secret ingredient hash?.,...

(via Reddit)

In related news, Willie has been confirmed, along with David Byrne, Aretha Franklin, and more, for this year's Ottawa Jazz Festival.

Austin City Limits 2012 is happening as we speak in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. If you're not there, you can always livestream it (Saturday's sets include Rufus Wainwright, Metric, Big K.R.I.T., The Shins, Black Lips and Andrew Bird). Our pictures from Friday, like the two above, are exclusively over at BV Austin (where you'll also find pictures from last night's Shins show).

UPDATE: Neil Young and Crazy Horse co-headlined Saturday night with a 2 hour set. Check out what they played.

UPDATE 2: check out a few pics and the setlist from Jack White's set.

A selection of videos from Friday, and some setlists, below...

Continue reading "Austin City Limits 2012 underway -- Day 1 pics & video, Day 2 stream, Black Keys setlist, more"

photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin

Willie Nelson & fan @ Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ

Willie Nelson, who recently collaborated with Snoop Dogg and got a statue of his likeness unveiled in Austin on 4/20, came to NJ last week for two shows at the Wellmont Theater with fellow Texas singer-songwriter Robert Ellis. We have pictures from one of those shows, and there are more of them, along with video of a performance Willie did at SiriusXM while he was here, below...

Continue reading "Willie Nelson played 2 nights @ Wellmont w/ Robert Ellis (pics)"

today in NYC
* Marley
* Unsound
* Earth Day
* Tribeca Film Fest
* Woodstock '12 @ UCB East
* Lambchop @ The Bell House
* Chilly Gonzales @ The Bell House
* Graham Parker, The Figgs @ City Winery
* Rodrigo y Gabriela @ Radio City Music Hall
* The Greyboy Allstars, Wyllys @ Brooklyn Bowl
* Deer Tick, Turbo Fruits @ Stone Pony (NJ)
* Sun Araw, Pole, Inner Tube @ Le Poisson Rouge
* Kevin Hufnagel, Smother Party, Vaura @ The Stone
* MiniBoone, Lost Gloves, Tough/Luck @ The Rock Shop
* Shpongle, EOTO, Phutureprimitive @ Roseland Ballroom
* Fang Island, Woods, Mmoss, The Big Sleep @ Maxwell's
* Lucero, J-Roddy Walston & The Business @ Webster Hall
* Across Tundras, Mt. Olympus, With Knives @ Union Pool
* Lagos Disco Inferno, Frank Gossner, Nass Gnawa @ Zebulon
* Negura Bunget, Haethen, Din Brad @ Cameo Gallery
* Bosco Delrey, Terry Malts, Xray Eyeballs @ Mercury Lounge
* Portugal. The Man, The Lonely Forest @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Yeasayer (DJ), Beacon (DJ), Suckers (DJ) @ Cameo
* Bonobo, DJ Nickodemus, Nappy G @ American Museum of Natural History
* Andrew Jackson Jihad, Joyce Manor, Treasure Fleet @ Knitting Factory
* DJ Dog Dick, The Dreebs, Hume, Haribo, Jazz Massagers @ Death By Audio
* Hull, Caltrop, Family, UV Pop, Lost Tribe, Plastic Flowers @ Saint Vitus
* Protest the Hero, Periphery, Today I Caught the Plague @ Gramercy Theatre
* The Giraffes, The Live Ones, 1-800-BAND, Atom Strange, Fire Club @ Trash Bar
* Puerto Rico Flowers, Rosenkopf, Anasazi, York Factory Complaint @ The Acheron
* Monolake, Demdike Stare, Hieroglyphic Being, Laurel Halo, Ital, Zemi17 @ Warsaw
* Cindy Lou Gooden, Lost Boy, Due Diligence, Speedy Ortiz @ Big Snow Buffalo Ldge
* Mega Bone, Slam Donahue, Side A Side B, Hey Guy, Peter Smolik, Jake Brown @ Shea Stadium
* Necrotic Disgorgement, Coathanger Abortion, Meathook, Death Sick, Parasitic Extirpation @ Cake Shop
* Gary Wilson, The Immaculates, Moonmen On The Moon, Man, Slowdance, Mr. Fahrenheit, Bluetech, Random Rab, Skytree @ Glasslands
* Questlove, Jeremy Ellis, D.D. Jackson, Reggie Watts, Rahzel, Kenny Muhammad, Deerhoof, Gray, Willis Earl Beal, Metropolis Ensemble @ Brooklyn Academy of Music
* Gaspar Claus, Bryce Dessner, Jessie Stein, Mauro Remiddi, David Moore, Remi Alexandre, Ben Greenberg, Andy LaPlant & Jessica Larrabee, Pedro Soler, Emil Bogdan @ Littlefield

