Bon Iver at Bonnaroo 2012 (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

Bon Iver recorded an iTunes session at East West studios which is available exclusively from iTunes starting today. It includes six tracks off 2011's great Bon Iver, Bon Iver and a cover of Bjork's "Who Is It?," which the band has played live many times. You can stream the session's opening track, "Beth/Rest" below.

As mentioned, Bon Iver is touring internationally throughout the summer and fall and will come to NYC on September 19 and 20 at Radio City Music Hall. Both of those shows are now sold out. All Bon Iver dates, including a recently announced European leg, are listed below.

Speaking of Bjork, she's teaming up with the New York Public Library (NYPL) and the Children's Museum of Manhattan to create interactive educational programs for middle school-aged students based on her Biophilia app. Speaking about the program, Bjork said:

"It's not a bookish thing. You cannot learn to make music from a book." "I love books; they're like the best ever," she added. "There are things you can only learn from books, but it's also important to introduce the physical aspects. So for me, it was very important to make, somehow, music education that was physical." (via NY Daily News)

Both Bon Iver and Bjork are set to play Oya Festival in Oslo, Norway this summer (Aug 7-11) with The Stone Roses, Refused, The Afghan Whigs, Bob Mould (performing Copper Blue), Chromatics, Cloud Nothings, John Maus, Purity Ring, Saint Etienne, SBTRKT, Screaming Females, St. Vincent, and more. Full list below.

Way Out West (Aug 9-11) in Gothenberg, Sweden features many of the same bands as Oya like Bon Iver, Refused, Afghan Whigs, St. Vincent, Purity Ring, John Maus, and Bob Mould in addition to Blur, Wilco, I Break Horses, Hot Chip, The War On Drugs, Mark Lanegan Band, Adolescents, Swans, and more. Check out the spotify playlist. The full lineup is listed below.

As mentioned, the reunited Mazzy Star is set to play both of those European festivals. Full lineups and the Bon Iver dates and song, below...

Continue reading "Bon Iver's new iTunes session, Bjork's new program at the NYPL & the full Oya & Way Out West festival lineups"

DOWNLOAD: Peter Gabriel - Flume (Bon Iver cover) (MP3)

Peter Gabriel in London in March...

Peter Gabriel's orchestra tour is in NYC for shows at Radio City Music Hall tonight (May 2nd) and tomorrow (May 3rd). Opening both shows will be Norwegian singer Ane Brun. Tickets are still on sale.

Peter Gabriel's new LP, Scratch My Back, which includes covers like the Bon Iver one posted above (a single for Record Store Day), is out now. Coincidentally Gabriel's NYC shows are a month before his Genesis bandmate Phil Collins plays NYC shows in support of his own, different covers record (and one of Phil Collins's shows is the same day as Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett's free NYC show).

Ane Brun follows up those opening gigs with her own headlining shows in L.A. on May 8th and NYC on May 10th at Bowery Ballroom. Opening those is Olof Arnalds, an Icelandic singer who we've mentioned once or twice. Tickets or the NYC show are on sale.

Olof Arnalds recently recorded with fellow Icelandian Bjork who also makes an appearance in NYC Sunday night.

All Ane Brun & Olof Arnalds tour dates and a video are below...

Continue reading "Ane Brun opening for Peter Gabriel @ Radio City (Sunday & Monday), headlining her own shows (with Olof Arnalds) "

Kelly Pratt (Team B) @ Union Pool (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* the Woodies @ Roseland
* AC/DC & the Answer @ MSG
* Ben Sollee @ Mercury Lounge
* Mark Kozelek & Neil Halstead @ MHOW
* Ane Brun & Tobias Froberg @ Union Hall
* Frida Hyvonen @ the Swedish church
* Hank IV & Los Llamarada @ the Charleston
* Herman Dune, Turner Cody & Motel Motel @ The Bell House
* Free Blood, Us Royalty & VHS or BETA (DJ Set) @ 205 Club
* Murder By Death, William Elliot Whitmore & J Roddy Waltson @ Southpaw

Neil Young was born today in 1945. BB King's is hosting a birthday party.

Sweden represent. Jens Lekman played with Frida Hyvonen last night at the Living Room. Frida plays again at the Church of Sweden tonight while Ane Brun (born in Norway, but lives in Sweden) plays a show in Brooklyn.

Video of Kings of Leon on Pancake Mountain below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday? "