Santigold is back full-throttle and beyond ready to unleash this album, you can tell by the way she beams onstage when performing the new tracks. It truly is exciting to see and you should all prepare yourselves for what is about to come, it’s going to be MASSIVE. Check out a few more videos I snuck from last night’s set below including Karen O’s cameo! More videos HERE.

Setlist for 1/16 & 1/17:
Go // LES Artistes // Lights Out // God From The Machine // Get it Up // Hold the Line // Starstruck // Anne // Say Aha // Disparate Youth // Creator // Freak Like Me // Unstoppable // Brooklyn Go Hard // Shove It (w/ Spank Rock) // Fame // Big Mouth // B.O.O.T.A.Y. (w/ Spank Rock)

Fame:

Stream: Santigold – Unstoppable by diplo

I was so bummed out when the Afro-Punk Festival was cancelled back in August as a precaution for Hurricane Irene (which was all hype). The stellar line-up included Janelle Monae, Cee-Lo Green, Res, Ninjasonik, Das Racist, Kenna, and Santigold. This was also to serve as my Santi fix for the year in anticipation of the new material, and my first time seeing her live since Lollapalooza ages ago in 2009!

Fast-forwarding to last night, the first of two sold out consecutive last minute warm up shows at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Santi looked and sounded 100% on top of her game and truly excited to be onstage again. Her dancers, band, costume/prop designer, and the person in the horse costume (?) also deserve just as much attention for their theatrical performances which rounded out the dazzling 17 song set.

The new songs: Go, God From The Machine, Disparate Youth, Freak Like Me, Fame, and Big Mouth were catchy, entrancing, unique and anthemic. I cannot wait to own them, the album needs to drop ASAP! Santigold plays Music Hall of Williamsburg again tonight (I’ll be there with a better camera this time) before joining the west coast leg of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers tour.

Stream: Santigold – Go (Feat. Karen O.)

The last few times I was able to catch Glasser‘s  live show were at Fader Fort’s CMJ Showcase and at Music Hall of Williamsburg in support of GAYNGS both in October of 2010.  Fantastic sets as they were, I’ve been anxious for over a year to catch Cameron Mesirow shine (literally, check out her outfit) for her own proper show.

Glasser live at 285 Kent

Glasser played the Printed Matter holiday benefit after midnight with support from Wires Under Tension and Certain Distortion (both great bands to check out) at the intimate DIY venue 285 Kent. I found myself dancing shoulder to shoulder with kids nearly half my age for this truly electric set, featuring live versions of songs from Ring that packed an extra punch. I spoke briefly with producer Van Rivers after the show and he mentioned that Glasser has been busy with new material and will not be playing any area shows for some time (good and bad news). Hopefully the wait will not be as long and painful this time around!

Check out live videos of Plane Temp and Mirrorage below, unfortunately the lighting was red and dim. Oh and in case you didn’t know, Cameron and I are bffs now:

Stream: Glasser – Learn (John Talabot Remix)

After a successful gig Wednesday night, a second headlining show (in addition to their free Central Park Summerstage show on 8/7 with Cults and The Naked & Famous) was announced for October 26th at Terminal 5. Congrats on moving up to the larger venues guys, it’s been a long time coming! Check out the full gallery of Wednesday night’s show HERE and videos of Hurting and Live Those Days Tonight Below.

Setlist: Lovesick // Blue Cassette // On Board // True Love // Chimes // Skeleton Boy // Show Me Lights // Live Those Days Tonight // Hurting // Jump in the Pool // White Diamonds // Pull Me Back to Earth // Paris  Encore: Hawaiian Air // Kiss of Life

Friendly Fires – Show Me Lights

Setlist: Lovesick // Blue Cassette // On Board // True Love // Chimes // Skeleton Boy // Show Me Lights // Live Those Days Tonight // Hurting // Jump in the Pool // White Diamonds // Pull Me Back to Earth // Paris Encore: Hawaiian Air // Kiss of Life

In concluding the final night of their 3 sold out NYC gigs, CSS and Sleigh Bells went hard Sunday night at Bowery Ballroom. Thursday night‘s show at Webster Hall was solid but the Bowery gig Sunday night seemed much more about connecting with the audience, and for Sleigh Bells the city in which they formed. The sentiment was felt through the throbbing strobe lights, pounding soundwaves and consistent interaction with fans who spilled beer and threw their arms up in unison.

CSS nabbed the alternating headlining slot that night and delivered one of the best shows I’ve seen all year! Art Bitch kicked off the set with frontwoman/badass Lovefoxxx dressed to kill in a traditional matador traje de luces outfit. As the band powered through the 13 song set, Lovefoxxx slithered out of layers of clothing to reveal an outfit more outrageous and awesome than the last until reappearing in a prom dress and black negligee for the encore. They have successfully outdone last performance!

