Kimya Dawson is heading out on tour with Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic, and DJ Big Wiz. She plays on all previously announced dates including Bowery Ballroom which is on sale now. Aesop is one of many contributors to Kimya's new album.

Kimya and Aesop are also playing a show together in Austin during SXSW, and Kimya is playing a bunch of other shows down there too (after she plays a gig in Portland). All shows are listed below...

Continue reading "Kimya Dawson added to Aesop Rock tour, playing SXSW"

by BBG

2/3 of Hail Mary Mallon (Rob Sonic and Aesop Rock)

Aesop Rock will head out on tour in May with Rob Sonic & DJ Big Wiz, and though they are billed separately, it means we're getting Hail Mary Mallon aka the crew formed by the trio. The NYC show will happen at Bowery Ballroom on 5/14. Tickets go on sale at noon on Thursday (3/3). All dates and the video for HMM's "D-Up" are below.

Hail Mary Mallon is one of a few active projects for Aesop Rock. He also wrote beats for the San Francisco band Dirty Ghosts (his wife Alyson is a member). Dirty Ghosts, who played their first show last week, will kick of a string of dates with Datarock next week on the West Coast leading up to an appearance at SXSW. Check out a video for "Shout It In" below.

In addition, Aesop Rock has contributed material to the forthcoming Kimya Dawson LP, Thunder Thighs due this summer. Check out "Miami Advice" with Aesop Rock at K Records. Other contributors to Kimya's new album include Nicolai Fraiture, John Darnielle, Thao Nguyen, MURS, Jonah Matranga, Jack Dishel, Angelo Spencer and many other who are all listed below.

All tour dates and some video with the credits for Kimya's Thunder Thighs, below....

Continue reading "Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic & DJ Big Wiz (Hail Mary Mallon) -- 2011 tour dates, new Kimya Dawson & Dirty Ghosts too"

by BBG

Barney is not a member of Melrose

MURS will play Music Hall of Williamsburg on March 12th, one of a few dates laid out for the great MC as part of a trip to the Northeast before he hits SXSW. Tickets for the Brooklyn show go on sale Thursday (1/13) at noon. All dates below.

MURS' last release was the collaborative Fornever, which saw him reteaming with 9th Wonder and dropped in April of last year. His latest project is with Terrace Martin as Melrose, which will see release via a new LP on Feb 8th. Look for it at his website, and check out a video trailer for the project below.

MURS also has another release in Varsity Blues 2. The Aesop-Rock-produced title track can be downloaded now for the price of your email.

All tour dates, that Melrose vid, and a MURS cover of the Common classic "I Used to Love H.E.R." are below.

Continue reading "Murs playing shows, teaming w/ Terrace Martin as Melrose"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Blockhead - "Which One Of You Jerks Drank My Arnold Palmer" (MP3)

Blockhead (left) with Aesop Rock

Blockhead (born Anthony "Tony" Simon) is an American Hip hop producer based in Manhattan, New York. Aside from his solo efforts released on the Ninja Tune label, he is most associated with producing for Aesop Rock, a rapper for the Definitive Jux independent hip hop label. He has also previously worked with rappers Mac Lethal, S.A. Smash, Slug, and Murs, and is also a member of the hip hop/comedy group Party Fun Action Committee.

Blockhead is scheduled to play a show a NYC in the coming week at Mercury Lounge on Friday, 2/5 with DJ Signify. Tickets are on sale.

Blockhead recently posted some of his earliest recordings for free download.

Ex-Ninja Tune artist Antipop Consortium plays BAM with Rain Machine on Saturday night (1/30).

Former Def Jux-er RJD2 is scheduled to play NYC on 3/7 with Break Science and Chichester. Tickets are still available.

Def Jux's Cage plays Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday night (1/30)...

Opening for Cubic Zerconia Album release. I will be playing with F Sean,Daryl Palumbo,Jarvis Holden and Nick Hook. 45 minutes. Come Hang w/ us SPECIAL GUESTS DONT MISS OUT - Cage

Continue reading "Blockhead - new album out now (MP3), NYC show soon"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Atmosphere - "Shoulda Known" (MP3, Clean Version)

Slug of Atmosphere (Jordon Daley)

Slug and Ant (AKA Atmosphere) are on their way back to NYC, having scheduled July 27th at Webster Hall as part of their ongoing "When God Gives You Ugly Tour". Tickets are on sale. The show is one of a handful of US dates lined up for this summer including an appearance at Lollapalooza, another at the 10,000 Lakes Festival (with Wilco, Akron/Family, many others), and a show at Red Rocks with MURS, Aesop Rock, Eyedea & Abilities, and Attracted To Gods. (Um, why can't we get that lineup too?)

The "When God Gives You Ugly Tour" is doing double duty, both promoting their latest LP When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold (now available in a Deluxe Edition with a bonus DVD), as well as celebrating the re-release of their breakthrough LP God Loves Ugly with a bonus DVD.