Tomorrow is Record Store Day.

Check out Evillive for more metal.

Terry Malts plays Mercury Lounge tonight with Bosco Delrey and Xray Eyeballs.

Questlove's Shuffle Culture Fest concludes tonight. Read about last night.

Coachella is happening again, though it's not streaming this weekend.

A Willie Nelson statue is going up in Austin at 4:20 local time there. Head to Willie's site to hear a new collaboration with Snoop Dogg in honor of today's holiday.

The Bob Marley documentary is also opening today on 4/20.

Follow @BrooklynVegan on Twitter.
Follow @bvChicago for just Chicago stuff.
Also follow @bvAustin for just Austin stuff.
Be our friend on Facebook too, and BV Austin's friend on Facebook and BV Chicago's friend on Facebook.

Sun Araw, here for Unsound, appear at their first of three events this weekend.

In honor of Levon Helm who passed away yesterday, Bon Iver covered "Ophelia" last night in San Francisco. Watch below...

Deer Tick, who were supposed to open for Levon Helm at Wellmont recently, play Asbury Park tonight.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Friday?"

Willie Nelson @ ACL Live in 2011 (more by Tim Griffin)

Willie Nelson has a number of dates scheduled for the next few months including two in the NYC area happening on May 16 and 17 at Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ. Both shows are billed as "Willie Nelson & Family", and as you can see from one of his recent Austin shows, they truly will be family affairs. Tickets ($95.00, $75.00 & $45.00) go on sale Friday (2/17) at noon with a presale starting Wednesday (2/14) at noon. All dates are listed below.

In related news, if you were watching the Grammys last night, you probably know that a Chipotle commercial aired with Willie Nelson covering Coldplay's "The Scientis.t" You can purchase his cover of the track on iTunes and watch the video for the commercial (which has actually been out since August) below.

All dates and video below...

Continue reading "Willie Nelson covered Coldplay for Chipotle, announces more dates, 2 NJ shows"

84 year old Tony Bennett w/ a 27 year old Amy Winehouse

The great Tony Bennett has a new album of Duets, titled Duets II, coming out on September 20th. The 17-track CD features boring names like Michael Buble, John Mayer and Sheryl Crow, and some interesing names like Willie Nelson and Lady Gaga, but most notably includes a duet with Amy Winehouse who unfortunately never had the chance to realize her full potential due to a sad past few years and her untimely death today (7/23/2011).

In a video interview (that you can watch HERE), Tony says "Amy Winehouse was my favorite to perform with on the whole album." He compares her to Dina Washington and says she had the butterflies and nervousness that all the greats like Frank Sinatra and Duke Ellington had. He talks about how they clicked and says he thought she really loved to perform (though you might not know it from recent live videos) (too much butterfly medicine). RIP Amy.

Winehouse hasn't released an album since 2006 hit "Back to Black". The album won five of six Grammys it was nominted for including Record of the Year (and Best New Artist). She also won at the Brits that year. She was nominated for the UK's Mercury Prize twice. In 2004 "Frank" lost to Franz Ferdinand. In 2006 she lost to the Klaxons (check out who was nominated this year). Whether or not Amy has any other unreleased material remains to be seen, though there were rumors that she also recently recorded a track with Cee Lo Green.

