by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Sonny & the Sunsets - Lovin' on an Older Gal (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Kelley Stoltz - I Don't Get That (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Film School - Heart Full of Pentagons (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Home Video - Smoke (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Winter Gloves - Plastic Slides (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: El Guincho - "Bombay" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: El Guincho - FM Tan Sexy (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Casiokids - Finn Bikkjen! (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Foals - Spanish Sahara (Deadboy Remix) (MP3)

Casiokids

Didn't the weeks leading up to CMJ used to be a little calmer? I feel like we're just going to be pile-driving into that week (Oct 19 -21) with show after worthwhile show. This week / weekend too. Even with Matador 21 and Pop Montreal siphoning lots of big names, this is one of the more more exciting weekends for shows in a long while. For me at least.

Let's start this week with a contest. As previously mentioned, BV/TWII faves Casiokids play Sunday (10/3) night at Glasslands and we've got a pair of tickets to the show plus a copy of the band's CD, Topp stemning på lokal bar, for one lucky person. To enter, just send an email to BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM with the subject line "Casiokids" and we'll pick a winner at random. Please note that Glasslands is a 21+ venue.

If you've never seen these Norwegians before, they're a lot of fun and Glasslands should be conducive to their low tech brand of dancepop. Also on the bill: Brahms, Bikini and VonChina. All Casiokids dates below.

Film School

What else? San Francisco's Film School are in town, playing Glasslands on Thursday (9/30) and Mercury Lounge on Friday (10/1). Both shows are with like-minded New Yorkers The Depreciation Guild with whom they're going on tour. Film School have been doing the dark shoegazy thing since the start of the '00s, back when that sound was fairly unfashionable. But these days the '90s are hot so it's good timing that Film School have released maybe their best album yet, Fission.

I found 2007's Hideout to be murky and meandering, but the band seem really focused this time out. There are still the moody basslines and effects-heavy guitars, but the songs great this time out, and the production feels modern and bright. Some rays of light are peeking through their normally cloudy sound -- hell, their new single is called "Sunny Day." (You can watch the video below.) That song features lead vocals from bassist Lorelei Plotczyk, whose frequent presence behind the mic is one of the reasons Fission works so much better than Hideout. You can download "Heart Full of Pentagons" at the top of this post.

The Glasslands show also has Brooklyn duo Home Video who have been kicking around for half a decade or so and are set to release their second album, The Automatic Process, on November. Download first single "The Smoke" at the top of this post. I don't think I've seen them play live since they opened for Fujiya & Miyagi at Mercury Lounge back in 2006 but I remember thinking they were pretty good. And the new album sounds alright after a couple listens -- synthpop that seems equally inspired by Vince Clark and Thom Yorke.

Kelley Stoltz

While we're in San Francisco, a reminder that Sonny and the Sunsets and Kelley Stoltz will be here this weekend: Mercury Lounge on Thursday(9/30) and Union Hall on Friday (10/1). Both shows are early ones, especially the Merc show which starts at 7PM. If you like '60s inspired pop at it's finest, do yourself a favor and go see this great double bill.

Stoltz is a charismatic performer, prone to anecdotes, occasional props and obscure impressions. Do pick up is terrific new album, To Dreamers, when it comes out in two weeks. And I'm really looking forward to seeing Sonny and the Sunsets (of which Stoltz is a member) for the first time. Their new album is great. Check out tracks from both of them at the top of this post.

Sub Pop just released a short film on the making of Stoltz new record, To Dreamers, made by the Yours Truly folks, which shows off his literal DIY approach to analog recording. It's funny and charming, just like Stoltz. Watch it further down this very post.

Winter Gloves

If you're not going to Pop Montreal this weekend, you can get a taste of Canada here in New York as Born Ruffians and Winter Gloves are here playing the Knitting Factory on Friday (10/1) and Bowery Ballroom on Saturday (10/2). Born Ruffians are a fine band but have been covered many times here and have been through town many times before. So I'm gonna focus on their touring mates Winter Gloves. The Montrealers schedule and cancel NYC gigs with frequency so now's your chance to see them.

