Josh T Pearson @ BV-SXSW 2011 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Check out Rough Trade's list of the Top 100 Albums of 2011 (yay Josh T Pearson!), below...

Continue reading "Rough Trade's Top 100 albums of 2011 "

tUnE-yArDs is releasing a 12" single for w h o k i l l's "Gangsta" on September 27 via 4AD. The 12" features the album version of the track, an Ad Rock (of Beastie Boys) remix, a Cut Chemist Remix, the instrumental version, and a cappella version. The artwork (above) was designed by Merrill's sister Ruth Garbus (of Happy Birthday). You can download a free MP3 of the Ad Rock remix from a widget below. The single is also available for pre-order at the Beggars Group webstore as LP/MP3/Flac.

tUnE-yArDs will head out on a headlining tour this fall, which includes shows happening on September 19 and 20 at Le Poisson Rouge. Tickets for both shows are still on sale and we're giving away one pair to your date of choice. Details on how to win are below.

Widget and contest details below...

Continue reading "tUnE-yArDs remixed by Ad Rock (free MP3 & a chance to win tickets to Le Poisson Rouge)"

Beastie Boys have posted a new video for "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" from Hot Sauce Committee Pt 2 featuring an appearance from Santigold. Well actually, Santigold doesnt appear in the video, and neither does the Beastie Boys... but it does star a ton of action figures including a yeti. View the extended cut video by Spike Jonze (released early this AM) below.

Continue reading "new Spike Jonze-directed Beastie Boys video (watch)"

Raekwon at Best Buy Theater (more by Toby Tenenbaum)

Raekwon will headline Prospect Park Bandshell on Saturday (7/9 @ 7:30pm) featuring an impressive lineup of Smif-n-Wessun, Joell Ortiz, Large Professor & Neek The Exotic, and more. There is a suggested $3 donation to get in to the (free) Lyricist Lounge-sponsored Celebrate Brooklyn show.

While on the subject of Smif N Wessun, the crew joined Pete Rock in a protest earlier this week at City Hall regarding the incident following the Monumental release party at Tammany Hall. General Steele of Smif N Wessun also sat down with Planet Ill to discuss the madness:

As an artist with a socially conscious solo catalog, why was this the wrong show for the police to show out at?

General Steele: Oh yeah. Well they didn't know that; they didn't do their homework. And what I found out was after this event, after the melee they caused, they started going to clubs. I forget what the particular names of the clubs were, uh... UG Lounge, in L.E.S. [(CultureFix is one of them)] Why they would go there is beyond me, maybe they're the hub for criminals or something, but they went there asking about us. Inquiring about "what is these guys, who are they connected with? What is their real thing, what can we dig up on these guys?"

And to think about that is crazy to me.

This is our fifth album. This is our career. We just came from Norway. Before that we was in Czechoslovakia, before that we was in Poland. We do this for a living. Rap is not the side gig.

Investigations continue.

In other news, Raekwon and Nas recently teamed up for the track "Rich And Black" from Rae's new album Shaolin vs. Wu-tang. That song now has a video and related behind the scenes footage courtesy of LRG Films. Watch it all below.

Nas more recently teamed with Common for "Ghetto Dreams" from Com's forthcoming Warner Brothers release The Dreamer, The Believer. The just-released track can be streamed below and bought on iTunes.

AS announced, Nas and Damian Marley play Central Park Summerstage on 8/11. The show is still happening and tickets are still on sale, though the pair's show at Merriweather Post Pavilion (outside of DC) with The Roots, Chuck Brown and others has been cancelled. Chuck Brown however is also coming to NYC for some shows including one on the same stage Raekwon is playing this weekend in Prospect Park.

And last but certainly not least, Raekwon's partner in crime Ghostface Killah has a bit of legal trouble on his hands all of a sudden over his classic 2000 LP Supreme Clientele.

Hollywood composer Jack Urbont is suing Sony Music Entertainment and Ghostface Killah for illegally sampling his "Iron Man Theme," originally created for the 1960s television show, The Marvel Super Heroes.

Urbont is a veteran actor and producer on Broadway as well as the creator of theme music for Guiding Light, One Life to Live, General Hospital, as well as music for That 70's Show, Oprah, 20/20 and The View. He earned an Emmy for Lorne Greene's New Wilderness and won BMI's TV/Film Pioneer award in 1986.

