One of the most eclectic lineups in the US, Hopscotch Festival in Raleigh, NC, will be back for 2013 on September 5 -7. Pulling from all genres, this year's line-up includes names like Big Boi (who plays NYC tonight), Spiritualized, Sleep, Wolf Eyes (who have a new video), The Breeders (performing Last Splash), John Cale, Kurt Vile & the Violators, Gorguts, Inter Arma (who play NYC on Saturday), Double Negative (who played NYC this past weekend), Swearin' (them too), Pissed Jeans, Dan Friel, Waxahatchee and many many others. Three-day wristbands are on sale now with individual day tickets going on sale in June. Full lineup is below.

Continue reading "Hopscotch announces 2013 lineup (Big Boi, Sleep, Spiritualized, Kurt Vile, Wolf Eyes, John Cale, more)"

Dan Deacon @ MHOW, 11/16/2012 (more by David Andrako)

Dan Deacon made his national network television debut last night (12/13) on Jimmy Kimmel Live, playing "True Thrush" from his most recent album, America. Like at his live shows, Dan and his band played mostly in darkness and incorporates an iPhone app into his crowd-participation antics. You can experience a little of that symbiosis in the video from the Kimmel performance which has an interactive element, which you can watch below. Dan's North American tour wraps up this weekend in Florida and he'll head to Europe in February for a short tour there. All dates are listed below.

Meanwhile, Dan gave us his Top 10 LPs of 2012 which includes Baltimore pals Ed Schrader's Music Beat, Beach House, Dope Body, Chester Endersby Gwazda (who Dan brought on tour with him this year) and Horse Lords. You can check it out below, along with a list of tour dates and the 'Kimmel' video.

Continue reading "Dan Deacon made his network TV debut on 'Kimmel,' lists his Top 10 LPs of 2012"

Lower Dens @ Chicago's the Riv, 10/1/2012 (more by Grant McAllister)

Baltimore's Lower Dens went into new, motorik directions on their second album, Nootropics so it makes sense that tracks from the record might work well in the remix world. Hence, the Nootropics Remixed EP which takes three cuts off the album and puts them into the hands of Trentemøller, Cex, and Steve Moore. You can stream Trentemøller's excellent recrafting of Nootropics standout cut "Brains" below. You can buy it directly from Ribbon Music, and if you buy any Lower Dens title, you'll get Nootropics Remixed for free.

Meanwhile, Lower Dens shared with us their picks for Best of 2012. All four current members contributed lists and none of them were straight LP lists, mixing media with inclusions for live shows, books, food, film and ephemera. Check them out below, along with that "Brains" remix.

Continue reading "Lower Dens released 'Nootropics Remixed' EP, list their favorite things of 2012"