The big Diesel show happens at Webster Hall in NYC tonight (7/30). Hopefully you already have a ticket or wristband. Special guests at the show will in fact be Lykke Li (who is here to play All Points West and will probably perform a song at Webster Hall with The Roots) and Clipse (who will probably perform a song at Webster Hall with Kanye West) (remember, Diesel likes live mash ups). There's a Jay-Z rumor going around, but all I've heard is "not true". For Passion Pit the Diesel show will be their second with the Roots in two nights. Last night it was on the Jimmy Fallon show. Video from that below...

Continue reading "Clipse & Lykke Li (and Kanye West?) are playing the Diesel show w/ The Roots & Passion Pit (who played Fallon)"

words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Joseph Xu

DOWNLOAD: Pharoah Monch vs the Black Lips - "Drop I Mayor" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Black Lips - Drop I Hold featuring GZA (MP3)

Pharoahe Monch @ the 2009 Pitchfork Fest

Though APW's addition of Jay-Z is rather notable (just a tad), it's the reunion of Organized Konfusion that sets the stage for a big hip hop weekend at APW. Organized Konfusion originally stepped away from the mic in 1997, flirting with a return as recently as 2004, but APW marks their first show back.

Since 1997, both Prince Po and Pharoahe Monch of Organized Konfusion have been busy as solo artists, with Monch recently logging time at the 2009 Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest (pics here) and Pitchfork Festival in Chicago. Pics from Pitchfork in this post, along with fellow hip hop luminary (who didn't send a decoy?) Doom. Chicagoist dug Monch, but Doom... not so much.

After that was Pharoahe Monch, who's hip hop set was everything Doom's Saturday set wasn't: intense, ferocious, and with a level of personality the masked wonder couldn't summon on Saturday. Drawing from the crowd, Monch gave props to those such as Rakim, Mos Def, and Michael Jackson. He was the act we knew least about going into the weekend and coming out he's left us only wanting to hear more.

Mos Def's partner in the recently reunited Black Star, Talib Kweli, is making his way back to the stage with Reflection Eternal at BB Kings on August 28th, a little more than a month after Rock The Bells. Tickets are now on sale.

Styles P, who provided direct support for Pharoahe Monch at Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest, will headline the first night of the Rock The Block Fest at Southpaw (Aug 6, tix here), with Freeway taking over for the second (Aug 7, tix here). Tickets are also available bundled together (here).

DJ STV SLV (of The Hood Internet) recently remixed Pharoah Monch's "Mayor" with The Black Lips "The Drop I Hold". Hilarity ensues. Download that above. Black Lips' collaboration with GZA is is up there too.

The previously mentioned Ghostface, Redman/Method Man jumpoff at Nokia Theater on July 30th is sold out. We're still waiting for Diesel to announce who the special guests will be at the Roots Webster Hall show happening the same night. Speaking of the Roots, their Highline Ballroom residency has now been extended through November 24th. Tickets are on sale.

In other hip hop news, Q-Tip is paying tribute to Michael Jackson at Nokia Theatre, Jedi Mind Tricks and Brother Ali have announced tours, and The Cool Kids are playing SOB's less than a month after All Points West.

More Pitchfork pics, the Rock the Block flyer, and all Mos Def tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Pharoahe Monch (and DOOM) played P4K (pics), (Organized Konfusion) playing APW ++ tix on sale, Mos Def dates & more"

Passion Pit (more by Tim Griffin)

Not quite on the scale of their last NYC music event (that I know about), but Diesel Jeans's U:Music tour will visit NYC for a show at Webster Hall on Thursday, July 30th. The lineup for that includes The Roots (with a special guest), Drake, Cobra Starship (huh?), Passion Pit, Theophilus London, and contest winners (two bands won a contest to get on the bill) The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt! (as seen HERE and HERE) and Heartsrevolution. "To get in, one has to appear at the store's participating NYC locations wearing a pair of Diesel jeans, though tickets are limited."

All Diesel fans will have a chance to witness this private event with a limited amount of invitations to be given away at participating Diesel stores. One must show up to participating stores in a pair of Diesel jeans to qualify...

