Diamond Rings backstage at Radio City Music Hall (more by Chris La Putt)

Speaking of Toronto artists with ties to Fucked Up, congrats to Diamond Rings, who signed to Astralwerks worldwide last month (except for Canada, where he'll stay at Secret City Records). The label will give last year's Special Affections the reissue treatment, look for that starting on June 21st.

Maybe it will even be at the merch table two days early, when Diamond Rings plays with Porcelain Raft at Europa on June 19th as part of the Northside Festival. Tickets for the Brooklyn show are on sale, or you can try to get in with a Northside badge.

Porcelain Raft meanwhile plays a show with Here We Go Magic at Mercury Lounge on May 14th. Tickets are on sale for that, and NT and Bizi Gara are both also on the bill. For HWGM it's one of many May tour dates they have scheduled.

All tour dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "Diamond Rings now on Astralwerks, playing w/ Porcelain Raft who plays w/ Here We Go Magic who are on tour (dates)"

Dom @ Governors Island (more by Chris La Putt)

If you haven't heard, Dom, the ginger-fronted guys from Worcester, Mass., recently signed a deal to release an EP on Virgin/EMI label Astralwerks (release date TBA). The band will be opening for Ratatat at Terminal 5 on October 8th and 9th (Bobby Birdman also play). Both of those are sold out, but there are other chances to catch the band.

In addition to those, Dom has a CMJ show at Bowery Ballroom set for October 23rd. That's the same CMJ show that Neon Indian is playing, now with venue revealed. The killer "VFW Group Presents" CMJ bill also includes Wild Nothing, Lower Dens, Lia Ices, Fake Problems, Lord Huron and The Static Jacks. Tickets go on sale Thursday at noon.

And in addition to those gigs, Dom headliners a pre-Halloween (Mischief Night) show at 171 Lombardy (502 Varick Ave @ Lombardy St), along with Smith Westerns, Yellow Fever, Total Slacker and Sweet Bulbs. That's one night after Neon Indian plays Brooklyn Bowl.

Dom, Wild Nothing and Lower Dens are all also on board for a Stereogum CMJ party happening at Santos Party House on October 20th. And I guess I might as well point out that Dom, Wild Nothing and Lower Dens are all booked for TBA BrooklynVegan parties happening during CMJ too. Stay tuned for more details.

Dale Einhardt Jr. Jr. plays that Stereogum party too. It's one of at least six upcoming NYC shows for that band including one with Nada Surf at Mercury Lounge.

All current Dom tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Astralwerks-signed Dom playing shows, including that now-announced Neon Indian CMJ one w/ Wild Nothing "

Hot Chip have announced the existense of their fourth studio album. "One Life Stand" will be released by Astralwerks on February 9, 2010. "Fans will have the chance to pre-buy the album on amazon.com starting this week." Track list below.

In other exciting news, the band will return to the United States to play a handful of shows in April with The xx. The NYC date is April 22nd at Terminal 5. All dates below.

For the xx, the April show will be their zillionth in NYC in less than a year. Their last was at Bowery Ballroom. Their next is at Webster Hall.

In related news, Hot Chip member Al Doyle just got a new tattoo to remember his friend Jerry Fuchs.

Someone uploaded the new song "Take It In" to YouTube. Listen to that with all the other stuff, below...

Continue reading "Hot Chip - new album, song & 2010 tour dates w/ The xx "

Pet Shop Boys will tour North America at the end of August into September. Those shows include two night at NYC's Hammerstein Ballroom on September 1st and 2nd. Presale tickets for the tour are available now.

The tour is in support of the band's latest album, Yes, which came out in the US April 21st on Astralwerks. The videos for the record's first two singles, "Love Etc." and "Did You See Me Coing," are posted below.

Earlier this year, the band received an Outstanding Contribution to Music award at the Brits. At the show they performed a medley of their songs, with guest spots by Lady Gaga and Brandon Flowers.

A video of that performance, with the above-mentioned vids and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Pet Shop Boys - 2009 North American Tour Dates (2 nights at Hammerstein Ballroom) - presale now "

Midnight Juggernauts @ Terminal 5, NYC - Oct 22, 2007 (tixgirl)

Midnight Juggernauts make great dance music. I don't know about their live show though. I heard mixed things about their opening sets for Justice at Terminal 5. That said, tickets are on sale for a May 9th show at Bowery Ballroom - part of a Coachella-related tour the Australian band is going on with NYC's Shy Child.

Shy Child recently signed to Kill Rock Stars.

Shy Child Set To Release Sophomore Smash "Noise Won't Stop" May 5th On Kill Rock Stars Features Spank Rock & Produced By Chris Zane (White Rabbits/Asobi Seksu/Les Savy Fav)

Midnight Juggernauts are proud to announce the release of their long-awaited debut album Dystopia on May 27th through Astralwerks.

Continue reading "Midnight Juggernauts & Shy Child - Tour Dates, albums"

Craig Wedren & Nicole Atkins @ Bowery Ballroom, Jan 25, 2008 (music snob)

* Supergrass signs to Astralwerks
* U2's manager says take away your Internet
* Led Zeppelin may tour, but not yet
* Robert Plant talked/stuttered about MSG, at MSG
* Rap mogul "Suge" Knight named in gang crackdown
* Lil Wayne Addresses Drug Charges
* Arctic Monkeys get record seven NME nominations
* Imeem Buys Social Music Service Anywhere.FM
* Sony Ericsson cuts deals with 10 music labels
* Qtrax didn't make a deal with any

Super Furry Animals @ Music Hall, Jan 25, 2008 (Ryan Dombal)

The Little Ones used to give away a lot of their songs as MP3's on their website. Now that they are signed to Astralwerks, not only don't they give away even one, they just deal in streaming formats - like the video for their new song "Ordinary Song" (REAL and WINDOWS). "Morning Tide" is out April 15, 2008 (on Astralwerks).

The Little Ones also used to have a drummer named Greg Meyer, who, as you can see from the picture above, is no longer in the band. Tour dates in the Nada Surf post.

The B-52's @ Roseland Ballrooom, NYC - Oct 31, 2007 (CRED)

File under "REALLY?" -- "THE B-52'S TO RELEASE FIRST STUDIO ALBUM IN 16 YEARS ON ASTRALWERKS FEBRUARY 26, 2008". More below....

Continue reading "The B-52's played Roseland, releasing new album"