Rakim @ Rock the Bells 2010 (more by Andrew St. Clair)

Pentagram @ Power of the Riff in LA (photos by Adam Murray)

today in NYC
* ASSSSCAT 3000 @ UCB
* Dayna Kurtz @ Barbes
* Emily Wells @ Ace Hotel
* Chicago @ Beacon Theatre
* Susana Baca @ City Winery
* IDENTITY Fest @ Jones Beach
* Hannibal Buress @ Knitting Factory
* Talib Kweli (DJ) @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Dom, Sheen Bros & DJs @ Public Assembly
* Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Leisure, Emil & Friends, Slam Donahue @ Littlefield
* Rakim, EPMD, Funkmaster Flex @ Central Park Summerstage
* Quitzow, Alexander Trust, WKC, Shock Diamond @ Bruar Falls
* Canadian Rifle, Shaved Christ, Foreigh Objects @ The Acheron
* Stephane Wrembel Presents The Django Experiment @ Barbes
* Iceage, Crazy Spirit, Raspberry Bulbs, Perdition @ Secret Project Robot
* Pretty Good Friends w/ Eugene Mirman, David Cross, AD Miles @ the Bell House
* Pentagram, JEFF The Brotherhood, Valient Thorr, ELKS @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Paul Metzger, Neg-Fi, Eleven Twenty-Nine (Silent Barn Benefit) @ Zebulon
* Doldrums, Zorch, Many Mansions, Say No! to Architecture @ Death By Audio
* People's Champs, Nate Hancock & The Declaration, Mariami, Lyonnais @ Mercury Lounge
* Pizza Hi-Five, Archagathus, Violent Gorge, Powercup, Misanthropic Noise @ Acheron
* Christopher Willits, Jozef Van Wissem, Noveller, Loren Dent, Alexander Turnquist @ Littlefield

The IDENTITY Festival comes to Jones Beach today. It looks like this:

KASKADE 10:00 PM / DISCO BISCUITS 8:10 PM / AVICII 6:25 PM / CHUCKIE 5:10 PM / BOOKA SHADE 3:55 PM / MODESELEKTOR 2:40 PM / JESSIE AND THE TOY BOYS 2:05 PM / DATA ROMANCE 1:00 PM

/ ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK x DIM MAK STAGE /
DJ SHADOW 10:15 PM / STEVE AOKI 8:15 PM / NERO 6:50 PM / STEVE LAWLER 5:40 PM / THE CRYSTAL METHOD 4:40 PM / HOLY GHOST! 3:40 PM / HERCULES AND LOVE AFFAIR 2:40 PM / LE CASTLE VANIA 1:40 PM

Flyer below.

Power 105.1 is hosting a show on Governors Island today with Fabolous, Kelly Rowland, Big Sean, Meek Mill, J. Cole, Estelle, Wale, and Ace Hood. Living Social has tickets for $20 each.

JEFF the Brotherhood, who recently played Rockawaway Beach, play LPR with Pentagram tonight.

DOM, who recently played Pier 54, play Rockaway Beach today plays Public Assembly today instead of Rockaway Beach due to rain..

Today at Pier 54 is the Blues BBQ with:

7:30 Bonerama
6:15 Shakura S'Aida
5:00 Walter Trout
3:45 Diana Braithwaite & Chris Whiteley
2:30 Marquise Knox

Rakim headlines Central Park Summerstage today.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday?"

The above pictures is a screen shot from the Virgin Freefest lineup announcement video that they posted to YouTube. The girl behind the words exclaims, "James Murphy solo!" as she reads her piece of the September 10th free MD festival lineup. The full lineup, video, poster and press release is below...

Continue reading "Virgin FreeFest announces 2011 lineup (includes "James Murphy solo" and many more)"

Quincy Jones, Aloe Blacc, and Kanye West

The above photo comes from crooner/MC Aloe Blacc's site and a benefit show that featured the three. So far, no indication that the trio will form a mega-trio, although if possible it will have to wait until Aloe Blacc returns from his current tour in the EU. Aloe Blacc spent Saturday night (6/25) playing Glastonbury in the UK alongside names like Radiohead, Pulp, Beyonce, and countless notable others. Check video of his performance below.

