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new Vampire Weekend single & video! 05 Aug 2008
VAMPIRE WEEKEND COLLABORATE WITH DIRECTOR
RICHARD AYOADE ON NEW VIDEO
Vampire Weekend will release a new digital single “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” on August 19th on XL Recordings.
The track is accompanied by a stunning Richard Ayoade-directed video that sees the New York quartet releasing their inner goth. Ayoade, a rapidly rising star of British comedy writing and acting, is famed for his work on hit UK TV series such as The Mighty Boosh, Nathan Barley and the IT Crowd. His music resume also includes videos for The Arctic Monkeys' “Fluorescent Adolescent”, The Last Shadowpuppets' “Standing Next To Me” and Super Furry Animals' “Run Away”, as well as Vampire Weekend's last single “Oxford Comma”.
Watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wHl9qRsMzw
Meanwhile, 2008 continues to see Vampire Weekend going from strength to strength. With their critically-acclaimed, eponymous debut album having racked up over half a million worldwide sales, not to mention performances on Letterman, Kimmel and SNL AND the landing on the cover of SPIN, Vampire Weekend are one of the must see bands of the summer. They’ve had amazingly triumphant sets at Pitchfork Festival and Bonnaroo, plus a totally full 5,000 capacity show New York’s Central Park Summerstage. The band will hit the road in the US once again this fall, including three more festival dates.
US TOUR DATES:
9/5 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
9/9 Louisville, KY Headliners
9/10 St.Louis, MO The Pageant
9/11 Lawrence, KS Liberty Hall
9/13 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheater
9/15 Las Vegas, NV The Joint
9/16 Pomona, CA The Glasshouse
9/17 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
9/18 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
9/19 San Diego, CA Street Scene Festival
9/21 San Francisco, CA Treasure Island Festival
9/23 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theater
9/24 Tempe, AZ Marquee Theater
9/26 Austin, TX Austin City Limits Festival
Friendly Fires On Tour! 25 Jul 2008
The UK's very own Friendly Fires are kicking off their mini US tour tonight!
They'll be starting things off in Philly, swinging through NYC and wrapping up in LA.
Catch them while you can!
While you're at it, be sure to check out the band's lovely new website.
And, as we're feeling extra friendly, you can now download the track "Jump In The Pool" here !!
The Guys From Gorillaz Are Now Monkey 22 Jul 2008
Damon Albarn & Jamie Hewlett Present
MONKEY: JOURNEY TO THE WEST
ALBUM TO BE RELEASED THIS FALL ON XL RECORDINGS
Monkey: Journey To The West The Opera July 23 London Premiere At The Royal Opera House
JOURNEY TO THE WEST, an album conceived and created by Damon Albarn (music) and Jamie Hewlett (visuals) under the guise of MONKEY, will be released in North America this fall by XL Recordings.
Created by the GORILLAZ team of Albarn and Hewlett, JOURNEY TO THE WEST is performed by an assortment of European and Chinese musicians and singers and was produced by Albarn. The album's packaging does likewise, moving beyond the stunning design of the opera MONKEY: JOURNEY TO THE WEST and exploring to the fullest its characters, storylines, themes and inspirations.
MONKEY: JOURNEY TO THE WEST, the opera upon which the album is based, makes its London Premiere July 23 at the Royal Opera House. A singular and unique fusion of traditional mandarin opera/folklore and modern audiovisual interpretation, MONKEY... is the result of director Chen Shi-Zheng having enlisted GORILLAZ masterminds Albarn and Hewlett to provide unique, modern musical and visual interpretations of the themes and characters of this most beloved work of Chinese folklore. The live production utilizes nearly 40 Chinese circus acrobats, martial artists and singers from China and an orchestra of Western and traditional Chinese instruments.