Continue reading "Diesel throwing shows @ Webster Hall (Passion Pit, Roots, more), in their store & in their store window..."

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: The Metermaids - Nightlife in Illinoise Mixtape (Zipped MP3s)
DOWNLOAD: Hezekiah - Cure For THe Common $oul Mixtape (ZShare Link)

Styles P and Black Thought (The Roots) @ BHHF (more here)

Though daily tickets are now sold out, you can still buy tickets for both nights of The Rock The Block Fest going down at Southpaw on August 6th & 7th. The curiously Thursday-Friday festival scheduled the mighty Styles P (my favorite performer at Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest) for Aug 6th, with State Property mainstay and recent Cash Money signee Freeway filling the slot for Aug 7th. Metermaids and NSR as well as Hezekiah and Kimberly Nicole get the assist for days one and two respectively.

The Metermaids released their Nightlife in Illinoise mixtape in the tail end of last year (download that above), featuring material sampled from Sufjan Stevens's Illinoise LP mixed with their Nightlife LP. The crew recently released the Live At Arlene's Grocery EP in the pay-what-you-want format and are scheduled to play Arlene's Grocery again on July 23rd with Prayers For Atheists.

Illadelphian and Roots cohort Hezekiah released his Cure For The Common $oul Mixtape (downloadable above). Featuring appearances by Freeway, Reef The Lost Cauze (Army Of The Pharoahs), and many others, Hezekiah rhymes and remixes tracks by Jay-Z, Kanye West, Will I Am, Zap Mama, and many others.

The Roots are scheduled to take on Highline Ballroom for the umpteenth time on July 8th (tonight), tickets are still available.

Styles P tour dates as well as a live video of "Come Through" at BHHF 2009 below...

Continue reading "Rock The Block hip hop fest @ Southpaw in August (Styles P, Freeway, Metermaids & more) "

photos by Tim Griffin

Philadelphia's City Hall just announced that the Roots are playing the Fourth of July! The hometown band has been added to the bill with Sheryl Crow for the city's massive free concert on the Ben Franklin Parkway, Saturday, July 4th, beginning 8:30 p.m. It's the largest free concert in the country. The Roots play first; then Sheryl Crow for Philadelphia's "Life, Liberty & You" concert. A huge fireworks show will follow the concert.

The Roots opened the entire concert with a mini-set. How sick are these dudes that they even open up for... THEMSELVES?!?

The Roots picnic is a tremendous bellwether for so many things. Asher Roth, Kid Cudi, and Santigold are that next-next shit. I think all three of them will be in the business of making music for a good long time.

The Roots picnic also gave me a chance to see Philadelphia again in a new and different light. That city is once again rebuilding itself with a signature sound played by musicians who have dedicated their lives to their craft. [XXL]

More pictures from the Roots Picnic & all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "The Roots - free 4th of July show in Philly, more Highline shows, Rock the Bells (all dates) & the Roots Picnic (pics) "

Tonight = Black Bety's last night (lachance)

Bud Schmeling and Sandy Glover, owners of Black Betty, announce the long-time Williamsburg boite and eatery will close its doors, effectively Monday, June 15th 2009, with Rev. Vince Anderson and his Live Choir taking the stage at 10:30pm featuring a special appearance from TV on the Radio's Jaleel Bunton.

According to Schmeling and Glover, the Metropolitan Avenue in Brooklyn, NY lease was renewed for 10 years at the end of April 2009, however the lease was also offered to other perspective candidates under more lucrative terms. At the end of the battle, Schmeling and Glover conceded and agreed to close by mid June. "We are saddened and heart-broken that this is the end of the Black Betty era," said Glover. "But at this time we're focusing on what a fantastic place Betty means to Brooklyn bands, DJs and of course all of our amazing patrons and friends" she added.

The kitchen and bar, offering North African and Mediterranean dishes and extended happy hours, will be in full swing until close.

Continue reading "Williamsburg bar/club Black Betty closes tonight (June 15th)"

photos by Tim Griffin

"The marquee event [at this year's Roots Picnic - June 6, 2009 in Philly] was Public Enemy's performance of their epochal 1988 album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, performed for only the third - and, they have said, the last - time on American soil, and the first time with a band.

