The long list for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize, Canada's annual award for a great album, has been revealed. It includes Leonard Cohen, Cold Specks, Drake, Feist, Fucked Up, Grimes, Japandroids, The Weeknd, Yamantaka // Sonic Titan, and more. Check out the full list below. Who's your money on?

Continue reading "2012 Polaris Music Prize Long List revealed"

by Andrew Sacher

Pictureplane at 285 Kent in February (more by Andrew St. Clair)

Pictureplane has some dates coming up in the next few weeks including two in NYC. The first is the LAZERPOP Northside Party at Glasslands on Friday (6/15), where he'll DJ along with DJ sets from Teengirl Fantasy (who have a new album coming out) and Hooray for Earth. Tickets for that show are on sale now. He's also got a show in Brooklyn at on July 4 at Cheap Storage (49 Wyckoff Ave) with DIIV (who have a bunch of other shows coming up as usual), Prince Rama, and Night Manager. All Pictureplane dates are listed below.

It's pretty hard to think about Pictureplane without thinking about Grimes these days, whether it be because Hipster Runoff thinks they're dating, shared bills, remixing each other, or Grimes wearing a Pictureplane shirt. So it seems like an appropriate time to quickly remind that AmEx presale began today at noon for her upcoming shows at Bowery and MHOW. In case you haven't been keeping up, Grimes dropped two collaborations with Blood Diamonds recently: one is the title track off Blood Diamonds' upcoming Phone Sex EP (due out 7/24 via 4AD); and the other also includes Kreayshawn and Tragik, and came out under the name L$D. The song's called "Don't Smoke My Blunt Bitch." Check out videos of both of those below.

In more related news, d'Eon, who Grimes released a split LP with last year, revealed an interview with Stereogum that he's a bit envious of Pictureplane: "I've seen him live a couple of times and he hypnotizes the crowd and 300 18-to-22 year old girls just want to fuck him at all times and I'm really jealous of that kind of charisma." d'Eon released the LP, simply titled LP, earlier this month and it's really great. It's a concept album that deals with real life vs internet life (there's a song called "My iPhone Tracks My Every Move"). All of the songs flow seamlessly into each other and there's a ton of musical reference points, including the art pop of Peter Gabriel, the sexy ambient R&B of How to Dress Well, and the production work you've come to expect from d'Eon. You can stream that entire album below.

Wild Nothing at Pitchfork Fest 2011 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Speaking of Grimes and DIIV, they team up for a free show at River Rocks on Pier 84 on August 9. That show is with Wild Nothing, who just announced a new album, Nocturne, which is due out August 28 via Captured Tracks in the US and a day earlier in the UK via Bella Union. Check out the song, "Shadow," from that album below, along with a list of all Wild Nothing dates, and the album's tracklist.

All lists of dates, videos, streams, and more are below.

Continue reading "Pictureplane playing shows (dates); Wild Nothing releasing new LP (stream a track); Grimes, d'Eon & more related news"

Grimes at Lamberts in Austin (more by Tim Griffin)

Grimes just announced two NYC shows -- October 26 at Bowery Ballroom and October 28 at Music Hall of Williamsburg -- of what is likely a full fall tour. Both shows are with Elite Gymnastics and Myths. Tickets for both shows go on sale Friday, June 15 at noon.

UPDATE: It is a full tour and Elite Gymnastics and Myths are supporting on all dates, hence the appropriately titled "Mythical Gymnastics Tour." All dates are listed below.

You can see Grimes before that, though, when she plays the free River Rocks show with DIIV and Wild Nothing on August 9.

Continue reading "Grimes touring w/ Elite Gymnastics & Myths; playing Bowery Ballroom and MHOW (dates)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Total Slacker - Oblivion (Grimes cover) (M4A)

Total Slacker are about to head out on the road with Night Manager. Before they do, they'll play with Heaven's Gate and Turnip King at Cheap Storage in Brooklyn on June 2. Tonight (5/15), Total Slacker will DJ between sets at the Japanther/Night Manager/Wild Yaks/Eula show at the Studio at Webster Hall.

For the tour, Total Slacker have recorded a cover of Grimes' single "Oblivion" which we have for you, hot off the mixing desk (they finished it this afternoon) and free for you to download at the top of this post. Keeping the signature bass line intact, the band's version slowly builds to a post-punk crescendo that wouldn't have sounded out of place in fog machine filled dancefloor in 1981.

Additionally, Total Slacker have given us "Brain Slime," the a-side to the band's new single which is being released on Japanese label Sixteen Tambourines. The cover art for the single is below. The Brooklynites also have a UK split 7" with Friends due out this summer.

