Covering the crossroads of music and film.
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Ben Lee Embraces His Inner Female
By Jim Shearer on 04/22/2009
Filed under: SOON
Ben Lee's seventh studio album, The Rebirth Of Venus, will be released stateside this upcoming Tuesday, but if you don't want to wait a week to listen to it (or swap digital files with your friends overseas), Lee is currently streaming it--in its entirety--on his MySpace page. MORE »
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Gimme Some of That Midwest, Underground Hip-Hop
By Jim Shearer on 04/16/2009
Filed under: NEWS, SOON
Hip-hop was born in the Bronx, years later some said that the West Coast was the "best coast", and others could argue that the Dirty South made the most impressive mark on hip-hop in the 2000's. Not to be outdone, Rhymesayers Entertainment--the Minneapolis-based label run by Slug of Atmosphere--is representing the Midwest with its underground hip-hop uprising. MORE »
Stellastarr* Get Civilized
By Jim Shearer on 04/09/2009
Filed under: SOON
Stellastarr*, maybe the greatest group in music with an asterisk in their name (that's right, did I stutter *NSYNC?), announced that they will be releasing their third studio album, Civilized, on July 7 (via their own Bloated Wife Records). MORE »
Lollapalooza Reaches Agreement with King of Pop
By Jim Shearer on 04/01/2009
Filed under: SOON
Earlier this month at a press conference in London, Michael Jackson announced that he would be performing his final shows in England, beginning in July, at London's 23,000-capacity, O2 arena. Originally 10 concert dates were scheduled, but Jackson has extended it to 50 (July 8, 2009-February 24, 2010). MORE »
Party the Day Away at SXSW
By Sarah Pesin on 03/16/2009
Filed under: SOONYou may have noticed an influx of hipsters leaving your town and heading for the nearest airport, because as of this Wednesday, the music portion of the South by Southwest festival begins. For those looking not to spend any money, the free day parties are really where the most fun takes place, and not only are they free, but they often give away food and drinks for the weary music fan. MORE »
Mr. Lif Lifts Off
By Jim Shearer on 03/09/2009
Filed under: SOON
Today, Mr. Lif (with Mr. Sonny James on the wheels of steel) officially announced his spring tour that will begin at SXSW (Austin, TX) on March 20 and will spread the message of hope and hip-hop through North America until the middle of June. MORE »
Make The Decemberists a Poster in March
By Jim Shearer on 02/20/2009
Filed under: SOON
On the opening music night of SXSW (March 18), The Decemberists will headlining the NPR showcase at Stubb's BBQ, performing in its entirety, their forthcoming album (March 24), The Hazards of Love. MORE »
The White Stripes Send Off Conan Tonight
By Jim Shearer on 02/20/2009
Filed under: SOON
Tonight Conan O'Brien will host his final episode of Late Night, before moving out west to take over duties for Jay Leno on The Tonight Show, which he will begin hosting on June 1. MORE »
Fite For Love
By Jim Shearer on 02/04/2009
Filed under: FREE SONGS, SOONLast October 31st, Tim Fite treated us to a free digital download of his Halloween-inspired ding dong Ditch EP (as well as re-releasing the previous year's treat, It's Only Ketchup EP). (left: Tim Fite will take care of the broken hearted on February 14.) On Valentine's Day, Fite will conitnue the tradition of giving out free music on second-tier holidays by releasing the free digital download of Change of Heart. If you go to his website on Saturday, February 14, you'll be able to get it for free, one day and one day only. Fite explains: "Change of Heart... MORE »
Ping Pong, Cowbells, & PB Memories
By Jim Shearer on 02/03/2009
Filed under: SOONIn preparation for next week's 20th Anniversary reissue of Paul's Boutique, The Beastie Boys have reworked the homepage of their website to include a 3 Minute Rule Ping-Ping Simulator (an ode to "3 Minute Rule," a track in which the Beasties recorded live bouncing ping-ping balls), a cowbell and record-scratch activated by your mouse finger, a section where fans are invited to upload a photo and share their favorite Paul's Boutique memories, a Got More _______, Than ________ feature--paying homage to the Beastie Boys signature rhyme scheme in Paul's Boutique ("I got more hits than Sadaharu Oh"), Beastie photos... MORE »
Cursive Gets Swollen
By Jim Shearer on 02/02/2009
Filed under: SOONThis afternoon, Cursive announced that they will be releasing their sixth full-length album, Mama, I'm Swollen, on Tuesday, March 10. The band recorded their latest offering in Omaha this past summer, which you can pre-order HERE. This is the follow up to their ultra-catchy, Happy Hollow, which was the follow up to their ultra-catchy The Ugly Organ. Tracklisting: In The Now From The Hips I Couldn't Love You Donkeys Caveman We're Going To Hell Mama, I'm Satan Let Me Up Mama, I'm Swollen What Have I Done?... MORE »
The Morning Benders Hit The Road
By Jim Shearer on 01/29/2009
Filed under: FREE SONGS, ME LIKEY, SOONToday--in what I'm calling the Feel-Good-Tour-Of-The-Year-Thus-Far--The Morning Benders kickoff their co-headlining tour with The Submarines. If you're not familiar with The Submarines by now, I can give you my standard spiel: You know, the band that has a song in that one iTunes commercial. (left: Hopefully this won't happen out on tour.) The Morning Benders are also set to play SXSW. They are confirmed for two performances, but because a band ain't a band unless they play 12 or more shows down in Austin, I'm sure more will follow. To get friendly with their tour mates The Morning Benders... MORE »
Will Your Favorite Broken-up Band Be Reunited?
