Devotchka @ Metro in Chicago in January (more by Ben Rodig)

The accidentally revealed it on the intitial tour announcement, so we always figured there would be two, but now the 2nd is annnounced too:

"The Magnetic Fields have added a second show at the Beacon Theater in New York City on April 4th, the day following their current, nearly sold out show. Devotchka (acoustic) will open the show. Presale tickets are currently available via Music Today. General tickets go on sale this Friday, Feb 10 via Ticketmaster.

Devotchka recently played a show at Metro in Chicago. More pictures like the one above, at BV Chicago.

Continue reading "The Magnetic Fields (finally) add 2nd Beacon Theater date; Devotchka opening both NYC shows (and other dates)"

Devotchka @ Bonnaroo 2011 (more by Dana (Distortion) Yavin)

I was surprised to see that Devotchka were going to be in the area this weekend. The occasion is that they're opening for the Avett Brothers at PNC Bank Arts Center in NJ on Friday night (9/23). Tickets are still on sale. All dates for both bands are listed below.

In related news, somebody in Devotchka also plays trumpet in Denver party/marching band Boba Fett and the Americans. The "15 Musicians and 1 Bounty Hunter" want to represent their home state at CMJ in NYC in October, but they need money for airfare, and "it'd be cool to have somewhere to sleep as well." That quote comes from their Kickstarter page where they've already raised almost $6000. You can watch their Kickstarter video below...

Continue reading "Devotchka on tour w/ the Avett Brothers, trumpet player raising money to get his other band to CMJ (all 15 of them)"

photos by Dana (Distortion) Yavin & Graeme Flegenheimer

Scissor Sisters

Bootsy

Eminem

BONNAROO 2012 PRE-SALE BEGINS FRIDAY, JUNE 17TH, 2011 AT 12:00 PM EASTERN.

Thanks to all who joined us for the tenth Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival! We had so much fun that we want to give you the opportunity to buy tickets to the 2012 festival!

Starting Friday, June 17 at 12:00 PM Eastern we will offer a limited number of specially priced general admission tickets for $209.50 plus service fees.

These pre-sale tickets will be available in a limited quantity through Friday, July 1, 2011 at 11:59 PM Eastern or while supplies last.

There is a limit of (10) general admission tickets per order.

Ticket fees are $23.35 per ticket, which includes a $6.00 facility fee, $3.00 contribution to Coffee County, $1.00 charity donation, and service fees.

Continue reading "Bonnaroo 2011 Day 3 in pics (Bootsy Collins, Black Keys, Eminem, Scissor Sisters & more) +++ Bonnaroo 2012 on sale!"

Bonnaroo (June 9-12 in Manchester Tennessee) has announced the 2011 lineup (slightly early), and like the rumored Lollapalooza lineup, Eminem is among the headliners. Bonnaroo also has Grammy winners Arcade Fire and the Black Keys, in addition to Lil Wayne, Mumford & Sons, the Strokes, The Decemberists, Florence & the Machine, Girl Talk, Beirut (haven't seen them in a while), and many more. Full list below...

Continue reading "Bonnaroo 2011 lineup is here"

Bettye Lavette at Highline Ballroom (more by Jacob Blickenstaff )

A quick reminder that one of the greatest songwriters of all-time, Neil Young, will be celebrated at Carnegie Hall in two days (2/10) as part of a benefit for music & arts programs of underpriviledged youth. The bill is beyond diverse, featuring The Roots, Nada Surf, Glen Hansard, DeVotchka, J Mascis and Bettye Lavette just to name a few of the twenty+ that are on board. "100% of the net proceeds from this event" will benefit charities like Fixing Instruments for Kids in Schools, Church Street School for Music & Art, The Pinwheel Project, Music Unites, The American Symphony Orchestra and Young Audiences New York, so pick up your tickets with a clear conscious!

Meanwhile, quite a few of the Neil Young-tribute artists have recently been or will be very active. Glen Hansard recently played City Winery and the Doveman show at LPR. Patti Smith & Jesse Smith are scheduled to play the Tibet benefit at Carnegie Hall in March. When Questlove of The Roots isnt going to see Prince or spinning at Brooklyn Bowl, he can be found on Jimmy Fallon. Nada Surf recently played Mercury Lounge and Rock Shop. DeVotchKa will play Highline in March with El Mariachi Bronx. Juliana Hatfield & Evan Dando were just at Maxwell's and the Bell House. J Mascis has his upcoming tour with shows at Mercury Lounge and MHoW.

