photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

Konono No. 1 headlined the free annual Celebrate Brooklyn African Festival in Prospect Park on Saturday, July 17th. Other free music in Brooklyn that day included Siren Fest and Jelly's party at the Rock Yard.

"Despite the other big names on the bill, it seemed the crowd in Prospect Park was waiting all day to see Kinshasa group Konono No. 1, since a swell of people appeared close to the stage around the time the sun started to go down over the Bandshell and the group appeared on stage. Despite Konono being over thirty years old, they had all the buzz and jittery eagerness surrounding them on Saturday that a crowd usually reserves for new, up and coming groups of 20-somethings. That's because this music--distinct for its three electric likembé, or thumb pianos--is appealing on so many levels. Their rough, DIY aesthetic is arguably the dominant mode du jour in independent music (just take a gander at a recent Pitchfork review of a Wavves or Ariel Pink album). Also, they are just damn cool with their cowboy hats, stone-faced execution of ten-minute songs, and giant horn-shaped amplifier made of car parts. Finally, this music has been out of reach for far too long and has only reached a large number of American ears in the last few years, so it has the unique combination of sounding brand new and comfortably worn in. And it's about time this music has made it to our shores, because it's exotic and entrancing in a way that exemplifies the best of African culture." [The Afropop Blog]

More pictures from the day, which also featured sets from Omar Pene & Super Diamono, Chiwoniso, Meta & the Cornerstones, Garikayi Tirikoti and Djarara, are below...

Continue reading "the 2010 Celebrate Brooklyn African Festival in pics (Konono No 1, Omar Pene & Super Diamono, more) "

"Our annual celebration of African music, food and culture builds to an ecstatic crescendo with the distortion-fueled trance music of Congolese thumb-piano wizards Konono No. 1. Dakar heavyweights Omar Pene & Super Diamono, seminal figures in the birth of the modern Senegalese sound, add a jolt of energy to the proceedings, while the distinctive voice of Zimbabwean Afro-soul diva Chiwoniso, the pan-African reggae of Meta & The Cornerstones, and the festival horns and drums from Haiti's Djarara bring other unique flavors to the day."

Konono No 1
Omar Pene
Chiwoniso
Meta & The Cornerstones
Djarara

Konono are currently touring in support of a new album. They also recently contributed the track "Nsimba & Nzuzi" to a charity compilation called "Raise Hope For Congo". Click the link to check it out. The full tracklist, along with updated tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Konono No 1 on tour (African Fest Saturday, a show w/ Javelin Sunday) , on the 'Raise Hope For Congo' comp"

Celebrate Brooklyn '09 (more by Chris La Putt)

The Celebrate Brooklyn series' 2010 schedule is out. Check out the free (or $3 suggested donation) shows that will be happening at Prospect Park this summer below.

There's the previously mentioned shows with Norah Jones, Konono No. 1, Sonic Youth (who have Talk Normal and Grass Widow opening for them), Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings with Budos Band, Swell Season and the Low Anthem, Metric, The Roots and Allen Toussaint, all for free. The ticketed benefit shows are Rufus Wainwright on July 20th, Dead Weather on August 3rd, and already-sold-out shows with Passion Pit and The National.

The full schedule is below...

Continue reading "Celebrate Brooklyn's 2010 Prospect Park concert lineup"

Sonic Youth @ Battery Park in 2008 (more by Jason Bergman)

The schedule for Celebrate Brooklyn series in Prospect Park hasn't been announced in full yet. But three free shows that have are Congolese band Konono #1 on July 17th and Sonic Youth on July 31st. Norah Jones opens this year's series a free show on Wednesday, June 9th.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Prospect Park Bandshell
5:30pm Gala begins with Cocktails & Dinner
6:30pm Gates open to public
8:00pm Opening Night Concert with Norah Jones (free to the public)
10:00pm After-Party with I Love Vinyl, For Friends of Celebrate Brooklyn & Gala Guests

Join us for the Celebrate Brooklyn! Opening Night Gala which will honor and present the Celebrate Brooklyn Award to two prominent women of Brooklyn. All proceeds from the gala will provide vital funds for free, world-class performing arts programming at the Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival, which serves 250,000 New Yorkers each year. Support the festival you love and help us ensure our performances remain free an accessible to everyone.

