Thu, 09/03/2009 - 9:20 pm

The new album ‘Kaleidoscope’ is Tiësto’s 4th artist recording and is expected to reflect the growing stature of a man who many consider to be the world's biggest DJ. The first single, titled ‘I Will Be Here’, was released on July 28th on Ultra Records, following the debut on BBC’s Radio 1.  The video for this single was premiered exclusively on MySpace on August 7th, and recently reached in the Top 10 on the Itunes Dance Chart.

Tiësto’s career highlights to date are many, but recent exploits include a GRAMMY nod for his last artist album, ‘Elements of Life’ and headlining both Coachella and Bonnaroo Festivals. With over 1 million Facebook friends (the largest of any electronic artist on the planet), global brand sponsorships deals and sell out headline shows around the world, Tiësto is on the crest of a wave which is only set to continue.  He also sits at the helm of his new label Musical Freedom, a recent development since he parted ways with the Holland-based Black Hole record label.

In addition to being a huge live draw (Tiësto recently staged his own outdoor headline show to a sold out crowd of 25,000 in London’s Victoria Park) Tiësto is also one of the world’s biggest names in remixing, with recent work completed for Bloc Party, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Killers, and Calvin Harris. The forthcoming long player will cement the reputation of a truly global superstar in the prime of his career.

Tiësto had this to say regarding the new album and forthcoming North American tour:  “I'm very excited to work with Ultra Records to release Kaleidoscope. The company understands my artistic vision for the project and brings a lot of forward thinking to what I believe is my best record to date.  Most importantly, I can't wait to start playing this record out!  It will be special to start off in New York City, then go all over North America for our first leg of the tour.”

The release of Kaleidoscope on October 20th will be supported by a worldwide tour in 2009-2010, taking the Kaleidoscope live experience out on over 175 dates, across 5 continents. North America in Sept–Nov 2009 will range from arenas and coliseums to intimate nightclubs.

More on the new record, ‘Kaleidoscope’ Tiësto:

tiesto2009 is very much about business as usual for Tiësto.  After a run of four top-selling electronic artist albums, the electronic pioneer has made Kaleidoscope, an artist album in the truest sense: a stunning collection of songs written and recorded in collaboration with a variety of music talents from the worlds of dance, pop and rock: Jónsi Birgisson from Sigur Rós, Kele Okereke from Bloc Party, Nelly Furtado, Calvin Harris, Emily Haines from Metric, to name a few. Having made the DJ performance an artform, Tiësto has now made the dance album an artform.

“The starting point was to work with different artists that I liked,’ Tiësto explains, ‘it was as simple as that. ‘Sigur Rós make beautiful music. Bloc Party are fantastic and exciting and innovative. But the hardest thing initially was to get those kind of people to collaborate. They don’t work with dance artists as a rule, and especially not a dance DJ, but when we started producing these tracks, I was surprised at how well the styles work together.”

Once the artists had seen YouTube clips of Tiësto’s crowd-wowing performances, like the one of him playing in front of 250.000 people on the beach in Brazil, and once they’d heard the tracks he’d been writing, they all jumped at the chance.

First on board were Tegan and Sara, the Canadian indie duo and twin sisters. Tiësto had remixed their single “Back In Your Head”, and in June 2008 they met in Vancouver. “I realized what great songwriters they are – I gave them a track to write on and they did an amazing job.” In his home studio in his hometown of Breda in Holland, Tiësto set to work finessing the collaboration. “Feel It In My Bones” is the result, an epic, shimmering floorfiller.

Soon the songs were pouring in. Nelly Furtado and Tiësto started off as mutual admirers, but after making her way to Tiësto's performance at the 2008 Miami Winter Music Conference (she’d come along with her producer Timbaland) Furtado instantly agreed to be involved, and a few weeks later she gave Tiësto an idea for a song that would become, "Who Wants To Be Alone". Next to sign up was Emily Haines of Metric.  She caught the thrilling Tiësto DJ Experience in Ibiza last summer and again, didn’t hesitate – “Knock You Out” is a euphoric tune that will cause floorquakes in the Balearic isles and rock festivals alike.

Securing the involvement of Kele Okereke, singer with Bloc Party, was initially more of a challenge. “Kele’s voice is so powerful on a dance track – I did a remix for Bloc Party, of the band´s new single “One More Chance”, and it really worked. Kele was a hard man to pin down. I was supposed to sit in the studio with him in Miami during this year’s WMC, but he got sick and had to cancel last minute. But I had written this weird piano track, an offbeat thing, and he really liked it, so we hooked up in London one Sunday afternoon a few weeks later. I played him the song and he just started singing with his guitar, mumbling a little bit then suddenly words came out of his mouth… and suddenly we had a track!  It was amazing to see how this guy made something cool and creative right on the spot.”

The album’s lead single, meanwhile, is “I Will Be Here”, a hook-up with huge-selling Australian band Sneaky Sound System. It’s a big, bold party tune with a stirring house-diva vocal – and a song whose infectious immediacy reflects the instinctive manner in which Tiësto wrote it: he crafted the entire production in less than week.

Creating Kaleidoscope, the song that gives this colorful, shapeshifting album its entirely appropriate title, was more drawn-out. Tiësto had his heart, and his ears, set on securing the services of Sigur Rós singer Jónsi Birgisson. Tiësto flew to Chicago to track him down, then did the same in Brussels, before finally spending time in Amsterdam discussing what they might do together.

“It was a crazy idea,’ he laughs. ‘If you listen to Sigur Rós you can’t imagine any relation to Tiësto. Maybe the melancholy of it, but that’s about it. Their music is so different and I think that Jónsi is one of the most creative artists in the world. But the funny thing was, I met him at a couple of times at shows, and there’s a lot more in common than I thought – Jónsi told me he used to be a big Iron Maiden fan as well, like I was! Then I noticed that he makes a lot of dance music at home on his own. So he’s not that far away from what I do, really.”

The result is a huge, progressive trance song, soulful and uplifting. “And Kaleidoscope is a great title for the album too. We’re mixing shapes and colors together to make something new.”

Say hello to a new Tiësto. Yes, he’s the world’s most popular DJ. But the ceaseless desire to innovate that has pushed Tiësto to the top of his game, propelled him to seek out some of the best musicians around, wherever in the world they – or he – happened to be. “I’ve worked with these handpicked artists because they´re people I admire hugely, and because they make my music better. It’s more fulfilling for me to work like this, but a lot harder and more challenging.”

In the end, admits Tiësto, he’s unsure how people will react to Kaleidoscope. “It is completely different to what I did before,’ he says cheerfully, adding that this is one of the reasons he´s set up an appropriately named new label, Musical Freedom, to release the album. ‘I’m introducing more and more flavors of what people know as Tiësto. This is a record you can enjoy at home, not just on the dancefloor. But what is very important to me, is that every single track on the album will work when I play out too.”

He’s not the world’s greatest DJ for nothing…

North American Tour

 Thu 9/24 New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom
Fri 9/25 New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom 
Sat 9/26 New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom
Thu 10/1 Boston, MA - Tsongas Arena*
Fri 10/2 Montreal, Canada - Bell Center
Sat 10/3 Toronto, Canada - Arrow Hall
Sat 10/10 Atlanta, GA - North Atlanta Trade Center
Sun 10/11 Washington, DC - Fur
Mon 10/12 Cleveland, OH - Aura
Tues 10/13 Columbus, OH - Boma
Weds 10/14 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory*
Thurs 10/15 Charlotte, NC - The Forum
Fri 10/16 Orlando, FL - UCF Arena *
Sat 10/17 Miami, FL - Liv*
Sun 10/18 Tampa, FL - The Ritz
Fri 10/23 Houston, TX - Reliant Arena*
Sat 10/24 Dallas, TX - the Palladium
Sun 10/25 San Antonio, TX - Cowboys
Mon 10/26 OK City, OK - City Walk
Tues 10/27 Nashville, TN - Limelight
Weds 10/28 St Louis, MO - Home
Thurs 10/29 Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theater*
Fri 10/30 Minneapolis, MN - Myth
Sat 10/31 Chicago, IL - The Congress
Sun 11/1 Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
Tue 11/10 Edmonton, Canada - Shaw Conference Center
Thu 11/12 Calgary, Canada - Big Four Building (Stampede Grounds)
Sat 11/14 Vancouver, Canada - PNE

Pre-Sale Available Now

October 17 in Ft Lauderdale at NSU Arena (Early Show)
October 19 in Naples, FL at Sway Lounge
November 7 in El Paso, TX at Cohen Stadium
November 9 in Denver, CO at Beta
November 22 in Phoenix, AZ at Marquee Theater

 Coming Soon

November 8 in San Diego, CA
November 20 in Salt Lake City, UT
November 21 in San Francisco, CA
November 25, 27, 28 in Los Angeles, CA

First Leg Of Latin Tour & Dates

December 4 in Bogota, Colombia at Coferias Convention Center
December 5 in Medellin, Colombia at Plaza Mayor Convention Center
December 7 in Cali, Colombia
December 9 in Panama City, Panama
December 11 in Porto Alegre, Brasil
December 12 in Sao Paulo, Brasil
December 13 in Brasilia, Brasil
December 16 in La Paz, Bolivia
December 17 in Lima, Peru
December 18 in Santiago, Chile at Espacio Riesco
December 19 in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Tue, 09/15/2009 - 1:08 am

For the past two years the Treasure Island Music Festival has been determined to minimize its effect on the planet, diverting 72% of its waste to recycling and composting, and this year they are looking to reduce their waste even further. This year's reductions begin on the trip to Treasure Island thanks to partnerships with Bauer's and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. Bauer's zero-emissions buses will bring festival goers directly from AT&T Park to Treasure Island, while the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition will provide complimentary valet bike parking at Lot A of AT&T Park.

Once at the festival, patrons will be directed to properly dispose of their waste thanks to Clean Vibes - an organization dedicated to diverting as much waste as possible away from the world's landfills. On Treasure Island their staff and volunteers will be directing people to properly dispose of their waste whether it be recyclable, compostable, or not.

In addition to these initiatives, Global Inheritance will once again be bringing their TRASHed Recycling Store to the grounds, where the group will accept bottles, plastic cups and old cell phones in exchange for various prizes.

All printed materials at the festival use recycled paper; all napkins, paper towels, and toilet paper are made from recycled products; and cups, plates, and utensils are biodegradable. Leftover food will be brought to Bay Area shelters. Bio-diesel generators will power the entire festival.

Also new this year to Treasure Island is the Refillable Water Program, which will cut down plastic bottle consumption.  The festival is offering two different refillable spring water options for the audience's convenience, they can either purchase a TIMF branded stainless steel water bottle at the water station or the merchandise tent and receive free refills of spring water all weekend, or bring their own water bottle from home and purchase refills for $1.

The festival is also asking ticket buyers to add one or two dollars to their ticket purchase to help reduce the carbon footprint of the festival. All money collected will go towards renewable energy and reforestation programs.

A limited quantity of $115.00 2-Day tickets and VIP Single Day 2-Packs are available and can be purchased through www.treasureislandfestival.com. A VIP 2-Pack includes two VIP tickets to one day, one parking spot on island, preferred viewing area with bleachers, lounge with full bar and other amenities. Single Day tickets are available for $65.00.  To offset traffic congestion and the limited amount of parking on the island, Treasure Island Music Festival will be providing shuttles on and off the island to ticket holders at no additional cost.

Saturday, October 17th, 2009
MGMT
MSTRKRFT
Girl Talk
Brazilian Girls
The Streets
Passion Pit
LTJ Bukem feat. MC Conrad
DJ Krush
Federico Aubele
Dan Deacon
Murs
Crown City Rockers
The Limousines

Sunday, October 18th, 2009
The Flaming Lips
The Decemberists
Beirut
Grizzly Bear
Yo La Tengo
The Walkmen
Bob Mould
Thao with The Get Down Stay Down
Vetiver
Spiral Stairs
Sleepy Sun
Tommy GuerreroEdward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Thu, 10/08/2009 - 11:53 pm

The 3rd Annual Treasure Island Music Festival is the West Coast's premiere boutique event, boasting some of the best indie and electronica acts in the world today.  Don't miss your opportunity to find out the secret behind Treasure Island before it sells out.  Set against panoramic views of the city by the bay, Treasure Island Music Festival sticks true to form this year in offering an electronic and dance-centric lineup on Saturday, October 17th and an indie rock lineup on Sunday, October 18th. With two stages and no overlapping sets, fans can enjoy every note of every act.

TREASURE ISLAND MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL 2009

SATURDAY OCTOBER 17th, 2009

BRIDGE

The Limousines - 12:00-12:40 PM

Murs - 1:20-2:05 PM

Passion Pit - 2:50-3:35 PM

The Streets - 4:25-5:15 PM

Brazilian Girls - 6:05-6:55 PM

MSTRKRFT - 7:45-8:35 PM

MGMT - 9:25-10:40 PM

TUNNEL

Crown City Rockers - 12:40-1:15PM

Federico Aubele - 2:05-2:45 PM

Dan Deacon - 3:35-4:20 PM

DJ Krush - 5:15-6:00PM

LTJ Bukem Feat. MC Conrad - 6:55-7:40 PM

Girl Talk - 8:35-9:20 PM

SUNDAY OCTOBER 18th, 2009

BRIDGE

Sleepy Sun - 12:00-12:40 PM

Thao &The Get Down Stay Down - 1:15-1:55PM

Edward Sharpe & The Magnificent Zeros - 2:30-3:15 PM

Grizzly Bear - 4:00-4:45 PM

Beirut - 5:30-6:20 PM

Decemberists - 7:10-8:10 PM

The Flaming Lips - 9:05-10:35 PM

TUNNEL

Tommy Guerrero - 12:40-1:10 PM

Spiral Stairs - 1:55-2:25 PM

Vetiver - 3:15-3:55 PM

Bob Mould - 4:45-5:25 PM

The Walkmen - 6:20-7:05 PM

Yo La Tengo - 8:10-9:00 PM

Due to traffic congestion and a shortage of parking, there will be no parking on Treasure Island, unless you have purchased a VIP 2-Pack. The festival will be providing complimentary transportation on and off the island to all single and two-day ticket holders. There will be free parking and bus pick-up from Lot A at AT&T Park in San Francisco to/from the festival site on Treasure Island. SHUTTLES WILL RUN ON A CONTINUOUS LOOP THROUGHOUT THE DAY beginning at 10:30AM.  For information regarding other forms of transportation to and from the festival site including public transport and ride sharing please visit the website at www.treasureislandfestival.com/info.php

Alongside all of the great music the Treasure Island Festival provides, the festival also offers a unique blend of other attractions and events to make for a full experience that is not to be missed! This year the festival will once again be opening the door to The Treasure Chest, a village of attractions, carnival games, performances and unique vendors.  Featuring the 60-foot tall Century Wheel, the best of the Bay Area's local designers, and much more. Check out the Treasure Chest at www.treasureislandfestival.com/treasurechest.php

A limited quantity of $115.00 2-Day Tickets and VIP Single Day 2-Packs are available and can be purchased through www.treasureislandfestival.com.

A VIP 2-Pack includes two VIP tickets to one day, one parking spot on island, preferred viewing area with bleachers, lounge with full bar and other amenities. Single Day tickets are available for $65.00.

Your Treasure Island experience is brought to you by your friends at Noise Pop and Another Planet Entertainment.

For more information on Treasure Island Music Festival please visit www.treasureislandfestival.com

Thu, 12/03/2009 - 12:41 am

Tiësto’s first-ever foray into developing budding new talent has been a smash success: the world’s biggest DJ and critically acclaimed producer has selected the winner of his first-ever remix contest, held this fall in conjunction with Beatport, the industry leader in electronic music downloads. The winning remix of “Knock You Out” featuring vocalist/keyboardist Emily Haines of electro-influenced indie rock band Metric was created by San Francisco-based DJ and remixer Ken Loi.

This is the first time ever that Tiësto has not only made his original music stems available to the public, but also given aspiring artists a chance for their own big break. As grand prize winner, Loi wins a $250 Beatport gift card, Tiësto merchandise, and prize packs from Ultra and [PIAS], but more importantly also receives the opportunity to have his remix released commercially by Ultra and [PIAS], scheduled for early 2010.

The contest was so successful that four additional remixes have been selected for release  along with Loi’s, including remixes from Mexican electro producer/DJ Keemerah, San Jose’s 3BrosElectro, and Queens-based Mysto & Pizzi, and a downtempo remix by composer/producer Owen Westlake of South East England. Mysto & Pizzi are perhaps best known as the production team behind the remake of “Somebody’s Watching Me” as heard in several of Geico’s “Kash” TV commercials.

“We are so happy to have used Beatport as a platform to discover such exciting new talent, and Tiësto was the perfect partner for a remix contest. We can’t wait to give these remixes some broader exposure,” commented Beatport Vice President of Marketing, Shawn Sabo.

The contest launched concurrently with the exclusive release of “Knock You Out” on Beatport earlier this fall, giving remixers one week to download the stems and start working on their contest submissions (and sending the vocal part to #1 on Beatport). For two weeks starting October 6, contestants uploaded their remixes, in many different styles and genres, to www.beatportal.com/remix, where fans and other contestants listened to all the entries. The public voted for their favorite remixes for two weeks through November 3, 2009, narrowing the contestants down to 20 finalists, from which Tiësto, Ultra and [PIAS] selected the winner.

After a run of four top-selling electronic artist albums, Tiësto’s Kaleidoscope is an artist album in the truest sense: a stunning collection of songs written and recorded in collaboration with a variety of music talents from the worlds of dance, pop and rock: Jónsi Birgisson from Sigur Rós, Kele Okereke from Bloc Party, Nelly Furtado, Calvin Harris, and Emily Haines from Metric, to name a few. Having made the DJ performance an artform, Tiësto has now made the dance album an artform. The release of Kaleidoscope earlier this fall has been supported by a worldwide tour in 2009-2010, spanning five continents on over 175 dates.

The winning remixes of “Knock You Out” will be released commercially by Ultra/[PIAS] in early 2010 and will be available at Beatport, the Ultra Store (store.ultrarecords.com), and all other digital music retailers.

Tue, 01/12/2010 - 6:35 am

The 18th annual Noise Pop Festival will take place February 23rd through March 1, 2009 at venues throughout San Francisco, CA.  Event Producers, Noise Pop Industries have announced many more artists set to play the festival.

Artist confirmations now include Magnetic Fields, YOKO ONO PLASTIC ONO BAND (with Cornelius, Yuka Honda, Sean Lennon), The Dodos & Magik Magik Orchestra collaborative performance, !!!, Harlem, Deerhoof, Mark Kozelek, Rogue Wave, Atlas Sound, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Four Tet, John Vanderslice, We Were Promised Jet Packs, Wallpaper, Zee Avi, Memory Tapes, The Fresh and Onlys, Scout Niblett, Far (Reunion Show), The Mumlers, P.E.E (Reunion Show), Mirah, Laura Gibson, Nico Vega, Japanese Motors, Princeton, Free Energy, The Growlers, Nurses, Magic Wands, The Lonely Forest, The Hot Toddies, Tempo No Tempo, Judgement Day, The Limousines & Foreign Born. More shows will be announced in the coming weeks along with films, art shows and more.

On Tuesday, February 23, Yoko Ono will perform her first Bay Area concert of the 21st Century! Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band will include the prodigious artists Cornelius, Yuka Honda and Sean Lennon.  They will be performing songs from The Plastic Ono Band's critically acclaimed new LP "Between My Head And The Sky" (Chimera Records), as well as songs spanning Ms. Ono's 40 year career. Very special guest, Deerhoof will also be performing on the bill.

The Dodos & Magik Magik Orchestra Collaborative Performance will be a one of a kind exclusive performance.  The Magik Magik Orchestra will be composing 10 arrangements of Dodos songs all featuring the band and various members of the orchestra.  The orchestra is a 26-piece formation that includes a small women's choir, strings, winds, brass and percussion.

Industry Noise will take place on Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at the Swedish American Hall in San Francisco featuring Claudia Gonson of Magnetic Fields. Claudia Gonson met Stephin Merritt in high school in the early 80's, and the pair have worked together ever since.  Gonson has been Merritt's longtime manager since the beginning, a job involving all aspects of music management including licensing songs to films, ads and TV, creating theater shows, and all aspects of album production and touring.  In addition, she performs on many of Merritt's albums, including the critically-acclaimed 1999 album 69 Love Songs, and frequently appears with him live as part of the usual quartet that comprises The Magnetic Fields.

Noise Pop's mini-conference discusses independent music, technology, and the changing industry. Attendees can meet industry pros, listen to influential speakers, and learn more about current possibilities and opportunities. In addition to panels and speakers, there are small discussion groups and individual mentoring. Panelists will be announced soon.  Industry Noise Badges are now onsale on for $65 or $50 along with the purchase of a full festival badge.

Noise Pop Festival Badges are onsale NOW for $150.  A limited number of badges include access to the Magnetic Fields show at the Fox Theater on Saturday February 27th, or the Herbst Theater on Monday March 1, 2010.  Tickets to individual shows  are also onsale NOW. YOKO ONO AND PLASTIC ONO BAND and Dodos & Magik Magik Orchestra shows go onsale on Sunday January 10, 2010.

Tue, 02/16/2010 - 2:46 am

In the 1960s, bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones put British popular music firmly on the international map. They were joined in later decades by artists as diverse as Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, The Sex Pistols and Oasis, making British music a distinctive international brand. British Music is thriving, both at home and overseas, because it continually renews itself, fusing cultural commentary, fashion and politics in a heady mix. Our music scene is diverse and eclectic, reflecting the UK audience's appetite for musical innovation of all kinds.

The originality and quality of our music makes it a major influence on world tastes and trends and the British industry has a strong track record in developing and promoting the international careers of our composers and performers, particularly within the independent sector. The British media are strongly supportive of the music industry and provide a range of rich environments for performers and audiences. Our music media formats, in TV and Publishing especially, are exported all over the world. Leading creative talents in all fields of the music business are drawn to the UK, attracted by its vibrant creative reputation, cultural diversity and sophisticated audiences. The British Music Partnership brings together government departments and music industry organisations involved in supporting the British music industry in the UK and overseas.

The partnership collaborates on major music promotion projects combining their funds, expertise and resources to maximise the opportunities and support available to the British music industry. The partnership has a flexible membership with organisations only participating in projects that match their objectives. We work together to promote British Music and our Industry internationally. This is achieved through a range of activities such as the International Trade Mission programme, various regional business support schemes and enhanced presences at major trade events overseas such as Midem, Womex and of course SxSW.

For SXSW this year, the British Music Partnership will consist of core organisations UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), Association of Independent Music (AIM), PPL and PRS for Music. Alongside us, there will be representation from a number of the UK's regions and nations including Scottish Arts Council, Belfast City Council, Bristol Music Foundation, Creative Business Wales, Generator, Liverpool Sound City, North West Development Agency, One North East, Welsh Music Foundation and Yorkshire Forward.

As well as the main activities during SXSW Music, we will also be looking to develop stronger ties and opportunities for the British music industry with digital and interactive companies participating at SXSW Interactive, this will be highlighted during an invitation only event "Content, New Technologies and the Consumer Experience" taking place on Tuesday 16th March at SXSW Interactive and climaxing with a live music event at the British Music Embassy that evening.

Mon, 02/22/2010 - 9:15 pm

Just announced additions to the already stellar Noise Pop 2010 lineup include Har Mar Superstar making a special appearance at the Diesel/ Live 105 Happy Hour at Benders on February 23rd, Thao Nguyen will join Mirah on stage at the Swedish American Hall for a first ever collaborative performance, Citay joins Scout Niblett at Cafe du Nord and a second screening of Blood into Wine has been added by popular demand.

 

These events join Noise Pop’s already impressive list of music that includes Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Magnetic Fields, !!!, ROGUE WAVE, Harlem, John Vanderslice, Foreign Born, Four Tet, ATLAS SOUND, We Were Promised Jetpacks and many more.

 

The film events include "Blood Into Wine" featuring Tool frontman, Maynard James Keenan as he makes his way as a pioneer winemaker. "Downtown Calling", featuring Fab 5 Freddy, Mos Def, TV On The Radio, Debbie Harry and many more. Christopher Pomerenke's "The Heart Is A Drum Machine" featuring MTV's Kurt Loder, KCRW's Nic Harcourt, Elijah Wood and Jason Schwartzman.

 

Along with it's music, film, Industry Noise and Pop N' Shop, Noise Pop Festival is hosting a laundry list of other exciting (and many free!) events throughout San Francisco. There is a pre-party, happy hours, and art shows. Noise Pop truly does take over San Francisco the last week of February.

 

The Art of Noise 2010 celebrates artists who are inspired to create work that traverses the two timeless muses of Art and Music: Lionel Deluy captures contemporary music creators in-camera and morphs them to new artistic highs, Jillian Kogan incorporates elements associated with music (CDs, drugs, lyrics) into institutional declarations of patriotism, Russell Young's lauded Pig Portraits transform iconic mugshots of musicians into silk-screened symbols of status, award-winning photographer Scott McDermott shares a selection from his Mandela Day series, each image gently pursuing meaning from the eyes and hands of renowned musicians, while Ted Riederer transforms musical performances into permanent pieces of art.

 

Noise Pop Festival Badges are onsale NOW for $150.  Tickets to individual shows  are also onsale NOW.

Tue, 03/02/2010 - 3:52 am

North by Northeast (NXNE) becomes a seven-day event this year, with the addition of a brand new interactive conference - NXNE interactive - to the already burgeoning annual line-up of 650+ concerts, 40+ music-themed films and 15+ conference sessions. The 16th edition of the festival takes over Toronto, Canada from June 14-20, 2010.

NXNE interactive (NXNEi), produced by NXNE in conjunction with world-class interactive event producers FITC, announces the first confirmed featured speakers for the inaugural event. One of the world's most influential interactive entertainers, speaker Ze Frank (USA) gives a keynote address at this year's NXNEi. As one of Forbes' Top 25 Web Celebs, Ze Frank is an expert on how to build an online audience. He brings the magnetic style and subversive humour of his wildly popular online video "How to Dance Properly" to this year's event. Also appearing is content visionaryAndrew Baron (USA), known for creating the hugely popular daily online vlogRocketboom, which the New York Times affectionately described as "the obituary of TV." Innovative Un-Marketing.com President Scott Stratten (Canada) also joins the line-up, and local new media journalist Amber Mac (Canada) and Explore Music radio host and producer Alan Cross (Canada) add their unique perspectives as well. More speakers, panels, and workshops still to be announced. NXNEi passes are now available online at www.nxne.com/tickets. NXNEi is made possible with the support of the Ontario Media Development Corporation on behalf of the Ministry of Culture.

16 Years, 650 Bands, 50 Stages, 40 Films, 15 Conference Sessions, 7 Days. The North by Northeast (NXNE) festival experience takes over Toronto with the best new bands and international headliners, screenings of dynamic music films, compelling conference village sessions, rock n' roll keynotes and insights from the most forward-thinking interactive media innovators, and a charity soccer match. This year's festival runs from June 14-20, 2010. Visit NXNE online at www.nxne.com.

Wed, 03/17/2010 - 12:10 am

YOKO ONO continues to keep her fingers on the pulse of underground and commercial dance music with her new single, “GIVE ME SOMETHING” (THE REMIXES). Currently #4 (with a bullet) on the Billboard Club Play Chart (issue date: 03/27/2010), it is the latest offering in the pioneering avant-garde icon’s acclaimed remix series, that has spawned 5 #1 dance singles: “I’M NOT GETTING ENOUGH”, “GIVE PEACE A CHANCE”, “NO NO NO”, “EVERYMAN / EVERYWOMAN” and her seminal “WALKING ON THIN ICE”.

Since 2001, Yoko’s alter-electronic ego, ONO, has been pumping out revamped reworks of classics from her vast catalog for a new digital generation. Partnering with cutting edge producers and collaborators such as FLAMING LIPS, PET SHOP BOYS, BASEMENT JAXX, DANNY TENAGLIA, SPIRITUALIZED, CSS, FELIX DA HOUSECAT, ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS and PEACHES, she has ingeniously added chart-topping dance-music heroine to her renowned status as controversial performance-art innovator and punk rock pioneer.

On the brilliant “Give Me Something” (originally taken from John and Yoko’s Grammy Award winning 1980 masterpiece DOUBLE FANTASY), ONO taps RICHARD MOREL, DAVE AUDE, RALPHI ROSARIO, ROBERTO RODRIGUEZ,  STONEBRIDGE, SPARKS, JUNIOR BOYS, ALEX TRAXX (and others) to deliver compelling interpretations for the 21st Century.

Slated as a green release (digital, no materials used or abused) later this month (March 2010) on MIND TRAIN / TWISTED Records, “GIVE ME SOMETHING” (THE REMIXES) is another irresistible reinvention from the timeless visionary, who continues to be a major influential force on the cultural landscape.

Wed, 03/24/2010 - 3:25 am
More than 2,000 bands played South by Southwest in Austin, Texas. But how many can say they played AND practiced for the first time ever -- in public?
 
Sweet Apple, which features members of Dinosaur Jr., Cobra Verde and Witch, played six shows at SXSW. The band, which features members spread out over Vermont, Massachusetts and Ohio, received raves -- even if it had never practiced before.
 
"We all live far apart and me and J (Mascis) were in Australia and Singapore," says bassist Dave Sweetapple. "So we never had a chance to practice -- we barely even made it to our first show."
 
The Austin Chronicle lauded Sweet Apple’s first official show at Roky Erickson’s Psychedelic Ice Cream Social: "A first outing for J Mascis' new bruising Detroit-rock style outfit Sweet Apple was as immediate and memorable as the free ice cream."
 
The band premiered songs from its forthcoming album, Love and Desperation, out April 20 on New York-based Tee Pee Records. Sweet Apple also drew raves from spinner.com: "Sweet Apple may be new, but based on the supergroup's first batch of super-catchy concoctions, they should stick around for a long while yet."
 
Sweet Apple almost didn’t make it to its show at Austin’s legendary Waterloo Records, though.
 
"We were running late from one show to another and couldn’t find a parking spot," says singer John Petkovic. "So J suggested we park in the Whole Foods across the street."
 
"I have a Whole Foods gold card, I must’ve spent $10,000 in that place last year," says Mascis. "Isn’t that worth a parking spot?"
 
A security guard wasn’t swayed. The band was told that parking spaces were reserved for customers only, not bands playing SXSW.
 
"So J suggested we go shopping," says Sweetapple. "He could spend all day in that place."
 
They did, with Mascis, Sweetapple and Tim Parnin carrying their guitars around the store.
 
"People kept asking us if we were performing a Whole Foods showcase," says Sweetapple. "But we couldn’t find the stage."
 
Sweet Apple is:

J. Mascis – Guitar god in Dinosaur Jr.; drummer in Witch. Played with Cobra Verde for a spell. Owns hundreds of guitar pedals and dozens of Adidas. Favorite color is purple. Worked in a coffee shop in India, even though he doesn’t drink coffee. Spends a lot of money at Whole Foods.

Tim Parnin – Guitarist in Cobra Verde. Plays guitar with former Faith No More singer Chuck Mosely. Former clothing designer. Cleveland Cavaliers season ticket holder. Partied with Shaq.

John Petkovic – Frontman for Cobra Verde. Still gets acting residuals from "The OC." Former aid to the Crown Prince of Yugoslavia. Ex-guitarist in Guided by Voices. Writes about bars and movies for Cleveland’s daily newspaper. Working on underwear-themed art show. Smokes less, eats more gummy bears.

Dave Sweetapple – Bassist in Witch. Native of Newfoundland, Canada (where they beat baby seals). Prefers rock over free jazz. Grew his hair long after seeing a photo of the Alice Cooper Band. Collects rare mushrooms. Trains a best-in-breed Scottish Deerhound named Cyril.

Wed, 03/24/2010 - 3:53 am

The Dodos Announce US Tour with New Pornographers, Play Bonnaroo & Winnepeg Folk Festival.  The Dodos will Perform "Fables" On The Late Show With David Letterman / and they will Premiere "Longform" Video On Pitchfork TV.   The Dodos are on tour beginning in June, so check them out if they're in your neck-of-the-woods.

Tue, 09/21/2010 - 4:21 am

In Grandchildren, every memory is a montage of sound. The beat-driven, orchestral-pop epics play like an audio scrapbook of memories from songwriter Aleks Martray's life.

Martray, the son of a high-ranking military officer, and Grandchildren's creator, was born on a US army base in Germany and raised on both sides of the Atlantic.  “I was restless from a really young age,” he explains, “Growing up in flux between different places I gravitated towards more intangible things like stories, melodies, movies, and dreams, and so early on music became a way of making a home for myself.”

Grandchildren’s debut album, Everlasting, feels like a culmination of all that restlessness. A sonic collage of the sentimental and the confrontational- the album is a safe haven for multiple realities- fusing tribal beats, frayed electronics, fireside folk melodies, richly-woven orchestral-pop flourishes and even field recordings from Martray’s journeys across Central America, the Caribbean and Africa.

“The project began during my nomadic mid-20’s. I was split between Baltimore, Philadelphia, NY, DC, and travels abroad. I think the music is a reflection of a young person processing their own coming of age through constant self inflicted culture shock. The textures of the final album span time and space,” he says. “And yet, it comes across as one seamless reality. You can feel the influences but you can’t put your finger on them.”

During this time Martray’s closest thing to home was a small 3rd floor bedroom in a dilapidated Victorian house in west Philadelphia known as Danger Danger. At the height of its illegal phase, this notorious underground venue hosted everything from IDM-infused metal (Genghis Tron) to frantic free-jazz (Marshall Allen of the Sun Ra Arkestra). These eclectic sounds billowed up towards Martray’s make-shift bedroom recording studio, taking what began as a solo experimentation in dizzying new directions.

“The songs evolved through the recording process,” explains Martray, “they were so layered that when I went to play them live, so much had to be sampled. That’s when I realized this wasn’t a solo project. It’s music for a small orchestra.”

With that in mind, Martray brought his fellow housemates—a motley crew of instrument-swapping misfits—into the fold one by one. This included drummer Roman Salcic, a Croatian transplant reared on American rock music; jack of all trades Tristan Palazzolo; math-thrash guitarist Adam Katz; bassist/percussionist Russell Brodie; and classical-pianist-turned-synth-slinger John Vogel. Over the course of one daunting year, the group developed Grandchildren’s 10-song album into a live set that’s as seamless and widescreen as the recordings.

“It looks spontaneous to people,” explains Katz, “but everything’s carefully choreographed on our end.”

A lot of that stems from a two-month North American tour in 2008, one that was plagued by chicken pox, blizzards, border patrols, and van break-ins. This not only brought them closer together; it gave Grandchildren the chance to perfect the ebb and flow of their live set.

“And now that everything’s down to a science,” says Martray, “it becomes a form of art in and of itself. As full and layered as the album is, it rests on the backbone of those early bedroom recordings. Kind of like with a car, where you keep replacing parts until the whole thing is new. By the end you can’t even remember what came from where. The process hides within the sound.”  He pauses and adds, “We want people to feel the music first, and ask questions later.”

US Dates:

09/20 – First Unitarian Church – Philadelphia, PA (w/ No Age)

09/26 - The Roebling Inn - New York, NY

10/08 – Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA (w/ Special Guests)

10/18 – Larimer Lounge – Denver, CO (w/ Seabear)

10/19 – Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, UT (w/ Seabear)

10/20 – Neurolux – Boise, ID – (w/ Seabear)

10/23 – Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR (w/ Seabear)

10/25 – Independent – San Franciso, CA (w/ Seabear)

10/26 – Troubadour – West Hollywood, CA (w/ Seabear)
 
10/27 – Casbah – San Diego, CA (w/ Seabear)
Tue, 01/18/2011 - 11:42 pm
The drums hit you in the chest first, spraying your speakers like swift gunshots. But then Meric Long’s finger-picked chords kick in, cascading across Logan Kroeber’s brass knuckle beats like only the best Dodos songs can.
 
This forward motion feeling has driven the duo since 2005, but several key changes lift their fourth LP (No Color) to another level. For one thing, the band reunited with Portland producer John Askew, the man behind the boards of the Dodos’ first two full-lengths, Beware of the Maniacs and Visiter. Having an old friend around was like adding an honorary third member; a voice of reason who can isn’t afraid of vetoing ill-fated ideas. Ideas like glossy layers of vibraphone that lost their luster halfway through.
 
The main focus of No Color was to bottle the frenzied folk approach that’s been there since the beginning. And it works damn well, from the dagger-drawing dynamics and brain-burrowing choruses of “Black Night” to the hairpin turns and splashy percussion of “Good.” And then there are the songs that’ll make you want to dub old episodes of 120 Minutes, including the instrumental break of “Don’t Stop” and the sneak attack solo that weaves its way around the steely rhythms of “Don’t Try and Hide It.”
 
“I have a love for ‘90s riffs that I haven’t gotten to showcase in this band,” says Long. “The most fun I had with this record was when I got to strap on the electric guitar and come up with Billy Corgan riffs while the tape was rolling.”
 
It’s as if Long’s finally got to live the flannel-era fantasies that started when he was a teenager, tearing guitar tabs out of magazines at a local pharmacy. The catch? There’s less room for error than there’s ever been.
 
“We’re more naked this way,” explains Long. “You can hide a lot of your mistakes on an acoustic, but with an electric, every single note is much louder and more piercing. So I have to be way more on top of my playing now.”
 
And so do we.
--
 
US + European 2011 Tour:
3/10/2011 - Reno, NV - Lincoln Lounge
3/11/2011 - Las Vegas, NV - Beauty Bar
3/12/2011 - Tucson, AZ - Club Congress
3/13/2011 - Phoenix, AZ - The Duce
3/14/2011 - Santa Fe, NM - Warehouse 21
3/15/2011 - Austin, TX- SXSW
3/16/2011 - Austin, TX- SXSW
3/17/2011 - Austin, TX- SXSW
3/18/2011 - Austin, TX- SXSW
3/19/2011 - Austin, TX- SXSW
3/20/2011 - Norman, OK - Opolis
3/21/2011 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
3/22/2011 - Omaha, NE - Waiting Room
3/23/2011 - Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center
3/24/2011 - Fargo, ND - Aquarium
3/25/2011 - Winnipeg, MB - West End
3/26/2011 - Saskatoon, SK - Amigo’s
3/28/2011 - Calgary, AB - Republik
3/29/2011 - Edmonton, AB - Starlite
3/31/2011 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw
4/01/2011 - Victoria, BC  - Sugar
4/02/2011 - Bellingham, WA - Wild Buffalo
4/04/2011 - Seattle, WA - Neumo's
4/05/2011 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir
4/07/2011 - San Francisco, CA - Filmore
4/08/2011 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theater
4/09/2011 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
4/27/2011 - Donostia, Spain - Gazteszena
4/28/2011 - Vigo, Spain - University
4/29/2011 - Madrid, Spain - El Sol
4/30/2011 - Barcelona, Spain - Plaça de la Odissea (Free Outdoor show)
5/02/2011 - Grenoble, France - Le Ciel
5/03/2011 - Milan, Italy - Salumeria Della Musica
5/04/2011 - Rome, Italy - Circolo Degli Artisti
5/05/2011 - Ravenna, Italy - Bronson
5/06/2011 - Aarau, Switzerland - Kiff
5/07/2011 - Munich, Germany - 59-1
5/09/2011 - Berlin, Germany - Magnet
5/10/2011 - Hamburg, Germany - Prinzenbar
5/11/2011 - Cologne, Germany - Blue Shell
5/12/2011 - Nijmegen, Holland - Doornroosje
5/13/2011 - Amsterdam, Holland - Melkweg
5/14/2011 - Brussels, Belgium - Botanique Festival
5/16/2011 - Vendome, France - La Chapelle Vendome
5/17/2011 - Strasbourg, France - La Laiterie
5/18/2011 - Paris, France - Divan du Monde
5/19/2011 - London, UK - Scala
5/20/2011 - Manchester, UK - Deaf Institute
5/21/2011 - Glasgow, UK – Arches
Thu, 01/20/2011 - 11:23 pm

NXNE, Canada’s #1 festival destination for the best new bands, dynamic music films, and compelling sessions with the most forward-thinking interactive media innovators, today announced further details for the 2011 edition of NXNE, taking place in Toronto from June 13-19.

PASSES NOW ON SALE

NXNE passes, including the NXNE INTERACTIVE PASS, the perfect option for anyone primarily interested in NXNE Interactive, and the NXNE PRIORITY PASS, which includes three parts of the festival (Music, Film, Interactive) are now on sale and can only be purchased online. A limited number of discounted Super Early Bird Passes are available until February 27.

SHOWCASING ARTISTS

Applications for artists to be part of NXNE 2011 are still being accepted – but only until January 31. Musicians and filmmakers are invited to submit applications exclusively online.

Playing NXNE is more important than ever for artists looking to reach thousands of new fans, meet key industry people, and take their careers to the next level.  NXNE 2010 showcasing artists Warpaint, Big Freedia, Zola Jesus, Indian Jewelry, PS I Love You, and Best Coast made many international music blogs’ year-end “best-of” lists and are now breaking big worldwide.

NXNE alumni include Iggy and The Stooges, Feist, Kid Cudi, X, Les Savy Fav, GZA, Sufjan Stevens, Matt and Kim, No Age, Black Lips, Cold Cave, Best Coast, Wavves, Thee Oh Sees, Dinosaur Jr., Warpaint, Japandroids, Big Freedia, Diamond Rings, The Soft Pack, Zola Jesus, HEALTH, Kid Sister, The Raveonettes, Broken Social Scene, Mudhoney and thousands more.

The complete NXNE Music line-up, Film schedule, and Interactive program will be announced spring 2011.

17 Years, 650 Bands, 50 Stages, 40 Films, 75 Interactive Sessions, 7 Days.  www.nxne.com.

Wed, 02/16/2011 - 11:06 pm

SXSW is thrilled to announce Yoko Ono as a very special featured speaker for the 25th Music Conference and Festival. Ms. Ono will sit down with Jody Denberg for a SXSW Interview on Friday March 18th. From her pioneering work in the Fluxus movement of the 1960s to the recent Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland, Ono's art has challenged and informed, melding the personal to the universal in simple and unique ways. Her marriage and creative collaboration with John Lennon was a love story played out on the global stage. Ono's music laid the groundwork for the sounds of punk rock and new wave. Recently, Ono has had five consecutive dance singles charting at #1 on the top of the Billboard Dance Chart. 

In 2009, she received Mojo Magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award, and she assembled a new PLASTIC ONO BAND for her latest album, Between My Head And The Sky, co-produced with son Sean Lennon, on his Chimera Music label.  From gallery to stage to social media platforms, Yoko Ono brings a message of peace to the world. Ms. Ono's ongoing projects are detailed at imaginepeace.com.  Ms. Ono will also be a special guest performer at a Chimera Music night, Saturday, March 19 at The Elysium, 705 Red River St

Wed, 03/02/2011 - 8:10 pm
Growing like wildfire under the canopy of live electonica and world roots music comes a masterful merge of modern technology, live instrumentation and seductive performance, built of brass bands and glitch, string quartets and dubstep: the musical trio Beats Antique.
 
The journey that led to Beats Antique today was a winding and twisted path from the west coast to the ancient trade routes of the silk  road. In this modern incarnation, the musical alliance of producers David Satori and Tommy Cappel is inspired and emphasized by their collaborative partnership with world-renowned belly dance performer and music producer Zoe Jakes.
 
In a prolific 3 years since Beats Antique emerged, the group has released 3 albums and a pair of EPs. Their third most recent album, Blind Threshold, was released Fall of 2010. Notable features of the new release include vaporous violins and Danny Elfman-esque dementia; glitchy, laser-guided harmonica provided by Blues Traveler frontman John Popper; and 2 very different vocal tracks that range between restless pop hooks and vibrant Eastern European dance loops. All wrapped into an intricate collection of heavy beats and sub bass.
 
Over the past 6 months Beats Antique have brought their overtly ambitious and unique stage show across the US. Having played Lollapallooza, Austin City Limits and Outside Lands, as well as a catalog of proper tours that include Bassnectar and Les Claypool among a multitude of other dates. Starting this week the band will hit the road again for another national tour. Their SXSW dates will be announced soon.
 
Tour Dates:
03/18 - Beauty Bar - SXSW - Austin, TX
03/25 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
03/30 - Ashland Armory - Ashland, OR*
03/31 - McDonald Theather - Eugene, OR*
04/01 - The Showbox at The Market - Seattle, WA*
04/02 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR*
04/05 -The Depot - Salt Lake City, UT
04/06 - Belly Up - Aspen, CO
04/07 - Samana Lounge - Vail, CO
04/08 - Boulder Theater - Boulder, CO
04/09 - Granada Theatre - Lawrence, KS
04/11 - Zydeco - Brimingham, AL*
04/12 - Varsity Theatre - Baton Rouge, LA*
04/14 - The Engine Room - Tallahassee, FL*
04/15 - New Earth Music Hall - Athens, GA*
04/16 - Orange Peel - Asheville, GA*
04/19 - The National - National, VA*
04/20 - North Star Bar - Philadelphia, PA*
04/21 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC*
04/22 - Bourbon Street Ballroom - Baltimore, MD*
04/23 - Brooklyn Bowl - Brooklyn, NY*
04/26 - Daniel Street - Milford, CT
04/27 - Higher Ground - Burlington, VT
04/28 - Middle East Downstairs - Boston, MA
04/30 - Pearl Street - Northampton, MA*
05/03 - Grog Shop - Cleveland, OH
05/04 - Headliners Music Hall - Louisville, KY*
05/05 - 2720 - St Louis, MO
05/06 - Miramar Theatre - Milwaukee, WI
05/07 - Majestic Live - Madison, WI
05/20 - The Hangout Music Festival - Gulf Shores, AL
05/27 - Bella Music Festival - Geneva, MN
06/02 - Wakarusa Musica Festival - Ozark, AR
06/05 - Wakarusa Musica Festival - Ozark, AR
06/11 - Bonnaroo Music Festival - Manchester, TN
*w/ Eskmo
Tue, 03/29/2011 - 11:15 pm

Here We Go Magic are hitting the road once again bringing their electric show to audiences across the US. They'll be joined by Brooklyn cohorts Cavemen in the lead up to their debut Coachella performance.

This is a band with a live show like none other, once you've seen them there is no going back.

The tour is in support of The January EP. The EP's six tracks complete the songwriting cycle that Here We Go Magic began in an upstate New York farm house upon the commencement of their critically-acclaimed sophomore LP Pigeons (2010, Secretly Canadian). The band's signature mix of swirling guitars, krautrock grooves, pulsing synths, and hushed chants provide a foundation for these otherworldly songs.

"Hands in the Sky" (download link below) is a ghostly number that showcases vocalist Luke Temple's lyrical pedigree, his words pushed forward in lockstep with a band heaven-bent on window dressing your headspace like a cosmos for the 20 minutes they've got your attention. At the center of the EP lies what Here We Go Magic does best, a dichotomy between eerie folk sounds and driving art rock. The jangly back-and-forth between the guitars of Michael Bloch and Temple form the backbone to "Song In Three," the yin to Pigeons standout "Collector"'s yang. Cyclical in its instrumentation and lyrics, the spooky lullaby "Hollywood" climaxes with a mantra that wouldn't have been out of place on the band's 2009 self-titled release. The January EP was produced by Jen Turner and recorded live to analog tape in a band-built living room studio.

North American Tour Dates

03.29.11 - Columbus, OH - Black Box on Mershon Stage - Mershon Auditorium at Ohio State University w/ Super Desserts   
03.30.11 - Indianapolis, IN - Radio Radio w/ Tammar, Red Light Driver    
03.31.11 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon w/ Icarus Himself
04.01.11 - Iowa City, IA - Mission Creek Festival - The Mill w/ Dark Dark Dark, Pillars & Tongues, Skye Carrasco    
04.15.11 - San Diego, CA - The Loft at UC San Diego w/ Cuckoo Chaos
04.16.11 - Indio, CA Coachella
05.02.11 - San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Shop
05.04.11 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
05.05.11 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
05.06.11 - Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Saloon w/ tune-yards, Buke and Gass
05.07.11 - St. Louis, MO - Firebird
05.09.11 - Chicaco, IL - Schuba’s
05.10.11 - Pontiac, MI - The Pike Room at Crofoot
05.11.11 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
05.12.11 - Montréal, QC - Club Lambi
05.13.11 -  South Burlington, VT - Higher Ground Lounge
05.14.11 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
05.16.11 Washington DC - Red Palace  *
05.17.11 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506  *
05.18.11 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl  *
05.19.11 - Nashville, TN - The Basement *
05.20.11 - Pensacola, FL  - Handlebar  *
05.21.11 - New Orleans, LA - Circle Bar *
05.23.11 - Houston, TX - Fitzgerald’s Downstairs *
05.24.11 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada *
05.25.11 - Austin, TX The Parish *
*With Caveman

Wed, 04/20/2011 - 12:25 am

NORTH BY NORTHEAST (NXNE) announces the second wave of bands for the 17th edition of the festival, taking over Toronto June 13-19, 2011. Tickets are now available online.

NXNE has just confirmed that Devo, Descendents, Stars, The Pharcyde, Men Without Hats, Digable Planets, Twin Shadow, OFF!, Art Brut, Shad, Land of Talk, Chad VanGaalen, and Cults will join a festival line-up that also includes performances by The Dodos, Deerhoof, Hot Water Music, The Bouncing Souls, and Anti-Flag (previously announced), plus Dum Dum Girls, Evan Dando & Juliana Hatfield, Braids, Ty Segall, Suuns, PS I Love You, Crocodiles, Wild Nothing, The Pack A.D., Metz, Dirty Beaches, Forest City Lovers, The Luyas, Lower Dens, Gentlemen Husbands, Rusty, Royal Bangs, Julianna Barwick, No Joy, Prince Rama, Doldrums, Secret Cities, Evening Hymns, Snowblink, Parlovr, Talk Normal, PUJOL, Woodsman, Gauntlet Hair, Joey Cape, Tape Deck Mountain, AIDS Wolf, Houses, CJ Ramone, and Kevin Seconds.

Presented by AOL, New Wave legends Devo headline the summer’s biggest day-and-night party on Saturday, June 18 at Yonge-Dundas Square. Toronto’s Yonge Street will close to traffic and open to a massive crowd of NXNE fans as Devo – complete with signature uniforms and flower pot hats – whip into the downtown core with classics from cult fave albums Freedom of Choice and Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! Also rocking the Square will be Canada’s Men Without Hats, fresh off a sold-out return to the stage at SXSW 2011.

“We’re excited to have such legendary artists play the busiest hub in Toronto for the largest music festival in Canada,” says Joshua Ostroff, music editor, AOL Canada. “It will be a great time, with amazing music and we’re looking forward to being right in the centre of the party”

SoCal pop-punk hits NXNE on Thursday, June 16, with Descendents. It’s a rare chance to see one of the genre’s most influential bands, touring with their classic late-80s lineup for the first time in a decade. They’ll share the Yonge-Dundas Square stage with Vice Records’ L.A. hardcore supergroup OFF! featuring Keith Morris (Circle Jerks & Black Flag), Dimitri Coats (Burning Brides), Steven Shane McDonald (Redd Kross) and Mario Rubacaba (Hot Snakes & Rocket From The Crypt).

Sirius Satellite Radio touches down at Yonge-Dundas Square on Friday, June 17, for a live-to-air North American broadcast featuring Juno-nominated Stars. The band recently sold out consecutive nights at Massey Hall and opened for Coldplay in Ottawa, and their NXNE set will be a highlight of the festival. Also on the bill is Montreal trio Land of Talk, generating great reviews in Pitchfork and Stereogum.

"A live show and broadcast from Toronto’s Yonge-Dundas Square is a great way to share the excitement with our listeners across Canada and the U.S. while marking SIRIUS’ 6th year of support for NXNE,” said Andreanne Sasseville, Director, Canadian Content Development and Industry Relations, SIRIUS Canada Inc.

NXNE’s final festival night rolls out Sunday, June 19, as a second colossal evening party takes hold of Yonge-Dundas Square and Yonge Street, fuelled by performances by alternative hip-hop legends The Pharcyde, whose 90s release Bizarre Ride II was named by Kanye West as his favourite album ever. The night also features Grammy Award winners Digable Planets, tagged in Rolling Stone as “everything hip-hop should be: artistically sound, unabashedly conscious and downright cool.”

Funding supporting all NXNE’s free public concerts at Yonge-Dundas Square is provided by the Government of Ontario.

There’s even more for fans at NXNE this June: California’s Dum Dum Girls, coming off a 2010 tour with MGMT and Vampire Weekend; Chad van Gaalen, playing new songs from his upcoming release, Diaper Island; and Twin Shadow, hitting the festival on the heels of shows at SXSW, Coachella, and Bonnaroo.

All NXNE Festival passes and wristbands are now on sale, available at www.nxne.com. Early-bird pricing for NXNE Priority Passes is available through April 25.

The complete NXNE Music line-up and schedule, NXNE Film schedule and additional NXNE Interactive programming will be announced over the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

Sat, 04/30/2011 - 2:20 am

Created by The L Magazine, The Northside Festival, June 16-19, is a four-day celebration of Brooklyn and what’s next in Music, Art, Film and Ideas. The best regional, national and global talent will be showcased, all within the walkable radius of Williamsburg and Greenpoint.

Northside Music:

Over 250 bands will play over the four days at more than 25 venues scattered throughout the neighborhood, the majority of which will be handpicked by some of the most respected labels, bloggers, record stores and other independent tastemakers in the community. Highlights include the return of live music to McCarren Park, with Beirut and Guided By Voices set to headline. Another exciting addition to this year's lineup is Deer Tick, who will be performing as Nirvana tribute band Deervana at Brooklyn Bowl.

Northside Film:

Last year, we were proud to introduce Northside Film--a film festival within Northside. We worked with some of the most respected voices in cinema to showcase an eclectic mix of cinematic programming. The non-competition screening series is curated by IFC, Rooftop Films, Film at Lincoln Center, Animation Block Party, and many more. And this year, we're providing a platform for local filmmakers in the form of a juried DIY film festival. Festival judges include Rosie PerezTed Hope and Todd P. To learn more about the competitive DIY film competition or to submit, visit the website for more details here.

Northside Art:

On June 18 and 19, the most densely populated arts community in the country will open its doors to the public in a massive Open Studios program in conjunction with Greenpoint Open Studios. Hundreds of artists and galleries will show their latest work to thousands of interested patrons. Northside Open Studios is having an open call for artists working in all mediums to participate in this year's initiative. Opportunities to collaborate with galleries, local businesses and public spaces for special programming, exhibitions and events are available. For more details on Northside Open Studios or to register for the open call for artists, visit their website here.

