Likely Looks: Marina And The Diamonds - Oh No!

The lovely Marina strikes again (of course with her diamonds...) for her new video Oh No!. Adding a little pop art a la Lichtenstein plus of course Marina herself make this video a non boring one to say the least.

Marina will be Stateside soon on several Lilith Fair dates as well as a couple of solo shows sans Lilith in between. First though, take a few minutes out of your day to watch Oh No!

Likely Looks: The Coral - 1000 Years

Where has this band been? Oh how they have been missed. Its been around 3 years since the band last released an full length LP but they are back and produced this masterpiece called 1000 Years

The video is so beautifully shot and makes me want to get myself to an ocean ASAP!

The single for 1000 Years is proceeded by the album Butterfly House that comes out in the UK on July 12th.

And now...for the video!

Nico Vega Hit The Road With Semi Precious Weapons And Chevelle

Nico Vega is back for some more tour dates...but this time they are teaming up with Semi Precious Weapons and Chevelle to hit the road with.

After hoping on the road with Metric, the band clearly wasted no time getting back into the swing of things and is hitting several major cities and A LOT of places in Texas...

Here are the tour dates:

* Apr 21 Hollywood, California The Roxy
* Apr 23 Chicago, Illinois Subterranean
* Apr 26 New York, New York The Bowery
* Apr 27 Boston, Massachusetts Paradise Rock Club
* May 7 San Antonio, Texas Scout Bar
* May 8 Lubbock, Texas Lonestar Amphitheatre
* May 9 Amarillo, Texas Midnight Rodeo & Piranha
* May 11 Odessa, Texas Toom Dos Amigos
* May 12 Austin, Texas Stubb's
* May 14 Mission, Texas Las Palmas Race Park
* May 15 Corpus Christi, Texas Concrete Street
* May 16 Denton, Texas Hailey's

Soundgarden Returns After 13 Years

After Chris Cornell's last crazy solo project (Timabaland anyone?), a long stint with Audioslave and other odds and ends, the band that made Cornell famous has reunited after 13 years.

On April 16, Playing a show at Seattle's small Showbox venue under the name NudeDragons, fans were apparently paying bouncers $2,500 to make sure they got to witness Chris Cornell, Matt Cameron, Kim Thayiland Ben Shepard on the same stage.

Playing for over 90 minutes, Soundgarden broke out plenty of fan favorites although one key track missing from their catalog was Black Hole Sun

Get ready Lollapalooza...

Here's the setlist:

Spoonman
Gun
Searching With My Good Eye Closed
Rusty Cage
Beyond The Wheel
Flower
Ugly Truth
Fell On Black Days
Hunted Down
Nothing To Say
Loud Love
Blow Up The Outside World
Pretty Noose
Outshined
Slaves And Bulldozers

Encore:

Get On The Snake
Big Dumb Sex
Waiting For The Sun

Likely Listens: Die Antwoord

There is something about Die Antwoord that is a little fascinating to me...maybe because its been a long time since a blast to semi-fame has come on the internet thats unique and compelling?! Hmmm...possibly.

The South African 3 piece make beats reminiscent of old Prodigy (circa The Experience...the good stuff) mixed with a little bit of hip hop and with the stage names Ninja, Yo-Landi Vi$$er and DJ Hi-Tek you sort of can't go wrong.

The band has been creeping up the wonderful world of the internet with their videos and just had a successful performance at Coachella, marking the first time they ever played in America.

There are big things in the works for these guys...sooner than later except them in your daily music vocabulary.

The Fratellis Call It Quits

After 5 years together, The Fratellis have officially called it quits. According the split on the band's website forum, singer Jon Fratelli stated, "We have no plans to work together right now."

Continuing on, he further stated, "Sometimes things just work out that way. Mince, Baz and I are working on music but not with each other...Your passion is appreciated more than we will ever be able to say. We'll forever give our hearts and souls to music and to you guys who want to hear what we do."

Jon Fratelli (real name Jon Lawler) is currently performing in the Codeine Velvet Club while Mince has joined a heavy metal band, so if you really need a Fratellis fix you've always got the side projects...

Likely Listens: Kitten

Its rare these days that you go a MySpace page that someone recommends to you and you actually get floored by a track. Enter Kitten, a band from Los Angeles that haven't even graduated high school yet.

Their track Don't Kill The Light is just a demo but its an absolute masterpiece. With soothing vocals, a killer hook and very reminiscent of Cat Power (but throw in a little more rock to the mix) its bound to have you hooked.

Did I mention they aren't out of high school??!! I officially heart Kitten and cannot wait for their EP.

Pavement REUNITED In Auckland, NZ

Its been 10 years since they've graced the stage together and some lucky folks in Auckland, New Zealand got to witness the band in all their glory at a venue called Town Hall.

1,600 people. 25 song set list. Amazing.

See for yourself...

Little Boots Tacks On More U.S. Tour Dates

Little Boots can't seem to get enough of this side of the Atlantic...and we can't get enough of her.

With her March 2 debut full length release Hands, the UK singer takes her show Stateside with several live dates as well as a Coachella appearance.

