A few weeks ago, I re-discovered the band Battle on my iPod. I remember playing their songs non-stop about a year ago, but then I inexplicably forgot about them. It's absolutely criminal, because their songs are so so good. Stylistically, Battle is a cross between Boy Kill Boy and The Cure. Their songs are tightly constructed pop songs that carry a punch, but they feature these devastating lyrics hidden in verses that remind me of Robert Smith at his best. On "Tendency," Jason Bavanandan asks the listener to "let me drink myself to death to forget about the rent" but later pleads not to give up hope because "I'm still the boy you knew, the boy who threw his arms around you." Lyrics like this will tie your stomach up in knots if you let them, but at least you'll be dancing at the same time. [Myspace] Battle [mp3] "Tendency"
This Week In Boston 04.30: Only Crime/Much The Same @ Middle East Up 04.30: The View/Eastern Conference Champions @ TT The Bears 05.01: El-P @ Middle East Down 05.01: The Almost/Paramore/This Providence/Love Arcade @ Avalon 05.02: Trans Am/Zombi @ Great Scott 05.02: Age Rings/Everyday Visuals @ TT the Bears 05.02: Brother Ali/Psalm One @ Middle East Up 05.03: Under the Influence of Giants/Young Love/Liam & Me @ Middle East Up 05.04: The Pill @ Great Scott 05.04: Ted Leo/Rx & Love of Diagrams @ Avalon 05.04: The Cribs/The Luxury/Ra Ra Riot/White Rabbits @ Middle East Down 05.04: Peter Bjorn & John/Fujiya & Miyagi @ The Paradise 05.05: Viva Viva/Helms @ Middle East Up 05.05: Sunset Rubdown @ Middle East Down
DJ Mehdi: It looks like there it's a new French Revolution going on, but this one has nothing to do with a smart man who has a complex. Paris has been on fire with great hip hop and dance, and while some of it has filtered to these shores in the past few years, Vice has decided to bring it over here en masse with the Ed Bangers compilation and the new Dj Mehdi album, Lucky Boy, which was released digitally this week. This is drum and bass for the 25th century -- I can totally see Buck Rogers getting down to this shit. [mp3] "Signature"
[Photo Credit: Tom Beard] Mystery Jets: May 8th will see the release of Zoo Time on Dim Mak, an album exclusive to the US which will feature tracks from their overseas album, remixes and select new material. There will be a handful of tour dates at the end of May and June on the coasts. [mp3]"Diamonds in the Dark"
DJ Never Forget: I've posted one of his mixes before [it was pretty awesome], and he was nice enough to drop another one in my inbox, and I've sat on it for way too long. It's called "My Life With The Lo-Fi-Fnk," which was inspired by his time on the road with the band. It's full of great tracks from The Maccabees, Justice, New Young Pony Club, Justin Timberlake and of course, Lo-Fi-Fnk. [mp3]"My Life With The Lo-Fi-Fnk"
Poor Dan Boeckner. Everytime he sits down at the old keyboard to catch up on the goings on of the internet, I'm sure he's bombarded by music nerds' gushing adolation of his more prolific and (hate to say it) much cuter bandmate, Spencer Krug. Rather than send out a press release reiterating the fact that he wrote and sang on half of Wolf Parade's Apologies to the Queen Mary, Boecker has made an overt ploy to shift attention squarely back in his own direction by forming a side project named Handsome Furs with his fiancee Alexei Perry.
Armed with little more than Boeckner's own voice, a guitar, a synthesizer, and a drum machine, Handsome Furs produces a surprising amount of sound for a duo. The band takes a decidely minimalist approach to song construction, relying on the addition and subtraction of repetitive layers of instrumentation to the mix as a mechanism for propelling the music forward (rather than say verse/chorus/verse). This contrasts with the more complex forms and musical intricacy laced throughout Wolf Parade's catalogue, though, interestingly, the end result is the same. Both Handsome Furs and Wolf Parade create music that ebbs and flows with kinetic energy, making it so that the songs feel new and exciting even after the fiftieth listen.