Konono #1's North American tour comes to LPR in Manhattan the day after the park show. It's not free. Tickets are still on sale.

Speaking of not free, the 'benefit' shows at the Bandshell scheduled so far are Passion Pit/Tokyo Police Club/Suckers on Tuesday, June 29th, and The National and Beach House on July 27th.

Continue reading "Konono #1, Sonic Youth & Norah Jones playing free shows in Prospect Park this year"

"Assume Crash Position" is the new album from Congolese street band Konono No.1, the fourth volume in the Congotronics series from Crammed Discs. It will be released in May 2010.

Once again recorded in their home domain of Kinshasa, DR Congo by Congotronics series producer Vincent Kenis, the long-anticipated follow-up to Konono's 2005 debut sees their trademark thrilling junkyard sonics and relentlessly hypnotic percussive grooves (as created using thumb pianos and drums made from scrap metal and disused car parts) further elevated with electric guitars and bass - played by neighbourhood musicians from a young Konono covers band! - as well as a wider range of vocalists plus guest appearances from guitarist Manuaku Pepe Felly (Zaïko Langa Langa) and members of fellow Congotronics band Kasai Allstars. [Crammed Discs]

This July their tour will travel to select Canadian and US cities. In NYC, the band plays (Le) Poisson Rouge on July 18th. Tickets are on sale.

All tour dates, the band's lineup, album art and tracklist for the new record and a video, below...

Continue reading "Konono No.1 returns w/ a new album & 2010 tour dates"

In case you were wondering what Bjork was wearing at United Palace Satuday night (May 5, 2007)...

Compare that with her outfits at Radio City and Coachella.

Seriously though, another great show (don't take my word for it though - LISTEN TO THE WHOLE SHOW AT NPR).

The crowd was much rowdier (LOUD in a good way) than Radio City. At Radio City people were standing and sitting and getting in fights over standing, and getting yelled at for standing, but then standing, but then sitting, etc... At United Palace everyone stood (and screamed) from start to finish.

The crowd ended up disappointing me a little though. Unlike at Bloc Party and the Stooges (Bjork was my third time at the new venue already), the United Palace security was making sure people stayed in their seats (and out of the aisles). I thought for sure everyone would disregard sercurity, and just fill the aisles and rush to the front during "Declare Independence" ("Don't let them do that to you!!"). I thought maybe we'd get a mini-revolution going (Create your own flag!). I was wrong. Show ended peacefully. Everyone gave a collective "that's it?", and then we all went home quietly and riot-free.

The set list, and some more photos, below....

Continue reading "Bjork @ United Palace Theater, NYC - pics & stream"

Konono N°1 opening for Bjork @ Radio City, NYC (CRED)

Despite what it says on Bjork's website and I in turn posted, Konono N°1 are not opening for Bjork at the Apollo Theater. Mudderfukin Spank Rock is instead. Awesome, and not surprising. Konono is still opening at United Palace.

Speaking of Mudderfukin, tickets are on sale for The Faint show at Webster Hall.

Arcade Fire, David Bowie, & Final Fantasy @ Radio City Music Hall - 2005 (MORE)

CRAZY TIME
Highline Ballroom opened with Lou Reed. The David Bowie Highline Festival. Sunset Rubdown. Ted Leo. Blonde Redhead. Two Dan Deacon. Two Modest Mouse Man Man shows. Two Amy Winehouse. Two Daniel Johnston. Two Type O Negative. Three Patrick Wolf. Three Bjork & Konono. Three Arcade Fire & National. AND three Final Fantasy & Beirut. It's a big two weeks of shows going on right now in NYC.

