CITY CENTER MAPS OUT DIY TOUR IN SUPPORT OF SPRING ST. RELEASE
“Even when City Center may appear impenetrable, it’s still welcoming. C’mon in, the water’s great.” – Pitchfork (Review of City Center August 5, 2009)
NYC-based City Center aka Fred Thomas and Ryan Howard of Saturday Looks Good To Me (Polyvinyl, K Records) have announced [...]

Sean Price Baby Shower

Last week Sean Price held the first ever Rap Baby Shower, live from Santos Party House in NYC. Sean Price reveals his favorite gift was a pair of Deceptacon socks from General Steele for his baby girl, Shaun P!!!. Enjoy the re-cap which also features a live version of FIGURE FOUR.

Kidz In The Hall MTV Jams Shameless Drops
Kidz In The Hall give you their top 5 shameless reasons why you should buy the LAND OF MAKE BELIEVE, in stores today.

Kidz In The Hall New Album Land Of Make Believe Out Now Only $7.99 at iTunes & Best Buy iTunes features “Jukebox” as Free Single Of The Week BET 106th & Park Premiere’s “Jukebox” Today at 7PM EST Currently On “Crowd Control” Tour alongside 88-Keys, Izza Kizza and Donnis

Album features production by Just Blaze on “Take Over The World” with Colin Munroe and appearances by MC Lyte, Marsha Ambrosius, Amanda Diva amongst others

Hip Hop alternative duo Kidz In The Hall (K.I.T.H) new album, Land Of Make Believe, out today, March 9th in all physical & digital retail outlets! Additionally iTunes is featuring “Jukebox” as the free single of the week and BET’s 106th & Park is premiering “Jukebox” today at 7PM EST. K.I.T.H are currently on a 20 city tour called the Crowd Control Tour alongside 88-Keys, Izza Kizza and Donnis.

ESPN SportsCenter will be continuing to feature Kidz In The Hall ‘s latest single “Take Over The World” ft. Colin Munroe and co-produced by Just Blaze. Land of Make Believe also features MC Lyte, Marsha Ambrosius, Amanda Diva, Chip Tha Ripper, Donnis, Tim William and Russoul.

Melding Hip-hop, R&B and Pop/Rock, the album is “Extraordinary music for ordinary people” comments Double- O, DJ of K.I.T.H. A sonic department from previous albums, The Land Of Make Believe dares to push the boundary between who you are, who you think you are and the constant struggle getting to where you want to be. This album allowed K.I.T.H to reflect and analyze both strengths and weaknesses redefining their goals and aspirations. Naledge, MC of K.I.T.H comments, “the moment we have worked for has come to a crossroad. We’ve never taken time to look ourselves in the mirror and analyze what this industry has made us. As a lyricist, I used this album to serve as a soundtrack to my aspirations and to my downfalls, but also as a chance to evaluate who I am as a man compared to whom I envisioned myself to be.”

