Free! All Ages! Long Winters Show- Seattle!

"All right, kids. I don't want to get another, "Why don't you ever play all-ages shows in Seattle?" message for at least 2 months.
Just go here (http://freeyrradio.com/index.php?invite=kexp) and print out your evite. Word. Like a turkey bird." via their myspace. Lucky Seattle'lites.
Ultimatum.mp3
Pushover.mp3

Yo La Tengo at Webster Hall

"I Am Not Afraid Of You and I Will Kick Your Ass" was my absolute favorite album name of 2006. Yes from time to time these indie bands get a wee bit carried away with the hip names and album slogans but this is not just an indie band and this album is solid gold. As was all of the music painstakingly composed for this their 16th addition to the Yo La Tengo family. Last night was my first time seeing them, yes yes i had passed up numerous shows before not really feeling the urge to see them live. I regret my mistakes immensely for they put together quite a show. Mixing softly flowing songs with their upbeat dance beats there was definitely a little something for everyone in attendance. Webster Hall was sold out and incredibly warm which did not help for a Sunday night yet the band was ready to perform and delight. For those of us who were not able to make the migration to Coachella i am pretty sure that Yo La Tengo was good enough to make up for it. You can tell they really enjoy the music that they are playing as well as performing to the community of New York, expressing emotion over the closing of Tonic, wishing them all the best and to whoever will occupy that space in the future, 'all the worst.' It was just nice to see such an accomplished act, whom i had heard so much about, be everything that i had hoped they would be.

*photo via KEXP

Black Flowers.mp3
beanbag.mp3
hatchet.mp3

Perfect Music for Sunny Weather

And if you are missing The Strokes, which let's face it, i always am. Yes yes- this singer/songwriter who hails from San Francisco sounds like an even more muffled Julian Casablancas, but you know you love it. Aria C Jalali! swoons perfect summer time music that i have been addicted to for the last few weeks. I wish i could take credit for the discovery on my own, but i came across it whilst reading Who Killed the Mixed Tape? (which is fantastic so add them to your bloggers list). Apparently we are all a little bit late on this one, their myspace page has over 25,000 fans. Which in myspace language is not bad. Not bad at all.
Postmodernism!.mp3
Bohemia (with a sea).mp3
I was a submarine.mp3

White Stripes Pre-Sale Info

I might be posting this a bit too late...select cities pre-sale on now.

Exactly where these boys SHOULD be

"Arctic Monkeys crashed into the U.K. album chart at No. 1 yesterday (April 29) with their sophomore effort "Favorite Worst Nightmare" (Domino), as all 12 tracks on it placed inside the top 200 of the singles chart. Beyonce and Shakira's "Beautiful Liar" (Columbia) started a second week atop that list. The Monkeys' album comfortably out sold all the competition to become their second chart-topping album, following "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" in January 2006. Mark Ronson's "Version" (Columbia) stayed at No. 2 behind the new set as last week's bestseller, Avril Lavigne's "Best Damn Thing" (RCA) fell to No. 3. Beyonce's augmented version of "B'day" (Columbia), repromoted and now including the No. 1 single with Shakira, reappeared at No. 8." -Thank you BillboardMag.
505.mp3

Green Day cover John Lennon for Charity

So i will always be a Green Day fan. It is just one of those things. Many people argue that their music has turned into a muck of pop singles and boring melodies but i still enjoy them and get excited to hear news of Billie Joe and crew. There's was one of the first albums i owned that made me jump around in socks way back in middle school during those awful dances we always had to attend. You know the ones. So it makes me happy to see that as i have grown up so has the band. Devoting their time and songs to good causes such as New Orleans and now Dafur. It is very important to use music to help out such causes as these because if there is one thing music does so well, is capture hope. The band will cover John Lennon's classic song, "Working Class Hero" which will be available as a download via iTunes. The song will feature clips of originial Lennon vocals under the production of Amnesty International. Entitled, 'Instant Karma: The Campaign To Save Darfur' the album is slated to be released May 25th in the UK and includes artists U2, Christina Aguilera, Jack Johnson, and many others.

"The full tracklisting will be confirmed shortly, while all music publishing royalties have been donated to the campaign by Lennon's widow Yoko Ono. "It's wonderful that, through this campaign, music which is so familiar to many people of my era will now be embraced by a whole new generation," said Ono of the project. "John's music set out to inspire change and, in standing up for human rights, we really can make the world a better place."
Green Day-Basketcase.mp3
John Lennon-Give-Peace-A-Chance.mp3

Coachella Re-cap/Coverage

As always Brooklynvegan and MusicSlut can be trusted with both good photos and music clips of some of the highlights from the festivities this past weekend. To be honest, Bjork looked amazing no contest there-but the closing Arctic Monkeys clip made me the most happy. Love Alex-just do. And of course Win climbing into over 60,000 singing and clapping fans. My friend Steph and her ladies took some pretty interesting photos and highlight on the sets they enjoyed the most. Now the person i would most want to hear a report from would be John in the Morning...guess we will have to wait until tomorrow.