By Jim Shearer on 01/28/2009
Filed under: SOONThe blogosphere has been anxiously awaiting the announcement of this year's line up for Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival (April 17-19). Yesterday, there were various blog postings on the internet teasing the fact that KROQ-FM (Los Angeles) promised to announce the festival's line-up during their early morning hours. (left: Show of hands, how many people want The Smiths to play Coachella? Okay, how about Led Zeppelin?) Coachella organizers called KROQ and gave them the bad news that the line-up was not finalized yet, speculating some to believe that the festival promoters were still trying to nail down a... MORE »
P.O.S. Gets D.I.Y.
By Jim Shearer on 01/23/2009
Filed under: FREE SONGS, SOONIn the age of digital downloads, where album artwork has been reduced to a piece of clip art on an iPod's display screen, it's actually quite refreshing to see an artist take pride in the packaging of his album again--liner notes, lyric sheet and all! On February 3, indie-hip-hopper, P.O.S., will release his brand new album Never Better, but he's already geeking out about the artwork--which has a pre-sale link and a YouTube video to go along with it. The packaging has a transparent front-side allowing its users the chance to create their own album cover by choosing between 16... MORE »
Life After Grandaddy
By Jim Shearer on 01/22/2009
Filed under: NEWS, SOONIn January of 2006, after releasing four laid-back-folky-indie-rock albums, Grandaddy announced that they parting ways. The brainchild of the group, Jason Lytle, has recently finished his first solo offering, Yours Truly, The Commuter, which will be released later this year on May 19 (ANTI-). Here's the initial press on what to expect from the album: (left: Gone are Jason Lytle's Grandaddy bandmates...and his signature mesh ball cap.) On Yours Truly, the Commuter, dreamy soundscapes mirror the dramatic environment of Lytle's newly-adopted Montana, where the record was written and recorded, while the twang of central California farmland remains in the... MORE »
Never Too Early For SXSW
By Sarah Pesin on 01/15/2009
Filed under: SOONAs the New Year sets in and winter continues to rear its ugly head, the only way to get through these dark months is to look towards the future of spring, sunshine, and more importantly, South by Southwest. The wheels are already set in motion for this year's festival and the first crop of bands playing has just been announced. While the festival is still over two months away, there's no point in not getting a head start on who is worth seeing. (left: Two months and counting.) Of course, my list is extremely biased. Of the over one... MORE »
Hey, America Kinda Feels Cool Again
By Jim Shearer on 01/12/2009
Filed under: NEWS, SOONThat's the name of the event being held a week from now (Jan. 19) at Washington DC's 9:30 Club (doors at 8PM, show at 9PM). In conjunction with Rock The Vote, Beastie Boys, Sheryl Crow, Citizen Cope, and Justin Jones will be playing full sets to celebrate Barack Obama's inauguration. MORE »
NFG Get Their UFC On
By Jim Shearer on 01/08/2009
Filed under: SOONOn March 10, indie-gone-major-gone-indie-again, pop-punkers, New Found Glory, will release their sixth studio album, Not Without A Fight. In keeping with the "fight" theme of the album, New Found Glory have already started the hype machine by rolling out an album pre-sale, an online video game, and a hilarious UFC-like press conference (with more chapters to follow leading up to the album's release). After getting serious with their last studio effort, Coming Home, it appears that New Found Glory have rediscovered their sense of humor, as well as their penchant for stomping on the distortion pedal. Last year they... MORE »
Animal Collective on Wax
By Jim Shearer on 12/12/2008
Filed under: SOONAnimal Collective's brand new album, Merriweather Post Pavillion, will be released properly on CD/digitial outlets on January 20, however if you would like to get the album a couple weeks earlier, you'll be able to do so if you purchase the vinyl copy of the album (yeah, we used to call those records, Animal Collective kickin' it old-school) on January 6. The band will also include a full album download card with the vinyl release, so you can kick it new school as well. (left: Not that you'll be doing this with your brand new Animal Collective album, but... MORE »
The Hives Just Wanna Have Fun...
