Frankie Rose releases Interstellar this month (2/21) and as Bill points out, she's left the garage pop of her debut behind in favor of synthy, jangly pop. It's a huge step up from her last album and you can stream the entire thing at SPIN. She plays a record release show for the album at Knitting Factory on February 21 with Dive and Night Manager.

The new album from Dr. Dog, Be The Void, is out this week (2/7) and streaming at Conan O'Brien's website Team Coco. Watch the video of their performance on the show last night (2/8) below. Also, don't forget to grab your tickets for their Terminal 5 show on 3/23 while they're still available. More tour dates HERE.

Sharon Van Etten and Shearwater are touring together in support of their upcoming albums which are both currently streaming on NPR. Listen to Sharon's HERE and Shearwater's HERE. Their tour hits NYC on 2/24 at MHOW and 2/25 at Bowery Ballroom. Both shows are sold out but Sharon plays Bowery again the next night (2/26) and tickets are still available.

Islands' new album, A Sleep & A Forgetting, is due out February 14 via ANTI- and you can stream the entire thing below. Their tour in support of it hits NYC on 2/25 at LPR. Tickets are still available.

Instrumental hip hop producer Mux Mool released his new album, Planet High School, digitally this week and that can be streamed in full below (via FADER).

Field Music will release their new album, Plumb, on February 14 via Memphis Industries. You can stream the whole thing at NPR.

Tennis's new album, Young and Old, is due out February 14 via Fat Possum and you can stream it in full below (via P4K). Their tour in support of it hits NYC on 3/3 at Bowery Ballroom and 3/5 at MHOW. The Bowery show is sold out but tickets for MHOW are still on sale.

Air's new album, Le Voyage Dans La Lune, which features a collaboration with Beach House's Victoria Legrand, and as mentioned is a soundtrack, is out this week and streaming in full on NPR.

It's not exactly an album, but Fucked Up's 15+ minute "Year of the Tiger" single which features Jim Jarmusch, Austra, and Annie-Claude Deschênes of Duchess Says, can be streamed below.

Streams below...

Continue reading "Frankie Rose, Dr. Dog, Sharon Van Etten, Shearwater, Islands, Tennis & other new album streams "

"Following last year's 10th anniversary, which crushed previous attendance records and set a new mark for the speed with which tickets sold out, the Sasquatch! Music Festival unveils its 2012 lineup which once again features 4 days of music. The festival, hailed as "a model of well-paced programming...in a four-day schedule as efficient and natural feeling as an expertly built algorithm" by NPR Music while Wired notes, "leave the landscape out of it and Sasquatch! has a lineup to kill for," runs May 25-28 (Memorial Day Weekend) at The Gorge, the internationally acclaimed concert venue carved in the basalt cliffs high above the Columbia River Gorge in Quincy, WA."

Continue reading "Sasquatch! 2012 lineup announced (Bon Iver, Jack White, Beck, Tenacious D, Shins, Portlandia, Spiritualized & more) "

DOWNLOAD: The Antlers - "VCR" (The xx cover) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Korallreven - "Sa Sa Samoa" (ft. Julianna Barwick) (MP3)

The Antlers at Moogfest (more by Diana Wong)

We recently mentioned that Sharon Van Etten and Shearwater are planning a tour together that hits NYC at Music Hall of Williamsburg on February 24 and Bowery Ballroom on February 25. Tickets for both NYC shows are available for AmEx presale now, and general sale starts Friday (11/11) at noon. All dates have also since been announced and are listed below.

After the tour, Sharon will go on a string of dates with The War on Drugs, who open for The National at Beacon Theatre the night before Sharon does. Sharon's new album, Tramp, comes out February 7 via Jagjaguwar.

