We here at TONY Music are big fans of indie-folk cult hero Cass McCombs, so it’s with great pleasure that we offer you the exclusive premiere of his new video, “The Executioner’s Song,” directed by Aaron Brown. The track comes from his latest full-length, Catacombs—the follow-up to 2007’s strong Dropping the Writ—issued this past June via Domino. We don’t want to spoil any surprises, but make sure you watch this one all the way through.

Last week, Beastie Boy Adam Yauch was diagnosed as having a parotid gland tumor. Thankfully, it appears to be localized and treatable. While Yauch undergoes treatment, the band is canceling its remaining summer appearances. The trio will also postpone its new album, Hot Sauce Committee Part 1. Here is a video statement from Yauch (and Adam Horovitz) via Beastie Boys’s website. Get well soon, Mr. Yauch.

Last week TONY caught up with up-and-coming local artist Outasight moments after his performance at S.O.B.’s. He and producer-DJ 6th Sense talked about their latest collaboration, “Brand New Day,” a track previously featured in Play Count and the most recent peek at Outasight’s upcoming debut album, From Here to Eternity. Our exclusive video above also includes footage from the concert.

Review by Raquel Villarreal.

Having played together for ten years, the post-rock-hating post-rock band Explosions in the Sky has established a unique, cohesive sound, as evidenced at SummerStage last night. The air felt damp, but the rain had cleared out, making way for a nice crowd. The four band members greeted their audience warmly. “I’m surprised you’re still here—we almost went home,” joked guitarist Munaf Rayani.

Read more after the jump, and check out a video from the show above.

Read more »

Two of the original elements of hip-hop were found alive and well this past week, as the U.K.-based live-art battle Secret Wars threw down at Public Assembly in Brooklyn on Wednesday night. An elite team of U.K. bombers, competing in one of the events in a ten-day New York tour, took on the local talent in front of an enthusiastic crowd. This particular bout was complemented with performances by some of biggest rising stars in New York hip-hop, including Poe Picasso, AOK Collective members P.Casso, Homeboy Sandman, Print, 8thw1, Fresh Daily and U.K. import Reeps 1.

As the music resonated from the stage, the artists took to the walls for a 90-minute battle. The rules were kept simple: black paint on white walls only, no sketches, no pencils and teams working side by side. In the end, the judges and the crowd’s roar declared the U.K. team victorious. But the real winners were those who attended and were lucky enough to witness an intimate performance from both stages.

Check out our video, highlighting both the battle and the MCs. You can catch Secret Wars today during the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival in Empire–Fulton Ferry State Park; look out for another exclusive AOK Collective freestyle next week.

Video edited by Video Vix[o]n