Public Enemy's Chuck D famously called rap music African Americans' CNN, an analogy that bodes ill for the exhumation of a 20-year-old album. But fueled by an expanded Roots lineup that included a horn section from the Brooklyn-based Afrobeat orchestra Antibalas, Nation sounded like anything but old news. Chuck D's stentorian voice has lost none of its power to command, and Flavor Flav washed away years of reality-TV embarrassment, seeming more like a sharp-witted jester than a fool.

Rather than approximating Nation's sonic thicket, the Roots added melody and depth. The prison-riot saga "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" gained a funk guitar riff and blaring horns, with ?uestlove's snare hits ringing out like rifle shots.
[Philadelpha Inquirer]

Continue reading "Public Enemy performed 'It Takes a Million' w/ Antibalas & The Roots @ the Roots Picnic in Philly - pics"

The Roots @ Highline Ballroom (photo by Nathan Miller)

tonight in NYC
* Phish @ Jones Beach Theater
* The Roots @ Highline Ballroom
* Mandy Moore @ Highline Ballroom
* Neil Innes of the Rutles @ BB King's
* Isis, Pelican, Tombs @ Irving Plaza
* Sessions at Santa's w/ Skint, Light Asylum (DJ) @ Santos
* Emilie Simon, Holiday Shores @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
* Love Is All, Real Estate, The King Left @ Maxwell's
* Rock Plaza Central, Suckers, John Reichmann @ The Bell House
* Art Brut, Murder Mystery, Les Sans Culottes @ Mercury Lounge
* Bushwick Book Club: Watchmen w/ Franz Nicolay, etc @ Goodbye Blue Monday
* Afrobeat Fest w/ BLK JKS, Geko Jones, Uproot Andy, Bajah + the Dry Eye Crew, Blue Nefertiti's Paris@Night, Yacouba Diabate, Mamodou Konate, Afrobeat Radio DJs @ Knitting Factory

Mandy Moore is playing a free early show at the Highline Ballroom tonight for those who buy her new album, Amanda Leigh, from Best Buy. Entry is first come first served. Reviews of the album aren't all horrible so far.

Tonight is the first show of former Tonic owner Melissa Caruso Scott's curating run at The Stone.

Pearl Jam was Conan's first Tonight Show musical guest. They played "Got Some" off their forthcoming record Backspacer -- video below. (Tonight is Green Day). Jimmy Fallon has Steve Martin and Paul Simon.

The Hold Steady's Franz Nicolay will be at tonight's edition of the Bushwick Book Club at Goodbye Blue Monday. This month book is Watchmen, which means Franz and the rest of the night's performers will be playing songs they've written about the comic specifically for the occassion. Check out a poster for the gig, below.

The Grates played SXSW all the way back in March, but they just posted some video diaries from their trip now. Watch below...

Cheetah Chrome and The Blackhearts played Europa in May. A video from that show below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Tuesday?"

Tickets are still on sale for the July 16th Dead Weather show at Terminal 5. Tickets are on presale and AmEx presale for the July 17th Dead Weather show at the same venue.

The Hip Hop Legends Series continues at BB King's on June 17th. Tickets are on sale for a show that will feature performances by Naughty By Nature, Nice & Smooth, Black Moon, Smif-N-Wesson, MC Lyte, Raekwon, Show Biz & AG, Lord Finesse, Das Efx and DJ's Funkmaster Flex & Chuck Chillout. Almost everyone on this bill also has shows coming up that are either free in a NYC park, part of the Brooklyn hip hop festival, or at Southpaw.

KRS One DJ Kool Herc (and friends) are playing Santos Party House on May 30th. Tickets are on sale. KRS One has a free show coming up too.

The Cult will perform "Love" in its entirety at Terminal 5 in NYC on September 11th. Tickets are on AmEx presale.

Vieux Farka Toure, son of Ali Farka, is playing Highline Ballroom on June 20th. Tickets are on sale.

The Roots keep adding shows at Highline Ballroom. Tickets are on sale for dates as far out as November.

