TV on the Radio appeared on the Colbert Report last night. Watch the whole episode at Comedy Central's website. TVOTR were on SNL two days earlier. Tunde Adebimpe (Fake Male Voice) plays Glasslands in Gallery in Brooklyn tonight (2/10).

Speaking of Comedy Central, The Daily Show correspondent Demetri Martin has a series starting on the channel on Wednesday. Jon Stewart is the new show's producer.

TVOTR topped this year's Pazz & Jop Critics' Poll (unlike two years ago). You can read the whole poll HERE (and that's the cover of the recent Village Voice issue it was in, above).

photos by Jonny Leather

Ponytail is a 4-piece art rock band formed in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, on the label We Are Free. Their sound has been compared to Deerhoof as well as Ecstatic Sunshine, due to the band's experimental guitar work and unique vocal stylings. The band has toured internationally, with bands such as Battles, Hella, Don Caballero, High Places and others. They have released two albums, Kamehameha, and Ice Cream Spiritual. They were named "Best Live Band" by Baltimore City Paper in September 2007 and "Best Band" in September 2008.[Wikipedia]

Ponytail brought it to The Bell House in Brooklyn on Friday night (1/23). Download an ACOUSTIC session they did for Daytrotter (if you haven't already). See more pictures from the Brooklyn show and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Ponytail - Daytrotter acoustic, 2009 European tour dates & pics from the Bell House "

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Graf Orlock - "Run Over By A Truck" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Graf Orlock - "A Shocking Interrogation" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Wetnurse - "Not Your Choice" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Lewd Acts - "Play Me Something That I Know" (MP3)

Sweeeet undies, GOrlock!

What do you get when you cross a metal band with a serious case of ADD and multiple personality disorder, spazzy-grinders with a Point Break fetish, and a crew from a whale's vagina with a Deathwish? A f'n good show, that's what!

Wetnurse, Graf Orlock, Lewd Acts, and 26 Beers will redline the RPH meter (that's riffs per hour) when they team up to destroy The Charleston in Brooklyn on Sunday Jan 18th. The shindig kicks off at 9.

Graf Orlock and Lewd Acts are in the midst of an East Coast tour that also brings the band to New Brunswick, NJ on Saturday Jan 17 and completes in Atlanta on Jan 24.

As we reported in July, Graf Orlock is prepping Destination Time Today, due on March 3rd via Level Plane. Decibel proclaimed it one of the most anticipated albums of 2009. I gotta agree.

Wetnurse recently released Invisible City, garnering heaping shit-tons of end-of-year accolades, including by John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats...

John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats' Best of 2008:
Wetnurse, Invisible City (Seventh Rule)
Larkin Grimm, Parplar (Young God)
Tata Young, One Love (Sony/BMG)
Kaki King, Dreaming of Revenge (Velour)
Aura Noir, Hades Rise (Tyrant Syndicate)
Cece Winans, Thy Kingdom Come (EMI Gospel)
Killer Mike, I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind 2 (SMC Recordings)
Planet Asia & DJ Muggs, Pain Language (Gold Dust Media)
the Breeders, Mountain Battles (4AD)
Enslaved, Vertebrae (Season of Mist)

Lewd Acts recently signed on with hardcore heavyweights Deathwish Inc, and are finishing up their LP with Kurt Ballou at God City Records. Until that drops, the band has a few 7"s including their latest one, Lung Patrol, on 16oh Records... check out "Play Me Something That I Know" from the Lung Patrol 7" above and pick one up at the show!

By the way, I'm not usually one to point out merch, but one gander at Graf Orlock's merch from past and present is good for a chuckle.

All dates and Sunday's flyer below...

Continue reading "Graf Orlock & Lewd Acts -2009 tour dates (Wetnurse Sunday)"

by Black Bubblebgum

sunn o))) @ Knitting Factory (more by Damien Neva)


Ya hear that rumble? Thats the sound of great records perched in the distance waiting to descend on 2009 (more on that later). While this year will bring about great music and another set of "next big things", let's take the time to be thankful for 2008 and all of it's memorable records and shows. Here are my favorite records of 2008:

Continue reading "the year in Metal (Best of 2008, what's coming in 2009)"

by Black Bubblegum

NIN in Atlantic City, NJ (more by Zach Dilgard)

Got a few weeks to kill? Time to break out that new hard drive that you got over the holidays.

