLOAD: Rogue Wave - "Endless Shovel" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Rogue Wave - "Publish My Love" (MP3)

Bjork Pre-sale for MSG

2007-07-18T10:02:00.001-05:00

Bjork recently announced that she'll be playing Madison Square Garden on September 24th.

The pre-sale is NOW on Bjork's site.

Also on the pre-sale:

September 11th: Detroit Fox Theater
September 17th: Atlanta Fox Theater
September 21st: Montreal Jacques Cartier Pier

Grand Animals on High Street

2007-07-17T13:26:00.000-05:00

Local boys Robbers On High Street release their new album Grand Animals next week on July 24th via New Line Records. They will also be promoting in the city a bit.

Tuesday July 24th – Listening Party at H-Fi, 169 Avenue A,
between 10th and 11th St., NY, NY

Friday July 27th – Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street, NY, NY
w/ Aeroplane Pageant and the Jealous Girlfriends

Pre-order Grand Animals on Amazon.

DOWNLOAD: Robbers On High Street - "Crown Victoria" (MP3)

Harry Potter Week!

2007-07-16T13:44:00.001-05:00

So as you may know the last Harry Potter book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows comes out on Saturday. Same day at the Siren Festival! Ugh, just like two years ago. Anyway, to celebrate, maybe you'll want to see Harry and the Potters? You know, that indie rock duo of brothers that sing about the Harry Potter books? They're fun. I highly recommend their live show if you're an HP fan.

July 19th, Thursday
Queens, NY
Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden
5:00pm, $10 adults/$5 under 12
29-19 24th Ave, Astoria, NY 11102
Oh yes! You're going to have to be careful not to OD on Awesomeness tonight! This is a SUPER SPECIAL show! Also performing are the Hungarian Horntails and those jerks in Draco and the Malfoys. And to top it all off, we are going to be joined by the Dumbledore's Army HORN SECTION! Whoa! Oh my! Do not miss this!

I wish this show didn't start so early :(

Download a bunch of their songs on their Virb page.

Bishop Allen's Broken String

2007-07-13T16:53:00.001-05:00

This just in: Bishop Allen's new album The Broken String is available for download NOW! The official release date is July 24th, but if you go to their online store and purchase the album you get MP3s immediately as well as the physical product shipped to you when it gets released. Sweet deal!

A lot of the tracks off The Broken String are from the 2006 EPs. Tracklisting below:

The Monitor
Rain
Click, Click, Click, Click
The Chinatown Bus
Flight 180
Like Castanets
Butterfly Nets
Shrinking Violet
Corazon
Middle Management
Choose Again
The News From Your Bed

DOWNLOAD: Bishop Allen - "Rain" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bishop Allen - "Click Click Click Click" (MP3)

Catch them for free at the Seaport next Friday for the River to River Festival, with Rock Plaza Central.

The Hip-Hopopotamus vs. The Rhymenocerous

2007-07-13T13:51:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd leave you all this Friday with a feel-good clip from Flight of the Conchords. If you haven't been watching this show, you should be. It's brilliant.

I'm the motherflippin'.

New Pornographers: Fall Tour

2007-07-13T11:29:00.001-05:00

The New Pornographers recently released dates for their tour this Fall, including two dates at Webster Hall on October 24th (my birthday!) and October 25th.

09/13 - Victoria, British Columbia - McPherson Ballroom
09/14 - Seattle, WA - Showbox
09/15 - Seattle, WA - Showbox
09/16 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
09/17 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre
09/18 - San Diego, CA - House Of Blues
09/19 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre
09/20 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre
09/21 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre
09/22 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
09/24 - Boulder, CO - Boulder Theater
09/25 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
09/26 - Boise, ID - The Egyptian Theatre
09/28 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Commordore Ballroom
10/14 - Missoula, MT - University Theater
10/15 - Winnipeg, MB - Garrick Centre
10/17 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
10/18 - Chicago, IL - Metro
10/19 - Chicago, IL - Metro
10/20 - North Tonawanda, NY - Riviera Theater
10/21 - Toronto, ON - Ducat King
10/24 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
10/25 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
10/26 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
10/31 - New Orleans, LA - House Of Blues

Above is a video about how to Buy Challengers Early, and Get Now. I've been listening to the Challengers pretty much non-stop since I got it. It's amazing. I think it's my favorite NP album, it just has a lot of depth and creativity. To me, this album is all about vocals. I love the way their utilize the different sounds in their voices to create texture and scope. Favorites tracks include "My Rights Versus Yours," "All The Old Showstoppers," "Challengers," "Failsafe" and "Myriad Harbour."

DOWNLOAD: The New Pornographers - "Myriad Harbour" (Mp3)

Challengers is out on August 21st via Matador.

The National Go INTERnational

2007-07-12T16:16:00.000-05:00

Whoa, long and busy day at work today. I meant to post this this morning, but couldn't get to it. Anyway, bad joke aside (see post title), it seems like The National are about to take over the world.

