photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin

Brian Eno @ Cooper Union, 5/6/2013

The irony of seeing Brian Eno's An Illustrated Talk during the Red Bull Music Academy: his microphone didn't work properly. Can you imagine being the tech guy for this event and experiencing horrific sound feedback from the sound amplification device for one of the most innovative producers in music history?

"Feel free to experiment with the sound," Eno told the packed crowd at Cooper's Union in NYC.

The term "Renaissance Man" would be a cliche to describe the entity which is Eno, whose career spans from playing with the perennial band Roxy Music to creating visual ambient art. For an artist who has proclaimed to the press that he never talks about his past work, it was a treat to hear Eno....talk about his past work. Especially in the heart of NYC, being that Eno states one of his most fruitful artistic period was between 1978 and 1984, when he lived and worked in the Big Apple. ("I happened to be in New York during one of the most exciting months of the decade in terms of music.") - [The Huffington Post]

He also sat down for a Q&A session as well, where he talked about 77 Million Paintings, "sympathetic and parasympathetic music," and a lot more. He's one of the smartest, most fascinating people in the world and any chance to hear him talk should not be passed up. Luckily RBMA filmed the whole thing and the entire 90 minute conversation can be viewed (or listened to) on Vimeo.

More "Illustrated Talk" pics below...

Continue reading "Brian Eno gave "An Illustrated Talk" at Cooper Union (pics) and participated in Q&A (video)"

Andy Stott/Lee "Scratch" Perry

As mentioned, tickets went on sale today for the previously announced Red Bull Music Academy events, which take over NYC from April 28 to May 31. And now that those are on sale, the rest of the lineup has been announced. In addition to the newly-added Flying Lotus show at Terminal 5, the Red Bull Music Academy events now also include...

A Bunker party with Andy Stott, Atom TM, Objekt, Octo Octa, Kloke, Smax, Bryan Kasenic, and Mike Servito at Public Assembly on May 4; Blondes, Mike Simonetti, Rudi Zygadlo, Astroboyz, CABAAL, Ale Hop, Yodashe, Harald Bjork, Alitrec, Mungo Park, Seretan, and Ada Kaleh at Cameo on May 6; and Le1f, Laurel Halo, Venus-X, and a secret guest at Glasslands on May 7.

Still more: Metro Area, Gerd Janson, and Bok Bok b2b L-Vis 1990 at 88 Palace on May 10; 'Drum Majors' with Mannie Fresh, Boi-1da, Young Chop, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Bangaldesh, DJ Mustard, and Drumma Boy at Knitting Factory on May 22; Afrika Bambaataa, Egyptian Lover, DJ Magic Mike, DJ Assault, DJ Funk, Scottie B, DJ Rashad & DJ Spinn, Big Freedia, Salva, Drop the Lime, and Branko & Krampfhaft at Santos on May 23; as well as Skream, Mala, and Plasitician & Hatcha on May 24 at Can Factory (232 3rd St in Brooklyn).

And even more: Oneohtrix Point Never, BIll Kouligas, Evian Christ, Kid Simpl, and ANNALOVE at Saint Vitus on May 26; Benji B, FaltyDL, Dorian Concept, Orquesta, and Somepoe at Sullivan Room on May 27; Pantha Du Prince & the Bell Laboratory with Louis Baker and Anya Kuts at West Park Church on May 28; a killer night of dub with legends Lee Perry & Adrian Sherwood, The Congos vs Sun Araw, M. Geddes Gengras, and the Raw Power Band, Peaking Lights In A Dub Style vs Future Times, and DJ Slow at Le Poisson Rouge on May 30.

Tickets for all events are on sale now.

These join the previously announced shows, talks, and other events with James Murphy, Brian Eno, Giorgio Moroder, Tony Visconti, Nile Rodgers, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Four Tet, A-Trak, Just Blaze, and more. Flyer with the updated, show-by-show lineup is below...

Continue reading "Red Bull Music Academy reveals full NYC lineup (Oneohtrix, Lee Perry, Andy Stott, Laurel Halo, Skream, Le1f, Young Chop, Big Freedia, Pantha Du Prince, Congos/Sun Araw, more)"

James Murphy on SS Coachella 2012 (more by Greg Cristman)

LCD Soundsystem/DFA Records man James Murphy is suing Tim Goldsworthy, who he formed DFA with in 2001, but who moved out of New York to the UK three years ago...

In a lawsuit, DFA accuses Goldsworthy of failing to perform services he was paid for, owing outstanding loans, improperly using the company credit card and making unauthorized withdrawals from its bank accounts.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Manhattan Civil Supreme Court, says that "attempts to amicably resolve this matter were rebuffed" by Goldsworthy. It also accuses the producer of "breach of contract" and "unjust enrichment."

Goldsworthy owes a total of $93,899, according to DFA. The label, which has a studio in Greenwich Village and boasts such acts as Holy Ghost!, also seeks punitive damages and legal fees. [DNA Info]

As mentioned, James Blake will release his sophomore full length album, Overgrown, on April 8 via Atlas/Republic, and he's just revealed the artwork (above) and the tracklist (below). Most interestingly, the tracklist reveals that there is a song called "Digital Lion," which will feature contributions from Brian Eno, and a song called "Take a Fall For Me," which will feature rapping from the RZA. In the words of Katy Perry, take that, Bon Iver.

James will also be going on a tour in support of the album, which comes to NYC on May 9 at Terminal 5. Tickets for that show are still available. He recently expanded the tour to include more international shows. Check out an updated list of dates and the video for Overgrown single, "Retrograde," below.

