photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin

"Not even kidding. lou reed watched @dasracist perform tonight & flipped the fuck out. at carnegie hall. how was your night?" - El-P

"The night wrapped up with Lenny Kaye leading the Patti Smith band through a brief tribute to the garage-rock compilation Nuggets, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and Lou Reed, who performed three songs. Reed conducted the string quartet and the drummer to improvise with him at moments, which felt awkward in the beginning; the ending, however--as the string quartet jammed in tandem with Smith's guitarists and Reed himself--was pretty impressive. At the very end Laurie Anderson and the whole evening's cast returned to the stage for a curtain call, during which the room sang "Happy Birthday" to Philip Glass." [Village Voice]

Continue reading "2012 Tibet House benefit pics (Philip Glass, Das Racist, James Blake, Antony, Lou Reed, Stephin Merritt, Rahzel & more)"

photos by Devan Council

Alison the red haired JEFF member hood

We already posted a set of pictures from The Kills' show with JEFF the Brotherhood @ Terminal 5 on Saturday night (complete with opener Hunters and the setlist), but here's another. More below...

Continue reading "more pics of The Kills & JEFF the Brotherhood @ Terminal 5"

photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin

Primus came to town for a pair of intimate shows last week along with an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Here are pictures from the Brooklyn gig at Music Hall of Williamsburg. More of them with video of the TV appearance (on air and web exclusive songs), below...

Continue reading "Primus played Fallon, Gramercy & Music Hall (pics & video)"

The Oblivians @ Scion Rock Fest 2010 (more by Taylor Keahy)

To quote their publicist, "The Oblivians are heading into the studio next to month to record their first studio album in 15 years! Will be released through In The Red Records!"

Speaking of In the Red, the Spits head out on tour soon.

The Drums posted a Ronettes cover to their Facebook in honor of the holiday today, though you need to "Like" them to hear it." "Hey it's Jonny. We wanted to buy you something but we made you something instead. It's Valentines Day so don't be shy with your love. See you soon"

And you can see them soon. The Drums play a free, late show at WIP (Work In Progress) in NYC tonight (2/14) along with DJ Miss Guy and others. You need to RSVP.

You can go after you catch their Frenchkiss labelmate Devin at Pianos, also a free show.

by Bill Pearis

While the rest of the world was asking who the #$%@ Bonny Bear and Paul McCartney were, I was asking that same question of Of Monsters and Men who are playing here in April. They've already sold out their 4/5 show at Music Hall of Williamsburg and 4/6 show at Bowery Ballroom, though the Bowery show was moved to Webster Hall (tickets are still on sale, but maybe not for long). Actually, half their US tour is already sold out (all dates at the bottom of this post).

Then I remembered I had actually seen Of Monsters and Men -- who are from Iceland --  at last year's M for Montreal at teeny tiny club Casa Del Popo. Their name is a bit on the generic side which is why I think I couldn't place it. (You also see a lot of bands at festivals. It's a blur.) Anyway, here's what I wrote then:

The other Icelandic group, Of Monsters and Men, made more of an impression with their stirring folk rock that was augmented by horns and an especially fancy accordion. (It had LED switches on it.) While also similar to a lot of other sweeping ensembles (fill in your favorite here), the songs were memorable and I did wish their set had been a couple songs longer. So it goes with festivals.

They're already huge in Iceland (which is like being huge in Rhode Island, but still), where their debut album, My Head is an Animal, was released last year. Of Monsters and Men signed to Universal who rushed out the Into the Woods EP in America late December, which contains the KEXP hit "Little Talks". The band will be at SXSW too and are surely one of the "Bands to Watch" this year for some folks.

Click through for all Of Monsters and Men tour dates, plus some videos as well.

