XL Recordings / lastweek

Last Week

First of all, a super big thank you to all the good people who made this Saturday's record release show the second-ever Titus Andronicus headlining appearance to sell all of its tickets! And a full two days in advance! Unbelievable. If only my teenage self could see me now, he whose life was so transformed within the walls of the Bowery Ballroom by the likes of the Arcade Fire and Ted Leo/RX and the Fiery Furnaces and Against Me! and all the other greats bands that me and my buddies have seen there. In fact, you all deserve two thank you's, since I promised myself that if that show sold out, I would buy myself a Playstation 2 (yes, 2 - the place isn't that big). Liberty City, here I come!

Speaking of my wildest dreams coming to brilliant life, could that version of myself, who, at sixteen, was never far from his Discman (remember those?) with the ever-present Slanted and Enchanted or Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, ever imagine that this summer Titus Andronicus would be playing with PAVEMENT not once but TWICE?!?!? Okay, those mindfucks will be going down at big-ass festivals where oodles of bands will be sharing in the unfathomable honor, but shit... remember Pavement? Seriously, though. Pavement! Okay, yeah, Silver Jews are better in a lot of ways (we can not live on smirking alone, after all), but shit - IT'S PAVEMENT, FOR GOD'S SAKE! We have already heard about the Primavera Sound Festival, so...

1 2 3 4 .... Chieftain Mews anyone?

From www.radiohead.com at 05/03/10 03:07 PM. 0 comments.

For those who dont know or remember, Senor Chieftain Mews,as he likes to be addressed now, was our slightly disturbing host on the most gigantic lying mouth of all time . Well, his comrade in arms and occasional masseuse, Chris Bran (who has also been hugely involved in our webcasts since we started them back in 2000), has a pilot out of his new comedy called This is Jinsy .. it went out last Monday night on BBC 3 and you can still watch it on the BBC iplayer, but only for a few more days hurray whilst stocks last Go check it out .. Its mental:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00r8z4r/This_Is_Jinsy/
If we are on the subject of things you should watch then allow me to point you in the direction of the film 1 2 3 4. It was written and directed by an old friend of ours from Oxford, Giles Borg. Giles was a true mensch of the Oxford scene back in the day .. he directed videos (Colin starred in one he made for the Candyskins, and it's on youtube..),and made a fine documentary on Ride. Well, hes made his first feature film and its the story of an indie band forming and trying to get a deal Sound familiar?...I love it.. You can see a trailer of it at:
http://www.1234themovie.co.uk/

Its showing around the UK at the moment:
http://www.nbcq.co.uk/

Spring is sprunging

Ed

Titus Andronicus News:

Broken Social Scene, Panda Bear, Girls, El-P Join Pitchfork Music Festival!

From www.pitchfork.com at 05/03/10 02:00 PM. 0 comments.

Get ready for another Pitchfork Music Festival lineup announcement! We've already revealed that Pavement, Modest Mouse, LCD Soundsystem, Raekwon, and many more are on board for this summer's fest, which goes down July 16-18 in Chicago's Union Park. And it's about to get even awesomer.

The artists joining this year's already-stacked bill are: Canadian guitar battalion Broken Social Scene, Animal Collective's own Panda Bear, infamous garage-soul power trio the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, underground hip-hop warrior El-P, West Coast indie heartbreakers Girls, Jersey ragers Titus Andronicus, Brooklyn synth-rock crew Bear in Heaven, Indiana rap bruiser Freddie Gibbs, glam-garage upstarts the Smith Westerns, L.A. roller-rink funk visionary Dam-Funk, experimental psych band Cave, and krautrockers Alla.

Below, you'll find the lineup broken down by day. And we still have plenty of artists left to announce!

When you're planning your weekend, keep in mind that Union Park will open at 3 p.m. on Friday, and the day will feature more music than it has in previous years. Three-day passes are already sold out, so you're going to want to grab those single-day passes as quickly as you can. Get your tickets here.

Here's the lineup so far:

Friday, July 16:

-- Modest Mouse
-- Broken Social Scene
-- El-P

Saturday, July 17:

-- LCD Soundsystem
-- Panda Bear
-- The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

Gigwise - 4.5

From www.gigwise.com at 05/03/10 12:56 PM. 0 comments.

