Category Archives: New Releases

04.21.11
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The Black Swans Release Video and Announce Shows and LP

The Black Swans have been mighty busy.  Their LP Don’t Blame the Stars was put on hold while recording when band member Noel Sayre passed.  The band finished recording their fourth LP by putting forth an even more profound resonance in their songs.  The LP drops on May 31st and you can see the video for the single “I Forgot To Change The Windshield Wipers In My Mind” right here:  http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2011/04/12/film-at-11-the-black-swans/

You can also catch them on tour on the following dates:

4/28 – Columbus, OH @ Treehouse w/Southeast Engine
5/15 – Nelsonville, OH @ Nelsonville Festival
5/20 – Cleveland, OH @ Survival Kit
6/3 – Columbus, OH @ Rumba *Record Release Show

04.20.11
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Moby Releases First Single From ‘Destroyed’

It’s easy to still root for Moby, but tough to expect to be surprised by him anymore.  “The Day” is the first single on Moby’s new album, Destroyed, out May 17th, and it’s an unbelievable bore.  If you want, you can listen here anyway.

The production, a homage to the Berlin Trilogy, has an emotionless gloss over it which gets further obscured by Moby’s flat vocal delivery.  Overall, the track is bogged down by sheer monotony; there’s no tonal shift, no significant tempo change, and nothing to hold on to.    Maybe he should have sang it in French.  No, that’s worse.

04.15.11
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Vivian Girls’ Album Out NOW!

Brooklyn trio Vivian Girls just released their third album this week, titled Share The Joy.  The girls have stated it’s a “really dark album” but unlike their past two albums, it has a happy ending.  If you want to catch them on tour with the Black Lips, here are the dates:

Fri-Apr-15        Montreal, QC                Le National *
Sat-Apr-16        Toronto, ON                Pheonix Concert Theatre *
Sun-Apr-17    Detroit, MI                    Magic Stick *   
Tue-Apr-19    Columbus, OH                Outland Live *
Wed-Apr-20    Newport, KY                Southgate House * 
Thu-Apr-21    St Louis, MO                The Firebird *
Fri-Apr-22        Chicago, IL                Logan Square Auditorium * 
Sat-Apr-23        Minneapolis, MN                Varsity Theater *
Sun-Apr-24    Northfield, MN                The Cave / Carleton College *
Mon-Apr-25    Omaha, NE                The Waiting Room *
Tue-Apr-26    Kansas City, MO                The Beaumont Club *
Wed-Apr-27    Dallas, TX                    The Loft *
Thu-Apr-28    Austin, TX                    Emo’s *   
Sun-May-01    Los Angeles, CA            The Echo / Part Time Punks
Mon-May-02    San Diego, CA                 Casbah # 
Tue-May-03    Santa Barbara, CA            Muddy Waters #
Wed-May-04    San Francisco, CA            Rickshaw Stop #
Fri-May-06    Seattle, WA                Vera Project #
Sat-May-07    Vancouver, BC                The Biltmore #
Sun-May-08    Portland, OR                Holocene #
Wed-May-11    Salt Lake City, UT            Kilby Court #
Thu-May-12    Denver, CO                Larimer Lounge #
Fri-May-13    Lawrence, KS                Jackpot Music Hall #
Sat-May-14    Bloomington, IN             Max’s Place #
Sun-May-15    Cleveland, OH                Grog Shop #

* = w/ Black Lips
# = w/ No Joy

04.14.11
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Album Review: The Naked and Famous – “Passive You Aggressive Me”

The pathway to success has been a relatively uncharted one for New Zealand based five-piece The Naked and Famous. After recording two EPs in the home studio of vocalists Thom Powers and Alisa Xayalith, the band returned to that same studio, with few expectations, to record their debut LP.

Lead single “All of This” failed to impact but then, a funny thing happened; the album’s second single, “Young Blood” shot to the top of the New Zealand pop charts. Suddenly, an indie band from Auckland was getting more spins than Katy Perry and B.o.B, and soon thereafter pivotal blogs in the U.S. and U.K. were lauding the group. So, by the time Passive You Aggressive Me was released in overseas, The Naked and Famous had been named the “Best up-and-coming band” by NME Magazine.

Consumed in a vacuum, “All of This” and “Young Blood” would suggest a debut album much different than the one they’re actually featured on. Powers, who co-produced the album with band-mate Aaron Short, has a clear affinity for the 1980’s Shoegaze Movement and the more recent Nu Gaze Movement. As such, he and Short provide a glossy sheen of synthesizers and distorted vocals that make for a wonder-wall of sound on both of the Passive You Aggressive Me’s singles. However, the album, as a whole, is far more eclectic in its offerings.

“No Way” starts simple enough with Xavalith’s fragile vocal over an acoustic guitar, but subsequently grows into a boisterous number filled with tambourines, echo effects and heavy percussion.  While “Spank” is an outright dance track in the mold of LCD Soundsystem’s more commercial work, and softer cuts like “Frayed” and “Girls Like You” show true versatility. The Naked and Famous may not reinvent the wheel on their debut album, but they most certainly make it turn.

Overall: B+