Author Archive
Surfer Blood Make Tarot Classics
On October 25th, West Palm Beach based Surfer Blood will release Tarot Classics, an EP that marks the band’s first major release since their 2010 debut Astro Coast. Down below you can take a listen to the EP’s lead single “Miranda” and look over the band’s upcoming tour dates.
Tour Dates
8/31 Neumo’s – Seattle, WA
9/16 Echoplex – Los Angeles, CA
9/17 – The Getty – Losa Angeles, CA
9/21 Crowbar – Tampa, FL
9/22 Double Down Live – Gainesville, FL
10/27 The Wellmont Theatre – Montclair, NJ *
10/28 Asbury Park Convention Hall – Asbury Park, NJ *
10/29 Palace Theatre – Waterbury, CT *
10/30 Hampton Beach Ballroom – Hampton Beach, NH *
11/1 State Theatre – Portland, ME *
11/2 The Armory – Rochester, NY *
11/3 State Theatre Center for the Arts – Easton, PA *
11/5 Paramount Theatre – Huntington, NY *
11/6 Grand Opera House – Wilmington, DE*
11/7 Ottobar – Baltimore, MA
11/8 War Memorial Auditorium – Greensboro, NC*
11/9 Louisville Palace Theatre – Louisville, KY *
11/10 Tennessee Theatre – Knoxville, TN *
11/11 North Charleston Performing Arts Center – North Charleston,SC*
12/8 The Brixton Academy – London, UK ^
12/9 ATP – Somerset, UK
* w/ The Pixies
^ with The Vaccines
OK Go Meet The Muppets
With The Muppets slated for release in November, Disney is slowly trying to reintegrate the iconic band of puppets into the mainstream. They began running teasers for the film this past spring and on Tuesday they released Muppets: The Green Album, a collection of some of the Muppets biggest songs performed by some of today’s biggest acts.
OK Go were tasked with the responsibility of recording what is perhaps the Muppets most widely known tune, “The Muppet Show Theme Song.” Written by Jim Henson and Sam Pottle, the song opened and closed The Muppet Show for five seasons in the UK and US, from 1976-1981.
Down below, you can check out the newly released music video for OK Go’s take on the song. And then, set your DVR’s for the quartet’s August 31st performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. You’re not going to want to miss this as the band will be joined by some very, very special friends.
Warm Ghost Releases Video For Claws Overhead
As readers of this site are probably aware, Paul Duncan is currently recording under the moniker of Warm Ghost. Initially conceived as side project that would allow him to experiment with electronics, synthesizers, drum machines and processed field recordings, Warm Ghost has grown into a full-fledged collaboration with Oliver Chapoy.
With their debut LP slated for release this fall, the duo have released a new music video for their song “Claws Overhead.” Check the video out down below and visit the band’s website for more info on upcoming tour dates.
Life Size Maps Release New EP
Brooklyn based alt-rockers and friends of the site, Life Size Maps, have officially released their new EP, Magnifier. The EP represents an evolution of sound for the band, as this new grouping of tracks is both noisier and more complex.
The band kicked things off with a release party at Monster Island Basement in Williamsburg with Dino Walrus, Total Slacker and Soft Black. Visit the band’s myspace page MySpace page. And, in the meantime, be sure to listen to our exclusive preview of the band’s new track “This Same House,” down below.
Ivan & Alyosha Slot Additional Tour Dates
Fresh off a successful gig at the NXNE festival in Toronto this past weekend, Ivan & Alyosha have announce a number of additional tour dates in July and August with Brandi Carlile, as well as appearances at the Midpoint and Pygmalion music festivals in September. The Seattle band was jus on the road in the North East, taking part in New York City’s iconic River to River festival, before heading south for shows in Georgia and Tennessee. Check out the full list of dates down below.
