Phish Reunite in VA

After months of rumors, scheduling and ticket controversies, Phish has finally taken the stage once again. They officially reunited at Hampton last weekend for three nights, playing long and varied sets spanning their entire existence. With fans perhaps feeling a bit rusty in the way of attending one of these shows, reports came out after the weekend that police confiscated over a million dollars of drugs and thousands of dollars of cash, with hundreds in attendance going to jail (Smoking Gun has some mug shots). Not that this ruined the fun for the rest of the around 75,000 who made the trek to Virginia Beach, who now look forward to their upcoming summer tour. If you regret missing out on the fun, grab a live recording of each show at LivePhish.

The Wrens Return
Last night, The Wrens played their first New York City show in over two years to a sold out Bowery Ballroom. Their set was part of a KEXP benefit, and with Titus Andronicus and We Were Promised Jetpacks opening, fans eagerly awaited hearing what these fellas had been up to all this time. With perpetual rumblings of another album on the way, this show acted in part as a showcase for some new stuff. The band played several new songs, along with what seemed like the entire Meadowlands album all the way through, with very little else in the way of their back catalog. They went on for over an hour, but ended somewhat abruptly with a quick solo song by Kevin as the only encore. For those hoping for more, they will be at Bell House on April 10th.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs Try to Beat the Leak
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are trying to make the most out of a crummy situation. Once word got out that their latest album slipped out of their clutches and onto the internet over a month before it was scheduled for release, they moved to cut it off at the pass, pushing through an early online release this week. The move was an attempt to give those fans that would otherwise not be trolling the net looking for pirated music a chance to get the album, nullifying the temptation of those who were otherwise hoping to purchase. Considering this record will likely find it's way on the top of many best of 09 lists, this seems like a smart move trying to capitalize on the leak buzz as best they could. You can get the digital version, or pre-order various physical copies with an instant free download at their website.

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