import/export...and everything in between

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Amy Winehouse Throws A Punch At Glastonbury

Amy Winehouse was apparently a typical mess at Glastonbury with the slurring lyrics, talking about Blake and well...just being typical Amy Winehouse lately.

Before apparently being escorted back to the hospital immediately after her performance, she still found the energy to punch a fan who attempted to touch her trademark beehive.

Hey, if someone was pulling my hair I probably wouldn't hold back either.

UNKLE Gives Away 4 New Tracks

No, its not Christmas time yet...but UNKLE seems to think it is.

The band will be giving away 4 tracks from its upcoming album on different websites to celebrate their album 'End Titles… Stories for Film' coming out July 7th.

You can get the four tracks at the following places:

Track 5 - Kaned And Abel via UNKLE.com on Fri, June 27th

Track 8 - Chemical (feat. Josh Homme) via Pitchfork on Mon, June 30th
www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/forkcast

Track 6 - Blade In The Back (feat. Gavin Clark) via Rcrdlbl.com on Wed, July 2nd
www.unkle.rcrdlbl.com

Track 7 - Synthetic Water via UNKLE77.com on Fri, July 4

Enjoy!

Jay-Z Covers Wonderwall at Glastonbury

I guess there are no hard feelings with Jay-Z and Noel Gallagher anymore considering he covered "Wonderwall" at Glastonbury.

Jay Z clearly can't sing...but it was a good try. He also clearly didn't know the words...at least the crowd got to hear Liam's vocals throughout or it would have been a bit painful.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

The Kooks Announce US Tour

The Kooks are coming back around to the States once again for their biggest tour yet in the fall. The question is, did they ever leave?

They are even playing Des Moines, IA...whoa.

Here are the dates:

Clinton, NY The Annex at Hamilton College (September 4)
Montreal, QC Club Soda (5)
Toronto, ON Virgin Festival (6)
Washington, DC 9.30 Club (8)
September 10th New York, NY Rumsey Playfield Central Park Summerstage
Asbury Park, NJ Stone Pony (12)
Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory (15)
Baton Rouge, LA Varsity Theatre (30)
Dallas, TX House of Blues (October 2)
Houston, TX Meridian (3)
Austin, TX Antone’s (4)
Tulsa, OK Cains Ballroom (5)
St Louis, MO The Pageant (7)
Des Moines, IA People’s Court (8)
Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre (9)
Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre (11)
Cincinatti, OH Bogarts (12)
Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall (14)
Seattle, WA Showbox SoDo (21)
Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom (22)
Sacramento, CA Empire (24)
San Francisco, CA Warfield Theatre (25)
Anaheim, CA House of Blues (27)
Hollywood, CA Hollywood Palladium (28)


Photo credit: Danny North

Monday, June 23, 2008

Kings Of Leon Announce New Album Details

Kings Of Leon have revealed the details on their upcoming fourth album titled Only By The Night.

The album will be released on September 23rd in the US (one day earlier) in the UK and was recorded in Nashville at Blackbird Studios.

How the band had time to record this record while touring non-stop we will never know...but they managed to do it.

The band has a few more tour dates in Europe and the US before getting a mini touring break till their next album drops.

Here are the tour dates:

27 June: Glastonbury Festival, Somerset UK
29 June: Open Air St Gallen Festival, Switzerland
4 July: Roskilde Festival, Denmark
5 July: Werchter Festival, Belgium
8 July: Le Zenith, Paris France
11 July: Oxegen Festival, Ireland
13 July: T In The Park Festival, Scotland
18 July: Summercase Festival, Madrid Spain
19 July: Summercase Festival, Barcelona Spain
9 August: All Points West Festival, Liberty State Park, Jersey City
16 August: V Festival, Weston Park, Staffordshire UK
17 August: V Festival, Hylands Park, Chelmsford UK

Boy George Is Denied His U.S. Visa

It seems that getting in trouble for drugs in the States will most certainly stay with you for a while. With an upcoming tour, Boy George has been denied his visa to come into the country and it isn't determined if the tour will be canceled or postponed.

