We already posted Pitchfork's and SPIN's, so... here's Rolling Stone's top 50 albums of 2011. It's got tons of big sellers and major label players taking high spots like Adele, Jay-Z and Kanye West, Paul Simon, and Lady Gaga, but then something unexpected like tUnE-yArDs places at #13. There are also some odd inclusions like Wavves' Life Sux EP and then some albums you could only find on a Rolling Stone list like SuperHeavy (the supergroup featuring Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Damian Marley, and others). They also give shots to Little Dragon, Josh T Pearson, Das Racist, Wild Flag, and many more. Check out the full list below...

Continue reading "Rolling Stone's Top Albums of 2011"

Yo La Tengo @ ATP NY 2008 (more by Zach Dilgard)

today in NYC
* SWEETsons Greetings
* BETTY @ Joe's Pub
* Chris Cochrane @ Barbes
* Young Jeezy @ Gramercy
* Anand Wilder @ The Stone
* Slavic Soul Party @ Barbes
* Marianne Faithfull @ City Winery
* John Waters Christmas @ BB King's
* Coconuts Comedy Show @ Union Hall
* Slaughterhouse @ Highline Ballroom
* Yo La Tengo Hanukkah show @ Maxwell's
* Drunken Sufis, Luke Reynolds @ Cake Shop
* Stephen Merchant : Hello Ladies Tour @ Town Hall
* Matisyahu, Dub Trio @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Nuriya, Pharaoh's Daughter, Haale @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Digable Planets, F. Stokes, U.G.O Crew @ Brooklyn Bowl
* George Langford & Tom Van Buskirk of Javelin @ The Stone
* Mala Strana, Night Manager, Ism, Tezeo @ Big Snow Buffalo Lodge
* Trippple Nippples, Hard Nips, New London Fire, Ghost Beach @ Pianos
* The Babies, Dive, Widowspeak, Ducktails (DJ set), Todd P (DJ set) @ 285 Kent Ave
* SMIF-N-Wessun, Uncle Murda, Green Lantern, Vita and Murder League, Bazaar Royale @ SOB's
* Dome Theater, Bow Ribbons, Hubble, Diamond Terrifier, Swarms (Nina Mehta of Rings) @ Zebulon
* Religious To Damn, Sean Ragon (Cult of Youth), Anasazis, Bootblacks, Jailbait @ Lit Lounge (JT benefit)

Happy Hanukkah! Yo La Tengo are Matisyahu celebrating tonight, and it's the beginning of the annual Sephardic Music Festival.com/.

Panda Bear released a trippy new video today. Watch it below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday (Hanukkah night 1)"

New Moods (whose members include a Young Magic member and Gang Gang Dance's engineer) have been busy practicing for their 9pm set at the BV Holiday Party at Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight (12/13) (some tickets will be on sale at the door), but they managed to get this list in just in time for those going (or still thinking of going) (or wondering if they should show up for the opener) (you should!) to get to know them better. Here is a list of the top 10 music things that New Moods loved in/about 2011 (in no particular order)...

Continue reading "New Moods' Top 10 Things in 2011 "

by Andrew Sacher

DOWNLOAD: Korallreven - "As Young As Yesterday" [Ft. Victoria Bergsman] (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Korallreven - "Honey Mine" [Ft. Victoria Bergsman] (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Korallreven - "Another Dream Mixtape" (MP3)

Panda Bear at MHOW in July (more by Amanda Hatfield)

As previously mentioned, Panda Bear kicks off a short US tour next week after playing POPPED! Music Festival in Philly this Friday (9/23). The tour culminates in NYC at Webster Hall on October 1 (tickets) and Brooklyn Masonic Temple on October 2 (tickets). Later this fall, Panda Bear will play a run of European dates leading up to his appearance at the Jeff Mangum-curated ATP.

Korallreven

In related news, Panda Bear recently remixed a track off the upcoming Korallreven debut LP. Korallreven are a Swedish electronic duo consisting of Marcus Joons and Daniel Tjäder (of The Radio Dept.). Their LP, titled An Album by Korallreven, comes out on November 15 via Acephale and features guest appearances by Victoria Bergsman (Taken by Trees/The Concretes) and Julianna Barwick, who also appears on a mixtape the duo have made, which you can download above. You can listen to Panda Bear's remix of "As Young as Yesterday," which features Victoria Bergsman, below. The original and another album track, "Honey Mine," which also features Victoria Bergsman, can be downloaded above. Tracklist and album art are below.

