Deep Elm will be releasing the debut album from UK group Dartz! later this year. They're one of our favorite new groups and honestly, I was holding very little hope of a Stateside release for This Is My Ship. The record initially came out in the band's home country on Xtra Mile Recordings in February and is reminiscent of Fugazi, Q & Not U and Les Savy Fav.
I grew up listening to David Bowie, and I probably knew the chorus to "Rebel Rebel" before I could recite the alphabet. Bad parenting or a great song? You decide.
On June 5th there will be two quasi-new Bowie albums out for you to buy -- a reissued Young Americans, which sees the 1974 album expanded to a CD/DVD package featuring new mixes, interviews and his "Dick Cavett Show" performance. The Best of David Bowie 1980-1987: Sight & Sound will also hit shelves, and it features 19 tracks and 15 videos, including "The Drowned Girl" and "When The Wind Blows," which will be available for the first time.
First person to e-mail me gets one copy of each of these discs.
NYC's Favourite Sons just recorded a video for "Pistols & Girls," off of their debut album Down Beside Your Beauty. It's a pretty weird affair, as the track is not the most radio friendly song on the album, and if I am not mistaken, is that Tim Allen's assistant from "Home Improvement" building a dragon? Weird. Look for them on tour next month with Voxtrot.
June 3 Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle with The Office 6 Grand Rapids, MI @ Intersection* 7 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick* 8 Toronto, Ont @ Sneaky Dee's* 9 Montreal, QC @ La Salla Rosa* 10 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place* 11 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom* 12 Balitmore, MD @ Ottobar* 13 Washington, DC @ Black Cat* 14 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Downstairs* 15 New York, NY @ Webster Hall* 17 Manchester, TN @ Bonaroo *with Voxtrot
Languid and dream-like New Zealand pop rockers The Phoenix Foundation are finally making their way to the US this spring. Their debut Horsepower has just been issued on Young American Recordings, and the band will be doing a series of dates on both coasts, including a few shows with The Veils. They will also be promoting "Eagle Vs. Shark," a film in which they wrote the score. On top of that, the film was directed by Oscar-nominated Taika Waititi and stars Jemaine Clement, who is part of the new HBO comedy show "Flight of the Conchords."
Sorry for those of you looking for a "MacGyver" reference, you'll find none here.
[Live dates] Weds May 30: Bishop, CA – The Masonic Temple Fri June 1: The Seattle Film Festival Sat June 2: Seattle, WA – The Crocodile w/ Voxtrot Sun June 3: San Francisco, CA – Amoeba Records In-Store Performace Mon June 4: Los Angeles, CA – Spaceland Tue June 5: Los Angeles, CA – The Echo Weds June 6: Santa Barbara, CA – Velvet Jones Thurs June 7: New York – The Veils @ Mercury Lounge Fri June 8: NY – The Veils @ Union Hall Sat June 9: Boston – The Veils @ Great Scott Mon June 11: New York – ‘Eagle V Shark’ premiere party
[Eagle Vs. Shark screening schedule] Thurs May 31: Seattle (Seattle Intl Film Festival) Fri June 1: Seattle (Seattle Intl Film Festival) Sun June 3: San Francisco Mon June 4: Los Angeles Tues June 5: Los Angeles Weds June 6: San Diego Thurs June 7: Chicago Sat June 9: Vegas (CineVegas) Mon June 11: New York (Premiere) Weds June 13: Boston Thurs June 14: DC Tues June 12: Philadelphia, PA – Flight of the Conchords After party @ World Café
Brazilian party rockers/heavy metal-obsessives Bonde Do Role will be releasing their debut album With Lasers on June 5th through Mad Decent/Domino Records. Since they were discovered by Diplo on the internerd, they've been touring the glove tenfold, spreading their brand of Portugese party rock. They're back in North America next week just for a handful of dates with CSS before they head out to Europe. For those of you that missed them wipe a languid Klaxons off the stage at Great Scott a few weeks ago, I highly recommended the weekend roadtrip to Montreal.