By Jim Shearer on 11/17/2008
Filed under: SOON...and apparently take on Cyndi Lauper in a duel as well. Here's one more reason to get excited about the HOLIDAYS! (left: Remember, in the mid-80's Cyndi Lauper took on wrestler, Rowdy Roddy Piper in a fight. Howlin' Pelle Almqvist, beware!) MORE »
Get Up Kids Reunite This Weekend
By Jim Shearer on 11/14/2008
Filed under: SOONIn their first live performance since 2005, the Get Up Kids are randomly (seemingly) playing a one-off gig in Kansas City on Sunday: Sunday, Nov. 16 Record Bar 1020 Westport Road 18-and-over $10 Rumors began swirling about the reunion after former member, James Dewees, (Reggie and The Full Effect) apparently began dropping hints about reuniting with a band form the "late 90's/early 00's." The Get Up Kids also made available on their website a brand new t-shirt, which simply reads: Be Prepared. (above: "Be Prepared." Huh, it wasn't just a catchy t-shirt slogan after all.) For now, the Get... MORE »
Justin's Back
By Jim Shearer on 11/14/2008
Filed under: SOONOur ol' buddy from IFC News' Independent Music Panels, Justin Oulette, creator of Muxtape--the online file sharing service that recreates the joy of sharing music via mixtapes--which was shut down by the man a couple months ago, is set to re-launch soon. To the best of knowledge, the new twist--which I'm piecing together from different blog postings and the below interview--is that Muxtape will be a service for bands only. In the same simple manner Muxtape once operated (users creating mixes consisting of only 12 songs), bands will make available their Muxtape to the public. The payoff? Many of Muxtape's... MORE »
Yey! Nada Surf Box Set
By Jim Shearer on 11/12/2008
Filed under: SOONFresh from the warehouse and available to the mass public on November 25, Nada Surf will be releasing a limited edition box set (only 1,000 numbered copies) containing the following: + All five studio albums on vinyl + An exclusive repressing of their first 7" single + Full-color 24-page lyric and photo book. + Download codes for MP3 versions of The Proximity Effect, Let Go, The Weight Is a Gift, Lucky, and a collection of rare and out-of-print bonus tracks and b-sides. (above: Can I ask for this without sitting on Santa Clause's lap?) Interested parties can pre-order the... MORE »
One More Chance To Ask Ian
By Jim Shearer on 10/24/2008
Filed under: SOONIan MacKaye, a man synonymous with indie music, is wrapping up a tour of question-and-answer speaking engagements that have been taking place in Southern California. The last date of the tour is this Sunday, October 26 (Hollywood, CA). For a man that has kept concert prices cheap over the years, it's no surprise that MacKaye is only charging $5 for admission. [VIA] MORE »
It's About Freakin' Time
By Jim Shearer on 10/22/2008
Filed under: SOONYes it is, but finally, Les Savy Fav's madman (and I don't use that term lightly) has finally gotten himself a TV show, or is it a web-show? Whatever it is, it should make for some interesting viewing. Les Savy Fav fans will be accustomed to Harrington's dramatics, and as for the rest of the world? Well they will find out soon enough. (left: This man was born to make television gold.) Tim Harrington's Beardo premieres next Thursday, October 30 on Pitchfork TV.... MORE »
Bowery Ballroom Line-Up For CMJ
By Jim Shearer on 10/21/2008
Filed under: SOONA favorite amongst indie fans and musicians, here's the line-up at the Bowery Ballroom for this week's CMJ Music Marathon: MORE »
Rachel's CMJ Playbook
By Jim Shearer on 10/17/2008
Filed under: SOONHopefully she doesn't get upset with me for posting this, but at a recent music blogging convention I came across blogger extraordinaire, Rachel Pesin's, notebook. Inside the spiral bound, college-ruled notepad (with lots of cute stick figure drawings on its cover) was scribbled Rachel's plans for next week's CMJ Music Marathon, taking place in New York City. If you want to know what Rachel's seeing next week, here goes: (left: Yes, sometimes I do get desperate enough to steal a fellow blogger's notebook.) October 19 (A wee bit pre-CMJ) at Sound Fix in Brooklyn. We're seeing my old boss... MORE »
