tUnE-yArDs performed on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon last night! 02 Aug 2011

tUnE-yArDs made their Late-Night TV debut last night performing their song "Gangsta" joined by The Roots on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and it was incredible!

If you missed it you can watch the performance at either of these links:

http://theaudioperv.com/2011/08/02/tune-yards-gangsta-81-fallon/

http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com/video/tune-yards-gangsta-8111/1344379/

JOKER DEBUT ALBUM TO BE RELEASED ON NOVEMBER 8 2011 28 Jul 2011

plus NEW SINGLE "HERE COME THE LIGHTS" OUT THIS FALL   
Stepping out of the shadows in 2007 when just sixteen years old, Joker's stock has risen dramatically since. Aided by him releasing defining cuts like 'Digidesign', 'The Vision (Let Me Breathe)' and 'Tron', he now finds himself thick in the recent resurgence of British electronic music.   
With the world travelled and a deal with 4AD signed, he's finally ready to appease his waiting public and release his debut album, The Vision. To be released on November 8th, his now trademark instrumentals have been augmented by a number of vocal collaborations, including contributions from fellow rising stars like Jessie Ware and Buggsy, making the album one that's been worth the wait.   
Prior to this, new tracks "Here Come The Lights" and "My Trance Girl." are being released on a double A-side 12" and via download on September 27th.   It highlights the young producer's maturing sound, continuing to playfully subvert pop conventions. "Here Come The Lights" features a bombastic and memorable vocal performance from Silas from Turboweekend.  You can hear it here now .   On the flip, "My Trance Girl" is a futuristic six-minute instrumental, more in line with what first hooked Joker fans; its muscular vintage-Sega aping synths and sharp drum snaps a nod to his roots in Bristol's fecund dance music scene.    
Joker is busy this summer playing festivals worldwide seemingly every weekend (he premiered most album tracks at Glastonbury) and is headed to Australia, Japan, the United States as well as most of Europe before the year's end.      
 
  http://www.4ad.com/news/28/7/2011/jokertoreleasenewsingleandalbum  

tUnE-yArDs confirm Fall Tour Dates and Late Night TV Debut! 18 Jul 2011

FALL NORTH AMERICAN HEADLINING DATES!

LATE NIGHT TV DEBUT CONFIRMED FOR AUGUST 1ST ON LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON!
 photo grabbed from Brooklyn Vegan
photo grabbed from WXRT

This past week marked two very notable live sets from tUnE-yArDs.  The first was on Thursday at Pier 54's Hudson River Park in New York City, where they played to upwards of 5,000 people as the sun set, followed by a display of fireworks!  It was a transcendent, joyous affair for all involved. No rest for the weary, they more or less ran to the airport shortly afterwards and caught a flight to Chicago in order to perform at the 2011 Pitchfork Music Festival the following afternoon! That performance was singled-out as a standout amongst the many acts who played the weekend-long fest, as noted by The New York Times and a slew of Chicago papers.

Whether you were lucky enough to catch either of these sets, or if you're one of the unlucky folks who missed out, you have more chances to see tUnE-yArDs perform.  That's right, they've confirmed a massive amount of Fall North American headlining dates!

If you can't wait until the Fall for your tUnE-yArDs fix, don't fret, as people across the nation will have the opportunity to witness the group make their late-night television debut on August 1st on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon!

Can't even wait until then?  Check out this recent live video of them performing "Gangsta" c/o Yours Truly if you missed that last week: http://yourstru.ly/2011/07/10/video-tune-yards-gangsta/

Also, if you weren't listening to Sound Opinions on your local NPR affiliate station this past weekend, they devoted a rare 45 minutes of their hour-long show to tUnE-yArDs!  The archive of the extensive in-studio segment can be found here: http://www.soundopinions.org/

tUnE-yArDs' breakthrough second album w h o k i l l was released this past April through 4AD, and has received heaps of critical praise, already ending up on many critic's mid-year lists!

NEW YORK TIMES "Tune-Yards’ debut album, “Bird-Brains,” was a confident do-it-yourselfer’s opening salvo: a staticky, low-fi, abrasive attention-getter. “Whokill” has less static (though there’s still plenty of distortion) and more of everything else, including counterpoint, ambition, sociopolitical attitude, funk and melody. Ms. Garbus’s love of rhythm has her touch on parade drumming, African pygmy polyphony, 1980s hip-hop, samba, Joni Mitchell and rural blues. When her voice is hopping through her melodies over an Afro-Caribbean groove, she can sound like a collaboration by Dave Matthews, Bjork, Angelique Kidjo and M.I.A."

PITCHFORK "tUnE-yArDs is the music project of Merrill Garbus, a songwriter, vocalist, percussionist, and ukulele player who has fused elements of acoustic folk, R&B, funk, Afro-pop, and rock into a bold, uncompromising hybrid all her own. Garbus is blessed with an extraordinary voice, and she wields it with great confidence, always coming off in total control of her phrasing while seeming totally uninhibited in her expression." (8.8 Best New Music)

THE NEW YORKER "What is thrilling about "w h o k i l l" is that Garbus needs none of the fetishized authenticity of lower fidelity to charm anybody: she is a musician of startling range, and a better recording of her is simply better music. It isn't likely that there will be music this year that is more infused with the spirit of celebration and physical movement."

ROLLING STONE "whokill overflows with hip-hop, reggae, Afrobeat and funky noise freakouts — plus ukulele riffs, fluttering doo-wop vocals and what sounds like a percussion orchestra composed of pots and pans. It all hangs together thanks to Garbus' voice, which slides seamlessly from Joplin-esque howls to delicate coos."

SPIN "this sophomore album cleans up without sacrificing charm. The songs are more consistent, too, flashing a certain lyrical swagger, careening from terrific sex to celebratory violence to uncomfortable cultural realities." (8/10)

THE DAILY “Let us fall easily into hyperbole: It’s an early contender for album of the year.”


tUnE-yArDs - Fall North American Tour Dates
http://tune-yards.com/

9/19/11 New York, NY - LPR - http://lepoissonrouge.com/
9/20/11 New York, NY - LPR - http://lepoissonrouge.com
9/21/11 Boston, MA - Paradise - http://www.thedise.com/rockclub/index.html
9/23/11 Montreal, QC - Ukranian Federation (Pop Montreal)
9/26/11 Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace  - http://www.leespalace.com/coming.php3
9/27/11 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom - http://www.beachlandballroom.com/index.asp
9/28/11 Bloomington, IN - Rhino's - http://www.rhinosyouthcenter.org/club/
9/30/11 Nashville, TN - Exit/In -http://www.exitin.com/tickets/
10/1/11 Birmingham, AL - Bottletree Cafe  -http://www.thebottletree.com/eventlist.html
10/2/11 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks - http://www.oneeyedjacks.net/
10/4/11 Atlanta, GA - The Basement - http://www.tightbros.net/tightbros.html
10/5/11 Carborro, NC - Cats Cradle - http://www.catscradle.com/tickets.html
10/7/11 Baltimore, MD - The Ottobar - http://www.theottobar.com/
10/8/11 Washington, DC - Black Cat - http://www.blackcatdc.com/shows/tune-yards.html
11/2/11 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda - http://themusicboxevents.com/
11/3/11 Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
11/7/11 Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Saloon  - http://www.jackpotmusichall.com/
11/8/11 St Louis, MO - Off Broadway Nightclub - http://www.ticketweb.com/snl/Search.action?query=off+broadway
11/9/11 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall - http://www.lincolnhallchicago.com/Page/Shows?Month=November&Year=2011
11/10/11 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall - http://www.lincolnhallchicago.com/Page/Shows?Month=November&Year=2011
11/11/11 Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall - http://pabsttheater.org/show/tuneyards
11/12/11 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue - http://first-avenue.com/calendar
11/14/11 Winnipeg - WECC - http://www.wecc.ca/
11/16/11 Calgary - Republik - http://www.therepublik.ca/events
11/18/11 Vancouver, BC - The Biltmore Cabaret - http://www.biltmorecabaret.com/schedule.html
11/19/11 Victoria, BC - Sugar Nightclub - http://www.atomiqueproductions.com/concerts.php
11/20/11 Seattle, WA - Neptune - http://stgpresents.org/neptune/
11/21/11 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom - http://wonderballroom.com/pages/calendar.php
###

TWIN SHADOW announce Fall CLEAN CUTS Tour! 16 Jun 2011

Twin Shadow are pleased to announce a lengthy run of Fall U.S. shows that is being dubbed the Clean Cuts Tour.
Fans who partake in a ticket pre-order between June 16th and June 21st will have the chance to get an exclusive T-shirt  (with a specific hair style) and 1.5" button as it corresponds to their city (while supplies last)!  The link for this pre-order is http://twinshadow.net/rcrddeal. General on-sale date for most of these shows is June 23rd.

Check out the fun flyer to find out which hair-do corresponds to which city, and a photo of the Philly shirt is below for an example of what the shirts will look like. An asterisk * indicates which shows offer this pre-order.  Twin Shadow will be confirming a few more dates and are set to make festival appearances at Hopscotch Festival in Raleigh, NC and Austin City Limits Festival in Austin, TX.

The T-Shirts will be available for pickup at the merch table the night of the event and tickets at Will Call.
Diamond Rings http://diamondringsmusic.com will be the opener for this run of dates.

In more Twin Shadow news, watch this live performance of "Tyrant Destroyed" that premiered on Stereogum today: http://stereogum.com/731582/twin-shadow-does-tyrant-destroyed-live-rad-studio/video/
Sep 4, 2011 Making Time Warehouse Project Philadelphia PA*
Sep 6, 2011 Maxwells Hoboken NJ
Sep 7, 2011 Rock and Roll Hotel Washington DC*
Sep 8, 2011 Ottobar Baltimore    MD*
Sep 9, 2011 Hopscotch Music Festival Raleigh    NC
Sep 10, 2011 The Earl Atlanta    GA*
Sep 12, 2011 Bottletree Birmingham AL
Sep 13, 2011 Spanish Moon Baton Rouge LA*
Sep 15, 2011 Fitzgeralds Houston    TX*
Sep 17, 2011 Austin City Limits Austin    TX
Sep 18, 2011 Lowbrow Palace El Paso    TX*
Sep 20, 2011 Casbah San Diego    CA*
Sep 21, 2011 Troubadour Los Angeles CA*
Sep 24, 2011 Henry Miller Memorial Library Big Sur    CA*
Sep 25, 2011 Great American Music Hall San Francisco    CA
Sep 26, 2011 Doug Fir Lounge Portland    OR*
Sep 27, 2011 Crocodile Cafe Seattle    WA*
Oct 1, 2011 7th Street Entry Minneapolis MN*
Oct 6, 2011 Paradise Boston    MA*
Oct 7, 2011 Webster Hall New York     NY*

Introducing: Inc. 09 Jun 2011

Inc. is the music of LA-based brothers Andrew and Daniel Aged, whose EP - entitled "3" - is their debut material for 4AD.



Lead track 'Swear' is now available for download online and can be found here: http://promo.4ad.com/inc/download/swear.mp3

Prior to forming, both Andrew and Daniel spent several years playing, recording and touring with a number of pop heavyweights, including 50 Cent, Elton John, Pharrell Williams, Beck, Raphael Saadiq, Cee-Lo, Heavy D, Robin Thicke, amongst others. Inc. (formerly Teen Inc.) began recording in 2010 and as their past attests, their music paints a portrait of the great American songbook.

As with their self-released 7", 'Fountains'/'Friend Of The Night' (2010), the EP was written, produced, engineered and mixed by the brothers. "3" will be released as a 12" and digitally on July 26th in the U.S. Inc. are currently working on their new album, which will see the light of day next year.

"Plainitive vocals reminiscent of Prince, with traces of pop, funk, R&B and club-esque Balearic beats... The heartfelt, complex sound is completely cutting edge." LA Times

"Inc. casually just hop on stage and blow everyone's minds." THE FADER

www.official-inc.com
www.facebook.com/Inc-Life

###

THE NATIONAL ANNOUNCE SEPTEMBER TOUR DATES IN THE U.S. 06 Jun 2011

The National are pleased to announce select September U.S. Tour Dates on the East Coast!  Tour stops include storied venues such as Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD, The Academy Of Music in Philadelphia, and the Bank of America Pavilion in Boston.  They are honored to have Yo La Tengo and Wye Oak join them as support for these shows.

Following the east coast shows, they'll rush off to Los Angeles to play the Hollywood Bowl on September 11th, supported by Neko Case and Sharon Van Etten.

The National have toured steadily since the May 2010 release of their critically acclaimed 5th album, High Violet (4AD).  They will spend much of July and August abroad, with a headlining turn at Latitude Festival and stops at Reading, Leeds, Skanderborg, Ruisrock, Rock Werchter among others.

The band recorded two new songs which became available on iTunes this past spring. "Exile Vilify" appears in the video game "Portal 2" and "Think You Can Wait" appears in the film "Win Win" starring Paul Giamatti.
"Exile Vilify"
"Think You Can Wait"

9/06 -- Columbia MD -- Merriweather Post Pavilion *

9/07 -- Philadelphia, PA  -- Academy of Music *

9/08 -- Philadelphia, PA  -- Academy of Music *

9/09 -- Boston, MA  -- Bank of America Pavilion *

9/11 -- Hollywood, CA -- Hollywood Bowl Presented by LA Philharmonic #

* w Yo La Tengo, Wye Oak
# w Neko Case, Sharon Van Etten

Praise for High Violet out now on 4AD

“’High Violet’ is a seductive collection of subtly surging anti-anthems, with evocative lyrics about the terrors and unexpected joys of adult life.” Rolling Stone

“Stellar, moody atmospherics.” People (4/4 stars)

“I was hooked immediately.” New York Magazine

“’High Violet’ is the band’s best so far.” Newsweek

“Masters of widescreen, emotionally engaging rock.’ Pitchfork (“Best New Music”)

Mark Lanegan's 4 solo dates start soon! 03 Jun 2011

MARK LANEGAN announces rare US live shows.
06/12           Los Angeles, CA               Hollywood Forever Cemetery
06/14           San Francisco, CA            Great American Music Hall
06/16           Portland, OR                    Doug Fir Lounge
06/17           Seattle, WA                     Neptune

It’s been seven years since Mark Lanegan last released a solo album – the critically acclaimed sixth effort Bubblegum, released by Beggars Banquet. Since that time, he’s actually been one of the busiest guys in rock and roll. Mark has released seven albums – just none of them were solo. There have been three Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan records, two Gutter Twins albums (his collaboration with Greg Dulli), and two Soulsavers albums. In addition, he has done numerous tours in support of those albums, and many dates with other friends including Queens Of The Stone Age, whom he had a long collaboration with.

Going even further back, Mark is a founding member of Screaming Trees, one of the bands that helped define the Seattle grunge scene. Their 1992 album Sweet Oblivion featured the giant hit “Nearly Lost You”. Mark’s first solo record, The Winding Sheet was released in 1990. It was followed by Whiskey for the Holy Ghost in 1994, 1998's Scraps At Midnight, 1999's I'll Take Care of You, Field Songs in 2001, and Bubblegum in 2004.

Mark recently unveiled a brand new song, titled “Burning Jacob’s Ladder” which is featured in a video game called Rage, out this Fall.

These West Coast shows will feature Mark backed by guitarist Jeff Fielder, and he will be performing songs from his back catalog. Mark is working on a new full-length solo album, which will be released by 4AD, a sister-label to the now retired Beggars Banquet.

ST. VINCENT TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM 'STRANGE MERCY' SEPT 13 VIA 4AD 02 Jun 2011

"THRILLING, UNNERVING" ST. VINCENT TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM 'STRANGE MERCY' SEPT 13 VIA 4AD

St. Vincent, the nom-de-stage of "playful chanteuse [and] fearsome shredder" (NY Times) Annie Clark, has confirmed the 9/13 release of Strange Mercy, her new album for 4AD. The record's 11 new tracks showcase Clark's gift for fusing the cerebral and the visceral, her melodically elegant arrangements packing hefty emotional punches. Clark reunited with producer John Congleton and recorded the album in her hometown of Dallas, TX at Elmwood Studios.

Strange Mercy finds St. Vincent redefining the idea of the guitar hero, utilizing the instrument as a pointillist artist might wield a brush. Countless judiciously placed riffs and instrumental flares, each distinct and unique, cohere into grand tableaus. On "Cruel," she elicits punchy bursts like an R&B horn section. "Cheerleader" froths and boils, with deep and fuzzy guitars bubbling up to the surface, while "Surgeon" twirls about endlessly, Clark's vocals dancing amid a blizzard of notes.

Other musicians on the album include the Grammy Award winning Bobby Sparks on mini Moog, clavinet, Arp and Wurlitzer, Midlake’s MacKenzie Smith on drums, and Daniel Hart on violin. Also contributing were Beck keyboardist and musical director Brian LeBarton, Evan Smith on woodwinds and Phil Palazzolo.

Since the release of her 2009 album 'Actor,' which debuted on the Billboard Top200 and was described by NPR as "a surreal sonic wonderland," Clark has collaborated with some of the biggest names in indie music. She recorded with Bon Iver's Justin Vernon for the 'Twilight' soundtrack, had her song "The Strangers" sampled by Kid Cudi (who she later performed with), and has been working with David Byrne on a forthcoming project. Last month, she blew away a sold-out NYC crowd at Michael Azerrad's "Our Concert Could Be Your Life" with a performance of Big Black's "Kerosene" that the NME described as "a revelation of biblical proportions." You can watch that here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVhCo7PoVpA

BLONDE REDHEAD - early summer tour 16 May 2011

BLONDE REDHEAD announce early summer tour

We are excited to announce a BLONDE REDHEAD tour in support of their most relent album Penny Sparkle. Since their last US tour this past Fall, the band has been very busy with shows in Mexico, Japan and Australia, and Kazu recently lent her vocals to a track on the upcoming album by Battles. Kazu has also been working on a compilation cd to benefit her home country of Japan with earthquake relief.

Blonde Redhead always makes the most of their live shows, and the ones for this record have been very special and truly make for a magical night out. Penny Sparkle is the band’s third album for 4AD and was made with the band journeying between New York and Stockholm to work with production duo Van Rivers and The Subliminal Kid (Fever Ray, Massive Attack). The album embraces another new direction for the band – they trade some of the guitars for synth pads and beats, but have kept the dreamy songs and beautiful interplay that we’ve all grown to love.

“elaborate, emotionally resonate ambient rock songs.” - RELIX
“atmospheric, dream-induced electro-indie-pop” - FILTER MAGAZINE
“the band's most breathtaking album to date" - ***** - VENUS MAGAZINE
“Experienced purveyors of foreboding, romantic, minor-keyed dreaminess” - SPIN
“Blonde Redhead remains a significant, evocative force 15 years into its career." -MAGNET

6/20                        Winnipeg, MB                  Pyramid Cabaret
6/22                        Calgary, AB                     The Distillery (Sled Island Festival)
6/23                        Calgary, AB                     The Republik (Sled Island Festival)
6/25                        Vancouver, BC                 Vogue Theatre (Vancouver Jazz Fest)
6/26                        Seattle, WA                     Neumos *
6/27                        Portland, OR                    Doug Fir Lounge *
6/29                        Oakland, CA                    The New Parish *
6/30                        San Francisco, CA            The Independent %
7/1                          Los Angeles, CA               Echoplex %
7/2                          Los Angeles, CA               El Rey Theatre %
7/3                          Big Sur, CA                      Henry Miller Memorial Library %
7/18                        Chicago, IL                      Millennium Park
7/19                        Chicago, IL                      Bottom Lounge
* = w/Nosaj Thing                                  
% = w/Luyas

Gang Gang Dance + Cinco De Mayo + YOU! 03 May 2011

Our friends at Opening Ceremony are helping throw a Cinco De Mayo party.  It's free.  10pm - 3am at China Chalet - 47 Broadway. DJ sets by Gang Gang Dance, Spencer Sweeney and XXXCHANGE.

tUnE-yArDs TOUR starts TONIGHT! 26 Apr 2011

The live line-up features:
Merrill Garbus - vox, ukulele, drums
Nathaniel Brenner - bass, aux drums
Kasey Knudsen - sax
Matthew Nelson - sax






Find hi res photos (by Anna M Campbell) and cover art (designed by Alex Chitty) here (just scroll down to tUnE-yArDs): http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/press/
Full bio here: http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/tuneyards/biography/
MP3 for "Bizness" is here: http://promo.4ad.com/tuneyards/bizness.mp3
Video for "Bizness" (directed by Mimi Cave) is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ1LI-NTa2s





Listen to the NPR All Things Considered piece that aired April 17th here: http://www.npr.org/2011/04/17/135443035/tune-yards-expanding-and-grabbing-attention
NEW YORK TIMES "Tune-Yards’ debut album, “Bird-Brains,” was a confident do-it-yourselfer’s opening salvo: a staticky, low-fi, abrasive attention-getter. “Whokill” has less static (though there’s still plenty of distortion) and more of everything else, including counterpoint, ambition, sociopolitical attitude, funk and melody. Ms. Garbus’s love of rhythm has her touch on parade drumming, African pygmy polyphony, 1980s hip-hop, samba, Joni Mitchell and rural blues. When her voice is hopping through her melodies over an Afro-Caribbean groove, she can sound like a collaboration by Dave Matthews, Bjork, Angelique Kidjo and M.I.A."

PITCHFORK "tUnE-yArDs is the music project of Merrill Garbus, a songwriter, vocalist, percussionist, and ukulele player who has fused elements of acoustic folk, R&B, funk, Afro-pop, and rock into a bold, uncompromising hybrid all her own. Garbus is blessed with an extraordinary voice, and she wields it with great confidence, always coming off in total control of her phrasing while seeming totally uninhibited in her expression." (8.8 Best New Music)

THE NEW YORKER "What is thrilling about "w h o k i l l" is that Garbus needs none of the fetishized authenticity of lower fidelity to charm anybody: she is a musician of startling range, and a better recording of her is simply better music. It isn't likely that there will be music this year that is more infused with the spirit of celebration and physical movement."

ROLLING STONE "whokill overflows with hip-hop, reggae, Afrobeat and funky noise freakouts — plus ukulele riffs, fluttering doo-wop vocals and what sounds like a percussion orchestra composed of pots and pans. It all hangs together thanks to Garbus' voice, which slides seamlessly from Joplin-esque howls to delicate coos."

SPIN "this sophomore album cleans up without sacrificing charm. The songs are more consistent, too, flashing a certain lyrical swagger, careening from terrific sex to celebratory violence to uncomfortable cultural realities." (8/10)

THE DAILY “Let us fall easily into hyperbole: It’s an early contender for album of the year.”

tUnE-yArDs - Tour Dates
http://www.tune-yards.com/

4-26 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall* SOLD OUT
4-28 Portland, OR - Everyday Music - Free/All Ages in Store 3pm
4-28 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge*
4-29 Seattle, WA - The Crocodile*
4-30 Vancouver, British Columbia - The Biltmore Cabaret*
5-02 Garden City, ID - Visual Arts Collective*
5-03 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge*
5-04 Denver, CO - Hi Dive*
5-06 Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Saloon*
5-07 Omaha, NE - Slowdown*
5-08 Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center*
5-10 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall*
5-11 Pontiac, MI - The Pike Room at Crofoot Ballroom*
5-12 Toronto, Ontario - The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern*
5-13 Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rossa*
5-15 Easthampton, MA - Flywheel Arts Collective
5-16 Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall*
5-17 Milford, CT - Daniel Street*
5-19 Washington, DC - The Red Palace* SOLD OUT
5-20 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's*
5-21 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg* SOLD OUT
6-25 West Hollywood, CA - The Troubadour
6-26 San Diego, CA - Soda Bar

* Buke and Gass support

Blonde Redhead and Interpol together again! 25 Apr 2011

Blonde Redhead and Interpol have a long history together in the NY music scene. They've toured together, they are friends, and they are on sister labels (4AD and Matador). They are playing together in NYC on May 8th at Terminal 5for a great cause, and there are still a few tickets still available!

All proceeds will go directly to raising Sickday Safety Net's awareness in Manhattan, expanding into Brooklyn and increasing the number of community heath care partners and providers.

Sickday Safety Net is a new program launched recently by Sickday Medical House Calls, a New York company providing acute urgent medical care to patients in the privacy of their homes, offices or hotel rooms. Sickday Medical House Calls has been serving New Yorkers for ten years and has grown its active patient base to over 10,000.

