The Wooden Birds Announce Tour and Drop New Single

Indie rockers The Wooden Birds have just announced they’re be going on tour in support of their new full length album, Two Matchsticks.  Led by Andrew Kenny of American Analog Set and Broken Social Scene, the band has also announced the release of previously unreleased songs.  You can listen to the title track of the new album right here: http://read.mtvhive.com/2011/04/18/song-the-wooden-birds-two-matchsticks/

Here are the spots you can see them on tour:

6/16 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room (all ages)
6/17 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo (18+)
6/18 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar (21+)
6/19 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place (all ages)
6/23 – Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern (21+)
6/24 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir  (21+)
6/25 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill  (all ages)
7/8 – Chicago, IL @ The Hideout (21+)
7/9 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Founders Brewery (21+)
7/10 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake (all ages)
7/11 – Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo  (all ages)
7/12 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott (18+)
7/14 – New York, NY @ Mercury (21+, 8pm)
7/15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rock Shop (21+)
7/16 – Washington, DC @ DC9 (all ages)
7/17 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl (21+)
7/20 – Austin, TX @ The Mohawk (all ages)

Kathryn Calder Announces Solo Tour

Canadian singer Kathryn Calder has just announced her first ever solo tour!  Upon joining The New Pornographers, her fan base grew and actually crashed her own website when she released the single “Slip Away” from her 2010 album Are You My Mother?  You can see her video for “Arrow” right here:  http://vimeo.com/15677447 and you can catch her on these dates:

May 06th @ Mt. Baker Theater, Bellingham, WA *
May 07th @ Boon’s Treasury, Salem, OR #
May 10th @ Moe’s Alley, Santa Cruz, CA #
May 12th @ Hotel Café, Los Angeles, CA # (Early Show – 8pm) 
May 13th @ Tin Can Alehouse, San Diego, CA #
May 16th @ New Parish,Oakland, CA #
May 18th @ Mission Theatre, Portland, OR #
May 19th @ Rendezvous, Seattle, WA #%
May 20th @ Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver, BC #

* = w/ New Pornographers, Thao & Mirah
# = w/ Himalayan Bear
% = w/ Karl Blau

Morning Birds Birds Release New Single for Upcoming Album


The Morning Birds’ new single, “Heart’s Desire,” is a soothing, relaxing ballad to be included on their second album,The Quickening, releasing on April 26.

The co-ed duo consists of Jennifer Thorington and Samuel Marcus who complement each other’s comforting vocals. Markus has a raspy sensuality while Thorington has a higher pitched, pleasingly frail voice, nicely fitted for this lullaby of sorts. In an added push for beauty, sorrowful strings come in half way through the song. This song could be a good option for setting the mood after coming home from a lively Saturday night, but certainly not for getting pumped up beforehand.

NXNE Announces 2011 Line Up

North By Northeast (NXNE) recently announced the second wave of bands for the 17th edition of the festival, taking over Toronto June 13-19, 2011. Now confirmed for the event are Devo, Descendents, Stars, The Pharcyde, Men Without Hats, Digable Planets, Twin Shadow, OFF!, Art Brut, Shad, Land of Talk, Chad VanGaalen, and Cults. They join previously announced acts that include The Dodos, Deerhoof, Hot Water Music, The Bouncing Souls, and Anti-Flag, Dum Dum Girls and others.

All NXNE Festival passes and wristbands are now on sale, available at www.nxne.com. Early-bird pricing for NXNE Priority Passes is available through April 25. And, the complete NXNE Music line-up and schedule, NXNE Film schedule and additional NXNE Interactive programming will be announced over the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

R.I.P. Gerard Smith. >> Song of the Day: TV on the Radio – “Wolf Like Me”


After only being diagnosed with lung cancer last month, TV on the Radio bass player Gerard Smith has passed away this week at the age of 36. This came as a shock to the entire indie world. The band was more than hopeful that Smith would beat the diagnosis. Just releasing their latest record Nine Types of Light
last week, it is the last TVOTR album he recorded with the band. Smith was unable to tour with the group this time around due to treatment and recovery. TV on the Radio has canceled five upcoming dates on the tour so far this week so head to their website for more information.

The Postelles Launches ‘Hold On’ Video Via New York Magazine’s “Vulture” And Announce Record Release Tour


New York Magazine’s “Vulture” recently premiered The Postelles’ latest acoustic, roadside video “Hold On.” It features front man Daniel Balk, chilling in a deli parking lot in Tennessee, serenading a free way. It is a raw, emotional release from this boppy, swing-dancing band, something a little different from them. The Postelles will be releasing their self-titled debut album, co-produced by The Strokes very own Albert Hammond Jr., and kicking off their own tour on June 7th. The band will start with a two-night stay at New York’s Mercury Lounge. The Ambassadors will be supporting the June 7th Mercury Lounge show as well as the Philadelphia and Washington, DC shows. PanAm will be opening for The Postelles’ Los Angeles show June 28th.

The Postelles – Record Release Tour

6/7           New York, NY                   Mercury Lounge
6/8           New York, NY                   Mercury Lounge
6/10         Philadelphia, PA                   Kung Fu Necktie
6/11         Washington, DC                   Red Palace
6/15         Toronto, ON, Canada          NXNE
6/16         Toronto, ON, Canada          NXNE

6/17         Chicago, IL                            Schubas
6/18         Milwaukee, WI                   Summer Soulstice Music Festival
6/20         Seattle, WA                            Tractor Tavern
6/23         San Francisco, CA           Popscene @ Rickshaw Stop
6/28         Los Angeles, CA                   The Echo

7/7            Boston, MA                           T.T. the Bear’s Place