The Strokes will play a secret gig in London tomorrow night (June 9), Gigwise can exclusively reveal.

The band will perform under the name Venison at Dingwalls in Camden.

The gig will serve as a warm-up for The Strokes' headlining performances at the Isle of Wight and Rockness festivals this weekend.

Tickets go on sale tonight (June 8) at 9pm. [gigwise]

So far the Strokes only have three US shows scheduled for this year - Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits and Outside Lands.

Julian Casablancas @ Downtown Palace Theater in L.A. (more by Darren Kim)

CNN: What was your reaction when NME called "Is This It" the album of the decade?

Casablancas: Unbelievable. I hadn't thought about it, but it's really weird. I like it, though.

CNN: What stood out for you in this life-changing decade?

Casablancas: Probably that: having people or magazines say that your album is the best of the decade. That's not something I ever thought in my wildest dreams.

Julian Casablancas played a five-show run at L.A.'s Downtown Palace Theatre in November. Back then it was reported (by Julian in the NY Times) that he'd be doing a "New York residency" in January, but it looks like he changed his mind. It's been announced that he'll play Terminal 5 on Thursday, January 14th. There's a pre-sale for tickets happening now. Tickets go on general sale Friday, December 11th at noon. More shows TBA?

What about the band with NME's album of the decade?

Julian Casablancas, the front man of the Strokes, told Billboard that the group would headline the Isle of Wight festival in Britain on June 12, alongside Jay-Z; the performance will probably be followed by other summer concert appearances in Europe and North America. "When we meet with the band and talk and play music, it's just a different level of ease and comfort," Mr. Casablancas told Billboard. "Everyone's more easygoing and everyone feels more confident and just trusts each other a little bit." [NY Times]

Hopefully Julian doesn't change his mind about that too.

One of the bonus tracks on Julian's Phrazes For The Young is a cover of the SNL song "I Wish It Was Christmas Today" (it's also a limited 7"). Both versions of the track (videos) and all tour dates (he has a string of Europe/UK shows this December) are below...

Continue reading "Julian Casablancas playing T5 in NYC (and covered SNL holiday song), Strokes playing Isle of Wight (and top NME albums of the decade list)"

The Breeders @ McCarren Park Pool, July 13 2008 (more by Ryan Muir)

Pixies played their first high-profile UK gig in nearly four years tonight (June 14), performing before Neil Young at the Isle Of Wight Festival.

Opening their Main Stage set with 'U-Mass', the band treated fans to an 80-minute greatest hits set.

Early on in the set, bassist Kim Deal remarked that she found the island "very pretty", before giggling into the microphone. [NME]

The Pixies followed that show with an invite-only release party for their Minotaur boxset the next night in London. (That boxset includes each of the five Pixies studio albums cut onto LP/gold-plated CD/Blu-ray audio/DVD/etc.) Drowned in Sound was there and wrote...

Doubtless you know/saw enough of the last reunion tour to be well aware the Pixies are still very, very good at playing Pixies songs, and a full review would be kind of gratuitous: they were frickin' awesome.

Set lists for both shows are below.

There's no word on any additional Pixies dates yet, though Frank Black has announced some solo Black Francis shows, and is touring with his Grand Duchy project this summer. That group plays NYC's Siren Fest on July 18th, with a show the night before in Hoboken. Updated tour dates (FB and GD) are below.

The Pixies' Kim Deal has shows this summer too, with The Breeders. They'll be at Sled Island Fest in Calgary this weekend (June 26th). The band's also announced several August tour dates. Those include NYC shows on August 18th and 19th at the Bowery Ballroom. Tickets for both nights go on presale Wednesday, June 24th at noon. General sale starts Friday at 11am.

Kim and Kelley Deal of the Breeders will lso be performing as part of The Long Count, a BAM commissioned project by the National's Bryce and Aaron Dessner. That premieres in Brooklyn in October.

Pixies set lists, with all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Breeders playing 2 NYC shows, Deals playing BAM, Pixies played 2 shows (setlist), Frank Black announced more dates"

by Andrew Frisicano

Pixies are back again - so far with just one UK date: June 14th at the Isle of Wight Festival (featuring Neil Young and more - tickets on sale here). "More [shows] to come", as promised by the band's Myspace.

Meanwhile, Frank Black and Violet Clark (husband+wife) have recorded a full-length as Grand Duchy. The record, Petits Fours, will be out April 14th in the US on Cooking Vinyl (out now in Europe). Track list below. The group's Myspace also asks for "submissions of an artistic nature for the creation of a compendium of Grand Duchy-themed art."

Frank Black's BlackFrancis.net cryptically speculates: "The negotiators continue the discussion about BLACK FRANCIS concerts for this year of the Ox 2009. Acoustic? 3 piece? GRAND DUCHY? PIXIES? Duets with movie stars? Poetry slam? Art exhibition? WHO SHALL KNOW THESE THINGS? Checking the site of blackfrancis.net can be a habit to have!!" Part of that picture is put together above, with certainly more to be announced.

Black also recently produced Art Brut's third LP Art Brut vs. Satan out April 20th (Europe on Cooking Vinyl) and May 12th (US on Downtown Records). The first officially released track "Alcoholics Unanimous" has a video which was posted here on Sunday and can also be watched below.

A book on the Pixies, Pixies: In Print, recently came out on Rock Reader Books. The 1,000-copy first printing "collects all of the revered and influential band's essential press interactions. Focusing on the group's 1987 - 1992 heyday and its subsequent 2004 - 2007 reunion, PIXIES: IN PRINT chronicles the history of the Boston-bred musical icons through essential interviews, essays and articles."

And, as previously mentioned, Kim Deal and The Breeders are curating/playing ATP UK Weekend 2 May 15-17. Full line-up, the Grand Duchy track list, some videos, and more below...

Continue reading "Frank Black back w/ Pixies (date), Grand Duchy & Art Brut "

Amy performed the Temptations ''Ain't Too Proud To Beg' with some band The Rolling Stones on the final day of the Isle of Wight Festival in Newport on June 10, 2007 on the Isle of Wight, England......

Tickets are on sale Friday for a September 12th Central Park Summerstage show starring the one and only Amy Winehouse with special guest (blah) Paolo Nutini. It's the first date of a short tour they're going on here in the United States. Can anyone recommend some good Chinese in the area?

Amy plays some festivals in Canada a few days earlier. All tour dates, and more pictures & video of Amy & The Rolling Stones, below....

Continue reading "(Mick Jagger's friend) AMY WINEHOUSE & Paolo Nutini - 2007 Tour Dates (Summerstage)"