Tag: News

NEWS ROUNDUP: Frank Ocean, Palisades & Cereal

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  • Frank Ocean Album Still Shrouded In Mystery

    After impatient speculation about when the singer would release his new album, Boys Don’t Cry,  it looked like it would finally be released today after a mysterious live stream began on Frank’s website, featuring people doing woodwork in a large hall while ambient music played and the singer in a Bowie t-shirt. As of now (11am), it’s not here yet. Sources say the album will be released exclusively through Apple Music, so get ready to pay another $10/month subscription if you want to hear it.

    Check out one of the tracks in the live stream below.

https://soundcloud.com/thisisallexperimental/frank-6-guitar

  • RIP Palisades

    As we mentioned in June, the venue on Bushwick’s Broadway was shut down during Northside Festival for several code violations. Apparently, the shutdown is permanent, as Brooklyn Vegan has reported the former DIY space is now up for rent. No offense guys, but you were definitely a fire hazard.

  • Old Rolling Stones Commercial Uncovered

    The Jingle was written by the band’s first lead guitarist, Brian Jones, and it’s kind of hilarious to listen to Mick Jagger mumble his way through singing the praises of Rice Krispies, including the slightly aggressive endorsement “Wake up in the morning there’s a crackle in your face.” 

  • Spotify Wants To Replace Albums With Playlists

    Via WIRED: “For decades, we all listened by the album: drop it on the turntable, put the needle down, sit back, and let the LP wash over you…. Somewhere in there, we lost the ability to just press play, close our eyes, and enjoy. Playlists are giving that back.” Today Spotify launches Release Radar, a weekly, 2 hour playlist curated just for you! (By an algorithm they use for everyone else, of course).

NEWS ROUNDUP: Music In Space, Prophets Of Rage, & The Strokes

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  • Coming Soon: Music In Space?

    It’s been a busy month for Jack White. After being named to Nashville’s new Council On Gender Equity, he and Third Man Records are planning to put a record player into the cosmos to be the first to play one in space. Their choice for the mission, which will take place tomorrow, is Carl Sagan’s A Glorious Dawn. I’m still not entirely sure if this is all a joke, but  I do want to know: are aliens more into vinyl, or cassettes?

  • Watch Prophets Of Rage On Jimmy Kimmel

    The supergroup contains Rage Against The Machine members Tim Comerford, Tom Morello and Brad Will, as well as Chuck D and DJ Lord from Public Enemy and B-Real from Cypress Hill. For their TV debut, they played “Killing In The Name Of” in front of a “Make America Rage Again” banner as the crowd moshed. The protest band’s performance comes soon after they played in Cleveland, in stark contrast to the RNC events taking place there. Watch them play “Killing In The Name Of” below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7KGJUbsfiU

  • Watch The Strokes On Jimmy Kimmel, Too

    On Tuesday, the NYC rock group played “Threat Of Joy,” with Julian Casablancas stumbling endearingly and almost making the whole performance without taking his sunglasses off. The song is from their new EP, Present Future Past, out now via Cult Records. Check the performance out below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gybGhy8fFk

NEWS ROUNDUP: NAF, Alan Vega & Unreleased Bowie

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  • Watch NAF on Colbert

    The new project, which features Jenny Lewis, Tennessee Thomas and Erika Forster stands for Nice As Fuck. The trio made their network television debut on Tuesday by performing the sparse but hopeful “Door” and the anti-firearm song “Guns.” Check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvHLKldiFuc

  • RIP Alan Vega

    Alan Vega, the singer of the New York band Suicide, passed away on Saturday at the age of 78. NPR has called him “one of the founding fathers of punk” and his death has prompted covers from Pearl Jam and MGMT, and statements from Henry Rollins and Bruce Springsteen. Read AudioFemme’s Only Noise column dedicated to the singer, and learn more about his life here.

https://soundcloud.com/watermelonsugar-1/goodbye-darling

 

  • Unheard David Bowie Album Coming Out

    Get ready for some new David Bowie… eventually. A release date hasn’t been announced, but a new box set will include The Gouster, an unreleased Bowie album that was the prototype for Young Americans. The set, Who Can I Be Now, will also cover his releases from 1974-1976.

NEWS ROUNDUP: St. Vincent, Led Zeppelin, & Angel Olsen

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  • Watch St. Vincent Perform As A Toilet

    During a benefit concert on Tuesday, St. Vincent performed several songs dressed as a toilet. (There’s probably a great potential for puns here, but we’ll let you take care of that). The benefit was for the song of Annie Clark’s drummer, Jasper Johnson, who is recovering from a severe seizure. Father John Misty,  Rufus Wainwright, Martha Wainwright, Elysian Fields, Joan As Police Woman, Nina Persson also performed. Check out footage of “Bring Me Your Loves” below:

  • ICYMI: Led Zeppelin Is Innocent

    Rock legends Led Zeppelin were dragged into a lawsuit claiming that “Stairway to Heaven”’s signature guitar riff was actually a ripoff of Spirit’s “Taurus,” an instrumental song from 1968. Though Led Zeppelin had performed with Spirit before, they denied their song, written in 1970, was based off of “Taurus.” Now, the lawyer on Spirit’s side, Francis Malofiy, is being suspended from practicing law for 3 months. Apparently, Malofiy violated a bunch of rules of conduct during a previous copyright infringement lawsuit, involving Usher’s “Bad Girls.” Read more here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q7Vr3yQYWQ

  • Watch Angel Olsen’s “Shut Up Kiss Me”

    Angel Olsen dons a sparkly, silver wig once again in the video she self-directed for “Shut Up Kiss Me.” She also gets pretty wild on a roller skating rink. Check out the video below, and pre-order her upcoming album MY WOMAN here.

  • Support Phil Elverum’s Crowdfunding Campaign

    Phil Elverum, of the Microphones and Mount Eerie is currently raising money for his wife Geneviève, who was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer soon after the couple had a daughter. Other musicians are currently helping the cause by auctioning merchandise; Neutral Milk Hotel is offering a signed box set, and Fugazi and Bikini Kill are auctioning several things. Check out the crowdfunding campaign and auction.

