Ecstatic Music Festival 2012 (more by David Andrako)

As discussed, the indie/classical Ecstatic Music Festival is returning to the Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center this year and it begins Friday (1/25) with a show from My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. The festival also includes shows with Clogs, Laurel Halo and Julia Holter, Deerhoof, Megafaun, and more. The full schedule is below and tickets for select shows are still available.

However, you've also got a chance to attend for free because we're giving away a pair of tickets to a show of your choice. Contest details and the Ecstatic Music Festival schedule, below...

Continue reading "Ecstatic Music Fest kicking off (win tix to show of your choice!)"

Soundgarden at Irving Plaza in November (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

As mentioned before, Soundgarden play Terminal 5 on Wednesday (1/16), their first of three NYC shows this month. The T5 show is part of the American Express Concert Series and was the first time where "cardmembers used AmEx's card sync technology for pre-sale ticket access." Like their other two shows, T5 is sold out. If you didn't get tickets but would still like to go, we're giving away a pair (courtesy of American Express). Details on how to enter are below.

Video of Soundgarden playing Jimmy Kimmell Live back in November is below...

Continue reading "Soundgarden are here, playing Terminal 5 this week (win tix!) before Hammerstein shows"

Chelsea Wolfe at Highline Ballroom in 2012 (more by Greg Cristman)

As mentioned, Chelsea Wolfe (with Ben Chisholm on analog synths/bass/keys and Andrea Calderon on violin) is going on an acoustic tour with King Dude which hits NYC on January 26 at Music Hall of Williamsburg with Starred. Tickets for that show are still available and we're also giving away a pair.

A list of updated dates, contest details, and a stream of Chelsea Wolfe's acoustic album, Unknown Rooms, below...

Continue reading "win tix to Chelsea Wolfe's Music Hall of Williamsburg show with King Dude & Starred! (updated dates)"

Smif-N-Wessun at MHOW in 2012 (more)

Slick Rick is playing Brooklyn Bowl on January 11 with F. Stokes. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Big Daddy Kane is playing with a live band at BB King's on January 24. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

M.O.P., Smif-N-Wessun, and Ka are playing Highline Ballroom on February 17. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

A stacked Lo-End Theory show with Sean Price, Roc Marciano, Buckshot, Meyhem Lauren, and more is going down at Highline Ballroom on January 20. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Rockie Fresh, who hails from the fertile Chicago scene is making his way to NYC for a show at SOB's on January 23 with production great Lunice. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Freddie Gibbs is playing Santos Party House on January 30. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Trinidad James and Vinny Cha$e are playing SOB's on January 30. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Shabazz Palaces collaborators THEESatisfaction are playing SOB's on January 31 with Njena Redd Foxx (who we heard on the track "Ima Read" with Zebra Katz). Tickets for that show are on sale.

Tickets for the Talib Kweli show at SOB's are on sale now.

Tickets for the Aesop Rock show at Irving Plaza are on sale now.

As mentioned, Wale is playing Bowery Ballroom on Monday (1/7). Tickets for that show are still available and we're also giving away a pair. Details on how to enter to win are below.

Continue reading "Slick Rick, Roc Marciano, Rockie Fresh, Freddie Gibbs, THEESatisfaction, Smif-N-Wessun & more upcoming rap shows"

by Klaus Kinski

The United States is rife with three things; assholes, podcasts, and assholes with podcasts. For me, podcasts are an unnavigable medium because anybody with a computer and 1/8th of a normal sized human brain can produce a podcast. Don't get me wrong; there are some incredible podcasts out there and the world is taking notice. Julie Klausner's podcast How Was Your Week has reached an almost legendary status and even got a glowing write-up in the Times recently. Marc Maron's WTF podcast basically set the standard for what constitutes a quality podcast. Greg Proops, Dave Hill, and Doug Benson also all have wonderful podcasts. And yet, the only reason I know of and can vouch for the quality of these podcasts and the people behind them is because I was a huge fan of these people in a pre-podcast world.

