Conan O'Brien in Eugene, OR 4/12 (by ob)

The approach, judging from Monday night's performance, was to sweep in with a torrent of energy (or as O'Brien put it in a Twitter post, a "towering tsunami of dry, self-deprecating humor"), high spirits, music, video bits, flashing lights and a crew of old favorite faces and routines. Andy Richter was back, along with LaBamba and the band (though not Max Weinberg), a bear with a certain self-gratifying habit, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog was there on tape, along with other schtick the sellout crowd ate up with gusto. For surprise, there was a brief appearance by Jack McBrayer, aka Kenneth the page on "30 Rock," and the band Spoon [whose own current tour happened to be in Oregon on the same night].

It was plain that this was the first stop on the tour, and cast and crew were getting a feel for what worked and what didn't. At times, the show seemed to cheerfully roll around like an out-of-control soccer ball. But O'Brien and crew always managed to bring it back from the "where-is-this-going?" episodic brink. The proceedings could stand some tightening and trimming -- Conan, we know you love that guitar, but a few of those songs should probably go -- but everybody was giving it their all.

At times, it almost felt like we were watching O"Brien's TV show, with the big-screen display on the stage behind him beaming out his face, and some delightfully loose back-and-forth banter between Conan and Andy. All in all, it's hard to get too crabby about a show that tries to squeeze in so much comedy...The Oregonian]

The first night of the tour coincided with the news that Conan would be hosting a new show on TBS this November.

Videos of songs, sketches and dancing from night one (though none of Spoon unfortunately) are below...

Continue reading "Conan O'Brien kicked off his tour in Oregon with help from Spoon (videos), AC tix still on sale, new show on TBS"

Conan O'Brien will be going out on a 30-city tour this April, May and June. Dubbed the "Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour," it'll consist of "a night of music, comedy, hugging, and the occasional awkward silence" with Conan, Andy Richter and members of the Tonight show band.

The tour comes to NYC's Radio City on June 1st - a show that's already sold out. And they just added a second date at Radio City the next night, which is on sale. Its stop at the somewhat-nearby Atlantic City Borgata on May 30th has some tickets still available.

He'll also be at Bonnaroo in June. All dates below...

Continue reading "Conan O'Brien touring, playing TWO shows @ Radio City (on sale now), Bonnaroo - 2010 dates"

Darius Jones @ New Languages Fest in Sept (more by Andrew Frisicano)

tonight in NYC
* Whiplash @ UCB Theatre
* Chicha Libre @ Barbes
* Darius Jones Trio @ Roulette
* Rev. Vince Anderson @ Union Pool
* Penny Arcade & Debbie Harty @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Jim Campilongo Electric Trio @ The Living Room
* Les Paul Guitar Tribute w/ Zakk Wylde @ Iridium
* Cheap Trick, Jason Falkner, Roger Joseph Manning Jr @ Irving Plaza
* Girls At Dawn, Bottle Up & Go, No Place, Shining Twins @ Studio @ Webster Hall
* Haiti Benefit w/ Vienna Teng, Amber Rubarth, Ari Hest, Alex Berger, Nate Campany, more @ City Winery

Saxist and composer Darius Jones brings a different band to Roulette for three straight nights. Tonight it's a trio, Tuesday it's a quartet and Wednesday his quintet adds two singers.

Tonight @ LPR: "Penny Arcade: Bad Reputation Book Launch and Performance Gala w/ Debbie Harry and special guests, erotic dancers, performances, music, booze and books!"

James Blackshaw is one of the artists playing LPR on Tuesday.

Beach House play a record release show for their new Teen Dream tomorrow at The Bell House. They played Jimmy Fallon last week, video below.

Of Montreal and James Husband kick off a tour tonight that stops by Highline Ballroom tomorrow.

