Deerhunter at Austin Psych Fest 2013 (more by Tim Griffin)

Governors Ball is less than a month away, and the fest has now released the daily schedule. They've done a pretty good job with not too many giant conflicts -- though there's a few like Grizzly Bear vs Beirut, Bloc Party vs The xx, Erykah Badu vs Beach House, and Nas vs Guns N Roses. Check out the daily line-ups across their four stages below.

Continue reading "Governors Ball announces set times"

DOWNLOAD: Phoenix - "Entertainment" (Dirty Projectors Remix) (MP3)

Blood Orange at Bowery Ballroom in 2011 (more by Ryan Barkan)

Blood Orange (aka Dev Hynes) has a few dates scheduled for this year, including a few in NYC. The first is a benefit for LGBT rights organization Human Rights Campaign at Le Poisson Rouge on May 4 with Creep, MEN (the JD Samson one), Light Asylum, Nina Sky, and "surprise special guests." It's being hosted by Amanda Leigh Dunn and Becka Diamond is DJing. Tickets for that benefit are on sale now.

A few days later, both Dev and Creep will be headed to Glasslands on May 9 for another benefit: the previously discussed fundraiser for Benjamin Curtis of School of Seven Bells, who is battling cancer. Dev is DJing at that one and Creep is playing live. Plus, Exitmusic and Rewards are playing live, and Albert Hammond Jr. and Certain Creatures are DJing. Tickets for that one are still available.

Blood Orange will do a third NYC date a few days after the Glasslands show when he opens for Phoenix (whose single, "Entertainment," he recently remixed) when their tour hits The Apollo on May 13 for a sold out show. Phoenix's tour also includes a larger, not-sold-out show on October 2 at Barclays Center with The Vaccines (tickets). Phoenix's "Entertainment" was also just given the remix treatment yet again, this time by Dirty Projectors. You can download that above or stream it below.

After the NYC dates, Blood Orange doesn't have anything scheduled until Pitchfork Festival. All dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Blood Orange playing HRC benefit w/ special guests, Pitchfork Fest, opening for Phoenix (who Dirty Projectors remixed), more"

Dirty Projectors at Carnegie Hall in January (more by Greg Cristman)

As mentioned, Dirty Projectors are touring this year, and though there's still no NYC date, because they're playing Governors Ball, the band have just expanded the tour to include more Northeast dates. The newly-scheduled dates happen in Syracuse, Massachusetts, Maine, and Vermont.

The band also have a new song, "There's A Fire," which is the b-side to the "Offspring Are Blank" 7", and you can listen to that song, along with updated dates, which are listed below...

Continue reading "Dirty Projectors add Northeast dates to tour"

Noah Baumbach is shooting a performance of a fictionalized band featuring members of Dirty Projectors on Tuesday, March 5th, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY at approximately 1PM. The band and Noah are seeking fans to appear in the audience. That's all we know about it, but you can email march5cast@gmail.com if you want to sign up.

In related news, Dirty Projectors were recently announced on the lineup of a festival in Boston along with the National who they're also playing other dates with.

Noah's new film "Frances Ha" hits theaters later this year. You can watch a clip below...

Continue reading "Noah Baumbach & Dirty Projectors seeking extras for video"

A still from 'Mistaken for Strangers'

The National, who'll headline the Barclays Center in June, are the subject of a new tour documentary, Mistaken for Strangers, which will make its premiere at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival (April 17 - 28). The film was directed by Tom Berninger, whose brother Matt is lead singer of The National. Here's the synopsis:

Adrift in life and fuelled by the desire to create, Tom Berninger accepts his brother's offer to come on The National tour as a roadie and decides to chronicle his experiences with the band. Although Tom starts off with dreams of making a rock documentary (you can watch the portaits he made on each of the band members), a different story emerges as tensions among the band members lead to unforeseen drama. Following the band from Berlin to Paris to Los Angeles to a 2010 Obama rally in Madison, Wisconsin, Mistaken for Strangers is not your typical road documentary.

Festival packages go on sale to AmEx cardholders on Monday (3/4), which is one day before the entire slate of films for Tribeca will be announced. Festival passes go on sale to the general public following Monday (3/11). Individual tickets will go on sale 4/9 for AmEx cardholders, 4/14 for downtown residents and 4/15 to the general public.

In related news, The National are co-headlining (with fun.) the Boston Calling Music Festival which goes down in Beantown on May 25 and 26. The fest also includes appearances by The Shins, Of Monsters & Men, Dirty Projectors, Andrew Bird and more. Tickets to Boston Calling go sale Friday, March 8 and the whole line-up is below.