June 3rd Montreal, Quebec La Tulipe (with CSS) June 4th Toronto, Ontario Horseshoe Tavern (with CSS) June 6th Vancouver, British Columbia Richard's On Richards (with CSS) June 7th Seattle, Washington Neumo's (with CSS) June 8th Portland, Oregon Doug Fir (with CSS) June 9th San Francisco, California Mezzanine (with CSS) June 10th Los Angeles, California Henry Fonda Theatre (with CSS)
I just saw a girl wearing a fannypack. Could irony fucking die right now?
But enough with the complaining, at least for right now. On top of just completing his next album [more details on that later], LA's The Gray Kid will be playing a handful of shows outside of the SoCal area, including a June 12th engagement with Datarock. If you don't already have it, pick up the electro/hip hop banger ...5, 6, 7, 8here.
May 28 [tonight!] @ Viper Room -- LOS ANGELES, CA W/ Nico Vegas June 12 @ Independent -- SAN FRANCISCO, CA w/Datarock July 7 @ Museum of Contemporary Art -- LOS ANGELES, CA "DJing" July 11 @ King King -- LOS ANGELES, CA Kid Dangerous Clothing Launch July 31 @ Troubadour -- LOS ANGELES, CA w/ Oliver Future Aug 21 @ Art Bar -- LAS VEGAS, NV
I don't think that I've met anyone who doesn't love Ghostland Observatory. I mean, how could they not? Their music is an infectious amalgam of electronica and punk--heavy on the synth, canned beats, and frenzied vocals. The sound is equal parts Daft Punk and The Clash, though I've heard their live show leans more towards the theatrics of Freddie Mercury than anything else. The band only has a couple shows scheduled for the warm summer months, so I thought I'd post a ridiculous fan video to tide you over for the immediate future. Thank god for the highly entertaining combination of good music, crazy dancing cats, and YouTube right?
Aug. 5 -- Lollapalooza, Chicago Aug. 19 -- McCarren Park Pool, Brooklyn Sep. 16 -- Austin City Limits Festival, Austin
This Week In Boston 05.28: Lightning Bolt/DMBQ @ Great Scott 05.30: First Annual Boston Hip Hop Fest f/ Mr. Lif/Akrobatik & others @ The Paradise 05.30: The Broken West/The Comas @ Middle East Up 05.31: Slum Village @ Middle East Down 05.31: Client @ TT the Bears 05.31: Radio 4 @ Harper’s Ferry 06.01: Lavender Diamond/Entrance @ MFA 06.01: Humanwine @ Middle East Up 06.01: Les Claypool/Two Gallants @ The Roxy 06.02: Juan McLean @ Great Scott 06.02: CSS/Yo Majesty @ Middle East Down 06.03: The Fucking Champs/Birds of Avalon @ Great Scott
This summer is shaping up to be a good one for records, as now Editors" will be joining the parade with their sophomore disc. An End Has A Start drops on July 17th through Fader Label/Epic Records and it was recorded in Ireland with Garrett "Jacknife" Lee [Snow Patrol, Bloc Party]. Here's the track listing:
1. Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors 2. An End Has A Start 3. The Weight Of The World 4. Bones 5. When Anger Shows 6. The Racing Rats 7. Push Your Head Towards the Air 8. Escape The Nest 9. Spiders 10. Well Worn Hand
For those of you who are sick of dance rock, it's probably time to jump ship, but for those of you who aren't, this summer is shaping up to be pretty awesome.
There's a high of 90 today in Boston, which is really pretty awesome, and I'll be in New York this weekend where it's supposed to be even hotter. Here is a rundown of the some of the newest music I've got for the weekend.
In other news, the final episode of Veronica Mars aired this week. This was easily the best hour long show on TV now and another network would be stupid not to pick it up.
The White Stripes: Now that they're on a major label, the real indie kid bellyaching can begin. A number of people I've spoken to have not liked "Icky Thump," but this track is exactly what you want from this duo by taking the skeleton of American blues and strengthening it with any instrument or idea laying around the studio. [Video]"Icky Thump"
Recent Exitfare faves Thrushes aren't ones to rest on their laurels, as they're gearing up for a summer tour and already working on new material. This Baltimore group combines the best of shoegaze influences like Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine with the more contemporary sounds of Asobi Seksu, coming up with something that a sound that fits like your favorite jeans. This short tour stops in Boston on August 10th with a venue yet to be announced.
