DOWNLOAD: Doug Paisley - "Always Say Goodbye" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Doug Paisley - "Don't Make Me Wait" featuring Leslie Feist (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Old Calf - "Peacock" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Old Calf - "Bonnie Cuckoo" (MP3)

Doug Paisley's Constant Companion; album art

Doug Paisley kicks off a string of East Coast dates in Toronto tonight, June 4th, making his way to Brooklyn to play the Rock Shop on June 8th with Old Calf aka Ned Oldham (also of The Anomoanon), the first of a string of shows that the pair will do together. Tickets are on sale for the Brooklyn show which will also feature Hans Chew.

Both Old Calf and Doug Paisley are touring behind new recorded efforts courtesy of No Quarter. Old Calf's Borrow A Horse was released in April and features both "Peacock" and "Bonnie Cockoo" available for download above. Doug Paisley's LP Constant Companion was released last year, and features guest appearances from the lovely Leslie Feist. Check out one Feist-blessed track "Don't Make Me Wait" above, alongside "Always Say Goodbye", and another Feist guesting track "What I Saw" streaming below. Side note: Doug has also collaborated with Ned's brother Will. Bonnie Prince has also covered Doug.

Though Feist has no upcoming NYC dates, her cronies in Broken Social Scene will play Williamsburg Waterfront on September 8th with TV On The Radio. Tickets are on sale.

All of Doug's tour dates and that song stream below.

Continue reading "Doug Paisley going on tour, playing shows w/ Old Calf, collaborated with Feist (dates & MP3s)"

by Andrew Sacher

London dubstep producer James Blake is a classically trained pianist who studied popular music at Goldsmiths University in London. He began his music career under the moniker Harmonimix, creating remixes of pop songs. The first and only release under the Harmonimix moniker was a single in January 2010 with a remix of Destiny's Child's "Bills Bills Bills" b/w a remix of Lil Wayne's "A Millie." He spent the rest of 2010 gaining attention with the release of three EPs under his own name, and performing as the third member of Mount Kimbie's live show, which cemented him as a strong force in the dubstep scene.

His self titled debut full length drops February 7 on ATLAS/A&M in the UK. A US release date has not been announced yet, but Blake just signed to American major label Universal Republic (UPDATE: Universal will release the album digitally on February 8). The album blends the dubstep elements he experimented with on his EPs with a range of indie rock and R&B influences, and also for the first time features James Blake on lead vocals. He often includes manipulated vocal samples, but only samples of his own voice. James Blake falls somewhere between a more minimalist version of Burial fronted by the vocal layerings of Bon Iver's "Woods," while not failing to showcase his talent as a pianist. And arguably as interesting as what you hear on this album, is what you don't hear. The album's sparse passages with little to no sound leave you listening as intently as the hypnotic vocal loops.

In addition to ten original songs, James Blake also includes a cover of Feist's "Limit To Your Love." Listen to that below. A music video was also recently released for the album's second track, "The Wilhelm Scream." You can watch that video below too. He recently performed a live session for BBC Radio (after placing second in BBC's Sound of 2011) and videos of three songs are available. Below is the video for "Wilhelm Scream." On BBC's site two other videos are available; "Lindisfarne" and his Feist cover.

Blake has been confirmed for this year's SXSW lineup, currently his only confirmed US appearance, but there are plenty of upcoming chances for those in the UK to catch him - both live and as a DJ. Mount Kimbie however is playing Le Poisson Rouge on March 24th (though I assume without James?).

We'll obviously let you know if any more US JB dates are announced. Meanwhile, all currently announced dates, videos, the album's tracklist and more stuff below...

Continue reading "James Blake"

Broken Social Scene at Central Park (more by Matthew Eisman)

Canada's Indie All-Star team, aka Broken Social Scene have dates scheduled throughout their home country this month, and will head south of the border to play NYC's Terminal 5 on January 18th. Tickets for the NYC show go on AMEX presale on 12/15 at noon and regular sale two days later. All tour dates are listed below, and so far they also include a February show in New Orleans (many more TBA?).

Feist joined Broken Social Scene Thursday night at Sound Academy in Toronto - not to sing one of her BSS songs, but to play a particularly rockin' version of her own song "I Feel It All". Video of that performance is below. They played the same song, but (according to a posted setlist) without her, at the same venue Friday night. Both setlists are below.

Speaking of Feist, she is the subject of a new documentary called Look at What the Light Did Now:

"The documentary is a backstage pass into Feist's creative process, the story of how The Reminder got made, of the oceans that were crossed, the places that were seen, and the people whose talents made it resonate. Follow Feist and her supporting cast through an impressionistic array of flickering scenery, echoing stadiums, puppet workshops, the red carpet, a crumbling French mansion, definitive concert performances and uncommonly candid interviews. Itself a part of the creative mosaic it portrays, Look At What The Light Did Now illuminates the synergy of collaboration, art as magnifying glass, and the power of trust."

Look at What the Light Did Now is on DVD now with accompanying CD. Among the many friends of Feist you'll see in the movie is Chilly Gonzales who you may have caught Saturday night at 'The Concert Hall' with Peaches. If not, you have a second chance when "Peaches Chris Superstar" hits Music Hall of Williamsburg Sunday night.