I caught them at M for Montreal in 2008 and they were one of the highlights of that weekend, kind of a slinkier, funkier Tokyo Police Club. Their new album All Red is a lot of fun and they are definitely worth seeing. (They're quite popular in MTL.) Download "Plastic Slides" from the new album at the top of this post.

Foals

The show I'm most excited about this weekend is Foals who play Bowery Ballroom on Friday (10/1) and Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday (10/2). Both shows are sold out unfortunately, but tickets being released day-of-show isn't an uncommon occurrence.

Foals' new album, Total Life Forever, is one of my contenders for Album of the Year which is not something I was really expecting before I heard it. Where their first album, Antidotes, was all mathy angularity, Total Life Forever has...um... soul? There's also a Big '80s Trevor Horn vibe going on -- the drums on single "Miami" seem to be lifted from Yes' 90125 LP. (Or maybe The Power Station.) It's funky and genuinely danceable, with a lot of heart. Foals used to be easy to like hard to love. Not so hard this time out.

Foals have always been good live, full of nervous energy -- they're the only band I've ever seen puke onstage -- and can't wait to see them with such stronger material.  I can't wait for Saturday.

If you're going to the Bowery show on Friday, definitely get there in time to see openers Esben & the Witch who just signed to Matador and are a bit like Zola Jesus but more interesting to watch live. Their guitarist has the most pedals I've ever seen not counting The Edge. They were pretty good at Glasslands last week.

El Guincho

And finally, El Guincho returns to NYC this week for a string of shows that began last night at Mercury Lounge. He plays Santos tonight (9/29), a free show at Zebulon on Thursday (9/30) and a late night show at Cameo on Friday (10/1).  When I saw him play two years ago at Mercury Lounge opening for Cut Copy it was just Pablo Díaz-Reixa and his sampler, but this time El Guincho is a trio which should make things a lot more interesting and fun.

El Guincho's new album, Pop Negro, eschews the dreamlike haze of his debut (which was a real precursor to the chillwave invasion) for more straight up dance pop that is definitely not low-fi. In his own words:

It's a pop album sung in Spanish. Tracks are based on big syncopated beats, loud kick drums, snares and claps on a very wide stereo image full of different synthesizer timbres, subdivided hi-hats, funk bass, line recorded guitars and multi tracked backing vocals. Production is based on hi-fi aesthetics from the golden era of recordings...the main sentiment is a sort of nostalgic love for the music that I heard on FM radio as a kid/teenager, that "promise" that music gives you, not eternal/eternity because pop music is not supposed to be like that, but that thing you feel when you're on a car with your friends or family and you listen to a certain hit and it makes you think you want to be inside of that. I wanted to write something based on that. Not plain hits, but a whole album that makes you feel that thing, arrangements that can take your mind that state if you know what I mean.

You can download two tracks off Pop Negro at the top of this post.

That's gonna do it for this week. A few daily picks not covered above follow:

WEDNESDAY, September 29

Best Coast swing through town again, playing Bowery Ballroom tonight (and MHoW tomorrow). Summer may be over, but Bethany's songs of love and weed still sound good.

If you didn't get enough '90s nostalgia last week with Pavement, former indie rock power couple Juliana Hatfield & Evan Dando (they did date, right?)perform together as Jullianna & Evan.  Julianna has intimated she might retire from live shows in the near future, this seems like a good way to see her one last time. They play Thursday too. Both shows are sold out, natch.

THURSDAY, September 30

The forecast is calling for "rain from Tropical Rainstorm" which might put a damper on the night's biggest show, Belle & Sebastian, who play the Williamsburg Waterfront with fellow Glaswegians Teenage Fanclub. A light sprinkle would be fine...B&S' music has always been sort of rainy day music anyway. If you ponyed up the dough for a ticket, do get there early for Teenage Fanclub who were phenomenal at Bowery Ballroom last night. Big hooks, bigger harmonies, positive vibes. Video of them playing Jimmy Fallon is at the bottom of this post.

