Nouvelle Vague Played Webster Hall: Pictures, Review

On Saturday night, we had the pleasure of stopping in at Webster Hall and catching up with those masters of the modern cover song, Nouvelle Vague. Given the expert realization of the band's three records, we were certainly expecting a good show. We certainly got that. However, even more so, it was a show that transcended the records and instead infused the recorded material with a new sense of stage presence, musical precision, and unrepentant showmanship.

The first component in that renewed vigor was unquestionably instrumental section of the band: the four members were impeccably tight, and played with an expertise normally reserved for placid studio takes. Amazingly, in addition to their technical wizardry, they also managed to create an instrumental performance that was dynamic, compelling, and ultimately the foundation of the show.

If that was the foundation, than the building itself was unquestionably built by the vocals. Alternating turns, the two vocalists waltzed through the band's catalog with ease and aplomb. Never mind that the original vocalists for many of the tracks weren't present - it posed little challenge for the two, who alternated stage personas and vocal styles, dancing all the while.

The result was a show that unquestionably could be called a crowd pleaser: they were unrelenting in their enthusiasm, and the band rewarded them in turn with multiple encores, and trips to walk amongst the throngs. As the show came to a close, its most vivid moment took shape, with a writhing, crawling version of "Bela Lugosi's Dead", closing with both singers lying on the floor.

We went to Saturday's show with a fair bit of admiration for Nouvelle Vague, but it has to be said that we left with a good bit more. The combination of an incredible stage presence, bulletproof musicality, and ridiculous charisma served to create an experience was one of pure, epic theatricality. The band is on tour in the US - we implore you not to miss it.

Many more pictures at the HAD Archive

mp3: Nouvelle Vague - Master And Servant

Phoenix Cover Bob Dylan

Phoenix in Central Park, from the HAD Archive

Yes, you know we love Phoenix. And yes, you know we'd post any new musical trinket that came our way from the French musical masters. That being said, this is actually quite a bit more than a trinket: while on tour in Germany, the band stopped in and did a live acoustic set for the German music magazine Musikexpress, which was subsequently included in the magazine as a CD giveaway.

While we have yet to get our hands on the full CD, we have snagged (courtesy of Pitchfork) this cover of Bob Dylan's "Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands", which is nothing short of spectacular. It's quiet, and subtle, and expertly executed in a way that allows Thomas Mars to channel Dylan in a way that is astoundingly authentic, given the disparity in their voices. Listen. Now.

mp3: Phoenix - Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands (Bob Dylan Cover)

New Caribou Record On Tap For April

In case you don't have anything else cooked up for 4/20, we have some good news for you: the new Caribou record Swim drops on that very day. It's been a while since we heard anything from the Canadian rhythmic masters, so this has us quite excited. What's more, Caribou front man Dan Snaith has indicated that the record will be far more of a dance record than Andorra ever was.

There's already a track available from the record (bel0w) entitled "Odessa", and if it's any indication, the man is very true to his word. It has all of Caribou's trademark calculated intention, but takes the beats to a place that is simultaneously more canned, but also slightly more human and organic. We like it very much. Now we just need news of a tour.

mp3: Caribou - Odessa

Pavement Playing Greek Theater In Berkeley, Presale Thursday

We were already excited enough that Pavement was descending on New York for 4 nights and hitting up Coachella on the last day. So, suffice it to say that it's pure icing that the band will be at the Greek Theater in Berkeley (probably our favorite summer venue of all time) on June 25th. While it has yet to be seen if the band will have even more reunion dates, we're willing to guess they're going to do more than five headlining shows. The Berkeley date has a presale tomorrow (Thursday) with the password "wowee".

In other news, the band has a "greatest hits" (cover above) on tap for March 9th, entitled Quarantine The Past. Along with that collection comes a full vinyl reissue of their catalog. Sadly, the vinyl reissues weigh in at a paltry 120gm of goodness. So, while we love vinyl as much as the next guy, it's not exactly what we'd call audiophile grade. Ah well, you can always compensate by catching the real thing this summer!

mp3: Pavement - And Then (The Hexx) Original Version

The National: Album Release, Spring Tour, Presale

The National at Outside Lands, from the HAD Archive. Photo By Rick Audet.