Aloe Blacc will spend the bulk of July touring overseas before heading back to the US to prep for a new batch of East Coast dates in early September. Those dates include a return to Highline Ballroom on September 2nd. Tickets are on sale.

In other news, Kanye West's GOOD Music imprint has landed a home at Def Jam which is part of Universal (which just lost Common to Warner Brothers).

Kanye's GOOD Music just released Big Sean's LP Finally Famous this week. What do you think of Big Sean? As Pitchfork pointed out, Flying Lotus is not a fan ("This Big Sean album is not sweet. I dunno why I try to like this stuff. I want my time back! same wack ass post drake cadence,talking about the same shit i heard in the last rap album i bought(nothing).more autotune.more snare repeat"). Flylo does however like the new Shabazz Palaces.

Speaking of Flying Lotus and Aloe Blacc, they both performed with the Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble in LA in 2010. Pharoahe Monch performs with the Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble in NYC in July 2011.

All Aloe tour dates and some video is below.

Continue reading "Aloe Blacc scheduled more dates, GOOD Music joins Def Jam, Common joins Warner Brothers"

Kanye West & Big Sean @ Irving Plaza Tuesday (Joshua Laboy)

Maybe it was all the excitement of summer finally arriving, but for whatever reason, NYC shows have been pretty heavy on the special guests lately. Here's a few we know about.

Reggie Watts was the secret guest that joined Glenn Kotche and Buke & Gass during 'Wilco weekend' at NYU for the Jab Abumrad's Radiolab Concert on Saturday (6/18). Reggie was a secret because of the two Summerstage shows he's playing this week including the one in Red Hook Park TONIGHT (6/24).

Reptar was a secret guest at the Thee Oh Sees Brooklyn Bowl show on Saturday (Reptar played Governors Ball earlier that day). And as predicted, Thee Oh Sees themselves were the secret headliner at Death by Audio the previous night (6/17).

Reptar, who also opened for Art Brut at Music Hall last night, will open for Foster the People at Terminal 5 on September 27th. The only mystery here is how Foster the People are big enough to headline Terminal 5 already! Tickets are on sale.

Ted Leo showed up as a special guest at the Eleanor Friedberger show at Europa during Northside. Bradford Cox was in the Audience. Catch Ted again at the free South Street Seaport kickoff party for the 4Knots Festival that Eleanor plays at the South Street Seaport a week later. It was just announced that Eleanor will also open for Deerhunter at their Webster Hall shows in August. (Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox must have really liked her set) Tickets for both Deerhunter shows are still available.

As also recently mentioned both Clams Casino and Neon Indian (DJ) were added as last minute surprises guests to the Northside show at Cameo on Sunday (6/19). The show was one day after Neon Indian played Governors Ball. Monday night Cameo hosted semi-secret DJ sets by YACHT, The Miracles Club & Midnight Magic, all who played MHOW on Sunday.

Kanye West showed up at Big Sean's Irving Plaza show on Tuesday (6/21), the same night Big Sean appeared on the Bon Iver episode of Fallon. Despite two of Kanye's friends being on Fallon on the same night however, Kanye did not make an appearance on the show (not even backstage). Videos from Irving Plaza below.

Justin Vernon did not show up at the S. Carey/David Bazan show at Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday (6/22), as we hoped he would. S. Carey is a member of Bon Iver's band and played with Justin the two days previous on both Fallon and Colbert.

Speaking of Fallon, Bob Mould (who DJs his Blowoff party at Highline Ballroom tonight) showed up and surprised people by playing a Sugar song backed by the Roots on the show. Mould recently performed live with the Foo Fighters during their set at Sasquatch. Video of that special guest appearance is below.

Lenny Kravtiz's daughter Zoë Kravitz and her band Elevator Fight played Southpaw with J*Davey on Tuesday (6/21). Lenny showed up to watch his daughter, but he wasn't the only crowd member blowing up Twitter. Drake was also in the audience to catch the show. FADER grabbed him outside the Park Slope venue for a quick video interview which you can watch below.

Flying Lotus & Just Blaze @ Music Hall (via the Comedian)

Flying Lotus headlined two Brainfeeder showcases (his label) this week. The first was at Bowery Ballroom on Monday (6/20) and the second at MHOW on Wednesday (6/22). Apparently trippy instrumentals aren't the only thing FlyLo digs when it comes to hip hop producers, because Just Blaze (Jay-Z, T.I.) showed up to play with him at the MHOW show. Flying Lotus also surprised NYC by playing a free late show at Le Poisson Rouge too.