26 May 2007 The Annex Baltimore, Maryland 2 Jun 2007 Goodbye Blue Monday Brooklyn, New York 16 Jun 2007 Lord Baltimore Recordings - Grand Opening Party Baltimore, Maryland 3 Jul 2007 Lo-Fi Social Club Baltimore, Maryland 6 Jul 2007 Neon Lights & Union Hall Present Brooklyn, New York 19 Jul 2007 Lava Lounge Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 20 Jul 2007 Pat's in the Flats Cleveland, Ohio 21 Jul 2007 TBA/ Help Please!! Chicago, Illinois 9 Aug 2007 The Manhattan Room Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10 Aug 2007 TBA Boston, Massachusetts 11 Aug 2007 TBA/ Help Please!! Providence, Rhode Island 25 Aug 2007 Current Gallery Baltimore, Maryland 22 Sep 2007 Sidebar Tavern Baltimore, Maryland 13 Oct 2007 The Ottobar's Automatic Dance Party!!! Baltimore, Maryland
Welcome to Thursday, where I get even more bad news when it comes to tour routing. Sure, I was am a little annoyed with the Interpol dates, but I am absolutely livid now. Let's hope The Maccabees make a super fan happy and play Boston soon. Those of you lucky enough to check out of these dates, do it because these guys are great. Colour It In just came out yesterday in the States on Interscope, and not only does it contain some of the singles I've been rocking for the better part of two years like "Lego" and "About Your Dress," but there are plenty of brand new twitchy Britpop gems included.
May 27 - Pompano Beach Amphitheatre - West Palm Beach, Florida May 28 - Jannus Landing - St. Petersburg, Florida May 29 – Firestone - Orlando, Florida May 31 - The Tabernacle - Atlanta, Georgia Jun 1 - House of Blues - North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Jun 2 - Millenium Center - Winston-Salem, North Carolina Jun 3 - DAR Constitution Hall - Washington DC Jun 5 - Tower Theatre - Upper Darby, Pennsylvania Jun 6 - The Knitting Factory - New York, New York * Jun 7 - Asbury Park Convention Hall - Asbury Park, New Jersey Jun 9 - Schubas Tavern - Chicago, Illinois * Jun 11 - Uptown Theatre - Kansas City, Missouri Jun 12 - Ogden Theatre - Denver, Colorado Jun 13 - The Pearl Room Theatre at Palms - Las Vegas, Nevada Jun 14 - Pop Scene Show @ 330 Ritch - San Francisco, California * Jun 15 – Troubador - Los Angeles, California * Jun 16 - Viejas Concerts in the Park - Alpine, California
[all dates with Bloc Party; * are shows with just The Noisettes]
It's A Bit Complicated, the second album from Art Brut is out June 19th on Downtown Records. To celebrate, I was going to throw a party, but I'll just give away a poster and CD sampler to the first three people that e-mail me.
I don't know about you, but I'm excited as hell for the new Smashing Pumpkins album Zeitgeist to hit the shelves. Before we go any further, I should probably disclose that I'm a diehard Smashing Pumpkins fan. Anyway, although Zeitgeist won't be released until July 10th, everyone on the internet already seemingly has an opinion about the band's line-up, the first single, the leaked album art, and a million other things. Drama surrounding the Smashing Pumpkins? How 1996.
Yeah I'm not crazy that original members James Iha and D'arcy aren't in the line-up -- hell, I would've been happy if replacement bassist Melissa Auf Der Maur returned to the fold. But I'm willing to overlook that fact. No, I'm not making the argument that "Billy Corgan is the Smashing Pumpkins" or anything like that. All I'm saying is that the Pumpkins are my favorite band of all time and frankly I can't wait to sit down and absorb their first new material in seven years... not to mention, I can't wait to see them play their spectacular live show once again.
If you look hard enough then you should also be able to find their first single, "Tarantula," floating around cyberspace. The song really impresses me for a number of reasons. For one, it stays true to the classic Pumpkins' sound but updates it for 2007. It doesn't sound like a relic of the grunge era, as it shouldn't. Secondly, I like the dirty, metallic guitars and the crashing drums which combine to make the song feel like a train spiralling out of control until the energy is diffused by the briefest of interludes at the end. Lastly, I just love the ridiculously interesting vocal phrasing and melody--it's so different from the tired, boring vocal lines that you hear in most rock (mainstream or indie for that matter). And it's so freaking catchy!
