by BBG

L to R: Stretch Armstrong, Bobbito, and Lord Sear (via)

One of the greatest underground hip hop radio shows of all time will celebrate their 20th Anniversary with a show at Le Poisson Rouge on Feb 10, 2011. Lord Sear will join Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito at the venue "with special surprise guests" and tickets are on sale. No word on the "special surprise guests", but knowing the long list of MCs and DJs that have blessed the show over its existence (names like Jay-Z, The Notorious BIG, Junior Mafia, Artifacts, X-Men, Souls of Mischief, Diggin In The Crates, Nas, etc, etc, etc) it wouldnt be that far fetched to expect someone great. XXL recently ran a piece on Stretch & Bob's greatest freestyles - it's a must read/hear.

The news of the reunion show comes a little more than a month after the death of WKCR's "Squeeze Radio"..

Hip-Hop radio at Columbia University's WKCR is on its deathbed and... the legendary crew of Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Garcia, as well as DJ Sucio Smash, [have] broadcast their finale [on 10/21].

...Sucio Smash inherited the "Squeeze Radio" show's time slot--1am to 5am on Fridays--from the ballyhooed "Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Show." Like its predecessor, "Squeeze Radio" (WKCR is 89.9 on NY's FM radio dial) provided a place for listeners to hear the latest hip-hop music while offering an alternative to the strict, and repetitive, playlists of mainstream rap radio.

"What DJ Sucio Smash and Squeeze Radio provides is an alternative for hip-hop fans who have grown tired of the politics behind commercial radio," says Rob Markman, Deputy Editor of XXL Magazine. "Since 2001 "Squeeze Radio" has cut through industry politics and given fans hip-hop in its purest form. It's a shame that rap fans are going to lose this outlet." -[MTV News]

Naturally, many have voiced their opinion on this move. Hear the final show in its entirety.

"Ladies and gents, the rumors are true/false/sortakinda accurate, depending on your sources: legendary Wu Tang member Ghostface Killah, Outback Steakhouse-promoting psychedelic indie outfit Of Montreal, and remixing/upcoming Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa will play Bacchanal on Saturday, April 24th." [The Bwog]

Columbia University's Spring concert begins at at 6 PM, and this year's theme is "Chewbacchanal".

Video of Of Montreal on Yo Gabba Gabba!, below...

Continue reading "Of Montreal, Ghostface & Wiz Khalifa playing Columbia show"

Elvis Perkins @ Clearwater Fest this summer (more by Chris La Putt)

tonight in NYC
* Phish @ MSG
* The Besties @ Asbury Lanes
* Ian McCulloch @ The Studio
* Crystal Antlers @ Cameo
* Nitzer Ebb @ Gramercy Theatre
* Darmstadt @ Issue Project Room
* Mew, Bear in Heaven @ Webster Hall
* Quest For Fire, Naam & Weird Owl @ Pianos
* Espers, Azita, Doug Paisley @ Drom
* The Sights, The Figgs @ Cake Shop
* A Prairie Home Companion @ Town Hall
* Sloan, Magneta Lane @ The Bell House
* Raphael Saadiq, Anjulie @ Terminal 5
* The Wrens, Palomar @ Maxwell's (early)
* The Wrens, Bob Fields @ Maxwell's (late)
* Sebastien Schuller, Hoferlanz @ Sycamore
* Alicia Hall Moran, Gordon Voidwell @ The Kitchen
* Brendan Benson, Cory Chisel @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* The Beets @ the Degenerate Craft Fair @ Silent Barn
* Woods, Real Estate, Cloud Nothings @ Market Hotel
* Red Mass & Golden Triangle @ Live With Animals Gallery
* The Big Pink, Crystal Antlers, Von Haze @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Bowerbirds, Dave Godowsky @ Bowery Ballroom
* Terra Nova: Sinfonia Antarctica w/ DJ Spooky & ICE @ BAM Howard Gilman Opera
* Mike Yaniro benefit w/ Sightings, Pink Reason, York Factory Complaint (w/ Genesis P-orridge), White Suns @ Death By Audio
* Pissed Jeans, Yellow Tears, Old Men @ Columbia U's Lerner Party Space

Details on the Pissed Jeans show below...

The Wrens' first set tonight will be Meadowlands in full; the second, all new songs.

Elvis Perkins is in town for two shows. Tonight at Bowery and then Saturday at Music Hall. His video for "Chains, Chains, Chains" below...

The Beets plays the Degenerate Craft Fair.

Bowerbirds open for Elvis tonight, but not tomorrow. Instead they're at Union Pool on Saturday with Sharon Van Etten.

