Pete Doherty gone solo

one of our favourite Brits is trying his luck at a solo career, The Libertines didn't work out, but it seems like he's still on board with Babyshambles.

read the entire story on NME

Babyshambles - Fuck Forever [mp3]

Of Montreal set North American Tour Dates

visit them on MYSPACE

Of Montreal - Cato as a Pun [mp3]

Oct 7 2008 7:00P
Carolina Theatre Durham, North Carolina

Oct 8 2008 8:00P
The Orange Peel Asheville, North Carolina

Oct 9 2008 7:00P
9:30 Club Washington, Washington DC

Oct 10 2008 7:00P
Roseland New York, New York

Oct 24 2008 7:00P
The Pagaent St. Louis, Missouri

Oct 25 2008 6:00P
First Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota

Oct 26 2008 6:00P
Pabst Theater Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Oct 27 2008 5:30P
Riviera Chicago, Illinois

Oct 28 2008 7:00P
Queen Elizabeth Theatre Toronto, Ontario

Oct 29 2008 7:30P
Metropolis Montreal, Quebec

Oct 30 2008 6:30P
Orpheum Theatre Boston, Massachusetts

Oct 31 2008 7:30P
Electric Factory Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Nov 1 2008 8:00P
The National Richmond, Virginia

Nov 8 2008 8:00P
The Tabernacle Atlanta, Georgia

Nov 11 2008 9:00P
Howlin’ Wolf New Orleans, Louisiana

Nov 12 2008 8:00P
Warehouse Live Houston, Texas

Nov 13 2008 8:00P
TBA Austin, Texas

Nov 14 2008 7:00P
House of Blues Dallas, Texas

Nov 15 2008 7:00P
Liberty Hall Lawrence, Kansas

Nov 16 2008 7:00P
Ogden Theatre Denver, Colorado

Nov 17 2008 7:00P
Murray Super Theater Murray, Utah

Nov 19 2008 8:00P
Showbox SoDo Seattle, Washington

Nov 20 2008 7:00P
Roseland Theater Portland, Oregon

Nov 21 2008 7:00P
Regency Center Grand Ballroom San Francisco, California

Nov 22 2008 8:30P
TBA Los Angeles, California

Coldplay giving away a free song

it's a B-Side called "Death will never conquer"

download it for free HERE

Sunday Morning Covers

The Arctic Monkeys, one of my favourite bands covering my favourite band, THE STROKES

great cover, enjoy

Arctic Monkeys - Take it or Leave it (Strokes cover) [mp3]

Saturday music definitions

I'm trying to incorporate weekly specials into my blog, so here you go:

word of the day: Children

enjoy the following mp3s.

Delta Spirit-Children [mp3]

The Vines - Sun Child [mp3, highly recommended!]

Pomegranates- The Children's Progress (daytrotter session)[mp3]

Nikolai Fraiture gone solo?!

WHY HAD I NOT HEARD THIS BEFORE?!

apparently, Niko, The Strokes' bassist, is coming out with a solo record this fall, called "The Time of the Assassins"

a lot of people think that, in "Brandy of the Damned", it's Julian singing the "Don't let them get you down" part. I beg to differ. I can see how people not overly familiar with The Strokes could think that, but I am 99% sure that that is NOT Julian. The guy singing the other parts has the same (although distorted) voice throughout the song, and I am sure it's Niko.

either way, it's good shit. Jules, Albert and Niko all have top notch vox.

listen to the mp3s and decide for yourself. what do you think?

visit Niko's side project on MYSPACE

Nickel Eye- Brandy of the Damned [mp3]
Nickel Eye- Dying Star [mp3]

on another, related note, I read that Fabrizio, The Strokes' drummer, is doing a solo project with Rodrigo Amarante of Los Hermanos, a Brazilian band; the record is supposed to be released via Rough Trade Records this fall. wow.

band of the Week: Delta Spirit

this San Diego, CA based band is one of my favourites. I discovered them when they opened up for Matt Costa, by far the best opening act I have ever seen. they are super hard working and their debut "Ode To Sunshine" was signed onto a label a couple of months back. I was very happy for them when I heard the news.



their sound is a fantastic fusion of soulful folk with rock.

I love them so much that I have TWO posters of them in my room. check them out!

visit them on MYSPACE

Delta Spirit- Trashcan [mp3]

David Bowie talks about his favourite songs by him

HERE

the list includes:
"Life on Mars"
"Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing"
"The Bewlay Brothers"
"Lady Grinning Soul"
"Win"
"Some Are"
"Teenage Wildlife"
"Repetition"
"Fantastic Voyage"
"Loving The Alien"
"Time Will Crawl"
"Hang On To Yourself (live)"

David Bowie- Life on Mars [mp3]

Cold War Kids' "Loyalty to Loyalty" is due out this fall

the tracklisting of their sophomore effort is as follows:

'Against Privacy'
'Mexican Dogs'
'Every Valley Is Not A Lake'
'Something Is Not Right With Me'
'Welcome To The Occupation'
'Golden Gate Jumpers'
'Avalance In B'
'I've Seen Enough'
'Every Man I Fall For'
'Dreams Old Men Dream'
'On The Night My Love Broke Through'
'Relief'
'Cryptomnesia'

see their tour dates HERE

visit them on MYSPACE

Cold War Kids- Saint John [mp3]

new video: My Drive Thru

love it. shoe commercials never had it so good. it's so weird to see Jules with long hair though. he's sporting the Nick look.

anyhow, I acquired the mp3 of this funky tune a while ago, so enjoy.

N.E.R.D ft. Julian Casablancas and Santogold-My Drive Thru [mp3]

we are all desperate for a new Strokes record, and according to Albert, they'll be getting together to work on it at the end of this year. for now, Albert's excellent sophomore record and their previous 3 LPs will have to sustain us.