NYC is an epicenter of podcasting. If only there was a way where a guy like me could see, say, over 20 live podcasts on 2 stages over the course of 2 days consuming nearly 12 amazing hours of my life. Of wait. THERE IS! The naugural New York City Podcast Festival will take place at on 2 stages at The Pit on January 12th and January 13th 2013!! This show features a staggering line-up of talent including Dave Hill (Klaus Kinski favorite), Nick Turner (Klaus Kinski favorite), Kevin Allison, Wyatt Cenac, Gary Gulman, Craig Rowin, Jeff Rubin, Jermaine Fowler, Liam McEneaney, TV's Frank Conniff , Halley Feiffer, Julieanne Smolinski, Dan St. Germain, Sean Donnelly, Jackie Kashian, Myq Kaplan, MC Mr Napkins, Jared Logan, Anthony Antamanuik, Dan Soder, Mike Pace, and many others. This, my friends and enemies, is probably the greatest crash course in awesome podcasts on the planet and it's happening in our very own back yard. Keep your (dead) eyes on the NycPodFest Facebook Page for updates!

You can see the FULL SCHEDULE BELOW. You can buy tickets for individual shows, buy a festival pass, or you can win tickets right here! We have 5 SINGLE tickets to give away for Dave Hills Podcasting Incident with guest Gavin Mcinnes for 1/12 at 11pm. We also have 5 SINGLE tickets to give away for ThisMyShow on 1/13 at 7pm with guest Nick Turner. Contest deets are waaayyyyy down there...

Continue reading "Inaugural NYC Podcast Fest is this month (schedule, win tix!)"

Brooklyn Bowl during a Deer Tick show (more by Tracy Allison)

As you probably know, we've been posting a bunch of year-end lists from artists this year, and we've also posted a few from venue guys like Josh Moore and Johnny Beach from Bowery Presents, Jack "Skippy" McFadden of Emo's in Austin, and Andy Bodor from Cake Shop. Now we've got a top 10 albums list from Brooklyn Bowl talent buyer (aka booker) Adam Geringer-Dunn. You can see Adam's full list below.

Brooklyn Bowl is where Lucero (who gave us two year-end lists) are beginning their New Year's Eve run. The country punks will play a two-night stand at the Brooklyn venue on Friday (12/28) with Nude Beach and Saturday (12/29) with Hollis Brown. Tickets for night 1, night 2, or both nights are still available, and we're also giving away a 2-day pass. Details on how to enter to win are below. Lucero also play NYE at Wellmont Theatre with The Hold Steady, which is one of many New Year's Eve options in the NYC area.

Adam Geringer-Dunn's year-end list and contest details below...

Continue reading "Adam Geringer-Dunn's (from Brooklyn Bowl) top 10 albums of 2012 +++ a chance to win a 2-day pass to Lucero"

Talib Kweli and Ryan Leslie, out standing on a roof

As we've mentioned before, Talib Kweli is headlining the BrooklynVegan-presented Duck Down & Javotti Media's holiday party tonight (12/18) at Music Hall of Williamsburg. The night also features Pharoahe Monch, as well as Bootcamp Clik crewmembers Buckshot, Sean Price, and Smif-N-Wessun, plus Flatbush Zombies, Skyzoo, and Dyme-A-Duzin. Tickets are still available but if you'd like to go for free we're giving away two pairs of tickets. Details on how to enter are below. Hope to see you there.

Meanwhile, Talib just released the video for his track "Outstanding," which features Ryan Leslie. You can check it out below and get the MP3 as well via a download widget.

In other news, Flatbush Zombies recently stopped by Nitehawk Cinema in Williamsburg to talk about their favorite movies and you can watch that below. You can also check out Skyzoo's most recent music video, "JanSport Strings," as well.