Continue reading "are Of Monsters and Men Iceland's Mumford & Sons? (MHOW sold out; Bowery moved to Webster Hall) --- 2012 Tour Dates"

by BBG

OK, I'll be ther first to admit that the name Conan for a doom metal band is more than a little obvious, but this UK crew's approach is anything but. Showing some of the same strength as that Cimmerian swordweilder, Conan's latest LP Monnos builds upon the promise of 2010's Horseback Battle Hammer and their follow-up split with Slomatics. Galloping and muscular sludge-doom is their strong-suit, and Monnos is a definite must for fans of Sleep, the "z-string" rattle of Torche, Coffinworm (sans any blasting moments), or the Melvins. The album is out on April 2nd 2012 via Burning World Records on digital, CD, and vinyl formats, but you can listen to new song "Golden Axe" in this post.

The new song stream, tracklisting & tour dates, and a full stream of 2010's Horseback Battle Hammer, below...

Continue reading "Conan releasing 'Monnos' (song debut)"

today in NYC
* The Drums @ WIP
* Dayna Kurtz @ Barbes
* Slavic Soul Party @ Barbes
* Richard Thompson @ City Winery
* Wyatt Cenac & other comedians @ Union Hall
* Degreaser, Dead Boomers, Modra @ Zebulon
* Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra @ Cameo Gallery
* Gabriel and the Hounds, A>G>E @ Mercury Lounge
* The Sons & Heirs (Smiths tribute) @ The Bell House
* MNDR, Make Out, Psychobuildings @ Pianos
* Devin, St. Lucia, Tiny Victories @ Pianos
* Dave Hill & many others @ Littlefield's Rejection Show
* Lily & The Parlour Tricks, The Squaws @ Bowery Electric
* Dust Angel, Dirty Fences, Youth Quake, Threats @ Cake Shop
* Explosions in the Sky, Grouper, Ducky @ NYU Skirball Center
* Oberhofer, Slowdance, Night Manager, Bear Ceuse, DJ Marty McSorely @ 285 Kent
* "Babes In Toyland, Hole, X, Discount, Spitboy, Mika Miko, Heavens To Betsy, Frumpies" @ Death By Audio

Death By Audio's annual Anti V-Day Riot Grrrl Cover Bands Show is set to channel the likes of X and Hole to show folks exactly what love is good for.

Fiona Apple is playing a church at SXSW.
Thurston Moore played an Austin church over the weekend.

Thanks Heartless Bastards for the site sponsorship today. Grab their new album at iTunes. They play Chicago tonight and will soon bring their tour to Webster Hall in NYC.

Devin opens their Webster Hall show and plays a free show at Pianos tonight!

RIP Chicago jazz artist Jodie Christian.

Aside from rekindling old flames of their own making, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala began streaming their slinky new single as The Mars Volta, "The Malkin Jewel," yesterday (2/13). The band's new album, Noctourniquet, will be released on March 27 via Warner Bros. Listen below.

Watch St. Vincent play a Valentine's Day Party on Gossip Girl, below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday? (Valentine's Day)"

"Superfly Presents and A.C. Entertainment are excited to announce the initial lineup for the 2012 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. The 11th annual four-day camping and music festival will be held on June 7 - 10 on the same beautiful 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, 60 miles south of Nashville. A full list of confirmed acts follows, and more will be announced in the coming weeks. The final Bonnaroo 2012 lineup will total over 125 bands and over 20 comedians performing on 13 stages over four days.Tickets for the event will go on sale on this Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 12 noon EST exclusively at bonnaroo.com."

Continue reading "Bonnaroo 2012 lineup announced"

Gabriel & the Hounds aka Takka Takka frontman Gabe Levine & band is releasing an album called "Kiss Full Of Teeth" via Ernest Jenning on 2/28. The album was co-produced by Gabe and Sean Greenhalgh of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and features a large cast of guest musicians including other members of Takka Takka, CYHSY and The National. The full credits are listed below along with the cover art and a song you can listen to.

Still need Valentine's Day plans? Gabriel & the Hounds play an early record release show at Mercury Lounge in NYC TONIGHT (2/14), and many of the same guests who appear on the album, and more, are expected on stage (such as Bryan Devendorf & Conrad Doucette on drums, the horn section from the National & Mia Riddle).

Gabe also has a UK tour planned for March. All dates and the other stuff, below...

Continue reading "Gabriel & the Hounds (aka Gabe of Takka Takka) releasing LP, playing NYC tonight (w/ members of The National)"