Brendan Benson is at LPR tonight and Maxwell's on Saturday. His new video for "A Whole Lot Better" below.

Jack White recorded two new songs with the band Smoke Fairies.

Amazon's 25 days of free Christmas songs continues. They also have Diana Krall's Christmas album on sale for $2.99 and a compilation of 99 songs for $5.00, one of many albums they're selling for that price now.

Ornette Coleman tops Amazon's list of "100 Greatest Jazz Albums of All Time".

Richard Buckner plays Mercury Lounge on Saturday.

Black Sheep play Santos Party House on Saturday.

Rihanna got inappropriate with a mannequin last night at Hammerstein Ballroom. Video below...

Amanda Palmer does Tegan & Sara. Video below...

a new Lightspeed Champion video, below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Friday?"

by Andrew Frisicano

The Hold Steady @ Rothbury Festival in July (more by Graeme Flegenheimer)

Craig Finn and Tad Kubler of The Hold Steady, along with author Chuck Klosterman, will be the featured guests at this month's Radio Happy Hour at (Le) Poisson Rouge on Saturday, November 14th (2pm). In past months, the live variety show's hosts have included Andrew W.K., Norah Jones and TVotR's Tunde Adebimpe. Clips of those past shows are below. Tickets are on sale.

Interestingly, Finn is in the process of co-adapting Chuck Klosterman's 2001 memoir Fargo Rock City with writer Tom Ruprecht (of the David Letterman show). It should also be noted that Finn & Kubler's pre-Hold Steady gig Lifter Puller will get its entire catalog of CDs re-released online on December 1st, along with a new book titled Lifter Puller Vs. the End Of and a single/rarities collection.

After Radio Happy Hour, you can catch their Hold Steady bandmate Franz Nicolay at Southpaw for "HARTZVEYTIK! A Heartbreak Survival Society Social." Also on the bill are The Low & the Lonesome, Ariel Schrag, Royal Pink, Soft Power (feat. Mary Timony) and The Shondes. There will be vegan cupcakes. Tickets are on sale.

Then, on Thursday, November 19th, see rock cultural criticism godfather Greil Marcus when he appears uptown at Columbia University's Altschul Auditorium (417 International Affairs Building, 420 West 118th St) at 6pm. The event is a "lecture-performance" for the 20th-anniversary re-release of his book Lipstick Traces: A Secret History of the 20th Century, out this month. The book deals with "the cross-currents, tangles, and whirlpools that made such vastly different movements as dada, lettrism, the Situationist International, and punk part of a single current." The event is free and open to the public. A video of Marcus discussing his 2006 book In The Shape of Things to Come is posted below. Greil Marcus wrote the book on Bob Dylan (actually a few of them) - the same night Dylan plays the last show of three shows even further uptown at United Palace Theatre.

Franz Nicolay has more upcoming tour dates, including a show at Mercury Lounge on November 16th (tix). Those and "Lipstick Traces" videos, and the flyer for that event, below...

Continue reading "Greil Marcus, Chuck Klosterman, & members of the Hold Steady - various NYC events & tour dates "

DOWNLOAD: Do Make Say Think - Other Truths album sampler (MP3)

photos by Chris La Putt

Do Make Say Think

The term "wordless" was perhaps misleading, because the Broken Social Scene founding member's [Happiness] Project was rooted in language, words, and conversation. A year ago, [Charles] Spearin began inviting neighbors from his downtown Toronto neighborhood over for a series of casual interviews in which he asked them questions about happiness and its meaning.

Listening to the recordings, Spearin noticed the musicality of his subjects' voices, as well as their varied and diverse responses. He set about trying to create melodies from the responses, and enlisted his musical friends to help, ultimately arranging the melodies as songs.

[On September 10th], Spearin and other musicians (including some members of DMST) performed these songs, along with the interviews that inspired them. Beginning with bare musical imitations of the voices, the melodies grew and developed into full-fledged songs, featuring repeated sound clips from the interviews. The use of the recordings, a sort of motif in post-rock music, was developed in a truly inspired way.

Following the performance of the Happiness Project, Spearin rejoined Do Make Say Think for a set in which they performed songs from their older albums, as well as new songs from the forthcoming album Other Truths.

During this second half of the evening, the volume went way up, as did the banter, swearing, and on-stage beer drinking. The band's signature distorted guitars, spacey electronic effects, and loud bass was a major shift from the comparatively subdued Happiness Project.

Though the set was at times repetitive, it was more often powerful, intense, and surprising. The songs built up beautifully, and the audience members, restricted by their seats, bobbed their heads in satisfied unison. [Columbia Spectator]

Thursday's show (described above) was just one of the four recent "Wordless Music" shows that happened at Miller Theatre. Destroyer, Grouper, and Doveman were among those who played the other three.

Do Make Say Think and The Happiness Project hit Europe this fall, then return to North America for a series of shows in late November and December. Joining on the tour will be Years, a project of DMST guitarist Ohad Benchetrit. All three play November 28th at Music Hall of Williamsburg and November 29th at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets (finally) go on AmEx presale Wednesday, September 16th at noon. General sale starts Friday, September 18th at noon.

DMST's new record Other Truths is set to come out October 20th on Constellation. A preview of that record is posted above. Artwork and tracklist are below with the rest of the pictures from the Miller Theatre show...

Continue reading "Do Make Say Think & Charles Spearin's 'The Happiness Project' played Miller Theatre (pics) ++ MP3 & more dates..."

DOWNLOAD: Lou Reed - Perfect Day (Carillon April 30th, 2009) (MP3)

Lou Reed & his Metal Machine (more by Lori Baily)

"Lou Reed's (b. 1942) music written for the Velvet Underground propelled him to rock stardom. His Metal Machine Music, a distorted sound wall of guitar feedback, has been called the precursor to punk. Critical rejection at its first release in 1975 led to a cult-like interest. Ulrich Krieger has accomplished a feat once deemed impossible by transcribing and arranging Metal Machine Music for classical instruments"...

Mark your calendar because that program, "Fireworks Ensemble playing Metal Machine Music", is coming to Columbia's Miller Theatre on Friday, February 5, 2010. Tickets are on sale now.

Ulrich Krieger was 1/3 of the Metal Machine Trio that played the Gramercy Theatre in April. (The others on stage were Sarth Calhoun, Reed himself and special guest John Zorn.) That trio has dates later this year in Europe, which are posted below.

This weekend, Reed is at Lollapalooza in Chicago, where he'll play a "songs" set (if you recall, the Metal Machine shows advertised themselves as "No Songs No Vocals" to curb any suspicion about the program).

Reed recently collaborated with Barenaked Ladies instrumentalist Kevin Hearn on a "song about overfishing the oceans stands out like a sore sea-hugger."

Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle's Havana Winter, released on [July 28th] from Hearn's indie label Celery Music, is nakedly invested in...natural subjects. "Coma," which features Reed on backing vocals and guitar, was inspired by Charles Clover's The End of the Line, an alarming documentary about fishing, technology and extinction. Reed and Hearn use that as a point of departure to also criticize urban sprawl.

Reed plays screeching guitar on three [of the record's] tunes ("Coma," "In The Shade," "H.I.T.S."), while his wife, performance artist Laurie Anderson adds electric violin on "Reeling."

Listen to "Coma" at Wired.

Another track, posted above, is a version of Reed's "Perfect Day," originally released on 1972's Transformer, being played on the Riverside Church carillon (a huge mass of bells and the largest of its kind in the world) last April. Why you ask? Here's the description of the event...

Continue reading "Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music & ensemble show in NYC (tix), Lollapalooza (this weekend), Barenaked Ladies & more"

Doveman @ LPR in June (more by Fresh Bread)

Miller Theatre joins forces with the Wordless Music series to present a week of specially curated concerts highlighting the best of each organization's aesthetic and mission. For five nights, indie-rock and electronic-music performers share the stage with artists from the classical- and new-music world, for a week of unorthodox and unconventional musical meetings.

Of those five nights, four lineups at Columbia University's Miller Theatre (2960 Broadway at 116th Street) have been confirmed. Those will take place as follows...

Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The 802 Tour:
Nico Muhly + Sam Amidon + Doveman

Thursday, September 10, 2009
Do Make Say Think
Charles Spearin's "The Happiness Project"

Friday, September 11, 2009
Tim Hecker
Grouper
Julianna Barwick

Saturday, September 12, 2009
Dan Bejar (Destroyer)
Loscil
JACK Quartet

Ticket information HERE.

Those concerts are an addition to Wordless's upcoming schedule, which currently includes the Alarm Will Sound show tonight (July 22nd) at LPR, the Liquid Liquid & Rhys Chatham "200 Electric Guitars" performance on August 8th at Damrosch Park at Lincoln Center, and the Warp20 NYC series in early September.

The original "802 Tour" (the Doveman date above) took place in 2008. No word on whether they are actually going on tour again, or if this is just a one-off date with the same name.

Do Make Say Think and The Happiness Project also have a bunch of other tour dates scheduled, including two other NYC shows. Grouper is also playing ATP NY. Destroyer is going on a very short tour at the end of July that brings Dan Bejar to Bowery Ballroom on the 30th. All dates and a video from Doveman's June 18th show at LPR, below...

Continue reading "'Wordless Music' @ Miller Theatre w/ Doveman, Grouper & Destroyer ++ other tour dates"

MSG photos & words by Jacob Blickenstaff, Columbia photos by Jens Schott Knudsen

Pete Seeger @ Columbia in April...

"Clearwater conducts innovative environmental programs, advocacy and celebrations in order to inspire and energize the next generation of environmental leaders.

Clearwater was founded in 1969 by music legend and environmental activist Pete Seeger." [Clearwater]

Pete Seeger's been busy lately, especially for someone who just celebrated his 90th birthday. The event for that occasion took place at Madison Square Garden on May 3rd, and is reviewed in full below, with pictures. A few weeks before that, on Earth Day (April 18th), Pete played a show at Columbia's Teachers College. Photos from that show are below too. Right after that he headed to New Orleans to perform at Jazz Fest. Prior to those, Seeger played the Clearwater benefit with Jeff Tweedy at Beacon High School on March 28th. We also recently noticed his name as the special guest on a show at Joe's Pub.

This summer Pete Seeger is scheduled to play the Newport Folk Festival (August 1st and 2nd), and will perform at his own Clearwater Festival, taking place in Croton-on-the-Hudson, NY this weekend (June 20th and 21st). The Clearwater Fest lineup includes Dr. Dog, A.C. Newman, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Richie Havens, Old Crow Medicine Show, Alejandro Escovedo, Arlo Guthrie and others. Its full schedule is below. Tickets are still sale at the gate.

UPDATE: we can confirm that Pete played his scheduled Saturday morning Clearwater Fest performance "with kids" for those who braved the rain. Pete will perform again at the festival on Sunday afternoon with his grandson Tao Rodriguez-Seeger.

A review of Pete Seeger's 90th Birthday Celebration at MSG, and all above-mentioned photos, with the full Clearwater Festival lineup & schedule, below...

Continue reading "Clearwater Festival this weekend - full schedule ++ Pete Seeger pics (from his 90th birthday & Columbia University)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Guru - "Who Got It On Lock" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Guru - "Jazzy Ways" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Guru - "State of Clarity" featuring Common (MP3)

DJ AM with the legendary DJ Premier and Stretch Armstrong

As we discussed before, this Saturday (4/18) marks the Vampire Weekend/Talib Kweli show at Columbia University. According to an email sent to alumni (thx J):

DATE: Saturday, April 18
TIME: 3:00 - 5:00PM
LOCATION: Columbia University's Low Plaza
RSVP: This is a ticketed event open to the first 300 Class of 2008 CAAL members who renew their annual CAAL membership by April 13th. Only ticket holders will be admitted through campus gates.

You can try your luck, or you can catch Talib at another appearance scheduled for that same day at the legendary Fat Beats in the West Village where Talib Kweli will join the mighty DJ Premier, Yearround records signees NYGz & Blaq Poet (ex-Screwball), as well as members of the Rock Steady Crew for day of "live performances and signings" in celebration of Record Store day from 1PM - 7PM. Word of advice, get there eaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarly. For a full list of Record Store Day events, check RecordStoreDay.com.

Speaking of DJ Premier, his (ex?) partner in Gang Starr, Guru has scheduled a show at SOB's on May 13th with Solar (not to be confused with Guru's other collaborator, MC Solaar) and The 7 Grand Players and featuring K-Born and Highpower. Tickets aren't on sale as of this posting, but are priced at $20/$22 day of the show. K-Born & Highpower is signed to Guru and Solar's label, 7 Grand Records. Guru's new album, Lost & Found, is due on May 19th.

Talib Kweli is also teaming back up with Mos Def for two Black Star shows at Nokia Theatre at the end of May. You can also catch him with Hi-Tek (Reflection Eternal) at the Rock The Bells fest this summer.

No word on the Rock Steady Crew 32nd Anniversary show thus far, but we'll keep you informed.

Continue reading "Talib Kweli playing Columbia & Fat Beats, Guru playing SOBs "

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Mos Def - "Quiet Dog" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Mos Def - "Life in Marvelous Times" (MP3)

Mos Def @ Rock The Bells 2008 in Jones Beach (more by villageslum)

The crew that proved they were "Fortified Live" and brought about a "Re:Definition" of indie hip hop are back! Talib Kweli & Mos Def will reunite to perform TWO SHOWS at Nokia Theater on May 30th. Tickets are on AMEX presale now (3/25) and go on sale to gen pop on 3/27 at noon for the early show (7PM) here and the late show (11:30 PM) here .