28 – Bellingham, WA – Mount Baker Theatre*
29 – Seattle, WA – Woodland Park Zoo*
30 – Portland, OR – Portland Zoo Amphitheatre*
AUGUST
01 – Chico, CA – El Rey Theatre*
02 – Lake Tahoe, NV – Montbleu Casino*
05 – Sandpoint, ID – Festival at Sandpoint*
09 – Bozeman, MT – Emerson Cultural Center*
12 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown*
13 – Apple Valley, MN -Weesner Amphitheatre*
14 – Duluth, MN – Clyde Iron Works*
16 – Fargo, ND – Fargo Theatre*
20 -Aspen, CO – Belly Up*
21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Red Butte*
23 – Eugene, OR – Jaqua Concert Hall*
SEPTEMBER
23 – Urbana, IL – Pygmalion Festival
24 – Cincinnati, OH – Midpoint Music Festival
* = w/ Brandi Carlile
CSS Roll Out New Single
Recently CSS unveiled the lead single from their forthcoming album La Liberación. Entitled “Hits Me Like A Rock,” the song features guest vocals from Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie. Bubbling over with some serious pop energy, the track is currently available for free download HERE.
The full “Hits Me Like A Rock” single, which hits iTunes soon, will also include remixes courtesy of Dillon Francis and Mad Decent’s digital dance purveyors Depressed Buttons. So, keep an eye out for that.
Girls Rock For A Cause
Founded only two short years ago, Girls Who Rock is an annual concert in NYC that aims to bring together the strongest voices in technology, entertainment, and design to advocate and fund-raise for girls’ education worldwide. On Friday night, the group staged said concert at the Gramercy Theatre with proceeds from this year’s event benefiting She’s the First, a not-for-profit that focuses specifically on educating girls in the developing world.
Among the artists who performed were up-and-comers KimberlyNichole, Nikki Jean, and Eddy. Of the three newcomers, I was most impressed by KimberlyNichole, who opened with a rousing cover of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” and closed with inspiring take on Michael Jackson’s “Dirty Diana.” Still, Jean showed a certain penchant for songwriting that has pique my interest for her debut record, which is set for released on July 12th, and Eddy was like a ball of energy up on stage.
More seasoned performers Nina Sky and JoJo rounded out the lineup. I spoke with Nina Sky before the show and the sisters revealed that they had only first heard about the event a mere week before it was scheduled to take place, but they made a point of signing up. JoJo, however, has been involved with the organization for a while now, which was evident from her effusive praise for the event and its organizers. Both artists’ sets were great but, the night belonged to JoJo, who blew the roof off with her four song set. Down below I’ve embedded video footage of the 20-year old performing her new single “Jumping Trains” and a PSA she recorded for She’s the First. Anyone interested in donating to the charity can do so by visiting THIS LINK.
STRFKR Adds New Tour Dates
Having already racked up 28 sold-out shows in 2011 (and counting) while touring in support of their latest album, Reptilians, Portland’s own STRFKR have just announced a slew of new North American tour dates with appearances at several summer festivals.
Amidst their numerous tour dates, STRFKR also found time to film a new video for “Julius” with director Jason Miller. Check out the video and a full list of dates down below.
STRFKR Tour Dates
Aug 10, 2011 – Soho Restaurant & Music Club, Santa Barbara, CA
Aug 11, 2011 – El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
Aug 12, 2011 – Outside Lands Festival, San Francisco, CA
Aug 13, 2011 – Outside Lands Festival, San Francisco, CA
Aug 14, 2011 – Outside Lands Festival, San Francisco, CA
Sep 2, 2011 – Electric Owl, Vancouver, Canada
Sep 3, 2011 – Bumbershoot Festival, Seattle, WA
Sep 5, 2011 – Kilby Court, Salt Lake City, UT
Sep 6, 2011 – Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
Sep 7, 2011 – Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO
Sep 9, 2011 – 12th & Porter, Nashville, TN
Sep 10, 2011 – The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
Sep 11, 2011 – Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC
Sep 12, 2011 – Black Cat, Washington, DC
Sep 13, 2011 – First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA
Sep 16, 2011 – Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, NY
Sep 17, 2011 – Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
Sep 18, 2011 – Middle East Downstairs, Cambridge, MA
Sep 19, 2011 – Il Motore, Montreal, QC
Sep 20, 2011 – Lee’s Palace, Toronto, Canada
Sep 21, 2011 – Majestic Theater, Detroit, MI
Sep 23, 2011 – MidPoint Music Festival, Cincinnati, OH
Sep 24, 2011 – Highdive (Pygmalion Music Festival), Champaign, IL
Sep 26, 2011 – Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL
Sep 27, 2011 – Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL
Sep 28, 2011 – Turner Hall, Milwaukee, WI
Sep 29, 2011 – The Cave, Northfield, MN
Sep 30, 2011 – The Vault, Sioux Falls, SD
The Rosebuds Return With Loud Planes Fly Low
After The Rosebuds released Life Like, their fourth album on Merge Records, the marriage that inspired the band ended. Ivan and Kelly were done, and The Rosebuds (Merge’s buoyant pop-rock couple who’d youthfully named their first album The Rosebuds Make Out) were in limbo.
