My Morning Jacket at Lollapalooza in August (more by Grant MacAllister)

My Morning Jacket are currently on a tour that will conclude in NYC at Madison Square Garden on December 14 with Band of Horses. Tickets are still on sale and we're also giving away a pair. Details on how to enter to win are below.

My Morning Jacket will also be special guests at the 50th Anniversary of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Carnegie Hall on January 7 along with Mos Def, GIVERS, Tao Seeger, Allen Toussaint, Blind Boys of Alabama, Del McCoury Band, and Trombone Shorty. Tickets go on sale Friday (12/2) at 11 AM.

MMJ were just nominated for a Grammy for "Best Alternative Music Album" and performed too songs off that album on Jimmy Kimmel last night. Check out videos of their performance below.

All dates, contest details and videos below...

Continue reading "win tix see My Morning Jacket @ MSG, see them play Carnegie Hall w/ Preservation Hall Jazz Band, watch them on Kimmel..."

Matt & Kim @ Deluna Fest in Florida (more by Dana (Distortion) Yavin)

today in Chicago
* Matt & Kim @ Congress Theater
* Watch the Throne @ United Center
* G.B. Leighton, Tony S @ Double Door
* Brandi Carlile, The Secret Sisters @ Park West
* White Wives, Koji, Stay Golden @ Beat Kitchen
* Two Door Cinema Club, Scattered Trees @ the Vic
* The Gorilla Press, Rodeo, The Avantist @ Schubas
* Filligar, Paper Thick Walls, Rogue Valley @ Hideout
* Cars For Miles, Hindu Salon, Le Tour @ Ultra Lounge
* The Mutts, Sleep Kitty, Glittermouse, Hemmingbirds @ Subterranean
* Dax Riggs, Bully In The Hallway, My Cold Dead Hand @ Empty Bottle
* Street Dogs, Off With Their Heads, Murder The Stout, The Arrivals @ Reggie's
* The Steepwater Band, Blane Fonda, Bright White, The Kickback, Hawley Shoffner @ Lincoln Hall

Matt & Kim play a FREE (21+) show tonight (12/1), at the Congress Theater.

Bon Iver, Mastodon, The Decemberists, Adele, and more were nominated for Grammys.

My Morning Jacket played Kimmel. Footage below.

Still Corners have a new video for "Into The Trees." Check it out below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday?"

Mastodon fans (more by Greg Cristman)

Bon Iver was nominated for four high profile Grammys (though not "Album of the Year" which is what Arcade Fire won). Adele & Katy Perry nominated for a zillion, and other nominees include The Black Keys, Foster the Peepee, Cee Lo, Duck Sauce, Robyn, Cut Copy, Skrillex, Deadmau5, Coldplay, Radiohead, Mumford & Son, Mastodon, Wilco, Death Cab For Cutie, My Morning Jacket, Jay-Z, Kanye West, The Civil Wars, Emmylou Harris, Levon Helm, Fleet Foxes, Gillian Welch, Steve Earle, Patton Oswalt, Louis CK, Weird Al, Danger Mouse, Memory Tapes, TV On the Radio, A Tribe Called Quest, etc...

UK music magazine Uncut weighs on this year's best albums. Like Rough Trade, they give Josh T Pearson serious placement. They put Tinariwen, who appeared on The Colbert Report last night (!) with Tunde and Kyp from TV on the Radio, at #18. Check out their whole list and video from Colbert, below...

Continue reading "Uncut's Top 50 Albums of 2011, video of Tinariwen & Kyp & Tunde on the Colbert Report"

Sharon Jones at Sasquatch 2011 (more by Josh Darr)

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings have been making booties shake across the continent and will continue to do so through the bulk of the fall, eventually looping back to New York for SEVEN shows, FOUR of which are in NYC. On December 6th and 7th the band will hit Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. Then after shows in Tarrytown, Oneonta & Syracuse, they return to the city to play December 13th and 14th at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets for all four NYC shows go on AmEx presale at noon on Wed (10/5) with regular sale hitting two days later. All dates are listed below.

Sharon Jones will compete with their West Coast touring partners My Morning Jacket on 12/14 when the Louisville band headlines Madison Square Garden with Band of Horses. Tickets are still available.

