TLC's very own Becky was the special guest today on Steve Lamacq's BBC 6 Music show today talking about her wonderful self and musical interests/influences and what songs are the soundtrack to her good days and bad days. Since she was having a good day, she played Saturate by The Chemical Brothers. Steve Lamacq is a precious man and amazing dj...he and Becky had a lovely chat!
JUNE 29- The Hold Steady, The Loved Ones, J Roddy & The Business*
JULY 6- Ronnie Spector, The Rabbit Factory Soul Revue, Wiley & The Checkmates
JULY 8- Summer Screen: Rushmore*
JULY 13- Matt & Kim, The Whip*
JULY 15- Summer Screen: The Virgin Suicides*
JULY 20- Liars, Fuck Buttons, Team Robespierre
JULY 22- Summer Screen: Wet Hot American Summer
JULY 27- MGMT, Black Moth Super Rainbow, The Ting Tings*
JULY 29- Summer Screen: Desperately Seeking Susan
AUGUST 3- Black Lips, Deerhunter, King Khan & His Shrines, Tall Firs
AUGUST 5- Summer Screen: Mean Streets
AUGUST 10- TBA
AUGUST 12- Summer Screen: 28 Days Later
AUGUST 17- Aesop Rock, Panther
AUGUST 19- Summer Screen: Velvet Goldmine*
AUGUST 24- TBA
AUGUST 26- Summer Screen: Blue Velvet
| Hi everyone! Off to Barcelona tomorrow for the primavera festival - really looking forward to it. Can't really think of anything interesting to say, so i'll leave you with the beautiful photo gallery that Scarlett Page (Jimmy Page's daughter) created for the MTV brand spanking new music tour that I was working on. She's one of the nicest ladies i've ever met!     |
Ok, I know a lot of discerning UK clubbers would not consider Club NME nights the best, but everyone must admit it's defnitely a fail-proof place to hear all the indie hits du jour and catch a buzzworthy live act. Back in 2006 in London, I caught We Are Scientists play a 2am surprise slot at Club NME Koko and more recently, in 2008, the night has been host to the likes of The Courteeners and The Rascals when their industry buzz was merely a faint hum.
I was excited in 2007 when I heard Club NME was opening up shop in NYC. The first night was supposed to be part of the CMJ festival if I remember correctly but all the details like location and who was going to play/spin seemed to be shrouded in secrecy. Nothing's ever been very clear about it ever since then and when it does show up, it's at The Annex (a relatively good venue/bar but if anyone's been to Koko, the size of the "dancefloor" in this place is actually laughable) and no one's heard of any of the bands playing.
I know the weekly Club NME LA at Spaceland has been a success since 2006 with celebrity DJs and big name bands galore, AND NOW I see they've started a Club NME San Francisco! This night is hosted at the respectable Popscene venue and featured Foals on its first outing!
NYC is in dire need of a mega blowout weekly indie night and I originally thought Club NME was going to be the answer...but nearly 2 years on, nothing's really happening. WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!
Beck previewed a new track from his imminent, Danger Mouse produced, album this week on his Myspace page. The track is called Chemtrails and if it's any indication of the new album as a whole, it's going to be very ethereal, fuzzy and layered. That said, it definitely sounds like an improvement from The Information which I found to be a bit of a disappointment, especially considering Guero was so effing cool.
Listen to Chemtrails now:
One of London's most beautiful landmarks, Somerset House, becomes the site of a fantastic concert series this July.
This 4th of July, the River to River Festival in NYC is presenting Sonic Youth in Battery Park. Sonic Youth are possibly the biggest act yet for this annual celebration which started out pretty small a number of years ago with Ryan Adams and most recently Belle & Sebastian (2006) and New Pornographers (2007). If the weather holds out, it's guaranteed to be a fun day and nice prelude to the fireworks.
The event is FREE but tickets are required. Register for your tickets here on June 12. Limit 2 per person and tickets will have to be picked up at a location and date TBA before July 4.
If you're forfeiting the en masse exodus to BBQ someplace woodsy this 4th, don't miss this free show!
Thursday May, 22 9:30PM:
Swing by Spike Hill [186 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn] to see Brooklyn-based Akudama hit the stage and celebrate at their EP release party.
Check them out at myspace.com/Akudama
The boys recorded a soulful version faithful to the original. It's about time young musicians are taking another listen to mod era Bowie and gleaning some very strong pop sensibilities from the tunes. By breathing new life into In the Heat of the Morning, The Last Shadow Puppets will no doubt introduce this Bowie period to a new group of listeners. 
