Death’s a bitch and Albert Hammond Jr. knows all
about it. Or at least retrospectively in his new
video for the first single off his Yours To Keep
release ‘101’. The timing couldn’t be more
intentional as the album drops in US stores this
week [check out our review]. Hammond is also on the
road with both The Moody Suzuki’s and opening for
Bloc Party in larger venues. He’s also added a few
solo gigs including the much beloved 9:30 Club in
D.C.
Haunting Tour:
03-10 Marquis Theatre - Denver, CO #
03-13 Gypsy Tea Room - Dallas, TX #
03-14 Meridian - Houston, TX #
03-15 Blender Bar @ Ritz [SXSW] - Austin, TX
03-17 Roxy Theatre - Atlanta, GA #
03-18 Exit Inn - Nashville, TN #
03-20 Birdy's - Indianapolis, IN #
03-21 The Basement - Columbus, OH #
03-23 Congress Theatre - Chicago, IL ^
03-24 Royal Oak Theatre - Detroit, MI ^
03-25 Koolhaus - Toronto, ONT ^
03-27 Metropolis - Montreal, QUE ^
03-28 Orpheum Theatre - Boston, MA ^
03-30 United Palace Theatre - New York, NY ^
03-31 United Palace Theatre - New York, NY ^
04-02 Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
04-03 Theatre of Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
04-05 9:30 Club - Washington, DC
# with The Mooney Suzuki as support
^ with Bloc Party
Seclusion whores Daft Punk are finally heading
out to the states for some summer bliss. The
soundsystem tech and dance team have announced a
North America tour that will see the band playing in
select venues across the United States including the
amazing outdoor venue at Red Rocks and Canada. Daft
Punk isn’t the only hot item on the ticket though as
Rapture, Sebastian and KavinSky are also billed for
said events.
Daft Short Tour:
07-21 Sport Arena - Los Angeles, CA
07-27 Greek Theatre - Berkeley, CA
07-29 WAMU Center - Seattle, WA
07-31 Red Rocks - Denver, CO
08-05 Arrow Hall - Toronto, Ontario
08-07 Bell Center - Montreal, Quebec
08-09 Keyspan Park - New York, NY
We know a few who mistakenly place The Figurines
with the vocal atrocity of Clap Your Hands. To that
we slap their face to hopefully jar any tone deaf
pieces of their heads into place. To prove their
much more creative notes, we present you with their
latest video for the tune ‘Back In The Day’. The
video feeds off the equally odd cover for their
latest album Skeleton. We will be holding
many-a-meetings to figure out what the hell it means
though.
We’ve been howling out Black Rebel Motorcycle
Club tunes for the past few years now. The band’s
2005 Howl was a unlikely return to rock and a
surprise to most in the industry for it’s
underground success. Thankfully, we’ll have some new
tracks shortly from the San Francisco treat. Baby
81, the bands latest effort, will offer a new edge
for the group. In an interview with Billboard,
guitarist Peter Hays described the changes on the
new album: “There are some songs that are kind of
groove-oriented, not so blues- or country influenced
[as ‘Howl’].” Ummm, that’s what we liked. The album
will be released on May 1st care of RCA Records.
The band will also be heading back to the states
from their current Killers tour to support the
release of the album in an all-cities tour.
Track Listing:
01 Took Out a Loan
02 Berlin
03 Weapon of Choice
04 Window
05 Cold Mind
06 It’s Not What You Wanted
07 666 Conducer
08 All You Do Is Talk
09 Lien on Your Dreams
10 Need Some Air
11 Killing the Light
12 American X
13 Am I Only
Crashed The Honda Tour:
05-05 Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
05-06 House of Blues - San Diego, CA
05-08 Wiltern - Los Angeles, CA
05-09 The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
05-11 Roseland Theatre - Portland, OR
05-12 Richard’s on Richards - Vancouver, BC
05-13 The Showbox - Seattle, WA
05-15 The Big Easy - Boise, ID
05-16 In the Venue - Salt Lake City, UT
05-17 Gothic Theatre - Denver, CO
05-18 Sokol Underground - Omaha, NE
05-19 Granada Theater - Lawrence, KS
05-20 The Pageant - St. Louis, MO
05-22 First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN
05-23 The Rave - Milwaukee, WI
05-24 Vic Theatre - Chicago, IL
05-25 St. Andrews Hall - Detroit, MI
05-26 Koolhaus - Toronto, ON
05-28 LaTulipe - Montreal, QC
05-29 Avalon - Boston, MA
05-31 Webster Hall - New York, NY
06-01 Theater of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA
06-02 9:30 Club - Washington, DC
06-04 Newport Music Hall - Columbus, OH
06-05 The Music Mill - Indianapolis, IN
06-06 City Hall - Nashville, TN
06-07 Roxy Theatre - Atlanta, GA
06-09 Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
06-10 The Social - Orlando, FL
06-11 Zydeco - Birmingham, AL
06-13 The Republic - New Orleans, LA
06-14 Meridian - Houston, TX
06-15 La Zona Rosa - Austin, TX
06-16 House of Blues - Dallas, TX
East Coast gets no love from mix-master DJ Shadow
this spring. The influential spinner is playing
select dates on the West Coast that includes an
appearance at this year’s fancy pants Coachella
Festival in Indio, California. As his ever growing
plot to make all music diverse, Shadow will also
drop by Bonnaroo in June.
