Regina Spektor at Bowery Ballroom in 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

Regina Spektor is playing a show on February 23 at Frederick P. Rose Hall at Lincoln Center, a benefit for the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS). The HIAS "is the international migration agency of the American Jewish community. They provide rescue and refuge around the world for Jews and other refugees escaping violence, repression, and poverty." Tickets, starting at a $55 option and ranging to a $250 option, are on sale now.

Regina has a new album on the way called What We Saw From The Cheap Seats coming out this May. She left this message regarding the album via facebook:

Hi! So! I'm very excited to say that this summer i recorded a new record with Mike Elizondo in LA land! It's been finished for a little while but i had no idea when it would be out in the world until now... We're trying to get everything ready for it to come out in May (but i will share some stuff before then for sure!!!)
It's called---"What We Saw From The Cheap Seats"
big cheers to you all,
regi

Continue reading "Regina Spektor announces new LP, playing Lincoln Center"

Record Store Day 2011 is Saturday (4/16)! Shops will be flooded with limited/rare releases from tons of notables (watch a video below of some of the stuff), and they will hopefully make lots of money. Some area stores will also host free live events...

Other Music, though they seem to have scaled it back a bit from last year, has a special show scheduled for Saturday, but set your alarm clocks.

We also have a very special in-store performance on Saturday from NYC's own Regina Spektor ...The first 100 customers who buy her new RSD 7" Four from Far at Other Music on Record Store Day will get one ticket to see a private solo performance Regina is giving right next door to OM at 2 p.m. on Saturday. That's the only way to see the show, so come on down early, get in line and buy her new RSD 7" record.

OM will also have "a ton of cool gifts and prizes, records, CDs and swag, including a backpack and a gift certificate for a pair of sneakers from our friends at Onitsuka Tiger for the first five customers who spend $250 or more". Other Music opens at 11am.

As previously discussed, Obits, The Jay Vons, I Hate Our Freedom, and Spa Castles will team up on Saturday, but Generation Records have also added DJ Sets from Yo La Tengo (all three members), Tom Scharpling (WFMU's Best Show), Eric Davidson (New Bomb Turks), Bill Dolan (American Standard), Mike Longo (Hoboken Heartthrob). Doors are at 11AM, bands start at 1PM... full set times and flyer are below.

As also previously discussed, Damon & Naomi play a free in-store at Sound Fix Records who open at 10:30am on Saturday.

Eula will appear at Permanent Records "throughout the day" before playing Bruar Falls later that night with Shark?, Ghost Bunny, Pow Wow & DJ Ron Like Hell as part of their Maurice Narcisse record release party.

As discussed, Fat Beats & Waxpoetics will open a pop-store in DUMBO that will host a ton of hip hop/funky notables including The Stepkids, The Phenomenal Handclap Band, Neek The Exotic & Large Professor, CSC Funk Band and many more. The pop-up store opens at noon.

East Village Radio will broadcast live from Academy Records in the East Village (12th between 1st & A) from 4 - 6PM.

Kim's Music & Video will host Angel Olsen (5pm) and Bow Ribbons (6pm) for RSD, with the store opening at 9AM.

Though it isn't exactly a record store or a free show, Fontana's will host a "RSD Afterparty" from 3PM to 7PM with Lady Lamb The Beekeeper, The Kickdrums, Midnight Spin, and The Pass. The show costs $10.

Cake Shop used to be a record store and it will be again on Record Store Day. As Bill said, "Eternal Summers also play Cake Shop on Saturday (4/16) which is the venue's Record Store Day extravaganza, featuring a slew of great -- mostly local -- bands. The downstairs will be a record mart during the day (noon - 6PM). Bands during the evening include the previously-mentioned McDonalds, Natural Child, Widowspeak, Overlord, Hands & Knees, Night Collectors and Twitchers." The flyer is reposted below.