The Safety Net is free to join and open to any uninsured New Yorker working in the creative arts including musicians, actors, painters, dancers, photographers, models, art directors, dancers, filmmakers, writers and visual artists.  Members of Safety Net have access to Sickday’s medical house call services and will never again need to get out of bed, find a babysitter or cancel a meeting to get quality, affordable medical care and no crowded waiting room, no blank forms, no inflated pricing – quality care, delivered via a medical house call. Medical professionals come directly to you, in your home or office, at a fixed Safety Net rate of $75. It's free to join and you only pay when and if you need services.  Sickday guarantees same-day service.

visit http://www.sickdaysafety.net

STORNOWAY confirm MORE North American Tour Dates! 28 Mar 2011

Oxford, England's Stornoway came over to our side of the pond in late 2010 for their first North American tour, following the release of their debut full-length Beachcomber's Windowsill. The album came out last summer and debuted at #14 on the UK charts, and the tour that followed saw the group win over U.S. audiences:

"Stornoway's set was built on beautiful harmonies centered on lead singer Brian Briggs' sharp, clear voice."
"Stornoway really shined during their encore. Eschewing microphones and all electronic props, the folk band brought out a cello, a violin, an acoustic guitar and let their voices soar unimpeded into the night air. It was gorgeous." LA Weekly

"As guests in our strange land, Stornoway are quickly earning loving favor. As one particularly impressed attendee exuberantly proclaimed, "I freakin' love this British s**t!" From endlessly looped violins and empty (?) kegs banged on for percussive effect to a singing saw and a banjo emblazoned with a detailed mollusk illustration, there really isn't anything not to love." Philadelphia City Paper

"What will probably be my last concert of 2010 ended up being a dark horse candidate for the best of year."
"Playing to a sold out crowd at the famous Crocodile Cafe, Stornoway began their set with an Andrew Bird-like violin loop extravaganza courtesy of touring violinist Rahul Satija. It was an unexpected albeit awesome start to a wonderful set." Seattle Show Gal

"Stornoway's breathy, heartfelt, and folky bubblegum treads the usual travails of love and loss, as does all good Britpop. But they also wander off the beaten pathway into more green and fertile fields." Portland Mercury

The tour also included a very special intimate performance at Yale's Peabody Museum. Read this live review from Mojo: http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/artist_files/Stornoway_Mojo_yale_rev.jpg

Now, Stornoway are confirmed to come back to play select North American dates, including an appearance at this year's Sasquatch Festival!

Stornoway - North American Tour Dates

Tue 5/24 Toronto CA - El Mocambo
Thu 5/26 Brooklyn NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
Sat 5/28 Allston MA - Brighton Music Hall
Mon 5/30 George WA - Sasquatch Music Festival
Tue 5/31 Seattle WA - Triple Door
Wed 6/1 Vancouver BC - Media Club
Thu 6/2 Portland OR - Doug Fir Lounge
Sat 6/4 San Francisco CA - The Independent
Sun 6/5 Los Angeles CA - The Troubadour

The band went in for a WNYC Soundcheck session the last time they were in NY, listen to that here: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/soundcheck/2010/dec/02/studio-stornoway/

Watch this interview they did with The Owl Mag during their last stop in SF: http://www.theowlmag.com/features/video-stornoway-survive-america-thanks-to-four-loko-and-hacky-sacking/

Their incredible 4AD sessions live here http://4ad.com/sessions/004/

Music video for "Zorbing" is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjG4dUlucVw

4AD party at SXSW this Saturday! 16 Mar 2011

Come to CLIVE BAR to party with 4AD at SXSW this Saturday!
Saturday March 19th
2-6pm at Clive bar, 609 Davis Street
free entrance + free beer (while supplies last)
hear the full upcoming albums by Gang Gang Dance + tUnE-yArDs! + djs!

TV ALERT !! 18 Feb 2011

Deerhunter are going to be performing on Late Show With David Letterman on Tuesday, February 22!!   Tune in or set the DVR!

tUnE-yArDs announces new album w h o k i l l out 4/19 on 4AD! NEW Tour Dates! 01 Feb 2011

April 19th marks the release of the second album from Merrill Garbus' tUnE-yArDs. Entitled w h o k i l l, the album was recorded shortly after Garbus transplanted herself from Montreal to sunny Oakland, California having extensively toured debut album BiRd-BrAiNs through 2009 and 2010.


w h o k i l l retains the honesty of the lonely bedroom confessionals of her early work, but with the addition of the fangs, claws and dented metal of her new surroundings. Indeed, Oakland’s particular landscapes serve as primer for what you hear on the album, with the city’s unique vitality fueling the brightness of w h o k i l l. By applying the tUnE-yArDs live approach to her studio work for the first time, Merrill’s added more buttons and joints to those already being used -  one essential new joint is dexterous bass member Nate Brenner, who co-wrote a few songs.

Produced by Garbus herself and working with engineer Eli Crews, they show there’s no substitute for a good microphone, and the sonic nuances that can only be achieved through masterful recording techniques can be heard in each drumbeat and vocal line. Speaking to Pitchfork about the new record, Garbus explains:

"People kept saying, "Oh, I wish your recordings were more like your live show." But the stubborn, contrarian impulse in me wanted to rebel against their desires a little bit. I have no interest in making a live album. But, at the same time, I wanted to record it better than I had been able to record the last album. So I went into a real studio with a real engineer and real microphones."

Details of a late April/early May North American tour have also been announced today, with the first show taking place in San Francisco on April 26th. Further updates can also be found at the band's website http://www.tune-yards.com/

04-26 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
04-28 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
04-29 Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
04-30 Vancouver, British Columbia - The Biltmore Cabaret
05-02 Garden City, ID - Visual Arts Collective
05-03 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
05-04 Denver, CO - Hi Dive
05-06 Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Saloon
05-07 Omaha, NE - Slowdown
05-08 Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center
05-10 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
05-11 Pontiac, MI - The Pike Room at Crofoot Ballroom
05-12 Toronto, Ontario - The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
05-13 Montreal, Quebec - La Sala Rossa
05-15 Easthampton, MA - Flywheel Arts Collective
05-16 Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
05-17 Milford, CT - Daniel Street
05-19 Washington, DC - The Red Palace
05-20 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
05-21 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
06-25 West Hollywood, CA - The Troubadour

###

THE NATIONAL ON LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN THIS TUESDAY! 27 Jan 2011

The National are excited to announce that they will be performing “Conversation 16” on Late Show With David Letterman this Tuesday, February 1.  “Conversation 16” is the next single off their latest release High Violet which has sold upwards of 220,000 to date.  This is the band’s third appearance on the show.

The National are also confirmed to support Arcade Fire on two shows at Chicago’s UIC Pavillion on April 24 and 25.  These shows sold out within minutes.  Also confirmed for The National is a slot at this year’s Coachella Festival on Sunday April 17!  The band are expected to confirm more tour dates throughout the world in 2011 in support of High Violet.

High Violet was released in May of 2010 to overwhelming critical acclaim.   The album debuted at #3 on the Billboard charts and the love for it has not diminished --  High Violet landed on virtually every year-end chart.  This includes (but is certainly not limited to) #2 at AOL/Spinner, #3 at NPR listener’s top 100, #4 at Time Magazine, #15 at Rolling Stone and Myspace and #26 at Spin.   NPR also included the album in their top 50 of the year.


 “’High Violet’ is a seductive collection of subtly surging anti-anthems, with evocative lyrics about the terrors and unexpected joys of adult life.”  Rolling Stone

 “Haunting, majestic, tense and melancholic atmospheres.” USA Today (3.5/4 stars)

 “The National is in a league of its own… [they have found] their way to a big new sound.” New York Times Magazine

 “Masters of widescreen, emotionally engaging rock." Pitchfork (“Best New Music”)

 “[bridges] the gap between Joy Division’s post-punk dissonance and Bruce Springsteen’s varnished heartland rock.” Billboard

 “Brooding grandeur...velvety arrangements.” Time

“A lush and primordial triumph.” GQ

BROKEN RECORDS Announce FIRST US TOUR! 06 Dec 2010

We are excited to announce the first US tour by 4AD's Broken Records in support of their January 11th release Let Me Come Home.

The NME recently reviewed the album and said "It is an elegant and, quite frankly, utterly beautiful record." For nearly every tour date, we are partnering with a local independent record store for a series of ticket giveaways. The list is below with the tour dates.

Speaking about the inspiration behind their second album, Jamie Sutherland says:“An idea started to form about the direction of the new record based on several films and albums that I became gradually obsessed with at that time. Watching the widescreen emptiness of films Badlands, Rumble Fish and East Of Eden, as well as records such as Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska, Nick Cave’s Murder Ballads, Calexico’s Feast Of Wire, and REM’s early back catalogue all became a strong influence on the direction of the new songs."

BROKEN RECORDS is Jamie Sutherland (vocals/guitar), Ian Turnbull (guitar), David Smith (piano/trumpet), Andrew Keeney (drums), Rory Sutherland (violin), Craig Ross (bass)

“We’re trying to do something different. People forget that music doesn’t have to be just bass, guitar and drums. It can be just as loud and exciting with glockenspiel and trumpet” – Broken Records

Watch their new video for "A Darkness Rises Up"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxdQmlvdd1c

...and listen to the MP3 here: http://promo.4ad.com/brokenrecords/stream/adarknessrisesup.mp3

Sun 2/20 WASHINGTON, DC - BLACK CAT BACKSTAGE
Win tickets at Crooked Beat http://www.crookedbeat.com/

Mon 2/21 PHILADELPHIA, PA - NORTH STAR BAR
Win tickets at Repo http://www.reporecords.com/

Tue 2/22 NEW YORK, NY - MERCURY LOUNGE
Wed 2/23 BROOKLYN, NY - THE ROCK SHOP
win tickets at Other Music http://www.othermusic.com/

Wed 2/24 BOSTON, MA - BRIGHTON MUSIC HALL

Sat 2/26 CHICAGO, IL - SCHUBA's
Win tickets at Permanent http://www.permanentrecordschicago.com

Sun 2/27 MINNEAPOLIS, MN - TRIPLE ROCK SOCIAL CLUB
Win tickets at Electric Fetus http://www.electricfetus.com/

Wed 3/2 SEATTLE, WA - TRACTOR TAVERN
Win tickets at Easy St. and Sonic Boom
http://easystreetonline.com/
http://www.sonicboomrecords.com/

Thurs 3/3 PORTLAND, OR - MISSISSIPPI STUDIOS
Win tickets at Jackpot
http://www.jackpotrecords.com/

Sat 3/5 SAN FRANCISCO, CA - RICKSHAW STOP
Win tickets at Streetlight http://www.streetlightrecords.com/Home

Sun 3/6 LOS ANGELES, CA - SATELLITE LOUNGE (formerly Spaceland)
Win tickets at Origami Vinyl http://www.origamiorigami.com/


“full of sweeping reveilles powered by Sutherland’s romantic bellow and his bandmates’ orchestral melodramas” - SPIN
“Broken Records knows how to raise roofs with sonic bursts of emotion that would elate even the most dastardly scrooge" - SENTIMENTALIST
“epic, swirling, joyfully mysterious music…with a warmth and heart” – THE GUARDIAN (UK)
“Utterly unique.” – CLASH (UK)

http://brokenrecordsband.com/

Announcing a new album by BROKEN RECORDS 21 Oct 2010

ANNOUNCING:
Broken Records - Let Me Come Home
4AD release date: January 11th, 2011                            

We are excited to announce the forthcoming Broken Records album for release in January. Let Me Come Home is the band's second album - the follow-up to 2009's Until The Earth Begins To Part.Listen to "A Leaving Song" now!

The NME reviewed it this week and said "It is an elegant and, quite frankly, utterly beautiful record." 8/10

Let Me Come Home started out as a series of sketches and song fragments in frontman Jamie Sutherland’s kitchen, later taking form in demo sessions at an old distillery grain store in the Scottish Highlands. Recorded and produced by Tony Doogan (Mogwai, Delgados, Belle & Sebastian) at his Studio in Glasgow with artwork conceived by Vaughan Oliver at V23, Let Me Come Home will be released on CD, LP and digital formats.

Speaking about the inspiration behind their second album, Jamie Sutherland says:
 “An idea started to form about the direction of the new record based on several films and albums that I became gradually obsessed with at that time. Watching the widescreen emptiness of films Badlands, Rumble Fish and East Of Eden, as well as records such as Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska, Nick Cave’s Murder Ballads, Calexico’s Feast Of Wire, and REM’s early back catalogue all became a strong influence on the direction of the new songs. It was also during this time that the lyrical theme of the record started to take shape, thinking about what was going on around me in the form of fears and concerns over making relationships work, and a need for security.”
 
Broken Records formed in Edinburgh at the end of 2006 and were immediately tipped for greatness by the UK press – a series of three independently released singles released in 2008 led NME to call them “an incredible proposition – set to go stellar as soon as they decide on a lucky label to sign to”. They originally came together when Jamie had a plan to set up a small independent label and collective. They never quite got around to becoming a label, so Broken Records became the band name instead!
 
“We’re trying to do something different. People forget that music doesn’t have to be just bass, guitar and drums. It can be just as loud and exciting with glockenspiel and trumpet” – Broken Records
 
TRACKLISTING:
1. A Leaving Song
2. Modern Worksong
3. Dia dos Namarados!
4. The Motorcycle Boy Reigns
5. A Darkness Rises Up
6. Ailene
7. I Used To Dream
8. You Know You’re Not Dead
9. The Cracks In The Wall
10. Home

BROKEN RECORDS is Jamie Sutherland (vocals/guitar), Ian Turnbull (guitar), David Smith (piano/trumpet), Andrew Keeney (drums), Rory Sutherland (violin), Craig Ross (bass)

Efterklang launches EFTERKIDS! 18 Oct 2010

ANNOUNCING EFTERKIDS!
EFTERKLANG + gifted students from PS.859 in New York = Efterkids!
a unique performance to bring awareness to the need for more funding for youth music education

http://www.efterkids.com

Earlier this year, an 8 piece orchestra made up of kids from PS. 859, a New York public school for musically gifted children from grades K-8  (aka The Special Music School/SMS) performed Efterklang songs in tandem with a filmed performance of the band. We call this collaboration Efterkids! Efterklang is currently working on similar projects in Germany, Poland, San Francisco, Boston and anywhere a group of talented children and their teachers want to join the cause of raising awareness for music in public schools.

The members of Efterklang admit that they wouldn't have their careers without the benefits of a well-rounded education that combined music and academics. The goal of Efterkids is to both raise awareness for the need for music in public education, but also to help raise money for specific schools that are setting the standards for combining academic and artistic excellence.
 
For SMS, the school's music program is funding by private donations and grants. Efterklang is helping the school raise money for a computer and composer software for the school
 
4AD filmed the performance and set up this special website - efterkids.com for the project, and visitors are encouraged to donate via the website. Efterklang encourages educators around the world to download the course materials to create their own Efterkids concert in their classroom. Enclosed in the download package are the musical score, the parts score, playback track (sans strings) and a strings-capella track.

ABOUT EFTERKLANG
With their hailed 7 piece live band they have performed in front of thousands across the globe and their Performing Parades project has given them the opportunity to perform with classical orchestras like The Danish National Chamber Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphonic Orchestra and Britten Sinfonia in packed concert halls. Magic Chairs is their third full-length album. The band just finished their second (fourth total) US tour supporting their recent 4AD album Magic Chairs.

You can sample the song "Modern Drift" here.
You can view the video for "Modern Drift" here.

ABOUT PS.859 - THE SPECIAL MUSIC SCHOOL
The Special Music School (SMS) is a unique model for how publicly funded arts education can work. 
 
SMS was founded in 1996 as a public/private partnership between the New York City Department of Education and the Kaufman Center, a not-for-profit, multi-arts organization. Its students have benefitted greatly from an integrated approach to curriculum, receiving rigorous musical training and academic guidance in a holistic context that emphasizes creative thinking and problem solving.
 
THE NEED FOR MUSIC EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS
Producing future generations of musicians and adults who appreciate art is vital to our social fabric.
 
Beyond creating art, a recent Conference Board Report revealed that 74 percent of employers agree that creativity is increasingly important in U.S. workplaces. In addition, teamwork and critical thinking ranked in the five most important skills for new workforce entrants, yet more than half of these employers stated that entrants exhibited deficiencies in these skills. Ensuring that  students have the opportunity to study a musical instrument helps resolve this deficit.
 
As other nations have looked to the United States education system as a model, and are including arts education in their curricula, many American schools are cutting these same programs. Without music programs in our public schools our children and our culture are weakened.

Pantha Du Prince remixes Blonde Redhead! Their tour kicks off TONIGHT! 15 Oct 2010

4AD's Blonde Redhead and Rough Trade's Pantha Du Prince are kicking off their joint US tour TONIGHT in Philly!





To celebrate, a new MP3 has been made available for a remix of the Blonde Redhead song "Here Sometimes" done by Pantha Du Prince.

That's not all.  An MP3 for the Pantha Du Prince song "Lay In A Shimmer" is now available as well!

You can check out the MP3s at these direct links, and a widget for the "Here Sometimes" (Pantha Du Prince remix) is also available should you want to embed.

Blonde Redhead's latest album Penny Sparkle came out this September on 4AD, and this is their first US tour in support of the album.

Black Noise from Pantha Du Prince came out earlier this year on Rough Trade.

Enjoy, and peep their tour dates below!

Blonde Redhead "Here Sometimes" (Pantha Du Prince remix)
http://promo.4ad.com/blonderedhead/download/heresometimesremix.mp3

Pantha Du Prince "Lay In A Shimmer" MP3
http://promo.roughtraderecords.com/panthaduprince/download/layinashimmer.mp3


Embed code for "Here Sometimes" (Pantha Du Prince remix)

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Blonde Redhead and Pantha Du Prince Tour Dates* w Pantha Du Prince as support

10/15 Philadelphia PA  Electric Factory*
10/16 Montreal QC Metropolis*
10/17 Toronto ON Phoenix Concert Theatre*
10/18 Detroit MI Magic Stick*
10/20 Newport KY Southgate House*
10/22 Chicago IL Vic Theatre*
10/23 Milwaukee WI Turner Hall Ballroom*
10/24 Minneapolis MN First Avenue*
10/25 St Louis MO The Pageant*
10/27 Nashville TN Mercy Lounge*
10/29 Atlanta GA Variety Playhouse*
10/30 Carrboro NC Cat's Cradle*
10/31 Washington DC 9:30 Club*
11/1  Boston MA Paradise Rock Club*
11/3  New York NY Webster Hall*
11/14 San Diego CA House of Blues
11/15 Pomona CA Glass House
11/16 Los Angeles CA The Music Box
11/19 San Francisco CA Warfield Theatre
11/20 Portland OR Roseland Theatre
11/21 Vancouver BC Commodore Ballroom
11/26 Salt Lake City UT The Depot
11/29 Houston TX Warehouse Live Studio
11/30 Dallas TX Granada Theater
12/1  Austin TX  La Zona Rosa
###

STORNOWAY announce first full U.S. Tour! Live video and 4AD sessions available 15 Sep 2010

We are pleased to announce that in addition to the previously confirmed Dec 2nd show at NY's Bowery Ballroom,
Stornoway have now confirmed a full U.S. Tour, which kicks off late November and lasts through mid-December!

In celebration, a NEW live video, shot and edited by Ian Perlman, has been made available for their song "Zorbing"
which you can view here: http://www.vimeo.com/14941593

Their debut full length Beachcomber's Windowsill came out this past August on 4AD.  To date, the Oxford based group has only played 3 shows in the States (all in NY this past July), so this will be the first chance for many to see this excellent band!

Stornoway = Brian Briggs (guitar, vox), Jonathan Ouin (keys, strings) and brothers Ollie and Rob Steadman on bass and drums respectively, with the addition of Brian's brother Adam Briggs on brass and Rahul Satija playing violin in their live set up.

Watch their INCREDIBLE 4AD session videos here: http://4ad.com/sessions/004/

"'Fuel Up', a lovely meditation on the passage of time viewed through the lens of a series of road trips, is like Briggs' doctoral thesis on Ray Davies Melancholy. "Zorbing" and "I Saw You Blink" breeze by with the insouciance of Boy With the Arab Strap-era Belle and Sebastian" - Pitchfork

"...effortlessly captivating... Beachcomber’s Windowsill burns bright with an honesty that ends up being the strongest “instrument” in their assembly." - Venus Zine

Stornoway U.S. Tour Dates

Fri 11/26/10    Minneapolis MN    Cedar Cultural Center*
Sat 11/27/10    Milwaukee WI    Turner Hall*
Sun 11/28/10 Chicago IL    Schubas*
Mon 11/29/10 Gambier OH    Kenyon College*
Tue 11/30/10 Toronto ON    El Mocambo*
Thu 12/02/10 New York NY    Bowery Ballroom*
Fri 12/03/10    Boston MA    TT the Bear's*
Sat 12/04/10    Philadelphia PA    Johnny Brendas*
Sun 12/05/10 Washington DC    Black Cat Backstage*
Wed 12/08/10 Vancouver BC    The Biltmore!
Thu 12/09/10 Seattle WA    The Crocodile
Fri 12/10/10    Portland OR    Doug Fir Lounge!
Sun 12/12/10 San Francisco CA    The Independent!
Mon 12/13/10 Los Angeles CA    The Troubadour!

* w Franz Nicolay & Major General
! w The Head and the Heart

Music Video for "Watching Birds" is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWQzwU_imT0

Check out this session they did with WFUV the last time they were in NY http://thealternateside.org/100831/tas_session_stornoway

Beachomber's Windowsill debuted on the UK charts at #14, here is some praise from UK press:

"Poignant and enduring" The Observer
"Stornoway tug at every emotional fibre in the body" NME
"Our new favourite band" The Guardian
"The first great album of the summer" The Times
"Truly billows the heart" The Telegraph
"It's hard not to be felled by the utter gorgeousness of this record" BBC
"Like a blast of sea air that hits you as you alight an overnight train" Mojo
"'Watching Birds' is surely the most vibrant song ever written" Financial Times

SERENA-MANEESH announce new remix EP and stream one by Stereolab 08 Sep 2010

Serena-Maneesh continue to tour in support of their full-length release from earlier this year, S-M 2: Abyss In B Minor, and today are announcing both their next run of shows and a series of limited 12" releases.

The band are back on tour this week, kicking things off in Poland before touring across Europe then on to our shores for almost a month of dates, starting in Denver on September 24th! FULL LIST OF TOUR DATES ARE BELOW.
Starting with a three track remix EP for 4AD, each release in this series will be artworked in collaboration with three of Norway's up and coming visual artists; Andreas Tellefsen, Sverre Wilhelm Malling and Christer Karlstad. This first release will be available on 12" and as a download in October and comes with three remixes of album tracks courtesy of Stereolab, Melchior and Lindstrøm. Serena-Maneesh Remix EP

A1. D.I.W.S.W.T.T.D. (Stereolab Mix) (streaming from widget with embed code below)
A2. Dressed In White She Walks Through The Door (Melchior Mix)
AA. Ayisha Abyss (Lindstrøm Mix)




Watch this video of Serena-Maneesh performing Honeyjinx at Haldern Pop 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1pwaV-HHXE&

TOUR DATES SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2010
US Dates are co-headline with Woven Hand

9/10 Klub Wytwornia, Lodz
9/12 Magnet Club, Berlin
9/13 Indra, Hamburg
9/14 Werkstatt, Cologne
9/16 Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich
9/17 ICA, London
9/18 Incubate Festival, 5038 CV Tilburg
9/19 Patronaat, Haarlem
9/24 Bluebird Theater, Denver
9/25 Jackpot Saloon, Lawrence
9/26 The Waiting Room, Omaha
9/28 Lincoln Hall, Chicago
9/29 Case Western Reserve, Cleveland
9/30 Calvin College, Grand Rapids
10/01 The Garrison, Toronto
10/02 Il Motore, Montreal
10/03 Middle East Upstairs, Cambridge
10/04 Knitting Factory, Brooklyn
10/06 Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia
10/07 DC9, Washington
10/08 Duke Coffee House, Durham
10/09 The Earl, Atlanta
10/10 The Grey Eagle, Ashville
10/12 Hi Tone Cafe, Memphis
10/13 The Loft Dallas, Dallas
10/14 Mohawk, Austin
10/15 Bash's In The Depot, Lubbock
10/16 Corazon, Santa Fe

The return of Efterklang - US tour starts on 9/7! 01 Sep 2010

We are so excited that our friends in Efterklang are coming back to the US for a tour! Their shows are heartwarming and we highly recommend seeing one (or more!)

Hear Blonde Redhead's "Not Getting There" 20 Aug 2010

Hear another song from Blonde Redhead's upcoming album Penny Sparkle. It's the album version of "Not Getting There" http://bit.ly/9eBKpw

STORNOWAY confirm Dec 2nd Bowery Ballroom show! 10 Aug 2010

Today marks the full US release of Beachomber's Windowsill, the debut album from Oxford's Stornoway.

Beachomber's Windowsill was previously released in the UK and debuted on their charts at #14.  The NME called it "beautifully rendered and melodically magnificent" and Q Magazine have called the band, "Brit-folk's new great hope."

