Beast @ CMJ 2009 (more by Chris La Putt)

Lady Gaga was nominated five times. Considering her rocket to fame over the last year, many were expecting more for her. But at least the contests are going to be really interesting: Beyoncé, [Taylor] Swift and Lady Gaga are going head to head in three of the most important categories: album, record and song of the year. Will one of them sweep, or will the lady vote be split?

One of the usual complaints about the Grammys is that it over-rewards older, established, familiar acts at the expense of newer, fresher ones. MGMT, the Brooklyn synth-rock duo, was nominated for best new artist, a big coup although not unexpected. But some of the shoulda-been names that have been circulated and Tweeted: Grizzly Bear, another acclaimed Brooklyn group; Regina Spektor, a young New York songwriter who started in the underground and has found some mainstream popularity; Diane Birch, a young soul-style singer, just the revivalist type the Grammys usually adore; and the Decemberists, an alt-folk-rock band from Portland, Ore., that released an ambitious concept album this year. [NY Times]

One surprise (for me anyway) came this year in the video category. Montreal's Beast were nominated for "Mr. Hurricane". That video with a list of some of the other nominees, below...

Continue reading "Beast's 'Mr. Hurricane' video & other 2009 Grammy nominees "

Bandega: What venue do you consider to be your "home", where you feel most comfortable, with the crowd and the place itself?

Eric Johnson of Fruit Bats & The Shins: The shortlist would be Schubas, Hideout and Empty Bottle in Chicago, Mercury Lounge in New York, Modified in Phoenix, Fernwood in Big Sur, and Opolis in Norman, Oklahoma.

The Shins were nominated for the "Best Alternative Music Album" Grammy for their 2007 Sub Pop album Wincing the Night Away. Muppets interviewed them backstage at the 2008 event. That video and all dates below...

Continue reading "The Shins - updates 2009 tour dates, Muppet interview"

by Black Bubblegum

TMBG performing ninja moves avec their golden statuettes

Not to put too fine a point on it, but tickets are still available for They Might Be Giants at Le Poisson Rouge on Feb 28th, part of their previously mentioned residency.

After the sold out success of their last show, the band will once again perform their platinum album Flood in it's entirety, as well as a warm up set of songs new, old and possibly brand new. Flansburgh and Linnell will be backed up by their super-killer band Marty Beller on the drum, Dan Miller on guitar and Danny Weinkauf on bass. The show will also include an appearance by The Tricerachops Horns featuring Dan "The Machine" Levine on trombone, Curt Ramm on trumpet, and Stan "The Optimist" Harrison on saxophone and clarinet.

TMBG are also happy to welcome back their good friends all the way from Belfast, Northern Ireland--the always great, never late duo you can't overrate: Oppenheimer!

In other TMBG news, congrats to the guys on their Grammy win for "Best Musical Album For Children", Here Come The 123's! If you missed that broadcast, check it out here and scroll to 41:30 to see TMBG... and don't forget to check out an about-to-pop MIA, Lil Wayne, TI, Kanyeezy, and Jay-Z as well as Radiohead with a marching band.

And TMBG's winning streak in the kid's department continues. Their song, sung by John Linnell, is featured on the Coraline soundtrack.

This song was recorded for the movie Coraline. Due to cuts, this is the only song TMBG ended up providing for the film. It takes place when Coraline's other father (voiced by John Hodgman) shows how his piano plays him rather than he plays the piano. He proceeds to sing a song about how great Coraline is. The repeated mention of eyes and buttons plays on the fact that the Other Father's eyes are buttons. [this might be a wiki]

They Might Be Giants were one of the last musical guests on Late Night With Conan O'Brian, but not THE last musical guest. Video from the February 12th episode is also, below...

Continue reading "They Might Be Giants - a Grammy, Coraline & FLOOD AGAIN"

IM ON TV!

TODAY I WENT ON T.V

I did CNN HEADLINE NEWS

CNN LATIN AMERICA

AND TAVIS SMILEY ON PBS WHICH WILL AIR AS I POST THIS!!!

tomaro
im gonna do
al jazeera
france 24 and
ap t.v

I want you to know that , everyone has been asking me on the shows to talk about the sudden popularity im experiencing, the babies, the grammies the oscars etc

and i want you to know that this has been part of the plan from day 1.

this is the only oppotunity i have had to do something about the genocide in Sri Lanka and im seizing that oppotunity

so for a lil while im gonna go from being

M.I.A. TO I. Y. F.

IN YA FACE!!!!!!!!!!!
[M.I.A.]

She left the above message on her MySpace blog before the Grammys. On the Tavis Smiley show she talked about being accused of being a terrorist, being the only Tamil in the Western media which gives her the platform to speak for the Tamil civilians, not to be confused with the Tamil Tigers. Watch the video below...

