Phantogram WITH guitar @ "Rocked" (more by Chris La Putt)

Two stories, both related to the launch of Rocked: An Exclusive Photography Exhibition by Mick Rock... First, Karen O told US Magazine at that party that she "recently wed longtime love Barnaby Clay"...

"I'm a married woman!" the rocker (real name: Karen Lee Orzolek) told Us at Wednesday's launch bash for Rocked: An Exclusive Photography Exhibition by Mick Rock at the W Hotel Downtown in NYC.
The "Maps" singer, 33, sweetly thanked Clay in the program notes for Stop the Virgens, a rock opera she co-created that was performed earlier this fall at St. Ann's Warehouse in the Dumbo neighborhood of Brooklyn.
Clay directed his future wife in the 2009 video for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs single "Zero."

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Tens of thousands of ecstatic celebrants took to the streets Sunday for New York's Pride March, soaking up an historic equal rights victory.

Floats, politicians and dancers got huge applause all along the parade route.

The real focus was clear: Every time a couple marched past wearing tuxedos and wedding gowns, the packed crowd exploded into cheers, hollers and hoots.

Carrying signs that read "Equality For All Families," "Promise Kept!" and "It Does Get Better NY," partiers embodied this year's parade theme: "Proud and Powerful."

They couldn't stop talking about Friday night's landmark 33-29 state Senate vote to legalize gay nups.

Gov. Cuomo signed gay marriage into law five minutes before midnight Friday - and was treated to a hero's welcome Sunday.

Gay marriage goes into effect in a month, and will make New York the sixth - and most populous - state to legalize same-sex weddings, joining Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Iowa - plus the District of Columbia. [NY Daily News]

Continue reading "NYC's historic 2011 Gay Pride Parade in pics"

by Rachel Kowal

the rooftop (irinaskaya)

People packed into the chairs on the massive roof of the New Design High School in lower Manhattan in anticipation of the evening's theme - 'Hopelessly Devoted.' The weather was right, and the mood was ripe as Air's "Playground Love" rung out over the PA system and greeted the crowd.

Rooftop Films founder and artistic director Mark Elijah Rosenberg introduced the band of the evening with a big grin on his face, saying: "We are very pleased to present you with one of my favorite bands tonight. Give it up for Frances." (There was a reason for the wildly effusive introduction, as we would later learn.)

Frances may not be as hip as some of the other bands lined up to play for Rooftop Films this summer, but they also seemed more at home on stage than last week's season opener, Twin Sister. Frances played eight songs in total, including a number of new songs that lead singer and bassist Paul Hogan says they hope to record on a new album.

The roof of the NDHS is a hard space to play. It's wide open, spans three separate semi-walled off sections, and many people talk throughout the performance. But despite these potential setbacks, the pleasant indie pop of Frances, who played again Saturday night at Pianos with ARMS, was well-suited to Friday evening's romantic theme.

Interestingly, the event that got the biggest cheer from the audience wasn't the music... or the films. As Mark Elijah Rosenberg introduced the shorts for the evening, he called up his girlfriend, Stephanie Skaff (of Frances), and things got a little bit mushy. "I love you. I will always love you," said Rosenberg. Then, the inevitable: "Stephanie Skaff, will you marry me?" At this point, the shrieks from the audience were so loud that they overshadowed Skaff's response, so she leaned down into the mic, and said, "Of course I said yes!"

The films for the evening were a bit overshadowed by this dramatic proposal, but they were still fun to watch. In some ways, the romances on screen seemed less scripted than the real-life proposal. The six shorts covered everything from "the best/worst first date ever," to kissing cousins, lovesick octopi, and a group pilgrimage to Iowa in the name of gay marriage. Two directors were also present - Gillian Robespierre ("Obvious Child) and Cody Stokes ("Heartland Transport").

Spike Jonze's eagerly anticipated Absolut-sponsored short "I'm Here" is a delightful - if not a bit sad - story of a devoted (robotic) boyfriend who is willing to sacrifice it all for his clumsy robotic girlfriend. Besides looking fantastic, it also has a pretty killer soundtrack. Songs by Of Montreal, Animal Collective, Girls, and Aska (of Moonrats) all factor into the score. You can stream Jonze's short in its entirety (35 mins) at its website. The trailer is below.

Another standout short was "Obvious Child," which features new SNL cast member, Jenny Slate. "Obvious Child" tells the awkward and surprisingly comical story of a bad break-up, a drunken hook-up, and the unplanned pregnancy that ensues. Watch that in its entirety below.

The evening concluded with free drinks at Fontana's, and I can't help but wonder if anyone took Rosenberg's advice and made a move.

--

Rooftop Films happened again on Saturday at the same venue, and that's where it will be again this Friday (5/28) and Saturday (5/29). Thursday you can catch them in Brooklyn w/ a performance by Natureboy.

Continue reading "Rooftop Films founder proposed to Frances member @ New Design High School Friday, Spike Jonze & Jenny Slate screened"

Dum Dum Girls @ Woodsist Fest - July 4, 2009 (bajapuntos)

The two-day Woodsist & Captured Tracks Festival happened in Brooklyn on Friday (7/3) and Saturday (7/4). Both days were supposed to take place at 979 Broadway Backyard, but Friday was moved to the very hot Market Hotel due to the threat of rain. Pictures of both days coming soon, but first here is video Bill took on Saturday during the first-ever performance by Dum Dum Girls.

