Seen Your Video: "Slack Motherfucker" by Superchunk at the Primavera Sound Festival, Barcelona (5-27-2010)

Ever since I saw them live for the first time at SXSW this year, my Ipod has been playing a whole bunch of Superchunk. I'd dug them before, but it was the unbridled and raw energy of their live show that made me fall in love all over again.

'Chunk doesn't tour as much as they used to, so when they do, one should not miss the opportunity. We recently posted about 'Chunk's new record (!!!) Majesty Shredding due out this fall, as well as their tour dates around the same time. Prior to these, they are playing some festivals here and there, including the Primavera Sound Festival which was last night in Barcelona. The crowd's response to the anthemic "Slack Motherfucker" is always such a joy to behold.

I think it's safe to say that even if I live to be 100, "Slack Motherfucker" will still make me want to pogo like a crazy person.

Fitz & the Tantrums to Play Black Cat This Saturday

(Fitz & the Tantrums @ SXSW 2010, Day 1 (3-17-2010))

Will you be in town this weekend? Oh, and you like music that might rock your booty into another zip code? Then my friend, you owe it to yourself, and your booty, to hit the Black Cat on Saturday for Fitz and the Tantrums. (Tickets available here.)

I'm almost sorry that I'm shooting this show, as it will prevent me from dancing up a storm to their infectious heap of happy hooks. This is a band with a groove so uptempo that a friend, after seeing a video of their track, "Breaking the Chains of Love," told me, "I think we should designate a special day where anyone standing in a line of any kind is legally required to shimmy from side to side like they do in the beginning of the video. The DMV alone would be spectacular." A combination of blue-eyed soul and Brit-Pop, lead singer Michael "Fitz" Fitzpatrick and his Tantrums bring it oh so mighty live, with a great rhythm section, horns, a Hammond B3 organ, and a killer accompanying singer, Noelle Scaggs. Resistance of a combo such as this is futile, so know in advance that legs and feet attached to one's booty will experience major movement; shoes and clothing should be prepared accordingly.

FATT opened many dates as of late for Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings (including the New Year's Eve show this last year at the 930 Club), and of the many acts I saw at this year's SXSW, they were one that immediately lodged themselves in my top 5. So get yourself to the Cat on Saturday and prepare to groove, move, and rock your your booty clean into Prince Georges County. That is one trip to Maryland I can promise you'll be glad to make...





Fitz & the Tantrums EP Songs for a Break Up, Vol. 1 is out now, with a full length coming 8/24.

Seen Your Video: "10 Cent Pistol" by The Black Keys on Jimmy Fallon

The Black Keys is a band I go back and forth on. Some of their tracks, I have to be in a particular mood to listen to...I can't do it constant. But others, I flat out loooove whenever and wherever ("I'll be Your Man" and "10 AM Automatic" are two of these). That dirty, gritty, naughty little sound of theirs is so compelling...

"10 Cent Pistol" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night. The Keys' newest release,Brothers, came out last week.

Washington's 930 Club to Host Mammoth Show for 30th Anniversary Celebration This Monday...for Free!

DC has become my adopted city since I moved here after grad school for my first "real" job. It's a city that has its problems, but it also contains some amazing aspects as well. For a music dork like myself, at the top of this list of amazing DC elements definitely includes the 930 Club.

My first experience to the 930 was at its old location, on 930 F St.,to see Paul Westerberg on his first solo tour after the Replacements in 1993. By the time I'd moved back in 2002, the club had relocated six years prior to a bigger and better (and definitely cleaner) location at 815 V St. The place routinely gets the bigger name acts in terms of indie rock and there's really not a bad sight-line in the place. Definitely one of the better places to see a show.

2010 marks the 930 Club's 30th anniversary (for a great oral history of the place, go here), and May 31st is the exact day in 1982 that the first concert was held. To celebrate, they're putting on an amazing anniversary show this Monday, 5/31...for free even! “We wanted to do something really different, we want to be surrounded by people who have made this place special, and we found out from the Virgin Mobile FreeFest how much fun it is to give tickets away, so we combined it altogether for our 30th Anniversary concert,” said I.M.P. Chairman and co-owner of the 9:30 Club Seth Hurwitz.

The lineup inclues surprise guests ("stars with D.C. roots") and "acts that hold special meaning to the 9:30 Club and its role in the independent music scene, that have been instrumental to the 9:30 Club’s history," they said.

No kidding...To start, the evening’s host will be D.C native Henry Rollins, which is worth it alone. And then there are the bands which will include:

Tiny Desk Unit – the first band to play at the original 9:30 Club. Its keyboard player is no stranger to the new club. It’s Bob Boilen, of NPR – the guy that broadcasts All Songs Considered shows from the 9:30 Club for the entire world to hear.

The Fleshtones – these CBGB grads were the very first band then-independent promoter Seth Hurwitz booked at the 9:30 Club, back when Carter was in office. Since then, Seth and partner Rich Heinecke bought the Club, Jimmy went on to start Habitat for Humanity and the Fleshtones have been doing what they do: recording and touring.

