The Rapture at CMJ 2011 (more by Bryan Bruchman)

The American Museum of Natural History's One Step Beyond series, which just had Dirty Projectors last month, is continuing on February 17 at Rose Center with DJ sets by Prefuse 73 and The Rapture. Tickets are on sale now.

Listen to all of what Dave Longstreth played at the last event below.

It's The Rapture's last North American show/event before their Japan/Australia tour which kicks off later this month. All Rapture dates are listed below.

Prefuse 73 are one of many collaborators on the upcoming Flaming Lips collaborative Record Store Day release, which also includes Bon Iver, Erykah Badu, Nick Cave, Death Cab for Cutie, Yoko Ono, and many others. You've already heard Prefuse 73's collaborations when the 4-track EP was released last year, but The Flaming Lips have been rolling out more previews of the upcoming release. Stream "Now I Understand," which features Erykah Badu, below, and check out some short clips of the Bon Iver collabs at Pitchfork.

Streams and all dates below...

Continue reading "Dave Longstreth DJ'd the Museum of Natural History (listen); The Rapture & Prefuse 73 will next (and stuff)"

Dirty Projectors at FFF Fest 2010 (more by Tim Griffin)

The American Museum of Natural History's One Step Beyond series continues on Friday (1/20) in the Rose Center with a headlining DJ set by Dirty Projectors with support from DJ sets by Skinny Friedman and Import/Export and visuals by Glowing Pictures. Tickets are still available, though reportedly going super fast.

In other news, Bang on a Can are releasing a double album called Big Beautiful Dark and Scary on February 28 via Cantaloupe Music. The album features three pieces by Dirty Projectors' Dave Longstreth. In honor of Bang on a Can's 25th anniversary, the album has been available for free download for the first 25 days of January. There's only a few days left so grab it while you still can.

Dirty Projectors are also working on their own new album, which will be released this spring.

Dirty Projectors member Nat Baldwin just played The Manhattan Inn last Sunday (1/15). Brian Kerr said the show was pretty rad. What did you think? Nat kicks off a European tour on Friday (1/20). All dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Dirty Projectors DJing a museum Friday; Bang on a Can giving away double album; Nat Baldwin touring Europe"

Best Coast at LPR (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Best Coast are "Beyond thrilled to announce that the incredibly talented Jon Brion will be producing the next Best Coast album. Recording begins in a few weeks in LA. More news on the way."

Upcoming public/regular shows for Best Coast include two LA shows, one of which is on New Year's Eve with Wanda Jackson, and a trip to Australia in January for the Big Day Out Festival.

Upcoming weird/private shows for Best Coast include two in NYC. The band will play a private Ray Ban party this week with Johnny Marr & The Healers and Mona, and you can catch Bethany DJing on Friday, October 14th at the Rose Center in the American Museum of Natural History. Tickets are on sale.

Jon Brion recently played his fourth and final show at Le Poisson Rouge on 10/9.

All tour dates and some videos below....

Continue reading "Jon Brion producing new Best Coast (who DJ the American Museum of Natural History Friday)"

by Bill Pearis

The Joshua Light Show is back in town this weekend, doing their old-school psychedelic visuals -- which provided hallucinatory effects for The Who, Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead and others -- for the first time in a 360-degree environment: the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. The three-night performance, titled Fulldome, happens Friday - Sunday (June 3 -5) and tickets are still available.

Fulldome explores the concept of synesthesia, the blending of sensory experiences. (Or as a hippie might say "I can see the music, man!"). For a more scientific explanation of this, you can attend Brain: The Inside Story which precedes the Joshua Light Show performances.

"The light show will be performed live by Joshua White. Video projections will feature his current team of artists, including Ana Matronic of Scissor Sisters, Alyson Denny, Seth Kirby, Brock Monroe, Doug Pope, Bec Stupak, and noted illustrator Gary Panter."

