The 2013 ACL Festival happens in Austin, TX on two consecutive weekends: October 4 - 6 and October 11 - 13. Weekend passes are on sale now and the full line-up is below...

Continue reading "2013 ACL Music Fest lineup announced (Depeche Mode, The Cure, Atoms for Peace, The National, Vampire Weekend + more)"

Phoenix, who just played Coachella, are streaming their shiny new album, Bankrupt!, on iTunes.

Sub Pop 1000, the Record Store Day compilation with tracks from Peaking Lights, Iron Lung, Ed Schrader's Music Beat, Starred, My Disco, and others that we recommended in our RSD2013 guide, is streaming now on Pitchfork.

The new Nick Drake tribute album with covers by Vashti Bunyan, Robyn Hitchcock, and others is streaming on Spinner.

Jose Gonzalez's band Junip are streaming their new self titled album on Pitchfork.

Meat Puppets are streaming their new album, Rat Farm, on Spinner.

Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge are streaming their new film-soundtrack-style album, Twelve Reasons to Die, on NPR.

Montreal shoegazers No Joy are streaming their shimmery new album, Wait to Pleasure, on Pitchfork.

Tera Melos are streaming their new spastic pop album, X'ed Out, on Spinner.

The Boy Least Likely To are streaming their new album, The Great Perhaps, on Pitchfork.

As mentioned José González' band, Junip, will release their new self-titled album, on April 23. You can watch the video for the album's first single, "Line of Fire," below. The band have just announced a North American tour that will bring them to NYC for a show at Highline Ballroom on June 13. Tickets are on sale now.

All Junip tour dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Junip announce North American tour (NYC tickets on sale)"

José González's band Junip will release their new, eponymous album on April 23. "All the ups and downs were very 'Junip,' so titling it with our name seemed appropriately iconic. It's truly a band album," Says González, adding, "We're somewhere between a German jazz band and an African pop band." You can stream the album's anthemic first single, "Line of Fire," below.

Junip were supposed to play after González's appearance at ATP NY last year but only González ended up coming over from Sweden. Hopefully Junip will make it here in 2013. Tracklist for Junip, plus a video trailer and the single stream, are below.

Continue reading "listen to a track from Junip's new album which is out in April"

Junip at Bowery Ballroom in 2011 (more by Winnie Cheung)

We're very excited to have finished writing and recording our second album with Junip. Currently we're working on the artwork and b-sides to upcoming releases. We had plans on trying out the songs live this autumn but circumstances beyond our control prevent us from touring. Apologies to those of you who had plans on going to the announced shows. As for now the Berlin, New York and LA dates will be cancelled. José's soloshow at I'll Be Your Mirror in New York on Sep 22nd will however go on as planned.

José, Elias, Tobias

Junip at Bowery Ballroom in 2011 (more by Winnie Cheung)

Jose Gonzalez's Junip project have a few shows coming up this year, including two US dates in October. One of those is in NYC on October 10 at Le Poisson Rouge. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday (8/3) at noon.

Meanwhile, Jose Gonzalez will be in NYC even sooner for ATP I'll Be Your MIrror, which goes down on Pier 36 from September 21-23.

A list of all dates and a video below...

Continue reading "Junip playing shows after Jose Gonzalez plays ATP (dates)"

Beirut, Sharon Van Etten, and Yellow Ostrich play a sold out (except to badges) Northside Festival show in McCarren Park tonight. The Books, Junip, and Doveman play a free show in Prospect Park. Both shows are rain or shine, though lightning could change that. Hopefully it doesn't rain too hard, or at all. 50% is still only 50%!

Best Coast and The Decemberists played Prospect Park in the rain earlier in the week, and that wasn't too bad.

photos by Winnie Cheung

PopMatters: José, at what point did you so decide you wanted to focus your creative energies on Junip?

José González: : Ever since I started touring seven years ago. After my first album [Veneer], our first attempt with Junip was in 2005. I've been really bad at saying "no: to stuff, so I was always headed back out on tour. So in 2008 it needed us to just put our foot down and decide properly that "next year we're going to record it, right? Right?!'

