Justice @ SXSW 2008 (more by Ryan Muir)

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the Surf City show coming up at Mercury Lounge.

As previously mentioned, there's a Haiti benefit at SOB's tonight (1/28) with Styles P, Immortal Technique, Mickey Factz, Cormega, ChinahBlac, Eprhyme, and more. Tickets are still on sale.

Speaking of SOB's, Lord Finesse is celebrating a birthday there with "The Legendary Rakim" on February 18th. Tickets are on sale.

Tanya Morgan (a hip hop group that has nobody named Tanya in it) plays SOB's on February 22nd. Tickets are on sale.

Roxy Cottontail hosts a Dim Mak-presented show at Santos on February 11th "featuring Ninjasonik, Japanther, Fashen, Team Facelift, The Auctioneers, Jonny Famous, Gina Turner & (Not So) Secret European Guests". Dim Mak band The Willowz play Pianos (with Delta Spirit) the same night, but they are from California. Tickets are on sale. Oh, also I think the guest is a DJ or DJs...

Ed Banger celebrates their 7th Anniversary at Terminal 5 on February 12th (Justice (DJ Set), Breakbot / DJ Mehdi / Busy P. / and Friends). Tickets are sold out.

Ed Banger will follow the Terminal 5 show with an afterparty at Webster Hall ("GIRLS&BOYS w/ED BANGER RECORDS AFTER PARTY , SEBASTIAN, SO-ME & More!"). Tickets are on sale. Flyer and new FAKE Justice track below...

Continue reading "Styles P, '(Not So) Secret European Guests', Ed Banger, Fake Justice, Japanther, Surf City, Tanya Morgan & other tickets"

by Black Bubblegum

Nas @ Rock The Bells 2008 in Jones Beach (more by villageslum.com)

OK, so it's not as much a big bang as last year (A Tribe Called Quest reunion) or the one before (Rage Against The Machine reunion), but Rock The Bells 2009 does have some interesting artists on the lineup. Besides a welcome reunion (Reflection Eternal) (Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek), one suspect one (House of Pain) and some great repeat offenders (Nas, RZA, Raekwon, MOP, Sage Francis, Slum Village), this year's Rock The Bells also boasts an Outkast (Big Boi), a windy city fave (Common), and a true sicko (Necro). The full lineup is:

Continue reading "Rock The Bells announces 2009 hip hop fest/tour lineup"

by Ryan Barkan

Smashing Pumpkins @ United Palace Theatre, NYC(more by Chris La Putt)

Lately it seems all Billy Corgan wants to do is either get involved in political battles or license his music for entertainment purposes. Case in point, the Billy Corgan avatar is playable in Guitar Hero World Tour, released last October. That was followed by a three-song Smashing Pumpkins GH track pack becoming available for download as DLC in December. Then, on the biggest advertising stage of the year (i.e. the Super Bowl) a new single "FOL" was dropped in a spot for Hyundai. The Super Bowl one-upper came recently when Billy decided to let loose...for the first time...arguably the band's biggest song ("Today") on a Visa commercial. Visa was not done there however, as Billy and the Pumpkins just weren't enough music for the brand to express itself via 30 second spots.

The credit card company dusted off '70s rock band The Moody Blues' classic jam "Tuesday Afternoon" for a spot dubbed "the Aquarium". To finish off, the coolest of the recent Visa spots has creative direction around the Brooklyn-based performance artist known as "Crutch", Bill Shannon. The commercial sees Bill dance through city streets with his patented crutch dance technique to the Don Thomas song "Come On Train". Watch the Smashing Pumpkins one below.

Other Notable Licensing News:

The Magnetic Fields song "Underwear" appropriately provides soundtrack to an artsy, dream sequence-esque commercial for Puma. Watch it below.

Both Vampire Weekend (about 8 seconds of "Campus") and Beck's "E-Pro" were enlisted for this commercial trailer for the new Paul Rudd film "I Love You Man".

continued below...

Continue reading "This week in Music Licensing"

DOWNLOAD: Diana Krall - What Are You Doing New Years Eve (MP3)

Rude Bear @ a Muggabears show (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

• Grandmaster Mele Mel, Mickey Factz, Ninjasonik, Trouble & Bass, and more @ Studio B
• The World Famous Pontani Sisters @ The Bell House
• RUDE year's eve HEARTSREVOLUTION (Live+DJ set) plus Nick Catchdubs / Bubblyfish / RUDE (DJ set) / hosted by RUDE BEAR @ Glasslands Gallery
• Surprise Me Mr Davis (members of The Slip) and The Benevento/Russo Duo (late show) @ BB King's
• Famous Friends & Palms Out Sounds Present NYE 2008! featuring Kill The Noise / AC Slater / The American Dream Team / Udachi / Bradley D & VDRK / Hosted by Chaz & Jason Pants of Palms Out Sounds @ Europa
• EVERYTHING ELSE

Mickey Factz playing w/ the Cool Kids during CMJ (more by Leia Jospe)

today in NYC
* Army Navy @ Union Hall
* Trap Them @ Union Pool
* Jay-Z & Lil Wayne @ Izod center
* The Roots @ Roseland Ballroom
* Born Ruffians @ Sound Fix Records
* The Legendary Pink Dots @ Knitting Factory
* Donny Goines & Mickey Factz @ Knitting Factory
* Chief, Samuel, The Postelles & FrankPollis @ Santos House Party
* Born Ruffians & Plants and Animals @ The Bell House

William Reid of The Jesus and Mary Chain was born today in 1958.

Halloween is soon.

Joe from Breakfast at Sulimay's interviewed Mogwai guitarist Stuart Braithwaite. Video below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

photos by Leia Jospe

During the Cool Kids' set Mickey Factz came out for one song.

They had a dance contest to win copies of their album and a "best joke" contest to win two NBA xbox 360 games. Jokes included: "So a mushroom walks into a bar and the bartender goes, 'hey! we don't like your kind around here.' the mushroom replies, 'but i'm a fungi!'" He won for "having the balls to come up and say that on stage"....So many fangirls..." -Leia

The Cool Kids are going on tour with Q-Tip. More pictures from Tuesday night's show below...

Continue reading "the Cool Kids & the Carps @ the Gramercy, NYC - pics"

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

As you would expect him to do at a showcase of rappers signed to his own GOOD Music label, Kanye West made an appearance at Knitting Factory in NYC last night (Sept 9). The whole show went: 88 Keys, Termanology, Big Sean, Mickey Factz, Kid Cudi, and then Consequence. Wale did some deejaying between sets. Kanye West came out during Consequence's set. They did "Gone" and "Flashing Lights" and a few of Consequence's songs. Then, as he's done before with his cousin Consequence, Q-Tip joined them on stage. Then Kid Cudi came back out and eventually pretty much everyone from the night was on stage by the end. As expected, people went nuts for Kanye.

In related news,

The release date and title for Kanye West's upcoming fourth solo album has been revealed.

According to a posting on Target's website, Kanye's album is titled 808's & Heartbreak and will be hitting stores on December 16th.

West performed a single from the album titled "Love Lockdown" at the MTV Video Music Awards this past weekend.

Continue reading "Kanye West & Q-Tip joined Consequence & Kid Cudi @ the GOOD Music showcase @ Knitting Factory - pics & video"