Meanwhile, Brian Eno has an upcoming event in NYC too, as part of Red Bull Music Academy. He'll be presenting the NYC premiere of his audio-visual installation, 77 Million Paintings, in May, along with an "illustrate talk" at Cafe Rouge on May 6. Tickets to that, and all other RBMA shows, go on sale March 4 at 10 AM.

Continue reading "James Blake reveals album art and tracklist for 'Overgrown' (Brian Eno and RZA to feature!)"

Brian Eno

The Red Bull Music Academy is coming to NYC from April 28 to May 31 which will include over 30 events ranging from live concerts and club nights to A/V installations, film screenings and public conversations with big names. Some of those names were recently announced. Details are not complete and tickets to all the shows below go on sale Monday, March 4 at 10 AM.

Perhaps most exciting of these events will be the NYC premiere of Brian Eno's audio-visual installation 77 Million Paintings which is generative software that creates morphing patterns and images. The installation, which be be at Cafe Rouge, will also features an "illustrated talk" on May 6.

James Murphy will head a nine-hour, multiroom show at Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn on May 29 as part of DFA's 12th Anniversary celebration. The event will feature 15 live acts and DJs from throughout the label's history. Look for a short documentary, 12 Years of DFA: Too Old To Be New, Too New To Be Classic, to premiere around the same time.

Also part of it will be Four Tet + friends at Webster Hall on May 8. Four Tet, who just released odds-n-sods album 0181 as a free download (stream it below) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of his landmark 2003 album, Rounds, this year with a deluxe resissue due out on Domino in May.

Still more. RBMA will also host the first NYC edition of London party Culture Clash on May 9. The "unique celebration of sound system culture" will feature sets by Max Glazer, A-Trak, Nick Catchdubs, Young Guru, Just Blaze, and Que Bajo?!.

There's also "Drone Activity in Progress" which will happen at the Knockdown Center on May 2, featuring Stephen O'Malley of Sunn O))), Prurient, Alan Licht, and Body/Head (aka Kim Gordon and Bill Nace).

Other events including electronic music legend Giorgio Moroder in his first NYC DJ appearance; a talk with Bowie producers Tony Visconti and Nile Rodgers (maybe Eno will swing by?); Ryuichi Sakamoto and more to be announced. More info on RBMA is here.

Continue reading "Brian Eno, Four Tet, James Murphy, Giorgio Moroder and more participating in NYC Red Bull Music Academy"

Lord Huron at Mercury Lounge in October (more by Dan Bracaglia)

As the year comes to a close, we're wrapping up these year-end lists from artists and other people in the music world. Today we posted lists by BV radio host Nick Masi, Gardens & Villa, and Brooklyn Bowl talent buyer Adam Geringer-Dunn. Browse our "Best of 2012" tag for many more. Now here's one from Ben Schneider, frontman of LA folk rockers Lord Huron. The list includes a couple veteran folk singers, who most likely influenced Ben's own writing, two very different and very notable experimental music leaders, Lord Huron tourmates Night Moves, and a '70s Afghan pop star.

Check out the full list, and some tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Ben Schneider's (Lord Huron) Top 10 Albums of 2012"

The incredibly influential Brian Eno released his new album, LUX, this week (11/13), and in honor of its release, Brian will present a webcasted audio/visual project this Saturday (11/17), which you can take part in.

XLR8R reports, "Eno's new LP was inspired by 'a play of light through the window in his studio,' so during the four 'live and in full' broadcasts, the producer and a team of fellow artists will curate and assemble a visual accompaniment live with photos of light submitted by the audience." If you're interested in contributing photos, you can submit your email or join the Facebook event.

The Lux - Day of Light will broadcast four times this Saturday. Schedule below...

Continue reading "Brian Eno released 'Lux', broadcasting an 'online, audiovisual experience' on Saturday (you can contribute)"

photos by Diana Wong

I love you but I've chosen Moog

"he Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled analog synthesizer systems. Company founder Dr. Robert Arthur Moog had begun manufacturing and selling vacuum-tube theremins in kit form while he was a student in the early 1950s and marketed his first transistorized theremin kits in 1961. Moog became interested in the design and construction of complex electronic music systems in the mid 1960s and the burgeoning interest in his designs enabled him to establish a small company (R. A. Moog Co., which became Moog Music and later, Moog Electronics) to manufacture and market the new devices." [Wikipedia]

Moogfest capped off three days of fun on 10/30 with sets from M83, James Murphy & Pat Mahoney (Special Disco Version), Ford & Lopatin, Passion Pit, The Drums, Baths, Ghostland Observatory, and many more. If you missed it, we previously posted pictures from the first and second days featuring Tangerine Dream, TV On The Radio, Asutra, Chromeo, and others on the first day, and Suicide, Amon Tobin: Isam, Toro Y Moi, Crystal Castles, Cant, and others (but no YACHT who had to cancel) on the second.

More pictures from the final day of Moogest 2011 (which you can check out after you're done playing with the Moog on Google's homepage), below...

Continue reading "Happy Birthday Robert Moog -- here's some belated pics from MoogFest 2011 (Day 3 w/ M83, Brian Eno paintings & more)"

DOWNLOAD: Phantom Family Halo - "White Hot Gun" (MP3)

photos by Adam Cantor

Sohrab Habibian & JG Thirlwell @ Joe's Pub

The tribute to Brian Eno's Here Come the Warm Jets went down at Joe's Pub on January 8 to a sold out audience (that included Bradford Cox). As mentioned when we first posted about the show, contributing musicians included Travis Morrison (of The Dismemberment Plan), Sohrab Habibion (Obits), Jim Sclavunos (The Bad Seeds/Grinderman), Vernon Reid (Living Color), Paul Duncan (Warm Ghost), Dom Cipolla (Phantom Family Halo), and JG Thirlwell (aka Foetus). Pictures from the show, John Schaefer of WNYC included, are in this post. You can also look at the full setlist below.