Tuesday – 3/9/10 – Cleveland, OH – Peabody’s

Wednesday – 3/10/10 – Grand Rapids, MI – Intersection Live

Thursday – 3/11/10 – Pontiac MI – Cro Foot/Pike Room

Monday – 3/15/10 – Enid, OK – The Underground

Thursday -3/18/10 – Austin- TX – SXSW

Friday – 3/19/10 – Austin – TX – SXSW

Sat – 3/20/10 – Austin – TX – SXSW

Wednesday – 3/24/10 – Denver, CO – Cervantes

Thursday – 3/25/10 – Murray, UT – Murray Theater

Saturday – 3/27/10 – Los Angeles, CA – Key Club

Thursday – 4/1/10 – Seattle, WA – Studio 7

Friday – 4/2/10 – Portland. OR – Berbati’s Pan
Founded on the grounds of Ivy league school University of Pennsylvania, 2008 was a big year for hip-hop alternative duo Kidz In The Hall. After the release of their critically acclaimed album, The In Crowd, it propelled them into MTV’s TRL & BET’S 106 & Park limelight with key tracks like “Drivin Down The Block,” and “Love Hangover” featuring Estelle. Later success landed them a global Reebok campaign around the brand’s Classics campaign remixing & shooting a video for Special Ed’s “I Got It Made” which featured in over 500 footwear locations nationwide. From there fans saw them on every stage with Gym Class Heroes, MURS, N.E.R.D., The Clipse and heard them on numerous video games including EA Sports Madden 09, NBA LIVE 2010, Rockstar Game’s Midnight Club LA and Activision’s Pimp My Ride 2.

Duck Down Celebrates 15 Years – New XV Logo Created

SXSW Label Showcase – Friday Night, March 19th at The Scoot Inn Presented by VTECH, 2K Sports, & Pro-Keds

Duck Down Music Inc was established in 1995. Fifteen years later the Indie Powerhouse has grown into a blossoming home for both veteran MCs and rising stars in the music industry.

To set off the 15 year milestone, Duck Down will be bringing the majority of its roster to SXSW for a Showcase on March 19th at 8PM at The Scoot Inn (1308 East 4th Street, Austin, TX)

With support from VTECH, 2K Sports, & Pro-Keds, the showcase will feature:

B-Real of Cypress Hill
Buckshot & 9th Wonder
Sean Price
Black Milk
Smif N Wessun
Pharoahe Monch
Kidz In The Hall
Blue Scholars
Skyzoo
Promise
Marco Polo
Torae
Ruste Juxx
Nottz

+ Special Guests

Music by DJ EVIL DEE

Hosted by DJ Peter Rosenberg of HOT 97

XXL Mag is the principal media sponsor.

The show will also be streaming live online via LUMEEFLY.COM where fans outside of Austin, TX can still enjoy the performances.

Custom ipod and iphone skins will be manufactured by MUSICSKINS.

UNDRCRWN will be creating an exclusive Duck Down SXSW T-Shirt. The first 50 fans to enter will receive a shirt.

Monday, March 8th, at 12PM EST Duck Down will also have a special announcement for aspiring producers and MCs.

Duck Down Music Inc – Celebrating 15 years of Independence!

Duck Down Music & 2K Sports Announce NBA 2K11 Soundtrack Contest:
Win Your Way Onto the NBA 2K11 Soundtrack + The Stage At Duck Down’s Fall CMJ Showcase in NYC

Duck Down Music and 2K Sports have partnered to present an exciting contest for all aspiring producers and MCs to create unique and original music, along with the special opportunity to have their song included in the upcoming soundtrack for NBA 2K11, the next iteration of the hugely popular NBA 2K series.

Phase 1: NBA 2K11 Producer Contest
Starting today, March 8th, producers will have two weeks to create one sample-free instrumental.

All submissions must be sent to nba2k11@duckdown.com by March 22nd.

Producers are also encouraged to record video of their beat making process, which can be included with their final submission.

The top ten instrumentals will be selected by Duck Down Music A&R and representatives from 2K Sports. Each instrumental will also be streamed online via a link at www.XXLMag.com, as fans will have the chance to vote for their favorite track. The winner will be announced on April 5th.

Phase 2: NBA 2K11 MC Contest
Starting on April 6th, MC’s will have four weeks to submit one clean track using the winning producer’s instrumental.

All submissions must be sent to nba2k11@duckdown.com by May 4th. After the top ten songs are determined by Duck Down Music and 2K Sports, they will again be posted via a link on www.XXLMag.com for fans to hear the tracks. The winner will be announced on May 11th.

The grand prize winners of the contest, which will consist of one producer and one MC, will:

*
Have their song placed in the music soundtrack for NBA 2K11.
*
Receive an all-expense paid trip to New York City, where they will have the special opportunity to perform the song live at Duck Down’s CMJ Showcase in October 2010.

