New WAVVES Video - No Hope Kids

I guess the moral of the story in this video is no matter how hard you live or how fucked up you get, never forget to read a book? Let's hope Wavves gets his shit together.

MICHAEL JACKSON Dies

It is so, so sad.  It has been confirmed that Michael Jackson has died after suffering cardiac arrest in Los Angeles. Rest in peace, MJ.

SHARON VAN ETTEN On A Rowboat In Central Park

My friends at Kevchino.com got Sharon to play "For You" on a rowboat in Central Park yesterday. As usual it is just beautiful.

VULTURE REALTY

Vulture Realty are playing our Make Music NY showcase this Sunday and we are so excited to have them! Their debut EP We Are Vultures is available now at Amazon MP3. Check out more at Vulture Realty's MUXTAPE. And watch the killer new video for the single "2011" below.

Vulture Realty: "2011" from steamclam on Vimeo.

FEVER RAY - Triangle Walks

Here is the creepy third video taken from Fever Ray's amazing debut album. "Triangle Walks" has become one of my favorite tracks from the disc. I also really dig the new Rex the Dog remix (via P4K).

Triangle Walks from Fever Ray on Vimeo.

THE NORTHSIDE MUSIC FESTIVAL

photos by Jessi Bautista
Last weekend's Northside Music Festival was a melting pot of musicians converging on various venues in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. Of the many great artists who played over the four day festival, I managed to see 6 solid acts who proved they are worthy of their buzz. Sharon Van Etten's wistful, captivating presence struggled at first to silence the semi-rowdy 5 o'clock crowd at Trophy Bar on Saturday. But with a voice like Van Etten's, it was only a matter a minutes before the bar quieted down and paid witness to her astonishing talent.

The night prior, I headed over to Death By Audio, where I caught great sets by Air Waves and Real Estate. I had never heard of Air Waves before, but they impressed me with their easy-going sing-song tunes, reminiscent of lighter Yo La Tengo fare when Georgia's at the mic. Real Estate delivered their psychedelic progressions to a suddenly packed house. They sounded great and their catalog is developing nicely.

Next, headed over to Spike Hill to catch Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers. Wow! This show was fantastic! If you ever have a chance to catch their live set, don't hesitate.

Saturday at The Shank in Greenpoint, buzz band Woods lived up to the current hype. The smoke-hazed warehouse grew increasingly crowded when the band went on, but it was the ideal venue for their potent set. I was particularly impressed with Lucas Crane, the bands electronic mad scientist.

We rounded out Saturday night at Studio B to catch the Daedelus set. Oh my God this guy is brilliant. Part DJ, part composer, part conductor on acid, Daedelus creates a schizophrenic menagerie of samples, beats and sounds. The highlight was definitely the sped-up, meth-crazed reversion of a Beirut track. I was a bit sauced, but I believe the track was "Elephant Gun". This was so awesome I wish I had a copy for myself!
All in all it was six for six in my Northside Music Fest experience. I'm impressed and really hope the festival returns next year.

THE LEGENDS - Over and Over

The Legends are back with the new album Over and Over and I'm all kinds of psyched about it. To celebrate the release of the new LP, the Swedish band is offering up the free track "You Won".

""You won" is sparkling pop in colossal production with Philip of The Mary Onettes adding deliciously doomy 80s-esque drum sounds to the song's anthemic qualities."

The Legends - You Won (mp3)

Make Music New York

Our humble first attempt at putting a show together! Make Music New York! The Sky Report Radio presents 7 bands and 5 DJs over the course of an entire day at Northeast Kingdom in Bushwick. This Sunday from 1:00pm outside Northeast Kingdom in Bushwick. After party with DJ's in the den at 8:00pm. See you there!