Dom Cipolla's (who played the show) band Phantom Family Halo has a new album coming out, titled When I Fall Out, on February 14 via Knitting Factory Records. You can download the album track "White Hot Gun" above and stream it below. Phantom Family Halo have two upcoming NYC shows. One happens next week at Glasslands on January 16 with Our Mountain, Eraas, and Vensaire. Tickets are available. They also play Saint Vitus on February 11. Support TBA. Tickets are on sale.

More pics from the 'Here Come the Warm Jets' show, the setlist, and PFH song stream below...

Continue reading "Brian Eno was performed @ Joe's Pub -- pics & setlist (w/ JG Thirwell, Phantom Family Halo, Travis Morrison & more)"

by Andrew Sacher

Brian Eno - 'Here Come the Warm Jets'

In 1974, following his departure from Roxy Music, Brian Eno released his first solo album, Here Come the Warm Jets. The album (and its followup) is probably his most similar to the art rock of Roxy Music, before Brian began experimenting with soundscapes and eventually created some of our most interesting ambient music. Despite his large departure in sound from Here Come the Warm Jets, the material on that album has been a long lasting influence on indie rock, and like the show at the Rock Shop this past May, on January 8 at Joe's Pub, a number of indie rock musicians will honor the album and perform the entire thing. The contributing musicians include Travis Morrison (of The Dismemberment Plan, who also performed at the Rock Shop show), Sohrab Habibion (Obits), James Sclavunos (The Bad Seeds/Grinderman), Vernon Reid (Living Color), Paul Duncan (Warm Ghost), Dom Cippola (Phantom Family Halo), and JG Thirlwell (aka Foetus). Tickets for the show are on sale now.

I wonder who's going to handle Robert Fripp's guitar solos. They should have got St. Vincent for that...

Catch Obits on 12/30 at the Bell House with Ted Leo, and then at Cake Shop in March.

Some tracks from Here Come the Warm Jets below...

Continue reading "various peeps performing Eno's "Here Come the Warm Jets""

DOWNLOAD: SBTRKT - "Wildfire" (Drumma Boy remix ft. Shabazz Palaces) (MP3)

Back in June, we announced the killer initial lineup for Moogfest 2011 (October 28, 29, 30). That lineup just got even better with additions including TV on the Radio, Special Disco Version featuring James Murphy and Pat Mahoney, St. Vincent, SBTRKT, Flying Lotus, YACHT, John Maus, Araabmuzik Baths, Zomby, Active Child and more. It was also announced that Brian Eno, part of the initial lineup, will be presenting Brian Eno's 77 Million Paintings and "Illustrated Talks" as part of this year's fest.

The initial announcement also included Suicide, Tangerine Dream, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Austra, M83, Little Dragon, Passion Pit, Toro y Moi, Moby (full band), The Flaming Lips, Battles, CANT, Brandt Brauer Frick (who will be on a US tour that hits Glasslands), and more.

Speaking of CANT (aka Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear), he revealed the song "Believe" from his upcoming debut LP yesterday. Stream the track below. The album comes out September 13 on Chris' own Terrible Records. He's also got an upcoming tour surrounding Moogfest which includes a show on October 25 at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets are still on sale.

Speaking of SBTRKT and Little Dragon, Drumma Boy remixed the SBTRKT song with Little Dragon's Yukimi Nagano on lead vocals. Shabazz Palaces is also featured on the remix (compare that to Drake's version). Grab the track above via Gorilla vs Bear. Shabazz wrote on Facebook today, "Besides the release of Black Up, I don't think I've seen one article on here create such a surge of activity as this Wildfire Remix has. Amazing."

Sampha, who sings live with SBTRKT and on his album, also recently released his own song, "Indecision." Stream the track below. Moogfest is one of the stops on SBTRKT's recently announced US tour that also hits Bowery Ballroom on October 31 (with Araabmuzik) and Music Hall of Williamsburg on November 1. Tickets for both shows are still on sale.

Little Dragon plays a BV-presented Record Release show at Music Hall of WIlliamsburg TONIGHT (8/16). The show is sold out, but if you don't have tickets you can catch them in NYC again on their headlining tour which hits Terminal 5 on October 14. Tickets are still on sale.

Song streams and full Moogfest lineup below...

Continue reading "updated Moogfest lineup, new CANT & a Shabazz Palaces/Drumma Boy SBTRKT/Little Dragon remix (MP3s)"

Tinariwen will be in New York this week to play Highline Ballroom on July 20 with House of Waters, and to play the Grassroots Festival in Trumansburg, NY the next day (7/21). Tickets are still on sale for the Highline show.

Fellow West African Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, who also play Grassroots, will play NYC on July 27 at S.O.B.'s. Tickets are on sale now. They'll also play a free Celebrate Brooklyn show on July 22 with Faaji Agba. Egypt 80 is the former band of Seun's father, Fela Kuti. Seun recently released From Africa With Fury: Rise, his first album for Knitting Factory Records. The album was recorded with producers Brian Eno and John Reynolds...

"...there was room to further adjust the blazing Afrobeat of Seun's first album Many Things into something more potent.

That was producer Brian Eno's prescription when he finally convinced Seun to let him produce his work. As Seun explains, "He showed me ways to open up the music. He gave me ideas about things we could do to turn the project from live music to a great live CD."