Ben Ottewell of Gomez plays the Neil Young event and an early solo show at Mercury Lounge the next day.

And last, but certainly not least, Bettye Lavette, besides paying tribute to the great rock'n roll patriarch from the North, also has quite a NYC residency in the spring when she'll set up shop at Cafe Carlyle from 5/24 - 6/3 (no shows on 5/29, 5/30). Ticketing info is forthcoming, but all tour dates, the full Neil Young Tribute lineup and some videos are below...

Continue reading "Neil Young tribute show coming, Bettye Lavette playing shows at Cafe Carlyle & elsewhere, Ben Ottewell will be at Merc"

Devotchka at Public Assembly as part of the BV Day Party (more by Chris Gersbeck)

After recent shows during the uber-hectic CMJ, in the tiny Bowery Electric, and even under the big top, Devotchka has settled down from playing odd NYC shows and signed up for a tour and a plain ol' pair of NYC dates with Mariachi el Bronx at Highline Ballroom on March 23rd and 24th. Tickets for both shows, and other dates of the burgeoning tour, are currently on fan presale. The NYC shows (23rd here, 24th here) go on general sale Friday (1/21) at noon. All dates (which look like they include SXSW as well) are below.

Devotchka is currently streaming a new track "Contrabanda" at Soundcloud from their upcoming LP 100 Lovers. It's also available for purchase on an ANTI- sampler available via iTunes. 100 Lovers is due on February 15th and the band will celebrate with an unusual Record Release party in Denver, CO on 2/12 that includes a hotel package if you wish:

Please join DeVotchKa for another Valentine's show you won't soon forget... Ticket package includes 2 tickets to the show, a commemorative screen print poster, plus accommodations for Saturday, February 12, 2011, at the Curtis Hotel in downtown Denver. Tickets and poster will be waiting for guests at the hotel upon check-in. Once you order the package, DeVotchKa Music will take care of booking and will contact you with further information.

"Funky, cool, and playful, the Curtis--a Doubletree Hotel--is a unique boutique hotel located in downtown Denver. The 336-room, 'pop culture' themed Curtis features interactive video art and themed floors, along with state-of-the-art fitness center, complimentary wireless Internet, and The Corner Office Restaurant + Martini Bar."

Mariachi El Bronx have been involved in some new material as well, as part of Armistice with Beatrice Martin (Coeur de pirate) and Jay Malinowski (Bedouin Soundclash). Look for the new EP in the near future, but until then stream new track "Mission Bells".

All tour dates and some video is below.

Continue reading "Devotchka releasing 100 Lovers, touring w/ Mariachi El Bronx"

photos by Chris La Putt

Devotchka @ Big Apple Circus

Depending on the realtor, the New York outpost of Alex Calderwood's Ace Hotel is either located in NoChe (short for North Chelsea) or NoMad (for North of Madison Square Park), but regular people just think of the area as a place to buy knockoff handbags. Inside the hotel it's a different scene, like some dreamy Epcot Center version of the Pacific Northwest, especially on this Friday afternoon, when Colin Meloy, the frontman of the Portland-based Decemberists, began tuning up for a solo show, sponsored by KEXP, the great Seattle radio station that moved into the lobby of the hotel for three days during CMJ. "I'm so glad this pocket of Portland is here," Meloy said of the hotel, which was founded in Seattle but is now headquartered in Stumptown. "Now I feel safe in New York." His set... was prefaced by 15 minutes of lovely droning gibberish from Nick Urata's gypsy punk band DeVotchKa. -[New York Times]

On 10/22 in particular, Devotchka first played the KEXP bash (LISTEN TO IT AT KEXP'S SITE), Fontana's, and then the BrooklynVegan Day Party at Public Assembly to a packed house (thanks again) - all before 6pm.

But the band's big and most-official CMJ show came the next day, Saturday (10/23), under the Big Apple Circus big top at Damrosch Park. That's where the band headlined a unique show with Spirit Family Reunion and Angus & Julia Stone, complete with aerialists and other circus performers. It was part of the "Sideshow" series, though so far the "series" is only that one show.

Pictures from Friday at Fontana's and the Saturday Big Apple Circus show are in this post, and they continue, with some circus show videos, below...

