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Friendo Debuts New LP And Announces Tour Dates
Friendo is not typically known for their conventional ways and generic sound. Instead, this band enjoys pushing the envelope and seeking out new ways to expand their musical horizons. With their recent release, entitled Cold Toads, band members Michael, Nicole and Henry decided to swap instruments allowing them to embark on new creative territory.
Heavily influenced by the sounds of ‘90s experimental rock, ‘70s punk and ‘60s pop, Friendo has recorded a unique masterpiece within the confines of their home and has self-released the album in a retro and smart format, the cassette tape. The album has now been picked up by the St Ives label which is run by Secretly Canadian and the band is releasing 200 limited edition, hand crafted vinyl albums to run alongside the digital iTunes release in addition to the previously released cassette tape format.
Friendo just made their way through the UK and Europe on a two week tour playing with bands like BRAIDS and Future Islands. For more information about Cold Toad and Friendo, visit the band’s site here.
Cut Off Your Hands Announce Release Of New Album In August
New Zealand band Cut Off Your Hands have announced that they will be releasing the follow up to their 2008 album later this summer. The album entitled Hollow will be a mixture of new sounds and a rediscovered passion for playing music from band front man Nick Johnston. After 2008′s release of You & I, the band embarked on a three year tour and endured many personnel changes within the band, all of which left Johnston feeling a little disillusioned about music and wondering what his future would be.
“Something clicked in the time off between records,” says Johnston. “As I stopped worrying about what we should be doing, I began listening to records out of pure fun again and they ended up really influencing my writing.”
The result is a masterful sound of melancholic guitar riffs and melodies influenced by bands such as Echo & the Bunnymen, the Byrds, Bob Dylan and fellow countrymen the Bats and Bird Nest Roys. This time out, the band knew which direction they wanted this album to go and how they wanted this album to sound.
“A big thing for me was getting out of that songwriting slump,” explains Johnston, “realizing that making music is still meaningful for me.”
Hollow will be released on August 16th via Frenchkiss Records. There are plans for a US tour following the release.
Tracklisting
You Should Do Better
Hollowed Out
Fooling No One
Nausea
By Your Side
All It Takes
Oh Hell
Down and Out
Buried
Cut Off Your Hands To Relase New Album In August
New Zealand band Cut Off Your Hands have announced that they will be releasing the follow up to their 2008 release later this summer. The album entitled Hollow will be a mixture of new sounds and a rediscovered passion for playing music from band front man Nick Johnston. After 2008′s release of You & I, the band embarked on a three year tour and endured many personnel changes within the band, all of which left Johnston feeling a little disillusioned about music and wondering what his future would be.
“Something clicked in the time off between records,” says Johnston. “As I stopped worrying about what we should be doing, I began listening to records out of pure fun again and they ended up really influencing my writing.”
The result is a masterful sound of melancholic guitar riffs and melodies influenced by bands such as Echo & the Bunnymen, the Byrds, Bob Dylan and fellow countrymen the Bats and Bird Nest Roys.
DATAROCK Releases “California” Remix
Norway’s DATAROCK have a long-standing reputation for creating a unique sound which encompasses elements of new wave, indie dance and funk music. They recently released Catcher in the Rye, dubbed “the most extravagant single in history”, as well as a secret EP titled California featuring tracks that will be featured in the upcoming DATAROCK-the musical.
This week, the group also released a remix by Ralph Myers of the title track from the EP on BigShot. Both California and Catcher In the Rye can be purchased on iTunes. And adding a little fun flair to the release of the single for TheCatcher In The Rye, fans can also purchase a collectible designer toy with a USB stick from SUPER7. The USB stick features 113 tracks, 1500 photos taken at various shows with stops in 33 countries along with 20 music videos, Never Say Die, a brand new hour-long concert film as well as some other rarities and b-sides.
Check out the remix of “California“.
Phenomenal Handclap Band’s Quinn Luke’s New Solo Project
Disco lovers can rejoice in the funkadelic sounds of Quinn Luke’s solo project, Bing Ji Ling. Luke, of Phenomenal Handclap Band fame, has just released Shadow To Shine on March 22nd via Tummy Touch Records. The sound is a journey back in time when disco balls and platform shoes were a staple but with a modern twist. Luke is embracing the 70s indie retro sound, making disco fun again and is quickly moving to the forefront of this new style of music.
Bing Ji Ling, mandarin for ice cream, sparks nostalgia for those days of ABBA, Earth, Wind & Fire, and early Beck. His refreshing retro vibe is making people want to get up and shake their groove thing. Bing Ji Ling is setting out on a bi-coastal tour in support of the album. Check out the first single, “Everybody“.