Tommy Keene – Bethesda native, played the original 9:30 Club with his band Razz, known for being one of the most critically acclaimed authentic power pop acts.

The Slickee Boys – the punk-psychedelic punk rock band may very well hold the all-time record of most times playing the 9:30 Club with 79 appearances. Monday will be 80!

The Psychedelic Furs – the very first “Big Act” booked at the 9:30 Club, the English rock band was one of the most successful acts spawned from the punk, new wave scene.

Marti Jones & Don Dixon - back when radio “broke” artists – D.C.’s alternative station WHFS catapulted this duo to fame, and they packed the Club with fans eager to hear hits like “Praying Mantis”

Clutch - Germantown, Md., based internationally-traveling metal funk band cut its teeth at the 9:30 Club, and returns every year to sold out houses. The band just released a two-disc DVD “Clutch Live at the 9:30 Club” with material going back as far as 1991.

Trouble Funk - one of the best live bands ever gave the 9:30 Club patrons their first taste of Go-Go. Like they say, once you go Go-Go, you never go back.

The Evens – is headed by the seminal figure in alternative music Ian MacKaye. While known around the world as the front man of Minor Threat and Fugazi, and a bastion of rock integrity in the music industry, he’s always been “just Ian” to the 9:30 Club.

Justin Jones – represents the future of the 9:30 Club, with his soul-filled Americana sound, Justin has opened the club a dozen times for acts like ZZ Top, Loretta Lynn and Cheryl Crow. His next CD will be the 1st release on the 9:30 Club record label later this summer.

The Pietasters - they met at Virginia Tech, horns in hand 20 years ago – and the soul ska band comes back home to D.C. playing to full 9:30 Club houses every time.

Ted Leo – though he was born in Indiana and grew up in Jersey, Washington D.C. and the 9:30 Club are running through the veins of this Indie rock doc, most notably known for his association with pharmacists.

Bob Mould - in all his incarnations, starting with alternative rock band Hüsker Dü, Bob has always considered the 9:30 Club his home. In other worlds, getting the blowoff is a bad thing. But thanks to Bob Mould, it’s a D.C. favorite. Bob, who lived in D.C. for years, takes his Blowoff dance party to the 9:30 Club every month, and now he takes that show on the road. (from press release)

In terms of tickets...

-Members of the 9:30 Club Forum, and subscribers to Volume, the 9:30 Club’s print newsletter, and the 9:30 Club's email list will receive the first opportunity to secure tickets by lottery. Instructions will be sent out via these forums today about lottery inclusion. If you're in, you'll be notified no later than Sunday.

-A very limited number of tickets will be available at the door on Monday, 5/31, first come, first served. We'll provide an update as soon as we hear an exact time.

Update (5/28): Looks like doors are opening at 5 pm. However, if you're hoping to score a ticket at the door, it's highly recommended you get there well before that.

Darker My Love's New Record Out in August, Announces UK Tour Dates with Band of Horses

Darker My Love announced that their new record, titled Alive as you Are is coming out 8/17 (USA) and 7/26 (UK) on Dangerbird Records.

Give a Listen: Dear Author-Darker My Love/Buy Alive as You Are (out 8/17)

The band is also on the forthcoming The Psychedelic Sounds Of The Sonic Cathedral: A Tribute To Roky Erickson And The 13th Floor Elevators , out 6/7 on Sonic Cathedral Recordings, with a cover of "She Lives (In a Time of Her Own)."

The tribute will be available on limited-edition yellow vinyl, CD, and mp3 download upon release. The full tracklisting is as follows:

1. Roky Erickson & The Black Angels – Roller Coaster
2. The Strange Attractors – Reverberation (Doubt)
3. All The Saints – Don’t Fall Down
4. A Place To Bury Strangers – Tried To Hide
5. Dead Meadow – Kingdom Of Heaven
6. Darker My Love – She Lives (In A Time Of Her Own)
7. Sarabeth Tucek – Splash 1 (Now I’m Home)
8. Lower Heaven – Fire Engine
9. Hush Arbors – Dr Doom
10. Cheval Sombre ft. Sonic Boom – You Don’t Love Me Yet
11. Le Volume Courbe ft. Kevin Sheilds – I Love The Living You
12. Black Acid – Unforced Peace
13. I Break Horses – Goodbye Sweet Dreams

Give a Listen: She Lives (In a Time of Her Own)-Darker My Love (13th Floor Elevators Cover)/Buy The Psychedelic Sounds Of The Sonic Cathedral: A Tribute To Roky Erickson And The 13th Floor Elevators (out 6/7)

Beginning 6/4 in Dublin, Ireland, the band will head out on a six-date run with Band of Horses throughout the United Kingdom. A full North American tour will be announced shortly, most likely for mid-summer/fall.

