Mirah at MHOW in 2010 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Mirah is planning an East Coast tour to happen this November. That tour will be announced in full soon, but Mirah has already revealed that it will hit NYC on November 15 at Joe's Pub. Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Mirah's last tour brought her to Glasslands after she played the Ecstatic Music Festival for a show this past February. You can check out a video of her from that show below.

Continue reading "Mirah planning East Coast fall tour, playing Joe's Pub (dates)"

photos by David Andrako, words by Andrew Frisicano

Jherek Bischoff & some of his guests

It wasn't the marathon that opened the inaugural Ecstatic Music Fest in 2011, but this year's opening show on Saturday (2/4) had some of that same collaborative energy, focusing on the compositions and arrangements of Jherek Bischoff, a musician known for his work primarily with The Dead Science, Parenthetical Girls and The Degenerate Art Ensemble. For the show, billed as a preview of Bischoff's forthcoming CD from Brassland ("composed"), the composer got help from the Wordless Music Orchestra and nine guest vocalists.

After a too-brief instrumental opening, David Byrne came out to sing a swaying Afro-Cuban-tinged piece. In what would be a recurring theme, Bischoff's composition wasn't entirely different than the type of song Byrne might sing at one of his own shows. Next up, Charlie Looker intoned through "The Secret Life of Machines" (which you can find an instrumental version of at WNYC) in a style that'd be a close fit to his Extra Life material. Mirah's voice sounded as warm and honeyed as always. Parenthetical Girls's Zac Pennington sang a duet with Sam Mickens, both of them playing up their own strengths, Pennington the animated, Wildean dandy and Mickens the snazzily dressed crooner. The other singers, Craig Wedren from Shudder to Think, Carla Bozulich of Evangelista, and Steven Reker and Jen Goma, were idiosyncratic in their own ways, and Bischoff's string-laden avant-pop tunes bent to their strengths. Deerhoof's Greg Saunier stood out with a few good improvisatory fills but mostly hung back in the ensemble. For his part, Bischoff played ukelele, guitar, bass and sang a song. His young cousin came out to hit a gong at the end of one tune.

The second part of the program, only five songs long, consisted of Bischoff's arrangements of the singers' own material. Craig Wedren, Zac Pennington, Mirah and Carla Bozulich all returned. (In particular, Mirah's vibrant Latin number, "The Country of the Future," was great). For the finale, David Byrne premiered a new song, which he sang with Reker. It took a few verses, but eventually I worked out that "The Fat Man's Comin'" was a song about Santa Claus. As a closer, it was a small gesture where I would have preferred a grand finale, but it seemed to fit with Bischoff's humble collaborator-focused ambitions.

While in town, Mirah plays tonight (Monday) at Glasslands, where she'll be accompanied by cellist Lori Goldston and percussionist Geo Wyeth (Mirah's Facebook says they'll be "performing songs seldom heard from [her] repertoire"). The Ecstatic series continues with three more shows this week. The full schedule is here.

More pictures from Saturday's show at Merkin Concert Hall,below...

Continue reading "Jherek Bischoff, Wordless Orchestra, David Byrne, Mirah & more guests opened the Ecstatic Music Festival (pics, review)"

Mirah

Mirah has two NYC shows coming up this February. First, she'll play as part of the Ecstatic Music Festival as one of the guest vocalists performing with Jherek Bischoff, which also includes David Byrne, Craig Wedren, Greg Saunier, and Zac Pennington. That show takes place on February 4 at Merkin Concert Hall and tickets are still on sale.

Two days later, she'll play her own show at Glasslands (2/6). Tickets for that show are on sale now.

Mirah, along with Thao, who she released a collaborative album with in 2011, recently performed Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It" with Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen on the Portlandia Tour (which was just expanded) when it stopped at San Francisco's Mezzanine on December 30. A video of that, along with all dates below...