If you're expecting something in the vein of The Unforgettable Fire or Viva La Vida, you'd be wrong. This is more like Remain In Light at 45 RPM. Kuti explains that it's not like Eno changed the songs themselves (though he did contribute keyboards and vocals), but would strengthen passages of tracks like "Mr. Big Thief' by having the melody played in unison by Kuti's sax and guest Justin Adams's guitar.... [Exclaim]

Continue reading "Seun Kuti addeded an SOB's show to his Brian Eno-produced album tour, Tinariwen are here soon too"

The RXP TakLiberty Fetival will take place on two stages on September 18 at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ. The radio station (current home of Pinfield) festival features performances by Coldplay, Richard Ashcroft (The Verve), Two Door Cinema Club, The Kooks, Graffiti 6, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and more to be announced. Ticket pre-sale begins Tuesday (6/21) and general sale starts Friday (6/24) at noon.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart also have upcoming shows including August 8 and 9 at Terminal 5 with The Kills and A Place to Bury Strangers. Tickets for both shows are available. The Kooks play a sold out show at Bowery Ballroom on June 27th. Richard Ashcroft recently played Bowery Ballroom.

Coldplay play Austin City Limits two days before the NJ show. They're also on the lineup of Lollapalooza. All of their other dates are overseas at the moment.

Coldplay have a new single awesomely named "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall." According to Coldplay's YouTube account, the song contains compositional elements of "I Go To Rio" by Peter Allen, and was produced by Markus Dravs, Dan Green and Rik Simpson with additional composition by Brian Eno. Listen to the song below...

Continue reading "Coldplay, TPOBPAH, Richard Ashcroft, The Kooks & others playing RXP TakLiberty Fest in NJ & stuff"

David Byrne at Prospect Park in 2009 (more by Chris La Putt)

David Byrne is releasing Ride, Rise, Roar on DVD and Blu-Ray this Tuesday (5/31) via Eagle Rock Entertainment. It's a documentary shot during his '08/'09 tour. The film, directed by David Hillman Curtis, consists of rehearsals, interviews, and live footage of the tour which included performances of Talking Heads classics in addition to material penned by Byrne and Brian Eno for their 2008 album Everything That Happens Will Happen. The film originally premiered at SXSW 2010. Watch the trailer below.

Sean Penn as Cheyenne

Byrne recently teamed up with Will Oldham (who just released a single for charity) to record original music for the film This Must Be the Place, named after the Talking Heads song of the same name. The film was directed by Pablo Sorrentino and is Sorrentino's first film to be shot in English. The film stars Sean Penn as a rock musician named Cheyenne. His character fronts the band Cheyenne and the Fellows, named after Siouxsie and the Banshees, and his appearance was inspired by Robert Smith of The Cure (as you can tell in the above picture).

According to a Consequence of Sound interview with Will Oldham, David Byrne was asked to write music for a demo that Cheyenne and the Fellows would record in the movie, and the script said that the music from the demo is reminiscent of Prince Billy...

"He was required to make up music for this band in addition to scoring the movie. So, he remembered that we had met [at a BBQ at Bjork's house] and wrote me, "Listen I was hired to make music that sounded like you which sounds kind of like a silly task." I replied with, "Well they hired you so why don't we make music that sounds like us" so that's what we did and we wrote four or five songs together for this fictional band."

Arcade Fire (who covered the song "This Must Be the Place" as a B-side to the "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" single) are releasing a deluxe edition of The Suburbs August 2 via Merge. The release will consist of the DVD Scenes From The Suburbs (directed by Spike Jonze), an 80-page booklet featuring stills from the film, behind the scenes photos from the film's production, and lyrics, an extended version of "Wasted Hours," and two new tracks; "Culture War" and "Speaking In Tongues" feat. David Byrne. Listen to the David Byrne collaboration below.

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Speaking of Merge Records, Merge artist East River Pipe tweeted, last night... "met David Byrne [at the Anna Calvi] show tonight! Pretty cool, huh!?!?!" Even cooler is that David Byrne was checking out Anna! Maybe Brian Eno suggested he check her out. We have pictures from the Bowery Ballroom show coming soon.

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David Byrne is also featured on Red Hot Organization's Red Hot + Rio 2, the sequel to 1996's Red Hot + Rio (which Byrne was also featured on). As we previously mentioned, the compilation brings Brazilian musicians and contemporary indie artists together to record a modern tribute to the late '60s Brazilian Tropicalia movement. Other artists on the compilation include Beirut, Devendra Banhart, of Montreal, Javelin, Beck, and more. The album will be released June 28 in partnership with Entertainment One Music.

Videos and songs and stuff below..

Continue reading "David Byrne wrote songs w/ Will Oldham (for 'This Must Be the Place') & Arcade Fire (for 'Suburbs' deluxe edition) & stuff"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Amor de Días - Bunhill Fields (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Damon & Naomi - "Walking Backwards" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Damon & Naomi - "Shadow Boxing" (M4A)
DOWNLOAD: BNLX - Burn the Boats (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: BNLX - Garbage Strike (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Beige - Folds (MP3)

Amor de Dias

This weekend is dominated, for me at least, by NYC Popfest but as I've already written an exhaustive (exhausting) post about that, so go read it and we'll discuss other shows here. There's lots more to cover anyway.

One thing, and this is Popfest related really, is that Amor de Días are here this weekend, playing Knitting Factory on Sunday (5/22) opening for Damon & Naomi. We've got a pair of tickets to give away to this show. Just send an email with your name to BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM with the subject line "Amor de Dias" and we'll pick a winner at random.

As you may know, the duo (Amor de Días) are Alisdair Maclean of The Clientele and Lupe Núñez-Fernández of Pipas, a group who played the first ever NYC Popfest back in 2007. I actually thought it was going to be Amor de Días in the "TBA" slot at the Thursday night Cake Shop show that turned out to be Pains of Being Pure at Heart. For this show to be happening at the same -- but not part of -- the 'Fest seems a little criminal.

MacLean and Núñez-Fernández formed Amor de Días back in 2008 and wrote and recorded whenever they had time, with help from current tourmates Damon & Naomi, indiepop legend (and master arranger) Louis Phillipe and Ladybug Transistor's Gary Olson. Their debut, The Street of the Love of Days, came out this week on Merge and is a lovely little album as you might imagine from the talent involved. Their styles and voices are a perfect match for one another and the arrangements are just perfect. Among the treats is a particularly nice version of The Clientele's "Harvest Time." You can download "Bunhill Fields" at the top of this post.

Damon & Naomi's new album, False Beats and True Hearts, is a really nice record too. And if it's still pouring out Sunday night, all the better. It's an evening of rainy day music.

BNLX

A much louder duo, also in town this weekend, are Minneapolis' BNLX, who play Pianos on Friday (5/20) and The Rock Shop on Saturday (5/21). I've written about them a couple times this year already and I do really dig their mix of rockin' tunes and corporate humor. I'll quote myself again:

Volume isn't just for punishment, though in the wrong hands it most certainly is. But sometimes you just can't achieve that clarity of sound, that particular strain of feedback, that shriiiiiiinnnnng you get from flicking the strings above the headnut, that tone...without cranking the amp. Ed Ackerson, a 20-year veteran guitar slinger of such Minneapolis bands as 27 Various and Polara, knows what he's doing. BNLX didn't just blow eardrums, they kinda blew minds...

...for being just two of them and a laptop, they made quite a racket at the Rock Shop. Normally I'm one to complain about bands using canned backing instead of a real drummer, but vintage drum machine sounds -- right out of 1987, be it Jesus & Mary Chain or Age of Chance -- are kind of integral to what BNLX are doing. With a stroboscopic lightshow (what, no smoke machines?) you didn't really need anyone else.

More interesting is what's happening earlier that same evening at The Rock Shop: a tribute to Brian Eno's Here Come the Warm Jets featuring a cavalcade of indie rock talent. Here's the press release:

When Brian Eno's first solo record, Here Come the Warm Jets, came out in 1974 it turned heads. It continues to baffle great minds due to the sneaky way it overlays whimsical pop with the beginnings of Eno's whole philosophy of creativity and experimentation.

Indy music stalwart Rob Christinsen (Eggs, Grenadine, East Ghost West Ghost) and Rock Shop booker Jack McFadden team up to present this great curiosity of a recording LIVE with a melange of rockers and experimentalists.

"It sounds fantastic but one of the things that I tried to do with Warm Jets was to bring musicians together who would normally never play together and to play a music that they couldn't agree upon. The music would come from the chemistry. But of course, it was impossible to do. I couldn't expect any of the session people I worked with to go along with it. They literally fought." - Brian Eno, 1974.

In that spirit, fifteen singers and ten instrumentalists from all musical worlds team up to perform this masterpiece.

The evening will be emceed by walking/talking Brian Eno encyclopedia, WNYC's John Schaefer.

Of course the big tribute this weekend is Sunday's Our Concert Could Be Your Life which celebrates the 10th anniversary of Michael Azzerad's chronicle of the American indie rock scene in the '80s. The talent assembled paying tribute to the bands covered in the book is pretty amazing, and it's changed/expanded a bit since first announced:

• Nat Baldwin, David Longstreth and Brian McOmber play Black Flag
• Delicate Steve plays the Minutemen
• Citay plays Mission of Burma
• Ted Leo plays Minor Threat
• Grooms plays Husker Du
• Titus Andronicus plays the Replacements
• Tune-Yards plays Sonic Youth
• Callers plays Sonic Youth
• Dan Deacon plays the Butthole Surfers
• St. Vincent plays Big Black
• Wye Oak plays Dinosaur Jr
• Buke and Gass plays Fugazi
• White Hills plays Mudhoney
• Yellow Ostrich plays Beat Happening

[note: both Tune-Yards and Buke and Gass play a sold out show at MHOW one day earlier. Dan Deacon also plays more shows this week. Delicate Steve has a headlining show coming up soon at Brooklyn Bowl.]

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Cymbals Eat Guitars

And lastly, Cymbals Eat Guitars play their first show in a long time this Friday (5/20) at Glasslands. The band are finishing up their sophomore LP which is due out this fall ,so hopefully we'll get a preview of what's to come which they'll be playing in full at the show. The whole line-up is pretty good, with fellow '90s loving indie rockers Radical Dads (whose member Robbie just announced a new album for one of his other bands), Iranian transplants Yellow Dogs, and the psychedelic sounds of Mirror Mirror.

A few more picks, day by day, are below.

THURSDAY, MAY 19

It should be a fun night at Union Pool with neo baggy kids McDonalds, volatile and soul-bearing Wild Yaks, and The Surprisers.

continued below...

Continue reading "Amor de Días, not Popfest, BNLX, Cymbals Eat Guitars, album & book tribute shows, Cheeseburger, Beige & more in This Week in Indie "

Ben Frost at Brooklyn Masonic Temple (more by Greg Cristman)

After a successful inaugural year, Unsound returns in 2011. As discussed, the ten day festival will take place from April 1st - 10th at multiple venues across New York City with the musical program taking place from April 6th - 10th.

Kicking off April 6th at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, as also discussed Unsound will host Music For Solaris, a multimedia experience that incorporates the Tarkovsky film, Lem's written source material, and music "written for twenty-nine string players, two percussionists, prepared piano, guitars and electronics by Ben Frost (Australia / Iceland) and Daníel Bjarnason (Iceland) in collaboration with one of Poland's leading orchestras, Sinfonietta Cracovia." Brian Eno and Nick Robertson will be on hand for "film manipulations" of the Tarkovsky film.

The next three days will see events with Morton Subotnick, Atom, Lone, Badawi, Kontext, Alan Howarth, Harald Grosskopf, Emeralds, the previously mentioned debut of the new incarnation of Skull Defekts with Daniel Higgs (April 3rd at Littlefield), and so much more.

On April 10th, the festival will close up shop with with three events, one of which will feature the NYC live and dark debut of Lustmord with Void Ov Voices (aka Attila of Mayhem) and Robert Piotrowicz at Abrons Art Center.

More details on Unsound NYC are below.

Continue reading "Unsound 2011 lineup updates (Ben Frost, Brian Eno, Emeralds, Lustmord, Void Ov Voices, Morton Subotnick, Atom & more)"

Black Angels @ APW 2008 (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

today in NYC
* Luisa Maita @ SOB's
* Best of Whiplash @ UCB
* Roger Waters @ Izod Center
* Wizardy, Mortals @ Union Pool
* Mandingo Ambassadors @ Barbes
* The Dears, Zeus @ Knitting Factory
* Louis CK @ the Paley Center for Media
* Adam Pendleton: BAND @ The Kitchen
* Trevor Dunn, Phillip Greenlief @ Barbes
* Preservation Hall Jazz Band @ City Winery
* Bettie Serveert, The Art of Shooting @ Maxwell's
* The Duke Spirit, The Rassle @ Santos Party House
* Blonde Redhead, Pantha Du Prince @ Webster Hall
* MV Carbon, Amen Dunes, Hunters @ Monster Island
* Black Mountain, The Black Angels @ Bowery Ballroom
* Henry Grimes (75th birthday celebration) @ The Stone
* Bedouin Soundclash, Moneybrother @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Wolf Parade, Ogre You Asshole @ The Wellmont Theatre
* Ad Frank, Amy Miles, Taurus, Pam Jones @ Bowery Electric
* Every Time I Die, Trap Them, Howl @ The Studio at Webster Hall
* Jacques Renault, Shout Out Out Out Out, Telephoned @ Glasslands
* The Fresh & Onlys, Royal Baths, Xray Eyeballs, Dutch Treat @ Shea Stadium
* Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers, Hooray For Earth, Zambri, ArpLine @ Pianos
* Villagers, Erland & The Carnival, Findlay Brown, Xenia Rubinos @ Mercury Lounge
* Dave Hills Rock Shop w/ Michael Showalter, Pat Kiernan, Doug Gillard @ Rock Shop
* Stand up for Heroes w/ John Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Jerry Seinfeld, Tony Bennett, more @ Beacon Theatre
* Happy Ending Music and Reading Series featuring Julia Holmes, Teddy Wayne, Jennifer Egan & musical guest Elizabeth & the Catapult @ Joe's Pub
* A Place To Bury Strangers, Bad Rabbits, Laura Warshauer, London Souls, Sick Puppies, Sugarland, The Gracious Few, The Postelles @ Gramercy Theatre

For more, check out This Week in Indie

Brian Eno is interviewed by Dick Flash in the video below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"

Moritz Von Oswald Trio at Unsound 2010 (more by Greg Cristman)

UNSOUND had it's first NYC event over the course of ten days in February with artists like Moritz Von Oswald Trio, Aidan Baker, Carl Craig, and a ton of others. Now the Polish organizers will make their return to NYC from in April 2011 (the 6th through 10th) for a gang of musical acts as well as "workshops, discussions and experimental events". So far the lineup hasn't been announced, save for one performance:

Making its USA premiere at Unsound Festival will be a new Unsound-commissioned project by Ben Frost & Daníel Bjarnasson, with "film manipulations" by Brian Eno and Nick Robertson. The ambitious project will celebrate the 50th anniversary (2011) of the publication of Krakow writer Stanislaw Lem's novel Solaris and will feature Frost / Bjarnasson collaborating with Sinfonietta Cracovia, one of Poland's leading orchestras.
Written for 29 string players, 2 percussionists, prepared piano, guitars and electronics, Music For Solaris has its beginnings in both Lem's original novel and the 1972 film adaptation by Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky. It is a re-imagined soundtrack for a film so still as to become almost absent, a story in sound, and an exploration of an interior cosmos. It is music written by human beings, removed and mutated by machine intelligence, then translated once more by human beings.

Integral to the project are a series of "film manipulations" by Brian Eno and Nick Robertson, drawing on moments from the original Tarkovwsky film to create a visual parallel to the music composition process. The performance will also mark the release of the album Music For Solaris.

Ben Frost meanwhile is scheduled to open the sold-out Swans show at Brooklyn Masonic Temple on 10/8. Brian Eno is currently streaming his new album Small Craft on a Milk Sea, due in November via Warp.

Brian Eno's new album, Small Craft on a Milk Sea, comes out November 2nd on Warp Records (that's the cover above). On it, Brian Eno worked with Jon Hopkins and Leo Abrahams. Eno described the process of recording the album to the Guardian...

"Mostly the pieces on this album resulted not from 'composition' in the classical sense, but from improvisation," Eno explained. "The improvisations are not attempts to end up with a song, but rather with a landscape, a feeling of a place and perhaps the suggestion of an event. In a sense they deliberately lack 'personality': there is no singer, no narrator, no guide as to what you ought to be feeling."

According to Hopkins, many of the album's "more melodic pieces" were born out of randomness. "Brian [asked] Leo and myself to write down a series of random chords, which he would then write on a white board, along with a number - the number of bars we should stay on that chord for," he said. "Brian would then stand and point to chords at random, not knowing how (and if) they will link to each other, and Leo and I would lay down parts in the corresponding keys for the written number of bars."

Jon Hopkins tours with Four Tet in October. They're at Webster Hall on October 22nd. Tickets are still on sale.

The streaming track and more info are below...

Continue reading "listen to new Brian Eno ++ Jon Hopkins tour dates "

Eclectic rocker Neil Young, who has made no secret of his disdain for the Grammys, finally won a coveted trophy on Sunday for the first time in a career spanning almost 50 years.

Fittingly, the Canadian singer/songwriter was honored for a long-delayed boxed set collecting more than 120 tracks from his early days.

"Neil Young Archives Vol. 1 (1963-1972)" won the Grammy for best art direction on a boxed or special limited-edition package. Young, 64, shared the award with fellow art directors Gary Burden and Jenice Heo.

"Thanks a lot, everybody," Young said as he accepted his statuette.

He also competed for best solo rock vocal Grammy but lost to Bruce Springsteen, whose career total rose to 20.

On Friday he was honored by the music industry at its annual MusiCares charity fundraiser in recognition of his annual concerts for the Bridge School for disabled children.

The 10-disc "Archives" boxed set has been in the works for years, with Young frequently delaying its release so that technology could catch up with his vision. It boasts studio and live tracks, demos, outtakes and other rarities, as well as videos and the first digital release of his directing debut, "Journey Through the Past."

Fans have the choice of three configurations: CD, DVD and Blu-ray -- the most expensive at more than $200. [Reuters]

Continue reading "full list of 2010 Grammy Award Winners (Phoenix, Stephen Colbert, Kings of Leon, David Byrne, Leonard Cohen & more) "

Beast @ CMJ 2009 (more by Chris La Putt)

Lady Gaga was nominated five times. Considering her rocket to fame over the last year, many were expecting more for her. But at least the contests are going to be really interesting: Beyoncé, [Taylor] Swift and Lady Gaga are going head to head in three of the most important categories: album, record and song of the year. Will one of them sweep, or will the lady vote be split?

One of the usual complaints about the Grammys is that it over-rewards older, established, familiar acts at the expense of newer, fresher ones. MGMT, the Brooklyn synth-rock duo, was nominated for best new artist, a big coup although not unexpected. But some of the shoulda-been names that have been circulated and Tweeted: Grizzly Bear, another acclaimed Brooklyn group; Regina Spektor, a young New York songwriter who started in the underground and has found some mainstream popularity; Diane Birch, a young soul-style singer, just the revivalist type the Grammys usually adore; and the Decemberists, an alt-folk-rock band from Portland, Ore., that released an ambitious concept album this year. [NY Times]

One surprise (for me anyway) came this year in the video category. Montreal's Beast were nominated for "Mr. Hurricane". That video with a list of some of the other nominees, below...

Continue reading "Beast's 'Mr. Hurricane' video & other 2009 Grammy nominees "

photos by Chris La Putt

The Swell Season's new album, Strict Joy, is out October 27th on Anti-. On Monday night, September 14th, the Irish & Czech duo (who are no longer a couple) performed at 92YTribeca in Manhattan. 92YTribeca is an intimate, and kind of swanky, downtown NYC venue that is much smaller than the places the Academy Award-winning band played last time they were here (Radio City and Summerstage). It's also probably much smaller than the ones they'll play next (nothing announced yet) (Beacon Theatre?). Bands often visit NYC for press purposes before an album, and I think that's related to why this show happened. Limited tickets were sold for $35 a pop. It was a packed house with tables taking up most of the room. People stood on the sides and in the back.

The setup on stage was spare. Glen Hansard had an old acoustic guitar which sometimes had "a mind of its own". Markéta Irglová sat at the piano when she wasn't standing up singing, either with Glen or by herself. They alternated playing solo and together. They flew in the night before, and hadn't performed in a while. Glen related that last fact to his forgetting to pack a few things, like his guitar tuner. To remedy the situation, he told us he downloaded iTune, an iPhone app that helps you tune your instrument. He even gave a demonstration of it after showing us how the Brian Eno iPhone app works (not sure if it was the old one or the brand new one). The iPhone segment was one of Glenn's many trademark (and entertaining) stories of the evening. His funny anecdotes offset the feelings of woe that dominate Swell Season songs.

Glen was as modest and down to earth as ever. He became frustrated when his guitar didn't do what he wanted. He thanked everyone for coming (especially Paddy, or is it Patty, in the front row who he thinks has been at every NYC show he's ever played), and for paying money to do so. He acknowledged that he expected the great success of last year to not always be there in the future. I imagine he is fine with the possibility that it won't always be Radio City and the Academy Awards, but I have no doubt The Swell Season can do it again (even if their demographic becomes less my friends, and more my mom's). Everything else aside, Glen (who is also in the band The Frames), can sing and play. And so can Marketa. It was especially noticeable since I'd just returned at 5am that morning from ATP NY, a festival in upstate NY where I saw a variety of bands, of varying musical abilities, perform.

The Swell Season setlist ranged from new songs to old songs to covers to something Glen wrote the night before. I don't know exactly what Glen's relationship is to Nico Muhly (Nico may have worked on the new album), but I know that Nico and Glen have a friend and collaborator Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman) in common. I didn't see Thomas there, but Nico (who performed with Thomas at the Miller Theatre just a few days earlier) was, and he played a solo piano song in the middle of Swell Season's set. It was kind of weird - maybe out of place. Glen introduced his friend Nico before leaving the stage (Marketa was already off). Nico then came up and played his song, and then Nico left and then the Swell Season came back. Regardless, special guests are always fun and I like Nico.

