The Kickback (Chicago's Answer to The Walkman) are Recording Daytrotter Session in Advance of Full-Length CD / March Residency at Schubas in Chicago

"We recorded this after our fans helped us win a Deli reader's poll and got us some free studio time. The song was originally supposed to be a take on the song "Route 66" for a Red Bull tour diary, but they didn't seem to be down with our turning it into a six-minute ramblethon and not really using the words, and we can't really blame them. But they still suck. Thanks for making this yours." -- from The Kickback's Bandcamp page

Jim DeRogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote: "If your only exposure to the Kickback is via its recordings, including a dynamic, well-recorded, exquisitely arranged and very dramatic new disc called the 'Great Self Love' EP currently streaming on its Myspace page, you might think that guitarist-vocalist Billy Yost and his drummer brother Danny have escaped the usual sibling drama. But since the group, which is completed by guitarist Tyler Zee and bassist Zachariah Verdoorn, immigrated here from South Dakota last summer, the stories have begun to spread about its explosive live performances, with the members cheerfully owning up to the occasional broken chairs and bloody knuckles."



The Kickback made their SXSW debut last year but this year the band is playing a March residency starting March 5th at Schubas in Chicago. In a recent interview with Glide Magazine, the band was asked about the upcoming residency and said "Every show will be a little bit different, and the last show we’re going to perform our forthcoming LP in its entirety with a Craigslist Orchestra featuring a group of fantastic people who were willing to come and record brass and sax for our LP for nothing more than the joy of doing it. But each night will be something different, and that’s what’s most important to us. "

Links:
The Kickback

Flipper (the band): Resurfaces in 2012 and Announces SXSW Show(s) and Upcoming European Tour

After a quiet couple of years, Flipper has resurfaced in 2012! The band is playing a local warm-up show in Oakland on March 2 with East Bay Way & the Killer Smiles which is a precursor to playing SXSW in March and Europe in April.

Flipper's last studio disc Love came out in 2009 on MVD Audio.

"LOVE, the brand new studio album from the incredible Flipper was recorded with the great Jack Endino at the helm, known for having recorded many of Seattle's greatest Grunge albums, including Nirvana's Bleach. Recording took place at the Murky Slough Studios, on Krist Novoselic's property in Washington. Bruce Loose, Ted Falconi, and Steve DePace would regularly travel to Krist's for writing and recording sessions, and affectionately referred to it as 'Band Camp." With Krist providing bass, the band dug in and recorded one of their best efforts yet combing noisy guitars with that perfect low end bass and the grind of life and love. LOVE was designed to be a twin and companion to FIGHT. A well balanced experience from the one and only FLIPPER."

Links:
Flipper

The Kickback - "Mea Culpa Mea Culpa" CD EP Review

Mea Culpa EP by The Kickback

Chicago indie-rock band The Kickback have been building up a buzz with write-ups by The Deli Magazine and RollingStone.com. RollingStone.com described the band as a "high drama Chicago-based rock band that conjures the very best parts of The Veils and The Walkmen and The Killers, writing lean, nervy songs that snarl and snap".

The Kickback just released their fourth disc "Mea Culpa Mea Culpa" which is a strong four-track EP that combines the ringing guitars of 80's college rock bands with the rich harmonies and layered psychedelic pop sounds of bands like The Zombies and Strawberry Alarm Clock.



The Kickback are making their SXSW debut this month in addition to writing and rehearsing new material for their first full-length. Like the new EP, the full-length will be tracked and mixed by the Yost brothers and is promised to be rawer than the group's past releases.

Links:
The Kickback

James Vincent McMorrow Will Be Playing a Small Run of US Shows Around His SXSW Appearance

DOWNLOAD: James Vincent McMorrow - "This Old Dark Machine"

James Vincent McMorrowʼs full-length debut, Early In The Morning, landed the #1 spot on iTunes when the disc was released in Ireland last year and Vagrant released the disc in the US last month. From start to finish, Early In The Morning is a ten-song recollection of one manʼs journey through a time of change and transition.

James will be playing a string of US shows surrounding his SXSW performance in March, including five new dates just announced supporting The Rural Alberta Advantage.