Looney Tunes in West Babylon is sure to actually be looney, as the store will host free shows by Thursday, Kevin Devine, The Pretty Reckless, Alex Skolnick, Grace Read, Tiger Riot, and Hotel of The Laughing Tree starting at 2PM. More details on how to get into see each band (each has a different entry condition) head to the Looney Tunes site.

Vintage Vinyl in NJ has... John Leguizamo. (whatever works)

J&R Music World will host Lez Zeppelin "and others to be announced" on Record Store Day. Doors open at 10AM.

Elsehwere you have Dom playing in Newbury Comics right before TV on the Radio do a signing, My Morning Jacket at CD Central in Lexington, Off! at Fingerprints in Long Beach, tons of bands at Grimey's, The Growlers and special guest at Origami Vinyl, and much more. There will be a Record Store Day tent at Coachella for those braving the sun at the sold out fest this weekend. Check the Record Store Day site for many more listings (though note their list is far from complete).

What did we miss?

---

BrooklynVegan is also a proud Record Store Day partner this year. Look for our metal-centric ad in a free Decibel mini-mag that will be available at various record stores on Saturday. The cover looks like this:

If you can't get the mag, you can also download the free sampler that comes with it online And though heavy music isn't strongly represented this year live, we are happy to remedy that in recorded format by giving away a massive prize pack of vinyl to one (seriously) lucky reader. It includes:

• Trap Them's Darker Handcraft on vinyl
• a Kvelertak t-shirt
• Red Fang - limited edition Wires 7" vinyl
• A prize pack of Goes Cube 7" vinyl featuring every song on Of Tides & Drifts "Property" (sorry, the label informed us that they instead only have "Property" for this contest)
• Obscura - Omnivarium LP on vinyl (clear, not available to the public, 100 copies pressed)

Continue reading "a guide to Record Store Day 2011 (NYC in-stores, Regina Spektor @ Other Music, a big metal vinyl contest & more)"

by Andrew Sacher

Thomas Dolby is releasing his first album of new material in 20 years this summer. The album is called A Map of the Floating City and features an array of guest musicians including Regina Spektor, Imogen Heap, Mark Knopfler, and Eddi Reader. Dolby is giving an exclusive sneak preview performance of songs from the album this Friday (2/25) at The Greene Space at 2 PM. He's performing the songs with New York string quartet Ethel and accordion player Rachelle Garniez. Opening the show is the Jamaican group The Jolly Boys. Tickets are still available. If you can't make it you can always listen on WNYC.

Despite being one of the pioneers of electronic pop music, in a press release on his website, Dolby has said of the new album:

"I marvel at the new landscape of the music business - distribution via the Internet and recording technologies I barely dreamed of when I started out," he continues. "But this album does not sound electronic at all. I have zero desire to add to the myriad of machine-based, synth-driven grooves out there. The Net has made a music career approachable for thousands of bands - but I hear too few single-minded voices among them. What I do best is write songs, tell stories."

Currently, Dolby's performance at The Greene Space is his only announced date, but his press release says, "A multi-city live tour is likely for 2011."

Videos and the next EP's cover art is below...

Continue reading "Thomas Dolby releasing EPs & a guest-filled album, performing live in NYC on Friday (and on the radio)"

DOWNLOAD: Only Son - Magic (MP3)

Ex-Moldy Peaches member Jack Dishel aka Only Son released Searchlight on January 18th. The new album features contributions from members of The Strokes, Robbers On High Street and Of Montreal, and includes a duet with his friend and past tour-mate Regina Spektor called "Call Them Brothers." You can download "Magic" from that album above, and check out the video for the same song, and the video for "It's A Boy" below. If you download the album at his Bandcamp, you get a bonus track for free: "Kick 'Em Out" featuring "sweet tropical harmonies" of Little Joy's Fabrizio Moretti and Binki Shapiro.

I honestly have no idea, but based on everything I wrote above (and Regina Spektor's past guest appearances at Only Son shows), I wouldn't be surprised if special guests were in the house when Only Son performs the new album in full tonight (1/20) at the Studio at Webster Hall. The Candles and (as previously mentioned) Yellowbirds (Sam from Apollo Sunshine) are opening.

