MIIKE SNOW ANNOUNCE FULL NORTH AMERICAN HEADLINING TOUR THIS SPRING TOUR DATES KICK OFF MARCH 22nd IN ATLANTA THROUGHOUT APRIL 15th IN SAN FRANCISCO

Following their wildly successful tour throughout North America this fall, the Downtown Records / Universal Republic trio Miike Snow are eagerly returning to the US in Spring 2010 for their second headlining tour beginning March 22nd in Atlanta and continuing across the country throughout April 15th in San Francisco.

Receiving great reception for their live translations of the highly refined electronic compositions featured on their self-titled debut, the combination of Swedish producers and multi-instrumentalists Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg along with New York-based songwriter Andrew Wyatt expand on their dynamic sound with a six-piece band.

The songs of Miike Snow have recently been featured on primetime TV, twice on the third season of Gossip Girl, with “Plastic Jungle” ushering in the new season and “Animal” closing out the third episode with its now widely known anthemic chorus. The band is now gearing up for their follow-up single to the groundbreaking debut of “Animal” with “Silvia,” an ode that follows its’ predecessors pop intelligence.

Press on Miike Snow:

“They all have deliriously intuitive talent and are capable of expressing a wide range of emotions through music.” – FILTER

“The lush sounds and subtle electronic flourishes make it all thoroughly modern, thick with a tactile atmosphere similar to Depeche Mode’s “Violator” album.” – LOS ANGELES TIMES

“…with such a big, layered sound it’s easy to imagine them headlining major venues.” – TOKION

“Instantly accessible…its pop synths, slick guitar riffs and tender lyrics make the group a perfect fit for a party.” – NPR

“This is going to get huge…This is a band that is already too big for its venues, and will likely only get bigger.” – SF WEEKLY

Tour Dates:
3/22/10 ATLANTA, GA Masquerade (Hell Stage)
3/24/10 WASHINGTON, D.C. 9:30 Club
3/25/10 PHILADELPHIA, PA Theater of Living Arts
3/26/10 BROOKLYN, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
3/27/10 NEW YORK, NY Webster Hall
3/31/10 BOSTON, MA Paradise
4/02/10 MONTREAL, PQ Club Soda
4/03/10 TORONTO, ON Phoenix Theatre
4/05/10 CHICAGO, IL Metro
4/06/10 MINNEAPOLIS, MN Varsity Theater
4/09/10 DENVER, CO Bluebird Theater
4/10/10 SALT LAKE CITY, UT Urban Lounge
4/12/10 VANCOUVER, BC Commodore Ballroom
4/13/10 SEATTLE, WA Showbox at the Market
4/14/10 PORTLAND, OR Hawthorne Theater
4/15/10 SAN FRANCISCO, CA The Independent

SLIM TWIG RELEASES SPIT IT TWIG! VOL.2, EMBARKS ON NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

DOWNLOAD SPIT IT TWIG! Vol. 1 and 2 HERE

Toronto’s song-sculptor and shape-shifting performer Slim Twig is capping off a hectic year by releasing the second volume of his Spit It Twig! Mixtape series before heading out on a string of North American dates. This follows the release of Slim Twig’s debut album Contempt! on Paper Bag Records, which was released in April of this year.

As a nod to the hip hop mixtapes he loves, Spit It Twig! began with Vol. 1 released in advance on Contempt! ‘as a skeletal blueprint’ of his debut album by creating a sample-based album, a la Wu-Tang Clan, combined with his own style of vocals. Some of the tracks from Spit It Twig! have also been popping up in Slim’s live shows of late. Both volumes are available for download at the above link.

