Champions of disdain The Gaslight Anthem are kicking off its summer tour with a live webcast of the band’s performance at Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight.

Couchtouring a band like The Gaslight Anthem may cause some serious damage to your couch. With all warnings in place, here is the link.

Below are the rest of the band’s dates:

The Gaslight Anthem 2012 Tour Dates:

05/16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
05/18 – Hollywood, CA @ The Roxy
05/20 – Asbury Park, NJ @ The Bamboozle
05/29 – Paris, FR @ Le Zenith
05/31 – Berlin, DE @ Zitadelle Spandau *
06/01 – Bremen, DE @ Aladin
06/02 – Ulmer, DE @ Zelt
06/04 – Milan, IT @ Arena Concerti Fiera *
06/05 – Zurich, CH @ Albart
06/08 – Nickelsdorf, AT @ Nova Rock
06/09 – Munster, DE @ Vainstream Rockfest
06/11 – London, UK @ Koko’s
06/13 – Keil, DE @ Max
06/14 – Hultsfred, SE @ Hultsfred Festival
06/15 – Arhus, DK @ Northside Festival
06/16 – Oslo, NO @ Norwegian Wood
06/17 – Seinajoki, FI @ Provinssirock
06/23 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Orion Music + More
07/05 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
07/07 – Portland, OR @ Hawthrone Theater
07/08 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile
07/11 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fineline
07/12 – Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck
07/13 – St. Louis, MO @ Firebird
07/14 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bunbury Music Festival
07/16 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House
07/18 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
07/19 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
07/20 – Washington, DC @ U Street
07/22 – Boston, MA @ Middle East
07/24 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
08/05 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/16-17 – Kiewit, BE @ Pukkelpop
08/18 – Ludinghausen, DE @ Area 4
08/19 – Leipzig, DE @ Highfield Festival
08/24 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
08/26 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
09/21-23 – Pensacola Beach, FL @ DeLuna Fest 

* = w/ Soundgarden

Bonnaroo, the four-day arts and music festival (if you didn’t know that, you live in a cave), released its much anticipated schedule this week.

Finally. Now, I can decide which totally radical shows I am going to miss because I am walking four miles back from my tent or catching some other radical jams. Thanks Bonnaroo. 

To see which awesome shows you’re totally going to miss, or set yourself up for failure, visit the schedule on Bonnaroo’s site.

Video: Tupac comes back from the grave to perform at Coachella (Sorta).

“Wild Blood” has just enough of a point to prove, just enough swagger propelling the sentiment.

“we’ll fight the hipster hell/we’ll soak it all in gasoline/got matches/we are a fire/we’re cryin’ out/honestly/this wild blood will set us all free/we’re crying out/do you follow me/this wild blood/will set us all free” ~Wild Blood

Unafraid of tradition in an age where indie music too often relies on ones-and-zeroes, “Wild Blood” counters with a full-fledged offensive of chromatic and delayed guitar parts, heavy hooks and locked-down rhythms, singing the songs in the hearts of the tired and worn and willing to fight. It’s a rallying cry for the wrecked looking for more. Though they may waltz down the road of nostalgia at times, a fervent desperation to get out, get up and get on makes for a fearless onward trek of life and love.

“sure shot/you were always my sure shot/kicking up dirt in the wrong bars/hey good lookin’/you are bad news following bad news/drunk and beautiful born to lose/and if you’re wanting the truth honey/i’m falling harder and harder for you” -Pink Champagne

Words full of passion and fire glint like steel held in defense against the shadows of aging. Lovedrug doesn’t shy from embracing the darker side, letting it creep into low-end driving, occasional piano chords and hazy synth tones.

Slower moments unveil heartfelt sentiment, the type of honesty often cast aside in favor of mysterious, unearned gravitas and armchair pontificating in today’s lyrical catalog. 

“you crawl in the fire when you’re feeling down/when you feel it hurting/these ghosts have been a chasing you so/if you could violently swim to the opposite shoes/i’d be there reaching out so/i’ll be your drug if you need it, i’ll be the one that’ll chase you so hard/i’ll be the one your drug if you need it so” ~Anodyne

The album hits a steady groove with the yearning, pace-jumping “Ladders” followed by “Great Divide,” with an undeniably stadium-sized bridge. Here, on this album, we have a Lovedrug that embraces the hook like never before and it is Satisfying, although they were already pretty good at it before. 

“nothing good comes easy/nothing good is free” ~Great Divide

Well-toned, well-polished and luminescent, “Wild Blood” shines under what is easily the best production from Lovedrug (which is incredibly fascinating and wonderful, to me, given “Wild Blood” was funded by fans through PledgeMusic when previous releases were label-supported). Backing vocals are sprinkled carefully, with a hint of choir harmony, and barely-there auxiliary tones fill the space between.

by Melissa Daniels

SXSW is well underway. Check out this collaboration between M. Ward, Spotify and Rolling Stone. Ward visited the Spotify house for a performance of his new song Sad Sad Song. 

Newport Folk Festival 2012 lineup announcement. 

Video: Phish Summer Tour 2012 Announcement

Alabama Shakes blew up the set of Conan last night with the furry of how fast the band is blowing up.

And for all the right reasons. Check out their performance.

The band’s debut, and much anticipated, album Boys and Girls comes out April 10. 

Damn, this girl can play guitar. Leave it up to Bob Boilen at NPR to introduce us to yet another incredible musician in Anna Calvi. Check this out. 

Rodrigo y Gabriela - Area 52:

Kept in a case that reads:

May Spontaneously Combust.

Use only to incite uninhibited dancing and mass joy.

Laura Gibson - La Grande:

Fully developed like an older sister;

one that Zooey Deschanel et. al. can aspire to be.

[by Lucas Coolidge]

[photo by John Pusateri]

The needle may have scratched this record — but it never skipped a beat.

The local community is rallying behind the popular record shop The Bop Shop after the store moved from its longtime residence in Village Gate Square.

Lovin’ Cup Bistro and Brews in Henrietta will host “A Very Moving Event” at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 22 with all proceeds going to The Bop Shop to help with relocation expenses. The event runs all day.

The Bop Shop has not only provided vinyl collectors with a place to peruse, it’s provided some of the best live music in Rochester. Now it’s time for the community to provide for them.

The benefit includes live music from Wammo’s Band of Misfit Toys, Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby, John & Mary, Hammel on Trial, Sladki Doumi, Michael Tarbox and Chandler Travis Three-O.

The Bop Shop has relocated to a storefront at 1460 Monroe Ave. in Brighton.

Admission is $20 with all proceeds going to The Bop Shop.

[by Kevin Fuller]

Kathleen Edwards - Voyageur:

Beautifully filling the cracks between genres with substance,

but without breaking any molds.

[by Lucas Coolidge]

Somewhat of a newby to the desk of Rolling Thunder Review, Slow Club is slowly clubbing the hearts of its listeners. Surely, one of our favorite new bands. The bands second album, Paradise, wasn’t discovered until after the Best Albums of 2011 list was compiled. The band heads to The Bell House in Brooklyn on Thursday, Feb. 16. 

There are plenty of things to look forward to in 2012. Lotsa new music coming out of a lot of camps. So many albums came out in 2011 after an abismal 2010.

Rolling Thunder Review has compiled a list of expected releases, rumors and what the hells.

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