by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Grimes - "Genesis" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Grimes - "Oblivion" (MP3)

Grimes at FFF Fest 2011 (more by Tim Griffin

Avant popper Grimes (aka Claire Boucher) has revealed that she's signed to 4AD, who will release her upcoming album, Visions, which was originally set to be released on January 31 via Arbutus. 4AD will release the record on February 21 in North America and March 12 everywhere else. As she points out on twitter, the album will still be released on Arbutus in Canada, "which is a label [her friends and her] run out of Montreal." She also mentioned that she's honoured to work with 4AD, who she said is "a record label I have admired since I was 13 and first heard the cocteau twins and realized girls can make music, and goth is sick."

So far, two tracks have been revealed off of Visions, which is shaping up to be one of the most promising albums of 2012 so far. Those tracks, "Genesis" and "Oblivion" can be downloaded above and streamed below. They both show Claire Boucher refusing to decide between pop radio stardom and weirdo synth labs, and the result is something that's pretty hard to stay away from.

Grimes will be heading out on a tour in the upcoming months, most of which is with fellow pop destroyers Born Gold. That tour brings them to NYC on March 23 at Mercury Lounge and March 24 at Glasslands. Tickets for the Mercury show and the Glasslands show are still available. Updated dates are listed below.

Azealia Banks

Speaking of daring female artists and Beggars Group labels, Azealia Banks, who if you haven't heard yet, placed #3 on BBC's 'Sound of 2012', is NME's coolest person of 2011, is getting tons of love from Pitchfork, and also has two of the most last-minute killer 2011 tracks with "212" and "Liquorice" (in addition to some other solid cuts floating around like 2012's Scissor Sisters collaboration "Shady Love"), spoke to Self-Titled about her feelings on her former label, XL Recordings. The Daily Swarm points us in the direction of the following quote:

"As soon as I started putting out tracks I was getting attention. Diplo kept talking about me, and that's when XL hit me up. They flew me out to London, and the original idea was to have me work with Richard Russell, and I got signed to this development deal. Richard was cool, but as soon as I didn't want to use his beats, it got real sour. He wound up calling me "amateur" and shit, and the XL interns started talking shit about me. It just got real fucking funny. I was like, "I didn't come here for a date. I came here to cut some fucking records." I got turned off on the music industry and disappeared for a bit. I went into a bit of a depression."

All dates, videos, and streams below...

Continue reading "Grimes happy to be on 4AD (MP3s); Azealia Banks happy to done with XL (videos & streams)"

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Inc. - "Swear" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Inc. - "Millionairess" (MP3)

LA electronic duo Inc. (formerly Teen Inc.) released their debut EP 3 this past July via 4AD. The duo is made up of brothers Andrew and Daniel Aged, who, according to 4AD, "spent several years playing, recording and touring with Elton John, Pharrell Williams, Beck, Cee-Lo, amongst others" before forming Inc. On their EP, the brothers have crafted three tracks of downtempo R&B indebted to the LA beat scene with soulful reverb-coated falsettos. You can stream the entire EP below and grab two of its tracks above.

Inc. will play NYC on September 9 at Santos Party House with SFV Acid, Mykki Blanco, and Physical Therapy (DJ) and Brooklyn the next day at The Morgan (9/10). Tickets are on sale now for the Santos show. More details will probably emerge on the Morgan show after the RockYard show this Saturday (9/3) with Pictureplane, White Hills, The Psychic Paramount, Wise Blood, and Realness. According to Inc.'s site, more shows TBD.

Physical Therapy also DJs Warm Up on September 10 as the make up date for last Saturday's cancellation with Tanlines and Teengirl Fantasy.

All dates, a flier, and EP stream below...

Continue reading "check out Inc. (formerly Teen Inc.) -- EP out on 4AD (listen), NYC shows scheduled (dates)"

Sampha & Jessie Ware

SBTRKT released his debut and self-titled LP this week (6/28) in the US and a day earlier (6/27) in the UK. We've talked about the Little Dragon-featuring single "Wildfire" with vocals from Yukimi, but she isn't the only person contributing vocals to the album, far from it. Roses Gabor contributes vocals to the song "Pharoahs" and most of the album's vocals are performed by SBTRKT's Young Turks labelmates Jessie Ware and Sampha, who often collaborate with each other.

