cake (mooving photography)

Though there are still tickets left for their August 24th show at Terminal 5 at the moment, Scissor Sisters have added a 2nd show at the same venue. Tickets for the new August 25th show go on AmEx presale Wednesday at 11am. General sale begins Friday at noon. Their DJ, Sammy Jo, opens both dates.

Meanwhile, Bloc Party frontman gone solo, Kele's August 3rd show at Webster Hall has been rescheduled for September 8th (All tickets will be honored. Refunds available at point of purchase.) Jessica 6 opens that one.

Updated SS and Kele dates below....

Continue reading "Scissor Sisters add 2nd show, Kele postpones a bunch"

Kele Okereke is moving to New York.

The Bloc Party frontman fell in love with the city while recording his debut solo LP 'The Boxer' and is determined to relocate within the next few months.

He said: "Making a record has really made me fall in love with New York. I'd never seen the soul of the city until I recorded my record there.

"It made me realise I have to move there. I'm going to move there this year." [Monsters and Critics]

The debut was produced by XXXchange (who did Spank Rock's last record) and comes out June 22st on Glassnote. Its single, "Tenderoni" (hopefully a worth addition to the list of songs with that name), is expected before then.

Kele's band, Bloc Party, have been on indefinite hiatus since October - they played Terminal 5 last March.

When the band decided to take a hiatus after five straight years of touring, Kele had originally intended to walk away from music for a year. But when downtime presented itself, he found his creative impulses were too strong, and ended up booking himself some exploratory time in a recording studio on a whim. Alone with an engineer, he gravitated towards new instruments, hardly ever picking up the guitar. "I plugged in synths with no idea what they would do. I began programming drum beats, which I had never done before. It was completely back to the drawing board. It was exciting and terrifying. In most cases, I sat down, pulled a drum beat out of nowhere, and arranged stuff around that. It was as exciting to me as the first time I picked up a guitar."

Continue reading "Bloc Party's Kele Okereke releasing solo debut, moving to NYC, playing Webster Hall (and other dates) "

That above picture is the cover for the forthcoming Tegan & Sara album, Sainthood, due out October 27th on Vapor Records. The record is being produced by Chris Walla (of Death Cab and many producing credits) and Howard Redekopp (who's worked with New Pornographers, Mother Mother, and others) - interesting in that they've both worked on past Tegan & Sara individually.

The pair (Tegan and Sara) have a few shows scheduled at the moment. Two of those will happen at NYC's Town Hall on October 30th and 31st (Mischief Night and Halloween). Tickets go on sale Friday at 10am.

Tiestoremixed Tegan & Sara's track "Back in your Head" in 2007. Now the three have collaborated again on "I Feel it in My Bones," a song that'll be included on Tiesto's new album, Kaleidoscope, out October 20th on Ultra Records. That song is streaming on his MySpace. Also guesting on the Tiesto album will be Jónsi of Sigur Rós, Kele Okereke of Bloc Party, Emily Haines of Metric, and others. Full tracklist is below.

Tiesto is going on a pretty big tour that kicks off with three nights at Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC. Tickets for those shows (9/24-9/26) are on sale now. All dates, the Tegan & Sara album back cover and tracklist, and more, below...

Continue reading "Tegan & Sara - new album, 2 Town Hall shows, & collab. w/ Tiesto who is touring (dates) & playing 3 NYC shows"

Moby and Carla Rhodes helping animals (more by Lori Baily)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* Les Paul @ Iridium
* The Notwist & Dosh @ Webster Hall
* Bearsuit, Boy Genius, CJ Boyd @ Cake Shop
* Atmosphere @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Love is All, Titus Andronicus, Abe Vigoda @ Maxwell's
* Queen Latina, Amanda Lepore, DJ Sammy Jo @ Mercury Lounge (Scissor Sisters)
* The Dead C, Sightings, Northampton Woods, King Darves @ Bowery Ballroom
* Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music), Ben Nichols (Lucero), Tim Barry (of Avail) @ Gramercy Theatre

Paul Simon was born today in 1941 (age 67). He played a few songs at Town Hall the other day.

Kele Okereke was born today in 1981 (age 27).

The Undisputed Heavyweights play their final show tomorrow.

Ed Sullivan died today in 1974.

