photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin

"The WU TANG show at best buy theatre was jenkin like fuck 2nite..only thing was missing was @Raekwon @GhostfaceKillah the clan did it up doe" - LYVE1OH

Wu-Tang Clan recently played a few NYC-area dates including Best Buy Theater on Sunday (12/18). No Raekwon & Ghostface unfortunately, but Method Man, RZA, Masta Killa and others from the crew were in the house. Here are some pictures and videos from that show

In related news, Wu-Tang Clan revealed via facebook that Method Man is working on his "last album produced by the RZA." As HipHopDX points out, it's not clear whether they mean that it's going to be Method Man's last album or the last album that RZA produces for him.

More pictures and videos from the NYC show, and a recently-posted Ghostface vs Narduwar video, below...

Continue reading "Wu-Tang Clan played NYC sans Ghostface & Raekwon (pics & video), Nardwuar talked to Ghostface (video)"

by Andrew Sacher

Jay-Z & Kanye West aka The Throne's collaborative album Watch The Throne became available via iTunes this week (8/8) and will be out physically on Friday (8/12) via Def Jam.

Although Kanye produced most of the album, they also brought an impressive cast of outside producers incuding Q-Tip, 88-Keys, The Neptunes, The RZA, and Swizz Beatz. Kanye and his collaborators create a wide range of sounds touching on everything from classic soul to dubstep-infused electronica. The guest vocal spots are especially grabbing too. Jay-Z and Kanye, who have been two of the biggest names in hip hop for at least the last decade, bring in newcomer Frank Ocean of Odd Future on two of the tracks. Jay's wife, Beyonce, who also has Frank Ocean and Kanye on her new album, sings the chorus to "Lift Off." The album samples the vocals of legendary singers Otis Redding and Curtis Mayfield, and also features guest vocals by Mr. Hudson of Kanye's G.O.O.D. Music. You can stream "Otis" at Jay-Z's Life + Times website and listen to "H.A.M" below.

Justin Vernon also wrote a hook for "That's My Bitch" and according to the album's liner notes, he also sings the part. Elly Jackson of La Roux sings the song's chorus and Q-Tip handled some production duties. Check the song out on grooveshark. Justin comes in at 1:45.

Speaking of Justin Vernon, he and his 9-piece version of Bon Iver played their first of two NYC shows with The Rosebuds at United Palace Theatre last night (8/9). They also play Prospect Park tonight (8/10). Both shows are/were sold out. More on last night in a bit.

Speaking of Beyonce, she just announced 4 NYC shows. Tickets go on sale today (8/10).

Jay-Z & Kanye have two upcoming sold out shows at Izod Center and other dates too.

'Watch the Throne' tracklist and video below...

Continue reading "Jay-Z & Kanye West released 'Watch the Throne' (Justin Vernon, Frank Ocean, La Roux, Beyonce & more included)"

by BBG

Havoc of Mobb Deep @ the kick-off in LA (more by Graeme Flegenheimer)

In addition to initially announced Rock The Bells lineup (Nas playing Illmatic? Mobb Deep on The Infamous detail? wow), the festival has made some interesting additions like Erykah Badu performing all of Baduism (on select dates), Common performing all of Be (on select dates), Killah Priest performing all of Heavy Mental, Slaughterhouse, and DOOM. More lineup details are below.

The NYC show on 9/3 at Governor's Island gets the Erykah Badu appearance, and tickets are on presale, password is "ILLMATIC". General sale begins Saturday, 6/11, at 10:00 AM.

LA and San Francisco are on sale now, and the only other date, Boston, still doesn't even have a venue announced yet.

DOOM of course is not to be confused with the crust band who just played MDF and Chaos in Tejas.

In other Hip Hop festival news, Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest's lineup has expanded too adding MOP (!), Torae, Random Axe (Sean Price + Black Milk + Guilty Simpson), eLZhi, Marley Marl, Roli Rho (5th Platoon), Grand Wizzard Theodore and Twilite Tone. Tickets are on sale for all Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival events, including an after-party at Southpaw on July 16th which proclaims to have "special guests invited including the entire BHF '11 lineup".

Full Rock The Bells details, alongside some videos, below...

