stellastarr* & Ra Ra Riot to Play Benefit at Highline Next Week

stellastarr* and Ra Ra Riot are playing at Highline Ballroom next week to benefit The Kor Project and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of New York.

According to their website:

The KOR PROJECT was created with the premise of creating a unique social setting that blends the best parts of a live concert and the opening night of an art exhibition. Beginning operations in the summer of 2007 the KOR PROJECT has long term goals of capitalizing on the growing trend of putting the "art" in "party" by orchestrating a series of events centered around discovering new music and fine art on the same night at the same venue.

Over the last 5-10 years there have been a few extremely underground groups like Start SOMA, Tactility and Gen Art, who have successfully produced one-off events where the roster of visual artists or short films and fashion designers shares top billing with the DJs or other musical talent. The KOR PROJECT takes this event-based formula to a new level, providing a gallery setting with multiple art mediums backed by a live concert showcasing up-and-coming bands that are still a bit off of your radar. The creators of the KOR PROJECT have also decided to partner up with a rotating roster of non-profit foundations and other charitable organizations to promote their cause to a new demographic.

Tickets available here.

steallastarr* - "Love and Longing" mp3

stellastarr* Splits From RCA, NYC Gramercy Date Changed

Just got word that the NYC date on stellastarr*'s mini-tour has been pushed to Wednesday, March 7, due to some building issues at the recently refurbished Gramercy Theatre...

Also, NME reports this week that the band has split from RCA, who put out the band's first two albums.

"(Singer Shawn) Christensen disclosed that Stellastarr*'s decision to leave RCA - which released the band's first two full-length albums - was prompted by the merger of its parent company with another major label.

"It was sad to watch a label that was doing perfectly fine on its own suddenly change their entire structure. Different people were running the show and we weren't profiting from any of it," he said."

Read the rest of the story here.

Here's the updated tour itinerary:

Feb 5 2007
8:00P
Casbah
SAN DIEGO, California

Feb 6 2007
8:00P
Safari Sam's
LOS ANGELES, California

Feb 7 2007
8:00P
Troubadour *SOLD OUT*
WEST HOLLYWOOD, California

Feb 8 2007
8:00P
Popscene
SAN FRANCISCO, California

Feb 9 2007
8:00P
Rickshaw Stop (DJ Set only)
SAN FRANCISCO, California

Feb 10 2007
8:00P
Bottom of the Hill *SOLD OUT*
SAN FRANCISCO, California

Feb 13 2007
8:00P
Rock n Roll Hotel
Washington D.C.

Feb 15 2007
8:00P
North Star Bar
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania

Feb 16 2007
8:00P
Middle East
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts

Mar 7 2007
8:00P
Gramercy Theatre
NEW YORK, New York

stellastarr* - "On My Own (WFNX Session)" mp3

stellastarr* Playing Gramercy Theatre in February

from the press release:

stellastarr*
ANNOUNCE FEBRUARY 2007 U.S. TOURDATES

stellastarr* will take a break in February from writing their next album to play some intimate shows for their fans along the east and west coasts. The band has been demoing their new songs to tape in Philadelphia and have begun to post them on their myspace page. In line with how and why they originally formed, the new songs are raw, full of conviction and epitomize a project created by inspired art schoolers.

February 5th * San Diego * Casbah
February 7th * Los Angeles * Troubadour
February 10th * San Francisco * Bottom of The Hill
February 13th * Washington, DC * Rock N Roll Hotel
February 15th * Philadelphia * North Star Bar
February 16th * Boston * Middle East
February 22nd * New York City * Gramercy Theatre

Monsters Are Waiting will be main support for the tour.
Tickets have just gone on sale for every show except New York. Tickets will go on sale on Friday, January 12th for the New York show at the brand new Gramercy Theatre (located at 127 East 23rd St, NYC).

A demo version of the new track "Warchild" can be heard at stellastarr*'s MySpace.

stellastarr* - "A Million Reasons (WFNX-Boston Session)" mp3