KCRW WELCOMES TORI AMOS

What a FANTASTIC week at KCRW. First, Ray Lamontagne and now TORI! If you didn't get the chance to see her perform live on Morning Becomes Eclectic...now you can!

BLACK KEYS' DAN AUERBACH ANNOUNCES WINTER TOUR

Dan Auerbach—best known as half of The Black Keys—will embark on a winter tour beginning November 5 in Columbus, OH. The tour, which includes shows at New York City’s Webster Hall, Nashville’s Cannery Ballroom and Philadelphia’s Theater of the Living Arts, arrives on the heels of Auerbach’s critically acclaimed solo debut Keep It Hid, recently released on Nonesuch. The album received wide praise from The New York Times, NPR’s Fresh Air, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. Opening for Auerbach on the fall dates are Justin Townes Earle and Jessica Lea Mayfield. Please see below for tour details.

Keep It Hid was produced and engineered by Auerbach at his studio Akron Analog and features him playing a variety of instruments, including drums, guitar, percussion, and keyboards. Many of Auerbach’s friends and family play on the album, including his uncle James Quine, who contributes vocal harmony and electric guitar on the track “Street Walkin.” Other musicians include Jessica Lea Mayfield, who sings on the track “When the Night Comes,” and Bob Cesare, who plays drums on “Whispered Words,” a song originally written by Auerbach’s father. Of the recording process Auerbach states, “I wanted a live, organic sound. Nothing was too plotted or planned, just a lot of spontaneity.” The record was mixed by Auerbach’s good friend Mark Neill at Neill’s Soil of the South studio.

With his Black Keys bandmate Patrick Carney, Auerbach has recorded five critically acclaimed full-length albums, beginning with 2002’s The Big Come Up. 2008’s Attack & Release debuted on the Billboard Top 200 chart at #14, marking The Black Keys’ highest position to date. The New York Times called it a “savage, bitter concoction built on a snarling punk-rock riff,” while the Los Angeles Times called it “without doubt the Keys’ most dynamic effort yet.” Auerbach also has been busy with his own record label, Polymer Sounds, for which he produced the 2008 debut from Jessica Lea Mayfield With Blasphemy, So Heartfelt; Pitchfork praised Mayfield’s album as “fascinating and endlessly listenable.” On November 18, 2008, Nonesuch will release a DVD produced and directed by Lance Bangs titled The Black Keys Live at the Crystal Ballroom.

TOUR DATES:

November 5 Newport Music Hall* Columbus, OH

November 6 The Majestic Theater* Detroit, MI

November 7 Phoenix Concert Theater* Toronto, ONT

November 8 Le National* Montral, QC

November 9 The Paradise† Boston, MA

November 11 Webster Hall† New York, NY

November 12 Theater of the Living Arts† Philadelphia, PA

November 13 Sonar* Baltimore, MD

November 14 Cat’s Cradle† Chapel Hill, NC

November 16 The Orange Peel* Asheville, NC

November 17 Variety Playhouse* Atlanta, GA

November 18 House of Blues* New Orleans, LA

November 20 Minglewood Hall* Memphis, TN

November 21 Cannery Ballroom† Nashville, TN

December 3 Turner Hall* Milwaukee, WI

December 4 First Avenue* Minneapolis, MN

December 6 The Bluebird* Bloomington, IN

December 8 Southgate House* Newport, KY

December 9 House of Blues* Cleveland, OH

LISTEN TO TORI AMOS ON KCRW TODAY!

Legendary artist Tori Amos sits at the piano to perform songs from Abnormally Attracted To Sin and shares her thoughts on Morning Becomes Eclectic.

Today at 11:15am

THE DAILY 10 WITH CAITLIN CROSBY

Caitlin Crosby was on E!'s The Daily 10 last night talking about dating Zach Levi from TV's "Chuck", all the cute actors in her video for "Still Have My Heart", her new album 'Flawz' and the inspiration behind it.