PopMatters: Do you work better when you set a deadline for yourself like that?

José González: It wasn't a deadline. It was more about a start line. More about saying 'no' to other stuff--not having a deadline, but starting to write and letting it take the time it needs. Deadlines are bad actually.

PopMatters: You guys met on the hardcore scene in Gothenburg in the 90's, which coincided with the city's death metal scene.

Tobias Winterkorn: I played bass in a death metal band. Very briefly. Some death metal stuff is quite good. I liked it more than I liked the hardcore scene for example.

José González: And Elias used to play drums in a death metal band.

Continue reading "Junip, Acrylics & High Highs played Bowery Ballroom (pics)"

Jose G (Junip) @ Irving Plaza in 2010 (more by Toby Tenembaum)

Jose Gonzalez will in fact be the musical guest at Rooftop Films' screening of the movie about him...

Rooftop Films is excited to announce that Jose Gonzalez will be the headlining artist for the 2011 Summer Series Live Music program. Rooftop's music programming has long been ahead of the curve and is an integral part of what makes Rooftop events so distinctive. Rooftop Films is proud to continue this tradition with Mr. Gonzalez's performance, along with concerts by rising stars such as the Brooklyn based bands Widowspeak, playing on May 27th and Snowmine, playing June 3rd. Additional bands will be announced shortly.

Mr. Gonzalez will perform on Sunday, June 19th, ahead of the new documentary The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of Jose Gonzalez, in which filmmakers Mikel Cee Karlsson and Fredrik Egerstrand follow the fascinating Swedish artist for three years at home, in the studio, and on tour around world.

As previously mentioned, Prylf and other special guests will be performing with the musical movie "Sound of Noise" tonight (5/19). (And the timing of this is actually a coincidence but) Ela Orleans, who I just highlighted one post ago (and who also plays a show tonight) plays with the Rooftop film screening on 5/26.

Jose Gonzalez ALSO plays a NYC show tonight, but as part of his band Junip at Bowery Ballroom as part of their tour with Acrylics. High Highs are also on the bill. Tickets are still available.

Junip will be back NYC this summer to play a free show in Prospect Park with the Books and Doveman on June 17th, two days before Jose makes his 'Rooftop' appearance.

The Outside Lands Festival, which runs from 8/12 - 8/14 in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, released their 2011 lineup in April (and now it's May, so consider this a catch up post). Tickets are on sale.

This year's fest will appearances from The Shins, Muse, Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys, Phish (two sets), !!!, Erykah Badu, Big Audio Dynamite (who played Coachella and are also playing Lollapalooza), Girl Talk and many more. The full lineup is below.

Continue reading "Outside Lands 2011 lineup"

The National show in Prospect Park (more by Amanda Hatfield)

We already knew that 'Celebrate Brooklyn' is hosting an impressive lineup of ticketed Prospect Park Bandshell shows this summer: The Decemberists, Animal Collective, Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver & Cut Copy. And we knew that the 33rd annual series of free shows would start with an Andrew Bird show on June 10th, and that BRIC is also hosting three free 'dance parties' in Brooklyn Bridge Park this summer too.

Now the entire 2011 lineup of "24 free performances, including 20 music concerts, two dance performances, two film screenings with live music, and a family concert" is here! You can check it all out (The Feelies, Real Estate, The Books, Junip, Doveman, Justin Townes Earle, Punch Brothers, Raekwon, Oumou Sangaré, Times New Viking, Ra Ra Riot, Delicate Steve, Buke & Gass and Hal Willner included), below...

Continue reading "Celebrate Brooklyn - complete 2011 Prospect Park show lineup"

"We've released a new digital-only EP. It features "In Every Direction" and remixes by Dale Earnhardt JR JR and White Sea (Morgan Kibby of M83), as well as three brand new, unreleased B-sides; "Näckrosdammen", "Pling", and "White Rain".