Continue reading "Rock the Bells expands lineup, NYC tix on presale now"

photos by Graeme Flegenheimer

Cypress Hill @ House of Blues - Sunset Strip - 5/24/2011

The line-up for the ROCK THE BELLS 2011 FESTIVAL SERIES--presented by Boost Mobile in association with GUERILLA UNION and powered by BlackBerry--will feature an array of seminal and up-and-coming hip-hop artists on three stages. Headliners include Ms. Lauryn Hill, Nas,Erykah Baduand Cypress Hill. See the current line-up below and look for more performers to be announced soon.

This year's festival will head to four major North American markets. Kicking off in the Los Angeles-area on August 20 at the San Manuel Amphitheater, ROCK THE BELLS will then head to San Francisco on August 27 at Shoreline Amphitheatre. The festival moves to the east coast for a show in New York on September 3 at Governor's Island (co-promoted with Bowery Presents, Highline, Mad Dog Presents) before wrapping in [a TBA venue in] Boston on September 10.

ROCK THE BELLS featured a number of headliners performing their most influential albums in their entirety for the first time in the history of hip-hop entertainment last summer. The tradition continues this year with Ms. Lauryn Hill performing her landmark, multi-platinum selling, multi-GRAMMY winning album The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill and Nas performing his breakthrough debut album Illmatic with special guests AZ, Pete Rock and DJ Premier. Nas says about performing Illmatic this summer, "For years people have been asking me to do Illmatic in so many ways, from stage plays to movies to books, but the time wasn't right. Where music is going now, the time is right. This will be my biggest production and it only makes sense to do it on the best rap tour which also happens to be a brand I've built and am a partner in. Can't wait to kill it with my comrades AZ, Premo & Pete Rock!"

Full album sets can also be expected from: Cypress Hill performing their 1993 multi-platinum album Black Sunday, featuring modern rock radio mainstay "Insane In The Membrane"; Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star performing their 1998 self-titled debut album; Raekwon & Ghostface teaming up for critically acclaimed, platinum selling Only Built 4 Cuban Linx and more.

"I am excited that this year's Rock The Bells will continue its rich history and tradition by presenting the best and most ambitious festival programming in Hip Hop," says festival co-founder and Guerilla Union head Chang Weisberg. "The bar has been set high and this year's line-up will certainly stake its claim. With ten of the biggest records in the history of the genre and the freshest new talent bubbling from the underground, this summer's Rock The Bells is another dream come true."

ROCK THE BELLS will feature three main stages this year. The two returning stages are the ROCK THE BELLS STAGE and the PAID DUES STAGE, which will feature independent hip-hop acts that performed at the Paid Dues Festival this past April in San Bernardino and new artists-on-the-rise. Paid Dues Festival creator Murs says, "I am excited that I once again have the privilege of hosting the Paid Dues Stage. We will have the honor of showcasing some of the best talent in independent hip hop as part of the worlds largest and longest running hip hop festival... the Paid Dues stage is gonna be the one to watch this year."

The 36 CHAMBERS STAGE is a new addition to the festival and will primarily feature members of the Wu-Tang Clan as well as artists selected by stage curator and Wu-Tang Clan mainstay RZA. A fourth stage that will also be added to most markets is the GRINDTIME NOW STAGE, which will feature battle-style performances.

The lineup was announced last night at a show at House of Blues in LA. Mobb Deep, Souls of Mischief and Cypress Hill all played and pictures to prove it are in this post. More of them below.

The full lineup is also below...

Continue reading "Rock the Bells 2011 dates & lineups announced, Mobb Deep & Souls of Mischief & Cypress Hills played the kickoff (pics)"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Raekwon - "Shaolin Vs Wu-Tang" (MP3)

Raekwon at Best Buy Theater (more by Brook Bobbins)

HipHopDX: Can you elaborate for me a little bit on how [Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang] is different from your last official solo LP [Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. II]?

Raekwon: [Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. II] was me going back into my Godfather status... But this album is more constructed to be like a real, real Wu album. When you think of Wu's early music, how we had the karate skits and the music was coinciding and sounding choppy like that karate format, this album is carved out in the same significance. I had to make sure that I upgraded too, because we dealing with a whole new sound [in Hip Hop], a whole new generation of listeners. And [so] for me, it's still gotta feel new but still feel old, youknowhatImean...

