[News] Fitz and The Tantrums Announce New Album, Summer Tour Dates

Following up their 2010 debut Pickin' Up The Pieces, soul outfit Fitz and The Tantrums have announced that their sophomore LP will be released on October 9th via Dangerbird Records. Produced by Tony Hoffer, who has previously worked with bands such as Phoenix and Depeche Mode, the progress of the studio effort will be updated on the band's official website.

Leading up to the release of the as-of-yet-untitled album, the Los Angeles outfit will be going on tour throughout the summer and into September, touring alongside Ben Harper, Dave Matthews and Blues Traveler. The tour will also include several festival appearances, including Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco. Take a look at their full tour itinerary after the jump. 

Fitz and the Tantrums 2012 Tour Dates:
06/05 – Birmingham, AL @ WorkPlay Soundstage
06/06 – Greenville, SC @ The Handlebar
06/08 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music Festival
06/09 – Charleston, SC @ The Music Farm
06/10 – Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
06/12 – New York, NY @ Jones Beach Amphitheater *
06/13 – New York, NY @ Jones Beach Amphitheater *
06/14 – Buffalo, NY @ Thursday at the Square
06/15 – Columbus, OH @ LC Pavilion
06/30 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl #
07/01 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl #
07/03 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
07/04 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre $
07/05 – Kansas City, MO @ Crossroads
07/06 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
07/07 – Minneapolis, MN @ Basilica Block Party
07/20 – Seattle, WA @ Capitol Hill Block Party
07/22 – Dover, DE @ Firefly Music Festival
08/11 – San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands Music Festival
09/06 – Amherstburg, ON @ Fort Maiden Park
09/20 – Morristown, NJ @ Mayo Center for the Performing Arts
09/21 – Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
09/23 – Gulf Shores, AL @ DeLuna Fest

* = w/ Dave Matthews Band
# = w/ Ben Harper
$ = w/ Blues Traveler

[Watch] Johnny Depp and The Black Keys Perform Together at MTV Movie Awards

What would you do if you were awarded this year's Generation Award at the MTV Movie Awards? Well, if you're Johnny Depp, an acceptance speech is out of the question. Instead, he opted to bring The Black Keys on stage to perform "Gold on the Ceiling" and "Lonely Boy" with them. Check out Depp and The Black Keys perform the former song above, and the latter after the jump.

[News] The xx Announce Sophomore LP: 'Coexist'

It's been a long time coming, but The xx have finally announced that the long-awaited and highly anticipated follow-up to their 2009 self-titled debut album is titled Coexist and is slated for a September 11th release. It's expected that the new material the band has been playing live will make it onto the forthcoming effort. Along with the announcement, the band had this to say: “After a long time on the road, we took a break, created our own studio and wrote these new songs that we’re so looking forward to playing to you.”

With the album firmly set for release, The xx will be going on tour straight through till September 7th, just before Coexist drops. Check out their full tour itinerary after the jump.

The xx 2012 Tour Dates:
06/08 – Turin, IT @ Traffic Festival
06/09 – Porto, PT @ Optimus Primavera Sound
06/15 – Aarhus, DK @ Northside Festival
06/16 – Hultsfred, SE @ Hultsfred Festival
06/22 – Scheessel, DE @ Hurricane Festival
06/23 – Neuhausen, DE @ Southside Festival
06/27 – Arendal, NO @ Hove Festival
06/29 – Arras, FR @ Main Square Festival
06/30 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter
07/07 – Gdynia, PL @ Open’er Festival
07/14 – Joensuu, FI @ Ilosaairock Festival
07/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Fonda
07/25 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market
07/28 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix
07/29 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
07/31 – Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre
08/02 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
08/09 – Sibinek, CR @ Terraneo Festival
08/10 – Budapest, HR @ Sziget Festival
08/11 – St Pere, FR @ La Route du Rock
08/18 – St. Polten, AT @ Frequency Festival
08/19 – Biddinhuizen, NL @ Lowlands Festival
08/31 – Laois, IE @ Electric Picnic
09/07 – Isle of Wight, UK @ Bestival

[News] Bloc Party Announces First Album In Four Years

As their momentum has been building over the past couple of months, we finally have details on the highly anticipated follow up to Bloc Party's 2008 release Intimacy. The new album will be called Four and is slated for an August 21st release courtesy of French Kiss Records. The album was recorded and mixed in NYC and was produced by Alex Newport (The Mars Volta, At The Drive-In, Polysics).