Dredg and RX Bandits are touring and playing Irving Plaza on July 30th (tickets) and Bowery Ballroom on July 31st (tickets)

The Kiss Off changed their name to Arpline, and they're also on the bill with Crocodiles at Mercury Lounge on June 20th. Tickets are now on sale. Crocodiles' video for 'Neon Jesus' below...

Continue reading "Dead Weather, Vieux Farka Toure, The Cult, Raekwon, KRS One, The Roots, Dredg & other tickets"

Saturday, April 18, 2009 @ 12:00pm
Sayre Field

April 18th (tomorrow), gates open at 12pm, Sayre Field House, FREE ADMISSION
Featuring: The Roots, The Thermals, Divine Rhyme, and The Lars Danko

This weekend is also Culture Shock at SUNY Purchase, and Vampire Weekend/Talib Kweli at Columbia.

The Thermals also have 3 NYC shows coming up, and other tour dates.

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"

McSweeney's, Smith Mag, and The Rumpus Present: Todd Barry and Eugene Mirman, Matthew Caws of Nada Surf, and special guests at Highline Ballroom on May 30th. Readings by Anthony Swofford, Jessica Anthony, James Hannaham, The Six-Word Memoirists, and Amy Tan. Hosted by author and Rumpus editor Stephen Elliott. Tickets are on sale.

Nada Surf (the full band) has a show coming up much sooner - April 15th at The Bell House, but that one is sold out.

Also April 15th: Eugene Mirman returns to Le Poisson Rouge with John Wesley Harding. Tickets are still on sale.

Todd and Eugene are also both appearing at this year's All Points West Festival. Tickets are on sale.

Tickets are now on sale for the Holy Fuck shows happening at Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg.

Tickets are on sale for both June Bill Callahan shows: Music Hall of Williamsburg and Le Poisson Rouge.

Crystal Stilts were added to Sunday's Comet Gain show at MHOW. Tickets are still on sale.

Tonight's Roots show (4/6) is sold out, but tickets are still available for a lot of the other ones coming up at Highline Ballroom. The April 1st show featured "James Poyser, Fresno Rapper, Fashon, Vernon Reed from Living Colour, and an eclectic cast of characters who usually perform in the subways of NYC." Video clips from that show from the week before below...

The Roots are also playing Montreal's Osheaga Festival.

Todd Barry insulted Louis CK in a car. That video below too..

Continue reading "Holy Fuck, The Roots, Todd Barry, Eugene Mirman, Nada Surf & other tickets "

by Andrew Frisicano

The 4th edition of the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival will take place in Montreal's Parc Jean-Drapeau on August 1st and 2nd. Osheaga is proud to announce that the headliners for this year's edition are the multi-platinum selling band Coldplay on Saturday, August 1st and hip-hop pioneers Beastie Boys on Sunday, August 2nd....Osheaga is one of only two North American festival appearances that Coldplay will make this year.

Also playing the Osheaga Fest will be The Roots (who played APW last year, and...), who, because of their Jimmy Fallon gig, are mostly sticking to NYC-area gigs this year. They will also play the outdoor fest of their own in Philly over the summer.

This year will mark the fourth year for the Osheaga Festival. BV Mike was there last year: Day 1 and Day 2, and in 2007 too. The 2008 festival was also when Iggy & the Stooges - with Mike Watt - got their equipment stolen.

Tickets for the festival go on sale Friday, April 3rd at noon. More info and full (initial?) line-up below...

Continue reading "Osheaga Festival (in Montreal) - 2009 linuep announced"

Talib Kweli & The Roots @ Highline Ballroom (more by Jacob Blickenstaff)

In a bit of shuffling, Digable Planets have cancelled their tour with Common Market and Dujeous. According to a post at Hyena Records, "there were 'irreconcilable differences' in Digable Planet's camp, so they've pulled the plug on the entire tour." That includes the show that was supposed to happen at Highline Ballroom in NYC tonight, April 1st (no foolin).

In their place will be The Roots. The Roots were supposed to play yesterday (3/31), but they postponed it to today (4/1 @ 11PM). Ticekts are now back on sale, and still available for many of the other upcoming residency dates.