The Hold Steady will be headlining the first pool party of the season on June 29 at 12PM along withThe Loved Ones and J Roddy and The Business!
AND on July 29th, MGMT, Black Moth Super Rainbow, and The Ting Tings will be playing as well..how exciting!! Remember these are free shows, check http://www.jellynyc.com/events/ for more info as it comes in
MTV announced in a press release, “A tree isn’t the only thing growing in Brooklyn!”
In a desperate attempt to stay relevant, the MTV "reality show" will return to NYC for its 1,000,000th season but this time in Brooklyn.
Thank you for raising my rent even more, MTV.
Source: MTV
Friday June 13th
6PM Pianos (21+)
Tullycraft (WA)
The Besties (NYC)
Pants Yell! (MA)
From Bubblegum to Sky (NYC)
Saturday June 14th
6 PM Music Hall of Williamsburg (18+)
The Ladybug Transistor (NYC)
The Orchids (UK)
My Teenage Stride (NYC)
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (NYC)
Mahogany (NYC)Sunday June 15th
2PM Union Pool (21+)
Popfest Recovery BBQ & Farewell Show
The Cannanes (Australia)
The Frank & Walters (Ireland)
The Hermit Crabs (UK)
The Silent League (NYC)
One Happy Island (MA)
Steve Goldberg and the Arch Enemies (PA)
Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele (MS)
Find out more info here.
(image courtesy of BBC)
TLC favorites, THE METROS, have been added last minute to the Stag and Dagger fest line-up. The boys will be playing 93 Feet East tonight (May 15). Go!
Brooklyn's favorite tricksters, We Are Scientists, have just announced 2 summer dates in the NYC area. They'll be rocking Music Hall of Williamsburg on July 31 and Bowery Ballroom on August 1. Tickets on sale tomorrow (May 14) at noon!
Keith and Chris' sophomore album, Brain Thrust Mastery (pictured above), was released in the US today. Thoughts? 
Teenage, London-based, indie-folk darling, Laura Marling, will be headlining Mercury Lounge on June 18. Tickets also on sale tomorrow (May 14) at noon!
Laura has just been supporting Adam Green throughout Europe and this past Saturday night at Town Hall in NYC.
(image courtesy of The Guardian)
With an international #1 album Hard Candy, Madonna is ready to hit the town beginning August 23rd in Cardiff. Check out the local tour dates below, her live set is never a disappointment! Yummy!
Date City Venue On Sale
Sep 11 London Wembley Stadium May 16
Sep 20 Paris Stade de France May 16
Oct 3 E. Rutherford Izod Arena May 19
Oct 6 NYC MSG May 19
Oct 7 NYC MSG May 19
Nov 19 Philadelphia Wachovia Center June 2
Nov 22 Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall June 2
The 8th Annual free festival takes place Saturday, July 19 on Coney Island. Initial lineup:
Various Media outlets including MTV are reporting that Beck's new Danger Mouse-produced record, the follow up to 2006's The Information, is being rushed to record stores within the next 4-6 weeks.
Unlike Radiohead and NIN, Beck's record contract requires physical copies to be released to retailers the old fashioned way. The album is said to include an array of collaborations including one with Cat Power. Expect an official press release soon.
I cannot wait for him to come back to New York, honestly one of the best shows I've seen!
New York X New York has created an Indie Rock Trivia night with a secret crew of rock geniuses, hosted by Zach Galifianakis. Brooklyn’s own Les Savy Fav are performing live to help your brains recover from the exercise.
More info here: http://nymag.com/nyxny
I'll pass on the $25 charge. Try your luck winning free tickets here.
New York City Band, Interpol just released a video for their latest single, Rest My Chemistry from their 2007 critically-acclaimed album Our Love to Admire.
The day has finally arrived! The Last Shadow Puppets' eagerly anticipated album, The Age of the Understatement, is available in the US. I have been clamoring for this moment for quite a while even though the tunes have been streaming all around the internet since the UK release...but something about taking home my very own copy warms the cockles of my heart.
Ok, I am getting a bit carried away here, BUT I do think unbridled excitement over this album is completely warranted. There is nothing like it in modern music at the moment and has become something bigger than Alex and Miles probably ever imagined. These songs were born out of friendship, artistic camaraderie, and a desire to invoke the Jacques Brel and Scott Walker pop song experience; one of cinematic storytelling set to grandiose arrangements. Yes, the style is derivative, however it has been reworked into shiny 3 minute and under morsels of modern rock ingenuity.