The video for "In Every Direction" was directed by our drummer Elias Araya. Elias found inspiration for the video in his father's art, the painter and sculptor, Kent Karlsson.Elias presents images in a simple, iconic way using different backgrounds refracted through a diamond. A few of his father's porcelain dog collection also made the video." - Junip

Junip, José González included, will hit the road for a string of North American dates in April and May with NYC band Acrylics, including May 19th at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets for the NYC show go on AmEx presale Wednesday (3/9) at noon, and regular sale on Friday. Junip is also scheduled to play Bonnaroo in middle June. All dates are listed below.

Meanwhile Acrylics will be down at SXSW and at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on March 29th with Papercuts & Banjo or Freakout.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. have a few dates scheduled on their way to Austin for SXSW, and it looks like they'll be spending some time on the road in May too, hitting NYC's Mercury Lounge on May 11th. Tickets for that one go on AmEx presale Wednesday (3/9) at noon, and regular sale on Friday. All currently known dates, and the Junip stuff, below...

Continue reading "Junip touring w/ Acrylics, released digital EP w/ remix by Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr (who have upcoming dates too)"

Bonnaroo (June 9-12 in Manchester Tennessee) has announced the 2011 lineup (slightly early), and like the rumored Lollapalooza lineup, Eminem is among the headliners. Bonnaroo also has Grammy winners Arcade Fire and the Black Keys, in addition to Lil Wayne, Mumford & Sons, the Strokes, The Decemberists, Florence & the Machine, Girl Talk, Beirut (haven't seen them in a while), and many more. Full list below...

Continue reading "Bonnaroo 2011 lineup is here"

photos by Toby Tenenbaum, words by Rachel Kowal

The members of Junip may not have celebrated Thanksgiving growing up, but the Swedish group's music was perfect for Wednesday night's lazy, pre-holiday haze.

The evening began with a set by the talented group Lost in the Trees. From watching the cheerful interactions among the musicians on stage, it may be tempting to write off the North Carolinians as a bit too precious, but chief songwriter/composer Ari Picker's dark lyrics and foreboding orchestral solos are often anything but sweet and innocent. Dead babies, dashed hopes, dirty secrets, and sick hearts were all mentioned in the band's opening song, "All Alone in an Empty House." With the lyrics in mind, all those knowing glances exchanged on stage take on the sinister tone of a conniving group of co-conspirators.

The band may not have directly serenaded the audience by unplugging their instruments and hopping off stage as is often the case at their shows, but their performance was certainly not lacking in bravado. The audience easily warmed to their satisfying set.

Following Lost in the Trees, a strange series of projected images and videos (like psychedelic shadow puppets and car-driving cats) filled the screen as a way to distract concert-goers during the set-up process. Then, the screen lifted and Junip began to play at 9:45 sharp.

Even those who are relatively new to Junip may recognize the dulcet tones of José González on vox. What may come as a surprise is that González began making music with Junip more than four years before he embarked on successful career as a solo artist. Junip retains González' understated, largely indecipherable vocals and serious guitar work while boasting peppier percussion and fuller instrumentation thanks to collaborators Elias Araya and Tobias Winterkorn. Now, after over a decade of sporadic activity, the group has embarked on a more serious regimen to coincide with the recent release of Fields.

In my personal experience, getting used to a bedroom musician's work with a band can be rough (Iron & Wine, anybody?), but since this project's name denotes a departure from José González, the solo artist, Junip becomes much easier to digest and enjoy.

Junip's setlist, more pictures from the show, and a Big Ass Lens profile of the band that was filmed at the show, below...

Continue reading "Junip & Lost in the Trees played Irving Plaza (pics, setlist) "

AM NY: Because of your solo career, Junip has had to take many breaks over the years. Was there any time you thought that a hiatus might be permanent?

Jose Gonzalez: I think we weren't dramatic enough to call it quits. Once in a while we talked about getting together and giv[ing] the band a proper try, so I guess we felt that it would happen someday.

AM NY: You create your songs through group improvisation. Do you have a great "aha! Moment" when you you've hit on something?

Jose Gonzalez: When we improvise we do get aha! moments all the time and that's when we start recording. But it's only afterwards that we realize if it's crap or gold. We have a lot of gigabytes of crap. We continue working on the sketches and at the last minute I write the lyrics at home.