The Budos Band and one more band TBA play Music Hall of Williamsburg on New Year's Eve. Charles Bradley plays Bowery Ballroom on 12/3.

All tour dates and some recent live videos, below...

Continue reading "Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings announce 7 NY shows, 4 in NYC (dates)"

The Budos Band in Prospect Park (more by David Andrako)

Lee Fields & The Expressions are headlining a benefit show at Brooklyn Bowl on Monday night (9/26). Tickets can be had for as low as $15 and as much as $100. Proceeds support NYC's non-religious suicide hotline run by Samaritans of NY. Corey Glover (Living Colour), Danielia Cotton, and The Smyrk are also on the bill. It's one of only three upcoming shows right now for Lee. The other two are in Chicago and Michigan and are listed below.

Other upcoming Daptone-related shows include the previously-mentioned Charles Bradley show at Bowery Ballroom in December (tickets), and the not-yet mentioned Budos Band show at Music Hall of Williamsburg on New Year's Eve (with "very special guests to be announced"). Tickets are on sale.

One thing I can assure you is that the MHOW NYE special guest is not Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings who are due to announce another NYC show of their own soon. Meanwhile they have scattered tour dates scheduled, some with My Morning Jacket. All dates for all of them, below...

Continue reading "Lee Fields playing a benefit @ Brooklyn Bowl, Budos Band & special guests playing NYE @ Music Hall (and other dates)"

My Morning Jacket @ ACL 2011 (more by Tim Griffin)

My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses are playing Madison Square Garden on December 14th. Tickets go on sale at 11am today (9/23).

As previously mentioned, Mount Eerie arrives back in NYC this week. Tonight's show is at 285 Kent and looks like this:

Wednesday September 21st @ 285 KENT AVE
:: Mount Eerie
:::: Nicholas Krgovich
:::::: Ed Askew Band
| 285 KENT AVE |
285 Kent Ave @ South 1st | Williamsburg, Brooklyn
L-Bedford, G-Metropolitan, JM-Marcy | 8pm | $12 | all ages

Tickets go on sale at noon for the Shins show that happens 9/25 at Bowery Ballroom.

Mount Eerie's next NYC show after tonight is 9/26 at Le Poisson Rouge. Tickets are still on sale. All dates (including SUNY Purchase) HERE.

Tickets on sale at noon for the Arrested Development reunion.

Tickets go on sale at noon for EMA's headlining show at Bowery Ballroom, a CMJ showcase.

Tickets are on sale now for the BrooklynVegan CMJ showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Tickets are also on sale for the BrooklynVegan metal CMJ show on a boat.

Tickets went on on various presales for My Morning Jacket/Band of Horses today.

Band of Horses @ MFNW 2011 (more by Autumn Andel)

MMJ/BoH tickets go on presale Wednesday, September 21st at 9am EST (Password: CIRCUITAL). AmEx presale starts an hour later. The December 14th Madison Square Garden show goes on general sale Friday, September 23rd at 11am.

The Shins at Terminal 5 (more by Natasha Ryan)

Annnnnnnd here is yet another MAJOR show announced this morning (My Morning Jacket/Band of Horses at MSG, Radiohead at Roseland). The Shins are scheduled to play this weekend's Popped Music Festival in Philadelphia, and have added a few Northeasten dates at smaller venues as well, including one at Bowery Ballroom on 9/25! Tickets go on sale at noon on Wednesday. Faces on Film open the show. The last time that The Shins played NYC was over two nights at the much much bigger Terminal 5 in 2009.

All tour dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "The Shins playing Bowery Ballroom after Popped! (dates)"

My Morning Jacket at Lollapalooza 2011 (more by Grant McAllister)

My Morning Jacket are hitting the road this fall/winter and will return to where they spent New Year's Eve in 2008. After a stint in the EU with The Head & Heart, the fourseome will return for a leg of US dates with varying openers including Delta Spirit and Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. They play the final show of the US leg at Madison Square Garden on December 14th with Band of Horses. Tickets for the NYC show go on sale 9/23 at noon. Check out the video tour anouncement, a KCRW live session, and all other tour dates below.

