Brooklyn rapper Talib Kweli has been working on his new album, Prisoner of Conscious since before the release of 2011's Gutter Rainbows, and after continuously delaying it, he's finally set to release it for real this time. It comes out next week (5/7). The record features contributions from some pretty hot of-the-moment guests, including Miguel ("Come Here") and Kendrick Lamar & Curren$y ("Push Thru"). It's also got a track produced by Harry Fraud ("Upper Echelon"), one produced by RZA with a verse from Busta Rhymes ("Rocket Ships"), and a handful of tracks produced by Oh No. You can stream/watch videos for "Come Here," "Push Thru," "Upper Echelon," "Rocket Ships" and two other cuts from the album below, along with the full tracklist. That's the artwork above.

Talib's next hometown gig is this weekend on Sunday (5/5) at Union Hall, where he'll be providing "music and monologues" followed by improv comedy from Coal, Swag, and Sandino, which will be inspired by Talib's set. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

All dates are listed, along with song streams and the album tracklist, below...

Continue reading "Talib Kweli finally releasing 'Prisoner of Conscious' (Kendrick, Miguel, Curren$y, Busta, RZA & more included), playing shows"

Kendrick Lamar at Roseland in February (more by Dylan Johnson)

We recently posted that the Hot 97 Summer Jam "Festival Village" lineup (aka the side stage in the parking lot), which features Action Bronson, Joey Bada$$, A$AP Ferg, Smoke DZA, Bodega Bamz, Troy Ave, and more. And now the main stage lineup, which goes down inside of MetLife Stadium on June 2 has been announced, and that one's looking pretty good too. It's got Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky, who both quickly graduated from the side stage that they played last year (but for obvious reasons), in addition to Miguel, Wu-Tang Clan, Fabolous, Wale, 2 Chainz, Joe Budden, French Montana, and, sigh, Chris Brown. Tickets for the whole festival (main stage and "Festival Village" included) are still available. Hopefully no headliners drop off this year.

This show is one of a few that Kendrick Lamar is doing in the NYC-area this year, including his Downtown Music Festival show at Capitale on May 10 with the rest of the Black Hippy crew (Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock) joining him, plus support from Fat Tony. Tickets for that one are still available. Then he plays NYC festival Governors Ball on June 8.

Miguel was originally on Governors Ball too, but dropped off. He, Kendrick, 2 Chainz and A$AP Rocky will also be festival-mates later this year at Jay-Z's Philly festival, Made In America in August, which also includes Drake, Beyonce, Queens of the Stone Age, Nine Inch Nails, Phoenix, Solange, and others. Tickets for that festival are still available.

Meanwhile, A$AP Rocky has many other tour dates too, including NYC-area dates on May 4 and 5 at Barclays Center with Rihanna (both sold out), and on August 2 at PNC Bank Arts Center, August 6 at Jones Beach, and August 8 at Comcast Theatre with Wiz Khalifa, Joey Bada$$, Rockie Fresh, Smoke DZA, and others. Tickets for those shows are still available.

Videos of Kendrick and Rocky on last year's Summer Jam parking lot stage below...

Continue reading "Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky, Miguel, Wu-Tang Clan & more playing Hot 97 Summer Jam (lineup)"

Miguel on 'SNL' / Daft Punk w/ Pharrell & Nile Rogers

Another new SNL, another new Daft Punk commercial. This one -- a slightly shorter version of the one shown to Coachella audiences -- gives us the first substantial taste of Random Access Memories' "Get Lucky," that's been teased in previous ads, and features both Pharrel Williams and and some chic guitarwork from Nile Rodgers, not to mention the men/robots themselves. This is, we assume, a snippet of the "Get Lucky" video? You can watch it below.

Meanwhile, Daft Punk have released the third in their "Collaborators" series of promotional videos with the folks who worked on Random Access Memories. This one is with Nile Rodgers who very humbly talks about his contribution to dance music over the years and you can watch that below too.

Meanwhile, on the actual show (4/13), Miguel performed his Grammy-winning hit "Adorn" and then a rocked-out version of "How Many Drinks," with that magnetism (that we saw at our BV CMJ day party last year) on full display. The next new SNL is May 4 with Of Monsters and Men performing, while Zach Galifianakis hosts. Miguel videos from last night are below.