"Falling Slowly" (the big hit) was played early in the set, and my initial excitement turned into "I guess I'm sick of this song", but the Once songs they played at the end, "When Your Mind's Made Up" and "Lies", felt much better. Other highlights included an upbeat cover of Tim Buckley's :"Buzzin' Fly" mixed with a bit of Jeff Buckley's "Grace", anything Marketa did solo, and the closing number which was a cover of Daniel Johnston's "Devil Town". During that, Glen had the NYC crowd singing along to the chorus which he repeated a few times, partially A Capella and sometimes with accompanying funny faces, accents, and vampire gestures. He sang part of it with a German accent, and he ended with a pose he called a "Kanye moment". The crowd followed with a laugh and a standing ovation.

More pictures and tour dates (which were recently announced, but no NYC yet), and the NY show's setlist, below...

Continue reading "The Swell Season (and Nico Muhly & Brian Eno's iPhone app) played 92YTribeca - pics, review, setlist & 2009 Tour Dates "

photos by Chris La Putt, words by Andrew Frisicano

David Byrne opened the Celebrate Brooklyn 2009 Season with a free show at the Prospect Park bandshell last night (Monday, June 9th). The show continued Dave Byrne's year-long tour of material from his collaborations with Brian Eno. That show, on its trip around the world, visited NJ's Wellmont Theater on June 3rd, and Radio City Music Hall on February 27th and 28th. (Pics and reviews from those are linked.)

In Brooklyn, the above-capacity crowd wasn't deterred by threats of rain, which held off for the length of the two-hour set. David Byrne noted that he biked to the show; he wasn't the only one, as the 'bike valet' was packed (apparently Byrne rode home too). Those who did park in the bike valet were automatically entered to win a new bike which Byrne showed off from the stage before his set. Those that couldn't get through the door caught the open-air action from video screens aimed towards the back of the crowd.

Byrne's set opened, as it has all tour, with "Strange Overtones," the hypnotic single off the newest Eno/Byrne collaboration Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. The bandshell's reverberating walls were an incredibly jarring transition from punchy studio sound of the original -- as catchy as the tune is, it was kind of a strange, underwhelming start.

Things only went up from there, as the band's sound melded together and its accompanying dancers boosted the visuals. Their dance moves, which traded off with the members of the band, seemed to mimic Byrne's own jerky mannerisms, as well as the themes of the songs (eg. office chair props during the wage slave anthem "Life Is Long").

Overall, the energy on stage and in the crowd was high. "Once in a Lifetime," which came near the end of the set, sent the remaining seated show-goers to their feet. One older couple, who I'm sure had to be around when Byrne hit the scene in '75, went from joking with their granddaughter about the pot smell in the air to cutting a serious rug for the set's high-density end.

Byrne used his first encore to introduce the band and special guest, percussionist Steve Scales. The Talking Heads/Byrne regular, who played on both The Name of This Band is Talking Heads to My Life in a Bush of Ghosts for starters, joined the band for two songs that included "Take Me to the River." As the only one not dressed in all white, Scales bounded across the stage and hyped up the crowd. His unscripted enthusiasm, far from the composed moves of Byrne, added a nice party vibe to the choreographed set.

The band returned for a second two-song encore that included the non-Eno song "Burning Down the House", and finally, back for a third time, closed with an acoustic-led version of "Everything That Happens."

The rest of the pictures, the setlist, and remaining Byrne dates (of which there are more TBA) below...

Continue reading "David Byrne played Eno-songs @ Celebrate Brooklyn's Prospect Park Bandshell in NYC - pics & setlist"

photos by Chris La Putt

Byrne was greeted with a returning heroes welcome. I've never heard an ovation as deep and long as that following "Houses In Motion" - it seemed to begin in the back of the large hall and move forward till the room was one extended, hearty bravo that resonated for minutes, stunning even Mr. Byrne.

Byrne was onstage at about 8:20 - no flashy intro, in fact, it seemed he needed to kill some time (allowing concertgoers a few extra minutes to get to their seats, a technical delay?) so he rambled on a bit (in somewhat disjointed Byrne style) explaining the musical makeup of the evening. It was interesting that in speaking about his earlier music, he pointedly made sure not to mention the name of his first band - Talking Heads.

The set smartly opened with the new "Strange Overtones" - immediately hooking the audience, and then proceeded with a blend of mostly old, some new, and a few semi-obscurities (from the lp "My Life In The Bush of Ghosts"). When the 3 dancers came onstage for "I Zimbra", the party really started. Tbe dancers, the choreography, the simple but standard stage uniforms - it was classic theatrical David Byrne - making sure that it was more than just a rock concert - it was a joyous stage show.

At the finale, Byrne, the band, the dancers and an additional chorus line of dozens all flooded the stage - and all wearing tutus! A chorus line of high kicks, followed by bows and waves to the audience, concluded a memorable evening of great musicianship and extraordinary showmanship." [drewo]

Continue reading "David Byrne @ Radio City Music Hall (night 1) - pics & setlist"

Get On Your Boots, the first single from U2's new album No Line On The Horizon, will be released as a digital download on February 15th with a physical format to follow on February 16 through Mercury/Universal (UK).

Produced by Brian Eno, Danny Lanois and Steve Lillywhite, sessions for No Line On The Horizon began in Fez, Morocco, and continued at the band's Dublin studio, New York's Platinum Sound Recording Studios, and London's Olympic Studios.

Released on March 2nd (March 3rd in the US), the album will come in a standard format with 24 page booklet and in digipak format. The digipak includes an extended booklet and the album's companion film "Linear" by Anton Corbijn. A limited edition 64 page magazine will also be available, featuring the band in conversation with artist Catherine Owens, and new Anton Corbijn photographs. No Line On The Horizon will be released on 180gm vinyl. (More on the formats below)

The album cover artwork is an image of the sea meeting the sky by Japanese artist and photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto.

Listen to the new song at U2's site. Full album tracklist, and list of formats, below...

Continue reading "new U2 song from new U2 album No Line On the Horizon"