Jessie Ware and Sampha recorded the track "Valentine" together for Valentine's Day which they included on a Valentine's Day mixtape that they made for Fader. Check out the music video for that song, along with a live video of Jessie Ware and Sampha performing the song, and another of them performing a cover of Bobby Caldwell's "What you Won't Do for Love", below.

Jessie Ware also recently contributed vocals to another UK dubstep producer, Joker, for the single "The Vision," which was Joker's first release on 4AD. Listen below.

SBTRKT heads to North America soon for three NY dates, and for a just-added one in Toronto. Most interesting about the Canada date is that it advertises Sampha on the bill. Hopefully that means Sampha is also the "guest vocalist" appearing at PS1 on July 9th (one day later) too.

Little Dragon, who like SBTRKT played Glastonbury, plays Music Hall of Williamsburg in August. The show went on sale yesterday and is sold out.

All SBTRKT and Joker tour dates, videos, songs and the SBTRKT tracklist with vocalists listed, below...

Continue reading "Jessie Ware, Sampha & Roses Gabor are voices of SBTRKT"

crowd @ Warm Up 2010 (more by Zach Dilgard)

The full schedule for MoMa's 20l1 'Warm Up' season at PS1 has since been announced. The dance parties happen at the Long Island City location every Saturday from July 2 through September 3 from 2 PM to 9 PM. Admission is $15 and includes access to all exhibitions and 'Warm Up.' Check out the full lineup below.

As discussed, Four Tet and Matthewdavid play 'Warm Up' on July 9. STBRKT (who recently collaborated with Little Dragon) along with FaltyDL and others are also on that bill.

Other days feature Delicate Steve, Odd Future DJ Syd tha Kyd, Black Dice, Juan Maclean, Blood Orange, Solange, Grimes, Tanlines, Sun Araw and many other DJs, producers and and bands. Das Racist, Simian Mobile Disco, Ford & Lopatin, Gang Gang Dance and a few other groups are performing DJ sets.

More info and the full schedule below...

Continue reading "PS1's 2011 'Warm Up' lineup announced"

St. Vincent being Big Black @ Bowery (more by Amanda Hatfield)

St. Vincent will release 'Strange Mercy' on on 9/13, her new album for 4AD who say: "The record's 11 new tracks showcase Clark's gift for fusing the cerebral and the visceral, her melodically elegant arrangements packing hefty emotional punches. Clark reunited with producer John Congleton and recorded the album in her hometown of Dallas, TX at Elmwood Studios."

"Other musicians on the album include the Grammy Award winning Bobby Sparks on mini Moog, clavinet, Arp and Wurlitzer, Midlake's MacKenzie Smith on drums, and Daniel Hart on violin. Also contributing were Beck keyboardist and musical director Brian LeBarton, Evan Smith on woodwinds and Phil Palazzolo."

Annie Clark is also working with David Byrne on stuff. Asphalt Orchestra will perform some of it at this year's Bang on a Can Orchestra. David Byrne is also working with other people on stuff.

Check out another video of St. Vincent covering Big Black at Bowery Ballroom on 5/22, below...

Continue reading "St. Vincent announces new 4AD album 'Strange Mercy'"

Brendan Perry / Robin Guthrie

Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard [not pictured above] are set to commence work on a new album later this year. To coincide with the albums release in 2012, Dead Can Dance will embark upon an extensive two month world tour including dates in Asia, Australasia and South America......

The shows mark Perry's first U.S. appearances since playing with Dead Can Dance in 2005, and Guthrie's first US outing since a 2009 showing at ATP New York (where he ruled). Both are welcoming a new LP. Perry's new album Ark is due via The End on May 24th, and Guthrie's new LP Emeralds is due on May 12th via Darla.

All tour dates and some video is below.

