The Roots at ATP NYC 2012 (more by Adela Loconte)

Earlier this month, Rolling Stone published their list of the 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time (which was mainly golden era stuff, Eminem, and Jay-Z), which Questlove wrote the intro for, and now Rolling Stone had Quest publish his own list of his top 50 hip-hop songs of all time. HIs list also focuses on the older stuff, but probably for different reasons. He writes:

For this top 50 list, I decided to concentrate on 1979-1995, the former being the year I got my first taste of hip-hop, the latter being the year my major-label debut with the Roots made its mark. I wanted to concentrate on the period that I was not professionally involved in the art form. I wanted to celebrate the period that built and led to the influence that got me a record deal.

In related news, Okayplayer/The Roots are throwing their annual holiday party (check out pictures from last year) at Brooklyn Bowl tonight (12/20), which is invite only and will likely have many special guests, including Joey Bada$$, who just revealed the cover art for the new Pro Era mixtape, Peep The Apocalypse, which drops this Friday (12/21) aka the apocalypse. The flyer for tonight's holiday party is also below.

Questlove, who DJs at Brooklyn Bowl almost every Thursday night, is also throwing another annual holiday party, which isn't invite only, on January 1 at SOB's with special guest DJ Herbert Holler. Tickets for that party are on sale now.

Streams, flyer, and album art below...

Continue reading "Questlove lists the best hip hop songs, playing holiday parties; Joey Badass reveals album details"

by Andrew Sacher

More of the big 2012 year-end lists have been rolling in, with NPR and SPIN recently revealing theirs, and now Rolling Stone have unleashed theirs. Similarly to Uncut, the expected albums from older artists are there, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, Dr. John, and the number one slot going to Bruuuuuuuuuuuce. It's got huge albums like Mumford and Sons, Taylor Swift, and fun., as well as the token high ranking indie album (Japandroids at #9), the token washed up band who was once classic (Green Day), things you knew you'd see on Rolling Stone's list like Jack White and Alabama Shakes, and... Grimes!

You can read the whole list below...

Continue reading "Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums of 2012"

Due to reactions to something EDM DJ-producer, megastar Deadmau5 said in the new Rolling Stone (that he is on the cover of), Deadmau5 posted the following clarification to his Tumber:

we all hit play.

its no secret. when it comes to "live" performance of EDM... that's about the most it seems you can do anyway. It's not about performance art, its not about talent either (really its not) In fact, let me do you and the rest of the EDM world button pushers who fuckin hate me for telling you how it is, a favor and let you all know how it is.

I think given about 1 hour of instruction, anyone with minimal knowledge of ableton and music tech in general could DO what im doing at a deadmau5 concert. Just like i think ANY DJ in the WORLD who can match a beat can do what "ANYONE else" (not going to mention any names) is doing on their EDM stages too. have a look, then let me explain:

Continue reading "Deadmau5 admits "we all hit play""

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"

Dawes @ La Zona Rosa in August (more by Tim Griffin)

Dawes, who is playing the WFUV Holiday Show at Beacon Theater tonight (12/5), and who hit Zuccotti Park the other day, and who are playing sold out shows at Maxwell's on Tuesday and Wednesday, are one of the bands taking part in this free show Rolling Stone is doing during business hours on Tuesday (RSVP necessary, but does not guarantee admission). Details on the flyer below...

Continue reading "Dawes & Hacienda playing free RS event TuesDAY"

by Andrew Sacher

Thurston Moore at MHOW in May (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

New York Guitar Festival have added some new shows to their initial lineup for this January, which included shows at the Merkin Concert Hall. They've since added a 30th anniversary celebration of Brian Eno's Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks at the World Financial Center Winter Garden on January 6. The show will be a a rendition of Eno's album by the Brooklyn ambient ensemble itsnotyouitsme and guitarist Larry Campbell with special guests Noveller and Jeff Parker (of Tortoise).

They've also added the Alternative Guitar Summit, which will take place at LES venue Rockwood Music Hall from January 13-15. January 13 will feature performances by Pillow Wand (aka Nels Cline and Thurston Moore, Ben Monder and Pete Rende playing the music of Jimmy Webb, Joel Harrison and Anupan Shobhakar, and Mark Stewart and Gyan Riley (1/13 tickets). January 14 includes Liberty Ellman and Vijay Iyer, Dave Tronzo and Jay Granelli, and Knox Chandler (1/14 tickets), and January 15 will bring a number of musicians together to honor Jim Hall, including Nels Cline, Chris Potter, Scott Colley, Trevor Dunn, and others (1/15 tickets). You can also purchase a 3 night pass to all of those shows.

On January 29, NY Guitar Fest will hold a day-long guitar marathon at the 92nd Street Y celebrating Italian guitar music with a number of different performers. Tickets are on sale now.

Speaking of guitarists and lists, Rolling Stone recently issued their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, as voted on by other guitarists. Thurston Moore, who plays NY Guitar Fest (and is touring in February), made the list. Nels Cline, who Thurston is performing with, made it too. Though aside from a few others (J Mascis, Jonny Greenwood, Jack White) the list is pretty much what you'd expect it to be.