Continue reading "Miguel played 'SNL,' which featured a new Daft Punk commercial (with Pharrell and Nile Rogers)"

Chad Valley @ Schubas in September of 2011 (more by Matt Ziegler)

today in NYC
* Brazda @ Barbes
* Big Lazy @ Barbes
* Paul Anka @ J&R Music World
* Mika @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* John Prine @ The Capitol Theatre
* The Crystal Ark @ Apple Store SoHo
* The Proclaimers, JP Jones @ City Winery
* Wavves, FIDLAR, Cheatahs @ Shea Stadium
* Bonobo, Shigeto, Nickodemus @ Webster Hall
* Stereo Total, The Recordettes @ Knitting Factory
* Bonobo (DJ Set), Nickodemus @ Public Assembly
* Hunter Valentine, Kill Devil Hills @ Mercury Lounge
* Diamond Head, Cauldron, Brohammer @ Saint Vitus
* Assembly of Dust, Dave Diamond @ Bowery Ballroom
* Aaron Pfenning (DJ Set), Malandro (DJ Set) @ Glasslands
* Jowe Head, Fly Ashtray, Sapphire Mansions @ Union Pool
* Featureless Ghost, Dream Affair, SGNLS @ Cameo Gallery
* Heaven's Gate, Bambara, Sleepies, Yi @ Living Bread Deli
* Antigone Rising, Holding Back Entirely @ Mercury Lounge
* Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons @ Theatre at Westbury
* The Klingsbury Manx, Miniboone, Home Body @ Cake Shop
* Barn Owl, Stygian Stride, Jahiliyya Fields @ Death By Audio
* Ghosts of Sailors At Sea, Horsehands, LukeInternet @ XPO 929
* Todd Barry, D.C. Benny, David Foster @ Eastville Comedy Club
* Egyptrixx, Evan Michael, T'Angelo, Judge Wise @ Cameo Gallery
* The Kennedys @ Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair
* Netsky, Codes, Valentino Khan, Alex English, rekLES @ Wester Hall
* Belle Mare, Frances Cone, House of Blondes, Leaves of Green @ Pianos
* Lightouts, Unicycle Loves You, Bear Ceuse, Adam Rubenstein @ Union Hall
* Bears, Tiny Hazard, The Wives, Brainwave Bionics, Praything @ Paper Box
* Low Fat Getting High, Ovlov, Geronimo!, Adavaeta, The Hot Flood @ Big Snow
* Rick Ross, Waka Flocka Flame, French Montana, Mavado @ Nassau Coliseum
* Double King, Modern Rivals, Swear and Shake, Time Travelers @ Living Room
* Andrew McMahon (of Jack's Mannequin), Erland Wanberg, Kate Earl @ Warsaw
* Wovenhand, Wrekmeister Harmonies, Daniel Smith of Danielson (DJ Set) @ Littlefield
* Chad Valley, Rush Midnight, SZA, Letting Up Despite Great Faults (DJ Set) @ Glasslands
* Eola, Peace Arrow, Julian Paradise, Dillon James Rego, Andy Boay, Angelo Spagnolo @ Silent Barn
* Brain Cave Festival w J. Viewz, Hooray For Earth, Lemonade, Salt Cathedral, Cat Martino @ Europa
* trace-on, From Rum To Whiskey, Johnny Mellor's Bastardos, The End Men, Mister Jolly @ Don Pedro
* WBAR-B-Q w/ Le1F, Children of the Night, Morri$, Earnest Blount @ Lehman Lawn- Barnard College
* Hounds Basket, Dead Sexy Shelia, STUVOODOO, Vulture Shit, Bad Look, Smoke and Mirrors @ Muchmore's
* Eric Clapton, Albert Lee, Allan Holdsworth, The Allman Brothers Band, Andy Fairweather Low, B.B. King, Blake Mills, Booker T. Jones (DJ Set) @ Madison Square Garden

The 2013 Brain Cave Festival, which happens at Greenpoint's Europa, continues tonight with a diverse line-up featuring J. Viewz, Hooray For Earth, Lemonade, Salt Cathedral, and Cat Martino. Tickets for tonight are still available.