Above is a video of another new song, "God and Country," recorded live in Paris at the Pumpkins' first show since December 2nd, 2000. Get excited!
British group Mystery Jets have had to postpone their tour due to the mountain of paperwork it apparently takes to tour in the States now. Once I have the dates, I'll let you know. Their US debut Zootime is out now on Dim Mak.
The band was to have played Great Scott in Allston on May 31st.
Les Savy Fav is back! They have a new album out this fall [more details later], but you can hear a track over at the Adult Swim website. Or you can just download it below.
Also, check out other cool tracks from Sound Team, The Rapture, 120 Days and TV On The Radio.
The lineup for this year's Siren Fest was just announced and I am pretty blah about it. Highlights for me include The Black Lips [I love this band!], Noisettes and Dr. Dog, but everyone else I could take or leave. Announced bands rounding out the schedule are New York Dolls, We Are Scientists, Matt and Kim, Lavender Diamond, The Detroit Cobras, Elvis Perkins and The Twilight Sad. I am hoping a few more good bands are added, but regardless, I'll be there as always. Since it's Coney Island, there's plenty of shit to do to kill time, like beer, batting cages and of course, The Cyclone! The show starts at noon on Saturday, July 21st on Coney Island in Brooklyn, and as always, it's free.
I've always had a weird relationship with Interpol. Before their first album, I thought they were way overhyped, but with Antics, I thought the band deserved more attention, as it was an album I listened to non-stop for months. With Our Love To Admire, the band kisses Matador and their indie cred goodbye by joining the Capitol Music Group. Although I am sure there is an army of kids out there ready to say "I liked their first one more," I have high hopes for this new disc. The band is going everywhere this summer, except for Boston and New York. Maybe when they're played to a packed house at the Borgata in AC, they'll remember how fun we are here in New England, or I'll be roadtripping to Montreal.
5-27 George, WA - The Gorge (Sasquatch!) 5-31 Dallas, TX - The Palladium 6-02 Atlanta, GA - HiFi Buys Amphitheatre (99X Big Day Out) 6-03 Chicago, IL - Metro 6-07 Toronto, Ontario - The Guverment 6-09 San Francisco, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre (Live 105 BFD 07) 6-10 San Diego, CA - Devore Stadium (94/9 Independence Jam) 7-19 Rochester, NY - Harro East Ballroom 7-20 Atlantic City, NJ - Music Box @ Borgata 7-21 Norfolk, VA - Norva 7-23 Cleveland, OH - House of Blues 7-24 Pittsburgh, PA - Byham 7-25 Columbus, OH - The LC Amphitheatre 7-27 Grand Rapids, Michigan - Orbit Room 7-28 Detroit, MI - MI State 7-30 Milwaukee, WI - Rave 7-31 Indianapolis, IN - Egyptain 8-01 St. Louis, MO - Pageant 8-03 Covington, KY - Madison Theatre 8-04 Chicago, IL - Grant Park (Lollapalooza) 8-05 Baltimore, MD - Pimlico Race Course (V Festival) 9-08 Montreal, Quebec – Osheaga Music and Arts Festival
Alex and Tom White, who form the core of British group Electric Soft Parade, are also in The Brakes [called Brakesbrakesbrakes here in the States so they're not confused with a shitty jam band], and both bands will be hitting the road together this spring. The bands will be hitting Boston on June 14th for a show at T.T. the Bears, and they'll be bringing along Pela, who will hopefully play "Tenement Teeth" and then leave the stage. T.T.'s is not on the list of my favorite clubs, but this should be a great show nonetheless. ESP's new album, No Need To Be Down-Hearted is out now on Better Looking Records.