The film This Movie is Broken that (heavily) features BSS is also out now on DVD, in Canada, or via the band. The trailer for that movie is below too...

Continue reading "Broken Social Scene coming back to NYC, Feist DVD out now, both just played together in Toronto (video & dates)"

DOWNLOAD: Broken Social Scene - "All To All" (DJ Mom Jeans Remix)

The Sea & Cake

The Sea & Cake will support Broken Social Scene on their upcoming trek that will see them at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park on 9/18 (tickets). The tour pairing makes perfect sense considering Sam Prekop's (The Sea & Cake) contributions on the recent BSS record, and his new LP Old Punch Card due on 9/7 via Thrill Jockey. A recent press release also states that there is a "rumored to be a split 7" between the two bands in the works". Hmm, rumors in a press release? Look for more details on that 7" soon.

In other BSS news, the band is releasing a series of remixes for their song "All To All". So far contributions from Sebastian Grainger, DJ Mom Jeans, Jojoflores, and Skeet Skeet have emerged, with more due every week. Download one contribution above, and the rest at the remix site. The video for "All To All" (the original) is viewable below.

NYC is looking like Arts & Crafts showcasing ground for the next few days, as TONIGHT (9/1) the previously discussed The Wooden Birds / Dan Mangan tour will hit The Rock Shop (the shows was moved from Union Hall), tagging Mercury Lounge two days later (tickets).

Thursday (9/2) will see recent Mexican A&C signees Chikita Violenta play Mercury Lounge with A Great Big Pile of Leaves (tickets) as part of a larger tour that includes non-NYC dates with A&C-in-Canada labelmates Ra Ra Riot (who play NYCx4 in Sept) and Built To Spill (who play NYC Thursday).

Chikita Violenta is prepping to release their forthcoming LP for A&C, TRE3S, due in early 2011. The album was recorded in Canada with former Broken Social Scene producer Dave Newfeld. An MP3 is being given away at their site.

Last but not least, Chilly Gonzales (who will be in NYC soon with Peaches) is busy helping Feist with her new album. Feist and Gonzales both appear on Jamie Lidell's new album. Chilly's new album, Ivory Tower, is out September 14th.

All tour dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "Arts & Crafts superpost: Chikita Violenta (from Mexico), Dan Mangan & Wooden Birds (also here), Sea & the Cake w/ BSS who have remixes (touring), Sam Prekop, Feist & more"

"With a horn section behind the already several-member group, Broken Social Scene began with 'World Sick' off their new album Forgiveness Rock Record and then 'Stars And Sons,' the latter with fans clapping repeatedly on cue as six guitarists jammed out the conclusion.

However, from there things got bigger and better, with Metric's James Shaw and Pavement's Scott Kannberg helping out on the danceable 'Texico Bitches.' Then Feist made her way onstage for '7/4 (Shoreline),' dancing around the stage when not sharing vocal duties with Drew.

The only problem perhaps with the set - aside from Drew irked that his guitar pedals weren't working - was how it seemed to peak halfway through. Following the plodding, precious ballad 'Sweetest Kill,' both Feist and Metric's Emily Haines appeared for 'Sentimental X's,' which had the crowd onside from the start." [Toronto Sun]

Sebastien Grainger (DFA1979) and John McEntire (Tortoise/Sea and Cake) also joined BSS on stage on Saturday, June 19th, on Toronto's Olympic Island. The full lineup for the 2010 edition of the annual Toronto Island Concert, which wasn't officially part of NXNE (but which did let in 250 badges) looked like this:

1:15 PM Toronto Revue (The Beauties, Flash Lightnin', Zeus)
2:45PM Timber Timbre
4:00PM Beach House
5:15PM Band of Horses
6:45PM Broken Social Scene
9:00PM Pavement

I left my downtown hotel in a cab at 3pm, and though the ferry station was only a ten minute drive away, I didn't actually get to the stage area until around around 4:45. I heard Beach House as I walked up, but I never actually saw them. I wasn't worried about catching Timber Timbre because I saw them the night before in a club (more on that later), and I knew I wasn't getting there by 1:00 (after being out till 4am at NXNE shows the night before) so I didn't even try.

The weather on Saturday in Toronto was hot and beautiful and Band of Horses (who played Grand Central Station in NYC one night earlier) (and the Williamsburg Waterfront in NYC one night later) sounded great as they played out to the thousands of people who were either watching them... or waiting on line for something. Lines were definitely a problem on the island. You usually had to wait a long time for food, bathrooms and most frustratingly to many, beer.

Then came Broken Social Scene and they were in top form - it was my favorite time ever seeing them. In fact, though I've seen the band more times than I can remember over the past six years, I was never 100% comfortable with their live show before. That changed on the island. Maybe it was because they were in their hometown of Toronto with all their friends (though sadly no Jason Collett or Amy Milan who are both on tour). Feist and Emily Haines together on stage contributed strongly to the specialness (par for the course for Toronto), and Lisa Lobsinger no longer feels like the new girl.

