New York Music News

CELTIC WOMAN KICKS OFF CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION SYMPHONY TOUR IN FOXWOODS, CT ON DECEMBER 1^st

PRESS RELEASE: New York, NY — Global sensation Celtic Woman kick off their Christmas Celebration Symphony Tour, with tour ensemble Chloë Agnew, Lisa Lambe, Susan McFadden, and Celtic Violinist Máiréad Nesbitt, on December 1^st in Foxwoods, CT, making stops across the US and finishing in Huntsville, AL on December 22^nd.  The ladies are touring this December in support of their holiday album, Home For Christmas, via Manhattan Records, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard World Music Charts. This marked Celtic Woman’s eighth consecutive #1 World Music debut!  Celtic Woman will be performing songs from Home For Christmas on QVC December 5th at 12pm EST to promote an exclusive bundle of their holiday album with a special 6-track bonus CD, A Christmas Celebration sampler (album and sampler tracklistings below). The bundle is now available for pre-order on QVC, click here.  Celtic Woman will continue to tour North America in 2013 with a 67 date tour from coast to coast! Please see below for full tour dates.

Home For Christmas features the celestial voices of Chloë Agnew, Lisa Lambe, and Méav Ní Mhaolchatha along with dynamic inventiveness from Celtic violinist Máiréad Nesbitt. This is the all-female Irish music ensemble’s second Christmas album and features such holiday favorites as “Winter Wonderland”, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and the Christmas classic “Silent Night”. Its first, the platinum-selling A Christmas Celebration, featured songs from Celtic Woman’s PBS special and is a perennial holiday favorite and stocking-stuffer. Home For Christmas is sure to become a must-have gift item.

Earlier this month, Celtic Woman appeared as themselves on the CBS daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful, performing two songs, “The Parting Glass” and “Danny Boy.”

Since Celtic Woman’s inception in 2004, the unique ensemble has emerged as a spectacular commercial success and a genuine cultural phenomenon thanks to their evocative, uplifting music. The group’s albums and DVDs have gone multi-platinum, sold +7 million units worldwide (including their 2012 project BELIEVE), notched two Top 10 album debuts on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart and four Top 5 releases on the Top DVD Music Video chart,and sold more than 2.2 million concert tickets. All eight Celtic Woman album releases have debuted at #1 on the Billboard World Music Chart.

Celtic Woman – Home For Christmas

Album Tracklisting:

1.         I’ll Be Home For Christmas (Lisa Lambe)

2.         Hark The Herald Angels Sing (Chloë Agnew, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, Lisa Lambe, Máiréad Nesbitt)

3.         Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (Chloë Agnew, Máiréad Nesbitt)

4.         Silent Night (Méav Ní Mhaolchatha)

5.         We Three Kings (Lisa Lambe, Chloë Agnew, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha)

6.         We Wish You A Merry Christmas (Chloë Agnew, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, Lisa Lambe, Máiréad Nesbitt)

7.         What Child Is This (Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, Máiréad Nesbitt)

8.         Adeste Fidelis (Chloë Agnew)

9.         Winter Wonderland (Chloë Agnew, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha, Lisa Lambe, Máiréad Nesbitt)

10.       Mary’s Boy Child (Lisa Lambe, Chloë Agnew, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha)

11.       Auld Lang Syne (Lisa Lambe)

12.       Joy To The World (Lisa Lambe, Chloë Agnew, Méav Ní Mhaolchatha)

Celtic Woman – A Christmas Celebration

Sampler Tracklisting:

