This could absolutely revolutionize the entire Williamsburg busking scene. Forever. Q TV now has a feature entitled “How To” With Q that features indie-bands and acts showing you how to play their songs on guitar. Thus far, the show has featured the likes of Vampire Weekend (”A Punk”), The National (”Fake Empire,” “Slow Show”), Tegan & Sara (”Walking With A Ghost”) and Sondre Lerche’s bizarrely quirky 13-minute description of  “To Be Surprised”. The old dude near Union Square that covers “Landslide” every night is never going to know what hit him. Check out the  “A Punk” video above, the video for “Fake Empire” and “Slow Show” below. Also: practice your scales, man.
(Via: Stereogum)

Words by Derek Evers
Photos by Sarahana

Last night I was asked to witness an intimate performance by Washington DC-based folk artist Vandaveer at Ditmas Park’s Sycamore. The small basement of the lounge designed by Norwegian architect Ole Sondresen (who also designed The National’s studio, who as rumor has it, is also affiliated with Sycamore), was the ideal setting for the Kentucky-born musician.
Read the full story

[Photos and words by Rez Avissar]

Big concert, and currently, every mag large and small in New York is raving about how amazing it was. I had to come out to check out what was in store, as the lineup read like a who’s who of upper-echelon indie rock, crowned by Byrne, plus Sharon Jones!?!? Of course, when you pack this many acts into a night something has to give, and each artist performed four songs or less, sort of bite-sized micro-sets.
Read the full story

The line-up for San Francisco’s second annual Outside Lands Music & Arts festival has been announced. The three-day festival will take place in late August at the Golden Gate park, and headliners include Pearl Jam, Beastie Boys, M.I.A. Dave Matthews Band, and… Tom Jones. (If that’s not enough to make you want to go by itself, than we don’t know what to tell you.)
Read the full story

Featured on The National-curated Dark Was the Night AIDS benefit compilation is the lovely “So Far Around the Bend”. We haven’t heard much from The National since their incredible Boxer LP in 2007, but “So Far” is the perfect place to catch up.
Read the full story