Speaking of The Radio Dept., their tour with Memoryhouse kicks off in November and hits Bowery Ballroom on November 20. Tickets for that show are still on sale.

All Panda Bear dates, Korallreven song stream, album art and tracklist below...

Continue reading "Panda Bear remixed a Korallreven song featuring Victoria Bergsman (MP3s, album info & The Radio Dept)"

Prince Rama @ Glasslands in 2010 (more by Erez Avissar)

As mentioned, Panda Bear is playing a few shows this fall including one on October 1 at Webster Hall and another on October 2 at Brooklyn Masonic Temple. Tickets for the Webster show and the Masonic Temple show go on sale today (8/26) at noon.

Meanwhile, Prince Rama of Paw Tracks plays Music Hall of Williamsburg TONIGHT (8/26) with Sun Araw, Juliana Barwick, Pterodactyl, and Teengirl Fantasy (DJ). The show also serves as the NYC debut performance of Prince Rama and Sun Araw's joint project Prince Sunarawma. Tickets for tonight's show are still on sale and we're also giving away a pair. Details on how to win are below.

Contest details below...

Continue reading "buy Panda Bear tix, win Prince Sun-Arawama tix "

Panda Bear at MHOW in July (more by Amanda Hatfield)

As mentioned, Panda Bear plays Brooklyn Masonic Temple on October 2. We also mentioned that the show would reportedly be taking place one day after another NYC show that would probably be at Webster Hall. It's since been confirmed that the other show will take place on October 1 at Webster Hall. Tickets go on sale Friday (8/26) at noon for the Webster show and the Masonic Temple show. An AmEx presale for the Webster Hall show starts Wednesday (8/24) at noon.

In other Paw Tracks news, Prince Rama's collaborative show with Sun Araw happens at Music Hall of Williamsburg this Friday (8/26), and Prince Rama have a bunch of other shows coming up too including September 8th at Issue Project Room.

All tour dates are listed below...

Continue reading "Panda Bear's Webster Hall show confirmed, Prince Rama shows too (dates)"

DOWNLOAD: Panda Bear - Last Night At The Jetty (MP3)

Panda Bear @ MHOW in July (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Tickets go on sale Friday at noon for an October 2nd Panda Bear show at Brooklyn Masonic Temple. The show is reportedly taking place one day after another NYC show, probably at Webster Hall (TBA soon). Total that makes at least six upcoming Panda shows including the previously announced POPPED! Fest in Philly (9/23) and the recently announced 9/29 Chicago show. All dates are listed below.

And:

PANDA BEAR recently announced that his latest album Tomboy will be released as a special new limited edition 4x LP Box Set, on Oct 31st through Paw Tracks. It will feature the Tomboy album on 2x LPs, the Tomboy single mixes on 1x LP and several Tomboy unreleased instrumentals/acappellas, plus "The Preakness" and a 16-page art booklet. All profits from the sale of this set will go to the American Cancer Society. It's limited to 5000 copies worldwide.

Continue reading "Panda Bear adds NYC shows, releasing Tomboy box set ---- updated 2011 Tour dates & 4xLP tracklist"

Panda Bear @ MHOW (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Panda Bear brought Tomboy's opening track, "You Can Count On Me," to Fallon last night (7/11) with Tomboy-producer Sonic Boom (Peter Kember of Spacemen 3) and ODDSAC-director Danny Perez on visuals. Video below.

Animal Collective play Celebrate Brooklyn in Prospect Park tonight (7/12) with Black Dice and Beta & Hatch (wait, who?) (I think they're DJs?). The show is sold out. If you don't have a ticket you can always listen from outside the fence.