For full details on rules & regulations, please visit:
http://www.duckdown.com/nba2k11

GREEN RIVER ORDINANCE ANNOUNCE SPRING 2010 TOUR DATES SECOND SINGLE ‘ON YOUR OWN’ IMPACTS RADIO APRIL 12th
Ft. Worth, TX rockers Josh, Jamey, Geoff, Denton & Joshua aka Green …

U.S. SCREENINGS OF ANIMAL COLLECTIVE S ODDSAC ANNOUNCED CHICAGO, MINNEAPOLIS, LA, SAN FRANCISCO, PORTLAND, AND SEATTLE DATES ALL SCREENINGS WILL FEATURE Q&A WITH DIRECTOR DANNY PEREZ AND MEMBERS OF ANIMAL …

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings Announce New Album I Learned the Hard Way Set To Drop On April 6, 2010 Band To Headline Two Nights At The World Famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings tour dates

April 31 and May 1, 2010

Full Tour Dates

Tuesday, March 16
All day
eTown Live Radio Show TapingThe Boulder Theatre, Boulder CO
Friday, March 26
All day
Snoe.down Festival Rutland VT
Saturday, April 10
All day
Astra Berlin, Germany
Tuesday, April 13
All day
Trabendo Paris, France
Wednesday, April 14
All day
Koko London, UK
Thursday, April 15
All day
Paradiso Amsterdam, Netherlands
Saturday, April 17
All day
Wanee Festival, Live Oak FL
Thursday, April 22
All day
Festival Internationale de Louisiane, Lafayette LA
Friday, April 23
All day
The Howling Wolf New Orleans, LA
Saturday, April 24
All day
Double Decker Festival Oxford MS Info
Friday, April 30
All day
Apollo Theater, New York City
Saturday, May 1
All day
Apollo Theater, New York City
Thursday, May 6
All day
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Richmond, VA
Friday, May 7
All day
Ram’s Head Onstage Annapolis, MD
Saturday, May 8
All day
Jefferson Theater Charlottesville, VA
Sunday, May 9
All day
The NorVa Norfolk, VA
Tuesday, May 11
All day
Cat’s Cradle Carrboro, NC
Wednesday, May 12
All day
Orange Peel Ashesville, NC
Thursday, May 13
All day
Center Stage Atlanta Atlanta, GA
Friday, May 14
All day
Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN
Saturday, May 15
All day
Nelsonville Music Festival Nelsonville, OH
Monday, May 17
All day
The Southgate House Newport, KY
Tuesday, May 18
All day
Majestic Theatre, Detroit, MI
Friday, May 21
All day
Vic Theatre Chicago, IL
Saturday, May 22
All day
Pabst Theater Milwaukee, WI
Sunday, May 23
All day
The Vogue, Indianapolis, IN
Tuesday, May 25
12:30am
The Sound Academy Toronto, ON
Wednesday, May 26
All day
Le National, Montreal, QC
Thursday, May 27
All day
House of Blues Boston, MA
Friday, May 28
All day
New England Dodge Music Center Harftord CT
Saturday, May 29
All day
New England Dodge Music Center Harftord CT
Sunday, June 20
All day
The Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, BC
Monday, June 21
All day
Showbox Sodo Seattle, WA
Tuesday, June 22
All day
Crystal Ballroom Portland, OR
Friday, June 25
All day
Warfield Theatre San Francisco, CA
Saturday, June 26
All day
The Wiltern Los Angeles, CA
Sunday, June 27
All day
Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA

Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings are already well known as one of the most exciting acts in the nation for both their explosive live shows and their prolific output of gritty studio recordings. Their breakout release, 100 Days, 100 Nights, sold over 150,000 copies worldwide. On Jones birthday this year, the band will release I Learned the Hard Way, their fourth full-length on Brooklyn s independent Daptone Records. The record marks a bold step forward for a band who almost singlehandedly stewarded today s return of soul music to its more traditional sound.