Insightful Bjork article in this Sunday's New York Times

Gives you an excellent overview of her upcoming album, Volta, which is simply brilliant in every sense of the word.

Free Ben Kweller Show ToRontO!

My Apartment.mp3

It's Official

Shelves of Vinyl loves Cloud Cult. Jaime already loved them for their beautifully mystical music and their incredible live show. Whereas i enjoyed that they have a painter accompany them on stage and today fell for them all over again because one of the reasons they refuse to sign with a record label: because they want to use recycled plastic in the distribution of their albums. Well, environmentally sound elements in a bands' production completely pushes me over the edge. Along with KEXP in-studio sessions- so i recommend you check theirs out right away.

Oh and go out and buy all of their albums as well, and tickets to their show...hey, bands like this need your support!
Pretty Voice.mp3

The Frames in DC

Maybe I am a little swayed by the artists that come out of Ireland, after all U2 has been one of my favorite bands since I can remember. Then there's Damien Rice, Cillian Murphy and Daniel Day Lewis (ok, the last two are actors), but now the Frames are finally getting more press. This is the third time I have seen Glen work his magic. First was two years ago opening for Damien and then last fall for Damien again as the Swell Season. The Frames never fail to disappoint with their poignant lyrics, harmonic sound that fills the venue and their Irish antidotes. It is a show within a show listening to the reasons beyond the songs. Their violinist, Colm MacConlomaire is fantastic and Glen captivates the audience actually talking and taking requests.

They closed the 9:30 club last night after airing the show live on NPR, taking time to have a "messy time" to allow a road crew member to sing for his birthday and to play a few extra songs as their last date of the tour wound down. There wasn't a person in the venue not rocking to Star, Star or cheering when Glen announced he would play "What Happens When the Heart Just Stops." It was wonderful to hear the explanation behind the song (which thankfully hasn't changed since the first tour), a song about an abandoned dog and young Irish lads feeding it and building a hutch for it, "the dog that taught us how to love patiently." The Frames should not be missed and will be a great treat for those at Coachella on Saturday.



Opening for the Frames was Margot and the Nuclear So and So's, who I had never heard of before. They turned out to be fantastic for eight people from Indiana. The lead singer, Richard Edwards claimed he was sick, but sung anyways and I couldn't tell at all. His voice was great. Casey Tennis, the percussionist was fantastic and enthusiastic, engaging the crowd with his performance. They are a talent that is worth giving a listen to.

-Sarah W.

The Frames - Falling Slowly.mp3
The Frames - Sideways Down.mp3
Margot and the Nuclear So and So's-Skeleton Key.mp3
Margot and the Nuclear So and So's-A Sea Chanty Of Sorts.mp3

A Grizzly Bear blogging from Coachella

Hmmm... people driving hummers to Coachella- nothing warms my heart more. VOMIT!

Who would you Vote For?

Short List of Nominations for Sixth Annual Shortlist Music Prize:

Artist, Title

Band Of Horses – Everything All the Time
Beirut – Gulag Orskestar
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - The Letting Go
Cat Power – The Greatest
Girl Talk - Night Ripper
Hot Chip - The Warning
Joanna Newsom - Ys
Regina Spektor - Begin to Hope
Spank Rock - YoYoYoYoYo
Tom Waits - Orphans

Band of Horses- Monster.mp3
Beirut-After the Curtain.mp3
Bonnie Prince Billy-Dreaming my dreams.mp3
Cat Power- I Found a Reason.mp3
Girl Talk-Hand Clap.mp3
Hot Chip-No Fit State.mp3
Joanna Newsom-Only Skin.mp3
Regina Spektor-Samson.mp3
Spank Rock-Sweet Talk.mp3

Virgin Fest looking better this year

Being from Maryland I was a bit surprised when i heard the location of the new US Virgin Fest. I have always known and been envious of the other Virgin sponsered festivals in Australia, Canada, and England but was not sure how the DC/Maryland/Virginia area would take to this new addition to their summer festivities. But if there is anything we like more, it is a party- particularly one at a horse track. Bring it! Last years attendance was a bit slow and this year they will have some stiff competition from Lollapooloza, Bonnaroo, Coachella, and Sasquatch all with stellar line-ups.

Billboard reports that "Modest Mouse, Velvet Revolver, Wu-Tang Clan, Cheap Trick, The Fratellis, Amy Winehouse, Paolo Nutini, Crystal Method, 311, Incubus, Chris Cornell, Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV On The Radio, Bad Brains and Fountains Of Wayne to a bill that already includes the Police, Beastie Boys and the Smashing Pumpkins.