1.         O Holy Night

2.         Away In A Manger

3.         Ding Dong Merrily On High

4.         Panis Angelicus

5.         Don Oíche Úd I mBeithil (That Night In Bethlehem)

6.         O Come All Ye Faithful

Christmas Celebration Symphony Tour

12/01    Foxwoods, CT             MGM Grand at Foxwoods

12/03    Pittsburgh, PA            Heinz Hall

12/04    Pittsburgh, PA            Heinz Hall

12/06    Detroit, MI                 The Fox Theatre

12/07    Merrillville, IN           Star Plaza Theater

12/08    Naperville, IL              Pfeiffer Hall

12/09    Naperville, IL              Pfeiffer Hall

12/11    Costa Mesa, CA          Segerstrom Center for the Arts

12/13    Temecula, CA             Pechanga Resort and Casino

12/14    Temecula, CA             Pechanga Resort and Casino

12/15    Indio, CA                     Fantasy Springs

12/16    Tucson, AZ                  Centennial Hall

12/18    College Station, TX     Rudder Auditorium

12/20    Atlanta, GA                 Symphony Hall

12/21    Anniston, AL               Anniston PAC

12/22    Huntsville, AL             Von Braun Center

2013 North American Tour

2/22     Worcester, MA           Hanover Theater

2/24     Toronto                       Sony Hummingbird

2/25     Toronto                       Sony Hummingbird

2/26     Montreal                     Place des Artes

2/28     Moncton, NB               Casino New Brunswick

3/1       Halifax, NS                   Halifax Metro Center

3/3       Portland, ME               Merrill Auditorium

3/4       Amherst, MA               Mullins Center-Arena

3/6       Binghamton, NY          The Forum Theatre

3/8       Utica, NY                     Stanley Theater

3/9       Lancaster, PA              American Music Theater

3/10     Lancaster, PA              American Music Theater

3/11     Erie, PA                       Warner Theatre

3/13     Shippensburg, PA        Luhrs Center

3/15     Newark, NJ                  New Jersey Performing Arts Center

3/16     Wallingford, CT           Oakdale

3/17     Boston,MA                  Wang

3/18     Manchester, NH          Verizon Wireless Arena

3/20     Scranton, PA                Scranton Cultural Center at The Masonic Temple

