The Hold Steady's Tad Kubler Playing Gig for Kids
Band mixing LP4, growing beards

Photo by Michael Alan Goldberg

Drunkenness, debauchery, fudging on bedtimes: each helps provide the grist for the rock'n'roll mill owned and operated by the Hold Steady. So why in the world is Hold Steady axe slinger Tad Kubler gigging just after lunchtime for folks with flasks full of chocolate milk?

To raise the next generation of Hold Steady fans, we guess. On Sunday, February 10 at the Living Room in New york City, Tad (and "friends"), along with Langhorne Slim and the War Eagles will peform a 1 p.m. set as part of the KiDROCKERS series. These KiDROCKERS gigs contain a special provision, however: every adult must be accompanied by a kid, and vice versa.

Though just which "friends" Tad will bring along to the Living Room remains to be seen, his well-known pals in the Hold Steady are chugging right along on LP4. A recent MySpace bulletin suggests they're already at the mixing stage, and photos from their website suggest the band's "beard off" is nearly a month in the making. Though drummer Bobby Drake appears to have disqualified himself after a run-in with the razor and babyfaced bassist Galen Polivka seems to have opted out of the proceedings altogether, the rest of the band are looking pretty gnarly. Even producer John Agnello is in on the action. But let no ungainly soul patch stand in the way of the tuneage, gents!

Tad's not the only one taking a little break from his bearded brethren soonish, as keyboardist Franz Nicolay will serenade the highest bidder at the Cupid on Demand auction this Friday. And the band have a handful of UK appearances later this month, and yet another one come May at the ATP vs. Pitchfork festival. [MORE...]

Love Is All Name New Album, Gain Member, Plan Shows

Photo by Wyatt Cusick

Love Is All sure love their numbers, as evidenced by the title to the forthcoming follow-up to 2005/2006's sassy, sax-y, spunky, spendiferous Nine Times That Same Song. A Hundred Things Keep Me Up at Night is what they're calling it, and we have every reason to believe it'll be worth losing sleep over.

While the band indicates A Hundred Things has been completely recorded, they have no idea just yet when they'll release it. A demo version of a song from the new album called "New Beginnings" and an untitled extra from the recording sessions are both available now at the Love Is All MySpace.

In the meantime Love Is All have at least three things to keep us up at night: a trio of shows over the next three months in three different cities, venues TBA. The first one pops off February 22 in Stockholm. Good thing we also have that remix record to provide a Love Is All fix until then; Mixed Up is out now on Parlophone.

Should you happen upon one of these gigs, keep an eye out for latest Love Is All recruit Åke (aka James Ausfahrt). He'll be rocking saxophone, keyboards, and "some weird handclap machine we haven't yet seen," according to the band's MySpace blog. Gosh, I hope it's one of these. [MORE...]

R.I.P. Sean Finnegan, Drummer From Void

Sean Finnegan, drummer from Washington, D.C.-area hardcore band Void, passed away Wednesday, January 30 of an apparent heart attack, according to a press release. One of the first acts associated with Dischord Records, Void appeared on the label's 1982 Flex Your Head compilation. They made their proper debut with a 1982 LP split with fellow D.C. locals Faith.

Void parted ways in 1983. At the time of his death, Finnegan was working on the HBO television show "The Wire". He was 43 years old.

Dirty Projectors Tour North America in the Spring

Photo by Daniel Cantó

More snaky guitar lines! More skyward harmonies! More yelping! The Dirty Projectors are coming to tidily take care of all three on a brief North American tour this spring. Especially the bit about the yelping. Gotta love that yelping.

After stops at Owen Pallett's weird and wonderful Maximum Black Festival in Europe, Dave Longstreth and his oh-so-Dirty Ps will hit the road in late March. They'll pop in at the MusicNOW festival curated by the National's Bryce Dessner and, when all's said and done, wait patiently for their slot at May's ATP vs. Pitchfork festival.

What else, what else. Dirty Projectors bassist Angel Deradoorian will perform a solo show at New York City's Cake Shop February 8. And while we're on the subject of single Projectors, there's that single the Projectors split with White Williams that's out now. [MORE...]

Photos: Hot Chip [New York, NY; 02/02/08]

Photos by William Kirk

With Made in the Dark finally emerging this week, Hot Chip have traded a studio bereft of light for another dimly lit space: a club near you.

The infectious UK combo did it did it did it did it and said it said it said it etc. this past weekend at New York City's Highline Ballroom during the first of a pair of release week U.S. shows (the second pops off tonight in Los Angeles). UPDATE: The show has been postponed due to illness.

The boys' native UK and Europe had better be ready for the floor come mid-February, when Hot Chip return for a whole bunch of gigs with Matthew Dear. Then it's back across the pond in April-- this time with the !!!-descended Free Blood supporting-- and finally one more transatlantic voyage, destination: ATP VS. P4K PRTY 2K8!!

HOT CHIP







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Photos: Joanna Newsom with the Brooklyn Philharmonic [Brooklyn, NY; 02/01/08]

Photos by Kathryn Yu

The formula is pretty well established by now: Joanna Newsom + live orchestration = awesome. But we can never have enough proofs of an equation like that, and so Newsom, trusty harp, Ys Street Band, and members of the Brooklyn Philharmonic took to the Brooklyn Academy of Music late last week to demonstrate once more for the converts and any remaining doubters alike.