For the past year or so, The National have been thoroughly immersed in a variety of side projects and preformances, but it's been a while since we've heard from the full band. Given that, we were psyched to discover this morning that the guys will not only be touring this spring, but that they also have an as-of-yet untitled record on tap for release in May.

Meanwhile, their spring tour will cover the east and west coast in the US, as well as the UK. For New York this means a stop at Radio City Music Hall, and in San Francisco the show will be at the Fox Theater in Oakland. Presales for all of the North American shows take place on January 26th, starting at 10 AM local time. The password for all presales is "BloodBuzz".

After the 1-2 awesomeness of Alligator and Boxer, it goes without saying that this is some super exciting news. You'll have to wait until May for the new record, but we're imagining that these live dates will give a fair taste of the new material as well. See you out there!

The National Spring 2010 North American Dates

26-28 MARCH: KNOXVILLE, TN - BIG EARS FESTIVAL 2010 / TENNESSEE THEATRE
22 APRIL: RICHMOND, VA - THE NATIONAL
23 APRIL: RICHMOND, VA - THE NATIONAL
06 MAY: LONDON, UK - ROYAL ALBERT HALL
07 MAY: PARIS, FRANCE - LE ZENITH w/ PAVEMENT
09 MAY: BERLIN, GERMANY - ASTRA
22 MAY: LOS ANGELES, CA - THE WILTERN
23 MAY: SAN DIEGO, CA - SPRECKELS THEATRE
27 MAY: OAKLAND, CA - FOX THEATRE
02 JUNE: BOSTON, MA - HOUSE OF BLUES
05 JUNE: PHILADELPHIA, PA - ELECTRIC FACTORY
06 JUNE: WASHINGTON, DC - DAR CONSTITUTION HALL
08 JUNE: TORONTO, CANADA - MASSEY HALL
16 JUNE: NEW YORK, NY - RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL

Spoon Played Mercury Lounge - Pictures, Review

On Thursday night, we were lucky enough to get to stop in at Mercury Lounge and see Spoon deliver an uber-intimate set for around 250 fans. Suffice it to say that (especially as the band's popularity continues to grow) it was a real treat to see the band in such a tiny room. Moreover, it does a pretty damn good job at reminding you just how good Spoon is at recreating their on album sound in the live environment.

Despite the fact that it was one of the looser shows we've seen from the band in quite a while, there's no question that the set was a highly energized dive into the band's more recent material They played most of their latest record, Transference, and kept most of the set firmly trained on their last three records. That being said, there were a few exceptions, drifting back as far as Girls Can Tell.

The set was largely seamless, and it quickly became pretty apparent that playing to a tiny room of devoted fans (even if some of them hadn't heard the new record!?!?) was not going to phase a band as road tested as this one. There was no discernible blip in the set as the band fluctuated between new and old material, and Transference made clear its place among Spoon's well-established catalog.

In addition to the core Spoon configuration, Stephen Patterson of White Rabbits joined the band on stage, adding another guitar for "Mystery Zone". What's more, the band did a bit of instrument swapping, with Britt Daniel and Rob Pope trading bass and guitar duties once or twice over the course of the show.

We have to say: it's one of the great tragedies of discovering fantastic music, that eventually the bands may go on to play huge rooms where you lose a lot of the intimacy of performance. For exactly that reason, it's so exciting to see a band as meteoric as Spoon acknowledging just how awesome and worthwhile a small venue can be. Granted, some folks don't make it in the door, but for the ones who do, it's a sure fire way to get to the heart of what rock and roll is all about.

Spoon begins their US Tour with Deerhunter in March.

Setlist

--

Black Like Me

Is Love Forever?

I Saw The Light

Stay Don't Go ->

Don't You Evah

The Ghost Of You Lingers

Who Makes Your Money

Nobody Gets Me But You

Don't Make Me A Target

Mystery Zone

You've Got Yr Cherry Bomb

Written In Reverse

Someone Something

They Never Got You

I Summon You

The Beast And Dragon, Adored

Got Nuffin

--

Something To Look Forward To

Chicago At Night

Rhythm & Soul

Fitted Shirt

Many more pictures at the HAD Archive.