Continue reading "Panda Bear played Fallon (video), Animal Collective play Prospect Park tonight w/ Beta & Hatch"

photos by Amanda Hatfield, words by Andrew Sacher

After an opening set by recent Domino signees Ducktails, Panda Bear came on stage with Tomboy-producer Sonic Boom (Peter Kember of Spacemen 3) to perform the recently released album in its entirety at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Sunday night (7/3). The sold out venue came off as a bit of an underplay for Panda Bear, whose last NYC show was headlining Governor's Island, though the intimacy made for the perfect setting. Panda Bear spent most of his time on guitar and vocals as Sonic Boom handled the knob-turning duties. Together, they took psychedelia to an entirely different level. Audience members' senses were blurred as the venue was filled with excruciating volume, while smoke machine smoke sifted through the air and trippy visuals swirled on screen. The hazy atmosphere was even more obscured by lights and colors shooting over the audience from projectors. I found myself needing periodic reality checks to remember I was at a Panda Bear show and not in some other weird dimension.

The delivery of the album was spot-on, and in typical Panda Bear/AnCo fashion, he ditched song breaks for droney interludes, extended passages, and trancelike repetition, adding at least 20 more minutes to the 50-minute album. The drone parts especially came through live. They added breathing room into the intense set that you didn't realize you were getting until the songs picked up again.

After one other non-Tomboy track ("Ponytail"?), he ended the show with Person Pitch-favorite "Comfy in Nautica" to much excitement from the crowd. And while I was equally excited to hear that song, it helped further illustrate how cohesive Tomboy is. The album's unlikely marriage of drone and Beach Boys-y psych pop is like no other. Tomboy lacks the immediate standouts like "Comfy in Nautica," and performing the album from start to finish showed how well it works as a continuous piece of art, and not a collection of singles. Panda Bear chose not to do an encore, which was fitting. The Person Pitch tracks, although great, already felt a little tacked on to what was a very complete set.

More pictures, the setlist and some videos from the show below...

Continue reading "Panda Bear played Music Hall of Williamsburg (pics, setlist)"

Panda Bear at Governor's Island in 2010 (more by Erez Avissar)

Tickets go on sale at noon for the Panda Bear show at Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Ducktails, who recently signed to Domino opens the show. Panda Bear contributed vocals to "Killin The Vibe", a b-side off Ducktails' Ducktails III: Arcade Dynamics, which was released this past January. I wonder if Panda Bear comes on stage with him at MHOW and plays the song. Ducktails also plays Bowery Ballroom with Woods and White Fence on August 13. Tickets are still available for that.

Panda Bear and Ducktails aren't the only Animal Collective and Real Estate related acts playing together this summer. Real Estate's recently announced tour that hits Maxwell's on July 24 is with Paw Tracks artist Dent May.

Ducktails and Animal Collective both recently played Primavera Sound in Spain. Listen to their sets, and others, at WFMU: Ducktails (Day 1) @ Primavera, Animal Collective (Day 2) @ Primavera.

Animal Collective's summer tour dates include a sold out show in Prospect Park with Black Dice who will also play MoMa's 'Warm Up' series at PS1 on August 13 with His Name is Alive (DJ set), oOoOO, Clams Casino, and others.

Still no word on where Zomby is playing.

Continue reading "Ducktails opening for Panda Bear, Primavera sets streaming"

Panda Bear at Governor's Island in 2010 (more by Erez Avissar)

Panda Bear is playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on July 3, a venue much smaller than last time. According to MHOW's website:

"This show will be will call only. No hard tickets will be issued. There is a 2 ticket limit per person and tickets are non-transferable. Tickets will be available online only. Not available at any outlets."

In related news, Panda Bear's voice can be heard on the new Zomby album, and Animal Collective has dates coming up too including a sold out show in Prospect Park with Black Dice who also opens the Merriweather Post Pavilion (the venue) show three days earlier. Black Dice also opened for AC in Prospect Park in 2009. Zomby did not.

Check out a new video of Panda Bear's "Slow Motion" directed by Cheryl Dunn spliced with an interview and live footage of his set at Governors Island in 2010, along with more dates, below...

Continue reading "Panda Bear announces Brooklyn show, new video +++++++ Black Dice opening for Animal Collective (again)"

DOWNLOAD: Zomby - "Things Fall Apart" (Feat. Panda Bear) (MP3)

UK producer Zomby is releasing his first album for 4AD, Dedication, on July 11 in the UK and July 12 in the US. Panda Bear provides guest lead vocals on the track "Things Fall Apart," which you can download above. Dedication is/was currently streaming in full on hhv (it doesn't seem to be working at the moment). Check out the full album tracklist below.