Total Slacker tour dates are below.

Continue reading "Total Slacker covered Grimes, going on tour w/ Night Manager"

Diplo released the "Express Yourself" 7" this month, the single for that track from his EP of the same name. You've already seen the video for that song, which features bounce artist Nicky Da B, and below we're offering a stream of the single's b-side, "Move Around" (featuring Elephant Man and GTA). That's the cover art for the 7" above. Pick up a copy on green vinyl.

Diplo, Grimes, Skrillex (one of the greatest guitarists of all time), Tokimonsta, Pretty Lights, and others are set to head out on the Full Flex Express Tour, a tour of Canada on a train modeled after The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and The Band's 1970 Festival Express tour.

Although the Full Flex Express tour doesn't come to the US, Diplo, Skrillex, and Pretty Lights will all be in NYC later this summer for Electric Zoo, which returns to Randall's Island from August 31-September 1. Tickets are on sale now. The full lineup is listed below. Skrillex will also be in the NYC area for Bamboozle this weekend.

Speaking of electronic dance festivals in New York, the Electric Daisy Carnival will occur at MetLife Stadium this weekend from May 18-20. The lineup includes MSTRKRFT, Richie Hawtin, Fatboy Slim, Bassnectar, and others. Tickets are available. Full lineup below.

In more related news, the touring Identity Festival, whose lineup was a bit better last year but certainly bigger this year since it sold out in less than 24 hours, returns to NY on July 28 at Jones Beach. Artists playing include Datsik, Eric Prydz, Nero, and more. Full lineup below.

Festival lineups and stream below...

Continue reading "Grimes taking a train ride with Skrillex & Diplo; Electric Daisy Carnival, Electric Zoo, Identity Fest & other EDM news too"

I forgot to mention, in the post with the new Grimes video today, that BrooklynVegan & M For Montreal are proud to present a show with the Montreal artist THIS FRIDAY NIGHT (5/11) in Brighton, UK as part of the three-day Great Escape Festival that begins today (5/10). Taking place at Digital, our full show lineup is Grimes, YACHT, Brooklyn band My Best Fiend and Montreal trio Half Moon Run who we also hosted on the M For Montreal co-presented day of Hotel Vegan at SXSW this year. If you're over in that part of the world right now, we hope to see you there.

Other acts playing the Great Escape this weekend include Friends, The Twilight Sad, EMA, The Temper Trap, The Black Belles, Gaz Coombes, We Are Augustines, Kwes, St Lucia, Body Language, Devin, The Front Bottoms, Cloud Nothings, Haim, Pond, Wild Belles, S.C.U.M, We Are Scientists, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Kids in Glass Houses. Booka Shade, Mystery Jets, Dry The River, Alabama Shakes, Django Django, Doldroms, and many more.

As you can see in the flyer above, M For Montreal is also throwing an event at the festival's "Canada House" on Saturday as well. M For Montreal's own festival goes down in Montreal in November. Tickets are on sale now. (also: Mikey from M For Montreal is up for an award at the Great Escape. Vote and find more info HERE).

Grimes also has a big NYC show scheduled this summer.

Grimes plays Hudson River Rocks this summer. Check out her new NSFW video below...

Continue reading "check out Grimes' new NSFW video for 'Nightmusic'"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Bear in Heaven - Sinful Nature (Anika With BestMate Remix) (MP3)

Bear in Heaven at Hotel Vegan party, Austin (more by Tim Griffin)

Just a reminder that Bear in Heaven wrap up their North American tour this week with two hometown shows: tonight (5/8) at Bowery Ballroom and tomorrow (5/9) at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Both shows are $15 with two solid openers: synthy Portlanders Blouse and Montreal's Doldrums. After these two shows, Bear in Heaven head to Europe for most of the summer -- all tour dates are at the bottom of this post.

Bear in Heaven last played NYC back in early March at Union Pool where they were billed as "Adventure Hippies":

...watching them play last night with waves of roto-toms and giant synth pads washing over us, it struck me what that is: the Miami Vice soundtrack (Jan Hammer, Phil Collins, Yello, Glen Frey, etc) condensed into one band, albeit one that also loves Yes and late '80s/early '90s techno. Which is a really strange combination, but Bear in Heaven make it work, due in part to excellent musicianship and that they clearly love playing. All three members (singer Philpot, bassist/guitarist Adam Wills and drummer Joe Stickney) let the O Face slip when they're in the moment, which, in their case, is endearing.

