Check out The National performing their new song, “Graceless,” on last night’s Colbert Report. While you’re at it, go ahead and grab your tickets for their June 5th show at Barclays Center, available at Ticketmaster.
Chrisette Michele Celebrates ‘Better’ Aboard SOB’s Summer Splash Cruise
On Tuesday, June 11, SOB’s Summer Splash Concert Cruise series invites you to spend the evening on a luxurious yacht with one of R&B’s most luxurious voices, Chrisette Michele, performing in celebration of the release of her new, much anticipated album, Better. The yacht boards at Hudson River Park’s Pier 40, at Houston Street, at 6:30pm, and sets sail at 8pm. Tickets are available through Ticketweb. More information on the Summer Splash Concert Cruise series can be found at summersplashconcertcruises.com
Chrisette Michele released her first album in 2007, delivering several chart-hitting singles including “Be Ok,” which won her a Grammy for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2009. Her second album debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard 200 that same year, officially establishing her as a major talent. Besides her own projects, she’s been featured on several hip-hop tracks, and has worked with rappers like Jay-Z, Nas, and Ghostface Killah.
Having dropped her last album in 2010, Michele’s award-winning voice has been noticeably absent from the music scene. Her hiatus was, for her, a necessary one. She’s spent the time away working on her own happiness and well-being, from adopting a healthier lifestyle to becoming more comfortable with vulnerability. Better is a reflection of her efforts and success in being just that, better. In her own words, “This album about me is about having as much fun as possible and showcasing my healing. Being able to sing these songs is about the ability to be able to love again.”
Please direct all press and media inquiries to Alex Damashek at Alex@MoveForwardMusic.com.
Soon to Tour, Pharoahe Monch Drops Video for “Haile Selassie Karate”
Despite plans to release a new LP this fall, Pharoahe Monch is still cultivating buzz for his last solo album with the release of the music video for “Haile Selassie Karate.” The visual story line proves just as dynamic as the song itself, picking up from earlier videos of Monch, Jean Grae, and Royce Da 5′9’s posse cut and Greazy’s “Kill Screen.” We watch as Assassin 13 leaves the U.S. in search of a more hospitable cultural climate, and finds himself in Mitchell’s Plain, South Africa, where he witnesses hip-hop roots in action. Luckily, Monch will be residing stateside this summer, where he’ll be launching a tour in support of his upcoming LP, PTSD. Stay posted, more info on upcoming tour dates soon! — Shouts to Okayafrica
Xenia Rubinos: “Sonic Cubism”
Xenia Rubinos released her already critically acclaimed / universally-well-reviewed debut album, Magic Trix, last week and celebrated with a vocally mind-blowing performance at Brooklyn’s Cameo Gallery on Friday, May 3rd. The venue was packed wall-to-wall, and the crowd was enthusiastic, interactive and ultimately, impressed.
“Magic Trix now resides somewhere between my bones and my tendons. I don’t think I’m getting my keys back. I love that record, and I’d experienced it only via earbuds and desktop speakers, so walking into Cameo brought on a large and simple gladness. It’s like the spaces where I saw punk bands in the ’90s—dark, close, and narrow. Hell for a claustrophobe, which is usually me. But I was yearning for submersion in the liberating, original sounds that Rubinos and collaborator Marco Buccelli make. Yes, there are words; yes, there are beats; yes, you’re familiar with the instruments they employ (organs, drums, vocals). But it’s sonic Cubism. I wanted to know what that felt like on my skin.
The answer is ‘damn good.’…”(Keep Reading at Smashpipe)
Xenia continued the momentum and celebrated Cinco de Mayo properly with the release of her new visual for “Whirlwind,” below.
Heliotropes One of Red Bull Sound Select’s Must-See Bands This Season
Red Bull Sound Select has dubbed Heliotropes as one of this festival season’s must-see bands. See for yourself why in the video below where Heliotropes play their new single “Psalms” at the SXSW Red Bull Sound Select Stage.