DARKER MY LOVE TOUR DATES-JUNE 2010
2: King Tuts Glasgow, Scotland *
4: Tripod Dublin, Ireland
5: Autie Annies Belfast, UK *
6: Music Live Festival Middlebrough, UK *
7: Junction Cambridge, UK
8: Ritz Manchester, UK
9: Roundhouse London, UK
10: Boston Arms London, UK - supporting Serena Maneesh
11: O2 Academy Oxford, UK
12: Unit Southampton, UK *
13: Nation of Shopkeepers Leeds, UK *
14: Wulfrun Hall Wolverhampton, UK
15: Scala London, UK - supporting Ariel Pink
17: Lexington London, UK

* without Band of Horses

Delta Spirit Release Video on the Making of History From Below

Delta Spirit @ Dickies Day Party, SXSW 2010 Day 2 (3-18-2010), originally uploaded by BetweenLoveandLike.

Delta Spirit's new record History From Below comes out 6/8 (Rounder), and many of the tracks I got to see first hand this year at their SXSW Dickies Day Party in March. There's a lot of power going on in this record, both of the immediate ["Bushwick Blues," "Golden State"] and the simmering ["White Table," "Ransom Man"] varieties. DS's previous release Ode to Sunshine was great, but History seems more mature somehow, both musically and lyrically; they really went a step above for sure. What's also great is that they put the song "Vivian" on History. A song about lead singer/guitarist Matt Vasquez's grandparents, I first saw this song back in 2008 when they played the Rock n Roll Hotel and was knocked clean off my feet by its emotion. Vasquez's turn of a phrase never ceases to wow me.

Stream a Listen:Vivian-Delta Spirit/Buy History from Below (out 6/8)
(Note: The Firefox brower has issues with this player for some reason; best viewed with Safari or IE)


They released a little video today about the making of History From Below. Produced by My Morning Jacket's keyboardist Bo Koster and Eli Thomson, it was recorded at Prairie Sun Studio C in Cotati, CA -- the same place Tom Waits has recorded almost exclusively since 1991.

U2's North American tour cancelled

130_U2 with Muse, FedEx Field, Upper Marlboro, MD (9-29-09), originally uploaded by BetweenLoveandLike.

Reuters reported today U2's entire North American leg of their world tour and their Glastonbury Festival appearance has been cancelled to allow lead singer Bono to recuperate from the emergency back surgery he had last week in Germany.

Bono has been told to recuperate for at least eight weeks and band manager Paul McGuinness, speaking to Reuters outside the Munich hospital where the operation was performed on Friday, said the 50-year-old singer "feels awful" about the tour changes, which will affect over a million fans. "Clearly this is a serious injury and the recuperation time necessary to rehabilitate Bono is a big problem for the U2 tour and has unfortunately necessitated the postponement of 16 shows in North America," he said. "Those shows were to occur between June 3 in Salt Lake City and July 19 in Meadowlands Stadium."

The earliest possible date for Bono's return, according to the band's website, would be August 6 in Turin, Italy. U2 were to have been the headline act on the main stage at Glastonbury on June 25.

"I'm heartbroken," Bono said in a statement posted on the festival's website. "We really wanted to be there to do something really special -- we even wrote a song especially for the festival."

As well as the band and fans, the injury will also hit Live Nation, the music concert company which signed a 12-year deal to handle merchandising, digital and branding rights and touring for one of the world's most successful bands. "Obviously Bono feels terrible about missing these shows and we are working as fast as we can with Live Nation to reinstate them and reschedule them for next year," McGuinness said. "For a performer like him to miss shows is a terrible thing and he feels awful about it. He shouldn't. The most important thing is for him to get better and return to his full power as a performer."

Joerg Tonn, the neurosurgeon treating the star, described Bono's condition as a "sudden onset disease" which caused temporary partial paralysis. The injury happened while the singer was training in preparation for the tour. "He was already in severe pain with partial paralysis of the lower leg. The ligaments surrounding the disc had an eight millimeter tear and during surgery we discovered fragments of the disc had travelled into the spine canal. The surgery was the only cause of treatment for full recovery and to avoid further paralysis. Bono is now much better with complete recovery of his motor-deficit.
"His prognosis is excellent but to obtain a sustainable result he must now enter a period of rehabilitation."

The 2009 part of the tour helped the band earn $109 million last year, according to music journal Billboard. The U2 360 Tour, so-called because fans surround a giant circular platform, was predicted to become the highest-grossing tour in history.

KCRW Streaming New Delta Spirit Record

The great KCRW announced today its exclusive agreement to stream Delta Spirit's upcoming release, History From Below (Rounder). The record, out 6/8, will be available until 6/22 on KCRW's preview site.

Seen Your Video: "123 Stop" by The Postelles

I first saw Brooklyn's The Postelles at SXSW a couple years back and loved their lo-fi do-wop sound. I got to see them open for The Wrens in Baltimore on Saturday and as usual, their high energy enthusiasm live made me wish I could dance AND hold a camera still at the same time. It's also made me listen to nothing but their EP, White Night, that came out earlier this year, and "123 Stop," which came out on their earlier self-titled EP.

