by BBG

Crosses is a new crew that features Shaun Lopez of FAR and Chino Moreno of Deftones, and the trio (Chuck Doom rounds it out) have released a new EP for download. Get it for the price of your email address. Though the pedigree of this might indicate something on the heavy side, Crosses definitely resembles Chino's Team Sleep or with moments of (gulp) witch house present. No word on what is next for the trio, but one thing is for sure, Ritualz, AKA †‡†, is not pleased. He tweeted "only thing i can think of right now is that if you have a blog post about that fat fuck stealing my shit to let people know please" and "woke up to attacks by deftones fans. basically they're mad because i came up with the crosses first and they hate everything not deftones?" No word on a response from Chino

Meanwhile, Dave Witte has gathered up an impressive crew of musicians for his latest project Argonauts. Witte will join The Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Dimitri Minkanakis, East of the Wall bassist Brett Bamburger, and fellow Burnt By The Sun member John Adubato. Though the band has yet to post a new song (they will in the near future according to a recent Facebook post), they are scheduled to play the Gwar-B-Q in Richmond, VA on September 17th. There they'll join Gwar (duh), Darkest Hour, Kepone, Mensrea, DBX, Groundscore, Battlemaster, White Cross, The Occultist and Bloody Crackdown as part of the day-long affair.

The previously mentioned BV-co-presented Fela! cast party/album release show is happening at Brooklyn Bowl on June 7th. DJ Questlove, Fela drummer Tony Allen (who also has another show coming up), OP!, Dhundee and cast members from the show will be in the house for the free event. There will even be an invocation, libation, and performance by Yoruban priest Baba Ola Jagun.

The Fela! show continues on Broadway and we have another two tickets to giveaway for that. Details below. The album is the original Broadway cast recording, and can be streamed HERE (it's officially out on June 8th via Knitting Factory Records).

The flyer for the Brooklyn Bowl event with more information and video spotlights on the show's 11 Tony nominations, the soundtrack tracklist, and the contest details, below...

Continue reading "Fela! Broadway Cast Recording release party & album stream (and a chance to win tix to the Broadway show)"

Orchestra Baobab is a Senegalese Afro-Cuban, Son, and Pachanga band. Organized in 1970, as a multi-ethnic, multi-national club band, Orchestre Baobab adapted the then current craze for Cuban Music (growing out of the Congolese Soukous style) in West Africa to Wolof Griot culture and the Mandinga musical traditions of the Casamance. One of the dominant African bands of the 1970s, they were overshadowed in the 1980s and broke up, only to reform in 2001 after interest in their recordings grew in Europe. [Wikipedia]

Continue reading "Orchestra Baobab - 2008 Tour Dates (2 free NYC shows)"

this is what it looks like upstairs @ Santos' Party House....

If anyone has something nice to say about a Black Kids live performance, speak up now. They could use some opinions like that to counteract the multitudes of "they suck"s I'm used to hearing. Actually, this one is not so bad:

The Black Kids' music isn't necessarily going to blow your mind, but what they lack in depth they make up for in hooks and fun. This is music to dance to, to forget about your age to, to throw cynicism out the window to. Sure, i could poke a million holes in their show/music if i wanted to, but what's the fun in that? I couldn't help but just give in and get sweaty. [Quarterlifeparty]

A little bit throwback pop, a little bit rock and a little bit soul, the Kids' dancey, sassy set served as a perfect warm-up for headliners Cut Copy. Despite the band's relative newness, the front rows at the Black Cat responded in kind: dancing, shouting and singing along for the duration of the Black Kids' set. It was a little surprising for a band that doesn't even have an album out, though definitely warranted. [DCist]

Continue reading "Black Kids - 2008 Tour Dates (Santos' Party House)"

photos by Leia Jospe

The Mae Shi played more SXSW shows than anyone. That includes one I put together. It's only right then that I catch up and post these pics from Emo's Lounge (March 13).

Their next NYC shows are with TheDeathSet @ Cake Shop, and with Japanther @ Market Hotel. All dates (+ more pics) below...

Continue reading "The Mae Shi - 2008 Tour Dates (and 1 of 18 SXSW-show pics)"

DOWNLOAD: Hugh Masekela- Afro Beat Blues (MP3)

Legendary trumpeter and composer Hugh Masekela comes from an extensive jazz background. Masekela, from South Africa, has enjoyed major success over the years, and is recognized as one of the greatest innovators in world fusion. [NPR]

Tour dates in January/Feb 2008 are with "Hugh Masekela's Chissa All-Stars", which also features guest appearances of many other exciting South African performers. Along with Hugh and his band, the tour also features Afropop diva Sibongile Khumalo, young kwaito singer Nathi as well as a few additional performers that Hugh is producing for his record label back home in Africa.

Continue reading "Hugh Masekela's - 2008 Tour Dates (SOB's, Brooklyn)"

Thu, Dec. 27th - 9:30 pm - New York Gypsy All Stars
Fri, Dec. 28th - 10:00 pm - DJ PEPE
Sat, Dec. 29th - 10:00 pm - DJ PEPE
Mon, Dec. 31st - 8:00 pm - New York Gypsy All Stars
Thu, Jan. 3rd - 9:30 pm - New York Gypsy All Stars
Sun, Jan. 6th - 8:00 pm - GENERATIONS
Tue, Jan. 8th - 8:00 pm - Soul Searching
Wed, Jan. 9th - 8:00 pm - MARC RIBOT
Thu, Jan. 10th - 10:00 pm - Globesonic Entertainment presents Vishal Vaid, Wah! & Eljuri

Fifth Annual Festival of Global Music Brings Twelve Artists to NYC Showcase....

Continue reading "globalFEST 2008 (@ Webster Hall)"

Tinariwen's new album Aman Iman is out now. Clips from it are playing in a player at their site. Listen to a feature at NPR. Catch the band of Tuareg rebels at Highline Ballroom in NYC tonight (Nov 27, 2007). I caught them when they were here in 2005, and though I didn't end up watching their performance at the Oya Festival in Norway this summer, you couldn't miss them walking around the crowd in their blue robes. All tour dates, and some videos, below....

Continue reading "Tinariwen - 2007 Tour Dates (tonight), new album"

Cafe Tacuba @ Central Park Summerstage, NYC - July 14, 2007 (CRED)

"Café Tacuba (often spelled Café Tacvba) is a Grammy Award and Latin Grammy Award-winning musical group from Naucalpan, Mexico. They were founded in 1989, and since then have had the same musical lineup. [Wikipedia]

They played a show at Central Park Summerstage over the summer - and Lollapalooza. Their new album Sino is out today (Oct 9, 2007). Tickets are on sale for their next NYC show - November 20th @ Hammerstein Ballroom. It's a show that is part of "world music" venue S.O.B.'s 25th Anniversary celebration, that unfortunately (for some?) is the same day as one of Caetano Veloso's NYC shows, and that is part of a much larger Cafe Tacuba tour. All dates, and videos, below....

Continue reading "Cafe Tacuba - 2007 Tour Dates ++ S.O.B's is 25"