Check out the dates for their Fall tour:
07/13 - Dour, Belgium - Dour Festival
07/14 - Herk, Belgium - Rock Herk Festival
07/15 - Southwold, England - Latitude Festival
08/05 - Zambujeira Do Mar, Portgal - Sudoeste Festival
08/15 - St. Malo, France - La Route Du Rock
08/17 - New York, NY - South Street Seaport
09/04 - Philadelphia, PA - Theater Of Living Arts
09/05 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
09/06 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
09/07 - Carrboro, NC - Cats Cradle
09/08 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
09/10 - Orlando, FL - The Club At Firestone
09/11 - Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder
09/12 - Birmingham, AL - The Bottletree
09/14 - Dallas, TX - Grenada Theater
09/16 - Austin, TX - Zilker Park (Austin City Limits Festival)
09/18 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theater
09/19 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown
09/20 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line
09/21 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
09/22 - Chicago, IL - The Vic
09/23 - Cincinnati, OH - Madison Theater
09/27 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
09/28 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
09/29 - San Francisco, CA - Ballroom
10/01 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
10/02 - Seattle, WA - Showbox
10/03 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
10/06 - Boston, MA - Roxy
10/07 - Montreal, Quebec - Le National
10/08 - Toronto, Ontario - Phoenix Concert Hall
11/01 - Dublin, Ireland - Village
11/02 - Glasgow, Scotland - ABC
11/03 - Sheffield, England - Leadmill
11/04 - Manchester, England - Academy 2
11/06 - Birmingham, England - Irish Centre
11/07 - London, England - Shepherds Bush Empire
11/09 - Bristol, England - Anson Rooms
11/10 - Portsmouth, England - Pyramids
11/13 - Reims, France - La Cartonnerie
11/14 - Paris, France - Elysee Montmartre
11/15 - Rennes, France - Ubu Club
11/16 - Toulouse, France - Le Phare
11/17 - Barcelona, Spain - La del Apolo
11/19 - Clermont, France - Ferrand
11/20 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Le Romandie
11/21 - Milan, Italy - Transilvania
11/22 - Zurich, Switzerland - Abart
11/23 - Zagreb, Croatia - TBA
11/24 - Vienna, Austria - Szene Wien
11/26 - Stuttgart, Germany - Schocken 12
11/27 - Cologne, Germany - Prime Club
11/28 - Amsterdam, Holland - Melkweg
11/30 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Lille Vega
12/01 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser
12/02 - Oslo, Norway - John Dee
12/03 - Malmo, Sweden - KB
12/05 - Hamburg, Germany - Knust
12/06 - Berlin, Germany - Postbahnhof

Europe -> States -> Back to Europe!

Meanwhile, Daytrotter posted a session with The National this week. Head to their site for a short interview and 4 free MP3s, including "Lucky You," "Gospel," "Slow Show" and a cover of the Psychedelic Furs' "Pretty In Pink!"

T in the Park

2007-07-11T19:49:00.001-05:00

T in the Park is a three-day Scottish music festival that was held last week in Balado, Perth & Kinross. Tickets to the festival have recently been selling out in record time, and they had to shut out many people last week due to the organizer's closing the parking lots. This year's line-up included: Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Lily Allen, Interpol, Kings of Leon and Jamie T, among others. Early bird tickets (about 40,000) were released for next year's festival yesterday and sold out in 69 minutes, without the line-up even being announced. Those are some serious music fans there in Scotland.

BBC has a bunch of footage from this year's festival on their website.

Here are the Kings of Leon performing four songs, "Molly's Chamber," "The Bucket," "Milk" and my favorite "On Call." Check out Caleb's new look! Sweet haircut.

You can also check out live footage of Arcade Fire, Albert Hammond, Jr., Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Camera Obscura, Jamie T, Interpol, The Fratellis, CSS, Editors, The Thrills, The Kooks, Lily Allen and Rufus Wainwright on the BBC site.

New Matt Pond PA Album

2007-07-11T14:56:00.000-05:00

After a tough year, Matt Pond PA will release their seventh album on September 25th on Altitude Records.

Via Billboard:

"The floor just seemed to drop out on us," Pond tells Billboard.com. "And the bulk of the response fell on me. But in the end, it was kinda good for me. I just had to fight for what I wanted [in this record] and it ended up being that. It continues [with] what I tend to write about -- dealing with death, apathy and women ... and how those tie together."

Pond says that the stalled recording efforts became particularly frustrating in part because the songs had been worked out in his head, yet couldn't be captured with a good recording. "The lyrics had been laid out, and the arrangements were all very clear," he says. "It just sucks that the recordings came out so bad. But those are things you can't take into account."

"Last Light" did have some bright rays, mainly through vocal contributions from Neko Case and Kelly Hogan. "Working with Kelly and Neko, that was one of the greatest parts of this," Pond says. "Kelly is so talented -- sometimes I'm embarrassed to send her my songs. She's pretty awe-inspiring and scary at the same time."

I fell in love with their 2004 release Emblems. Their mellow sound is really beautiful and it's something I put on when I want to just sit down for a while and think.

DOWNLOAD: Matt Pond PA - "Grave's Disease" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Matt Pond PA - "Lily One" (MP3)

Bad Art Auction/Band of Horses @ Hiro Ballroom

2007-07-11T10:51:00.001-05:00

Last night [July 10th] was another New York Magazine event. This time it was a Bad Art Auction, hosted by Zach Galifianakis, with a performance by Band of Horses. Doors opened at 8PM, and the Zach finally came on stage at around 920PM. He did a little of his routine, and then proceeded with the auction. All proceeds from the auction went to New York Cares last night, or as Zach kept calling it New York, Who Cares?
There was definitely a lot of bad art there last night, including a portrait of Mel Gibson, a weird inflatable pig from Moby's private collection (which went for $300) and a portrait of NASCAR's Richard Petty that went for $500! And little did the bidder know, but there were two of those Richard Petty's floating around last night. Lucky duck walked away with two!