Continue reading "Mirah played 'Push It' w/ Thao, Carrie Brownstein & Fred Armisen (video), playing Brooklyn after Ecstatic show (dates)"

Jherek Bischoff

As mentioned, the Ecstatic Music Festival kicks off on February 4 at Merkin Concert Hall with Jherek Bischoff, who plays with Parenthetical Girls and The Dead Science. He's teaming up with Wordless Music Orchestra and an incredible list of guest vocalists from his upcoming album, which comes out this February, including David Byrne, Craig Wedren (Shudder To Think), Greg Saunier (Deerhoof), Mirah, and Zac Pennington (Parenthetical Girls. Tickets are still on sale now.

Speaking of Parenthetical Girls, their tour began last night (12/1) at Glasslands with Gauntlet Hair, Dinowalrus, and Eraas. If you missed it, they'll also be in NYC this Friday (12/3) at Santos Party House with YACHT and Midnight Magic (tickets).

As previously mentioned, Brassland Records is celebrating its 10th anniversary as a label and debuted a new/old track every day of November via various methods including Soundcloud. None of those tracks can be heard in the player that's embedded below. Those include "Spinney" by This is the Kit (who are opening for the National at Beacon Theater on 12/17) and "Secret of the Machines (instrumental)" by Jherek Bischoff. The latter also features drums by Greg Saunier (Deerhoof), and will have vocals by Caetano Veloso in its album version.

Continue reading "Jherek Bischoff releasing an album & playing a show -- both with many extra special guests (like David Byrne)"

Mirah with Thao & Mirah at MHOW in June (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Mirah plays Dead Herring tonight (8/19) with two fellow female songwriters. She'll be joined by the anti-folk-leaning K Records labelmate and sometimes-collaborator Tara Jane Oneil, who will be playing guitar in Mirah's band, and the guitar drone of Noveller (aka Sarah Lipstate). According to Tara's website, she'll be playing a singer songwriter style solo set with just her and a guitar.

The show is the first Dead Herring show to have advance tickets on sale. To reserve tickets:

1. send $10 per ticket via paypal to brett@mladysrecords.com
2. make yr subject heading "mirah tickets"
3. yr name will be on the door the night of the show - if you bought more than one ticket, it'll say yr name + 1 or more
4. any questions, write brett@mladysrecords.com for clarity and harmony

Mirah recently released a new song, "Low Self Control," featuring Tender Forever. You can stream the track at her website and download it on iTunes.

Mirah's partner in crime Thao Nguyen also has a bunch of shows coming up.

All Mirah/Noveller dates and Littlefield flier below...

Continue reading "Mirah, Noveller & Tara Jane O'Neil playing Dead Herring & other shows"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Mirah & Thao

"Thao is a raw and bombastic performer, while Mirah has a strong, guileless voice befitting her emotional and introspective tunes. Their performance Thursday night was a delicate blend of both performers' sensibilities: more sedate than a typical Thao and the Get Down Stay Down concert, but more upbeat and vivacious than a Mirah show. Along with three backing musicians (one of whom opened the bill as Led to Sea, performing live-looping solo viola tunes), Thao and Mirah went through nearly the entire album, throwing in some of their solo work for good measure and frequently singing each other's material." [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Continue reading "Thao & Mirah played Music Hall of Williamsburg w/ Led to Sea (pics)"

DOWNLOAD: Bobby - Groggy (MP3)

BOBBY @ SXSW (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Cinco de Mayo is approaching and that means so is the band BOBBY who headline a BV-presented show at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on May 5th with Alex Bleeker & the Freaks and recently-added opener Prussia (who are also opening for Dominique Young Unique at Mercury Lounge one night earlier). Tickets are still on sale, and we're also giving away a pair. Details on how to win below.

It has also been announced that BOBBY will head out on tour in June as the opener on the prevously-announced Thao & Mirah tour which swings into Brooklyn on June 8th. Tickets for the MHOW show are also still on sale.

All tour dates and contest details below...

Continue reading "BOBBY added to Thao & Mirah tour (dates), Prussia added to Brooklyn BOBBY show (win tix)"

"watching thao at bowery fucking awesome" - moxiemotive

"Thao with the get down stay down #soon #bowery #drunk yeah all that" -NativeGrace

Thao at Bowery Ballroom last night (zachary perkins)

Yesterday we wrote:

[Thao & Mirah's] tour together, which hits Philly on June 9th, suspiciously has no NYC date, but maybe that will change after Thao With the Get Down Stay Down play their NYC Planned Parenthood benefit at Bowery Ballroom w/ Pearl and the Beard tonight....