Man Man and Man-Child
By Jim Shearer on 09/25/2008
Filed under: SOONThe non-stop, musical live experience known as Man Man will re-open shop this weekend at Austin City Limits (Austin, TX). The band will tour through October, playing a handful of dates with politically minded man-child, Tim Fite. Should be a uniquely awesome, frighteningly fun tour! (left: The frighteningly fun men of Man Man.) MORE »
TV On The Radio On The Internet
By Jim Shearer on 09/17/2008
Filed under: SOONYesterday TV On the Radio released their brand new video for "Golden Age" off their album, Dear Science (left), which will be released this Tuesday, September 23. I could have easily jacked a version of "Golden Age" and embedded here, but the group's official youtube page has disabled the video embed feature, so I'll honor the band's (or record label's) request. You can watch the new video, HERE. Clash of the Titans and the Village People, eat your heart out.... MORE »
23
By Jim Shearer on 09/04/2008
Filed under: SOONRemember that one Jim Carrey movie called The Number 23 whose plot revolved around, well, the number 23? Me neither. Never saw it, but I do remember the preivew. Being fascinated by the number 23 themselves, Kings of Leon, will be releasing 23 homemade videos on their website leading up to the release of their new album, Only By The Night, on September 23. In unrelated 23 news, looks like the boys have cleaned up a bit, not one full-grown beard to be found in the band.... MORE »
Billy Bragg: East Coast U.S. Tour, New Podcast
By Jim Shearer on 08/26/2008
Filed under: SOONEngland's National Treasure, folk-punk legend Billy Bragg, recently announced a series of east coast tour dates here in the U.S. I'm sure it's not a coincidence that the politically-minded rebel rouser chose to tour right before the presidential elections happening on November 4, 2008. This week, Spinner released a new podcast, featuring an in-studio performance from Bragg, as well as an in-depth interview. BILLY BRAGG EAST COAST U.S. TOUR 10-17 The State Theatre State College PA 
 10-18 State Theatre Ithaca NY 
 10-19 Monmouth University West Long Branch NJ 
 10-21 Somerville Theater Somerville MA 
 10-22 Somerville... MORE »
Battle of the Vices
By James Ziegenfus on 08/20/2008
Filed under: SOONI'm hard-pressed to think of a band I've seen drink more during a show than The Hold Steady. They're the only band I've ever seen begin a set with a full bottle of Maker's Mark and end 45 minutes later with an empty one. And that's not even the extent of their drinking. Whether it contributes positively or not to their raw performances and Craig Finn's wordiness is up to the audience. (I don't think many who see the Hold Steady seem to mind, regardless of how sloppy they may get over a night.) (clockwise from left: The Hold... MORE »
Atmosphere Announce "Paint The Nation" Tour
By Jim Shearer on 08/04/2008
Filed under: SOONFirst Leg of the "PAINT THE NATION" Tour featuring. Atmosphere & Special Guests Abstract Rude, Blueprint and DJ Rare Groove (select dates are festival performances only featuring Atmosphere) : (left to right: Ant, Slug of Atmosphere) 10-Sep-08 Fargo, ND The Venue 11-Sep-08 Sioux Falls, SD Sioux Empire Expo Center 12-Sep-08 Omaha, NE Slowdown 13-Sep-08 Denver, CO Monolifth 15-Sep-08 Boise, ID Knitting Factory 16-Sep-08 Missoula, MT Wilma Theater 18-Sep-08 Eugene, OR McDonald Theater 19-Sep-08 Sacramento, CA Empire 20-Sep-08 San Diego, CA Street Scene 21-Sep-08 Bakersfield, CA the Dome 22-Sep-08 Santa Cruz, CA Catalyst 25-Sep-08 Los Angeles, CA Wiltern 26-Sep-08 Las... MORE »
Bouncing Souls Mini-Tour, Yey!