Sharon's friends and fellow Brooklynites The Antlers are following their release of Burst Apart, which came out earlier this year, with the (together) EP, which features material from the Burst Apart sessions. It includes collaborations with Neon Indian, Bear In Heaven, Nicole Atkins, and a cover of The xx's "VCR," which you can download above. The EP's tracklist is below. The Antlers are currently on a European tour and will return to NYC for a Webster Hall show on December 10 with Suuns. Tickets for that show are still available.

Speaking of The xx, they've recently begun working on a new album and have started a blog, where they've posted the message:

We have started recording our second album! We have also started this blog where we will post our inspirations + pictures + favourite songs. We hope you enjoy it! Lots of Love, The xx

The Walkmen, whose drummer Matt Barrick guests on Sharon's new album, are also working on a new album with producer Phil Ek which will be released next year on Fat Possum/Bella Union.

Julianna Barwick, who is also a guest on Sharon's album, recently released the Matrimony Remixes EP, which features remixes of two of the tracks off of her most recent LP, The Magic Place, which came out earlier this year. The entire EP is available to stream and download for $5 on bandcamp and features remixes by Diplo & Lunice, Helado Negro, Alias Pail, and Prince Rama. Julianna also provided guest vocals to Korallreven's debut LP, which comes out November 15 via Acephale. Her vocals appear on the song "Sa Sa Samoa," which you can download above.

All dates and (together) tracklist below...

Continue reading "new Antlers EP, an xx cover, updated Sharon Van Etten dates, Julianna Barwick & more"

Sharon at LPR in October (more by Toby Tenenbaum)

As mentioned, Sharon Van Etten signed to Jagaguwar and will release her next album with them in early 2012, which Aaron Dessner (of The National) is producing. A release date still hasn't been set for the album, but we now know that it's called Tramp and will feature contributions from Matt Barrick (of The Walkmen), Doveman, Zach Condon, Jenn Wasner (of Wye Oak), and Julianna Barwick.

After Sharon opens for The National at Beacon Theatre (12/13) (tickets), she'll go on a tour in support of her new album with one of her favorite bands Shearwater. That tour hasn't been announced in full yet (update: now it has), but it hits NYC on February 24 at Music Hall of Williamsburg and February 25 at Bowery Ballroom, and also includes two Chicago shows. Tickets for the MHOW show, and the Bowery Show, go on sale Friday (11/11) at noon with an AmEx presale starting Wednesday (11/9) at noon.

Shearwater also have a new home (Sub Pop), and they'll be releasing their next album on the label in early 2012. They released some live recordings and experimental pieces on their bandcamp back in April in honor of the signing.

All dates below...

Continue reading "Sharon Van Etten planning tour w/ Shearwater (who are now on Sub Pop) -- some dates announced"

Shearwater (more by Chris Graham)

Shearwater are multitaskin'. The band is currently on tour with Damien Jurado (hopefully following Thor's guidelines) but managed to squeeze out a new album of quirky instrumentals entitled Shearwater is Enron via their Bandcamp over the weekend. The record, which was written/performed after The Golden Archipelago, is also available in physical form at ther merch table or on their website, and is one of two releases in the past two weeks for Shearwater frontman Jonathan Meiburg:

Two years before Shearwater's Palo Santo, JM made this off-the-cuff solo record in two days at the home of producer and fellow Austinite Brian Beattie. Recorded live to 2-track tape, and never issued in print except for a handful of burned copies, this haunting, subdued mini-album features Beattie's whimsical bass playing and a young-sounding Meiburg playing guitar and singing.

Shearwater and Damien will hit Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on 11/12 with Anni Rossi (tickets are still available). Current dates and some video taken on Friday are below.

Continue reading "Shearwater on tour, released some new stuff"

photos by Tim Griffin

"An estimated 200,000 people journeyed the grounds of Zilker Park this weekend for the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

The descent of the iconic guitar sign Monday signified the end of an incredibly successful ACL Music Festival, and with eight stages and 130 bands, clean up is expected to take the rest of the week.

"This year's ACL was one of the best. The weather was incredible," City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department spokesperson Victor Ovalle said.