NEWS ROUNDUP: Ticketmaster, LA Weekly, & Guitar Pedal Sneakers

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  • Ticketmaster Is Still The Worst

    Those outrageous “service fees” that get tacked on to each concert ticket you buy resulted in a $386 million class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster. You would think that would mean there would be no more fees, but instead, customers were informed that they would have access to ticket vouchers in their account and discount codes worth- wait for it- “a $2.25 credit on a future online ticket purchase of primary tickets.” You can use up to two of these per transaction, but many customers are having trouble accessing them.

    Of course, you could take advantage of the free tickets the company is offering to make up for their sketchy business practices, if you want to see artists such as The Kidz Bop Kids or an Elton John tribute band. Granted, there are some cool shows available, but as other sites have noted, shows are only available in 19 states.

  • Sky Ferreria vs LA Weekly

    The super-gross Sky Ferreria “thinkpiece” caused a lot of negative reactions on the internet; personally, it’s one of the most misogynist things I’ve ever read, though it inspired a pretty funny satire where Tom Hawking rewrote the article with John Lennon as the subject. LA Weekly has apologized for trying to be edgy with the article, but has decided to leave it online as a “topic of discussion, or outrage, or as a cautionary tale about how not to write about a female recording artist in 2016.” Pretty sure that nearly every other writer already knows that, but thanks for clarifying guys.

  • Watch J Mascis Test A Wah-Wah Pedal Shoe

    Hey musicians, Converse has gotten use one step closer to not having to carry around a bunch of pedals- just put them on your feet! The “All Wah” shoe allows you to plug directly into a Converse sneaker, and uses Bluetooth and microsensor technology to determine the position of your foot. Watch J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr test it out below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkF7Mq1ZUR0

NEWS ROUNDUP: Palisades, Deerhoof, & Patti Smith’s Nico Tribute

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  • Palisades Shut Down For The Summer

    Hopefully it’s temporary; during last weekend’s Northside Festival, the DIY space Palisades was shut down by police and the venue’s shows have been moved to other locations. Management tweeted that it would be closed for a few days, but it’ll be more like most of the summer after the NYC Department of Buildings gave them a complaint for problems like “GROUND FL OPERATED AS A CABARET WITHOUT A SPRINKLER SYSTEM CELLAR WORK W/O PERMITS & FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PREMISES.”

  • Patti Smith to Release Nico Tribute

    Patti Smith recorded a tribute to the late Velvet Underground singer, with Smith’s daughter contributing as well. “Killer Road” is inspired by Nico’s own poetry, her harmonium is used on the track. It sounds kind of like Nick Cave decided to take a shot at ambient music: chilling and foreboding with whispers in the background alluding to death. The track will be officially released on the Soundwalk Collective’s Killer Road, coming September 2nd. Listen below:

https://soundcloud.com/soundwalk-collective/sets/soundwalk-collective-jesse

  • Deerhoof’s The Magic Now Streaming on NPR

    The unpredictable band recorded The Magic by renting an abandoned New Mexico office building and recording for a week with no prepared material. NPR describes the result as a “tense, visceral, unpredictable sound that doesn’t let listeners get comfortable for very long.” Stream The Magic here, and watch the video for “Criminals Of The Dream,” which appears on the album, below:

NEWS ROUNDUP: Northside Fest & Opening/Closing Venues

 

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  • Northside Festival Continues This Weekend

    That means, there’s amazing shows everywhere. From Greenpoint to Bushwick to Far North East Williamsburg, or whatever the newest, cool made-up neighborhood is. Feeling overwhelmed? We even wrote you a guide to cool shows. Look at how much fun everybody had last year:

  • Other Music Farewell Shows

    As we’ve written about before, Manhattan record store Other Music will be closing at the end of this month. But, you can catch an awesome goodbye show at Bowery Ballroom on 6/28. Performers will include Yo La Tengo, Julianna Barwick, Sharon Van Etten, Frankie Cosmos, Helado Negro, Menahan Street Band, Matana Roberts, and John Zorn’s Simalacrum (with John Medeski, Matt Hollenberg, and Kenny Grohowski). Check out this performance by Regina Spektor at the store in 2009: 

  • New Brooklyn Venue Opens, Two Set To Close

    The Glove held their soft opening on Wednesday, and Facebook posts state that their calendar will be opening soon. From the venue’s page: “Members of The Bohemian Grove present a new space: The Glove… an experimental venue, theater, gallery, and multimedia studio space.” It is located in Bushwick between the Kosciusko and Gates stop on Broadway.

    However, posts today indicated that both the Grand Victory in Williamsburg and Secret Project Robot in Bushwick will cease operating at their current locations, because of rising rents.

  • Stream Mitski’s Puberty 2

    The Brooklyn-based singer songwriter has received rave reviews for her new album, Puberty 2. It comes out next week via Dead Oceans, but you can listen to the stream on NPR and check out the video for “Your Best American Girl” below.

  • Lithuania Single Benefits ‘Women Against Abuse’

    This week the band premiered “Kill The Thing You Love,” a song that wasn’t included on their last album, Hardcore Friends, but will be released as a single. All proceeds from the song will benefit ‘Women Against Abuse,’ an organization that provides domestic violence services. Listen to the song on Post-Trash, and check out our interview with the band here.

 

NEWS ROUNDUP: Brooklyn Events, Angel Olsen & Turntable Kitchen

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  • Angel Olsen Releases “Intern”

    “I don’t care what the papers say/ It’s just another intern with a resume.” The new Angel Olsen track has a soaring, cinematic feel to it, as if was created for the emotional climax of a vintage movie. The accompanying video features Olsen donning a sparkly silver wig as she sings into a headset and is interviewed on a movie set. Check it out:

  • Brooklyn Events

    This weekend is all about Bushwick- here are some cool events for those of you in the area:

    Color Me Bushwick – This event combines style and sound, in the form of a three day, free music, art and hair festival at Pickthorn Studio salon. Performing artists include Sharkmuffin, Cosmonaut, Milan to Minsk, Gingerleys, The Teen Age and many, many more. More details here.

