AWESOME NEW REPUBLIC

Awesome New Republic are a pair of guys from Miami, who grew up listening to Prince and Giorgio Moroder. Their new album Rational Geographic hits stores this fall via Honor Roll Music, with the first single "2k3012" streaming now at myspace. The duo will be playing the CMJ Music Marathon in NYC in October. In the meantime, check out this totally f#$%ed up trailer for the new album.

Coachella Coverage

As always, Coachella was an incredible event, showcasing over 100 bands and DJ's. Beth Gibbons proved a bonafide rock star as she led Portishead in a stunning comeback performance. The Black Lips and Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings were on fire (some literally), providing a stealth alternative to Jack Johnson on the main stage. M.I.A. had a diva moment when she brought the show to an uncomfortable halt, at which point the "diva moment" turned into a full-on meltdown. And of course, Prince was amazing, sharing the stage with Morris Day and The Time for a pair of songs, then with Sheila E for her classic "Glamorous Life".

THE BLACK LIPS, Mojave Tent



The Black Lips were one of the highlights of the weekend, tearing up the Mojave tent with their rowdy rock 'n' roll. The boys ended their set by lighting their guitars on fire before they all-out destroyed them and threw the mangled guitar limbs into the crowd.

HOT CHIP, Sahara Tent


Hot Chip proved they can command the gigantic Sahara tent as good as anyone (Daft Punk aside). Their live set was high energy and the packed tent didn't let the scorching heat diffuse their enthusiasm. Fueled by percussive outbursts, this was a hot and sweaty dance party that had everyone moving.

LOVE & ROCKETS, Outdoor Stage


Much to their fans' delight, Love & Rockets made a solid return to the stage, rocking through classics like "No New Tale to Tell", "Ball of Confusion", and "No Big Deal". The songs sounded remarkably tight and fresh and the light show was perfectly suited to the bands style and tone.

M.I.A., Sahara Tent


Meltdown aside, when MIA was on she was on, but the show overall was very rough. She played the rock star, wearing a platinum wig and strutting around the stage like a fierce diva. But I think her show at Terminal 5 last October was far, far superior.

***

I'm still in LA, but hope to post some more pictures soon.

-all photos ©2008 by Scot Bowman

PRINCE Joins Coachella

Wow! Now I'm really bummed that I'm not going.

ROBYN - "The Rakamonie EP"

Robyn is finally ready to make her big splash in North America, starting with the US release of "The Rakamonie EP". The five track EP was originally released in a slightly different format in the UK well over a year ago. The main difference here is that an acoustic version of 'With Every Heartbeat' replaces the cover of Saul Williams' 'List of Demands'. Other than that, everything is here, including her take on Prince's nasty early track 'Jack U Off', as well as the ballad version of 'Be Mine'.

Speaking of 'Be Mine', Robyn has released a new video for the Ocelot remix of the track. Check it out below.

"The Rakamonie EP" hits North American (digital) shops on January 29th, followed by the eponymous album release in April. As well, if you live in LA, NYC, or San Francisco, you can catch Robyn live! Here are the select dates:

Feb. 5 NYC - Highline Ballroom
Feb. 7 San Francisco - Popscene
Feb. 9 West Hollywood - The Troubadour

Robyn - Be Mine (Ocelot remix)