MONKEY: JOURNEY TO THE WEST is performed in Mandarin with subtitles, its storyline chronicling the Monkey King's journey to enlightenment as it takes him undersea, to decadent banquets in heaven, through encounters with Spider Maidens and Skeleton Demons, and eventually to paradise. The album, which was recorded in London and Beijing over the last year, follows this narrative, opening with "Monkey's World," proceeding to a "Heavenly Peach Banquet," enduring a "Battle In Heaven," encountering "The White Skeleton Demon" and so on, all the way through to the finale' of "Disappearing Volcano."
The album runs 50 minutes and consists of 22 instrumental and vocal tracks. The full track listing is:
1. Monkey's World
2. Monkey Travels
3. Into the Eastern Sea
4. The Living Sea
5. The Dragon King
6. Iron Rod
7. Out of the Eastern Sea
8. Heavenly Peach Banquet
9. Battle in Heaven
10. O Mi To Fu
11. Whisper
12. Tripitaka's Curse
13. Confessions of a Pig
14. Sandy the River Demon
15. March of the Volunteers
16. The White Skeleton Demon
17. Monk's Song
18. I Love Buddha
19. March of the Iron Army
20. Pigsy in Space
21. Monkey Bee
22. Disappearing Volcano
Standard digital and physical formats have been licensed to XL Recordings for world-wide release. A box set edition containing vinyl and artwork has been created by Vinyl Factory Ltd, and will be available from www.monkeyjourneytothewest.com.
Med Sud.... In Stores Now 24 Jun 2008
Sigur Rós' new album is in stores today and available from our store. Hamingjusamur gefa út dagur! (we think that means "happy release day")
Sigur Ros Announce North American Tour 20 Jun 2008
Sigur Rós announced a North American Tour to support of their forthcoming full-length, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (English translation: with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly), hitting stores on June 24th on XL Recordings. The dates, which begin on September 17th at New York City's United Palace Theatre, will see the band playing some of the most prestigious venues in the country, including a show at Denver's Red Rocks Amphitheatre. A pre-sale will begin for fans today, June 20th, at 9 am EST via the band's website, www.sigurros.com. A general on-sale will take place on June 27th.
Sigur Rós recently performed a handful of live shows in North America this month, taking the band from Mexico to this year's Bonnaroo Festival, to New York City, where they played two very amazing, very special shows, including one at the Museum of Modern Art. Mixing classic, fan-favorites from their critically-acclaimed catalogue with new songs from the brilliant Med Sud..., Sigur Rós live show is the best it s ever been. The shows this Fall will see the band comprised of Jón Thor Birgisson (vocals, guitar), Georg Holm (bass), Kjartan Sveinsson (keyboards/piano), and Orri Páll Dýrason (drums) performing as a four-piece for the first time in almost ten years.
The dates are:
9/17/08 New York, NY @ United Palace Theatre
9/18/08 New York, NY @ United Palace Theatre
9/19/08 Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion
9/20/08 Montreal, QC @ Quai Jacques Cartier
9/22/08 Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
9/23/08 Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
9/24/08 Chicago, IL @ The Chicago Theatre
9/25/08 Minneapolis, MN @ The Orpheum Theatre
9/27/08 Denver, CO @ Morrison Red Rocks Amphitheatre
9/28/08 Salt Lake City, UT @ Saltair
9/30/08 Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
10/1/08 San Diego, CA @ Copley Symphony Hall
10/2/08 Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre
10/3/08 Berkeley, CA @ The Greek Theatre
10/5/08 Seattle, WA @ Benaroya Hall
10/6/08 Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Theatre
10/7/08 Vancouver, BC @ The Chan Centre
I Was A Cub Scout news & mp3 18 Jun 2008
I Was A Cub Scout WAS a UK-based duo comprised of Todd Marriott (vocals, guitars and synth) and William Bowerman (drums). I say WAS, because they recently broke up - major bummer! We still put out their debut album I Want You To Know That There Is Always Hope digitally (now) and physically (June 24th), and despite the fact that they aren't a band anymore, this album is great and we hope that some folks still get to enjoy it!
That being said, here's a brand new mp3 for the song "Pink Squares". Please take a listen and enjoy.
