ACL 2008 (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

October 8-10, 2010 | Zilker Park, Austin, TX

"The Austin City Limits Music Festival began as a modest, two-day event and now, as it enters it's 9th year, has become a perennial American music experience. Taking place at the heart of Austin, Texas in the legendary Zilker Park, ACL Festival has grown to 3 days, 8 stages and over 130 bands."

Continue reading "Austin City Limits announces 2010 festival lineup (Eagles, Muse, Phish, Strokes, MIA, LCD, Spoon, Gayngs, more) "

words & photos by Andrew Frisicano

Wednesday - The Middle East @ Club DeVille (more by Tim Griffin)

I started toward MtyMx about 4 hours after my last SXSW show, so I haven't had much time to reflect on what happened in Austin - but before they become too irrelevant, here are some quick pictures and words of my personal highlights at the fest.

The Middle East covered the stage with an arsenal of instruments and percussion, bringing out a flute, a banjo, keys, an accordion, and a rain stick covered in bottle caps. Their set kicked off with a wobbling country-western number. "The Darkest Part" was a solemn, two-member affair, with the others jumping in as it progressed. And the barn-burning jams that built up to their finale, "Blood," brought to mind the more unhinged tunes Mumford & Sons (it clicked a moment later that they're touring together this May). Overall: a tight, short set (with a few nervous slips) in front of Club DeVille's cave-wall backdrop, which hopefully will lead into an engaging debut and tour.

Thursday - Thee Oh Sees @ (Spider House &) Lamar Pedestrian Bridge

I caught Thee Oh Sees twice on Thursday - once on the gorgeously sunny garden stage of the Spider House; once on a footbridge over Austin's Lady Bird Lake at 2am - and they played other shows as well. On the bridge the band traded songs with Home Blitz, who looked not-exactly-pleased to be standing in the freezing wind at 3am. Amps, a PA and a few worklights ran through a generator, and the assembled equipment threatened to topple over from the surging crowd. The band stretched out into extended jams that made the bridge literally shake. After a more than generous set, the crowd still prodded Dwyer and Co. for more, which they gave.

Friday - Billy Bragg @ MWTX Festival

Billy Bragg's set, to the wristbandless masses of MWTX (formerly Mess with Texas) focused nearly as much on politics as it did on music. He buttered up the crowd with "Help Save the Youth of America" and "To Have and Have Not" before speaking about healthcare reform, defeating the BNP and the ubiquity of corporations at SXSW ("This set is brought to you by my sponsor: Woody Guthrie."). His inspiring asides were genuine and welcome, and they lead into the crowd-pleasing closer, "A New England." He played again later on Friday night with a ton of guests.

Friday - Man or Astroman? @ MWTX Festival

On a completely different note, Man or Astroman? (back after a bit of a hiatus) headlined MWTX's south stage in full space regalia, with video flashing in the background and a pre-recorded narrator between songs. Their short burst of mostly instrumental surf-rock was anything but boring, and they closed it out by flicking on a huge Tesla coil.

Saturday - Major Lazer @ Carniville

My expectations were pretty low for Major Lazer, who were playing to an iced-over crowd on the massive, corporated-out stage at the Mexican-American Cultural Center (aka the Mad Decent/Iheartcomix/Jelly-presented Carniville for the fest), but they proved me wrong. The antics of hypeman Skerrit Bwoy and dancer Mimi made the frozen crowd erupt (the free T-shirts and foam guns being thrown off the stage helped too) - they mounted and humped everything in sight including crowdmembers, the rigging for the lights, and a ladder, which they used to dive onto each other for more dryhumping. Diplo got through most of Guns Don't Kill People, Lazers Do, with a brief assist from Ninjasonik. Did I mention the huge pink, furry monster on stage? He got some too.

Saturday - The Very Best (and then Freddie Gibbs) @ Scoot Inn

At Scoot Inn, the frigid evening grew on and most of the crowd there for the Pitchfork showcase stayed huddled around a campfire or in the bar's sauna-like interior - until The Very Best (who I missed opening for Major Lazer a few hours earlier). Esau, with a huge grin on his face, his co-mic-man (whose name I can't remember), a pair of dancers and DJ Johan Hugo all made good use of the short set. Their energy passed through the mic into crowd members for songs like "Julia" and "Warm Heart of Africa," which finished with plenty of the crowd on stage.