Northside Ideas:

As Brooklyn has become a national incubator for new ideas and media, the creators and innovators developing exciting new products and brands will speak on a series of panels about what to expect next.

Thu, 05/05/2011 - 1:09 am
St. Cecilia's is one of the most beautiful and vital churches in Brooklyn. We are excited to be working with this community institution and proud to say that St. Cecilia's will be an important part of Northside Festival 2011. There will be four shows taking place at the most spectacular venue imaginable.
 
June 16: Atlas Sound, with Special Guests TBA. Doors at 7 pm ($15 advance, $17 day of show)
June 17: Woods, with Special Guests TBA. Doors at 7 pm ($12 advance, $15 day of show
June 18: Eleanor Friedberger, Rebecca Gates, Ida, Spectre Folk. Doors at 6:30pm ($15 advance, $17 day of show)
June 19: Mount Eerie, Nicholas Krgovich (No Kids), Wyrd Visions. Doors at 7pm ($12 advance, $15 day of show)
 
All tickets for the St. Cecilia's Church Series will go on sale this Friday, May 6, at 12pm EST here.
 
Last month, Northside Festival confirmed that that Guided By Voices will headline the McCarren Park Stage on Saturday, June 18, with Wavves set to support. Surfer Blood and The Babies have now been added to open for the Guided By Voices/Wavves show. Beirut will headline McCarren Park with Sharon Van  Etten on Friday, June 17. Tickets for GBV/Wavves/Surfer Blood/The Babies and Beirut/Sharon Van Etten  are on sale and can be purchased here.
 
Complete Lineup Below:
Guided By Voices • Beirut • Wavves • Surfer Blood • Sharon Van Etten • Deertick (performing as Deervana) • Theophilus London • DOM • Mount Eerie • The Strange Boys • Iceage (U.S. debut) • Frankie Rose & the Outs • The Babies • Twin Sister • Allo Darlin’ • Javelin • Ava Luna • Delicate Steve • The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt! • Gabriel & the Hounds Cult of Youth • Alela Diane & Wild Divine • White Fence • Grouplove • Lucky Dragons • Takka Takka • Blondes • Janka Nabay • Holiday Shores • Eternal Summers • The Babies • Xeno and Oaklander • Houses • Teengirl Fantasy • Delicate Steve • Grooms • Slowdance • Grand Rapids • Radical Dads • Mainland • Easter Vomit • Lady Lamb The Beekeeper • Sean Bones • Dream Diary • Xray Eyeballs • The Loom • Pursesnatchers • Gatekeeper • Nicholas Krgovich (No Kids) • Pop. 1280 • World Atlas • Dry The River • The Black Hollies • I’m Turning Into • Quiet Lights • The Secret History • Tiny Victories • Indian Rebound • Kindest Lines • Coyote Eyes • Yellow Tears • Epee du Bois • Marie Stella • Mussels • Diehard • Sensual Harassment • Wires Under Tension • Dry the River • RYAT • The Gypsy West • Dirty Dishes • Grandfather • Bangladeafy • Grass Is Green • Anasazi • The Men • Pillow Theory • Lost Tribe • A Lull • The Brooklyn What
 

Four-day, all-ages badges are on sale now and available at a limited advance rate of $70. Those may be purchased here.

Wed, 05/25/2011 - 12:39 am
Sarabeth Tucek is set to release her sophomore LP, Get Well Soon, on May 24th on Ungawa Records. It’s a stunning record that, although not a concept album as such, forms a narrative based around the death of Sarabeth’s father, or as she beautifully describes it “an impressionistic rendering of a time ruled by grief”. The 12 tracks were “sequenced and resequenced for weeks” in order for the story to emerge and the end result sees not one wasted word or unnecessary note; all we’re left with is “just pure feeling”.
 
Sarabeth was born to a psychiatrist and a psychologist in Miami, but grew up in New York. She was a latecomer to music, her first calling being acting. However, after a few years in Hollywood, her singing and songwriting was encouraged by people on the music scene she fell in with. She first made an impression singing backing vocals on Smog’s 2003 album Supper and then in the film ‘Dig!’, where she sings a song she had just written called "Something For You". The Brian Jonestown Massacre went on to cover the song (retitled "Seer"), but Sarabeth’s own version became her debut single, on Sonic Cathedral, back in February 2007.
 
This stark and simple song won her legions of fans and her self-titled debut album followed a few months later (on the Echo label) to rapturous reviews. Produced by Ethan Johns and Luther Russell, its understated style was an inspiration to a number of singer-songwriters who followed in Sarabeth’s wake, including Laura Marling, who approached Johns to produce I Speak Because I Can after hearing it.
 
However, despite everything seemingly going so right, at home everything was going wrong. “Some very bad things happened during the first record and after,” recalls Sarabeth. “It was as if all that had ever troubled me, hurt me, came back just as I was embarking on what should’ve been the happiest time of my life. It all came back and said, ‘Not so fast...’
 
“I don’t think my mind could handle all the good coming its way. It was unfamiliar terrain and I didn’t know how to traverse It. Predictably, my drinking got out of control and that led to a couple car accidents, jail and legal troubles.I wanted to leave LA anyway, but now I felt I sort of had to. I hoped that by coming back home to New York I would be able to forge some kind of redemptive break from the past. To forgive myself.”
 
The move has informed much of the music on Get Well Soon. The warmth of the West Coast has gone, replaced by a much rawer sound, all recorded over an intensive 15-day period in a basement in Southampton, Pennsylvania. “We recorded this record in a house where we also lived,” Sarabeth explains. “My friends Robert and Peter from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club recorded ‘Howl’ there. It’s owned by the Nicgorski family who are all very musical: Billy, who offered me the basement, and his brother have played in lots of bands, their sister Maria sings on ‘State I Am In’ and their father Wally spent his mornings on the front porch singing in his rocking chair. Making a record where I am singing to and about my father and seeing and hearing their dad out there every morning served up a pretty strong and bittersweet feeling for me.”
 
“I think we managed to capture a unique mood down in that basement,” adds producer Luther Russell. “As guests in someone’s home we got a feeling that might not have happened in a regular studio. Sarabeth wanted to be somewhere totally unfamiliar; the material was incredibly personal to her, so she had to feel right about where she did it. My job was to capture that feeling, and fast. The plan was to mix it in LA, but it turned out that all the magic was there in the rough mixes I did as we went along – so that is what you hear. I think that’s why it’s such an immediate record, because it really was completed in those two weeks... but with a lifetime of preparation, of course.”
 
The rawness of the recording reflects the subject matter and provides the perfect accompaniment to Sarabeth’s voice, which seems stronger, more confident and more crystalline than ever, like Karen Dalton or a less histrionic Cat Power, as she deftly conveys her grief with an eloquent, understated majesty. The musical reference points of the first album – Neil Young, Dylan, The Velvet Underground, Big Star – are still there, but somehow amplified, and Sarabeth is definitely not looking towards the current music scene for inspiration. “It’s odd how placid a lot of music seems now; so washed out in sound and feeling,” she says. “It’s like antidepressant music to take antidepressants to. I don’t really give a shit. I am more likely to buy a new book now than a new record.”
 
This would explain the number of literary references on Get Well Soon. The opening track "The Wound And The Bow" is named after a book of essays by Edmund Wilson, in which Sarabeth discovered and subsequently became obsessed with the myth of Philoctetes, a play by Sophocles in which the protagonist suffers a wound so grotesque that he is left alone on an island to live in a cave and tend to his injuries. The title of "Exit Ghost" was taken from the Philip Roth novel, but he appropriated it from ‘Hamlet’, where it is written as a stage direction. “The scene when Hamlet sees his father’s ghost became lodged in my head,” explains Sarabeth. “And his subsequent madness I understood in a more personal way.”
 
The narrative ends with the title track and a resolution of sorts. “I feel like I’m either the patient or the doctor, somebody always has an ache,” she says. “When I wrote the title track I had a friend of mine on my mind. She was so sad... just inconsolable and it was painful to see her like that. The title is a reminder to keep myself well. It’s hard to explain the ferocity of the grief I experienced when my father died. I really felt like it was going to kill me, so to be here... well, I just wanted to remind myself of what I survived.”
Fri, 06/24/2011 - 5:41 pm

What does Country Mice front-man Jason Rueger have in common with less than 300 people in the US?  Growing up in Beattie, that’s ruralest of rural Kansas. On a farm of course, that was passed down through three generations of his family and old enough to be on the Pony Express route. “Family, friends, and working the land gave us a good wholesome life”.

Walking dirt road paths, working and living off the land, squinting his eyes at the sun, but with headphones on, it is not the bucolic atmosphere but music that most inspires him.  At an early age, Rueger sets his sights for something different than the surrounding dirt and milo that stung his eyes and cut his hands.

Breaking away from the close-knit ties of friends and family, Rueger moves east, not to Nashville, where you might expect a country boy to venture, but to Brooklyn.  It doesn’t take long to hook up with fellow Midwest transplants Ben Bullington (guitar) and Kurt Kuehn (drums) as they all quickly band together, finding comfort in their shared sense of displacement.  Eventually, as the trio becomes more assimilated to their new surroundings, they recruit upstate New Yorker Mike Feldman (bass).

As Country Mice, they rally together to craft apocalyptic ballads through amplifier hazes that thicken into funnel clouds, drums that stomp-clap sedately before the storm peaks, and bass tones that thicken the bloodstream. Rueger draws on his small town rearing with sophistication beyond the ordinarily romantic and reductive Americana troubadour, and his songwriting is anything but dime a dozen.

Strong traces of Neil Young and Wilco are mixed into modern experimental guitar sounds that any fan of mid-90’s Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. will love. Living and gigging in Brooklyn, Country Mice begin to fully develop their sound, which becomes by influenced the other hardworking bands of Brooklyn's fast-paced scene.

Their debut album Twister is out now.It's a record that sonically chisels through the calloused shell of glossy rock & roll to find the dissonant live wire beneath and play it for all its worth. It tells a tale of strained memory: the hardships, joys, and love of growing up in a small town in the Midwest, with the hopes and dreams of traveling the world – a record for every kid seeing the big world from his small bedroom window.

Summer Tour Dates:

July 5 Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands
July 9 Brooklyn NY @ Cameo Gallery
July 13 Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar
July 15 Chicago, IL @ Cal's Bar
July 16 N. Manchester, IN @ The Firehouse
July 17 Indianapolis, IN @ Melody Inn
July 18 Louisville, KY @ Sunergos
July 19 Little Rock, AR @ Vino's
July 20 Mobile, AL @ Alabama Music Box
July 21 San Antonio, TX @ Limelight
July 22 Austin, TX @ Stubb's
July 23 Oklahoma City, OK @ Blue Note Lounge
July 24 Tulsa, OK @ Sound Pony
July 25 Kansas City, MO @ The Riot Room
July 26 Columbia, MO @ Mojo's
July 27 St. Louis, MO @ Ciceros
July 28 Cincinnati, OH @ Southgate House
July 29 Atlanta, GA @ The Drunken Unicorn
July 30 Savanna, GA @ The Jinx
July 31 Durham, NC @ The Pinhook

 

Tue, 08/02/2011 - 10:35 pm

We are happy to announce a very special BIG SHOW we have planned for the 10th anniversary of the POP Montreal festival. SiriusXM Canada will present and broadcast a free outdoor show by The Arcade Fire on Thursday, September 22nd, at the place des Festivals of Quartier des Spectacles in downtown Montreal. The show is a grand thank you by The Arcade Fire to Montreal, Quebec and Canada and will celebrate an amazing year for the band where they toured the world in support of their outstanding record, The Suburbs, and won awards for album of the year at The Junos, The Brits, and The Grammys. "Our band couldn't exist without Montreal. After having had the chance to tour extensively around the world, we're very excited to finally come home. And to do so the Montreal way, we hoped to play a free outside show, on the very last day of summer as a big 'Thank you' to the beautiful city we love so much", says Régine Chassagne, member of The Arcade Fire, "We're happy to be a part of the 10th anniversary of POP Montreal. And we're proud to play a role in the French release of Tracy Kidder's Mountains Beyond Mountains, (Soulever les montagnes) -a book that has influenced our lives and our careers. Hoping to see you at the show… we're crossing our fingers for great weather." Montreal's own Karkwa, 2010 Polaris Prize winners, will open up the event.

We would like to thank our production partner evenko for helping us mount this amazing concert as well as all our funders, partners and sponsors that are helping make this possible. SiriusXM Canada, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, Agence Métropolitaine de Transport (AMT), ALDO, McAuslan, La Ville de Montréal, le ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l'Occupation du territoire (MAMROT), SODEC, Tourism Quebec and Tourism Montreal, who all have been integral in putting this event together. We thank them for supporting and continuing to support Canadian Independent Music.

SiriusXM Canada will broadcast the live concert exclusively for Sirius and XM subscribers throughout Canada and the U.S. on Sirius channels 152 and 161 and XM channel 151. This live broadcast is the latest opportunity for SiriusXM subscribers to experience unique and exclusive live musical performances from some of Canada's most influential artists.

The show will take place during the In Town, Without my Car ! event in Montreal organised by the Agence métropolitaine de transport and CAM, an amazing initiative we are pleased to support with a concert that will animate the downtown core. We are pleased to work with the great local company ALDO who, like the band and the festival, is a company that has sprung from Montreal to planet-wide fame. In keeping with the themes of environmental responsibility, ALDO is proud to by an official partner and will provide free eco-responsible water stations for concert attendees.

The show will coincide with the French release of Tracy Kidder's book Mountains Beyond Mountains (Soulever les montagnes), which documents the story of Paul Farmer, one of the founders of Partners In Health. For this show, the band is offering a special deal: as of today the first 100 people to make a 200$ + donation to KANPE will receive 2 passes to the VIP area at the show and a copy of the book. To participate visit kanpe.org. KANPE is a Montreal-based partner organization of Partners In Health dear to the band's heart. KANPE's work seeks to reverse the cycle of poverty in Haiti by encouraging financial independence, and enabling every person to live healthy and with dignity. VIP access for the show can also be acquired by purchasing a Super Pass on POP Montreal's website, where an option to donate to KANPE will be available to all.

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POP Montreal presents:
HEPPNER DOES ZAPPA w/ guest Mahogany Frog
Friday, September 23, 2011
Cinéma L'Amour, 4015 St-Laurent blvd
doors 11pm, show 11:30pm
Tickets 12$ av / 15$ door

POP Montreal presents:
Gary Lucas' Captain Beefheart Symposium
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Cinéma L'Amour, 4015 St-Laurent
doors 11pm, show 12am
Tickets 12$ av/ 15$ door

Pop Montreal and Tee Pee Records present:
Quest for Fire + Burning Love + Naam + ELKS
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Le Divan Orange, 4234 Saint-Laurent blvd
doors 9pm, show 10pm
Tickets 10$ av/ 12$ door

Pop Montreal and Passovah present:
Miracle Fortress + Gobble Gobble + Mozart's Sister + Cotton Mouth + Cousins + DJ Thomas Carlo Promise
Friday, September 23, 2011
Mission Santa Cruz, 60 Rachel West
doors 7pm, show 8pm
Tickets 12$ av/ 15$ door

POP Montreal and Blue Skies Turn Black present:
Dirty Beaches + Frankie Rose + guests
Friday, September 23, 2011
Il Motore, 179 Jean-Talon West
doors 9pm, show 10pm
Tickets 11$ av/ 13$ door

POP Montreal, Out of This Spark and Rempire present:
Oh Bijou + Forest City Lovers + Evening Hymns + Snowblink + Tasseomancy
Friday. September 23, 2011
O Patro Vys, 356 Mont-Royal East
doors 8:30pm, show 9:30pm
Tickets 12$ av/ 15$ door

POP Montreal presents
Philémon Chante + Lindi Ortega + Charlotte Cornfield
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Ukrainian Federation, 5213 Hutchison
doors 7pm, show 8pm
Tickets 15$ av/ 17$ door

POP Montreal and ELAN present:
"THE SEASON", a Musical by Socalled
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Théâtre Outremont, 1248 Bernard West
doors 7:30pm, show 8:30pm
Tickets 20$ available on admission.com

POP Montreal and evenko/Greenland present:
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks + guests
Friday, September 23, 2011
Corona Theatre, 2490 Notre-Dame East
doors 7pm, show 8pm
Tickets 25.50$ av/ 27.15$ door

Neon & Highfood and POP Montreal present:
"Peter Hook & The Light perform Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures"
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Club Soda, 1225 St-Laurent blvd
doors 7pm, show 8pm
Tickets 30$ av/ 35$ door

Pop Montreal and Tee Pee Records present:
Quest for Fire + Burning Love + Naam + ELKS
Thursday, september 22 2011
Le Divan Orange, 4234 St-Laurent blvd
doors 9pm, show 10pm
Tickets 10$ av/ 12$ door

Pop Montreal et Passovah présentent :
Miracle Fortress + Gobble Gobble + Mozart's Sister + Cotton Mouth + Cousins + DJ Thomas Carlo Promise
Friday, September 23, 2011
Mission Santa Cruz, 60 Rachel West
doors 7pm, show 8pm
Tickets 12$ av/ 15$ door

POP Montreal presents:
Jean Leloup & The Last Assassins + guests - ALBUM LAUNCH!!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Rialto Theatre, 5723 Parc ave
doors 8pm, show 9pm
Tickets 49$

POP Montreal and evenko/Greenland present:
Girls + guests
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Corona Theatre, 2490 Notre-Dame West
doors 7pm, show 8pm
Tickets 18$ av/ 23.15$ door

POP Montreal presents:
REDD KROSS + Les Breastfeeders
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Rialto Theatre, 5723 Parc ave
doors 8pm, show 9pm
Tickets 20$ av/ 22$ door

POP Montreal presents:
Marie-Jo Thério’s "Laboratoire" + guests
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Ukrainian Federation, 5213 Hutchison
doors 7pm, show 8pm
Tickets 20$ av/ 24$ door

POP Montreal and evenko present:
YUCK + guests
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Cabaret du Mile End, 5240 Parc ave
doors 8:30pm, show 9:30pm
Tickets 18$ av/ 20$ door

POP Montreal presents:
The Raincoats + guests
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Cabaret du Mile End, 5240 Parc ave
doors 8pm, show 9pm
Tickets 25$

POP Montreal presents:
The Ponderosa Stomp Revue
w/ The Velvelettes + Ralph Soul Jackson + Lil' Buck & The Buckaroos + Bobby Allen
Friday, September 23, 2011
Cabaret du Mile End, 5240 Parc ave
doors 8:30pm, show 9:30pm
Tickets 30$ av/ 35$ porte

POP Montreal and Neon & Highfood present:
Hippos in Tanks showcase
w/ Ford & Lopatin + D'eon + CFCF
Saturday, September 24, 2011
SAT, 1220 St-Laurent blvd
doors 8pm, show 9pm
Tickets 14$ av/ 16$ door

POP Montreal and Blue Skies Turn Black present:
Liam Finn + Marques Toliver + guests
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
O Patro Vys, 356 Mont-Royal East
doors 8pm, show 9pm
Tickets 15$

POP Montreal and Blue Skies Turn Black present:
Liturgy + CAVE + PC Worship
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Il Motore, 179 Jean-Talon West
doors 8pm, show 9pm
Tickets 12$ av/ 15$ door

Thu, 09/08/2011 - 4:02 pm

THE HUMANS are an innovative, three-piece, contemporary rock band comprising Toyah Willcox, Bill Rieflin and Chris Wong. The group brings together three lifetimes of musical experience, experimentation and craftsmanship. The band are the brainchild of Toyah Willcox.

THE HUMANS were formed in 2007 after Toyah was invited by the Estonian ambassador to tour Estonia. Highly experimental, the band reflects the distinctly different musical backgrounds and life experiences of its members. This creative formation marked a radical departure for Toyah who comments: “The songs are deconstructed down to the bones of raw experience, exposing human nature and irony”. Dispensing with the conventional rock band line-up, the DNA of The Humans consists of the voice (taking much more of a role as instrument) flanked by two bass players, with no designated drummer or guitarist. Although recorded and live work can include programmed drumming, beats or guest guitar, the intention is to allow space for the vocal to sit above and alongside the sound scape rather than compete with the noise of a rock band.

Before they had ever set foot into a recording studio, The Humans premiered their material in 2008 with a sell-out series of concerts in Estonia attended by the Estonian president. These songs then formed the basis of their debut album We Are The Humans, which was recorded in Bill Rieflin’s home ground of Seattle. Produced by Rieflin, the 10-song album was mixed by Don Gunn & Rieflin and mastered by Simon Heyworth (Tubular Bells, Brian Eno). It was released in May 2009 to coincide with the band's return to Estonia to headline at ‘Tartufest’. Album highlights include the eerily, ambient Quicksilver, the majestic, Demigod and the live band-groove of Icarus. The Humans quickly carved out their sound as European experimental meets West Coast American grunge with overarching avant-garde and filmic qualities.

The album received its UK digital release in September 2009 along with the band’s first single, ‘These Boots Are Made For Walkin’, a provocative, 21st century twist on the Nancy Sinatra classic, featuring guest guitar from Robert Fripp. This track was recently used by the BBC on their television
coverage of the World Cup football final matches, reaching a substantial audience of worldwide viewers and listeners.

The Humans marked their first ever live UK appearances with a series of warm-up concerts in the very intimate and beautiful surroundings of St. Michael's & All Angels' Church and St. Anne's Church, Worcester. These were followed up by dates across the UK, featuring special guest Robert Fripp playing live with the band.

They also appeared on the bill of acts invited to perform at The Roundhouse for the Helping Haiti fundraiser concert. The Humans tour culminated in a headline date at London’s Scala, yielding a 4-star review from the Financial Times who concluded it was an “intriguing, often terrific, show” with “programmed beats, sinewy, rumbling rhythms, a kind of twisted funk”.

Their set included a presentation of the entire debut album, newly written songs and their unique interpretations of These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ alongside the Hendrix classic, Purple Haze.

THE HUMANS have dedicated three years to establishing their sound, songs and performance. Crystallizing what is at the core of The Humans’ manifesto, the album Sugar Rush bears a cinematic density with stirring moments of  exhilarating energy (Sugar Rush) tender contemplation (Love In A Di¬erent Way) and brooding soundscapes (Sea Of Size). The album also features guest guitar on all tracks from Robert Fripp.

Concerts are being lined-up to include UK, Europe and USA and may include cinemas, theatres, churches and other unusual spaces alongside traditional rock venues.

Wed, 10/05/2011 - 11:59 am

There are infinite songs about relationships, and certainly music can take love to a new, magical level when presented with the right song and the right people. But rarely do we come across an interplay of music and love as symbiotic–as desperately codependent–as it does in the work of debut indie outfit The Echo-Friendly. The band, half of which resides in Memphis and half in NYC, debuted their first single, "Same Mistakes" last June on Cantora Records. They're back with a charming new single, titled "Boats".

Jake and Shannon, who comprise the lead vocal duet of The Echo-Friendly, also make up the long time off and on couple whose trials bleed profusely, and unabashedly, into the band’s music. Penned by Jake and refined by Shannon, every lyric can be considered a literal account of real-life events in the relationship, including actual conversations and conflicts, without metaphor or regard for the musicians’ privacy. The result is a textured narrative of the labors, travails and psychoses of a messy relationship, all delivered in a refreshingly digestible indie-pop package. In an age where our lives are more public than ever, The Echo-Friendly renders us all voyeurs to both the beauties and imperfections of entangled love.

The single “Same Mistakes” is a palatable introduction to the band’s love journal. In it, we find the highly relatable frustrations of repeating mistakes, breaking promises to yourself, and realizing in many ways you’re still the immature teenager you were 10, 15 years ago. It’s an anthem of angst for first-world young people faced with the melodramas of growing old without growing up, and the burdens they place on their lovers as a consequence. “Same Mistakes” gives a voice (two of them, actually) to these unspoken universalities, with complements from a steady guitar pulse and growing harmony that aches with distortion at the song’s instrumental break. The E-F’s Cantora debut is a deliberately compassionate confession to falling short of the adult we’re all supposed to be.

Frontman Jake Rabinbach has spent the past two years touring as part of Cantora artist Francis and the Lights’s band, and has released and performed music under his band Jump Back Jake in addition to releasing the November ‘10 online EP “Still Not Sorry” by Jump Back Jake and The Echo-Friendly. While the lead singers, Jake and Shannon Esper, hail from and live in New York, the band records at High/Low Studio in Memphis, where bandmates Jake Vest and Greg Faison take up residence. The foursome is well into completing its first EP, expected to come out later this fall.

Tue, 11/22/2011 - 10:34 am

The Dodos will be a musical guest on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on November 29. They will be performing "Don't Try And Hide It" with the help of very special guest Neko Case.  The band are giving away an unreleased track called "So Cold". Just enter your email address on the band's website to receive this great new song.

In other news, the band recently unveiled a new clip for the No Color standout track “Good”, directed by Mark Holthusen. The band performs against a white background, constantly being injected with amorphous shapes of black, evoking the classic Rorschach test. Check out the video on Pitchfork TV.

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Upcoming Tour Dates
  Date Venue Location Tickets
Dec 09 Butlin's Holiday Centre Minehead, United Kingdom Tickets RSVP
Dec 12 Corsica Studios London, United Kingdom Tickets RSVP
Dec 13 Kreun Kortrijk, Belgium Tickets RSVP
Dec 14 Tivoli de Helling Utrecht, Netherlands Tickets RSVP
Dec 15 Stuk Leuven, Belgium Tickets RSVP
Dec 16 Patronaat Haarlem, Netherlands Tickets RSVP
Dec 17 State X-New Forms Fest Den Haag, Netherlands Tickets

 

Wed, 11/30/2011 - 4:26 pm

Phil and the Osophers will release a new EP of holiday songs entitled "It's Christmas Time With Phil and the Osophers" digitally on December 6.  The five original songs include "Brutus The Backup Reindeer," which tells the story of a reindeer named Brutus who's asked to help pull Santa's sleigh when another reindeer comes down with the flu. Other songs find Phil and familytaking a "Holiday Joyride," contemplating the simple pleasures of their Christmas break, attending an "Ugly Christmas Sweater Party," and pleading with Santa to bring his baby back. Each of the songs offer a novel viewpoint on the familiar Christmas sound.Phil and the Osophers are a Brooklyn by way of San Francisco band who play a charming mix of surf and indie-pop. They have self-released six full length records and are currently recording their seventh, a double album which will be out in 2012.

Thu, 12/01/2011 - 3:43 pm

The heartbeat that sparks the third song on 1, 2, 3’s debut LP isn’t just a flutter effect meant to set a melancholic mood. It literally symbolizes the start of a new life. Or in the case of Nicolas Snyder and Joshua Sickels, a crucial state of rebirth—the next logical step after the “classic rock ’n’ roll casualty story” of a band moving on from one project to the next.While that project took more of a straight-laced approach to pop music, 1, 2, 3’s songs are as stubborn as their name. In other words, good luck reducing New Heaven down to a tidy set of buzz words.Or as Snyder puts it, “That’s the general idea with this band—that it doesn’t belong to any specific genre, and that there aren’t any preconceived notions about the name or who we are.”Take the aforementioned “Heat Lightnin’,” for instance. Once you make it past Snyder’s fragile vocals, a disembodied whistler, and several unidentified flying objects, one thing emerges—a liquified bass line that seems to be…talking. And then there are the many striking, speaker-panning elements that reward repeat listens elsewhere: the shimmering synths of “Lonesome Boring Summer,” the swooning strings of “Wave Pool,” the sucker punch percussion of “Work,” the lethargic blues licks of “Just Like Heaven (is gone),” the restless riffs of “20,000 Blades,” and, well, we’d go on but that’d take away half the fun of digging through 1, 2, 3’s sonic detritus.Tour Dates:12/4 – Bug Jar - Rochester, NY12/5 – TT the Bears – Boston, MA12/7 – Black Cat Backstage - Washington, DC12/8 – Pianos – New York, NY

Mon, 12/12/2011 - 11:07 am

Brooklyn based band, SoftSpot, comprised of three musical friends with an ever aligning path along the creatively spiritual are revealing the fruits of their endeavors in a manner much like the unraveling of their songs.  Sarah Kinlaw, an operatically trained vocalist and bassist, brings a penetratingly honest presence into the live element that is terrifyingly contagious.  She and Bryan Keller have known each other since kindergarten and have grown together as artists throughout the years.  Bryan is a multi-instrumentalist who has toured with acts such as Acrylics, Rifle Recoil, Fan-tan, & Painting as well as writing and recording with SoftSpot and others.  The two recently teamed up with artist Andrew Spaulding (aka Ca$h Bundles) of Space Lions in Outer Space to complete the triad.  He is the conductor and conspirator behind the Cagean "Hypnagogic Tape Orchestra."

Mon, 12/12/2011 - 2:19 pm

Yes.... That's right! Bear In Heaven will be streaming their new record, I LOVE YOU, IT'S COOL, from start to finish starting this Monday at noon until April third at midnight. The band has slowed down their LP by nearly 400,000% to play exactly once starting today and ending on the day the album is released. Go to their website to check it out.-

US Spring 2012 Tour Dates

3/28/12 - Andy Warhol Museum - Pittsburgh, PA3/29/12 - The Bishop - Bloomington, IN3/30/12 - The Basement - Columbus, OH3/31/12 - MOTR Pub - Cincinnati, OH4/01/12 - The Luminary Center for the Arts - St. Louis, MO4/04/12 - Casbah - San Diego, CA4/05/12 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA4/08/12 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA4/12/12 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR4/13/12 - The Crocodile - Seattle, WA4/14/12 - The Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, BC4/17/12 - 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN4/18/12 - Schubas - Chicago, IL4/20/12 - Zanzabar - Louisville, KY4/21/12 - Exit/In - Nashville, TN4/22/12 - Hi-Tone Cafe - Memphis, TN4/24/12 - The Parish - Austin, TX4/25/12 - Fitzgerald's - Houston, TX4/26/12 - The Bottletree - Birmingham, AL4/27/12 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA4/28/12 - Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC4/29/12 - Kings Barcade - Raleigh, NC5/01/12 - Black Cat Backstage - Washington, DC5/02/12 - First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA5/03/12 - Brighton Music Hall - Allston, MA5/04/12 - La Sala Rossa - Montreal, QC5/05/12 - The Garrison - Toronto, ON5/06/12 - The Haunt - Ithaca, NY5/08/12 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY5/09/12 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY

Wed, 12/14/2011 - 2:16 pm

The SnowBall Music Festival will return to Nottingham Park in Avon, CO, March 2–4, 2012, for a second year of supreme music and mountain sports. Tickets for the event are on sale now on the newly re-designed SnowBall website. The festival is announcing two bands a day for the 2012 lineup on their Facebook page, click here to check it out.  TV on the Radio, Rusko, Head and the Heart, Bassnectar, Deer Tick, Major Lazer, Wolf + Lamb, Soul Clap, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Cassian, Gauntlet Hair, Small BlackLos Amigos Invisibles, Dillon Francis, Big Freedia, Tribes, Plastic Plates, Figure, My Goodness and more have all been confirmed to play SnowBall Festival 2012.About SnowBall Music Festival:There simply is no other festival in the world like SnowBall Music Festival. Going into its sophomore year, SnowBall is quickly demanding the attention of critics and tastemakers, taking the concept of a music festival to a whole new level. Drawing attention once again for a stellar lineup of indie rock and dance music artists, SnowBall is setting the standard as one of the most exciting and unique festivals to emerge in recent years. Offering all the perks of a world-class music festival—with the distinct bonus of being set in a skier and snowboarder’s paradise—the SnowBall Music Festival proposes the ultimate marriage of music and mountains. For three days this March, SnowBall will sprawl out across Colorado's legendary Vail Valley, offering a diverse lineup of artists on multiple stages to pair the world’s best musicians with the world's best snow conditions; making the SnowBall Music Festival the ultimate winter getaway for music fans.

Wed, 12/14/2011 - 4:16 pm

British electronic funk superstars Fujiya & Miyagi return to the United States this winter with a new single, “Ecstatic Dancer,” and a tour that kicks off Jan. 19 in Brooklyn and winds up Feb. 1 in Los Angeles. (Check above for exact dates/venues).“Ecstatic Dancer” is a whirling frenzy of foreboding fuzzed guitars laid over a pumping synth beat. David Best’s whispered urge to join him on the dance floor are equal parts seductive and sinister. Download the song, which is approved for posting on your website/blog for free giveaway.The band’s fourth album, Ventriloquizzing, found Fujiya & Miyagi returning with a renewed –if not darker—sense of purpose. The four piece band—singer/guitarist David Best, bassist Matt Hainsby, synth player Steve Lewis and drummer Lee Adams—found inspiration in ventriloquist dummies and the people behind the wooden weirdos.  They even went so far as to have a set of four Fujiya & Miyagi dummies made up, initially with the idea of sending them to photo and video shoots in place of the band.“Ventriloquizzing comes from the idea of people speaking for you, like adults do with babies,” Best said. “Dummies are thought of as creepy; they can reflect a split personality, and that relates to the idea of being in a group, where you are presented as one entity, even though everyone comes from different angles and thinks about one thing very differently from the others.”From the glam stomp of deeply demented “Sixteen Shades of Black & Blue” and on, the mood on Ventriloquizzing—produced by Thom Monahan (Vetiver, Au Revoir Simone Devendra Banhart)—is forceful, aggressive and confrontational while maintaining the taut, minimalistic funk that’s become their calling card.“It's quite an accusatory record, but you never know why, or what the target of the accusation has done,” Best said. “I think there's an underlying anger, or perhaps just annoyance, at institutions and people in general, and probably ourselves too.-US Tour Dates 1/19 - Glasslands - Brooklyn, NY1/20 - Johnny Brenda’s - Philadelphia, PA1/21 - Mercury Lounge - NY, NY1/22 - Great Scott - Allston, MA1/23 - La Sala Rosa - Montreal, QC1/24 - Wrong Bar - Toronto, ON1/25 - Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL1/26 - Electric Owl - Vancouver, BC1/27 - Neumos - Seattle, WA1/28 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, WA1/30 - The independent - San Francisco, CA1/31 - Casbah - San Diego, CA2/1 - Echo - Los Angeles, CA

Wed, 01/11/2012 - 12:13 pm

Colin Stetson is a horn player of uncommon strength, skill and genre-defying creativity. He composes and performs otherworldly songs that combine a mastery of circular breathing technique with percussive valve-work and reed vocalisations, making a polyphonic solo music that combines influences as diverse as Bach, early metal, American pre-war Gospel, and the explorations of Jimi Hendrix, Peter Brotzman and Albert Ayler.New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges is Stetson's second solo record and his first for Constellation.  Colin has been making his mark as a staggering solo performer for several years now, in front of audiences small and large, from intimate jazz and experimental music venues to big stages, whether opening for Arcade Fire or The National, or playing at jazz and new music festivals like Moers and London Jazz. His talents have been widely recognised and employed by artists as diverse as Tom Waits, Laurie Anderson, TV On The Radio and Bon IverColin also plays in Belle Orchestre and Sway Machinery.The music on New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges was captured entirely live in single takes at Montréal's Hotel2Tango studio, with no overdubs or looping, using over 20 mics positioned close and far throughout the live room. Guest vocals by Laurie Anderson and Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond) are the only exceptions to this rule, along with one brief french horn that was multi-tracked.The Judges sessions were co-produced by Stetson and Shahzad Ismaily and engineered by Efrim Menuck at the Hotel2Tango, then taken to Greenhouse StudiosBen Frost.The result is a highly original, experimental, euphoric record that fires on all levels: a document of an astoundingly strong and gifted player; a compositional tour-de-force; and a studio production bursting with intensity and inventiveness.New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges features cover art by Tracy Maurice and will be issued on CD in custom 100% recycled paperboard gatefold jacket and on 180gLP with a limited edition screenprinted poster contained in the first pressing. The album will also be available digitally.2011 Best Of ListsAll Music . com - 2011: The Year of the Saxophone - Ranked #4Baeble Music - MEGALIST: The end of the Year End - Ranked #46Boston Hassle - Dan Shea's Top 15 Records ListCHIRP (Chicago Independent Radio Project) - CHIRP Radio Best of 2011Consequence of Sound - Top 50 Albums of 2011 - Ranked #12DCist - The Best Albums of 2011Music Zeitgiest - The Best Albums of 2011 - Ranked #5The Nanfang - Top 10 Albums of 2011 - Ranked #4New York Magazine - The Year In Pop #2 The Needle Drop - Favorite Albums of 2011 - Ranked #18No Good Advice - Top 50 Albums of 2011 - Ranked #49NPR - 50 Favorite Albums of 2011Philadelphia Weekly - Top 10 Albums of 2011 - Ranked #7Pitchfork - The Top 50 Albums of 2011 - Ranked #44Prefix Magazine - Prefix's Top 50 Albums of 2011 - Ranked #15Rhapsody - The Mix: Top 25 Jazz Records of 2011 - Ranked #9Rhythm Circus - Best of 2011Said the Gramophone - Best Songs of 2011 - Ranked #11 (Fear of the Unknown and Blazing Sun)Sound on the Sound - North of Northwest : Top 10 Canadian Albums of 2011Spin Magazine - Spin's 20 Best Avant Albums of 2011 Ranked #9SSG Music - Best of 2011: Top 10 Post-Rock/ Ambient Albums in 2011 - Ranked #1Tiny Mixtapes - Favorite 50 Albums of 2011 - Ranked #3The Vancouver Sun - Top 40 Albums of 2011 - Ranked #11WNYC Radio - 2011 Year in Review : Best of Soundcheck Live91.5 WMFO - Music of 2011 : Top Ten Albums - Ranked #9

Thu, 01/12/2012 - 4:13 pm

The band of brothers known far and wide as Sleepy Sun don’t sit still for long. Though they remain real and spiritual citizens of the Northern California hive that birthed the band in the latter half of the last decade, Sleepy Sun is a rambling band—a certifiably vagabond unit that built a reputation among American and European audiences as fine-tuned, ironclad locomotive and candy sweet heavy pop machine. Barnstorming the Great Plains….stealing afternoons from the unsuspecting on the European festival-go-round…hooking the uninitiated opening for the Arctic Monkeys, Black Angels, and Low Anthem, they’ve done yeoman’s work, sparked the party, and made the music sound young again.Sleepy Sun’s miles, months, and days in the van are a tangible presence in Spine Hits, an LP of whimsy, restlessness, and urgency that leaps nimbly from landscape to landscape with ease, irreverence, and a catch-em-before-they-ain’t changeling nature. For the most part, the sprawling Zeppelin-esque epics that defined much of  Embrace and Fever have been traded in for a potent pop-compact framework. But never at the expense of the dodging, juking, and downshifting instincts that set their older long form pieces apart from a thousand other psychedelic drone warriors.Recorded under the big skies of the California high desert with Queens of Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal alumnus Dave Catching, the jams on Spine Hits are alternatingly precision whittled and moodily muscular. Matt Holliman and Evan Reiss’ guitars adroitly move from steamroller heavy to beachside airy and bouncing to interstellar—tinkering with texture and dynamics like never before. Vocalist Bret Constantino sings with a road-toughened, husky soul yowl and hush that occasionally betrays a society-weary frustration but more often hints at a way out. The rhythm section of drummer Brian Tice and Jack Allen is a super-cohesive, tricky, and tough-as-hell unit that keeps the Sleepy train on track as it teeters, creeps and runs wild across the land.To any seasoned Sleepy Sun listener the new destinations will be surprises and revelations. “V.O.G.” hints at a backstage conspiracy hatched on the Arctic Monkeys tour—buoyant and tight as a wire. “Boat Trip” moseys with a Lou Reed offhandedness—a postcard from Brian Wilson’s forgotten vacation with the Velvets. “Still Breathing” is an elegiac nod to the band’s early alignment with the Verve’s dreamworlds.For Sleepy spotters that came to love the band in its most massively rocking incarnations, there are the slow burns—“Stivey Pond” a sinister, stalking, and tender lurching beast bearing down on the subject of its obsession. And “Lioness (Requiem)”—a drifting, drowsy, late night lost in contemplation, dawn nowhere in sight.Spine Hits isn’t a portrait of a band in a moment.  It’s a box of snapshots spilled on the floor and blowing in the wind…left behind by a band that can’t stop moving, but remembers what they left behind in a thousand.-Tour Dates:03/07 - Santa Cruz, CA - Catalyst Atrium03/08 - Los Angeles, CA - Echo*03/09 - Flagstaff, AZ - Monte Vista Lounge 03/10 - Scottsdale - AZ - The Rogue Bar*03/11 - Santa Fe, NM - VFW Hall *03/12 - El Paso,TX - Low Brow Palace*03/13 - San Antonio, TX - The Korvoa Basement *03/18 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada - BRO FEST *03/20 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar03/21 - Lincoln, NE - Bourbon Theatre03/22 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge03/23 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge03/24 - Reno, NV - St. James Infirmary  w/ The Soft White Sixties* w/ Crystal Antlers

Tue, 01/17/2012 - 10:58 am

Over 70 bands, most of which are en route to SXSW, will fill Savannah’s small clubs and venues with the best up and coming indie acts for this year's Savannah Stopover Music Festival. Bands have been hand-curated across multiple genres to represent an ideal microcosm of emerging excellence. Highlights include The War On Drugs, Grimes, Caveman, Oberhofer, Prince Rama, The Love Language, The Men, The Knocks and dozens more.

Savannah Stopover Hospitality:

Savannah is nicknamed “The Hostess City” for good reason. Bands are treated to the best in Southern food, drink, merriment and hospitality and given the opportunity to stay in local Savannah homes. Biscuits and gravy for breakfast is not out of the question! Festival goers get to immerse themselves in the shamelessly social mayhem of the South’s most beautiful, vibrant and creative small city.

About Savannah Stopover Music Festival:
Created in 2011 by MusicFile Productions, a Georgia based LLC; Savannah Stopover is a four-day music festival that takes place the weekend prior to SXSW in Savannah’s famed historic district. Dates for the 2012 Festival dates are March 7th - March 10th. Visit the official Savannah Stopover site here for all the details.

Savannah Stopover's 2012 Initial Lineup Includes...

The War On Drugs, The Love Language, Caveman, Grimes, Prince Rama, Jukebox The Ghost, Oberhofer, The Men, Little Tybee, Zambri, Quilt, The Knocks, Royal Baths, DIVE, Born Gold, Turbo Fruits, Pond, Eternal Summers, The Big Sleep, Savoir Adore, Deleted Scenes, Secret Mountains, Delicate Steve, Dinosaur Feathers, Cheyenne Marie Mize, Spanish Prisoners, Sleepy Vikings, Country Mice, Idiot Glee, Hooded Fang, Janka Nabay, Jon Lindsay, The Loom, The Minutes, The Suzan, Tops, River Whyless, Young Empires, Christ, Lord and many more to be announced!

Thu, 01/19/2012 - 3:46 pm

Jeremy Cox and Jigmae Baer started Royal Baths without a plan in mind but soon the foundation for their writing found inspiration from Cox’s interest in the alternate and open tunings of delta blues, their shared fascination in the African rhythm of early Chicago blues, and Baer lyrically attempting to reflect with black humor and little judgment, and the thrills and troubles they stumble through.Recording on whatever cheap four or single-track cassette recorder they could find, they eventually borrowed a Tascam 388 to make their first 7″. The unexpected encouragement of the 7″ drove Cox and Baer to perform their first show in a basement in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Six months later they began work on Litanies, their debut full length released on Woodsist.The band began touring before the album was released, opening for bands the first two of which Baer had previously been a member: first with Thee Oh Sees, next Ty Segall, the Fresh and Onlys, and Wild Flag. The Royal Baths went on their first headlining tour after that, where they found inspiration to write their second full-length record, to be completed this time in a studio on higher quality 2″ analog tape. They declared the recording process complete only when their meager bank accounts were drained and they had borrowed too much money. Although the Royal Baths developed amidst the encouragement of friends in San Francisco’s garage scene they felt stifled by comparisons to a movement where their sound didn’t belong to, so they upped and moved to New York to assert their sound. The album Better Luck Next Life is set to be released by Kanine Records on February 7, 2012.-Upcoming Tour Dates1/19 - Brooklyn Bowl - Brooklyn, NY2/07 - Album Release Party at Death By Audio - Brooklyn, NY2/08 - Little Bar - Philadelphia, PA2/09 - DC9 - Washington, DC2/10 - The Blind Tiger - Greensboro, NC2/12 - Black Cat - Boone, NC2/14 - 529 (Free Show) - Atlanta, GA2/18 - Little Hamilton - Nashville, TN2/19 - The Bards Town - Louisville, KY2/20 - Empty Bottle (Free Show) - Chicago, IL2/21 - Skihouse - Carbondale, IL3/14 - 3/17 - SXSW - Austin,TX3/24 - Duke University Coffeehouse - Durham, NC

Mon, 01/23/2012 - 10:09 am

After an impressive first year that boasted the likes of The Flaming Lips, Pretty Lights, Twin Shadow and Local Natives, SnowBall Music Festival will return to the  legendary Vail Valley this March for another year of extreme music, winter sports and fun. New additions to the lineup include performances by Snoop Dogg, The Kooks,  Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr, Gardens & Villa, Ghostland Observatory, Pictureplane, Dada Life, Mimosa, Princeton, DallasK and many more. They will join previously announced acts like  TV on the Radio, Rusko, Head and the Heart, Bassnectar, Big Boi, Deer Tick, Major Lazer, Wolf + Lamb, Soul Clap, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Cassian, Gauntlet Hair, Small Black, Los Amigos Invisibles, Dillon Francis, Big Freedia, Tribes, Plastic Plates, Trampled By Turtles, Thundercat Figure and My Goodness. Not only will festivalgoers be treated to performances by top-notch musical talent, they'll also have the chance to hit the slopes for some of the best skiing and snowboarding in the world.About SnowBall Music Festival:There simply is no other festival in the world like SnowBall Music Festival. Going into its sophomore year, SnowBall is quickly demanding the attention of critics and tastemakers, taking the concept of a music festival to a whole new level. Drawing attention once again for a stellar lineup of indie rock and dance music artists, SnowBall is setting the standard as one of the most exciting and unique festivals to emerge in recent years. Offering all the perks of a world-class music festival—with the distinct bonus of being set in a skier and snowboarder’s paradise—the SnowBall Music Festival proposes the ultimate marriage of music and mountains. For three days this March, SnowBall will sprawl out across Colorado's legendary Vail Valley, offering a diverse lineup of artists on multiple stages to pair the world’s best musicians with the world's best snow conditions; making the SnowBall Music Festival the ultimate winter getaway for music fans.

Thu, 02/02/2012 - 12:40 pm

Savannah Stopover Music Festival Adds 25+ Bands To 2012 Lineup, Including: PUJOL, Girl In A Coma, Milagres, Guards, Doldrums, Bare Wires, Xray Eyeballs, St. Lucia, Ponderosa & More.Over 70 bands, most of which are en route to SXSW, will fill Savannah’s small clubs and venues with the best up and coming indie acts. Bands have been hand-curated across multiple genres to represent an ideal microcosm of emerging excellence. Highlights include The War On Drugs, Grimes, Caveman, Oberhofer, Prince Rama, The Love Language, The Men, PUJOL, Guards, Girl In A Coma,  The Knocks, Jukebox The Ghost,  and SO many more.Savannah Stopover Hospitality:Savannah is nicknamed “The Hostess City” for good reason. Bands are treated to the best in Southern food, drink, merriment and hospitality and given the opportunity to stay in local Savannah homes. Biscuits and gravy for breakfast is not out of the question! Festival goers get to immerse themselves in the shamelessly social mayhem of the South’s most beautiful, vibrant and creative small city.

Mon, 02/06/2012 - 4:08 pm

Most people assume that when a band makes it—that is, reaches a critical mass of listeners, where shows across the country get packed, where the big festivals come calling, where placement on year-end lists seems preemptively settled—the work stops. It’s as if all the hours spent writing and rehearsing, tacking flyers to utility poles or maintaining forever-multiplying social media platforms suddenly switch off as some vaunted rock-star lifestyle switches on. And in some cases, maybe it does; then again, Bear in Heaven’s never been about easy expectations of normalcy.

After the release of their second album, 2010’s Beast Rest Forth Mouth, big things began to happen for the Brooklyn trio of Jon Philpot, Joe Stickney and Adam Wills, from the aforementioned accolades to an electrifying collection of remixes featuring some of electronic music’s heaviest hitters, like The Field and Studio. As if in a transatlantic dream, they even split a single with Norway’s Lindstrøm and Christabelle, who covered their calling card, “Lovesick Teenagers.” But Bear in Heaven didn’t settle for the new well of notoriety they’d opened. Rather, they played some 200 shows in support of Beast Rest Forth Mouth —touring the world, playing progressively bigger rooms, building an intricate stage show that turned an album of songs into a synesthetic experience. When it was over, they retrenched in Brooklyn and, during the dead of summer, retreated to a chilly practice space to work harder than they’d ever worked on any other project. They wrote, re-wrote, arranged, re-arranged, spending days or weeks building one song at a time. After months of testing their limits and trusting their instincts, Bear in Heaven emerged with I Love You It's Cool, an album so vivid and visionary that it meets and even exceeds the confidence and calm its title suggests.

For years, Bear in Heaven existed as a nights-and-weekends band, the sort of project that was more of a casual hobby than a career path for a few Southern natives who’d been living in the city for years. As such, they associated more with New York’s experimental vanguards, whether playing at the late, great Tonic or touring as a backbone for composer Rhys Chatham. But in 2010, Beast Rest Forth Mouth delighted listeners with the unexpected—futuristic rock music that didn’t sound alien or bound to ostracize. Taking these songs from coast to coast and continent to continent, they learned that having fun with this music was copacetic, that they could delight a crowd while defying musical binaries. I Love You It's Cool turns that realization into a peerless set of instant anthems.

“You come off of a tour, and you have ideas of what you found yourself enjoy playing over the last years,” says Wills. “It felt good when people would dance. We tried to turn that into a record, to emphasize that. But there’s still an absolute need to take the pop song and ruin it.”

Indeed, some of these songs are ready for the floor. On “Sinful Nature,” a perfect, tiny guitar theme spirals through colossal drums and slabs of synthesizers, suggesting perpetual motion. “Cool Light” booms with bliss, icy keyboards reflecting off of a relentless throb. It’s inescapable.

But the intricacy and edge of Bear in Heaven’s music is not only here but sharper and more sophisticated than ever before. Philpot’s programming is both complex and compelling, whether in the refracted rainbows he warps on “Kiss Me Crazy” or the noisy matrix he weaves across “Space Remains.” Certainly, “The Reflection of You” feels like a hit, with a hook that instantly catches and a bridge that curls its finger—lyrically, stylistically, temptingly—toward the dance floor. Philpot’s mix of nostalgia and need is immediately relatable, too, bringing the band’s exploratory sounds a little closer back to home. But the song exits in a moment space-rock ascendance, a readymade rock-club banger that erupts into a bold new direction.

I Love You It's Cool is the first time Bear in Heaven has sounded so unapologetic and so evolved, so risky and so redeeming, so focused and so finessed. After years of restless exploration, this feels like a definitive arrival. I Love You It's Cool is music written in the present tense but ready to speak to the future. The work is its own rarified reward.

“We are a functioning band. We can work full-time on a record. We’re all focused on this one thing that we’re going to make, with no sidestepping,” says Philpot. “Making this record has been one of the best times of my life.”  

David Wrench engineered and mixed I Love You It's Cool during two months at New York’s DNA. Roberto Lange, Rhys Chatham, James Elliott and Agathe Max contributed to the sounds. Dead Oceans and Hometapes will partner to co-release I Love You It's Cool on April 3, 2012.