FRIDAY, October 1

Pennsylvania dream pop band SOARS play Glasslands. Haven't seen them live, but if you're a fan of Slowdive or bands that sound kind of like that, you might want to check them out.

SATURDAY, October 2

Union Hall has a totally weird lineup tonight. Headlining is synthpop act Neighbors, with Year of the Tiger (kind of a more tuneful, less abrasive Sleigh Bells). So far so normal. But opening is Sky Ferreira, who has appeared in Uffie videos and is, if her Myspace is any indication, being bred as a Pop Star. Expect lots of old guys in suits at the show, at least till she finishes her set.

OK that's really it for this week. Tour dates, videos and flyers are below...

Continue reading "Foals, Kelley Stoltz, Winter Gloves, Casiokids, El Guincho, Film School, Home Video & more in This Week in Indie "

DOWNLOAD: Flying Lotus - 3 non-album tracks (ZIP)

Flying Lotus (DJ & laptop whiz Steven Ellison) will be at LPR on Tuesday, March 30th for a show with kode9 presented by Wordless Music. Tickets are on sale.

That's part of a larger string of dates (including Coachella in April) that lead up to his new album, Cosmogramma, which comes out May 4th on Warp.

The spirit of his famed aunt, Alice Coltrane permeates the record, notably in the powerful collaborations with relative Ravi Coltrane, bass virtuoso Thundercat and the brilliant harp prodigy, Rebekah Raff.

Certainly these are further reaches into a musical space that Flying Lotus had hitherto been exploring, however other collaborators such as Erykah Badu and Outkast string arranger Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and guest vocalists Thom Yorke and a returning Laura Darlington (featured on Los Angeles' epic closing track 'Inifinitum') help deliver Cosmogramma to dizzying new heights. [Warp]

The label has put up three recent non-album tracks from Flying Lotus, which you can grab above.

He'll also be at SXSW for the Warp showcase Wednesday, March 17th at the Phoenix with labelmates Hudson Mohawke, Born Ruffians, Nice Nice, Pivot and Eskmo. Nice Nice (Portland's Jason Buehler and Mark Shiraz) are getting their record Extra Wow released by the label on April 6th. The trippy video for their song "Everything Falling Apart" and tour dates are below.

All tour dates, streaming tracks from the file above and the new album, and artwork and tracklist are below..

Continue reading "Flying Lotus - new record & tour dates - Coachella, LPR w/ Kode9, the Warp showcase @ SXSW w/ Nice Nice & more"

Man Man @ Rothbury Fest '09 (more by Graeme Flegenheimer)

NYU's E&L Auditorium will host Atlas Sound, Neon Indian and Sister tonight (2/4). The very cheap show sold out to students in advance. A video from the Atlas Sound (aka Bradford Cox) show last night (2/3) at at the Bell House is below.

Other upcoming shows at NYU include the previously mentioned March 11th Shrinebuilder gig, and a not-yet-mentioned Man Man, Javelin and Born Ruffians show one week earlier, on Thursday March 4th. Tickets for that and Shrinebuilder are still to come.

For Born Ruffians the NYU show is a NYC pitstop before they continue on to SXSW, and it's one of only a few shows on Man Man's schedule - they go on to play Philly the next night and Lancaster, PA, after that.

Javelin (not to be confused with Javelina) on the other hand have many upcoming dates including a bunch of shows with Yeasayer. That includes the sold out February 9th show at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Sleigh Bells pick up opening duties in the spring.

Javelin's debut LP, "No Mas", will be released by Luaka Bop on April 20th. Tracklising with all dates and that video below...