Tour dates:
April 23rd- San Fran, CA – Burritt Room @ The Crescent Hotel W/ Tommy Guerrero
April 25th – Los Angeles, CA – Silverlake Lounge
April 26th – Costa Mesa Live, CA – Mesa
April 27th- Costa Mesa Live, CA- Mesa (DJ set) w/DJ Scotty Coats
April 28th- Los Angeles, CA- Dance Right @ La Cita (DJ set) w/DJ Scotty Coats
April 29th- Santa Anna, CA- Obey Radio @ The Crosby (DJ set)
Figurines And An Horse Premiere Videos on MTV2
With their recent stellar performance at SXSW behind them, Australian duo An Horse are wasting no time in conjuring up interest in their latest single “Dressed Sharply”. The first single off their highly anticipated new album, Walls, premiered on MTV2 last week. You can catch it on the MTV.com Buzzworthy site here. Walls will hit stores on April 26th via Mom+Pop Music and to celebrate its release, An Horse will kick off its tour at New York City’s Knitting Factory and then heading south sharing dates with Alkaline Trio and Manchester Orchestra.
And in other news, the Danish trio Figurines will be releasing their self-titled third album via The Control Group on April 12th. The band launched its video for “Hanging From Above” on MTV.com Hive. MTV also featured the band’s track “Free Today” on a recent episode of “Skins”. In support of their new album, Figurines are hitting the road in the northeastern U.S. for the first time in nearly four years.
Check out An Horse and Figurines on their latest tour.
Figurines Tour:
6/12/11 – Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live
Bad News For Klaxons Fans
British band Klaxons announced last Friday that they will have to cancel the majority of the dates of their upcoming tour due to “unforseen circumstances”. The announcement will certainly be a huge bummer for fans hoping to catch the act at this year’s Coachella festival or Ultra Music Festival. As an apology to their fans, Klaxons is offering those that can prove they have tickets to one of the cancelled gigs an opportunity to download an unreleased track for free. Only two dates of the original 17 stop tour remain; the Southside Festival and the Hurricane Festival, both scheduled for Germany in June. The cancelled dates are below.
March
25 Orlando, Fla. @ The Social (CANCELLED)
26 Miami, Fla. @ Ultra Music Festival (CANCELLED)
28 Boston, Mass. @ Paradise Rock Club (CANCELLED)
29 New York, N.Y. @ Webster Hall (CANCELLED)
30 Baltimore, Md. @ Ottobar (CANCELLED)
April
1 Columbus, Ohio @ The Basement (CANCELLED)
2 Chicago, Ill. @ Metro (CANCELLED)
3 Madison, Wisc. @ High Noon Saloon (CANCELLED)
5 Denver, Colo. @ Larimer Lounge (CANCELLED)
6 Salt Lake City, Utah @ Urban Lounge (CANCELLED)
8 Vancouver, British Columbia @ Venue (CANCELLED)
9 Seattle, Wash. @ Chop Suey (CANCELLED)
10 Portland, Ore, @ Doug Fir Lounge (CANCELLED)
12 San Francisco, Calif. @ The Fillmore (CANCELLED)
15 Indio, Calif. @ Coachella (CANCELLED)
June
18 Neuhausen ob Eck, Germany @ Southside Festival
Scanners Set To Tour The UK
London band Scanners will be releasing their second album Submarine on March 21st and to appease their ever growing fan base, they will be hitting the road in the UK.
The band has already been capturing quite a bit of attention with songs featured on shows like Gossip Girl, Entourage and Beverly Hills 90210. They have also caught the attention of some fellow bands and have shared with stage with the likes of Florence and The Machine, Air, The Wedding Present and Devo. Mega stations Radio One and XFM have shown their love for the band as well.
Submarine is a reflection of the band’s evolving sound that has matured over the years. With haunting vocals and rich layers of upbeat rhythms, their latest endeavor is a quick reminder as to why Scanners has made such an impact for fans in the USA and UK. And it seems there is no slowing down as they are already close to completion of their next album due out sometime next year. In the meantime, be sure to catch this amazing act on their current jaunt and keep an eye out for them as they continue to make their mark in the music world.
The Pierces Share A Conversation With Albert Hammond, Jr.
New York based sister act, The Pierces, recently caught up with their good friend Albert Hammond, Jr. of Strokes fame and the cameras were rolling the whole time giving fans and listeners a peek into their upcoming album and what life is like for the ladies.
Catherine and Allison Pierce’s soon to be released album, You & I, features a variety of well known names in the music world playing drums like Will Champion of Coldplay, Glenn Moule of Howling Bells and Matt Romano of Little Joy. The album also features guitar work from their dear friend, Albert Hammond Jr.
The video provides snippets into the lives of the Pierce sisters as they record shop in New York City and reminisce about their days as ballerinas, their emotionally grounded lyrics and their musical influences.
You & I, produced by Coldplay’s Guy Berryman and Grammy winning producer Rik Simpson, will be released on May 23rd on Polydor Records.
Check out clips of the interview here.
Vivian Girls ‘Share The Joy’ With Release Of Their New Single
Brooklyn-based all girl trio, Vivian Girls, are sparking interest in their latest album Share the Joy with the release of their first single, “I Heard You Say”. The album, which is the ladies’ third release but their debut on the Polyvinyl label, continues the ever evolving path of the group’s own mixture of garage thrash backed with their sweet melodic voices. Vivian Girls have been getting quite a bit of attention with their latest release as they venture into a more mature sound and have become very influential among young budding girl groups.
With their video for “I Heard You Say”, Vivian Girls keep the setting simple while letting the lyrics speak for themselves. Add in the nostalgic guitar and hard-hitting drums and the combination is the perfect blend.
Vivian Girls will launch their tour February 22nd in Los Angeles and will spend two months trekking across the US before coming to a close in Houston on April 29th. They will be sharing the stage various acts along the way including Catwalk, Cold Showers, Black Lips, Surfer Blood, Thee Oh Sees, The Strange Boys & more.
02/22 Los Angeles, CA The Smell !
02/25 Miami, FL Bruise Cruise ~
02/26 Miami, FL Bruise Cruise ~
02/27 Miami, FL Bruise Cruise ~
02/28 Miami, FL Bruise Cruise ~
04/05 Asheville, NC Sage Café / Warren Wilson College #
04/06 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle #
04/07 Baltimore, MD Ottobar #
04/08 Washington, DC Black Cat #
04/09 Philadelphia, PA The Trocodero #
04/12 New York, NY Webster Hall #
04/13 Providence, RI The Met Café #
04/14 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club #
04/15 Montreal, QC Le National #
04/16 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre #
04/17 Detroit, MI Magic Stick #
04/19 Columbus, OH Outland Live #
04/20 Newport, KY Southgate House #
04/21 St Louis, MO The Firebird #
04/22 Chicago, IL Logan Square Auditorium #
04/23 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater #
04/25 Omaha, NE The Waiting Room #
04/26 Kansas City, MO The Beaumont Club #
04/27 Dallas, TX The Loft #
04/28 Austin, TX Emo’s #
04/29 Houston, TX Fitzgeralds #
! = w/ Catwalk, Cold Showers
~ = w/ Black Lips, Surfer Blood, Thee Oh Sees, The Strange Boys & more
# = w/ Black Lips
GAYNGS To Hit The Road This Spring
The super group GAYNGS will be hitting the festival scene as part of their spring tour in support of their new album, Relayted. With over 20 musical contributors for the album, GAYNGS will have a full stage which will include artists like Justin Vernon and Mike Noyce of Bon Iver, GAYNGS ringleader Ryan Olson, Zak Coulter and Adam Hurlburt of Solid Gold, Jake Luck of Leisure Birds, Ivan Rosebud of The Rosebuds, Brad Cook and Joe Westerlund of Megafaun, and Mike Lewis of Andrew Bird and Happy Apple.
The band will kick off its tour March 6th in Minneapolis, MN before heading off to the Lone Star State for this year’s annual South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin. Then they head west and play the prestigious Coachealla Festival in Indio Valley, CA and finish their festival jaunt with an appearance at the Sasquatch Festival in Washington.
GAYNGS has already garnered quite a bit of attention receiving recognition from music aficionados like Stereogum and NME magazine as well as the New York Times and the BBC. It is clear that this amazing super group is not to be missed. Check out their latest track, “The Gaudy Side of Town”, here.
03/06/11 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
03/13/11 – 35 Conferette Festival – Denton, Texas
03/17/11 – Mohawk/ SXSW – Austin Texas
03/18/11 – Lustre Pearle/ Dickies Party / SXSW – Austin , Texas
04/15/11-17 – Coachella Music & Arts Fest – Indio, California
05/28/11- Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, Oregon
05/29/11 Sasquatch Music Festival – Quincy, Washington
06/01/11 – The Independent- San Francisco, California
06/04/11- The Casbah – San Diego, California
Delicate Steve To Premiere “Butterfly” Video On NPR
Don’t let his name fool as Steve Marion is anything but delicate when it comes to his playing and rockin’ arpeggios. With the upcoming release of his full-length album, Wondervisions, Delicate Steve is premiering his video for the single “Butterfly” on NPR this week.
In addition to the album’s release on Luaka Bop Records this week, Delicate Steve has also announced U.S. tour dates with shows kicking off Friday, February 4th at the Meat Locker in Montclair, NJ. Joining him for various dates on the road will be Akron/Family.
Check out Delicate Steve’s latest video for “Butterfly”.
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