I just got an email from APE Concerts confirming that Radiohead , Tom Petty and Jack Johnson will in fact be headlining the first annual Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco. We previously reported the rumors that were floating around the Internets, but were afraid to get too excited before anything was confirmed. Turns out it was actually true. The Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival is set to take place in San Francisco's historic Golden Gate Park August 22-24 with Radiohead, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Jack Johnson [...]
With Noise Pop 2008 ending yesterday, I thought it a good time to ask a simple question: What the fuck happened? Last year the line up was an indie kids' wet dream with the likes of Tapes 'n Tapes , Josh Ritter , Sebadoh , John Vanderslice , Ted Leo , Midlake , Spinto Band , Vic Chesnutt and The Coup . The 2006 lineup featured a pre-iPod commercial Leslie Fiest , The National , a Britt Daniel (of Spoon ) solo set and [...]
OK, that title was me trying to make a play on words with my favorite Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks song "Vanessa From Queens." It was a horrible stretch and I apologize. Bad writing aside, do heed my advice and get down to Amoeba Music on Haight Street this Wednesday at 7 p.m. for a show by the aforementioned Mr. Malkmus. The price is right – free – and The Jicks put on a good show. Like any music lover who came of age in the 90s, I loved Pavement ... I'm [...]
I'm not a big fan of Kanye 's rapping (I think I'm the only one out there that doesn't like any of his albums), but the man is clearly one of the best producers out there. Preferences aside, this is a damn cool video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =VpBDqtUEWcM Totally unrelated Kanye West story after the jump. (more...)
Why not end the work week with a bit of strangeness? I loved Garfield when I was a kid. It was like a primer for growing into Calvin and Hobbes and Bloom County – I loved it, then grew out of it, but still could laugh at the harmless humor. (Fun fact: I wrote Garfield's creator, Jim Davis, a fan letter when I was about 8-years-old and got a response from him on Garfield stationary that had a bite taken out of the corner. Yes, I'm a huge dork – stick it up your [...]
Is it me or does Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear strangely resemble cult favorite Herbert Khaury , better known as Tiny Tim ? "Tiptoe through the Tulips" anyone? Regardless, Grizzly Bear is an excellent Brooklyn band and Droste has one of the best ears for harmony in indie music, not to mention one of the best noses. If Tim Burton ever jumps on the biopic bandwagon and directs a film about Tiny Tim, Ed Droste is a lock for the lead role. You decide. [...]
The folks at APE Concerts just announced the second annual Treasure Island Music Festival, scheduled for September 20th and 21st. While no artists were announced, last year's festival - headlined by Modest Mouse, Thievery Corporation, Spoon and Built to Spill - was a cool enough experience to warrant a quick announcement here. Check out the official release after the jump. (more...)
Obscure samples, numerous pseudonyms, and a vinyl collection that supposedly weighs a few tons - I don't think I'll ever get tired of listening to Madlib . Check out his December 2007 BBC takeover performance . It'll turn your workday frown upside down... yes, I just typed that. Downloads: Madlib - Slim's Return Quasimoto - Microphone Mathematics Peanut Butter Wolf & Madlib - Rawcore
We've already talked about Lil' Wayne and his taste for mind-altering substances. Well, it seems Tha Carter's devilish influence has polluted the minds off our most defenseless, our most vulnerable citizens – pro athletes. That monster. New England Patriots running back Kevin Faulk was caught at a Lil' Wayne concert in Lafayette, La. last Friday with four joints during a routine search at the concert as Faulk made his way to a luxury box in the Lafayette Cajundome. This of course will earn him a meeting with NFL Super Cop Roger Goodell, who's punishment [...]
As we previously reported, Maxim came under fire this week for releasing a review of the Black Crowes new album, Warpaint, without actually listening to it first. Oops. Maxim initially defended the decision, with this weak excuse: "Of course, we always prefer to hearing music, but sometimes there are big albums that we don't want to ignore that aren't available to hear, which is what happened with the Crowes. It's either an educated guess preview or no coverage at all, so in this case we chose the former." [...]
Please, oh please be true. I promise I'll be nice. I swear. I'll start contributing to charity. Please don't let the August 22 Radiohead concert in Golden Gate Park be a nasty internet rumor. Please let this Outside Lands Festival be a gift from the gods. SF Weekly just posted that Radiohead, Tom Petty and Jack Johnson are going to headline a festival in Golden Gate Park this August. We'll post any and all updates. More: Radiohead, Tom Petty, and Jack Johnson To Play [...]
Here's a quick roundup of some of the best out there: Todd Martens reviews Wilco's 5 Days back home in Chicago [ Extended Play @ LA Times ] Long-lost album from one-third of seminal hip-hop crew A Tribe Called Quest [ The Good, The Bad, and the Unknown ] Mike Doughty released acoustic videos in support of new album, Golden Delicious [ My Old Kentucky Blog ] Mathematician nominated for Grammy for restoring only known recording of Woody Guthrie live [ Science News ] Joe [...]
The Black Crowes were mighty upset about Maxim's review of their new album, Warpaint , and not just because it wasn't too flattering. It turns out that David Peisner was able to slander their new album without so much as hearing it first, since the Crowes' label, Megaforce, did not advance copies to the media. The following statement was posted on their official website : "The writer — who has not heard the album since advance CDs were not made available — wrote what appears to be a disparaging assessment anyway, [...]
[Editor's note: We'd like to welcome Uncle Corey to our band of brothers here at the Stranger Dance. Besides being a certifiable life-long music lover and all-around brown-bear-cub-like nice guy, he also spent the better part of his 20s working for a host of newspapers across Washington and California, so he'll hopefully bring some kind of journalistic credibility to what we do here.] It always bugs me out when I'm talking about music to someone younger – especially a music lover – and I ask if they like a band from 10-15 years ago [...]
I don't think I'm going to be able to get this image out of my head. I keep thinking this has to be CGI, but, unfortunately, I don't think it is. (Totally work safe.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =0EvH5LQAYl0
Here's the video from the new Pitchfork-endorsed indie darling, Vampire Weekend . I haven't decided whether I think they deserve all the praise they're getting yet, but this song is my favorite so far, and the video is great. Enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =_XC2mqcMMGQ Also, I enjoyed this quote from their website: The name of this band is Vampire Weekend. We are specialists in the following styles: "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa", "Upper West Side Soweto", "Campus", and "Oxford Comma Riddim."
The 16th-annual NoisePop concert series is set to spread its indie goodness across San Francisco in just a few weeks. The full schedule is up, and it's another eclectic mix this year, with highlights including the Magnetic Fields , Mountain Goats , Walkmen , and She & Him (indie-folk genius M Ward and the impossibly cute Zooey Deschanel ). More San Francisco concerts here. She & Him - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here? [...]
The Stranger Dance
iamamiwhoami: kin - Teaser
Album Review: alt-J – An Awesome Wave
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros: Here
Azealia Banks – ’1991′ & ‘Van Vouge’
