The Human League recently released Credo, their first LP in ten years and ninth overall, though according to a source quoted on Wikipedia, it "will not be available domestically in the US or on iTunes." The album is out now overseas. Maybe that will change, Regardless, the classic new wave band has scheduled some shows in the United States.

Though all dates haven't been announced yet, it looks like The Human League will tour from California to NYC, kicking things off at "Totally 80s Hollywood Bowl" on September 2nd along with The B-52s, The Fixx, and Berlin. The B-52s will also join them on other dates, as will fellow old school new wavers Men Without Hats who are the only opener at the NYC show at Best Buy Theater on 9/23. Tickets for that one go on AmEx presale at 10am today (5/18), and on regular sale on Friday.

Men Without Hats recently played SXSW, a fact that amused many in attendance. Houston Press caught them:

Every year at SXSW, Aftermath scans the schedule of hundreds and hundreds of bands and always has the same reaction: "They're still around?"

This year it was Canadian synth-pop safety dancers Men Without Hats. Since Aftermath was already going to be at Club de Ville Friday to interview Cheap Trick/Candy Golde drummer Bun E. Carlos and the Hats - who turned out to be founder Ivan Doroschuk (in a cowboy hat), two hired guns on synths and another on guitar - were closing out the night, we said, "Why the hell not?"

We're glad we did. Yes, there was the "S-s-s-s...A-a-a-a...F-f-f-f..." portion of the evening, at which point the entire tented patio became a sea of cameras and some very amusing dancing (above), but there's a little more to the Hats than that song, which is still as sleek and joyful as ever. It's no albatross Doroschuk only hauls out because he has to, that's for sure, as proved by the singer's own enthusiastic choreography during the 1982 hit.
For one thing, there's also "Pop Goes the World," an afterthought these days but itself a 1987 smash and practically as perfect a little pop song as you're going to find even today; we watched more than a few people who banked on leaving after "Safety Dance" turn right back around.

All known tour dates and some new and old Human League videos, below...

Continue reading "Human League playing shows w/ B-52s & Men Without Hats "

Yo La Tengo @ the Bell House in September (more by David Andrako)

All eight Yo La Tengo Hanukkah shows are sold out, and frankly, even catching a free Yo La Tengo show during CMJ can't compensate for missing one of those shows, so I won't pretend this is good news for those that got shut out of Maxwell's, but this is good news nonetheless. Yo La Tengo will play a free Mog-sponsored CMJ opening night show at Brooklyn Bowl on Tuesday, October 19th (M.I.A. style). And it gets better. Screaming Females, also from NJ, will open the free Brooklyn bowling alley show. It kicks off at 8pm (doors at 6).... and UPDATE: Dom is playing it too!

Don't want to wait in line to maybe catch Screaming Females for free when you can guarantee your way in the door to see the same band two nights later? Want to see them twice? Hate bowling alleys? Don't go out on Tuesdays? You're in luck, because as previously-mentioned, Screaming Females are also playing the official BrooklynVegan CMJ showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg on October 21st with the stellar lineup of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Blow, Yuck, and Young Man. Some tickets are still available (and we'll be letting in a whole bunch of people with CMJ badges).

Yo La Tengo recently got back from Vegas where they helped Matador celebrate 21 years in legendary fashion, but before that they took part in a Brooklyn show that may be remembered as a legendary show for alternative NYC comedy (though not necessarily for nice reasons).

In November, City Slang is having a 20th birthday party in Berlin. Yo La Tengo are playing that anniversary celebration too. Full lineup, including The Notwist playing "Neon Golden" from start to finish, below...

Continue reading "Yo La Tengo playing a free NYC show w/ Screaming Females, 20 Years of City Slang in Berlin"

DOWNLOAD: Lou Reed - Caroline Says, Pt. II. (@ St Anns) (MP3)

Lou Reed & Antony - Oct 2005 (more)

today in NYC
* FREE SHOWS
* Glass Ghost & Treasure @ Cake Shop
* The Look, Essie Jain & Peasant @ Zebulon
* Lou Reed & John Zorn @ (le) poisson rouge
* Army Navy, Autodrone & Saints and Lovers @ Mercury Lounge
* Vivian Girls Hawnay Troof, City Center & Urxed @ Death By Audio

Hawnay Troof's new Beastie Boys-influenced album "Islands of Ayle" (out 9/9) features guests Randy Randall (of No Age), Mary Pearson (of High Places), Bretzel Goring (of Stereo Total), Annie Lewandowski (of The Curtains), Jenny Hoyston (of Erase Errata), Jamie Stewart (of Xiu Xiu), and Carla Bozulich (of Evangelista). A bonus disc of the remix album "Remixes of Ayle" comes with first edition of the CD. It features remixes from Xiu Xiu, Disaster (Brendan Fowler), Soft Pink Truth (Drew Daniel of Matmos), Mae Shi, Eve Massacre, Ssion, Lucky Dragons and Club Murder. Hawnay Troof (Vice Cooler) is from Oakland, CA. Tonight's Brooklyn, NY show at Death By Audio is the record release party. Vivian Girls, Urxed (Rob from High Places) and City Center (Fred Saturday Looks Good To Me) are also on the bill. At 8pm there will be free self defense lessons for women courtesy of the Center for Anti-Violence Education.

Matador is releasing the soundtrack to Lou Reed's "Berlin: Live at St. Ann's Warehouse" (in stores on October 21 / September 30 on iTunes). Track #8 available for download above.

I'm pretty sure that's Antony's voice you can hear in the track. Antony & the Johnsons' new Another World EP is out October 7th on Secretly Canadian.

What else?

win tickets....

The Hold Steady and The Virgins are playing Webster Hall on May 2nd. Tickets go on sale April 12th. Regina Spektor, Nick Lowe, Sondre Lerche and many others are playing the annual day show at Canal Room (April 29-May 2). This is all part of this year's Tribeca Film Festival which believe it or not includes movies too (Lou Reed's Berlin directed by Julian Schnabel included). The day shows are for festival pass holders only, but I have two pairs of tickets to give away that get you in to the Canal Room for the whole week. How to win, and full festival details/lineups, below.....

Continue reading "Tribeca Film Festival music programming - The Hold Steady, Regina Spektor, Nick Lowe, Sondre Lerche, movies & stuff"

DOWNLOAD: Lou Reed - Caroline Says II (Berlin live) (MP3)

St Ann's Warehouse in DUMBO, Brooklyn, NY (aturkus)

Lou Reed recorded the album Berlin in 1973.
It was a commercial failure.
Over the next 33 years, he never performed the album live.

For five nights in December 2006 at St. Ann's Warehouse Brooklyn,
Lou Reed performed his masterwork about love's dark sisters;
jealousy, rage and loss.
-Julian Schnabel

Julian Schnabel has created "Berlin" the movie based on the Brooklyn shows. Sharon Jones, Antony and many others performed in those shows (aka they are in the movie too). More info, including a SXSW screening, below...

Continue reading "Lou Reed's Berlin - a film by Julian Schnabel (@ SXSW)"