Category Archives: Album Preview

09.30.13
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AOTEAROA Preview First Single “Pocketful of Scoundrel” from New EP “Luck West of Money”

AOTEAROA PORTRAIT 1

AOTEAROA is back in action with a fresh new EP and single in tow. Titled Luck West of Money, their latest record dropped September 26 to the ears of eager fans. The long-awaited 5 track EP  howcases a new batch of groove-oriented pieces founded on irresistible rhythms and unforgettable melodies. The first single, “Pocketful of Scoundrel” intertwines gnarled guitars and gunmetal vocals with six-foot deep harmonies to create a piece that sets the tone for the rest of this compellingly original album.

Multi-instrumentalists Jake Lerman and Ilan Gitter have spent a far greater portion of the past three years living on the road, playing to venues all around the country. Traveling the United States as modern American nomads, the band has earned the praises of fans and dance-floor goers alike. Aotearoa (pronounced  A-O-TAY-UH-ROW-UH ) prove to be a brilliant combination straight from the start. This Thursday in New York City, the group will also kick off an extensive tour of the United States starting at Goodbye Blue Monday. The lengthy set of dates extended all the way into December, with plenty of chances to catch their phenomenal live show on the road. Luck West of Money is out now!

LUCK WEST OF MONEY TRACKLISTING

 

1. Pocketful of Scoundrel
2. Sometimes Maybe a Horseshoe
3. Underground Stag
4. I Don’t Dig Down
5. Handle #2

TOUR DATES

FROST ON THE FUNKAZON 2013 TOUR

SEPTEMBER::

26 – Brooklyn, NY -Goodbye Blue Monday
27 -Bridgeport, CT – Two Boots
28 – Worcester, MA – Lucky Dog Music Hall
29 – Boston, MA – The Precinct

OCTOBER::

1 – New London, MA – Bean and Leaf
3 – Fryeburg, ME – 302 West
5 – Syracuse, NY – Funk and Waffles
6 – Rochester, NY – California Brew Haus
8 – Cleveland, OH – Mahalls 20
9 – Cincinnati, OH – Mayday
10 – Bloomington, IN – Players Pub

11 – Iowa City, IA – Yacht Club
13 – Lincoln, NE – Duffy’s
15 – Kansas City, MO – Czar Bar
17 – Lawrence, KS – Jazzhaus
20 – Denver, CO – Seventh Circle Music Collective
23 – Madrid, NM – The Mineshaft
24 – Flagstaff, AZ – Flagbrew
25 – San Diego, CA – Tin Can
27 – San Francisco, CA – Neck of the Woods
30 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Frog and Peach

NOVEMBER::

2 – Phoenix, AZ – The Lost Leaf

3 – Tucson, AZ – Club Congress
5 – Amarillo, TX – Leftwood’s
7 – Tulsa, OK – Sound Pony
8 – Hot Springs, AK – Maxine’s
9 – Austin, TX – The Parish
10 – Baton Rouge, LA – Mud and Water
14 – Mobile, AL – Alabama Music Box
15 – Tuscaloosa, AL – The Green Bar
21 – Athens, GA – New Earth Music Hall
23 – Nashville, TN – The Springwater
26 – St. Louis, MO – Atomic Cowboy

DECEMBER::

2 – Muncie, IN – Be Here Now
3 – Dayton, OH – South Park Tavern
4 – Columbus, OH – Rumba Café
7 – New York, NY – The Shrine Harlem

09.09.13
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THE GOLDEN FURS Unveil Debut Single “STRAND”

 

New York born, The Golden Furs, have just premiered their debut single, “Strand,” on The Vinyl District yesterday morning. The piece is the first official taste of the buzzworthy band, which has been creating quite a stir with their live shows in and around New York City. Early this October will see the release of The Golden Furs’ first EP, Strand, with an official release party on October 5th at The Bitter End in Manhattan.

Formed in 2013, the group combines elements of rock, pop, dance and folk to create a sound that proves to be captivating. “Strand” evokes a stunning blend of dreamy indie pop as it is reminiscent of heavy hitters such as Muse with a hint of Jeff Buckley. The harmonic melodies of the guitars create a heavenly atmosphere, which provide a sultry bed of vocals for Singer/Guitarist John BellaVia’s.

John BellaVia shared some insight into the new track:

“It was written to reach out to a spirit that’s alive and strong inside of me…maybe not so much flesh and bone just yet, but a small strand that is relieving and in fact every way like me. Since its about reproduction in its simplest form, we wanted to have a sexy groove to compliment the concept of the song: starting as a strand, finding its other half, conception, and birth. Simply put…procreation. The song captures these moments from beginning to end with a soundscape that builds into a victorious outro. An ode to my future kin can be heard throughout the song.”

