Peter Gabriel has long been a monster in the music biz, immortalizing himself with hits like "Solsbury Hill," "Sledgehammer," and "In Your Eyes".  It's the former Genesis lead singer's place in the classic rock canon that makes his most recent album so surprising: a cover album.  And among the classic rock hits he reinvents (Bowie, The Kinks, Paul Simon, Lou Reed, Neil Young), Gabriel also pays homage to the present indie scene.  The list includes Bon Iver, Regina Spektor, The Magnetic Fields, and Arcade Fire.  There's also some Radiohead in there, too - something I never thought I'd hear from Mr. Gabriel.  

"Haunted" is the first word that comes to mind listening to Scratch My Back. Heavy strings hit hopeful chords among the somber melodies.  Bowie's "Heroes" is the first track and the tune is nearly unrecognizable.  You don't even think David Bowie. Gabriel makes "Heroes" his own in a way that irrevocably changes the tone.  It evokes Nirvana's transformative effect on another Bowie classic, "The Man Who Sold the World."

When Cobain performed that song, he was just attaining a level of success.  The name of the band was beginning to spread across the lips of disaffected American youth. Peter Gabriel doesn't need to work anymore, much less make a cover album. Scratch my Back, then, is a labor of love (Kurt's was too, I know).  Lyrics drive this album, with Gabriel sticking religiously to a minimalist touch.  His minimalism is notable in Paul Simon's "The Boy in the Bubble." The infectiously poppy opening track on Simon's Graceland album is turned into a slow, emotional ballad. 

With such a personal selection of songs, it's worth noting that the more familiar songs struck stronger chords in me.  Scratch is by no stretch of the imagination an exciting album.  It is, however, very emotional. And make no mistake, although lyrics dictated flow, Peter Gabriel is a master composer. Within the careful minimalism, he creates a richly textured, evocative soundscape.  And his voice is as ghostly as his keys.

Highlights include the covers of "My Body is a Cage" (Arcade Fire), "Philadelphia" (Neil Young), and "Flume" (Bon Iver).  "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" (Radiohead) is the extreme manifestation of minimalism I was talking about, and as a result, it's disconnected. I don't know if I'd like this song if I'd never heard Radiohead, but I certainly don't feel it as is. Frankly, he sounds broken until he does something cool by suddenly kicking in  a creepy violin and Gabriel comes off like a carnie performer. But then it's back to the broken voice. The man sounds like he's dying! And then he moans, and the pain returns from before, but it's deeper now, and it's guttural and you cannot help but feel it: "Immerse your soul in love", he says.  Within the bleak world of the album, this is nothing less than a heroic battle cry.

Track list:

1. Heroes (David Bowie)
2. The Boy in the Bubble (Paul Simon)
3. Mirrorball (Elbow)
4. Flume (Bon Iver)
5. Listening Wind (Talking Heads)
6. The Power of the Heart (Lou Reed)
7. My Body Is a Cage (Arcade Fire)
8. The Book of Love (The Magnetic Fields)
9. I Think it's Going to Rain Today (Randy Newman)
10. Apres Moi (Regina Spektor)
11. Philadelphia (Neil Young)
12. Street Spirit (Fade Out) (Radiohead)

DJ/Producer Benny Benassi is premeiring his new music video "Electro Sixteen" as a follow up to the release of Benny Benassi Vs. Iggy Pop EP. Benassi, who has a love for punk subculture and raw colors, wanted to connect the fans with the music and enable them to get lost in it and dance, dance, dance. The video was created last summer with more than 15,000 photographs of Benassi's DJ set at the Electric Zoo Festival.

To bring this video to life, Hayden 5 Media snapped rapid-fire photographs of Benassi performing on stage, as well as of Ida Nash, an electro music lover and fan. Hayden 5 Media pasted together the photos to create the stop-motion editing, while the creative team at Qubic New York made the motion graphics. "We knew this would be the perfect opportunity to use the 'photo-motion' technique. There's something about Benny's music, and electro in general - that calls for the fast cutting of exciting visuals and graphics," says Todd Wasserman of Hayden 5 Media. Ezio Burani of Qubic New York, who conceptualized the video, states that "the graphic language - frenetic rhythm, burned colors, vivid visuals, are something new for electro music...We were inspired by the frenetic rhythm of Benny's music, Punk subculture and the raw colors created by Lomography. We tried to verbalize Iggy's iconic punk persona through the raw graphics in a tough, aggressive way."