HipHopDX [You & RZA] ...obviously dealt with any disagreements that arose with 8 Diagrams, so with the sound of Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang being back on that 36 Chambers tip, why not go to the architect of that sound for some new sonic designs?

Raekwon: Well the architect, he didn't really wanna co-sign this because he felt like the whole energy of this album being made came to... you know, challenge him as being one of the Grandmasters. I respect where he coming from. I mean, one thing everybody gotta realize is the Clan, it's a lot of us, man. And every now and then we have difficulties in communicating wit' one another.

Check out the title track for Raekwon's Shaolin Vs Wu-Tang which is available for download above and streaming below, along side some video.

Continue reading "Raekwon releasing 'Shaolin VS Wu-Tang', playing MHOW"

photos by Brook Bobbins

"tonight in nyc they played "Duel of The Iron Mic", "97 Mentality", "No Said Date", "Do You Really (Thang, Thang)", "Grid Iron Rap", "One Blood Under W", "Dat's Gangsta", "7th Chamber" and "Protect Ya Neck"

Cappadonna, Streetlife and Boy Jones were there, and Masta Killa sort of took on the role that RZA usually does as the MC of the show at some points.

Math was doing some crazy shit in a Jam Master Jay tribute at one point using more than just his hands." [Sparrow Daene]

The Wu-Tang Clan, sans RZA, brought their tour to Best Buy (formerly Nokia) Theater in Times Square on Wednesday night, 12/29. They'll be celebrating New Years Eve in Pittsburgh. More pictures from the NYC show below...

Continue reading "Wu-Tang Clan played Best Buy Theater in NYC (pics)"

Delta Spirit @ Terminal 5 in 2009 (more by Natasha Ryan)

tonight in NYC
* Daily Show @ Comix
* The Unthanks @ Joe's Pub
* DJ Kool Herc @ Crotona Park
* Beth Orton @ Rockefeller/Battery Park
* Vijay Iyer (12:20pm) @ J&R Music World
* Alejandro Escovedo @ City Winery
* The Nuyorican Poets Cafe @ Central Park
* Carole King, James Taylor @ Madison Square Garden
* Gordon Voidwell, Oberhofer, Shark? @ The Studio at Webster Hall
* Normandy, Knight School, Miniboone, Murder Mystery @ Bruar Falls
* The Secret History, The Prids, Soft Tags, Revel Hotel @ The Bell House
* The Judy Blooms, Phil and the Osophers, Young Mammals, Diehard @ Cake Shop
* Delta Spirit, Ezra Furman & The Harpoons, The Romany Rye @ Bowery Ballroom
* Marc Ribot y Los Cubanos Postizos, La Cumbiamba eNeYe @ Stuyvesant Town Oval
* Sound Bites Luchtime Series w/ Toys and Tiny Instruments Band @ South Street Seaport
* Passion Pit, Tokyo Police Club, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Suckers @ Colonel's Row at Governors Island
* Akron/Family, William Parker's Southern Satellites, The Slowest Runner In All The World @ (Le) Poisson Rouge

Akron/Family and William Parker's Southern Satellites close the 15th Annual Vision Fest with a special collaborative show tonight at LPR. Akron recently put up some new demos on their Bandcamp page.

The Unthanks are an English folk group who happen to be signed to Rough Trade and are playing Joe's Pub tonight.

Passion Pit announced last night, in Prospect Park, that they were playing their biggest (headlining?) show to date (they've played festivals). They can say the same thing tonight because Colonel's Row on Governors Island holds even more people than Celebrate Brooklyn (not counting those who sit outside the fence).

We Were Promised Jetpacks headlined MHOW last night. They go on 2nd tonight at Governors Island (Suckers first, TPC third).

Delta Spirit play their first of two sold out shows in NYC tonight. Their new video for "Bushwick Blues" is re-posted below..

The trailer for RZA's kung-fu flick Wu-Tang Vs The Golden Phoenix is also posted below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Wednesday?"