Both My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses have been on the road. Band of Horses hit MusicFestNW last weekend and My Morning Jacket hit Austin City Limits this past one. Band of Horses' prior/side projects have shows coming up too.

Continue reading "My Morning Jacket announces tour, MSG show w/ Band of Horses (2011 dates)"

photos by Tim Griffin

Arcade Fire / The Antlers

Rain showers fired up crowds for the second day of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, even as much of the excitement Saturday was for headliner Stevie Wonder, who had fans claiming spots by the main stage throughout the afternoon.

Out-of-towners might not have understood the joyful reaction -- which included singing and dancing -- that rain got throughout Zilker Park. "I say, 'God bless the rain,' and we need it," said Austin photographer Greg Davis, who for the fifth year was selling his photos in the fest's art market. "It's bad for business but great for the community."

Some people used shelters put up for extra protection from the sun to escape the intermittent showers, while others didn't let a little water keep them from staking out spots early around the stage where Motown legend Wonder was to perform. The periphery filled so quickly that by the time R&B singer Cee Lo Green took the stage at 6 p.m., several hundred fans had planted chairs in nondesignated areas, causing security to ask them to move so the expected throng of people would have space to approach the stage.

"Our whole plan today has been to scope out a spot so that we don't have to fight the crowds," said Joelle Barnes of Austin, who along with her husband, James, were among the people asked to move their chairs. Although Barnes and her husband had enjoyed Alison Krauss and Union Station, Cee Lo and other performers they had seen on Saturday, the day was all about Wonder. "He's a legend -- you can't argue with that," James Barnes said. "This is such a rare opportunity"... [Austin360]

Pics from Day One HERE. Day Three streaming online today (9/18). More Day Two pictures below...

Continue reading "ACL 2011 -- Day 2 in pics (Antlers, Phosphorescent, Aloe Blacc, Twin Shadow, Arcade Fire TV taping & more)"

The 2011 edition of Austin City Limits begins today (9/16) at Zilker Park in Austin. YouTube has the live stream on two channels. Full stream schedule below.

Continue reading "ACL 2011 begins -- stream it on YouTube"

by Chris La Putt

Abigail Washburn in NYC

Abigail Washburn played a free outdoor NYC show at the Hearst Plaza Stage in Lincoln Center on 8/13 as part of the 28th Annual Roots of American Music Festival. A set of pictures from that event are in this post.

Her most recent album, City of Refuge, co-written with Kai Welch, includes a number of guests artists including Carl Broemel of My Morning Jacket and Chris Funk of the Decemberists....

Over the last several years, Washburn has made a name for herself playing banjo in the clawhammer style, as a string-band aficionado, and as a songwriter and curator with a unique and striking voice. In addition to her 2005 solo release, Song of the Traveling Daughter, her previous projects include work with the all-female string band Uncle Earl and a more recent project with masters Bela Fleck (to whom Washburn is married), Ben Solee and Casey Driessen called The Sparrow Quartet. Perhaps most distinct of all, however, is Washburn's use of Chinese folk imagery and instrumentation. She was an East Asian studies major and spent time living and working in China before nearly taking a position at a law school in Beijing. [American Songwriter]

All dates, more pictures of the Lincoln Center show and a video of Abigail playing an acoustic version of Amazing Grace with Mumford and Sons, below...

Continue reading "Abigail Washburn on tour, played Lincoln Center (pics), playing Martyrs' (part of World Music Fest Chicago)"

Petty Fest is returning to NYC this October, though unlike previous years, this year there will be "Two Nights To Get Drunk And Celebrate The Songs Of Tom Petty." The fest is taking place October 5 at Music Hall of Williamsburg and October 6 at Bowery Ballroom. The fest is (almost) the same lineup of musicians that usually get together for things like this, like Norah Jones, Nicole Atkins, Jesse Malin, Sammy James Jr. (The Mooney Suzuki), Jody Porter (Fountains of Wayne), Tad Kubler of The Hold Steady, Josh Lattanzi of The Lemonheads, and others. Interesting additions inclue Har Mar Superstar and Jonny Corndawg. I hope they do a duet. And of course there will be "surprise guests". Tickets for both nights go on sale Thursday (9/1) at noon with an AmEx presale starting Wednesday (8/31) at noon. $2 from each ticket will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.

