June 23, 2010
Doveman Covers Katrina and The Waves for Brooklyn Vegan
In May, Brooklyn Vegan began an EP-length tribute to Katrina and The Waves in celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the release of the band's classic "Walking on Sunshine." Featuring some of the blog's favorite artists, the individual tracks to Sun Salute (cover at left) were released one by one, beginning with 802 Tour alumnus Sam Amidon's cover of "Walking on Sunshine". Since then, Deer Tick, Fucked Up, and Tune-Yards have thrown in tracks ("Sun Street," "Walking on Sunshine," and "I Really Taught Me to Watusi," respectively), creating a decidedly eclectic line-up for the release.
And today, Doveman adds his particular brand of lamp-rock to the mix, joinin...
June 14, 2010
Clogs Receive Mid-Year Love from eMusic and Drowned in Sound
Though we've tweeted it, 140 characters just doesn't quite do this story complete justice. The news? Clogs' The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton continues to rack up praise, this time from eMusic and Drowned in Sound.
eMusic's article, The Best Albums of the Year...So Far, places Clogs on an eclectic list that includes Titus Andronicus, Caribou, The New Pornographers, and Owen Pallett (Final Fantasy), among others. What did they have to say about The Creatures? We found a pertinent quotation: "Clogs have developed an accessible style of composition that draws on both Renaissance lute and keyboard music, as well as American minimalism... Newsome (has) create...
May 27, 2010
Buke and Gass Play Gigs with The National, Put Out mp3 from Brassland Debut
Big news: Buke and Gass have made the first leak from their upcoming Brassland debut available via Bandcamp. Titled "Medulla Oblongata," the song's got a lot going on for a two-piece. Check out the stream below. (You can download it too -- which works great on your iPad or other content carrying device!)
Medulla Oblongata by Buke and Gass
In other news, Buke and Gass did some touring with The National a few weeks back opening for them at stops in both London and Berlin. The two groups then crossed the ocean and played at The National's High Violet Annex on Brassland Night. Brooklyn Vegan was present to capture it all in pictorial form. For your viewing pleasure:
May 23, 2010
(Some of) the Best of Brassland for $5 at Amie Street
A few weeks ago online retailer Amie Street was kind enough to offer a pair of The National's Brassland back catalog titles as $5 digital downloads.
For the next few weeks, they've expanded this to include a few of their other favorites on the Brassland label -- throwing in a free mp3 from these new titles just for the heck of it. Click here to check out the hot deals.
Alternatively, here's an album-by-album round up of the hot deals:
- Clogs's 2006 release, Lantern
- Doveman's latest effort, The Conformist
- Nico Muhly's Brassland debut, Mothertongue
- The National's self-titled debut
- The National's Cherry Tree EP
Remember th...
May 21, 2010
High Violet Charts at #3, Almost Tops that Bieber Kid
If you visit this site regularly, then you've probably listened to The National before. And there's also a good chance you know about their new album, High Violet. As it turns out, you're not alone. On Wednesday, Pitchfork reported that America's tuning in, too, with High Violet selling 51,000 copies in its first week and charting at #3 on the Billboard 200, behind only Justin Bieber ("The Biebs") and Lady Antebellum (no nickname). Exciting stuff, yeah?
To celebrate the release and raise money for their friends at the Red Hot Organization, the band played a gig at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Filmmakers D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hedgeus were on site to film t...
May 18, 2010
Clogs' Creatures and The National's Back Catalog Receive UK Release
On May 24th, our friends across the pond will be able to purchase Clogs' The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton, marking the first time in many years that Britons have access to a physical copy of a Brassland album (other than as an import, of course).
If that's not enough to whet your appetite, The National's back catalog will be available, as well. For those Englishmen (and Welshmen and Scotsmen and their sexual counterparts) interested in tracing the sonic history of High Violet, now marks the perfect time to begin your research. Therell be more Anglo-centric news to come from Brassland in the future, so stayed tuned. Cheers!
May 10, 2010
The National Garner Heaps of Press, Curating High Violet Annex
Tomorrow, The National's new album, High Violet, will be released in stores nationwide. In anticipation, the press has been pouring in. Pitchfork reviewed the album, tagging it with its "Best New Music" seal of approval. Vanity Fair posted a nice write up, comparing the band to Radiohead and featuring some Vanity Fair-esque photos. A few weeks ago, New York Times Magazine featured the band in a long article that reveals a little band history, a little bit of the recording process, a little bit of everything. If you're curious what songs Steve Reich likes from the new record, be sure to read it.
In addition to the flurry of media attention, Other Music will open up an...
May 7, 2010
Five dollar digital deals for The National & Nico. Now say that five times fast.