Later, around 11PM, Band of Horses finally went on and the crowd couldn't have been more excited for their set. Everyone packed it in up front, and the band opened with the first song off their new record, "Ghost." Later they played "I Went To The Barn Because I Like the," "LRC" (off the new record), "Monsters" and "The Great Salt Lake." My favorite is still "The Funeral," even though the band seems to be tired of playing it because they kept asking "Still not sick of this one yet, are ya?" Nope, I'm not. The two times I've seen Band of Horses live, "The Funeral" always floors me. They played a lot off Everything All the Time, and also a few new songs from their upcoming release (still untitled?), which will be out on Sub Pop in October.

Band of Horses plays a free McCarren Pool party on July 22nd with Annuals. Definitely gonna be at that one.

DOWNLOAD: Band of Horses - "The Funeral" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Band of Horses - "The Great Salt Lake" (MP3)

Stars: On Tour This Fall

2007-07-11T10:12:00.001-05:00

Stars are going on tour this Fall to support In Our Bedroom After the War, which is out September 25th but legally available to download now.

OCT 17. Higher Ground. Burlington, VT.
OCT 18. Town Hall. New York, NY.
OCT 19. Berklee. Boston, MA.
OCT 20. 9:30 Club. Washington, DC.
OCT 24. Starlight Ballroom. Philadelphia, PA.
OCT 26. Cat's Cradle. Carrboro, NC.
OCT 27. The Variety Playhouse. Atlanta, GA.
OCT 28. Club Downunder. Tallahassee, FL.
OCT 30. Stubb's. Austin, TX.
OCT 31. House of Blues. Dallas, TX.
NOV 02. Vic Theatre. Chicago, IL.
NOV 03. Pantages Theatre. Minneapolis, MN.
NOV 04. Slowdown. Omaha, NE.
NOV 06. Gothic Theatre. Denver, CO.
NOV 08. Rialto Theatre. Tucson, AZ.
NOV 09. House of Blues. San Diego, CA.
NOV 10. The Orpheum. Los Angeles, CA.
NOV 13. Bimbo's. San Francisco, CA.
NOV 14. Bimbo's. San Francisco, CA.
NOV 15. The Crystal Ballroom. Portland OR.
NOV 16. The Showbox. Seattle, WA.

Pre-sale tickets are available here. I checked out the Town Hall date and tickets are $37.80! Yikes. While that is for hard tickets, and that price includes the $4 handling fee, I still think that's pretty steep. Wonder who the promoter is?

A Mission Statement of Sorts from Arts & Crafts

2007-07-10T12:23:00.000-05:00

Arts & Crafts is my favorite label. Not because I love all the artists on the label, which I do, but because of the way they operate. Their business model is such that every label should aspire to it. They sincerely care about their artists, and I can't think of another label that nurtures creativity like Arts & Crafts.

So when I just read this memo from the label in regards to the new Stars album, I was inspired:

On September 25th, Arts&Crafts will release Stars' fourth studio album, In Our Bedroom After War.
We love it and are excited and proud to be bringing it to the world.

We enlisted Joe Chiccarelli to mix the album. He finished in early June, passing the tapes along to Emily Lazar at the Lodge for mastering. Last Friday, July 6th, a final master was delivered to us.

Traditional music business practice says we are to begin sending out copies of this album now. We give advance copies to print publications in hopes of securing features that coincide with our September date. We meet with radio stations in hopes of securing airplay. etc, etc.

Inevitably someone will leak the album.

Throughout this process, the most important people in this value chain, the fans, are given only two options - wait until September 25th to legally purchase the new album or choose from a variety of sources and download the album for free, at any time.

We hope you'll choose to support the band, and choose to pay for their album. However we don't think it's fair you should have to wait until September 25th to do so.

We believe that the line between the media and the public is now completely grey.
What is the difference between a writer for a big glossy music magazine and a student writing about their favourite bands on their blog? What differentiates a commercial radio station from someone adding a song to their lastfm channel? or their myspace page?

As such, we are making the new Stars album available for legal download today, four days after it's completion. The CD and double vinyl versions of the album will still be released on our official release date, September 25th. We hope you will continue to support music retailers should a physical album in all it's packaged glory be your choice of format.

It's our hope that given a clear, legal alternative to downloading music for free, you will choose to support the creators.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Sincerely,
Stars and Arts&Crafts

Download the In Our Bedroom After the War here on GalleryAC.

FREE Courtney Love Show! This Thursday

2007-07-10T11:26:00.001-05:00

Another free GBH show = crazy night:

This night is going to be insane.
Courtney is BACK - with a new album coming out soon, and London and Paris live shows under her belt.
We are teaming up with Rolling Stone Magazine to bring you this party - an intimate evening with Courtney Love and friends at Hiro Ballroom. Courtney will be performing live with a full band for the first time in New York in ages.
We are so excited we have lost all our ability to contain ourselves.

Drinks Specials:
Two-4-One Vodka drinks 10pm-11pm.
$8 Tiger-Beer-and-Whisky-Chaser-Combo, and $4 Sparks all night.

FREE to get in, but you must RSVP here!