Still, after much debate and agony, cooler heads prevailed and the duo were able to craft their new album Loud Planes Fly Low, a sad-eyed and bright new start born of the struggle to define their relationship as bandmates—and more importantly, friends—outside of the context of marriage.
Spin.com is currently streaming the new record, which is set for release next Tuesday. The site also sat down with Kelly to discuss the album’s dark subject matter and why making it was a cathartic experience for her.
This summer, The Rosebuds will hit the road for a nationwide tour, including certain dates with Bon Iver. Check out a full list of their upcoming shows down below.
The Rosebuds Tour Dates
July 14 Boise, ID The Neurolux
July 15 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
July 16 Denver, CO Hi-Diver
July 19 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
July 20 Eau Claire, WI House of Rock
July 21 Madison, WI UW Union Terrace
July 22 Riverside Theatre- Milwaukee, WI #
July 23 Riverside Theatre- Milwaukee, WI #
July 24 Chicago Theatre- Chicago, IL #
July 25 The Murat Theatre- Indianapolis, IN #
July 27 Ryman Auditorium- Nashville, TN #
July 28 Cobb Energy Performing Arts- Atlanta, GA #
July 29 Raleigh Ampitheatre- Raleigh, NC #
July 30 The National- Richmond, VA #
August 1 9:30 Club- Washington, DC #
August 2 9:30 Club- Washington, DC #
August 3 Tower Theatre- Upper Darby, PA #
August 5 House of Blues- Boston, MA #
August 6 Mountain Park- Holyoke, MA #
August 8 The Sound Academy- Toronto, ON #
August 9 The United Palace Theatre- New York, NY #
August 10 Celebrate Brooklyn, Prospect Park Bandshell- Brooklyn, NY #
# With Bon Iver
Architecture In Helsinki Drop “Escape” Video
Architecture in Helsinki released the video for “Escapee,” the third single from their new album Moment Bends, earlier this week. The wistful clip, which we’ve embedded below, features a young protagonist breaking out from the confines of suburban life.
Voidwell And Iron Solomon Spread Some Fever
Last year Bronx-born wunderkind Gordon Voidwell lent his production and vocal talents to battle rap king Iron Solomon for the track “Spring Fever.” Now, with spring in full bloom, the pair have released the track’s video. Check it out down below.
eMusic Set To Host New Army Navy Album
eMusic, the digital music service for independent music lovers, has tapped Army Navy as their latest eMusic Selects artist. As such, until July 12, 2011, the band’s newest album, The Last Place, will be available exclusively on eMusic.
“We proudly welcome Army Navy to our roster of eMusic Selects artists,” said eMusic Editor-in-Chief, J. Edward Keyes. “Their first album was a huge success with our members. Because of this, we’re particularly excited to bring this indie-pop outfit’s second album exclusively to eMusic, while giving Army Navy a forum to really connect with more music fans.”
The eMusic Selects program was launched in 2008 to spotlight talented, unsigned bands and has served as a launching pad for some of today’s most sought-after indie bands. Best Coast, the Rural Alberta Advantage, Crystal Stilts and Julianna Barwick are among the artists who have released some of their early material through the eMusic Selects program.
Melissa Nastasi
Eric Phipps
Jen Verzosa
tatyahna
theloudfeelings
danielleque
liv hauck
jdtorres
Joe Madonna
Sedera Ranaivoarinosy
cwaleko
navalmin
John Grimley
micheleyamamoto
wesleyambrecht
fearofdrowning
viktorsha
aitorzabalegui
tonyachin
laurenschwartzberg
merbster
N.Sanchez
leduffy
kenami
ivynoellew
iamrickylewis
travestyofthecondition
mcirigliano2
Gustave
kellykettering
firstrays1
justgentile
pbozic
nmcollins
summer826
Jordannahe
tunmer
sifreelanceguy
cristobalsaez
libbyh9190
benjammin
Zach Yanowitz
ijorissen
gabe563
cst2
bls3390
cjdubs