"The internet is full of surprises these days.
I was contacted by a mysterious, shadowy group of subversives who SOMEHOW managed to film a substantial amount (over 400 GB!) of raw, unedited HD footage from three separate complete shows of our Lights in the Sky tour. Security must have been lacking at these shows because the quality of the footage is excellent". -Trent Reznor

There is about 405gb of HD footage available. It was recorded with multiple consumer HDV cameras during three shows: Victoria 12.05.08, Portland 12.07.08, and Sacramento 12.12.08.

This is raw, unedited, un-color-corrected HD footage. It will be primarily of interest to advanced users, who may wish to attempt to edit it together into something. It could be really interesting to see what creative users can put together using this and other fan-recorded footage. These guys are off to a great start already.

...The footage is available as a free download via bitTorrent. If you don't know what bitTorrent is, please go to this link and read every word of it before you ask anyone on the forums what to do with the torrent files. [NIN Forum]

In related news...

NIN's other new album "The Slip" is still available as a free download.

NIN keyboared player Alessandro Cortini has left the band "to concentrate on his own projects".

Marilyn Manson wants Dita Von Teese and Trent Reznor to testify in court.

Jim DeRogatis says the Trent-produced Saul Williams album Niggy Tardust was one of the best of 2008.

NIN are playing some shows in Australia in February. No other tour dates at this time.

Thurston Moore @ ATP NY 2008 (more by Zach Dilgard)

1. Eight Miles High (Das Wilde Leben) - German movie about Uschi Obermaier, super 60s Rolling Stones groupie who was a commune radical in Berlin.

continued below...

Continue reading "Thurston Moore's top 10 things in 2008 "

Owen & Matt

Final Fantasy (singer, composer, and arranger Owen Pallett) is known for his process-based experimental-pop solo violin performances, which allow the audience to witness the construction of his densely textured, layered, intricately polyphonic songs in real-time. For this new project, Final Fantasy presents a dynamic set of live violin and electronics with musician and composer Matt Smith. Through a complex sampling and spatialization process that is half-rehearsed and half-improvised, Pallett and Smith re-create a site-specific version of the more dissonant and abstract Final Fantasy repertoire. [The show at the Kitchen called] Ffiinnaall Ffaannttaassyy also anticipates the forthcoming release of Heartland, the follow-up to Final Fantasy's recent Polaris Prize-winning album, He Poos Clouds.

Final Fantasy released two EP's in 2008. Grizzly Bear's Ed Droste listed then on his top 10 of 2008. Owen Pallett's top 10 of 2008, and his new Final Fantasy video, below...

Continue reading "Final Fantasy adds NYC shows w/ Matt Smith, new video, new album Heartland, and Owen's top 10 of 2008"

Punchline Magazine's 10 best comedy albums of 2008
#1 - DOUG BENSON, Professional Humoredian
#2 - LOUIS C.K., Chewed Up
#3 - ANDI SMITH, Homeperm
#4 - ROBERT KELLY, Just The Tip
#5 - ROCKY LaPORTE, Who Knew?
#6 - TODD BARRY, From Heaven
#7 - MITCH HEDBERG, Do You Believe in Gosh?
#8 - LISA LANDRY, Put Your Keys in the Keybowl
#9 - DOV DAVIDOFF, The Point Is...
#10 - TOM McCAFFREY, Lou Diamond Phillips?

What are the best music albums?

Video of Doug Benson performing live in 2007 below...

Continue reading "What are the best comedy albums of 2008?"

photos by Lori Baily

Many predicted that Deerhunter would get Pitchfork's #1 album of 2008, but in fact they gave it to Fleet Foxes. Bradford Cox should still be happy with both Deerhunter at #5 and Atlas Sound at #26 though. Speaking of Bradford Cox, he blogged this...

Just got of the phone with Brian Weitz [Geologist of Animal Collective]. This was sent out via the bands email earlier this morning:

"it has come to my attention that 2 full length tracks off of our upcoming album, merriweather post pavilion have surfaced online. david, noah, and I please ask that someone assist us and leak all of the remaining tracks on the album.

the album is intended to be heard as a whole, and nothing bothers us more than individual tracks leaking and ruining the the overall album experience

-brian Geologist"

Total Bullshit. Someone actually had the nerve to hack into their e-mail account and send this out. The truth is that AC do not want their album to leak and are trying very hard to avoid the drama around said album that has risen to a fever pitch.

I am not trying to involve myself in AC's business, I am just voicing my own independent opinion.

Back in the 90's when I was first starting to make 4-track tapes I had a game where I would make a fake version of an album I was anticipating. If Pavement's Brighten the Corners were coming out soon, I had to wait till release day to hear it. I would record a set of songs that I would want the Pavement album to sound like. Some of those songs ended up becoming Atlas Sound and Deerhunter songs years later.