The Week of Spoon

2007-07-09T21:13:00.001-05:00

So this is the week that Spoon's new album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, releases on Merge. I've been listening to it a lot lately. My favorites include "The Underdog," "Don't Make Me A Target," "Don't You Evah" and "My Little Japanese Cigarette Case."

Anyway, you can catch Spoon for FREE twice this week! Once tomorrow at the Virgin Megastore in Union Square and the other on Wednesday at Rockefeller Park downtown for the River to River Festival.

NEW YORKERS
We're doing an in-store performance & signing
at the Virgin Records at Union Square tomorrow
eve at 6:30pm. 52 East 14th Street, NYC 10003.

Order Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga at Insound.

Download a song from their last album:
DOWNLOAD: Spoon - "I Turn My Camera On" (MP3)

Dave Grohl = Nicest Guy In Rock

2007-07-09T16:01:00.000-05:00

Ok, so not only is Dave Grohl the most amazing rock star I've ever seen (witness "Everlong" at Live Earth above), but he's also the nicest (witness Billboard article excerpt below).

At the other end of the spectrum, "The Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners" finds Grohl and guest guitarist Kaki King flexing their fingerpicking. "This song is almost banjo-picking style with hammer-ons and pull-offs," Grohl says. "I showed it to her once and she shredded it 10 times better than I've ever played it."

That song was inspired by two Tasmanian miners who were tapped underground for two weeks and, while awaiting rescue, requested an iPod with Foo Fighters music on it to help lift their spirits. Grohl was alerted of the situation by a staffer at the band's Australian record company and wrote a note to the two men.

"I was in tears, man," he recalls. "I said, 'Hey guys, it's Dave. You're in our thoughts and prayers. When you get out, there's two tickets and two cold beers waiting for you wherever you want to see the band.'"

The men were eventually brought to safety, and when one of them came to see the Foos play the Sydney Opera House, "I thought I'd write something for him," Grohl says. "I came up with this little instrumental thing. After the show, we went and got f*ckin' wasted in the hotel bar and I was like, 'Dude, I promise I'm going to put this on the record.'

Who else would do that for dedicated fans?

The new Foo Fighters album Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace will be released on September 25th via Roswell/RCA and will be produced by Gil Norton (producer of The Colour and the Shape).

Via P4K.

Panda Bear DVD: Free!

2007-07-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

Haven't seen Panda Bear live yet? Well, now you can get a DVD of his live set for FREE!

Mike from Eat Tapes filmed 3 live Panda Bear shows, is compiling them into one live set, and releasing it free on DVD. Amazing.

Shortly after hearing about Panda Bear's tour for his latest album, Person Pitch, I thought it would be sweet if I were able to come along and film a complete (although short) tour. I got in touch with a highly psyched Noah and after some planning we were good to go. I went to Baltimore, Philly, and New York and complied an extensive collection of footage from all three nights. We decided it would be cool if we created a DVD from the videos.
Here is a list of things I know so far about the DVD. (Everything subject to some changes)

• The DVD will contain a full performance of Panda Bear's set. I will take the audio from the best recording and edit the three sets' videos together to make one cohesive performance.
•The DVD will also contain sound checks, audience responses, a Panda Bear interview, and other random footage.
• I did shoot all of the opening bands' performances. How I will provide them I am still deciding but I promise I will give everyone on this tour their due credit.
• I am a firm believer that the greatest things in life aught to be free, music being one of those things. Because of this and my respect, appreciation, and gratitude for Panda Bear, there is no necessary charge for this DVD. It will be free.

Head to the Panda Bear 2007 Tour DVD site to view a sneak peek of footage and hopefully to order the DVD soon!

Also, since there was a $250 filming charge at Bowery Ballroom, Mike is putting together a special Bonus disc pack and selling it for $5-$10.

Girl Talk: In the Streets Of Montreal

2007-07-06T11:50:00.000-05:00

This video is amazing. Girl Talk performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival on June 30th, and arranged it so he could take his performance to the streets. He made his laptop and transmitters all wireless and did his last couple songs in an alley near his gig. Most of the audience went out into the alley and a chaotic dance party ensued, complete with sparklers! And people on stilts!

Nothing compares 2 U, Girl Talk!

Girl Talk and Dan Deacon are coming to Webster Hall on September 15th. Tix are $20. Maybe Girl Talk will bring us all out onto 11th Street?

Video made possible by Open Source Cinema.

7/7/07

2007-07-06T10:37:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is 7/7/07, which means that Boredoms are scheduled to perform 77BOADRUM in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Legendary Japanese iconoclasts BOREDOMS, a visionary band who has spent over twenty years pushing itself toward new frontiers, will stage the most extraordinary concert of their career on July 7, 2007. A once-in-a-lifetime performance featuring 77 drummers, and meant to be performed just once (on 7/7/07), BOREDOMS will create 77BOADRUM as a free show in the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park section of Brooklyn Bridge Park.

A volunteer army of 74 of the best players in New York City's avant and experimental underground were selected by the event's music director Hisham Bharoocha, including members of Gang Gang Dance, No Neck Blues Band, Sunburned Hand Of The Man, Excepter, Sightings, Onieda, and more. They will join BOREDOMS drummers YOSHIMI, YOJIRO and SENJU, alongside with 77BOADRUM mastermind EYE on electronics, effects, and vocals. A live sculpture built of musicians, BOREDOMS stand at the center as 77 drummers on full 5-piece, 3-cymbal drum kits snake around them in spirals, like the coils of a boa constrictor.

