Beatles Thru the Roof 40 Years On...

Copy from the Telegraph:

Yes, it was 40 years ago today that Sgt Pepper and his band played live for one last time. Their music has hardly ever gone out of style in the four decades since and raised plenty of smiles from generations of new fans.

The afternoon of January 30, 1969 was when The Beatles surprised a central London office lunch crowd with an impromptu concert on the roof of their Savile Row Apple headquarters.

Before the outing was abruptly cut short by police who objected to the noise, the band (with a little help from young keyboardist Billy Preston) had managed to thrill Londoners on adjacent rooftops and the streets below with a run-through of songs they had been rehearsing with a vague album in mind. Their five-song set included Don't Let Me Down, I've Got a Feeling and Get Back - all considered classics in subsequent years.

The rooftop 'concert' was the first live gig since the band stopped touring in 1965 (tired of constantly screaming girls and frustrated by not being able to reproduce the more complex arrangements of their studio albums) and was to be their last.

Part 1 of 3 ("Get Back" & "Don't Let Me Down")


Part 2 of 3 ("I've Got a Feeling" & "One After 909")


Part 3 of 3 ("Dig a Pony" & "Get Back")

Ann Arbor Folk Fest Recap...

Just to get started......For those who attended the Ann Arbor Folk Festival last night, the line up did not disappoint. There is much to say about all the performers, but here are a few quick thoughts. Jeff Tweedy anchored the show, but really everyone was pulling their weight at Hill Auditorium.

I have video that I intend on posting shortly...keep checking back.

In the meantime, here is Jeff Tweedy's setlist:
Someone Else's Song (played at edge of stage w/o PA)
One By One
Spiders (Kidsmoke)
Everlasting Everything (new)
Solitaire (new)
IATTBYH
Wait Up
I Wanna Be Your Dog [The Stooges]
The Ruling Class
Jesus, etc.
Airline to Heaven
A Shot in the Arm
I'm The Man Who Loves You
-------------------------------
Acuff-Rose (played at edge of stage w/o PA)

The Carolina Chocolate Drops brought that southern, front porch funk & soul and blew the crowd away with their stripped down, but no less bumpin' version of Blu Cantrell's Hit 'Em Up Style...here is a video to get an idea of the originality that they bring.



More CCD on YouTube

The Grammys Add Heavyweight Performers...

Kid Rock, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Rihanna, and U2 are the latest performers announced for the 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards.

They join previously announced performers Kenny Chesney, Coldplay, Jennifer Hudson, Jonas Brothers, Lil Wayne, Paul McCartney (with special guest drummer Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters), Katy Perry, Radiohead, T.I. and Justin Timberlake, Carrie Underwood, and Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, T.I. and Kanye West in a special performance of their hit single "Swagga Like Us."

The 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held Feb. 8 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, and will be broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 Surround Sound on the CBS Television Network at 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The show will also be supported on radio via Westwood One worldwide and covered online at GRAMMY.com and CBS.com, on Twitter at "theGRAMMYs," on Facebook at "The Recording Academy," on YouTube at "51stGRAMMYs," and on Last.fm at "the51stgrammys."The GRAMMY Pre-Telecast will be streamed live on GRAMMY.com on Feb. 8 at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT. Additional performers, presenters and special segments are scheduled to be announced.

Pontiac is Where RATATAT is At...

Electro-rock duo RATATAT are coming to the Crofoot! Sez the BBC: the music by these New Yorkers (Mike Stroud and Evan Mast)is "... awash with distortion-drenched melodies, punctuated by jittery clips, claps and clacks. ... Ratatat's unusual take on electronic-infused rock is intensely beautiful." When Ratatat blew into the music scene a few years back, many were simply in awe of their dynamic synth guitar arena club power beats. 'Classics' was an instant classic.


Ratatat_Cherry from Audio Dregs Recordings on Vimeo.

Video: Andrew Bird on Letterman...

LaMontagne Confirms Midwest Tour Dates...

Ray LaMontagne is heading back out on the road in April. Plenty of midwest options, so get out there and go see a solid show. Ticket pre-sale begins on Tuesday, February 2nd.


