News

MusicNOW Celebrates Fifth Year, Announces 2010 Lineup - January 25, 2010

In 2006, Brassland co-founder Bryce Dessner (also known for his work in The National and Clogs) created the MusicNOW Festival in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, in order to highlight the work of contemporary musicians and artists "that take risks and do not fit neatly into categories." Held at Memorial Hall, MusicNOW has stayed true to its mission, inviting artists as eclectic as Sufjan Stevens, Grizzly Bear, The Books, Bang on a Can All-Stars, and Kronos Quartet.

Earlier this month, MusicNOW announced their lineup for 2010. Running from Tuesday, March 30, through Thursday, April 1, the fifth incarnation of MusicNOW will feature Joanna Newsom, St. Vincent, Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) in a rare solo appearance, and yMusic, who will perform a festival-commissioned piece written by St. Vincent's Annie Clark.

Tickets, which cost $20 per concert or $50 for a three-day pass, are now available online here. If you prefer the old-fashioned way, you can call 1-800-838-3606.

To celebrate the festival's fifth anniversary, Each Note Secure compiled a history of the festival, including streaming video, pictures, and links to interviews. Some highlights we thought we'd post here, as well:



Sufjan Stevens plays "Lakes of Canada" on Memorial Hall's roof in 2007. (Video by Vincent Moon for La Blogotheque)

Andrew Bird belts one out onstage at the 2008 festival. (Photo by Joe Long)

Kronos Quartet performs at the 2009 festival. (Photo by Meredith Melragon)

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Buke & Gass Receive Press, Set Release Date, Tour in September - August 10, 2010

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRE-SALE of BUKE & GASS's MOST-EXCELLENT DEBUT LP RIPOSTE The latest member of the Brassland family has been out and about, playing shows, conducting interviews, and receiving press. We thought we'd compile some of the media attention for your convenience, starting with this interview at Village Voice, which provided the lowdown on "Medulla Oblongata" (it's about "the trials of miscommunication"), Aron's early instrument designs (thumb pianos, talking drums), and where to find a good lunch in Brooklyn (Calexico in Columbia Heights). TimeOut NY's piece on the band cross-referenced ....continue....

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Clogs Release "Last Song" Video and 3-Song EP - August 03, 2010

Last week, Clogs released a video for their latest single, "Last Song," on Pitchfork.tv. Directed by twin brothers Benjamin and Stefan Ramirez Perez, the video layers animation over traditionally filmed images to gracefully show a fragmented narrative in which two characters shift between isolation and interaction. The tune itself features The National's Matt Berninger (pictured at left with daughter Isla on the latest cover of Under the Radar), whose baritone enters a minute and a half in. You can watch the video below. In addition to the video, Clogs are releasing the digital-only Last Song EP. ....continue....

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The National on Colored Vinyl, $5 digital deal - July 18, 2010

The last few months have been exciting ones for The National, and we've been trying to match that excitement with plans for the back catalog. First off you can get their debut The National (s/t) right now as one of Amazon.com's $5.00 digital deals. It will be up there for the rest of July. More exciting is that are new pressings of the band's Brassland back catalog on vinyl. Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers vinyl will be available in stores on July 20th; The National (s/t) will be available in stores in the first week ....continue....

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Reports from the Road (not) by Bryan Devendorf (Glastonbury, Part 4) - July 02, 2010

In our past three news posts, The National's designated rhythm specialist Bryan Devendorf has given us a taste of what life is like working in a "mid level band" (his words, not ours). It involves NPR, car services, trans-continental flights, and an awful lot of rumination. Today, however, brings something new - namely, pictures. While Bryan chose to express himself through wry, stream of consciousness prose, guitarist Aaron Dessner and bassist Scott Devendorf took some snaps with their cameras. We thought we'd post some of our favorites - complete with pithy captions - for your viewing ....continue....

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