The event is from 4PM 'til dusk tomorrow. Full list of drummers at BrooklynVegan. You must RSVP here.

NEW Spoon Video: "The Underdog"

2007-07-05T15:12:00.000-05:00

The Underdog

Spoon's new video is a single shot of what goes on during a Spoon recording session. Well maybe. It's really cute has a surprise ending, so watch it all the way through.

I wish everyone had the space Spoon has in a studio! There are rooms for everything...

New Pornographers/Midlake @ Battery Park

2007-07-05T10:25:00.000-05:00

Well, the rain gods held out for a good 1 1/2 sets yesterday [July 4th], with a steady stream falling during the second half of New Pornographers' set. All in all, Battery Park was a pretty mellow atmosphere yesterday. I guess they didn't hand out all the tickets they had, cause when we went through the gates around 245PM, there were people just handing bunches of tickets to whoever came over. And it still wasn't too packed.

Midlake went on at 330PM, right on schedule. They definitely won me over with their pleasant, Southern indie rock. I was most impressed with their vocals, which sound amazing, and are definitely a highlight of the band. My favorites in the set were: "Branches," their version of "The Pills Won't Help You Now" (which they wrote with the Chemical Brothers and appears on the new Chem. Bros. album), "Van Occupanther" and "Roscoe." I also really enjoyed their new song, "Children of the Grounds."

The New Pornographers went on around 5PM. It was really a miracle that the rain held out as long as it did. From the minute we got there, we felt tiny droplets of rain, but it wasn't until New Porn's fifth or sixth song that the rain was falling in a steady stream. But no matter, because NP's powerpop was definitely worth getting wet. They played a lot from New Cinema, with a bit of Electic Version and Mass Romantic thrown in as well. And I really enjoyed their new stuff, which Neko Case kept confessing she was nervous about. My favorite of the new stuff was the title track off their new album, "Challengers," which is a song with a lot less of the bells and whistles that the New Pornographers usually pull out. This song featured sparse guitars and drums, and mainly focuses on the great vocals.

Neko Case being there was really special. Of the four times I've seen this band, yesterday was the only time I had seen her play with them. And she definitely adds a great texture to the band's sound. Hopefully she plays with them more often now...Also, the band added a few more people to the stage yesterday: an accordian/french horn player, a flautist, a violinist and a cellist. I definitely enjoyed seeing those additions to the band on stage, but it didn't really result in the tightest sounding band.

Set highlights include: "The Jessica Numbers," "Twin Cinema," and "Mass Romantic." They closed out with "Sing Me Spanish Techno" and "The Bleeding Heart Show." Perfect. And then their encore was: "These Are the Fables," "Testament To Youth In Verse" and "Slow Descent Into Alcoholism."

Challengers is out on August 21st. Check out the Matador site for the many Buy Early, Get Now incentives.

DOWNLOAD: The New Pornographers - "My Rights Versus Yours" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The New Pornographers - "Twin Cinema" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The New Pornographres - "Mass Romantic" (MP3)

Rainstick For Feist!

2007-07-02T16:39:00.000-05:00

Aw Grizzly Bear gave Feist an end-of-tour gift, for "having an opening band with an animal name," and it was a rainstick!

We figured, having been lumped (bizarrely) into the whole "freak folk" genre, and having a now cliche animal name, what better gift to bestow upon Feist but a random, semi pointless yet psychadelic (?) RAIN STICK

PS, if you didn't know, according to Wiki:

A rainstick is a long, hollow tube which is filled with small baubles such as beads or beans and has small pins arranged helically on its inside surface. When the stick is upended, the beads fall to the other end of the tube, making a sound reminiscent of a rainstorm as they bounce off the pins. The rainstick is generally used to create atmospheric sound effects or as a percussion instrument.

Los Campesinos In NYC

2007-07-02T15:56:00.000-05:00

New(ish) Arts & Crafts signees Los Campesinos! will play two shows in NYC soon. On August 9th and 10th, they will be at Mercury Lounge. Tickets are $10, and it looks like they'll only be available at the door.

Their debut EP, Sticking Fingers Into Sockets, is out tomorrow and is also streaming on Spinner. From what I heard, they sound like a mix of The Streets and Rilo Kiley. I like it.

DOWNLOAD: Los Campesinos - "You! Me! Dancing!" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Los Campesinos - "Death To Los Campesinos!" (MP3)

Hail Social's Modern Love & Remixes

2007-06-29T16:05:00.001-05:00

Hail Social, electro dance-rock popsters from Jersey, self-released their album Modern Love & Death in January. Formerly signed to Polyvinyl, the band set out the DIY route, with great results. Stream their album below:

Also, there are remixes to "One U Love" and "The Fall" on the Weird Tapes myspace. Check it out!

Stars Are In Our Bedroom

2007-06-29T14:59:00.000-05:00

Canadian pop rockers Stars are releasing their new album called In Our Bedroom After the War on September 25th via Arts & Crafts. The band will be on tour this Fall, but have yet to announce dates.

The new single, "The Night Starts Here," actually sounds a lot different from the tracks on Set Yourself On Fire. Amy and Torquill still trade off on the vocals, but the track is very bass heavy and features a lot of synthesizers and sparse guitars.