Vampire Weekend @ Bowery Ballroom in January (more by Bao Nguyen)

In the spring of 2006, Columbia University senior Rostam Batmanglij was entertaining literary society parties with his fledgling postmodern Afro-pop band, Vampire Weekend, and wondering if he could pull off life as a professional musician. By the spring of 2008, he was playing the band's runaway hit single, "A-Punk," on Saturday Night Live. Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut had been out only a few months, but fans and critics had been clamoring over it for most of the year. After months of feverish blog hype and the release of an EP that only stoked the fires, the band landed on the March 2008 cover of Spin, which annointed them the year 's Best New Band before their album had even come out -- a first in the magazine's history. Looking back, it still seems insane that a bunch of cerebral schoolboys in pastel cardigans could go from cramming at the library to performing on SNL in the span of a couple of semesters. But according to Batmanglij -- the band's producer, co-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and sole gay member -- Vampire Weekend was meant to be huge. "We all had a strong feeling about the band from the early days," he says. "We had this opportunity to be really out there and avant-garde, but also commercially successful." [Out]

The last time they played NYC, in January, the band did three nights at three venues: United Palace, Webster Hall and Bowery Ballroom.

They currently have shows booked around Europe, the United States (most with Abe Vigoda opening) and Australia. All those are below.

They just put out a new tennis-centric video for their song "Giving Up the Gun" with cameos by RZA, Jake Gyllenhaal, Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers and Lil' Jon. That's below...

Continue reading "Vampire Weekend playing Radio City Music Hall, released a video starring RZA, Jake Gyllenhaal & a Jonas Brother "

by BBG

Dan Auerbach, Jim Jones, Mos Def, Patrick Carney, and Damon Dash

Just in time for the holidays and to remind the hip hop listmakers that The Ecstatic was/is the truth, the two-time Grammy nominated Mos Def has scheduled a show on 12/20 at Highline Ballroom. Tickets, though not cheap, are on sale.

Mos Def was also recently announced as a contributor to the new Gorillaz record, along with a host of notables

The third Gorillaz album will feature one newly announced GPS voice, two iconic frontmen of the '60s and '70s, and more, lending to a contributing line-up as eclectic as the one heard on 2005's Demon Days.
The GPS voice, Snoop Dogg, plus Lou Reed of The Velvet Underground and Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, will be heard alongside Mos Def, Bobby Womack, The Horrors and the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra in Plastic Beach, out 2010.

The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have wanted to make a hip-hop album since they were teenagers....
"All the blues music I liked was super simple and stripped down. All the hip-hop I liked was super simple and stripped down," says Auerbach. "We always heard that connection."
The Black Keys' first demo reflected their hip-hop tastes. It featured drum loops and samples, which their first record label later told them to scrap. Years later, following recent praise for their minimalist, bluesy jams, The Black Keys have finally recorded a hip-hop album. Their collaborative ensemble is called BlakRoc.
"What makes this special is the guys' sensibility of hip-hop," [Pharoahe Monch] says. "The drum loop-like timing and patterns make a groove that is easy to rhyme to and to write over."-[NPR]

The Capo Jim Jones and Mos Def, along with the Black Keys, (BlakRoc) played Letterman last night (12/8) - the same night that Jawbox was burnin' Fallon to the ground. It was also rumored that the group might play a secret show at new venue Under 100 (in the basement of Damon Dash's building) later that night, but though Mos Def was there hanging out (again), he and the group didn't actually play (pictures from that event coming later).

Dig on the live Blakroc video from Letterman, the official video for the same song, as well as more videos from Mos, below...

Continue reading "Mos Def on new Gorillaz album, playing Highline, in Blakroc w/ Black Keys & Jim Jones (video from Letterman last night) "

by Black Bubblegum

Nas @ Rock The Bells 2008 in Jones Beach (more by villageslum.com)

OK, so it's not as much a big bang as last year (A Tribe Called Quest reunion) or the one before (Rage Against The Machine reunion), but Rock The Bells 2009 does have some interesting artists on the lineup. Besides a welcome reunion (Reflection Eternal) (Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek), one suspect one (House of Pain) and some great repeat offenders (Nas, RZA, Raekwon, MOP, Sage Francis, Slum Village), this year's Rock The Bells also boasts an Outkast (Big Boi), a windy city fave (Common), and a true sicko (Necro). The full lineup is:

Continue reading "Rock The Bells announces 2009 hip hop fest/tour lineup"

words by Andrew Frisicano, photos by Faith-Ann Young

Truth told, it was hard to pay any attention to any of the music because randomly, three drunk chicks in silver spandex bodysuits and green painted legs came onstage and did a little bizarre, nonsensical, inebriated dance tease (doubt they were professionals as they were having difficulty balancing or even standing still in their stilettos...while visibly wasted). When the crowd grew bored of that (after throwing beer cans and dollar bills at the girls' feet), men dressed as apes came on stage and freaked with the drunk man-woman-alien chicks.