BEIRUT & FINAL FANTASY NOW
Beirut's three sold out shows at Bowery Ballroom are this Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Final Fantasy (who, like Craig Wedren, Jake Shears, Kanye West, Antony, Ed Droste, and Elijah Wood, were spotted at Bjork last night) is opening all three shows. Coincidentally, Owen (Final Fantasy)'s sometimes-other band the Arcade Fire are playing two of those nights in NYC too.

Sun 06 - Beirut @ Bowery Ballroom,
Mon 07 - Beirut @ Bowery Ballroom, Arcade Fire @ United Place
Tue 08 - Beirut @ Bowery Ballroom, Arcade Fire @ United Palace, Bjork @ Apollo
Wed 09 - Arcade Fire @ Radio City

BEIRUT NEXT
Beirut is playing three more NYC shows in September at the Society For Ethical Culture in conjuction with the Wordless Music Series, except unlike last time Beirut showed up at a Wordless show, these shows WILL HAVE WORDS. Exact dates TBA, and whether these shows coincide with the next Beirut album release TBD.

Beirut is also putting out a single for Elephant Gun on 4AD in Europe on June 25th. It includes the songs 'Elephant Gun', 'Transatlantique' and 'Le Moribound' (a Jacques Brel cover, recorded live at Austin City Limits for KEXP).

Tour dates below...

Continue reading "Crazy time, 3 BEIRUT shows next week, 3 in September"

I LOVE VOLTA. It comes out officially on May 7th.

There's been a lull in my Bjork fanatacism since sometime after Vespertine came out. But now, between this album, the show last night, and the interview - well, consider me obsessed again.

* Bjork's guide to Volta
* All eight Volta promo videos
* NPR is streaming the United Palace show
* Boing Boing's guide to Björk's sound machines
* A NY Times feature & interview (w/ MP3s)
* Konono No 1 won't collaborate with just anyone
* Konono No 1 opening multiple dates
* Pictures from Coachella
* Pictures from Radio City

A video someone took at Radio City below....

Continue reading "Your continuing guide to Björk (Volta)"

It's not the first time I've seen her. I've seen her at Radio City even, but something about last night - it was extra special. Bjork, the lights, the sound, the band, the songs (how great is Volta - I love it), the special guests.....the Antony & Bjork duet = one of the top concert moments of my life. more later. good night.

Konono No 1 were great too. Set list below

Continue reading "Bjork played Radio City Music Hall <3 -- pics"

DOWNLOAD: a taste of Konono N°1 (MP3)

Bjork is here! Konono N°1 are here! NYC is glowing. From Our Bjork interview:

Will Antony be around to join you at your three upcoming NYC shows at Radio City, Apollo Theater, and United Palace? In fact, who (and what) can we expect to see at those performances?. I know that Konono No1 (another Volta collaborator) are playing a show in NYC during the first week of May. Can I assume that was coordinated with you?

It was a coincidence !! Not coordinated . Not sure exactly what will happen but i have asked both groups to join though . We´ll see ... ? I have been rehearsing with my band in iceland . It is 10 brass girls ( icelandic ) jónas sen on keyboards , mark bell and damian taylor on electronics and chris corsano on drums .

Tickets are STILL on sale for Konono's show at Bowery Ballroom on May 5th. It's the same night as their show with Bjork at United Palace. They're amazingly playing both - long commute.

More pics of Konono @ SOB's HERE. Pics of Bjork @ Coachella HERE.

DOWNLOAD: Clipse - Ain´t cha (MP3)

As I was saying, David Bruno (dance), Undisputed Wes (hip hop), and I (other) interviewed Björk (via email).

No introduction needed. After thanking her and all that, we asked
(questions in bold).......