Continue reading "M.I.A., still pregnant?, on TV - planned to be popular, doing something about Tamil civilian genocide (video)"

Alison Krauss & Robert Plant @ ACL 2008 (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

Rounder Records, a venerable independent label based in the Northeast, released "Raising Sand," and it has become one of its biggest hits. Its multiple nominations were old hat for Alison Krauss, who before Sunday had already won 21 Grammy Awards. But none was for a project quite this adventurous.

"We ostensibly come from such different places on the musical map," Robert Plant said in a media conference backstage Sunday. "Alison showed me so much I had never been exposed to."

That Plant is still learning new tricks is a testament to his artistry. That he's not touring with a reunited Led Zeppelin is a sign of enduring integrity. That's a lot of money to be passing up, even if "Raising Sand" did win five Grammys.

But Plant was having none of it. The singer again was confronted with the inevitable question Sunday about his future involvement in any Zeppelin tour.

"How old are you, man?" Plant responded. "Because you look older than me. You try to do 'Communication Breakdown' in these pants." [Chicago Tribune]

"Kimya and guest performer Eliot" (hortensejones)

So you're up for a Grammy with the "Juno" soundtrack.

Kimya Dawson: (Heaves a sigh) Yeah. (Laughs)

Was it weird for you to be on the No. 1 album last year?

Uh, it was funny. But it was pretty silly. I mean, the songs were in a movie that was really, really popular; and it was just a really good movie. So I think that the way the movie made people feel really made my music more relatable. ... It wasn't like (boatloads) of people were suddenly getting what I do.

Have you gotten calls to appear on other soundtracks?

I've got a few songs on a film that's coming out (that) just premiered at Sundance called "Unmade Beds." And it's (made by) an Argentine director named Alexis Dos Santos. He made a film called "Glue" a few years ago that had a few of my songs in it. ... He had invited me to perform at the premiere last week. But I had started a community choir in Olympia; and our first performance was that night, so I couldn't miss that.

Kimya Dawson is playing Europa in Brooklyn on March 10th with Shellshag. Tickets are on sale. The show is one day before she plays the REM tribute show at Carnegie Hall which is one day before she plays SUNY Purchase. All dates below...

Continue reading "Grammy winner KIMYA DAWSON - 2009 tour dates (Europa)"

TMZ can confirm that Chris Brown just entered an LAPD station, where he turned himself in to police.

Chris is being investigated by the LAPD for an alleged domestic violence felony battery that occurred early this morning near Hancock Park in L.A. Police officials said earlier today they may arrest Brown when they found him. Well, now they know where he is.

According to the female victim -- who cops refuse to identify -- she and Chris got into an argument which turned violent. Cops say when they arrived to the scene, Brown had split, but the woman had "visible injuries and identified Brown as her attacker."

Brown and his girlfriend Rihanna were together earlier last night, attending Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party -- and both canceled their scheduled performances at tonight's event.

Brown is currently being interviewed by detectives. [TMZ]

Continue reading "a list of all the 2009 Grammy winners, Radiohead, MIA video"

Lucero @ Terminal 5 Friday night (more by Mike Lerner)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* Lucero @ Mercury Lounge
* Elysian Fields @ Joe's Pub
* The Black Keys & Doug Gillard Wellmont Theater
* Blank Dogs, Woods, WAVVES & Nodzzz @ Underground Lounge

Underground Lounge is located 955 West End Ave @ 107th St in Morningside Heights. The WAVVES show starts at 2PM.

Kanye West has been blogging about a lot of 'indie' music (and comedy) lately. There was the recent Aziz Ansari post, and the exclusive new Peter Bjorn and John track he posted. Kanye's other recent likes include TV on the Radio's David Bowie cover, Bon Iver covering Feist, Friendly Fires, Francis and the Lights, Passion Pit, Animal Collective AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, LAND OF TALK.

Kanye will be performing at the Grammys today. So will Radiohead. Nominees include MIA, Adele, No Age, Hot Chip, Daft Punk, My Morning Jacket and Death Cab For Cutie.

Antony was just on NPR.

Little Boots played Studio B last night. Video below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday (besides the Grammys)?"

DOWNLOAD: Lee Scratch Perry - Pum Pum (MP3)

Narnack is excited to announce the signing of "The Slits"... this pioneering all girl act is noted for it's influence on many of music's most acclaimed female musician's and was espousing on the riot girl ethic before most of the movements artists had even picked up an instrument.

The band is rehearsing new material now and will be returning to the studio for their first full-length album with all new material in over 20 years. Look for all the original members (Ari, Tessa & Palmolive) to be back in the studio for the new album which will start recording in February. The Slits will also be touring the US and abroad in 2009.