AM NY: What made you decide to write lyrics in English as opposed to Swedish?

Jose Gonzalez: When I started to write when I was 14, I just what everyone else did. It's very common for Swedish bands to sing in English. Swedish felt too direct while English was more enigmatic, but now that aspect is gone since we're touring mainly in English-speaking countries. So now it's only because of habit -- we'll see what I'll write in the future.

AM NY: On the website, you guys discuss each track from the album in detail, but some musicians are reluctant to share that process. What made you open to it?

Jose Gonzalez: I think it depends on what you're saying about each track. With lyrics I like some sense of mystery, that's why I usually don't explain in detail what I mean. But if you're talking about anecdotes of the recording sessions or some nerdy facts about our sound then it doesn't matter at all.

Ray Davies is no longer playing the Beacon tonight.

SuperVegan lists where to eat on Thanksgiving.

I know you're sick of Kanye West, but in case you didn't hear the entire thing yet, video of his complete rant from Bowery Ballroom last night, below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday (Thanksgiving eve) "

Sharon Van Etten at Bruar Falls (more by Jessica Amaya)

Sharon Van Etten just released a new 7" via Polyvinyl and is currently on the road with Junip. In December she plays some shows in Japan! In 2011 she'll return to the stage for a hometown show at Bowery Ballroom on January 8th! It's always exciting to watch someone book their first show at the 600+ capacity venue, especially when they can probably already list every other smaller NYC venue on their resume (and bigger ones too - as opener). Tickets go on sale at noon today (11/19). Let's pack the room.

Van Etten's current tourmates will be in NYC much much sooner, but she isn't opening the show. Junip (Jose Gonzalez's band) play Irving Plaza on November 24th but with Lost in the Trees. Tickets are still available.

Later in January Sharon will play even more US dates, and then in February she heads to Europe to open shows for the National.

Tour dates for both bands and some videos below...

Continue reading "more Sharon Van Etten tour dates, Bowery Ballroom included!"

Junip @ Bowery Ballroom 6/10/10 (Chris Goldberg)

Junip, the José González-fronted Swedish three-piece fronted who visited NYC in June, will be touring North Ameica this November (they're in Europe before and after that). The tour comes to NYC for a November 24th show at Irving Plaza. Tickets TBA.

Sharon Van Etten opens the tour, though not the NYC or D.C. dates, where she has her own shows coming up soon (and her new album coming soon too).

Junip is releasing a new record, Fields, due September 14th on Mute and City Slang Recordsbunch. The first single off that, "Always," is a free download, as is their 2010 EP Rope & Summit (with a sign-up for their mailing list). Even more songs are streaming on their new website.

All Junip tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Junip & Sharon Van Etten - new albums, 2010 tour dates "

Mountain Man in a Greenpoint Church (photo by Erez Avissar)

Mountain Man (Molly Erin Sarle, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and Amelia Randall Meath), already with record contracts overseas have signed with Partisan Records in the US! Their album Made The Harbor will be released by the Brooklyn-based label that is also home to Deer Tick, on July 20th.

As far as shows, the May 19th one at Mercury Lounge is sold out, but they've added another. That makes their total upcoming US shows two, and both are in NYC. The new one is opening for Junip at Knitting Factory on June 9th. Tickets are on sale. Junip is the band of José González, Elias Araya & Tobias Winterkorn, and they're also playing Bowery Ballroom while they're here (but with a different TBA opener). All Mtn Man dates with the new album tracklist and some videos below...

Continue reading "Mountain Man signs to Partisan, opening for Junip ++ videos"

Junip, singer Jose Gonzalez's band with fellow Swedes Elias Araya and Tobias Winterkorn, will be touring of North America this June (in addition to a bunch of European shows they have planned). They play two NYC shows: one at the Knitting Factory on June 9th and another at Bowery Ballroom on June 10th. Tickets to the first are on sale. Tickets to Bowery go on sale Friday at noon.