The Disco Biscuits Planet Anthem

Drive By Truckers The Big To-Do

Tom McRae The Alphabet of Hurricanes

Nas And Damien Marley Distant Relatives

Neon Trees Habits

The Superions The Superions [EP]

The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights [Live]

The Whigs In The Dark

Gin Wigmore Holy Smoke

Peter Wolf Midnight Souvenirs

If you weren't able to get to the SXSW festival or just didn't get your fix of indie sounds, there is another festival that takes place down the road from March 20^th to 22^nd.  There are two stages in a beautiful drive-in movie theater on the side of a mountain in the Sierra Madre Oriental, located at Avenida Lázaro Cárdenas #1818 Colonia Las Torres, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico.

Tickets are $30 USD for a 3-Day pass, which will have 78 bands, including headliners - No Age, Liars, Neon Indian, Andrew WK, and Washed Out. The festival includes a substantial visual art element as well, with the perimeter of the space decorated by huge original murals and projected video pieces (on the drive-in screen of course!) by such artists Stephanie Davidson, Sumi Ink Club, Jesse Spears, Katja Mater, JD Beltran and many more.

FINAL SCHEDULE

|| SATURDAY ||

:: 10:30 - LOS PLANETAS (Spain)

:: 10pm - ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE (Japan)

:: 9:30 - CHIKITA VIOLENTA (Mexico)

:: 9pm - TELEPATHE

:: 8:30 - QUIERO CLUB (Mexico)

:: 8pm - Das Racist

:: 7:30 - Lázaro Valiente (Mexico)

:: 7pm - Male Bonding (UK)

:: 6:30 - Hunx and his Punx

:: 6pm - El Resplandor (Mexico)

:: 5:30 - Wet Hair

:: 5pm - Pocahaunted

:: 4:30 - Soho Riots (Mexico)

:: 4pm - Teengirl Fantasy

:: 3:30 - Yo! Linares (Mexico)

:: 3pm - Explode Into Colors

:: 2:30 - The Coathangers

:: 2pm - Kría Brekkan - of múm / Storsveit Nix Noltes (Iceland)

:: 1:30 - Anamanguchi

:: 1pm - Coasting

:: 12.30 - Videohippos

:: 12pm - Drawlings

:: 11:30 - Adventure

:: 11am - Le Macabre Party (Mexico)

:: 1am - Aa (aka BIG A little a)

:: 1:30 - Sun Araw

:: 2am - Young Prisms

:: 2:30 - Campfires

:: 3am - Ringo Deathstarr (Texas)

|| SUNDAY ||

:: 12pm - ANDREW WK

:: 11:30 - DAN DEACON

:: 11pm - FUCKED UP (Canada)

:: 10:30 - LOS FANCY FREE (Mexico)

:: 10pm - WASHED OUT

:: 9:30 - GRANT HART --- of Hüsker Dü

:: 9pm - INDIAN JEWELRY (Texas)

:: 8:30 - Toro Y Moi

:: 8pm - Tanlines

:: 7:30 - Small Black

:: 7pm - Los Margaritos (Mexico)

:: 6:30 - Chinese Stars

:: 6pm - Banjo or Freakout! (UK)

:: 5:30 - The Wave Pictures (UK)

:: 5pm - Talk Normal

:: 4:30 - The Beets

:: 4pm - XYX (Mexico)

:: 3:30 - So Cow (Ireland)

:: 3pm - Beach Fossils

:: 2:30 - Antoine Reverb (Mexico)

:: 2pm - The Bitters (Canada)

:: 1:30 - TV Ghost

:: 1pm - Los Llamarada (Mexico)

:: 12:30 - Total Abuse (Texas)

:: 12pm - Cloud Nothings

:: 11:30 - White Ninja (Mexico)

:: 11am - Piyama Party (Mexico)

:: 10am - Modern Dance from Mexico & USA

:: Mexican dance curated Estrella Sanza (Los Llamarada)

:: US dance curated by Busy Gagnes (Telepathe)

:: Performances include:

:: Crepusculo

:: La Bruja

:: Prefiero Consumirme Que Disolverme

:: Defectos

:: El Yo y El Entorno

:: 1am - MNDR

:: 1:30 - The Mantles

:: 2am - Teeth Mountain

:: 2:30 - KIT

:: 3am - Twin Sister

:: DJ Jonathan Toubin

:: Soul Clap and Dance-Off

|| MONDAY ||

:: 12am - LIARS

:: 11:30 - NO AGE

:: 11pm - NEON INDIAN (Texas/Mexico)

:: 10:30 - Ratas del Vaticano (Mexico)