The show's producer, C3 Presents, takes care of cleaning up Zilker Park, and the city sends crews into the surrounding neighborhoods to remove any trace of music fans who know how to have a good time.

After C3 Presents leaves the park later this week, fertilizing and watering the grass will city's number one priority." [News 8 Austin]

Continue reading "ACL 2010 Day 3 in pics (Foals, Eagles, Yeasayer, Norah Jones, Ted Leo, Devendra Banhart, Morning Benders & more)"

Thor of Shearwater/Swans (more by Chris Graham)

Behind those long golden tresses and rugged good looks, Thor is a warrior. Before, in-between and following appearances at 'Matador at 21' and Austin City Limits, the Shearwater percussionist will play dates with the reactivated Swans (tickets are still available to their show at Brooklyn Masonic Temple on 10/8).

After the North American Swans dates, that last through the end of October, Thor will go BACK on the road with Shearwater for a string of November dates with Damien Jurado. That hits Music Hall of Williamsburg on November 12th (tickets are on sale). After that, Thor heads to Europe with Swans.

All Swans and Shearwater dates are below...

Continue reading "Shearwater touring w/ Damien Jurado in between Swans tours (2010 dates) "

Jamie Stewart @ Williamsburg Waterfront on July 11th (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart seems to be in an collaborative mood of late. Recently, Stewart and Xiu Xiu member Angela Seo joined Deerhoof for a live tribute to Joy Division, which headlined the year's first Pool Party.

Next, Jamie teams up with Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg (someone who's been venturing out as well, like at a gig with Wye Oak's Andy Stack at the Whitney in June) to form Blue Water White Death, a name drawn from "a 1971 documentary that follows a team of increasingly reckless explorers on a shark-finding quest to Australia's aptly-named Dangerous Reef." The collab's self-titled debut comes out October 12th on Graveface Records. The pair wrote and recorded the eight-song album in a one-week session produced by John Congleton (St. Vincent, Modest Mouse, The Roots, Black Mountain).

On the Xiu Xiu front, who, don't forget, released their a record of their own, Dear God, I Hate Myself, earlier this year, the band plays a show at (Le) Poisson Rouge on Sunday, September 26th with Japanese noise musician Merzbow. Ecstatic Sunshine and Gentle open the show Tickets are on sale.

Xiu Xiu plays in Baltimore this weekend for Whartscape, an annual fest in its fifth and, according to co-organizer Dan Deacon, final year. When asked by Baltimore Sun about his favorite act on the Whartscape lineup, Jamie Stewart mentioned Brooklyn's Talk Normal, saying "Talk Normal berates all that is dull by ignoring it and being thrilling, intense and open. When you see them, you want to be creative and you want to see the rest of the world. They remind you that art does matter and that you need it to live." Talk Normal opens for Sonic Youth (along with Grass Window) at Prospect Park on July 31st.

More Blue Water White Death info (art & tracklist) below...

Continue reading "Xiu Xiu forms group w/ Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg, playing NYC w/ Merzbow, likes Talk Normal"

Matador's 21st birthday fest will be happening in Las Vegas October 1st-3rd. For it, they've pulled the cream of the indie-rock crop. Previously speculated headliners Belle & Sebastian and Pavement will be there - on top of that, Guided By Voices will be reuniting to play, "in the band's "classic '93-'96 lineup!" The most recent show for GBV was New Year's Eve 2004/05.

In addition to those three, the lineup includes Sonic Youth, Spoon, Yo La Tengo, Cat Power, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, New Pornographers, Superchunk, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, Guitar Wolf (who also play NY), Chavez, Girls, Fucked Up, Harlem, Cold Cave, Shearwater, Kurt Vile and Jeffrey Joe Jenson. More will be annonuced July 5th.

A flyer is below...