May 22 San Diego, CA - Casbah + 23 Los Angeles, CA - Boardners 25 Live on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic [11 am] 25 San Jose, CA - The Portable 27 San Francisco, CA - Bottom Of The Hill 28 Sacramento, CA - Club Pow 29 Long Beach, CA – Fingerprints [7pm in-store] 30 Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland * June 2 Portland, OR - Dantes * 3 Vancouver, BC - Media Club * 4 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey * 6 Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court * 7 Denver, CO - Hi Dive * 8 Omaha, NE - Waiting Room * 9 Minneapolis, MN - 400 Bar * 10 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle * 12 Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace * 13 Montreal, QB - Club Lambi * 14 Cambridge, MA - TT The Bears * 15 Hoboken, NJ - Maxwells * 16 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge * 17 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge *
* = w/ BrakesBrakesBrakes and Pela + = w/ The Clientele
There was a time when we were sort of over obsessed with Ms. Harmon, and while that has all but subsided, we still think she can spit a few good bars. She's doing a free show tomorrow night, May 23rd at 9 pm, in Boston at Mansion [never heard of it], which is located at 1 Boylston St. It's being put on by Going.com, and will feature that snarky celebrity blogger Perez Hilton as well. The show is free and you can RSVP here.
I was all over this song post-SXSW, as it's easily one of the band's best. It will be released as a single on June 25th through 14th Floor Records in the UK.
Berlin is one of my favorite cities in Europe. After the fall of the wall, a ton of investment capital flowed into the eastern side of the city and all of these really cool skyscrapers were built. The contrast of old world buildings next to cutting edge modernist architecture is really cool. Another really cool thing from Berlin is a band called The Innits. Their bio describes them as The Smiths as played by The Velvet Underground, but frankly I don't hear it. To me, they sound like happy go lucky college rock from the late 80s and early 90s--a sound reminiscent of R.E.M., Buffalo Tom and They Might Be Giants. Either way, The Innits have some great songs that are saccharine sweet and totally catchy, so make sure to check them out.
This Week In Boston 05.21: Unsane/400 Blows @ Middle East Up 05.23: Barnicle @ Middle East Up 05.23: Sage Francis/Buck 65 @ Middle East Down 05.24: Mice Parade/Tom Brosseau @ Middle East Up 05.25: The Pill @ Great Scott 05.25: DJ Rob Swift @ Middle East Up 05.25: Sunset Rubdown @ T. T. the Bear's 05.26: The Rosebuds/Ladybug Transistor @ Great Scott 05.27: Pharoahe Monch @ Middle East Down 05.27: Handsome Furs/Sam Jayne @ TT the Bears
Burningpilot is another one of Transgressive Records' brilliant finds. Although I don't love their name (my Dad is a pilot), I definitely love their blustering post punk. My favorite song of the moment is "Can't Kid A Kidder," which features a killer synth riff laid over top of a killer guitar riff. This song is so catchy that it's basically ridiculous. Also check out their old school video for "Two Words, Two Syllables" above, which reminds me of The Talking Heads. [mp3] "Can't Kid A Killer"
The Hard Tomorrows will be entering the studio soon to begin work on a new record, which is fantastic news for fans of the electrifying DC quintet. Their criminally overlooked debut was one of my favorite albums of 2006--it's so good that I still listen to the record once a week almost twelve months after it was released. Download their new wave-y cover of the Undertones' "Teenage Kicks" below, which was apparently recorded for a teen movie. [mp3]"Teenage Kicks" [mp3]"Patterns"
Patrick Wolf: A couple weeks ago, Patrick Wolf announced that he was retiring from music. Thankfully, it turned out to be a big misunderstanding--the flame haired singer will continue playing his bizarre mix of electro-tinged, orchestral pop music for at least another day. Make sure to check out "Get Lost" from Wolf's third album, The Magic Position. The song's bouncy melody and Motown influenced backing vocals are joy personified. Believe me, it'll get stuck in your head for days. [mp3] "Get Lost"
While Boston is fucking around with decidedly unspring like weather, I am taking off to Albuquerque this weekend for the second annual Hyperactive Music Festival. Things will be warmer and I'll get to indulge in plenty of beer and Mexican food while checking out a ton of great bands. In addition to that, tomorrow is my birthday and Saturday is Exitfare's second anniversary. But that's not really important right now. Let's talk about Hyperactive.
This is the fest's second year, and it's filled with the normal trappings -- networking, panels and a ton of showcasing. I'd rather not get too industry-specific here and just focus on some of the bands playing. Highlights include Go Motion, Scissors For Lefty, Army Of Me and The Attorneys. It's kind of out of the way, but if you're in the area, totally check it out. Also, not sure if I have any readers in Albuquerque, but if I do, I'd love to have someone show me around.