04-23 Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
04-25 Empire - Sacramento, CA
04-26 The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
04-27 Coachella - Indio, CA
04-29 Ogden Theatre - Denver, CO
05-01 Depot - Salt Lake City, UT
06-15 Bonnaroo - Manchester, TN
Best dressed boys Air are going global. After
announcing their European Tour, the band decided to
show North America some love to drum up support for
their latest effort Pocket Symphony. On board for
the shows is Kate Havneik – a Norwegian vixen with a
voice to lull anyone. The tour includes a one off
tour ending show in Versailles with the likes of
Phoenix.
Surfing On A Tour:
03-14 ABC - Glasgow, Scotland
03-15 Academy - Manchester, England
03-16 Forum - London, England
03-17 Forum - London, England
03-19 Gleishalle - Berlin, Germany
03-20 Docks - Hamburg, Germany
03-21 E-Werk - Cologne, Germany
03-22 George Elser Halle - Munich, Germany
03-24 Fri-Son - Fribourg, Germany
03-25 Alcatraz - Milan, Italy
03-27 Melkweg Max - Amsterdam, Netherlands
03-28 Ancienne Belgique - Brussels, Belgium
03-29 La Cigale - Paris, France
04-21 Richard's on Richards - Vancouver, British
Columbia *
04-22 Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR *
04-23 Pantages Theatre - Tacoma, WA *
04-25 Nob Hill Masonic Center - San Francisco, CA *
04-26 The Joint - Las Vegas, NV *
04-27 The Marquee - Phoenix, AZ *
04-29 Coachella - Indio, CA
05-02 First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN *
05-04 Riviera Theatre - Chicago, IL *
05-05 Kool Haus - Toronto, Ontario *
05-06 Metropolis - Montreal, Quebec *
05-08 Theatre of Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA *
05-09 9:30 Club - Washington, DC *
05-10 Theatre at Madison Square Garden - New York,
NY *
06-29 Château de Versailles - Versailles, France #
* with Kate Havneik
# with Phoenix, Alex Gopher, Etienne de Crecy
Kele Okereke has to be one of the most subtly
awful lip sync artists to date. But we won’t hold it
against him when he rocks this damn good. Case in
point – for both points actually – Bloc Party’s new
video for ‘Prayer’ off their recent album Silent Alarm.
And when the band isn’t joining the Townsend
bandwagon and punking the White Stripes [see
previous news story below], you can find Bloc Party
on the road thru March with Albert Hammond Jr.
Hope and Prayer Tour:
03-11 Paramount Theatre - Seattle, WA
03-12 Orpheum Theatre - Vancouver, British Columbia
03-13 Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
03-15 SXSW - Austin, TX
03-17 Concourse Exhibition - San Francisco, CA
03-19 Wiltern Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
03-20 Wiltern Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
03-23 Congress Theatre - Chicago, IL
03-24 Royal Oak Theatre - Detroit, MI
03-25 Kool Haus - Toronto, Ontario
03-27 Metropolis - Montreal, Ontario
03-28 Orpheum Theatre - Boston, MA
03-30 United Palace Theatre - New York, NY
03-31 United Palace Theatre - New York, NY
05-12 Estragon - Bologna, Italy
05-13 Alcatraz - Milan, Italy
Oh Karen O, such the tease. But your bandmates
would kick my ass if they heard me call you that. On
a posting on the bands website dated Wedensday,
Karen O hints at the fact that they are ready to
move on from their stellar 2006 sophomore effort
Show Your Bones. Controversially seen as too
produced or pure genious, the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s have
their work cut out on their third album. But, I’ll
let you hear it from Karen’s mouth herself:
“We are about to be reunited in NYC for the
rest of March, working on a savory project that we
hope all of you will dig into eventually, second
helpings advised- you’ll hear more from us very very
soon in regards to this…Brian has been drumming up
multiple performances in Brooklyn he has no
performance anxiety, he go all night, he go boom.
Nick is bouncing around the globe and when I say
“globe” I mean the 5 boroughs! Last I heard from him
he was eating something really crunchy on the other
side of the phone. I’m getting over a cold that has
taken my voice away, such a relief, I use that thing
too much. Just wanted to tip y’all off on my
favorite new records, “Nine Time That Same Song” by
Love is All, I know it’s said often but I can’t
remember the last time I’ve listened to a Record
over again and then over again and then again again.
Check them out if you’re a curious person with
“needs”. The other is “Cryptograms” by Deerhunter,
mine ears have heard the glory of Bradford COX, not
too badlookin’ these guys either. In fact they are
good lookin, yeah, go look’em up!”
