DUMP playing Hot Tub @ Littlefield this past Monday (by DoneWaiting)

Tickets go on sale at noon for the eight Yo La Tengo Hanukkah shows:

*12/20 Night One Buy Tickets Here!
*12/21 Night Two Buy Tickets Here!
*12/22 Night Three Buy Tickets Here!
*12/23 Night Four Buy Tickets Here!
*12/24 Night Five Buy Tickets Here!
*12/25 Night Six Buy Tickets Here!
*12/26 Night Seven Buy Tickets Here!
*12/27 Night Eight Buy Tickets Here!

Tickets are also still on sale to see Yo La Tengo as the Condo Fucks at Mercury Lounge.

Tickets for the four Phish shows at MSG go on sale Saturday at noon.

Mavis Staples, The Head and the Heart & Dawes have a show coming up at Beacon Theater. Tickets on sale at noon.

Speaking of holiday shows at the Beacon, Cyndi Lauper and friends are playing one too. On sale now.

By noon tickets will also be on sale for Yelle, Nada Surf, Devo and BOBBY.

One of those Devo shows is at the Paramount in Long Island where Cheap Trick also have a show coming up at. It went on sale today.

Ill Fits recently played some shows at CMJ. They play Mercury Lounge on December 7th with Ladybug Transistor and The Echo-Friendly. Tickets on sale at noon.

Prince & Janelle Monae @ Madison Square Garden - 12/29/10 (pic by Jake Rocks Off)

Like he did on 12/18, Prince played Madison Square Garden on 12/29, but this time with help from Mint Condition, Janelle Monae and special guest Cyndi Lauper (though not Sheila E again despite an announcement by MSG that she would be there). Full setlist, a video and a few more pictures below...

Continue reading "Prince played MSG again - Cyndi Lauper joined him, as did Janelle Monae (12/29 setlist)"

tonight in NYC
* Cyndi Lauper @ Town Hall
* Dylan Leblanc @ Joe's Pub
* Automelodi @ Home Sweet Home
* Laurie Anderson @ Other Music
* Burning Spear @ Rockefeller Park
* Pharoahe Monch @ Queensbridge Park
* Alejandro Escovedo @ Bowery Electric
* Easy Star All-Stars @ Stuy Town Oval
* Freedy Johnston @ Rockwood Music Hall
* DM Stith, Inlets, Silje Nes @ Joe's Pub
* Suuns, Parlovr (early) @ Mercury Lounge
* Big Bad Voodoo Daddy @ Highline Ballroom
* Diehard, The Waylons, World War @ Union Pool
* Twin Tigers, The French Kings, Deluka @ Pianos
* Crowded House, Lawrence Arabia @ Bowery Ballroom
* Jack Oblivian, John Paul Keith and 145s @ Southpaw
* Robbers on High Street, Hymns (late) @ Mercury Lounge
* Quilty, Schwervon!, Tight Little Ship @ Bruar Falls (free)
* Kira, Apollo Heights, At Sea, Jason Brody @ Public Assembly
* Total Slacker, Weekends, Ava Luna, Mala Strana @ Glasslands
* Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros @ The Beach at Governors Island
* Fiasco, Summer Blondes, Large Lady, Starscream, Snuffy @ Shea Stadium
* Skeletons, Peter Evans/Tim Dahl/Mike Pride, Sam Mickens & Darius Jones play the Dead Science @ Death By Audio
* Apostle of Solitude, Beauty Apes, Kings Destroy, Archon, Alkahest @ Ace of Clubs
* 'Comedy Central Park: The Daily Show and Friends' Hosted by Lewis Black w/ John Oliver, Rob Riggle, Wyatt Cenac, Adam Lowitt and Rory Albanese @ Central Park SummerStage

Inlets complete their tour with DM Stith and Silje Nes at Joe's Pub tonight. I have a free pair of tickets for the first person who emails their name (subject: Inlets) to bvcontests@hotmail.com. Check out Inlets' brand new video for "In Which I, Robert" below...