Following in FlyLo's footsteps, Ivan & Alyosha gave NYC a gift in the form of a last-minute free late show at Mercury Lounge.

Crowded House frontman Neil Finn played with Eddie Vedder at Beacon Theatre on his tour with Glen Hansard.

And while opener Glen Hansard (Swell Season, the Frames) helped Vedder recreate "Sleepless Nights," the tender duet the pair shared on "Ukulele Songs," and the crowd found their voices and their feet for several of he night's tunes -- "Porch," "Unthought Known" -- the biggest roar erupted when Vedder invited Crowded House/Split Enz frontman Neil Finn to the stage for an impromptu collaboration Vedder jokingly called an "unrehearsed collision." With longtime friend Finn on organ, the twosome blended delicate harmonies on Hunters And Collectors' "Throw Your Arms Around Me." Finn took up a guitar and sat down next to Vedder to trade verses on Finn's Split Enz hit "I Got You," which found Finn playfully calling out chords to Vedder during the bridge. "It turns out we play that song differently," Vedder quipped, "But since he wrote it, he's right."

Decked out in a trio of long white lab coats, Finn (organ) and Hansard (guitar) returned with Vedder for the second encore, the rousing "Big Hard Sun" from "Into The Wild." [Billboard]

Neil Finn plays his own show at Bowery Ballroom on 6/26. You can win two tickets on our Facebook.

As you know, Stephen Colbert was the special guest with The Black Belles on his own show last night (6/23). He performed with the band and also recorded a single with them which is now on sale via Third Man Records. Jack White actually also appeared on the show this time for his third and final appearance during StePhest Colbchella '011 and then appeared with Colbert again today (6/24) at The Lot at the High Line. Jack and the Black Belles were also spotted last night (6/23) bowling at Brooklyn Bowl. According to Questlove (who was DJing the venue), he "has bowling game."

Tonight (6/24) is the another Doveman show at LPR. Lisa Hannigan (who played 3 sold out NYC-area shows this week) and Mike Doughty are billed as openers, but according to Doveman, some secret special guests will be showing up as well (as usual).

Last but not least, as hinted, and confirmed earlier today, Fucked Up are the special guest at 285 Kent Saturday (6/26) with JEFF the Brotherhood and Iceage. Tickets are on sale at Record Grouch. Iceage also played a secret show at 538 Johnson while they were in town for Northside.

Any special appearances we left out?

Videos below...

Continue reading "This Week in Special Guests (Kanye West, Reggie Watts, Reptar, Neil Finn, Drake, Just Blaze, Doveman & more)"

photos by Andrew St. Clair

Raekwon shows potential groupies his current relationship status

What kind of oldies concert draws a huge audience in its 20s? Rock the Bells, the daylong hip-hop festival that came to Governors Island on Saturday. This year's Rock the Bells borrowed an idea from the indie-rock festival All Tomorrow's Parties, booking groups to perform watershed albums in their entirety.

Two headliners, Snoop Dogg and Wu-Tang Clan, largely complied with the assignment. Snoop Dogg brought along most of the guests from his 1993 album, "Doggystyle," made back when he was Snoop Doggy Dogg. The others - A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One, Rakim and Slick Rick - went "veering off," as Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest put it, to play additional hits (which no one minded) or to plug more recent projects.

And then there was the wild card: Lauryn Hill, the singer and rapper formerly of the Fugees, appearing half an hour late. She hasn't released a studio album since "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" in 1998, and she has recorded and toured only sporadically since then while raising five children. "I miss you," she told the crowd repeatedly. Partway through the set she pulled guests out of the V.I.P. section and onstage: Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, John Legend. They missed her too.
-[New York Times]

A second set from the NYC edition of Rock The Bells (first is HERE), continue below...

Continue reading "Rock the Bells @ Governors Island - pics (part 2) (Wu-Tang, Street Sweeper Social Club, Yelawolf, Slick Rick & more) "

by BBG

Rock The Bells 2010? Um, awesome.