Let’s not look too much into this like it’s the
numbers from Lost or anything, but could the 5
boroughs and Deerhunter reference be proof the band
is starting to itch for their sound of yore? With no
tour dates in site, the band does have some time to
kill. Only time will tell.
Day jobs can drain the marrow out of steal. Just
ask Casette founder and frontman Devin Smith. His
musical creation was a side step from his 9-5 of
working at a frame shop and art supply store.
Thankfully, a demo tape pieced together in the wee
hours of the morning got in the right hands and
Cassette was no longer just a thought. His solo
outing offered the track ‘Beautiful California’
which was picked up by Visa for their commercials.
But he still needed something more stable.
Thankfully, Cassette is a true band now with wicked
drum man Richard Hargett, Matt Gajewski on Gutar,
Rajan Purcell on bass and Patrick Hart on keys.
Their self titled band debut is an amazing feat of
jazz and rock. The album is scheduled to be released
this month from Atomisk Records. You can check out
two of the albums offerings ‘Ladybug’ and ‘Shaved’.
Val Kilmer swinging swords at midgets they’re
not. No, the Willowz are loud and stand tall as post
garage rock that equal their mind bender tracks from
films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and
The Science of Sleep. Aside from Michel Gondry’s
love affair with the California punk group (and ours
for that matter), the band is just weeks away from
the release of their anticipated album Chautaugua.
You can catch the act at this years SXSW and on the
road into May as they support the new album.
Track Listing:
01 Beware
02 Take a Look Around
03 Jubilee
04 Nobody
05 Evil Son
06 Siren Song
07 Warship
08 All I Need
09 Waiting to Fall
10 Choose a Side
11 Once and a While
12 Big Knob
13 Yesterdays Lost
14 Lonesome Gods
03-11 Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO
03-12 Conservatory - Oklahoma City, OK
03-14 Flamingo Cantina [SXSW] - Austin, TX
03-15 Sonny’s Vintage Offbeat Goods [SXSW] - Austin,
TX
03-15 Dim Mak/Nylon [SXSW] - Austin, TX
03-17 Habana Calle (Nick Drake Trib) [SXSW] -
Austin, TX
03-20 Cinespace [Release Party] - Hollywood, CA
03-30 Spaceland - Los Angeles, CA
04-03 12 Galaxies - San Francisco, CA
04-06 Towne Lounge - Portland, OR
04-07 The Sunset - Seattle, WA
04-10 The Aquarium - Fargo, ND
04-11 The Turf Club - St. Paul, MN
04-12 Vaudeville Mews - Des Moines, IA
04-13 Zooleggers - Lafayette, IN
04-14 Beat Kitchen - Chicago, IL
04-15 Main Stage - Green Bay, WI
04-17 Kraftbrau Brewery - Kalamazoo, MI
04-19 The Blackout Festival @ The Union - Athens, OH
04-21 Beachland - Cleveland, OH
04-22 The Red & Black - Washington DC
04-27 Asbury Lanes - Asbury Park, NJ
04-28 Pa’s Lounge - Boston, MA
05-02 Horseshoe - Toronto, Ontario
05-03 The Bug Jar - Rochester, NY
05-07 Birdy’s - Indianapolis, IN
05-09 Springwater - Nashville, TN
05-11 The Milestone - Charlotte, NC
05-14 New World Brewery - Tampa, FL
05-15 Blackbooth - Orlando, FL
05-29 Plush - Tucson, AZ
Ex Kill Rock Star children The Gossip have
garnered their own windfall. The original riot grrrl
movement trio from Arkansas is moving over to
Columbia Records. Viewed as major on many levels,
band frontwoman Beth Ditto’s often times outspoken
nature has not only been controversial but supported
by many fellow gay and lesbian groups. Only
befitting then that the Columbia subsidiary Music
With A Twist will handle the acts releases as a self
proclaimed lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and trans
gendered development group for artists.
Remember Granddaddy? Not the mothball smelling
one you see on the holidays, but the indie act from
the 90’s? Before they broke up a year ago, they had
a run of good luck with product placement and a song
in the creepy flick 28 Days Later. Of course,
nothing is forever but out of its ashes, the bands
guitarist Jim Fairchild rose to create his own –
softer voice. Going at it solo from a group that was
climbing to their own perverbial top – Jim has
started from the ground up again. His new album,
Ten Readings of A Warning was a solo love affair
that was recorded up and down the West Coast on
borrowed time and space. Says Jim of the experience:
"There wasn't any backing yet. I just set up
whatever gear I had in the kitchen of our borrowed
house in Portland, and our living room in Los
Angeles. It sounds like the places it was recorded
in. You can hear the walls, and the floors, and the
ceilings, and you can hear the cars, and the trees,
and the guys selling drugs outside."
The album hits stores on April 24th but you can
check out the single ‘Moth In A Cloud Of Smoke’
below. Jim and his cohorts will also be at SXSW as
well as surrounding Chicago in the month of March
with the likes of office favorite Peter Walker as
well as opening with the Decemberists in April.