    Bushwick Collective Block Party – Another three day festival, this event will feature a live performance by Jadakiss, DJs, food trucks, live graffiti painting, and an art exhibition. Details here.

  • Turntable Kitchen Launches New Project

    Turntable Kitchen “is a site connecting food and music” that aims “to introduce food lovers to music and vice versa.” While I’m pretty sure most people have already discovered that both food and music are pretty awesome, their new project, Sounds Delicious, looks great. Artists like The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Mitski, Skylar Spence, Mutual Benefit, Quilt, Jonathan Rado, Yumi Zouma, GEMS, Salt Cathedral and others will pick an album, and then record a full length cover of it to put on vinyl; it’s currently in the Kickstarter phase.

  • End Your Week With A New Music Video

    “You And I” by Margaret Glaspy is a fun, rowdy track with a bright, playful video. Check it out!

NEWS ROUNDUP: The Beastie Boys, Radiohead, & Brooklyn Weekend Events

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  • Father John Misty Shares “Real Love Baby”

    “What’s wrong with feeling?” After a series of sarcastic Soundcloud uploads, Father John Misty gets sentimental on his new song “Real Love Baby.” Although he stated on Twitter that the track “is just a thing” and won’t be on his upcoming album, the feel good, sappy love song is worth a listen.

  • Recommended Events

    Words & Guitars Fest: Words & Guitars is a “two day DIY zine, music, and art fest” that focuses on feminist art, and it starts tonight at Bushwick Public House. As well as performances by bands such as Yeti, Lady Bits, Drella and Lady Bizness, on Saturday there will also be a panel featuring members of the local punk scene on “their place as women in this scene today as musicians, educators, creators, and so much more.”

    She Shreds‘ 10th Issue Release Party: She Shreds is a magazine that focuses on women who play bass and guitar. Their 10th issue release party will be held at Market Hotel and will include performances by Lady Lamb, Allison Crutchfield, Field Mouse, and Holly Miranda. Buy tickets here.

  • John Berry of the Beastie Boys Dies

    As well as being a founding member of the group, Berry was the one who came up with their name. Though he left the group after they recorded their first EP Polly Wog Stew in 1982, the remaining members always mentioned him as an important member of the band. Berry died at age 52 from frontotemporal dementia, according to his father.

 

  • Radiohead Release Clip of “Numbers” Video

    The clip previews an upcoming music video, directed by Oscar Hudson. It features ominous background music as a man tidies up a small room, a futile task since sand is pouring in from a hole in the ceiling. Check it out:

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NEWS ROUNDUP: Radiohead, Prince Tributes, & Grimes

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  • Radiohead is Back!

    After erasing their social media presence, the band returned with their new single, “Burn The Witch.” Um, it’s awesome. The accompanying video looks like a cutesy stop-motion animation, until things take a darker turn (as the song’s title suggests). The animator states that it was inspired by the European refugee crisis. Radiohead has also announced tour dates, including Madison Square Garden, Primavera Sound Festival, Secret Solstice Festival, Osheaga Music and Arts Festival and Lollapalooza. Read our review of “Burn The Witch,” and check out the video below.

  • A Brief Roundup of Prince Tributes

    It’s been two weeks since Prince died, and plenty of tributes have been performed. Here are some highlights:

      • The touching tribute: One of Prince’s best songs is “Nothing Compares 2 U,” which opens with the line “It’s been seven hours and 13 days since you took your love away.” In honor of Prince, US radio stations coordinated to play the song at 5:07pm, 13 days and seven hours after his death. Stations all over participated in the event, initially started by the Minnesota public radio station The Current. Prince originally wrote the song in 1985 for The Family, who was signed to his Paisley Park label; on May 4th, they released a re-recorded version in memory of Prince under the band name fDeluxe.

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        The ensemble tribute: both the cast of Hamilton and The Color Purple have paid their respects by covering “Purple Rain.”

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        The big name tribute: Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen both performed Prince covers after his death. The ex-Beatle performed “Let’s Go Crazy,” while The Boss played “Purple Rain.”

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      •  The bizarre tribute: Mac DeMarco released a video covering “It’s Gonna Be Lonely,” accompanied by some interesting characters.

    Grimes Makes A Spectacle On Late Night TV

    Grimes brought dancers, dizzying background graphics and musician Hana Pestle to The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. She performed “Flesh Without Blood” from her latest album Art Angels, and said in an Instagram post that it was her first time performing in a corset. Check it out: 

 

  • Bad News For Musicians

    If you’re not a rockstar, you probably don’t have to worry about this. For the rest of you, take note: a recent study revealed that musicians die 25 years younger than the rest of the population. Conducted by the Australian psychology professor Dianna Kenny, the study “examined the lives and deaths of 12,665 musicians and stars from all popular genres who died between 1950 and June 2014,” and found that musicians were more susceptible to suicide, homicide, and accidental deaths. You can read the report here.

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NEWS ROUNDUP: The Politicization of Music, RHCP, & Radiohead

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  • Beyonce & the Politicization of Music

    Though Beyonce’s Lemonade contains unlimited potential for trivial gossip (Who is Becky?), the visual album is way deeper than that, as explained in The Rolling Stone here. Music has gotten a little more political lately, with artists canceling shows in anti-LGBTQ states or performing in support of political candidates (well, mostly Bernie Sanders), but when Beyonce weighs in, you know we’ve reached the peak of the politicization of music.

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  • Red Hot Chili Peppers Accused of Sexual Harassment

    Julie Farman, who worked at Epic Records in the 90’s, wrote a blog post detailing a “fucked up” experience she had during a meeting with members of the band. Farman wrote she was inspired to speak up after Amber Coffman broke her silence about Heathcliff Berru earlier this year, and blamed “the misogynistic culture of the music industry that kept [/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][her] from speaking up in 1991.”