How was the Bowery show? Updated list of tour dates, below....

Continue reading "Thao played Bowery Ballroom w/ The Get Down Stay Down, announces Brooklyn show w/ Mirah (updated dates)"

Thao & Mirah

As partially previously mentioned,

"Thao & Mirah have just announced a full U.S. tour in support or their self-titled debut album, which will be released April 26 on Kill Rock Stars. The album was recorded in a two-week period, with tUnE-YaRdS mastermind Merrill Garbus co-producing, guesting, and writing one song. Thao and Mirah each wrote a new batch of beautiful songs, which were jointly performed and produced by the three with some help from fine Bay Area friends. The album is a collection of songs from two distinctly different, highly respected songwriters, threaded and woven together with the creative energy and freedom of collaboration."
- Kill Rock Stars

Continue reading "Thao is here, announced a tour w/ Mirah (dates)"

DOWNLOAD: Thao & Mirah - "Eleven" featuring tUnE-yArDs (MP3)

Mirah & Thao Nguyen at MHoW (photos by Amanda Hatfield)

Mirroring the sentiment that was out in force this past weekend, Thao & The Get Down Stay Down will headline a Planned Parenthood benefit at Bowery Ballroom on April 4th with The Bloodsugars. Tickets go on sale Thursday 3/3 at noon. Thao & The Get Down Stay Down are also scheduled to play SXSW and the sold-out Coachella festival next month. All dates are below.

In related news, Thao's collaborative efforts and tours with Mirah last year have borne fruit, as the pair are preparing to release an LP entitled "Thao & Mirah" via Kill Rock Stars on April 26th. Check out the album's first track, "Eleven", which features and was produced by tUnE-yArDs. MP3 above and stream below. The LP's tracklisting/art and a live video of a second track "How Dare You", with all dates, also below...

Continue reading "Thao Nguyen playing Planned Parenthood benefit in NYC, releasing an album w/ Mirah (listen to a song w/ tUnE-yArDs)"

by Andrew Frisicano

Mirah @ MHOW in June (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Mirah will be at Bruar Falls tonight (Saturday) to play with an "all-star band" that includes, according the venue, "Bryce Kasson from Old Time Religun, Sara Jaffe from Erase Errata, Sara Marcus from Boys of Now AND MORE GUEST TBA!" (K Records also lists "Christy & Emily, Kathleen Hanna, DJ Emoticon.") Also on the bill is Brooklyn songwriter Tami Heart.

The event is a couple of things: a release party for a new video for Mirah song "The Forest," a book release for riot grrl history "Girls to the Front" (author Sara Marcus will be reading) and a benefit for Shaleshock, a group that's "protecting our communities and environment from exploitative gas drilling of the Marcellus Shale."

A video about fracking (the gas drilling they're talking about), and a live version of "The Forest" that Mirah performed with Thao, below...

Continue reading "Mirah playing a show, new Riot Grrrl book released "

photos by Amanda Hatfield

"Thao Nguyen keeps popping up, and each time she appears with a new handle. You may know her by her full given name, but you've more likely seen her presented as "Thao and the Get Down Stay Down," perhaps simply as the familiar "Thao," and in this most recent incarnation on a partnered tour with pal and fellow established performer Mirah Yom Tov Zeitlyn (better known as just "Mirah"), as "Thao and Mirah with The Most of All"...

