Cat Power (via)

Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall) performed on British music program Later... with Jools Holland earlier this week. Backed by just a piano player, Chan debuted a new ballad called "Bully." Check out some footage of her performance at the bottom of this post, and you can also purchase the track via iTunes. Chan also just recently released a music video for Sun's "Manhattan," which can be found alongside the footage.

As discussed, Cat Power is one of the many acts who will head to Chicago to play Lollapalooza 2013. Set times haven't been revealed yet, but we do know that Chan and co. will take the stage on Sunday, August 4.

All Cat Power tour dates, that "Bully" footage from Later..., and the "Manhattan" video are below...

Continue reading "Cat Power performed a new song on 'Jools Holland,' coming to Chicago for Lollapalooza"

Arbogast prepping veggie chili on Brutally Delicious

Chicago thrash trio Arbogast recently appeared on the heavy metal cooking show Brutally Delicious. They prepared veggie chili and "blue cheese hot sauce wing burgers" as they drank and talked with host Bruce Moore. You can check out the full 13-minute episode at the bottom of this post (thx Hubert).

While the meal they cooked looked great (and you can check out their recipes HERE), let's get back to what Arbogast do best: pummeling metal. They've got a show at Ultra Lounge on March 14 with Behold... The Arctopus and Guzzlemug. Advance tickets for the Chicago show are still available.

Arbogast's episode of Brutally Delicious and a stream of their debut LP I are below...

Continue reading "watch Arbogast on a cooking show"

A press release from ANTI:

Renowned soul and gospel singer Mavis Staples will be performing at this year's Grammy Award Ceremony on Sunday in Los Angeles. Staples will be singing with Brittany Howard from Alabama Shakes, T. Bone Burnett, Zac Brown and others in a performance honoring the late singer/drummer Levon Helm of The Band with a performance of the the group's beloved song "The Weight."

Staples will also be appearing on Friday at a benefit concert for MusiCares honoring the charity's "Person Of The Year" Bruce Springsteen. She will be singing with Zac Brown. Additional performers that night will include Neil Young, Jackson Brown, Elton John, Eddie Vedder, Patti Smith and a host of other prominent musicians.

Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) and Staples are currently in the studio working on her upcoming 2013 release. The album will be the highly anticipated follow up to her critically lauded album You Are Not Alone which was also produced by Tweedy and won a Grammy Award in the Best Americana Album vocal or Instrumental category. The record was described by Time Magazine as "Gorgeous" and by Spin as "Inspired." Mavis Staples is a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner, and listed by Rolling Stone as one of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Mavis Staples plays a show at Lincoln Center in NYC on 2/14, and also took part in a Levon Helm tribute show in the NYC-area in 2012.

Beyonce @ Superbowl XLVII (via)

So, Beyonce pretty much killed it last night at her Superbowl XLVII Halftime show, made complete with smoke, mirrors, and Destiny's Child. If you missed B's performance, you can check out the whole shebang at the bottom of this post. Along with her grandiose performance, Beyonce has revealed that she'll be embarking on "the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour" this spring. That tour kicks off in Serbia, and will reach Chicago on July 17 for a performance at the United Center. Tickets for the Chicago show go on sale to the general public next Monday (2/11) at 10AM CST. A couple of presales will be active this coming Friday (2/08); stay tuned for more information.

All tour dates and a clip of B's Superbowl XLVII performance are below...

Continue reading "Beyonce playing the United Center on world tour"

Jessie Ware @ NYC's The Box, December 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

UK songstress Jessie Ware welcomed her great debut LP, Devotion, in August of 2012. She's currently on tour throughout the US, and visited Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night (1/16) to perform the Devotion standout "Wildest Moments" with a little help from The Roots. Footage of her Fallon performance can be found at the bottom of this post.

As discussed, Jessie Ware will make her Chicago debut at Lincoln Hall this Sunday (1/20) with support from On An On, Mister Lies (who is on the cover of the Reader's B-Side this week), and Kriz Baronia as part of Tomorrow Never Knows 2013. That show is sold-out, but you can still get in if you've got a five-day festival pass, which are still available.