Like previous Newsom/orchestra meetups, this one featured a set of Ys in sequence followed by a set of Newsom favorites and new tunes minus the orchestra. Sometime Ys Street Band member Kevin Barker (also of Currituck Co.) even dropped by to join Newsom for the encore.

That'll do it for Newsom's live appearances for the moment. Perhaps now the lady will trade Ys for some much-needed...wait for it...ZZZZs?

JOANNA NEWSOM





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Om Cancel Dates, Drummer Hakius Leaves

Bad news from the Om camp. The San Francisco drone group remains a duo, but bassist/vocalist Al Cisneros is now working with a replacement drummer for Chris Hakius, who has left the band.

According to a message from Cisneros in a press release, "Om is continuing forward with a new drummer and working on a new recording... A live vinyl-only LP, Om: Live at Jerusalem, will be forthcoming. This is Chris Hakius' final release with the group."

As a result of Hakius' departure, Om have had to cancel their previously reported shows with Lungfish's Daniel Higgs. "I personally apologize to East Coast fans who planned on coming out to the shows. Please know that Om will be back in your area later in '08," Cisneros said.

Om are scheduling some new shows for later this spring. The band's cancelled East Coast dates are after the jump. [MORE...]

Blonde Redhead Plot Another Brief Tour

Photo by Sebastian Mlynarski

Pocket-sized Blonde Redhead tours seem to be the order of the day for 2008, as the tantalizing tinted trio are following up their brief East Coast run earlier this month with a nine-date trek through Europe come April.

The band's plans include stops in Scandinavia, France, and a lone date in London. They will also join their 4AD labelmates the Breeders-- and scores of others, of course-- at Belgium's Pukkelpop Festival Polsslag Festival, an indoor festival organized by the Pukkelpop people here the Pace brothers and the Deal sisters will reenact their favorite scenes from the Schwarzenegger/DeVito classic Twins. That's what twins do when they get together, right? [MORE...]

Yes, That Was an Arcade Fire Song in a Super Bowl Ad
No, the band didn't have anything to do with it

As you might have noticed, some kind of important televised sporting event happened earlier this evening. A ball was kicked and thrown and men in extremely tight pants ran back and forth across something resembling grass. In the middle, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers performed, though they didn't really seem to get what all the fuss was about. (Tom didn't even think the occasion was worth shaving for.)

A few minutes after the halftime show, something weird happened. And it wasn't just the realization that holy shit, the Giants actually have a chance here. It was an ad for NFL on Fox, buoying its triumphant montage of sweaty dudes in helmets with the rousing strains of the coda to the Arcade Fire's "No Cars Go".

Verrry interrrresting. We knew these guys were sports fans, but would Win, Regine, and the gang really sell their music to Rupert Murdoch so that he could advertise his football television program?

No, no they wouldn't.

Turns out Fox never even asked the band if they could use their song, and they certainly weren't given permission to do so. (Gee, this sounds familiar.)

Right now, it's unclear if anything illegal took place, or if the Arcade Fire is owed any money from Fox. The matter is currently being reviewed by the band's camp.

UPDATE: Apparently "No Cars Go" has been used during NFL on Fox ads throughout the football season, according to various readers. 

Iron & Wine to Tour U.S. With Califone
Add Australian, New Zealand dates as well

Following a one-off gig in Wheaton, Illinois this month (a solo set) and a brief trek Down Under in March, Sam Beam's Iron & Wine will hit the road across the U.S. for a spell. He'll be joined for the second time in a while by his chums in Califone, making this truly the most beards and vests you're likely to see on a single stage this spring. Man, is that a funny line.

After hanging up with Califone, Sam and whoever he can smuggle over the pond in those flowing locks will hit the Explosions in the Sky-curated ATP Festival.

Califone, meanwhile, have a couple more music and film engagements to attend to before heading out on tour. [MORE...]

Parts & Labor, Shooting Spires Line Up Tours

Jagjaguwar Mapmakers Parts & Labor will do a little more cartography this March on a three-week U.S. tour with SXSW smack dab in the middle. The band also has a solitary show before the tour, which takes place tomorrow, February 2, in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Also before the P&L tour is a February outing from bassist/vocalist BJ Warshaw's Shooting Spires side project, in support of his self-titled bedroom-spun debut. For the tour, Warshaw has expanded the Spires lineup from just himself to a four-piece band. [MORE...]

Jay-Z to Headline Glastonbury

Photo by Kyle Gustafson

H to the Izzo! Jay-Z to the UK! To Glastonbury in a hurry like a blurry... broken... P.A. Yeah, I dunno either, but Jay-Z is confirmed to headline Glastonbury 2008, and between that and the three-foot-deep snow drifts burying Chicago right now, we're all a bit loopy this afternoon.

The news comes from a BBC report, which indicates Neil Diamond will perform at the rather large summer festival as well on June 29. Our moms couldn't be happier.

Jigga and Diamond (OMG plz collaborate) are the only confirmed performers thus far for Glastonbury 2008, though rumors abound, as always. The festival pops off near the English town that bears its name from June 27-29 this year.

Jay-Z doesn't have any other activity planned at the moment, but having abdicated the throne of Def Jam and regained our respect, you know he's ripe for more live action.

Do you have a news tip for us? Anything crazy happen at a show you attended recently? Do you have inside info on the bands we cover? Is one of your favorite artists (that's not somebody you know personally) releasing a new record you'd like to see covered? You will remain completely anonymous, unless we are given your express permission to reveal your identity. (Please note that publicists, managers, booking agents, and other artist representatives are generally exempt from this rule, but will also be granted anonymity if requested.)