Friday night was Conan O'Brien's final show on NBC. You can watch it in its entirety below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

words by BBG, photos by Meghan McInnis

Spoon you rock rocked Mercury Lounge tonite and I thank you for it - [noise64]

Spoon is scheduled to play one slightly less intimate show in NYC at Radio City Music Hall with Deerhunter ON 3/26 (tix), but Spoon frontman Britt Daniel will do double time this weekend by playing Sound Fix on Saturday (1/23) during day before hitting MHOW later that night with a star-studded lineup. That show, featuring appearances from Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), St. Vincent, Zach Galifianakis, Janeeane Garofalo, Wyatt Senac, John Shade, host Bobby Tisdale (just added) and others as part of a benefit for Haiti. Tickets go on sale at noon for $35, and $40 at the door (if there are any left). 100% of the proceeds to go to Haiti.

Spoon is also on board to play Coachella along with Pavement, Faith No More, Jay-Z and a host of others.

More pics from Mercury Lounge, the setlist, and video from their appearance on The Tonight Show are all below....

Continue reading "Spoon played Mercury Lounge (pics, setlist) & Conan (video) "

Patton Oswalt & Conan O'Brien

"The late-night nightmare is almost over. Conan O'Brien is leaving NBC and receiving a payout--and he'll be free to appear on another network before his contract expires, Kim Masters reports.

The NBC-Leno-Conan war is close to ending, according to a knowledgeable source. According to the outlines of a settlement, Conan O'Brien will leave NBC and the network will make an as-yet unspecified payment. The comedian will be free to appear elsewhere on television well before his contract expires, despite earlier threats from NBC that it would prevent him from working anywhere else.

There is still opportunity for the negotiation to fall apart, but clearly, at this point it is in NBC's interest to put an end to this dismal episode." [The Daily Beast] (via Gawker)

Continue reading "Patton Oswalt & Ricky Gervais appeared on Conan O'Brien who reportedly is really leaving NBC "

"In the grand scheme of things, figuring out whether to stay in a job that pays north of $15 million a year or fighting for some sort of buyout that would also be in the millions -- if not multimillions -- is something of a luxury problem. But those are basically the options facing NBC's Conan O'Brien, who is being told "The Tonight Show" is going to move from 11:35 p.m. to 12:05 a.m. to make room for Jay Leno's return to late night." [LA Times]

Continue reading "Vampire Weekend & Aziz Ansari played Conan O'Brien who has issued a statement turning down NBC's 12:05 offer"

I procrastinated posting this because of the inner struggle I have with the "new singer" thing. Alice in Chains have announced a huge tour which includes a March 8th AND a just added March 9th show at NYC's Terminal 5 which are now on sale. In related news, the band was nominated for a Grammmy this week for "Best Hard Rock Performance"... you can see some of their performance from their last NYC show (at Irving Plaza) HERE. All dates, and a video of their Halloween performance on Conan O'Brien, below...

Continue reading ""Alice in Chains" tour dates (TWO SHOWS at Terminal 5) "

Heavy Trash @ Mercury Lounge in June (more by Tim Griffin)

tonight in NYC
* Iggy Pop @ Barnes & Noble
* The Raveonettes @ Maxwell's
* Nick Lowe, Bill Kirchen @ City Winery
* Digable Planets members @ Southpaw
* Kylie Minogue @ Hammerstein Ballroom
* Former Ghost, Silk Flowers @ Monkey Town
* Lucky Dragons, Rose Lowder @ Light Industry
* Heavy Trash, Bad Girlfriend @ Bowery Electric
* Indian Jewelry, Led Er Est, Living Days @ Glasslands
* The Dodos, The Ruby Suns @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Om, Six Organs of Admittance, Lichens @ Bowery Ballroom
* Built to Spill, Disco Doom, Violent Soho @ Webster Hall
* Ladybug Transistor, The Parson Red Heads, Hymns @ Union Hall
* Ravens & Chimes, Hollands, Wires In the Walls, The Royalties @ Pianos
* Youth Group, The Static Jacks, Terminal Reynaldo, Don Lennon @ Maxwell's
* Clem Snide, Yourself & The Air, The Republic Tigers, Eleanor Whitmore with Chris Masterson @ Mercury Lounge

Two-thirds of Digable Planets reunite for a gig at Southpaw.