For the first time in the history of hip-hop entertainment, ROCK THE BELLS is slated to have headliners perform their most influential albums in their entirety. East-coast legends Wu-Tang Clan will perform Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers from beginning to end. Released in 1993, the group's debut album revived the New York rap scene and is widely-regarded as one of the greatest albums in hip-hop history. Considered one of the greatest MC's of all time, Rakim is set to perform 1987's, Paid In Full, his first full-length album with Eric B. Fellow Golden age, east coast rapper, Slick Rick will conquer The Great Adventures of Slick Rick. Released in 1989, this debut album became a certified-platinum classic topping the Billboard's Top R&B/ Hip Hop Albums charts. Highly regarded as the "THE TEACHER", KRS-One is a hip hop culture advocate, music producer, MC and published author. Hailed as one of the best live performers, KRS-One will perform [the Boogie Down Productions classic LP] Criminal Minded. The 1987 trend-setting album sampled music from various genres including rock, reggae and funk.

In addition to that drooler of a hip hop lineup, Rock The Bells will also feature a rotating cast of also-awesomes, depending on where you lay your head. Lineups haven't been solidified by city but look for appearances from Street Sweeper Social Club, Murs and 9th Wonder, Wiz Khalifa, Clipse, Immortal Technique, Jedi Mind Tricks, Brother Ali, DJ Muggs and Ill Bill, Big Sean, Yelawolf, and more TBA (but not Lauryn Hill).

So far only four festival dates have been released, LA (8/21), San Fran (8/22), NYC at Governors Island (8/28), and DC (8/29). Ticket info is forthcoming.

words & photos by Faith-Ann Young

True - it was the worst kept secret and the most corporate plumping event of all of SXSW (if Kayne would have worn grillz sporting the The Levi's® logo, it would have completed his Levi's® outfit) - but that doesn't mean Saturday night's show at the Fader Fort wasn't one of the best (3/21). Kayne West acted like a grand circus ringmaster - introducing his whole G.O.O.D. record label crew including Consequence, GLC, and his prized diamond rapper all-star Kid Cudi. Then, just when you got sick of Kayne's world, in came fellow Chi-towner Common sweating out "Universal Mind Control." And then, like Mary Poppins on uppers, Kayne smiled and pulled out yet another prized gem from backstage: the gorgeous divine Erykah Badu (who is a Texas native and was wearing full-sequined silver pants- the combination of which got a hot scream from the crowd). To close out, like a big, super-talented brat pack, the entire G.O.O.D. crew came back on stage and danced around to songs from West's 808s. Whether you love him or hate him, Kayne sure knows how to party (or promote).

More pictures and the entire setlist below...

Continue reading "Kanye West, Common, Erykah Badu, Kid Cudi, Consequence & friends @ Fader Fort (SXSW 2009) - pics, setlist"

"Kid Cudi and Hollywood Holt, two of the nation's noted up and coming MCs, will be combining their respective skills for a tour of North America that kicks off in Baltimore on Sept. 23 and wraps on Oct. 1st in San Francisco. Brooklyn based (by way of Cleveland) Kid Cudi stunned denizens of the underground with his Fool's Gold debut track "Day 'N' Nite" which became a club staple worldwide in 2008, leading to a slot performing on NYC's SummerStage Concert series alongside Fool's Gold label head A-Trak, Santogold, and Diplo. Hollywood Holt seems poised to take the mantle of hardest hustling man in the rap business. In under a year Holt has gone from playing at a local bowling alley to performing at Lollapalooza, sharing stages with such heavy hitters as Dizzee Rascal and Lupe Fiasco and having his Chocolate Industries debut video "Hollywood" premiered on Kanye West's blog."

The NYC date on that tour is September 24th at Love, but Kid Cudi is also playing a show tonight (Sept 9) @ Knitting Factory with some other friends of Kanye West. Black Bubblegum says:

GOOD Music (Kanye West's label) will clear the bench on Sept 9th when Consequence (the super duper guest star from A Tribe Called Quest's Beats Rhymes & Life), GLC (who first appeared on "Spaceship" from Kanye's College Dropout), Kid Cudi & Big Sean hit up the Knitting Factory. Tickets are still available.

All flyers and dates below....

Continue reading "Kid Cudi - a GOOD showcase tonight & Hollywood Holt tour "