The band is off to Bonnaroo again this year but the video below is them doing "123 Stop" acoustic at Bonnaroo '08. Lead singer Daniel Balk's voice seems so effortless.



The Postelles first full-length release comes out 7/27 on Capitol/Astralwerks.

Give a Listen: 123 Stop-The Postelles

Learn How the Story Ends! EELS Releasing Last Record of Trilogy Set in August, Announce World Tour Dates

Word came today that Mark Everett and his latest combination of players are putting out a new EELS record in August. Out 8/24, Tomorrow Morning (E Works Records) is the final installment of the triology that included 2009's Hombre Lobo and End Times from earlier this year.

A world tour starts 8/3 in Santa Ana, CA as a warm-up show, hits three continents, then returns to the States/Canada in mid-September. Additional dates are to follow.

Give a Listen: Little Bird-EELS/Buy End Times

EELS 2010 World Tour
August 3-Santa Ana, California Galaxy Theater - warm-up show
August 7, 8-Tokyo, Japan Marine Stadium, Summersonic Festival
August 13-Brisbane, Australia The Tivoli
August 14-Sydney, Australia The Enmore Theater
August 15-Melbourne, Australia The Palace
August 20-Hasselt, Belgium Pukkelpop Festival
August 21-Stafford, UK V Festival
August 22-Chelmsford, UK V Festival
August 24-Glasgow, UKAcademy
August 26-Birmingham, UKAcademy
August 28-Zurich, Switzerland Winterhur Festival
August 29-Paris, France Rock en Seine Festival
August 30-Amsterdam, Holland Paradiso
September 1-London, UKBrixton Academy
September 3-Dublin, IrelandElectric Picnic Festival
September 4-Manchester, UKAcademy
September 5-Luxembourg, LuxembourgDen Atelier
September 6-Groningen, HollandOosterpoort
September 7-Hamburg, GermanyGrosse Freiheit
September 8-Copenhagen, DenmarkVega
September 10-Berlin, GermanyAstra
September 11-Munich, Germany Theaterfabrik
September 12-Vienna, Austria Arena
September 13-Graz, Austria Orpheum
September 14-Hohenems, AustriaEventcenter
September 15-Milan, ItalyAlcatraz
September 17-Barcelona, SpainBikini
September 19-Lisbon, Portugal Coliseum
September 22-Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live
September 23-Richmond, VA, The National Theater
September 24-Boston, MA, The Royal
September 25-New York, NY, Terminal 5
September 26-Washington, DC, 9:30 Club
September 28-Montreal, Canada,Le National
September 29-Toronto, Canada, The Mod
September 30-Detroit, MI, The Crofoot
October 1-Chicago, IL, The Metro
October 2-Milwaukee, WI, The Pabst Theater
October 3-Minneapolis, MN, First Avenue
October 5-Denver, CO, The Odgen Theater
October 6-Salt Lake City, UT, The Complex
October 8-Portland, OR, Roseland
October 9-Seattle, WA, (TBA)
October 11-San Francisco, CA, The Fillmore
October 12-Los Angeles, CA, The Henry Fonda Theater

The Postelles Release Cover Art for Debut, Announce Tour Dates

I discovered The Postelles a couple of years ago at SXSW and fell head over heels with their uptempo modern take on surf-pop...think The Strokes playing something like Herman's Hermits. The sheer number of lead singer Daniel Balk's "oh oh oh's" will start your toes tapping and your hips swiveling in time to drummer Billy Cadden's 4/4 drum beats.

They're finally releasing their self-titled full-length debut record on 7/27 (Capitol/Astralwerks) and the cover was put out today (above). They're playing Bonnaroo, as well as headlining at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC in July, but in May they're opening for The Wrens and in June for Alberta Cross. The Wrens will hold their own but Alberta Cross? Boys, you better be ready, your opener is so good they just might steal your audience.

Give a Listen: White Night-The Postelles/Buy The Postelles

The Postelles Tour Dates (June)
(opening for The Wrens)
21 May: First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
22 May: Sonar, Baltimore, MD
(opening for Alberta Cross)
1 Jun: Great Scott, Allston, MA
2 Jun: Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
4 Jun: Rock and Roll Hotel, Washington, DC
6 Jun: Maxwells, Hoboken, NJ
---------------
10 Jun: Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN
12 Jun: Bonnaroo Sonic Stage, Manchester, TN
28 Jul: Bowery Ballroom, NY, NY (record release show)

Henry Clay People Announce Summer Tour Dates with Silversun Pickups

SXSW 2010, Day 2: Henry Clay People @ Aquarium Drunkard Day Party (3-17-2010), originally uploaded by BetweenLoveandLike.

