Shonen Knife Announces Tour Dates

In celebration of their 30th Anniversary and their upcoming record, Osaka Ramones, Shonen Knife will launch a tour in October. New York, you'll have a couple of chances to see them. They'll be at Public Assembly on Saturday, October 22 and on Friday, November 18 at The Bell House.

2011 marks thirty years since Naoko and the band began releasing albums featuring their joyous mixture of pop, punk, food and fantasy for the world to enjoy, and to commemorate this major milestone, the ladies will be launching a fall tour in support of their latest release, Osaka Ramones, a 13-track tribute to NYC’s legendary punk band, The Ramones. Offering support on the trek will be Oakland, CA garage rockers, Shannon and the Clams.

Tour Dates
with opener, Shannon and the Clams

October

• 20- Toronto, ONT- Horseshoe Tavern
• 21- Montreal- QC- II Motore
• 22- Brooklyn, NY- Public Assembly (CMJ)
• 24- Baltimore, MD- Otto Bar
• 25- Durham, NC- The Pinhook
• 26- Atlanta, GA- Masquerade
• 27- Mobile, AL- Alabama Music Box
• 28- Houston, TX- GroundHall
• 29- Austin, TX- Red 7

November

• 1- Los Angeles, CA- TBA
• 2- San Diego, CA - Casbah
• 3- Long Beach, CA – Alex’s Bar
• 4- San Francisco, CA- Bottom of the Hill
• 5- Portland, OR- Dante’s
• 7- Vancouver, BC- Biltmore Cabaret
• 8- Seattle, WA- Tractor Tavern
• 11- Minneapolis, MN- First Ave.
• 12- Chicago, IL- Empty Bottle
• 13- Kalamazoo, MI- The Strutt
• 14- Indianpolis, IN- Radio, Radio
• 17- Pittsburgh, PA- 31st Pub
• 18- Brooklyn, NY- The Bellhouse
• 19- Buffalo, NY- Mohawk Palace

Gillian Welch Announces Tour Dates

Gillian Welch has announced tour dates, see below. She and longtime partner David Rawlings will tour through the fall. She'll be in New York on Saturday, October 22 at the Beacon Theatre. There will also be a stop at the famed Newport Folk Festival on Saturday, July 30. The tour winds up in at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Thursday, December 1.

Tour Dates:

• Thu Jul-07 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre
• Sat Jul-09 - Grants Pass, OR - Rogue Theatre
• Sun Jul-10 - Eugene, OR - McDonald Theatre
• Tue Jul-12 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
• Wed Jul-13 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre
• Fri Jul-15 - Vancouver, BC - Vancouver Folk Festival
• Sat Jul-16 - Olympia, WA - Capitol Theatre
• Sun Jul-17 - Missoula, MT - Wilma Theater
• Mon Jul-18 - Bozeman, MT - Emerson Center
• Wed Jul-20 - St. Paul, MN - Fitzgerald Theater
• Thu Jul-21 - Madison, WI - Capitol Theatre
• Fri Jul-22 - Chicago, IL - VIC Theatre
• Sat Jul-23 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre
• Mon Jul-25 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Hall
• Sat Jul-30 - Newport, RI - Newport Folk Festival
• Tue Aug-02 - Bethesda, MD - Music Center at Strathmore
• Wed Aug-03 - Raleigh, NC - North Carolina Museum of Art
• Thu Aug-04 - Winston-Salem, NC - Ziggy's
• Fri Aug-05 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
• Sat Aug-06 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
• Thu Aug-11 - New Orleans, LA - Tipitinas Uptown
• Fri Aug-12 - Birmingham, AL - Workplay Soundstage
• Sat Aug-13 - Huntsville, AL - Von Braun Center Concert Hall
• Sun Aug-14 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre
• Wed Aug-17 - Roanoke, VA - Jefferson Cent/Shaftman Performance Hall
• Thu Aug-18 - Charlottesville, VA - Paramount Theatre
• Fri Aug-19 - Richmond, VA - Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
• Sat Aug-20 - Charlotte, NC - Knight Theater at Levine Cent. for the Arts
• Sun Aug-21 - Greenville, SC - Peace Center Concert Hall
• Tue Aug-23 - Bristol, VA - Paramount Center for the Arts
• Wed Aug-24 - Knoxville, TN - Tennessee Theater
• Fri Aug-26 - Boone, NC - Farthing Auditorium
• Sat Aug-27 - Wilmington, NC - Winoca Festival - Battleship Park
• Sun Aug-28 - Charleston, SC - Charleston Music Hall
• Tue Aug-30 - Louisville, KY - Brown Theatre
• Wed Aug-31 - Cincinnati, OH - Moonlite Gardens Amphitheatre
• Thu Sep-01 - Bloomington, IN - The Bluebird
• Sat Sep-03 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
• Sun Sep-04 - Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall
• Tue Sep-06 - Boulder, CO - Chautauqua Auditorium
• Wed Sep-07 - Arvada, CO - Arvada Center
• Fri Sep-09 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kingsbury Hall
• Sat Sep-17 - Austin, TX - ACL Festival
• Wed Sep-28 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy & Harriets
• Thu Sep-29 - Los Angeles, CA - Music Box @ Fonda
• Sat Oct-01 - San Francisco, CA - Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival
• Wed Oct-12 - Wichita, KS - Orpheum Theatre
• Thu Oct-13 - Lincoln, NE - Rococo Theatre
• Fri Oct-14 - Des Moines, IA - The Hoyt Sherman Place
• Mon Oct-17 - Grand Rapids, MI - Covenant Fine Arts Center at Calvin College
• Tue Oct-18 - Kent, OH - The Kent Stage
• Wed Oct-19 - Pittsburgh, PA - Byham Theater
• Thu Oct-20 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
• Sat Oct-22 - New York, NY- Beacon Theater
• Sun Oct-23 - Ithaca, NY - State Theatre
• Tue Oct-25 - Montreal, QC - Le National
• Wed Oct-26 - Burlington, VT - Flynn Center
• Thu Oct-27 - Boston, MA - Wilbur Theatre
• Sat Nov 26 - Portsmouth, NH - Music Hall
• Sun Nov-27 - Portland, ME - State Theatre
• Mon Nov-28 - Northampton, MA - Calvin Theater
• Thu Dec-01 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium

Milagres Announces Tour Dates

Brooklyn-based band Milagres have announced fall tour dates. Fear not New York, they'll be playing a couple of hometown gigs. They'll be at McCarren Park over in Brooklyn on August 10. September 30, they'll be on the LES at Mercury Lounge.

The musical scope of the album is big and due to the piano-based melodies and soaring falsettos, early press has compared the band to artists as diverse as Grizzly Bear and Prince, demonstrating the wide breadth of Milagres material. The first single, "Glowing Mouth", is a slow-burner made for dancing close on a hot summer night, whereas "Here To Stay" has a keyboard hook that won’t let you sleep. Kyle Wilson has a knack for writing dreamy story songs that also pack a punch in both chorus and melody. Songs like "Gentle Beast" and "Gone" suck you in and then haunt you for days afterwards – this is an album that stays with you.

Tour Dates

• 07.16 -- Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club #
• 08.10 -- Brooklyn, NY @ McCarren Park (L Magazine Summerscreen Series)
• 09.27 -- Boston, MA @ Middle East *
• 09.28 -- Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie *
• 09.30 -- New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge *
• 10.03 -- Raleigh, NC @ Local 506 *
• 10.04 -- Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn *
• 10.07 -- Austin, TX @ Lamberts *
• 10.08 -- Denton, TX @ Dan's Silver Leaf *
• 10.10 -- Norman, OK @ Opolis *
• 10.11 -- Columbia, MO @ Mojos *
• 10.12 -- Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop *
• 10.15 -- Madison, WI @ UW Madison - The Sett *

# with Wild Beasts
* with Peter Wolf Crier

Upcoming: Jump Into The Gospel at Glasslands

Those funky electro rockers, Jump Into The Gospel will be at Glasslands Gallery over in Brooklyn this Sunday, July 10. Doors are at 7:30PM and it'll cost you $10. Also on the bill that night, Nightmare & The Cat, NONVIOLENCE and Little Racer. Go dance; get hot and sweaty, they like when you do that.

The band recently completed a killer residency at LES venue Pianos last week. If you missed it...

This is what they played...

And this is what they looked like...
More photos HERE

Upcoming: Pearl and the Beard at Music Hall of Williamsburg

Brooklyn based trio Pearl and the Beard will be headlining a show over in Brooklyn at Music Hall of Williamsburg. The show is this Thursday, July 7. Doors are at 8PM and it will cost you $12 advance / $14 dos.

Frank Nicolay (formerly of The Hold Steady) produced their new album, Killing the Darlings, and he'll be opening for the band along with Brian Bonz.

Pearl and the Beard's unique sound is made up of folk-leaning three-part harmonies, gorgeous melodies, roaring cello, and a lot of wonderfully raucous percussion. Their songs swing from playful to heart-wrenching, and it's pretty hard to sit still during any of them.

MP3 Grab: "Reverend"
MP3 Grab: "Sweetness"

Video Of The Day: The Kills - "Future Starts Slow"

The Kills have released a video for their next single, "Future Starts Slow." The song is from their latest album, Blood Pressures. Check out the Philip Andelman directed video at the bottom of the post.

New York, The Kills will be at Terminal 5 on August 8 and 9. Doors are at 7PM and it'll cost you $30 advance / $35 dos.