Speaking to Paper Magazine, George said the following: "I'm pretty devastated because I am so excited about this forthcoming tour and having my visa application denied seems unfair after I swept the streets of New York spotless. There are a number of public figures who are openly using drugs and they have no problem with immigration and I have seriously turned my life around and I feel great right now and this is just another reminder of how bad things were. I committed a crime and I happily paid the consequences and I should be allowed to move on and get on with what I do best and that is performing and making people dance and cry!"

Here are the tour dates (if they are still happening!):

Aspen, CO, Belly Up – July 10
Las Vegas, NV, House of Blues - 11
San Diego, CA, Concerts In The Park - 12
Anaheim, CA, The Grove Of Anaheim - 13
Los Angeles, CA, El Rey Theatre - 15
Los Angeles, CA, El Rey Theatre - 16
Reno, NV, Grand Sierra - 17
San Francisco, CA, Regency Center Grand Ballroom - 18
Seattle, WA, Showbox - 20
Vancouver, BC, The Commodore Ballroom - 21
Calgary, AB, Flames Central - 22
Edmonton, AB, Edmonton Events Centre - 23
Miami, FL, Club Cinema - 25
Orlando, FL, Hard Rock Hotel Orlando - 26
Tampa Bay, FL, Jannus Landing - 27
N. Myrtle Beach, SC, House of Blues - 29
Washington, DC, 9:30 Club - 30
Philadelphia, PA, Keswick Theatre – August 1
Atlantic City, NJ, House of Blues - 3
Long Island, NY, Theatre at Westbury - 5
Chicago, IL, House of Blues - 7
Toronto, ON, Kool Haus - 10
Montreal, QC, Metropolis - 12
Boston, MA, Wilbur Theatre - 13
New York, NY, Terminal 5 - 14
Atlanta, GA, Center Stage - 19
Austin, TX, Stubb's BBQ - 21
Houston, TX, Verizon Wireless Theater - 22
Dallas, TX, House of Blues - 23

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Lykke Li Announces Fall U.S. Tour Dates

The darling Lykke Li has just announced a new set of tour dates for the U.S. in the fall.

More dates are to follow but this is what we've got so far:

Los Angeles, CA Hotel Café - August 25
New York, NY Le Poisson Rouge - 28
Washington, DC Black Cat - October 19
Boston, MA Paradise - 23
Toronto, ON Mod Club - 24
Chicago, IL Empty Bottle - 25
Vancouver, BC Richards on Richards - 28
Seattle, WA Neumo’s - 29
Portland, OR Doug Fir - 30
San Francisco, CA Independent - November 1

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Likely Looks: Blood Red Shoes - This Is Not For You

Blood Red Shoes "get under each other's skin" in this new clip from their album Box Of Secrets.

"I've wanted to work with Laura-Mary and Steven for some time and knowing that they're constantly being asked if they're an 'item', I wanted to play with that relationship and replace the sexual tension with something darker and more sinister," says director Tim Mattia

The video is shot in black and white and is absolutely lovely...



The single will be released with 2 new b-sides on June 30th in the UK through V2 Records.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Likely Looks: Those Dancing Days - Run Run

Those Dancing Days could be the most adorable band ever...

With their new clip for their single "Run Run", the girls are running about and being their usual cute selves as well as getting a free ride from some guys that are skilled in chair pulling.

Just lovely!

Santogold To Support Coldplay On Their U.S. Tour

Santogold continues her 2008 takeover of the U.S., being announced as the opening act for several of Coldplay's stops on their "Vida La Vida" tour.

She's also got a couple of live dates on her own...so if you want to skip the big arena you've got a few other options.

Here are the dates:

July
20 New York, NY Central Park SummerStage (headlining)
23 Chicago, IL United Center (supporting Coldplay)
25 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center (supporting Coldplay)
29 Montreal, Bell Center (supporting Coldplay)
30 Toronto Air Canada Center (supporting Coldplay)

August
2 Hartford, CT XL Center (supporting Coldplay)
3 Washington DC Verizon Center (supporting Coldplay)
4 Boston, MA TB Banknorth Garden (supporting Coldplay)

Adele Performs "Chasing Pavements" Live On Letterman

Adele continues to bring her beautiful voice Stateside with an amazing performance of "Chasing Pavements" on Letterman the other night.