Jonny Corndawg meanwhile will also be in NYC TONIGHT (8/30) for his record release show at Union Pool.

Full Petty Fest lineup, flier, and a recent video of Neko Case and My Morning Jacket covering "Stop Dragging My Heart Around" together, below...

Continue reading "Petty Fest returns in 2011, 2 nights, 2 venues"

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Muppets creator Jim Henson's death, some now-classic cuts from the program/feature-length films have been manifested in a covers LP.

Muppets: The Green Album, out August 23rd features prolific artists such as: Ok Go, Weezer, The Fray, Alkaline Trio, My Morning Jacket, Amy Lee, Sondre Lerche, The Airborne Toxic Event, Brandon Saller, Andrew Bird, Matt Nathanson, and Rachael Yamagata.

Stream the album in its entirety via NPR.

Weezer, Andrew Bird, and The Airborne Toxic Event all have upcoming Chicago shows too.

Weezer are headlining Riot Fest West (Chicago), Chicago-native Andrew Bird is headlining the Hideout Block Party, and The Airborne Toxic Event are playing the Riv.

words by Zach Pollack, photos by Grant MacAllister

a member of Cee-Lo's band

Day two of Lollapalooza 2011 began with a slight drizzle over Grant Park, but it didn't deter the determined early festival-goers from moving about the grounds. After a long Friday, I began Saturday over at the Sony Stage with an extremely tight set from Phantogram. What I assumed was a simple setup from listening to their albums, was actually a complex live rig which kept the trio extremely busy. How many times have you seen an electronic-tinged band who just cue samples all set? Phantogram are not that.

Up next on my schedule were Chicago hometown act Maps & Atlases (which unfortunately meant I missed Friendly Fires). Maps & Atlases drew a very large crowd to the Google+ Stage, which has my favorite area of the whole fest. There's no other stage opposing it, it's a bit smaller than most, and massive trees block out much of the blistering sun. What's not to like?

I then attempted to head back towards Music Unlimited for Fitz and The Tantrums, but that didn't seem to be in the cards due to some unexpected foot traffic. Instead I ate and then headed to the oposite side of the grounds to catch the Black Lips at Playstation. The crowd was enormous for the garage-rockers who usually play to a quarter as many people. A few songs in they pulled out "Family Tree," the opening track to their great Mark Ronson-produced album Arabia Mountain. In typical Black Lips fashion, singer/guitarist Cole Alexander threw up on stage without missing as much as a note, and almost all over the Lollapalooza film crew!

From there things just got more and more massive. I caught Death From Above 1979 for the second time this week, and it was just as thrilling and brutal. Kicking things off with the Y.A.W.I.A.M. staple "Turn It Out," the massive beyond massive crowd went completely insane. Not needing to see the full set, I rushed across the complex to catch a bit of Big Audio Dynamite. The reunited group opened with "Medicine Show," and continued to awe the crowd with "A Party." From there I ran to Google+ to catch the tail end of The Drums.

I walked in just as they were speaking about the release of their forthcoming record Portamento (coming out in the US on Frenchkiss). They then played its single, "Money." The band has definitely matured since I last saw them and they sounded super full live. Just to make my legs die a little bit more, I rushed back over towards Sony and Music Unlimited to catch Local Natives. As mentioned, it was the largest crowd the band had ever played to. Opening with "Camera Talk," as per usual, their live sound even surpassed their great recordings. Towards the end of their set, across the way at Unlimited, things started to fall into place for Cee Lo's set.

His band of attractive studio musicians took the stage sans Green around 6:30PM, and jumped into a short intro track. Complete with matching Gwar-like kinky warrior outfits (strange choice), Cee Lo and his band played to a massive audience, many of whom were camped out to see Eminem on the same stage. I left early, before the booing...