"An original soundtrack [not live] features contributions from percussion artists Laraaji and Z'EV mixed with cosmic electronics by music director Nick Hallett and sound designer Jeff Cook, with additional music from Brooklyn's Oneida."

While lacking the live bands the Joshua Light Show usually performs with (like Oneida, Woods, and Dean Wareham last year) the planetarium envoirnment will no doubt be a much more immersive experience. You can watch a short feature/EPK on Fulldome below.

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Speaking of the AMNH, the next edition of "One Step Beyond", their monthly dance party in the museum, takes place on June 24th though no lineup has been announced yet. Dan Deacon played the last one.

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For a cheaper museum experience (and speaking of Oneida), members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Oneida play with silent films at the Met this Friday. Free with museum admission. Glen Hansard recently played there.

Blitz the Ambassador and DJ Spinna appear at the Brooklyn Museum on Saturday. Free.

New York's "Biggest Block Party", the annual Museum Mile Festival happens June 14th from 6pm - 9pm. "One day a year, for the past 32 years, nine of the country's finest museums, all ones that call Fifth Avenue home, collectively open their doors from 6pm - 9pm for free to New Yorkers and visitors for a mile-long block party and visual art celebration. This traffic-free, music- and art-filled celebration fills the street and sidewalks of Fifth Avenue from 82nd to 105th street, the mile now officially designated as Museum Mile. Over 50,000 visitors attend the festival annually."

Continue reading "Joshua Light Show presents 'Fulldome' the Museum of Natural History (and other museum stuff)"

photos by Chris La Putt

"The idea of a Dan Deacon dance party in the space room at the American Museum of Natural History kinda blows my mind." - luke wilhelmi

""keep moving that way. Thats right...everything a/b this is successful!" -dan deacon @ natural history museum" - whitney pettyjohn

Dan Deacon made his presence known in NYC over the weekend. Last night it was the Our Band Could Be Your Life concert at Bowery Ballroom. Saturday was a Brooklyn show at 285 Kent, and Friday was his performance as part of The American Museum of Natural History's "One Step Beyond" series. More pictures and a video from the museum show (which Hesta Prynn also DJ'd), and Dan Deacon & Jimmy Joe Roche's recently-released video for "Hilvarenbeek", and some more tour dates too, below...

Continue reading "Dan Deacon was here, played the Museum of Natural History w/ Hesta Prynn (pics & video)"

Dan Deacon @ Merkin Concert Hall (more by David Andrako)

The Vivian Girls show at 285 Kent takes place four days before the space hosts green-skull-wielder Dan Deacon, who'll join Moss of Aura, Janka Nabay, and Friends (the band called "Friends"). Advance tickets for the May 21st show at 285 Kent Ave are on sale at Desert Island Books (Metropolitan Ave @ Union Ave).

The Brooklyn show is part of a three-night NYC run for Deacon who is also playing the next edition of One Step Beyond at the American Museum of Natural History on May 20th. Tickets are on sale.

May 22nd is when Dan plays Butthole Surfers covers at Bowery Ballroom as part of the sold out This Band Could Be Your Life concert.

Dan Deacon is also on board for the previously-mentioned B.O.M.B. Fest in Hartford, CT on 5/28, with Weezer, Snoop Dogg, New Pornographers, Dum Dum Girls and others.

Speaking of Janka Nabay, he'll also join The Bubu Gang for a show at Rock Shop on July 1. Tickets are on sale.

All Dan Deacon tour dates, more details on those 285 Kent show, and a new video for "Surprise Stefani," below...

Continue reading "Dan Deacon playing the Museum of Natural History, 285 Kent, Bowery Ballroom & B.O.M.B. Fest "

Chromeo at Webster Hall with A-Trak earlier this year (more by Brook Bobbins)

The American Museum of Natural History's One Step Beyond series continues on Friday, April 22nd with DJ sets from Chromeo, Telephoned, and Activaire. Tickets are on sale, and though $25 potentially seems like a hefty price tag, the surroundings (the museum) do make it an extra special place to party. One Step Beyond happens again on May 20 and June 24 with lineups TBA. In February Scissor Sisters were in charge of the music.