Full setlist (and lots more pictures and some videos) below.

As painful as it was to leave while BSS was playing their last song (aka I didn't stay for Pavement), I made the decision that I was going to catch The Stooges who played a competing show at Young Dundas Square at 9:30. My trip off the island was much quicker than my trip on. I got a ferry immediately and then a cab immediately and I was 40 minutes early for Iggy. I even caught the last ten minutes of The Raveonettes who played before the Stooges on the outdoor stage which was in the middle of a Times Square-like area of town. It was a complete madhouse (a free show in the middle of town open to anyone... with Iggy Pop), but more on that later.

Andrew Frisicano was with me on the island. He missed Band of Horses but stayed for Pavement. His post on the headliner is coming later. More about BSS and Band of Horses, with a ton of pictures and some videos and both setlists, below...

Continue reading "Broken Social Scene (w/ Feist & Emily Haines) & Band of Horses opened for Pavement @ Toronto's Olympic Island - pics, video, setlists"

Andrew WK playing piano in Austin (more by Tim Griffin)

tonight in NYC
* Whiplash @ UCB
* Horse Feathers, Lay Low @ Union Hall
* Peter Gabriel @ Radio City Music Hall
* Hawks, Glooms, Descender @ Death By Audio
* Minus the Bear & Everest @ Bowery Electric
* Chris Cochrane, Rick Brown, Tetterapadequ @ Zebulon
* Night of Joy, Hideous Men, It Is It comedy @ Pianos
* Reverend Vince Anderson & His Love Choir @ Union Pool
* Corinne Bailey Rae, Daniel Merriweather @ Webster Hall
* Twin Tigers, Gift Horse, Pacific Theater, Bird Love @ The Cameo
* Andrew W.K. (solo piano), Roadside Graves, Mon Khmer, Angel Deradoorian @ Santos Party House
* Twin Shadow, We Are Country Mice, The Naked Hearts, Total Slacker, Gray Goods @ Knitting Factory Brooklyn

Santos tonight is a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society benefit.

Ane Brun performs with Peter Gabriel tonight (and last night).

Chapterhouse's show at The Bell House tonight with Ulrich Schnauss has been canceled.

Die Antwoord have been added to the HARD Fest happening at Governors Island this summer.

Apple is shutting down LaLa.

Last week on "International Dance Day", the National Ballet School of Canada started flash mob dancing to Feist in a Toronto mall. Videos below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

Estimated Value: Priceless
Item Number 128
Item Description
These are very rare, limited edition Daft Punk toy robots called "Daft Punk 1000% Kubricks" made by the legendary Japanese toy manufacturer Medicom in collaboration with the legendary Hong Kong based toy manufacturers, Silly Thing.
They have both been signed and decorated by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Momem-Christo, of Daft Punk
They sell new for $2000 for the pair.
They are 25" tall.

... and the bidding is currently at $1900. Other items for sale at "Crafts for a Cause" include a Chan Marshall (Cat Power) "I Love You" painting, an Aziz Ansari caricature, Natalie Portman's worn shoes, an Adam Green t-shirt, a Kimya Dawson tote bag, a Feist shirt, a Devendra Banhart painting, plus stuff by Regina Spektor, Mars Volta, Fleet Foxes, Tegan & Sara, The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, Sia, Norah Jones, and Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear's childhood guitar....

Continue reading "Daft Punk dolls, Ed Droste's guitar & other stuff for charity"

Jamie Lidell @ Highline Ballroom in 2008 (more by Chris La Putt)

Jamie Lidell's fourth full-length album, Compass, will be released on May 17th 2010 (May 18th in the US).

The album was recorded in Los Angeles, New York and Canada, and it includes collaborations with Beck, Feist, Gonzales, Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear and Pat Sansone of Wilco.

Sessions began at Beck's Hudson Studios in Los Angeles, where he gathered Jamie together with Wilco, Leslie Feist and veteran drummer James Gadson (who's played with Bill Withers, Quincy Jones among many others) for Beck's Record Club project (where a group of musicians cover an album in a day). Inspired by the chemistry of those jams, they shifted to the legendary Ocean Way Studios. There, they were joined by producer/keyboardist Brian Lebarton, singer Nikka Costa, and Justin Stanley. All would have an important impact on the album. Pat Sansone from Wilco and Chilly Gonzales (who's played on both Multiply and Jim) were present as "musical meta-spirits", recording their parts remotely and delivering them via the internet. As Jamie says of this formidable line-up of brilliant collaborators - "You don't fuck with them"

Back in New York he began to make sense of this "great big mess on the hard drive". Then it was up to Feist's ranch the Niagara Escarpment, Canada with Chris Taylor, member of Grizzly Bear. [Warp]

Jamie Lidell's limited current schedule (NYC, LA, Europe) includes a Bowery Ballroom show on Tuesday, April 27th. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, March 2nd at noon.