July 12 is the same day Animal Collective play Prospect Park in Brooklyn, two days before Zomby's TBA New York show (7/14) which is listed on his myspace. Stay tuned for more details, and hopefully those details aren't a cancellation this time.

Remember when Zomby was supposed to open Animal Collective's Prospect Park show in 2009. It would be cool if he makes up for it by opening at the same venue in 2011. Don't hold your breath though. Zomby also recently cancelled his appearance at the Animal Collective curated-ATP last month. According to 32 RPM...

"Zomby has cancelled and lots of people eager to suck up his revivalist bullshit rave music were forced to mull around wearing their best faces of disappointment. I didn't mind. Zomby is a REDACTED and if it means he's ten fans down after blowing the festival out then that goes to shape a better tomorrow. For one he confused Steve Moore completists and for two the world needs a 90s rave music revival like it needs an airborn Aids strain.

Now much as I was left non-plussed by them I have to say 'good one' to The Frogs for filling the gap and playing a second show."

Continue reading "Zomby releasing 'Dedication', schedules a show (sort of)"

Austra @ Santos in Feb (more by Vincent Cornelli)

Cocorosie @ MHOW in Sept (more by Amanda Hatfield)

today in NYC
* Whiplash @ UCB
* John Mulaney @ UCB
* Cumbiagra @ Barbes
* CocoRosie @ Glasslands
* Dive Comedy @ Freddy's
* Thurston Moore @ Other Music
* OUTMUSIC Awards @ Irving Plaza
* Elvis Costello @ Beacon Theatre
* Rob Paravonian @ The Bell House
* Carol Wincenc, Tali Roth @ Barbes
* Tony Scherr Trio @ The Living Room
* Glasvegas, The Dig @ Bowery Ballroom
* Hot Tub with Kurt and Kristen @ Littlefield
* Manzarek-Rogers Band @ Highline Ballroom
* Caucus, Persian Rugs, Smilelove @ Cake Shop
* Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy @ Gramercy Theatre
* Jim Campilongo Electric Trio @ The Living Room
* Tidal Arms, Memory Map, Slothbear @ Bruar Falls
* Tribeca New Music Festival @ Merkin Concert Hall
* Laura Goldhamer & the Silvernail, Wrest @ Coco 66
* Karl Berger's Stone Workshop Orchestra @ The Stone
* Andy Friedman, Paul Curreri, Matty Charles @ Union Hall
* Diarrhea Planet, Liquor Store, Battle Ave. @ Shea Stadium
* Filmstrip, Company, Shark?, The Denzels @ Death By Audio
* Battle Circus, Moonlight Towers, The Mantra ATSMM @ Pianos
* Austra, Trust, Silver Swans, Spanish Prisoners @ Mercury Lounge
* Tune-Yards, Eugene Mirman, Elizabeth Wurtzel @ The Greene Space
* J-Roddy Walston & The Business, Gunfight!, Brothers @ Brooklyn Bowl
* High Priest, Beauty Apes, Solus, Goldie Luxx (Precious Metal) @ Lit Lounge
* Crinkles, Golden Girls, Future Shuttle, Jefferson High, Octo Octa @ Cameo Gallery
* Sherlock's Daughter, Bronze, Edelweiss, Bear In Heaven (DJ set) @ Knitting Factory

Ray Manzarek of the Doors plays Highline Ballroom tonight (the was moved from BB King's).

It's an all NYC Popfest bill at Cake Shop tonight (2 bands from Japan, 1 from Canada).

Panda Bear's new video for "alsatian darn" can be watched below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

NPR currently has two new Panda Bear things streaming: you can hear Noah be a guest DJ, AND you can now hear "Tomboy" in full. On Record Store Day, you can get "Tomboy" with the above-pictured t-shirt...

"Panda Bear's Tomboy album is in stores on April 12, and on Record Store Day, April 16, an edition of 1000 limited LP / T-shirt bundles will be available at participating Record Store Day stores. This shirt design will not be available again, and is not available online anywhere!"

In related news, Animal Collective will soon kick-off a pre-Coachella California tour with Sun Araw. Those dates are below...