Stornoway features Brian Briggs (guitar, vox), Jonathan Ouin (keys, strings) and brothers Ollie and Rob Steadman on bass and drums respectively.  Live, the core four-piece are bolstered by the addition of Brian's brother Adam Briggs on brass and Rahul Satija playing violin.  The 6 of them made a brief trip to the States to play 3 very special NYC shows in early July - their first ever US dates!

Now, New Yorkers who missed seeing them play can rejoice - the band are now confirmed to come back and perform at New York's Bowery Ballroom on December 2nd!

Stay tuned, as more US tour dates are on the horizon!

""Fuel Up", a lovely meditation on the passage of time viewed through the lens of a series of road trips, is like Briggs' doctoral thesis on Ray Davies Melancholy. "Zorbing" and "I Saw You Blink" breeze by with the insouciance of Boy With the Arab Strap-era Belle and Sebastian..." Pitchfork

The New video for "Watching Birds" is available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWQzwU_imT0&feature=player_embedded

You can also watch the video for their single "Zorbing" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjG4dUlucVw

UK press loves Stornoway!

"Poignant and enduring" The Observer
"Stornoway tug at every emotional fibre in the body" NME
"Our new favourite band" The Guardian
"The first great album of the summer" The Times
"Truly billows the heart" The Telegraph
"It's hard not to be felled by the utter gorgeousness of this record" BBC
"Like a blast of sea air that hits you as you alight an overnight train" Mojo
"'Watching Birds' is surely the most vibrant song ever written" Financial Times

Serena-Maneesh confirm Fall US Tour Dates 25 Jun 2010

Norway's Serena-Maneesh have a very busy few months ahead!  The 5-piece band will be traveling throughout Europe, playing festival dates in July, August and September.

August 12th will mark the U.S. release of a split 12" single with Toronto's F**ked Up on the Norwegian and Canadian label Best Of Both Records.  This will be a limited edition release, with only 1,000 copies being pressed.  The Serena-Maneesh side is a 7 minute song called "Opium Priest" and the F**ked Up side is a song called "Here Lies Are" which F**ked Up previously made available as an MP3 on their blog.

Serena-Maneesh will make their way back to our shores in late September for their second U.S. tour following the March 23rd release of S-M 2: Abyss In B Minor on 4AD.  This next run of dates will have them here through the middle of October, co-headlining with Colorado's Woven Hand.  ALL DATES BELOW.


MP3 for "I Just Want To See Your Face" is here.

Awesome video of Serena-Maneesh performing "Reprobate" on Norwegian TV.

Music video for "I Just Want To See Your Face" is here.


Praise for S-M 2: Abyss In B Minor out now on 4AD:
"Who knew oblivion could be so lovely."  FILTER

"S-M#2 is lean, hungry, focussed and watertight, packing at least the same amount of ideas into half the timespan of its predecessor. In short, if we must have a shoegazing revival, let it sound like this- picking up where the best of those bands left off, realising the possibilities of melody, imagination and loud guitars allied to digital technology's distorting potential, and taking it to the next stage. Lift your eyes from your footwear, and look to the stars instead." The Quietus

"As they demonstrated with their debut, and stay true to with this release, Serena Maneesh have a sound that is very immense - it is large and dark and all-consuming. It is the sound of sorcery and post-apocalyptic worlds and #000000." DROWNED IN SOUND

Serena-Maneesh Summer European Dates

7/1 Roskilde Festival Roskilde, Denmark, DENMARK
7/2 Hovefestivalen Tromøya, Aust-Agder, NORWAY
7/3 Festival Les Eurockéennes Belfort, FRANCE
7/16 Dour Festival Dour, Hainaut
7/17 Softelandrock Os, Vestland
7/24 Le Grand Souk Festival Riberac, FR
7/31 Sommerfesten Giske, Møre
8/11 Øyafestivalen Oslo, NO
8/13 Haldern Pop Festival Haldern, Germany, DE
8/15 Festival La Route Du Rock Saint Malo, FR
9/4 Tavastia Helsinki, FINLAND
9/10 Soundit Festival @ Klub Wytorna, POLAND     
9/16 Norwich Arts Center Norwich, UK
9/18 Incubate Festival Tilburg NETHERLANDS
9/19 Patronaat Haarlem NETHERLANDS
   


Serena-Maneesh co-headline tour w/ Woven Hand:

9/24 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
9/25 Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Saloon
9/26 Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room
9/28 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
9/29 Cleveland, OH @ Case Western Reserve
9/30 Grand Rapids, MI @ Calvin College
10/1 Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
10/2 Montreal, QC @ Il Motore / Pop Montreal
10/3 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Upstairs
10/4 Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory
10/6 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's
10/7 Washington, DC @ DC9
10/8 Durham, NC @ Duke Coffee House
10/9 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
10/10 Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle
10/12 Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone Cafe
10/13 Dallas, TX @ The Loft
10/14 Austin, TX @ Mohawk
10/15 Lubbock, TX @ Bash's In The Depot
10/16 Santa Fe, NM @ Corazon


http://www.myspace.com/serenamaneesh
http://www.facebook.com/serenamaneesh
http://twitter.com/serenamaneesh
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serena_Maneesh

Camera Obscura teams with Brooklyn Flea + Yours Truly! 26 May 2010

CAMERA OBSCURA and BROOKLYN FLEA
are excited to announce the "Ice Cream Social" and the debut of live music at the Flea at One Hanson

WHERE: Downstairs in the Vault at Brooklyn Flea, One Hanson Place, Brooklyn, NY
WHEN: Sunday June 6th, 2-4pm
HOW: http://www.brooklynflea.com/

4AD's CAMERA OBSCURA will be setting up shop at Brooklyn Flea on Sunday June 6th, and performing their crafty brand of critically acclaimed pop for a very special abridged performance which also marks the debut of live music at the Flea.

The band will also set up their very own table and will sell their wares, including some items created especially for this event. Since you can't have an "ice cream social" without ice cream, our friends at Blue Marble Ice Cream will be joining in the fun and have created a special flavor in the band's honor - "The Sweetest Cream" in honor of the band's song "The Sweetest Thing" - available with or without honey - in honor of the band's song "Honey In The Sun"!

This is a big couple of weeks for them, and it starts with the release of their newest single out this week, "The Nights Are Cold" b/w "The Sweetest Thing". This is a special release they've put together in honor of Richard Hawley, as he has been one of their favorite artists for years. The A-Side features them covering his "The Nights Are Cold", while the b-side is Richard's own remix of their "The Sweetest Thing" (taken from their latest album My Maudlin Career).

In addition, The band filmed a session with Yours Truly in San Francisco a couple of months ago, and the gorgeous results can be viewed here: http://yourstru.ly/2010/05/25/camera-obscura-forests-sands/

Next Monday, the band kicks off their US visit with a performance at the Sasquatch festival, followed by dates that bring them to New York for the Ice Cream Social, and a show at the Grand Ballroom.

It's going to be a sweet couple of weeks!

CAMERA OBSCURA
5/31     George WA         Sasquatch
6/2     Durham NC         Duke Gardens
6/3     Asheville NC         The Orange Peel
6/5     Richmond VA         The National
6/6    Brooklyn, NY        Brooklyn Flea Ice Cream Social
6/7     New York NY          Grand Ballroom


ABOUT THE FLEA:
Since The Brooklyn Flea began in 2008, it has been a top weekend shopping destination with an average of 5000-6000 visitors from around the world at each location on each day and has grown into a New York institution. It has garnered local, national, and international press (including a visit from Martha Stewart) celebrating its diversity of vendors, quality of merchandise, the inclusive community aspects of the market's atmosphere, and the economic stimulus the market provides to both vendors/entrepreneurs and local businesses. Last year the Flea also received a prestigious Certificate of Merit from the Municipal Arts Society for “providing an alternative to big-box retail that embodies a private sector spirit while yielding generous public benefits.”

ABOUT CAMERA OBSCURA:
Since 1996, Camera Obscura have been reflecting on their lives, creating music that is equal parts somber pop and upbeat cynicism. Their latest album, My Maudlin Career, was released by 4AD last Spring to widespread critical acclaim. Paste Magazine said "It’s an infectious album that blooms repeatedly throughout, unfolding in muted, endearing aural hues; simultaneously sad and celebratory, and always charming" and Spin stated that "on their fourth album, this Scottish indie-pop band's fondness for woeful heartache and Phil Spector–esque production reaches a poignant peak."

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS ARE HITTING THE ROAD AND WILL BE ON TV AGAIN! 13 May 2010

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS ARE HITTING THE ROAD AGAIN!
THE MOUNTAIN GOATS WILL BE ON TV AGAIN!

John Darnielle, Peter Hughes and Jon Wurster are heading northwest, and then a little further north for some dates with their friends in The New Pornographers.

In addition to playing in beautiful Victoria, BC on June 1st, they'll also be playing on your television that night if you are a cable subscriber. Their episode of DINNER WITH THE BAND will air on IFC on 6/1 at 10:30 PM ET/PT.  The new IFC Original Series DINNER WITH THE BAND is the first cooking show to combine culinary delights, musical performances and conversations with select acclaimed indie music artists. This will be the third television appearance for The Mountain Goats in support of their latest album The Life Of The World To Come. They made their television debut on The Colbert Report, and followed it up with a performance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

In each of the 30-minute Dinner With The Band episodes, celebrated NYC rock-n-roll chef Sam Mason (Tailor, WD-50), invites a band over to his Brooklyn loft where he teaches them how to add his signature culinary spin to their favorite “on-tour” food. In the case of the The Mountain Goats, they will be cooking Death Metal Steaks, Cotton Puree and Sunset Fries, and drinking Moon Over Sazerac. You'll have to tune in to find out what exactly all those things are! Throughout the show, Chef Mason and the artists converse on food, music and life while cooking together. After they eat, they take to the loft’s living room to play some songs. The Mountain Goats perform “1 Samuel 15:23” and “Psalms 40:2”. Shows like this are rare, and John Darnielle and the Mountain Goats really shine in this light - talking AND playing! Please tune in.

5/30 Portland, OR Doug Fir (w.Sarah Dougher)
5/31 George, WA    Sasquatch
6/1   Victoria, BC    Element (w.The Beets)
6/2   Vancouver, BC Rickshaw Theater (w.The Beets)
6/4   Boise, ID Neurolux (w. The Beets)
6/5   Missoula, MT The Palace (w. The Beets)
6/7   Calgary, AB MacEwan Hall (w. The New Pornographers)
6/8   Edmonton, AB Edmonton Event Center (w.The New Pornographers)
6/9   Saskatoon, SK The Odeon Events Center    (w.The New Pornographers)
6/10 Winnipeg, MB The Garrick Centre (w.The New Pornographers)
6/12 Iowa City, IA    The Blue Moose Taphouse (w.The Beets)
6/13 Omaha, NE Slowdown (w. The Beets)
6/15 Denver, CO    Gothic Theater (w.The Beets)
6/16 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge (w.The Beets)

The Big Pink confirm select Summer U.S. Tour Dates new VIDEO 12 May 2010

Watch the new VIDEO from The Big Pink for their song "Tonight" here http://www.spinnermusic.co.uk/2010/05/12/the-big-pink-tonight-video-premiere/

London's The Big Pink (the core duo of Milo Cordell and Robbie Furze, joined live by bassist Leopold Ross and drummer Akiko Matsuura) will follow their recent wildly succesfull run of U.S. dates, which ended with an appearance at the Coachella Festival with another trip to our shores.  In late July they'll make their way back to the States this Summer with select shows leading up to an appearance at this year's Lollapalooza Festival! 

SEE THEIR CONFIRMED SUMMER DATES, more to come!

7/29 Cambridge, MA Middle East
7/30 Washington, DC Black Cat
7/31 Hoboken, NJ Maxwells
8/03 Columbus, OH The Basement
8/04 Detroit, MI Magic Stick
8/06 Chicago, IL Lollapalooza

Their debut album A Brief History Of Love is out now on 4AD.

Recently, they performed a 10 minute version of their song "Crystal Visions" in conjunction with the "For No One" launch, check out that video here: http://www.fornoone.tv/

Read this interview they did with The Tripwire
http://www.thetripwire.com/features/2010/03/04/the-big-pink-punch-drunk-love/

"Anyone can build a wall of sound, but only a special class of shoegazer can make the layers of fuzz and distortion coalesce into a real song. On their debut LP, London duo The Big Pink... nail the balance between gloomy, monolithic drone and songcraft." Rolling Stone

"...the only roots to be found on this debut are fuzzed-out greats like Spiritualized and My Bloody Valentine. This electro-rock duo makes its forbearers proud, enveloping ambling meditations on romance in magnificent, wafting walls of sound" Nylon

"As you can guess from that score up there, A Brief History of Love is way better than it needed to be, a bracing and beat-driven debut..."  Pitchfork {8.2}

"Like Einstrzende Neubauten if they really wanted to get on the radio to impress a girl instead of confuse and scare people." The Fader

The MP3 for "Too Young To Love" is available here:
http://www.beggarspromo.com/5yfgd5thebigpink/TooYoungToLove.mp3

Camera Obscura confirm more U.S. Tour Dates in May and June! 26 Mar 2010

Camera Obscura are following an incredibly successful 2009 with a jam packed 2010!

The Glasgow based 5-piece started the year playing dates in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

Next up, they'll head back to the U.S. next week for a full tour that will have them here throughout April.
They'll be joined by the band Princeton for the majority of this run, though during their San Francisco stop,
they will play the Great American Music Hall on April 21st with openers Best Coast.  After that, they will join
Yo La Tengo for another special San Francisco date at the Fillmore on April 22nd.

That's not all.  Camera Obscura are now confirmed to come back to our shores at the end of May to
perform at this year's Sasquatch Festival, which they will follow with a tour of the East Coast in early June! 
They will end with a show at New York's Grand Ballroom, their biggest NY headlining show to date!

Preceding their May tour will be the 5/25 release of a Richard Hawley cover 7", which will feature a cover
of the Richard Hawley song "The Nights Are Cold" as the A-Side, and a Richard Hawley cover of the
Camera Obscura tune "The Sweetest Thing" as the B-Side.

My Maudlin Career is out now on 4AD.

HEAR the title track "My Maudlin Career": http://tinyurl.com/bkzpyh

WATCH the video for "French Navy": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3CkfvYMCWM

CAMERA OBSCURA TOUR DATES

April

Saturday 3rd - Iowa City, IA Mission Creek Festival at Blue Moose Tap House On Sale Now, http://bit.ly/5TsSMD
Sunday 4th - Madison, WI High Noon Saloon On Sale Now, http://bit.ly/5DT5G8
Monday 5th - Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall On Sale Now, http://bit.ly/776Bk5
Wednesday 7th - Lawrence, KS The Bottleneck On Sale Now, http://bit.ly/8DQSKA
Thursday 8th - Norman, OK Meacham Auditorium at University of Oklahoma On Sale at Door to public, free to students
Friday 9th - Austin, TX Emo's Outside On Sale Now, http://bit.ly/5fsw5U
Saturday 10th - Denton, TX Hailey's On Sale Now, http://bit.ly/5PPnyc
Sunday 11th - Houston, TX Warehouse Live Studio On Sale Now, http://bit.ly/5lHYil
Tuesday 13th - Mexico City, MX Lunario On Sale Now, http://bit.ly/blgWqA
Wednesday 14th - Guadalajara, MX Lydo's Show Center On Sale Soon
Friday 16th - Las Vegas, NV Club Aruba at Aruba Hotel On Sale Now, http://bit.ly/abdhqd
Saturday 17th ˆ Indio, CA Coachella Valley Music Festival On Sale Now, http://bit.ly/cujNXo
Tuesday 20th - Visalia, CA Cellar Door On Sale Now, http://bit.ly/7DUlCm
Wednesday 21st - San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall On Sale Now, http://bit.ly/4Yur5m
Thursday 22nd ˆ San Francisco, CA With Yo La Tengo at The Fillmore On Sale Now, http://bit.ly/a6C8sa
Friday 23rd - Eugene, OR WOW Hall On Sale Now, http://bit.ly/6gXeDf
Saturday 24th - Bellingham, WA The Wild Buffalo <- venue changed!
Sunday 25th - Portland, OR Berbati's Pan On Sale Now, http://bit.ly/8Ljs3O

May

Monday 31st ˆ Seattle, WA Sasquatch Festival On Sale Now, http://bit.ly/aCYDj6

June

Wednesday 2nd ˆ Durham, NC Duke Gardens
Thursday 3rd ˆ Asheville, NC The Orange Peel On Sale 03/26 at 12pm, http://bit.ly/9PH4xt
Friday 4th ˆ Cincinnati, OH Fountain Square Free Show
Saturday 5th ˆ Richmond, VA The National On Sale Now, http://bit.ly/94Gcnb
Monday 7th ˆ New York, NY Grand Ballroom On Sale Soon, http://bit.ly/9yzfrX

http://www.camera-obscura.net

http://www.myspace.com/cameraobscuraband

BROKEN RECORDS FIRST VISIT TO THE US AT SXSW! NEW MP3! 10 Mar 2010

Broken Records is excited to play their first shows in the US at this year's SXSW festival, including a performance on Thursday night at the 4AD/Bella Union showcase at Buffalo Billiards, with Midlake and Efterklang.

To celebrate their maiden voyage to the US, we have a new single "Lies" out today!
http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/mp3/BrokenRecords_Lies.mp3

The song is available digitally, and there is also a video for it, which you can see here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuDUiVwNpdc

Broken Records is a seven-piece band from Edinburgh, Scotland, and they've been tipped for greatness by many. We are excited to finally have them play in the US and join us for several SXSW shows.

"This Scottish seven-piece pump out audaciously grandiose anthems and bleeding-heart ballads with a fervor that makes U2 seem shy." - SPIN
"How Nirvana might have sounded had they formed in Belarus instead of Seattle" - Q MAGAZINE

BROKEN RECORDS AT SXSW:

Wednesday March 17th
12.30pm Rare Magazine's St Pat's showcase @ 4th Street Fort, 216 4th at San Jacinto
3.00pm Dirty Boots Showcase @ Wave Bar, 408 E.6th Street

Thursday March 18th
3:00pm Billboard showcase @ Billboard House, 708 E. 6th Street
4:45 Bull McCabes 714 Red River
12am - 4AD/Bella Union showcase @ Buffalo Billiards 201 E.6th Street

Friday March 19th
5:00 Scottish Showcase at Latitude 30/British Music Embassy 512 San Jacinto

Saturday March 20th
2:00 Cheer Up Charlie's aka Ms. Bea's 1104 E.6th Street
2-6 - 4AD party, DJ set Clive Bar, 609 Davis Street

Efterklang + gifted students from PS.859 = Efterkids! Feb 23rd in NYC 17 Feb 2010

ANNOUNCING
a unique performance to bring awareness to the need for more funding for youth music education
EFTERKLANG + gifted students from PS.859 = Efterkids!
 
We are very pleased to announce a VERY exciting record release party/performance for Efterklang’s 4AD debut album, Magic Chairs. It’s a multimedia extravaganza, and open to anyone with RSVP.
 
On Tuesday February 23rd from 5-7pm at the Clark Studio Theater in Manhattan, an 8 piece orchestra, made up of kids from PS. 859, a public school for musically gifted children from grades K-8  (aka The Special Music School) will perform Efterklang songs in tandem with a filmed performance of the band.  The band will be projected on a 20-foot high screen behind the kids. We call this collaboration Efterkids! With this performance, 4AD and Efterklang hope to raise awareness for the overall issue of music education in schools.
 
From 5-6pm we will have a listening party for Magic Chairs with complimentary beer and wine, and the performance will begin at 6pm.
 
DATE:  Tuesday February 23rd
LOCATION: Clark Studio Theater is part of Lincoln Center, located in the Rose Building, 7th Floor, at West 65th Street and Amsterdam Avenue.
http://tinyurl.com/ygbslqu
TIME: 5-7pm
WHO: anyone, space permitting
RSVP: rsvpnyc@4ad.com
 

ABOUT EFTERKLANG<
Efterklang (http://www.efterklang.net) is a band from Copenhagen, Denmark. They consist of 4 core members (Mads Brauer, Casper Clausen, Thomas Husmer & Rasmus Stolberg) and they have played together since December 2000. They have performed in front of thousands with The Danish National Chamber Orchestra.  They've brought down the house with the Britten Sinfonia at London's Barbican Hall last Fall, and Magic Chairs is their third full-length album. The band will physically be in New York for a performance  at Le Poisson Rouge on March 3rd, and they will also be performing several times during SXSW. All the band’s dates can be found here: http://efterklang.net/home/concerts/
You can sample the song "Modern Drift" here: http://www.beggarspromo.com/982tnsefterklang/h32ggfModernDrift.mp3
You can view the video for "Modern Drift" here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVj3rTWfVVw
As a fund-raising effort, 4AD will be filming the performance and producing a special 4AD Session (www.4ad.com/sessions/) that will go live online in March. The Efterkids 4AD Session will be heavily promoted and visitors will be asked to make a donation to the Special Music School in order to view the session. Materials will also be made available for other schools to create their own performance and videos of Efterkids.
 
The proceeds from this campaign will go toward raising money for much need computer equipment and other supplies for the school, and in addition, 4AD will be making a donation to the school.
 
ABOUT PS.859 - THE SPECIAL MUSIC SCHOOL
The Special Music School (SMS) is a unique model for how publicly funded arts education can work. 
 
SMS was founded in 1996 as a public/private partnership between the New York City Department of Education and the Kaufman Center, a not-for-profit, multi-arts organization. Its students have benefitted greatly from an integrated approach to curriculum, receiving rigorous musical training and academic guidance in a holistic context that emphasizes creative thinking and problem solving.
 
THE NEED FOR MUSIC EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS
Producing future generations of musicians and adults who appreciate art is vital to our social fabric.
 
Beyond creating art, a recent Conference Board Report revealed that 74 percent of employers agree that creativity is increasingly important in U.S. workplaces. In addition, teamwork and critical thinking ranked in the five most important skills for new workforce entrants, yet more than half of these employers stated that entrants exhibited deficiencies in these skills. Ensuring that  students have the opportunity to study a musical instrument helps resolve this deficit.
 
As other nations have looked to the United States education system as a model, and are including arts education in their curricula, many American schools are cutting these same programs. Without music programs in our public schools our children and our culture are weakened.

St. Vincent "Laughing With a Mouth of Blood" Video Debuts on MySpace 04 Feb 2010

Today, the video for St. Vincent's "Laughing With a Mouth of Blood", a comedic collaboration with thunderAnt - the comedy duo of Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein - premieres on MySpace.

Another entry in thunderAnt's Feminist Bookstore series, St. Vincent né Annie Clarke does an in store performance at Wom en and Wom en First, the most feminist of all fem i nist book stores.

"Laughing With a Mouth of Blood" is the third video from St. Vincent's critically-acclaimed album Actor, out last year on 4AD. It was shot and edit ed by Patrick Stan ton and Doug Lussen hop.
 
Please find the video here: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=102692696

www.ilovestvincent.com www.myspace.com www.thunderant.com www.4ad.com

Serena-Maneesh New MP3 SXSW US Tour 27 Jan 2010

Following their first stateside appearances since 2006 with two blistering sets in New York at the end of last week, Serena-Maneesh have revealed further North American dates for 2010, starting with performances at this year's SXSW (more information in the coming weeks) and a full North American headline tour.

The tour will coincide with the March 23rd release of their second full-length album, S-M 2: Abyss In B Minor, and will be supported throughout the tour by Brooklyn trio The Depreciation Guild.

In order to further ingratiate yourselves with the Norwegian outfit’s new record, check out this new MP3 for "I Just Want To See Your Face".

{http://static.4ad.com/audio/serenamaneesh/ijustwanttoseeyourface.mp3}

Photos from their sold out Friday night performance at The Mercury Lounge are available from Prefix: http://www.prefixmag.com/photos/serena-maneesh-the-vandelles-mercury-lounge-pics/

Video of Serena-Maneesh performing new song "Reprobate" on Norwegian TV

http://nrk.no/p3tv/goto/?bcpid=1909243188&bctid=53316847001

 

Serena-Maneesh Spring U.S. Tour

http://www.myspace.com/serenamaneesh

 

SXSW (more info TBA)

3/22:  Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland
3/23:  San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
3/25:  Portland, OR @ Berbati's Pan
3/26:  Seattle, WA @ Triple Door
3/27:  Vancouver, BC @ Media Club
3/30:  Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
3/31:  Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
4/1:  Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
4/2:  Toronto, ON @ Opera House
4/3:  Montreal, QC @ Il Motore
4/4:  Cambridge, MA @ TT THe Bears
4/5:  Milford, CT @ Daniel Street
4/6:  Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
4/7:  Washington, DC @ DC9
4/8:  New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge

Camera Obscura Confirm Spring 2010 US Tour Dates 13 Jan 2010

Camera Obscura ended 2009 with a wonderfully successful US tour and due to popular demand will come BACK to our shores this Spring!