Openers Doldrums will tour with Grimes in Europe after their stint with Bear in Heaven wraps up and then head back this way for a string of dates with Unknown Mortal Orchestra, including June 7 at Mercury Lounge and June 8 at Glasslands. Those dates are at the bottom of this post as well.

Continue reading "Bear in Heaven wrapping up tour with Blouse and Doldrums"

by BBG

Total Control at Fun Fun Fun Fest (more by BBG)

Total Control's Henge Beat was a favorite around these parts, and now the band recently released a split 12" with Thee Oh Sees. Check out a video for Total Control's "For Lease" from that split below and order your copy via Castle Face.

Total Control currently have no US dates scheduled. Thee Oh Sees, on the other hand, will spend their summer abroad and have a handful of appearances in the US. The band, who recently played Austin Psych Fest, will play a gang of festival dates including the previously discussed Pitchfork, Outside Lands, Hopscotch, ATP I'll Be Your Mirror and the sold-out Woodsist Festival in Big Sur.

In addition, the band just signed on to be a part of the Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle WA, joining names like Neko Case, Major Lazer, Fitz And The Tantrums, Phantogram, The Lumineers, Grimes, Aesop Rock w/ Rob Sonic & DJ Big Wiz, Youth Lagoon, Diplo, Cloud Nothings, The Psychic Paramount, Twin Shadow, Dam-Funk and so many more across six-stages and as many city blocks during three days in July (7/20-7/22). Current lineup is below and tickets are on sale.

All tour dates, the Capitol Hill Block Party lineup and that "For Lease" video is below.

Continue reading "Total Control release video from split with Thee Oh Sees; Seattle's Capitol Hill Block Party announces lineup"

by Bill Pearis

DIIV, pre-name change, at Red 7 in Austin, April 14 (more Tim Griffin)

While currently busy out on the road supporting Frankie Rose, Dive have changed their name to DIIV. While Allmusic.com lists about 10 artists with the name Dive, Cole Smith tells Pitchfork that the spelling change comes specifically "out of respect" to the Dive that was the pseudonymn of German industrial musician Dirk Ivens. "A name is nothing," Smith told Pitchfork. "I don't really give a fuck what the band is called. I originated this project in a bedroom with no internet and didn't know it would ever leave." Whether the rest of his apartment or his phone had the internet and access to Google.com is undetermined at this time.

DIIV's tour with Frankie Rose, recently hit the Mohawk in Austin and wraps up this Saturday (5/5) with a sold-out at Mercury Lounge that also features Scotland's Spectrals and ex-Team Robespierre duo Black Marble. The band's debut album, Oshin, is out June 26 and you can stream a new song from it, "Doused," at the bottom of this post. DIIV (who played our Hotel Vegan parties during SXSW this year) will headline a record release show at Glasslands on June 23 and tickets are on sale now.

After the record release show, DIIV's only other scheduled show is opening for Grimes and Wild Nothing at Hudson River Rocks on August 9 (DIIV was just added to that bill). Click though for all DIIV tour dates and the stream of "Doused."..

Continue reading "DIVE change name to DIIV, add 2 more NYC dates to tour, streaming new track & other news"

Free NYC summer concert series "Hudson River Rocks" has moved from Pier 54 to Pier 84 (at 44th Street). You can see this year's schedule in the picture.

Meanwhile you can catch Dan Deacon in Union Square on May 1st.

DOWNLOAD: Tycho - "Dive" (Memoryhouse Remix) (MP3)

Tycho at Lincoln Hall in Chicago in January (more by Zach Pollack)

Tycho (aka Scott Hansen) whose last two trips to NYC brought him to Music Hall of Williamsburg, will be touring again this spring/summer culminating in a larger NYC show at Webster Hall on July 14, one day after he plays Camp Bisco.. Tickets for the NYC show are on AmEx presale now and go on sale to the general public on Friday (4/20) at noon. All dates are listed below.

Meanwhile, Tycho will be in the NYC-area later this month for SUNY Purchase Culture Shock, which is technically only open to students and their guests, and which recently announced that EMAreplaced Grimes who cancelled. The full lineup also includes Islands, Idle Warship,Big Feedia, The Felice Brothers, Cloud Nothings, Casey Veggies, Pissed Jeans, and Bio Ritmo.

Tycho's most recent single, "Dive," off the 2011 album of the same name, was recently remixed by Memoryhouse. Grab that remix above or stream it below. The Zombies-covering Memoryhouse will be in Brooklyn this Saturday (4/21) for a show at Public Assembly with Mattheah Baim and Ex Cops. Tickets are still avialable.