CSS’s setlist included a few new songs from their upcoming August 29th release, La Liberacíon, which were extremely fun and dancey. I urge those who panned the band’s 2008 second album Donkey to give it another spin after experiencing the frenzied dance party prompted by live versions of Move and Let’s Reggae All Night. The band shared plans to play New York again in October in support of their third album. And now I will anxiously wait! Check out videos and pictures from both sets below.

Sleigh Bells [full gallery]:

CSS [full Gallery]:

Stream: CSS – Rat is Dead

Stream: Sleigh Bells – Run the Heart

Cold Cave’s set was sadly quite short and for some reason Jennifer Clavin did not perform with the band, hence Life Magazine‘s omission from the set. Cold Cave will be playing Knitting Factory on July 12th to play their own gig, which will be more intimate and proper.  Terminal 5 just isn’t dark and moody enough for me.

Unfortunately I did not snap any pictures of The Kills’ set at the band’s request to remove the photo pit, however Brooklyn Vegan snapped a few.  The set kicked off with No Wow and concluded with Sour Cherry before an encore that included Lady Goodbye, Pots and Pans and Fried My Little Brains. Alison’s onstage presence is so fierce and effortless, like a black panther on the prowl that can’t take your eyes off of. The Kills return to Terminal 5′s stage on August 8th get your tickets here.

mp3: The Kills -  Pale Blue Eyes (The Velvet Underground Cover)

After 10PM a cloaked Lykke Li hopped onto the round stage for a 17-song set that included an exquisite cover of The Big Pink’s Velvet, a dance mashup of Breaking it Up and The Knife’s Silent Shout, and of course some new tracks, most notably the incredible psychedelic track Rich Kid Blues (below) before disappearing into the night with Unrequited Love. Lykke Li returns next May for two shows at Webster Hall, which you will no doubt see me at, gazing in awe.

Set List: Come Near // Youth Knows No Pain // I’m Good I’m Gone  // Love Out of Lust  // I Follow // Little Bit  // Velvet (The Big Pink Cover)  // Jerome  // Dance, Dance, Dance  // Rich Kid Blues  // Sadness // Breaking it Up/Silent Shout  // Until  // Get Some  // Possibility  // Unrequited Love

Full Gallery can be seen HERE. More video footage HERE.

I’ve seen James Murphy DJ a number of times but it wasn’t until last night that I finally saw LCD Soundsystem in concert (I especially kicked myself for missing the gig with Arcade Fire on Randall’s Island), an experience that has left me on a high leading into the weekend. Holy Ghost! followed up their very first live show (see: Holy Ghost! Live at Under 100) with the high-lauded supporting slot for LCD Soundsystem, and although the stage almost entirely dark they managed to get the crowd even more amped up for the headliner.

When the opening notes of US v Them kicked in a wave of warmth hugged me as I danced along and snapped pictures, basking in the orchestra of lights and sounds. And James Murphy loves it too! What is refreshing about seeing LCD Soundsystem work collectively onstage to put on an awesome show is that you can genuinely tell that they are having fun and doing something that comes naturally.

Surprisingly the 15 song set only consisted of 3 new songs but kept fans new and old thoroughly happy and entertained. Show highlights included Get Innocuous, All I Want, All My Friends, Someone Great and the epic closing number for New York I Love You which melted into a cover of Jay-Z’s Empire State of Mind and a balloon shower. This was definitely one of my favorite shows in recent memory but my only complaint was that Dance Yrself Clean and Home were left out, which next time I bump into James Murphy at a bar will casually plead for in upcoming shows. Spotted at the show: Karen O. with Nick Zinner (who I sadly missed) and Katy Perry.

Setlist: Us v. Them // Drunk Girls // Get Innocuous //Yr City’s A Sucker // Pow Pow // Daft Punk is Playing at My House // All I Want // All My Friends // I Can Change // Tribulations // Movement // Yeah Encore: Someone Great // Losing My Edge // New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down + Empire State of Mind

mp3: LCD Soundsystem – Someone Great [alt]

mp3: LCD Soundsystem – Drunk Girls (Holy Ghost! Remix) [alt]

The online series goes behind the scenes with 10 artists as they pick their favorite songs for an exclusive playlist. The 10 featured artists along with Florence are N-DubZ, Chipmunk, LOSTPROPHETS, Pixie Lott, Nelly Furtado, Kasabian, 50 Cent, David Guetta and Alicia Keys.

Check out my review of Florence’s first headlining New York show at Bowery Ballroom HERE.

MP3: Florence + The Machine – Throwing Bricks or zShare