-

US Tour Dates

3/28/12 - Andy Warhol Museum - Pittsburgh, PA *
3/29/12 - The Bishop - Bloomington, IN *#
3/30/12 - The Basement - Columbus, OH *#
3/31/12 - MOTR Pub - Cincinnati, OH *#
4/01/12 - The Luminary Center for the Arts - St. Louis, MO *#
4/04/12 - Casbah - San Diego, CA * ^
4/05/12 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA * ^
4/08/12 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA * ^
4/12/12 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR * ^
4/13/12 - The Crocodile - Seattle, WA * ^
4/14/12 - The Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, BC * ^
4/17/12 - 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN * ^
4/18/12 - Schubas - Chicago, IL * ^
4/20/12 - Zanzabar - Louisville, KY * ^
4/21/12 - Exit/In - Nashville, TN * ^
4/22/12 - Hi-Tone Cafe - Memphis, TN * ^
4/24/12 - The Parish - Austin, TX * ^
4/25/12 - Fitzgerald's - Houston, TX * ^
4/26/12 - The Bottletree - Birmingham, AL * ^
4/27/12 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA * ^
4/28/12 - Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC * ^
4/29/12 - Kings Barcade - Raleigh, NC * ^
5/01/12 - Black Cat Backstage - Washington, DC * ^
5/02/12 - First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA * ^
5/03/12 - Brighton Music Hall - Allston, MA * ^
5/04/12 - La Sala Rossa - Montreal, QC* ^
5/05/12 - The Garrison - Toronto, ON * ^
5/06/12 - The Haunt - Ithaca, NY * ^
5/08/12 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY * ^
5/09/12 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY * ^

* Doldrums
#Young Magic
^ Blouse

Wed, 02/08/2012 - 12:11 pm

The band of brothers known far and wide as Sleepy Sun don’t sit still for long. Though they remain real and spiritual citizens of the Northern California hive that birthed the band in the latter half of the last decade, Sleepy Sun is a rambling band—a certifiably vagabond unit that built a reputation among American and European audiences as fine-tuned, ironclad locomotive and candy sweet heavy pop machine. Barnstorming the Great Plains….stealing afternoons from the unsuspecting on the European festival-go-round…hooking the uninitiated opening for the Arctic Monkeys, Black Angels, and Low Anthem, they’ve done yeoman’s work, sparked the party, and made the music sound young again.Sleepy Sun’s miles, months, and days in the van are a tangible presence in Spine Hits, an LP of whimsy, restlessness, and urgency that leaps nimbly from landscape to landscape with ease, irreverence, and a catch-em-before-they-ain’t changeling nature. For the most part, the sprawling Zeppelin-esque epics that defined much of  Embrace and Fever have been traded in for a potent pop-compact framework. But never at the expense of the dodging, juking, and downshifting instincts that set their older long form pieces apart from a thousand other psychedelic drone warriors.Recorded under the big skies of the California high desert with Queens of Stone Age and Eagles of Death Metal alumnus Dave Catching, the jams on Spine Hits are alternatingly precision whittled and moodily muscular. Matt Holliman and Evan Reiss’ guitars adroitly move from steamroller heavy to beachside airy and bouncing to interstellar—tinkering with texture and dynamics like never before. Vocalist Bret Constantino sings with a road-toughened, husky soul yowl and hush that occasionally betrays a society-weary frustration but more often hints at a way out. The rhythm section of drummer Brian Tice and Jack Allen is a super-cohesive, tricky, and tough-as-hell unit that keeps the Sleepy train on track as it teeters, creeps and runs wild across the land.To any seasoned Sleepy Sun listener the new destinations will be surprises and revelations. “V.O.G.” hints at a backstage conspiracy hatched on the Arctic Monkeys tour—buoyant and tight as a wire. “Boat Trip” moseys with a Lou Reed offhandedness—a postcard from Brian Wilson’s forgotten vacation with the Velvets. “Still Breathing” is an elegiac nod to the band’s early alignment with the Verve’s dreamworlds.For Sleepy spotters that came to love the band in its most massively rocking incarnations, there are the slow burns—“Stivey Pond” a sinister, stalking, and tender lurching beast bearing down on the subject of its obsession. And “Lioness (Requiem)”—a drifting, drowsy, late night lost in contemplation, dawn nowhere in sight.Spine Hits isn’t a portrait of a band in a moment.  It’s a box of snapshots spilled on the floor and blowing in the wind…left behind by a band that can’t stop moving, but remembers what they left behind in a thousand-Tour Dates:03/07 - Santa Cruz, CA - Catalyst Atrium03/08 - Los Angeles, CA - Echo&03/09 - Flagstaff, AZ - Monte Vista Lounge03/10 - Scottsdale - AZ - The Rogue Bar&03/11 - Santa Fe, NM - VFW Hall &03/12 - El Paso,TX - Low Brow Palace&03/13 - San Antonio, TX - The Korvoa Basement &03/18 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada - BRO FEST &03/20 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar03/21 - Lincoln, NE - Bourbon Theatre03/22 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge03/23 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge03/24 - Reno, NV - St. James Infirmary  w/ The Soft White Sixties04/6 - Columbia, MO - Mojos04/9 - Brooklyn, NY - Grasslands Gallery*04/10 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge*04/11 - Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar*04/12 - Boston, MA - Church of Boston* 04/13 - Burlington, VT - Monkey House*04/14 - Montreal, QC - Casa del Popolo* 04/15 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern*04/16 - Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place*04/17 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Tavern*04/18 - Cincinnati, OH - MOTR Pub*04/19 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Garden Bowl04/20 - Chicago, IL - Subterranean*04/21 - St Louis, MO - Off Broadway Night Club*04/22 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Conservatory*04/24 - Austin, TX - Mohawk Austin*04/25 - Houston, TX - Orange Show Center for Visionary Arts*04/26 - New Orleans, LA - Siberia*04/27 - Atlanta, GA - The 529*04/28 - Raleigh, NC - Kings Barcade*04/29 - Washington, DC - DC 9*& w/ Crystal Antlers* w/ White Hills

Wed, 02/08/2012 - 4:10 pm

Combining the world’s best musicians with the world’s best snow conditions, the 2012 SnowMont Music Festival is the East Coast edition of the S.N.O.W. series, which proposes the ultimate marriage: music and mountains. With multiple stages showcasing the talent of some of today's most exciting artists, the live music at this  year's SnowMont Festival is sure to satisfy thousands of hungry music fans. Taking place in Killington, Vermont, at the base of Killington Resort, skiers and snowboarders will find the perfect escape between two of the world’s premier resorts, Killington and Pico. SnowMont is guaranteed to bring your average festival experience to new heights – both on and off the mountain. Mark your calendars and  get ready for the experience of a lifetime - for one fun filled weekend, this all ages festival will show you all what Killington, Vermont, the largest ski area in the Eastern United States, has to offer.Killington Resort stretches across six mountains and features 140 trails served by 22 lifts. Killington’s elevation advantage, combined with the world’s most extensive 600-acre snowmaking system and 250 inches of annual snowfall, means you’ll enjoy the best ski and snowboard conditions every day of the season!Killington is known for its diversity of terrain, providing skiers and riders of all ability levels a choice of wide-open groomed cruisers, narrow classic New England runs, moguls, steeps and trees. Killington offers multiple terrain features for snowboarders and freeskiers, including seven terrain parks and a 500-foot long Superpipe.The Killington Region has many other activities including cross-country skiing, rock climbing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, dog sledding, spas, shopping, fine dining and nightlife.Killington’s 17-vehicle Grooming Fleet grooms 50-80% of open terrain on a nightly basis. We also have numerous trails that are left untouched for the mogul enthusiasts, including Outer Limits – the steepest, longest mogul slope in the East!

Fri, 02/10/2012 - 12:26 pm

Steel Pulse may have explored various styles of music since they started out in 1975, but when it comes to the message, the UK’s Grammy – Winning reggae band has remained close to their roots.  The Group have continued their commitment to fighting injustice, educating the masses, and promoting positive messages through spiritually uplifting music.

“We just can’t ignore the politics, because every life and soul that’s born on this earth is a political manoeuvre for someone, at some point”, Hinds explains.  “From a spiritual aspect, it’s really an upliftment through facing reality – what’s out there.  We deal with positive spirits.  It means putting aside the guns, the drugs and all of the things that are ailments of society – especially in the black communities right now”.

The band have always taken their causes to heart, filing a $1 million class action lawsuit against New York City’s Taxi & Limousine Commission.  The group charged that cabbies refused to pick up blacks and especially Rastafarians throughout the streets of New York. 2012 commemorates the 20th anniversary of this action.

Steel Pulse is the only UK reggae group to win a Grammy.  In 1986, Babylon The Bandit Album won the Best Reggae Album category.  Their international success earned them further Grammy Nominations for their albums, Victims, Rastafari Centennial, Rage & Fury, Living Legacy and African Holocaust.

Invited guest appearances include Arsenio Hall, ‘The Tonight Show’ with Jay Leno, The Montel Williams Show and ‘Late Night’ with Conan O’Brien.  The Rev. Al Sharpton, Jay Leno, Branford Marsalis, C Thomas Howell and Robert Townsend have all had cameo appearances in Steel Pulse videos.  The band have been joined live on stage by artists as diverse as Stevie Wonder to the Stranglers and have performed live with Bob Marley & the Wailers, Sting, Inxs, Santana, Robert Palmer, Peter Tosh, Herbie Hancock and Bob Dylan, amongst others. A collaboration with Spike Lee on the Do The Right Thing movie soundtrack in 1989 resulted in David’s composition ‘Can’t Stand It’ featuring in the movie.

In 1993, at the request of the Clinton Administration, they became the first reggae band ever to perform during the inaugural festivities at The White House

Steel Pulse, started out performing on the British punk scene with groups like Generation X as part of the Rock Against Racism movement was founded in the Handsworth section of Birmingham by Hinds, and core members Selwyn Brown and, Steve Nisbett.  Their original Bass player, Ronald McQueen, named the group after a popular racehorse.

2012 has seen the release of Rocksteady a film co-starring David Hinds and featuring the band’s live members.  The Hind’s track Rocksteady was composed especially for the movie.

January 2012 saw the group perform in Haiti for the first time. The track Hold on 4 Haiti was written as result of the earthquake and they have been instrumental in raising thousands of dollars for the relief effort with Partners in Health. Previously the band made a massive contribution to  Hurricane Katrina.

Steel Pulse are currently working on a new album which will be released later in the year and also a documentary of their long career which features live footage and interviews.

Steel Pulse is David Hinds (Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar and Selwyn Brown (Vocals, Keyboards).

Tour Dates

2/21 - The National- Richmond, VA

2/22 - 9:30 Club- Washington, DC
2/23 - Union Transfer- Philadelphia, PA

2/24 - The Stone Pony- Ashbury Park, NJ

2/25 - Terminal 5- New York, NY **

2/26 - House of Blues- Boston, MA **

** With Galactic

Mon, 02/13/2012 - 3:32 pm

SnowMont Festival is back with another round of amazing artists to add to the already killler line up. As announced last week SnowMont Festival will be held in Killington Vermont March 30th to April 1st. International stars including Snoop Dog and Kaskade will be joined by The Flaming Lips, Big Boi, Diplo and many more.Combining the world’s best musicians with the world’s best snow conditions, the 2012 SnowMont Music Festival is the East Coast edition of the S.N.O.W. series, which proposes the ultimate marriage: music and mountains. With multiple stages showcasing the talent of some of today's most exciting artists, the live music at this  year's SnowMont Festival is sure to satisfy thousands of hungry music fans. Taking place in Killington, Vermont, at the base of Killington Resort, skiers and snowboarders will find the perfect escape between two of the world’s premier resorts, Killington and Pico. SnowMont is guaranteed to bring your average festival experience to new heights – both on and off the mountain. Mark your calendars and  get ready for the experience of a lifetime - for one fun filled weekend, this all ages festival will show you all what Killington, Vermont, the largest ski area in the Eastern United States, has to offer.-SnowMont Music Festival 2012 Lineup:KaskadeSnoop Dogg The Flaming LipsSlightly StoopidBig BoiChromeoDiplo LotusDatsikPorter RobinsonRailroad EarthBorgore DJ Shadow Easy Star All StarsSavoy LiveGramatikNervo Le Castle VaniaKid Sister OttThe Nadis Warriors MinnesotaD.V.S* Pierce FultonLazerdiskParty Sex

Fri, 02/17/2012 - 11:06 am

Country Mice is an indie rock band based in Brooklyn, NY. They released their debut album, Twister, in 2011, which received numerous rave reviews (including an 8/10 rating in Spin Magazine) and appeared on several top 100 albums-of-the-year lists. Whereas the band displays elements of eclectic influences, Rueger hails from a small town in Kansas and, as principal songwriter, his americana roots inevitably pervade their sound.Drawing comparisons to Wilco, Neil Young, Crazy Horse, Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth, Country Mice have spent the last several years touring back and forth across the US, while opening for bands such as Surfer Blood, Boy & Bear, Futurebirds, and The Whigs. They are currently in Los Angeles recording their next album - this time with producer Doug Boehm (Girls, Drive-By Truckers,The Whigs) - and are heading back on tour through SXSW and beyond.-

Tour Dates

3/7 - Slims Downtown - Raleigh, NC          3/9 - Congress Street Social Club (Savannah Stopover Festival)  Savannah, GA3/10 - The Ships Of The Sea Museum Garden (Savannah Stopover Festival) - Savannah, GA       3/16 -  Midgetmen's 5th Texas Jumpstart party @ Lovejoy's (SXSW) - Austin, TX               3/21 - The Saint - New Orleans, LA3/23 - AV - Melbourne, FL           3/24 - New World Brewery - Tampa, FL              3/25 - Smith's Olde Bar - Atlanta, GA3/26 - Retrofit Records In-Store - Tallahassee, FL     3/27 - Alabama Music Box - Mobile, AL3/29 - Crown Tap Room - Chicago, IL 3/30 - River West Public House - Milwaukee, WS       4/2 - Acadia Café -  Minneapolis, MN  4/4 - Vaudeville Mews - Des Moines, IA       4/5 - The Mill - Iowa City, IA           4/6 - Davey's Uptown - Kansas City, MO      4/7 - The Scene-ary - Wichita, KS             4/11 - Hi-Dive - Denver, CO             4/15 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR           4/17 - Hotel Utah - San Francisco, CA  4/18 - Silverlake Lounge - Los Angeles, CA    4/19 - Cheyenne Saloon - Las Vegas, NV4/30 - Mojos - Columbia, MO5/6 - Thunderbird Café - Pittsburgh, PA5/7 - Kung Fu Necktie -  Philadelphia, PA

Fri, 02/24/2012 - 8:16 am

We Have Band are back with their new LP Ternion, due for  release on February 28th.

Ternion, from the Latin for a group of three, sees We Have Band make a stylistic leap on from their debut ‘WHB’, which despite its critical acclaim the band were keen not to repeat.

The new album will be available in an expanded edition featuring a deconstruction of the record, ‘Ternion Aside’, by TomWHB himself. Released as a bonus disc with the deluxe CD edition of the album, ‘Ternion Aside’ will also make up part of a special iTunes LP bundle, along with other exclusive content, including audio and album acoustic video performances.

Here's a few words from TomWHB on Ternion Aside: "it was inspired by The League Unlimited Orchestra’s ‘Love and Dancing’ Album. The idea of taking component parts from an original album recording and re-imagining them - creating a new and unique piece of music from what already existed whilst trying not to take a conventional remix approach. The 1st 5 tracks from ‘Ternion’ all worked within this concept and we love the way the music becomes something else."

Dede Wegg-Prosser: The first album was us getting together and having fun. We really weren’t expecting anyone else to hear it or come watch us play it. Whereas this time we knew we were making a record with the knowledge that people would be listening, it gives you a very different mindset.

Darren Bancroft: We were very aware of where out first album sat and whilst we were happy with it we knew it wasn't a place we wanted to revisit. We knew there was a task ahead of us in writing this record; we needed to write a different kind of record. People would say to us oh you're a 'buzz band' or ‘you're an electro band’ and that was fine, but for us it was also clear it was time to move forward.

Moving forward meant a radical change in how the band approached writing the new album. From the music through to the lyrics they wanted to create something ‘timeless’, and so they began to look inward, mining the experiences that they had shared as their career had taken off.

The result is a very different record, an intensely personal album that manages to be both uplifting and melancholic. Gone are the nonsense lyrics replaced by frank and honest accounts of their relationships, struggles to make sense of the world around them and the effect, both physical and emotional, of a life on the road.

Musically too, Ternion reveals a very different band to the one who first burst onto the scene in 2008. The increased use of live instrumentation and extra time spent getting every sound just right with ex Clor member and Foals producer Luke Smith at his Flesh and Bone Studios in London shines through every song.

Thomas Wegg-Prosser: The first album was really digital, chopped up and quick, and those things are all quite urban. You can listen to it and pin down when it was recorded and what scene it was part of, but with this record we've moved away from that sound. There's a lot of warmth in the band and that comes through in this record.

Fri, 03/16/2012 - 9:27 am

Regretfully, organizers of the SnowMont Music Festival announce today that plans for the event has been postponed. Originally scheduled for March 30-April 1 in Killngton, VT; festival organizers have cited unforseen circumstances as the cause for postponing of the event and all of its scheduled performers. There will be more details coming shortly.Ticket holders can expect a full refund in the amount of their original purchase price within seven to 10 business days. SnowMont organizers would like to thank all ticket holders in advance for their patience and understanding throughout the refund process and apologize for any inconvenience this cancellation may have caused them.For more information on ticket refunds, please contact Customer Service at Front Gate Tickets at this toll-free number: 888.512.7469 or e-mail [email protected]

Fri, 03/16/2012 - 12:38 pm

Steel Pulse may have explored various styles of music since they started out in 1975, but when it comes to the message, the UK’s Grammy – Winning reggae band has remained close to their roots.  The Group have continued their commitment to fighting injustice, educating the masses, and promoting positive messages through spiritually uplifting music.“We just can’t ignore the politics, because every life and soul that’s born on this earth is a political manoeuvre for someone, at some point”, Hinds explains.  “From a spiritual aspect, it’s really an upliftment through facing reality – what’s out there.  We deal with positive spirits.  It means putting aside the guns, the drugs and all of the things that are ailments of society – especially in the black communities right now”.The band have always taken their causes to heart, filing a $1 million class action lawsuit against New York City’s Taxi & Limousine Commission.  The group charged that cabbies refused to pick up blacks and especially Rastafarians throughout the streets of New York. 2012 commemorates the 20th anniversary of this action.Steel Pulse is the only UK reggae group to win a Grammy.  In 1986, Babylon The Bandit Album won the Best Reggae Album category.  Their international success earned them further Grammy Nominations for their albums, Victims, Rastafari Centennial, Rage & Fury, Living Legacy and African Holocaust.Invited guest appearances include Arsenio Hall, ‘The Tonight Show’ with Jay Leno, The Montel Williams Show and ‘Late Night’ with Conan O’Brien.  The Rev. Al Sharpton, Jay Leno, Branford Marsalis, C Thomas Howell and Robert Townsend have all had cameo appearances in Steel Pulse videos.  The band have been joined live on stage by artists as diverse as Stevie Wonder to the Stranglers and have performed live with Bob Marley & the Wailers, Sting, Inxs, Santana, Robert Palmer, Peter Tosh, Herbie Hancock and Bob Dylan, amongst others. A collaboration with Spike Lee on the Do The Right Thing movie soundtrack in 1989 resulted in David’s composition ‘Can’t Stand It’ featuring in the movie.In 1993, at the request of the Clinton Administration, they became the first reggae band ever to perform during the inaugural festivities at The White HouseSteel Pulse, started out performing on the British punk scene with groups like Generation X as part of the Rock Against Racism movement was founded in the Handsworth section of Birmingham by Hinds, and core members Selwyn Brown and, Steve Nisbett.  Their original Bass player, Ronald McQueen, named the group after a popular racehorse.2012 has seen the release of Rocksteady a film co-starring David Hinds and featuring the band’s live members.  The Hind’s track Rocksteady was composed especially for the movie.January 2012 saw the group perform in Haiti for the first time. The track Hold on 4 Haiti was written as result of the earthquake and they have been instrumental in raising thousands of dollars for the relief effort with Partners in Health. Previously the band made a massive contribution to  Hurricane Katrina.Steel Pulse are currently working on a new album which will be released later in the year and also a documentary of their long career which features live footage and interviews.Steel Pulse is David Hinds (Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar and Selwyn Brown (Vocals, Keyboards).-

Tour Dates

4/11 - Marquee Theater - Tempe, AZ4/12 - House Of Blues - West Hollywood, CA4/13 - Belly Up - Solana Beach, CA4/14 - Sway Pool - Las Vegas, NV4/19 - House Of Blues - North Myrtle Beach, SC*4/20 - House Of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL*4/21 - The Culture Room - Fort Lauderdale, FL4/22 - The Culture Room - Fort Lauderdale, FL4/24 - Jannus Live - Saint Petersburg, FL*4/25 - Freebird Live - Jacksonville, FL4/26 - Vinyl Music Hall - Pensacola, FL*4/27 - New Orleans Jazz Festival- New Orleans, LA4/28 - La Zona Rosa - Austin, TX*4/29 - Sam Houston Park - Houston, TX* With Soja

Thu, 03/22/2012 - 9:42 am

The inaugural Catalpa Festival is coming to New York City on July 28th + 29th 2012 from 1pm to 11pm and is lining up to be the year’s most unique and original music and lifestyle event. Taking place on the remarkable Randall’s Island, just to the Eastern side of Manhattan, the festival is set beautifully to the backdrop of the world’s most famous skyline.Catalpa is about creating a truly authentic, fresh and unique musical experience featuring over 50 artists that traverse many styles and genres from rock and indie to hip-hop, reggae and the world of electronic music.For Frisky as event producers, creating an enhanced setting and original event experience far beyond the standard is the basis of how we operate. We strive to provide not only the very best of the basic elements but also to create a visual and aesthetic overload that further enhances this already stunning setting by developing thought provoking art installations, bespoke event structures and enough unique elements to transform people out of the city and into a world more fantastic.This is Catalpa, a festival experience that music fans can appreciate for its genuine diversity, uniqueness and style.

Tue, 04/17/2012 - 10:12 am

NXNE and AOL Canada today announce that three-time Grammy-Award winning group The Flaming Lips will headline an electrifying free show at Yonge-Dundas Square on Saturday, June 16.  Celebrating its 18th year, NXNE Music presents more than 650 artists for 300,000 attendees and generates more than $47 million for the city.  NXNE takes over Toronto June 11-17, 2012.

Saturday night at NXNE is always legendary – and this year is no different. For the second consecutive year, AOL Canada is the proud sponsor of the Saturday night concert at Yonge-Dundas Square. Oklahoma psych-rockers The Flaming Lips, renowned for their elaborate live shows featuring costumes, balloons, puppets—yes, puppets – and electric light performances, will bring their psychedelic A-game to Canada’s pre-eminent music festival.

“AOL Canada and its music site, Spinner.ca, are proud supporters of Canada’s music and arts scene, and of NXNE for the second year in a row,” said Laura Pearce, director of marketing, AOL Canada. “Our marketing efforts include a four-day presence on the square with Saturday domination and Spinner.ca interviews with the NXNE line-up, including an exclusive ‘Day in the life’ feature with The Flaming Lips. NXNE is a great opportunity to connect with our core audience in a fun and engaging way.”

One of the most anticipated summer music events in Canada, NXNE is an essential gathering of the best new artists, their fans, the music industry – and a destination for youth-focused experiential brand integration. NXNE 2011 was the best-ever edition of the week-long event, marking a 15 per cent increase in overall festival attendance. Each year, NXNE delivers some of the most impactful brand integrations within the world of live entertainment.

During NXNE 2011 more than 110,000 people visited Yonge-Dundas Square over four days to check out free concerts including new wave legends Devo and Men Without Hats, both presented by AOL Canada. Handing out more than 500 Spinner.ca branded t-shirts, and hosting a backstage VIP booth for AOL Canada clients, Spinner.ca has enjoyed a killer 151 per cent increase in traffic since June 2011! *

Mon, 04/30/2012 - 12:15 pm

New York City's Catalpa Festival announces additional artists, including Girl Talk, Matt & Kim, Cold War Kids, Hercules And Love Affair, Matisyahu, Dirty Heads, The Sheepdogs, Hook N' Sling and Many More.The Catalpa Festival lineup already includes: The Black Keys, TV On The Radio, Umphreys McGee, AraabMUZIK, Snoop Dogg (performing Doggystyle the album with special guests).The inaugural Catalpa Festival is striving to be a pioneering New York festival, unique in its programming, atmosphere and aesthetic. With as much an emphasis on site artistry, interactive experiences and experimentation as the musical entertainment itself, Catalpa is filling what we see as a gap for an event quite beyond the ordinary in New York City.A meeting point for creativity, Catalpa will feature over 40 performers from many musical genres including Blues, Rock, Hip-Hop, Electronic, Reggae and Indie. Art installations of all scales, bespoke event structures and enough unique elements will be present to transform people out of their ordinary setting and into an environment more fantastic.Catalpa will be held on Randalls Island NYC from 1pm to 11pm over July 28th/29th weekend, 2012.

Tue, 05/01/2012 - 8:08 am

What do you do when the guitar you wrote all your songs on gets stolen mid-tour and you’re too practical to run out and jack up your credit?  This might not seem like a major problem for most bands, but when you're the sparse duo of Eternal Summers and you are relying on that Parker Nitefly to compensate for high and low end, you can’t help feeling a bit exposed.After a futile appeal for sponsorship, Nicole Yun experiments with the Fender Telecaster she has on hand. She recognizes that while it cuts like a knife and has a gorgeous high range, it is missing that low edge. Suddenly glad that she and Daniel Cundiff never made a pact to remain solely a two-piece, they decide it is time to add a bassist. Daniel says, “Nicole and I had been bouncing the idea of adding a bassist around for a year or so because we were writing more complex songs and it seemed a disservice to the songs not to have the low tonal quality that a bass would provide.” Given the recent circumstances, they move into action.Luckily for them, they live in the tight knit Magic Twig community of Roanoke, Virginia.  Enter Jonathan Woods, who plays with Daniel in other bands and is, after all, the one responsible for introducing Nicole to Daniel. Jonathan is exactly what they need, a fast learner.Eternal Summers is set to record 17 songs in 2 weeks spending 12 hours a day at the Magic Twig recording studio. Daniel catches the flu, but powers through. Nicole is off to Korea and the recordings are sent to Sune Rose Wagner (the Raveonettes) and Alonzo Vargas in NYC for mixing.Though apprehensive, Eternal Summers is opening themselves up to outside contributions for the first time.  And how does that go? Nicole says, “I was in Korea when I got the bulk of the songs so I was literally in a different world when I heard their take on our songs.  It was mind blowing!”The result is their sophomore album Correct Behavior. It is, as you would expect with the addition of a new member, sonically fuller than their debut Silver and earlier EPs. Until now, Eternal Summers was writing jangly post-punk stompers (Pogo, Able To) and languid dream pop ballads (Safe at Home, Lightswitch); hitting opposite ends of the spectrum was evoking confusion for some. And while Correct Behavior still reaches the upbeats (I Love You) and the slowbeats (Good as You), album opener (Millions) blends the disparate aspects of their back catalog into a coherent sound that is uniquely theirs. It is bright, fresh and bridges any gaps that might arise from what they once lovingly called dream-punk.By the time you’re a few songs in (You Kill), those that have followed Eternal Summers will still easily identify what they loved about the duo: the quirks that graced their previous efforts, their brevity, their teen-angst lyrics, their hooks, their power and volume, and their sometimes tongue-in-cheekness, (Girls in the City). But you should also notice, a rounded out sound that more accurately reflects their eclectic tastes and influences, namely: Smashing Pumpkins, the Sundays, the Troggs, Yo La Tengo, Ride and Black Sabbath. With Silver, Eternal Summers received comparisons to a barrage of 80s & 90s era lo-fi indie bands. With Correct Behavior, Eternal Summers is letting go of the things that once defined them, their status as a duo, their attachment to a specific instrument, and their need to remain insular, to create their most realized album.

Wed, 05/16/2012 - 2:16 pm

Newly announced as part of NXNE Music are five-piece progressive metal group PROTEST THE HERO, psychedelic-rockers PORTUGAL. THE MAN, Canadian singer-songwriter MATT MAYS, noise rock trio A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS, minimalist pop duo ETERNAL SUMMERS, and DUSTED, the latest project from Holy Fuck’s Brian Borcherdt and Bruce Peninsula’s Leon Taheny.Previously announced is the return of ARCHERS OF LOAF, in partnership with Collective Concerts, at The Phoenix Concert Theatre on Saturday, June 16. A limited number of NXNE pass holders can join a rush line the day of the concert for free admission.Also confirmed for NXNE Music are whimsical pop group SNOWBLINK; London, UK 5-piece (and recent Arts & Crafts Records signing) ZULU WINTER; Brooklyn indie rockers DIIV (formerly Dive); synth-pop philosopher JOHN MAUS; and experimental country crooner DAUGHN GIBSON. Check www.nxne.com/music/artists for more confirmed music programming.Launching today is the NXNE Schedulizer on nxne.com, where fans can choose their must-see NXNE events and create a personalized schedule. For fans on the move, NXNE also offers brand new apps for iPhone and android users with mobile access to festival info and a searchable schedule for NXNE Music, Film and Interactive.New this year is The NXNE Magazine, a free publication highlighting programming from NXNE Music, Film and Interactive. Key features include interviews with music acts such as Purity Ring, 2:54, Phedré and YAMANTAKA//SONIC TITAN and film features about Irvine Welsh's Ecstasy and Gorman Bechard's What Did You Expect?. The NXNE Magazine will hit the streets with 10,000 copies through the city this week.

Thu, 05/24/2012 - 5:17 am

NYC's Catalpa Festival Adds A$AP Rocky + Zola Jesus, Releases Video EPK (Directed by Mikeal Columbo), Reveals "Lonely Boy" Dance ContestLineup Already Includes: The Black Keys, TV On The Radio, Umphreys McGee, AraabMUZIK, Snoop Dogg Girl Talk, Matt & Kim, Cold War Kids, Hercules & The Love Affair, Matisyahu + Many MoreThe inaugural Catalpa Festival is striving to be a pioneering New York festival, unique in its programming, atmosphere and aesthetic. With as much an emphasis on site artistry, interactive experiences and experimentation as the musical entertainment itself, Catalpa is filling what we see as a gap for an event quite beyond the ordinary in New York City.A meeting point for creativity, Catalpa will feature over 40 performers from many musical genres including Blues, Rock, Hip-Hop, Electronic, Reggae and Indie. Art installations of all scales, bespoke event structures and enough unique elements will be present to transform people out of their ordinary setting and into an environment more fantastic.Catalpa will be held on Randalls Island NYC from 1pm to 11pm over July 28th/29th weekend, 2012. 

Wed, 06/06/2012 - 5:02 pm

Yoko Ono, Thurston Moore & Kim Gordon are releasing a Limited edition "Early in the Morning" 10" vinyl record will be available in stores in US June 19th and Europe July 3rd. Beautifully pressed on one-sided 10" vinyl with an etching by Yoko on the flip side.Profits will be donated to Ashinaga Rainbow House, which is building a Rainbow House in Tohoku to aid orphans of the 3.11 tsunami.Available mail order now at Sonic Youth and Chimera Music.Available for download now at Chimera Music and June 19 at iTunes and Amazon.

Thu, 06/07/2012 - 3:03 pm

We're in Montreal. Lots of banging on casseroles and getting naked! Life is certainly crazy, but our festival is HAPPENING this year, from September 19th to the 23rd. POP Montreal Festival is Serious, it's a totally curated affair, that will entertain, enliven and educate the hip and the needy. Get ready for a lot of mind blowing vibrations. Some of the highlights include: the godfather of disco Jimmy "Bo" Horne, Romanian brass giants Fanfare Ciocărlia, hip hop legend and media wizard Lil B, the enigmatic French retro-futurist Bertrand Burgalat, Yamantaka Sonic Titan's opera 33, the dubbed out psychedelia of Gang Gang Dance, the best American Idol contestant ever Jacob Lusk performing a set of R Kelly covers backed by a Montreal all-star band, Billboard chart toppers Grizzly Bear, the return of Chilly Gonzales with Solo Piano II, the sublime Dirty Three and the hardcore garage monsters Hot Snakes.We're also bringing back POP vs Jock, the charity/celebrity basketball game that raises money for DJ Sports Club. That's not quite it, as part of the POP Symposium, we're partnering with Librairie Drawn & Quarterly for a conversation with two of today’s most influential artists – David Byrne and Win Butler of Arcade Fire. The two will be discussing Byrne’s new McSweeney book, How Music Works, in the context of their own personal and professional experiences as musicians and music lovers.There will also be ART POP, FILM POP, PUCES POP and KIDS POP. It's all going down. GET YOUR PASSES. MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS SOON, INDIVIDUAL SHOW TICKETS ON SALE SOON.2012 POP MONTREAL FESTIVAL ARTISTS AND EVENTS:Lil B, Grizzly Bear, Chilly Gonzales, Tim Hecker, Jacob Lusk and the R Kelly All-Stars, K'naan, Patrick Wolf, Peaches DJ Extravaganza,  POP vs Jock,  Deerhoof, Gang Gang Dance, Gotye, Nicky Da B, Zammuto, David Byrne / Win Butler talk,  Dam Funk, Venus X, Jimmy "Bo" Horne, Andre Williams, Fanfare Ciocarlia, Cate Le Bon, The Sadies, Hot Snakes, Dirty Three, Julia Holter, Antibalas, Laetitia Sadier, Bertrand Burgalat, The Soft Moon, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Ben Howard, Buke and Gase, I Break Horses,  Katatonia and much more to come!

Fri, 06/08/2012 - 8:08 am

The inaugural Catalpa Festival is striving to be a pioneering New York festival, unique in its programming, atmosphere and aesthetic. With as much an emphasis on site artistry, interactive experiences and experimentation as the musical entertainment itself, Catalpa is filling what we see as a gap for an event quite beyond the ordinary in New York City.A meeting point for creativity, Catalpa will feature over 40 performers from many musical genres including Blues, Rock, Hip-Hop, Electronic, Reggae and Indie. Art installations of all scales, bespoke event structures and enough unique elements will be present to transform people out of their ordinary setting and into an environment more fantastic.Catalpa will be held on Randalls Island NYC from 1pm to 11pm over July 28th/29th weekend, 2012.Saturday July 28th:The Black KeysTV ON THE RADIOUmphrey's McGeeHerclues and Love AffairZola JesusFelix Da HousecatThe SheepdogsFort AtlanticThe DemosThe Aviation OrangeMy Pet DragonSunday July 29th:Snoop DoggGirl TalkMatt and KimA$AP RockyCold War KidsMatisyahuCity and ColorHook N'SlingAraabMUZIKDirty HeadsPolish AmbassadorThe Big PinkAunt MarthaHellfire MachinaThe Airplane Boys

Mon, 06/25/2012 - 8:08 am

The benefit single "Early in the Morning" from Yoko Ono, Kim Gordon, and Thurston Moore was just released, and the trio has confirmed that a six-track album, YOKOKIMTHURSTON, will be released September 25 in the U.S. and September 24 internationally via Chimera Music.Click here to watch video of Ono, Gordon, and Moore performing Ono's Blueprint for a Sunrise track "Mulberry" at L.A.'s Orpheum Theater in 2010.

Fri, 07/13/2012 - 12:21 pm

Steel Pulse may have explored various styles of music since they started out in 1975, but when it comes to the message, the UK’s Grammy – Winning reggae band has remained close to their roots.  The Group have continued their commitment to fighting injustice, educating the masses, and promoting positive messages through spiritually uplifting music.“We just can’t ignore the politics, because every life and soul that’s born on this earth is a political manoeuvre for someone, at some point”, Hinds explains.  “From a spiritual aspect, it’s really an upliftment through facing reality – what’s out there.  We deal with positive spirits.  It means putting aside the guns, the drugs and all of the things that are ailments of society – especially in the black communities right now”.The band have always taken their causes to heart, filing a $1 million class action lawsuit against New York City’s Taxi & Limousine Commission.  The group charged that cabbies refused to pick up blacks and especially Rastafarians throughout the streets of New York. 2012 commemorates the 20th anniversary of this action.Steel Pulse is the only UK reggae group to win a Grammy.  In 1986, Babylon The Bandit Album won the Best Reggae Album category.  Their international success earned them further Grammy Nominations for their albums, Victims, Rastafari Centennial, Rage & Fury, Living Legacy and African Holocaust.Invited guest appearances include Arsenio Hall, ‘The Tonight Show’ with Jay Leno, The Montel Williams Show and ‘Late Night’ with Conan O’Brien. The Rev. Al Sharpton, Jay Leno, Branford Marsalis, C Thomas Howell and Robert Townsend have all had cameo appearances in Steel Pulse videos.  The band have been joined live on stage by artists as diverse as Stevie Wonder to the Stranglers and have performed live with Bob Marley & the Wailers, Sting, Inxs, Santana, Robert Palmer, Peter Tosh, Herbie Hancock and Bob Dylan, amongst others. A collaboration with Spike Lee on the Do The Right Thing movie soundtrack in 1989 resulted in David’s composition ‘Can’t Stand It’ featuring in the movie.In 1993, at the request of the Clinton Administration, they became the first reggae band ever to perform during the inaugural festivities at The White HouseSteel Pulse, started out performing on the British punk scene with groups like Generation X as part of the Rock Against Racism movement was founded in the Handsworth section of Birmingham by Hinds, and core members Selwyn Brown and, Steve Nisbett.  Their original Bass player, Ronald McQueen, named the group after a popular racehorse.2012 has seen the release of Rocksteady a film co-starring David Hinds and featuring the band’s live members.  The Hind’s track Rocksteady was composed especially for the movie.January 2012 saw the group perform in Haiti for the first time. The track Hold on 4 Haiti was written as result of the earthquake and they have been instrumental in raising thousands of dollars for the relief effort with Partners in Health. Previously the band made a massive contribution to  Hurricane Katrina.Steel Pulse are currently working on a new album which will be released later in the year and also a documentary of their long career which features live footage and interviews.Steel Pulse is David Hinds (Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar and Selwyn Brown (Vocals, Keyboards).Tour Dates:07/20 - Paradise - Boston, MA07/21 - Ocean View Farm - Amagansett, NY07/22 - Gathering of The Vibes - Bridgeport, CT07/27 - Pacific Ampitheatre - Costa Mesa, CA07/28 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA08/03 - Del Mar Racetrack- Del Mar, CA08/24 - The Depot - Salt Lake City, UT08/25 - Red Rocks Ampitheatre - Morrison, CO09/02 - Pozo Saloon, CA *09/09 - Doheny Days, CA* with Ziggy Marley

Mon, 07/16/2012 - 12:04 pm

The KahBang Festival 2012 is proud to present its 4th annual summer music festival lineup, featuring Bassnectar, Deftones, Wale, Penguin Prison, Paper Diamond, Reptar, Astronautalis, and dozens more.  The festival will be held August 9th-12th 2012 in Bangor, Maine along the Waterfront and in venues across the city.  In total, over 50 bands will be performing in and around the KahBang festival grounds.  The festival’s campsite will feature entertainment through the duration of the event.  Tickets are and camping passes are on sale now at www.kahbang.com and at all Ticketmaster locations.The KahBang Festival takes across the city of Bangor, Maine for 4 days and brings together a wide variety of genres and styles in music, art, and film.  This year features performances by of hip-hop, indie rock, pop, and alternative acts along with headliners Bassnectar, Deftones, and Wale.  The KahBang Festival is dedicated to the discovery of new music, art, and film, and will be presenting many up-and-coming artists from New England and around the country.  Throughout the festival’s span, Bangor bars and venues will host intimate showcases of performers and artists also performing on the Waterfront.The KahBang Art Festival will be curating events across the city, including 12 galleries, a downtown art walk on Friday the 10th, and installations along the waterfront during the music portions of the fest.  Artists from across the country will be presenting work of a variety of visual styles.Complete KahBang 2012 Lineup:THURSDAY, AUGUST 9TH - Kickoff show featuring Jacob Augustine / Sunset Hearts / A Severe Joy / Rob Burnell / KahBang’s first annual Brew Fest will take place in Downtown Bangor featuring beer from Maine-based micro and home brewers, and will include the announcement of the winner of this year’s Maine Homebrewer’s Competition.FRIDAY, AUGUST 10TH – Deftones / Wale / Bad Rabbits / Reptar / Lady Lamb The Bee Keeper / Spose / The Cyborg Trio / Late Cambrian / This Way / The Mallett Brothers Band / Miniboone / Volcano Rabbit / Animal Talk / No Evil Star / The Box Tiger / Aloud / Roz Raskin & The Rice Cakes / Darlingside / Graveyard Lovers / The Milkman's Union / Educated Advocates / Lights Resolve / The Behavior Of Moths with campsite performance by The Cyborg TrioSATURDAY AUGUST 11TH – Bassnectar / Paper Diamond / Penguin Prison / Now, Now / Astronautalis / The Gay Blades / My Pet Dragon / Black Taxi / Lazerdisk Party Sex / The Other Bones / Lunic / Heerra Terra / The Aviation Orange / Stone Cold Fox / Steel Phantoms / The Blackboard Nails / Young Readers / The Bynars / When Particles Collide / Of The Trees / ATM / Freak Owls with special campsite DJ set from Lazerdisk Party Sex

Wed, 07/18/2012 - 7:01 pm

Freelance Whales have announced the title and release date for their eagerly-awaited sophomore release. The album, Diluvia, will be released jointly by Mom+Pop Music and Frenchkiss Records on October 9th, 2012. Diluvia finds the New York-based five-piece, led by vocalists/multi-instrumentalists Judah Dadone and rounded out by Doris Cellar, Chuck Criss, Kevin Read and Jacob Hyman, pushing the sonic boundaries of their breakthrough debut Weathervanes. Recorded over two months in New York City with producer Shane Stoneback (Vampire Weekend, Sleigh Bells, Cults) the album is both dramatic and expansive, while retaining the homespun charm of its predecessor."Locked Out," a track from the forthcoming full-length, is available for free download now at the band's website. To accompany the release of the song, Freelance Whales created a visual companion meant to evoke the themes and aesthetics explored on Diluvia. The video can be found on FreelanceWhales.com and the band's YouTube channel.

Thu, 07/19/2012 - 1:12 pm

MAN IT IS HOT. SUMMER IS SOOOOOO HOT. We can't wait for the cool breeze of September. We can't wait for POP. Here are some more flashy names to add to the list of super high calibre artists playing the festival.We are very happy to announce that the special David Byrne & St. Vincent tour will be coming to Montreal September 21st, as part of the festival. The artists will be releasing their first collaborative album on September 11 entitled Love This Giant, to be released worldwide by 4AD under exclusive license from Byrne’s label Todo Mundo. Recorded over two years, this new effort has been described as a collaboration in the "truest sense of the word", with Byrne and St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) co-writing ten of the album’s twelve tracks, and each artist penning one song individually. A promotional copy of the album opener "Who" is available online for download.Grimes and Purity Ring, both break out sensations of POP 2011, are back, woohoo! Local label Fixture Records will bring us a great line-up of underground gems highlighted by Chevalier Avant Garde. Printemps d'érable heroes Avec pas d'casque will play an intimate show on the breathtaking Ubisoft Rooftop. The dreamy pop perfection of Captured Tracks' artist Wild Nothing play at Il Motore, and local hip hop pranksters Alaclair Ensemble will headline at Sala Rossa. We also welcome back Canadian musical trailblazer Ian Blurton as he reforms the seminal genre defying rock band Change of Heart. Finally, the incomparable, unforgettable and incredibly sexy Arthur H. will also join the party. There's still lots more to come, more tickets, more passes, more art, more music, more film, more fun, more basketball.

Wed, 08/22/2012 - 4:54 pm

This morning, NPR's All Songs Considered unveiled the new single from Freelance Whales' Diluvia. The song, "Spitting Image" will be available for download tomorrow on iTunes. In the meantime, the band has launched a pre-order of Diluvia here. The album is bundled with a limited-edition star projector custom-designed for Diluvia, and is also available in standard CD and vinyl formats. Each pre-order comes with an exclusive poster signed by the band and an immediate download of "Spitting Image," previously-released album cut "Locked Out," and a live version of the song recorded in June.-

 

Tour Dates

10/4 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall10/5 Minneapolis, MI - 7th St Entry10/6 Madison, WI – Redamte10/7 Iowa City - Maintenance Shop10/10 Dallas, TX – Trees10/11 Houston, TX – Fitzgerald's10/13 Mexico City, MX - Corona Festival10/14 Austin, TX - Austin City Limits10/16 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey10/18 San Francisco, CA – Mezzanine10/20 Portland, OR - Doug Fir10/21 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey10/23 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court10/24 Denver, CO – Bluebird10/26 St. Louis, MO – Firebird10/27 Nashville, TN - The End10/28 Atlanta, GA - The Loft10/30 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 50610/31 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club11/1 New York, NY - Webster Hall11/2 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer11/3 Boston, MA - Paradise

Wed, 08/29/2012 - 1:48 pm

“I grew up in the country, a hard working environment where your ass had to get out there and work,” laughs Ralph ‘Soul’ Jackson from Phenix City, AL, a rural city deep in the Black Belt across the Chattahoochee River from Columbus, GA, where the last battle of the Civil War was fought.  During Jackson’s childhood, this Southeast corner of Alabama was called the Las Vegas of the South.  The city’s infamous club-lined main drag became such a hotbed for organized crime there were city ordinances calling for a weekly drag of the River.  Jackson was sneaking into those same clubs throughout the 60s, learning how to turn out a crowd and entertain the ladies.  Now a sleepy hub city to Columbus, he finds his hometown, neighbors and country living the greatest influences on his nearly 50 year career as an entertainer and The Alabama Love Man.Jackson began writing as a teenager and after hearing Otis and Pickett on the radio he sent a demo to Rick Hall at FAME.  Hall brought Jackson to Muscle Shoals for his fiery debut recordings, christened him ‘Soul’ and released his first single in 1965.  Like in the local juke joints, he watched Hall pull sounds from instruments and the angles of his studio, saw Spooner Oldham run one-take live sessions and experienced the marriage of what Jackson calls “honky-tonk” guitars and driving, church-influenced rhythms, the blueprint for southern soul.  “Steve Cropper, Jimmy Johnson and the white bands playing those country licks made a lot of hit records.  I was expecting to show up in Muscle Shoals surrounded by black musicians.  Growing up, we were all dancing to “Hi-Heeled Sneakers” not knowing it was a country and western song.”The overwhelming theme in Jackson’s music is the love of a good woman.  “I’ve learned.  Women dogged me out when I was 18, 20.  I got burned, man.  Finding a good, trustworthy woman of virtue takes years and when you find one, well, it makes you want to moan.  They tell me “I get chills when you scream from the stage.” See, I may sing my songs from the gut but they come from my heart.  I learned very early that women appreciate attention, I’m not singing for women, I sing to them.”‘The Alabama Love Man’ is Jackson’s debut album  The process began three years ago with a core group from Alabama and Chicago cutting the rhythm tracks live in Jackson’s home studio during a wicked March cold snap.  Over the next couple years, overdubs and vocals were recorded in Chicago with the help of Todd Rittmann, Adam Fitz, Nellie ‘Tiger’ Travis, and members of The Drastics, Mucca Pazza, Detholz!, US Maple and Dead Rider.  Not trying to recreate the magic of an era disconnected by our analog to digital world, the album captures a living document of Ralph ‘Soul’ Jackson in his prime.  After all, Jackson is constantly advancing his craft and he believes you’re never too old to entertain, “I’m still up at 3 AM writing songs or performing two sets or learning how to get the most out of my access to technology as an independent artist.”  He understands he’s not in this alone, “The Lord gave me this gift and it’s been good to me.  With him on my side I’m able too keep moving forward.”

Thu, 10/04/2012 - 2:18 pm

Coldplay, Beyoncé, Eminem, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mumford & Sons, Plan B, Bruno Mars, REM and Fleet Foxes are just some of the superstar artists lined-up for this great release.‘Rhythms Del Mundo: Africa’ is the latest project from Artists Project Earth (APE) and features high profile western and African musicians collaborating on exclusive African mixes of contemporary hits. APE travelled to Mali to record African musicians, Toumani Diabaté, Bassekou Kouyate, Ali Farka Touré Band, and Rokia Traoré. Sessions also took place in Kenya, South Africa and Swaziland. Members of Miriam Makeba’s band and Senegalese musicians also added their brilliant musicianship to the collaborative tracks.‘Rhythms Del Mundo: Africa’ is the long-awaited follow-up to the 2006 smash ‘Rhythms Del Mundo: Cuba’, its successor ‘Rhythms del Mundo: Classics’ in 2009, and 2011’s  ‘Rhythms Del Mundo: Revival’, all of which were released in aid of the charity Artists Project Earth (APE).Formed in the wake of the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster in 2004, APE was the brainchild of founder Kenny Young and aims to raise awareness and funds for climate change and disaster relief projects.To date the organization has mobilized some of the worlds biggest artists to help champion their cause and has provided funds to support over 300 projects worldwide, such as:- Reforestation initiatives in the UK, Africa, Mexico and Brazil- Wetland conservation in Uganda and orangutan conservation in Sumatra- No Tar Sands, Anti-Fracking and Biofuelwatch campaigns- A Special Award for the global Transition Towns movement- … and in times of need, to help alleviate those suffering from natural disasters.Funds raised from this campaign will support organisations working throughout Africa to mitigate the impacts of climate change and drought.Kenny Young, Founder and Trustee of Artists Project Earth said, “Artists Project Earth is funded entirely by sales of Rhythms Del Mundo albums. If you value our work addressing climate change and environmental justice, then please do make a donation to this good cause by purchasing a copy of our new album. Unlike most charitable donations, you get something tangible and enjoyable in return - as well as the knowledge that you are actively supporting some really well-respected organisations and projects. We are known as the ‘Fairy God-Funders’ of the climate change movement - please help us to continue spreading our magic!”

Wed, 11/07/2012 - 11:17 am

YOKO ONO has long been credited with igniting the punk-rock fire years before its official explosion, and her work continues to be relevant and inspirational decades later. For the past 10 years, ONO has been meticulously reinventing select songs from her vast catalog for 21st-century dancefloors, giving the groundbreaking pop culture icon a greater platform and visibility of which many contemporaries and present-day contenders can be envious.Since first bursting onto the art and music worlds with her compelling, forward-thinking works, ONO has been ingeniously transforming herself from revolutionary “outsider” artist and punk rock progenitor to global peace ambassador, treasured pop culture icon, and EDM’s reigning matriarch.ONOMIX assembles 30 stand-out mixes (including the brand-new club single “I’M MOVING ON") from YOKO’s staggering body of remixed works that, to date, has yieldednine #1 BILLBOARD CLUB PLAY chart hits (“TALKING TO THE UNIVERSE”, "MOVE ON FAST", "WOULDNIT' (I'M A STAR)", "GIVE ME SOMETHING", "I'M NOT GETTING ENOUGH", "GIVE PEACE A CHANCE", "NO NO NO", "EVERYMAN / EVERYWOMAN" and the timeless "WALKING ON THIN ICE") and two critically-acclaimed remix anthologies: the rock/alternative based YES, I'M A WITCH and its EDM companion OPEN YOUR BOX.This digital-only “green” release offers a comprehensive overview of ONO’s ambitious and ongoing dance remix series campaign, which launched in 2001, and includes mixes from BASEMENT JAXX, DANNY TENAGLIA, RALPHI ROSARIO, DAVE AUDE, BIMBO JONES, RICHARD MOREL, FRANCOIS K., ERIC KUPPER, DJ MEME, JOCHEM SIMMS, KARSH KALE, ROBERTO RODRIGUEZ and more.To date, the boundless art-rock visionary has opened up her catalog of original material for reinvention by an eager generation of cutting-edge electronic and experimental music innovators, including the luminaries on ONOMIX as well as PET SHOP BOYS, FLAMING LIPS, THE POLYPHONIC SPREE, FELIX DA HOUSECAT, JUAN MACLEAN, ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS, PEACHES, HANK SHOCKLEE, CAT POWER, CRAIG ARMSTRONG, PORCUPINE TREE, APPLES IN STEREO, LINUS LOVES, DIGITAL DOG, PENGUIN PRISON, JUNIOR BOYS, CSS, STONEBRIDGE, MURK and many more.ONOMIX is digitally available at the iTunes music store and Beatport.com on MIND TRAIN / TWISTED Records.

Tue, 11/20/2012 - 10:44 am

Artist Project Earth (APE) has recently joined forces with the World Bank’s Connect4Climate (C4C) initiative and is collaborating on C4C’s “campaign, coalition, and community that cares about climate change,” including support for the Voices4Climate global photo, video, and music video competition (see below).As part of this new partnership, C4C is organizing a major US launch event focused on climate change for  Rhythms del Mundo: Africa  at the Newseum  in Washington, DC on December 18, 2012.Lucia Grenna, Program Manager of Connect4Climate, said, “We are thrilled to be working together in creative partnership with APE and hope that through the combined strength of our networks and the  Connect4Climate community we can help reach large global youth audiences to spread the word about climate change. Rhythms del Mundo: Africa resonates with us – not only because of the album’s beautiful music, but more importantly for the powerful mission behind it. In light of the findings of the Turn Down the Heat climate change report just released by the World Bank this week, APE’s efforts towards disaster relief and climate change awareness and education are more critical than ever.A powerful example of youth empowerment are the young rappers from the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya featured on the  Rhythms del Mundo: Africa album in a unique collaboration with Eminem for the remix of ‘Not Afraid.’  The TS-1 rappers know firsthand how climate change and poverty impact their lives, and are using their creative talents and passionate voices to inform and inspire change. This CD makes their voices heard- elevating local voices to a global audience.”As World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said, “Lack of action on climate change threatens to make the world our children inherit a completely different world than we are living in today. Climate change is one of the single biggest challenges facing development, and we need to assume the moral responsibility to take action on behalf of the future generations, especially the poorest.”Launched in September 2011 by the World Bank, the Italian Ministry of Environment, and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in collaboration with more than 140 knowledge partners, Connect4Climate (C4C) is a global partnership program dedicated to climate change communication, advocacy, and action.Connect4Climate’s goal is to create a participatory, open knowledge platform that engages the global community in climate change conversations to drive local action. C4C has built an aggregate online community of over 350,000 followers that engage in thousands of interactions per day; across multiple social media platforms, C4C reaches up to six million users each week.As a follow-up to C4C’s successful photo and video competition on climate change targeted to African youth in the run-up to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP17) in Durban in December 2011, C4C has launched Voices4Climate- a global competition to showcase the world’s most powerful climate photos, videos, music videos, and podcasts in collaboration with MTV and TerrAfrica. The top music video winner will spend a day with MTV editors in London or New York to prepare their video for MTV’s Voices platform, and the two podcast winners will travel to Doha to cover the UN Climate Change Conference (November 27 – December 7, 2012).A catchy music  video called “Me and My Bike” produced by Kenya’s Slum Talent Trust and featuring TS-1, a group of young rappers from the Kibera slums in Nairobi, won the youth video award in C4C’s 2011 competition as well as APE’s Youth Award in the ‘One Minute to Save the World’ film competition. These Kenyan rappers are featured on the Rhythms del Mundo: Africa album in a powerful collaboration with Eminem for the remix of ‘Not Afraid.

Tue, 11/20/2012 - 12:58 pm

Guitarist / crooner Dave Hex founded Triple Hex in the early oughts in Brooklyn, releasing the rockabilly tinged Phantom Highway 13 EP in 2006 on Thigh High Records.  The band followed up with extensive touring throughout Europe in 2007 before releasing a Stooges-esque three track 7” entitled Scratch My Back. The band went through a couple lineup changes before enlisting Miss Chip on 60s electric organ and Jill on drums to release their self titled full length LP on Lucinda Records in Spain and Thigh High in the US.  The band’s lineup has remained the same since 2008; however, their sound has progressed over the years to their current incarnation. Triple Hex returns with a new E.P. that will resonate with fans of Bauhaus, 70s NYC rock n roll, and early Sun Records.  Dave Hex’s gloomy songwriting style juxtaposes with the carousing, carnal aesthetic a la Serge Gainsbourg or Marquis De Sade.   Triple Hex invokes the gestalt of nightlife in their album, creating a gritty, glamorous experience that leaves you feeling slightly used yet wanting more. Triple Hex’s E.P. will be released January 01, 2013 at 12:01 A.M. on Mon Amie Records.  It was recorded and produced by Matt Verta-Ray (Heavy Trash, Madder Rose, Speedball Baby), at NYHed Studios.