Dizzee Rascal News:

Dizzee Rascal's life story to be told in official book

From www.nme.com at 05/03/10 12:35 PM. 0 comments.

'The Dizzee Rascal Story' to be published in October

The White Stripes News:

Lots of chances to see The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights

From blogs.myspace.com at 05/03/10 12:21 PM. 0 comments.

The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights makes it's US premiere next Friday, March 12th at the Paramount Theater in Austin, TX at 10 PM as part of the South By South West Music Conference. ...

Radiohead News:

Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood-soundtracked film 'Bodysong' for DVD release

From www.nme.com at 05/03/10 12:19 PM. 0 comments.

2003 film set to come out this month

Discovery News:

MOG v Spotify: the battle begins | Helienne Lindvall

From www.guardian.co.uk at 05/03/10 12:04 PM. 0 comments.

A new music streaming service, MOG, has set up shop. While its payment structure is unclear, it seems that the revenue split destined for artists and composers is even more uncertain than that from Spotify

For the past year, Spotify has dominated much of the debate around music streaming sites. While it's been praised by users, questions have been asked as to whether its business model is sustainable if they don't manage to convert enough of its free subscription service users to premium, paying subscribers. Record labels have largely been positive (which might have something to do with them owning equity in the service), but artists have been less so as they're wondering if any revenue will filter down to them.

Now a new American streaming service called MOG is planning to take on both Spotify and Pandora (currently only available in the US due to licensing restrictions) by offering a hybrid of on-demand and radio. I spoke to president and CEO of MOG, David Hyman, who is certainly a confident man: "I built Gracenote, monetised it and the patent is still under my name. I built my first music website, Addicted to Noise, in 1994, and it became the biggest at the time. I ended up selling it to MTV."

MOG is a $5 a month all-you-can-eat subscription user interface (Hyman says it'll probably be £5 a month in the UK as European publishing rates are higher). The service will be...

New videos!!!

From blogs.myspace.com at 05/03/10 08:33 AM. 0 comments.

ok, first up: "A Spaceship for Now" video is done. check it out here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJdZ5JN0RwAsecond, a little behind the scenes thing i shot about custom built pieces for the show im...

Gil Scott-Heron News:

Readers recommend: Songs about beauty

From www.guardian.co.uk at 05/03/10 12:01 AM. 0 comments.

Last time focused on blurring the truth. This week we're after songs that are lost in the allure

A warm hello to each and every one of you. What a week. I think we can safely say that, looking at the size and quality of responses, popular music does deception with incredible style. All those freaks and outsiders finally getting the chance to stand up and point the finger, right the wrongs, try to make amends for every half-arsed lie that's been pushed down their throat? That's a mighty powerful tool for anyone to have at their disposal.

In the two lists there is deception at personal, familial, societal, governmental, religious and supernatural levels. However, in a lot â€' but not all of them â€' there's a sense that this deceit, these lies, actually work for the people concerned. They keep the wheels moving, keep the show on the road. Do we really want to be deceived?

A-list: The Who â€' It's Not True; the Carpenters â€' This Masquerade; David Bowie â€' God Knows I'm Good; Dead Kennedys â€' Religious Vomit; the Louvin Brothers â€' Satan Lied to Me; the MC5 â€' The American Ruse; Immortal Technique â€' Bin Laden; the Unthanks â€' Sexy Sadie; Hello Saferide â€' Long Lost Penpal; Mary Gauthier â€' I Drink.

And as for the B ...

Okkerville River â€' Pop Lie
The 'Ville tackle one of the grandest illusions of all â€' the emotional attachments...

Jane's Addiction Bassist Quits, Lil Wayne Still Free

From www.billboard.com at 04/03/10 11:49 PM. 0 comments.

Jane's Addiction bassist quits again, Sean Lennon defends mom Yoko for allowing dad John's image in a car ad, Lil Wayne sentencing rescheduled again, Jimmy Fallon and ?uestlove talk band discovery.

Vampire Weekend News:

SNL & Jimmy Fallon

From blogs.myspace.com at 04/03/10 05:00 PM. 0 comments.

