Morningbell Release Video for 'We Have Eyes As Well As Ears' / Show at Union Hall on June 7th

Eric Atria (bassist) summed up the new disc by saying "People are going to think this is brilliant or they're going to think we're insane. Maybe both! It's going to be hard not coming off as pretentious when the final tracks are out (some have 60 tracks of classical instruments ON TOP of 50 tracks of traditional rock instruments). But fuck it!"

Morningbell is one of the more prolific, inventive, and fiercely independent bands in the country. With six albums and four EPs over nine years (including an album released only on custom-made USB cards, a choose-your-own-adventure album, and 2009’s universally lauded Sincerely, Severely), Morningbell has gone more places with their music than most bands do in an entire career. They are constantly stretching themselves musically and creatively in a way that very few bands do.

The band hails from Gainesville, Florida—a hotbed of musical creativity (see Hundred Waters, Levek, Hot Water Music, etc)—and consists of brothers Travis and Eric Atria, Stacie Atria (married to Eric), and drummer Chris Hillman.

Boa Noite is the band’s 6th studio album. It was written, recorded, mixed, and produced by the band in their home studio. It draws influences from romantic classical music, African field recordings, Hungarian folk music, the poems of Jorge Luis Borges, “The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam,” “Finnegan’s Wake,” “Ulysses,” Chopin’s polonaises, classic hip-hop, Charles Mingus, Paul Simon, Curtis Mayfield, Kurt Vonnegut, and the compositions of Claude Debussy, Frederick Delius, John Cage and Arvo Part. With Boa Noite, the band wanted orchestral backing. Without access to an orchestra, however, they pieced one together during half a dozen sessions with multiple classical musicians. The result is a grand, sweeping, ambitious album with songs that often contain upwards of 150 tracks of instruments.



Morningbell are playing a show at Union Hall on Friday, June 7th alongside Olivia Mancini (track) and Oh No! and the Tiger Pit. Tickets are $10 and doors are at 8PM.

Links:
Morningbell

Cobalt & the Hired Guns: Chicago Pop-Punk Band Plays Union Hall on July 27th

DOWNLOAD: Cobalt & the Hired Guns - "Like You Like Me Like Me"

It has been a couple years since Cobalt & the Hired Guns came through town. Last time through, they played a brilliant, sweaty show to a packed house at Union Hall and kept the crowd riveted with their mix of punk and Americana "working-man" songs.

After some lineup changes, Cobalt & the Hired Guns (CATHG) regrouped with a new album Everybody Wins! and are playing two local shows over the next few weeks. The first is at Union Hall on Friday, July 27th with Luff and Velah. Cover is $8 and CATHG are taking the stage at 7:30PM. The second show is at Bowery Electric on August 17th. CATHG are playing with Futurist, Xylofaux and BAM. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door.

Friends since they were just little buckaroos, the boys of Cobalt & the Hired Guns have always aspired to create an album to match their rambunctious live shows. It’s finally here! Their new record, Everybody Wins!, aims for the rafters with a cherry bomb explosion of poppy punk, barroom ballads, power pop, ska, horny rock and good humor. Following up 2008’s Jump the Fence – their first Carbon Neutral album- Everybody Wins! continues the tradition of the band’s commitment to art and environmentalism- and includes their fullest lineup of 20 different players (not all at the same time).

The repertoire for this five-to-twelve piece from Chicago has been described as Americana, Punky Pop, or just Good Ol’ Fashioned Rock n’ Roll. They’ve been compared to The Hold Steady, The Clash, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, The Fratellis, Frightened Rabbit, Backyard Tire Fire, and “Wilco on Xanax covering The Clash”.



I had the pleasure of spending some time with the band prior to their show at Union Hall in '09 and below is some footage of their acoustic pre-show performance.



Links:
Cobalt & the Hired Guns

Lohio - Chamber-Pop Band Release Video for "Adelai" from New CD // Feb. Shows at Union Hall and Lit Lounge

Lohio is built around the songwriting of Greg Dutton. The band is based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but Dutton’s songs capture the pastoral nature of a boy who grew up on an Ohio farm. Often paired with the clear and delicate vocals of Liz Adams, Dutton is also supported by an array of musicians handpicked out the tight-knit Pittsburgh scene. Their use of glee-club-like group vocals add to the feeling that you’re listening to the region’s best hometown pageant.

With their newest release, the indie-folk outfit Lohio creates an album every bit as grand and sweeping as the likes of Arcade Fire or The National, but one that might have been composed on makeshift instruments in someone’s backyard workshop. Family Tree has a handmade, almost colloquial feel, and the levity of instrumentation (toy piano anyone?) often belies the weight of the songs. Like a collection of short stories, the EP offers excerpts on life, family, and the inevitable milestones we all encounter, all couched in glowing arrangements and indie-pop hooks.

