The Scenestar

Los Fabulosos Cadillacs Perform in Buenos Aires

After a six-year hiatus, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs played a surprise concert in their hometown of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The location was announced via their web page and came as a surprise for many fans; for LFC, it was the official show to announce their comeback. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs recently announced that they are reuniting and will launch an extensive world tour aaaaaand a new album.

After seeing the success of the Soda Stereo reunion in 2007, which lasted only through the months of the tour, this definitely has opened doors for bands to get together, and LFC is taking full advantage.

Contest: F**K Yeah Tour in Chicago

WTF? WTH? Since The Scenestar knows that many of you are packing and heading out for vacation weekend, we figured, let’s give some tickets away for those Scenestar readers who live in another state and curse us everytime we have bombastic giveaways for our Los Angeles readers.

This time around, we are giving tickets away for the Chicago stop of the F**K Yeah Tour, a festival that originated in Los Angeles. This Chicago fest will take place Thursday, July 3, at Stan Mansion. Artists including Matt & Kim, Monotonix, Team Robespierre, Mannequin Men and Crystal Antlers will be performing, along with some comedy acts.

BRMC to Tour with Stone Temple Pilots

Here at The Scenestar, we have yet to accept Nick’s departure from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. But since changes must be accepted and we must move on, we are happy to hear the announcement that BRMC will be opening for Stone Temple Pilots during that band’s summer tour.

BRMC is one of the hardest working bands around, constantly touring and playing extensive shows. They just ended their European tour and will immediately join STP on July 25.

You can see the show list on the BRMC website. Even though most of us would rather see BRMC as the headlining band, this will be a great opportunity for them to reach new fans.

PHOTO: tessangus.com

The Last Shadow Puppets Perform @ Mayan

If you haven’t heard of The Last Shadow Puppets, the names behind the band will spark your interest.  Shadow Puppets is a side project of Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys and Miles Kane of The Rascals, and their debut, The Age of the Understatement, was produced by Simian Mobile Disco’s James Ford, who also played drums for the album. Though Understatement was released in April, the two haven’t embarked on a tour due to Kane’s commitment to his band, but starting in October, the duo will embark on a U.S. tour, which will include a Los Angeles date! The Last Shadow Puppets will perform here Nov. 3 at the Mayan Theater. Tickets for the show go on sale July 2 at 10 a.m. and cost $28 each.

The Last Shadow Puppets @ Mayan, Nov. 3

Travis to Release Ode to J. Smith

Guess what Scottish band Travis has been up to? Well, they have just completed their new album, entitled Ode to J. Smith, due sometime this autumn.

But in the meantime, you can preorder the J. Smith EP, which will be released by the band’s own label, Red Telephone Box, as a 10-inch vinyl or digital download. The three-song EP will feature “J. Smith,” “Sarah” and “Get Up.” And singer Fran Healy designed the cover art! How’s that for DIY? The last time Travis released material on their Red Telephone Box label was in 1996 for the All I Want to Do Is Rock EP.

Conor Oberst Adds More L.A. Dates

UPDATE: Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes fame is embarking on a tour for his self-titled solo album, which is his first solo work in about 13 years. Conor Oberst will be released August 5 from Merge, and he will perform in Los Angeles on the same day with his Mystic Valley Band, comprised of Nate Walcott, Nik Freitas, Macey Taylor, Jason Boesel and Taylor Hollingsworth.

Though Jenny Lewis will open for a few of the dates, Los Angeles will get Dri, whose Smoke Rings is in stores now.

Tickets for the August Troubadour show are all gone, but Oberst has added two more Los Angeles dates, slated for October. The two shows will take place at the Music Box @ the Fonda on Oct. 21 and 22. Tickets are $23 and on sale now.

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band @ Music Box, Oct. 21-22

Hot Hot Heat to Rock The Roxy Tonight

Canada’s favorite dance import Hot Hot Heat, is in town tonight, this time in a more intimate venue than their recent Wiltern and Music Box shows. Performing at the Sunset Strip Music Festival in between recording their next album, Hot Hot Heat will share the bill with Dim Mak’s The Deadly Syndrome and local favorites The Shys at The Roxy on Sunset.