Next Tuesday, The National's fifth full-length album, High Violet, will be released in stores all over. (To stream the entire album, click over to NPR.)
In celebration of their fifth album & those of you with weird numerological fixations, we've priced digital downloads of the band's Brassland releases and for a single Lincoln ($5.00) throughout May. If there was ever a time to acquaint yourself with the band's back catalog, this would be it. Relevant links for relevant albums:
- The National's self-titled debut at Amie Street
- The National's second album, Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers at Amazon
- The National's final Brassland release, th...
May 5, 2010
Doveman on Tour with Patrick Watson
Beginning May 6th, Doveman will embark on a short tour of the Northeast United States (with a one-off in Los Angeles) opening for Canadian musician Patrick Watson, whose folk-influenced lamp-rockish songs nicely complement Tommy Dove's and should make for some good shows. To see these two in the flesh, be at the following places on the following dates:
May 6th - Brooklyn, NY (The Bell House)
May 7th - New York, NY (92Y Tribeca)
May 8th - Washington, DC (Rock and Roll Hotel)
May 9th - Philadelphia, PA (Unitarian Side Chapel)
May 22nd - Los Angeles, CA (The Hotel Cafe)
For links to venues, tickets, and showtimes, head over to our Shows page.
April 23, 2010
Clogs Song Last Track for free download at KCRW
On Monday April 26th, influential (i.e. not crappy, in fact quite excellent!) radio station KCRW will be giving away a free MP3 of Clogs' "Last Song" as Todays Top Tune, a daily download feature both on their site and iTunes wherein they select one of their favorite recent songs for you, the listening audience. Last Song," which appears on Clogs new album, "The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton," features a lead vocal contribution from The National's singer Matt Berninger. The song has proven to be pretty popular. The National guys are getting pretty popular.
Anyhoo, the song will only be available for download for 24 hours so get it while you can, or you won't b...
April 21, 2010
Buke and Gass Media Round-Up, Shows in May
This past Tuesday, WNYC's Radiolab invited Buke and Gass on their show. In an interview and live performance from their rehearsal space out in Brooklyn, Arone and Aron reveal how their music is like "a recently retired schoolhouse janitor riding the back of a big horse that's galloping over different scenes" (or, more succinctly, "the loudest miniature fuzz"). Not to mention the performances were pretty tight. To grab the free mp3 or stream the (un-embeddable) show, click here.
In addition to WNYC, Stereogum's Quit Your Day Job had Arone and Aron explain their, well, day jobs. For those not in the know, Aron performed in and designed/built instruments for the Blue Ma...
April 19, 2010
Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers Available on Limited Edition Vinyl
In the spirit of the just-passed Record Store Day (4/17), we thought we'd clue you in on a new item that's that we made available for the occasion in two of our favorite New York record shops. Manhattan's Other Music and Brooklyn's Sound Fix Records were exclusive stockists for limited-edition vinyl copies of The National's second album, Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers. The LP in an edition of 500 copies features subtly different art work (more color!) and sounds pretty good. We're proud. At this point, both stores have sold out of their initial allotment of LPs.
Those who missed out can still find the vinyl version of Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers at the Brassland...
April 5, 2010
Doveman and Friends to Play Music Set to Movies
UPDATE: Word has been received at Brassland HQ that this show will be delayed until the summer. More details will appear here as they filter in!
On April 25th, Doveman will appear at Le Poisson Rouge to perform songs from his cover album Footloose and latest Brassland release, The Conformist.
As part of LPR's Unsilent Film Series, the event will screen selections from the dancing flick as well as the 1971 fascist-era drama. If you've ever wanted a little Bacon with your Bertolucci, this is your event.
Doors open at 10:00 pm for a 10:30 showing. Seating is limited and not guaranteed, so arrive earlier rather than later. Advance tickets are $10 and ca...
March 29, 2010
Clogs
The past month or so was busy for Clogs -- in addition to releasing their fifth full-length album, The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton, the band played high-profile shows in Minneapolis, New York, and Knoxville. We thought we'd recap the month's doings in further detail.
Pitchfork rated The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton an 8.2/10.0 while stating:
Like their new approach to cover art - once muted and minimal; here a spectrum of vivid color - The National's Bryce Dessner and Co. have crafted a new version of Clogs that revels in pushing boundaries and redefining their sound... Lady Walton contains the most accomplished and varied music Clogs have...
March 25, 2010
Brassland Welcomes Buke and Gass to the Family
Remember the allusion to a new Brassland band posted earlier this week? Well, the time has come to let you in on the scoop: Brassland has signed Brooklyn-based two-piece Buke and Gass to its roster. Known for playing a wide variety of self-modified instruments (among their more prominent inventions are the "buke," a baritone ukelele, and the "gass," a guitar/bass hybrid), the band is currently finishing its Brassland debut, which will come out later this year. Look for more details to come.