  • Watch White Lung’s Video For “Below”

    The band plays in a dark theater, their only audience a handful of Marilyn Monroe impersonators who are brought to tears by the performance. “Below” is from White Lung’s upcoming album Paradise, out on May 6.

  • Levitation Festival Is Cancelled

    Artists including Animal Collective, Courtney Barnett, Ty Segall, Ween and many more were scheduled to play the festival, which was cancelled due to dangerous weather in Texas.

  • A New Radiohead Album Might Be In The Works

    The band is promoting it in kind of a creepy way: sending fans in the UK leaflets that say “We know where you live” and referencing the early 2000’s song “Burn The Witch.” It’s the latest sign that a new album is coming, after they announced a world tour and registered the companies Dawn Chorus LLP and Dawnnchoruss Ltd. When it comes out, it’ll be the band’s first new album since 2011’s The King Of Limbs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uejn1f6pqMQ

  • Blink-182 Are Back?

    The pop punk group replaced Tom Delonge with Matt Skiba from Alkaline Trio and released the first song from their upcoming album. California will be out July 1st, but “Bored To Death” was just presented to the internet in the worst way possible: a lyric video. Seriously, why do bands use these things? Anyway, here it is:

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NEWS ROUNDUP: Prince departs our world

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I was on my way to work yesterday when a woman sitting across from me let out a bloodcurdling scream. Everyone’s attention turned to her, but she wasn’t in distress, just gaping at her phone. “I’m sorry,” she apologized to the packed subway car. “I just read that Prince is dead.” Strangers started murmuring to each other: was it true? Everyone got out their own phone, trying to verify it, but there isn’t any cell phone service once the J train leaves Essex Street. By the time I got above ground, it had been confirmed: Prince had been found dead in an elevator at his Minnesota recording studio. He was 57.

2016 has been a rough year for the world of music. We’ve lost a lot of people: Merle Haggard, Phife Dawg, Frank Sinatra Jr., Maurice White, Glenn Fey. And of course, it started in January with the death of David Bowie, an icon so unique, so beloved and larger-than-life that he seemed immune to such a human problem, like the rest of us. Prince fit this category, too: who would have expected this to happen, now? And as the artists we knows and love age, who will be next? 

We don’t need to explain Prince’s legacy here; if you’re the kind of person who cares about music, you already know. We also don’t need to speculate on the cause of his death, which has not yet been announced. His life was way more important. What we do need, and still have, is his music. Here’s one of our favorite Prince songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oidpFKWfIiA

NEWS ROUNDUP: LCD Soundsystem, Andrew Bird & Wolkoff

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  • LCD Soundsystem Is Playing NYC This Weekend!

    Guess the breakup didn’t last too long- after announcing plans for a new record and festival dates, the band will be playing at Webster Hall 3/27 and 3/28. Tix are first come, first serve, so you’ll have to enter a lottery to even get the chance to buy them. Do it here!

  • Tickets For RBMA Festival Are Now On Sale

    The energy drink sponsored festival will take over NYC at the end of April, bringing select performances, events and lectures to a variety of venues. Highlights for 2016 include a talk with Spike Lee, Dizzee Rascal (Performing ‘Boy in Da Corner’), a performance with Kamasi Washington, Pharaoh Sanders and The Sun Ra Arkestra and a Brooklyn Flea Record Fair. Plus many, many more.

  • Stream Are You Serious by Andrew Bird

    The 13th album by the whistling violinist is streaming on NPR ahead of its April 1st release date. It includes “Left Handed Kisses,” a duet with Fiona Apple. Check out the song’s video, which features a playful singing showdown between the two, below:

 

  • Wolkoff Releases “The Homecoming” Video

    The song is frenetic yet hopeful, and its video stars a dog (played by a girl in a mask) who struggles to fit into a domestic life. It’s both strange and heartwarming. You can read more about its origins and meaning on Jezebel, and watch it below.

 

  • Ty Segall Is Scary (In A Good Way)

    First he terrified the audience of Stephen Colbert’s late night show by throwing candy at them while dressed like a more low-key version of The Joker. Turns out, he also likes haunt your dreams by wearing a creepy baby mask. Check out the getup on his Conan performance, where he plays the song “Californian Hills:”

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”]http://teamcoco.com/video/ty-segall-and-the-muggers-03-22-16

 

  • RIP Phife Dawg

    Phife  Dawg, aka Malik Taylor passed away on Tuesday at age 45. A founding member of Tribe Called Quest, his unique style resulted in classic songs like “Buggin’ Out,” “Electric Relaxation,”, and “Butter.” For a full obituary, click here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB9PiW68yQg[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

NEWS ROUNDUP: George Martin, Tiny Desk, & Iggy Pop

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  • George Martin Dies

    Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: George Martin, famed Beatles producer, has died at age 90. Martin spent seven years working with the Fab Four, helping them arrange and shape their sound. His closeness with the band earned him the nickname “the fifth Beatle,” though he also worked with other artists such as Peter Sellers, Shirley Bassey, America, Cheap Trick, Jeff Beck and Celine Dion. Many of the Beatles songs wouldn’t be the same without him- For example, check out “Tomorrow Never Knows,” a track on which Martin humored the band’s request for backward tape loops:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etN0h_e5rvI

  • Watch Mothers “It Hurts Until It Doesn’t” Video

    Feeling sad yet? Just wait until you learn the story behind the Mothers track “It Hurts Until It Doesn’t.” Singer  Kristine Leschper wrote the song about her missing cat. Footage of her cat is briefly featured in the video, and she describes it as “the only remaining video I have of my best friend, who was so often the only thing keeping me rooted in reality, feeding me optimism, helping me survive.” If you’ve ever had a lost cat, you’ll understand.

  • NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest Winner Announced

    This year’s winner of the Tiny Desk Contest is Gaelynn Lea, from Duluth, Minnesota. Lea sings and plays the fiddle, though her brittle bone disease requires her to play a very small violin which she holds upright, like a double bass. Her song, “Someday We’ll Linger In The Sun,” has a haunting, heartbreaking melody that remains in your head long after the song ends, yet still manages to convey a sense of hope. Check out her winning performance:

  • Stream Post Pop Depression, The New Iggy Pop + Josh Homme Collaboration

    Iggy Pop has described the album as a sort of sequel to Lust For Life, on which he collaborated with David Bowie. He recorded Post Pop Depression the Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, in some secluded desert location, as is Homme’s style (that information alone means it’s going to be pretty awesome).  You can stream the nine tracks on NPR, here. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DngIWkQVPgU

 

NEWS ROUNDUP: New Tracks, New Kendrick, & SWSW

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  • New Tracks By New York Artists 

    First up is “Your Best American Girl” by Brooklyn’s Mitski. The song is from Puberty 2, which will be released via Dead Oceans in June. It’s a sorrowful track about living up to expectations, full of soaring highs and the squeal of feedback amongst quieter moments.

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  • Monday was Leap Day, which is special day for Leaplings, the kids who were born on February 29th and finally get to celebrate their real birthday. Dan Arnes, the frontman of Leapling, is one of these people, and to take the “holiday” an extra step further, announced the band’s upcoming album Suspended Animation and debuted “Alabaster Snow.” Check it out below:

  • Parquet Courts are releasing their upcoming album Human Performance on April 8th. On Wednesday, they performed another new song, the cowboy-tinged punk “Berlin Got Blurry,” on Conan. Check out the official video below, which features the band exploring a foreign land.

  • Yeasayer are also releasing a new album (Amen & Goodbye, due out on April 1st) and shared a new track this week, “Silly Me.” I miss the “kind of folky in an apocalyptic” sound of their first album, but this song has a pretty good groove.

https://youtu.be/5rQxrZn8-A0

  • The Cost of SXSW

    Many bands view Austin’s SXSW festival as essential for gaining any notoriety in the music industry, but schlepping bandmates and gear to Texas can also be stressful and expensive. Is it worth it? You may have read some thinkpieces that may you want to hide your wallet, but you should read Ed Rodriguez’s take on the matter on The Talkhouse. Rodriguez, who plays in Deerhoof, argues that there’s a cheaper way to do the showcase, or any tour. Read his article here.

  • Kendrick Lamar Drops New Album

    After what appeared to be a Spotify mishap that gave away the track list, Untitled Unmastered was released as a follow-up of sorts to To Pimp A Butterfly. Buy it here.

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NEWS ROUNDUP: FKA Twigs, Kim Gordon, & Brian Eno

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  • FKA Twigs Performs On Jimmy Fallon

    Watch the relentlessly unique FKA Twigs give a stunning performance of her song “Good To Love” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhX1X3eJlnE

  • Stream M. Ward’s More Rain

    The singer/songwriter’s easy, smoke-filled voice has an undeniable charm. More Rain features guests such as Neko Case, k.d. Lang, and Peter Buck. You can stream the album on NPR ahead of its March 4 release date, and check out the video for “Confession” below:

  • Brian Eno Announces New Album

    “Humankind seems to teeter between hubris and paranoia: the hubris of our ever-growing power contrasts with the paranoia that we’re permanently and increasingly under threat… Somebody, something is going to take it all from us: that is the dread of the wealthy.” That’s a quote from Brian Eno explaining his upcoming album The Ship, which will be available via Warp on April 29. In the meantime, check out a song from his last release, Lux:

  • Kim Gordon Forms Glitterburst 

    The former Sonic Youth bassist has started a new project with Alex Knost, the guitarist from Tomorrows Tulips; it’s called Glitterburst, and their first album comes out on March 4. Check out their song “The Highline,” a spacey, droning track that morphs into the controlled chaos which is slightly reminiscent of Gordon’s former band. 

https://soundcloud.com/burgerrecords/glitterbust-the-highline

  • Robert Pollard Shares “I Can Illustrate”

    This was a great week for new releases; among the artists sharing new music or announcing new albums is Robert Pollard, known for his solo work and his Guided By Voices project. “I Can Illustrate” is from his upcoming album Of Course You Are, and it’s an incredibly catchy track from the offbeat, prolific songwriter. The album will be available in full on March 4.

NEWS ROUNDUP: Award Shows, Tiny Desk Concert, & Eartheater

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  • Vote For The Best ‘Tiny Desk Contest’ One-Person Band

    Around this time last year, every social media feed you had was suddenly flooded with home-made videos featuring small desks, coffee tables, or some sort of writing surface. Every friend you had in a band made one, along with everyone who had a thirst for fame and knew a few chords (Obviously, most entries were seriously amazing, even if you found out the hard way your cousin wrote love songs on an out-of-tune ukulele). Well, the whole process was repeated this year, and while you wait for the final winner to be announced, NPR will be letting the public vote on their favorite performers in certain categories. This week, the focus is on one-person bands. You can check them all out here, but here’s one of our favorites:

 

  • Noisey Breaks Down (More Of) The Music Industry’s Diversity Problem

    In this noisey.com article, writer Emma Garland discusses the Billboard Power 100 list. Released last week, it doesn’t feature musicians or performers, but “your chairmen, your CEOs, your executives; the people we don’t tend to think about but who spend most of their time influencing everything we hear.” The list is pretty much a bunch of white dudes; the 10 people at the top are white males, 96% of the top 50 are white and just 9% of the people on it are women. Statistics like these shed light on the fact that even in creative industries, there’s some sort of glass ceiling that cannot always be broken. You can check the actual list out here.