Now is your chance to catch Hot Hot Heat at an intimate venue before their next album release. There will also be special secret guests at the show (is that the theme this weekend?), so it should be good times for all. More tickets have been released, so why not join in on the keyboard, synth, cowbell dance madness? See you there Scenestar fans!

Oasis Reveals New Album Details

Good Friday Scenestar readers! Word is out about Oasis’ upcoming album, Dig Out Your Soul. The U.K. band’s seventh album is set for U.S. release on Oct. 7, and the first single, “The Shock of the Lightning,” will be released on Sept. 29.

This time around Oasis is taking a new approach in the recording process, as described by main songwriter Noel Gallagher: “I wanted to write music that had a groove, not songs that followed that traditional pattern of verse, chorus, middle eight. I wanted a sound that was more hypnotic, more driving.”

Dig Out Your Soul will be Oasis’ first album released on the band’s own label, Big Brother. They also have a summer tour coming up. And they will be playing a couple of shows in Mexico, in case you want to do some traveling.

Contest: Panther + Special Guests @ Spaceland

Are you looking at your datebook and just realized that you have nothing planned for this Saturday? Well, Spaceland will be hosting an interesting night! Portland, Ore.’s Panther and Montreal, Canada’s Plants and Animals will be performing at the Silverlake venue this Saturday, June 28. But there also will be a secret, special guest band performing! Who could it be?

Sigur Ros @ Greek Theatre Oct. 2 Presale

UPDATE: Hey Sigur Ros fans, if you missed the band’s presale last week, you have another chance to score tickets to their Oct. 2 show at the Greek Theatre. There will be one via Ticketmaster on Thursday, June 26, at 10 a.m. to June 27 at 10 p.m. The password is GOBBLEDIGOOK. Tickets are $52.50 to $32.50. And there’s also the general onsale, which is this Saturday, June 28, at 10 a.m.

Sigur Ros @ Greek Theatre, Oct. 2

After announcing the release of their new album, með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly), Sigur Ros will embark on a U.S. tour this fall. The full U.S. tour schedule is below.

Ratatat Performs Two Nights @ Music Box

UPDATE: Apparently, Los Angeles just can’t get enough Ratatat. After selling out their show at the Echoplex on July 12, the Brooklyn duo, Evan Mast and Mike Stroud, will return to Los Angeles to perform two more shows at the Music Box @ the Fonda on Sept. 9 and 10. Tickets for the show go on sale this Saturday, June 28, at 10 a.m. and cost $17.99 each.

Ratatat @ Music Box, Sept. 9

Ratatat @ Music Box, Sept. 10

Currently on tour in support of new album LP3, Ratatat also will travel through Europe for much of the summer. If you want to preorder LP3, you can do so right now at Beggars Group USA. The digital copy will come with a free digital copy of the Shillers EP. You also can preorder the CD, which is released July 8.

Kooks Help to Reopen Hollywood Palladium

If you have passed by the Hollywood Palladium, you have probably seen the intense amount of construction going on there. Well, according to Live Nation, the venue will reopen Oct. 15, and one of the first acts to perform at the renovated Hollywood Palladium is The Kooks, whose show is scheduled for Oct. 28. Presale tickets for the show are on sale now to July 2 at 10 p.m. (yep, looong presale). Password: KOOKSFALLTOUR. Tickets are $28.50.

The Kooks @ Hollywood Palladium, Oct. 28

And stay tuned for more acts scheduled for the reopening of the Palladium. We hear there will be some good ones ... once they get all those plumbing problems fixed.

New Verve Album Entitled Forth

UPDATE: Following last week’s announcement that The Verve will release their new album on August 19 via the band’s On Our Own label, a few more details have been released, including the track list and the fourth album’s title, Forth.

For now, you can listen to the first single, entitled “Love is Noise,” which made its world premiere on Zane Lowe’s BBC1 show and is now streaming on The Verve’s MySpace page.

