DOWNLOAD: Jens Lekman - "An Argument With Myself" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Geoffrey O'Connor - "Whatever Leads Me to You" (Lawrence Arabia Remix) (MP3)

Jens Lekman at Green Building in 2010 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

As mentioned, Jens Lekman is going on a North American tour with support from Geoffrey O'Connor. The tour previously included two Music Hall of Williamsburg shows (10/7 and 10/9). Both of those shows have sold out but Jens and Geoffrey will return to Music Hall of Williamsburg on October 10. Tickets go on sale Friday (9/9) at noon and are on artist presale now (password?) (THEGOLDENKEY).

Jens recently released the title track to his upcoming LP An Argument With Myself, which is due out September 20 via Secretly Canadian. You can download that track above.

"Whatever Leads Me to You," the single off Geoffrey O'Connor's upcoming album Vanity is Forever was remixed by Lawrence Arabia. We've got a premiere of the remix that you can download above, and grab the original HERE.

Updated dates below...

Continue reading "Lawrence Arabia remixed Geoffrey O'Connor (MP3 premiere), Jens Lekman adds 3rd Brooklyn shows (updated dates)"

photos by Andrew St. Clair

Zowie @ LPR

"Lawrence Arabia opened with an easy confidence, nurtured by months on the road supporting Crowded House, despite not having played together for a couple of months. Apple Pie Bed was a hit.

Street Chant followed, and it's fair to say they were the darlings of the night. Scowling college radio DJs emerged with smiles after the fierce and flirty set by the trio, who entertained with between-song banter like "We're Street Chant from New Zealand and we're ready to get sexy", "This song's New Zealandish" and "We're the biggest rock band in New Zealand!"

Fresh from her first offshore gig at LA's Viper Lounge, Ruby Frost performed competently and though she was tagged as "a baby Florence and the Machine" the crowd rewarded her with polite applause.

Kids of 88 got the hard-to-impress CMJ crowd moving. And flirting. "Come back to my apartment!" someone in the crowd yelled. "That's a very good segue into the next song," said singer Sam McCarthy, as they launch into My House. Zowie impressed, and Electric Wire Hustle brought the bass." [New Zealand Herald]

This is course was Tuesday night's New Zealand CMJ showcase at Le Poisson Rouge. More pictures from the show below...

Continue reading "New Zealand represented @ LPR -- Street Chant, Zowie, Lawrence Arabia, Ruby Frost & more on CMJ day 1 (pics) "

by Bill Pearis

DOWNLOAD: Lawrence Arabia - Beautiful Young Crew (Mp3)
DOWNLOAD: Lawrence Arabia - Apple Pie Bed (MP3)

Lawrence Arabia

Kiwi popsmith Lawrence Arabia (real name James Milne) is back in NYC for CMJ (last here with Crowded House), playing a few shows -- the first of which is today's (10/19) early evening New Zealand showcase at Le Poisson Rouge. He's on at 6PM and the show is FREE but you do need to RSVP if you don't have a CMJ badge. (Free booze of some sort too, apparently.) The rest of the NZ line-up is Zowie (who is also playing the Fader Fort and Fat Baby on Friday), Kids of 88, Street Chant, Ruby Frost and Electric Wire Hustle.

Lawrence Arabia also plays Thursday, Oct. 21 at Bowery Electric (11PM) for the Bella Union/Yep Roc showcase with former Lucksmith Darren Hanlon, Savoir Adore, Jukebox the Ghost, Drink Up Buttercup, Alessi's Ark, and Heidi Spencer.

Lawrence Arabia's excellent second album, Chant Darling, was released early 2010 on the Bella Union label and ranges from gentle folk to ELO-style orch-pop. You can download two tracks from the album at the top of this post. It's really charming, tuneful stuff. In addition to his solo work, Milne has also spent time in the Brunettes, Ruby Suns and as a touring member of Okkerville River.

Some Lawrence Arabia music videos, the flyer and stuff, below...

Continue reading "Lawrence Arabia & other New Zealand artists here for CMJ (dates, MP3s, videos) "

photos by Kurt Christensen

"Let's get one thing straight: Crowded House isn't a one-hit wonder. Sure, the Australian band is known by '80s music fans for its 1987 hit "Don't Dream It's Over" (and maybe the subsequent "Something So Strong"), but songwriter Neil Finn has actually guided different incarnations of the band through six full-length albums and earned critical acclaim for his solo albums and side projects." [NPR]

You saw the setlist and the video from Wednesday night's show at Bowery Ballroom where David Byrne joined Crowded House and family (Sharon Finn and Liam Finn are both on the tour with Neil). Now here are the pics, along with video from the band's appearance on Jimmy Fallon (they really made the most of their trip here that included three shows at Bowery, and includes one at Wellmont Theatre tonight), below....

Continue reading "Crowded House played Fallon (video) & Bowery w/ David Byrne, Liam Finn, Sharon Finn & Lawrence Arabia (pics) "

photos by Andrew St Clair

Crowded House completed their three-night run at Bowery Ballroom in NYC last night (7/21). It was also at the third show that David Byrne came out for the encore to join the band on two Talking Heads covers. We actually have pictures from that show too, but the pictures in this post are from the 2nd night, July 20th. Stay tuned for the ones from night three.

If you missed the show, there's one more NYC-area chance when Crowded House plays Wellmont Theater in NJ on Friday.

More of the night two pictures, video of the David Byrne part from last night, and all three setlists (including which songs Neil Finn's wife Sharon son Liam played on), below...

Continue reading "Crowded House played 3 nights @ Bowery Ballroom (night 2 pics, all 3 setlists, video of last night's guest: David Byrne)"