It even brought on a compliment from the host himself!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Likely Looks: The Ting Tings - Shut Up And Let Me Go

The Tings Tings seem to be popping up everywhere lately. From a sold out U.S. tour to their track (and their latest video!) "Shut Up And Let Me Go" on the latest iTunes commericial, you just can't avoid the band.

Their latest video is reminiscent of a mid 80's video (can't go wrong with that) and the bonus is (hopefully) the band do cartwheels out of nowhere mid way through.

Robert Pollard Forms A New Band

Time for GBV fans to get a bit crazy...Robert Pollard has formed a new band. Joining forces with John Moen (The Decemberists) and Chris Clusarenko (GBV's bassist), the band is called Boston Spaceships and will be going on the road in the fall.

Their album Brown Submarine will be on September 9th via Guided By Voices Inc. and the band will be going on tour to support the release (wooooo!).

Here are the dates:

09-25 Cincinnati, OH - Midpoint Music Festival *
09-26 Cleveland Heights, OH - Grog Shop *
09-27 Washington, DC - Black Cat *
09-29 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's *
09-30 Boston, MA - Paradise #
10-01 New York, NY - Highline Ballroom *
10-03 Ann Arbor, MI - Blind Pig *
10-04 Dayton, OH - Dayton Music Festival
10-06 Chicago, IL - Double Door *
10-07 St. Paul, MN - Turf Club *
10-09 Champaign, IL - Higher Ground *
10-10 St. Louis, MO - Bluebird *
10-11 Memphis, TN - Hi-Tone *
10-14 Austin, TX - The Parish *
10-15 Dallas, TX - The Loft *
10-17 Atlanta, GA - The Earl *
10-18 Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge *

Also, Pitchfork has a nice little MP3 so you can check out the band.

Boston Spaceships - Go For The Exit

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Is M.I.A. Seriously Retiring?

If you were lucky enough to catch M.I.A. at her last ever gig (according to her) then consider yourself lucky. “This is my last show and I'm glad I spent it with all my hippies", said M.I.A. during her set from the front of the stage.

Ending on a high note with Paper Planes she once again announced, "Thanks for coming to my last gig." If it comes straight from the horses mouth then you have to believe it, right?

Then again how many times have singers "retired" and then came back. I don't think this is the last of M.I.A...well, at least I hope not.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Adele Live at Highline Ballroom 6.11.08

Adele has been on my radar for quite some time now and I FINALLY got the chance to catch her live at the Highline Ballroom last night. Playing to a packed house, Adele played a short but sweet set of tracks from her debut smash "19" and a couple of covers.

Her voice is absolutely stunning and she's quote fun on stage. Plus, her cover of the Coral's hit "Dreaming Of You" was a nice surprise and absolutely lovely.

Here is the set list:

Right As Rain
Melt My Heart To Stone
Daydreamer
Dreaming Of You
Cold Shoulder
First Love
Make You Feel My Love
Tired
Hometown Glory

Encore:
Crazy For You
Fool That I Am
Chasing Pavements


Photo courtesy of The Music Slut

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

George Michael Done With Touring?

George Michael is billing his final two dates on his current tour "The Final Two". Michael will be ending the tour at Earls Court on August 24 and 25th.

Why titled "The Final Two" you ask? Well, according to Michael's website, "Michael will return to London to end his tour with two exclusive, filmed, concerts at Earls Court entitled THE FINAL TWO which is a nod to his sell out Wembley Stadium show, 'THE FINAL' with Andrew Ridgeley in 1986 when he brought the curtain down on Wham!,"

There you have it folks...catch George on this tour or never catch him again.

Coldplay Postposted Their Upcoming Tour

With a U.S. tour ready to happen in just a couple of weeks, Coldplay pulled the plug on the June 29th start date due to "production delays".