Check out this recent track review that ran on Pitchfork for "Tougher Than The Rest", the B-Side to "The Sweetest Thing"

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/11704-tougher-than-the-rest/

My Maudlin Career came out in April of 2009 and has been praised by critics worldwide!  The single "French Navy" has been declared one of the catchiest songs around and was included in NPR's "Best Music Of 2009 So Far" top 30 reader's poll.  My Maudlin Career was #12 in Paste Magazine's Top 25 Albums of the year, and Stereogum's #29 album of 2009!


SEE FULL US TOUR DATES BELOW

More praise for My Maudlin Career


"Camera Obscura has been crafting its own blend of shimmering chamber-pop since first forming in Glasgow in 1996. Now, more than a decade later, the group [is about to} release its richest and most ambitious album to date."
-NPR's Exclusive First Listen

"It's an infectious album that blooms repeatedly throughout, unfolding in muted, endearing aural hues; simultaneously sad and celebratory, and always charming."
-Paste 89%

"The result is a flawless blend of sunny pop, Motown, blues and jazz with the cleanest production in Camera Obscura's catalog."
-Billboard

 "On their fourth album, this Scottish indie-pop band's fondness for woeful heartache and Phil Spector-sque production reaches a poignant peak."
-Spin

 "My Maudlin Career" stands as one of the finest among Camera Obscura’s four studio records.  It's a sadly poetic collection that you don't necessarily have to be heartbroken to enjoy!  It is an album dripping with tragic beauty."
-ABC News

 
HEAR the title track "My Maudlin Career": http://tinyurl.com/bkzpyh

WATCH the video for "French Navy": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3CkfvYMCWM

Camera Obscura Spring 2010 US Tour Dates

 
Sat 4.03.10  Iowa City, IA  Mission Creek Festival at Blue Moose Tap House
On Sale 01/15

 

Sun 4.04.10 Madison, WI  High Noon Saloon 
On Sale 01/15 at 12pm
http://www.brownpapertickets.com

 

Mon 4.05.10 Chicago, IL  Lincoln Hall
On Sale 01/15 at 12pm
http://lincolnhallchicago.com/Shows/04-05-2010+Camera+Obscura

 

Wed 4.07.10  Lawrence, KS  The Bottleneck
On Sale 01/16 at 10am
http://bottleneck.frontgatesolutions.com/

 
Thu 4.08.10  Norman, OK  Meacham Auditorium at University of Oklahoma
On Sale at Door to public, free to students

 

Fri 4.09.10  Austin, TX  Emo's – Outside
On Sale 01/16 at 10am
http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=1080915

 

Sat 4.10.10  Denton, TX  Hailey's
On Sale 01/15 at 10am
http://spune.frontgatetickets.com/

 

Sun 4.11.10  Houston, TX  Warehouse Live Studio
On Sale 01/15 at 12pm
http://warehouselive.frontgatetickets.com


 
Fri 4.16.10  Las Vegas, NV Club Aruba at Aruba Hotel

 

Tue 4.20.10  Visalia, CA Cellar Door
On Sale 01/15 at 10am
http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=1077525

 

Wed 4.21.10  San Francisco, CA  Great American Music Hall
On Sale Now
http://tickets.gamh.com/evinfo.php?eventid=70247

 

Fri 4.23.10  Eugene, OR  WOW Hall
On Sale 01/15 at 3pm
http://www.ticketweb.com/snl/VenueListings.action?venueId=11660

 

Sat 4.24.10  Bellingham, WA  Nightlight Lounge
On Sale Soon
http://www.ticketweb.com/snl/VenueListings.action?venueId=19518

 

Sun 4.25.10  Portland, OR  Berbati's Pan
On Sale 01/13 at 10am
http://www.ticketmaster.com/Berbatis-Pan-tickets-Portland/venue/336824

The Big Pink - Announce North American Spring dates 07 Dec 2009

The Big Pink is the core duo of Robbie Furze and Milo Cordell, bolstered live by bassist Leopold Ross and drummer Akiko Matsuura. The group has been on the road steadily in celebration of A Brief History Of Love (BUY HERE). They played some high profile dates in Europe supporting Muse, and are riding high just after finishing up their first proper U.S. headlining tour (which included multiple sold-out shows on both coasts and places in between)!

If you weren't fortunate enough to catch this recent stint, you're in luck! The Big Pink has confirmed plans to come back to the U.S. for a lengthy jaunt that will kick-off in early March 2010 and last through mid-April! A Place To Bury Strangers will support.

MARCH SPRING N.AMERICAN DATES
3/10 San Francisco CA Great American Music Hall
3/12 Seattle WA Neumos
3/13 Vancouver BC Venue
3/14 Portland OR Doug Fir Lounge
3/18 Minneapolis MN First Avenue & 7th Street Entry
3/19 Milwaukee WI Turner Hall Ballroom
3/20 Chicago IL Metro
3/22 Newport KY Southgate House
3/23 Cleveland OH Grop Shop
3/24 Toronto ON The Mod Club
3/26 Montreal QC Cabaret Du Musee
3/27 Boston MA Paradise Rock Club
3/28 Hoboken NJ Maxwell's
3/30 New York NY Webster Hall
3/31 Philadelphia PA Theatre of the Living Arts
4/01 Baltimore MD Ram's Head Live!
4/02 Carrboro NC Cat's Cradle
4/03 Atlanta GA The Masquerade
4/05 Tallahassee FL Club Downunder
4/07 Houston TX Warehouse Live
4/08 Austin TX The Parish
4/09 Dallas TX Granada Theater
4/10 Lawrence KS The Bottleneck
4/11 Denver CO Bluebird Theater
4/12 Salt Lake City UT Urban Lounge
4/14 Phoenix AZ Rhythm Room
4/15 San Diego CA The Casbah
For more on The Big Pink head to the band's official website.

ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI SIGN TO 4AD 25 Nov 2009

Los Angeles’ notorious lo-fi pop oufit Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti have been unveiled as the latest signings to 4AD. The group are currently recording their first record for the label, due spring 2010.

With roots going back as far as 1996, the West Coast act are as sublime as they are surreal with a sound loaded with hazy nostalgia and a fiercely experimental pop palette. The band have previously picked up particular plaudits for the Haunted Graffiti releases via Paw Tracks, The Doldrums (2004), Worn Copy (2005) and House Arrest (2006).

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti will perform a small number of European dates in December, taking in the following climbs:
4 Bristol Qujunktions @ TBC, UK
5 Minehead All Tomorrow’s Parties, UK
6 Cardiff Buffalo, UK
7 Nottingham The Bodega, UK
8 London The Rest Is Noise, UK
9 Manchester Deaf Institute, UK
10 Paris Point Ephemere, FR
11 Aalst Netwerk, BEL
13 London Lexington, UK

For more info head to 4AD.com or arielpink.com, as well as following them on Facebook and Myspace.

St.Vincent announces February tour! 11 Nov 2009

St.Vincent announces US national headline tour in February!
+ Lincoln Center American Songbook Series show

It has been a very busy autumn for St.Vincent (a.k.a. Annie Clark). Currently in the midst of an extensive European tour with Grizzly Bear, which immediately followed her October US tour with Andrew Bird, St.Vincent has seen her audience grow by leaps and bounds. She performed on the hallowed PBS series Austin City Limits in October and her duet with Bon Iver is one of the featured songs on the top-selling soundtrack to The Twilight Saga: New Moon.  Her brilliant sophomore release, Actor, continues to mesmerize, finding its way onto many a year-end list in surefire fashion.

St.Vincent’s stunning Terri Timely-directed videos for “Actor Out of Work” and “Marrow” have won her many accolades.  Throughout October, filmmaker Alan del Rio Ortiz, who traveled with Annie and the band, shot and published beautiful and innovative video tour diary entries on the St. Vincent website (http://www.ilovestvincent.com/blog/).

On January 29th, St.Vincent will make her Lincoln Center debut with a headline performance at the Allen Room in New York’s Columbus Circle as part of the acclaimed American Songbook Series. Celebrating its twelfth year of exploring the golden age of musical standards through to today’s most dynamic contemporary songwriting, the season also includes Marianne Faithfull, Suzanne Vega, David Hidalgo and Louie Perez of Los Lobos and Dirty Projectors.

Joining St.Vincent for her headlining tour, which begins on February 3rd in Victoria, BC, will be Sweden’s eclectic and fascinating Wildbirds & Peacedrums.

1/29    New York, NY    Lincoln Center’s Allen Room (American Songbook Series)
2/3    Victoria, BC        Element
2/4    Vancouver, BC    Venue
2/5    Seattle, WA        Neumos
2/6    Portland, OR        Doug Fir Lounge (2 shows, 6pm + 10pm)
2/8    San Francisco, CA    Great American Music Hall
2/9    Los Angeles, CA    El Rey Theater
2/10    Solana Beach, CA    Belly Up Taverm
2/11    Phoenix, AZ        Rhythm Room
2/13    Denver, CO        The Bluebird Theater
2/15    Lawrence, KS    Bottleneck
2/16    Iowa City, IA        The Industry
2/17    Milwaukee, WI    Turner Hall
2/18    Chicago, IL        Metro
2/19    Pontiac, MI        The Pike Room at The Crofoot
2/20    Columbus, OH    Outland on Liberty
2/21    Pittsburgh, PA    Diesel Club
2/23    Charlottesville, VA    Jefferson Theater
2/24    Washington, DC    9:30 Club
2/25    Philadelphia, PA    First Unitarian Church – Sanctuary

“Actor is a uniquely potent cocktail of sounds and moods that'll get you hooked, fast.”
-ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

“the album is perfectly titled, as Actor proves St. Vincent as an artist capable of crafting believable, complicated characters with compassion, insight, and exacting skill.”
-PITCHFORK

Future Of The Left -- Fuel TV & A New Live Video!!! 30 Oct 2009

We have some pretty amazing footage of Future Of The Left -- we think amazing enough to convince the non-believers that they need to get themselves to one of the remaining shows on their US tour!   
Future Of The Left on Fuel TV:   http://www.fuel.tv/music?bcpid=5807873001&bclid=1390018585&bctid=46765699001
A new live video of FOTL performing "Arming Eritrea":  http://pitchfork.com/tv/#/musicvideo/3887-future-of-the-left-arming-eritrea-4ad
Remaining tour dates here!!   Includes Music Hall Of Williamsburg TONIGHT!     http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/tours/

The Big Pink made a Mixtape for FACT 08 Oct 2009

http://www.factmagazine.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3598&Itemid=98


Tracklisting: Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Creator Remix
Sam Cooke - Lost 'n' Lookin'
Wu-Tang Clan - Triumph
Nine Inch Nails - Closer
Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen we are Floating in Space (Chemical Brothers Remix)
Einsturzende Neubauten - Sand
Suede - Breakdown
Otis Redding - ????
Benga - 26  Basslines
Rusko - Cockney Thug (Caspa Remix)
Faith No More - We Care a Lot
Pantera - Walk
Death in Vegas - Hands Around my Throat
Gary Glitter - Rock 'n' Roll Part 2
Jesus and Mary Chain - You Trip Me Up
Usher feat. Ludacris - Dat Girl Right There (Instrumental)
Smokey Robinson - Tracks of my Tears
Sonic Youth - 100%

Efterklang Sign To 4AD!!! 30 Sep 2009

4AD is absolutely delighted to announce Efterklang have become the latest addition to the label's roster. The Copenhagen-based group will join 4AD for a worldwide deal, minus Scandinavia where they will continue to release records through their own Rumraket imprint. The band are currently working on the follow-up to 2007's universally lauded album Parades ("Dazzling, 4/5" Mojo) and it will see the light of day in early 2010.

In the mean time, Efterklang will release Performing Parades on October 19th via The Leaf Label. This special release is the band's most ambitious project yet, comprising both audio and visual recordings of the band's extraordinary performance of Parades in its entirety with the Danish National Chamber Orchestra at Copenhagen's Koncerthuset in September 2008. The live recordings will be issued as a limited edition deluxe CD+DVD/2LP+DVD packages.

Coinciding with the release of Performing Parades, Efterklang will play across Europe throughout the rest of this year.

Efterklang sites:
www.efterklang.net/home
www.myspace.com/efterklang
www.facebook.com/pages/Efterklang/36831868666
www.flickr.com/photos/efterklang-recordings/

St.Vincent Indianapolis instore today at 3:30! 29 Sep 2009

St.Vincent will be at Luna Music Midtown today at 3:30 for an instore performance!5202 College AveIndianapolis, INYIPPEEEE!!!

tUnE-yArDs confirms November US Tour Dates with Dirty Projectors!!! 28 Sep 2009

tUnE-yArDs aka Merrill Garbus has been a busy bee, touring non-stop in support of her "DIY masterpiece" (Performer Magazine) BiRd-BrAiNs.  To date she has played with notable acts such as Beirut, Micachu and The Shapes, and Max Tundra to name a few.  Most recently she made quite a splash during a recent string of European dates with Dirty Projectors:

"Mixing West African rhythms and vocal styles, old fashioned blues, the occasional hip hop beat and a soulful voice worthy of Al Green doing a Nina Simone impression, Tune-Yards' music should be a mess. Except it isn't. The range of genres are exploited perfectly, and her intricate ukulele playing prove that she's mastered more than a loop pedal. Whooping and hollering and throwing her hands in the air like a disco infused banshee, she faces the crowd unafraid. It takes bravery to be this different, and talent to pull it off so proficiently." Londonist

Now she is poised to hit the road for a slew of dates starting in early October on the East Coast, followed by some dates in the Midwest supporting Sunset Rubdown that will take her to the West Coast later in the month.

...and that's not all.  It seems her Euro dates with Dirty Projectors went so well, the two acts now plan to join forces for a spell in early November for a run of US Tour dates!

SEE FULL LIST OF TOUR DATES BELOW!

4AD recently put out a limited edition screen-printed cd release of BiRd-BrAiNs this past August. BiRd-BrAiNs will be given a full cd release, including 2 new bonus tracks on November 17th.

BiRd-BrAiNs was recorded over 2 and a half years on a hand-held voice recorder. Sampling snippets of her life as a nanny on Martha’s Vineyard and later as a young musician in noisy urban settings, Merrill weaved sounds together to make substantial rhythms and then layered her ukulele and vocals on top.
http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/releases/birdbrains/

tUnE-yArDs is an incredibly talented and compelling performer. Whether she's playing solo or with a full band, her incredibly powerful voice and dextrous way of working with loops made on the spot is truly something to behold.

http://www.myspace.com/tuneyards

Check out an MP3 of the song "SUNLIGHT" here: http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/mp3/tUnEyArDs_SUNLIGHT.mp3

Here is video of her performing live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-OtNMyufe8


Praise for tUnE-yArDs and BiRd-BrAiNs

"At times, she's a self-contained Sublime Frequencies compilation, jumping between blues, African tunes, shiny reggae-esque sprawls, and lo-fi folk." Stereogum "Band To Watch"

"Over a jazzy drum loop and intermittent bass, tUnE-YaRds' Merrill Garbus sings a lilting chorus worthy of the song's title." Pitchfork "Best New Music" track review of "Sunlight" {8.0}

"...a DIY masterpiece... an eclectic patchwork quilt of vocals, ukulele, field recordings and beats created from kitchen utensils." Performer Magazine

"Using what sounds like a ukulele, multi-tracked vocals, percussion loops pieced together from typewriters and other household gadgets, and samples from field recordings, Garbus (who has a background in puppetry) has created a strange poppy post-modern album of sound collage and sing-alongs — as if Brazilian visionary Tom Ze was collaborating with the Andrews Sisters and the Raincoats." Hartford Advocate "CD Of The Week"

tUnE-yArDs Tour Dates

Oct 2 Musee d’art Contemporain de Montreal Montreal, Québec
Oct 3 Buoy Gallery Kittery, Maine
Oct 4 Monkey House Winooski, Vermont
Oct 5 The Mug--Vassar College Poughkeepsie, New York
Oct 6 Union Hall w. dragons of zynth Brooklyn, New York
Oct 7 Danger! Danger! Gallery Philly, Pennsylvania
Oct 9 Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar Charlottesville, Virginia
Oct 11 Cine Athens, Georgia
Oct 12 Pilot Light Knoxville, Tennessee
Oct 13 The Bishop Bloomington, Indiana
Oct 15 The Chopin Theater Chicago, Illinois
Oct 16 Crofoot (Vernors Room) Detroit, Michigan
Oct 20 High Noon Saloon - Madison, Wisconsin w/ Sunset Rubdown
Oct 21 Off Broadway Nightclub - St. Louis, Missouri w/ Sunset Rubdown
Oct 23 Bluebird Theater - Denver, Colorado w/ Sunset Rubdown
Oct 24 Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, Utah w/ Sunset Rubdown
Oct 26 Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, California w/ Sunset Rubdown
Oct 27 The Troubadour - Los Angeles, California w/ Sunset Rubdown
Nov 09 Granada - Lawrence, Kansas w/ Dirty Projectors
Nov 11 Cedar Cultural Center - Minneapolis, MN  w/ Dirty Projectors
Nov 14 Opera House - Toronto, Ontario w/ Dirty Projectors
Nov 15 National - Montreal, Quebec w/ Dirty Projectors
Nov 17 Paradise - Boston, Massachusetts w/ Dirty Projectors
Nov 18 Bowery Ballroom - New York, New York w/ Dirty Projectors
Nov 19 Music Hall Of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, New York w/ Dirty Projectors
Nov 21 Music Hall Of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, New York w/ Dirty Projectors
Nov 22 Bowery Ballroom - New York, New York w/ Dirty Projectors

A special night with John Darnielle and Rian Johnson in NYC 23 Sep 2009

In celebration of the October 6 release of The Mountain Goats new album, The Life of the World To Come, Housing Works and 4AD present a discussion about and free screening of :

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS ON THE COLBERT REPORT!!!!! 16 Sep 2009

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS SET TO MAKE THEIR LATE NIGHT TELEVISION DEBUT ON "THE COLBERT REPORT" ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6th!

The Mountain Goats will celebrate their late-night television debut with an appearance on Comedy Central's Emmy and Peabody award winning series "The Colbert Report" at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT on Tuesday, October 6th.  This also happens to be release day for their new 4AD album The Life of the World to Come.  In addition, ColbertNation.com will stream the album in its entirety from 9/29 – 10/6. Video of The Mountain Goat's performance on "The Colbert Report" will be posted for viewing on ColbertNation.com with URL and embed links. 

Less a profession of religious faith than an immersion in Biblical poetry and imagery, the songs on The Life of the World to Come take their names from verses that informed or inspired them, or which, sometimes, came up against them at right angles. The songs on the album are about losing people you love, and leaving places to which you can't return, and about things from which people don't & can't recover. They are about faith and doubt and the long dark hallways that run between the two.

The Mountain Goats are comprised of John Darnielle, Peter Hughes (bass) and Jon Wurster (drums). The Life Of The World To Come is their sixth album for 4AD. John Darnielle is one of the most imaginative lyricists of his generation. Since he sat down cross-legged with an acoustic guitar in front of a boom box and pressed record for the first time - more than a decade ago - skewed characters, vibrant images and perfectly-framed narratives have flowed in the hundreds. 

“The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle has been one of the best songwriters of the ‘00s”
-Rolling Stone
“America’s best non hip-hop lyricist” -The New Yorker
“Mountain Goats auteur John Darnielle continues to write songs that could inspire a season’s worth of TV-movie melodramas…the results can be extraordinary. Get the man an orchestra, now.” -Entertainment Weekly
Named #82 out of 100 in Paste Magazine’s list of the 100 best living songwriters
“They’re eccentric gems he uses to work out his lyrical muscles – concise tunes with matter-of fact lines that tell simple but captivating stories, steadfastly proclaimed in his geek who-lived-to-tell wail." -Paste Magazine

Future Of The Left confirm US Headlining Dates! 10 Sep 2009

We are pleased to inform you that Cardiff based trio Future Of The Left will stick around through early November, as they now plan to hit the Northeast and Canada with their blistering brand of "jovial ferocity" (Village Voice) and play a slew of headlining dates!

As previously announced, singer/ guitarist Andy Falkous, drummer Jack Egglestone and bassist Kelson Matthias are heading over to our side of the pond in early October for a string of dates supporting ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, taking them from the West Coast through the Midwest.

Future Of The Left have built quite the reputation for delivering incredible live shows from previous stints of US touring with the likes of Ted Leo And The Pharmacists, Japandroids, Spinnerette and Against Me! along with notable festival appearances at SXSW, Siren Music Festival, Virgin Festival and Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle. 

Their latest album Travels With Myself And Another is out now on 4AD
and has garnered massive praise:

"Travels With Myself and Another might be the finest soundtrack for slam dancing, fast driving, heavy drinking, or whatever poor decision you make this year. But in addition finding new ways to snarl in their music, the lyrics go beyond mere cleverness into sharp, thoughtful introspection..."  Pitchfork {8.0}

"As vicious as the music is, Falkous's words are often the most brutal element in play. Instead of making a listener choose between pummeling power, sharp wit or memorable songcraft, Future of the Left has provided all of those elements in a concise 33-minute package. And the result is simply one of the best rock albums of the year."  Washington Post

"The central tenet behind Falco's songwriting—both with FOTL and his previous band, the equally pithy and malevolent Mclusky—seems to involve firing off cracked manifestos, foul oaths, sardonic one-liners, and idle boasts so bizarre and viciously funny that your subsequent state of incapacitating confusion/amusement makes it much easier for him to sneak up and decapitate you."  Village Voice

Check out the MP3 for lead-off track Arming Eritrea here:
http://www.futureoftheleft.com/widget/armingerirtrea.mp3



Future Of The Left Fall   Tour Dates

* with  ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead


10/8 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda*
10/9 San Diego, CA Casbah*
10/10 Visalia, CA Cellar Door*
10/11 San Francisco, CA Independent*
10/12 Portland, OR Dante's*
10/13 Seattle, WA Neumos*
10/14 Vancouver, BC Venue*
10/16 Edmonton, ALB Starlite*
10/17 Calgary, ALB Warehouse*
10/19 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge*
10/20 Denver, CO Bluebird*
10/23 Oklahoma City, OK Conservatory*
10/24 Austin TX  Beauty Bar
10/26 Atlanta GA 529 Club
10/28 Chapel Hill NC Local 506
10/29 Washington DC DC9
10/30 Brooklyn NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
11/1 Boston MA TT The Bears
11/2 Montreal PQ Zoobizarre
11/3 Toronto ON El Mocambo
11/5 Chicago IL Bottom Lounge
11/6 Minneapolis MN 7th St Entry
11/7 Madison WI Annex

http://www.futureoftheleft.com/

http://www.myspace.com/futureoftheleft

The Long Count... 09 Sep 2009

some news from The National...Hi everyone! We wanted to let you know that tickets have gone on-sale today for the "The Long Count" at Brooklyn Academy of Music on October 28th, 30th and 31st. The Long Count is a collaboration between Aaron and Bryce Dessner and the artist Matthew Ritchie. The 70-minute piece features an animated film by Ritchie, a 14 piece ensemble and songs developed with Matt Berninger, Kim & Kelley Deal (Pixies/ Breeders) and Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond). The piece is loosely based on the Mayan creation myth Popol Vuh which features twin brothers. We hope you'll come check it out! You can find information and tickets here.

St.Vincent on JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! TONIGHT!!! 02 Sep 2009

ST. VINCENT PERFORMS TONIGHT ON JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!

St.Vincent will celebrate her second late night television performance tonight, September 2nd on Jimmy Kimmel Live, performing the song "Marrow" from her recent 4AD release Actor.

St.Vincent is set for a very busy fall, as she begins a US tour with Andrew Bird on September 29th with a few headlining shows too.  She will then open for Grizzly Bear in Europe starting in November. She will also appear on PBS' Austin City Limits on October 24th. Actor was released earlier this year to rave reviews, and continues to impress!