I asked around if anyone knew if this was customary for N.A.S.A., but no one had a clue what was going on.... - Faith

N.A.S.A., the duo of Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon, will also tour the U.S. in February and March playing an official SXSW showcase at Emo's on March 19 (plus a few other Austin gigs - see below) and a performance at Coachella on April 17.

N.A.S.A.'s recent album, laden with guest spots from Tom Waits to M.I.A. and RZA, also sported interchangeable artwork from five artists - who seem to be taking turns illustrating the group's videos. Marcel Dzama (who worked on the video for Department of Eagles' "No One Does It Like You," to be unveiled at MOMA) drew N.A.S.A.'s "The People Tree," a song that features David Byrne, Chali 2na, Gift Of Gab and Z-Trip. Artist Splunny created the video for "Hip Hop," below, and the band's newest video, for "Way Down," was illustrated by artist Sage Vaughn. Obama-artist Shepard Fairey (who will be at Coachella) made a video for "Money," discussed here. All of these and more will be collected on the N.A.S.A. documentary in the works.

All tour dates, videos, and more pictures from the last LPR show, below...

Continue reading "more N.A.S.A. videos & tour dates + pics from Le Poisson Rouge where they play again tonight"

photos by Zach Dilgard

"Somewhere around 10 p.m. (give or take 5-7 minutes) the Wu Tang Clan finally takes the stage. Pretty much everyone who I could recognize (Method Man, Ghostface Killah, etc.) was there, though I don't know what each and every member looks like, so I can't say for sure that every key member made the show.

Wu made sure to perform a bunch of their most well-known hits, including "C.R.E.A.M.," "Method Man," and "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta F' Wit."

As I heard he tends to do, Method Man made sure to crowd-surf for a while.

The group also shouted out Old Dirty Bastard. And ODB's mom was at the show and came on stage, saying hello to the crowd for a second. They also did a bit of "Shimmy Shimmy Ya."..." [Inside Hoops]

Continue reading "Wu-Tang Clan @ Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC - pics"

by Black Bubblegum

Q-Tip @ Knitting Factory, Sept 29th (more by Eric Townsend)

In the past couple months, we have covered quite a few hip hop events at CMJ, but let this serve as a total guide to the madness to come... Have fun...

Continue reading "the 2008 guide to Hip Hop shows & panels @ CMJ"

George Clinton @ Warsaw, Brooklyn, NY - February 2008 (tsmithphoto)

George Clinton is getting by with a little help from his friends on his next album -- a list that includes the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Carlos Santana, Sly Stone, RZA, System Of A Down bassist Shavo Odadjian, El DeBarge and gospel singer Kim Burrell.

They all show up on an assortment of covers on "George Clinton and Some Gangsters of Love," which Clinton will release Sept. 16 on Shanachie.

"It started out with me doing some doo wop songs," Clinton, who grew up singing on street corners in Plainfield, N.J., tells Billboard.com. "As we got going, people started coming through to be on it." Among the first, he says, was Santana, who plays on a version of the Impressions' "Gypsy Woman," and then Stone and DeBarge, who sing on Marvin Gaye's "Ain't That Peculiar."

Continue reading "George Clinton & P Funk - new album & tour dates (tonight)"

photos by Rae Holtsabum

I scurried over to the sold-out The Grand Theatre to catch most of RZA's set. The Wu-Tang Clan producer/MC performed as his Bobby Digital alter-ego and controlled the crowd with "Long Time Coming" and "Booby Trap" from the just-released Digi Snacks LP. The set was dominated by material from that album, and RZA turned the gig into a kick-ass block party.