:: 10pm - THEE OH SEES

:: 9:30 - Lemonade

:: 9pm - BamBam (Mexico)

:: 8:30 - Lucky Dragons

:: 8pm - Liturgy

:: 7:30 - Jóvenes y Sexys (Venezuela)

:: 7pm - Salem

:: 6:30 - DD/MM/YYYY (Canada)

:: 6pm - Alexico (Mexico)

:: 5:30 - Best Fwends (Texas)

:: 5pm - Sandwitches

:: 4:30 - Mockinpott (Mexico)

:: 4pm - Fergus and Geronimo (Texas)

:: 3:30 - Big Troubles

:: 3pm - HEALTH (Rhinoceropolis)

:: 2:30 - Pictureplane (Rhinoceropolis)

:: 2pm - Gauntlet Hair (Rhinoceropolis)

:: 1:30 - Tearist (Rhinoceropolis)

:: 1pm - Josephine and the Mousepeople (Rhinoceropolis)

:: 12:30 - HIGH PLACES (Rhinoceropolis)

:: 12pm - Mentira Mentira (Mexico)

:: 11:30 - Sr. Amable & Mr. Racoon (Mexico)

:: 11am - Baths

:: 10am - Bilingual, Women's Drum Workshop hosted by Tom Tom Magazine

:: 1:30 - Air Waves

:: 2am - Fluffy Lumbers

:: 2:30 - Lawrence Arabia (New Zealand)

:: 3am - Teenage Cool Kids (Texas)

:: DJ Jonathan Toubin

For full information about band info, transportation, and ticket purchase, click here.

Gorillaz' third album, Plastic Beach, is the latest saga from Damon Albarn, who can also be found as the lead vocal in Blur and The Good, The Bad, and The Queen.  Plastic Beach is the follow up to the critically acclaimed Demon Days and Albarn kept the same recipe, a concept album with a ton of guest spots (maybe too many). But those seem to be the only qualities these two records share; Plastic Beach isn't nearly as poppy as it's predecessors and the commercial singles of "Feel Good Inc." and "19-2000" seem to be long gone.

The record starts with the Orchestral Intro and the soothing sounds of waves rolling up and seagulls squawking in the distance. Before you know it, you're listening to Snoop Dogg welcoming you to the world of the plastic beach and you know right from the start, this is going to be different than anything you've ever heard. "Rhinestone Eyes" is a synth heavy track with only 2D(voiced by Albarn) singing lyrics that are up for interpretation that might have some global warming implications: "With future pixels in factories far away / So call the mainland from the beach / Your heart is now washed up in bleach / The waves are rising for this time of year / And nobody knows what to do with the heat / Under sunshine pylons we'll meet while rain is falling like rhinestones from the sky."

The first single "Stylo" ft Mos Def and Bobby Womack is definitely an album highlight but once Womack crashes in out of nowhere, it almost puts the track to a dead stop and leaves you feeling completely confused as to why it's there in the first place.

The catchiest chorus belongs to "Superfast Jellyfish" on what seems to be a commercial spoof ft De La Soul. The upbeat synth and infectious chorus leads into "Empire Ants" ft. Little Dragon. This slow moving jam picks up intensity and eventually sounds like you stepped out into a 1980's disco club.

"Some Kind of Nature" features Lou Reed almost rapping, but not quite and is followed by one of the few times Damon Albarn sings by himself on "Melancholy Hill" that has his vocals over a gothic organ.

Plastic Beach has a grand theme and it feels that way when you listen to it, almost too grand for its own good. There's so many guest spots, so many different sounds that it doesn't feel as unified as the previous Gorillaz albums. But one thing is for sure, and that's when you hear a Gorillaz song, you know it's a Gorillaz song. Damon Albarn has continued to make a unique original sound with quite a few highlights but just not as many as we're used to.