Tue, 11/27/2012 - 1:30 pm

Following up the release of Diluvia last month, Freelance Whales' sophomore LP debuted at #1 on Billboard's Heatseeker Charts. They hit college radio at #6 and have been steadily climbing up the CMJ charts.  The band just finished a sucessful national headlining tour, including many sold out shows, and are excited to announce more dates this winter.After two years and over a dozen tours, Freelance Whales were feeling road-worn and eager to rediscover their creative process. They had been building on the grassroots appeal of their earthy debut, Weathervanes, for tens of thousands of miles. To tare the scale, the band embarked on a many faceted journey during which they found themselves isolated in West Kill, sprawled with their instruments in Hoboken, and packed into studios in Brooklyn and Manhattan. What resulted from nearly a year’s worth of creative productivity is the group’s second full-length, Diluvia.Whereas Weathervanes was delivered from the perspective of a child infatuated with ayoung female ghost, Diluvia is a record about the possible survival – or peril – of space- faring humans and other arguably fantastical scenarios. Curiosity over these unknowns has evolved into notions of space exploration, ancient astronauts, dreams, and natural and artificial selection, with new songs building to expansive, atmospheric destinations. Working to evoke both prehistoric and pseudo-futuristic sensations, the record invites listeners to indulge in more elastic thought, perhaps, than it's predecessor.Diluvia, which was recorded over two months in New York City with producer Shane Stoneback, also finds Freelance Whales – Judah Dadone (vocals, guitar, banjo, synthesizers), Doris Cellar (bass, vocals), Chuck Criss (guitar, synthesizers, vocals), Jacob Hyman (drums, vocals), and Kevin Read (guitar, vocals) – exploring new instrumental experiences by blurring their trademark “organic” instruments with liberaluse of electronics and more aggressive rhythm. They may sound bigger, but Freelance Whales are no less committed to capturing intimacy though their music. Diluvia is an experiment in finding the confluence between science and emotion. Their hypothesis is that such a cathartic place exists, for both themselves and their fans, and it can be found somewhere in their new music.Tour Dates:01/15 - Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell's01/16 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa01/17 - Toronton, ON - Virgin Mobile Mod Club01/18 - Pontiac, MI - The Pike Room01/19 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall01/20 - Columbus, OH - The A&R Music Bar01/22 - Birmingham, AL - WorkPlay Theatre01/24 - Orlando, FL - The Social01/25 - Pensacola, FL - Vinyl Music Hall01/26 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club01/27 - Charlottesville, VA - The Southern01/29 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg01/30 - Hamden, CT - The Space01/31 - Harrisburg, PA - The Abbey Bar02/01 - Wilmington, DE - World Cafe Live @ The Queen

Wed, 11/28/2012 - 2:20 pm

Earlier this year, iconic Portland rockers, The Dandy Warhols brought us their 8th studio album This Machine. Recorded at the band's own epic rock clubhouse and entertainment megaplex/studio ‘The Odditorium, UK producer Tchad Blake, well known for his recent work with The Black Keys, mixed the album. The band recorded the album with their longtime engineer - producer Jeremy Sherrer. Taylor-Taylor describes this record as "stripped down, woody and extremely guitar centric."Famed Science Fiction writer Richard Morgan penned the band’s official Bio for This Machine. It's 4 short stories that do a much better job entertaining than this bullet point list. You can download the bio  here.Met with enthusiastic reviews, The Dandy Warhols have shot a video for chart topping single Autumn Carnival which was co - authored by Courtney Taylor Taylor and David J of Love and Rockets; the original song lyrics are based on the Ray Bradbury story “Something Wicked This Way Comes”.A surprising collaboration has formed between the band and Anton Newcombe of the Brian Jonestown Massacre resulting in a remix of the stand out track that fans will not want to miss!

Sat, 12/01/2012 - 6:10 am

Sitting in his kitchen in Portslade, Norman Cook is ruminating on his travels over the past year. The mega-gig he’s just announced at Brighton’s Falmer Stadium is special – “I was involved with the fight to get Falmer built – I took a petition to Downing Street, I went on the marches – so it’s a celebration of Brighton, it’s a celebration of getting the stadium, it’s celebration of my links with the Albion, it’s the icing on the cake for all of us” – but it’s just one in a litany of amazing-sounding shows that Cook has played recently, a faintly deranged global journey stopping at all points from the Big Brother house in Brazil to the Great Wall Of China.Playing a DJ set there, he says, was “one of those boxes that needed to be ticked off”, as if everyone has a to-do list stuck to their fridge with PLAY DJ SET ON GREAT WALL OF CHINA just below GET MORE BIN BAGS and DENTIST’S APPT. “Everyone said it was like playing at an M25 rave. It was in the middle of nowhere, two hours outside of Beijing, right by the Mongolian border, in the car park of the tourist center. There’s nobody there at night. We’d had our gear impounded at customs, we were fully prepared for the idea that it might not happen. And 5000 people turned up. Projecting lasers onto the Great Wall Of China! I don’t know how we got away with it.”The trip to China was part of an epic journey that began in Ibiza and involved Cook flying around the world backwards (“I was fine, let’s be honest, my body’s used to far worse abuse than that”), stopping off at Detroit and Las Vegas along the way. The latter is the site of a new residency, at a new hotel purpose-built around something called a night-and-day-club. “They’ve got a pool area purpose-built for pool parties that the nightclub opens onto. We put the decks in the pool and everyone dances in the pool. You have to have towels everywhere because whenever you play a big tune everyone goes mental and the decks get splashed. It’s not a hardcore dance crowd, but it’s a party that couldn’t happen anywhere else in the world. It’s got Vegas, baby written all over it. 105 in the shade, everyone’s in bikinis. And that’s just the blokes.”The former, meanwhile, encompassed something Cook calls “the defining moment of my recent career”, a headlining performance at the Detroit Movement festival. “To go to the home of techno, which I’ve bastardized so many times over the years…” his voice trails off in wonder. “I was invited by Carl Craig. I thought, this is going to be like when Tommy gets made in GoodFellas, I’m just going to get there and they’re going to shoot me in the back of the head. But it totally worked, it was like a big euphoric release at the end of the festival: this is what I’ve done with techno music. I think it’s because Americans can be a bit po-faced and purist about dance music, they’re scare of selling out. So someone comes in with a bit of a sense of humour and puts on a show…”He still heads into his studio to chop up other people’s tracks for use in his DJ sets, to which end, he clicks a button on his laptop and out bursts a highly improbable mash-up of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, Armand Van Helden’s New York City Beat, The Incredible Bongo Band’s Apache and Prokoviev’s Peter And The Wolf, which is simultaneously brilliant, entirely ridiculous and the kind of idea that only Norman Cook would have. But at the moment, he’s concentrating on DJing rather than making records. “I did 70 gigs last year,” he says. “I’ve never done that many before. I’m just really enjoying doing the gigs, as a career. This is my job, I love doing it, I still seem to be getting away with it.”That’s certainly one way of putting it. In Brazil, Cook has become – to his faintly baffled delight, “more famous than I am in England”, as a result of the DVD of his Brighton Big Beach Boutique II event becoming the must-have item for clubbers wanting to show off their flat-screen TVs. “They basically all watched the DVD of Brighton Beach and went: that’s our idea of a fantastic party. So, a promoter got Nokia involved, they paid for everything. We ended up with 360,000 people on Flamingo beach in Rio. It went out live on the telly. It was the biggest thing in dance music that had every happened in Brazil. That launched a whole career for me playing in Brazil. I love going there. It’s a fantastic country, amazing music, people and culture and food. I started spending a month of the year there. I went and DJed in the Big Brother house! And then, just out of sheer why’s-no-one-ever-done-that-before, I played at the Salvador Carnival in Bahia. 5 million people on the streets, me on an articulated lorry with a proper sound system on the top. It’s normally just samba bands, but I did it and everyone went nuts.”These days, Cook’s show involves not just playing his own patented brand of “party acid house”, but a complex audio-visual production. “I’m technically a video jockey now. We write scripts for all the tunes, make films. In the past, I used to have to literally hold up the next record I was going to play to the guy who does my visuals, and he’d have to find the images to match it. And they were never synched. But now, because of the technology, no matter what speed I play at, even if I just chop quickly into it, the visuals are all synchronized. It’s a show.”There’s more: DJing back to back with Carl Cox, unwittingly becoming FA’s “official World Cup DJ”, a forthcoming tour of “nice characterful old ballrooms in Britain”. It goes on and on: it shows no sign of stopping. “Oh no. I love it too much. I can still get away with it. It doesn’t matter that you’re old and bald and grey and fat, because you were never a sex symbol in the first place. We’re pushing new limits. No one knows what the cut-off age limit of a DJ is. And apparently, it’s not yet.” Norman Cook roars with laughter. “I take great delight in that.”

Wed, 12/19/2012 - 8:07 am

Country Mice is an indie rock band based in Brooklyn, NY. They released their debut album, Twister, in 2011, which received numerous rave reviews (including an 8/10 rating in Spin Magazine) and appeared on several top 100 albums-of-the-year lists. Drawing comparisons to Wilco, Neil Young, Crazy Horse, Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth, Country Mice have spent the last several years touring back and forth across the US.They recently wrapped up recording a new album with producer Doug Boehm (Girls, Dr. Dog, Drive By Truckers,The Whigs), which they will be releasing February 19th, 2013 on Lotion Records. The band will be heading on tour in the new year.

Sat, 12/22/2012 - 11:40 am

For almost 40 years now, Krokus has stood for high-quality, honest-to-goodness, hand-made power rock. No other Swiss rock band sells albums and its back catalogue worldwide like Krokus. The band has already sold over 14 million records, toured the world, and received gold and platinum discs in the USA and Canada. The milestones in their rock career are dotted around the world: from Australia and the USA to Mexico, Russia, Japan, and China.But it hasn't all been one long high: death, sickness, and internal strife have pushed the band to the brink of collapse. The story of Krokus is like no other. Dotted with highs and lows, sell-out stadium concerts and sweaty club gigs, these five musketeers of rock have outlasted trends and survived treacherous US managers, tough splits, bad deals, shady lawyers, drugs, awful fast food, endless bus trips, disco, grunge, grotesque record companies, and double-dealing advisors.Today they are back in their classic line-up plus Mandy Meyer and are stronger than ever on their new album, DIRTY DYNAMITE. The band spent a whole two years working on the new album under the watchful eye of Chris Von Rohr. 'We didn't spend all that time on golf courses or tennis courts. No, we just wanted to make our best album yet, the magnum opus of the new Krokus era," says the hit producer. Guitarist Mark Kohler has this to add: 'This is not just another Krokus album. I think we have definitely passed another rock milestone with this record.'To reach this goal, no expense was spared; the band booked into the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London. Krokus went back to their roots, back to where it all began with the Stones, the Beatles, the Free, the Who, and the Bluesbreakers; back to where the band headlined concerts in the Hammersmith Odeon, celebrating their first international success. 'The atmosphere there is very special, and we wanted to make the most of that,' says singer Marc Storace. Guitarist Fernando von Arb is quick to add: 'With Dirty Dynamite, we have recorded the urgently needed, dirty kind of rock that no one plays in this country.'

Mon, 01/14/2013 - 8:15 am

Rosco Bandana are taking their talents to the NBA and performing the National Anthem before the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday, January 14th.  The band, fresh off the release of their Mississippi State Song hopeful “Feels Like Mississippi”, will then head down the street to Hard Rock Cafe Dallas for a free special post-game concert starting directly after the Mavs game.-- National Anthem:American Airlines Center2500 Victory Avenue, Dallas, TX 75219Monday, January 14thGame time: 7:30 PM CentralPost-game Concert:Hard Rock Cafe Dallas2211 North Houston Street(Southern end of Victory Park)Dallas, TX  75219Directly after the Mavericks gameWho is Rosco Bandana?Rosco Bandana is a seven - piece band from Gulfport, Mississippi made up of Jason Sanford, vocals/guitar; Barry Pribyl Jr., vocals/percussion; Jennifer Flint, vocals; Emily Sholes, vocals/keyboard; Jackson Weldon, mandolin/lap steel; Josh Smith, bass; and Patrick Mooney, guitar/banjo.  The group was discovered as part of Hard Rock’s 2011 Hard Rock Rising competition and is the first group signed to Hard Rock Records.  Their debut album Time To Begin is out now on Hard Rock Records.

Tue, 01/15/2013 - 11:43 am

Like most of us, Brent Knopf watches a lot of YouTube videos, only he’s not watching kittens playing piano. Rather, his tastes err on the more experimental side of things—like people who attempt perpetual motion machines using magnets. “I love that they’re trying to harness an endless supply of energy,” says the Ramona Falls frontman, “and that they go against conventional wisdom in the hopes of true discovery.”Which is exactly what Knopf did last year, when he decided to quit the acclaimed art rock trio Menomena and devote his time to one epic, personal vision. “False freedom is the ratification of pre-rigged choices,” the musician paraphrases the philosopher Noam Chomsky, “while true freedom is the agency to shape the choices themselves.” But as Knopf is learning now with a full-time focus on a former side project, freedom comes with greater risk. Prophet, the second Ramona Falls album, is sonically, lyrically and thematically brighter. It’s also more organic and personal than anything he ever contributed to Menomena, or as the singer/multi-instrumentalist explains, “it’s more of a rapid transit line between my sleeve and my heart.”“With Ramona Falls I am exploring what I stand for which makes it more personal to me,” Knopf admits. “I’m less worried now about being made fun of, than I was before. I can now say things I believe in, and some people may think it’s stupid or cheesy...but that’s kind of fun. I would much rather speak from the heart than hide behind impenetrable obfuscation.”That emotional honesty and creative fearlessness is certainly paying off. Prophet is an album that recalls the experimental beauty of Laughing Stock by Talk Talk, and the unabashed earnestness of his old labelmates Death Cab For Cutie. Knopf appreciates those highly regarded comparisons but when pressed for the true inspirations that fed into his overall vision, he cites Martin Gore of Depeche Mode’s dark chordal elements, a production style halfway between Tears for Fears and the Homosexuals, and lyrical themes that channel a dyslexic Jorge Luis Borges if he starred in Flowers for Algernon.Recorded with bandmates Paul Alcott (drums, and also, ironically, Knopf’s replacement in Menomena), Matt Sheehy (guitar), and Dave Lowensohn (bass) and featuring guest appearances by four other friends, the stunning album begins with “Bodies of Water,” an emotive and rousing anthem about how intimacy bundles together both nourishment and peril. “Spore,” a heartfelt highlight of Prophet bears a substantive core: “I like the idea of someone refusing to feel lonely, despite how utterly alone they might actually be,” Knopf explains. “It’s a form of rebellion.” But the 11 tracks are not all exercises in introspective fragility; “Brevony” is Knopf’s most unleashed moment with gnarling guitars ambushing the listener at the chorus on all sides.Prophet, the album’s title, is an homage to Knopf’s religious upbringing, a titular reference to a worldview that reveres exalted seers who assert meaning despite the chaos. But as the newly empowered songwriter has discovered with Ramona Falls, it’s a better strategy to embrace the chaos. And then refashion it into a beautiful noise.Tour DatesJan 23 MINNEAPOLIS, MN , 7th Street EntryJan 24 MADISON, WI , FRZN FEST at High Noon Saloon *Jan 25 IOWA CITY, IA, Gabe's *Jan 26 CHAMPAIGN, IL, Mike N Molly'sJan 27 GRAND RAPIDS, MI , Pyramid SchemeJan 29 PITTSBURGH, PA, BrilloboxJan 31 HAMDEN, CT , The Outer Space ^Feb 01 NORTHAMPTON, MA , Iron Horse Music HallFeb 02 BROOKLYN, NY , Glasslands Gallery ^Feb 06 BALTIMORE, MD , Golden West CafeFeb 07 HOBOKEN, NJ , Maxwell'sFeb 09 PHILADELPHIA, PA , Johnny Brenda's $Feb 10 RICHMOND, VA , The CamelFeb 12 CHAPEL HILL, NC , Local 506 #Feb 13 CHARLOTTE, NC , Snug Harbor #Feb 14 ASHEVILLE, NC , Emerald Lounge #Feb 15 ATLANTA, GA , Masquerade: Purgatory Stage #Feb 16 NASHVILLE, TN , High Watt #Feb 18 DALLAS, TX , Club Dada # %Feb 19 HOUSTON, TX , Fitzgerald's: Upstairs # %Feb 20 AUSTIN, TX , The Mohawk: Indoors #Feb 22 EL PASO, TX , Lowbrow Palace #Feb 23 TEMPE, AZ , Yucca Taproom #Feb 24 SAN DIEGO, CA , Kensington Club #Feb 25 SANTA ANA, CA , The Constellation Room #Feb 26 LOS ANGELES, CA , Bootleg Bar #Feb 27 SAN FRANCISCO, CA , NOISE POPat Brick & Mortar Music Hall #Mar 01 PORTLAND, OR , Doug Fir Lounge #Mar 02 SEATTLE, WA , Tractor Tavern ## - with Social Studies% - with Calm Blue Sea^ - with Mitten* - with Wild Belle$ -  w/ Ape School 

Tue, 01/22/2013 - 11:19 am

One of the most daring and influential artists of our time, Yoko Ono, will be celebrating her eightieth birthday with a music performance at the legendary Volksbühne in Berlin on Sunday, February 17. YOKO ONO PLASTIC ONO BAND will be led by her son, Sean Ono Lennon, who collaborated with Yoko on her 2009 critically-acclaimed record, Between My Head And The Sky. The album received 4 & 5-star rave reviews from Rolling Stone, Mojo, Q, Uncut, NME, Spin & many more, and was picked among Mojo Magazine's top albums of the year. Additionally, Mojo honored Yoko with a Lifetime Achievement Award and she received the Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award at The Venice Biennale. Over the past few years, Ono has achieved a record string of nine consecutive #1 hits on the Billboard dance charts. In September, Ono released the improvisational YOKOKIMTHURSTON album with Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth. Other recent  collaborations have included recordings and performances with Eric Clapton, Lady Gaga, RZA, Antony, Ornette Coleman, the Flaming Lips, the Pet Shop Boys, Mark Ronson and tUnE-yArDs.Yoko Ono's retrospective, HALF-A-WIND SHOW opens at the Schirn Kuntshalle in Frankfurt on February 15, and will tour to major museums across Denmark, Austria and Spain in 2013 and 2014. Numerous projects are slated for 2013 including the reissue of her  albums from 1968-1985, a career-spanning art book, Infinite Universe At Dawn highlighting six decades of her work, and the curation of the 2013 Meltdown Festival at Southbank Centre in London in June.

Wed, 01/30/2013 - 5:32 pm

Over 90 bands, most of which are en route to SXSW, will fill Savannah’s clubs and venues with the best up and coming acts. Bands have been hand-curated across multiple genres to represent an ideal microcosm of emerging excellence. Highlights include of Montreal, Chelsea Light Moving (featuring Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth), The Whigs, Merchandise, Mac DeMarco, Ducktails, Dent May, Turbo Fruits and dozens more.Savannah is nicknamed “The Hostess City” for good reason. Bands are treated to the best in Southern food, drink, merriment and hospitality and given the opportunity to stay in local Savannah homes. Biscuits and gravy for breakfast is not out of the question! Festivalgoers get to immerse themselves in the shamelessly social mayhem of the South’s most beautiful, vibrant and creative small city.Savannah’s open container laws make it one of only a few places in the U.S. where merriment takes to the streets. This year’s festival will include the now infamous late night DJ after parties in the Artist Lounge, afternoon stages with beer, bar-b-cue and sliders and many more special events to be announced. In Savannah, you’re never more than a short walk or Pedicab ride away from your next musical adventure.Savannah Stopover's 2013 Lineup Includesof Montréal, The Whigs, Merchandise, Mac DeMarco, Ducktails, Jonathan Toubin's Soul Clap & Dance Off, Dent May, Delicate Steve, Ambassadors,Turbo Fruits, Snowmine,The Last Bison, Ben Sollee, Ponderosa, Country Mice, Cheyenne Mize, Filligar, Bronze Radio Return, Royal Canoe, Sean Bones, Yip Deceiver, Levek, Calvin Love, Henry Wagons, You Won’t, Field Report, The People’s Temple, this mountain, Christopher Paul Stelling, Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, William Tyler, Jacco Gardner, Mercies, Pree, Mobley, Chris Cohen, Shark?, Sun Club, The Wild Feathers, We Can’t Enjoy Ourselves, Chelsea Light Moving (Featuring Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, VietNam, The Coathangers, Alex Bleeker & The Freaks, PUJOL, The Suzan, Single Mothers, Hunters, Young Buffalo, The Dunwells, Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes, Road Kill Ghost Choir, Moon King, Naomi Punk, Fine Peduncle, Blessed Feathers, Heyrocco, Little Tybee, Talk Normal, BRAIDS, Prince Rama, Diarrhea Planet, HAERTS, Kopecky Family Band, Leagues, Hott MT, Crystal Bright & The Silver Hands, Vensaire, Autumn Owls, End of America, Sun Country, Stop Light Observations, Colorfeels, PAN, Suburban Living, Beach Day, Swear & Shake, Les Racquet

Mon, 02/04/2013 - 7:32 pm

Sitting in his kitchen in Portslade, Norman Cook is ruminating on his travels over the past year. The mega-gig he’s just announced at Brighton’s Falmer Stadium is special – “I was involved with the fight to get Falmer built – I took a petition to Downing Street, I went on the marches – so it’s a celebration of Brighton, it’s a celebration of getting the stadium, it’s celebration of my links with the Albion, it’s the icing on the cake for all of us” – but it’s just one in a litany of amazing-sounding shows that Cook has played recently, a faintly deranged global journey stopping at all points from the Big Brother house in Brazil to the Great Wall Of China.Playing a DJ set there, he says, was “one of those boxes that needed to be ticked off”, as if everyone has a to-do list stuck to their fridge with PLAY DJ SET ON GREAT WALL OF CHINA just below GET MORE BIN BAGS and DENTIST’S APPT. “Everyone said it was like playing at an M25 rave. It was in the middle of nowhere, two hours outside of Beijing, right by the Mongolian border, in the car park of the tourist center. There’s nobody there at night. We’d had our gear impounded at customs, we were fully prepared for the idea that it might not happen. And 5000 people turned up. Projecting lasers onto the Great Wall Of China! I don’t know how we got away with it.”The trip to China was part of an epic journey that began in Ibiza and involved Cook flying around the world backwards (“I was fine, let’s be honest, my body’s used to far worse abuse than that”), stopping off at Detroit and Las Vegas along the way. The latter is the site of a new residency, at a new hotel purpose-built around something called a night-and-day-club. “They’ve got a pool area purpose-built for pool parties that the nightclub opens onto. We put the decks in the pool and everyone dances in the pool. You have to have towels everywhere because whenever you play a big tune everyone goes mental and the decks get splashed. It’s not a hardcore dance crowd, but it’s a party that couldn’t happen anywhere else in the world. It’s got Vegas, baby written all over it. 105 in the shade, everyone’s in bikinis. And that’s just the blokes.”The former, meanwhile, encompassed something Cook calls “the defining moment of my recent career”, a headlining performance at the Detroit Movement festival. “To go to the home of techno, which I’ve bastardized so many times over the years…” his voice trails off in wonder. “I was invited by Carl Craig. I thought, this is going to be like when Tommy gets made in GoodFellas, I’m just going to get there and they’re going to shoot me in the back of the head. But it totally worked, it was like a big euphoric release at the end of the festival: this is what I’ve done with techno music. I think it’s because Americans can be a bit po-faced and purist about dance music, they’re scare of selling out. So someone comes in with a bit of a sense of humour and puts on a show…”He still heads into his studio to chop up other people’s tracks for use in his DJ sets, to which end, he clicks a button on his laptop and out bursts a highly improbable mash-up of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, Armand Van Helden’s New York City Beat, The Incredible Bongo Band’s Apache and Prokoviev’s Peter And The Wolf, which is simultaneously brilliant, entirely ridiculous and the kind of idea that only Norman Cook would have. But at the moment, he’s concentrating on DJing rather than making records. “I did 70 gigs last year,” he says. “I’ve never done that many before. I’m just really enjoying doing the gigs, as a career. This is my job, I love doing it, I still seem to be getting away with it.”That’s certainly one way of putting it. In Brazil, Cook has become – to his faintly baffled delight, “more famous than I am in England”, as a result of the DVD of his Brighton Big Beach Boutique II event becoming the must-have item for clubbers wanting to show off their flat-screen TVs. “They basically all watched the DVD of Brighton Beach and went: that’s our idea of a fantastic party. So, a promoter got Nokia involved, they paid for everything. We ended up with 360,000 people on Flamingo beach in Rio. It went out live on the telly. It was the biggest thing in dance music that had every happened in Brazil. That launched a whole career for me playing in Brazil. I love going there. It’s a fantastic country, amazing music, people and culture and food. I started spending a month of the year there. I went and DJed in the Big Brother house! And then, just out of sheer why’s-no-one-ever-done-that-before, I played at the Salvador Carnival in Bahia. 5 million people on the streets, me on an articulated lorry with a proper sound system on the top. It’s normally just samba bands, but I did it and everyone went nuts.”These days, Cook’s show involves not just playing his own patented brand of “party acid house”, but a complex audio-visual production. “I’m technically a video jockey now. We write scripts for all the tunes, make films. In the past, I used to have to literally hold up the next record I was going to play to the guy who does my visuals, and he’d have to find the images to match it. And they were never synched. But now, because of the technology, no matter what speed I play at, even if I just chop quickly into it, the visuals are all synchronized. It’s a show.”There’s more: DJing back to back with Carl Cox, unwittingly becoming FA’s “official World Cup DJ”, a forthcoming tour of “nice characterful old ballrooms in Britain”. It goes on and on: it shows no sign of stopping. “Oh no. I love it too much. I can still get away with it. It doesn’t matter that you’re old and bald and grey and fat, because you were never a sex symbol in the first place. We’re pushing new limits. No one knows what the cut-off age limit of a DJ is. And apparently, it’s not yet.” Norman Cook roars with laughter. “I take great delight in that.”

Mon, 02/04/2013 - 7:49 pm

After his last world tour with Louis XIV in the Spring of 2009, frontman and producer Jason Hill converted an isolated 100 year old house in the Hollywood Hills into a recording studio named Ulysses. Brimming with instruments and vintage equipment such as tape machines, plate reverbs (and a fireplace), he quickly began writing songs. Late night recording parties ensued, friends started dropping in more frequently and a grand experiment was born. By the winter of 2012 the full album, The Synthetic Love of Emotional Engineering, was finished and a band name was dubbed VICKY CRYER and proved to be a star studded affair of friends featuring Dominic Howard (drums, Muse), Mark Stoermer (bass, The Killers), Nick Fyffe (bass, Jamiroquai), Dave Elitch (drums, Mars Volta), Jeff Kite (keyboards, Beat Club, Julian Casablancas), Alex Carapetis and even an appearance from New York Dolls icon David Johanssen.After four years apart Louis XIV will reunite with the original lineup for a short stint of dates in Europe with The Killers.  More details here

Tue, 02/05/2013 - 12:02 pm

2013 marks a milestone year for ONO. The influential pop culture icon, outspoken activist and enduring avant-garde visionary celebrates her 80th birthday on February 18th. Her dynamic, uncompromising and, often controversial, career has spanned more than 5 decades and has seen ONO expand from vilified outsider artist, socio-political revolutionary and progenitor of punk and New York's famed Downtown art scene to now include global peace ambassador, philanthropic contributor to the arts and Billboard Dance chart-topping diva.In the past decade, the boundless art-rock visionary has opened up her catalog of original works to be cleverly reinvented by a cherry-picked assemblage of dance, electronic and indie/alternative music innovators including PET SHOP BOYS, FLAMING LIPS, BASEMENT JAXX, DANNY TENAGLIA, PENGUIN PRISON, JUAN MACLEAN, FELIX DA HOUSECAT, PEACHES, ANTONY (of ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS), SPARKS, CSS, HANK SHOCKLEE, CAT POWER, JUNIOR BOYS, BIMBO JONES, and THE POLYPHONIC SPREE. To date, the groundbreaking remix series has spawned 9 #1 BILLBOARD HOT DANCE CLUB PLAY chart-topping hits including “TALKING TO THE UNIVERSE”, “MOVE ON FAST”, “WOULDNIT’ (I’M A STAR)”, “GIVE ME SOMETHING”, “I’M NOT GETTING ENOUGH”, “GIVE PEACE A CHANCE”, “NO NO NO”, “EVERYMAN / EVERYWOMAN” and the definitive anthem “WALKING ON THIN ICE”, as well as, 2 critically-acclaimed remix albums – YES, I’M A WITCH and OPEN YOUR BOX.ONO kicks off the new year with a fiery new dance single, "HOLD ME" - a searing collaboration co-written and produced by EDM A-lister DAVE AUDÉ (whose discography includes remixes and productions for U2, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Rihanna, Britney Spears, Depeche Mode, Coldplay and Pussycat Dolls, and an unprecedented 83 #1 Billboard Club Play Chart hits). The single finds ONO as vibrant and compelling as ever, continuing her streak of dance floor and club chart domination.While her previous club hits have been star-studded reworkings of her classic material, “HOLD ME” is an entirely new song co-written by ONO and Dave, tailor-made for dance floors, and filled with her vivid lyrical imagery. Combined with Audé’s midas touch for solid, contemporary club anthems, the collaboration is an inspired one that sheds a new light on ONO and adds a strikingly new dimension to her illustrious career. Enlisted for remixes are Grammy Award-winning producer RALPHI ROSARIO, premiere Dutch DJ/producer R3HAB, sweltering progressive house collective PAPERCHA$ER, Spain’s IVAN GOMEZ & NACHO CHAPADO, Brazilian electro house/dubstep heavyweights DIRTY LOUD, electro nu-rave legend TOMMIE SUNSHINE and Boston-based wunderkind EMJAE (aka DJ/producer/remixer Matt Johnson of Nightriders and The Night Owl), all of whom deliver adrenalin-fueled bangers that keep the emotion and energy levels high. In addition to his original production, Audé himself also contributes to the collective of vibrant interpretations.“HOLD ME” is available as digital green releases (no materials used or abused) on MIND TRAIN / TWISTED Records with the first set of mixes out now on iTunes and at all fine digital retailers.

Tue, 02/12/2013 - 5:52 pm

In 2010, Yoko Ono performed several shows with the Plastic Ono Band and special guests. At the Orpheum in Los Angeles, Iggy Pop, Mike Watt, Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon, Perry Farrell, RZA, Lady Gaga, Carrie Fisher and Joseph Gordon-Levitt paid tribute to Yoko, performing songs from throughout her career.Yoko also invited a young group she had recently fallen in love with: tUnE-yArDs, whose breakthrough album, Whokill, was still a year away. tUnE-yArDs wowed the audience and famous guests, updating the original 1972 lyrics of Yoko's "We're All Water." Yoko loved their performance and urged tUnE-yArDs to record the song for this benefit single, second in a series of 10" records, each with a different artist performing Yoko songs.Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs described the project: "Getting familiar with Yoko's vast body of work has been a true education for me. When it came time to choose one of Yoko's songs to cover, and then later one to remix, I had the opportunity to delve into the ground-breaking, punk-before-punk, radical, brave and brilliant work she had done, album after album. More musicians should learn Yoko's history as a songwriter and performer -- she's been light years ahead of us for decades." Yoko replied:  "Merrill, Thank you for giving your love to "We're All Water." It's incredible!"Also included is tUnE-yArDs' remix of Yoko's song "Warrior Woman," an out-take from the Plastic Ono Band's "Feeling The Space" album (1973). The remix is a sneak preview of a 2nd volume of the critically acclaimed Yes, I'm A Witch to be released later this year, featuring re-inventions of ONO's catalog by an eclectic group of cutting edge artists.  The 10" records are a limited edition of 1000 copies.  On the flip side of each is a Yoko etching.   Profits from the records, and 100% of income from the downloads (at www.ChimeraMusic.com) are being donated by Yoko, Tune-yards and Chimera Music to the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance, who have been doing great work for one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy, providing emergency food and shelter, and helping families and businesses get back on their feet.  On downloads purchased from iTunes in the U.S., iTunes is also donating their share of income to the cause.  Thank you iTunes.

Mon, 02/18/2013 - 2:26 pm

One of the most daring and influential artists of our time, Yoko Ono, celebrated her eightieth birthday with a sold-out performance to an energetic and hugely responsive crowd at the legendary Volksbühne in Berlin. YOKO ONO PLASTIC ONO BAND was led by her son, Sean Ono Lennon, who collaborated with Yoko on her critically-acclaimed 2009 record, Between My Head And The Sky.Guests joining Yoko on stage included Peaches, Michael Stipe, Robyn Hitchcock and Rufus Wainwright & Martha Wainwright, who sang "Happy Birthday" in English and German. Jiga, Eva and Masumi, a local Berlin synth-pop trio, opened the show with their song "Hey, Yoko."  MusiciansSean Lennon - guitar, piano, bassYuka C. Honda- keyboard / laptop (Cibo Matto)Yuko Araki - drums (Cornelius)Nels Cline - guitar  (Wilco)Michael Leonhart - trumpet (Steely Dan / Donald Fagen)Charlotte Kemp Muhl - bass, guitar (Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger)Jared Samuel -keyboard (Invisible Familiars)Set ListIt HappenedWaiting For The D TrainBetween My Head And The SkyMoving MountainsCallingThere's No GoodbyeWalking On Thin IceRisingYes, I'm A WitchCheshire CatMindtrainHiga NoboruGive Peace A ChanceEarlier in the week, on February 15, Yoko Ono's retrospective, HALF-A-WIND SHOW opened at the Schirn Kuntshalle in Frankfurt and will tour to major museums across Denmark, Austria and Spain in 2013 and 2014. Numerous projects are slated for 2013 including the reissue of Ono's albums from 1968-1985, a career-spanning art book, Infinite Universe At Dawn highlighting six decades of her work, and the curation of the 2013 Meltdown Festival at Southbank Centre in London in June.Over the past few years, Ono has achieved a record string of nine consecutive #1 hits on the Billboard dance charts. Her latest dance single, "Hold Me" was released last week. In September, Ono released the improvisational YOKOKIMTHURSTON album with Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth. Other recent  collaborations have included recordings and performances with Eric Clapton, Lady Gaga, RZA, Antony, Ornette Coleman, the Flaming Lips, the Pet Shop Boys, Mark Ronson and tUnE-yArDs.Between My Head And The Sky received 4 & 5-star rave reviews from Rolling Stone, Mojo, Q, Uncut, NME, Spin & many more, and was picked among Mojo Magazine's top albums of the year. Additionally, Mojo honored Yoko with a Lifetime Achievement Award and she received the Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award at The Venice Biennale.

Tue, 02/26/2013 - 9:07 am

NORTH BY NORTHEAST (NXNE) is thrilled to announce the first wave of programming for the 19th edition of the festival, taking over Toronto June 10-16, 2013. Tickets are now available online.NXNE Music and Collective Concerts have confirmed that Brooklyn favourites The National will headline a free show at Yonge-Dundas Square (YDS) on Friday, June 14. The NXNE Music line-up also includes performances at YDS and in the clubs by breakout rapper Joey Bada$$, Floridian punks Merchandise, post-punk Danes Iceage, garage rock singer-songwriter Mikal Cronin, lo-fi hardcore quartet Milk Music, Brooklyn noise duo Buke & Gase, rapper Mickey Avalon, Southern rockers Supersuckers, rock revivalists founded by Nicke Andersson of The Hellacopters Imperial State Electric and Montreal hardcore legends Genetic Control. Click here for the full list of this first wave of music programming.Presenting additional concerts June 10-16, 2013 as bonus festival programming, the NXNE Spotlight Series will feature FLAG, with original members Keith Morris, Chuck Dukowski, Dez Cadena and Bill Stevenson with Stephen Egerton performing the music of Black Flag, at The Opera House on Friday, June 14. Americana heroes CALEXICO will rock the Mod Club on Wednesday, June 12 and renowned Swedish punk band MILLENCOLIN will perform at The Phoenix on Saturday, June 15.To guarantee admission to any NXNE Spotlight Series show, fans must purchase tickets online (available as of Thursday, February 28). A limited number of NXNE wristband and pass holders can join a rush line the day of each NXNE Spotlight Series show for a chance at free admission.NXNE Comedy Extra Series presents DONNELL RAWLINGS on Sunday, June 16 at the Danforth Music Hall. Rawlings is best known for his roles on Comedy Central’s Chapelle’s Show, such as “Ashy Larry.” Opening for Rawlings are local comedy darlings Nick Reynoldson, Trixx, and Dave Merheje. 50 NXNE wristband and pass holders can join a rush line the day of the show for free admission.With over 80 presentations, NXNEi (NXNE Interactive) offers a roster of inspiring speakers and unforgettable panels featuring Johnny Cupcakes, J. Joly, Saul Colt, Mavis Huntley and many more. This year’s NXNEi takes a hard look at entrepreneurship and branding through digital outreach. Learn more at nxne.com/interactive.The complete NXNE line-up and schedule will be announced over the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

Mon, 03/04/2013 - 4:09 pm

Over 90 bands, most of which are en route to SXSW, will fill Savannah’s clubs and venues with the best up and coming acts. Bands have been hand-curated across multiple genres to represent an ideal microcosm of emerging excellence. Highlights include of Montreal, Chelsea Light Moving (featuring Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth), The Whigs, Merchandise, Mac DeMarco, Ducktails, Dent May, Turbo Fruits and dozens Over 90 bands, most of which are en route to SXSW, will fill Savannah’s clubs and venues with the best up and coming acts. Bands have been hand-curated across multiple genres to represent an ideal microcosm of emerging excellence. Highlights include of Montreal, Chelsea Light Moving (featuring Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth), The Whigs, Merchandise, Mac DeMarco, Ducktails, Dent May, Turbo Fruits and dozens more.Savannah is nicknamed “The Hostess City” for good reason. Bands are treated to the best in Southern food, drink, merriment and hospitality and given the opportunity to stay in local Savannah homes. Biscuits and gravy for breakfast is not out of the question! Festivalgoers get to immerse themselves in the shamelessly social mayhem of the South’s most beautiful, vibrant and creative small city.Created in 2011 by MusicFile Productions, a Georgia based LLC; Savannah Stopover is a three-day music festival that takes place the weekend prior to SXSW in Savannah’s famed historic district. Dates for the 2013 Festival are March 7th - March 9th. Visit the official Savannah Stopover site for all the details.

Tue, 03/12/2013 - 7:00 pm

Steel Pulse may have explored various styles of music since they started out in 1975, but when it comes to the message, the UK’s Grammy – Winning reggae band has remained close to their roots.  The Group have continued their commitment to fighting injustice, educating the masses, and promoting positive messages through spiritually uplifting music.

“We just can’t ignore the politics, because every life and soul that’s born on this earth is a political manoeuvre for someone, at some point”, Hinds explains.  “From a spiritual aspect, it’s really an upliftment through facing reality – what’s out there.  We deal with positive spirits.  It means putting aside the guns, the drugs and all of the things that are ailments of society – especially in the black communities right now”.

The band have always taken their causes to heart, filing a $1 million class action lawsuit against New York City’s Taxi & Limousine Commission.  The group charged that cabbies refused to pick up blacks and especially Rastafarians throughout the streets of New York. 2012 commemorates the 20th anniversary of this action.

Steel Pulse is the only UK reggae group to win a Grammy.  In 1986, Babylon The Bandit Album won the Best Reggae Album category.  Their international success earned them further Grammy Nominations for their albums, Victims, Rastafari Centennial, Rage & Fury, Living Legacy and African Holocaust.

Invited guest appearances include Arsenio Hall, ‘The Tonight Show’ with Jay Leno, The Montel Williams Show and ‘Late Night’ with Conan O’Brien.  The Rev. Al Sharpton, Jay Leno, Branford Marsalis, C Thomas Howell and Robert Townsend have all had cameo appearances in Steel Pulse videos.  The band have been joined live on stage by artists as diverse as Stevie Wonder to the Stranglers and have performed live with Bob Marley & the Wailers, Sting, Inxs, Santana, Robert Palmer, Peter Tosh, Herbie Hancock and Bob Dylan, amongst others. A collaboration with Spike Lee on the Do The Right Thing movie soundtrack in 1989 resulted in David’s composition ‘Can’t Stand It’ featuring in the movie.

In 1993, at the request of the Clinton Administration, they became the first reggae band ever to perform during the inaugural festivities at The White House.

Steel Pulse, started out performing on the British punk scene with groups like Generation X as part of the Rock Against Racism movement was founded in the Handsworth section of Birmingham by Hinds, and core members Selwyn Brown and, Steve Nisbett.  Their original Bass player, Ronald McQueen, named the group after a popular racehorse.

2012 saw the release of Rocksteady, a film co-starring David Hinds and featuring the band’s live members.  The Hind’s track Rocksteady was composed especially for the movie.

The group performed in Haiti for the first time also in 2012. The track Hold on 4 Haiti was written as result of the earthquake and they have been instrumental in raising thousands of dollars for the relief effort with Partners in Health. Previously the band made a massive contribution to  Hurricane Katrina.

Steel Pulse are currently working on a new album which will be released later in 2013 and also a documentary of their long career which features live footage and interviews.

Steel Pulse is David Hinds (Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar) and Selwyn Brown (Vocals, Keyboards).

Fri, 03/22/2013 - 1:27 pm

The Laurels are a four-piece from Sydney, Australia who create luscious, complex and dangerous psychedelic shoegaze bliss. Known for their mind-blowing live show, The Laurels have shared stages and tours with the likes of The Black Angels, Wooden Shjips, Lee Ranaldo, Swervedriver, Low, Tame Impala, Dead Meadow and A Place To Bury Strangers to name but a few. Whilst notoriety as a floppy haired sonic assault machine was flattering, it felt incomplete to the band, and instilled the desire to showcase their songs as they were meant to be heard. Although The Laurels have given new meaning to the words ‘highly anticipated album’, Plains is the album they’ve been wanting to make for years.Gerald Murnane’s novel ‘The Plains’ provided inspiration for the album’s title and Plains is The Laurels’ “Second great age of exploration”, a search for meaning in an abstract, indefinite space; a reflection of interminably long drives from show to show through Australia’s rural landscape; the feeling that anything is possible but not quite knowing how to make it happen.Producer Liam Judson (Belles Will Ring, Cloud Control), a long-time friend of the band who helped with the recording of their acclaimed 2011 debut EP Mesozoic, was the man to dismantle The Laurels’ wall of sound brick by brick.Over the Plains 10 songs, dual guitarists and vocalists Piers Cornelius and Luke O’Farrell distort, wind and loop their formidable guitar sounds around the driving bass of Conor Hannan and unwavering drums of Kate Wilson, highlighting both the depth and the breadth of The Laurels’ songwriting.Plains opens with the fuzzed out, sprawling guitars of ‘Tidal Wave’ then plunges head first into dangerous terrain with the visceral ‘Changing The Timeline’. The dreamlike states of ‘Glacier’ and ‘Mesozoic’ are interwoven with the snarly edge of ‘One Step Forward (Two Steps Back)’ and the anthemic, driving pop of ‘Manic Saturday’, while album closer ‘A RIVAL’ sounds as epic on record as it does closing out The Laurels’ live set.The Laurels are releasing Plains in the US on April 16th. They're playing their first US shows in April and May and have been announced  to play at Austin Psych Fest 2013.

Fri, 03/22/2013 - 1:45 pm

2013 marks a milestone year for ONO. The influential pop culture icon, outspoken activist and enduring avant-garde visionary celebrates her 80th birthday on February 18th. Yoko Ono's dynamic, uncompromising and, often controversial, career has spanned more than 5 decades and has seen ONO expand from vilified outsider artist, socio-political revolutionary and progenitor of punk and New York's famed Downtown art scene to now include global peace ambassador, philanthropic contributor to the arts and Billboard Dance chart-topping diva.In the past decade, the boundless art-rock visionary has opened up her catalog of original works to be cleverly reinvented by a cherry-picked assemblage of dance, electronic and indie/alternative music innovators including PET SHOP BOYS, FLAMING LIPS, BASEMENT JAXX, DANNY TENAGLIA, PENGUIN PRISON, JUAN MACLEAN, FELIX DA HOUSECAT, PEACHES, ANTONY (of ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS), SPARKS, CSS, HANK SHOCKLEE, CAT POWER, JUNIOR BOYS, BIMBO JONES, and THE POLYPHONIC SPREE. To date, the groundbreaking remix series has spawned 9 #1 BILLBOARD HOT DANCE CLUB PLAY chart-topping hits including “TALKING TO THE UNIVERSE”, “MOVE ON FAST”, “WOULDNIT’ (I’M A STAR)”, “GIVE ME SOMETHING”, “I’M NOT GETTING ENOUGH”, “GIVE PEACE A CHANCE”, “NO NO NO”, “EVERYMAN / EVERYWOMAN” and the definitive anthem “WALKING ON THIN ICE”, as well as, 2 critically-acclaimed remix albums – YES, I’M A WITCH and OPEN YOUR BOX.ONO kicks off the new year with a fiery new dance single, "HOLD ME" - a searing collaboration co-written and produced by EDM A-lister DAVE AUDÉ (whose discography includes remixes and productions for U2, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Rihanna, Britney Spears, Depeche Mode, Coldplay and Pussycat Dolls, and an unprecedented 83 #1 Billboard Club Play Chart hits). The single finds ONO as vibrant and compelling as ever, continuing her streak of dance floor and club chart domination."HOLD ME" jumps into the top 10, at #9 with a bullet, in Billboard's 3/23/13 issue (hitting news stands on 3/16/13), and will appear on the billboard.com web site on 3/14/13.While her previous club hits have been star-studded reworkings of her classic material, “HOLD ME” is an entirely new song co-written by ONO and Dave, tailor-made for dance floors, and filled with her vivid lyrical imagery. Combined with Audé’s midas touch for solid, contemporary club anthems, the collaboration is an inspired one that sheds a new light on ONO and adds a strikingly new dimension to her illustrious career. Enlisted for remixes are Grammy Award-winning producer RALPHI ROSARIO, premiere Dutch DJ/producer R3HAB, sweltering progressive house collective PAPERCHA$ER, Spain’s IVAN GOMEZ & NACHO CHAPADO, Brazilian electro house/dubstep heavyweights DIRTY LOUD, electro nu-rave legend TOMMIE SUNSHINE and Boston-based wunderkind EMJAE (aka DJ/producer/remixer Matt Johnson of Nightriders and The Night Owl), all of whom deliver adrenalin-fueled bangers that keep the emotion and energy levels high. In addition to his original production, Audé himself also contributes to the collective of vibrant interpretations.“HOLD ME” is available as digital green releases (no materials used or abused) on MIND TRAIN / TWISTED Records with the first set of mixes out now on iTunes and at all fine digital retailers.

Tue, 03/26/2013 - 11:59 am

NORTH BY NORTHEAST (NXNE) announces the second wave of programming for the 19th edition of the festival, taking over Toronto June 10-16, 2013. Tickets are now available online.NXNE Music has confirmed that rock ‘n’ roll legends Social Distortion and Outkast rapper Big Boi will headline free shows at Yonge-Dundas Square (YDS). The NXNE Music line-up also includes performances at YDS and in the clubs by Toronto hardcore darlings Fucked Up, Montreal-based chanteuse Coeur De Pirate, hip hop duo Smif N' Wessun, genre-crossing experimentalists WHY?, San Francisco post-punkers The Soft Moon, British guitar band Peace, melodic punks White Lung, chillwave trio DIANA, noise rock trio Nü Sensae, heavy psych group Destruction Unit, music and performance artists Majical Cloudz, pop shoegazers Still Corners, Copenhagen punk band Lower, electro-rockers Moon King, jazz-rock fusionists Lean Left featuring Andy Moor, Terrie Ex, Ken Vandermark and Paal Nilssen-Love, and indie rockers Blinker the Star performing for the first time in ten years. For the current list of confirmed NXNE Music programming visit www.nxne.com/artists.Previously announced acts for NXNE Music include The National, Joey Bada$$, Merchandise, Iceage, Mikal Cronin, Milk Music, Buke & Gase, Mickey Avalon, Supersuckers, Imperial State Electric and Genetic Control.The NXNE Spotlight Series will feature FLAG (original members Keith Morris, Chuck Dukowski, Bill Stevenson, Dez Cadena with Stephen Egerton performing The Music of Black Flag) at The Opera House on Friday, June 14. Calexico will rock the Mod Club on Wednesday, June 12 and Millencolin will perform at The Phoenix on Saturday, June 15. To guarantee admission to any NXNE Spotlight Series show, fans must purchase tickets online at www.nxne.com/tickets.NXNEi (NXNE Interactive) will present over 80 inspiring presentations and panels including Habits of Highly Effective YouTubers by Ipsa Desai of Google. Desai will highlight the most effective methods and techniques to build an audience on YouTube. Previously announced NXNEi presentations include How to Start and Grow a Unique Idea/Passion/Biz with Little to No Startup Money by Johnny Cupcakes and CineCoup: the trials and tribulations of launching a disruptive film start-up by J. Joly. Learn more at www.nxne.com/interactive.The complete NXNE line-up and schedule will be announced over the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

Fri, 03/29/2013 - 3:40 pm

The 4onthefloor’s new album, Spirit Of Minneapolis, evokes the spirit of American rebellion. That same pioneering spirit that brought us everything from modern aviation to rock & roll. Harnessing that spirit, the band is using it to break down modern music’s barriers down to our basic musical traditions. That ageless sound of rock & roll isn’t what it used to be, but the rumble of stomping feet emanating from Minneapolis is an omen of great things on the horizon.The 4/4 beating of the bass drums recalls the American ideal of onward and upward, turning our prevailing spirits to the sky after a reaching the end of the land. The 4-barreled onslaught can be a train building up steam right behind you, the king of the jungle chasing you down, or your wheels on the highway. It’s the soundtrack of America moving forward.Delta blues, classic rock, and a lifetime of attentive listening have produced a sound whose time has come. The energetic and powerful delivery of this band cannot be overstated. Their huge, soulful anthems leave nothing on the floor as Gabriel Douglas’ guttural howl soars through the ether.There’s a readiness to be found in listeners now. The fervor of discovery and innovation is coming back to the American masses and the excitement surrounding the birth of rock & roll is now roaring out of the doldrums with a fury. Let go. Take flight. Indulge in life’s pleasures and stomp with them.'Spirit Of Minneapolis' LP Tracklisting01 King of the Jungle02 Enough03 Stand Off04 Sanchez05 Some Days06 Engine No. 407 Hard Rain08 Fear, Hope, Green, or Me09 Bonfire10 Off the Cuff11 Toast to the Land of 10,00012 Engine No. 4 RepriseTour Dates Mar 28 - Rookies - Sioux Falls, SDMar 29 - Wooly's - Des Moines, IAMar 30 - The Abbey Pub - Chicago, ILApr 04 - The Turf Club - St Paul, MNApr 06 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN

Wed, 04/10/2013 - 10:15 am

Stuart’s Opera House presents the 9th Annual Nelsonville Music Festival, May 30-June 2, 2013 at Robbins Crossing on the campus of Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio. Nelsonville Music Festival is headlined by Wilco, Cat Power, John Prine, Gogol Bordello, Mavis Staples, Sharon Van Etten, Calexico, Jonathan Richman, Screaming Females, David Wax Museum, Wooden Indian Burial Ground and many more all weekend long.The Nelsonville Music Festival continues to be one of the best in the region and one of the most unique music festivals in the country. Past performers have included The Flaming Lips, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, The Avett Brothers, Iron & Wine, Andrew Bird, Neko Case, Yo La Tengo, George Jones, M.Ward, and many more.Set in the beautiful, rolling hills of Southeast Ohio, this small and intimate festival continues to gain fans who want a music festival with a more personal experience. Catch live music on multiple stages including a small “no-fi” cabin and a picturesque “porch” stage in addition to our main stage. We take pride in offering a warm, accepting environment where local artisans can sell.Weekend passes for all four days are on sale now $110, the price will raise from there until the gate price the weekend of the festival of $130 for a weekend pass. Single day tickets are now available too! VIP Weekend passes are also available along with camping and RV passes. Tickets and more information can be found nelsonvillefest.org

Thu, 04/25/2013 - 10:40 am

Stripmall Architecture pushes all boundaries as they continue to set the tone for much of the Bay Area electronic music scene. With a long history in music and collaboration, their exceptional sound takes new form with each new release, be it a dancy single with sexual innuendos, or a dark and haunting full length inspired by despair. There is always a project in the works and when it surfaces, a new innovation is born.Husband wife duo Rebecca and Ryan Coseboom have collaborated with groundbreaking artists including; Cocteau Twins guitarist Robin Guthrie, legendary Nine Inch Nails/Depeche Mode producer John Fryer, James Lavelle's UNKLE, and underground avant-cellist Zoe Keating. These days, the pair are laser-focused on their own material and have put together a live show that has instantly become one of the most unique and acclaimed in the once-again vibrant San Francisco music scene.'Suburban Reverb' LP Tracklstin01 Suburban Reverb02 We Are Not Cool03 Unbreakable04 Heartheart/Rhinebec05 Jetset Friends06 Commuter07 Autumn's Echo08 The Glide Sublim 

Wed, 05/01/2013 - 9:37 am

A rock & roll band with an enduring fondness for pure pop and a wicked, sly sense of humor, Dead Boots (f/k/a TAB the Band) defy easy categorization. They love The Beatles and Cheap Trick as much as T-Rex and The Rolling Stones, yet as much as Dead Boots draw on classic rock influences, they are a vibrant, contemporary band that blends the vigor of punk, the might of arena rock and the melodicism of power-pop, earning the admiration of Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse, Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction and J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr, alt-rock stalwarts who requested the band as their opening act.Dead Boots may be the best example of how great things can come from no expectations. Brothers Adrian and Tony Perry began the group almost as a lark. “I grew up in LA,” explains Adrian, “and whenever I came to visit Tony, we’d always record stuff for fun.” Adrian had a few serious bands while he was in high school and college, continuing to occasionally play with Tony. “A few years ago we said, let’s mess around and record some songs,” remembers Adrian. "Tony invited his friend Ben Tileston to have real drum tracks. We ended up writing nine songs in a week -- it was very organic. Before we knew it, we had a show booked.”Since then, the band has toured extensively in the US, Canada and UK, supporting acts such as Stone Temple Pilots, Cage the Elephant, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and Slash. The band has also played major US and UK festivals such as Lollapalooza, the Hyde Park Calling Festival, Download Festival, Mountain Jam, CMJ and SXSW and headlined John Varvatos Thursday Night Live at 315 Bowery.“We started almost like a punk band,” explains Adrian. “We focused on writing short, hard rock songs. It was like sticking it to the weird twee indie rock we’ve been inundated with.” That punk attitude can be heard on the group’s first two full-length albums, Pulling Out Just Enough to Win and Long Weekend, both released in 2008.  The band expanded its horizons on 2010's Zoo Noises, a free-wheeling, all-encompassing carnival ride, fueled by such intoxicating singles as the percussive “She Said No (I Love You)” and the breakneck hooks of “Bought and Sold”. All three records were written, engineered, recorded and produced by the band with no outside input.“A lot of folks thought our earlier stuff sounded purposefully under-produced,” says Adrian, but this raw, nervy energy earned the group a lot of attention. The band has racked up positive notices from publications as diverse as Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Entertainment Weekly and NPR, plus the tastemaker indie-rock blog Popmatters. The band has had success on radio and the licensing front, having been featured on Little Steven's Underground Garage, Out of the Box with Jonathan Clarke on Q104.3, Matt Pinfield’s The Rock Show on WRXP, MTV's Jersey Shore, HBO's Entourage, and the MLB2K11 video game. The band has also been featured on JBTV in Chicago, mtvU and Fox’s Fearless Music, among others.The band added another member in Lou Jannetty, an old friend of the Perrys’ who showed up on several of the homemade tapes the brothers made in their youth. The band's new album, Verónica (scheduled for summer 2013 release), is the first album that Lou has been involved with start to finish. The quartet spent two years concentrating on the new record, more time than it has spent on any prior record, with Tony taking the engineering and production reins. “This is our most mature record,” says Adrian, “it's the culmination of everything we've been through and the best distillation of all of our influences to date. It's a more focused record than Zoo Noises yet is also more adventurous.” Dead Boots are still a rock & roll band at heart but belong to this moment, pulling together elements of the past and present in exciting ways. “Rather than segregating influences, we put them all together. If people listen to the whole album, they’ll get a sense that we can do a lot.”