Originally released as the limited Sad Clown Bad Dub 4 (The Godlovesugly Release Parties) DVD, it features 2 hours of live performance footage, backstage shenanigans, several special guest appearances and music videos for "Godlovesugly", "Summersong" and "Say Shh". Out of print for years, this DVD has been repackaged in a custom sleeve that comes inserted in with the re-issue of God Loves Ugly.

Continue reading "Atmosphere - 2009 Tour Dates (Webster Hall) "

Photos by Gabi Porter

I didn't get the chance to catch (Black Moth Super Rainbow frontman) Tobacco this CMJ, but the reviews I heard ranged from "amazing" to "good visuals" to "totally pointless live show" (aka he might as well just hit play). What did you think? On Wednesday night (10/22) he shared a bill with Sebastien Grainger at Mercury Lounge. A few more pictures from that below...

Continue reading "Tobacco @ Mercury Lounge (CMJ), NYC - pics "

DOWNLOAD: F*ck The Facts - "The Storm" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: F*ck The Facts - "Absence & Despite" (MP3)

Aesop Rock & El-P @ McCarren Pool (more by Jason Bergman)

today in NYC
* FREE STUFF
* Howlies @ Mercury Lounge
* R Stevie Moore @ Cake Shop
* a benefit @ Santos Party House
* Les Paul and his trio @ Iridium Jazz Club
* Jim Campilongo Electric Trio @ The Living Room
* Billy Bob Thornton (makes music) @ Highline Ballroom
* The Walkmen, The Muslims & Frances @ Bowery Ballroom
* The Faint, Anti-Pop Consortium & Shy Child @ Terminal 5
* Fuck the Facts, From a Harlots Mouth & Psyopus @ Knitting Factory

I would get excited about the 'Hedwig & The Angry Inch 10th Anniversary Celebration' happening at Highline Ballroom on Thursday, but it's just a tribute show.

Anti-Pop Consortium keep the reunion going with a performance before the Faint at Terminal 5 tonight.

R. Stevie Moore plays Cake Shop tonight and also opens both of the upcoming (rescheduled) NYC Dr. Dog shows.

Video of Aesop Rock & El=P performing at McCarren Pool below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

photos by Jason Bergman

One more free Sunday 'Pool Party' show to go. More pictures from this Sunday (August 17, 2008), below...

Continue reading "Aesop Rock (and El-P), Chin Chin & Panther @ McCarren Pool "

Continue reading "2008 free McCarren 'Pool Party' lineup announced "

by Black Bubblegum

El-P & Aesop Rock @ Webster Hall - May 10, 2008 (jennyapplebaum )

"WHEN I SAY DEF, YOU SAY JUX! DEF!"
.....
"DEF!"
......

Okay, it wasnt THAT bad, but while fellow Cardboard City crew member Shia Labeouf (seriously) was readying his second appearance on Saturday Night Live (with My Morning Jacket), El-P was realizing he was in trouble by the first song. El-P tore into "Smithereens" with all of the frustration made apparent in the video, but when he commanded the Webster Hall crowd "Get the fuck up!" and "Jump!", he only got participation from a couple dozen.... for 30 seconds. Maybe it's all the darkness and post-apocalyptic doom and gloom, or the borderline paranoid "the government is going to get you" John McCain=Barack Obama=Hillary Clinton rants, or that a good portion of the crowd could have come to see Dizzee Rascal (though doubt it), but Saturday at Webster Hall was probably one of the most stoic crowds that I have ever seen at a hip hop show.

Continue reading "El-P, Aesop Rock & Dizzee Rascal played Webster Hall, a new blog & album, Cardboard City, Shia LaBeouf"

El-P @ NYU in April (more by Bao Nguyen)

Aesop Rock @ Coachella 2008 (more by Ryan Muir)

The May 10th Webster Hall show keeps getting bigger and bigger. The lineup now reads "El-P with DJ Mr. Dibbs and The Mighty Quinn / Dizzee Rascal with special guest dj Aaron LaCrate / Busdriver / Kidz in the Hall / Special Guest Aesop Rock". Tickets are still available. All El-P tour dates below....

Continue reading "Aesop Rock added to El-P/Dizzee Rascal show, tour dates"

photos by Ryan Muir

Continue reading "Aesop Rock & Goldfrapp @ Coachella 2008 (day 1) - pics"

Tuesday, January 22
MySpace presents...
AESOP ROCK
8pm doors, all ages
FREE FREE FREE

BMSR @ SXSW 2007, not CMJ (CRED)

They should have though. It's cause they're still on tour with Aesop Rock. Their new video for "Sun Lips" is below....

Continue reading "Black Moth Super Rainbow didn't play CMJ"

DOWNLOAD Aesop Rock - Citronella (MP3)
DOWNLOAD Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass (MP3)

Aesop Rock getting down (cred)

Def Jux is releasing Aesop Rock's excellent new album None Shall Pass on Tuesday August 28th. Such was the occasion that got Undisputed Wes over to the NYC Def Jux offifces last week to sit down and ask Ian Matthias Bavitz - aka Aesop Rock - a few questions....

W: Many of your previous records had a pretty clear concept or theme. Labor Days being the most obvious one. Was there a specific idea that None Shall Pass was born out of?