...When Thao's not running around the stage or pseudo head-banging, she has an entrancing, distinctive hip sway as she jostles her weight from one toe to the other, bewitchingly marching in place. Mirah sports more of a bobbing movement, and cutely jams along to her own beats. Thao has a really distinctive, almost dissonant sound - her vocals weave away from straightforward melodies, but they draw you in rather than push you away. Mirah's vocals are a little cleaner and her albums a little more produced, but both ladies are fantastic live performers and as a duo toy with fresh ways to revamp each others' existing harmonies." [They Will Rock You]

Continue reading "Thao and Mirah with The Most of All, These United States & Chica Vas @ MHOW (pics) "

"Like last year, everything will be taking place in Williamsburg and Greenpoint because walking long distances is a drag when there are bands to see and beer to drink, we mean seriously. Us here at The L Magazine will be booking a share of shows on our own, but, for a large chunk of the festival, we've once again handed over curatorial control to some of the most tasteful, talented and dedicated folks in New York's independent music scene -- record labels, bloggers, promoters and more -- allowing them to showcase the bands they think you need to hear. The Williamsburg Gallery Association is again on board to highlight special exhibitions and other events at over 25 art galleries in the neighborhood. And to celebrate Northside's second year, we've invited a few of the city's biggest aficionados of independent film to curate four nights of New York-made movies at Brooklyn's new, as-yet-unopened film house-music club-restaurant-bar, indieScreen."

Music, art and movies will be happening at "30+ venues" and "dozens of galleries" over the course of four days in Greenpoint and Williamsburg. Like SXSW & CMJ, you can buy tickets to individual events, or you can get a badge which gets you in to everything that isn't already at badge-capacity. $50 badges are now on sale to those 21 and over. If you buy a badge, "Arrive to venues early - badgeholders are admitted on a first-come, first-served, one-out, one-in basis."

If you buy a badge you can take your chances at getting into one of the four Northside shows happening at Music Hall of Williamsburg (BrooklynVegan showcase included), Fiery Furnaces at Brooklyn Bowl, and WAVVES & Cloud Nothings at Knitting Factory. TONS more shows TBA, but the initial list of bands that will be playing has been announced (I'm especially excited to see The Wave Pictures, Fucked Up, Liars, Parenthetical Girls and Les Savy Fav on there in addition to what we've previously talked about) (and yes Titus Andronicus is on there). Check it out below...

Continue reading "2010 Northside Festival - tickets & intial lineup (includes Liars, Fucked Up, Les Savy Fav, Polvo & many more)"

Mirah and Thao @ Noise Pop 2010 in SanFran (kata rokkar)

Mirah and Thao Nguyen (of Thao and the Get Down Stay Down) will be heading out on a collaborative tour this summer. The trip starts in June runs into July, and includes a June 24th Brooklyn show at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tickets are TBA.

The pair collaborated previously during a shared set at Noise Pop 2010 in San Francisco last March. Videos from their performance and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Thao Nguyen & Mirah collaborating & touring (dates)"

DOWNLOAD: Memory Tapes - Bicycle (MP3)

The intial lineup for Noise Pop 2010, which takes over San Francisco February 23rd to March 1st, has been updated. Newly announced acts include Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band (with Cornelius, Yuka Honda, Sean Lennon), The Dodos & Magik Magik Orchestra collaborative performance, !!!, Harlem, Deerhoof, Memory Tapes, The Fresh and Onlys, Scout Niblett, Far (Reunion Show), The Mumlers, P.E.E (Reunion Show), Mirah, Laura Gibson, Nico Vega, Japanese Motors, Princeton, Free Energy, The Growlers, Nurses, Magic Wands, The Lonely Forest, The Hot Toddies, Tempo No Tempo, Judgement Day. The full current lineup is posted below.

Tickets and passes for most of those are on sale now. Tickets for Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band (with Deerhoof) on February 23rd and the Dodos & Magik Magik Orchestra collaborative shows go on sale on Sunday, January 10th.

Memory Tapes, chillwave Jerseyan Dayve Hawk, is one of the acts scheduled for the fest. He's going to be in the UK for a short run of shows this January, and he's confirmed that US dates and a European tour are forthcoming. The song "Bicycle" off his debut, Seek Magic, is above. The album is being re-issued on Feb 8th, "with an exclusive 48 minute 4 track CD2 through Urban Outfitters and digitally exclusively via iTunes".

UPDATE: Memory Tapes is opening for Atlas Sound at The Bell House on February 3rd. Tickets are still on sale.

More info on Noise Pop 2010 below...