2009 Spring Tour Dates
4/02 Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theatre
4/03 Pittsburgh, PA @ Palace Theatre
4/04 Philadelphia, PA @ Tower Theatre
4/06 Albany, NY @ The Egg
4/07 Northampton, MA @ Calvin Theatre
4/08 New Haven, CT @ Schubert Theater
4/11 Portland, ME @ Merrill Auditorium
4/12 Burlington, VT @ Flynn Center for the Performing Arts
4/14 Montreal, QUE @ Metropolis
4/15 Toronto, ONT @ Massey Hall
4/17 Cleveland, OH @ State Theatre
4/18 Cincinnati, OH @ Taft Theatre
4/19 Ann Arbor, MI @ Michigan Theater
4/21 Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater
4/22 St. Louis, MO @ Pageant Theater
4/24 Asheville, NC @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
4/25 Louisville, KY @ Brown Theater
4/27 Birmingham, AL @ Alabama Theatre
4/28 Jacksonville, FL @ Florida Theatre
4/29 Tampa, FL @ Tampa Theatre
4/30 Miami, FL @ Fillmore at Jackie Gleason

Beirut's Double EP Released Today on iTunes...

La Llorona


Entitled March of the Zapotec, the first EP consists of songs written by Beirut and recorded in Mexico with the help of Oaxacan march masters The Jimenez Band. The second EP, Holland, showcases Zach's latest bedroom-style recordings under his former moniker Realpeople, including the previously released "Venice" (in the 2007 Believer music issue), and "My Night With the Prostitute From Marseille" (on the Natalie Portman curated Big Change charity album). Taken together, the two EPs proudly display the scope of Beirut's work over the last year.

Check it out on iTunes.

Run DMC & Metallica Rock Hall Mash Up...

In acknowledgment of Run DMC's upcoming induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I thought a video would be appropriate...well deserved selection. In my search for just the right choice, I stumbled across a better option. Here is a mash-up featuring Run DMC's It's Tricky & Metallica's Enter Sandman. Metallica will also be inducted on April 4th...and this year's ceremony will take place in CLEVELAND!!!!! Limited tickets are still available to the General Public on Monday, January 26th.

Ann Arbor Folk Fest Teaser: Old Crow...

Old Crow Medicine Show will be in Ann Arbor this coming weekend for the Ann Arbor Folk Festival. Here is a little video to hold you through the week.

The Von Bondies Plan Stop in Toledo...

The Von Bondies will be on tour in a few weeks. They will be in Ann Arbor and in Cleveland, but they have added a date in Toledo right after (Toledo appreciates that!). They will be at Mickey Finn's on February 22nd. Here is a video from the upcoming album, Love, Hate and Then There's You.

Pale Bride

Animal Collective Tour Dates Include Royal Oak...

Animal Collective is heading out on tour including a date at Royal Oak Music Theatre on May 18th. Tickets will go on sale beginning tomorrow, January 23rd.

2009 Tour Dates
5.11 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
5.12 Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
5.13 New York, NY @ Terminal 5 / Terminal Five
5.14 Boston, MA @ House of Blues
5.15 Montreal, Qu @ Metropolis
5.16 Toronto, On @ Sound Academy
5.18 Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
5.19 Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
5.20 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
5.24 Vancouver, Br @ Commodore Ballroom
5.25 Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre and Grill
5.26 Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
5.27 Big Sur, CA @ Henry Miller Library
5.29 Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
5.30 Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues
5.31 Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
6.01 Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre
6.02 Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater
6.04 Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
6.05 Austin, TX @ Stubb's Bar-B-Q
6.06 Oxford, MS @ The Library Bar and Gril
6.08 Saint Petersburg, FL @ The State Theatre
6.09 Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
6.10 Orlando, FL @ Club Firestone
9.12 Monticello, NY @ ATP New York / All Tomorrow's Parties

Pride & Joy...

Dreams Can Come True...

MLK's I Have a Dream Speech

Listen to New U2 ~ Get On Your Boots...