I Learned the Hard Way was produced by Bosco Mann and recorded on an Ampex eight-track tape machine by Gabriel Roth in Daptone Records House of Soul studios, the record drips with a warmth and spontaneity rarely found since the golden days of Muscle Shoals and Stax. Sharon s raw power, rhythmic swagger, moaning soulfulness, and melodic command set her firmly alongside Tina Turner, James Brown, Mavis Staples, and Aretha as a fixture in the canon of soul music. From the lush Philly-Soul fanfare that ushers in The Game Gets Old at the top of the record, to the stripped down Sam Cooke-style Mama Don t Like My Man at the tail, the Dap-Kings dance seamlessly through both the most crafted and simple arrangements with subtlety and discipline. I Learned the Hard Way is the Daptone Sound at its finest.

Since the release of 100 Days, 100 Nights, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings

have appeared at:
Coachella, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits Festival, WOMAD (New Zealand), Lollapalooza, Chicago Blues Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival (Holland), Essence Festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Roskilde Music Festival (Denmark), Playboy Jazz Festival, Sydney Festival, Eurokeennes Festival (France), Central Park Summerstage and more.

Television appearances since 2007 include:
The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O Brien, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Austin City Limits – PBS, The Tavis Smiley Show– PBS, Later with Jools Holland – BBC, MTV, CNN, numerous NPR shows including Fresh Air with Terry Gross, World Café, Day to Day, Fair Game and more

Reviews and Features appeared in:
Esquire, New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, MOJO, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, The Huffington Post, Variety, BrooklynVegan, Spin, Pitchfork, Mother Jones, VIBE, Village Voice, Washington Post, The New York Times and more

Sharon Jones has collaborated on stage, in the studio & on film with:
David Byrne, Rufus Wainwright, Denzel Washington (The Great Debaters), Lou Reed, Booker T. & the MGs, Michael Bublé, Phish

The Dap-Kings have recorded for:
Al Green, NAS, Amy Winehouse, Wale, Mark Ronson, Daniel Merriweather, Robbie Williams, Bebel Gilberto

Discography:

Dap-Dippin with the Dap-Kings – May 2002

Naturally – January 2005

100 Days, 100Nights – October 2007

I Learned The Hard Way Track Listing:

1. The Game Gets Old

2. I Learned The Hard Way

3. Better Things

4. Give It Back

5. Money

6. The Reason

7. Window Shopping

8. She Ain t A Child No More

9. I ll Still Be True

10. Without A Heart

11. If You Call

12. Mama Don t Like My Man

PORTLAND DUO NICE NICE ANNOUNCE SPRING TOUR DATES, PLAY SXSW, RELEASE NEW ALBUM EXTRA WOW ON APRIL 6
Nice Nice is set to release a new LP on April 6 called …

RJD2 Embarks on Third Leg of Four-Month Tour, Releases New Videos And Remix!

Philly’s own RJD2 is preparing to embark on the third leg of his massive four-month tour, and where better to start it than in his hometown of Philadelphia? RJ kicks things off on the east coast, with two shows in New York City, before heading up through Canada and down into the belly of the Midwest.

RJ and friends have been releasing videos at a feverish pace, with two new videos released in the last month! “The Glow” featured a vicious yuppie Ken doll, wreaking havoc in his endless search for the spotlight and more personal possessions. The newest, premiered yesterday on Spin.com, is the strangely psychedelic, slightly post-apocalyptic envisioning of the song “A Spaceship For Now.” From RJ:

“What I love about the video is how surreal and weird it is. It’s like a timeline with gaps in it that basically forces you to come up with your own storyline or chronology. Or you can just bug out on the big ambience of the synths. It’s a perfect fit.”

In addition to the slew of videos, Brooklyn-based musician, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Alan Wilkis (http://www.wilcassettes.com) has remixed the track “A Shining Path.” Be sure to take heed.

