Tripping straight up hip hop out in a more indie rock leaning aesthetic, Bronx based Sonic Sum first established themselves as something that mattered way the heck back in 2000 when they dropped their debut LP, The Sanity Annex. Now, nearly eight years later, this cult crazy crew is finally set to follow up that effort with their sophomore outing Films – an album Def Jux will be delivering this February.

The name Peter Morén may sound a little vague, but here’s betting you can fill in the following band name: _______, Bjorn, & John. Got it now? Good. Let’s move on.

Given the group’s Ivy League pedigree, one might expect long-winded dissertations concerning who knows what, exactly, out of recent XL Recordings signees, Vampire Weekend. Instead, the band’s debut full length plays like precious post card pop; one side beaming in picture perfect musical snap shots of Cape Cod, Khyber Pass, New York City, Old San Juan, and South Africa; the other sketched in Ezra Koenig’s semi-legible, lyrical scribbles. KEEP READING – David Pitz

Making friends with late night television, Baeble favs Les Savy Fav will make a rather national debut when they bring their high flying performance to Conan O’Brien’s stage. With cameras fixed on his every move, we can only imagine what Tim Harrington might come with. Whatever it is, tune in this Thursday to see our favorite beard stroker in his finest, most spectacular form.

A surge of organ that will have you peddling to the chapel, some ticker tape Wurlitzer, a gang of groovy as can be percussion – shakers, bongos, tambourine, a hi-hat smack, etc - a chorus of foxy shrieks, and Cee Lo laying down lines like “Hurry little children run this way. I have got a beast at bay”; Gnarls Barkley certainly come out swinging for the soul on “Run”, the first single (?) from their new album…a collection that Pitchfork is reporting apparently now dons a name.

Deep, introspective, yet ultimately mind numbing, Richard Swift’s latest project, The Instruments of Science and Technology, proves an outing to the singer songwriter’s new electronic laboratory is an excellent opportunity to get a bit lost in your own head…which is fine depending on what one finds lurking among the neurons. Me? I’m plunging through the cracks of the cerebral cortex to find a collage of mood and thought…all shooting the shit to the kind of industrious pastiche of clicks and beats that could easily be anything to anyone. KEEP READING – David Pitz

Hailing from Montreal Quebec, We Are Wolves serve up a little afternoon rock and roll at the The FADER’s CMJ Sideshow. A street strutting brand of electro, punk, pop, and rock, this performance is as much glamour as it is grit and gusto. Freaky, filthy, yet undeniably fashionable, We Are Wolves are a creature of contrast worth gazing into the eyes of. What do you see?

Three nights, three shows, three albums from first track to last. Call it a Ben Kweller fan’s dream come true. To perform their entire catalogue would seem like a lot to ask of from almost any musician or band. But few artists relish those devoted to them quite the way Kweller does. So the Texas tunesman brought all of his celebrated recorded material to Brooklyn’s South Paw for a sold-out, three night stint. In this edition of the Green Room, Baeble’s Allison Hagendorf takes viewers inside Ben Kweller’s performance of On My Way.

You practice together, you play together, you travel together, you live together…band mates can be like family, and in the case of L.A. based Astra Heights, they really are. Consisting of a Texan bunch of brothers (plus one “honorary brother” - Bernard Yin - on guitar), Mark, James, Joshua, and Timothy Morales honed their affinity for lush British traditions while at a university in Houston – quite a feet for a band that didn’t pick up instruments until they left Palacios Texas for college. Of course, if you spend your whole life absorbing artists like the Beatles, Queen, T Rex, ELO, the Smiths, Oasis, and Blur, sometimes the music comes naturally.

With a delicious backbeat propelling his electro packed pop music, this performance from Cleveland OH’s White Williams sends the The FADER’s CMJ Sideshow into an unexpected bounce to a mixed bag of 80’s club undertones, hints of tropicalia, and relaxed vocal soul.