"The soul singer scored a huge crowd, but holding its attention seemed to be another matter. Dressed in shoulder pads topped with huge spikes and a chunky neck chain, Cee-Lo channeled his inner-dungeon master/Billy Idol; he even played an R&B-flavored cover of the 80s star's "Flesh for Fantasy." But the set was anything but smooth: Between tunes, which included Cee-Lo's own "Satisfied," "Bright Lights Bigger City," and Gnarls Barkley's smash "Crazy," he turned the spotlight to his DJ, who inexplicably spun Lenny Kravitz, Nirvana and Depeche Mode - a move that inspired boos from the crowd. "Don't you dare let this wonderful outfit go to waste," he said, palpably annoyed. But the irritation may have worked in his favor (and sent a subliminal message to his fans): On his closer, the Motown-inflected kiss-off "Fuck You," his voice sounded richer than it had all night. " [Rolling Stone]

Li and her amazingly talented band were a perfect fit for the stage, and drew as many people as would fit in the area. They started things off with the haunting Wounded Rhymes track "Jerome," and continued in that fashion with "I Follow Rivers", "Sadness Is A Blessing" and other songs as My Morning Jacket started to set up for their headlining set over at Bud Light.

Jim James and Co. kicked off a two hour long set at 8PM. It spanned their entire catalog with crowd favorites like "Off the Record," "Touch Me I'm Going To Scream," "One Big Holiday," and much more. Songs were extended with jam sections, brass solos, etc. Their stage setup was absolutely massive, as was the lighting. That said, I snuck away back to the smaller Google+ to check out some of Beirut who was closing out that stage.

Zach Condon and band played mostly older songs in the more intimate setting, and though tight, I was craving some more My Morning Jacket and so headed back to finish off the night with Jim James.

Friday pictures HERE. Sunday on the way. B.A.D. pics HERE. More pictures from Saturday, Dom included, below...

Continue reading "Lollapalooza 2011 -- Day 2 pics & review (My Morning Jacket, Beirut, Cee-Lo, DFA1979, Lykke Li, Maps & Atlases & more)"

MMJ @ Lolla 2011 (via claugamo)

2/3 of Lollapalooza 2011 is complete and Saturday night ended big with veteran festival band My Morning Jacket. Check out their setlist below...

Continue reading "My Morning Jacket close out Lollapalooza Day 2 (setlist)"

Lollapalooza 2011 continues through Sunday, and as previously mentioned, select sets are streaming on YouTube (courtesy of DELL). The full webcast schedule is listed below.

Continue reading "Lollapalooza 2011 webcast schedule"

Lollapalooza 2011 begins today, Friday, 8/5 in Chicago, and is streaming select sets on YouTube on two channels, now through Sunday. The full schedule is listed below.

Speaking of Lolla, congrats to the six winners of our Lollapalooza ticket contest. Winners were chosen, confirmed and contacted yesterday.

Speaking of our contest, contest & Lolla stream sponsor DELL is also giving away a trip to Austin City Limits via their Facebook and Twitter. Click the links for more info.

Stream schedule below....

Continue reading "Lollapalooza begins --- stream it online"

Sufjan at Bowery Ballroom in 2009 (more by Vincent Cornelli)