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As mentioned, Kendrick Lamar and Miguel (who both play Made in America fest) collaborated on a remix of Miguel's "How Many Drinks." You can listen to it below.

Enigmatic Swedish duo Sally Shapiro have made a video for single "If it Doesn't Rain" from this year's Somewhere Else. Using stop motion animation, it's pretty cute and you can watch it below.

As you may know, Dillinger Escape Plan have a new album, One of Us is the Killer, which is out May 14. Check out one fan's reaction to their new track, "Prancer," below.

Continue reading "What's going on Friday?"

(via @weareskylarkin)

Tickets to see Mobb Deep with Waka Flocka Flame and Heems at Best Buy Theatre go on AEG Live presale today at 10 AM.

Tickets for The Specials at shows at The Paramount in Huntington, NY and The Stone Pony in Asbury Park go on venue (Paramount) and Live Nation (Stone Pony) presale today at 10 AM. Tickets for their Pier 26 show are on sale now.

Tickets for The Appleseed Cast show at the Delancey on Saturday (4/13) are on sale now.

Tickets for the Geoff Rickly and John Nolan show at Saint Vitus are on sale now.

Tickets for the CocoRosie show at The Paper Box are on sale now.

He's My Brother, She's My Sister, Jeffrey Lewis & the Rain, and Beach Day are playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on May 4. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Field Report were added as an opener to Stornoway's previously discussed Music Hall of Williamsburg (5/6) show. No opener announced yet for Stornoway's Maxwell's (5/3) show. Tickets for Maxwell's and MHOW are still available.

Team Spirit (who played a BV SXSW party) were added to the Peace (who also played a BV SXSW party) show at Mercury Lounge. Tickets for that show are still available.

Roc Marciano was added to the TNGHT show at Webster Hall (4/17). Tickets for that show are still available.

Haleek Maul is playing Glasslands on August 22. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Groundislava is playing Glasslands on May 30 with Fur. Tickets for that show are on sale now. Listen to Groundislava's remix of Miguel's "Adorn" below.

Continue reading "tix on sale: Appleseed Cast, Groundislava, Haleek Maul, Field Report, Team Spirit, Roc Marciano opening for TNGHT & more"

Phoenix at Music Hall of Williamsburg, 4/5/2013 (more by PSquared Photography)

Two days after announcing the existence of the second edition of Jay-Z's of Made in America festival, here comes the initial line-up. Set to go down August 31 - September 1 at Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Parkway, look for appearances from Beyonce, Queens of the Stone Age, Nine Inch Nails, Kendrick Lamar, Miguel (who is collaborating with Kendrick), Solange, The Gaslight Anthem (who just announced two huge NYC shows), Phoenix (who just played MHoW and SNL), Drake, 2Chainz and more.

So far no details on ticketing. Full line-up is below...

Continue reading "Made in America fest initial 2013 line-up: Beyonce, Nine Inch Nails, Phoenix, Kendrick Lamar, Gaslight Anthem + more "

Governors Ball 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Though Guns N Roses being announced as the third headliner and related "YOLO" Facebook messages were the most discussed and controversial topics when one of NYC festival Governors Ball's promoters hopped in a Reddit chat yesterday (4/3), we also learned that: Miguel dropped off the festival; the promoters were trying to land Atoms for Peace (whose tour instead brings them to NYC for a Barclays Center show on 9/27); Cut Copy and Kendrick Lamar are playing at the same time on the Saturday of the fest, and there are unannounced afterparties. "Stay tuned for epic shows at Brooklyn Bowl, MHOW, Gramercy, Glasslands, and Irving Plaza." That quote and more over at Reddit.

Governors Ball goes down on Randall's Island from June 7 - 9 and also includes a number of other artists like Kanye West, Nas, Grizzly Bear, The xx, Feist, Beach House, Animal Collective, Erykah Badu, Death from Above 1979, Crystal Castles, Best Coast, Dirty Projectors, DInosaur Jr., Japandroids, Alt-J, Deerhunter, Fucked Up, and many more. 3-Day passes are still available and tickets for individual days are now on Friday (4/5) at 11 AM.

Meanwhile you can catch Guns N Roses tribute band, Mr. Brownstone (no stranger to the pages of BrooklynVegan) at Brooklyn Bowl on May 18 (tickets).