3/21     University Park, PA     Eisenhower Auditorium

3/23     Providence, RI             PPAC

3/24     Greenvale, NY             Tilles Center

3/25     Baltimore, MD            Hippodrome

3/27     Pittsburgh, PA             Heinz Hall

3/28     Rochester, NY             Auditorium

3/29     Syracuse, NY               Landmark

3/30     Elmira, NY                   Clemens

3/31     Buffalo, NY                  Sheas PAC

4/3       Toledo, OH                  Stranahan

4/5       East Lansing, MI          Wharton

4/6       Kalamazoo, MI            Miller Auditorium

4/7       Cleveland, OH             Palace

4/8       Fort Wayne, IN            Embassy Theater

4/10     South Bend, IN            Morris

4/12     Sioux Falls, SD             Washington Pavilion

4/13     Grand Forks, ND          Chester Fritz

4/14     Minneapolis, MN        Orpheum

4/15     Milwaukee, WI            Milwaukee Theatre

4/17     Des Moines, IA            Civic Center

4/19     Indianapolis, IN           Murat

4/20     Chattanooga, TN         Memorial

4/21     Richmond, KY              EKU Center

4/22     Springfield, IL              Sanagamon

4/24     Dayton, OH                 Schuster

4/25     Louisville, KY               Palace

4/27     Cherokee, NC              Harrahs

4/28     Durham, NC                DPAC

4/29     Charlotte, NC              Belk

5/1       Atlanta, GA                  Fox

5/3       Jacksonville, FL            Times Union

5/4       Savannah, GA              John Mercer Theater

5/5       Orlando, FL                 Bob Carr

5/6       Ft. Myers, FL               Barbara B. Mann

5/8       Lakeland, FL                Lakeland Theater

5/10     Sarasota, FL                 Van Wezel

5/11     Coral Springs, FL         Center for the Arts

5/12     West Palm, FL             Kravis Center

5/13     Melbourne, FL             King Center

5/15     Columbus, GA             River Center

5/17     Oklahoma City, OK     Gaylord Center

5/18     Longview, TX               Belcher Center

5/19     Dallas, TX                    Verizon

5/20     San Antonio, TX           Majestic

5/21     Midland, TX                 Wagner Noël PAC

5/26     Phoenix, AZ                 Casino

5/27     Las Vegas                    Smith Center

5/29     San Rafael                   Marin Center

5/30     San Rafael                   Marin Center

5/31     Santa Ynez                   Chumash

6/2       Portland, OR               Schnitzer

6/3       Vancouver, BC            Queen Elizabeth

6/5       Seattle, WA                 Paramount

6/6       Spokane, WA               INB Opera House

6/7       Boise, ID                      Morrison

6/9       Rapid City, SD             Rushmore Plaza

6/10     Morrison CO               Red Rocks

6/12     Omaha, NE                  Orpheum

6/13     Highland Park, IL         Ravinia

6/15     Vienna, VA                  Wolftrap

6/16     Bethel, NY                   Bethel Woods

The World is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die – the self-dubbed atmospheric emo / indie rock band from Willimantic, CT – will be playing 13 shows, starting New Year’s Eve in Philly. Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate), Saintseneca, Adventures, You Blew It! and Dikeme will be joining the band for select performances. Don’t miss them at Suburbia with Adventures in Brooklyn on January 11, 2013.

20 year old Brit charmer Lewis Watson released his new track, “Even If,” today, and we’ve been listening to it on repeat. And swooning. Ok, not swooning. We’re about a decade too old for that.  But we do dig it. A little bird told us that a US Tour with Watson is in the works. Stay tuned!

2012 New York

Photo by: Jane Qin

What if Paul Simon was not born in 1941 (thanks, Wikipedia!) but somewhere closer to 1990? What if instead of writing songs about feeling groovy on the 59th St Bridge, Paul the millennial wrote songs with Back to the Future references? The result would likely be You Won’t, an indie-folk duo consisting of Josh Aroudse and Raky Sastri. “Fat and Happy,” the opening track of debut album Skeptic Goodbye, has all the major-key happiness and sweet harmony that Simon is known for, but with a Vampire Weekend-like edge. Skeptic Goodbye is a pleasant early-morning record without going too far into Wes Anderson twee territory (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

Come early this Saturday for You Won’t, and stay for the luscious sounds of Lucius.

And keep it going for the beautiful vocal stylings of Pearl and the Beard.

You Won’t are playing the Bell House in Brooklyn this Saturday night, Dec. 1, opening for Pearl and The Beard and Lucius. $15, doors open at 8:30. Buy tickets HERE.

The first time I heard Kid Rock, he was performing on MTV’s “Fashionably Loud.” This was 1998, way before the internet was a pedestrian source of information, when I was still in high school, and the only thing my classmates and I could all agree on was that whatever was on MTV was the cutting edge of music. Fashionably Loud — a show where musicians like Kid Rock, N*Sync, Prodigy and Eminem serenaded models strutting across a catwalk set up around a stage on a Florida beach or some other location.

from ew.com

Kid – who has somehow managed to remove all youtube videos of this performance – was wearing what later came to be known as the Kid Rock uniform: a fedora and a white wife-beater undershirt. He had with him his small buddy Joe C, also sporting a fedora with a shiny gold suit, who astounded all when he doubled-up on Kid Rock’s vocals, dirty words and all, in a child-like voice some three octaves higher than Mr. Rock’s own. And, just before the cameras cut away, Joe C took an easy opportunity to look up one of the supermodel’s skirt as she passed by, with her hemline about level with the brim of Mr. C’s hat.

It was a true spectacle:  pole dancers, supermodels, metal guitarists with brightly colored hair, a DJ scratching records and a beach full of crazed spring breakers. And then there was Kid, who seemed completely at home in the midst of all the chaos, like a ringleader of a circus gone mad. He didn’t seem to care that most people at home (like me) had no idea who he was: he must have known that we soon would.

Devil Without a Cause, released a short time later, killed the charts, going eleven times platinum. The ridiculously titled “Bawitdaba” made a nonsense word a household familiarity. “Cowboy” was a mandatory rock-radio staple for years after, and this writer was surprised to find that he still remembered every word of Mr. Rock’s ballad “Only God Knows Why” despite not having heard the song in over ten or eleven years, a testament to the song’s ubiquity in 1999.

Since then, Mr. Rock put out a handful of albums but none received the attention that Devil Without a Cause generated. His highest charting single came from his 2001 album Cocky, a duet with Sheryl Crow that seemed to bridge the gap between Rock’s country-flavored rap/rock and, well, country.