---

Björk, you recently reunited with the Sugarcubes and played a show in Iceland. How did that come about? Were you happy how it turned out, and most importantly - would you do it again in the U.S.? (New York preferably!)

Sorry , won´t be doing it again , i guess it was strictly for rescuing bad taste which was on the verge of bankruptcy . Don´t know if you know about that label but it has been putting out grassroot poetry and music now for 20 years . A non profit company where most of the people that work for it do so voluntarily .we put out sigurrós and múm´s first albums for example.

I love musical collaborations, and you always pick such great people to work with. This time you've especially lined up an exciting cast of characters. Truth be told, I get excited any time Antony Hegarty is involved with anything (including the new Matmos album that you both appear on). Do you remember the first time you heard Antony's voice, and/or saw him perform? How soon after did you know you wanted to work with him? Any good stories from your time together in Jamaica, and what eventually led you to include him on not just one, but two tracks on the new album?

I was in my kitchen and a friend gave me a cd for christmas of this album that hadn´t come out yet . It wasn´t until later when i had gotten to know him a little we thought of working together . I guess me and antony have mutual friends in new york so we sort of got to know each other slowly ... He came to iceland and i showed him a bit of the country side . Then we sang together on couple of occations and ended up working on couple of sketches , 2 of them ended on the album ... It´s been a gorgeous pleasure to get to know antony , he is very very special . Incredibly generous person . I feel blessed .

Continue reading "An interview with Björk"

Bjork @ Roskilde, 2003 (CRED)

May 7th is not that far away!

We, as in madwebcarpenters of bjork.com, have waited for a fair bit of time like everyone else biting our tongue and now is the time to release this bit of information known as a press release. Things are getting very interesting as further details of the new album and more concerts to be announced. It is not going to be quiet anymore!

Volta is the name of the album and the date is May 7th. The Press release reads thus:

"Musical innovator Björk releases her next studio album ‘Volta’ on May 7th 2007.

‘Volta’ is Björk's sixth studio album and follows the release of ‘Medúlla’ in 2004.

Featuring ten brand new and original tracks ‘Volta’ is entirely written and produced by Björk.

In the role of producer Björk has brought in various other musicians to work on her songs and ‘Volta’ features some of her most interesting collaborations so far with Antony Hegarty (Antony And The Johnsons) singing on two tracks, and Timbaland (Jay-Z, Missy Elliot etc) working with Björk on beats that she created for three further songs.

Other artists that feature on ‘Volta’ include electronic pioneer Mark Bell of LFO and two unique drummers – Chris Corsano (the improvisational drummer who has worked with Sonic Youth amongst others) and Brian Chippendale from Lightening Bolt.

Björk also brought in two acclaimed African artists for ‘Volta’ - Toumani Diabate, the Malian kora player and Konono No1 the experimental band from The Congo who won a BBC World Music Award in 2006. She has also put together her own 10 piece female brass section of Icelandic musicians who play on three further tracks. Meanwhile Chinese pipa expert Min Xiao-Fen plays on one song."

So it read! And now we can start counting down: One, 2, three, four, 5, ...... etc

Previously
Bjork's new album w/ Antony, Timbaland, Konono, & Lightning Bolt

Download Bjork - Who is It (Vitalic remix) (MP3)

why Beck? Why not

I LOVE collaborations, especially (well, mainly) if they're by artists I also love, and the idea of Antony and/or Bjork contributing to anything always gets me excited. Bjork & Antony BOTH appear on the last Matmos album, Bjork recently worked with Bonnie Prince Billy, and we even heard something back in July about Bjork working with Konono No 1.

Yesterday I posted something about Bjork collaborating with Timbaland on her new "hip hop" album. Coincidentally - just minutes later "meester fly" posted an official update on Bjork's site (which i used to live on pre-pre-blogging days) that confirms this, Konono, and MORE:

It has not been snowing at all here, but today we are graced with snow. It is a few days after the hidden people and elves move home, if they have to. We are in Iceland. I arrived after a short absence of mind and body back into the HQ of the MWC. I got the word to get back on the case and gather some knowledge, as I of course, am truly the wise one.