My advice to those who are so desperate for AC's album to leak is to pick up instruments and make your own version of what you would want it to sound like. Respect the BANDS wishes and wait till release day. Then you can compare your new songs with theirs. Who knows. Maybe your album will be the one people are wanting to leak next year. -Bradford

The pictures in this post were taken at the Stereogum Gummy Awards at Music Hall of Williamsburg earlier this month. More of them below...

Continue reading "Deerhunter not P4K's #1, Gummy pics, Animal Collective leak"

photos by Tim Griffin, words By Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Iran - "Buddy" (MP3)

Iran @ CMJ 2008

Iran (WITH Kyp Malone) will play a show at Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn, TONIGHT (12/18). Also on the bill: Fakers and Lone Wolf and Cub (Ryan Sawyer of Tall Firs and Stars Like Fleas - not the metal band). Presumably, Iran will, uh, run... through tracks from their upcoming record Dissolver, due on Feb 3, 2009 via Narnack.

Back to CMJ for a second....before 2 Live Crew played, a Kyp-less-and-still-named-after-a-'rogue-nation', Iran, played a renamed-The Soft Pack-less (they cancelled) and Lee "Scratch" Perry-less (he cancelled) Narnack Showcase this year, at Santos Party House, with the Sundelles, Vaz and Restavrant. Check out the overdue pics from that show above and below, and note - that's Doug Anson that sat in for Kyp. That probably won't happen again though, as we're told that Kyp plans on playing many more shows with the band, including as part of a 2009 tour out of NYC.

In related news, Kyp Malone's other band TV On The Radio, is garnering accolades-a-plenty including album of the year from The Onion AV Club, and from everyone's favorite weirdo Eric Wareheim of Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!. The Onion AV Club also cornered Santos Party House co-owner Andrew WK about his favorite record of the year.... Lee "Scratch" Perry's Repentance. Hmm... didn't he have something to do with that record?

In more related-to-Glasslands-tonight news, Tall Firs have teamed up with Awesome Color to play the Knitting Factory on Dec 19th (tickets here). Ryan Sawyer's other band, Stars Like Fleas, are recording a new record and have scheduled a show at Le Poisson Rouge on January 24th with Au (tickets here).

A whole bunch of pictures from the Narnack CMJ showcase, and tonight's Glasslands flyer, below...

Continue reading "Iran shows with (tonight) and without (pics) Kyp Malone, TVOTR is #1?, Awesome Color, Tall Firs, Narnack & stuff "

photos by Eric M. Townsend

Like Conrad Keely, Marnie Stern played the NY Cares benefit at Knitting Factory on December 8th. Like Crystal Stilts, Marnie Stern is playing Knitting Factory again this Saturday. And like Crystal Stilts, but unlike the Dodos, Marnie Stern made Pitchfork's Top 50 Albums of 2008 (26-50). A few more NY Cares pics below...

Continue reading "Marnie Stern in P4K's top 50 + KF past (pics) & KF future (tix) "

photos by Natasha Ryan

Walkman/Dodo

Walt Martin of The Walkmen's Top 10 of 2008
1. Thee Oh Sees, The Master Bedroom is Worth Spending a Night In (astleface/Tomlab)
2. Thee Oh Sees, The Hounds of Foggy Notion (Castleface/Tomlab)
3. Thee Oh Sees, Thee Oh Sees/The Intelligence Split EP (Mt. St. Mtn.)
4. Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)
5. The Howling Hex, Earthjunk (Drag City)
6. Bonnie "Prince" Billie, Lie Down in The Light (Drag City)
7. Beach House, Devotion (Carpark)
8. The Breeders, Mountain Battles (4AD)
9. Dirty Dancing Soundtrack (20th Anniversary Edition) (RCA)
10. Animal House Soundtrack (30th Anniversary Edition) (MCA)
(that list via Filter)

Continue reading "the Walkmen & the Dodos @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple - pics"

The Dodos, Department of Eagles, Torche, Harvey Milk, Abe Vigoda, The Duchess and the Duke, Jay Reatard, Sun Kil Moon, Why? and Women were among the twenty 2008 "honorable mentions" Pitchfork awarded today. In other words, these albums will not be part of the Top 50 of 2008 they are publishing soon.

What was your favorite album of 2008?