Continue reading "Javelin releasing album on Luaka Bop, touring w/ Yeasayer, playing NYU w/ Man Man & Born Ruffians (2010 dates)"

Jamie Lidell @ Highline Ballroom - October 2008 (more by Chris La Putt)

Warp20, the 20th anniversary concert series for the estimable UK label, has added a closing party at Le Poisson Rouge to its NYC schedule of events that run from September 3rd to 6th. The new September 5th show, which takes place after the previously-announced WFC Winter Garden gig, will feature sets from Jamie Lidell , The Hundred in the Hands and Born Ruffians. Doors are at 11pm. Tickets are on sale now. Just to be clear:

Sept 4 show @ Terminal 5
Sept 5 show @ World Financial Center
Sept 5 late show @ Le Poisson Rouge

We have a pair of tickets, which are still on sale, to giveaway to the Terminal 5 show with Battles, !!!, Prefuse 73 Flying Lotus and Pivot (who are visiting us from Australia for the first time). Details are below.

More Pivot dates, and a few video clips from the anniversary event Warp held earlier this year in Paris (with Aphex Twin and Hecker) are HERE and below along with a video preview of the label's commemorative box set, which comes out September 25th...

Continue reading "Warp20 adds Jamie Lidell show (tix), win a pair to Battles !!!"

Dan Snaith (Caribou, formerly Manitoba)

Message from Caribou: Summer Festivals. Caribou Vibration Ensemble. Marshall Allen. Daphni. John Schmersal.

Hey everyone,

I'm sorry for the long silence. I've been busy making music for a new Caribou album which I'm really excited about. I've just added some summer festivals and DJ sets to our Live Dates. Hope to see you there!

In particular, the Flaming Lips have invited us to play at their ATP New York festival on September 13th. We've put together a special 14-piece band, named Caribou Vibration Ensemble, to play this show and a show at the Opera House in Toronto on Sept 10th. Caribou Vibration Ensemble features Kieran Hebden (Four Tet, Fridge, Kieran Hebden & Steve Reid), Koushik (Stones Throw Records), John Schmersal (Enon, Brainiac), Kathryn Bint (One Little Plane), Ahmed Gallab (Sinkane), a four piece horn section, choir, four drummers, etc.

In addition, for the ATP show only, we will be joined by MARSHALL ALLEN, Sun Ra Arkestra leader and Arkestra member for over 50 years! At both shows we will be playing new and old Caribou songs reworked to make the most of this special line-up.

Also I've just done a remix of Cortney Tidwell's track 'Watusii' under the name Daphni. It's out on City Slang shortly.

Finally, Andy Lloyd who has played bass with us these last couple years is unfortunately not going to be playing with us in the future (apart from the Caribou Vibration Ensemble shows) as he's now touring with our friends Born Ruffians [who just finished touring with Franz Ferdinand]. Andy is a dear friend and a great musician and will be sorely missed but we are very lucky that John Schmersal (Enon, Brainiac) will be joining Caribou and playing bass and singing with us from now on - starting with the upcoming shows this summer.

I think that's it for now. As always, apologies to everyone whose emails I have taken an eternity to reply to. Hope to see you at a show,

Dan [Snaith/Caribou]

Snaith's last full-length, Andorra, came out in 2007 on Merge. The album won the 2008 Polaris Music Prize for best Canadian album of the year.

ATP NY in September is currently Caribou's only NY-area date. The band is playing on the fest's Sunday lineup, which (as pointed out above) is being curated and headlined by the Flaming Lips.

The Flaming Lips recently received an accolade from the people of their homestate, Oklahoma, who voted the band's "Do You Realize?" as their official rock song. After a resolution to recognize the song faltered in the state's House of Representatives, the honor was enacted by executive order from the state's governor on April 28th (declared "Flaming Lips Day").

EW: you won in the end. What was the official ceremony on Tuesday like?

Wayne Coyne: It was cool, uncomfortable, weird. All the things that you think talking to governors would be. I mean, he's a very cool guy. But it is another world for me. And he declared it Flaming Lips day as part of the ceremony, which we didn't know was going to happen.