The new record's title track, an acoustic-guitar led sonic odyssey, is streaming, along with album art, tracklist and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Jamie Lidell announces some shows & a new album w/ Beck, Feist, Gonzales, Chris Taylor, Pat Sansone & more"

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Pavement - Gold Soundz (MP3)

Broken Social Scene @ Masonic Temple, Oct 2008 (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

Broken Social Scene will be releasing their new, as-yet-untitled album on May 4th, 2010 on Arts & Crafts. Co-produced by the band and Tortoise's John McEntire at Soma Studios in Chicago, with additional recording at Giant Studio and The Schvitz Studio in Toronto, the new album is the follow up to their acclaimed self-titled record, released in 2005.

It's hard to believe that the last BBS record came out more than four years ago. The new album's release will be accompanied by a short set of tour dates in North America and Europe. One of those will be "An Evening With Broken Social Scene" at NYC's Webster Hall on May 7th. Tickets to that are on Arts & Crafts presale now. (as are tickets for their L.A. and San Francisco shows). NYC tickets go on general sale Saturday, 2/16 at noon.

Tickets for BSS's Toronto Centre Island (Olympic Island) show on June 19th are also on sale. Toronto Island Concert will be a full-day festival with Band of Horses and co-headlined by Pavement. More acts are TBA.

Pavement, whose reunion shows are slowly creeping up, recently released the tracklist of their best-of comp, Quarantine The Past: Greatest Hits 1989-1999, coming out March 9th on Matador. Tracklist, album art and updated tour dates are below. A remastered version of "Gold Soundz" from the comp is posted above.

All BSS tour dates, the credits for the new BSS record (which included Feist and Pavement's Spiral Stairs) and more info are below...

Continue reading "Broken Social Scene - new album! & tour dates, Webster Hall & Toronto Island w/ Pavement (who has a 'Best Of' coming)"

Wilco, Feist, Beck, etc - photos by Autumn De Wilde

Wilco will play a run of 16 concerts in Eastern U.S. cities beginning in Miami, FL on March 22 and culminating in Pittsburgh, PA on April 11. The concerts are presented as "An Evening with Wilco" and will feature extended, varied sets exploring material from each of the accomplished Chicago sextet's seven studio albums. The tour includes concerts in Clearwater, Savannah, Atlanta, Durham, Richmond, Bethesda, Montclair, Providence, Boston, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and features Wilco's first concert appearances in the cities of Scranton, PA, Concord, NH and Hartford, CT. Ticket presales for these new dates are set for Wednesday, January 6 at 10 am EST via the band's official website, Wilcoworld.net.

The new set of dates are in addition to many more than 16 that were already announced, and they include two nights in a row (April 2-3) at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ. $38.00 tickets for those shows go on general sale Friday, January 8th at 12PM via tickets.com.

All dates, and some videos that Beck posted (as part of his ongoing "Record Club") of Wilco covering Skip Spence songs with Jamie Lidell, Jeff Tweedy's son, Feist and friends, below...

Continue reading "Wilco announces 2010 dates (2 nights in Jersey), covers Skip Spence w/ Beck, Jamie Lidell & Feist (videos) "

LPR review by Showtrotta

Jamie Lidell @ Warp's 20th Anniversary @ Le Poisson Rouge - September 5, 2009

Following a great first day at Electric Zoo, I somehow found the energy to head to Le Poisson Rouge to see Jamie Lidell who was performing in one of the many celebrations for Warp's 20th Anniversary (9/5). While Jamie was alone, without any of his bandmates that typically make up the live Jamie Lidell experience, simply armed with a couple of laptops, a mixing board, and some other items indiscernible from the crowd's side of his table of gear...he put on an excellent show. While the set was stripped down, without all the bells and whistles that come with a live band, the solo set-up allowed Jamie's talent, both musically and as a true entertainer and showman shine through.

He opened with the track "What Is It This Time?" off of Multiply before turning to the table of gear which he was behind for much of the set. While I'm not sure if he was playing specific older tracks with which I am not familiar, or if much of it was improvised/experimental, Jamie poured over the equipment, beatboxing, recording and looping vocal snippets, only to sing over and loop them again, tweaking nearly every sound that emerged from behind that table. While more abstract, experimental pieces can sometimes be a bit too out there for a listener of an artist's more everyday fare, the intensity and passion with which Jamie performed, combined with everything sounding amazing, made the show engaging regardless. He sang a few more songs including "When I Come Back Around" and "Music Will Not Last" the latter of which he dedicated to Warp, which he spoke of fondly multiple times during his set. The set finished with a slowed down, much more electronic-oriented version of "Another Day", the perfect ending to a show that combined elements of Jamie Lidell's style both past and present.

Battles, Chk Chk Chk, Flying Lotus and Pivot played the Warp20 show that took place one night earlier at Terminal 5.

Jamie Lidell is from England and resides in Berlin, but this month he might be staying in NYC because there are now two more chances to catch him here before September is over.

We've long followed the collaboration between Jamie and his Canadian friends Feist and Gonzales (and Mocky), but we don't hear much about Gonzales here in the U.S.A. That should change soon. On September 22nd, Arts & Crafts is re-releasing Gonzales's Solo Piano album "as a special deluxe edition- It comes complete with a DVD bonus disc, featuring the documentary 'From Major To Minor' as well as various other entertaining visual complements." One day later, Gonzales kicks off a four day North American tour in LA. From there he goes to NYC for TWO September 25th shows (early and late) at Joe's Pub. Jamie Lidell will be at both of them, and tickets are on sale.