They're a little bit poppy, a little bit emo, and a little bit rock. If you like bands like The Postal Service, Editors and Jimmy Eat World, you just might like this band....and the album was produced by Hugh Padgham (The Police! David Bowie! Phil Collins!)
Here's the amazing video for "Pink Squares" too.
“A cleverly crafted angle of scrumptious indie pop drenched with emotion and brilliant, bold beats” – NME
”Fragile yet determined, it’s the perfect soundtrack to life and love” – Kerrang!
TNT On NPR's World Cafe Today 11 Jun 2008
Tapes 'n Tapes World Cafe session will be broadcast on Wednesday, July 16, between 2P-4P EST. Tune in: http://www.xpn.org/listen_live/listen.php
Sigur Ros Announce New Album, MP3 and Video 27 May 2008
Sigur Rós will be releasing their new album worldwide the week of June 23. It is called Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. You can download the first track "Gobbledigook" and watch the video right now on SigurRos.com.
This is the official announcement...
Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
(English spelling: Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust)
Sigur Rós will be releasing their fifth album, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (English translation: with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly), on June 24. The first track from the album, entitled "Gobbledigook," is available worldwide for free download via SigurRos.com. The video for the song is also on the website.
A pre-sale for the album will begin on SigurRos.com on June 2. A special deluxe edition of the album to be released later in the year — featuring a "Making Of… " book, a film and more — will also be available to pre-order on the band's website as of June 2. A stream of Með suð í eyrum… will be available to hear on SigurRos.com on June 9. Lastly, a plethora of Sigur Rós goodies — exclusive clips, information on tickets for upcoming shows throughout the year, etc. — will be available to those who sign up for the mailing list on SigurRos.com.
Með suð í eyrum… was co-produced with the band by renowned producer Flood, and was recorded in New York City (at Sear Sound Studios), London (at Assault and Battery Studios and Abbey Road), Reykjavík (at Álafoss, the band's studio, as well as a church in Reykjavík), and Havana, Cuba. Whereas Sigur Rós' last release — the critically-acclaimed documentary Heima, chronicling their free tour throughout Iceland — took the band to their homeland, their newest creation, Með suð í eyrum… is the first album in the band's career to be made outside of Iceland. It is also their first album to feature vocalist Jón "Jónsi" Thor Birgisson's vocals in English on one track (the remainder are sung in Icelandic).
Inspired by the unfettered feeling of the acoustic performances filmed during Heima, Sigur Rós decided to adopt a looser approach in the writing and creation of their brilliant fifth album. The material for the album was written, recorded and mixed entirely in 2008 and is being released just one month after its completion. The album glows with the perfect imperfection of live takes, the sounds of fingers playing guitar strings, cracked notes, and a stark, upfront presence not found in previous Sigur Rós recordings, moving away from reverb-soaked guitar sounds towards something altogether more affecting. The record also contains some of the most joyous music the band has ever recorded.
Opener "Gobbledigook" sets the tone for Með suð í eyrum… with its shifting acoustic guitars, playful vocals, time signature swings and swirling percussion, while "Inní mér syngur vitleysingur" ("Within me a lunatic sings") sparkles as one of the most anthemic songs Sigur Rós have ever written. "Festival" is epic in its elation and scope, "Illgresi" features one of Jónsi's finest vocal melodies over a lone acoustic guitar, and "Ára bátur" is the largest musical undertaking in the band's career, as it was recorded live in one take with the London Sinfonietta and London Oratory Boy's Choir, a total of 90 people playing at the same time. The band also utilized the talents of their string-quartet friends Amiina, as well as a five-piece brass section on certain tracks, in addition to introducing the Mellotron into their writing/recording process for the first time on this album, highlighted on one of the most tender and beautiful songs on the record, "Fljótavík."
The spirit of Með suð í eyrum… is best captured by the album's stunning artwork, contributed by acclaimed visual artist Ryan McGinley. McGinley first met the band when he photographed Jónsi six years ago; the album cover was taken from a flyer for McGinley's most recent exhibit, "I Know Where the Summer Goes," which happened to find its way into Jónsi's inbox just as the band was deciding on how to best visually represent their new collection of songs. The result is a perfect synergy of the aural and the visual.