Continue reading "Noise Pop expands 2010 lineup - updates include !!!, Far, Yoko Ono & Memory Tapes who is touring soon "

DOWNLOAD: Ramona Falls - Russia (MP3)

Mirah @ Highline Ballroom (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

Mirah will be back in NYC for a show at the Bowery Ballroom on Saturday, October 10th. Tickets go on AmEx presale today at noon. General sale starts Friday, July 17th at noon.

She's still playing behind her latest record, (a)spera, which came out earlier this year on K Records. That disc has been met with, according to Metacritic, "universal acclaim."

Ramona Falls

Mirah makes a guest appearance on a new record by Ramona Falls (named after a place in Oregon), the the solo debut of Menomena's Brent Knopf. That record, Intuit, comes out August 18th on Barsuk Records, and Mirah is just one of the disc's many guests, which include members of The Helio Sequence, Loch Lomond, 31 Knots, Talkdemonic, Nice Nice, Tracker, Dat'r, Dear Reader, 3 Leg Torso and Matt Sheehy. Check out "Russia" from that album above.

Ramona Falls has an August/September tour planned that includes a pair of NYC shows. He'll be at Pianos on September 17th and has a TBA Brooklyn show on September 18th.

Ramona Falls album art, and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Mirah playing Bowery, appears on album by Ramona Falls (Menomena member solo) who is touring (dates & MP3)"

Mutek banner in Montreal - May 27, 2009 (bneely)

Mutek, the electronic music festival celebrating its tenth year, is currently underway in Montreal. The five-day fest runs to Sunday, May 31st, and it's streaming online. Moderat, the Modeselektor & Apparat supergroup, performed at Mutek on Thursday, May 28th; the group plays NYC's Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday, May 30th (the show was originally planned for Webster Hall). Tickets are still on sale.

Speaking of parties up North this summer... three other biggies are Ottawa Bluesfest (July 8th-19th), Vancouver Folk Music Festival (July 17-19th) and Calgary Folk Music Festival (July 23rd-26th). Each of those suitably transcend the "blues" and "folk" labels, hosting bands like The Dead Weather and Yeah Yeah Yeahs (in Ottawa), The Weakerthans and Rock Plaza Central (in Vancouver), and The Decemberists, Apostle of Hustle, Kid Koala and Akron/Family (in Calgary). Full lineup for the Calgary Fest (Ottawa in particular is much too massive to post) and ticket info below.

And don't forget about the previously reported Breeders-headlined Sled Island Fest in Calgary on June 24th-27th, Montreal's Osheaga, NXNE, and Toronto's Olympic Island Fest on July 11th, which will host Broken Social Scene and its Arts & Crafts cohorts.

Across the pond, UK's Glastonbury Festival, which runs from June 24th to 28th, has been sold out since February even though the full lineup wasn't announced until this week. Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, and Blur will be joined by The Specials, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Spinal Tap, Jarvis Cocker, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Madness, Tom Jones, Animal Collective and many others.

And finally in the States, Monolith Festival, which runs from September 12th to 13th at Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Colorado, has announced its intial lineup, Girl Talk, Passion Pit, and The Walkmen included. The whole thing is posted below.

The weekend before Monolith, Bumbershoot will take place in Seattle (September 5th-7th). That fest's lineup has been updated too. New additions include Vivian Girls, Akron/Family, and Elvis Perkins. All new additions, with previously announced acts, are below. Tickets are still on sale.

In Michigan, the Rothbury Festival over July 4th weekend will feature the only summer fest performance by The Dead, as well as sets by Bob Dylan, String Cheese Incident, Broken Social Scene and more. A few more jam-friendly acts were also just added to the bill. Full lineup below. Tickets are on sale.

Info on all the above fests, with ticket info, below...

Continue reading "Mutek underway, Monolith & Glastonbury lineups, Rothbury, Bumbershoot, Calgary Folk & other festival updates"

by Andrew Frisicano

Mirah + No Kids @ Highline Ballroom (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

Mirah will play a show at NYC's Market Hotel on Sunday, May 3rd with TJO (aka Tara Jane O'Neil), Tall Firs, and Air Waves. Mirah's latest record, (a)spera, came out on K Records on March 10th. O'Neil's own K Recs release, A Ways Away, is due out May 5th.

