The LA-based composer and multi-instrumentalist known as Seven Saturdays has just announced his EP, Secret Things, is being released with every song remixed! You can hear Teen Daze’s remix of “True Romance” right here:
http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F12035631True Romance (Teen Daze Remix) by Seven Saturdays
On April 12th, Crystal Stilts will release their sophomore album, In Love With Oblivion. The album, described as a beguiling mix of pop music and experimental garage rock, was recorded mostly in Southern Florida. Shortly after the album hits stores, the band will hit the road. A full list of dates can be found below, as can the band’s energetic first single “Through The Floor.”
Crystal Stilts – Through The Floor by Slumberland Records
Spring Tour Dates
Sat-Apr-16 New York, NY Le Poisson Rouge #
Sun-Apr-17 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg #
Sat-Apr-23 Raleigh, NC Kings Barcade
Mon-Apr-25 Birmingham, AL Bottletree
Tue-Apr-26 New Orleans, LA Circle Bar
Thu-Apr-28 Houston, TX Fitzgeralds (upstairs)
Fri-Apr-29 Austin, TX Austin Psych Fest 4 at Seaholm Powerplant
Sat-Apr-30 Dallas, TX Club Dada
Tue-May-03 Phoenix, AZ Rhythm Room
Wed-May-04 San Diego, CA Casbah
Thu-May-05 Santa Barbara, CA TBD
Fri-May-06 Los Angeles, CA Natural History Museum
Sat-May-07 San Francisco, CA Rickshaw Stop
Sun-May-08 Sacramento, CA The Hub
Tue-May-10 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
Wed-May-11 Seattle, WA The Crocodile
Thu-May-12 Vancouver, BC Biltmore
Fri-May-13 Kennwick, WA Red Room
Sat-May-14 Boise, ID Colorcube
Sun-May-15 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
Mon-May-16 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge
Wed-May-18 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
Thu-May-19 Madison, WI High Noon
Fri-May-20 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle
Sat-May-21 Detroit, MI Magic Stick
Sun-May-22 Toronto, ON Sneaky Dees
# = w/ Spectrum
Brooklyn band O’Death are back on the road in support of their latest release, Outside, which will be available via Ernest Jenning Record Company on April 19th. The band just returned from SXSW, only to head right back out on the open road. They are undertaking a ginormous world tour that has stops ranging from California to Germany.
The group has also put out a new song from the album. You can listen to “Alamar” right here.
If you want to check out O’Death, you can see them on the road:
Tuesday, Apr. 5 – Pueblo, CO @ Red Raven Gallery w/ Sasquatch, The Haunted Windchimes
Wednesday, Apr. 6 – Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
Thursday, Apr. 7 – Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium
Friday, Apr. 8 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club w/ Grandchildren
Saturday, Apr. 9 – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen w/ Grandchildren
Monday, Apr. 11 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop w/ The Hollows, Grandchildren
Tuesday, Apr. 12 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Cafe w/ Grandchildren
Wednesday, Apr. 13 – Grantham, PA @ Messiah College
Thursday, Apr. 14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie w/ Grandchildren
Friday, Apr. 15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory w/ Grandchildren
Saturday, Apr. 16 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott
Wednesday, Apr. 27 – Dublin, Ireland @ the Workman’s Club
Thursday, Apr. 28 – Cork, Ireland @ Crane Lane Theatre
Friday, Apr. 29 – Clonakilty, Ireland @ De Barras
Saturday, Apr. 30- Galway, Ireland @ Kelly’s Bar & Lounge
Monday, May 2 – London, UK @ Cargo
Wednesday, May 4 – Paris, France @ La Fleche d’Or
Thursday, May 5 – Luzern, Switzerland @ Vasco da Gama, Frigorex
Friday, May 6 – Schaffhausen, Switzerland @ Tap Tab
Saturday, May 7 – Zürich, Switzerland @ El Lokal
Sunday, May 8 – Schorndorf, Germany @ Manfaktur
Monday, May 9 – Munich, Germany @ Feierwerk
Wednesday, May 11 – Prague, Czech Republic @ K4
Thursday, May 12 – Dresden, Germany @ Beatpol
Friday, May 13 – Leipzig, Germany @ Conne Island
Saturday, May14 – Berlin, Germany @ Privatclub
Monday, May 16 – Hamburg, Germany @ Molotow
Tuesday, May 17 – Nuremberg, Germany @ MuZ
Wednesday, May 18 – Cologne, Germany @ Studio 672
Photo by the lovely Chelsea Franklin
Openers The Grogs and Devendra Banhart (Who went on way too early), barely gained any attention. Elvis Costello, also known as our “April Fools,” joke, came out and played about three songs as a surprise opener as well. No one really seemed to care unless he was about to take off a mask and reveal he was Julian Casablancas.
We were there to see The Strokes.
A band that brought Rock and Roll alive for many of us in the crowd, you could look around and see the ripped jeans, converse sneakers and unkempt, but perfectly placed hair. It was easy to believe that everything was back in place. Just how we left it five years ago. It was interesting that the band was playing a stadium in NYC, the biggest headlining show that they have ever done in the city. Being about my 6th Strokes show in NYC, I wasn’t sure how they would carry out a big, sold out venue. The answer is nothing more than “brilliant.”
Cue the 9:30 curtain call and on walks the five familar faces. The crowd gave them one of the biggest welcomes I’ve ever seen and The Strokes seemed to be more than thankful. They wasted no time before launching into “Is This It,” a clever first song. Right away we knew every word, so much that Julian commented on it.
The chemistry of the band seemed to be back. They were tight, and not sloppy by any means, even when Casablancas messed up on a couple of lines. Hey, it happens. If you didn’t tell me they were on a hiatus, I would have thought they were playing together every night for the past year together. It was that great. Bands rarely play so perfectly, then again, no band is The Strokes.
From “Reptilia,” to “Under Cover of Darkness, the band delivered. Mixing classics like “Last Nite,” seemed to be flawless amongst the new tracks on Angles, (BMG) which were even better live than anticipated. Casablancas was chatty that night making comments and talking to the band. They seem to be healing with each other and that makes an arena of 25,000 happy Strokes fans. Highlights of the nights included “New York City Cops,” “Life is Simple in the Moonlight,” and “What Ever Happened?,” but honestly, EVERY song was a highlight
Elvis Costello appeared onstage in the midst of “Taken for a Fool,” which seemed to be magical for some or killed it for others. It takes a lot to impress Strokes fans. A lot.
Nick Valensi’s and Albert Hammond Jr.’s guitars intertwined with every single strum and pluck as they held the songs together. Nikolai Fraiture’s bass was smooth and emphasized every note perfectly. Fab Moretti provided brillian percussion bringing up the backbone of the band, even with the occasional use of the drum machine. Casablancas’ voice was dead on with every note and the crowd was right there with him. Jumping into the audience pit a few times, he weaved his way through the crowd and never stopped for a minute. This is always something amazing about the band. They don’t make the fans feel like outsiders, but part of what’s going on.
Climbing on speakers and upper levels, Casablancas was determined to get your attention at any cost. What was that line that Jason Lee said in “Almost Famous”? …”You know what I do? I connect. I get people off. I look for the guy who isn’t getting off and I MAKE him get off.” This my friends is Julian Casablancas. A man who will bend over backwards to make sure you are having a good time and look cool as hell doing it.
A whopping hour and a half later and a short encore, the band closed with “Take It or Leave It.” Just how we remembered it. Ful of energy, an explosion of sound, a jump in the crowd and smooth but raw vocals. As the band left the stage for the night, you could see 25,000 smiling faces.
The Strokes are back.
SETLIST
1.Is This It
2.Reptilia
3.Under Cover of Darkness
4.Hard To Explain
5.Last Nite
6.Life Is Simple in the Moonlight
7.Juicebox
8.Someday
9.You’re So Right
10.Under Control
11.You Only Live Once
12.New York City Cops
13.Games
14.What Ever Happened?
15.Taken for a Fool (with Elvis Costello)
Encore:
16.Ask Me Anything
17.The Modern Age
18.Gratisfaction
19.I Can’t Win
20.Take It Or Leave It
VIDEOS
Asobi Seksu have announced a couple more tour dates, in case anyone got left out of the first round. This time, the group will be accompanied by Sun Airways and White Lies.
The band is still reveling in the positive critical glow that followed the release of their fourth album, Fluorescence, which came out February 15th via Polyvinyl. The album showcased the band’s familiar song and ever-growing songwriting skills.
The band has also had a couple of other musicians remix their tracks. You can hear Holy Other and Painted Palms remixes of the song “Trails” here.
You can check out Asobi Seksu at…
04/07 – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY $
05/13 – Caradura – Mexico City
05/17 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA *&
05/20 – 9:30 Club – Washington, D.C. *&
05/21 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA *&
05/24 – Antone’s – Austin, TX *
05/25 – Fitzgerald’s (Upstairs) – Houston, TX *
$ w/ Consortium Musicum (Greg Saunier of Deerhoof + Sean Lennon)
* w/ White Lies
& w/ Sun Airway
This should have just been a post about an honest humanitarian effort pulled together by some fantastic independent artists to raise money in response to the devastation in Japan. Instead, artist Sadek Bazaraa missed the fact that the cover of the Benefit for the Recovery in Japan (above) looks unmistakably akin to a Pokéball.
Fortunately, the seriousness of the tragic event and this compilation’s good intentions merit a pardon of the artwork’s inadvertent mockery, so focus more on the music. That should be easy, considering contributions from Grouper, Akron/Family, School of Seven Bells, Bradford Cox, Bear In Heaven, Nat Baldwin, and Fennesz — and especially when considering comparison to this abortion of a compilation. “Shelter from the Storm”? Really?
100% of the proceeds from album sales will go to Civic Force, a Japanese non-profit, on-the-ground relief organization founded after the Niigata Earthquake in 2004. The album clocks in at nearly 5 HOURS of music, so take a read over the tracklist below and download the album for a helpful $15 toward the relief effort.
Modern Mystery 
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