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December 31, 2006

Happy New Year!

DOWNLOAD: ABBA - Happy New Year (MP3)

Posted in music at 6:29 PM | Comments (9)

December 28, 2006

Chaka Khan (+ free commemorative poster) replaces James Brown at BB King's on New Years Eve

>> 8:00PM & 10:30PM

Posted in music at 8:19 PM | Comments (18)

James Brown viewing in Harlem

"Pallbearers lifted the gold casket carrying the 'Godfather of Soul' into a horse-drawn carriage Thursday for a procession through Harlem to the historic Apollo Theater, where thousands of fans waited to pay their respects to the late James Brown." [Yahoo]

Posted in music at 2:38 PM | Comments (34)

December 27, 2006

Harry and the Potters | 2007 Tour Dates

Harry and the Potters sing songs about Harry Potter. You can listen at MySpace. You can see them January 1st at Union Hall in Brooklyn. All tour dates below...

HARRY & THE POTTERS | 2007 TOUR DATES
Jan 1 - Brooklyn, NY - Union Hall
Jan 2 - Baltimore, MD - Sonar
Jan 3 - Chapel Hill, NC - house show
Jan 4 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Public Library
Jan 5 - Spartanburg, SC - Spartanburg Co. Library
Jan 6 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
Jan 7 - Tampa, FL - Crowbar
Jan 8 - Orlando, FL - Social
Jan 9 - Miami, Fl - California Club branch Miami Public Library
Jan 10 - Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds Coffeehouse
Jan 11 - still looking for a show somewhere in costal GA or SC
Jan 12 - Durham, NC - 108 Morris St. (Durham Co. Library show!)
Jan 13 - Arlington, VA - IOTA Club and Cafe
Jan 13 - Washington, DC - American University
Jan 17 - Great Scott! with Neal Pollack Allston, Massachusetts

Pictures from their recent Boston Christmas show are at The Phoenix.

Download MP3s from their Daytrotter session.

Posted in music | tour dates at 1:57 PM | Comments (4)

Wes' Top Hip Hop Records of 2006

2006 was actually a rather strong year for quality Hip Hop releases. Here's my (Wes') official Top 10 Hip Hop Records of 2006.

1. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale [BUY]

The hunger is back in Dennis Cole, and we were blessed with a whole record of it. Fishscale, the first of two records the suddenly prolific Ghostface Killah released in 2006, has great soulful beats (even without RZA), great voice, great swagger, and great rhyming. I could do without the seven interludes though. Is it 1998? Just stop with them already.

And though the title seems to imply it, Ghost's end-of-year follow-up More Fish was not a Sufjan Stevens Avalanche-to-Illinois collection of outtakes. It was also not as great as Fishscale, but still is a decent record where Ghost shines in the center of a group rather than on his Fishscale-like own.

GET A GHOSTFACE MP3: Bernie has "Shakey Dog"

2. Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor [BUY]

Food & Liquor is the best debut release of the year, and perhaps even of recent years. Lupe Fiasco writes meaningful lyrics that matter, and the album showcases interesting in-house beats, consistency, diversity, creativity and truth. Also - check out the coolest non-traditional cover image of the year.

GET A LUPE MP3: Glamorama has "Daydreaming"

3. The Game - Doctor's Advocate [BUY]

Doctor's Advocate is the best sophomore record of the year. I love The Game because unlike all these cool "I'm not a rapper, I'm a hustler that raps" guys, he's a real fan of the genre and it shows. He might be crazy, but he's relevant, and oh so hungry and eager to impress. This one also wins the "Best Dr. Dre Production Impression" award.

GET A GAME MP3: Still Listen has "Compton (Mick Boogie Remix)"

4. The Roots - Game Theory [BUY]

After the disappointment of The Tipping Point, and even Phrenology, I was a little bit worried about this release, but WOW. I'm gonna have to go out on a limb and say Game Theory is the best Roots album, or at least very-very close to it. It features great outside of the box thinking on the lyrical, and song concept, side of things. The always-thorough Black Thought delivers more introspection than before, and explores new themes with old vigor. Great record.

GET A ROOTS MP3: Beat Lawrence has "Don't Feel Right"

5. Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury [BUY]

Slightly disappointing, but only because their first album Lord Willin' was nearly perfect. Hell Hath No Fury is a solid release with some great highlights - and a miss or two. We get quality wall-to-wall Neptunes production for the first time since...well, since the first Clipse album. That's a good thing (except for that Trill track, ugh). Great tag team rapping + actual lyricism (even though the topic matter is limited) - sounds like something from the 1980's, but Clipse is doing it right in 2006. Also winner of the "Best Delivery" award.

GET A CLIPSE MP3: Ear Farm has "Wamp Wamp"

6. Murs & 9th Wonder - Murray's Revenge [BUY]

Murs & 9th Wonder (of Little Brother fame) come together for a second collaboration (3:16 being the first) and perfect their chemistry. Murs is one of the most underrated rappers in the game and probably will remain so for the rest of his career when it comes to mainstream acclaim, but listen to this guy and hear originality, spirit, diversity, emotion and a great sense of humor. 9th delivers, as he generally does, and gives us a great throwback sound updated with some more modern touches. More please.

STREAM A MURS SONG: @ Murs' Myspace

7. Jay- Z - Kingdom Come [BUY]

Everyone is complaining about this album - calling it a disappointment. It may not be Jay-Z's best, but it certainly is one of the best albums of the year. Chris Martin (Coldplay) contributes one of the strongest productions, Just Blaze and Dr. Dre take care of most of the rest, and The Neptunes deliver the worst song on any of the albums in this list. Without that one song the album would've sounded a lot better.

Kingdom Come is one of the first-ever efforts of a mature rapper in the post-gangsta era of his-or-her life. As they move into their mid-to-late thirties rappers have a tendency to either lose touch and relevance, focus their attention to the female demographic (*cough*LL*cough*), or sadly not even make it that far, but Jay-Z shows maturity and growth on a personal level and his artistry evolves in a natural way. Now if we can get him to be a little more hungry again, the next one will probably top this list.

GET A JAY-Z MP3: Ear Farm has "Lost Ones"

8. Nas - Hip Hop Is Dead [BUY]

For the first time on Def Jam, Nas returns, and delivers the 3rd best album of his career. Greatly improved beat selection is the key here - lyrically he was never questioned. A stand out track features The Game (with Dr. Dre production), just like a stand out track on The Game's album features Nas (and Just Blaze production). Now can we please get our holy grail: the Nas/DJ Premier album?

GET A NAS MP3: Glamorama has "Hustlers"

9. T.I. - King [BUY]

One of the hottest albums production wise with a fired up T.I. throwing down. The topic matter is unfortunately somewhat monotonous (with some exceptions), but T.I. brings it. Just Blaze, again, supplies the highlights with his urgent production and crazy horn energy.

STREAM A T.I. SONG: @ T.I.'s MySpace

10. Obie Trice - Second Round's On Me [BUY]

Surprisingly strong effort from the Shady Records rapper. Amazingly improved flow, great wordplay, a simmering anger and drive underneath most of the words, and real urgency. The production is solid, but not amazing - if that can be changed on the next record, I can see some beautiful things happening for Mr. Trice.

STREAM AN OBIE SONG: @ Obie's Myspace

Honorable mentions to Snoop Dogg (The Blue Carpet Treatment), Ludacris (Release Therapy) and Killer Mike (Da Grind) for dropping some of the very best songs of the year, but not good enough albums to make this list.

Disappointment of the year: Busta Rhymes - The Big Bang

When making lists I always worry about blanking out and forgetting a record I really loved, and of course I haven't heard EVERY hip hop record released this year, so if I missed a great record please let me know in the comments.
-Wes

----

Wes writes the weekly hip hop post, but sometimes-BV-contributor Nick Brassbonanza has just as much passion for the genre. Here's his top 10....

1.NAS - Hip Hop is Dead
2.LUPE FIASCO - Food & Liquor
3.J DILLA - Donuts
4.MOS DEF - Tru3 Magic [INFO]
5.GHOSTFACE - Fishscale
6.CLIPSE - Hell Hath No Fury
7.THE ROOTS - Game Theory
8.MURS & 9th Wonder - Murray's Revenge
9.THE GAME - Doctor's Advocate
10.LORD JAMAR - 5% album

Nick's biggest disappointment: Jay-Z - Kingdom Come (Wes' #7 - see above)

----

Lupe Fiasco & J Dilla also made "My 40 favorite albums of 2006"

Posted in hiphop | music at 12:51 PM | Comments (44)

RIP James Brown | viewing @ Apollo Theater Thursday

The body of soul singer James Brown will be returned Thursday to the site of his debut _ the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem _ so the public that saw and heard him leave a lasting impression on music can see him one last time, the Rev. Al Sharpton said Tuesday.

Brown's body will rest on the stage of the Apollo from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., and thousands of people will be permitted one more look at a man who steered modern music toward the rhythm-and-blues, funk, hip-hop, disco and rap beats popular today, said Sharpton, a close friend of Brown for decades.[Newsday]

Posted in music at 3:58 AM | Comments (10)

the Underground Animals = Danger Mouse + Adult Swim + more

"As if he wasn't busy enough recording and touring with Gnarls Barkley and producing the new Damon Albarn band The Good, the Bad & the Queen, Danger Mouse has a new project up his sleeve. The artist will serve as the leader of a producers' collective dubbed the Underground Animals, who will release a compilation album in 2007 via Downtown/Atlantic. The participants will be brought to life courtesy of animation from Adult Swim." [Billboard]

Posted in music at 3:55 AM | Comments (0)

video - Scott Walker's "Jesse"

Previously
My 40 favorite albums of 2006 & then some

Posted in music | video at 3:34 AM | Comments (1)

Tricia Romano vs Bottle Service starring Home Sweet Home, Studio B, The Box & more

If you haven't read it yet, last week's Voice cover story is full of interesting NYC bar & club tidbits like...

Home Sweet Home has a top-notch DJ booth and sound system—the by-product, no doubt, of having Vincent, a DJ, running the place—which helps attract some of the city's best DJs and live talent. There's a DFA night every other Thursday, skaters hang their hats on Tuesdays, and the venue's location near the Bowery Ballroom adds to the allure: "There's no place to go before and after shows and sit and have a beer and be sort of mellow," Vincent says. "We do a lot of after-parties for bands that play there. They come here and DJ for us, and bring a crowd. It ends up being a really good combination." The tactic's worked well already: Grizzly Bear and the Silversun Pickups brought their entourages to the bar after Bowery shows, and during CMJ week Hot Chip played a spur-of-the-moment set.

For more, read the whole article, check out New York Magazine's "History of Bottle Service", and look at my pictures from "The Box".

Posted in music | venues at 3:15 AM | Comments (13)

December 24, 2006

Merry Christmas -- Download some mixtapes

MERRY CHRISTMAS! (VIA)

DOWNLOAD: Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas (MP3)

DOWNLOAD: Terry Diabolik - And I'm Feelin' Good mix (MP3)

DOWNLOAD: DJ Never Forget - Shaken and Strengthened mix (MP3)

AND GO GET THESE
* Four mixtapes @ Marathon Packs
* Look in PaperThinWalls' 'right column' for their two mixtapes

Posted in MP3 | holiday music | music at 3:14 PM | Comments (3)

Bono to receive honorary knighthood

"A spokesman said the 46-year-old singer was flattered by the honor and hoped it will help him open diplomatic doors in his campaign for more Western aid to Africa." [Yahoo]

Posted in music at 2:26 AM | Comments (8)

December 23, 2006

RIP Carl Blaze

"DJ Carl Blaze allegedly passed away this morning (Saturday, December 23) at Harlem Hospital in New York. He was 30." [VIBE]

Previously
Grudge May Have Been Reason Carl Blaze Was Gunned Down
NYC 105.1 radio DJ Carl Blaze shot 13 times

Posted in hiphop | music | radio at 5:13 PM | Comments (15)

RIP Tower Records

TOWER RECORDS, NYC | DEC 22, 2006 (VIA)

I stopped by Tower Records on Broadway yesterday - it was their last day open. I didn't even realize it ahead of time - just happened to be walking by after buying some Christmas presents at Other Music.

The front of the store looked like the above picture. Check out Triborough's Flickr for more pics.

Everything left in the store was 90% off, and sadly(?) there were still enough CD's left to stock a small independent store - mostly stuff I had never heard of though - stuff that STILL wasn't selling for $1.00. I didn't buy anything, but after a little digging, I did find a copy of Sound Team's new record (one of Britt Daniel's favorite albums), a whole bunch of Rogers Sisters, and about 100 Towers of London CD's.

Posted in music at 4:45 PM | Comments (14)

Sean "Diddy" Combs caught selling dog fur coats

"Macy's has pulled from its shelves and its Web site two styles of Sean John hooded jackets, originally advertised as featuring faux fur, after an investigation by the nation's largest animal protection organization concluded that the garments were actually made from a certain species of dog called 'raccoon dog.'" [Yahoo]

RELATED
* Christina Ricci gives up fur
* Madonna still dumb

Posted in animals | music at 2:50 PM | Comments (26)

December 22, 2006

the FIVE NYC Arcade Fire shows are happening @ Judson Memorial Church - Feb 13-17 !

ARCADE FIRE @ MERCURY LOUNGE, NYC | OCT 13, 2004 (MORE)

Feb 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th & 17th, 2007 @ 8:30 pm
Judson Memorial Church
55 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012

"Tickets will go on sale January 5th at 9am (ONLINE ONLY, do not call the church)
They are $29, will-call only, and limited to 2 per person and the show is open to ALL ages." [Arcade Fire]

----

Win also posted this message on arcadefire.com

Hello everyone…
Our record is done and mastered!
It’s called Neon Bible
We have probably worked harder in the last 3 months then in the rest of our lives combined, but we are all really proud of the results.

I can’t wait for you to hear it…
Intervention will be available for download sometime soon, with the profits going to Partners in Health’s inspiring mission to bring free health care to the people of Haiti.
pih.org

merry Christmas

luv

Win

Previously
New Arcade Fire song played on BBC | MP3
Arcade Fire announce five Montreal shows
Arcade Fire Sell Out Shows In Two Minutes, Battle Profiteers
Arcade Fire announce UK shows

Posted in music | tour dates at 12:00 AM | Comments (111)

December 21, 2006

TV on the Radio | Spring 2007 Tour Dates

The artists behind Tiny Mix Tapes' 3rd favorite album of the year, TV on the Radio, just posted a bunch of March & April tour dates. You'll find them listed below...

TVOTR | 2007 TOUR DATES
Mar 1 2007 -Lupos Providence, Rhode Island
Mar 3 2007 -Olympia Theater Montreal, Quebec
Mar 4 2007 -Koolhaus Toronto, Ontario
Mar 6 2007 -Agora Ballroom Cleveland, Ohio
Mar 7 2007 -Newport Music Hall Columbus, Ohio
Mar 8 2007 -Vogue Indianapolis, Indiana
Mar 9 2007 -Browns Theatre Louisville, Kentucky
Mar 9 2007 -Firestone Orlando, Florida
Mar 10 2007 -Blue Note Columbia, Missouri
Mar 12 2007 -Metro Chicago, Illinois
Mar 13 2007 -Metro Chicago, Illinois
Mar 17 2007 -Harrah's Voodoo Lounge Kansas City, Missouri
Mar 19 2007 -Ogden Denver, Colorado
Mar 20 2007 -Urban Lounge Salt lake City, Utah
Mar 23 2007 -Roseland Portland, Oregon
Mar 24 2007 -Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, British Columbia
Mar 25 2007 -Moore Theatre Seattle, Washington
Mar 28 2007 -Fillmore San Francisco, California
Mar 29 2007 -Fillmore San Francisco, California
Mar 30 2007 -Henry Fonda Hollywood, California
Mar 31 2007 -Henry Fonda Hollywood, California
Apr 1 2007 -Belly Up Solana Beach, California
Apr 4 2007 -Gypsy Ballroom Dallas, Texas
Apr 5 2007 -La Zona Rosa Austin, Texas
Apr 6 2007 -Meridian Houston, Texas
Apr 9 2007 -Firestone Orlando, Florida
Apr 10 2007 -Culture Room Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Apr 12 2007 -40 Watt Club Athens, Georgia
Apr 13 2007 -Variety Playhouse Atlanta, Georgia
Apr 17 2007 -Norva Norfolk, Virginia
Apr 18 2007 -930 Club Washington DC, Washington DC
Apr 19 2007 -930 Club Washington DC, Washington DC
Apr 21 2007 -Vassar College Poughkeepsie, New York

(thx V & Eduardo!)

The drawing is from here.

"If you thought The Mars Volta's Amputechture was weird, New York's TV on the Radio will blow your mind." [Stuff New zealand]

Previously
My favorite 40 albums of 2006
Dave Sitek sorry for his tone
TV on the Radio @ Prospect Park Bandshell (Celebrate Brooklyn), NYC | pics

Posted in music | tour dates at 8:06 PM | Comments (20)

one Peter Bjorn & John show moved to Bowery

The January 30th Peter Bjorn & John show has moved to Bowery Ballroom after both Mercury Lounge shows sold out in less than a day. Tickets are on sale. Get some remixes.

Posted in music | tour dates at 3:46 PM | Comments (52)

Jesus' favorite albums of 2006

DOWNLOAD: Eric Cartman - Oh Holy Night (MP3)

Who cares what Colin Meloy, John Darnielle, Pitchfork, or even I think? All that really matters is what Jesus thinks. (via)

Last year Jesus loved Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics. He downloaded it from here.

P.S. thank you Stereogum readers!

Posted in MP3 | holiday music | music at 3:32 PM | Comments (6)

The Lemonheads | 2007 Tour Dates

THE LEMONHEADS @ IRVING PLAZA, NYC | DEC 15, 2006 (CRED)

"The Lemonheads have announced their upcoming 2007 winter tour just two days after playing gigs in the UK, Europe and the US for the last three months." Much more intimate shows this time around - tickets are on sale for February 23rd @ Southpaw in Brooklyn and February 24th at Maxwell's. All tour dates below....

THE LEMONHEADS | 2007 TOUR DATES
1/25 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
1/26 – Charleston, SC @ The Music Farm
1/27 – Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club
1/28 – Charlotte, NC @ Amos’ Southend
1/30 – Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits
1/31 – Orlando, FL @ The Social
2/1 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
2/2 – St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theatre
2/3 – Tallahassee, FL @ The Beta Bar
2/5 – Birmingham, AL @ Zydeco
2/6 – New Orleans, LA @ The Parish/House of Blues
2/8 – Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
2/9 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
2/10 – Dallas, TX @ Palladium Ballroom
2/13 – Memphis, TN @ Young Ave. Deli
2/14 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
2/15 – Maryland Heights, MO @ Voodoo Lounge/Harrah’s
2/16 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
2/17 – Milwaukee, WI @ Shank Hall
2/19 – State College, PA @ Lulu’s
2/20 – Millvale, PA @ Mr. Small’s
2/21 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
2/23 – Brooklyn, NY @ Southpaw
2/24 – Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s

Previously
The Lemonheads | 2006 Tour Dates
The Lemonheads playing 2 Nights @ Bowery | Tix
Lemonheads vs. Echo & The Bunnymen

Posted in music | tour dates at 3:03 PM | Comments (8)

Badly Drawn Boy | March 2007 Tour Dates

BADLY DRAWN BOY @ HIRO BALLROOM, NYC | OCT 11. 2006 (CRED)

Tickets are on sale for a Badly Drawn Boy show at Webster Hall in NYC on March 7th. He's also playing Stubbs during SXSW on March 16th. All tour dates below...

BADLY DRAWN BOY | 2007 TOUR DATES
Mar 03 Philadelphia PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
Mar 05 Somerville MA @ Somerville Theatre
Mar 06 Washington DC @ 9.30 Club
Mar 07 New York NY @ Webster Hall
Mar 09 Detroit MI @ Majestic Theatre
Mar 10 Chicago IL @ Metro
Mar 11 Minneapolis MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe
Mar 13 Nashville TN @ Exit/In
Mar 14 Atlanta GA @ The Loft
Mar 16 Austin TX @ Stubbs Bar-B-Q (outdoors-SXSW)
Mar 18 Boulder CO @ Fox Theatre
Mar 19 Salt Lake City UT @ Urban Lounge
Mar 21 San Diego CA @ House of Blues
Mar 22 Los Angeles CA @ El Rey Theatre
Mar 23 San Francisco CA @ Great American Music Hall
Mar 25 Portland OR @ Aladdin Theatre
Mar 26 Seattle WA @ Neumo's
Mar 27 Vancouver BC @ Richards on Richards

Previously
Badly Drawn Boy won the 2000 Mercury Prize

Posted in music | tour dates at 2:44 PM | Comments (2)

Earl Greyhound | 2007 Tour Dates

Last week I posted some Earl Greyhound info. & shows. This week they announced a whole tour. Dates below....

EARL GREYHOUND | 2007 TOUR DATES
January 16 Boston, MA @ Middle East,
January 17 Montreal, QUE @ Green Room
January 18 Toronto, ONT @ Silver Dollar
January 19 Detroit, MI @ Lager House
January 20 Chicago, IL @ Schuba's
January 21 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry
January 25 Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Café
January 26 Portland, OR @ Dante's
January 28 San Francisco, CA @ 12 Galaxies
January 31 Los Angeles, CA @ Silverlake Lounge
February 1 San Diego, CA @ Casbah
February 3 Las Vegas, NV @ Beauty Bar
February 7 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
February 8 Omaha, NB @ Sokol Underground
February 9 Columbia, MO @ Blue Note
February 10 St Louis, MO @ Billiken Club, St. Louis University
February 17 Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Academy of Music w/ Mos Def?

Previously
Earl Greyhound - Tour Dates ++ S/FJ's Best of 2006

Posted in music | tour dates at 1:40 PM | Comments (1)

Mos Def | new album, Lincoln Center & BAM too

Mos Def's third album True Magic comes out on December 29th. It features production from Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes, Minnesota and Preservation. Why anyone would release an album between Christmas and New Years is beyond me.

Mos plays Lincoln Center on January 17th, and I just found out he's playing two shows at BAM in Brooklyn on February 16th & 17th.

Streams suck, but here are some from his new album:

* "Crime & Medicine" - WIN | REAL
* "Sun Moon & Stars" - WIN | REAL
* "Fake Bonanza" - WIN | REAL
* "Napoleon Dynamite" - WIN | REAL

Previously
Mos Def played w/ Hypnotic Brass Ensemble @ Lion's Den
Mos Def spokeswoman chides N.Y. police

Posted in hiphop | music | tour dates at 1:10 PM | Comments (11)

Yeti favorite Benjy Ferree | Tour Dates

DOWNLOAD: Benjy Ferree - In the Woods (MP3)

The Yeti-loved & Domino-signed singer-songwriter Benjy Ferree is about to leave Washington DC on a small tour that has him playing NYC twice. The first show is December 30th at Webster Hall....opening for Spoon. The second show is January 20th at Tonic. Listen at MySpace and here. All tour dates below....