THE DEMISE OF PANIC AT THE DISCO

While Panic! At the Disco fans continue to mourn Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker’s departure from the band, Ross talked to MTV to reiterate that creative differences over the direction of Panic!’s third album caused the split. In the past few months, tensions between members during the writing process split Panic! into two camps: Ross & Walker versus singer Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith. For a period, the two factions weren’t talking at all, but Ross tells MTV that late last month, he met with Smith to discuss the future of the band. It was then that both parties agreed that a split would be the best move for everyone involved. “I guess it got to the point where there might have been too many cooks in the kitchen,” Ross said.

“Brendon’s more of a Peter Gabriel fan, and I’m more of a Ray Davies fan,” Ross told MTV of the two songwriters’ different styles, noting that Urie is more polished pop-leaning while Ross prefers the classic rock sound of bands like Davies’ the Kinks. “Brendon has always been a fan of pop music, but that’s such a broad term, because I guess I would say I would be too, but in a different way. Jon and I are still very much influenced by the Beatles and Beach Boys stuff and the Kinks and stuff like that,” Ross said. “And so that’s the stuff we were writing at my house … that’s the stuff we’re going to make now.

While Ross and Walker are on good terms with their former bandmates, Ross says he still hasn’t talked to his Decaydance Records boss and Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz, who has frequently Twittered about how the new Urie/Smith demos are a welcome return to Panic!’s A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out sound. Ross adds that he and Walker are working hard on their own project, recording with Pretty. Odd. producer Rob Mathes. Urie and Smith, meanwhile, are currently demoing songs for the band’s third album, and as Rock Daily reported have promised fans that their tour dates opening for No Doubt and Blink-182 won’t be affected by the split. Panic! also resurrected their exclamation point after a brief hiatus.

SOURCE: ROLLINGSTONE.COM

IN CASE YOU MISSED EM...

"You Found Me" was just one of the song The Fray performed live on the Today Show's concert series the other day. In case you missed it...

SONGS FROM ME...JAMES MORRISON

James Morrison has released a new webisode on Imeem titled Songs From Me, Clips For You #2-Behind the Scenes with James. In this webisode James takes you with him on his promotional tour where you get to see all of his crazy antics. There will be more webisodes coming in the near future.


Songs From Me, Clips For You - James Morrison

ANYA COVER'S T.I.

California singer/songwriter Anya Marina has been covering rapper T.I.'s hit "Whatever You Like" live at shows for months. Today, Anya releases a studio version of her cover on iTunes, recorded in Los Angeles with Will Golden and mixed by long-time Morrissey guitarist/collaborator Alain Whyte, who also plays guitar on the track. The track features additional arranging from Unwritten Law's Scott Russo, and drums were played by Louis XIV's Mark Maigaard. The studio version is now available at iTunes along with Anya's new single "All The Same To Me" for only $.99.

Visit http://tinyurl.com/anyamarina-itunes to download both, or head to Anya's MySpace page to listen to "Whatever You Like": http://www.myspace.com/anyamarina. "Whatever You Like" streams:

REAL - http://atlantic.edgeboss.net/real/atlantic/anya_marina/audio/whateveryoulike/anya_marina_whatever_you_like.ram

WIN - http://atlantic.edgeboss.net/wmedia/atlantic/anya_marina/audio/whateveryoulike/anya_marina_whatever_you_like.wax

THEIR BACK...

After several years of solo and other projects, Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor are once again touring and recording as Azure Ray. Following a one off show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles this past November, Azure Ray are planning their first run of US dates in over five years! The tour starts tonight in Portland and runs through Omaha on July 24, where they will play a free outdoor show with Cursive and Flowers Forever. Full tour dates are listed below.

Orenda Fink has spent the time off from Azure Ray recording a solo record (Invisible Ones, 2005), while also forming two separate band projects, Art In Manila (Set the Woods on Fire, 2007) and O+S (O+S, 2009), all released via Saddle Creek. Maria Taylor has released two solo records for Saddle Creek (11:11, 2005 and Lynn Teeter Flower, 2007) and one for Nettwerk (LadyLuck, 2009).