Choice Sounds:
All Smiles ‘Moth In A Cloud Of Smoke’
No Budget Tour:
03-12 Schuba’s - Chicago, IL *
03-15 Mother Egan's Irish Pub [SXSW] - Austin, TX
03-19 Schuba's - Chicago, IL @
03-25 South Union Arts Center - Chicago, IL ^
03-26 Schuba's - Chicago, IL +
04-05 City Hall – Nashville, TN $
04-06 Tabernacle – Atlanta GA $
* with Philip E Karnats and the Prototypes
@ with Peter Walker and Dappled Cities
^ The One AM Radio
+ with Sally Timms and Matt Focht
$ with The Decemberists
Maybe it was the influential moments while
covering We Are Scientist material that drove Art
Brut back to the studios. Or maybe it was to prove
they were more than a one trick pony. Regardless,
it’s pretty safe to say that everyone wins. Art Brut
is currently in the studio working on the followup
to their 2005 debut Bang Bang Rock and Roll.
Confirmed songs for the untitled album are ‘Post
Soothing Out’, ‘St. Pauli’, ‘Blame It On The
Trains’, and ‘Direct Hit’. Here’s hoping the troupe
complete their recordings before they hit the road
in April surely to test out the new material. What,
it’s not like they are under any pressure to follow
up with a critically acclaimed debut.
Artsy Fartsy Tour:
04-17 Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
04-18 Studio B - Brooklyn, NY
04-19 Mod Club - Toronto, ON
04-20 Subterranean - Chicago, IL
04-21 Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA
04-23 Cardiff University - Cardiff
04-24 Leeds University - Leeds
04-25 Nottingham Rock City - Nottingham
04-26 Manchester Ritz - Manchester
04-27 Liverpool University - Liverpool
04-30 Bristol Academy - Bristol
05-01 Southampton Guildhall - Southampton
05-02 Norwich UEA - Norwich
05-03 Birmingham Carling Academy - Birmingham
05-05 Barrowlands - Glasgow
05-06 Music Hall - Aberdeen
05-07 Manor Quay - Sunderland
05-08 Stage 1 - Northumbria
05-11 Shepherds Bush Empire London – London
Holy hell! If my brother was like this I’d have
more nightmares than just the run of the mill
sock-turned-into a gladiator weapon ala Full Metal
Jacket. Panda Bears must have had a tough time
growing up with siblings then. Their new video for
the song ‘Bros’ conjures up such fears. Of course,
it may cause epilepsy or metal breakdown for its odd
use of as kaleidoscope induced heaves.
When we were first told about the Leeds foursome
The Sunshine Underground, we were more confused than
G.W. in a spelling contest. Words like ‘party-indie’
and ‘psychedelic punk’ were implacable descriptions.
So, being the music gurus we are, we dove into their
work instead of relying on the ten cent adjectives.
But, fuck if they weren’t right. The rock outfit is
party perfection, a fist of funk, and enough punk
variety to get a crowd of Brain Candy patients to
feel a lot more than just 72 degrees in the head.
The fact that they have yet to tap into the US
market is mind boggling. The troupe first made an
impression last year by opening for LCD Soundsystem
but if their debut Raise The Alarm is any indication
of things to come – then be prepared to hear more
about them shortly after SXSW when US labels will do
the band justice and release the album stateside.
Still don’t know the sound? Hell even the band
members joke that they can’t categorize their
multi-influenced gigs. The band was named after the
Chemical Brothers track ‘TSU Love Beats and Grooves’
which probably best fits their dance floor indie
style of music. Disco influenced tracks like ‘Wake
Up’ and the stellar ‘Dead Scene’ are a romp. I guess
File Under a cross bread of Blur and Radiohead but
you’d still be robbing yourself of figuring out a
name for their sound.
Track Listing:
01 Wake Up
02 Put You in Your Place
03 Dead Scene
04 Way It Is
05 Commercial Breakdown
06 Somebody's Always Getting in the Way
07 Borders
08 Panic Attack
09 I Ain't Losing Any Sleep
10 My Army 11. Raise the Alarm
Southern rock is about to get kicked in its
oversized rear by youth packed outfit The Sammies.
The North Carolina four part band that consists of
two brothers (Donnie and Frank) are already getting
some major face time thanks to shows like Friday
Night Lights and Wildfire. But what is amazing
enough is that their self titled debut is turning
heads as well. But if you’ve been dormant since last
year, we’re here to get you back up to speed. Check
out stellar tracks ‘Falling Out’ and ‘Caretaker’
below.
Oh hell, another white room video. No wait, this
is kick-your-nuts outfit Kings of Leon we’re talking
about here. VW commercials aside, these are the
least-likely-to-sellout candidates. The Southern
Blues rock group has just released the video for ‘On
Call’ – the first single off their forth coming
Because of the Times album. Of course, we didn’t say
it was great but who need video superiority when you
can rock the pants off a gorilla?
