Posts filed under ‘Video’
THE BRUTE CHORUS Are Prepared to Bring Their Unique Brand of Indie Rock to the States!
British indie rock sensations, THE BRUTE CHORUS, are finally making their way to the United States!
On the verge of announcing several official SXSW showcases, THE BRUTE CHORUS are ready to take to the stage for their first American shows. THE BRUTE CHORUS are James Steel, Nick Foots, Mark Austin and Dave Ferrett. The band cut their teeth with a residency at Camden’s infamous Hawley Arms, a watering hole popular at the time with the likes of Amy Winehouse and Kate Moss. Championed at a very early stage by The BBC and NME Magazine THE BRUTE CHORUS’ wild blend of garage rock, blues, and folk music with lyrics populated with characters from Greek mythology and Grimm’s fairytales quickly broke the indie guitar band mould. Their accessible sound has so far managed to escape any generalized genre pigeon-holing as they have gone on to carve out their own genuine, word-of-mouth buzz from their frenzied live shows.
And what shows! The band have taken it to the people gig by gig across Britain and Europe and have surely proved they can keep up with the big boys through their many support shows for acts as diverse as ART BRUT, IDA MARIA, THE WOODENTOPS, MARTHA WAINWRIGHT, and THE RUMBLESTRIPS. Their live rep has seen them stand out among the crowd at almost every British music festival of the last three years and they even recorded their debut album LIVE, in one take at London’s prestigious Roundhouse venue.
At the end of 2010 the band had released their sophomore album, How the Caged Bird Sings, to further critical acclaim from the likes of NME, Drowned in Sound, Clash Magazine, Artrocker, The Fly, Zane Lowe, Marc Riley and Steve Lamacq among others. The band’s popularity on radio was boosted when they became Artists in Residence on John Kennedy’s XFM show for a whole week at the start of 2011 where the famed DJ played live session tracks alongside album cuts, highlighting the standard of the band’s live performance and raw rock n’ roll spirit. They’ve also performed live sessions for Radio1 and Radio 6 whilst on TV Channel 4 screened a mini-doc on the band featuring clips of them playing live in Glasgow. Videos for the likes of ‘Birdman’ (Single of the Week on Kerrang! Radio and Q Radio) received heavy rotations on blogs around the globe as well as being aired on MTV Iggy here in the US. Everyone certainly wants a piece of THE BRUTE CHORUS, and now it’s time to get yours.
With such a reputation for their stellar live shows, you can check out what THE BRUTE CHORUS has to offer by getting a glimpse of their live footage from The Roundhouse in Camden, featuring the unbelievably catchy song “All the Pilgrims.” Make room on your SXSW schedule to check out THE BRUTE CHORUS live. You will NOT want to miss these shows.
Modern Mystery’s Year End List 2011 (Albums & Songs)
Yes, we’re a little late on this, but here is our Year End List(s) in all of their glory.
TOP ALBUMS of 2011
1. Real Estate - Days
Literally the most beautiful album we heard all year. Everything about Days is near perfect. Haunting guitars and echoing vocals provide a stunning LP that will hold the test of time. Real Estate put out the essential record of 2011 and will hold a place forever in indie music history. Congratulations to these guys for pouring their heart and soul into a record, and letting the listener hear every beat, every emotion, and every ounce of perfection.
2. Beirut – The Rip Tide
A close runner up, Beirut proves that they have staying power on their highly anticipated second album. They certainly lived up to the hype and brought the indie rock game to a whole new level.
3. The Drums - Portamento
Catchy, and a little deeper, The Drums plunge into the ocean, not to go surfing this time but to get a little heavier. The outcome? Amazing.
4. Sloan – The Double Cross
Always a MM favorite, the best foursome since The Beatles provide another album of blissful harmonies and catchy riffs. Sloan manages to do it again.
5. The Strokes - Angles
It may have taken 5 years for this little gem, but it was certainly worth the wait. We hope the next album is a little more cohesive, a little more “Strokesy,” but hell, it’s still one of the best records our ears came across this year, not to mention the most anticipated.
6. Neon Indian – Era Extraña
An incredible sophomore effort, that had us dancing around the apartment, the office, the car, etc. Alan Palomo knows what makes our hearts tick, and it’s his infectious brand of chillwave.
7. Ryan Adams – Ashes and Fire
The second anticipated musical act out of retirement this year, Adams put out a tear jerking album of all acoustic material, this time without his infamous Cardinals. Gorgeous as always, that man cannot write a bad song.
8. Bright Eyes – The People’s Key
What may be the last album under the name Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst and company pull out all the stops on this intriguing and somewhat eerie album. Oberst is better than ever, just when you thought that was impossible.
9. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks – Mirror Traffic
Stephen Malkmus albums always equals a win. Pretend to be surprised. The Beck produced record caught our ears this year. Nice one Malkmus, as always.