“Spit It Twig Vol. 2 represents my commitment to the free mixtape format I admire so much in artists like Lil Wayne & the Clipse. This time I decided to stretch out my repertoire in directions both more overtly hip hop (’This Night’s Untold’ & ‘More Mercy, Miss Percy’), and even more abstract (’The Pink Room’, ‘Perfect Pitch’). This mix also features more collaboration than any of my other releases with contributions from Dirty Beaches, Onakabazien, D-Sisive and a (one-sided-career-fullfilling) collab with David Lynch. The diversity of Spit It Twig Vol. 2 was meant to reveal my intention & future direction with tapes which is to periodically expose experiments, and spontaneous ideas to those who are curious… all for a great price.” – Slim Twig

Slim Twig’s artistic vision is born from a twisted landscape of pop, experimental music and avant-garde film. Besides his great hair, this vision has given many critics a lot to write about since first being introduced last year with his two-part EP series, Derelict Dialect and Vernacular Violence. Critics have noted Slim’s “soliloquist’s flair” (Globe and Mail) and the “mesmerizing” quality and “enduring mythology” of songs like ‘Whiite Fantaseee’ (Pitchfork).

Spit It Twig Vol. 2 Track Listing:
01 Silver Silver
02 Black Eldorado
03 The Siamese Survived
04 This Night’s Untold feat. D-Sisive
05 Perfect Pitch
06 Norma Jean
07 More Mercy, Miss Percy
08 The Pink Room
09 A Name Is a Pistol

SLIM TWIG ON TOUR:
11/12 – Brooklyn, NY – Market Hotel
11/13 – New York, NY – WNYU Make The Product radio show
11/15 – Philadelphia, PA – Danger Danger w/ The Chickens
11/18 – Baltimore, MD – Hexagon Space w/ Rosemary Krust
11/21 – Bloomington, IN – The Realm w/ Circuit des Yeaux
11/22 – Chicago, IL – Weirder Park w/ Heavy Times
11/23 – Chicago – TBC
11/25 – Madison, WI – Project Lodge w/ Julian Lynch
11/27 – Detroit, MI – Division Street Gallery w/ Telephone Callers, Grass Canyon
12/2 – Guelph ONT – The Attic w/ Tamsen & Elliot
12/3 – Montréal, QUE – Friendship Cove w/ The Pink Noise, Postcards
12/4 – Ottawa, ONT – 443 Kent
12/5 – Toronto, ONT – Double Double Landw/ Onakabazien, Carl Didur

Fashawn – Boy Meets World – One Records Release Date: 10/20/09 – Out Now!

Fashawn posted new live performance of the Boy Meets World cuts “Intro” and “Freedom” on his YouTube channel. The footage was taken from his album release show in hometown Fresno, California, and as you can see, the crowd was pumped to be celebrating the release of the up and comer’s Exile-produced Boy Meets World.

Watch Fashawn perform “Intro + Freedom” from Boy Meets World Release Show:

Fashawn, not content to sit back and relax now that his album is out, will also be heading out on a West coast tour with Legendary Music’s The Grouch next month. Check out the full schedule below.

Tour Dates:

Dec. 2, 2009 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge

Dec. 3, 2009 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird

Dec. 4, 2009 – Boulder, CO @ Fox Theater

Dec. 5, 2009 – Santa Fe, NM @ Fusion Nightclub

Dec. 6, 2009 – Scottsdale, AZ @ Chasers

Dec. 7, 2009 – San Diego, CA @ Belly Up

Dec. 8, 2009 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Velvet Jones

Dec. 9, 2009 – San Luis Opispo, CA @ Downtown Brew

Dec. 10, 2009 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s

Dec. 11, 2009 – San Jose, CA @ Avalon

Dec. 12, 2009 – Sacramento, CA @ Empire Events Center

Dec. 13, 2009 – Arcata, CA @ Humbrew

Dec. 14, 2009 – Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall

Dec. 15, 2009 – Portland, OR @ Backspace

Dec. 16, 2009 – Seattle, WA @ Nectar Lounge

Dec. 18, 2009 – Reno, NV @ The Underground

Dec. 19, 2009 – South Lake Tahoe @ Bar 24Online Contact:

LOU DOG FROM KOTTONMOUTH KINGS NAMED ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF NORML LOS ANGELES

Lou Dog, from Suburban Noize recording group the Kottonmouth Kings, has been named the new assistant director for the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).

