Sigur Ros at @ Celebrate Brooklyn! 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

We've known about a few Celebrate Brooklyn! shows already (Belle & Sebastian / Yo La Tengo, The Roots with Jim James, Beck), but festival has announced their full 2013 schedule which includes Big Boi, Amadou & Miriam, Calexico, Mavis Staples, Cody Chesnutt, Os Mutantes, The Waterboys, Jamie Lidell / Dan Deacon, and They Might Be Giants... all of which are free. Celebrate Brooklyn! kicks off the season with a free show with Patty Griffin on June 5.

The full Celebrate Brooklyn! schedule is below.

Continue reading "Celebrate Brooklyn! announces 2013 line-up (Big Boi, Calexico, Dan Deacon, Waterboys, Mavis Staples, TMBG + more)"

by Bill Pearis

Following an early live outing from Prince Innocence, she effortlessly commands the attention of the jostling room, her performance is completely natural, professional and expressive. Bounding around the small stage in a brilliantly baggy t-shirt, proudly brandishing the Chess Club Records crest, she is a bundle of frenetic energy, an energy which translates into the music she produces so succinctly. The opening to 'Maiden' blasts out early in the set; its crystal clear guitar riff, rumbling bass synth and manufactured drums are a potent song-writing weapon used to full effect.

With another twinkling opening hook that summons an almost Yuletide feeling, latest track 'Glass' comes flying out next and is a definite highlight. "What a pleasant sensation!" is belted out at the top-end of her powerful range, confirming how prolific a chorus-creator MØ is as. The aforementioned 'Pilgrim' and the closing 'Crazy For You' are equally impressive; the former making use of the fidgeting monochrome projection behind, showing playful, immaculately timed visuals of vintage horn sections and swing dancing. - [The Line of Best Fit]

With only three released tracks to her name, Danish singer Karen Marie Ørsted -- you can call her MØ -- is already garnering a lot of attention and comparisons to other female electronic artists who shall remain nameless. You can stream all those songs below. MØ is in NYC as we speak playing a couple shows here before heading to SXSW. She's at Santos tonight (3/7) for a FREE Popshop party with Watch the Duck; and will play Glasslands on Friday with Alpine and White Prism (tickets). All tour dates are listed below.

Some in NYC may have caught her during CMJ 2012. She was here with a film crew and you can watch a short documentary about her CMJ below.

Continue reading "Danish singer MØ is here, playing NYC before SXSW (dates)"

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Dune Rats - "Red Light, Green Light" (MP3)

Speaking of Australia, Brisbane fuzz rock duo Dune Rats (aka Danny Beus and BC Michaels), who were one of Andy from Cake Shop's "21 Amazing Experience of 2012", surfaced with two EPs in 2011, Sexy Beach and Social Atoms, and they're planning to follow that with another EP, titled Smile, and eventually a debut full length at some point this year. No exact details on those releases exist, but the band recently released a single, "Red Light, Green Light," which you can download for free at the top of this post. It's of the Wavves-y stoner/beach rock variety and you can watch the video below, which consists entirely of both members smoking a variety of bongs (and I'm pretty sure they're actually doing it).

Dune Rats will be coming to the US for a tour surrounding SXSW this March which hits NYC on March 20 at Cake Shop (other bands TBA), March 21 at Shea Stadium with The Beets, Hard Nips, Juniper Rising, and Heeney, and March 24 at Sons of Essex. A list of all dates and the tour flyer below.

Their SXSW shows include the annual Aussie BBQ, and Dune Rats are only one of many Aussie bands coming over to Austin for SXSW, including Alpine, Flume, Kirin J Callinan, WIM, and others. The full list of Australian bands that will be at SXSW is below.

Continue reading "Dune Rats working on new EP, coming to the US for tour (download a song & watch them smoke weed in its video)"

by Bill Pearis

Australian sextet Alpine released their debut album, A is for Alpine, back in August in their native country. With crisp staccato rhythms, slinky bass and the honeyed vocals of Phoebe Baker and Lou James, it's bright, effervescent, danceable pop with at least three terrific singles -- "Villages," "Gasoline" and, especially, "Hands" -- all of which you can check out below in video form.

The album is getting a belated North American release and by that time the band will have visited here for shows surrounding the 2013 SXSW Festival, including two shows in NYC: March 7 at Mercury Lounge and March 8 at Glasslands. Tickets for the Mercury Lounge show go on AmEx presale on Wednesday (12/12) at noon with a general on-sale Friday (12/14) at noon. Tickets for Glasslands go on sale Friday at noon as well. No other North American dates have been announced at this time.

Videos and streams are below.

Continue reading "Alpine's debut LP getting American release in 2013, playing SXSW, NYC (dates, streams)"