The 11th annual Gathering of the Juggalos happens August 12-15 in Cave In Rock, Illinois. The infomercial for it is below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"

tonight in NYC
* Scorpions @ Jones Beach
* Cross-Pollination @ Pianos
* 50 Cent @ Hammerstein Ballroom
* Ana Lola Roman, YOU @ Glasslands
* Steel Train, Hymns @ Mercury Lounge
* Eddie Palmieri Y La Perfecta II @ Soundview Park
* Drumadics, Ed Vallance, Neckbeard Telecaster @ The Cameo
* Baby Gramps, Peter Stampfel, Sour Mash Hug Band @ Zebulon
* The Field Recordings, Animals Hands, Dixon, Hyperpotamus @ Pianos
* Holiday Band, AcHT(eN), Kate Ferencz, Emilyn Brodsky @ Death By Audio
* Balene, Pearl & The Beard, Carl Hauck, Tricia Scully @ Knitting Factory
* Adrian Belew's One Man Electric Show Painting with a Guitar @ Joe's Pub
* Darwin Deez, Scary Mansion, Mixel Pixel, Gordon Voidwell @ Santos Party House

"Atlantic recording artist Phil Collins has revised the schedule for his upcoming series of concerts at New York City's Roseland Ballroom. Due to scheduling and production difficulties, the first show, originally slated for June 22, has been cancelled. The remaining shows, on June 23, 24 & 25, will go on as scheduled. Tickets purchased for the June 22 show can either be refunded or will be good for one of the other shows. Those wishing refunds or exchanges should go to their point of purchase or call 800-745-3000."

João Gilberto canceled his CareFusion Jazz Festival show tonight at Carnegie Hall because of "international travel restrictions."

Cyndi Lauper is signing autographs at J&R at 12:30pm.

Baby Gramps is (still) in town

Darwin Deez, who is at Santos tonight, has a new video for "Up in the Clouds". Check it out below...

Suckers' new video for "Black Sheep", also below...

What else?a

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

interview by Billy Jones, top photo by Michael Lavine

TV on the Radio guitarist, multi-instrumentalist and producer David Andrew Sitek has announced his new project Maximum Balloon. Not surprisingly, the TVOTR / Yeah Yeah Yeahs / Liars / Dragons of Zynth / Holly Miranda / Scarlett Johansson producer worked with a host of guest artists on the project, which will see the light of day in the form of a self-titled album on August 24th via DGC/Interscope Records.

"...Then Aku (Dragons of Zynth) called and said he was in town and asked what I was up to and I said, "Making a song that you have to come and fix!" So he came by the studio and he laid the vocals down. We pretty much started Maximum Balloon on that day."

Other guest artists on the album will include Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone from TVOTR, Karen O from Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Yukimi Nagano from Little Dragon, Holly Miranda, Theophilus London and more. David Byrne is rumored. Aku from Dragons of Zynth is featured on "Tiger," the first track to be released off the album. "Tiger" will be available on iTunes and all digital partners on June 15th, but you can also hear it in a video below, or today at www.MaximumBalloon.com. In addition to "Tiger", Maximum Balloon will be regularly releasing a series of digital singles in the weeks leading up to the release of the album.

Billy Jones of new musical project New Moods, who last conducted an interview for this site in 2006, called up Dave on Friday to discuss the making of Maximum Balloon, barbershop quartets, Cyndi Lauper, the future of TVOTR and more. Their chat starts here....

---

Billy: Hey Dave, Can you hear me?

Dave: Yeah...

Billy: I rigged this to be on the speakerphone of my Blackberry to be recording through GarageBand, a slightly complicated setup...

Dave: Awesome, put me through The Crystalizer...

Billy: I actually have you through Long Panning Ping Pong Delay right now...

Dave: I can't wait for Soundtoys to come out with an iPhone app.

continued below....

Continue reading "an interview w/ Dave Sitek of Maximum Balloon (the TVOTR guitarist/producer's new project w/ many guest vocalists)"

Cyndi Lauper is playing Town Hall on July 21st. Tickets go on AmEx presale at 11am.

Tickets go on AmEx presale at 11am for the Grizzly Bear/Walkmen/Gang Gang Dance show at 11am.

Tickets are on sale for the Jarboe show happening at Union Pool on May 25th.

Tickets are on sale for the Kurt Vile show happening at Union Pool on June 18th.

Tickets went on Citi presale this morning for Alice in Chains/Mastodon/Deftones.

The just-added Pavement Brooklyn show goes on sale Friday.

David Byrne w/ Dirty Projectors @ Bowery Ballroom

I have, after many years, finished the Here Lies Love CD project - at least this iteration of it. It will come out [February 23rd] on Nonesuch. It's a collaboration with Fatboy Slim, an upbeat series of songs sung each one by a different singer. The songs are about Imelda Marcos and Estrella Cumpas, the woman who raised her. The package includes 2 CDs (22 songs), a DVD with videos of 6 of those songs, and a 100-page book that explains it all. Singers include Florence Welch (of Florence + The Machine), Sia, Santigold, Nellie McKay, Sharon Jones, St. Vincent, Róisín Murphy and many more (even me on 1 and 1/2)... I am pretty excited about this, but who knows, it might just make people crazy.

We'll see. There will be more concrete news, with links and music, in early January.

In the meantime, I have decided to rebrand myself, inspired by Philip Morris changing their name to Altria, Blackwater to Xe, and the train I'm riding on right now that calls itself Acela - none of which mean anything, but they are cleverly evocative. When I decide on the magic word, you'll be the first to know.

-David Byrne

What should David Bryne's new name be? The full tracklist for the new record, which also features vocal turns by Steve Earle and Allison Moorer (who both just played NYC on Friday), Cyndi Lauper, Tori Amos and Martha Wainwright, is below.

Here Lies Love premiered in March 2006 Australia, and Byrne brought the song cycle to Carnegie Hall as part of the venue's Perspectives Series in February 2007. As a stage show, the songs fit into a four act narrative, laid out in detail on Byrne's website. Those at either performance got a first look at the then-in-progress work...

Here Lies Love takes the form of a series of fairly traditional pop songs (verse-chorus-verse) played in a variety of styles (disco, rock, funk, latin, ballad) by Byrne and a small group of colleagues. Augmenting the core of guitar, bass and drums, is a percussionist and a keyboard player. The vocals are shared by Dana Diaz-Tutaan (Imelda), Ganda Suthivarakom (Estrella), and Byrne, who represents the 'voice' of other key players in Imelda's life. The stage itself is unadorned, although behind the band a small screen plays news clips and home movies of Imelda's life.

As already mentioned, the songs themselves are simple pop tunes, leaning heavily on the disco and dance genres, and could fit neatly onto any number of Byrne's solo albums. They are tuneful enough, and skillfully played, but I wonder about the connection of the music to Imelda's life. Would it have been possible to blend some traditional Filipino sounds and flavours into the music of Here Lies Love (although, admittedly, Imelda was a fan of Western dance music)? [Tidy Boy]

David Byrne will appear at a free, unticketed (first come, first served) event at the Bell House on Monday, January 11th. He presents "a short video/audio lecture called 'Creation in Reverse,' speaking to the ways that venue and context shape artistic creation, followed by a Q&A."

More Here Lies Love info and a video on the performance are below...

Continue reading "David Byrne rebranding, releasing an album w/ Fatboy Slim & lots of guests, giving a free lecture in Brooklyn "

photos by Chris La Putt

Indie darlings Matt & Kim kicked off the show -- which celebrates the year's best music as determined by MTVu's college-centric audience -- with an energetic performance of their breakout single "Lessons Learned." Later, the duo returned to accept their Best Video Woodie award.

"We've had one heck of a year," said Matt Johnson, before counterpart Kim Schifino leapt into the crowd.

Additional performers included veteran alt-rockers Death Cab for Cutie, who rocked the audience with its "New Moon" soundtrack single "Meet Me on the Equinox," as well as Passion Pit, the Dead Weather and Clipse, who were joined onstage by fellow rappers Cam'ron and Rick Ross.

Presenter highlights came from Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz and pop prankserts 3OH!3. Wentz rolled onto the stage holding a red Solo cup, while 3OH!3 gave a nod to Lady Gaga by dressing in her various VMA outfits. Asher Roth, will.i.am, and surprise guest Cyndi Lauper also presented awards. [Billboard]

Cyndi presented an award with Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester who also recently made an appearance at the Weezer (and Matt & Kim) show on Halloween that was sponsored by RXP aka the Matt Pinfield station. Matt was also at the Woodies as was Diplo who was DJing and David Cross, Zooey Deschanel, Janelle Monae, Dave 1 from Chromeo, and Mary Louise Parker. Matt and Kim didn't get naked like they do in their winning video (their second MTV win for that video), but their backup singers did strip down to their underwear.

The Dead Weather also played a show one day before the Woodies in Brooklyn. The Woodies air December 4th at 10pm. More pictures from the event (11/18 at Roseland Ballroom in NYC), below...

Continue reading "2009 mtvU Woodie Awards @ Roseland - pics (Passion Pit, Dead Weather, Matt & Kim, Clipse, Death Cab, more) "

Legendary pro wrestling manager Captain Lou Albano died this morning, MTV.com is reporting.

Albano, who was sent home from the hospital earlier this week and place under hospice care, was 76 years old.

Albano is best known to non-wrestling fans as the father in Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" video. That helped kick off the Rock 'n Wrestling connection that launched the then-WWF to national prominence in the 1980s. [LA Times]

Captain Lou! RIP

video memories below...

Continue reading "Captain Lou Albano, RIP"

Emiliana Torrini

Emiliana Torrini is playing Highline Ballroom on August 14th. Tickets are on sale (@ noon).

America are playing Nokia Theatre on October 16th. Tickets are on sale (@ noon).

Satanicide are headlining Bowery Ballroom on July 25th. Tickets are on sale.

Tickets are on sale for the Tori Amos show at Radio City.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the show Seasick Steve is playing at Mercury Lounge. Tickets are on sale for the show he's playing at Southpaw too.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the show Los Campesinos! and Girls are playing at Webster Hall.

Richard Cheese & Lounge Against the Machine are playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on July 7th. Tickets are on sale.

"DAVE STEWART, ARETHA FRANKLIN, WYCLEF JEAN, QUEEN LATIFAH, CARLA BRUNI-SARKOZY, JOSH GROBAN, CYNDI LAUPER, ANGELIQUE KIDJO, BAABA MAAL, JESSE MCCARTNEY, TLC, THE SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR, AND OTHER GUESTS" are celebrating Nelson Madela's 91st birthday at Madison Square Garden on July 18th. Tickets are on sale.

The Black Crowes are playing Central Park Summerstage on September 2nd. Tickets go on sale June 12.

Bruce Springsteen tickets go on sale Monday.

Friday night 'dance' events in The Week In Dance.

No tickets needed for Monday's David Byrne show.

Check out some Emiliana Torrino videos below...

Continue reading "America, Emiliana Torrini, Satanicide, Tori Amos, Seasick Steve & other tickets"

After meeting his biological father for the first time, GE powerhouse Jack Donaghy discovered his dad, professor Milton Greene, needed a kidney. Not being a potential organ donor himself, Mr. Donaghy turned to some very affluent friends in the entertainment world. This partnership created the phenomenon, "Kidney Now!' -- a benefit concert featuring some of the most recognizable names in the music industry. With the help of this song, Milton Green just might find the kidney match he needs and Jack Donaghy may be granted the gift of a father he never knew.

Video from last night's episode of 30 Rock below...

Continue reading "30 Rock 'Kidney Now' w/ Elvis Costello, Beastie Boys, Moby, Talib Kweli, Norah Jones, Steve Earle, Rhett Miller (video) "

By Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Le Loup - "Shenandoah" (MP3) (on Amnesty comp)
DOWNLOAD: Joan Jett & the Blackhearts & guests - Silent Night (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Deer Tracks - Christmas Fire (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Twiggy Frostbite - Bells & Chimes (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Emotron - Santa Claus (I Still Believe In You) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: (Savanteous Q Malmsteen) - What Do You Get A Wookie for Christmas
DOWNLOAD: The Revelations - It's That Time Of Year (MP3)

With holiday mixes in the air, Amnesty International has released I'll Stay 'Til After Christmas, a benefit comp featuring No Kids, Blitzen Trapper, Parentheitcal Girls, Sally Shapiro, and more (full tracklist below).

Then there's the free all-Swedish Xmas mix up at Swedes Please. Among the songs posted is the new duet between The Hives and Cyndi Lauper, "A Christmas Duel," video below (or buy the song on iTunes).

Speaking of Cyndi and good causes, True Colors is auctioning off a chance to hang out with the Best Electronic/Dance Album nominee as part of its first annual online charity auction to benefit GLBT equality groups the True Colors Fund, CenterLink, and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG).

The package includes "1-hour voice lesson, plus lunch, with Cyndi Lauper, in NYC. 2 roundtrip domestic coach tickets on American Airlines and a 2-night stay at Hotel on Rivington included." It's currently going for $4,000. Full list of items on auction here.

And speaking of Christmas music and female 80's icons that have toured for True Colors...

"Blackheart Records, the rock label Joan Jett started over 25 years ago, has released its holiday compilation record, and it's available at the iTunes store. The 11-song digital album features rocked-out holiday standards and originals recorded by Jett and Blackheart bands including Girl in a Coma, The Dollyrots, The Cute Lepers and more."

You can grab "Silent Night" at the top of this post for free. Full tracklist below.

Also for download up there is a selection of holiday MP3's from the inbox.

Other Christmas album options this year include new ones by Sufjan's friend Rosie Thomas and Neutral Milk Hotel's Julian Koster, and one by The Raveonettes. For a Christmas show, check out the always fun McGarrigle Christmas Hour this Wednesday night at Carnegie Hall. Guests this year include Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, Emmylou Harris and Justin Bond.

Videos (including one by Glasvegas) and tracklists below...

Continue reading "more Christmas songs & comps & charities - the Hives, Joan Jett, Cyndi Lauper, Sweden, No Kids, Glasvegas & more"

Feist @ Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC (more by Bao Nguyen)

Continue reading "Feist & other Good Morning America show this summer"

The Cyndi Lauper-headed True Colors Tour show hits Jones Beach on June 1st, and starting today you can get mezzanine seats for just $15 each.

Tickets are on sale (@ 12) for the upcoming Boy George show at Terminal 5.

Like George Michael, Madonna, Duran Duran, Bruce Springsteen and Cyndi Lauper, Boy George, is playing some shows this summer.

That's Rosie O'Donnell (the one wearing blue) up there pictured with Boy George. She won't be touring with Boy George this summer, but she WILL be touring with Cyndi Lauper (and the B-52's) (seriously).

The Human League, Belinda Carlisle, ABC, Dead Or Alive, A Flock of Seagulls and Naked Eyes are touring too.

And Yaz.

Continue reading "Boy George tix on sale -- this summer is all about the 80's"

Who's Bad?

* Etta James @ BB King's
* Dead Meadow @ Maxwell's
* Joe Jackson @ The Apollo
* Gossip & Shy Child @ Webster Hall
* Autechre @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Tally Hall and friends @ Bowery Ballroom
* French Kicks & Miguel Mendez @ Mercury Lounge
* Casiotone for the Painfully Alone & Fiasco @ Knitting Factory

Get a new Wolf Parade song.

Tickets went on presale this morning for a Brian Wilson benefit show. Brian is also among those playing the Rainforest Benefit at Carnegie Hall.

Tickets are on sale for some George Michael shows.

Madonna is playing Roseland Ballroom.

Who's Bad ("the ultimate" Michael Jackson tribute band) is playing Canal Room Friday.

Cyndi Lauper is going on tour this summer.

Alejandro Escovedo joined Bruce Springsteen on stage in Houston last night. Video below.

what else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

Produced by True Colors Concerts in partnership once again with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the 24 city North American tour is presented by Logo in support of the newly created True Colors Fund of Stonewall Community Foundation. The concerts feature nearly five hours of nonstop music with exciting special guests appearing on select dates throughout the tour including Wanda Sykes, Tegan and Sara, Regina Spektor, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Joan Armatrading, Indigo Girls, Nona Hendryx, Deborah Cox and The Cliks.

Cyndi Lauper and The B-52's are headlining.

This is the tour started by Cyndi Lauper that featured that last year featured Erasure, The Gossip, Dresden Dolls, Debbie Harry, and Cyndi herself. Last year's NYC-area show was at Radio City Music Hall. This year's show is at Radio City again (June 3rd w/ Cyndi Lauper, The B-52s, Regina Spektor, Rosie O'Donnell, Indigo Girls, The Cliks, & host Carson Kressley), but it's also at Jones Beach two days earlier (w/ the same lineup, but without Regina for some reason). That sucks that we don't get Tegan & Sara at all.

An "HRC Exclusive" presale starts March 10th. Regular tickets go on sale March 15th. All dates below....

Continue reading "'True Colors' is back - 2008 Tour Dates & lineup"

Tom Araya of Slayer arrives w/ family @ The Grammys - Feb 10, 2008

Dresden Dolls, The Gossip, Cyndi Lauper, Erasure, Deborah Harry...

Continue reading "VIDEOS: behind the scenes on the True Colors Tour"