The tour will now start on July 14th in Los Angeles as opposed to June 29th in Philadelphia. Fans can get refunds for the canceled shows or hold on to their tickets till the date is rescheduled.

The free shows happening in New York, London and Barcelona are still good to go though! Did you get your tickets?!

Coldplay_4.jpg

Nick Jago Leaves Black Rebel Motorcycle Club For A Second Time

Does drummer Nick Jago want to be in BRMC or not? For a second time it was announced that Jago has left the band to pursue his solo project.

Announcing his departure via MySpace, the two remaining members of the band posted to the following to clarify:

To all of you who have read or heard about Nick's myspace posting, Peter and I would like to clarify a few things from our perspective. It's true, Nick wont be
joining us for the upcoming European tour, but it's not true that he is
fired. We just feel Nick needs time to sort out exactly what he wants right
now. His heart and all his energy and attention is on his own solo project
and he needs to see that through.
We welcome his singing and songwriting in
BRMC, but his focus, at least at the present time, is on doing his own thing
and we wish him the best.
He is our brother, our musical partner, and we love him dearly and look
forward to playing with him again in the future.

From
Robert & Peter

Maybe he will rejoin for a third time? Who knows...

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

CSS To Release "Left Behind" on July 14

CSS are back and ready to release their second single Left Behind on July 14th in the UK. In the tradition "let's cover 90's bands" spirit the single will include a cover of The Breeders' Cannonball and brand new b-sides.

They've got quite a few live dates in the UK as well. Make sure you catch them sometime, somewhere in the UK at the following places:

June
28 - Glastonbury

July
13 - Rise Festival, London
16 - iTunes Festival, Koko, London

August
22 - Leeds Festival
24 - Reading Festival

September
05 - Bestival, Isle of Wight

Pharrell, Santogold and Julian Casablancas Create My Drive Thru

What an unlikely team! Santogold, Pharrell Williams and Julian Casablancas teamed up to record a song for Converse called My Drive Thru. Its actually quite good and definitely a combination of styles between all 3 artists.

Converse has gotten in on the downloading game so you can get the track at www.converse.com

Monday, June 09, 2008

Mogwai Announce North American Tour Dates

The boys in Mogwai are going to be quite busy for 2008. With the release of their Batcat EP on September 9th and now a North American tour, we've all got something to look forward to on this side of the Atlantic.

Here are the tour dates:

09.03.08 - Portland, OR (Music Fest NW)
09.04.08 - Seattle, WA (Showbox)
09.05.08 - Victoria, BC (Element Victoria)
09.06.08 - Vancouver, BC (Commodore Ballroom)
09.08.08 - San Francisco, CA (The Grand Ballroom)
09.09.08 - Los Angeles, CA (Wiltern Theatre)
09.10.08 - Tucson, AZ (The Rialto)
09.12.08 - Austin, TX (Stubbs Waller Creek)
09.13.08 - Dallas, TX (Granada Theatre)
09.15.08 - Atlanta, GA (Variety Playhouse)
09.16.08 - Richmond, VA (The National Richmond)
09.17.08 - Washington, DC (9:30 Club Washington)
09.18.08 - New York, NY (Terminal 5)
09.19.08 - Philadelphia, PA (Starlight Ballroom)
09.21.08 - Catskills, NY (ATP)
09.22.08 - Boston, MA (Wilbur Theatre)
09.23.08 - Montreal, QC (Metropolis)
09.25.08 - Pontiac, MI (The Crofoot)
09.26.08 - Chicago, IL (Congress Theatre)
09.27.08 - Minneapolis, MN (First Avenue)

Sunday, June 08, 2008

James Plays a Surprise Show in Los Angeles

Added to the band's schedule at the last minute, James played the 260 capacity Spaceland minus two members on Friday, June 6th.

Improvising a bit based on the 2 missing members, James played a balded heavy set including several new tracks from their upcoming release Hey Ma. The band also pulled out tracks from their 1993 hit album Laid playing "Say Something" for the encore.