The Henry Clay People is a band we've long rocked out to around here. Their songs of fist-pumping choruses and driving guitars (made even better now with full-time keyboardist Jordan Hudock), mixed with the slower, almost mournful stuff that can only be conveyed by a talented slide guitar player (lead guitarst Andy Siara), make for a band that's definitely not a one-song pony with every song sounding the same.

HCP has opened for a multitude of bands at this point (Ben Harper and The Airborne Toxic Event being two), and just came back from dates with Drive-By Truckers. Next up will be a two-month tour with fellow Silver Lake-area friends, Silversun Pickups, which starts just after their first full-lenth release, Somewhere On the Golden Coast comes out on 6/8 (tbd Records). Both bands put on powerful stage shows, but HCP have been known to win over and take out an audience, so look for the intensity to be amplified with both sets.

Give a Listen: Your Famous Friends-The Henry Clay People/Buy Somewhere On the Golden Coast

Henry Clay People June/July Tour With Silversun Pickups
June 15th- Hard Rock Cafe,Orlando, Fl
June 16th - Sunset Cove Amphitheater, Boca Raton, FL
June 18th - Ritz, Tampa, FL
June 19th - The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA
June 20th – Sunset Theatre At Disco Rodeo, Raleigh, NC
June 21st - The National, Richmond, VA
June 23rd - DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, DC
June 24th - Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ
June 25th - Williamsburg Waterfront, Brooklyn, NY
June 27th - Landsdowne Street, Boston, MA
June 28th - Great Plaza at Penns Landing, Philly, PA
June 29th - The Sound Academy, Toronto, ON
July 2 - The Fillmore, Detroit, MI
July 3 - Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL
July 4 – Summerfest, Milwaukee, WI
July 16 - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
July 17th - Marquee Theatre, Tempe, AZ
July 19th - Stubb's, Austin, TX
July 20th - Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
July 21st - Palladium Ballroom, Dallas, TX
July 24th - Live on the Fair St Louis, St Louis, MO
July 26th - The Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO
July 27th - The Rail, Salt Lake City, UT
July 29th - Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR
July 31 - The Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA
Aug 7th - Soma, San Diego, CA

More Superchunk Dates Announced, New Record Set for Fall Release

SXSW 2010, Day 3: Superchunk @ Village Voice day party, La Zona Rosa (3-19-2010), originally uploaded by BetweenLoveandLike.

I did my graduate work in the wonderful bastions of indie music, Raleigh and Chapel Hill, NC. One band from that area that I was always bummed I never got to see during my time there was Superchunk. So when I learned they were playing SXSW this year at the Village Voice Day Party, I penned in their time slot, vs most everyone else who was in pencil. Am I ever so glad too... I think the words I texted to a travelmate after were "I think I have just seen God."

Superchunk isn't one to do a ton of touring these days, so it was really great to post awhile back that they were doing a few live dates. And as they did a couple new songs, "Digging for Something" and "Everything at Once," at the Village Voice show, we were also wondering if a new record was in the works or were they just...tinkering?

It seems the answer is a "yes" (yayayayay). Stereogum reported recently that the record will be called Majesty Shredding, the first release since 2001's Here's to Shutting Up. The release date is looking like fall, though there is no hard release date just yet. Scott Solter [Okkervil River, John Vanderslice, The Mountain Goats] is producing.

East coast tour dates were also announced for fall so let's hope that the release time for Majesty Shredding holds. Superchunk appears to have that "Replacements Factor" that I love, a band that can be hit or miss on record but live makes your brain melt, so it would be great to be able to catch the new stuff in a live setting first.

Give a Listen: Say My Name (Destiny's Child cover)-Superchunk

05.21.10 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle
05.27.10 - Barcelona, ES - Primavera Sound Festival *
06.19.10 - Denver, CO - Westword Music Festival
06.20.10 - Chicago, IL - Taste of Randolph Street Festival #
07.24.10 - Omaha, NE - MAHA Music Festival
09.17.10 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
09.18.10 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
09.19.10 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
09.21.10 - Boston, MA - Royale
09.22.10 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero

* w. Pavement & The Fall
# w. The Love Language

Last Night's Rainforest Benefit @ Carnegie Hall-This Year's Theme "Top 40 Hits from Proms"

When I first saw this, I didn't know what it was from...it seemed like a weird 70s variety show as it has singers, dancing men in underpants, Elton John, a draq queen (oh wait, that's Lady GaGa heh). But nope this is Debbie Harry, Bruce Springsteen, Lady GaGa, Elton John, Shirley Bassey, and Sting at last night's Rainforest Concert at Carnegie Hall in NYC.

Every year, this benefit has a "theme;" given the setlist from this year, I believe it may have been "prom songs" or "Top 40 Hits of the Last Few Decades" because it includes Madonna's "Material Girl," Springsteen's "Dancin in the Dark," Elton John's "Philadelphia Freedom," among others. Obviously the person filming is a Lady Gaga fan given all the zooming in on her and such. And I'm such a girl, I kept looking at Gaga's boots thinking, "Those kind of look like the Alexander McQueen "Claw" boots, I wish they'd do a decent shot of them."

