Author Archives: justgentile

12.01.10
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La Sera Debut LP, 7″ Out Now!


Since joining all-female punk trio Vivian Girls during the spring of 2007 Katy Goodman’s DIY-style bass playing and drifty-faded vocals have sent waves of adoration rippling throughout Brooklyn’s pop punk circuit. In February 2010 Goodman started working on some fresh material that inspired the formation of her brand new band, La Sera. Her inspiration sprung from an attraction to early pop hits from the 1950’s and ethereal choral vocals. Her new songs contain warm celestial-pop melodies that echo with the dreamlike effect of a church choir and effuse a softer, less aggressive sound than the Vivian Girls.

Hardly Art will release the full-length in early 2011, preceded by the limited 7″ for “Never Come Around” now.

Tour Dates
* = w/ Jenny & Johnny
# = w/ No Age, OFF!, The Soft Pack, etc.

12/1 Manchester @ Ruby Lounge*

12/2 Wakefield @ the Hop

12/3 Leeds @ Brundenell Social Club*

12/4 Norwich @ Arts Centre*

12/5 Northampton @ Roadmenders*

12/6 Bristol @ Start the Bus

12/7 London @ 93 Feet Fest

12/8 London @ Bush Hall

12/9 London @ Brixton Mass

12/10 London @ Luminaire

12/11 Pomona, CA @ Glasshouse #

11.29.10
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California Wives Release New Single For Download


New wave indie-pop quartet California Wives have premiered a new single off their EP “Affair” for download. The track has an upbeat pop rock sound somewhere in between Phoenix, Against Me and a John Hughes movie.

Formed in 2009, California Wives is Jayson Kramer (vocals, keys, guitar), Dan Zima (vocals, bass, guitar), Joe O’Connor (drums) and Hans Michel (guitar, keys), have spent the past year working on their 5-song EP Affair. Since then, the Wives have kept busy, they just cut a Daytrotter session last week, and continue to add dates to their upcoming Winter tour.

Tour Dates

Dec 22 – Schubas – Chicago, IL

Jan 28 – Subterranean Chicago, IL

Jan 29 – Mike and Mollys – Champaign, IL

Jan 30 – Firebird – St. Louis, IL

11.29.10
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Grinderman Personally Invited Shilpa Ray to Join North American Tour Dates


Grinderman, currently in the midst of their North American Tour, were in need of an opener for their show one night in Washington, DC, and they were personally requesting Shilpa Ray be there to play the date. Without hesitation she jumped out the door, harmonium in hand, and was on her way south to the 9:30 club.

Once praised by Nick Cave as a “Band of The Day” in the canadian National Post, Shilpa Ray was honored to help warm up the audience that night. She then joined Grinderman on their next few dates in Atlanta, Memphis, and Nashville as well.

Following the release of their album “Teenage and Torture” January 18th 2011, and a CD Release party at Brooklyn Bowl January 21st with Hooray For Earth and Soft Black, Shilpa Ray And Her Happy Hookers will embark upon a National Tour with Japanese psychedelic group Acid Mothers Temple.

Check out this track from the new album, Heaven in Stereo, a punky garage rock with a great female voice in the lead.

http://soundcloud.com/justgentile/shilpa-ray-heaven-in-stereo

Upcoming Tour Dates:
* = w/ Acid Mothers Temple
JANUARY
21 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl (Record Release w/ Hooray For Earth, Soft Black)
22 – Buffalo, NY – Mohawk Place
MARCH
23 – Los Angeles, CA – Spaceland*
24 – San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill*
26 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge*
27 – Bellingham, WA – The Wild Buffalo*
28 – Seattle, WA – Chop Suey*
29 – Vancouver, BC – Biltmore Cabaret*
31 – Calgary, AB – Broken City*
APRIL
01 – Missoula, MT – The Badlander*
02 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge*
03 – Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge*
04 – Lincoln, NE – Bourbon Theatre*
05 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry*
06 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle*
07 – Kalamazoo, MI – The Strutt*
08 – Toronto, ON – El Mocambo*
09 – Montreal, QC – Il Motore*
10 – Allston, MA – Great Scott*
11 – Milford, CT – Daniel Street*
13 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brendas*
14 – Washington, DC – Red Palace*
15 – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar*
16 – Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506*
17 – Knoxville, TN – Pilot Light*
18 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl*
19 – New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks*
20 – Houston, TX – Fitzgeralds*
21 – Dallas, TX – The Loft*
22 – Austin, TX – Red 7*
11.24.10
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Delta Spirit @ Webster Hall, NYC – November 23, 2010


Last night I hoped a train down to Webster Hall to check out Delta Spirit. The band is out of San Diego, California and can be described as a “hybrid of rock and northern soul” and they brought both in spades. I arrived as Darker My Love was about halfway through their set. Darker My Love had a great, bright country mixed with psychedelic sound but was visibly upset after lead singer and guitarist Tim Presley spilled a beer into his Vox amp. He asked the crowd if it sounded all right and I yelled to assure him it sounded great (It really did!) .