Continue reading "The National (band & documentary) playing Tribeca Film Fest, headlining Boston Calling Music Festival"

The National at Beacon Theater in 2011 (more by David Andrako)

With the big Barclays Center show in June (with Youth Lagoon) already announced, we figured news of a new National album and full tour were on the way and now there's info on both. While they haven't released specifics (like a title), the new National album will drop sometime in May and the tour officially begins with a show at The State Theatre in Ithica, NY on May 16. Tickets to the just-announced shows will go on sale Friday, March 1. More info is here.

Some of those shows will be with Dirty Projectors who have just announced their own tour, that includes an NYC appearance at Governors Ball in June.

All National and Dirty Projectors tour dates are below.

Continue reading "The National announce new album and tour; some dates with Dirty Projectors who are touring too"

Weird Al and Bonarroo phone bank (including Mike Birbiglia and Eugene Mirman...

With help from Eugene Mirman, Chris Gethard, Mike Birbiglia, Portugal. The Man and more, Weird Al just began announcing the 2013 Bonnaroo line-up on the Bonnaroo YouTube page which happens June 13 - 16 in Manchester, TN. Weird Al just announced Pretty Lights, Wilco, A$AP Rocky, and The xx, and over the next hour, more artists will be announced. We'll update this post as more announcements come.

Other artists playing include Passion Pit, Kendrick Lamar, David Byrne and St. Vincent, Jim James, Big K.R.I.T., Billy Idol, Grizzly Bear, Japandroids, Foals, Wild Nothing, Deap Vally, Killer Mike, Lord Huron, Divine Fits, Nas, Beach House, The Gaslight Anthem, Local Natives, Dirty Projectors, Baroness, The National, The Vaccines, Holy Ghost, Death Grips, R. Kelly, Alt-J, Purity Ring, Cat Power, Wu-Tang Clan, Bjork, Tame Impala, Animal Collective, The Tallest Man on Earth, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Paul McCartney, Earl Sweatshirt, Four Tet, Father John Misty, Swans, A-Trak, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Cults, AraabMuzik, DIIV, Charli XCX, Matthew E. White, Frank Turner, JEFF the Brotherhood, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Calexico, Two Gallants, and more.

Tickets for the festival go on sale Saturday (2/23) at noon EST.

There's also now a video of Daniel Tosh announcing the initial lineup, which you can watch, along with the current list of announced names, below...

Continue reading "Bonnaroo 2013 lineup announcement underway"

Governors Ball, which started as a small NYC festival on Governors Island and moved to the larger Randall's Island last year, keeps getting bigger and bigger. This year's fest takes place June 7th, 8th & 9th, and tickets go on sale Friday. Check out the full lineup, in list, video and flyer format - one unannounced headliner included, below...

Continue reading "Governors Ball 2013 lineup (Kanye West, Kings of Leon, Grizzly Bear, xx, Cut Copy, Kendrick, Anco, Beach House & MUCH MORE)"

photos by Greg Cristman

"Congrats to @dirtyprojectors on an amazing show at Carnegie hall tonight. Great to hear all the old + new" - Yellow Ostrich

Dirty Projectors played the first Wordless Music Series show of 2013 with their Carnegie Hall show on Friday (1/11), for which they were joined by modern classical ensemble yMusic (who also opened the show) and a secret guest which turned out to be ex-Dirty Projector Angel Deradoorian. They played a bunch of their recent material off of 2012's Swing Lo Magellan and About to Die EP, 2009's Bitte Orca, and their 2010 collaborative effort with Bjork, Mount Wittenberg Orca. But the DPs also reached back to plenty of their pre-breakthrough catalog to please the old fans as well. Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend, who recently played an Occupy Sandy benefit in Brooklyn with Dirty Projectors, was there and said it was "one of [his] favorite concerts ever." If you were there, did you pick up the exclusive 7"?

yMusic's opening set consisted of pieces penned by Son Lux, Nico Muhly, Judd Greenstein, and others. You can check out their full setlist and more pictures from the show below.

Continue reading "Dirty Projectors (joined by yMusic and Angel Deradoorian) played Carnegie Hall (pics)"

Dirty Projectors in Brooklyn in 2012 (more by Greg Cristman)

As mentioned, Dirty Projectors are playing Carnegie Hall on January 11 as part of the Wordless Music Series (the same series that is presenting the just-announced Liars show at the Met). You already knew that contemporary classical orchestra yMusic would be opening the show and joining Dirty Projectors on stage during their set, but it's recently been revealed that there will be a very special guest. Any guesses on who the guest will be? Tickets for the show are still available.

Dirty Projects will also be pressing a 7" of Swing Lo Magellan track, "Offspring Are Blank" on white vinyl with the previously unreleased track, "There's A Fire" on the flip. That 7" will be available exclusively at the Carnegie Hall show, and it's a limited edition pressing of 250 copies.

The video for "Offspring Are Blank" is below...

Continue reading "Secret guest & limited 7" joining Dirty Projectors @ Carnegie Hall"

Local Natives at Bowery Ballroom in October (more by Tracy Allison)

Local Natives, who we hadn't heard from in a while until they were revealed as the secret headliner at a Bowery Ballroom show during CMJ, soon after announced that they'll release their new album, Hummingbird, on January 29 via Frenchkiss, the followup to their 2009/2010 debut, Gorilla Manor. The new album will be supported by a tour which includes three sold out NYC shows in February.

But while we wait for new material from Local Natives, we're still wrapping up our 2012 coverage so we asked Local Natives for a list of their top 10 albums of 2012, which singer/guitarist/bassist Taylor Rice and singer/keyboardist/percussionist/guitarist Kelcey Ayer compiled and sent our way. You can check out their list below.

Continue reading "Local Natives list their Top 10 Albums of 2012"

Hard to believe, but our BrooklynVegan "Blog Radio" show has been airing weekly on satellite radio for over 6.5 years. It started on Sirius which then merged with XM and became SiriusXM. The station, which was originally "Left of Center" on Sirius, is now called SiriusXMU (on SiriusXM). You can currently hear the two hour show on the "indie/college" station every Wednesday at noon EST and again at midnight that night (which is technically Thursday morning in Eastern Standard Time).

At some point years ago I brought on like-minded music lover Dominic (Nick) Masi to be my co-host, and to cover when I couldn't make it. Now, though I still may pop in occasionally (my New Year's resolution!), Nick has taken over completely, hosting the show week to week with a selection of music you'll find on BrooklynVegan.com and on his own iPod. Recently Nick also started hosting a show called "Cover Me" (all cover songs) on Bruce Springsteen's E Street Radio, and other programs on the network too.

In his spare time, Nick now tour manages members of Odd Future - a job which was an offshoot of his huge passion for hip hop (and traveling around the continent in a van).

What were Nick's favorite records and songs in 2012? We asked him and he gave us a list of his top 10 albums and "top 15 hip hop songs of the year that don't feature 2Chainz, Kanye, Drake, Rick Ross or (fill in the blank with your favorite rapper you've seen on every remix this year)."

You can check out both of Nick's lists, along with videos or streams for each song on his hip hop list (Odd Future songs included), below...

Continue reading "BrooklynVegan SiriusXMU host Nick Masi's Top 10 Albums and Top 15 Hip Hop Songs of 2012"

by Andrew Sacher

Today, we finally get the much anticipated list of Pitchfork's Top 20 Albums of 2012. They revealed Nos. 30-50 yesterday and spent the rest of this week posting Honorable Mentions and tracks. None of the albums that made the top 20 are surprising to see there (which doesn't mean they aren't deserving), but the surprises come from the albums that missed the list all together. Passion Pit got ROBBED! Twin Shadow too! And Wild Nothing! If you're looking for Converge or Baroness, you'll have to redirect yourself to Pitchfork's Metal list (though Pallbearer was in the main top 50). And we could've guessed that Nos. 1 and 2 would be Frank Ocean and Kendrick Lamar... but who took the No. 1 spot? Head below to find out and you can check out individual writer's votes too...

Continue reading "Pitchfork's Top 20 Albums of 2012"

by Bill Pearis

Hospitality @ Brooklyn Bowl, 8/31/2012 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

While I haven't revealed by Favorite Albums of 2012 list yet, I'll let it slip that Hospitality's eponymous debut album is pretty high up there. If you've yet to hear it's many guitar pop pleasures, you can stream it below. Wondering what the band have listened to the most in 2012? They've offered up their Top 10 of 2012 which you can peruse below. It's actually nine new albums and then the last slot goes to Led Zeppelin which singer Amber Papini admits she's been gorging on ever since Hurricane Sandy.

Sandy caused the band's headlining show at Bowery Ballroom to be postponed and the make-up date is right around the corner on January 10 with TEEN and Household. Tickets are still available and we're also giving away a pair.

Meanwhile, Hospitality next show after that will be as part of the Kidrockers series at Brooklyn Bowl, happening Sunday, February 10 at 11 AM. Tickets are $8 and on sale now -- kids 2 and under get in free. It's all ages on Sundays at Brooklyn Bowl till 6PM when it becomes 21+ like the rest of the week.

Kidrockers have announced a few other 2013 shows as well: Caveman (who just announced a big tour, including Webster Hall on 4/10) play on January 27 (tix); and Hooray for Earth play on February 3 (tix, they also play Knitting Factory next month). There is also the previously-announced DIIV show on January 13 (they play an "adult" show at BB that same night).

Hospitality's list of Top 10 LPs of 2012 is below.

Continue reading "Hospitality list their Top 10 LPs of 2012, playing Brooklyn Bowl for Kidrockers (as are Caveman and Hooray for Earth)"

by Bill Pearis

Pitchfork just posted their much anticipated list of the top 100 tracks of 2012. The #1 slot went to... Grimes! Whether you thought the whole of her album Visions was good or not, it was hard to deny the charms of "Oblivion." (Having that great video didn't hurt either.) Do you think it deserved to top the list? If not then what song should've?

You can check out P4K's entire hot 100 of 2012 below.

Continue reading "Pitchfork's Top 100 Tracks of 2012 (Grimes' "Oblivion" is #1)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Ex Cops - Wonderful Christmas Time (MP3)

photo by Nanci Sarrouf

Admission. Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmas Time" is easily my most-hated holiday pop song. Repetive, grating, plodding, and seemingly recorded by accident, the song makes me want to suck a candycane into a point and gouge out my eardrums. (Unlike, say, The Waitresses' "Christmas Wrapping" which I can listen to ad infinitum.) So it's a Christmas miracle that Ex Cops have taken this unfortunate Macca yuletide perennial and sped it up, turned it up and transformed it into a rough-hewn little indiepop charmer. We've got the premiere of the song right here in the post to download above or stream below. Merry Ex-mas.

Another present you're going to have to wait a bit for is Ex Cops terrific debut album, True Hallucinations, which hits January 22 via Other Music Recording Company. The band are playing a record release show at Glasslands that same day with Hunters also on the bill (tickets). After that, Ex Cops play Mercury Lounge on February 15 and tickets to that show are on sale at noon. You can see them sooner than that, though, as they were just added to tonight's Paul Banks show at Webster Hall (12/14) and tickets are still available.

Meanwhile Ex Cops' Brian Harding and Amalie Bruun have each submitted lists of their favorite songs from 2012. In a bit of daring, they both include their own single "You Are a Lion, I Am a Lamb" on their respective lists. Check them out below.

Continue reading "Ex Cops cover Paul McCartney, list Top 10 Songs of 2012, opening for Paul Banks + more NYC shows (dates, streams)"

photos by Jessica Amaya

Marcus Foster at Webster Hall (more)

BV contributors Dominick Mastrangelo, Dana (distortion) Yavin, Amanda Hatfield, David Andrako and Fred Pessaro // BBG have all gone to their share of shows in 2012, and each has weighed in on their favorite photos that they took in 2012. Next on the list is a set from Jessica Amaya, who has chronicled her 2012 favorites below in no particular order.

More below, along with Jessica's favorite tracks of 2012.

Continue reading "Jessica Amaya's favorite Live Photos of 2012 (that she took) (her favorite songs too)"

Blonde Redhead at FFF Fest 2011 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

Blonde Redhead have been quiet for most of 2012 (perhaps spent writing songs for their next album) but will play NYC on New Year's Eve at Irving Plaza with openers Beach Fossils (whose new album features vocals from BR's Kazu Makino). Tickets are still available but if you'd like to go for free, we're giving away a pair of tickets. Details on how to enter are below.

For a glimpse at what Blonde Redhead did do this year, the band gave us a Top 10 of 2012 list that includes, travel, food, parties, memories, live shows... and albums too (Dirty Projectors made their favorite). Check out their list below.

Continue reading "Blonde Redhead tell us their Top 10 of 2012; win tickets to their New Year's Eve show at Irving Plaza"

by Andrew Sacher

More of the big 2012 year-end lists have been rolling in, with NPR and SPIN recently revealing theirs, and now Rolling Stone have unleashed theirs. Similarly to Uncut, the expected albums from older artists are there, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Dr. John, and the number one slot going to Bruuuuuuuuuuuce. It's got huge albums like Mumford and Sons, Taylor Swift, and fun., as well as the token high ranking indie album (Japandroids at #9), the token washed up band who was once classic (Green Day), things you knew you'd see on Rolling Stone's list like Jack White and Alabama Shakes, and... Grimes!

You can read the whole list below...

Continue reading "Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums of 2012"

Japandroids at Pitchfork, July 2012 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

NPR Music have announced their "50 favorite" albums of 2012, which includes names like Pallbearer, Andy Stott, Cat Power, Fiona Apple, Death Grips, and Swans. (No Grimes, though.) The list is also deep with hip hop, with shouts to Homeboy Sandman, Kendrick Lamar, Killer Mike and many others. Much like Q magazine did, NPR opted to list them alphabetically instead of one better than the next. Check out the full list below.