Speaking of duets, in Amy Winehouse's too-short career she also performed with Mick Jagger, Mos Def, Mark Ronson, sort of Ghostface, and probably others I missed.

The full tracklist and cover art for Tony's "Duets II", and a video of Amy performing with The Rolling Stones, below...

Continue reading "Amy Winehouse appears on soon-to-be-released Tony Bennett 'Duets' album, Tony loved working with her"

The Blind Boys of Alabama [released] a traditional country-gospel album for the first time in their 70-year career on May 3rd, 2011. One of country music's most acclaimed and compelling artists, Jamey Johnson, co-produced the album and performs on it along with Vince Gill, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr., Lee Ann Womack, and The Oak Ridge Boys.

Continue reading "Blind Boys of Alabama released a guest-filled country-gospel album, The Oak Ridge Boys play with them in NYC tonight"

Willie Nelson's mugshot

Forget the Tea Party -- country music legend Willie Nelson has a different kind of movement he wants you to join.

"There's the Tea Party...How about the Teapot Party? Our motto: We lean a little to the left."

Nelson, 77, was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol for possession of marijuana last week, despite the fact that he was roughly 100 miles [from] the U.S. border at the time.

"It's supposed to be a checkpoint only for aliens, and [agents] overstep their authority all the time," Texas attorney Dick DeGuerin told Rolling Stone. "I've had several cases from that checkpoint and they just use the opportunity to check out anybody they want to."

...If Nelson's new party succeeds, he won't be a lawbreaker anymore.

"Tax it, regulate it and legalize it," Nelson wrote. "And stop the border wars over drugs. Why should the drug lords make all the money? Thousands of lives will be saved." -[About]

Two of those dates (2/13 & 2/14) will go down at Austin City Limits - Live, the studio that houses the famed series which recently relocated. The show's new home, Moody Theater, will begin taping shows there in early 2011. The new location is now walking distance from the main drag that is 6th Street.

I'm not sure of Wavves' political affiliation, but I am guessing he's all for switching to the Teapot party. He just got arrested for pot in Germany. Hopefully he's more careful on his upcoming tour with Best Coast. There won't be a smoke-filled tour bus that asking to be pulled over since, well since Willie Nelson.

In other news, Smokey Robinson is scheduled to play the St. George Theatre in Staten Island (on sale), on 1/22/11 and the Apollo Theater on 2/15/11 (on sale).

Willie Nelson tour dates and some videos below..

Continue reading "Willie Nelson starts 'Teapot Party' after US pot arrest, Wavves busted in Germany ++ Smokey Robinson playing shows"

photos by Samantha Marble

Willie Nelson performed a special acoustic album release show Thursday night at Grand Ballroom in NYC. Samantha says, "The entire show was incredible from beginning to end. Willie played tirelessly for over 2 hours straight in an intimate room on a modestly small stage at the Grand Ballroom. It was unreal. He covered all of his classics including "On The Road Again", "Always On My Mind" and "Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain". By the third to last song the entire crowd was out of their seats dancing around in front of the stage and it stayed that way. When he finished his set he came out to greet fans, shake hands from the stage and hand out bandannas. This man that's been performing for over 40 years and he still seemed to have the soul of a young man. It was an honor to watch him play." More pictures from the show below...

Continue reading "Willie Nelson played Grand Ballroom in NYC (pics)"

Willie Nelson's website reports that, "We regret to inform you Willie Nelson and Family have to cancel or reschedule various upcoming tour dates. At this time, I am told that shows scheduled for May 7th-15th will be affected. Please contact the venue or original ticket agency for additional details." CMT seems to know that "the cancellation was said to be a torn rotator cuff Nelson suffered". If so, Willie might be in some pain at the Grand Ballroom in NYC TONIGHT (5/6) (definitely not cancelled).

In related news,

On May 27, the Austin City Council will consider a proposal to give West Second Street between Trinity and San Antonio streets the honorary name of Willie Nelson Boulevard, according to a statement from the city.