Handsome Furs' debut album, Plague Park, comes out on Sub Pop on May 22nd. The album release coincides with a small tour of the eastern seaboard, check out the tour dates below.
May 15, 2007 -- Massey Hall, Toronto Canada May 16, 2007 -- Massey Hall, Toronto Canada May 22, 2007 -- Club Hell, Providence RI May 23, 2007 -- Mercury Lounge, New York City NY May 24, 2007 -- Mercury Lounge, New York City NY May 25, 2007 -- Khyber, Philadelphia PA May 26, 2007 -- Maxwells, Hoboken NJ May 27, 2007 -- T.T.The Bears, Cambridge MA May 28, 2007 -- Lambi, Montreal Canada
The White Stripes' first single, "Icky Thump," will be available exclusively online through the iTunes music stores (US and Canada only) starting at 12:01 am this Thursday, April 26th.
Third Man Records/XL Recordings will also be releasing CD and vinyl versions of the 'Icky Thump' single on June 11th in the UK. The formats and track listings are as follows:
White vinyl 7" (companion to the NME distributed record that will be given away with copies of the magazine on stands June 6th)
Not only is the whole music scene in the UK on fire, it appears that more and more of the youths are calling the shots. While Cajun Dance Party are not even old enough to drink in their home country, they are soundtracking all of England's best dance nights, like Way Out West and All Ages Concerts and earning print in the uber-finicky NME. The Sunday Times says that they are "liable to make confirmed grouches dance like loons," taking all of the pointers they learned from those dusty copies of Belle & Sebastian and Pulp albums and giving them a jump start. Their new single "The Next Untouchable" was recently NME's Single of the Week, and if the musical gods stay in a good mood, this shouldn't be the last time we hear from the band.
In my just under two years of blogging, one of my favorite finds has been Southern California's Cold War Kids. It was hard to pin them down at first, but after repeated listens to their demos slowly drew me in. Their mix of blues, soul and rock became the perfect the soundtrack to late nights out on the town, and I am glad that they've graduated to the big leagues. This is a band that the world needed to hear, and after countless shows across the US and Europe, it seems that people are listening.
Some of you might remember the band's bicoastal residency back in January, and being the artistic types, they produced some killer lithographs. Luckily for us, there are a few of them left over. Be the first person to hit me up on e-mail with your favorite Cold War Kids song, and the lithograph is yours!
I was bound to be a fan of London band, Mersaultmusic. As good friends with one of my favorite bands The Far Cries and recent signees to Fleet Street Records, it was basically pre-destined. Mersaultmusic play a furious brand of post punk that reminds me at times of The Talking Heads. It's probably the staccato lyrics, machine gun beats and huge screaming choruses that evoke that whole art rock scene from the 80s... who knows. All that really matters is that their songs will get in your head and stay there a while. Mersaultmusic are quickly becoming one of my favorite new bands and definitely are a band to watch in the coming months.
This Week In Boston 04.24: Damone/The Charms/Scamper @ TT The Bears 04.24: Brand New/Kevin Devine @ Avalon 04.25: Devin The Dude @ Great Scott 04.25: Damone/The Snowleopards @ TT The Bears 04.25: Josh Rouse @ The Paradise 04.26: Dr. Dog/The Teeth @ Great Scott 04.27: The Pill [f/ Pela] @ Great Scott 04.27: Modest Mouse @ The Orpheum 04.28: Acid Mothers Temple @ Middle East Up 04.28: Mittens @ Great Scott 04.28: Kenna @ The Paradise 04.28: Guru’s Jazzamatazz @ Middle East Down 04.28: Spoon @ MFA 04.29: Rock Plaza Central/The Young Republic @ Great Scott 04.29: Amon Tobin @ The Paradise 04.29: Wolfmother @ Avalon
Yet another great weekend of shows! You'll be able to find me at The Pill tonight and the Fountains Of Wayne/Robbers On High Street show on Sunday. Otherwise, I am going to be out enjoying the spring weather that has finally arrived.