We recently gave you a list of artists we're excited to see at the festival, and though that list already included Deerhunter, we're even more excited to see them after their recent Fallon performance. If you missed the awesomeness of that (which also included debuting their new single, Monomania), you can watch the video below.

Continue reading "Governors Ball plan afterparties, Miguel not playing, Kendrick & Cut Copy competing set times & more we learned on Reddit"

Like Pitchfork, we got excited when we saw Miguel Instagram the above photo of himself yesterday with Kendrick Lamar (who played Jimmy Kimmel last night). Pitchfork points out, "Kendrick will be on an upcoming remix of Miguel's "How Many Drinks" off last year's Kaleidoscope Dream." That should be good.

Meanwhile, the Black Hippy rapper, who we just caught at SXSW, also just announced a tour that has him playing a ton of schools and NYC twice. Both NYC shows we already knew about, but now we have a drop more info. Kendrick's dates confirm that he plays the just-announced Downtown Music Festival on May 10. That's the first night of the two night Lower East Side fest, and one night before Kendrick heads south to play Sweetlife. Lamar, who played two shows at Roseland recently, returns to NYC in June for Governors Ball.

In related news, we caught Schoolboy Q last night at SOB's. All Kendrick dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Kendrick Lamar announces tour, playing Day 1 of Downtown Fest, collaborating w/ Miguel "

Amid all the noise that is SXSW, Yahoo! announced that Kendrick Lamar, fun., the Lumineers, J. Cole, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Imagine Dragons and more would be a part of a travelling festival called "Yahoo! on the Road" that kicks with a show in NYC on May 3. No word on exact line-up or venue just yet but the new media conglomerate promises details soon.

The tour concludes the three-day Wireless Festival in London (July 12 - 14) that will also feature Jay-Z & Justin Timberlake (who just added a second Yankee Stadium show), Frank Ocean, Kendrick Lamar, Miguel, Ke$ha, Nas, A Tribe Called Quest, A$AP Rocky and more. All Yahoo on the Road dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Kendrick Lamar, The Lumineers and more participating in "Yahoo on the Road" travelling festival (dates)"

Tickets for the newly-added Beyonce show at Barclays Center go on sale today at 10 AM.

Tickets for the Booka Shade show at Irving Plaza go on sale today at 10 AM.

Miguel, who just released a song with J. Cole and won a Grammy and performed at the ceremony, added a third NYC area to his upcoming tour supporting Alicia Keys. The new show happens on April 8 at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Tickets for that show go on AEG/Venue/Radio presale today at 10 AM, with a general on-sale starting Saturday (2/16) at noon (password might be "BRANDNEW").

Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland will be performing STP's first two albums, Core and Purple, in their entirety at Irving Plaza on March 9 in NYC and State Theatre on March 12 in New Brunswick. Tickets for those shows go on sale today at 10 AM.

Afrika Bambaataa is playing Cameo Gallery on April 13. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Laurel Halo @ PS1, July 2011 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Vektor at Saint Vitus, August 2012 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