We are very excited about a couple upcoming TV appearances.This Saturday we will be returning to the legendary Saturday Night Live with guest host Zach Galifianakis. It's CT's birthday on Saturday, so...

Monkey News:

Kano and Bashy: How to handle Gorillaz

From www.guardian.co.uk at 04/03/10 04:48 PM. 0 comments.

The grime stars go back to back on the Plastic Beach track White Flag. So what was it like working with a load of cartoons?

Kano: 'I was a bit worried someone was going to turn me into a cartoon'

You may think it's weird working with a cartoon band but there are a lot of characters in grime, especially since the early days. The scene was built on strong characters â€' I could imagine someone animating Wiley! I was always a bit worried that the label was going to turn me into a cartoon character because they always wanted to exaggerate everything.

I first met Damon when we did a song together, Feel Free, for my album London Town. I went down to his studio and he was working on his Monkey: Journey to the West project. We're definitely on the same page musically, but we're not too similar: it's important to be on a different wavelength as well. In the same way, I think Gorillaz are on a totally different wavelength to most popular music.

When Damon explained the concept of the Plastic Beach album to me I was pretty blown away. He said the idea was that there was this place in the middle of the Pacific ocean and basically all the musicians from around the world were coming to meet at that one place. Once he played me some music I really started to get the idea. I thought it would...

In Brief: Nels Cline, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Nada Surf, Mission Creek

From www.pitchfork.com at 04/03/10 03:00 PM. 0 comments.

-- When he's not wrecking axes in Wilco, avant garde guitar hero Nels Cline leads his trio the Nels Cline Singers, among various other side projects. On April 13, Cryptogramopone will release Initiate, the Singers' new double album. Members of Deerhoof and Cibo Matto's Yuka Honda guest, and the second disc was taped live at San Francisco's Cafe du Nord.

-- On March 9, FatCat will release The Last Place You'll Look, the new EP from anthemic Scottish indie crew We Were Promised Jetpacks. The band is on tour in the U.S. right now.

-- Brooklyn Buzz Bin vets Nada Surf have a new covers album called If I Had a Hi-Fi. On June 8, Nada Surf's own Mardev Records will release the album, which includes their takes on tracks from Spoon, Kate Bush, Depeche Mode, and more. Until then, you'll only be able to buy it at the band's shows. Holly Miranda and Calexico's Martin Wenk make guest appearances.

-- The annual Mission Creek Music Festival will once again take over venues around Iowa City March 30 - April 3. This year, performers will include Camera Obscura, Xiu Xiu, Acid Mothers Temple, Tim...

Peaches Has Great Fans- Part Deux

From www.peachesofficialblog.com at 04/03/10 02:31 PM. 0 comments.

Peaches TV wants YOU! We turned the camera back on the fans to bring you the second round of Peaches’ devotees in the spotlight!

We love this series!!!It’s our chance to show off all the gorgeous Peaches fans all over the world!

Leave us a comment below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Peaches News:

Peaches Has Great Fans- Part Deux

From www.peachesofficialblog.com at 04/03/10 02:31 PM. 0 comments.

Peaches TV wants YOU! We turned the camera back on the fans to bring you the second round of Peaches’ devotees in the spotlight!

We love this series!!!It’s our chance to show off all the gorgeous Peaches fans all over the world!

Leave us a comment below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Radiohead News:

Radiohead's Ed O'Brien pleads with BBC not to axe 6 Music

From www.nme.com at 04/03/10 12:26 PM. 0 comments.

He labels BBC Director General as 'Herr' Mark Thompson

Holly Miranda Link:

The Selby Times - Great Album Review

From www.selbytimes.co.uk at 04/03/10 10:34 AM. 0 comments.

M.I.A. News:

Paul Weller and MIA added to Oya Festival line-up

From www.nme.com at 03/03/10 11:27 PM. 0 comments.

Acts to join Pavement and Iggy And The Stooges at the Norwegian event

Radiohead News:

Radiohead, David Bowie, Lily Allen Blast BBC Over 6 Music Closure Threat

From www.pitchfork.com at 03/03/10 09:00 PM. 0 comments.

When the British Broadcasting Corporation announced plans to potentially shut down 6 Music, the digital radio station they launched in 2002, people were not happy.