  • Courtney Barnett Performs On Stephen Colbert

    The Australian singer/songwriter/bad-ass guitarist didn’t seem at all upset that her nomination for this year’s Best New Artist Grammy award didn’t pan out; on Wednesday, she gave a spirited performance of “Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go to the Party,” from last year’s Somethings I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zBy7JyV9_E

  • That Little Thing Called The Grammys

    Red Carpet! Crop tops! Swift/Kanye drama! Mic malfunctions, tributes, medleys, and Dave Grohl with…. a Solo cup? A lot of stuff happened that you probably already know about, but make sure you watch Kendrick Lamar’s goosebumps-inducing performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTBUuQv0kpg

  • That Other Thing Called The NME Awards

    NME readers voted 5 Seconds of Summer 2015’s worst band, and Bring Me The Horizon destroyed Coldplay’s table. You can read the full list of winners here. There are some interesting categories like “Best Fan Community,” “Villian of the Year” and the “Godlike Genius” award, which went to Coldplay.

  • Eartheater Releases “Homonyms” Video

    The NYC based artist, whose name is actually Alexandra Drewchin, creates electronic music that is also folky and organic. The video for “Homonyms” features dancers in a beautiful, lush wilderness that seems more like a dream than reality. Her vocals oscillate between hushed whispers and angelic cries, which contribute to the effect. Check it out below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wimrg1l57nc&feature=youtu.be

NEWS ROUNDUP: Beyonce, Lana Del Rey, & Daytrotter Festival

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  • Father John Misty Stars in Lana Del Rey’s “FREAK”

    In the 11-minute long video, the two go on a hike before dropping acid. The last few minutes are slow motion footage of people frolicking in a swimming pool, set to a gentle piano ballad. According to Father John Misty, the video was inspired by a time he took acid at a Taylor Swift concert. Uh, sure it is. Read our review here.

  • Inaugural Daytrotter Downs Fesitval Starts Next Week

    What is Daytrotter? They bring in fairly well-known artists for recording sessions featuring alternative or reworked versions of their songs, and sometimes brand-new material. And from February 18 to February 20, they’ll be hosting a music festival in Davenport, IA featuring artists such as Lizzo, Mothers, and Curtis Harding. Check out a Daytrotter session from the Alabama Shakes below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo-qvB9hZtU

  • Beyonce Drops New Video, Internet Explodes

    There’s not much left to say about Beyonce’s “Formation;” she released the song and video the night before the Superbowl, but didn’t stop there. After her halftime performance, she announced a 2016 tour and a new, upcoming album. Trying to buy some cheap tickets? Good luck.

  • Happy Valentine’s Day From Paul McCartney & … Skype?

    Nothing says “Rock & Roll” or “I Love You” quite like corporate sponsorship. Skype is introducing some new love-themed Mojis, and the company put Paul McCartney to work recording their sound effects. Meanwhile, I’m still waiting for some desperate artist to do a MailChimp collaboration.

  • OK Go Release Video For “Upside Down & Inside Out”

    “Gravity’s just a habit that you’re really sure you can’t break:” OK Go is known for their off-the-wall music videos, and “Upside Down & Inside Out,” which was released yesterday, is no exception. It features the band literally bouncing off the walls in zero gravity along with some dancing flight attendants. While the song was included on the 2014 album Hungry Ghosts, it’s safe to assume to the delay was necessary to rehearse in that crazy setup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6fyWs8KSdE

 

NEWS ROUNDUP: Parquet Courts, Bernie Sanders, & Animal Collective

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  • Parquet Courts Debut New Songs

    The Brooklyn-via-Texas punks performed “Dust” and “Outside” on WFUV, and also announced an upcoming album titled Human Performance. “Dust” has a loping, cowboy Western feel, spacing tendrils of guitar riffs between suffocating lyrics: “It comes through the window, it comes through the floor/ It comes through the roof, and it comes through the door/ Dust is everywhere/ Sweep.” As you can see in the creepy video – which features dust personified- dust is a metaphor for the distractions of modern life. In a way, the song is a more subtle version of the band’s “Content Nausea.”

 

  • Bernie Sanders Gets Musical Endorsements

    I’m not saying that anyone should base their vote on what celebrities think of the presidential candidates. But if they did, I think we know who would win; members of Vampire Weekend and Dirty Projectors  joined Bernie Sanders onstage to sing “This Land Is Your Land” during a Iowa City rally for the candidate on January 30th. If you live in Brooklyn, you may have also noticed a bunch of shows dedicated to raising money for Sanders. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has earned only the endorsement of Kid Rock, and the wrath of Adele and Steven Tyler for using their songs without permission.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEXAUZrMvSE&feature=youtu.be

 

  • Listen to Animal Collective’s “Lying in the Grass”

    On the cartoonish, slightly schizophrenic track, voices bounce around, occasionally running into a glitch or a saxophone lick as the song builds. Listening to “Lying in the Grass” is like following instructions to make an origami box, only to realize you’ve somehow made a crane. Maybe that doesn’t make sense, but it’s kind of pretty, which sums up the track. Check it out below:

 

  • Johnny Cash Lives On, In Arachnid Form

    Fourteen new species of tarantulas have been recently discovered in the United States, and one of those, Aphonopelma johnnycashi, has earned the namesake of the country singer Johnny Cash. Why? It lives near Folsom Prison, and is jet-black, the color that Cash was known for wearing almost exclusively. It’s almost too perfect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5Ts4M3irWM

 

RIP Maurice White

Maurice White founded the incomparable Earth, Wind & Fire. He passed away yesterday from Parkinson’s at age 74, six years after he was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. His band was one of the most renowned, universally liked musical groups- for a thorough obituary, see The New York Times.

 

  • Philly Musicians Bill to be Withdrawn

    Remember that bill we mentioned last week, the one that would require all performers coming to Philadelphia to register with the police? Maybe you even signed the petition to stop it. Well, a spokesperson for Mark Squilla, the councilman who proposed the bill, has said that he intends to withdraw it. That definitely falls under the category of “good news.”

