by cst2

Pygmalion Festival Announces Dates and Initial Lineup

The Pygmalion Festival (located in the idyllic Midwestern town of Champaign-Urbana, Ill.) recently announced their band lineup for this year’s music extravaganza. Currently the September 21-24 festival will include Japandroids, Toro y Moi, Deerhoof, Viva Voce, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The Hood Internet, Mansions on the Moon, Ava Luna, Brass Bed, Adam Arcuragi, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Ivan and Alyosha, The Parsons Red Heads and more with Explosions in the Sky headlining. This year the festival will be celebrating the 15th anniversary of the indie label Polyvinyl Records. The all-day outdoor Polyvinyl showcase will feature the artists from the label’s roster including Deerhoof, Japandroids, Xiu Xiu, STRFKR, Owen, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, and Asobi Seksu as well as the long awaited reunion of local heroes Braid. Early Bird Festival passes go on sale Friday May 6, 2011 at 12 p.m. CST and cost $60. The price will be increased to $65 and $70 at later dates. The festival pass guarantees admission into every show at the festival, depending on capacity limitations. Single tickets for every show will be available as well.

Single show tickets for Explosions in the Sky will cost $20 in advance. The Polyvinyl 15 Year Anniversary Party will cost $25 in advance. Both of those shows will go on sale Friday May 13, 2011 at 12 p.m. online and at local Champaign-Urbana outlets.

05.11.11

by cst2

Oberhofer Announces US Tour With Neon Indian & Sleigh Bells Including Dates With Cults, Eternal Summers & The Beets

This is what you need to know about the band Oberhofer: they sound fantastic. The 7″ they just released (“Away Frm U” / Dead Girls Dance”) is phenomenal. The guitars wail as though they are looking for release from this world, the drums are amazing, the entire sound is like nirvana for the ears. The lyrics do leave something small to be desired. Maybe it stems from Brad Oberhofer’s age (he is 19 after all), but the text-language spelled track names rub me the wrong way. The only redeeming quality to these lyrics is the way Oberhofer sings them. There is such an air of sincerity in his voice that you almost forget about the words themselves. Almost. Then again, I was that kid who sat and poured over lyrics so perhaps I am a bit jaded. Either way, this band sounds incredible live. There is so much energy and passion in these shows that you can’t help but fall in love with them. So, here lies the Oberhofer recipe to success. Record some badass songs in your parents basement in Tacoma, WA. When that house burns down, shake the loss off and move to New York, find a new band with an incredible sound and start shaping your art. See this band live. Do it now. Below are the tour dates for this summer.

5/14 – Coco 66 – Brooklyn, NY !!
5/16 – Brillobox – Pittsburgh, PA ^
5/17 – Radio Radio – Indianapolis, IN ^
5/18 – Turner Hall – Milwaukee, WI ^
5/19 – The Aquarium – Fargo, ND
5/20 – Pyramid Cabaret – Winnipeg, MB ^
5/22 – Republik – Calgary, AB ^ #
5/23 – Starlite Room – Edmonton, AB ^ #
5/25 – The Vogue Theatre – Vancouver, BC ^ #
5/26 – Roseland Theater – Portland, OR ^ #
5/30 – The Independent – San Francisco, CA ^ #
5/31 – Satellite Club – Los Angeles, CA %
6/1 – Casbah – San Diego, CA & @
6/8 – The Basement – Columbus, OH
6/10 – Midpoint Music Festival – Cincinnati, OH
6/11 – Grog Shop – Cleveland Heights, OH ^
6/12 – The Ottobar – Baltimore, MD ^

* w/ Cults
^ w/ Neon Indian
# w/ Sleigh Bells
% w/ Hands
& w/ The Beets
@ w/ Eternal Summers

!! w/ Widowspeak & Vacations

05.09.11

by cst2

The Generationals Announce Summer Tour Dates

The Generationals, composed of Ted Joyner (singer/multi-instrumentalist) and Grant Widmer (also singer/multi-instrumentalist) have recently announced their summer tour dates. Both Joyner and Widmer were once band mates of The Eames Era, which you may know by way of Grey’s Anatomy and the song “Could Be Anything,” but they were the only two musicians left standing when three of the members decided they no longer wanted to pursue music. I would say that was a blessing for both Joyner and Widmer, because now we can enjoy Con Law, Trust (EP) and their latest album Actor-Caster. Their sound is much different from that of The Eames Era. Both Joyner and Widmer clearly draw inspiration from ’60’s pop bands, though they (as most bands do when they copy an original) gave it a modern twist. So that doo-woppy beat is a combination of ’60’s pop cuts with electronic elements unavailable at that time. Their track “Ten-Twenty-Ten” is a perfect example of this. The beat is cheerful, but don’t let it fool you for the lyrics are lovely and morose. Joyner sings at one point: “And when I see your friends / They say it’s in my head / All my friends seem to think you might leave me for dead.” The music video itself is reminiscent of a crazy acid trip with a deadpan Joyner singing the lyrics while flourescent fish eat his neck. I am in love with this band. Below are the dates for their tour this summer.