Market Hotel is a considerably different venue than the Highline Balroom, which Mirah and O'Neil played when they last visited NYC during last year's CMJ. In May, Mirah will tour across Europe with Tara.

Mirah, Tara and No Kids all also meet at What the Heck Fest in Anacortes, WA, which runs July 17th-19th. The line-up for the three-day fest is posted below. Passes are on sale.

No Kids, who also played that Highline show, have their own NYC dates coming up in May. Singer Nick Krgovich will play two shows with To Bad Catholics, his side-project with No Kids singer/synth player Julia Chirka. They'll visit the Cake Shop on Tuesday, May 19th with Skeletons. Then, they'll perform at new Ditmas Park venue Sycamore on Wednesday, May 20th. Katie Eastburn (from Young People) opens both shows.

Nick Krgovich recently gotten into writing musicals (which seems to be a something of a trend). Perfomances of Krgovich's "In The Yard, Havin' Fun," commissioned by Vancouver's PUSH Festival, took place in early February. The show included contributions by Parenthetical Girls, Juana Molina, and others.

On No Kids' Myspace is a remix of the band's "For Halloween" done by "Robby from the terrific PDX [a.k.a. Portland] group WHAT'S UP?...for an upcoming 12"."

"In The Yard, Havin' Fun" poster, all tour dates and full What the Heck Fest line-up, below...

Continue reading "Mirah, Tara Jane O'Neil & No Kids - new albums, projects, NYC shows, 2009 tour dates & What the Heck Fest"

words by Andrew Frisicano, photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

Tara Jane O'Neil opened with her minimalist folk, backed by a drummer and a guitarist. The music, especially the last song with Mirah on bells and backups, explored pulses and rhythms with a droning guitar and extremely spare instrumentation.

No Kids took the stage, opening with "For Halloween" off of, what I'll admit is one of my favorite records of the year, Come Into my House. Having different expectations for No Kids than most, I was pretty forgiving, just excited to hear the songs live, but even so, the stage-show was a bit underwhelming. The arrangements, fleshed out with vocal harmonies, precision tight drums, and ample low-end on their Elverum-produced record, sounded hallow and stilted live. Another vocalist accompanying singer Nick Krgovich (any maybe even some of the album's acoustic-instrument flourishes) would have gone far. The songs where the two synths let loose and cut through the overbearing drums shined, and the band closed strongly with "Whatcha Doin'" off the Worried Noodles compilation CD. (Check out No Kids' singles, including the new "Prisoner of Desire," streaming at their Myspace, for how good they can be.)

(Note: No Kids return to the NYC-area for a post-CMJ Sunday show at Maxwell's with Casiotone For The Painfully Alone & Katie Eastburn.)

Mirah's voice alone is enough to freeze even the most obnoxious concertgoer (like the girl behind me broadcasting her conversation over the previous set). Sound issues, like the incessant guitar hum from the stage lighting, were a mild annoyance early on, with Mirah stopping songs short a few times and making asides about the sound throughout. She played a set peppered with favorites, including a good portion of Advisory Committee, and new tunes (she mentioned recently finishing work on a new album). O'Neil joined on electric guitar for a few songs in the middle of the set. Some highlights: Mirah and No Kids' Nick Krgovich duetting a capella on "Words Cannot Describe," the last track on Mirah's debut, "You Think It's Like This but Really It's Like This," and Mirah's set closers: "Cold Cold Water" and "Apples in the Trees." She returned with all of the night's performers for a foot-stomp and sleigh bells rendition of "The Garden."

More pictures from Wednesday night's show (10/22) below...

Continue reading "Mirah & No Kids @ Highline Ballroom (CMJ), NYC- pics"

by Andrew Frisicano

Mirah & Spectratone International @ Castle Clinton (cred)

Coming off her May Castle Clinton gig with Spectratone International, Mirah will return to NYC to play Highline Ballroom on Wed, Oct 22 with and No Kids and Tara Jane O'Neil ($15 tix onsale now). The show is one of nine dates Mirah is playing with No Kids, in support of her new rarities and B-sides record, The Old Days Feeling, out on Modern Radio..