The video below is from the "all-star jam" at the end that was...wait for it...Journey's "Don't Stop Believin." Do not adjust your computer, what you are about to see really is real.

Seen Your Video: The Hold Steady Take Over the Colbert Report

The Hold Steady was on The Colbert Report last night. Colbert had a few words with lead singer/guitarist Craig Finn and lead guitarist Tad Kubler to start. Best line:
Colbert: "Do you rip off Mother Theresa a lot? Tad, does she get a cut?"

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Hold Steady
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Fox News

Then the band came out for a performance of "Hurricane J" from the latest record Heaven is Whenever. I kind of dig Finn doing the second chorus alone without all of the "whoaa-oh-oh-oh," which differs from the recorded version...changes it up a bit you know?

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Hold Steady - Hurricane J
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Fox News

Gaslight Anthem at the Stone Pony Presale Happening, uh, NOW!

Gaslight Anthem @ 930 Club, Washington, DC (10-22-09)-1024, originally uploaded by BetweenLoveandLike.

Like Gaslight Anthem? Well sure you do. Want to see them in a place like The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ? You should want to (history, man, history. And a stone's throw from the beach).

If so then read on, because I just got the word, the presale is happening for this 8/5show here as we speak. With them this round will be Frank Turner and William Elliott Whitmore. (They'll be on the Pony's Summerstage, which I believe is another word for "outdoors.") Who knows, you might even get a onstage appearance by Asbury's favorite son, as he's known to be a fan of the band.

Public onsale is tomorrow at noon, EST here.

"Gulf Aid," A Benefit Concert for NOLA, Announced

Gah it's been a stupid crazy busy around here this week with the day job having all sorts of deadlines so we apologize for the radio silence. Thanks for sticking with us, all three of you (that includes you Mom, hi!) Anyway on to it...

Times are not good here. The city is crumbling into ashes. It has been buried under a lava flood of taxes and frauds and maladministrations so that it has become only a study for archaeologists. Its condition is so bad that when I write about it, as I intend to do soon, nobody will believe I am telling the truth. But it is better to live here in sackcloth and ashes than to own the whole state of Ohio.-(19th cent writer Lafcadio Hearn about NOLA, roughly 1879, when thousands died from yellow fever)

We love us some New Orleans around here so the whole crazy oil rig explosion madness down there is heart-breaking. Just when they're starting to really get it back together after Katrina, to then get hit with this...I heard recently from people down there who said the smell of oil is just permeating everything and everywhere throughout the city. What's next, a deluge of locusts?

The great radio station down there, WWOZ, announced they're holding a benefit concert at Mardi Gras World's River City Plaza in New Orleans this Sunday (5/16), from noon-10pm, "to raise funds for efforts to stop the oil from destroying our wetlands, as well as to provide financial aid to fishermen and their families."

If you like NOLA-style music, it's quite a lineup. Thus far, they have:
Mos Def, John Legend, Lenny Kravitz, Allen Toussaint, Ani DiFranco, The Voice of the Wetlands Allstars (featuring Tab Benoit, Dr. John, Cyril Neville, George Porter Jr., Waylon Thibodeaux, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Johnny Sansone, and Johnny Vidacovich), Beausoleil, Steve Riley and The Mamou Playboys with Jon Cleary, Marcia Ball, Zachary Richard, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, Soul Rebels Brass Band, Irvin Mayfield's Playhouse Revue, Kermit Ruffins and the BBQ Swingers, Jeremy Davenport, Rebirth Brass Band, Big Sam's Funky Nation, Shamarr Allen, and MyNameIsJohnMichael, with more to be announced.

Tickets are $50 and available here. Funds will be distributed to organizations to focus on two key elements of recovery: the wetlands/coastal environmental issues and the well-being of fishermen and the regional seafood industry.

If you're not in the area, WWOZ will be broadcasting live from the concert (listen here). Be sure to send in a few pennies too, which you can do online or by mail (Gulf Relief Foundation, P.O. Box 6917, Metairie, LA 70009).

Give a Listen: Trouble in Mind-Richie Havens/Preservation Hall Jazz Band/Buy Preservation: An Album To Benefit Preservation Hall & The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program

Drive-By Truckers Stage Backdrop Stolen from San Diego HOB, Patterson Hood Prints Open Letter for Return

Anyone in San Diego see a neighbor's garage with a fancy new funky painted backdrop that oh, may be used on a stage somewhere?

Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers would like to hear from you then. It seems after a recent show in San Diego, someone decided to walk off with the floor-to-ceiling backdrop designed by DBTs artist-of-choice, Wes Freed. Hood put out an open letter to the culprit asking for its return. Apparently they know what the person looks like and such (security tapes) and won't prosecute if it's returned. If not though...and Hood never struck me as someone you want to mess with.

My question is: how on earth does one get out of a venue like House of Blues with a floor to ceiling size stage backdrop and no one notices???