Freddie Gibbs, who I had never really gotten into before, was up next and seemed similarly unfazed by the cold as he rapped confidently about gangsta life. A handful of friends passed around a blunt and ceded the floor to Gibbs, who cooly made converts with his laid-back approach.

Saturday - Sleigh Bells @ Scoot Inn

Sleigh Bells brought the energy back up for the last set of the night (and for some, of SXSW). Despite being a relatively new commodity, both the band's halves, Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller, are assured, polished performers, and they made their appreciation for the crowd clear with their faultless set.

My many other highlights (bands I'll definitely be catching again in the future) included Califone (in NYC 3/30 & 3/31), La Strada, The Sandwitches, Kid Congo Powers, Private Life/Katie Stelmanis, Happy Birthday, Avi Buffalo, Man Man (who I've seen before, but seem to have a new thing going on) and Think About Life.

More pictures from all the sets above (and a ML video), are below...

Continue reading "SXSW 2010 highlights by AF (Thee Oh Sees on a bridge, Man or Astroman?, Major Lazer, Sleigh Bells, Billy Bragg, more) - pics"

The Very Best @ Santos Party House in November (more by Benjamin Lozovsky)

The Very Best and Theophilus London play American Museum of Natural History's monthly One Step Beyond party on Friday, March 12th. Tickets are on sale.

The Very Best will be playing shows in North America leading up to SXSW, where the group has sets scheduled including the Pitchfork official showcase at The Scoot Inn on March 20th, and additional shows around Sasquatch in May (and the Roots Picnic in June). Those dates, the full Pitchfork party lineup, and videos are below...

Continue reading "The Very Best playing AMNH, SXSW & more (dates) "

The Roots Picnic 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

As Pitchfork reported, The Roots Picnic will be happening again this year at Philadelphia's Festival Pier on Penn's Landing, on Saturday, June 5th. ?uestlove announced part of the lineup via a Twitvideo (which you can see below), and it includes of Mayer Hawthorne, Clipse, the Very Best, Neka, Tune-Yards (a recent Questlove favorite), Das Racist, Bajah & the Dry Eye Crew, Pattern Is Movement, headliner Vampire Weekend and The Roots (with two side-projects, Black Thought's Money Making Jam Boys and ?uestlove with DJ Jazzy Jeff). He also says that the fest will be reuniting a certain black hat/gold chain (and it could be assumed, Adidas)-wearing hip-hop crew.

Tickets go on sale Friday, March 5th at 10am.

Mayer Hawthorne headlines Webster Hall Thursday night (3/4).

Picture sets from last year's Picnic are here. Pictures from a 2009 show at Brooklyn Bowl that featured more than a few of the members of this year's lineup are here. See ?uestlove's video for yourself (where he also announces that it's the Roots' one year anniversary on Fallon - congrats!) below...

Continue reading "The Roots Picnic - 2010 date & initial lineup (Vampire Weekend, Clipse, The Very Best, Tune-Yards, Run DMC?)"

We'll get a more complete press release in the morning (and confirm what is listed below is 100% correct), but in the meantime below is a picture of the 2010 Sasquatch poster (that someone Tweeted) and the lineup as read by Bradford Cox at tonight's Atlas Sound show in Seattle (and being listed all over the Internet)....

Continue reading "Sasquatch announces 2010 lineup (includes Massive Attack & My Morning Jacket) (and many more) "

words & photos by Benjamin Lozovsky

It's hard to be The Very Best without showing up. That's a lesson Esau Mwamwaya learned the hard way, but one he was eager to make up for as his burgeoning new project with English production duo Radioclit made their return to New York City Wednesday night at Santos Party House. They last properly played NYC in July and two recent no-shows at scheduled performances in the New York area increased the anticipatory grumblings among their fans. First there was a much-awaited appearance at this year's CMJ Music Marathon that never materialized, then there was a Halloween night slot at a benefit concert that found the band performing without their singer.

With a typical display of warmth that has categorized his new group's quick rise to prominence however, the Malawian born, London-based vocalist was roundly apologetic for his previous absences. "I know people were disappointed," said Mwamwaya after the show. "I personally feel so bad for not coming for CMJ, but what could I have done? I had no choice."

continued below...

