Todd P's MtyMx isn't the only music festival happening around SXSW in Monterrey, Mexico this March. Saturday, March 13th marks the date of the first-ever Festival NRMAL in Monterrey. F/N will take place on the grounds of the Alianza Francesa de Monterrey during the weekend prior to SXSW.

NRMAL "is a collection of emerging artist and musicians brought together to showcase their work in a small, intimate setting, framed by the Mexican cultural landscape". NRMAL (focused mainly on attracting a Mexican crowd) seeks to expose artists of many nationalities to a Mexican audience, and potentially establish collaborations with the international community. More than 40 bands, plus art installations on site created specifically for the event, will be present at the festival. There is also a large art portion of the festival, with a separate lineup for that. "Four stages with a capacity of 700 people each showcase independent bands on the rise to a young Mexican audience who would otherwise not have the opportunity to see them". Headliners include YACHT (whose tour hits NYC this Thursday), Daedelus, TheDeathSet, Julianna Barwick, Nite Jewel, Tyvek, and YellowFever (who you can also catch at our day party in Austin on Wednesday, March 17th). Full NRMAL lineup below.

Tickets are available online.

The NY Times recently discussed MtyMX and Festival NRMAL (and the safety of Monterrey, among other things). A clip of that, with Festival NRMAL's full music and art lineups, a flyer and more, are below...

Continue reading "Festival NRMAL happens before SXSW in Monterrey, Mexico"

DOWNLOAD: The xx - Islands (Nosaj Thing Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Jogger - Napping Captain (Dark Party Remix) (MP3)

Daedelus...

"As Daedelus I tend to give into all my crazy thoughts, the twists and turns in productions will go this way and that way pretty much as it will. I almost feel like I have little say in the matter. Whilst the Long Lost for instance is two on all decisions (Laura Darlington, my wife and co-conspirator for the Long Lost, is quite good at the recording desk or behind a mic playing instruments or singing), that keeps the crazy much more domesticated. That, and we are interested at this time in songwriting that isn't altogether traditional, but has more elements people can access, I believe." [Daedelus]

Daedelus will be going on tour with Jogger and Nosaj Thing across North America this February. They play NYC's (Le) Poisson Rouge on Saturday, February 20th. Tickets are on sale now.

Daedelus's new label, Magical Properties, who's putting on the tour, released Jogger's debut, This Great Pressure, last October. Album info is below and a remix of their song "Napping Captain" is a free download above.

Nosaj Thing is L.A. producer Jason Chung (whose website also lists "01.15.10 NYC? - New York, New York" a possible gig?). His remix of The xx's "Islands" is above. A 2010 Charlotte Gainsbourg remix is also on his resume.

Flyer and tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Magical Properties is Daedelus's new label & the name of his tour w/ Nosaj Thing & Jogger (2010 Dates)"

DOWNLOAD: Ape School - Wail to God (Daedelus Remix) (MP3) (via)

"Keane is not the coolest band to blog about when I'm all indie rock up in your business. I am a slightly apologetic Keane fan. I think there are a few bands that can make dynamic, catchy singles that can appeal to the masses while still be genuine and heartfelt. I can see the fellas sweating over lyrics in studios, rather than thinking what would sell to the Wal-Mart crowd.

More than anything, and the reason I would see the band again in another few years, is that they are an unabashedly energetic live act. Sometimes, I'll take a great live act first. As for tonight, a 90-minute set filled with their hits and the obligatory Springsteen cover to soothe the Jersey folks." [Music Snobbery]

That quote is from Music Snobbery's review of the Keane show that took place at the Wellmont Theater in Jersey on Tuesday. They also played Radio City Music Hall on Wednesday. Portland's Sub Pop-signed band The Helio Sequence were on tour with Keane and opened both of those shows.

Now that the tour is over, The Helio Sequence are going on a headlining tour of their own which starts tonight at Music Hall of Williamsburg (5/28). Also playing the Brooklyn show are Ape School, and the UK's Howling Bells who are currently on tour with... Coldplay! They can trade piano rock war stories. Speaking of which, did you know that...

After listening to Tim Rice-Oxley's piano playing during a weekend at Virginia Water, Surrey in 1997, Chris Martin invited him to join his newly formed band Coldplay. However, Rice-Oxley declined because he did not want to leave The Lotus Eaters, stating "I was seriously interested, but Keane were already operational and Coldplay's keyboard player idea was dropped." [Wikipedia]

Ape School, who are also playing MHOW tonight, is the new project of Michael Johnson who was in the Sub Pop band Holopaw, and in the Lilys in 2006. Ape School's self-titled album was released by Counter on April 28th. RCRD LBL has a track, and you can grab a remix Daedelus did above.

Daedelus has his own Brooklyn show coming up too - this June as part of the Northside Festival.

I have three pairs of tickets to giveaway to tonight's MHOW show. Details on how to win, and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Helio Sequence played Radio City w/ Keane, playing MHOW w/ Ape School (ex-Holopaw) & Howling Bells (tonight)"

1. Sunset Rubdown, Witchies & Elfin Saddle -
   June 12, 6pm @ Studio B, 18+ - TICKETS
2. Ghostly International's 10-yr Anniversary Bash w/ Lusine, Deastro, Michna & DJ Mike Servino - June 12, Studio B, 11pm, 18+ - TICKETS
3. Bishop Allen - June 13 @ Studio B, 6pm, 18+ - TICKETS
4. Ninjatune showcase with Daedelus, Ghislain Poirier & Megasoid - June 13, Studio B, 11pm, 18+ - TICKETS

Alternatively, you can attempt to get in to each of these using your four-day Northside Festival Badge.

Brightblack Morning Light is also playing Studio B during the fest, but no tickets for that one yet. I think the Dodos are too. The full list of bands playing is HERE and HERE.

We've got another slew of announcements for you today, starting with Swedish folk singer Kristian Matsoon, whose Tallest Man on Earth has been added to the Brooklyn Vegan showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg (along with John Vanderslice and more TBA) on Friday, June 12. We're also pleased to inform you that the good people at the legendary Ninja Tune Records will be hosting a showcase, featuring Megasoid, Daedelus and Ghislain Poirier.

The Tallest Man On Earth was just one of many artists added to the previously announced Northside Festival lineup today. Full list below...

Continue reading "Northside Fest lineup expands w/ Ninja Tune showcase, etc"

the new issue of XLR8R

Though Love To Make Music To may be Daedelus' most high-profile album yet, he has been a prominent fixture on the L.A. avant-beats scene since 2001, starting with Portrait of the Artist (Distill) and Her's Is >[sic] (Phthalo). On 2002's Invention, he defined his atmospheric, intense-yet-sexy sound, while '03 and '04 yielded five more full-lengths, including The Weather-a collabo with MCs Busdriver and Radioinactive that he calls his "moon-bounce hip-hop record" and Of Snowdonia and A Gent Agent, two doe-eyed sleepwalks whose swirling synths and choppy beats occasionally coalesce into an all-out jungle frenzy". [XLR8R]

Daedelus is deejaying at 205 in NYC tonight (Sept 3) with Eliot Lipp. He then makes his way back to his homestate of California before heading right back here on September 7th to play a Wordless Music Series show at (le) poisson rouge with Flying Lotus and So Percussion. Two days later he hits Crash Mansion. Many more tour dates below...

Continue reading "Daedelus - 2008 Tour Dates (3 NYC dates, Wordless, etc)"