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VIDEO: White Williams:: “Live at the FADER Sideshow” – NYC, NY

Here’s a collaboration you can already hear working out rather famously. Zooey Deschanel – she with the woozy, chanteuse windpipes she most famously showed off in the holiday film, Elf – has apparently caught the eye of singing, songwriting guitar man M. Ward – he with a rather classic set of smoky lungs himself. The two first worked together on a movie soundtrack back in ’06, and struck up an instant kind of rapport. During the process, Deschanel let it be known she had a few songs tucked away in her computer back home, and the rest…well, we’ll hear the rest of the story this March

To the subway rap artist, headphones strapped, bass heavy beats leaking out the edges, channeling their inner B.I.G as if those in the car paid plenty of bills to hear it…keep it up. As one wannabe emcee will no doubt discover tonight, that kind of thing can get you somewhere.

Chan Marshall, better know to most by her alias Cat Power, is no stranger to the art of the cover song. Back in 2000 she released the aptly titled The Covers Record and most recently was a contributor to the I’m Not There soundtrack. So it’s not much of a stretch that for the follow up to 2005’s critically acclaimed album The Greatest Ms. Marshall once goes crate digging to offer up the eclectic “mix CD” Jukebox. KEEP READING - Jeffrey Greenblatt

Maths and English, the Mercury Prize nominated third full-length from anglo centric ambassador of grime, Dizzee Rascal, will finally see a physical release in the U.S this April. The album, which was made previously available as a digital only release from XL Recordings back in June, will be handled this time around by indie rap authority Definitive Jux. And for those looking out for little star power? Maths and English has got it. Original collaborators Lily Allen, UGK, and Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys all lend a hand. And the CEO of Def Jux, Mr El-P himself, also gets involved, providing a new remix of lead track, “Where’s Da Gs!”. - David Pitz

At last we left Little Miss I-Pod’s music video churn out, she was busy creating rather classic results. A blue sequined jump suit, a team of equally colorful back up dancers, some sweet as can be choreography. Feist’s one-take audio visual collaboration with Patrick Daughter for "1,2,3,4" ushered in quite a few “video of the year” nods from various media outlets.

While it may only be January, news from the California desert has sent visions of the sweat induced 08 festival season a dancing in my head. And with the official roll out of the Coachella bill having just been announced, I swear I can feel a massive sun burn coming on already.

From their first moment of impact, the clash of decades duking it out within the confines of Neïmo’s music is blatantly obvious. With pulsating synths, dance floor drum beats, flashy guitar showmanship, and Bruno Dallesandro’s rebel rousing vocals all exploding at once, the band coat an affinity for early 00’s nitty, gritty guitar rock with a sleek 80’s/90’s disco glam not entirely surprising to hear from four fashionable Frenchmen. While Neïmo released From Scratch to critical acclaim in their home country all the way back in early 2005, the band’s latest five song collection serves as a sneak peak of what most Americans have probably been missing out on these last few years: Bouts of bodacious rock lead by a front man not entirely afraid of sounding semi-arrogant at times. Whether panting for his very own “Hot Girl” or tempting time with an ever-confident sense of invincibility (“The Hourglass”), Bruno’s got bravado.

Having just wound up a recent string of dates in NYC, and with a new album on the way, Neïmo are certainly a band worth getting acquainted with. I had a chance to trade emails with Dallesandro earlier this month. KEEP READING – David Pitz

Yeah, I know. We dig Hot Chip’s dance floor ditties as much as the next dude. But hear us out here…When Alexis Taylor goes all sexy, slow jam on us, it really is something to be heard. From the band’s full-length follow-up to The Warning, the title track to Made in the Dark is just that…a sultry slice of geeky soul fit for most bedtime activities. Get your hands on the track…all for the small price of forking over a few bits of personal information.

Black Mountain’s sophomore effort, In the Future (Jagjaguwar), might feel a bit like rooting hand and heart for the wicked ways of the bad guy. In this, the band’s bi-polar prophecy, five prog stroking Canucks rub unhinged surges of sprawling riff rock up next to minimal bouts of apocalyptic country folk. But a closer look into this epic ode to dark arts, dark deeds, and very dark times indeed, reveals a band no so enamored with shedding blood themselves, but stoically snuffing out those who desire to do so. Root away… KEEP READING - David Pitz