Continue reading "Only Son released 'Searchlight' (Regina Spektor duet included), performing it in full (TONIGHT)"

Regina Spektor at Bowery Ballroom (more by Tim Griffin)

Regina Spektor will screen her new film, Live in London, at select theaters nationwide starting today (11/19). A list of theaters is below, but NYC's designated spot will be Village East Cinema, which will host the film fourteen times over seven days with Spektor appearing in person for the Tuesday, November 23, 9:30pm screening. Tickets are available to all shows.

Live in London is the first live recording and concert film from acclaimed artist Regina Spektor. Captured mainly at London's famed Hammersmith Apollo Theatre, Live in London features 22 remarkable performances that span Spektor's brilliant catalog of music, including three new songs that have only been performed live.
For the first time, fans can see Regina up close as she performs fan favorites like Us, Fidelity, Samson and Eet, along with backstage footage, inside peaks at sound check and more. Live in London is a captivating concert film directed by Adria Petty.

Live in London is dedicated to Regina's cellist and band leader Daniel Cho, who tragically passed away this summer.

Regina has no regular live dates coming up, but will perform with the Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, November 23rd, and appear on Soundcheck live one day earlier during the afternoon.

List of theaters and videos below...

Continue reading "a new Regina Spektor movie on DVD & in theaters now"

photos by Daniel Sieradski

As promised Adam Green showed up to sing a tune with Dufus (Seth Faergolzia and band) at Cake Shop on Saturday night, but he wasn't alone. Fellow Moldy Peach Jack Dishel also sang, and so did two other members of the defunct anti-folk band: Brent Cole and Toby Goodshank, who both also play in one of the opening bands, Berth Control. Kimya Dawson, who now spends most of her time on the other coast, was not in the house, but Regina Spektor was and she also sang a song as you can see in the pictures (it was two nights before she headlined a benefit for Daniel Cho at MHOW).

Olice Juice Music points out:

"3/4 of the way through the Dufus show [Saturday] night the fire alarm at Cakeshop got tripped (rumor has it due to some suspect smoke inhalating). Everyone had to evacuate the building while the fire department came and reset the alarm. But this could not stop the show! The band took it to the streets and proceeded to perform it's appropriately entitled song Fireman. Luckily, it was just a brief intermission for this, truly epic, nearly 3 hour last Dufus performance."

Continue reading "Dufus played his final show inside & on the street w/ help from Regina Spektor, Moldy Peaches & more (pics & video) "

Dan Cho

DANIEL CHO BENEFIT/TRIBUTE
Featuring Regina Spektor / Carina Round / Cooper / Jenny Owen Youngs / Jupiter One / Only Son / Rachel Platten / The Candles / Tracy Bonham / Wes Hutchinson
A Tribute Concert for Daniel Cho: Artists gather to honor a brilliant musician and to help support his family.

Venue: Music Hall of Williamsburg
Date: Mon 9/27
Notes: 18+
Doors: 7:00 PM / Show: 8:00 PM
$35 advance / $35 day of show

Regina Spektor is also involved in the New Yorker Festival this year. All tickets for that fest also go on sale at noon.

Tickets are now on sale for the Dresden Dolls Halloween show at Irving Plaza.

Underworld tickets go on sale at noon.

Regina Spektor at Tibet House Benefit 2010 (more by Chris La Putt)

The New Yorker Festival is back (Oct 1-3), and will feature a variety of events including a premiere of The Social Network to Werner Herzog to Pee Wee Herman to the dude from Beetlejuice who yells at his kids, and everything in between. So far the musical interview lineup includes Regina Spektor, Yo Yo Ma, Justin Timberlake (promoting "The Social Network") and James Taylor. Sometimes those include short performances, though no performances have been announced so far. Tickets go on sale 9/10 at noon, and all festival details are below...