The band created an album trailer which you can check out below. There are several pre-order options available, so make sure you have a look at that.

Bloc Party have tour dates lined up pre and post album release in the US and Europe. You can check out dates over on their website.

[Listen] Bon Iver Performing "Stacks" at Sasquatch! 2012 (Live Recording)

This past weekend, the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington was swarmed by thousands upon thousands of music fans attending Sasquatch! 2012, which marked its tenth anniversary this year. One of the most sought after acts during the festival was none other than headliner Bon Iver, whose 90-minute set drew in one of the largest crowds all weekend. During the set, Justin Vernon and co. performed a fantastic yet solemn rendition of For Emma, Forever Ago track "Stacks," the live recording of which you can listen to below courtesy of my good friend Alec Ross. Stream it and enjoy!

[News] Yeasayer Announce U.S. Tour Dates

Just yesterday, Yeasayer announced their third studio LP Fragrant World, an 11-track effort set for release on August 21st via Secretly Canadian. Now, following that announcement, the band has announced a massive tour in support of the forthcoming album. Following a string of previously-announced dates and a European festival circuit, the Brooklyn outfit will head across North America from July 31st to September 19th. Check out their full tour itinerary after the jump, and below you can listen to the band's fantastic new track "Henrietta."

Yeasayer 2012 Tour Dates:
06/19 – Richmond, VA @ The National
06/20 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
06/21 – Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre
06/22 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
06/23 – Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall
06/24 – Cincinnati, OH @ 20th Century Theatre
07/04 – Gdyina, PL @ Open’er Festival
07/07 – Bruges, BE @ Cactus Festival
07/08 – Liege, BE @ Les Ardentes Festival
07/09 – Utrecht, NL @ Tivoli
07/13 – Suffolk, UK @ Latitude Festival
07/15 – Ferropolis, DE @ Melt! Festival
07/31 – Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theater
08/01 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
08/02 – Syracuse, NY @ Westcott Theater
08/03 – Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall
08/04-05 – Montreal, QC @ Osheaga
08/14 – Clifton Park, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
08/21 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
08/22 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theater
08/24 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
08/25 – Omaha, NE @ The Slowdown
08/26 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theater
08/27 – Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue
08/29 – Vancouver, BC @ Eugene Low
08/30 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune
08/31 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
09/01 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
09/03 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
09/05 – Dallas TX @ House of Blues
09/06 – Austin, TX @ Stubbs
09/07 – New Orleans, LA @ The Republic
09/08 – Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
09/09 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
09/11 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
09/12 – New York, NY @ Rumsey Playfield (Summer Stage)
09/14 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
09/16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer

[News] The Shins Announce Fall Tour Dates

Continuing the success of their latest album Port of Morrow, The Shins have announced a new leg of tour dates for this fall. Starting in Seattle on September 22nd, the tour will take the band throughout the West Coast and Southwest of North America through till October 13th where they will perform at this year's Austin City Limits. Check out their full tour itinerary after the jump, with newly added dates in italics.

The Shins 2012 Tour Dates:
05/29 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Ampitheatre #^
05/31 – Council Bluffs, IA @ Harrahs Council Bluffs *^
06/01 – Minneapolis, MN @ Orpheum Theatre *
06/02 – Kansas City, MO @ Livestrong Sporting Park
06/04 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant *
06/05 – Columbus, OH @ LC Indoor Pavilion *
06/06 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore *
06/08 – Cleveland, OH @ Masonic Auditorium *
06/09 – Louisville, KY @ Iroquois Ampitheatre *
06/10 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music Festival
06/22 – Frankfurt, DE @ Luften Festival
06/23 – Neuhausen, DE @ Southside Festival
06/24 – Schessel, DE @ Hurricane Festival
06/25 – Hamburg, DE @ Grobe Freiheit 36
06/27 – Arendal, NO @ Hove Festival
06/29 – Helsinki, FI @ The Garden Party
06/30 – Borlange, SE @ Peace & Love Festival
07/02 – Gothenburg, SE @ Pusterviksbaren
07/03 – Malmo, SE @ KB Club
07/05 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival
07/07 – Lisbon, PT @ Super Bock Super Rock
07/23 – Melbourne, AU @ Festival Hall
07/25 – Sydney, AU @ Hordern Pavilion
07/27 – Byron Bay, AU @ Splendour in the Grass Festival
07/29 – Niigata, JP @ Fuji Rock Festival
08/03 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/04 – Toronto, ON @ Molson Ampitheatre
08/05 – Montreal, QC @ Osheaga Festival
08/17 – Erfurt, DE @ Highfield Festival
08/18 – Hasselt, BE @ Pukkelpop
08/23 – Zurich, CH @ Open Air Festival
08/24 – Paris, FR @ Rock en Seine
08/25 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
08/26 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
09/22 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
09/25 – Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre
09/26 – Portland, OR @ Keller Auditorium
09/30 – San Diego, CA @ SDSU Open Air Theatre
10/02 – Universal City, CA @ Gibson Ampitheatre
10/03 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre
10/04 – Albuquerque, NM @ Kiva Auditorium
10/07 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
10/08 – Atlanta, GA @ Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
10/10 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
10/11 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
10/13 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits

# = w/ The Head and The Heart
^ = w/ Blind Pilot
* = w/ The Antlers

[News] Mumford & Sons Announce Sophomore LP Release Date, U.S. Gentlemen of the Road Stopovers

It's been a while since Mumford & Sons released their groundbreaking debut LP Sigh No More (2009 to be exact), and the band has announced that the long awaited sophomore follow-up will be released in September (Note: A September 24th release date was confirmed by Dutch radio station 3FM). The news was announced by the band themselves during a performance at Pinkpop Music Festival in the Netherlands this past weekend, after which they recorded a live session with the previously mentioned 3FM radio station. During the session, the band discussed the forthcoming LP as well as performing a brand new track titled "Where Are You Now." The entire live session is available to watch after the jump.

In more Mumford & Sons related news, the band has announced that they will be conducting a series of mini festivals across the United States prior to the release of their sophomore LP. Titled Gentleman of the Road Stopovers, the mini festivals will take place in four cities, including Portland, ME, Bristol, VA, Dixon, IL, and Monterey, CA, and will see the band headlining with the help of St. Vincent, Gogol Bordello, Dawes, Grouplove, and more. Here is what the band had to say about their plan:

The Gentlemen of the Road Stopover is based loosely upon our favorite festivals like Colorado's Telluride Bluegrass and Scotland's Loopallu Festivals. We want to stop off in towns where bands don't usually tour, and celebrate the local people, food and music.

We're keen to promote the town's local businesses, and we'll be using the local bars and venues for after-show parties, whilst working closely with the local people to get everyone involved in making these shows spectacular. There will be a host of our friends playing too, and the vibe falls somewhere between 'travelling Victorian circus' and 'Victorian travelling circus'. It should be a whole lot of fun." 

Tickets for the Portland, ME, Bristol, VA and Monterey, CA events will go on sale starting this Friday, June 1st, at 10:00am local time, with the Dixon, IL stopover going on sale on June 9th at 10:00am CT. Early-bird tickets for the events will go for $59 and come in limited quantity on a first-come, first-serve basis, with general admission going for $69. For more information on the events head to the official website, and check out the full schedule and lineup for the Gentleman of the Road Stopovers after the jump.

Gentlemen of the Road Stopovers U.S. Tour Dates:
August 4 – Gentlemen of the Road Stopover In Portland, ME (The Eastern Promenade) – Mumford & Sons + St. Vincent, Dawes, The Maccabees, Apache Relay, Simone Felice, Haim

August 11 – Gentlemen of the Road Stopover In Bristol, VA/TN (Off State Street in Downtown Bristol) – Mumford & Sons + Dawes, JEFF The Brotherhood, The Very Best, Justin Townes Earle, Apache Relay, Simone Felice, Haim

August 18 – Gentlemen of the Road Stopover In Dixon, IL (Page Park) – Mumford & Sons + Gogol Bordello, Dawes, Abigail Washburn, The Very Best, Apache Relay, Haim

August 25 – Gentlemen of the Road Stopover In Monterey, CA (Monterey County Fairgrounds) – Mumford & Sons + Gogol Bordello, The Very Best, Grouplove, Two Gallants, Apache Relay, Haim