... According to the complaint: "Defendant Ghostface is also known for the nickname, 'Tony Starks,' which is a take-off of the name 'Tony Stark,' Iron Man's real name and true identity. In this way, Defendants' use of Urbont's 'Iron Man Theme' gives them a substantial commercial advantage by linking Ghostface to Iron Man without paying for it." -[Hollywood Reporter]

While you ponder this lawsuit, Boing Boing has a fascinating piece on how Paul's Boutique would lose $19.8M in sales if it followed today's copyright law.

Videos & song streams below.

Continue reading "Smif-n-Wessun speak on the cop incident, playing Brooklyn w/ Raekwon (who's working w/ Nas who's working w/ Common)"

Clipse photos by Brook Bobbins

Nas & Damian Marley at Williamsburg Waterfront (more by Samantha Marble)

Distant Relatives Nas & Damian Marley will team up for a summer show in NYC this year just like last. They'll hit Central Park Summerstage on August 11th. Tickets go on web presale at 10AM on Thursday (5/19) with regular sale hitting Friday. One difference from from last year though, they're calling this one their "grand finale," so don't sleep if you've been wanting to catch the pair together. THAT SAID, they were also just announced on the lineup of ACL which is happening a month later.

Wiz Khalifa also has a Summerstage show coming up.

In other hip hop news, Q-Tip will DJ The Fort Greene Festival kick off party on May 28th at Sanders Studio (525 Waverly Avenue in Brooklyn), a benefit to raise money for the forthcoming annual event. Tickets are $10 or $15 at the door.

As previously mentioned, Q-Tip will perform at the annual Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival on July 16th where he'll be joined by new additions Homeboy Sandman, Eternia, Shad, Nitty Scott and Kid Glyde. Get your tickets.

Rock the Bells is going to announce some news from a "launch party" at House of Blues in LA on May 24th.

Talib Kweli will link back up with his side project Idle Warship to play BB Kings on June 10th. Tickets are on sale. And don't forget Kweli will also play a free show in Red Hook Park on 6/21.

Edan plays Southpaw on May 25th.

Clipse @ Terminal 5 in April

Clipse made a NYC appearance at Terminal 5 on April 30th. They opened for A-Trak, and pictures from their set are in this post. More of them below.

Ghostface & Raekwon supported Mobb Deep at recent show at Best Buy Theater. Pictures from that show are HERE. Some upcoming UK Wu-Tang dates are below.

The previously announced "Salute to Hip Hop" show that was supposed to take place at Best Buy Theater in Times Square in April has been rescheduled. You can now catch The Lox, EPMD, and Brand Nubian at the NYC venue on June 30th. Tickets are on sale.

The previously announced Curren$y show happening at Irving Plaza in June is still happening, but now so are many more tour dates around it including the Pitchfork Festival. They are listed below.

And finally, Beastie Boys have no tour dates in support of their Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 yet, but you can catch Ad-Rock hosting/DJing as part of a day long Children's Museum of Art benefit. Tickets for both events at Webster Hall on 5/22 are on sale. Meanwhle check out "The Greatest Beastie Boys Lyrical References To New York, In Order."

A recent video by Nas & Damian Marley for "Nah Mean," those Clipse pics, and tour dates, below.

Continue reading "Nas & Damien Marley shows, BK Hip Hop Fest, Curren$y, Rock the Bells, Q-Tip, Clipse pics, Ad-Rock & other hip hop news"

MoMA Nights with DJ Adam Horovitz and a Special Poster Signing
Thursday, May 5, 2011, 5:30-8:45 p.m.

MoMA is open late the first Thursday of the month, September-June, with a DJ, a cash bar, a prix-fixe menu in Cafe 2, and special Gallery Talks. In July and August, MoMA is open late every Thursday, with live music presented in two sets, at 5:30 and 7:00 p.m., in the Sculpture Garden.

Regular Museum admission applies.
On Thursday, May 5, MoMA Nights features activities and music in conjunction with the exhibition Looking at Music 3.0, including a DJ set by Adam Horovitz (of the Beastie Boys) from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and a poster signing from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. with artists featured in the exhibition, such as Kathleen Hanna (of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre) and Def Jam Recordings creative director Cey Adams. (Posters are $20 each.)

Listen to Hot Sauce Committee Part Two at hotsaucecommittee.com.

Zola Jesus @ Terminal 5 in 2010 (more by Vincent Cornelli)

today in NYC
* Tribeca Film Festival
* Earth Fair @ Grand Central
* Boys Noize @ Webster Hall
* Kim Gordon @ The Stone
* Talk Normal @ The Stone
* Smokey's Round-Up @ Barbes
* The Bad Plus @ The Blue Note
* Of Montreal, The Knocks, Vassar
* Bill Frisell @ Village Vanguard
* Sea of Bees, The Loom @ Sycamore
* Davila 666 afterparty @ Bruar Falls
* Electric Junkyard Gamelan @ Barbes
* Gordon Monahan @ Issue Project Room
* Morne, Batillus, Belus @ Union Pool
* Dodsfalla, Oiltanker, Praetura @ Silent Barn
* Jimmy & the Wolfpack @ Parkside Lounge
* Jowe Head, The Surprisers, Cuffs @ Cake Shop
* Diamondsnake, Tab the Band @ Mercury Lounge
* Doveman, Norah Jones & friends @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Davila 666, The Beets, Xray Eyeballs @ Knitting Factory
* No Fun, Gone Bad, Strange Rivals, Florida @ Bruar Falls
* Zachary Cale, Little Gold, The Gang Violets @ Union Hall
* Pacific Theater, Mahogany, Frozen Faces @ The Rock Shop
* Retro Grave, Gnaw, Kayo Dot @ The Studio at Webster Hall
* My Chemical Romance, Neon Trees, The Architects @ Terminal 5
* Huasipungo, Born in a Cent, Fialka Trupe, llucsi Cai @ ABC No Rio
* Zola Jesus, Naked On The Vague, Cult of Youth @ Bowery Ballroom
* PC Worship, Denney and The Jets, Buck Gooter, Florida @ Death By Audio
* Man Forever, Notekillers, Moonrises, Gary Higgins @ Monster Island Basement
* Hunx and His Punx, Shannon and the Clams, Grass Widow, K Holes @ Glasslands
* Curtains, Chen Lo, YC The Cynic, Top Dolla Raz, Mic Blaque, H. Wood @ Southpaw
* All Eyes West, Soul Control, Something About Death Or Dying, Descender @ Lit Lounge
* Crocodiles, The Fresh & Onlys, Young Prisms, Bass Drum of Death @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Ducktails, Monopoly Child Star Searchers, Dolphins into the Future, Floris Vanhoof @ 285 Kent Ave
* Prince Rama, The Present, Total Slacker, DJ Thanksgiving Brown, DJ International Tapes @ Santos Party House

Beastie Boys have revealed what they meant by their message (it's a full stream of their new album Hot Sauce Committee Part Two, out May 3rd). You can play it below...

Be BrooklynVegan's friend on Facebook.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Saturday?"

Beastie Boys sent out a message this morning with the subject "MSN MSG" which then just said:

This Sat, 10:35 a.m. EST
Just listen, listen, listen to the beat box
www.Beastieboys.com

I guess we'll find out what that means on Saturday.

In related news, though it doesn't seem very official, lots of people are posting the full, explicit, long version of "Fight for Your Right: Revisited" (the previous officially released video is a shortened version/trailer) which premiered in the middle of the night two nights ago on VH1 and MTV and Comedy Central. The full 21.5 minute video, which someone ripped from TV, if you can get it to play, is below...

Continue reading "What do the Beastie Boys mean by "MSN MSG""

is below...

Continue reading "the new Beastie Boys video/trailer/single"

Beastie Boys member Mike D says the veteran rap trio is still on track for a 2011 comeback that includes the release of new album "Hot Sauce Committee Part 2" this spring, after Adam Yauch's cancer battle rendered the group inactive for much of 2010.

In a new interview with BBC Radio 1, Mike D confirms that the Beasties' release schedule for its two "Hot Sauce Committee" albums has not changed from what was announced back in October 2010. "It's still delayed - the first one," he says. "The second one is coming out as originally scheduled."

The rapper adds that while the group is "really happy" about Yauch's improved health, touring plans for 2011 are still unclear. "We're still going to have to see how he's [Yauch] doing," says Mike D.

Although the BBC Radio 1 interview led to widespread reports that Mike D said Yauch was cancer-free, a spokesperson for the group clarifies to Billboard.com, "Mike did not say that." -[Billboard]

No real new news here, but that there seems to be some confusion on the internet today about the status of Adam Yauch's cancer (at least one big site wrote an article and already pulled it down), and this Billboard article seems to be the one with the facts straight.

"BEASTIE BOYS HOT SAUCE COMMITTEE PART 2 TRACK LISTING REVISED, REPLACED ENTIRELY WITH SONGS ORIGINALLY RECORDED FOR HOT SAUCE COMMITTEE PART 1"

The rest of the the "NEWEST INFORMATION" below...

Continue reading "Santigold & Nas on new Beastie Boys (tracklist) "

"ALTHOUGH WE REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT 'HOT SAUCE COMMITTEE PART 1' WILL CONTINUE TO BE DELAYED INDEFINITELY, 'HOT SAUCE COMMITTEE PART 2' WILL BE RELEASED ON TIME AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED IN SPRING OF 2011." -Beastie Boys

by BBG

Every year, thousands of Elvis Presley fans make the pilgrimage to Sun Records studio in Memphis, Tennessee to see the place where Elvis recorded his earliest works. For fans of the Beastie Boys, a place of similar importance would be Jerry Williams's studio located at 171 Avenue A in New York City. It was at Studio 171 A that the Beastie Boys would record their very first release on the Ratcage Records label.

In September of 1980, Jerry Williams would begin renovating the interior of 171A. Previously the place had been a glass shop, but after moving in their PA equipment Williams went on to build a stage at the front and an audio booth in the back. By November the 171A Studio was a venue used to house after hours parties where downtown bands like the Cooties would perform [but] with a huge New Year's Eve show coming up, the New York Fire Dept. stepped in and stopped further shows from proceeding...

By now though 171A had gained a lot of name recognition around town, so instead of shutting it down completely Williams decided to change it into a rehearsal studio. At the time, most of the available rehearsal spots in New York City were tiny little rooms, but 171A offered much more. Jerry described it as being like "...a full sized room with 15 foot ceilings and a floor space 60 feet long and provided recording artists with a quality PA system suspended from the ceiling. It was a cut above other rehearsal studios and since it was about half the size of CBGB's it produced a very similar sound."

Over the next few years, 171A Studio would then go on to be used by the Bad Brains, Reagan Youth, Beastie Boys, Young and Useless and many more. -[Beastiemania]

171A is where Bad Brains recorded one of the most influential hardcore releases of all time, the legendary ROIR cassette, with Williams aka Jay Dublee. Dublee, whose own band was th' Cigaretz, also had a hand in the also legendary "New York Thrash" compilation from 1982 that featured early material from Kraut, Nihilistics, Bad Brains, Beastie Boys, and many others, and is considered to be a snapshot of early 80s NYHC.

Jerry Williams would have been 62 years old on Thursday, but sadly passed away in a California hospital room due to, according to his friend Mike Osterhout, liver problems. RIP Jerry.

Continue reading "Jerry Williams aka Jay Dublee, RIP "

It's gotta be the shoes (via)

According to Billboard's 10 Reasons Why ATP Rocked:

The audience turned up Sunday afternoon to see Ricky Powell's famous hip-hop photos, but the pics weren't nearly as memorable as the shutterbug's don't-give-a-sh*t dialogue. For two-and-a half hours, Powell -- a fixture of New York rap and art scene -- downed tequila shots while he gave a first-hand account of hip-hop's '80s rise, dished about the celebs "on his d*ck" (Cindy Crawford, Chris Rock), and told outrageous stories about the "freaky bitches" he met during his weed-dealing days. Powell grew more "open" (as he put it) as the event went on, and only ceased his tirade when the mic was forcibly removed from his hand.

Next the acclaimed photographer, famed cable access host, and the "fourth Beastie Boy" Ricky Powell will present a photo slide show at Knitting Factory on 10/2. Tickets are on sale.

Speaking of his cable access show, Ricky Powell recently released the archives of "Rappin' With The Rickster" show for a two DVD set. The first DVD compiles some of his favorite moments from the show, including interviews with Beastie Boys, Russell Simmons, Sofia Coppola, Spike Jonze, Run-D.M.C., Kim Gordon & Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), in addition to snippets featuring Eazy E, Beck, Q-Tip, Bobbito Garcia, and much more. The second DVD serves as a feature on Ricky Powell in 2010 "and beyond".

Some videos from the "Rappin with The Rickster" show are below....

Continue reading "Ricky Powell released a DVD, was at ATP, will be at KF "

Marc Ribot @ Maxwell's in 2008 (more by Tim Griffin)

tonight in NYC
* Lost
* Aziz Ansari @ the Apple Store
* Bushwick Book Club @ Goodbye Blue Monday
* Those Darlins @ Wonder Bar in Asbury Park
* Scrambler/Seequil, Sugarlife @ The Stone
* The London Souls, The Auctioneers @ Mercury Lounge
* Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog, Skeletons @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* Das Racist cover Beastie Boys Paul's Boutique @ The Cameo
* Oberhofer, Blair, Cabinet Of Natural Curiousities @ Pianos
* Scary Mansion, Pepi Ginsberg, Alps, The Wailing Wall @ Cake Shop
* Retribution Gospel Choir feat. Alan Sparhawk, Object @ Union Hall
* BKLYN2HAITI Benefit w/ Girls In Trouble, Air Waves, Screens, Ill Ease, DJ Jonathan Toubin @ Southpaw
* Get Off Your Knees w/ Sara Schaefer & Kim Armstrong, Kristen Schaal, Claudia Cogan, Adira Amram @ The Bell House Front Lounge

Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog and Skeletons play at (Le) Poisson Rouge as part of NY Guitar Fest. On Thursday (2/4) Chicha Libre and Gyan Riley close out the Fest when they soundtrack silent films at Merkin Concert Hall. Skeletons play with another multi-venue local fest that night, Sounds Like Brooklyn, at Zebulon with Up Died Sound.

bklyn2haiti at Southpaw tonight "is a benefit concert raising funds for Partners in Health. This organization has been actively providing health care services to the Haitian community for over 20 years." Bands are above. Flyer below.

Das Racist cover Beastie Boys at Cameo tonight. Actual Beastie Boy Adam Horovitz, a.k.a Ad-rock, has been making cameos at a monthly show at Joe's Pub called Our Hit Parade. Videos from those appearances below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

"CANT BELIEVE THEY REPLACED BEASTIES WITH TENACIOUS D ??????????????????????AND IF I PULL OUT THEY SUE! SO REALLY? TENACIOUS D AFTER ME? P.S I ORIGINALLY BOOKED ON SHOWS COZ BEASTIES WERE HEADLINERS , BUT NOW THEY AINT DOING IT AND I JUS WANNA SAY , WE HAVE TO GO HARD!!!" - M.I.A.

When Tenacious D was asked - eventually - to step in as the closing act for the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival next Sunday after the Beastie Boys were forced to drop out at the last minute, the guys didn't hesitate. In their mind, the substitution seemed like a natural fit.

"I think there are more similarities than differences, really, when you put us together," announced Jack Black, who formed the folk-metal duo with his friend Kyle Gass long before he became a big-time Hollywood star. The band may not have been up to much since starring in the feature film "Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny" three years ago, but when we spoke to them last week they promised, "The D will be in fine form."

SF GATE: Who got the call when the Beastie Boys had to drop out?

Jack Black: I assume they just called our manager. We actually have the same manager as the Beastie Boys.

The Outside Lands Festival kicks off today, Friday, August 28th, and runs through Sunday in San Francisco, California. You can watch some of it live at YouTube.

Neither M.I.A. nor Tenacious D will be viewable on the stream, but Built to Spill and The Dead Weather will be. Full lineup below...

Continue reading "Outside Lands Fest in SF this weekend, streaming on YouTube -- Tenacious D playing, M.I.A. not happy"

by Andrew Frisicano

Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ APW on July 31st (more by Chris La Putt)

Add one to list of recent Beastie Boys tributes/cover songs/shout-outs. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who subbed for the Beasties' Saturday night (Aug 8th) headlining spot at Lollapalooza, paid tribute to the group with a riff from Beastie's "So What'cha Want" tacked at the end of "Phenomena." Check out the (poor quality) video below. From most of the reviews, it seems like the group successfully pulled off the unenviable task of filling in for the uniquely populist Beastie Boys (as Jay-Z did at All Points West).

9:15 p.m. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 11th-hour replacements as headliners for the ailing Beastie Boys, deliver on the big stage. Singer Karen O makes a grand entrance in a head dress that makes her look like a large bird, and she dances with Kabuki-like grace. Once a frenetic dervish, the singer now balances more stylized movements with the unhinged galloping of old. In the same way, the band's music has matured and deepened. Besides rockers brimming with attitude, the trio also explores more fragile emotional and melodic terrain. The transformation is well-paced, the set balancing all facets of the band's personality in a confident, commanding performance, with Nick Zinner's guitar and keyboards as Karen O's reliable foil, at once melancholy and combustible. [Chicago Tribune]

YYYs will be playing a set of North American dates in September. Included in those will be a Wednesday, September 23rd show at NYC's Radio City Music Hall. Tickets go on sale Friday, August 14th at noon.

All tour dates with Lollapalooza videos below...

Continue reading "Yeah Yeah Yeahs played Lollapalooza (instead of the Beastie Boys), playing Radio City Music Hall (and other places) "

"GET WELL MCA" (more by Tim Griffin)

hey all,

hope you are doing well.

so i'm about a week and a half out of surgery now and rapidly recovering from it. i haven't taken any of the pain meds, which supposedly speeds along the healing process, or should i say, taking them slows it down. anyway, i spent 1 night at the hospital after the surgery. the hospital was too crazy to get any rest so i headed home to relax, have home cooked food and hang out with the family.

i'm pretty well detoxed from the anesthesia that they pumped me up with to keep me under for all that time. that took several days to get out of my system. my neck and jaw are still pretty stiff from the surgery, but it gets better everyday. had the stitches out this past monday... so things are moving along.

but no sooner am i on the mend from this first torture than are they lining up the next one. the next line of treatment will be radiation. that involves blasting you with some kind of beam for a few minutes a day, 5 days a week, for about 7 weeks. that will start in a few weeks...

saw the jay-z cover of no sleep, and the coldplay one of fight for your right from APW on youtube. good shit. and i heard karen o a "get well MCA" armband, and that q-tip gave a shout out too..... very kind of them.

just wanted to thank them and everyone else who sent positive thoughts my way. i do think that all of the well wishes have contributed to the fact that my treatment and recovery are going well.

much love back at all of you!

adam

Get well soon, and much love back at you too!

Continue reading "a letter from MCA (had surgery, about to start radiation)"

photos by Tim Griffin and Chris La Putt

"After a soggy Friday and sunny Saturday, the thunderstorms returned for the third and last day of All Points West, this time resulting in major delays and canceled sets for the festival held at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, NJ. But after the rain cleared and mercifully stayed away, organizers hustled to get the schedule back on track, culminating in a dazzler of a headlining set by British rockers Coldplay.

Sunday's line-up, scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. in the comedy tent and 2 p.m. on the music stages, was pushed back several hours due to severe storms that hit the area midday. Fans who arrived early were turned away at the gates, and it wasn't until just before 4 p.m. that ticket holders were invited to line up at the festival entrance for an even longer wait for admission. Comedians Todd Barry, Christian Finnegan and Janeane Garofalo, originally slated for 45-minute sets at the Queen of the Valley tent, were rushed through with 10 minutes each to make way for the musical acts that followed them. "I might do a tour of entirely rained-out festivals," said Barry, "it's big money for not a lot of work at all."

Some sets were canceled altogether--indie rockers Steel Train and New Jersey punk band the Gaslight Anthem, scheduled to take the main Blue Comet stage in the afternoon, were scrapped to allow later bands to perform at their scheduled times." [Billboard]

As you may have heard, Coldplay's Sunday night set included covers of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" and Beastie Boys' "Fight For Your Right". Jay-Z covered "No Sleep Till Brooklyn on Friday.

MGMT played against Coldplay on Sunday, and Echo and The Bunnymen instead opened for Coldplay on the main stage (with Courtney Love watching in the wings). Akron/Family, Silversun Pickups, Mogwai, Lykke Li, Elbow, the Black Keys, and others also played sets on the shortened, very wet day. More pictures, and the two Coldplay cover videos, and some setlists, below....

Continue reading "All Points West 2009 - Day 3 Pictures (Coldplay, mud, MGMT)"

Jay-Z @ APW in Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ - 7/31/09 (photo by Tim Griffin)

Brooklyn's own Jay-Z opened up his headlining set at All Points West on Friday night with a cover of the Beastie Boys classic "No Sleep Till Brooklyn". Was it a fitting tribute to the group that he replaced on the lineup (due to MCA's diagnosis of cancer) or was it Jay-Z's way of reminding New Jersey what he plans on doing with the Nets? OK, I'll go with the former, and it was our own great Jay-Z festival moment (at his first-ever US festival appearance). The UK's Glastonbury got the (less sincere) tribute to Oasis in 2008.

Speaking of Glastonbury, All Points West got its mud... which came from the rain that miraculously cleared up before Hova took the stage (at which point he covered "No Sleep" with the "Beastie Boys at the Garden" line in the first verse changed to "Jay-Z at All Points West.", and then...)

Immediately after that, he performed his own "Brooklyn (Go Hard)."

Later, he dedicated his entire set to Beastie Boy Adam Yauch. It was Yauch's illness -- he has been diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in a salivary gland -- that forced the group's cancellation, last week.

In his 80-minute day-closing set, Jay-Z also performed hits like "99 Problems," "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)," "Big Pimpin'" and "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," as well as his recent single "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)." [NJ.com]

Tons more pictures coming soon. All our APW coverage HERE. Hopefully you didn't throw away your Friday ticket. Saturday's schedule HERE. A few more videos from Friday (including a clip of No Sleep) below...

Continue reading "Jay-Z closes out rainy Day 1 of All Points West (pic, video)"

APW mud by Chris La Putt

As the Yeah Yeah Yeahs tore into hits like "Zero" and "Runaway" at the All Points West Music and Arts Festival in Liberty State Park, Jersey City, Danielle Pukala, 24, from New York City and Kate Pluta, 24, from Boston, danced away happily in the mud.

"We're just having fun with it!," said Danielle.

And with the Yeah Yeah Yeah's high-energy performance, it was hard to keep still. The band ripped through songs from their latest album, "It's Blitz!" and well as older hits from their previous album "Show Your Bones."

And though it was only visible on the big-screen, lead singer Karen O wore an armband that read "Get well MCA," a tribute to Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, who had to cancel All Points West when he announced that he was diagnosed with cancer. [NJ.com]

There's no way all the mud from Friday is going to disappear by Saturday. Plan accordingly! More APW-muddy pictures below...

Continue reading "muddy feet @ All Points WEsT"

Jay-Z has replaced the Beastie Boys as the headliner of the first night of All Points West in Jersey City (the dates is Friday, July 31).

This show will mark the U.S. festival debut of Jay-Z, who last year performed at a variety of overseas festivals including the U.K.'s Glastonbury, Denmark's Roskilde Festival, Norway's Hove Festival and the O2 Wireless Festival in London. In a review of a recent show, the LOS ANGELES TIMES' Ann Powers said, "Jay-Z shows are fun because the rapper is so adept at spinning liquid gold; his mouth is one of the most nimble in the genre's history, and he uses it to present thoughts that are sharp, funny and resonant" (July 4, 2009).

Grammy winner Jay-Z joins Tool (Saturday) and Coldplay (Sunday) as headliners of the three-day, multi-stage music and arts festival.

It's unfortunate that it went down like this, but I think this replacement more than fits the bill. Jay will go on after Yeah Yeah Yeahs who are the band that replaced the Beastie Boys at Lollapalooza. All Points West tickets are still on sale. Video from Jay-Z's infamous performance at Glastonbury in 2008, and the new APW poster (with full lineup), below...

Continue reading "Jay-Z replaces Beastie Boys as All Points West headliner"

BEASTIE BOYS TOUR DATES CANCELED, ALBUM RELEASE POSTPONED
ADAM YAUCH DIAGNOSED WITH PAROTID GLAND TUMOR

Adam "MCA" Yauch of Beastie Boys was diagnosed last week as having a cancerous tumor in his left parotid (salivary) gland. Luckily it was caught early and is localized in one area, and as such is considered very treatable. It will however require surgery and several weeks of additional treatment. Fortunately the cancer is not in a location that will affect Yauch's vocal chords.

Beastie Boys have canceled all upcoming concert appearances to allow time for Yauch's surgery and recovery. The release of the band's forthcoming album Hot Sauce Committee Part 1 will also be pushed back.

Paraphrasing from a video statement on Beastieboys.com [below], Yauch said, "I just need to take a little time to get this in check, and then we'll release the record and play some shows. It's a pain in the neck (sorry had to say it) because i was really looking forward to playing these shows, but the doctors have made it clear that this is not the kind of thing that can be put aside to deal with later."

Saddest news... Get well soon Adam.

Beastie Boys were scheduled to play many festivals this summer including All Points West on Friday, July 31st.

The video message is below...

Continue reading "Adam Yauch has cancer, Beastie Boys cancel all dates"

Comedian and musician Dave Hill was summoned to Bonnaroo this past weekend to be part of both the comedy and music going-ons at the four-day Tennessee festival. I asked if he'd mind sharing his experiences (and pictures) with BrooklynVegan.com. He agreed. I regretted it. He sent it anyway, so here it is (starting with some MP3's by his rock band Valley Lodge), but warning: this post is not for the squeamish (NSFTS)...

DOWNLOAD: Valley Lodge - All of My Lovin (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Valley Lodge - Hangin On (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Valley Lodge - The Door (MP3)

Dave Hill tests face-melting licks out on some chairs

I've just returned from four magical days and nights at Bonnaroo, where my rock band Valley Lodge was the house band for Triumph the Insult Comic Dog's "Bonnapoo 2009" shows, which featured all sorts of awesomeness from Robert Smigel aka Triumph as well as sets from the great Todd Barry, Amy Schumer, and Kumail Nanjiani.

"Smigel performed four sets as Triumph at Bonnaroo, which annually hosts a comedy tent along with its smorgasbord of music acts, spread out over five main stages on a farm in rural Tennessee.

"My live act is a huge undertaking because Triumph kind of thrives on the immediate, discussing what everybody's thinking about," said Smigel while whisking past festival-goers in a golf cart, puppet on hand." [AP]

The excitement started on Wednesday night when I got on a plane to Nashville with my close personal friend Janeane Garofalo, Pete Holmes, Kumail Nanjiani, and the rest of my rock band Valley Lodge. If you've ever wanted to be on a completely hilarious plane, you could do a lot worse than to have been on this plane. As you can probably imagine, all of us were running back and forth between our seats spraying each other with seltzer bottles and throwing pies in each others' faces. At one point, Pete Holmes came over to my seat to shake my hand and it turned out he had one of those joy buzzers on his finger. Man, was my face red. I got him back though by spraying him in the face with a prank flower I was wearing at the time. We both just laughed and laughed after this happened. He couldn't stay mad at me.

Once we got to Nashville, some unmarked vehicles took us all to Murfreesboro, the popular Tennessee town where we all stayed at the Doubletree Hotel, which is really classy. Because I snore and also like to get up to all sorts of hardcore banging in hotels, I had my own room. When I dropped off my bags, I looked around the room and got all excited about all the snoring and hardcore banging I would be doing in my room over the next few days and nights.

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Continue reading "What It's like to be a VIP at Bonnaroo 2009 by Dave Hill"

After meeting his biological father for the first time, GE powerhouse Jack Donaghy discovered his dad, professor Milton Greene, needed a kidney. Not being a potential organ donor himself, Mr. Donaghy turned to some very affluent friends in the entertainment world. This partnership created the phenomenon, "Kidney Now!' -- a benefit concert featuring some of the most recognizable names in the music industry. With the help of this song, Milton Green just might find the kidney match he needs and Jack Donaghy may be granted the gift of a father he never knew.

Video from last night's episode of 30 Rock below...

Continue reading "30 Rock 'Kidney Now' w/ Elvis Costello, Beastie Boys, Moby, Talib Kweli, Norah Jones, Steve Earle, Rhett Miller (video) "