Continue reading "Devotchka played KEXP, Fontana's & the Big Apple Circus --- (CMJ pics, video & streaming audio)"

photos by Chris Gersbeck

"At Brooklyn Vegan showcase. Free booze & food. Sick line-up. Ty segall, times new Viking, Dom, lower dens, asobi seksi, devotchka, etc. #cmj" - death & taxes

"Almost forgot about Shrag, what a find! fun band!" - Ryan Muir

"Pretty sure Ty Segall just won CMJ." - J. Edward Keyes

Ty Segall

"The large number of bands at the BV party was split between Public Assembly's two stages, with sets overlapping. With free Magic Hat Number Nine (somehow apricot-flavored beer seemed like a suitable substitute for breakfast), both sides of the club were filling rapidly. So while I caught a minute or two of Lower Dens' vespered melodies, I wasn't about to miss Times New Viking . The Columbus trio recently wrapped up work on a new record (due out on [a label] sometime in the near future) and this was to be the first time I would hear the new stuff. Though the band was by their own admission still tired from the night before, their set didn't show it, with the buoyancy of songs like "Skull Versus Wizard" and "Teenage Lust!" undiminished. The new tracks, which showed the most prominent melodies TNV has composed yet, fit in alongside the older cuts. Though I've now lost count of how many times I've seen the band, I'm always struck by how they remain too anxious to stay in one sonic realm for long, their quick succession of albums marked by continual revision." [ Limewire]

Did you miss the Phantom Band at this show or one of the other few CMJ shows they played? Well, don't miss them this week when they return as part of their tour with Frightened Rabbit (at Terminal 5 on Saturday they're on first of three before Plants and Animals).

Wanna see Dom again soon? They play NYC again this Saturday (10/30) too.

More pictures and some more videos from Public Assembly, below...

Continue reading "BV Friday day party in pics & video - part 2 (Times New Viking, Shrag, Lower Dens, Phantom Band, Luyas, Corndawg & more)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield, videos by Bleary Eyed Brooklyn

"Phantom Band at Public Assembly. This is making me very happy" - amanda farah

"Just learned that DeVotchKa is headlining today's BV free CMJ day party at Public Assembly. I'm so there!" - M. Millions

Devotchka

"[Friday] included a bit of borough hopping between Brooklyn and Manhattan. First up was the Brooklyn Vegan showcase at Public Assembly. This included two rooms of free music and free alcohol (if you like [Magic Hat] or Firefly). There was also a table selling BV shirts, proceeds of which go towards "Music Has Power" (The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function). Good music + a good cause = good party by the Vegan. There's another one [Saturday] that has a sick line-up. Gonna head there first thing [Saturday].

One other thing worth noting about that BV party is one of the bands: Shrag. This band was from the UK, which got me thinking about how many bands travel from all over the world (especially places like the UK and New Zealand) just to come to CMJ. I think it's really cool how this festival gives people a chance to experience music from not just all over the country, but from different parts of the world as well. Because let's face it, how many of us are going to be visiting New Zealand any time soon?" [News on Shuffle]

Jonny Corndawg is an Esmont native who plays in Charlottesville all the time (his website says he's in Nashville) and who I caught for the first time over the weekend. His square jaw was beard-covered and framed in a cowboy hat and huge sunglasses. The silly facade--"Jonny Corndawg" is inlayed on his acoustic guitar!--can only hide his chops for so long. If he didn't have chops, would he have written these lines:

"Drink water and juice with a little slice of lemon/ eat a raw clove of garlic every once in a while/ meditate, appreciate, learn a foreign language/ and understand that immigrants have the hardest lives." [c-ville]

As Andrew also pointed out, John Vanderslice (who played Mercury Lounge the night before) ended his solo set in a very special way - on the floor with 2 guest musicians (one with a horn). The crowd, dreaded member of Nada Surf included, had the three performers completely surrounded. After the set, John went out to coffee with fans (or at least that's what he said he was going to do).

Devotchka capped things off on the main stage, complete with more horns. Thanks again to Vinny's Music for the equipment. More pictures and some videos from the whole day (with a second set on its way). below...

Continue reading "BV Friday day party in pics & video - part 1 (Devotchka, Ty Segall, John Vanderslice, Asobi Seksu, Dom & more) "

by BBG

Devotchka at Bowery Electric (more by Toby Tenenbaum)

Devotchka can appreciate the finer things in life, like a good old-fashioned surprise appearance. And much like they did at Bowery Electric in April, Devotchka have another special appearance in store for us NYC'ers, as we are proud to announce that Devotchka will be our "special guest" for Friday's Brooklyn Vegan day party at Public Assembly (10/22)! They go on at 5:15pm. The show is totally FREE to get into and will also feature appearances from Asobi Seksu, Dom, Ty Segall, Times New Viking, Shrag (who we added to the 3:15 slot), and many many notable others.

One thing that Public Assembly doesn't have is a 100% honest-to goodness circus tent (believe us, we tried). So if that is a requirement of shows that you frequent, then you can catch Devotchka at their Saturday night CMJ show where they can be found under the big-top at Damrosch Park. Angus & Julia Stone are also on board to support the band, and tickets are still available. Want to win a pair? I also have a pairs available for giveaway. Details on how to win are at the bottom of this post.

The circus show is the first "Sideshow," a "new live music-meets-the-circus series pairing fave musicians with formidable circus talent within the realm of an authentic one ring Big Top". Sounds pretty cool.

Devotchka can also be heard and seen via KEXP who is broadcasting CMJ performances from the Ace Hotel in NYC. "You are invited! This broadcast is free, open to the public and first come, first served (so get there early if you want a spot!). KEXP DJs John Richards and Cheryl Waters will be DJing live, between sets." And those Friday sets are:

KEXP Friday, 10/22:
* 7am PST / 10am EST Glasser
* 9am PST / 12pm EST Devotchka
* 10:30am PST / 1:30pm EST Colin Meloy
* 12pm PST / 3pm EST Cults
* 1:30pm PST / 4:30 pm EST The Extra Lens (John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats & Franklin Bruno from Nothing Painted Blue

Some video of the circus venue and Devotchka, and details on how to win those tickets are below...

Continue reading "Devotchka playing the BV Friday day party after KEXP @ the Ace Hotel & before a real circus tent (win tix) "

DeVotchKa at Bowery Electric (more by Toby Tenenbaum)

DeVotchKa will play Damrosch Park with Angus & Julia Stone and "special surprise guests" at Lincoln Center as part of CMJ on 10/23. Tickets are now on sale (online and at Other Music). The show is part of a sprinkling of dates for Devotchka, who will hit Chicago, Philly, Grand Rapids, and Colorado on the trek.

The show, in addition to being part of CMJ, will be the kickoff of a new series of "Sideshows". More details TBA.

Australian duo Angus & Julia Stone, currently on a massive tour, also play a CMJ show at the Bell House on 10/22 (tickets) and Maxwell's in Hoboken on 10/24 (tickets).

Everyone's tour dates and some videos, below...

Continue reading "DeVotchKa playing a 'Sideshow' @ Damrosch Park for CMJ w/ Angus & Julia (and other tour dates) "

photos by photos by Toby Tenenbaum

"There is no way in hell that Bowery Electric wasn't breaking fire codes last night at DeVotchKa. WAY over the 108 person max." - Andrew St Clair

Devtochka played a last minute surprise show last night Bowery Electric in NYC. Opener Plates of Cake went on to a packed venue at 8.45 and, Toby says, "played a mix of their yet unreleased album as well tracks from the lead singer's two previous solo efforts." "Devotchka went on at 10PM. They played a mix of old and new music with each member of the band changing instruments between and even during songs. It was a real spectacle!" The show happened simultaneously with a Gogol Bordello show at Brooklyn Bowl. Gogol and Devotchka are currently on tour together. More pictures from Bowery Electric below...

Continue reading "Devotchka played a surprise show @ Bowery Electric (pics) "

Tickets went on sale this morning for a surprise Tuesday night DeVotchKa show at Bowery Electric (home of last night's surprise Foxboro Hot Tubs aka Green Day show). The venue is small, but at $30 a pop I didn't think tickets would fly right off the shelf. They did. Luckily I've got a few pairs to give away. Details on how to win below.

The Bowery Electric show happens the same night as the last minute Gogol Bordello show at Brooklyn Bowl. Both gypsy bands are on tour together and both play separate, last minute, shows in the city on Tuesday. They'll then all meet up at Brooklyn Bowl later Tuesday night for a joint free afterparty. More details on all this, with the contest, below...

Continue reading "DeVotchKa playing a 'surprise' Tuesday night show too (win tix) ++ afterparty @ Brooklyn Bowl"

Gogol Bordello @ Webster Hall (more by Vincent Cornelli)

Currently on tour with Devotchka, Gogol Bordello will use two days off to play Jimmy Fallon (tonight, Monday 4/26) and Brooklyn Bowl (tomorrow, Tuesday 4/27). Tickets for the Brooklyn Bowl show go on sale at noon. The new show will coincide with the physical release of Gogol's new Rick Rubin-produced album, "Trans-Continental Hustle". They'll perform new song "Pala Tute" from that album tonight on Fallon. All tour dates below...

Continue reading "Gogol Bordello add Tuesday Brooklyn show, Fallon tonight "

photos by Chris Graham

"Sasquatch was hot. H-O-T. Not Paris Hilton "hot," but temperature hot. For a mossed-over clutch of Northwesterners who have been shrouded under rain and clouds for the past eight months, the brutal sun at the Gorge this weekend was a shocking jolt into summer. Sure, it was generally nice to be out in the sun, but any shade cover at the 'Squatch was few and far between, and there was almost no chance of relief. A small row of spindly trees dotted the upper walkway, and overheated concertgoers crammed themselves underneath them. When the sun dipped behind a cloud during Animal Collective's generally unimpressive set, the crowd cheered louder than they had for any band. Clothing sweated clean through, energy was conserved, and water was at a premium. It was a weekend of dizzy sunburning and frizzled brain." [Portland Mercury]

Continue reading "Sasquatch 2009 - Day 1 in pics "

!!! is playing ACL 2009 (more by Chris Graham)

"The 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival will showcase a diverse blend of acts both fresh and familiar at the eighth edition of the event in Zilker Park October 2-4. Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, and Beastie Boys are performing for the first time at the Festival, with Kings of Leon, Ben Harper and Relentless7, and Thievery Corporation returning to Zilker Park once again. John Legend, The Dead Weather, and The Levon Helm Band will also make their ACL Festival debut, while Austin's own Ghostland Observatory will no doubt deliver another memorable set for festival goers.

With over 130 artists on this year's bill, the list of acts awes at each note with the likes of Sonic Youth, Mos Def, Toadies, Flogging Molly, The B-52s, Lily Allen, Citizen Cope, Arctic Monkeys, The Decemberists, Coheed and Cambria, Andrew Bird, Girl Talk, and many more.

In the tradition of the TV show from which it was born, the Festival has always aimed to offer musical discovery for the fans. The 2009 lineup is rich with pop, country, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, indie rock, hip-hop, and gospel, to name a few, spanning cultures and countries from New Orleans to Venezuela to France."

Continue reading "ACL (Austin City Limits) - 2009 festival lineup announcement"

Jane's Addiction - @ Echoplex, Los Angeles - Feb 16, 2009 (revolute)

Live Nation and Adam Zacks are pleased to announce this year's line up for the Sasquatch! Music Festival at the legendary Gorge in Eastern Washington. The festival, now in its eighth and most ambitious year yet, has evolved from a unique, homegrown & low key fest into a full blown three day extravaganza. A festival-goer's dream, it comes complete with camp-outs, canyons, sunsets, three stages and new this year, an expanded comedy and dance music tent. The tent will feature performances from comedians throughout the day, and then come dusk, will spotlight electronic and dance music artists.

Already the official opener to summer for music fans, the Sasquatch! Music Festival is becoming a certified monster of a musical event: this year features another exciting and diverse line-up for the musically adventurous, and ups the ante on an event already hailed for its independent spirit. Tickets go on sale Saturday February 28th at 10AM

Today it was announced that Jane's (feat. all four original members), NIN, Kings of Leon, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Erykah Badu, The Decemberists, Fleet Foxes, TV On The Radio, Animal Collective, Silversun Pickups, Bon Iver, Santigold, and many others are playing this year's Sasquatch Festival (May 23, 24, 25, 2009 @ The Gorge in Quincy, WA). Full lineup and ticket info below...