10. Sam Roberts Band – Collider
Another great album from SRB, the band is on a hot streak of great releases. Always a little under the radar, this cult favorite is winning over hearts and ears quickly. Jump on in.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Atlas Sound – Parallax
Toro Y Moi – Underneath the Pine
Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost
Destroyer – Kaputt
Youth Lagoon – The Year of Hibernation
Cults – Cults
Fucked Up – David Comes to Life
Panda Bear – Tom Boy
James Blake – James Blake
Top Songs of 2011
1 The Strokes – “Undercover of Darkness”
2 Neon Indian – “Hexx Girlfriend”
3 Real Estate – “Green Aisles”
4 Bright Eyes – “Shell Games”
5 Chairlift – “Amanaemonesia”
6 Sloan – “The Answer Was You”
7 The Drums – “Money”
8 Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks – “Senator”
9 Beirut – “Santa Fe”
10 Washed Out – Amor Fati
11 Joy Formidable – Whirring
12 Girls – “Honey Bunny”
13 Unknown Mortal Orchestra -”Ffunny Ffriends”
14 Real Estate – “It’s Real”
15 Cass McCombs – “Country Line”
CONTEST! WIN an ALPHABET BACKWARDS PRIZE PACK!
Are you looking for a cool gift to give yourself for the Holiday Season? Look no further than our cooler-than-cool contest for a BRILLIANT up and coming indie pop band by the name of ALPHABET BACKWARDS. We are giving away an awesome prize package, to not one but TWO lucky winners! One for the ladies, one for the gents. Both will receive an ALPHABET BACKWARDS tee shirt of our color choosing, a tote bag and a copy of the band’s new EP, The British Explorer.
Watch their infectious video for “Taller,” below:
Alphabet Backwards’ ethos is simple: to champion the noble art of Pop music, dancing all the way. It’s infectiously catchy music that puts a smile on your face. It’s a summery, joyous, happy-go-lucky affair, punctuated with an irresistible synth buzz and hooks aplenty – after all, pop is not a dirty word.
The British Explorer EP marks the band’s first recordings with Highline Records. The album was mixed at Press Play Studio with Andy Ramsay (Stereolab) and additional strings were recorded at Marlborough Farm in Brooklyn with Kyle Forester of Crystal Stilts and Gary Olson of The Ladybug Transistor.
To WIN one of these great packages, please e-mail us with your FIRST NAME, LAST NAME, ADDRESS AND TEE SHIRT SIZE at ModernMysteryBlog@yahoo.com. Please put “ALPHABET BACKWARDS” in the title. Entries close on Friday, December 16th at 11:59pm.
Catching Ghosts with Juviley.
Imagine a pitch black screen.Seconds later, a electronic music voyage kicks in.Glimpses of avatar ghosts start popping up in the window. According to Juviley,there are no rules. A transplant from Israel, he is the brainchild behind a conglomeration of his album Our Choices Rhyme camouflaged inside of a video game. Juviley’s voltage of futuristic beats, and bending synths combine as a project that takes the listener in a progressive labyrinth of winning the game, in order to win a free download of the album. Bravo!
Check out Juviley’s video “My Blood” below
Catch ghosts here!
-Viktorsha Uliyanova
PLAYTIME! : SIMON SPIRE LIBERATES OCCUPY WALL STREET! EXCLUSIVE VIDEOS INSIDE!
Watch Simon Spire’s “Liberate Your Love”
Live at Occupy Wall Street
Watch the Occupy Wall Street Photo Video featuring “Today”
Occupy Wall Street is one of the most important movements of this generation. It’s time to stand up for what we believe in. SIMON SPIRE is here to help support continuing dialogue and change as he takes to Occupy Wall Street in New York City to play a very special performance with Occupy Yoga. Featuring a stripped down, acoustic version of the catchy single “Liberate Your Love,” Spire sits in with the Kundalini Yoga Group at Occupy Wall Street, a group that stands for change and transformation from within. Filmed at Zuccotti Park, the video not only highlights Simon’s stunning musical performance, but also shows how people are coming together to make a difference. This touching performance will surely move and inspire you.
Simon recently wrote about the event on his website, saying, “I was excited to be part of a new dialogue that, in my mind, asks the questions, ‘What kind of world do we want to create together?’ and ‘What do we want our lives to stand for?’ ”
Fans of Simon’s have also created a music video for his song “Today,” which features the uplifting song as the soundtrack to a mini photo documentary of the positive events at Occupy Wall Street. Simon opened his performance at the Occupy Yoga 11/11/11 event with this song. As he explained on the day, “The song is about resolve—the resolve that opens the way for both individual and collective transformation. It’s about the opportunities for change that accompany times of challenge, and moving through the challenges to create something new.”
Simon has since made the track available for free download HERE!
It has also recently been announced that Spire’s track, “A Four-Letter Word,” from the upcoming album, Four-Letter Words, has been selected as a finalist in the Rock category of the USA Songwriting Competition. Winners will be announced next week. This is Simon’s fourth song to be selected as a finalist.
Watch the videos above as Simon liberates Wall Street for Modern Mystery. Be prepared to get inspired. Now is the time to make a difference.