The Strokes- Last Nite [mp3]

The Strokes- Take it or Leave it [mp3]

Ben Sollee disses Kanye

wow, I knew I loved this guy.
he's put in song what millions of us have felt, especially with the whole Bonarroo fiasco.
Kanye needs to get his head out of his ass, immediately. He has been worshiped by the media for far too long, he's lost touch with reality.

anyhow, download the excellent track below and be sure to give Mr Sollee a visit on his MYSPACE

Ben Sollee - Dear Kanye [mp3]

Love these lyrics:

Greatness is a glass elevator, and so you are, if I recall
So use it make some real change not just advertisements at the mall

Dear Kanye
It’s time to let go
You’ve gathered the moss of
More than a dozen sullen stones
People want music on a real stage
Not the one you bring along

trippy new videos from Albert Hammond Jr and Sam Sparro

for "GfC"




and "21st Century Life"

Como Te Llama

Albert Hammond Jr has proved to naysayers that he is not just the Strokes’ mysterious rhythm guitarist, after a great debut solo record, Yours To Keep, he’s come back stronger than ever with his sophomore LP Como Te Llama. “In My Room”’s heavy guitar sounds are nothing like anything on YTK, or any Strokes record for that matter. If his debut was a children’s lullaby, Como Te Llama is an angsty teenager realizing the power of their voice. “LET’S MAKE SOME NOISE!” seems to be the message Albert is trying to send.

“Lisa”, my least favourite track on the album, establishes that this album will not be one long drone, but a mixture of different genres, including the beautiful instrumental track “Spooky Couch” and the very reggae “Miss Myrtle”. Albert experiments with his vocals in vein of Julian a la First Impressions on “Rocket” and “Victory at Monterey.” Albert's incredible musical talent manifests itself with "GfC", but so does his evident lack of mindblowing lyrics. Perhaps this is the reason that they were left out of the liner notes...

"I remember being on stage and wanting to have different kinds of songs," Albert said. "When you go and tour your first record you only have your 11 songs and a few covers, maybe. You're craving new songs. I write everyday. Slowly it starts to come out -- all the experiences you've had. At the end, you have this product that's from music influences, movie influences, life influence, playing live ... everything."

The record is all over the place, but Albert ends it perfectly with “Feed Me Jack or How I stopped Worrying and Love Peter Sellers”, one of the most subtly powerful and incredibly moving songs Albert has ever written. It’s as though he wants to remind fans that after the day is done, and he’s finished experimenting, he will always be the Albert who warms our hearts and our souls.

4/5 stars

Albert Hammond Jr - GfC [mp3]

Nylon mag talks to Albert Hammond Jr

about his new record, Como Te Llama, and other stuff.

GfC, apparently, is modeled after Roald Dahl's abbreviated "BFG", and stands for Grandfather Clock. mystery solved.

he also explains why he keeps collaborating with Sean Lennon, acknowledging fellow musical genius.

according to Albert, The Strokes are gonna get together later this year to start working on their new album.

read the entire article HERE

Albert Hammond Jr - Bargain of a Century [mp3]

The Vines are streaming their new record online

The "Australian Strokes'" newest effort, Melodia, is set for a July 22nd US release.

hear the new songs, hot off the press, on their MYSPACE

The Vines- Get Free [mp3]

in the spirit of INDEPENDENCE DAY, the government is trying to supress the internet

the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Viacom, giving them access of Youtube user's info (including usernames, IP addresses and video clip details, in order to give them the power to track people down) in a case that has been going on for over a year now.

get ready to have lawyers at your door if you've ever watched a music video on youtube. who do they think they're kidding? EVERYONE DOES IT. you cannot control that much chaos.

read NME's full story HERE

ACDC- Rock N Roll Aint Noise Pollution [mp3]

Albert Hammond Jr: always a crowd pleaser

read NME's favourable review of Como Te Llama HERE

I'll post a review next Tuesday, when his record is officially released

also, he spoke to NME about how he is excited about the new Strokes' record and is not, like speculators say, above any such feeling. he loves his band, with good reason.

Albert Hammond Jr - Scared [mp3]

free Seaside Steve dowload available

sign up for his mailing list and download his cover of Hambone Willie Newbern's Roll & Tumble Blues for FREE HERE

band of the week: The Wombats

this UK three-piece has a crazy good energy about them, very Hot Fuss-era Killers.

check them out on MYSPACE for streaming tracks and tour dates.

Ben Sollee - FANTASTIC undiscovered talent

I read about this guy on i guess i'm floating

do yourself a favour and check him out. the mp3 is fantastic, this guy has some serious talent. his voice is soulful and extravagant, in a good way.

visit him on MYSPACE for some more excellent tunes

MGMT set plans for sophomore LP

hurrah! Oracular Spectacular was, indeed spectacular. they were fantastic live at BFD, too.

they will begin recording in January and it should be out by next summer.

read the entire story on NME

MGMT - Time to Pretend [mp3]

Circa Survive's frontman has a solo record

in the vein of many rock musicians gone folk, Anthony Green's Avalon comes out August 5th

you could get a free mp3 of his first single, "Devil's Song" by signing up for his mailing list, or you can download it below.

Anthony Green - Devil's Song [mp3]

I like it, don't love it. we'll see how his record turns out. he says he wrote the song while "thinking about meaninglessness". figures.

visit his MYSPACE for tour dates and other stuff.

new Of Montreal record out soon

it is set for an October 7th release.

Hissing Fauna is an excellent album.

visit them on MYSPACE

tour dates and mp3 below:

07-04 Rothbury, MI - Rothbury Festival
08-08 Myslowice, Poland - OFF Festival
08-09 London, England - Field Day Festival
08-10 Leicester, England - Summer Sundae Weekender

Of Montreal - Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse [mp3]

Albert Hammond Jr is Spin's Artist of the Day!

well done, Spin!
read the article and download one of the strongest tunes on Como Te Llama, "The Boss Americana" HERE

his record officially comes out next Tuesday, but it's been floating all over the internet for a few weeks now.

you can preorder the record with a limited edition signed booklet HERE

Albert Hammond Jr - You Won't Be Fooled By This [mp3]

and here's a lovely tune from his debut record
Albert Hammond Jr - In Transit [mp3]

Josh Homme going crazy

you've probably seen this hilarious video, but if you haven't, feast your eyes on this.