Gonzales may be best known as the producer of Feist's Let It Die and The Reminder. Feist is known lately for playing 'special guest', and her last such appearance just took place at a NYC show on September 10th. So who knows, maybe she'll be there too - the Joe's listing does read that Gonzales will be "Accompanied for each show by unexpected (or expected) guests from the gang".

In related news, Gonzales recently launched a sitcom, filmed in Paris, "Superproducer", and entered the Guinness Book of World Records for longest solo performance - over 27 hours (in June). A picture of him with his award and all dates below...

Continue reading "Gonzales re-releasing Solo Piano, touring, playing Joe's Pub (twice) w/ Jamie Lidell who played Warp20 (review)"

photos by Fresh Bread

"You might hear a song and think it's from the second album, it just sounds like it." - Erlend Oye @ Bowery Ballroom

Kings of Convenience were really good [at Bowery Ballroom] last night (9/10). they went on about 940ish. First half the show was spent debut new material, which sounds really good. Not much of departure from their previous stuff, but being that KOC has kind of signature sound, I really wasn't surprised. Then, they started busting out a bunch of tunes from their previous two records, much to the delight of the crowd. All the while, the band was very talkative and incredibly charming and funny. They ended their with a cover of "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to".

But the real suprise was the encore. The boys walked out in sang with no mics and did an unplugged version of "The Build-Up". Half way through the song, a voice started singing from the balcony unplugged. They put a spotlight on her and it was non other then Leslie Feist! The place went crazy as she belted this tune out. After a huge ovation, she came to the main stage and did a little dance and back up singing for the boys final song.

All and All, a fantastic ending to a wonderful show! [Anonymous]

Kings of Convenience, not to be confused with Kings of LEON,...

"No shit - I was talking with two girls before the show started who were from Australia, they had walked by and bought tickets at the door. They HONESTLY thought they were there to see Kings Of Leon. You should have seen the look on their faces when I said "you know you are getting ready to see Kings of Convenience, right?"" - Fresh Bread

...have no other upcoming North American dates at the moment. Last night's show was a one-off. More pictures and the setlist, below...

Continue reading "Kings of Convenience w/ FEIST @ Bowery Ballroom - pics"

DOWNLOAD: Living Things - Oxygen (MP3)

Dee Dee?? (Living Things @ Highline / more by Leia Jospe)

St. Louis garage rockers Living Things are about to appear as one of their hero bands, the Ramones in the now-filming The Runaways, the biopic about the groundbreaking 70's all-girl hard rock group led by Joan Jett. Kristen Stewart of Twilight fame plays Jett, with Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie and Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Shannon as the band's "Svengali" Kim Fowley...Living Things have already recorded a cover of "We're A Happy Family."

In addition to having a useful resemblance in attitude to the punk progenitors, the band has a direct line into the production - singer Lillian Berlin is the husband of the film's writer and director Floria Sigismondi.

That makes two Twilight actors with roles as rock stars in upcoming movies. Living Things' new record, Habeas Corpus came out earlier this year on Jive Records. A track from it is posted above.

In other movie news, the The Sun UK reports that "drug-guzzling shock-rocker" Marilyn Manson will be filming a musical, "Goth-inspired" version of Cinderella with Harry Potter's Emma Watson. 500 Days of Summer, starring She of She & Him, has an indie rock soundtrack that includes Feist, The Black Lips, and She & Him. Funny People, in addition to featuring characters wearing indie rock t-shirts, also has an indie-friendly soundtrack. Oh, and Patton Oswalt is a Big Fan.

A pic from the set of The Runaways movie, with Living Things tour dates, and some trailers, below...

Continue reading "a film about The Runaways starring Living Things as The Ramones + Marilyn Manson in Cinderella & other movie news"

photos by Eric Townsend

Jeff Tweedy & Leslie Feist

"Some of us got to see Wilco play at Coney Island last night. I'm happy to report that they remain one of the best live acts out there, deftly combining jaw-dropping virtuosity, inventive heart-on-your-sleeve songwriting and, yes, genuine showmanship. They connect! The new material came off well, and they kept the noodle-ing to a minimum (Impossible Germany = bad, Spiders = good). Jeff Tweedy seemed to be in particularly good spirits, cracking some great jokes and reminding me of the recent NY Times interview with him" [the mockingbird blog]

So, just to recap, Feist, formerly and recently of BSS, was already BFF with Grizzly Bear, and is now BFF with Wilco. This = a good thing. Feist will appear on Letterman with Wilco tonight (7/14). Last night, in Coney Island, Feist and Ed from Grizzly Bear and Yo La Tengo (who opened the show) appeared on stage with Wilco at Keyspan Park (home of the Brooklyn Cyclones which is the minor league baseball team named after the roller coaster, which is located in the same section of Brooklyn (Coney Island), and which Ed and Feist also rode while they were there).