Meanwhile, the very fashionable Dave 1 of Chromeo's little brother A-Trak will be in NYC soon too as part of the Magic 8-Ball tour that hits Terminal 5 eight days after the Chromeo appearance (4/30). Tickets are still available for the show that also features Kid Sister, the Gaslamp Killer, and the recently added Clipse (it said "special guests" when the tour was announced).

Both A-Trak and Chromeo are at Coachella this weekend. Updated tour dates for both of them and some recent videos below..

Continue reading "One Step Beyond series continues w/ Chromeo DJing +++ Clipse playing NYC date of A-Trak's Magic 8-Ball tour & stuff "

photos by Winnie Cheung

"Hanging out with the Scissor Sisters in the planetarium" - Tom Sutch

"scissor sisters spun deep house acid house chicago 90ies ultimate dance at amnh tonight. so fun ;)" - music fiend

Scissor Sisters, along with Lauren Flax and Activaire, were the DJs at One Step Beyond at The American Museum of Natural History on Friday night (2/4). Scissor Sisters play live at Wellmont Theater on 2/18 (tickets still available), a few days before they hit MSG at part of their tour with Lady Gaga.

The next One Step Beyond dates are Mar 11, April 22, May 20 & June 24 (lineups TBA).

More pictures from Friday night at the museum below...

Continue reading "Scissor Sisters spun @ the Museum of Natural History (pics)"

by BBG

Ish of Shabazz Palaces at Sasquatch (more by Chris Graham)

There have been many projects and solo albums in the days following the (original) fall of Digable Planets, but now Ish is breaking out with his killer new Seattle-based project Shabazz Palaces. The group has only been playing limited dates so far (pics from Sasquatch 2010), but will play three shows in October including NYC's American Museum of Natural History for "One Step Beyond" on Friday, October 15th with the great Blockhead on support. Tickets are on sale.

The show is one of a greater set of dates for Blockhead. All dates for both are below.

Shabazz Palaces have released a couple of EPs during their short existence, and are prepping a new LP for release on Sub Pop in 2011.

"I think we both have a lot of love, appreciation, respect and energy for music and for each other. Recognizing the fact that business is necessary for maximizing exposure to it, I think we mutually feel that doing business is less a 'job' and more an opportunity to exercise those feelings in dope ass ways. Shabazz, we bring a distinct hip-hop mentality from left to Sub Pop, which has established itself wide and deep in r&r from that same field. So, it's going to be cool to see what gets born from rolling together. And, of course, Seattle is the immeasurable muse, the backdrop, backbone, the foundation to how we all get down. So SP feels a lot of pride around this partnering-up as well. The people, the office, the deal, it all feels super plush. So stay tuned, it's 'bouts to be on."-The Palaceer, Shabazz Palaces.

Meanwhile Digable Planets, which is -according to their myspace- "Doodlebug AND Butterfly" (but no Ladybug), is scheduled to play SOB's on Thursday (9/23), their only current tour date. Tickets are still available.

Dig on some streaming audio from Shabazz Palaces's previous EPs, as well as a recent video for "Belhaven Meridian", with all dates, below.

Continue reading "Shabazz Palaces, now on Sub Pop, playing a NYC museum w/ Blockhead (dates), 'Digable Planets' playing SOB's"

Yeasayer @ Governors Island on June 5 (more by Andrew St. Clair)

One Step Beyond, the monthly dance party series at the American Museum of Natural History, is bringing Yeasayer to DJ its next party on June 11th. Also in the house will be Roofeeo and DJ Teenwolf (of Ninjasonik). Tickets are on sale.

Yeasayer play Lollapalooza's Budweiser Stage on Sunday, August 8th at 4pm. Arcade Fire play vs Soundgarden at the fest later that night. Phoenix goes up against Green Day one night earlier. Lady Gaga and the Strokes have competing time slots on the first night. That and more in the just-released Lollapalooza 2010 schedule.