Completing the bill for the second-year festival, set for Aug. 4-5 at Pimlico Race Course, are Peter Bjorn and John, Sasha & John Digweed, Danny Tenaglia, LCD Soundsystem, Booka Shade, Shout Out Out Out Out, Matisyahu, Fiction Plane, Felix Da Housecat, Miguel Migs (Petal Pusher), Spoon, Deep Dish (Dubfire + Sharam), James Zabeila, M.I.A., CSS, Regina Spektor, Interpol, Infected Mushroom, Dieselboy & Andy C and Girl Talk.

"I feel like we came up with A-list talent from top to bottom, which was our goal," says Seth Hurwitz, producer of the festival through his I.M.P. "We've evolved to where the level of talent makes for two 'A-stages' instead of 'A' and 'B-stages.'

The lineup is assembled "from the top down," Hurwitz says. "We didn't approach the middle and bottom parts of the bill until we saw what was above it, then we proceeded with natural segues," he says. "Our desire was to have diversity without being directionless. It kind of reflects my personal taste: I like Patsy Cline and I like Metallica. Booking this, I try to pick the bands that are for real."

The Police are only playing one other festival in North America, Bonnaroo. But Hurwitz says that stellar booking did not stop him from booking the best bands available. "After we booked the Police, a lot of industry insiders were whispering in my ear, 'You've got the Police -- you've got a free pass this year, you should save your money," he says. "That would have made us more money this year but I look at it as an opportunity to spend money without feeling like we're taking as much risk because of this so-called 'free pass.' We're building a brand here."

Tickets, priced the same per-day as last year, go on sale May 5 as two-day passes at $175. Single-day tickets at $97.50 will only be available if the two-day tickets don't sell out."

Hopefully people will brave the ridiculous heat and humidity that is so so lovely in August in Maryland. Hey, i used to do it every year for Warped Tour, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?
Girl Talk-Bounce That.mp3
Modest Mouse-Dashboard.mp3
The Fratellis-Vince The Loveable Stoner.mp3
Shout Out Out Out-Dude You Feel Electrical.mp3
CSS-The Gun.mp3
Yeah Yeah Yeahs-Gold Lion (Diplo Remix).mp3

Another London Festival Sells Out

Those Brits sure do love their music festivals and they definitely have enough excellent ones to go around this year. The latest being the Princess Diana Memorial Concert which is set to take place on July 1st at the new Wembley Stadium on what would have been Diana's 46th birthday. The first batch of tickets sold out in 20 minutes back in December with an additional 10,000 seats made available yesterday. Pharrell Williams, Keane, Kayne West, Take That, Lily Allen, and of course Sir Elton John are all on the bill. Sir Elton John has been very public in the past about his affection for the late Princess and is incredibly honored to be able to pull this off, "Diana was a personal friend and someone I greatly admired for her tireless and enthusiastic work for charity." Proceeds from the event will go to a host of the charities Diana supported throughout her life as well as two the Princes also devote time to, Centrepoint and Sentebale. (via NME)

*The new Wembley Stadium has a capacity of approximately 90,000 for all of those crazied football fans.

More Pipettes Tour Dates

Tickets for their New York show went on sale earlier this week. Check out the rest of their US targets.
Judy.mp3
Pull Shapes.mp3

Babyshambles and Amy Winehouse?

Could this be true?! The day my NME arrived with Pete and Carl happily hugging on the cover is the same day that brings news of a Babyshambles and Amy Winehouse collaboration in the mix. Really? This has been quite the week! The Tripwire reports that Babyshambles who are currently working on their sophomore album and are in negotiations to rope in Amy Winehouse and Shaun Ryder for a few tunes. All the members (sans Pete) stopped by XFM and said they had 35 songs already penned for the new record including "Delivery," "Little Heart Ache" and "Death Left Hands." Bassist Drew McConnell also spoke about Winehouse/Ryder collaborations saying, "She's a friend of ours. The Shaun Ryder one is in negotiation at the moment. Our people are talking to their people hopefully...we'll see what happens." Earlier today news appeared about Jay Z appreciating Miss. Winehouse's music as well.
Me And Mr Jones.mp3

Sigh...goodbye McCarren Pool as music venue

Thank you BrooklynVegan and everyone who commented, some of the posts are pure hilarity (yes i am referring to the Disco Biscuts cut). At least Chan still gets to play.

The Maccabees

One of my close friends has excellent taste in music even though we sometimes disagree on certain 'sounds.' However she introduced me to The Maccabees a few months back and shared the video for their first single, 'First Love' and it was so creative and adorable i kinda fell in love.