BENJY FEREE | TOUR DATES
Dec 30 2006 - Webster Hall New York, New York
Jan 11 2007 - Carabar Columbus, Ohio
Jan 12 2007 - Schuba's Chicago, Illinois
Jan 13 2007 - Landlocked Music Bloomington, Indiana
Jan 15 2007 - Bottletree Café Birmingham
Jan 16 2007 - The Earl Atlanta, Georgia
Jan 17 2007 - Local 506 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Jan 19 2007 - The Black Cat Wash DC, Washington DC
Jan 20 2007 - Tonic New York, New York (10 pm)

Previously
Benjy played Sound Fix for CMJ
Benjy played the Seaport
Stream Benjy Ferree

Posted in MP3 | music | tour dates at 12:48 PM | Comments (6)

Brooklyn's Galapagos closing too?

"Word on the street: an acquaintance heard it from a friend, who heard it from a friend who knows the owner of Galapagos - he's selling out in the next year or so to cash the space in to make way for more CONDOS going up in the hood (NOOOOOOO!!!!!)." [Flora Fling's Filings]

"...someone mentioned that Galapago, the great alternative art space which is next door, will also go down with the wrecking ball." [NY Press]

It's not clear when the club's expansion plan was last updated, but I would rather see them expand than close. The last event currently listed on their schedule is for 2/14. Northsix ( right next door) is definitely closing soon.

Posted in NYC | music | venues at 3:30 AM | Comments (28)

December 20, 2006

Decemberists on Colbert Report tonight + Colin's favs

CHECK IT OUT: Colin Meloy's Top 10 Albums of 2006

CHRIS FUNK @ THE ELECTRIC FACTORY | NOV 1, 2006 (CRED)

" Stephen Colbert, of basic cable television program 'The Colbert Report,' has formally accepted a counter-counter challenge from The Decemberists, setting the stage for an epic battle on par with Ali vs. Frazier, Scopes v. State and Kramer vs. Kramer. The winner-take-all guitar duel will take place on Wednesday, December 20th at 11:30 pm ET/PT on Comedy Central’s 'The Colbert Report.'"

Previously
Decemberists vs. Colbert
Village Voice takes on the Decemberists
I saw the Daily Show, but not Tom Waits or Tenacious D

Posted in music at 8:53 PM | Comments (10)

Sebadoh | original lineup reunites -- 2007 Tour Dates

"The recently reunited Sebadoh have announced dates and venues for their new tour. The band, whose original line-up of Eric Gaffney, Lou Barlow, and Jason Loewenstein has reformed after imploding several times in the mid 90’s, will visit cities all across the US including a stop at San Francisco’s Noise Pop festival." [Filter]

The NYC show is at Webster Hall on March 31st. All 2007 tour dates below....

February
26 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
27 - Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar
28 - San Francisco, CA - GAMH/Noisepop

March
02 - Portland, OR - Berbatis Pan
03 - Vancouver, BC - Richards
04 - Seattle, WA - Neumos
06 - Eugene, OR - WOW Hall
08 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Attic
09 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
10 - Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
15 - Phoenix, AZ - Clubhouse
16 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
17 - Boulder, CO - Fox Theater
19 - Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar
20 - Milwaukee, WI - Shank Hall
21 - Chicago, IL - Metro
22 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
23 - Toronto - Lees Palace
24 - Montreal - La Sala Rossa
29 - Northampton, MA - Pearl St
30 - Boston, MA - Paradise
31 - New York, NY - Webster Hall

April
03 - Washington DC - 9:30 Club
04 - Carrboro, NC - Cats Cradle
06 - Louisville, KY - Headliners
07 - Nashville, TN - Exit In
08 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
09 - Tallahassee, FL - Beta Bar
10 - Orlando, FL - The Social
12 - New Orleans, LA - TBA
13 - Houston, TX - Walters On Washington
14 - Austin, TX - Emos
16 - Tucson, AZ - Club Congress

Previously
Dinosaur Jr.'s gear stolen in Queens after Brooklyn show

Posted in music | tour dates at 7:00 PM | Comments (16)

The John Lennon FBI Files

The existence of John Lennon FBI files is frightening and hilarious at the same time, but more importantly - why should anyone believe that ALL the FBI files are now public? Isn't it possible they just put a few of the more embarrassing ones through the shredder, or just didn't send them, or changed the ones they sent, or whatever-whatever?

Posted in music at 5:25 PM | Comments (2)

2007 Plug Awards - musical line-up announced

As previously noted, David Cross is hosting the Plug Award ceremony at Irving Plaza in NYC on February 10th, 2007. Still time to vote for the winners. Here's who's gonna play:

* Deerhoof
* Tokyo Police Club
* Silversun Pickups
* El-P
* Stephen Malkmus w/ Janet Weiss (Sleater-Kinney) on drums

good lineup. no tickets yet.

Posted in music at 4:28 PM | Comments (10)

Peter Bjorn & John remix round-up (Young Folks remixed)

DOWNLOAD: Peter Bjorn & John - All Those Expectations (weak remix) (MP3)

Does a Peter Bjorn & John "Young Folks Remixed" album really exist? Witchita Recordings says it does. It might explain some of the below remixes. Click "here" to get the MP3s....

PB&J remixed...
* Let's Call It Off (Girl Talk Remix) (here)
* Let's Call It Off (JD Twitch's Optimo Remix) (here)
* Young Cats (PB & J vs The Cure) (here)
* Young Folks (Tomas Anderson remix) (here)
* Young Folks (Beyond the Wizard's Sleeve Re-animation) (here)
* Young Folks (Punks Jump Up Special Disco Mix) (here)
* Young Folks (Punks Jump Up Special Disco Remix #2) [on 'Lets Call it Off' single]
* All Those Expectations (weak remix) [on 'Young Folks' single] [SEE ABOVE]
* Tail or Made (Upperkut remix) [on 'Tailormade' single]

any more?

Peter Bjorn & John play Mercury Lounge in January.

Posted in MP3 | music at 3:08 PM | Comments (8)

Chris Thile | Living Room show + 2007 Tour Dates

CHRIS THILE @ BOWERY BALLROOM, NYC | AUG 29, 2006

Chris Thile is playing The Living Room in NYC on December 28, 2006. Who knew he'd return to the small space after recently headlining the much larger Bowery Ballroom? Tickets are on sale for the Living Room show....and the one at Carnegie Hall. Chris is also up for a Grammy. All tour dates, and a couple more pics from the August Bowery show, below...

CHRIS THILE | TOUR DATES
Dec 28 2006 - The Living Room - Chris Thile & Michael Daves New York, New York
Jan 13 2007 - George Mason University Hall - with Edgar Meyer Fairfax, Virginia
Jan 16 2007 - Midland Center for the Arts - with Edgar Meyer Midland, Michigan
Jan 18 2007 - Pick-Staiger Concert Hall - with Edgar Meyer Evanston, Illinois
Jan 19 2007 - Debartolo Center - with Edgar Meyer South Bend, Indiana
Jan 20 2007 - Lund Auditorium - with Edgar Meyer River Forest, Illinois
Jan 21 2007 - Southern Theatre - with Edgar Meyer Columbus, Ohio
Jan 23 2007 - Pabst Theatre - with Edgar Meyer Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Jan 25 2007 - Page Auditorium - with Edgar Meyer Durham, North Carolina
Jan 26 2007 - Lucas Theatre - with Edgar Meyer Savannah, Georgia
Jan 27 2007 - Schwartz Center - with Edgar Meyer Atlanta, Georgia
Jan 28 2007 - Moody Concert Hall - with Edgar Meyer Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Feb 9 2007 - SUNY Buffalo - Center for the Arts Buffalo, New York
Feb 10 2007 - The Swyer Theatre at The Egg Albany, New York
Feb 11 2007 - Higher Ground Ballroom - on sale 12/8 South Burlington, Vermont
Feb 13 2007 - The Barn at Hamilton College Clinton, New York
Feb 16 2007 - Joe Val Bluegrass Festival Framingham, Maryland
Feb 17 2007 - World Cafe Live (WXPN Studios) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Feb 18 2007 - Rams Head Onstage Annapolis, Maryland
Feb 20 2007 - Parish Auditorium Hamilton, Ohio
Feb 21 2007 - Sheldon Concert Hall St. Louis, Missouri
Feb 23 2007 - Wintergrass Music Festival Tacoma, Washington
Feb 24 2007 - Sierra Nevada Tap Room Chico, California
Feb 25 2007 - The Independent San Francisco, California
Feb 26 2007 - Largo Los Angeles, California
Feb 27 2007 - Largo Los Angeles, California
Mar 17 2007 - Zankel Hall - Carnegie Hall Complex - INTRODUCING THE TENSIONS MOUNTAIN BOYS New York, NY

Previously
Nickel Creek breaking up, Chris Thile playing shows, album stream PLUS Strokes stuff

Posted in music | pictures | tour dates at 1:39 PM | Comments (2)

Christmas music courtesy of WFMU (MP3 treasure hunt)

WFMU rounded up a ton of good holiday music links.

Posted in holiday music | music at 12:27 PM | Comments (0)

The Thermals & The Big Sleep | 2007 Tour Dates

THERMAL WONDERLAND IN NEW ZEALAND (VIA)

This February the Thermals are finally getting around to a proper headlining tour to support their awesome 2006 album The Body, The Blood, The Machine. To make things even better, they'll be supported by NYCs's own The Big Sleep including at the show at NYC's own Bowery Ballroom on March 4th. Tickets go on sale Friday. All tour dates below...

THE THERMALS | 2007 TOUR DATES
Feb 21 - Chop Suey Seattle, WA
Feb 22 - Media Club Vancouver, BC
Feb 27 - Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis, MN *
Feb 28 - Subterranean Chicago, IL *
Mar 1 - Beachland Ballroom Cleveland, OH *
Mar 2 - Black Cat Washington, DC *
Mar 4 - Bowery Ballroom New York, NY *

* W/ The Big Sleep

THE BIG SLEEP | 2007 TOUR DATES
Thu Jan 18 - Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia, PA
Fri Jan 19 - Yale University New Haven, CT
Sat Jan 20 - Great Scott Allston, MA

More dates most likely TBA.

Previously
My 40 favorite albums of 2006 & then some
The Big Sleep @ Spiegel, NYC | pics
The Thermals @ Fontana's (BrooklynVegan day show), NYC

Posted in music | tour dates at 11:43 AM | Comments (12)

DJ Riko Merry Mixmas collection (MP3 holiday mixes)

"The DJ Riko Merry Mixmas collection is a holiday tradition that dates back to 2002. Links to download all of the editions can be found on this page." (via)

Posted in holiday music | music at 11:27 AM | Comments (0)

December 19, 2006

Peter Bjorn & John playing 2 nights in NYC!

peter björn & john (CRED)

I just got so excited excited when I found out that Peter Bjorn & John are coming to NYC to play TWO shows AT MERCURY LOUNGE! I was hoping they would come to SXSW (they probably will?), but never expected this. Tickets for the January 29th & 30th shows go on sale Wednesday at noon.

PB & J put out one of my favorite albums of 2006.

Posted in music | tour dates at 5:47 PM | Comments (41)

Limelight/Avalon to become a mini-mall w/ H&M & restaurant?

"The former Episcopal church that once housed the sacrilegious Limelight nightclub will be born again - as a retail mini-mall." [NY Post] (via Gothamist]

Previously
Avalon closing? selling? just not having anymore shows?
Avalon & Clear Channel to Create "top rock club"

Posted in music | venues at 5:13 PM | Comments (2)

Pitchfork's Best Albums of 2006

* BrooklynVegan - Favorite Albums of 2006
* PFork - Top Albums of 2006
* PFork - 2006 Individual Albums Lists

Posted in music at 9:05 AM | Comments (18)

Clipse playing Webster Hall

Tickets go on sale today at noon for a January 24th Clipse show at Webster Hall in NYC.

Previously
Clipse @ Knitting Factory - CMJ reviews & video

Posted in music | tour dates at 8:59 AM | Comments (37)

My 40 favorite albums of 2006 & then some

I hated making this list. Keep in mind that the below albums were my favorites - most of all because I liked listening to them - at least at some point in the year, and in one setting or another. I would never claim any album is the "best", and I respect all opinions. I think music is subjective, situational, right-time-right-place, etc.. One reason an album might not be on the list = I didn't hear it.

All albums on the list are split into equal groups of ten. Grizzly Bear=Destroyer=Scott Walker=Califone, etc... (I know that pisses some people off.) Here are my 40 favorite albums of 2006....

ONE THROUGH TEN
1-10) Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
1-10) Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
1-10) Peter, Bjorn & John - Writer's Block
1-10) Britta Persson - Top Quality Bones and a Little Terrorist
1-10) Scott Walker - The Drift
1-10) Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor
1-10) Hot Chip - The Warning
1-10) Lily Allen - Alright Still
1-10) Califone - Roots and Crowns
1-10) Land of Talk - Applause Cheer Boo Hiss (EP?)

ELEVEN THROUGH TWENTY
11-20) Isolee - Western Store
11-20) J Dilla - Donuts
11-20) The Knife - Silent Shout
11-20) Mew - Mew and the glass handed kites
11-20) Arctic Monkeys - Whatever people say i am, that's what i'm not
11-20) Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope
11-20) TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
11-20) Love is All - Nine Times That Same Song
11-20) The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine
11-20) Tokyo Police Club - A Lesson in Crime EP

TWENTY-ONE THROUGH THIRTY
21-30) Professor Murder - Rides the Subway EP
21-30) Bob Dylan - Modern Times
21-30) Neil Young - Living With War
21-30) El Perro Del Mar - El Perro Del Mar
21-30) The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America
21-30) Silversun Pickups - Carnavas
21-30) The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
21-30) Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I am Dreaming
21-30) Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
21-30) Cat Power - The Greatest

THIRTY-ONE THROUGH FORTY
31-40) M-Ward - Post War
31-40) Tapes N Tapes - The Loon
31-40) Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds
31-40) Malajube - Trompe L'oeil
31-40) Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That
31-40) Archie Bronson Outfit - Derdang Derdang
31-40) Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
31-40) Nellie McKay - Pretty Little Head
31-40) Voxtrot - Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives EP
31-40) Spank Rock - YoYoYoYoYo

AND MUCH RESPECT TO...

The Big Sleep
Kimya Dawson
Sure Juror
Junior Boys
Matmos
Oxford Collapse
My Brightest Diamond
Parenthetical Girls
Bonnie Prince Billy
Cadence Weapon
Born Ruffians
Think About Life
Elvis Perkins
Robyn
CSS
Art Brut
Lo Fi Fnk
The Ballet
Sally Shapiro
Lady Sovereign
We are Scientists
Jeffrey Lewis
The Little Ones
Twisted Sister
Shout Out Out Out Out
Jenny Lewis
Ghostface
The Roots
Peter and the Wolf
Sonic Youth
Forward Russia
Belle & Sebastian
Joan as Policewoman
Camera Obscura
Joanna Newsom
Fiery Furnaces
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Yo La Tengo
Beach House
Beck
Liars
Girl Talk
Mastodon
Mountain Goats
Beirut
The Blow
The Evens
Matt & Kim
Wolfmother
Drones
Isis
and whoever I forgot....

Posted in music at 6:46 AM | Comments (88)

December 18, 2006

Tapes 'n Tapes gear, passport, pictures & stuff - robbed from their van in Australia

"on friday, only a few hours before we were scheduled to fly home from perth, we got robbed. our van was parked at city beach (right outside of perth, australia), while we were taking a brief frolic in the indian ocean. our tour manager left the van unattended for about 10 minutes, and when we came back, someone had pried open a window and stole a lot of our personal belongings. Luckily very little of our gear was stolen (only 2 big muff distortion pedals, one boss loop station, one DW9000 kick drum pedal, and a tambourine). But our personal belongings did not fair so well. One of our passports was stolen, two mac laptops were stolen, one digital camera, all of josh's clothes, one blackberry, two cell phones, and all sorts of various inconvenient personal effects (glasses, keys, wallets, shoes, etc.). So far nothing has been recovered by the police. One of us is still stuck in Australia, sorting out passport details, but hopefully that should be resolved in the next 48hrs. The biggest thing that we lost from all of this was years worth of photos and other sentimental stuff stored on the two computers that were stolen. we'll probably never see any of these things again, but in the off chance that any of you might come across any of it, we've added some descriptive information below. thanks to everyone who's already helped us out with all of this." [Tapes 'n Tapes]

Assuming they all get out of Australia, TNT's next, and only scheduled, show is December 29, 2006 at First Avenue in Minneapolis.

photo credit.

Previously
Tapes 'n Tapes @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC | pics

Posted in music | stolen gear at 11:09 PM | Comments (14)

Rainer Maria took their final bow (until the reunion)

RAINER MARIA's LAST SHOW @ NORTHSIX, BROOKLYN, NY | DEC 17, 2006 (CRED)

"Rainer Maria were an indie rock band originally from Madison, Wisconsin, later residing in Brooklyn, New York" [Wikipedia]

Previously
Rainer Maria added 3rd & final show (@ Northsix)

Posted in music at 4:03 PM | Comments (28)

New Young Pony Club @ White Room (Modular Holiday Party), Brooklyn, NY | pics

My New Years resolution is to start posting show recaps in a timely manner again...

Last Saturday night (December 9, 2006) I found myself at the "White Room" in Williamsburg. It's a new venue that opened during CMJ -- and an art space. It's literally just a big open white room that feels like it might be part of a public school. It was the Modular Records Christmas party, and it was the NYC debut of the UK's New Young Pony Club.

"Mutual friends introduced now London-based vocalist Tahita Bulmer and guitarist Andy Spence in 2004, who shared a love of punk rock and dance music, from Gang of Four to Tom Tom Club. The founding pair began writing together, originally only for Tahita to perform. Andy later assumed a larger role when they decided to form a proper band, so the duo recruited the single-monikered Lou (keyboards), Igor (bass), and Sarah (drums). Modular picked them up just over one year later."[SPIN]

The night-before @ Annex was supposed to be the band's NYC debut, but Tahita needed to rest her voice so they cancelled that show. I think the voice issue was also the reason they only played for like 25 minutes on Saturday night -- regardless, it one of the best shows I saw this year.

"It went relatively well considering I had a sore throat," she explained. [NME]

Sound Bites compared it to the first time he saw Franz Ferdinand.

I can never put my finger on what "it" is, but one thing is for sure -- New Young Pony Club have it. [Sound Bites]

I felt the same thing, but was thinking of the more-recent live hit Love Is All.

Live = awesome, but so far I'm not AS blown away with their 80s-dancey recorded stuff. Luckily we should have the chance to see them again when they return to the USA to play SXSW in March of 2007.

there's a video from the show at YouTube. Productshop was also there.

Previously
video: New Young Pony Club - "Ice Cream"
Modular Christmas Party tonight w/ New Young Pony Club

Posted in music | pictures at 7:21 AM | Comments (9)

Loney, Dear | 2007 Tour Dates & CMJ pics

LONEY, DEAR @ PIANOS, NYC | NOV 1, 2006

Loney, Dear's set at the Wednesday during-CMJ BrooklynVegan showcase was one of the highlights of my CMJ this year. The recent-Sub Pop signees are coming back to tour with Of Montreal in March. That includes the March 10th Irving Plaza show in NYC, and possibly a stop at SXSW. Their album Loney, Noir is out February 6th, 2007. Tour dates below....

LONEY, DEAR | 2007 TOUR DATES (all dates w/ Of Montreal)
Sat 03/10/07 Irving Plaza New York NY
Sun 03/11/07 Avalon Ballroom Boston MA
??SXSW??
Fri 03/16/07 First Avenue Minneapolis MN
Sat 03/17/07 Pabst Theatre Milwaukee WI
Mon 03/19/07 Beachland Ballroom Cleveland OH
Tue 03/20/07 Southgate House Newport KY
Wed 03/21/07 Mercy Lounge Nashville TN
Thu 03/22/07 Grey Eagle Tavern Asheville NC
Fri 03/23/07 Headliners @ Banana Joes Columbia SC
Thu 03/29/07 Abbey Road Gainesville FL
Fri 03/30/07 Studio A Miami FL
Sat 03/31/07 The Club at Firestone Orlando FL
Sun 04/01/07 Freebird Live Jacksonville Beach FL
Mon 04/02/07 The Moon Tallahassee FL

LONEY, DEAR @ PIANOS, NYC | NOV 1, 2006

Previously
Loney, Dear | Sub Pop, MP3s & Tour Dates (CMJ)

Posted in CMJ | SXSW | music | pictures | tour dates at 6:20 AM | Comments (3)

Pitchfork's "Top 100 Tracks of 2006"

Pitchfork released their "Top 100 Tracks of 2006" and "2006 Individual Tracks List". I was surprised to see Beach House in the Top 10. Sally Shapiro scored the #27 spot.

Posted in music at 5:58 AM | Comments (3)

John Darnielle hearts Regina Spektor & CocoRosie in 2006

Well, not CocoRosie exactly, but he does love their side-project Metallic Falcons. Chromewaves hearts The Mountain Goats.

Posted in music at 5:18 AM | Comments (0)

Jim Noir cancels tour because his band wasn't allowed back in the U.S. from Canada

"Due to unforeseen circumstances, the rest of the US tour dates will no longer be taking place. I sincerely apologise to all those fans that bought tickets for the cancelled shows and hope to make it up to you in the near future. In the meantime, have a fantabulous hoilday/Xmas/New Year and I aim to be back with new material very soon." [Jim Noir]

Posted in music | tour dates at 2:23 AM | Comments (1)

Sally Shapiro | the 2006 Scandinavian Disco Princess -- MP3s: Christmas & remix & mix & more

DOWNLOAD (MP3s)
Sally Shapiro - I'll Be By Your Side
Sally Shapiro - I'll Be By Your Side (Aven Remix)
Sally Shapiro - I Know
Sally Shapiro - Anorak Christmas
Sally Shapiro - Anorak Christmas (Dyylan remix)
Johan - 1-hour mix w/ Sally in there

In 2004 we had Annie from Norway. In 2005 we had Robyn from Sweden. So who was our Scandinavian "disco princess" of 2006? That award goes to....Sweden's own Sally Shapiro!