Also, Lee Scratch Perry's "REPENTANCE" has been nominated for Best Reggae Album of 2008. Oo-produced by Andrew WK and featuring Moby, seminal producer Don Fleming and drummer Brian Chippendale of staccato noise duo Lightning Bolt!. The Upsetter will be attending his first ever Grammy Awards ceremony here in Los Angeles on Feb. 8th. Be sure to tune in...

For more Narnack, check out the pics from their CMJ 2008 showcase.

MIA @ MoMA (more by Ryan Muir)

Best Alternative Music Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)

Modern Guilt
Beck
[DGC Records/XL Recordings/Interscope]

Narrow Stairs
Death Cab For Cutie
[Atlantic]

The Odd Couple
Gnarls Barkley
[Downtown/Atlantic]

Evil Urges
My Morning Jacket
[ATO Records]

In Rainbows
Radiohead
[TBD Records]

nobody loves Kanye like Kanye

finally posing with someone more her size *

* that dude doesn't count

Continue reading "Kanye West - updated 2008 Tour Dates, new videos, Feist"

HA....

Continue reading "Hillary took the stage, the crowd went nuts...."

Whether it was the real Daft Punk playing at the Grammy Awards last night is being debated, and it is unknown whether the costumed people inside the pyramid were just pretending to push buttons or actually 'manipulating the track with 4 Lemur sequencers', but nonetheless......

Continue reading "video of Daft Punk & Kanye West @ The Grammys"

Nas and Kellis wore the controversial name of his new album on their outfits to the Grammys last night. More photos below....

Continue reading "Nas & Kelis wore/promoted "Nigger" at the Grammys"

Herbie Hancock beat Amy Winehouse, Kanye West, Foo Fighters and Vince Gill for (what the Grammys consider) album of the year.

Taking into account what the Grammys are (a major label/old-school music industry celebration of itself and not something to be taken super seriously or something like that...), this year's show was not so bad - it felt like there were a ton of performances, The White Stripes, Flight of the Conchords, and Slayer won awards, there was Art Brut (not to mention Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, Amy Winehouse, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Prince, Daft Punk, Kanye West, Feist, etc, etc, etc...) and I stopped paying attention to the TV a lot less than usual. More photos, and the full list of winners below....

Continue reading "Jazz beats hip hop, country, rock and soul at the Grammys"

live via satellite, from London, with mom

aka Feist's Grammy performance was kind of boring

Feist & Mocky @ the Grammys - Feb 10, 2008

More photos below......

Continue reading "they should have done a live Cirque Du Soleil version of the "1234" video instead"

also, Bright Eyes won a Grammy

Kanye Daft West Punk @ the Grammys

alternate post title: Kanye West sings tribute to his mama

Prince gave Alicia Keys an award

Daft Punk's official post-Grammy press photo below...

Continue reading "Daft Punk (seriously) & Kanye West played the Grammys"

Tom Araya of Slayer arrives w/ family @ The Grammys - Feb 10, 2008

Kaiju Big Battel @ Webster Hall, NYC - Feb 9, 2008 (Jason Bergman)

* The Grammys
* Barbès Classical
* Feist playing the Grammys
* Spice Girls @ Prudential Center
* a Metric DVD screening @ Galapagos
* Counting Crows are @ Bowery Ballroom
* High on Fire & Saviours are @ Europa
* Peasant is playing Rockwood Music Hall
* "Winehouse to reclaim glory at Grammys"
* Gene Loves Jezebel is at Knitting Factory
* White Williams, Ecstatic Sunshine & Rings @ Studio B

What else?

"Multiple nominees Feist, Alicia Keys and Brad Paisley have joined the performance lineup for the 50th Grammy Awards, to be held Feb. 10 at Los Angeles' Staples Center....The industry breathed a lot easier earlier this week after the Writers' Guild of America struck an interim deal with Grammy producers, ensuring the show would move forward despite the ongoing writers' strike." [Billboard]

Listen to Snoop Dogg's "Sexual Eruption" feat. Robyn (Fyre Department Remix), below...

Continue reading "Feist playing the Grammys, Robyn sings for Snoop Dogg"

....Beck, Wilco, White Stripes, Kanye West, The Shins, Common & Jay-Z too

Amy Winehouse receives the nomination for Best Record (Mark Ronson), Album of the Year (vs Kanye West), Song of the Year, Best New Artist (vs Feist!), Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (vs Feist!), Best Pop Vocal Album (vs Feist!), and Producer of the Year (Mark Ronson)! I guess it's not weird she was on the cover of the Post.

Is this the Grammys or the Plug Awards?
All (50th annual) Grammy nominations HERE.

Jonathanpberger made the "Spooooky Hallowinehouse" you see above. More like it HERE. His inspiration HERE.

Now Feist has something else to talk about.