Continue reading "2010 New Yorker Festival - lineup & ticket info"

Regina Spektor @ Tonic in 2005 (more)

"On Thursday May 27th, Sire / Warner Bros. Recording artist Regina Spektor will perform at The White House for the first ever White House reception in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month.

Spektor is thrilled to join President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to celebrate the range and depth of the Jewish American heritage and contributions to American culture.

"Having moved to America from Soviet Russia as a child with my family, we dreamed of reconnecting with our religious traditions and of making America our home" says Spektor. "Having lived here for over twenty years, it is an unimaginable honor to be invited to the White House by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, to an event celebrating Jewish Americans, and to be counted among them. Nothing in the world could make us feel more accepted and at home!"

The celebration will take place in The White House with guests representing the many walks of life that have helped weave the fabric of American history. Invitees include a range of community leaders and prominent Jewish Americans from Olympians and professional athletes to members of Congress, business leaders, authors and military veterans."

Continue reading "Regina Spektor is playing the White House & other dates"

The Bundles

Like Dan Deacon, a band called the Bundles are playing the Cake Shop anniversary celebrations this month. Their show is on Wednesday, May 12th.

The Bundles are fronted by the anti-folk dream-team of Jeffrey Lewis and Kimya Dawson, and include drummer Anders Griffen, Jack Lewis (Jeff's brother and band-mate) and K Recs' Karl Blau. Their debut self-titled record came out on K Records in April.

Also on the Cake Shop bill are the controversially-named Sidewalk Cafe staples Ching Chong Song and Only Son (ex-Moldy Peaches guitarist Jack Dishel), as well as a mysterious "Secret Guest". Who could that be? Well, two members of the Moldy Peaches are listed on the bill already, Kimya headlining would sort of be a bigger deal than her new band, Moldy Peach Adam Green is sort of big (he just did two nights at Bowery), so my guesses are:

1) Moldy Peaches (seems unlikely though right?)
2) Kimya Dawson (but why be secret when you're already on the bill?)
3) Adam Green (bigger, but does he need to be a secret?)
4) Beck (just kidding)
5) Regina Spektor

hey guys, andy cakeshop here...just so theres no confusion, its not adam green.. i was throwing the idea around with his management, but it was really just an idea. the bills really strong on its own, and i should really take off the 'secret guest' thing, its been a weird week and sorry it got to this level. jeff and kimya need to play at 8 to make it to a prior commitment...anyway we're working on something cool for the 11pm, but as of yet, truthfully, its not booked! sorry for the mixup &
thanks everyone.
love, andy

Before then, Jeff Lewis plays Happy Ending Music Series at Joe's Pub tonight (5/5). Tickets are available.

The Bundles tour the UK and Europe later in May. Those dates and videos are below...

Continue reading "anti-folk supergroup The Bundles (Kimya, Jeff Lewis, etc) have an album, playing Cake Shop w/ SECRET GUEST & other dates"

Estimated Value: Priceless
Item Number 128
Item Description
These are very rare, limited edition Daft Punk toy robots called "Daft Punk 1000% Kubricks" made by the legendary Japanese toy manufacturer Medicom in collaboration with the legendary Hong Kong based toy manufacturers, Silly Thing.
They have both been signed and decorated by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Momem-Christo, of Daft Punk
They sell new for $2000 for the pair.
They are 25" tall.

Continue reading "Daft Punk dolls, Ed Droste's guitar & other stuff for charity"

Regina Spektor @ Tibet House benefit on Feb. 26th (more by Chris La Putt)

Regina Spektor will follow up her set at Tibet House benefit at Carnegie Hall last Friday (2/26) with a benefit of her own at Irving Plaza on March 23rd to support Doctors without Borders' Relief Program in Haiti. Tickets should be going on sale some time today (3/2).

Regina Spektor is one of the artists (with Bon Iver, Bowie, Magnetic Fields) covered by Peter Gabriel on his new all-covers record, Scratch My Back, which is out today in the US.