A statue of the Texas music legend will also be installed on West Second Street near the entrance to the new KLRU's Austin City Limits Studio in the W hotel nd condo project that is under construction. A model of the statue will be unveiled at a ceremony at 6:30 tonight at the studio's current location on the University of Texas campus. [Austin Statesman]

Affected & rescheduled dates, many which will now happen during the tour that brings him back to NYC to play Radio City Music Hall, below...

Continue reading "Willie Nelson cancels dates (but not tonight)"

Ticketmaster is being screwy. Some people can get LCD Soundsystem tickets. Some can't. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to why except that I think Ticketmaster screws up when they list a show a few minutes before it goes on sale. When a show gets listed it has to pass through their zillion identical servers and it isn't on all of them yet.

Tickets go on AmEx & "Fan Club" presale at 10am for the Hold Steady show at Beacon Theatre, and I agree, it's weird that they're playing a seated venue.

Tickets go on AmEx & 'Fan Club' presale at 10am for the acoustic Willie Nelson show at Grand Ballroom. This will probably be a seated show (Grand Ballroom can go either way).

DOWNLOAD: Phosphorescent-Its Hard to be Humble (When Youre From Alabama) (MP3)

Phosphorescent still have a little more than a week left of their tour opening for David Gray. The band took a break from that trip to play a show at Maxwell's on April 2nd with Cate Le Bon. A (reposted) video from that gig is below.

Coming up, Matthew Houck and Co. will be back in NYC on May 13th for a show at Mercury Lounge, just two days after they put out new LP Here's to Taking It Easy, which you can grab a song from above. Tickets go on sale Friday, April 9th at noon.

After that, the group heads to Europe for shows in May and June, but one imagines they'll be back this summer to support the new disc. The live video, a video of Phos covering Willie Nelson's "Permanently Lonely" as part of "Playboys Uncovered series", and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Phosphorescent played Maxwell's, playing Mercury Lounge"

On [Country Music], produced by T Bone Burnett and due April 20 on Rounder, [Willie] Nelson delivers his distinctive, understated take on such classics as "Dark as a Dungeon," "Nobody's Fault but Mine," "My Baby's Gone" and "House of Gold."

"This is a group of songs that when they first came out, it didn't take them very long to become standards," Nelson says. "Just like 'Stardust,' 'Moonlight in Vermont,' 'All of Me' and 'Georgia' are considered standards, so are 'Dark as a Dungeon,' 'Freight Train Boogie,' 'Pistol Packin' Mama' and 'Satisfied Mind.' These are all standard songs from another field of music, but they are still the same category. They are just as good in their own way." [Reuters]

The album's cover is above. Lots more tour dates HERE. Tracklist is below...

Continue reading "Willie Nelson to release 'Country Music', playing acoustic show at Grand Ballroom in NYC to celebrate "

North Carolina's singing senator has recorded a song critical of the marijuana and alcohol citations filed against members of singer-songwriter Willie Nelson's band in January.

"It just looks like a special effort was made to go on that bus and cite them with marijuana," said state Sen. Charlie Albertson, D-Duplin.

The song, called "Leave the Man Alone," refers to the Jan. 28 citations issued to six members of Nelson's band on either possession of marijuana or possession of non-tax-paid alcohol. The band's bus was outside the Duplin County Events Center in Kenansville.

Nelson canceled the show that evening. His staff said the show was canceled because the musician's hand was hurting. But one woman who was at the canceled concert said practically no one believes that was the real reason.

"I don't think it was his hand at all," said Sylvia Hawes, 70, of Rose Hill. She said she believed the alcohol and marijuana charges prompted the cancellation. [Jacksonville Daily News]

Willie has shows booked around the country. His full schedule is posted below...

Continue reading "Willie Nelson & The Family playing Radio City Music Hall w/ Levon Helm & other 2010 Tour Dates"

Ben Nichols (Lucero) @ Maxwell's (more by Tim Griffin)

Seeing that Lucero is about to be in town with a big show at Webster Hall on Saturday night (10/17), and that Chris Denny (last seen on stage with Deer Tick in Prospect Park) is about to make another NYC appearance (including at the free BrooklynVegan day party at Pianos on Thursday, October 22nd), I thought it might be cool to get these two Arkansas musicians (who have met before) on the phone.