 

 

NEWS ROUNDUP: FJM, Elliot Smith & Philadelphia

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We’re not going to talk about Kanye’s Twitter breakdown. Here’s some real music news instead:

  • FJM Posts Creepy Lullaby to SoundCloud

    Last weekend, most of us were stuck inside while snow piled up, and it looks like the cabin fever got to Father John Misty pretty early. On Saturday, he uploaded a hilariously terrifying lullaby to SoundCloud. According to its description, the song was written for a Stephen Colbert skit but had to be cut for time/content. Well, the content is a super creepy description of a very, very bad dream, which includes a pile of dead birds, maggot-filled Lunchables, and human hair hats.

  • Unreleased Elliot Smith Track Now Available

    The upcoming Elliot Smith documentary Heaven Adores You will feature a new mix of the track “True Love,” which was originally recorded in 2001 with Jon Brion. According to the documentary’s producer, Kevin Moyer, it was one of the last songs Smith played at Largo, a L.A. music club where Smith would usually play after-hours sets. He also said that the gentle, haunting track originally started out as focused on love, but then shifted to drugs: “My love had gotten so strong, just to try to being back on my own/ I had to go to rehab.”

    “True Love” and other rare or unreleased Elliot Smith songs will be available on the Heaven Adores You soundtrack, available February 5th. Listen to “True Love” here, or the full soundtrack at NPR, and check out the documentary trailer below.

 

Interesting Revelations Arise About Bowie & Michael Jackson

  • Maybe this isn’t so surprising, but Coldplay’s Chris Martin and  Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers have revealed that the late David Bowie turned down offers to collaborate with and produce the two bands.

    I played a lot of Sonic The Hedgehog as a kid, and the mere mention of the video game gets its theme music stuck in my head for hours. Turns out there’s a good reason it’s so catchy: Michael Jackson wrote a lot of it, but asked to remain uncredited when he realized his music would be translated into synth-y video game sounds instead of gamers hearing his original recordings.

 

  • Important News For Philly Musicians

    A proposed bill in Philadelphia, PA would require all performers playing at venues with a 50+ capacity to give their names, addresses and phone numbers to police. Police would then create a registry of entertainers, and be able to prevent certain acts from playing in the city if their events have previously been associated with violent incidents. A change.org petition against the bill states that, “Not only is it unnecessary and likely to cause a massive administrative backlog, it’s a gross violation of our civil liberties. Philadelphia is currently one of the best cities in the country for live music-this bill would make it one of the worst. We call on City Council to reject this dangerous, costly, and unnecessary bill, and to continue to protect the civil rights of its residents.” We agree- if you do too, you can sign the petition here.

 

 

NEWS ROUNDUP: PJ Harvey, Basement Queens, & Heathcliff Berru

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  • Sadie Dupuis & Lizzo Debut New Song

    Sadie Dupuis (of Speedy Ortiz) and Lizzo released “Basement Queens,” on Wednesday, a song with a meta topic: women taking charge in the studio. The songwriting/recording process for the track was filmed by Google Docs, who sponsored the collaboration (in the video, you can see the two working on lyrics using the computer program). Next up: A Waxahatchee collaboration sponsored by MailChimp.

 

  • PJ Harvey Announces New Album

    The singer, songwriter, saxophonist and guitarist released video previews, and a full track, of  The Hope Six Demolition Project. Set for release on April 15th, the album was recorded in a special studio that let members of the public observe the recording process. The album trailer below hints at a record full of political commentary, and “The Wheel” is a grim look at the consequences of war. 

 

  • Josh Homme & Iggy Pop Also Announce New Album

    The frontmen for The Queens of The Stone Age and The Stooges announced that they secretly recorded an album together, and will be touring to promote it. Post Pop Depression comes out March 18th and also features Dean Fertita of the Dead Weather and Matt Helders of Arctic Monkeys. Homme, who records drums with the Eagles of Death Metal and occasionally plays live with the band, said working on the album helped him process the ordeal his bandmates went through when their concert was a target of terrorist attacks in France. Check out Homme and Iggy’s performance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert last night:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DngIWkQVPgU

 

  • The Music Industry (Still) Has A Problem With Women

    Twitter exploded on Monday after Amber Coffman, of the Dirty Projectors, shared her story of being groped by Life or Death PR & Management’s former CEO, Heathcliff Berru. After other women in the music industry spoke up about Berru’s pattern of harassing women, many artists who had ties with his firm quickly severed them, including Wavves, D’Angelo, Speedy Ortiz, and DIIV.

    Berru released a statement blaming his behavior on alcohol on drugs, but as this piece points out, substance abuse does not suddenly make someone a sexual predator. As bad as his refusal to accept full responsibility is, what’s just as troubling is that many people in the industry seemed to know about his reputation, yet did not speak up and continued to hire him. The lack of consequences people like him face enforces a dangerous norm in the industry:

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  • Everyone Is Dying

    Glenn Fry of The Eagles passed away this week. He was 67. As all of our favorite rock’n’roll icons start to age, this is going to happen more and more frequently, making the next decade or so a very depressing one. Happy Friday!

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NEWS ROUNDUP: David Bowie, Courtney Barnett, & The Market Hotel

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Illustration by Bejamin Schwartz of The New Yorker.
Illustration by Bejamin Schwartz of The New Yorker.

  • David Bowie Dies

    Just a week ago we were celebrating David Bowie’s 69th birthday and the release of Blackstar, but reviews of the album turned into eulogies with the news that he passed away on Sunday after a fight with terminal cancer. Memorials quickly appeared outside of his Manhattan apartment, and across the country, Bowie Street in Austin was replaced with a sign that read David Bowie Street.

    His last album was amazing to begin with, but after the realization that Bowie recorded the album knowing he would not be here much longer, Blackstar has become even more beautiful and haunting. AudioFemme’s Jerilyn Jordan wrote a moving review, which you can read here.

 

  • Courtney Barnett Releases New Song

    Courtney Barnett has a bad habit, but it’s not what you think. On “Three Packs A Day,” the Australian singer/songwriter celebrates a vice that isn’t cigarettes, but instant ramen: “That MSG tastes good to me, I disagree with all your warnings.” Similar to the work on previous album and EP, Barnett uses her humor to show that she’s a bit of an introvert (and also to warn us of the dangers of ramen addiction): “I’m down to three packs a day, I sneak away to find a kettle/ I withdraw from all my friends and their dinner plans, I’m sick of lentils.” The song will be on on the Milk! Records compilation Good For You, available February 14th.