"Actor is a uniquely potent cocktail of sounds and moods that'll get you hooked, fast." - ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
"Actor proves St. Vincent as an artist capable of crafting believable, complicated characters with compassion, insight, and exacting skill." - PITCHFORK, 8.5, Best New Music
"To put it plainly, Actor is St. Vincent's doe-eyed awakening." - FILTER

TOUR DATES:
9/29     Indianapolis, IN     The Murat Theatre    (w/Andrew Bird)
9/30     Columbia, MO         The Blue Note        (w/Andrew Bird)
10/1    St Louis ,MO        Firebird                   
10/03     New Orleans, LA     Tipitina's Uptown    (w/Andrew Bird)
10/05     Birmingham, AL         Workplay Soundstage    (w/Andrew Bird)
10/07     Carrboro, NC         The Cat's Cradle     (w/Andrew Bird)
10/08     Carrboro, NC         The Cat's Cradle    (w/Andrew Bird)
10/09     Asheville, NC         The Orange Peel     (w/Andrew Bird)
10/10     Nashville, TN         Ryman Auditorium    (w/Andrew Bird)
10/12     Charleston, SC         The Music Farm        (w/Andrew Bird)
10/13     Knoxville, TN         The Bijou Theater    (w/Andrew Bird)
10/14     Cincinnati, OH         Bogart's        (w/Andrew Bird)
10/16    Madison , WI        High Noon Saloon           
10/17     Milwaukee, WI         Pabst Theater        (w/Andrew Bird)
10/18     Kalamazoo, MI        State Theatre        (w/Andrew Bird)
10/19     Columbus, OH         The Southern Theatre    (w/Andrew Bird)
10/20    Cleveland, OH        Beachland Ballroom           
10/21     Buffalo, NY         Asbury Hall at Babeville (w/Andrew Bird)
10/22    Ithaca , NY        Castaways               
10/24     South Portland, ME     S. Portland High School Auditorium (w/Andrew Bird)
10/25     Philadelphia, PA     The Electric Factory    (w/Andrew Bird)
10/26     South Burlington, VT     Higher Ground        (w/Andrew Bird)
10/27     Providence, RI         Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel    (w/Andrew Bird)
10/28     Washington, DC         The 930 Club        (w/Andrew Bird)
10/29    Baltimore MD        Sonar   

Tonight on the Late Late Show...CAMERA OBSCURA! 26 Aug 2009

It's a repeat, and because of that - we can tell you that they were AWESOME! Check out the band perfoming "French Navy" on the Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson tonight.Check your local listings.

Anni Rossi Fall Tour 26 Aug 2009

Anni Rossi will hit the road for a Fall tour starting on September 2nd in Evanston, IL. Fresh from a few impressive opening slots with Brendan Benson, Anni has dates for the first three weeks of September, including Denver's Monolith Festival, and the PLAY:STL festival in St.Louis. She will be also be on tour in November with Headlights.


4AD released Anni's debut full-length album ROCKWELL earlier this year. It was recorded with Steve Albini all in one day, and includes her sublime version of Ace Of Base's "Living in Danger"

FUN ANNI FACTS:
-She studied violin from the age of 3
-She studied piano from the age of 5
-Her mom sat with her at every piano and violin lesson from ages 3-17.
-Her grandmother was a church organist and her aunt was a concert pianist.
-She studied performance and composition at California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles for two years.
-She was a string instructor and conductor of an elementary school orchestra before she started touring.
-For this album, Anni worked with Devin Maxwell, a NYC-based composer whose previous work has included accompanying Bat For Lashes, to help her capture the natural percussion of the viola with the drum kit, which she says explains "the sparse, toe tapping drum parts."

Check out the mp3 for "Ecology"
http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/mp3/Anni_Rossi_Ecology.mp3
Here is the video for "The West Coast" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzKlutR0ve8
"Performing her solo set before the headline act, Rossi stole the show with her charmingly nonchalant stage presence and distinctive voice, which was accompanied solely by her viola and a few heated, percussive foot stomps. Like her vocals, which often sound as though they may fall out of tune at any moment yet never do, Rossi's unconventional viola playing is a huge part of her appeal. Rather than bowing the strings, she often prefers to strum and pluck, using the instrument to emphasize and soundtrack her lyrics. On a popular live song, for example, she emulates the sound of her "father shoveling snow" and "cars on icy packed roads" with a fricative scrape of the strings that brings her tale of childhood winters in the Midwest to life."
PITCHFORK, 8.0

"At times haunting and others saccharine, Los Angeles/Chicago-based singer/songwriter Anni Rossi is a one-woman orchestra. Armed with a killer set of pipes and a viola that she bows and plucks to perfection, her no-nonsense approach to her art reminds us of a less-sappy, more-headstrong version of Joanna Newsom." PHOENIX NEW TIMES

"...imagine if Bjrk had been captured after leaving the Sugarcubes and locked in a darkened room with the viola player from the Brodksy Quartet. Rossi is that viola player." GUARDIAN

"Rossi is an exceptionally resourceful player, funneling bits of country, soul, and folk into catchy, idiosyncratic art-pop ditties" CHICAGO READER


2 Sep  Society for the Preservation of Art & Culture Evanston, Illinois #
3 Sep  Vaudeville Mews Des Moines, Iowa #
4 Sep  Hi-Dive  Denver, Colorado #
5 Sep  Road 34 Ft. Collins, Colorado #
6 Sep  Kilby Court Salt Lake City, Utah #
7 Sep  Doug Fir Lounge Portland, Oregon # %
8 Sep  Tractor Tavern Seattle, Washington #
10 Sep  Kimo's Penthouse Lounge San Francisco, California #
11 Sep  Hotel Cafe Los Angeles, California #
13 Sep  Monolith Festival  Denver, Colorado
17 Sep  PLAY:stl Festival  St. Louis, Missouri
5 Nov  Hi Dive Denver, Colorado $
6 Nov  Kilby Court Salt Lake City, Utah $
7 Nov  Neurolux Boise, Idaho $
8 Nov  Sunset Tavern  Seattle, Washington $
10 Nov  Berbati's Pan  Portland, Oregon $
12 Nov  Cafe Du Nord  San Francisco, California $
13 Nov  Spaceland Los Angeles, California $
15 Nov  Plush Tucson, Arizona $
18 Nov Emo's Jr.  Austin, Texas $

(# with Kaiser Cartel)
($ with Headlights)
(% with The Honey Brothers)

CAMERA OBSCURA ANNOUNCE FALL TOUR 20 Aug 2009

Camera Obscura will be returning to the US for a late Fall tour in celebration of their critically acclaimed release My Maudlin Career. The album has been praised by critics worldwide, and the song "French Navy" has been declared one of the catchiest songs around. It's had over 400,000 listens on the band's myspace page, and was included in NPR's "Best Music Of 2009 So Far" top 30 reader's poll. The album itself was given a score of 8.3 by Pitchfork and inclusion in their "Best New Music" category. Prior to their US tour, they will be playing in the UK and Europe. In the new year, they will embark on their second tour of Australia and New Zealand! These guys work HARD! For the US tour, they will be supported by Papercuts.

HEAR the title track "My Maudlin Career": http://tinyurl.com/bkzpyh
WATCH the video for "French Navy": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3CkfvYMCWM
LOOK at the band's brand new online store: http://www.camera-obscura-shop.net/
UK/EUROPEAN dates are here: http://www.camera-obscura.net/gigs
US dates are below!

"Camera Obscura has been crafting its own blend of shimmering chamber-pop since first forming in Glasgow in 1996. Now, more than a decade later, the group [is about to} release its richest and most ambitious album to date."
-NPR's Exclusive First Listen

"It's an infectious album that blooms repeatedly throughout, unfolding in muted, endearing aural hues; simultaneously sad and celebratory, and always charming."
-Paste 89%

"The result is a flawless blend of sunny pop, Motown, blues and jazz with the cleanest production in Camera Obscura's catalog."
-Billboard

"On their fourth album, this Scottish indie-pop band's fondness for woeful heartache and Phil Spector-sque production reaches a poignant peak."
-Spin

"My Maudlin Career"stands as one of the finest among Camera Obscura's four studio records.  It's a sadly poetic collection that you don't necessarily have to be heartbroken to enjoy!  It is an album dripping with tragic beauty."
-ABC News

US DATES:
Wed    11/18    New Orleans, LA    Tipitina's
http://www.ticketweb.com/snl/EventListings.action?pl=tipitinas&orgId=12267

Thur     11/19    Birmingham, AL    Bottletree
http://www.ticketbiscuit.com/bottletree/eventspotlight.aspx

Fri     11/20     Atlanta, GA     Variety Playhouse
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0E0042F0D77D8F3C?artistid=920296&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60

Sat     11/21     Norfolk, VA     Attucks Theatre
http://www.ticketmaster.com/Attucks-Theatre-tickets-Norfolk/venue/8900

Sun     11/22     Brooklyn, NY     Music Hall of Williamsburg
http://www.ticketmaster.com/venue/1098

Tues     11/24     Northampton, MA    Pearl Street Ballroom
http://www.nbotickets.com/default.asp

Wed    11/25    Rochester, NY    The German House

Thur     11/26    Toronto, ON     Phoenix
http://www.ticketmaster.ca/The-Phoenix-Concert-Theatre-tickets-Toronto/venue/131109

Fri     11/27     Pontiac, MI     Crofoot Ballroom
http://www.ticketweb.com/snl/VenueListings.action?venueId=22313&pl=ticketweb

Sat     11/28     Milwaukee, WI     Turner Hall
http://www.turnerhallballroom.org/obscura

Mon     11/30     Bloomington, IN    Bluebird
http://www.ticketmaster.com/Bluebird-Nightclub-tickets-Bloomington/venue/41291

Tues     12/01     St Louis, MO     Off Broadway
http://uptoeleven.frontgatetickets.com/

Wed     12/02     Oxford, MS     The Lyric Oxford
http://www.thelyricoxford.com/ticketinfo.aspx

Thur     12/03     Athens , GA    40 Watt Club
http://www.40watt.com/ticketing.php

Happy Release Day tUnE-yArDs! 18 Aug 2009

Today marks the limited release of BiRd-BrAiNs, the debut album from new 4AD signing tUnE-yArDs, the singular musical project of New England native Merrill Garbus, for the first time on CD!

Some words from Merrill:

After much back and forth, willy-nilly, and
near and far, BiRd-BrAiNs, which started
out as an independent cassette tape release a year ago,
will be released on the distinguished label, 4AD, today.

As of today, August 18th, 2009,
there is a limited CD release available,
which is a beautifully screen-printed edition.
And the digital version is now available around
the world.  Whoa.

This whole thing wouldn't have been possible without
those who love, support, listen to, recommend and say
nice things about this album, so thanks and I hope you
continue to enjoy it for a long time.

Sincerely, your fan,

Merrill / tUnE-yArDs

The Pixies announce US 30 Jul 2009

PIXIES ANNOUNCE U.S. "DOOLITTLE" TOUR DATES

LOS ANGELES, CA - July 28, 2009 -- Europe may get them first, but the Pixies will tour the USA late this year.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the release of their classic 1989 album Doolittle, the band - Black Francis, Kim Deal, Joey Santiago and David Lovering - will kick off the very special US "Doolittle Tour" at the Palladium in Los Angeles on Wednesday, November 4.  The U.S. tour will hit a total of nine cities, including three dates in New York City.  Ticket prices and on-sale dates will vary city to city, but some tickets go on sale as early as this Saturday, August 1 and can be purchased at the venues' box offices or online at http://www.ticketmaster.com/   See below for full itinerary and on-sale information.

On this tour, the Pixies will perform all of the songs from Doolittle and its related B-sides, "Weird at My School," "Dancing the Manta Ray," and "Bailey's Walk" among them.  Doolittle, the band's third album and the first to chart on Billboard's album charts, includes classics such as "Debaser," "Wave of Mutilation," "Here Comes Your Man," "Hey," and "Gouge Away."

"We wanted to do something special for Doolittle's 20th anniversary," said Black Francis, "and we thought his was a good opportunity to play all of the songs from that album, something we don't normally do at a regular gig."

With the first date in the UK still three months away, the band is brainstorming on Doolittle-related surprises that will also comprise the nights' entertainment.

The US dates will follow the seven-city/12-date "Doolittle" trek of the UK and Europe.  Kicking off on September 30 in Dublin, most dates have already sold out, including a four-night stand at London's Brixton Academy, where some 20,000 tickets vanished in about an hour.  In addition, on August 29, the band will perform a straight-ahead Pixies set of their classic songs spanning their entire career at the Virgin Festival at Burl's Creek Park outside of Toronto.

The Boston-formed Pixies have been acclaimed as the most influential pioneering band of the late 80s alt/rock movement.  Their five studio releases and six years together effectively blazed the path for groups like Nirvana, Radiohead and Pearl Jam to rise to superstardom.  They disbanded in 1993 and launched their reunion tour in April, 2004 when virtually every, single date sold out within minutes and fans traveled hundred of miles to attend a show.  In post-Pixies years, Black Francis has enjoyed a successful solo career as Frank Black, Kim Deal went on to form the Platinum-selling band the Breeders, Joey Santiago started the band The Martinis and has carved a career as a music composer for film and TV, and David Lovering performs as a magician and continues to drum. The US "Doolittle Tour" will be the band's first American trek since 2005. 

The "Doolittle Tour" will coincide with the release of the ultimate Pixies Collector's Set, Minotaur, which ships to purchasers in early October and will hit stores around the same time.  To find out more about Minotaur and to order a set, log onto www.ainr.com

Dates and on sale info for the Pixies US "Doolittle Tour" are as follows:

NOVEMBER
4        The Palladium, Los Angeles, CA - on sale TBA
8        Fox Theater, Oakland, CA - on sale August 16
9        Fox Theater, Oakland, CA - on sale August 16
12        Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA - on sale August 1
13        Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA - on sale August 1
14        Hult Center, Eugene, OR - on sale August 14
16        The Fillmore, Denver, CO - on sale September 12
20        Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL - on sale September 12
21        Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL - on sale September 12
23         Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY - on sale August 14
24        Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY - on sale August 14
25        Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY - on sale August 14
27        Wang Center, Boston, MA - on sale September 12
30        Constitution Hall, Washington, D.C. - on sale September 11


Pixies V Festival and UK/European "Doolittle Tour" dates are:

AUGUST
29    V Festival, Burl's Creek Park, Ontario, Canada

SEPTEMBER
30    Olympia,  Dublin, Ireland - SOLD OUT

OCTOBER
 1    Olympia,  Dublin, Ireland   SOLD OUT
 2    Olympia,  Dublin, Ireland    SOLD OUT
 4    SECC - Hall 4, Glasgow, Scotland
 6    Brixton Academy, London, England   SOLD OUT
 7    Brixton Academy, London, England    SOLD OUT
 8     Brixton Academy, London, England    SOLD OUT
 9     Brixton Academy, London, England    SOLD OUT
11    Jahrhunderhalle, Frankfurt, Germany   
13    Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, Holland   
14    Forest National, Brussels, Belgium   SOLD OUT
15    Zenith, Paris, France   
16    Zenith, Paris, France

New Mountain Goats album on the way!!! 28 Jul 2009

For Immediate Release:

NEW MOUNTAIN GOATS RECORD
The Life Of The World To Come
TO BE RELEASED ON October 6th!

MP3 below!

1. 1 Samuel 15:23
2. Psalms 40:2
3. Genesis 3:23
4. Philippians 3:20-21
5. Hebrews 11:40
6. Genesis 30:3
7. Romans 10:9
8. 1 John 4:16
9. Matthew 25:21
10. Deuteronomy 2:10
11. Isaiah 45:23
12. Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace

4AD is excited to release the new album by THE MOUNTAIN GOATS, which is John Darnielle, Peter Hughes and Jon Wurster. The Life Of The World To Come was recorded this spring and features string arrangements by Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy).  it will be released on October 6th. Less a profession of religious faith than an immersion in Biblical poetry and imagery, the songs on The Life of the World to Come take their names from verses that informed or inspired them, or which, sometimes, came up against them at right angles.

John Darnielle is one of the most imaginative lyricists of his generation. Since he sat down cross-legged with an acoustic guitar in front of a boom box and pressed record for the first time - more than a decade ago - skewed characters, vibrant images and perfectly-framed narratives have flowed in the hundreds.  The Life Of The World To Come is the band's sixth album for 4AD.

“The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle has been one of the best songwriters of the ‘00s:
-Rolling Stone

“America’s best non-hip-hop lyricist”
-The New Yorker

“Mountain Goats auteur John Darnielle continues to write songs that could inspire a season’s worth of TV-movie melodramas…the results can be extraordinary. Get the man an orchestra, now.”
-Entertainment Weekly

Named #82 out of 100 in Paste Magazine’s list of the 100 best living songwriters
“They’re eccentric gems he uses to work out his lyrical muscles – concise tunes with matter-of-fact lines that tell simple but captivating stories, steadfastly proclaimed in his geek who-lived-to-tell wail.”
-Paste Magazine

THE BIG PINK : A BRIEF HISTORY OF LOVE (4AD) SEPTEMBER 22, 2009 21 Jul 2009

THE BIG PINK A BRIEF HISTORY OF LOVE (4AD)  -- SEPTEMBER 22, 2009
New track 'Dominos' available to download from musicfromthebigpink.com or here: http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/mp3/thebigpink_dominos.mp3

Robbie Furze and Milo Cordell, the musical orchestrators behind The Big Pink, have confirmed full details of their excellent debut album A Brief History Of Love which will be released by 4AD on September 22.

Featuring previous singles 'Too Young To Love', 'Crystal Visions' and 'Velvet' A Brief History Of Love was recorded and self-produced at Electric Lady Studios in New York and with help from an ever-evolving line-up, Furze and Cordell have engineered a sound that marries an anthemic pop sensibility with fiery digital experimentalism. The job of mixing fell to Rich Costey (Mastodon, Muse, New Order, Rage Against The Machine) with the exception of 'Velvet' which was previously mixed by Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, NiN, Smashing Pumpkins, Yeah Yeah Yeahs). To package the recordings with artwork as otherworldly as the music the band called upon long-term 4AD friends and collaborators, v23 (Pixies, Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil).

The final results are eleven stunning tracks that chart the trials of the heart, set within a sound-world that combines melody and beautiful noise in equal measure.

Preceding the album release 'Dominos' will also be made available on 7" vinyl. The single will be backed with exclusive track "She's No Sense" featuring backing vocals from Florence Welsh, aka Florence and the Machine.

Tracklisting for A Brief History Of Love
'Crystal Visions'
'Too Young To Love'
'Dominos'
'Love In Vain'
'At War With The Sun'
'Velvet'
'Golden Pendulum'
'Frisk'
'A Brief History Of Love'
'Tonight'
'Countbackwards From Ten'

The Big Pink will be touring the US this fall.

HAPPY BASTILLE DAY! FREE MP3! 14 Jul 2009

Happy Bastille Day! Please enjoy this free mp3 of the best song ever, aka "French Navy" by Camera Obscura!

 

We're TWITTERING! 09 Jul 2009

The Beggars US press office is twittering! tweeting! tweet twee chirp chirp. Please follow us.

http://twitter.com/beggarsUSpress

Did you catch St.Vincent on Letterman? 26 Jun 2009

She performed "Marrow" from her new 4AD release Actor.

I think Dave has a crush on her.

 

The National and The Pentagon? 19 Jun 2009

Did you know that The Pentagon has an official channel? They do! Take a peek as hottie Sgt Ted Macdonald sits down with a couple of the boys in DC


The National
Showcases the song Apartment Story

Click to watch the video

Camera Obscura was on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson! 16 Jun 2009

They performed the super-catchy song "French Navy"!

Take a look!

 

 

Camera Obscura Gets Best New Music on Pitchfork! 22 Apr 2009

Camera Obscura's My Maudlin Career is out now and the critical acclaim is pouring in!

Read Pitchfork's Best New Music review of the album here:

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12942-my-maudlin-career/

Little Joy and Department Of Eagles videos debut on MTV Subterranean this week! 14 Apr 2009

"No One's Better Sake" - from Little Joy

"No One Does It Like You" - from Department Of Eagles

Be sure to TUNE IN!

Air date: Thursday Night (Friday Morning)  Apr. 16th 1:00 A.M. E.S.T.

***HOSTED BY THE PJ HARVEY & JOHN PARISH!!!***



Cage The Elephant - Ain't No Rest For The Wicked
Riverboat Gamblers - A Choppy Yet Sincere Apology (SUB debut)
Asobi Seksu - Me & Mary (SUB debut)
Atmosphere - Your Glass House
Department of Eagles - No One Does It Like You (SUB debut)
Datarock - Give It Up
The Whip - Trash (SUB debut)
Silversun Pickups - Panic Switch
Bat For Lashes - Daniel
Little Joy - No One's Better Sake (SUB debut)
Architecture In Helsinki - That Beep

NPR Streams Camera Obscura's My Maudlin Career Starting Tonight At 11:59p!!!! 13 Apr 2009

NPR's Exlusive First Listen Series will be streaming Camera Obscura's My Maudlin Career starting tonight, April 13th at 11:59p and will be available for the week leading up to the album's April 21st release.

Visit NPR to listen to this extraordinary album, which NPR calls " its richest and most ambitious album to date."

In addition, NPR's All Songs Considered will be playing their single "French Navy" on the show today.

Visit the show's site to catch it live!

 

 

David Byrne Added To Dark Was The Night Bill! 02 Apr 2009

Announcing……
DAVID BYRNE ADDED TO THE BILL FOR DARK WAS THE NIGHT LIVE AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL!!
Concert Taking Place Sunday, May 3, 2009

4AD is pleased to announce that yet another artist has signed on to participate in the "Dark Was The Night – Live" concert happening on May 3 at Radio City Music Hall.  David Byrne is now confirmed to perform that night. 

Like the other artists on the bill  - Bon Iver, Dave Sitek, Dirty Projectors, Feist, My Brightest Diamond, The National and Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - David will perform his track from the Dark Was The Night album in the first half of the show.  The National's Aaron Dessner explained the format of the show to Pichtfork in a recent news feature, "We're going to have two halves (of the show). The first half will be songs from Dark Was the Night, and then there will be a short intermission. And then afterwards, there will be mini-sets by different artists and collaborations, both things that relate to Dark Was the Night and some that don't."

The Dark Was The Night compilation was released by 4AD on February 17 of 2009, and was produced by Aaron & Bryce Dessner of The National.   The compilation, comprised of 31 exclusive tracks, benefits the Red Hot Organization - an international charity dedicated to raising money and awareness for HIV and AIDS through popular culture.  

Dark Was The Night which received a stunning 8.6 review in Pitchfork’s “Best New Music” section and was described by Entertainment Weekly in their lead review (A-) as a “satisfying smorgasbord,” debuted at #49 on the Billboard charts and remains in the top 200 more than a month after release, selling over 40,000 copies to date.  

An MP3 from the album – for The National’s track “So Far Around The Bend” is now available for download – spread the word! http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/mp3/thenational_sofararoundthebend.mp3  A previously released MP3 was for the track "Knotty Pine", a  David Byrne and Dirty Projectors collaboration http://www.4ad.com/audio/darkwasthenight/knottypine.mp3

Anni Rossi 8.0 Pitchfork Review and More Tour Dates! 27 Mar 2009

ANNI ROSSI'S ROCKWELL IS OUT NOW ON 4AD
wonderful 8.0 review on Pitchfork posted yesterday:
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12747-rockwell/

TOUR with Noah and The Whale
& new Ben Sollee dates added!

The Chicago resident with ties to Los Angeles who originates from Minneapolis is coming
off a very successful run of dates, including a slew of well received performances at SXSW
and high profile opening slots for Micachu & The Shapes and Camera Obscura in NYC.

She now heads back to NY from Washington, DC today with her unique collection of songs centered around the viola,
and will do a handful of dates before hitting the road supporting Noah and The Whale in April, followed
by a tour with Ben Sollee in May.

Check out these HandheldShows performances:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWxVY54lWNk&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QnCKokxfe8&feature=player_embedded

Anni Rossi Tour Dates
 
Mar 27    Brooklyn, NY            Union Pool
Mar 28    Philadelphia, PA        M Room
Apr 3    Chicago, IL            The Hideout    
Apr 18    San Francisco, CA    The Independent*
Apr 20    Portland, Oregon        Doug Fir Lounge*
Apr 21    Seattle, WA            Chop Suey*
Apr 24    Minneapolis, MN        7th Street Entry*
Apr 25    Chicago, IL            Empty Bottle*
Apr 26    Detriot, Michigan        The Magic Bag*
Apr 27    Toronto, ONT        Mod Club Theatre*
Apr 28    Toronto, ONT        Les Saints*
Apr 29    Boston, MA            Paradise Rock Club*
May 1    New York, NY        Bowery Ballroom*
May 2    Washington, DC        Black Cat*
May 18   IOTA                 Arlington, Virginia!
May 19      Cat’s Cradle         Carrboro, North Carolina!
May 21      The Dame             Lexington, Kentucky!
May 22      The Square Room     Knoxville, Tennessee!
May 23      The Grey Eagle         Asheville, North Carolina!
* w/ Noah and The Whale and Ferraby Lionheart
! w/ Ben Sollee

Bon Iver Added To Bill : Dark Was The Night - Live At Radio City Music Hall! 26 Mar 2009

BON IVER HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE BILL FOR DARK WAS THE NIGHT LIVE AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL!!
Concert Taking Place Sunday, May 3, 2009

4AD is pleased to announce that Bon Iver has been added to the bill for the Dark Was The Night – Live, a concert commemorating the newest Red Hot release Dark Was The Night. The concert will be held at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, May 3.  The full line up for the evening is as follows:  Bon Iver, Dave Sitek, Dirty Projectors, Feist, My Brightest Diamond, The National and Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings.   More artists are expected to confirm in the coming weeks. Dark Was The Night – Live begins at 8pm (doors will open at 7).