I am excited to announce that they will be stateside lending support to Bloc Party and The Noisettes who MusicSlut gave a rave review. I definitely think they have the sound to find a happy audience and second home within New York. We shall see. Here is a bit of info on the boys and tour dates:

The Brighton based 5 piece are made up of Orlando Weeks (vocals, 23), Hugo White (guitars, 20), Felix White (guitar, 22), Rupert Jarvis (bass, 20) and Robert Dylan Thomas (22) but all grew up in South London, near Clapham Common.


tour dates
X-Ray.mp3
First Love.mp3

Arctic Monkeys UK Chart Success

The lads seem to be doing swell thus far, interesting to see how the album takes here.

"Arctic Monkeys are set to have multiple chart entries on the singles charts, due to changes in the chart. As previously reported, changes in the singles chart allowed any song purchased online to be counted towards the rundown. According to the midweek chart, the band are not only at Number Five with officially released single 'Brianstorm' but the entirety of their second album 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' has entered the singles chart's top 150.


The band are at Number 47 with 'Fluorescent Adolescent', at Number 57 with '505', Number 63 with 'Teddy Picker', Number 64 with 'Balaclava', Number 67 with 'D Is For Dangerous', Number 70 with 'Old Yellow Bricks', Number 71 with 'This House Is A Circus', Number 72 with 'Do Me A Favour', Number 74 with 'Only Ones Who Know', Number 77 with 'The Bad Thing', Number 78 with 'Temptation Greets You Like Your Naughty Friend' and Number 114 with 'If You Were There, Beware'.

The band are also set to top the album charts with 'Favourite Worst Nightmare' knocking Avril Lavigne's The Best Damn Thing' off the top spot." -NME

Come on boys, muscle up- knock off that Avril Lavigne! You can do it!
D Is For Dangerous.mp3

Listen all y'all it's a Sabotoge!

It is like being back in high school all over again with upcoming Bjork and Beastie Boys releases on the horizon. The Beasties have named their new album 'The Mix Up' which will hit stores in June. The best bit is Mike D has said that the style of the album will return to previous albums 'Check Your Head' and 'Paul's Boutique' instead of their recent sound on their 2004 release 'To The 5 Boroughs.' "We play instruments on the whole album, as opposed to sampling. There's more rock on there. If you know us you can trace the influences and they're no completely surprising. Someone who listens to us casually might think 'What the hell are these guys doing?' "It might make you flip your wig right off, or your hairpiece, if you're a casual listener."
Ch-Check It Out.mp3
Sabotage.mp3
*The Beastie Boys are part of the LiveEarth festival series and are on the London bill

White Stripes 'Icky Thump' Tour Dates Announced

At first i was a little bummed out that The White Stripes were playing Madison Square Garden (*this being the ONLY NYC Date!) and then I realized- hey, if anyone can play a show there out of all of these bands then they can. Most definitely! Very excited for the new single, hope everyone went over to Itunes and checked it out. As Jaime texted me this morning, "You down with Icky Thump? I for sure 'em! I forgot how badly i truly missed Jack and Meg. How f'n sick is this song?!" And that my folks pretty much says it all. Check out the rest of the tour dates and mark it on your calendar!

Ballard- Keep your Eyes and Ears OPEN please!

Via John in the Morning's daily email:
Please Keep your Eyes open and your thoughts with a good friend of KEXP.....

Our good friend, Greg Perez, who has provided the photographs for multitudes of KEXP events, had his Ballard home burglarized last Monday April 13th. A few words from Greg:

"We've got homeowners insurance to cover almost everything, which is a relief, but what they did take from us are a lot of the work and memories both of us have collected over the last year. We're talking at least a year's worth of photos, wedding pictures, honeymoon pictures, concert pictures, all of our digital music, our design work, personal correspondences, contact information, the list goes on. Some if not most of it had been backed up, but a lot of our stuff from the last six months had not. It hurts to even type this. We'll likely never see those memories again.

That said, we need your help. It's not often I reach out for it, but here goes: I've compiled a list of the "big ticket" items that they got (there's plenty more, including 200+ DVDs and about 50+ video games, jewelry and other stuff). I'm hoping if you guys see this list and happen to be trolling craigslist or ebay or any other online sellers that you might keep us in mind. Again, the point isn't to get this stuff back, necessarily, but to call out patterns; if a lot of the same items trace back to the same general area or seller, that's evidence we can use."