Being the one and only I got sent new songs from Björk. These songs are to be on the new album she has been working on for the past months. She has been all around the world to record, working with numerous people from truly different background. I have been left with many thoughts after listening to these tracks, the first impression is that I want to hear more, as I did not get everything shortlisted for the record. It made me excited.

The only thing I have heard prior of the making of this new record was a collaboration with Timbaland was being penned in. They met for a couple of sessions and laid down some beats for two tracks, "then I took these tracks and worked on them further", says Björk. This is true, as I hear that she has taken them to a another level.

We speak about the many collaborators on this record and the list is very interesting as Antony Hegerty duets on two tracks. Drummer Chris Corsano jumps into at least the 2 songs. New sounds and instrumentation are provided by Toumani Diabate who plays the Kora and Konono nr.1 with electric thumb pianos. More percussive delights come from Brian Chippendale from Lightning Bolt Great artists being drafted into the fold!

This list is very impressive and intriguing and from this first batch of song create a very unique sound and emotion. Nothing sounds really familiar about this experience, apart from the name of Mark Bell, him I know. And Sjón, turns to form to deliver one lyric, his 5th lyric since they started work together. This record is a Björk production par excellence. No stone left unturned to seek out the perfect pitch.

And more work is being done in the next few weeks on the new record. It has not got a name. The record is scheduled for late spring release. Some of us have wished to see Björk live in concert.

Well. Björk will be going on the road and giving us long wanted concert recitals. Yes gigging again. I get to see who is the band, I'll be damned, I forgot. It is being finalised right now! From what I remember: We are in for a treat. I am promised to be there. Bien sur. Of-course. Að sjálfsögðu. More soon."

I wonder if Bjork & Antony will show up at the Lightning Bolt show happening at Northsix on Sunday. (which is now old out)

"Björk is also contributing vocals to Valgeir Sigurðsson's new album, titled 'Equilibrium Is Restored'." [Wikipedia]

Antony & The Johnsons play the Brooklyn Philharmonic on March 9th.

Konono No 1 play Bowery Ballroom on May 5th.

Previously
Timbaland a thief?
Sugarcubes reunion happened
Sugarcubes Reuniting for one show

Extremely advanced notice: KONONO N°1 is playing Bowery Ballroom in NYC on May 5th, 2007. Up until now they've really only played the typical world music venues like Joe's Pub, SOB's & Summerstage. All tour dates below...

Continue reading "KONONO N°1 | 2007 Tour Dates"

KONONO #1 @ SUMMERSTAGE | JULY 23, 2006 (CRED)

Someone (thx Chris) just told me that the early (7:30) Konono #1 show at SOB's was cancelled tonight. All tickets will be honored at the late (9:30) show instead. I'm nor surprised they couldn't sell out two shows since they played two shows there so recently AND they played a free show at Summerstage (yesterday).

Pitchfork recently reported that Konono recorded some stuff with Bjork.

Konono No. 1 are playing an early and late show at SOB's in NYC on July 24, 2006. Tickets are on sale. It's one day after they play the less intimate, but free, Central Park Summerstage. Summerstage is one day after they play the WXPN All About Music Festival in Camden (with Willy Mason).

Previously
Konono No. 1 playing Summerstage | 2006 Tour Dates
Konono No. 1 @ SOBs, NYC | pics

My radio show was much better this week in terms of preparedness and stress levels. I did lie about getting the playlist posted the next day though. I don't know what my problem is. Here's the playlist from my third week on Sirius Radio ("Left of Center" - Tuesdays @ 10 pm EST). Linked songs are MP3s. Linked links are links.

