photos by Jessica Amaya

Beirut @ Northside Festival

Beirut is currently on tour in support of the release of the upcoming album The Rip Tide (album art below), which is available for pre-order. That tour has been expanded and now includes two NYC dates at Terminal 5 on September 21 and 22. Tickets go on sale Friday (7/8) at noon.

Beirut's last NYC show was in McCarren Park with Sharon Van Etten and Yellow Ostrich as part of the Northside Festival. We already talked about that, but here's a second set of pictures from the event in this post.

The rest of those pictures, all tour dates and Rip Tide album art below...

Continue reading "Beirut announces tour, two nights at Terminal 5 (updated dates, new LP art & another set of Northside show pics)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield, words by Rachel Kowal

Thirty minutes before showtime, the forecast wasn't looking good. What started as a small shower soon escalated into a near downpour, sending a patchwork of different colored umbrellas springing up at McCarren Park Friday night.

Then it happened: the event that nearly broke Twitter. It began with a low rumble that quickly rippled through the crowd. Then, "OH MY GOD! DOUBLE RAINBOW!" Within seconds, every smartphone was tracked on the sky, and cries of jubilation and cheap sarcasm rang out. If you think Sharon Van Etten is a tough act to follow, try a double rainbow. But Yellow Ostrich was up for trying.

Soon after the buzz died down, the newly signed Barsuk trio took the stage. Somehow despite all the weather-related chaos that had transpired over the past 30 minutes subsided just in time for the show. A Northside miracle.

Recorded, Yellow Ostrich is a fine-tuned, feel-good indie machine, but in a live setting, front man Alex Schaaf and company aren't afraid to let down their hair a bit. Sure, you still get the carefully looped harmonies - a delight to hear in the excellent "Whale" - but the music also takes on a more desperate and raucous tone, especially on new songs like "The Shake Down."

As I watched the stage transform for Sharon Van Etten's set, my excitement grew - especially when I spied Aaron Dessner of The National fiddling around with wires. "Hello, everybody. Thanks for bearing the rain," Van Etten said by way of introduction. She began her set with "Peace Signs."

With her honest lyrics and down-to-earth demeanor, and soul-soothing voice, Sharon Van Etten makes quick work of winning over the crowd. (I mean the woman dedicated a song to her dad in honor of Father's Day. How nice, right?)

As an added bonus, the last three songs of her set featured two additional musicians - Ben Lanz (on trombone) and Aaron Dessner (guitar) who is apparently producing Van Etten's next record.

Then, after a brief interlude from our sponsor, Zach Condon and company emerged to a round of applause that almost seemed more fitting for a Justin Bieber show than for Beirut.

Though Condon composed much of his newer music with a 17-piece mariachi band in mind, the six people on stage impressively flushed out the sound by constantly rotating through an assortment of instruments, including: French horn, tuba, drums, trombone, trumpet, accordion, and piano. But it was the ukulele - the crux to much of his earlier catalog - that seemed to garner the most applause.

After two short sets, it was nice to see Beirut take their time on stage. The band enthusiastically played through their set - no doubt inspired not only by the dedication of the rain-braving crowd but also by the stunning scenery in the distance. "It's nice to be playing for the Chrysler and the Empire State Building," Condon remarked. Of course with such a healthy play time (19 songs, by my count), they covered both the standards ("Postcards From Italy," "Elephant Gun," "Nantes," "Scenic World," and "Mount Wroclai" to name a few) and a handful of newer songs.

Though I was tempted to stay longer, if there was an encore, I didn't see it. After missing out on Seapony twice last week, I dashed out of the park and over to Pianos, where I made it in time to hear the last five songs from the delightful Seattle group. For the record, it was totally worth it.

More pictures from the Beirut show below...

Continue reading "Beirut, Sharon Van Etten, Aaron Dessner, Yellow Ostrich & a double rainbow in McCarren Park (pics & review)"

Beirut, Sharon Van Etten, and Yellow Ostrich play a sold out (except to badges) Northside Festival show in McCarren Park tonight. The Books, Junip, and Doveman play a free show in Prospect Park. Both shows are rain or shine, though lightning could change that. Hopefully it doesn't rain too hard, or at all. 50% is still only 50%!

Best Coast and The Decemberists played Prospect Park in the rain earlier in the week, and that wasn't too bad.

photos by Dana (Distortion) Yavin & Graeme Flegenheimer

The Strokes

"The 10th anniversary [of Bonnaroo] was a celebration of how far the festival has come but also reminded us how it got there. There was something for everyone. The String Cheese Incident and Widespread Panic, who played at the first Bonnaroo, were there to remind people of the festival's jam-band roots. Lil Wayne and Big Boi were there along with Eminem to represent what the festival has become. In between, there were legendary acts like Robert Plant and The Band of Joy, Buffalo Springfield, Gregg Allman, Loretta Lynn, Dr. John, and Bruce Hornsby, which attracted an older crowd that resembled festival crowds of years past.

There were also more recently successful bands that attracted a younger crowd, such as Arcade Fire, The Strokes, The Black Keys, Neon Trees, Mumford & Sons, and The Decemberists.

One of the greatest features of Bonnaroo is that there are plenty of non-music entertainment options for those who need a break from music, the heat, or just need a diversion.

There was a cinema tent where rockumentaries and movies were screened, if you wanted to get out of the heat and cool down. There was a comedy tent that has been graced by comedians like Conan O'Brien and Margaret Cho. Dave Attelland hosted one of my favorite Bonnaroo performances when Flight of the Conchords performed in 2007. This year saw funny-men Lewis Black, Cheech Marin, and Tim Minchin among others in a strong rotation.

Sports fans concerned about the NHL and NBA Finals were happy to find the Bonnaroo Sports Bar where they could play pop-a-shot and watch the games on flat-screen monitors.

Artists were encouraged to show their stuff on the graffiti walls that lined much of the 700-acre farm. By the end of the weekend, you could spend all day walking up and down along the wall, finding some beautiful (and some not so beautiful) creations. " [The Epoch Times]

Bonnaroo 2012 is on sale at noon. The 10th Bonnaroo happened last weekend. Pictures of Karen Elson from Day One are HERE, with the rest of Day One HERE. Pictures of Decemberists from Day Two HERE, with the rest of Day Two HERE. Pictures of Gogol Bordello from Day Three are HERE, and the rest of Day Three are HERE. Robyn from Day Four HERE. The rest of Day 4, and the end of our 2011 Bonnaroo pictures, below...

Continue reading "Bonnaroo 2011 - Day 4 in pics (The Strokes, Mavis Staples, Beirut, EITS. John Waters, Greg Allman & more)"

photos by Tim Griffin

DOWNLOAD: Twin Sister - "Bad Street" (MP3)

Twin Sister @ ACL Live

Twin Sister have a new album in the works, and like Real Estate's new one, it will be coming out on Domino Records. They'll release their debut full length In Heaven via Domino on September 27. Download the track "Bad Street" above. Stream it and check out the full tracklist, below.

Twin Sister kicked off a tour at ACL Live's Moody Theater in Austin last night (6/8). Pictures from that show, where they opened for Beirut (pictures HERE), are in this post.

Their trek continues in Houston tonight and eventually reaches Music Hall of Williamsburg on 6/18 with Allo Darlin', Ava Luna, and Gabriel and the Hounds. The previously mentioned Brooklyn show is part of the Northside Festival and still on sale for those without badges. Twin Sister played the same venue during the Northside Fest last year.

All Twin Sister tour dates, more pictures from Austin, and the new album stuff, below...

Continue reading "Twin Sister releasing LP on Domino (new MP3), played ACL Live (pics), on tour now (dates)"

photos by Tim Griffin

Beirut @ ACL Live

Beirut are releasing their long-awaited third LP The Rip Tide on August 30 on Zach Condon's own Pompeii Records internationally and on Revolver in the US. New tracks "East Harlem" and "Goshen" both also appear on a limited edition single which is out now, and you can listen to both of those songs streaming below.

Beirut's recent live shows have included a sold out show at the Wellmont Theater in NJ, a small, private show in Stratosphere Sound Recording Studio, a small, private show in a Brooklyn loft, and a big show at ACL Live's Moody Theater in Austin last night (6/8) with Twin Sister. Pictures of Beirut from the Texas show are in this post (the Twin Sister pics are HERE).

Beirut's upcoming shows include Bonnaroo this weekend, Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, and a big Northside Festival show in McCarren Park with Sharon Van Etten which is now SOLD OUT (though they have to let some Northside Badgeholders in).

All tour dates, new song streams, new album tracklist, and more pictures from Austin, below...

Continue reading "Beirut revealed new album details (with 2 streaming songs), played ACL Live (pics), sold out McCarren Park"

photos by David Andrako

Beirut's upcoming shows include Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, and a Northside Festival show in McCarren Park with Sharon Van Etten. Tickets for the Brooklyn show are still on sale. Beirut's recent performances include a big, public, sold out one at the Wellmont Theater in NJ, and a very small, private one in Stratosphere Sound Recording Studio.

Before any of those, back on March 27th, Beirut played three songs at a Brooklyn loft party in celebration of the new Red Hot Tropicália tribute CD, Red Hot + Rio 2, that we discussed HERE and HERE. Like Beirut, Superhuman Happiness, The Phenomenal Handclap Band, Brazilian Girls, and Forro In The Dark, all have songs on the forthcoming Red Hot charity comp, and each of those bands performed the song they have on the CD (and actually, they each performed their song more than once, as the performances were being filmed to help promote the release, and they wanted the videos to be good). The setlist and more pictures from the party, below...

Continue reading "Beirut played a 'Red Hot' loft in March too, w/ Superhuman Happiness, Phenomenal Handclap Band & more (pics) "

photos by Diana Wong

Less than two weeks after the Wellmont show, Beirut played an invite-only "Inside Session" at Stratosphere Sound recording studio (on Wednesday, May 25th). It was "Beirut recording with producer Griffin Rodriguez and Grammy-winning engineer Geoff Sanoff via Avid's Pro Tools HD|Native platform." Guests got "a rare, behind-the-scenes look at a recording in progress" and free alcohol. Some more pictures from the shindig below...

Continue reading "Beirut played a party, recorded at Stratosphere Sound (pics)"

photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin

DOWNLOAD: Beirut - O Leaozinho (MP3)

The Red Hot Organization and Entertainment One Music established a new partnership to produce Red Hot + Rio 2 out June 28, 2011. Red Hot + Rio 2 is a modern tribute to the late 60's Brazilian Tropicália movement. The album will shed new light on the songs of this influential, politically charged era, which changed the culture of the country forever. Red Hot + Rio 2 is the latest entry in the series of tribute albums produced by the Red Hot Organization to raise money for HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

The compilation features 33 original collaborations between Brazil's legendary musicians and today's international indie artists including John Legend, Os Mutantes, Devendra Banhart, Caetano Veloso, Seu Jorge, Beck, Bebel Gilberto, José González, Beirut, Tom Zé, Javelin, of Montreal, Marisa Monte, Eugene Hütz (from Gogol Bordello), DJ Dolores, Aloe Blacc, Angelique Kidjo, Rita Lee, Madlib, Money Mark, Céu, Apollo Nove, Mayra Andrade, Trio Mocotó, Tha Boogie, Alice Smith, Carlinhos Brown, Los Van Van, Brazilian Girls, Marcos Valle, Forró In The Dark, Mia Doi Todd, Phenomenonal Handclap Band, N.A.S,A, Moreno Veloso, Otto, Superhuman Happiness, Cults and many more.

Beirut's upcoming shows include Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, and a Northside Festival show in McCarren Park with Sharon Van Etten. Tickets for the Brooklyn show are still in this post.

Beirut headlined a sold out show at NJ's Wellmont Theater on Friday night with Lady Lamb the Beekeeper. Pictures from the headliner's set (but not the opener's due to traffic getting to the venue) are in this post. They continue below...

Continue reading "Beirut played Wellmont Theater (pics), appears on new Red Hot Tropicália tribute (MP3)"

The Outside Lands Festival, which runs from 8/12 - 8/14 in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, released their 2011 lineup in April (and now it's May, so consider this a catch up post). Tickets are on sale.

This year's fest will appearances from The Shins, Muse, Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys, Phish (two sets), !!!, Erykah Badu, Big Audio Dynamite (who played Coachella and are also playing Lollapalooza), Girl Talk and many more. The full lineup is below.

Continue reading "Outside Lands 2011 lineup"

Lollapalooza last year (more by Josh Darr)

Lollapalooza celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with some huge names on its just-announced lineup. See it in full below.

The festival has obviously changed over the years. What started out as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction with a 'touring festival' lineup that included the Rollins Band, Nine Inch Nails, Butthole Surfers, and Souxsie & The Banshees, has turned into a one-weekend Chicago festival that Lady Gaga co-headlined last year. As leaked a while ago, Foo Fighters, Muse and Eminem all play this year, as will Coldplay, Cee Lo Green, and My Morning Jacket along with the reunited Cars and the continuing-to-be-reunited Big Audio Dynamite and Death From Above 1979, and a bunch of other bands which may or may not be worth the ticket price depending on how you feel about the headliners and generally seeing bands in big, hot, outdoor crowded parks (Lollapalooza happens in Chicago's Grant Park from August 5th - 7th).

Full 2011 Lineup and a couple of videos (one from 1991, one from 2010), below...

Continue reading "Lollapalooza 2011 lineup announced"

The second annual Hopscotch Festival will go down in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, across 12 different venues with over 135 bands, from September 8th through 10th. The lineup this year runs the gamut of independent music... from traditional indie staples (The Flaming Lips, Guided By Voices, Superchunk) to southern-inflected rock (Drive-By Truckers) to noise (Prurient) to hip hop (Beans) to garage (Jeff The Brotherhood) to funk (Budos Band) to metal (Krallice), and everywhere in between (Swans, Rhys Chatham, etc etc). Tickets are currently on sale. Full lineup is below.

Hopscotch happens almost three months after Guided By Voices play a Brooklyn Northside Festival show in McCarren Park (tickets) which is one day after Beirut plays a Northside Festival show on the same McCarren Park stage with... Sharon Van Etten (though she may have been accidentally announced at one point, they officially kept her placement on the bill under wraps until after Saturday's Music Hall of Williamsburg show). Tickets for Beirut/SVE are still on sale, and another opener will be added too.

Guided by Voices (whose Brooklyn show also has more openers coming) are also playing Pitchfork in July with Animal Collective whose Prospect Park show is now on AmEx presale.

Swans' upcoming NYC show is now on AmEx presale too.

Hopscotch lineup below...

Continue reading "Hopscotch Fest returns to Raleigh (2011 lineup announced), Sharon Van Etten officially added to Northside Fest"

photos by Tim Griffin

DOWNLOAD Sallie Ford - I Swear (MP3)

"Among the many BBQs and day-parties juggled, I rarely watched acts for their entire set. But Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside were the exception to this rule, one reason being their, well, sound outside. With free tacos, a cold mid-day beer and the hottest heat yet of the fest, she and her smile-less band performed tightly. Ford has this ultra-quirky voice, a throwback to rockabilly and the odd tensions of Jolie Holland. It's hip-dancing music rather than head-bobbing, with clappy melodies that name-check Jets to Brazil and have you reaching for Wanda Jackson.

They didn't move much on the tiny Barbarella stage, and maybe it was the temperature, but there was something so moderated about Ford's embarrassing amount of raw musical talent, it was slow-burning to see it manifest as it did." [HitFix]

Two days before that show, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper played a BrooklynVegan SXSW show. TONIGHT (3/29) both ladies play an early show together at Mercury Lounge in NYC. Tickets are still available (and probably will be at the door).

Lady Lamb is also playing April 1st at Knitting Factory with Pearl and the Beard, and has been announced as the opener for Beirut on a few dates including Wellmont Theater on May 13th (tickets for the NJ show are still on sale). All dates are below.

Sallie Ford's album 'Dirty Radio' will be released May 24 via Partisan Records. The first song on the LP, "I Swear", makes its premiere in this post. Download it above. Stream it, check out the cover art and full tracklist, with the rest of the dates and more pics and some videos too, below...

Continue reading "Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside releasing 'Dirty Radio' (MP3), played SXSW (pics), in NYC now w/ Lady Lamb (dates)"

Beirut @ the Guggenheim (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Beirut has announced a May 13th headlining date at Wellmont Theater in NJ. That's more than a month before the band plays McCarren Park during the Northside Festival. Tickets for the NJ show go on sale Friday at noon. Tickets for the Brooklyn show are on sale now (as are Northside Fest passes which will also get you in to the NYC show). All Beirut tour dates below...

Continue reading "Beirut adds NJ show & other tour dates"

[there was a picture here before, that I didn't realize was offensive when i posted it - I didn't even fully realize what it was to be honest. removed and sorry to those who were offended.]

As you already know, limited $60 Northside Fest passes go on sale at noon, BUT what you might not realize is that they are also selling individual tickets to the Beirut show at McCarren Park, and those go on sale at noon too.

Tickets go on sale at noon for the Decemberists/Best Coast show in Prospect Park.

Tickets go on sale at noon for the Arctic Monkeys show in Central Park.

Tickets go on sale at noon for the Beady Eye show at Webster Hall.

Marty Markowitz & Beirut & L Magazine staff @ Brooklyn Borough Hall

As you can see in the above photo, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz was on hand at the press conference this morning, as was now-confirmed Northside Festival headliner Beirut. Tickets will be HERE. More confirmed artists below...

Continue reading "Northside Fest confirms Beirut, Deer Tick, Twin Sister, Allo Darlin' & more (initial lineup)"

This Thursday, March 10, we would like to invite you to Brooklyn Borough Hall at 11am, where Northside will be revealing details of this year's festival, including a sneak peek of bands and showcase presenters that will be participating. Additionally, press will be invited to the unveiling of the first issue of the soon to be released Brooklyn Magazine, a quarterly publication focusing on the styles and trends coming out of Brooklyn today. Select members of the festival talent will be available for interviews.

Northside Festival will make its return to the streets of Williamsburg and Greenpoint on June 16-19, 2011, for a third year of music, film and art." [Northside Festival]

Continue reading "Northside Festival returning in June, Beirut is a rumored headliner (press conference at Brooklyn Borough Hall at 11am)"

Bonnaroo (June 9-12 in Manchester Tennessee) has announced the 2011 lineup (slightly early), and like the rumored Lollapalooza lineup, Eminem is among the headliners. Bonnaroo also has Grammy winners Arcade Fire and the Black Keys, in addition to Lil Wayne, Mumford & Sons, the Strokes, The Decemberists, Florence & the Machine, Girl Talk, Beirut (haven't seen them in a while), and many more. Full list below...

Continue reading "Bonnaroo 2011 lineup is here"

photos by Chris La Putt

Florence Welch

Artist Direct: Which records shaped you?

Florence Welch: When I was a teenager, I spent all of my time going to live gigs. Like I mentioned, my first boyfriend was in a band. There was a really strong South London punk art collective scene because there's a big art college. I spent all of my time going to see art college bands. My boyfriend was in one, and they were on the up-and-up. It was this intense rockabilly pirate punk blues stuff. For ages, the only music I listened to was live, really. I also listened to a lot of northern soul like Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Etta James, Tom Waits and The Talking Heads. The kids in my school were listening to The Libertines and stuff, but I was more into The Talking Heads. I really loved The White Stripes actually. I was a huge fan. The one that record that really shook me up was Arcade Fire's Funeral and maybe Beirut's Gulag Orkestar. I love Beirut! They're so incredible live. His voice is unbelievable. Brass sections are really busy. Whenever we have classical musicians on tour with us, they're always the hardest partying guys. We don't have a brass section, but I wish we did. They're the rock 'n' rollest of the bunch. It's always the cellists and violinists who are hitting it the hardest in the hotel bar [Laughs]. Beirut and his brass section are great. They look so relaxed, having a good time. They're playing the fucking trumpet and singing [Laughs].

Smith Westerns pics HERE. The rest from the T5 show, below...

Continue reading "Florence & the Machine & Hanni El Khatib @ Terminal 5 (pics) "

words & photos by Dominick Mastrangelo

Beirut played their third sold out show in just over a week on Thursday (7/15). No small feat for a band that hasn't released anything in a year and a half. They played twice at the Music Hall last week, and Zach Condon and Co. were the lead act of the Guggenheim Museum's three-show Dark Sounds Series to coincide with the ongoing exhibit, "Haunted: Contemporary Photography/Video/Performance."

The setlist changed very little from last week's shows and except for some minor, sporadic problems with feedback the sound was excellent. Condon encouraged everyone to sing along during "Nantes" and everyone, without his encouraging, sang along to "Postcards From Italy" including the crush of girls who lined the front of the stage and swooned in that teen idol way at every glance Condon cast toward them. One of those crushing girls was overheard saying to her friend before the show, "I have a feeling we're going to end up on the cover of Brooklyn Vegan tomorrow."

More pictures, including one of the setlist, below...

Continue reading "Beirut played Dark Sounds @ the Guggenheim (pics & setlist) "

photos by Jessica Amaya, words by Rachel Kowal

Beirut

Walking into the Music Hall of Williamsburg last night (7/5), I realized that I knew nothing about WOOM, the opening act, but I was pleasantly surprised by their set (erratic sound quality aside). The Oakland duo cultivates a refreshingly distinct sound that refuses to blend into the background. With a thumping bass line, unconventional beats, and irresistible male-female vocals, WOOM's music manages to be both confrontational and unassuming.

WOOM spiced up their live act by supplementing the programmed tracks with help from a guitar, tambourine, wooden blocks, and vocals. Sara Magenheimer was particularly magnetic with her cute boy haircut and street-punk aesthetic. She was both fierce and simultaneously adorable (think a poppier tUnE-yArDs), and she shared an undeniable chemistry with her band-mate, Eben Portnoy. I'm definitely eager to hear more from this dynamic duo. Check out their first full-length album, out on Ba Da Bing today.

WOOM

At the crowd's enthusiastic reception, Beirut's French horn tattooed frontman Zach Condon leaned into the mic, saying "We're really excited to be here, too. It's been a while. The last time we were here it was still North 6th," which sent ripples of both confusion and smug recognition through the audience. It's also been a while since Condon released a proper full-length album, favoring an experimental double-EP release last year instead.

Condon spent no time getting to business. Beirut's opening song was hit song "Elephant Gun". Condon stuck mostly to older material, but he did slip a few newer songs into the mix, like "East Harlem" and "The Shrew" (see the complete set list below). Toward the end of the show, Condon also elusively disclosed that he had been working on a new album, but he refrained from providing any specific details on his current project.

Of course, no Beirut show would be complete without a little help from a wide array of instruments, and for Monday night's show, Condon was accompanied by a brigade of musicians. Though a 19-piece Mexican funeral band (like the one used on last year's March of the Zapotec) was not in attendance, Condon and his band juggled instruments like: the tuba, trombone, organ, drums, French horn, ukulele, upright bass, accordion, and a couple of boisterous trumpets. Due to Condon's eclectic influences, the evening was punctuated with music reminiscent of everything from a dimly lit French bar, to a Balkan celebration and a traditional Spanish bullfight. "We're not in Mexico anymore, folks... though it would be pretty awesome if we were," Condon quipped after a few songs.

Throughout the show, the crowd reacted enthusiastically to Beirut's songs. "It's really awesome to hear you guys sing along," said Condon. Of course, it's worth noting that there were several obstacles that made attending last night's show somewhat difficult. There was no option to buy the discounted tickets online. Instead, fans waited in line outside the box office to secure a hard ticket when they went on sale on a Saturday at noon. Then, of course there was the (absent) L train to contend with yesterday, which definitely made the venue less accessible to those coming from outside the neighborhood. Suffice it to say that the people who managed to make it out to the show must have been fairly determined to take it in. "WE WALKED ALL THE WAY OVER THE BRIDGE!" yelled one concert-goer.

Beirut concluded the show with a three-song encore that featured first a lovely, stripped down version of "The Penalty" before the rest of the band re-emerged on stage for the final two songs.

WOOM and Beirut play their second sold-out show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight (7/6), and play a 3rd sold out NYC show at the Guggenheim on July 15th.

The setlist with the rest of the pictures below...

Continue reading "Beirut & Woom played MHOW - night 1 pics & setlist "

IAN SCHNELLER

The Guggenheim will be hosting a three-part music series at the museum this summer. Running in conjunction with their "Haunted: Contemporary Photography/Video/Performance" exhibition (currently on view at the museum through September 6), "DARK SOUNDS" has the following schedule:

* July 15, 2010: BEIRUT
* August 5, 2010: ANDREW BIRD AND IAN SCHNELLER
* September 3, 2010: CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA

"Produced by Sam Brumbaugh, Special Events Consultant, and Bronwyn Keenan, Associate Director of Special Events, the series takes its thematic cue from the conceptual threads that weave through Haunted, aiming to evoke the exhibition's elements of melancholy, ghostliness, the uncanny, and our collective and individual obsession with accessing the past. The series title is borrowed from the writings of Montague Rhodes James (1862-1936), who is often described as the father of the modern ghost story."

The Andrew & Ian show sounds especially special It is: "Andrew Bird & Ian Schneller's Sonic Arboretum, a site-specific performance involving violin, looped passages, and a landscape of horn speakers." That's Ian with some horn speakers pictured above.

Andrew Bird only has a handful of other shows scheduled. They are all listed, along with info on a "Dark Sounds membership package, below...

Continue reading "Beirut, Andrew Bird & Cinematic Orchestra playing DARK SOUNDS @ the Guggenheim "

Beirut @ BAM in February 2009 (more by Natasha Ryan)

The last time Beirut played in NYC, they did a four-show week, with gigs at Coco 66, MHOW and two at BAM.

Zach Condon and Beirut now have shows in Europe scheduled for August. In advance of those, they'll play a pair of shows at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Monday, July 5th and Tuesday, July 6th. Woom, the ex-Flying pop duo previously featured here, open both dates.

Tickets for Tuesday, the second show, are $25 and go on AmEx presale Wednesday at noon. General sale starts Friday at noon.

Tickets for Monday, the first show, are $9.99 and can only be purchased in advance and in-person from the Bowery box offices at Mercury Lounge and Music Hall of Williamsburg starting Saturday at noon (though Ticketmaster says they go on sale online Saturday at noon... I'm told they actually won't go on sale online.).

Before then, Woom play a pair of Northside Festival shows on June 25th at Bruar Falls (lineup TBA) and June 26th at Shea Stadium with Ducktails, Big Troubles, Arches, Dana Jewell and No Demons Here.

All tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Beirut playing 2 nights @ MHOW before touring Europe"

Coming on May 4: the new album from The New Pornographers, entitled Together. Their fifth full-length was produced by the band and Phil Palazzolo, and recorded in Vancouver, Brooklyn, Woodstock, and Catskill, NY. The album is comprised of 9 A.C. Newman songs and 3 Dan Bejar numbers, and features the full eight-person lineup of Carl, Dan, John Collins, Neko Case, Kurt Dahle, Kathryn Calder, Todd Fancey and Blaine Thurier. Additional musicians include Annie Clark (St. Vincent), Zach Condon (Beirut), Will Sheff (Okkervil River), and the Dap-Kings Horns, among other talents.

Lead pornographer A.C. Newman appears at The Bell House's Haiti benefit on Wednesday, January 27th. Also at the even will be The Walkmen (they replaced Cold War Kids who had to drop off), Ted Leo, The Wrens, Sondre Lerche, Eugene Mirman, Rhett Miller and Nicole Atkins. Tickets are still on sale.

photos by Joseph Xu

Happy Holidays! I take on more than I can handle. That results in a lot of unposted content. In the name of catching up, while also taking it easy during this final week of the year, here's some of that lost material.

More pictures from the 2009 Pitchfork Music Festival, below...

Continue reading "pictures from the 2009 Pitchfork Festival "