What You May Have Missed: The Rassle at Pianos

The Rassle: June 22 @ Pianos, New York, NY

Last Wednesday, I was over at Pianos. As I was walking through to the back room, I walked past a guy and thought, hm, he looks familiar. As I'm waiting for things to get started, that same guy hops up on stage to prep for the show. It was then that it hit me I'd seen him play before with another band, The Takeover UK. Okay, I liked them so I figured there was a good chance I'd like this band, The Rassle, as well. Plus, I had it on good authority that they were really good.

The Rassle took the Pianos stage effectively making the room a party. The good authority was right, they are really good. At some point they played a song that reminded me of T-Rex, what?! Yeah, they went there. I might have heard a little taste of early U2; maybe I was reminded of that based on the singer doing the Bono bounce every so often. They were funky, they were punky, they were pop rock yumminess and they were full of old school vibe with a nice coating of freshness. Their old school sound remind you of... but they add their own thing thus avoiding sounding dated and redundant. Keep an eye these guys and check them out if you haven't already.

This is what it looked like...
More photos HERE

Upcoming: Jump Into The Gospel's Pianos Residency, Last Call

New York electro dance rock darlings, Jump Into The Gospel, will take the stage at Pianos on Wednesday, June 29 at 10PM. Did I mention it's FREE? You heard me correctly, free ($8 before 9PM). This is the final night of their residency at the LES venue. If you missed the previous three shows, well, you probably weren't having as much fun as those of us who were there did.

Jump Into The Gospel: June 22 @ Pianos, New York, NY


For those of you who missed the show last week...

This is what they played...

Have I mentioned how much I'm in lust with "St. John?" Well I am. Seriously, I'm going to keep saying it, I'm in lust with "St. John." Make it digital, slap it on some vinyl, hell, put it on an 8-track just make that joint available boys; that's my song!

...and this is what it looked like
More photos HERE

In New York: BID ON CULTURE Unveiled New Banner Designs

In conjunction with its celebration of Black Music Month, BID ON CULTURE unveiled the six winning banner designs in their third annual banner competition today. The double-sided banners are being displayed from Fifth Avenue to Morningside Avenue and from Broadway to 12th Avenue as well as 12th Avenue up to 138th Street.

Six designs, the work of five New York visual artists, were selected from 41 submissions.

The selected artists and banners are:

• Corine Campbell: Billie Holiday
• Misha McGlown: Jimi Hendrix and Josephine Baker
• Tomo Mori: Somos la Musica
• Soyca Mphahlele: New Colors
• Hubert Williams: True Colours

The winning banner designs are the work of five professional New York visual artists who responded to a Request for Proposals (RFP) released in April. The RFP sought banner designs that celebrate Harlem's musical legacy as well as personalities and venues closely associated with Harlem's contribution to the history and development of music in America.

Barbara Askins, President and CEO of 125th Street BID, said, "The designs, the colors, the creativity and concepts all began to define the culturally sensitive streetscape improvements that the BID is seeking to bring to Harlem's major commercial corridor. We are pleased to exhibit the work of great artists and, and we believe these banners will enhance the pedestrian experience of those who are walking across 125th Street over the coming year."

The annual BID ON CULTURE competition is spearheaded by a partnership of The 125th Street Business Improvement District, the Harlem Arts Alliance and Harlem Community Development Corporation to showcase the cultural vitality of Harlem along 125th Street, its primary commercial thoroughfare. Its objective is to promote recognition and understanding of Harlem’s unique and authentic heritage, its role as a vibrant center of culture and to help promote the continued revitalization of 125th Street as the economic and artistic heart of Harlem.

What You May Have Missed: Red Wanting Blue at Mercury Lounge

Red Wanting Blue: June 17 @ Mercury Lounge, New York, NY

Friday night I once again had the chance to catch Red Wanting Blue. They're a amazingly fun band oozing with talent. I believe I mentioned before, that they really should be on your list of bands to see if you haven't done so already. Anyone who appreciates musicianship will appreciate them and their blend of Americana and classic rock. They also have a real positive vibe about them.

As wonderful as the band is, I would be remiss in not mentioning their fans. While watching Red Wanting Blue would be enjoyable by itself, you wouldn't get the full picture without being surrounded by a venue full of their loyal and very vocal fans. Front-man Scott Terry commented at the beginning of the set that he saw a lot of familiar faces and 'some of y'all are out of your zip codes.' Whether it was the bird flipping "Finger In The Air" or singing along with the contagiously fun "You Are My Las Vegas" the audience was right there with them. They may well be the only band I've ever seen, that's not an "oldies" act, where every song they play seems to be a crowd favorite! That says a lot about them, their talent, their songs and their fans.

At the end of it all the audience wanted more. The gentleman next to me didn't just want more, he wanted a second set. Nobody would have complained ... well maybe the bands that were to take the stage after them!

This is what they played...

This is what it looked like...
More photos HERE