This quick transition away from macho, aggressive songs about cutting the lawn and claims of bad-assery would prove telling; his 2010 release Born Free is a lot more country and soul than 8Mile white boy rap. It’s an easier listen for those who aren’t simultaneously pumping iron, moshing, or robbing a liquor store; the kind of music ideal for listening to on a while sitting on a porch on a summer’s day with a glass of Jack Daniel’s spiked lemonade.

It only makes sense, then, to push back in the direction of heavier things, but Kid is wise enough to not attempt to recreate the wild chaos of his earlier works, instead settling into a kind of 70’s hard rock vibe with songs like “Let’s Ride” and “Detroit, Michigan.” The title track, “Rebel Soul,” sounds like it was written for Bob Seger (or even by Seger himself), and this suits Mr. Rock, an admitted Seger fan, very well.

Rebel Soul is Kid Rock all grown up. It’s surprising how well the songs blend together, despite Mr. Rock’s own admission that the musical variety of songs on Rebel Soul “is confusing as shit.” “Cucci Galore,” with it’s funky guitar riff and falsetto crooning that descends into power-riffing and distorted vocals, is the one track that doesn’t seem to fit in with its newly born brothers, and yet it’s the song that seems to be the most direct descendant of “Devil Without a Cause.” There’s a ballad that would make for good slow-dancing in red state small town bars called “Cocaine and Gin” and another song called “Redneck Paradise” that would make for good line-dancing in the same juke joint.

The song that is perhaps the easiest to overlook, “Happy New Year,” is also one of Rebel Soul’s best. “When that clock strikes/I’ll pull you near/just to wish you/Happy New Year,” a surprisingly sweet sentiment from the guy who previously claimed that he would “f*ck you blind.” Play it for party guests as the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, and you might just surprise them when you tell them that it’s Kid Rock.

2012 New York

(Read by, C. Heston) Geologists are reporting seismic events to “take place” on December 4th, 2012 at The Bowery Ballroom with kinetic emissions from Gold Fields and Diamonds Rings. It will be Dark Again and children of the night are advised to warm up by stretching upon entering the contained geologic anomaly.

Gold Fields are said to produce physically percussive natural vibrations and most commonly accompanied by mammoth and a sometimes wordless vocal chorus. During a Gold Fields experience, you will feel bursts of excitement flowing into a syncopated tranquility as seen below.

Most know Diamond Rings glamorously excavates electro-pop, drawing people to its lustrous, stimulative and sincere emotive qualities. Dazzling sensations will ensue, resulting in gyrating body movements that can be set to autopilot as you Run Away With Love.

You can bring your bodies to the Bowery Ballroom for Gold Fields and Diamond Rings to loosen your extremities and core out your moves.

2012, New York

Do you like ROCK MUSIC? Do you like seeing wildly popular ROCK BANDS in tiny, tiny venues? Do you like HELPING PEOPLE who were affected by hurricanes? Today, Tuesday November 27, 2012 at 12 NOON SHARP, you must head HERE to buy a ticket to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in Williamsburg’s Union Pool.

Karen O. & Co. are playing a very, very intimate show at Union Pool on Saturday, December 8, with proceeds going to a Hurricane Sandy relief Charity. Everyone wins! You’ll surely get to witness what will be the most talked about concert of 2012. Tickets are $75 but hey man, that money is going to a good cause: Waves For Water, a charity that provides clean water to victims of natural disasters around the globe. Kick in an extra $25 and you’ll get a VERY, VERY, EXTREMELY LIMITED edition silk screened poster, signed by Tunde Adebimpe of TV on the Radio! How limited? There will only be 25 made!

This is what is known as a win/win/rock/win. Good luck getting those tickets!

2012, New York

Heaven’s last residency show is tonight, Tuesday, November 27th, at Pianos. Hard hitting documentarians scoped out last week’s show and found the room  filled with sounds comforting to their head’s side holes. Wearing earplugs is only recommended if you have an aversion to fun super sensitive hearing. 

