Osheaga Festival is returning to Montreal's Parc Jean-Drapeau from August 2-4. This year's lineup includes The Cure, Mumford and Sons, Phoenix, New Order, Vampire Weekend, Kendrick Lamar, Hot Chip, Alt-J, Beach House, Explosions in the Sky, Big Boi, Baauer, Father John Misty, Disclosure, Frightened Rabbit, Angel Haze, Jessie Ware, DIIV, Guards, and many more.

3-Day passes go on sale Friday (3/15) at noon. There are still over 20 artists TBA, but you can browse the complete initial lineup below...

Continue reading "Osheaga Festival 2013 lineup & tickets (The Cure, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend, Kendrick Lamar, New Order and more)"

Oliver Mtukudzi

Annual NYC world music festival globalFEST, whose name was recently borrowed for a much bigger one-off event in Central Park, have announced the lineup for their 2013 festival which will go down on all three stages at Webster Hall on January 13. The lineup, now complete, includes A Tribe Called Red (Canada), Christine Salem (Reunion), Fatoumata Diawara (Mali), Kayhan Kalhor and Erdal Erzincan (Iran/Turkey), La Santa Cecilia (Los Angeles, US), La Shica (Spain), Lo'Jo (France), Martha Redbone Roots Project (USA), Mucca Pazza (Chicago, US), Parno Graszt (Hungary), Stephane Wrembel and his Band (New York, US).. Tickets for the festival are on sale now.

NY Times reports that the organizers have also added Oliver Mtukudzi, "one of Zimbabwe's leading songwriters who created a signature sound out of several African styles," as a headliner for the event. The Times writes:

A veteran singer who began his career in 1977 in the band Wagon Wheels, Mr. Mtukudzi, 60, blends styles from across southern Africa and beyond without loosing the modal threads of Zimbabwean roots music. He possesses a deep, gutsy voice and writes about the daily struggles of people in his homeland, accompanying himself with hypnotic guitar lines.

Unlike his old Wagon Wheels bandmate Thomas Mapfumo, Mr. Mtukudzi tends to shy away from direct political commentary about the Mugabe regime. Still, some of his songs have been interpreted as allegorical protests. In "Ndakuvara," some saw the story about an ox hurting a farmer as a condemnation of political violence. And his single "Wasakara,' which means "You're Getting Old," has been seen by many in Zimbabwe as a plea for Robert Mugabe to retire. Bonnie Raitt, who has recorded his songs, has likened his "raw, imploring vocals" to Otis Redding and Toots Hibbert.

Continue reading "globalFEST 2013 announces full lineup w/ Oliver Mtukudzi"

Bonde Do Role at Bowery Ballroom in 2008 (more by Bao Nguyen)

Back in June, we mentioned that the Mad Decent Block Parties were returning this summer and then earlier this month, they revealed a list of artists, but didn't say who was playing each city. Now venues have been revealed for all five parties and the lineups for NYC Philly, and Toronto have been announced as well. The FREE NYC party will happen on August 5 at WIlliamsburg Park (in previous years it was at the South Street Seaport) with Major Lazer, Erol Alkan, Bonde Do Role, Lunice, Riff Raff, Mr Muthafuckin' eXquire, Reptar, Zebra Katz, Bosco Delrey, Baauer, Kito, and Paul Devro. The parties are free and all ages but RSVP is required. All announced lineups are listed below.

Speaking of Lunice, his collaborative project with Hudson Mohawke, TNGHT (pronounced "tonight") released their self titled debut EP this week (7/24) via Warp/Lucky Me. If you've yet to hear it, you can stream the entire thing below.

As for Bonde Do Role, the block party will be their first NYC show quite a while. You may remember that their original singer, Marina Ribatski left the band in 2007 and was replaced by two other singers, Ana Bernardino and Laura Taylor, who joined the band by winning an audition done with MTV Brasil. Ana has since left the band too and they are now a 3-piece fronted only by Laura Taylor. The new incarnation of the band put out their first album in five years, Tropical/Bacanal, last month via Mad Decent. The album was co-produced by Diplo and Filip Nikolic of Poolside (who have two NYC shows this week). The album features guest appearances from Caetano Veloso, Das Racist, Cecile, Rizzle Kicks, and The Death Set (who also has a NYC show coming up). The video for album track "Kilo" and a stream of another track, "Bang," which features Kool AD of Das Racist, are below.

Updated Mad Decent Block Parties info, the flier for the NYC party, video and streams are below.

Continue reading "Mad Decent Block Party lineup revealed (Williamsburg Park is the NYC venue); TNGHT EP; new Bonde Do Role out now"

Action Bronson at Red Hook Park in June (more by Eric M. Townsend)

As mentioned, Mad Decent Block Parties are returning this summer, hitting Toronto, Philly, NYC, Chicago, and LA. When we last spoke, lineups had not yet been announced. They still haven't revealed specific lineups by city, but we've now got the full list of artists who will be playing Mad Decent Block Parties this summer and it includes Major Lazer, Action Bronson, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Spaceghostpurrp, Lunice, Jacques Greene, Casey Veggies, BADBADNOTGOOD, Baauer, Jim-E Stack, Bosco Delrey, Flosstradamus, Three Loco (aka Andy Milonakis, Dirt Nasty, and Riff Raff), and many more.

As mentioned, the parties are all ages and free, and RSVP is open.

The full lineup is listed below...

Continue reading "Mad Decent Block Parties lineup revealed (Action Bronson, Mr. MFN eXquire, Spaceghostpurrp, BADBADNOTGOOD & more)"

The long list for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize, Canada's annual award for a great album, has been revealed. It includes Leonard Cohen, Cold Specks, Drake, Feist, Fucked Up, Grimes, Japandroids, The Weeknd, Yamantaka // Sonic Titan, and more. Check out the full list below. Who's your money on?

Continue reading "2012 Polaris Music Prize Long List revealed"