Iggy Pop talks with author Robert Matheu at Barnes & Noble Tribeca.

Kylie Minogue wraps up her Hammerstein Ballroom run.

Neon Indian is coming for CMJ. Indian Jewelry plays Glasslands tonight.

The Raveonettes' tour starts at Maxwell's tonight, Webster Hall tomorrow and MHOW Sunday.

Om, Six Organs of Admittance and Lichens played Europa on Sunday. Tonight they're at Bowery Ballroom.

West Coast indie-pop band The Dodos have a new-ish record out and are on tour with The Ruby Suns. They both play Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight and Bowery tomorrow.

Lucky Dragons recently opened some shows for Thom Yorke. Tonight they're in Brooklyn.

Built to Spill, Disco Doom and Violent Soho have three more NYC shows to play counting tonight at Webster Hall.

Former Ghost, at Monkey Town with Silk Flowers tonight, is Freddy Ruppert from This Song Is a Mess but So Am I, Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu, and Nika Roza of Zola Jesus.

Heavy Trash play a record release show for Midnight Soul Serenade, out now, at Bowery Electric.

The Roots aren't playing Highline Ballroom tonight.

Nick Lowe and Bill Kirchen play City Winery tonight and tomorrow.

Grizzly Bear and Sonic Youth both made (very different) appearances on TV last night. Those clips are below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

The Roots @ Highline Ballroom (photo by Nathan Miller)

tonight in NYC
* Phish @ Jones Beach Theater
* The Roots @ Highline Ballroom
* Mandy Moore @ Highline Ballroom
* Neil Innes of the Rutles @ BB King's
* Isis, Pelican, Tombs @ Irving Plaza
* Sessions at Santa's w/ Skint, Light Asylum (DJ) @ Santos
* Emilie Simon, Holiday Shores @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* Love Is All, Real Estate, The King Left @ Maxwell's
* Rock Plaza Central, Suckers, John Reichmann @ The Bell House
* Art Brut, Murder Mystery, Les Sans Culottes @ Mercury Lounge
* Bushwick Book Club: Watchmen w/ Franz Nicolay, etc @ Goodbye Blue Monday
* Afrobeat Fest w/ BLK JKS, Geko Jones, Uproot Andy, Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew, Blue Nefertiti's Paris@Night, Yacouba Diabate, Mamodou Konate, Afrobeat Radio DJs @ Knitting Factory

Mandy Moore is playing a free early show at the Highline Ballroom tonight for those who buy her new album, Amanda Leigh, from Best Buy. Entry is first come first served. Reviews of the album aren't all horrible so far.

Tonight is the first show of former Tonic owner Melissa Caruso Scott's curating run at The Stone.

Pearl Jam was Conan's first Tonight Show musical guest. They played "Got Some" off their forthcoming record Backspacer -- video below. (Tonight is Green Day). Jimmy Fallon has Steve Martin and Paul Simon.

The Hold Steady's Franz Nicolay will be at tonight's edition of the Bushwick Book Club at Goodbye Blue Monday. This month book is Watchmen, which means Franz and the rest of the night's performers will be playing songs they've written about the comic specifically for the occassion. Check out a poster for the gig, below.

The Grates played SXSW all the way back in March, but they just posted some video diaries from their trip now. Watch below...

Cheetah Chrome and The Blackhearts played Europa in May. A video from that show below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

Art Brut didn't have a meltdown @ Primavera Sound (scannerfm_flickr)

tonight in NYC
* DANCE
* Les Paul @ Iridium
* Lykke Li @ Highline Ballroom
* Amram & Co. @ Cornelia Street Cafe
* Gabriel Kahane @ Rockwood Music Hall
* Zee Avi, Amy LaVere, papercranes @ Maxwell's
* Art Brut, Demander, The Picture @ Mercury Lounge
* Gomez, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit @ Terminal 5
* Death Vessel, Grant Hart, Kevin Barker @ The Bell House
* Glam Hammer, Invisible Circle, Black Elf Speaks @ Glasslands
* Rock Plaza Central, Josh Reichmann, Bird of Youth, Mean Creek @ Cake Shop

Art Brut kicks off five nights at the Mercury Lounge.

Black Elf Speaks.

Rock Plaza Central play the first of two NYC shows with Josh Reichmann tonight. The second, the Bell House Tuesday, June 2nd, adds Suckers to the bill.

David Amram, who's coming off a weekend of gigs, continues his monthly Amram & Co. series at Cornelia Street Cafe, with son Adam Amram (of The New York Howl) on drums.

Conan O'Brien is back on the air tonight. ,

Video of the Vaselines playing live at Primavera Sound, below...

Major Lazer - "Zumbie" ft. Andy Milonakis - the video below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

Conan O'Brien's last show in his old time slot was Friday night. A drumless White Stripes were the musical guest.

Conan won't be gone for long though. He takes over Jay Leno's slot, one hour earlier, on June 1st. Jay Leno airs his final show in his current time slot on May 29th, and then eventually moves to 10 pm on the same station.

Jimmy Fallon takes over Conan's NBC time slot on March 2nd. His house band The Roots take over NYC around the same time. Fallon's guest have started to be announced...

If Jimmy Fallon is nervous about the premiere of his new gig as "Late Night" host, he'll have Robert De Niro and Van Morrison to lean on. They'll be the guests for his March 2 debut hosting the NBC show...

NBC says Tina Fey, Jon Bon Jovi, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Donald Trump and Serena Williams are among other guests scheduled for Fallon's first week. [Vindy.com]

Van Morrison's Fallon appearance comes soon after his two shows at the Theater at MSG, and right before the two at the Beacon.

The video from Joaquin Phoenix's recent, infamous appearance on Letterman, below...

Continue reading "U2's streaming album & Letterman residency, Jimmy Fallon got Van Morrison & other late night news"

BB King @ the Wellmont Theater in December (more by Tim Griffin)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* Howlies @ Sound Fix
* Emo Philips @ Comix
* Pow Wow! @ the Annex
* Tristan Perich @ The Stone
* Patton Oswalt @ Caroline's
* PG Six & Mike Wexler @ Rehab
* Delta Spirit @ Bowery Ballroom
* Balthrop, Alabama @ Monkeytown
* Tombs & Engineer @ Death By Audio
* Celebration & Tall Firs Glasslands
* The Hood Internet @ The Bell House
* Buddy Guy & BB King @ Beacon Theater
* My Teenage Stride & Knight School @ the Jackson
* French Kicks & The Pomegranates @ The Bell House
* Get Him Eat Him & Kleenex Girl Wonder @ Union Hall
* Noah & The Whale & Ferraby Lionheart @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Telepathe, Teengirl Fantasy, Hawnay Troof & Silk Flowers @ 92YTribeca

"Just What Conan O'Brien Needed: A big, Abe Vigoda-blessed sendoff. Overnight ratings for O'Brien's final Late Night were up a whopping 44 percent over the show's season average, NBC said today." [E Online]

"O'Brien took a sledgehammer and ax to his stage set this week, giving fans souvenirs. On his last show, taped Friday evening and aired at 12:35 a.m. ET, a construction vehicle was used to tear down a pillar of lights, which was cut up offstage." [AP]

""We're going on to this next gig, and sometimes I read that it's time for Conan to grow up because he's going to 11:30, and I assure you, that's just not going to happen," O'Brien said, to cheers from the studio audience. "I can't, this is who I am, for better or for worse."" [Variety]

Watch the whole episode at NBC's site.

Video of the White Stripes part, below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Saturday?"

Leonard Cohen last night at Beacon Theare (by Renovation Therapy)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* Emo Philips @ Comix
* DJ Ramesh @ Le Royale
* The Forms @ Sound Fix
* Demetri Martin @ MHOW
* Patton Oswalt @ Carolines
* Air Supply @ Nokia Theater
* Santigold @ the Apple Store
* The Sadies @ Mercury Lounge
* Antony & The Johnsons @ Town Hall
* Neville Bros & Dr. John @ Terminal 5
* The Death Set & Royal Bangs @ the Delancey
* Blank Dogs & Black Dice @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Joe & Flying Spoons & others @ Death By Audio
* Weird Owl, Naam, and Heavy Hands @ Union Pool
* Tim Fite, Benjy Ferree & DeLeon @ the Bell House
* Ryan Adams & The Cardinals @ Shubert Theater in CT
* Emmylou Harris and Patty Griffin @ the Beacon Theatre
* Skeletons, The Muggabears & Skinny Claire @ Less Artists More Condos
* Violent Bullshit, Cerebral Ballzy, K-Holes & The Jadewalkers @ Cake Shop
* Telepathe, These Are Powers, Teengirl Fantasy, Soft Circle & Katie Eastburn @ Market Hotel

Tonight is the final episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien. The musical guest is the White Stripes.

Fake Male Voice played Glasslands on February 10th. Video from that show below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Friday?"

M83 @ Webster Hall (more by Kyle Dead Reinford)

For a minute there, Telepathe was listed as the opener at M83's January 24th Irving Plaza show. Then I just noticed this:

special solo show in NYC

In the midst of touring with The KIllers, M83 will do a very special solo show in NYC at Irving Plaza!

January 24th
Irving Plaza, NYC
Get tickets here.

This show will open with a special ambient set by M83
For sale at this show ONLY will be a very limited edition screen printed poster!

Don't forget to watch M83 on Late Night with Conan o'Brien on January 27.

Shanbehzadeh

WNYC Radio and NPR Music will present a live webcast of globalFEST on WNYC.org. Hosts David Garland, Banning Eyre, and Rob Weisberg will report from the three stages, providing insights and commentary. Log on early to catch a pre-show behind-the-scenes special at 6:00 p.m. Eastern time.
Check out WNYC's website for more info and how to log on:

6th Annual globalFEST at NYC's Webster Hall
12 artists from around the world on three stages to coincide with the annual APAP conference
January 11, 2009
Doors open at 6pm, show starts at 7pm

BALLROOM: Hot 8 Brass Band (7:00-7:45); La Troba Kung Fu (8:05-8:50); Kailash Kher's Kailasa (9:10-9:55); Brooklyn Qawwali Party (10:25-11:10 )

MARLIN ROOM: Shanbehzadeh (7:20-8:10); L&O (8:30-9:20); Marcio Local (9:40-10:10:30); Calypso Rose (10:50-11:40 )

STUDIO: Occidental Brothers (7:10-8:10); Tanya Tagaq (8:30-9:30); Chiche Libre (9:50-10:50); Watcha Clan (11:10-12:10 )

My Bloody Valentine (the movie) is having an advanced 3-D screening on Thursday, January 15th at 10 PM.

Conan O'Brien is leaving NYC. You can try and get free tickets to his final shows here.

STOMP is selling tickets for $30.

Today is your third and last chance to catch Tyvek (this time around).

Golden Globe Nominees for Best Original Song - Motion Picture

"Down To Earth" - Wall-E
Music By: Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman
Lyrics By: Peter Gabriel

"Gran Torino" - Gran Torino
Music By: Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens
Lyrics By: Jamie Cullum

"I Thought I Lost You" - Bolt
Music & Lyrics By: Miley Cyrus and Jeffrey Steele

"Once In A Lifetime" - Cadillac Records
Music & Lyrics By: Beyoncé Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Scott McFarmon, Ian Dench, James Dring and Jody Street

"The Wrestler" - The Wrestler
Music & Lyrics By: Bruce Springsteen

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday? (besides the Golden Globes)"

New Brunswick's own The Gaslight Anthem announced a big tour for 2009 that includes a trip through Europe, a stop at Langerado, and a headlining show at Webster Hall in NYC (tix on sale Jan 7), BUT FIRST you can also catch them this Sunday, December 28th, when they open for The Bouncing Souls at Convention Hall in Asbury Park (tix on sale now). All dates, and video from their recent appearance on Conan, below...

Continue reading "The Gaslight Anthem - 2008/09 Tour Dates, Conan video"

today in NYC
* Les Paul @ Iridium
* Family Guy @ Carnegie Hall
* Coliseum & Tombs @ The Charleston
* Lordi, Lizzy Borden, Goes Cube & Fixer @ Irving Plaza
* Shotgun Shogun & Jason Anderson @ Pete's Candy Store
* Camp Lo, Oveous Maximus & One Love Crew play a benefit @ Highline Ballroom

Woody Allen & The Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band (yes, that Woody Allen) regularly perform at The Carlyle.

I still like to look at pictures of Lordi, but I would never go see them live again. Watch them, Blackwolf the wizard, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, and Conan O'Brien, all in the videos below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday? "

Dead Confederate finished up a tour with Catfish Haven at Mercury Lounge in NYC last night (10/09), and they're about to join Heartless Bastards (who are in town to play Bowery and Music Hall) on the road for some shows, but first DC will perform two more times in NYC without Heartless or Catfish. Those shows are tonight (10/10) at Union Hall in Brooklyn, and then later (when it airs) on late night with Conan O'Brien on the TV. All DC dates below...

Continue reading "Dead Confederate - 2008 Tour Dates (Union Hall & Conan)"

Band of Horses @ ACL 2008 (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* Mary J Blige @ Radio City Music Hall
* Sam Champion & Hymns @ Mercury Lounge
* Chromeo, Peanut Butter Wolf @ Webster Hall
* Helios Creed/Chrome, Kreisor, Weird Owl @ The Annex
* Stereolab, Van Allen Belt, Atlas Sound @ The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
* Say Hi, Spacekamp and Jukebox The Ghost @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Shy Child, Team Robespierre, Project Jenny/Project Jan @ Public Assembly
* Shearing Pinx, Pterodactyl, Hearts of Darkness @ Death By Audio
* Get Him Eat Him, M Shanghai String Band, Babe The Blue Ox @ The Bell House
* Muggabears, Evangelicals, Parenthetical Girls, Miracles of Modern Science @ Cake Shop

Richard Hell was born on this day in 1949.

Happy "International Day of Non-Violence".

Mission of Burma is playing a $5.00 show during CMJ.

Department of Eagles (other members of Grizzly Bear and Dirty Projectors included) AND Louis CK were on Conan O'Brien last night. Video of the entire episode is embedded below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday?"

DOWNLOAD: Department of Eagles - No One Does it Like You (MP3)

Parker Posey, Bobby Cannavale, Tunde Adibempe & Kyp Malone (of TV on the Radio) were just added the already-impressive lineup of Paul Simon, Department of Eagles, and others playing Town Hall on October 7th. Tickets are still on sale.

Department of Eagles are also playing a (BrooklynVegan presents) show at the Bell House in Brooklyn one day earlier on October 6th which will also be their first live show unless you count Conan O'Brien where they'll be performing the song "No One Does It Like You" on Wednesday, October 1st.

You can buy DoE's album In Ear Park right now exclusively on iTunes. It goes on sale everywhere else on October 7th. I have a pair of tickets to giveaway to the Bell House show. To win, email BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM (subject: DoE). Include your first and last name. One winner will be picked at random and contacted.

White Rabbits in Prospect Park (more by Chris La Putt)

White Rabbits were en route to Cleveland last year when pianist Stephen Patterson received a call inviting the young Brooklyn septet to perform on The Late Show with David Letterman. "I completely freaked out," Patterson says. "I pulled off at a highway rest stop and we just ran around the van, calling our moms and dads."