As a blogger, one would think that I am always ahead of the curve when it comes to music, but that's just not the case sometimes. With Feist, I was all over her first album, but I've totally slept on The Reminder. I'm not sure why, but I wasn't really psyched to listen to it, but today at work, my eyes wandered over a stack of CDs on my desk and out came this album. Things are still settling upstairs, but for the most part, it seems that The Reminder is a formidable follow-up to her debut, it's an album that's tough to classify because it takes so many familiar elements and mixes them up. I am not totally sure what school of music she comes from, but like Bjork, she creates her own little off-kilter, vaguely familiar world that grows more enticing with each listem. Remind me to never sleep on an album again.
[Myspace]Feist [mp3] "My Moon, My Man" [link 1] / [link2] [mp3] "My Moon, My Man (Boys Noize Remix)" [link 1] / [link 2]
I live for hot, sunny days and usually by mid-May, the Northeast has had several 80+ degree days under its belt. Not this year -- the weather in Boston has sucked, and all I want is the sun and an entire day where I don't need a jacket. Even if the weather doesn't want to cooperate, I am drawing a line in the sand because summer begins now, and an early contender for the jam of the season is "D.A.N.C.E." from Justice. The duo doesn't underestimate the power of a kid on lead vocals, creating the most jubilant dance floor filler since The Go! Team's "Huddle Formation." The rest of † is filled with same type of can't not dance to tunes, and it's an album that is slated to hit quite hard when it drops on July 10th. Luckily it landed in my hands early, as it will be the perfect soundtrack to my Miami vacation next month...
We first wrote about Pull Tiger Tail way back in November, but they've been so super busy in the last couple of months that I just had to write about them again. Besides recording their debut full length (due out in September) and playing a whole host of high profile shows throughout the United Kingdom, Pull Tiger Tail has taped what seems like a million music videos and posted them all on YouTube. The electric performance featured in the video for single "Let's Lightning" is great, as are the impressive special effects in the video for "Hurricanes." But my favorite by far is the video for "Mr. 100 Percent," which features the Stratford-Upon-Avon three piece playing a strangely intense and entertaining game of Scrabble. More importantly, the video features one of the catchiest indie rock songs that's come out in recent memory. Pull Tiger Tail may not be as big as their dear friends in Klaxons, but they definitely will be. [Myspace]Pull Tiger Tail [mp3]"Mr. 100 Percent"
This Week In Boston 05.14: The Album Leaf/Young Galaxy @ Middle East Down 05.15: Southern Culture on the Skids @ Middle East Down 05.15: !!!/Holy Fuck @ The Paradise 05.15: Laura Viers @ Middle East Up 05.15: The Cinematics/The Changes @ TT the Bears 05.16: Hail Social/On The Surface @ Middle East Up 05.16: Electrelane/The Blow @ The Paradise 05.17: Pretty Girls Make Graves/Call Me Lightning @ Middle East Down 05.18: Richard Lloyd & the Sufi Monkeys/The Downbeat 5 @ TT the Bears 05.19: Tapes ‘n Tapes/Ladyhawk/Harlem Shakes @ The Paradise 05.18: The Pill @ Great Scott 05.19: Mando Diao/Pop Levi/The Films @ TT the Bears 05.20: Page France @ TT the Bears
Limbeck: With their self-titled third album, California group Limbeck continue to improve on their blend of alt-country and indie pop. The band opens for Hot Rod Circuit tomorrow night at the Middle East Down. [mp3]"Big Drag"
Illinois: I am hoping this band's album comes soon because their recently released EP was too much, too soon. These guys have a ton of potential, and 2007 will still be their year. If you don't have a ticket to their show at The Paradise on Sunday night [they're opening for The Kooks], then you're out of luck -- it's been sold out for weeks. [mp3]"Alone Again"
[Photo Credit: Stefano Giovannini] Be Your Own Pet: Taking a break from working on their new album, Nashville's Be Your Own Pet is spending most of this month on the road with Arctic Monkeys. If you want to go, you'll have to keep an eye out for tickets on Craigslist -- this one has also been sold out for weeks. [mp3] "We Will Vacation, You Can Be My Parasol"
It's like three thousand degrees in my apartment and I'm tired as hell, so I apologize in advance for making this post short. Delorentos is a Dublin-based indie rock band that recently released their debut album, In Love With Detail, on Cottage Records to much critical acclaim in the Irish press. Although I don't think the album will change your life, I do like it a lot. From start to finish, all of the songs are impeccably constructed, catchy, and varied. Delorentos remind me of a cross between Interpol and Snow Patrol, which basically means that everyone and their mom should dig their music. Don't believe me? Check out their video for "Basis of Everything," which is totally A-ha's "Take On Me" for the youtube generation.
