Year: 2008

The queen of revitalized old school soul music has a busy tour schedule this summer. Sharon Jones and her cohorts, The Dap Kings , visit some early summer tours stateside at Bonnaroo in Tennessee, and the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia. Then its off to Europe for a ring around France, Sweeden, Denmark, England, and Greece. Once they’re back in the states, the funk collective rounds off the US festival circuit with Lollapalooza in Chicago, Summerstage in New York, and Austin City Limits in Texas.

Hopefully, by the time you read this, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike will be over and television will be back to the business of making new, scripted programs. As I’m writing this, the Directors Guild of America (DGA) has already secured a deal with the producers, and the writers are headed back to the negotiating table. Really, I don’t see how much longer we can go with “American Gladiators” being one of the only “new” shows on television.

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LA rapper Busdriver (born Regan Farquhar) is taking a break from writing and recording his new record, the yet-untitled follow-up to last year’s RoadKillOvercoat, to tour with Dizzee Rascal and EL-P starting in Washington DC on May 8th.

Busdriver also recorded a new track “Ellen Disingenuous,” which will be for sale on iTunes May 27th and free on several blogs.

My Morning Jacket will release their next album, Evil Urges, on June 10th (ATO Records). For their first time, the band will play Saturday Night Live on May 10th. Tour dates below.

The Village Voice will host the 8th annual Siren Fest Saturday, July 19th at Coney Island. The free festival runs from noon – 9PM and includes performances by STEPHEN MALKMUS AND THE JICKS, BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE, THE HELIO SEQUENCE, BEACH HOUSE, TIMES NEW VIKING, JAGUAR LOVE, THE DODOS, ANNUALS, FILM SCHOOL, PARTS & LABOR, DRAGONS OF ZYNTH, THESE ARE POWERS. If you absolutely must go to a festival this year, you might as well not have to pay for it.

Phosphorescent: Black Cab Sessions
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Jason Polan, an artist who previously drew every piece of art on exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art, is setting out to draw every person he sees in New York City. This quote is from his website:

I am trying to draw every person in New York. I will be drawing people everyday and posting as frequently as I can. It is possible that I will draw you without you knowing it. I draw in Subway stations and museums and restaurants and on street corners. I try not to be in the way when I am drawing or be too noticeable. Whenever I have a new batch of drawings I will post them on this blog.

90’s Punk pioneers, The VSS, are re-releasing their one and only full length recording Nervous Circuits (Hydra Head) on May 20th. The band was renowned for their use of piano arrangements and synthesizers to blend goth, experimental rock, punk, and electronic sounds-making the band a short lived gem on the punk rock continuum.

Along with the steady chorus of Internet hype accompanying her debut release, Santogold (a.k.a. Santi White) has had the spectre of M.I.A following her since the first few tracks of her album started to make the rounds late last year.

The comparisons were impossible to sidestep, and courted to a certain extent; the two musicians are friends/touring mates and share collaborators in producers Diplo and Switch. Early press coverage appeared to waste no time in playing up the association.