Hiding behind a can’t miss set of plastic frames, a thick mess of black hair that can’t be real (can it?), and the kind of blinding outfits that could have those with migraine problems clearing out the cupboards in search of Advil, Dev Hynes, a.k.a Lightspeed Champion, sports the kind of extraterrestrial fashion sense that would probably closely resemble that of Rainbow Bright’s spunky, art school playmate (if, in fact, she ever had one). Of course all assumptions concerning the Essex bred songwriter’s hyper –hipster aesthetic go poof in the night the moment his Mike Mogis produced album, Fall Off the Lavender Bridge gets spinning in the tray. Flashy disco beats? Nope. A batch of twisty guitar cutters? Not here mate. Instead, the former Test Icicles’ guitarist offers up a country kissed acoustic set, dabbed in lots of pedal steel, and plenty of melody from the equally victoriously named vocal contributor Emmy the Great. Sure, the duo might quench the thirst of every emo kid longing for Dashboard’s glory days. But like Chris Carrabba, Lightspeed Champion offer musings of an addictive nature. I think you may have just found your new guilty pleasure. – David Pitz

Plodding their way through a voracious storm of vintage riff rock, Black Mountain churn up quite a blood soaked affair on their epic, sophomore release, In The Future. Sure, the fact that these beard stroking Canucks sound well versed in plenty of dark arts, and dark deeds may seem a bit frightening. But is there anything to fear in a group of prog metal junkies whom both Wayne Coyne and Chris Martin have taken personal interests in? Probably not. Regardless, dashing through In The Future is sure to bring plenty of classic touchstones to mind…not to mention have the listener aching to hear it all unravel in the flesh.

Wednesday evening here in New York City…barely going on seven o’clock to be precise. Skipping over the pond, Londoners are putting the finishing touches on what could only have been a fairly exciting day to be a Radiohead fan. The past few months have seen free albums, free webcasts, and free information on tour dates. Today the band was busy giving it all away yet again; this time popping off a free show over at Rough Trade Records (“best record store in London”)…that is until the police caught wind and moved it to a bigger venue. My oh my, how those kids queuing hours upon hours at Rough Trade must have scurried once they heard the news. Most, I imagine, never made it through the doors of 93 Feet East. But cheer up! The band brought all the technical mumbo jumbo they have been goofing around with lately (cameras, audio equipment, a high speed internet connection, etc) and fashioned yet another one of their clever webcasts over at Radiohead.tv for the occastion.

From the upcoming album Circular Sounds, San Francisco-based Kelley Stoltz's latest single, "Your Reverie" fits like a favorite sweater, packed with classic style, and is plenty cozy to boot. "Your Reverie" contains a certain fuzzy charm, with musical cues alternating between anti-folk fun, the likes of Pete Yorn and earlier soulful hipsters a la Nick Drake. On the surface Stoltz's flirtations are rough around the edges. But give it a good listen and it's clear this guy knows a thing or two (or ten) about composition and recording.

No doubt circled in thick red ink on most hip hop fan’s calendars for the last few weeks, one of the world’s most influential emcees, Del the Funky Homosapien, will make his return later this winter, when he triumphantly tears the wrapper off his 8th release, Eleventh Hour (Def. Jux). After 8 years of self-imposed hip hop exile – a time he spent (at least part of) voraciously consuming the complex concepts behind traditional music therapy, Del, ironically, uses his new knowledge to take a slightly slimmed down, more direct approach on Eleventh Hour. If you don’t believe one of the more intelligent wordsmiths around is dumbing it down, so to speak, look to lines like “I’m a scientific thinker, but it ain’t that kind of flex. Like, shit be seeming like its so damn deep, and it really ain’t that deep” (“Raw Sewage”) to hammer home his new, more accessible tone. Says Del of the self-produced album, “I love making music. It’s more of a habit than anything. It’s just something I do to release the stress – making music probably more than writing rhymes. Writing rhymes helps me express myself, too, but there’s a lot of stuff I can express with music that I can’t express with words.”

Today we’re proud to unveil two additions to our ever growing Green Room Series. Head below for all the details…


Shot in a makeshift, carnavalistic round house, this installment of Baeble’s Green Room testifies just why midnight in July is no time to lay low in New York City. In this rare stateside performance from the aptly named Swedish pop group, Shout Out Louds deliver a euphoric batch of songs that sound (appropriately enough) like a triumphant scream from a rooftop. In this exciting, 30-minute blitz of footage, Baeble’s Allison Hagendorf takes viewers from the front of the house to the back, in what was truly one of the most memorable performances of ’07.