today in NYC
* Matuto @ Barbes
* Brazda @ Barbes
* Marc Cohn @ City Winery
* Bernie Worrell @ Maxwell's
* Federico Aubele @ Joe's Pub
* Mavis Staples @ The Allen Room
* Questlove (DJ Set) @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Valentine's Day Improv @ The Stone
* Skimask, Bugs & Rats @ Death By Audio
* Janeane Garofalo @ Eastville Comedy Club
* Alabama Shakes @ Rocks Off Concert Cruise
* Outasight, The Ready Set @ Gramercy Theatre
* Vektor, Behold...the Arctopus @ Saint Vitus Bar
* Junius, Family, Gates, InAeona @ Public Assembly
* The Echo Friendly, Amalie Bruun @ Mercury Lounge
* Dawn Landes, Benji Hughes @ Rockwood Music Hall
* Elysian Fields, Cassandra Jenkins @ Le Poisson Rouge
* The Maccabees, Reputante, Gambles @ Bowery Ballroom
* Big Quiet, Corita, Paper Fleet, Invisible Days @ Cake Shop
* Toro y Moi, Wild Belle, Dog Bite @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Zula, Jane Eyre, Quiet Loudly, Slonk Donkerson @ Silent Barn
* Morus Alba, Cannonball Statman, Phoebe Blue @ Muchmore's
* The Soul Rebels, Karl Denson, American Royalty @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Josie Dear, Davie and The Chains, Drew Victor @ Pete's Candy Store
* Ice Cream, Siff-Rip-Us, Pajama People, Mechanical River @ Big Snow
* Teengirl Fantasy, Laurel Halo, Kelela, Fatherhood @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Infinity Shred, Big Ups, Flagland, Low Fat Getting High @ Shea Stadium
* Teen Commandments, Blue Jazz TV, XA, It Is Rain In My Face @ Pianos
* Splash, Sofa Club, Alice Cohen, Lingerie, Terekke (DJ Set) @ Glasslands
* Tonstartsbandht, 100 LBS., Hagfish and the Poet Lounge @ Bowery Electric
* Shadow Lover, Little Band of Sailors, Doom Trumpet @ Secret Project Robot
* Lemonade, ILLS, Empress Of, School of Seven Balls (DJ Set) @ Cameo Gallery
* Total Slacker, Hunters, X-Ray Eyeballs, Cassie Ramone, DJ Serpent (of DIIV) @ Studio at Webster Hall
* Unloveable: A Smiths & Morrissey Valentine's Day w/ Dave Hill and The Sons & Heirs @ The Bell House

Happy Valentine's Day! There are certainly no shortage of show options tonight, if that is you and your significant other's idea of a romantic evening. And if you don't have a sweetie, there's always the Morrissey/Smiths Valentine's Day party at The Bell House with host Dave Hill and very good tribute act The Sons & Heirs. You could meet somebody who really loves you!

Tonight's Teengirl Fantasy / Laurel Halo show at Le Poisson Rouge will be webcast live via Pitchfork.tv. It's a late one, with Laurel Halo's set at midnight and Teengirl Fantasy at 1 AM EST.

If you'd rather stay home, maybe watch a movie. The Criterion Collection are streaming all their Hulu titles for free from now through Sunday. Titles include Grey Gardens, Quadrophenia, Au Hassard Balthazar, Rashamon, Eraserhead, Fanny & Alexander and many more.

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Justin Timberlake has released the video for his song "Suit & Tie" which co-stars Jay-Z. The clip was directed by David Fincher and the two previously worked together on The Social Network. Like Fincher's videos for Madonna and George Michael, "Suit & Tie" is all style and you can watch it below.

J. Cole finally revealed the first single off of his delayed sophomore album, Born Sinner. It's called "Power Trip" and features a hook from Miguel, who previously collaborated with the rapper on his 2010 single, "All I Want Is You.". Stream the new track below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday? (Valentine's Day)"

Frank Ocean performing at 2013 Grammys

The 2013 Grammys went down last night (2/10), and here's a quick recap of some of the winners and videos of performances.

The big ones: Gotye took home Record of the Year for "Somebody That I Used To Know" (beating The Black Keys, Kelly Clarkson, fun., Frank Ocean, and Taylor Swift), Mumford & Sons won Album of the Year (beating The Black Keys, fun., Frank Ocean, and Jack White), and fun. took Song of the Year and Best New Artist (totally robbing Miguel's "Adorn" and "Call Me Maybe," and Frank Ocean (!), respectively). Other wins included Skrillex for Best Dance Recording (sorry Al Walser), The Black Keys for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song and Best Rock Album, Gotye for Best Alternative Music Album (beating Fiona Apple, Bjork, M83, and Tom Waits), Usher's "Climax" for Best R&B Performance, Beyonce's "Love On Top" for Best Traditional R&B Performance, Miguel's "Adorn" for Best R&B Song, Frank Ocean for Best Urban Contemporary Album, Robert Glasper Experiment for Best R&B Album, Jay-Z and Kanye West's "Niggas In Paris" for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and their song, "No Church In The Wild" (feat. Frank Ocean and The-Dream) for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, Drake's Take Care for Best Rap Album, Dr. John's Dan Auerbach-produced Locked Down for Best Blues Album, Jimmy Cliff's Tim Armstrong-produced Rebirth for Best Reggae Album, Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross' The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo score for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, Bjork's Biophilia for Best Recording Package, The Beach Boys' long-awaited The Smile Sessions for Best Historical Album, Black Keys singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical, and Mumford and Sons' "Big Easy Express" for Best Long Form Music Video. There were many other categories too and you can check out the full list of winners HERE.