BROOKLYNVEGAN BLOG RADIO PLAYLIST | 6/13/06
1. Daniel Johnston - Like A Monkey in the Zoo (2:40)
2. The Big Sleep - Murder (4:34)
[Just signed to Frenchkiss]
3. Thunderbirds are Now! - The Veil Comes Down
[new song]
4. Pixies - La La Love You (4:32)
5. The Grates - Sukkafish (4:03)
[playing the US this month]
6. Gnarls Barkely - Gone Daddy Gone (2:35)
7. Blondie - In The Flesh (2:30)
8. Cloud Cult - Million Things (2:36)
9. Final Fantasy - Many Lives -> 49 MP (2:56)
[lots of tour dates]
10. Love Is All - Turn The Radio Off (3:55)
11. Deerhoof - Vivid Cheek Love Song (2:16)
12. Bloc Party - Helicopter [weird science remix with peaches] [HERE]
13. ¡Forward, Russia! - Twelve (2:17)
[just played Mercury Lounge]
14. Land of Talk - speak to me bones (3:29)
15. Mew - Am I Wry? No (4:53)
16. Band Of Horses - Monsters (5:21)
[playing NYC this weekend]
17. David Bowie - Starman (4:18)
18. Seu Jorge - Ziggy Stardust (3:42)
19. Amadou & Mariam - Sénégal fast food (4:19)
20. Konono Nr. 1 - Kule Kule Reprise (3:04)
[Summerstage]
21. M.I.A. - Bingo (3:14)
22. Lily Allen - LDN (3:10)
23. CSS (Cansei De Ser Sexy) - Meeting Paris Hilton(versao banda) (3:20)
[Touring lots]
24. Lady Sovereign - Random (2:56)
25. bonde do role - jabuticaba (2:59)
26. Robyn - Be Mine! (3:26)
27. The Young Knives - Weekends & Bleak Days (2:48)
[Saw them at SXSW]
28. The Futureheads - Skip To The End (2:56)
29. Angela McCluskey - Love Is Stronger Than Death (4:08)
[saw her Monday]
30. José González - Heartbeats (Rocketboy Remix) (6:12)
31. Feist - When I was a Young Girl (River Remix) (3:20) [HERE]
32. Bright Eyes - Lover I Don't Have to Love (4:00)
33. Bruce Springsteen - State Trooper (3:16)

Previously
Sirius Playlist - Week 2

CYHSY @ SOUTH STREET SEAPORT (more)

I've got more dates. Super Furry Animals, Rhett Miller, Moe, Buck 65, Laurie Anderson, etc...

SOUTH STREET SEAPORT
6-02 - Super Furry Animals
7-14 - Dave Alvin & The Guilty Men, Chatham County Line
7-28 - Richard Hawley
8-04 - Hot Chip
8-18 - The Box Tops with Alex Chilton

CENTRAL PARK SUMMERSTAGE
6-13 - Moe
6-17 - Rhett Miller, Ollabelle, Teddy Thompson
6-23 - Refugee All Stars (of Sierra Leone)
6-25 - Feist, Jason Collett, Buck 65
7-01 - Ska Cubano
7-02 - Seu Jorge, Jose Gonzalez, Alex Cuba Band
7-13 - Ani DiFranco
7-16 - Amadou & Mariam, Daby Toure
7-23 - Konono No. 1
7-26 - Fiona Apple & Damien Rice
7-30 - Lady Sovereign, Todd w/ Karsh Kale and Realize, My Pet Dragon
8-03 - New Pornographers, the Frames, Calexico
9-05 - Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Damian Marley
9-06 - Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Damian Marley
9-28 - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

CELEBRATE BROOKLYN! in PROSPECT PARK
6-15 - Maceo Parker (opening night)
6-18 - Laurie Anderson
7-06 - Broken Social Scene
7-01 - Angelique Kidjo
7-09 - Ralph's World
7-13 - Yo La Tengo
7-27 - Philip Glass
8-03 - Bill Frisell
8-04 - Los Amigos Invisibles
8-06 - King Sunny Ade & His African Beats

Continue reading "2006 NYC Summer Concert Preview"

KONONO NO 1 @ SOBS (more)

Konono No 1 is going on a really long tour this summer. It includes a show at Central Park's Summerstage & a return to SOB's...

