Photos: Arcade Fire Members Rock for Obama [Nelsonville, OH; 03/02/08]

Photos by Drew Angerer

Nelsonville, Ohio's relatively tiny Stuart's Opera House could hardly contain the excitement last night as several members of the Arcade Fire-- including Win Butler, Régine Chassagne, Jeremy Gara, and Sarah Neufeld-- stormed through town to rally for Barack Obama.

Indeed, the Arcade Fire members went and added a second Stuart's show on Sunday to help accommodate the Obama-happy droves. Both sets included covers of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" (a portion of which has landed on YouTube), David Bowie's "Heroes", and John Lennon's "Gimme Some Truth", plus a number of Funeral and Neon Bible standouts (and aren't they all?). The setlists, via photographer and show attendee Drew Angerer, looked like this:

First show:

"Intervention"
"Keep the Car Running"
"Heroes" [David Bowie cover]
"A Change Is Gonna Come" [Sam Cooke cover]
"Rebellion (Lies)"
"Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)"
"Wake Up"
"Gimme Some Truth" [John Lennon cover]

Second show:

"Heroes" [David Bowie cover]
"(Antichrist Television Blues)"
"Neighborhood #2 (Laïka)"
"Gimme Some Truth" [John Lennon cover]
"Wake Up"
"Rebellion (Lies)"
"A Change Is Gonna Come" [Sam Cooke cover]

The momentum keeps on rolling as the Arcade Fire folks Ba-rock Cleveland's Beachland Ballroom tonight. Stand for change, people, and don't be afraid to dance a bit for it too.






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Photos: Atlas Sound [Chicago, IL; 03/01/08]

Photos by Matthew Taplinger

Deerhunter season opens again the weekend of May 9-11, when the Atlanta-based sonic psych-out artistes tear up ATP vs. Pitchfork. But until then, Mr. Bradford Cox has a no less stellar project of his own, Atlas Sound, a Best New Music-stamped debut album, Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel, and a tour of these lands with Kranky labelmates White Rainbow and Valet.

That Kranky caravan rolled into Chicago's Empty Bottle Saturday night, with White Rainbow's Adam Forkner, Valet's Honey Owens, Nudge's Brian Foote, and pal Stephanie Macksey filling out the Atlas Sound live band. Look for these sharply-dressed animal lovers at a venue near you during the days leading up to SXSW.

ATLAS SOUND








WHITE RAINBOW

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Photos: The Mountain Goats [San Francisco, CA; 03/01/08]
Plus: Mountain Goats line up April dates Down Under

Photos by Natalie Kardos

She & Him weren't the only ones putting the pop in Noise Pop this past weekend. John Darnielle and his Mountain Goats also swept through the San Francisco fest, playing no fewer than three sold out shows at three different venues, the second of which went down Saturday night at the Independent.

Wearing his Heretic Pride on his sleeve, Darnielle of course entertained the captive crowd in winning fashion. And really, would we expect anything less?

The Goats head to Hollywood tomorrow night, shoot back East later this month, and heed the call of the Land Down Under in April. And don't forget: Darnielle's book about Black Sabbath's Master of Reality is out April 15.

THE MOUNTAIN GOATS





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Photos: Black Lips at Camelot for Kids Benefit [Chicago, IL; 03/01/08]

Photos by Kirstie Shanley

Those Black Lips may seem all rough-and-tumble on the outside, but inside lie four genuine hearts of gold. This past Saturday, prior to the Lips' sold out gig at Chicago's Logan Square Auditorium, the Atlanta quartet put on a previously mentioned show for some youngsters from the Camelot for Kids organization, which helps children with special needs.

Black Lips and kids alike also took in a puppet show from Miss Pussycat (Quintron & Miss Pussycat have been supporting Black Lips on this tour). And as they did last time with Fujiya & Miyagi, the Camelot kids once again presented their guest entertainers with a unique gift: a framed, photo-bedecked, giant thank you note. Too cute!

Having changed a few more lives for the better, Black Lips continue on their North American trek through late March. Then in May, they head to the UK, with a stop at ATP Vs. Pitchfork. To coincide with that British tour, the band will release a new double A-side single on May 12 on Vice. The songs on the single will be "Bad Kids" (from Good Bad Not Evil) and a new song, "Leroy Faster".

For more information on Camelot for Kids and its programs, click here.

BLACK LIPS




MISS PUSSYCAT

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Photos: She & Him [San Francisco, CA; 03/02/08]

Photos by Natalie Kardos

Their pronouns may not quite align, but their musical stars sure do. She & Him, the new vehicle for closet singer-songwriter Zooey Deschanel and veteran sound-maker M. Ward, graced the stage at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall this past weekend as part of the Noise Pop festival.

Ward and Deschanel play one more gig-- a March 14 SXSW happening at the Parish in Austin-- before unleashing their debut, Volume One, upon the world via Merge on March 18. Catch more photos of She & Him doing her & he's thing below.

SHE & HIM





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Photos: Wilco [Washington, DC; 02/27/08]

Photos by Will Marsh

En route to tickling our funny bones tomorrow night on "Saturday Night Live", perennial favorites Wilco rolled through Washington, DC's 9:30 Club for the second consecutive night on Wednesday.