"If Sally Shapiro sounds tentative, it's because she never intended on singing. As the story goes, pal and fledgling Swedish producer Johan Agebjörn was so struck by Shapiro's demure caroling voice that he set to the studio and whipped this up specifically for her." [Pitchfork]

"Sally Shapiro is a slice of irresistible italo-disco-synthpop." [Big Stereo]

"Sally Shapiro: The New Belle & Sebastian" [Status Ain't Hood]

----

P.S. : : Robyn came out with a 5-song EP this year. It's called The Rakamonie EP. It's streaming at her website. I like it. Pitchfork gave it a 7.8.

Posted in MP3 | music at 1:55 AM | Comments (3)

some random stuff

DOWNLOAD: The Boggs - Arm in Arm (Hot Chip Remix) (MP3)

• NewMindSpace is selling Subway buttons
• Bob Dylan Protests Edie Sedgwick film
• Wired hacks Gawker
• Lou Reed not happy about "Factory Girl" either
• Top 25 Worst Album Covers of 2006
• Trey Anastasio Busted for DUI & pills
• New vegan restaurants in NYC
• 1-866-neon-bible ("temporarily unavailable"?)

Posted in MP3 | music at 12:43 AM | Comments (4)

December 16, 2006

"Why Bloggers Don’t Run Record Companies"

"These guys need a reality check. Like it or not, sales of non-DRM’d music are trivial in the context of music industry sales, they are insignificant compared to the sales of DRM’d tracks at iTunes, and they don’t offer artists a serious new option for making money." [Axehole]

Posted in industry | music at 3:34 PM | Comments (9)

"Whatever Happened to Online Etiquette?"

"But what’s really stunning is how hostile *ordinary* people are to each other online these days." [David Pogue]

Posted in music | technology at 3:05 PM | Comments (12)

December 15, 2006

Happy Channukkahh! | new LeeVees video & Tour Dates

LEEVEES | 2006 TOUR DATES
Dec 16th - Bridgeport, CT @ Temple B'nai Israe
Dec 17th - Chicago, IL @ Kinetic Playground - Dave & Adam acoustic
Dec 21st - Boston, MA @ TT The Bears - Dave & Adam acoustic
Dec 23rd - Brooklyn, NY @ Southpaw - Jewltide I w/ Tim Fite, Balkan Beat Box, & Michael Showalter (tix)

Jewltide II is the next night at Southpaw and features So Called & Golem.

Check the LeeVees' website for more info on the band you see in the above video.

Previously
Happy Hanukkah! | Latkelicious MP3s from the Klezmatics
2006 NYC Holiday Entertainment Guide -- MP3s included

Posted in holiday music | music | tour dates at 4:36 PM | Comments (5)

Happy Hanukkah! | Latkelicious MP3s from the Klezmatics

Wednesday night (Dec 13, 2006) I saw the Wainwright Family Christmas concert at Carnegie Hall. Rufus said they'd gotten complaints that there were no Hanukkah songs in last year's show, so they tried to find one for this year. His findings: "There are no good Hanukkah songs". To compensate, he/they sang a non-Hanukkah song in Hebrew (I can't remember the name).

I agree - there are no good Hanukkah songs, but there are funny ones. Luckily there are people like the Klezmatics trying to remedy the situation. Here are two tracks off their new album "Woody Guthrie's Happy Joyous Hanukah".

DOWNLOAD (MP3s)
The Klezmatics - Hanukah Tree
The Klezmatics - Spin, Dreydl, Spin

BONUS DOWNLOAD: Jon Fursh - Latkelicious (MP3) (MORE INFO)

Posted in MP3 | holiday music | music at 3:11 PM | Comments (3)

New Arcade Fire song played on BBC | MP3

"The BBC recently debuted the Arcade Fire’s newest song, 'Intervention'..." YANP has the MP3. The radio announcer at the end of the recording is funny. Arcade Fire just announced five instantly-sold-out shows in Montreal. Stay tuned for those NYC dates.

Posted in MP3 | music at 1:44 PM | Comments (13)

Horatio Sanz UCB Holiday shows w/ David Bazan

David Bazan (Pedro the Lion) will be SNL cast-member Horatio Sanz's special guest at the UCB Theater in NYC on December 20th & 21st, 2006. $8.00 tickets are on sale (via)

Oddly enough, Sanz and Bazan are known friends. Check out a BV interview with Bazan.

Posted in comedy | music at 5:55 AM | Comments (6)

Callum Robbins, son of Channels' J. Robbins (Jawbox) & Janet Morgan, needs our help

DOWNLOAD: Jawbox - Livid (MP3)

CALLUM ROBBINS

"It is an understatement to call this a heartbreaking situation. It also stands to be an unbelievably expensive one, especially for a household where the only wage-earner is a self-employed indie recording engineer. It remains unclear just how helpful J.'s single-payer insurance will be." [PLEASE READ MORE]

Posted in music at 5:24 AM | Comments (14)

ex(?)-jammers Lake Trout playing 2 sets @ Mercury Lounge tonight w/ Ultragrrl band The Oohlas

"THE OOHLAS ARE COMING TO NYC! HOLY SHIT OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111 Their first ever nyc show for public consumption will be at Mercury Lounge on December 15th, 2006. OPENING UP FOR LAKE TROUT!" [Ultragrrrl]

-----

And now the rest of this post - brought to you by BV correspondent ajfischler. aj's three favorite bands are Queens of the Stone Age, Galactic and Steely Dan. aj also likes Lake Trout. He most likely never heard of the Oohlas....

LAKE TROUT

Friday night (tonight - Dec 15) at the Mercury Lounge, jazzy, jamish, drum 'n' bass practitioners turned ambient indie rockers Lake Trout will be playing two sets - one rock, one ambient - and recording for a new live album. $12.00 tickets are now on sale. Lake Trout is on at 10:45

Three tracks to stream plus eleven live ones to download (w/ registration) over on their web site. And speaking of their web site, it seems they've whitewashed their aforementioned roots from it. Not Them, You and Another One Lost are both listed, but Volume for the Rest of It -- one of the best albums EVER, by the way -- and their prior works are nowhere to be seen.

I guess you just go with what works for you....

----

thx aj. Definitely check out Coredero too (they were good when I saw them open for Calexico) - they play between The Oohlas and Lake Trout.

The Oohlas also play Shindig Saturday night

Posted in To Do | music at 5:07 AM | Comments (9)

Wes' Weekly Hip Hop News Roundup | (Dec 15, 2006)

DOWNLOAD: The Pack - Ride My Bike (mp3)

KRS-ONE @ SOUTHPAW, BROOKLYN, NYC | DEC 7, 2006 (VIA)

The above linked track by The Pack was given to us as a BV "exclusive". The Pack's song "Vans" is Sasha Frere-Jones' 10th favorite song of the year. "Vans" is also streaming at their MySpace.

What is your favorite hip hop record of the year? Leave it in the comments!

My favorite new rapper: Termanology. Listen to a track with Kanye, watch the youtube for Watch How It Go Down (production by DJ Premier, read an interview then another one and then a feature article.

An interesting, and dare-I-say touching, interview with The Game.

Lupe Fiasco takes part in AOL Sessions, and does it well. Lupe recently played SOB's.

XXL offers an interesting read on the influence of the internet on the hip hop industry.

Jay-Z might have had a terrible sales drop in his second and third week but at least he got to hang out with Barbara Walters. She interviews him for her 10 Most Fascinating People Special. Watch it (and read the rest of this post) below...

Common is set to release a new single called A Dream. Production by the will.i.am . It will be featured on the soundtrack to the forthcoming Hillary Swank film Freedom Writers.

M.O.P, Cormega, and AZ play BB King's in NYC on December 20th. Nas added a show at Webster Hall.

Go check out the new Styles P single Testify featuring Talib Kweli over at NahRight. Check out a Styles P interview as well.

Pitchfork reviews the new Ghostface record More Fish.

The Daily News reports that graffiti is still alive in the world of New York City subways, but interestingly enough, a large percentage is done by tourists from Europe.

Check out this interview with Pharoah Monch, hip hop legend and recent Diddy collaborator. He's putting out his new album Desire soon. Preview some tracks on his myspace.

Read an entertaining Redman interview from the Denver Post.

Evel Knievel is suing 'Evel Kanyevel'.

Religious movement growing in hip-hop culture.

DMC says today's hip hop is "monotonous"

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this post brought to you by Undisputed Wes

Posted in MP3 | hiphop | music at 4:42 AM | Comments (16)

Velvet Underground record back on eBay

"We ran this auction last week, but as we have reported to the international press which has enquired, the winning bid was found to have been perpetrated by a prankster. We are rerunning the auction this time with amendments to the effect that in the present auction, identities of bidders will be kept private to avoid attracting non-serious attention-seeking bidders, and we are also requiring that interested bidders register before bidding so that we may examine their references. We are hopeful that this will ensure a fair and accurate auction result which will reflect actual market interest. - Scott Wax, Saturn Records"

Posted in music at 4:12 AM | Comments (5)

Axl Rose cancels West Coast dates, writes us a letter

via Blabbermouth.....

-------

GUNS N' ROSES has announced that the following concert tour dates have been cancelled:

Jan. 10 – Sacramento, CA
Jan. 11 – Bakersfield, CA
Jan. 13 – Reno, NV
Jan. 16 - San Diego, CA

GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose has issued the following "open letter" to the group's fans:

"Due to the schedule of these particular shows valuable time needed by the band and record company for the proper setup and release of the album 'Chinese Democracy' would be lost. Rather than delay the album yet again all involved have decided to remove these shows from GNR's schedule. We sincerely hope our fans understand and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused anyone. Tickets may be refunded at local point of purchase.

"To say the making of this album has been an unbearably long and incomprehensible journey would be an understatement. Overcoming the endless and seemingly insanity of the obstacles faced by all involved, not withstanding the emotional challenges endured by everyone: the fans, the band, our road crew and business team has at many times seemed for all like a bad dream where one wakes up only to find they are still in the nightmare and unfortunately this time it has been played out for over a decade in real life.

"The true ongoing behind-the-scenes triumphs and casualties are much more complicated than any negative speculation that media or otherwise has managed to hit upon. For much of the time some form or another of legalities have been taking place that really the best way to deal with publicly was to keep our mouths shut in an attempt to ensure the best outcome and especially one that wouldn't jeopardize the band or the album. One can easily point to how others have done things or how they themselves feel that they would were they in the same situations but without full knowledge of the various dynamics and circumstances involved, again these types of comments or commentary are uninformed, outside, generally useless and often hindering speculation.

"When I agreed to do our recent North American tour I agreed with the understanding that I and my manager Merck Mercuriadis were in full agreement as to our strategy, touring plans and most importantly that any and all things needed to release the album at the latest by Dec. 26th were to be in place. Unfortunately this turned out not to be the case and not only do I regret to say that again the album will not be released by the end of the year but that though many things went extremely well and were very exciting there were in our opinion unnecessary and avoidable complications on our tour having to do with the tour routing, scheduling and album and video plans that played hell on all involved especially our crew. This was compounded by an overall sense of a lack of respect by management for the band and crew and each individual's particular expertise that has resulted unfortunately in the end of both GUNS and my relationship in having a management or sense of band involvement with Merck Mercuriadis.

"In regard to a release date for the album itself certain minor and by that I do mean minor things and or additions as well as contract negotiations need to be completed and barring any unforeseen complications these things have now been adequately scheduled. Both the band and I along with our record company feel that this record deserves the proper setup and promotion not the '13 Tuesdays left' and 'it may just appear in your record store' approach offered by management. We believe this strategy may have been used in order for management to sell this latest tour to the various promoters. We feel that if this was so, this was obviously unfair to them. The stress of dealing with this situation has been considerable for everyone as well as to the band themselves as a whole but that this was more importantly in our opinion something utterly insane to do to our fans. Our apologies and please know we have been laboring over this with management for the entire North American tour.

"It takes approximately 8 weeks for an album to hit the shelves once it has been turned in to the record company. For whatever reasons it appears it may have been mistakenly inferred by management that this could be condensed to three. That being said this is not a promise, a lie or a guarantee but we do wish to announce a tentative release date of March 6th. This is the first time we have done this publicly for this album. Any and all other dates have been made up by others for their own reasons. We would like to assure the fans that though tentative everything in our power will be done to meet this date. Once it is finalized and official you will be notified. If we are delayed for unseen reasons you will also be notified as soon as possible in regard to a new date and the album will be released as shortly thereafter as is possible. We thank you for your patience.

"In the end it's just an album and one that I, the band, our record company and all involved believe and feel is a true GUNS N' ROSES album. Ultimately the public will decide and regardless of the outcome our hearts, lives and our passion has been put into this project every step of the way. If for no other reason we feel those elements alone merit your consideration. We do hope you can hold on just a bit longer and if not we hope you would please feel free to take a break and we'll be more than glad (if you so choose) to see you again later.

"Once again, our sincere apologies and our deepest thanks, GUNS N' ROSES would also like to thank all the fans who attended the 70 concerts in 21 different countries for their support in 2006. All the best to each and every one of you over this holiday season, thank-you and God bless."

Previously
more pictures of Guns N' Roses @ Hammerstein Ballroom
Guns N' Roses @ Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC | pics

Posted in music at 3:44 AM | Comments (8)

RIP Ahmet Ertegun - Atlantic Records founder

DOWNLOAD: Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven (MP3) (hey, it goes well with this post - show some respect)

JANN WENNER, MICK JAGGER & AHMET ERTEGUN

"Ahmet Ertegun, the music magnate who founded Atlantic Records and shaped the careers of John Coltrane, Ray Charles, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and many others, died yesterday in Manhattan. He was 83. A spokesman for Atlantic Records said the death was the result of a brain injury suffered when Mr. Ertegun fell backstage at the Beacon Theater in Manhattan on Oct. 29 as the Rolling Stones prepared to play a concert that marked former President Bill Clinton’s 60th birthday. He had been in a coma since then." [NY Times]

"During the 1960s, Ahmet heard Led Zeppelin's demo and knew they would be a smash hit after hearing the first few songs." [Wikipedia]

Eerily, I posted about the Beacon Theater two posts ago, a Led "Zeppelinesque" band three posts before that, the Rolling Stones one post before that, and Jann Wenner's Rolling Stone not long before that. . yeah, I'm a flake. RIP Ahmet.

Posted in music at 3:07 AM | Comments (1)

Catching up with Lifetime & The Bouncing Souls - Tour Dates

I slept on the fact that Lifetime is playing two free shows at Cake Shop in NYC this weekend. It's a video shoot. You can still try RSVPing if you haven't already - maybe there's room left. Cake Shop is small though. There's also a presale for their upcoming tour dates including a show at Bowery Ballroom in NYC on February 10th, 2007. Regular sale starts Friday at noon.

The Bouncing Souls have been touring for a while now. On December 28th they hit Webster Hall in NYC. Tickets are still on sale. World Inferno Friendship Society open.

All Lifetimes & BS tour dates below....

LIFETIME | 2006-2007 TOUR DATES
Dec 27 2006 8:00P STARLAND BALLROOM SAYERVILLE, New Jersey
Jan 16 2007 6:00P HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM NEW YORK, New York
Feb 9 2007 8:00P BLACK CAT WASHINGTON, Washington DC
Feb 10 2007 8:00P BOWERY BALLROOM NEW YORK, New York
Feb 11 2007 8:00P AXIS BOSTON, Massachusetts
Feb 16 2007 8:00P CHAIN REACTION ANAHEIM, California
Feb 17 2007 8:00P TROUBADOR LOS ANGELES, California
Feb 18 2007 8:00P SLIM'S SAN FRANCISCO, California

BOUNCING SOULS | 2006-2007 TOUR DATES
12/15 - NORVA - Norfolk, VA
12/16 - Ottobar - Baltimore, MD
12/28 - Webster Hall - NYC, NY w/ The World/Inferno F.S. & School of Rock All Stars
12/29 - House of Blues - Atlantic City, NJ w/ Weston, Sticks & Stones, School of Rock All Stars
1/18 - Suede - Park City, UT
1/19 - Empire Ballroom - Las Vegas, NV

BS UK TOUR w/ THE DRAFT
2/6/07 Exeter, UK - Cavern info@cavernclub.co.uk
2/7/07 Brighton, UK - Concorde - ticketweb.co.uk
2/8/07 Portsmouth, UK - Wedgewoods Rooms - www.seetickets.com
2/9/07 Birmingham, UK - Barfly - www.ticketweb.co.uk
2/10/07 London, UK - Mean Fiddler - www.seetickets.com
2/11/07 Bristol, UK - Fleeche - 441179299008
2/12/07 Manchester, UK - Academy - 441618321111
2/13/07 Leeds, UK - Cockpit - www.seetickets.com
2/14/07 Liverpool, UK - Barfly - www.barflyclub.com
2/15/07 Glasgow, UK - Cathouse - www.barflyclub.com
2/16/07 Belfast, Northern IE - Bunker / Limelight - 448703331123
2/17/07 Dublin, IE - Temple Bar Music Centre - www.tbmc.ie
2/18/07 Newcastle, UK - Academy - 0870 771 2000

Previously
An interview with Lifetime (Ari, Dan, Pete & Scott)
Lifetime @ Emo's, Austin, TX (SXSW) | pics PART 4
The Bouncing Souls @ Knitting Factory, NYC (5th of 6) | pics
Bouncing Souls @ CBGB Rally in the park, NYC | pics

Posted in music | tour dates at 2:27 AM | Comments (6)

Cablevision bought the Beacon Theater which will close for renovations in 2008

"Come January, the famed Beacon Theater will join the Cablevision family of music venues, adding a relatively intimate 2,800 seat house to a performance space selection that includes the vastly larger Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden. 'The Beacon completes our product line,' said Cablevision Systems Corp. Chief Executive James Dolan, at a press conference Wednesday at the Beacon........The Beacon will close its doors for the seven to nine months....." [Crains] (via)

Upcoming shows at the Beacon include Bryan Adams and Bob Weir & Rat Dog.

Posted in music | venues at 2:20 AM | Comments (0)

Harvey Weinstein Elected to Live Nation Board of Directors

"Harvey is one of the most respected entertainment brand builders in the world," said Michael Rapino, Live Nation's Chief Executive Officer. "I know his counsel will be invaluable to our continued success at Live Nation." [Earth Times]

Posted in industry | music at 2:10 AM | Comments (0)

Nas playing Webster Hall on Monday + more lists

Nas' new album Hip Hop is Dead comes out this Tuesday December 19th - a really bad release date to have if you want to make it on to anyone's year-end 'best of' list. To celebrate - aka drum up some attention - Nas is playing Webster Hall in NYC on Monday December 18th. The previously announced Nas shows are four days later at Nokia Theatre.

The Passion of the Weiss says:
* The 10 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2006
* The 10 Most Disappointing Albums of 2006
* The 10 Most Slept-On LP's of 2006
* The 7 Albums That Aren't Nearly As Bad As You've Heard
* The 10 Best Debut LP's of 2006
* A Dozen Poorly Written Haikus About 2006's Most Overhyped Albums

Posted in hiphop | music | tour dates at 12:18 AM | Comments (6)

December 14, 2006

Earl Greyhound - Tour Dates ++ S/FJ's Best of 2006

EARL GREYHOUND (CRED)

The New Yorker's own Sasha Frere-Jones, recent winner of Time Out's 'best music critic' award, keeps a running tab of his favorite music on his blog. Here's a peak at his current Top 10 2006 Songs...

1. Gnarls Barkley “Crazy” (Live Top of The Pops version or the regular Atlantic version)
2. Christina Aguilera “Ain't No Other Man” (RCA)
3. Arctic Monkeys “When The Sun Goes Down” (Domino)
4. Dixie Chicks “The Long Way Around” (Sony)
5. Nerina Pallot “Everybody's Gone To War” (14th Floor)
6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Cheated Hearts” (Interscope)
7. Kelis “Bossy” (Jive)
8. Earl Greyhound “SOS” (Some) (listen @ MySpace)
9. Justin Timberlake f/T.I. “My Love” (Jive)
10. The Pack “Vans” (Jive)

Sasha's got a thing for major labels - in fact, most of his favorite 33 songs come from a major-label release. I am neither dissing Sasha, major labels, or implying that Sasha really favors them - it's just an interesting observation when you're constantly surrounded by this.

The artists on his list that AREN'T on majors stand out - especially Brooklyn's own Earl Greyhound (and I don't just mean because I bolded their name in the list above). Sasha loves the rockin' Zeppelinesque band, and it's getting them a lot of attention. He wrote in the September 4th, 2006 New Yorker:

During a recent Earl Greyhound show, one audience member turned to another and said, “Why aren’t they signed to a major yet?” “They’re still playing,” his friend quipped. Whether or not Earl Greyhound are the Next Big Thing is irrelevant—watching them will convince you that they are.

At a minimum, the praise should help Early Greyhound get that major label deal, which in turn should help them fit in better with Christina, Kelis, and Justin at the next Sasha soiree.

J from Heartonastick recently recommended the band to Gothamist readers. Extrawack said they were one of the better acts he caught at CMJ.

The Village Voice and Time Out give their endorsements too. (thx Roger)

EARL GREYHOUND | 2006 TOUR DATES
Dec 14 2006 11:00P - Snitch, NYC
Dec 16 2006 10:00P - The Delancey, NYC
Dec 18 2006 8:00P - The Canal Room, NYC
Dec 21 2006 9:00P - Khyber Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

One last thing: Please tell me that none of the blogs who posted "Chris Ott is Gerard Vs. Bear!!" really believe it. I doubt that even Chris Ott and/or Nick Sylvester - whichever one of them wrote the post that also endorses Earl Greyhound - thought people would take their sarcastic "confession" seriously.

Posted in music | tour dates at 4:58 PM | Comments (7)

Rolling Stones - top grossing tour of 2006

"The Stones, which began the tour in the fall of 2005, sold out arenas in America, stadiums all over the world and then stadiums in America before calling it a year in late November with a tally of about $437 million." [Billboard]

Posted in industry | music at 12:34 PM | Comments (10)

Isolée - Western Store (the most underrated electro album of 2006!)

I'm completely unqualified to claim that Isolée's Western Store is the must underrated electro album of 2006, but I'm pretty sure it did get a lot less attention than Isolee's bad-ass 2005 album We are Monster. I "picked up" Western Store a month-or-two ago, and so far I can't stop listening - definitely one of my favorite albums of the year.

Part of the problem is the lack of a U.S. release - Amazon sells the import for $27.49. Insound doesn't even sell it. Also - it's more of a compilation than an album, but it doesn't feel that way -- especially because I'm not as familiar with the old stuff - same with One Louder. Every once in a while the album gives me deja vu though - probably from hearing the song in a dark, sweaty club that I hardly remember being in...