I actually find it quite humourous, the guy had it coming. it's not offensive to me at all.

The Strokes - Mercy Mercy Me (feat. Josh Homme and Eddie Vedder) [mp3]

David Bowie Live @ Santa Monica '72

read the pitchfork review here

I adore Ziggy Stardust. gotta add this one to my collection.

David Bowie - I'm Waiting For The Man (VU cover) [mp3]

Minus the Bear on Daytrotter

download some excellent tunes here

MTB is a great Seattle band, saw them last November. the above photo is one of my favourites, taken at that show (at the Fillmore, I think.)

Cold War Kids' new record has a great sound

love these guys. it looks like their sophomore record is gonna be fantastic


Cold War Kids - Saint John [mp3]

Arctic Monkeys to work on new record immediately

YES!! they were pretty efficient in getting their sophomore record out a year after their debut, and now we have another one to look forward to. read more on NME

Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm [mp3]

also, Alex Turner's side project, the Last Shadow Puppets, have added a couple of US shows:

10/30 - New York, NY @ Grand Ballroom
11/3 - Los Angeles, CA @ Mayan Theatre

The Killers Cover "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"

this cover, however, brightened my day. love these guys.



The Killers - Under The Gun [mp3]

Jay Z covers Wonderwall

after Noel Gallagher said that he was not fit for Glastonbury (rightfully.)

"If it ain't broke don't fix it," Gallagher said of the choice of Jay-Z as Pyramid Stage headliner along with The Verve and Kings of Leon, possibly alluding to his own attitude to song-writing at the same time. "If you start to break it then people aren't going to go. I'm sorry, but Jay-Z? Fucking no chance. Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music and even when they throw the odd curve ball in on a Sunday night you go 'Kylie Minogue?' I don't know about it. But I'm not having hip-hop at Glastonbury, no way man. It's wrong."

I kind of laughed when I first heard of the cover, that was a bold move by Jay Z but that doesn't make me like him in the least.

Beck streaming new tracks

from his new record, Modern Guilt (due out July 8th) on his MYSPACE

they include "Orphans", "Gamma Ray" and "Chemtrails"

Beck - Lord Only Knows [mp3]

AH! New Oasis album, CWK & Kooks on TOUR!

The Kooks have announced a FALL TOUR

The new Oasis record, entitled dig out your soul is set for a October 7th release

and and and, the Cold War Kids are set to release their second record in September. tour dates posted HERE

New Kings of Leon record set for a September release

RCA will release their fourth record entitled Only By The Night on September 24th.

some tour dates can be found HERE

Kings of Leon - Red Morning Light [mp3]

Amy Winehouse has emphysema

I just read the could-be-tragic news. Hopefully, though, she'll use this opportunity to clean up. I hope she has the strength, her voice is phenomenal. She's a rare female vocalist whom I not only can tolerate, but also LIKE.

In other news, the full lineup for the Voodoo music festival has been announced HERE, including DCFC, PATD and CWK. good stuff.

Amy Winehouse - You Know I'm No Good [mp3]

Megapuss play first concert in UCLA

I'm not sure if this band is a joke or not yet but oh well.

they consist of Devendra Banhart, Fabrizo Moretti(The Strokes),Greg Rogove (Priestbird)

I wouldn't bother but I haven't heard anything new from Fab for a while so I guess this is a good sign.

here's the vid:


and their MYSPACE

New Vampire Weekend Video for "Oxford Comma"

upon my first listening to their eponymous debut album, this was my favourite song. I still love it, but M79 is now my favourite.

anyhow, the video is pretty good. I'm glad I got a glimpse of Baio. In all honesty, when I went to see the band, Ezra and Rostam were a bit distant and didn't talk to fans; Tomson was shy but friendly, but Baio was great. Good to know some people can still be down to earth and accessible after they get famous.

watch the video below:



Vampire Weekend - M79 [mp3]

The Dandy Warhols on tour with the Upsidedowns

...to support their new record, Earth To Dandy Warhols, set for an August 19th release

tour dates and mp3 below

9/9, Minneapolis, MN (First Avenue)*
9/10, Madison, WI (Barrymore)*

9/12, Chicago, IL (Vic Theater)*

9/13, Toronto, ON (Kool Haus)*

9/14, Montreal, QC (Club Soda)*

9/16, Boston, MA (Wilbur Theatre)*

9/17, New York, NY (Terminal 5)*

9/20, Philadelphia, PA (TLA)*

9/22, Washington, DC (930 Club)*

9/23, Atlanta, GA (Variety Playhouse)*

9/26, Lawrence, KS (Liberty Hall)*

9/27, Denver, CO (Gothic Theater)*

9/28, Aspen, CO (Belly Up)*

10/3, Los Angeles, CA (The Wiltern) #

10/4, San Francisco, CA (Warfield) %

10/5, Portland, OR (The Roseland Theater)*

(* w/ Darker My Love)
(# w/ A Place To Bury Strangers)
(% w/ The Charlatans)

The Dandy Warhols - We Used To Be Friends [mp3]

ALBERT HAMMOND JR IS ON TOUR!