James Vincent McMorrow Tour Dates:
Mar 22 – Ames, IA at The Maintenance Shop at ISU
Mar 23 – Milwaukee, WI at Mad Planet
Mar 24 – Madison, WI at High Noon Saloon
Mar 25 – Minneapolis, MN at First Avenue
Mar 26 – Chicago, IL at Lincoln Hall
All dates supporting The Rural Alberta Advantage



Links:
James Vincent McMorrow

The Butterfly Explosion Play Piano's Tomorrow Night (March 14th); Shows at SXSW Next Week

DOWNLOAD: The Butterfly Explosion - "Closer" from Lost Trails
DOWNLOAD: The Butterfly Explosion - "Chemistry" from Lost Trails

The Butterfly Explosion is a post-rock band out of Dublin, Ireland whose music ranges from shoegazer alt-rock (Ride and My Bloody Valentine are immediate comparisons) to epic post-rock instrumental pieces (here the comparison is to bands like Sigur Ros, Tortise and Explosions in the Sky). Having released two well received EPs over the last few years, The Butterfly Explosion released their first full length, Lost Trails (Revive Records), in the US earlier this month.

The 11-track/60 minute disc shows the band's songwriting continuing to mature. The songs average five minutes in length which gives the band time to develop expansive soundscapes. Fuzzy waves of guitars rise, fall and crash into exploding choruses; all of which are complemented by subtle and delicate keyboards and soaring, emotive vocals. The lyrics are clear but somewhat vague in nature which adds another dimension to the overall package that is The Butterfly Explosion. While there are some stand-out singles ("Closer", "Chemistry", "Crash/...see you on the other side"), there are also a number of all-instrumental songs that seem to serve as "mood pieces" within the context of the overall album and don't necessarily stand on their own. As such, this is the sort of disc that you are going to want to listen to start-to-finish.

You aren't going to find Lost Trails playing on a happy hour jukebox but there is more-than-enough depth to the music to keep it from floating away.

Here is a recent live video for "Carpark" which is a sweeping, post-rock (think Explosions in the Sky) instrumental.



The Butterfly Explosion's current US tour kicks off tonight at The Khyber in Philadelphia.

Here are the upcoming dates on the current tour:

Mar. 13 (Sat) -- The Khyber, Philadelphia
Mar. 14 (Sun) -- Pianos, NYC
Mar. 15 (Mon) -- Cameo Gallery, Brooklyn
Mar. 16 (Tues) -- The Abbey, Chicago
Mar. 17 (Wed) -- Habana Calle 6, SXSW, Ausin (10PM)
Mar. 18 (Thur) -- Rusty Spurs, SXSW, Ausin (12PM)
Mar. 19 (Fri) -- BD Rileys, SXSW, Ausin (1PM)
Mar. 21 (Sun) -- Red 7, SXSW, Ausin Goodbye South-By party (4:45pm) featuring Rival Schools, Junius and more

Links:
The Butterfly Explosion

Vagrant Records SXSW Showcase is March 19th at La Zona Rosa

DOWNLOAD: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - "Beat The Devil's Tattoo"
DOWNLOAD: J. Roddy Walston & the Business - "Brave Man's Death" and "I Don't Want to Hear It"
DOWNLOAD: School of Seven Bells - "Iamundernodisguise" (alt. take)
STREAM: Murder By Death - "The Day"

The SXSW madness begins...

Vagrant Records SXSW showcase is taking place next Friday night, March 19th, at La Zona Rose (612 W. 4th St., Austin, TX 78701) and features Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Murder By Death, School of Seven Bells and J-Roddy Walston and The Business.

Links:
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Murder By Death
J-Roddy Walston & the Business
School of Seven Bells

We Are Wolves Announce April Tour Dates / Invisible Violence CD Review

DOWNLOAD: We Are Wolves - "Blue" (from Invisible Violence)
DOWNLOAD: We Are Wolves - "Holding Hands" (from Invisible Violence)

Montreal dance-rock band We Are Wolves are extending their current tour and have just announced a cross-country run of April tour dates. The band is touring behind their third CD Invisible Violence which came out in February on Dare To Care Records.

Invisible Violence is twelve cuts of predominately raw dance-rock which has a ferocious groove. The band combines angular, chugging guitar riffs with psychedelic keyboards to create a sound that would be right at home alongside the Klaxons' "new rave" sound. Some of the standout 'rock' tunes are the disc opener "Paloma" and the punky "Me As Enemy" (which is streaming on the band's MySpace page). Across this disc, the band doesn't stray much from their core dance-rock sound but there are some exceptions which gives the listener a chance to catch their breath.

The band doesn't really slow down until close to the end of the disc. The fourth track, "Dreams", starts off slowly but this is just a tease as the guitar hooks and exploding choruses kick in mid-song. It isn't until the tenth track, "La Rue Oblique", when things truly start to slow. This song relies on a 60's sounding psychedelic keyboard riff to carry the song while singer Alex Ortiz sings blissed-out vocals all in French. "Bounty Waterfalls" is an instrumental track that closes out the disc and it sounds like something that could have come out of the early Pink Floyd songbook. While somewhat schizophrenic at times, Invisible Violence is an intense and engaging listen.