I'm surprised I haven't written about this band yet. Wait, maybe I have. Who knows? Anyway, San Francisco's Scissor For Lefty will be dropping their debut album on June 12th through Eenie Meenie. Underhanded Romance is one of those rare albums that lives up to the hype, and takes it even further. The band has been heralded by NME, SF Weekly ["best up and coming indie band"], Billboard, Spin.com and the LA Times, and lucky for us, they have delivered on all of their early promise with a debut that shakes and stutters, while remaining cohesive and catchy as fuck.
This past week saw the sophomore effort from the Arctic Monkeys debut at #7 on the Billboard Albums Chart, plus the band is currently touring the States. They will be playing a sold out show here in Boston on May 13th with Be Your Own Pet. For no good reason whatsoever, I am giving away a 12" of "Brianstorm," the first single off of Favourite Worst Nightmare. First person to e-mail me gets it!
1. If you found this it's probably too late 2. Brianstorm 3. Temptation greets you like your naughty friend 4. What if you were right the first time?
Last Tuesday, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club released Baby 81 on RCA Records, their latest journey through psych-laden Brit rock. They kicked off their North American tour this past weekend in Arizona with each show being covered by a different blog for the Filter Tourzine. I'll be covering the Boston show at the Avalon on May 29th.
This tour had some pretty sweet openers lined up as well, but The Fratellis dropped out because they were pussies and The Horrors had to cancel because they ran out of money buying silly clothing. Pinch-hitting will be Austin's The Black Angels, The Cobbs [who I know nothing about] and Eastern Conference Champions, a band that one of my writers over at Stranded In Stereo has been raving about. All of the dates are below, as well as what band will be playing where. Check the tourzine for show reviews, vids and other goodies.
May 08 Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern* 09 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore* 11 Portland, OR - Roseland Theater* 12 Vancouver, BC - Richard’s On Richards* 13 Seattle, WA - Showbox* 15 Boise, ID - The Big Easy ! ^ 16 Salt Lake City, UT - In The Venue ! ^ 17 Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre ! ^ 18 Omaha, NE - Sokol Underground ! ^ 19 Lawrence, KS - Granada Theater ! ^ 20 St. Louis, MO - The Pageant ! ^ 22 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue ! ^ 23 Milwaukee, WI - The Rave ! ^ 24 Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre ! 25 Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall ! 29 Boston, MA - Avalon ! 31 New York, NY - Webster Hall !
June 1 Philadelphia, PA - Theatre Of The Living Arts ! 2 Washington, D.C. - 9:30 Club ! 4 Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall ! 5 Indianapolis, IN - The Music Mill ! 6 Nashville, TN - City Hall ! 7 Atlanta, GA - Roxy Theatre ! 9 Fort Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room ! 10 Orlando, FL - The Social ! 12 Birmingham, AL - Zydeco ! 13 New Orleans, LA - The Republic ! 14 Houston, TX - Meridian ! 15 Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa ! 16 Dallas, TX - House of Blues ! 17 Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom ! 19 Las Vegas, NV - University Theatre !
° = w/ The Black Angels ! = w/ The Cobbs ^ = w/ Eastern Conference Champions
Back in 2005, I totally flirted with one of the members of The Crimea. They were opening for Billy Corgan on his solo tour and I was probably one of the only people in the audience who had heard of them. After the show, I got to talking with this one dude in the band and slyly worked my game. I was like "you guys are named after my favorite nineteenth century war" and he was all like "that's cool." Then I was like "I'll be in London in a couple of months" and he was like "here's my number, we should get together." True story. I never called him.