Continue reading "Panda Bear 'Tomboy' streaming, will come with t-shirt on Record Store Day ("Surfer's Hymn" single out now)"

DOWNLOAD: Panda Bear - Last Night at the Jetty (MP3)

Panda Bear is the project of Animal Collective member Noah Lennox. Tomboy, his long-awaited fourth album as Panda Bear, and follow-up to Person Pitch, is now complete and will be released on his own label, Paw Tracks on April 12, 2011.

Paw Tracks is pleased to present a listening party for Tomboy on Feb. 16 in NYC at Le Poisson Rouge Gallery (158 Bleecker St.) - there will be two separate listening sessions, one at 6pm that is open to all ages (rsvp to tomboyallageslisteningparty@gmail.com ) and one at 7:30pm that is 21+ (rsvp is now closed)

Over the past six months or so, Panda Bear has released a series of vinyl singles on different labels, including Domino, Paw Tracks, and Fat Cat, with the final single forthcoming on Kompakt. The Tomboy album is a compilation of these songs, along with new ones that have not been released. Additionally, all the songs have been added to and newly mixed with help from Sonic Boom to give the album a wonderfully rich and warm sound. [press release]

Panda Bear's new album "Tomboy" will be out on April 12th via Paw Tracks. "This is one week earlier than the originally announced release date - it was moved up so that the record will be available for Record Store Day on April 16." That's the cover art above. The full tracklist is below along with a set of fellow Paw Tracks recording artist Prince Rama tour dates (Glasslands included) (and some Animal Collective dates too)...

Continue reading "new Panda Bear cover art & Prince Rama tour dates"

"Panda Bear is the project of Animal Collective member Noah Lennox. Tomboy, his long-awaited fourth album as Panda Bear, and follow-up to Person Pitch, is now complete and will be released on his own label, Paw Tracks on April 19, 2011.

Over the past six months or so, Panda Bear has released a series of vinyl singles on different labels, including Domino, Paw Tracks, and Fat Cat, with the final single forthcoming on Kompakt. The Tomboy album will be a compilation of these songs, along with new ones that have not been released. Additionally, all the songs have been added to and newly mixed with help from Sonic Boom to give the album a wonderfully rich and warm sound. stay tuned for more details." [PRESS RELEASE]

In related Animal Collective news, Animal Collective member Deakin will share a bill with Black Dice and Mirror Mirror this Saturday in Brooklyn at Secret Project Robot, a venue which is moving to a new location at the end of 2011. Meanwhile they have a full schedule at the current location. More details, more event listings (including a Knyfe Hyts residency) and this weekend's flyer below...

Continue reading "Panda Bear finished his album, Deakin & Black Dice playing Secret Project Robot (which is moving at the end of 2011)"

photos by Erez Avissar

Noah: "I was living in Brooklyn, right on the edge of Brooklyn Heights, right near Red Hook over there. I was walking to work actually and walking towards the subway and I didn't know anything about it. The first plane had crashed when I was walking and everybody was walking the other way from the subway towards somewhere else. It just felt weird and smelled weird and I guess a women saw me going towards the subway stop and she was like, 'The subway isn't running right now.' And and I was like "What happened?" She just pointed up in the sky and I could just see a really big pillar of smoke and you could see the building on fire."

...The 100-layer-electro-pastoral-pop burrito thing [aka Panda' Bear's sound] has its charms: His new "Tomboy" shows up early, a few angry-sounding power chords giving it form and drive; his songs are better the more they sound like temper tantrums, particularly "Song for Ariel," wherein he bellows "I want what I want what I want what I want what I want" until you're ready to give it him already.

It all just starts to blur together garishly after a half-hour or so, though there's rarely not a sweet, simple tune buried under there, and he's much better at keeping it at least faintly audible: Even at his worst it only sounds like, say, two Passion Pit songs and a Bruce Hornsby song playing on top of each other. And his voice, as always, will rescue both him and you, huge and brassy, traces of both Thom Yorke and Rufus Wainwright, selling his more grandiose drama and doing major damage the softer and sweeter and simpler his backdrop gets: "Ponytail," the slight, painfully delicate closer to his rapturously praised Person Pitch, is the exception that makes the rule bearable. As for the rest, just do what you do when you're drunk: Find something in the room and stare at it until the room stops spinning. -[Village Voice]

For more Animal Collective, don't miss Deakin tonight (9/13) at Glasslands, or Avey Tare and Danny Perez speaking on East 3rd Street. Avey deejays Glasslands in a couple of weeks.