Continue reading "Matador Fest lineup announced - Guided by Voices reunion! + Guitar Wolf, Belle & Sebastian, Pavement & many more"

DOWNLOAD: Shearwater - Castaways (MP3)

Jonathan Meiburg @ All Points West 2009 (more by Chris La Putt)

Wye Oak's Andy Stack @ Pianos - BV CMJ 2008 (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

Shearwater, who released their The Golden Archipelago LP on February 23rd (MP3 above), toured with Wye Oak earlier this year. That trip included a stop at Bowery Ballroom where...

"...Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater joined Jenn and Andy [of Wye Oak] on stage for their final song, a cover song, and then he came back about 20 minutes later with his own band. Jordan Geiger from Hospital Ships was on the stage for the set, and Andy Stack joined them for a couple songs, so there were upwards of 6 performers on stage, bringing Shearwater's beautifully dramatic songs to life. They played a long set, probably 70 to 80 minutes I'd guess, and played almost every song I'd ever heard of in their catalog... [Vague Space]

Next up, Wye Oak's Andy Stack will join Meiburg for a performance at the Whitney Museum on Friday, June 25th at 7pm...

Charles Burchfield reveled in the sounds, sights, and sensations of nature. He often wrote about his experiences in his journals, and his close study of nature is apparent in his paintings. Join us for a reading of excerpts from Burchfield's journals by Jonathan Rosen, author of The Life of the Skies: Birding at the End of Nature, paired with a performance of songs by Jonathan Meiburg of Shearwater who will be joined by Andy Stack of Wye Oak. Rosen and Meiburg both share Burchfield's enthusiasm for nature, particularly birds. Tonight discover the wonders in paying attention to the backyard bird.

This event is free with Museum admission, which is pay-what-you-wish on Fridays from 6-9 pm; no special tickets or reservations are required.

Shearwater don't have any other dates coming up. Wye Oak, who are releasing an EP, My Neighbor/My Creator, June 8th on Merge, do have some. You may have noticed them (Philly and DC) in Deer Tick's tour dates. No NYC date announced for Wye Oak, but when we contacted Andy with some questions about the Whitney show, he hinted that there was "one really fun" show coming in July (Siren?) (answer = yes). Those questions and answers, with a bunch of videos and other stuff below...

Continue reading "Wye Oak & Shearwater recently toured, covered the Kinks, are playing the Whitney (sort of) (and other shows)"

DOWNLOAD: Wye Oak - I Hope You Die (MP3)

Wye Oak @ Galaxy Room (BV/M For Montreal SXSW 2010 day party)

"If Wye Oak performed in D.C. once a week for a year, I'd go at least 20 times. So why go see the band at SXSW, when dozens of bands I don't already love are playing? What if one of them is amazing? Because that would mean missing Wye Oak, that's why." [NPR]

Last Saturday, 3/20, they were the first band of the day to play our party at Galaxy Room, outdoors and in the uncharacteristic-of-Austin freezing cold. To quote myself, their noon set "was a great way to wake up". Their short set (which was just a couple of hours before they played Stereogum's shindig) consisted of at least two songs off their five-song EP. "I Hope You Die" elicited a chuckle from the crowd when they introduced it. Grab a free MP3 of that song above. The other new one I know they played was "My Neighbor". Proof is in the video below which you can watch along with a video from their set at the official Merge showcase. The full EP tracklist & cover art, another picture and other stuff is down there too...

Continue reading "Wye Oak have a new EP (MP3), are now on tour w/ Shearwater (win tix for NYC tonight), played SXSW (pics & videos)"

DOWNLOAD: Shearwater - Castaways (MP3)

Shearwater @ All Points West '09 (more by Chris La Putt)

Matador will be releasing the new album by Shearwater, The Golden Archipelago, on February 23rd. You can preorder that in a variety of packages, including The Golden Dossier version which comes as a loose file of ephemera and goodies. More info on both the album and its special edition are below. A song off the record, "Castaways," is posted above.