Continue reading "Brendan Perry & Robin Guthrie releasing albums & touring (Dead Can Dance too!)"

DOWNLOAD: Broken Records - "A Darkness Rises Up" (MP3)

After a stint with Freelance Whales in the UK, Scottish band Broken Records will hop on a plane for their first US tour in late February 2011, hitting ten major cities including NYC twice. Look for the 4AD-signed band at Rock Shop on 2/22 (no tickets yet) and Mercury Lounge on 2/23 (tickets go on AMEX presale 12/8 at noon, and regular sale 12/10 at noon).

If you hit the merch table, you'll probably find a copy of the band's new album Let Me Come Home, which is due on 1/11/11 via 4AD. The LP features "A Darkness Rises Up", available for download above, and streaming below with the video for the same song.

Broken Records also recently recorded an in-studio session for 4AD, logging six songs including "You Know You're Not Dead" which you can watch below. Check out the rest at 4AD's site.

All tour dates and above-mentioned stuff, below...

Continue reading "Broken Records recorded a 4AD session, announce US tour --- (dates, MP3, videos & stuff)"

For those unfamiliar with [Stornoway's] work, the band features multiinstrumentalists Brian Briggs and Jon Ouin who founded the band when they met while studying at Oxford University, before Oliver Steadman, and his kid brother, Robert, joined them. They are often accompanied by trumpeter (and doctor! [of ornithology]) Adam Briggs and violinist Rahul Satija, and their star has gradually risen over the past year. Having formed 4 1/2 years ago, their innocent, countrified sounds, which recall bands like Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, and London contemporaries Mumford & Sons, have acoustic guitars, banjos and rich harmonies.

It's a sound that's totally at odds with the mainstream music scene which Steadman describes as "fake", citing acts like Kesha and modern hip-hop and R n B for lacking heart. Their music has won them recognition, though, making the influential BBC Sound of 2010 poll, getting them signed to 4AD, and winning an appearance on Jools Holland. [Skiddle]

The band's debut, Beachcomber's Windowsill, is already out on 4AD in the UK and will be out in the States on August 10th. They'll be in the US for just two shows, both in NYC, on July 7th and 8th. The first will be at Union Hall (tickets) and the second at Mercury Lounge (tickets).

Album info and art, videos of the band on Jools Holland and of their song "Zorbing," and all tour dates (quite a bit around the UK) are below...

Continue reading "UK 4AD band Stornoway coming to NYC - videos, album info"

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Round and Round (MP3)

With "Round and Round," the track above, you get just over 5 minutes of taut, hazy disco-flavored pop from the forthcoming disc by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti. The record, Before Today, is due to come out June 8th on 4AD.

Six months in the making, Before Today was recorded in part in Encino at the House of Blues (once Tito Jackson's home studio) with Sunny Levine (Quincy Jones' grandson) and Rik Pekkonen (Bill Withers, Seals & Crofts, Bread) as well as at the band's home studios...The outfit, now consisting reclusive pop surrealist Ariel Pink (vocals) alongside Tim Koh (bass/vocals), Kenny Gilmore (guitar/vocals) and Aaron Sperske (drums/vocals) will tour Europe this summer (details to follow) and have confirmed a headlining show at New York City's Mercury Lounge on May 4th. [4AD]

The record is his first on 4AD, and that's the album art above. The label plans to release "Round And Round" with b-side "Mistaken Wedding" as a limited edition 7" and digital download single on April 26th.

Some old Ariel Pink videos are below...

Continue reading "Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - new album coming soon on 4AD (MP3), NYC show scheduled (tix on sale soon)"

Gang Gang Dance @ MHOW in January (more by Benjamin Lozovsky)

Gang Gang Dance, who signed to 4AD earlier this year, are expected to release the follow-up to 2008's Saint Dymphna later this year. Their new label will be including them on a limited 12-inch Record Store Day EP, titled Fragments From Work In Progress, which'll also feature contributions from four other 4AD artists who will be previewing "rough drafts and material" from their upcoming LPs. That comes out April 17th, Record Store Day. Its full tracklist (and participating artists - Tune-Yards, Ariel Pink, more) are below.