I check his MYSPACE and website daily in hope for updates, and he's finally posted some tour dates to support his fantastic new record Como Te Llama. Sadly, it's a very limited list, and the closest one to me is LA, which is like 4 hours away. He's playing a Tokyo show on my birthday. I so want to go. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he'll post up some more soon, this looks like it's just the summer tour, he will definitely have more soon. Or else I shall have to resort to drastic measures, like take a road trip to LA in this age of ridiculous gas prices.

tour dates and mp3 below:

Jul 11 2008 8:00P
Spaceland Los Angeles, California

Jul 30 2008 8:00P
Prince Bandroom Melbourne, Victoria

Aug 1 2008 8:00P
The Gaelic Theatre Sydney, New South Wales

Aug 2 2008 8:00P
The Zoo Brisbane, Queensland

Aug 9 2008 6:00P
Summer Sonic Festival Tokyo

Aug 10 2008 6:00P
Summer Sonic Festival Osaka

Aug 11 2008 8:00P
Club Quattro Osaka

Aug 12 2008 8:00P
Club Quattro Tokyo

Albert Hammond Jr - In My Room [mp3]

Sondre Lerche on tour

visit our favourite Norwegian singer's MYSPACE for tour dates.

Oasis has signed a new record deal with Sony BMG, for 3 records, one of which is set for a release later this year. Read more on NME

last but not least, Sigur Ros' North American Tour Dates went on presale this morning (about an hour ago) and a lot of them are sold out. See the complete list HERE

Oasis - Don't Go Away [mp3]

Sondre Lerche - Minor Detail [mp3]

The Postelles

these guys are a great band I've recently discovered. They hail from NY, and I have NEVER said this about any band, but they remind me of The Strokes. They have a GREAT sound that is harmonious and crazy catchy in that great flower-power decade way. "Stella" has very Strokes-y guitars too. So it's appropriate that Albert Hammond Jr just produced their new single, "123 Stop", because he was impressed by their sound. You will be too! Now check them out on MYSPACE and show them some love!

According to a SPIN interview, they're gonna be in the UK for a tour, but I hope they'll be back in the US soon, and that they stop by my neck of the woods. I would love to see these guys live.

I don't have any mp3s yet, so youtube is gonna have to suffice for now:



enjoy!

on a side note, Conor Oberst (previously of Bright Eyes) has a whole bunch of new tour dates

Chris Martin is a thief, a liar, and a PRAT.

if you haven't heard already, a Brooklyn band called Creaky Boards is claiming (rightfully so) that "Viva La Vida"'s melody was stolen from their "The Songs I Didn't Write". now, I know that this is the music biz and these type of things happen all of the time, and become public knowledge with singles (for example, the LSP's "Age of Understatement" borrows a lot from Muse's "Knight of Cydonia", RHCP's "Dani California" = a remake of Tom Petty's "Mary Jane's Last Dance", even The Strokes admitted to borrowing the riff for "Last Nite" from Tom Petty's "American Girl". Tom Petty was cool about the whole thing Music is a great thing, but sometimes it's hard to be completely original and you need to take things from here and there. That's just the way things work

What pisses me off more than anything is when a band denies it.

Now, make the decision for yourself. Here's the video making the claims:



also, the band blogged about it HERE

now, when I first heard it, I definitely caught onto the similarity of melodies, but thought "hey, no big deal", especially because the Creaky Boards frontman was so civil about the whole thing, not bitter at all. It's not fair how people are accusing him of wanting his 15 minutes of fame.

visit Creaky Boards on MYSPACE . at least their music won't put you to sleep.

When I saw THIS ARTICLE on NME where Chris Martin denies the whole thing, I lost it.

Seriously, man? Ok, yeah, according to your journal you were not at the gig, but hello this is the age of the internet and anyone can hear anything from any part of the world. Just because you weren't at the gig doesn't mean you're off the hook.

I am officially boycotting Viva La Vida. I was planning to go out and buy it but not anymore. I can live without it, it's been tainted with Chris Martin's ridiculousness.

ok, enough unpleasantness. some good news.

some cool new Spoon tracks are available for DOWNLOAD HERE

also, Albert Hammond Jr's Como Te Llama has been leaked online for the last couple of days, I found out yesterday and was ecstatic. I like most of the songs, a couple are less than perfect but overall it's a good record. I love this 7 minute instrumental song he does in the middle, called "Spooky Couch". I love the first half of the record a lot, but I feel like Yours To Keep is a better album overall. I like that Albert tried new things, and his guitar sounds are mindblowing, they're a lot more powerful than anything he's done before. The bass in "Victory at Monterey" [mp3] is catchy and super sexy. I love it. So, Albert, great job and I will definitely still buy it on July 8th (I actually was planning to do that regardless of what it sounded like haha yes I am a die hard fan.)

more good news, the Last Shadow Puppets are playing the debut live gig at the Reading and Leeds festivals in August:

Leeds Festival - Friday the 22nd of August
Reading Festival - Sunday the 24th of August

The Strokes - Last Nite [mp3, highly recommended!]

new video by the Last Shadow Puppets

for "Standing Next to Me":



they look great, as always =)

the Sex Pistols denied their punk-ness. wow, I don't know what to say. I've always associated the Pistols with Punk. now I have to redefine my entire existence.

there isn't very much new music news on a Sunday morning, so I'll just introduce a cool indie band I like, Oh No! Oh My!, from Texas. visit them on MYSPACE

they're working on a new record right now, so they probably won't be touring for another few months

Oh No! Oh My! - Walk in the Park [mp3]

also, some appropriate VU:
Velvet Underground - Sunday Morning [mp3]

The Muslims are on tour

I heard about this cool San Diego, CA based band during SXSW this year. They are very Velvet Underground-esque, only a bit more accessible to today's generation.

they will be playing the following dates:

June 13 @ Cake Shop (w. The Browns, So So Glos)
June 15 @ the Dunderdon store in Chinatown/SoHo (w. The Browns)
June 16 @ Mercury Lounge - 8pm (w. Afterhours, Young Punx)
June 17 @ The Market Hotel (The Browns, So So Glos)
June 18 @ DC9 Washington DC
June 19 @ Santos' Party House (Vice Party)
June 20 @ Union Pool (w. Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Suckers, Wild Yaks)
June 21 @ The Castle In Hell (House show w. HTR)
July 1 @ THE CASBAH w/ The Modey Lemon San Diego, California
July 2 @ THE ECHO w/ The Modey Lemon Los Angeles, California
July 24 @ THE KNOCKOUT w/ Crocodiles San Francisco, California


The Muslims - On My Time [mp3]

In other, less happy news, R Kelly was acquitted for the whole child pornography thing. wow, just wow.