The Dodos opened for the Walkmen @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple last night (12/16)

Jason Bentley's Top 10 of 2008

1. M83 - Saturday's = Youth (Mute)
2. Santogold - Santogold (Downtown)
3. Jamie Lidell - Jim (Warp Records)
4. Adele - 19 (XL Recordings/Colombia)
5. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (XL Recordings)
6. Juana Molina - Un Dia (Domino)
7. Little Dragon - Little Dragon (Peacefrog)
8. The Black Ghosts - The Black Ghosts (IAMSOUND Records)
9. Portishead - Third (Mercury Records)
10. Jazzanova - Of All the Things (Verve)

Sebastien Tellier

Midnight Juggernauts' Top 10 albums of 2008

1. Gang Gang Dance, Saint Dymphna (The Social Registry)
2. Sebastian Tellier, Sexuality (Record Makers)
3. Deerhunter, Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. (Kranky)
4. Squarepusher, Just a Souvenir (Warp)
5. Lindstrom, Where You Go I Go Too (Smalltown Supersound)
6. Portishead, Third (Mercury)
7. The Do, A Mouthful (Wagram)
8. Metronomy, Nights Out (Because)
9. Late of the Pier, Black Fantasy Channel (EMI)
10. School of Seven Bells, Alpinisms (Full Time Hobby)

Sebastien Tellier plays Le Poisson Rouge in NYC TONIGHT, Thursday December 11th. School of Seven Bells are at Mercury Lounge on Monday.

Check out the video for "On My Shoulders" by The Do below...

Continue reading "Midnight Juggernauts list albums & Sebastien Tellier is here"

The Watson Twins' Top 9 albums of 2008

1. Elbow, The Seldom Seen Kid (Geffen Records)
2. Everest, Ghost Notes (Vapor Records)
3. Chica Libre, Sonido Amazonico (Barbes)
4. My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges (Ato Records / Red)
5. Cat Power, Jukebox (Matador Records)
6. Radiohead, In Rainbows (ATO)
7. David Byrne/Brian Eno, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today (Todo Mundo)
8. Jenny Lewis, Acid Tongue (Warner Bros.)
9. Bob Dylan, Bootleg Series Vol. 8 (Sony)

Continue reading "Watson Twins & Ben Kweller - tour dates & favorite albums"

Krallice in Brooklyn (more by Leia Jospe)

Ryan Adams' Top 9 Albums of 2008

Testament, The Formation of Damnation (Nuclear Blast Americ)
Krallice, Krallice (Profound Lore)
The Killers, Day and Age (Island Records)
The Smiths, The Very Best of The Smiths (Rhino)
Metallica, Death Magnetic (Warner Bros.)
Mariah Carey, E=MC 2 (Island)
Coldplay, Viva La Vida (Capitol)
Fleet Foxes, Sun Giant EP (Sub Pop)
Ihsahn, Angl (Candlelight)

Continue reading "Ryan Adams - 2009 Tour Dates, top 9 Albums of 2008"

Edward Droste of Grizzly Bear's Top 10 of 2008

1. Beach House, Devotion (Carpark Records)
2. Department of Eagles, In Ear Park (4ad Records)
3. Portishead, Third (Mercury)
4. Nico Muhly, Mothertongue (Brassland Records)
5. Final Fantasy, EPs (Tomlab)
6. Hercules and Love Affair, Hercules and Love Affair (Mute U.S.)
7. M83, Saturdays=Youth (Mute U.S.)
8. Ssion, Fools Gold (Sleazetone)
9. The Chap, Mega Breakfast (Ghostly Int'l)
10. John Maus, Love is Real (Upset! The Rhythm)

Continue reading "updated Beach House tour dates, Ed Droste's Top 10 "

M83 @ Bowery Ballroom (more by Bao Nguyen)

Anthony Gonzalez of M83's Top 10 of 2008:

1. Chairlift, Does You Inspire You (Kanine Records)
2. MGMT, Oracular Spectacular (Columbia)
3. Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes (Sub Pop)
4. Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend (XL Records)
5. Hercules and Love Affair, self-titled (DFA Records)
6. Cut Copy, In Ghost Colors (Modular/Interscope)
7. No Age, Nouns (Sub Pop)
8. Free Kitten, Inherit (Ecstatic Peace)
9. James Blunt, All the Lost Souls (Atlantic)
10. Sun Kil Moon, April (Caldo Verde)

Speaking of which, no need to go to MSG to see M83 because they've added a smaller show at Irving Plaza, on the day they have off one day earlier. Tickets for the January 24th show are on sale. All dates below...