In this installment of The Green Room, Allison Hagendorf takes you back to a steamy June evening at NYC’s Webster Hall. Piling an entire bill’s worth of highlights into a single show, we caught up with Brooklyn based keyboard trio Au Revoir Simone, and Austin buzz band, Voxtrot, as they prepared for one of their biggest stops to date on last summer’s tour. Check out this thirty minute program for exclusive backstage interviews, a variety of behind the scenes happenings, onstage highlights, and everything else that happens in between.

Baeble contributor Eric Silver has a lot to look forward to this year. But before he does, he has one more appreciative gaze back at 2007 in store. In this piece, Silver winds the dial back to November for a look at Sufjan Stevens' mysterious BQE Performances at BAM.
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As a new year of music and concerts begin to unfold, visions of tour dates dancing in our heads, 2007 at a glance was a juggernaut for performances. Between the Police and Led Zeppelin reuniting and touring, the Arcade Fire storming our continent, culminating in a legendary show (with an impromptu aftershow) on Randall's Island, Daft Punk's summer party in Coney Island, M.I.A. and Justice performing on consecutive nights at Terminal 5, to name just a few shows, it's easy to see where your savings and hearing went. And yet, something would seem terribly wrong if Sufjan Stevens' shows at BAM wasn't properly mentioned. KEEP READING - Eric Silver

Cinepsace. LAX. Anyone who regularly reads celebrity gossip magazines know these two terms by heart. They also know that one person has been tagged as responsible for bridging the invisible gap between Hollywood and hipsters, dance music lovers with punk rockers.

DJ Steve Aoki has managed to become yet another tastemaker in this, the first decade of the big-business-of-music destroying century. Harkening back to the days before the Beatles, and the early days of rock n roll, Aoki’s built a small empire (kind of an oxymoron isn’t it?) by grouping people together who wouldn’t normally associate with each other. Obviously both groups party hard and involve themselves in all sorts of debauchery. Lindsay Lohan’s friends with Aoki. Paris Hilton has made an appearance or eight at his functions. With all of the excess around him, Aoki has to provide a soundtrack that fits the vibe. That appears to be the basis for Pillowface & His Airplane Chronicles (possibly an allusion to his constant travel around the world to DJ various festivities). KEEP READING - Stephon Johnson

Picking apart the pieces of Cleveland OH’s ever intriguing outfit, Dragons of Zynth, is no easy ordeal. Sure, a few dives to the very depths of their hyper colored art may retrieve a few clues to the broad foundations they build their self proclaimed “audio-physio-psychic” upon. There is a bit of dub here, some streaks of soul there, and certainly enough rock chops to begin to pull the skin away from the bone. But Dragons ultimately work in mysterious ways that go unbeknownst to all but the very musicians involved…which is just fine with us. Not every musical code is meant for cracking…though we encourage you to try by checking out the band’s performance at the The FADER’s CMJ Sideshow – David Pitz

Taking inventory of the most popular French bands, it might seem appropriate to assume an entire nation’s contribution to pop music is, more or less, centered around a collective obsession with sexy, out of body anthems. Air, Daft Punk, Justice – all seem to employ hazy headed hypnotics and improvised bouts of bliss that unwind at a variety of different energy levels and tempos. Taking in the band’s spectacle at The FADER CMJ Sideshow, it certainly seems as if Turzi share plenty in common with the fellow countrymen mentioned above. But this performance also reveals a band less concerned with songwriting, and more tuned in to experimenting with a variety of influences all at once.