Full setlist from the show and much more about it, HERE. The rest of the pictures and some videos, below...

Continue reading "Wilco & Yo La Tengo (and Feist & Ed Droste) @ Keyspan Park in Coney Island - pics & video"

Leslie Feist & Grizzly Bear's Ed Droste on the Cyclone - July 13, 2009

Like she will Tuesday on Letterman (tonight, 7/14), Leslie Feist joined Wilco on stage at Keyspan Park in Coney Island on Monday night (7/13) for a few songs. Edward Droste of Grizzly Bear played with them too. Collectively they performed Woody Guthrie's "California Stars". Yo La Tengo opened the show, and then also joined Wilco on stage during the encore. Pictures and more from the show coming soon HERE. Full setlist below.

Earlier in the evening Feist and Ed rode The Cyclone, the famous Coney Island roller coaster (as you can see in the picture above). If you've never been on it, this Saturday during the Siren Festival might be a good time to change that.

For Grizzly Bear and Feist, it was just another example of a growing history of collaborations that includes multiple TV appearances, touring, recorded stuff, and on stage appearances. It's not clear if Ed will be on Letterman tonight too, but we do know that Feist and Wilco will perform the new Wilco song "You and I" on the show. They performed the same song together in Coney Island, and for the first time, in LA on June 25th. Video from that earlier one below.

Two nights before playing in Brooklyn, Feist reunited again with Broken Social Scene on stage at the Harbourfront Centre show in Toronto. For Feist it was at least the second time recently she played with her old band. To make this one even more special though, Emily Haines and Amy Millan were also all up there on stage at the same time - it was a proper BSS reunion. Videos below.

Above mentioned videos, and Wilco's entire Keyspan Park setlist, and video of Ed and Feist singing backup on "You Never Know", below...

Continue reading "Ed Droste, Feist (who just played w/ BSS) & Yo La Tengo played w/ Wilco (& rode the Cylcone) in Coney Island (setlist)"

UPDATE: pictures from Wilco's show in Coney Island are POSTED.

Wilco @ Baltimore Virgin Fest '08 (more by Bao Nguyen)

Wilco will play Brooklyn's Keyspan Park tonight (June 13th) with Yo La Tengo. Tickets are sold out (no tickets at the door even), but there are still tickets available to Wilco's July 18th show at Dutchess Stadium in Wappingers Falls, NY (about an hour and a half north of NYC). That show pairs the band with opener Conor Oberst & the Magic Family Band (who played NYC on July 4th with Jenny Lewis). Oberst recently opened other shows for Wilco, including Friday, July 10th in Wilmington, Delaware.

In Friday's opener, "Wilco (the song)," a generous-spirited rocker, the raspy-voiced Tweedy volunteered his accomplished band as "a sonic shoulder to cry on," and promised the intergenerational crowd, "Wilco will love ya, baby."

That affection was expressed in a career-spanning set that reached back as far as 1994's underrated A.M. for the bittersweet "Box Full of Letters." But rather than a shoulder to cry on, Wilco's songs typically offered a chance to bond over shared anxieties.

Tweedy is not always the most articulate lyricist; I'm not quite sure what it means to be "cold as gasoline," as he sings on the new disc's "Solitaire." But his band, whose standout star is avant guitarist Nels Cline, is expert at expressing its leader's discomfort in songs such as "Muzzle of Bees."

Even a song that declares "I'm Always in Love" finds reason to worry. The only carefree tune after the opener was the closer, the deliriously happy "Hoodoo Voodoo," whose lyrics were not written by Tweedy but by Woody Guthrie... [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Videos from that July 10th show and their July 11th show in Lowell, MA, are below.

All those Ballpark gigs are part of Wilco's summer tour in support of the now-out Wilco (The Album). In August, they'll be touring behind the record in Europe.

Tuesday night, July 14th, Wilco will perform "You and I" from Wilco (the album) on The Late Show with David Letterman with special guest vocalist Feist. Feist also recently played guest with Grizzly Bear (who she has also played on TV with), and joined her old band Broken Social Scene on stage in Toronto.

All the above-mentioned videos, and tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Wilco - w/ Yo La Tengo in Coney Island tonight, on Letterman w/ Feist Tuesday, Dutchess County on 7/18"

Explosions in the Sky @ Sasquatch 2009 (more by Chris Graham)

Explosions in the Sky, Constantines and Castanets are playing Central Park Summerstage on Tuesday, June 30th. Tickets for that, which is not one of the NYC park's free shows, are sold out.

Castanets also have a NYC show coming up at Cake Shop on July 10th - part of a much larger July tour. All dates below.

Later this summer, EITS will be opening several dates for the Flaming Lips. Billboard writes that, "Concertgoers who buy Flaming Lips tickets online will receive a digital EP with new songs "Convinced of the Hex," "The Impulse" and "Silver Trembling Hands" [from the Lip's forthcoming album Embyronic]," as well as "three digital B-side tracks" and a "digital download bootleg of the concert they attended."