Continue reading "M83 name top 10 albums of 2008, add NYC show (on sale)"

DOWNLOAD: Ewan Pearson - Buzzin' Fly, August 22, 2008 (MP3)

XLR8R Issue 123 - Best of 2008

This past weekend, which I was really looking forward to, wound up being pretty lame dance-wise. Things started off okay at Webster Hall Friday night. D.I.M. began his set with some oldies but goodies from last year: Boys Noize - "Lava Lava", and the Chemical Brothers - "Salmon Dance" (Crookers Wow remix), then immediately launched into a three song burst of new stuff - MGMT - "Kids" (Soulwax remix), Tiga - "Mind Dimension", and Mr. Oizo - "Positif", which was entirely too short-lived as D.I.M.'s set quickly devolved into what could have unfortunately been a playlist titled "Best Electro of '07". Mostly good songs, just a year old. This can be fine, but nothing D.I.M. was doing was really grabbing my attention.

I started hoping Switch's set would blow me away and save the evening. Unfortunately that was not the case. Switch, apparently nowhere to be found, did not go on, and AC Slater who was scheduled to close out the night, filled in his place. At that point I was frustrated, cold (Webster wasn't too full at that point and was drafty), and having my ear talked off by some drunk a-hole about how great Switch was (after I informed him that it was D.I.M., NOT SWITCH), so I left.

Saturday I was so looking forward to seeing Green Velvet at Sullivan Room (after missing him the past 2 times he was here), but I got a cold and decided to stay in. Apparently he had the packed floor moving all night...

video of that and many upcoming events below....

Continue reading "the Thanksgiving week in Dance w/ Showtrotta (Drop The Lime - Best of 2008, Ewan Pearson, FIXED, 19+ @ Studio B)"

KTXT (88.1 FM) out of Texas posted their list of the 10 most disappointing albums of 2008 on their blog The Couch. This is what they came up with...

10. Weezer - The Red Album
9. The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust
8. Mars Volta - The Bedlam In Goliath
7. Black Kids - Partie Traumatic
6. CSS - Donkey
5. Ghostland Observatory - Robotique Majestique
4. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
3. Beck - Modern Guilt
2. Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty
1. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - Cardinology

What are your favorites?

CSS play Webster Hall on December 17th & 18th. Tickets are still on sale. Ghostland Obersvatory are playing Terminal 5 in NYC on December 12th. Tickets are still on sale. Black Kids are playing a private party at Bowery Ballroom on December 9th (no tickets). If you weren't too disappointed, the rest of the BK & GO tour dates below...

Continue reading "What were the most disappointing albums of 2008?"

DOWNLOAD: Steinski - The Payoff Mix (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Steinski - Lesson Two (James Brown Mix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Steinski - Lesson Three (History of Hip Hop) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bon Iver - Skinny Love (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Shearwater - Leviathan Bound (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (Dj Doc Rok Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fucked Up - No Epiphany (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fucked Up - Twice Born (MP3)

Plush's Fed & The Dodos' Visiter

It's the time of year when people start talking which album was the best this year. That usually means I start cramming and trying to figure out what I still haven't heard and look forward to what others have to say to make my selection process slightly easier. Part of what I'm saying is, I'm not ready to answer that yet. According to the aggregated critics at MetaCritic, this is what was best this year...

1 London Zoo by The Bug
2 Fed by Plush
3 For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver
4 Dear Science, by TV On The Radio
5 Exit by Shugo Tokumaru
6 Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes
7 Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
8 Robyn by Robyn
9 Hercules And Love Affair by Hercules And Love Affair
10 What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective by Steinski

Other bands currently ranking in Metacritic's Top 30: The Dodos, The Music Tapes, Shearwater, Portishead, Harvey Milk, Torche, The Hold Steady, Drive By Truckers, and Fucked Up.

Also put out albums this year: Sigur Ros, Jamie Lidell, Laura Marling, Lykke Li, Marnie Stern, Jenny Lewis, She & Him, Conor Oberst, My Morning Jacket, MGMT, The Black Keys, Calexico, Crystal Stilts, Crystal Castles, Crystal Antlers, Grails, Al Green, Anathallo, Flight of the Conchords, Frightened Rabbit, Wolf Parade, Vampire Weekend, Vivian Girls, The Walkmen, Santogold, Parts & Labor, Cut Copy, Hot Chip, David Byrne, Death Cab For Cutie, Beck, Beach House, Elbow, REM, M83, NIN, No Age, Of Montreal, Destroyer, Department of Eagles, Deerhoof, Deerhunter, The Dears, and Deer Tick (though Deer tick was out in 2007 and reissued in 2008) (and I guess Radiohead is qualified too) (and Metallica, AC/DC and Guns N' Roses) (and JACK JOHNSON) (and a million others).

Who else? What are your favorites this year? Who will Pitchfork pick as #1?

The Bug is going on tour with Nine Inch Nails. Those dates are below...

Continue reading "What is the best album of 2008? (when did it come out?)"