Gang Gang Dance (who were recently ripped off & then compensated by Florence and the Machine) are set to open up for Hot Chip at Terminal 5 on April 23rd. That show and Hot Chip's show a night earlier at the venue are sold out.

Hot Chip also just announced a SummerStage show for the August, and Gang Gang have announced a new NYC show of their own as well, to happen April 22nd at Music Hall of Williamsburg (the same venue they headlined in January). Tickets to come soon.

Record store date EP artwork and tracklist, and more Gang Gang Dance tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Gang Gang Dance - 4AD album, Record Store Day, more dates"

DOWNLOAD: Efterklang - Modern Drift (MP3)

On Tuesday February 23rd [TODAY] from 5-7pm at the Clark Studio Theater [at Lincoln Center] in Manhattan, an 8 piece orchestra, made up of kids from PS. 859, a public school for musically gifted children from grades K-8 (aka The Special Music School) will perform Efterklang songs in tandem with a filmed performance of the band. The band will be projected on a 20-foot high screen behind the kids. We call this collaboration Efterkids! With this performance, 4AD and Efterklang hope to raise awareness for the overall issue of music education in schools.

I saw Efterklang twice over the weekend at by:Larm. Both were 30 minute sets which is standard for all shows at the Norweigian festival. Like Oh No Ono, the Danish band are big in Scandinavia. Efterklang are more established though, with three studio albums, the newest being on 4AD. Both shows I saw were in big theaters. The second was in a seated venue called Folketeateret...

Folketeateret is a stage for music and theatre in the centre of Oslo. The building is over 70 years old and used to be the home of the Norwegian Opera & Ballet.

In 2009 Folketeateret opened after a long renovation process, and the building's rich tradition and architectural greatness is clearly visible in the new theatre.

Folketeateret has 1,400 seats, making it Oslo's biggest stage for theatre. The theatre is connected to Restaurant Folk and Clarion Collection Hotel Folketeateret. [Visit Norway]

Efterklang's upcoming US tour includes a March 3rd show at (Le) Poisson Rouge and ends with a run of SXSW shows in Austin. For their LPR show and others, they'll be touring with Austin's Balmorhea. LPR tickets are still on sale.

All tour dates for the band are here. Efterkids details, flyer and re-posted "Modern Drift" video, along with more pictures from Norway, are below...

Continue reading "Efterklang played by:Larm (pics), "Efterkids!" playing in NYC today (to celebrate release of Efterklang's new 4AD album)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Serena-Maneesh - Ayisha Abyss (MP3)

It's been about four years since Norway's Serena-Maneesh brought their effects pedals and puffy pirate shirts to America. They return this week. They play a late show at Mercury Lounge on Friday (1/22, after the BV Presents Dawn Landes record release show earlier in the evening) and Littlefield in Brooklyn on Saturday (1/23). Tickets (click the links) are still on sale for both, and we have a pair to give away to the show of your choice. Details below.

It's been even longer since they've released a record, which will also change with the release of the cheerily-titled SM 2: Abyss in B Minor (pictured above) -- which they recorded on two-inch tape in an actual cave! That is some dedication there. You can download an edit (still over six minutes long) of the album's first track, "Ayisha Abyss," at the top of this post. It's kind of a bombastic, bonkers track, a bit like Can at times, but also sounds like two different songs accidentally being played at the same time. It's got me curious to hear the rest of the record (out March 23rd on 4AD) and wondering what to expect from this weekend's shows.

I saw S-M play at Mercury Lounge back in January 2006 and remember being a bit disappointed in the band's short (and not loud enough) set, but heard the next night at NorthSix (now MHoW) was much better. And I've got a friend who swears they're the best live band she's ever seen, and is flying in from Chicago just to go to these shows. (S-M have no other scheduled U.S. dates at this time.)

Openers at Mercury Lounge are The Vandelles; Littlefield also has Zaza and Cruel Black Dove. If I had to pick one show over the other, I'd probably go with Saturday at Littlefield just because it might be over earlier. Last time at the Merc, Serena-Maneesh didn't go on till 1AM. Those pedals take a long time to set up.