In the meantime, you can catch the band this weekend in Knoxville, TN, where they will perform with The Ex at the Big Ears Festival on Friday, March 26th. After their set, the band will set...
March 23, 2010
Doveman, Nico Muhly in New York Observer, Playing Big Ears Festival
Last week, Doveman and Nico Muhly performed a two-night stand at The Kitchen in Manhattan as Peter Pears, their duo project. In addition, Doveman played some of his own tunes. The program made the New York Observer's cultural highlights of the week.
In addition to the Observer, New York magazine wrote a nice profile on Doveman. For those that want to know the man behind the pretty face, this article provides a start. A sample:
Despite naming his most recent album The Conformist, in the pop world Bartlett is anything but, and he has clearly never been driven by conventional rebellion. He grew up in Vermont, where his interests included basketball, traditional Iris...
March 21, 2010
Big Ears Festival = Brasslandapalooza
This weekend, the Big Ears Festival will take place in Knoxville, TN. Now in its second year, Big Ears aims "to offer an exciting and dynamic platform of musical and artistic discovery by artists possessed of singular and unique visions that stand apart from the mainstream." Such a goal leads to "considerably dope" lineups (according to Stereogum) and, when you think of "dope," you inevitably think of Brassland. Accordingly, the lineup - which features, among others, Nico Muhly, Doveman, Clogs, The National, and our latest roster addition (to be revealed Thursday) - is Brassland-heavy.
Leading up to the festival, Pitchfork wrote a couple of news stories, from which we've cond...
March 15, 2010
The National Name New Album, Play Fallon and Bell House
As of early last month, The National had announced that their new album, still untitled, would come out in May, specific date also unknown. Well, you can now fill in those details - last week, news broke that the album shall henceforth be known as High Violet and it shall be available in fine retailers and e-tailers on May 11th.
In addition, the band put up HighViolet.com, a microsite featuring a few clips shot from the studio and a rotating set of pictures (a la AmericanMary.com) taken during the recording sessions. While bloggers were busy posting the new album cover (left) and linking readers to the new website, the band appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, where they de...
February 17, 2010
New Clogs Album Ships Early Only at The Brassland Store, Lantern Now on Limited-Edition Vinyl
On March 2nd, Clogs will release their fifth studio album, The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton. Their first long-player since 2006's Lantern, The Creatures was recorded in Brooklyn and Sydney over 2007-2008 and features a variety of guests, including Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond), Sufjan Stevens, Matt Berninger and Aaron Dessner (The National), and the Osso String Quartet.
Now for the new news. As of today, you can pre-order the album from The Brassland Store, where it will ship early and arrive at your doorstep before it's available in fine music retailers across the country. We've put together a few bundles that you can choose from:
Bundle #1...
February 15, 2010
Nico Muhly Writes His First Opera for Met and Lincoln Center, Kitchen Gigs Coming Up
Late last week, the New York Times ran an article on Nico Muhly's new opera, written in collaboration with Craig Lucas for the Metropolitan Opera and Lincoln Center's first joint commissioning project. Describing the commissioning program, the performance time line, and a brief plot synopsis, the article provides a good overview for Nico's latest project:
The work will make its debut in June 2011 at the English National Opera, which will share in the productions cost with the Met. It will come to the Met for the 2013-14 season. It will be the fourth time that the Met and the English National Opera have co-produced a show since Mr. Gelb took over, in a system that has e...
February 1, 2010
The National Set Release Month for Album, Announce Tour
It's been well over a month since The National last made news in these parts. At the time, they were boasting a four and a half star rating on YouTube! for their Google commercial and were well at work mixing their follow-up to Boxer. Last week, the band announced that the as-yet-untitled album will be released worldwide this May on 4AD. Matt sat down for an interview with Pitchfork to discuss mastering the record, the possibility of naming it Summer Lovin' Torture Party, and having Sufjan sing back-up.
In addition, the band will play a few shows that straddle the album's release, including: The Big Ears Festival (3/28) in Knoxville, TN; a two-night stand at The Natio...
January 25, 2010
MusicNOW Celebrates Fifth Year, Announces 2010 Lineup
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...
January 12, 2010
Clogs To Release New EP in January 2010, New Record in March
Back in September, Asthmatic Kitty posted a playlist that included a new song by Clogs. Featuring Sufjan Stevens and Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond), "We Were Here" was teased as a possible track off their follow-up album to 2006's Lantern. Over the past three months we've hammered out details and now have information on the album, including title, tracklist, and artwork.
You can read a lot more details than even we know as reported on the internet websites Stereogum and Pitchfork.