After leaving Mirah, No Kids then meet up with Casiotone For the Painfully Alone (as he swings back from a September European tour) to play another area show at Maxwell's on Oct 26. No tickets for that yet.

No Kids released a split 7" EP with Mirah collaborator Mount Eerie last May on Caff/Flick. (Both also appeared on the Worried Noodles comp and played its release party last December.)

Casiotone is set to release an expanded CD edition of his Town Topic EP on Worried Noodles' label Tomlab. The EP also acts as the soundtrack for the film Stay the Same Never Change.

Look for more Casiotone tour dates in October and November and a new album in early 2009. All Mirah & No Kids dates below...

Continue reading "Mirah & No Kids - 2008 Tour Dates (Casiotone FTPA too)"

CMJ (like SXSW) is an annual NYC music festival that consists of many shows in all of the traditional venues. It takes place this year from October 21-25th. Broken Social Scene at Masonic Temple is a CMJ show. Crystal Castles / Fujiya & Miyagi / Who Made Who at Webster Hall is a CMJ show. They Might Be Giants at (le) poisson rouge is a CMJ show. Individual tickets are sold for those shows or you can attempt to get into them with your CMJ festival badge which also gets you into all the daytime panels (the educational stuff). CMJ officially announced the following today:

Continue reading "CMJ announces intial 2008 marathon & panel lineup"

Battles @ Sasquatch 2008 (more by Chris Graham)

today in NYC & NJ
* Kaki King @ Baruch College
* Dead Confederate is playing Pianos
* Murphy's Law @ Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ
* The Submarines & Headlights are playing Union Hall
* an indie pop dance party @ Cake Shop w/ Austin's The Carrots
* Abigail Washburn, Sparrow Quartet, Béla Fleck/Mirah/SI @ Castle Clinton

Ashanti is playing a free MySpace Secret Show at Knitting Factory on on June 2nd ("Limited number of guaranteed-entry wristbands available at 5pm day of show.")

Beatles tribute band The Fab Faux are playing Radio City Music Hall! (presale password=LENNON).

Speaking of tribute bands, Girls Girls Girls (the all girl tribute to Motley Crue) are playing Knitting Factory Friday night May 30th.

Previously on Lost ("the (only) TV recap rock band, writes and records weekly songs reflecting on each episode.") will be performing (Season 4 of Lost) at Knitting Factory on Sunday June 1st.

Dilinger Four are playing Highline Ballroom and Club Exit.

Most of this summer's free McCarren Pool show lineup was announced. Get out your hula hoops.

Black Lips are playing one of the free shows in addition to five other NYC-area shows this Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Thursday. Check out their new video for "It Feels Alright" below...

Too bad Flaming Lips aren't on the schedule because that would be even wilder than Ted Leo was.

Speaking of free Ted Leo shows and Castle Clinton.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday?"

Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet featuring Béla Fleck/Mirah and Spectratone International
May 29, 7:00pm - Castle Clinton National Monument/Battery Park RAIN LOCATION: Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University, Spruce Street entrance

Tickets are required and space is limited. Two free tickets per person will be distributed at the Castle on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 5:00PM on the day of the show.

Continue reading "1st Castle Clinton show today + Abigail Washburn tour dates"

DOWNLOAD: Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Colleen (MP3)

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, Mirah, The Long Winters, Akron/Family, St Vincent and a few more people are playing free shows at Castle Clinton National Monument in Battery Park in NYC this Summer......

Continue reading "Castle Clinton 2008: Ted Leo, Mirah, Long Winters...."

Thurston Moore @ Knitting Factory, NYC - Jan 8, 2008 (lori baily)

wearing no pants in Union Square, NYC - Jan 12, 2008 (zodak)

* Globalfest @ Webster Hall
* Franz Nicolay @ Maxwell's
* Endless Boogie & Human Bell @ Pianos
* KT Tunstall is playing the Apple Store
* Ladybug Mecca & Brian Jackson @ Knitting Factory
* Kimya Dawson & Tiny Masters Today @ Southpaw (afternoon)
* Mirah and Spectratone Int'l @ Southpaw (night time)

What else?