Here are the upcoming tour dates:

3/2 - Highline Ballroom - New York, NY
3/5 - Venue - Vancouver, BC
3/6 - Neumos - Seattle, WA
3/7 - Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
3/9 - The Fillmore Auditorium - San Francisco, CA
3/10 - El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
3/12 - The Glass House - Pomona, CA
3/13 - The Casbah - San Diego, CA

JUST ADDED:
4/18 - Coachella - Indio, CA
4/22 - Masquerade Hell Stage - Atlanta, GA
4/23 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC
4/24 - Pure - Philadelphia, PA
4/28 - Middle East - Boston, MA
4/29 - SAT - Montreal, QC
4/30 - Phoenix Concert Hall - Toronto, ON
5/1 - Metro - Chicago, IL

Coachella Announces 2010 Lineup

Its not all confirmed but it looks pretty good to me! Jay-Z, Muse and Gorillaz are quite solid headliners...

Here is the lineup in full:

The Velvet Underground Reunite (Well...Sort Of)

The Velvet Underground may be reuniting...but not for a performance unfortunately. Former frontman Lou Reed, bassist Doug Yule and drummer Maureen Tucker will be gathering for a public appearance at the New York Public Library on December 8th to chat with journalist David Fricke about their legacy and impact on the world of music.

The event is one of many in the “Live from the NYPL” that is currently going on and with any library of course comes books...which the band currently is promoting. The Velvet Underground: New York Art is the latest book on the band that contains a collection of handwritten music and lyrics by Lou Reed, designs by Andy Warhol (manager to the band) photographs and a load of other paraphernalia.

More information and tickets can be found HERE

Deluka's Cascade Gets A "Full On" Remix By Mattie Safer

Ever wonder what Mattie Safer has been doing since he left The Rapture? Well, seems like he's been remixing Deluka for starters.

The band gets a little more dancier (is that possible?!) with a little help from Mattie that will find itself creeping up your iTunes "Top 25 Most Played" tracks very very soon.

Deluka - Cascade (Mattie Safer Full On Remix)

Lilely Looks: Lily Allen - Who'd Have Know

Leave it to Lily Allen to push the button a little bit and bring up her old feud with Elton John in her latest video "Who'd Have Known".

Capturing Elton, serenading him and feeding him pizza is just a small part of this eerie yet intriguing video thats just been released.

I guess a good feud never dies...

Likely Looks: Fever Ray - Seven

Karin Andersson (aka Fever Ray) takes an "older" approach to her new video for her single Seven and puts on her best sparkly dress to have a dance in a farm in back of a Chewbacca-like character.

A bit odd but SO interesting. Could you expect any less from Fever Ray?

Yes, The Pavement Reunion Is True

Can you believe it? Its been 10 years (a longgggggg wait!) but Pavement is reuniting in 2010 for a New York show in at Central Park Summerstage.

September 21, 2010...be there!

Nico Vega Announces Support Dates w/ Manic Street Preachers!

After originally booked to support Placebo on their tour tour (which sadly got canceled), Nico Vega has announced that they will be supporting legends in their own right, Manic Street Preachers.

Hoping on the tour for 6 dates, the band will play several West Coast, Cannda and Midwest dates with the band.

Here are the tour dates:

9/21/09 - Neumo's, Seattle, WA
9/22/09 - The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
9/24/09 - The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
9/25/09 - The Avalon, Los Angeles, CA
9/28/09 - The Bluebird Theatre, Denver, CO
9/30/09 - The Varsity Theatre, Minneapolis, MN

Likely Listens: Caroline Smith And The Good Night Sleeps

What happens when you mix a fiery red head with a little bit of alt-country? Well, Caroline Smith And The Good Night Sleeps of course!

Hailing from Minneapolis, this trio has a sound that will lure you in upon first lesson. Combining the unique voice of Caroline Smith and a little pop, alt-country and mellow singer-songwriter type vibes all rolled into one make them absolutely wonderful.

With a new album out entitled Backyard Tent Set they will be the band to watch very very soon.

The band will also be on tour this fall and hopefully coming to a city near you! Here are the tour dates:

Sep 16 2009 The Cedar Cultural Center (Caroline Solo Show) Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sep 18 2009 Campus Arts Festival (Caroline Solo Show) Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sep 20 2009 Nomad World Pub Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sep 22 2009 Black Hills Amphitheater Spearfish, South Dakota
Sep 23 2009 The Filling Station Bozeman, Montana
Sep 25 2009 High Dive Seattle, Washington
Sep 26 2009 The Finger Complex Olympia, Washington
Sep 29 2009 The Partisan Merced, California
Oct 1 2009 Armadillo Music (In-store Performance) Davis, California
Oct 1 2009 Sophia’s Thai Kitchen Davis, California
Oct 4 2009 The HangArt Tucson, Arizona
Oct 5 2009 Winning Coffee Company Albuquerque, New Mexico
Oct 6 2009 The Lounge On Elm Street Dallas, Texas
Oct 8 2009 Rice University Houston, Texas
Oct 9 2009 White Water Tavern Little Rock, Arkansas
Oct 10 2009 The House Little Rock, Arkansas
Oct 11 2009 Eighth Street Taproom Lawrence, Kansas
Oct 12 2009 Off Broadway St. Louis, Missouri
Oct 13 2009 KRUI In-studio @ Public Space One Iowa City, Iowa
Oct 13 2009 The Mill Iowa City, Iowa
Oct 16 2009 Pioneer Place On Fifth St. Cloud, Minnesota
Oct 17 2009 Kitty Cat Klub Minneapolis, Minnesota

Kanye West Apologizes On Jay Leno...

