Vampire Weekend performing at WITNESS benefit this Thursday 19 Nov 2008

WITNESS’ 4th Annual FOCUS FOR CHANGE
Benefit Dinner & Concert
Thursday, November 20th, 2008
Co-Hosted by Peter Gabriel

Click here for complete information.

Honoring Chris Anderson and TED
Honoring WITNESS’ partner Comissão Pastoral da Terra for its work to end slave labor in rural Brazil

Live Performances by
Lenine, Vampire Weekend, Maracatu NY and Special Guests
Also featuring DJ Bill Bragin from GlobeSonic Sound System

Roseland Ballroom
239 West 52nd Steet
New York City

VIP Reception 6:00
Cocktail Reception 6:30
Dinner & Concert 7:30

To purchase tickets online:
www.witness.org/rsvp

For more information:
718 783 2000 x 303
events@witness.org

Vampire Weekend release new single today, play CONAN on Friday! 18 Nov 2008

V A M P I R E  W E E K E N D
T H E  K I D S  D O N ‘ T  S T A N D  A  C H A N C E

VAMPIRE WEEKEND are excited to release their newest single “The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance”. It will be available digitally on November 18th, on 7” white vinyl December 9th,  and features the album version along with a remix by Chromeo.

Their self-titled debut album was released on January 29th, 2008 to worldwide critical acclaim, including magazine covers, performances on Saturday Night Live, The Late Show With David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live and much much more.

They recently performed “The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance” with Chromeo at the MTVU Woodie Awards show in one of the most talked about collaborations of the night.

They will be also be performing the song with a string quartet on Friday November 21st on Late Night With Conan O’Brien.

Upcoming tour dates:
12/1  Washington, DC    9:30 Club (SOLD OUT)
12/2  Washington, DC    9:30 Club (SOLD OUT)
12/3  New York, NY        Terminal 5 (SOLD OUT)
12/4  New York, NY        Terminal 5 (SOLD OUT)
12/6  New York, NY        Terminal 5 (SOLD OUT)
12/7  Boston, MA          Orpheum Theater
12/8  Montclair, NJ          Wellmont Theater
12/10  San Francisco, CA    Mezzanine       
12/12  Portland, OR             Crystal Ballroom (SOLD OUT)

VAMPIRE WEEKEND IS:
Ezra Koenig (vocals/guitar)
Rostam Batmanglij (keyboards/vocals)
Chris Baio (bass)
Christopher Tomson (drums)

Little Joy instore performance TODAY in NYC!!! 17 Nov 2008

Tonight! 7pm! Virgin Megastore Union Square! LITTLE JOY!

Friendly Fires come back to the states for 2 headlining dates! 14 Nov 2008

That's right.  Following their breakthrough touring stint with Lykke Li and making a splash at this year's

CMJ Festival, the trio from St. Albans are confirmed to grace Los Angeles and NYC with their presence in December!

Friendly Fires December 2008 US dates:

DECEMBER 7
LA - SPACELAND

DECEMBER 9
NYC - THE ANNEX

Check out their cover of Lykke LI's "I'm Good, I'm Gone"

http://gorillavsbear.blogspot.com/2008/10/friendly-fires-covers-lykke-li.html

http://www.myspace.com/friendlyfires

Sigur Ros - SUPER SUPER DELUXE EDITION!!! 13 Nov 2008

Sigur Rós will be releasing a VERY deluxe edition of their critically-acclaimed fifth album, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (English translation: with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly), which was released this June on XL Recordings.  The deluxe edition of the album is available now exclusively on the band’s website, and will be in stores on November 18th.

Check out the link to see it!
http://dot.sigurros.com/wp/deluxe-edition-photo-gallery/

This special edition includes:
o    A 200-page, cloth-bound hardback book of fine art photos of the band by acclaimed photographer Eva Vermandel.
These photos, taken in the UK, Mexico, Iceland and the US during the recording, mixing, mastering, video making, rehearsing and touring of this album, give fans a beautiful, intimate look into the band’s process.
o    Exclusive DVD
The DVD contains 2 films by filmmaker Nick Abrahams, one documenting the live recording of the song “Ara Batur” with a full orchestra and choir at London's legendary Abbey Road studios, and the other a film poem, shot on Super-8, which reflects the power, magic and essential intangibility of the band. Together with the Gobbledigook video (directed by Arni and Kinski) the exclusive DVD is 55 minutes in length
o    A unique strip of original 16mm film from the Gobbledigook video
o    A cd copy of Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

Even for a band Grammy® nominated for their previous packaging, and responsible for the highly desirable special edition of last year's Heima DVD (still the highest rated documentary EVER on IMDB!) - this deluxe package of Med sud... represents a new high-water mark in presentation.  The band canvassed what fans wanted from a special edition via a thread on their message board (large format pictures, a behind the scenes film, something no-one else would own) and then set about delivering just that.  The result is unlike anything you are likely to see from any other band. Quite simply sensational.

Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust has won rave reviews since its release. Inspired by the unfettered feeling of the acoustic performances filmed during Heima, Sigur Rós decided to adopt a looser approach in the writing and creation of their brilliant fifth album.  The album glows with the perfect imperfection of live takes, the sounds of fingers playing guitar strings, cracked notes, and a stark, upfront presence not found in previous Sigur Rós recordings, moving away from reverb-soaked guitar sounds towards something altogether more affecting.  The record also contains some of the most joyous music the band has ever recorded. 

