Sia was feeling a little spontaneous on Twitter, and posted a link to download “You’ve Changed,” a track from her new album, coming out in spring 2010. You can listen here. [Girlie Action]

Get your tents ready! It was just announced that the ninth annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival will once again call Manchester, Tennessee, home. Tickets for the festival, which will take place June 10–June 13, 2010, will go on sale at the official Bonnaroo website November 27. [Rolling Stone]

To mark the reissue of Neutral Milk Hotel’s albums, the folks at Merge have posted two live videos of the band performing at the Knitting Factory in 1998. You can watch them  here. [Pitchfork]

If you liked last week’s video of Solange covering Dirty Projectors’ “Stillness Is the Move,” check out the Big Pink covering Beyoncé’s “Sweet Dreams.” [Stereogum]

Lady Gaga, who took her stage name from the Queen song “Radio Gaga,” will be performing for the actual Queen, Elizabeth II, at the Royal Variety Performance on December 7. [The Telegraph]

“Is this weird for you? ‘Cause it’s weird for me,” said a grinning Kyp Malone at Wednesday’s Knitting Factory Brooklyn show. The falsetto-voiced, hirsute TV on the Radio singer was playing songs from his Rain Machine project, completely solo. The last time I saw Malone sing was at TVOTR’s huge Prospect Park show (video here), backed  by a band and a brass section—so it was kind of extraordinary to see what Malone brings to the band in such a stark manner, almost as if those elements had been plucked out of the mix. And what a contrast with singer Tunde Adebimpe’s gorgeous solo set at CMJ as Fake Male Voice; while Adebimpe backs his hot, breathy voice with clipped microbeats, Malone’s solo wanderings are far frillier; romantic, but all over the place, as much in thrall to sweetness as to dissonance. Check out Malone’s performance last night, and Adebimpe’s set after the jump, and see what you think.

Any more weirdness? Well, the show was in celebration of a film called Until the Light Takes Us, a black-metal documentary—but besides a few flyers lying around, the connection between the film and the artists was unclear. One sensed, however, that the distinctly male crowd that came to see Papa M (a.k.a. Slint cofounder Dave Pajo) would’ve braved an afternoon in Topshop to catch the guitar whiz in action. Bathed in blue light, Pajo performed flanked by a bass player and guitarist. The trio performed mainly instrumentals built around Pajo’s exquisitely looped phrases, while men (and it was all men at the front) gazed on, gently humping the side of the stage in rhythm. The set neared its close with the three musicians delivering ten or so minutes of heavy, brutal distortion; the supporting players left the stage, and the show ended with Pajo picking out a just-perfect “Northwest Passage.” After the jump: Videos of Kyp Malone and Tunde Adebimpe Read more »

This week, Ontario’s Taylor Kirk brought his fantastic folk-blues project, Timber Timbre, to the TONY offices for a performance. Accompanied by some extra strings, Kirk’s howl chillingly echoed throughout our high walls, making for quite the sight and sound. If you’d like to see them do their thing yourself, be sure to check them out at Joe’s Pub tonight.

Devo

Friday

1. Devo at Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
Tonight the Mothersbaugh and Casale brothers play Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! in full. Tomorrow it’s Freedom of Choice.

2. Timber Timbre at Joe’s Pub
Taylor Kirk & Co.’s lush, somber folk takes center stage tonight. Be sure to check the Volume later for an exclusive TONY in-office performance from the troupe.

3. 28 Hours of Innovative Art at Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural Center
This marathon avant-jazz event on the LES has performances and activities running into the wee hours tonight and throughout the day on Saturday.

Saturday

1. Little Dragon at (Le) Poisson Rouge
The idiosyncratic Swedish pop group meshes meshed icy, down-tempo electronica with jazzy, organic neosoul. Read our preview on the show here.

2. Nader Sadek at Santos Party House
The art world and the metal underground come together yet again courtesy of this Egyptian artist. Read our show preview here.