Also, I am pretty upset with Rolling Stone's new cover
don't get me wrong, I think Chris Martin and/or the rest of Coldplay belong in the spotlight right now, seeing as how their new record is pretty damn great and they're a huge band, but I hate that RS called Martin a "Rock G-d". they seem to be throwing that term around pretty loosely lately.

On a brighter note, Beck's new record, Modern Guilt, will be out July 7th! the track list is as follows:

“Orphans”
“Gamma Ray”
“Chemtrails”
“Modern Guilt”
“Youthless”
“Walls”
“Replica”
“Soul of a Man”
“Profanity Prayers”
“Volcano”

two consecutive days of awesome records (Como Te Llama comes out on the 8th). sweetness.

Igyy Pop on tour

Iggy Pop & the Stooges - 2008 Tour Dates

06/14 - Seaclose Park Isle of Wight, UK Isle of Wright Festival

06/16 - Royal Hospital Kilmainham Dublin, IE Some Days Never End

06/20 - Parco San Guiliano Venice, IT Heineken Jammin' Festival

07/04 - Skanevik Blues Festival Oslo, NO

07/13 - La Grande Armada Rouen, FR

07/19 - Garden Nef Party Festival Angouleme, FR

07/26 - Race & Rock Festival Seinajoki, FI

08/03 - Osheaga Music and Arts Montreal, Canada

08/06 - Massey Hall Toronto, Canada

08/08 - Terminal 5 New York, NY

08/24 - Clapham Common London, UK Loaded In The Park

08/28 - Zitadelle Berlin, DE

08/30 - Rock Am See Konstanz, DE

09/16 - Amphitheater Gelsenkirchen, DE

09/18 - Hamburg Stadtpark Hamburg, DE

09/22 - Ice Rink St. Petersburg, RU

09/24 - B1 Moscow, RU

The Police are playing their final show on August 7th in Madison Square Garden

The Hold Steady are streaming their entire new album entitled "Stay Positive" (due out July 15th)on MYSPACE you can also find tour dates there.

Iggy Pop - Lust for Life [mp3]

NEW STROKES SONG AVAILABLE ON NME.COM!

well it's just Julian Casablancas who has teamed up with Santogold and N.E.R.D (Pharrell Williams' band) for a song for Converse, but it sounds good for a shoe commerical

It's called "My Drive Thru", listen to it HERE

Pharrell may or may not produce the Strokes' 4th record. he did a great job with The Hives' Black and White album.

read the full story on NME

it vaguely reminds me of Spoon's Don't You Evah. I really like it, it's quite dancable (they do say "wanna dance" seven hundred times, after all) and Jules' vocals are, of course, ace.

the new AC/DC record is going to be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart. I am in utter shock at this despicable move by a band which I previously considered above such stupidity. read Spin's story here.

Radiohead has a new song called Super Collider, which they played in Dublin
listen below:

I like it. a lot. it's very soothing, like most of Radiohead's songs

Meg White joined Jack on stage during a Raconteurs performance on Saturday. read NME's story HERE
The Raconteurs are still on tour for Consolers of the Lonely.

Sigur Ros is streaming their entire new record HERE, and I absolutely love it. gorgeous, gorgeous music. the record is available for preorder on their website. do indulge yourself.

Led Zeppelin made a surprise appearance during a Foo Fighters show on Saturday. read the full story HERE

Bob Dylan has added some more tour dates

Chris Martin of Coldplay said his band was "only the seventh best in the world". hahahhaha! oh man, I didn't realize what a prat the guy was. Coldplay is a good band. not great, just good. they, obviously, don't think so. hahaha

enjoy some HIGH QUALITY MUSIC below.

Spoon- Don't You Evah [mp3]

BFD 2008!

I had a blast at BFD yesterday at Shoreline, here are some photos of the best acts:

Flobots:



MGMT:






Anti-Flag:



andddd THE KOOKS!!







so much fun. I <3 festivals.

The Kooks - Do You Wanna [mp3]

Coldplay streaming Viva la Vida

HERE

the album is set for a June 17th release.

Last FM announced its first series of live music events in the US, in a partnership with The Bowery Presents, New York’s largest independent concert promotion company. Fleet Foxes and Lightspeed Champion are the first artists to play the Last FM & Bowery Presents co-promoted US concerts, kicking off a series of stateside live music events for Last FM.

Stevie Wonder and Bob Dylan have joined the ranks of musicians endorsing Barack Obama. I expect more musicians to follow suit, seeing as how Obama has now secured the Democratic nomination.

I've discovered a new band I like, a pop punk act from NY called The Bloodsugars. Visit them on MYSPACE

The Bloodsugars - Purpose Was Again [mp3]

Bob Dylan - Times They Are A Changing [mp3]

Franz Ferdinand on tour

according to Pitchfork,"Franz Ferdinand have also lined up at least two "secret" shows in advance of a spate of summer festival appearances. The first, according to a Rough Trade email, goes down June 9 at London's Macbeth, while the second, according to a writeup on blog this is hull and east riding.co.uk, hits Hull's Adelphi club on June 22."

the regular dates are below:

06-09 London, England - The Macbeth
06-22 Hull, England - The Adelphi
07-04 Tallinn, Estonia - Ollesummer Festival
07-12 Ferrara, Italy - Piazza Castello
07-18 Southwold, England - Henham Park (Latitude Festival)
07-19 Gräfenhainichen, Germany - Ferropolis (Melt! Festival)
08-07 Skanderborg, Denmark - Skanderborg Festival
08-08 Gothenburg, Sweden - Way Out West Festival
08-30 Stradbally, Ireland - Electric Picnic
08-31 Scotland - Hydro Connect Festival

Franz Ferdinand - The Fallen [mp3]

Franz Ferdinand's new record is due out this October. a more extensive tour will probably follow. they are my second favourite Scottish rock band, after Snow Patrol and before Belle and Sebastian.