EW: Did any special privileges come with that? Were you allowed to molest a goat or something?

Wayne Coyne: I asked the governor while we there: "Can I just go to a restaurant and get a meal for free?" I don't think anyone really had an answer. I didn't suggest molesting a goat.

Not long before that, FL front-man Wayne Coyne made news by criticizing the Arcade Fire, saying, "They really treat people like shit," among other things. Win Butler responded online, and Coyne has since apologized, saying, "I didn't necessarily mean it about the people in the Arcade Fire. I meant it about the guys that were running their stages at a couple of festivals."

With that under the bridge, the Flaming Lips have announced their follow-up to 2006's At War With the Mystics will be a double LP tentatively titled Embryonic, which the band expects to finish recording this summer and release in September.

The Flaming Lips are playing the Pitchfork Festival on Sunday, July 19th. Even though that's not the fest's "Set Lists by Request" night, it turns out the Flaming Lips will be will be following the format for at least part of their set anyway.

A video of the Flaming Lips accepting their "Official State Rock Song" honor and all Caribou tour dates below...

Continue reading "Caribou Vibration Ensemble (w/ Marshall Allen) & other Flaming Lips news (new album, state song, Arcade Fire love) "

photos by Natasha Ryan

"The band's live set didn't bother with the plot of "Tonight." It mixed old and new songs, switching between post-punk and new wave while bringing out Franz Ferdinand's musical craftiness. The band's songs are acutely conscious of structure; they shift tempo and rhythm, often within a song, moving from rock to something like funk. Every so often, Mr. Kapranos led call-and-response chants, and he kept jumping around the stage with splay-legged leaps. Near the end of the show, Franz Ferdinand was joined by the opening band, Born Ruffians, slamming at percussion and pumping synthesizer parts like an expanded dance-music band. Crowd-pleasing is part of Franz Ferdinand's job." [NY Times]

Franz Ferdinand played Roseland Ballroom in NYC last night (5/7). At least one member of the crowd wasn't pleased. According to "MPRBC", they "played the same song for about an hour. The most interesting thing about the show was the animated screen behind them." More pictures from the show below...

Continue reading "Franz Ferdinand @ Roseland Ballroom in NYC - pics "

photos by Natasha Ryan

"One of the highlights was the score of new tracks like "Breakneck Speed" and "Favorite Color". The most memorable moment was without a doubt the encore as the band stepped back onstage calling the Born Ruffians back out to play a new song, "Spark" which they recently wrote together. The track is really interesting with the merger of TPC's Dave Monks unique vocal sound pairing up with Born Ruffians singer Luke LaLonde. They closed it out in style inviting the Harlem Shakes out onto the already crowded stage for a classic rendition of the Clash's "Train In Vain"." [Chewy Donuts & Evil Bunnies]

Tokyo Police Club headlined Webster Hall on Wednesday night (2/25). Harlem Shakes opened and are currently on the road with the Canadian band. Tickets go on sale today at noon for an upcoming Harlem Shakes show at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Born Ruffians also opened the Webster Hall show. Watch a UK commercial featuring the Canadian band's music HERE. Watch videos from the NYC show (Clash cover and new songs included), and see more pictures, below...

Continue reading "Tokyo Police Club, Harlem Shakes & Born Ruffians @ Webster Hall - pics & videos (1 of all 3 bands covering the Clash)"

by Ryan Barkan

Duffy @ Lollapalooza 2008 (more by Bao Nguyen)

The cola war has been heating up globally in the last couple of months with music as the weapon of choice.

Pepsi's image rebranding campaign, including a new smile-esque logo, launched right after Christmas with a tv commercial featuring The Apples in Stereo song, "Energy". They then went deep during the Super Bowl, dropping a spot featuring Bob Dylan and Will.I.Am singing "Forever Young" as the beverage's new anthem.

