LCD Soundsystem, RJD2, Devendra Banhart, Mum, The Decemberists, Neon Neon, Devlin & Darko, My Morning Jacket, VHS or Beta, Diplo, Gnarls Barkley, Tim & Eric, Black Moth Super Rainbow, and Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings are among the artists contributing tracks to Causes 2, an album to benefit Darfur (out March 2009).

Causes 1 is out now and has tracks by Animal Collective, Bloc Party, Death Cab, Spoon, The Shins, Bright Eyes, Cornelius and many others.

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings and the Decemberists are also among the artists who contributed to Dark Was the Night, a new comp to benefit the Red Hot Organization which will be released in February.

Sharon Jones just announced some tour dates. My Morning Jacket will be at MSG on New Years Eve.

A video trailer for Causes 2, below...

Continue reading "Causes 2 - a new CD comp for Darfur w/ LCD Soundystem, My Morning Jacket, Decemberists, Sharon Jones & many more"

"Natalie Portman is without a bushy beard this morning, because she has reportedly canceled her relationship with silent-movie actress Devendra Banhart. No, he's a musician, but his name was meant for a different era." [dlisted]

Natalie Portman's Shaved Head's new video below....

Continue reading "Devendra Banhart of Megapuss is single again, Natalie Portman's Shaved Head made a video"

Little Joy

Rough Trade Records is pleased to announce the forthcoming release from Little Joy. The band's self-titled debut will be released on November 4, 2008.

Little Joy is Binki Shapiro, Rodrigo Amarante and Fabrizio Moretti, three friends who dropped their routine at their respective hometowns to make a record in Los Angeles, California.

Through a chance encounter at a Portuguese festival in Lisbon, where both Amarante (Singer/Guitarist of Los Hermanos) and Moretti (drummer of The Strokes) had performed, the two chatted well through the night and into the morning by the side of the river, humoring the idea of working together on music that had no affiliation to their particular bands.

A year later, Amarante traveled to the United States to record with Devendra Banhart on his Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon album. On the off hours of an arduous recording process, Amarante would meet with Moretti to discuss anything but music.

Binki Shapiro, musician and native of Los Angeles, was introduced to the pair through mutual acquaintances and became a fast friend, encouraging the two to focus on the music they had spoken of long before. Through the process of late night "show-and-tell" the three developed and arranged songs Moretti had begun and soon after started writing original music for the group as a band.

A couple of months later they all moved into a house in Echo Park to demo songs and soon after, with the help of producer Noah Georgeson, who had recorded Banhart's album, they finished their self-titled debut, Little Joy, named after the cocktail lounge just down the street from their home.

Previous to the album's release the band will play select dates with Banhart's band Megapuss. A headlining tour is in the works for November and December. [PR]

One of those non-Megapuss, Little Joy headlining dates is at Mercury Lounge in NYC on November 13th. Tickets are on sale Wed at noon.

The Megapuss album, Surfing, "is being released by Vapor Records in physical formats October 7 and [was] digitally September 16." Listen to Megapuss at MySpace. Listen to Little Joy at MySpace. All known tour dates below...

Continue reading "Little Joy (w/ a member of the Strokes) - new album & 2008 Tour Dates (some w/ Megapuss aka Devendra Banhart)"

Cut Chemist @ McCarren Pool (more by Zach Dilgard)

today in NYC & NJ
* FREE STUFF
* Bob Mould @ Maxwell's
* George Michael @ MSG
* Ambulance LTD @ Rehab
* Richard Lloyd @ Southpaw
* Music At The Brooklyn Bridge
* Anti-Pop Consortium @ a store
* Laurie Anderson @ Rose Theater
* Orphan and Krallice @ Union Pool
* Mark Knopfler & Jesca Hoop @ Summerstage
* Martha Wainwright & Justin Bond @ Highline Ballroom
* The Punch Brothers w/ Chris Thile @ Stuyvesant High School *

Justin Bond of Kiki & Herb is opening for Martha Wainwright tonight.

* The Punch Brothers show was moved inside due to the chance of rain.

Music helped George Michael's depression.

Loud music makes people drink more.

Kid Rock Sentenced To Year Of Probation For Waffle House Brawl

In case you missed it, the new Devendra Banhart video is below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"

Adele & XL labelmates

Adele is playing Webster Hall on September 3rd. Tickets go on sale Friday at noon. Adele is on this year's Mercury Prize shortlist. Not many tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Adele - Mercury Prize-nominated, playing Webster Hall "

The new Devendra Banhart video starring his girlfriend Natalie is now up at AOL.

* Portishead, online
* Ruff Club turns 2
* Devin the Dude & Prince Paul @ Studio B
* Antibalas at Southpaw
* Dr. John @ Blender Theater
* Tim Minchin @ New World Stages
* Ambulance LTD at Mercury Lounge
* Nada Surf and Superdrag at Terminal 5
* The Weakerthans & AA Bondy @ Music Hall
* Pissed Jeans & AIDS Wolf @ Knitting Factory
* Man Man & Yeasayer @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple
* The Dirtbombs & Kelley Stoltz @ Bowery Ballroom
* Deerhunter & Atlas Sound together at a secret location

Mission of Burma are playing entire albums and tickets are on sale.

Tickets are still on sale for Cloud Cult's show at Bowery Ballroom which is a week from today.

Black Lips announced a Maxwell's show.

Black Lips, hair, AND clothes are going on tour.

Prince is playing Coachella.

Natalie Portman is probably dating Devendra Banhart.

An awesome video of Moby AND MUSICSNOBBERY himself and friends covering Billy Idol last night at Maxwell's is below. What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Friday?"

First Andy Samberg & Joanna Newsom and now Natalie Portman & Devendra Banhart. Who's next? More pictures and stuff below......

Continue reading "Natalie Portman is dating Devendra Banhart?"

indie rock paper dolls (sally grosart)

* Rilo Kiley added a 2nd show at Terminal 5.
* The Kooks added a 2nd show at Terminal 5.
* Beth Orton added a 2nd show at Hiro Ballroom.

Can you name everyone in the above picture?

Devendra Banhart met Vincent Gallo. I would like to see the pictures if there are any. Also,

Well, I (Devendra) have a band -- it's me and the drummer from Priestbird, Greg Rogove. What started off as a joke -- "Let's start a band and let's make up song titles" -- to our surprise and shock, we started writing songs, and we've written eight songs that I'm really really proud of and excited about. We're gonna record a real record, and we're called Megapuss. Also, I've always wanted to do something like a small traveling festival with, like, three known bands and some people that maybe haven't put out a record yet and also involve organizations like NARF ... I think that would be awesome.

AND, RELATED REMINDER: Jonanna Newsom is playing BAM. Public ticket sale begins Jan 2.

DOWNLOAD: Vetiver - Luna Sea (MP3)

random photo of Andy of Vetiver & Michael Lachowski of Pylon (VIA)

(As just posted) Kristeen Young dropped off the Morrissey tour. Her voice is shot.

UPDATE: Minutes after I posted that Vetiver ARE opening for Morrissey, Vetiver sent out a second message. Now they are NOT opening for Morrissey....

Subject: ok...now this is just plainly ridiculous

hey everybody....

ok, so....basically we just got a call a half hour ago to find out that we in fact ARE NOT now opening for Morrissey after all. as it turns out, friends of his, a NYC band called "Girlfriend In A Coma" are now opening up the shows, and
Morrissey has apparently apologized and told us that he is "very, very sorry",
that he likes Vetiver very much, but that "it just doesn't make sense".

you're telling me!

so anyway, no hard feelings, we're all actually very excited to head home and get some rest, and i'm sure all of this will be for the best.

tour w/ Morrissey? we Never Had No One Ever!

love to you all,

Vetiver

Continue reading "Vetiver NOT opening for Morrissey + Boxton tix for $20"

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"

Continue reading "VIDEO: Devendra Banhart plays 'Lover' on Conan"

Devendra Banhart molesting Chan @ Coachella 2006 *

* photo by Jenny Applebaum

Cat Power added a bunch of tour dates including one where she'll be playing Madison Square Garden with Interpol and Liars! What a great triple bill...but Cat Power as an opener for Interpol at MSG? I don't know, but I'm a very cynical person. Could be good. Hopefully people will pay attention.

Chan (Cat)'s next record is going to be another covers one, which is a great thing if it's as amazing as the last one. Details on that, and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "CAT POWER - new covers record, opening for Interpol @ MSG & other Tour Dates"

Devendra Banhart stole my basketball (CRED)

Devendra Banhart's new album Vasu Deva Kutumbam is out later this year - probably some time around September 1st because that's when he kicks of a 1.5 month North American tour in Vancouver. He hits the Grand Ballroom @ Manhattan Center in Manhattan, NYC on on September 27th. The venue holds about as many as Webster, and is connected to Hammerstein Ballroom, but isn't actually Hammerstein Ballroom - it's where Polyphonic Spree recently was. There may be general admission seating. Matteah Baim and Death's Groove are opening for him (at the NYC show at least), and $35 tickets are now on sale.

All tour dates, and the now infamous message he recently posted on his MySpace, below...

Continue reading "DEVENDRA BANHART - 2007 Tour Dates ++ new album"

HAIRY FAIRIES (CRED / MORE)

MOON & MOON (not pictured above)
"Jay Hudak, bass player of seminal psych-grind masters AN ALBATROSS, and song-writer hero DEVENDRA BANHART, are involved and performing in a new project together called MOON & MOON!" [Solid PR]

Remember that show Devendra played at Trash back in January? Ends up that was Moon & Moon.

CMJ
Moon & Moon are playing with Blue Cheer, Miguel Mendez and a lot of others at Knitting Factory on November 2nd.

DEVENDRA'S LATEST BLOG ENTRY
"i'm in the market for a bio-diesel jaguar" [Jane Magazine]

Previously
i also sang the Star Spangled Banner to a Carrot Cake
Devendra Banhart guest blogging Jane Magazine
Devendra playing Carnegie Hall

I know it sounds like a game of Dungeons & Dragons, but actually it's just the NY Times talking about our favorite music.

In Once Upon a Time, There Was This Really Loud Band, you'll find a review of Saturday's Pixies concert.

Freak Folk's Very Own Pied Piper is a story about Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, Animal Collective, and Adem.

I must admit that I never heard the term "freak folk" before, but I like it... and I don't like it. I like it because it seems like a great description for what has quickly become one of my favorite genres of music. I don't like it becuase it's just that type of negative stereotyping that causes these artists not to be taken seriously. I mean what's up with the grammys? (you're thinking, 'What's up with YOU? Screw the GRAMMYS.'). There are a total of four "folk" categories in the grammys, yet I don't see the names Newsom or Devendra anyhwere in the nominations.

Previously

Pixies @ Hammerstein | Day 2

Devendra Banhart @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC | Pics