NEW SONG BY ALBERT HAMMOND JR AVAILABLE ON SPIN.COM!

!!!
it's called GfC. I've previously heard some versions on YOUTUBE but the studio version is BREATHTAKING. seriously, I'm floored. his new record is like an awesome birthday gift for me, only a month early. and I'm sure as hell not complaining

Albert's debut record, Yours To Keep is fantastic, and his second record seems like it's gonna surpass even that. I didn't think it was possible, but hey, he's a Stroke, right? they're just amazing like that. do you hear what he's doing with his voice? it's totally like Jules challenging himself on First Impressions...GAH I AM SO EXCITED!!

read the SPIN article HERE and download it there too, or, what the hell, I'll make it easier

Albert Hammond Jr- GfC [mp3-highly recommended!!]

oh, btw, according to Rolling Stone, vinyl is making a comeback. it's about time.

Kurt Cobain's ashes have been stolen

from their home with his now "suicidal" widow Courtney Love. Read NME's story HERE

Albert Hammond Jr has spoken to NME about his new record (due out July 8th) and says that "I'm really proud of the power this record has. I feel like my melodies and song arrangements have matured. Lyrically, I tried to have the words flow out more freely and not try to write one song but many. I would just sing and sing and then arrange the words afterwards."

read the full story HERE

tickets are on SALE for the download festival in SF (actually, Mountain View at Shoreline) on July 19th, featuring such artists as Brother Ali, Yeasayer, Tapes n Tapes, Louis XIV and Brand New view the full lineup HERE

Nirvana - Heart Shaped Box [mp3]

MGMT release video for "Electric Feel"

watch it below:


an excellent song, if I do say so myself. I do prefer the vid for "time to pretend" but that's just me. MGMT have been in the spotlight lately, with good reason. excellent, excellent band, and they will be performing at BFD next Saturday. more tour dates below:

Jun 4 2008 8:00P
Billabong Design for Humanity at Avalon/Spider Club Hollywood, California
Jun 6 2008 6:00P
KWOD Rock the Vote Davis, California
Jun 7 2008 11:30A
Live 105 BFD 08 - Shoreline Amphitheatre Mountain View, California
Jun 8 2008 8:00P
KBZT Independence Jam Chula Vista, California
Jun 9 2008 11:45P
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson Los Angeles, California
Jun 11 2008 9:00P
Hi-Tone Memphis, Tennessee
Jun 12 2008 12:00P
Bonnaroo Manchester, Tennessee
Jun 14 2008 8:00P
KNDD 107.7 The End’s Summer Camp Redmond, Washington
Jun 23 2008 8:00P
Tavastia Helsinki
Jun 24 2008 8:00P
Hove Festival Hove
Jun 25 2008 8:00P
Accelerator Festival Stockholm, Stockholms län
Jun 27 2008 8:00P
Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury
Jun 28 2008 8:00P
Glastonbury Festival Glastonbury
Jun 29 2008 8:00P
Lancashire County Cricket Ground w/ Radiohead, Bat For Lashes Manchester
Jul 3 2008 12:00P
Roskilde Festival Roskilde
Jul 5 2008 8:00P
Werchter Festival Werchter
Jul 6 2008 8:00P
Les Eurockéennes de Belfort Belfort
Jul 7 2008 8:00P
Rolling Stone Milan
Jul 8 2008 8:00P
Zenith w/ Kings of Leon Paris
Jul 10 2008 8:00P
Alive 08 Festival Lisbon, Lisboa
Jul 12 2008 8:00P
T in the Park Balado, Scotland
Jul 13 2008 8:00P
Oxegen Festival Punchestown
Jul 23 2008 8:00P
Paradise Rock Club Boston, Massachusetts
Jul 24 2008 9:00P
Paradise Rock Club Boston, Massachusetts
Jul 25 2008 8:00P
First Unitarian Church Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jul 27 2008 12:00P
McCarren Park Pool Party Brooklyn, New York
Aug 2 2008 12:00P
Lollapalooza Chicago, Illinois
Aug 4 2008 2:00P
Osheaga Festival Musique et Arts Montreal, Quebec
Aug 9 2008 8:00P
Summersonic Festival Osaka
Aug 10 2008 8:00P
Summersonic Festival Tokyo, Tokyo
Aug 22 2008 12:00P
Reading Festival Reading, South
Aug 23 2008 12:00P
Leeds Festival Leeds
Sep 6 2008 8:00P
Virgin Festival Toronto, Ontario
Sep 20 2008 7:00P
Hollywood Bowl w/ Beck and Spoon Los Angeles, California
Sep 27 2008 8:00P
Austin City Limits Austin, Texas

I almost shelled out 60 bucks to see them at a sold out Slim's show a couple of months back. they shall be quite a spectacle to behold, I'm sure.

