Painted Palms, who is Secretly Canadian’s newest member of the family, are causing quite the storm on the indie scene. The duo of cousins Reese Donohue and Christopher Prudhomme, have just released their debut EP, Canopy, that came out digitally on April 26th. Indie fans have been hopping on board to get a glimpse and a listen of these up and comers, so if you know what is good for you, check them out.
The EP will also drop June 21st on 12″ vinyl and it is infectious to say the least. Each song really brings something different to the table. Creating their own special brand of pyschadelic pop music that will have you dancing your ass off and craving more, you can currently catch the band on tour with of Montreal that just kicked off this week.
Check out the listings below as well as free track!
Canopy Tracklisting
1. All of Us 2. Water Hymn
3. Falling Asleep
4. Great White
5. Canopy
Painted Palms Tour Dates
Apr. 28 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club*
Apr. 29 – Philadelphia, PA – Theatre of Living Arts*
This Milwaukee duo’s debut album is not something to miss. This album explores a wide breadth of genres sonically. It ranges from 70’s and 80’s oriented dance to progressive synth lines and electronic funk. Wavering vocals, punchy bass lines and crisp synth lines pervade this album, linking it. While at times reminiscent of Phoenix, Daft Punk, and MGMT, the unique combination of crowd-friendly, catchy songs and those that are more introspective and nostalgic creates an album unlike any other.
The album opens with an upbeat, feel-good song, “Up All Night,” which rivets the listener with catchy melodies and synth lines. This dance-floor mentality is scattered throughout the album; tracks like “The Body Electric” and “What I Want” are riddled with guitar riffs, bass lines and vocals that stick. “This Moment” is a testament to the marriage of an 70’s or 80’s like riff with punchy electronic moments and a healthy dose of synth action, at the same time, snippets of French horn mingle with the other sounds in the track. “Running Through the Wild” opens with a cool symphony of electronic musings and melodies before taking off with lyrics like “running through the wilderness hunting for love.” This track is easy and fun to listen to, while at the same time it pushes the listener. It would seem they’ve struck the balance between the two perfectly. The seventh track, “What I Want,” is arguably the centerpiece of this album. This seven minute long track is anthemic and not unlike a rollercoaster. With fun and attractive synths and a wavering bass line, this song does not fail to please. With lines like “We can tell it’s not enough, just bring it back to what I want” and the tin of a melody in the higher register, this track provokes more than just the urge to dance.
As this album moves towards its second half, tracks like “The Cantor Meets the Alien,” “Mawson’s Peak,” and “Antarctica/ The Decision” show off the album’s more introspective side. These songs highlight the innovation between the two brothers, who seem fond of pushing the boundary between catchy and pensive. At the same time, “Broken Heart” is an electronic continuation of the same emotional tone of “Last Summer,” whose sentimental and mellow vocals ruminate on events past. “Broken Heart” merges the upbeat qualities of earlier tracks like “Up All Night” with lyrics a touch more introspective: “I’m so sick of it but I can’t help myself . . . and it breaks my heart.”
French Horn Rebellion has done a great thing with their debut album; their unique sound is both progressive and nostalgic, moreover, it’s superb. While at times it can seem a bit saccharine, usually it’s just plain cool. French Horn Rebellion has successfully married 70’s and 80’s-esque chord progressions and brass instruments with electronic funk. Through this, the pair of brothers has managed to create a sound and style completely their own.
Detroit indie-pop duo Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. are gearing up for a headlining national tour in May to support their full-length debut, It’s A Corporate World, which will be released on June 7th through Quite Scientific Records. In celebration of the release, they are even offering up the first single off the album, “Morning Thought” as a free download on their website! Get it HERE.
And because good news never come alone, the bad has announced that in select cities during the tour, fans will get to rock out with the band – yes, you read correctly – by coming on stage to sing with them in skeleton costumes. Also, double EPs on vinyl will be made available for the first time and sold on tour. All these tantalizing prospects should make you want to check out if they are coming anywhere near you below!
Here are their upcoming tour dates:
May 10 -Brighton Music Hall- Allston, MA
May 11 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY
May 12 – The Rock Shop – Brooklyn, NY
May 13 – The Red Palace – Washington, DC
May 14 – Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA
May 17 – IOTA Club & Cafe – Arlington, VA
May 18 – The Camel – Richmond, VA
May 19 – Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC
May 20 – The Earl – Atlanta, GA
May 21 – The Basement – Nashville, TN
May 24 – Bottletree – Birmingham, AL
May 25 – Proud Larry’s – Oxford, MI
May 26 – Fitzgerald’s – Houston, TX
May 27 – Club DaDa – Dallas, TX
May 28 – Emo’s Alternative Lounge – Austin, TX
May 31 – Santa Fe Brewing Company – Santa Fe, NM
Jun 01 – Rhythm Room – Phoenix, AZ
Jun 02 – The Casbah – San Diego, CA
Jun 03 – The Echo – Echo Park, CA
Jun 04 – Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco, CA
Jun 06 – Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR
Jun 07 – The Tractor Tavern – Seattle, WA
Jun 09 – The Neurolux – Boise, ID
Jun 10 – Kilby Court Gallery – Salt Lake City, UT
Jun 11 – Hi-Dive – Denver, CO
Jun 13 – The Waiting room – Omaha, NE
Jun 14 – The Mill – Iowa City, IA
Jun 15 – 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN
Jun 17- White Rabbit Cabaret – Indianapolis, IN
Like fish to a bait, thousands of Strokes fans piled into New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Friday night. This has been nearly five years too long since the guys took the stage together in the Big Apple.
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
Damon and Naomi, two artists who have worked collaboratively and independently since the 80’s including the band Galaxie 500 are releasing another album together, False Beats and True Hearts coming out March 17th on their own label, 20/20/20. For a single off the album, “And You Are There,” they enlisted artist and filmmaker Chris Marker to provide the visual accompaniment to the track. You can’t really call it a video because it is a single still image and a pretty literal interpretation of the song’s concept as articulated by Naomi in Wired Magazine, the host that premiered the audio/visual partnership. That idea being losing oneself in and being consumed by a memory. That notion is close to Marker’s creative mind as his film La Jatee was the inspiration and catalyst for Terry Gilliam’s 12 Monkeys and likewise for Damon and Naomi’s new musical work of art.
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