Japandroids also made the list, and the band played the first of two shows at Webster Hall last night (12/4). The band continues their stay at the venue tonight and tickets are still available.

Continue reading "NPR Music's Top 50 LPs of 2012"

by Andrew Sacher

SPIN have revealed their list of the top 50 albums of 2012. It continues SPIN's trend of giving love to crossover punk and metal (which they've been pretty consistent with since naming Fucked Up's David Comes to Life their top album of 2011) with the inclusion of Baroness, Torche, Pallbearer, Cloud Nothings, and Japandroids, but rather surprisingly excludes the SPIN Essential'd Ceremony - Zoo and The Men - Open Your Heart, in favor of popular blowouts by Taylor Swift, fun., and Nicki Minaj. The list also shares its #1 and #2 with the two highest Pitchfork-rated albums of the year. And no Grimes.

The list begins with the Kanye-cribbed disclaimer, "Most critics' taste levels ain't at our waist level. Ain't nobody fucking with our clique." Check out SPIN's Top 50 LPs of 2012 list below.

Continue reading "SPIN names their Top 50 Albums of 2012 (Frank Ocean is #1)"

UK music magazine Uncut put out their list of the top 75 albums of 2012. The top ten leans pretty heavy on long-running '60s/'70s survivors who put out new albums this year, but plenty of the list-topping regulars from newer acts are on there too, along with a few interesting surprises (Sun Araw, M Geddes Gengras & the Congos!). You can check out the full list below.

Continue reading "Uncut's Top 75 Albums of 2012"

by Klaus Kinski (and Fred Armisen)

Fred meditates on his top ten...

In my tenure as BV's tallest and prettiest contributor, I've noticed that one of the most polarizing figures we mention on here is the great Fred Armisen. It's like, any time we mention this dude all the negative-Nancys crawl out of the wood work. Oh well... You know what they say ('they' being people who use terrible quips to express themselves); "Haters gonna hate." The reality is, Fred Armisen rules. He's one of my most favorite, funny, uber-talented oddballs in the biz. He's consistently funny on SNL, no matter how abysmal the sketch may be. His show Portlandia (which returns January 4th 2013 on IFC) is one of the funniest shows to hit the gogglebox in recent memory. And he keeps it real with small-venue residencies and club shows. Fred recently hipped us to the top 10 records of 2012 that floated his boat.

In addition to Portlandia's imminent return (many guest stars included), and the Portlandia book which is currently available, don't forget the Fred is hosting the Snow Ball Ball at the Bell (Ball) House on Sunday December 16. The show also features guest DJs Tunde Adebimpe (from TV On the Radio), Peter Hale (from Here We Go Magic) and more!

Check out Fred's 'Best of' list, below...

Continue reading "Fred Armisen names his Top 10 LPs of 2012; 'Portlandia' Season 3 coming soon"

Q Magazine put out their Top 50 albums of 2012 list, choosing to do so in no particular order this year, making it more a pile than a list. Check out Q's picks in alphabetical order below.

Continue reading "Q Magazine's Top 50 Albums of 2012"

Dale Crover w/ Melvins Lite in October (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

Dinosaur Jr. just keep adding more alternative rock royalty to their upcoming You're Living All Over Me 25th anniversary show, which happens in NYC at Terminal 5 on December 1. They've already announced Johnny Marr (of The Smiths), Kim Gordon (of Sonic Youth), and Al Cisneros (of Sleep), and now they've added Dale Crover (of Melvins) too. Kurt VIle, who carries the torch that those musicians all helped light well, opens the show and tickets are still available.

Dinosaur Jr. frontman J Mascis is also one of the many guests appearing on the third season of Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen's IFC show, Portlandia, which returns on January 4 at 10pm ET/PT, prefaced by a pre-premiere episode on December 14 at 10:30pm ET/PT. In addition to J, other guests include Dirty Projectors, Jim Gaffigan, Patton Oswalt, Roseanne Barr, Juliette Lewis, George Wednt and more. You can check out the full list of guests for season three and a video clip of the upcoming season below.

Speaking of Melvins, they're playing a New Year's Eve show in LA at The Alexandria with Redd Kross, who released their first new album since reuniting in 2004 this year. Tickets for the LA show are on sale now.

Portlandia video and list of guests are below.

Continue reading "Dale Crover will guest at Dinosaur Jr's NYC show; J Mascis & Dirty Projectors will guest on 'Portlandia'"