 

  • Father John Misty Performs On The Late Show

    “Maybe love is just an institution based on resource scarcity.” The ever-cheerful Father John Misty performed on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” last night, playing the normally quieter, stripped-down song “Holy Shit.” If you’ve ever seen FJM live, you’ll know that he thrives on being unpredictable, so naturally, midway through his song things take an unexpected turn. He’ll be going on a Spring tour in April, but won’t be coming to NYC until the Governors Ball Music Festival this summer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3eDqluZ-Cs

 

  • Brooklyn’s Market Hotel Anounces Reopening

    The DIY space on Myrtle and Broadway in Bushwick was closed for five years, but after an anonymous grant (and a Sleater-Kinney show last month), Market Hotel announced they will be officially, and legally reopening the weekend of January 22nd. Bands that will playing that weekend include Via App, Kill Alters, Dreamcrusher, Malory, Guerilla Toss, PC Worship, Pill and special guests that have yet to be announced.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN4PDI1VDHY

 

  • Upcoming Shows

    For our readers in NYC, here are the shows we recommend for this weekend and next week:

    • 1/15 – Whiskey Bitches @ Baby’s All Right

      1/15 – WALL / Pill / RIPS @ Union Pool

      1/16 – Guerilla Toss / Zula / Erica Eso / Wume / Father Finger @ Shea Stadium

      1/17 – Moon Hooch @ Mercury Lounge

      1/17 –  Mariachi Flor de Toloache @ Rockwood Music Hall

      1/20 – Antibalas @ Brooklyn Bowl

      1/21 – Torres / Palehound @ Bowery Ballroom

      1/22 – Acid Dad / Total Slacker / AMFMS @ Baby’s All Right

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NEWS ROUNDUP: Hinds, Making a Murderer, and David Bowie

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With the new year we’re going to be bringing you a weekly news round up. Here are our highlights. Dig in.

  • HINDS Takes Over NYC Hinds, the Madrid-based, garage rock band, released Leave Me Alone today, and made a few noteworthy appearances in NYC to celebrate: An in-store session at Manhattan’s Other Music on Tuesday, and a wild, karaoke-style party at Bushwick’s Palisades last night. If you were lucky enough to get in, we’re jealous.

  • Making a Murderer/Making a Mixtape

    If you have a Netflix account- or a maybe nice friend’s password- chances are, you’ve spent the holidays obsessing over the true crime drama Making a Murderer, the story of crooked cops who will stop at nothing to frame a man who is innocent (or is he?!?). Dan Auerbach is right there with you, guys. He enlisted his new band The Arcs to record “Lake Superior,” a song about the story of Steven Avery. It’s a spacey, lo-fi track featuring lyrics that echo the corruption the documentary tackles: “Back on the shore where the poor get whipped/ Where the fat get fat and the rich stay rich.” All proceeds the song earn will go to the Innocent Project, Auerbach says.

  • It’s (Almost) Music Festival Season

    Tickets went on sale for two California festivals, Coachella and BottleRock. Guns N’ Roses are reuniting for Coachella, and other notable headliners include LCD Soundsystem and Sufjan Stevens. But as many sites have pointed out, there is, and always has been a serious lack of female headliners at the famous festival. There’s only ever been two instances where a woman was a headliner, but both of those were Bjork (in 2002 and 2007), so that’s really like one and a half. Also, that poster is practically impossible to read. Back on the east coast, the lineup for the 2016 Governors Ball festival in NYC was just announced as well. 

  • Upcoming Shows

    For readers in NYC who need help planning their social life for next week or so, may we suggest these shows:

    • Rubblebucket at Brooklyn Bowl: Tonight, 8:30 PM
    • NYC’s Hardest Working Bands (featuring Pill, Future Punx, Acid Dad, Gingerlys, Surf Rock is Dead,Dreamcrusher, and Vomitface) at Baby’s All Right: 1/09, 4 PM
    • A Tribute to Lou Reed (featuring Sinkane, Mirah, Invisible Familiars, Your 33 Black Angels, Pencil, Cassandra Jenkins, Jolie Holland, and Sam Owens) at Manhattan Inn: 1/10, 8:30 PM
    • Metz/Bully/Palm at Bowery Ballroom: 1/13, 8 PM

  • Happy Birthday, David Bowie and Elvis!

    “The King of Rock’n’Roll” would have been 80-years old-today. David Bowie also turned 69 today and finally released Backstar. We’re calling today David Bowie Day. Stay tuned for AudioFemme’s take on his much anticipated 26th studio album. 

WEEKLY NEWS: Gov Ball Dates, Self’s Reunion, Album Announcements Galore!

governors-ball-2013

Governor’s Ball music festival announced the dates for its 2014 edition earlier today. The New York City event—in its fourth year, now—will take place Friday, June 6th through Sunday, June 8th in Randall’s Island Park. Keep an eye out for the lineup and ticket details to be announced very soon!

 

Brooklyn-based four piece Bear Hands announced the release of their anticipated sophomore album Distraction on Feb. 18 on Cantora Records. The band will co-headline a tour with the Miniature Tigers starting Feb. 27 right here in Brooklyn!
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I Am The Avalanche announced new album, Wolverines, out March 17. Stream their new single via Esquire.

 

Todd Rittmann’s Dead Rider announced new album, Chills on Glass, out March 18 via Drag City.

 

Fat Possum Records and Self release 1995’s Subliminal Plastic Motives on vinyl, 20 years after its original release. The band are reuniting for their first concert in almost 10 years at the Gramercy Theatre on January 10.
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The Casket Girls are returning with their sophomore album True Love Kills The Fairy Tale out Feb. 11 on Graveface Records, and available for pre-order now.
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