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)"

Beck @ Governors Ball 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

As mentioned, Beck is performing a few shows this summer, playing the Newport Folk Festival, joining Bob Dylan and Wilco's AmericanaramA tour for the Nikon at Jones Beach date on July 27, and then playing Propect Park for Celebrate Brooklyn! on August 4. There was some confusion about how and with whom he would be performing on this tour, which has since been cleared up. The Newport Folk Fest and Jones Beach "Americanarama" shows will be stripped-down acoustic sets (but not "solo"). The Celebrate Brooklyn (and Boston show two days prior) will be full-band electric.

Tickets to the Celebrate Brooklyn! show are currently on fan presale (password is "BECK2013") and the general on-sale happens May 10. Tickets to the Jones Beach show are currently on fan presale (password is "TENACIOUS") with the general on-sale happening Saturday (5/4) at 10 AM.

Meanwhile, according to a press release, "these very special performances will feature never before heard material from an upcoming acoustic record. The record can best be described as a self-contained work, one that came in the form of a burst of inspiration following the completion of last year's groundbreaking Song Reader sheet music album." No details on that album, like a title or release date have been given.

Updated Beck dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Beck releasing acoustic LP, clears up confusion about format of these summer shows (updated dates)"

Wilco @ Prospect Park 2012 (more by Dana [distortion] Yavin)

As mentioned a couple times, the AmericanaramA tour with Bob Dylan and Wilco is coming to the NY area this summer with five shows, including Nikon at Jones Beach on July 27 with opener Beck. The other four area shows have My Morning Jacket as opener and are July 19 The Ballpark at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, CT, July 21 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga, NY, July 26 at Pier A Park in Hoboken, NJ, and July 28 at Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, NJ.

Tickets to four of these shows go on presale today (4/30) at 10 AM. (Jones Beach and Sartoga PAC are here; Harbor Yard are here; Pier A Park are here; Susquehanna Bank Center are already on sale.) For these and all presales happening today, the password is ""TENACIOUS."

Beck at Outside Lands 2012 (more by Amoreena Lucero)

We just mentioned that Beck is going on a solo acoustic tour this Summer which hits NYC on August 4 at Prospect Park (tickets go on sale 5/10). But what we didn't realize at the time is that Beck was also added to the Jones Beach (7/27) stop on Bob Dylan's tour. That's one of three NYC-area dates on that tour, and it's the show that My Morning Jacket isn't playing. Wilco and Ryan Bingham are both on it though. Tickets for the Jones Beach show go on sale Saturday (5/4) at 10 AM with a bobdylan.com presale starting Tuesday (4/30) at 10 AM and a Citi Cardmember presale starting Thursday (5/2) at 10 AM.

Updated Beck dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Beck added to Bob Dylan & Wilco's NY show (updated dates)"

Beck @ Outside Lands Festival 2013 (more by Amoreena Lucero)

As mentioned, Beck will be on the East Coast this summer, playing a special acoustic set at the Newport Folk Festival (tickets). He'll also play few other shows in the area, including a Celebrate Brooklyn! show in Prospect Park on August 4. Tickets to the Brooklyn show go on sale Friday, May 10.

UPDATE: Beck was also added to Bob Dylan and Wilco's Jones Beach show.

No word on a new Beck album, but he did release that Song Reader sheet-music-only album back in December. Maybe he'll play some of those. All Beck tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Beck playing East Coast shows after Newport Folk Fest, including Celebrate Brooklyn! (dates)"

Phosphorescent at Bonnaroo 2011 (more by Graeme Flegenheimer)

As mentioned, Newport Folk Festival is returning this year to Fort Adams State Park from July 26 to 28, and since we last spoke, the lineup has been revealed. This year's fest includes Beck, The Avett Brothers, Feist, Jim James, Colin Meloy, Andrew Bird, The Mountain Goats (who just announced a tour), Father John Misty, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy & Dawn McCarthy, Justin Townes Earle, Felice Brothers, Jason Isbell, Amanda Palmer, Phosphorescent, Beth Orton, John McCauley, Michael Kiwanuka, Lord Huron, Frank Turner, Black Prairie, Langhorne Slim, TIft Merritt, Spirit Family Reunion, Blake Mills, Houndmouth, Cold Specks, and others, plus more TBA.

Hope you acted quick back in January. 3-Day passes and 2-day passes are sold out, as are single day tickets for Saturday and Sunday, but you can still get single day tickets for Friday.

Speaking of the Rough Trade-signed, Lumineers-like Houndmouth, you have two chances to catch them in NYC this week before they become as big as the Lumineers. They're at Mercury Lounge on Wednesday (4/10) and Rockwood Music Hall on Thursday (4/11).

Full initial Newport Fest lineup below...

Continue reading "Newport Folk Festival -- 2013 lineup (Beck, Feist, Jim James, Phosphorescent, Father John Misty, Bonnie Prince Billy, Houndmouth & more)"

Seattle trio Deep Sea Diver released their debut album, History Speaks, last year and you can stream the whole thing below. While heavy on rhythm, the record is a showcase for frontperson Jessica Dobson's songwriting and strong voice. She has spent time as Beck's touring guitarist, and is currently a member of The Shins. Perhaps you recognize her from there.

Much of the country will have a chance to check out Deep Sea Diver when they head out on tour with their Pacific Northwest neighbors Telekinesis. That tour makes a stop in NYC on May 9 at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets are still available. The band will also be heading to SXSW so look for them if you'll be in Austin that week. All tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Seattle's Deep Sea Diver going on tour, including SXSW and opening on Telekinesis tour (dates, stream)"

by Bill Pearis

Pitchfork just posted their much anticipated list of the top 100 tracks of 2012. The #1 slot went to... Grimes! Whether you thought the whole of her album Visions was good or not, it was hard to deny the charms of "Oblivion." (Having that great video didn't hurt either.) Do you think it deserved to top the list? If not then what song should've?

You can check out P4K's entire hot 100 of 2012 below.

Continue reading "Pitchfork's Top 100 Tracks of 2012 (Grimes' "Oblivion" is #1)"

photos by Amoreena Lucero

Beck / Andrew Bird at Outside Lands 8/10/2012

Who needs to travel to Southern California for Coachella or to Texas for Austin City Limits? Certainly not music fans living in the Bay Area.

They can just stay right at home and enjoy the increasingly popular Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. That is, if they can get a ticket. This year's gathering of the musical tribes, which runs through Sunday, completely sold out in advance -- 65,000 tickets snatched up for each of the three days.

That's quite an accomplishment for the still-young event, which, in its fifth year, has certainly become one of the nation's premiere music festivals.
This success story is no mystery. Berkeley-based concert promoter Another Planet Entertainment always lines up terrific acts for the festival -- and that's certainly the case in 2012.

The large-scale production, which features six performance stages as well as great food and drink offerings (mostly from local providers), kicked off in triumphant fashion on Friday with sets by hometown hero Neil Young (with Crazy Horse), the Foo Fighters, Beck, Of Monsters and Men, Die Antwoord and many other talents. - [Oakland Tribune]

Continue reading "Outside Lands Festival 2012: Day 1 in pics (Beck, Andrew Bird, Foo Fighters, Washed Out and more)"

Stevie Nicks came to "CBS This Morning" yesterday (7/11) for an on-air interview, during which she revealed that Fleetwood Mac plan to reunite "next year, so far." "It's the plan. Because that's what we do. I do my thing. And Lindsey (Buckingham is) out doing his thing now." During that interview, Stevie also spoke about the recent suicide of Fleetwood Mac member Bob Welch, saying "I can't even tell you what in the world would have pushed him to do something that crazy."

Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham are both currently on their own solo tours. Stevie hit the NYC area a few times in the past month, including Beacon Theater and she plays tonight (7/12) at Mohegan Sun in CT. Lindsey's tour is ongoing as well, and it hit NYC back in June for a show at BB King's.

As mentioned, there's also a Fleetwood Mac tribute in the works which comes on August 14 and features covers by mostly indie rock artists. Since we last wrote, many of those covers have surfaced on the internet. 10 of the 17 total covers are streaming below, including Lee Ranaldo Band and J Mascis' "Albatross," Antony's "Landslide," Billy Gibbons & Co.'s "Oh Well," Best Coast's "Rhiannon," The New Pornographers' "Think About Me," Lykke Li's "Silver Springs," Karen Elson (produced by Beck)'s "Gold Dust Woman," Matt Sweeney and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's "Storms," MGMT's "Future Games," and The Kills' "Dreams."

Those streams and lists of all Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham dates are below...

Continue reading "Fleetwood Mac reuniting in 2013; stream songs off their tribute LP; Stevie Nicks & Lindsey Buckingham on tour (separately)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Beck/Devendra Banhart at Governors Ball - 6/24/12

"But the real agenda of Sunday's Governors Ball was a day of crescendos. Separated from Saturday -- a day of computerized repetitions and volume control and equalizer tweaks -- Sunday was for bands building at their own pace. It might be the grunge surges of Cage the Elephant or the strategic crescendos of Explosions in the Sky, but it was hand-played and timed to human impulse. On Sunday, the cheers from the crowd showed how well real-time music-making still moves an audience. Guitars -- in Built to Spill, Cage the Elephant, Alberta Cross -- still grab people." [NY Times]

Continue reading "Governors Ball 2012 -- Day 2 pics (Beck, Explosions in the Sky, Built to Spill, Devendra Banhart, Cults & more)"

As mentioned, Governors Ball goes down in NYC this weekend on Randall's Island from June 23-24. You can check out the full schedule for both days HERE. The lineup includes a number of bands who haven't played NYC in a while, like Passion Pit, who have a new LP coming out which you've heard two songs from; Modest Mouse, who also play the Metallica-headlined Orion Music & More festival in Atlantic City this weekend, Beck, Devendra Banhart, and more.

Fiona Apple did play in NYC pretty recently, but those shows were her first in a while and were also small venues for her and sold out instantly. Fiona also just finally released her new album and it's great, which is all the more reason to catch her set this weekend. She also recently announced a ton of new dates and performed on Fallon with the Roots.

Other bands playing include Built to Spill, Explosions in the Sky, K.Flay (who also plays Glasslands on 7/13), James Muprhy & Pat Mahoney DJ Set, Cults, Phantogram, and still many more. In addition to the music, there will be some other activities like ping pong, beer pong, silent disco, lawn games (bocce ball, croquet, etc), and from looking at the weather forecast, probably the most important of them all: free water refill stations. Tickets for the festival are still available.

Shuttles to the festival from Brooklyn and Philly are sold out but regular ferry tickets ($25), and parking passes if you plan to drive are still available. If you are heading down there by car, subway, bike or foot, here are some directions from NYC, Long Island, Westchester, and Jersey. Once you've found your way there, this map should help you get around the festival grounds. Leave your nunchucks at home.

photos by Chris Graham and Rae Graham

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah/Feist

Before the release of their 2011 album, "Hysterical," Clap Your Hands Say Yeah had been inactive for three years, but they were as lively as ever on Monday afternoon. Blowing through tracks from all three of their albums, Alec Ounsworth and company charged through a set full of guitar-based indie rock that catered heavily towards their fans. But judging by the crowd's response, even those who were unfamiliar with the band were enticed. After playing Sasquatch! 2006 on a much smaller stage, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's triumphant set had the crowd, well, clapping their hands and saying "yeah!"

Mogwai (who have upcoming shows with Balam Acab) were supposed to play that day but they cancelled last minute and were replaced by Deer Tick who came on to play a set of covers.

Pictures of Day 1 are HERE, Day 2 are HERE and HERE, Day 3 are HERE, and more from Day 4 below...

Continue reading "Sasquatch 2012 in pics - Day 4 (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Feist, Beck, Spiritualized, SBTRKT, Shabazz Palaces & more)"

"Another Planet Entertainment, Superfly Presents and Starr Hill presents, in a partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, are proud to announce the lineup for the fifth annual Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival. The world's only gourmet music festival will once again take place in San Francisco's historic Golden Gate Park August 10 - 12, 2012. Tickets will go on sale Thursday April 19 at 12 noon PDT via www.sfoutsidelands.com. A significant portion of every ticket sold will directly benefit San Francisco's Recreation and Park Department."

Continue reading "Outside Lands 2012 lineup (Metallica, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, Jack White, Foo Fighters, Beck, Skrillex...)"

She was added to Sunday. The June Randall's Island fest writes:

We are excited to announce the addition of Fiona Apple to Gov Ball 2012! The Grammy award-winning artist will be touring this year behind her first new album since 2005's critically acclaimed Extraordinary Machine. Machine was named by Rolling Stone Magazine as the 49th best album of the 2000s, and was nominated for multiple Grammys. This past Friday, Apple's select six-show club tour (her first live dates since 2007) was met with incredible demand, and sold out in minutes. Apple's addition to the Sunday lineup of Gov Ball will give new fans, as well as her die-hard following, one of the first opportunities to see her perform live in NYC since her sold out show at Central Park in 2006.

Its an honor to have one of the greatest, and most unique, female singer/songwriters in alternative music grace the stage at Gov Ball this year. We can't wait.

In other NYC festival news, Electric Daisy Carnival is coming.

As posted last night, Modest Mouse are playing Governors Ball on Randall's Island during the weekend of June 23-24 (same weekend as Orion), but they are just one of many artists that are now announced, and listed, along with more information, below...

Continue reading "NYC fest Governors Ball announces 2012 lineup (Beck, Passion Pit, EITS, Built to Spill, Devendra Banhart, Cults & more)"

"Following last year's 10th anniversary, which crushed previous attendance records and set a new mark for the speed with which tickets sold out, the Sasquatch! Music Festival unveils its 2012 lineup which once again features 4 days of music. The festival, hailed as "a model of well-paced programming...in a four-day schedule as efficient and natural feeling as an expertly built algorithm" by NPR Music while Wired notes, "leave the landscape out of it and Sasquatch! has a lineup to kill for," runs May 25-28 (Memorial Day Weekend) at The Gorge, the internationally acclaimed concert venue carved in the basalt cliffs high above the Columbia River Gorge in Quincy, WA."

Continue reading "Sasquatch! 2012 lineup announced (Bon Iver, Jack White, Beck, Tenacious D, Shins, Portlandia, Spiritualized & more) "

Feist at BAM in 2011 (more by Ryan Barkan)

Feist has a huge international tour on the way, including Australian dates this weekend and into February, followed by a number of European dates during March, some of which will be supported by M. Ward (who has his own upcoming tour). She'll work her way back to North American in April when she plays the sold out Coachellas, and has just announced another show happening on this side of the Atlantic at NYC's Radio City on May 5. It's her only other US date announced at the moment. Tickets go on sale Saturday, 2/4 at 10 AM.

In other news, she recently was interviewed by The Weekly Feed, where she talked about 2011's Metals, jamming with fellow Canadians Sloan, and her upcoming split 7" with Mastodon, which will feature each artist covering the other. She's still not sure which song she's picking but promised via twitter that "if people are expecting a cute twee cover of a metal song they have a big surprise comin." Here's what she said to The Weekly Feed about the project:

Oh my god, what a task. What an insurmountable mountain to try to cover Mastodon. We're working on it right now and I'm trying to figure out what song even. I haven't figured that out even yet. But yeah, I hugely admire them and I kind of come from that world. That's where I cut my teeth when I was 15/16 going to metal shows, and in my first band our guitar player probably would've wanted to be in Mastodon if Mastodon had existed at the time, you know? So it definitely speaks to me. When I saw them play on Jools Holland, that's how I was first introduced to them. We played that television show in England together and it just went right to my bones, and after the show we kind of had this, "oh man we should something!" you know? Which didn't seem like it was gonna happen, but now it seems like it's gonna happen, they announced it on MTV so now it's happening.

Also below is a stream of Beck's remix of Metals single, "How Come You Never Go There," which you can also purchase at iTunes.

All dates and streams below...

Continue reading "Feist playing Radio City Music Hall (and other stuff)"

Jane Birkin finishes a short North American tour at Town Hall in NYC tonight (12/11). The great NYC entertainer Joey Arias opens the show and tickets are still on sale.

Jane will be performing the work of her late husband Serge Gainsbourg backed by a group of Japanese performers. As a recent review reads:

A Japanese-originating quartet of piano, drums, trumpet and violin (originally assembled, she told us, to play post-tsunami benefit shows in Tokyo which has since coaxed out on tour) executed the tunes with both original details (those cafe jazz breakbeats when called for) and a modern panache that was needed to hold the whole shebang together. One audience member with an accent explained to another that Birkin was "not rock" just before the show. It was, of course, more beatnik-jazz-pop-cabaret than rock. Still, hearing the likes of "Do Di Dah" without guitar picking might not have been the same, but its playful spirit came shining through in a jazz rendition. Birkin's voice and easy way with a tricky series of notes here and there was a bit of a revelation to some, for sure, and proved more than capable of carrying tunes when the band receded. If it wavered over the high notes, it shouldn't have come as a surprise. That delicacy and naturalism was surely what drew Serge and us to her the first time around--um, and the drop dead gorgeous thing, probably.

Meanwhile, Jane's daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg whose 2010 Beck-produced album IRM gained her lots of attention and brought her to our shores for shows at places like The Bell House, Coachella and Webster Hall, recently released an EP and then an album. The longer album, Stage Whisper, "includes seven unreleased studio recordings and eleven live songs. Many of the studio tracks come from sessions for IRM." The EP, Terrible Angels, was released earlier via Because Music / Elektra, and contains "two unreleased studio tracks, two live recordings, and two videos." All four of the songs are also on Stage Whisper.

You can watch one of the videos, with more info on the two releases, below...

Continue reading "Charlotte Gainsbourg released an album; Jane Birkin on tour (plays Town Hall w/ Joey Arias tonight)"

Philip Glass at Bang on a Can in June (more by Andrew Frisicano)

Philip Glass and Laurie Anderson are headlining the NYC Film-Makers Co-op Benefit at Santos Party House on November 16. Other artists performing include David Barton's band Liquid Blonde, Little Annie, Transgendered Jesus, the Love Butchers, and possibly more to be announced. Tickets for the show are on sale now.

Meanwhile, the New York Philharmonic and Philip Glass Ensemble are performing Glass's music for the 1982 film Koyaanisqatsi: A Life Out Of Balance TONIGHT (11/2) and Thursday (11/3) at Avery Fisher Hall. This will mark the first time that the New York Philharmonic have ever performed Philip Glass's music. Tickets for both shows are still available but are almost sold out so act quickly. A trailer video is below.

In other news, Beck (who recently worked with Stephen Malkmus and Thurston Moore) is working on a Philip Glass tribute remix album with producerHector Castillo. The album will feature contributions from Beck, Bjork, Lou Reed, Memory Tapes, Tyondai Braxton (ex-Battles), Amon Tobin, Roger Waters, Cornelius, and potentially more to be announced. No release date has been announced yet.

Speaking of Lou Reed, you can still stream the album he made with Metallica, "Lulu", over at loureedmetallica.com (if you dare!).

NY Philharmonic video below...

Continue reading "Laurie Anderson playing benefit w/ Philip Glass (whose work is being performed & remixed elsewhere too)"

In the Hollywood office of Mr. Hansen's managers, decorated with Sonic Youth posters, "Ghost World" action figures and framed portraits of Donna Summer and Valerie Bertinelli, [Stephen and Beck] were longtime peers turned improbable elder statesmen. Once alt-rock upstarts, both are now married and fathers of young children, each with a kid named after a day of the week. (Mr. Malkmus has a daughter named Sunday, and Mr. Hansen's daughter is named Tuesday.)

It seems fitting that their first collaboration should arrive at a moment when nostalgia for the pop culture of the 1990s -- witness the 20th anniversary reissue of Nirvana's "Nevermind," the planned MTV revival of "Beavis and Butt-Head" and yes, the recent Pavement reunion tour -- is approaching peak capacity faster than you can say "Reality Bites."
[NY Times]

The Jicks head out on tour with Holy Sons in September, but you can catch Stephen much sooner at two NYC in-stores this Thursday (8/25).

"No One Is (As I Are Am)" is the first video from Mirror Traffic, and you can watch it below...

Continue reading "Stephen Malkmus & Beck both have kids named after a day of the week"

DOWNLOAD: Thurston Moore - "Benediction" (MP3)

there's a B.J. joke in here somewhere...

Thurston Moore will release his fourth, and Beck-produced solo LP, Demolished Thoughts, on May 24th via Matador. The LP features appearances from violinist Samara Lubelski, harpist Mary Lattimore, bassist Bram Inscore, drummer Joey Waronker and Beck. Check out the first track "Benediction", which is downloadable above. And:

To mark the release of his new solo full-length, 'Demolished Thoughts', Thurston Moore is playing Brooklyn's Williamsburg Hall of Music on May 20, with tickets going on sale this Friday, April 8 via Ticketmaster.com (American Express cardholders will have an opportunity to purchase tickets on Wednesday, April 6).

In addition to the full-priced ticket option ($20), you'll have your choice of ticket(s) + 'Demolished Thoughts' bundles ;

a) one ticket + a copy of "Demolished Thoughts" on CD ($30)

b) one ticket + a copy of "Demolished Thoughts" on LP (colored vinyl, with download code) ($35)

The CD or limited edition colored vinyl copies of 'Demolished Thoughts' can be collected at the merch table on the night of the show - four days before the official release date of May 24.

Thurston was also just announced on the bill of a hometown (Northampton) show with Dinosaur Jr. and Henry Rollins.

The upcoming Abrons Arts Center show will be at least the 2nd Japan Disaster relief shows that Thurston is playing. Sonic Youth joined Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon, Cibo Matto, John Zorn, Mike Patton and others at Columbia University on 3/27 to raise money for the cause. The NY Times was there.

In related news, Sonic Youth is helping to celebrate Record Store Day on April 16th with a reissue of the Australian tour-only Whore's Moaning EP.

Check out the cover art of Thurston's new LP, below...

Continue reading "Thurston Moore releasing Beck-produced LP (MP3), playing a release show in Brooklyn (and other dates)"

Devendra Banhart at Webster Hall (more by Vincent Cornelli)

Devendra Banhart and the Grogs will team up with Adam Green at Terminal Five THURSDAY (8/19, tickets) and we have a pair of tickets available for giveaway. Details on how to win are below.

Devendra doesn't have an album on the way, but is involved in the release of the highly anticipated (and recently leaked) new Swans LP My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky. The LP, due on September 27 via Gira's Young God Records, sees Banhart contributing vocals to old label honcho, alongside Bill Rieflin, Grasshopper (Mercury Rev), and Gira's 3 1/2 year old daughter Saoirse. They all lend their helping hand to the release. Stream the new song "Eden Prison" below, and get tickets to their show at Brooklyn Masonic Temple on 10/8. The Bowery Ballroom show scheduled for the next day is now sold out.

Devendra Banhart also contributed to the new Zach Hill solo record, and recently teamed up with Beck for a song to the recently released Life During Wartime, the new movie from the king of awkward hilarity, Todd Solondz (see Happiness, Welcome To The Dollhouse, etc).

The Banhart/Beck song, with lyrics written by Solondz, is streaming, along with the Swans song, Zach Hill album tracklist, all tour dates (including a UK trek with Arcade Fire) and contest details, below...

Continue reading "Devendra Banhart on new Swans, Zach Hill & 'Life During Wartime' soundtrack - touring, in NY Thursday (win tix) "

photos by Bao Nguyen

"Agh. Free Black Keys concert tonight at the Classic Car Club but lines were CRAZY!" - quiet soliloquy

"Fans have overwhelmingly expressed, in 354+ comments on The Black Keys Facebook page, that the band has "sold out" following an announcement that a new song, "Chop And Change", will be a part of the soundtrack for the third installment of extremely popular vampire movie franchise "Twilight".

The Black Keys' have sold out? Yeah, sure. If anything, they've finally just sold in on their own terms.

In most cases, the term "sold out" would be fantastic news to artists in regards to shows, books, CDs, etc. It simply claims that the artist/event is doing so well that they have run out of space or items and that it is pretty much exclusive and rare - a privilege, really. It's heartbreaking to the people who did not get a chance to be a part of it, but it does hint at success, which can obviously be rendered in many different ways. For people who appreciate "underground" or lesser-known works or talents, however, "selling out" is the worst possible brand that you can get from a fan - it pretty much means that you are now not good enough to be appreciated anymore, and that you are now "mainstream" or "too trendy."" [The Black Keys Fan Lounge]

No more Kin shows in NYC, but Chicago has one by The Dead Weather coming up. The Dead Weather (who also opened a pop up shop in NYC when their last record came out), along with Metric (who play NYC tonight/Sunday), Muse (who are taking Metric on tour), Band of Horses (who also open for Pearl Jam at MSG this week), Vampire Weekend and others, also appear on the new Twilight soundtrack. The full tracklisting and more pictures from the Kin show below...

Continue reading "The Black Keys played the Classic Car Club in NYC (pics), appear on the new Twilight Soundtrack (track list)"

Charlotte Gainsbourg @ The Bell House in January (more pictures)

Charlotte Gainsbourg played at the Bell House and Hiro Ballroom last January as part of a short-string of dates in support of her new record, IRM.

She'll be back in North America for shows around her Coachella performance on April 18th. As part of those, she'll play NYC's Webster Hall on Sunday, April 25th. Tickets TBA.

Beck, the producer and songwriter for Charlotte's album, joined her to perform their "Heaven Can Wait on L.A.'s KCRW. That video and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Charlotte Gainsbourg announces more 2010 tour dates "