by Bill Pearis

The dB's will release Falling Off the Sky, their first new album in 25 years, on June 12. It's the first in 30 years featuring the band's original line-up, including Chris Stamey who left the group after 1982's Repercussion. The album was produced by the band with help from North Carolina cohorts Mitch Easter (who was an auxiliary member of the band at SXSW this year) and Scott Litt. You can stream two songs from the album at the bottom of this post. You can stream the dB's four '80s-era albums at Spotify (Stands for deciBels and Repercussion are powerpop classics).

You can see The dB's play this Sunday afternoon (5/6, 4:45PM), headlining the annual Hoboken Arts & Music Festival. The fest is free, and happens on Washington St. between Observer Highway to 7th St. and also features Freedy Johnston, The Front Bottoms and more..

The dB's will also be playing a record release show at Le Poisson Rouge on Friday, June 15 and tickets go on sale today at noon. The band have a few more shows scattered throughout the summer and all dB's dates are below...

Continue reading "The dB's releasing first album 25 years, playing Le Poisson Rouge, Hoboken Music Festival and other dates"

Hoboken Arts & Music Festival
Sunday, May 6, 2012
11am to 6pm

takes place on Washington St. between Observer Highway to 7th St.

Over 300 Artists, Crafters, Photographers, Sculptors, Local Businesses, Restaurants, Food Vendors, local non-profits & more
Rain or shine - Admission is Free

Full 3-stage music schedule below...

Continue reading "2012 Hoboken Arts & Music Festival is Sunday (schedule)"

Built to Spill at BV SXSW 2012 (more by Ryan Barkan)

The Hopscotch festival in Raleigh, North Carolina will celebrate its third year from Sept. 6-8, 2012 in downtown Raleigh, with 175 bands in 15 venues. The initial lineup, released today, runs the gamut from traditional indie favorites to punk to noise music to hip hop to noisy black metal and all stops in between, featuring performances from Built to Spill, sunn 0))), The Roots, The Jesus & Mary Chain (who played SXSW), Liars (who have a show coming up at Webster Hall), Baroness, Deerhoof, Death Grips (who play NYC soon and have new material on the way), Danny Brown (who was at Coachella and plays Prospect Park soon), Pallbearer (who play an exclusive East Coast Show soon), Screaming Females (who recently played NYC and are on tour now), Thee Oh Sees, The Spits (who just played NYC twice), Tenement, The Mountain Goats (two sets, one of which will be an all metal-covers set!) and so many more.

(and now we know the Jesus & Mary Chain are coming back soon)

Tickets are on sale. The full lineup and flyer (update: and a few more announced J&MC dates) are below...

Continue reading "Hopscotch lineup announced; Jesus & Mary Chain will be in NC in September; John Darnielle to do metal covers set "

"Big Star's third album, Third/Sister Lovers, has long been revered by artists and critics as one of the most influential albums ever produced. Written and recorded when the legendary 70s band was primarily a studio project consisting of Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens, the third album was never been performed in public with the original string and wind orchestrations. That changed in December 2010, when an all-star band unearthed the original scores, assembled an orchestra and performed Big Star's Third at Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, NC. Performers that night included Jody Stephens (Big Star), Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Mitch Easter (Let's Active), Chris Stamey (the dB's) - the creative genesis they experienced prompted plans for a historic concert in New York City.

On March 26th, a mind-boggling array of indie rock all-stars will gather to perform Big Star's Third at Mason Hall. Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub), Mitch Easter (Let's Active), Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo), Tift Merritt, Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Will Rigby (the dB's), Matthew Sweet, Chris Stamey (the dB's), Jody Stephens (Big Star) and M. Ward (She & Him) will be joined by The Lost in the Trees Orchestra with Jane Scarpantoni, Django Haskins (The Old Ceremony), Brett Harris, Sidney Dixon and Matt McMichaels to recreate the original scores and breathe life into a bittersweet album that has impacted generations of musicians. Some very special guests will be announced in the days to come. As the evening unfolds, Chilton and Stephen's musical ideas that were far ahead of their time 35 years ago will resonate in the hands of a collective of sympathetic, top-notch musicians. "We have been trying to create a concert piece that can have a life in years to come, trying to keep the spirit of the music and make it come across with the right emotions live," Stamey told Indy Week. "There's something about this record that connects with my generation, and apparently many generations."

