photos by Bao Nguyen

"We wanted to make some statement from New York City -- the center of the universe," said Lou Reed in a hallway press conference for Speak Up!, an anti-war benefit held last night (March 18) at intimate Brooklyn theater St. Ann's Warehouse. While the 65-year-old NYC icon isn't in any shape to be chaining himself to a recruiting station, he certainly can gather a who's who of the lefty art-rocker geekerati: David Byrne, Moby, Blonde Redhead, Scissor Sisters, Damien Rice, Norah Jones and co-organizers Laurie Anderson and Antony, who helped conceive the event in Anderson's living room. It was a night where every song felt like a protest anthem -- even when the Scissor Sisters sang "I ain't got nothing but your seed on my face/You'll put them babies to waste." That could be about sending kids to war, right? [Rolling Stone]

Reed, Anderson, Antony and Moby opened the show with a broken version of "The Star Spangled Banner." Lou's feedback never quite nailed the notes and he mangled the words a little bit ("home of the free and the home of the brave"), but it all made perfect sense. On the fifth anniversary of a war that has been pushed off the headlines in favor of an election, our national anthem was given an appropriate luster of unease and trepidation. Norah Jones performed slinky versions of her "My Dear Country" and Randy Newman's "I Think It's Going To Rain Today." David Byrne, armed with a four-person choir, led an art-gospel sermon full of huge choruses. Damien Rice was on hand to add harmonies (and the shittiest tambourine playing since Tracy Partridge), but Byrne's mesmerizing presence kept his pair of originals spiraling heavenward. The perenially chilly Laurie Anderson pulled out the snarky electrofunk of her recent "Only An Expert," vivisecting corporations and Oprah and weapons of mass destruction and global warming in that arch, scientific, matter-of-fact Laurie Anderson way. [Rolling Stone]

Continue reading "Lou Reed, Antony, David Byrne & other photos from the Speak Up! benefit @ St Ann's in Brooklyn"

Continue reading "Hal Willner's Vintage Disney Film Music @ St Ann's (benefit)"

Continue reading "SPEAK UP! benefit w/ Antony, Blonde Redhead, Lou Reed, David Byrne, Laurie Anderson, Moby, Scissor Sisters...."

BAM presents Love in Hard Times: The Music of Paul Simon

Three unique programs in April--part of BAM's Spring 2008 season

• Three separate programs: Songs from The Capeman, Under African Skies, and American Tunes

• Songs from The Capeman, a concert staging of music from the Broadway show The Capeman, with Oscar Hernández and The Spanish Harlem Orchestra and featuring Claudette Sierra, Obie Bermudez, Ray de la Paz, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Paul Simon, and more to be announced

• Special guest stars for Under African Skies and American Tunes include: Hugh Masekela, Milton Nascimento, Kaïssa, David Byrne, Luciana Souza, Cyro Baptista, Olu Dara, Grizzly Bear, The Roches, Paul Simon, among others

Continue reading "Paul Simon doing BAM w/ Grizzly Bear, David Byrne & more"

Islands

R. Stevie Moore

Worried Noddles had a party at Knitting Factory. Leia Jospe took some pictures.....

Continue reading "Worried Noodles party @ Knitting Factory, NYC - pics"

DOWNLOAD: Nick T. of Islands - Broken Crow (Why?) (MP3)

----- MAIN ROOM (top floor)
6:10-6:25 Christopher Francis
6:40-7:15 R. Stevie Moore
7:30-8:05 Phil Elverum & Nick Krgovich (P:ANO, No Kids)
8:20-9:00 Islands (special pared down line-up)
----- party moves to TAP BAR (2nd floor)
9:15-9:50 Tussle
10:05-10:40 YACHT
10:40-? DJ Jan Lankisch afterparty

David Shrigley's WORRIED NOODLES 2xCD with 104p book is out now on Tomlab and features 39 exclusive songs (with the artists interpreting Shrigley's lyrics) from David Byrne, Final Fantasy, Franz Ferdinand, Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, Hot Chip, Islands, Liars, Scout Niblett, Trans Am, YACHT, members of TV on the Radio, and more.

What? is that track at the top of this post? It's not on the Worried Noodles CD (though another Islands track is). It's on the awesome new Why? CD. More details on that, and the show, and the CD, and tracklist, and everything below....

Continue reading "Islands, Yacht, WORRIED NOODLES CD & show (TONIGHT) + WHY?"

Thumbs Down (CRED)

"On January 2, 2008, TBD Records/ATO Records Group will release in North America the physical version of Radiohead's In Rainbows." XL will release it on December 31st in Europe.

Also...
* Dispute surrounds Radiohead numbers
* Hostess to release ‘In Rainbows’ in Japan
* David Byrne interviews Thom Yorke for WIRED
* Adam Buxton reveals all on Radiohead webcast
* The Radiohead Bjork song & other MP3s from the webcasts
* Radiohead telecast videos, Bjork cover, & stuff

More videos from the webcast below....

Continue reading "In Rainbows US release, David Byrne, Adam Buxton, Radiohead"

Devendra Banhart's idol - Caetano Veloso ("the 65-year-old Brazillian music dynamo famous for fusing together more traditional South American sounds with a newer Bossa Nova spin") is going on a tour of North America. Paste says, "Don't miss your chance to see this living legend."

A true heavyweight, Caetano Veloso is a pop musician/poet/filmmaker/political activist whose stature in the pantheon of international pop musicians is on a par with that of Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, and Lennon/McCartney. And even the most cursory listen to his recorded output over the last few decades proves that this is no exaggeration. [All Music]

Continue reading "Caetano Veloso - 2007 North American Tour Dates"

DOWNLOAD: Tunng - Bricks (MP3)

David Byrne & Classic Riders Bicycle Club @ Town Hall - Oct 6, 2007 (CRED)

Mr. Byrne, dressed in black and sporting his cool taxi-yellow bike helmet (see our previous StreetFilm here) then rode onto the stage and locked up. Moments later Hal Ruzal, NYC bicycling icon and mechanic at Bicycle Habitat, emerged from behind a curtain to pick his lock with a variety of tools. Mr. Ruzal’s advice on not getting your bike stolen? “Have a bicycle lock that is real expensive, and a bicycle that’s really cheap.” True dat. [StreetFilms]

Continue reading "David Byrne talked bikes, covering Fiery Furnaces ---------------------- Thrill Jockey box set ---- Tunng"

DOWNLOAD: Vampire Weekend - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: David Byrne - My Fair Lady (MP3)

David Byrne went to the better of the two shows I think...

Went to see Animal Collective and Vampire Weekend at Webster Hall last night (Oct 1). VW was really good — poppy, but fairly skewed too, with bits of soukous guitar thrown in from time to time, as if it was just a way of playing lilting guitar and not a specific African style. They’re not a “world music” act by any stretch; these various styles of playing are all just out there now, to be used when appropriate. I wondered if they sounded a little like early Talking Heads, a little bit, maybe, which of course wouldn’t bother me. They got the crowd moving, which is pretty impressive for an opening act. Catchy tunes too. I’d heard some on an EP or demo CD. They said they’re working on an album now. [Read about Animal Collective's set @ David Byrne's blog]

A few days later David was a special guest at one of Lucinda Williams' Town Hall shows.

This Saturday, David is talking about bikes. He's also talking in Boston on October 10th. (and as a commenter pointed out) It was announced at tonight's Wordless Music Series show, that David Byrne is playing two "Wordless" (with words) shows on January 24th & 25th.

Vampire Weekend's only listed tour dates are in Europe.

, David Byrne guested at Lucinda Williams' town hall show last night (Oct 4)...they did a few songs..."Heaven" was one of them.. "Buck Naked"...oh, and he came back for her encore and they did "Take Me To the River". Amazing. Fionn Regan was also there, and David Johansen came on to do "Jailhouse Tears", a sort of duet she does. Also a woman from Memphis who toured as a background singer with Cat Power, she did a Janis Joplin cover.

Tuesday Steve Earle guested....and Jesse Malin...

Weird combination for Lucinda, but it all worked great. [Juan via email]

Continue reading "Lucinda Williams & special guests @ Town Hall"

DOWNLOAD: iLiKETRAiNS - The Deception (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Division Day - Tigers (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Division Day - Every Shining Time You Arrive (Sunny Day Real Est)(MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Division Day - Ricky (Tandemoro mix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Division Day - Enjoy the Silence (Depeche Mode) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Division Day - Reversible (Ginormous Remix) (MP3)

Bruce Springsteen returns this week with a new album, Magic. This week Sony releases a 3-disc career retrospective of another American music legend, Bob Dylan.

Other releases I can recommend this week include Division Day's debut full-length, Beartrap Island, Mobius Band's Heaven, Richard Hawley's Lady's Bridge, and the Sadies' New Seasons. Carol Bui's Everyone Wore White and Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings' 100 Days, 100 Nights are simply two of my favorite albums of the year.

Notable reissues this week include two more discs in Rhino's Depeche Mode remaster series (both with bonus DVD), Exciter and Ultra.

My winter holiday mix CD is slowly taking shape, with help from YoYo Kids' Yo It's Christmas and my favorite holiday disc of the year so far, Yep Roc's Oh Santa! (which includes tracks by Marah, Apples in Stereo, the Moaners, and the Minus 5). Over the Rhine gets festive with Snow Angels, a collection of ten original holiday songs.

Have I left anything noteworthy off the list? What new music releases can you recommend this week? What should I avoid?

Continue reading "Largehearted Boy's Interesting CD Releases This Week"

DOWNLOAD: Bebel Gilberto - Um Segundo (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Forro in the Dark - I Wish (bundle Of Contradictions) w/ David Byrne (MP3)

Tickets are still on sale for the Bebel Gilberto show at Webster Hall in NYC on September 18th. Forro in the Dark is opening, and on tour with her. The LA Times has a review of the show she played on Saturday. All tour dates below....

Continue reading "Bebel Gilberto & Forro in the Dark - 2007 Tour Dates"

DOWNLOAD Copperpot - Art of Rap feat. Masta Ace & EdoG (MP3)
DOWNLOAD Baby Elephant - How Does The Brain Wave? ft David Byrne [Produced by Prince Paul] (MP3)

NEWS

• Prince Paul has a brand new project by the name of Baby Elephant. David Byrne appears on one of the tracks. Download above.
• Tickets go on sale Saturday for the September 21st AllHipHop.com Finale concert featuring Lupe Fiasco, Cassidy, Hurricane Cassidy, and Talib Kweli at Nokia Theatre in NYC. Talib just played Nokia Theatre, and he has a free NYC show coming up too. he also just put out a new album. Rolling Stone gave it three stars.
• Miss Info went to the Kanye West/Graduation preview party. Tom went as well. I didn't go, but you and I can hear it too - the album leaked. In related news, Kanye - along with the Smashing Pumpkins - is set to headline Miami’s Bang! Music Festival (Nov 10-11).
• Diddy has confirmed there will be an 'I Get Money' remix featuring 50 Cent, Diddy, Jay-Z & Kanye West.
• The RIAA has shut down DJ Premier's Live from the HQ podcast, while Ludacris gets renewed on XM. See Ludacris when he plays Radio City.
• FromDaBricks wrote a great deconstruction of Jeru Da Damaja
• Ja Rule & The Game are going to be collaborating.
• Time Magazine comments on Hip Hop's decline.
• Much more exciting: GZA & Killah Priest will do an album together. MF Doom & Pharoahe Monch are performing together. Hopefully the real Doom shows up though. Still excited for GZA performing Liquid Swords in Brooklyn.

Continue reading "Wes' Weekly Hip Hop News Roundup (August 31st, 2007)"

Ani Difranco, RZA & Steve Albini @ 2005 New Yorker Festival (CRED)

The eighth annual New Yorker Festival happens in NYC from October 5-7, 2007. Though not completely announced yet, this year's lineup will include all of those you see in the title, and more....

Continue reading "Diplo, Fiona Apple, Sigur Ros, David Byrne, Roseanne Cash, Yo La Tengo & more for the 2007 New Yorker Festival"

He has since gotten better with words...

Continue reading "VIDEO: David Byrne nervous on Letterman in 1983"

DOWNLOAD: Talking Heads - Hey Now (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Cheeseburger - Tiger (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Haale - Navayee (Tchad Mix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Joe's Pub interview with Haale (MP3)

* Save Internet Radio
* Cheeseburger! (I do like them)
* Nick Drake rarities album out June 19th
* Watch The Shins play a bunch of songs in the street
* Live band videos - Grizzly Bear, The Thermals, Tapes 'n Tapes & more
* Tapes 'n Tapes & others set for 'Free Yr Radio Tour'
* Tapes 'N Tapes Talks to CMJ
* 'Sick' mashups at the The Hood Internet
* Riverfront Times features Yo La Tengo
* Yo La Tengo playing Webster Hall and touring
* Amazon launching MP3 download store in May?
* Interpol plays new songs
* Modest Mouse Video Contest
* New Stephen Malkmus record in early 2008
* Nightwatchman (Tom Morello) tickets on sale
* Belgrade horses to be drugged for Stones gig ????
* Suspect Named In Jam Master Jay Murder
* David Byrne Internet Radio
* David Byrne Explains How the Royalty Rate Decision Hurts Democracy
* Haale played Carnegie Hall for David Byrne, playing Joe's Pub
* New Yorker Festival = October 5,6 & 7
* David Byrne & bikes coming to Town Hall
* Video of David Byrne on a bike
* David Byrne's Bike Stolen!!