by Andrew Frisicano

M83 @ Webster Hall (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

M83 has been added to Pitchfork Festival, which is taking place from July 17th - Sunday, July 19th in Chicago. Other bands added to the bill include Black Lips, Fucked Up, Wavves, the Dutchess and the Duke, and Matt and Kim. The whole, updated lineup is below. Tickets for the fest are still on sale.

Five days before he performs in Chicago, M83's Anthony Gonzalez will perform a free show at NYC's World Finanial Center Winter Garden (July 14th). For that NYC gig:

Anthony Gonzalez, M83's chief stargazer, performs a special one-off ambient performance. New York-based artist Janet Biggs begins the night with a screening of her short film, Vanishing Point.

The NYC show announcement is one of the first for the mostly unannounced 2009 River to River Festival (a series of free shows at various venues all over NYC all summer). More WFC show updates on the way.

More Pitchfork Fest info below...

Continue reading "P4k Fest updates lineup, M83 (solo) playing a free NYC show"

photos by Leia Jospe

"CD sales are down. Digital hasn't caught up. Record companies are consolidating. New bands are trying to find their own way.

Despite all the challenging news, thousands of industry professionals and eager music fans turned out for the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, over the weekend. The festival, tailored to recording industry talent seekers and the talent they seek, officially ended Sunday.

While optimism ran high at the five-day whirlwind of panel discussions, trade shows, live concerts and private parties, much of the conversation throughout the event focused on the sobering reality of the music industry's uncertain future.

"Obviously we're going through a transition. All of the major record labels have gone through some sort of cost-cutting and consolidation over the last few years," said Rand Hoffman, head of business and legal affairs at Interscope Geffen A&M Records.

"Right now CD sales are falling more rapidly than digital is going up," he told a group of SXSW festival-goers at a panel discussion on the future of the industry." [CNN]

Leia spent Thursday at the BV day party at Radio Room. On Friday, she ran around to three different Austin venues, seeing favorites like No Age, Titus Andronicus, HEALTH, and The Mae Shi. More of her pictures below...

Continue reading "SXSW 2009 - Day 3 in photos by Leia"

photos by Leia Jospe

Chester French, The Knux and Charles Hamilton performed at the not extremely well attended Puma event at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn last night (Dec 1, 2008). The Knux play NYC again tonight, Tuesday December 2nd, on the Highline Ballroom bill with Q-Tip and The Cool Kids. More pictures from last night below...

Continue reading "The Knux, Charles Hamilton & Chester French @ MHOW (Puma party), Brooklyn, NY - pics"

Puma is celebrating its 60th birthday. On December 1st (Monday/today), Chester French, The Knux, Charles Hamilton and Jus Ske will play the Brooklyn edition of Puma's musically-questionable series of US birthday shows at Music Hall of Williamsburg. The show is free, but you need to get tickets in a Puma store (if you didn't already) (and if they have any left). The Knux is also opening for Q-Tip and The Cool Kids at Highline Ballroom in Manhattan tomorrow/Tuesday. More Puma details below...

Continue reading "free Puma shows, Music Hall tonight/Monday"