If you can't make it tonight, Talib is playing a full band show at SOB's on January 20 which is in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King and Gil Scott Heron. Tickets for that show are on sale now. All upcoming Talib Kweli tour dates are listed, with all the other stuff, below...

Continue reading "Talib Kweli made an 'Outstanding' video, playing Duck Down party w/ Flatbush Zombies tonight (win tix!), SOB's in January"

by Bill Pearis

Prince Rama @ Cake Shop, CMJ 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

As you may be aware, Friday is December 21 aka 12/21/12, aka the day that the world is supposed to end according to the Mayan calendar. (Many people don't believe the world will actually end, or they probably wouldn't finished up Breaking Bad already.) There are a lot of Apocalypse parties happening, one of which will be at 285 Kent headlined by Prince Rama, which is entirely appropriate given their new album is called Top Ten Hits Of The End Of The World. You can check out the new video for that album's "So Destroyed" below. I bet they'll throw a good Ragnarök event which will double as a holiday party too in case you want to wear your Santa suit. Also on the bill is Dickpic (DJ Dog Dick and Pictureplane) and Ami Dang. Tickets are $8 at the door, but if you'd like to go for free we're giving away a pair. Details on how to enter are below.

Speaking of Top Ten Hits of the End of the World, we asked Prince Rama for their Top 10 albums of 2012. Instead, they gave us their Top 10 "Top 10 Lists of 2012" which you can check out below.

Continue reading "Prince Rama lists their Top 10 Top 10 Lists of 2012, playing end-of-the-world party in NYC (win tix!)"

Paul Banks @ CMJ Union, 10/17/2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

As we just mentioned, Interpol front man Paul Banks is playing tonight (12/14) at Webster Hall (rescheduled from a month ago) in support of his second solo album (and first under his own name), Banks. Ex Cops will open the show and tickets are still available. If you're like to go for free, we're giving away a pair of tickets and details on how to enter are below. And for another chance to win, visit our Facebook.

Paul recently talked with SPIN about the new album:

Your own vocals on the album have a much more relaxed, settled quality than they've had in the past with Interpol.
I heard that from the label, too. I was like, "Huh." I certainly did not think in particular that I did anything different. When there's an urgent monotony to some of my other vocal performances, that's because I was trying to communicate urgent monotony. Maybe in this new music with where I'm going in age, the insistence is not the key ingredient anymore.

It's been ten years since Interpol's first album came out. Looking back, how do you feel about it as your introduction to the public?
I don't really listen to Turn on the Bright Lights, but I'm super proud of it. The major facet about Interpol always is that these other guys in the band are amazing. I love what we do as a band. I'm really only critical of my vocals.

Why?
I was a totally untrained singer and I didn't know what I was doing. It's dumb to wish I could go back and change things because I can't. People liked it. It just is what it is.

Meanwhile Paul Banks gave us a list of his "Top Ten things in 2012," which is a mix of music, movies, places and other things. "I can't think of ten examples in any one category," he told us. You can check it out below, along with details on the Turn on the Bright Lights reissue..

Continue reading "Paul Banks lists his 2012 favorites, playing NYC tonight (win tix!); Interpol's 'Turn on the Bright Lights' reissued"

METZ at Knitting Factory in November (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

As mentioned, Toronto noise punks METZ have two upcoming free shows in NYC this month. First they'll play an in-store at Generation Records (12/18) and the next night, they'll play a Converse Rubber Tracks show at Music Hall of Williamsburg (12/19) with King Tuff, Sean Bones, and Devin. Tickets are required for the MHOW show (they just don't cost anything) but they're "sold out." However, if you missed out on getting yours, we're giving away a pair of VIP tickets. Details on how you can enter to win are below.

METZ recently stopped by BreakThruRadio to record a live-in-studio performance at the Serious Business studio and also sat in with BTR's Travis Harrison for an interview. You can watch a video of that session below.

Continue reading "METZ appeared on 'Serious Business' (watch); win tix to their free show w/ King Tuff, Sean Bones & Devin"