The Dark Was The Night compilation was released by 4AD on February 17 of 2009, and was produced by Aaron & Bryce Dessner of The National.   The compilation, comprised of 31 exclusive tracks, benefits the Red Hot Organization - an international charity dedicated to raising money and awareness for HIV and AIDS through popular culture.  

Dark Was The Night which received a stunning 8.6 review in Pitchfork’s “Best New Music” section and was described by Entertainment Weekly in their lead review (A-) as a “satisfying smorgasbord,” debuted at #49 on the Billboard charts and remains in the top 200 more than a month after release.  

An MP3 from the album – for The National’s track “So Far Around The Bend” is now available for download – spread the word! http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/mp3/thenational_sofararoundthebend.mp3

CAMERA OBSCURA ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE, ALBUM & TOUR 09 Feb 2009

CAMERA OBSCURA ANNOUNCE NEW SINGLE, ALBUM & TOUR
MY MAUDLIN CAREER OUT APRIL 21st ON 4AD
PLUS ALBUM TITLE TRACK AVAILABLE STARTING TODAY!

Camera Obscura announce a new single, the forthcoming album release of My Maudlin Career (out on April 21st, 2009) and tour dates in both the UK and US. They are also making the title track available to download as of today.

With John Peel as an early champion, Glasgow’s Camera Obscura are fondly regarded by many as one of the UK’s finest acts; having built up over the years a dedicated following with must have records and tours throughout Europe, USA, Mexico, Australia and South East Asia. Their last album, Let’s Get Out Of This Country (2006), was to prove pivotal for the band, taking them out of the shadows and to long-deserved new heights. “You might not find heartache as enchanting as this anywhere else,” stated All Music Guide in a familiar glowing review.

Nearly three years on from that release and Camera Obscura are ready to release the follow-up, My Maudlin Career; their first for their new label (the legendary indie, 4AD) and fourth overall. After his successful touches on their last record, they returned to Sweden to work again with Swedish producer Jari Haapalainen (Ed Harcourt, Peter, Bjorn & John, The Concretes). His wonderful understanding with the band continues to flourish, again fully realizing not just the potential of Tracyanne Campbell’s songs and remarkable voice, but also the ensemble musicianship of the group as a whole.

Speaking for the first time about My Maudlin Career, lead singer Tracyanne Campbell commented, "Some people who have heard it say it's intense and quite dark. I suppose it is in a way. We were even more open and brave when making it than we were with the last record. I've never been so brutal when its come to writing lyrics. I wouldn't even call them lyrics. Just documentation of what was going on with me for a while. I truly believe it's the best we've done so far."

Prior to releasing the album, comes the single, ‘French Navy’, out a week before the album on April 13th. You won’t have to wait until then to hear new music though as the new album’s title track is available to hear on both the band’s website and MySpace page now. It is also being gifted as a free download for those who sign up to the band’s new mailing list and for sale from iTunes.

Finally, the quick will have already spotted that they have already announced two warm-up shows in March (London and New York) and that they are playing at this year’s SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas. However, not announced until today is the news that the band will play a hometown show at Glasgow Barrowlands Ballroom and a return to London with a Shepherds Bush Empire headline show.

March 16    London, The Lexington
March 18    Austin, SXSW
March 24    New York, The Bell House
April 23      London, Shepherd's Bush Empire
April 26      Glasgow, Barrowlands Ballroom

My Maudlin Career tracklisting:
1.    French Navy
2.    The Sweetest Thing
3.    You Told A Lie
4.    Away With Murder
5.    Swans
6.    James
7.    Careless Love
8.    My Maudlin Career
9.    Forest And Sands
10.    Other Towns And Cities
11.    Honey In The Sun

Beirut and David Lettermen To Give Props To Dark Was The Night! 06 Feb 2009

On February 17 4AD will be releasing Dark Was The Night  - a compilation album (double cd, triple vinyl) to benefit the Red Hot Organization.  

Tonight Beirut, one of the many fabulous artists that contributed tracks to the album, is going to be appearing on Late Night With David Letterman in support of their new EP March of the Zapotec.  Both the band and the peeps at Letterman have been kind enough to give a shout out to the Dark Was Night Compilation -- as such Mr. Letterman will be holding up the CD as he introduces the band.   YAY Dave!  YAY Beirut!

Anni Rossi pre-release TOUR starts TODAY + video for "Wheelpusher" 26 Jan 2009

Anni Rossi, the 23-year old accomplished multi-instrumentalist from Minnesota via Los Angeles,
who is NOW based in Chicago, is kicking off some pre-release TOUR DATES today in LA! 

Her first full length, the upcoming "Rockwell" is due out March 10, 2009 on 4AD.

Check out this video for her song "Wheelpusher"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qi07Nr5Fcg




Stay tuned for more SXSW info!

1.26.09 - The Echo - Los Angeles, Ca. - Robert Francis
2.04.09 - The Smell - Los Angeles, Ca. - with Whitman
2.05.09 - UC Irvine - Irvine, Ca - with MV&EE
2.06.09 - Open Books - Long Beach, Ca. - with Whitman
2.08.09 - The Hanger - Tucson, Az. - with Whitman
2.09.09 - Modified Arts - Phoenix, Az. - with Whitman
2.10.09 - Cottage House - Flagstaff, Az. - with Whitman
2.12.09 - The Echo - Los Angeles, Ca. - with Whitman
2.13.09 - Ports O' Call - West Covina, Ca. - with Whitman
2.20.09 - Empty Bottle - Chicago, Il. - with Deer Tick and Future Clouds & Radar
2.24.09 - Museum of Contemporary Art - Chicago, Il
3.01.09 - Schuba's - Chicago, Il - with Loney Dear
3.05.09 - The Cedar - Minneapolis

3.18 - 3.22.09 - SXSW - Austin, TX (more info TBD)

4AD Release It Hugs Back "Inside Your Guitar" April 2009 21 Jan 2009

It Hugs Back Release Inside Your Guitar
April 7th on 4AD

 

4AD is pleased to announce the April 7th release of It Hugs Back's new album Inside Your Guitar.  The Kent, England band meshes dreamlike soundscapes and experimental guitar feedback into sublimely melodic pop-perfect indie tunes, making the comparisons to My Bloody Valentine and Yo La Tengo wholly justified.

It Hugs Back spent 2008 releasing charmingly artworked 7” singles in the UK. Their most recent single, "Work Day" was given plenty of spins there by influential people like Radio 1’s Steve Lamacq and Rob Da Bank and 6 Music’s Gideon Coe. They also spent much of 2008 perfecting their beautifully crafted debut album Inside Your Guitar at The Record Room, the bands homemade recording studio.

Inside Your Guitar is an impressive debut of gently haunting melodies, tuned in and turned-up fuzzy guitar and infectious summer hits that recall classic albums like Pet Sounds and the heady hazy days of early 90’s Lemonheads at their peak.

"Work Day" mp3:
http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/mp3/ithugsback_workday.mp3

"Work Day" video:
http://www.imeem.com/beggars/video/pvnctdvL/it_hugs_back_it_hugs_back_work_day_music_video/

TRACKLISTING:
Q
Work Day
Don’t Know
Forgotten Song
Soon
Back Down
Unaware
Remember
Now + Again
Look Out
Rehearsal

More links!:
http://www.myspace.com/ithugsback
http://www.ithugsback.co.uk/

All Aboard! The Mountain Goats to perform at Ships & Dip V 20 Jan 2009

That's right, The Mountain Goats will be taking part in this year's Barenaked Ladies curated

Ships & Dip V - the party cruise extravaganza that leaves from Miami and goes on fron Feb 1st Feb 6th!

 

More info here:http://www.shipsanddip.com/

 

The musical line up is here: http://www.shipsanddip.com/lineup.php

 

new song by THE NATIONAL streaming today only! 20 Jan 2009

Hear "So Far Around The Bend" today only!

http://www.myspace.com/darkwasthenight

Since 1989, Red Hot has been the leading international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.  Due to the failure of health education through traditional methods, Red Hot strategically began to use mass media to raise AIDS awareness and break down the barriers between entertainment and education.  To date, these efforts have donated nearly $7mm for AIDS relief around the world. 

On Febuary 17, 4AD is releasing Dark Was the Night.  Inspired by the roots of American folk music and delta bluesman Blind Willie Johnson, Red Hot founder John Carlin and Aaron and Bryce Dessner (from The National) were able to create a completely unique record, which captivates the music of today.  Dark Was the Night is a compilation of two discs, one dark and homegrown with a folk theme, the other more bright and evocative displaying the independent rock music of today.  Red Hot’s newest release will “evoke a fallen world of struggle, but also the capacity of art to inspire us to rise above the obstacles put in our path.  Our nights may be dark, but the music gives us inspiration and hope of brighter days to come (Aaron Dessner).”

Dark Was The Night news! 15 Jan 2009

For Immediate release:
DARK WAS THE NIGHT

-final track listing revealed
-promo mp3 available
-myspace track-by-track debut scheduled
-dedicated website now live

Dark Was The Night will be released on February 17th, 2009. It's comprised of 31 exclusive tracks and it will be
available as a double cd/triple vinyl/download and will benefit the Red Hot Organization - an international
charity dedicated to raising money and awareness for HIV and AIDS through popular culture. They are the people
responsible for albums including No Alternative, Red Hot and Blue and many more, and this is their 20th year, and
this is the 20th release!

We are very excited to invite you to hear the first track from this album, which is a collaboration between David Byrne and Dirty Projectors titled "Knotty Pine".
You can hear it here: http://www.4ad.com/audio/darkwasthenight/knottypine.mp3

Beginning on January 15th, 4AD will begin a track-by-track premiere of the Dark Was the Night compilation.  From January 15 through February 15, each track, in order will be streamed for one day only at:

http://www.myspace.com/DarkWasTheNight as well as on the bands MySpace page.

Please also visit the newly launched http://www.darkwasthenight.com

THIS DISC
1 Knotty Pine - Dirty Projectors + David Byrne
2 Cello Song (Nick Drake) - The Books featuring Jose Gonzalez
3 Train Song (Vashti Bunyan recorded, written by Alasdair Clayre) - Feist + Ben Gibbard
4 Brackett, WI - Bon Iver
5 Deep Blue Sea - Grizzly Bear
6 So Far Around the Bend - The National (arrangement by Nico Muhly)
7 Tightrope - Yeasayer
8 Feeling Good (popularized by Nina Simone) - My Brightest Diamond
9 Dark Was the Night (Blind Willie Johnson) - Kronos Quartet
10 I Was Young When I Left Home (Bob Dylan) - Antony + Bryce Dessner  
11 Big Red Machine - Justin Vernon + Aaron Dessner  
12 Sleepless - The Decemberists
13 Stolen Houses (Die) - Iron and Wine  
14 Service Bell - Grizzly Bear + Feist  
15 You Are The Blood - Sufjan Stevens      

THAT DISC
1 Well-Alright - Spoon          
2 Lenin - Arcade Fire
3 Mimizan - Beirut      
4 El Caporal - My Morning Jacket
5 Inspiration Information (Shuggie Otis) - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
6 With A Girl Like You (The Troggs) - Dave Sitek  
7 Blood Pt 2  (based on original song “You are the Blood” by the Castanets) - Buck 65 Remix (featuring Sufjan
Stevens and Serengeti)   
8 Hey, Snow White (Destroyer) - The New Pornographers
9 Gentle Hour (Snapper) - Yo La Tengo  
10 Another Saturday (traditional song) - Stuart Murdoch      
11 Happiness - Riceboy Sleeps       
12 Amazing Grace (traditional song) - Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues
13 The Giant Of Illinois (Handsome Family) - Andrew Bird  
14 Lua - Conor Oberst + Gillian Welch  
15 When the Road Runs Out - Blonde Redhead + Devastations
16 Love vs. Porn - Kevin Drew

4AD To Release Anni Rossi's "Rockwell" March 2009 12 Jan 2009

4AD is pleased to announce the release of Anni Rossi's debut full-length, Rockwell, out this March 2009.  From Minnesota via Los Angeles and now based in Chicago, 23-year old Anni is a most exciting prospect. Having been classically trained since three years of age, she is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist and has been performing as a solo artist for the past few years. She has already extensively toured around Europe and the US (including support slots with The Ting Tings and Electrelane as well as being a member of Carla Bozulich’s band) and has slowly gained herself both a great reputation and dedicated fanbase.

Anni signed to 4AD in mid-2008 and headed straight to Chicago's Electrical Audio studio to record Rockwell with Steve Albini. The results show it to have been a wise move. Mostly using tracks from her existing set ("Machine", "Ecology", "Wheelpusher"), the energy, depth and eccentricities of her live show have all been successfully translated onto record and where traditionally the viola formed the centerpiece to her music (often being the only instrument used), more come to the forefront here. What will surprise listeners most is the unlikely cover version of Ace of Base’s ‘Living Danger’, a cover so sublime you wouldn’t know what it was unless told.

The first mp3 off the album is "Ecology", a song that perfectly showcases Anni's unique voice and talent.
http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/mp3/Anni_Rossi_Ecology.mp3

Rockwell track listing:
1)    Machine
2)    Ecology
3)    Las Vegas
4)    The West Coast
5)    Deer Hunting Camp 17
6)    Living In Danger
7)    Venice
8)    Glaciers
9)    Wheelpusher
10) Air Is Nothing

Dept Of Eagles Open Up This Week's Episode of Gossip Girl 05 Jan 2009

Happy New Year guys.  "No One Does It Like You" was featured quite prominently in tonight's episode of Gossip Girl.  It's the FIRST song featured in the episode!   I just happened to catch it myself on dvr.    IT WAS A GREAT USE! 
http://www.cwtv.com/shows/gossip-girl

congrats to Department Of Eagles! 22 Dec 2008

Congrats to Department Of Eagles, who made one of the NY Tmes year end polls, by critic Jon Pareles. He listed them at #5 and wrote....

 

5.DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES “In Ear Park” (4AD). Childhood memories and thoughts of mortality ride a carousel of retrofitted California pop, with cascading guitars and vocal harmonies that grow far more pensive than sunny. Department of Eagles is Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear resuming his collaboration with his college roommate Fred Nicolaus, backed on the album by Grizzly Bear’s rhythm section. The sound of their introspection often unfurls to cinematic richness while holding on to the intimacy of a shared secret.

Go see the Scott Walker movie in NYC this weekend! 19 Dec 2008

"Scott Walker - 30 Century Man"
IFC Center - NYC - One week only!
Dec 17-22
Filmmaker Stephen Kijak in Person at 7:40 shows Fri and Sat.
(*Special guest on Friday night: Graham Wood, designer of the film's main motion graphic sequences)

tickets and showtimes: www.ifccenter.com

Department Of Eagles to play Chicago festival in January 26 Nov 2008

Department of Eagles will play The Tomorrow Never Knows Festival 2009 at Schubas Tavern on Thursday, January 15th.

To date they've performed on Conan and played 2 proper NYC shows (The Bell House and Town Hall

for Revenge of the Bookeaters) so this show marks their very first performance outside of NYC, HIP HIP HOORAY!

Find more information and a link to buy tickets go here: http://www.schubas.com/Page/Shows?Month=January&Year=2009

Stereolab on ABC News THE MIX 12 Nov 2008

Check out this interview with Stereolab on ABC News's online show called "The Mix"!

 

 

 

The Mountain Goats and Kaki King have The Last Happy Night of Their Lives in NYC... sort of. 12 Nov 2008

 

Well, at least that's where they ended their long running "The Last Happy Night of Your Life" tour!
Making Sunday November 9th the very last happy.. oh you know.


The extensive tour saw them start in the midwest --> northwest --> south --> back east, ending with
two special nights in NYC, playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday Nov 8th, and then Webster Hall on Sunday
Nov 9th.


Faith-Ann Young took some wonderful photos of the Webster Hall show for Brooklyn Vegan,
you can check them out here:

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2008/11/the_mountain_go_16.html#more


Also, if you didn't get to see one of these shows, you might still experience the collaborative efforts of The Mountain Goats and Kaki King with the recently released 6 song Black Pear Tree EP.  This is a limited edition release however, so you'd have to hurry up and snatch one!

http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/releases/black-pear-tree/

The Breeders to curate ATP! 07 Nov 2008

As you may have already read, The Breeders have been chosen as curators of ATP Weekend 2, taking place at Butlins Holiday Camp in Minehead, England from May 15th - 17th 2009.

The Breeders will not only perform but will also pick a bill of 40+ artists to join them!

For further information, please visit the All Tomorrow's Parties website.

new Johann Johannsson is out today!!!! 04 Nov 2008

Jóhann Jóhannsson: Fordlândia - OUT TODAY!

LISTEN TO A TRACK NOW: "The Rocket Builder"

LOOK AT HIS BRAND NEW WEBSITE: http://www.johannjohannsson.com
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR "Melodia (Guidelines for a Space Propulsion Device based on Heim's Quantum Theory)"

An American magnate builds a doomed utopia in the depths of the Brazilian rainforest. A Victorian poetess laments the death of Pan. A pagan rocket scientist blows himself up in his Californian garage. A crippled German physicist draws up the equations which could make faster than light travel possible, unseen by the rest of the world.

Jóhann Jóhannsson’s spellbinding new album draws these tantalizing threads together, weaving a musical tapestry of hypnotic richness and surprising emotional depth.

Jóhannsson makes stately, slow-building and hauntingly melodic music – frequently combining electronic processing with classical orchestrations - that has been bewitching listeners for the last few years. His first two solo records – Englabörn (2002), written for string quartet, percussion and electronics, and Virthulegu Forsetar (2004), written for brass ensemble, drones and percussion – were released by the singular British independent Touch label.

Englabörn was derived from music that Jóhann wrote for an Icelandic play using string quartet, piano, organ, glockenspiel and percussion. These elements were processed and manipulated, adding delicate electronic accents to the otherwise entirely acoustic recordings. Virthulegu Forsetar was one hour-long piece for eleven brass players, percussion, electronics, organs and piano. It shares Englabörn’s quiet, elegiac beauty, but replaces the brevity of the first album’s exquisite miniatures with an extended sweep of sound that reveals a long, slow process of evolution.

Jóhann is involved in many different projects in his native Iceland, including the all-analogue Apparat Organ Quartet and Kitchen Motors, the art organisation/think tank/record label which specialises in instigating collaborations and art projects across diverse artforms.

Jóhann’s first release for 4AD, IBM 1401, A User’s Manual (2006) involved a sixty-piece string orchestra recorded at Prague’s legendary Barrandov sound stage and incorporated electronics and vintage reel-to-reel recordings of a 1960s IBM 1401 mainframe computer and its accompanying instruction manual.

Following IBM 1401, A User’s Manual, Fordlândia is the second in a proposed trilogy based on technology and iconic American brand names. Whereas IBM 1401, A User’s Manual was a personal response to technology and its inevitable obsolescence inspired by his father’s work with mainframe computers in Iceland, Fordlândia springs out of a far more diffuse set of influences. It brings together the soaring grandeur of its predecessor – some sections were recorded with the same orchestra in Prague – and the plangent intimacy of Englabörn, moving between heady, melting cadences and crystalline motifs with gorgeous, dreamlike logic.

In short, Fordlândia is Jóhann Jóhannsson’s most complete and beautiful piece of music to date, a fascinating, immersive and deeply rewarding web of ideas and melodies, which is sure to win him a legion of new listeners.

4AD to release the next RED HOT compilation! 31 Oct 2008

Announcing……
DARK WAS THE NIGHT
(A Red Hot compilation)
 
4AD is pleased to officially announce Dark Was The Night – a compilation album (double cd, triple vinyl) to benefit the Red Hot Organization. Red Hot is an international organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS.
 
This release marks the 20th anniversary of the Red Hot Organization, and is also the 20th Red Hot album!
 
Dark Was The Night was produced by Aaron & Bryce Dessner of The National, and will be released by 4AD in February of 2009. "Dark Was The Night" is the title of an early blues song by Blind Willie Johnson, which is covered on this album.
 
The album consists of 32 exclusive tracks by a multitude of today's most beloved and respected independent recording artists.
 
Stay tuned for more news updates on this exciting project, and feel free to read Pitchfork's news story on it today.

 

In Austin, TX on November 8th and 9th? 29 Oct 2008

Check out The National and St. Vincent at Fun Fun Fun Fest!

The National headline the saturday show (11/8) from 8:40 - 9:40pm
and ST. Vincent plays sunday (11/9) from 6:30pm - 7:30pm.

Both play on stage 1, the full lineup is here: http://www.funfunfunfest.com/lineup/

Tickets are available here: http://transmission.frontgatetickets.com/choose.php?pl=448&lid=25026&eid=30534

 

Scott Walker news.... 27 Oct 2008

Here's some news from our friend Stephen Kijak - he made this movie about Scott - 30 Century Man

Here's his news!
As you all probably know by now..."Drifting & Tilting: The Music of Scott Walker" will take place Nov 13-15 at the Barbican in London. Scott will NOT be performing, but Damon Albarn, Jarvis Cocker, Dot Allison, Gavin Friday and others will be, along with strings and band - including the amazing Hugh Burns and most likely, pork-puncher Alisdaire Malloy.

Following the Friday Nov 14th show, yours truly (Stephen Kijak) will be DJ'ing after the show at the Barbican's Friday Lates Lounge, reprising the popular "Scott Walker Lounge" set that I toured around to some film festivals. After a few hours worth of The Drift and Tilt, a little "Stormy" will no doubt soothe our troubled souls.

The following Saturday Nov 15th afternoon, the Barbican cinema will be screening "Scott Walker - 30 Century Man" before that night's performance and I'll be on hand to do a Q&A.

And then...yes folks...on December 17th in NYC, "Scott Walker - 30 Century Man" will begin a limited theatrical run in North America. More details to be announced soon... (and don't even ask why it took so long - it's been painful but it will be worth the wait. Thanks to everyone who has helped keep the dream alive!)

YAY! Thanks for the news Stephen!

Natalie Portman has a date in Cincinnati! 16 Oct 2008

Today is the BIG day in Cincinnati! Today is the "Vote Early, Rock Late" rally in support of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, arranged by The National!It is FREE in Fountain Square and will feature performances by The National & The Breeders!

cincinnati.com reports that Actress Natalie Portman, best known for playing Queen Amidala in the most recent “Star Wars” films, will attend the rally at Fountain Square, and of course  The National and The Breeders will provide the music.

Portman will speak in support of Obama at 7 p.m., between the bands. The event starts at 5 p.m. with a speech from Mayor Mark Mallory. Shuttles will escort voters to the Hamilton County Board of Elections if they wish to cast their ballots early.

More from Cincinnati City Beat, including an interview with The National's singer Matt Berninger here!

The National are playing the NY Magazine 40th Anniversary party tonight! 10 Oct 2008

tickets are still available!

 

2008 Q Awards 08 Oct 2008

The Q Awards happened the other night and....

VAMPIRE WEEKEND
won

Best Video for "A Punk"

& THE COCTEAU TWINS got an "inspiration" award!

US quartet Vampire Weekend landed the best video title at the 2008 Q Awards with Russian Standard Vodka with A-Punk.

The slowed-down, then speeded up promo – which features the band in a range of pastel-shaded woollies - was created by the Hammer & Tongs team, who have worked with Blur, R.E.M. and Pulp, as well as creating the movie version of Hitch Hiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.

The award - voted for by Q TV viewers, and the readers of Q and Qthemusic.com – was won last year by Kaiser Chiefs for their Ruby video.

Other nominations for the 2008 best video were: Hot Chip - Ready For The Floor
Coldplay - Violet Hill, The Ting Tings - That's Not My Name, Goldfrapp – Happiness

---------------

ALSO> Ethereal indie act Cocteau Twins landed the "Q Inspiration title" at the 2008 Q Awards with Russian Standard Vodka.

The group – vocalist Elizabeth Fraser, guitarist Robin Guthrie and later Simon Raymonde – pioneered a huge glassy, atmospheric sound layered with often incomprehensible lyrics.

Disbanding in 1997, the band barely dented the charts with releases such as Pearly Dewdrops Drops, Iceblink Luck and Evangeline – but were a huge influence on many who heard them.

The 2007 Q Inspiration winner was Damon Albarn.