The tracklisting for Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly) is…
1. Gobbledigook
2. Inní mér syngur vitleysingur
3. Góðan daginn
4. Við spilum endalaust
5. Festival
6. Með suð í eyrum
7. Ára bátur
8. Illgresi
9. Fljótavík
10. Straumnes
11. All Alright
Sigur Rós will be playing shows all over the globe throughout the summer and fall to preview material from Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, including a special set at this year's Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. The tour dates are:
The June tour dates…
6/5/08 Guadalajara, MEX @ Teatro Degollado
6/7/08 Tepoztlan, MEX @ Festival La Colmena
6/8/08 Tijuana, MEX @ Planeta Tijuana
6/11/08 Omaha, NE @ Orpheum Theater
6/12/08 Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
6/14/08 Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
6/16/08 New York, NY @ Grand Ballroom
6/20/08 Neuhausen ob Eck @ Southside Festival
6/22/08 Scheesel, Bremen @ Hurricane Festival
More worldwide tour dates will be announced soon.
Sigur Rós is: Jón Thor Birgisson (vocals, guitar), Georg Holm (bass), Kjartan Sveinsson (keyboards/piano), Orrí Páll Dýrason (drums).
Vampire Weekend on Kimmel tonight! 23 Apr 2008
Vampire Weekend will be perfoming on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday 4/23. Be sure to tune in! Other guests are Bill Hader (he was so nice to us at SNL!) and Eric Dane (mc steamy or mc dreamy or mc dude from grey's anatomy that's NOT they guy in all the rom com movies). Oh....also, Vampire Weekend will be joined by some special guests! You'll just have to watch and see :)
Rjd2 SPRING TOUR! 18 Mar 2008
THE TEENAGERS SPRING TOUR!! 17 Mar 2008
Sigur Ros and Heima Take Over YouTube 07 Mar 2008
In a first-ever, YouTube is featuring a full-length music DVD on their site. And to celebrate, we're also congratulating the 10 winners of the Minn Heima contest. Go to Sigur Ros YouTube channel for all the details or just go to YouTube.com .
Vampire Weekend on SNL - 3/8 03 Mar 2008
Teenagers Tour US, Seek Prom Royalty 27 Feb 2008
Just when you thought your daughters were safe, The Teenagers are returning to the US for more pre-prom drama. Details are on our tours page . And speaking of proms, the band just launched a new website and they are looking for a King and Prom queen. We're not sure if anything is in it for you, but shit.... if you liked Hot or Not, this might be your bag.
http://www.theteenagers.net/prom
TONIGHT 2/1 on LETTERMAN! 01 Feb 2008
Tonight (Friday 2/1) on Letterman. ...Vampire Weekend , Paris Hilton and Artie Lange .
Need I say more?
Rjd2 Tour Dates 31 Jan 2008
Rjd2 is takin' it to the people this sprang:
Mar 1 2008 8:00P Starland Ballroom Sayreville, New Jersey
Apr 1 2008 9:00P The Orange Peel Asheville, North Carolina
Apr 2 2008 8:30P Variety Playhouse Atlanta, Georgia
Apr 4 2008 10:00P Emos Austin, Texas
Apr 5 2008 9:00P Palladium Loft Dallas, Texas
Apr 7 2008 9:00P The Clubhouse Tempe, Arizona
Apr 8 2008 9:15P Casbah San Diego, California
Apr 9 2008 9:00P Henry Fonda Theater Los Angeles, California
Apr 10 2008 9:00P The Independent San Francisco, California
Apr 11 2008 9:00P Hawthorne Theater Portland, Oregon
Apr 12 2008 10:00P Chop Suey Seattle, Washington
Apr 14 2008 9:00P Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, Utah
Apr 15 2008 9:00P Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom Denver, Colorado
Apr 16 2008 9:30P The Record Bar Kansas City, Missouri
Apr 17 2008 7:00P First Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota
Apr 18 2008 9:00P The Abbey Pub Chicago, Illinois
May 1 2008 9:00P 9:30 Club Washington DC, Washington DC
May 2 2008 9:00P Bowery Ballroom New York City, New York
May 3 2008 9:00P Paradise Boston, Massachusetts
Vampire Weekend on mtvU's Backstage Pass 17 Jan 2008
80's prep rock? Post-college rock? African-inspired indie chamber pop? Do they even need a genre?!?