U2 has created website to preview their first track, Get on Your Boots, from the upcoming release, No Line on the Horizon.

Take a listen.

U2 Sings for Obama @ Lincoln Memorial...

Pride & City of Blinding Lights


Image from U2.com

Oasis Documentary Takes it to the Streets...

Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul In The Streets


Starting last Wednesday, January 14th, MySpace Music and Oasis' MySpace profile page will be premiering an exclusive 18 minute Oasis documentary shot by The Malloys. It will mark the first HD debut of a documentary in the history of MySpace Music.

The Malloys - who have directed numerous White Stripes videos - followed Oasis last September in the lead up to the release of their number one album, 'Dig Out Your Soul'.

Liam, Gem and Andy traveled to the City of New York (nycgo.com) where they taught street musicians to play a number of the new songs. The selected street musicians came from all parts of the city, and had a variety of different ethnic, musical and creative backgrounds. The street musicians rehearsed and then performed the previously unheard new songs at locations throughout the City including MTA approved subway station platforms at Grand Central, Times Square, Penn Station and Astor Place, subtly premiering the album before it came out.

The Malloys followed Oasis and the street musicians through the process and created the 18 minute black and white documentary.

More Avett Brothers Video...

Here is more great video of the Avett Brothers performing live (great songs too)


The Avett Brothers - The Ballad of Love and Hate, Live at Memorial Hall from Leon Godwin on Vimeo.


The Avett Brothers - Go to Sleep, Live at Memorial Hall from Leon Godwin on Vimeo.

Dark Was The Night Compilation Due Feb. 17th...

Dark Was The Night will be released on February 17th, 2009. Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National produced the album, and John Carlin, the founder of the Red Hot Organization was the executive producer. A total of 32 exclusive tracks have been recorded for the compilation. It will be available as a double cd/triple vinyl/download and will benefit the Red Hot Organization - an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS. Red Hot was founded on the premise that even without a cure, AIDS remains a preventable disease – and music is a great vehicle to raise money and awareness for it. This is the 20th year of Red Hot, and this is the 20th release!

THIS DISC (DISC ONE):
1. "Knotty Pine" - Dirty Projectors + David Byrne
2. "Cello Song" - The Books featuring Jose Gonzalez
3. "Train Song" - Feist and Ben Gibbard
4. "Brackett, WI" - Bon Iver
5. "Deep Blue Sea" - Grizzly Bear
6. "So Far Around The Bend" - The National
7. "Tightrope" - Yeasayer
8. "Feeling Good" - My Brightest Diamond
9. "Dark Was The Night" - Kronos Quartet
10. "I Was Young When I Left Home" - Antony with Bryce Dessner
11. "Big Red Machine" - Justin Vernon + Aaron Dessner
12. "Sleepless" - The Decemberists
13. "Stolen Houses (Die)" - Iron & Wine
14. "Service Bell" - Grizzly Bear + Feist
15. "You Are The Blood" - Sufjan Stevens

THAT DISC (DISC TWO):
1. "Well-Alright" - Spoon
2. "Lenin" - Arcade Fire
3. "Mimizan" - Beirut
4. "El Caporal" - My Morning Jacket
5. "Inspiration Information" - Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
6. "With A Girl Like You" - Dave Sitek
7. "Blood Pt. 2" - Buck 65 Remix (featuring Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti)
8. "Hey, Snow White" - The New Pornographers
9. "Gentle Hour" - Yo La Tengo
10. "Amazing Grace" - Cat Power
11. "Happiness" - Riceboy Sleeps
12. "Another Saturday" - Stuart Murdoch
13. "The Giant Of Illinois" - Andrew Bird
14. "Lua" - Conor Oberst with Gillian Welch
15. "When The Road Runs Out" - Blonde Redhead & Devastations
16. "Love Vs. Porn" - Kevin Drew

Avett Brothers Video: St. Joseph's (Live)...

Great video of The Avett Brothers performing on a gondola ride in Jackson Hole.
Read about how this moment on video came to be.

Q-Tip Video: ManWomanBoogie...

New U2 Album Details & Cover Image...

