Connecticut psychedelic soul trio The Stepkids are gearing up for the release of their second album, Troubador, due out later this year on Stones Throw. The first single, "Sweet Salvation," appeared late last year on an EP of the same name, and the band more recently made a sci-fi-themed video for that track which you can watch below.

The band will be hitting the festival circuit this summer -- like Bonnaroo in June -- but have club dates too, such as one here in NYC at Brooklyn Bowl on May 22 with King Holiday and Every Flavor Weather Machine. Tickets for that show are on sale now. All upcoming tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "The Stepkids releasing new LP, playing shows (dates, video)"

Weird Al and Bonarroo phone bank (including Mike Birbiglia and Eugene Mirman...

With help from Eugene Mirman, Chris Gethard, Mike Birbiglia, Portugal. The Man and more, Weird Al just began announcing the 2013 Bonnaroo line-up on the Bonnaroo YouTube page which happens June 13 - 16 in Manchester, TN. Weird Al just announced Pretty Lights, Wilco, A$AP Rocky, and The xx, and over the next hour, more artists will be announced. We'll update this post as more announcements come.

Other artists playing include Passion Pit, Kendrick Lamar, David Byrne and St. Vincent, Jim James, Big K.R.I.T., Billy Idol, Grizzly Bear, Japandroids, Foals, Wild Nothing, Deap Vally, Killer Mike, Lord Huron, Divine Fits, Nas, Beach House, The Gaslight Anthem, Local Natives, Dirty Projectors, Baroness, The National, The Vaccines, Holy Ghost, Death Grips, R. Kelly, Alt-J, Purity Ring, Cat Power, Wu-Tang Clan, Bjork, Tame Impala, Animal Collective, The Tallest Man on Earth, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Paul McCartney, Earl Sweatshirt, Four Tet, Father John Misty, Swans, A-Trak, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Cults, AraabMuzik, DIIV, Charli XCX, Matthew E. White, Frank Turner, JEFF the Brotherhood, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Calexico, Two Gallants, and more.

Tickets for the festival go on sale Saturday (2/23) at noon EST.

There's also now a video of Daniel Tosh announcing the initial lineup, which you can watch, along with the current list of announced names, below...

Continue reading "Bonnaroo 2013 lineup announcement underway"

Frightened Rabbit @ T5, Nov. 2010 (more by Lionel Bergeron)

SXSW has just announced another round of bands for the 2013 edition of the annual music festival that will happen March 12 - 17. This brings the total current number of acts to around 1300. Someome of the highlights include Vampire Weekend, Frightened Rabbit, The Thermals, Black Lips, Camera Obscura, Merchandise, Bleached, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Eagles of Death Metal, Parenthetical Girls, Indians, Night Beds, IO Echo, KEN Mode, Prince Paul, Pure Bathing Culture, Sepalcure, UK motorik post-punks TOY, Finnish instrumentalists K-X-P, Toronto's Moon King, UK indie rockers Splashh (not Brooklyn Splash with one "h") and loads more. Head to BV Austin for the whole Round 3 list.

Braids at at Pianos on Wednesday (more by Amanda Hatfield)

today in NYC
* Can Chase Dragons, Conveyor, Bouts, Royal Canoe @ Spike Hill (FREE)
* The Antlers, Kishi Bashi, Wild Nothing, Line & Circle @ CMJ Union (FREE w/ RSVP)
* Jhene Aiko, DIIV, Kitty Pryde, Solid Gold, Tashaki Miyaki, special guest @ Fader Fort
* Delicate Steve, Slowdance, Gold Fields, Diamond Rings (listening party) @ Knitting Factory (FREE)
* Turbo Fruits, Gap Dream, The Shrine, Total Slacker, Habibi, Bleeding Rainbow, Kera and the Lesbians @ Cake Shop (FREE)
* Kung Fu Crimewave, St. Lenox, Mal Blum, Bird to Prey, Go Love, Ben Pagano Band, Crazy & the Brains @ Sidewalk Cafe (FREE)
* French Horn Rebellion, Wakey! Wakey!, Zulu Pearls, Jillette Johnson, Shel, Anna Krantz, Gareth Dunlop @ Rockwood Music Hall
* Valleys, Beach Day, Bleeding Rainbow, Eternal Summers, Zambri, Moon King, Roommates, Chairlift (DJ Set), Surfer Blood (DJ Set), Baroness (DJ Set), X-Ray Eyeballs (DJ Set) @ Cameo Gallery (FREE)
* Mean Creek, Hey * Marseilles, Ribs, Sonic Cow Grunt, Do Not Forsake Me, Mellow Bravo, Bridges and Powerlines, Aunt Martha, The Day's Weight, Will Dailey, Golden Bloom, You Won't @ Bowery Electric (FREE)
* Hot Panda, The Intelligence, The Orwells, Rah Rah, San Cisco, Turbo Fruits, Twerps, Blessed Feathers, Dikta, Elephant Stone, Skipping Girl Vinegar, Tim Chaisson, The Trouble with Templeton @ Pianos (FREE)
* Braids, The Intelligence, MS MR, Toys That Kill, Metz, Doldrums, Savages, Sky Ferreira, Deap Vally, IO Echo, Murals, FIGO, Tiny Fingers, Blessed Feathers @ Public Assembly (70 N 6th St, Brooklyn, NY) (BrooklynVegan day party) (FREE)

Well we know you've already decided to to spend the day from noon to 6 at Public Assembly for the BrooklynVegan day party with Braids, The Intelligence, MS MR, Toys That Kill, Metz, Doldrums, Savages, Sky Ferreira, Deap Vally, IO Echo, Murals, FIGO, Tiny Fingers, and Blessed Feathers, which is totally free to the public (no badge required), and which will also have complimentary drinks from Sailor Jerry, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and Mercy (set times HERE), but in case you decide to check out other stuff during the day on Friday too, your (mostly free) options are above. Another What's Going On post with tonight's shows will be posted later today.

Don't let a little rain stop you from coming out.

Follow @bvcmj and @bvpics on Twitter for more CMJ coverage.

Like the one that happened yesterday with DIIV, there's also a free invite-only Bonnaroo365 party at The Hoodie Shop with High Highs, Elle King, Daughn Gibson, and The Stepkids.

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What else?

The full list of artists confirmed for the 2012 CMJ Music Marathon so far is below...

Continue reading "CMJ 2012 initial lineup announced"

Kimbra at Webster Hall in March (more by Chris La Putt)

As mentioned, Kimbra will be going on a headlining tour which brings her to NYC for a show on October 20 at Webster Hall. Though Kimbra's last headlining show in NYC was at Mercury Lounge, she's clearly moving up in the world because that show went on sale today at noon and sold out almost immediately. Did you get tickets? If not, you'll have another chance today at 3 PM when tickets go on sale for her just-added October 19 show at the same venue. Both shows are with The Stepkids

Kimbra is currently on tour with Foster the Peepee. Updated dates below...

Continue reading "Kimbra sold out Webster Hall, adds 2nd show w/ the Stepkids"