Near the end, he broke out older classics "Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit," "Reunited" and "Shame On A Nigga" near the end. They all made the crowd of mostly college kids go absolutely ape-shit, and it was a perfect way to close out my coverage of the fest. [Chart Attack]

Other artists Rae caught on day three (June 27, 2008) of the Sled Island Festival in Calgary included Broken Social Scene, Tegan and Sara, and Yo La Tengo. The rest of the pics from that day below....

Continue reading "Sled Island 2008 day three - RZA, Yo La, Tegan & other pics"

Vivian Girls @ Market Hotel (more by Ryan Muir)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* FREE STUFF
* Louis CK @ Carolines
* Emmylou Harris @ Town Hall
* Band of Holy Joy @ Southpaw
* Raekwon & Cappadonna @ BB Kings
* 65daysofstatic @ Mercury Lounge
* Sloan & Bear Hands @ Bowery Ballroom
* Man in Gray's final show at The Delancey
* Modest Mouse @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* REM, The National and Modest Mouse @ MSG
* LA Riots & Naive New Beaters @ Hiro Ballroom
* Crystal Castles & Woodhands @ Studio B (free)
* Shearwater, Frog Eyes and Evangelicals @ MHOW
* Pale Nimbus, Gates of Heaven @ Death by Audio
* Gibby Haynes & C. Spencer Yeh @ Issue Project Room
* Medeski, Martin and Wood @ Prospect Park Bandshell (free)
* Vivian Girls, The Muslims, & Hong Kong Blood Opera @ Santos Party House

Two big free shows in Brooklyn tonight, though the Medeski, Martin and Wood one in Park Slope one should be less of a hassle to see than the Crystal Castles one in Williamsburg.

Evangelicals played Cake Shop the other night. Tonight they open for Shearwater. Soon they open for Conor Oberst.

Lil Wayne: A Millie (Platinum In One Week Remix). Download it HERE (zshare). RZA's new album Digi Snacks is streaming at MySpace.

Last chance ever to see Man in Gray. Two chances to see Modest Mouse tonight.

What else?

GZA has a new album called "Pro Tools" coming out this year and he'll be perorming songs from that as well as "Liquid Swords" in its entirety (again) on a North American tour that includes a show at Irving Plaza in NYC on September 12th. He's also playing a couple of random shows with RZA in July. Those shows are part of the tour RZA is doing in support of his new album. RZA's NYC show is at Webster Hall on July 5th. All GZA tour dates below....

Continue reading "GZA - 2008 'Liquid Swords' Tour Dates (some w/ RZA)"

RZA is celebrating the 10 year anniversary of his infamous Bobby Digital persona this year. "Digi Snax" marks the third release for the Bobby Digital character on RZA's quest for "Sex & Sci-fi." The master producer, emcee, composer, and actor is also scheduled for a full Bobby Digital tour surrounding the release - the first in many years. Accompanying him on stage will will be west-coast Soul/Funk live band Stone Mecca, who is also a major contributor to the album. More details on "Digi Snax" including track-listing, special guests, etc. to unfold in the next week or so.

Continue reading "RZA (as Bobby Digital) - new album, 2008 Tour Dates "

DOWNLOAD: Jim White - Crash Into The Sun (MP3)

Jim White

another one of RZA @ Studio B, NYC - Feb 22, 2008 (Tod Seelie)

* Liam Finn @ SoundFix
* Jim White @ Joe's Pub
* KD Lang plays Lincoln Center
* George Clinton & P-Funk at Warsaw
* the 2nd to last Invite Them Up show @ Rififi
* Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood @ Madison Square Garden
* The Teeth, The Lisps, The Dead Trees & Wax Fang at Mercury Lounge

CONTEST: Which band playing Mercury Lounge tonight has a member who went to high school with My Morning Jacket's Jim James? The first person to email BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM (subject: Merc) will get a free pair of ticket's to the show.

If you miss Jim White at Joe's Pub tonight, there's always...