DOWNLOAD: Stars - "The Night Starts Here" (MP3)

Tracklisting below:
1. "The Beginning After The End"
2. "The Night Starts Here"
3. "Take Me To The Riot"
4. "My Favourite Book"
5. "Midnight Coward"
6. "The Ghost Of Genova Heights"
7. "Personal"
8. "Barricade"
9. "Window Bird"
10. "Bitches In Tokyo"
11. "Life 2: The Unhappy Ending"
12. "Today Will Be Better, I Swear!"
13. "In Our Bedroom After The War"

Polyvinyl's Got Some Sweet Deals

2007-06-28T15:44:00.000-05:00

This may seem like a weird, promotional blog post, but I promise it's not. I was just reading through the Polyvinyl Records newsletter, and saw that they're having this crazy sale at their e-store. CDs are now $4, LPs are $3. The Mates of State DVD Two of Us, which is the making of Team Boo, is only $5! There's also some stuff by Pele, Rainer Maria and The M's.

So anyway, head here if you wanna buy some cheap music and merch!

Bangin' With Limes

2007-06-28T11:59:00.000-05:00

Bang Lime is the dance-rockin' duo of Joules Scott Key and Joshua Winstead from Metric. Their debut album, Best Friends In Love, will release on August 14th on Last Gang Records. They'll also be touring and will hit the NYC area on August 22nd and 23rd, at Union Pool and Mercury Lounge.

Head to their myspace to stream their songs.

Via CMJ.

Feist & Friends On Conan

2007-06-27T15:25:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago, Feist performed "1234" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

Watch this lively and captivating performance featuring Grizzly Bear, Patrick Daughters (video director of "Mushaboom", "1 2 3 4" and "My moon My man"), Mary Rozzi (the photographer who took the Reminder" album cover photo), Simone Rubi (the designer of the album artwork) and Dianne Montgomery (guest tap dancer from the live tour) among other friends.

Scientists and Chiefs

2007-06-27T14:45:00.000-05:00

After finishing up their new album and doing some festival hopping, We Are Scientists will tour around the UK awhile with the Kaiser Chiefs. The band is currently at The Plant in Sausalito, Cali recording an album they have many titles for, including Do Smoke Detectors Detect The Smell Of Smoke?, Mermaid Stewwwww (Yuck!), and What # of $ Do That Cost?

11/21 - Exeter, UK - Exeter Westpoint Arena*
11/22 - Bournemouth, UK - Bournemouth BIC*
11/24 - Cardiff, UK - Cardiff CIA*
11/26 - Birmingham, UK - Birmingham NIA*
11/28 - Nottingham, UK - Nottingham Arena*
11/30 - Manchester,UK - Manchester Evening News Arena*
12/03 - Sheffield, UK - Sheffield Hallam FM Arena*
12/04 - Hull, UK - Hull Arena*
12/10 - Newcastle, UK - Newcastle Metro Radio Arena*
12/14 - London, UK - London Earls Court*

There's also a New Year's Eve show on the calendar in Brooklyn. Or is there? Their myspace is confusing. Note to the Scientists: What's the deal with your space?

I Was Tamed By Rock And Roll

2007-06-27T13:12:00.000-05:00

Last night [June 26th], I saw Wilco again, this time at Warsaw in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. And I tell you what, last night's set kicked the Hammerstein's show's ass. Not to say that there weren't downers at the show last night. It was super crowded, and the people trying to dance just pissed everyone off cause that resulted in stepping on feet and elbowing sides. The other downer was that it was so f'ing hot in Warsaw. Steph said she felt like she was at Coachella again. But I said it was worse, because at Coachella there's an amazing breeze at night and at Warsaw it was just humid and sticky. All that aside, Wilco played a pretty phenomenal show last night. It lasted for about 2 1/2 hours, and I could've listened for 2 1/2 more.

Jeff Tweedy wasn't as talkative as he was the night before. Last night they were down to business, opening with "Sunken Treasure," which made the crowd SO rowdy. Later in the set came "Handshake Drugs," "Pot Kettle Black" and "Hummingbird." But it was the encores that made the show really special. First encore: "Either Way," "Ashes of American Flags," "Reservations" (!), and "Spiders (Kidsmoke)." Second encore: "Hate It Here," "The Late Greats," "Hoodoo Voodoo" and "Outta Mind (Outta Sight)."

Pics via Muzikspy on Flickr.
Full setlist on BrooklynVegan.

The Summer Of McCarren Pool

2007-06-27T11:58:00.000-05:00

Summer '07 will definitely be the summer that NYC'ers remember as being the summer they were at McCarren Pool. There's too many good shows going on to miss heading out to Williamsburg for some pool fun.

First, there are the pool parties. JellyNYC has done a phenomenal job booking amazing bands like TV On The Radio, Man Man, Dan Deacon, Blond Redhead and I'm From Barcelona, among others. Those shows are all free. RSVP at Going.com.

Then there are the ticketed shows:
Cat Power, Built To Spill - July 7th
Sonic Youth do Daydream Nation - July 28th
Erasure, Young Love - August 3rd
Beastie Boys - August 9th
Feist, Kevin Drew - August 29th
Modest Mouse, Love As Laughter - September 8th

The Modest Mouse show was originally scheduled for Keyspan Park, but just got moved to McCarren Pool and rescheduled for a month later than the original date. Band of Horses was supposed to play the Keyspan Park show, but there's no word on if they'll do the McCarren Pool show. However, they are playing the latest NYxNY Magazine event, which is a Bad Art Auction hosted by Zach Galifianakis at Hiro Ballroom. Tix are $30 and available here.