It turned out better than I could have imagined. Chris (who recently singed to Partisan Records making him Deer Tick's label-mate) and Lucero front-man Ben Nichols ended up discussing Lucero's decision to go with Universal Records for their new album (1372 Overton Park), drinking, horns, whiskey, marriage, The Pogues, whiskey, Tom Petty, drinking and much more. Check it out, along with all tour dates and some videos and stuff, below...

Continue reading "Chris Denny in conversation with Ben Nichols of Lucero (both in town to play shows very soon!)"

Phosphorescent & Willie Nelson @ Farm Aid 2009 (Ebet Roberts, Farm Aid)

Neil Young - "Stop Factory Farms" @ Farm Aid 2009 (Matt Edson, Farm Aid)

Farm Aid finally planted its deep seeds in St. Louis for the first time Sunday, with the big benefit event unfolding all day at a sold-out Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.

It was a long day of messages -- just say "no" to factory farming and "yes" to family farming. The point couldn't be stressed enough, it seemed, whether via the interactive Homegrown Village area, the concessions, the PA system on the concourse and the performers from the stage.

"We want our farms back," said rock icon Neil Young at the top of his set. Later, he said: "I hope you're enjoying Farm Aid. We'd enjoy it more if you'd give us some money."

But it was the music, not the messages necessarily, that packed the joint, the wall-to-wall rock and country music. And Farm Aid overflowed with it, culminating in headliners Willie Nelson, Young, Dave Matthews and John Mellencamp, all Farm Aid board members. [St Louis Dispatch]

Continue reading "Farm Aid 2009: Willie Nelson played w/ Phosphorescent, Neil Young & more - pics, video, stream"

Phosphorescent @ Prospect Park in June (more by Tim Griffin)

Phosphorescent and Tune Yards team up for a show at Music Hall of Williamsburg this Saturday (September 5th). Mike Bones is also on the bill. Tickets are still on sale.

After that, Phosphorescent has two weeks of tour dates in October that include a stop at Farm Aid in St. Louis, Mo on October 4th which is kind of awesome, but not surprising since Matthew Houck (Mr. Phos) has become friendly with Farm Aid president Willie Nelson ever since Willie became a fan of Matthew's tribute album. Also on the bill of Farm Aid this year: John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds with Jamey Johnson, Jason Mraz, and Wilco. Rumor is that (very prolific) Willie and Phos may even have something else in the works.

Tune Yards (Merrill Garbus), whose debut, BiRd-BrAiNs, was re-released in August on 4AD, is heading to Europe for a set of shows, some of which are with Dirty Projectors (who have their own NYC/N.A. dates coming up). She'll be back in North America and playing shows in October. Her scheduled gigs include a Tuesday, October 6th show at Union Hall with Dragons of Zynth. Tickets are on sale now.

All tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Phosphorescent touring, playing Farm Aid (like Wilco) & MHOW (w/ Tune Yards who has more dates scheduled too) "

"Bob Dylan was in Long Branch, about a two-hour drive south of New York City, on July 23 as part of a tour with Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp that was to play at a baseball stadium in nearby Lakewood. A 24-year-old police officer apparently was unaware of who Dylan is and asked him for identification..." [AP]

"Given the weather forecast and excessive heat predicted for Tuesday, August 11 in the Phoenix area, it has been determined that these conditions have the potential to cause a serious health risk to the public, as well as the working personnel at the venue. After careful consideration, it has been determined that this potential risk is too great for all involved." [Bob Dylan.com]

Continue reading "Bob Dylan / Willie Nelson show cancelled due to heat "

photos by Tim Griffin

Aquarium Drunkard: You're living in Brooklyn, which is not exactly known for its country music. Were you worried about the way that the [Willie Nelson cover record] would be received in New York?

Matthew Houck (Phosphorescent): No. I knew it was a good record and the way that those kinds of things go, I think that Phosphorescent has rarely been considered "hip" or something like that, so it never really concerned me. (laughs)

AD: How do you like the music scene up there compared to Athens?