All stories of my A game aside, The Crimea are a really solid, inventive band that has been creating pretty dynamic music for a few years now. If you're not familiar with them, they play a brand of alternative rock that combines elements of the melodramatic and the psychedelic into something positively explosive. Last week they released their third album, Secrets of the Witching Hour. You can download it below. For free. From their official website. Make sure to listen to my favorites first -- the quiet stunner "Requiem Aeternam," the trippy "Bombay Sapphire Coma" and the raucously lush opener "All Conquering."
This Week In Boston 05.08: Grant Lee Phillips @ The Paradise 05.09: Blonde Redhead/Fields @ The Paradise 05.11: The Pill @ Great Scott 05.11: Earl Greyhound @ Middle East Up 05.12: Hot Rod Circuit/Limbeck/The Forecast @ Middle East Down 05.12: Hooray For Earth/Taxpayer @ Great Scott 05.13: Arctic Monkeys/Be Your Own Pet @ Avalon 05.13: The Kooks/Illinois @ The Paradise
So dudes, there isn't going to be a big weekend post today. I've been sick all day and basically just sleeping, plus I am on a PC and all of the keys and commands are weird. Anyway, while I am in Philly, you guys should go out to The Lily Pad in Cambridge tomorrow night to check out Contramano. Featured on the cover of Wired [my favorite magazine], they've been described as smart, cello-led art punk. Plus, they're from Brooklyn, which gives them like 90,000 extra cool points. For those of you that are feeling brave, head out to the show, and the first person that e-mails me gets to go with a friend!
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists recently released Living With The Living and, while it's not my favorite album, you know that I'll be at his show in Boston tonight. If you've never seen them play, then you're really missing out because they're one of the tightest, most electrifying bands that I've ever seen grace a stage. Since we here at Exitfare love every single one of our readers, I thought I'd offer a free ticket to Ted Leo's Boston show at the Avalon tonight. First person to email me (bethmuellerrocks (at) gmail.com) with their favorite Ted Leo song and their phone number gets the ticket.
If I had a couple thousand dollars laying around, the first thing I'd do is roll around in it like Scrooge McDuck then I'd immediately hop a flight to London so that I could see The Far Cries play. It would definitely be worth the money, as one glimpse of their electrifying four song set on Liveroom TV clearly attests. The Far Cries not only have a dynamic presence on stage, but they also have a catalogue of songs that could all be hits. And while their electro-infused post punk is extremely catchy, it's also multi-dimensional--the band is equally at home producing blustering ball of energy as they are playing more subdued fare. It totally boggles my mind that they're not the biggest band in the UK right now. All in due time.
Admittedly, I joined The Cribs party train a bit late, but the only ones keeping score are those dorks over at Pitchfork. After some quite time, the band is about to re-emerge with their Warner Bros. debut on July 17th, Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever. Produced by Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand, the record contains twelve infectious indie punk tracks that build on the buzz created by "Mirror Kissers" and "Hey Scenesters!" If you can't wait until July, then look for the album through all of your fine digital retailers on May 22nd.
05/02 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge 05/03 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge 05/04 - Boston, MA @ Middle East 05/05 - E. Rutherford, NJ @ Bamboozle Festival
“His lyrics remain arcane and romantic until the end, creating a tapestry of what we can assume is an epoch of love in bliss, turmoil, and transience. Often addressed in second person, they are only coaxed into our consciousness by other moving, colorful ingredients, which spark songs that are digestible, addictive, and sometimes magnificent.” (6.8 rating) - Pitchfork
All Smiles is the new project of former Grandaddy member Jim Fairchild. Ten Readings of a Warning, released last Tuesday on Dangerbird, features many of Jim's friends, including Danny of Menomena, who All Smiles is on tour with.
June 6 Eugene, OR - WOW Hall 7 Sacramento, CA - Blue Lamp 8 San Francisco, CA - The Independant 10 Visalia, CA - Cellar Door 12 Los Angeles, CA - Troubador 13 Pomonda, CA - Glass House 14 San Diego, CA - Casbah 15 Tucson, AZ - Solar Culture Gallery 16 Phoenix, CA - The Clubhouse 19 Austin, TX - The Parish 20 Houston, TX - Walter's on Washington 21 Dallas, TX - Granada 22 Lawrence, KS - The Bottleneck 23 Omaha, NE - Waiting Room
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!