By Jim Shearer on 07/23/2008
Filed under: SOONBecause punk rock bands never stop touring (even those that have earned their stripes and rest among the punk rock gods), The Boucning Souls kick off a mini-tour tonight in Mansfield, MA. The Jersey punk legends just finished doing a leg of the Warped Tour (God bless those fellas)! (left to right: Bryan Kienlen, Michael McDermott, The Pete, Greg Attonito) P.S. I'm super excited about the show in New York City (Sept. 19), the Souls will be sharing a bill with Sick Of It All! 07.23 - Mansfield, MA 07.24 - Darien Center, NY 07.25 - Camden, NJ 08.06... MORE »
See You at The Pitchfork Festival This Weekend!
By Jim Shearer on 07/18/2008
Filed under: SOONThese are my nieces. They will not be at the Pitchfork Festival this weekend (although come Saturday afternoon I'm sure I'll be wishing they were there shooting me with their water guns). But guess who will be going? Yes, yours truly. I'll be blogging all weekend long, so if you can't make it to Chicago, check back here daily for all the happenings, and if you are at Pitchfork, feel free to say hey. Slop on the sunscreen and let the fun begin!... MORE »
The Mighty Return of Zack De La Rocha
By Jim Shearer on 07/17/2008
Filed under: NEWS, SOONI waited seven years for Rage Against the Machine to reunite (which finally happened last year), and I've been waiting even longer for Zack De La Rocha's solo album to drop, an album which he supposedly teamed up with DJ Shadow, NIN's Trent Reznor, The Roots' ?uestlove (who, by the way, called the recordings "dangerous, scary") and a slew of other musicians. I don't know whether De La Rocha suffered from a case of self consciousness or perfectionism, but sources have told me not to expect the album anytime soon (which probably means "never"). So you could imagine my... MORE »
Another Chemical Brothers Greatest Hits?
By Jim Shearer on 06/30/2008
Filed under: NEWS, SOONLast week The Chemical Brothers announced that they would be releasing a best-of collection, Brotherhood, on September 2. Brotherhood is a 2-disc set that is comprised of 13 "undeniable benchmark singles" including a new track called "Keep My Composure" featuring Spank Rock. The second disc will exclusively feature Electronic Battle Weapons 1-10, the Chemical Brothers' experimental fodder that has only previously been available through limited formats. The first single from the 2-disc set will be a track called "Midnight Madness," which finds its home on the second disc. Don't get me wrong, I love the Chemical Brothers and I'm... MORE »
ME LIKEY: Street Dogs
By Jim Shearer on 06/09/2008
Filed under: ME LIKEY, NEWS, SOONJust received an advanced copy of the Street Dogs brand new album, State of Grace (no I won't illegally burn it for you). Good stuff! If you don't know, their lead singer, Mike McColgan served in the Gulf War before becoming the founding singer of the Dropkick Murphys in 1996. He left the band in 1998 to pursue his dream of becoming a fire fighter. He served as a Boston fireman until 2002, when he got the itch to play music again. That year he formed Street Dogs. On July 8, McColgan's band will be releasing their fourth studio... MORE »
The Best Mini Tour of the Summer
By Jim Shearer on 05/29/2008
Filed under: SOONProduction geniuses, Ratatat (that's right I said geniuses), are heading out on a teeny-tiny tour this summer that's so brief, so short, you may just miss it. If you don't know, Ratatat is an electronic music duo who sets up camp in Brooklyn. Every hip-hop artist and their mom should be on their speed dial. Who knows? Maybe they are. Their new album LP3 comes out on July 3. You can see their latest video for the track "Mirando," HERE. Jul 7, Seattle Jul 8, Portland, OR Jul 10, San Francisco Jul 12, Los Angeles, CA Jul 15, Brooklyn,... MORE »
Christmas in May!