TV & Entertainment Panasonic 37" Plasma HDTV w/ TV stand, remote, Monster brand component cable, Monster brand HDMI cable TiVo Series 2 w/ Remote TEAC Audio Receiver w/ remote
Computers & peripherals
Dell Dimension 4500 desktop computer w/ 40 gig HD + 80 gig HD, 768 MB RAM, Nvidia GeForce-5600 128 MB graphics card, Sony DVD Burner GQ 5090 Celeron 330 2.66 Intel Celeron D 330 desktop computer Canoscan 8600F scanner
Camera gear
JVC Everio HDD video camera
Canon 20D Digital SLR camera
o Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 lens w/ B + W brand 55mm UV protector
o Canon EF 100mm f/2.0 lens w/ B + W brand 55mm UV protector
o Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 lens w/ B + W brand 55mm UV protector
o Canon off-camera flash cord
o Canon 550EX flash w/ Sto-fen Flash diffuser, Sto-fen mini soft box attachment
o Canon 20D rechargable batteries x 2
o 1 GB CF memory card x 3 (Kingston, SanDisk)
o Canon digital battery recharger
o Tamrac professional digital camera bag (med)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30 camera w/ rechargeable battery (Has a Tamron lens cover)
o Tamrac professional digital camera bag (small)
Pentax Optio X digital camera w/ digital camera case, rechargeable batteries x 2, 1 GB SD memory card
Canon A570 IS digital camera w/ digital camera case, rechargeable AA batteries x 4
Canon Demi-S film camera, Limited edition blue body (RARE)
Video game systems
Nintendo Wii game system w/ Wii remotes x 4, Wii Nunchuk x 2, Wireless Gamecube Wavebird controllers x 2, w/ Mad Catz brand Component cable
Microsoft Xbox 360 Premium system w/ Xbox DVD remote, wireless controllers x 4, wireless headset, Xbox Vision camera
Sony Playstation 2 system, w/ Sony Dual Shock controllers x 4, Sony 8 MB Memory Card, Sony S-Video adapter
Nintendo DS portable game system w/ Nintendo brand carrying case, 5 games
Microsoft Zune digital audio player (Brown) w/ Belkin brand carrying case
Misc.
Rogue model 4-string bass guitar (black, still has Trading Musician pricetag)



*i am sure if by any chance of luck you do hear word of this you could probably email via KEXP website?!

Oh Europe

Along with whistfully wishing i was going to Coachella this weekend i also spend massive amounts of time day dreaming about being in Europe so i could see some of my favorite acts while they tour about. One of these is Kate Nash so i thought i would post her dates in case someone across the pond reads this- then you can go for me!
The Nicest Thing.mp3
Birds.mp3
********************
Tracks/links to previous posts for the other four superior bands:
*Basia Bulat
*The Great Lake Swimmers
I am Part of a Large Family.mp3
*Sol Seppy
Come Running.mp3
Injoy.mp3
*The Twilight Sad
That Summer At Home I Had Become The Invisible Boy.mp3

Coachella Travelers

Perth people

Apr 27 2007 8:00P SWEATBOX@Norfolk Basement w/ Harlequin League PERTH, Western Australia

May 2 2007 9:00P Cassette @ Bar Open Perth, Western Australia

May 20 2007 6:00P Hyde Park Hotel w/City Riots/Gigantic/Harlequin League Perth, Western Australia

Jun 15 2007 7:00P JuiceBox Launch The Bakery, Perth, Western Australia

Jun 28 2007 7:00P PACK UP THE BUS TOUR W/LOVE YOU NOT&RESERVES RAT&PARROT,BUNBURY, Western Australia

Jun 29 2007 7:00P PACK UP THE BUS TOUR W/LOVE YOU NOT&RESERVES PLAYERS BAR, MANDURAH, Western Australia

Jun 30 2007 8:00P PACK UP THE BUS TOUR W/LOVE YOU NOT&RESERVES 3 BEARS, DUNSBOROUGH, Western Australia

Jul 1 2007 6:00P BACK2PERTH w/Love You Not & The Reserves. Hyde Park Hotel, PERTH, Western Australia


You must go check out the best local band ever-because The Colours will someday be performing in NYC!

ALBIE! Free show at Hiro! and more tour dates...

You SHOULD be there.
More tour dates.
Back to the 101.mp3
Postal Blowfish.mp3

Slip up?!

MusicSlut reports about 'leaked' Bjork album.

Look Sharp! Look Sharp!

One of the reasons i went to see The Streets my first time out was because Dizzee Rascal was their opener. He is so much fun live especially when he is teamed up with Mike Skinner. Dizzee has already collaborated with some great UK artists and his upcoming album follows that successful suit adding the likes of Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys and Lily Allen. 'Maths and English' will be released on June 2nd in the UK and is the follow up to 'Showtime' which was released back in 2004. Alex is sampled on the track 'Temptation' while Miss Lily is on the track 'Wanna Be.' This is the second time Alex and Dizzee have worked together, the first was during the track 'Temptation Greets You Like A Naughty Friend', which appears on the B-side of current single 'Brianstorm'.