Following the tour, Orenda and Maria plan to use the fall and winter months to begin writing and recording the fourth Azure Ray full-length for a tentative 2010 release.

***Press for the upcoming tour is being worked by Saddle Creek. Please drop a line to jeff@saddle-creek.com with any questions you may have. Music, preview interviews and guest list spots for shows are available!***

Azure Ray - Summer 2009
Fri-Jul-10, Portland, OR, Mississippi Studios
Sat-Jul-11, Bellingham, WA, The Nightlight
Sun-Jul-12, Seattle, WA, Neumos
Tue-Jul-14, San Jose, CA, Nickel City Arcade
Thu-Jul-16, San Francisco, CA, Great American Music Hall
Fri-Jul-17, Santa Barbara, CA, Velvet Jones
Sat-Jul-18, Pomona, CA, Glasshouse
Fri-Jul-24, Omaha, NE, Wild About Omaha at Slowdown/Film Streams
7/24 with Cursive and Flowers Forever

KCRW WELCOMES RAY LAMONTAGNE

American troubadour Ray LaMontagne creates modern folk songs that are lush and earthy. Joined by his band, he performed live songs on Morning Becomes Eclectic the day after he headlines KCRW’s World Festival at the Hollywood Bowl.

WORLD PREMIERE VIDEO - MATISYAHU

Once again teaming up with director Paul Brown (also directed the music video for "King Without A Crown"), Matisyahu returns with the first music video from Light,
his first full-length album in three years.

"The idea was to create this kind of organic, underground vibe of how the music and the message gets spread, which is kind of how it happened for me the first time around. It's just people talking to each other and getting out there, spreading the word. In the video you have kids going around the city and putting up posters and fliers and it kind of creates this buzz thing that happens, and ultimately climaxes into this larger thing," explains Matisyahu.

"It kind of goes along with the message of the song 'One Day' and the conscious, positive message. I guess it's how consciousness and positivity get spread like a wave. It starts with a few people, one person does this one good thing and it's like a chain, where you go from one good thing to the next. That’s the idea of the song,that positivity and goodness can spread in that same kind of way."

I wish there were more songs and artists like Matisyahu. His music is so positive and inspirational. It really makes me want to strive to be a better person and do better things.


LIGHT HITS STORES AUGUST 25!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

Andrew Bird performs on the tonight show with Conan O'Brien. "Oh No" from Noble Beast. We really wanted to check out his show at the Hollywood Bowl on Friday night, however, it was my birthday so I couldn't make it out.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

Ray Lamontagne was in town over the weekend. Before his gig at the Hollywood Bowl, he found some time to stop by the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.

I was at the show Sunday night - I'll have a full report shortly! Thanks to my buddy Zac for scoring these tix for my birthday.

FRESH NEW MUSIC

In celebration of the release of their debut record, Horehound, on July 14th, Jack White's new band The Dead Weather, will take over the WOXY (http://www.woxy.com/) airwaves for an exclusive day-of-release DJ set.

Kicking off at 1pm, tune in as fellow bandmates Alison Mosshart (The Kills), Dean Fertita (QOTSA) and Cincinnati hometown boy, Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs) join in the festivities. The show will also repeat Saturday, July 18th from 4-6PM.

Pick up your copy of Horehound here: http://horehound.warnerreprise.com/ And don't forget to check out The Dead Weather's latest short flim for new single, "Treat Me Like Your Mother", directed by Jonathan Glazer exclusively on Myspace!http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=60318452

WORLD PREMIERE VIDEO - THE DEAD WEATHER

The new video from The Dead Weather premiered on Cinemax on Satuday night. "Treat Me Like Your Mother" is the latest video that was driecetd by Jonathan Glazer, and it features a modern day shoot out with Jack & Alison. I didn't quite get the concept of it but the video production was pretty cool, and Alison looked BAd ASS!