DOWNLOAD: First Aid Kit - Sailor Song (live) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: First Aid Kit - Hard Believer (MP3)

Swedish female folk duo First Aid Kit never made it to CMJ 2009, MusicSnobbery CMJ show included. So they're going to try it again. MusicSnobbery presents First Aid Kit and The Loom at Joe's Pub on Saturday, October 23rd. It's a late show (11:30pm), and tickets are on sale.

Whether that show is actually part of CMJ or not is unclear (I don't think it is), but the other two shows the band plays in NYC that week definitely are. You can also catch First Aid Kit as part of the Saddle Creek/Wichita CMJ showcase at the Delancey on October 21, and as part of the Windish Agency showcase at Rockwood Music Hall one day later:

10.22 | FRIDAY @ ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL
CMJ Music Marathon
8-12am The Windish Agency Presents:
8:00pm Apache Beat
9:00pm Sun Airway
10:00pm Crayon Fields
11:00pm First Aid Kit
12:00am Lower Dens
1:00am The Prigs

Those NYC dates come at the end of a North American tour for the duo. That tour kicks off on September 30th in Seattle, includes Austin City Limits, and a bunch of shows with Ferraby Lionheart opening. All dates are listed below.

If you're familiar with First Aid Kit's music, you probably know that the girls stuck gold with their cover of Fleet Foxes' "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" (video below). It was so good they even included the track on their 2008/2009 release, "Druken Trees" which was released on Karin Dreijer Andersson of Fever Ray/The Knife's Rabid label in 2008, and then re-released by Wichita in 2009.

That 2009 release, though 8 tracks long, fell into the EP or mini-LP category. The girls' debut LP, The Big Black & Blue, was released earlier this year on Wichita. The third single from that album is "Ghost Town" and is being released this Tuesday by Wichita as a 7" with a new great cover as the b-side. That cover is "When I Grow Up" by Fever Ray.

Listen to that cover, the Fleet Foxes cover, the official video for the single, and all dates, below....

Continue reading "First Aid Kit covered Fever Ray (listen!), touring, playing CMJ (MP3, stream, video & dates) "

photos by Rachel Carr, words by Daiana Feuer

Jay-Z, Beyonce & Johnny Rotten

This year, the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival reveals that tattoos are more ubiquitous among social scenes than ever before. A walking museum of quotes and legendary faces from Jesus to Michael Jackson decorates the backs, shoulders, calves and fingers of people fashionably reliving their favorite historical decades at this heat-stroke inducing music marathon.

I thought Wale didn't show up, but later found out that he showed up late. Baroness demonstrated the art of rocking out at least three to five times before each song reached a satisfied climax. Metal can be a real turn on, especially surrounded by sweaty good-looking people. Deer Tick performed an R+B version of "Ashamed" followed by John McCauley caressing his nipples. LA band Iglu and Hartly had enthusiasm, but is this Mickey Avalon without the drugs and prostitutes? Which leaves what? Sleigh Bells began with a booty melting bass line palpable from the VIP section across the field, soon overtaken by hipster hop metal pop for people that like beaches and children. The Avett Brothers made an exciting second Coachella appearance on the Outdoor Stage. Two years ago, the band played Sunday gospel time, all manners and simplicity, but the Bros returned with a full band, and a few thousand people singing every word, stomping to the banjo, and hugging during the sweet parts. The banjo will take over America. Just wait. Country music is infiltrating avant-garde and above ground indie worlds alike.

Standing midway between the big stages, just a few feet from yet another girl with the words "Have u seen my friend Molly?" scrawled on her back, the Avett Brothers' heart-wrenching "January Wedding" got a reggaeton remix from Calle 13 booming on the Main Stage. This Puerto Rican dancefloor marvel used a tea kettle for a mic effect, and taught the audience to say "No me jodas las pelotas" against negativity ("Don't fuck my balls"). Speaking of balls, Yeasayer's crowd went absolutely nuts screaming, but the guys barely seemed aware, transported as they were to some space station cloud. The harmonies rocked like angelic aliens-but, smile, guys. Hockey demonstrated a genuine interest in moving indie rock standards forward, especially attracting the PG-13 festival contingency. M. ward raspy singing "Roll Over Beethoven" during She & Him's set delivered tingly shivers, but Zooey Deschanel's approach to "I Put A Spell On You" did not crumble souls. Her jazzy voice and bouncy energy otherwise made for a good time that elicited repetitive shouts of "I Love You!" from the first row.