I've always thought Alex Turner's lyrics made him seem wise beyond his years and it is truly incredible that he and Miles Kane are both only 22 (!!!!) and capable of so vividly depicting the rich and complex emotions, scenes and characters that inhabit The Age of The Understatement. Theirs is a talent to marvel at.
The Times Online's profile of the pair is the best I have read yet, as it focuses on their collaboration and doesn't perpetrate the notion that this is merely Alex's side project.
Erol Alkan brought his magnificent mash-ups and crazy beats to Brooklyn this past weekend. He is arguably the greatest indie-electro DJ ever and always knows how to make a crowd lose control.
This edition of Fixed at Studio B was no exception as the crowd was lapping up every scratch of the deck with fist-pumping elation and a sweaty glisten. Like watching a band, no one could take their eyes off the man exalted up there in his booth and danced shoulder to shoulder facing him. Erol brought the goods and then some with some classics and hot new mixes for good measure.
Looking forward to his next NYC visit!
Carl Barat's post-Libertines super group, Dirty Pretty Things, have announced the details of their upcoming sophomore album. According to NME the album is titled This Is Where the Truth Begins, but the official announcement refers to an "as-yet-untitled album".
Cajun Dance Party are a North London 5-piece all under the age of 18. Whoa, these bands just keep getting younger and younger it seems...makes the rest of us feel rather unaccomplished in our not so old age.
When I was their age I was worried about picking a prom dress and getting into university. These kids, however, who've been playing together only about a year, have already been signed to influential indie label, XL, and written, recorded and released a debut LP to much critical acclaim.
The Colourful Life, released last week in the UK, was produced by Bernard Butler of Suede fame. The Guardian gave the album 4 out of 5 stars. The album's had brief mention Stateside on Pitchfork and they were titled Band To Watch by Stereogum.
Video for single, The Race:
They've been called a cross between The Kooks and Arcade Fire, and even though I'm not fond of these arbitrary comparisons, to me, they're musically and vocally like The Kooks but more lyrically like The Maccabees or even Maximo Park. I think they could potentially have a similar appeal as The Kooks in the US.Cajun Dance Party will be playing London's Bloomsbury Ballroom in July. Stateside folks can expect the album's release in the Fall.
Prospect Park:
The MURAKAMI exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum
April 5–July 13, 2008
The most comprehensive retrospective to date of the work of internationally acclaimed Japanese artist Takashi Murakami includes more than ninety works in various media that span the artist’s entire career, installed in more than 18,500 square feet of gallery space.
Carroll Gardens:
Brooklyn Indie Market Grand Reopening on Saturday May 3rd from 11-7 pm
Take the F or G train to Carroll street. Exit at the President Street exit of the station. You will see the big red and white tent on Smith street between President and Union street,.
Further to Shola's post, there's been a lot of Rascals related news the past few days so thought I'd present a little roundup.
The Wirral trio played 2 gigs in one night in Londontown, starting in Islington as part of the MTV Spankin New Music tour and then over to Shoreditch scenester outpost, Old Blue Last. The latter gig was watched by a litany of celebs and Miles likened the event to something The Libertines would've done. Bands should really play more spontaneous, geurilla gigs. Although I don't think the energy and accessibility of The Libertines can be matched, it's cool to see promising bands like The Rascals doing something a little extra.
Has anyone been to any of the gigs on the MTV tour or the Old Blue Last Show? How have they been going? The tour also includes Tastes Like Caramel favorites, The Metros.
Featured above, is the cover art for the band's debut album, Rascalize, out June 9th in the UK. ahh apologies for the gushing, but that photo is the total hotness. Can't wait.
Freakbeat Phantom was featured as The Hottest Record in the World on Zane Lowe's show on Wednesday. Zane was totally enthusiastic (read: brink of giddiness) about the track, calling it a sticky groove and even playing the first 30 seconds over again because the opening is so old school and amazing. Really glad to see them getting this recognition. For me and I think a lot of people, Zane's show is the barometer of great new music so hopefully this got people even more excited about the upcoming album.
If you live in the UK, catch The Rascals on Channel 4's JD Set on May 30th and go see them at London Dingwalls in June!!
