The annual Capitol Hill Block Party returns this summer with a line-up better than ever. On July 24 and 25, Sonic Youth, The Gossip, Black Lips, and a really diverse list of indie acts ascend the Capitol Hill district of Seattle. This will be the 12th summer for the fest, but it now shares a festival schedule with a bevy of US multi-day affairs from coast to coast, and even nearby. Sasquatch, in relatively close (3 hours east) Qunicy, WA, goes down at the end of May over three days. Tickets go on sale tomorrow for CHBP. A full (announced so far) line-up is below. […keep reading…]
{ Comments on this entry are closed }
After surprising everyone at SXSW with an on-stage jam, The Black Lips, the band who got themselves kicked out of the country of India, have now teamed up with Wu-Tang’s GZA for a track which premiered yesterday via AOL’s otherwise ignorable music service. The tune, “Drop I Hold,” will be released via iTunes as part of an ep next week. Originally released on Lips’ album sans GZA, the tune sounds like the soundtrack for a gin-soaked opium den in the Bayou…or really, any swamp. It’s lazy, slanky, and stanky. Ew, that sounds bad. But the track is sweet and by the time GZA comes in with his drawling flow, you’re already in the zone. Listen 
This May, Sharin Foo and Sune Rose Wagner will return to their studio in Denmark to make the fourth Ravonettes album, the follow up to last-year’s Lust Lust Lust (the one with “Ally Walk With Me”). Then after they wrap up their album (pressure’s on!) they hit up a few festivals, including Lollapalooza in Chicago, NYC’s Siren Festival, and Beatday in Copenhagen. They hit up Austin City Limits this fall, which will act as the kick-off to a proper tour for this new album.
After a somewhat-publicized lawsuit against 30 Seconds to Mars brought on by their label, Virgin, it seemed unlikely if the world would ever hear the much bandied about third album. It was announced yesterday, the lawsuit has been dropped as the band will deliver a third album as part of a new deal with the EMI subsidiary. In a statement, Jared Leto, superhot frontman of the band said “We are excited about starting over with the many talented people at Virgin/EMI, and to sharing our new music with the fans in the very near future. We will never forget the unrelenting support from all our friends, family, and fans around the world.” A slew of label cheeses made other band-affirming statements about how great it is to have settled past differences. Phew.
I’m sorry if I’m lame and confused, but Diplo and Switch are making this hard. Together, they have recorded an album as Major Lazer, but they want us to believe that Major Lazer is really a “Jamaican commando who lost his arms in the secret zombie war of 1984 and had them replaced by lazers.” OK, sure. Whoever Mr. Lazer is, the duo behind his debut album, Guns Don’t Kill People Lazers Do (due June 19), start a tour in NYC on June 13.