The Panda Bear show was one of two Noah Lennox played over the weekend. He played Baltimore the next day (9/12). Panda Bear will also appear at Moogfest on October 20th, and that's it for now. Hopefully he'll spend that time working on Tomboy, which currently has no official release date (new single out in October).

More pictures, video, and setlists from the 9/11 show are below....

Continue reading "Panda Bear played Governors Island w/ Teengirl Fantasy & Gala Drop (pics, video, setlists & live recording) "

the view from the Panda Bear concert - 9/11/2010

Great show. Emotional night. More later. (anyone write down the setlist?)

words by Andrew Frisicano, photos by Chris Juarez & Rachel Carr

Local Natives & the crowd @ FYF Fest Saturday

Yesterday was FYF Fest. We know all the problems... The lines... And are addressing them now. In no way are we sleeping on these problems. The bands were amazing and the turn out was unreal. I'm speechless. -Sean Carlson & FYF Fest

The day's short sets kept you wanting more from nearly every act, many of whom played for a half hour or 35 minutes (which expanded in 5 minute increments up to an hour for the headliners). That made for tough decisions between overlapping sets. Ted Leo and band blew through their 45 minutes, and Titus Andronicus could've continued for another 35 at least with the momentum from their Monitor songs. Those two, along with Screaming Females, were part of what Ted Leo termed the "New Jersey Takeover" - three punk bands with Garden State roots who all played great sets at the fest.

Ariel Pink

Los Angeles represented with a number of notable hometown acts. Growlers, in grey facepaint, brought an earthy, ramshackle sound and lots of friends. Best Coast, Abe Vigoda, Local Natives and Ariel Pink also repped their hometown - the latter two with mezmerizing late afternoon sets.

Other acts brought some nice surprises. A chorus of kids, costumed as zombie versions of dead historical figures, backed Dead Man's Bones' Ryan Gosling and Zach Shields. The Blow introduced some of her new songs written for an unnamed celebrity (and played recognizable earlier songs too, including one "written with Sting...when [she] was 7"). And Big Freedia, the fest's only act with any trace of hip-hop, shocked the crowd with a short pre-headerliner dose of "Azz Everywhere."

Big Freedia

There was plenty of garage rock (Thee Oh Sees brought the man responsible for their cover art, William Keihn, to play tambourine), punk and metal. A reunited Sleep, in New York this week, grinded away, as !!! had people shaking their ass on the sister stage. On the fest's third stage, hardcore band 7 Seconds reminisced about their first time in LA almost 30 years ago and lead a spirited circle pit. Add to those bands, breezy folk from AA Bondy, the jams of Warpaint and Delorean to name a few.

If FYF's organizers are a bit defensive above, it may be with good reason: the few critical organizational errors were fairly memorable. A long line at will call (an hour would be a short estimate) kept many waiting in the 90 degree sun while the first bands of the day (Magic Kids, Let's Wrestle and The Goat) could be heard starting in the distance. Water inside was also an issue, with limited access to free drinking water and bottled water at $4 (which, according to Noah Lennox, ran out).

By the end of the night, the two final acts - The Rapture and Panda Bear - set up on competing stages. Panda Bear aka Noah Lennox interspersed his dreamy lullabies with patches of noise and dissonance while videos and images that could be described only as "trippy" played behind him; I think your response to the set depended largely on your state of mind after the long day: exhausted or ready for a patience-testing string of songs and sounds. He and The Rapture provided, alternately, a place to dance or doze.

--

Unsane also played a rare runion set at the festival where Off! shared a bill with Lower Dens. School of Seven Bells, Davila 666, Cults and Ceremony were there too.

Read what Noah thought about his own set, HERE. More pictures from the entire day, below...