today in NYC
* Chris Cochrane @ Barbes
* Yellow Tears @ The Stone
* The Moon Show @ Union Pool
* Slavic Soul Party @ Barbes
* Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra
* The Sugarhill Gang @ Tappen Park
* Morning After Girls @ Pete's Candy Store
* Don Dietrich, C. Spencer Yeh @ The Stone
* Tell Your Friends w/ Sean Bones @ Lolita Bar
* Aphonia, Kids At Risk, Cassette Kids, Honduras @ Pianos
* Typhoon, Lady Lamb The Beekeeper @ Mercury Lounge
* The Ettes, Heavy Cream, Hans Condor @ Mercury Lounge
* Tinie Tempah, Action Bronson, Hezekiah, STS, Los @ S.O.B.'s
* Widowspeak, Hoop Dreams, Crinkles, Ex Cops @ Glasslands
* Intuitions, Ohnomoon, The Fear and Trembling @ Bruar Falls
* Sufjan Stevens, My Brightest Diamond @ Prospect Park Bandshell
* Todd Barry, Brent Weinbach, and more at Sweet @ Ella Lounge
* The Atomic Bitchwax, Cycle of Pain, Rob Cantrell @ The Delancey
* Death Cab For Cutie, Frightened Rabbit @ Williamsburg Waterfront
* Alison Krauss & Union Station, Jerry Douglas, Dawes @ Beacon Theatre
* Hannis Brown, Spectre Folk, Sands, Sleeping Bag @ Cameo Gallery
* McCoy Tyner Quintet featuring Ravi Coltrane & Gary Bartz @ Blue Note
* The CCB Reggae All-Stars (Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival) @ City Winery
* Matana Roberts, Ryan Sawyer, Peter Evans, Nate Wooley, Ramble Tamble @ Zebulon
* Bird Call, Johanna &The Dusty Floor, Former Belle, HolidayHoliday @ Knitting Factory
* Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj, Jessie & the Toy Boys, and Nervo @ Nassau Coliseum
* Weingarten/Bieber Duo, Run-On Sunshine, Moonmen On The Moon, Man, Dave Neff @ Cake Shop
* The Sway Machinery, Awesome Tapes from Africa, Flight Simulation with John Bollinger @ 92YTribeca
* Co La, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Emily Reo, Birthdays, Radiator Girls, Bananas Symphony @ Shea Stadium

The Sway Machinery, who have an album out on the now defunct JDub Records and who play 92YTribeca tonight, have a fan in Henry Rollins via Ian Mackaye. Check out Henry playing The Sway Machinery on his radio show on KCRW below.

My Morning Jacket have a new video for "Holdin on to Black Metal." Check it out below

The McCoy Tyner Quintet play their first of three nights at the Blue Note tonight. They play two sets each night at 8 PM and 10:30 PM.

Widowspeak play their record release show at Glasslands tonight for their self titled debut, which comes out next week on Captured Tracks.

Mostly Mozart Festival begins tonight and continues through August 27. The festival features the music of Mozart (believe it or not).

Lady Lamb the Beekeeper and Typhoon, who play Mercury tonight, also play Littlefield tomorow (8/3) with Diamond Doves.

Sufjan Stevens plays his first of two Celebrate Brooklyn shows tonight in Prospect Park. My Brightest Diamond opens the show tonight and Diamond Rings will do so tomorrow. These are the last two shows on his neon infested Age of Adz tour, so don't forget to bring your neon. Watch the concert trailer for the Prospect Park shows below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

My Morning Jacket @ Bonnaroo 2011 (more by Graeme Flegenheimer)

KahBang Festival is returning to Bangor, Maine from August 5-14, with music on August 12 and 13 and the kickoff concert on August 6. Bands playing include My Morning Jacket, Lupe Fiasco, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Chromeo, Surfer Blood, Atmosphere, DOM, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, and many others. Tickets are on sale now. Flyer below.

3-night camping passes are available too which include entry to the 2-day music festival, admission to the film fest, and entry to the campsite night stage (11pm-3am).

On the fence about going? WANT TO WIN FOUR TICKETS AND CAMPING??? We're offering the chance. Details on how to enter, with more details on the fest too, below.

My Morning Jacket play the festival during their August tour with Neko Case. Updated dates and contest details below...

Continue reading "KahBang Music Fest in Maine includes My Morning Jacket & more (WIN 4 TIX & camping) --- full lineup & more MMJ dates"

The Head & the Heart @ Sasquatch 2011 (more by Josh Darr)

To quote Sub Pop:

Seattle's The Head and the Heart have been on the road since February and clearly have no plans to slow down anytime soon. They've recently played shows with Death Cab for Cutie in Europe, My Morning Jacket in London, Iron and Wine in the Midwest, and have an upcoming string of US dates with The Decemberists. And, the band just announced their first ever headlining tour, which starts immediately after they play at the Austin City Limits Festival on Sept 18th, and ends October 20th in Vancouver, BC. Thao with the Get Down Stay Down will open these dates, with Devil Whale and Lemolo playing select shows as well.

