TICKETS ON SALE FOR MUSIC NOW FESTIVAL

February 9th, 2007 , by

Tickets for the three-day Cincinnati  MusicNOW Festival are now on sale here.  The keen curating of The National’s Bryce Dessner has pulled in artists from around the world, including our own My Brightest Diamond and Sufjan Stevens.

Festival passes are just $60. Tickets to individual performances are $25. See more information here.

ZACK BENT VISUALIZES A MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND REMIX

February 8th, 2007 , by


Video by Zack Bent to an excerpt of David Keith’s remix of "Something of an End" from the album Tear It Down.

Release Date: already out in Europe, March 6, 2007 (US and World)

MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND SESSIONS, CHATS WITH DAYTROTTER

February 6th, 2007 , by


Shara Worden, of My Brightest Diamond, has appeared on the illustrious and always information-replete online magazine Daytrotter. Their fine journalists comment on her debut album, Bring Me the Workhorse, and then proceed to coax Shara into revealing her love for Amsterdam-ian coffee, horses (of course!), and back-seat listening.

Although Daytrotter was probably tempted to keep it for themselves, the content-laden magazine has generously provided free MP3s of the ensuing live session. Tracks include "Magic Rabbit," "Something of an End," "Freak Out," and "Gone Away." For those locked in cubicles and cruelly and unusually denied the ability to download, a stream is also available for a limited time.

Shara’s appearance is only one of many excellent artist sessions, all available for free from their archives.

MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND AND SUFJAN TO PLAY IN MUSIC NOW FESTIVAL

February 5th, 2007 , by


On April 5-7, Shara Worden, of My Brightest Diamond, and Sufjan Stevens are particpating in the Bryce Dessner-curated Music Now 2007 festival. Bryce is best known as the guitarist for The National and his instrumental band Clogs, and for being born in Cincinatti, Ohio.

Shara and Sufjan will be playing in the historic Memorial Hall, located in the even more historic Over-the-Rhine district of Cincinnatti. They won’t be alone though. The two will be taking turns on the stage with the veritable likes of string quarter Amiina (of Sigur Ros fame), renowned flamenco guitarist Pedro Soler, and experimental Czech duo Irena a Vojtěch Havlovi. Shara will serve as guest vocalist for the Clogs and Sufjan. They’ll even share a string quartet.

Passes for the entire festival cost only $60. Tickets to each individual performance will cost $25. The theater only seats 500, so watch the festival’s website for ordering information.

Audio links of fellow Music Now musicians follow.
The National’s MySpace page
Clogs, "Kapsburger" and "5/4" (MP3)
Amiina’s MySpace page

GUIDE TO BUYING MUSIC FOR TOTAL CHICKENS FOR CHICKENS

January 23rd, 2007 , by

Today, Tuesday January the 23rd, Rafter releases Music for Total Chickens, his second album on Asthmatic Kitty Records. The long journey from not buying Music for Total Chickens to buying Music for Total Chickens is not an easy one for chickens. Barriers, such as social contact, possibly driving or ordering from Internet, can all hinder […]

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THE UNUSUAL ANIMALS SERIES BECOMES EVEN MORE UNUSUAL

January 22nd, 2007 , by


We are proud to announce our second in the Unusual Animals Vinyl Series, which features our own  Castanets and Western Vinyl’s Dirty Projectors.

The Unusual Animals Vinyl Series brings together two eclectic musical experiments authored by two unusually paired groups or musicians. In this case, the Castanets offer "BlackWater," which sounds like a water-logged and drunk Fennesz covering Willie Nelson. Dave Longstreth and his Dirty Projectors inhabit the flip side of the vinyl with the piercing, "Silence in the Land."

The album releases on March 6 only in retail independent music stores. Until then interested parties can partake of a free streaming audio of both  songs here.

NOTE TO VIDEO PROCRASTINATORS: ONE WEEK LEFT!

January 16th, 2007 , by


Rafter’s new Music for Total Chickens drops next Tuesday, January 23. Shortly thereafter, while thousands savor the sweet quirkpop of this new album in the cozy comfort of their homes, a panel of celebrity judges will tirelessly evaluate the submissions in the Official Rafter Music for Total Chickens Video Contest.

Two winners will then receive one $500 prize each, one for receiving the most YouTube views, and the other for creating a video that the judges deem QUALITY. That leaves a mere seven (7) days for completion and submission, of either a high quality, high creative, high energy visual entry, or one that draws a large amount of views from YouTubers.

Rafter, whose newest album is a directed self-help musical treatment, might suggest to hyper-procrastinators that they assign a psuedo-due-date of tomorrow, so as to get the video done before Tuesday!

No exceptions will be made. Get cracking!

[Official Contest Page on YouTube]
[Rafter invites you to contest]
[Contest visual propoganda]
[List of Celebrity Judges]

MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND REMIX VIDEO-IFIED

January 15th, 2007 , by

Video by Zack Bent to an excerpt of David Keith’s remix of "Something of an End" from the album Tear It Down. The album releases in Europe on February 6, 2007, and everywhere else on March 6, 2007.

HALF-HANDED CLOUD PERFORMS VIA TELEPHONE

January 8th, 2007 , by


Using the crystal clear, bi-directional technology of the Landline Telephone, Half-Handed Cloud will be performing on WMBR 881.FM‘s Phoning It In: Boston, the Radio Show, on January 11, at 7:30pm EST. For the show, Half-Handed Cloud will employ the soothing voice of John Ringhofer, as well as his esteemed guitar and piano prowess.Though always pathbreaking, John will nevertheless be following in the footsteps of the many esteemed musicians that have appeared on Phone It In, including our very own Castanets.

And just because WMBR is recording the show via telephone, no such device is required for listening! If in the Boston area, a radio (quartz or otherwise) tuned to 88.1FM will suffice. No radio?  No air for radio waves to travel over? No problem! "Tune" your favorite Internet World Wide Web browser here at that same time to hear the performance – live!

Once done live(d?), WMBR will archive the performance here, for the future generations that still have internet access after the ice caps flood all continents but Australia.  

[WMBR 88.1FM]
[Castanets on Phoning It In]
[Phoning It In Archive]
[Phoning It in on MySpace]

SUFJAN TRIBUTARIES TO JONI MITCHELL

January 6th, 2007 , by


Nonesuch Records has invited Sufjan Stevens to open the new Joni Mitchell tribute album. Sufjan will be sharing space on the record with Björk, Prince, Evis Costello, and James Taylor. The album, appropriately entitled A Tribute to Joni Mitchell, will be released this spring.

Track listing follows."Free Man in Paris," Sufjan Stevens
"Boho Dance," Björk
"Dreamland," Caetano Veloso
"Don’t Interrupt the Sorrow," Brad Mehldau
"For the Roses," Cassandra Wilson
"A Case of U," Prince
"Blue," Sarah McLachlan
"Ladies of the Canyon," Annie Lennox
"Magdalena Laundries," Emmylou Harris
"Edith and the Kingpin," Elvis Costello
"Help Me," k.d. lang
"River," James Taylor

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