All dates, contest details, and a video below...

Continue reading "Serena Maneesh album details, MP3, tour dates & a contest "

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Efterklang - Modern Drift (MP3)

Efterklang @ (old) Knitting Factory in May 2008 (more by Zach Dilgard)

"Modern Drift," a new song from Danish Efterklang that's posted above, catches the band caught between its chamber pop and post-rock leanings. It's off the group's forthcoming, third album, Magic Chairs, due February 23rd on 4AD (their first for the label).

In October, Leaf Label put out a live DVD+CD documenting Efterklang's "Performing Parades" show on September 28th, 2008, with the Danish National Chamber Orchestra. Just like it sounds, the show featured the band playing their 2007 album, Parades, in full. They're curently touring Europe. Tracklists for those two records (and new album artwork) and a video of the group doing the song "Caravan" with the Danish National. Chamber Orchestra are below...

Continue reading "Efterklang - 4AD album in 2010 (MP3) + live DVD/CD out now"

Norwegian New Wavers Serena Maneesh recently signed a deal with 4AD to release their new record, which is scheduled to come out in March 2010.

Says SM front-man Emil Nikolaisen to Norwegian daily Dagbladet.no: 'Had anyone asked me which label I'd rather be signed to, my answer would definitely be 4AD. What's really positive about this is 4AD's strong position - the label represents a kind of musical blood-line which we're now a part of. We're the latest addition to a long and rich tradition.'

All tour dates and a selection of videos are below...

Continue reading "Serena Maneesh - new album on 4AD, NYC show in 2010"

DOWNLOAD: Tune Yards - Sunlight (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Phosphorescent - Torn Up Praise (MP3)

Tune Yards @ MHOW 2/4 (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

Tune Yards (or tUnE yArDs as its usually written) is the one-woman band of Merrill Garbus. Her debut record BiRd-BrAiNs, previously out on Marriage Record, is being re-released by 4AD, first as a limited-edition screen-printed CD on August 18th, then to wider release later in the year. "Sunlight," a track from that record, is posted above.

As Tune Yards, she tends to perform solo -- she also plays as part of Sister Suvi. Tune Yards will be performing at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday, September 5th with (opening for) Phosphorescent (also a one-person band, Matthew Houck, though live he usually has company). Tickets go on sale Friday, July 17th at noon.

A track from Phosphorescent's latest, To Willie, is also posted above. Their most recent NYC shows took place in Prospect Park and in Bruar Falls.

Check out a video of Merill at Trophy Bar during the Northside Festival (with Zach Condon of Beirut, a band that Tune Yards has opened for, and who are also on 4AD, in the audience) and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "tUnE yArDs signs to 4AD, playing MHOW w/ Phosphorescent"

DOWNLOAD: The Big Pink - Velvet (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Big Pink - Velvet (Van Rivers & The Subliminal Kid remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Big Pink - Too young to love (Deloren remix) (MP3)

The Big Pink are currently in New York recording their debut album.

While they're there, they are also going to play their first ever show in North America at the Mercury Lounge TONIGHT (6/15) (on at 7.30pm). It is a one-off show, not part of any tour and your only chance to see the band in the US until much later in the year.

Tickets aren't for sale but [you can RSVP for] entry on a first come, first served basis. Simply e-mail rsvpnyc@4ad.com. RSVP does not guarantee entry so please show up early.

Continue reading "The Big Pink (4AD) play 1st North American show @ Mercury Lounge tonight (RSVP) + MP3, remix & video "

DOWNLOAD: The National - So Far Around The Bend (MP3)

Dark Was The Night producers (from left) Bryce Dressner, John Carlin, & Aaron Dressner (Photo by Tim Soter)

NPR Music will record the Dark Was the Night Concert and offer performances from it online at www.npr.org/music The show will gather many major indie music acts at New York's Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, May 3 to commemorate the release of the charity compilation of the same name.