Sub Pop released The Head and the Heart's self-titled debut full-length on April 16th of this year, and to date the album has scanned over 50,000 copies in the US. So far this year the band has performed at the Sasquatch and Bonnaroo festivals and before year's end will play the Newport Folk Festival, Capitol Hill Block Party, the Doe Bay Festival, and ACL.

Continue reading "The Head & the Heart & Thao with the Get Down Stay Down -- 2011 Tour Dates"

We mentioned that it's unfortunate that Jon Brion's rare show at Le Poisson Rouge on October 2 coincides with ATP NJ. Those hoping to catch both are now in luck. Jon added a second date at the same venue happening on October 3. Tickets are available for both shows.

In related news,

Two-time Grammy Award-nominated composer Jon Brion has signed to create the original score for LAIKA and Focus Features' animated comedy thriller ParaNorman, currently in production at LAIKA's Oregon studios for nationwide release by Focus on Friday, August 17th, 2012. Following LAIKA and Focus' groundbreaking Academy Award-nominated animated feature Coraline, ParaNorman is only the second stop-motion animated feature to be made in 3D.

Joining the voice cast of ParaNorman are Tucker Albrizzi (Good Luck Charlie), Alex Borstein (Family Guy), and Jodelle Ferland (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse). ParaNorman is being directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler, from Mr. Butler's original screenplay. Mr. Fell was director of The Tale of Despereaux and Flushed Away. Mr. Butler was storyboard supervisor on Coraline and storyboard artist on Tim Burton's Corpse Bride.

Mr. Brion's original score for Focus' Academy Award-winning Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind earned him a Grammy Award nomination for Best Score Soundtrack Album, among other honors. He was previously a Grammy nominee in the same category for scoring Magnolia. A highly accomplished singer/songwriter, arranger, and conductor, Mr. Brion is renowned for his production work. He holds co-writing credits on albums by such artists as Kanye West, Beck, Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright, the Eels, and Dido.

Mr. Knight said, "Jon Brion is so prodigiously gifted it's almost unseemly. His virtuoso compositions are at once moody and imaginative, clever and subtle. Jon's inventive, genre-defying musical storytelling will provide the perfect accompaniment to ParaNorman's groundbreaking visuals and emotionally resonant narrative."

Mr. Brion stated, "I've been waiting for the right animation project for some time now. This production and the people at LAIKA and Focus have an inspiring amount of heart. One can't help being swept up in the passion."

In ParaNorman, a small town comes under siege by zombies. Who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is able to speak
with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he'll have to take on ghosts, witches and, worst of all, moronic grown-ups, to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits.

In addition to those actors previously mentioned, the voice cast includes Academy Award nominee Casey Affleck (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford), Tempestt Bledsoe (The Cosby Show), Jeff Garlin (Toy Story 3), John Goodman (Monsters, Inc.), Bernard Hill (Titanic), Academy Award nominee Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air), Leslie Mann (Rio), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (How to Train Your Dragon), and Tony and Emmy Award winner Elaine Stritch (30 Rock).

Continue reading "Jon Brion scoring ParaNorman, playing TWO shows @ LPR"

Syl Johnson @ Maxwell's in 2010 (more by Andrew St. Clair)

Florence & the Machine @ Bonnaroo 2011 (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

Dam-Funk @ Bonnaroo 2011 (more by Graeme Flegenheimer)

today in NYC
* PS 122 Benefit
* Undead Jazz Fest
* Blue Note Jazz Fest
* Roberta Flack @ BB King's
* Estelle @ Blue Note Jazz
* The Moonlighters @ Barbes
* David S. Ware @ The Stone
* Ende Tymes Fest @ Silent Barn
* Youssou N'Dour @ Terminal 5
* Rich Medina @ Brooklyn Bowl
* White Hills @ Permanent Records
* Cooper-Moore Solo @ The Stone
* Sade, John Legend @ Izod Center
* Hanni El Khatib @ Mercury Lounge
* A Night in Treme @ Jazz Standard
* Bill Carney's Jug Addicts @ Barbes
* Galactic, Corey Glover @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Bob Mould's Blowoff @ Highline Ballroom
* John Moran & Saori @ Issue Project Room
* Martin Bisi, Quiet Lights, Zaza @ Littlefield
* The Suzan @ Open Road Rooftop (Rooftop Films)
* Mark Sultan, Daddy Long Legs @ Knitting Factory
* Charlie Wilson, Mint Condition @ Beacon Theatre
* One Step Beyong @ the Museum of Natural History
* Syl Johnson, The Sweet Divines @ The Bell House
* Free Blood, TMEye, Many Mansions @ Dead Herring
* Sic Alps, Spectre Folk, Weekends @ Death By Audio
* Pendu Disco feat. Jokers of the Scene @ Public Assembly
* Reggie Watts, DJ Stormin' Norman @ Red Hook Park
* Great Caesar, Justin Levine, Clinton Curtis @ Ars Nova
* Mike Wexler, Nymph, Future Shuttle (DJ set) @ Zebulon
* Nick 13, Laura Stevenson & The Cans @ Bowery Ballroom
* The Strange Boys, White Fence, The Babies @ 92YTribeca
* The Sights, The Insomniacs, The Electric Mess @ Union Hall
* Doveman, Lisa Hannigan, Mike Doughty, more @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Dave Alvin & The Guilty Ones, Los Straitjackets @ City Winery
* Endless Boogie, Hans Chew, Prince Ruperts Drops @ Union Pool
* Akim Funk Buddha's Urban Opera @ Brooklyn Academy of Music
* Roy Hargrove Quintet, The Badwagon @ Prospect Park Bandshell
* Yoni Gordon, The Bynars, Boy Genius, Les Racquet @ Bruar Falls
* The Dig, The Kickdrums, Two Lights @ The Studio at Webster Hall
* The Beets, Tony Castles, Gardens and Villa, Moon King @ Glasslands
* Bush Tetras, Friends, Coathangers, Religious To Damn @ 285 Kent Ave
* The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger, Blood Orange @ South Street Seaport
* Amy Correia, Greta & The Universal Thump, Zak Smith @ Bowery Electric
* Hospitality, Friend Roulette, Pajama People, Chair-O-Planes @ Cake Shop
* Thievery Corporation, Raphael Saadiq, Dam-Funk @ Williamsburg Waterfront
* Roy Hargrove Quintet and The Bandwagon featuring Jason Moran's Bandwagon & The Bad Plus @ Celebrate Brooklyn
* Matthew & The Atlas, Aunt Martha, Lauren Shera, Birdlips @ The Rock Shop
* Florence & The Machine, Twin Shadow, Bubbles @ Central Park Summerstage
* Title Fight, Touche Amore, The Menzingers, Dead End Path @ Santos Party House
* Mike Stern Band w/ Esperanza Spalding, Bob Malach & Lionel Cordew @ Iridium
* Lily & The Parlour Tricks, JP & the Gilberts, Musicianers, Joey Figgiani @ the Gutter
* Hubble, Diamond Terrifier, Drawlings, Guardian Alien, W-H-I-T-E @ Monster Island
* Sharp Lads, The Dunnie Bobos, Drunken Sufis, John-Severin & the Quiet 1s @ Cameo Gallery
* Dean Bowman, David Torn, Erik Friedlander, Jim Black, Elliott Sharp @ Bell House
* Hannah Miller, Angel Snow, Mary Bragg, Ménage à Twang, Not Waving But Drowning, A Big Yes and a small no, Sleepy Feet @ Living Room

Jack White & Stephen Colbert are at the High Line this afternoon.

Check out This Week In Indie.

It's a big night for big outdoor shows, though the shows at Williamsburg Waterfront and Central Park Summerstage both cost money. Reggie Watts in Red Hook Park, the jazz show in Prospect Park, and Sean Lennon's band at South Street Seaport are all free.

The Bicycle Film Festival continues.

Head to the Fulton Stall Market on Sunday for a free show by My Teenage Stride.

Meanwhile head to South Street Seaport tonight for the first free concert of the season there.

Dead On (A Note For Note Recreation Of The Grateful Dead's American Beauty & Workingman's Dead) @ Best Buy Theater is cancelled.

My Morning Jacket was on Conan. The Antlers were on Leno. Both videos below..

The Kills made a video for "Future Starts Slow." Check it out below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Friday?"