Podcast Party

Concert Notes: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Death Cab Going on Sale

2012-01-27T11:22:00.000-08:00

See below for links to tickets to Springsteen and other NYC-area concerts. Springsteen's New York area shows aren't the only high-demand concerts going on sale this weekend. (See my post with links to tickets for the NYC-region Springsteen shows.) Here are some other gigs on sale today and tomorrow that should sell pretty briskly: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Prudential Center in Newark, Fri, May

Free Album Streaming: New CDs from Leonard Cohen, Ingrid Michaelson, Matt Pryor, & More

2012-01-24T17:57:00.000-08:00

This is another good week for album previews, with new releases from Ingrid Michaelson, Leonard Cohen, Martin Sexton, and even rock and roll legend Dion, among others. Ingrid Michaelson's "Human Again" is one of the albums streaming free this week. There are also new streaming albums from some artists who I've just recently heard of, including the Belgian musician who goes by the name Gotye

Bruce Springsteen Announces Spring 2012 U.S. Tour Dates

2012-01-24T09:15:00.000-08:00

Bruce Springsteen today announced a slate of U.S. tour dates starting in March (see below). These dates all precede the late Spring/Summer European tour that Springsteen put out last week. Of special interest to those in the NYC area, Springsteen and the E Street Band will play two shows in NYC (Madison Square Garden, April 6th and 9th) and three in NJ (two at the Izod Center in East Rutherford,

Upcoming Shows at Maxwell's: Thurston Moore, Bombay Bicycle Club, Cate Le Bon, Craig Finn, & More

2012-01-22T14:21:00.000-08:00

Maxwell's in Hoboken has a great lineup of concerts planned in the coming weeks, and below are some of the highlights. I'm mentioning shows going a little far out, through the end of March, since the club has a small capacity and some of the more popular performers will sell out weeks in advance. (The March 2nd Cults show sold out at least a couple of weeks ago.) Thurston Moore performing "

New Bruce Springsteen Album Details; Single "We Take Care of Our Own" Out Now

2012-01-18T22:46:00.000-08:00

Bruce Springsteen is back, and he's back with a vengeance. You can buy his new single "We Take Care of Our Own" now (it went on sale at 12 Midnight on Jan. 19th). The song is available for sale on Amazon.com and iTunes here in the U.S. It's also on sale in the U.K. (and possibly other places as well). [UPDATE, 1/19 11 a.m.: Springsteen has posted a video version of "We Take Care of Our Own" at

Free Album Streaming: New CDs from Nada Surf, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Craig Finn, & More

2012-01-17T22:17:00.000-08:00

This week there's finally a meaty selection of new albums for you to preview online. The releases include Craig Finn of the Hold Steady stepping out for a solo album, Nada Surf with the latest effort in its 20-year-long career, the second album from the duo Chairlift, and a lot more. There are new albums from First Aid Kit, Ani DiFranco, and singer-songwriter Jessie Baylin, and a change of

Lana Del Rey Played SNL (VIDEO); Controversy Rages On

2012-01-15T12:01:00.000-08:00

The meteoric rise of Lana Del Rey continued when she performed as the musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" last night, and like everything else involving this young singer, there was much controversy before and after the fact. (See her SNL performances below.) I like Lana Del Rey's voice and songs (all three or four that I've heard), but found her performance on SNL tough to watch (especially

NYC Concerts On Sale: Bjork Residency; Fountains of Wayne; Megafaun; & More

2012-01-12T23:16:00.000-08:00

Friday the 13th is a lucky day for New York City music fans, with tickets for some in-demand shows going on sale. Here are some details on Björk, Fountains of Wayne, and other acts. Icelandic singer Björk is doing a series of multimedia shows in conjunction with her new album "Biophilia," which was released as a mobile app as well as an album. Because of the special demands involved in staging

Coachella Announces 2012 Lineup; Expands to Two Weekends

2012-01-10T11:29:00.000-08:00

Coachella fans, your wait is over: the lineup was announced last night for the festival's 2012 edition. For the first time ever, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will be held over two consecutive weekends, April 12th to the 15th and April 20th to the 22th. What's more, the lineups are exactly the same for each weekend (all bands playing on the first Friday are playing on the second

Free Album Streaming: New Music from Kathleen Edwards, Cate Le Bon, Howler, Laura Gibson, & More

2012-01-09T11:40:00.000-08:00

New CDs from singer-songwriters Kathleen Edwards, Cate Le Bon, and Laura Gibson are most notable of the relatively small crop of albums available for streaming this week. Edwards burst on the scene a few years back with her song "Six O'Clock News," and the Canadian has gotten some solid critical and commercial success with her debut album "Failer" and subsequent efforts. You can hear her latest

Sharon Van Etten Plays "Serpents" on Jimmy Fallon (Video); Starts Presale for New Album

2012-01-06T20:36:00.000-08:00

The up-and-coming Sharon Van Etten has been getting a lot of well-deserved attention recently, the biggest being her debut network TV appearance last night playing "Serpents" on Jimmy Fallon (video below). She also opened for The National on one night of their multi-night stand at the Beacon Theatre. And today Van Etten announced on Twitter that her new album "Tramp"(which contains "Serpents")

Tickets for Allman Brothers Band Beacon Shows Go on Sale Fri. A.M.

2012-01-05T19:33:00.000-08:00

Tickets for the Allman Brothers Band's annual run of spring shows at New York's Beacon Theatre go on sale tomorrow morning, Jan. 6th. The band announced the show dates on Dec. 31st. The Allman Brothers Band at the Beacon last year. From left: Gregg Allman, Butch Trucks, Derek Trucks. Ten shows have been announced: March 9th, 10th, 13th, 14th, 16th, 17th, 20th, 21st, 24th, and 25th. You can

Video Roundup: Guided by Voices, WU LYF on Letterman; Ted Leo & Sharon Van Etten Cover the Soft Boys

2012-01-05T00:20:00.000-08:00

Guided by Voices on Letterman? Sharon Van Etten covering "I Wanna to Destroy You" with Ted Leo? Yep, they both happened in the last week. In case you missed them, here are a few videos from recent performances. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists played at Maxwell's on New Year's Eve, and Van Etten opened (I'm still kicking myself for not getting tickets before they sold out). At one point they joined

Best (or Favorite) Music of 2011: A Roundup of the Critics' Picks

2012-01-01T22:32:00.000-08:00

What was the best music to come out in 2011? Such lists are all over the Internet and print media this time of year, so I thought I'd present a look at some of the opinions from some major music critics and journalists, as well as music fans who I follow. (Note: I've never really done a list of top 10 or so best or favorite songs/albums/artists of the year, because it's always been too hard to

What's Going on New Year's Eve 2011? Live Music in NYC

2011-12-28T22:04:00.000-08:00

There's no shortage of live music in the New York area on New Year's Eve, and here's a selective guide to some of shows that still have tickets available (as of around 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 28th). Naturally, a lot of shows are sold out by this time, including Patti Smith at Bowery Ballroom, Gogol Bordello at Terminal 5, and Ted Leo & the Pharmacists at Maxwell's. But there are still some good

Free Streaming Christmas & Holiday Music - Still Tasty the Next Day!

2011-12-26T12:57:00.000-08:00

Like leftover turkey and cookies, holiday music is still with us after Christmas or Hanukkah have ended... and sometimes these tunes are just as tasty after the fact. Since there are no new albums available for free online streaming this week (a usual Podcast Party feature on Monday or Tuesday), I thought I'd offer some streaming and/or downloadable holiday music to listen to if, like me, you

Thousands of MP3 Albums for $5 (or Less) at Amazon.com

2011-12-24T14:57:00.000-08:00

The latest Dum Dum Girls album is one of thousands now on sale for $5 or less at Amazon.com If you're looking for last-minute holiday gifts for folks on your shopping list (or don't think you'll get the music you want), head over to Amazon.com's music store. It's now having several sales running that together mean thousands of MP3 albums for $5 or less. First off, you can check the more than