The album will feature:

'World Outside'
'Pussy' ole (Old Skool)'
'Sirens'
'Where's Da G's'
'Paranoid'
'Suck My Dick'
'Flex'
'Da Feelin'
'Bubbles'
'Excuse Me Please'
'Hard Back (Industry)'
'Temptation'
'Wanna Be'
'You Can't Tell Me Nuffin''

dizzee_rascal_fix_up.mp3
Stand-Up-Tall-Starkey-Remix.mp3

That Jack White....he's at it again!

I think one of the main reasons Jaime and I became friends was because in the first ten minutes of conversation our mutual love and admiration for the Jack White was revealed (and KEXP of course). These two factors for me pretty much mean that you are okay to hang out with and at least know a little bit of your stuff. Not to say that i don't have a lot left to learn about music, as with anything i think it is an on going educational process of both the past and the present- but to me Jack White IS the future. Hands down i think he will do more to change music for our generation than any other musician out there right now. I love him that much. So to be able to bring news to you regarding BOTH of his bands brings me much happiness. So i hope you enjoy. It would seem that he has left little time to rest in between finishing up his most recent White Stripes album with Meg, 'Icky Thump' and has gone back to Blackbird Studio in Nashville. The Raconteurs first album, 'Broken Boy Soliders' recieved quite a following and also features Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler who already have composed twelve songs for the follow up album, yet to be named. "The band are hoping to finish the LP before their frontman hits the road with The White Stripes in the summer. White described the sound as "very different" from the band's 2006 debut 'Broken Boy Soldiers'. "We don't know if we're going to finish but we wanted to get everything down before we got busy," he told Billboard.com. "We have a lot bigger ideas about certain things, so we will see how far we get."
Blue Veins.mp3
Hands.mp3

First White Stripes Single off of Icky Thump available TODAY!

The White Stripes’ first single, ‘Icky Thump’, will be available exclusively online through the iTunes music stores (US and Canada only) starting at 12:01 am this Thursday, April 26th. Third Man Records/XL Recordings will also be releasing CD and vinyl versions of the ‘Icky Thump’ single on June 11th in the UK. The formats and track listings are as follows:

White vinyl 7” (companion to the NME distributed record that will be given away with copies of the magazine on stands June 6th)
A. Icky Thump
B. Etching (no audio)


Standard 7”
A. Icky Thump
B. Baby Brother


CD single
1. Icky Thump
2. Catch Hell Blues

Check out the artwork at www.whitestripes.com
Party Of Special Things To Do.mp3
*GO BUY THE SINGLE!

Los Angeles Arctic Monkey Fans!

Following their performance at Coachella this Sunday, April 29th the boys will head over to the Troubador for an intimate show. Tickets are on sale - password is Brianstorm.

Yep...even more Lily news

I just can't help it- i love Lily! So does NME despite their on going love/hate relationship. They announced news of four live tracks of Lily's songs from her LA performance posted at Urge. The songs were recorded back in February during her MTV Discover and Download tour (which i attended at Webster Hall when she passed thru). 'Smile', 'LDN', 'Littliest Things', and 'Alfie' are all just as much fun live so check them out. Lily will be stateside this weekend during Coachella (who announced the set times today) and in June at Bonnaroo.
Smile (Live on Radio 1).mp3
Smile (Mark Ronson revisit).mp3

Spoon and David Vandervelde at Bowery Ballroom

Last night two Austin bands graced Bowery Ballroom with a stellar show. Spoon played to a jam packed sold out crowd following David Vandervelde who opened the show with another rocking show to a sizable turnout.

Spoon....Spoon truly gave the Bowery an all out performance clocking in at over an hour (10:00 till 11:40)...talk about getting your moneys worth (the show sold out in two hours). And as some people complain that sets just get dragged out (i believe this was mentioned about Peter Bjorn and John at the Bowery a few months ago) this was totally not the case last night. I would say about 95% of the crowd stuck around for the full show and not an ounce of energy was lost from the band or the crowd. For me Britt Daniel puts together some fine lyrics complimented by his erratic, yet clean guitar style. As pointed out by ProductshopNYC, the band was positively tight. The show never had a dull moment with a set balanced perfectly with combination of classic and new material.


If Spoon is coming to a town near you- do yourself a favor and catch them. They are playing some amazingly polished music in a truly professional manner.

*And if Steph reads this, I hope your head is not hurtin' too bad today!
**Spoon will return to NYC on July 11th at Battery Park as part of the River to River series

-Jaime W.