Acrassicauda Only The Dead See The End Of The War

Alberta Cross Broken Side Of Time

Before Their Eyes Untouchable

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Beat The Devil's Tattoo

Broken Bells Broken Bells

Frightened Rabbit The Winter Of Mixed Drinks

Gorillaz Plastic Beach

jj jj n3

Liars Sisterworld

Monica Still Standing

The Morning Benders Big Echo

New Young Pony Club The Optimist

Numero Group Good God! Born Again Funk

Pavement Quarantine The Past: The Best Of Pavement

Josh Rouse El Turista

Standard Fare The Novelle Beat

The Steel Wheels Red Wing

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists The Brutalist Bricks

Titus Andronicus The Monitor

James Murphy's electro gang LCD Soundsystem is finally going to give the fans what they want, a new record. Set for a May 18th release for the as-of-yet-untitled third album, Murphy stated on the bands blog, "Looks like we added another Paris gig. Oh, and something else. The fucking record is done." Murphy sent it off to be mastered by Bob Weston and by the looks of his comments; it seems to be a relief. Murphy spoke to Rolling Stone about the struggles of recording and coming up with song titles, "You ever listen to a song 40 times?" he asks. "That's why I don't write the lyrics until as close to the day I sing it as I can, so I don't get sick of them." And when it comes to the titles Murphy thinks it should be, "the most repeated, obvious phrase... because that's what people are going to say anyway!"

The three-month recording session took place at a Laurel Canyon Mansion that also had the Chili Peppers for Blood Sugar Sex Magik. The grueling recording process was broken up when Murphy wrote a score for the film Greenberg. And when he returned it's safe to say that he was a bit tired, "It was brutal after the soundtrack," he admits. "The last half of the album was brutal. It was like working on a meal when you've already burned something. I spent a lot of time on self-doubt. I had to go back and find my head again."

LCD Soundsystem has announced their upcoming tour and has mostly planned their European dates, with the exceptions of a few festivals in the States like Bonnaroo and the newly announced Camp Bisco in upstate New York.

Here is the track list for the upcoming LCD Soundsystem album:

1.     Dance Yrself Clean

2.     Drunk Girls

3.     One Touch

4.     All I want

5.     Change

6.     Hit

7.     Pow Pow

8.     Somebody's Calling Me

9.     What You Need

When given the challenge (and yes, I mean challenge) to do an album review on Joanna Newsom's latest release, Have One on Me, I thought to myself, "What else is there to say? This album has already written its own review." However, as a loyal Joanna Newsom fan, I knew the most responsible thing to do would be to get YOU to listen to Joanna's new work, and YOU know what? You should. What will you find? The comfort in knowing that somebody in this world has felt the same feelings you have, only she has brilliantly composed them into a 2 hour musical memoir. It is all doublespeak for Newsom - everything for her has two meanings. She has taken our thoughts, desires and fears and, with a harp and pluck, confessed them better than we ever could.

The sound of her whimsical and dare I say light-hearted squawk has transformed from a quirky chirp to a maturely honed instrument.

The release of her debut album, 2004's Milk Eyed Mender, introduced Newsom to a sea of listeners and music critics, who either fell in love with her woodsy elfish voice or dismissed it entirely. Her next album, Ys (which, consisting of 5 songs, lasted nearly an hour) delivered extensive orchestral narratives and solidified the connection between the artist and her audience, as well as Newsom's credibility as a musician, lyricist, and story teller.

In keeping with Newsom's penchant for extremely ambitious studio albums, Have One On Me features 18 songs, varying in length from 2 minutes to 11 minutes, spread over three separate discs, and can be best described, in short, as an intimidating ear full. This kind of work is essentially meant to inspire, so let the inspiring ensue. Have One is a project-based effort, and in order to have an honest experience, you should listen to each component. It might be a lot to swallow, but rest assured, it will digest quite nicely. This Newsom effort is bolder than anything she has hitherto released, and it spins its web around tangled short stories built from a poetic instinct and a spirited imagination. Her melodies and their tempos remain static and unhurried, allowing each story to be told to its fullest potential.

Have One on Me doesn't quite qualify as a traditional "progression" album - the tracks work together in an arrangement much like a very specific place in time to capture a moment that offers its own feeling. "Good Intentions Paving Company" is proof of the album's elusiveness and can feel as long as a year or as short as a car ride home in one short verse: "But it can make you feel over & old / Lord Knows it's a shame / When I only want for you to pull over and hold me / Till I can't remember my own name." "Good Intentions Paving Company" is the album's most venturesome track - as it creates a jaunty banjo bounce and strikes up the mandolin, it actually gives you "the will to remain for the duration."

Have One on Me explores partnership plump with health and raw with ache. It appears as if this whole album is soft like chalk, but track-by-track reveals its strength and resilience. It presents us with the desire, hurt, and secrets that bring us together, tear us apart, and eventually exit from each other. "Jackrabbits" creates a push from self-denial to acceptance in 4 minutes and 23 seconds: "And I scrabble up like a mute with my fist of ham / Tryin to tell you that I am / Tellin you I can / I can love you again / love you again / love again / love you again / love you again." But unlike any other track on the album, "Go Long" has had me marveling over its instrumental and lyrical complexities since my first listen. Playing both the harp and the kora (West African lute), Newsom bounces between accusation and curiosity: "If I knew you once / now I know you less / In the sinking sand / Where we've come to rest / Have I had a hand in your loneliness?" "Go Long," one of the more expansive songs on Have One on Me, is focused on sending a message, saying that it is okay to want to put the present in the past and, every so often, wonder just why you let it go.