Sigur Rós is:  Jón Thor Birgisson (vocals, guitar), Georg Holm (bass), Kjartan Sveinsson (keyboards/piano), Orri Páll Dýrason (drums).

The Mountain Goats and Kaki King have The Last Happy Night of Their Lives in NYC... sort of. 12 Nov 2008

Well, at least that's where they ended their long running "The Last Happy Night of Your Life" tour!
Making Sunday November 9th the very last happy.. oh you know.


The extensive tour saw them start in the midwest --> northwest --> south --> back east, ending with
two special nights in NYC, playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on Saturday Nov 8th, and then Webster Hall on Sunday
Nov 9th.


Faith-Ann Young took some wonderful photos of the Webster Hall show for Brooklyn Vegan,
you can check them out here:

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2008/11/the_mountain_go_16.html#more


Also, if you didn't get to see one of these shows, you might still experience the collaborative efforts of The Mountain Goats and Kaki King with the recently released 6 song Black Pear Tree EP.  This is a limited edition release however, so you'd have to hurry up and snatch one!

http://www.beggarsgroupusa.com/releases/black-pear-tree/

Stereolab on ABC News THE MIX 12 Nov 2008

Check out this interview with Stereolab on ABC News's online show called "The Mix"!

Titus Andronicus to TOUR with Los Campesinos! in Jan and Feb 2009 11 Nov 2008

Titus Andronicus, the newest addition to the XL Recordings roster, plan to celebrate
the January 20th re-release of The Airing of Grievances by touring the states from
mid January 2009 through mid February 2009 with Los Campesinos!

01-15 Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
01-16 Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle
01-17 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
01-19 Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits
01-21 Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder
01-24 Nashville, TN - Exit-In
01-25 Memphis, TN - Hi Tone
01-27 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jack’s
01-29 Houston, TX - Walter’s On Washington
01-30 Austin, TX - The Parish
01-31 Dallas, TX - Club Dada
02-03 Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck
02-04 St. Louis, MO - The Gargoyle
02-06 Madison, WI - Der Rathskeller
02-07 Chicago, IL - Logan Sq. Auditorium
02-10 Grand Rapids, MI - Calvin College Ladies Literary Club
02-11 Columbus, OH - Wexner Center for the Arts
02-12 Swarthmore, PA - Swarthmore College Olde Club
02-13 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
02-14 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
02-15 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom

30 years of Rough Trade + commemorative shows (in the UK) w/Jarvis & Jeffrey Lewis! 10 Nov 2008

JARVIS COCKER - ROUGH TRADE RECORDS
LOOKING ROUGH AT 30
30 Years Of Rough Trade Records

• Rough Trade Records 30th Birthday UK Tour
• Jeffrey Lewis added to the bill
• Jarvis Cocker to headline, showcasing new material plus special Rough Trade guest support
• Forthcoming BBC Documentary entitled "Do It Yourself - The Story Of Rough Trade" in October
 
Geoff Travis and Jeannette Lee at Rough Trade Records are delighted to announce a UK tour to commemorate the label's historic 30th Birthday. Taking in Sheffield, London, Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham it will be headlined by our own incomparable Jarvis Cocker, and now we can announce that our own Jeffrey Lewis will be joining the celebrations. A video of Jeffrey performing 'A Quick Biography Of Barack Obama', his comic book / ode in support to the Democratic presidential candidate has become something of a youtube sensation, see it here.

With recent scorching US live shows at New York's Music Hall of Williamsburg and Chicago's Pitchfork Music Festival (where he showcased blistering material from his forthcoming record due mid 2009) still ringing in the ears of the lucky who managed to witness them, there's no doubt that Jarvis is in fine form, and these dates represent a rare opportunity to catch him in full flow.

JARVIS COCKER :
"Strangely enough, this is also the 30th anniversary of my first involvement with making music (the first incarnation of Pulp was formed during an Economics lesson towards the end of October 1978). How could I have known then that our two destinies would become so intertwined? I'm proud to be part of these birthday celebrations - I know there's an awful lot of Anniversary Culture out there but this is one that's actually worth celebrating: Rough Trade has always been about discovering the new, exploring the unknown & giving a voice to those who would otherwise remain unheard. And they're still doing it 30 years on. This is no dewy-eyed nostalgia trip - it's an on-going revolution. Stand up & be counted! (Actually, comfortable seating IS available in most of the venues - should you require it)."
 
Live Dates (sorry folks, all in the UK!)
Nov 25 Sheffield Academy*
Nov 26 London Shepherds Bush Empire*
Nov 28 Edinburgh Picture House*
Nov 30 Mancester Academy*
Dec 02 Birmingham Academy
*w/ Jeffrey Lewis

The Breeders to curate ATP! 07 Nov 2008

As you may have already read, The Breeders have been chosen as curators of ATP Weekend 2, taking place at Butlins Holiday Camp in Minehead, England from May 15th - 17th 2009.

The Breeders will not only perform but will also pick a bill of 40+ artists to join them!

For further information, please visit the All Tomorrow's Parties website.