by cristobalsaez

Esben and the Witch to Release Debut Album

esben

“Not to say they’re in any way a throwback, but the intense fury these three modest humans work up reminds me of ’80s/’90s bands who were desperate to match savvy rock songwriting with scary, theatrical emotion and intensity without turning it into noise punk or cabaret shtick. They walk a line, evoking folklore and fairy tales and witchery, swelling to a climax that’s hypnotic but never quite reveals itself.” — SPIN

Dark noise pop Esben and the Witch are set to release their debut album, Violet Cries. Their intense sound has been raved about ever since they released their 3 EP. You can check out their “Warpath” mp3 here, and their new music video for “Marching Song” below.

01.21.11

by cristobalsaez

Alexander Ebert (of the Magnetic Zeros) to Release Debut

alexander

Alexander Ebert, member of the hippie band Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, is set to release his debut album called Alexander. But this isnt your typical solo album. Ebert explains “I wanted to be able to build an album basically with my hands, like building a house by myself.”, and that is exactly what he did. This album is completely produced, written and performed by Ebert. He plays all of the instruments in the songs as well as singing them. To make matters even more interesting, Ebert cites childhood songs such as Patty Cake and Disney tunes as sources of inspiration for this record. Make sure to check it out when its released March 1st via Community Music. Peek at the album cover above and the tracklist for Alexander below.

1. Let’s Win!

2. Awake My Body

3. Truth

4. In The Twilight

5. Bad Bad Love

6. Old Friend

7. A Million Years

8. Remember Our Heart

9. Glimpses

10. Let’s Make A Deal To Not Make A Deal

01.20.11

by mcirigliano2

Vincent Moon & Efterklang Want YOU (Yes, You) To Host A Screening Of “An Island”

News about An Island trickled into the blogosphere in small doses: in November 2010, Efterklang and Vincent Moon announced that they were working on a film together, to be premiered in February 2011; in December we were told that Efterklang will bring An Island with them on their 2011 European tour.

Now, Efterklang and Vincent Moon are welcoming all of their listeners and followers to host their own premiere screenings of An Island- people can sign up to host a screening, to be held between February 1st and March 31st.

Efterklang and Vincent Moon call these screenings Private-Public Screenings, and the rules are very simple:
•    The screenings need to have free entrance.
•    The screenings need to be public.
•    The screenings need to have a minimum capacity of 5 people.
•    The screenings need to be verified by Efterklang & Vincent Moon, and only screenings that are featured onwww.anisland.cc are official Private Public Screenings.

An Island is an unconventional mixture of performance film and abstract documentary- about both a band and an island. Last summer, French filmmaker Vincent Moon and Efterklang’s 8 piece-live band met up on an island off the Danish coast. The objective was to shoot a film: a film with the same length as an album, and a film full of performances, experiments, and collaborations. Over an intense period of 4 days, Efterklang collaborated with more than 200 local musicians, creating new performances and interpretations of songs from their album Magic Chairs- filmed in its entirety by Moon.

For an updated list of the current and future Official Screenings and Private-Public Screenings of An Island, visit: http://anisland.cc/home/attend-a-screening/

Be sure to check out the third teaser for An Island here:

01.19.11

by summer826

Poor But Sexy Is Bringing Funky Back

It’s the middle of winter and snowstorms seem to have become a weekly ritual in the northeast, yet, Washington, D.C.’s very own Poor But Sexy have certainly found a way to make you forget about the frigid temperatures and get your heart pumpin’ and body movin’. With the release of their latest single, “Hotter Than a Poptart”, the funky group are ready to take the world by storm and get their audiences on their feet.

Formed by veterans of the post-punk scene in Washington, D.C., Poor But Sexy’s resume would certainly read more like they were still very much a part of the scene, yet rather than continue on with the same sound and image that they once were a part of, these guys have gone in a completely opposite direction, and it is good. Imagine Stevie Wonder and R. Kelley had a love child with Steely Dan and Elvis Costello and the result was Poor But Sexy. A true funky, eclectic electro vibe sound that can be heard throughout their upcoming debut release Let’s Move in Together which is set to release on February 15^th. In support of their album release, the band will be touring with Dismemberment Plan, Franz Nicolay and David Dondero on various dates throughout the northeast area.

Check out their latest single, “Hotter Than a Poptart”.

Tour Dates:

January 17 – Arlington, VA – The Galaxy Hut

January 22 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club*

January 29 – New York, NY – Webster Hall*

February 19 – Fredericksburg, VA – Fredericksburg All Ages

February 25 – Brooklyn, NY – Union Pool^

February 27 – Washington, DC – The Black Cat^

March 4 – Chicago, IL – The Hideout w/ Blah Blah Blah

March 5 – Pittsburgh, PA – Club Café

*with Dismemberment Plan

^with Franz Nicolay/David Dondero

01.19.11

by mcirigliano2

Ezra Furman & The Harpoons Announce New LP

Ezra Furman & The Harpoons are set to release their third studio album, Mysterious Power, on April 5th. The Boston band’s first release for Red Parlor Records, Mysterious Power boasts the production power of Doug Boehm (French Kicks, Starsailor). Additionally, the band is looking forward to hitting the road in the spring- making an appearance at SXSW before embarking on a U.S. tour thereafter.

A familiar staple on critic’s year-end lists, Ezra Furman & The Harpoons gained acclaim for their 2008 album, Inside The Human Body, being lauded by NPR’s “All Songs Considered,’ Paste, and the Chicago Tribune. The foursome soon found themselves performing their mix of folk-punk alongside the likes of Lou Reed, Matisyahu, The Walkmen, Delta Spirit, and Spoon.

On Mysterious Power, Furman employs the same open-chest honesty that drew ire for Ginsberg’s Howl and spawned speculation of Cohen’s Chelsea Hotel, as Furman pines for his “Wild Rosemarie” in the opening track- recounting bouts of transience he experienced while making the album. The Harpoons- Job Mukkada (bass), Adam Abrutyn (drums), and Andrew Langer (guitar)- deftly toy with dynamics, soldering rockabilly rhythm and love-struck doo-wop sensibility with punk rock ferocity.

Mysterious Power tracklist:

1. Wild Rosemarie

2. I Killed Myself But I Didn’t Die

3. Hard Time in a Terrible Land

4. Mysterious Power

5. Teenage Wasteland

6. Bloodsucking Whore

7. Don’t Turn Your Back On Love

8. Portrait of Maud

9. Fall In Love With My World

10.Too Strung Out

11.Heaven at the Drive-In

12.Wild Feeling

01.19.11

by jill ettinger

Fergus & Geronimo Release Video From Forthcoming ‘Unlearn’

In anticipation of Unlearn (Hardly Art), the first full-length release from Denton, Texas’s Fergus & Geronimo, the outfit released a video for “Where the Walls Are Made of Grass” (director, Alice Cohen).

Fergus & Geronimo are Jason Kelly and Andrew Savage, two guys with an inclination for weird music a la Frank Zappa’s drive and creative determination. Taking their band name from child gang leaders featured in the 1994 movie, “War of the Buttons” they build their sound on an array of influences.

Watch the video here and download the singer “Powerful Lovin'” here.