Check out the 4 recent Columbia grads as they crash the couch at mtvU .
Seen & Heard: Film & TV Update 1/11/08 11 Jan 2008
The National continue to sync it up this week with super prominent placements, chk it:
"Green Gloves", "Fake Empire ", & "Slow Show" were all featured in the season premiere of the CW hit series One Tree Hill on January 8th! http://www.cwtv.com/music/one-tree-hill
Dev Plays The MOMA 04 Jan 2008
On the heels of his recent display of artwork, Devendra is playing the SF Moma:
on january 17th, devendra banhart will play a one off performance at the san francisco museum of modern art, held in conjunction with an exhibition of his drawings and paintings that were used in the liner notes for "smokey rolls down thunder canyon". the event sold out in minutes but we have 20 tickets on hold for VIPs at retail, radio and press. details are below, along with a link to the SF MOMA site with additional descriptions of the exhibition.
Devendra Banhart, musician and visual artist
Special guests
January 17, 2008
8:00 p.m.
Phyllis Wattis Theater
Since his first release of spare and often folk-based songs in 2002, Banhart has explored the intersections of rock, psychedelia, and traditional music. He is also a visual artist, creating new works on paper in conjunction with his fifth and most recent album, Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon (2007). The drawings are currently on view in Abstract Rhythms: Paul Klee and Devendra Banhart. Join the multitalented artist for a mostly acoustic performance celebrating the special relationship that often exists between music and visual art.
http://www.sfmoma.org/exhibitions/exhib_detail.asp?id=292#event1154
Perez Hilton hearts Adele 03 Jan 2008
Fantabulous blogger Perez Hilton wrote about our amazing Adele. Check it!
She is on XL Recordings and her debut album will be out sometime this summer.
http://perezhilton.com/?p=11202
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
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
VAMPIRE WEEKEND announcement! 08 Nov 2007
VAMPIRE WEEKEND announce release date, track listing, tour dates.
Vampire Weekend is Ezra Koenig (vocals / guitar), Rostam Batmanglij (keyboards / vocals), Chris Baio (bass) and Christopher Tomson (drums).
Their self-titled full-length debut will feature 11 songs and will be released on January 29th, 2008 by XL Recordings.
The songs on the record are: Mansard Roof, Oxford Comma, A-Punk, Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, M79, Campus, Bryn, One (Blake’s Got A New Face), I Stand Corrected, Walcott, The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance
The members of Vampire Weekend live in New York and met while studying at Columbia University, forming the band in the spring of 2006.
In June of 2007, the New York Times wrote that
"Even without an album, Vampire Weekend have made one of the most impressive debuts of the year."
Prior to the album’s release, the band will be on a US tour.
11/16 – Haverford, PA – Haverford College/Lunt Basement
11/23 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern
11/24 – Bloomington, IN – Waldron Arts Center
11/25 – Lexington, KY – Old Tarr Distillery Warehouse
11/27 – Norman, OK – The Opolis
11/28 – Denton, TX – Rubber Gloves
11/29 – Austin, TX – The Mohawk
12/1 – Phoenix, AZ – Casa Blanca Lounge
12/2 – San Diego, CA – Casbah
12/3 – Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
12/5 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent
12/7 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
12/8 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
12/9 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown Jr.
12/11 – Chicago, IL – Schubas
12/12 – Pontiac, MI – The Pike Room at The Crofoot
12/13 – Toronto, ONT – El Mocambo
12/14 – Montreal, QUE – Club Lambi
12/15 – Cambridge, MA – Middle East Underground
Press contact: Sonya Kolowrat/XL Recordings
212.995.5882 x1134 - sonyakolowrat@beggars.com
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.