According to its website, 6 Music "brings together the cutting edge music of today, the iconic and groundbreaking music of the past 40 years and unlimited access to the BBC's wonderful music archive." It focuses on more non-mainstream tunes than the BBC's more popular radio stations.

Though heavily rumored for days, the official announcement came at a BBC press conference yesterday, as Billboard reports. At the press conference, BBC Director-General Mark Thompson put forward a cost-cutting plan called Putting Quality First, which proposes closing 6 Music and the Asian culture station the Asian Network, and reducing funds for the BBC's websites. For now, though, it's only a proposal, subject to "a 12-week public consultation," according to Billboard. For the plan to go into effect, the BBC Trust will have to approve it this autumn. The public can contribute their opinions here.

Many high-profile artists have responded to the news with dismay. Reuters reports that David Bowie issued a quick statement on his website: "6music keeps the spirit of broadcasters like John Peel alive and for new artists to lose this station would be a great shame."

On Radiohead's Dead Air Space website, guitarist

Lil Wayne's Luck On Fire, Sade Still On Top

From www.billboard.com at 03/03/10 08:28 PM. 0 comments.

Lil Wayne's sentencing delayed again, Sade holds at No. 1 on album charts for third week, Gang Starr's Guru recovering from heart surgery, Vampire Weekend talks autotune.

Radiohead News:

Listen: Blonde Redhead Remix Liars

From www.pitchfork.com at 03/03/10 04:50 PM. 0 comments.

For the double-disc edition of their new album Sisterworld (out March 9 on Mute), Liars called on a bunch of friends to "reinterpret" the tracks from the album. Friends like Radiohead's Thom Yorke, TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, and Bradford Cox of Deerhunter/Atlas Sound. And Blonde Redhead frontwoman Kazu Makino, whose take on "Drip" you can hear right here, right now.

You can also stream Sisterworld in its entirety over at Liars' MySpace.

Radiohead News:

6 Music

From www.radiohead.com at 03/03/10 03:16 PM. 0 comments.

Mark Thompson, Herr Director General of the BBC, announced yesterday that 6 music was to be closed ... which is obviously a ludicrous decision for those who actually love hearing great music on the radio ... so I've written to the BBC Trust, who apparently have the ability to reverse the decision, and if you feel this way inclined the link is https://consultations.external.bbc.co.uk/departments/bbc/bbc-strategy-review/consultation/consult_view
Here's what I wrote:

To whom it may concern,

I am writing regarding the news today that 6 Music is going to be closed, in the hope that you reconsider this decision. To be honest I, along with a vast number of other musicians, music industry types and real music fans, are completely shocked and baffled by this news. I wonder if those who made this decision are actually aware of the hugely important role that 6 music plays in fostering and promoting new bands, as well as still playing the likes of the band that I am in. It literally is the radio lifeblood for music outside of the mainstream. Not to denigrate Radio's 1 and 2, but it really is the only station that puts music first, and that's from a punters point of view and not some bloke in a band. Nowhere else can you hear an archived session track from T Rex juxtaposed next to Midlake's latest release. As David Bowie, put it ... it keeps the spirit of...

BRONZE CLUB RETURNS!!!

From goldensilvers.co.uk at 03/03/10 02:27 PM. 0 comments.

The bronze club nights at the macbeth have gone quarterly and we have a very special lineup for our first night of 2010…

Radiohead News:

sticky Tar Chart rant

From www.radiohead.com at 03/03/10 10:35 AM. 0 comments.

so yes rumour has it that the canadians came to the copenhagen summit demanding to increase their co2 emmissions.
principally cuz of the tar sands and how much money the faceless motherfuckers in the oil industry stand to make out of it.. who are obviously bankrolling the government there.
i find it hard to correlate this all with the canadians i know who are very forward thinking..
the frightening thing about it is that just such a project could send the climate over the tipping point.
here's a link.. but just google if you wanna know more

people and planet on tar sands

....i try to imagine what it must be like to work in the political lobby office of BP or whatever (ok not often).. must be nice to not give a shit... i've met some people involved in the oil industry they seem nice enough... u know..
but hey, they might cry, were all answerable to the shareholders..
err hang on isnt that most of us? pension funds etc? tricky. but then again not really. what use is a fuckin pension when there aint nowhere to live?