And of course, during the Awards Ceremony a number of artists gave performances, which you can watch videos of below. You can see Miguel and Wiz Khalifa doing "Adorn," Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z doing "Suit and Tie" and then JT doing "Pusher Love Girl," The Black Keys, Dr. John, and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band doing "Lonely Boy," Jack White doing "Freedom At 21" with his all-guy band (he also played "Love Interruption" with his all-girl band but no video of that at the moment), Frank Ocean doing "Forrest Gump" with a thematically appropriate visual backdrop, a big tribute to Levon Helm with Elton John, Mavis Staples, members of Mumford and Sons, Alabama Shakes, and others, and finally, LL Cool J, Chuck D, Z-Trip, Tom Morello, and Travis Barker doing "Whaddup" with a small piece of Beastie Boys' "No Sleep Til Brooklyn."

Continue reading "Frank Ocean, Miguel, Bjork, Mumford, Black Keys, Jack White & more win & perform at Grammys (videos)"

Governors Ball, which started as a small NYC festival on Governors Island and moved to the larger Randall's Island last year, keeps getting bigger and bigger. This year's fest takes place June 7th, 8th & 9th, and tickets go on sale Friday. Check out the full lineup, in list, video and flyer format - one unannounced headliner included, below...

Continue reading "Governors Ball 2013 lineup (Kanye West, Kings of Leon, Grizzly Bear, xx, Cut Copy, Kendrick, Anco, Beach House & MUCH MORE)"

by Bill Pearis

The Village Voice's annual "Pazz n' Jop" critics poll is up and, as with anything like this with averaged votes, the winners are probably not that surprising. Frank Ocean's Channel Orange takes the top album slot (Kendrick Lamar is #2), and Carly Rae Jepsen's inescapable "Call Me Maybe" comes in at the top of the singles list. (Miguel, who is on the cover of the Voice this week, comes in at #2 with "Adorn.")You can also view individual ballots and read pithy quips about the year as a whole.

The top 10s for Pazz & Jop albums and singles are below and full lists are over at the Voice.

Continue reading "Village Voice still does Pazz & Jop; Frank Ocean and "Call Me Maybe" win 2012"

Best Coast at Terminal 5 (more by Chris La Putt)

As mentioned earlier today in a tickets-on-sale post, Best Coast, who were initially supposed to open for Green Day on the latter's tour before it was postponed, are in fact opening for them on their rescheduled dates which include a NYC show on April 7 at Barclays Center. Tickets for that show are are on sale now and all tickets purchased for the original date (1/16) will be honored. All dates are listed below.

Speaking of artists that would probably be better fit to headline Terminal 5 but are opening in big arenas for pop stars, Miguel was announced to open for Alicia Keys on her tour which hits NYC on April 5 at Barclays Center and April 11 on Madison Square Garden. Tickets for those shows are not on sale yet but you can check ticketmaster for updates. All dates are listed below.

And one more: The Hives are touring in February and March as an opening act for Pink and that tour hits Madison Square Garden on March 22. That show is sold out, but the tour also hits Izod Center (3/23) in NJ and Nassau Coliseum (3/25) in Long Island and tickets for those shows are still available. All dates are listed below.

In related news, bands who you would think might be opening for bigger acts at Madison Square Garden, but are actually the headliners themselves include Sigur Ros (3/25) and Passion Pit (2/8). We're not sure who is opening for Sigur Ros, if anyone, but Matt & Kim open for Passion Pit. Muse also has two MSG shows coming up (as does Lady Gaga). Mumford and Sons also have two upcoming Barclays Center shows, one with The Felice Brothers, the other with Haim (both with Ben Howard).

All lists of dates below...