Gil Scott-Heron

Music should be at least marginally weird or infinitely classic, but Tom Morello's band, Street Sweeper Social Club, brings nothing new to either category and so seems a waste of great musicians. Get weird or the future will never arrive. That being said, the musicians Coachella digs up from history often present the most exciting moments. Rock steady ska pioneers The Specials sent a crispy, warm message to Rudy that every witness appreciated immensely, but it was outrageous that barely any photographers showed up for Gil Scott-Heron's smooth, soulful set [editor's note: ours did!]. The man is partly responsible for getting Martin Luther King, Jr. a holiday, godfathered hip hop, and that doesn't merit attention? A large crowd attended his every word, but the photos won't show it. Later on, James Murphy screamed Gil Scott-Heron's name during "Losing My Edge" as if it were the name of God. Glad he gets it. LCD Soundsystem's first single in 2002, "Losing My Edge" is a historical document worth preserving for the ages, an essence that speaks to what Coachella seems bent on capturing and rewriting every year. Echo & The Bunnymen rode the high-hat zealously-as many have copied since-giving chapped lips sugar kisses. Public Image, Ltd., could not take Jay-Z's audience away from him nor unglue Fever Ray fans from Karin Dreijer Andersson's encompassing fog spell, but I'll be damned if PiL wasn't the best show all day. John Lydon's hair stood on edge and he rolled his rrrr's heroically. His gang of old men put the good junk in post-punk.

As this first 12 hour music summary comes to a close, a few acts remain worth giving a hoot about. Grizzly Bear's hypnotic power hardly needs mentioning and Vampire Weekend knows you love "Horchata." New cool La Roux magnetizes with a disco flavor that Anita Ward might approve. As hoped, Little Dragon's gentle fire breathing soul pop fronted by Yukimi's sexy voice and adorable stage presence comes in as Friday's second favorite. The music's weird enough, bent on discovering surprises. One-woman band Imogen Heap, as well, is the queen of surprises. She moves around her instruments, looping this and dubbing that as if casually mixing a magic potion or prepping a sandwich. Jay-Z's "On To The Next One" is an appropriate theme song for the attention span needed to get your money's worth at Coachella. And then Beyonce came out. We all bowed down before her short shorts.

Them Crooked Vultures, Passion Pit, Dillinger Escape Plan, Yo Gabba Gabba, and The Whitest Boy Alive also played sets on Friday. The Cribs were among those who could not. Coachella continues for a second day today/Saturday (Record Store Day). More pictures and videos and stuff from the first day, below...

Continue reading "Coachella 2010 - Day One in pics, video & review "

Fever Ray @ Webster Hall in September (more by Ryan Muir)

Commissioned by Danish performance group Hotel Pro Forma to write the music for their opera based on Charles Darwin and his book 'On the Origin of the Species', The Knife decided to make this a collaborative process, working with artists Mt. Sims and Planningtorock for the first time, to capture the huge width of the Darwin and evolution theme. They extensively researched Darwin related literature and articles, with Olof attending a field recording workshop in the Amazon to find inspiration and to record sounds.

The track "Colouring Of Pigeons" from the opera is up as a free download on their site and the entire thing is streaming on NPR until Feb 2nd. Its live debut was overseas in September, and some upcoming European dates are below.

Fever Ray (aka the 1/2 of the Knife, Karin Dreijer-Andersson) will be playing this year's Coachella on Friday, April 16th. Fever Ray recently won the Year's Best Dance Artist prize at "P3 Gold" in Gothenburg. See her "acceptance speech" that many are either comparing to Lady Gaga or saying was a tribute to Lady Gaga's 'shocking' VMA appearance, with the new CD's tracklist and tour dates, below...

Continue reading "new Knife opera album streaming, MP3, release info (plus, watch a Lady Gaga-like Fever Ray accept an award)"

Wow...Public Image Ltd, The Specials, Grizzly Bear, Passion Pit, Echo and the Bunnymen, Grace Jones, Fever Ray, Devo, Hot Chip, Phoenix, Orbital, Spoon, Sly and the Family Stone, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sunny Day Real Estate, Yo La Tengo, Mew, Camera Obscura, Gil Scott-Heron, The xx, John Waters, Dillinger Escape Plan, Deer Tick, Gary Numan... Full Coachella 2010 lineup below....

Continue reading "2010 Coachella line up announced (Faith No More, Pavement, Muse, Gorillaz, Thom Yorke, Jay-Z, LCD Soundystem, ???)"

Animal Collective @ ATP NY (more by Ryan Muir)

So how the hell did Merriweather Post Pavilion-- an album closer in spirit to the sub-aquatic psychedelia of 2005's Feels and Panda Bear's 2007 solo Person Pitch than its predecessor-- wind up in the Billboard Top 20 and outsell both the Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand's most recent albums in North America? That mystery is ultimately the most wonderful thing about the album. Unlike so many indie-rock crossover artists before them, Animal Collective did not breach the mainstream by cleaning up their act, or adopting classic-rock conventions, or scoring a strategic soundtrack or iPod-commercial placement. And, above all, they did little to formalize their defining mercurial quality. [Pitchfork]

Pitchfork also listed their Top 100 Tracks of 2009, and the Top Albums of the Decade.