Lohio kicks off a two week tour starting in Buffalo, NY on Feb 3rd and the band plays local shows at Union Hall on Feb. 7th and Lit Lounge on Feb. 8th. Sharing the bill at the Union Hall show are Donora and Brooklyn locals Ball of Flame Shoot Fire. Tickets are $6 and doors are at 7:30PM.

At the Lit Lounge show, Lohio are playing with Donora and We Loyal. Tickets are $6 and doors are at 8:30PM.



Links:
Lohio

Eyezon - Soweto Born Emcee Plays First Full Band Show at Union Hall on Feb. 16th

"Eyezon delivers his lyrics with a religious conviction, but is blessed with a great sense of timing. He has the ability to alter his rhyme schemes constantly, but without losing sight of the cadence of the mystery man’s beats." - RapReviews.com

Eyezon, the Northern California via South Africa emcee, delivers inspiration and entertainment with a dynamic flow and message to match. His last record, People Like Us, was released on Interdependent Media, which is the same indie label that introduced US to K'naan. Currently the band has an on-going sound stage on the Africa Channel along with the music video for their single, "Lord Hold Me", which services as a trailer for their mini-documentary based on homelessness in San Francisco (which was shot by Ethan Lader -- T-Pain/2 Pistols "She Got It", Mullage "Trick'N", J*Davey "Mister Mister").

The video explores the problem of homelessness in the United States by juxtaposing images of Eyezon along with startling facts about our nation's poor. Both the video and mini-documentary challenge our complacency and shed light on an issue that is often over looked.



At the Union Hall show, Eyezon is playing with Brooklyn-based lo-fi electro-pop band Jonka and DJ Captain Kristo. Tickets are $7 and doors are at 7:30PM.

Links:
Eyezon

The Ferocious Few Make Their NYC Debut at Union Hall on Dec. 11th

San Francisco duo The Ferocious Few make their NYC debut this Saturday, Dec. 11th, at Union Hall this Saturday, December 11th, after having toured extensively up and down the West Coast for the past year.

The band is playing with Owen McCarthy (of Submarine Bells), Alana Amram & the Rough Gems and Graverobbers (Cat-Tooth Jim). Tickets are $8 and doors are at 8PM.

The Ferocious Few first gained attention from busking on the streets of their native San Francisco, which led to them getting signed to San Francisco's Birdman Records. They have become infamous for their 'guerilla style' appearances on many street corners in towns and cities across the States. So much so, that they caught the attention of the New York Times at this year's SXSW, who included them in their 'Best Of SXSW' summary. Continuing to play night after night on the West Coast, they have gathered quite a following and are playing their first Midwest and East Coast dates this month, as well as opening for Cyndi Lauper.



Upcoming Shows:
Dec 7 - Cicero's - St. Louis, MO
Dec 8 - Pancho's - Chicago, IL
Dec 11 - Union Hall - Brooklyn, NY
Dec 12 - Palace Theatre - Waterbury, CT w/ Cyndi Lauper
Dec 14 - Ulster Performing Arts Center - Kingston, NY w/ Cyndi Lauper
Dec 18 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA w/ Cyndi Lauper

Links:
The Ferocious Few

Karen Rockower (vox/gtr from Bugs in the Dark) Plays Union Hall on Dec. 2nd

"Whales Standing - a great rock album that combines contrasting styles together for an exciting listen. The effort is both a sensual and rebellious ride through a landscape of seamlessly combined muscal styles. It is brash, unusual, uninhibited, melodic and intimate. This is definitely one album that should be a part of your music collection." -- Urban Outside Blog

With Bugs in the Dark being inactive as of late, vocalist/guitarist Karen Rockower has been playing out more and more behind her new solo disc Whales Standing.

Karen is playing a headlining show this Thursday at Union Hall along with Emily Mure (9PM Set Time) and A Slow Death and Loneliness (8PM Set Time). Karen is playing at 10PM and cover is $7.

This Wednesday, Karen is a 15-minute solo set at Otto's Shrunken Head for the ReW & WhO Video Podcast. Here is the link to stream the set.

Links:
Karen Rockower

Julie Peel Kicks Off Second Tour in Support of Debut Album // Show at Union Hall on Nov. 15th

DOWNLOAD: Julie Peel - "Unfold" MP3

Julie Peel is a Canadian singer/songwriter who released her debut CD, Near The Sun, last year on American Laundromat Records. With lyrics that sound like semi-confessional stories and a layered, atmospheric production, some immediate points of comparison are artists like Beth Orton and Lisa Germano.

