Monthly Archives: January 2011

01.21.11
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Esben and the Witch to Release Debut Album

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“Not to say they’re in any way a throwback, but the intense fury these three modest humans work up reminds me of ’80s/’90s bands who were desperate to match savvy rock songwriting with scary, theatrical emotion and intensity without turning it into noise punk or cabaret shtick. They walk a line, evoking folklore and fairy tales and witchery, swelling to a climax that’s hypnotic but never quite reveals itself.” — SPIN

Dark noise pop Esben and the Witch are set to release their debut album, Violet Cries. Their intense sound has been raved about ever since they released their 3 EP. You can check out their “Warpath” mp3 here, and their new music video for “Marching Song” below.

01.21.11
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Alexander Ebert (of the Magnetic Zeros) to Release Debut

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Alexander Ebert, member of the hippie band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, is set to release his debut album called Alexander. But this isnt your typical solo album. Ebert explains “I wanted to be able to build an album basically with my hands, like building a house by myself.”, and that is exactly what he did. This album is completely produced, written and performed by Ebert. He plays all of the instruments in the songs as well as singing them. To make matters even more interesting, Ebert cites childhood songs such as Patty Cake and Disney tunes as sources of inspiration for this record. Make sure to check it out when its released March 1st via Community Music. Peek at the album cover above and the tracklist for Alexander below.

1. Let’s Win!
2. Awake My Body
3. Truth
4. In The Twilight
5. Bad Bad Love
6. Old Friend
7. A Million Years
8. Remember Our Heart
9. Glimpses
10. Let’s Make A Deal To Not Make A Deal
01.20.11
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STRFKR to Release Sophomore Album in March


Who knew death could be so danceable? This is the realization gained after learning that badass synth explosion of pop you’ve been dancing to contains a major theme on Starfucker’s second album: death. It seems the joke is on the consumer of Reptilians, to be released on Polyvinyl in March.

“Bury Us Alive” is the single available for download off the new album. It’s light and effervescent musically with a delightful synth line and silky vocals a la The Dandy Warhols who coincidentally share producer Jacob Portrait with Reptilians’. “Death to set me free” is the line that leads into the exhilarating, hyperactive chorus on “Bury Us Alive,” lending itself to a “live life like the next day is your last” spirit.

It’s a good thing after playing with other band names that they stuck with Starfucker, as it’s immensely fun to say and encompasses that glam party chasing lifestyle inherit in their sound.

01.20.11
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Jonquil Drop EP On Vinyl


Together, twentysomethings Hugo Manuel, Sam Hudson Scott and Robin McDiarmid make up the band Jonquil. After rehearsing and recording at their home in east Oxford for several months they made their US debut with an EP entitled One Hundred Suns, last November.

Last week, the band re-released One Hundred Suns on vinyl. Check out “Get Up,” off the EP, below.

Jonquil – Get Up by WesleyAmbrecht

01.20.11
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Vincent Moon & Efterklang Want YOU (Yes, You) To Host A Screening Of “An Island”

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News about An Island trickled into the blogosphere in small doses: in November 2010, Efterklang and Vincent Moon announced that they were working on a film together, to be premiered in February 2011; in December we were told that Efterklang will bring An Island with them on their 2011 European tour.

Now, Efterklang and Vincent Moon are welcoming all of their listeners and followers to host their own premiere screenings of An Island- people can sign up to host a screening, to be held between February 1st and March 31st.

Efterklang and Vincent Moon call these screenings Private-Public Screenings, and the rules are very simple:
•    The screenings need to have free entrance.
•    The screenings need to be public.
•    The screenings need to have a minimum capacity of 5 people.
•    The screenings need to be verified by Efterklang & Vincent Moon, and only screenings that are featured onwww.anisland.cc are official Private Public Screenings.

An Island is an unconventional mixture of performance film and abstract documentary- about both a band and an island. Last summer, French filmmaker Vincent Moon and Efterklang’s 8 piece-live band met up on an island off the Danish coast. The objective was to shoot a film: a film with the same length as an album, and a film full of performances, experiments, and collaborations. Over an intense period of 4 days, Efterklang collaborated with more than 200 local musicians, creating new performances and interpretations of songs from their album Magic Chairs- filmed in its entirety by Moon.

For an updated list of the current and future Official Screenings and Private-Public Screenings of An Island, visit: http://anisland.cc/home/attend-a-screening/

Be sure to check out the third teaser for An Island here: