photos by Brook Bobbins

Art Brut @ Webster Hall - March 4, 2011

Hello. We're Art Brut.

We've completed the recording of our new album 'Brilliant! Tragic!' and working alongside PledgeMusic, we'd like give you a little more than usual and help us go to places Art Brut have never been.

PledgeMusic allows you to pledge towards Art Brut's dream of touring places that have yet to enjoy the live Art Brut experience. You can get a signed CD or Vinyl before 'Brilliant! Tragic!' reaches the stores. But we're also offering weirder and more wonderful options to a limited number of Art Brut aficionados. What about Art Brut karaoke with Eddie or the whole band playing in your front room...

Art Brut are currently seeking donations in various increments and offering everything from a private live show to a digital download as repayment. Everyone who donates will receive a free live EP and a portion of the proceeds will go toward "housing and homeless charity Shelter, who do incredible work helping to alleviate the massive distress that being homeless, or having a difficult housing situation, can cause".

An exclusive new song "Unprofessional Wrestling" (it won't be on the new album) is also available for free download NOW for the price of an email address. The list of songs that will be on the new album is below, along with the Brilliant! Tragic! cover art (the LP is out May 24 via Cooking Vinyl/The End Records).

Art Brut is plotting a return to North America in June. The band will play NYC at Music Hall of Williamsburg on June 23rd Tickets for that show go on AmEx presale Wed at noon, and regular sale on Friday. All dates are listed below.

Art Brut were here earlier this year to play the Downtown Records celebration at Webster Hall with The Suzan, A-Trak (whose next NYC show is at Terminal 5), White Denim, & Lissy Trullie. Pictures from that show, album info and tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Art Brut releasing new stuff, touring North America, played Webster Hall w/ White Demim, A-Trak & more (pics & dates)"

Alt-bros Dave 1 and A-Trak (more by Brook Bobbins)

Miike Snow/Major Lazer/Santigold/etc. at Terminal 5 on March 5th (on sale now) isn't the only birthday party Downtown Records is throwing for itself. They're also hosting A-Trak, Art Brut, White Denim, Lissy Trullie, and The Suzan at Webster Hall on March 4th. Tickets for that first part of the two-day celebration go on sale Saturday (1/29).

A-Trak is also on board for this year's sold-out Cochella Fest, playing not only as A-Trak, but also two days later as part of Duck Sauce (his project with Armand Van Helden).

The Suzan is hitting the road with Chromeo (also are playing Coachella this year) and MNDR for US dates next week. The tour hits a sold-out Terminal 5 on Feb 4th (the afterparty is at Webster Hall). The Fool's Gold-signed Suzan recently dropped a pair of releases in Japan, a live iTunes only LP and a CD+DVD combo of Golden Week For The Poco Poco Beat.

No more Art Brut dates to report at the moment. All A-Trak and Suzan tour dates and some videos below.

Continue reading "A-Trak playing Coachella & another Downtown Records Party (w/ the Suzan, Lissy Trullie, White Denim & ART BRUT)"

Miike Snow at Webster Hall (more by Benjamin Lozovsky)

Downtown Music, LLC is an independently owned company which operates Downtown Records, Downtown Music Publishing, Downtown Music Services (Licensing Group), RCRDLBL.com and Downtown Recording Studios. Downtown Records is comprised of its Downtown and Mercer Street imprints and joint venture partners Dim Mak, Fool's Gold, and Mad Decent Records.

Downtown Records was founded in 2006 and they'll celebrate their fifth anniversary at Terminal 5 on March 5th by roping in some big names on their labels/imprints. Miike Snow will headline the show and will bring along Major Lazer with Santigold (who now has her own pair of Vans) and Ed Banger DJs Mehdi & So Me. Tickets are currently on AMEX presale and go on regular sale at noon tomorrow (1/28). The show marks four appearances in a row at Terminal 5 for Miike Snow, though the last was a DJ set.