Explosions in the Sky was also scheduled to play Broken Social Scene's Olympic Island Festival on July 11th. That show has been canceled because, among other reasons, the Molson Indy was scheduled for the same day nearby. BSS's Kevin Drew wrote, "For us to ask, Rattlesnake Choir, Apostle of Hustle and Beach House to play while the sounds of racecars roar across the lake is absolutely ridiculous and insulting."

Instead, there will be a free Broken Social Scene show the same day at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre. Rattlesnake Choir will open. The gig is one of a few July/August dates for BSS, who're recording their fourth full-length album in Chicago with John McEntire of Tortoise. The record will be their first without the production of David Newfeld.

Broken Social Scene recently played a surprise show at Arts & Crafts' NXNE showcase on June 17th. The performance included some new-album material and an appearance by Feist who is rarely a member of BSS these days, and who recently sang at a Grizzly Bear show in the same city. Videos, with the above-mentioned tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Explosions in the Sky (Tuesday), Flaming Lips (touring), Broken Social Scene (played w/ Feist) - all dates, other news"

Grizzly Bear @ MHOW (more by Tim Griffin)

Two major additions to the growing list of free Pool Party shows happening at the Williamsburg Waterfront this summer. HEALTH are playing on July 26th, and Grizzly Bear have officially confirmed that their date is August 30th (thx Jeff).

In related news, Grizzly Bear's Horn of Plenty album is now available on vinyl. Catch the band now on tour.

At the Toronto stop of the tour, Feist joined the band on stage and performed what they probably would have performed last month at Radio City. Watch it below...

Continue reading "Grizzly Bear confirms August 30th Brooklyn Waterfront show ++++++++ video of Feist & GB in Toronto"

photos by Natasha Ryan, words by Andrew Frisicano

Dark Was the Night live finally happened Sunday, May 3rd at Radio City. Right before showtime, there were still tickets available, but the auditorium seemed fairly full as the Dirty Projectors set began. The band sounded great with its newly fleshed out six-piece lineup (though I didn't catch the titles of the first Bitte Orca song). The reverb of the room was almost a special guest of its own and a welcome addition throughout the night. On new single "Stillness Is the Move" singer Amber Coffman really let loose with the dance moves and the added vocal acrobatics the song deserves. David Byrne joined the band on their Dark Was the Night collaborations -- the not-on-the-comp "Ambulance Man" and album opener "Knotty Pine."

Red Hot executive director John Carlin (Red Hot being the AIDS advocacy group that put out Dark Was the Night along with many other benefit comps) came out and said a few words about the performers before My Brightest Diamond/Shara Worden burst into her cover of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good." Worden was backed by Thomas Bartlett (Doveman) on keys, members of the National including the two Dessners brothers (who were obvious fixtures through the night), drummer Bryan Devendorf, plus horns and strings. Worden's massive voice filled the hall, but sadly took the lead for only one song.

The rest of The National guys came on stage for Boxer song "Slow Show," followed by new song "England." Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and band were on stage for backups, and for The National's Dark Was the Night contribution, "So Far Around the Bend," Vernon even picked up a guitar and took a solo. The band closed with another new song, which singer Matt Berninger mumbled the title of a few times (anyone catch it?).

For the next set, TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek took the stage in a sharp looking suit and performed one track, his DwtN Troggs cover "With a Girl Like You." Here it was backed by a fuzzed out bass, horns, keys, and a collection of the night's performers on handclaps and tambourines (Dirty Projectors, Dessners, others).

As John Carlin announced earlier, the first half of the show was to close with David Byrne's three Red Hot compilation contributions. Led by five hand percussionists, Byrne opened with Cole Porter's "Don't Fence Me In." Second, he played "Dreamworld: Marco De Canavesems" with Justin Vernon sitting in on vocals for Brazilian singer Caetano Veloso (who originally collaborated with Bryne on the track). The tune's hyped up bossa nova, with the Dessners on guitars, was one of the night's many highlights. Finally, Byrne sang with Feist (who subbed for the original's Marisa Monte) on the Antonio Carlos Jobim song "Waters of March" ("Aguas de Março"). Even with Byrne starring down at the lyric prompt for nearly the whole song, the jumping melody of that tune was an amazing end to the first set.

continued below...

Continue reading "Dark Was the Night @ Radio City Music Hall in NYC (Brightest Byrne Bon National Feist Projectors) - pics, review & setlist"

The forthcoming and still-untitled next Wilco album is nearing completion. Jim Scott and the band spent the last few weeks mixing in Jim's studio in Valencia, California and [below is] a list of song titles spied on the reels -- note this is not necessarily complete and not in sequence.

Rumors and blogs regarding a guest appearance on that last track are, amazingly, quite true. Feist does indeed lend a great vocal to You and I. Other details will emerge in the coming weeks. The release is currently scheduled for late June on Nonesuch.

Wilco's live concert film "Ashes of American Flags" will have its New York premiere on Monday, April 13 at the IFC Center as part of Movie Night with Fred Armisen, go here for more details. The film had its world premiere February 20 at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, Montana where it won an award for Best Cinematography. The DVD is now available for pre-order via the Wilco store by clicking here.