Continue reading "Best Coast touring w/ Green Day, Miguel touring w/ Alicia Keys, The Hives touring w/ Pink (dates)"

Cadence Weapon @ MHOW, June 2012 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

Some of you may recall that before he became known as Cadence Weapon, Rollie Pemberton spent time as a music critic, having penned a number of reviews for Pitchfork in the early '00s. So chances are he knows his way around making year end lists, and we've got his best of 2012 list right here in this post. While it includes year-end regulars Kendrick Lamar and Jermih (and fellow Canadians Mac DeMarco and TOPS), his top spot is a bit of a surprise.

Rollie's pick for #1 release of 2012 is Captured Tracks' reissues of '80s low-fi indie cult band Cleaners from Venus whose cassette-only Blow Away Your Troubles (1981), On Any Normal Monday (1982), and Midnight Cleaners (1982) saw the light of day via Captured Tracks. The vinyl sold out but you can still get them on CD and digital, and stream them via Spotify.Captured Tracks will reissue Cleaners from Venus' next three albums (1983's The Golden Autumn, 1984's Under Wartime Conditions, and 1985's Songs for a Fallow Land) plus a disc's worth of rarites in February 2013.

Meanwhile, if you haven't heard Cadence Weapon's 2012 Polaris Prize-nominated album, Hope in Dirt City, you can stream that below too. Rollie's Best of 2012 LP list is below...

Continue reading "Cadence Weapon lists his favorite LPs of 2012 which includes Captured Tracks' Cleaners from Venues reissues"

Nite Jewel at LPR in August (more by Toby Tenenbaum)

Nite Jewel (aka Ramona Gonazalez) is a bit of a musical shapeshifter, having previously recorded lo-fi experimental pieces, performed with Linda Perhacs (along with Julia Holter), and performed a Kraftwerk album in its entirety, among other things. Just recently, she recorded a piano cover of Stevie Wonder's "Visions," which you can watch a video of below.

But on this year's One Second of Love, Ramona went for more of an overtly pop approach than her earlier work, and that interest comes across pretty strongly in her top ten songs of 2012 list, which you can check out below. Half of the list is made up of this year's big rap/R&B faves, and it also includes collaborator Julia Holter, Zebra Katz (whose video we just posted), and more.

Check out her full list and the "Visions" video below...

Continue reading "Nite Jewel covered Stevie Wonder, picked her top 10 songs of 2012"

Today Pitchfork posted the first half (well, first 30 albums) of their Top 50 Albums of 2012 list. There are some surprises on it, like Peaking Lights and Sharon Van Etten, who seemed more likely to end up on their Honorable Mentions list due to their relatively lower scores and the fact that most of the albums on this list were awarded Best New Music throughout the year. Cat Power and Hot Chip also make it, both of whose new albums seemed to have received less love from Pitchfork than previous releases by those artists. A Rustie Essential Mix also makes the list even though his actual album which came out last year didn't make their 2011 list. And of course the expected ones end up there too like Purity Ring, Julia Holter, Schoolboy Q, Miguel, and more. The remaining 20 will be revealed tomorrow (Friday, 12/21).

Check out their 50-30 picks below...

Continue reading "30 of Pitchfork's Top 50 Albums of 2012"

by Bill Pearis

Pitchfork just posted their much anticipated list of the top 100 tracks of 2012. The #1 slot went to... Grimes! Whether you thought the whole of her album Visions was good or not, it was hard to deny the charms of "Oblivion." (Having that great video didn't hurt either.) Do you think it deserved to top the list? If not then what song should've?

You can check out P4K's entire hot 100 of 2012 below.

Continue reading "Pitchfork's Top 100 Tracks of 2012 (Grimes' "Oblivion" is #1)"

by Bill Pearis

Frank Ocean at Angel Orensanz Center, 9/24/2012 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

One of the saddest losses of 2012 for me was the NYC print edition of The Onion which I always looked forward to picking up on Wednesdays and browsing while on the subway or getting some food on the neighborhood. (I still have my copy of the "CHINA STRONG" issue, easily one of the funniest they've ever done.) I lament of it for the AV Club half as well, as I've long found it to be amongst the best pop culture criticism/journalism out there. While NYC can no longer get physical copies, you can still read it online where the AV Club has really flourished.