an yway
this is an office chart for all u shareholders out there>>>>

Intro: Live At Skateland (1986) Cutty Ranks
Brothers Gonna Work It Out Public Enemy Fear of a Black Planet
Cyclic Bit Raymond Scott
Audience No. 2 Autolux
New York Is Killing Me (Original Clapping Version) Gil Scott-Heron
Natty DVA
Sing Four Tet Read More

Titus Andronicus News:

Stream New Albums From Titus Andronicus, Liars, Gorillaz, Broken Bells

From www.pitchfork.com at 02/03/10 10:40 PM. 0 comments.

Next Tuesday, March 9, is a big record release day in the U.S. Several titles coming out next week are available for your listening pleasure right now. Click below for links to stream new albums from Titus Andronicus, the Shins' James Mercer and Danger Mouse's Broken Bells, Gorillaz, Liars, and more:

-- Titus Andronicus: The Monitor
-- Broken Bells: Broken Bells
-- Gorillaz: Plastic Beach
-- Liars: Sisterworld
-- Frightened Rabbit: The Winter of Mixed Drinks
-- Gonjasufi: A Sufi and a Killer
-- Free Energy: Stuck on Nothing
-- The Morning Benders: Big Echo
-- The Besnard Lakes: The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night

Vampire Weekend News:

Vampire Weekend, Clipse, Very Best to Play the Roots' Roots Picnic Festival

From www.pitchfork.com at 02/03/10 09:50 PM. 0 comments.

Roots drummer ?uestlove maintains one of the most entertaining Twitters in music; follow him stat if you aren't already. Last night, followers were treated to a video of ?uestlove, backstage at "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" (where the Roots are the house band), announcing the lineup for the Roots Picnic, the festival the band has put on in its hometown of Philadelphia three years in a row.

This year's Roots Picnic will go down June 5 at Festival Pier on Penn's Landing, and the lineup reflects the band's eclectic tastes. Headliners Vampire Weekend will be joined by Clipse, the Very Best, tUnE-yArDs, Mayer Hawthorne, Pattern Is Movement, Das Racist, and more. The Roots themselves will play, as will two side projects: ?uestlove teaming up with DJ Jazzy Jeff and MC Black Thought's collaboration with Dice Raw and Truck North, Money Making Jam Boys.

In the video, ?uestlove promises that the Picnic will also feature an amazing reunion, but doesn't come out and say who it is. Watch the video to see why we think it's Run-D.M.C.

Vampire Weekend Photos:

Vampire Weekend

From www.flickr.com at 02/03/10 09:14 PM. 0 comments.

Radiohead News:

UPDATE: Arcade Fire NOT Covering Peter Gabriel's "Games Without Frontiers"

From www.pitchfork.com at 02/03/10 05:00 PM. 0 comments.

Arcade Fire photo by Kathryn Yu

UPDATE: According to Arcade Fire's publicist, The New York Times incorrectly reported that the band is covering "Games Without Frontiers". The band is not covering that song. It is unclear if they are covering another Peter Gabriel song or not participating in the project at all.

Peter Gabriel's album Scratch My Back, in which he covers songs by Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, David Bowie, Lou Reed, Magnetic Fields, Radiohead, and more, is out today in the U.S. As previously reported, Gabriel is preparing a companion volume called I'll Scratch Yours, in which the artists Gabriel tackled on Scratch My Back cover songs from Gabriel's own back catalogue. We've heard Stephin Merritt's take on "Not One of Us", and Thom Yorke's version of "Wallflower" is allegedly in the works, though that seems to be progressing slowly. Paul Simon's cover of "Biko" is out now.

Yesterday, The New York Times reported that Arcade Fire is "working on" a cover of "Games Without Frontiers", from Gabriel's 1980 solo album. Take a listen to the original below, and imagine how it would sound with Win Butler or Regine Chassagne singing:

Titus Andronicus News:

The Beatles were for sale - we give it away

From titusandronicustheband.blogspot.com at 02/03/10 05:46 AM. 0 comments.