After Kanye West's atrocious appearance at Sunday night's VMA he mustered up the courage to apologize on national television to Taylor Swift.

His actions are really irreversible but his apology did seem heartfelt. Even so, this isn't the first time he's been a complete ass on an award show so its clearly a reoccurrence that he doesn't learn from.

Let's also mention how incredible it is that Taylor Swift has branched over from country to win an MTV VMA, which is such an accomplishment. Taylor is a talented, one of a kind star.

Lily Allen Stands Up For The Little Guy...

Good or bad, you have to hand it to Lily Allen for speaking her mind.

This time around. she tackles British music and illegal file sharing and actually does make some valid points. One can argue for or against her but rising to fame on MySpace you must admit she is quite familiar with the workings of how a band blows up in this day and age.

Taking her opinion to her MySpace blog, Lily has written the following:

"I havent written on here for a while but I've taken the time to write this as I think music piracy is having a dangerous effect on British music, but some really rich and successful artists like Nick Mason from Pink Floyd and Ed O'Brien from Radiohead don't seem to think so. Last week in an article in the Times these guys from huge bands said file sharing music is fine. It probably is fine for them. They do sell-out arena tours and have the biggest Ferrari collections in the world. For new talent though, file sharing is a disaster as it's making it harder and harder for new acts to emerge. Heres a link to the article http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article6828262.ece
Mason, O'Brien and the Featured Artists Coalition say that file sharing's "like a sampler, like taping your mate's music", but mix tapes and recording from the radio are actually very different to the file sharing that happens today. Mix tapes were rubbish quality - you bought the real music, because you liked the track and wanted to hear it without the DJ cutting off the end of each song. In digital land pirated tracks are as good quality as bought tracks, so there's not a need to buy for better quality. The Featured Artist Coalition also says file sharing's fine because it "means a new generation of fans for us". This is great if you're a big artist at the back end of your career with loads of albums to flog to a new audience, but emerging artists don't have this luxury. Basically the FAC is saying 'we're alright, we've made it, so file sharing's fine', which is just so unfair to new acts trying to make it in the industry.
You don't start out in music with the Ferraris. Instead you get a huge debt from your record company, which you spend years working your arse off to repay. When you manage to get a contract, all those pretty videos and posters advertising your album have to be paid for and as the artist, you have to pay for them. I've only just finished paying off all the money I owe my record company. I'm lucky that I've been successful and managed to pay it back, but not everyone's so lucky. You might not care about this, but the more difficult it is for new artists to make it, the less new artists you'll see and the more British music will be nothing but puppets paid for by Simon Cowell.
And it's not like there aren't alternatives to illegal downloads anyway. Sites like Spotify give us access to new music and different music without having to rip someone off - you can listen to tracks and see if you like them before you buy them. Then obviously there's MySpace, that streams music and helps acts like me get enough fans to convince record companies to sign us up.
If this sounds like I'm siding with the record bosses, I'm not. They've been naive and complacent about new technology - and they've spent all the money they've earned on their own fat salaries not industry development. But as they start to lose big from piracy, they're not slashing their salaries - they're pulling what they invest in A&R. Lack of funds results in A&R people not being able to take risks and only signing acts they think will work, which again makes British music Cowell puppets.
Is this the way we want British music to go? Now, obviously I'm going to benefit from fighting piracy, but I think without fighting it, British music is going to suffer.
I don't think what's out there is perfect. It's stupid that kids can't buy anything on the internet without credit, forcing them to steal Mum's credit card or download illegally. It's this kind of thing that the record company bosses, artists, broadband providers and government should be sitting down and discussing. I'm off to South America on tour today, but i'm going to be writing British artists, saying just this.
File sharing's not okay for British music. We need to find new ways to help consumers access and buy music legally, but saying file sharing's fine is not helping anyone - and definitely not helping British music. I want to get people working together to use new digital opportunities to encourage new artists."

Thoughts?

Amy Winehouse...The Musical?!!!

It seems to be the new thing...after a movie and everything else under the sun about your life you do a musical...

The latest is that Amy Winehouse: The Musical could be a possibility and will show her rise and fall to stardom complete with booze, drugs, of course BLAKE and even childhood memories.

According to The Sun, her brother Alex stated, "Amy is much better. I think one day there could be a musical of Amy's life...You just don't ever know how far things can go these days - look at all this talk of a JADE GOODY musical."

This would be absolutely bizarre...let's see if it ever sees the light of day.