“I am proud of the appointment and I am prepared to continue lending my energy and resources towards the advancement of the cause,” commented Lou Dog.

The Kottonmouth Kings have been on the frontlines fighting for the legalization of marijuana for over a decade. The group has been acknowledged for their never-ending commitment to spreading awareness and understanding about the plant, marijuana.
The group had previously helped organize a demonstration at the U.S. Federal Building, alongside other pro-cannabis organizations, to protest the federal prosecution of pot users under the federal Controlled Substances Act. The event attracted national media attention and challenged the Bush Administration’s “War on Drugs”.

The Kottonmouth Kings recently released their new album, “Hidden Stash 4:20”, through Suburban Noize Records. The group is embarking on a series of dates with 311 in November, before they hit the studio to record their upcoming new studio effort, “Long Live The Kings”.

Since being founded in 1970, NORML has provided a voice for those Americans who oppose marijuana prohibition and favor an end to the practice of arresting marijuana smokers. A nonprofit public-interest advocacy group, NORML represents the interests of the tens of millions of Americans who smoke marijuana responsibly. Today NORML continues to lead the fight to reform state and federal marijuana laws, whether by voter initiative or through the elected legislatures. NORML serves as an informational resource to the national media on marijuana-related stories, providing a perspective to offset the anti-marijuana propaganda from the government.

CATCH KOTTONMOUTH KINGS LIVE:

Nov 13 – Loveland, CO @ Budweiser Event Center w/ 311
Nov 14 – Council Bluffs, IA @ Mid America Center w/ 311
Nov 15 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater w/ 311
Nov 17 – Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom
Nov 18 – Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom w/ 311
Nov 19 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore w/ 311

NEW BOYZ TO JOIN CHRIS BROWN ON NORTH AMERICAN FAN APPRECIATION TOUR

Burbank, CA – Ben J and Legacy of The New Boyz will join multi-platinum recording artist Chris Brown on an 18-city North American Tour.

When “You’re A Jerk” hit the internet earlier this summer, the group had no idea how fast the song would pick up. Within days of uploading, youth across the country were recording hundreds of videos imitating the fancy footwork prompting other viewers to virally one-up their cyber counterparts with their own videos.

The song eventually made its way into the Top 5 on the Billboard music charts and garnered over a million views for the video’s Music Choice debut in its first week (the 2nd highest in the VOD network’s history)—not bad for two teens who initially recorded the song in their closet. Tour-mate Chris Brown even got in on the action uploading acrobatic videos with jerk dancing associates Scooter “Lil Scoot” Smiff and Mijo.

Their current single “Tie Me Down” featuring Ray J just landed the #2 debut at radio and is currently #1 at Music Choice with over 1.6 million orders to date.

The recent graduates have become the ambassadors of this counter-culture marked by loud colors and form-fitting garb, most notably their notorious skinny jeans. “This is us. We’re showing a different side of hip-hop and a different style from the West Coast. We’ve never been worried about the haters or critics,” says Ben J.

Their debut album Skinny Jeanz & A Mic was released September 15th on Asylum/Warner Bros. Records and chronicles the life and experiences of normal, carefree teenagers. “People think we only do jerk music, but we do a whole lot of everything,” says Legacy. “The album is about having fun and the typical teenage life. The show will capture this.”

TOUR DATES:

SAT 11/14 Houston, TX House of Blues
SUN 11/15 Dallas, TX Palladium
WED 11/18 Los Angeles, CA Avalon
THU 11/19 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
FRI 11/20 Miami, FL Charity Event
SUN 11/22 Richmond, VA Landmark
WED 11/25 Detroit, MI Royal Oak
THU 11/26 Chicago, IL House of Blues
SUN 11/29 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Revolution
TUE 12/1 Orlando, FL House of Blues
WED 12/2 Atlanta, GA CenterStage
FRI 12/4 Washington, DC Warner Theater
SAT 12/5 Providence, RI Lupo’s
SUN 12/6 Boston, MA House of Blues
WED 12/9 Sayreville, NJ Starland
FRI 12/11 Baltimore, MD Gilliam-Morgan State U
SAT 12/12 Walling Ford, CT Chevrolet Theatre
SUN 12/13 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
TUE 12/15 New York, NY Nokia

RÖYKSOPP BRING LIVE SHOW TO US THIS MONTH

The uber popular electro-pop duo Röyksopp are bringing their much buzzed about live show to the US for four exclusive dates. This will be Röyksopp’s, Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland’s first US dates in over 4 years.