Host of NPR Music's All Songs Considered Bob Boilen will attend and report from the show that features several of the artists that contributed to the compilation, including Dirty Projectors, David Byrne, My Brightest Diamond, The National, Dave Sitek (from TV on the Radio), Bon Iver, Feist and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. A week following, songs from the event along with Boilen's commentary and interviews with many of the artists will be available for streaming at www.npr.org/music The concert will also be available for download via the "Live in Concert" podcast.

"The National's Aaron Dessner explained the format of the show to Pitchfork in a recent news feature, 'We're going to have two halves (of the show). The first half will be songs from Dark Was the Night, and then there will be a short intermission. And then afterwards, there will be mini-sets by different artists and collaborations, both things that relate to Dark Was the Night and some that don't.'" I was told the show will be four hours long.

And according to an official set of Blonde Redhead tour dates someone sent me (a list that includes the show in Brooklyn's Prospect Park), Blonde Redhead will be there tonight. All (three) dates below (thanks Joseph). David Byrne, who will definitely be there, is also playing Prospect Park.

Despite probably-originally-tentatively agreeing to do it, Grizzly Bear won't be playing Radio City because they landed a spot on the Jools Holland show in the UK that had to be taped this weekend. Yeasayer are recording a new album in the woods somewhere. Why Sufjan Stevens won't be there is still a mystery though. Maybe he will? Other NYC-area artists that are part of the CD, but not on the bill include the New Pornographers (AC Newman lives here I think), Yo La Tengo, My Morning Jacket (Jim James lives here I think), and Antony.

According to an interview with the "Dressner" brothers at Vanity Fair, the National will play two new songs at the show. They wouldn't say much else except that we should expect some "exciting collaborations". I know that Thomas "Doveman" Bartlett will be playing piano at the show. Also heads up Europe: they'd "like to do another show in London and/or Paris but it is a huge amount of work and schedule coordination to pull off so I'm not sure. But we're looking at options!"

And in what had to be the worst timing ever for "huge shows with special guests", Pete Seeger's 90th birthday party is also tonight, but at the much larger Madison Square Garden. Maybe Bruce Springsteen will stop over to sing a song at Radio City before his set at MSG. Hey, it doesn't seem completely impossible.

Continue reading "Dark Was The Night today! NPR recording. Blonde Redhead playing? Will anyone else? Who's going? (tix still on sale)"

Anni Rossi

Brooklyn label Social Registry is presenting the show at 92YTribeca in Manhattan tonight (3/27). Sian Alice Group, Lights, Zs, and a group we recently featured, Mountains are on the bill. Updated Mountains tour dates below.

Speaking of NYC shows happening tonight and Mountains... the Mountain Goats, and John Vanderslice are here for their show at the Society of Ethical Culture.

Also related to today (3/27)... Having just played a few shows at SXSW, including the official showcase of her (and the Mountain Goats') label 4AD, Los Angeles/Chicago's Anni Rossi is currently on tour and plays a show at Union Pool in Brooklyn tonight with Midnight Masses and Wild Yaks. You may have also caught Anni when she opened for her label-mates Camera Obscura at Mercury Lounge the other night.

To say that Anni Rossi has given new life to the viola is an understatement. Together with her alternative folk style and lilting vocals, Rossi has reinvented the way this classical instrument is typically used and given new light to how Americana music is structured and presented.

Entrancing and beautiful, Rossi shared several songs with the Current from her upcoming CD, "Rockwell," out in March of 2009. [Minnesota Public Radio]

Camera Obscura also played a show at The Bell House in Brooklyn the other night, and tickets are now on sale for the show they have coming up at Webster Hall.

Midnight Masses (playing Union Pool with Anni) just went on tour with, and share a member with, Trail of Dead (who we also caught at SXSW).

Continue reading "Anni Rossi, Mountains, Social Reg, Noah & the Whale & stuff"

DOWNLOAD: The National - So Far Around The Bend (MP3)

as promised...