By Jim Shearer on 05/23/2008
Filed under: SOONWow, it's finally happening! This weekend during the Sasquatch Music Festival in George, WA, the Flaming Lips will be premiering their highly anticipated film Christmas on Mars. For anyone familiar with the band, you should know that the Flaming Lips have been working on this D.I.Y. film project for years. I remember interviewing them on 120 Minutes years ago, and asking them when it was going to come out. Who knew they'd toil away on it for another five years. Well, the wait is over, it's gonna debut this weekend!... MORE »
Today's Great Mystery of Releasing Albums
By Jim Shearer on 05/20/2008
Filed under: HODGEPODGE, SOONSo Beck has a new album called Modern Guilt coming out--well--that's the thing, nobody knows when it's coming out. I shouldn't say "nobody," cause I'm sure somebody knows. The album was produced by indie-minded-go-to-man, Danger Mouse (Brian Burton). Who knew his little mash-up of Jay-Z's Black Album and the Beatles White Album a few years ago, would lead him to sought-after-producer glory? He's worked magic with Gorillaz and his own joint project, Gnarls Barkley, as well as re-punching his indie-cred card by recently working with the Black Keys. (left: Beck's album's finished and now we play the waiting game,... MORE »
Scarlett Johansson Drops Album Tomorrow
By Jim Shearer on 05/19/2008
Filed under: NEWS, SOONSo what do you think of this one? You've probably heard by now that Scarlett Johansson is releasing an album tomorrow (May 20). The Dave Sitek-produced Anywhere I Lay My Head features Johannson singing 10 Tom Waits cover songs with one original. David Bowie also lends a helping hand in the proceedings. The jury inside my head is still undecided on this one. Is this just what indie-minded music needs? Or the complete opposite? (Or neither?) I know our society doesn't look kindly on actors turned singers and vice-versa, but the whole Tom Waits thing with Dave Sitek and... MORE »
Mates of State's Free Download of New Song
By Jim Shearer on 05/14/2008
Filed under: FREE SONGS, SOONHusband-wife duo, Mates of State, will be releasing their brand new album, Re-Arrange Us, on May 20 (um, which I just realized is this upcoming Tuesday). The album title is actually quite fitting since Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel have expanded their sound, adding piano, synths, and lush string arrangements to their music. (left to right: Kori on the keys, Jason on the drums.) Here's a free copy of Mates of State's My Only Offer.mp3 Note: If you're having trouble downloading this song, sometimes the right-click or ctrl-click (for you laptop users) will do the trick.... MORE »
World's Collide on Today's Episode of The Sauce
By Jim Shearer on 05/08/2008
Filed under: SOONIn the spirit of great rivalries like Red Sox/Yankees, UNC/Duke, Paris Hilton/Lindsay Lohan, and Morrissey/Robert Smith, lays the mini, music-video-channel rivalry between MTV2 and FUSE. For years I was part of the rivalry, batting clean-up for MTV2. I was Big Papi to Steven Smith's Derek Jeter (host of Fuse's The Sauce and Steven's Untitled Rock Show), Rowdy Roddy Piper to his Hulk Hogan. (left: Later today, I will be stepping into what once was enemy territory.) Over the years I have actually become friends with Steven, but we have never ever been on camera together. That will all change... MORE »
Get Your CSS On!
By Jim Shearer on 04/30/2008
Filed under: HODGEPODGE, SOONNot the popular author, C.S. Lewis, and not CSI Miami, Las Vegas, or New York. I'm talking about São Paulo, Brizil's own CSS, a band whose name is an acronym for, "cansei de ser sexy," which translates into "tired of being sexy"--I hear ya sister. (left: "Whoever is not tired of being sexy raise your hand.") I was excited to find out recently that CSS will be releasing their sophomore effort, Donkey, on July 22. I got into the band (not literally of course) a couple years ago and they quickly reminded me of many great female-fronted acts like... MORE »
What Made Milwaukee Famous Covering Billy Joel
By Jim Shearer on 04/28/2008
Filed under: FREE SONGS, HODGEPODGE, SOONWhat Made Milwaukee Famous, an Austin, TX-based band that I'm likin' of late, have announced a string of tour dates with The Whigs. They have also recorded a live version of Billy Joel's "You May Be Right" which you can download right here: you may be right.mp3 If for some reason you can only hear it, and not download it, let me know and I'll try to figure something out. MORE »