Wed, 05/01/2013 - 10:20 am

NXNE (North by Northeast) announces the first wave of programming as part of NXNE Film. Presented in partnership with Hot Docs, NXNE Film will screen more than 30 movies from June 13-16 at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema and at alternative spaces throughout the city of Toronto. Film Festival wristbands are now available online at www.nxne.com/tickets and single tickets will be available at the end of May at www.bloorcinema.com.NXNE Film is proud to present the North American premiere of BB King – The Life of Riley on Friday, June 14. Directed by Jon Brewer, BB King – The Life of Riley is a powerful and insightful documentary about legendary bluesman BB King. Narrated by Morgan Freeman, the documentary features Eric Clapton, Bono, Ringo Starr, Carlos Santana, Slash, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Ron Wood, Mick Jagger, Bruce Willis and more.Trailer: www.bit.ly/ZTL2xNNXNE Film will reflect the whole festival’s eclectic programming by introducing comedy and art components to film screenings. NXNE Art will present movies and projections throughout the city and NXNE Comedy will screen documentaries and shorts at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, including a collection of comedy shorts selected by Toronto’s comedy group Laugh Sabbath.

Wed, 05/08/2013 - 1:55 pm

Brian Moen, Phil Cook and Justin Vernon played one show as THE SHOUTING MATCHES nearly seven years ago. They reunited in Eau Claire, Wisconsin this past year and made a record fusing influences into what they do best: playing together. Over years of sharing stages and studios in a myriad of projects, they come together as a trio and give you GROWNASS MAN, a record with Midwestern knuckles and Southern callouses. The album marks the first release from Middle West, the management firm behind all of Vernon's musical endeavors.

Shows

8/1/13 - Turner Hall - Milwaukee, WI8/2/13 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN

Fri, 05/10/2013 - 9:15 am

Lee Fields & The Expressions, Joe Pug, Bindlestick Family Circus, Los Hacheros, Flying Clouds Of South Carolina, You Black Kettle, Hex Net, Rattletrap Stringband, Leah Nairn join the lineup for the 2013 Nelsonville Music Festival!!!Stuart’s Opera House presents the 9th Annual Nelsonville Music Festival, May 30-June 2, 2013 at Robbins Crossing on the campus of Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio. Nelsonville Music Festival is headlined by Wilco, Cat Power, John Prine, Gogol Bordello, Mavis Staples, Sharon Van Etten, Calexico, Jonathan Richman, Screaming Females, David Wax Museum, Wooden Indian Burial Ground and many more all weekend long.The Nelsonville Music Festival continues to be one of the best in the region and one of the most unique music festivals in the country. Past performers have included The Flaming Lips, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, The Avett Brothers, Iron & Wine, Andrew Bird, Neko Case, Yo La Tengo, George Jones, M.Ward, and many more.Described by Andrew Bird (who performed in 2012) as being “It's the perfect size festival. Any bigger and you'd lose something.", the Nelsonville Music Festival continues to be one of the best in the region and one of the most unique music festivals in the country. Set in the beautiful, rolling hills of Southeast Ohio, this small and intimate festival continues to gain fans who want a music festival with a more personal experience.Catch live music on multiple stages including a small “no-fi” cabin and a picturesque porch stage in addition to our main stage. We take pride in offering a warm, accepting environment where local artisans can sell and be recognized for their work, where local, regional and national musicians instill their awe-inspiring talents and festival goers can relax and enjoy the fruits of our regional flavor. The Nelsonville Music Festival offers multiple stages of music all weekend long along with camping on site, kids activities, local art vendors, food, and a beer garden. The Nelsonville Music Festival is a production of Stuart’s Opera House, a historic, non-profit theater located in Nelsonville that features over 75 events a year including live music, theater, films, educational programming and more. You can find out more about Stuart's by visiting stuartsoperahouse.org.

Fri, 05/10/2013 - 3:05 pm

Honey Locust Honky Tonk is a compact wonder and so varied, tuneful, graceful, magnificent and ebullient that you'll be forgiven for thinking that Robert Pollard has saved his best for his own album. Slicker in some ways than recent Guided By Voices efforts, though not without its own down-home charm, its seventeen songs still whiz by in 34 minutes, stridently showcasing Pollard’s songwriting mastery with some of the best tunes he’s ever penned.The longest, the semi-stately album closer "Airs," clocks in at just over three and a half minutes, but most are in the two or two and half minute range typical of Pollard's attenuating genius. "I'm not afraid to be immature, to make a fool of myself," he recently offered as a reason why he's been able to continue writing music at such a high level for so long. "I'm not afraid to look insane." The only thing crazy about a song like "It Disappears In The Least Likely Hands (We May Never Not Know)" is its slightly loopy title. The song itself, a chugging Heroes-era Bowie anthem whose entire lyrics are contained in the title, is a marvel of both concision and affect, featuring the full force and range of Pollard's voice, which has never sounded better. Sure, it's an over-used trope of rock bios to say that such-and-such or so-and-so "has never sounded better," but that doesn't make it not true. (Two can play at the double negative game!)For any other guy whose reunited band has just finished putting out four full albums and an EP in eighteen months, the release of yet still again another solo album might seem excessive, to say the least, but Honey Locust Honky Tonk sees Pollard on top songwriting form. For example, The four song run that begins with “Suit Minus the Middle” and concludes with “She Hides in Black” not only includes object lessons in Pollard's life-long obsession with what he calls the "four Ps: pop, punk, psych and prog," but long-time-fans will also be rewarded with a reference to a beloved character from early solo effort Kid Marine. In truth, Pollard never holds anything back, and always seems uncannily able to pull any number of music tricks from his magic sleeve. He's done it again, folks. Honey Locust Honky Tonk is as sweet and as sharp as anything Robert Pollard and friends has ever produced. Bite it and see.

Wed, 05/15/2013 - 9:24 am

After a sold out spring tour with Wavves, FIDLAR is thrilled to announce their debut fall headlining tour, with stops at Austin City Limits and Bumbershoot Festivals.Jon Pareles (New York Times) commented on one of  the band's SXSW performances, stating, "FIDLAR, from Los Angeles, worked a sly paradox. In songs about characters leading dissolute, drug-addled lives, the music is as cleanly executed as punk could be; unisons are perfectly tuned and timed, like one big shared instrument, pounding home riffs like a stainless-steel railroad spike."Don't miss FIDLAR's racous live show, and check out their latest video for "Max Can't Surf" here.     Tour Dates8/29/13 – San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill9/01/13 – Seattle, WA – Bumbershoot Festival9/02/13 – Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret9/19/13 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory9/20/13 – Santa Barbara – CA – Velvet Jones *9/23/13 – Tucson, AZ – Club Congress *9/24/13 – Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent Ballroom *9/26/13 – Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge *9/27/13 – Kansas City, MO – Czar Bar *9/29/13 – St. Louis, MO – Firebird9/30/13 – Columbia, MO – Mojo's *10/02/13 – Atlanta, GA – Drunken Unicorn *10/4-6 +10/11-14 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits10/07/13 – New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks *10/08/13 – Baton Rouge, LA – Spanish Moon *10/14/13 – Nashville, TN – Exit/In *10/18/13 – Toronto, ON – Hard Luck *10/19/13 – Montreal, QC – Il Motore *10/23/13 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair *10/24/13 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom *10/25/13 – Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church *10/26/13 – Washington, D.C. – Rock and Roll Hotel *10/28/13 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Smiling Moose Upstairs *10/29/13 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop *10/31/13 – Chicago, IL – Subterranean *11/01/13 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon *11/02/13 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry ** w/ The Orwells

Fri, 05/17/2013 - 3:43 pm

Anyone looking for an all-encompassing statement-of-purpose for SOFT, the hyper-caffeinated new record from Rathborne will find it in the first line of the second song when Luke Rathborne – chief songwriter and principle persona – hiccups, "Heard you gotta get it in motion."  From that moment on, SOFT never stops moving bounding from one jagged-edged neo-New Wave song to the next, marrying the fast-and-loose ethos of The Ramones with the coiled neurosis of early Devo and the melodic ease of classic R.E.M. and Big Star.  "The feeling  of the record is incredible energy," says Rathborne. "Youthfulness, lust -- the feeling of breaking out of yourself, unchaining yourself, forcing yourself to be free."That same spirit of optimism and restlessness also characterizes Rathborne's career to date. He learned how to play guitar at age 12, when a stranger who was passing through the small town in Northern Maine where Rathborne lived left the instrument at his house ("There was a lot of freewheelin' types passing through my house when we were kids," he chuckles).  Inspired by the DIY spirit of punk rock, he recorded his first album, After Dark, when he was just 16 years old, sneaking into the recording studio of his local college late at night and teaching himself how to use the equipment. "I guess ambition when you're young is really unusual," Rathborne says, "But I just couldn't really find a place in high school." Rathborne relocated to New York when he was just 18, where he connected with famed Tin Pan Alley producer Joey Levine. From there, Rathborne began steadily honing his skills, booking himself a weeklong UK tour, netting a slot opening for The Strokes at SXSW and recording the EP I Can Be One/Dog Years, which earned him an appearance on the BBC's 6 Music. "In the course of making those records," he says, "I've gone from being a 16-year-old kid to being an adult."That maturity is evident throughout SOFT, a story of heartbreak and redemption that told in spit-shined Buddy Holly vocal melodies. Produced by Rathborne and Emery Dobyns (Antony & the Johnsons, Battles, Noah & the Whale), with mixing and co-production by Gus Oberg and The Strokes' Albert Hammond, Jr., the record nestles honey-sweet hooks inside tangles of guitar and Darren Will's percolating bass. "Some of the punk bands I had been in as a teenager sounded like this, "Rathborne says, "So it's a 'return to punk' for me in some ways."That comes through in songs like "Wanna Be You," where Rathborne sighs and pines over a whistling synth line and a taut cluster of guitar that recalls vintage Nick Lowe. "That's really a song about identity," Rathborne explains. "It's about figuring out why people love each other, why they want to be each other, and when that crosses the line."  "Last Forgiven," which Rathborne says is about "redemption and yearning," cruises and dips like a roller coaster going half-speed.Despair and hope co-mingle in "So Long NYC," a speed-racing, Guided By Voices-style power-pop number in which Rathborne flips the mythologizing associated with New York on its head. "It's like the antithesis of a Frank Sinatra song," he says. "There was a point for about a year where I was crashing between peoples' apartments, walking around feeling hungry. I would work in a bar near Union Square and then walk around the streets after it was dark. Wandering through New York City late at night when everyone else was asleep, It made me feel like I had stumbled onto something secret."That contradictory impulse – romanticism and cynicism, energy and exhaustion, is what powers SOFT, and what dusts its cotton candy melodies with a fine layer of grit.  "As you get older, the feeling of being drawn between love and cynicism grows exponentially – almost like someone in medieval times being stretched out on a rack," Rathborne says. "Art is about making a connection between those things." That's what Rathborne does throughout SOFT, and the results are as infectious as they are complex. "There's something hidden in there for everyone," Rathborne explains. "We're all reaching for something, and art helps people deal with those things.  I hope people realize the album is about something deeper than what's on the surface. It's a record about hope and redemption and energy and possibility. And hopefully, it can be a record about people's lives."

Mon, 05/20/2013 - 2:18 pm

Filligar is a touring indie rock quartet hailed as “one of the best young bands in America.” The lineup – three Mathias brothers and Casey Gibson – remains unchanged since the band’s early days recording and performing as teenagers in Chicago. Live performance is the band’s lifeblood. They’ve been named one of music’s “Next Big Things” by SPIN Magazine and listed along with Wilco, Delta Spirit, and Heartless Bastards “One of America’s Top 8 Live Acts” (Boston’s RSLmusic blog). The U.S. Department of State recently honored Filligar with an appointment as cultural ambassadors representing American arts and values, and this summer the band will travel on a diplomatic trip to Eastern Europe for performances and outreach programs.Filligar has produced a prolific catalog of original music, called “a breath of fresh air” by the powerhouse Consequence of Sound” and recognized by the American Society of Composers, Authors, & Publishers (ASCAP) as “of prestige value.” Their latest release The Nerve was nominated for a 2012 Independent Music Award for Best Rock Album.They have a new LP to be released in the coming months.Tour Dates5/21/2013  Denver, CO  -  Larimer Lounge5/24/2013  Iowa City, IA - The Mill5/25/2013  Geneva, MN - Bella Music Festival5/26/2013  Chillicothe, IL - Summer Camp Music Festival5/28/2013  Cleveland, OH - Beachland Tavern5/29/2013  Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar5/30/2013  Washington, DC - Living Social - 918 F Street5/31/2013  Asbury Park, NJ - Wonder Bar6/1/2013    New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre6/2/2013    Burlington, VT - Club Metronome6/4/2013    New Haven, CT - Cafe Nine6/5/2013    Cambridge, MA - TT the Bear's6/6/2013    Hunter, NY - Mountain Jam Festival6/7/2013    Pittsburgh, PA - Smiling Moose6/8/2013    Columbus, OH - Woodlands Tavern7/27/2013  Chicago - Taste of Lincoln Ave

Mon, 05/20/2013 - 2:27 pm

A six-piece ensemble from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Royal Canoe give you everything, but on their own maniacally hybrid terms. It's one thing to reference a particular style, or even a range of styles. It's another thing entirely to grab huge handfuls of sounds from pretty much anywhere, throw them all together and come up with something both cohesive and totally distinctive—something that also happens to ripple and crack with energy. This is what Royal Canoe does best.Royal Canoe's dedication to crafting a seamless musical pastiche is obsessive. For live shows, they’d rather lug hundreds of pounds of keyboards, mixers and pedals across the continent (very much like a voyager canoe, in fact) than rely on lengthy backing tracks. They actually play every part, every time. And while their van is packed with hardware, much of that hardware is, in turn, crammed full of widely-sourced samples and adoringly homemade sounds. Their fearlessness about using whatever they feel like is grounded, not in recklessness, but in a decisive confidence.In 2012 alone, Royal Canoe released two independent EPs, Extended Play and Purple & Gold. They took part in Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra's New Music Festival, arranging and performing a portion of Beck's Song Reader, an album released as sheet music and published by McSweeny's. They brought so much musical goodness to CMJ that they landed on Best Of lists of The New York Times, KCRW and Consequence of Sound. And they played nearly one hundred shows. For 2013, the main act (so far) is releasing their full-length album, Today We're Believers, with L.A.’s Roll Call Records and Toronto's Nevado Records.They have cited their hometown as a core influence for their work, in particular, Winnipeg’s extreme perpetual cycle through euphoric summers under gigantic prairie skies, to near-debilitating winters that instill their own intense, almost aggressive energy into the psyche. While the 2012 EPs feel more consistently located in hot open spaces, more about floating in strangers’ backyard pools without them knowing and biking all sweaty down roads that don’t actually end, Today We’re Believers leans more heavily into urban side of things, cruising the downtown core at night with streetlights fractured and smeared by frost patterns on the windows. The full cycle is balanced out.If you really, absolutely had to reduce Royal Canoe to a single ‘thing’ you could say they catch the moment of explosive, blissful restlessness that hits you when a savage winter finally eases into light, and you feel some actual warmth on those pasty, vitamin-D deprived limbs and all they want to do, suddenly, is move.'Today We're Believers' LP Tracklisting01. Today We're Believers02. Hold on to the Metal03. Just Enough04. Exodus of the Year05. Bathtubs06. Button Fumbla07. Show Me Your Eyes08. Birthday09. Nightcrawlin10. Stemming11. Light12. If I Had a House

Tue, 05/21/2013 - 12:01 pm

This is the debut full-length by Joseph Childress.  The ten songs on this record, dubbed "The Rebirths" by fans, were penned on the road during nearly two years of “hard traveling” – hopping freight trains, hitchhiking, and eventually living out of a car.  All this came to a halt shortly after finding trouble in New Orleans, prompting Joseph to find his way back to his childhood home in the Colorado Rockies. Once there, he locked himself in the bathroom with his road-worn guitar – its neck cracked while jumping from a train – and recorded this album.  Filled with young wisdom, heartbreak, and spirited jubilee, this self-recording of Joseph Childress is a stirring introduction to a young songwriter with a soul-piercing voice and an undeniable gift of song.A low-fi snapshot of his experiences, The Rebirths captures a moment of euphoria as Joseph’s personal stories unfold into timeless songs.  Peppered with thumps, creaks, improvised percussion, the weather outside the bathroom window… these recordings serve as a raw document of the time and space in which these tracks were laid.  Joseph’s emotionally charged voice is powerful as it tackles tragedy and triumph over guitar that ranges from intricate finger-style to furious strumming.  Fans of haunted troubadours Jason Molina, Jackson C. Frank, Townes Van Zandt and early lo-fi pioneers will find many similarities in Joseph's music, but even more striking will be Joseph's refreshingly original command of song.In print due to relentless demand, this presentation of The Rebirths - available worldwide on bright white vinyl and digital - is newly mixed by The American Opry and mastered for the first time by Paul Oldham.The Rebirths Track Listing:1. Old William2. The Rebirths3. The Sun Rises Cold In The Mountains4. Mama's Strings To The Sun5. Chariots 6. Animals7. Six Holes8. Two Days In Bolinas9. Whispering Tide10. Dance With Me

Fri, 05/24/2013 - 3:48 am

The 4onthefloor’s new album, Spirit Of Minneapolis, evokes the spirit of American rebellion. That same pioneering spirit that brought us everything from modern aviation to rock & roll. Harnessing that spirit, the band is using it to break down modern music’s barriers down to our basic musical traditions. That ageless sound of rock & roll isn’t what it used to be, but the rumble of stomping feet emanating from Minneapolis is an omen of great things on the horizon.The 4/4 beating of the bass drums recalls the American ideal of onward and upward, turning our prevailing spirits to the sky after a reaching the end of the land. The 4-barreled onslaught can be a train building up steam right behind you, the king of the jungle chasing you down, or your wheels on the highway. It’s the soundtrack of America moving forward.Delta blues, classic rock, and a lifetime of attentive listening have produced a sound whose time has come. The energetic and powerful delivery of this band cannot be overstated. Their huge, soulful anthems leave nothing on the floor as Gabriel Douglas’ guttural howl soars through the ether.There’s a readiness to be found in listeners now. The fervor of discovery and innovation is coming back to the American masses and the excitement surrounding the birth of rock & roll is now roaring out of the doldrums with a fury. Let go. Take flight. Indulge in life’s pleasures and stomp with them.Tour Dates 05.23 - JT Cigarros - Fargo, ND05.24 - The Mill - Iowa City, IA05.25 - Summer Camp - Chillicothe, IL05.26 - Bella Music Festival - Clarks Grove, MN05.28 - Beachland Tavern - Cleveland, OH05.29 - North Star Bar - Philadelphia, PA05.30 - Living Social - Washington, DC05.31 - Wonder Bar - Asbury Park, NJ06.01 - The Gramercy Theatre - New York, NY06.02 - Club Metronome - Burlington, VT06.04 - Cafe Nine - New Haven, CT06.05 - T.T. The Bears - Cambridge, MA06.06 - Mountain Jam Festival - Hunter, NY06.07 - Smiling Moose - Pittsburgh, PA06.08 - Woodlands Tavern - Columbus, OH06.09 - Second Sunday - Cincinnati, OH06.20 - Second Street Stage - Park Rapids, MN06.21 - Grandma's Marathon - Duluth, MN06.27 - Summerfest - Milwaukee, WI06.28 - Black Cat Bar And Grill - Thief River Falls, MN07.19 - Ed's No Name Bar - Winona, WI07.20 - KAXE Amphitheater - Grand Rapids, MN07.27 - Taste Of Lincoln - Chicago, IL08.03 - 08.06 - Buffalo Chip Campground - Sturgis, SD08.11 - Somerset Amphitheater - Somerset, WI08.25 - House of Rock - Fargo, ND*08.27 - The Railyard - Billings, MT*08.28 - Top Hat - Missoula, MT*08.29 - The Slice Bar & Grill - Lethbridge, AB*08.30 - The Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB*08.31 - The Republik - Calgary, AB*09.02 - Electric Owl - Vancouver, BC*09.03 - The Crocodile - Seattle, WA*09.06 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA*09.07 - Casbah - San Diego, CA*09.09 - The Crescent Ballroom - Phoenix, AZ*09.10 - Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM*09.13 - Crunchy Frog - Green Bay, WI09.14 - House Of Rock - Eau Claire - WI10.26 - The Shitty Barn - Spring Green, WI*with Murder By Death

Fri, 05/24/2013 - 11:10 am

We all know the type:  Prolific bands who commit every loose thought, stray idea and 90-second song fragment to tape. Bands who pay no attention to little inconveniences like "release cycles" or "self-editing," and instead decide that quantity equals quality, creating a discography more labyrinthine, imposing and – ultimately – exhausting than the cast of creatures in a sci-fi novel.Here is why none of that applies to Thee Oh Sees. Because each of the dozen-plus albums they've released since 2004 are possess a distinct personality and represents a different point along the path of John Dwyer's slow transformation from auteur of woozy bare-bones four-track psychedelia to goggle-eyed garage rock marauder backed at long last by a band that both shares and stokes his singular vision. Because drop a needle on any record and – to their great credit – it takes several songs before you're convinced it's Thee Oh Sees. The seasick hundred-bottles-of-rum shanty "What the Driven Drink," from 2007's delirious Sucks Blood exists in a different galaxy than the rollercoastering "Chem-Farmer" from last year's Carrion Crawler/The Dream; the doomy doo-wop of "Blood on the Deck" hardly seems like the product of the same band who delivered the yelping "Ruby Go Home" in 2009. And the band who made last year's engrossing Putrifiers II seems like a distant cousin to the band delivering Floating Coffin -- arguably the most varied and textured Oh Sees record to date."These songs occur in the mindset of a world that's perpetually war-ridden," Dwyer explains.  "Overall, it's pretty dark, and much heavier than our other albums." You can hear that sense of foreboding in "Toe Cutter – Thumb Buster," which churns and sloshes like an ocean of ink, Dwyer's ghostly falsetto an eerie contrast with the song's sub-basement groove. "That one's a song about war," Dwyer explains, "It's like people take less notice of those horrors anymore. Dark goings-on are so ever present that they can just wash over you every day."Chalk some of the band's cunning chameleonic ability to Dwyer's 20-year resume.  The driving force behind such beloved and sonically disparate bands as Coachwhips and Pink and Brown, Dwyer's increased fidelity to Thee Oh Sees and only Thee Oh Sees is evidence of a newfound sense of purpose and focus. Where once Dwyer used to funnel his divergent artistic ideas through a host of different channels, lately he's been finding ways to make all of those impulses function within the framework of Thee Oh Sees -- who have in turn grown closer and tighter and sharper with each eye-popping, jaw-dropping live show. As Dwyer puts it: "The family that plays together stays together."That sense of unity is palpable throughout Floating Coffin. "Strawberries 1 + 2" is a blinding flash of sound, the band first locking tight into a frenetic, palpitating rhythm then downshifting suddenly into a loose, hypnotic drone. "I could have made the second half of this song last for hours," Dwyer says. "This is another song that's wary of the outside world, about humans staring down technology." "Tunnel Time" opens with a short-circuiting synth sound before diving into haywire blast-furnace punk rock made more manic by Dwyer's split-second hollers and howls. The skeleton waltz of "Minotaur," which opens with Dwyer sighing, "Oil slick in my dinner," gradually gives way to a distinct sense of optimism. "That one's relatively less ominous," Dwyer explains. "It's about dream-hunting – being the person you feel you were meant to be." That sense of release is summed up in a single lyric, which shows up just after a squad of swooping strings provides an impromptu serenade: "Stay home today – go to the beach instead."It's moments like those that underscore just how unique this band is – each new layer of their persona that's revealed only hints at the thousands that still remain. Floating Coffin is the next chapter in the story of Thee Oh Sees, the one where they fix their fury against the onrushing night. It's another blistering demonstration of Thee Oh Sees greatest trick: they're the only prolific band who doesn't put out records often enough.

Wed, 05/29/2013 - 11:27 am

Stripmall Architecture pushes all boundaries as they continue to set the tone for much of the Bay Area electronic music scene. With a long history in music and collaboration, their exceptional sound takes new form with each new release, be it a dancy single with sexual innuendos, or a dark and haunting full length inspired by despair. There is always a project in the works and when it surfaces, a new innovation is born.Husband wife duo Rebecca and Ryan Coseboom have collaborated with groundbreaking artists including; Cocteau Twins guitarist Robin Guthrie, legendary Nine Inch Nails/Depeche Mode producer John Fryer, James Lavelle's UNKLE, and underground avant-cellist Zoe Keating. These days, the pair are laser-focused on their own material and have put together a live show that has instantly become one of the most unique and acclaimed in the once-again vibrant San Francisco music scene.

Click To Download "Unbreakable" Track On Diffuser.fm

Tour Dates06.21 - Upstairs At DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA*07.20 - The Uptown Nightclub - Oakland, CA^*with Books on Fate and Return to Mono^with Teenage Sweater and Mortar and Pestle

Thu, 06/06/2013 - 1:31 pm

The KahBang music | art | film Festival is proud to present the first line up announcement of the annual summer music festival, featuring Dr. Dog, Lights, Paper Diamond, The Knocks, Break Science, The Weeks, AER, Oberhofer, Hopsin, Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, Spose, Black Light Dinner Party, RDGLDGRN, Lucius, Lazerdisk Party Sex, 12th Planet and dozens more. The Festival is held in Bangor, Maine August 8-11, along the Waterfront and downtown venues. The second announcement will come at a later date.This year KahBang is opening up to the public and several of the Festival’s multiple performance stages can be accessed for free. The general public will also have access to all art galleries, film screenings, food and craft vendors, fair rides, and live music stages and select showcases. Ticketed events include Bangor Brew Fest, the Main Stage, Dance Stage, and Campsite. All access fest passes are available at www.kahbang.com/tickets.On Festival grounds, KahBang Art and Film will be curating events on the Waterfront. Artists and Filmmakers from across the country will be presenting a variety of works and styles. The Bangor Brew Fest at KahBang will take place on August 10th showcasing over 17 breweries and will feature keynote speaker John Palmer, author of How to Brew.Current 2013 Lineup: More to be added at a later date.DR. DOG / LIGHTS / PAPER DIAMOND / OBERHOFER / AER / HOPSIN / BREAK SCIENCE / LADY LAMB THE BEEKEEPER / RDGLDGRN / 12TH PLANET / LAZERDISK PARTY SEX / SPOSE / BLACK LIGHT DINNER PARTY / CRUNK WITCH / THE DIRTY GEMS/ SUN CLUB / THE KNOCKS / LUCIUS / BRITE LITE BRITE / DJ HOMEWRECKER / ULA RUTH / SKÖSH / THE BYNARS / EIGHT FEET TALL / THE RICE CAKES / THE UGLY CLUB / THE SUMMIT OF THIEVES/ JUNIOR ASTRONOMERS / HERRA TERRA / LATE CAMBRIAN / TOUSSAINT MORRISON / THE WEEKS / MEAN CREEK / GRAVEYARD LOVERS / THE BOX TIGER / THE GHOST OF PAUL REVERE / YOUNG READERS / WHEN PARTICLES COLLIDE / B.AULL / OF THE TREES / ONE SHOT NOTHING / AND DOZENS MORE.

Mon, 07/01/2013 - 9:20 am

Steel Pulse may have explored various styles of music since they started out in 1975, but when it comes to the message, the UK’s Grammy – Winning reggae band has remained close to their roots.  The Group have continued their commitment to fighting injustice, educating the masses, and promoting positive messages through spiritually uplifting music.“We just can’t ignore the politics, because every life and soul that’s born on this earth is a political manoeuvre for someone, at some point”, Hinds explains. “From a spiritual aspect, it’s really an upliftment through facing reality – what’s out there.  We deal with positive spirits.  It means putting aside the guns, the drugs and all of the things that are ailments of society – especially in the black communities right now”.The band have always taken their causes to heart, filing a $1 million class action lawsuit against New York City’s Taxi & Limousine Commission.  The group charged that cabbies refused to pick up blacks and especially Rastafarians throughout the streets of New York. 2012 commemorates the 20th anniversary of this action.Steel Pulse is the only UK reggae group to win a Grammy.  In 1986, Babylon The Bandit Album won the Best Reggae Album category.  Their international success earned them further Grammy Nominations for their albums, Victims, Rastafari Centennial, Rage & Fury, Living Legacy and African Holocaust.Invited guest appearances include Arsenio Hall, ‘The Tonight Show’ with Jay Leno, The Montel Williams Show and ‘Late Night’ with Conan O’Brien.  The Rev. Al Sharpton, Jay Leno, Branford Marsalis, C Thomas Howell and Robert Townsend have all had cameo appearances in Steel Pulse videos.  The band have been joined live on stage by artists as diverse as Stevie Wonder to the Stranglers and have performed live with Bob Marley & the Wailers, Sting, Inxs, Santana, Robert Palmer, Peter Tosh, Herbie Hancock and Bob Dylan, amongst others. A collaboration with Spike Lee on the Do The Right Thing movie soundtrack in 1989 resulted in David’s composition ‘Can’t Stand It’ featuring in the movie.In 1993, at the request of the Clinton Administration, they became the first reggae band ever to perform during the inaugural festivities at The White House.Steel Pulse, started out performing on the British punk scene with groups like Generation X as part of the Rock Against Racism movement was founded in the Handsworth section of Birmingham by Hinds, and core members Selwyn Brown and, Steve Nisbett.  Their original Bass player, Ronald McQueen, named the group after a popular racehorse.2012 saw the release of Rocksteady, a film co-starring David Hinds and featuring the band’s live members.  The Hind’s track Rocksteady was composed especially for the movie.The group performed in Haiti for the first time also in 2012. The track Hold on 4 Haiti was written as result of the earthquake and they have been instrumental in raising thousands of dollars for the relief effort with Partners in Health. Previously the band made a massive contribution to  Hurricane Katrina.Steel Pulse are currently working on a new album which will be released later in 2013 and also a documentary of their long career which features live footage and interviews.Steel Pulse is David Hinds (Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar and Selwyn Brown (Vocals, Keyboards).Tour Dates6/30 - Groovin' In The Park (Roy Wilkins Park) - New York, NY7/5 - Mountain Winery - Saratoga, CA *7/6 - Ace Of Spades - Sacramento, CA7/7 - High Sierra Music Festival - Quincy, CA7/13 - Pacific Ampitheatre - Costa Mesa, CA8/16 - Race Track - Del Mar, CA8/30 - Vina Robles Ampitheatre - Paso Robles, CA8/31 - San Filipe Casino Hollywood - Algodones, MN9/1 - Cliff Castle Casino - Camp Verde, AZ* w/ Ziggy Marley

Tue, 07/02/2013 - 2:13 pm

The KahBang music | art | film Festival is proud to release the full 2013 music line up. Headlining the Festival this year is rock band Dr. Dog and Odd Future group member, hip-hop artist Earl Sweatshirt. New additions include St. Lucia, Gentleman Hall, Vacationer, X Ambassadors, Caro Khan, My Pet Dragon, Spencer Albee, and North of Nashville. KahBang is also showcasing emerging musicians from all over North America, playing genres that include: indie, electronic, rock, hip-hop, country-rock, electro-pop, rap, and indie- folk."Not since our founding year in 2009 have I been more excited for our event. We took an approach this year that focused on building a festival and not just a concert, and I'm overwhelmed by the result. We have more to offer to the public than any year before, and most of it is free. For our returning fans this is the richest experience they'll ever have and have something to be excited about and enjoy from the moment our doors open to till the sun rises Sunday morning. Get ready for one amazing KAHBANG weekend. We're excited to host New England and visitors from afar." -Tim Lo, KahBang Executive DirectorIn its fifth year, KahBang has changed the structure of the Festival and is offering most events free of charge to the general public. Available at no cost are multiple music stages and all art and film on Waterfront Festival Grounds. Information on the KahBang Film Festival and complete film line up may be viewed at www.kahbangfilmfest.org. The Main Stage, Dance Stage, Bangor Brew Fest, and Campsite Stage are separately ticketed events. Tickets to these events are available at www.kahbang.com/tickets or at the KahBang office at 84 Harlow St, Bangor, ME.“Our team has spent the last nine months planning the coolest birthday party we could think to throw ourselves. KAHBANG is all about discovery and we decided very early on to adapt our format to allow more people to experience our event without having to buy a ticket. The music lineup is the most diverse we have ever assembled and we have already had incredible response from people all over the country letting us know how excited they are to participate in this year’s event. We began this festival in part to showcase Bangor and we are encouraging people from New England and all over to come and explore what KAHBANG and this region has to offer. I don't believe they will be disappointed.” -Joshua Gass, KahBang Creative DirectorKahBang kicks off with a free concert in West Market Square at 5 pm on Thursday August 8th. Festival Grounds will open at 1:00 pm on Friday August 9th. For information on Bangor Brew Fest please visit www.bangorbrewfest.com.For more information on other events and the KahBang Festival please visit www.kahbang.com.

Tue, 07/09/2013 - 11:10 am

This is the debut full-length by Joseph Childress.  The ten songs on this record, dubbed "The Rebirths" by fans, were penned on the road during nearly two years of “hard traveling” – hopping freight trains, hitchhiking, and eventually living out of a car.  All this came to a halt shortly after finding trouble in New Orleans, prompting Joseph to find his way back to his childhood home in the Colorado Rockies. Once there, he locked himself in the bathroom with his road-worn guitar – its neck cracked while jumping from a train – and recorded this album.  Filled with young wisdom, heartbreak, and spirited jubilee, this self-recording of Joseph Childress is a stirring introduction to a young songwriter with a soul-piercing voice and an undeniable gift of song.A low-fi snapshot of his experiences, The Rebirths captures a moment of euphoria as Joseph’s personal stories unfold into timeless songs.  Peppered with thumps, creaks, improvised percussion, the weather outside the bathroom window… these recordings serve as a raw document of the time and space in which these tracks were laid.  Joseph’s emotionally charged voice is powerful as it tackles tragedy and triumph over guitar that ranges from intricate finger-style to furious strumming.  Fans of haunted troubadours Jason Molina, Jackson C. Frank, Townes Van Zandt and early lo-fi pioneers will find many similarities in Joseph's music, but even more striking will be Joseph's refreshingly original command of song.In print due to relentless demand, this presentation of The Rebirths - available worldwide on bright white vinyl and digital - is newly mixed by The American Opry and mastered for the first time by Paul Oldham.The Rebirths Track Listing:1. Old William2. The Rebirths3. The Sun Rises Cold In The Mountains4. Mama's Strings To The Sun5. Chariots 6. Animals7. Six Holes8. Two Days In Bolinas9. Whispering Tide10. Dance With Me

Wed, 07/10/2013 - 6:26 am

The KahBang Festival is honored to announce the return of the KahBang Hearts The Troops program. Sponsored by UNO Chicago Grill, all active U.S. Military personnel will receive one free pass to the KahBang Festival, August 8-11, 2013 on the Bangor Waterfront. In addition to the free pass, sponsor UNO Chicago Grill is offering 10% off meals at the UNO Bangor location with a U.S. Military I.D. from now through the KahBang Festival.“This is our fourth year in making Hearts the Troops a possibility. It's something we feel passionate about and it's amazingly satisfying to be able to give even a small thank you to the women and men in service. Seeing them at the front gate every year and having them thank us for this gesture is so heartwarming, as I truly believe that we should be thanking them for their service every day. We want to show our appreciation and let them experience a weekend of music, art, and film. Hearts the Troops is just a small gesture in what they deserve. -Tim Lo, KahBang Executive DirectorTo receive a Festival pass, active U.S. Military personnel must provide a U.S. Military ID and Orders papers to the KahBang Box Office on Friday August 9th or Saturday August 10th, 2013. The Festival pass grants access to the Main Stage, Dance Stage, and Campsite Stage as well as the free film screenings, art galleries, and other select stages.“UNOs appreciates all of our service men and women, as a company we donate thousands of pizzas oversees from our “Pizza for Patriots” program. Since the Bangor area has rich military ties, UNO Bangor wanted to give back locally. KahBang Hearts The Troops was the perfect way for us to give back to military personnel and say “Thanks”. Donating the tickets and giving 10% off at UNO Bangor discount is a small token of appreciation for those serving our country.” -Ron Cross, General Manager UNO BangorIn its fifth year, the KahBang Festival is opening up most of the Festival Grounds to the general public. Everyone is encouraged to attend the free kick off concert, films, art galleries, food and craft vendors, and select stages during the Festival’s 3 day run. Specific stages and events will be ticketed. All tickets may be purchased at www.kahbang.com/tickets.For more information on KahBang Hearts The Troops or the KahBang Festival please visit www.kahbang.com.

Tue, 07/16/2013 - 10:52 am

Grammy-winning reggae band Steel Pulse has released Put Your Hoodies On [4 Trayvon], a song dedicated to Trayvon Martin. Composed by lead singer David “Dread” Hinds, the song was released during the trial of George Zimmerman and is available as a free download here. “The song is a plea for justice,” says Hinds. "Steel Pulse has been campaigning and watching this case since February 26th 2012. The fact is that an innocent teenager is dead, shot by a man who was playing vigilante - pursuing the teenager around the neighborhood despite being advised against it by the authorities. This could well end up as the day justice was killed once again in a Jim Crow. We sensed the result  but despite the outcome of the trial, the truth remains the truth, and the ghost of justice will haunt this town of Sanford, Florida - forever.”Download the song here. For over 38 years, Grammy-winning reggae band Steel Pulse has won the hearts and minds of audiences all over the world with their commitment to love and justice through music. Bob Marley numbered Steel Pulse among his favorite reggae bands when the group had just come up out of Birmingham in 1975. Steel Pulse performed at Bill Clinton's inaugural celebration, the first reggae band to appear at such an event. The band is currently working on a new album and DVD.Visit www.steelpulse.com for more information.Tour Dates8/16 - Race Track - Del Mar, CA8/30 - Vina Robles Ampitheatre - Paso Robles, CA8/31 - San Filipe Casino Hollywood - Algodones, MN9/1 - Cliff Castle Casino - Camp Verde, AZ

Fri, 08/16/2013 - 11:33 am

Following a decade of dancefloor domination as her alter-ego ONO, Yoko Ono comes full circle with the release of brand new remixes of her landmark 1981 classic “WALKING ON THIN ICE” from Grammy-nominated house music legend DANNY TENAGLIA and Dutch EDM heavyweight R3HAB.In 2003, MIND TRAIN and TWISTED RECORDS took this song to the top of the Billboard Club chart kicking off ONO’S streak of 10 #1 BILLBOARD HOT DANCE CLUB PLAY chart-topping club hits, including “HOLD ME”“TALKING TO THE UNIVERSE”“MOVE ON FAST”“I’M NOT GETTING ENOUGH”“NO NO NO” and “EVERYMAN / EVERYWOMAN”.Ten years on, ONO revisits “WALKING ON THIN ICE” and teams up with DANNY TENAGLIA and R3HAB to reinvent the timeless anthem giving it a modern retrofit melding the classic with the contemporary – old school and new school – with blistering results.TENAGLIA, whose studio output since the start of the 21st century has been greatly limited, dusted off his studio chops to deliver an incendiary rework of the classic cut.  His first remix in nearly a decade, Danny comes out swinging with an epic masterpiece with all the hallmarks of his best work. In an era of A.D.D., Danny reminds us of the glory of a mind-twisting, continually unfolding 10+ minute journey into sound.R3HAB has firmly established himself in the Dutch dance scene alongside Chuckie and Afrojack. With his crisp, high-octane productions, R3HAB’s become one of the most highly sought-after EDM A-listers with a discography that includes remixes for artists like LADY GAGA, MADONNA, LMFAO, JENNIFER LOPEZ, CALVIN HARRIS, KASKADE, FAR EAST MOVEMENT, PITBULL, DAVID GUETTA, and KATY PERRY.Originally recorded during the ‘Double Fantasy’ recording sessions with John Lennon, "WALKING ON THIN ICE" would be the last recording by John and Yoko -- recorded on that fateful night of December 8, 1980.  Released in the early months of 1981, the pioneering electronic-injected dance / post-disco / nu-wave hybrid would become ONO’s definitive masterstroke and, easily one of her most accessible, best-known and well-regarded works, brilliantly capturing the kinetic pulse, tension, gritty nihilism and urban cool that defined the times then, and, in an acknowledgement to its timeless insights, continues to define them now.The slightest of glances at today's world makes it clear that we're WALKING ON THIN ICE 2013. TENAGLIA and R3HAB get it, and nailed it.The newly released TENAGLIA and R3HAB remixes of "WALKING ON THIN ICE 2013" were preceded by remixes done by DAVE AUDÉ, RALPHI ROSARIO, and EMJAE, and that trio of mixes has, in four short weeks, catapulted "WALKING ON THIN ICE 2013" into the teens on the Billboard Club Play Chart.

Thu, 02/13/2014 - 2:48 pm

Bella Union are thrilled to announce the signing of acclaimed Australian quintet THE TROUBLE WITH TEMPLETON whose debut album Rookie will be released May 12th. Already a huge success in Australia, The Trouble With Templeton is the creation of singer/songwriter Thomas Calder, a 23-year-old wunderkind who formed the band in 2011. The following year saw TTWT expand to a 5-piece, the new members complimenting Calder’s emotive vocals and songwriting with a collaborative, self-assured sound.Adventurous, eccentric and stunningly melodic, Rookie is an album that leaves a distinct musical impression. With their debut release The Trouble With Templeton have crafted a record full of warmth and heart, whilst displaying a willingness to make music that’s not afraid to affect or surprise. “The only prerequisite we had going in was that if we loved the song and we believe in it, then we were going to record it,” says Thomas. “The element of surprise is something we really enjoy in music, something we’re always shooting for. You don’t want to know where a song is going from the first two lines.”As a result, the album is a whirling dervish of moods and colours, of tempos and genres, melodies and layers, tackling concepts behind relationships and the way unique human narratives emerge from different viewpoints.Musically, defining Rookie beyond a happily all-encapsulating idea like ‘intelligent melodic alt-pop’ isn’t worth the hassle. It’s an album that demands listening to in order to be understood. “It’s held together by something undefinable,” reckons Thomas. “For me it’s a whole kaleidoscope of sounds and genres, but there’s something holding it together, and that’s us as a band.”Before signing to Bella Union, The Trouble With Templeton released the single 'Six Months In A Cast' on the Communion label, the video of which can be viewed HERE. A video for 'Soldiers' is coming soon. Rookie will be released May 12th on Bella Union.

Wed, 02/26/2014 - 3:48 pm

As we approach the second anniversary of the slaying of Trayvon Martin there are still a lot of challenges to face in regards to the search for Justice and Equality.Only recently, we have witnessed the shenanigans of how justice was served in the Jordon Davis trial, where a black teenager was provoked unnecessarily to his death.  We ask ourselves how many other circumstances that run parallel to these two cases, throughout, and have never seen the light of day when it comes to national and international publicity.Yes, racism is still alive and kicking.  Steel Pulse was hoping never again to feel the need to emphasize such a “humanitarian setback.” David Hinds, the lead vocalist to the band quotes, “I’ve been passionate about this case from the very beginning.  I always knew the outcome would divide America.  But to watch the verdict unfold that day, Saturday July 13th 2013, gave the ‘unlucky number thirteen’ a whole different meaning.”“We see it necessary to keep the spirit of Trayvon very much alive by presenting this video. It would be good, whether rain or shine, if you all had your hoodies on while watching it.  It’s Love and Justice through Music!”Tour Dates03.20 - Telluride, CO - Telluride Conference Center03.21 - Aspen, CO - Belly Up03.22 - Park City, UT - The Canyons Ski Resort03.23 - Boulder, CO - Boulder Theater03.24 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre03.26 - Bozeman, MT - Emerson Cultural Center03.27 - Missoula, MT - Top Hat Lounge & Casino03.28 - Teton Village, WY - Jackson Hole Ski Resort04.18 - Atlanta, GA - Centennial Olympic Park05.09 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory05.10 - San Diego, CA - OMBAC Beach Music Fest05.11 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern05.23 - Monterey, CA - California Roots Festival - Monterey County Fairgrounds05.24 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst

Thu, 06/04/2015 - 1:05 pm

Capitol Hill Block Party (CHBP) today announced the full lineup for the 2015 festival, including notable additions Father John Misty and Girlpool, as well as the availability of single day tickets and two-day passes beginning at 9 a.m.

Northwest indie rocker Father John Misty is performing in support of his highly-acclaimed album, “I Love You, Honeybear,” released in February on Seattle’s Sub Pop Records. Folk-pop group Ivan & Alyosha, Philadelphia-based punk rock group Girlpool, Los Angeles producer Kodak to Graph and The Physics, the famed Seattle hip-hop group that came together at O’Dea High School, were also added to the lineup. Headliners announced earlier include TV On The Radio, RATATAT, The Kills, Toro y Moi, Built to Spill and Jamie xx.

Starting at 9 a.m. today, single day tickets will be on sale for $50 and two-day passes will be available for $90. Three-day passes are currently on sale for $125. CHBP is also continuing to offer VIP three-day passes for $250. The VIP packages include access to indoor and outdoor VIP lounges, limited edition festival apparel, complimentary food and drinks throughout the weekend and gifts from event sponsors.

The festival will run from July 24-26 this summer.

Wed, 07/29/2015 - 10:11 am

MANIMAL GROUP is excited to announce the sequel to YOKO ONO'S critically acclaimed 2007 collaboration record Yes, I'm A Witch  (Astralwerks).

Yes, I'm A Witch Too is slated for an early 2016 release and features new collaborations and remixes pairing ONO with Death Cab For Cutie, Peter, Bjorn and John, Sparks, tUnE-yArDs, MiikeSnow, Cibo Matto, Portugal The Man and more.

The album is coming out via MANIMAL (Bat for Lashes, Warpaint, Chains of Love) as a double vinyl set, as well as in deluxe CD and digital formats, on January 22nd, 2016.

Featuring:

"Forgive Me My Love"  ONO-Death Cab For Cutie
"Mrs. Lennon"  ONO-Peter, Bjorn and John
"Move On Fast" ONO-Jack Douglas
"Give Me Something" ONO-Sparks
"She Gets Down on her Knees" ONO-Penguin Prison
"Soul Got Out of the Box" ONO-Portugal the Man
"Dogtown"  ONO-Sean Ono Lennon
"Warrior Woman" ONO-tUnE-yArDs
"Catman" ONO-Miike Snow
"Yes, I'm Your Angel" ONO-Cibo Matto
"Wouldnit" ONO-Dave Audé
"I Have A Woman Inside My Soul" ONO-John Palumbo
"No Bed For Beatle John" ONO-Ebony Bones
"Coffin Car" ONO-Automatique
"Walking On Thin Ice" ONO-Danny Tenaglia
"Approximately Infinite Universe" ONO-Blow Up

Mon, 11/09/2015 - 5:57 pm

Revolutionary pop culture icon YOKO ONO is set to release Yes, I'm A Witch Too, the sequel to her critically acclaimed 2007 collaboration record Yes, I'm A Witch (Astralwerks), on February 19th via Manimal Group.

Yes, I'm A Witch Too features collaborations and remixes pairing ONO with groundbreaking artists Death Cab For Cutie, Peter Bjorn and John, Sparks, tUnE-yArDs, Moby, Miike Snow, Cibo Matto, Portugal. The Man and more.

Featured tracks include [final album sequence TBD]:

"Forgive Me My Love" ONO-Death Cab For Cutie
"Mrs. Lennon" ONO-Peter Bjorn and John
"Give Me Something" ONO-Sparks
"She Gets Down on her Knees" ONO-Penguin Prison
"Soul Got Out of the Box" ONO-Portugal. The Man
"Move On Fast" ONO-Jack Douglas
"Dogtown" ONO-Sean Ono Lennon
"Warrior Woman" ONO-tUnE-yArDs
“Hell In Paradise” ONO-Moby     
"Catman" ONO-Miike Snow
"Walking On Thin Ice" ONO-Danny Tenaglia
"Yes, I'm Your Angel" ONO-Cibo Matto
"Wouldnit" ONO-Dave Audé
"I Have A Woman Inside My Soul" ONO-John Palumbo
"No Bed For Beatle John" ONO-Ebony Bones
"Coffin Car" ONO-Automatique
"Approximately Infinite Universe" ONO-Blow Up

Executive Producers: ONO and Rob Stevens

Yes, I'm A Witch Too will be released on February 19th, 2016 via Manimal Group (Bat for Lashes, Warpaint, Chains of Love) as a double vinyl set, as well as in deluxe CD and digital formats.

Fri, 11/13/2015 - 10:38 am

London, 12th November 2015: Steel Pulse, director Yoni Gal and the Oscar-nominated producer Mike Lerner (The Square), today launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise completion funds for their feature documentary, Dreadtown, due for release end of 2016. http://www.dreadtown.com

Dreadtown is the first official documentary film to tell the story of how Steel Pulse took the Black British experience to the world through their unique reggae sound. Fans all over the world are being invited to be part of the Steel Pulse story by donating to their Indiegogo campaign, which can be found here

The film not only explores the forces that made Steel Pulse, but also their significance to communities inside and outside the music world. Dreadtown will feature interviews with stars such as Snoop Lion, Rita Marley, Gwen Stefani, Matt Groening (creator, The Simpsons), Lennox Lewis (World Heavyweight Boxing Champion), Alpha Blondy (United Nations Ambassador of Peace), Burning Spear, UB40, John Lydon (Sex Pistols), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Chris Blackwell (founder, Island Records), Aswad, Billy Idol, Jason Mraz, and many more. The film is narrated by renowned Hollywood actor and activist Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon/The Color Purple).

The first half of the film explores the British context to Steel Pulse’s influential reggae music. Coming from Handsworth in Birmingham/England, Steel Pulse witnessed the hard edge of British working-class life during the 1970’s, a time of political upheaval and racial tension. Songs such as “Handsworth Revolution” and “Ku Klux Klan” looked to music to confront the exploitation and violence faced by the Caribbean and Indian migrant communities in the U.K.  Steel Pulse responded to the rise of the far right in Britain through catchy reggae beats.

The film also explores how Steel Pulse related this past to audiences in the U.S, now the band’s second home. They climbed the ladder of obscurity in the US through the 1980’s and by 1993 they were playing at the inaugural festivities in Washington D.C., at the personal request of an unlikely fan, President Bill Clinton. A rich mix of contemporary performance, interview and exclusive archive will frame the incendiary issues of race and police/minority relations from 1970’s Britain to the present day in America.

Beyond an exploration of reggae music and popular culture during the 1980’s and early 1990’s, the documentary film explores socio-political issues that continue to resonate in the U.S. and beyond. Resonance with those same issues today requires names, not explanation; Michael Brown in Ferguson, Eric Garner in New York and Trayvon Martin in Sanford. The list continues, as does Steel Pulse’s mission to confront injustice and empower communities.

Filmmaker, Yoni Gal, returns to the personal histories of the band members with the personal vested interested in the political lessons of a generation - “I can trace the beginning of Dreadtown back to my upbringing in the Caribbean. As a teenager I found my political voice thanks to bands like Steel Pulse. Like Bob Marley before them I realised that the greatest music could also convey a powerful, social and political message. The band educated me on subjects I was not being taught at school”, explains Yoni.

Raised between the UK and Anguilla, a small island in the Caribbean, Yoni has had a lifelong passion for films and studied Film & TV Production at the University of Westminster in London. Since graduating, Yoni has produced a number of projects internationally, focusing at first on music promos for well-established artists in the US,

Jamaica and West Africa. Since befriending the band on a trip to Ghana, Steel Pulse have entrusted Gal with giving a visual voice to their music and history. Gal has spent several years filming the band and gathered extensive, never before seen archive material. He has met with friends, family and associates that traverse the history of the group across decades and continents.

All fans contributing to the crowdfunding campaign will have access to exciting and limited perks such as Behind the Scenes backer access, original signed movie posters and DVD’s, a chance to see the movie before anyone else, a cool Dreadtown t-shirt and even a VIP screening with David Hinds and Selwyn Brown in attendance in four cities in the world. You might even be able to pick up a recipe or two from David Hind’s mother.

“I'm thrilled to be working with David and Yoni on their Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign - Fans of Steel Pulse will have a once in a lifetime chance to get involved in Dreadtown the movie and they'll be a crucial part of extending the film's audience across the world,” says Oscar-nominated producer, Mike Lerner.

Lerner has been making films since 1988 for BBC, Channel 4, BFI, HBO, PBS and Discovery Channel. He has won a number of industry awards including an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature in 2012, six Sundance awards (Grand Jury, Special Jury, Best Director, Audience, Cinematography), an Emmy for Best Documentary, two Grierson Awards for Best Documentary, Prix Italia, two Royal Television Society Award Nominations and two IDA Award nominations, Cinema Eye Award, Independent Spirit Award, Gotham Independent Film Award, Audience Award Durban Film Festival, the Alfred duPont Award, and Winner for Best Documentary at the Moscow Film Festival.

Wed, 01/20/2016 - 2:12 pm

Revolutionary pop culture icon YOKO ONO is set to release Yes, I'm A Witch Too, the sequel to her critically acclaimed 2007 collaboration record Yes, I'm A Witch (Astralwerks), on February 19th via Manimal Group and today is sharing the Miike Snow remix of "Catman" on Noisey

Yes, I'm A Witch Too features collaborations and remixes pairing ONO with groundbreaking artists Death Cab For Cutie, Peter Bjorn and JohnSparkstUnE-yArDs,Moby, Miike SnowCibo MattoPortugal. The Man and more.