They'll be in Europe this February and early March before touring North America in March and April with Wye Oak and Hospital Ships (openers vary by date). One of those dates is a Bowery Ballroom show on Saturday, March 27th (with both of those openers). Tickets are now on AmEx presale. General sale starts Friday at noon.

As NPR pointed out, Hospital Ships "founder and sole member Jordan Geiger has a long, varied indie-rock resume, with stints as the trumpeter in Shearwater and the chief songwriter of Minus Story."

Shearwater drummer Thor Harris will also be keeping busy this year as a member of Swans.

More Shearwater album info and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Shearwater - new album, MP3 & 2010 Tour Dates w/ Wye Oak & Hospital Ships (Bowery Ballroom)"

Tickets are on AmEx presale (@ noon) for the Spoon/Deerhunter show at Radio City Music Hall.

Little Dragon is playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on March 25th. Tickets are on sale (@ noon).

The Morning Benders are playing Mercury Lounge on April 22nd. Tickets are on sale.

Shearwater are playing Bowery Ballroom on March 27th. Tickets are on AmEx presale (@ noon)

Tickets are on AmEx presale for the new Hot Chip show at Terminal 5.

Tickets are on AmEx presale (@ noon) for the Midlake shows at Bowery Ballroom.

Tickets are on AmEx presale (@ noon) for the new Miike Snow show at Bowery Ballroom.

Tickets are on AmEx presale (@ noon) for the Quasi show at Bowery Ballroom.

Tickets are on AmEx presale (@ noon) for the Kaki King shows at Bowery Ballroom & Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Kings of Convenience are playing 2 NYC shows - both on sale.

Tickets are on AmEx presale (@ noon) for the Black Lips/Box Elders show at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets are on general sale at noon for the gig at Maxwell's.

Tickets are on sale (@ noon) for the Lee Fields/Charles Bradley/Menahan Street Band show at Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Tickets are on AmEx presale (@ noon) for the Pierced Arrows/Lullaby Arkestra show at Mercury Lounge.

The Hot Rats play Bowery Ballroom on Thursday

Still Life Still continue their Mercury Lounge residency tonight (1/13). Their video for "Pastel", below...

Continue reading "Spoon, Shearwater, Midlake, Little Dragon, Hot Chip, Miike Snow, Kaki King, Quasi, Lee Fields & other tickets "

August 25th, 2009 (Austin, TX) - Transmission Entertainment is pleased to announce the lineup for the 2009 Fun Fun Fun Fest, taking place on November 7th and 8th at Waterloo Park in Austin. Fun Fun Fun Fest made its first appearance on a cold Friday evening in 2006, offering a unique approach to festival booking, filling stages with talent bubbling from the underground: what sounded great, and what was making an impact, regardless of what mainstream media said was cool. What started out as a show for a few touring acts and local favorites has become a movement -- a festival that fans and bands alike realize needs to be experienced year after year.

Now in its fourth year, Fun Fun Fun Fest has made a significant impact on the country's winter calendar, successfully combining the vast worlds of indie, punk, rap, electronica and comedy while showcasing some of the city's most unique local businesses.

Continue reading "Fun Fun Fun Fest 2009 lineup (Jesus Lizard, Of Montreal, Gorilla Biscuits, LSF, 7 Seconds, D.R.I. & DANZIG!! & more)"

photos by Tim Griffin and Chris La Putt

"It was announced during Vampire Weekend's rain-soaked but well-attended 6 p.m. set on the main "Blue Comet" stage that due to the weather, single-day Friday tickets would be accepted for festival entry on Saturday and Sunday. This elicited quite a few cheers, presumably from those who had not already purchased weekend tickets. While the early afternoon had been hot and sunny, allowing for clear views of nearby Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, the storm clouds rolled in rapidly just as Fleet Foxes took the stage at 3:30 p.m. The wind, rain and thunder actually worked as fitting accompaniments to the band's dramatic harmonies, a fact not lost on the Foxes themselves. "We kind of look like a guild of wizards here to deliver an ominous warning," said drummer J. Tillman, one of several bearded members of the band. ""I'm going to leave the stage on a horse." [Billboard]