05/11 New York, NY Mercury Lounge *
05/12 Brooklyn, NY The Rock Shop *
05/13 Washington, DC The Red Palace *
05/14 Philadelphia, PA Kungfu Necktie *
05/17 Arlington, VA IOTA Club & Café *
05/18 Richmond, VA The Camel *
05/19 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 *
05/20 Atlanta, GA The Earl *
05/21 Nashville, TN The Basement *
05/24 Birmingham, AL The Bottletree *
05/25 Oxford, MS Proud Larry’s *
05/26 Houston, TX Fitzgerald’s *
05/27 Dallas, TX Club Dada *
05/28 Austin, TX Emo’s *
06/25 New Orleans, LA Tipitina’s
07/07 San Antonio, TX The Korva
07/08 Tempe, AZ Sail Inn %
07/09 Tucson, AZ Club Congress %
07/10 San Diego, CA Casbah %
07/14 Los Angeles, CA The Echo
07/16 Davis, CA Sophia’s Thai Kitchen %
07/17 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios %
07/19 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern %
07/20 Boise, ID Neurolux %
07/21 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court %
07/22 Denver, CO Underground Music Showcase %
07/23 Santa Fe, NM Corazon %
07/24 Oklahoma City, OK The Conservatory %
07/26 Baton Rouge, LA Manship Theatre %

# = w/ Oh No Oh My
* = w/ Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
% = w/ Gardens & Villa

05.04.11

by cst2

The Drums Release “A Whole New World” For Japan

The Drums recently released the song “The New World” to benefit the Japan disaster efforts. It seems when you are donating all the proceeds of your earnings to charity you are no longer are required to write good music. The song is, in short, awful. I mean, we get it hold on, hold on, hold on. These people are holding on and no thanks to this song. I don’t understand benefit tracks. Generally speaking they are awful. Just because you aren’t making a profit, your talent shrivels up and dies, apparently. In my opinion, donate straight to the Japanese relief funds and skip the song. Unless you want the phrase ‘hold on’ stuck in your head for the next three hours.

05.04.11

by cst2

Sam Roberts Band To Release ‘Collider’ May 10th

Sam Roberts Band announced they will be releasing their latest album on May 10th. The album will feature the song “Longitude” with Land of Talk’s very own Elizabeth Powell. The song is perfect to zone out to which is great if you don’t really want to listen to music, but then why are you playing a fucking song. Ms. Powell’s vocals were my only lifeboat to get me through that song. Other tracks on the album are fantastic, however. My advice, skip “Longitude” and listen to “The Last Crusade” and “I Feel You.” These tracks have great melodic variety and interesting lyrics. You’ll forget that “Longitude” ever played in your headphones. The band will be hitting the road May 16th to promote Collider. Tour dates below.

TOUR DATES (more to be announced):

May 16th        Rock N Roll Hotel            Washington DC
May 18th        Bowery Ballroom            New York City, NY
May 20th        Brighton Hall                    Boston, MA
May 24th        The Troubadour          Los Angeles, CA
May 25th        The Independent            San Francisco, CA
May 26th        Mississippi Studios         Portland OR
May 28th        Malkin Bowl                    Vancouver BC
May 29th        Sasquatch! Festival        The Gorge OR
June 3rd        Massey Hall                     Toronto ON
June 4th          Massey Hall                     Toronto ON
June 6th          First Ave                           Minneapolis MN
June 7th          Lincoln Hall                      Chicago IL
June 8th          St. Andrew’s Hall            Detroit, MI

04.28.11

by cst2

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Announces Tour and Premieres “Sink / Let It Sway” Video

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yelsin kicked off their spring tour on Monday, April 25 in Columbia, MO at Mojo’s and will be wrapping it up May 3 at the Rock Shop in Brooklyn, NY. The tour will be featuring support from Minnesota band Koo Koo Kangaroo. The band also released their “Sink/Let It Sway” video featuring the band in various rubber masks (one Conan O’Brien, one Hilary Clinton). The video shows the band running constantly creating chaos whenever they can and eventually settling down at a raging party where Hilary wales on the drums and Conan does some crazy guitar moves. The song rocks, but the video should not be watched drunk. It will make you nauseous. Just a tip. Anyway, featured below are the tour dates for SSLYBY: