Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan are playing Webster Hall in NYC on Wednesday, May 27th. Tickets go on sale Thursday, April 2nd at noon.

Their last album together, Sunday at Devil Dirt, was released in May 2008. Mark last played Webster Hall in March of 2008 with the Gutter Twins. Also last year, Belle & Sebastian's BBC Sessions double-album was released - a collection that features Campbell singing, and pictured on the disc's cover.

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan interview and live video below...

Continue reading "Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan playing Webster Hall"

DOWNLOAD: Belle & Sebastian - a short interview with Stevie and Chris (MP3)

To mark the release of the BBC Sessions album on Monday 17th November (in the UK) and Tuesday 18th (USA) we have a short interview with Stevie and Chris, with their recollections of the various trips to Manchester and London.

Continue reading "Belle & Sebastian - new BBC Sessions CD, interview MP3"

photos by Bao Nguyen

"Carl Newman is currently mixing his as-yet-untitled long-player - set for a January release - and is especially enthusiastic about the lineup of musicians who contribute to the new tunes. "My friend John Wurster, who drums with Superchunk and the Mountain Goats, did most of the drumming," he says. "A singer named Nicole Atkins did a lot of singing on it. She's a really killer singer; she kind of reminds me of a cross between Mama Cass and the Shangri-La's."

Currently in the home stretch of completing the CD, Newman admits that he is his own best friend and worst enemy when it comes to working on the project. "Every time I make a record, I sit there thinking, 'It sounds too different,' and then the next day I think, 'it sounds the same as everything else,'" he says. "The next day, I'll go, 'It's perfect,' and the day after that I'll think, 'Its all wrong.' I just put my head down, try to work hard, hope for the best and hope that people buy it so I can continue doing this for a living." As soon as the solo effort is complete, Newman plans to "immediately" begin work on the next Pornographers record.

As far as their live performances are concerned, the New Pornographers plan to host a two-day, 10-band indie rock extravaganza on Labor Day weekend in Vancouver, calling it 'The Stanley Park Singing Exhibition.' The lineup for both nights was hand-picked by the Pornographers themselves; while their lead singer refuses to play favorites, Newman admits to being especially anticipatory about a semi-solo performance of a band he especially loves. "I saw Stevie [Jackson, of Belle and Sebastian fame] do a solo show in Brooklyn, and it was really good. Bob Kildea -- who is also in the band -- will be playing with him as well, which is pretty cool. Bob is the prettiest man in rock." [AOL Spinner]

Continue reading "New Pornographers - APW pics, their own festival, a new AC Newman album (w/ Nicole Atkins) & tour dates"

photos by Ryan Muir

The Stranger: Why the decision to replace the original rhythm section [James Seenan on bass and Kelly's brother Charles on drums] with members of Belle and Sebastian?

Eugene Kelly: We thought it was going to be a one-off gig in Seattle, but it's sort of expanded. So we asked the guys in Belle and Sebastian because we figured it'd be quick and easy. They're really good at picking up songs and not having to rehearse very often. It's worked out really well. Before, the Vaselines never really played what was on the record. We played a different version. Before, it was much more spontaneous and sometimes you didn't know what was going to happen. We thought we'd get people who could reproduce what's on the record. People are going to come and expect to hear that and we want to deliver it for them.

The Vaselines played their second US show (with members of Belle and Sebastian) at Southpaw in Brooklyn last night (July 10, 2008). Was it much different than the show at Maxwell's the night before? More pictures below...

Continue reading "The Vaselines @ Southpaw, Brooklyn, NY - pics"

The Vaselines @ Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ - July 9, 2008 (Music Snobbery)

The Vaselines played Maxwell's last night.

With their setlist, you pretty much got what you came for, unless you wanted Teenage Superstar. Their set was about 45 minuteslong, focusing on their top songs. Their voices haven't aged at all, even though I'd like to meet the person who saw them back in the day and remembers how they played. I can't emphaisze more how unique and special the night was, and then having it be a tribute to the indie rock of 20 years ago. It seems like it could be made today and not feel dated. [Music Snobbery]

Continue reading "This was written by the Vaselines (who played Maxwell's)"

Stevie Jackson @ Union Hall, Brooklyn, NY - Jan 10, 2008 (CRED)

Andy wrote in to say, "Stevie played before the 1900s. Laura Cantrell came out to do a couple songs w/ him during his set including a cover of Hank Williams “Lost Highway”. The 1900s joined him for his last song and then later he joined them for their last song but they didn’t play together other than that."

Stevie Jackson of Belle & Sebastian is in town to play two shows with the 1900s. Tonight (Jan 10) they're at Union Hall (with Laura Gibson), and tomorrow they're both at Mercury Lounge (with Richard Buckner).

Then on January 12th, Stevie takes part in the free Guitar Festival show at Royal Albert Hall.

All new interpretations of Dylan classics performed by Laura Cantrell, Kelly Joe Phelps, Stevie Jackson (Belle & Sebastian), Marshall Crenshaw, Oakley Hall, Lenny Kaye & Katrina Kiedis (Sufjan Stevens Band), Jason Isbell (Drive By Truckers), Jim Lauderdale, Toshi Reagon, Freeman & Vernon Reid, Harry Manx & Kevin Breit, The Last Town Chorus/Megan Hickey, Jesse Harris, Richard Julian & Jim Campilongo, Chocolate Genius Inc. and others.

DOWNLOAD: Belle and Sebastian - Are You Coming Over For Christmas? (MP3)

The lovely new song that is streaming on the home page is called 'Are You Coming Over For Christmas?' and was recorded this week in Glasgow, being completed with three days to spare!

It is a brand new recording and the band's first studio output since last year's 'The Life Pursuit' album.

As well as the band members, it features guest vocals by Celia Garcia, double bass by Dave McGowan, saxophones and clarinet by James Swinburne and harp by Helen Macleod. It was arranged by Mick Cooke, engineered by Steven Clark and mixed by Stuart McCredie.

The track can be streamed from the homepage or the band's MySpace profile. As a special Xmas present, we will switch on the download function on the MySpace from midnight 'til midnight on Christmas Day. Happy Christmas! [Belle and Sebastian]

I couldn't get a ticket. Luckily Jerry Yeti was there. He wrote this post....

"Maybe I'll read off the sponsors again" the MC joked to the audience yesterday as the rain died off and Belle & Sebastian were about to take the stage. He didn't, but he did quiz us on the founding sponsor of the River to River Festival. Hint: it has the word "American" in it and it's not American Apparel.

Continue reading "Belle & Sebastian played in Battery Park"

Heartonastick snapped this picture at the free Dr. John show Wednesday night in NYC. Looks like Starbucks didn't get all the tickets.

I'm not sure exactly what happened, but here are a few reactions...

IN MY EMAIL "River to River screwed a whole lot of Belle & Sebastian fans today. You know how they told everybody they were giving out tickets at the Starbucks starting at noon today? Well, at least at the Barclay & Broadway location, people found out at 11:50am that all the tickets had already been given away. They cited an unspecified 'safety concern' as the reason."

IN THE COMMENTS: "went to the one at woolworth bldg (b'way & barclay st) this morning... got there at 9am and was about 100 ppl back in line. no one knew how many tix they were giving out. at 10:35 or so the line started moving & they were giving out the tix bc the line was like about 500 ppl long (at least) and they had 500 pairs of tix. feel bad for the people who came at noon."

IN THE COMMENTS: "All tickets at the Woolworth Building Starbucks were given away starting a few hours before noon. Lame lame lame."

Tickets are required and space is limited. Two tickets per person will be distributed free, first come – first served on Tuesday, June 27th at the following Starbucks Coffee locations:

Continue reading "get your Belle & Sebastian tix @ Starbucks"

"7 World Trade Center, a gleaming 52-floor tower adjacent to where the Twin Towers stood until Sept. 11, 2001, officially opens on May 23. So far, Silverstein only has commitments for less than 25 percent of the new space." [Reuters]

The opening ceremony is at 11:30. At noon there's a free concert and the lineup is pretty impressive: Brazilian Girls, Citizen Cope, Ollabelle, Pharaoh's Daughter, Lou Reed, Ronan Tynan, Suzanne Vega, and Bill Ware Vibes. Flyer below.....

Continue reading "free show @ Ground Zero: Lou Reed, Brazilian Girls, Citizen Cope, Ollabelle, Suzanne Vega, etc..."

NYC's River to River Festival just announced the official initial lineup of FREE NYC summer concerts. This includes the shows at South Street Seaport, Battery Park, and the World Financial Center. Previously announced highlights include Hot Chip, Richard Hawley, Okkervil River, The Hold Steady, Eels, Smoosh, Alex Chilton, Super Furry Animals, and Son Volt. All of those are now confirmed. New surprises include 4th of July with Belle & Sebastian, Mates of State at Castle Clinton, and a confirmation that Ted Leo is playing the Seaport for the 5th year in a row.

Keep reading for everything....

Continue reading "2006 River to River Festival Schedule | Belle & Sebastian, etc."

NPR will be streaming the B&S/NP show from DC tonight. On March 8th they're streaming CYHSY. If you miss them, they'll have it up later in their permanent archive.

Previously
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah on Letterman
Belle & Sebastian AND New Pornographers played Nokia

B&S @ NOKIA THEATRE

Belle & Sebastian and the New Pornographers (and Matter of Trust) played two nights in a row at NYC's Nokia Theatre last week.

"Then the first surprise of the night. After The NPs set, Carl started talking about how honored he was to be sharing the stage with his heroes. I assumed he was talking about B&S, but instead he brought out a little known German, one-song Billy Joel cover band called Matter of Trust. Of course, the 50 people in the audience that were at the Bowery Ballroom Invite Them Up Release Party knew who Matter of Trust really were: Comedians Jon Benjamin, Jon Glaser, Todd Barry, Tom Shillue, and James McNew from Yo La Tango." [Fake Century]

"There was this crazy drunk Scottish guy there with his girlfriend and he WAS SO DRUNK. He kept smoking and getting ashes all over people's heads and he waved his hands around as if he was conducting the songs. He knew all the words, and I think he sees Stuart as God or Jesus, or something. He and his girlfriend kept having violent fights and she would storm away, only to push right back up to the front to argue with him again. I COULD NOT STOP LAUGHING. At one point, Stuart jumped off the stage and started crowd surfing and KENDRA AND I TOUCHED HIM, YESSSSSSS!" [paulina's livejournal]

"I left the theatre, a very happy girl. A happy girl with a new destination; the after-party at the uber-hip Royal Oak in Williamsburg. Sadly, it was a sheer disappointment as I got trapped by a Frenchman who wanted to talk about the architect Le Corbusier, and how I should travel to Scandinavia, as they're so far ahead of America in regards to design. I failed to mention to him that he was signing to the choir. As a result, I missed any sign that Belle and Sebastian was within my reach, but methinks they were never there." [A Strawberry Fire]

More reviews @ danfun, Fluxblog, Dfactor, Chris' Music Snobbery, and Newsday. Photo from danfun's Flickr.

Previously
Belle & Sebastian In-store Appearances | 2006
Stream the new Belle & Sebastian album
Belle & Sebastian & New Pornographers 2006 Tour Dates
Neko Case @ Joe's Pub, NYC | pics

March 03 - NY, NY Virgin Megastore Union Square in-store signing, 6 PM
March 20 - Los Angeles, CA Amoeba Music, in-store signing and acoustic performance, 3 PM

Previously
Stream the new Belle & Sebastian album
Isobel Cambell | Tour (tix) & an album w/ Mark Lanegan
Belle & Sebastian & New Pornographers 2006 Tour Dates

Scenestars is streaming Belle & Sebastian's The Life Pursuit.

Belle & Sebastian & New Pornographers 2006 U.S. Tour Dates

Feb 25th Toronto - The Docks
Feb 26th Montreal - Metropolis
Feb 27th Boston - Avalon
Feb 28th Boston - Avalon
March 2nd NYC - Nokia Theatre
March 3rd NYC - Nokia Theatre

Continue reading "Belle & Sebastian & New Pornographers 2006 Tour Dates"

From Matador Records: "While venues and dates are still being confirmed, we can announce that Belle & Sebastian and The New Pornographers will be touring together in early '06 throughout North America, the former in support of the forthcoming 'The Life Pursuit', the latter behind the consensus pick for the album of 2006, 'Twin Cinema'."

A peak at Mogwai's tour dates, reveal at least one B&S date at SXSW.