Sharon Jones @ Nokia Theatre (more by Natasha Ryan)

4AD is pleased to announce Dark Was The Night - Live , a concert commemorating the newest Red Hot release Dark Was The Night. The show will take place Sunday May 3 at Radio City Music Hall and will feature several of the artists that contributed to the compilation including Dave Sitek, Dirty Projectors, Feist, My Brightest Diamond, The National, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings plus more to be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, March 13 at 11am 9am via Ticketmaster. Dark Was The Night - Live begins at 8pm (doors will open at 7).

Dark Was The Night was released by 4AD on February 17of 2009, and was produced by Aaron & Bryce Dessner of The National. The compilation, comprised of 31 exclusive tracks, benefits the Red Hot Organization - an international charity dedicated to raising money and awareness for HIV and AIDS through popular culture. A complete track listing for Dark Was The Night is listed below.

Pitchfork.TV (newly redesigned) seems to be down at the moment, but also:

This week also sees the release of several videos directed by groundbreaking filmmaker Vincent Moon. Moon shot the Dark Was the Night contributors The National, Dirty Projectors and Yeasayer each performing their song from the compilation in early February. These clips will roll out, one a day starting tomorrow, March 10, premiering on Pitchfork.tv

Continue reading "Dark Was the Night Radio City show CONFIRMED - Dave Sitek, Dirty Projectors, Feist, The National, Sharon Jones & more..."

St. Vincent @ Radio City Music Hall (more by Eric M Townsend)

On May 5, 4AD will release 'Actor' the anticipated new album by St. Vincent (nee Annie Clark), and the follow-up to her first album 'Marry Me'. 'Actor' was co-produced by Clark and John Congleton (Modest Mouse, Polyphonic Spree etc...) and features eleven new songs, all written and arranged by Clark.

'Actor' takes the ambitious compositional and sonic underpinnings of Clark's debut as a starting point and never looks back. The arrangements are more masterful, the songwriting grander, the performances ever more confident and inspired. "I wanted to make these songs technicolor animatronic rides," says Clark.

Clark, "a playful chanteuse [and] fearsome shredder" (NY Times), sings and plays guitar, bass and keys on 'Actor,' with woodwind contributions from Hideaki Aomori (Sufjan Stevens) and Alex Sopp (Bjork, Phillip Glass), and additional rhythm section work by McKenzie Smith and Paul Alexander of Midlake. Other musicians on the album include Mike Atkinson (French horn, score consultant), Daniel Hart (violin, sarongi), William Flynn (bass), and percussionists Jeff Ryan, Matthias Bossi, and Aynsley Powell.

St. Vincent will preview songs from 'Actor' with two shows at this year's South by Southwest conference in Austin: Wednesday, March 18 at the Central Presbyterian Church as part of the 4AD showcase, and Friday, March 20 at Antone's as part of the Billions Corporation showcase. Clark will also tour the U.S. this year with Bonnaroo and Sasquatch! Festival performances already confirmed and a full itinerary to be announced soon.

Continue reading "new St. Vincent (Actor) & Yeah Yeah Yeahs (It's Blitz!)"

"What a fitting day to announce the complete list of artists involved with our upcoming album DARK WAS THE NIGHT - the February 17th 4AD release that will benefit the Red Hot Organization. It's World AIDS Day, and in honor of that, we bring you the exciting news."

Continue reading "Dark Was the Night - full 4AD comp artist list, cover art, etc"

DOWNLOAD: DoE - Sailing By Night (old MP3)
DOWNLOAD: DoE - Sailing By Night (WHY's Christmas mix) (old MP3)
DOWNLOAD: DoE - Ghost In Summer Clothes (old MP3)
DOWNLOAD: DoE - No No One Does It Like You (new MP3)
DOWNLOAD: DoE - In Ear Park (new MP3)

Daniel Rossen (Grizzly Bear) @ All Points West (more by Bao Nguyen)

Department of Eagles features Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear and his friend Fred Nicolaus, plus additional help from two other members of Grizzly Bear, Chris Taylor and Chris Bear.

Continue reading "Department of Eagles (Grizzly Bear Dan) - MP3s, new album "