New Brunswick, NJ-based punk rockers Screaming Females have announced three initial shows for 2011. Dates are listed as follows:
1/14 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall/Tomorrow Never Knows Festival
1/17 – Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex
2/12 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
The band has also released a new song called “Wild” that can be found on the September 2010 LP release Castle Talk.
On the True Panther Sounds record label website, a love letter written by label member Christopher Owens is published. Owens and Chet “JR” White are the two California boys who make up Girls. The letter’s subject is you and me: the fans. His confession that without us, their fantastic new EP, Broken Dreams Club wouldn’t exist is oozing with sincerity and endearment to a surprising and delightful degree, for I fear we are the ones who should be thanking them.
It starts out with “Thee Oh So Protective One,” an almost loungey, luxurious cruise ship dance tune. It has the kind of sound meant to be played on or by water, begging for a steel drum to make a cameo, but Girls know better than to ham it up that far. In all seriousness, it’s a well dichotomized song with an easy, rich and full sound with brilliant, almost majestic trumpet incorporation but then sad and unfortunate lyrics: “He’ll never know about the times that you cried in the movies, never know about the times that you cried to the music” and insecure reflections: “I wonder if he’s impressed/Should I have worn the other dress?” This first track is also a great introduction to Owen’s classic vocal style, conjuring that of Burt Bacharach.
White’s bass skills really shine through on “Heartbreaker.” The bass drives the song and adds an extra level of cool to this already radical song. It’s full of charm from the groovy, playful vocals, expert bass, innocent and earnest piano, 80s electric guitar riffs to the light, twinkly tambourine. This well polished song exhibits professional production and a band who means serious business, as far as quality is concerned.
There’s a significant country influence on the title track and on fittingly titled “Carolina,” the former with a somber blues tone actually quite in line with Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning. The muffled, raunchy horns add a nice ragtime jazz touch. “Carolina” is much more experimental but still carries the twangy, drawling, country guitar featured on “Broken Dreams Club.” “Carolina” is a delicious pop dish with booming lines delivered a capella, an oldies “do run run run do do run run” refrain in the background and trippy electronic effects.
“Substance,” if you couldn’t guess from the title, is about drugs: “If you want to shape your brain, I know a substance…that helps you rock and roll.” Ironically enough, it seems to be an anti-drug anthem mocking drug users and their absurd habits, and based on their West Coast, partially ex-hippie cult background (Owens hails from the Children of God cult – or movement – spawned during the 60s California drug phase), are probably mocking themselves: “You can do anything yeah, you can rock and roll outta control/Who wants something real when you could have nothing/Why not just give up, who wants to try.”
This record is buoyant, a little kitschy, and varying in styles. If you’re not already one of the addressees of Owens’ letter, listen o this EP immediately and find out what you’ll soon to be gushing over.
The Beatles are finally moving to the digital era with the release of their 13 studio albums. These albums, including “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Revolver,” “The Beatles [The White Album],” and “Abbey Road”, will be available as iTunes LPs and they also include a mini-documentary for each record.”We’re really excited to bring the Beatles’ music to iTunes,” said Sir Paul McCartney. “It’s fantastic to see the songs we originally released on vinyl receive as much love in the digital world as they did the first time around.” Not only that, but you can stream the “Live at the Washington Coliseum, 1964” concert for free!
Check it out in the iTunes store or here!
“Lawless Lands” is the second chapter in the epic tale of The Sword’s mystical travels from Earth to Space, called Warp Riders, also the name of their latest album. “Lawless Lands” is the next installment after the first chapter, “Tres Brujas” or “Three Witches” in English. As one could surmise from the title, the Texas metal outfit in a haze of “sacred smoke” encounter three witches in “Tres Brujas,” the first of whom will “rob,” the second will “deceive,” and the third will “show you the way.”
As a perfect segue, the third bruja shows The Sword the way into “Lawless Lands,” or outer space, as it turns out. “Lawless Lands” immediately takes a new musical tone from “Tres Brujas,” from epic to looming doom with the change of riffing, fast paced guitar to slower, more ominous bluesy rhythms. The video looks like a hodgepodge of old school sci-fi movies like Willow and The Dark Crystal with some Star Trek mixed in, centered around some chick who is part goth princess, part child empress from Never Ending Story.
The Sword puts a fantasy twist on metal with “Lawless Lands” and the rest of Warp Riders that is nothing short of totally awesome. The Sword is currently on an American tour for the release of Warp Riders through mid December.
“Many other music docs and concert films can give you an idea of how great a band is live, but how many can truly make you feel like you’re in the audience? Todd P Goes to Austin is in elite company on that count.” -Goatdog’s Movies
“Todd P Goes To Austin” follows concert guru Todd Peterson and with it, you get to see electrifying performances fit to show the energy of the DIY underground scene. Featuring live performances from Matt and Kim, Dan Deacon, Mika Miko and many more, this movie illustrates the experience of concert-going. Check out trailer for the Jay Buim directed film below.
TODD P GOES TO AUSTIN trailer from OTTO ARSENAULT on Vimeo.
You can pick up a copy of the DVD here.
Jimmy Eat World is fun, accessible, easy, and their name sounds like a comic book. No wonder they’re widely popular and live up to fans’ expectations time and time again. The same holds true for their new album, Invented featuring the single “Coffee and Cigarettes.” It puts you in a good mood just by hearing it. It’s not groundbreaking or mind blowing; it’s just really good, like Jimmy Eat World itself.
The chorus line “Coffee and Cigarettes/As Simple As it Gets” off the track pretty much sums it up. The lyrics are straightforward and modest with westward-bound self discovery and romantic nostalgia themes, while the melody and music are masterful pop creations. In conjunction, it’s a simple pleasure that needs no further explanation.
Catch them play “Coffee and Cigarettes” on the triumphant revival of Conan O’Brien December 13th on TBS or on their many tour dates including New Years Eve at the Fiesta Bowl Rock Party in Tempe, Arizona and international shows in Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Modern Mystery 
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