Speaking of instant gratification, it is about time we took that concept to its logical conclusion. If you head over to our MySpace (OurSpace?) you may now stream our new album, The Monitor, in it's entirety for free, just because we like you guys so much. I have been trying very hard over the past hour to put the songs in order, but it just isn't happening. How annoying. Anyway, you already know what the tracklist is, so you shouldn't have too much trouble. This streaming thing is only going to be happening until the 3rd, or maybe just until the 2nd. I never know with this sort of thing. Just to be safe, you better listen to it right this second.

Hey, stop reading this. Didn't I just say to go listen to our record on MySpace right now?

Well, as long as yr here, we might as well talk about some of the appearances we are going to be making at this year's SXSW music conference. We already heard about the Fucked Up Saves Music showcase that is going down on the 20th at Red 7 Patio, but did you know that we are also going to be playing with Fucked Up at a BrooklynVegan day party on the 17th at Emo's? Two shows with Fucked Up - how lucky are we? Fucked Up is one of the greatest bands in the world, even though my father doesn't approve of their name (nor Fuck...

Vampire Weekend Anchors Third Roots Picnic Fest

From www.billboard.com at 02/03/10 04:07 AM. 0 comments.

Vampire Weekend will headline the third annual Roots Picnic in Philadelphia.

Tapes 'n Tapes News:

We're Playing a Show (and making a record!)

From www.tapesntapes.com at 01/03/10 10:32 PM. 0 comments.

Hey you! Long time no see. We hope you're having a good winter. Our winter has been focused on less talk and more rock. We've got a bunch of new rock, a full album's worth actually. We are going in to the studio to record our third LP. We're really excited for all of you to hear what we've been working on for all this time.
On the eve of entering the studio, Sunday, March 21, we're going to be playing a rock show at the 7th St. Entry with our good friends Vampire Hands and Minneapolis Dub Ensemble. We're gonna need to get the kinks out and have some fun playing new songs and old. It's going to be a rocking good time.

Tickets for the show are on sale now through all First Avenue outlets.

See ya soon,
tapes 'n tapes

Basement Jaxx News:

Sayonara

From www.basementjaxx.net at 01/03/10 03:28 PM. 0 comments.

The “Scars” tour officially came to an end in Tokyo last Saturday night with a storming show at a packed out Studio Coast venue.
Nearly 3000 Japanese Jaxx-freaks witnessed almost 2 hours of the usual mayhem which was followed by tears & champagne backstage afterwards.
Simon & Felix would like to thank their amazing live band, dedicated crew and all the thousands of fans around the world who came along to the shows.
Thank You & Goodnight ! Sayonara

Thom Yorke News:

Flying Lotus to Perform Live Experimental Film Score

From www.pitchfork.com at 01/03/10 02:00 PM. 0 comments.

Flying Lotus's mutant beats have a certain woozy cinematic quality to them; they're a great soundtrack for when you press your thumbs into your eyelids and see weird shapes. So it stands to reason that his music would make fitting accompaniment for some avant-garde animation. We'll find out for certain next month, when FlyLo drops by the Ann Arbor Film Festival on March 26 to premiere a live score for Harry Smith's 1962 experimental film Heaven & Earth Magic.

FlyLo will follow up his live score by headlining a festival afterparty at the Blind Pig, with VJ Dr. Strangeloop manipulating images while FlyLo performs. Mahjongg will open.

It's all part of a very busy few months for Flying Lotus. On May 3 in the UK and May 4 in the U.S., Warp will release Cosmogramma, his new album, which features a guest appearance from one Thom Yorke. FlyLo will also do opening act duties on the Spring American tour from Mr. Yorke's new band Atoms for Peace.

Elvis Perkins News:

Elvis and Norah Jones

From blogs.myspace.com at 01/03/10 11:58 AM. 0 comments.

Elvis is going on tour with Norah Jones on the following dates. He will be playing these shows solo:March 20 Chicago, IL Chicago TheatreMay 06 Mobile, AL Saenger TheatreMay 08 Memphis, TN Orphe...

Sigur Rós News:

jonsi's solo album "go" available to preorder

From blogs.myspace.com at 01/03/10 11:29 AM. 0 comments.

the limited edition of 'go' is now available to preorder on jonsi.com. the limited edition includes, among other things, a new film called 'go quiet', featuring jonsi performing all the songs on the a...