Earlier this week, Jessie Ware released her new EP, If You're Never Gonna Move, via Island Records. The five-song EP features Devotion's "If You're Never Gonna Move," "Sweet Talk," and "Devotion," a cover of "What You Won't Do For Love," and a Two Inch Punch remix of "If You're Never Gonna Move." A stream of her new EP can be found below.

All known Jessie Ware tour dates, footage from her Fallon performance, and a stream of her new EP are below...

Continue reading "watch Jessie Ware play 'Fallon' with The Roots (video); she makes her Chicago debut at Lincoln Hall this Sunday"

Conrad Bain, possibly known best for his role as the adopted father Phillip Drummond to Arnold and Willis on Diff'rent Strokes , has passed at the age of 89.

Bain family sources tell TMZ, Bain died Monday night in Livermore, CA. So far, details surrounding his death are unclear.

We spoke with Bain's daughter Jennifer who tells us, "He was an amazing person. He was a lot like Mr. Drummond, but much more interesting in real life. He was an amazing father."

Conrad Bain, RIP.

Fred Armisen's game face

In addition to special guest Common, Jimmy Fallon also had Fred Armisen on the show last night. Armisen was there to promote the upcoming season of Portlandia, which will premiere on IFC this Friday (1/4) at 10PM Eastern / 9PM Central, and also had a drumoff with Questlove. Watch the pair of skin-bashers-- Armisen used to drum for Chicago's Trenchmouth-- go at it below (via Chicagoist)...

Continue reading "Fred Armisen and Questlove had a drumoff on 'Fallon' (video)"

Common @ Central Park Summerstage in 2010 (more by Andrew Frisicano)

Common was a guest on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon last night, mostly to chat about his new movie, LUV (out January 18). Fallon also got him talking about music, and Common shared that he'll be releasing an EP with the film, his first-ever mixtape, and a new album (due out in September)(via Fake Shore Drive). The Chicago-based entertainer also has a few more films coming out in 2013; it's quite the packed schedule. Stay tuned for more information on new Common music.

Footage of his chat with Jimmy Fallon and a trailer for LUV can be found below...

Continue reading "Common readying multiple projects for release this year"

Jeff Tweedy @ A.V. Fest // Hideout Block Party in September (more by Sara Pieper)

Jeff Tweedy and Mavis Staples are at it again. The pair are currently in the studio working on the follow up to their 2010 Grammy-winning collaboration, You Are Not Alone. The currently untitled LP will hit stores sometime next year via Anti-. On Thursday night (12/13) Tweedy and Staples played the final episode of The Colbert Report's 2012 season. They were joined by Sean Lennon and the Harlem Gospel Choir, and performed the John Lennon // Yoko Ono tune "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)." Interestingly enough, the original recording features backing vocals from children of the Harlem Community Choir. You can check out the Colbert footage below.

As discussed, Jeff Tweedy will be performing at The Second City's annual Letters to Santa benefit on December 18. One of the major auction items up for grabs is a 30-song living room concert from Tweedy. If you walked away with the prize would the Black Eyed Peas' "I Got A Feeling" be one of the 30 you'd ask him to play?

Footage of "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" from Colbert is below...

Continue reading "Jeff Tweedy & Mavis Staples working on new LP, played Colbert with Sean Lennon & the Harlem Gospel Choir (video)"

While at the 2012 Pitchfork Music Festival, Godspeed You! Black Emperor's Efrim Menuck was interviewed by Ratso from the children's TV show Chic-A-Go-Go. They spoke about the "blurry movies" that the band screen behind them on stage, punctuation in band names, and much more. Oh, and then the kids in the studio dance to "Rockets Fall on Rocket Falls."

Godspeed You! Black Emperor's new album, Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!, officially hits stores today (October 16). Purchase the LP HERE, and take a listen to it via Spotify.

Watch GY!BE on Chic-A-Go-Go below...

Continue reading "watch Godspeed You! Black Emperor on 'Chic-A-Go-Go'"