The Roots were one of a few hip hop groups that played the All Points West festival in 2008. Check out which hip hop groups are playing it in 2009.

photos by Jacob Blickenstaff

"Since everyone can't live in New York City, OKP took our [video] camera crews into "The Roots present The Jam" @ The Highline Ballroom to bring you a virtual video taste of the new weekly jam session. The jump off [the first] week [March 5th] was a crazy first show, with Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch and John Forté Jr. trading verses side by side, along with Black Thought and Dice Raw. Later in the evening Chrisette Michele and Raheem DeVaughn graced the stage for some off-the-top crooning, scatting included. Overall it was an incredible evening. [Okayplayer]

Continue reading "The Roots (and guests) @ Highline Ballroom - pics & video"

by Andrew Frisicano

The Roots announced the line-up for their 2nd annual "Roots Picnic" in Philly...

The Roots (2 sets), TV on the Radio, The Black Keys, Public Enemy (who will perform It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, backed by Antibalas and The Roots), Antibalas, Santigold, Busdriver, and Dirty Magazine featuring Zoe Kravitz.

On the second stage: Asher Roth, Writtenhouse, Back to Basics - King Britt & Dozia, Dave P. (of Making Time, etc), Kid Cudi and more.

Saturday, June 6th, 2pm
@ The Festival Pier, Penns Landing
Philadelphia, PA

Last year's event featured Gnarls Barkley, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Santogold, Deerhoof, J*Davey, Diplo, Esperanza and The Cool Kids.

In addition to being the new band for "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," The Roots play at Highline Ballroom tonight (3/19) as part of the band's ongoing series of gigs at the venue. Beginning next week Questlove will host his own Thursday night residency at LPR through May 28th. More information on those and other shows in our previous Roots rundown.

Down at SXSW, half of The Black Keys (a.k.a. Dan Auerbach) played last night (3/18) - you can still catch him at Bill's Place on Friday, March 20th and at The Mean Eyed Cat for a Saturday (3/21) afternoon show.

Full press release and poster, plus Public Enemy with The Roots and Antibalas playing "Bring The Noise" on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" below...

Continue reading "Philly's Roots Picnic - 2009 lineup, presale ++ Fallon video"

"The Roots will star as the [house] band on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon! ...Don't worry, The Legendary aren't completely hanging up their hats for the day jobby job - there's still plenty of weekends and TV-vacation time for touring. But now, in addition to their stunning live show, you'll get to watch ?uesto and co. kick it EVERY week night- what's better than that?? We've heard talks of special guests, potential skits, and other exciting surprises, but you'll just have to tune in for all that. And you know OKP will have all sorts of ex-ex-ex-cluuusives, in addition to keeping you up to date on all that's going on Fallon-wise. [Okayplayer, December 2008]

The Roots are taking residency at Highline Ballroom in NYC, their new hometown. Entitled "The Jam", tickets are on sale for shows on March 5, March 19, March 23, March 31, April 14, April 21, May 4, May 13, May 18, May 26, June 2, June 10, June 16, and June 23. That's a lot of performances. And they each only cost $10. I'm also told there will be lots of varying special guests.

But that's not all: Questlove also has a residency of his own, entitled 'the fANtastic', at (Le) Poisson Rouge. That "will take place every Thursday night beginning March 26, 2009 at 11PM through May 28, 2009. Special guests to be announced weekly." Tickets are slightly more expensive than the full Roots show. You can buy them for March 26 HERE.

For more Questlove, you can hear him talk, TONIGHT, 2/11 @ 7pm, at 92YTribeca with Hot 97 DJ Peter Rosenberg.

AND: The Roots will appear at Carnegie Hall on March 16th. The show is entitled "Ask Your Mama! Music by Laura Karpman, on a text by Langston Hughes", and The Roots are one of many on this one's lineup. Tickets for that are at CarnegieHall.com.

Wait, it's not over yet: The Roots are opening for the Dave Matthews Band at Madison Square Garden on April 14th, and then at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, NJ one day after that.

Jimmy Fallon and the Roots star in the series of videos below...