Mos Def is also makin' moves all by his lonesome, having recently announced a spring 2009 release of his new album The Ecstatic via a video short. Mos recently dropped a video for "Life In Marvelous Times" from that record, viewable below. Check out two MP3's, "Quiet Dog" and "Life in Marvelous Times", above.

Kweli recently reunited with Hi-Tek to breathe life back into Refection Eternal during a residency at the Blue Note in early March. Kweli has a few new dates lined up so far, including one free show at Columbia University on April 18th as part of Bacchanal '09 with, according to post at Columbia's Spectacle that has since been removed, Vampire Weekend.

All tour dates and video...

Continue reading "Black Star reunited for 2 NYC dates, new Mos Def, a free Vampire Weekend show? & other Talib Kweli news"

by Andrew Frisicano

The Books (photo by Nino P.)

The Books are playing a Thursday, April 9th show at Columbia U's Miller Theatre as part of the duo's short spring tour. Tickets are on sale. All dates below.

The band has been extremely quiet of late, with one high note being its Dark was the Night appearance, covering Nick Drake's "Cello Song " with Jose Gonzalez. As of now, The Books will not be appearing at the live version of Dark was the Night taking place at Radio City Music Hall.

The Books played the 2007 Bang on a Can Festival - the series' first 24+ hour event. The line-up of this year's marathon (May 31, 2009 at the World Financial Center) is still unannounced, but Bang on a Can does have several other fully scheduled events coming up, including a Bang on a Can All-Stars performance of works by David Longstreth, Lee Ranaldo, and others.

All tour dates and a video from the The Books' 2007 DVD Playall, below...

Continue reading "The Books - 2009 Tour Dates (Columbia's Miller Theatre) "

photos by Bao Nguyen

Eschewing their own tradition of booking hip hop acts for spring, Columbia Concerts has booked awesome Brooklyn-based indie rockers Grizzly Bear and awesome Brooklyn-based indie rockers The National for this year's Spring Concert.

An anonymous source also informs Bwog that this year's Spring Concert will also differ from last year's because it's going to be indoors and tickets are going to cost a completely reasonable and completely worth it $5 fee (students only). [the bwog]

The photos in this post are from the show The National played at NYU at the end of February with Phosphorescent. More below.....

Continue reading "the National played NYU, playing Columbia w/ Grizzy Bear"

Vampire Weekend @ MHOW, Brooklyn, NYC - Sept 8, 2007 (CRED)

No band is more hotly debated among NYC music-heads right now than XL Recording's latest signing (and critical darlings - and don't forget Sasha) Vampire Weekend. Very few argue that the band isn't making enjoyable, catchy music. Some just seem to be offended, or confused, by the vanilla nature of it. My favorite line came from a friend who recently dubbed them the "Jimmy Buffet of indie rock". Then again, that friend hates everything. And from Central Village:...

How on EARTH did these guys become a 'blogger' favorite?.....It's perfectly good music for what it is. It just sounds a lot more like something I'd be embarrassed to tell people I liked, rather than something I'm embarrassed to tell people I've never listened to. That make any sense?

Vampire Weekend played to a sold out crowd at the new around-600-capacity Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn this past weekend. Were you there? (don't worry - this site allows commenting anonymously). A week before that, they opened for Clipse at a free show on the steps of Columbia University (their alma mater). Undisputed Wes was at the Columbia show, and he reports...

They were enthusiastically received by the students, some of which seemed to know the words to a good amount of the songs. They divided their set equally between bouncy, danceable indie rock, and Paul Simon-esque African-infused indie pop with a smidgen of world music. Dancing/awkward teenage hopping took place and the banter ranged from distractingly long to endearingly funny.

Tour dates below....

Continue reading "Vampire Weekend - Columbia, Brooklyn, the world..."

Concert on the steps discolosed

People who know about these things most likely already know this, but for those who don't follow obscure music blogs: Saturday's Concert (2:00 PM, Low plaza) will be headlined by none other than Clipse, just back from a European tour and off the next day to the west coast.....Opening for Clipse will be Columbia grads Vampire Weekend...[the Bwog]

The show is free for the general public - unless it rains - then it gets moved inside where they check for student IDs. Vampire Weekend recently signed a record deal. More VW tour dates, here, and more info on who they're playing with in Brooklyn, here.