Pic via spinachdip on Flickr.

Wilco Loves Macramé

2007-06-26T10:44:00.000-05:00

Before last night, I had never seen Wilco live. I absolutely love their albums, and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot will forever be in my Top 10, but for some reason I always missed them. I imagined Jeff Tweedy to be sullen and intense, but instead he was energetic and charming and the perfect frontman for such an amazing band. He had funny stage banter, played patty cake with the guitarist and even brought down a macramé owl. I don't think I've ever seen a band that sounds this good live. Every single member of the band kills on their instruments. I mean, they are bad asses.

In John Roderick's Bonnaroo blog, he talked about how it was an amazing feat that Wilco could create such an intimate atmosphere at a festival of 80,000 people. But I think that's what a tight band like Wilco can do, that the hundreds of other bands cannot. Even in a big venue like Hammerstein Ballroom, where I often feel claustrophobic and think I might as well be home watching the band on TV, Wilco somehow make it seem like they're playing only for you.

The highlight of the set for me was "Hate It Here," which surprised me because it's definitely not one of my favorite Wilco songs, but they brought it to life. Other highlights include "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart," California Stars," "Via Chicago," "Poor Places" and "Jesus, Etc." Their set was pretty much comprised of Sky Blue Sky and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, with was fine by me.

Pics via Muzikspy on Flickr.

A Skin, A Night

2007-06-25T13:47:00.000-05:00

#40.3 - The National - Start a war

The National star in a new documentary, filmed by Vincent Moon, of La Blogotheque fame called A Skin, A Night. The documentary looks like it will be a "making-of" type film, like I Am Trying To Break Your Heart. You can watch clips online here. My favorite is the clip of "Gospel," where Matt Berninger and Bryce? are sitting on a sail boat. Above is the take away for "Start A War." You can also watch the take away for "Ada" on La Blogotheque. No word on when the film will release.

Via Gothamist.

Every now and then I get super obsessed with a band, and right now it's The National. Usually this happens after seeing an amazing show. I guess my first obsession was Sufjan Stevens. I saw night 2 of his 5-night? run at Bowery Ballroom two summers ago, and after that it was over. I was hooked. My latest one was Arcade Fire, after seeing them at Judson Memorial Church. And now it's The National after seeing them at Bowery. Just wanted to explain that to y'all in case you see a lot of The National on this blog...

Anyway, catch them at Pier 17 at the River to River Festival on August 17th with The Forms and Takka Takka.

Also, you can stream The National's sold-out show at the 9:30 Club from last week on NPR. It's great.

Bloc Party Tracks For Free?

2007-06-21T15:29:00.001-05:00

I was reading NME.com today and stumbled across an interesting article about how Bloc Party, among several other bands, will soon be giving their tracks away for free on the We7 website in a deal that V2 Records recently made. The other bands include Stereophonics, The Rakes, Cold War Kids and Little Man Tate.

We7 makes it possible for you to enjoy free music downloads - but the artist still gets paid! Every time you download a free MP3 or video from We7, a small payment will be made to the relevant artist.
This is because we allow global brands and companies to include a message on the music tracks that users download for free, for up to 10 seconds or less on audio.

So you download music for free, brands pay for their message and your favourite musicians and artists get paid! Free music downloads are simple, legal and safe with We7.
If you want to download a music track without an ad, you'll be able to buy the MP3 at the normal price.
But for a free music download, We7 will feature the ad at the start of your music track. However, four weeks after you download your free track, We7 will give you the option of having the track 'ad free' - so you'll be able to take full advantage of our new free music download model.

This certainly is a new business model for digital music, but I'm not sure that I like it. I do think that it's a good place to start, and it gets the conversation going in the right direction. However, I would not want to listen to an ad every time I put on a certain song. It just ruins the moment. What do you guys think?

Download some Bloc Party without the ads:
DOWNLOAD: Bloc Party vs. Gwen Stefani - "What You Hunting For?" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bloc Party vs. Coldplay - "Hunting For Witches In My Place" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bloc Party vs. Madonna - "Groovecopter" (MP3)

Beirut's Back!

2007-06-21T10:19:00.000-05:00

Yes, just in time for my newest song obsession ["Scenic World" off Lon Gisland] Beirut has announced a release date for his new, still untitled album, October 9th. The album will be released by Ba Da Bing! Records and features strings and guest vocals by Owen Pallett [aka Final Fantasy].

P4K clues us in to Zach's frame of mind while writing this new album:

Just don't expect Beirut's beloved Balkanisms on this one. As Condon told us last month, "I was listening to a lot of Jacques Brel and French chanson music-- pop songs shrouded in big, glorious, over-the-top arrangements and all this drama...very much throwing myself in the world of classical pop music" while writing and recording the latest LP.

Beirut will also be doing a mini-tour through Europe and major cities in the States. They'll be in New York on September 24th at the Society for Ethical Culture for the Wordless Music Series and on September 26th at the Delacorte Theater. Is this a Summerstage show?

Head to P4K for the full tracklist and Fall tour dates.

Below is a video of "Scenic World" live at a Spin event:

New Pornographers and Midlake: JULY 4th

2007-06-20T11:28:00.000-05:00

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

Just got mine :)

New York Is Making Music

2007-06-20T10:16:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, June 21st, will be the first ever Make Music New York festival, which will celebrate live music in all 5 boroughs. And the best part is that it's all free!