The band will be playing a full tour of the U.S. in September-October so stay tuned for the dates!

Sunday Video Rewind: Oasis - D'You Know What I Mean

In 1997, I remember waiting anxiously for this video to premiere on 120 Minutes and sitting directly in front of the TV to the point where my eyes began to hurt. 11 years later and the video is still wicked...

Now with modern technology I can watch it when I want and where I want on YouTube.

Going.com Goes Contest Crazy

The fine folks over at Going.com realize that having the extra funds to go to all these fantastic festivals around the country just is out of the question. That's why they've decided to give going.com users the ability to enter to win 2 VIP tickets and flights to a majority of the remaining festivals left for the summer.

To enter click HERE and just wait to see if you won. Good luck!

Friday, June 06, 2008

I Was A Cub Scout Splits Up

Wow...that was quick. The band from Lincolnshire has called it quits quicker than you can say "buzz band". The announcement was made via a MySpace bulletin sent out by band member Todd Marriott.

The message is as follows:
"Hello friends, here goes. Tonight (June 5) we have decided that I Was A Cub Scout has and must now come to a close. We have had countless problems over the past year or so and with yet more occurring we it best to end on what would seem like a decent note...We will be honouring all of our UK shows of which we have confirmed, with the iTunes festival at KOKO with Death Cab For Cutie on July 14 being our last...We will speak more of it all soon, but for now we must tour. It is a very sad day for us."

I must say after catching them for about half a second at SXSW, I wasn't that impressed with them live. Although the band only had one album and it was quite a lovely one.

Pete Doherty Misses A Gig...For A Legitimate Reason

Usually the reasons why Pete Doherty is late to a gig are the following: drugs, drugs, drugs and ummmm....drugs. Therefore when Pete Doherty actually has a valid reason as to why he is late a gig its quite important to acknowledge it.

This time around, Doherty's lateness to a gig in Paris was because of a delayed Eurostar train that turned a 2 hour trip into 5 hours. The gig was unfortunately canceled due to the delay which was a huge disappointment to fans.

Way to go Eurostar...

Thursday, June 05, 2008

At Least Lily Allen Hasn't Lost Her Sense Of Humour

Lily Allen went from sweet, innocent pop star to well, seriously a bit mental. Now she's got a nice head of pink hair, is admitting to getting shitfaced at an awards show and is the princess of the British tabloids (not quite queen yet...).

Lily posted this blog though which was quite honest and oddly funny:

Oh dear

Last time i wrote here , I was defending my honor and dignity , explaining my innocence and also outrage at the press for insinuating my behaviour was embarrassing. This time i'm putting my hands up , i got very drunk last night , too drunk. It's not cool getting that drunk , i feel awful and I have to thank my little brother alf for getting me home safely.
Kids , drink responsibly or you'll end up looking like this , not pretty ! Was quite fun though , from what i can remember. need fry up now .

Likely Looks: Florence and the Machines - Kiss With A Fist

Thanks to my dear friend Chris at Music Snobbery I was able to brighten my morning with a little Florence and the Machine.

Florence does seem like a lovely lady with a nice little pop song but its called Kiss With A Fist for a reason. Basically, don't fuck with Florence or she will set fire to your bed.

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Calexico Announces New Album, Tour

Its been two years since Calexico put out /Garden Ruin/...but the wait is over. As of September 8th (9th in the US), the and will be releasing their latest effort, Carried To Dust.

Coming along for the ride, co-founders Joey Burns and John Convertino brought on some special guests. With the solidified lineup from Feast The Wire back again, the band also has Sam Beam, Douglas McCombs, and Pieta Brown contributing.