Continue reading "All Points West 2009 - Day One in Pictures"

photos by Chris Graham

"Sasquatch was hot. H-O-T. Not Paris Hilton "hot," but temperature hot. For a mossed-over clutch of Northwesterners who have been shrouded under rain and clouds for the past eight months, the brutal sun at the Gorge this weekend was a shocking jolt into summer. Sure, it was generally nice to be out in the sun, but any shade cover at the 'Squatch was few and far between, and there was almost no chance of relief. A small row of spindly trees dotted the upper walkway, and overheated concertgoers crammed themselves underneath them. When the sun dipped behind a cloud during Animal Collective's generally unimpressive set, the crowd cheered louder than they had for any band. Clothing sweated clean through, energy was conserved, and water was at a premium. It was a weekend of dizzy sunburning and frizzled brain." [Portland Mercury]

Continue reading "Sasquatch 2009 - Day 1 in pics "

Following last year's inaugural event, festival producers began work immediately on resolving concerns expressed by fans in attendance. They have worked closely with their partners at NJ Transit to improve light-rail service and capacity. As an added value for 2009, festival goers who choose to travel to the site utilizing the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line can ride for free throughout the weekend with their ALL POINTS WEST festival ticket. Additionally, based on the popularity of the ferry as a mode of transportation from lower Manhattan to Liberty State Park, the frequency and size of the ferryboats will increase at a reduced price for festival attendees.... The producers have also worked with their partners at Liberty State Park to improve the fan experience in the beer gardens. This year's areas will be larger, have shorter lines, and feature shade tents, views of the stages and food concessions...

More details on the items above will be posted at the apwfestival.com. The entire lineup (it's good!) and ticket info, below...

Continue reading "All Point West - 2009 festival dates & lineup (Tool, My Bloody Valentine, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beastie Boys, Coldplay)"

DOWNLOAD: David Thomas Broughton - Weight of My Love (MP3)

Talented UK experimental-folk artist and friend of Doveman/Sam Amidon, David Thomas Broughton will make a rare and brief stop in NYC before heading to SXSW next week. All in all he'll play only two shows in the US, both of which are for The Local. "The Local is an evening of fine live music hosted by Howard Monk. It's an unpretentious affair, and friendly too." More specifically, The Local is a UK EVENING of fine live music, and on March 17th they will be "in New York for a second time"...

Hosted by Howard Monk ('Later with Jools Holland meets Phoenix Nights. Result!' Time Out), The Local hosts two events in the U.S, in NYC and Austin, Texas (SXSW) and will feature live performances from the inimitable David Thomas Broughton (SXSW & NYC), last seen layering and sampling his melancholy tales with a banana in his mouth; the much celebrated Liz Green (NYC & SXSW), winner of Glastonbury Festival's Emerging Talent competition last year, and with a new album on its way, the 'flickering and hummable' stories of Shearwater (SXSW) and the much vaunted Alela Diane (SXSW).

Continue reading "David Thomas Broughton & The Local coming to NYC, SXSW "

Jane's Addiction - @ Echoplex, Los Angeles - Feb 16, 2009 (revolute)

Live Nation and Adam Zacks are pleased to announce this year's line up for the Sasquatch! Music Festival at the legendary Gorge in Eastern Washington. The festival, now in its eighth and most ambitious year yet, has evolved from a unique, homegrown & low key fest into a full blown three day extravaganza. A festival-goer's dream, it comes complete with camp-outs, canyons, sunsets, three stages and new this year, an expanded comedy and dance music tent. The tent will feature performances from comedians throughout the day, and then come dusk, will spotlight electronic and dance music artists.