Julie kicked off her fall tour on Friday, October 1st in France and the tour will take Julie to Spain, Germany, Norway, and London before she heads to the USA for several key dates. This is Julie’s second tour in support of her critically-acclaimed debut album Near The Sun. During this current tour, Julie will be performing songs from Near The Sun, and introducing several new songs from her upcoming second album.

Near the Sun has earned rave reviews, an early invitation to showcase at SXSW, placements in television shows such as NBC’s Mercy and CBS’s Life Unexpected, and opening support invites from artists such as Joe Purdy, Tanya Donelly, and Dar Williams.



Julie Peel tour dates:
10/15 Samba Resille, Toulouse (FRANCE)
10/18 L'International, Paris (FRANCE)
10/25 Café Mono, Oslo (NORWAY)
11/11 The Barn at Hamilton College, Clinton, NY (USA)
11/13 Tin Angel, Philadelphia, PA (USA)
11/15 Union Hall, Brooklyn, NY (USA)
11/21 Hotel Cafe, Los Angeles, CA (USA) *Opening for Dar Williams*
11/22 Hotel Cafe, Los Angeles, CA (USA) *Opening for Dar Williams*
11/28 Club Passim, Cambridge, MA (USA)
12/02 The Velvet Lounge, Washington, DC (USA)
12/03 The Hexagone, Baltimore, MD (USA)
12/07 The Rhythm Factory, London (UNITED KINGDOM)

Links:
Julie Peel

The Jezabels Play Four Dates in NYC as Part of CMJ Music Marathon

DOWNLOAD - The Jezabels: "Mace Spray" (from "Dark Storm" EP)

Sydney, Australia's The Jezabels are set to play four dates in New York including a stop in Brooklyn on October 21st at Union Hall as part of the CMJ Music Marathon 2010. On the 21st, The Jezabels will share the stage with Snake Rattle Rattle Snake, Conversion Party, Radical Dads, Mussels, and Howlies. Without a CMJ Badge, tickets are $8 and doors are at 7:30PM. (Note: The Jezebels go on around 1AM)

The Jezabels are currently touring behind "Dark Storm" which is the third in a trilogy of EPs which began in 2009 with "The Man is Dead". After the New York dates, The Jezabels will head out on a national tour of Canada as the main support of Two Hours Traffic.

The newest EP represents the band's most confident outing to date--moody, mysterious, and epic, yet buzzing with the quartet’s ever-present knack for an irresistible pop hook. It's off to a great start as it has became the #1 album on Australian iTunes.

The Jezabels have tirelessly toured Australia since the release of their EP "She's So Hard" in November 2009. The band has supported artists like Tegan & Sara, Katie Noonan and Josh Pyke as well as selling out their own headlining shows. Additionally, the singles "Hurt Me" and "Easy to Love" from the EP "She's So Hard" received heavy rotation on radio in Australia and abroad.

Tour Dates:

CMJ Music Marathon
10.21.10 (8 pm) Bowery Ballroom (CMJ) New York, NY
10.21.10 (1 am) Union Hall (CMJ) Brooklyn, NY
10.22.10 Pianos (CMJ) New York, NY
10.23.10 Fat baby (CMJ) New York, NY

Tour with Two Hours Traffic
10.26.10 Horseshoe Tavern Toronto, ON
10.28.10 Republik - Calgary, AB
10.29.10 Barking Parrott - Penticton, BC
10.30.10 Pit Pub UBC - Vancouver, BC
11.02.10 The Slice - Lethbridge, AB
11.03.10 Starlight Room - Edmonton, AB
11.04.10 The Exchange - Regina, SA
11.05.10 Amigos - Saskatoon, SA
11.06.10 Royal Albert - Winnipeg, MB

Links:
The Jezabels

Karen Rockower: CD Release Show on Wed, Aug. 25th at Union Hall (Bugs in the Dark)

DOWNLOAD: Karen Rockower - "Drawing Roses" (from Whales Standing)
DOWNLOAD: Karen Rockower - "In My Car" (from Whales Standing)

Vocalist/guitarist Karen Rockower (from the art/punk band Bugs in the Dark) is releasing her debut solo CD on August 25th at a show at Union Hall. Karen's new disc, Whales Standing, is a strikingly mature effort for a debut release and it shows her songwriting moving closer to a Jenny Lewis/Hope Sandoval style than the Kim Gordon/Cramps sounds of Bugs in the Dark.

Karen just released the final episode of her video countdown to the album release:



Cover for Karen's show at Union Hall is $7 and she is playing with Frozen Falls and Angela Jane.