Britt Daniel Played SoundFix Records - Photos, Setlist, Review

After Thursday night's Mercury Lounge show, Britt Daniel of Spoon stuck around to do an in-store at SoundFix Records in Brooklyn. Our pal Chris Goldberg reported back to us, and had this to say:

"The crowd started lining up a little before 5 PM for the 7 PM show. By 7 it was around the block and not everyone could get in (the record store is TINY). Britt showed around 6 for a quick sound check coming in through the crowd and the doors opened at 6:30. It was extremely intimate with the crowd standing literally right next to Britt. It was technically not an acoustic show... he accompanied himself on an electric Gibson and sounded very impressive despite the lack of a band. Part of that has to be because of "Hot Pockets," Spoon's extremely talented sound tech was there knob-twisting away. Britt seems to love "Hot Pockets" - he mentioned him recently on NPR and even gave him a shout out in the middle of one of the songs.

It was a short 4 song set:
The Mystery Zone
Written in Reverse
The Beast And Dragon, Adored
I Summon You

Britt chatted a little, talking about how he had once lived in the same building as the Sound Fix record store for three months. But he joked "he could never make it as a Yankee." He was extremely gracious to all the fans. Signing records afterwards by writing "Thank you! Britt Daniel" on most of them. He seemed genuinely happy to be there. Right after he ran off down the street to join the Haiti benefit where he played 3 songs including a cover, Who Makes Your Money, and I Summon You with the drummer from the White Rabbits. "Hot Pockets" made an appearance there as well, wearing a "Hot Pockets" t-shirt."

We have to say, that given Britt's solo shows we've managed to catch in the past, we're not exactly surprised that this went so well. The man can certainly hold an audience. Still, always nice to hear about such a solid fan experience to boot!

Photos by Chris Goldberg

Spoon Played KCRW - Video, Stream

Just before descending on New York for this weekend's blitz of shows, Spoon stopped in Santa Monica to play some tunes from their latest, Transference, on KCRW. The set captures just how killer the band is sounding at the moment, and moreover just how solid the new record is. If you've been digging it as much as we have, you'll definitely want to check the vids and stream below!

stream: Spoon on KCRW

Spoon Played Conan, And It Was Amazing

Given that HAD house-faves Spoon have looked a tad stiff on the ol' television set in the past, we couldn't be happier with last night's performance (above) on Conan. The band hammered through "Written In Reverse" (complete with the full mid-song stop), and completely nailed it. The performance was subtle, minimalist, and completely rock and roll to its core. In other words, it captured everything we love about these guys. Well done, gents.

Spoon plays Mercury Lounge tomorrow night.

mp3: Spoon - Written In Reverse

pictures: Spoon at the HAD Archive

David Byrne Previews Here Lies Love

You may recall our mention of David Byrne's upcoming collaborative project with Fatboy Slim, entitled Here Lies Love. Well now Byrne has started to give a taste of what to expect. Via his email list, Byrne yesterday released the track "Please Don't" (below), featuring Santigold. What's more, there's a nice little slideshow sum up of the record (above) that gives you a slightly better idea of what to expect from the record.

The overall sound of the record appears to be somewhat like what you might expect, which is to say: eclectic beats, unique instrumentation, and an undeniable danceability. In fact, we have to say that the vibe is definitely reminiscent of Byrne's late 90's/early 2000's records Feelings and Look Into The Eyeball. As is often the case with Byrne, the record appears to take a difficult-to-penetrate topic (in this case, Imelda Marcos) and infuse it with a latent accessiblity you really hadn't expected.