OUTSIDE:
1:00pm VULTURE REALTY
2:00pm PALEBOY (The Sky Report Radio DJ Set)
4:00pm BONNIE BAXTER
4:30pm RED ROMANS (ft. Ryan Sartin of ASA RANSOM)
5:00pm PASS KONTROL
5:45pm BAD CREDIT NO CREDIT
6:30pm A/D
7:15pm LADY MAGMA

INSIDE:
8:00pm NEGRIS
9:45pm SOH LUVLEE (AVE BFF)
11:00pm SILENT T
12:00am PALEBOY (REALLY?)
1:00am JEREMY RUSSELL

And don't forget to listen to The Sky Report Radio.

New BEIRUT Video - Concubine

Beautiful. "Concubine" is taken from Beirut's recent double ep March of the Zapotec/Holland.

WOODS - To Clean

Woods are awesome. Enough said.  The video was shot at The Silent Barn, Bushwick.

BEACH FOSSILS

I really don't know much about Brooklyn's Beach Fossils except for a few small facts. The vocals sound like they were recorded underwater. The track "Vacation" is seriously easy to digest. They're fairly looped in to the whole North Brooklyn Todd P DIY scene, with a handful of NY dates coming up with all the "girls" bands - Vivian Girls, Dum Dum Girls, and Girls, as well as Woods, Real Estate and Thee Oh Sees.

Beach Fossils - Myspace

Jun 14 FREE ALL AGES Unamplified Acoustic BBQ 2009 @ Fort Tilden Beach
Jun 26 Monster Island Basement w/ Real Estate & Girls Brooklyn
Jun 27 Ugly Duckling Press Release Party w/ Reading Rainbow [@ TBA]
Jul 4 979 BROADWAY BACKYARD w/ Vivian Girls, Woods, Dum Dum Girls, Real Estate & More
Aug 13 Cake Shop w/ Blind Man’s Colour

HERE WE GO MAGIC - Fangela

Here We Go Magic were a major highlight for me at SXSW this year. Now they're touring with Grizzly Bear. Here's the new video for the absolutely beautiful track "Fangela".

THIEVES LIKE US + MISS KITTIN & THE HACKER

Thieves Like Us released a new 4-track ep today titled Really Like To See You Again. It's like dipping back into an 80's movie soundtrack and finding an obscure, but oddly handsome track buried toward the end of side B. You can purchase the limited edition ep at Shelflife. Title track mp3 below...

As well, Miss Kittin & the Hacker release the new single "Party In My Head" on June 19th, featuring remixes by Thieves Like Us, Kiko and Mr Pauli. The new album Two is a bit techno heavy for me, but I really like the Thieves Like Us remix. Mp3 below...

DOWNLOAD:
Thieves Like Us - Really Like To See You Again
Miss Kittin & The Hacker - Party In My Head (Thieves Like Us Remix)

WE HAVE BAND

We Have Band are a trio from London who create insanely infectious dance jams. The track "You Came Out" has such a great bass line it's impossible not to get hooked. Stream it below or check out the brand new video.

Also, the previous single "Oh"...

New BASEMENT JAXX - Raindrops

Basement Jaxx are back with their best track since "Where's Your Head At". I'm so addicted to this song right now. Summer jam 2009! Check out the psychedelic new video below.

Introducing RYE RYE

Hot!

MIKA MIKO - I Got A Lot (New New New)

They might not be the best lip-syncers in the world, but LA punk band Mika Miko know how to bring a good time. Check out the new video for "I Got A Lot (New New New)"...

CASSETTES WON'T LISTEN - Into the Hillside

Cassettes Won't Listen return with the new album Into the Hillside on June 16th. The title track serves as the first single. Check it out...

Cassettes Won't Listen - Into the Hillside (mp3)

Album preview...

New RADIO DEPT. - David

The Radio Dept. have been working on their hotly anticipated forthcoming 3rd LP for nearly three years. In anticipation of the release of Clinging to a Scheme, the band offers up the lovely new single "David". The single comes out June 24th, while there is no word yet on the album's release date.

The Radio Dept. - David (mp3)

MICACHU & THE SHAPES

Micachu is British musician Mica Levi, who also plays with The Shapes. The debut album Jewellery is plenty interesting and was produced by Matthew Herbert. The new single is "Golden Phone". Check out the video below.

More Micachu here.