Brooklyn-based Heaven brought their mix of psychedelia and new wave to Pianos last week, for the second show of their November residency.  The trio — comprised of NYC music veterans Matt Sumrow on guitar, Mikey Jones on drums, and Ryan Lee Dunlap on keyboards and synths — describe their sound as “a romantic clash between your Dad’s long lost favorite psych record and the soundtrack to a John Hughes film.” And they’re not wrong. Layers of dreamy, trippy sounds built by synths, keyboards, and guitar are kept grounded by Jones’ steady pop on drums, as well as impressive vocal harmonies which either add to the loud, gritty psychedelic experience or give listeners something to hum along to, depending on the tune.  The live show blends sounds and sights that provides a unique experience that’s not to be missed.

See you there tonight.

Fans of Coldplay better hope they have already scored tickets to one of the band’s two performances with Jay-Z at the end of the year, because it might be awhile until Coldplay takes the stage again. Chris Martin told a Brisbane crowd last week:  “This is the big last show for three years or so.” Martin also stated, “I don’t want to stop.”

Of course, news of the bands hiatus could be little more than speculation.

Or not.

“This song is called Alice’s Restaurant, and it’s about Alice, and the
restaurant, but Alice’s Restaurant is not the name of the restaurant,
that’s just the name of the song, and that’s why I called the song Alice’s
Restaurant.”

A part of this song describes Guthrie’s being called up for the draft, and the surreal bureaucracy at the New York City induction center at 39 Whitehall Street. Guthrie’s first stop is a physical examination, which he passes despite the lingering effects of getting drunk the night before.

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“They got a building down New York City, it’s called Whitehall Street,
where you walk in, you get injected, inspected, detected, infected,
neglected and selected. I went down to get my physical examination one
day, and I walked in, I sat down, got good and drunk the night before, so
I looked and felt my best when I went in that morning. `Cause I wanted to
look like the all-American kid from New York City, man I wanted, I wanted
to feel like the all-, I wanted to be the all American kid from New York,
and I walked in, sat down, I was hung down, brung down, hung up, and all
kinds o’ mean nasty ugly things. And I waked in and sat down and they gave
me a piece of paper, said, ‘Kid, see the phsychiatrist, room 604.’ ”

2012, New York

Lavender Diamond’s new single “Light My Way” could be described as what happens when you make dreamy electronic pop for adults who also like folk music.

Frontwoman Becky Stark is often compared to Linda Ronstadt and Karen Carpenter, but her music, over time, has become less and less “retro.”

Her voice is reminiscent of those artists, but a more apt comparison is Vashti Bunyan. Her voice has a similar airiness to it, and a similar edge to it that suggests an awareness of the stark reality under all the preciousness. She sounds less quirky and fey than many comparable singers, and she gives you the impression that she’s doing it all effortlessly.

On “Light My Way,” her thin vocals are mixed with a heavy and clear-sounding electronic arrangement. The contrast shouldn’t work, but it does. David Fridmann’s production sounds cleaner than you might expect from the man who showed MGMT how to use distortion, but he manages to make bassy blips sound organic and trebly twinkles sound strident in a way that serves the song very well.

Laura Davis’ music video features Stark dancing in a California industrial park. It doesn’t look like a typical California scene- there are no city lights or desert mountains. It looks a bit more like a Brooklyn-made music videos, many of which also often feature industrial landscapes and dance recitals by lonely girls in dresses. But it looks nothing like a Brooklyn video; the night sky in New York never has that hue, and the cute girl hopping around alone in this video looks neither painfully shy nor manic. Stark looks as comfortable with her image as she is with her idiosyncratic sound.

As of today’s date, Lavender Diamond do not have any scheduled shows in New York, but touring info can be found on Lavender Diamond’s website.

December Tour Dates

12/11 – The Chapel – San Francisco, CA

12/13 – The Sunset – Seattle, WA

12/14 – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR

2012, New York

According to the UK’s Guardian, the Rolling Stones are set to reunite with two long-estranged original members next week in honor of the band’s 50th anniversary.

The band will play with original bassist Bill Wyman as well as guitarist Mick Taylor, who played lead on the classic albums “Let It Bleed,” “Sticky Fingers,” and “Exile on Main Street.” Both members have been very missed by Stones fans.

This will be the first time Wyman has played with the band since his 27-year stint ended in 1989, and Taylor’s first time since his six-year sting ended in 1975.