It can be said that although Have One On Me is beautifully orchestrated, what is offered in depth and arrangement is not provided in terms of instrumental variety. Unconventional to say the least and refusing to follow the rules and guidelines of any other musical artist, Joanna Newsom presents to us an album that doubles as a book of passing feelings which creates a consistent tempo. However, in lending an ear to this work, you will pleasantly find that there is something new to be found with every single listen.

I guess it's safe to say that Jay-Z has a lot of friends in the hip-hop community. Cameos are no longer a shock when Jay-Z plays a sold out show at Madison Square Garden, but last night no one could have guessed who would stop by:

The world's most infamous criminal (well, not yet, because Lil Wayne's sentencing was postponed on the 2^nd due to a serious fire in Manhattan's Criminal Court where three people were injured). This is the second postponement of Wayne's sentencing, the first was due to an "emergency dental surgery" where he had eight root canals performed.

About 45 minutes into Young Jeezy's set (Jay-Z's tour mate), he explained Lil' Wayne's situation at the courthouse for the audience. Immediately following, the beat for "I'm Goin' In" blared from the speakers and the soon-to-be-incarcerated criminal emerged from the side of the stage to perform to a raving crowd. Soon after, Drake blessed the audience with his appearance, and the crowd almost turned into a full-scale riot.

Lil Wayne is expected to be sentenced to a one-year prison term for gun possession charges stemming from a 2007 arrest. Lil' Wayne made a statement to his fans Monday night via Twitter: "yesterday I smiled, today I smirked, tomorrow I stop ...................thanks for your thoughts and prayers, they're needed. They kant lok up my heart bekuz ya'll already have it on lok......thank u."

Hopefully he'll be attending some much needed English and grammar courses while serving his time.

Although I'd been a fan of Wild Beasts since I received a press copy (my first one!) of their second album Two Dancers back in September, I had never really thought of the guys in the band as sexy.  Soaring falsetto and sexually ambiguous lyrics don't really do it for me when it comes to determining whether or not a band is crushworthy.  But the UK boys had me hooked and swooning at their show at Music Hall of Williamsburg Sunday night.

I had been told that Wild Beasts was an act not to be missed and that there was virtually no distinction between their live performance and the sound they are able to capture in the studio.  This is a false statement.  While I was impressed by how similar they sounded to the record, Wild Beasts, like any band worth their salt, is much better live.  They kept the stage banter down to a minimum (usually a blessing, but I wouldn't have minded listening to those British accents a bit more) and ran through songs from Two Dancers and favorites from their debut Limbo Panto.  The bass is a louder and more haunting presence on stage.   It gives weight and power to already lush songs I only half-liked before.  It was fun watching Tom Flemning pull a drumstick out of his back pocket to bang the strings on the bass and who knew it was Flemning hitting those high notes on "All The King's Men" when the operatic vocals are usually provided by Hayden Thorpe? Thorpe and Flemning not only traded vocals but also shared bass, guitar, and keys duties. Highlights (for me) included the driving crowd pleaser "Hooting and Howling" and the closer "Cheerio Chaps, Cheerio Goodbye," which was made even more appropriate as this stop on their tour marked the band's last night in America.

So you can add Wild Beasts to the list of bands whose live show has converted me from a curious, casual listener into a full-fledged fan.  They are definitely one of the best live bands I've seen and their music is completely unique.  Here's hoping they come back to Brooklyn soon!  I am so there. 

Lady Gaga kicked off her huge Monster Ball: The Electro Opera in England this past week, and did I mention that it's huge? Only Gaga can battle a 30 ft. tall squid and have it somehow work into the theme of her "opera." The show, which is broken up into four acts, spans over 20 songs and 15 costume changes.

The stage and concept has been completely changed from her U.S. tour, and she has now added her new single, "Telephone" to the set list. Also, "Glitter and Grease," "Vanity," and "Brown Eyes" have taken the place of "Paper Gangsta," "Eh,Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)," and "Fashion" for the European tour.

Here's a clip of Gaga battling the half fish half squid in Manchester's Men Arena.