November 28, 2011 at 3:30 pm Melissa Nastasi Leave a comment
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Get Dirty In New Video, “Critical Drain”
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin can write a good song but they can also pull a good stunt, as shown in their latest video “Critical Drain,” which just premiered on the MTVu website. The video, directed by the band’s friend Brook Linder and filmed in the band’s hometown, features some standard performance shots but mostly shows the band members dragged around on the ground. They even get splashed with paint in the process! Although they did their own stunts and didn’t get hurt, I wouldn’t recommend trying this at home. Watch the video HERE.
And because the band just released, via Polyvinyl, the album Tape Club, which compiles all the best of what they’ve discarded over the years, they’re also touring! Are they coming near you? Check it out below.
Here are their upcoming tour dates:
9/24 – Polyvinyl’s 15 Year Anniversary @ Pygmalion Festival, CHAMPAIGN, IL w/ Braid, Deerhoof, Japandroids, and more
10/26 – Firehouse Pizza & Pub, NORMAL, IL
10/27 – MOTR, CINCINNATI, OH
10/28 – The Current, RICHMOND, VA
10/29 – Tremont Music Hall, CHARLOTTE, NC
10/30 – Local 506, CHAPEL HILL, NC
10/31 – The End, NASHVILLE, TN
11/04 – Firebird, ST. LOUIS, MO
11/05 – Mojo’s, COLUMBIA, MO
11/30 – Hi Dive, DENVER, CO
12/1 – Urban Lounge, SALT LAKE CITY, UT
12/2 – Neurolux, BOISE, ID
12/3 – Tractor Tavern, SEATTLE, WA
12/5 – Biltmore Cabaret, VANCOUVER, CANADA
12/6 – Mississippi Studios, PORTLAND, OR
12/8 – Hotel Utah, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
12/9 – Bootleg Theater, LOS ANGELES, CA
12/10 – Soda Bar, SAN DIEGO, CA
September 30, 2011 at 12:48 am Sedera Ranaivoarinosy Leave a comment
Tom Vek Premieres Smoky New Video
Having a background in graphic design, Tom Vek pays special attention to the visual world that surrounds his music. So it makes sense that with his new video for his single “Aroused,” off his latest LP Leisure Seizure, he’d get something special. The video, directed by Saam Farahmand, features a lot of very attractive people acting sexual and sensual, cigarette in hand. The tension is very palpable. And because Tom Vek is a man after your heart, the video ends with a few sweet dance moves. The man himself doesn’t appear in the video, but even then, it’s already quite a statement.
Watch the video below:
September 7, 2011 at 11:00 am Sedera Ranaivoarinosy Leave a comment
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.
September 1, 2011 at 11:00 am wesleyambrecht Leave a comment
Joy Formidable Support Foo Fighters on Tour
The Joy Formidable scored a very high honor when Foo Fighters’ front man Dave Grohl asked them to tour along side the heavy rock giants for a slew of East Coast tours.
The two bands will provide quite the contrast to audiences when they take the stage. While the Foo Fighters are touring behind their newest full-length, Joy Formidable is focusing more on the work of others with their new EP Roarities which features covers from The Naked and Famous and Innerparty as well as a couple live tracks.
The band also released their newest video, for the song “A Heavy Abacus” which you can see right here.
You can see the Foo Fighters and Joy Formidable in these cities:
Sept 2 Redmond, WA @ ENDFEST
Sept 4 Edmonton, AB @ Sonic Boom Festival
Sept 8 Portland, OR @ Music Fest NW
Sept 22 Cincinnati, OH @ Midpoint Music Festival
Sept 23 Philadelphia, PA @ Popped Festival!
Sept 24 Atlanta, GA @ Music Midtown
Nov 7 Duluth, GA @ Arena of Gwinnett Center*
Nov 8 Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena*
Nov 10 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center*
Nov 14 Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center*
Nov 16 Boston, MA @ TD Garden*
*With The Foo Fighters
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.
Seapony Premiere Shiny New Video
Seapony’s first full-length album, Go With Me is out right now on Hardly Art, and now the group has matched the album with a brand new video.
The group’s new video off of the album is for the song “Where We Go” and features some pretty dramatic scenes that I won’t spoil for you. Check it out here and look for Seapony’s Go With Me wherever you get your music fix.
Yuck Premiere Video Alongside Tour Updates
U.K. band Yuck has updated their touring schedule, alongside dropping a new NSFW (and kind of creepy) music video to accompany the song “Shook Down.”
The band just wrapped up playing the Pitchfork Music Festival, along with several other show dates around the midwest region of the country. The band will be touring throughout July.
“All Shook Down” is a very soothing and peaceful song which makes the contrast with the music video much more creepy. Check it out right here
and look for Yuck at Pitchfork and these other dates:
7/28: Cellar Door, Visalia, CA *
7/29: Casbah, San Diego, CA *
7/30: Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA *
10/8 – 10/9: Langerado, Sunrise, FL
* = w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
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