04.20: John Vanderslice/St. Vincent @ Middle East Up 04.20: The Pill @ Great Scott 04.20: Humanwine/Aberdeen City @ The Paradise 04.20: Richard Swift/David Vandervelde/Auto Interiors @ TT The Bears 04.20: The Tragically Hip/Constantines @ The Orpheum 04.21: Ozomatli @ The Paradise 04.21: Bling Kong/The Daily Pravda @ Middle East Up 04.21: Guster/The Format @ The Opera House 04.22: Page Francis/Headlights @ Middle East Up 04.22: Fountains Of Wayne/Robbers On High Street @ The Paradise 04.22: As Tall As Lions/Circa Survive/Cute Is What We Aim For/Envy On The Coast @ The Orpheum
Saint Etienne: This London group, who remain one of my favorites, still remain as active as ever. They just put together the soundtrack for the movie What Have You Done Today, Mervyn Day?, plus a brand new song from an as yet unannounced upcoming album has popped up on Myspace. This track will be removed at the end of weekend. [mp3] "Say It To The Rain"
Maximo Park: The class of 2004 is returning with sophomore albums, and they run the gamut from great to pretty awful. My jury is still out on Our Earthly Pleasures, but you can make up your own mind on May 8th when the album is released here in th States. There a few songs I am already loving, including "Girls With Guitars." [mp3]"Girls Who Play Guitars"
Charlotte Gainsbourg: Charlotte's record 5:55 comes out on Tuesday on Vice, and it is full of amazing contributors, including Jarvis Cocker, Air and many others. It's going to be the perfect "comedown after a sweet summer party" album. [mp3]"The Songs That We Sing"
I am sure you have heard by now, but The View are not coming to the US anytime soon -- that's what a drug conviction in the UK will get you. The good news is that their debut album Hats Off To The Buskers will be dropping early next month [although you can the import for pretty cheap now], plus I have a few clips of the making of their video for "Superstar Tradesman" below. The guys are pretty off the wall, as you can see them fool around with friends and have fun in their backyard in Dundee, Scotland.
Whoever wrote Boddicker's bio deserves a round of applause, because it reads like a Harry Potter book. From the floor of his bedroom in Oxford, Mississippi, young Caleb Boddicker recorded his first collection of songs at the tender age of 16. He would later sell over a thousand copies of the album--apparently earmarking the funds for his college education. One of those cds landed in the hands of Pinback, another in the hands of Merge Records... but young Caleb wanted to stay the course with his education and initially declined the glitz and glamour of record contracts and touring. Yada yada yada, he found his way to Banter Records at 20 and recorded an album entitled Big Lionhearted And The Gallant Man which is slated for release on April 24th.
From the initial songs that I've heard, Boddicker is a true artist. One listen to "Pretty Baby (Part 1)" and you'll see what I mean. "Pretty Baby (Part 1)" is little more than an idea, a small snippet of a vocal line that hiccups and repeats throughout the course of the song. Underneath that vocal line, Boddicker adds surprising little elements like xylophone flourishes, erratic guitar strums, and spastic percussion. It all comes together into one lush whirlwind of sound--whirlwind being the key word, as it is complicated, grating, and full of pulsing energy.
Three additional songs are available to download on Banter Records' website, all of which are interesting, compelling artistic statements. You should jump on the Boddicker bandwagon now, before Pitchfork deifies him as the next Sufjan Stevens or Bright Eyes (it's just a matter of time). Sidenote: if you think the songs sound reminiscent of Modest Mouse, don't worry you're not crazy. Brian Deck plays percussion on the album and influenced the construction of the songs in the role of producer. Now, if only he'd pull some strings and get Boddicker the opening slot on Modest Mouse's world tour...
I keep a piece of scrap paper on my desk at work, and each time I hear an album I like, I jot it down because at the end of the year, it makes assembling my year end lists a lot easier. It only took me three months, but I finally started this year's list a few days ago. This year's hands down favorite is Los Olvidados'Left Coast or Pacifica and His Adventures at the Flower Fields. They join a very long list of great new bands from California, and if the other bands on my 2007 list is any indication, that's not bound to change any time soon. The band has recorded a video for "You'll Always Find Apples," which you can check out below.
As long as I've been listening to indie rock, Bjork has always been a constant, whether it has been her work in The Sugarcubes or her solo material. I remember seeing the video for "Human Behaviour" all over MTV and I rushed to the store to buy Post the day it came out, which still remains one of my favorite albums of all time. Bjork's new album Volta comes out on May 8th and I couldn't be more excited, as "Earth Intruders" is easily her best single in a decade. She is still impossible to pin down; is she indie, classical, experimental or electronica? The truth is it's none and all of them. She is just way ahead of her time, and if she keeps this up, she'll be making mind-blowing music for years to come.
I never listen to bands that friend request me on Myspace, because what's the point? I don't want to be a jerk, but if you non-ironically list Fall Out Boy as an influence then you're not going to get my respect. It's like, seriously dude, I'm more likely to ask you for eye-liner application tips than a copy of your shitty pop-punk demo. So last week I mistakenly opened a friend request from a band named Pascalle. Before I could groan and exit the page, their music started and I was pleasantly surprised by their quirky mix of folk, indie pop, and psychedelia. The New York City band writes some really interesting pop songs in the vein of The Shins--though I think fans of bands as diverse as Man Man and Cold War Kids will totally get down to their songs.
This Week In Boston 04.16: Jesse Malin/Jake Brennan @ Great Scott 04.17: Ours @ Great Scott 04.17: Aqualung @ The Paradise 04.17: King Kong/Black Helicopter @ Middle East Up 04.17: Harry & The Potters/Smoosh/The Postmarks @ Middle East Down 04.18: Jonny Lives!/The Moaners/The Bangkok Five @ Middle East Up 04.18: Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts @ Middle East Down 04.18: Lovedrug/Boys Night Out/Plain White T’s @ Avalon 04.18: VNV Nation @ Axis 04.19: Ghostland Observatory @ Great Scott 04.19: Punchline/The Fold/Permanent Me @ Middle East Up 04.19: The Slackers @ Middle East Down 04.19: Corinne Bailey Rae/John Legend @ The Orpheum 04.19: Chris Cornell @ Avalon 04.20: John Vanderslice/St. Vincent @ Middle East Up 04.20: The Pill @ Great Scott 04.20: Humanwine/Aberdeen City @ The Paradise 04.20: Richard Swift/David Vandervelde/Auto Interiors @ TT The Bears 04.20: The Tragically Hip/Constantines @ The Orpheum 04.21: Ozomatli @ The Paradise 04.21: Bling Kong/The Daily Pravda @ Middle East Up 04.21: Guster/The Format @ The Opera House 04.22: Page Francis/Headlights @ Middle East Up 04.22: Fountains Of Wayne/Robbers On High Street @ The Paradise 04.22: As Tall As Lions/Circa Survive/Cute Is What We Aim For/Envy On The Coast @ The Orpheum
Another spring weekend, another long list of shows. Despite all of the great bands in town, I am going to skip out on all of these because I have too much other stuff going on.
04.13: Calla/Cloud Cult/Charlene @ Middle East Up 04.13: The Feeling/Mat Kearney @ Avalon 04.13: The Pill @ Great Scott 04.14: RJD2/Busdriver @ Middle East Down 04.14: Mittens @ Great Scott 04.14: M. Ward/Norah Jones @ The Orpheum 04.15: Noxagt @ Great Scott 04.15: The Books @ Somerville Theatre 04.15: Son Volt/Jason Isbell [from Drive By Truckers] @ The Paradise 04.15: Page France/Headlights @ Middle East Up
As for new music, there is plenty of great stuff I need to get out your way!
Birdmonster: While last year was all about their debut album, 2007 seems to be the year that Birdmonster conquer every city in the country with their van. Luckily they've had some spare time on the road to pen some new tunes, one of which they played recently on St. Paul's KCMP. [mp3]"Only One"
Arctic Monkeys: They were last year's next big thing, but when their debut album dropped, instead of being the greatest album of the decade, it turned out to be a solid record with some killer tunes, and there's nothing wrong with that. They are back already with Favourite Worst Nightmare on April 24th, a promising album that I am still familiarizing myself with. [mp3] "D Is For Dangerous"
The Pigeon Detectives: I've been addicted to their singles for the better part of the last year, so I can't be more excited for their debut album Wait For Me, which will be out later this year in the UK. Much like The Strokes if they were from England and were more concerned with having fun than looking good, this Leeds group is poised to make a lot of noise this year. [mp3]"Romantic Type"
I've always had a love affair with Baltimore, something which is most likely rooted in my love for the Orioles, but I've had my fair share of great, non-baseball moments in Charm City. The town is full of down-to-earth indie rock fans, plus there are a long of list of varied and memorable bands like Charm City Suicides, Oxes and Stars Of The Dogon. Despite just releasing their debut album Sun Come Undone, Thrushes have been able to make an indeliable mark on the local scene by drawing on early '90s influences such as My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive. Along with LA group Midnight Movies, this group is bringing back the shoegaze and making sure Baltimore stays on the musical map.
This show has been way sold out for weeks now, and with good reason. The Klaxons are yet another UK band riding a tidal wave of hype, and with good reason. They merge indie and rave-inspired dance like they've always deserved to be together, while their lyrics allude to a fascination with science fiction and the end of the world. The "4 Horsemen of 2012," like another famous song about the world's time winding down, is a joyous and energetic affair, one that gets more people dancing than crying. The show starts at 9 pm tonight, and Great Scott can be found at 1222 Commonwealth Ave. in Boston. The very promising Bonde do Role opens.
Melbourne post-punkers Love Of Diagrams release their long awaited sophomore album Mosaic on Matador today. Seriously, it was so worth the wait. The songs are aggressive little balls of fire, full of angular guitar riffs, thumping bass, pulsing beats, and lyrics barked out to perfection by front woman Antonia Sellbach. If you're a fan of Siouxie Sioux, then you'll be all over Love Of Diagrams. Hell, if you're a fan of iForward, Russia! or any band classified as "post-punk" or "no-wave" then I'd bet that you'll love Love Of Diagrams. They'll be on tour for the next month with Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, so make sure to show up early for what I'm sure will be an explosive set.
Tour Dates: Apr 10 - Epicentre San Diego, California Apr 12 - El Rey Los Angeles, California Apr 13 - El Rey Los Angeles, California Apr 14 - Slims San Francisco, California Apr 16 - Hawthorne Portland, Oregon Apr 17 - Showbox Seattle, Washington Apr 18 - Richards on Richards Vancouver, British Columbia Apr 20 - The Venue Boise, British Columbia Apr 21 - Club Sound Salt Lake City, Utah Apr 22 - Gothic Theatre Englewood, Colorado Apr 23 - Bottleneck Lawrence, Kansas Apr 25 - First Avenue Minneapolis, Minnesota Apr 26 - Club 770 Madison, Wisconsin Apr 27 - Picador Iowa City, Iowa Apr 28 - Metro Chicago, Illinois Apr 30 - Magic Stick Detroit, Michigan May 02 - The Mod Club Toronto, Ontario May 03 - La Sala Rossa Montreal, Quebec May 04 - Avalon Boston, Massachusetts May 05 - Webster Hall New York, New York
While more traditional Britpop fans have been turned off by more recent Blur/Damon Albarn material, they have been flocking to ex-Blur guitarist Graham Coxon solo albums, especially his latest Love Travels At Illegal Speeds. I am not entirely sure what the connection is, but to promote the record, his label his offering up one pair of jeans for free, and they're from fine British designer Lee Cooper. The jeans are quite, quite good looking. The first person to e-mail me gets them!
Illinois, Kaiser Chiefs & Shows in Boston This Week
Although the spring weather has yet to show its face, the spring tours are coming through in full force this week. There are over ten bands I'm excited to check out this week, and it all starts with the Kaiser Cheifs tonight. Their new album is great, leading off with "Ruby," an early contender for single of the year.
We've been hyping Illinois for awhile, and over the past few months, the greater blogger community has started to notice, too. They've just released What The Hell Do I Know? on Ace Fu, a solid, but uneven EP that doesn't do justice to the band. If you really want to understand and appreciate these guys, you need to check out a show -- they have an amazing chemistry on stage. Be sure to check the band out tomorrow night because their next show in Boston will be in May opening for The Kooks, which has been sold out for weeks.
This Week In Boston 04.09: Kaiser Chiefs/The Walkmen/Annuals @ Avalon 04.10: The Black Angels/Vietnam @ Middle East Up 04.10: Illinois/Desert Sea @ Great Scott 04.10: Pepping Tom/Miho Hatori/Pigeon John @ The Paradise 04.10: Junior Boys/San Serac/Certainly Sir @ Middle East Down 04.10: James Morrison @ TT The Bears 04.11: The Klaxons/Bonde de Role @ Great Scott 04.11; Rasputina @ The Argent Theatre 04.11; The Rocket Summer/Melee/The Early November @ Avalon 04.12: The French Kicks/Mike Fiore [of Faces on Film]/The Subjects @ Great Scott 04.12: Sean Lennon/Women And Children @ The Paradise 04.12: Mono @ Middle East Down 04.12: The Locust/Cattle Decapitation/Daughters @ The Roxy 04.13: Calla/Cloud Cult/Charlene @ Middle East Up 04.13: The Feeling/Mat Kearney @ Avalon 04.13: The Pill @ Great Scott 04.14: RJD2/Busdriver @ Middle East Down 04.14: Mittens @ Great Scott 04.14: M. Ward/Norah Jones @ The Orpheum 04.15: Noxagt @ Great Scott 04.15: The Books @ Somerville Theatre 04.15: Son Volt/Jason Isbell [from Drive By Truckers] @ The Paradise 04.15: Page France/Headlights @ Middle East Up
Art Brut: It seems like only yesterday that Art Brut dropped their debut album on the States, and it sort of was, since it came out here well over a year after its UK release. The band is back on June 26th with It's A Bit Complicated, and here is a new track! [mp3] "Pump Up The Volume"
[Photo Credit: Tom Beard] Mystery Jets: This band is finally getting something out in the US, as Dim Mak is releasing Zoo Time on May 8th. It's a completely different version of their great debut album, Making Dens, which came out in the UK last year and came in at #17 on my 2006 albums list. Despite being a pretty dumb idea, it's still awesome that this great band will have a full-length out Stateside. [mp3]"You Can't Fool Me Dennis"
[Photo Credit: Matthew Thompson] Mark Greaney: Like many of their fans, I was disappointed when JJ72 called it quits last year. While the rest of the band's members have been keeping quiet, band leader Mark Greaney has begun to work on some solo tunes and tour the UK. The sound of the only song on his Myspace page isn't exactly a surprise, but you've got to go with what you're comfortable wtih, right? Hopefully we'll hear some more tunes of this caliber soon. [mp3]"Radio"
Now that the tidal wave of hype has subsided, Be Your Own Pet has decided that the time is right to get back on the road. They are lucky enough to be going out with the Arctic Monkeys, so they're guaranteed to be playing to packed houses every night. They'll be trying out some new tunes [sophomore album out this summer] and playing with their new drummer, John Eatherly. Despite me dissing BYOP for getting wiped off the stage by The Black Lips last fall, I still love the band and they put on a fucking awesome set!
w/Arctic Monkeys 5/1 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre 5/2 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theatre 5/3 - Seattle, WA - Showbox 5/4 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom 5/7 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue 5/8 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theatre 5/9 - Pontiac, MI - Clutch Cargo's 5/11 - Toronto, Ontario - Kool Haus 5/12 - Montreal, Quebec - L'Olympia 5/13 - Boston, MA - Avalon 5/15 - New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom 5/16 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club 5/17 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory 5/19 - Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle 5/20 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
Two tunes that I have been especially loving over the past year are by London group Good Shoes, as I've played "Never Meant To Hurt You" and "Small Town Girl" to absolute death. Despite being great songs, I've been wanting more, so Think Before You Speak came along at the right time, packing together 14 catchy tracks in under 40 minutes. While I may not be impressed by the new recordings of those two songs, everything else is well worth the asking price. According to all reports, the band is a sight to witness live, and they are no slouches when it comes to quotable lyrics either, like on "All In My Head," where they reveal a self-deprecating streak. "I'm a good shag but I find nobody fit / And I play in a band but I've got no talent" Rhys Jones spits out jerky guitars that interlock perfectly with a shaking rhythm section.
I know this looks like it's ripped straight from a press release, but it sort of is. Anyway, I thought it was a cool idea, and I really like the band.
For the upcoming video for Placebo's new single, "Running Up That Hill," from their critically-acclaimed new album, Meds, Capitol Music Group is partnering with Motionbox for an exciting new music video, starring YOU. The new Placebo video will be a montage of Placebo's fans singing "Running Up That Hill."
Placebo's fans will submit video using Motionbox, the premiere personal video sharing service. Fans will upload videos at www.motionbox.com/placebo. The band is asking fans to submit single-camera shots of them singing their new single, "Running Up That Hill," sung in its entirety; with the deadline for submissions being April 6th.
"We are very excited to be working with Capitol Music Group," said Chris O'Brien, Motionbox's CEO & Co-founder. "Our technology will help further solidify the relationship between Placebo and their fans and we look forward to many upcoming promotions of this type."
"'This is a great opportunity to get the fans involved in one of our videos!" said the members of Placebo. "Knowing our fans, as visually diverse as they are, we expect some very creative feedback!! Could make very interesting viewing! We look forward to it!"
At www.motionbox.com/placebo, fans will be able to: 1) Download the instrumental & lyrics 2) Upload their videos after capturing video of themselves singing the song
For more information on How to Upload your video, please visit: http://www.motionbox.com/placebo
As was proved by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, you don't need to be on a label to take over the world as an indie band, plus Brooklyn-via-Madison, WI band Locksley are a whole hell of a lot more interesting. On their new full-length Don't Make Me Wait, the band works over revved-up Beatles influenced melodies with modern garage rock, creating beautiful pop nuggets that are forever caught in your psyche. SPIN, Alternative Press and Rollingstone.com have all been singing their praises, while they wowed the crowd on Jimmy Kimmel Live during their three song performances. Don't let all of these big names scare you -- find out for yourself. The band plays tonight at PA's Lounge [345 Somerville Ave., Somerville, MA] with the superhip but oh so good Scissors For Lefty at 8:30 pm.
Cut from the same cloth as Larrikin Love and Mystery Jets are London's The Holloways. This London group merge ska-inflected rhythms with quirky, off-kilter pop on So, This Is Great Britain?, an album filled with quite a few catchy tunes -- "Generator," "Dance Floor" and "Two Left Feet" are amomg the best. The album has gained accolades in their native UK, and it will be htting the US in late June through TVT.
This Week In Boston 04.02: Hella @ TT The Bears 04.02: Robert Gomez/Kristoffer Ragnstam/Winterpills @ Middle East Up 04.04: Wild Light/So Many Dynamos @ Great Scott 04.05: Battles/Amoroso @ Great Scott 04.06: Sondre Lerche/Willy Mason/Thomas Dybdahl @ The Paradise 04.06: Youth Group/Aqueduct @ Middle East Up 04.06: Adult/Erase Errata @ Great Scott [7 pm] 04.06: The Pill @ Great Scott 04.06: Placebo @ The Roxy 04.07: Low @ Somerville Theatre 04.07: Big Bear/Parts & Labor @ Great Scott 04.07: The Everyday Visuals/Taxpayer/Bleu @ The Paradise 04.07: Xiu Xiu/Shearwater/Casiotone For The Painfully Alone/Pants Yell! @ TT The Bears 04.07: Lily Allen/The Bird & The Bee @ The Roxy 04.07: Iggy & The Stooges @ The Orpheum 04.08: An Albatross @ Great Scott
the mp3s provided are for preview purposes only. if you like what you hear, go to the show or follow the
link to buy the album or single. also, i will be glad to remove an mp3 if you are the owner of the file and are unhappy with
its appearance here. thanks!