Listen to Portishead's New Album
By Jim Shearer on 04/24/2008
Filed under: HODGEPODGE, SOONActing late on a tip, I just discovered that Portishead's brand new, long-long-long overdue album, Third, is being streamed on Last FM. The album officially comes out next week, April 29. Yo Rex, I'm still reading your blog. Thanks for the heads up! (Don't know if it's proper blog-etiquette to post a blog about info I found on a blog, but keep in mind I was still using messenger pigeons up until 2001.) Portishead's last studio album (self-titled) was released in September of 1997. My messenger pigeon actually flew to Sam Goody and bought it for me. It was... MORE »
Mates of State's "Get Better" Video
By Jim Shearer on 04/24/2008
Filed under: NEWS, SOONThis is the first video from Mates of State's (a charming, feel-good, husband/wife indie-pop duo) forthcoming album Re-Arrange Us, which is set to be released on May 20th. Oh yeah, the video's called "Get Better." MORE »
CBGB's, say hello to John Varvatos Bowery
By Jim Shearer on 04/16/2008
Filed under: NEWS, SOONTomorrow, April 17, there will be a party thrown at 315 Bowery (New York, NY) to celebrate the grand opening of John Varvatos Bowery, a brand new contemporary menswear fashion boutique. For those more into punk rock history than fragrance and skincare products, this story may be of particular interest to you, because 315 Bowery is the former site of the seminal punk rock club CBGB's. (left: 315 Bowery, Then and Now). Fashion Designer John Varvatos made sure to preserve a lot of the graffiti and drunken artwork that adorns the former club's walls, in order to keep CBGB's... MORE »
Slug and Ant's New TV Show
By Jim Shearer on 04/10/2008
Filed under: HODGEPODGE, NEWS, SOONOne of underground hip-hop's most beloved groups is two weeks away from dropping their brand new album (whose title cracks me up every time I say it). Atmosphere will be releasing, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, on Tuesday, April 22. (left to right: Ant and Slug, turnin' lemons into gold.) In a move that was designed to either answer all Atmosphere-related questions before the usual album press-cycle, or just to kill time during a frigid Minnesota winter, Slug and Ant have created a web show, Paint it Gold, which tapes in Slug's basement and... MORE »
Hot Chip's New Video, "One Pure Thought"
By Jim Shearer on 04/10/2008
Filed under: HODGEPODGE, NEWS, SOON(left: Hot Chip, catch 'em now while they're playing some U.S. East Coast dates) Here's Hot Chip's brand new video, "One Pure Thought", off their album Made in the Dark. Watch it HERE. They're playing live at the Starlight Ballroom in Philadelphia tonight: MORE »
Tapes 'N Tapes Walk It Off w/ Conan O'Brien
By Jim Shearer on 04/09/2008
Filed under: SOONIt feels like it's turning into a Tapes 'N Tapes theme day here on the Indie Ear Blog, with their full-length interview just posted and all. Anyway, just to let you know (or remind you) Tapes 'N Tapes will be performing live on Late Night With Conan O'Brien tonight. This will jump-start their North American tour which starts tomorrow (April 10). (left: Josh Grier showin' some hometown purple-people-eatin' love in his Minnesota Vikings t-shirt) MORE »
Lollapalooza Announces 2008 Line-Up
By Jim Shearer on 04/07/2008
Filed under: NEWS, SOONLollapalooza, the 3-day concert festival (which used to be a complete summer tour back in the '90s), recently announced its line-up for this year's event, which is taking place on August 1-3 in Chicago, IL (Grant Park). (left: Lollapalooza is takin' it back to its roots in 2008) Fittingly, the big headliners of this year's Lollapalooza are products of the 90's: Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, and NIN (some of you may have even been on hand in 1991 and 1992 when a young NIN and Rage Against the Machine respectively played their first Lollapaloozas). Here's how the rest... MORE »
Rancid Announce Summer Tour
By Jim Shearer on 04/02/2008
Filed under: SOONPunk rock hell-raisers, Rancid, will hit the road right after they put the finishing touches on their brand new Brett Gurewitz-produced album. It's been two years since Rancid last toured and five since they released a new album. Rancid depart on April 5th for a week of shows in Japan--a mini-tour which includes headlining the Punkspring festival in Tokyo and Osaka. MORE »
Nirvana to Play Coachella With Rivers Cuomo?