St.Vincent at Radio City 08 Oct 2008

St.Vincent opened up for Death Cab on Monday night at the world famous Radio City Music Hall, and photographer extraordinaire Kathryn Yu was there shooting for Prefix. Take a look-see at her awesome photos of the very special evening!

Department Of Eagles off to a helluva good start! 07 Oct 2008

It's been an amazing week for Department Of Eagles already and we are SO proud of them! They played their first full show EVER last night at The Bell House, and it was AMAZING!

Here are some highlights so far:

Pitchfork 8.3 review - Best New Music!

Performance on Late Night With Conan O'Brien

New York Times Feature

Performance video up on Pitchfork for their "Don't Look Down" series

and much more to come!!!

(photo credit: Josh Haner/NY Times)

The Breeders NOVEMBER West Coast Dates! 06 Oct 2008

On October 16th, The Breeders will perform at "VOTE EARLY ROCK LATE" the Obama rally
at Fountain Square in Cincinnati, OH with labelmates The National. In November, after an appearance
at Sao Paulo's Planeta Terra Festival, they'll kick-off a handful of West Coast Tour Dates!


Check them out:


11/8 SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - PLANETA TERRA FESTIVAL

11/11 SEATTLE -  NEUMOS

11/12 PORTLAND -  WONDER BALLROOM

11/14 SAN FRANCISCO -  SLIMS

11/15 SAN FRANCISCO -  SLIMS

11/17 LOS ANGELES  - WILTERN THEATRE

http://breedersdigest.net/

Watch Department Of Eagles on CONAN! 03 Oct 2008

From Wednesday night - they KICKED ass! They performed "No One Does It Like You"....Daniel Rossen and Fred Nicolaus with friends Nat Baldwin on bass, Angel Deradoorian (from Dirty Projectors) on backing vocals, and Chris Bear (of Grizzly Bear) on drums. Their album is out now on itunes and will be everywhere else on Tuesday 10/7, the night after their Bell House show, and the day they play the 826 benefit!

 

 

 

Department of Eagles play CONAN on WEDNESDAY, album out on itunes TODAY! 30 Sep 2008

DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES  to make their late-night television debut on LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O’BRIEN, Wednesday October 1st....album available TODAY on itunes!

We are SO excited to announce that DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES will be performing “No One Does It Like You” from their second album In Ear Park (4AD) on Late Night With Conan O’Brien THIS Wednesday night! What excellent timing, given that itunes will be releasing the album exclusively for one week starting on September 30, and it will be everywhere else on October 7.

DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES began in 2000, when New York University assigned freshmen Fred Nicolaus and Daniel Rossen to share a room.  To pass the time during an uneventful spring semester, the two began making music together, collecting samples and turning them into songs using pirated software and a microphone borrowed from their neighbor Chris Taylor (who, years later, would become Daniel's bandmate in Grizzly Bear and DoE's producer/engineer).  Their debut album, The Cold Nose was released in 2003, and it gained a small but enthusiastic audience and was praised by critics from the San Francisco Bay Guardian to the London Times.

In 2004 Daniel joined the group Grizzly Bear as a singer, guitarist and songwriter.  He began touring with the band, and brought a number of songs to their critically acclaimed sophomore album Yellow House and follow-up EP Friend.  In the meantime, Fred was working a 9-5 job and opening a savings account.  However, after work he would record ideas and email them to Daniel, who was also working on a new batch of material between tours, much of which felt far too personal for Grizzly Bear. Over the years, stealing time on weekends and between tours, they slowly accumulated bits and pieces, and by late 2007 an album had begun taking shape, and that album is In Ear Park.

In Ear Park is a a colorful and expansive album, an intimate and personal collection of songs; much of the material that Daniel brought to the album draws on memories from his childhood, especially those relating to his father, who passed away in 2007 and to whom the album is dedicated. Many of Fred’s contributions relate to similar themes of nostalgia and mortality, giving the album at times an elegiac feel. In Ear Park is also full of joyful moments, lush production and concise songwriting.

Be sure to tune in!

new Johann Johannsson album, mp3 and preorder sale! 28 Sep 2008

STORE NEWS::: type "JOHANN" when you checkout, and get 10% if you preorder FORDLANDIA!

Pitchfork fave Johann Johannsson will be releasing a new record on November 4 on 4AD. It's called Fordlandia, and it's beautiful, peaceful, cinematic and very special.

Here's an mp3 from the album for the song "The Rocket Builder" and some further info on him!
http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/mp3/Johann_Johannsson_The_Rocket_Builder.mp3

An American magnate builds a doomed utopia in the depths of the Brazilian rainforest. A Victorian poetess laments the death of Pan. A pagan rocket scientist blows himself up in his Californian garage. A crippled German physicist draws up the equations which can make faster than light travel possible, unseen by the rest of the world.

Jóhann Jóhannsson's spellbinding new album draws these tantalising threads together, weaving a musical tapestry of hypnotic richness and surprising emotional depth. He makes stately, slow-building and hauntingly melodic music - which frequently combines electronic processing with classical orchestrations - that has been quietly bewitching listeners for the last few years.

Jóhann is involved in many different projects in his native Iceland, including the all-analog Apparat Organ Quartet and Kitchen Motors, the art organization/think tank/record label which specializes in instigating collaborations and art projects across diverse artforms. Among many other things, he has also recently composed scores for the award-winning animator Marc Craste (Varmints, 2008) and the American independent film Personal Effects (David Hollander, 2008).

Johann's first release for 4AD, IBM 1401 - A User's Manual (2006), involved a sixty-piece string orchestra recorded at Prague's legendary Barrandov sound stage and incorporated electronics and vintage reel-to-reel recordings of a 1960s IBM 1401 mainframe computer and its accompanying instruction manual.

After IBM 1401, A User's Manual, Fordlândia is the second instalment in a proposed trilogy based on technology and iconic American brand names. Whereas IBM 1401, A User's Manual was a personal response to technology and its inevitable obsolescence (inspired by his father's work with mainframe computers in 1960s Iceland), Fordlândia springs out of a far more diffuse set of influences. It brings together the soaring grandeur of its predecessor – some sections were recorded with the same orchestra in Prague – and the intimacy of Englabörn, moving between heady, melting cadences and crystalline motifs with gorgeous, dreamlike logic.

In short, Fordlândia is Jóhann Jóhannsson's most complete and beautiful piece of music to date; a fascinating, immersive and deeply rewarding web of ideas and melodies, which is sure to win him a legion of new listeners.

Vote Early, Rock Late in Cincinnati with The National and The Breeders! 25 Sep 2008

"Vote Early, Rock Late"
A rally in support of Barack Obama and Joe Biden

October 16
Fountain Square in Cincinnati
(Located at the corner of Fifth & Vine Streets, downtown)
5-9 pm
Featuring performances by The National & The Breeders and speeches by prominent politicians

The show is free to all!

This exciting event is being organized by international recording artists THE NATIONAL in conjunction with local Cincinnatians and long time supporters of the Democratic Party, Allan & Jennie Berliant, and their good friend Scott Durban, Executive Producer of a Cincinnati production company, Lightborne, Inc.   THE NATIONAL, who are now based in New York City – is comprised of Cincinnati transplants, and they are thrilled to be coming home for this special event to promote CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN.  They have also asked their friends and fellow Ohioans THE BREEDERS to join them for this free concert on Fountain Square, Thursday, October 16.

Ohio is a swing state, and a recent University of Cincinnati poll shows McCain leading Obama 48% - 44 % in the State, so this is quite an important event in a pivotal battleground area.   The title of the event, “Vote Early. Rock Late.” is tied to the new laws in Ohio allowing for early voting starting September 30.  On October 16, the date of the concert, The Hamilton County Board of Elections will be open late and concert goers will be encourage to walk the few blocks to the Elections office and cast their vote that evening.  Buses will also be provided to transport people to the voting location.

THE NATIONAL have previously shown support for Barack Obama by allowing an instrumental version of their song “Fake Empire” from their most recent album Boxer to be used by the Obama campaign in a video shown in Denver prior to Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention.

With regards to their excitement about this event, members of THE NATIONAL said “We are incredibly excited and honored to have the opportunity to support Barack Obama's inspiring candidacy for President. Bush and his cronies have wrecked this country at home and abroad. With an economy in freefall and a public education system that is collapsing, we are pouring billions of dollars every month into Iraq to fight an unwinnable war based on false pretenses. Millions of American citizens can't afford health insurance and unemployment is soaring across the country, yet the Republican Party continues to preserve unfair tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and promote a Byzantine social agenda to kowtow to an out-of-touch right-wing voter base. John McCain and Sarah Palin promise to carry the torch for Bush and push America ever further into the Dark Ages. We desperately need change and more intelligent, pro-social leadership in this country and Barack Obama is absolutely the right man for the job. We sincerely hope Ohioans of all stripes will join us to help make a difference in Ohio on election day.”

THE BREEDERS recently released their first album in six years, Mountain Battles, and when their labelmates asked them to join them in this special event, they jumped at the chance.  The Breeders are Kim and Kelley Deal who currently live in their hometown of Dayton, OH and Jose Medeles and Mando Lopez.  Since the release of Mountain Battles the Breeders have been touring the world, which includes sold-out shows across the U.S. The Breeders have long been politically active. Kelley was precinct leader for Move-on PAC in 2004 and she, along with Kim and their mother, worked the polls that same year. The sisters have also appeared with John Cameron Mitchell for voter awareness in Dayton.

“It will be a lot of work but we know it will be worth it. If we can get a ton of young people downtown for the free concert with these phenomenal bands, and then get them over to the Board of Elections to vote early, we will be hitting a target group that is strongly in favor of Barack Obama in a key battleground state, ” says Allan Berliant.

For more information on the event, including contact information, please go to www.vote-ohio.net

Department Of Eagles playing 826 Benefit on 10/7 22 Sep 2008

REVENGE OF THE BOOKEATERS!!!

826NYC and The Bowery Presents bring annual one-of-a-kind evening of music, comedy and storytelling to Town Hall.

The country's most celebrated songwriters, writers, and comedians come together for an unforgettable night of literature-meets-music to raise money for 826NYC, a children's writing center in Brooklyn, New York.

A show that asks the eternal question: Words Vs. Music - Which Is Better?

WITH:

A story from IRA GLASS
New songs by DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES (members of Grizzly Bear)
Talking from DAVE EGGERS
A new play by JONATHAN FRANZEN read by ERIC BOGOSIAN, the author and SPECIAL GUESTS
A duet with THAO NGUYEN and ZACH ROGUE
Jokes by host (and Daily Show correspondent) JOHN OLIVER
And a very special appearance by PAUL SIMON

TOWN HALL
Tuesday October 7th, 8:00pm
123 W. 43rd Street, NY

Tickets available through ticketmaster

Stereolab's US Tour Kicks off TOMORROW in Costa Mesa! 19 Sep 2008

 

Tomorrow is the start of Stereolab's very extensive. long-awaited US Tour to celebrate the release of Chemical Chords, out now on 4AD!  There will also be a special single available for sale on this tour featuring tracks "Explosante Fixe" and  "L'exotisme Intérieur"

Altas Sound supports 9/20 to 10/1

Monade supports 10/6 to 10/24

Richard Swift supports 10/7 to 10/24

Stereolab Tour Dates

Sep 20 Detroit Bar Costa Mesa, California
Sep 21 Glass House Pomona, California
Sep 24 La Zona Rosa Austin, Texas
Sep 26 Variety Playhouse Atlanta, Georgia
Sep 27 40 Watt Club Athens, Georgia
Sep 29 Cat’s Cradle Carrboro, North Carolina
Sep 30 9.30 Club Washington, Washington DC
Oct 1 Trocadreo Theatre Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct 2 Fillmore at Irving Plaza New York, New York
Oct 3 Fillmore at Irving Plaza New York, New York
Oct 4 Fillmore at Irving Plaza New York, New York
Oct 6 Paradise Boston, Massachusetts
Oct 7 Club Soda Montreal, Quebec
Oct 8 Phoenix Concert Theatre Toronto, Ontario
Oct 9 Crofoot Pontiac, Michigan
Oct 10 Vic Theatre Chicago, Illinois
Oct 12 First Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota
Oct 14 Gothic Theatre Denver, Colorado
Oct 17 Showbox Seattle, Washington
Oct 18 Wonder Ballroom Portland, Oregon
Oct 19 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, British Columbia
Oct 21 Fillmore San Francisco, California
Oct 22 Fillmore San Francisco, California
Oct 23 Henry Fonda Theatre Los Angeles, California
Oct 24 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, California

 

The National featured in USA TODAY, today! 17 Sep 2008

The National's fame starts to live up to the name
By Korina Lopez, USA TODAY

Men at work: The name The National calls to mind an obscure federal agency. But to the Brooklyn band's fans, it's a voice for disillusioned working professionals. Songs about self-doubt and insecurity have made the members critical darlings, with album Boxer landing on best-of-2007 lists in Pitchfork, Spin and Rolling Stone. (Paste named it album of the year.) They also have high-profile fans: Michael Stipe asked them to open for R.E.M. They're on their own tour through Nov. 8.

Trek to success: Since third album Alligator (2005), the band has become something of indie-rock royalty. "It was really thanks to the blogosphere and people passing around MP3s," frontman Matt Berninger says. But that's not to say the guys haven't paid their dues. "We played at this bar in the French countryside that was, until recently, a swingers' club," he says. "About 15 people showed up, and 10 of them were disappointed that there was no one to have sex with."

On-the-job training: Before becoming The National, the band's members held office jobs. Berninger, 37, wrote songs at his graphic-design job, tabbing between Photoshop and writing lyrics on Post-it notes. "The workplace gave me a lot of inspiration — the notion we're sort of faking our way through adulthood," Berninger says. "My dad was a lawyer for 40 years and still had panic attacks before going into court."

Stoking the creative fires: Songs about the working world have made The National big enough that the band no longer needs day jobs. "That camaraderie at the office — talking at the water cooler, going to lunch — I miss that," Berninger admits. He does think about going back to work, but fleetingly. "Realistically, would I set my alarm, go to the office and prepare for a presentation for clients? But I do freelance design work, and that takes my brain out of the rock-band universe. It will hurt us if we lose touch with who we were."

Speaking of which: The group released an EP, The Virginia, in May, alongside Vincent Moon's documentary A Skin, A Night, about the making of Boxer. Post-tour, the members go their own ways. "We don't practice for a while. I try to live normally, have dinner with my wife, watch TV," Berninger says. "Average life is rich with content. Eventually, we'll get together with the ideas we've jotted down and start working again."

Their politics on their tees: The band put Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's face on a fundraising T-shirt emblazoned Mr. November, a song from Alligator. "The lyrics don't really match, but we do want him to be Mr. November," says Berninger. The National's song Fake Empire was played at the Democratic National Convention last month and is heard in one of Obama's official campaign videos.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2008-09-16-national-profile_N.htm

BrooklynVegan Presents: Department of Eagles at Bell House on October 6th 15 Sep 2008

Department of Eagles will be performing their FIRST SHOW EVER in New York City

at Bell House (the new venue from the people who brought you Union Hall) at 9pm
on Monday, October 6th. They will be celebrating the release of their first album "In Ear Park"
which is out October 7th on 4AD!

Tickets are on sale now through TicketWeb.

Check out the tracks "No One Does it Like You" and the title track "In Ear Park" here:
http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/mp3/departmentofeagles_noonedoesitlikeyou.mp3
http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/mp3/departmentofeagles_inearpark.mp3


http://www.departmentofeagles.com/
http://www.myspace.com/deptofeagles
http://www.departmentofeagles.com/

St.Vincent to play event curated by Sufjan 09 Sep 2008

again....news courtesy of Pitchfork...

As September 27 turns to September 28, the Brooklyn Academy Of Music - - the very same one that commissioned Sufjan Stevens' award-winning "The BQE" piece -- will play host once again to Takeover, a glorified all-nighter rife with all manner of artsy entertainment.

Our man Sufjan is responsible for selecting the live music for the event, which thus far includes St. Vincent, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus (performing the music of Nico Muhly and others, and probably up way past their bedtimes), and Daptone Records outfit Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens. No appearance from Takeover's esteemed musical curator is planned at this time (though he ought to be in the area to accept his Brendan Gill Prize), so you may want to put those Sufjan slumber party dreams on hold for now.

Among the other Takeover diversions: DJs King Britt and Vikter Duplaix, plenty of films (including The Warriors, Saturday Night Fever, the first part of Lars Von Trier's The Kingdom, and Guy Maddin's The Saddest Music in the World), ping-pong, Guitar Hero, and the almighty Wii.

John Darnielle And Kaki King....BFF! 08 Sep 2008

As you've likely heard by now, these two are going on tour together - It's a co-headlining tour titled "The Last Happy Night Of Your Life"! Those will be shows to remember, and now, John informs us that he and Kaki have recorded an EP together! You can listen to a track here:

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/download/145282-premiere-the-mountain-goats-and-kaki-king-thank-you-mario-but-our-princess-is-in-another-castle-mp3-stream

Here's the news direct from John's mouth...via pitchfork

"The new Mountain Goats EP-- the one I mentioned a few weeks back, with the limited gatefold vinyl and the special cover art and the pay-whatcha-like download option (about which we'll tell you more once we sort everything out)-- is called Satanic Messiah. It has four songs on it, one per side at 45 rpm, the way God intended. Two songs are mainly piano and voice; the other two are mainly acoustic guitar and voice. This is the lineup:

A1 Satanic Messiah
A2 Wizard Buys a Hat
B1 Sarcofago Live
B2 Gojam Province 1968

The other news-- at which I hinted on my Flickr, here-- is that Kaki King and I, under a cloak of great secrecy, snuck into Baucom Road studios in western North Carolina last month and recorded the six-song Black Pear Tree EP together with Scott Solter producing. The record is presently at the pressing plant and the idea is to have copies ready on vinyl for tour with a sleeve designed by Horse & Buggy press, and the first 200 on colored vinyl. People who know how I feel about Kaki's music can imagine what an honor it was for me to get to work with her. Here are the songs we played:

A1 Black Pear Tree
A2 Mosquito Repellent
A3 Bring our Curses Home
A1 Supergenesis
B2 Roger Patterson Van
B3 Thank You Mario but our Princess Is in Another Castle

We are both really excited to share this record with everybody. So excited in fact that here's one of the songs. On this one, I played piano and sang; Kaki played drums and glockenspiel, and also sang harmony. The song is sung from the point of view of Toad. If you know who Toad is, that's all I'll need to tell you. If you don't who Toad is, you better recognize."

So there you have it: not one but two tour EPs for that Mountain Goats/Kaki King "Last Happy Night Of Your Life" jaunt which kicks off 10/13 in Chicago....dates below!

09-14 Dorset, England - End of the Road Festival
09-15 London, England - ULU
10-13 Chicago, IL - Park West *
10-14 Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre *
10-15 Omaha, NE - The Slowdown *
10-17 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater *
10-18 Salt Lake City, UT - In the Venue *
10-20 Seattle, WA - Showbox *
10-21 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom *
10-23 San Francisco, CA - The Independent *
10-24 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore *
10-25 Los Angeles CA - Troubadour *
10-26 Los Angeles CA - Troubadour *
10-28 San Diego, CA - Belly Up Tavern *
10-29 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress *
10-31 Lubbock, TX - Tequila Jungle *
11-01 Austin, TX - Antone's *
11-02 Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre *
11-03 New Orleans, LA - Republic *
11-05 Chapel Hill, NC - Cat's Cradle *
11-06 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club *
11-07 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of the Living Arts *
11-08 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg *
11-09 New York, NY - Webster Hall *

* with Kaki King

 

 

The National's Fake Empire used in Obama campaign! 02 Sep 2008

The National have teamed up with the Obama campaign and allowed for an instrumental version of "Fake Empire" to be used in a 2:40 minute spot that aired in Denver prior to Obama's speech. It's also on youtube for you to watch!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcRA2AZsR2Q

 

Johann Johannsson's Fordlândia out this November on 4AD 28 Aug 2008

4AD is pleased to announce the forthcoming album from Jóhann Jóhannsson. Fordlândia will be released on November 4 by 4AD.

An American magnate builds a doomed utopia in the depths of the Brazilian rainforest. A Victorian poetess laments the death of Pan. A pagan rocket scientist blows himself up in his Californian garage. A crippled German physicist draws up the equations, which can make faster than light travel possible, unseen by the rest of the world.

Jóhann Jóhannsson's spellbinding new album draws these tantalizing threads together, weaving a musical tapestry of hypnotic richness and surprising emotional depth.

Jóhannsson makes stately, slow-building and hauntingly melodic music - which frequently combines electronic processing with classical orchestrations - that has been quietly bewitching listeners for the last few years. His first two solo records - Englabörn (2002), written for string quartet, percussion and electronics, and Virthulegu Forsetar (2004), written for brass ensemble, drones and percussion – were released by the singular British independent Touch label.

Englabörn was derived from music that Johann wrote for an Icelandic play using string quartet, piano, organ, glockenspiel and percussion. These elements were processed and manipulated, adding delicate electronic accents to the otherwise entirely acoustic recordings. Virthulegu Forsetar was a one hour-long piece for eleven brass players, percussion, electronics, organs and piano. It shares Englabörn's quiet, elegiac beauty, but replaces the brevity of the first album's exquisite miniatures with an extended sweep of sound that reveals a long, slow process of evolution.

Jóhann is involved in many different projects in his native Iceland, including the all-analog Apparat Organ Quartet and Kitchen Motors, the art organization/think tank/record label which specializes in instigating collaborations and art projects across diverse art forms. Among many other things, he has also recently composed scores for the award-winning animator Marc Craste (Varmints, 2008) and the American independent film Personal Effects (David Hollander, 2008).

Johann's first release for 4AD, IBM 1401 - A User's Manual (2006), involved a sixty-piece string orchestra recorded at Prague's legendary Barrandov sound stage and incorporated electronics and vintage reel-to-reel recordings of a 1960's IBM 1401 mainframe computer and its accompanying instruction manual.

After IBM 1401, A User's Manual, Fordlândia is the second installment in a proposed trilogy based on technology and iconic American brand names. Whereas IBM 1401, A User's Manual was a personal response to technology and its inevitable obsolescence (inspired by his father's work with mainframe computers in 1960s Iceland), Fordlândia springs out of a far more diffuse set of influences. It brings together the soaring grandeur of its predecessor – some sections were recorded with the same orchestra in Prague – and the intimacy of Englabörn, moving between heady, melting cadences and crystalline motifs with gorgeous, dreamlike logic.

In short, Fordlândia is Jóhann Jóhannsson's most complete and beautiful piece of music to date; a fascinating, immersive and deeply rewarding web of ideas and melodies, which is sure to win him a legion of new listeners.

4AD signs ANNI ROSSI! 26 Aug 2008

4AD is pleased to announce the signing of ANNI ROSSI.

Anni Rossi’s label debut is Afton, a six-track mini-album, which will be released on October 21st, 2008.

Hear an mp3 for the song "Wheelpusher" here:
http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/mp3/AnniRossi_Wheelpusher.mp3

From Minnesota via Los Angeles, 22-year old Anni Rossi is now based in Chicago. A classically trained musician from a young age, Anni is a most accomplished multi-instrumentalist and as you’ll hear, it’s the viola that forms the centerpiece to her music.

Her debut 4AD release, Afton, is both an accomplished and confident album. Fleshed out to great effect, most tracks were recorded in October of 2006. Collected on this mini-album for the first time, they work incredibly well together and introduce her perfectly as a new American talent.

Anni has recently been working with Steve Albini his at Electrical Audio studio on her debut album, which is slated for release on 4AD in early 2009.

She’s no slouch, having already extensively toured her solo work and honing her live performances to a jaw-dropping T. She can also count artists like Electrelane and The Ting Tings among her admirers and has toured Europe and the US with both of them. Anni Rossi will be touring portions of the US this fall, including a date in Chicago on September 4th at Ronny's.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Machine
2. Venice
3. Ecology
4. West Coast
5. Wheelpusher
6. Central Utah

New DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES mp3!!! 20 Aug 2008

Check out the new mp3 from Department of Eagles! It's making all the kids excited today, so don't be the last one on your block to know about this band! The song is called "No One Does It Like You" and it will be on the record that comes out on October 7th via 4AD.

http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/mp3/departmentofeagles_noonedoesitlikeyou.mp3

FREE Blonde Redhead show THIS THURSDAY in NYC! 12 Aug 2008

Blonde Redhead is playing on Thursday at Pier 54 at 14th Street. Go here for all the details!

The Mountain Goats solo set just added to Folks Festival Lineup! 11 Aug 2008

Colorado has more than the convention coming up.  That's right, this just in: the 18th Annual Folks Festival (in Lyons, CO) has just added a solo performance by The Mountain Goats (John Darnielle) to its lineup!  He is scheduled to play from 2:15pm - 3:30pm on Sunday, the 17th.