Adding to the critical acclaim, legends and superstars alike are raving about Röyksopp’s eclectic sound. Kanye West, Elton John and Perez Hilton call themselves fans making their return to the US even more triumphant.

Their third studio album, Junior was released on Astralwerks earlier this year and entered the Billboard Top 200 at #139, and the Heatseekers chart at #2. The album
is also the longest charting album on the CMJ RPM Chart history with 19 weeks and 9 weeks at #1.

As always, Berge and Brundtland wrote, performed, arranged, mixed and produced the 11 tracks on Junior which features guest vocals from Swedish artists Robyn, Lykke Li and Karin Dreijer as well as fellow Norwegian Anneli Drecker, who appeared on Röyksopp’s debut Melody A.M. Anneli will be joining the band for these special dates.

…‘The Girl and The Robot’ ranked #9 on Entertainment Weekly’s ‘The Must list’ thanks to “vocals from Swedish pop survivor Robyn and a very cool string section outro”

…”Junior is arguably the pair’s strongest album.”- Pitchfork

“…smooth sunny sounds perfect for rollerskating on rainbows.- Spin

“…Junior is exactly the album that you hoped the Norwegian duo Royksopp would make. It’s an icy blast of electro-pop that channels the genres more quirkily beautiful moments…”- Billboard

Wed 11/18 Los Angeles, CA Club Nokia

Thur 11/19 San Francisco, CA Regency

Mon 11/23 New York, NY Webster Hall

Tue 11/24 New York, NY Webster Hall

Soulico Premieres Exclusive, FREE Mixtape; Announces New Tour Dates

Soulico – Exotic on the Speaker
Out Now via JDub Records

It was a busy summer for the DJs of Israeli collective Soulico, what with the releases of two hot singles (“Put ‘Em Up” featuring Lyrics Born and “S.O.S” featuring Pigeon John and Ceci Bastida), a free mixtape released on Pitchfork entitled Exotic on the Mixtape, and the release of their star studded, full length album, Exotic on the Speaker, not to mention a small tour to wrap it all up.

Lesser men would rest, but this crew launched a remix contest recently via Twitter, and now the boys are back with another mixtape premiering today on Impose Magazine, and available for free at the link below.

Showing no signs of stopping, our friends from JDub Records have also announced additional tour dates all over the US, stretching way into November, which you can check out below. Summer may definitely be over, but don’t worry – these guys aren’t done.

Get the Mixtape at Impose Magazine

Enter the Remix Contest

Download and Share “Put ‘Em Up” featuring Lyrics Born

Download and Share “SOS” featuring Pigeon John and Ceci Bastida

Soulico Fall Tour

10/28 – Spaceland – LA (with Ceci Bastida)

10/29 – Chop Suey – Seattle (with DJ Collage)

10/31 – Walnut Room – Denver (with DJ Klaw)

11/01 – 330 Ritch – San Francisco (with DJ Toph One)

11/02 – Empty Bottle – Chicago (with MC Zulu)

11/03 – Apache Café – Atlanta (with BFD Band)

11/04 – Emory – Atlanta (STUDENTS ONLY)