Yes, I'm A Witch Too Tracklisting:

1. "Walking On Thin Ice" ONO-Danny Tenaglia
2. "Forgive Me My Love" ONO-Death Cab For Cutie
3. "Mrs. Lennon" ONO-Peter Bjorn and John
4. "Give Me Something" ONO-Sparks
5. "She Gets Down on her Knees" ONO-Penguin Prison
6. "Dogtown" ONO-Sean Ono Lennon
7. "Wouldnit" ONO-Dave Audé
8. "Move On Fast" ONO-Jack Douglas
9. "Soul Got Out of the Box" ONO-Portugal. The Man
10. "Approximately Infinite Universe" ONO-Blow Up
11. "Yes, I'm Your Angel" ONO-Cibo Matto
12. "Warrior Woman" ONO-tUnE-yArDs
13. "Coffin Car" ONO-Automatique
14. "I Have A Woman Inside My Soul" ONO-John Palumbo
15. "Catman" ONO-Miike Snow  
16. "No Bed For Beatle John" ONO-Ebony Bones!
17. “Hell In Paradise” ONO-Moby   

Executive Producers: ONO and Rob Stevens

Yes, I'm A Witch Too will be released on February 19th, 2016 via Manimal Group (Bat for Lashes, Warpaint, Chains of Love) as a double vinyl set, as well as in deluxe CD and digital formats.

Thu, 02/18/2016 - 8:12 am

Revolutionary pop culture icon YOKO ONO is set to release Yes, I'm A Witch Too, the sequel to her critically acclaimed 2007 collaboration album Yes, I'm A Witch (Astralwerks), tomorrow Friday, February 19th via Manimal Group.

The release, which comes a day after ONO's 83rd birthday, is streaming NOW exclusively via New York Magazine. Listen here. 

Yes, I'm A Witch Too features collaborations and remixes pairing ONO with groundbreaking artists Death Cab For Cutie, Miike Snow, Peter Bjorn and JohnSparkstUnE-yArDsMobyCibo MattoPortugal. The Man and more.

Yes, I'm A Witch Too Tracklisting:

1. "Walking On Thin Ice" ONO-Danny Tenaglia
2. "Forgive Me My Love" ONO-Death Cab For Cutie
3. "Mrs. Lennon" ONO-Peter Bjorn and John
4. "Give Me Something" ONO-Sparks
5. "She Gets Down on her Knees" ONO-Penguin Prison
6. "Dogtown" ONO-Sean Ono Lennon
7. "Wouldnit" ONO-Dave Audé
8. "Move On Fast" ONO-Jack Douglas
9. "Soul Got Out of the Box" ONO-Portugal. The Man
10. "Approximately Infinite Universe" ONO-Blow Up
11. "Yes, I'm Your Angel" ONO-Cibo Matto
12. "Warrior Woman" ONO-tUnE-yArDs
13. "Coffin Car" ONO-Automatique
14. "I Have A Woman Inside My Soul" ONO-John Palumbo
15. "Catman" ONO-Miike Snow  
16. "No Bed For Beatle John" ONO-Ebony Bones!
17. “Hell In Paradise” ONO-Moby   

Executive Producers: ONO and Rob Stevens

Yes, I'm A Witch Too will be released on February 19th, 2016 via Manimal Group as a double vinyl set, as well as in deluxe CD and digital formats.

Tue, 03/01/2016 - 1:10 pm

San Francisco's Cool Ghouls have been busy preparing their 2016 campaign for rock'n'roll around the world, putting the finishing touches on a forthcoming LP and tightening up their new jams at house shows around their home city. The ghouls are hitting the road to spread the word up and down the West Coast later this month. They will start in Eugene, OR, make their way to Boise for Treefort Music Festival, and end up in Los Angeles, making stops all along the way.

Check out tour details below.

03.22 - TBA - Eugene, OR
03.23 - The Cobalt - Vancouver, BC
03.24 - Lucky Liquor - Seattle, WA
03.25 - Treefort Music Festival - Boise, ID
03.26 - Bunk Bar - Portland, OR
03.28 - Brick & Morter Music Hall - San Francisco, CA

03.29 - Crepe Place - Santa Cruz, CA
03.30 - Constellation Room - Santa Ana, CA
03.31 - Bar Pink - San Diego, CA
04.01 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA
04.02 - The Hi Hat - Los Angeles, CA

Mon, 05/23/2016 - 2:17 pm

“We wanted to make a more energetic record. I personally looked to artists like Springsteen, 70's Bowie, The Smiths, The Cure, Neil Young as inspiration for—not really for sound as much as for that dichotomy of bands who were entertainers still making, at times, weird dark music and writing songs that seem totally over-the-top by today's rock band standards,” says Cymbals Eat Guitars bassist Matthew Whipple of his band’s wildly ambitious fourth LP, Pretty Years.

The band, composed of singer/guitarist Joseph D’Agostino, bassist Whipple, keyboardist Brian Hamilton, and drummer Andy Dole, have indeed crafted what’s easily their most sonically enigmatic and most rewarding album to date. Their trademark cacophonic guitar rock and innate propulsion are still abundant, but they’re buttressed by raucous synth and keyboard lines, and an extemporaneous saxophone performance, which enrich when they could easily clutter these songs. The band also worked more quickly and efficiently than they had in the past, facilitated by years on the road in which they’ve played close to a thousand shows, which rendered them a tight, fully-oiled machine in the studio.

D’Agostino emphasizes that the band always goes into the studio with an edict of crafting an album that replicates their live sound, but haven’t had that come into full fruition until now. “With this record...I think we nailed it this time. First or second takes of everything, real hunger in the performances. Just something to prove.” He stresses that he’d be happy with the band’s chaotic yet tight performances on songs, yet would expect producer John Congleton to ask him to do multiple run throughs. To his surprise, Congleton would say pithily, in D’Agostino’s words, “ok, what’s next?,” obviously satisfied with the results. Remarkably, the band tracked the album in four days.

This looseness is apparent from the outset, on the epic grandeur of opener “Finally,” which shimmers with complex beauty, leading into the sweet rush of “Have a Heart,” which finds D’Agostino singing, “I’m so out of sync / And you’re out of sync with me,” which could well be a mantra for the visceral appeal of this superb record.

The entire album is rife with electrified, flashbulb moments—“4th of July, Philadelphia (SANDY)” conveys the madness of life on the road, exhibiting D’Agostino’s uncanny ability to transform minutiae into profundity. This skill is evident in spades on the record’s centerpiece and opus, the disarmingly vulnerable “Dancing Days.” The song also exhibits the contributions of Whipple, and slyly invokes the album’s title in its magisterial chorus, as D’Agostino contritely croons, “Goodbye to my pretty years.”

“In a dark moment on tour for LOSE, I said something to Matt about losing my pretty years quickly because of touring, how the lifestyle ages you,” explains D’Agostino. “Months later when we were writing for the record, he came to me with the lyrics for that chorus and I wrote the song around them.”

D’Agostino gets to the crux of his emotions on the album’s closer, “Shrine,” in which he veers from the ghosts chasing him into fever dream territory, seemingly coming to terms with demons past. The instrumentation itself is a gorgeous storm-cloud of guitars, building glacially to a cathartic denouement, as D’agostino sings with mounting emotion, “Where will it all go when I die / Never know while I’m alive.” Circumspect about discussing his lyrics’ meanings, D’Agostino laughs when the dark nature of the song’s broached, “This is a record that has many moods!”

And indeed, Pretty Years is a roller coaster ride, both lyrically and sonically, that encompasses what it’s like to be alive and in the moment. But ultimately, this is an album that keenly captures the magic and loss attendant to living life wide-eyed, and hints that these “pretty years” may portend even prettier ones to come.

Pre-Order Pretty Years LP Now

Wed, 06/01/2016 - 1:14 pm

These songs were not intended for a record release. There was no shiny wrapper in their future. They were created as far away from the music machine as possible, even as their journey started under cover of headphones, in a van, in the middle of a long year of touring a different project. These songs began with a resolution.

The idea was just to dabble in invention again, unencumbered by what the music should or shouldn’t be, and to see what forms would take shape. “I was feeling stifled by living as this caricature of a songwriter who seemed to have many similarities to me, but was lacking the actual nuance of being a human. I wanted to ignore that guy for a while and figure out what else was inside, and so I spent countless hours with headphones, in the dark, lit by a screen, staying up later than everyone. It took me three years to figure out what I was supposed to be doing, working piecemeal in only the stolen moments of my increasingly busy, scattered days. Coming home and having this music consume me became a way to escape the guts of my daily life.”

You can hear the frequent rides to and from town in these songs, the hours aimlessly spent listening to bizarre pop radio transmissions. Tuskha points to a similar hopelessness, not as a means to an end, but more as a means to finding the antidote to the end. This is a beat driven album without the anonymity. A songwriter’s album without sobriety. A ten song battle of character. This is a survivor album for everyone who is currently surviving.

Back in the clearcut behind the studio, you can hear Gillian Welch playing from the stereo, embellishing the space of the newly barren hillside . “There are no archetypes for music anymore. I feel like I’m on the dark side of my own private moon out here. Few people to share the landscape with. Here, I transcribe the world’s nonsense back into my own language. I might have thought I was writing the next Beyonce song. It might have been a Sun Ra tune I was channeling. Whatever works. We all drink from the same well. We all wrestle with the hours in the day. We are all collecting and arranging as we go, trying to live completely.”

You can hear these songs in their immediacy and you can leave them there, but you can also dig around in the dirt of each one. That is where you will find the soul and the spirit.

— Phil Moore, Siler City, 2016

Upcoming Dates

07.07 - Albuquerque, NM – Low Spirits*
07.08 – Denver, CO – Bluebird*
07.09 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge*
07.10 – Boise, ID – The Olympic*
07.11 – Spokane, WA – The Bartlett*
07.12 – Seattle, WA – Neumos*
07.13 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge*
07.15 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall*
07.16 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram*
07.17 – San Diego, CA – Irenic*
07.18 – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom*
07.29 – Norman, OK – The Opolis*
07.30 – Kansas City, MO – Record Bar*
07.31 – Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line Music Café*
08.02 – Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall*
08.03 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall*
08.04 – Detroit, MI – Loving Touch*
08.05 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace*
08.06 – Pittsburgh, PA – Club Café*
08.07 – Cincinnati, OH – Southgate Revival*
08.12-13 – Eau Claire, WI - Eaux Claires Music Festival
09.08-10 – Raleigh, NC - Hopscotch Music Festival

* w/ Wye Oak

Thu, 06/02/2016 - 2:36 pm

The new album from anthemic rock trio, Augustines, is an urgent, resonant wakeup call, taking stock of where we are now and what the future holds... an open road ahead. The band’s revelatory debut single demands from its audience: Are we alive? Or are we just kidding ourselves?

Two questions that Augustines had swirling around their minds when they set off in the deep winter of 2015 to begin writing songs for their third album. Songs birthed from William McCarthy’s travels and times spent in Thai Town, Los Angeles; Dublin, Ireland; and Devon, England, as well as Eric Sanderson’s experiences rooting down in his Brooklyn studio near the waterfront. Much of it was projection - a flashback to one of the many faces seen on the road with the band, or on one of McCarthy’s many cross-country motorcycle pilgrimages. Putting himself in the shoes of those people and writing a way out of the blues. While the road does get lonely, he saw hope there as well. Everyone weaves in and out of being an outsider in their lifetime.

Augustines albums are not frivolous affairs. They make big, heart-wrenching sounds, music hewn from granite, from the very ground we stand on, the subject matter urgent and vital. Their debut in 2011, “Rise Ye Sunken Ships” was born from tragedy, the 2009 suicide of McCarthy’s brother. The songs had been largely sketched in McCarthy and multi-instrumentalist Eric Sanderson’s previous group, Pela, and while that project had been unable to withstand the blow of his death, the songs were too strong to disappear. And so they were reborn in Augustines, with drummer Rob Allen (the rock of the band) completing the magic number. 

The eponymously titled album that followed in 2014 drew strength from the incredible reaction to “Ships” at festivals and on tour. It concerned itself with plotting a course away from tragedy. How do you rebuild? Like this.

“The debut album was a concept record about the fragility of family while passing through the tribulations of America,” says McCarthy. “The second one was about moving forward from that. This one has a lot of themes about isolation and battling loneliness. Tackling that shit head on.”

Recorded in New York, Los Angeles and Bridgeport, CT, with Joe Chiccarelli and long-time associate Peter Katis (The National, Interpol, Frightened Rabbit) and featuring amazing Senegalese vocalists Pape and Cheikh on the beautiful “May You Keep Well” and “Running In Place”, the album revels in a sense of realization. “It’s a battle cry,” says McCarthy. “We’re here, now, and this is it, buddy. You’re alive. I know it’s a grind but you can do anything. Being alive is amazing. And it’s not forever. What are we going to do?”

Their third album sees Augustines experimenting and traveling down new roads. Drummer Rob Allen elaborates: “we wanted to spread our wings a little bit on this record. We had in the past flirted with samples and what-not, but never really on the percussive side. We had great fun messing and experimenting with older analog instruments like 808’s and 909’s as well as more modern instrumentation, like the Roland Spd-SX and Maschine. For me it’s clear. This record shows we’ve tried to grow as musicians and not stay in our comfort zone. To grow as people. To improve”

For Augustines, it seems clear what they’re going to do: grow, soar. Their second album cycle ended with 3,300 ecstatic fans claiming the band to their hearts at a sold-out Roundhouse show in London. “A pinnacle moment,” says McCarthy. But rather than a pinnacle, the monumental songs of this latest offering suggest that in many ways, that was only the beginning. The horizon has their name etched high and wide into it.

WATCH & SHARE: Augustines - "When Things Fall Apart"
http://vevo.ly/Vv3zRr

This Is Your Life LP

01. Are We Alive?
02. When Things Fall Apart
03. The Forgotten Way
04. Running In Place (featuring Pape & Cheikh)
05. May You Keep Well (featuring Pape & Cheikh)
06. Landmine
07. Hold Me Loneliness
08. No Need To Explain
09. This Is Your Life
10. Days Roll By

Fri, 11/11/2016 - 2:34 pm

YOKO ONO continues her nearly 16-year long love affair with electronic dance music with her upcoming club single “HELL IN PARADISE 2016” to be released as two separate digital maxi singles via Mind Train/TWISTED Records.

The blistering anthem, with mixes by Grammy winner DAVE AUDÉ, ALYSON CALAGNA, CAMELPHAT, PAGANO and DJ KUE, is the first official single from ONO’s critically-acclaimed remix collaborations album YES, I'M A WITCH TOO (out now on Manimal Group), which includes productions by MIIKE SNOW, DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE, TUNE-YARDS, PETER BJORN & JOHN, MOBY, SPARKS, PORTUGAL THE MAN, DANNY TENAGLIA and more.

The searing call to arms features sweltering powerhouse backing vocals by NONA HENDRYX, BERNARD FOWLER and YOLANDA LEE LEWIS. The song captures the tension and nihilism of both the turbulent 1980’s, with its Cold War and AIDS, and today's world, with international terrorism and global political upheaval run amok. 

It's another slice of thought-provoking and socially-conscious dance music from the singular “Mother of Cool". Co-Executive Producer and Mind Train label head Rob Stevens, who's worked with ONO on the entire series of dance remixes, says: “ONO's prescience, her ability to see decades into the future, is stunning.  She then welcomes Grammy-winning and internationally renowned remixers to take her lyrics and vocals and turn them into thrilling contemporary works resulting in 12 Billboard #1 dance singles and four more top 10's."

Wed, 11/23/2016 - 12:17 pm

Today Stereogum premiered Tobin Sprout's "Future Boy Today / Man Of Tomorrow", the first single from his upcoming album The Universe And Me out 2/3/2017 on Burger Records. You can pre-order the album here!

How do you bring a child’s curiosity to life? For Tobin Sprout, formerly of indie rock icons Guided by Voices, the answer is to revisit it with the wounded tenor of an aging piano man; someone searching, desperately, for his place in the cosmos. The Universe and Me is Sprout’s sixth solo album; hatched during a seven-year gestation period that included unearthing lost recordings (the single, “Future Boy Today/Man of Tomorrow” for one, was being saved for GBV), and digging through a treasure chest of memories in his home studio in Michigan, where Sprout composed behind his shambling grand piano and trembling, boyish voice. Each home recording was captured live with Sprout’s new band — which led to marvelous imperfections.

The Universe and Me takes a deliberately primitive approach that focuses on feeling, as opposed to production. The result is a vague bridge between the ballads of psych-era Beatles, and the haunting vulnerability of Daniel Johnston’s Hi, How Are You?. It’s no surprise, then, that Sprout penned and illustrated his own magical children’s books as The Universe and Me plays like a deceptively dense reimagining of simple subjects like comic books, finding your purpose in life, and growing old.

Many of the 14 tracks acts like a diorama of a boy’s imagination, like “Future Boy/Man of Tomorrow,” which was inspired by Sprout's fascination with superheroes from his childhood. The wistful "When I Was A Boy" is a short, stunning ballad relating childhood grounding to adulthood. “Walk Across the Human Bridge” is a heavy-hitting rocker driven by shredding and lyrics describing the decline of humanity. “Tomorrow From Heaven” is about dealing with the sadness that follows death. Pasted together as a collage, as opposed to a rigid whole, and we have the soundtrack to Tobin Sprout’s life.

The Universe and Me will be available on Burger Records on February 3rd, with a limited pressing of a baby blue vinyl for the first 300 copies. Following the release, Sprout and his new band will embark on a nationwide tour. This will be his first tour in over a decade, supported by Burger Records, who’ll be reissuing Sprout’s mid-'90s Matador albums — Carnival Boy and Moonflower Plastic — in the months ahead.

The Universe & Me - TRACKLISTING
01. Future Boy Today/Man Of Tomorrow
02. The Universe And Me
03. A Walk Across The Human Bridge
04. Manifest Street
05. Honor Guard
06. When I Was A Boy
07. Cowboy Curtains
08. Heavenly Bones
09. Heart Of Wax
10. I Fall You Fall
11. Tomorrow From Heaven
12. Just One Kid (Takes On The World)
13. To Wake Up June
14. Future Boy (Reprise)

Thu, 12/08/2016 - 11:35 am

YOKO ONO continues her nearly 16-year long love affair with electronic dance music with her incendiary club single “HELL IN PARADISE 2016” (PART 1).  Currently #18 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs Chart (Issue date: 12/17/2016) – alongside hits from THE WEEKND, BRUNO MARS, ARIANA GRANDE, PET SHOP BOYS, RIHANNA and EMPIRE OF THE SUN -  the searing call to arms is the first official single from ONO’s critically-acclaimed remix collaborations album YES, I’M A WITCH TOO (out now on Manimal Group), which includes productions by MIIKE SNOW, DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE, TUNE-YARDS, PETER BJORN & JOHN, MOBY, SPARKS, PORTUGAL THE MAN, DANNY TENAGLIA and more.

Issued as two separate digital maxi singles via Mind Train/TWISTED Records, “HELL IN PARADISE 2016” (PART 1) is OUT NOW EXCLUSIVELY on iTunes, featuring mixes by UK DJ/production duo CAMELPHAT (aka Mike Di Scala and Dave Whelan), Grammy winner DAVE AUDÉ, ALYSON CALAGNA, PAGANO and KUE.

The song is taken from ONO’s politically-charged 1985 opus STARPEACE. The galvanizing song featuring sweltering powerhouse backing vocals by NONA HENDRYX, BERNARD FOWLER and YOLANDA LEE LEWIS captures the tension and nihilism of both the turbulent 1980’s, with its Cold War and AIDS, and today’s world, with international terrorism and global political upheaval run amok.

It’s another slice of thought-provoking and socially-conscious dance music from the singular “Mother of Cool” who has had 12 Billboard #1 dance singles and four more top 10’s.

It's another slice of thought-provoking and socially-conscious dance music from the singular “Mother of Cool".

Co-Executive Producer and Mind Train label head Rob Stevens, who's worked with ONO on the entire series of dance remixes, says: “ONO's prescience, her ability to see decades into the future, is stunning.  She then welcomes Grammy-winning and internationally renowned remixers to take her lyrics and vocals and turn them into thrilling contemporary works resulting in 12 Billboard #1 dance singles and four more top 10's." He continues: "Check out just one verse from ‘Hell In Paradise 2016’ and you can’t deny how strikingly relevant it is to what's happening in our country and in our world right now: ‘When will we come to realize we're all stoned or pacified while the boogie men organize their multilevel schemes' And the clubs, with their forward thinking, taste making DJ's, who continue to fight hard to make sure that their chart isn't just another pop chart wannabe, have always been welcoming and supportive, as evidenced by her success there." 

Tue, 01/10/2017 - 7:34 am

Slothrust has shared their video for "Pigpen" via Out Magazine. The site also did an exclusive, in-depth interview with lead singer/guitarist Leah Wellbaum.  The band's most recent album 'Everyone Else' is out now on Dangerbird Records. Prior to "Pigpen",  Slothrust provided three singles, "Rotten Pumpkin", "Like A Child...", and "Horseshoe Crab". The band also covered the Louie Armstrong classic "What A Wonderful World" for the holiday season.  Check out tour dates below and purchase them via the band's website here. More dates will be announced soon.

With their long-awaited third album, Slothrust deliver ten riveting anthems that reward repeated listens. The songs grab the ear and pierce the psyche with complex arrangements and lyrical depth intensified by guitarist/vocalist Leah Wellbaum’s penetrating vocal delivery.  
 
Slothrust is Wellbaum, Kyle Bann (bass), and Will Gorin (drums). The trio first staked out their unique strain of jazz- and blues-afflicted rock as students at Sarah Lawrence College. The band’s 2012 debut Feels Your Pain, and its successor 2014’s Of Course You Do, established the band as a breed apart, serving up deceptively clever epics that veer satisfyingly between incandescent riffing and pop hooks, winsome anxiety and powerful heft.

“People have always had trouble comparing us to other bands, but someone recently described us as Nirvana meets Wynton Marsalis, and I loved that,” says Wellbaum. Even the band’s name inspires a beat of thoughtful consideration as the eyes take in the letters and the brain makes its snap judgement: Slo Thrust? Slot Rust? Slo Trust?  Sloth-Rust.

We all studied jazz and blues, so I often use chords and voicings that aren’t quite as conventional for contemporary rock,” she continues. “Certain harmonic movement can get stale, so I try to incorporate colorful notes to give it more depth. The improvisational spirit of blues music is also something we try to always keep with us, even in more composed playing. I am drawn to musicians a bit further outside of the rock tradition, such as John Fahey, Elizabeth Cotten, D'Angelo, and Portishead. Growing up I listened to a lot of R&B and classical music. And musicals."

While Everyone Else clearly shows Wellbaum fulfilling her early promise as a singer, it’s where she hits her stride as a lyricist: Pulling the listener under the surface to explore a submerged world brimming with exotic creatures. Water motifs abound, detailing oddly off-kilter observations about floating, submerging and drowning that are anything but morose. Instead, they contort and reflect worldly truths about life on dry land.

Nowhere is this vision clearer than on the slow burn of the album’s centerpiece track “Horseshoe Crab.”  Here, with storm cloud riffs and Will Gorin and Kyle Bann’s perfectly calibrated rhythmic undercurrent, Slothrust erupts in a geyser of emotional and spatial distance, as Wellbaum observes, “I don’t have anything in common with myself, except that I came from the sea, like everyone else did.”

“Like a Child Hiding Behind Your Tombstone" opens like some bizzarro world lullaby dispensing sage advice: “Drink seltzer, smoke weed when you can’t sleep. Think about shooting birds, everyone has got a violent streak.”  Then, as the guitars explode, the rhythm section dials into stylish, disciplined groove to set up an expansive instrumental break that gently floats to a close with Wellbaum, at peace: “Hold me under the water. My lungs are filling with plankton. But the lake is not lonely. No need for you to come with me.”

Above all the overriding ethos of Everyone Else is its sense of inclusiveness: all people, every feeling, quiet, loud, any time signature. With a snap of the neck the band launches into the hyper-adrenalized “Rotten Pumpkin” with Wellbaum singing in a rapid-fire vomit burst, “I’ll make you sick because I’m soft water. Reach inside of me, and scoop out my seeds.” This midpoint between grunge and art rock is the aesthetic Slothrust elevates: sharp-eyed individualism, serious musicianship, humble intelligence, controlled abandon.

TOUR DATES:
03/01/17 Boston @ Brighton Music Hall
03/02/17 Albany @ The Hollow
03/03/17 Brooklyn @ Rough Trade
03/04/17 New York @ Mercury Lounge
03/06/17 Philly @ Johnny Brenda's
03/07/17 Washington DC @ Black Cat Backstage
03/09/17 Detroit @ Marble Bar
03/10/17 Chicago @ Schuba's
03/11/17 St. Louis @ Duck Room at Blueberry Hill
03/12/17 Kansas City @ Tank Room
03/15/17 Denver  @ Larimer Lounge

Wed, 01/25/2017 - 8:06 pm

This spring Cymbals Eat Guitars will be heading on the road for a handful of dates, opening for legendary rock band Pixies. The list of dates are below. Their most recent album 'Pretty Years' was released in September and it was met with favorable reviews. Pitchfork gave it an 8.0 and SPIN ranked it #29 on their best albums of 2016. Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, & Noisey also did in-depth interviews around the time of the album's release.

Tour Dates:

05-09 Richmond, VA - The National
05-11 Durham, NC - Durham PAC
05-12-14 Atlanta, GA - Shaky Knees Music Festival
05-16 Washington, D.C. - Lincoln Theatre
05-19-20  Boston, MA - House of Blues
05-21 Boston, MA - Paradise
05-23 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
05-24 New York, NY - Webster Hall
05-26 Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Stee
Tue, 01/31/2017 - 10:45 am

The 405 has shared Jesse Hale Moore's newest single entitled, "Calling You Out". When discussing the track, Moore says, "Calling You Out" is a song about finding the strength to say the things that don't always come easy when facing a conflict with somebody you care about. It can be difficult and frustrating when a person in your life, especially somebody you love, is unable or unwilling to change. Sometimes calling that person out can be empowering and ultimately liberating."  Be sure to keep Jesse on your radar, he plans to release his debut album 'Green End' later this spring.

Jesse Hale Moore was born and raised on Aquidneck Island, RI. Moore grew up surrounded by music in a family where everybody could sing and play an instrument. It wasn’t uncommon for family gatherings to turn into jam sessions with guitars, mandolins, and many voices singing in harmony to a repertoire consisting primarily of American Folk standards. Through his adolescence, Moore studied piano and voice and was always making music of his own. Artists like Ben Folds and Elton John inspired his earliest songs written in high school, a time when he’d host moody nights of candle-lit musical performances in the living room of his parent’s home.

For the last ten years Moore has been living in Philadelphia where he has cultivated his sound as a singer/songwriter. Early piano/vocal demos caught the attention of friend and fellow musician David Hartley, Nightlands/The War On Drugs, who encouraged him to record the songs in studio. With the help of Canvasback Music/Atlantic Records and with Hartley producing Jesse was able to record his first two singles ‘Every Time’ and ‘Holding A Sign’ which came out in the Fall of 2015. The following year was spent playing shows in Philadelphia and New York while recording new music. His self-produced debut album, Green End, is named for the Avenue his grandparent’s home was on, a house he spent a lot of time in as a child.

Moore is inspired by the textures and space at play in music by artists like Sade and Rhye and he aims for a sound that stands the test of time. Other influences include Hall and Oates, Carole King, Roberta Flack, and Beck. His first album is an intimate introduction to an artist who is ready to carve out a space of his own within the world of classic American songwriters.

Fri, 03/10/2017 - 5:18 pm

Kishi Bashi is the pseudonym for violin virtuoso K Ishibashi. Having recorded, toured, and collaborated with diverse artists such as Regina Spektor, Sondre Lerche, and of Montreal, Kishi Bashi released his first full-length album "151a" via Joyful Noise in 2012, which received high praise and the title of NPR's "Best New Artist Of The Year". K's follow-up album "Lighght" expanded his palette to include more diverse and nuanced instrumentation, flirting with Eastern-tinged arrangements, Philip Glass inspired improvisations, and 70s prog.

Kishi Bashi's third studio album, "Sonderlust", is an album forged through heartbreak. After his two previous albums, Kishi Bashi was at a musical impasse. "As I sat down to write songs last summer, I went to all my usual conduits of creation: violin loops, guitar, piano, and I came up with the musical equivalent of fumes", says K Ishibashi. "I tried to create orchestral pop recordings that I assumed were my forte, and in turn I found myself standing in front of a creative wall of frightening heights."

At this very same moment of musical uncertainty, K’s personal life was falling apart... He and his wife of 13 years had briefly separated and were struggling to keep their marriage together. In his own words, "Touring and its accompanying lifestyle took a heavy toll on my soul and my family".  As an outlet, K submerged himself in a new musical direction. "Sonderlust" emerged as a direct result of this personal struggle taking place at an artistic crossroads.

With the help of producer Chris Taylor (Grizzly Bear), engineer Pat Dillet (Angelique Kidjo, David Byrne) and drummer Matt Chamberlain (Morrissey, Fiona Apple, of Montreal), Kishi Bashi has created his most personal and artistically adventurous work to date. "This album is straight from my soul. I questioned everything about what it means to love and desire. The difference between loving someone and being in love."

TOUR DATES

03/09/2017 - Savannah Stopover Music Festival - Savannah, GA 

04/06/2017 - Saturn - Birmingham, AL 

04/07/2017 - The Basement East - Nashville, TN 

04/08/2017 - Deluxe Ballroom at Old National Centre - Indianapolis, IN 

04/09/2017 - Mission Creek Festival - Iowa City, IA 

04/10/2017 - High Noon Saloon - Madison, WI 

04/11/2017 - Thalia Hall - Chicago, IL 

04/12/2017 - Calvin College - Grand Rapids, MI 

04/13/2017 - A&R Music Bar - Columbus, OH

04/14/2017 - 20th Century Theater - Cincinnati, OH 

04/16/2017 - Rex Theater - West Pittsburg, PA

04/18/2017 - Pearl Street Nightclub - Northampton, MA

04/19/2017 - Port City Music Hall - Portland, ME 

04/20/2017 - Signal Kitchen - Burlington, VA 

04/21/2017 - The Ballroom at Outer Space - Hamden, CT 

04/22/2017 - Columbus Theatre - Providence, RI 

04/23/2017 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY 

04/25/2017 - NorVa - Norfolk, VA 

04/26/2017 - Jefferson Theatre - Charlottesville, VA

04/27/2017 - The Grey Eagle - Asheville, NC

On Tour With Tall Tall Trees

Tue, 03/21/2017 - 7:12 am

Cigarettes After Sex have announced their self-titled debut album will be out June 9th on Partisan Records. To compliment the album announcement the band has also released a new track entitled "Apocalypse", premiered worldwide yesterday by BBC Radio 1. You can pre-order the LP here and receive exclusive items including a picture disc, signed lyric booklet, and more.

Cigarettes After Sex frontman Greg Gonzalez had a clear vision for his band's debut album, a gorgeously cinematic work. After the phenomenal online break-out success of "Nothing's Gonna Hurt You Baby" (which has + 46 Million YouTube views to date), from the early Cigarettes After Sex EP ('I.') from 2012, the Brooklyn-based Gonzalez (originally from El Paso, Texas) wanted to project his worldview on to a bigger screen, a broader canvas. As Greg explains, "This is like the novel or feature-length version of Cigarettes. I wanted it to feel like a complete work, where some of the imagery repeats - like it's all in the same world. It's very much a fulfillment of the feelings in the short works."

That sense of fulfillment is richly felt on Cigarettes After Sex, which unspools like the most achingly romantic of movies: immersive, cohesive and transporting. Swooning in the spirit of influences such as Mazzy Star and Red House Painters, its sumptuous songs of love elevate Cigarettes to the ranks of those acts who create worlds of their own, exciting the most devoted kind of following – for Gonzalez, The Smiths were a reference point.

Right from the off, Gonzalez’s ability to set a scene and sustain a mood reels you in deeply. On album opener ‘K.’, a tale of blossoming love etched in tiny details luxuriates over chiming guitars; on the hymn to romantic compulsion of ‘Each Time You Fall in Love’, the suspended animation of Angelo Badalamenti’s heart-stopping Twin Peaks music is echoed. ‘Sunsetz’ and the gently lilting ‘Sweet’, meanwhile, showcase Gonzalez’s ability to weave impressionistic snapshots of romance into melodies that haunt like memories of past loves, all coalescing around his melting vocals.

Elsewhere, Gonzalez mounts movies in miniature with the photographic references of ‘Flash’ and Fitzcarraldoechoes of ‘Opera House’, a song so lovingly languid it could, conceivably, soundtrack a man hauling ships over mountains for love. And, just as every good film-maker knows the need for a killer finale, so Gonzalez closes the album with the retro-romantic swing and teasingly filthy put-downs (the “sucking cock” lyric isn’t as barbed as it seems, just friendly joshing) of ‘Young & Dumb’, which brings the album to a close with good, timeless advice: “Drive your car to the beach with the song on repeat…”.

If the result is the spirit of pop-noir romanticism distilled, it’s also grand pay-off for Gonzalez’s band’s slow-burn gestation. Although Cigarettes seemed to spark into life over one breakthrough weekend in 2015, Gonzalez ignited the project in 2008. Early iterations nodded to 1980s-vintage New Order, Erasure and Madonna, before Gonzalez harkened back to darker influences such as Joy Division for a band makeover. A commitment to confessional, sexualized lyrics stuck early; Leonard Cohen’s ‘Chelsea Hotel No 2’ numbered among Greg’s reference points. Meanwhile, an amorphous band line-up began to solidify as keyboardist Phillip Tubbs became more of a permanent member.

For some of the band’s early years, Gonzalez studied music at the University of Texas, El Paso. He dropped out but his time there was not wasted. Attracted by the “echo-y” sonic potential of a university stairway, he recorded an EP there which, he says, “ended up being something special”. Indeed, Cigarettes’ 2012 EP was so special Gonzalez struggled to follow it. When his patient perfectionism bore fruit with ‘Affection’, the online response took his breath away, he recalls. “There was this big flood of support over, like, a weekend… It was fairly emotional for me, because I’d been waiting for that since I started writing music.”

Post-university, Gonzalez had moved to Brooklyn, where he bided his time working as a musician and managing a cinema, the Beekman Theatre on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. If his memories of holding private screenings with friends there sound romantic, so do his favorite films. The “strange mystery” and “hazy” romance of Antonioni’s L’Avventura was one influence; so was the “autumnal beauty” of Kieslowski’s The Double Life of Veronique.

To mirror their woozy romanticism in music, Gonzalez rejected conventional studio routes for his band, which numbers Randy Miller on bass, Jacob Tomsky on drums and Tubbs on keyboards. Taking influence from The Cowboy Junkies’ The Trinity Session (recorded in a church, single microphone), Cigarettes recorded most of the album in three days at the Sweatshop rehearsal space, Bushwick. The exception is ‘Each Time You Fall in Love’, which was recorded in the Beekman’s stairway after hours, the ghosts of screen lovers channelled in every warm note. Like the best movie, Cigarettes After Sex holds you in a hell of a spell.

Tue, 04/04/2017 - 6:38 am

Guided By Voices August By Cake (April 7, GBV Inc Records) is the 100th studio album that Robert Pollard has released since 1986's Forever Since Breakfast. To put that in perspective, Bob Dylan has released roughly 39 studio albums since 1959. And that includes the Traveling Wilburys.

A highly anticipated record with the new line-up (returning GBV veterans Doug Gillard and Kevin March, virgins Bobby Bare Jr and Mark Shue) that has been wowing audience in clubs and festivals throughout 2016. It's the most musically adept and versatile line-up Pollard has ever assembled.

With 32 songs, August By Cake is also GBV's first ever double-album, and song contributions from all five bandmembers is additional icing on this particular cake, setting album #100 apart from the previous 99.

The double album is an important format in Pollard's own musical iconography, and he doesn't take the form lightly -- one reason he's planned and abandoned several would-be GBV double albums in the past is his high regard for foundational works like Quadrophenia, the White Album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Daydream Nation, Zen Arcade, Double Nickels On the Dime -- "defining records for these bands," says Pollard. It's important to him that August By Cake not just be a double album but that it be a great double album.

Spring tour dates, including Coachella Festival are below, and there are several surprises in store for 2017.

TOUR DATES
4/7 - St. Louis, MO - Ready Room
4/8 - Oklahoma City, OK - ACM@UCO's Metro Music Fest, The Criterion
4/14 - Indio, CA - Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
4/15 - San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's 365 Club
4/17 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
4/18 - Seattle, WA - Nuemos
4/21 - Indio, CA - Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
4/22 - West Hollywood, CA - The Roxy Theatre
4/28 - Columbus, OH - Skully's Music Diner
4/29 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Pyramid Scheme
5/5 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
5/6 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop

Fri, 05/05/2017 - 3:49 pm

Alternative folk rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, Alan Getto announces his debut album, Versus, due out August 2017. The LP was recorded over one long weekend at Studio 101A in Southern New Hampshire. The recordings were mixed by Simon Katz and mastered by Jonathan Wyner (David Bowie, Nirvana, Miles Davis) a Berklee professor and Chief Mastering Engineer at M-Works.

Inspired by paradoxical elements of life and examining his own transition into his current lifestyle, Getto finds a perfect balance between various dualities through his artistic expression. Having recently located to an unfinished farmhouse in Western Pennsylvania from Brooklyn, Versus presents Getto's personal confrontation with his own ambivalence. The album intentionally plays with cliché oppositions such as nature vs. the city, good vs. the bad and male vs. female. One can’t exist without the other, and for anything to exist, there must be a degree of conflict: "the versus."

Getto's guitar-driven, simple melodies act as a backbone for the lyrical emphasis in his music. Having studied literature, theology, and philosophy in college, his lyrics pay homage to these intense, existential topics, but with a unique, irreverent spin. Tracks, "Soap In My Whiskey," and "It's Fine; You're Ugly," present Getto's blunt voice and narrative, with gorgeous melodies and organic, roots-y instrumentals. Getto is inspired by rock, blues and folk legends, such as Tom Waits and The Band, and newer folk artists including, Steve Gunn, Lady Lamb, The Tallest Man On Earth and Deer Tick.

Once Getto had the concept, which was embodied by Leah Blanchette’s cover art, he enlisted friends to play on the album: three out of four members of the Boston “guerilla roots” band Damn Tall Buildings, along with cellist Kurt Villiard, drummer Tim Maxwell and pianist Jeff Davison.

Having previously released a live EP, All Different Times, Versus is the first full-length body of work to be released by Getto. While in Brooklyn, Getto performed around the city at various venues but has since moved out to the country, where he'll finish renovations on his farmhouse during the release of the record.

Tue, 05/16/2017 - 6:46 am
This Summer Cymbals Eat Guitars will be hitting the road, headlining shows across the U.S.. They will be accompanied by Palo Duro and Active Bird Community as well as a one off show with The Districts. The band is currently touring the east coast with Pixies.  Cymbals most recent album 'Pretty Years' was released in September and it was met with favorable reviews. Pitchfork gave it an 8.0 and SPIN ranked it #29 on their best albums of 2016. Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, & Noisey also did in-depth interviews around the time of the album's release. 
TOUR DATES:
05-16-17 Washington, D.C. - Lincoln Theatre*
05-19-20  Boston, MA - House of Blues*
05-21 Boston, MA - Paradise*
05-23 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory*
05-24 New York, NY - Webster Hall*
05-25-26 Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel*
6-1 Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Sound
6-8 Porto, Portugal - Nos Primavera Sound
6-22 Brooklyn, NY - Prospect Park Bandshell +
7-7 Madison, WI - University of Wisconsin
7-8 Chicago, Il - West Fest
7-9 Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry
7-11 Denver, CO - Globe Hall ^
7/12 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court %
7/14 San Francisco, CA - Bottom Of The Hill%
7/15 Costa Mesa, CA - The Wayfarer%
7/16 San Diego, CA - The Casbah%
7/18 Los Angeles, CA - The Bootleg%
7/19 Tucson, AZ - Congress%
7/21 Austin, TZ - Stubbs%
7/22 Dallas, TX - Three Links%
7/23 Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall%
7/25 Atlanta, GA - The Earl #
7/26 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle #
7/27 Washington D.C -. Black Cat #
7/28 Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery #

* Opening for Pixies
+ w/ Polica & Yeasayer
^ w/ The Districts
% w/ Palo Duro
# w/ Active Bird Community

Thu, 06/08/2017 - 6:54 am

Portland-based folk-rock band, The Builders and The Butchers, are now exclusively streaming their forthcoming, fifth album,The Spark. Listen HERE. The album was released Friday, May 19th on Badman Recordings Co., and this record will be the band's third release with the label. The CD and LP are available for order through Badman, and can be purchased HERE.

NPR says, "The Butchers will return with The Spark, which carries on in the group's tradition of tightly wound roots music that never feels tethered to a single era." The band's latest music video, "No Grave," premiered recently on American Songwriter, who says the clip "takes the term “spaghetti Western” pretty literally." Consequence of Sound, who debuted the band's single, "Never Tell," call the song a "stomping, banjo-led number about the afterlife and a showdown with the devil." 

Their last album was also hailed by Consequence of Sound, who said, “The Builders and the Butchers make records the way the bards used to pass on stories. They’re poetic and captivating, and do to songwriting what Clint Eastwood does to movies,” and this new record follows the same, narrative-driven path.

With comparisons to The Decemberists coming from Pitchfork and The Washington Post, among others, their brand of folk-rock is best served live. Audiences can look forward to lively performances, where fourth wall is broken and the audience is able to participate in call and response sing-a-longs. Sometimes the band will hand out instruments for fans to play, and they’ll even get down off stage to perform right on the floor.

The Builders and The Butchers formed in 2005. Ryan Sollee fronts the band, sings and plays guitar, joined by Willy Kunkle (bass, guitar, vocals, percussion), Justin Bair (drums, backup vocals, percussion) and Harvey Tumbleson (mandolin, banjo, guitar, vocals, percussion). The Portland-based band gained a strong following after years of playing anywhere and everywhere across the city. They quickly grew to become one of the most exciting live bands in Portland and throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The band toured throughout the US and Europe from 2007-2012, playing music festivals, such as Sasquatch and Lollapalooza, and acting as support for Portugal. The Man, Heartless Bastards, Amanda Palmer and Murder By Death. To support their forthcoming release, The Spark, the band will be playing their first US and European tour in multiple years.

This new album features a wider array of sounds and shorter, impactful songs, while remaining a Builders’ record at heart. The process of creating The Spark was the longest of any Builders’ record to date. They spent the last five years writing the music and a year mixing. With several band members living out of state (Justin in Colorado, Willy in Malta, Harvey in Washington and Ryan and Ray in Portland), many parts were recorded remotely. Drums and much of the electric guitar were recorded at Revolver Studios and the rest was laid down piece-by-piece and mixed by Edgar McCrae at his home studio. Influences for the record range from Tom Waits to The White Stripes.

Fri, 06/16/2017 - 9:22 am

Sleepy Sun have streamed their new album 'Private Tales' on All Music/Self-Titled. Prior to the album stream the band released the video for their first single "Seaquest" on Relix as well as the single "Crave". In anticipation for the upcoming album, be sure to get in contact with Sleepy Sun and tell them your secrets... your stories... your private tales at +1 415-646-6705. The band also recently had their promo photos taken by Amy Harrity. You can watch a video montage here.

If there's one thing we can all agree on in these dark, deeply uncertain days, it's humanity's latent desire to unplug from it all—to put our smartphones down, survey our immediate surroundings, and let the sweeter things in life rise to the surface. 

Sleepy Sun get it. Now five albums and more than a decade into making their own elusive brand of bold rock music, the Bay Area band isn't interested in flooding our synapses with far too many ideas on their new LP, Private Tales. They'd rather let a grander vision unfold over time, rewarding anyone with the willingness to wait it out, to actually listen.  

"When I hear Private Tales," says guitarist Evan Reiss, "I appreciate the spaciousness that is left for the listener. I like music that gives them an opportunity to breathe, as opposed to jamming ideas into someone’s ears at all times." 

That approach is clear from the very beginning, a sustained drone casting a spell of clean synth tones, monk-like melodies, muted flutes, and riffs that ring out in the distance. It's as if Sleepy Sun's core quartet (Reiss, fellow guitarist Matt Holliman, frontman Bret Constantino, and drummer Brian Tice) decided to apply the album's brakes before they even got out of the driveway. 

If only things were that simple. The glassy psych grooves of "Prodigal Vampire" eventually give way to the life aquatic licks of "Seaquest," a song that actually sounds like it's sailing straight towards the sun. Meanwhile, "When the Morning Comes" and "Crave" take the group down an entirely different path—one that's lined with thorny hooks and chaotic thunderclaps, as influenced by Swans as it is by Thin Lizzy. 

Confused yet? Good. 

"I always, always loved how no one knew what to make of us," says Tice. 

"That means we're doing our job!" adds Reiss.

Or as Constantino puts it, "Creating original work is the most difficult part of writing anything. Often during the process, you think, 'Oh man, that sounds like The Stones,' or 'that lyric is way too literal or cliche'. I've found the less you pay attention to that critical voice and concentrate on what you're hearing in your head, you end up subconsciously reinterpreting everything you've ever heard or seen." 

It helps to have a strong supporting cast, of course, including bassists Jack Allen and Owen Kelley, who held the low end down on this LP. The boys were also backed by two incredible singers throughout the album's two recording sessions: the New Pornographers' Kathryn Calder and Whitehorn Singers' Hannah Moriah. Colin Stewart also reprised the producer/engineering role he played on Sleepy Sun's breakthrough records, Embrace and Fever. 

"Colin is our main man," says Reiss. "He ate more than 20 burritos while we were recording Private Tales, and believed in us throughout this two-year process. I cannot thank him enough."

"I am certain this record could not have been made without his support and sacrifices," adds Constantino. "There were times where he was the only person who believed we had it in us. He has a wonderful ability to bring out the honest truth in the musicians he works with. There’s no one I'd rather record with."

Well, no one except the rest of Sleepy Sun, a tightknit crew that kept its creative process going despite Constantino's decision to move to Texas during the making of Private Tales. (The band exchanged home recordings over email and fleshed songs out in the studio over the course of two trying years.)

"This is the longest relationship I've had outside of my family," says Constantino. "We've grown an incredible amount individually over the last 10 years, as has the 'Sleepy Sun sound'. This record, in particular, was the most difficult to make, by far, mainly for logistical reasons."

"Playing music with this group is second nature to me," adds Reiss. "Being in a band for more than a decade allows for an almost telepathic creative relationship. The hard part is finding the time to 'get in and let go'."

Mission = accomplished.

Sleepy Sun Tour Dates:
7/21/2017 - Visalia, CA @ Cellar Door
7/22/2017 - Las Vegas, NV @ Bunkhouse w/ Mr. Elevator
7/23/2017 - Tucson, AZ @ Congress
7/25/2017 - Dallas, TX @ Club DaDa
7/26/2017 - Austin, TX @ Barracuda
7/27/2017 - El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow
7/28/2017 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Bar w/ Froth
7/30/2017 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
8/1/2017 - Boise, ID @ Nuerolux
8/2/2017 - Portland, OR @ Liquor Store
8/3/2017 - Vancouver, BC @ Cobalt
8/4/2017 - Seattle, WA @ Nectar Lounge
8/5/2017 - Klamath Falls, OR @ Gino's

Thu, 06/22/2017 - 6:53 am

Brookyn-based, alternative rock band, Factory Edge, announce their second album, Sunset Park, due out August 4thSunset Park was recorded over a sweltering July weekend in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park at the workshop where the band practices. The album tracks are a selection from over 70 musical sketches that were written over the past year. Once the band was satisfied with the tracks, they called upon an old friend, Glen Robinson, who masterly mixed the record in Montreal, Canada. The record was mastered at Sterling Studios in Chelsea, NY. The band shared their lead single, "Hold On Tight," via All Things Go, who called it "a collar-grabbing track of inspiration flows like classic alternative, with tightly weaved instrumentation and charming vocalization." 

Recording took place at the shop with the help of producer/engineer Alex Lipsen of Russell Street Recording (Okkervil River, Nada Surf) who was able to capture the sense of the large open space. Tom Lawson (Drums, Vox), David Rosenstein (Guitar, Vox) & Said Rifai (Bass), laid the basic tracks and continued to layer in additional tracks themselves over the course of the next months. Longtime bandmate and collaborator David Kamm came in and graced the songs with electric guitar, acoustic guitar, slide guitar, harp and vox. Our friend Ryan smith who later mastered the record also plays saxophone on two songs. Jenni Jo added some beautiful backup vocals on several songs.

Many of the words to the songs were written during the course of the recording, knowing from previous experiences that capturing a discovery as it was being experienced for the first time is something that can never be replicated, and has a purity that exists at that moment only. In the context of the ongoing, chaotic presidential campaign and election, you can hear the frustration, confusion, anger, hope and love coursing through these songs. Lead single, "Hold On Tight" tells the story of the struggles of life and the joys that come from patience and faith. Album track, "The Greatest Is Gone" is an ode to Mohammad Ali, written the week of his passing and celebrating his ability to be true to himself even when it meant possibly giving up fame and fortune.

Mon, 09/25/2017 - 4:10 pm

Fresh off of their critically acclaimed debut release, Keys To The House, Richmond, VA’s The Trongone Band will embark on a fall tour in support of the LP. The band will join American Aquarium, Cris Jacobs and Reckless Kelly for North and Southeastern dates through November.

And the press cheers!

"There’s nothing I can say more than when you hear this album, you’re going to enjoy it. It will warm you and lift you up. Which is critical at a time when most music is instantly disposable and forgettable. And as a debut, THE TRONGONE BAND has delivered a strong first statement. - Popdose

"Keys to the House is rife with Americana themes about lost love, small towns, big dreams and wanderlust. THE TRONGONE BAND conjures up imagery of boxcar drifters, rolling hills and dirt roads that are easy to close your eyes and get lost in." – Music Fest News

"THE TRONGONE BAND make music that is at once reminiscent of that great classic southern-blues-boogie sound they grew up with as it is forward-thinking and blazing new musical trails for others to follow. Their music is quite simply Southern-Rock Soul." – An Honest Tune

“The guys just released their brand new album Keys To The House, along with some tour dates down South that reflects their down home charm, beautiful hair, and Southern hospitality that is reflected eloquently in their music, and their ability to showcase all their talents cohesively on stage along with their penchant for sometimes playing barefoot that shows how down to earth and right at home they are.” – Music Box Pete

Don't Miss The Trongone Band on Tour This Fall!

Thu, Sep 28, 2017 Zanzabar Louisville KY $

Fri, Sep 29, 2017 Rumba Cafe Columbus OH $

Sat, Sep 30, 2017 Beachland Ballroom Cleveland OH $

Mon, Oct 02, 2017 Mohawk Place Buffalo NY $

Tue, Oct 03, 2017 Boot & Saddle Philadelphia PA $

Wed, Oct 04, 2017 Middle East Upstairs Cambridge MA $

Thu, Oct 05, 2017 Knitting Factory Brooklyn NY $

Fri, Oct 06, 2017 The Saint Asbury Park NJ $

Sat, Oct 07, 2017 Dogfish Head Rehoboth Beach DE $

Sun, Oct 08, 2017 Martin's Downtown Roanoke VA $

Mon, Oct 09, 2017 The Broadberry Richmond VA $

Wed, Oct 11, 2017 Charleston Pour House Charleston SC %

Thu, Oct 12, 2017 The Altamont Theatre Asheville NC %

Sat, Oct 14, 2017 The Raleigh Pour House Music Hall Raleigh NC %

Thu, Oct 26, 2017 Motorco Music Hall Durham NC ^

Fri, Oct 27, 2017 Clementine Harrisonburg VA

Sat, Oct 28, 2017 Pecan Festival South Prince George VA

Sun, Oct 29, 2017 Sellersville Theater 1894 Sellersville PA ^

Fri, Nov 03, 2017 Neighborhood Theatre Charlotte NC ^

Thu, Nov 09, 2017 Terminal West             Atlanta GA ^

Sat, Nov 11, 2017 Skipper's Smokehouse Tampa FL &

 

* with Travelin’ Kine

$ with American Aquarium

% with Cris Jacobs

^ with Reckless Kelly

& with Reckless Kelly and Cottondale Swamp

Fri, 09/29/2017 - 5:28 pm

The 405 has premiered the fifth and final single from Joseph Childress entitled "Leaving The Barren Ground". Prior to this track, Folk Radio U.K. debuted "Whispering Tide", Raven Sings The Blues premiered "Footsteps", Magnet premiered "White Castle Creek Mother", and Flood premiered "Virginia Bound". Joseph has shared intimate bills with many of folks top acts including Joanna Newsom, Kevin Morby, Little Wings, Devendra Banhart, Vetiver, Richard Buckner and Mount Eerie. His new LP will be out on October 6th on Empty Cellar Records.

About Joseph Childress
Presenting Joseph Childress’ debut album, S/T.  Following his 2013 collection of home recorded demos, The Rebirths, the tracks on this self-titled album are borne from Joseph's adventures throughout the West: working on a cattle ranch in Wyoming, riding trains and living out of his car. His poignant lyrics about loneliness and the western landscape are right at home with a stronger country sound that defines itself on the record's opening track "My Land."

Childress traveled to Portland to record with veteran Americana musician and producer Mike Coykendall - known for his work with artists such as M. Ward, Bright Eyes, Jolie Holland, and Old Joe Clarks. Tracking joseph's guitar and vocals solo to 1" tape. Additional musicians Aaron Robinson (Linda Perhacs, Sean Rowe, Bridget St. John), Joey Ficken (Swords), Tom Lucas (Crooked Jades) and Coykendall layered guitars, percussion, fiddle and bass to create a hearty mountain band that pivots between spartan folk, gritty pop, and outsider americana. The results are a close sound that follows in the tradition of the 70's troubadour vibe (think Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Kate Wolf) and modern songwriting practitioners; such as, Jason Molina, Cass McCombs, Kevin Morby and Will Oldham. But, don't come here looking for a cheap Dylan impersonator. This album is permeated with authenticity as it surfaces acid-laced memories and emotional landscapes. Joseph explains, "I tried to keep it very organic, not a lot of special treatments. My goal was to make it sound as if we were playing in your living room."

In tracks like "White Castle Creek Mother" and "I Am the Dust”, Joseph's acoustic guitar and vocals hang in the air with such intimacy that you do feel that he's playing in a small room just for you (in fact Joseph was living and composing in a closet bedroom in San Francisco at the time these tracks were recorded). In the song "Leaving the Barren Ground" Joseph paints a picture of bitter heartbreak with verses that have a weary sincerity rivaling Nebraska-era Springsteen. Joseph's romantic despair and cautious optimism are a snapshot of a modern journeyman's life, a man who is confronting the myths of the West while attempting to create his own. Coykendall's production, with the mixing assistance of Chris Arnold (The American Opry) and mastering by Weasel Walter (The Flying Luttenbachers), clears a spot for you along the rafters of an old barn somewhere deep in the Oregon night, allowing you to peer down and witness Joseph and his band playing for no one but themselves.