Both Rolling Stone and Spin Magazines have released their top LPs of the year. Guess who tops them both? Full lists below....

Continue reading "Rolling Stone & SPIN list their 'best albums of 2010'"

"I'm a fan of [Arcade Fire] on one level, but on another level I get really tired of their pompousness," says [Wayne] Coyne [of the Flaming Lips]. "We've played some shows with them and they really treat people like shit. Whenever I've been around them, I've found that they not only treated their crew like shit, they treated the audience like shit. They treated everybody in their vicinity like shit. I thought, 'Who do they think they are?' I don't know why people put up with it. I wouldn't put up with it. I don't care if it's Arcade Fire or Brian Eno. If either of them walked into a room and treated people like shit I'd be like, 'Fuck you, get outta here.'

He continues, "People treat Arcade Fire like they're the greatest thing ever and they get away with it. Those sort of opinions change my view of their music. They have good tunes, but they're pricks, so fuck 'em. Who does Arcade Fire think they are? I've been around groups. I've been around the Edge from U2 and he's the fucking sweetest guy ever. I was around Justin Timberlake when he was young and he was just a normal, nice, kind person. Anyone can be polite and kind and people who have the privilege and money and attention should understand that. If they don't, then fuck 'em." [Rolling Stone]

a wall in NYC, Feb 6, 2008 (CRED)

"They're planning to do a Greatest Hits for April, May to coincide with our tour. That's an interesting one. We won't be doing any promotion for that, obviously. -Ed O'Brien " [EMI to release Radiohead's Greatest Hits]

DOWNLOAD: Fader issue 51 (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fader Issue 51 (PDF)

That's No Surrender and Santogold up there on the cover of the new FADER. The BBC also put Santogold on a list of "some of the hottest new music talent" for 2008. You can read the whole list, and more, below...

Continue reading "Santogold, FADER & the BBC's 10 to watch in 2008"

Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu is playing a solo show at the Lutheran Chuch of the Messiah in Greenpoint on January 4th. He's also suing Rolling Stone.

We, the undersigned independent record labels, wish to share our indignation regarding Rolling Stone’s November 15th pull out editorial, which featured the names of our artists in conjunction with an ad for Camel cigarettes. This editorial cartoon gives every impression of being part and parcel of the advertisement wrapped around it.

The use of an artist’s name to promote a brand or product should be done only with the artist’s explicit consent, something that was neither solicited nor obtained from the labels or bands.

When questioned, Rolling Stone has referred to the “Indie Rock Universe” pull out section as an “editorial”, but it hardly seems accidental that this editorial content is wrapped in a giant ad from R.J. Reynolds announcing their support for independent artists and labels. The idea that this was a coincidence in any way seems dubious at best. There are two other pull out sections in this same issue of Rolling Stone. Both are wrapped in advertising, but neither of these ads could be construed as part of the editorial content within.

Many of the bands named, and the labels that represent them, are very unhappy with the implication that they have any involvement with R.J. Reynolds and Camel cigarettes. We ask that Rolling Stone apologize for blurring the line between editorial and advertisement, and in doing so, implying that the bands named support the product being advertised.

Sincerely, Kill Rock Stars, Touch and Go, Skin Graft, Lovepump United, Lucky Madison, 5RC, Audio Dregs, and Fryk Beat.

On a related note, someone got me the first 40 years of Rolling Stone on DVD for Christmas. I won't complain about that. A picture of it, and the whole list of bands that Rolling Stone and Camel put in the questionable ad, below....

Continue reading "Indie Rock vs. Camel cigarettes & Rolling Stone"

1. M.I.A.: Kala (Interscope)
2. Gogol Bordello: Super Taranta! (Side One Dummy)
3. Tabu Ley Rochereau: The Voice of Lightness (Stern's Africa)
4. Arcade Fire: Neon Bible (Merge)
5. Lucinda Williams: West (Lost Highway)
6. Miranda Lambert: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Sony/BMG Nashville)
7. Rilo Kiley: Under the Black Light (Warner Bros.)
8. Lily Allen: Alright, Still (Capitol)
9. Fountains of Wayne: Traffic and Weather (Virgin)
10. Against Me!: New Wave (Sire)

P.S. Rolling Stone also thinks M.I.A. put out the best album of the year. SPIN says it was Against Me!

This list (though annoying because you have to view 25 pages to read the whole list) caught my attention because I can never decide what movie to rent. What did Rolling Stone miss?

* White Stripes playing MSG, touring
* White Stripes not conncerned about Indie Cred
* Coke, iTunes Team For 2 Billion Song Promo
* Pictures of Amy Winehouse & boyfriend
* SPIN: Exclusive: Amy Winehouse Weds
* Rolling Stone: Amy Winehouse not married
* "Spin" and "Rolling Stone" Get Into Catfight Over Amy Winehouse