MGMT- Time to Pretend [album version] [mp3]

THE RACONTEURS headline San Francisco's Treasure Island Festival

It's a two day gig, the weekend of September 20-21st.

the line up for Saturday:
JUSTICE
TV ON THE RADIO * GOLDFRAPP * HOT CHIP
CSS * ANTIBALAS * AESOP ROCK * AMON TOBIN
Foals * Mike Relm * Nortic Collective:Bostich+Fussible

The lineup for Sunday (far superior):
THE RANCONTEURS
TEGAN & SARA * VAMPIRE WEEKEND * SPIRITUALIZED
OKKERVIL RIVER * THE KILLS * TOKYO POLICE CLUB * DR.DOG
John Vanderslice * The Dodos * Fleet Foxes

buy Sunday tix HERE tomorrow

or a two day pass HERE

The Raconteurs - Salute Your Solution [mp3]

Tokyo Police Club - The Harrowing Adventures of... [mp3]

Vampire Weekend - M79 [mp3]

the official website is HERE

rolling stone rates the greatest guitar songs of all time

Rolling Stone just put out a list of the 100 greatest guitar songs, and I find it highly satisfactory.

the top ten are as follows:

1. Chuck Berry- Johnny B Goode
2. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Purple Haze
3. Cream – Crossroads
4. The Kinks – You Really Got Me
5. The Rolling Stones – Brown Sugar
6. Van Halen – Eruption
7. The Beatles – While My Guitar Gently Weeps
8. Led Zeppelin – Stairway to Heaven
9. The Allman Brothers Band – Statesboro Blues
10. Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit

also on the list, a few of my personal favourite songs:

The White Stripes- Seven Nation Army (#21)[mp3]

ACDC- Back In Black (#29)[mp3]

Television- Marquee Moon (#41)[mp3]when I first got Television's eponymous debut record, I had that 10 minute masterpiece on repeat for about 4 hours. tis an amazing, amazing song.

and, of course, my favourite band (The Strokes) made the list with the closer to my all time favourite record, Is This It, Take it or Leave it (#71)[mp3] Albert owns that song. well, Nick helps, but still.

here's a great live version:


Jules is all over the place =)

A Hawaiian man named Jake Shimabukoro did a surprisingly good cover of While My Guitar Gently Weeps with a ukelele. watch the video below:




Rolling Stone also gave a shout out to Tokyo Police Club, a cool Canadian band I've been listening to recently. good stuff.

new sigur ros record etc etc.

so the new Sigur Ros album, með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (which loosely translates into "with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly"), is set for a June 24th release, which is great, because they just finished the record. I love that bands are starting to shorten the time between finishing an album and releasing it (Albert Hammond Jr, however, has been done with his record since February and it isn't due until JULY. grr.)
anyhow, the Icelandic band has this cool promo, where you can download their new single for free on their website

they are currently touring Europe, for tour dates click HERE

in other news, The Smashing Pumpkins are celebrating their TWENTIETH anniversary (crazy, I know) by playing shows in August and September in the US, and Pitchfork says they'll be in Chicago, NY, and LA, each show having "special guests". sounds interesting. I really love the Pumpkins, though they've been getting a lot of backlash lately. they have always been and remain to be a top notch band. Zeitgeist is a fantastic record.

in other news, My Chemical Romance apologized to the family of Hannah Bond, a girl who committed suicide after listening to their music, and maintained that they are anti suicide. read an article from NME HERE

Morissey of The Smiths is rumoured to start an official blog. more updates later.

oh, one last thing, Weezer is on the cover of Spin's JUNE ISSUE. =) good going guys, that's their second time around.

The Smashing Pumpkins - Today [mp3]

kooks b side

The Kooks - No Longer [mp3]

I shall see this awesome band in 2 weeks =)

the new Weezer video kicks so much ass

watch the video for their new single, Pork and Beans, below:



it features a lot of the so called "youtube celebrities". brilliant.

Weezer's new record, yet another eponymous album (this one deemed the red album)is out June 3rd.

the man is trying to supress me.

so my box account [where I upload all of the songs I post on this blog] was shut down because I've been posting mp3s here so I just went ahead and created a new one. the only songs which I'm reuploading are "The Start of Something" by Voxtrot and "Scared" by Albert Hammond Jr because they were the ones which were downloaded the most, not to mention two of my favourite songs. if you guys want me to reupload anything, I'd be happy to, just drop me a message.

I've just finished my first year at uni, and I'm enjoying the nothingness that I am lucky enough to have right now. more posts soon, I promise, I just need some days of absolute emptyness.

just one scrap of music news that is pretty cool, Alicia Keys wants to collaborate with The White Stripes, because she admires their raw sound and parallels it with her own voice. keep a look out for that [I of course will keep you posted]

Flight of the Conchords

I finally got their record last night. it's ridiculously good. go out and buy it NOW.

these guys are hilarious:


Flight of the Conchords -The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room [mp3]

oh, and as of now, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy and Ashlee Simpson are married.

F of the C are on tour right now, cities listed below:

May 26 2008 8:00P
Sasquatch Music Festival George, Washington

May 27 2008 8:00P
Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium San Francisco, California

May 29 2008 8:00P
Davies Symphony Hall San Francisco, California

May 30 2008 8:00P
Orpheum Theatre Los Angeles, California

Jun 1 2008 8:00P
Orpheum Theatre Los Angeles, California

stuck in the past.

time feels like it's stopped moving. I'm going to honour this moment by listening to one of the greatest, Nirvana.

Kurt Cobain, I bow down to your greatness. may you RIP.

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit [mp3]

Jules is back.

I am in a FANTASTIC mood. The final that I was really worried about turned out ok because I studied everything that was on the exam. it was amazing. like every passage on the IDs I specifically reviewed...anyhow, I have 2 more to go and I'm not too worried about those.

and, of course, because this is a MUSIC blog,
THE STROKES' JULIAN CASABLANCAS, Santogold and Pharrell are collaborating on a new song for Converse. MY DEAR LORD. Julian's voice floors me. updates will come soon.

The Strokes - New York City Cops [mp3]
damn good song.

in other news, Ben Gibbard makes me laugh. He said: “The second Postal Service album is threatening to become the Chinese Democracy of indie rock. It will come out eventually, or maybe it won’t.”
clever boy.

oh and The Decemberists are playing an Obama benefit gig in NY tomorrow afternoon. more power to them.

let there be love. and music. and no more finals.

I am dying here. I don't feel like studying but I have a massive exam tomorrow. may the g-ds help me.