11/05 – The Vagabond – Miami

11/07 – Mercury Lounge – NYC

11/08 – Venue TBD – Washington DC

11/10 – House of Blues – Boston

Rakim live Performance @ Ruby Sky in San Fran

Rakim Remaining Tour Dates
October 29 Canes San Diego, CA
October 30 Venue of Scotts Scottsdale, AZ
November 3 House of Blues Houston, TX
November 4 Emos Austin, TX
November 6 House of Blues New Orleans, LA
November 9 Amo’s Charlotte, NC
November 11 Music Farm Charleston, SC
November 12 Lincoln Theater Raleigh, NC
November 13 Hat Factory Richmond, VA
November 14 Dragonfly Harrisburg, PA
November 15 Black Cat Washington, DC
November 17 Toad’s Place New Haven, CT
November 18 Lupos Providence, RI
November 19 BB Kings New York, NY
November 21 Asylum Portland, ME
November 22 Paradise Boston, MA

Concord Music and Playing For Change have launched a new label and their first album will hit shelves Nov 3rd. Grandpa Elliott, famed New Orleans street musician and integral part of Playing for Change is set to release Sugar Sweet Playing For Change Records. Playing For Change is currently on tour with Grandpa Elliott, so be sure to check the tour dates below

In partnership with the Concord Music Group, Playing For Change announced the launch of a new record label that will support releases from select artists associated with the global music and multi-media collective Playing For Change. The first artist signed to Playing For Change Records/Concord Music Group is legendary New Orleans street performer “Grandpa” Elliott whose debut album Sugar Sweet will be released on Nov. 3rd. Grandpa Elliott has been entertaining audiences in the French Quarter for over sixty years, but his popularity has gone global in the last year after the Playing for Change hit viral video for “Stand By Me”, featuring 37 musicians from all over the world received over 30 million views on sites like YouTube and Vimeo.

“Grandpa” Elliott Small, singing on the streets of New Orleans since he was a six year old, can capture a crowd with a single note. His mellow baritone makes the sounds of a busy New Orleans street fall away with its warm sincerity and while the blues may inform his lyrical harmonica playing, he has his own unique sound. Sugar Sweet, produced by Playing For Change founder Mark Johnson and Reggie McBride, was recorded in New Orleans with the Playing For Change Band. Grandpa Elliott has been singing with the PFC Band for the past year and they have developed an uncanny rapport. Their enthusiasm and ability to lay down sturdy, elastic grooves is evident throughout the album, adding sympathetic backing to Elliott’s soulful vocals and sinuous harmonica.

“Grandpa Elliott embodies everything the Playing For Change project is about,” Johnson says. “Soul, talent, and perseverance. He brought the rawness of the street into the studio and cut the tunes in one take, with no set list and made every song his own. There’s a line in ‘Sugar Sweet’ that says ‘I love you more than the blood that runs through my veins.’ That’s how Grandpa feels about music. You can hear it in every note he sings.”

On the title track, the guitars of Jason Tamba from the DR Congo and Zimbabwe’s Louis Mhlanga play a New Orleans style rumba with a hint of ska, while drummer Peter Bunetta lays down subtle percussion fills. Grandpa Elliott’s voice is fluid, with quicksilver phrasing that falls before and behind the beat, playing with rhythm and meter. “Ain’t Nothing You Can Do,” an early hit for Bobby “Blue” Bland, gets a makeover that combines the swing of Tamba and Mhlanga, with an R&B feel, Elliott’s vocal slips from a buoyant tenor to a playful, bluesy growl as he adds subtle harmonica accents. Grandpa Elliott learned “Share Your Love With Me” from an Aretha Franklin recording and the band gives it a stripped down, old school R&B reading. “Fannie Mae” was cut at a rousing live concert performance with Keb’ Mo’ sitting in on electric guitar. It includes a blazing harp solo from Grandpa Elliott and lets the band show off its considerable instrumental prowess.

Grammy-winning producer/engineer/filmmaker Mark Johnson founded Playing For Change on the simple idea that the world can find peace through music. It’s been an incredible year for the project and momentum continues to build as Johnson and the musicians of Playing For Change were named “Persons of the Week” on ABC’s World News Tonight with Charlie Gibson last month and have been profiled many times nationally including NPR’s Morning Edition, CBS News Sunday Morning and PBS’ Bill Moyers Journal just to name a few. They have already performed twice on NBC’s The Tonight Show and Grandpa recently performed an emotional rendition of “Stand By Me” on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report.