Get On Your Boots, the first single from U2’s new album No Line On The Horizon, will be released as a digital download on February 15th with a physical format to follow on February 16 through Mercury/Universal.

Produced by Brian Eno, Danny Lanois and Steve Lillywhite, sessions for No Line On The Horizon began in Fez, Morocco, and continued at the band’s Dublin studio, New York’s Platinum Sound Recording Studios, and London's Olympic Studios.

Released on March 2nd (March 3rd in the US), the album will come in a standard format with 24 page booklet and in digipak format. The digipak includes an extended booklet and the album’s companion film “Linear” by Anton Corbijn. A limited edition 64 page magazine will also be available, featuring the band in conversation with artist Catherine Owens, and new Anton Corbijn photographs. No Line On The Horizon will be released on 180gm vinyl. (More on the formats below)

The album cover artwork (click left to enlarge) is an image of the sea meeting the sky by Japanese artist and photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto.

Here's the full track listing:

1. No Line On The Horizon
2. Magnificent
3. Moment of Surrender
4. Unknown Caller
5. I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight
6. Get On Your Boots
7. Stand Up Comedy
8. Fez – Being Born
9. White As Snow
10. Breathe
11. Cedars Of Lebanon

No Line On The Horizon will be available in five formats;

- Standard jewel case - with album CD and 24 page booklet

- Digipak format - limited edition with album CD, 32 page colour booklet and fold out poster. Features access to exclusive downloadable Anton Corbijn film.

- Magazine format – limited edition with album CD, with 64 page magazine. Features access to exclusive downloadable Anton Corbijn film.

- Box format - limited edition bespoke box containing digipak format album CD, DVD of Anton Corbijn’s exclusive film, 64 page hardback book, plus a fold out poster.

- LP vinyl – limited edition with 2 black vinyl discs, gatefold sleeve, and a 16 page booklet.

Bon Iver Gives Blood (to you)...

After such a successful year and much critical acclaim, Bon Iver's upcoming EP, Blood Bank is highly anticipated (due January 20th). Jagjaguwar (Bon Iver's record label) is offering up a little taste of what fans can expect by releasing the title track, Blood Bank...so head to the site now and grab yourself some of the finest music this side of Jupiter.

What's New with U2...

Bono has penned his first article as a guest writer for the New York Times.

If you would rather hear Bono read to you...click here for the podcast.

Rolling Stone Magazine has some first impressions of U2 upcoming release, No Line on the Horizon.

U2 will play its new single, Get on Your Boots at the BRIT Awards ceremony on Feb. 17th at London's Earls Court. The band's new album, "No Line on the Horizon," arrives March 2nd internationally and a day later in North America.

Bono will participate in an inaugural concert at the Lincoln Memorial in D.C. on January 18th. Other musical guests include Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor & Mary J. Blige. The event will be broadcast on HBO.

M. Ward First Listen on NPR...

M. Ward's Hold Time won't be released until Feb. 17th, but listeners can hear the entire album here on NPR Music as an exclusive preview, beginning at 11:59 p.m. ET Monday, Jan. 12th.

From NPR
The songs of singer-guitarist M. Ward seem to drift in on the crackling radio waves of a distant time. Warm and intimate, his largely acoustic and usually spare arrangements are a tribute to what Ward sees as the greatest era for American music: the 1950s and early '60s, when singers like Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison infused country-rooted pop with honesty and romance. Ward's latest album, Hold Time, continues this tradition, with a gorgeously produced mix of finger-picked guitars, upright bass and shuffling rhythms, all tied together by his achy voice.

Album, Tour & Daytrotter from Ben Kweller...

Ben Kweller is back on the scene with an upcoming album & tour. To get you started, drop in on the Daytrotter site to hear his session & download the MP3s.

Slated for a February 3rd release, Changing Horses is Ben's follow-up to his 2006 self-titled work. Recorded mostly in Austin, TX, the title meaningfully marks a sea of change for Kweller. While his previous efforts have been stylistically restless, Changing Horses is a cohesive work, centered around Ben's affinity for country music. As he wrote to us at ATO Records this past November, the tracks on this disc "tell stories about life and love and desire and fear - people from the alleyways and roads unclear." Kweller produced the album himself, citing a "natural, warm beauty" inherent in the sound.