Yo La Tengo, The Sea & Cake Kick off Maxwell's Hanukkah Shows

2011-12-21T23:56:00.000-08:00

Yo La Tengo kicked off its annual Eight Nights of Hanukkah run at Maxwell's with a rousing show on Tuesday, despite recent health concerns for frontman Ira Kaplan. As always, the night included a surprise opening act (on this night, Chicago's The Sea and Cake) as well as special guests joining YLT on stage. (Apologies for the poor photo quality; the place was packed and I was stuck in the back

Free Album Streaming: New CDs from Guided by Voices, Jaimoe, & More

2011-12-19T19:04:00.000-08:00

The much-anticipated reunion album by Guided by Voices is the most high profile of the new releases available for free streaming this week (it would stand out even if this week's selection wasn't so small). The "classic" GbV lineup reunited last year to play at the Matador Records 21st anniversary party, and has done some shows since then. The new album, "Let's Go Eat the Factory" (due Jan.

More NYC Concerts: Tool, Coldplay 2nd Izod Show on Sale Saturday

2011-12-16T18:15:00.000-08:00

Tool plays the Izod Center on Feb. 1st, and tickets go on sale tomorrow at the link below. There was a mad rush today for tickets to The Magnetic Fields' concert and the second Black Keys show. And there's likely to be another virtual stampede tomorrow morning for two more big New York area gigs: Tool at the Izod Center on Feb. 1st, and the second Coldplay show at the same venue on Aug. 4th.

NYC Concerts: Black Keys, Magnetic Fields On Sale Friday; F*cked Up, Titus Andronicus, & More Play this Weekend

2011-12-15T21:50:00.000-08:00

Tickets for the second Black Keys/Arctic Monkeys show at Madison Square Garden in March go on sale tomorrow, as do tickets for the long-awaited return of Magnetic Fields. And there's a good slate of talent performing live this weekend at the Brooklyn Night Bazaar. Details: As mentioned here last week, The Black Keys and Arctic Monkeys have added a second show at the Garden on March 22nd, 2012

Music Notes: Wild Flag Played Letterman; Matisyahu Shaves His Beard; D Generation to Record; More

2011-12-14T21:50:00.000-08:00

Here are some tidbits of music news from far and wide: Wild Flag made its network TV debut last night, playing "Romance" on Letterman (video below). Trent Reznor "feels at home" with "Dragon Tattoo": the L.A. Times looks at how the Nine Inch Nails frontman fit right in writing the music for one of the year's most anticipated movies. Hasidic rap/reggae star Matisyahu shaved off his

Free Album Streaming: New CDs from John Zorn, The 65's, & More

2011-12-12T21:51:00.000-08:00

The trickle of new albums available for streaming continues this week, but there are still some new CDs worth checking out. The avant-garde composer and instrumentalist John Zorn has a new album called "A Dreamer's Christmas," and if you're into holiday music with a different twist, head on over to NPR Music to preview it. [Update: the Zorn Christmas album is very enjoyable and a much more

Black Keys & Arctic Monkeys at the Garden: 2nd Show Added

2011-12-09T16:39:00.001-08:00

It didn't take long for the March 12th Black Keys/Arctic Monkeys show at the Garden to sell out today, so a second show has been added on March 22nd. Tickets go on sale Friday, Dec. 16th at 9 a.m. Since 19,000 tickets have already been sold for the first show, presumably the second show won't sell out quite as quickly. But just in case, you'll probably want to get your Black Keys tickets soon

NYC Concerts on Sale Fri.: The Black Keys with Arctic Monkeys; Gomez; M83; Neon Indian; More

2011-12-07T09:02:00.001-08:00

Tickets for lots of great early-2012 concerts in New York are going on sale this Friday, Sept. 9th at Noon. The biggest of these is the recently announced show featuring The Black Keys with the Arctic Monkeys at Madison Square Garden, which takes place on March 12th. Video for "Lonely Boy," the first single off the new Black Keys album. The Garden is not the ideal place to see a concert, but