"Columbus Day is traditionally marked by going to parades that honor the man credited with 'discovering' America. But for Native Americans, whose ancestors were displaced and marginalized by the European journey to this continent, it's a day of somber reflection or even mourning." [NPR]

Video of Vivian Girls playing their record release show at Silent Barn below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday? (Columbus Day)"

Speaking to the BBC's One Show about racial attitudes, Lydon said: "My grandchildren are Jamaican right."

"This is an absolute offence to them and me when I read stories like that, that are allowed to go to print absolutely unfounded and have the liberty to take liberties with a man like me and call me a racist when my entire life has proved exactly the opposite." When asked if he was a racist, Lydon replied: "Absolutely not. And any bugger that dares say so is going to have their day in court with me - you understand this?"

During his interview, Lydon also reaffirmed comments made in his initial response to Okereke's allegations that stressed the Sex Pistols' multi-racial appeal.

"It's the most wonderful thing ever, playing to our multi-racial audiences, which they always have been," he said. "And not only that, multi-gender, multi-everything-you-like, we are open to all. Our whole message in life has been to eliminate the barriers that separate us."

He added that the Sex Pistols "only true enemy in life is governments". "And politicians, and, low and behold, the British press," he added. [GigWise]

Foals @ Silent Barn (more by Leia Jospe)

Foals tour manager Nick Jenkin today called Lydon's description of the event at Barcelona's Summercase Festival "totally untrue," and said he watched Okereke being punched by the Sex Pistols' entourage while the band's frontman, known as Johnny Rotten, taunted the Kaiser Chiefs' Ricky Wilson, after he went to the aid of the Bloc Party singer.

Jenkin also told Times Online that Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis tried to help Okereke but was put in a sleeper hold by a security guard until he passed out and was then handcuffed as he lay on the ground. "He had a boot on his back," Jenkin said.

Foals bassist Walter Gervers suffered a black eye and guitarist Jimmy Smith was shoved through a barrier during the brawl on Saturday afternoon, Jenkin said. [Times Online]

Neon Neon have backed up Kele from Bloc Party's statement on John Lydon's alleged racist attack, after witnessing the event.

Speaking exclusively to MTV News Gruff Rhys from the group said: "It was horrific. Kele is a very brave man and what he said is exactly what happened."

The band were backstage at the Summercase Festival in Barcelona with other British groups when the alleged assault took place and confirmed they saw everything.

Neon Neon and Super Furry Animals singer Gruff added: "The statements Kele has said are absolutely true. It did happen."

Neon Neon are up for this year's Mercury Prize, a prize that Gruff (Super Furry Animals 'Rings Around the World;') lost to PJ Harvey in 2001.

Sex Pistols @ Summercase, Barcelona - July 19, 2008 (lalitaporfavor)

John Lydon has responded to allegations of his involvement in a racist assault by saying his accuser is a liar and in need of the publicity. In a carefully worded statement, Lydon said: "I feel very sorry for a man that needs to lie about what was a perfect evening." In Lydon's version of events, the Sex Pistols singer claims that, "trouble was brought us, resulting in those causing the trouble being physically removed by festival security". He added: "If they need publicity so badly this is the allegation universe they run into." [Guardian]

Bloc Party singer Kele Okereke claims he was left with severe facial bruising and a split lip following what he alleges was a racist attack by Sex Pistols singer John Lydon [aka Johnny Rotten]. The incident occurred on Saturday evening at the Summercase festival in Barcelona while the bands were socialising backstage.

In an official statement released by Okereke, who is of Nigerian descent, the singer says he approached Lydon and asked him about the possibility of a reunion for Public Image Ltd, the band Lydon formed following the Sex Pistols demise in 1978. In Okereke's words, Lydon became "intimidating and aggressive while his entourage responded with a racist tirade, including the statement, 'your problem is your black attitude'." An assault allegedly ensued in which three people attacked Okereke.

Several other bands witnessed the incident, with members of the band Foals and Kaiser Chiefs singer Ricky Wilson intervening on the Bloc Party singer's behalf. Both have confirmed to the Guardian that the incident occurred but could not confirm or deny reports that the assault was racially motivated. Following his involvement, Foals singer Yannis Philippakis was arrested. He is expected to make a statement shortly.... [The Guardian] (thx J M)