All Tycho dates and song stream below...

Continue reading "Tycho announces tour, headlining Webster Hall after Camp Bisco (dates); EMA replaces Grimes @ Culture Shock"

Grimes @ Glasslands (pic by thedeskofjob)

One night after struggling through two shows at Mercury Lounge, Grimes toughed out her throat problems and played a super-sold-out show at Glasslands in Brooklyn. How was it? Check out some videos below.

A couple of weeks earlier Grimes was in Austin for SXSW (where she did not play a BV party and) where Nardwuar (who did play a BV party) caught up with the fellow Canadian for an interview. Watch below...

Continue reading "Grimes played Glasslands in NYC, talked to Nardwuar @ SXSW (both while wearing her Pictureplane shirt) -- [VIDEOS]"

photos by Toby Tenenbaum, words by Rachel Kowal

Grimes @ Mercury Lounge - 3/23/2012 (early show)

Immediately upon walking into the Mercury Lounge last night, for the 2nd of two Grimes shows, I was hit by a disorienting whir of blinking lights and pulsating electro-pop. It was the last song by Born Gold (formerly Gobble Gobble), and no theatrics were spared, down to garden shovel guitars, light-bulb studded jacket sleeves and odd, choreographed movements involving illuminated decorative fans. The wild, cacophonous final minutes of the performance were a lot to process as I fought to secure a clear sight line through the thick crowd. But the blissful visual and aural barrage emanating from the stage made me wish I had caught more of the set.

With hardly any time to rest since her earlier set, Grimes (i.e., Claire Boucher) emerged on stage for the second time of the evening. She snapped a few photographs of the sold-out crowd and was preparing to launch into her first song when she suddenly stopped herself and in rapid-fire-speak, briefed the crowd on her voice. "Oh yeah! Here's the thing. I'm like really sick. I was puking for a couple of days, and I had a really sore throat. So I'm really bad at hitting the high notes, so bear with me."

For an artist who draws so heavily from the upper octaves, Grimes' announcement had me a bit worried. And though her voice did lack some of its distinct chirpiness, her vocals took on a more washed out and ethereal quality that suited the songs well.

From where I stood in the crowd, I heard more than one person make an Enya comparison, but this was not the Enya of the Pure Moods Compilation CD that was constantly advertised on TV in the 90s. As one particularly popular YouTube commenter has pointed out, "this is what would happen if Enya did hardcore psychotropic drugs." The beats are fiercely fresh and the energy ecstatic.

What's great about Grimes is the ease with which she embodies contradictions. She's at once childlike and sweetly upbeat and a total bad ass in her trashy 80s chic. She's the Lana Del Rey who could. The first time you hear her sing, you want to recoil at the sound of her piercing puppet-like voice, but you can't stop listening. Oh, and the girl can dance.

Despite her ailment, Boucher tore through her set, stopping only to petition the sound guy to crank it up every song or two. Her quick movements sent her long hair flying as she cued, sampled, and manipulated the mass of equipment on the large folding table before her. Toward the middle of her set, the guys from Born Gold came out to join her, but their presence seemed to make little difference. The stage was hers.

At a time when "hazy" and "chill" seem to be ubiquitous descriptors of both the mood and music of the indie scene, Grimes comes along with a song like "Oblivion" that pumps you up and makes you feel good.

--

That review and the 7-song setlist below (it probably would have been longer if she was feeling better) are from the late show. The pictures here by Toby are from the early show, and Toby said, "Grimes played a 50 minute set after announcing that she had emerged from her dressing room after vomiting and feeling sick and would be unlikely to hit any high notes. Though she didn't seem to have too much trouble hitting when covering Oblivion from recent album Visions to the packed house's delight. "

Grimes, who also has an art show in town this weekend, does it again tonight at a sold out Glasslands. She then DJs, and luckily doesn't have to sing, at the afterparty.

More pictures and the late show setlist from Mercury Lounge, below...

Continue reading "Grimes, still sick, played 2 shows @ Mercury Lounge w/ Born Gold (pics, review, setlist)"

Grimes @ SXSW 2012 (by Rockienolan)

Grimes is all the rage , and I swear it happened almost overnight. If use Austin as a judge, I can tell you that she definitely had a good crowd on one of the smaller stages at Fun Fun Fun Fest in November, but the buzz was nowhere near what was going on just a few months later in the same town for SXSW (which was not long after she played a sold out non-festival show in Austin too). Of course that's because her great new album came out on 4AD over two months after Fun Fun Fun Fest, and less than a month before SXSW, Best New Music included, but still, she jumped high and fast.