Set list:

Act 1: City

-Dance In The Dark

-Glitter and Grease (unreleased track)

-Just Dance

-Beautiful Dirty Rich

-Vanity (Unreleased track)

-The Fame

Act 2: Subway

-Lovegame

-Boys Boys Boys

-Money Honey

-Telephone

-Brown Eyes

-Speechless

-So Happy I Could Die

Act 3: Forest

-Monster

-Teeth

-Alejandro

-Poker Face (Acoustic)

-Poker Face

Act 4: Monster Ball

-Paparazzi

-Bad Romance

Just when you think the Rolling Stones don't have any more classic songs to be released, they dig deep into their archives and find more! Exile on Main Street, the Rolling Stones' classic 1972 album, is set to be reissued with an additional 10 previously unheard tracks.

On May 18^th, Universal Records will be reissuing the classic record and asked the Stones if they could search for any unearthed tracks, the band was convinced they had released everything for the 1972 double album. But with some determination, the Stones found Plundered My Soul, Dancing in the Light, Following the River, and Pass The Wine, while the special re-issue includes alternate versions of album tracks Soul Survivor and Loving Cup.

Mick Jagger told Rolling Stone Magazine that he and Keith Richards tweaked some of the songs, "I added some percussion and some vocals. Keith put guitar on one or two." But mostly Mick Jagger felt that the majority should be left alone, "I really wanted to leave them pretty much as they were, I didn't want to interfere with the Bible, you know. They still had that great basement sound."

The deluxe edition will also have a documentary directed by Stephen Kijak, which follows the band in the process of making Exile on Main Street.

It's been reported that Keith Elam, better known as ‘Guru' of Gang Starr, is in a coma after suffering a heart attack and will undergo surgery today (March 1^st). DJ Premier of Gang Starr confirmed the terrible news in a Sirius radio interview.

If you don't know Gang Starr, they can easily be described, as the pioneers of combining New York swing jazz and hip-hop. The hip-hop community has regarded Gang Starr as one of the most influential rap groups in the 90's even during their ‘long pause' until 2003 when their last record The Ownerz was released. Even now, it's unclear whether Gang Starr is finished or not with both DJ Premiere and Guru giving confusing statements about the groups status. Guru on many occasions has stated that Gang Starr is done while DJ Premiere has refused to acknowledge the group's end. Recently, on twitter, Guru wrote a message asking if the fans are ready for a new Gang Starr album, so who knows?

Guru has been credited for the idea of rapping over actual live jazz and released, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1. He would follow the release with an entire Jazzmatazz series, which included 4 volumes.

Our thoughts and prayers go to Keith Elam and his family.

Gang Starr Discography

No More Mr.Nice Guy (1989)

Step in the Arena (1991)

Daily Operation (1992)

Hard to Earn (1994)

Moment of Truth (1998)

The Ownerz (2003)

Guru Discography

 Jazzmatazz, Vol.1

Jazzmatazz, Vol.2: The New Reality

Jazzmatazz, Vol.3: Streetsoul

Jazzmatazz, Vol.4: The Hip-Hop Jazz Messenger: Back To The Future

Let the manic refreshing begin, thousands will be glued to their computer screens as they relentlessly check to see if W.A.S.T.E. has opened the ticket booth. What's W.A.S.T.E. you might ask? W.A.S.T.E. is the website that Thom Yorke and Radiohead have used to sell pre-sale tickets to a lucky few for a chance to stand in the pit and witness the rock gods up close and personal.

Thom Yorke has announced via Dead Air Space, that he will embark on a small US tour with his solo band, Atoms For Peace, which includes Chili Peppers' bass player Flea and long time producer of Radiohead and Beck, Nigel Godrich.

Mr. Yorke explained that they "had too much fun to just leave it there..." speaking of the few shows they played in England.

The tickets for the New York and Boston pre-sale go on sale sometime tomorrow, while the Chicago shows will be up on the 3^rd, and the California gigs will go on sale on the 4^th.

If you're unable to get a pre-sale ticket, the general sale starts at 10 AM from ticketmaster.com

Good luck! Well actually, I'll only wish you luck after I get my ticket.