The festival runs from August 15th - August 17th, and will also feature performances by KT Tunstall, Amos Lee and a slew of others.

The full lineup and more info about the 18th Annual Folks Festival
can be found here: http://www.bluegrass.com/folks/lineup.html

4AD welcomes DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES! 07 Jul 2008

DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES joins the 4AD roster!

Hear the title track: "In Ear Park"

4AD is pleased to announce the signing of DEPARTMENT OF EAGLES. The band is excited to release In Ear Park via 4AD on October 7th, 2008.

Department of Eagles features Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear and his friend Fred Nicolaus, plus additional help from two other members of Grizzly Bear, Chris Taylor and Chris Bear.

Daniel and Fred met in 2000 at NYU when forced to be roommates, and began making music together to pass the time during an uneventful spring semester. They collected samples and turned them into songs using computers and a microphone borrowed from their neighbor Chris Taylor (who, years later would become Daniel’s Grizzly Bear bandmate and DoE’s producer/engineer). The material they wrote during this time became their 2003 debut The Cold Nose, which brought them a small but enthusiastic audience and critical praise.
 
In 2004 Daniel joined Grizzly Bear, playing guitar, singing, and writing a good portion of their sophomore album, Yellow House not to mention extensive touring. Fred descended deeper into the square existence, holding down a number of jobs and opening a savings account. 

Throughout all of this, the two continued writing together whenever possible, resulting in a new batch of songs that comprise In Ear Park, an album that took roughly four years to complete.

About how songs made it to this record, as opposed to a Grizzly Bear one, Daniel says "In Ear Park has been in the making in one form or another for several years now, on and off tour and after work. A lot of these songs felt way too personal to bring to Grizzly Bear-- there's a lot of childhood nostalgia and an emphasis on more concise songwriting. Fred and I had license to try some things that I could never get away with otherwise, but we still went for the lushness and and attention to sonic detail that Chris and I always want out of a recording. I'm excited. "

In Ear Park was recorded in Brooklyn, NY by Chris Taylor. It features 11 tracks, and the title track “In Ear Park” is available for mp3 download above.

Scott Walker NOT performing.......but close! 26 Jun 2008

SCOTT WALKER is PRODUCING a special event in the UK, although he is NOT performing. I repeat NOT performing.

These shows are world premiere live performances of songs from Scott Walker's seminal works including Tilt and The Drift.
These special concerts, produced by Walker himself, will be set and designed for the Barbican Theatre stage, and include orchestra, Scott's band, and feature special guest vocalists performing his songs.

Drifting and Tilting - The Songs of Scott Walker
13 - 15 November 2008 / 19:45
Barbican Theatre, London

Directed by Ann-Christin Rommen
Concepts by Scott Walker
Sound Production by Scott Walker and Peter Walsh
Produced by the Barbican in association with Cultural Industry

As seen on Pitchfork 02 Jun 2008

Aaron Dessner Discusses Red Hot Comp, the National

Charity compilation additions include Feist collaborating with Ben Gibbard and with Grizzly Bear, Bright Eyes, Spoon, New Pornographers, Antony, Yo La Tengo, Stuart Murdoch.

If you thought the initial lineup for the latest compilation benefiting AIDS charity Red Hot looked pretty unreal, well, it just might be time to re-define your reality. In a recent conversation with Pitchfork, Aaron Dessner-- who is co-curating the comp along with his twin brother and National bandmate Bryce-- shed some more light on what's fast shaping up to be the definitive snapshot of indie rock in the 00s.

I mean, just look at the lineup. In addition to previously mentioned contributions from Sufjan Stevens, Feist, Grizzly Bear, the Decemberists, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, the National themselves, and the combined powers of David Byrne and Dirty Projectors, Dessner tells us the Red Hot set will also feature Bright Eyes, Spoon, the New Pornographers, Antony (with Bryce Dessner), Belle and Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch, the Books with José González (covering Nick Drake's "Cello Song"), Blonde Redhead, Bon Iver, Andrew Bird, My Brightest Diamond (covering "Feeling Good", famously interpreted by Nina Simone), Sigur Rós offshoot Riceboy Sleeps, and TV on the Radio's David Sitek.

As if that weren't nutty enough, Feist actually appears twice-- once with Grizzly Bear, and once with Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard-- while the National are joined by ace composer/arranger Nico Muhly on their track. Grizzly Bear have a second tune, sans Feist, as well. And those are just the confirmed participants; Dessner expects quite a few more. "It'll probably end up being between 24 and 30 tracks," he reports. "We're probably about 80% done with it...we're hoping for a fall release, but it may be an early 2009 release, depending on a few people that we're still waiting on."

The comp will not necessarily be called Red Hot + Indie, as some have suggested. According to Dessner, they've yet to settle on a title for it. The Beggars Group will release the album, while proceeds will go to Population Services International's YouthAIDS organization.

Aaron, who has worked for Red Hot and sister company Funny Garbage, is impressed with the response the comp has received so far. "We're kind of shocked at how enthusiastic people have been," he says. "It hasn't been hard to convince people to do this, because everybody knows about Red Hot, and because a lot of us had [1993 Red Hot charity comp] No Alternative. That had the hidden Nirvana track on there, which was like a big thing back then."

He's also thrilled with the results to date. "We've been amazed...people are giving us great tracks. I think maybe part of that is people know Red Hot and part of it is like, whenever you get all of your peers together, nobody wants to have the dog, you know?"

Aaron's comp work is on hold for the moment, however, as the National kicked off their tour with Modest Mouse and R.E.M. over the weekend. The jaunt has Dessner feeling "really humbled and grateful. We've been used to playing our own shows for quite a while now, and I guess the last time we opened was more than a year ago, when we did the Arcade Fire tour, which was a similar situation of just being really humbled to play with a band that we really respect."

Despite all the recent goings-on, Dessner and the National have also "been working on a lot of music," coming up with "musical ideas and giving them to" vocalist Matt Berninger. "He's been trying to quit smoking so he has a lot of energy," Dessner notes with a laugh, "so he needs something to do with it, and he's been writing a lot. We actually just wrote a song that we played in Dublin. That's something we don't normally do-- playing something that we haven't really figured out-- but it felt really good. It's funny, nobody seemed to notice it, they all just wanted to hear, like, the songs that they came to hear, but it was really good for us to do."

As for the new jam's title? "I can't remember what he's calling it. You know, he may have been calling it 'The Blue Sky', although that's the name of an Allman Brothers song [actually "Blue Sky" --ed.], so we might have to change that. A really good Allman Brothers song, by the way, with dueling guitar parts!"

The brothers Dessner also continue to run the Brassland label with Alec Hanley Bemis. They'll release Nico Muhly's Mothertongue on July 22, while a new album from Bryce Dessner and co.'s Clogs-- featuring contributions from Aaron, Sufjan Stevens, and My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden-- should surface this fall. The label is also planning a U.S. release of Little Blue Nothing, an album from Czech husband-and-wife cello duo Irena Havlová and Vojtěch Havel.

The National:

05-28 San Diego, CA - House of Blues
05-29 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl *
05-31 Berkeley, CA - The Greek Theatre *
06-01 Berkeley, CA - The Greek Theatre *
06-03 Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre *
06-05 Saint Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center *
06-06 Chicago, IL - United Center *
06-07 Pontiac, MI - The Crofoot Ballroom
06-08 Toronto, Ontario - Molson Amphitheatre *
06-10 Raleigh, NC - Walnut Creek Amphitheatre *
06-11 Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion *
06-13 Mansfield, MA - Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts *
06-14 Wantagh, NY - Jones Beach Theater *
06-18 Philadelphia, PA - Mann Center for the Performing Arts *
06-19 New York, NY - Madison Square Garden *
06-21 Atlanta, GA - Lakewood Amphitheatre *
06-22 Richmond, VA - The National
06-28 Cergy-Pontoise, France - Furia Sound Festival
06-29 Glastonbury, England - Glastonbury Festival
06-30 Birmingham, England - Academy
07-01 Leeds, England - Met University
07-03 Werchter, Belgium - Rock Werchter
07-04 London, England - O2 Wireless Festival
07-06 Turku, Finland - Ruisrock
07-08 Belfast, Northern Ireland - Mandela Hall
07-10 Lisbon, Portugal - Optimus Alive! Festival
07-12 Naas, Ireland - Oxegen Festival
07-13 Balado, Scotland - T in the Park
07-15 Athens, Greece - Fly Beeyond Festival
07-16 Montreux, Switzerland - Montreux Jazz Festival
07-17 Munich, Germany - Dachau Music Summer
07-18 Guimaraes, Portugal - Centro Cultural Vila Flor
07-20 Benicàssim, Spain - Benicàssim Festival
08-01-03 Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza
08-04 New York, NY - Central Park Summerstage #
08-07 Oslo, Norway - Øya Festival
08-08 Gothenburg, Sweden - Way Out West Festival
08-09 Rees-Haldern, Germany - Haldern Pop Festival
08-11 Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega
08-13 Aarhus, Denmark - Train
08-15 Biddinghuizen, Netherlands - Lowlands Festival
08-17 Crickhowell, Wales - Green Man Festival

* with R.E.M., Modest Mouse
# with Yeasayer, Plants and Animals

John Darnielle, do-gooder, renaissance man.... 02 May 2008

We all know how talented John Darnielle is musically, with the hundreds of songs he's written for his band The Mountain Goats and, anyone that likes metal knows he is a hell of a writer about that genre. He's written for several metal mags and has a regular column in decibel , oh - and his own blog, Last Plane To Jakarta is a favorite bookmark for many.

Now, John has finally written a book ! It's part of the 33 1/3 series of books on classic albums. His is on Master of Reality by Black Sabbath .

If you live in NYC, you are lucky, for 2 reasons.

1) because John will be reading from his book at Housing Works Bookstore as part of their 10th anniversary celebration. His reading is on May 17th, and more info is here !

2) John is also playing a benefit for Aids Walk NYC the day prior, May 16th at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple. More info/tickets here!

SO....get out, support bookstores, give to charities and support independent music!

Stereolab New Album!!! 24 Apr 2008

We're delighted to confirm what the eagle eyed among you have already spotted, Stereolab's forthcoming new album, Chemical Chords, is indeed being released by Duophonic UHF Disks / 4AD on August 19th (August 18th for those outside the US).

New Mountain Goats video directed by Ace Norton 04 Feb 2008

Check out the new Mountain Goats video directed by the Doogie Howser of music videos Ace Norton (Bloc Party, Simian Mobile Disco, Aesop Rock, etc.) Sax Rohmer #1 is the first video from the forthcoming album 'Heretic Pride' and the video is a creative (and delightfully nauseating) journey through the legendary lyricism of Mountain Goats mastermind John Darnielle.

GO HERE TO SEE IT

Seen & Heard: Beggars Group Film & TV Update For November 29 Nov 2007

Hey guys, sorry for the delay, but we're back with a pretty exciting update for ya...So pls tune in!

BADLY DRAWN BOY
"I Love N.Y.E." (From the About a Boy OST)Is featured  for 2 months in the USA and Canada in the Starbucks holiday campaign spots both on tv & online.
Start date:  November 21st  Watch it here:  http://www.starbucks.com/flash/externalShell/sbux_holidaySpots.html
 

HOLY FUCK
"Frenchy's" was featured in CBS series CSI NY (episode # 408).  Scene description:  stylized montage CSI detective Lindsay Monroe is processing of a purse for evidence in an ongoing investigation.   Air Date:  November 14th

 

MOJAVE 3
"Big Star Baby" is featured in the new Gregg Araki film Smiley Face.  Scene Description:  4 min. BV Song plays as Jane & Mikey are stuck in traffic.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0780608/
The film will have a very limited theatrical release and will play in Los Angeles at the NuArt Theater in West L.A. starting November 16, 2007. Though, if you can’t make it to the theater Smiley Face will release on DVD on January 8, 2008.

THE NATIONAL
"Start A War" is featured the ABC series Brothers & Sisters (episode #209).  Series description:  A family in LA deals with life's trials & tribulations after the death of the not so perfect patriarch. Scene Description:  BV approv 2:30 Kevin & Scotty talk after Kitty & McCallister's wedding.  Air Date 12/2/07

EMMA POLLOCK
"THE OPTIMIST" was featured on the new CBS series starring Jimmy Smits Cane (episode #008 ) Scene description: Frank & Ellis are on his yacht & he tells her he wants to go public with their relationship.   Air Date:  11/13/07

VOXTROT
"Ghost" is featured on the Yurman website in a online ad for a new watch design called Waverly Watch. Link: www.davidyurman.com Air Date: November 2007 - November 2008.

BEST,
JL&BG
 

Emma Pollock's US Tour Is Almost Over :( 13 Nov 2007

We need to bid Emma Pollock Bon Voyage as she is heading back to Scotland tomorrow. But before she leaves these shores she has one remaining show! You Los Angeles-ites! Don't forget that Emma Pollock is playing there tonight at The Echo ! This is the last date of her US jaunt which included many shows with The New Pornographers . Emma and her band are amazing live and you West Coasters have been lucky in that you get to see their full headlining set. Here is one review If you can't make the show (for instance, if you don't live in LA) feel free to go out and purchase her debut album Watch The Fireworks.

Seen & Heard: Beggars Grp Film & TV Update For the week starting Nov 5th 09 Nov 2007

DEVENDRA BANHART
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/alltherage/

BLONDE REDHEAD
"Spring And By Summer Fall" was featured in the CBS series Numb3rs (ep # 405). Series Description: FBI agent recruits his mathematical genius brother to help solve complicated LA cases. Scene Decription: BV 6:21 Bank lobby/tunnel alarm sounds annoyed security guard talks to dispatch Moe & Curly listen in. Air Date: Oct 26th

Have a great weekend everybody!
Best,
Jenn

This week's new BEGGARS GROUP releases 07 Nov 2007

We would like to welcome these fabulous records to our world this week.

Johann Johannsson Englaborn (Reissue)
This is Johann’s debut solo album and we’re re-releasing it! Jóhann Jóhannsson is one of the most active participants in the new Icelandic music scene. He has one of the founders of Kitchen Motors, an art organization/think tank/record label, he has produced and written music with artists as diverse as Marc Almond ("Stranger Things" album), Barry Adamson and Pan Sonic, The Hafler Trio, Magga Stina and many others. He has also written music for the theatre, documentaries and soundtrack music for 3 feature films. Englaborn is Jóhann's first solo album. It is derived from music he wrote for an Icelandic play of the same name. The music is written for string quartet, piano, organ, glockenspiel and percussion. These elements were processed and manipulated, adding delicate electronic backgrounds to the otherwise entirely acoustic recordings. “This first solo album from Jóhann Jóhannsson is absolutely beautiful, and it has only become more so over the past few months, sustaining me for long periods of time when other music just wouldn't do the trick.” – Pitchfork Media

Sigur Ros Hvarf / Heim
Hvarf and Heim are twin Sigur Ros records, released in support of the band’s first ever film, Heima. They will be released together on CD on Nov 5, 2007. It’s more complicated than this, but effectively Hvarf is the electric side and Heim is the acoustic side. The five tracks that make up ‘Hvarf’ are new recordings of songs taken from various points in Sigur Ros’s history. Three of them have never been released on record before, either because they were not recorded in the first place, or because they were recorded and then not included on a finished album. The other two, ‘Von’ and ‘Hafsol’, are radical reworkings of songs from the band’s first (pre-Kjartan, pre-Orri) album, with latter being available in limited form as the b-side to ‘Hoppipolla’ single. The six songs that make up ‘Heim’ are acoustic versions of material taken from all four Sigur Ros’s albums. They were recorded in Iceland either during the band’s summer 2006 tour or early this spring. All songs are live recordings.

Lisa Gerrard Best Of
As this one-disc retrospective collection makes clear, Lisa Gerrard is one of the most singular and fascinating singers and composers in the world. Her career takes in almost two decades with Dead Can Dance, award-winning motion picture soundtracks and a series of acclaimed solo and collaborative albums. This 15 track survey offers a concise and convincing insight into the various strands of her musical output.

The Beggars Group is invading Austin and FUN FUN FUN fest! 02 Nov 2007

We've got a bunch of bands coming through for this year's Fun Fun Fun Fest ,
taking place this weekend (Nov 3rd and 4th) at Waterloo Park in Austin, TX.

Check them out!

Cat Power & The Dirty Delta Blues Band (Matador)The Cave Singers (Matador)
Celebration (4AD)
Emma Pollock (4AD)
The New Pornographers (Matador)

Here are their set times, YAY!!!
Saturday, November 3rd

Stage 1


Emma Pollock - (2:35-3:05)

New Pornographers - (7:35-8:35)


Sunday, November 4th

Stage 1

Cave Singers - (2:10-2:40)

Celebration - (2:45-3:15)

Cat Power & Dirty Delta Blues - (8:40-9:40)

Seen & Heard: Beggars Group Film & TV Update 29 Oct 2007

The Mountain Goats "This Year"gets 'playlisted' by one of the characters (Karl) from the  new series Big Shots on ABC, chk it out:
http://abc.go.com/primetime/bigshots/index?pn=Playlists#t=0&d=26601


THE NATIONAL
"FAKE EMPIRE" is featured in the TV TRAILERS for the United Artists/MGM film Lions For Lambs, directed by Robert Redford & starring Meryl Streep & Tom Cruise.  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0891527/  Start date:  THIS WEEK!!

 RJD2
"Get It" was featured in the opening scene of CBS series CSI:  NY (episode #404).   Episode title "Times Up" & you can view it here:   http://alpha.cbs.com/primetime/csi_ny/
Scene description:  BI :40 sec.  Naked, bloody man runs down the street into the police station & whispers into detective Taylors ear then dies.  Air Date:  Oct 17th

The New York Times Arts blog on CMJ 19 Oct 2007

We have a ton of bands playing at CMJ this week, and the New York Times has written kindly about a couple of them so far on their arts blog .

Nice things on VAMPIRE WEEKEND + CELEBRATION so far...

Neatness matters to Vampire Weekend, who played a concise afternoon
set of snappy little pop songs at the Cake Shop. Neatness always
matters or snappy little pop bands, but Vampire Weekend is the only
one with a chorus that goes “Is your bed made?” Of course, there’s
more to that question than housekeeping.

Vampire Weekend’s songs are terse clockwork constructions that equate
cooperation with mutual avoidance. If the guitar is playing chords,
the keyboard isn’t, or vice versa; if the rhythm section is playing
downbeats, the guitar is on off-beats, and if vocals or keyboards have
a sustained melody, everyone else is staccato. One band member
introduced various songs as “jams,” although they are emphatically
not jams, since every note is locked in its clever place. The lyrics
take up romance (on and off-campus), lies and, often, real estate,
from mansard roofs to brownstones in San Juan. It’s not just that the
band comes from real-estate-obsessed New York CIty; it’s that in
Vampire Weekend’s songs, every millimeter of space counts.

To speed his set up, David Bergander, the drummer for the Baltimore group Celebration, assembled his drum kit on the sidewalk outside Piano’s this afternoon; the Manhattan club was crowded for a free showcase organized by the blog BrooklynVegan. Celebration had performed with the Brooklyn act Dragons of Zynth at Union Pool in Williamsburg on Tuesday night. Then the two bands hung out together until 4:30 a.m. at the friend’s Williamsburg apartment where Celebration was staying, Mr. Bergander said. How did the members prepare for their Piano’s show, their last at this year’s Marathon? “We slept in,” Mr. Bergander said. “The last time we played CMJ, two years ago, we did a Fader showcase at like 2 p.m., completely hungover.” This time, after an afternoon breakfast of Korean food, they were ready to play.

Listen as Katrina Ford, the singer of the Baltimore band Celebration, talks about how she’ll prepare for their upcoming tour: here(by Melena Ryzik and Jeremy Beiler)

Seen & Heard: Beggars Group Film & TV Update For The week of 10/15/07 19 Oct 2007

Mojave 3
No Matter What You Do (Their Love cover) will be featured in the Miramax/Disney film Gone Baby Gone, directed by Ben Affleck & stars Casey Affleck, Morgan Freeman, & Ed Harrris.  Scene Description:  1:52 BV Song plays in a  rundown slum where drug addicts meet.  Two of the lead characters enter the house investigating a child's abduction.   Release date:  Oct. 19th in the U.S.

Seen & Heard: Beggars Group Film & TV update for the week of 9/3/07 07 Sep 2007

MARK LANEGAN
ONE HUNDRED DAYS is featured in the FX series Rescue Me (episode #412). Scene Description: BV BV: 2 Uses: Up to 3:45 (approximate timing) – Tommy sneaks into a burning building wearing Jimmy Keefe’s bunker jacket, he saves, and makes-out with a rather drunk woman. Despite a huge blinding explosion, they make it out safely. Tommy leaves her in an alley where EMT’s find her, and walks off unnoticed. 2nd Use: End credits. Air Date: September 5th.

THE NATIONAL
"Fake Empire" appears in the Canadian feature film Battle In Seattle Film Description: BV & End Credits - This film, which stars Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson, Ray Liotta and directed by Stuart Townsend, is about the 5 days that rocked the world in 1999 as tens of thousands of demonstrators took the streets in protest of the World Trade Organization. Release date: September 8, 2007 at Toronto International Film Festival

PIXIES
"Gouge Away" off of Doolittle will appear in the snowboarding film Catch The Vapors. Film Description: BV The fast paced snowboarding visuals will be edited to the beat of the music, keeping the integrity of the song while offering excellent representation of the artist. In essence, it has a similar format as a music video. Release date: September 4th, 2007

GARY NUMAN
"Are Friends Electric" will be featured in a snowboarding and lifestyle film titled "Thanks In Advance." Release Date: Sept 4th, 2007.

i like iLiKETRAiNS 22 Aug 2007

At SXSW earlier this year, The Beggars Group took over Emo's and had a showcase. Many of our bands played, and they were ALL amazing. One band in particular however, took many of our breaths away. It was iLiKETRAiNS. When they played, it was everyone's first time seeing them and meeting them and they were all super cool guys and a whole lot of fun....which is funny, because they sing about DARK topics.

We're really psyched that they will finally have a full-length out in the US on October 23rd. It's called "Elegies To Lessons Learnt" and it's like a history lesson wrapped up in an album.

"Elegies..." attempts to illustrate how history repeats itself, and how the human race fails to learn from its mistakes. The album takes on the Great Fire of London in “25 Sins”, an ill-fated round the world yachtsman in “The Deception”, the only British prime minister ever to be assassinated in “Spencer Perceval”, and the Salem Witch Trials in “We Go Hunting”. Other songs cover massacre, the ‘iron curtain’, the plague and madness.

Keep your eyes out for an mp3 soon!

Seen & Heard Film & TV Update for the Week of July 30th 03 Aug 2007

We've got two pretty big placements to share w/you this week...

LEMON JELLY
"Space Walk" is featured in a Friskies commercial that features a cat walking through an animated garden. Air Date: 7/30/07

TAPES N' TAPES
Just Drums is featured in the HBO hit series Big Love (episode#208). Scene Description: BV up to 2:46 song plays in room while Ben's talking to Bill. AIR DATE: 7/30/07 http://www.hbo.com/biglove/music/episode20.html

Pls Tune in!

Bienvenidos a Rough Trade 24 Jul 2007

Obviously, we'll have a bit more to say about this, but as long as everyone is talking about it , we'd just like to welcome Rough Trade to the big boat of love that is the Beggars Group. While we could go on and on, we couldn't have said it finer than our esteemed leader:

i'm very happy to be able to confirm that as of today we have completed our long-rumoured deal with sanctuary and rough trade, and that as a result rough trade is now officially a very welcome addition to our group of labels

welcome one and all !

martin

 

The National on Letterman 03 May 2007

Brooklyn's favorite sons have been added to the late night TV rotation and confirmed an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman on Tuesday July 24th. We are now starting to worry that band might be getting over exposed but it makes us positively giddy to think Paul Schaffer might just be tickling the ivories with our guys.

Johann Johannsson on "The World" 20 Feb 2007

PRI's "The World" ran a wonderful 8 minute piece on 4AD's Johann johannsson and his amazing album. You can use internet explorer or safari to listen.

http://www.theworld.org/?q=node/8152

AN INTRO TO THE PIECE:

Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker is about a dream a girl has after her cherished Nutcracker is broken.

So -- if that archaic and simple piece of technology deserves a symphony and a ballet, does that mean an early computer merits the same kind of respect?

This composition is dedicated to an early computer.

It's called "IBM 1401 -- A User's Manual." The 1401 was first built in 1959. And for many around the world, it was their first encounter with a modern computer. Some of the sound you hear is actually generated by a 1401. The rest was performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra in the Czech Republic.

The man who composed that music is from Iceland. His name is Johann Johannsson. And he has a close personal history with the IBM 1401.

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