Grimes didn't play that many shows at SXSW (adding to her demand) which is a good thing because she was really tired and sick (the kind of sick that makes you cough and stuff), as you can see and hear a little bit in the videos, one of which was filmed at her Urban Outfitters show, below.

Grimes is now in NYC to play three sold out shows with the also-fun Born Gold, two at Mercury Lounge tonight/Friday and one at Glasslands on Saturday. Those shows seem intimate now, though they didn't even sell out that fast. Two of them were announced in November and still had tickets on sale two months later. Now you'll need to give out sexual favors to get in to one of the three if you don't have a ticket.

HOWEVER, you don't need a ticket at all to get into the afterparty happening at Living Bread on Saturday night (3/24). For that you just need to be quick. First come, first served. 150 capacity. Grimes is DJing. Cadence Weapon is too (which is too bad cause he is a great rapper).

If you go to any of these shows, make sure you dance; Grimes likes it when people do, and in turn puts on a better show (or so she says in the video interview below).

Grimes is also in NYC this weekend for her own art show. A press release says:

Grimes, aka Claire Boucher, the Montreal artist whose latest album Visions has made her an international media sensation, will debut a selection of audio and visual art in a special exhibition opening on March 23 at New York City's Audio Visual Arts (AVA) Gallery.

The opening will present a collection of Boucher's paintings and drawings from the past few years - accompanied by works from two other Canadian artists, specially selected by Boucher for the show - highlighting Grimes's multifaceted nature not only as a musician but also as an audio-visual artist and curator of culture.

All upcoming tour dates and SXSW videos below...

Continue reading "Grimes was sick @ SXSW (video), is on tour, is in NYC now for 3 live shows, an art show (and 1 afterparty)"

Todd P is taking on Mexico again this weekend and in a mega way. San Pedro Garza García is the home of the annual Festival NRMAL 2012, a one-day (on 3/10, but with multiple-pre, after, and post parties) multi-stage festival that features a whopping 55 bands across thress stages from noon until 2AM. The festival will feature headlining appearances from Araabmuzik, Girls (who have just been announced as part of MWTX during SXSW) and White Ring (who play our day show on Wednesday during SXSW), in addition to performances from Liturgy, Gatekeeper, Friends, Davila 666, Grimes, Teengirl Fantasy and many, many more. Full lineup details are below.

Continue reading "Todd P takes on Mexico Saturday (FESTIVAL NRMAL 2012)"

Fanfarlo @ Glasslands in 2011 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

today in NYC
* Charlene Kaye @ S.O.B.'s
* Slavic Soul Party @ Barbes
* Steve Reich @ BAM
* Robert Johnson @ 100 @ Apollo
* Paul Kelly @ Rockwood Music Hall
* Jane's Addiction @ The Wellmont Theatre
* Fanfarlo, Nightlands, Young Man @ Webster Hall
* Lucas Niggli, Tim Berne, Angelica Sanchez @ The Stone
* Bleeding Knees Club, The Dearloves @ Mercury Lounge
* Gates of Heaven, Shan Ren, The Brute Chorus @ Pianos
* Oliver Lake, Christian Weber, Dieter Ulrich @ The Stone
* Odonis Odonis, Eraas, Hooded Fang, Moon King @ Glasslands
* Vassals, The Hairs, Uncles, Mrs. Adam Schatz @ The Delancey
* Onelinedrawing, Vs. Antelope , Sara Syms @ Union Pool
* Cheap Girls, The Sidekicks, Brothers of Brazil, Velta @ Knitting Factory
* Julia Holter, Sarah Cahill(Wordless Music Presents) @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Diamond Terrifier, Ben Vida, C. Spencer Yeh, ATM, Ashley Paul, Cool Places Sound System @ Zebulon
* Soulive, Zach Deputy, Skerik & Allen Stone(Bowlive III) @ Brooklyn Bowl
* The So So Glos, Dinowalrus, La Big Vic, Erika Spring (DJ set) @ Mercury Lounge
* Oneohtrix Point Never, Cubic Zirconia(Red Bull Music Academy) @ The Studio at Webster Hall
* The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt!, Cats In The Basement, Spanish Prisoners, Evi Antonio @ Death By Audio

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We'll be helping T-Mobile judge a photo contest that could win you tickets (plane ticket included) to a festival in the Coachella Valley.

Julia Holter's show tonight will be streaming live.