Feb 28 - Union Hall Brooklyn, New York
Feb 29 - Housing Works NYC *SPOKEN WORD*

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday? (Jim White, a Merc contest)"

RZA gets busy @ Studio B, NYC - Feb 22, 2008 (Tod Seelie)

* The Academy Awards
* W.A.S.P is playing Irving Plaza
* The Magnetic Fields are @ Town Hall
* Chrisette Michele is at Highline Ballroom
* Headlights & Evangelicals are @ Mercury Lounge
* Wye Oak, Pontiak & The Selmanaires are playing Cake Shop
* Super Furry Animals & Times New Viking are playing Bowery
* Dalek, Russian Circles, & Young Widows are playing Maxwell's
* Atlas Sound, White Rainbow & Valet @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Demetri Martin, Will Ferrell & Zach Galifianakis @ Radio City Music Hall

For a Sunday there are a lot of good shows going on, not to mention the Oscars. Given all the competition, I'm guessing the Cake Shop show featuring one of Merge Records' latest signings unfortunately won't be getting much attention. More Wye Oak tour dates below.

Sorry for taking a few days off of "What's going on" posts. What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday? (Wye Oak, Oscars)"

GZA @ Studio B, NYC - Feb 1, 2008 (Chris La Putt)

OMG YES!!! BEST SHOW OF THE YEAR SO FAR AND MAYBE BEST SHOW OF LAST YEAR ALSO. HOLY SHIT JUST UNREAL. DJ'S AND GZA AND BUSY P. I MEAN YOU CANNOT PUT TOGETHER A BETTER LINEUP.

Now it's RZA's turn to play Studio B......this Friday, and it's free...

Continue reading "RZA playing Studio B (free), GZA did, Spank Rock didn't"

The RZA @ Hiro Ballroom, NYC - Dec 30, 2007 (Ryan Dombal)

Jeffrey Lewis @ Joe's Pub - Jan 10, 2008 (Ryan Dombal)

* Antibalas @ Southpaw
* Patti Smith @ The Met
* Laura Marling @ Union Hall
* The Rosebuds & Tigercity @ Music Hall
* The Mugs, The Diggs & Mussels @ Cake Shop
* The Mooney Suzuki and others @ Luna Lounge
* Au Revoir Simone, April March & Bell @ Bowery Ballroom
* Redford touts new generation of Sundance filmmakers

What else?

No RZA! Nothing from 8 Diagrams! As Ghostface and Raekwon took the stage Saturday night at Chicago's Metro to the strains of "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin Ta F' Wit", the leaders of the potential secession from the ranks of their ramshackle crew made two things pretty clear: the Wu-Tang Clan we'd all been fucking with for a decade and a half were in the building, and that weird new "hip-hop hippie" shit had no place on that stage. [Pitchfork]

Continue reading "no RZA or hippie shit @ the Wu-Tang show in Chicago"

RZA is performing a full live set at Hiro Ballroom in NYC on December 29th. $10 tickets are on sale.

Wu-Tang Clan's Jaunary 12th show at Hammerstein Ballroom is almost sold out, so they added another one. January 17th is on sale now. 8 Diagrams is out now, as is Ghostface's The Big Doe Rehab.

GZA plays his first of two NYC "Liquid Swords" shows at Knitting Factory tonight. Will it be a good show? Not according to the Guardian reviewer who saw it recently in London....

The decision to give a hip-hop album, namely Genius/GZA's 1995 masterpiece Liquid Swords, the Don't Look Back treatment raises an interesting question: how will a concept that involves faithfully re-creating a classic album fare in the field of live hip-hop, where rappers struggle to faithfully re-create a single song? The answer comes within minutes: it won't. [Guardian]

Vampire Weekend are playing Bowery Ballroom on January 29th. Tickets are on sale. All tour dates at the end of this post.

Wu-Tang Clan are (still) playing Hammerstein Ballroom on January 12th (and Toad's Place in CT the next day). Tickets are on sale.

Ghostface Killah, Brother Ali & Rakim played Nokia Theatre on November 16th. Reviews @ NY Press & MTV.

ODB passed away exactly 3 years and 2 weeks ago. RIP.

Gza is (still) playing 'Liquid Swords' at Knitting Factory on December 13th & 14th. Tickets are sold out. He's also doing it even earlier at ATP (with Portishead)

RZA addresses Raekwon rumors, and the beef surrounding 8 Diagrams (out December 11th), in the video below.....

Vampire Weekend's new video for "Mansard Roof", and all tour dates, below too...

Continue reading "updated VAMPIRE WEEKEND & WU-TANG CLAN tour dates, RZA vs Raekwon, new videos"