While only one member can boast born and raised status, it is certainly still fair to call this performance from Brooklyn Based quartet The Grey Race a high profile, hometown test…one the band passes with flying, melodic colors. Recorded at the World’s Fair Showcase during the 2007 CMJ Festival, the band pulls on plenty from their recently released debut, Give It Love, throughout this performance. Showing why the album won crowds and critics alike, Jon Darling – his glorious falsetto smoothing over any edge at all – fronts a band who should claim expertise in the field of mid tempo torch songs and elegant, melodic rock. - David Pitz

The Dodo has it bad. First of all, it’s extinct…kind of the biggest beating a species could ever take. Not only that, but the poor bird tends to serve as the ultimate metaphor for falling out of favor with the times. Don’t get with it, and you’ll go the way of the Dodo…Kind of sounds like something every struggling musician hears from just about everyone around them at some point in their life (Get a real job!)…Which actually makes embracing the Dodo as the ultimate underdog, in a way, kind of one of the more punk rock things a band could ever do. Enter San Francisco duo The Dodos.

Few bands meander as much sonic terrain in one sitting as the anything-but-straightforward sextet Blitzen Trapper. Unifying a complex concoction of 60’s psychedelia, 70’s stoner and progressive rock, and plenty of lo-fi country goodness, the band’s third album, Wild Mountain Nation, easily won us over this past year…so much so, we knew we had to film ‘em back in July at the Mercury Lounge. So when we found out Blitzen Trapper will be traversing the country on their very first headlining tour (having spent ’07 sharing the stage with the likes of The Hold Steady, Two Gallants, and David Vandervelde) this winter, you’ll have to forgive us if we well up a wee bit…one of our very own has gone and done good. – David Pitz

Some suckers wait their entire live long lives for a taste of success. Others seek out that kind of thing the first moment they can. For twenty one year old rapper/producer/”media darling” Rollie Pemberton, a life time waiting for the limelight was apparently never in the cards. Son of influential Edmonton hip hop DJ Teddy Pemberton, Rollie knew he wanted to rap by the age of 13. His mother, on the other hand, always pushed the boy to be a journalist. So Pemberton decided his best bet would be to satisfy both personal and family pressures. By 18 Pemberton was writing hip hop crit for the likes of Pitchfork, Stylus, and his own blog, Razor Blade Runner, not to mention crafting exclusive mix tapes under the Cadence Weapon moniker. In no time, Def Jam came a calling…remix work to be had. So too did Vice. Upper Class Recordings signed him outright, releasing his blistering, IDM inspired debut Breaking Kayfabe in late ’06. All that record did was sit at the top of Canada’s college charts for two months, and garner nominations for both the Plug and Polaris music awards.

Decking “Waving Flags” in little more than the cheap rags of random video montage, the first offering from British Sea Power’s forthcoming Do You Like Rock Music? certainly isn’t the most concise piece of art to cross our path. There is Yan, stalking the camera in slow motion. There is also Yan, recording something in a dingy basement. There is even Ursine Ultra – a ten foot bear usually only spotted at BSP shows…whom we presume is being played by Yan. But other than some additional scenic shots of Fort Tregantle, and a few other flag waving band members, that’s about it…though we’re certainly sold on the stratosphering anthem that is the first single from the album. - David Pitz

When you’re Radiohead, apparently you can roll out North American touring plans one little detail at a time. What follows isn’t much…just a list of the places the band intend to visit this summer. No dates, no venues…no nothin’, really. To the lucky locales we go...

While we certainly have enjoyed many an opportunity to film at some of the cities’ bigger venues, this performance from Boston up and comers Medicated Kisses illustrates exactly why cramming into a hole in the wall club is still one of the more exhilarating things one could do with their time. A high energy outfit tailor made for both suburban mall punks and legitimate lovers of rock alike, Medicated Kisses combine wicked smart pop sensibilities with a ferocious fusion of cut throat guitars and bull dozer rhythms. Tag on front woman Alanna V’s soulful presence at the helm of the quintet and this band is ultimately a highly polished, yet utterly explosive group stewing a brand of relevant rock that is sure to take them from The Annex to Webster Hall in no time at all. - David Pitz

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VIDEO: Medicated Kisses:: “Live at The Annex” – NYC, NY