2006
07-23 New York, NY - Central Park SummerStage
07-24 New York, NY - S.O.B.'s

All dates below...

Continue reading "Konono No. 1 playing Summerstage | 2006 Tour Dates"

The latest post at Said the Gramophone has a Konono No. 1 MP3 for download. Pitchfork said Congotronics is the 31st best album of 2005. CMJ made it #19. #22 in MOJO Magazine.

Previously
Konono No. 1 @ SOBs, NYC | pics

Konono No. 1 played three NYC shows during their first ever tour of America. The first one was at Joe's Pub. The second one was at SOB's the next day. The third one was right after the second one. These pictures are from the third one (Nov 17, 2005). I think their almost 2 hour set (with encore) was only four songs. Though instructed to dance even more, a lot of people were dancing, especially when the music started to resemble what we typically consider dance music.

"SOBs was jammed with my ethno-curious peers: the kind of kids that sniff disdainfully at ESPN culture but follow alt-sports like English Premier League. And looking around me I was faced with the confronting question: when did the back-country woodsman beard come back in fashion?" [Moist Works]

"They call it Congolese Bozombo trance music, but when leader Mawangu Mingiedi founded the group 25 years ago he was intent on furthering a tribal ancestral tradition, not filling western dance floors." [Boston Herald]

"The most astonishing thing about that band is the bass, and although I knew it was made by likembe, I had expected it to be a big likembe, one you had to sit on or something. I spent a full ten minutes of the show trying to figure out where the bass sound could possibly be coming from before finally realizing that yes, it was actually coming out that tiny handheld thumb piano" [Doveman]

"To hear an approximation of what this live Konono N°1 show sounded like, check out this 1978 Konono N°1 recording that Christopher Porter kindly posted on his blog The Suburbs Are Killing Us. Then go cop yourself a copy of Congotronics (out on Crammed Discs), which Ryko is now distributing domestically to retail outlets big (Amazon) and small (CD Alley)....And look, now we even have a Congotronics 2 CD/DVD comp to look forward to" [Tuba City]

Continue reading "Konono No. 1 @ SOBs, NYC | pics"

Arctic Monkeys, Konono No. 1, Jeff Tweedy, Ryan Adams, Willie Nelson, American Analog Set, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Devin Davis, Bad Religion, World Leader Pretend, Jason Molina, Keren Ann, Aimee Mann, Giant Drag, and many, many other artists are playing in NYC this week.

S.O.B.'s is still billing Konono No. 1's two Nov. 17 shows there as their first American appearances. It's not totally true. They'll be at Joe's Pub a day earlier (tix on sale).

DOWNLOAD
Lufuala Ndonga by Knonono No. 1 (MP3 clip)

WFMU links to a video.

"With everyone from Pitchfork to The Globe and Mail giving them positive notices, Congolese band Konono No. 1 are quickly accruing more cred than an iPod loaded with M.I.A. tracks and an Arcade Fire sticker tacked on the case. Then again, you're not likely to see thumb piano-laden, traditional African songs with no lyrics making it onto Much On Demand, which is where their label's blog comes in mighty handy." [eye Weekly]

Konono No. 1 play two shows at S.O.B.'s in NYC on November 17th. Tickets are on sale.

Ice-T is listed as "special guest" at the Ultramagnetic MCs and Kool Keith show at S.O.B.'s on August 30th.

"The music of Zap Mama was once known for bringing pure, a capella sounds from Africa. But its latest CD, Ancestry in Progress, continues a move toward a global vision of soul." [NPR] Zap Mama is on tour with two shows at S.O.B.'s on October 4th and 5th. Here are tickets for all shows that are on sale.