Category Archives: News

11.16.10
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Generationals – “Trust” EP

Generationals is a spunky little trio out of New Orleans that this past summer went out to Austin, Texas to lay down the four tracks I’ve come to own as the Trust EP. Generationals has been Grant Widmer and Ted Joyner, joined now by drummer and back up vocalist Tess Brunet. Recorded this past August, the EP starts out with “Carrying the Torch”, a poppy bass riff that spins off into an almost indie take on the classic new wave hit “Melt With You.” A tightly loose danceable affair with some light strings in the back round to really make all the tracks blend seamlessly.

“Say For Certain” grooves along organically from the start, pulsing and clicking. A sparse yet melodically decorated tune with some lyrics that definitely got into my head. The syncopation is viral and feels over too soon. “Trust” is another thumping groover with a surfer bend. The song is a mellow poppy jingle that chugs with a beachy sunny sound. I can see the song taking over radiowaves soon, and it is the EP’s title track with good reason, it’s highly infectious. “Victim of Trap” is an excellent closer for many reasons. One being it is a hypnotic, textured, and challenging track that is very welcome after three almost upfront post-pop tunes. The band really builds on each track and it makes me very excited for anything they’re planning on putting down in the studio soon.

The Trust EP is available on the iTunes store now for only $1.99.

11.16.10
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Shilpa Ray Announce New Album and Spring Tour

 

Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers are back and will be starting off a busy early 2011 with a new full length record, Teenage and Torture, out January 18th on Knitting Factory Records. Ray, an Indian-American who grew up in a working class family in Princeton Junction, New Jersey, has made something of a name for herself turning her much-talked about alienation in to startling, bluesy rock n’ roll; even Nick Cave has stated he’s a fan. The band’s fall tour was cancelled and they must be eager to get back on the road: they’ve planned a pretty staggering 28 show run in just 31 days with Acid Mothers Temple starting on the West Coast in March and running through Canada and the Northeast before stopping in Austin in late April.

You can find the full list of dates below, as well as stream the second MP3 to be shared from the new record, “Heaven in Stereo”.

Stream the “Heaven in Stereo” Mp3 HERE
 
Upcoming Tour Dates:

*= w/ Acid Mothers Temple

NOVEMBER
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*
11.15.10
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BRAIDS Make Lemonade

It takes a lot for four best friends from Alberta, Canada to convince each other to skip college and move across the country to Montreal. At only eighteen, the music geniuses BRAIDS  released a  self recorded/self produced album known as Native Speaker.

With its single “Lemonade” now debuted on Stereogum, new fans can’t wait for the LP’s release on January 18th. The critics can’t wait either, as Filter magazine described the album as “an amalgam of feminine assertion and unabashed lust.”

Illustrated as brilliant in detail and  luminous structure, none of the songs on Native Speaker ever come in under four minutes and most average about six. Such pattern has not bored listeners, but only seemed to sugarcoat the already radiant sound. Leading up to the release, the band will be playing the following shows. Catch them in your city!

***Tour Dates***

11/17 – M For Montreal  With We Are Wolves  Montreal, QC
11/18 – Cabaret Du Mile End WIth Land Of Talk   Montreal, QC
11/30 – Knitting Factory With The Radio Dept.  Brooklyn, NY
12/1 – Bowery Ballroom With The Radio Dept. New York, NY

11.15.10
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Les Savy Fav Release New Album and Video

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It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Les Savy Fav: their 2007 release, Let’s Stay Friends, earned them critical buzz and highly coveted spots on many year-end lists. The Brooklyn band has picked up where they left off with critics, receiving rave reviews for their latest LP, Root For Ruin, released in September on Frenchkiss Records. Unlike the roster of guest stars included on Let’s Stay Friends, Root For Ruin finds the band working as a quintet once again. Guitarist Seth Jabour described their latest recording as revelatory, explaining that “it turns out we enjoy making love to one another more than with a group of strangers.” The raw energy and jangled guitars that Les Savy Fav are known for are still there, and on Root For Ruin you can actually hear the guys getting comfortable with their own legacy as indie rock veterans.

The lead single from Root For Ruin, “Let’s Get Out Of Here” now has an amazing video to accompany the track. Check it out below, along with a handful of tour dates to close out the year:

2010 Tour Dates
November 15 – Komedia – Brighton, UK
November 17 – Gebäude 9 – Cologne, DE
November 18 – Festsaal Kreuzberg – Berlin, DE
November 19 – Trouw – Amsterdam, NL
November 20 – Nouveau – Paris, FR
November 21 – Trix – Antwerp, BE
November 22 – Electric Ballroom – London, UK
December 4 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
December 5 – Neumo’s – Seattle, WA
11.15.10
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Hear a Track From the New Tennis Album, “Cape Dory”


Amongst the plethora of lo-fi bands to surface seemingly out of nowhere this year, perhaps Tennis has remained the buzziest. No easy feat considering the fickle attention span of the indie blogosphere and their disciples.

The baby of husband and wife team Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore and based in Denver, Tennis constructs Brian Wilson-inspired pop songs and presents them in classic three minute packages. On “Take Me Somewhere”, the first track revealed from the band’s debut LP, Cape Dory, out January 18th on Fat Possum, the duo sticks with the format that brought them the buzz in the first place, even adding doo-wop background vocals that call to mind the girl groups of the sixties.

You can stream “Take Me Somewhere” here:

Tennis – Take Me Somewhere by forcefieldpr

Full Album Info:

Tennis
Cape Dory
(Fat Possum)
Street Date: Jan. 18, 2011
Formats:  CD / LP / Cassette / Digital

01 Take Me Somewhere
02 Long Boast Pass
03 Cape Dory
04 Marathon
05 Bimini Bay
06 South Carolina
07 Pigeon
08 Seafarer
09 Baltimore
10 Water Birds

And finally, if you want to catch them live:

Upcoming Tennis Tour Dates

Nov 16 Holocene – Portland, OR
Nov 17 The Crocodile – Seattle, WA
Nov 24 Bluebird – Denver, CO
Dec 01 Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
Dec 02 Terminal 5 – New York, NY *
Dec 03 9:30 Club – Washington, DC *
Dec 05 Kung Fu Neck Tie – Philadelphia, PA
Dec 06 Middle East Club – Cambridge, MA
Dec 07 Casa Del Popolo – Montreal, QC
Dec 08 The Drake Hotel – Toronto, ON
Dec 10 Schubas Tavern – Chicago, IL
Dec 11 Mojo’s – Columbia, MO

* = w/ The Walkmen
% = w/ Sonny and the Sunsets