Dum Dum Girls is really just one person - Dee Dee.... aka Kristin Gundred from Grand Ole Party who is married to Brandon Welchez of Crocodiles who she released a duet with (video below) and who was one of the members of the Dum Dum Girls band at Woodsist. The other two members of the band were Mike Sniper of Blank Dogs and Frankie Rose of Crystal Stilts (and a former Vivian Girl)...

Continue reading "Woodsist Fest happened - Dum Dum girls (Grand Ole Party + Crocodiles + Blank Dogs + Frankie Rose) debuted - video "

The Dead Weather @ Bowery Ballroom (more)

For a new band, with almost no released music, The Dead Weather sure did get big quick! That was an attempt at sarcasm, because really it's no surprise that Jack White's new band would choose Terminal 5 (on July 16th) as the location of their 2nd NYC show. Their first was at Bowery Ballroom.

The Dead Weather will be touring this summer with multiple dates in some cities, and just one show in NYC (for now?). Tickets for most of the shows go on presale on Wednesday. The NYC show goes on sale at Ticketmaster on Friday at noon ($30).

"The band's debut album Horehound, the first record to be recorded and released via Jack White's new Third Man studios and record label in Nashville, TN, will be made available through Third Man/Warner Bros Records on July 14th 2009. To date, The Dead Weather have released two tracks via iTunes and on limited edition 7" vinyl: "Hang You From The Heavens" and "Are Friends Electric?""

In related news, Meg White is now engaged "to guitarist Jackson Smith, the son of iconic rockers Patti Smith and Fred Smith".

All DW dates below...

Continue reading "The Dead Weather - 2009 tour dates & presale (Terminal 5) "

Four-time Grammy Award nominee Ryan Adams will release the digital-only EP Extra Cheese (Lost Highway/UMe), exclusively via iTunes on February 10, 2009. Extra Cheese features six previously issued tracks plus the previously unreleased "Hey There, Mrs. Lovely," for the recession-friendly price of $3.98.

Adams has been performing "Hey There, Mrs. Lovely" live since 1999 but has never song committed the fan favorite to a studio record until now. The other six tracks on the EP are a sampling of love songs culled from Adams' impressive oeuvre: "Answering Bell" from 2001's Gold, "Desire" from 2002's Demolition, "Blossom" from 2005's Cold Roses, "Two" from 2007's Easy Tiger, "My Love For You Is Real" from the same year's Follow The Lights EP, and "Evergreen" from Ryan & the Cardinals' most recent album, Cardinology, released last fall.

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals are on tour for a month [possibly for the last time] beginning February 20.

DOWNLOAD: Postal Service - Against All Odds (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Death Cab For Cutie - Someday You Will Be Loved (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Leon Redbone & Zooey Deschanel - Baby, It's Cold Outside (MP3)

Was there any Death Cab For Cutie on that mixtape Zooey Deschanel made for Yo La Tengo fans (and charity)? Because, according to US Magazine (and just about every other website on the Internet at this point), she is now engaged to Ben Gibbard! Congrats to the happy couple.

M Ward (Him) (best man?) is playing the Apollo Theatre on February 19th. All dates HERE.

Ben and Zooey sing "Dream" together in the video below...

Continue reading "Zooey Deschanel & Ben Gibbard engaged?!"

HOMETOWN HOMELAND
July 22 - 26, 2008, 8PM

Don't miss Laurie's upcoming 5 nights of HOMELAND at the Lincoln Center Festival in NYC! Rose Theater, Lincoln Center Time Warner Center, 5th Floor Broadway & 60th Street, NYC. Laurie will be joined by Joey Baron (drums), Rob Burger (keyboards and accordion), Greg Cohen (bass), and Eyvind Kang (viola). Special appearances by Lou Reed and other nightly surprise guests. Plus: only available at the New York concerts: a special edition tour single on 7" vinyl and ye olde cassette: A side: Mambo & Bling, B side: Behind the Screen (from "Hidden Inside Mountains"). Special edition Homeland T-shirts will also be available at the New York shows.

In related news, Lou Reed's "Berlin" is playing at Film Forum and Lou himself will be doing a Q&A after the 8:15 show on Monday July 28th.

LONDON - A judge has awarded Heather Mills a total of $48.6 million in the financial settlement of her divorce from former Beatle Paul McCartney. [Yahoo]

Continue reading "Heather Mills awarded $48.6M from Paul McCartney"

Winona Ryder revealed she is engaged to Blake Sennett, a guitarist in the indie rock band Rilo Kelly, at the fall 2008 Valentino fashion show in Paris. In addition to the surprising engagement, she and Sennett have been working on a film Water Pill and she'll soon start filming The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. Winona has had a history of romances with rockers ranging from Soul Asylum's Dave Primer to Counting Crows' Adam Druitt, prompting former BFF Courtney Love to remark, "You're no-one in music until you have feuded with me or until you sleep with Winona". [Getty]

ELSEWHERE: Jenny Lewis is working on a new solo album "which features several guests, including the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson, M. Ward, actress/singer Zooey Deschanel and Elvis Costello."

More photos of the happy couple (by Eric Ryan of Getty Images) below....

Continue reading "Winona Ryder NOT engaged to Rilo Kiley's Blake Sennett"

handsome and married

This + This =

Continue reading "Handsome Furs - updated 2008 Tour Dates w/ Violens"