Animal Collective is DJing the Museum of Natural History in January.

The December issue of Q Magazine is an 'Artists Of The Century' special edition, covering all of the acts that the fine staff of the good ship Q feel are the most important of the century so far. As befitting a special edition of the UK best selling music monthly requires a special cover was commissioned world renowned photographer John Wright has spent over a year shooting 34 artists to fit on triple fold out cover.

The issue is packed to the gills with pieces written by Russell Brand on Noel Gallagher, Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis on Coldplay and Queens Of The Stone Age frontman Josh Homme on The Arctic Monkeys. In addition it also includes exclusive interviews and photos from the likes of Amy Winehouse, Dizzee Rascal, U2, Dave Grohl, Lily Allen, Rihanna, Sir Paul McCartney, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Brandon Flowers from The Killers, Elbow's Guy Garvey, Pink, Muse's Matt Bellamy, Murdoc from Gorillaz, The Kings Of Leon, Mark Ronson, Mika, Nick Cave, Robert Plant, Florence Welch, Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol and Tom Chaplin of Keane.

Continue reading "Q Magazine's Top Albums of 2009 "

photos by Ryan Muir

"I saw Fever Ray tonight in New York. Amazing, powerful show. Those of you who have the freedom should try and get down to Webster Hall Tuesday, September 29th at noon and wait patiently for any tickets released by the venue (technically the show is sold out, but there are always extras)." [Airport Through the Trees]

Continue reading "Fever Ray @ Webster Hall in NYC (night 1) - pics "

DOWNLOAD: Royksopp - The Girl & The Robot (w/ Robyn) (Chateau Marmont remix) (MP3)

The most recent album from Norwegian electronica duo Royksopp, Junior, came out earlier this year, and now the group is traveling to the US, possibly for the first time since 2005, for a short set of gigs. Two of those will happen at NYC's Webster Hall on November 23rd and 24th. Tickets for both shows are on AmEx presale now; general sale starts Friday, August 21st at noon.

According to Wikipedia, "Senior is a forthcoming album from Norwegian duo Röyksopp, set for release toward the end of 2009. The new album has been described as an introspective, withdrawn, atmospheric counterpart to energetic Junior." Junior features guest appearances by Karin of the Knife aka Fever Ray (who has two Webster Hall shows coming up too), Anneli Drecker, Lykke Li, and Robyn who sings on the song "The Girl and the Robot". A remix of that song is above. The video of it is below with all tour dates...

Continue reading "Royksopp - 2009 Tour Dates (2 shows @ Webster Hall), new album w/ Fever Ray, Lykke Li & Robyn (video & remix MP3) "

photos by Zach Dilgard

Grace Jones

"Late of the Pier played a 20 minute shmeh set and crystal castles had no sound. crookers were better than usual and orbitol were awesome. grace jones is fucking mad and fucked up the schedule. Fever Ray is a shamanic wonder." [The Naked Smiles Club]

Continue reading "Sonar 2009 in pictures"

The lineup is coming together for Pop Montreal 2009 (September 30th to October 4th). Confirmed acts include Butthole Surfers, Fever Ray, Dinosaur Jr., Lou Barlow + The Missingmen, Loudon Wainwright III, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks, Thee Oh Sees, tUnE-YaRdS, to name a few.

Those interesting choices (like Lou Barlow with some configuration of Mike Watt's band?) are just part of the fest's usually-strong lineup. Full lineup so far, below...

Continue reading "Pop Montreal 2009 - initial lineup (Fever Ray, Os Mutantes, Butthole Surfers, Lou Barlow + the Missingmen...)"

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the two Fever Ray shows at Webster Hall. Will they sell right out?

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the Dead Weather show at Terminal 5. Will they add another show (like Green Day)?

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the four Bouncing Souls shows in NYC and Philly. Each show has different openers. Those include Lifetime and 7 Seconds.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the NY Dolls show at Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the Fatboy Slim show at Terminal 5.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the Bowerbirds show at Bowerbirds.

Tickets are on sale for the James Blackshaw / Marissa Nadler show at Mercury Lounge.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the recently added Handsome Furs show at Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Other tickets also went on sale earlier today.

Don't forget the Park Slope 5th Avenue Street Fair is this Sunday. If it still interests you that is...