Whether its Adams trying to get in touch with his
inner Tiger or just trying to be more introspective,
we have no explanation for this one: Ryan Adams is
playing Stonehenge. Yes, the Stonehenge that you
remember from Time Magazine’s Exploring the
Unexplained book series (you know you stay up late,
fool!). Hot off the news of his ninth planned studio
album Easy Tiger, Adams has announced he will in
fact play at the Salisbury International Art
Festival. Maybe he’s trying to conjure up sales
considering that he’ll be playing the same day his
album hits store shelves (June 5th) on the other
part of the world.
Sam Beam of Iron and Wine fame is ready to woo
your significant other once again. Hell, it worked
for Sarah Beam (that’s the better half and often
time collaborator). It’s like the auditory form of
the Corvette circa 1987. Sub Pop is reporting that
the much anticipated album The Shepherd’s Dog will
be released in Autumn/late September and is
considered the true follow up to 2004’s beloved Our
Endless Numbered Days – despite numerous EP works in
between.
Track Listing:
01 Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car
02 White Tooth Man
03 Lovesong of the Buzzard
04 Carousel
05 House by the Sea
06 Innocent Bones
07 Wolves (Song of the Shepherd's Dog)
08 Resurrection Fern
09 Boy With a Coin
10 The Devil Never Sleeps
11 Peace Beneath the City
12 Flightless Bird, American Mouth
We’ll be honest, dolls scare the crap out of us.
Therefore it took us several attempts to make it
thru Belle Orchestre’s new video for the song ‘Throw
It On A Fire’. Thankfully, we made it but you
shouldn’t hesitate to check out this Arcade
Fire-like prodigy’s latest effort. Lord knows we’re
growing tired of the other Fire and welcome this one
from the adjacent Canadian troupe. Even a bit of
info on them you may not know, they actually shared
the same studio as Arcade Fire’s home for Funeral. I
guess that’s how they hooked up for the tour as
well.
Conor Oberst – better known as killing em’ softly
with his swan songs – is ready to hit the road in
anticipation of is new full length Cassadaga. Under
the mantra of Bright Eyes, Conor is also wrapping up
a current late winter tour in smaller venues. After
which, he’ll take a short brake only to do it all
over again to drum up support for the new album.
03-07 El Rey - Los Angeles, CA
03-08 El Rey - Los Angeles, CA
03-09 Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA
03-10 Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA
03-11 Showbox - Seattle, WA
04-22 Beer Theatre – Milwaukee, WI
04-23 Riviera Theatre – Chicago, IL
04-24 Riviera Theatre – Chicago, IL
04-25 State Theatre – Minneapolis, MN
04-26 Holland Performing Arts Center - Omaha, NE
04-28 Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre - Denver, CO
04-29 Kingsbury Hall - Salt Lake City, UT
05-01 Paramount Theatre - Seattle, WA
05-02 Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR
05-04 Greek Theatre - Berkeley, CA
05-05 Arlington Theatre - Santa Barbara, CA
05-06 Walt Disney Concert Hall - Los Angeles, CA
05-08 SOMA - San Diego, CA
05-09 Mesa Amphitheatre - Tempe, AZ
05-11 Palladium Ballroom - Dallas, TX
05-12 Cain's Ballroom - Tulsa, OK
05-13 Bass Concert Hall - Austin, TX
05-14 Republic - New Orleans, LA
05-16 Tampa Theatre - Tampa, FL
05-17 Hard Rock Live - Orlando, FL
05-18 Fox Theatre - Atlanta, GA
05-19 Ryman Auditorium - Nashville, TN
05-20 Wexner Center for the Arts - Columbus, OH
05-21 Royal Oak Music Theatre - Detroit, MI
05-22 Massey Hall – Toronto, BC
05-24 Wang Center for the Performing Arts – Boston,
MA
05-25 Town Hall - New York, NY
05-26 Town Hall - New York, NY
05-28 Town Hall - New York, NY
05-29 Town Hall - New York, NY
05-30 Town Hall - New York, NY
05-31 Town Hall - New York, NY
06-01 Town Hall - New York, NY
We haven’t been this excited for the Norse to
head to the states since the Vanir clan whipped up
on Jotun. But our ending is much better than Loki
taking it on the chin and this has nothing to do
with mythology but everything to do with The Øya
Festival! In a partnership with Oh My Rockness, The
Øya Festival will bring three Norwegian acts to New
York City and SXSW. The bands – Datarock, The
Lionheart Brothers, and New Violators are considered
three up and coming and much loved Norwegian acts. A
bit more history (this time in the now) The Øya
Festival is considered THE premier festival in
Norway garnering over 45,000 attendees each year.
The fact that they are setting sail for US shores
shows the influence that not only the Festival has
but the music of the homeland on US listeners.
But nothing would chant ‘U.S.A.’ like a rivalry akin
to the Sharks and Jets. And that’s just what Oh My
Rockness is ready to lay down at SXSW. Dubbed
“Norway vs. The U.S. of A”, Norwegian acts Datarock,
The Lionheart Brothers and New Violators will square
off in a rock contest against US up and coming acts
The Ponys, Ra Ra Riot, and Cloud Cult.