The two are set to play with the Stones at London’s O2 arena next week, on the 25th and 29th of November.

Tickets will be sold at APS prices- above people’s salaries.

2012, New York

Norah Jones Tour Dates and Black Friday Exclusive

PRESS RELEASE: As 2012 heads into the holiday season, Norah Jones is keeping busy in the last weeks of what has been a standout year for the nine-time Grammy Award winning singer, having released what SPIN magazine called “the second essential record of Norah Jones’ career” with the Danger Mouse-produced Little Broken Hearts. CBS Sunday Morning recently aired a profile of Norah chronicling the remarkable 10 years of her career since she released her debut album.

Norah’s rendition of “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” is currently the free Holiday Single of the Week on the iTunes Music Store. Norah will also be celebrating Record Store Day on Black Friday by releasing a limited edition 10” vinyl exclusive featuring four remixes by TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek of tracks from Little Broken Hearts (“Good Morning,” “She’s 22,” “Take It Back,” and “After The Fall”). Visit www.recordstoreday.com for a list of participating stores. Visit Stereogum for an exclusive first listen to two of the remixes ahead of their release on November 23.

Norah is also featured on several tracks on the soundtrack album for Universal Pictures’ new comedy This Is 40 from writer/director Judd Apatow, which will be released on December 11 on Capitol Records. Jones is backed by the Punch Brothers on one new song of her own, “Always Judging,” which was produced by Jon Brion. She also sings backing vocals for Lindsey Buckingham (“Brother & Sister”) and Wilco on a newly recorded version of their classic “I Got You (“At The End Of The Century).”

December 11 will also see the DVD release of Seth McFarlane’s blockbuster comedy Ted starring Mark Wahlberg, which features Norah in a cameo on-screen role playing herself, and also performing the movie’s theme song “Everybody Needs A Best Friend.” Jones and McFarlane were paired on a recent episode of the Sundance Channel’s ICONOCLASTS.

Looking ahead into 2013, Norah will be returning to the legendary PBS show Austin City Limits for the third time with a feature episode airing on January 19. Norah will also be participating in The New York Times’ popular interview series TimesTalks doing an on-stage conversation in New York City with music critic Jon Pareles on January 29.

Norah will also continue her extensive worldwide tour into 2013. Following a run of South American dates in December, Norah will embark upon an Australian tour in February, and will give her first ever live performances in India in March. See below for a full list of confirmed tour dates or visit www.norahjones.com for ticketing details.

NORAH JONES – 2012-2013 TOUR DATES:
November 30 – Metro Parque – Bogota, Columbia
December 2 – CC Maria Angola – Lima, Peru
December 4 – Movistar Arena – Santiago, Chile
December 7 – Teatro de Verano – Montevideo, Uruguay
December 8 – Luna Park – Buenos Aires, Argentina
December 9 – Luna Park – Buenos Aires, Argentina
December 12 – Teatro Araujo Vianna – Porto Alegre, Brazil
December 15 – Via Funchal – Sao Paulo, Brazil
December 16 – Vivo Rio – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
February 15 – State Theatre – Sydney, Australia
February 16 – State Theatre – Sydney, Australia
February 17 – State Theatre – Sydney, Australia
February 19 – Brisbane Convention Centre – Brisbane, Australia
February 21 – The Plenary – Melbourne, Australia
February 22 – Festival Theatre – Adelaide, Australia
February 24 – Riverside Theatre – Perth, Australia
March 3 – Summer’s Day Festival – Mumbai, India
March 5 – New Delhi, India
March 8 – Bangalore, India

2012, New York

FLO RIDA visits New York’s Empire State building and chat’s with New York Music News about what he likes to do in the city and about his new album.
2012, New York

ON AN ON released “The Hunter” from their album Give In which comes out on January 29, 2013. This is the second song they have released from their upcoming album. If you missed the first song, “Ghosts”,  it is reccomended that you watch this video below.

