All stories about "Music"

Between now and mid-July, there are more than 40 great indie pop/rock concerts coming to town. That's good news for music lovers who are living or traveling in Paris this summer. To help you map out your evenings (and buy tickets in advance) we've tagged the 40 best shows on this Google calendar. After the jump, we present videos for our favorite 25, and name the Top Ten concerts of the summer. (photo)

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Most of what one needs to know about Finland is easily summed up in just a few lines:
Wintersun: From August to May, the Finnish night lasts twenty-five hours.
Vodka: It's kept on ice in the freezer, and the traditional Finnish breakfast is a half liter of it accompanied by a piece of smoked fish.
Reindeer: They're quick to bite, have a greasy coat, and the whole country is rotten with them.
Linus Torvalds: This king of Linuxland keeps a harem of "virtual" wives and commands a geek army.
Saunas: The Finns sweat out their vodka-and-fish breakfasts at lunchtime saunas with the boss.
Sexy: Finnish law requires all citizens to be lanky sexpots, with shimmering hair and perfect teeth.
Suicide: Finland has Europe's highest suicide rate -- but after death Finns transmigrate into even newer, sexier bodies.

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In warm spring weather, Austin feels like the best place in the world for Tex-Mex as well as food. South by Southwest won't be coming again until next March, so the city isn't completely overwhelmed by bands, but there's still no shortage of shows. When you're heading out, you probably don't want to spend dinner anxiously checking your watch against set times. Luckily there are lots of places you can eat cheaply and quickly (not just tacos) near popular Austin music venues. Think sushi before Alejandro Escovedo at the Continental Club, or brisket during Spoon at Stubb's. True, no Austin native ever seems to be in a hurry. But if you're a type-A visitor, or simply prefer lazing and listening rather to running from restaurant to club, these spots will be just the (not-sold-out) ticket. (photos: Matt Clark)

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Helen Schneider may not have immediate name recognition, but this stage siren is nothing short of a legend, especially in Berlin. She was the first American to perform behind the Iron Curtain in the now-defunct Palast der Republik. She was the original Sally Bowles in the first-ever production of Cabaret in Berlin. And she had a hit single in the early 80s off her record Rock 'n Roll Gypsy. Currently she's performing a one-woman show in the west, which will close next Tuesday. Although her resume is impressive in and of itself, the charm of her current stage production, A Voice and a Piano, has as much to do with her powerful renditions of classic songs from musicals like The Threepenny Opera and Evita as it does with her intermittent anecdotes about life on the road early in her career, including narrow escapes from the Mafia in New York, the Hell's Angels in Vermont, and showgirl pimps in Vegas, not necessarily in that order.

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NY Times' City Room published an inspiring interview with Vladmir Laksin, 57, a Polish immigrant-turned-street performer, today. After losing "all his teeth, his woman and -- worst of all -- his apartment" a few years ago, Laksin began playing the blues on the corner of 23rd Street and 7th Avenue and has been churning out his take on everything from Clapton and Hendrix to B.B. King ever since. For video of Laksin performing and more, follow the link. [NY Times]

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Most subway performers in New York City are completely sucktastic. The guy in this video might not be the greatest musician, but he's comedy gold. This may very well be the funniest (intentionally) funny underground performance I've ever seen. It involves Kool-Aid, a hilarious remix of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," and a request for free weed. The sound quality isn't the best, but if you have trouble following along, the enterprising Youtuber who posted this clip also provided a full transcript. The clip's after the jump, because just as subway singers needs your spare change and extra drugs, I need your pageviews (or extra drugs). kthnxbai.

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Who's that lucky lady rubbing oil all over former Beatle Paul McCartney's chest? It's McCartney's latest girlfriend, New York "socialite" Nancy Shevell! Nancy's an heiress whose family runs a Jersey trucking company with alleged ties to organized crime. She also works for the MTA. Sir Paul sure knows how to pick 'em!

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It's a big month for scanty electro-rock, with both Peaches and Goldfrapp making the Paris rounds. But guitar lovers have nothing to complain about in April. Along with plenty of Brit rock, the coming weeks will bring the Bellrays and our pick of the month - the Hives with Gogol Bordello. For those shows that are already sold out, fans can try eBay, the local message boards, or just show up at the venue with a sign reading "cherche billet." That mess can be avoiding by checking our calendar of what's Coming Soon. That list, plus videos and a radio player await you after the jump.

New Orleans is largely known for two things: music and food. Starting on April 25, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival has a killer lineup that includes Stevie Wonder, Santana, Ozomatli, Al Green, and The Roots. So next month might just be the best time to enjoy both of the city's specialties. In this month's issue, Bon Appetit magazine provides festivalgoers with a list of the best restaurants in the Big Easy. Their picks prove that neither the food nor the music scene in New Orleans was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The Federal Government may have forgotten about the Crescent City, but foodies and music lovers never will, so I've mapped some of Bon Appetit's favorite spots for New Orleans cuisine for your binge-eating and rocking out convenience.