What the press is saying about RJD2’s The Colossus [RJ’s Electrical Connections]:

“Featuring his famous knob-twisting wizardry, white-hot cameos and live tracks, the album helps illustrate just how sonically dexterous he really is. This kaleidoscopic album veers effortlessly from jammy instrumental interludes to fist-pumping hip-hop tracks and spastic dance numbers that deserve a place on your heavy rotation playlist.” – Relix

“This hip hop shape-shifter’s new disc suggests that he’s ready to give the people what they want. On the funky, eclectic Colossus, RJD2 returns to the sampling. . . supplementing it with guest spots and live instruments.” – Wired

“The Colossus should remind everyone how talented DJ-producer Ramble John Krohn was before he crafted the award-winning Mad Men theme. It’s his finest album since 2002’s instrumental hip-hop classic Deadringer, balancing punchy funk (‘Let There Be Horns’) with soul ballads (‘Games You Can Win,’ featuring pensive vocals from Kenna).” – SPIN

“The Colossus hopscotches across RJD2’s resume like a giddy kid…Krohn’s the real deal, in a world full of one-dimensional deriviatives.” – Filter

“Welcome back, Ramble John.” – XLR8R

RJD2 Tour Dates:

Fri. Mar. 5 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church #&

Sat. Mar. 6 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg #&

Sun. Mar. 7 – New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom #&

Mon. Mar. 8 – Boston, MA @ Paradise #&

Tue. Mar. 9 – Providence, RI @ Jerky’s Music Hall #&

Wed. Mar. 10 – Montreal, QC @ La TuLipe #&

Thu. Mar. 11 – Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club #&

Fri. Mar. 12 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick #&

Sat. Mar. 13 – Chicago, IL @ Metro #&

Mon. Mar. 15 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club #&

Tue. Mar. 16 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theater #&

Thu. Mar. 18 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop #&

Fri. Mar. 19 – Millvale, PA @ Mr. Small’s Theater #&

Fri. Apr. 2 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater #$

Sat. Apr. 3 – Durango, CO @ Strater Theatre #$

Sun. Apr. 4 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room #$

Mon. Apr. 5 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah #$

Tue. Apr. 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre #$

Wed. Apr. 7 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent #$

Thu. Apr. 8 – Eureka, CA @ Red Fox Tavern #$

Fri. Apr. 9 – Portland, OR @ Dantes #$

Sat. Apr. 10 – Bellingham, WA @ The Nightlight Lounge #$

Sun. Apr. 11 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos #$

# w/ Happy Chichester

& w/ Break Science

$ w/ Busdriver

CORINNE BAILEY RAE pERFORMS ON ““LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN” TOMORROW AND “JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE” (3/8)

North American Tour Launches In Los Angeles On April 6th With KCRW Benefit Show

Bailey Rae Confirmed For April 7th Appearance On “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”

GRAMMY® winning artist Corinne Bailey Rae will perform “Closer,” her latest single, on “Late Show with David Letterman” this Friday and appear on the outdoor stage of “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Monday, March 8th.

The U.K. singer-songwriter will return to the States next month, launching her first North American tour in three years on April 6th with a benefit show for Santa Monica-based public radio station KCRW (89.9 FM and KCRW.com). This special evening at Vibiana, a historic cathedral located in downtown Los Angeles, will feature a performance by Corinne as well as an interview with Jason Bentley, KCRW’s Music Director and host of Morning Becomes Eclectic. It will be taped for broadcast on Morning Becomes Eclectic on April 9th. Tickets for the concert go on sale to KCRW members tomorrow and to the general public on March 9th. Bailey Rae will perform on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” on April 7th before continuing the tour, which will take her to both intimate venues and festivals. She’ll perform at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival (April 17th), the St. Lucia Jazz Festival (May 8th) and on select Lilith Fair dates (to be announced). See below for itinerary.