More Yeasayer tour dates are HERE. A video of Yeasayer's Governors Island show is below...

Continue reading "Yeasayer DJing AMNH, Lollapalooza schedule released "

The Very Best @ Santos Party House in November (more by Benjamin Lozovsky)

The Very Best and Theophilus London play American Museum of Natural History's monthly One Step Beyond party on Friday, March 12th. Tickets are on sale.

The Very Best will be playing shows in North America leading up to SXSW, where the group has sets scheduled including the Pitchfork official showcase at The Scoot Inn on March 20th, and additional shows around Sasquatch in May (and the Roots Picnic in June). Those dates, the full Pitchfork party lineup, and videos are below...

Continue reading "The Very Best playing AMNH, SXSW & more (dates) "

photos by Tim Griffin

"Animal Collective was NOT Animal Collective last night. It was a sad dj set from Geologist playing from i-tunes from his laptop. Boo!" - Yvonne G

Animal Collective (aka Geologist) and Fischerspooner (Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner) were the DJs at One Step Beyond in NYC on Friday night (1/8). More pictures from the museum party, below...

Continue reading "'Animal Collective' & Fischerspooner @ the Museum of Natural History in NYC (One Step Beyond) - pics "

DOWNLOAD: Casey Spooner - Faye Dunaway (MP3)

Fischerspooner on NYE (78guy)

Fischerspooner will be the "surprise guest" DJ at the American Museum of Natural History's One Step Beyond on Friday, January 8th with DJ sets from Animal Collective and the Activaire DJs. The event is sold out. Congrats Peter who guessed correctly. You won a pair of tickets (he was already contacted and confirmed).

An unmastered track off Casey Spooner's forthcoming solo project, produced by Jeff Saltzman (Fischerspooner, The Killers, The Black Keys), is posted above. Fischerspooner played New Year's Eve at Irving Plaza. See them ring in the New Year in the videos below...

Continue reading "Fischerspooner DJing w/ Animal Collective (congrats Peter!), played New Years Eve ++ Spooner solo track 'leaked' (MP3)"

DOWNLOAD: Fader Issue 65 (PDF)

The American Museum of Natural History rings in 2010 with One Step Beyond, presented with The Fader Magazine on Friday, January 8, 2010 from 9 PM - 1 AM, with a headline DJ set by Animal Collective and openers, the Activaire DJs. Joining will be a surprise guest, who will be announced the week of. For the first time, advance tickets are $20 until 6 PM on the day of show, and $25 at the door; both ticket prices include a free future visit to the museum, cosmic visuals by Fuevoz (with VJs SeeJ and Benton-C), and entry to the Museum's breathtaking Passport to the Universe Hayden Planetarium Show, narrated by Tom Hanks. Advance tickets are recommended and available at www.amnh.org/osb. The entrance to the event is located on Central Park West at West 79th Street.

Animal Collective guest-edited the new issue of FADER. That's the cover up there, and right above it is a download of the entire issue.

According to Pitchfork, Animal Collective wrote the best song of 2009. "My Girls" video below...

Continue reading "Animal Collective DJing Museum of Natural History w/ SECRET GUEST (guess the guest & win a pair of tickets) "

DJ/Rupture / Maluca

The Fader Presents One Step Beyond
Launch your weekend with drinks and dancing at the most explosive party this side of the Milky Way. See and be seen under the stars as live bands, DJs, and VJs present the hottest music and project dynamic visuals at the Rose Center for Earth and Space. Cocktails keep the party going.
DJ/ Rupture
Matt Shadetek Feat Jahdan Blakkamoore, Maluca

November 13, 2009 Buy Tickets
9pm - 1am

Craig Finn and Tad Kubler play an early show at LPR tomorrow.

DJ /rupture & Matt Shadetek's new video for their "SOLAR LIFE RAFT MEDLEY" (and more info on what that is), below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Friday?"

photos by Ryan Muir

"People who speak in magazine copy will call 2009 The Year Of The Electro Gal. With La Roux and Little Boots leaving their signatures on the last 12 months, it falls to Philadelphia rapper-slash-singer Amanda Blank to own the last quarter of 09.

Blank's been around for almost half a decade. Her potty mouth has been front and centre on electro-rap masters Spank Rock's most beloved tracks (most notably Bump, where she name checked herself as a "boastful bitch MC") and she also appeared on the Diplo Vs Santogold mixtape, as well as NASA's debut. But due to record company machinations and her own caution, her solo debut, I Love You, is only coming out now." [Guardian]

Continue reading "Amanda Blank, her guest Spank Rock, and Devlin & Darko @ the Museum of Natural History in NYC - pics"

They Might Be Giants @ Prospect Park (more by Ryan Muir)

"They Might Be Giants performed a free concert for kids in Prospect Park on Saturday afternoon [July 11th]. We loaded up the boys, packed the picnic blanket and headed off to Park Slope about 15 minutes before they were to hit the stage. Not the brightest idea. First we couldn't find a parking spot so KG dropped myself and the boys off so we could catch the show. The line to get into the band shell area snaked all the way around the entrance and went on and on. Fortunately we made other plans to sit outside the fenced off area with some friends. I have never seen so many kids in one place before. It was mayhem." [you're not listening to my words]

The kick off for TMBG's tour supporting that record will be October 4th at the American Museum of Natural History, where they'll play two family shows. Ticket info TBA.

The band will be back in NYC for another family show on October 18th at NYU's Skirball Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are on sale now.

Full tour dates, with a video of TMBG live on WNYC in May, are below...

Continue reading "They Might Be Giants - new kids album & 2009 tour dates"

DOWNLOAD: 2020 Soundsystem - Sliding Away (Johnny D remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Moodymanc - Facing Forwards, Looking Backwards mix (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Viking - April Showers Bring May Flowers mix (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Kid Cudi - Dat New New (Viking remix) (MP3)

Moderat @ MHOW (poejarker)

Last week in dance was by far, one of the best I've had this year. Things were off to a rocky start Friday night when APT's last minute closing left Disco 3000 temporarily homeless, before it was moved to Le Poisson Rouge. Unfortunately word didn't seem to get out fast enough, leaving very few disco revelers on LPR's dancefloor. Fortunately Disco 3000 will be back in just a few weeks (June 19) and Trus'me will be back deejaying here next weekend for what seems to be a dance party meets circus, And Everyone Laughed.

Back to last weekend...after a fairly tame Friday night, Saturday night was very busy. I started my evening by heading to Music Hall of Williamsburg to see Moderat. From there the plan was to head to Mr. Saturday Night (which was thankfully at a loft not too far away) to see Pilooski.

Unfortunately things did not go exactly as planned. Moderat were supposed to go on at 1. Modeselektor's shows usually clock in around an hour so I figured Moderat's would be similar and I might be a little late for Pilooski (who I heard was going on at 2). Moderat's show was about an hour...but it didn't start until 1:50! I had made the decision to attempt to go to both, fully aware that this might happen so I just crossed my fingers that Mr. Saturday Night was running behind and tried to enjoy Moderat.

continued below...

Continue reading "the week in Dance w/ Showtrotta (part 1) (2020 Soundsystem, Moby, Chromeo, Moderat & more)"

photos by Rod Mickens/AMNH, words by Martin Longley

Down in the cosmic ballroom, the One Step Beyond (presented by The Fader at the American Museum of American History) DJ sessions continue, although this evening's attendance might just be down on that enjoyed over the last few Fridays. This will surely swoop back up with Moby's appearance on the 5th of June.