You may recall when we caught the band in Las Vegas post-Coachella, where they debuted some of the new material, but now the real thing is here, and we’re beyond excited.

Check it out and tell us what you think!

Scenestar @ Latin Alternative Music Conference

The Scenestar is happy to announce that we have been invited to participate at the 9th Annual Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC).

This conference will take place in New York City July 8-12.

LAMC features panels, exhibitions, concerts, parties and art highlighting the best of Latin Alternative.

The Scenestar will be participating in the panel, “Blogueando: How Latino-Oriented and Indie Music Blogs and Bloggers are Helping Artists Connect With New Audiences.”

Stars Set L.A. Date for Oct. 1 @ Avalon

UPDATE: Take me! Take me! Take me to the riot! Stars has rescheduled and will perform in Los Angeles on Oct. 1 at the Avalon. Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 27, at 10 a.m.

Stars @ Avalon, Oct 1

Stars had cancelled its show at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre on August 25. Tickets for that show can be refunded at point of purchase.

Currently touring in support of latest album In Our Bedroom After the War, Stars will also perform at the Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco as well as Austin City Limits in Austin.

Darker My Love Residency Announced

It’s a lovely day when there is good news from a local favorite! First, we were pretty excited to hear Los Angeles-based Darker My Love had wrapped up production on their second album, brilliantly entitled 2.

Then there was the opening slot for the recent Black Angels show, and now we’ve got word that these guys are doing a few residencies before heading out on the road with yet another Scenestar favorite, The Dandy Warhols. Whoo hoo!

Astra Heights Plays Turn Off the Radio

Back for its fifth edition, Turn Off The Radio returns with its trademark blend of indie rock, Rock En Español and live performances. Not only are they bringing the Cirque De Soleil vibe with their live aerial acrobats but also playing live is Los Angeles’ own Astra Heights! Why not beat the heat and cool down to one of the more eclectic club nights this side of Par Avion? Tonight’s event will be held at Club 740 in Downtown L.A. and is 21+. More details below.

The Return of Echo & The Bunnymen

It has been a while, but Ian McCulloch and his fellow Bunnymen are poised to release a new album this Fall. Slated for September, The Fountain will be the band’s 11th album and their first release since 2005’s Siberia.

The band currently has a one-off U.S. date scheduled in New York to celebrate their 30-year anniversary together, but we’ve been assured a larger tour is in the works. So for you hardcore fans, a trip to New York might be in order to see the guys at Radio City Music Hall on October 1. The band will be performing Ocean Rain in its entirety with an accompanying orchestra.

And the rest of us? We’ll have to wait with baited breath to see how extensive next year’s U.S. tour will be and what we can expect from the live set.

Albert Hammond Jr. to Perform at Spaceland

Strokes guitarist turned solo artist Albert Hammond Jr. is visiting Los Angeles!

He is scheduled to perform at Spaceland on July 11, which is only a few days after his new album, Como Te Llama? (Spanish for “What’s your name?”), is released in the U.S. from RCA/RED. (Check out the track listing of the album below.) The album will have an earlier release sometime this month on iTunes, but for now, you can preview new song “GfC” on his MySpace page.

Tickets for the Spaceland show go on sale Saturday, June 20, at 12 p.m. and cost $20. This show is guaranteed to sell out, just like Hammond’s last show at the Troubadour, so make sure to get a ticket as soon as you can. Parlor Mob will open.

Albert Hammond Jr. @ Spaceland, July 11

No Age Goes to Little Radio Summer Camp

It’s that time again! Little Radio is hosting its annual Summer Camp, and performing at the festivities this week is Los Angeles locals No Age. The event will take place this Saturday, June 21, and is themed “Boombox Beach Party.” Also, according to the Little Radio website: Free Drinks from Colt 45, Barokes and Rize. Tom’s Shoes, Insight, Ksubi will all be on hand with Antics Rock Band Toyota Inside and Tagine serving up the best food all summer. Available now, tickets are $15 and will benefit Little Radio’s school music program. This 21+ event will be held 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.