I Turn My Camera On.mp3
The Way We Get By.mp3

Dear Basia Bulat please come to the United States

I have been listening to Basia's beautiful voice for months now and after checking up on her website see she still has yet to announce US dates. Enough already! I for one would love it if she came with her current tour mates The Veils to their Mercury Lounge date (tickets are already on sale). Not only are The Veils an incredible talent but she goes on to support The Great Lake Swimmers fellow Canadians whose music so gently lulls you into craving more and many blogs have already commented on a bright future for the lads and then Sondre Lerche as well. Busy girl! Hopefully her upcoming European audiences will show her the admiration she completely deserves. I invite you to check out her offered up below as well as her myspace and website pages. Her album has yet to be released here (i search every week!) but for those of you lucky folks residing outside of our lovely boarders you can find it after April 30th care of Rough Trade Records (UK and Europe).
Snakes and Ladders.mp3
The Pilgriming Vine.mp3

Hey Hipsters! Shoes for a good cause

My co-worker was tipped off to this pretty incredible project where if you purchase a pair of TomsShoes they will donate a pair to their charity. Seems worth while to me. Of course these are my favorite: they remind me of a pair of Vans i had when i was little.

The Rosewood Thieves

Did anyone catch their show at The Living Room on Friday night or opening for Jesse Malin on Saturday? Would love to know how it went! i LOVE LOVE LOVE this band.
Back Home To Harlem.mp3

*photo via KEXP

Razorlight @ Gramercy Theatre

As if May is not packed chock full of concerts enough for us music lovers Razorlight decided to go ahead and announce news of a performance on May 10th. The Gramercy Theatre only holds 700 people and will be the band's only tour date for the US this summer. Interested to see if all of the gossip flying around Borrell post South by Southwest will influence ticket buyers. I for one was at their first ever NYC show and definitely think they are worth checking out.
In the Morning.mp3

Rocco DeLuca at Ramshead in Baltimore

With a silky smooth voice that you would associate with someone much older, Rocco DeLuca has just the right amount of southern twang and passion to effectively pull you in to the lyrics he pours out for someone from California. Live, he is engaging and humble, commanding the presence of this audience without hopping around the stage and making you dizzy. He stood center stage humbly strumming his guitar and tapping his foot to the beat. You could feel the energy and passion he has for his songs throughout the RamsHead Live stage and if you closed your eyes for a moment, you can clearly see the path he is trying to take you down. He is thoroughly entertaining to watch and listen to and is an act to look forward to at this year's Bonnaroo. How can you not like an album called "I Trust You to Kill Me?" With a voice like Rocco's, you might actually be soothed into complacency.
Draw.mp3
-Sarah W.

*In addition to Jaime, Sarah will be writing in from time to time covering shows in the Baltimore/Annapolis/Washington DC area. She is my big sister and is souly responsible for my addiciton to The Cure, Depeche Mode, R.E.M., U2 and other fantastic music that came out during the 80's. It is nice because now i can 'teach' her a few things, even if she would never admit it.

Real News

Boris Yeltsin

Arctic Monkeys Album Release TOMORROW!

I can hardly wait...might even trek over to Virgin at midnight. Hey, i love them. Apparently so does the New York Times:


ARCTIC MONKEYS
“Favourite Worst Nightmare”
(Domino)

"The cynicism is as barbed as the guitar riffs on Arctic Monkeys’ second album, “Favourite Worst Nightmare,” and the guitar riffs bristle. Their 2006 debut album, “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not,” rode an Internet buzz fueled by the band’s giving away its songs before release, but the momentum came from the songs themselves. Arctic Monkeys arrived amid a wave of English bands that were rediscovering the terse melodies and hurtling, hard-nosed narratives of new-wave rock. They weren’t the first, but they were among the most musically gifted, with two guitarists (Alex Turner and Jamie Cook) who spar and mesh with constant tension and a rhythm section (Andy Nicholson on bass and Matt Helders on drums) that swings as it drives the music.

In the time between albums Arctic Monkeys have shifted their perspective from the nightlife, gigs, booze and flirtations of their debut album to a more encompassing disillusionment and sense of betrayal. “We’re forever unfulfilled, and can’t think why,” the band declares in “This House Is a Circus.”

Mr. Turner’s lyrics are so tightly packed that he sometimes delivers them as fast as a rapper. In the rush of rhymes, nearly everyone and everything is a cheat: lovers, hustlers, tabloid media, even nostalgic memories. “Balaclava” and “The Bad Thing” are pickups with a bad conscience from the start; “Do Me a Favour” focuses on the moment of a breakup. “Fluorescent Adolescent” mourns the way lust wanes — “Discarded all the naughty nights for niceness/Landed in a very common crisis” — while “If You Were There, Beware,” denounces the way reporters exploit suffering: “Can’t you sense she was never meant to fill column inches.”