Coldplay's Chris Martin mentions Vampire Weekend in Rolling Stone 06 Nov 2007
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
Devendra is a cover SUPERSTAR! 25 Oct 2007
Devendra Banhart is on the cover of the new issue of HARP MAGAZINE ! It's his second cover for Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon and probably not his last! He looks hot. Buy the magazine. Check it! 
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.
You don't know Jack? Oh but you will... 05 Oct 2007
Are you ready to learn the Peñate Polka?
Get ready, because we're bringing UK sensation JACK PEÑATE over for some CMJ action and he's going to take over the US next, starting in NYC & Philly.
His debut album is called Matinee, and it's coming out in January on XL Recordings.
10/15 YoYo Party At Love, (179 MacDougal Street)
10/16 secret afternoon show
10/17 secret afternoon show
10/17 Silk City (Philadelphia, PA) – 11pm
Ratatat on PRI this weekend! 27 Sep 2007
Ratatat will be interviewed on PRI's "Weekend America" which airs across this fine land of ours this Saturday and Sunday.
Seen & Heard: Beggars Group Film + TV Update for The Week of Aug 27th 30 Aug 2007
CALLA's "SWAGGER is" featured in the trailer for the independent film Weirdsville, starring Wes Bentley & Jason Speedman. Directed by Allen Molye (of Pump Up The Volume fame). Start date: Aug 3rd in Canada only but also online here NOW. You can learn more about the film here (IMDB). Film release Oct 5th. The song will also be featured in the film, but those details will come later!
DEVENDRA BANHART does Don't Look Back In Anger (An Oasis cover) is featured on Engine Room Recordings Guilt By Association compilation. Release date: Aug 28th.
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!
Devendra's new album is coming! 01 Aug 2007
Devendra's new album is coming, and the name of it is "Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon". We've heard it, and it's epic! It's coming out at the end of September and we think you'll be as excited as we are.
Here's who did what!
Devendra: vocals, guitars, piano, cuatro, ukelele, percussion, shruti box, psaltery,
noah: guitars, vocals, bass, organ, piano, wurlitzer, percussion, charango, bandoura, shruti box.
Rodrigo Amarante: guitars, vocals, percussion, shruti box, melodica, bass.
Luckey Remington: bass, acoustic guitar, percussion, vocals.
Pete Newsom: Piano, Wurlitzer, percussion, drum kit, vocals.
Greg Rogove: Drum kit, percussion, duck call, vocals.
Andy Cabic: Vocals, acoustic guitar.
Vashti Bunyan: Vocals on 'Seahorse', and 'Loneliness'.
Linda Perhacs: Vocals on 'Freely'
Matteah Baim: vocals on 'Loneliness'
Maxine Waters, Julie Waters, Monalisa: Backing Vocals on Saved:
Horns: you got dis already
Nathan Pelkey: Kalimba, insect vocals.
Benjamin Goodman: Drum kit, percussion
Boat provided by: Beau Raymond
Strings performed by The Section Quartet:
Eric Gorfain, violin
Daphne Chen, violin
Leah Katz, viola
Richard Dodd, cello
These cats can lay down some jams. Here are the names of said jams.
1. Cristobal
2. So Long Old Bean
3. Samba Vexillographica
4. Seahorse
5. Bad Girl
6. Seaside
7. Shabop Shalom
8. Tonada Yanomaminista
9. Rosa
10. Saved
11. Lover
12. Carmencita
13. The Other Woman
14. Freely
15. I Remember
16. My Dearest Friend
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.
Check out Electrelane's Tour Blog!!! 01 May 2007
http://www.electrelane.com/tourblog/
THE NATIONAL readies "Boxer" 02 Mar 2007
THE NATIONAL
readies “Boxer” for release, sets tour dates
New York via Ohio quintet THE NATIONAL announce the May 22nd release of their new album, “Boxer”.