Open Letter to the Guy who stole our backdrop in San Diego:

OK guy, let's assume you were drunk and just being a stupid idiot for a night.

Shit Happens. I've done stupid shit while drunk too (although never as badly as you did the other night).

Let's just say, we know who you are and I'd like to offer you the chance to redeem yourself and perhaps save yourself some hurt.Drive-By Truckers is not some faceless corporate conglomerate. We are very much a family business.

One that is running its affairs on a hairline budget during these tough economic times.

We're making a living, but we have to watch every penny to do so.In short, you just stole about a thousand dollars from our children and that really pisses me off.

Especially since we were personally hospitable to you when you sneaked backstage last night.

That's Right. We know who you are and saw the film, in fact we have it in our possession.

See, House of Blues is a big corporation so everything everybody does there is on tape from many angles.

We know your face and what you were wearing and we have you on tape stealing our backdrop.

We know what you do for a living too.

We will go to the authorities and prosecute you fully.

Or, you can send us back our backdrop. Anonymously. No questions asked.

Mail it immediately to
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS
PO BOX 667
ATHENS GA 30601

Oh and don't ever do it again, because we will be watching out for you,

Yours Sincerely and Pissed,
Patterson Hood
Drive-By Truckers

Jimmy Fallon Hosting Weeklong "Exile on Main Street" Celebration Starting Monday

I'm not a huge fan of The Rolling Stones necessarily, but I've long had a special place for their 1972 classic, Exile on Main Street. It's a record that seems to have everything emotionally: danger, redemption, celebration, sadness...If you know the history of the recording sessions, it seems to make the story that the songs portray look like a Greek tragedy.

The record is being reissued on 5/18 with 10 additional tracks that are from that period but never before released. Leading up to that, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is devoting all of next week's shows to the record and the Stones, and is having musical guests perform selected songs from the record each night. Green Day will start the week off on Monday, Tuesday will have Keith Urban, Wednesday will be Sheryl Crow, and Thursday, Phish. Throughout the week, artists will sit in with the Fallon house, band, The Roots. Taj Mahal is slated for Monday, Pearl Jam's Mike McCready on Tuesday, the Rolling Stones' keyboardist Chuck Leavell on Wednesday, and Dr. John on Thursday.

This is the best part though...Rounding out the week, Fallon will be showing Stones in Exile, a documentary about "Exile on Main Street" (out 6/22) with limited commercial interruptions. The film was developed to complement the release of the reissue, and it features rare, never-before-seen archival film from the time during the recording in France, photos and interviews as well as new conversations with the band and artists they have influenced. Frankly, that's the part I'm most interested in...the atmosphere during the recording of the record was said to have made a huge impact on the record itself and if you know the history, you'll definitely see the record in a new light. Forbes magazine had a great quote on this:

The Beatles had Abbey Road Studios; Elton John had his Honky Château, but no studio had the mystery or the aloof cachet of the Villa Nellcôte, where the Rolling Stones recorded what some consider to be their finest album, 'Exile On Main St'.... captures that moment in time - the steamy summer of 1971 - when high society, showbiz, youth culture and the underworld all became one fabulous decadent mélange. At least, that's how it looked from the outside. Judging from the photos in Exile, it's pretty much how it felt on the inside, too."

Give a Listen:
-Loving Cup (outtake from Exile on Main Street sessions)-The Rolling Stones

-Plundered My Soul-The Rolling Stones

Buy Exile on Main Street, Deluxe Edition (Extra tracks, Original recording remastered)

Three is the Magic Numb-a! We're Giving Away Three Copies The Hold Steady's Heaven is Whenever

Here's a poorly kept secret around here: we love The Hold Steady a whole bunch. Their newest record, Heaven is Whenever dropped yesterday and it's really good. And we want you to hear how good it is too, so we're giving away three copies!

Interested? Drop us an email here or leave us a comment below with the name of your favorite Hold Steady song, and we'll choose three people at random. Contest will end Tuesday, 5/11 at midnight, EST. Good luck!

Give a Listen: Touchless (HIW extra track)-The Hold Steady/Buy Heaven is Whenever

Feeling Lucky? Donate to KCRW, Possibly Go See The National in NYC

If you have tuned into the local DC NPR station, WAMU, the last couple of days, you know the recent member drive has begun. Sure they're annoying to listen to, but pledge and member drives are what keep stations like WAMU in business. However, I often wonder who thinks up the giveaways with each pledge; I know they want folks to feel like they're getting something materially tangible perhaps for their $50 pledge, but really, a coffee mug? Me, I'd rather donate and get a thank you note than a mug that cost me $50.

I think perhaps NPR's flagship station for Southern California, KCRW 89.9 FM, which hosts one of the greatest and influential music shows around, Morning Becomes Eclectic, may have just hit on one of better pledge gifts I've seen, at least if you're a music nerd-a chance to win tickets!