MH: I really do like it up here. To be honest, scenes and those things have never really meant that much to me. It's always been about doing whatever needs to be done in terms of the music. Brooklyn has a really supportive music scene and there are lots of great bands up here, so I'm sure that that stuff has an effect on all of this, but it's not really a comparable thing, you know?

Continue reading "Phosphorescent - Prospect Park pics + Bruar Falls TONIGHT"

Bob Dylan has just announced an ambitious line-up for this year's summer concert tour. Along with fellow troubadour Willie Nelson, this summer The Bob Dylan Show will also feature John Mellencamp, marking just the second time in the past 24 years that these three performers have shared the concert stage.

The NJ show's venue, like most others on the tour, is a minor league baseball stadium (home to the Lakewood BlueClaws, Single-A affiliate of the Phillies). It's currently the closest stop to NYC. Bob and Willie did something similar in 2005. That year they hit Yogi Berra Stadium in Montclair.

Willie Nelson's current (non-Bob) tour is hitting more traditional music venues like The State Theater in New Brunswick where he played on Saturday (4/18). Among those in attendance at that show was Matthew Houck aka Phoshphoresent who recently released a Willie Nelson album of his own. Phosphorescent's next NYC show will be in Prospect Park.

Bob Dylan's new record, Together Through Life, comes out April 28th on Columbia Records. "I Feel a Change Comin On," off that record, is streaming now on Dylan's webpage. Bob is "on Twitter" too.

Also online is a sub-site for new song "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" (which includes that track streaming)..

Mash your own message and lyrics along with Bob's to create a unique lyrical portrait video. You can then upload your video message to the community gallery and share it with others. This is the first time the lyrics from a Bob Dylan song have been released prior to the record, so make sure to check out and see them in action along with the music, only at www.beyondhereliesnothin.com.

Flanagan: "Life Is Hard" comes from a tradition that got pretty much wiped out by the popularity of swing and blues and rock n roll. I remember Leon Redbone said once that the big break in 20th century music was not in the 50's when rock came in; it was when swing and jazz knocked off parlor piano ballads in the late 20's and early 30's. Do you ever wish that old style had stuck around a little longer?

Dylan: Today, the mad rush of the world would trample over delicate music like that. Even if it had survived swing and jazz it would never make it past Dr. Dre. Things changed economically and socially. Two world wars, the stock market crash, the depression, the sexual revolution, huge sound systems, techno-pop. How could anything survive that?...

Continue reading "Bob Dylan & Willie Nelson - 2009 Baseball Stadium Tour Dates w/ John Mellencamp (includes Lakewood, NJ)"

by Andrew Frisicano

St. Ann's Warehouse is hosting its spring benefit, "A Gala Evening with Philip Glass + Ira Glass," on Tuesday, April 28th. The pair will engage in the "World Premiere Performance of Glass on Glass, a one-time-only evening with cousins, composer Philip Glass and master storyteller, Ira Glass, host of public radio's This American Life."

Tickets for the event, which run in $150, $350, and $1,000 packages, are on sale now.

Another upcoming benefit, for the Children's Health Fund, features a performance by Willie Nelson (with CHF co-founder Paul Simon) on Wednesday, May 27th at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Tower. Hillary Rodham Clinton and other notables will be in attendance as well.

To reserve a spot for that event, contribute between $1000 and $100,000 to the CHF (thx rajohn for the tip).

Willie recently played at the Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis in February, and has a US tour coming up. The closest stop to NYC on that is a show at New Brunswick, NJ's State Theatre on Saturday, April 18th. Tickets are on sale. All dates below..

Philip Glass tracks "Prophecies" and "Pruitt Igoe" from Koyaanisqatsi were recently featured in The Watchmen, and PBS is in the middle of screening GLASS: A Portrait of Philip Glass in Twelve Parts, a 12-part doc on the composer as part of its American Masters series.