[Gabriel] chose the material in a kind of social-networking experiment. "Scratch My Back" got its title because when Mr. Gabriel picked a song, he also asked the songwriter to record a Gabriel song in turn. The original plan was to release two albums in tandem. The songwriters agreed -- except for David Bowie, whose collaborator on "Heroes," Brian Eno, will participate -- but the deadlines came and went. "We may not get everybody, but I hope we will."

The Arcade Fire has been working on Mr. Gabriel's "Games Without Frontiers," while Regina Spektor is still choosing her Gabriel song. "Scratch My Back" includes the Arcade Fire's "My Body Is a Cage" and Ms. Spektor's "Après Moi." In a telephone interview Ms. Spektor said: "It's cool not to hear the song in my voice. The leash has been let go from my voice, and now it doesn't just belong to me." [NY Times]

Regina will be at Bonnaroo. She performed her song "Machine" on Jimmy Fallon in early February. That video is below...

Continue reading "Regina Spektor playing a benefit, choosing a Gabriel song"

photos by Chris La Putt

Performances by Iggy Pop, Patti Smith and Gogol Bordello brought the crowd at Carnegie Hall to its feet on Friday night, as the musicians took part in the 20th annual Tibet House benefit.

The concerts, whose musical acts are organized by composer and Tibet House Vice President Philip Glass, are scheduled to coincide with the Tibetan New Year and bring in anywhere from $100,000 to $250,00 for the nonprofit group every year.

The evening began with chanting from several Drepung Gomang Monastery monks, followed by comments from Glass about the difficulty in finalizing a final roster of performers every year given all the participants' busy schedules. Next, Robert A. F. Thurman, the president and one of the co-founders Tibet House, likened the Tibetan people to the Na'vi, the blue, cat-like aliens featured in James Cameron's sci-fi film "Avatar." He noted that both groups of individuals deserved and needed saving, and repeated the film's catch phrase "I see you" for double effect. [Wall Street Journal]

Continue reading "Tibet House Benefit 2010 in pictures (Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, Regina Spektor, Gogol Bordello & more)"

After a hectic day of updating the constantly updating Bonnaroo lineup page, the entire thing has been announced. Gwar, Norah Jones, and the rest of the lineup below...

Continue reading "the complete 2010 Bonnaroo lineup (Stevie Wonder, The Melvins, Kings of Leon, Isis, Local Natives & many more) "

DOWNLOAD: Peter Gabriel - Flume (Bon Iver cover) (MP3)

Peter Gabriel's new record Scratch My Back is an all-cover, orchestra-backed collection of songs from Bowie's "Heroes" to Arcade Fire's "My Body Is a Cage." There's also a Bon Iver cover, a soft-spoken take on "Flume," which you can get above (full track list below). The record is described as "the first part of a series of song exchanges in which Peter and other leading artists reinterpret each others songs." It comes out in UK/Europe on February 15th (through EMI), in Canada on February 16th (through Universal Music) and in the US on March 2nd through Gabriel's own Real World Records.

Gabriel's album-supporting tour is short and sweet. He plays three European cities in March, then there are three North American stops - one night in L.A. and Montreal, and two nights at New York's Radio City Music Hall on May 2nd and 3rd. Tickets go on AmEx presale Sunday, Febraury 7th. General sale starts Tuesday, February 16th at 10am. For all the dates, he'll have a 54-piece orchestra in tow.

In other rock legends playing Radio City news, tickets go on general sale Friday for a show Ringo Starr and his All Star Band are playing at the venue in July.

Full Peter Gabriel tracklist w/ album art, an audio interview with Peter about the album, and tour dates, below...

Continue reading "indie rock-covering Peter Gabriel announces shows - 2 nights @ Radio City Music Hall & other dates, Bon Iver MP3, more"

Dirty Projectors released a digital 7" of unreleased Bitte Orca session outtakes today (1/11) through Domino. The two tracks on it (previously available only on the UK-only "Temecula Sunrise" EP), "Ascending Melody" and b-side "Emblem of the World," are available as free downloads through the band's website and via the widget embedded below.

