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“Holy Roller” was the first song that Thao Nguyen wrote for We The Common, her new album as Thao & The Get Down Stay Down. The jittery indie-folk tune was also the first song we heard from the album, and now it’s the first one to get a video. In director Mimi Cave‘s clip, Nguyen and a few friends lip-sync the song dramatically, and then special effects come in and mash up their faces in increasingly disturbing ways. Watch it below.

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Psychedelic garage phenomenon Ty Segall has announced summer tour dates in support of his latest solo album, Sleeper, out via Drag City on August 20. The tour will be kicking off in Santa Cruz with guests Daughn Gibson, William Tyler, and Mike Donovan on select dates. Fans of Segall’s thumping riffs and energetic guitar solos can look forward to seeing him in New York at the Music Hall of Williamsburg on August 29 and again at Bowery Ballroom the next night. Afterwards, Segall will be heading back west with a hometown show at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.

Watch the silly—but also a little creepy—trailer announcing the tour:

Ty Segall Tour Dates
08/01/13 – Santa Cruz, CA – Catalyst Atrium *
08/03/13 – Happy Valley, OR – Pickathon
08/04/13 – Happy Valley, OR – Pickathon
08/24/13 – Los Angeles, CA – FYF Fest
08/27/13 – Austin, TX – Mohawk Outside
08/29/13 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
08/30/13 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
08/31/13 – Chicago, IL – Logan Square Auditorium
09/02/13 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall !
09/04/13 – Monterey, CA – Golden State Theatre !
09/05/13 – Oakland, CA – New Parish !
09/07/13 – Seattle, WA – Neumo

yMusic at Carnegie Hall in January (more by Greg Cristman)

Contemporary classical sextet yMusic, who have worked with The National, Bon Iver, Dirty Projectors, My Brightest Diamond, and more, will be performing on Stage 2 at Rockwood Music Hall tonight (5/22), premiering works written by Sufjan Stevens, Timo Andres, and Marcos Balter, in addition to "less-new-but-still-pretty-new" works by Nico Muhly and Andrew Norman. Advance tickets for tonight's show are available. Doors are at 6:30. Did anyone catch them performing in a Harlem loft last night (5/21)?

yMusic are also performing with filmmaker Sam Green and The Quavers for a "night of outdoor music and cinema" on PIer 15 on June 20 as part of the River to RIver Festival and the Rooftop Films summer series.

Speaking of people performing works by Nico Muhly, that will also happen in November at BAM as part of the Next Wave Festival:

In this ambitious, expansive reimagining of the art-song recital, the 21c Liederabend festival comes to BAM, featuring music by many leading lights from the international and New York contemporary new-music scenes.

Boasting 10 world premieres, this unique weekend event--which played to sold-out audiences in its last two incarnations--pairs video artists and lighting designers with new-music ensemble NOVUS NY, the Choir of Trinity Wall Street, and top solo...

by Bill Pearis

Some of you may remember early/mid-'00s Detroit-area band Thunderbirds Are Now!, who are in semi-permanent hibernation at the moment. Singer Ryan Allen is now in Destroy This Place which he co-fronts with former New Grenada member John Nelson and the line-up includes Allen's Friendly Foes bandmate Sean Sommer on drums. The band just released their eponymous second album which roars with crunchy, anthemic indie (the Allen songs), and big riff rock (via Nelson, who sounds a skooch like Ozzy at times). You can stream the whole album below.

Destroy This Place gig a lot in Michigan but don't make it out of the area that often, but the band are going on tour this summer, including a stop in NYC on June 29 at Death by Audio with Turing Machine, Shark? and Your Skull. All tour dates are listed below.

Continue reading "Destroy This Place (ex-Thunderbirds Are Now!) released their second album, touring (dates, LP stream)" at brooklynvegan

The National’s release their new album Trouble Will Find Me yesterday (5/21) and played two intimate NYC show to celebrate. They made an early evening stop at Brooklyn’s Public Assembly and closed out their night in Manhattan at Mercury Lounge. We sent intrepid photog Daniel Topete to check out their BK gig. You can also watch fan-shot videos of “Terrible Love” and “Sea Of Love” from the same performance below.

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Kurt Vile is currently in Europe touring behind his excellent new album, Wakin on a Pretty Daze. In July, he’ll embark on an extensive North American leg, which grew even larger today with the addition of 10 more dates scheduled for August. Check out the updated schedule below.

For a preview of what to expect, make sure to read Michael Roffman’s review of Vile’s recent Chicago show. Also watch his recent performance of “Walkin on a Pretty Day” on Late Show with David Letterman.

Kurt Vile 2013 Tour Dates:
05/24

Stuff like this is the reason the A.V. Club’s “A.V. Undercover” video series exists: Louisville post-hardcore warriors Coliseum, who landed a recent Album Of The Week with their ferocious Sister Faith, covering “Shakin’,” a deeply silly piece of ’80s cheeseball-rock fluff by Eddie Money. You will not be shocked to learn that the band turned the song into a burly workout, and they get bonus points for taking advantage of the A.V. Club’s Chicago location and roping in Yakuza frontman and underground metal luminary Bruce Lamont to play saxophone. Watch the cover below.

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photos by Chris Graham

Mavis Staples @ Beale Street Music Fest

Earlier this month, soul legend Mavis Staples made her way over to Memphis for the Beale Street Music Festival, which she played day 2 (5/4) of. Pictures and a video of her set are in this post.

Mavis has other dates coming up this year, including a free Celebrate! Brooklyn show on June 14 at Prospect Park with Cody Chestnutt. Then the next day (6/15) she heads a bit north for the Clearwater Festival in Croton, NY, which she plays along with Antibalas, Judy Collins, Hot Tuna, Nicole Atkins, Sharon Jones, and more. Tickets for that festival are still available.

Mavis is also working on a new album, One True Vine, which is due out on June 25 via Anti-, and being produced by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. You can listen to the track "I Like The Things About Me" from that album below (via Complex).

Mavis isn't the only living legend Jeff Tweedy is hanging with this year. As mentioned, Wilco is touring as a support act for Bob Dylan, and that tour hits the NYC-area for a few shows in July (some with My Morning Jacket, one with Beck).

All upcoming Mavis Staples dates are listed, along with the song stream and more pictures and video from Beale St., below...

Continue reading "Mavis Staples played Beale St, playing Prospect Park before Clearwater, releasing Jeff Tweedy-produce...

photos by Chris Graham

Mavis Staples @ Beale Street Music Fest

Earlier this month, soul legend Mavis Staples made her way over to Memphis for the Beale Street Music Festival, which she played day 2 (5/4) of. Pictures and a video of her set are in this post.

Mavis has other dates coming up this year, including a free Celebrate! Brooklyn show on June 14 at Prospect Park with Cody Chestnutt. Then the next day (6/15) she heads a bit north for the Clearwater Festival in Croton, NY, which she plays along with Antibalas, Judy Collins, Hot Tuna, Nicole Atkins, Sharon Jones, and more. Tickets for that festival are still available.

Mavis is also working on a new album, One True Vine, which is due out on June 25 via Anti-, and one again being produced by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. You can listen to the track "I Like The Things About Me" from that album below (via Complex).

Mavis isn't the only living legend Jeff Tweedy is hanging with this year. As mentioned, Wilco is touring as a support act for Bob Dylan, and that tour hits the NYC-area for a few shows in July (some with My Morning Jacket, one with Beck).

All upcoming Mavis Staples dates are listed, along with the song stream and more pictures and video from Beale St., below...

Continue reading "Mavis Staples played Beale St, playing Prospect Park before Clearwater, releasing new Jeff ...