Coke counters with a European spot for Diet Coke that features a playful Duffy doing things on her time during an encore break at a concert. In the commercial, she sings a cover of Sammy Davis Jr's "I Gotta Be Me."

When Sara Tate, a senior planner at the London advertising agency Mother, was asked to find a new face for Diet Coke, she knew what she didn't want. "Definitely no rent-a-face," says Tate, whose ad with Duffy will launch on British television, before rolling out across Europe. "We steered clear of yet another glamorous star with a six-figure fee who will promote anything if the price is right. The public is getting smart to that. We wanted someone who is well known, but not hugely famous. Someone who is on the rise, for whom fame is recent enough that they remember what it is like to have a regular life. Duffy was a perfect fit because, although she is extremely successful, she's still incredibly down to earth." [Via Times Online]

Duffy has since cleaned up at the Grammys, at the British version of the Grammys, and - per Paul McCartney's request, recorded a cover of his song "Live And Let Die" for the new War Child Heroes comp that is released in the US this week. You may have heard the Beck/Dylan track from the same album, when it was played during the credits of last night's Oscars (more on the Oscars in a second...).

Coke's second attack is from Justice - Coke enlisted the duo along with Ed Banger Records' So_Me to design a glow-in-the-dark bottle and provide the soundtrack, their massive jam "D.A.N.C.E.", to a commercial. The bottle will be available in clubs throughout Europe. See the bottle in the commercial below.

The third assault from the Coke comes in their Full Throttle NHRA spots; three of the five have licensed songs: The Faces has "Blue Moon" by the Mavericks, The Machine kicks it country with Merle Haggard's "Working Man Blues", and Left Behind features Operator Please's "Zero Zero."

The final wave occurred as I was writing this article. A one-two punch during the Oscars with both The Boy Least Likely To's "Be Gentle With Me" and Sea Ray's "Revelry" showing up in Coke spots during the telecast on ABC (no video available yet). For those not familiar with the band, Sea Ray broke up in 2005.

Other Notable Licensing News:

Continue reading "This week in Music Licensing (Duffy, Justice, Sonic Youth, Franz Ferdinand, Radiohead, Sea Ray & more...) "

DOWNLOAD: Harlem Shakes - Strictly Game (MP3)

"Technicolor Health was made after and during some tough times (involving serious sickness) for the [Harlem Shakes]. The record captures the weary, hopeful, and sometimes triumphal vibe of that period in their lives. Above all, the album is about surviving abject shittiness. But it's also about what new-wave bands and new-wave revival bands call, "modern life," as lived by five thoughtful men in their early and mid-twenties during a weird, sometimes miserable, mostly thrilling historical moment. Harlem Shakes have been obsessed by pop music their whole lives, and after all the reiterations, they still have great faith in its power to make you and them feel a little better about things, and to say something vital, and God willing, maybe even enduring."

Technicolor Health is a really good album. Gigantic Music doesn't release it until March 24th, but you can (legally) download one of the tracks from the album above. It's the same song they're currently streaming at their MySpace.

On February 24th Harlem Shakes leave on tour with Tokyo Police Club. February 25th, one day later, is the NYC show at Webster Hall that Born Ruffians are also playing. Tickets are still on sale. You don't have to wait that long to see HS though. They're also playing this Saturday night, February 14th, Valentine's Day, at Southpaw with Shilpa Ray and Phil and the Osophers. It's a late show. You can go to dinner and be done with Valentine's Day before doors even open at 10PM. The early show in the same venue is the one Jennifer O'Connor is playing with Mascott. And like tonight's Motel Motel / Holly Miranda show at the same venue, it's part of the Sounds Like Brooklyn festival (as is the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah / Chairlift show tonight at BAM).

Harlem Shakes are also playing a few shows with Bell XI in March. Tickets are on sale for a March 14th show at Highline Ballroom. All dates below...