I have had this on repeat forever. it calms me down and helps me focus. I love Liam's voice but Noel's is a nice variation... tis my favourite Oasis song:

Oasis - Let there be love [mp3]

in other news, Michael Jackson's "thriller" was induced into the library of congress as a “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” addition to the history of American music.
good song.

I am very pissed off, because this very cool festival: the new American music festival
is on my birthday, but in Pennsylvania. LAME. such a fantastic lineup.

ok that's all for now, I should start studying.

New Panic Video

Panic at the disco's new video for That Green Gentleman (things have changed) can be seen below
such a good song. cute video.



I posted enough mp3s from Panic's new record here

New Weezer

Weezer's new single, Pork and Beans, came out a couple of weeks ago, and their new record (also called Weezer, haha those guys aren't very good at coming up with album names...or perhaps they just love eponymous records) is out June 3rd.

listen to the song here:


Weezer - Island in the Sun [mp3]

Interpol

what is it about NY bands being so damn awesome?
I've had Evil on repeat for quite some time now.

they are playing festivals in Europe right now

Jul 1 2008 7:00P
Train Aarhus

Jul 3 2008 7:00P
Quart Festival Kristiansand

Jul 4 2008 7:00P
Arvika Festival Stockholm

Jul 5 2008 7:00P
HEINEKEN Open’er Festival Gdynia

Jul 6 2008 7:00P
Ruisrock Festival Vantaa

Jul 11 2008 7:00P
OXEGEN Festval Punchestown, Kildare

Jul 12 2008 7:00P
T in the Park Scotland Kinross-Shire, Scotland

Jul 15 2008 7:00P
Band Apart Festival Ferrara, Ferrara

Jul 16 2008 7:00P
Montreux Festival Montreux

Jul 18 2008 7:00P
Summercase Barcelona Barcelona, Barcelona

Jul 19 2008 7:00P
Summercase Madrid Madrid, Madrid

Jul 20 2008 8:00P
Latitude Festival Suffolk

Jul 26 2008 7:00P
Pemberton Festival Pemberton, British Columbia

also, the new DCFC comes out tomorrow. I already have it but that's beside the point.

Interpol-Evil [mp3]

hardly strictly bluegrass festival

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are headlining this FREE FESTIVAL at Golden Gate Park this year from October 3rd-5th.

Led Zeppelin - Dazed and Confused [mp3]

The Killers add a new show

Atlantic City, New Jersey, on August 1st at the Borgata Hotel Casino

presale tickets are available to members of their fan club next Thursday.

To purchase tickets login to The Killers Victims, go to the "Travels" section of the site, and click the "More Info" link next to the show you would like to attend. Tickets are available on a first-come first-serve basis. Limit four (4) tickets per person. Purchase your tickets as soon as possible because quantities are limited. Tickets will be on sale to the general public on Friday, May 23, 2008 at 10:00 AM EST.

as of now, the only dates that are public domain are the ones overseas

Aug 3 2008 8:00P
Osheaga Festival Montreal, Quebec

Aug 14 2008 8:00P
Pukkelpop Festival Hasselt

Aug 15 2008 8:00P
Highfield Festival Erfurt

Aug 16 2008 8:00P
Frequency Festival Salzburg

Aug 21 2008 8:00P
Marlay Park Dublin

Aug 23 2008 8:00P
Reading Festival Reading

Aug 24 2008 8:00P
Leeds Festival Leeds

I am giddy at the fact that they are touring. I must see them live very very soon.

The Killers - Under the Gun (original b-side version, not Sawdust version) [mp3]

The Killers - Uncle Johnny [mp3]

The Killers - Romeo and Juliet (dire straits cover)[mp3]

now, watch this video and try to keep a straight face:

it's Friday morning and I don't want to work on Milton

so here's some good music instead:

in honour of my excitement about seeing Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin next week (in the middle of finals week, mind you)
SSLYBY-I Think I Wanna Die [mp3]

and,
Empty Rooms-We've Been Waiting For You [mp3]
they're a cool SF band I've recently discovered. I've had that song on repeat for a while. visit them on MYSPACE

and finally, because I'm super stoked about BFD (it's in a month!)
MGMT - Time to Pretend [mp3]

and,
The Kooks -See The Sun [mp3]
their new record is really great. go buy it immediately.

Berkeley's very own Morning Benders are Spin's Artist of the Day

read the SPIN ARTICLE HERE

you can also find an mp3 of their song "boarded doors" above.

Liam Finn in San Francisco tonight

Liam Finn is opening up for Laura Viers at Bottom of the Hill tonight

I've attached some bonus material not found on his record

I am super stoked. Once again, if you do not know who this genius is, check him out:

Liam Finn - I found a noise in ATP [mp3]

Liam Finn - I will explode [mp3]

Liam Finn - Never feel the same [mp3]

ALBERT HAMMOND JR'S NEW ALBUM IS COMING OUT JULY 8TH!

"omg omg omg" was my reaction when I first saw the headline...my roommate told me she thought someone had died...
anyhow, yeah, Albert's been done with the new record for a couple of months now, they're just making all of us fans anxious GAH.
but I am super stoked because he will be touring soon, and then reunite with THE STROKES and holy crap music will be music again.

so the new record is called como te llama, and the track listing is as follows:

1. "Bargain of a Century"
2. "In My Room"
3. "Lisa"
4. "GfC"

5. "The Boss Americana"
6. "Rocket"
7. "Victory at Monterey"
8. "You Won't Be Fooled by This"
9. "Spooky Couch"

10. "Borrowed Time"

11. "G Up"

12. "Miss Myrtle"

13. "Feed Me Jack Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Peter Sellers"

here's my favourite off of his first record:

Albert Hammond Jr - Scared [mp3]

new death cab for cutie

their sixth album, Narrow Stairs, is due out for a May 13th release

download a session version of a movie script ending HERE

for tour dates and other cool stuff, visit DCFC on their MYSPACE.