Jeff Tweedy and his merry band of music-makers will continue making said music in a merry fashion following Saturday's "SNL" performance. The Sky Blue Sky-gazers resume in Nashville on March 2, and keep pushing along on a steady clip through the end of the month. An August 8 make-up date in Charleston awaits as well, and a new tune from the crew will turn up on that there "Heroes" thinger.

WILCO







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Photos: Crystal Castles / HEALTH [Chicago, IL; 02/27/08]

Photos by Matthew Taplinger

Toronto's Crystal Castles transformed Chicago's Abbey into a bona fide arcade rave last night, punctuating pretty much every blip, bleep, and fuzzy bass throb with a strobe light that flickered nearly non-stop through their set. Rather than nauseate, this tactic further invigorated the already hyperactive crowd, who packed the small club on a Wednesday night despite Castles' lack of a proper album at the moment. That changes March 18, when Last Gang Records finally unleashes the duo's self-titled debut.

Los Angeles' HEALTH, meanwhile, served up balls-out, primordial blasts of noise and ruckus, aplomb being their defining feature. All this catharsis was at its best when tempered with slight psychedelic tendencies, redolent of, say, Liars' Drum's Not Dead.

Crystal Castles and HEALTH bring the fury to Minneapolis next, and continue sharing their respective brands of danceable audio carnage well into spring.

UPDATE: Check out this clip from the British teen soap opera "Skins", featuring Crystal Castles performing "Alice Practice" during a very, very melodramatic scene. It's weird.

CRYSTAL CASTLES






HEALTH







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Photos: Bill Callahan / Jonathan Meiburg [Mount Pleasant, SC; 02/23/08]

Photos by Drew Katchen

Backed by Shearwater's Jonathan Meiburg and Thor Harris, and having shed the Smog moniker he so long carried, Bill Callahan took the stage at Mount Pleasant, South Carolina's Village Tavern this past Sunday. All clad in ill-fitting suits, the crew bore resemblance to a down-on-their-luck, drowsy wedding band as they rolled through tunes off Callahan's Woke on a Whaleheart and old favorites like "Cold Blooded Old Times".

Meiburg also opened the show, in anticipation of Shearwater's forthcoming Rook on Matador. He, Callahan, and Harris head to Birmingham, Alabama tonight, then continue their roll through the American South into early March.

BILL CALLAHAN




JONATHAN MEIBURG

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Photos: El Guincho [Barcelona, Spain; 02/22/08]

Photos by Daniel Cantó

It's not a bad time to familiarize yourself with Barcelona's El Guincho, whose Alegranza! recently earned Best New Music distinction from some website you may be reading right now. Heck, before you know it, you might just be running into this guy-- born Pablo Díaz-Reixa-- at festivals and clubs around the globe.

For now though, catch him right here in photo form (depicted at his hometown's Apolo this past Friday night), then around his native Spain and the UK in the coming weeks.






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Photos: Jay Reatard [Chicago, IL; 02/22/08]

Photos by Joseph Mohan

The hurricane known as Jay Reatard blew through the South Side of Chicago Friday night, tearing up Reggie's and leaving a wake of no-fi garage destruction in his wake. No blood was shed though, thankfully.

Jay heads to Australia next week before hitting up SXSW (including our very own day party with the Windish Agency on Friday, March 14 at Emo's) and then hitting the road with the Black Keys. In mid-April, he's back in the headlining slot again.

This whirlwind of activity is set to drum up attention for his series of singles for Matador, the first one of which, "See/Saw", drops April 8.

More photos and dates below.




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Photos: The National / My Brightest Diamond [Brooklyn, NY; 02/22/08]

Photos by Kathryn Yu

The second annual Brooklyn Next festival continued Friday night with the first of two performances by the NYC borough's ascendent sons the National at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Matt Berninger and his boys brought along horns, strings, woodwinds, and one extra special guest: Sufjan Stevens, who had graced the BAM stage less than four months prior for his "BQE" bonanza. Sufjan's magic hands worked the piano during Boxer knockout "Ada", much as they do on the album. And although a recent back injury left National guitarist Bryce Dessner seated throughout Friday evening's festivities, the performance nonetheless earned rapturous ovations.

My Brightest Diamond opened, and she and her string quartet and backing band easily won the evening's award for sartorial splendor.

The National have several scattered shows before their spring fling with R.E.M. and Modest Mouse, plus quite a few recently added festival spots beyond that. Check those and My Brightest Diamond's SXSW schedule below.

THE NATIONAL






MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND





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Photos: The Magnetic Fields [New York, NY; 02/21/08]

Photos by Kathryn Yu

You'd think all the fuzzed-out pop-rockin' found on latest release Distortion might have coaxed Stephin Merritt off his cozy stool from the get-go, but there he was last night as the Magnetic Fields kicked off the first show of four at New York City's Town Hall. A reverentially quiet crowd took in a two-part set that interspersed a bunch of Distortion numbers with a cavalcade of classics from the Fields and other Merritt projects. Naturally, the set also featured plenty of dry-humored Merritt banter.

The Magnetic Fields return to Town Hall tonight and twice more this weekend, follow that up with a trio of two-night stands, and cap things off with a six gig blowout in Chicago come mid-March.

THE MAGNETIC FIELDS







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