More information about the film is available at ashesofamericanmovie.com, including a full screening schedule and we've just added a Google calendar as well which you can access here. The DVD release via Nonesuch Records is set for April 18. You can watch the trailer here, and [BELOW].

The film was co-directed by Fugazi's Brendan Canty who will also be at the IFC screening in NYC on April 13th. He, co-director Christoph Green and Fred Armisen will be discussing the movie after the show. Tickets are still on sale.

Wilco don't have any NYC dates coming up, but Fugazi member Joe Lally does, as does but Feist. She plays the Dark Was The Night fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall on May 3rd.

Wilco member Nels Cline has also been playing guitar as part of the Jenny Scheinman Trio at the Blue Note here in NYC. You can catch them twice a day tonight (4/9), Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

No other Feist dates at the moment, but all Wilco ones, and the movie trailer, are below...

Continue reading "new Wilco album & documentary, Feist, movie night w/ Fred Armisen, Nels Cline & Jenny Scheinman live & whatnot"

UPDATE: I'm being warned that Just because Feist posted this poster, it doesn't mean it's definitely true...

Thanks Wembley for pointing out that Feist posted the above poster to her official website. It reveals that Grizzly Bear and David Byrne will most likely be performing at the just-officially-announced Dark Was the Night show at Radio City Music Hall. Why weren't they part of the initial announcement? Maybe because David Byrne has a show coming up at Wellmont Theater in NJ (tickets), and Grizzly Bear are playing two at Town Hall.

UPDATE: I am being told that the above additions to the lineup are not confirmed. If you don't see the lineup on Bowery Presents' website, it is not considered official. Keep that in mind when buying tickets ($38, $48, $58).

Grizzly Bear and The National are both also part of the lineup at this year's Pitchfork Festival in Chicago.

David Byrne just played two shows of his own at Radio City, and right after that he appeared on the Colbert Report. Videos from the TV appearance below...

Continue reading "David Byrne (& Grizzly Bear) playing Dark Was the Night show (according to Feist) + video from David on Colbert"

DOWNLOAD: The National - So Far Around The Bend (MP3)

as promised...

Sharon Jones @ Nokia Theatre (more by Natasha Ryan)

4AD is pleased to announce Dark Was The Night - Live , a concert commemorating the newest Red Hot release Dark Was The Night. The show will take place Sunday May 3 at Radio City Music Hall and will feature several of the artists that contributed to the compilation including Dave Sitek, Dirty Projectors, Feist, My Brightest Diamond, The National, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings plus more to be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets will go on sale this Friday, March 13 at 11am 9am via Ticketmaster. Dark Was The Night - Live begins at 8pm (doors will open at 7).

Dark Was The Night was released by 4AD on February 17of 2009, and was produced by Aaron & Bryce Dessner of The National. The compilation, comprised of 31 exclusive tracks, benefits the Red Hot Organization - an international charity dedicated to raising money and awareness for HIV and AIDS through popular culture. A complete track listing for Dark Was The Night is listed below.

Tickets will also go on Am Ex and "Internet" presale on Wednesday at 9am.

Pitchfork.TV (newly redesigned) seems to be down at the moment, but also:

This week also sees the release of several videos directed by groundbreaking filmmaker Vincent Moon. Moon shot the Dark Was the Night contributors The National, Dirty Projectors and Yeasayer each performing their song from the compilation in early February. These clips will roll out, one a day starting tomorrow, March 10, premiering on Pitchfork.tv

I wonder who else they'll add to this show. Grizzly Bear should still be in town. Sufjan Stevens lives here too. David Byrne? The whole Dark Was the Night tracklist below...

Continue reading "Dark Was the Night Radio City show CONFIRMED - Dave Sitek, Dirty Projectors, Feist, The National, Sharon Jones & more..."

The National @ Carnegie Hall (more by Tim Griffin)

Check out the tracklist. Consider the possibilities.

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Other shows coming up at Radio City (by artists who also appear on Dark Was The Night): The Decemberists & David Byrne.

"What a fitting day to announce the complete list of artists involved with our upcoming album DARK WAS THE NIGHT - the February 17th 4AD release that will benefit the Red Hot Organization. It's World AIDS Day, and in honor of that, we bring you the exciting news."

More info on the previously mentioned comp below...

Continue reading "Dark Was the Night - full 4AD comp artist list, cover art, etc"

today in NYC (a few more, of the millions)
* BV official CMJ showcase @ MHOW
* Walter Meego @ Ben Sherman Store
* Deerhoof, Fat Worm of Error, Nymph @ Spiegeltent
* The London Souls, The So So Glos @ Santos Party House
* The Poison Control Center, Army Navy, Phil and the Osophers @ Union Pool
* Vivian Girls, Cheeseburger, Wild Light, Gringo Star @ Red Bull Space

THE REST:
* your guide to CMJ, Tuesday October 21, 2008
* more (popular, previously posted) CMJ show reminders
* http://www.brooklynvegan.com/tag/CMJ

Phenomenal Handclap Band: free at midnight

Feist's (new?) video for "Honey Honey" below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday? (CMJ day 1)"