Lily Allen @ Roseland Ballroom (more by Natasha Ryan)

"I havent written on here for a while but I've taken the time to write this as I think music piracy is having a dangerous effect on British music, but some really rich and successful artists like Nick Mason from Pink Floyd and Ed O'Brien from Radiohead don't seem to think so. Last week in an article in the Times these guys from huge bands said file sharing music is fine. It probably is fine for them. They do sell-out arena tours and have the biggest Ferrari collections in the world. For new talent though, file sharing is a disaster as it's making it harder and harder for new acts to emerge." [Lily Allen on MySpace, September 14, 2009]

On September 20th Lily Allen started a blog called "It's Not Alright". Her first post was a letter by James Blunt that started with the line "Lily is our Leader". Other posts include a letter from Tim Rice Oxley from Keane, one from Matt Bellamy from Muse, and, ironically, a post about 50 Cent that she lifted without credit from Techdirt. She has since, sort of, apologized. There are also posts by/about Mark Ronson, The Futureheads, Patrick Wolf, and Bat For Lashes' Natasha Khan.

Bat For Lashes @ MHOW in May (absolutelyaudrey)

Anyone with prior reservations about Bat For Lashes' ability to command a stage the size of Primavera's Estrella Damm are fools. That much is clear from opener 'Glass'' first chiming chorus; not only is her delivery spot on but she looks like she's well and truly at home up there, stalking the stage and delivering her ethereal set with the sort of gusto a first album Natasha Khan might have baulked at. She's grown as a performer and a songwriter since then, that much is clear, and whether the slightly more electronic direction of second album Two Suns is one that strikes a chord with you or not, the pop brilliance of a song like 'Daniel' is practically irrefutable. And, let's face it, a set filled with 'Sarah's and 'Prescilla's probably isn't quite what a beer-filled festival crowd is looking for. A canny move, then, and one that our ears are left thankful for this evening. And is that Charlotte Hatherley up there with her? Why, yes. Bonus. [Drowned in Sound]

Bat For Lashes have announced a North American tour around their previously scheduled visit to Chicago for Lollapalooza in August. That trek includes an August 12th show at NYC's Webster Hall. Tickets for that show go on AxEx presale sale at noon, and regular sale on Friday. The tour also includes a stop at San Francisco's Outside Lands. All dates below...

Continue reading "Bat For Lashes - 2009 Tour Dates (Webster Hall) "

photos by Faith-Ann Young

NY MAG: You've been living partly in New York recently -- what do you think about the music scene here?

Natasha Khan: In Brooklyn and Williamsburg, which is where I was living, there has been quite an interesting scene happening that was kind of bubbling away when I was there. There were these new bands like Gang Gang Dance and TV on the Radio and MGMT and Yeasayer. So I saw a lot of interesting gigs, and had a really nice exchange and conversations with musicians and got inspired.

Not to be confused with King Khan, whose own NYC trip coincides with hers, Natasha Khan (aka Bat For Lashes) plays Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn tonight (5/2). Last night she was on Letterman and the night before she played Bowery Ballroom. Video from the TV appearance, and more pictures from the NYC show, below...

Continue reading "Bat For Lashes played Bowery Ballroom (pics) & Letterman (video) -- tonight it's Music Hall of Williamsburg"

DOWNLOAD: Moon & Moon - Act II : Hands of a Man (MP3)

Back in 2006 it seemed that Devendra Banhart was involved in a new project called Moon and Moon. That is still true, but Devendra is not really the focus anymore - just one of the many guest participants...in a new rock opera...

Reflections of timeless struggle, self-fulfilling prophecy, and age-old triumph, with flashes of modern affectation. A fluid and evolving seven-act performance; an epic tale of angst, hunger, tragedy, failure, and ultimately, hope. The dramatic opening of this musical / avant-theatre piece begins with the young voice of our seven year old narrator. She describes in 2 short lines what we are about to witness: seven perspectives of one king's war with himself. Moon & Moon provides the framework of a journey through an eternal human battle, borrowing from religious heritage and a colorful quilt of belief that draws upon the root myth of our collective humanity. Our story re-creates an archetypal battle that is not only historical fiction, but our own contemporary fact which exemplifies our self-destructive nature. Through the journey of witnessing a different character's perspective in each act, our king comes to the realisation that he is not only the walls which he has built, but the walls that have been destroyed by his own hand and command.

Contributions by members of An Albatross, Lewis & Clarke, Barkus Born and Stephonik Youth with guest appearances by Devendra Banhart, Gibby Haynes, and Bat For Lashes.

VII Acts of an Iron King was released by La Société Expéditionnaire on Nov. 11, 2008. Act II is available for download above. All seven acts are listed below. The full list of "players" is as follows:

Will Lemon, Steven Kurtz, Jay Hudak, Lou Rogai, Brother James Barbee, Ed Klinger, Louis Schwadron, Geoff Vick, Melanie Moser, Elizabeth Louise Tordis Gagnes, Paula Henderson, Eve Miller, Katie Porter, Matthew Boynton, Ivan Berko, Olivia Galarza, Stephonik Youth, Gibby Haynes, Devendra Banhart, Natasha Khan, Julian Rogai, Tom Asselin, Lauren Tralala, Zumi Rosow, Jane Hirships

The record release party for this new album is happening today (Sunday, December 14, 2008) at Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn. I don't know too much about the show, who will be there, etc, but I think at least that Moon & Moon will be joined by Gibby Haynes (who also played a show at Warsaw on Friday). Wet Ropes and DJ Megan Awesome are also on the bill according to the venue. More pictures (and the act list) below...

Continue reading "Moon and Moon - record release show Sunday, MP3 (Gibby Haynes, Devendra Banhart, Bat for Lashes & friends)"

Members of Bat For Lashes, Earl Greyhound, Blonde Redhead and others modeled for today's NY Times. None of the pictures come even close to the ones Paper just published of Joanna Newsom though.

Check out the video of Kazu (Blonde Redhead) performing with Paul Banks & Samuel Fogarino of Interpol, below...

Continue reading "Kazu Makino, Natasha Khan, Earl Greyhound & other models"