Tour Dates

4/5 Roseland Ballroom NY, NY

4/6 Roseland Ballroom NY, NY

4/8 Citi Wang Theatre Boston, MA

4/10 Aragon Ballroom Chicago, IL

4/11 Aragon Ballroom Chicago, IL

4/14 Fox Theater Oakland, CA

4/15 Fox Theater Oakland, CA

4/17 Santa Barbara Bowl Santa Barbara, CA

4/18 Coachella Festival Indio, CA

Benjy Davis Project Lost Souls Like Us

Peter Gabriel Scratch My Back

Groove Armada Black Light

Jamie Cullum The Pursuit

Jamie Foxx Body

Natalie Merchant Leave Your Sleep

Mumford & Sons Sigh No More

Rogue Wave Permalight

Sharam Jay In My Blood

These New Puritans Hidden

Josh Wolf (of WHY?) Jet Lag

Chaz Bundick is Toro Y Moi, whom everyone should know by now is making his way up through the strange and bizarre world of indie rock. I was able to see him perform live last night at Cameo in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The show was put together by Crush: Bands We Love To Dance To, which is a monthly party built by Jen Lyon and Ruthie that showcases bands they are seriously ‘crushing' on.

I've seen Toro Y Moi live a few times now and every time I walk away with something different. The show itself could come off a bit unpolished to the casual listener, but you have to realize that Toro Y Moi is one person and he's performing extremely complicated tracks with multiple layers, multiple instruments, and simultaneously singing and creating effects. Watching him perform is like seeing a glimpse of him in production: first he'll swoon into the mic and loop his voice, then he'll quickly add some distortion and before you know it, you're dancing to the opening bars of "Freak Love" and you don't even realize how you got there. I think that is the beauty of his life performances, and I hope people fully appreciate it.

It isn't easy to have a one man show, and I quote Neon Indian, who I had the pleasure of speaking a few words with, who said, "He's [Toro Y Moi] got some balls to be up there by himself, I know I couldn't do it." So before people start jumping down his throat with accusations that his music doesn't translate from record to live performances, I think we should take a step back and respect what is actually taking place. Yes, in the near future Chaz will probably have a backing band and it will almost certainly sound awesome, but for now, it's just Toro (me) Y Moi (me).

The show was a little different from what I had seen at previous performances. Firstly, it was sold out, and that alone is something worth mentioning, and secondly he performed some of his tracks organically without the use of the background music. The best example was the opening song, "Blessa," which beautifully crossed over with Chaz on guitar strumming along with his friend playing an electric drum machine. Some of the tracks didn't translate as well through that medium, but he certainly made up for it near the end of his set when he improvised a ridiculous six-minute dance track that would have made Jersey Shore clubbers shit their pants.

All in all I would definitely recommend catching one of his performances. For a five dollar cover charge, it would be stupid not to. He comes back to Brooklyn in March and will be playing at Brooklyn Bowl on the 26th.

Set list:

Blessa

Minors

Freak Love

Talamak

Low Shoulder

Fax Shadow

Crazy Disco Improv Song

You Hid

Daniel Merriweather was born in a proletarian area in Melbourne, Australia, and spent a lot of his childhood alone, traveling long distances and creating his own world with his much heightened imagination. Daniel created a passion for philosophy throughout his childhood but found himself often distracted during in teenage years and consequently dropped out of high school. However, music thankfully has always been able to guide Daniel in the right direction. Daniel started playing the violin when he was 4 years old and has been singing since he was born.

The current 28-year-old Aussie's first commercially released recording was a guest appearance on the track ‘All I want” from Australian dance at Disco Montego’s self titled album in 2002. His debut single “City Rules” became a huge success produced by Mark Ronson and featuring raps from New York’s MC Saigon. Both of Daniel’s songs later became favorites in popular Australian hot spot clubs.

In 2005, Daniel co-wrote and co-produced much of Phase’s album Talking with Force and even sang on three of the tracks including chart topping single “Catch Phrase.” Recently Daniel has been on tour promoting his new album Love and War which was released in June of 2009.

Be sure to catch Daniel when he returns in NY and performs at Webster Hall on 5/3/2010, get tickets while they're still available!

When the Black Eyed Peas put on a concert in New York, they never stop entertaining. Literally. After their concert tonight at the legendary Madison Square Garden, they will be hosting a huge after party at M2 Ultralounge.

The concert (in support of their multi-platinum #1 selling album The E.N.D.) itself will feature special guests Ludacris and LMFAO. It's also the first time since 2006 that will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie will unite for a North American tour.

The Black Eyed Peas themselves are hosting the party, which starts at 11pm at M2 Ultralounge - and some of the Peas will also be doing a DJ set during the party.

There's no RSVP required, just show up and get ready to dance!

"This Will Be Our Year" was the first OK Go song I ever listened to. It was the first track on a popular indie compilation album from 2004 entitled The Future Soundtrack of America. The compilation was chock-full of brokenhearted music, but OK Go sounded different. Their song emitted warmth, solace in love, and hope. "This Will Be Our Year" was instantly lovable and infectiously catchy.