We Are Wolves - "Paloma", Live at Arlene's Grocery, CMJ, 2009




We are Wolves Upcoming Tour Dates:
MAR. 13 -- SAINT-DONAT-DE-RIMOUSKI, QC, MONT-COMI
MAR. 18 -- AUSTIN, TX, PARADISE, (M for Montreal showcase; 1AM set time)
MAR. 19 -- AUSTIN, TX, GUEROS (set time TBA)
MAR. 21 -- AUSTIN, TX, ENCORE (Obscure Magpie Party, set time TBA)
APR. 01 -- QUEBEC, QC, IMPERIAL*
APR. 06 -- KINGSTON, ON, THE ALE HOUSE*
APR. 07 -- TORONTO, ON, PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE*
APR. 08 -- LOS ANGELES, CA, THE ECHO
APR. 09 -- VISALIA, CA, THE CELLAR DOOR
APR. 10 -- SAN FRANCISCO, CA, BOTTOM OF THE HILL
APR. 12 -- PORTLAND, OR, ROTTURE
APR. 13 -- SEATTLE, WA, THE VERA PROJECT
APR. 15 -- VANCOUVER, BC, THE BILTMORE CABARET**
APR. 16 -- KAMLOOPS, BC, HEROES PUB**
APR. 17 -- CALGARY, AB, THE REPUBLIK**
APR. 18 -- EDMONTON, AB, PAWN SHOP**
APR. 19 -- SASKATOON, SK, AMIGO'S**
APR. 20 -- WINNIPEG, MB, ROYAL ALBERT HALL**
APR. 21 -- MINNEAPOLIS, MN, 7TH STREET ENTRY**
APR. 22 -- CHICAGO, IL, SUBTERRANEAN**
APR. 23 -- LONDON, ON, CALL THE OFFICE**
APR. 24 -- TORONTO, ON, THE GARRISON**
MAY 15 -- LYON, FR, NUITS SONORES
* in support of Wolf Parade
** the POP OFF! tour with Parlovr

Links:
We Are Wolves' MySpace Profile

Electric Touch - Pre-Show Interview from Crash Mansion / Early Show Tonight at Piano's

Electric Touch is playing the final night of a three-show NYC residency tonight at Piano's. This is an early show and the Electric Touch goes on at 7PM.

The band puts on a great live show and has been playing a lot of major festival (including All Points West this Saturday) so I would expect Piano's to be packed; Get there early!



Links:
Electric Touch's Website

Electric Touch Play the Second of Three NYC Shows Tonight at Crash Mansion / Play All Points West on Saturday

Austin, TX post-punk band Electric Touch is in town for a three-night run of shows prior to their appearance at All Points West on Saturday (3:05PM set time). The band played Piano's last night and is back at Piano's on Thursday for a free show. This is an early show and the band is going on at 7PM.

Tonight's show is at Crash Mansion; Electric Touch has a 10PM set time and they are playing with BB Gun, Freedomhead, The Embracers, Electric Chariot and The Slant. Tickets are $12 @ the door.



Links:
Electric Touch's MySpace Profile

Superdrag: Reunited Band Plays Bowery Ballroom and MHOW Next Weekend (April 9th and 10th)

Since reuniting in 2007, Supergrass have gotten some great press for their 2008 tour with Nada Surf and their recent SXSW performances.

Supergrass - Guero's, Austin, TX 3/20/09


The band just released their first new disc, Industry Giants, in nine years which Daily Vault described as "nothing short of incendiary; this is excellent material, played with exuberant passion".

Superdrag are in town next Thursday and Friday (April 9th and 10th) for shows at Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall of Williamsburg. Mic Harrison & The High Score and Tenderhooks are playing with Superdrag at the Bowery and advance tickets are $20. Aberdeen City and Cassavettes are playing with Superdrag at MHOW and advance tickets are also $20.

For anyone who hasn't seen the band play live, five live videos from Supergrass' recording sessions at Lake Fever in Nashville will be posted to the Lake Fever Sessions website tomorrow.

For anyone who can't wait, here is a trailer from the sessions:




Links:
Superdrag's Website

Electric Touch: Review of Self-Titled Debut CD (Justice Records)

Coming across like a less-mopey version of The Killers or The Bravery, Electric Touch has spent a lot this year on the road playing high-profile festivals and creating a lot of buzz. The band formed just over a year ago and spent this year playing SxSW, ACL, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo Music Festival, V Festival in addition to touring with The Fratellis. The band's self-titled debut came out at the end of the summer on Justice Records.