"In case any of you where wondering where it all began for the most consistantly surprising, original and forward-thinking producer in House music - 'Western Store' will come as a much needed 70 minute educational run. Hauling in a stack of utterly classic 12's, 'Western Store' was put together by one-half of Alter Ego (Jorn Elling Wuttke) and in plundering Rajko Muller's vinyl-only back catalogue has nicely demonstrated the patchwork of styles which comprise the Isoleé sound." [boomkat]

"WeAreMonster" (2005) = a Pitchfork 8.4 + best new music + 11th best album of 2005 + a Stylus A + Cokemachineglow review + a Metacritic page

"Western Store" (2006) = a Pitchfork 8.2 + no Stylus review + no Cokemachineglow review + no Metacritic page + obscurity??

Obviously they are different albums, and one is really an album, and one is more loved, etc.. I'm just sayin'. check it out.

MORE LOVE
* TuneTourist's top 25 albums of 2006
* Pound for Pound review
* The Dusted review

Western Store didn't get nominated for "best electronic/dance album" in the Plug Awards either. Here's who did:

* Basement Jaxx - Crazy Itch Radio (XL)
* Booka Shade - Movements (Get Physical)
* Coldcut - Sound Mirrors (Ninja Tune)
* Girl Talk - Night Ripper (Illegal Art)
* Goldfrapp - We Are Glitter (Mute)
* Herbert - Scale (!K7)
* Hot Chip - The Warning (Astralwerks)
* Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye (Domino)
* MSTRKRFT - Looks (Last Gang)
* Ratatat - Classics (XL)
* The Knife - Silent Shout (Mute)
* Thom Yorke - The Eraser (XL)

Posted in music at 11:48 AM | Comments (11)

"Musical or Comedy" - Golden Globe Nominees Announced

Why do the Golden Globe Awards lump together musical and comedy into the same category? The nominees for "best motion picture - musical or comedy" are:

** Borat
** The Devil Wears Prada
** Dreamgirls
** Little Miss Sunshine
** Thank You for Smoking

For "Best Score:

** Alexandre Desplat, "The Painted Veil"
** Clint Mansell, "The Fountain"
** Gustavo Santaolalla, "Babel"
** Carlo Siliotto, "Nomad"
** Hans Zimmer, "The Da Vinci Code"

The rest of the nominees here.

Posted in music at 10:38 AM | Comments (4)

Parenthetical Girls | Christmas EP (MP3s) + stuff

DOWNLOAD Parenthetical Girls - Do You Fear What I Fear? (MP3)

It was exactly one month ago (Nov 14) today (Dec 14) that I first started writing a post about Parenthetical Girls. My urgency at the time was their NYC show that night at Cake Shop. It was already too late to mention their November 11th Brooklyn show at Lucky Cat, and practically too late for Cake Shop - but at the least I would've gotten the rest of their November tour dates up here -- plus I wanted to express my love for their new tour-only Christmas EP (A Parenthetical Girls Family Christmas) that I illegally downloaded, and had been listening to pretty regularly at the time. Needless to say, their tour is now completely over, and I'm finally just getting around to writing something...blah blah...

I went to the Cake Shop show. It was intimate, awkward, and in your face - I loved it. Cake Shop shows can suck if it's packed, and it wasn't. That gave frontman Zac Pennington plenty of room to slowly and emotionally move through us as he sang and banged on the low ceiling, the floor, and anything else that would work as a drum. Fittingly, Jamie Stewart (Xiu Xiu) is one of their associates. Actually, one of the Parenthetical Girls' CD's is a Xiu Xiu-collaboration.

I didn't take any pictures at the show, but I found these good ones...

PG @ THE LUCKY CAT, BROOKLYN, NY | NOV 11, 2006 (CRED)

PG IN CHICAGO | NOV 07, 2006 (CRED)

PG @ FRIENDSHIP COVE, NOV 10, 2006 (CRED)

I legally bought the homemade 5-song Christmas EP at the show. On November 28th I found out that you can't play five songs by the same artist in one hour on the radio - at least that's what Sirius told me when I tried to end my weekly show by playing the whole EP. Instead I played four of the five songs. Pitchfork posted one of the tracks on Tuesday (an "exclusive"!). The MP3 linked on the top of this post is from that CD too. Wolf Notes posted two of the tracks on November 13th, but more importantly - the band just POSTED THE WHOLE CHRISTMAS EP FOR EVERYONE. After that, here are some more non-holiday ones (Merry Christmas)...

DOWNLOAD (MP3s)
Love Connection, pt. II
Here's to Forgetting
C-86 Is Killing My Life

Posted in MP3 | holiday music | music at 9:51 AM | Comments (11)

Sirius Playlist - Week 23 (w/ Nick Brassbonanza)

BrooklynVegan "blog radio" airs every Tuesday night on Sirius "Left of Center" @ 10 pm EST. Productshop NYC airs on Mondays, Gorilla vs Bear on Wednesdays, and starting this week - My Old Kentucky Blog airs on Thursdays. On November 28th I was joined in the studio by my friend, and occasional BV-contributor, Nick "BrassBonanza". Below is our playlist...

1) Foreign Islands - We Know You Know It

2) Britta Persson - This Spring
3) Voxtrot - Your Biggest Fan
4) Sure Juror - Sleeping Pill

5) Malajube - Montreal 40C
6) Talking Heads - This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
7) Silversun Pickups - Little Lovers

8) Cat Power - Lived in Bars
9) Danny Malone - Sadie (Joanna Newsom cover)
10) Neko Case - Maybe Sparrow
11) Regina Spektor - Hotel Song

12) The Big Sleep - Murder
13) Mew - Apocalypso
14) Junior Boys - The Equalizer (Morgan Geist Remix)
15) My Robot Friend - One More Try

Nick Brassbonanza started picking the songs here....

16) Jay Z - The Prelude
17) Clipse - Keys Open Doors
18) Lupe Fiasco - Hustlaz Song
19) J Dilla - So Far To Go w/ Common & D'Angelo

20) Beirut - Elephant Gun
21) Rock Plaza Central - How Shall I To Heaven Aspire?

22) Blind Melon - Mouth Full of Cavities (live)
23) John Frusciante - Carvel
24) Modest Mouse - Out of Gas (live)

25) Radiohead - Talk Show Host
26) Fugazi - Last Chance For A Slow Dance
27) Tim Armstrong - Wake Up

28) The Thermals - How We Know
39) The Hold Steady - Knuckles (live)
30) Rage Against The Machine - The Ghost of Tom Joad (live)

Then I ended it with four of the five tracks on the new Parenthetical Girls Christmas EP...

31) Parenthetical Girls - If it's time for Christmas
32) Parenthetical Girls - Do you fear what I Fear
33) Parenthetical Girls - Carol of the Season
34) Parenthetical Girls - Festive Friends Forever

Posted in music | radio at 9:07 AM | Comments (0)

RIP Peter Boyle (1935-2006)

DOWNLOAD: Taco - Puttin on the Ritz (MP3)

"Peter met his wife while she was reporting for 'Rolling Stone' magazine. Loraine was good friends with Yoko Ono and Peter became good friends with John Lennon. The ex-Beatle was the best man at their wedding."

Posted in MP3 | movies | music at 8:06 AM | Comments (2)

December 13, 2006

Leaked demos weird Karen O out to the max -- Dave Sitek sorry for his tone

KYP, KAREN, DAVE & DAVE (CRED)

Updates to a sucky situation....

Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs writes...

Good grief, can't say I don't feel a little grossed out by someone taking a liberty with music that was mine and Dave's. Shit happens nonetheless. All I can do at this point is offer up a recommendation... if you happen to get your mits on one of those old demos floating around MY personal favorites and the ONLY ONES I would have released for anyone to enjoy is "Pumpkin" and "Snakes and Worms". The rest I probably would have pitched or buried for while longer. No use bitching about something that's out of my control.

Chin up,
ko

Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio writes...

I APOLOGIZE FOR THE TONE OF THE LETTER I WROTE A FEW HOURS AGO . I HAD THIRTY PEOPLE CALL ME WITHIN AN HOUR ASKING ME ABOUT THIS POST. MY FRIEND PETE THREW AWAY SOME SUITCASES OF MINE. SOMEONE WHO KNEW THEY WERE MINE, WENT THOUGH THEM , FOUND THE DISC, POSTED IT ONLINE... I FREAKED OUT (not thinking it was my suitcases discarded by a friend , which I DO KNOW is ultimately my own fault, but rather ASSUMED (wrongfully) it was from one of many boxes discarded by the firemarshall after a housefire) AND WROTE THIS POST. Since then , the story was told to me, by the person i was NOT VERY ARTICULATELY appealing to ... his name is mike. he apologized... He didnt see what that would trigger in me... what affects it would have on me , my friends , and my ever dwindling sanity. i re-read the post , felt like i wrote it out of anger and confusion. i apologized to mike for my tone .... then read about how awful i am on a few websites by people like doing that sort of thing. by flipping out i connected with something i had lost... i am not taking down the post because i want to be reminded how much of an ass i can be, and if i forget , i am comforted by the fact that the blogs... the web... will always be there to remind me. i really do need to get "offline". in a real way. goodbye online. goodbye blog. thanks mike.

DAVE & KAREN ON STAGE TOGETHER IN BOSTON (CRED)

Previously
Yeah Yeah Yeahs Karen O's personal demos found.
Bowie, Karen O, & TVOTR @ Franz Ferdinand
TV On the Radio played Irving Plaza
YYY & TVOTR Together in Boston

Posted in music at 3:09 PM | Comments (26)

Dead Moon & The Organ break up

Dead Moon's GEOCITIES! website has "temporarily exceeded its data transfer limit", but according to Sub Pop, Dead Moon's Fred Cole posted this message:

After 20 yrs, Dead Moon is retiring. It has been a journey we will always treasure and feel that a worldwide family has emerged in its place. Dead Moon became much bigger than the band itself, it became a DYI underground hopeful for a lot of people. The candle is still burning! --Fred Cole

Their other official website is still up though, and that lists the following tour dates:

DEAD MOON | 2006 TOUR DATES?
12/06/06 -Portland, OR Dante´s
12/29/06 - Portland, OR S abala´s
12/30/06 - Seattle, WA Funhouse
12/31/06 - Olympia, WA 4th Ave Tavern

By now you probably also heard that Canada's The Organ broke up too.

We are sad to announce that we're breaking up. We want to thank our friends, fans, and family for all the support you gave to us. Thank you. - Shelby, Jenny, Katie, Debora, and Shmoo.

The Organ announcement came right about the time we heard about Supersystem, not to mention Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock. Who's next?

Posted in music | tour dates at 2:16 PM | Comments (8)

KONONO N°1 | 2007 Tour Dates

Extremely advanced notice: KONONO N°1 is playing Bowery Ballroom in NYC on May 5th, 2007. Up until now they've really only played the typical world music venues like Joe's Pub, SOB's & Summerstage. All tour dates below...

KONONO NO 1 | 2007 TOUR DATES
Thu 04/26/07 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
Fri 04/27/07 Seattle, WA The Triple Door
Sat 04/28/07 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
Wed 05/02/07 Montreal, QC Spectrum De Montreal
Thu 05/03/07 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live
Fri 05/04/07 Washington, DC Black Cat
Sat 05/05/07 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
Sun 05/06/07 Cambridge, MA Middle East Restaurant & Nightclub

Previously
Konono No. 1 @ SOBs, NYC | pics

Posted in music | tour dates at 1:53 PM | Comments (3)

Kanye West played w/ Lupe Fiasco @ SOB's ++ Lupe wants Pink Floyd ++ Jill Scott video

"Having worked with Jay-Z, Kanye West and Jill Scott on his debut 1st & 15th/Atlantic album, rapper Lupe Fiasco is setting his sights on a mythic band for a collaboration on his next project.....'I got my wish list on my last album so I made this one unattainable,' he tells Billboard.com. 'Now I want to work with Pink Floyd, or the remnants of Pink Floyd.' [Billboard]

LUPE FIASCO & KANYE WEST @ SOB'S, NYC | DEC 12, 2006 (CRED)

"Lupe was great last night. Lupe sang one Kanye West song and one song later Kanye came on stage... it was hot. I'm definitely coming back to see him with The Roots." [Eduardo in the comments]

Lupe performed 'Daydreamin' with Jill Scott on Letterman. It's really nice. Video below...

Previously
Lupe Fiasco playing Radio City w/ The Roots | Tour Dates
Kanye West & Pharrell @ Capitale (Hennessy), NYC | pics

Posted in hiphop | music | video at 1:47 PM | Comments (4)

The Knife giving away "Christmas Reindeer" MP3

Now I know why I got in so much trouble for posting the Knife Christmas song - because the Knife had plans to give it away themselves.

Posted in MP3 | holiday music | music at 12:32 PM | Comments (5)

Sufjan Stevens playing free show in DC w/ Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra

"To commemorate 10 years of free daily performances on the Millennium Stage, the Kennedy Center presents an unprecedented night of free performances in its various venues."

Posted in music at 6:15 AM | Comments (1)

2006 NYC Holiday Entertainment Guide -- MP3s included

DOWNLOAD: Afroman - Afroman is coming to town (MP3)

Dear Village Voice, thank you for your helpful guide to New Years Eve, but the Black Crowes, My Morning Jacket, and North Mississippi Allstars are not playing MSG as far as I know - that was last year. My Morning Jacket ARE playing a New Years show, but that's in San Francisco. Productshop lists some New Years shows too.

The Apiary lists some holiday events that will make you laugh. Checking out comedian Todd Barry's tour date page is another angle you can take here. Also look at the UCB theatre listings.

New York Magazine lists some holiday shows.

Schedules worth perusing, especially if you like Hanukkah-themed entertainment: Joe's Pub, Knitting Factory, & Southpaw.

The Wainwright shindig is tonight. Kiki & Herb @ Bowery Ballroom happens December 20th. Murray Hill's Christmas is at Comix.

The 2006 Social Registry holiday party, with performances by Growing, TK Webb, Doug Shaw & Mira Billotte (White Magic), IUD, and AGAST, is Friday December 15th at The Carriage House in Carroll Gardens (383 Carroll Street BTWN Bond & Nevins). "10 bucks but cheap drinks". 8pm

Vegans will be getting down in Fort Greene Thursday night.

Teenage Prayers are playing a holiday benefit show at Mercury Lounge on December 20th. The money goes towards "buying a virtual recording studio for the students of Brooklyn Community Arts & Media High School in Bedford Stuyvesant."

----

DOWNLOAD: Scissors for Lefty - Christmas Intentions (MP3)

WOXY is streaming 24/7 Holiday music.

Rewritable Content has some more holiday MP3s. Check some older posts for even more.

You can get Afroman at Amazon.

Please put more in the comments....

Posted in MP3 | NYC | To Do | holiday music | music at 5:30 AM | Comments (8)

December 12, 2006

Rolling Stone's 100 Best Songs of the Year & other lists of songs

Rolling Stone's 'best songs of 2006'
1. Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"
2. The Raconteurs - "Steady as she Goes"
3. Chamillionaire - "Ridin"
4. T.I. - "What You Know"
5. The Pack - "Vans"
6. Bob Dylan - "Thunder on the Mountain"
7. Lily Allen - "Smile"
8. Clipse with Slim Thug - "Wamp Wamp (What it Do)"
9. Wolfmother - "Dimension"
10. Goldfrapp - "Ooh La La"

The rest of the list here. "Best Bands on MySpace" contest here. Rolling Stone's 'best songs of all time' here.

NME's favorite songs here. Plug Award-nominated songs here. Said The Gramophone's favorite songs HERE (WITH MP3s).

ALSO: AOL's 89 Most Redundant, Repetitive Cliches in Music

Posted in music at 2:44 PM | Comments (14)

VH1 auctioning Paul Weller tix for charity | LA Dates added

"Paul Weller, of famed British outfits the Jam and Style Council, has announced two West Coast dates at Los Angeles' Avalon on Feb. 3 and 4, no doubt spurred on by the incredible demand and lightning-fast sellout of New York City's Irving Plaza dates, Jan 29-31." [SPIN]

VH1 is auctioning off some tickets to the NYC shows -- Oscar, turn off your computer.

Posted in music | tour dates at 2:27 PM | Comments (1)

M. Ward -- Town Hall tickets on sale

Tickets are now on regular sale for M. Ward's Town Hall show (thx qweebaroo)

Posted in music at 1:33 PM | Comments (19)

Scissor Sisters | March 2007 Tour Dates & presale

The following Scissor Sisters dates are now on presale (thx all!).

03/02/07 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
03/03/07 New York, NY The Theatre at Madison Square
03/04/07 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
03/06/07 Montreal, QC Metropolis
03/12/07 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
03/15/07 Dallas, TX The Palladium Ballroom
03/16/07 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theatre

they're also playing shows on New Years.

Posted in music | tour dates at 1:24 PM | Comments (7)

GBH offering "limited guestlist" to SPIN party w/ Girl Talk, Gogol Bordello, & Cold War Kids

GIRL TALK @ MERCURY LOUNGE, NYC | AUG 19. 2006 (MORE BY BAO)

Go here (thx all) to find out how to RSVP to a SPIN party at Hiro Ballroom in NYC on Monday December 18th that will have performances by Gogol Bordello, Cold War Kids AND Girl Talk (plus guest DJ Nick Zinner). It's a few days before Gogol plays Irving Plaza (which I heard is sold out). SPIN is also still collecting votes for their end of the year poll.

Girl Talk is also playing Studio B in Brooklyn on February 9th, and other places on other dates.

Cold War Kids have a couple shows coming up - strangely, all sold out immediately.

Posted in music | tour dates at 12:53 PM | Comments (18)

Iggy Pop & The Stooges will tour & play SXSW with release of new album in March

"The Stooges will hit the road this spring in support of 'The Weirdness,' highlighted by a March 17 appearance at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas." [Billboard]

RELATED: Mike Watt Talks (and Talks) Stooges Recording

Posted in SXSW | music at 12:40 PM | Comments (2)

Evil Knievel sues Kanye West over video

"Evel Knievel has sued Kanye West, taking issue with a video in which the rapper takes on the persona of 'Evel Kanyevel' and jumps a motorcycle over a canyon." [Yahoo News]

Posted in hiphop | music at 12:13 PM | Comments (11)

Jim Noir playing Soundfix in-store + MP3, etc.

DOWNLOAD: Jim Noir - Key of C (MP3 I think I posted before)

JIM NOIR @ CROCODILE CAFE, SEATTLE | DEC 9, 2006 (CRED)

Those without a ticket to the upcoming sold-out Sean Lennon show at Bowery Ballroom who still want to see opener Jim Noir (he's from the UK, so it's not easy to see him), can do so on December 21st @ 7pm when he plays a free in-store @ SoundFix Records in Brooklyn. Listen to more Jim on KCRW.

Posted in MP3 | music | tour dates at 4:51 AM | Comments (4)

We are Scientists playing Ruff Club Friday

Honorary Brits We are Scientists finish up their short tour with the Grates & Oxford Collapse in Washington DC tonight (Dec 12). Then on Friday (Dec 15) they play "Club NME" at "Ruff Club" at The Annex in NYC. Reviews and stuff in a previous post. NME's favorites songs in yet another.

Posted in music | tour dates at 4:39 AM | Comments (8)

Arcade Fire announce five Montreal shows

As much as I hope Arcade Fire announce five NYC shows, I'm not sure I could handle the temptation to go to every single one of them. Anyway, at this point it's only a dream because the only shows announced so far are the five London shows, the promise of more London shows, and now five shows in Montreal: February 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 @ Ukrainian Federation (Tickets $25.00 on sale Wednesday, December 13). Arcade Fire's next album is supposedly out in March.

Previously
Arcade Fire & David Bowie @ Summerstage, NYC | pics
Arcade Fire Played in Union Square Last Night

Posted in music | tour dates at 4:32 AM | Comments (1)

An Interview with DMC of Run DMC

DMC @ CHELSEA PIERS, NYC | NOV 18, 2006 (VIA)

DMC of the legendary Run DMC recently participated in a Day of the Child benefit at Chelsea Piers in NYC (11/18/06). That's where Ryan 'Fresh Bread' Barkan conducted the below interview using original questions written by BV hip hop contributor Undisputed Wes.

BV: Your own background as an adoptee has led you to do a lot of charitable work with foster children since 2000. How did you get involved with Day Of The Child specifically?

DMC: When the world found out I was adopted it was not only a shock to me, but it was a shock to everyone else. I was also at a point in my life where I was asking myself: "Am I just here to be DMC? Am I just here to be this famous rap dude?" I got kinda depressed, because at the time I didn't know what the missing piece was to the equation. I went to good schools all my life, straight A student, grew up in Hollis and then on top of that, I get out of high school, go to college, I become DMC. But there was something missing.

The reason I am DMC is for a greater purpose than I could have ever imagined. I really represent something. What I represent is purpose and destiny. Every adopted kid, foster kid, at-risk kid who doesn't have a parent or a mentor in their life think they are worthless. But I'm living proof that they have a purpose and a destiny. For me, that is what this is all about. I got involved with Day of the Child, went to DC, and I met Daphna (Ziman) who heads up the whole DOTC…the rest is history. I said whatever I can do, I'll do.

BV: Recently you had a chance to be involved in an interview with another person involved in a lot of charities...Stevie Wonder. How was that? Was he an early musical influence for you?

DMC: I've known him, I've seen him, I've shook hands with him – I got to sit there and really hang with him…he was COOLER THAN COOL. Then it was so cool for me, I'm losing it right now.

As far as influences go, people always ask if it was James Brown, or Michael Jackson, or George Clinton, but it was Stevie Wonder "Songs in the Key of Life"…that was the album! I was young. Probably 12 years old. I remember the summer that album came out. It defined the year I was maturing. It set me up to become the type of writer that I am.

BV: It was probably really gratifying for you to get work with him?

DMC: Oh…it was really crazy! I'm thinking in my mind "I'd love to make a record with you" and he said it!! It was amazing. Think about all the records that he wrote. Everything was always about people, society and vision…the world we live in.

BV: Are you working on any new recordings to bless the fans with? Ever thought of perhaps combining recording with your charitable work? Perhaps a benefit album of sorts?

DMC: I put out a solo album about 6 months ago [Checks Thugs and Rock N Roll] that is out now and I'm putting out another album in 2007. It will probably be called Return of the Son of Byford..that's the title that is sticking in my head now. I'm trying to figure out how to do a big event. This summer hopefully we'll be doing a big concert in Long Island in parts with the Felix Foundation [DMC's foundation].

BV: Do you follow today's hip hop closely? Who are some of the newer artists you're checking for?

