News
The Meaning of The National Stream
Stephen Blackwell :: Friday, April 23rd, 2010 1:15 pm
When I’m searching for updates on cool indie bands, the first site I normally visit is nytimes.com. It’s the premiere destination for Breaking News, World News, Multimedia & Indie Rock. Forget world-class writing on Technology, Business, Politics and Health — I want to know what guitar strings J. Mascis used on the Sweet Apple record.
Streaming an anticipated indie rock record on the New York Times instead of, say, Pitchfork, could mean two things: a) your band has commercially outgrown the youthful scene that championed you in the first place or b) you’re old. The median age of NY Times readers online is 37, meaning they were teenagers in the heyday of Van Halen. (The cradle is definitely rocking for these readers.)
Streaming your record on NYTimes could mean you killed your indie cred, or your band is simply choosing to participate in the protracted death of cred for commercial gain and publicity. That or commercial gain and publicity are cred, which could be completely true. I don’t know, I’m not in a band.
Today coolhunting took on a very different dimension. Still, streaming records seems like an odd practice to start for a web destination that will soon be putting up a paywall. But don’t sweat it indie rockers — we’ll always have USA Today.
News
Listen: The National’s High Violet Now Streaming
Alex Moore :: Friday, April 23rd, 2010 10:30 am
At 10am this morning, The National’s High Violet became the first ever record to premiere as a stream on the the New York Times. Listen for free here until April 27.
In a move redolent of Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable events, the band will take over a vacant space at 13 East 4th Street in Manhattan for four nights to host an event series they’re calling the “High Violet Annex” when the album releases on May 11. There are many things to love about this band, but it’s this kind of embodiment of the spirit of New York rock and roll that makes The National a quintessential New York band rather than just another band from New York, and makes the New York Times a perfect venue for the High Violet premiere. No details are available yet on the High Violet Annex, but stay tuned for more. Keep reading for spring and summer tour dates. MORE »
News
Stream Official Version of the National’s “Blood Buzz Ohio”
Amy Laviero :: Wednesday, March 24th, 2010 1:20 pm
Earlier today, BBC 6 Music premiered a version of The National’s “Bloodbuzz Ohio,” a song that they began playing live nearly a year ago. A rip of the radio debut was posted to the internet almost immediately, but the band is now streaming the official album version via their website here.
The song will be the first single off the National’s upcoming album, High Violet, set for release on May 11.
News
Jimmy Fallon May Not Be Funny, But He Knows Good Music
Matt Kiebus :: Friday, March 12th, 2010 3:00 pm
Jimmy Fallon seems to be a likeable guy. Sure, he laughs at his own jokes, he’s awkward when interviewing people and comes up with dumb half-thought out games. All of these things are fine, for your average drinking buddy. But for some reason Jimmy Fallon isn’t average. In fact he’s really fucking famous, so all these in adequacies add up to 55 minutes of god awful late night television. However the whole hour isn’t a complete waste of time, because those last 5 minutes are normally music gold. MORE »
TV Performances
The National Debut “Terrible Love” on Jimmy Fallon
Nick Nicoludis :: Thursday, March 11th, 2010 3:30 pm
Last night The National debuted “Terrible Love,” the first track off their upcoming release High Violet due out May 11th. For a band that has been playing for over a decade, The National still bring it hard and this song is going to toss their newest album into some unknown outer space area where incredible songs go to live forever. See the video after the jump. MORE »
Today In Music
Today In Music
Amy Laviero :: Friday, March 5th, 2010 3:00 pm
The National announce High Violet album information.
Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon prints art book, Performing/Guzzling.
Belle and Sebastian enter the studio and announce festival dates… in Scandinavia and Japan.
Dakota Fanning pretends to be musically inclined.
Despite the show’s cancellation, Flight of the Concords live on.
Animal Collective stood totally still during their art installation last night at the Guggenheim.
Stream Ted Leo + Pharmacists’ upcoming album, The Brutalist Bricks.
News
The Antlers Premiere “Bear” Video, Announce Tour With The National
Adam Kearney :: Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 5:00 pm
The Antlers have released “Bear,” the second video from their smash album Hospice, available now. It has high-quality imagery, showing the band members in a cold, gray forest. The waves of acoustic guitar strumming provide some warmth, and they are eventually able to load a shiny, black ball back onto its corresponding wheelbarrow, which according to their worrisome expressions, may be for better or worse.
After performing at SXSW, The Antlers will headline a US tour with Phantogram beginning in April, and they will open for The National on the June stretch of their tour. MORE »
Events
Vincent Moon Screens Take-Away Shows in NYC This Weekend
Matt Kiebus :: Friday, February 12th, 2010 4:15 pm
La Blogotheque’s founder Vincent Moon is holding a special screening of his “Take-Away Shows & Other Music Shorts” this Saturday at Union Docs in Williamsburg at 7:30 p.m. The 30-year-old Parisian music director has already put his uniquely innovative stamp on music videos. His La Blogotheque website is a collection of acoustic videos shot guerrilla style throughout Paris. Bands ranging from REM, The National, and Arcade Fire to Phoenix, Grizzly Bear, and Vampire Weekend have all participated in Moon’s Take-Away Shows. Moon’s real talent lays in being able to use the backdrop of beautiful city, like Paris, without aid of special effects, quick cuts, and multiple takes to create a striking finished product. The result gives fans a more intimate relationship to the music. MORE »
News
Ambush of New Album Announcements
Shannon Hassett :: Friday, January 29th, 2010 1:00 pm
It may have been a slow week with regard to news (unless you’re the sort that found the State of the Union entertaining), but as for music, there were enough new album announcements to tide us over for a year. The artists themselves seemed to be just as excited about the prospects, with a slew of sources publishing interviews and information on the upcoming releases. For your (anticipated) listening pleasure, a summary of the week’s heavier hitters. MORE »
News
Plants And Animals: New Song From Upcoming Album
Adam Kearney :: Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 1:30 pm
La La Land, the second album by Montreal’s Plants and Animals, is due to hit the streets on 4/20/2010, but the first track “Tom Cruz” is available for streaming and download now. Since the release of Parc Avenue in early 2008, they have been busily touring with the likes of The National and Gnarls Barkley. With the same warm, melodic sound, having been originally recorded onto analog tape, the new album uses more amplification and effects, making it rock that much harder.
Events
The National’s Dessner Twins’ The Long Count
Isaac Lekach :: Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 6:05 pm
Bryce and Aaron Dessner of The National’s latest collaboration is called The Long Count. The Breeders’ Kim & Kelley Deal and artist Mattew Ritchie are also involved. It opens tonight at BAM’s Next Wave Festival. Click here for more information on the event and here to read an interview NY Mag did with the Dessner twins.