The band isn't new - they've been playing together since the late '90s and put out the Black Refuge EP in 2006 - but they will be releasing new material. Expect a new EP and a full-length later this year (on Mute in the US and Canada, City Slang in Europe, Shock in Australia and Ultra-Vybe in Japan).

A new song is available on through the band's site (for your e-mail address). Other tracks are streaming on their Myspace. Videos of the band and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Jose Gonzalez's old band Junip releasing music & touring"

"RCRD LBL is a network of ad-supported online record labels and blogs offering completely free music streams and downloads from emerging and established artists."

It's been a while since I thought about Jose Gonzalez's band called Julip. RCRD LBL launched with an exclusive Junip track. They've also got a new Spank Rock-related remix of Justice's D.A.N.C.E. (to add to your collection of 500 other D.A.N.C.E. remixes), and a song by Jacques Renault. You can also browse by label (Dim Mak, Modular, Downtown, etc) and genre. Seems okay, but it took me a lot of clicks to get each song.

Elsewhere...
* Digg: RCRD LBL Launches
* Interview: Peter Rojas of RCRD LBL
* RCRD LBL Solves the Free Music Riddle
* RCRD LBL Drags MP3 Blogging Into Semi-Legitimacy
* Digg Readers Have Some Issues They'd Like To Discuss With RCRD LBL
* NIKON PARTNERS WITH RCRD LBL, HELPS MUSICIANS AND THEIR FANS CONNECT THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY
* Engadget founder Peter Rojas's new digital music site RCRD LBL launches

MY INTRO
Dustin Cohen caught up with José González before his second of two shows at NYC's Bowery Ballroom on July 3, 2006 (one day earlier I caught José at Summerstage) . Dustin snapped these pictures and asked Jose a few questions...

DUSTIN'S INTRO
Several years ago I received an unexpected package from a good friend who was living in Lund, Sweden. Inside waiting, was the tightest pair of jeans I've ever tried to squeeze into and a José González EP, which was only available in his native country at the time. About two years later, I heard González's rendition of "Heartbeats" by The Knife featured on a Sony Bravia TV commercial (the ad shows 250,000 bouncy balls racing down a San Francisco street, check it out if you haven't seen it, it's truly fantastic) and my interest in his music was rekindled. Since then, Veneer, González's first full-length album has finally been released in the U.S. by Mute Records and he's been playing sold out shows all over the world.

QUICK FACTS
Name: José González
Age: 27
Hometown: Gothenburg, Sweden

BrooklynVegan Dustin: This is the last night of this tour, how did it go?

Jose: Pretty great actually, I really enjoy playing with Juana Molina and Psapp.

BrooklynVegan Dustin: Outside of New York and L.A., have people been very receptive to your music?

Jose: Yeah, I didn't really know many of the cities before. Last Sunday we were in Detroit, which I heard was a hard place to play, but it was really good.

Continue reading "An interview with José González"

If this is really Gorilla Vs. Bear's last Jose Gonzalez post, than this is my last post dedicated completely to linking one of his Jose Gonzalez posts.

Previously
Jose Gonzalez's band - Junip | Video & MP3s

Jose Gonzalez has a band called Junip. They have an album called 'Black Refuge.'

"Whereas Gonzalez's solo debut 'Veneer' was a wistful collection of musical gems that eschewed the oft histrionic excesses of romanticism in favour of sleight musical (yet fathom deep emotional) dissertations, 'Black Refuge' sees him embark on a markedly more expansive sound alongside Elias Araya and Tobias Winkerton. Opening through the title track, Junip combine a bluster of organ thrums, thickly rendered percussion and Gonzalez's beautifully placid vocals to produce a sound which is at once spiralling yet very much rooted in the emotional bedrock." [Boomkat - where you can buy the CD]

DOWNLOAD (MP3s)
Ghost of Tom Joad (Bruce Springsteen cover)
Official

Watch the Black Refuge Video

Previously
José González covers Kylie Minogue | MP3
Sony does Jose Gonzalez | Heartbeats | More Knife
Jose Gonzalez @ The Living Room, NYC | pics