DMC: Not at all really. It's not interesting. Well, I'm not going to say it's not interesting. It's very interesting and creative. The problem with it - it's all monotonous. It's the same thing for the last seven years. LL (cool J) said hip hop today is like one long record and one long video. A lot of it is funny and creative – but it is not relative to the life I live. To be in hip hop [today] you gotta have your hip hop manual: I gotta have my posse – check. I gotta have my bitches and hoes – check. I gotta have my bling…NO!!! You don't need any of that. Hip hop is about what is here [points to heart]. For me hip hop is NWA, Run DMC, Public Enemy, De La Soul, Beastie Boys, Eric B and Rakim. If you look at hip hop right now just from the concepts and images!?!?! It's frightening. Because it makes people think that is what hip hop is about.

BV: How do you feel about today's hip hop trends going away from New York? Do you think we'll see a shift back to New York in the near future?

DMC: I see a shift back to NY – I heard Game and Snoop Dogg – who are from the west coast – were here [in NY] promoting their new albums. They were put on the spot and said that NYC used to be the mecca of hip hop. They said the people of NY should get back to doing what we do.

BV: You're involved in the Moth tour right now, a storytellers tour. How has that been? In what way is it different from a music tour for you?

DMC: It was the most incredible things I have ever done. You know why I love it? Realistically for me right now it is a fight to be involved in hip hop. The Moth provides me a forum and a platform to do what it is I'm supposed to be doing: speak, educate, have fun. It came to me as a gift. I relish it. I learn from the people's stories and they learn from me and that is how it's supposed to be.

BV: What are your five favorite hip hop albums ever?

DMC: The first Wu-Tang Clan album [Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)], It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back by Public Enemy, Fear of a Black Planet by Public Enemy, Brand Nubian's One For All, and Ice Cube's Amerikka's Most Wanted. People always ask me "D – who do you think the best rapper is? Tupac or Biggie?" I go: "Chuck D. Did you ever hear this man deliver????" When me and J first heard him and Flavor at WBAU, we ran with the tape to Rick Rubin and said "Rick, G-d has come down to rock the mic!" Rick was like, "I gotta sign this dude"…just from that. Russell was so scared of what Chuck was talking about believe it or not (imitates Russell) "People will never go for that…it's too radical." Rick was like "this is the new thing man!"

BV: you mentioned Flav…have you ever watched "Flavor of Love"?

DMC: I didn't really catch it until the hype, but for me, see, I lived with him for years. He deserves the show. He's real. His show isn't for dynamics – it's him….he's really like that! Me and Chuck said we are very happy for him cause it keeps him busy. That is his life…his personality is *imitates Flav*. A lot of people say it is wrong to do reality but it is perfect for him.

BV: Do you listen to a lot of music aside from hip hop? Any favorites?

DMC: My new hip hop is classic rock. It's been like that for the last 12 years. Dylan, Led Zeppelin, the Stones, Janice Joplin…people always go "D, why do you listen to old music?" But it's not old to me, cause a lot of it I never heard before. I was caught by "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". That album is like a rap album *starts singing SPLHCB*.

visit DMC's official website.

Posted in hiphop | interviews | music at 3:57 AM | Comments (6)

Wolfmother-hating Mike Patton, John Zorn, Nels Cline, Zeena Parkins, Tonic, The Stone, New Years, Christmas + surprises

DOWNLOAD John Zorn - Lilin (MP3)

You know what really sucks? Peeping Tom sucks. (above video also seen on Stereogum & Blabbermouth)

Mike Patton (who I like less-and-less) is playing with frequent-collaborator John Zorn @ Tonic in NYC on New Years Eve, again.

Nels Cline (Wilco) is playing the John Zorn-owned NYC club The Stone on December 28th with Zeena Parkins (2 shows), and again on December 29th with Vinny Goila and Ken Filiano. Other Nels dates here.

The Stone has four special benefit shows coming up on December 25th (Christmas day) and December 30th (New Years eve-eve). The two shows on Christmas will feature "Many special guest and surprises", and for the shows on the 30th we should "Expect anyone and anything in this final 2006 Stone extravaganza!"

Review of Wolfmother's recent sold-out show at Hammerstein Ballroom here.

Posted in MP3 | NYC | To Do | music | tour dates | video at 2:14 AM | Comments (43)

Big Sleep / DOP show tonight & other related show stuff

If Tonic's website is to be believed, Dirty on Purpose, The Big Sleep and White Rabbits are all playing there tonight (December 12, 2006) courtesy of ASCAP and The Deli Magazine. Dirty on Purpose is also playing The Delancey for free on Wednesday. Deli wants you to vote for your favorite NYC band. ASCAP is suing bars.

The photo to you see to your right is Danny from the Big Sleep playing the free BrooklynVegan show @ The Annex in NYC during CMJ on Saturday November 4th, 2006. More photos by the wongway at Flickr. Elvis Perkins was there too. Perkins also just played Mercury Lounge with the Pernice Brothers.

Danny recently told Extrawack! what his 2006 favorites are. Dirty on Purpose told Filter that they love the Big Sleep.

White Rabbits just played Mercury Lounge with the Grates. The Grates also played some shows with We are Scientists & Oxford Collapse. Oxford Collapse are playing Mercury Lounge again on New Years Eve with Radio 4.

Posted in To Do | music | tour dates at 1:39 AM | Comments (2)

thom yorke remixes | MP3s

DOWNLOAD (MP3s)
Thom Yorke - Analyse (Various remix)
Thom Yorke - The Clock (Surgeon remix)

MR ERASER (MORE)

"For anyone who has heard The Eraser, there are some remixes coming..." yadda yadda yadda
- Grammy Award Nominee Thom Yorke

"This is the guy in Radiohead" [Yeti Don't Dance]

Posted in MP3 | music at 12:18 AM | Comments (1)

December 11, 2006

Yeah Yeah Yeahs Karen O's personal demos found in ex-TVOTR Brooklyn apartment & leaked to the Internet. Dave Sitek PISSED.

Stereogum pretty much has this one covered.

Posted in music at 10:47 PM | Comments (13)

Velvet Underground record buyer a phony, not to mention a huge Hot Hot Heat & Interpol fan?

The news media continue to report that the rare Velvet Underground record sold on eBay for $155,401 this weekend to a mysterious bidder called "mechadaddy". Not only do I think I may have figured out who mechadaddy is (not Lou Reed), I think he may not actually be a winner at all. If the Globe and Mail is to be believed:

This is because the highest bidder in a 10-day online auction for the fragile acetate that ended last Friday evening "has proved to be bogus," a disappointed Warren Hill said yesterday. He's the 30-year-old Montrealer who, in September 2002, innocently paid 75 cents for the 12-inch, nine-song acetate after finding it at a street sale in New York's Chelsea district......On the weekend Saturn received an e-mail from the supposed winner who said a friend, unbeknownst to him, had, as a lark, bid on the acetate using his (the supposed winner's) computer at work and account number. "Ohmigod, I'm so sorry," the e-mail read in part. "I can barely afford gas for my car" let alone more than $150,000 for a 40-year-old disc of acetone-covered aluminum.

Strangely, that's the only article that has this info so far.

So, I thought I had maybe figured out who the buyer was -- then I found the above article, and now instead it looks like I may have only figured out who the buyer WOULD HAVE BEEN had he not been a phony. I could be wrong, but anyway, all roads lead to this guy AKA this guy AKA this guy AKA THIS GUY. Even more interestingly, the guy in question is involved with a soon-to-be-launched LA-based music site not very different from the one you're reading at this very moment. Oscar could not be reached for comment.

Posted in music at 5:10 PM | Comments (6)

Meat Loaf | 2007 Tour Dates

"As expected, Meat Loaf will hit the road next spring to present highlights from his 'Bat Out of Hell' trilogy. The trek begins Feb. 23 in Pala, Calif., and will wrap April 12 at New York's Theater at Madison Square Garden." [Billboard]

Dates below...

MEATLOAF | 2007 TOUR DATES
Feb. 23: Pala, Calif. (Pala Casino)
Feb. 28: Victoria, B.C. (Save-On Food Centre)
March 2: Vancouver (Pacific Coliseum)
March 4: Edmonton, Alberta (Rexall Place)
March 6: Kelowna, B.C. (Prospera Place)
March 8: Calgary, Alberta (Pengrowth Saddledome)
March 11: Winnipeg, Manitoba (MTS Centre)
March 14: Toronto (Hummingbird Centre)
March 16: Ottawa, Ont. (Scotiabank Place)
March 18: London, Ont. (John Labatt Centre)
March 20: Hamilton, Ont. (Copps Coliseum)
March 22: Syracuse, N.Y. (On Center)
March 24: Upper Darby, Pa. (Tower Theatre)
March 26: Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (Mid-Hudson Civic Center)
March 28: Binghamton, N.Y. (Broome County Arena)
March 30: Hershey, Pa. (Giant Center)
April 1: Washington, D.C. (D.A.R. Constitution Hall)
April 3: Clearwater, Fla. (Ruth Eckerd Hall)
April 5: Boca Raton, Fla. (Mizner Amphitheatre)
April 7: Orlando, Fla. (Hard Rock)
April 10: Wallingford, Conn. (Chevrolet Theatre)
April 12: New York (Theatre at Madison Square Garden)

Posted in music | tour dates at 4:22 PM | Comments (2)

Nike-commissioned album too long for creator James Murphy, yet even Yeti dances

"There are 45 minutes and 33 seconds of body music. The idea, to make a long piece of music built around an arc designed for running, appealed to me because it was so anathematic to what you're typically asked to do as an artist; make easily digestable lumps of music for albums, or the radio, or whatever." [LCD Soundsystem aka James Murphy]

James Murphy: It's too long for me. [Pitchfork]

"Yeah it’s only one track, but hey it’s freaking LSD Soundscan. If you learn anything from this genre it’s that longer is better. Nothing beats the longest song of the year. [except of course for TVotR]." [Yeti Don't Dance]

James Murphy: Yeah [laughs]. I mean, maybe it's bullshit; maybe it's not. I don't know... it could be. [Pitchfork]

(note: out-of-context James Murphy quotes from the Pitchfork interview)

RELATED:
* Pitchfork gives 45:33 an 8.0.
* Stylus gave it an A-

Posted in music at 4:06 PM | Comments (7)

Yo La Tengo | some 2007 shows

DOWNLOAD: Yo La Tengo - Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind (MP3)

The Hanukkah shows would be starting any day now. Instead here are some 2007 U.S. Yo La Tengo tour dates...

YO LA TENGO | 2007 TOUR DATES
1/25 - Louisville at the Bomhard Theater
2/2 - Jacksonville at the Florida Theater
2/3 - Atlanta at the Variety Playhouse
2/5 - Chapel Hill at Cat's Cradle
2/6 - Chapel Hill at Cat's Cradle
2/8 - Charlottesville at the Starr Hill Music Hall
2/10 - Philadelphia at the Trocadero

Previously
no Yo La Tengo Hanukkah shows this year

Posted in music | tour dates at 3:08 PM | Comments (1)

The View playing NYC | NME's best of 2006

Not to be confused with the daytime talk show starring Rosie O'Donnell, the Scottish version of The View are a band loved by you and NME.

NME's Top 10 Tracks of 2006
1. Hot Chip — "Over and Over"
2. Peter Bjorn and John ft. Victoria Bergsmen — "Young Folks"
3. The Gossip — "Standing In The Way Of Control"
4. Muse — "Supermassive Black Hole"
5. Gnarls Barkley — "Crazy"
6. CSS — "Let's Make Love and Listen To Death From Above"
7. Amy Whinehouse — "Rehab"
8. The Horrors — "Sheena Is A Parasite"
9. The View — "Wasted Little DJ's" (get it) (watch it)
10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs — "Cheated Hearts"

All of NME's favorite albums and tracks here. Compare that to the Plug Awards.

----

The View play Mercury Lounge in NYC on January 3rd, 2007. Tickets are on sale.

----

Posted in music | tour dates at 10:10 AM | Comments (2)

Time Out rates the critics

Time Out New York got together an independent group of panelists to rate New York's art, book, dance, film, food, music, and theater critics. The panel was independent to avoid any conflicts of interest that would arise from the fact that Time Out itself employs its own critics. Panelists included Fluxlblog's Matthew Perpetua, Luna's Dean Wareham, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (all of them?). Music critics were judged on knowledge, style, taste, accessibility, and influence and then ranked based on the average. MSN's Robert Christgau came in #5. Sasha Frere-Jones took the title.

Not surprisingly, the critics who write for The New York Times were nearly universally deemed to be the most influential in their various fields, though some scored low in taste and knowledge. Also unsurprisingly: TONY held its own quite well in eight genres of criticism, against critics from various NYC publications.

The whole thing is here.

Posted in music at 9:29 AM | Comments (7)

Robert Christgau writing for MSN

"It was August when I last published a Consumer Guide (in The Village Voice), and the intervening period includes the hot back- to-school release season. So you'll find more full A's in this -- my first bimonthly MSN Consumer Guide -- than I'll ordinarily come up with, and more critically mainstream music, too." [Robert Christgau] (via)

Posted in music at 9:09 AM | Comments (0)

Arcade Fire Sell Out Shows In Two Minutes, Battle Profiteers

"Remember those five shows The Arcade Fire are doing in London, U.K....all five shows sold out in two minutes, according to NME.com." [Chart Attack]

Posted in music at 8:48 AM | Comments (1)

Isis & Jesu | 2007 Tour Dates

"Break out the Prozac, because here comes a long, strange trip. Supporting their stellar new album, In The Absence Of Truth, Isis is embarking on an ambitious headlining tour next spring. Supporting them on most dates are gloomy, British indie-metallers Jesu, masterminded by ex-Godflesh/ex-Napalm Death songwriter Justin Broadrick, who will have a new album, Conqueror, out February 20 on Hydra Head. Noise-metallers Torche and angsty metalloids Zozobra will also join them on different legs. Isis is not responsible for broken bones or egos." [CMJ]

NYC is March 14th @ Irving Plaza. All dates below...

ISIS | 2007 TOUR DATES
01/29 - Tokyo, Japan +
01/30 - Nagoya, Japan +
01/31 - Osaka, Japan +
02/03 - Sydney, Australia Metro ++
02/04 - Melbourne, Australia Hi-Fi ++
02/06 - Brisbane, Australia Arena ++
02/07 - Adelaide, Australia Fowlers Live ++
02/08 - Perth, Australia Amplifier Bar +++
02/10 - Auckland, New Zealand Kings Arms Jakob
02/22 - San Diego, CA - Casbah*
02/23 - Tempe, AZ - The Clubhouse*
02/24 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad*
02/26 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Conservatory*
02/27 - Ft. Worth, TX - Ridglea Theater*
02/28 - Austin, TX - Emo’s*
03/01 - Houston, TX - Numbers*
03/02 - Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon*
03/03 - Birmingham, AL - Bottletree Lounge*
03/05 - Orlando, FL - The Social*
03/08 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt*
03/09 - Charlotte, NC - Tremont Music Hall*
03/10 - Richmond, VA - Alley Katz*
03/11 - Washington, DC - 930 Club*
03/13 - Philadelphia, PA - TLA*
03/14 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza*
03/16 - Cambridge, MA - The Middle East**
03/17 - Cambridge, MA - The Middle East***
03/18 - Montreal, QC Theatre - National***
03/19 - Ottawa, ON - Barrymore’s***
03/20 - Toronto, ON - Opera House***
03/22 - Chicago, IL - Metro***
03/25 - Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club***
03/26 - Iowa City, IA - The Picador***
03/27 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theatre***
03/28 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theater***
03/30 - Salt Lake City, UT - In The Venue***
04/03 – Seattle, WA - Neumo’s***
04/06 - San Francisco, CA - Bimbo’s***
04/08 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre***

* w/ Jesu and Torche
** w/ Torche
*** w/ Jesu and Zozobra
+ w/ Club Quattro Boris & These Arms Are Snakes
++ w/ These Arms Are Snakes & Laura
+++ w/ Eleventh He Reaches & Maximum Perversion

Previously
2006 Isis tour dates + Rebel (ex-Downtime) tickets on sale

Posted in metal | music | tour dates at 8:29 AM | Comments (5)

McCarren Pool update - residents want more diverse and/or NO concerts ++ pics of Bloc Party

I never posted these photos from Bloc Party's show at Brooklyn's McCarren Pool on July 29, 2006...

THERE WAS A MEETING LAST WEEK
"...Meanwhile, some residents from Eckford Street implied they would be happy if every performer was told to stay away from the venue. Local artist Yvonne Estrada was the most bitterly vocal, complaining that the high decibel levels prevented her from entertaining guests, or simply enjoying life. 'We're practically in front of the pool,' she said. 'I like rock, but it's not fair to have a performance venue right outside my door.'" [Queens Ledger] (via Brooklyn Record & Gawker)

Previously
McCarren Pool Planning Starting Again
Deerhoof @ McCarren Pool, Brooklyn, NYC | pics
Les Savy Fav played McCarren Park Pool
Matt Tong suffered a collapsed lung - Bloc Party not playing with PATD! @ MSG & elsewhere

Posted in music | pictures | venues at 8:12 AM | Comments (20)

Police: Grudge May Have Been Reason Carl Blaze Was Gunned Down

"Police are doubting reports that Power 105.1 DJ Carl Blaze was the victim of a robbery and are now exploring the theory that an old grudge may have been the reason the DJ was shot 13 times early Thursday morning (Dec.7) in New York." [AllHipHop]

Posted in hiphop | music at 7:54 AM | Comments (1)

December 10, 2006

video: New Young Pony Club - "Ice Cream"

"You might recognize the song from the Intel "Multiply" commercial that is currently airing in the United States and Europe." [Arjan]

Previously
Modular Christmas Party tonight w/ New Young Pony Club

Posted in music | video at 7:04 PM | Comments (2)

VU record sells for 155,401 | Lou Reed about to do Berlin

THIS POSTER IS ALSO FOR SALE (HERE)

RECORD SOLD
The Velvet Underground record sold for $155,401 to a mystery bidder named "mechadaddy", but there's still time to bid on a one-of-a-kind Portastatic poster, a Guided By Voices collage made by Robert Pollard, a limited edition GBV Propeller LP, a Misfits Evilive 45, and an original set of ABBA dolls.

BEASTIE BOYS PLEASE HELP
If you're the Beastie Boys, there's still time to "Help Out a Life-Long Fan!!"

BERLIN
Back to Lou Reed: those Berlin shows are finally happening this week: Dec 14-17 @ St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn. Antony AND Sharon Jones are both in the cast led by Lou Reed. Bob Ezrin and Hal Wilner are directing. The show is also being performed in Sydney, Australia - January 18-20.

THE HARRY SMITH PROJECT
"The Harry Smith Project Is Now In Stores. Lou Reed appears on the Harry Smith Project: Anthology American of Revisited 2-CD/2-DVD box set and the Harry Smith Project Live DVD, available separately. Both releases feature highlights from a series of Harry Smith tribute concerts staged in London, New York and Los Angeles by Hal Willner in 1999 and 2001. For more info, please check out the ecard." Beck, Wilco, Elvis Costello, Sonic Youth, Steve Earle, Beth Orton, and Nick Cave are some of the other artists on there. Give it to someone for the holidays - pair it with the Velvet Underground Box Set.

STREAM: Beth Orton - Frankie (WMA)

AND, LAST BUT NOT LEAST

It's the Lou Reed Tai Chi DVD!

Posted in music | music history | tour dates at 5:20 PM | Comments (1)

December 9, 2006

M Ward | 2007 (solo) Tour Dates (presale)

but first: NPR talks about the best music of 2006

M WARD & NEKO CASE, INCHES FROM EACH OTHER ON NOV 2, 2006 (CRED)

M Ward has announced a five-date early-2007 solo tour that includes a January 26th show at Town Hall in NYC. Presale here. Tour dates below...

M WARD | 2007 Solo Tour Dates
Jan 26 ­ New York, NY @ Town Hall Theatre
Jan 27 ­ Toronto, ON @ Mod Club Theatre (19+)
Jan 29 ­ Chicago, IL @ Park West
Feb 2 ­ Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
Feb 4 ­ San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo¹s 365 Club (18+) (no presale)

SOONER M WARD DATES IN AUSTRALIA & NZ
Friday 29th December: Lorne - The Falls (Sold Out!)
Saturday 30th December: Melbourne - Corner Hotel
Sunday 31st December: Marion Bay - The Falls (Sold Out!)
Tuesday 2nd January: Fremantle - Fly By Night Club
Thursday 4th January: Brisbane - The Zoo
Friday 5th January: Sydney - The Metro
Wednesday 10th Jan Auckland, NZ The Dogs Bollix (solo)
Thursday 11th Jan Wellington, NZ San Francisco Bath House (solo)

Previously
M(att) Ward & Conor Oberst @ Angel Orensanz, NYC | pics
M Ward & My Morning Jacket's Jim James @ AO, NYC | pics
M Ward playing NYU Thursday

Posted in music at 9:20 PM | Comments (9)

Grizzly Bear | 2007 Tour Dates

GRIZZLY BEAR @ BOWERY BALLROOM, NYC | SEPT 26, 2006 (MORE)

Tickets are now on sale (thx Eduardo) for a March 6th Grizzly Bear show at Bowery Ballroom in NYC. It's the last date on a five-week tour they're starting in February with Dirty Projectors, and then Papercuts. All dates below...

GRIZZLY BEAR | 2007 TOUR DATES
Thu 02.01.07 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's *
Fri 02.02.07 Boston, MA Museum of Fine Arts *
Sat 02.03.07 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Music Hall *
Sun 02.04.07 Montreal, QC Main Hall *
Mon 02.05.07 Ottawa, ON Barrymore's Music Hall *
Tue 02.06.07 Toronto, ONT Lee's Place *
Thu 02.08.07 Ann Arbor, MI Blind Pig *, Akron/Family
Fri 02.09.07 Chicago, IL Subterranean *
Sat 02.10.07 Minneapolis, MN Seventh Street Entry *
Sun 02.11.07 Iowa City, IA The Picador *
Tue 02.13.07 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge
Wed 02.14.07 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court
Fri 02.16.07 Seattle, WA Neumos **
Sat 02.17.07 Vancouver, BC Plaza Club **
Sun 02.18.07 Portland, OR Mission Theatre **
Tue 02.20.07 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall **
Wed 02.21.07 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour **
Fri 02.23.07 Tucson, AZ Plush **
Sat 02.24.07 Marfa, TX Ballroom **
Mon 02.26.07 Norman, OK The Opolis **
Tue 02.27.07 Dallas, TX Club Dada **
Wed 02.28.07 Austin, TX Emo's - Inside **
Thu 03.01.07 Baton Rouge, LA Chelsea's Cafe **
Fri 03.02.07 Atlanta, GA Drunken Unicorn **
Sat 03.03.07 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 **
Sun 03.04.07 Washington, DC Black Cat **
Tue 03.06.07 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom **

* w/ Dirty Projectors
** w/ Papercuts

GRIZZLY BEAR @ BOWERY BALLROOM, NYC | SEPT 26, 2006 (MORE)

Previously
Grizzly Bear's gear stolen in Brussels, tour cancelled
Ed Droste & Owen Pallett in bed
Grizzly Bear (& Owen) @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC | pics

Posted in music | tour dates at 8:44 PM | Comments (11)

The 2006 Stereogum Gummy Awards | Vote

When you're finished voting for the Plug Awards, turn your attention to Stereogum's 2006 Gummy Awards. Then vote in the 2006 FreeIndie Awards and the 2006 SPIN Readers Poll. Then, if you haven't already, register to really vote.