The night after the St. Ann's benefit, Wednesday, April 29th, Glass' work will be performed by Michael Riesman, director of the Philip Glass Ensemble, at new downtown venue The Greene Space. The music will be integrated into a radio theatre performance of The Invisible Man.

On May 17th, "Signal performs Philip Glass' Symphony No. 3 and Suite from The Hours with pianist Michael Riesman, conducted by Brad Lubman at (Le) Poisson Rouge in New York City." (Tickets are on sale.)

Part of Glass' Koyaanisqatsi, Willie Nelson's best-of compilation infomercial video, and tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Philip & Ira Glass; Willie Nelson, Paul Simon play benefits & other upcoming shows "

The name Rothbury confuses me. I immediately think it's a European festival, but in fact, the jam-band heavy music festival that premiered in 2008 takes place in Rothbury, Michigan. This year's lineup was just announced...

The Dead (their ONLY summer appearance!), Bob Dylan, The String Cheese Incident, Willie Nelson & Family, and The Black Crowes will top the bill of over 60 diverse and stellar artists at the second annual ROTHBURY Festival at the Double JJ Ranch in Michigan on July 2-3-4-5, 2009.

Also on the bill are Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley & Nas, STS9 (2 shows: full band/Live PA Set), G. Love & Special Sauce, Gov't Mule, Broken Social Scene, Cold War Kids, Matisyahu, Guster, Les Claypool, Chromeo, Girl Talk, The Hold Steady, Ani DiFranco and many others.

Continue reading "Michigan's Rothbury Festival - 2009 artist lineup "

photos by Fresh Bread

DOWNLOAD: Phosphorescent - Reasons to Quit (Willie Nelson) (MP3)

"My final stop on a Saturday night [3/28] of folk shows was Phosphorescent's homecoming at the Bell House. The show, in celebration of his recently released To Willie, found Matthew Houck and his bearded band of urban truck drivers playing the record in its entirety, a first for the Dead Oceans recording artist. The band was as tight as a new pair of boots, often rearranging, and elevating many of the more somber tunes into honky-tonk raveups complete with dueling guitars and whiskey fueled revelry, just the way Willie would've liked it. Reworked versions of "Reasons to Quit" and "Walkin", as well as party favorite "I Gotta Get Drunk", would have been as welcomed at a Barstow truck stop bar as they were at the Gowanus night club." [Chocolate Bobka]

More Bell House pictures, and a video from the show, below...

Continue reading "Phosphorescent performed 'To Willle' @ the Bell House in Brooklyn, Motel Motel opened - pics "

The previously announced April 4th Thee Oh Sees show at the Bell House in Brooklyn is doubling as the FreeMusicArchive.org launch party...

The Free Music Archive will combine the curatorial approach that stations like WFMU have played for the last few decades, and the community generated approach of many current online music sites. It'll be a valuable resource for those in search of legal audio; each track will have a clear set of rights associated with it, as determined by the artist, letting podcasters, bloggers, remix artists and music fans know what uses the artist will and will not allow. The project began here at WFMU, but we are just one of several curators who've been gathering audio for the Free Music Archive, freeing archival audio into the public domain, adding to the Creative Commons and building an open forum for participation that we're very excited to share with you. Stay tuned to our pre-launch blog for more previews and announcements as we get closer to launch.

Speaking of the Bell House, tickets are on sale for the May 7th Vetiver / Papercuts show. Tickets are also still on sale for the May 3rd Vetiver show at Bowery Ballroom.

Motel Motel have a show coming up at the Bell House too. They've been added as opener to the Phosphorescent / Mike Bones show happening there on February 28th. It's the show where Phos will be performing his entire "To Willie" album from start to finish, like he will... at the BrooklynVegan official SXSW showcase at Club DeVille in Austin on Wednesday night, March 18th (and he's doing it in LA and San Francisco too). Brooklyn tickets are still on sale. All Phos tour dates HERE.

Video of Thee Oh Sees playing at Cake Shop, below...

Continue reading "WFMU, Thee Oh Sees, Vetiver, Motel Motel, Phosphorescent"