It's Year-End season there too and have just published their Top 25 LPs of 2012 list, which was tallied by a complicated system that led to a lot of ties, including three albums claiming the #18 spot. There was no doubt who was getting the top slot, though, as Frank Ocean's Channel Orange got the most votes by a wide margin. There's no stopping that album on year end polls. Elsewhere on the list, you'll find more than a few records that cater to the late-'30s indie rock fan crowd (The Walkmen, Bob Mould, Field Music) and even Rush's Clockwork of Angels. You can look at individual writers' ballots as well. Check out the whole list below.

Continue reading "Frank Ocean tops the AV Club's Top 25 LPs of 2012 list"

!!! at Sasquatch 2011 (more by Josh Darr)

As previously discussed, !!! will be in town for a show at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday (12/13) with Sinkane (who will open for Solange next week) and Yellow Dogs. Tickets for the show are still available and we're also giving away a pair. Details on how to enter to win are below.

Meanwhile, !!! frontman Nic Offer recently spoke to us about his favorite albums and songs of the year. Like Nic's own music, the list skews mainly electronic and electronic-tinged pop, and he makes room for a few other interesting inclusions too. Nic is also now the second artist we've spoke to to include the various artists compilation, Personal Space: Electronic Soul 1974-1984. You can check out the whole list below.

Continue reading "!!! told us their top albums &songs of 2012, are playing Brooklyn this week (win tix!)"

Frank Ocean at Angel Orensanz, Sept 2012 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

BBC Music has announced their Top 25 records of 2012. Like lists from MOJO, Q, and Uncut, it's got familiar names like Frank Ocean, Baroness, Swans and Grizzly Bear... but if you're expecting a UK indie act to top their list, you might be surprised at the Beeb's #1 choice. Check out the entire list below.

Continue reading "BBC Music's Top 25 albums of 2012"

by Andrew Sacher

FACT is still one of the best sources for cutting edge electronic music, and I always look forward to their top 50 albums of the year list, which they've just published for 2012. As usual, it doesn't only contain electronic albums.

This year's list has a good deal of indie rap (Haleek Maul, Schoolboy Q, Le1f, Main Attrakionz, Spaceghostpurrp) and it's the only non-metal list I've seen so far with Black Breath's Sentenced to Life (!). And of course, to compliment the dancefloor records, it's got its fair share of electronic-tinged indie pop, forward thinking R&B, and outsider experimental music.

Check out the full list below.

Continue reading "FACT's Top 50 Albums of 2012"

The Grammy Nominations were just announced. At this point it should be no surprise that this year's list contains names like Jack White, The Black Keys, Gotye, Adele, Foster the People, Florence and the Machine, M.I.A. (she got nominated for a video), and "fun" alongside all the major pop stars. And I guess Bjork is a given in the "Alternative Music Album" category any time she comes out with an album (this is like her 12th or 13th nomination).

Mumford and Sons are naturally on there along with fellow rising pop folk band The Lumineers. Indie Grammy pioneers Arcade Fire also snuck in there again for "Best Song Written For Visual Media."

EDM is huger than ever so of course hot EDM artists like Skrillex, Deadmau5, Diplo, AVICII, Swedish House Mafia, and Steve Aoki are well represented. UPDATE: As is AL WALSER.

Classics and current stadium artists that were busy in 2012 all got their nods too: Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen, Jay-Z, Kanye West, etc. (though Bieber and Nicki Minaj got snubbed).

Most funny is probably the metal category which is as out of touch as ever with Anthrax competing against Iron Maiden, Megadeth and Marilyn Manson (what year is it again?).

Personally, real opinions of the Grammys overall, I'm excited to see Frank Ocean SIX TIMES, Miguel FIVE TIMES, Alabama Shakes THREE TIMES, and I'm glad they didn't forget about Fiona Apple who is up for "Best Alternative Music Album" against Bjork, Gotye (one of three nominations), M83, and Tom Waits (who has won in the past).

The Grammys air February 10, 2013 on CBS. Check out the full list of nominations, which also includes Jimmy Cliff, Toots and the Maytals, Hugh Masekela, Tenacious D, Jim Gaffigan, Jimmy Fallon, and Tegan and Sara, HERE.

Check out the entire list of 2013 Grammy Nominations below...

Continue reading "2013 Grammy Nominations announced (full list)"