Here Lies Love drops on February 23rd, and at the moment is available for preorder at Byrne's website. No tour dates have been announced as of yet, but you can bet we'll keep an eye out.

mp3: David Byrne (feat. Santigold) - Please Don't

Miles Kurosky (Beulah) Reemerges With Solo Record, Tour

Well, this has us damn excited. As huge fans of Beulah here at HAD, we've been lamenting the band's breakup for the better part of 6 years. After the band's (fantastic) final show at The Fillmore, frontman Miles Kurosky told us he was already at work on a solo record. As such, we've been waiting on the record with bated breath ever since. Fast forward to today, and we're happy to say that the ship has come in.

Kurosky has in fact been hard at work on a solo record. Entitled The Desert Of Shallow Effects, it's dropping on March 9th from Majordomo Records. What's more, Kurosky has put together a US-spanning national tour in support of the album (dates) below, and already released a three track EP on iTunes.

While we have yet to get our hands on the full length, we will say this: the recently leaked "I Can't Swim" (below) is fiercely reminiscent of mid-era Beulah, with more than a passing resemblance to the band's "Gene Autry". And yes kids, this is a very good thing. Very good indeed. With a New York date at Mercury Lounge, and an SF stop at Bottom of The Hill, you can bet we'll be there.

mp3: Miles Kurosky - I Can't Swim

Miles Kurosky 2010 US Dates

March 16 – Dallas, TX – The Cavern
March 17, 18, 19 – Austin, TX (SXSW)
March 20 - Houston, TX – Rudyards
March 22 - Nashville, TN – The Basement
March 24 - Washington, DC – DC 9
March 25 - Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
March 26 - New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
March 27 - Allston, MA – Great Scott
March 29 - Pittsburgh, PA – Brillobox
March 30 - Columbus, OH – The Basement
April 1 - Chicago, IL – Schubas
April 2 - Minneapolis, MN – 400 Bar
April 3 - Omaha, NE – The Waiting Room
April 5 - Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
April 7 - Los Angeles, CA – The Echo
April 8 - San Francisco, CA – Bottom Of The Hill
April 9 - Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
April 10 - Seattle, WA – The Tractor

Port O'Brien Deliver Haiti Relief EP, Plot Spring Tour

Port O'Brien at Union Hall, from the HAD Archive

We've all heard and observed how Haiti has basically turned into a tragically absurd hell on earth after the earthquake, and sat around wondering what we can do about it. Well, thankfully, Port O'Brien is here to help you with the conundrum. The band has delivered a 100% charity EP for Doctors Without Borders' Haitian relief.

Entitled The Pan American Sessions, the EP consists of alternate versions from the band's fantastic Threadbare. With the added moral incentive, we really have to say that you can't go wrong with this one. The EP is available for $4 at the band's website.

In addition to the good will gestures, the band is also hard at work plotting a spring tour with fellow Alaskan indie rockers Portugal The Man. Needless to say, that's a double bill that also deserves your attention. Dates below.

mp3: Port O'Brien - Calm Me Down

pictures: Port O'Brien at the HAD Archive

Port O'Brien Spring 2010 Dates (with Portugal The Man)

2/25 Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
2/26 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
2/27 St. Louis, MO @ The Gargoyle/ Washington University
3/1 Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry's
3/3 Dallas, TX @ House of Blues/ Pontiac Garage
3/4 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live (Studio)
3/5 Austin, TX @ The Parish
3/6 Austin, TX @ The Parish
3/9 Gainsville, FL @ Common Grounds
3/10 Ybor City, FL @ Crowbar
3/11 Orlando, FL @ The Social
3/13 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
3/18 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
3/19 NYC, NY @ Highline Ballroom
3/20 Milvale, PA @ Mr. Small's Theater
3/21 Cincinnati, OH @ 20th Century Theater
3/24 Columbia, MO @ Mojo's
3/26 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
3/27 Vail, CO @ The Sandbar
3/28 Aspen, CO @ Belly Up Aspen

Coachella 2010 Lineup Announced, Best In Years

No, we can't really believe it either: Coachella has bounced back from a few languishing years with a lineup that will have you doing double takes as far as the eye can see. Frankly, Sunday seemed like *the* day at first, but the more we look at the lineup, the more we feel like the whole weekend may necessitate attendance. Discussing the awesomeness of this lineup would just devolve into a list of bands we love, so take a look for yourself up above. The enormity of the whole thing just boggles the mind.