“Boxer” was produced and mixed by the band and Peter Katis (Interpol, Spoon), and engineered by Greg Giorgio. The record was mostly recorded at Tarquin Studios in Bridgeport, CT. Additional recording was done by The National and Brandon Reid in Brooklyn, NY and White Sulphur Springs, WV. “Boxer” was mastered by Fred Kevorkian (Willie Nelson, Regina Spektor, Ryan Adams).
THE NATIONAL formed in 1999, when five friends from Cincinnati Ohio met again after all relocating to Brooklyn, NY. They are Aaron Dessner (guitars, bass), Bryce Dessner (guitar), Scott Devendorf (guitar; bass), Bryan Devendorf (drums) and Matt Berninger (vocals).
For years the band has received critical praise but it wasn’t until 2005’s “Alligator” that a wider audience finally discovered them. “Alligator” ended up topping scores of year-end critics’ lists and music polls and the band found themselves selling out large venues across Europe, the UK and the US.
“Boxer” was written over the course of thirteen months at their homes in Brooklyn, NY.
TRACK LISTING:
1. Fake Empire
2. Mistaken For Strangers
3. Brainy
4. Squalor Victoria
5. Green Gloves
6. Slow Show
7. Apartment Story
8. Start A War
9. Guest Room
10. Racing Like A Pro
11. Ada
12. Gospel
TOUR DATES:
May 22nd London, England Astoria
May 23rd Paris, France La Maroquinerie
May 25th Berlin, German Magnet
May 28th New York, NY Bowery Ballroom (w.The Broken West)
May 29th New York, NY Bowery Ballroom (w. Doveman)
May 30th New York, NY Bowery Ballroom (w. My Brightest Diamond)
May 31st New York, NY Bowery Ballroom (w. Elysian Fields)
A full US tour and European Festivals will be announced soon.
New Promo mp3s 17 Feb 2007
Go to our Listen page to stream and download new mp3s from CALLA, The Early Years, Rjd2 and Blonde Redhead.
RJD2 Announces Details Of New Album 02 Feb 2007
RJD2 has announced details for his first album for XL Recordings. 'The Third Hand' will be released on 5th March 2007 (6th if you live in the US) and sees RJD2 play all the instruments on a modern pop record, which takes in influences as diverse as folk, blue-eyed soul and psychedelic pop all underpinned with his trademark beats. Navigate yourself to myspace.com/rjd2 to hear two tracks from the album.
RJD2 will also be touring North America during March in support of the album. Check back here, or on his myspace, for dates.
We have a great pre-order scheme going - an exlusive EP, a full album stream and a chance to win Rjd2 at your party. Click on the image to the right for all the details.
The Early Years Announce US Dates 03 Jan 2007
The Early Years are coming to the US for the first time in late January. So, if you like some kraut with some drone (and strangely a little Red House Painters mixed in), then bring your ear plugs and get ready.
Thursday, Jan. 25th - Mercury Lounge, Manhattan (8pm set time)
Friday, Jan. 26th - Union Hall, Brooklyn w/ Daylight's for the Birds, more TBA
Saturday, Jan. 27th - Union Pool, Brooklyn w/ Major Stars, Mahogany
And a contest, a new video and mp3:
Brickfish - Design The Early Years Tour Poster
YouTube - New Video for So Far Gone"
Promo mp3: All Ones And Zeros (mp3 - 6.3mb).
Ratatat: What's A Great Album? 13 Dec 2006
This question was posed to the Ratatat duo and they came up with some ripe answers. (actually, we think Mike did most of the answering)
Tapes 'n Tapes: Tapes On mtvU 07 07 Dec 2006
As our publicists devise novel ways to get Tapes on TRL (which may or may not include publicity, stunts, dudes, kissing, police barracades and Times Square), the brothers Tapes are once again getting the co-ed treatment across all things MTV and university. Check out the Tapes feature on mtvU. Among the features subjected on our mild-manner midwesterners - the "Backstage Pass" and "The Hot Seat". Co-eds, backstage passes, hot seats. Damn, we wish there was a joke buried in that somewhere.