From Ben's website:
On February 3rd , 2009, the whole deal comes full circle with the release of a captivating album called Changing Horses (ATO). With Horses , Kweller returns to his small-town roots as he takes one of his own back-roads, country music, and makes it the main road. It's a collection of stories with a hymnal quality. The genre seems so natural that you think he's finally settled down, at least for one album. Rootsy songs from his past, like “Family Tree”, “Lizzy”, “In Other Words” or “Living Life”, make Changing Horses a natural progression in this gifted songwriter's career. His inviting vocals still guide the songs, creating the compelling intimacy fans are familiar with. “People are asking me, ‘why did you wake up and decide to make a country album?' To them I say, ‘I didn't. It's been in me the whole time, I just never put it on tape.' Friends heard me talkin' about Changing Horses for years. They know how much country music means to me - when Alan Jackson comes on the radio, somethin' happens inside. Brings me back to the trees, back to pushin' cars out of the mud. Reminds me of my hometown.”

Ben Kweller U.S. Tour Dates 2009
Feb 16 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
Feb 17 - Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theatre
Feb 18 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
Feb 19 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
Feb 21 - Cleveland, OH @ Case Western Reserve University
Feb 22 - Toronto, ONT @ The Mod Club Theatre
Feb 24 - Somerville, MA @ Somerville Theatre
Feb 25 - New York, NY @ Town Hall
Feb 26 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Feb 27 - Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
Feb 28 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Diesel
Mar 1 - Carrboro, NC @ Cats Cradle
Mar 3 - Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall
Mar 4 - Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
Mar 5 - Athens, GA @ 40 Watt Club
Mar 6 - Birmingham, AL @ Workplay Theater

On My Way (at Paste Studio)


Things I Like to Do (at Paste Studio)


Wantin' Her Again

Thirteen

Arcade Fire Documentary: Miroir Noir

Arcade Fire released the documentary film Miroir Noir online on December 15th.

The film follows Arcade Fire through the making and touring of their 2007 album Neon Bible, documenting the band at their Montreal studio, the making of promotional films and videos, along with live footage and a few short films made on the road.

Miroir Noir is directed by Arcade Fire friend and collaborator Vincent Morisset. Vincent was responsible for the interactive video for the song "Neon Bible" and for the Arcade Fire web design. The film was shot by Vincent Moon.

The digital download and standard edition DVD feature the 70 minute film, Miroir Noir. The deluxe edition DVD contains bonus material including Arcade Fire’s live performances on Jonathon Ross, Saturday Night Live and at Maida Vale.

The 70 minute film is available globally at www.Miroir-Noir.com and www.mergerecords.com as an instant digital download with pre-order of the physical item. The physical standard and deluxe DVDs are planned for April 7, 2009 delivery and are available for pre-order in the Merge store.

Some clips form the film

Thanks to Smule, You Can Play an Ocarina...

Trying to keep up with the technology people...

Ocarina (by Smule) is the first true musical instrument created for the iPhone. Both experts and beginners will be amazed by this innovative player. Ocarina is sensitive to your breath, touch and movements, making it even more versatile than the original. Unlike other musical applications, there are no pre-compiled riffs so musicians will find unlimited opportunities for self-expression. Advanced options allow you to choose between diatonic, minor and harmonic scales.

How it Works


Stairway to Heaven


Smule's This Contest Blows...Contest has a YouTube Channel...Check out the entries.

Red Bull Sound Clash: The Roots vs Antibalas...

Red Bull Sound Clash is a totally unique clash of sounds, styles and creativity, where two bands don’t battle each other, but instead collaborate live on stage to create an innovative music performance.

The Red Bull Sound Clash Boston (on January 29th at The Roxy) experience features two bands – The Roots and Antibalas – with different music styles (Hip Hop and Afrobeat) facing-off on two stages positioned on opposite ends of the venue with the audience in the middle. In a series of four rounds, the bands perform various tasks—some rehearsed, some improvised—to showcase the range of their musical abilities. The audience participates in the back-and-forth exploration between the bands by judging each round.

The Roots on Myspace

Antibalas on Myspace

Bonnaroo 365 ~ If You Can't Get Enough...

Have you heard about Bonnaroo 365, a program by which fans can relive the Bonnaroo experience year round! Select performances will be streamed periodically at no charge on bonnaroo.com. All performance footage will be taken directly from the festival’s exclusive master tapes while the audio will be remixed from Bonnaroo's pristine soundboard recordings.

The first installment of the program begins on January 11th, 2009 with The Raconteurs, whose Friday afternoon set was a highlight of the 2008 event. Hot on the heels of their grammy nominated album 'Consolers of the Lonely' (best rock album and best engineered) The Raconteurs delivered a classic Bonnaroo performance. Four of the songs from the set will be available for the first time as free audio downloads – one will be available to everyone, while the other three can be downloaded by Bonnaroo Community members only (membership sign-up is free!) The songs to be available for download are "Consoler of the Lonely," "Old Enough," "Blue Veins" and "Top Yourself." If that's not enough, the full set will be available in streaming video at Bonnaroo.com, and radio stations across the country will broadcast the entire set on Sunday, January 11th.

Bonnaroo 2009 will take place in Manchester, TN from June 11th - 14th.

Jeff Tweedy Plays NZ for 7 Worlds Collide...

Over Christmas 2008 and New Year 2009, Neil Finn has invited the core band from his 2001 Seven Worlds Collide project, plus some other special guests, to create a new album at Roundhead Studios in Auckland, New Zealand.

Guests included Radiohead's Phil Selway and Ed O'Brien, legendary guitarist Johnny Marr, founder member of The Smiths and current member of US alternate rock innovators Modest Mouse, Soul Coughing's Sebastian Steinberg, multi-instrumentalist Lisa Germano, Wilco members Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Glenn Kotche and Pat Sansone, Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, along with NZ musicians Liam Finn, Don McGlashan and Bic Runga. All proceeds from this very special recording will go to support the continuing great work of Oxfam International.

Neil shared this unique event with music fans in New Zealand by presenting a short series of intimate and informal live performances at The Powerstation, Mt Eden Road, Auckland, NZ on January 5th, 6th & 7th 2009

Check out 7 Worlds Collide on Myspace.

Jeff Tweedy in the Studio (drawing Glenn)


Studio Set-up


Jeff Tweedy & Friends cover Fake Plastic Trees (Radiohead)

Black Cab Sessions: Ryan Adams & Neal Casal...

"Bird~watchers" Keep Eye on Michigan Theater...

Ok, Ok.....lotsa Andrew Bird news of late on this little blog. And one more note to add to the story. He will be in Ann Arbor on April 8th filling up the rafters of Michigan Theater with his sweet sounds. Consider his style, this may be the perfect venue for this show. If you have yet to catch a show in the Michigan Theater, you really need to treat yourself to the purity of this place. Plus, it only seems right that a "Bird" find a home in "Tree Town". Tickets go on sale on January 17th (Pre-Sale has already started at a Music Today site).

Phish Phood: Reunion Tour Dates...

For Phish fans, the summer is shaping up swimmingly. Phish has resurfaced (get it?) in 2009 to the delight of numerous fans...who have waited 5 years for this very moment.
A limited number of pre-sale tickets are available through the band's online ticketing system through January 17th; check their website for further details. Tickets go on sale to the public beginning January 30th.

March 2009
6-8 - Hampton, VA @ Hampton Coliseum

June 2009
4, 5 - Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
6 - Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center
7 - Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
9 - Asheville, NC @ Asheville Civic Center
16 - St. Louis, MO @ Fox Theatre
18 - Burgettstown, PA @ Post Gazette Pavilion
19 - Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
20, 21 - East Troy, WI @ Alpine Valley

M. Ward Video: Hold Time...

Here is the video for Hold Time, the title track from M. Ward's upcoming February 17th release.

A. Bird to Land in Cleveland in April...

An additional midwest date for Andrew Bird's upcoming tour has popped up...and look alive...tickets go on sale this Friday, January 9th for a Cleveland show on April 2nd at the Allen Theatre in Playhouse Square. For more information or to reserve your tickets call 216-383-1124.

Here is a pretty remarkable animated video that was done for a Daytrotter Session song called Lull.

Andrew Bird Brings Out the Beast...

Andrew Bird will release Noble Beast (Fat Possum Records) on January 20th. The self-produced album consists of 14 original songs recorded primarily at the Beech House in Nashville, with additional recording taking place at various Chicago and Minneapolis locations over a period of five months. As usual, Bird handles violin, vocals, whistling and guitar, with back-up from live cohorts Martin Dosh (percussion, looping, keys), Jeremy Ylvisaker (guitar, bass, organ, shortwave) and more recently Mike Lewis, plus a supporting cast including Kelly Hogan, Todd Sickafoose, and the band Loney Dear.

Beginning today, you can hear the album in it's entirety, streaming on NPR.

2009 Tour Dates
1/25 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of the Living Arts
1/28 - New York, NY @ Carnegie Hall
1/30 - Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
2/3 - Washington D.C. @ 930 Club
2/4 - Atlanta, GA @ The Variety Playhouse
2/6 - Orlando, FL @ The Plaza Theatre
2/7 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
2/12 - Austin, TX @ The Paramount Theatre
2/13 - Albuquerque, NM @ The El Rey Theater
2/14 - Tuscon, AZ @ Rialto Theater
2/15 - San Diego, CA @ SOMA
2/18 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Orpheum Theater
2/19 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
2/20 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
2/21 - Portland, OR @ The Roseland Theater
2/23 - Seattle, WA @ The Moore Theater
2/24 - Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
2/25 - Murray, UT @ The Murray Theater
2/26 - Denver, CO @ The Ogden Theater
2/27 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
3/15 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
3/16 - Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall
3/17 - Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom
3/21 - Houston, TX @ House of Blues
3/22 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
3/23 - Oxford, MS @ The Lyric Oxford
4/3 - Toronto, ONT @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
4/4 - Montreal, QC @ Le National
4/5 - South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
4/7 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Carnegie Music Hall
4/10 - Chicago, IL @ Civic Opera House
4/11 - Minneapolis, MN @ The State Theater

MMJ Has New Year's Eve Covered...

By all accounts My Morning Jacket rang in the New Year in style at Madison Square Garden. Luckily, those who could not make this performance can enjoy it's goodness through the magic of Archive.org...someone who taped the show already has it posted & it sounds great! Over 30 songs including some classic covers...Celebration, Get Down On It, Express Yourself, Move On Up (see the video below). The countdown to midnight complete with Kool & the Gang's Celebration looked amazing (in all white tuxes).

Great photos on Brooklyn Vegan.

Intro & Move On Up


NYE Countdown & Celebration


Celebration 2 & Get Down On It


Express Yourself

Jeff Tweedy Adds Solo Kalamazoo Date...

It looks like Jeff Tweedy felt like breaking up his trek from Chicago to the Ann Arbor Folk Festival on January 30th. According to the Wilco website, he will be playing solo at the State Theatre in Kalamazoo on January 29th. Pre-Sale Tickets go on sale on Monday, January 5th on MusicToday & the General Public Sale begins Wednesday, January 7th via Ticketmaster.

Happy New Year to U2 & You Too...

As previously mentioned, U2 is back on the scene with a new album to be released in 2009. Q Magazine gives us the first exclusive look at what we might expect from these superstars of rock. Here is a preview. The magazine will also carry four in-depth interviews and a 30 page focus on the new record, No Line on the Horizon. Don't miss Q's mini-site, which features some exclusive cover shoot video, an image gallery (all featuring Bono with eyeliner). Initial reviews are strong with some (like Eno & The Edge) speculating that this could be U2's finest effort to date. That would be a pretty tall task. Keep an eye on U2's News on their website...I have a feeling the updates will be coming at a brisk pace in 2009.