Continue reading "Harlem Shakes - 2009 Tour Dates, a new MP3, a new album"

TPC @ MSG (more by Chris La Putt)

Having just completed an extensive North American tour supporting Weezer and currently staring down a Dec. 12-23 tour of their native Canada, the four young men of Tokyo Police Club continue to laugh in the face of road fatigue: The band has announced one more run of U.S. dates beginning February 24, 2009 in Providence RI.

In other news, Tokyo Police Club will make its return to the small screen next week, following up a recent DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES cameo with a Dec. 10 late night (or early Dec. 11 for those who feel the need to be technical) performance on the LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON.

Following the completion of the dates below, Tokyo Police Club plans to begin work on the follow up to its acclaimed debut full length Elephant Shell, which was released April 22 of this year on Saddle Creek.

The NYC show is February 25th at Webster Hall (the venue they were supposed to play before they cancelled to go on tour with Weezer). Born Ruffians are opening. Stay tuned for ticket info. All dates and openers below...

Continue reading "Tokyo Police Club - 2009 Tour Dates (w/ Born Ruffians)"

Plants and Animals and Born Ruffians are on tour. Last night (10/27) the show was at Mercury Lounge. How was it? Tonight the show, after being moved from Union Hall (was 21+), is at the Bell House (now 18+). AND, Born Ruffians added a 3rd NYC performance at Sound Fix, also tonight, October 28th at 7pm. All tour dates HERE.

by BrooklynVegan Mike

Born Ruffians @ Central Park Summerstage (more by Ryan Muir)

Coming off the heels of their nomination for the Polaris Music Prize (they lost to Caribou), Plants and Animals (my pick to win) are teaming up with Born Ruffians (a band I felt should have been nominated) and are embarking on a co-headlining tour this fall. The pair of Canadian trios, who both had turns at Central Park Summerstage this year, begin the month long trek Wednesday in Pontiac, Michigan and will travel as far south as Austin, Texas and will conclude in Champlain Quebec not long after hitting NYC to play both Mercury Lounge (tix) and Union Hall The Bell House (tix).

In other Ruffians news, it seems the UK is really taking a shine to them. At their show in London last week, fans rushed the stage, knocking over lead singer, Luke Lalonde in the process. The look on his face upon getting to his feet is priceless. See the UK incident video, and all tour dates, below....

Continue reading "Plants & Animals and Born Ruffians - 2008 Tour Dates"

photos by Ryan Muir

This post is the last in a three-part series on a free show that happened at Central Park Summerstage in NYC on June 14th. It started with Vampire Weekend. Then came Kid Sister. And now the very-first opener of that show: Born Ruffians.

This post is also a reminder that this Saturday's free show at the very same location features none other than Vieux Farka Toure. Last year the son of the legendary Ali Farka played a show outside Grace Plaza on 6th Ave and 43rd Street at 12:30 in the afternoon, so he's moving up in the world. Exact details:

Vieux Farka Toure
Fallou Dieng
Kaleta & Zozo Afrobeat
DJ Sirak

Saturday, June 28, 2008
From 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Central Park SummerStage
West Africa shines in this dynamic line-up featuring superstars from Mali, Senegal and Nigeria.

More pics of Born Ruffians below...

Continue reading "Summerstage - Born Ruffians pics & free Vieux Farka Toure "

DOWNLOAD: Born Ruffians - Foxes Mate For Life (MP3)

Canadian rapper Cadence Weapon recently left on a U.S. tour with Canadian band Born Ruffians. They played the last two nights in Massachusets, and they'll play their third show together tonight (March 1st) at Union Hall in Brooklyn. Sunday night they're at Mercury Lounge. They're also playing SXSW, and many other places.

Cadence Weapon's new album 'Afterparty Babies' is out March 4th on Anti/Epitaph. Born Ruffians' new albuum 'Red, Yellow and Blue' is out the same day on Warp. All tour dates below.....

Continue reading "Cadence Weapon & Born Ruffians - new albums & Tour Dates"