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D.C.'s punk-rock heyday may have come and gone, but the music scene still thrives, thanks to the work of local musicians like the following. Like their music? Then you might like their choice in delectable dishes as well. Read on to see where the District's local rock celebrities like to chow down and why, and maybe stalk them there before they get too famous. (photo)

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While visiting Jamaica, Britain's Prince Charles and his Royal Mistress Camilla toured the former home of reggae legend Bob Marley and got a chance to rock out to some reggae rhythms. Marley's old house at 56 Hope Road is home to a museum, recording studios, and a large community of the singer's Rastafarian brethren. During their time on Hope Road, the Prince and Camilla visited with this group of Rastas and joined in on a traditional drum circle. Afterwards, Charles remarked: "I think I rather ruined that one." I wonder if anyone tried to pass the Prince a spliff while he was drumming. For Chuck's sake, I hope he doesn't realize the Rastas are basically talking about him when they're doing all that singing about "chanting down Babylon." Check out a video of all the Princely awkwardness after the jump.

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USA Today looks at the original theme songs used for airports, and their use of branding through music. The origins of the songs prove especially interesting--LAX's tune (which includes the lyric, "where the big engines roar") dates back to a 1971 country song, while Germany's Frankfurt Airport's theme song was written by "airport employee Stefan Muschalski, whose band, the Master Session Group (MSG), includes several other airport employees." The latter's too-good-to-be-true music video is viewable here. [USA Today]

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Bob Dylan played Sao Paolo last Thursday, and midway through his encore a crazy fan jumped up on stage. The overly enthusiastic young woman was "hugging and kissing him and trying to take his Cordoba hat" before she got carried off by security. Bob was clearly confused when the incident occurred, but he reportedly said he "wanted to meet the woman so he could give her his hat" after the show. There's a video after the jump, but be warned, you have to endure two and a half minutes of an awful rendition of "Like a Rolling Stone" before you see the miniskirt-wearing stalker lady. Bob's way too old for this shit.

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It seems that Bjork's recent comments (her screaming out "Tibet, Tibet" over and over during a recent performance in Shanghai) may have repercussions. "Talk of Tibetan independence is considered taboo in China, which has ruled the territory since 1951," and the Chinese culture ministry did not take the incident lightly. The government has announced that they will "further tighten controls on foreign artists performing in China in order to prevent similar cases from happening in the future." [BBC]

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1520 Sedgwick Avenue, the Bronx apartment building where DJ Kool Herc threw the first hip hop block parties, is not going to be sold to real estate developers. Although the residents of the building launched a high-profile campaign to protect it from development because of its connection to hip hop history, the sale didn't end up going through because of concerns that the financing for the project wouldn't have allowed for affordable housing programs at the apartments. Nevertheless, Kool Herc, who grew up in the building, is happy with the result. He told reporters, "it's not just about 1520, it's about all affordable housing." No word yet on whether the residents have any throwback block parties in the works to celebrate their victory. [via]

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Lovers of live music are spoiled for choice in March. The bad news: more than half of the selected shows are already sold out. But there's always eBay, the local message boards, and the option of showing up at the venue with a sign reading "cherche billet." You can avoid that mess by checking our list of what's Coming Soon and linking to the always current calendar here. Watch the videos and listen to the radio player to decide for yourself, but 'Skipper's Choice for the best concert in March is Gossip at l'Olympia. Runner-up Patrick Watson is great, but he's far less likely than Beth Ditto to take his clothes off.

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Word on the street is that Tribeca's live music staple, Knitting Factory, may be on the move. According to Brooklyn Vegan, the building currently housing Knitting Factory has been sold, and the venue recently applied for a full liquor license for 508 East 14th Street (at Avenue A). However, according to one Gothamist commenter, the Knitting Factory may in fact be headed to Brooklyn. [via]

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Metromix is also jumping on the female-appreciation bandwagon with its Ladies of the Night. The piece profiles the leading ladies of the LA club scene, be they promoters or DJs. Along with the article is a 27 photo slideshow of all the women in question, with the final photo of none other than Lohan's supposed lesbian lover/rock royalty DJ Samantha Ronson. [via]

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London-area pig farmers have gathered together in a last-ditch effort to save England's struggling pork industry...and they're doing it with the help of all-American country singer Tammy Wynette. Between 20 and 30 farmers gathered together in London last week to record a version of Wynette's classic "Stand by Your Man," with lyrics reworked in an ode to pig--cheekily titled "Stand by Your Ham." The song is now available for download via the pig industry's site, Pigs Are Worth It. [via]

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Looks like Kim Jong Il has a soft spot for classical music as well as cinema. The Communist leader has invited The New York Philharmonic into North Korea for an unprecedented performance, slated for tomorrow. The Philharmonic's concert will likewise be broadcast on North Korea's state-run television, "unheard of in the impoverished country, where events are carefully choreographed to bolster the personality cult of leader Kim Jong Il." Classical pianist and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's response on the matter: "I don't think we should get carried away with what listening to Dvorak is going to do in North Korea." [CNN]

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Looks like those in opposition of the Serbian government are finding means other than rioting with which to express their dissatisfaction and outrage. In the case of Beogradski Sindikat (Belgrade Syndicate), they're turning their mistrust into music. Here, in a video that includes a kidnapping and a masked press conference, they rap about the Serbian government's ties to the mafia, terrorists, and more. [The Day They Tried to Kill Me]

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A couple months ago, we rounded up all the skinny white potheads who've graced their album covers with scenes of New York. As a follow-up, we're attempting to map this city's varied lyrical history and have compiled a list of NYC addresses and locations mentioned in popular music (or in some cases song titles). I realize there's probably hundreds of them, since singers and rappers never shut up about New York -- so this is by no means comprehensive. In other words, feel free to drop additional NYC nods in the comments or via the tipline.

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