Grimes' new video for "Oblivion", below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

The press release say:

The 2012 Pitchfork Music Festival returns to Chicago's Union Park Friday, July 13 - Sunday, July 15! Seven years in, this independently run three-day event has consistently proven to be one of the most welcoming, comfortable, reasonably priced and rewarding weekends of music around.

A tremendously focused and thoughtfully curated event, the Pitchfork Music Festival has historically introduced emerging bands while also honoring a great number of already beloved and internationally renowned acts. This year continues with that high standard and welcomes Vampire Weekend, Feist, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Hot Chip, AraabMUZIK, A$AP Rocky, The Field, Liturgy, Kendrick Lamar, Grimes, Cloud Nothings, Tim Hecker, and Willis Earl Beal! But this is only the beginning! There are more than 30 acts to still be announced.

Additionally, we are excited to announce that the Pitchfork Music Festival will not be raising ticket prices in 2012! Our goal has always been to create an affordable atmosphere with music at its focus, and do so in a way that is sustainable and exciting. So why raise ticket prices if you don't need to, right? Tickets for the 2012 Pitchfork Music Festival go on sale Friday, March 9 at 12 PM CST, with single-day tickets for $45 and a limited number of three-day passes for $110! Based on years past, three-day passes will sell out very quickly. Tickets will be available on the festival website.

In addition to its musical offerings, the Pitchfork Music Festival also features a wide array of other activities for its 50,000 attendees of all ages from 45 states and 26 countries to easily enjoy. With 50 individual vendors, as well as specialty fairs, the fest not only supports local businesses and economy, but also promotes the Chicago arts community as a whole.

Continue reading "Pitchfork Music Fest 2012 initial lineup announced"

DOWNLOAD: Bear in Heaven - "The Reflection of You" (MP3)

Blouse at 285 Kent earlier this month (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Blouse (who was recently in NYC to play 285 Kent) and Doldrums have been added as openers to Bear in Heaven's upcoming tour. That tour culminates in NYC with shows happening on May 8 at Bowery Ballroom and May 9 at MHOW. Tickets for both shows are still on sale. All dates are listed below.

Bear in Heaven's new album, I Love You, It's Cool (due out April 3 via Dead Oceans) is still streaming at 400,000% slower than actual speed at the band's website. They recently spoke to VICE about it...

VICE:Are any of your fans who were drawn in by the pop sound bewildered by this experiment? How's the overall fan response?

Bear in Heaven: So far the response has been great. Bear in Heaven fans can handle our artistic leanings. I read one thing on Twitter where a person asked if we were printing the drone on vinyl. He wanted to know so he could buy a new shelf.

Speaking of Doldrums, he's one of the guests on Grimes' upcoming album Visions, which you can now stream in full on NPR. The album is due out on February 21 in the US via 4AD. Grimes plays three NYC shows on her upcoming tour.

All dates and stream below...

Continue reading "Blouse & Doldrums added to Bear in Heaven tour; Grimes' new album streaming in full"

Grimes at FFF Fest 2011 (more by Tim Griffin)

As mentioned, Grimes (aka Claire Boucher) is heading out on tour with Born Gold in support of her new album, Visions, out February 21 via 4AD. That tour includes the previously mentioned NYC shows happening on March 23 at Mercury Lounge and March 24 at Glasslands. The Mercury Lounge show sold out and they just added an early show at the same venue that day (3/23). Tickets for the early Mercury Lounge show go on sale Friday (1/20) at noon with an AmEx presale starting Wednesday (1/18) at noon. Tickets for the Glasslands show are still on sale.

Updated dates below...

Continue reading "Grimes adds 3rd NYC show (updated dates & ticket info)"

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Grimes - "Genesis" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Grimes - "Oblivion" (MP3)

Grimes at FFF Fest 2011 (more by Tim Griffin

Avant popper Grimes (aka Claire Boucher) has revealed that she's signed to 4AD, who will release her upcoming album, Visions, which was originally set to be released on January 31 via Arbutus. 4AD will release the record on February 21 in North America and March 12 everywhere else. As she points out on twitter, the album will still be released on Arbutus in Canada, "which is a label [her friends and her] run out of Montreal." She also mentioned that she's honoured to work with 4AD, who she said is "a record label I have admired since I was 13 and first heard the cocteau twins and realized girls can make music, and goth is sick."

So far, two tracks have been revealed off of Visions, which is shaping up to be one of the most promising albums of 2012 so far. Those tracks, "Genesis" and "Oblivion" can be downloaded above and streamed below. They both show Claire Boucher refusing to decide between pop radio stardom and weirdo synth labs, and the result is something that's pretty hard to stay away from.