The new songs are more melodic and even more meticulous than before. Arctic Monkeys have almost ruled out standard punk strumming. Instead they have zeroed in on the counterpoint of the two guitars, neatly separated on left and right channels and clawing fiercely at each other. The songs take pride in that bitter clarity."
-JON PARELES

Brianstorm.mp3

The Pipettes

Seeing as these girls are one of Jaime's favorite things in life i felt obligated to post news about their upcoming New York show. The threesome will be performing at the Highland Ballroom on June 5th. Tickets are on sale already, so pick yours up- they will most likely sell quickly. I must say, their song, "Your Kisses are Wasted on Me" sticks to your brain like superglue.
*Apparently they like vinyl just as much as we do!
We Are The Pipettes.mp3
Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me.mp3

WHITE STRIPES ICKY THUMP VINYL via NME

Thank you thank you NME. Definitely will be attacking our postman for this! NME reports that the White Stripes will be releasing a track from their highly anticipated upcoming album, Icky Thump. A special seven inch vinyl (how perfect?!) of 'Rag And Bone' will come free exlusive with the June 6th issue of NME.

"The track will be pressed onto red vinyl, while the flipside will feature a etching designed exclusively by Jack White and will come in special gatefold packaging featuring more artwork by the band. Following the exclusive release with NME, the band will then release their album's title track, 'Icky Thump', as a single on June 11. However confirming our giveaway's unique place in The White Stripes' history, the seven-inch version of the 'Icky Thump' single will be pressed onto white vinyl and will also feature a unique etching on the flipside. With space left for this release in packaging given away with the NME, the two pieces of vinyl can be combined into a unique collectors editions. Speaking of the unique release, Ben Beardsworth, managing director of the band's label XL, said he was excited that by releasing 'Rag And Bone' via NME so many people will be able to get hold of the band's latest material. "There something quite magical about getting such a strong track, on such a stunningly presented piece of vinyl, directly in to the hands of such a vast number of people," he explained. To get hold of the unique release all readers have to do is buy the NME which hits UK newsstands on June 6. Details of how those outside Britain will be able to pre-order this unique issue will be available nearer the time on NME.COM."

David Vandervelde Weekend in NYC

A couple months back my friend, whose lovely blog this is, gave me a couple of tracks of David Vandervelde to listen to and I instantaneously became hooked. I headed straight to e-music and picked up a copy of his latest album "The Moonstation Band" and it has been on heavy rotation ever since. The sound this kid creates to me is a perfect mix
of David Bowie meets T-Rex...who can complain about that?

So last night marked my first time seeing David Vandervelde and the new Luna Lounge in Williamsburg. Just real quick, I must say the Luna Lounge was much nicer than I had expected and quite easy to get to from Manhattan...will definitely be back if the right artist is playing. Anyhow back to Vandervelde and his band. Prior to the show while I was grabbing a beer David was right next to me and this boy threw down a double shot, grabbed his beer and headed straight to the stage....right in that moment I knew this kid would be bringing the heat with tonights' performance.



David and his band took the stage and played a 45 minute set of straight rock and roll. What makes this band different than so many of the bands that play in this "indie circuit" is that David can wail on guitar and is not afraid to do so. Many of the tunes consist of 2 - 5 minute guitar jams that truly keep the audience engaged (this could be exhibited by the fact that there was literally no chatting amongst the audience while the band was performing). I think it was maybe in the second or third song in the night that David broke one of his guitar strings and in good rock fashion David just kept going as if it was no
big deal to play everything one scale higher for the rest of the night....as David pointed out, the problem would have been fixed but their "guitar tech was in LA". He also ventured into the audience during one of his jams while playing a blistering jam and even kissed a girl in the front row while rockin' out....kids got SKILLS. I also must point out that besides David, he brings on board one fine drummer and a bassist that literally drops bombs on the bass. Overall, great set and cannot wait for Pianos!

Also for those of you that do not know, a prairie shot is a shot of tequila mixed with Tabasco sauce and the band graciously excepts them and will throw 'em back on stage.

-Jaime W.

Murder In Michigan mp3
Jacket.mp3

********

Sunday night's set at Pianos was a bit on the short side as the boys seemed tired from their show the previous tonight. Jaime and i both highly recommend you arrive with enough time before Spoon at Bowery Ballroom tonight to see David and gang. His drummer Derek also is a member of the band Entrance out of Los Angeles and i highly recommend you checking out their album, Prayer of Death. They recently supported Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks on his extensive West Coast tour back in January as well as a set as South by Southwest. Derek is certainly a busy boy!


*The Entrance

Do not forget Richie Kirkpatrick, David's bassist with the almost comical moustache. His other band is named "Ghostfinger" and he is joined by drummer Van "Man-Bull" Campbell and keyboardist, Matt Rowland. My Old Kentucky Blog reports that Richie says the songs are "campfire songs for after the apocalypse." You make your own judgements.

*Ghostfinger
Hello Movies.mp3