Posted in music at 7:37 PM | Comments (1)

Modular Christmas Party tonight w/ New Young Pony Club

Sorry for the last minute notice, but it looks like the Modular Christmas Party @ White Room (South 3rd and Roebling) in Williamsburg should be good tonight (Saturday December 9th). The Juan MacLean are DJing, and Thieves Like Us and New Young Pony Club from the UK are playing. NYPC were supposed to play last night at Annex too, but had to cancel because the singer lost her voice.

RELATED
* Big Stereo profiles Thieves Like Us
* Big Stereo profiles New Young Pony Club
* Arjan Writes profiles New Young Pony Club

Posted in To Do | music at 6:36 PM | Comments (5)

December 8, 2006

NYC 105.1 radio DJ Carl Blaze shot 13 times

"Carl Blaze, born Carlos Rivera, was in critical condition early on Friday at Harlem Hospital Center, according to the hospital. Police said he had been shot at least 13 times outside an apartment building near the Inwood section of Manhattan, and his jewelry had been snatched.

Blaze, 30, counts more than 2 million listeners on Power 105.1 FM, according to the station's Website. He broadcasts on Fridays from 11 pm to 2 am and on Saturdays from 9pm to 10pm. and midnight to 2am." [IOL]

Posted in NYC | hiphop | music | radio at 9:18 PM | Comments (98)

David Cross hosting the Plug Awards

NOT DAVID CROSS (INFO)

David Cross is hosting the annual Plug Awards ceremony at Irving Plaza on February 10th, 2007 (musical acts TBA). David Cross is NOT in a new show called "One Punk Under God". David Cross IS performing at the Onion holiday party, but it's "sold out".

And speaking of the Plug Awards, there's still time to VOTE. Let's look at the songs nominated for "Song of the Year":

* Arctic Monkeys - "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor" (Domino)
* Band Of Horses - "The Funeral" (Sub Pop)
* Gossip - "Standing In The Way Of Control" (Kill Rock Stars)
* Hot Chip - "And I Was A Boy From School" (Astralwerks)
* Hot Chip - "Over And Over" (Astralwerks)
* Jenny Lewis w/ Watson Twins - "Rise Up With Fists" (Team Love)
* Midlake - "Roscoe" (Bella Union)
* Peter Bjorn And John - "Young Folks" (Wichita)
* Silversun Pickups - "Lazy Eye" (Dangerbird)
* The Coup - "Laugh/Love/F**k" (Epitaph)
* The Knife - "We Share Our Mother's Health" (Mute)
* Tokyo Police Club - "Nature Of The Experiment" (Paper Bag)

OK, now vote, or at least post your favorite song of 2006 in the comments.

Posted in comedy | music at 4:01 PM | Comments (17)

Stephen King endorses Towers of London | Best of 2006

"There is something to be said for straight puke-on-your-Dingo-boots rock & roll. Towers of London are mostly a joke, but this track — beginning with the shrieking air-raid siren — is, like those two priceless tracks on the Seger, the real deal." [Stephen King] (via)

"I'm a Rat" is the first track streaming at TOL's MySpace

Previously
Towers of London played Bowery, bashed girls head in
Towers of London on the streets of Austin | SXSW 2006

Posted in music at 1:44 PM | Comments (4)

"How to enjoy a live concert"

"Concert halls have restrooms, but sometimes they are far away from the music. If you arrive at the concert a little bit early, you'll have time to find out where the restroom is and plan your route. Be prepared to wait in a line at intermission. For some reason, most concert halls don't have enough restrooms to accommodate everyone quickly." [naxos]

Posted in music at 1:22 PM | Comments (19)

Lupe Fiasco playing Radio City w/ The Roots | Tour Dates

"how is he (Lupe Fiasco) playing Radio City if he can't even sell out S.O.B.'s???" [a commenter]

It's because he's opening for the Roots. Dates below...

THE ROOTS & LUPE FIASCO | 2007 TOUR DATES
02/17/07 - The Fillmore Auditorium - Denver, CO
03/08/07 - Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall - Baltimore, MD
03/09/07 - DAR Constitution Hall - Washington, DC
03/10/07 - Radio City Music Hall - New York, NY
03/17/07 - The Chicago Theater - Chicago, IL

note: I have no idea if Lupe Fiasco sold out (or will sell out) S.O.B.'s (show is 12/12)

Previously
Lupe Fiasco playing Radio City Music Hall & other 2006-07 Tour Dates
The Roots & Talib Kweli @ Webster Hall, NYC | pics & review

Posted in hiphop | music | tour dates at 1:05 PM | Comments (13)

funny South Park Dreidel Hannukah Song (MP3)

DOWNLOAD: The Brofloskis ft Cartman - Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel (MP3)

It goes well with the Sarah Silverman one.

Posted in MP3 | holiday music | music at 5:33 AM | Comments (6)

Sick of It All @ CBGB (last hardcore matinee) | pics + Tour Dates w/ Hatebreed

These pictures of Sick of It All are from the last-ever hardcore matinee at CBGB (October 8, 2006). I never posted them before, so Sick of It All and Hatebreed's just-announced tour ("Stillborn Fest") was the perfect excuse. The NYC date is 12/28 at (uggh) Roseland. All tour dates and pictures below....

Also at the above show: Madball & Agnostic Front & Murphy's Law.

HATEBREED | TOUR DATES
with Killswitch Engage
Thu 12/07/06 Fort Wayne, IN Piere's
Fri 12/08/06 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit Room
Sat 12/09/06 Toledo, OH Headliners
Sun 12/10/06 Kitchener, ON Elements
Mon 12/11/06 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall
Tue 12/12/06 Flint, MI Machine Shop
Wed 12/13/06 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls Fun House/Theatre
Thu 12/14/06 Norfolk, VA The NorVa
Fri 12/15/06 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live!
Sat 12/16/06 Allentown, PA Crocodile Rock Cafe
Mon 12/18/06 Poughkeepsie, NY The Chance
Tue 12/19/06 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground
Wed 12/20/06 Providence, RI Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel

"Stillborn Fest" w/ Sick of It All
Sat 12/23/06 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights (no Sick of It All)
Tue 12/26/06 Washington, DC 9:30 Club w/ Sick
Wed 12/27/06 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
Thu 12/28/06 New York, NY Roseland
Fri 12/29/06 Buffalo, NY The Showplace
Sat 12/30/06 New Haven, CT Toad's Place
Sun 12/31/06 New Haven, CT Toad's Place (no Sick of It All)

SICK OF IT ALL & AFI | 2007 TOUR DATES
Wed 01/31/07 Saint Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing
Sat 02/03/07 Boca Raton, FL Mizner Park Amphitheatre
Mon 02/05/07 New Orleans, LA House Of Blues
Tue 02/06/07 Nashville, TN War Memorial Auditorium
Fri 02/09/07 Columbus, OH Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
Sun 02/11/07 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
Mon 02/12/07 West Des Moines, IA Val Air Ballroom
Wed 02/14/07 Springfield, MO Shrine Mosque
Thu 02/15/07 Tulsa, OK Cain's Ballroom
Sat 02/17/07 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre

Previously
Don't drink while stage diving

Posted in music | music history | pictures | tour dates at 4:23 AM | Comments (3)

Santastic II - Holiday mashups & remixes from djBC (MP3s)

DOWNLOAD: A plus D - Give Da Jew Girl Toys (dirty) (MP3)

You may recognize Sarah Silverman's voice in the above MP3. Get the entire album of songs like this. (via).

Posted in MP3 | comedy | holiday music | music at 3:49 AM | Comments (2)

Harvest Moon (burlesque) @ The Player's Club, NYC | pics

HARVEST MOON

Wednesday night (Dec 6, 2006) I ended up at this fancy-like party at the Player's Club on Gramercy Park in Manhattan. It was sponsored by Dewar's who threw the bash in pretend-honor of Repeal Day (the end of prohibition). There were DJ's, a set by the band The Rosewood Thieves (V2), and burlesque hosted by Murray Hill. One of the burlesque dancers was Miss Harvest Moon.

MURRAY HILL

"In 2001, Harvest Moon moved to New York, where she has since been actively making a name for herself in the New York Burlesque scene, performing both solo and with a newly-formed East Coast troupe of Cantankerous Lollies. Miss Moon's emerging solo work has been noted for its elegance and classic form. She blends vintage Burlesque style with a unique and suprising element borrowed from the circus' big-top. Her acts never fail to bring down the house, often featuring hula hoop acts, silouhetted glass-balancing acts performed behind muslin screens, impossible contortions, and other sexy stage acrobatics"

NSFW conclusion below....

Check Harvest Moon's website for more events.

Posted in burlesque | music | pictures at 3:04 AM | Comments (7)

Little Steven & The Rapture start record labels

Little Steven starts own record label.

The Rapture did too -- called Thorn of Blood - "It will focus on vinyl releases and will be managed by the Rapture, and DJ James Friedman".

Press Release below.....

----

NEW YORK FUNK PHENOMS THE RAPTURE GET INTO IT …

FORM LABEL CALLED THRONE OF BLOOD TO RELEASE
VINYL VERSIONS OF SINGLES AND MORE

UNIVERSAL ALBUM ‘PIECES OF THE PEOPLE WE LOVE’ EARNS
UNANIMOUS CRITICAL ACCLAIM

Recently recognized by The New York Times as “…tireless and single minded…,” The Rapture has announced the formation of a new label called Throne of Blood. Based in New York, the label initially plans to release special vinyl versions of singles and remixes from the highly praised Pieces of the People We Love. In addition to bringing on board some of the most influential producers in dance music for the remixes, with Throne of Blood, The Rapture continues to demonstrate their desire to truly invest in their work and give back to their core audience. Also scheduled for availability on Throne of Blood will be vinyl LP editions of albums including Pieces which Rolling Stone calls, “…a welcome return to club-shaking catchiness.”

Creative direction on all levels will be handled by The Rapture: Gabriel Andruzzi (keyboards, percussion, saxophone), Luke Jenner (guitar, vocals), Vito Roccoforte (drums, percussion) and Mattie Safer (bass, vocals). James Friedman, DJ and music industry pioneer, will oversee the day-to-day operation of Throne of Blood.

The first release, “Get Myself Into It,” originally described by the Village Voice as “…a brittle, pastel riot of glittering saxophones and perfectly placed hand-claps…” features remixes by Prince Language, Serge Santiago, and Sebastian; it hit shelves on Monday, November 13.

Throne of Blood has partnered with Syntax Distribution in the U.S. and Amato Distribution and Schnauzer Records in Europe.

Pieces of the People We Love landed at Number 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers’ chart upon release and has garnered mass critical acclaim. The band’s U.S. tour kicked off in Washington, D.C. and is sold out in all tour markets. A recent highlight of the tour included back-to-back appearances in New York, as CMJ fans lined up to see what Spin.com described as “…one giant party.”

The band recently appeared on The Conan O’Brien Show and hosted Subterranean on MTV2. They are scheduled to appear on Last Call with Carson Daly on December 1st.

-----

Previously
The Rapture & Presets played Bowery Ballroom (CMJ)

Posted in music at 2:17 AM | Comments (1)

December 7, 2006

Nas adds 2nd NYC show -- Dec 22, 2006

The 9:00 PM Nas show at Nokia Theatre on December 22nd sold right out, so they added a midnight show the same night. Tickets go on pre-sale Friday at noon. Last time the password was "POWER" - not sure if that will work again.

Previously
Nas news in Wes' hip-hop post
50 Shots -- Papoose & Nas -- MP3 & dates

Posted in hiphop | music at 5:40 PM | Comments (3)

Wes' Weekly Hip Hop News Roundup | (Dec 07, 2006)

TRAVIS BARKER & THE GAME (CRED)

So far The Game is the main contender, aside from Ghostface, for Hip Hop Album of the year. Check out his AOL Sessions featuring Travis Barker of Blink 182 here. More info here.

Ghostface speaks on More Fish.

As previously mentioned, KRS-One is playing Southpaw tonight and tickets are still available. He's at SOB's on Monday. Lupe Fiasco is at SOB's Tuesday, and elsewhere later.

XXL Mag has a feature on how Clipse has become the press' darling, including the hipster press. Oh Word reviews their recordin bulletpoint format.

Read a Raekwon interview on Format Mag. Via Spine Mag. Also check this youtube video from a recent live performance at BB Kings where he speaks his mind on Jay-Z's new album.

Speaking of, watch Jay-Z's new video for Lost nes here

Freekey Zeekey of Dipset fame (?) signed a multi-million dollar record deal two days after getting out of jail.

To see exactly what is wrong with hip hop watch the Fly High RMX video by Jim Jones. Then on the same page watch Blood Diamonds by Nas to recover somewhat.

Listen to Nas' Can't Forget About You. For the final tracklisting with producers credits to Hip Hop Is Dead go here.

Lil' wayne is back on crack. Dissing Jay-Z (the new favorite target for dissatisfied rappers) and Clipse.

A swift pull to the left side of this post. Alice Smith is a soulful singer that's very much worth checking out. I went to see her perform at the Nokia Theatre last week (last year I saw her at Joe's Pub). Underrated has a review/artist of the week post with MP3's and AllHipHop has a feature as well.

Download a new Saigon mixtape over at at Nahright, read an interview here and watch a confusing episode of JustBlazeTV with a BLAZING beat and Saigon rapping over it here. Saigon claims he has Just Blaze's hottest beats saved for his upcoming (ha) album and that Just is holding it back coz he works a little slow.

The Roots get into a fight in the Netherlands. I apologize for my people (editors note: Wes is from the Netherlands). Watch the video here.

Watch legend Scarface perform with a full band.

Read a short feature on Naledge over at the Smoking Section.

In this week's WTF category, watch the trailer to what is looking like the most incredible hip hop related movie ever. Produced by G-Unit and starring Spyder Loc and guesting Master P.

Ludacris plays CT Friday.

ALSO
* Jay-Z has a doll.
* Muhammad Ali invented rap.

---

this post brought to you by Undisputed Wes.

Posted in hiphop | music at 5:04 PM | Comments (5)

RIAA moves to reduce artist royalty payments

"Sometimes you just have to ask yourself if the RIAA could display more greed or avarice without actually hiring Satan as its general counsel." [digitalmusic] (thx Wes)

Posted in industry | music at 4:13 PM | Comments (3)

Supersystem break up

SUPERSYSTEM @ T&G BLOCK PARTY | SEPT 8, 2006 (MORE)

Friends,

After 10 years, the members of Supersystem/El Guapo have decided to disband. From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to thank everyone at Touch and Go, Dischord, Flower, Locusta, and others too numerous to name here for all your help over the years.

Most of all we would like to thank everyone who supported us, saw us play, listened to our music, set up a show, played a show with us, or otherwise participated in making our time as a band really awesome. We appreciate it and will miss you!

Love,
Supersystem (via)

Previously
Sirius Playlist - Week 13 (Touch & Go Records tribute) | 29 MP3s
Supersystem & Zombi | 2006 Tour Dates

Posted in music at 1:35 PM | Comments (13)

49th Annual Grammy Award Nominees Announced

I LOVE THIS GUY
"The Grammys are a circle jerk that no one is interested in. They're completely out of touch, NOT reflective of the heart and soul of music. They're just a mirror of what's wrong...................Mary J. Blige is good, but not new. James Blunt is no different from Christopher Cross. The Dixie Chicks should only be nominated if they agree to get up on stage and say YOU SEE, WE WERE RIGHT! Gnarls Barkley should get the award in the first fifteen minutes, building to this anticlimax is a waste of three hours. As for Corinne Bailey Rae, her nomination PROVES how out of touch and irrelevant these awards are. If you think this record or she is the future of music, then your future must suck. Talk to me in twenty years, when she's forgotten and some new Bonnie Raitt-type character will be lauded......" [Lefsetz]

Best Alternative Music Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys [Domino Recording]

At War With The Mystics
The Flaming Lips [Warner Bros.]

St. Elsewhere
Gnarls Barkley [Downtown/Atlantic]

Show Your Bones
Yeah Yeah Yeahs [Interscope Records]

The Eraser
Thom Yorke [XL Recordings]

The full list of nominees is here. The above video is "The view from the afternoon" by Arctic Monkeys. ALSO: Arctic Monkeys frontman NOT starting a new band

Posted in music at 1:00 PM | Comments (16)

Arcade Fire announce UK shows

ARCADE FIRE @ SUMMERSTAGE, NYC | SEPT 15, 2005 (MORE)

Arcade Fire will return to the stage in January - five shows in London, England -- so says PFork, NME, etc.

ARCADE FIRE | 2007 TOUR DATES
Jan 29-31 -- St John's Church in London
Feb 01-02 -- Porchester Hall in London

RELATED: Arcade Fire Sell Out For a Good Cause, Hipsters still Angered

Posted in music | tour dates at 11:35 AM | Comments (1)

Camera Obscura | 2007 Tour Dates & remix

but first: Largehearted Boy lists his favorite albums of 2006

----

DOWNLOAD: Camera Obscura - Books Written for Girls (Synonym remix) (WMA)

Scotland's Camera Obscura is going on a North American tour in early-2007 with their Merge labelmates -- Brooklyn's The Essex Green. All dates haven't been announced yet, but tickets are on sale for the January 24th NYC show at Warsaw. More known dates below...

CAMERA OBSCURA | TOUR DATES
12/15/06 - Teatre de Lloseta Mallorca
12/16/06 - Laboratori Musical de Les Basses Barcelona
01/17/07 - The Earl, Atlanta, GA
01/24/07 - Warsaw, Brooklyn, NY
01/27/07 - Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
01/31/07 - Lee's Palace, Toronto, ON
02/06/07 - The Record Bar, Kansas City, MO
02/08/07 - Bluebird Theater, Colorado
02/24/07 - Laneway Festival Melbourne
03/03/07 - Laneway Festival Brisbane
03/04/07 - Laneway Festival Sydney

Previously
Sirius Playlist - Week 11 (Merge Records tribute) | 29 MP3s

Posted in MP3 | music | tour dates at 11:02 AM | Comments (11)

Mission of Burma | January 2007 Tour Dates

DOWNLOAD: Mission of Burma - Wounded World (MP3)

Tickets are on sale for Mission of Burma at Irving Plaza in NYC on January 19th. A few more tour dates below...

MISSION OF BURMA | 2007 TOUR DATES
friday Jan 12 - Chicago, IL The Double Door
saturday Jan 13 - Atlanta, GA The Earl
friday Jan 19 - New York, NY Irving Plaza
saturday 20 - Boston, MA The Paradise

Previously
Mission of Burma | Summer 2006 Tour Dates
Stream new Mission of Burma @ pretentious Wiki thing

Posted in MP3 | music | tour dates at 10:29 AM | Comments (4)

Ryan Adams played Town Hall

RYAN ADAMS @ TOWN HALL, NYC | DEC 4, 2006 (CRED)

How were the Ryan Adams shows?

P.S. Ryan is now streaming ELEVEN new albums at his site.

Posted in music at 3:51 AM | Comments (28)

SaveDarfur benefit show @ Living Room, Dec 21

Thursday, December 21 at 7:00 PM
Benefit Concert for SaveDarfur.org - featuring Teddy Thompson, Martha Wainwright, Rhett Miller, Neal Casal, Liz Tormes & Special Guests!! [$15.00]

Posted in To Do | music at 3:35 AM | Comments (1)

Tonic presents a holiday show @ Abrons Art Center, NYC - Dean & Britta (Luna) & more

12/16/06: Naughty & Nice Holiday Extravaganza - featuring Chocolate Genius, Elysian Fields, Dean Wareham & Britta Phillips (of Luna), The Honorary Title, Laura Cantrell, and Heather Greene [$20 tickets]

Posted in To Do | music at 3:32 AM | Comments (0)

Archer Prewitt | 2006 Tour Dates

Archer Prewitt (Sea and Cake) is at Tonic Monday. All dates below...

ARCHER PREWITT | 2006 TOUR DATES
Sat Dec 9 Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place w/ Angela Desveaux
Sun Dec 10 Cambridge, MA - T.T. The Bear's w/ Pernice Brothers, Elvis Perkins
Mon Dec 11 New York, NY - Tonic w/ Angela Desveaux
Tue Dec 12 Philadelphia, PA - The Khyber w/ Angela Desveaux, Honeychurch, Ponieheart
Sat Dec 16 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle w/ Angela Desveaux, The David Daniell / Douglas McCombs Duo

Previously
2/4 Sea & Cake | Sam Prekop & Archer Prewitt playing Southpaw, Touring

Posted in music | tour dates at 3:24 AM | Comments (0)

Danzig & Doyle playing NJ the-day-after-Christmas

Wow, Danzig, gear or no gear, must be coming home for the holidays...

Since Doyle is involved, there should be a Misfits set.

Posted in music | tour dates at 3:06 AM | Comments (1)

DC Gang members abduct ex-Decemberists and current-Norfolk & Western drummer Rachel Blumberg

DOWNLOAD: Norfolk & Western - The Longest Stare (MP3)

Actually it's not true, but this is kind of interesting (thx Jeffrey). The above MP3 is off Norfolk & Western's The Unsung Colony, courtesy of Hush Records.

Previously
M Ward w/ N&W @ Castle Clinton
Decemberists Shakeup | New Lineup

Posted in MP3 | music at 2:58 AM | Comments (0)

Lupe Fiasco playing Radio City Music Hall & other 2006-07 Tour Dates

before we get to that: MOKB lists "The Best Rap/Hip-Hop of 2006"

AND NOW BACK TO OUR REGULARY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING

December 12th @ SOBs isn't Man of the Year Lupe Fiasco's only upcoming NYC show. He'll be back to play the one and only Radio City Music Hall on March 10th. All tour dates below...