Grimes will be heading out on a tour in the upcoming months, most of which is with fellow pop destroyers Born Gold. That tour brings them to NYC on March 23 at Mercury Lounge and March 24 at Glasslands. Tickets for the Mercury show and the Glasslands show are still available. Updated dates are listed below.

Azealia Banks

Speaking of daring female artists and Beggars Group labels, Azealia Banks, who if you haven't heard yet, placed #3 on BBC's 'Sound of 2012', is NME's coolest person of 2011, is getting tons of love from Pitchfork, and also has two of the most last-minute killer 2011 tracks with "212" and "Liquorice" (in addition to some other solid cuts floating around like 2012's Scissor Sisters collaboration "Shady Love"), spoke to Self-Titled about her feelings on her former label, XL Recordings. The Daily Swarm points us in the direction of the following quote:

"As soon as I started putting out tracks I was getting attention. Diplo kept talking about me, and that's when XL hit me up. They flew me out to London, and the original idea was to have me work with Richard Russell, and I got signed to this development deal. Richard was cool, but as soon as I didn't want to use his beats, it got real sour. He wound up calling me "amateur" and shit, and the XL interns started talking shit about me. It just got real fucking funny. I was like, "I didn't come here for a date. I came here to cut some fucking records." I got turned off on the music industry and disappeared for a bit. I went into a bit of a depression."

All dates, videos, and streams below...

Continue reading "Grimes happy to be on 4AD (MP3s); Azealia Banks happy to done with XL (videos & streams)"

photos by Tim Griffin

Grimes @ Fun Fun Fun Fest

Grimes is still out on dates with Austra post-Fun Fun Fun Fest, but the Canadian and her uber-talented stage-dancer (see video below) have already mapped out their return to NYC as part of a string of shows with Born Gold who were also ridiculous amounts of fun at one of our CMJ day parties. This is definitely a double bill I'll want to be checking out.

Look for the pair to hit Mercury Lounge on March 23rd, 2012 and Glasslands in Brooklyn on March 24th. Tickets for Mercury go on AMEX presale at noon on 11/16 with regular sale hitting on Friday, while Glasslands tickets are on sale now. The shows are two of at least three dates scheduled for the pair, who will also play Allston, MA a few days later. Is this part of a larger tour? Probably. Details are forthcoming.

All known dates, more Fun Fun Fun pictures and some videos (including Born Gold's new one for "Lawn Knives"), below...

Continue reading "Grimes playing shows w/ Born Gold (dates, videos & more pics from Fun Fun Fun Fest)"

photos by Tim Griffin

Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 came to a close on Sunday night. It was another successful year for the well-rounded music fest, and the end of its first in the larger (and much dustier) Auditorium Shores. And though Ryan Gosling may have been the most talked about artist at the festival (Danzig was a close second), the real star was festival organizer Transmission Enertainment for putting together such a kickass lineup on four stages for three days straight (not to mention a mechanical bull) (and skate and bike ramp and tons of good food and vendors and merch and posters and wrestling) (and Turquoise Jeep).

After Hum and then a quick set of comedy by metal comedian Brian Posehn (he did his Slayer joke and one that involved Pantera), Slayer closed out the large Orange stage on Sunday (the other metal acts played on the slightly smaller Black Stage all weekend, but the Orange was the biggest and actually specially built to Slayer's specs).

Slayer wasn't the only wild headliner of the day though. In fact, that's an understatement. Trash Talk played after Henry Rollins did his set of spoken word in the Yellow Tent because Trash Talk had to miss their originally scheduled set on the Black Stage earlier in the week due to a family emergency. Thanking everyone for missing Slayer to see them (actually not true because it ended up Trash Talk was done before Slayer even started), Trash Talk started their hardcore insanity by pointing out that they were on the only stage with no barricade (the stage comedians usually played). Circle pits, stagediving, stage crowding, grabbing the mic, pumping fists (and skateboards) and just general craziness characterized the next 20 minutes or so.

The always controversial Odd Future drew their own giant and enthusiastic crowd to their headlining set on the Blue Stage, and Blonde Redhead closed out the Black Stage to a more intimate and chilled out audience (in the location that was metal, punk, garage and hardcore the rest of the weekend).