Continue reading "Jimmy Fallon's house band THE ROOTS - 14 NYC shows @ Highline, 1 @ MSG, a Questlove LPR residency + Carnegie Hall"

by Black Bubblegum

Ft. Greene's own Just Ice

Since the last time we talked, the Rakim show at Knitting Factory on Dec 19th (Friday) has expanded quite a bit, adding performances by Black Thought of The Roots, (he's) Keith Murray, and the "original gangster of hip hop" Just-Ice. The whole night will be hosted by Sascha Jenkins of ego trip fame and will feature "all vinyl" DJ sets from a sick lineup of DJs including fellow ego trip-per Chairman Mao, along with Dante Ross, Ge-ology, Psycho Les of The Beatnuts, JS-1, Dooley-O, DJ Amir (of the legendary Kon & Amir), J-Zone, Jel, and Thanksgiving Brown. That makes it three nights in a row for Jel & Thanksgiving Brown. Tickets are still available, check out the flyer below.

Kon & Amir dropped their On Track Vol 2 via BBE in June of this year. When they aren't dropping one of their killer mixes, they can be found either at their blog or behind the decks... which is where you'll find them on Jan 16th, 2009 as part of Disco 3000 NYC at APT. Get your dancin' shoes out (sorry to trample 'ya Showtrotta).

In other news related to what some see as "The Golden Age Of Hip Hop", Irving Plaza added a show on Feb 7th, 2009 billed as.... The Golden Age of Hip Hop Pt 1. No word on what part 2 entails, but we do know that Doug E. Fresh, Chubb Rock, Brand Nubian, Positive K (yeah, him), and Lord Finesse will be on hand for part uno. Tickets are on sale. Lord Finesse recently played Knitting Factory as part of DITC.

While we're on the old school tip, LL Cool J announced a show at Nokia on Feb 19th, 2009 as part of his "Pursed Lickable Lips Tour 2009" (ok, I made that up, it's just the one show). Prepare to wade through a sea of ladies with bamboo earrings (at least two pair). Tickets go on Amex presale on 12/18 at noon and regular sale on 12/20 at noon here.

Continue reading "Rakim, Just Ice, LL Cool J & the Golden Age of Hip Hop "

photos by Faith-Ann Young

There were models at SOB's on [last] Tuesday [October 21, 2008] night. Or, at least, reasonable facsimiles thereof.

They might have been there for the aggregated talent from Washington, D.C., who headlined this showcase of artists on Allido Records. More likely, they were there for the label's co-founder Mark Ronson: onetime celebrity DJ, resurrector of vintage soul via his work with Amy Winehouse and others, and, it should be said, sometime squirer of models.

But if Mr. Ronson likes Wale, the rapper known best for his Seinfeld-themed mixtape "The Mictape About Nothing," then why couldn't they? To help plead his case, Wale enlisted the services of the go-go band U.C.B., likely one of the most proficient groups to be playing this festival, even if they weren't technically on the bill. Go-go music makes fantastic use of space in its rhythms, and when Wale gave in to the band's impeccable playing, as he did on "Nike Boots," he seemed at ease. But sometimes, he clustered his syllables together as if he were trying to out-percuss the percussion, making songs like "Back In The Go-Go" feel cluttered. [NY Times]

"Rhymefest kicked off his set....beasting out jams...He brought along with him suprise guest Rahzel (formerly of the Roots) mid set...Got the crowd perfectly rowdy.......especially when he ended with an Obama pitch : 'When I say O, you say BAMA' .....Next up, heavily hyped Brits, The Rumble Strips, took the stage with gleeful pop rock....(think Albert Hammond Jr. meets The Kooks.....) Got the killer hook-heavy jingle, Girls and Boys in Love, but also knocked out a sizzling cover of Amy Winehouse's Back to Black. Pretty damn cute. Aussie soul singer Daniel Merriweather brought major cred to the stage with the Dap Kings backing him.... Ronson played guitar at the end of his set....