Continue reading "FYF Fest 2010 in pics & review "

interview by Billy Jones, FYF photos by Chris Juarez

Panda Bear @ FYF Fest - Sept 4, 2010

"Noah Lennox (born July 17, 1978) in Baltimore, Maryland known as Panda Bear, is an experimental musician and a founding member of Animal Collective. He chose the name "Panda Bear" because he drew pictures of pandas as artwork on the recordings he made as a younger musician. Lennox grew up in the Roland Park section of Baltimore, Maryland, and had attended high school in Pennsylvania. As a child and teenager, he played sports, mainly soccer and basketball, and had studied piano until he was eight and then cello. He later sang tenor in his high school chamber choir. At the age of 17 he began to listen to electronic music styles like house & techno and artists such as Aphex Twin, all of which became a huge influence on his later work" [Wikipedia]

On Monday he played the Fox Theatre in Oakland. Live Music Blog was there and said, "I left the concert speechless, completely in awe of what I just experienced. One of the best shows I've seen in a while." That's good news for those who were scared away by what they heard about the Pitchfork Festival.The Fox Theatre setlist is at the end of this post.

And it was right before that Oakland show (at the venue) that BrooklynVegan interviewer Billy Jones was able to get Noah, an ex-Brooklynite and father of two who currently lives in Portugal, on the phone for a few minutes. Their chat is transcribed in this post.

They talked about when Panda Bear's album is coming out (if you haven't heard, it's called "Tomoby"), whether Animal Collective is still a band, FYF Fest, 9/11, Governors Island opener Gala Drop, and much more. Read it below...

Continue reading "an interview w/ Noah Lennox aka Panda Bear (about the album release date, status of Animal Collective & more) "

And now comes, "You Can Count On Me", the second in the series of 7" singles from Panda Bear previewing his forthcoming album Tomboy, the much-anticipated follow-up to Person Pitch.

A gentle duet between Panda Bear and himself, "You Can Count On Me" glimmers with third world melodic overtones, an ethereal uplifting number that is over before you become too familiar. "Alsatian Darn" on the other hand is a much different creature...a slightly foreboding track with an off-beat melancholy chord progression that occasionally lets the light break through with a jaunty two-step, if ever so briefly.

A limited edition of "You Can Count On Me" will be available in stores beginning October 19th. Only 500 copies are available for pre-order from the Domino Mart.

Not counting Moogfest on 10/20, Panda Bear's last tour date is 9/12 in Baltimore which is one day after the 9/11 show at Governors Island in NYC. And since we last spoke, there have been a lot of updates related to that NYC show. Not only will there be opening sets by Teengirl Fantasy and Gala Drop, Panda's Animal Collective bandmate Avey Tare will be DJing between sets. Tickets are still on sale, AND we have a pair you can win. Details at the end of this post.

And speaking of 9/11 NYC shows by Domino-signed bands that I have a pair of tickets to giveaway for, Dirty Projectors and Owen Pallett play Terminal 5 on that Saturday. Details on winning those tickets (you can buy those too) below.

Dirty Projectors will release Bitte Orca Expanded Edition on September 28th via Domino...

This limited edition Bitte Orca expanded 2xCD set comes with premium packaging and a second disc that features never before released tunes from a very special and intimate live acoustic performance at New York's Other Music record store, rare vinyl only b-sides and a stunning cover of Bob Dylan's "As I Went Out One Morning". This is the definitive version of Bitte Orca.

Bitte Orca Expanded Edition will be released on CD and digitally. Pre-order Bitte Orca Expanded Edition.

Avey Tare, who recently DJ'd with Deakin, also has a DJ set scheduled for Glasslands on September 24th. Deakin plays Glasslands on September 13th.

Can't wait for 9/11? Teengirl Fantasy play a NYC show at Coco66 SATURDAY NIGHT (9/4) with Detroit In Effect:

CLUB DONUTS with resident DJ Pickpocket (Kat Matutina) and resident video/visual artist AC (Alison Childs) will be throwing their 2nd party in New York this summer.

DANCE PARTY WITH LIVE BANDS, DJS & FREE DONUTS ALL NIGHT ! ! !

Witness the first ever live New York performance of DETROIT IN EFFECT!!! With several releases on CLONE, after more than a decade, witness D.I.E. in full effect! Pure Detroit electro tracks in the tradition of Juan Atkins Model 500 project and AUX88 and the likes. Detroit in Effect pure Detroit Electro Techno that bring back the funk in techno and electro!