In subsequent releases, in spite of the heartache their lyrics displayed in "OK Go" and "Oh No," the warmth and optimism remained. Just check out "Get Over It." There's anger there, sure, but the conclusion is positive. You might be alone, in a lot of pain, but this isn't forever. Get up, lift your head, and face tomorrow. OK, go. Behind these lyrics are some of the tastiest licks in all of rockdom, featuring multi-layered songs, complex keyboard and bass lines, and hooks that would make your grandmother tap her feet.

So it's 2010, and Of the Blue Colour of the Sky has been out for a month and a half, and I've listened to the album a dozen times. Each listen gets more interesting: electric guitars, xylophones, kick drums; a wonderful fusion overall, always coming back to an honest optimism.

Opening track "WTF?" is a hard scramble of lyrics, opened with distortion, in which lead singer and guitarist Damien Kulash admits he's just an animal. The chorus of the following track, "This Too Shall Pass" has two of the best lyrical hooks I've heard in a while: "Let it go, this too shall pass / You can't keep lettin' it get you down." A killer duo. Followed by a heavy "All Is Not Lost," the album opens with three five-star songs in a row. These guys are on fire, and the album is just getting started. They hit you with smatters of keyboards, they ring out timely notes, and they pluck at heart strings. OK Go challenges you, they tell you, and they reflect you. If your life is a total mess, an emo crying shame, they recognize you, and then they demand you pull your head out of your ass and OK Go, embrace the world. These guys have the talent and complexity to back it all up.

Ok Go has been compared to Weezer and Elliott Smith, but neither one fits the bill for me. The hint of sadness in their lyrics invokes the Smith comparison, but these guys have too much hope, too much fun, in their guitars to be in the same category. As for Weezer, maybe their later stuff compares with OK Go, but never too distinctly. Weezer's older, more engaging work was fun, but unpolished. This group, on the other hand, shot out of the gates like long-term professionals. If they're to be likened to anyone, OK Go is most reminiscent of Spoon. Both bands deal with heavy-hearted issues using a lighter touch, and incidentally, they've both already released killer albums this year. 

In this new release, Ok Go is on point. They're now mature, well-oiled musicians. They lost lead guitarist Andy Duncan to creative differences in the early '00s, but they're still producing. Of the Blue Colour of the Sky isn't their best - that honor goes to their self-titled debut in 2002. There isn't a track on OK Go that isn't top notch.  But Of the Blue Colour of the Sky is a strong effort. It's inviting, and at times excellent. Trust me, after hearing their junior full-length, you won't want to miss what they bring to the table senior year. "I want you so bad, I can't breathe." Now, that's love.

When did the music industry become so complicated? I'll tell you when: when record companies started losing big money because the public figured out that it no longer had to pay for music. In an age where everything is digital, music is more accessible now than it ever has been; you can own an album, upload it to the website of your choice, and millions around the world can download it for free. Twenty years ago, this was nowhere near possible, and the record labels have begun to feel the effects, so they're looking for any way to make money off their investments.

YouTube became a primary target for industry titan EMI. For example, with the success of OK Go's music video for "Here It Goes Again," with views in the tens of millions, EMI came back demanding payment for their streamed material. (The band's lead singer/guitarist, Damian Kulash Jr., wrote an op-ed piece for the New York Times on the situation. You can read it here. Also, you can embed their video for "This Too Shall Pass" via Vimeo.) YouTube agreed to pay the record company a tiny amount for each stream, but - here's the crux of the problem - they pay only when the videos are viewed on YouTube's own site.

Embedded videos - those hosted by YouTube but streamed on blogs and other websites - don't generate any revenue for record companies, so EMI disabled the embedding feature. Now fans or anyone else who wants to post a video on their blog or site will be unable to. If you want to watch it, it can only be viewed on the specific EMI YouTube channel.

Now, EMI says it will work with YouTube to develop business models enabling people to legitimately incorporate videos and performances from EMI artists into their user-generated content on YouTube. The record label said it will rely on YouTube's content management tools to track EMI content and compensate its artists, or in some cases, request the removal of copyrighted work.

Before the EMI deal, Google (who owns YouTube) had successfully negotiated licensing deals with Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, CBS and the BBC.

In the end, the big business wins...again. So just remember, every time you click on Lilly Allen's music video for "Smile," a couple more cents go into the pocket of some big wig wearing a three-piece suit.