No Age @ Little Radio, June 21

Contest: These New Puritans @ Echoplex

British four-piece These New Puritans are currently on tour in support of new album Beat Pyramid, which has been receiving rave reviews, including an 8/10 rating in the NME.

Lucky for us, the band will stop by Los Angeles this Saturday, June 21, at the Echoplex.

And The Scenestar has three pairs of tickets to give away for this show. To enter the contest, please email The Scenestar your name by Wednesday, June 18, at 6 p.m. Yep, that easy.

Local band Meho Plaza will open, and Young Punx will perform a DJ set. And if you aren’t one of the lucky three, tickets are still available on Ticketweb. They cost $13.

Black Ghosts U.S. Album Release Party

If you’re a fan of London-based electro duo The Black Ghosts, then listen up. Theo Keating, aka Touche, and Simon Lord will be in Los Angeles for two events.

The first will be July 26 at the Echo, when they open for Does It Offend You, Yeah?. The following night, July 27, The Black Ghosts will celebrate at Turntable Lab on Fairfax for their U.S. album release party. The party will be held at 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will feature music, giveaways, drinks, games and more (but no Black Ghosts live set).

Indie label I Am Sound will release The Black Ghosts’ self-titled debut album on July 8 in the U.S. If you haven’t yet heard of The Black Ghosts, check out their YouTube or MySpace. Touche, formerly of The Wiseguys, and Lord, of Simian, formed The Black Ghosts in 2006, following the split of their respective bands.

Mogwai Flies Hawk is Howling to Wiltern

UPDATE: Mogwai is back! The Scots have just announced a U.S. tour and will perform at the Wiltern in Los Angeles on Sept. 9. Tickets for that show went on sale Friday, June 13, at 12 p.m. and cost $22.50.

Also, keep checking the Mogwai store for any presale tickets.

Support for the U.S. tour will be Fuck Buttons.

Mogwai @ Wiltern, Sept. 9

Nine Inch Nails Los Angeles Dress Rehearsal

Following in the steps of Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails has been taking advantage of the digital revolution by releasing their latest albums (Ghosts I-IV and The Slip) for download at the rate fans are willing to pay. In anticipation of their latest tour to showcase their new music, Nine Inch Nails will be having a dress rehearsal in Los Angeles to prep for the upcoming tour.

The upcoming tour will be supported by Scenestar favorites Crystal Castles, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, A Place To Bury Strangers, White Williams and Deerhunter. More details concerning the private dress rehearsal will be posted as soon as The Scenestar gets them.

Ed Harcourt Album Release and U.S. Tour

For those of you who have counted the days for Ed Harcourt’s 2006 album to see a U.S. release, your time has come. It just took two years. The Beautiful Lie has finally come out stateside, and Ed has a slew of tour dates to promote it. The tour kicks off in Los Angeles on July 10 at The Roxy, where he will open for his friends and sometimes band mates, The Gutter Twins.

Just last week, Ed made his U.S. TV debut on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, so before you know it, he’ll be a household name, right? If you missed it, thanks to the marvels of modern technology, you can check out the performance here.

Beck @ Echoplex THIS FRIDAY! CANCELLED

UPDATE: Beck has cancelled his special show at the Echoplex on Friday, June 13 due to illness. Tickets will be refunded through Ticketweb.

Beck Announces a Special Los Angeles Club Performance:
Date: Friday, June 13th
Location: Echoplex. Enter at 1154 Glendale Blvd. between Park & Scott Avenues in Echo Park.
Password: CHEMTRAILS

Beck @ Echoplex, June 13

Hammer Museum Likes to Rock

In conjuction with Indie 103.1, the Hammer Museum will again host its “Also I Like to Rock” program, and July’s lineup is pretty exciting. Scenestar favorites The Duke Spirit (July 17) and Tokyo Police Club (July 24) are scheduled to perform, along with locals Nico Vega (July 3) and The Deadly Syndrome (July 10). For the full schedule, visit Hammer.ucla.edu. All the performances start at 8 p.m. and are free, so get there early!

