Speaking of How to Dress Well, he's featured in the first episode of a new Red Bull-produced online documentary series...

In this first episode of H?SHTAG$, we take a look at the current renaissance of contemporary R&B in the "always-on" age, featuring former half of The Weeknd, Jeremy 'Zodiac' Rose, How To Dress Well, Miguel, Rochelle Jordan, KLSH, BadBadNotGood, and more. How has the Internet inspired and galvanized this new breed of artists? Have online communities and media been too quick to label genres and movements? What does the future hold for the many strains of the R&B genre?

H?SHTAG$ is a new series of mini-documentaries from the Red Bull Music Academy, chronicling some of the most fascinating themes emerging from the web in recent times, from #cloudrap to #seapunk, #postdubstep to #advancedpop.

Continue reading "How to Dress Well, Miguel & more featured in "H?SHTAG$ - Don't Call It #AltRnB - Episode 1" (watch)"

Tickets for The Weeknd's September 21 show at the Congress Theater go on sale this Saturday (8/18) at 10AM CST.

Tickets for The Soft Pack's October 12 show at Lincoln Hall go on sale today (8/17) at noon.

Tickets for Yakuza's record release show on October 16 at the Empty Bottle go on sale today at 10AM.

Tickets for Regina Spektor and Old Son's October 17 show at The Chicago Theatre go on sale this Saturday at 10AM CST. A JAM presale will be active from 10AM-10PM today; the password is spegina.

Tickets for Shearwater's October 21 show at the Empty Bottle go on sale today at 10AM.

Tickets for Justice's October 24 show at the Congress Theater go on sale this Saturday at 10AM.

Tickets for Daughter's October 25 show at Schubas go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for Ben Gibbard and Advance Base's November 2 show at the Athenaeum Theater go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for The Misfits' November 5 show at House of Blues go on sale at 10AM today.

Tickets for Matthew Dear and Light Asylum's November 6 show at Lincoln Hall go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for Japandroids' November 13 show at Metro go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for Tame Impala and The Amazing's December 13 show at Metro go on sale today at noon.

Presale passes for Tomorrow Never Knows 2013 go on sale today at noon.

The Weeknd @ Music Hall of Williamsburg in April (BKLYN) (more by Bao Nguyen)

In-demand R&B singer The Weeknd (aka Abel Tesfaye), who performed at Lollapalooza earlier this month, is beginning to announce a fall North American run. After a couple of September tour dates with Florence & the Machine (they also play a few more in October together), Abel and co. will visit Chicago on September 21 for a performance at the Congress Theater. Tickets go on sale this Saturday (8/18) at 10AM CST.

All known Weeknd dates and a stream of his Echoes Of Silence mixtape are below...

Continue reading "The Weeknd touring, headlining the Congress Theater"

The Weeknd

As mentioned, The Weeknd are playing an intimate show at Lincoln Hall on May 3 before hitting Lollapalooza in August. Tickets go on sale TODAY (April 12), at 10AM CST. Good luck...

UPDATE: Lincoln Hall sold out in 11-minutes.

The Weeknd, who are also playing Lollapalooza, have just announced a show at Lincoln Hall on May 3. Tickets go on sale tomorrow (April 12), at 10AM CST.

The Weeknd make their live US-debut at Coachella this weekend. You'll be able to live stream the entire festival in HD via YouTube.

UPDATE: Full tour below...

Continue reading "The Weeknd announce show @ Lincoln Hall"

As seen on BrooklynVegan, this year's Lolla lineup includes everthing hinted on the #LOLLA ads, and much more....

Continue reading "Lollapalooza 2012 lineup announced (Black Sabbath, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Shins, Passion Pit, JC Brooks, much more)"

Lollapalooza 2011 (more by Grant MacAllister)

Especially if you're in Chicago, you may have started to notice "#LOLLA" ads, like this one (which references lyrics from Santigold's "L.E.S. Artistes")...

As CoS points out, across the web and CTA public transit system, there have been sightings of ads just like the above for Jack White, Sigur Ros(!), Justice, The Weeknd, Bloc Party, M83, Die Antwoord, Twin Shadow, The Shins, The Black Keys, The Big Pink, Wale, Washed Out, and Kimbra. Those are just some of the artists rumored to be playing the festival that takes place from August 3-5 in Grant Park.

As mentioned, Lollapalooza's initial lineup will be revealed on April 11. Time TBA.

What about reunited band of the moment At The Drive-In? Time will tell if we get them at Lolla, but meanwhile you can get your Omar Rodriguez-Lopez fix with Le Butcherettes, who visit Chicago for two shows in early-June. He's now a full-time member of that band.

Have you noticed any other ads that you can confirm with a snapshot? Feel free to tweet it at us and/or tag us in a Facebook post of the image. Happy rumor season!

Marketa Irglova @ MusicFestNW (more by Autumn Andel)

today in Chicago
* Kid Rock, Ty Stone @ House of Blues
* Gaiser, Funk Shui, Fortune @ Smart Bar
* Marketa Irglova, Sean Rowe @ Lincoln Hall
* The Kooks, YAWN, The Postelles @ the Vic
* Umphrey's McGee, Cornmeal @ Aragon Ballroom
* Leo Nocentelli, The Meters Experience @ SPACE
* The Burrows Four, Halfmoon Mad, JIP @ Panchos
* Deep Cricket Knight, The Earth Program @ Hideout
* John Doe, Amy LaVere @ Old Town School of Folk Music
* Cianide, Johnny Vomit, Cardiac Arrest, Bones @ Empty Bottle
* Steve Angello, An21, Max Vangeli, Size Matters @ Congress Theater
* The Infected, Dead Town Revival, Turbo Vamps, The Horrids @ Ultra Lounge
* Peter Murphy, She Wants Revenge, Hussle Club, DJ Scary Lady Sarah @ Metro
* Tandoori Knights, Bloodshot Bill, Nobunny, Outer Minds, Radar Eyes @ Bottom Lounge
* Tommy & The High Pilots, The Super Happy Fun Club, South Jordan, State And Madison @ Beat Kitchen

The Weeknd have a new video for the House of Balloons track "The Knowing." Check it out below.

What did you end up buying at Record Store Day's Black Friday sale?

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Saturday?"