Already the official opener to summer for music fans, the Sasquatch! Music Festival is becoming a certified monster of a musical event: this year features another exciting and diverse line-up for the musically adventurous, and ups the ante on an event already hailed for its independent spirit. Tickets go on sale Saturday February 28th at 10AM

Today it was announced that Jane's (feat. all four original members), NIN, Kings of Leon, Ben Harper & Relentless7, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Erykah Badu, The Decemberists, Fleet Foxes, TV On The Radio, Animal Collective, Silversun Pickups, Bon Iver, Santigold, and many others are playing this year's Sasquatch Festival (May 23, 24, 25, 2009 @ The Gorge in Quincy, WA). Full lineup and ticket info below...

Continue reading "Jane's Addiction played LA, headlining SASQUATCH Festival (which just announced most of the 2009 LINEUP)"

DOWNLOAD: Steinski - The Payoff Mix (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Steinski - Lesson Two (James Brown Mix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Steinski - Lesson Three (History of Hip Hop) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bon Iver - Skinny Love (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Shearwater - Leviathan Bound (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (Dj Doc Rok Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fucked Up - No Epiphany (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fucked Up - Twice Born (MP3)

Plush's Fed & The Dodos' Visiter

It's the time of year when people start talking which album was the best this year. That usually means I start cramming and trying to figure out what I still haven't heard and look forward to what others have to say to make my selection process slightly easier. Part of what I'm saying is, I'm not ready to answer that yet. According to the aggregated critics at MetaCritic, this is what was best this year...

1 London Zoo by The Bug
2 Fed by Plush
3 For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver
4 Dear Science, by TV On The Radio
5 Exit by Shugo Tokumaru
6 Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes
7 Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
8 Robyn by Robyn
9 Hercules And Love Affair by Hercules And Love Affair
10 What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective by Steinski

Other bands currently ranking in Metacritic's Top 30: The Dodos, The Music Tapes, Shearwater, Portishead, Harvey Milk, Torche, The Hold Steady, Drive By Truckers, and Fucked Up.

Also put out albums this year: Sigur Ros, Jamie Lidell, Laura Marling, Lykke Li, Marnie Stern, Jenny Lewis, She & Him, Conor Oberst, My Morning Jacket, MGMT, The Black Keys, Calexico, Crystal Stilts, Crystal Castles, Crystal Antlers, Grails, Al Green, Anathallo, Flight of the Conchords, Frightened Rabbit, Wolf Parade, Vampire Weekend, Vivian Girls, The Walkmen, Santogold, Parts & Labor, Cut Copy, Hot Chip, David Byrne, Death Cab For Cutie, Beck, Beach House, Elbow, REM, M83, NIN, No Age, Of Montreal, Destroyer, Department of Eagles, Deerhoof, Deerhunter, The Dears, and Deer Tick (though Deer tick was out in 2007 and reissued in 2008) (and I guess Radiohead is qualified too) (and Metallica, AC/DC and Guns N' Roses) (and JACK JOHNSON) (and a million others).

Who else? What are your favorites this year? Who will Pitchfork pick as #1?

The Bug is going on tour with Nine Inch Nails. Those dates are below...

Continue reading "What is the best album of 2008? (when did it come out?)"

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

Thor

It went Emmy --> Sammies --> secret guest Shearwater. I've seen the Austin band a bunch, including at my official showcase at SXSW earlier this year, and this Music Hall of Williamsburg performance was my favorite yet (10/21). Their early set time was nice too. When they went on at 8:30 PM, the night had barely started.

The almighty multi-instrumentalist (Shearwater member) Thor was especially a hit with the crowd, many of whom seemed to be seeing Shearwater for the first time (true?). It's probably a shock, for those not expecting it, to hear Shearwater frontman Jonathan Melberg (ex-Okkervil River) sing for the first time. His voice is very...operatic. Music Hall's acoustics suited them well

They also played another show at (le) poisson rouge the night before and have some more non-NYC tour dates coming up. More pictures from Music Hall below...