By Jim Shearer on 04/01/2008
Filed under: NEWS, SOONIn what was supposed to be the "best kept music secret of 2008," an official press release leaked earlier this morning, reporting that Weezer's Rivers Cuomo would join Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic for a Nirvana reunion at this month's Coachella Music Festival (Indio, CA), as well as a headlining slot at this summer's annual Lollapalooza Music Festival (Chicago, IL). (left to right: Cuomo, Novoselic, and Grohl will play as Nirvana at this year's Coachella and Lollapalooza) MORE »
Ultra Music Festival Caps Off WMC This Weekend
By Jim Shearer on 03/27/2008
Filed under: NEWS, SOONA couple weeks ago the indie folks had SXSW down in Austin, TX. This week, the DJ/electrtonic/dance folks have been getting their groove on at the annual Winter Music Conference in Miami, FL. The week-long festivities culminate in the Ultra Music Festival (celebrating its 10th year), happening on Friday (Mar. 28) and Saturday (Mar. 29) at Bicentennial Park, which is the largest electronic music concert in the country. I could give you a list of who's performing, but basically, just about every big name in electronic music will be there. Underworld? Justice? Paul Van Dyk? Pete Tong? Moby? Tiesto?... MORE »
INDIE EAR MADNESS: Sweet-16 Preview
By Jim Shearer on 03/27/2008
Here's a preview of tonight's Indie Ear Madness Regional Semifinals. Since the action will be taking place deep into the wee hours of night, make sure you check back early tomorrow morning to see what musical acts made it into the Great-8 (that's right, we say Great-8 around here, none of that non-rhyming Elite-8 stuff). Once again, the only place to follow all of this year's Indie Ear Madness tournament is on the Indie Ear Blog at IFC.com. MORE »
Moby: New Album, Free Music for Filmmakers, & One Pissed-Off Chicken
By Jim Shearer on 03/26/2008
Filed under: HODGEPODGE, NEWS, SOONMoby, makes his triumphant return this Tuesday, April 1, as he releases his brand new dance-inspired, Last Night, a loosely based concept album following around the lovable bald-headed socialite as he bounces from club to club on a NYC night. Dance fans will be happy to know that Moby, who has been known to shelve his groovin' beats for more experimental fodder, returns to the dance floor on Last Night, especially on its lead single, "Disco Lies." Speaking of which, if you ever wanted to see a pimped-out chicken get medieval on Colonel Sanders' ass, this Even Bernard directed... MORE »
Ted Leo and Liars are Rollin' With the "Big Dogs"...
By Jim Shearer on 03/25/2008
Filed under: SOONIt almost brings a tear to my eye. Two of our Indie Ear faves, Ted Leo (aka, the nicest man in indie rock) and Liars will be heading out with the "big dogs" this spring/early summer. (left) "Ted, this is Eddie Vedder. I was wondering what you were doing this June?" MORE »
Beastie Boys Tonight in NYC!
By Jim Shearer on 03/04/2008
Filed under: NEWS, SOONFor any of you that don't know by now, I'm a bit obsessed with the Beastie Boys. I'm sure somewhere at their Oscilloscope studios there's a black-and-white photo of me in a file-box labeled: NOT PERMITTED WITHIN 20 FEET OF BEASTIE BOYS. I'll try to keep my distance tonight, but it may be a bit difficult. The Beastie Boys will be performing in New York City tonight (hosted by Moby--don't know exactly what that entails?) at Terminal 5 (56th St./11th Ave.). Doors are at 7PM. Make sure you check back tomorrow for a detailed blow-by-blow recap of the entire... MORE »
Gutter Twins, Activate!
By Jim Shearer on 02/21/2008
Filed under: SOONAnyone who came of age listening to alternative rock in the 90's should be very excited about The Gutter Twins. Who are the Gutter Twins, you ask? None other than Mark Lanegan and Greg Dulli. The Gutter Twins' debut effort, Saturnalia (Sub Pop), will be released on March 4. Don't think of this album as a 90's nostalgia trip though--it's not like Lanegan and Dulli stopped making music once flannel went out of style. Both Lanegan and Dulli boast an impressive rock resume. Lanegan rose to fame as the lead singer of the Screaming Trees and has done sessions with... MORE »
Beastie Boys Warm Up With Some Light Calisthenics
By Jim Shearer on 02/19/2008
Filed under: SOONFor any of you who never had the pleasure of seeing the Beastie Boys perform in an intimate setting (i.e., not an outdoor music festival with thousands of sweaty bodies pressed up against you), you'll get your chance on Tuesday, March 4 at Terminal 5 in New York City (56 St./11th Ave). The Beastie Boys are playing what we like to call a tune-up show. Just like an all-star pitcher will work a game in the minors before returning to the big leagues, the Beastie Boys will get into concert shape in their hometown of NYC, before heading off to... MORE »
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