2012, New York

Music News

GOLD FIELDS TO RELEASE DEBUT FULL-LENGTH ALBUM BLACK SUN ON FEBRUARY 26^th, 2013

Brand New Tour Dates as Special Guests of St. Lucia

Brand New Single “DARK AGAIN“ Out Now

 (New York, NY – November 19, 2012) – Praised by The New York Times for their “tuneful pop approachability,” Australia’s Gold Fields are proud to announce the highly-anticipated release of their debut album, Black Sun on February 26^th, 2013 (view the album trailer here).  Not only is their brand new single, “Dark Again” (which recently premiered onRollingstone.com) receiving early airplay around the country, the band just wrapped up U.S. tour as special guests of Canadian glam-pop artist Diamond Rings, which will be followed by a tour with Brooklyn-based electro artists, St. Lucia.

The quintet- which includes Mark Robert Fuller (vocals), Vin Andanar (guitar/vocals), Rob Clifton (keys/percussion), Ryan D’Sylva (drums) and Luke Peldys (bass) were declared by The Huffington Post as “…one of the most impressive bands you will ever experience.” Gold Fields proved this well-earned title by blowing away audiences at various festivals across the U.S. during the past month including CMJ, Filter Culture Collide Festival in LA and Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin.

The journey of their debut album Black Sun began in the summer of 2011, when they decamped to Los Angeles and spent six weeks working with producer Mickey Petralia (Flight of the Conchords, Ladytron, Peaches). “We weren’t about to say no to that opportunity,” insists guitar player Vin Andanar. It had a profound effect on the shape of their music, too. “We stepped up our songwriting, and learned to not clutter up the songs too much.”

Upon returning home, the five-piece retreated to a remote manor on a farm and continued writing more songs, which they subsequently recorded with manager Scott Horscroft (The Presets, Sleepy Jackson, Silverchair) in the producer’s chair.

However, after learning a lot from both Horscroft and Petralia, Gold Fields decided to re-record and produce the whole album themselves in Mark’s parents garage in Ballarat.

Though Gold Fields’ music defies pigeonholing, a musical through-line unifies the  album’s eleven originals, from the sharp slap of opener “Meet My Friends,” its buzzing keyboards and wordless vocal hook culminating in an indelible chorus, to the kinetic energy that animates the eerie closer “Anxiety.” Polychromatic percussion, interwoven vocals, and a juxtaposition of light and shadow distinguish the Gold Fields sound.

“”Dark Again,” a shuffling cut with a thick bassline and massive chorus.”

-Rollingstone.com

“…razor-sharp pop sensibilities”

-CMJ

“Gold Fields, an Australian band, brought tuneful pop approachability to the kind of dance rock that appeared in the 1980s, revving it up with buoyant Caribbean syncopations.” -The New York Times

Listen to the single “Dark Again” here.