Rolling out the green carpet for his upcoming tour, Jose Gonzalez will add his name to an ever growing list of musicians making efforts to curb the damage traditional touring can inflict on the planet. Teaming up with environmental non profit group Reverb, the tour will be significantly more earth friendly for a variety of reasons. Gonzalez’ rider will include biodegradable catering products, and a reduction of plastic water bottles will be facilitated by carrying reusable water bottles (imagine that!). More importantly, Gonzalez and reverb plan to calculate the CO2 footprint such a tour will leave and neutralize emissions from venue energy use, ground transportation, flights and hotel accommodations by contributing to clean renewable energy projects. I think that is worth the 50 cent supplement on general ticket purchases. In addition, fans will be able to pick up a one of a kind Jose Gonzalez sticker, the money from which will be used to purchase carbon offsets generated from the tour. Look for Reverb to have a presence as well. - David Pitz

Call it the Leslie Feist method for making it big. Scorch your voice to the point of prolonged, doctor ordered periods of absolute silence, perfect other important areas of mind, body, and soul, and later regroup with a renewed sense of vigor and enthusiasm for the art you were denied throughout the recovery process. Worked for little miss I-Pod. Now Brandon Summers is hoping he and his band, The Helio Sequence, will reap the same kind of rewards.

A bit of a reprint here, but feel it relevant since this all gets started tonight. Plus, we've updated tour dates...so really, it's like a whole new entry.

As far as we can tell from the clip below, Dance dweeb Dan Deacon is fixing to slip audiences into a hyper-colored, audio/visual induced seizure with his latest project. Collaborating with visual artist Jimmy Joe Roche, the two Baltimore pals are set to tour Ultimate Reality – which is set for DVD release on Carpark – this winter. Each show will begin with a screening and live set of Ultimate Reality (complete with two live drummers), followed by a regular Deacon set to close out the night.

As a young, hardworking independent band, the thought of being bear hugged by the welcoming arms of just the right kind of label – you know, the kind that actually gives a damn about nurturing and developing their artists over time – has got to be a bit mind numbing… double the goodness when it is the mighty Merge Records that comes a calling. So you can imagine what is racing through Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack’s heads these days. That’s because the Baltimore duo, known as Wye Oak, has officially been scooped up by the label to release their debut, If Children, on April 8th.

You gotta stop moping mate. I know those intimate Hot Chip record release parties all your friends are going to in LA and NY next month will be pretty dope. And Europe is no easy place to get to either, what with the mighty US dollar keeping you down. But really, it is no big thing. You just gotta hold out a little longer. That is because a Hot Chip induced dance-a-thon will be busting out in plenty of US cities this April. So grab yourself some tickets and spend a little time getting to know Made in the Dark (Feb. 4th). You’ll need to be up to speed if you live in any of the following places…

Lighting the kind of fire only a New Year could inspire, Kanye got crackin’ on his computer these past couple days, posting the first flurry of entries on his blog since the death of his mother. And what does the return of one of the most outspoken voices in the game have in store for his readers? Mostly light stuff…like the fact that Beyonce absolutely owns him at Connect Four. Other riveting subject matter includes product shots of the New Lamborghini Reventon, a camouflaged Mickey Mouse Doll, and a Ghetto Blaster you can hook up to a phone (because, apparently, the dude's music at the end of my subway car is just not loud enough).

Kanye talks about his battles with Beyonce...

Next time you’re tempted by the jingle in your pocket to flood your local with the sound of eighties hair bands, you might want to consider hanging on to your quareters and letting Chan Marshall punch up a few songs instead. After all…a gal who has lived in bars should certainly know her way ‘round a Jukebox. Proving it, Cat Power will follow-up the 2000 Covers album with another batch of some of her favorite songs. Backed by the inseparable Dirty Delta Blues Band, Jukebox (Matador) elegantly waltzes through a series of tracks by Frank Sinatra, Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, and Billie Holiday (among others), unearths a lost relic (“Metal Heart” – which first appeared on her Moon Pix album), and offers up a new track from Chan (“Song To Bobby”). Get all the juicy Jukebox details after the jump…

This is no way to start the New Year. From several reports all over the web comes sad news of the passing of Evan Farrell. Farrell, who died Dec. 23rd of massive smoke inhalation during a house fire in Oakland CA, served as touring bassist for Magnolia Electric Co., was a former member of Rogue Wave, and a long time collaborator for the Secretly Canadian collective Japonize Elephants. Various reactions to his passing pretty much sum up the fact that Farrell was a damn good guy, who will be sorely missed by all who were lucky enough to know him.