The Sea, the follow up to Bailey Rae’s 2006 self-titled debut, entered The Billboard 200 in the Top 10 in January and has elicited stellar reviews. “The album is a major creative leap from her debut,” said The New York Times while People noted in a four-star, Critic’s Choice review: “she captivates with a haunting, heartbreaking set that’s almost painfully exquisite.” The Los Angeles Times called it “a remarkable accomplishment” in a four-star review while Rolling Stone observed: “Her latest is both reckoning and rebirth…Fragile arrangements — guitar, auto-harp, orchestra — suggest indie rock (‘Are You Here’) as much as R&B (the Isley Brothers-ish ‘Closer’). Rae also celebrates love and, on ‘The Blackest Lily,’ even rocks a funky vocoder, confronting death with the greatest weapon: life, fully lived.”

Tomorrow HULU will launch a full Corinne Bailey Rae channel where fans can view her latest videos, clips from her debut album, a “Live From The Artists Den” featurette from the upcoming episode airing on Public Television this spring and footage from a 2006 New York City concert:

The video for “Paris Nights/New York Mornings” has just been added to mtvU, Centric and VH1 Soul while “I’d Do It All Again,” the first single/video from The Sea, was added earlier at Centric, mtvU, VH1 Soul, Music Choice and Logo. Bailey Rae’s “Closer” is #15 at Urban AC radio and climbing at Smooth Jazz and AC formats while another album track, “The Blackest Lily,” was #1 Most Added at AAA radio last week. Bailey Rae will guest on several nationally syndicated radio shows, including “The Tom Joyner Morning Show” (April 20th), “The Steve Harvey Morning Show” (date to be announced) and Keith Sweat’s “The Sweat Hotel” (date to be announced).

Bailey Rae’s first album entered the U.K. album chart at #1 in June 2006 and she was the first British female singer-songwriter in decades to have her debut enter The Billboard 200 in the Top 20. By year’s end, it was RIAA-certified Platinum. She won a Q award, a MOJO award, an Image award and two MOBO awards and was nominated for three GRAMMY awards – “Record Of The Year” and “Song Of The Year” for her first single, “Put Your Records On,” and “Best New Artist.” After Bailey Rae’s performance on the 2007 GRAMMY Awards telecast, the album rocketed into the Top 5 of The Billboard 200. In 2008, “Like A Star,” her second single, was nominated for “Song Of The Year” and Herbie Hancock’s River: The Joni Letters, on which Corinne sang the title track, won the GRAMMY for “Album Of The Year.”

Corinne Bailey Rae – North American Tour

Date City Venue

4/6 Los Angeles, CA Vibiana

4/9 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom

4/11 Portland, OR Roseland Theatre

4/12 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre

4/15 San Francisco, CA Regency Ballroom

4/17 Indio, CA Coachella Music and Arts Festival

4/22 Chicago, IL Vic Theatre

4/24 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall

4/26 Toronto, ON Queen Elizabeth Theatre

4/28 Montreal, QC Club Soda

4/30 Boston, MA House of Blues

5/1 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts

5/3 New York, NY Webster Hall

5/4 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg

5/8 St. Lucia St. Lucia Jazz Festival

5/11 Atlanta, GA Center Stage

5/13 Washington, DC 9:30 Club

5/14 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live

TESTAMENT’S VIP PACKAGES TURNING FANS INTO FRIENDS ACROSS AMERICA SPOKANE, WA VIP
Thrash kings TESTAMENT, are currently out on the road with Exodus on Megadeth’s “Rust In Peace” 20th Anniversary Tour. This monumental metal extravaganza kicked off on March 1st in Spokane, WA and runs through March 31st in Los Angeles, CA. Keep [...]

CARIBOU ANNOUNCES WORLD TOUR MERGE RECORDS TO RELEASE ‘SWIM’ APRIL 20, 2010
Caribou is please is to announced a world tour beginning in Manchester, England on April 19th. The North American leg of the tour will begin on May 3rd in Toronto. Merge Records will release Swim, Dan Snaith s new album, on April 20th. [...]