3. Myron Walden Group at Smalls
Local sax mainstay Myron Walden fronts a quintet tonight and Friday.

Sunday

1. Devendra Banhart at the Town Hall
The high priest of the freak-folk movement returns to form with a new album and a show tonight, and one Monday at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Read our preview on the shows here.

2. Mike Bones at Cake Shop
Bones sings of women troubles at an intimate occasion. Read a recent show preview about him here.

3. Talib Kweli at Brooklyn Bowl
Underground hip-hop’s unofficial leader brings a great bunch of rappers to Brooklyn’s new bowling alley and venue.

Ringo Starr, pictured, announced an upcoming self-produced album, Y Not, with guest stars like Paul McCartney. The album comes out January 12. [Rolling Stone]

The members of Vampire Weekend trek up and down an alley in the new video for “Cousins” here. [Pitchfork]

Eminem plans to release a deluxe version of this year’s Relapse, which will feature seven bonus tracks that didn’t make the cut. [Consequence of Sound]

Lupe Fiasco, Bruce Springsteen and more will appear in a documentary based on the book A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn. [The Daily Swarm]

“Here’s another one you may remember, New York,” Bob Dylan declared midway through his set full of hits so true to their iconic versions that, if not for the addition of two keyboardists, one could have sworn they were the original recordings. “I want to hear all the fellas in the audience singing along.”

But of course, this did not happen. As with all Dylan concerts, his Wednesday performance at United Palace—the second of three nights at the gaudy Washington Heights theater—steered clear of most classic-rock cliché. The artist does not encourage his audience to clap, bask in his accomplishments and dexterity, or recall a period of their own youth. That is, he does not pander to his patrons or submit to the base desires of mass-market rock & roll. Some find this position frustrating: Whenever he plays, a stream of baby boomers, having lumped Dylan on a shelf with the world’s Paul McCartneys and Billy Joels, trickle away. Younger fans—and in particular music nerds—tend to remain glued to their chairs. Long one of the most famous people in the world, the singer here becomes something more interesting: a cult artist.

The focus of a latter-day Dylan concert is not his legend, vocals or even songbook, but rather his band. Read more »

Welcome to Play Count, the Volume’s weekly mix of the best in recent hip-hop. In this edition, new music from Jon Hope, Daytona, Consequence, Joe Budden and more.

Click past the jump for commentary.

Read more »

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros aren’t quite a household name yet, but we have a feeling they will be one very soon. Last night, the ten-piece, joy-spreading ensemble brought its enlightened vibes to Music Hall of Williamsburg, where it played the second of two sold-out local shows. Photographer Peter Kleeman snapped a bunch of pics for the Volume, and you can check out the results above.

Annie, the always sharp Norwegian pop princess, is finally back in action. Don’t Stop—her follow-up to 2004’s Anniemal—came out on Tuesday, and she’s in the midst of a leisurely DJ tour before returning to the States for full-on pop-star domination in 2010. You’ll be able to find Annie spinning records at the Tribeca Grand on Saturday night, so we got her on the phone for a little preview. Click past the jump for the interview, and a Don’t Stop video teaser.

Read more »

Rakim at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
The veteran rapper just released The Seventh Seal, his first new album in a decade. Read Jesse Serwer’s review here—or just head to Times Square and see the dude play tonight.

Ray Davies at the Town Hall
The Kinks frontman plays the first gig of a two-night run featuring a pair of sets: one with an acoustic band, the other with the Dessoff Chamber Choir. Read Davies’s TONY interview here.

Dirty Projectors + tUnE-yArDs at Music Hall of Williamsburg
Dirty Projectors cap off a great year with a string of New York shows, featuring Ray Davies–approved tUnE-yArDs. (Read TONY’s Dirty Projectors interview here.)

Bob Dylan at United Palace Theatre
King Bob concludes his three-night stand in Washington Heights.

Cave In + Narrows + Trap Them at Knitting Factory Brooklyn
Beloved Boston band Cave In returns from a hiatus.

Sleigh Bells at (Le) Poisson Rouge
Find out what the fuss is about this rising Brooklyn dance-pop duo.

Photo: Lizz Kuehl

Loved the Jelly Pool Parties over the summer (and last year)? Yeah, so did we. This summer’s events featured Grizzly Bear, Girl Talk, the Black Lips, Dirty Projectors, Deerhunter, Dan Deacon, No Age, Mission of Burma, Beach House, Simian Mobile Disco, Wiz Khalifa—and who can forget Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz proudly introducing “Effed Up!”? Well, according to Jelly’s press release today, the future of the Pool Parties could be in jeopardy: “News came from the New York State Parks Department and the Open Space Alliance that the East River State Park may not be available to Jelly for the 2010 season. This will ultimately put an end to the flourishing free summer series.”

Click past the jump for info on how you can help.

Read more »

Check out the crazy-cool video for Charlotte Gainsbourg and Beck’s “Heaven Can Wait” here. [Pitchfork]

Belle and Sebastian, pictured, might be working on a new album, according to a clue left on the band’s website. (Read the band’s 2003 TONY interview here.) [Consequence of Sound]

Members of the Velvet Underground—Lou Reed, Maureen Tucker and Doug Yule— will get together December 8 to chat with rock journalist David Fricke at the New York Public Library. [Paste]

Okay, we’re still obsessed with the awesomely strange video for the Dead Weather’s “Cut Like a Buffalo” (check it out after the jump). You may remember that Jack White, Alison Mosshart & Co. played Terminal 5 in July (plus a very sweaty pop-up show, reviewed here)—and the band returned to NYC last night for this relatively intimate gig at Music Hall of Williamsburg in advance of tonight’s MTV Woodie awards, proving again that as a live prospect, the Dead Weather is a juddering, squealing force to be reckoned with. Check out pics of the show by TONY photographer Lizz Kuehl.

Read more »

Former Cardigans chanteuse Nina Persson now fronts A Camp, the musical project she shares with her movie-composer husband, Nathan Larson. Earlier this year, we reviewed the group’s latest album, Colonia, which featured contributions from Mark Linkous, Joan as Police Woman and the Smashing Pumkins’ James Iha—and last night’s show at (Le) Poisson Rouge had a string section featuring members of Beirut, Arcade Fire, and Antony and the Johnsons. TONY photographer David Rosenzweig was there to catch the action. After the jump: the video for A Camp’s single “Stronger than Jesus.”

Read more »

The Jesus Lizard, recently reunited after a decade-long hiatus, brought its pulverizing art blues to Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza last night. See above for photos from the gig by Laal Shams, and read on for a review by Hank Shteamer.

Read more »

Dirty Projectors + tUnE-yArDs at Bowery Ballroom
Capping an extraordinary 2009, art-pop visionary Dave Longstreth, above, and his Dirty Projectors, about whom you may have read in TONY, kick off a triumphant homecoming stand. Opening is the compellingly eccentric one-woman band tUnE-yArDs.

Milton Nascimento at Carnegie Hall
The veteran Brazilian songman brings his unearthly falsetto to a hallowed stage.

Big Star + Kurt Vile and the Violators at Brooklyn Masonic Temple
A rebooted version of the iconic power-pop outfit Big Star plays behind a new rarities box. Support comes from tripped-out young tunesmith Kurt Vile.

Savion Glover: Jammin’ with the Masters at Blue Note
Star tap dancer Savion Glover matches wits with a fellow percussive genius, pioneering jazz drummer Roy Haynes.

Our Hit Parade at Joe’s Pub at the Public Theater
Several fabulous wackos—led by Bridgett Everett, Kenny Mellman and Neal Medlyn—offer skewed takes on current pop favorites. Read a recent TONY feature on the series here.

1. tUnE-yArDs BiRd-BrAiNs Experimental musician Merrill Garbus’s fantastic debut release gets a wider release. Get Ray Davies’s take on a track from it here and listen here.