The assemblage will perform Third/Sister Lovers in its entirety - fans can expect additional Big Star and Chris Bell songs as well. "It's easier as time passes to revisit that album because it came out of such a dark period," Big Star drummer Jody Stephens told the Raleigh News and Observer. "There were brilliant moments in the studio, especially Carl Marsh's string arrangements, which really take it to a whole other world. But it could be emotionally difficult to watch certain things happen. I was so close to it at the time that I could not see what it was.""

BIG STAR THIRD is happening at Baruch Performing Arts Center (at Baruch College) in Mason Hall (17 Lexington) on Saturday, March 26, 2011. Tickets are on presale now (password: Alex), and going on general sale Thursday at noon. More details with the lineup listed out, below...

Continue reading "all star collective performing Big Star's 'Third' album"

SXSWeek 2010: March 12-21
Interactive: March 12-16
Film: March 12-20
Music: March 17-21

The intial lineup of bands playing the music portion, below...

Continue reading "SXSW 2010 - dates & initial band lineup "

Throwing Muses with Kristen Hersh, Kimya Dawson, Ingrid Michaelson, Glenn Hansard of The Frames & Swell Season, Apples in Stereo, Tommy James and the Shondells, Jolie Holland, Keren Ann, Guster, The Db's, Bob Mould, Vic Chesnutt & Elf Power, Rachel Yamagata, Calexico, Patti Smith, and others will be singing R.E.M. songs at Carnegie Hall on March 11th. "100% of net proceeds to benefit musical education programs for underprivileged youth." Regular tickets are on sale at the venue's site. VIP tickets are available at the event's own site (thx rajohn)...

Your VIP ticket includes entrance to the private artist reception taking place at City Winery featuring cuisine designed by Mario Batali. Food will be delicious and the free wine will be flowing. Join the artists and friends in New York's first full winery and amazing new event space. The party will start immediately after the concert and go to 1am. With a full stage and sound system at City Winery, we expect many musical surprises!

Mario Batali and Michael Stipe are good friends. Michael Dorf is producing this whole event. Michael Dorf owns the new City Winery which is opening on New Years Eve which is the night Michael Dorf's old club Knitting Factory is closing (which Michael pointed out himself in that NY Press article).

Patti Smith also just added a 3rd show at Bowery Ballroom. Tix are now on sale..

Tickets are still on sale for Kimya Dawson's upcoming show at Bowery Ballroom.

Vic Chetnutt & Elf Power are also touring and playing NYC together in January.

Pro-shot video of R.E.M.'s encore in Mexico City the other day, below...

Continue reading "Music of R.E.M. @ Carnegie Hall w/ Patti Smith, Kimya Dawson, Calexico, Bob Mould & others (by Michael Dorf)"

The dB's @ Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ - Dec 6, 2007 (CRED)

more below...

Continue reading "Jim James, Superchunk Mac, John Oliver & Eugene Mirman as Hanukkah w/ Yo La Tengo continues"

The dB's are pleased to announce that on Thursday, Dec. 6, they will be special guests of Yo La Tengo, whose annual Hannukah shows at Maxwell's in Hoboken, NJ, have become an institution. They are $30 benefit shows, on sale now, and likely to sell out.

But wait... The dB's will headline on Friday, Dec. 7, at Southpaw in Brooklyn, NY.

Pete Galub and the Annuals are opening the Southpaw show. Tickets are on sale. Stay tuned for more Yo La Tengo Hanukkah news. live dB's video below....

Continue reading "the dB's - 2007 Tour Dates (Southpaw & Maxwell's)"