 The Golden Furs John BellaVia (Guitars/Vocals), Jamie DiTringo (Guitars/Vocals), Saul Slotnick (Bass), Matt Langner (Drums).

SHOWS

10/5 –The Bitter End – NYC – EP Release Show

09.08.13
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PRAVADA Returns with Dirty Looks and “Someone Else”

Pravada

Listen to the Latest “Someone Else”

Indianapolis born Pravada is ready to spring back into action with their new release, Dirty Looks, due out later this Fall. Sharing with the masses their latest single, “Someone Else,” from the highly anticipated record, the group creates a tasty treat for your ears. No strangers to creating music, the trio of Jesse Lee (vocals, guitar), Casey Tennis (drums, keyboards), and Hubert Glover (horns, bass), spent the earlier half of the 2000s playing in Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s before branching out on their own with Pravada. With two albums already under their belt, Manus Plere and No!, the band is proud to announce Dirty Looks which is filled with 10 electrifying and glorious songs that will stop you dead in your tracks.

The first single off of the record, “Someone Else,” proves to be musical perfection from the very beginning. Evoking elements of The Cars and The Faint, Pravada is out to please. The piece masterfully interweaves staccato guitar licks with a danceable beat, brought to life by Lee’s deliciously sweet, yet distorted vocals. A whirlwind of guitars, drum and bass provide the song with an over-the-edge punch as Lee’s voice accumulates a raw indie rock power and emotion. Before the song even ends, listeners will be craving more of Dirty Looks in the end.

 

10.16.12
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Interview: GOSPELS Prep for CMJ

Made up of Alex Frenkel, Mike Gordon, Alex Marans and Owen Murphy, New York based band GOSPELS are ready to take over CMJ this year. We caught up with the band pre-CMJ to have a quick chat about what Gospels is all about.

Catch the band TONIGHT at CMJ! Tuesday, October 16th, 9pm at Webster Hall.

Gospels will be taking the stage for the Ooh La La Records Official Part with Starlight Girls, The Last Royals, Ambassadors and more!
What is the story behind Gospels’ name?
Gospels was the first we felt was a keeper.

How did the project come about?
A few of us were playing with groups in the bushwick, bk area…playing in basements and equally cramped spaces. At some point we decided to make the move to a stand-alone house in Queens. From there, we built up a sound we were excited about and started working on an EP.

It’s been stated that you recorded your EP “Animal Feelings” in your home in Forest Hills. How would you describe your creative writing process? Is it mostly a fluid stream of consciousness for the whole group or more organized?
One benefit of living in the same place is being able to work in different configurations, at different paces and with different production approaches. A vocal melody will sell us on bringing a song to completion.

How would you describe your music to a new listener?

Tough question to answer..our drummer just said “fierce, but stable”, so we’ll go with that.

Describe a regular day in Gospels’ house.

When we’re in rehearsal mode, we run the set together in our basement a few days a week. We also have our own recording rigs, so a lot of time is spent on new sounds and demos for the next record. During recording and writing periods, we’re working at all hours. We have this amazing attic that’s incredibly warm-sounding, so we head up there for some guitar stuff. The floor boards aren’t very well nailed down, it’s sort of like being in the bowels of an old ship.

What is the best part about participating in the CMJ this year?
Seeing a reaction to this thing we’ve put a lot of time into, for sure. Our friends have been scratching their heads wondering what the hell we’ve been up to in Queens the past few months.

What’s next for Gospels?
We start writing for the first full-length after CMJ, really looking forward to that.

01.02.12
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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”

09.21.11
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Ryan Adams To Release New Album On October 10th

Ryan Adams will release a new album next month! Ashes and Fire, which will be released through Adams’ own PAX-AM label and Sony’s Columbia Records, will be available for you eager fans to purchase on Monday 10th October. This will be the first solo album he puts out through his own company and in that spirit, it seems he chose his team to reflect that homey feeling. The album was recorded in LA at Sunset Sound in Hollywood and produced by Glyn Johns. While the producer is known for his work with the likes of The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Clash, The Who and The Rolling Stones (not too shabby), he also happens to be the father of Ethan Johns, who produced Ryan Adams’ albums Heartbreaker, Gold and 29. Other notable people who appear on the album are Norah Jones and the organist from Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers Benmont Tench. In other exciting news, a tour in preparation so stay tuned!