Their only currently announced NYC show is February 19th at Lincoln Center's Allen Room (as part of the American Songbook series). They're supposed to also do a short set at this year's Tibet House US benefit (at Carnegie Hall on Friday, February 26th), but they still don't appear on the lineup which now includes Gogol Bordello, Regina Spektor, and "Additional artists to be announced" in addition to Philip Glass, Baaba Maal, Patti Smith & Pierce Turner. Tickets are still on sale.

Dirty Projectors collaborator David Byrne is giving a free talk in Brooklyn tonight (1/11).

The free songs, a note from the band, and tour dates for their upcoming New Zealand/Australia tour in early March are below...

Continue reading "Dirty Projectors giving away digital 7", Tibet House Benefit concert lineup now includes Regina Spektor & Gogol Bordello "

""Saturday Night Live" grappled with real life--President Obama's surprise win of the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday--as cast member Fred Armisen played the president as the luckiest man in the world--who is not George Bush.

Armisen as Obama: "This came without warning, I didn't even get a call as due to the time difference in Norway, the Nobel people didn't want to wake me up. I wish they had, I could have said to Hillary Clinton, 'Hey, remember that 3 a.m. call you were so worried about? It happened. Nobel Peace Prize." [Sun Times]

Continue reading "Regina Spektor played Saturday Night Live, Fred Armisen mocks Obama's Nobel Peace Prize (videos) "

Regina Spektor will be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on October 10th, four days before she headlines Radio City Music Hall. Over the summer she was on Good Morning America...

Continue reading "Regina Spektor playing SNL before Radio City Music Hall"

Little Joy opening for Jarvis was really 'Fab' (more by Chris La Putt)

Little Joy will hit the road with their friend Regina Spektor this September. Those dates do not include Regina's upcoming show at Radio City Music Hall (Jupiter One opens that one), though Little Joy did recently open for her at the Beacon Theatre show in June.

Meanwhile, Little Joy have announced their own headlining, Regina-less tour dates that include a September 20th show at Maxwell's (tickets are on sale now), and a headlining a show at Webster Hall on October 2nd. Tickets are on fanclub presale now. AmEx presale starts Wednesday at noon, with general sale starting Friday at noon.

Little Joy's lineup for the Webster Hall show will include Strokes/Little Joy member Fabrizio Morretti, who will not be playing with the band on any of the other dates on the tour. He hasn't been touring with them of late (to record the fourth Strokes album, on the way).

In a somewhat-related note, Morretti's fellow Stroke Julian Casablancas will be performing material from his forthcoming solo release Phrazes For The Young for the first time at a show at Tokyo's Duo Music Exchange on August 31st.

All Little Joy tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Little Joy announces tour dates including Webster Hall w/ Fabrizio Morretti ++ Julian Casablancas is playing Tokyo"

Tickets for Regina Spektor's upcoming show at Radio City Music Hall show are an AmEx presale and "Internet Presale" (@10am) (Password = HEREGINA). General sale starts Monday at 11:00. Grab a live recording of Regina's Beacon Theater show HERE. See her at Barnes & Noble on August 18th. See Nick Cave at Barnes & Noble in September.

It's not the first time (Jim Davidson)

Regina Spektor is playing some shows in September and October and that includes a headlining performance at Radio City Music Hall in NYC on October 14th! It makes sense since her last show was at the sold out Beacon Theater. Tickets are now on PRESALE. She also has a show coming up in a book store. All dates below...

Continue reading "Regina Spektor tour dates (Radio City Music Hall -- presale)"

Regina Spektor is playing a free show at the SoHo Apple Store today (7/24). Her Barnes & Noble show is in August.

DOWNLOAD: Jarvis Cocker - Angela (MP3)

Julian

Pulp front-man Jarvis Cocker is currently playing dates in support of his newest solo record, Further Complications, which came out in May on Rough Trade. Check out a track from it above. His tour was to include a July 30th show at Terminal 5. Instead, that show will happen at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tickets for the other venue will be honored, but new tickets are not available - the show went instantly to "sold out" status when it moved (that's one way to sell out a show in this recession - move it to a venue 4-5 times smaller).