Becoming elated over such news is more or less obligatory. Nellie McKay remembers "jumping in the air and doing a kind of flippery arm motion" upon being informed of her first Letterman booking; Spoon frontman Britt Daniel says he was "absolutely shocked" when told that Saturday Night Live had scheduled his band. But at the time of their Late Show invitation, White Rabbits were without a label apparatus, press clippings or even fans. "We got back in the van, drove to Cleveland and played a show for five people," Patterson says. When the day of the taping arrived, the musicians--whose vehicle had been stolen near their Bushwick home--hired a "man with a van" to drive them to the Ed Sullivan Theater. While waiting in the green room, they received another call, this time from their landlord. Their rent was overdue. [Time Out]

Alejandro Escovedo is having a good year....

- For the first time in his 30 year career, Alejandro Escovedo has charted on Billboard's Top 200 coming in at #122 with his 9th solo album REAL ANIMAL. Released on June 24th, REAL ANIMAL also enters Billboard's Heatseeker/New Artist Chart at #3 with 6,178 in first week sales. A noted and accomplished artist, Escovedo was named No Depression's "Artist of The Decade" in 1998 and has enjoyed a loyal fan base that includes such luminaries as author Stephen King and filmmaker Jonathan Demme who provided REAL ANIMAL's evocative liner notes.

An Unexpected Mexico
Kinky
Alejandro Escovedo with Strings
Pistolera

Saturday, August 09, 2008, From 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Central Park SummerStage

Columbia Records will release Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's 'Magic Tour Highlights' on July 15 via all digital download stores, including the iTunes Store. The release will consist of four audio tracks with four accompanying videos, all recorded live in concert during the 'Magic' tour.

1. "Always A Friend" (performed with Alejandro Escovedo) (video)
Recording Date: 04/14/2008 (Houston, Texas)
2. "The Ghost of Tom Joad" (performed with Tom Morello)
Recording Date: 04/07/2008 (Anaheim, California)
3. "Turn Turn Turn" (performed with Roger McGuinn)
Recording Date: 04/23/2008 (Orlando, Florida)
4. "4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" (Danny Federici's final performance with the E Street Band)
Recording Date: 03/20/2008 (Indianapolis, Indiana)

Continue reading "ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO - 2008 Tour Dates, AA Bondy tonight, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, Conan, Today Show, and other stuff"

Jim James @ Beacon Theatre (more)

My Morning Jacket will play to a full house at Radio City Music Hall in NYC tonight (June 20, 2008). Be prepared for what could be a three hour set. MMJ's next NYC show after this one will be (where R.E.M. played last night) at MSG.

You've seen them on SNL where they just played music. Last night on Conan they were also worked into a bit....

Continue reading "My Morning Jacket played Conan (videos), Radio City tonight"

Jamie Lidell @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC - June 9, 2008 (more by Jason Bergman)

Those familiar with his earlier material may struggle to see how a leap into music so radio-friendly that Elton John is apparently a fan could possibly be described as an experimental move. The fact that Lidell stayed at Warp despite major-label courtship may avert some of the sell-out charges. Nonetheless, there seems little doubt that Jim will be a highly divisive record, repelling at least some old fans with as much force as it will attract new ones. If Jim is not a hit, Lidell risks losing his experimental fanbase without having a attracted a new one to replace it. Indeed, the knives are already out in some quarters: the new record has already been compared to Jamiroquai - and that is not intended as a compliment. [Guardian]

Continue reading "Jamie Lidell on Conan O'Brien (video)"

Lightspeed Champion was on American TV last night. The We Are Scientists guy was on guitar again. Catch them at Bowery Ballroom in NYC tonight (June 7) (all dates). Check out the video from Conan below...

Continue reading "Lightspeed Champion on Conan O'Brien (video)"