The Lionheart Brothers are comprised of two original
members of Serena Maneesh and one from Pensatos.com
favorite 120 Days and are self described as “Brian
Wilson meets My Bloody Valentine.” New Violators are
made from the ashes of rock trio Cadillac but this
time with a dark new wave pop sound. Datarock is
mart trance and part funk but have been together the
longest of the aforementioned Norse acts and are
quickly picking up steam overseas.
Øya Festival & Oh My Rockness presents:
12th of March
NYC - Tonic
10.30pm New Violators (N)
9.30pm The Lionheart Brothers (N)
8.30pm Die Romantic (US)
Øya Festival and Oh My Rockness at SXSW presents:
15th of March
SXSW - Emo´s JR
1am The Ponys
12am Datarock
11pm The Lionheart Brothers
10pm Cloud Cult
9pm New Violators
8pm Ra Ra Riot
Can’t see him? That’s because he’s camouflaged!
Brooklyn based Tim Fite’s recent single ‘Camoflage’
is making more noise than just music in the
community. Already on the roster for the 2007
Bonnaroo Festival, Fite’s biting political banter
that borders folk and urban hip hop akin to the days
of Public Enemy is drumming up some much deserved
praise in the community as well. He recently
released Over The Counter Culter for free via
download thru his website [www.timfite.com] and his
video for ‘Camoflage’ is quickly climbing the ranks
on YouTube.
While many have argued that The Twilight Sad are
nothing new, we often times interject with a foot to
their face. The Glasgow troupe is anything but with
towering guitar lines and passionate rhythm that are
sodden with engaging vocals. Of course, their time
has been brief in the US in the past but they are
making another round to prove their worth. The band
will be joined on the road by indie darlings Mary
Timony and Aerogramme not to mention a big group of
shows at this years SXSW. A UK tour is also in the
works that will support office adored Micah P Hinson
and Troubles.
The Twilight Sad have followed up their much loved
self titled EP with their debut album, Fourteen
Autumns and Fifteen Winters. The album goes a
step further by imploring a more unique sound akin
to that of Sigur Ros and was overseen by Peter Katis
whose previous works included Spoon and Interpol.
The album hits stores on April 3rd.
The Twilight of Winter Tour:
03-19 The Bottletree Lounge - Birmingham, AL *
03-20 Village Tavern - Mt Pleasant, SC *
03-21 King's Lounge - Raleigh, NC *
03-22 The Boot - Norfolk, VA *
03-23 Black Cat - Washington, DC *
04-01 Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA +
04-02 Knitting Factory - New York, NY +
04-03 Luna Lounge - Brooklyn, NY +
04-04 The Middle East - Cambridge, MA +
04-05 Main Hall - Montreal, QC +
04-06 El Mocambo - Toronto, ON +
04-07 Casbah - Hamilton, ON +
04-09 Subterranean - Chicago, IL +
04-10 7th St Entry - Minneapolis, MN +
04-13 Crocodile Café - Seattle, WA +
04-14 Dante's - Portland, OR +
04-15 The Independent - San Francisco, CA +
04-16 Downtown Brew - San Luis Obispo, CA +
04-17 Casbah - San Diego, CA +
04-18 Knitting Factory - Los Angeles, CA +
04-19 Modified - Phoenix, AZ +
04-21 Emo's - Austin, TX +
04-22 Hailey's - Denton, TX +
Video: Charlotte Gainsbourg ‘The Songs That We
Sing’
Silky sexy vox is a weakness we admittedly have.
Add atop that some convincing movie roles to back up
that claim. And
Charlotte Gainsbourg knows how to hit all our
buttons to perfection by making even the word
‘potato’ sound sexy. Of course, she’s aided by some
heavy hitters on her recent effort 5:55. The music
is by Air while the lyrics were put togethery by
Jarvis Cocker of Pulp fame.
On April 24, Because Records will be releasing the
album for the masses. You can check out the single
‘The Songs That We Sing’ in video form below in
order to fall in love with her voice as well.
Track Listing:
01 5:55
02 AF607105
03 Operation
04 Tel Que Tu Es
05 Songs That We Sing
06 Beauty Mark
07 Little Monsters
08 Jamais
09 Night-Time Intermission
10 Everything I Cannot See
11 Morning Songs
Video: Charlotte Gainsbourg ‘The Songs That We Sing’
On one side of the dial we have the potential of
Sonic Youth influence and on the other is the mellow
attitude of Elliot Smith. Somewhere in between falls
Kinetic Stereokids and their experimental rock. In
fact, so different is their sound, the band has
shared the stage with experimental outfits like
Explosions in the Sky and Trail of the Dead – to
name a few. You can check out what we mean with two
full downloads of the songs ‘Cold and Tired’ and
‘Barefoot In the Rain’ off their new album
Basement
Kids.