Recorded in Brooklyn and Sydney over the course of 2007 and 2008 then mixed & finished over the next year and a half, The Creatures in the Garden of Lady Walton includes performan...
December 21, 2009
Doveman Update: New Video, Curating Mercury Lounge Show, Playing Kitchen
With his tour opening for Swell Season now complete, Doveman is off the road and taking a breather. While he was traveling North America, however, the video for "Breathing Out," a song off The Conformist, premiered on Spinner. Using only two shots, director Marc Anthony Thompson (better known as Chocolate Genius) succinctly explained his working process:
"I rarely make films for other people. I pick up my camera for very few reasons: The hotel has good light. The music inspires me. My lover isn't shy. 'Breathing Out' matched 2 of my criteria."
Very nice. You can watch the video below:
On January 12th, Doveman will curate and play his first...
December 14, 2009
The National Featured in Google Ad, New Record, New Website, New Twitter
It's been a while since we last heard from The National. At the time, they were working diligently on their new album, playing a few shows, and releasing a cover of Polaris' "Ashamed of the Story I Told" for the benefit album Ciao My Shining Star. Later, various band members popped up in a couple of "the" projects - The Long Count, The Conformist. But on the whole, pretty quiet.
Then we saw this little anthem:
The Google ad, titled "Out of Office," features "Apartment Story" from the band's most recent album, 2007's Boxer. So far, the spot sports a respectable 4 1/2 star rating on YouTube!, though one dude named "Syntox" got rather catty ("Th...
November 16, 2009
Doveman Featured on NPR, Continues Tour
As Doveman kicks off the second half of his November tour tomorrow with a solo show in Los Angeles, we thought it fitting to provide you with an update regarding Doveman-related activity on the World Wide Web. Last week, NPR's World Cafe featured "Breathing Out" and "Angel's Share" from his latest album, The Conformist, on their broadcast. Here's what they had to say about the new release:
With the release of 2005's The Acrobat, 2007's With My Left Hand I Raise the Dead and a legally contentious album in which he covers the soundtrack to the '80s movie Footloose, Bartlett established Doveman as a true sleeper. His third album of original material with Dovem...
November 4, 2009
Doveman Plays Fancy Loft Party for CMJ, Touring With Swell Season
In case you haven't paid attention to our frequently updated shows page, Doveman's hitting the road with Oscar-winners The Swell Season. They kicked off the tour last night in Toronto and will make their way through the Northeast and West Coast. To see exactly where and when Doveman will land (pun alert, sorry!), click here.
Meanwhile, in somewhat more exclusive & shmancy news, Doveman gave an unofficial CMJ performance a week or so back to celebrate the release of The Conformist. Held at a friend's loft in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, he was backed by a string quartet and friends Sean Lennon, Charlotte Kemp Muhl, Jennifer Charles (of Elysian Fields), Justin...
October 16, 2009
Doveman
For those unawares, Doveman's latest album The Conformist will be hitting the shelves of fine music retailers next Tuesday. To celebrate our upcoming release, The Brassland Store is holding a special offer (with special pricing) for pre-orders of The Conformist. The skinny:
Bundle #1 - includes The Conformist, With My Left Hand I Raise the Dead, and a Doveman t-shirt
Bundle #2 - includes The Conformist and a Doveman t-shirt
Act fast - bundles will last until we run out of t-shirts.
Now, watch some lil' preview videos we put together featuring audio courtesy of Doveman's The Conformist and visuals courtesy of Bertolucci's The Conformist. Act...
October 9, 2009
Bryce & Sufjan & Shara Sitting in a Tree
Last week on Pitchfork, one could find a strange plethora of Brassland-related stories detailing the various doings of Bryce Dessner, Sufjan Stevens, and My Brightest Diamond's Shara Worden. We thought we'd compile them below for your convenience.
The lead item was an announcement regarding Clogs' new song, titled "We Were Here," that features vocals from both Sufjan and Shara. Pitchfork's description was rather accurate: "an airy, delicately orchestrated affair with the voices of Stevens and Worden floating over a complicated bed of acoustic instruments." To listen to the previously unreleased jam, check out Asthmatic Kitty's AK Radio.
Later in the...
September 27, 2009
Brassland Profiled on Asthmatic Kitty
We at Brassland value community and collaboration, on building a collective sense of artistic purpose. That urge has increasingly led members of the Brassland stable toward working with those at Asthmatic Kitty, a label that shares this ideal. Building on this spirit, AK is currently running a weekly feature titled Labels by Alphabet. Michael Kaufmann, Asthmatic Kitty's A&R man, describes the premise as such:
Asthmatic Kitty is going to take the next few months to celebrate labels we feel have integrity and good taste. Every week we will celebrate a different record label and provide you with a brief description in the sidebar as well as a streaming radio playlist in our AKRad...