Sun, 10/01/2017 - 9:22 am

One of the most respected voices in reggae music today, The Expanders will continue to spread their passion for the genre when their “Roots Train Fall Tour” makes stops in eight western states from October 5-28, 2017.

The tour kicks off in Denver, Colorado, just days after the September 29 release of their highly anticipated new record, Old Time Something Come Back Again, Vol. 2, released via Easy Star Records. The album’s first three singles, “Strugglers’ Time,” “Put Those Fools” and “Life Is A Funny Thing,” are all available now. The second installment in the band’s cover series, which pays homage to the great voices of reggae, will be celebrated with an album release party in Los Angeles on November 24.

“We can’t wait to get back out on the road in October and share these songs,” said The Expanders’ singer/rhythm guitarist Devin Morrison. “Recording this collection was an amazing experience for everyone in the band. We took a deep dive into the evolution of reggae and found songs that still speak to the world we’re all facing today. We’re stoked to see our fans and to have our friends Iya Terra and For Peace Band on the tour with us.”

Praised by fans and critics alike as one of the most influential artists in the revival of the roots-reggae genre, The Expanders reached #1 on the Billboard Reggae Charts with their 2015 release of original songs, Hustling Culture. Building their sound around classic ‘70s and early ‘80s-style reggae, the band has been recognized for their haunting three-part vocal harmonies and arresting lyrics, all laid down over a tight instrumental groove.

A favorite on the festival circuit, The Expanders’ have played Cali Roots Festival (Monterey, CA), Closer To The Sun (Mexico), ARISE Festival (Loveland, CO), Reggae RiseUp (St. Petersburg, FL), Shoreline Jam (Long Beach, CA), One Love Cali Reggae Fest (Long Beach, CA), Winter Rock Reggae Fest (Salt Lake City, UT), Reggae On The Block (Orlando, FL) and Dry Diggings (Placerville, CA). The band has opened for such giants of the reggae scene as Slightly Stoopid, Iration, Tribal Seeds, The Expendables, Giant Panda Guerilla Squad and The Black Seeds.

The Expanders consists of John Asher (Drums, Vocals), John Butcher (Guitar, Vocals), Roy Fishell (Organs), Chiquis Lozoya (Bass, Vocals), and Devin Morrison (Guitar, Vocals).

“The Expanders’ Roots Train Fall Tour” Dates:
Oct 5 - Marquis Theater - Denver, CO
Oct 6 - Black Sheep - Colorado Springs, CO
Oct 7 - The Royal - Salt Lake City, UT
Oct 10 - The Reef - Boise, ID
Oct 12 - Nectar Lounge - Seattle, WA
Oct 13 - Star Theatre - Portland, OR
Oct 14 - Real Art Tacoma - Tacoma, WA
Oct 17 - Lost on Main - Chico, CA
Oct 18 - The Siren - Morro Bay, CA
Oct 19 - Constellation Room - Santa Ana, CA
Oct 20 - Romano’s Concert Lounge - Riverside, CA
Oct 21 - Backstage Bar - Las Vegas, NV
Oct 26 - Last Exit Live - Phoenix, AZ
Oct 27 - Ricky’s Other Place - Yuma, AZ
Oct 28 - Music Box - San Diego, CA
Nov 24 - Teragram Ballroom - Los Angeles, CA

Presales are now available at theexpanders.net.

Mon, 10/16/2017 - 7:54 pm

Gritty rock 'n' roll four-piece and some of Music City's newest residents, The Delta Troubadours, announce its forthcoming EP Get Up And Go is slated for release on December 8TH. The band's lead single "Stone Thrasher" can be streamed and purchased now on itunes HERE.

Formed in the spring of 2014 members Gytis Garsys (Vocals/Guitar), Ian Heausler (Guitar), and Jon Franklin (Bass/Vocals) have seamlessly sewed together elements of the blues, garage rock, grunge, and whatever the hell was popular in the 1970s.

In many ways, The Delta Troubadours’ EP Get Up And Go is an homage to the band’s time spent forming, living and growing in Gainesville, FL. Collectively, the EP’s five songs constitute the band’s sonic foundation, the culmination of the past three years spent refining a sound that is classic, but uniquely their own.

At the same time, Get Up And Go serves as the band’s definitive step into the future, marked by a recent move to Nashville, TN., and a self-awareness of naive determination that’s ever-present in the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll. The EP, a homegrown effort, was produced by Gerry King at Skylab Studios in Gainesville, FL.

See below for The Delta Troubadours our dates and more to come.

THE DELTA TROUBADOURS ON TOUR

November

08 -- Knoxville, TN -- Preservation Pub
10 -- Tampa, FL -- Franklin Manor
11 -- St. Petersburg, FL -- Ribfest // Vinoy Park 
14 -- Orlando, FL -- Will's Pub
15 -- Jacksonville, FL -- The Forum
17 -- Gainesville, FL -- Loosey's
19 -- New Orleans, LA -- Howlin' Wolf
24-- Savannah, GA -- Congress Street Social Club
26 -- Lexington, KY -- The Burl

Tue, 10/17/2017 - 12:31 pm

As we head into the holiday season, Record Store Day once again brings record stores into the spotlight, and shoppers back into thriving local businesses. Record stores are the perfect place to discover new musical loves, to re-discover old musical favorites, and to introduce new enthusiasts to the pure joy of music and of record collecting.

We receive photos all the time of serious record collectors posing with their young children and their favorite LPs.  What they are really doing is creating the next generation of music lovers and continuing a tradition of sharing the gift of music with family and friends. That wonderful season is nearly upon us, when you are extra nice to everyone (just because), you try to remember not to pout (it’s hard), and you need some “eggnog” after each hard days’ night (of shopping).  Beginning November 24th, more than 1200 local record stores in the US are excited to offer these great Black Friday titles of sheer fun and celebration... and to offer a wonderful shopping alternative to EVERYONE!

‘Tis the season, and there are quite a few festive titles on the Official List, including two from Paul McCartney, always very supportive of Record Store Day and indie record stores, spreading some cheer with two 7" releases, one on red vinyl and one on green vinyl, both featuring a new version of his classic "Wonderful Christmastime” on which he’s joined by The Roots. The green vinyl B-side is The Decemberists’ rendition of “Jesus Christ” and the red vinyl is backed by a live Norah Jones performance of “Peace”.

Speaking of legendary musicians, Muddy Waters has influenced everyone from the Rolling Stones to the White Stripes. Record Store Day is proud to have an exact reproduction of Muddy's original 1958 album, The Best of Muddy Waters, from the original Chess Records mono reels on the Black Friday Exclusives list. We’re also proud to have new music from Darryl McDaniels, the DMC in RUN-DMC, who broke down musical and cultural barriers with their fresh mixture of rock and rap, back and fresher than ever with a brand new 4-track 12" vinyl release Back From The Dead. (Bonus fun fact: this comes out on Brookvale Records, one of several record store-owned labels who have releases in record stores.)

The "virtual" band Gorillaz, actually English musician Damon Albarn and lots and lots of friends, is back after a seven-year hiatus with Humanz, featuring collaborations with artists such as Popcaan, De La Soul, Grace Jones and many others. RSD Black Friday sees Humanz come to record stores in double picture disc format. Other animated musical bounty comes in the form of Vitamin String Quartet and their tribute to the music of the films of Studio Ghibli, Vitamin String Quartet: The World of Studio Ghibli highlights the emotional beauty in films like Kiki’s Delivery Service, When Mamie Was There and more.

Ever since Snoop Dogg bust out of Long Beach, CA on Dr. Dre's masterpiece The Chronic, he has been a force to be reckoned with musically, lyrically, socially...heck, he even coaches Pee-Wee football. Snoop has sold more than 35 million albums worldwide, and he's back with Neva Left, available on vinyl for the first time for RSD Black Friday. Rappers who probably grew up listening to the D-O-G-G are on the Black Friday tip too, including Murs and Tyga. Late legends J Dilla and Prodigy are also remembered, with two releases each: J Dilla’s Delights Vol. 1 and 2 and reissues of both Prodigy’s first solo single and solo record.

After The Grateful Dead left Warner Brothers in 1973 and before they signed with Arista in 1977, they released three excellent studio albums and one double album on their own Grateful Dead Label.  These LPs, Wake of the Flood, Blues For Allah, From the Mars Hotel and the double live Steal Your Face, have been long sought after by collectors and are brought together for Black Friday in a 5xLP box: The Grateful Dead Records Collection. Jerry Garcia’s fans can also look forward to Side Trips, Vol One, the album recorded live by Jerry and keyboard collaborator Howard Wales. This collection of four jazz/fusion performances comes to vinyl for the first time on Black Friday.

Waylon and Willie and the boys are well represented on Black Friday, as both Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson have two releases: loving reissues of both Spirit and Yesterday’s Wine for Willie Nelson, while New Stuff brings to light recordings that Waylon Jennings was preparing before his death, and Here’s To The Champion brings together multiple versions of Waylon’s tribute to Muhammad Ali, done by several country musicians. Eric Church’s Mistress Named Music sees that modern country makes an appearance on the list as well.

Jazz fans will find lots to give and get this year. Vibrations is the second album released by American free jazz saxophonist Albert Ayler's quartet featuring Don Cherry, Gary Peacock and Sonny Murray recorded in Copenhagen in 1964, and has been out of press for decades. In Paris: The Definitive O.R.T.F. Recording captures jazz guitar legend Wes Montgomery on his only tour of Europe on March 27th, 1965 at the Theatre des Champs Elysees in Paris, France. RSD Black Friday also presents a newly remastered reissue of Sonny Clark Trio's LP The 1960 Time Sessions With George Duvivier and Max Roach.

In August, Record Store Day brought nearly two hundred record store owners and staff together in New Orleans, for a party that included a set at Preservation Hall by the homeboys Preservation Hall Jazz Band. That set was recorded and is coming full circle to record stores as Run Stop & Drop!!

Of course, rock ‘n’ roll never fades away at record stores, and there will be plenty of it this Black Friday. The first North American vinyl release of Neil Young’s Harvest Moon, a deluxe 2xLP 40th anniversary edition of Richard Hell & the Voidoids’ Blank Generation, Clutch’s Pitchfork & Lost Needles picture disc, Gone is Gone’s “Phantom Limb” 7”, Chris Cornell’s take on the songs of Cliff Poncier, and a live recording of the night Walter Lure (The Heartbreakers), Clem Burke (Blondie), Tommy Stinson (The Replacements) and Wayne Kramer (The MC5) took on Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers’ L.A.M.F. album are just the tip of the messy, beautiful pile of rock releases hitting the racks at record stores starting November 24.

Record stores are the place to be on Black Friday and throughout the holiday shopping season, because you want to give your family and friends great gifts, and record stores sell nothing but.

For general information, including a Black Friday FAQ and participating stores, please visit http://www.recordstoreday.com

Sat, 10/21/2017 - 12:22 pm

Budding blues-rock outfit SAENTS has shared “Blood” exclusively with New Noise Magazine. The track announces the Los Angeles-via-Nashville duo’s self-titled debut EP available everywhere November 10TH. The EP can be pre-ordered on iTunes HERE.

Formed in 2017 by acclaimed guitarist/vocalist Rett Smith and drummer Daniel Sousa, SAENTS employs heavy, virtuosic grooves, blistering riffs and haunting vocals that have been featured in American Songwriter, NYLON, Gibson Guitars and NPR to name a few. 

Smith, an accomplished solo artist, launched SAENTS in hopes of unpacking sonic curiosities that are more untapped rather than new. “Blood” was penned during a challenging recovery process in the Caribbean and crafts a personified woman that stands for which we all chase regardless of form or function, and especially without regard to physical well being or sanity.

He shares, “‘Blood’ is very much a first person account of who I was up to that moment, a letter to myself, in ways that I've always felt but needed to hear myself say to truly acknowledge.” He adds, “The way the drums hit between the vocal lines really mimics the way life can hit us all. Especially while living the moments being described lyrically.  The manic way the guitar solo builds is very much a representation of how relationships and our extreme feelings can, at times, run out of control.”  

The singer-songwriter and prodigy of legendary producer Joe Nicolo (Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Fugees) enjoyed previous success with his debut EP Tularosa released in 2015 but embraces an unbridled and genuine style of writing, recording and producing that has always existed for the Texas native who now juggles two musical hubs as home bases, which adds to the act's dynamic creativity.

SAENTS is set to announce special release shows and appearances in Los Angeles, New York City and Nashville soon. 

Fri, 10/27/2017 - 12:50 pm

There’s no bigger champion of vinyl than Jack White and he will honor ‘Making Vinyl’ with his presence on Nov. 6 at the Westin Book Cadillac Hotel as the keynote speaker, capping a full day of sessions of experts discussing all aspects of the astounding rebirth of the global record manufacturing industry.

White joins fellow keynoters Darryl (“DMC”) McDaniels of the pioneering rap group RUN-DMC and Michael Kurtz, co-founder of the 10-year-old Record Store Day (RSD) widely acknowledged as the catalyst that fuelled vinyl’s resurgence. RSD is a conference partner in 'Making Vinyl', which is produced by Colonial Purchasing Co-op, a buying group of media manufacturers.

White’s Third Man Pressing (TMP) is also ‘Making Vinyl’s’ hometown sponsor and all delegates will have the opportunity to tour the new vinyl factory, which opened in February, on the afternoon of Nov. 7. Additionally, TMP technicians will be on various ‘Making Vinyl’ panels.

“Jack White is the perfect keynoter for ‘Making Vinyl’ because he knows first-hand what it takes to set up a new vinyl factory,” stated Bryan Ekus, president of Colonial Purchasing Co-op, the producer of 'Making Vinyl'.

TMP is the latest piece of White’s vertically integrated music-making empire. He’s ushered in such “nothing-can-stop-us” innovations as the ‘World’s Fastest Record’ (the fastest studio-to-store recording was released for Record Store Day 2014) to shooting a playing phonograph into space for Third Man Records’ 7th anniversary in July 2016. The record? TMR’s single release of Carl Sagan’s “A Glorious Dawn.”

Always achieving new levels of vinyl manufacturing ingenuity, White’s solo album Lazaretto – the biggest selling vinyl album of 2014 and the biggest selling vinyl album in a single year in the SoundScan era – at various places on the record played at 33, 45 and 78-rpm, among other astounding features.

White is also a member of The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and The Dead Weather, in addition to his vibrant solo career. His talents have garnered 12 Grammy Awards and 35 career nominations.

White’s achievements extend far beyond music. His White Stripes song “We’re Going To Be Friends” has inspired a new children’s book of the same name, published by Third Man Books.

“’Making Vinyl’ is bringing together in Detroit a who’s who of the greatest record industry minds all along the global vinyl value chain,” comments Larry Jaffee, ‘Making Vinyl’ conference chairman. “The conference program reflects everyone from the existing and new pressing plants that sprung up to meet the new demand to the mastering facilities and lathe cutters to the PVC manufacturers, plater/stamper makers, as well as record labels and indie retailers.”

As the 2013 RSD ambassador, White explained, “We need to re-educate ourselves about human interaction and the difference between downloading a track on a computer and talking to other people in person and getting turned onto music that you can hold in your hands and share with others. The size, shape, smell, texture and sound of a vinyl record; how do you explain to that teenager who doesn’t know that it’s a more beautiful musical experience than a mouse click?  You put the record in their hands. You make them drop the needle on the platter. Then they’ll know. Let’s wake each other up. I’m proud to help in any way I can to invigorate whoever will listen with the idea that there is beauty and romance in the act of visiting a record shop and getting turned on to something new that could change the way they look at the world, other people, art, and ultimately, themselves.”

“The timing for 'Making Vinyl' is perfect as new pressing plants are springing up all over the U.S. and around the world to meet the demand, notes Michael Kurtz, co-founder of Record Store Day, which in April celebrated its 10th consecutive year of double-digit growth. “New vinyl factories going into production will help reduce the backlogs of orders independent record stores and labels have experienced because of the explosive growth,” Kurtz adds.

White debuted with The White Stripes in 1997. Their album Elephant in 2003, produced the hit “Seven Nation Army,” which has arguably become among the most popular chants in sports stadiums around the world.

In 2009, White opened the doors to his own Nashville-based label, Third Man Records, which has released more than 500 individual titles, with a catalogue from artists as varied as Jerry Lee Lewis to Stephen Colbert and wildly innovative vinyl configurations, including the GRAMMY-winning Rise & Fall of Paramount Records Volumes 1 & 2 box sets. Third Man Records has pressed 3.5 million vinyl units since its inception in 2009.

Register for 'Making Vinyl' at https://makingvinyl.com/register/.

For general information, including a Black Friday FAQ and participating stores, please visit http://www.recordstoreday.com

Thu, 11/02/2017 - 6:35 pm

Dawes will release a limited-edition double LP pressing of We’re All Gonna Live, the first official live concert recording from the band, via their own HUB Records, on November 25th to celebrate Small Business Saturday. The album was manufactured in conjunction with Furnace Record Pressing and will be available at participating independently owned record stores. Dawes recorded the fifteen-song We’re All Gonna Live during the first four shows of their 2017 “An Evening With Dawes” tour, and the album contains live versions of fan favorites and new originals including “When The Tequila Runs Out,” “Roll With The Punches,” “A Little Bit of Everything,” “Things Happen,” and “All Your Favorite Bands” (full track list below).

The band will appear at Long Beach’s Fingerprints Music record store for an intimate in-store performance and signing on November 25th between 4pm and 6pm. Tickets are available on a first come first serve basis to customers who pre-order or purchase the album at the store, and you can find more information here. Lead singer Taylor Goldsmith also recorded a video for Record Store Day about the importance of independent record stores and the band’s involvement in Small Business Saturday, saying: “When you come to a record store that is a small business, they’re going to really care about what you’re looking for, and what you identify with. You’re supporting people that care as much about music as you do to continue that love of music. In a lot of ways we like to perceive ourselves as a small business, as owners of our label, and so to get to be part of Small Business Saturday and celebrate that in any way is obviously exciting for us.” Watch the video here.

The band is currently on the road opening for Kings of Leon and will play their final two dates opening for the band in Mexico City this week. Additionally, Dawes has upcoming dates on their headlining “Evening With Dawes” North American tour, with stops in Macon, GA and Charleston, SC.

Dawes consists of Taylor Goldsmith (guitar, vocals), Wylie Gelber (bass), Griffin Goldsmith (drums, vocals, percussion) and Lee Pardini (keyboards, vocals). Dawes has toured extensively playing headline shows worldwide and major festival appearances including Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, Lollapalooza and Newport Folk Festival. Recently, they have toured with My Morning Jacket, Bob Dylan, Mumford and Sons, Conor Oberst and Jackson Browne.

AN EVENING WITH DAWES – Tickets at http://dawestheband.com/tour

November 3 /// Mexico City, MX /// Sports Palace^

November 4 /// Mexico City, MX /// Sports Palace^

November 10 /// Highlands Food & Wine Festival /// Highlands, NC*

November 11 /// Cox Capitol Theatre /// Macon, GA

November 12 /// Charleston Music Hall /// Charleston, SC

Wed, 11/15/2017 - 6:55 am

Gasoline Lollipops is a Colorado band that combines the sincerity of dirt-floor folk with the energy and rebelliousness of punk. It's an all-new incarnation of alt-country that’s both high-energy and heartfelt, like the American highway's soundtrack. This year marked the release of the GasPops' debut full-length album, Resurrection, and the band’s first-ever vinyl release, Soul Mine, will be released at the Fox Theatre in Boulder on Saturday, December 16. 

Colorado Daily readers voted Gasoline Lollipops "Best Local Musician/Group" for 2017, and in 2016, Denver Westword named Gasoline Lollipops Colorado's Best Country Artist. 2014 and 2015 brought multiple awards and accolades to the Gasoline Lollipops, including being selected to play six showcases in Austin during SXSW 2014; getting voted "Best Local Musician/Group" in the Colorado Daily's 2014 and 2015 polls; being selected as one of only six bands across Colorado for the highly coveted SpokesBUZZ Emerging Artists Incubator program; and winning the Oskar Blues Battle of the Bands in 2015.

TOUR DATES
12.16 - Fox Theatre - Boulder, CO
12.31 - Hodi's Half Note - Fort Collins, CO
1.5 - Alamo Drafthouse - Denver, CO
1.26 - Vail Ale House
1.27 - The Historic Lariat

Wed, 11/15/2017 - 8:32 am

New York City based gritty rock and rollers, A Shadow Of Jaguar, announce their debut LP RAW, due out October 2017. Substream Magazine premiered the lead single and video "Don't Want To Die Here" stating, "A Shadow Of Jaguar is a high-energy, no holds barred rock-n-roll band with a sound ripped right out of the late 70s. They are the kind of band that is very much 'what you see is what you get' in that there are no frills or gimmicks."

A Shadow Of Jaguar is a duo made up of Brian Hubbert (lead vocals, slide guitar, bass) and Andrew Oakley (drums, vocals). The duo found its origins in their hometown of Boulder, CO, in 2015, where they sought to make music they weren't yet hearing on the rock scene. Debut singles "Mama Needs The Bottle" and "Keep On Knocking" were released to raves from AXS and Live For Live Music. Achieving their goal to add more grit into the rock scene, Live For Live Musicwrites, "In the modern musical environment where so much of our music is programmed to perfection, 'Keep on Knocking' is a much needed reminder that rock and roll is here to stay."

The forthcoming album RAW was made "to stick a big middle finger up at all the fears and doubts that plague us. The goal was to force upon people the uncontrollable urge to scrunch their faces and nod their heads" says the duo. The album was recorded, mixed and mastered in Denver, CO, by Todd Divel and Justin Peacock at Silo Sound (Borahm Lee of Break Science and Pretty Lights Live Band). A Shadow Of Jaguar also credits John Demitro, Vincent Ellwood, Emma Fields, Maggie Miller, Robbie Steifel for their efforts in making this album come to fruition. It will be released late October, 2017 on all digital platforms. 

Thu, 11/30/2017 - 7:16 am

Today, indie rock trio Vern Matz share the lead track off their forthcoming self-titled debut LP, due out January 2018. The 405 is premiering "Trampolines" stating, "On their debut single, 'Trampolines,' the band melds acoustic folk sensibilities with experimental flair, resulting in one of the most moving singles of the year." 

Vern Matz is comprised of guitarist and singer Danny Belgrad, pianist Michael Lituchy, and drummer Noah Silvestry. Not only are they bandmates, they are also all students together at Yale University. Speaking on "Trampolines," the band states, "At its core, Trampolines is a nostalgic piece that yearns for something that never really existed. It's like driving through a suburban town and feeling a longing for a time and place that you never experienced. You know you can't have it, you never did -- it's just this feeling of reaching out."

The EP was born out of several road trips between New Haven and Philadelphia. In a lot of ways, the EP is about Vern Matz coming of age - as individuals and as a band. Faced with finding a place in the world, the EP is about fleeing from those decisions and trying to ground themselves. Vern Matz says of the record, "Much of the EP is an expression of a feeling of displacement and an attempt to restore a sense of wholeness. There's a lot of confusion and nervousness in the fact that you don't know what needs to be restored. We looked backwards a lot to resolve that uneasiness and got very swept up in nostalgia." The Vern Matz EP was recorded at Miner Street Recordings, produced and mixed by Matt Poirier, and mastered by Greg Calbi and Ryan Schwabe.

Wed, 01/03/2018 - 1:35 pm

Coming from the coastal hills of Northern California, Ismay is a singer, guitarist, and songwriter drawing inspiration from the natural landscape of the American West. With an ear for an old-time aesthetic and artistry of indie folk, Ismay blends inventive songwriting, ethereal vocals, and dynamic fingerpicking on the guitar. When she is not traveling the western states on horseback, Ismay can be found working on her ranch, collecting the sounds and stories of rural California. From this cultural history comes Ismay’s deep-rooted sound of the New American West.

The creation of Ismay’s debut EP began with a river. After dropping out of college, Ismay (Avery Hellman) wandered from California to New Mexico and up through the Pacific Northwest. During this time she sought out a place of natural significance through which to explore her passion for the arts and the environment. Eventually she found herself on the banks of the Klamath River in far Northern California. It was in this country that Ismay became entranced by the intricate cultural landscape of the Klamath. In the following two years, she embarked on a horseback trip to document the river through film, photography and audio recordings. In addition, she wrote and recorded five original songs, both along the Klamath with an old cassette tape machine and in a studio above the Pacific Ocean. Ismay worked with producer Tim Bluhm (Sarah Lee Guthrie, Johnny Irion, Nicki Bluhm) and engineer Robert Cheek (Band of Horses, Chelsea Wolfe) at Panoramic Studios in Stinson Beach, CA. The field recordings were produced by Eric Drew Feldman (Polyphonic Spree, PJ Harvey), and string arrangements in Nashville with Brad Jones at Alex the Great Recording (Justin Townes Earle, Nancy Griffith, Yo La Tengo).

Weaving natural symbolism into this coming-of-age story, Ismay’s EP, Songs from a River, explores the way in which a connection to place shapes and parallels songwriting and recording.

'Songs From A River' - Tracklisting

01. River of Light (Through the Inland Empire)

02. Oh Precious Light

03. The Pony’s Lament

04. Innisfree

05. A Song for Odessa

Tue, 01/16/2018 - 12:01 pm

Aidan James shares his new single "What My Friends Talk About" via PopMatters, who call the single "a delightful piece of music that fits well into James' expanding wheelhouse of instantly catchy pop tunes." You can check out the song here, and stay tuned for new music from Aidan coming next year.

Aidan James is a 16-year-old award-winning singer-songwriter, originally from Hawaii now living in California. Although the ukulele is mainly known for Hawaiian music, Aidan has taken it to a different level infusing its sound into pop, rock and contemporary music.  He started playing the ukulele at age 4 and at age 8, became a youtube sensation.  At 11, Aidan wrote his first song and started touring by the age of 12.

Aidan released his first original EP, “Live Again,” at age 13 which was nominated for Hawaii’s prestigious Na Hoku Hanohano Award for “EP of the Year.”   A year later, he followed up with his first full-length album, “Echoes”, which earned him another Na Hoku nomination for “Contemporary Album of the Year.”

Aidan has performed around the world including, Tahiti and Japan.  He toured with Grammy award-winning Train, opened for Jack Johnson, Lisa Loeb, and Michael Bolton, and has shared the stage with Jake Shimabukuro.  Aidan has played the famous Whisky A Go Go, House of Blues Voodoo Room, Genghis Cohen and Hotel Cafe in California.  Last year, he was showcased at the popular songwriting sessions at Bluebird Café Nashville and was the youngest artist to have his own show at the legendary Blue Note Hawaii.

Aidan proudly rocks a Kamaka Ukulele. Aidan is currently working on his new album to be released later this year.

Tue, 03/06/2018 - 11:38 am

Yes, this is Record Store Day’s 11th anniversary, and with apologies to Nigel Tufnul and Spinal Tap, we are turning all the knobs across the board WAAAAYYYY past 10 on April 21st to give everyone the best possible music and independent community experience!

DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO DISCOVER EXCITING, NEW AND LIMITED-EDITION TITLES WHILE CELEBRATING THE CULTURE OF THE INDEPENDENT RECORD STORE, NATIONWIDE.

FEATURING RELEASES FROM JERRY GARCIA, PRINCE, RUN THE JEWELS, WILCO, U2, GRATEFUL DEAD, THE STOOGES, NOTORIOUS B.I.G., MADONNA, THE CURE, MASTODON, DISTURBED, PINK FLOYD, JIMI HENDRIX, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, THELONIOUS MONK, ELVIS PRESLEY, JOHNNY CASH, CIRCLE JERKS, CYPRESS HILL, AALIYAH, SON VOLT, LIL UZI VERT, RAMONES, COURTNEY BARNETT, BRIAN ENO, BO DIDDLEY, NAS, ELVIS COSTELLO, DAVE GRUSIN, JOHN COLTRANE, SUNDAYS, THE WHO, SNARKY PUPPY, SLIGHTLY STOOPID, J DILLA, THE KILLS, CHARLIE PICKETT, TOO $HORT, IGGY POP, TIM BUCKLEY, JEFF BUCKLEY, GENE CLARK, SWANS, SMALL FACES, COMMON, BUARI, TAD (AND ALSO THOMAS ANDREW DOYLE), THE RESIDENTS, PLUSH, DWARVES, KING BLACK ACID, FRANK ZAPPA, DAVID BOWIE, JOHNNY THUNDERS, CHAINSAW KITTENS, WU-TANG, DEMON FUZZ, RIDE, THE NATIONAL, PARQUET COURTS, KREATOR, SMITHEREENS, TAYLOR SWIFT, SOUNDGARDEN, DESCENDENTS, TOM WAITS, PHISH, SUPERCHUNK, JASON ISBELL, ORNETTE COLEMAN, REDD KROSS, THE RASCALS, MOTORHEAD, EEK-A-MOUSE, SAXON, MOODY BLUES, ROLLING STONES, GOV’T MULE, THE ALARM, CHICANO BATMAN, DR. OCTAGON, DEF LEPPARD, ELLA FITZGERALD, AND EVEN MORE INCREDIBLE ARTISTS!  (WE TOLD YOU THERE WERE A LOT!)

IN THE INCLUSIVE SPIRIT OF RECORD STORE DAY, THERE IS TRULY SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AT ALL YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL INDEPENDENT RECORD STORES ON APRIL 21ST, 2018!

Record Store Day is turning it up a notch in 2018, and everything is coming together to give you something very, very special on April 21st!  More independent releases with newer artists, legendary names, iconic performances captured for posterity, limited runs, multiple formats, more heavy hitters, more long out-of-print reissues, more exclusive tracks, and more of everything else you were hoping for.  Why? Because you deserve it…and because that is what Record Store Day does…every year, for all our participating record stores and their loyal customers. Find records you never thought you would ever see again, buy records you cannot get enough of, and discover records that will become your new favorites immediately out of the shrink wrap!  We are extremely psyched about the depth and scope of 2018’s Record Store Day selections.

Rhino Records/Grateful Dead Productions have been very supportive of Record Store Day, and this year is no exception, as it sees the release of The Grateful Dead’s Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA 2/27/69.  This live show along with 3 other concerts from the same year, is being released for the first time on vinyl, as a Limited Edition 4xLP set. Not to be outdone, ATO/Round Records are re-releasing Jerry Garcia’s fourth solo album, Run For The Roses. This special release will be pressed on black and orange marbled vinyl, and can be found first at record stores. The Long Strange Trip continues for one of the world’s most beloved bands.

RSD 2018 Ambassadors Run The Jewels are fulfilling their duties by releasing The Stay Gold Collectors Jewel Box, a limited edition metal box set which includes a 12” EP etched with custom Marvel-branded art, an RTJ slipmat, and which provides a fitting place to house your RTJ vinyl collection. More hip-hop, both new school and old, comes to record stores courtesy of Rapsody, J Dilla, Czarface, Rob Base & DJ EZ-Rock, Nas, 9th Wonder and more.
 
David Bowie releases are always a Record Store Day highlight and this year’s list includes four Bowie releases proper, including Parlophone’s three very special limited-edition David Bowie items; Welcome To The Blackout (Live London 1978), Let’s Dance (Demo), and available for the first time commercially, the rare Berlin-era U.S. promo album Bowie Now and a release from Lulu, on which Bowie acts as guest vocalist, instrumentalist and producer on two of his own classic songs.
 
Jazz fans have a lot to be excited about as ORG Music presents An Evening With Ornette Coleman (Part 2), taken from a 1965 concert at Fairfield Hall in Croydon, England.  This album showcases Coleman’s experimentation with contemporary classical forms, features new artwork, and is exclusive to RSD 2018.  Verve is releasing Ella Fitzgerald’s Ella Live at Zardi’s for the first time on opaque pink and opaque blue vinyl.  John Coltrane’s “My Favorite Things” is being released as a 7” single through Atlantic, a replica of the original 7” “My Favorite Things Part I & II”, a hit single for the jazz giant in 1961.  And Thelonious Monk’s 100th birthday is celebrated with Columbia/Legacy’s re-release of Thelonious Monk’s 1964 classic Monk.
 
Syd Barrett, Neil Young and Tom Waits all walk into a bar…no, not really…but they are ALL at a record store in April.  Legacy Recordings presents Pink Floyd’s debut masterpiece, Piper At The Gates of Dawn in MONO

Neil Young’s Tonight's The Night Live At The Roxy 1973, a black vinyl double LP of a recording made when Uncle Neil and his band decided to blow off some steam after recording Tonight’s The Night, gets a special RSD 2018 version with a gatefold package and a limited edition photo insert.  Three separate Tom Waits colored vinyl double LPs come together as a special treat from ANTI-. Originally released as part of Waits’ Orphans collection, this music received stunning praise on its initial release (and that’s not JUST because Tom covers two Ramones tracks!)

The Motor City gets a shout out from a few titles this year, including Modern Harmonics’ release of two very early 7” singles from the MC5, pressed at Third Man Pressing. Third Man Records co-founder (and Detroit native) Ben Blackwell curates a collection called The Stooges (Detroit Edition). Speaking of Third Man Records, they offer a little Nashville in the mix, with a single from Joshua Hedley, a new country signing who you’ve probably seen leading the band at the iconic Robert’s Western World this past decade or so.
 
Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if Bruce Springsteen, U2 and The Rolling Stones ALL released records on April 21? Well, guess what…they are!  The Boss is stepping away from Broadway to release a Greatest Hits LP on colored vinyl. U2 are releasing a 12” picture disc with two different versions of “Lights of Home.” The Stones are re-issuing their 1967 LP Their Satanic Majesties Request on splatter vinyl exclusive to independent record stores, with original gatefold artwork and restored 3D cover. You know, if you turn it just right, you can see all four Beatles in the 3D artwork.

Today’s stars are well represented this year. Taylor Swift has taken over the pop world with several massive releases and Swifties can pick up special record store colored vinyl editions of three of them this April 21. New West Records’ Jason Isbell’s Live At Twist And Shout, is just that: a a six song recording of a performance from his 2007 in-store at Twist & Shout in Denver, Colorado. Mom & Pop Records has two from  Courtney Barnett for RSD 2018: a 12” single with two songs from Courtney’s upcoming LP, and a picture disc edition of The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas.

The youth are wild, but the kids are all right, and that may be because of the music they get at record stores on 2018. Records geared towards kids but enjoyed by everyone include Rockabye Baby’s lullaby versions of Beastie Boys songs, a reissue from Brookvale Records of Marlo Thomas’ classic Free To Be You And Me and a Blitzen Trapper record created with toy instruments actually called Kids Album!  

Continuing the independent spirit, Kartel is re-releasing the hauntingly beautiful 1995 classic Né La Thiass from Senegalese musician Cheikh Lô.  Post-hardcore favorites Touche Amore are releasing a tenth-year anniversary pressing of their demo 7" released as a one-time 12" with an etched b-side on No Sleep Records. Rare Noise Records is releasing Cuts Up, Cuts Out by the noise supergroup Merzbow, Mats Gustafsson, Thurston Moore, and Balazs Pandi. Empire Records brings us the 2001 debut album from the prolific underground rap crew, Living Legends, Almost Famous, available for the first time on vinyl on RSD 2018. Common’s Can I Borrow A Dollar?, his 1992 release that put Chicago on the hip-hop map, is being re-issued as a double LP by Fat Beats and Nature Sounds.

Various artist compilations and movies from films are a big part of the mix too. Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales continues its series of Music to Drink Beer To compilations and throws in a little sumthin sumthin by calling this edition Music to Drink Beer And Make Love To! Past & Present are releasing Girls in the Garage Volumes 2 and 3, collections of rare 60s girl group singles prove that long before Patti Smith and Joan Jett, girls were rocking in the garage as hard as the guys. Select-O-Hits brings us Malaco: The Last Soul Company 50 Years of Excellence, an RSD-curated collection of songs on gold vinyl from the 50 years of Malaco, featuring artists like Johnnie Taylor and Bobby Bland, proceeds of which benefit the BMI Foundation.

The Official Film of Record Store Day 2018 is The Godfathers of Hardcore, which tells the continuing fascinating story of Agnostic Front. Composer Aaron Drake’s score makes its vinyl debut on Record Store Day 2018.

In all, it’s one of the most diverse lists of titles ever to be put together for a Record Store Day celebration and whether you find an armful or a select few that pique your interest, they all play a part in helping us throw our favorite party of the year. We’re gonna leave with something that Reid Robinson of Co-Op Records of Moline passed along to us: “My favorite RSD quote ever was from a few years ago. A short, sweet statement from a teenage girl to her dad-

“YES! Christmas USED to be my favorite day of the year!”

Fri, 05/04/2018 - 5:52 pm

New York-based americana artist Greg Jacquin shares the video for "Floating" via Pure Grain Audio, who writes about the track, "'Floating,' is a lazy but upbeat tune that whisks the listener away to a nearby stream on a warm, sunny day." 

"Floating" is the second track off Jacquin's recently released Hudson River LP. In Jacquin's own words, "'Floating' is a song about having to move back to the town you grew up in after years of falling out of touch with everyone and everything."

Greg Jacquin traces his roots and his inspiration to the Hudson Valley in New York. Born in Sleepy Hollow in 1970 to a young single Cuban immigrant who worked as a waitress, Jacquin spent much of his early life with his Cuban grandparents and grew up on The Beatles and Cat Stevens. He picked up his stepdad’s guitar as soon as he could hold it, and began playing in bands in high school, recording several albums in the early '90s. Years spent having a family and working took him away from music, but after retiring from law enforcement and facing personal obstacles, songwriting led him back. Jacquin found new energy for music along the Hudson Valley in the company of the many creative artists who live there.

Returning to music in the past decade with a variety of exceptional bands and while parenting his youngest child, Jacquin has re-emerged as a musician with a new LP Hudson River, out now. Jacquin’s band consists of singer, songwriter and piano player Paul Griffin and singer, songwriter and guitarist Rich Berta who share songwriting duties. Bass player Lalit Loomba and drummer Peter Wilson hold down the bottom end. The band is currently based in the Hudson Valley, NY and is preparing to tour in anticipation of their full-length follow-up album expected to be ready for an early 2019 release.

Hudson River - TRACKLISTING
01. The Station
02. Floating
03. On The Moorings
04. Scratches & Bridges
05. Yesterdaze
06. Hopeless Entrance
07. The Station (string mix)
08. Floating (radio edit)

Thu, 06/21/2018 - 4:41 am

Magic City Hippies began as a one-man band playing for the co-ed party scene on the streets of Miami -- serenading the 20-somethings with a mix of old- school hip-hop covers and breezy pop originals.

After months of stealing electricity and stirring up crowds of passers-by with his loop-based setup, Robby Hunter was given an ultimatum by the local police: to cease and desist from street performance or to get a gig at a “real bar.” Finding sanctuary in the neighborhood dive, Hunter enlisted the support of multi-instrumentalists Pat Howard (drums) and John Coughlin (guitar) for a regular Friday night gig (that paid, of course, in free beer).

Magic City Hippies - photo by Fro Rojas

The trio dubbed themselves Robby Hunter Band and released a self-produced, widely acclaimed debut LP in 2013 entitled Magic City Hippies, which included the beachy Hype Machine-topper "Corazón" alongside indie blog hits ”Hard On Me" and "BUST.”

Encouraged by the international reach and positive reception of their debut, they decided to expand their sound and approach under the better-fitting moniker Magic City Hippies (after the title of their debut LP). In July of 2015, the Magic City Hippies released the Hippie Castle EP, with the lead-off track "Fanfare" hitting #1 on both Spotify's Global Viral Top 50 and Hype Machine’s popular chart. The EP has accumulated over 10 million Spotify streams to date.

After the release of two follow-up singles, “HUSH” and “Heart Wants” in 2016, the band was picked up by Hippo Campus for an opening slot on a national tour, playing 40+ shows in over 30 states over the course of 8 weeks.

The exposure of the tour brought MCH to the attention of the festival world, with sets at Bonnaroo (2017), Hulaween (2017) and Okeechobee Fest (2018). MCH is currently set to perform at Electric Forest and Austin City Limits later this year, as well as a national tour in support of their new music.

"Body Like A Weapon” is the first single released from recording sessions from winter 2017/2018.

Tour Dates:

20 June - The Tap Shack, Duck, NC

21 June - Asheville Music Hall, Asheville, NC

22 June - The A&R Music Bar, Columbus, OH

23 June - Hi-Fi, Indianapolis, IN

24 June - Electric Forest; Rothbury, MI

26 June - Halo Bar, St. Louis, MO

27 June - The Record Bar, Kansas City, MO

28 June - Redstone Room, Davenport, IA

29 June - Electric Forest; Rothbury, MI

30 June - Mercury Ballroom, Louisville, KY

1 July - Sunset Sessions in Piedmont Park; Atlanta, GA

12 October - Austin City Limits Music Festival; Austin, TX

Tue, 07/24/2018 - 1:02 pm

Following twenty albums over 50 years, Yoko Ono's Warzone is strikingly different from any record she has made previously, but it is also strikingly different from any album that anyone is making...

Yoko revisits and reimagines 13 songs from her past work, spanning 1970-2009, the lyrics and messages still pertinent—perhaps even more pertinent—in 2018. "The world is so messed up. Things are very difficult for everybody. It's a warzone that we are living in..." says Ono. "I like to create things in a new way. Every day things change."

The recordings and arrangements on Warzone are very stripped down, with a particular emphasis on Yoko's voice and lyrics. Here in this minimalist landscape the content of her message rings clear and unencumbered; sometimes somber warnings, sometimes uplifting encouragement, but her wisdom and fortitude are unflinchingly strong, her power having intensified with time and life experience. She ends the ominous questions of "Now Or Never" (1971) with one of her most famous and inspiring lines: "[a] Dream you dream alone is only a dream, but dream we dream together is reality."

Warzone further builds the legacy of an artist unparalleled in her unique and singular vision. At 85 years young, Ono is already plotting her next album... It is not too late to change the world. We need Yoko now more than ever.

Warzone will be in stores on October 19 on Chimera Music, the label run by Sean Ono Lennon.  Leading up to the release date, Yoko will be releasing a new song each Tuesday on her website ImaginePeace.com and on streaming services.

Wed, 01/30/2019 - 2:46 pm

Gothamist has shared Guided By Voices' new LP Zeppelin Over China.  It will be out this Friday (2/1).

The band has announced new North American dates and this June they will play their first London show in 15 years! All show dates are below.

Zeppelin Over China is a major and majestic work in the GBV canon, spotlighting the scope and genius of Pollard's songwriting. With 32 songs in 75 minutes, the massive Zeppelin reaches lofty heights on its musical journey. Pollard continues to deliver endless invention and emotional wallop in 2 and 3-minute guitar rock gems.

Pollard has assembled his greatest supporting cast ever -- Doug Gillard (guitar), Kevin March (drums), Mark Shue (bass), Bobby Bare Jr. (guitar) and Travis Harrison (engineer) -- and this line-up's virtuosic talents spur him to his most ambitious work yet, a grand album of emotional resonance and narrative drama

After well-deserved acclaim for the mind-boggling milestone of Pollard's 100 career albums, Zeppelin Over China is a wonderful entry point for new listeners to experience Guided By Voices for the first time. Not resting on his laurels, Pollard’s tireless tenacity pays off with spectacular results.

Pre-order the album here.

Guided By Voices Tour Dates:

5/17 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club

5/18 - Jersey City, NJ - White Eagle Hall

5/30 – Barcelona, ES - Primavera Sound

6/5 - London, UK - Village Underground

6/28 - Cincinnati, OH - Woodward Theatre

7/13 - Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace

Thu, 03/21/2019 - 11:01 am

To celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary, Yoko Ono will release a special reissue of ‘Wedding Album’, out this Friday 22nd March with Chimera Music and Secretly Canadian. Its release comes 50 years after Yoko and John were married - to mark the golden wedding anniversary of two of the 20th century’s most emblematic cultural figures.

Originally released in 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s ‘Wedding Album’ was the couple’s third experimental, album-length record, following ‘Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins’ (1968) and ‘Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions’ (1969). ‘Wedding Album’ has been often cited as the most remarkable of the duo’s testaments to an intense romantic and artistic partnership that would last 14 years, until Lennon’s tragic passing in 1980.

As Lennon later recalled, the two artists first met in late 1966, when Ono was preparing an exhibition of her conceptual art in London. On 20th March 1969, John and Yoko were married in a civil service in Gibraltar. To celebrate the event, in lieu of a conventional honeymoon, the newlyweds spent a week in bed at the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam, inviting members of the press into their room for interviews and photo sessions to call attention to their campaign for world peace.

With ‘Wedding Album’, Lennon and Ono created an enduring snapshot of a vibrant pop-cultural moment, with the hostilities of the Vietnam War as its backdrop. The album features ‘John & Yoko,’ a call-and-response duet, which features John and Yoko calling out each other’s names seductively and playfully over the sound of their heartbeat as well as clips from interviews with reports and John’s acapella version of the Beatles’ song ‘Good Night’. Altogether, ‘Wedding Album’ captures the humour, earnestness and spontaneity that marked the early years of the ‘Ballad of John and Yoko’ era.

Side-two of ‘Wedding Album’ features ‘Amsterdam’ – a sound collage that features snippets of reporters noting that some observers were ‘suspicious’ of Lennon and Ono’s very public actions. Alongside this is Ono’s voice saying ‘In our way, we’re just announcing [that] we’re open to all invitations or suggestions to work for world peace. Let them criticise us.’

Wedding Album’s innovative, original packaging was created by graphic designer John Kosh. It includes a box filled with souvenirs of John and Yoko’s nuptials including photographs, a copy of the couple’s marriage certificate, Lennon’s and Ono’s own drawings of their wedding and Bed-in honeymoon, a photograph of a slice of wedding cake and more. Speaking of the album years later, Lennon told the BBC: ‘It was like our sharing our wedding with whoever wanted to share it with us.

'Wedding Album’ will be released on limited-edition, white-vinyl LP; compact disc; and digital-download formats.

Wed, 05/08/2019 - 3:14 pm

Generationals have announced the release of their forthcoming record, Reader As Detective. They debuted their new single "I Turned My Back on the Written Word" last night in a surprise performance on Fresh Fridays.  Their long-awaited return to television wowed audiences nation-wide. Check it out here.

From their inception Generationals have existed at the convergence of classic style and contemporary technique. Students of an analog school actualized in a digital medium, Grant Widmer and Ted Joyner have always felt most comfortable reveling in this juxtaposition. Grounded in a catalog of infectious pop hooks that feel both familiar and radically new all at once, Generationals mastered their distinct voice as a means to widen the path before them.

Reader As Detective, their new full-length album, weds vintage pop canon and modern pop production in a way this duo has proven incomparably adept. From the cornerstone sample of “I Turned My Back on the Written Word,” (a recontextualization of an unreleased b-side) to the playful synths & stuttered drums of “Dream Box,” and jogging rhythms of "Breaking Your Silence," Generationals continue to push the envelope by playing by their own rules.

In the years following their last album, Alix, the band experimented by releasing one-off singles and videos immediately upon their completion, which eventually formed 2018’s State Dogs collection. This method – an exploratory dive in shirking the nature of traditional album rollouts – refined how they approached writing. Freed from the album-cycle mentality, the pair was able to focus on each track autonomously, rather than as a fragment of a larger batch of songs.

Reader As Detective is the result of purposeful time spent honing Generationals’ craft as progressive songwriters. With the help of producer and longtime collaborator Dan Black, they dug into new methods of creation with a fearlessness for experimentation that is equally vital to the experience of both artist and listener. With Reader As Detective, Generationals have reached a high-water mark in an already noteworthy career – isolation and celebration set to a major key.

TOUR DATES
8/16 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada
8/17 - Austin, TX - Antone’s Nightclub
8/19 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar
8/20 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
8/22 - Los Angeles, CA - Lodge Room
8/23 - Santa Barbara, CA - SOhO Music Club
8/24 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent
8/26 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
8/27 - Vancouver, BC - Fox Cabaret
8/28 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
8/30 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
9/18 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
9/19 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club
9/20 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
9/21 - Colombus, OH - The A&R Music Bar
9/22 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern
9/24 - Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair
9/26 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
9/27 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda’s
9/28 - Washington, DC - The Black Cat
9/30 - Durham, NC - Motorco Music Hall
10/2 - Nashville, TN - The Basement East
10/3 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
10/4 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn
10/5 - New Orleans, LA - Tipitina’s

Tue, 05/21/2019 - 6:46 pm

Strong words, but Indianapolis’ Charlie Ballantine could be one of the most intriguing artists to saunter from the jazz landscape in a good long time. 

Despite the spot-on premiere of his “Strange Idea” video from our friends at JAZZ TIMES, Ballantine coludes with blues, rock, fusion and Americana strains tantamount to an aberrative space on the musical spectrum. Think Jack White/Wes Montgomery mind meld with lots of Dylan and The Beatles, John Scofield and Bill Frisell (among others) and the picture gets clearer. 

His forthcoming album, Cold Coffee, set for a July 12th release, demonstrates a gift for diversity within the parameters of a truly distinctive and sophisticated sound. “Strange Idea,” the album’s kick off, is its compass, as well. Says Ballantine of the song, "'Strange Idea' was the first tune I wrote for this record and it felt like it came out of left field. It wasn’t like anything I had written before and it helped give shape and direction to what the album was going to be."

Ballantine’s beautiful and unique rendering of John Coltrane’s “My One And Only Love,” complete with throbs and rumbles from his adept rhythm section, Jesse Wittman (bass) and Chris Parker (drums) and his inspired claiming of Billie Holliday’s “East Of Sun” are perfect side-by-side with original tracks like the hypnotic, “Further” and the groovy “Zani,” just to name a few, but it’s the baroquish title track that best shows off Ballantine’s compositional prowess, arrangement skills and the trio’s unfaltering chops. 

For Ballantine, it’s in the blood. His dad, Scott Ballantine, a noted blues player himself, brought Charlie up on a steady diet of sophisto guitarists from Jeff Beck to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Danny Gatton, Roy Buchanan, Guthrie Trapp Johnny Highland and even Jimi Hendrix.  Ballantine spent much of his youth following his dad from club to club. “Being old enough to see my dad play a trio gig at a blues club when I was 15 or being able to sit in the back and watch him play, it was pretty awesome. It took me that long to appreciate that I was watching some really heavy musicians. It was contagious for me.”

As for recent history, Charlie released a full album, Where Is My Mind?, in the fall of 2017 its namesake, a Pixies song covered on the record, and reviewed by ALL ABOUT JAZZ as “... an album that blends spontaneity with meticulous post-production, and shows little regard for stylistic categories: jazz, rock and folk music peacefully coexist in Charlie Ballantine's world.” Life Is Brief: The Music of Bob Dylan followed quickly in the spring of 2018 that featured 12 brilliant renditions of the great bard’s music and inspired local Indy paper, NUVO to proclaim, “Life is Brief is Ballantine’s fourth full length release, and his strongest musical statement thus far.”

“There’s this sound I hear in my head, I get really close, but I can never quite attain it. It's hard to say, it’s hard to verbalize, but it's a pretty fun time to be a guitar a young guitar player right now.”

For those lucky enough to be in the following markets, will get a chance to see Charlie Ballantine live over the next month or so…

CONFIRMED TOUR DATES

Jun 07, 2019 - Cafe Coda (Madison, WI) 

Jun 08, 2019 - NOCE (Des Moines, IA)

Jun 14, 2019 - Chatterbox (Indianapolis, IN)

Jun 15, 2019 - Cliff Bell's (Detroit, MI)

Jun 16, 2019 - Phog Lounge (Windsor, ON)

Jun 21-23 2019 - Elkhart Jazz Festival

Jun 27, 2019 - Jimmy Can't Dance (Louisville, KY)

Mon, 06/10/2019 - 3:34 pm

Oceans Of The Moon announced their debut self-titled album on Billboard. Along with the announcement, the band also shared the "Blowing My Mind" video. The debut album will be out 7/8 on Castle Face. 

For fans of Chrome, Von LMO, George Brigman, Stooges and DNA:

“A dusty plain 
A red sky
Sand in your teeth
‘I don't feel so great…’
A post-apocalyptic hooptie jeep-jammer
‘Why is everything in ruins?
There must be others like us out here somewhere…’
This fine sizzling grease pit of cyberpunk comes to us from
Psychic veteran Rick Pelletier (of Six Finger Satellite, Landed, LA Machine) 
Always bringing an interesting, bent and lurid account of visions to wax for the hungry ear bone
This time around the equipment scavenged is guitar, drums, synth, and vocals
The beat goes full lotus climbing out of the goo
Like men with sap gloves slapping the hulls of the remaining clubs 
Keeping the peace during live actions
Gorgeous nauseating synthesized harmonies blowing thru the ceiling vents
Frickle-Fried guitar belly slash and vocals delivered over the P.A. at Bartertown 
(Sometimes from the workers in the pit, in unison)
Picture a bucket of molten metal with gobs of scalp sizzling and sinking away...
Dance music for the infected
Be sure to double up on your dose before driving around on this one
So you can wipe the chum smear off your windscreen" 
- John Dwyer

The album is out on Castle Face Records July 8th

Oceans Of The Moon - Tracklisting

Hope Will Pass

Baby Chiffon

Sully

I’m On A Roll

Borderline

Bill Fill

Shazzamatazz

Blowing My Mind

Tue, 06/11/2019 - 1:42 pm

Once, he was just Bobby Zimmerman. It was a long time ago. 1953 to be exact, but that’s how long Louis Kemp’s memories of the man we all know as Bob Dylan reach back. Bobby and Louie, the “boys from the North Country,” were just kids when they met at summer camp in Northern Wisconsin, both from middle class Jewish families from Northern Minnesota. 

Kemp’s, Dylan And Me: 50 Years Of Adventures, starts there. Not in Greenwich Village, nor at Newport, but as kids, and there’s a trove of never-before-told stories that predate the success that both men went onto enjoy- Louie, having taken over his dad’s fish business, and well, Zimmerman, as the most influential music maker in history. 

Kemp’s memoir gives with the goods, underscoring the funny and deeply affectionate history of a five decade-long friendship with wild adventures, soul searching conversation, musical milestones, and enduring comradery straight on up to the mid-seventies, when Dylan looked to Kemp to produce the now-legendary, Rolling Thunder Revue, (1975-76). Featuring the man himself, along with folks like Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, poet Allen Ginsberg, Ronee Blakley, as well as musician/novelist/humorist/politician, Kinky Friedman, who also contributed to Dylan And Me, the tour has been immortalized in a documentary, Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese, which will coincide with the presale of Dylan And Me, and premiere on Netflix, as well as in select theatres. 