Playing For Change has been one of 2009’s most unlikely and startling cultural phenomenons. Hear Music/Concord Music Group’s two-disc CD/DVD Playing For Change – Songs Around the World, released April 28th, stunned the music industry selling over twenty-six thousand copies in it’s first week and landing at #10 on Billboard’s Top 200 Pop chart. (The Playing For Change – Songs Around The World – Deluxe Edition, featuring the full-length documentary Peace Through Music broadcast this summer nation-wide on PBS, will be released on October 13th.) This remarkable and unpredicted popular response has been driven by tens of millions of video hits, countless blogs and pure viral communication between fans and followers. The project’s deep emotional resonance, combined with the muscle of the internet and word-of-mouth has struck a profoundly enduring chord world-wide.

The PFC Band and Grandpa Elliott can be seen on a nation-wide tour this fall. After all these years of persevering through incredible hardships and performing for free, Grandpa has become an instant icon. “A man don’t live that long and, when you’re in your 60s, you know you’re ready to go any time,” he says with a smile. “So I’m looking for success to happen now. I’m eager and hungry and there’s no stopping me.”

Sugar Sweet Track Listing

1. Ain’t Nothing You Can Do

2. This Little Light of Mine (Medley)

3. Sugar Is Sweet

4. Baby, What You Want Me to Do

5. We’re Gonna Make It

6. Share Your Love With Me

7. Another Saturday Night

8. Fannie Mae (Live) – featuring the Playing For Change Band

9. Please Come Home for Christmas

*Produced by Mark Johnson and Reggie McBride

Upcoming U.S. tour dates:

Date City, State Venue

10/29/09 Annapolis, MD Ram’s Head on Stage

10/30/09 Cleveland, OH Masonic Auditorium

10/31/09 Toronto, Canada Phoenix Concert Hall

11/02/09 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark

11/03/09 Chicago, IL Park West

11/04/09 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater

11/06/09 Minneapolis, MN O’Shaughnessy

11/07/09 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theatre

11/08/09 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre

11/09/09 Santa Fe, NM Lensic Performing Arts Center

11/12/09 Mesa, AZ Mesa Arts Center

11/13/09 Los Angeles, CA Club Nokia

11/14/09 Anaheim, CA The Grove of Anaheim

11/15/09 San Francisco, CA Palace of Fine Arts

11/17/09 Portland, OR Aladdin Theatre

11/18/09 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre

11/19/09 Vancouver, British Columbia Commodore Ballroom

JOKERS OF THE SCENE AND ACID GIRLS UNITE FOR “BRIGHT BLACK MAGICK” TOUR

Download exclusive DJ mix on The Fader blog

Fresh off a European tour and sweaty CMJ showcases, Ottawa’s Jokers Of The Scene and LA’s Acid Girls have teamed up for a North American trek showcasing their tweaked, unique takes on electronic club music.

Over the past few months, the vanguard duos – representing beloved independent labels Fool’s Gold and iheartcomix – realized they were kindred musical spirits who shared a love of new and old dance music that runs a little deeper than your everyday distorted DJ fare. The friendship led to musical collaborations like JOTS’ amazing remix of Acid Girls’ “The Numbers Song” (included on the “Bright Black Magick” mix, where each duo selects their favorite remixes and productions of the other) and now this tour, which kicked off with a blast in NYC and Philly over the past weekend, and continues thru the West Coast starting Halloween night in Vancouver.

Don’t miss out on the magick!

JOKERS OF THE SCENE & ACID GIRLS
BRIGHT BLACK MAGICK TOUR

- Saturday, October 31st – Hastings Racetrack, Vancouver (w/ Felix Cartal, Don Rimini)
- Thursday, November 5th – Voyeur, San Diego (w/ Franki Chan)
- Friday, November 6th – Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco (w/ Silver Swans, The Frail)
- Friday, November 13th – Temporary Spaces Two, Los Angeles (w/ Destructo)

Jokers Of The Scene “Baggy Bottom Boys” video

Acid Girls “The Numbers Song” video