Make Music New York is a new live, free musical celebration across the city that will take place for the first time on June 21, 2007.
For one day, public space throughout the five boroughs – sidewalks, parks, community gardens, and more – will become impromptu musical stages, dance floors, and social meeting points. Thousands of amateur musicians, in every genre, will be able to play on the sidewalks for the biggest crowds of their lives. Professional musicians will be able to attract new audiences, who will come out from under their headphones to hear unfamiliar groups risk-free. And everyone will be invited to sing along and enjoy the first day of summer.

The idea started in France, when the Director of Music at the Ministry of Culture lamented the fact "that the French owned more than four million musical instruments. Three quarters of these instruments lay deteriorating in cupboards, attics and cellars before departing this life in dustbins and on rubbish tips."

The event is set to take place every June 21st. Musicians will be performing everywhere in the city, on sidewalks, in front of buildings, closing whole blocks! This year there will be over 560 performances. Overwhelming, right?

I took a look at the listings on the Time Out website, and here are some of my picks:
JellyNYC presents Cheeseburger, Best Fwends and Oxford Collapse on North 7th and Bedford. From 6PM-9PM.
~~Semi Precious Weapons~~ ~~will be playing on North 5th and Bedford from 8PM to 9PM.~~ CANCELLED due to studio work!
Statues of Liberty are playing on Jane St. and Hudson St. at 8PM.
Stereo Stereo are going on before Semi Precious Weapons on North 5th starting at 7PM.

What are you gonna see?

Oh No! Oh Tour!

2007-06-19T21:16:00.000-05:00

Yay, Oh No! Oh My! are finally coming back to NYC soon. This new tour will be in support of their new EP Between the Devil and the Sea, which features 5 tracks and will be released on August 7th on Dim Mak.

Most of the tour is with Brooklyn natives Au Revoir Simone [who've definitely been making the rounds lately! Peter Bjorn and John? Voxtrot? Music sluts!]. They'll be closing the tour in NYC on August 9th at Mercury Lounge. I saw them during CMJ06 at The Living Room, and they just had so much energy and enthusiasm, so I really want to check them out when they play their own show.

DOWNLOAD: Oh No! Oh My! - "Party Punch" (MP3)

07-05 Austin, TX - The Parish
07-12 Lubbock, TX - Jake's Backroom
07-14 Las Vegas, NV - Beauty Bar *@
07-17 Santa Barbara, CA - Velvet Jones *@
07-18 San Francisco, CA - The Independent *@
07-19 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour *@
07-20 San Diego, CA - Beauty Bar @
08-10 Memphis, TN - HiTone Café
08-13 Boston, MA - TT the Bear's %
08-14 Montreal, Quebec - Main Hall %
08-15 Toronto, Ontario - Lee's Palace %
08-16 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom %
08-17 Chicago, IL - Abbey Pub %
08-18 Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry %
08-21 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey %
08-22 Vancouver, British Columbia - TBA %
08-23 Portland , OR - TBA %
08-27 Tucson , AZ - TBA %
08-29 Denton, TX - Rubber Gloves %
08-30 Austin, TX - TBA %
08-31 Houston, TX - TBA %
09-01 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon %
09-02 Birmingham, AL - Bottle Tree %
09-03 Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn %
09-04 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 %
09-05 Washington, DC - The Rock and Roll Hotel %
09-06 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar %
09-07 Philadelphia, PA - TBA %
09-08 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge %

* with Let's Go Sailing!
@ with the Deadly Syndrome
% with Au Revoir Simone

Via P4K.

Kevin Drew is Tbft'd

2007-06-19T14:10:00.000-05:00

Umm yeah, whatever that means...
So I know you've read this on every blog today, but it's too good not to post.

"Tbft" is the second song off Kevin Drew's solo album Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew Spirit If. The album will be released on September 18th on Arts & Crafts and "unfolds like an emotional comic book. Drew's songwriting addresses all his favourite topics: fucking, fighting, fearing and hope."

DOWNLOAD: Kevin Drew - "Tbft" (MP3)

Also:

BSS co-founder Brendan Canning will also release a solo album, due in early 2008. Drew and Canning decided to make records as solo projects, drawing in the social scene community to play key supporting roles, in a return to the creative process that was the initial spark for BSS.

Andddd, Feist and Broken Social Scene: Kevin Drew's "Spirit If" are playing at McCarren Pool on Wednesday, August 29th. Tickets are $29.

So now the real reason for this post: If you go to Kevin Drew's Arts & Crafts website [link above] there's a really creepy loop of him eating cereal. Yeah. I like it.

Grip Like A Video

2007-06-19T10:21:00.000-05:00

The Go! Team's new single "Grip Like A Vice" has definitely been one of my go-to dance anthems of the past few weeks. The other is The Sounds' "Tony The Beat," which I know is a little old, but put it on and try not to dance. I dare you.

Anyway, listening to "Grip Like A Vice," I totally imagined the video to be all bright colors and people dancing and going crazy. But The Go! Team decided to get a little more political on us: going black & white, highlighting phrases like "the people's choice," "what you gonna do" and "look out," featuring sign language, bags over the guitarists' heads, map imagery and cop cars.

But rest assured, because there are still people dancing.

The Go! Team recently signed to Sub Pop. Their sophomore album Proof Of Youth will be out on September 11th.