Here is our second set of pictures from the final day of the fest, including Asobi Seksu, the reunited Hum, We Were Promised Jetpacks (who just played NYC and one of our CMJ day parties), Odd Future, G-Side, Austra, Grimes, MNDR, Mates of State, Budos Band, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Architecture in Helsinki, Del the Funky Homosapien, Brian Posehn, Flying Lotus, Brody Stevens, Trash Talk, Henry Rollins, and more SLAYERRRR.

We previously posted pictures from both day 1 and day 2, and a second set by BBG day 1, day 2, and day 3

The rest of day 3, below...

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 -- Day 3 pics (part 2) -- Henry Rollins, Brian Posehn, Odd Future, Trash Talk & more"

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Grimes - "Oblivion" (MP3)

Main Attrakionz

I discussed west coat, lo-fi rappers Main Attrakionz last time, which was also the first time, they visited NYC. Now they're back, and will definitely be keeping busy this week.

In addition to our free, all-ages BrooklynVegan day party on Thursday (10/20) at Knitting Factory, Main Attrakionz have a bunch of other CMJ shows coming up. Those include the previously discussed Life or Death showcase at Cake Shop on Thursday night (10/20), the free Converse True Til Def show at Santos on Saturday (10/22), and the Noisey CMJ showcase at Santos on Wednesday (10/19) with Twin Shadow. They're also DJing the Pitchfork Altered Zones New Museum party that Atlas Sound was just added to.

The duo will also play a free Gorilla vs Bear/Yours Truly party at Shea Stadium on Thursday (10/20) with Grimes, King Krule, Dent May, Gauntlet Hair, The Bins, Bleached, and Sharon Van Etten (DJ set). They'll play Fader Fort at 443 w 18th St in Manhattan on Friday (10/21) with ASAP Rocky with Clams Casino, Light Asylum, King Krule, Grimes, Metronomy, and others. RSVP for Fader Fort is now closed. You can also catch Main Attrakionz at the free Dovecoat Records party at Glasslands on Saturday (10/22) with Wise Blood, Supreme Cuts, Evan Voytas, and others.

Main Attrakionz have a new video for "3000," which appeared on These New Puritans' 'Hidden' Remix EP which also featured TNPS remixes by SBTRKT, Salem, and Ghost Hunter. You can watch that video below.

Speaking of Grimes (aka Claire Boucher), who also plays Fader Fort and the Altered Zones show at New Museum on Saturday (10/22) (which isn't officially part of CMJ), she's got a new album, Visions, coming out on January 31 via Arbutus Records. The album features guest work from Doldrums and Majical Clouds. You can grab the album's weirdo-pop lead track, "Oblivion," at the top of this post, and check out the album art and tracklist below. After CMJ, she's got some dates with Austra.

All dates, video, album art and tracklist below...

Continue reading "Main Attrakionz are here for CMJ, Grimes too (dates, MP3, new album info & stuff)"

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Xeno & Oaklander - Autumn's Edge (MP3)

Xeno & Oaklander are New York's premier minimal wave, and have been doing it 1981 style -- using patch bays and vintage equipment exclusively, no laptops -- for over five years. Despite the duo's neo-luddite approach to making electronic music, Sean McBride and Liz Wendelbo have certainly gotten better at what they're doing, both mastery of their gear and in songwriting.

Sets & Lights, which was released this week on Wierd Records, is the band's third album and easily their best. Arpeggiated synths and sequencers bubble along and Wendelbo and McBride trade vocals... it's like the soundtrack to some gleaming baroque futureworld. You can download "Autumn's Edge" at the top of this post, and be sure to check out the genuinely spooky video to single "The Staircase" further down.

Xeno & Oaklander have a few shows coming up. Tonight (10.12), they celebrate the release of Sets & Lights tonight (10.12) at the weekly Wierd Party at Home Sweet Home. Friday night (10.14) they'll play the afterparty of the first night of the Neon Marshmallow Festival which is happening all weekend at Public Assembly.

Then next Saturday (10/22), Xeno & Oaklander play Altered Zones at the New Museum, which seems to be this year's attempt by Pitchfork at CMJ counterprograming. (Remember #Offline?) In addition to X&O, performers include AraabMuzik, Grimes, Teengirl Fantasy, Trash Talk, Eric Copeland, Prince Rama, Light Asylum, FORMA, and Dive. The show is 21+ and $25 for non-museum members and a portion of the proceeds goes to benefit the 2012 New Museum Triennial, an international exhibition of emerging artists. This actually sounds potentially cool. Flyer for the event is below.

Continue reading "Xeno & Oaklander released Sets & Lights, playing shows, Pitchfork Altered Zones not-CMJ party @ New Museum"