Wale ended the set waxing lyrical to go-go influenced beats. He brought with him a heavy artillery of beatboxers, DC-based rappers, and friends- most of whom sported thick shades......In fact, most of the time, he relinquished the mic to his friends......as well as Daniel Merriweather who came back on stage for a rendition of 'Stop Me,' the hit from Ronson's solo album............Overall, Wale makes DC proud- a veritable talent....bringing home-grown DC music to more mainstream.... Was a jam packed night of talent.Ronson deserves a pat on his back.."

Continue reading "Mark Ronson's Allido showcase (Wale) @ SOB's, NYC - pics"

photos by Kyle Dean Reinford

The Roots are going on tour with Gym Class Heroes and playing Roseland in NYC. I'll definitely be sitting this one out. They sounded great at All Points West though - the few songs I heard of them. Tickets for this tour are on presale. All dates and more APW pics below...

Continue reading "The Roots - APW pics & 2008 Tour Dates (presale)"

Erykah Badu performing at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Her eccentric universe encompasses idealism and bawdiness, R&B and hip-hop, funk and jazz. (Erin Baiano for The New York Times)

And Sasha Frere-Jones liked it even more....

Erykah Badu played Radio City Music Hall on Friday night. I am glad I (sort of) reined in my enthusiasm for Robyn's recent live show. Hyperbole comes back to haunt you. How to get hyperbolic without being the Boy Who Cried Show? Not sure. Instead of saying that Badu's performance will not be bettered any time soon (though it won't), I'll say that her show gave everyone in the house serious bragging rights. Dylan in 1965, Metallica in 1985, Bad Brains in 1981--it was one of those points on the arc. If you want to know who is at her peak, who is both of her moment and channelling so many forces that her work spills out over the edges of history and stops time, that's Erykah Badu in 2008. [SFJ - The New Yorker]

Leia Jospe took some photos at the Santogold in-store on Tuesday.....

tonight in NYC
* Dead Child @ Europa
* Madonna @ Roseland Ballroom
* Chris Rock @ the theater @ MSG
* Fred Thomas & friends @ Cake Shop
* Tribeca Film Festival day parties
* Langhorne Slim is playing Mercury Lounge
* Feist is playing Hammerstein Ballroom again
* Crowded House play their last of three shows @ Irving Plaza

Blood on the Wall is playing Mercury Lounge on May 17th. Tickets are on sale.

Evangelista (w/ Carla Bozulich) is playing Mercury Lounge on June 14th. Tickets are on sale.

Delta Spirit is playing Mercury Lounge on June 26h. Tickets are on sale.

Bon Jovi will play Central Park (thx Sam)

Have you downloaded the free Ghostly Swim compilation yet?

The Roots played Letterman Monday. Duffy played Leno the same night. Both videos are below.

What else?

Continue reading "what's going on Wednesday?"

As Conan points out, Radiohead are one of the "most environmentally conscious bands in the world." They just aren't as 'green' as Jack Johnson (or Dave Matthews or Pearl Jam) (according to Billboard)....

Continue reading "Jack Johnson is greener than Radiohead"

As previously announced, Erykah Badu is going on tour and playing Radio City Music Hall. Also playing that show and many others with her: the Roots. Tickets are on sale. The Roots are also playing All Points West in Jersey City, and have announced the details of their June 7th "Roots Picnic" festival in Philly...

Grammy award-winning, hip-hop trailblazers The Roots are offering their hometown fans in Philadelphia a day of music featuring some of the industry's hottest acts. On June 7th, an eclectic group of artists will descend upon Festival Pier for the city's most exciting concert lineup of the year. As curators of the event, The Roots sought a diverse roster from their circle of peers- artists they have known since their youth and past & present collaborators.

Joining The Roots are Gnarls Barkley, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Santogold, Deerhoof, J*Davey, Diplo, Esperanza and The Cool Kids. Gates open at noon, and the show starts at 2:00PM. General admission tickets are $49.50 and can be purchased now at all Ticketmaster locations.

Continue reading "the ROOTS on the Colbert Report smashing guitars (video), Picnic festival, 2008 Tour Dates & a new album"

Al Green and ?uestlove

Continue reading "Al Green - new ?uestlove-produced album, 2008 Tour Dates"