The joy of a new record is...A TOUR! Here are the upcoming Calexico tour dates:

June
20 - Southside Festival - Neuhausen O.E., Germany
22 - Hurricane Festival - Schessel, Germany


July
05 - Comerica City Fest - Detroit, MI
06 - The Mod Club - Toronto, ON, Canada (w/ Wood Pigeon)
07 - Le National - Montreal, QC, Canada (w/ Wood Pigeon)
09 - Ottawa Blues Festival - Ottawa, ON, Canada
11 - Winnipeg Folk Festival - Winnipeg, MB, Canada
27 - Robert Hawkins Amphitheatre - Reno, NV


August
03 - Newport Folk Festival - Newport, RI


September
10 - Tripod - Dublin, Ireland (w/ Wood Pigeon)
11 - Queens Hall - Edinburgh, UK (w/ Wood Pigeon)
12 - Carling Academy - Oxford, UK (w/ Wood Pigeon)
13 - Leadmill - Sheffield, UK (w/ Wood Pigeon)
14 - End of the Road Festival - Dorset, UK
24 - Webster Hall - New York, NY (w/ Oakley Hall)
25 - World Music Festival - Chicago, IL
26 - The Moore Theatre - Seattle, WA (w/ The Cave Singers)
27 - Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR (w/ The Cave Singers)
28 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA (w/ The Cave Singers)
29 - The Fonda - Los Angeles, CA (w/ the Cave Singers)


October
09 - Columbiahalle - Berlin, Germany (w/ Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar)
10 - E-Werk - Koln, Germany
11 - Forum - London, UK
13 - AB - Brussels, Belgium
14 - La Cigale - Paris, France
15 - Paradiso - Amsterdam, Netherlands
16 - Muffathalle - Munich, Germany
17 - Volkshaus - Zurich, Switzerland
18 - Rolling Stone - Milan, Italy
19 - Mousonturm - Frankfurt, Germany
21 - Gasometer - Vienna, Ausria (w/ Lambchop)
22 - Alter Schlachthof - Dresden, Germany
24 - Vega - Copenhagen, Denmark
25 - Nalen - Stockholm, Sweden
26 - Rockefeller - Oslo, Norway

calexico_b.jpg

Is M.I.A. The Indie Oprah?

It doesn't hurt to be M.I.A. Announcing her engagement to Ben from The Exit and getting $100,000 to play an MTV Movie Awards after show party seems like the good life. So good that she has money to build schools in Liberia.

Jumping on top of a photo booth after her 30 minute set M.I.A. declared, “I’m going to use it to build schools in Liberia...It costs $52,000 to build a school for 1,000.”

Yep, indie Oprah!

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Introducing The Peth

What goes around comes back around and in the case of Rhys Ifans, its his old band Super Furry Animals. Originally the singer of the band (his place taken by nowsinger Gruff Rhys) he left to pursue an acting career instead.

Fast forward to 2006 and Ifans got together with former band mate and current Super Furry Animals drummer)Dafydd Ieuan along with Dic Ben, Kris Jenkins and Mick Hilton to form The Peth. They will be releasing their debut album The Golden Mile on September 1 via Strangetown Records.

The band will be performing select dates in the UK. Here are the dates:

July
02 - Portmeirion, Town Hall
03 - Bala, Golff Club
04 - Llanerfyl, Village Hall
05 - Llanddewi Brefi, Village Hall
06 - Cwmaman, Institute
10 - London, Hoxton Bar and Grill
20 - London, Lovebox Weekender (Clash Stage)

August
17 – Glanusk Park, Green Man Festival

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Tori Amos Leaves Epic Records

Tori Amos is the latest high profile artist to leave a major label. Saying good to Epic Records (the second major label she's been on since the start of her career) means Tori will be taking the indie route and releasing records on her own.

Expect a new release around Spring of 2009!

Monday, June 02, 2008

Albert Hammond Jr. Returns With A New Album And A New Label

Since the demise of New Line Records, Albert Hammond Jr seems to be the only one that wasn't affected. With a new album, ¿CĂłmo Te Llama? and a new label, Black Seal Records (a label under RCA aka home to The Strokes) it seems that Hammond is well on his way to continue his successful solo career.

Albert Hammond Jr. - GFC

The record will be release July 8th.

Here is the tracklisting:

01 Bargain Of A Century
02 In My Room
03 Lisa
04 GfC
05 The Boss Americana
06 Rocket
07 Victory At Monterey
08 You Won’t Be Fooled By This
09 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

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