Continue reading "The Very Best & Sleigh Bells played Santos in NYC - pics"

DOWNLOAD: Sleigh Bells - Crown on the Ground (MP3)

Sleigh Bells (by Rob Loud)

After the Very Best canceled their CMJ appearances in late-October because of travel issues, the band had apparently sorted things out in time for their Halloween show at Brooklyn Masonic Temple. The band wrote: "were super sorry and gutted we had to cancel all the shows so far on the USA tour. we where applying for another visa which took longer than we where told and esau's passport was held. we finally got the passport back and will do the last leg on the tour startin on staurday in new york! sooo sorry and we hope to be back soon and make up for this fuckup."

Despite that, the group performed without singer Esau Mwamwaya at the Brooklyn Halloween show. The only members in attendence were DJ Johan Hugo (aka 1/2 of production team Radioclit) and two of the group's dancers. (Flavorpill, who put on the show, describe the act in their post-show coverage as "The Very Best Sound System.") Other performers on hand for the charity event were Bajah & the Dry Eye Crew, Sub Swara, DJ Kyle Hall, DJ Stretch Armstrong, $mall ¢hange, and VDRK & Bradley D.

Esau did play Boston the following night and will (we hope) be in attendence at their Santos Party House show on Wednesday, November 4th. Tickets are on sale. Sleigh Bells ("electroclash/dancepunk [from] ex-Poison the Well Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss") open.

This will be Sleigh Bells' first post-CMJ show. They left the festival with lots of extra hype. Sheena Beaston wrote, "There's so many great things I coud tell you about their [October 21st] performance [at Santos Party House], which consisted f 5 songs, a guitar on 3, a tmabourine, and an iPod as a backing track. In short, it was one of the best live shows I've seen all year." Stereogum named them a "Band to Watch" one day after that same show. Pitchfork's Ryan Dombal said they were "one of this week's legit breakouts-- just might be the best thing I see all week." Pitchfork then gave their song "Crown on the Ground" "Best New Music" a few days later. Download it above.

All tour dates below...

Continue reading "The Very Best sort of played on Halloween, playing Santos w/ Sleigh Bells (and other dates) "

The Very Best were scheduled to play some CMJ shows, but plans changed last minute due to travel complications. Those complications must have been worked out because on October 31st Flavorpill is hosting "Gods and Heroes", a show with The Very Best, Bajah + The Dry Eye Crew, DJ Stretch Armstrong, Subswara, Small Change and more at Brooklyn Masonic Temple. Tickets are on sale. Open bar all night. The money is going to charity. Flyer below...

Continue reading "The Very Best can come here now - they're playing Flavorpill's Halloween party @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple "

DOWNLOAD: The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa (Violens remix) (MP3)

Esau & The Very Best @ Supreme Trading in July (more by Ryan Muir)

On Tuesday, representatives of the Very Best, an African-British hybrid whose showcase was one of the most highly anticipated of the week, confirmed that the group would not be performing because Esau Mwamwaya, the Malawian singer who performs in the Very Best, "ran into unfortunate travel circumstances." A statement from the band's label, Green Owl, did not explain further but said that Mr. Mwamwaya had an American visa. Green Owl's showcase on Wednesday will go on, however, with Theophilus London and others to be announced, the statement said. [NY Times]

Other international artists forced to cancel appearances at this year's CMJ include Speech Debelle (U.K.) and First Aid Kit (Sweden).

Video from the last time The Very Best played NYC (in July) is below...

Continue reading "The Very Best cancel CMJ appearances "

by Andrew Frisicano

If looking for a way to see some of CMJ's top bands without a badge or tickets, three stores - Sound Fix, Other Music and Apple Store Soho - are all offering free in-store performances through the week.

Other Music in Manhattan hosts El Perro Del Mar tonight (10/20 @ 8pm). El Perro - real name Sarah Assbring - was to play a Joe's Pub show on November 9th. That's been canceled. She's opening for Peter, Bjorn & John this November - their Nov. 10th show was moved from Terminal 5 to Webster Hall and bumped a day earlier (now Nov. 9th).

If you're out today (10/20), El Perro Del Mar will be DJing (4-5pm) at Pianos this afternoon. Perhaps she'll spin something from her new record, Love Is Not Pop, which is out today (there's some nice dance remixes on at the end of it).