As told to Andy Greene from ROLLING STONE in an exclusive article that posted yesterday, Kemp says, “This book shows you Dylan’s down-to-earth side. To me, he has always been Bobby Zimmerman and these are all Bobby Zimmerman stories. Bob Dylan is his commercial side. I wanted to show a totally different perspective on him than anyone has ever heard before.”

LONGTIME BARD BESTIE BOOK PRESALE TO COINCIDE WITH MARTIN SCORSESE’S ROLLING THUNDER REVUE DOCUMENTARY

Dylan And Me also features dozens of never-before-seen photos and priceless items of memorabilia from the author's personal collection, as well as surprising new anecdotes about Marlon Brando, Joni Mitchell, Harry Dean Stanton, Cher, Stephen Stills, Joan Baez, Robbie Robertson, Sam Shepard, Tom Waits, and more.

The book is set for pub date on August 15, 2019. 

For more information, please visit: https://www.dylanandme.com

Thu, 06/20/2019 - 3:07 pm

Beastie Boys’ classic “SABOTAGE” has been starting parties and ending Beastie Boys shows since 1994. And now, to mark the 25th anniversary of ILL COMMUNICATION, the album that returned  Beastie Boys to the #1 spot, “SABOTAGE” will be issued as a 3” single, available only at indie record stores beginning Friday, July 19, 2019.

Made to play on the RSD3 mini-turntable, the RSD3 “ SABOTAGE” single comes in an outer box that reproduces the original 7” single sleeve art, and includes a pull-out Ill Communication poster. This commemorative release is limited to 2500 copies, and has an SLP of $9.98.

The RSD3 mini-turntable, a collaboration between Record Store Day and Crosley Radio debuted in April and sold out immediately. RSD3 mini-turntables are back in stock at record stores, and the “ SABOTAGE” RSD3 3” single is the next release exclusively for the RSD3, joining a catalog of 3” singles from Foo Fighters,  Jack White, Bad Religion, Rancid, The Raconteurs, White Stripes, The Dead Weather, Culture Abuse, The Interrupters, and Kyu Sakamoto’s beloved Japanese pop hit “Sukiyaki”.

Thu, 07/11/2019 - 4:11 pm

Quicksilver Daydream is a psychedelic-folk band comprised of Adam Lytle, Alex Bayer, Alf Lenni Erlandsen, Brett Banks, and Glenn Forsythe.

Their recordings paint sweeping, symbolic landscapes, conjuring worlds that vibrate between the hallucinatory and nostalgic. The band draws from a deep pool of influences, owing as much to early psychedelic pioneers Pearls Before Swine as they do to the compositions of Ennio Morricone. 

Formed by Lytle, as a DIY recording project, the Brooklyn-based band released their debut LP Echoing Halls in June 2017. A collection of songs the press called “a web of folk grace and psych theatricality, a spinning whirlwind of gothic intentions and languid melodies” (Pickard, Nooga.com) and “a tour-de-force psychedelic outing…tinged with glimpses of sunshine” (Matteo, ScenesMedia.com). 

Fly Oblivion, Quicksilver Daydream’s sophomore LP was co-produced by the band and Jonathan Schenke (Parquet Courts, The Drums), recorded at Seaside Lounge, and mixed at Schenke’s Studio Windows. The album was mastered by Josh Bonati (Amen Dunes, Zola Jesus). 

Fly Oblivion - Tracklisting

01. Into The Night

02. Immortal Blue

03. Hang On

04. Warmth Of Other Suns

05. Forever

06. Turn It Around

07. Infinite Range

08. Silent Gaze

09. Realm Of Light

10. Voyager

Fri, 01/24/2020 - 3:53 pm

Today, Kedama announced The Complete Collection exclusively with Billboard. The archival set of Swedish prog rock band features three LPs recorded in the 70's.

"After almost 50 years we have the great pleasure to present here live recordings from the 70s. They were recorded on Revox tape recorders by Kedama fans in 1972, 1974 and 1976, 'Mad Circus Part I' was recorded in 1972 and 'Mad Circus Part II was recorded in 1976'. So we recorded the beginning and the end of these eventful years. A crazy circus! We are very proud of all the songs we created together. Today we are old, but our spirit becomes young again when we listen to our recordings."

With the announcement of the set, Kedama also shares the first single "Hwrklnzg," The Complete Collection will be released February 14th via Castle Face Records.

“Three thick lps of hot jellied kraut-prog heavies coming at you 
from 1970s swiss-german based Kedama 
3 lps of “live” in the studio and actual live recordings 
unbelievably telekinetic drums, keys and guitar 
Vision quest soundscapes 
a total gem lost to the ages here, y’all
The first lp was reissued by Geurrson Records a while back 
the other two lps are unreleased on wax as of yet - rarities and live oddities 
It’s been a real pleasure to work with these guys 
as they were as excited as we were
and provided us with a plethora of recordings & photos and press clippings to sort through 
to pull together this nice little set 

it’s raw, like you like it after a few 
it’s heavy, so you can nod as you sway along the path
it’s beautiful, so you can reminisce 
it’s winding, so your imagination is blindfolded  
it’s far flung space jams so you can fry out 
it’s screwed down genius so you can be inspired 
this shit is far out and a real-deal old school fuse lighter 
and its limited to 1000 copies 
nice, never seen before photos of the gurus 
so come and get it nerds!
for fans of Le Orme, Yes, Birth Control, Camel, Edgar Froese, ELP, King Crimson” 
- John Dwyer

Fri, 02/07/2020 - 12:51 pm

Andy Frasco has announced his upcoming LP Keep On Keepin' On Out April 24th via SideOneDummy Records. The album is a powerful musical snapshot of what's going on with Andy, his band and his fans. It’s a therapeutic helping of rock n roll with powerful pop and Americana roots influence. "Keep On Keepin' On lands somewhere between an emotionally raw therapy session and a rowdy house party."

In anticipation for the release Frasco shared a special "Wellness" video album trailer, "We all have things that make us who we are. Some things are just uncomfortable to talk about, so we tend to suppress those feelings because we don’t want our friends and social media followers to look at us as weak. It’s time to speak up about not just the good things in our life but the bad as well. This is who I am." 

With the album announcement Andy Frasco shares "Keep On Keepin On" the title track of the LP. The single was premiered with American Songwriter. Combining soul, funk and pop "Keep On Keepin On" empowers the listener in a danceable catchy track on overcoming negative thoughts and embracing love. Honest, thought-provoking and rhythmically infectious, Frasco's upcoming project has important conversations while showcasing his talent as a songwriter and performer.

Andy is currently on tour in the US and later this year he will perform at some of the countries biggest festivals including Bonnaroo, High Sierra, Summercamp, Peach, Floyd Fest and more Dates are listed below. 

Tour Dates:
02/05 - 1904 Music Hall - Jacksonville, FL (with Big Something) 
02/06 - The Charleston Pour House - Charleston, SC (with Big Something) 
02/07 - The Charleston Pour House - Charleston, SC (with Big Something)
02/08 - Neighborhood Theatre - Charlotte, NC (with Big Something)
02/09 - The Broadberry - Richmond, VA (with Big Something) 
02/11 - The Haunt - Ithaca, NY (with Big Something) 
02/12 - The Rex Theater - Pittsburgh, PA (with Big Something) 
02/13 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC (with Big Something)
02/14 - Brighton Music Hall - Boston, MA (with Big Something) 
02/15 - Brooklyn Bowl - Brooklyn, NY (with Big Something) 
02/18 - Buffalo Iron Works - Buffalo, NY (with Big Something)
02/19 - The Magic Bag - Ferndale, MI (with Big Something) 
02/20 - Woodlands Tavern - Columbus, OH (with Big Something) 
02/21 - The Stache - Grand Rapids, MI (with Big Something) 
02/22 - Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL 
02/25 - Neurolux - Boise, ID
02/26 - Midtown Ballroom - Bend, OR (supporting Umphrey’s McGee)
02/27 - McDonald Theatre - Eugene, OR (supporting Umphrey’s McGee)
02/28 - Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR (supporting Umphrey’s McGee)
02/29 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA (supporting Umphrey’s McGee)
03/03 - Humboldt Brews - Arcata, CA
03/04 - The Saint - Reno, NV
03/05 - Crazy Horse Saloon - Nevada City, CA
03/06 - Lost on Main - Chico, CA
03/07 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA (supporting Twiddle)
03/19 - Schmiggity’s - Steamboat Springs, CO
03/20 - Boogie at The Broadmoor - Colorado Springs, CO
03/21 - Agave - Avon, CO
04/18 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
04/20 - Fox Theatre - Boulder, CO
04/24 - Sweetwater 420 Festival - Atlanta, GA
04/25 - Winstons - San Diego, CA 
05/22 - Summer Camp Music Festival - Chillicothe, IL
05/23 - Summer Camp Music Festival - Chillicothe, IL
05/24 - Summer Camp Music Festival - Chillicothe, IL
06/07 - Backwoods at Mulberry Mountain - Ozark, AR
06/11 - Bonnaroo - Manchester, TN
07/04 - Peach Music Festival - Scranton, PA
July 2 - July 5 - High Sierra Music Festival - Quincy, CA
July 22-26 - FloydFest - Floyd, VA

Tue, 02/25/2020 - 5:16 pm

Today, singer-songwriter KaiL Baxley shares the "In Lieu Of" video via Talkhouse. "In Lieu Of" is the third single off of his upcoming LP, Beneath The Bones. The video received praise from Folk Alley, "Visually, the slow-rolling, lush cinematography echoes the musical soundscape it represents even as it contrasts the barren landscape it captures." 

KaiL Baxley shared an exclusive essay with Talkhouse. The extensive piece describes the songwriting process and video concept of "In Lieu Of" while demonstrating Baxley captivating storytelling. The release of the video comes two weeks before his highly-anticipated new LP, Beneath The Bones out March 6th via AntiFragile Music.

In conjunction with the album release, Baxley will be performing an upcoming residency at the Alibi Palm Springs. Starting March 2nd, Baxley will be performing weekly sets at the stunning venue. More information is below.

Prior to "In Lieu Of" Baxley shared two singles off of the new LP, lead single and title track, "Beneath The Bones," and "These Arms Are Open." "Beneath The Bones" has been in rotation on KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic". Baxley has been featured on NPR's World Cafe, Huffington Post, PopMatters and achieved a spot on NPR's All Songs Considered Top New Artist list. Stream the new singles now on all streaming platforms. Beneath The Bones Out March 6th via AntiFragile Music.

Fri, 04/10/2020 - 10:27 am

The Buttertones have shared Jazzhound the latest and most extravagant ambitious and fully realized album to date. Known for their ability to blend surf, garage and punk rock influences, combined with their lively performances, The Buttertones have become indie favorites, earning praise from some of the worlds most read publications including Paste, i-D and the LA Times.

Jazzhound is completely new territory for the group with Araiza, who calls this album “probably the darkest one” he’s written lyrically, pushing his Ian Curtis-via-Bobby Darin baritone to new depths, particularly on scorchers like “Phantom Eyes” and “Bebop.” It’s also the first album with Cobiån acting—and thriving—in his new role as a full-time guitarist (the drum parts were written by him and played by session musician Paul Doyle), and the first since the departure of guitarist Dakota Boettcher as well.

“We really worked our asses off on this one,” says Araiza, proudly, already talking about how he can’t wait to do it all again and make another record soon—after they tour the world, that is, making up for the lost dates last summer, and then some. “It feels like we’re still climbing.”

This hard work has paid off as songs from Jazzhound have already caught the attention of Ones To Watch, Flaunt, MAGNET, KCRW and more. Jazzhound is out now via Innovative Leisure.

JAZZHOUND - TRACKLISTING

1. Phantom Eyes
2. Denial You Win Again
3. Rise and Shine
4. Fade Away Gently
5. Dirty Apartment
6. Bebop
7. Blind Passenger 
8. Velour
9. Infinite Tenderness
10. Jazzhound

 

Thu, 05/21/2020 - 8:47 am

Once & Future Band have shared their latest video "Airplane" off of their recently released LP, Deleted Scenes out now on Castle Face Records. The video was shared exclusively with Glide, praising, From “Airplane” one down, Once & Future Band has made one of 2020’s mid-year best-of albums, a challenging yet accessible musical journey combing the most approachable aspects of prog, baroque psychedelic and art-rock."

Describing the video, Robinow said, “Airplane was from 2004 thereabouts the lyrics are about whatever you think, but it was written in a rock n roll themed hotel in Amsterdam, the kind with like a snare drum glued to the ceiling, and just the words “Bob Dylan” written in a funky font on the wall, I was sharing a room with an old bandmate who had met a free jazz Swedish woman on the ferry some days before, I also had a friend from home who I was hanging out with platonically, who had mercifully fallen asleep oblivious to the drunken courtship of two ppl who didn’t share a language…I heard “Albert Ayler” and then a lot of amorous scuffling and then everyone was asleep, and the next day had started outside and I wrote a song in my head about someone who was a long ways away and was probably not thinking about me at the same time like I imagined.”

Director Luke Judd explained, “Airplane, is a reflection on isolation and a reframing of the passage of time from burden to beauty while sheltering in place. Compiled from 75 time-lapses taken solely from my yard in Oakland between March 26 ( day 3 of the Bay Area Shelter in Place order) to April 20th. I’m a long time fan of Ron Fricke’s work and I started to form the idea that I could weave these bits into a larger meditative piece. I tend to edit to place holder music and had a pre-release of OAFB’s Deleted Scene I’d been listening to on repeat. The slow, psychedelic beauty of the song, as well as the theme of isolation, Airplane seemed to be a perfect fit. I emailed Raj Ojha, drummer of OAFB and friend, a very early edit. Mostly, as a “check out what I’m working on,” but it sparked a conversation which led to another 40+ time-lapses over the following weeks. With a close eye on weather reports, I tracked a cloud movement and plotted out the framings I wanted. Every night I’d process what I’d taken that day and fill in the gaps. Ultimately, this was a project of letting go of control and making the best choices out of what was available to me, valuable lessons during the quarantine.”

Oakland’s Once & Future Band - “Deleted Scenes"

"The space-age songsmiths of Once & Future Band have been ting-tinging away on the truly heavy anvil of hominid perspective and emotion again to bring you this singing scape of songs. Annealing for over a year now, until it was cool enough to hold in your ears, nested in the pinnae, the time has finally come. Dewdrops pop and hiss as they settle on the gliding guitarmonies. Once & Future Band have outdone themselves this time around, in my opinion. If songs could stop heated exchanges by mere presence, these are the ones, and more needed than ever. As I tuned in to each new transmission, each step closer to this perfect platter, I had to stop and do nothing else, and merely absorb how wonderful this album is. Each tune exists in the company it was born to live with. There are haunting chorale escorts here...long trains of room warmth...the belting of the machine heart...lofty guitar and bass melange...and just beautifully laid to magnetic tape with a sure hand by the throbbing brains that are Once & Future Band. For fans of Roy Wood, Idle Race, ELO, Roxy Music, Head Hunters, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, The Lord Bowie, The Band, and the soundtrack from every movie that ever pierced your cold, cold heart” - John Dwyer

Thu, 07/09/2020 - 4:49 pm

The Colombian threesome Ghetto Kumbé have released “Tambó”, a blend of melancholy, longing and healing ritual, the last single to be released from their debut album out at the end of July on ZZK Records. The track was premiered exclusively via FLOOD Magazine. With the release of "Tambó" Ghetto Kumbé shared two videos to accompany it an animated version and quarantine version.

After the release of “Vamo a Darle Duro” in March and “Sola” in June this year, two songs that provide a taste of a cathartic, social and visceral album, on July 3 Ghetto Kumbé released “Tambó”, the third and last single from their eponymous debut, out on 31 July.

“Tambó” explores for the first time this Afrofuturist trio’s repertoire in the introspective dynamics of love. It is a ritual that is born from melancholy and longing over a love that’s gone, that is far away and has departed forever, but which at the same time sets out on that journey of nostalgia over the loss, understanding the situation and finally reaching forgiveness. Band leader and singer Edgardo Garcés “Guajiro” says: “For me the drum and the percussion are something that move me a lot, so it was really important during the healing process, through each beat of the drum and every moment of singing, every dance move, joyful laughter amid the tears. In the end it turned out well, we were able to end up dancing and laughing and thinking happy thoughts.”

As part of the whole concept of the record, this is a song that reflects love from a place of sincerity, organically and intimately, it’s a necessary breath within the tribal spirit of downtempo that characterizes this new release. And as Edgardo says, “this is the moment to breathe, to exhale, and to throw out everything that overwhelms us.”

“Tambó” is available on all streaming platforms now.

Wed, 08/05/2020 - 9:13 am

Today Alternative-R&B artist EJ Marais has announced the release of his debut LP CUTS, out August 21st Via La Castanya. With the album announcement comes the re-release of double singles from the LP, "Better" and "Love.MP3 (featured On Rosalia's Spotify Playlist)." 

On the process of creating the record Marais explains, "The album came out of a series of sessions I started in early 2018 together with Ekhi Lopetegi, at the time we weren't planning to record an album, but an EP. Since then, the album has met many stages and has been the result of perseverance, I think of it as a mix of many stages and resources. It wasn't recorded in the same place, or mixed and engineered by one person, some musicians have played small parts on it, hence the chaotic credits. 

The general idea was to make a contemporary album that included elements from RnB, pop, or Urban while maintaining a melancholic, singer-songwriter essence. I felt a necessity to bring real instruments into these songs because I was seeking a human, personal touch. When I put the album together I thought that it would be too eclectic but then I thought of it as a collage between digital samples and real instruments and felt comfortable with that. It was also a process of learning and experimentation, I really liked the possibilities of digital manipulation, discovering autotune and all that...

I have always thought that the result of an artist has to reflect the times that we are living. We live in crazy times with constant interruptions, over information and surrounded by the language of advertising and I wanted to make a response to that, to offer a space where people can get lost in. Barcelona as a city has also played a huge role on the album, I was influenced by the freshness of the Urban scene here, especially when it came to mixing genres and taking unorthodox production decisions."

LINKS
Facebook | Soundcloud | Bandcamp | Instagram | YouTube

Wed, 09/09/2020 - 6:35 pm

Jimmy Chamberlin Complex announce new album Honor, due out September 25th via Make Records. Legendary Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin teams up with bassist/producer Billy Mohler and guitarist Sean Wollstenhulme for Honor, while also featuring Frank Catalano and Kneebody members Adam Benjamin, Ben Wendell and Shane Endsley.

Forbes premiered the first single, "Humility," praising how it "builds in intensity, a pummeling drum solo paired with fevered sax to close the song in a beautiful cacophony of sound." On the track and inspiration behind the album, Chamberlin exclusively told Talkhouse in an interview, "the record is just kind of a document of a moment in time. The titles are representative to me of what we engage when we try to live a higher ideal. Integrity, humility, service, grace.

Sun, 11/01/2020 - 4:03 pm

Following the release of their debut single "Introspection," Montreal-based rock trio Population II share "Il eu un Silence dans le Ciel" off of their upcoming album À La Ô Terre out October 30th via Castle Face Records. Louder Than War premiered the track, praising "mind-melting debut of hard psych freckled with punk sentiment, both old school and timeless...fluid, tough, and over-saturated, the album is bound to please fans of the label and new-comers alike."

Population II is able to break the barrier of language, using words as an accessory and the echoey voice ram the music without taking too much place, acting almost like another instrument, hypnotizing into a sort of long trance. The debut album was recorded in Montreal with the help of the producer and musician Emmanuel Ethier (Chocolat, Corridor, Jonathan Personne). With his background and experience, joining forces with the unapologetic instrument play of the band, they were able to let the blazing energy truly shine through the 10 songs composing this debut album.

"Avec lourdeur à travers des expérimentations,
Introspection est une immersion dans la tête de celui qui ressent l'énergie du Rock n' Roll à l'état brut couler dans ses veines pour la première fois.
Instantanément, vient le besoin de la transmettre et de l'amplifier.

With heaviness through experimentation, 
Introspection is an immersion in the mind of one who feels the energy of raw Rock n 'Roll running through its veins for the first time.
Instantly, comes the need to transmit and amplify it."

Sat, 02/06/2021 - 4:29 pm

Today, Emily Rodgers shares "Down," the lead single off her upcoming LP I Will Be Gone out March 6th on Shimmy-Disc.

I Will Be Gone, which represents a collaboration between Emily Rodgers, her husband/guitarist Erik Cirelli and legendary producer Kramer, with whom she has worked for over a decade, was written and recorded in just six days. While the title track, “I Will Be Gone,” was fully formed before Kramer arrived, the rest of the album was written and recorded in Emily and Erik’s attic in Pittsburgh, utilizing lyrics by Emily and music by Erik. In addition to mixing, mastering, and producing the album, Kramer also serves as vocalist, bassist, pianist, and arranger, and the record belies an immediacy that is reflective of the time-limited nature of the recording process. Emily, Erik and Kramer plan to continue to write and record albums in this fashion, once the pandemic has passed and it is possible to be together again.

Mixed/mastered/produced by Kramer
Emily Rodgers-vocals, guitar
Erik Cirelli-guitar, mandolin
Kramer-vocals, bass, piano
Megan Williams-violin
Mark Lyons-percussion

Sat, 02/13/2021 - 1:03 pm

Paul Leary (Butthole Surfers) shares "Gary Floyd Revisited," the final single off his upcoming solo return LP Born Stupid, out today on Shimmy Disc/Joyful Noise. After nearly 30 years on hiatus, Leary is back with a new second solo LP Born Stupid, out now.

Paul Leary issued his debut solo album The History Of Dogs in 1991. And now, thirty years later he’s releasing the follow up Born Stupid. Thirty years may seem like an oddly excessive length of time between albums, but that’s apropos, as nearly all the highlights of Leary’s legendary career have been odd and excessive.

Leary is best known as guitarist/vocalist for the infamous psychedelic noise rock band Butthole Surfers. The Butthole Surfers’ aggressively surrealist recordings and live shows have become mythology in the world of underground music. The headline of a 2016 profile in Vice magazine summed this legacy up neatly, stating the “Butthole Surfers Were the Epitome of Every Hell-Raising Rock 'n' Roll Legend You Ever Heard.” 

Beyond the group’s extreme persona, Leary was creating seriously brilliant music with the Butthole Surfers. The significance of that work can be measured in the far-reaching scope of the band’s influence. It’s widely known that Nirvana's Kurt Cobain was an ardent admirer. Comedic iconoclast Eric Andre has acknowledged being inspired by the group. Pillars of arena rock like U2, and Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones can also be added to this list — and both have collaborated with Leary in various capacities. 

Much of the subversive creative spirit that fueled the Butthole Surfers’ best work can be found inside the grooves of Leary’s charmingly twisted new album. Musically, Born Stupid largely steps away from the atomic punk energy and fuzzed-out metal riffing that defined the Butthole Surfers’ sound. Instead, Leary has crafted an equally compelling soundscape filled with carnival sideshow calliopes, spaghetti western guitar motifs, and off-kilter German beer hall waltzes. But where the Butthole Surfers’ work was often squarely focused on the manipulation of sounds and textures, Born Stupid is heavily rooted in the craft of song, and the record’s finely structured musical landscapes work to support the stories being sung. 

The connection between Born Stupid and vintage Butthole Surfers’ music is not just stylistic. Longtime fans of Leary’s work will be pleased by the presence of a couple radically reworked interpretations of Butthole Surfers-era material, including a giddily demented singalong version of the "The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey’s Grave.”

According to Leary, there was no grand vision behind the conception of Born Stupid. “I wasn’t planning on making another album, but over the years songs kept popping into my head. So I figured I might as well record them.” Leary has seized a ripe cultural moment to send this music out to the world, as Born Stupid speaks effectively to the damaged state of contemporary U.S. culture. There’s no better example than the album’s title track, a perfect anthem for the modern American age. “With so much strife and peril in this world I’d like to help make things better. But, instead, I had to be born stupid,” Leary croons in a warped country drawl, evoking the voice of Lee Hazlewood as sung through a cancer kazoo. Throughout the album Leary is joined by drummer Josh Freese, known for his work with a range of artists, including The Vandals, Guns N’ Roses, and Devo. 

It’s important to note that Born Stupid will be the first release on the newly relaunched incarnation of Shimmy-Disc, the influential independent record label founded by producer/musician and underground music impresario Kramer in 1987. Kramer revived Shimmy-Disc for his 2020 tenure as Joyful Noise Recordings’ Artist in Residence. Leary and Kramer have enjoyed a long collaborative relationship. “I’ve known Kramer since the early 1980’s when he was playing for Shockabilly,” Leary shared. “I was a big fan and we met when Shockabilly played in Austin, Texas. Then later on the Butthole Surfers were without a bass player, and Kramer offered to play bass for us on a European tour. We’ve been friends ever since.”

Leary’s Born Stupid is a fitting project for Shimmy-Disc’s reboot, the album shares the label’s dark sense of humor, and irreverent approach to experimental music. So perhaps it’s not surprising that Kramer (who also mastered the LP) is effusive in his praise for the project. 

“Paul Leary’s first solo LP in thirty years is the first release on my 21st century Shimmy-Disc label, which had to begin with a big bang,” Kramer explained. “But I think that what we have here is far more than just a bang. It’s more like a shot heard 'round the world, I reckon. Deafening in its genius. An entire universe of sound and song, simultaneously poignant and pugnacious, fearlessly culled from over forty intrepid years of infinitely mind-bending stupidity. Born Stupid is so inspiring it makes me want to quit music right now, quit while I’m ahead. It can't possibly get any better than this. Too late now, though. I already bought a new turntable. Looks like I’m in 'til the bitter end. Thanks a lot, Paul. I owe you one.”

Thu, 03/04/2021 - 5:28 pm

Los Angeles’ Grave Flowers Bongo Band’s sophomore LP “Strength of Spring” is an inverted pyramid balanced on the headstock of an acoustic guitar, a rainbow painted in campfire smoke, an endless staircase circling into the clouds. That acoustic guitar, perfectly captured here by Ty Segall’s excellently sere and close mic’d production, plays skeleton to these conjurors’ woolly grooves, and singer Gabe Flores’ thousand-yard moan keeps us guessing as to exactly where this wildebeest is headed. He pinions these far out tunes, which burst generously with shit-hot guitar leads, Stoogeseque sax squalls, and a gaggle of great eight-armed drum fills, with a flinty wrist-flicking heartbeat as the band turns from whimsy to nimble riffery on a dime, following that pied-piper six string jangling down many lovely rabbit-holes of melody and exploration. It’s obvious these guys play together a lot (the lineup shares two members with acclaimed space rockers Hoover III to boot) and the telepathy on display here is synapse-snappy. Coursing throughout is that note-pad filling, lighter raising, undefinable black magic that feels so rare these days….we dig it mightily and we think you will too, it’s out on Castle Face Records April 30th. Pre-sale available now.

Sun, 04/18/2021 - 12:41 pm

In collaboration with Bye Bye Plastic Foundation, ABRACADABRA Earth Day Weekender will feature global live music & wellness programming intertwined with environmental discussion panels and engaging workshops focused on restoring, sustaining, and protecting our planet.

Bye Bye Plastic, a Foundation dedicated to eliminating single-use plastics from the music industry, will once again be curating the Eco-Activism segments of the festival. From daily panels to improv’ take-overs and roundtable discussions, including one with no other than the Seaspiracy team, viewers can look forward to an inspiring rhapsody of conversations around the planet curated especially with the music community in mind. Also, lookout for a special showcase from Bali. Together with Mixmag Asia & Sungai Watch, we’ll be working to help stop hundreds of tons of plastic from spilling out into the ocean with a stream like you've never seen before. With clubs reopening and festivals announcing, there has never been a better time to #PartyWithAPurpose; Bye Bye Plastic is ready to play for Planet Earth and has put you on the guest list. 
Donate to Bye Bye Plastic - http://bit.ly/ABRA2021

BLOND:ISH, MAGIC GIANT, JOESKI, LEXLAY, LAUREN LANE and many more artists will be performing.

In collaboration with Bye Bye Plastic Foundation, ABRACADABRA Earth Day Weekender will feature global live music, dj’s performing LIVE from beach cleans around the world,  wellness programming intertwined with environmental discussion panels and engaging workshops focused on restoring, sustaining, and protecting our planet. Make sure to tune in all weekend as we welcome in the era of social tokens & collect all the NFT’s as we guide you into the future and co-create abundance, love and Abracadabra magic! We’ve brought very special people together including Kip Andersen the director of the #1 Netflix documentary, ‘Seaspiracy’, Robin Schmidt from The Defiant who will be teaching us how get our crypto game on, and the Great Bingo Revival LIVE.

Let’s Evolve Together.

Fri, 05/14/2021 - 12:59 pm

Andy Frasco & the U.N.'s new single, Love Hard is out today anywhere you can stream music. This song means a lot to Andy... it talks about his relationships with family & friends, about being present with himself, and ultimately how he wants to approach things in his life moving forward. Because it doesn’t matter what you love just as long as you love with full intention. Life’s too short not to give it your full attention. Thank you Dominic Lalli of Big Gigantic, Maggie Rose, and Jen Hartswick for being part of it as well. Enjoy and have a great day. Love Hard. 

Summer Tour dates are out now

Tue, 05/25/2021 - 6:31 pm

Today, Ideaison announces the lineup for RETROSPEKT a two-day multi-genre immersive micro music and art festival at the Moxy South Beach on July 10-11, 2021. The new kind of “micro” music festival (under 1K capacity/day) was born from the success of a virtual music festival in the heart of Covid. Now it’s going “hybrid” as the experience, and fans will be live-streamed on Twitch, with select acts paid per show on Cisco Adler & Donavon Frankenreiter’s Concert Live stream platform Nocap. A limited capacity will be afforded the opportunity of being in the stream and at the shows LIVE in Miami.

Sets will be programmed across three custom-designed stages designed and curated by Molly Surno, whose company Push Projects was hired to art direct Brooklyn‘s dance music club Elsewhere and in collaboration with Maktive, the creative geniuses behind Electric Zoo, Splash House, and Friendship Cruise and Aerial Dragons, a Florida-based aerial entertainment and circus collective. 

The main stage will be at the pool. RETROSPEKT will integrate over 50 live acts from all genres of music spanning blues, rock, rap, pop, r&b, funk, soul, reggae, dance music & more. Headliners include WuTang Clan’s Ghostface Killah, Sabrina Claudio, who is set to open for The Weeknd’s “After Hours” North American tour at the end of the year, Tycho’s new project ISO50, which is his solo live show with guitar and keyboards, basically his station from the band show with different performance elements, New York's funk lords themselves Chromeo, rising star LP Giobbi B2B Sophie from Sofi Tukker (in Sophie’s first solo DJ appearance without Tukker) and more. Other up and coming talent includes Detroit’s respected DJ and producer DJ Minx, disco and house king Eli Escobar, Tik Tok sensation Blu DeTiger, bluesy bedroom pop vocalist Mia Gladstone, British R&B crooner Col3trane, Grammy-nominated New Orleans based Tank and the Bangas, Vindata (who have collaborated with Skrillex), Miami’s Life on Planets, Sofia Valdes and Judith Hill, and over 30+ more national and internationally touring acts. Local favorites include, but aren’t limited to The Hails, Xperimento, Afrobeta, The Ries Brothers, Kathy Palma, Yoli Mayor and more. 

“When it comes to most cross-genre large-scale festivals, festival goers have been there, done that. Nothing phases them anymore, the lineups all look the same with repeat headliners on stages with art as an afterthought. Coming out of Covid, fans are HUNGRY for live music, but I also think they’re also hungry for a carefully curated artistic experience to meet and connect with others. There are valid safety hesitations, location hassles, logistical concerns and a lack of acknowledging social issues. We’re in a post Me Too and BLM world and so much music was created by underrepresented entities who don’t get the credit they deserve. RETROSPEKT is a micro-festival that leads with creativity and inclusion. We’re targeting superfans while simultaneously tapping into an unmet need in the market. The micro festival aims to feel exclusive in person with a small (1K/day) capacity but is inclusive by design and principle as it will be live streamed across the world” said Lauren Kashuk, Founder and Creative Director of Ideaison, the producers, promoters, and creators of RETROSPEKT. 

Outside of more than 50 sets across three stages, there will be a hyper focus on immersive and theatrical art. The names of the stages: the past, present and future, will come to life designed as their entities—the live streams will look like music videos with the fans in the action. Fans on-site will be offered ancillary experiences including a retrospective zone at the past stage, by the nonprofit To Write Love on Her Arms, a Drag Queen Brunch curated by House of Yes’s Resident Artist Madame Vivien V, mezcal tastings, aerialist and circus performances by Aerial Dragons, a Florida based aerial entertainment group, a cereal and cartoon bar curated by illustrator Joe Palec and more. 

“One thing you will notice,” Kashuk continues, “our festival and lineup is rich in diversity. The problem with the quest to be more “diverse” rests in and with the key decision-maker. If there isn’t a woman or someone diverse at the leadership level, inclusion is viewed as an afterthought. It’s viewed as a checkmark when the day-to-day culture and bias go unaffected. The team, the vision, will not be built in a way that honors all as equal. Underrepresented people are excluded from the room where the music is written and produced, ignored when strategizing promotion, and then disregarded or underestimated as headliners. We’re not down with that. The industry must move from agonizing over the numbers and executing and expanding upon a new path. Taking a chance as talent on RETROSPEKT with a mission, like ours, allows talent/managers/agents and partners alike to take real and concrete steps to address bias and ensure access for the talent to the opportunities that remain closed to them. Even my team, unless we put ourselves in positions of power, as women, or underrepresented entities, we aren’t seen as capable of decision-making. Unless we decide we can produce a music festival on our own, and fund and fundraise it with others like us, along with booking the talent, we won't be seen as competent to do so.”

For the lineup of artists, fans can visit the RETROSPEKT website or Instagram page for more information and updates on the festival. 

Limited 2-day and single-day tickets and hotel packages are on sale on the website

More information on Ideaison is here

Mon, 08/23/2021 - 2:37 pm

LA-based Viennese dream pop project Sugarplum Fairies have announced their new collection Altar Songs 1998-2021 and share the lead single, “Heart of Hell” accompanied by a  music video directed by Lael Neale. A poignant track with Nico-esque vocals and cinematic production, "Heart Hell" is a stunning collaboration between Sugarplum Fairies frontwoman Silvia Ryder and Sid Simons of Girl Skin. The video juxtaposes their living and working environments by projecting VHS footage on a screen and filming it side by side, creating an ethereal, vintage feel.

Altar Songs 1998-2021 is a snapshot of Sugarplum Fairies’ evolution from its 1998 origins as a Vienna-raised/California-based husband and wife duo, which - after a personal and creative breakup in 2013 - resulted in the moniker for a rotating artistic collective spearheaded by vocalist/songwriter Silvia Ryder.

The collection traces Sugarplum Fairies’ sonic journey from shoegaze infused folk-noir roots to jangly vintage guitar pop, and culminating in an explorative genre-defying mélange of non-traditional instrumentation (e.g. accordion, harmonium, omnichord, Baldwin Funmachine). These arrangements conjure surreal images that seem to be part dream diary, part coded messages and part cynical observations, with Ryder's breathy, hypnotic vocals evoking comparisons to the late chanteuse Nico of The Velvet Underground.  

Altar Songs 1998-2021 features numerous collaborations with original Uncle Tupelo/Wilco drummer and producer Ken Coomer, late Mazzy Star drummer Keith Mitchell, Jebin Bruni (Public Image Ltd, Fiona Apple) on bass and keyboards, Joey Waronker (drummer for Beck and REM), Gus Seyffert (bassist for Beck, Norah Jones), cellist Martin Tillman (Elvis Costello, T Bone Burnett), and horn-section mastermind Danny T. Levin (Iggy Pop, Rilo Kiley) amongst many others. 

The compilation includes a new track titled “Tears” and three re-imagined/re-recorded versions of previously released tracks: “Heart Hell 2021 (feat. Sid Simons of Girl Skin and Beechwood)”, “Sandy Says 2021”, and “Sugarfree 2021”. The aforementioned tracks have been produced and mixed by Marlon Rabenreither of Gold Star; all songs have been (re)mastered by Timothy Stollenwerk for Stereophonic Mastering (Bonnie “Prince” Billy, The Dandy Warhols).

Thu, 09/23/2021 - 3:16 pm

Leon Creek shares the music video for their newest single "Hope Never Leaves My Side." The single is a deeply soulful song that grapples with isolation and a sense of alienation but refuses to lose sight of hope and the light at the end of the tunnel.

On the new music video, Leon Creek says:

For the video of "Hope Never Leaves My Side" we wanted to keep creating in the vintage Americana style of our first two videos but add a live performance element that could help convey the emotions of the song. We are admirers of Australian director and animator Kane Lehanneur’s video work, and he ran with our ideas and created a beautiful world of colors, grain and animated lyrics, where in spite of struggle, optimism is the silver lining.

Leon Creek's upcoming LP Far From Broken will be released Sept. 24th. On Touring News, the band has recently signed with booking agency, PRATER DAY.

On the outskirts of San Antonio, Texas lies Leon Creek: a small river that served as the first rest stop and watering hole for travelers, cargo, mail and stagecoaches making their way from  Texas to Southern California in the 1850's and 60's. As Americana and country music moved west and absorbed the influences from the cultures and history, along the way it helped shape what we know today…  

Leon Creek is the new project of Chris Pierce (War & Pierce) with Erik Janson (Wilding and Left Field Messiah) and producer Matthew Stevens creating a modernized, uplifting approach to Americana, Blues and Roots music. With Leon Creek, a variety of influences converge to bring forth a new take on the traditional Americana/roots sound.

Ascending soul man Chris Pierce, who recently gained national prominence with his hit co-write “We Can Always Come Back To This,” that aired on multiple episodes of the #1 NBC  primetime series This Is Us, brings stirring depth and power to his performances. This is evident in his Sunny War  collaboration War & Pierce, and his phenomenal new full length LP American Silence: a Bob Dylan-esque reflection of  his realities as a Black man in the modern United States (featured on NPR Music All Songs Considered, Rolling Stone, SiriusXM).

For Leon Creek, Pierce’s vocal and blues harmonica prowess are showcased in a new light, combining with the finger picking, bluegrass melodies of Matthew Stevens, who has previously recorded World and Cumbia inspired tracks with the likes of Ozomatli’s Asdru Sierra and rapper Thurz, resting  perfectly on the vibrant and maximalist production talents of  Erik Janson (of Wildling & Left Field Messiah fame).

This band of brothers have come together to reflect the broadening horizons of contemporary Americana/Country,  Blues and Roots music, drawing from the influences from which the genres originated, while embracing eclectic and unexpected inspiration as well.

Leon Creek is currently featured in a NASCAR promotional trailer that is receiving heavy airplay on Fox Sports. Folk Forest on SiriusFM currently has Leon Creek tracks "Hard Times Long Nights" + "Can’t Keep Us from the Light" in steady rotation. Their last single "Shakes The Ground" featured on Youtube Music's Americana Playlist.  They've been featured on KCRW's 5 Songs To Hear This Week and have an upcoming showcase at Americana Fest.

Far From Broken - Tracklisting
1. Call It A Day
2. Far From Broken
3. Hard Times Long Nights
4. Can't Keep Us From The Light
5. Wonder Why
6. Shakes The Ground
7. So Many Names
8. Hope Never Leaves My Side

Tue, 11/23/2021 - 12:26 pm

Today, Magic City Hippies announce their forthcoming LP Water Your Garden (due 1/14/2022).

Speaking on the record, Robby Hunter wrote:

Does life write music? Or does music write life.

It's something we ask ourselves every time we finish an album. There is some type of serendipity in finishing music that somehow plays out in real life. Almost like predicting the future. The same thing happened with 'Modern Animal,' and it seems to be playing out again with this new piece of work. I think that means we’re doing something right, if our music somehow knows something more about us than we do.

Water Your Garden is the first album we created while all three of us were in separate places around the US. Completely remote and sending songs back and forth throughout quarantine- while everyone was locked down in their respective homes. Pat finally moved out to LA- locked down in his studio. Robby moved out into the mountains of Montana, and John held down the homebase in Miami.

Since coming off our most successful tour to date, the 2020 Modern Animal tour, everyone was riding high. We had huge shows booked in our future and felt like our dreams were finally within reach- then covid hit. And everyone experienced their own version of some type of mental health issue (just like everyone else in the world). Whether it was a massive stress-test on relationships in lockdown, or family members passing away, or politics driving best friends away. Everyone seemed like they were going through something.

I think haphazardly we all realized how important self-care was, and how necessary it was to help us get through this thing. Without knowing, we began to write about our life experiences- and the songs started flowing. With the life transitions everyone in the band was going through, we were all starting to water our own gardens, and take care of ourselves, and our families for the first time. So the album just feels so fitting, even if we didn't know where we'd all be in our lives last summer when we named it.

I think that lended itself to a more introspective, emotionally mature collection of music. At least lyrically - musically it's classic MCH, all over the place sounds. From some heavy synth-based, Jai Paul inspired bops - to Drake inspired trap - to soft, vintage tinted instrumental tracks like 'Hangunder' and throwback 80's hits like 'High Above The Sun.' Even if the majority of the songs aren't classically "happy" we are still urging the listener to dance to every track, and that is a must in magic city hippie music.

We were fortunate enough to get a bunch of our friends on tracks - from maye's perfect voice on 'Water Your Garden,' to Tim Atlas on 'Therapy,' and Nafets on 'High Beams' ... it all seemed to come together perfectly."
Alongside the announcement, Magic City Hippies shared a run of tour dates, beginning next month through Spring 2022. Tickets are on sale now.

MAGIC CITY HIPPIES LIVE

* with cannibalkids
Support TBA on all other dates

Dec 29: Tampa Bay, FL - The Orpheum *
Dec 30: Orlando, FL - The Social *
Dec 31: Fort Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room *
Jan 13: Jacksonville, FL - 1904 Music Hall
Jan 14: Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
Jan 15: Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
Jan 16: Washington, DC - Union Stage
Jan 18: Fairfield, CT - Warehouse
Jan 20: Boston, MA - Big Night Live
Jan 21: New York, NY - Irving Plaza
Jan 22: Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts
Jan 23: Pittsburgh, PA - Thunderbird Music Hall
Jan 25: Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
Jan 27: Indianapolis, IN - The Hifi
Jan 28: Chicago, IL - Park West
Jan 29: Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom
Jan 30: Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
Feb 1: St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall
Feb 2: Kansas City, MO - Madrid Theatre
Feb 4: Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
Feb 5: Steamboat Springs, CO - Strings Music Pavilion
Feb 6: Salt Lake City, UT - The Commonwealth Room
Feb 8: Bozeman, MT - The ELM
Feb 9: Missoula, MT - The Wilma
Feb 11: Seattle, WA - The Showbox @ The Market
Feb 12: Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
Feb 14: Eugene, OR - Sessions Music Hall
Feb 15: Sacramento, CA - Harlow's
Feb 18: San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
Feb 19: Los Angeles, CA - The Belasco
Feb 20: San Diego, CA - The Observatory North Park
Feb 22: Phoenix, AZ - The Crescent Ballroom
Feb 23: Albuquerque, NM - Launch Pad
Feb 25: Dallas, TX - Trees
Feb 26: Austin, TX - Emo's
Feb 27: Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall

 

Wed, 01/05/2022 - 2:57 pm

Guided By Voices have always played by their own rules and they’ve kept extraordinarily busy during the pandemic. Three albums in 2020 and two albums in 2021 garnered amazing press, and they’re now selling out shows everywhere. But the new album Crystal Nuns Cathedral tops them all!

The mighty Guided by Voices are set to unleash upon the world their 35th and quite possibly…BEST album, Crystal Nuns Cathedral, on March 4, 2022. How do they do it you might ask? Well, we don’t know how they do it, but we certainly do know WHY they do it. They do it because quite honestly we NEED them to do it. The world needs The Rock, and we need loud guitars, we need anthemic songs, we need a reason to raise a rock fist in the air and give a “Hell Yeah!" On Crystal Nuns Cathedral, the band delivers all of this and so much more.

Just four months since It’s Not Them. It Couldn’t Be Them. It Is Them!, comes Crystal Nuns Cathedral, twelve songs determined to challenge for the title of greatest Guided by Voices album of all-time. Hyperbole you say? Not this time. The guitars are bigger, the arrangements are more ambitious, the songs are uplifting, epic, and as incredibly hook laden as always!

Pure power pop perfection like lead single "Excited Ones" mix perfectly with the slow burning "Climbing a Ramp" which reaches its climax on a stunning guitar lead before dissolving into the fist pumping anthem "Never Mind the List," which serves as the beating heart of the entire album. Do you still need convincing? Listen to the one-two punch of "Forced to Sea" and "Huddled" and marvel at the epic scope and vision of an incredible band on full display.

This record is a statement, a challenge, a monument, a call to arms. Top this one if you can, this is the new benchmark. Who will best it? Who will try? Listen to Crystal Nuns Cathedral, and report back to us. We will be eagerly waiting.

Due to Omicron Covid surge, Guided by Voices are canceling a pair of upcoming shows in New York City and Boston later this month, but they’ll kick off an actual tour on March 18 at the Majestic Theatre in Madison, Wisconsin. Tickets for all upcoming gigs are available at GBV.com/tour.
 
GUIDED BY VOICES LIVE
Fri, March 18 - Majestic Theatre - Madison, WI
Sat, March 19 - Fine Line - Minneapolis, MN
Wed March 23-24 - Treefort Music Fest - Boise, ID
Sat, March 26 - Neumos - Seattle, WA
Sun, March 27 - Revolution Hall - Portland, OR
Tue, March 29 - Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA
Wed, March 30 - The Catalyst - Santa Cruz, CA
Fri, April 1 - Teragram Ballroom - Los Angeles, CA
Sat, April 2 - Pappy & Harriets - Pioneertown, CA
Sat, Apr 30 - Shaky Knees Festival - Atlanta, GA

Fri, 01/21/2022 - 12:19 am

Andrew Pitrone shares a brand new single entitled "Life is But a Dream," alongside an accompanying music video.

As part of a standing 7-year tradition to record on New Year’s Day between Producer/Lolipop Records owner Ignacio Gonzalez and artist Andrew Pitrone, "Life is But a Dream" has a rotating cast of musicians contributing to the track with backing vocals sung by label-mate Abilene Fawn. The track was mainly recorded live using an acoustic 12-string guitar accompanied by mellotron, serval bells and whistles.

"Life is But a Dream" is the first single off Andrew’s four-song EP, Aurora Montages, out this year on Lolipop Records.

Andrew Pitrone, Andrew the Artist, puts the journey- in journeyman, living in various cities and townships up and down the western edge of America, filling his time with song and art-by-hand. Chiefly of which being a film project scripted around the actual building of a barn in the no-man’s-land’s of southwestern Oregon. “Many times I find that when I’m doing manual work, poems, melodies, and songs come in,” laments Pitrone. His duty to his muse in all artistic fascits presents a remarkable examination of an artist who’s very life is the gesamtkunstwerk (total artwork). “Sometimes I feel that I am the medium for the product and the tools are using me.”

In the first song from his upcoming EP on Lolipop Records Aurora Montages entitled, “Life is But a Dream”, Pitrone sets his tone early by achieving sea-legged sure-footing. Merrily, merrily he dances through gentle numbers dressed in melodic flights of fancy akin to that of English folk paragons, The Incredible String Band or corkscrewed beau-idéals like Donovan or Tyrannosaurus Rex. This song, as the others on Aurora Montages, bears the same regular swirl of joviality a la Small Faces in their Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake era, all accumulating to the over-arching feeling of whimsy on a whim. The intoxicating lilt of lyric sung by Pitrone lifts the heart with beauty and grace, no doubt signaled by the album’s early appearance of a goldfinch in the bush.

Andrew Pitrone’s Aurora Montages is not out-of-place in this new folk era but, rather, gently  lends a lesson in lineage to a time when creativity abounded in the genre. When the head that expanded the farthest wore the crown. By today’s measure that leaves Andrew Pitrone as one uniquely positioned to revitalize and reinvigorate, at the very least decorate jubilantly, the path to folk and back. Of his songs he says, “I’m not sure who the songs are for, if not for me, [but] I hope they find their way to whomever they were meant for.”

Thu, 04/21/2022 - 1:44 pm

Today, Andrew Pitrone shares a brand new single entitled "Locket."

Speaking on the new track, Andrew wrote:

"'Locket' is a song about the Idea of committing to someone. In a sense when someone puts a photo in a locket it signifies their commitment to that person, that person in the photographs being extra special to them, in their heart, or close to their heart. If you were going to cut someone into the size of a little locket and shove them into the shape, even in the most loving gentle way, it might sound something like the feeling of the song Locket. Suggesting that someone put you in their locket is like suggesting that they should feel free to have that attachment."

"Locket" is the second single off Andrew’s four-song EP, Aurora Montage, out this year on Lolipop Records.

ANDREW PITRONE LIVE

4/14 - Zebulon Cafe, Los Angeles CA
4/16 - Red Dog Saloon, Pioneertown CA

Thu, 11/03/2022 - 10:44 am

On November 10th, Baltimore-based singer songwriter Suzannah shares her solo debut record, Is There Any Love In Your Heart.  Glide Magazine, who compared her evocative sound to the "bygone country aroma of Linda Rondstadt and Emmylou Harris" and Beats Per Minute described her sound as a "Cocteau Twins covering Patsy Cline."

Is There Any Love In Your Heart is an album about forgiveness and redemption, grace and mercy. It’s about being up against something bigger than oneself, a foe, a force trying to hold one back. It’s about having your name tarnished, your heart ripped out. It’s about being dragged through the mud. You look back. How do you respond? What can you do? It’s about having gotten too close to something you shouldn’t have seen, having been deep down in the darkness and coming out on the other side. You may not be fully healed, and you’re forever changed, but by the grace of God you escaped a worse fate. Have you forgiven? Can you show mercy when it wasn’t shown to you? Is there any love in your heart?

Mixed by Chris Shaw (Bob Dylan, Wilco, Public Enemy) with guest appearances from Jason Wilber (John Prine), Ron Stewart (Seldom Scene) and Mike Lowry (Future Islands). Core band is Suzannah, Dave Heumann (Arbouretum) on electric guitar, bass and piano, Mike Kuhl on drums, Chas Marsh on bass, Dave Hadley on pedal steel and Walker Teret (Lower Dens, Celebration) on bass, piano and acoustic guitar. Recorded mostly at Suzannah’s home studio in Baltimore with additional tracking at Wrightway Studios. All songs written by Suzannah.

Sat, 11/12/2022 - 1:15 pm

Today, Santa Barbara indie-rock outfit Plastic Harpoons share their brand new LP, Modern World, out now via Lolipop Records.

In times when people think the world is ending, Plastic Harpoons' debut album Modern World demonstrates that the story is just getting interesting.

With vocals front and center that have something clear to say, Modern World brings the listener back to the feelings they experienced from 60s and 70s rock bands. A genuine, honest, and artful take on life and all we go through. Blending the dual guitar, keys, bass and drum kit sound of American Rock & Roll, Plastic Harpoons doesn’t just hint at places we’ve been but transports the listener straight back to when music sounded like humans in a room together, jamming riffs that they all enjoy.

Somewhere between the no-frills, don’t bore us get to the chorus sound of Tom Petty, the thoughtful arrangements and wild solos of Queen, Plastic Harpoons have made one thing clear. They are a band.

The songs weave their way through Heartbreak, loss, love, and acceptance, ultimately tied together with the main theme of the ups and downs of our existence living in our modern world. The record was recorded by Taylor Casey (Vocals, Guitar), Daniel Vasquez (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals), Sean Renken (Bass, Backing Vocals), and Bijan Firouzan (Drums, Backing Vocals). Andrew Manos (Keys, Organ), Joe Farey (Keys, Organ), and Jared Yee (Saxophone) joined the band to add more than a touch of color.

Recorded at Savannah Studios in Los Angeles by Wyatt Blair, Modern World was mixed by Bear Erickson and mastered by Joby Baker. The record is a culmination of years of songwriting, and like each members personality, each song has a different feel and inspiration. Sonically, Modern World doesn’t show a band whose songs all sound the same. Modern World has softer indie folk rockers, such as "Diamond Wings," "One Step," and "Modern World," while other songs show off a rockier, reverb drenched side, such as "Dirty Linen Sheets," and the closing track on the album, "East of State," sounds like it could be a funky Eagles song. The record boasts a wide dynamic range, from loud solos, to a man and one guitar, and many songs find you singing along to a 3 or 4 part harmony. Modern World definitely shows what Plastic Harpoons are capable of and it hints to what is to come.

Mon, 04/10/2023 - 12:09 pm

Today, Connecticut-based singer-songwriter Frank Viele shares a brand new single entitled "The Trouble With Desire," the second track off his forthcoming 2023 LP and follow-up to his January release, "Hearts We Left Behind."

Wrote Viele of the track:

"'The Trouble With Desire' is a song about the things we have to sacrifice to pursue the things we think we want. It’s about the struggles and self-doubt we carry when pursuing a dream. It’s about how sometimes the things we want most in life are the things that can cause us the most harm or present the biggest challenges to us. Drawing on the thought pattern of why sometimes we cannot walk away from certain aspects of our lives no matter the potential for chaos, it subtly speaks to the blinders we often put on when reaching towards a goal or fighting a battle – ultimately losing site of what we are sacrificing in return until it’s too late."
"The Trouble With Desire" is out now via all DSPs. Stay tuned for more, coming later this year.

FRANK VIELE LIVE
* Supporting Jeffrey Gaines
^ Acoustic Duo Performance w/ Max Cappello
~ No Worries Brewing Hometown Monthly Residency
% Streaming Only Performance
# WeHa Friday Night Buzz Songwriter Series

5/04 – Veteran’s Memorial Park/ Manchester, NH *
5/06 – Leavitt Fine Arts Theatre / Ogunquit, ME *
5/10 – Park City Music Hall / Bridgeport, CT ^
5/12  - No Worries Brewing / Hamden, CT ~
5/19 – “The Trouble With Desire” Streaming Release Show %
5/26  - WeHa Brewing & Roasting / West Hartford, CT #
5/28 – Strangecreek Music Festival / Greenfield, MA ^
6/24 – Urban Lodge Brewing Co. / Manchester, CT - Solo Acoustic Set, Songwriter's Circle
7/15 – Cisco Brewers / Stamford, CT - Solo Acoustic Headliner
7/22 – Daryl’s House / Pawling, NY - Solo Acoustic Headliner