Peanut Butter Wolf's heading up a Stones Throw night, featuring his label's James Pants, Mayer Hawthorne and Dam-Funk, who all returned to play at (le) Poisson Rouge on Saturday. The Californian Wolf is combining laptop with decks, spinning through a very populist, party-pointed playlist. All audio is married to a sequence of back-projected videos, which probably holds some governing force over the selection process. It's a feast of nostalgia, parading through Kid Creole, Prince, Earth Wind & Fire, Rick James, Daft Punk, White Stripes and even the fucking Police. Afrika Bambaataa, House Of Pain and The Beastie Boys bring things back into the hip hop zone, whilst David Bowie, Musical Youth and Bo Diddley stand out as slightly more skewed choices. It's the kind of set that a DJ would prepare for a wedding party. Pleasurable, but also lacking in ambition, particularly when Stones Throw is renowned for its harder niche hip hop sounds.

More pictures below...

Continue reading "Peanut Butter Wolf @ Museum of Natural History, NYC - pics "

Peanut Butter Wolf...

As one commenter pointed out, DOOM's upcoming show schedule, in addition to the Pitchfork Festival (which by the way is now sold out of three-day passes), also includes a visit to daylong hip-hop fest Soundset taking place in Shakopee, Minnesota on Sunday, May 24th. Headliners for the concert include Atmosphere, The Pharcyde, Brother Ali, Sage Francis with B. Dolan, and Immortal Technique. Full lineup below. Tickets for the show are on sale.

That fest is being put on in part by Rhymesayers, the label that put out DOOM's MM..FOOD?. Another of DOOM's many labels, Stones Throw Records (which put out the rapper's Madlib collaboration Madvillainy) will have a strong presence in NYC this weekend. Tonight, Friday, May 8th. Stones Throw founder and head Peanut Butter Wolf will perform at the American Museum of Natural History's monthly One Step Beyond party. Tickets are on sale.

Also on the bill with Peanut Butter Wolf are Stones Throw artists James Pants, Mayer Hawthorne and Dam-Funk. Those three will also be at (Le) Poisson Rouge for a Stones Throw Party on Saturday, May 9th. Tickets are on sale.

Coming up at One Step Beyond: "One Step Beyond finishes their second season with a blow out spectacular with a DJ set by electro pioneer Moby on a new date June 5, 2009 with a DJ set from Holy Ghost! (DFA)."

Full info on both Soundset and One Step Beyond below...

Continue reading "Stones Throw in NYC weekend (One Step Beyond & Le Poisson Rouge) ++ the 2009 Soundset lineup (includes DOOM)"

by Martin Longley

Throbbing Gristle @ Le Poisson Rouge on Friday (more by Jacob Blickenstaff)

Negative reports from Throbbing Gristle's sold out Brooklyn Masonic Temple gig the night before were creating an expectation of cynical non-communication and lazy noisemongering, but the long-lost English quartet's Friday appearance at (le) Poisson Rouge was surprisingly direct, targeted with precision and offered no messing about whatsoever. Formed in 1975, their last Stateside performance was back in 1981, after which they disbanded until 2004. This current cluster of gigs mark their first ever appearances in NYC. Even though the Throbs take to the stage an hour later than promised (well, according to the club's website, but not their own), once ensconced, the foursome set about pummelling the crowded (but not overcrowded) space with an onslaught of completely uncompromising industrial ramming.

Throbbing Gristle @ Le Poisson Rouge on Friday (more by Jacob Blickenstaff)

The blonde-tressed Genesis P. Orridge is the punk Marianne Faithfull, mainly concentrating on his/her deadpan intonations, but occasionally making an overloaded racket on the violin. Peter Christopherson and Chris Carter hunch over the computers, their table littered with manual devices, allowing plenty of hands-on sample triggering. Cosey Fanni Tutti is mainly playing slide guitar, adding acidic decorations to the brutal electro-hammering, and briefly turning to her cornet. The set is roughly divided between songs and instrumental grooves, opening with "Very Friendly" (the first song that they ever wrote together, thirty-four years ago, Orridge marvels), soon followed by "Hamburger Lady". It's the bangin' instrumental work-outs that attain the highest peaks of frenzy, though, filtered and fed back through the techno and breakbeat experience, hung around hard bassy granite, and trimmed with violent distortion, gradually increasing the volume curve up to massive. The club's sound balance is excellent, delivering all the loving details of Gristle's grit. There's more jocularity onstage than expected: amidst the sinister threat and diseased vibrations. Orridge and Tutti are frequently caught having a giggle, before weighing into the next evil riff. Instead of being mysterious legends who disappoint, Throbbing Gristle are now performing with a vital, energised edge, repeatedly switching the emphasis from narrative song to twitchily danceable pulse-repetitions.

Kode9 @ Museum of Natural History (more by Zach Dilgard)

Half an hour later, Kode9 is representing the newer generation of British electronica at the American Museum Of Natural History's One Step Beyond night. The setting is immediately underneath the museum's impressive cosmic planetarium sphere, the crowd promenading down its surrounding spiral pathway to the dancefloor below.These Friday night sessions perch between mainstream partying and left-side dance beats, so Kode9's DJ-ing is not as extreme as expected, not offering up the hardcore dubstep sounds that were doubtless in evidence the previous night at his Love show. Perhaps surprisingly, it's LA's Flying Lotus who wins out in the extremity stakes, proceeding to deliver a shorter set of wrenched beats and side-shunting time signatures, grabbing the dancefloor's peak momentum just as the witching hour passes.

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Another TG review & more pics HERE. More Kode9 pics HERE.

Video from Throbbing Gristle's set at Coachella on Sunday, below...

Continue reading "Throbbing Gristle vs. Kode9 - Friday night in NYC"

photos by Zach Dilgard

Flying Lotus & Kode9

"Thursday night i was supposed to see Flying Lotus at Club Love with Johnny. To make a long story short, I'm glad i was too pressed for time to go that night.

Instead, i accompanied my homeboy to the Museum of Natural History, which was hosting performances by FlyLo and another DJ by the name of Kode9...

...The best part about this whole thing was that if you got kinda bored or restless, there was shit to do and see. The museum aspect kicked in while you walked around looking at trippy spacey lights being reflected on the ceiling, or walking around the Rose Center and looking at moon rocks or pictures and displays of all sorts while still LISTENING to the music you came to hear. Me & J definitely took full advantage of this and went on our own space odyssey... [Bulletproof Tiger]

Continue reading "Flying Lotus & Kode9 @ The American Museum of Natural History (One Step Beyond) - pics "

by Black Bubblegum

The Cool Kids @ Highline Ballroom (More by Leia Jospe)

On some level, yes, perhaps this was inevitable. But after many locals realizing it for some time now, it seems that the Chicago-based hip-hop duo The Cool Kids--or more likely, the people who represent them--have finally been hipped to the fact that, here in [Dallas Forth Worth], there exists a lo-fi punk outfit by the name of the Teenage Cool Kids. And, as such, the Cool Kids' handlers have sent Teenage Cool Kids a cease and desist order, asking that the band change its name. [Dallas Observer]

In related news, The Cool Kids AND KOOL Keith (will they go after him too?) are part of the recently announced All Points West lineup. Both Cool & Kool play on Saturday Aug 1st... that's the NON-Beastie Boys / Q-Tip / Pharcyde / Organized Konfusion (!!!!!)/ Flying Lotus day (which is Friday, July 31).

Kool Keith will also appear at the Gramercy Theatre in NYC on April 3rd, but this time as Dr Octagon vs Dr Doom. All dates below.

And probably the most exciting news (to me anyway) out of the APW lineup is the reformation of the mighty Organized Konfusion! The crew released their last LP in 1997, The Equinox which was proceeded by the classic self-titled and Stress: The Extinction Agenda LPs. Since then, Pharoahe Monch has been busy with his own ventures including writing rhymes for certain millionaires and showing up to support his friends The Roots at Highline Ballroom. Prince Po hasn't exactly sat idle either... his last album, The Saga Of The Simian Samurai dropped in 2007. Some videos below.