Get on the Detroit Party Train with these heavy bassed Cybotron inspired electro tracks!

TEENGIRL FANTASY make dream music. With a beat. They play a crazy, fun live show. Experience it for yourself!

Gala Drop are coming all the way from Panda Bear's current home, Lisbon, to open the Governors Island show though they will play at least one other show while they're here, and that takes September 10th in Chinatown at a No Ordinary Monkey party.

All dates and stuff below...

Continue reading "Panda Bear single & updated dates (w/ Governors opener info), Dirty Projectors Bitte Orca expanded, ticket contests, Teengirl Fantasy & more"

DOWNLOAD: Prince Rama - Lightening Fossil (MP3)

Deakin & Avey @ PS1 on July 31st (more by Andrew St. Clair)

Hot off their sets at PS1, Animal Collective's Deakin and Brooklyn's Prince Rama will be going on tour in September. The trip kicks off with a September 13th show at Glasslands with Silk Flowers and Amen Dunes. Tickets are on sale.

I think Glasslands will be Deakin's first non-DJ solo show in NYC. His first-ever solo show took place in Baltimore at the beginning of the year. The Brooklyn show is also a release party for Prince Rama's new LP, Shadow Temple, which comes out on AnCo's Paw Tracks label the day after. A track from it is above. Prince Rama have a few NYC date before that too - their full schedule is below.

Also with a new album is Avey Tare, whose debut solo record, Down There, comes out October 26th on Paw Tracks. Avey deejays at Glasslands on Friday, September 24th on a bill with Crocodiles (who have a new record). RSVP for that.

As previously mentioned, Panda Bear's 9/11 show at Governors Island is still on sale. His record Tomboy comes out in September. All dates below.

Animal Collective's film collaboration with Danny Perez, ODDSAC, is screening at IFC Center on August 6th and 7th at midnight. You can also buy the DVD which is out now.

No Geologist news (vacation?).

New album infos and tour dates below...

Continue reading "Deakin touring w/ Prince Rama, Avey Tare also made a record"

Day 1 photos by Weekly Dig, Wolf Parade photos by Kate Gardiner

Panda Bear @ Pitchfork Fest Saturday evening (Suckafreemike)

"Dear panda bear: you're playing a music festival, not an art installation." - Etan

"The only explanation for Panda Bear's set at the Pitchfork Music Festival is that it's a practical joke on people who are not on drugs." - lifeinzembla

"Panda Bear killed it. set was almost exclusively new stuff. pushing the art to the next level." - Luke Tipton

Panda Bear @ Pitchfork Fest Saturday evening (iissaaacc)

More pictures from the 2010 Pitchfork Music Festival, below...

Continue reading "mixed reactions to Panda Bear & more pictures from the 2010 Pitchfork Festival (Days 1 & 2)"

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Pantha du Prince - Welt Am Draht (Animal Collective Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Pantha du Prince - "Stick To My Side" (feat. Panda Bear) (Four Tet remix) (MP3)

Pantha du Prince...

German electronic music maven Pantha du Prince (Hendrick Weber) will be playing his first US shows in three years starting tonight, June 15th, in Washington DC. He visits NYC for a live set at Santos Party House on Thursday, June 17th. Also at that will be Fixed residents JDH and Dave P and Swedish duo Dada Life. Tickets are still on sale.

Pantha's third album and his first on Rough Trade, Black Noise, came out earlier this year. Weber is clearly a well-connected guy - the record features a guest vocal spot by Panda Bear and a bass-guest turn by Tyler Pope of LCD Soundsystem/!!!/Out Hud. The AC crew even remixed one of the album tracks. That's posted above, along with a Four Tet remix of the Noah Lennox song. The album is still streaming at the label's site.

Pantha du Prince's three June US shows will be followed up by a full stateside tour in the fall. In the meantime, Pantha du Prince crisscrosses Europe this summer. The video for "Stick to My Side" (again, that's the Panda Bear one), all tour dates, and the upcoming schedule for Fixed are all below...

Continue reading "Pantha du Prince is here for 3 US shows - those dates (include Fixed), Animal Collective remixes, album stream & more"