Gold Fields Live Dates

11/21 San Francisco, CA      Rickshaw Stop

11/26 Colorado Springs, CO The Black Sheep

11/27 Denver, CO                 Larimer Lounge

11/29 Kansas City, MO         Czar Bar

11/30 Chicago, IL                 Twas The Night Before

12/4   New York, NY            Webster Hall**

12/6   Philadelphia, PA        The Barbary*

12/7   Cambridge, MA          The Middle East*

12/8   Brooklyn, NY             Music Hall of Williamsburg*

12/10 Montreal QC               Divan*

12/11 Toronto, ON               The Drake*

12/13 Washington, D.C.       U Street Music Hall*

2012, New York Music News

 RELEASE: 19th November 2012 – NEW YORK: Belvedere Vodka, the world’s first super premium vodka will be taking over Manhattan’s Meatpacking district with an extraordinary art installation in support of (RED)TM and World AIDS Day.
This holiday season, Belvedere Vod
ka will be transforming the district into an interactive art experience and outdoor nightclub featuring a live, spectacular light show that will illuminate the area in red, 20ft white neon trees and a one-night-only DJ performance from electrofunk DJ duo Chromeo. (BELVEDERE)RED Night Lights has been developed by Belvedere Vodka to help raise awareness around the beginning of the end of AIDS – meaning the virtual elimination of the HIV virus from mothers to their babies and the first AIDS-free generation born by 2015.
New Yorkers, modern art aficionados and music fans will descend on Gansevoort Plaza to be immersed in music and light from every direction whilst watching Chromeo play in a free, outdoor nightclub in the heart of the city as a tribute to (RED)TM. The arched, lit trees that are the centerpiece of the electronic take-over of the meatpacking district, have been developed using the latest parametric designs from Loop, the team behind art collections showcased at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) NYC and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
The event will also see the unveiling of a 250 liter (BELVEDERE)RED bottle whose red metallic design will tower over the revelers but not cloud the light show. Belvedere’s iconic white trees will remain lit in Gansevoort Square until 1st December 2012 (World AIDS Day)
In winter 2011, Belvedere Vodka partnered with (RED) to launch a BELVEDERE (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition bottle to raise proceeds for the Global FundT – among the world’s leading financiers of programs to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. 50% of Belvedere’s profits from the global sale of (BELVEDERE)RED will contribute to the Global Fund. In 2011 alone, contributions from the sales of (BELVEDERE)RED provided more than two million days of life-saving HIV/AIDS medicine.
Charles Gibb, President of Belvedere Vodka, says, “Our passion for philanthropy led to the creation of Belvedere (PRODUCT)RED last year and our commitment to helping (RED) achieve the first AIDS-free generation by 2015 has not waivered since. We’re really excited about putting this event together and telling the world that we, collectively as a global community, can put an end to mother-to-child transmission of this deadly disease with their support. There’s no better time to share this message than on World AIDS Day.’

2012, New York

This review for Mean Creek’s single, “Come On, Before It’s Gone,” will be the first music I’ve ever reviewed on any type of official forum. So lucky for them, I like it. Because I have a seven week old baby at home and don’t have time for shitty music.

It starts nice and fuzzy with harmonies kicking in that sound like mint chocolate chip ice cream to the ears – sweet and cool. Mean Creek sounds similar to Yuck, what with the bendy string notes. But that’s okay, because I happen to like Yuck. I could describe both bands as 90′s alternative revival, and that’s cool

The term “shoegaze” comes to mind. But despite the distortion and ambience, this song feels shiny due to the positive slant of the chorus. Sorta like you’re gazing down at a new pair of chucks that you wish had a little more dirt on them. Still pretty comfy, though.

2012, New York

Morrissey Announces Rescheduled Tour Dates
Including Additional Cities

Photo by Sarah A. Friedman

“AARON NEVILLE: MY TRUE STORY” SPECIAL CONCERT

SET FOR PBS TAPING AT BROOKLYN BOWL

ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28TH

PRESS RELEASE: Iconic Soul/R&B vocalist and multiple Grammy Award-winning artist Aaron Neville is set to perform a special concert on Wednesday, November 28 which will be taped by PBS for broadcast in March 2013. Neville will perform songs from his upcoming Doo-Wop inspired album produced by Keith Richards and Don Was, My True Story, which drops on January 22, 2013 via Blue Note Records. Fans can get a taste of Neville’s upcoming album by visiting his website, http://aaronneville.com/ for a free download of “Ting A Ling” which will be available for one month.

An incredible array of musicians and guests will join Neville in concert at New York’s Brooklyn Bowl for the event, including: Greg Leisz on guitar (Beck, Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams), George G. Receli on drums (Bob Dylan, James Brown), Tony Scherr on bass (Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Rufus Wainwright), Charles Neville on saxophone (Neville Brothers) and also featuring Michael Goods on organ/piano and Joel Katz, David Johnson and Earl Smith, Jr. on background vocals. The concert will also feature special guests including Eugene Pitt of the Jive Five (who co-wrote the album’s title song), and Dickie Harmon from the Del-Vikings.

A limited number of tickets for the PBS special “Aaron Neville: My True Story” go on sale today at: http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/186709?utm_medium=bks

All of the songs on My True Story were hand-picked by Neville himself. They are songs that have remained close to his heart since he was a child. The selections include classics by Vocal Group giants such as Little Anthony and the Imperials (“Tears on My Pillow”), Hank Ballard and the Midnighters (“Work With Me Annie”), and the Drifters (“Money Honey,” “Under the Boardwalk,” “This Magic Moment”). To Neville though, these songs weren’t just the soundtrack to his youth; they became the underpinning for all of the remarkable music he has created across five decades.

2012, New York