After they wrapped up their set, I actually got a chance to meet Tim Presley himself outside. We talked guitars for a bit and exchanged emails so I could send him addresses of repair shops. Hopefully they can get their gear in line before getting out for the rest of the tour. We said goodbyes and I hurried back in to catch the Delta Spirit start their show.

This guy was so excited he passed out.  He was escorted out as the band was coming on, little did I know this would be a hint to their massive energy and power. The band opened with ‘White Table’ multi-instrumentalist Kelly Winrich backing the band up on orchaestral drums. The song was a powerful slow build to ‘Golden State’, a catchy as hell bumping and grooving song, which would come to be a hallmark of the show overall. ‘9-11’ followed, punctuated perfectly by the great lyrics and comfortable voice of singer Matt Vasquez. They were constantly engaging the audience, a very welcome break from the stand with arms folded shows I’ve been attending. Even when the band would take things down a notch on ballads like ‘Ransom Man’ they had the audience totally engrossed. The song was a slow burn to an epic noisy freakout, and it was awesome to see the guys let loose.

The energy carried them to rocking and rollicking ‘Streetwalker’ featuring Winrich on some mean organ parts. ‘Parade” featured some smooth bass grooves from 4 string maestro Jon Jameson. Vasquez dedicated the song to all the out of towners like himself and the band set into ‘St. Francis.’ The crowd got so excited the song even had a stage diver! I wouldn’t say he dived as much as skanked as if “he was at a ska show in 1995” (Kelly Winrich’s words, not mine) The band was fair enough to dedicated a song to the local crowd and played ‘Bushwick Blues’ next, an ode to hopping n the L train and living the hipster life up. This song was actually proceeded by my favorite moment of the night. Vasquez begas a story with “So the second time I dropped acid I walked into my friends bathroom and started playing this song” which lead to a piano and vocal cover of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here (gleefully joined in on vocals by happy rock fans like me in the crowd) into my personal favorite ‘Trashcan’. If that song has somehow missed your ears I pity you.

Before wrapping up, the Band launched into ‘People C’Mon’, another crowd favorite off the band’s first LP “Ode to Sunshine,” Then went into ‘Childrens’ which I was lucky enough to capture a bit of below. I wanted to get some video of the crowd in action.

The band closed up with the closing track off their latest album, “History From Below,” the ballad ‘History.’ Vasquez said the song was inspired by a man who killed his wife’s lover. I don’t know if I can say it ended the night on a high note but the song cemented the band’s set as a serious statement that they will return soon with more rollicking tunes and good times.

11.23.10
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Woodsmen Film Live Performance For Terroreyes TV


Out of Denver, Colorado come Woodsmen, an experimental ambient post-psychedelic (their genre, not mine) quartet. Featuring “totemic percussionists and two sonic animators who employ electric guitars, feedback loops, and recorded samples to build the dreamy astral soundscapes that define Woodsman’s sound.” While traveling up and down the West Coast, Woodsman stopped by Terroreyes TV in Sacramento to perform “Insects” from their upcoming album Rare Forms, out 1/25 via Lefse Records and Fire Talk Records.

Earlier this year Lefse Records released their Mystery Tape EP, and will follow it up in January with their Rare Forms full length from which “Insects” is drawn.  Heavily influenced by hazy mountain passes, the cinema of Stan Brakhage, and early 1970’s improvisational recordings by Miles Davis.  Woodsman has crafted aural offerings that are uniquely their own. Watch full screen in HD!

http://vimeo.com/16751042

11.22.10
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Saint Motel Cardigans Released

 

Saint Motel and clothing company Apliiq have just announced the release of a collaborative line of signature cardigans designed by Saint Motel. Like the tuxedo shirts the band wears on stage, each cardigan has a unique fabric chosen by each band member to reflect his individual style on each shoulder and on the sides of the cardigan (WHERE STYLE BELONGS.) According to the band and Apliiq, the cardigans are “perfect for a scotch fueled romp or for a night experiencing the thunder of Saint Motel’s live show.” They are not so perfect for the vomit rage after said night of scotch fueled romping though.

Saint Motel is currently wrapped up a tour with Nico Vega and Imagine Dragons and currently recording the follow up to their acclaimed ForPlay EP, which LA Weekly called “a glorious amble of glammy garage songs apparently unfettered by convention and triggering surprise emotional explosions at every turn.”

Pick up the cardigan HERE.