The NYC date is one of two US dates scheduled for Major Lazer. They'll also take on Miami on March 12th as part of the 9 Mile Music Festival along with almost the entire Marley clan (Stephen Marley, Damian Marley, Julian Marley, Kymani Marley) along with Inner Circle and many others. More details, including ticketing, can be found at the 9 Mile Music site.

Major Lazer and related tour dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "Major Lazer playing Downtown Records birthday w/ Miike Snow & Santigold, 9 Mile Music Fest w/ Marleys"

Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Bonnaroo (more by Graeme Flegenheimer)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs will play a series of headlining shows around their July 31st appearance at All Points West. The band has second-to-top billing right under the Festival's Friday TBA headliner. That spot is still unfilled after the Beastie Boys were forced to cancel their APW appearance and all summer dates so MCA can undergo cancer treatment.

The new Yeah Yeah Yeahs shows, which include Clifton Park, NY (near Albany), Philadelphia and Toronto, can be added to the band's mostly-summer-festival schedule. The shows will be opened by Philly rapper and Spank Rock collaborator Amanda Blank, whose debut LP, I Love You, is due August 4th on Downtown Records. You can get a track off it at RCRD LBL.

Amanda Blank @ the 2009 Siren Festival (more by Tim Griffin)

YYYs have been releasing sections of Snakesweat, an art film directed by Barney Clay that was recorded during the It's Blitz sessions, as separate episodes. That's now streaming in full at Pitchfork ("one week only").

The tracklist, album art and video for It's Blitz' second single "Heads Will Roll" (out now as a digital remix EP through iTunes) with a live video of "Skeletons" and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Yeah Yeah Yeahs - headlining shows (not in NYC) w/ Amanda Blank (new album) + All Points West (with ?) -- all dates"

As previously mentioned, White Denim has been replaced by Crystal Antlers on the bill of the July 19th JellyNYC Pool Party. They'll join Magnolia Electric Co. and Dirty Projectors at the free show. The Crystal Antlers released their debut record, Tentacles, earlier this year. Full tour dates for the band are below.

White Denim's Fits came out in the UK in June. That record will see a US release on October 20th through Downtown Records (home of Major Lazer, Santigold, Art Brut, Miike Snow, Spank Rock, Amanda Blank, Justice and more).

The band recently toured Europe, which included a July 12th show at London's Heaven...

Freewheeling stoners, [White Denim] refused to heed the usual convention of making songs sound roughly similar to their recorded versions. What they did instead was play two clumps of music that lasted exactly 20 minutes each (plus 10-minute encore), sandwiching 14 songs together with only the briefest break halfway through. They deserve top marks for stamina, if nothing else, particularly drummer Josh Block, who often stood up to pound out his vicious beats. [Guardian UK]

A series of clips from that overseas trip, with Crystal Antlers dates, below...

Continue reading "White Denim sign to Downtown Records, not playing Pool Party (Crystal Antlers are +++ other tour dates)"

DOWNLOAD: Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes (XXXchange remix) (MP3)

Santogold & Mark Ronson shooting video

Continue reading "Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes (video & remix), SXSW"

Spank Rock @ Highline Ballroom, NYC - May 15, 2007 (CRED)

Spank Rock, the hip-hop/funk/electro group originally from Baltimore that was the subject of an intense, year-long, behind-the-scenes industry battle, recently completed a four album deal with Downtown Records, the independent label responsible for launching Gnarls Barkley’s platinum-selling debut St. Elsewhere. Formed less than two years ago by former major label talent scout Josh Deutsch, Downtown beat out heavy-hitting contenders like Domino and Atlantic to sign the much-loved underground sensation known for its crafty beats, raunchy lyrics, and raucous live shows. [The Daily Swarm]

I believe all that except the part about Downtown (also the home of Art Brut and Cold War Kids) being independent. In fact, I guess that sort of means Atlantic was fighting itself sort of maybe? Here's more Spank Rock.