Ratatat shows love for West Coast and Brooklyn

By Elizabeth Hendley on 4:35 PM on May 30, 2008

Brooklyn-based electronirock (rocktronica?) duo Ratatat has scheduled a scant five tour dates this summer in anticipation of its new album, LP3, out July 8 on XL. The record follows the duo's 2007 self-released Ratatat Remixes Vol. 2....  read more

Listen to The Avett Brothers' new song, "Murder in the City"

By Rachel Webster on 3:45 PM on May 30, 2008

Just to whet your EP anticipation, North Carolina grasspunks The Avett Brothers have released "Murder In The City," the first single from their upcoming The Second Gleam. Listen to it here:...  read more

Band of the Week: Neon Neon

By Jill Menze on 3:33 PM on May 30, 2008

Back in 1985, a certain futuristic-looking car, when properly revved up to 88 miles per hour, had the ability to blast Marty McFly and Doc Brown on a time-traveling expedition back to, well, the future. Fast-forward to the year 2008, and that same winged-door car, or...  read more

Roots and Costello signed on for inaugural Whistler fest

By Adam Daniels on 2:18 PM on May 30, 2008

Just when you thought this year's summer festival lineup couldn't possibly have anything left up it's jam-packed sleeve, British Canadian resort town Whistler jumped in the game with a handful of festival veterans ready to prove you wrong...  read more

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin still touring, loving

By Rachael Maddux on 11:25 AM on May 30, 2008

Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin, the late first president of the Russian Federation and namesake of a certain Missouri-based indie pop band, was a pretty funny guy. Not many people know this, but those who do can likely attribute their awareness to the following video:...  read more

Built to Spill can't stop, won't stop touring

By Michael Saba on 10:01 AM on May 30, 2008

You've got to admire Built to Spill's work ethic. Fresh off of a tour last winter and spring, the Boise-based alt-rock legends recently announced their forthcoming LP and the Perfect From Now On tour, a sprawling jaunt across America and Europe that starts in September. Doug Martsch and his scrappy troop of power-pop impresarios just unveiled more shows on the European leg of this already-titanic excursion, which now stretches well into November....  read more

Bonnaroo 2008 schedule released

By Elizabeth Hendley on 7:30 AM on May 30, 2008

Oh, dear. Along with summer festival season comes summer festival season scheduling dilemmas, and this year's Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn., is no exception...  read more

T.I. to star in MTV reality series

By Liz Lawson on 4:30 PM on May 29, 2008

Hot on the trail of the news that the members Velvet Revolver won't become reality TV stars in their search for a new lead singer, comes the news that rapper/house arrestee T.I. will....  read more

Still Bustin' Loose: Rebirth Brass Band Turns 25

By Caroline Goyette on 3:57 PM on May 29, 2008

On break from their standing gig at the Maple Leaf Bar in New Orleans, Rebirth Brass Band hits the sidewalk, mingling with fans over Styrofoam bowls of red beans and fried chicken. “We don’t think of ourselves as stars..."  read more

The Futureheads: This is Not the World

By Mosi Reeves on 3:22 PM on May 29, 2008

This decade seems inundated with one-hit wonders...  read more

She & Him schedule summer dates

By Julia Reidy on 1:55 PM on May 29, 2008

Our favorite pair of pronouns, apparently unsatisfied with just their own couple of sold-out April dates in New York and L.A., have announced they will take their one volume of songs on a full-fledged North American tour this summer...  read more

The Black Keys set U.K. dates, conquer fans at Xbox

By Nikki King on 12:00 PM on May 29, 2008

The Black Keys are headed your way, and that collective “you” now includes listeners in the U.K. as well. The band has set six dates that span from Nottingham to Bristol....  read more

Signing is Fine: Ra Ra Riot joins Barsuk, preps LP

By Julia Askenase on 10:45 AM on May 29, 2008

Ra Ra Riot is one of the coolest exports from a city known for lake-effect snow, salt mines and an overdose on the color orange. And as of last week, the Syracuse, N.Y.-based band solidified its place on the map by signing with Barsuk Records, which has released music from Rilo Kiley, Nada Surf, Mates of State and many more in its history....  read more

The Bridges, Rooney announce summer tour dates

By Adina Fleming on 9:15 AM on May 29, 2008

The Bridges are good for a sunny day. Most importantly, the bubbly rock/pop family band has recently piqued our interest here at Paste HQ. On pretty days we like to blast songs from the Alabama group's upcoming album, Limits of the Sky, and skip through the office, intermittently patting each other on the backs. OK, not really...  read more

Catching Up With... Buddy Miller

By Josh Jackson on 5:14 PM on May 28, 2008

Earlier this year, Paste sent a contingent aboard the Cayamo cruise in the Western Caribbean, and a couple days in, Buddy Miller and Emmylou Harris joined an already esteemed line-up that included Patty Griffin, Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin, John Hiatt and others...  read more

Perhapst It's Time: Decemberists' Moen to release solo work

By Adina Fleming on 3:20 PM on May 28, 2008

It’s been a long time in the making, but The Decemberists’ drummer John Moen is finally releasing the first self-titled album from his new band and solo project, Perhapst. Coming out on In Music We Trust Records on August 19, a recent statement describes the record as “quirky, catchy, hook-laden indie-pop, experimental folk-rock, and even some twang for flavor, all delivered with a smirk and a smile.”  Aw shucks, Perhapst!  Even sweeter, the band’s MySpace page assures the record will caress you with “cloud-like softness” and will leave you “relaxed, at ease, and humming a song or two.”...  read more

Oslo's Øyafestival announces initial line-up

By Liz Lawson on 3:04 PM on May 28, 2008

If you're lucky enough to be one of the 70,000 individuals expected to head to Oslo, Norway this August for Øyafestival, we are extremely jealous of you. The roster reads like a "Best of" list of our current favorite artists. Sigur Rós, Cut Copy, Holy Fuck, Okeervil River, The Dodos, Fleet Foxes, Jamie Lidell, Janelle Monáe, Dengue Fever, Dark Meat, Kid Sister, Lykke Li, Lightspeed Championship, Notwist, HEALTH, No Age... the list could go on and on, but instead, head over here, and read it in full....  read more

Americana Music Festival announces initial showcase lineup

By Julia Reidy on 10:51 AM on May 28, 2008

[Above: Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell perform at the 2007 Americana Honors & Awards Show]Strap on that acoustic guitar and tie up that bandana, y'all. It's time to start planning for the 9th Annual Americana Music Festival and Conference, which takes place Sept. 17-20 in Nashville, and will feature everyone who's anyone in the Americana genre. The Americana Music Association recently announced the initial list of performers, but promises that many more will be added before September. The vanguard includes Jim White, The Belleville Outfit, James McMurtry, Paul Thorn, The Snake The Cross and The Crown and The SteelDrivers....  read more

Kanye, Common, Method & Redman sued over jazz sample

By Jeremy Goldmeier on 10:23 AM on May 28, 2008

Here's the worst pitfall of hip-hop producing—creatively re-purposing intellectual property always carries the risk of a fat ol' lawsuit from a sampled musician. In the latest case of rap sample litigation, it's the estate of a dead musician claiming punitive damages for sampling without permission....  read more

Listen to the new Beck song "Chemtrails"

By Liz Lawson on 9:13 AM on May 28, 2008

During the month of May, rumors began swirling about the upcoming release by Beck. Was Danger Mouse the producer, and does it feature Cat Power? Would it be released by Universal a'la The Raconteurs latest effort? Would it be given a name prior to...  read more