Electric Touch's CD is a solid piece of 80's new-wave crossed with 90's indie-rock. The band is composed of three Texans (guitarist Christopher Leigh, bassist Ross Dubois, and drummer Louis Messina) and a British transplant (frontman/guitarist Sane Lawlor). The band has a distinctive sound as Lawlor has a tendency to sound a bit like late-period John Lenon (thinking specifically of Lenon's work with Cheap Trick) and the band's rhythm section falls somewhere between Cheap Trick and a more aggressive version of Duran Duran. Producer Chris Smith (Meat Puppets, Built To Spill, The Dandy Warhols) adds a clean feel to the band's sound where the vocals and instruments are equally highlighted and he also gives the disc a "big rock/arena" sound.

This is one of those CD where, if you like one of the cuts, you'll likely enjoy the whole disc. While the band's sound is consistent across the disc's ten tracks, none of the tunes are repetitive and Electric Touch's debut is engaging from end-to-end.

Six of the disc's ten tracks are streaming on the band's MySpace page (link below) and here is the promo video for "Live In Our Hearts".


Electric Touch just finished an East Coast tour and are currently playing a few shows around Texas. Upcoming tour dates are:

Dec 8 2008 8:00PM, Scout Bar, Beaumont, Texas
Dec 9 2008 8:00PM, Scout Bar San Antonio, Texas
Dec 10 2008 8:00PM, Dos Amigos, Odessa, Texas
Dec 12 2008 8:00PM, Warehouse Live w/ The Secret Machines & Perry Farrell, Houston, Texas

Links:
Electric Touch's MySpace Profile

What Laura Says - Thinks and Feels CD Review

What Laura Says stirred up a major buzz on the indie rock scene after the band played a few shows at SxSW this year, which included the all-star tribute to Lou Reed.

On August 19th, the band will be releasing their debut CD , Thinks and Feels, which is an incredibly eclectic but charming disc. This disc seems to incorporate influences as diverse as "Smile"-era Beach Boys, pre-Revolver Beatles, Grateful Dead/CCR style country rock and the mellow-side of 70's rock. With this range of influences, it is little wonder that the band is signed to The Annuals' Terpsikhore Records.

The first song on the disc, "Couldn't Lose Myself", sets the tone for the rest of the disc. The track starts with a man's voice counting off the time ("One and Two and Three and Four") and quickly segues into some rich multi-part vocal harmonies. Midway through the song, there is an Oingo-Boingo style breakdown and the band switches over (mid-piece) into a piano-driven rocker. From here, the band goes into "Fashionably Moral", which is a Canned Heat/Grateful Dead style country rock tune. There are tempo, tune and style changes throughout this disc.

To try and break the remainder of the disc into styles/genres:
- "Illustrated Manual" is a piano-rocker but the band's vocals harmonies push this past any of the Ben Folds/Billy Joel comparisons
- "Wish I Could Fly" is predominately an a cappella tune that is carried on the band's multi-part harmonies
- "Dot Dot Dot" is pure 70's lite-rock in the spirit of Harry Nilsson or Randy Newman
- "Paradice" is one of my favorite tracks on this disc. This track uses movie theatre effects as an intro and outro and the core of the song is simply a great rock and roll tune
- "Waves" is a Jeff Buckley/60's crooner-style tune
- "Get Better Soon" goes back down the 70's country path and the song is complete with shakers and what sounds like a saw blade
- "July 23" is almost comparable to David Gilmour's Pink Floyd songs
- "1000 Faces" has a Doobie Brothers' style California swing
- "Done What's Right" is an Annuals' style spiritual. This tune segues into a hidden track which is an atmospheric instrumental

This is great stuff and I would love to see how the band performs material this diverse live on stage. The band is currently touring around Arizona (check their MySpace page for details and dates) but hopefully some East Coast dates will follow the CD release.

If anyone is wondering about the band's name, Get Out (appears to be an AZ equivalent of the Village Voice ) asked the band about the name in an interview last year. Here is what they had to say:
Get Out: So who is the “laura” of the group’s name?

The band doesn’t really have an answer — there is no specific “laura,” so the band isn’t able to explain what “she” says, thinks or feels. “We just like to think there’s a little a little laura in everybody,” says [keyboard/guitar/vocals Danny] Godbold.

The Teenage Prayers - An Interview with Tim Adams

Yesterday I had a chance to catch up with Tim Adams, singer from The Teenage Prayers. The band started a tour earlier this month in support of their second CD, "Everyone Thinks You're The Best", which comes out Tuesday, March 18th. The band is currently in Austin, TX and are playing a showcase tonight at SxSW with Cassettes Won't Listen and Care Bears on Fire.

The Teenage Prayers are back in town on April 5th for a record release party at SoundFix (in Williamsburg).

Here is a direct link to the mp3 of the interview with Tim and here is a link to the RSS feed.

Links:
The Teenage Prayers' MySpace page