Tegan and Sara: 4 Nights at Music Box

UPDATE: How much do you love Tegan and Sara? Well, the Canadian twin sisters are about to test your faith and devotion when they perform four, count ’em, four shows at the Music Box in Hollywood. The four-night residency will run from Oct. 16 to Oct. 19. Tickets for the shows will go on sale June 23 at 10 a.m. Each ticket will cost $33. There also is a four-day pass available for $132.

Tegan and Sara @ Music Box, Oct. 16-19

Tegan and Sara have been touring tirelessly in support of fifth album The Con, and their U.S. tour will go into the end of this year, including festival appearances at the Treasure Island Music Festival and Austin City Limits.

Crystal Castles Adds Second Roxy Show

UPDATE: Having trouble getting into the hottest sold-out show of the week (besides The Lakers, of course)?

No worries Scenestar fans! Due to overwhelming demand, the Crystal Castles have added a second show at the Roxy, Friday, June 13, at midnight.

According to the Roxy website: For now, tickets will only be available thru the Roxy box office, so call us soon and join the party. You can reach us at 310 278 9457! See you then!

There also will be a contest hosted by the Roxy, Dim Mak, Hard and Indie 103.1 FM, with the grand prize consisting of four tickets, a VIP table, food and drinks (soda if you're under 21) along with some goodies. For contest details, click here. Wednesday night is sold out, so make sure you get your Friday tickets and enjoy the dance insanity that is Crystal Castles.

The Walkmen: Two Nights at Troubadour

After a brief tour late last year, The Walkmen has announced the completion of its fourth album, entitled You & Me, which will be released August 19 via their new label, Gigantic Music.

The band also has scheduled a few tour dates, including an appearance at this year’s Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle and two dates at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. Tickets for the WeHo shows on August 21 and 22 are available now and cost $17 plus service fees. Richard Swift & Sons of National Freedom is scheduled to open.

The Walkmen @ Troubadour, August 21-22

Nick Jago Announces Split from BRMC

A sad day in the land of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is upon us. Only days after playing the Ink 'n' Iron Festival, drummer Nick Jago posted to the band's official site announcing his departure from the band. Though it may not come as a huge surprise to those close to the band, it still marks a new chapter for Peter Hayes and Robert Levon Been, as they attempt to work with a new drummer for the first time in the band's nearly 10 years together.

Nine Inch Nails @ Forum Presale

UPDATE: Bow down before the one you serve, because Trent Reznor is coming to town. After shunning the U.S. during the Year Zero tour, Nine Inch Nails has announced a fairly extensive North American arena tour this summer, beginning July 25 in Pemberton, B.C.

Trent and his rotating cast of characters will come to town for the Lights in the Sky tour on Sept. 6 when they play The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. Tickets for the show will go on sale June 25 at 5 p.m. PST via the NIN website. You must register at NIN.com in order to access the presale. The official onsale is Saturday, June 28. Deerhunter will open the show.

Coldplay Adds Second Forum Show

UPDATE: Los Angeles loves Coldplay. The U.K. band has already sold out their July 15 show at the Forum in Inglewood and has added another performance on July 14. Tickets for this second show are now available and cost $94.50 to $46.50. As previously reported, Coldplay is touring in support of new album Viva La Vida, which will be released stateside June 17.

Coldplay @ Forum, July 14

Coldplay @ Forum, July 15

Contest: Elvis Costello Momofuku Prize

After recently performing at the Hollywood Bowl with The Police and surprising locals with a last-minute show at the El Rey Theatre, Elvis Costello and the Imposters are continuing to tour in support of new album Momofuku, which is now available via Lost Highway Records.

If you haven’t had a chance to get a copy, The Scenestar is hosting a Momofuku contest! Three lucky winners will receive the CD and vinyl as well as a poster and a stencil. The poster image is the photo collage shown in the CD artwork, while the stencil is a 7” x 11” cardboard piece with “Momofuku” blocked out for stenciling, like the album cover art. To enter, please send your name and the mailing address where you’d like the prize pack to be shipped to The Scenestar email by Tuesday, June 10, at 6 p.m. Please remember to include your shipping address or you will not be entered to win. Good luck!