The whole deal goes down April 16th-18th, which will hopefully be early enough in the year to alleviate the killer desert heat, at least as much as possible. We can't guarantee we'll be in attendance, but you can be damn sure we're going to try! Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 AM.

Spoon Drops Transference, Mercury Lounge On Thursday

Spoon at The Fillmore, from the HAD Archive

You'd think that the big news on the Spoon front would be that the band's tremendous new record Transference dropped today. While that's certainly good news, it's definitely not all. In addition to the new album, a US tour, and an appearance on Conan O'Brien tonight, the band has also announced a last minute, first come first serve, New York show at Mercury Lounge on Thursday. Needless to say, that's a lot of awesome. We'll see you there.

mp3: Spoon - Written in Reverse

pictures: Spoon in the HAD Archive

RIP: Jay Reatard

Well, this is just confounding: news came over the wire yesterday that lo-fi rock craftsman Jay Reatard died "in his sleep" at his home, and was found at 3:30 AM by a friend. No further details have arisen yet, but at only 29, but it's more than a bit vexing, to say the least. Here's the official statement from Jay's website:

Jimmy Lee Lindsey, Jr. died in his sleep on Wednesday morning. He was 29 years old.
He is survived by his mother Devonna May, his father Jimmy Lindsey, and his sisters Leslie Lindsey, Stephanie Duncan and Gara May. He’ll be missed by music fans all over the world.
With 22 full-length albums and over 100 releases, Jay dedicated his life to music. He played nearly one thousand shows in over 20 countries around the world. He was incredibly grateful for all the support his fans gave him over the years.
Funeral arrangements are being made, and a memorial service is being planned in Memphis. Please watch this space for the announcement..

Wherever you may be, Mr. Lindsey, we hope you're doing well. Thanks for all the music.

previously: Jay Reatard on HAD

Spoon Oakland Presale This Morning At 10 AM

Spoon at the Crystal Ballroom, Portland, from the HAD Archive

Do you want to see Spoon on tour for their new record Transference? Yes, of course you do. Do you live on the west coast, and want to see them in Oakland? Well, lucky for you, we here at HAD are here to help. The band's Fox Theater gig with tour cohorts Deerhunter is set to go pre-sale style this morning at 10 AM PST. The password is "renard". You're welcome.

Previously: Spoon plot Transference tour

mp3: Spoon - Written In Reverse

stream: Spoon - Transference

pictures: Spoon at the HAD Archive

Spoon Plot Spring Tour with Deerhunter, Stream Transference

Spoon at the Fillmore in 2008, from the HAD Archive

If you were finding it difficult to wait much longer for the release of Spoon's latest, Transference, consider your wait over. The record is currently streaming in full over at NPR (link below). Not only that, but the band has announced the first leg of touring in support of the record, which will take place this spring. The tour will start in Austin, and take the band across most of the US, with Deerhunter supporting the band on all dates. This includes a stop at Radio City in New York, and the Fox Theater in Oakland. Suffice it to say, we here at HAD are more than a little excited for this one.

UPDATE: Britt Daniel will also be playing a short solo set at Sound Fix in Brooklyn on 1/23!

mp3: Spoon - Written In Reverse

stream: Spoon - Transference

pictures: Spoon at the HAD Archive

Spoon Spring 2010 Dates

17-Mar Stubbs Austin, TX
18-Mar Republic New Orleans, LA
19-Mar Workplay Soundstage Birmingham, AL
20-Mar Tabernacle Atlanta, GA
22-Mar 9:30 Club Washington, DC
23-Mar 9:30 Club Washington, DC
24-Mar The National Richmond, VA
26-Mar Radio City Music Hall New York, NY
27-Mar House of Blues Boston, MA, USA
29-Mar Sound Academy Toronto, ON
30-Mar Royal Oak Music TheatreRoyal Oak, MI
1-Apr Aragon Ballroom Chicago, IL
2-Apr First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
3-Apr First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
5-Apr Ogden Theatre Denver, CO
6-Apr Ogden Theatre Denver, CO
7-Apr In the Venue Salt Lake City, UT
9-Apr Moore Theatre Seattle, WA
10-Apr Moore Theatre Seattle, WA
11-Apr Orpheum Theatre Vancouver, BC
13-Apr Fox Theater Oakland, CA