Jarvis's Rough Trade label-mates Little Joy will be opening that show. Little Joy usually features Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti, but he most likely won't be at the MHOW show (except maybe as a special guest) as he'll be busy recording the forthcoming, fourth Strokes album. At Little Joy's last Bowery Ballroom show, Fabrizio only joined the band for their final song, as did Regina Spektor who Little Joy opened for at Beacon Theater less than a week earlier.

At the same time, Strokes singer Julian Casablancas is preparing to release his solo album, Phrazes for the Young, due later this year on Cult Records/RCA. The record is produced by Jason Lader (who's worked with Elvis Costello, Rilo Kiley and others) with additional production by Monster of Folk Mike Mogis, and will be accompanied by solo tour dates, to be announced.

Check out a YouTube preview of that record and its synthy, New Age direction, with all Little Joy tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Jarvis Cocker show moved to MHOW, Little Joy (no Stroke) opening, (Stroke) Julian Casablancas releasing solo album"

Regina Spektor - Beacon Theatre, NYC - 06/17/2009 (absolutelyaudrey)

Half an hour into her joyful set at the Beacon Theater [June 17th] Regina Spektor has completely lost her place. She is giggling at first and then laughing and then almost gurgling with pleasure. "Rehearsing at the Beacon theater," she says, "there's so many of you". then she shrugs, "Fuck it," and turns back to arranging the song with her string section. "I'm so happy," she says and she is obviously in a great mood.

Except for two songs on guitar ("I wish I knew more") Spektor sits at her piano throughout the set. She opens with "Folding Chairs" off her new album and continues with another seven new songs till reaching an oldie, a splendid "On The Radio", and it doesn't matter. All the new stuff is maybe her best stuff ever, every song cuts deep with a bouyancy that is like maybe a ball bouncing on the ocean: the undertow pulls her down but she is still light and above it. [Rock NYC Live and Recorded]

Regina Spektor rounds out July with tour dates in Europe, and currently has a set of North American shows planned for September. Her full schedule is below.

She's also appearing at Barnes & Noble's "Upstairs at the Square" series on Tuesday, August 18th with host Katherine Lanpher and writer Kurt Andersen. The event at the store's Union Square location (33 E 17th St in NYC) will include an interview and a performance. Entrance is free, but admission is first come, first served. Considering the fact that her Beacon show sold out (see above), a sizeable crowd should be expected.

Set list and videos from the Beacon Theatre show, with all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Regina Spektor played Beacon Theatre, playing Barnes & Noble (and other places - all tour dates)"

DOWNLOAD: God Help the Girl - Come Monday Night (MP3)

Regina Spektor's new album Far pushes the singer-songwriter even closer to pop superstardom without sacrificing any of the melodic or lyrical wit that is so endearing.

Drive-By Trucker Patterson Hood's second solo album, Murdering Oscar (and Other Love Songs), is in stores tomorrow. He is currently on a tour with two NYC shows this week.

God Help The Girl "is a story set to music by Stuart Murdoch of Belle and Sebastian, and features the vocal talents of Catherine Ireton, Alex Klobouk and Celia Garcia." MP3 above. Video below.

Other albums I have heard and can recommend include Foreign Born's Person To Person, A Hawk and a Hacksaw's Delivrance, Tift Merritt's live album Buckingham Solo, and Sunset Rubdown's Dragonslayer.

A remastered edition of R.E.M.s Reckoning (complete with bonus disc) is the reissue highlight of the week, along with a vinyl remaster of the band's Murmur album.

The Pavement Brighten The Corners: Nicene Creedence Ed. 4-LP box set is tempting (if a little pricey). The CD version was incredibly well put together, so I'm anxious to see what's in the vinyl edition.

What new music can you recommend this week? What's on your shopping list?

Continue reading "Largehearted Boy's Interesting CD Releases This Week"