IT'S SO BORING IT'S NOT THE SAME AT ALL.
IT'S NOT EVEN WORTH SPENDING MONEY OR WALKING AROUND TO MANY WHITE PPL DATS WHY ITS SO BORING NOW THEY JUST TOOK OVER N MADE IT INTO A LIL VILLAGE HOW WACK IS THAT CRAB. THERE'S NO STORES AT ALL ON EACH BLOCK U GO TO THERES A BAR N FOOD PLACE JUST FOR THE WHITE PPL CUZ THE LOVE THERE BARS AND DRUGS THERE THE NUMBER 1 JUNKIE IN THIS WORLD. SO SAD THEN THERE GOOD TO TALK ABOUT THE BLACKS N SPANISH PPL PLEASE GIVE ME A BREAK. [Anonymous]

Flo Rida & Gemini Wolf were reviewed by Breakfast at Sulimays. Video below..

Continue reading "Fever Ray, Dead Weather, NY Dolls, Fatboy Slim, Lifetime, 7 Seconds, Bouncing Souls and other tickets "

Tickets are on AmEx presale (@ noon) for the two Fever Ray shows at Webster Hall.

Tickets are on AmEx presale (@ noon) for the two Bouncing Souls shows at Webster Hall.

Fever Ray (aka Karin Dreijer Andersson of The Knife) will bring her highly anticipated live show to North America this Fall. The tour begins with two performances at NYC's Webster Hall, a fitting venue for the launch of Andersson's return to the North American stage. In 2006 Andersson and brother Olof Dreijer - performing together as The Knife - debuted live to U.S. audiences with two sold-out shows at the acclaimed venue. This time, now supported by a four-piece band, Andersson's Fever Ray persona will be the main attraction.

Swedish multimedia artist Andreas Nilsson - who designed The Knife's live show and directed the video for her debut single "If I had A Heart"- is also the visual mastermind behind Fever Ray's live show. In designing the show Nilsson drew from his experience with the album. "The album has a mixture of acoustic and electronic sounds... something hard and visionary combined with something that is more organic. The live show should embrace that feeling," says Nilsson.

Continue reading "Fever Ray - 2009 Tour Dates (2 NYC shows!)"

The Decemberists' fifth album, The Hazards of Love, is in stores tomorrow, but the self titled debut of Fever Ray (side project of The Knife's Karin Elisabeth Dreijer Andersson) is my favorite new release of the week.

From what I have already heard, I can also recommend Amadou & Mariam's Welcome To Mali, 1990s' Kicks, Harlem Shakes' Technicolor Health, Jeremy Jay's Slow Dance, Mono's Hymn to the Immortal Wind, and Swan Lake's Enemy Mine.

Three Radiohead studio albums have been remastered and are out tomorrow. The Bends, OK Computer, and Pablo Honey all come with a bonus CD of outtakes and rarities, and also are available in deluxe editions that include a DVD.

Aside from the Radiohead remastered editions, the remastered Serge Gainsbourg classic album Histoire de Melody Nelson is wonderfully packaged and lovingly restored (especially the vinyl edition).

What new releases can you recommend? Have I left anything off the list?

Continue reading "Largehearted Boy's Interesting CD Releases This Week"

SR photos by Jonny Leather

Fever Ray - out March 24

Shilpa Ray @ Southpaw

Move over Ox, it's the year of the Ray! (ha)...

In the Past few weeks, Shilpa Ray has kicked ass at Le Poisson Rouge, Mercury Lounge, Music Hall of Williamsburg (with the Duke Spirit), and Southpaw. More pictures from the Southpaw show below.

Fans of The Knife will not be disappointed by Fever Ray's haunting new album. Two official videos have been released so far (one yesterday). Watch them both below...

Continue reading "FEVER RAY (videos) vs SHILPA RAY (pics)"

What would you do if one decade into your career you suddenly saw one of your songs turned into a worldwide hit, won six Grammys in your native Sweden, and your latest release was declared album of the year by one of the world's most influential music websites? If you're Karin Dreijer Andersson, formerly singer with '90s pop hopes Honey Is Cool and now one half of The Knife, the answer is to take a couple of years off and return as a solo artist under a new name: Fever Ray.

In Karin's own words, "I had so many songs to record that I just had to make an album. I thought I was going to have a longer break but I guess it will never happen. I can't stop working. My aim was to finish the album and now that it's done I'm a bit restless (good that The Knife has an opera to write then.) During the last years I discovered that I like to sing too, so I hope that my newly found live band will make it to the stages next year. We are rehearsing and building something beautiful and brilliant."

'If I Had A Heart' is the first single from Fever Ray: a stirring mantra, a boundless loop, a deep sleep spreading over fields and endless oceans. A dark evocation of hope and a demand for "more, give me more". The track will be available digitally on December 16.

Music and lyrics are by Fever Ray with production by Fever Ray & Christoffer Berg. The video for "If I Had a Heart" will be directed by Andreas Nilsson.

Mute will release the debut album physically on March 24th, 2009.

Continue reading "Fever Ray = Karin of The Knife who are writing an opera"