Track Listing:
01 Mindfuck
02 Red Star
03 Low Blood Sugar
04 Explosion Were Heard
05 Donuts Are Here
06 Barefoot In the Rain
07 Times Are Ruff
08 Cold and Tired
09 Positive Vibrations
10 The Way Things Were
We are thinking about renaming the site Feist R
Us. Seriously. But when its her, we have no
arguments. Especially when she keeps teasing us with
new material off her upcoming album Reminder [see
previous stories below]. It’s just a sample but damnit if we don’t love her for it. Check out a clip
of her new song ‘My Moon My Man’
Expanding at the rate of the bands ego, Clap Your
Hands Say Yeah continues to add dates to its US tour
to include some oft-passed upon venues of choice in
little visited Americana. This time around they’re
giving the love to Missouri and Indiana on the last
leg of their US romp as well as announcing some hot
dates in Australia.
Expand The Hands Tour:
04-10 Lupos Heartbreak Hotel - Providence, RI
04-11 Pearl Street Night Club – Northampton, MA
04-12 Higher Ground - Burlington, VT
04-13 Metropolis – Montreal, CAN
04-14 Kool Haus - Toronto, CAN
04-15 The Town Ballroom - Buffalo, NY
04-17 Cannery Ballroom - Nashville, TN
04-18 Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA
04-19 40 Watt - Athens, GA
04-20 Freebird - Jacksonville, FL
04-21 The Club at Firestone - Orlando, FL
04-22 Revolution - Fort Lauderdale, FL
04-24 Republic - New Orleans, LA
04-26 Warehouse Live – Houston, TX
04-27 Granada Theatre - Dallas, TX
04-28 Stubb's BBQ – Austin, TX
04-30 VooDoo Lounge - Kansas City, MO
05-01 The Blue Note - Columbia, MO
05-02 The Pageant - St. Louis, MO
05-03 Vogue Theater - Indianapolis, IN
05-21 Hi Fi Bar - Melbourne, Australia
05-22 Hi Fi Bar- Melbourne, Australia
05-23 Enmore - Sidney, Australia
05-24 The Zoo - Brisbane, Australia
05-25 The Zoo - Brisbane, Australia
Festivals rock, but the waste that litters most
of them is arguably a sore sight. One of our peeves
over the years has been flyers dropped moments after
attainment at the entrance gates only to litter the
field for the festival’s remainder. Thankfully, the
smart folk at Fanatic Promotion – home to past
greats like Sufjan Stevens and My Morning Jacket
understand this and have gone green. In a continued
effort to eliminate waste, Fanatic is pushing their
SXSW Austin Texas lineup via e-card – a practice
instilled since CMJ 2006 by the group. The e-card
goes a step further than the typical paper flyer by
allowing you to stream all the music from
participating artists and check out more info about
each. Check it out at
http://www.fanaticpromotion.com/ecards/sxsw07.
Might we suggest The Winterpills for your needy
ears?
Speaking of SXSW, Fanatic is throwing down by
hosting a daytime party for those who never stop.
This year they are returning to the Luck Lounge –
the same site where Fanatic hosted The Decemberists
as the headliners. The event – aptly titled “They
Said It Couldn’t Be Done! Ten Bands In Five Hours”
Showcase will feature an insane setlist of bands
from 2PM to 7PM.
03-14
04:00PM: HELLO STRANGER - The Mohawk (912 Red River)
04:00PM: THE OCTOPUS PROJECT - Red Eyed (715 Red
River)
08:00PM: PEEL - Blender Balcony (320 E 6th St)
09:00PM: PALAXY TRACKS - Blender Balcony (320 E 6th
St)
10:30PM: JACK - Beauty Bar Patio (617 E 7th St)
11:00PM: YO MAJESTY - Beauty Bar (617 E 7th St.)
12:00AM: THE SAMMIES - Light Bar (408 Congress Ave)
12:45AM: ANNUALS - Beauty Bar Patio (617 E 7th St)
01:00AM: BLACK MOTH - Blender Balcony (320 E 6th St)
01:00AM: DAYLIGHT'S FOR THE BIRDS - Latitude 30 (512
San Jacinto St)
03-15
02:30PM: THE CLUTTERS - Longbranch Inn (1133 E 11th
St)
04:30PM: HOPEWELL - Birds Barbershop (2110 S. Lamar)
04:30PM: THE OCTOPUS PROJECT - Red Eyed Fly (715 Red
River)
09:30PM: OLD TIME RELIJUN - Emo's IV Lounge (601 Red
River St)
10:30PM: SHOUT OUT OUT OUT OUT - Beauty Bar Patio
(617 E 7th St)
10:30PM: THIS MOMENT IN BLACK HISTORY - Blender
Balcony (320 E 6th St)
11:00PM: DANAVA - Bourbon Rocks (508 E 6th St)
11:00PM: THE OCTOPUS PROJECT - Emo's Main Room (603
Red River St)
11:00PM: WINTERPILLS - Momo's (618 W 6th St)
12:00AM: CHEESEBURGER - Bourbon Rocks (508 E 6th St)
12:00AM: NORTHERN STATE - The Tap Room at Six (117 W
4th St)
01:00AM: VIETNAM - Bourbon Rocks (508 E 6th St)
03-16
12:00PM: CHEESEBURGER - Longbranch Inn (1133 E 11th
St)
12:00PM: ANNUALS - The Mohawk (912 Red River)
12:00PM: SHOUT OUT OUT OUT OUT - The Mohawk (912 Red
River)
12:00PM: GIRL TALK - Emo's (603 Red River St)
01:50PM: PALAXY TRACKS - Bella Blue Boutique (2213 S
1st St)
02:00PM: VIETNAM - Red Eyed Fly (715 Red River)
02:40PM: HOPEWELL Bella Blue Boutique (2213 S 1st
St)
03:30PM: PEEL - Bella Blue Boutique (2213 S 1st St)
05:10PM: BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW - Bella Blue
Boutique (2213 S 1st St)
08:00PM: AUTOMUSIK - Habana Calle 6 (709 E 6th St)
08:00PM: THE DEAD BODIES - Co-Op Bar (400 E 6th St)
09:00PM: HELLO STRANGER - BD Riley's (204 E 6th St)
10:30PM: RUBY ISLE - Club One 15 (115 San Jacinto
St)
11:00PM: LESBIAN - Spiro's (615 Red River St)
11:00PM: PAGE FRANCE - Maggie Mae's (323 E 6th St)
12:00AM: THE CLUTTERS - Habana Calle 6 (709 E 6th
St)
12:00AM: WOODEN SHJIPS - Spiro's (615 Red River St)
12:10AM: HOPEWELL - Club One 15 (115 San Jacinto St)
03-17
02:00PM: FANATIC DAY PARTY - See Above For Details
06:00PM: ANNUALS - PureVolume Outdoors (229 East 2nd
St)
08:00PM: FANATIC SHOWCASE - See Above For Details
09:00PM: PETE & THE PIRATES - La Zona Rosa (612 W
4th St)
10:00PM: MEW - La Zona Rosa (612 W 4th St)
11:00PM: WINTERSLEEP - The Ale House (310 E 6th St
Alley Entrance)
11:00PM: TWO TON BOA - Emo's IV Lounge (601 Red
River St)
12:00AM: KID606 - Beauty Bar (617 E 7th St)
Fans of the Brooklyn white kids-made-good – The
Beastie Boys – are common place to be patient. The
trio’s track record for releasing new material
equals that of a Pixies reunion album – sometimes
feeling like it will never happen. That’s why, when
we received word that Mike D, Adrock and MCA were
ready to release a new album this summer – just
three years after their last release (2004’s The 5
Burroughs) we nearly said Hello to our own nasty.
But according to those close to the band, the trio
plan to release the as-of-yet untitled effort this
summer – barring any setbacks with tested material
on the road. Seeing as one of the said major events
they will be playing at is Sasquatch! Festival out
West, I’d hate to be a fan who disses the new
material into hiding for another three years. Here’s
hoping the band returns to Ill Communication form
once again and sooner than later.
Hailed by fellow UK artists such as Arctic
Monkeys, Bloc Party and Futureheads shouting praises
– the Mystery Jets are apparently the second coming
of Christ himself. And while we are still out
deliberating the comparisons to that of Pink Floyd
and David Bowie, we won’t argue the fact that they
can pull a psychedelic rock sound like its no one
else’s business. Weather its folk, soul or electric,
the band seemingly embraces any sound as if it were
their own. To boot - veteran rockers can hate the
fact that these lads are just hitting their
twenties. The bands debut, Making Dens, should hit
US soil on March 27th.
Track Listing:
01 Introduction
02 You Can’T Fool Me Dennis
03 Purple Prose
04 Soluable In Air
05 Boy Who Ran Away
06 Summertime Den
07 Horse Drawn Cart
08 Zootime
09 Little Bag Of Hair
10 Diamonds In The Dark
11 Alas Agnes
12 Making Dens
Making Tours:
05-28 Drake Hotel - Toronto, ONT
05-29 Drake Hotel - Toronto, ONT
05-31 Great Scott - Boston, MA
06-01 Joe's Pub (Acoustic Show) - New York, NY
06-02 Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
06-04 Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL
06-05 Schubas - Chicago, IL
06-08 Crocodile Café - Seattle, WA
06-09 Doug Fir - Portland, OR
06-11 Café Du Nord (Acoustic Show) - San
Francisco, CA
06-12 Independent (Electric Show) - San Francisco,
CA
06-13 Spaceland (CLUB NME NIGHT) - Los Angeles, CA
06-14 Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA
March may just be Canadian rapper Candice
Weapon’s prime with the debut Breaking Kayfabe
getting US release (finally) on March 13th, a recent
deal with Anti-Epitaph, and an appearance at SXSW in
Austin. The electro-banging hip-hop maestro has just
released a video for ‘Sharks’ off his upcoming album
that was directed by Chris Grismer (Arcade Fire).
Check it out below and wait patiently for our review
of the album next week.