Continue reading "Jane's Addiction played LA, headlining SASQUATCH Festival (which just announced most of the 2009 LINEUP)"

photos by Tim Griffin

DeVotchKa @ Webster Hall - January 24, 2009

1. Death Cab For Cutie - "Love Song" (Cure cover)
2. Katy Perry - "Black And Gold" (Sam Sparro cover)
3. DeVotchKa - "Hot Burrito #1" (Flying Burrito Brothers cover)
4. Department Of Eagles - "Love Me" (Elvis Presley cover)
5. Jessica Lea Mayfield - "Words Of Love" (Buddy Holly cover)
6. Ben Bridwell - "Your Love Is Forever" (George Harrison cover)
7. Kate Tucker - "I'm On Fire" (Bruce Springsteen cover)
8. Rogue Wave - "Maps" (Yeah Yeah Yeahs cover)
9. A.C. Newman - "Take On Me" (a-ha cover)
10. Jem - "Yellow" (Coldplay cover)
11. Richard Hawley - "Early Morning Rain" (Gordon Lightfoot cover)
12. Daniel Martin Moore - "I Hear Music" (Billie Holiday cover)
13. She & Him - "I Put A Spell On You" (Screamin' Jay Hawkins cover)
14. Lila Downs - "My One And Only Love" (Frank Sinatra cover)

The above cover art and tracklist is from the previously-mentioned Starbucks Sweetheart CD they're putting out this year for Valentine's Day.

The makers of track #3, DeVotchKa, recently announced some dates with Les Clapool, played an NPR-streamable show in Philly on Friday, and played Webster Hall in NYC one night later (1/24). More pictures from that show below...

Continue reading "Devotchka - Webster Hall pics, an NPR Philly show stream & the Starbucks Sweetheart CD tracklist"

Primus's Les Claypool is calling "The Oddity Faire" a "A Mutated Mini Fest". You can also call it a tour with an interchanging set of openers that varies by date. In NYC the show is at Terminal 5 and the openers are Saul Williams, O'Death, and Secret Chief 3. The date is March 28th. Tickets are now on Am Ex presale, and go on regular sale on Friday.

Other openers for the tour are Mutaytor, Yard Dogs, and Devotchka. It's unfortunate that Devotchka is not also on the NYC date, but that makes sense since they can headline Terminal 5 by themselves and have their own show coming up at Webster Hall.

O'Death have also lined up a ton of other tour dates that don't include Les. They'll kick things off in Baltimore on January 29th and end up back in this NYC-area for a February 14th show at Maxwell's with Legendary Shack Shakers. Tickets are on sale. From there they go to Europe before meeting up with the Primus front-man back in the USA in March.

All dates below...

Continue reading "Les Claypool taking Saul Williams, Devotchka & O'Death on The Oddity Faire tour - 2009 Dates"

DeVotchKa @ Terminal 5 (more by Ryan Muir)

DeVotchKa is probably more popular than ever now thanks to that video game ad. Kind of cool then that their choice of venue for their January 24th NYC show is Webster Hall instead of Terminal 5 where they last entertained us. Tickets go on sale Friday at noon. All dates below...

Continue reading "DeVotchKa - 2008/09 Tour Dates (Webster Hall)"

Love it or hate it, licensing songs seems to be the new reality for "indie" bands (or any bands) looking to make money and gain exposure. As an avid music fan and Senior Director of Advertising & Video Games at Primary Wave Music Publishing, Ryan Barkan makes sure to stay on top of news related to artists getting their songs in ads, on TV, in movies, in video games and just about anywhere else a band would get paid to put a song. As someone who never pays attention to any of that, I thought the site could use a weekly column to identify who sold out this week help fill in what I'm missing (think M.I.A. in the Pineapple Express commercial, Nick & Norah, Santogold shilling Bud Light, Chairlift & CSS for Apple, etc..). For that...please welcome Ryan (who also goes by the blog and photographer name "Fresh Bread")....

---

by Ryan Barkan

Microsoft's Halo 3 video game commercial was so amazing that it won the Grand Prix (i.e. best of show) at this past year's Cannes Advertising Awards, in June, in the "Film" ad category. The spot, titled "Believe", was created by San Francisco advertising agency T.A.G. and featured the dramatically delicate "Raindrop Prelude No 15" by Chopin against a violent and disturbing war scene.

Another huge 2008 release for Microsoft is the upcoming sequel to the game Gears of War, creatively called....wait for it...Gears Of War 2 (available November 7th exclusively on Xbox360). What works once should work again right? T.A.G. thought so and took the same approach with the music as they did with the "Believe" spot, juxtaposing the hard war visuals against a beautiful song, but this time with a more contemporary artist, Devotchka. The beautiful song they used by the Colorado band is called "How It Ends" and the trailer will debut on network television this Sunday, November 2, during NFL Sunday Night Football. You can also watch it right now. The video for that, and of the full version of "Believe", are below.

----------

Other Notable Licensing News:

The Walmart-exclusive AC/DC edition of Rock Band is out November 2nd and now MTV/Harmonix have announced a Beatles video game that will be based on the "Rock Band" engine, but not branded "Rock Band". "The Best Of The Who" edition of Rock Band was released in July as DLC (downloadable content).

Hypebeast has the info on a new line of Miles Davis-inspired T-shirts by urban boutique and shoe company, Supreme.

Flaming Lips, the B-52's, BB King and others were commissioned by NBC to create their own interpretation of the network's classic "Chime In"...

You may not know that the notes to NBC's famous chimes are G, E, and C, but chances are you'd recognize the Peacock jingle in an instant. With that in mind, executives at the network decided to have some fun with their famous chimes and launched a national campaign calling for a 21st century reinvention of the 75-year-old television staple. [Hollywood Insider]

What do Friendly Fires, The Duke Spirit, The Submarines, The Black Keys, Black Kids, The Virgins, and Robyn have in common? They've all had songs featured in an episode of Gossip Girl this month.

What about Lykke Li, Passion Pit and The Kooks? Well, as you may have read earlier, they'll all be appearing in future episodes of Gossip Girl/OC-creator Josh Schwartz's new "music-themed scripted web series" Rockville, CA.

I really dig the new spot for the Google Android Phone. The commercial features a song by The Black Angels called "Black Grease" - not sure if it'll convince me to switch from the iPhone but it's a nice placement nonetheless. Video below...

Continue reading "It's Not Selling Out Anymore -- This Week in Music Licensing"

by BrooklynVegan Mike

DOWNLOAD: Duchess Says - Ccut Up (MP3)

Osheaga (Vero.b)

Osheaga, the outdoor music festival in Montreal, celebrated its third birthday this weekend with a bevy of local acts, some emerging talent, and great live performers. Day one (Sunday August 3rd) of the festival was also one of the most hectic musical days in recent [Montreal] memory. The week long Francophone music festival, FrancoFolies, concluded the same day with a performance by former Osheaga artist Malajube, and Wolf Parade (another former Osheaga performer) finished a tour downtown with their first Montreal performance since the release of At Mount Zoomer....

Continue reading "Osheaga 2008 - day 1 (a review with pics & videos)"

photos by Ryan Muir

DeVotchKa are the true gypsies of rock n' roll, taking big hunks of everything, notably Mexican and Russian sounds, and putting it together for both thunderous and symphonic purposes. When backed by their string section, they are luscious, atmospheric. But when they are at their basic 4, they are whip-snapping, Moricone-rock connoisseurs. This dynamic can be summed up purely in lead singer/guitarist Nick Urata, who can serenade like a crooner before sending the crowd straight to hell. Mad professor of strings and various keyboards Tom Hagerman and drummer/horn man Shawn King administer their departments with the upmost duty, and Jeanie Schroder is a thumping, solid bass player when she isn't possibly the only woman who can dance around in a dress while playing a sousaphone. [Sonic Parthenon]

Continue reading "DeVotchKa @ Terminal 5, NYC - pics"

Devotchka @ Coachella 2008 (more by Ryan Muir)

Devotchka are on tour and are playing everyone's favorite NYC venue Terminal 5 tonight (May 20). On Friday they played the 9:30 Club in DC and NPR is streaming the whole thing. Last night they were on TV.....

Continue reading "Devotchka played TV (video) & DC (stream) --- in NYC tonight"

The Vaselines were a indie rock band from Bellshill, Scotland. Formed in 1986, the band was originally made up of only Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee, but later added James Seenan and Eugene's brother Charlie Kelly on bass and drums respectively from the band Secession.[1] McKee had formerly been a member of a band named The Pretty Flowers with Duglas T. Stewart, Norman Blake and Sean Dickson.

Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain once described Kelly and McKee as his "most favorite songwriters in the whole world". [Wikipedia]

DeVotchka, Grand Ole Party, Thee Emergency, and Voyager One were added to the Capitol Hill Block Party - another two day festival happening in Seattle in July.