Also at Other Music, The Very Best play a daytime in-store (noon) on Thursday (10/22), which is probably less than 12 hours after they play (Le) Poisson Rouge's Green Owl CMJ showcase on Wednesday night with Theophilus London, Violens, Grandchildren, Ninjasonik and Nat Geo Music (the late show after LPR's New Amsterdam/Cantaloupe Recs showcase).

At Sound Fix (all shows 7pm), Antlers play a short acoustic set on Wednesday (they also play a BV showcase tonight, 10/20, at Music Hall of Williamsburg), and Cymbals Eat Guitars (at BV Pianos party Saturday afternoon) perform on Thursday. Tonight (10/20) at Sound Fix, you can catch Brooklyn's own Bell. More dates below.

At the Apple Store Soho, the extremely busy the xx play on Thursday and Portugal. The Man on Friday. More details below.

Speaking of the xx's busy schedule, let's just go through it: They're also at Mercury Lounge on Wednesday (10/21), Music Hall of Williamsburg on Friday with School of Seven Bells (now sold out) and a late-night Tribeca Grand party on October 23rd with FIXED's DJ JDH + Dave P (RSVP).

If you're after the Antlers and the xx together in one convenient spot, they're both playing a late-night NME CMJ party on Thursday, October 22nd at The Delancey with We Are Enfant Terrible, Reni Lane, Yes Giantesses and Ultra Violent Lights. The xx are the "special guest" on that show.

All times for the CMJ in-stores, tour dates and details are below...

Continue reading "CMJ in-stores @ Apple Store, Sound Fix, Other Music & other shows w/ El Perro Del Mar, Very Best, Antlers, xx & more"

DOWNLOAD: The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa (Violens remix) (MP3)

"The problem with hearing so much music is it gets harder to be surprised. But this album defies all preconceptions and never settles into a genre that you could name and locate on the shelves or download menus." [Guardian]

Violens have three CMJ shows scheduled so far. One is at Bowery Ballroom with Kyp Malone's Rain Machine. Another is the Green Owl showcase with The Very Best at Le Poisson Rouge on October 21st. All tour dates below...

Continue reading "Violens remixed The Very Best (MP3), touring (CMJ dates) "

DOWNLOAD: Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit - The Very Best Mixtape (ZIP)
DOWNLOAD: The Very Best - Warm Heart Of Africa (w/ Ezra Koenig) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa (Metronomy remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa (Architecture in Helsinki rmx) (MP3)

The Very Best @ Supreme Trading in July (more by Ryan Muir)

The Very Best ("European production duo Radioclit and Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya") are holding a remix contest for their song "Julia." It's the seventh track on their debut full-length, Warm Heart of Africa, which is out now digitally and out on CD October 6th on Green Owl Records. The raw files are hosted HERE and you can send your submission to tvbrmxcomp@gmail.com. Brooklyn's Javelin remixed the song, and you can check out their version on Green Owl's site.

The Very Best will play Green Owl's CMJ showcase on October 21st at (Le) Poisson Rouge. They share a bill with Theophilus London, Violens, Grandchildren, Ninjasonik and Nat Geo Music. Tickets are on sale, or you can try and get in with your CMJ badge.

Violens are also playing a CMJ showcase at Bowery Ballroom on October 24th.

Ninjasonik just posted a small tribute to Beau Velasco of TheDeathSet who recently passed away. "NY ceremonies for Beau will be this Fri & Sat". Stay tuned for more details.

Following their CMJ show, The Very Best has a short string of dates around North America. Album art, tracklist and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "The Very Best touring (dates), playing Green Owl CMJ show @ LPR w/ Violens, Ninjasonik & more ++ a remix contest"

The 2009 CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival, which is happening this year October 20th-24th, has announced its initial lineup of shows happening in various venues across NYC.

Some shows like Atlas Sound, Broadcast and The Selmanaires on October 21st, School of Seven Bells at Webster hall, Mum at Le Poisson Rouge (with Iceland's Sin Fang Bous opening), Portugal the Man at Bowery Ballroom, and The Drums at Santos on October 21st have already been reported.

We'll be having our own official showcase at Music Hall of Williamsburg again this year (and some day parties). Stay tuned for more info on that. And the intial list of CMJ performers is below...

Continue reading "CMJ Music Marathon announces initial 2009 band lineup"

DOWNLOAD: Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit - The Very Best Mixtape (ZIP)
DOWNLOAD: The Very Best - Warm Heart Of Africa (w/ Ezra Koenig) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa (Metronomy remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa (Architecture in Helsinki rmx) (MP3)

LPR photos by Kwesi Abbensetts, Supreme Trading photos by Ryan Muir

Esau Mwamwaya @ Le Poisson Rouge - July 18, 2009 (by Kwesi Abbensetts)

The Very Best (production duo Radioclit and Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya) played a late-night show at (Le) Poisson Rouge on July 18th. They were joined by two backup dancers (one of which was on crutches!), and Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend for one song. He stopped by to contribute his part on "Warm Heart Of Africa." That track and two new remixes are posted above.

Ezra Koenig @ Le Poisson Rouge - July 18, 2009 (by Kwesi Abbensetts)

The Very Best's debut record, Warm Heart of Africa, is due to come out on Green Owl, the NYC-based record label that was founded by Benjamin Brewer (the father of M.I.A.'s child), on September 22nd (available digitally August 25). Ezra and M.I.A. both sing songs on it. That album is not to be confused with Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit Are The Very Best which was the mixtape (that contains songs by Vampire Weekend and M.I.A.) they released for free in 2008. Grab that above.

On Saturday night (7/25) (exactly a week after the LPR show), Radioclit brought "their wild monthly London residency, SECOUSSE, to the States for an all out UK vs. BK battle of the riddims." And by "the states", they mean Supreme Trading (or the former Supreme Trading building at 213 N 8th St) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Green Owl artist Janka Nabay was also on the bill.

"While many genres of African music have made the crossover to the west (Afrobeat, Highlife, etc), Sierra Leone's traditional Muslim street songs, or Bubu music, have not. The king of Bubu is Ahmed Janka Nabay, an amazing humanitarian musician whose life has been shaped by Sierra Leone's civil war." [Straw vs Gold]

Ahmed Janka @ Supreme Trading - July 25, 2009 (by Ryan Muir)

AND, it ends up that Saturday night's show at Supreme Trading was also a sort-of-secret Very Best show. Radioclit did DJ, but then performed with Esau too (no Ezra this time though). More pictures from both shows and the new album artwork, below...

Continue reading "The Very Best (new remixes) played LPR (w/ Ezra Koenig) & Supreme Trading (a secret show?) w/ Ahmed Janka - pics "

DOWNLOAD: Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit - The Very Best Mixtape (ZIP)
DOWNLOAD: The Very Best - Warm Heart Of Africa (w/ Ezra Koenig) (MP3)

European producers Radioclit and Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya have been working together under the name The Very Best for the past two years. You can check out their debut mixtape, which came out last year and samples M.I.A, Vampire Weekend and Michael Jackson, reposted above. "For the recording, the band brings some guests on board: M.I.A. for 'Rain Dance' and Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig sings on 'Warm Heart Of Africa.'"

The Very Best are making a limited number of US stops before their set at the Pitchfork Festival on July 19th. One of those will be at NYC's (Le) Poisson Rouge on Saturday, July 18th, where they appear with Dragons of Zynth, the Que Bajo?! dance party, DJ Uproot Andy, Geko Jones, Zuzuka Poderosa, DJ Supervixen and Açai Girl. Tickets are on sale.

Two Very Best videos, with a flyer for the show, and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "The Very Best are here - playing CA, NYC & the P4K Fest"

by Andrew Frisicano

M83 @ Webster Hall (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

M83 has been added to Pitchfork Festival, which is taking place from July 17th - Sunday, July 19th in Chicago. Other bands added to the bill include Black Lips, Fucked Up, Wavves, the Dutchess and the Duke, and Matt and Kim. The whole, updated lineup is below. Tickets for the fest are still on sale.

Five days before he performs in Chicago, M83's Anthony Gonzalez will perform a free show at NYC's World Finanial Center Winter Garden (July 14th). For that NYC gig:

Anthony Gonzalez, M83's chief stargazer, performs a special one-off ambient performance. New York-based artist Janet Biggs begins the night with a screening of her short film, Vanishing Point.

More Pitchfork Fest info below...

Continue reading "P4k Fest updates lineup, M83 (solo) playing a free NYC show"