In other APW-playing, hip hop artist news, Q-Tip who always keeps busy performing (most recently on tour with the Cool Kids) and spinning, will be gettin' down at the 92nd St Y in Tribeca, James Lipton style:

Hot 97 DJ Peter Rosenberg hosts a night of music and conversation featuring famed hip-hop musician and producer Q-Tip, a member of the legendary band A Tribe Called Quest. Rosenberg will sit down with Q-Tip for a candid discussion about the life and influences of this innovative artist, whose career has spanned over 20 years. Jazz hip-hop fusion band Igmar Thomas and The Cypher will perform throughout the night, paying tribute to Q-Tip's music.

Beastie Boys recently reissued (deluxe style) Check Your Head, and have been announcing lots of festival appearances for this summer.

And finally, Flying Lotus (the "experimental music producer, disc jockey, and laptop musician from Winnetka, California") will be in NYC before before All Points West, including two dates in the next month - April 16th and 17th. On April 16th, Flying Lotus will join Kode9, Martyn, Mike Slott, Pursuit Grooves, Ras_G, and Zomby as part of Brainfeeder NYC (Part 1) at Love, a showcase for Flying Lotus's all-digital label Brainfeeder. The next day look for Flying Lotus and Kode9 to play the American Museum of Natural History as part of The Fader Presents One Step Beyond (advance tickets are available).

All tour dates, flyers and videos below...

Continue reading "Hip Hop @ APW, Organized Konfusion returns, Cool Kids vs Teenage Cool Kids, Flying Lotus touring, Q-Tip speaking"

by Andrew Frisicano

Four Tet (aka electronic musician Kieran Hebden) has announced six dates in US and Canada, including a NYC performance (UPDATE: DJ SET) at The American Museum of Natural History's monthly One Step Beyond party on Friday March 13 (tix here). The gig, with Jon Hopkins and Mapei, is the first time Hebden will play a NYC "Four Tet" set (UPDATE: DJ SET) since canceling his June 2008 Studio B show.

In 2008, Hebden paired up with drummer Steve Reid to release the collaborative record NYC. Appropriately, the duo visited New York in December and July.

Opening for Four Tet at the AMNH (and two other shows) will be Domino signee Jon Hopkins, a British "composer, pianist and self-taught studio wizard," who is releasing his third record, Insides, on May 5 - free single "Wire" is up at Domino Records. Hopkins also plays Pianos on 3/14.

You may know Four Tet's Madvillainy remixes - released by Stones Throw and as part of the Domino released Four Tet Remixes 2xCD - well, Hebden and other remixers should have new source material soon, as Lex Records reports that it will release (MF) DOOM's new CD, Born Like This, on March 24, 2009. We reported last Fall that DOOM might be preparing his MM..FOOD follow-up for an unexpected release. The new disc is currently available for pre-order, and tracks "That's That" and "Ballskin" are now streaming on DOOM's Myspace.

All tour dates, "Rhinestone Cowboy" Four Tet remix video, and Born Like This track list below...

Continue reading "Four Tet & Jon Hopkins tour dates & a new MF DOOM album"

photos by Noah Gilbert

"Anyone who knows Tim Sweeney's radio show 'Beats In Space' knows that the dream is to one day see him floatin around in space playing all your favourite tunes, while you're sipping cosmopolitans with ET and doing the 2-step with Alf.

Since this is close to impossible organisers of One Step Beyond teamed up with the guys over at The Fader to create a world within a world, a unique experience like no other.

The outcome was Tim Sweeney performing an exclusive set inside one of the world's largest planetariums in New York. Not just any planetarium, this is the American Museum Of Natural History, and from all accounts, he did not disappoint, playing a cool mix of crate diggin and familiar jams for all who attended." [Mod Blog]

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