Wilco Mount Winter/Spring Small Theater Tour

Wilco at the Greek Theater, Berkeley in 2009, from the HAD Archive

It's been quite a while since we've managed to catch the boys from Wilco in a cozy theater setting, so we were pretty psyched to discover that they've lined up an extensive tour consisting extensively of small-venue dates. Starting on the west coast, making it's way through Canada, and then covering most of the east coast, the band's kicking off 2010 with a boatload of small shows.

For those in the New York area, that means two stops in Montclair, New Jersey, and one up in Providence. Pick your poison, but we have to say that our inclination always leans towards Lupo's - that place is about as good as it gets. You can bet we'll be there, plus it has the added benefit (unlike Montclair) of not already being sold out.

Meanwhile, if you can't wait four months for a solid dose of Wilco goodness, we recommend you either watch Ashes Of American flags (again), or head over to the band's website and check out this killer zoomable photo of the band's legendary loft. The tool lets you zoom in to a resolution where you can check out stuff like settings on guitar components, spines on magazines, and all the other creepy stalker-level shit you can think of.

Meantime, we'll plan on seeing you out there in April. Have fun!

mp3: Wilco - Bull Black Nova
pictures: Wilco at the HAD Archive

Wilco North American Dates Winter/Spring 2010
Feb-07 Missoula, MT Adams Center
Feb-09 Portland, OR Arlene Schnitzer Hall
Feb-10 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
Feb-12 Victoria, CA Royal Theatre
Feb-13 Vancouver, CA Live City Vancouver @ David Lam Park FREE SHOW FOR 2010 WINTER GAMES
Feb-15 Edmonton, CANorthern Jubilee Auditorium
Feb-16 Calgary, CA Southern Jubilee Auditorium
Feb-17 Saskatoon, CA TCU Place
Feb-19Duluth, MN DECC Auditorium
Feb-20 Madison, WIOverture Hall
Feb-21 East Lansing, MI Wharton Cobb Great Hall
Feb-23 Hamilton, CA Hamilton Place Theatre
Feb-24 London, CACentennial Hall
Feb-26 Quebec City, CA Imperial de Quebec
Feb-27 Montreal, CA Olympia de Montreal
Mar-01 Ottawa, CA National Arts Centre
Mar-03 Halifax, CA Halifax Forum
Mar-22 Miami Beach, FL The Fillmore - Miami Beach
Mar-23 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
Mar-25 Savannah, GA Johnny Mercer Theatre
Mar-26 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre
Mar-27 Durham, NC Durham Performing Arts Center
Mar-29 Richmond, VA The National
Mar-30 North Bethesda, MD The Music Center at Strathmore
Mar-31 Scranton, PA Scranton Cultural Center
Apr-02 Montclair, NJ The Wellmont Theatre
Apr-03 Montclair, NJ The Wellmont Theatre
Apr-04 Providence, RI Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
Apr-06 Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
Apr-07 Concord, NH Capitol Center
Apr-09 Hartford, CT Bushnell Memorial Hall: Mortenson Hall
Apr-10 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
Apr-11 Pittsburgh, PA Carnegie Music Hall

Vampire Weekend: Contra Drops This Week

Yes, we know it's poppy, accessible, and everyone loves it - even the New Yorker! But that's kind of the point, isn't it? We kind of suspect that that there's not much of the Vampire Weekend fan contingent that's looking to them for difficult, terse rock and roll. Quite the opposite, actually.

That being what it is, we were psyched to catch the band delivering "Cousins" on Letterman last week (see above), and getting ready to drop their latest Contra, tomorrow. The full record is already streaming at their website, and there's a boatload of pre-release hype going on this week. The following week (as previously mentioned), the band will be playing three nights at three separate New York venues. If you miss out, we're thinking you're probably bound to regret it later.

UPDATE: MTV has also apparently relaunched "Unplugged", with Vampire Weekend as the series opener. Check out vids here.

Vampire Weekend have three dates in New York City from 1/17-1/19 at United Palace Theater, Webster Hall, and Bowery Ballroom.

mp3: Vampire Weekend - Horchata
stream: Vampire Weekend - Contra
pictures: Vampire Weekend at the HAD Archive

Spoon To Play Radio City In March

Spoon at The Fillmore, from the HAD Archive

Yes, we were already excited about the new record, Transference, and now we're even more excited, because Spoon (via a New York Times feature) has just announced that they'll be playing Radio City Music Hall in March! No exact dates yet, no on-sales, but you can bet we'll be there. Meanwhile, Transference is set to drop on January 19th. Yum.

Thanks to Brooklyn Vegan the catch!

mp3: Spoon - Written In Reverse
pictures: Spoon in the HAD Archive

The Postmarks - "Go Jetsetter": Video

This latest vid from The Postmarks takes the band's unquestionably retro sound and does it one better with a solid dose of animation. Taking on a city, the concorde, and the underwater depths in turn, the clip is a 1960's fetishists dream. Check it out above.

mp3: The Postmarks - My Lucky Charm

Phoenix Coming To The Fillmore At The End Of The Month

Phoenix at The Paradise in Boston, MA - from the HAD Archive

We've managed to catch Phoenix at all sorts of venues over the past year, so we were more than a little bit excited when we discovered the band has made a last minute announcement: they'll be playing San Francisco's Fillmore on January 26th. As the city's (and possibly the nation's) most venerable music establishment, The Fillmore stands strong as one of our favorite places to see a band. Combine that with Phoenix's killer live show, and, well, you'd be very, very, silly to miss it.

Tickets go on sale Sunday at 10 AM PST.

mp3: Phoenix - Fences
pictures: Phoenix in the HAD Archive

Liars To Play Bowery In April

It's been a while since we heard from Liars, but that's all about to change: the band has an (awesome, more on that later) new record on the way, and will be touring in support of the album. While the full tour schedule hasn't been announced yet, we were excited to see that a date in New York at the Bowery Ballroom has already made it's way out into the open. The last time we saw the band Angus was rather injured, and yet still kicked complete ass. We're guessing this one will only be better.

Tickets are on sale tomorrow at noon.

mp3: Liars - Scissor
pictures: Liars in the HAD Archive

White Rabbits Are At The Bowery January 24th

It's no secret that we're huge fans of White Rabbits here at HAD: not only did we love their live show, but we just named their record one of our top 10 of 2009. So, that being what it is, we were more than a little psyched to learn that the band will be playing a one-off show in New York at the end of January. After a bunch of radio shows in December, and then a brief stopover in Australia, the band will be returning home on January 24th, and playing at The Bowery Ballroom. We're not sure that we can tell you much more than this: be there.

mp3: White Rabbits - Percussion Gun
pictures: White Rabbits in the HAD Archive

BLK JKS Drop Video For "Molalatladi"

In case you missed it in our mention of our top records of 2009, we just wanted to point your way to the new video from BLK JKS, which is, frankly, fantastic. The vid catches the band in their native Soweto, clowing around on a train, traversing a boardwalk, and playing in a club. Moreover, its got some of the great cinematography that all great band image-building is based around. Check it out above!

mp3: BLK JKS - Molalatladi

Julian Casablancas Played Letterman

Julian Casablancas played Letterman last night (check the video above), and while it was a pretty straight-from-the-record performance, we have to admit it still got us psyched. Julian's deadpan drone takes on a completely different feel in the live setting, and with his shows on the east coast over the next week, we couldn't be more excited to catch him at Terminal 5. Yay!

mp3: Julian Casablancas - 11th Dimension

Julian Casablancas Winter 2010 US Dates
Jan 8 Paradise Rock Club Boston, Massachusetts
Jan 10 Trocadero Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jan 12 9:30 Club ., Washington DC
Jan 14 Terminal 5 New York, New York
Jan 15 Terminal 5 New York, New York