Continue reading "Shearwater @ Music Hall of Williamsburg (BV CMJ), NYC -pics"

DOWNLOAD: Shearwater - Red Sea, Black Sea (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Shearwater - The Snow Leopard (MP3)

BrooklynVegan CMJ Showcase @
Music Hall of Williamsburg
66 N. 6th St btwn Wythe St & Kent Ave, Brooklyn, NY

Tuesday - Oct. 21
Emmy the Great 7:00 PM
The Sammies 7:45 PM
Secret Guest Shearwater 8:30 PM
Ponytail 9:25 PM
Passion Pit 10:20 PM
Singing DJ Jens Lekman 11:00 PM
The Phenomenal Handclap Band 12:00 AM

Shearwater's The Snow Leopard EP (pictured above) is a digital-only release that is out now (via Matador) and includes a live version of "South Col/The Snow Leopard" that was recorded at their show at Florence Guild Hall in NYC. Full tracklist and all tour dates below...

Continue reading "secret guest = SHEARWATER, new EP, MP3, other tour dates "

JM, Thor & KB of Shearwater

today in NYC
* DANCE
* Syndicate Party
* Reggie Watts @ Lolita Bar
* Les Paul @ Iridium Jazz Club
* Black Nite Crash @ Rehab
* Gringo Star @ Mercury Lounge
* Shearwater @ (le) poisson rouge
* David Dondero @ the Living Room
* Jaymay & book authors @ Highline Ballroom
* Lykke Li & Friendly Fires @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* White Denim, Papertrigger & Wild Light @ Union Hall
* Pwrfl Power, Christy & Emily, Antn Hrwk & Little Gold @ Silent Barn
* Black Nite Crash, Vivian Girls, Deerhoof & Takka Takka @ NYC Kexp Studios
* Yura Yura Teikoku, Dump (James McNew of Yo La Tengo) @ Maxwell's

Tom Petty was born today in 1950.

CMJ starts tomorrow.

The BrooklynVegan official showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg with "singing DJ" Jens Lekman is tomorrow. The secret band will be announced tonight.

Passion Pit is playing the BV showcase at Music Hall. Check out their video for "Sleepyhead" below...

The 2nd BV CMJ-related party is Thursday at Pianos from noon-6pm (free). The initial lineup was announced. Full schedule coming soon.

The 3rd BV CMJ-related party is Saturday at Knitting Factory from noon-10pm (free). So far announced: Women, Little Boots, The Carps and Rival Schools. The whole thing is coming VERY, VERY SOON.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday? (CMJ-eve)"

DOWNLOAD: Shearwater - AOL in-studio performance (MP3)

Shearwater @ The Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts (more)

After a September tour of Europe, Austin's Shearwater will head east again. Tickets are on sale for an October 20th show at (le) poisson rouge in NYC. Shearwater recently permforned for AOL in their studios. Download it above. Watch it at AOL's site. All dates below...

Continue reading "Shearwater - 2008 Tour Dates & AOL in-studio performance"

Battles @ Summerstage - Aug 16, 2008 (fakebook)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* FREE SHOWS
* Brutal Truth @ Rebel
* Rancid @ Irving Plaza
* Gridlink in Jersey City
* Joseph Arthur @ Living Room
* Weedeater @ Knitting Factory
* King Crimson @ Nokia Theatre
* Oh No! Oh My! @ Mercury Lounge
* Boat & Magik Markers @ Cake Shop
* Oxford Collapse @ Sound Fix Records
* Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings @ Summerstage
* Aesop Rock, Panther & Chin Chin @ McCarren Pool

Bob Dylan is playing the Saratoga Music Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY tonight.

BOAT are on tour and also have a show coming up at Union Hall.

A video of Shearwater performing 'Leviathan, Bound' at Florence Gould Hall in NYC in May, below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday? "