AR: I guess that would be me turning 30 and freaking out about it. (laughs) I went through a few life changes. Turned 30. Moved from New York to San Francisco. Stopped smoking cigarettes. A bunch of stuff happened and it influenced the writing. The writing on this album is more reflective, for lack of a better word. I didn't want to do any braggadocio, no first person stuff, and get more into stories. Vivid descriptions of a snapshot of a moment in high school, first job, etc. and how all those snapshots add to who I am now at 30 years old.

W: Do you ever think ahead further than one album?

AR: No, that doesn't make sense with my writing process. I couldn't have told you I was making None Shall Pass until I was 3/4 in. I just stay busy, hope something sticks. I couldn't ever plan ahead aside from maybe a theme or name for a song. Usually the way it works is that I just write songs and then there is one song that comes along that will be the first one I'll decide to keep. That one will kind of set the stage for the album's feel. 'Catacumb Kids' was kind of the key record that sparked it for None Shall Pass in terms of it being a snapshot of an era without resorting to the cliche "back in the day" stuff.

W: You did a song ("Coffee") with John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats for this album. Are there any other indie rock musicians whose music you enjoy and you'd want to work with?

Continue reading "An interview with Aesop Rock"

Two albums I can enthusiastically recommend this week are the self-titled fourth album by Liars and Super Furry Animals' Hey Venus!. Other recommended albums include Pseudosix's self-titled disc and Aesop Rock's None Shall Pass (which features the Mountain Goats' John Darnielle on one track).

Notable reissues this week include a remastered edition of Second Coming by the Dickies, and a reissue of the long out of print Modern Lovers self-titled album.

Have I left anything noteworthy off the list? What new music releases can you recommend this week? What should I avoid?

Continue reading "Largehearted Boy's Interesting CD Releases This Week"

DOWNLOAD Common Market - My Pathology (MP3)
DOWNLOAD Common Market - Succor MCs (Mp3)
DOWNLOAD N.O.R.E. - Set It Off" feat. Swizz Beatz & J. Ru$$ (MP3)
DOWNLOAD N.O.R.E. - That Club Ish" feat. Three 6 Mafia (MP3)
DOWNLOAD Sharen Jones and the Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
DOWNLOAD Aesop Rock - Citronella (MP3)
DOWNLOAD Pieces Of Peace - I Still Care (MP3)

Common Market is one of my favorite recent discoveries. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are playing the Apollo Theater October 6th (tix). N.O.R.E. is releasing Noreality in the next few weeks, unfortunately with wack cover art. Pieces of Peace are a soul band from back in the day - with an album that was never released (until now), and they should make for great sampling material for today's rappers.

KRS-One performing in Prospect Park - Aug 3, 2007 (CRED)

On top of the positivity and good times, KRS injected the crowd with a dose of inspirational storytelling. See, before BDP fame, way back in 1980, KRS was homeless. His home of choice was Prospect Park. His bed of choice was the Prospect Park bandshell. The very bandshell he was now performing in! He would sleep at night and during the day hang out at the Grand Army Plaza Library getting his knowledge on. As a young KRS poured through books, thoughts of the future danced through his head. A future that consisted of one day rocking a mic in Prospect Park. The very park his was now rocking! Or so the story goes. Can someone fact check this please? Even if it's not true, and something tells me some of it is, the story connected with most and accomplished its modest goal.[Angry Citizen]

• Apparently 50 Cent had a breakdown and tore up his G-Unit offices while screaming on the phone to his label Interscope Records. Ms. Info had a post up that I discovered through this Nahright post. I then found that Ms. Info's post had mysteriously been deleted - not cached by google either. HipHopDX still has some excerpts from the original Ms Info post up. This all is apparently over 50's next single/video "Follow My Lead" ft Robin Thicke being leaked. I'd link to it, but it keeps getting deleted.
• The Beastie Boys played at McCarren Pool and Central Park SummerStage
• Timbaland + Justin Timberlake's new project: Madonna's new album.
• Lupe, Kanye, and Pharrell are hoping to make a full album as CRS
• David Banner tells Al Sharpton to go fuck himself.
• Weiss shares some thoughts on Cage.
• TSS did a Smoking Session interview with Phonte of Little Brother. Little Brother is playing CMJ with Brother Ali @ Highline Ballroom on October 20th.

Continue reading "Wes' Weekly Hip Hop News Roundup (August 15th, 2007)"

DOWNLOAD: The Octopus Project - Tuxedo Hat (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Octopus Project - Music is Happiness (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Octopus Project - Righteous Ape & Bird (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Octopus Project - The Adjustor (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Octopus Project - The Way Things Go (MP3)

The lineup for this Sunday's free show @ McCarren Pool in Brooklyn: Dan Deacon, Erase Errata & (from Austin, TX) THE OCTOPUS PROJECT.

Tickets are also on sale for an Octopus Project/Stereo Total show at Webster Hall on August 24th. All tour dates below....

Continue reading "The Octopus Project - MP3s & 2007 Tour Dates w/ Stereo Total ++ McCarren Pool Sunday"