2. Rakim The Seventh Seal The golden-era rap godfather releases his first new album in a decade. Read our review here.

3. Them Crooked Vultures Them Crooked Vultures The supergroup finally puts out its anticipated debut. Read our story on the band’s recent New York show here and here, and hear a few songs here.

4. Norah Jones The Fall She’s pretty and so is her voice. Listen here.

5. Real Estate Real Estate The New Jersey buzz band puts out a debut to match the hype.

Check Largehearted Boy for more.

Jay-Z has just confirmed dates for 2010’s The Blueprint 3 tour, in which he will be joined by Grammy-nominated rapper Young Jeezy. Jay-Z plays March 6 at Izod Center and March 12 at Nassau Coliseum. Tickets go on sale Saturday, November 21, here.  (Live Nation)

In other Jay-Z news, the rapper, along with Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith, joined the producing team for soon-to-open Fela!—a Broadway musical based on the life and music of revolutionary African composer and performer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. (Playbill)

If you’ve ever wanted to see Bob Dylan in a blond wig and Santa hat, check out his egg-nog-fueled performance in the video for his Christmas in the Heart song “Must Be Santa.” (Rolling Stone)

Jack White is set to produce a new LP for 72-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Wanda Jackson—a move that will certainly cement his reputation as rock’s busiest man. (Twenty Four Bit)

British electro group Hot Chip and CMJ darlings the xx have teamed up for a North American tour. Listen to Hot Chip’s new single, “Take It In,” here, and click here for tour dates. (Pitchfork)

And the prize for hottest video of the year goes to…Beyoncé and Lady Gaga for this hot ‘n’ heavy remix of Beyoncé’s “Video Phone” (from her Sasha Fierce LP), directed by Hype Williams. It’s actually pretty difficult to listen to the song if this is your first time, such is Beyoncé’s captivating sexiness; she pants and grinds her way through the song in a variety of meager outfits (plastic bikinis, cutaway leotard and Zorro mask, Bettie Page pinup swimsuit, and—er—M.I.A.-style T-shirt and suspenders). Gaga struts on for a guest appearance at the midway mark, clutching a yellow water pistol, but it’s clear whose gig this is.

Photo : Adam Schneider

Jon Bon Jovi has seen a million faces, and he’s rocked them all. And last night at Alice Tully Hall, Bon Jovi—the man alone, not the band—rocked a thousand more in an intimate acoustic concert, announced exclusively to American Express’s Twitter followers. He previewed his new band documentary, When We Were Beautiful, discussed today’s release of new album The Circle, took fan questions and demonstrated that while the jeans may no longer be skintight, the hair is in fine feathered form. (One question that went unasked—now that we know that Andre Agassi’s massive early-’90s coif was a wig, is there anything Jon wants to tell us?)

Between songs, Bon Jovi shared a few thoughts about his 25-year musical career; he and Richie Sambora have a partnership that’s more Bono–the Edge than Lennon-McCartney, he claims, by which he means they hang out like bros when they write. He’s all about “responsible optimism,” an appropriate creed for a band that can’t write a song called “Lost Highway” without making it an uptempo foot-stomper. A fan question-and-answer session revealed little beyond confessions of love from the fans in attendance (”I’ve watched the [documentary] DVD about 30 times in the last few days. I know I’m a freak!”).

After some greatest hits (”Wanted Dead or Alive,” a dirgelike “Livin’ on a Prayer”), Bon Jovi set down the guitar for his version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” The patron saint of Jersey sing-alongs delivered a serviceable cover—no Jeff Buckley or even Rufus Wainwright outing, but not bad—until he started in on interpretive gestures to match the song’s overwrought emotion. Cringeworthy…but also kind of awesome. We never imagined the “Hallelujah” on a Young Guns movie soundtrack until he formed his hand into a pistol for the line “All I ever learned from love/Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you.” Way to make it your own, Mr. Bon Jovi.

Click past the jump for another glimpse of Bon Jovi rockin’ the mike (eyes closed) and the original “Blaze of Glory” video.

Read more »