“The National Live in NYC Flyaway Sweepstakes" was annnounced today, which is a special sweepstakes for a trip for two to NYC to see The National perform a special benefit concert for the Red Hot AIDS charity on Saturday, 5/15 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in NYC. The winner will fly to NYC on Friday, 5/14 and have two nights at the ACE Hotel in Manhattan. Transportation to the hotel and concert are also included.

Rules and whatnot for the contest can be found here, but the gist of it is this: Anyone who joins, renews or makes an additional donation to KCRW between Tuesday, 5/4 (that's today!) and Friday, 5/7 at noon, will be automatically entered to win. KCRW Star Members, who contribute on a monthly basis, are automatically entered as well. Donations can be done online even (here).

What's also cool? The concert will be webcast live on You Tube and filmed by DA Pennebaker, the man who's directed such legendary movies like Bob Dylan's "Don't Look Back," David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars," and "The War Room," a documentary from the end of Bill Clinton's '92 Presidential Campaign.

To top it all off, KCRW is currently streaming all of High Violet, The National's forthcoming record that's out next Tuesday.

Great stuff all 'round and for a great cause...

Tickets do go sale for the show via the BAM Box Office on Thursday, 5/6.

Give a Listen: Runaway-The National/Buy High Violet

Morning Benders Announce Summer Tour with Black Keys, Broken Bells

SXSW 2010 Day 4: The Morning Benders @ the Stereogum "Range Life" Day Party (3-20-2010)-6358, originally uploaded by BetweenLoveandLike.

The Morning Benders started out with lead singer/guitarist Chris Chu, a guitar, and his computer. Eventually he added additional members, put out a couple EPs, and did a massive amount of touring. They've since moved from the west coast (San Francisco) to the east coast (Brooklyn), got picked up by Rough Trade Records, put out a great first full length called Big Echo, brought in Chu's brother, Jonathan, to play guitar and keyboards, and....are still doing a massive amount of touring. Like I-hope-no-one-has-a-cat-or-a-plant amount of touring because they always seem to be on the road.

Not to stop what seems to be a good thing, the band announced their summer tour dates today, opening for Broken Bells until early June, then for The Black Keys in July and August.

They'll also be heading to Europe in June/July for UK/Europe headlining dates to coincide with the June 28th release of Big Echo over there.

Give a Listen: Excuses-The Morning Benders/Buy Big Echo

The Morning Benders US Tour Dates, Summer 2010
May 18th || Humphreys Concerts by the Bay || San Diego, CA*
May 19th || Henry Fonda Theatre || Los Angeles, CA || SOLD OUT*
May 21st || Regency Ballroom || San Francisco, CA || SOLD OUT*
May 24th || Wonder Ballroom || Portland, OR || SOLD OUT*
May 25th || Showbox at the Market || Seattle, WA || SOLD OUT*
May 26th || Commodore Ballroom || Vancouver, BC*
May 29th || Gothic Theatre || Englewood, CO*
May 31st || Vic Theatre || Chicago, IL || SOLD OUT*
June 1st || St. Andrews Hall || Detroit, MI*
June 2nd || Queen Elizabeth Theatre || Toronto, ON*
June 4th || Royale NightClub || Boston, MA*
June 5th || The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza || New York, NY || SOLD OUT*
June 6th || Electric Factory || Philadelphia, PA*
June 7th || 9:30 Club || Washington, D.C. || SOLD OUT*
June 10th || Center Stage || Atlanta, GA || SOLD OUT*
June 11th || 40 Watt Club || Athens, GA*
July 26th || DAR Constitution Hall || Washington, DC#
July 27th || Central Park Summerstage || New York, NY || SOLD OUT#
July 28th || Central Park Summerstage || New York, NY#
July 30th || Great Plaza at Penn's Landing || Philadelphia, PA#
July 31st || Bank of America Pavilion || Boston, MA#
August 3rd || Kool Haus || Toronto, ON#
August 4th || Kool Haus || Toronto, ON#
August 6-8th || Lollapalooza || Chicago, IL
August 7th || Metro || Chicago, IL#
August 8th || Val Air Ballroom || Des Moines, IA#
August 9th || Anchor Inn || Omaha, NE#
August 11th || Iroquois Amphitheater || Louisville, KY#
August 12th || Ryman Auditorium || Nashville, TN#
August 13th || The LC Amphitheater || Columbus, OH#
August 14th || The Fillmore Detroit || Detroit, MI#

* with Broken Bells
# with The Black Keys

Seen Your Video: "The Weekender" by The Hold Steady on Late Night with David Letterman

The Hold Steady's new record comes out this week (oh it's soooo goood), and they're starting the late night show circuit accordingly. They're playing and sitting down to talk with Stephen Colbert on The Colbert Report on 5/13 (Craig Finn chatting with Colbert? Two of my favorite witty Catholics go great together), and played David Letterman this past Friday. "The Weekender" is, by far, one of my favorites on Heaven is Whenever and I cannot wait to see it all live and in person myself (July! Memphis! With The Whigs!)