LUPE FIASCO | TOUR DATES
Fri 12/08/06 Waterville, ME Colby College
Fri 12/08/06 Philadelphia, PA The Trocadero & Balcony Bar
Sun 12/10/06 Baltimore, MD Sonar
Tue 12/12/06 New York, NY S.O.B.'S
Fri 01/19/07 Auckland, NZ Mt. Smart Stadium
Sun 01/21/07 Gold Coast, AUS Parklands
Thu 01/25/07 Sydney, AUS Olympic Park Showgrounds
Sun 01/28/07 Melbourne, AUS Princes Park
Wed 01/31/07 Seattle, WA Husky Union Auditorium
Fri 02/02/07 Rochester, NY Clark Gymnasium
Sat 02/10/07 Universal City, CA Gibson Amph. At Univ. CityWalk
Sat 02/17/07 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium
Thu 03/08/07 Baltimore, MD Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
Fri 03/09/07 Washington, DC DAR Constitution Hall
Sat 03/10/07 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall
Sat 03/17/07 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
Fri 04/20/07 Saint Louis, MO Webster University
Sat 05/05/07 Willimantic, CT E. Connecticut St. Univ.
Sat 05/26/07 Evanston, IL Northwestern University

Previously
Atlantic Records threatens to sue 'Nah Right' blog for posting a Lupe Fiasco YouTube video

Posted in hiphop | music | tour dates at 2:24 AM | Comments (3)

"ATTENTION: Jamiroquai is NOT performing at Arlenes Grocery"

HA HA. or is he?

Posted in music at 2:05 AM | Comments (0)

Googie's Lounge - upstairs @ The Living Room (new NYC stage/venue)

I guess I haven't been to the Living Room in a while because I can't picture how they made this new 2nd stage upstairs. David Dondero plays there Friday (12/8).

Posted in music | venues at 1:58 AM | Comments (1)

Major labels finally starting to offer MP3s?!?!?

Is it just me, or do the headlines people are coming up with for this story make you laugh too?

* Major labels to offer music in MP3 format
* Major labels to offer unrestricted MP3s
* Music to be offered in MP3 file format
* EMI tries selling unprotected MP3 music

RELATED: The Rio was a big success during the Christmas 1998 season

Posted in industry | music at 1:48 AM | Comments (2)

Vetiver & Vashti Bunyan | 2007 Tour Dates

DOWNLOAD: Vashti Bunyan - Train Song (MP3)

Vashti Bunyan is making the most of her trip over here to play for David Byrne at Carnegie Hall (2/2) by playing a few more area shows with fellow Devendra worshipper (I kid, I kid) Vetiver. That includes a show on February 10th at Southpaw. All dates below...

VASHTI BUNYAN & VETIVER | 2007 TOUR DATES
Fri 2/2/07, Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
Sat 2/3/07, Johnny Brendas, Philadelphia, PA
Sun 2/4/07, Satellite Ballroom, Charlottesville, VA
Mon 2/5/07, The Arts Center, Carrboro, NC
Tue 2/6/07, 40 Watt Club, Athens, GA
Wed 2/7/07, Mercy Lounge, Nashville, TN
Fri 2/9/07, Rock & Roll Hotel, Washington, DC
Sat 2/10/07, Southpaw, Brooklyn, NY

VETIVER & TWO GALLANTS
Fri 12/29/06, Bimbos 365 club San Francisco CA
Sat 12/30/06, Bimbos 365 club San Francisco CA

VASHTI & VETIVER & JUANA & ADEM
Fri 1/12/07, Brighton, UK- Corn Exchange
Sat 1/13/07 London, UK- Roundhouse
Sun 1/14/07, Gateshead, UK- The Sage
Tue 1/16/07, Glasgow, UK- ABC
Wed 1/17/07, Birmingham, UK- Glee Club
Thu 1/18/07, Bristol, UK- St George’s
Fri 1/19/07, Manchester, UK- Bridgewater Hall
Sat 1/20/07, Leeds, UK- City Varoities

The NY Times reviewed Vashti's Bowery Ballroom show in September.

Previously
Vashti Bunyan | Just Another Diamond Day | Lookaftering
David Byrne bringing "Freak Folk" to Carnegie Hall

Posted in MP3 | music | tour dates at 1:13 AM | Comments (0)

December 6, 2006

Slayer | 2007 Tour Dates

There are still tickets left for Slayer's February 15th, 2007 show at Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC. All tour dates below...

SLAYER | 2007 TOUR DATES
Jan. 24 - Tucson Convention Center, Tucson, Az.
Jan. 25 - House of Blues, Las Vegas
Jan. 28 - Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, Calif.
Jan. 30 - Great Salt Air, Salt Lake City
Jan. 31 - Fillmore Auditorium, Denver
Feb. 2 - Bricktown Events Center, Oklahoma City, Ok.
Feb. 3 - Memorial Hall, Kansas City
Feb. 5 - Egyptian Room, Indianapolis
Feb. 7 - "Beer" Center, London, Ontario
Feb. 8 - Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Ontario
Feb. 9 - "Bank" Place, Ottawa
Feb. 10 - Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Feb. 12 - Lifestyles Pavilion, Columbus
Feb. 13 - Convocation Center, Youngstown, Ohio
Feb. 15 - Hammerstein Ballroom, New York
Feb. 16 - Lupo's at the Strand Theatre, Providence, R.I.
Feb. 17 - House of Blues, Atlantic City, N.J.
Feb. 19-20 - 9:30 Club, Washington, D.C.
Feb. 22 - House of Blues, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Feb. 23 - House of Blues, Orlando, Fla.
Feb. 24 - TBA, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Previously
VH1's top 10 Metal Songs of All Time

Posted in music | tour dates at 4:09 PM | Comments (3)

Gorilla vs Bear faves The Knife have a christmas song - MP3

*** Sorry, MUTE Records told me to take the MP3 down ***

DOWNLOAD: The Knife - Christmas Reindeer (MP3)

hippest Christmas song ever. It's pretty good too.

The Knife's Silent Shout tops Gorilla Vs. Bear's top albums of 2006. We Share Our Mother's Health is one of his favorite songs too.

ALSO
* The Knife announce DVD
* The Knife reissue old albums

Posted in MP3 | holiday music | music at 3:47 PM | Comments (2)

Velvet Underground record really expensive -- Lou Reed, David Byrne, & Jimmy Fallon playing with the Wainwrights

The fact that Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, David Byrne, and Jimmy Fallon were added to the Wainwright Family Christmas show (Rufus and Martha) at Carnegie Hall kind of makes up for the fact that I wasn't the one who bought the currently-$128,700.00 Velvet Underground record at a Chelsea stoop sale for 75 cents (actually I don't really care that I didn't find the record, but it sounded clever when I first wrote it).

Previously
Jimmy Fallon at Joe's Pub
The Wainwright Family & Friends Christmas - NYC show on, but tour cancelled

Posted in music at 3:16 PM | Comments (1)

new Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder -- MP3s

So far so good. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah write....

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We have a new record coming out on January 30th called Some Loud Thunder. It is our second album. Check out the artwork to the side and the track list below, and two new songs for your listening pleasure.

For those of you who can't wait until the 30th, you can buy the album directly from us in the mp3 tradition, thanks to our good friends at Insound, starting on January 16th. Then we'll send you a real-life copy of the record soon after for free. We'll also have an exclusive t-shirt available for those of you who decide to buy the record directly from us. There's also another song up for you to hear over at our myspace page.

So here's the track list:

1. Some Loud Thunder
2. Emily Jean Stock
3. Mama, Won’t You Keep Them Castles in the Air and Burning?
4. Love Song No. 7 (MP3)
5. Satan Said Dance (@ MySpace)
6. Upon Encountering the Crippled Elephant
7. Goodbye to Mother and the Cove
8. Arm and Hammer
9. Yankee Go Home
10. Underwater (You and Me) (MP3)
11. Five Easy Pieces

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ALSO: Insound is selling leftover CYHSY Tour-EP's

Previously
CYHSY playing Hammerstein Ballroom on New Years Eve -- played Summerstage

Posted in MP3 | music at 2:06 PM | Comments (11)

Soprano playing Southpaw

Michael Imperioli's La Dolce Vita is playing Southpaw in Brooklyn on January 5th, 2007. PopMatters reviewed the Don Hill's show.

UPDATE: La Dolce Vita are also playing Pianos on Thursday December 7th @ 10 pm. (thx anon)

Posted in To Do | music | tour dates at 1:35 PM | Comments (4)

Did Muhammad Ali invent rap?

"The ESPN documentary 'Ali Rap' (airing Saturday at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN) is built loosely on the premise that Muhammad Ali unknowingly invented rap music, simply by being himself in public. If true, this would mean that rap did not originate (as commonly believed) in the South Bronx during the '70s; it would mean rap was invented in Kentucky during the '60s." [Chuck Klosterman]

P.S. KRS One is playing Southpaw Thursday.

Posted in hiphop | music at 1:25 PM | Comments (6)

CEO iPod habits

"Music has never been that important to me" [MEL KARMAZIN, CEO, SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO INC]

"My own taste is I still listen to CDs" [DOUG MORRIS, CEO, UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP]

"I like music. I have iPods everywhere." [RICHARD PARSONS, CEO AND CHAIRMAN, TIME WARNER INC.]

more: "Media Leaders: We’re iPod Crazy Too" (via)

----

ALSO
* Does new hard drive foreshadow 100GB iPod?
* Should Apple Give Money For Every iPod Sold?
* Apple Related Humor
* Microsoft Zune Sits at No. 5

Posted in music | technology at 11:35 AM | Comments (0)

Clinic | March 2007 U.S. Tour Dates

"Liverpool quartet Clinic will make their first appearance in the U.S. since 2004 with eight select performances this March. The Grammy-nominated masked band will be touring in support of their fourth full-length, Visitations, due in stores January 23rd on Domino Records. These shows will be their only appearances in these markets in 2007."

The NYC show is March 9th at "The Gramercy" - not sure how to get tickets yet. All dates and markets below....

CLINIC | 2007 TOUR DATES
3/2/07 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
3/3/07 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent (Noise Pop)
3/6/07 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat
3/7/07 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brendas
3/9/07 - New York, NY @ The Gramercy
3/10/07 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
3/11/07 - Montreal, PQ @ La Sala Rossa
3/12/07 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace

Posted in music | tour dates at 10:48 AM | Comments (3)

The Phoenix Foundation sign to Young American Recordings

"We are thrilled to announce a new addition to the Young American roster. On March 13, 2007 we will be releasing Horespower, the incredible debut from the acclaimed New Zealand band, The Phoenix Foundation. They will kick off their US tour in support of the new album at SXSW. Stream the audio here . Watch the video here."

Young American is also the label behind the APB reissues. APB is in NYC next week.

Posted in music at 10:35 AM | Comments (2)

free Dirty on Purpose show - December 13th, NYC

"i don't always throw a party for my birthday, but this year, i decided to combine a birthday bash with the dirty on purpose fall 2006 tour finale at the delancey on december 13. the show is free to get into so bring all your friends out to celebrate. there will be much boozing!" [Jinners]

Posted in music at 10:27 AM | Comments (5)

Of Montreal | 2007 Tour Dates

Outback Steakhouse representatives Of Montreal are playing three shows in LA, three shows in San Francisco, and two shows at NYC's Irving Plaza next year. All dates below...

OF MONTREAL | 2007 TOUR DATES
1-19 - Memphis, TN - HiTone AA *
1-20 - New Orleans, LA - Republic 18+ *
1-21 - San Antonio, TX - White Rabbit AA *
1-22 - Lubbock, TX - Jake's Backroom AA *
1-23 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad AA *
1-24 - Tempe, AZ - The Clubhouse AA %
1-25 - Park City, UT - Music On Main at Sundance AA
1-26 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey AA **
1-27 - Los Angeles, CA - Avalon AA **
1-28 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour AA **
1-30 - San Diego, CA - SOMA AA **
1-31 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Attic AA **
2-1 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill AA **
2-2 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall AA **
2-3 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall AA **
2-5 - Arcata, CA - Kate Buchanan Hall @ Humboldt St Univ. 18+ **
2-6 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom AA **
2-7 - Vancouver, BC - Richards On Richards 19+
2-8 - TBA
2-9 - Seattle, WA - Showbox AA **
2-10 - Eugene, OR - W.O.W. Hall AA **
2-12 - Sacramento, CA - Union Ballroom @ Sacramento St AA **
2-13 - Las Vegas, NV - TBA
2-14 - Tuscon, AZ - Rialto AA **
2-16 - Austin, TX - Emo's AA ***
2-17 - Houston, TX - Numbers AA ***
2-18 - Dallas, TX - Gypsy Ballroom 17+ ***
2-19 - Norman, OK - Meacham Auditorium @ Univ.of OK AA ***
2-20 - Lawrence, KS - Granada AA ***
2-21 - Columbia, MO - Blue Note AA ***
2-22 - St Louis, MO - Mississippi Nights AA ***
2-23 - Birmingham, AL - Bottletree AA ***
2-24 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse AA ***
3-5 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle AA $
3-6 - Fall's Church, VA - State Theatre 18+ $
3-7 - Clinton, NY - The Annex @ Hamilton College AA $
3-8 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero AA $
3-9 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza 16+ $
3-10 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza 16+
3-11 - Boston, MA - Avalon AA $$
3-12 - Montreal, QC - La Tulipe AA $$
3-13 - Toronto, ON - Opera House AA $$
3-14 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick AA $$
3-15 - Chicago, IL - Cabaret Metro AA $$
3-16 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue AA
3-17 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre AA
3-19 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom AA
3-20 - Newport, KY - Southgate House 18+
3-21 - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge 18+
3-22 - Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle AA
3-23 - Columbia, SC - Headliners 16+
3-24 - TBA
3-29 - Gainesville, FL - Abbey Road 18+
3-30 - Miami, FL - Studio A AA
3-31 - Orlando, FL - The Club At Firestone AA
4-1 - Jacksonville, FL - Freebird Live AA
4-2 - Tallahassee, FL - The Moon AA

Previously
Of Montreal played McCarren Pool

Posted in music | tour dates at 10:19 AM | Comments (5)

Ed Droste & Owen Pallett in bed

"It’s been a big autumn for Ed Droste of Brooklyn, N.Y.–based band Grizzly Bear and Owen Pallett of Toronto’s Final Fantasy. The two musicians meet up for some dick talk." (via)

Ed also loves the Final Fantasy album.

and: Born Ruffians cover Grizzly Bear

Previously
Grizzly Bear & Final Fantasy @ Bowery Ballroom
An interview with Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear
Final Fantasy @ Tonic, NYC | pics
Grizzly Bear & Final Fantasy cover Mariah Carey

Posted in music at 10:06 AM | Comments (7)

Eddie Argos of Art Brut's Top 10 Albums

1. Luke Haines, Going Off My Rocker At The Art School Bop (Degenerate)
Eddie: Amazing album pop songs about Gary Glitter and the Yorkshire Ripper, he's turned into Denim on record and Jonathon Richman live, perfect. [the rest @ Filter]

Previously
Art Brut | in the crowd @ Siren (from all angles)

Posted in music at 9:49 AM | Comments (1)

Jay Z: offensive doll and no hits?

"A fucking DISASTER! According to hitsdailydouble, Jay-Z sold 133,146 records last week, a whopping drop of 81%. In other words, ALL BETS ARE OFF! Turns out the old paradigm of tie in with everybody, get on every TV show, there’s no such thing as overexposure, is trumped by the TRULY old paradigm, as in YOU NEED A HIT! And Jay-Z just didn’t deliver one." [Lefsetz]

And then there's this doll designed by eric so....

JAY Z?

"Lmao… first Mel Gibson then Michael Richards and now the new Jay-Z doll! Yes, it's suppose to hit stores for Christmas, and the doll has bulging eyes and huuuge lips! I don’t know if they are trying to make the doll look really like Jay, or they just want to follow the stupid cliché that all black men have 'bulging' eyes and 'big' lips, I don’t know how to feel about this." [DX Dirt]

"The figurine was said to be a one of a kind gift from So to the rapper." [hoodTalk]

"New Jay-Z Doll More Offensive Than New Jay-Z Album" [Idolator]

doll also seen on Crunk & HipHopMusic.com & NahRight & Freshness

Posted in hiphop | music at 9:37 AM | Comments (4)

Neko Case tops Amazon's 'Best of 2006'

Amazon's 'Best of 2006' lists are out. Neko Case, Bob Dylan, and The Decemberists take top honors, though their customers liked Dixie Chicks, Andrea Bocelli, and Mark Knopfler/Emmylou Harris the better.

Posted in music at 9:05 AM | Comments (4)

December 5, 2006

Uncle Monk - Tommy Ramone's Bluegrass band - tonight, SXSW & other tour dates

DOWNLOAD: Uncle Monk - Mean to Me (30 second clip - mp3)

BLONDIE'S CHRIS STEIN & TOMMY RAMONE @ CMJ, NYC | NOV 2, 2006

TOMMY RAMONE SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS @ CBGB REUNION, NYC | NOV 2, 2006

I spoke briefly about the CBGB reunion that happened at CMJ this year, but I only ever posted the pictures of Hilly. Here are two more of Tommy, who, as I've mentioned before, is in a bluegrass band called Uncle Monk. He/they play tonight (December 5 - 11pm) @ Pete's Candy Store in Brooklyn (thx BS). They also have some other NYC dates coming up, as well as tour dates that include Ithaca, Cambridge and SXSW. Check those below...

UNCLE MONK | TOUR DATES

Tuesday, December 5th, 2006 - Pete's Candy Store
11:00P - Williamsburg NY With Anna Copa Cabanna

Saturday, December 9th, 2006 Castaways Ithaca NY
With the M Shanghai String Band.

Monday, December 18th, 2006 Parkside Lounge 9:30 New York NY

Friday, December 29th, 2006 The Plough and Stars Cambridge MA
With the Tarbox Ramblers

Sunday, January 21st, 2007 Robbie Fulks XM Radio Show Chicago IL

February, 2007 International Folk Alliance Conference Showcase Memphis TN

Friday, March 16th, 2007 SXSW Music Festival Austin TX

Sunday, March 18th, 2007BB King Blues Club 8:00 New York NY
With Ralph Stanley

Friday, April 6th, 2007 Club Passim TBA Cambridge MA
Punks Are Folks Too series.

Saturday, April 7th, 2007 Ralph's Worcester MA
With the Gobshites

Friday, April 27th, 2007 AS220 Providence RI
Punks Are Folks Too series.

-----

Their latest tour dates are here.

Previously
Tommy Ramone helping close CBGB
Tommy Ramone plays bluegrass
Hilly Kristal @ the 2006 CMJ CBGB reunion

Posted in CMJ | music | pictures | tour dates at 4:45 PM | Comments (4)

2006 Onion Holiday Party @ Union Hall - w/ Sloan & David Cross

DOWNLOAD: Sloan - Who Taught You To Live Like That (new MP3)

DAVID CROSS & SAMANTHA COLE, NYC | AUGUST 30, 2006

The Onion's Annual Obligatory Party
Saturday, December 16, 2006 - 8:00pm
@ Union Hall (702 Union St. at 5th Ave.), Park Slope, Brooklyn

"We love fake news. First the good people at The Daily Show throw a concert/party and give all of the proceeds to 826NYC, and now, exactly one month later the good people at The Onion are throwing a concert/party and giving all of the proceeds to 826NYC. The Onion's Annual Obligatory Pary is a holiday blow-out featuring performances by Sloan, David Cross, Whitest Kids 'U Know, Jessica Rose & The Hi-Life, and Found Footage Festival's Holiday Collection. We hear there will also be DJs, raffles, food and drinks—all for a mere $15 requested donation. Again, the proceeds come to support our programs." [826NYC] (thx Klaus)

UPDATE: Per the Onion, this is a private event. THE RSVP is now closed, sorry.

---

The above Sloan MP3 is one of thirty tracks appearing on their new album out January 7th on Yep Roc. Sloan are also playing some other dates in January.

Previously
David Cross & Modest Mouse play One Bank

Posted in MP3 | To Do | comedy | music at 3:31 PM | Comments (23)

Trans Fat, Global Warming, & Fast Food

DOWNLOAD: Fat Boys - Fat Boys (MP3)

We've done it - NYC has banned trans fat. Watch out rest of the country, you're next.

Part of me (most of me really) is happy about this. I don't think restaurants, or any money-making businesses, should have the right to unknowingly poison us. The other part of me wonders if this falls under the category of the the government controlling our decisions - I'm against trans fat, but hesitant to support the government's right to control what we eat (or where we dance, what we smoke, what we read, what our religion is, etc...). But trans fat is more like polonium-210 (lead paint is the example the health commissioner used) than butter. Some may argue that trans fat = flavor, but I think this is about protecting us from those who put their bottom line before their customers' health -- so maybe 'trans fat' and 'rights' don't belong in the same sentence. What do you think?

Restaurants will have until July 1, 2007, to find substitutes for oils and other trans fats used in frying and spreads. But eateries will get until July 1, 2008, to find substitutes for oils and shortenings used for deep frying baked goods

And speaking of thinking about trans fat, one of my favorite non-fiction books Fast Food Nation is now a movie. It may still be playing at a theater near you. I haven't seen it yet. Is it good? The soundtrack features songs by Spoon, Dr. Dog, Elvis Perkins, Robbers on High Street, and the Capitol Years....

And in keeping with the theme here, now seems like a good time to also mention that Al Gore's excellent documentary An Inconvenient Truth is out on DVD (in environmentally-safer packaging) (I did see it) (so did Antony) .

"An Inconvenient Truth is an important, powerful and necessary film -- it's one that connects like few others in 2006 and one places the onus of action upon you, the viewer. How you feel upon the film's conclusion is much less important that what you will do -- having the courage to take action can be the hardest step, but also the most rewarding. Don't miss this film. Highly recommended." [DVD Talk]

Rent it or add it to your holiday shopping list. Then you can get a nice vegan (trans fat free?) meal at Ruby Tuesday's.

Posted in MP3 | NYC | hiphop | movies | music at 2:46 PM | Comments (32)

The Evens | NYU show info & 2006 Tour Dates

"The Evens are a Washington, D.C. duo, formed in the fall of 2001, comprising partners Ian MacKaye (of Fugazi, formerly of Minor Threat) and Amy Farina (formerly of The Warmers)." [Wiki]. All the information you need to know about the December 7th Evens show at NYU is here. All tour dates below...

EVENS | DECEMBER 2006 TOUR DATES
Tues 5th PA, Harrisburg Whitaker Center. 8pm doors / 9pm
Wed 6th PA, Philadelphia Unitarian Church. 8.30pm doors / 9pm
Thurs 7th NY, New York Kimmel Center NYU w/ Daniel Higgs. 7.30pm doors / 8.15pm Daniel Higgs / 9.30pm Evens.
Fri 8th MA, Boston Mass. College of Art. 8pm doors / 9pm Evens.
Sat 9th MA, Worcester Razzo Hall, Clark University. 8pm doors / 8.30pm Evens.
Sun 10th CT, Hartford Charter Oak Cultural Center. 7.30pm doors / 8pm Evens.
Mon 11th CT, Hamden The Space. 8.30pm doors / 9pm Evens.
Tues 12th MA, Amherst Mercy House. 8.30pm doors / 9pm Evens.
Wed 13th RI., Providence AS220. 8.30pm doors / 9pm Evens.
Fri 15th DC, Washington St Stephens Church w/ Soccer Team

Previously
The Evens are playing NYU

Posted in music | tour dates at 1:15 PM | Comments (5)

Explosions in the Sky | more 2007 Tour Dates (presale)

Explosions in the Sky announced some U.S. tour dates including a third NYC show.

02/19 - Brooklyn, NY Warsaw w/ Mountains (tix)
02/20 - New York, NY The Wordless Music Series (tix)
03/20 - New York, NY Webster Hall w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium (tix)

Presale here. All tour dates below....

EITS | 2007 TOUR DATES
02/19 - Brooklyn, NY Warsaw w/ Mountains
02/20 - New York, NY The Wordless Music Series
02/23 - Cologne, DE Gebäude 9
02/25 - Amsterdam, NE Paradiso
02/26 - Brussels, BEL AB Box / Ancienne Belgique
02/27 - Paris, FR La Maroquinerie
03/01 - London, UK Koko's
03/07 - Houston, TX Numbers w/ Eluvium
03/08 - New Orleans, LA The Republic w/ Eluvium
03/10 - Ybor City, FL Crowbar Eluvium
03/11 - Sunrise, FL Langerado Music Festival - Markham Park Four Tet, Stephen Malkmus, Band of Horses, more...
03/12 - St. Augustine, FL The Alcazar w/ Eluvium
03/13 - Atlanta, GA Lenny's Bar w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
03/14 - Asheville, NC Grey Eagle w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
03/15 - Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
03/16 - Charlottesville, VA Starr Hill Music Hall w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
03/17 - Washington, DC 9:30 Club w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
03/18 - Philadelphia, PA Starlight Ballroom w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
03/20 - New York, NY Webster Hall w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
03/21 - Cambridge, MA Middle East - Downstairs w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
03/23 - Montreal, QUE Ukrainian Federation w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
03/24 - Toronto, ON Opera House w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
03/26 - Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
03/28 - Chicago, IL Metro w/ Eluvium
03/30 - Omaha, NE Sokol Underground w/ The Paper Chase, Eluvium
03/31 - Lawrence, KS The Bottleneck w/ Eluvium
04/02 - Dallas, TX Granada Theater w/ Eluvium

Previously
Explosions in the Sky playing 2 NYC shows including Wordless Music Series (PRESALE)

Posted in music | tour dates at 12:00 PM | Comments (5)

Scissor Sisters playing 4 shows in 4 countries on New Years courtesy of Nokia

SCISSOR SISTERS WON A BAMBI (CRED) (INFO)

"The massive trip begins with a show in Hong Kong harbor, moving next to Mumbai's Andheri Sports Complex, both shows alongside Black Eyed Peas. Nelly Furtado will be on the Mumbai bill as well. Next up is Berlin, where the Sisters will be playing near the famed Brandenberg Gate, with the final stop being New York City." [SPIN]

The whole thing is sponsored by Nokia.

George Bush doesn't care about Scissor Sisters.

Posted in music at 11:37 AM | Comments (2)

MTA to boost L, G lines service

"Starting next spring, New York City Transit will run more trains on the overcrowded L during both peak and off-peak hours. Then in 2008, the G train -- long called the "step child" of the MTA -- will begin running south to five more Brooklyn stops." [AM NY] (thx J)

Posted in NYC | music at 11:29 AM | Comments (23)

ASCAP suing Black Betty in Brooklyn & others

"In each of the cases filed today, the business establishment had signed a license agreement with ASCAP, but failed to comply with the license's payment terms. ASCAP reached out to each of the establishments repeatedly over a significant period of time before taking legal action -- in some cases over a period as long as two years." [Yahoo]

Black Betty in Williamsburg is one of the places being sued.

Posted in industry | music at 11:26 AM | Comments (8)

December 4, 2006

Deerhoof | 2007 Tour Dates & Christmas MP3

DOWNLOAD: Deerhoof - XMas Tree (MP3)

Tickets are now on sale for Deerhoof @ Irving Plaza in NYC on January 26th. Proton Proton and Busdriver support. All tour dates below...

DEERHOOF | 2006-2007 TOUR DATES
12-9 - Butlins Holiday Resort Minehead, Somerset, UK - All Tomorrow's Parties/ Nightmare Before Christmas 2006
1-17-Osaka, Japan - Umeda Shangri-la (with OOIOO)
1-19-Nagoya, Japan - Nagoya Quattro (with OOIOO)
1-20-Tokyo, Japan - Shinjuku Loft (with OOIOO)
1-24 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey (w/Hella and Busdriver)
1-26 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza (w/Busdriver and Proton Proton)
1-27 - Chicago, IL - Metro (w/Busdriver)
1-30 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall (w/Busdriver and blackblack)
2-1 - Seattle, WA- Neumo‘s Crystal Ball Reading Room (w/blackblack and Leti Angel)
2-2 - Vancouver, BC - Richards On Richards (w/ blackblack)
2-3 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom (w/ blackblack and Leti Angel)
2-4 - Eugene, OR - W.O.W. Hall (w/ blackblack)
2-11 - Washington, DC - Black Cat (w/Harlem Shakes)
2-12 - Carrboro, NC - Cat‘s Cradle (w/Harlem Shakes)
2-13 - Asheville NC - Grey Eagle (w/Harlem Shakes)
2-14 - Charleston, SC - Cumberland‘s (w/Harlem Shakes)
2-15 - Columbia, SC - Headliners (w/Harlem Shakes)
2-16 - Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits (w/Busdriver and Harlem Shakes)
2-17 - Miami, FL - Poplife (w/Busdriver and Harlem Shakes)
2-18 - Tampa, FL - Crowbar (w/Busdriver and Harlem Shakes)
2-19 - Orlando, FL - The Social (w/Busdriver and Harlem Shakes)
2-20 - Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds (w/Busdriver and Harlem Shakes)
2-21 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club (w/Busdriver and Harlem Shakes)
2-22 - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge (w/Busdriver and Harlem Shakes)
2-23 - Winston-Salem, NC - The Warehouse (w/Busdriver and Harlem Shakes)
2-24 - Charlottesville, VA - Sattellite Ballroom (w/Harlem Shakes and Flying)
2-25 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar (w/Harlem Shakes and Flying)
3-2 - San Diego, CA - The Epicentre (w/Macromantics and Experimental Dental School)
3-3 - Tucson, AZ - Club Congress (w/Macromantics and Experimental Dental School)
3-4 - Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room (w/Macromantics and Experimental Dental School)
3-7 - Oklahoma City, OK - Conservatory (w/Macromantics,Experimental Dental School and Star Death)
3-8 - Dallas, TX - Gypsy Tea Room (w/Macromantics and Experimental Dental School)
3-9 - Austin, TX - Emo‘s (w/Macromantics and Experimental Dental School)
3-10 - Houston, TX - Numbers (w/Macromantics and Experimental Dental School)

RELATED: Deerhoof's John Dieterich Talks Ballet, New Album

Previously
Deerhoof @ McCarren Pool, Brooklyn, NYC | pics

Posted in MP3 | holiday music | music | tour dates at 7:08 PM | Comments (4)

Lily Allen calls NME 'cool list' cover 'sexist'

DOWNLOAD: Lily Allen - Knock Em Out (MP3)

"The pop star has labelled the mag 'sexist' for ditching a special cover shoot, bringing together Allen, the Yeah Yeah Yeah's Karen O and Beth Ditto of the Gossip. Allen had previously fallen out with the magazine's editors after they published a story about her cocaine use, which Allen had referenced in interview as a joke, but decided to partake in the photo shoot on the understanding that it would show female empowerment in music. Instead the mag chose a cover shot of Muse." [Sound Generator]

The 2006 NME "Cool List" is below....

24 Meg White, The White Stripes
23 Albert Hammond Jr, The Strokes
22 Eugene Hutz, Gogol Bordello
21 Serge Pizzorno, Kasabian
20 Jamie Frost, The Automatic
19 Jack White, The White Stripes/The Raconteurs
18 Carl Barat, Dirty Pretty Things
17 Ryan Ross, Panic! At The Disco
16 Cee-Lo, Gnarls Barkley
15 Tahita Bulmer, New Young Pony Club
14 The House Of Lords, The Young Knives
13 Jamie Reynolds, Klaxons
12 Liam Gallagher, Oasis
11 Paul Simonon, 'The Good, The Bad & The Queen'
10 Lovefoxxx, CSS
9 Thom Yorke, Radiohead
8 Gerard Way, My Chemical Romance
7 Kate Jackson, The Long Blondes
6 Kieren Webster, The View
5 Karen O, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
4 Jarvis Cocker
3 Lily Allen
2 Faris Rotter, The Horrors
1 Beth Ditto, The Gossip

yeah Beth.

Previously
Beth Ditto of The Gossip on fat & stuff | pics too
Lily Allen @ Hiro Ballroom, NYC | pics

Posted in MP3 | music at 3:14 PM | Comments (26)

Corrine Bailey Rae playing Housing Works

Corrine Bailey Rae is playing a sold-out show at Town Hall in NYC on December 13th. Two days later she's playing a benefit show at Housing Works Used Book Cafe to help raise money for homeless New Yorkers living with AIDS. $25.00 tickets are on sale.

Posted in music at 2:29 PM | Comments (1)

BrooklynVegan.com now "New & Improved" -- especially commenting

Hi. It's nice to be back. If you can read this, you're looking at the re-coded BrooklynVegan.com on a brand new server. If you can't read this...well, then you can't read this sentence which makes it totally pointless even to write.

Best of all, comments seem to work now. If you were previously scared away by "Internal Server Errors" and really slow commenting, please come back and try again. E-mail if you have any problems, or just to say 'hello'. Thanks!

Posted in music at 12:33 PM | Comments (30)

I saw the Daily Show, but not Tom Waits or Tenacious D -- Videos

Last week my kind friend Andrew invited me to a taping of the Daily Show here in NYC (733 11th Avenue, between 51st and 52nd st). They were tickets he'd requested two months earlier by following the instructions on the Comedy Central website. I was psyched to see the Daily Show, but depressed that by some sick twist-of-fate, our tickets were for Wednesday November 29th -- smack-dab in the middle of appearances by Tom Waits (November 28th) and Tenacious D (November 30th). Tough luck, but hey, at least we got to see the still-sober George Clooney (and John Stewart of course).

The taping itself was fun, but unfortunately they make you wait in line for two hours first. Luckily the weather was still nice. Once inside you get an opening act by a local comedian. I forget who he was, but he was the kind of comedian that messes with people in the crowd - he was pretty funny, but what made it all worth it was the private show you get by John Stewart before the actual taping begins - that quickly erased all memory of two hours in line. Not sure if I'd go again.....maybe I would -- definitely if I knew the guest was gonna be someone like Tom Waits....

And he even performed...

Tenacious D's appearance from Thursday below....

Previously
new Tom Waits MP3 from three-disc set
Tenacious D vs. Borat vs. Flight of the Conchords

Posted in comedy | music | video at 12:12 PM | Comments (6)

Danzig's gear stolen in L.A.

GLENN DANZIG & HENRY ROLLINS | 1984 (CRED)

"Glenn Danzig and his namesake band, Danzig, had an equipment truck stolen on Nov. 30 in L.A. Fans that showed up to the final 'Blackest of the Black' tourdate in Santa Cruz were treated to a show comprising only of the opening bands, and a seven dollar refund at the door. Danzig was quoted as saying, 'I should be able to kill somebody if they fuck with me'." [PunkNews]

Previously
Found on Flickr: "At Glenn Danzig's House on 6/6/6"
Danzig (& Doyle Misfits Reunion) @ Nokia Theatre, NYC | pics (part 1)

Posted in music | stolen gear at 11:35 AM | Comments (7)

Christmas music by Thunderbirds are Now!, Anathallo, & more -- lots of free MP3s

"Every year, various friends (from Michigan and beyond) use the Suburban Sprawl Music Holiday comp as a way to have fun, write some totally sweet holiday songs, and collaborate." They also give away all the songs for free. Familiar names include Thunderbirds are Now!, members of Thunderbirds are Now!, and Andrew Dost of Anathallo....

DOWNLOAD (MP3s)
Andrew Dost (Anathallo) - Yeah, I Know, It's Christmastime
Ryan Allen (Thunderbirds are Now!) - Elves on Strike
Ryan Allen (TAN!) - Jingle Hell
Scott Allen (TAN!) - Assassination on Christmas Eve
Scott Allen (TAN!) - Winters Wonderland
Scott Allen (TAN!) - Christmastime is Here
Scott & Brad Allen (TAN!) - Silent Night
Thunderbirds are Now! - Christmas in Hollis

Good stuff. Get the rest (look for the ZIP files) (via).

CBS is playing Rudolph and Frosty Friday night.

Posted in MP3 | holiday music | music at 11:03 AM | Comments (2)

Rainer Maria added 3rd & final show (@ Northsix)

Tickets are on sale for Rainer Maria's last show ever - Sunday, December 17th, 2006 @ Northsix in Brooklyn. As previously announced, they're breaking up. Tickets are also still available for December 15th in Philly, but the 16th at Bowery Ballroom is sold out.

Posted in music | tour dates at 10:30 AM | Comments (0)

The Fiery Furnaces playing soon-to-close Northsix

Tickets go on sale at noon for a Fiery Furnaces show at Northsix in Brooklyn on January 5th, 2007. The last show currently scheduled at Northsix is January 21st. It'll be closing for a while soon after that. The Fiery Furnaces have no other shows scheduled at the moment. You can download a show they played in June with Man Man at NPR.

Eleanor and Matt recently told Torontoist their next album should be out Summer 2007.

Previously
The Fiery Furnaces @ Red's Scoot Inn, Austin, TX (SXSW) | pics
The Fiery Furnaces @ Town Hall, NYC | pics

Posted in music | tour dates at 10:25 AM | Comments (5)

The Dears | 2006-2007 Tour Dates

The Dears' new album Gang of Losers came out on Arts & Crafts (Broken Social Scene) on October 3rd. You can preview some of the album on this micro-site. The Montreal band is now in the United States on a tour that brings them to Webster Hall in NYC on January 19th, 2007. Annuals are opening. Tickets are on sale.

All dates below....

THE DEARS | TOUR DATES
December 4, 2006 - Salt Lake City, CA - Urban Lounge
December 5, 2006 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre - Get Tickets
December 7, 2006 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Cafe - Get Tickets
December 8, 2006 - Chicago, IL - Metro - Get Tickets
December 9, 2006 - Waterloo - Starlight
December 14, 2006 - Montreal - Spectrum
January 16, 2007 - Boston - Paradise Rock Club
January 17, 2007 - Philadelphia - TLA
January 19, 2007 - New York - Webster Hall w/ Annuals
January 20, 2007 - Washington - 9:30 Club
January 22, 2007 - Chapel Hill - Cat's Cradle
January 23, 2007 - Jacksonville - Jack Rabbits
January 24, 2007 - Miami - Studio A
January 25, 2007 - Orlando - The Social

ANNUALS | 2006 TOUR DATES
Dec 4 2006 8:00P Orpheum Theatre w/ Calexico Flagstaff, Arizona
Dec 5 2006 8:00P the Clubhouse w/ Calexico Tempe, Arizona
Dec 6 2006 8:00P Spaceland Los Angelas, California
Dec 7 2006 9:00P Bottom of the Hill San Francisco, California
Dec 9 2006 8:00P Neumos Seattle, Washington
Dec 12 2006 9:00P Larimer Lounge Denver, Colorado

XFM is streaming a live performance by the Dears.

Previously
The Dears on Arts & Crafts | 2006 Tour Dates (Bowery Ballroom)
Annuals @ The Annex, NYC (CMJ) | pics + new tour dates

Posted in music | tour dates at 10:03 AM | Comments (0)

Can Scissor Sisters catch on in U.S.?

"'People think that you have huge success in one country that that must translate everywhere else," says Babydaddy. "But look at David Hasselhoff.' Now, weeks after the release of 'Ta-Dah,' the band's sophomore effort, the group is seeing a similar sales trajectory, with the album debuting at No. 1 in the United Kingdom, yet peaking at No. 19 domestically. To different audiences, it's the band's campy, playful sound that is both their greatest asset and biggest liability." [Yahoo News]

Posted in music at 9:38 AM | Comments (10)

The 8bits of Christmas - free album download

Yeti points us to a free holiday-time download of "The 8bits of Christmas" - possibly the nerdiest Christmas album of all time - perfect for listening to while you unwrap the vintage Atari 2600 your significant other bought for you on eBay....

"Yeah, you might need to be a little dorky to appreciate these. At the 1-minute mark in Let It Snow, I think you get invincibility super powers."[Yeti]

Previously
8 Bit Musicians Jailed for Hanging Flyers
8-bit music & video Fest in NYC Saturday

Posted in MP3 | holiday music | music at 9:31 AM | Comments (0)

Sloan | 2007 Tour Dates + new album

Sound Bites reports that, "Canadian rock gods Sloan are going south of the border next month to play a few dates around the Jan 9, 2007 US release of their great new album, Never Hear the End of It." Tickets are on sale for their January 18th show at NYC's Bowery Ballroom. All dates below...

SLOAN | 2007 TOUR DATES
1/16 Cambridge, MA | Middle East
1/18 New York, NY | Bowery Ballroom (Tix on sale)
1/19 Buffalo, NY | Town Ballroom
1/20 Detroit, MI | St. Andrews Hall
1/21 Cleveland, OH | Grog Shop

Posted in music | tour dates at 9:29 AM | Comments (0)

Spoon playing Webster Hall | Tix on sale

$32 tickets are on sale for a New Years Eve-Eve Spoon show at Webster Hall in NYC. They don't seem to have any other shows scheduled at the moment.

Posted in music | tour dates at 9:24 AM | Comments (9)

December 2, 2006

Matt & Kim | new video & Tour Dates

Yea Yeah (MP3) is one of my favorite tracks by Brooklyn duo, and Todd P regulars, Matt & Kim - I play it regularly on the "BrooklynVegan blog radio' show. Now the song has a video too - a video with a bunch of vegan and non-vegan food throwing, a moshing banana, and even some partial-nudity....

"Does it get any more adorable?" [YANP]

"Anyway, the reason I love the Matt and Kim version is the pure joy on the faces of Matt and (especially) Kim as they are splattered, and body slammed, with all sorts of foodstuffs." [without sound]

"And if you gag on their shrill, off-key, cutesy remedial nonsense, you can turn the volume off and watch people throw shit at them." [heartonastick]

MATT & KIM FANS (CRED)

Matt & Kim are currently out on tour. Dates below....

MATT & KIM | 2006 TOUR DATES
Dec 2 - Green Project Space New orleans, Louisiana
Dec 3 - Emo's Austin, Texas
Dec 4 - Ft. Worth Ft. Worth, Texas
Dec 6 - Trunk Space Phoenix, Arizona
Dec 7 - Duchess Manor Flagstaff, Arizona
Dec 8 - che cafe san diego, California
Dec 9 - no name venue Los angeles, California
Dec 11 - Bottom of the Hill san francisco, California
Dec 12 - The Green House Arcata, California
Dec 13 - Rotture Portland, Oregon
Dec 14 - Camp Nowhere seattle, Washington
Dec 15 - The sweatshop Missoula, Montana
Dec 16 - Kilby Court salt lake city
Dec 17 - Rhinoceropolis Denver, Colorado
Dec 19 - Omaha Omaha, Nebraska
Dec 20 - Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis, Minnesota
Dec 21 - Abbey Pub Chicago, Illinois
Dec 22 - Rocket Star Kalamazoo, Michigan

Previously
Les Savy Fav, Big Sleep and Matt & Kim - NYU show info

Posted in music | tour dates | video at 6:45 PM | Comments (11)

50 Shots -- Papoose & Nas -- MP3 & dates

DOWNLOAD: Papoose - 50 Shots (MP3) (via)

And you thought David Cross and Johnny Marr were quick.

The voice belonged to Papoose, a rapper from Brooklyn whose new song, “50 Shots,” is a furious — and surprisingly detailed — response to the shooting of Mr. Bell. In the last few days, the song has been circulating online. And DJ Kay Slay, who has become a mentor to Papoose, began his midnight radio show by playing it......Certainly he wasted no time in responding to the events of Saturday morning, when five police officers fired 50 shots at a car, killing Mr. Bell, who was to be married later that day, and wounding two others, Joseph Guzman and Trent Benefield. [NY Times]

Nas weighs in...

"The one who reloaded should go before the judge and plead guilty," the rapper said in a statement released to MTV News referring to the detective who took 31 of the shots and reloaded his weapon during the incident. "If he was a man, he would be brave enough to face the charges as a man. ... This brutality bullsh-- is played out with that slave sh--. It has to end now. The cops need to be charged the way gangsters are charged."[MTV]

Tickets for a December 22nd Nas show at Nokia Theatre in NYC are now sold out, but there are still some $25 tickets available for the show he's playing the next day in Philly. New Yorkers with deep pockets and an appetite for Nas can of course help feed the scalpers.

Papoose doesn't have any shows scheduled at the moment.

Posted in MP3 | NYC | hiphop | music | tour dates at 5:50 PM | Comments (6)

December 1, 2006

Dec 01, 2006 - FRIDAY UPDATE

DOWNLOAD: Peter Bjorn and John - Let's Call It Off (Girl Talk Remix) (MP3) (via)

PETE TOWNSHEND @ JOE'S PUB, NYC | NOV 29, 2006

BrooklynVegan is now fixed, but not on this server. If all goes as planned, the new and improved site should be launched this Monday. Stay tuned. Keep checking right here. And thanks.

The Decemberists vs. Stephen Colbert

Glassjaw is touring in December.

Arcade Fire Come To Aid Of Red Rebellion

Aging rockers set to lose rights on early hits

Neil Diamond Re-Teaming With Rick Rubin For New Album

Danny DeVito Drunk on 'The View'

The Evens are playing NYU on December 7th for $5.00. I'll post details on Monday.

Britney Spears married Kid Rock. Just kidding.

PETE TOWNSHEND & FRIENDS* @ JOE'S PUB, NYC | NOV 29, 2006

* Rachel Fuller, Martha Wainwright, Sean Lennon, & Jimmy Fallon

Posted in MP3 | music at 5:35 PM | Comments (5)