Links:
Karen Rockower

EULA plays Union Hall Tomorrow Along with Hounds Below and The Mess Around

"Their music is packed with the loud, pointed guitar riffs and rapid basslines that would make Northeast pseudo punk proud; think a blown out of proportion and hyped-up Kill Rock Stars release." - FensePost

New Haven, CT post-punk band EULA are in town tomorrow for a show at Union Hall with Hounds Below and The Mess Around. EULA has been off the road for the last few months as they have been recording and the band will be giving copies of their new demo away for free at tomorrow night's show.

Tickets are $8.00 and EULA goes on at 8PM.



EULA released a strong six-song EP last year entitled "Language of Threat" and the video for "Fight Riff" won the band the opening slot for the free Mission of Burma show at M.I.T. last October.



Links:
EULA

Karina Denike (Dance Hall Crashers) Brings New Band to NYC for Three Shows Next Week

Former Dance Hall Crashers vocalist Karina Denike is bringing her new solo project to the East Coast for three shows next week.

Karina's new project is a departure from her ska/punk roots; the songs are "snippets of cabaret torch songs, doo wop drama, Eastern European lullabies, crackly records, sailor songs, and girl group harmony." She is currently playing live, performing her songs on chord organ and vibraphone, with special guests James Frazier on Fender VI, Aaron Novik on bass clarinet, Michael McIntosh on piano/keyboards, Lily Taylor on vocals, and Eric Garland on drums.

Karina Denike's NYC Mini-Tour

Tuesday May 25th -The Cake Shop
152 Ludlow St., New York, NY
with Michelle Amador 9:30
Jeffery Kish 10:15
Karina Denike ( full band) 11pm
$7, 21 and over

Wednsday May 26th - Union Hall
702 Union St., Brooklyn, NY
w/ Sarah Jaffe 8pm
Jeffrey Kish 9pm
Karina Denike ( full band) 10pm
$8 in advance, $10 at the door, 21 and over

Friday May 28th - Galapagos Artspace
16 Main St , Brooklyn, New York
Short Acoustic Set in collaboration with Tami Stronach Dance and Jacob Lawson
Also performing is National Theater of United States
$15, all ages, 10pm show



Links:
Karina Denike

A Weather - Everyday Balloons (Team Love) CD Review / Show at Union Hall on April 23rd

DOWNLOAD: A Weather - "Giant Stairs"
DOWNLOAD: A Weather - "Third of Life"

Portland, Oregon slowcore, indie-folkies A Weather released their sophomore disc Everyday Balloons last month on Team Love Records. The band is current playing shows coast to coast and are stopping at Union Hall on April 23rd. At the Union Hall show, Inlets (CD release show) and Sparrow House are sharing the bill and tickets are $10.

Everyday Balloons is an intimate and delicate record. Aaron Gerber (vocals, guitar) and Sarah Winchester (vocals, drums) combine breathy, often intertwined vocals with gauzy, lush melodies to create a sense of melancholy-tinged comfort over the course of the disc. With the subtle nature of the vocals and instrumentation, lyrical narratives of comfort, fear, vulnerability and spiritual exhaustion rise to the forefront of the consciousness.

This isn't the sort of record that you can pop on and listen to while doing other things - A Weather's subtle, yet complex, music requires careful focus to be fully appreciated. The music doesn't demand your attention but rather invites you in, if you will give it some time and attention. Everyday Balloons is the perfect disc to spend some time with during a rainy morning or a late night.

Links:
A Weather

Roman Candle Announce April Tour Dates / Show at Union Hall on April 20th

Nashville indie-rock band Roman Candle just finished up a run of shows at SXSW and they are back on the road this month, playing shows in the Mid-Atlantic and New England. The tour stops at Union Hall in Brooklyn on April 20th and tickets are $10.

The tour kicks off at The Garage in Winston-Salem, NC, on April 13th and wraps up at the Jefferson Theatre in Charlottesville, VA, on April 23rd. Recently Roman Candle has toured with Ravenna Colt - with whom they will play again on the Charlotte and Boone, NC, shows - and Alejandro Escovedo. The band's Louisville, KY, set with Escovedo earned a glowing review from My Old Kentucky Blog, while Atlanta, GA's Creative Loafing wrote of the band in advance of their March show, "Sharp pop hooks blend with indie melodies, distinctive vocals, clever lyrics and an attention to songcraft rare in contemporary music."

Check out Roman Candle's most recent disc, Oh Tall Tree In The Ear (streaming above), which was released last May on Carnival Recording Company.

Roman Candle tour dates:

APR. 13 WINSTON-SALEM, NC -- THE GARAGE (w/The Parson Red Heads)
APR. 14 CHAPEL HILL, NC -- CAT'S CRADLE (w/The Parson Red Heads)
APR. 15 CHARLOTTE, NC -- THE EVENING MUSE (w/Ravenna Colt)
APR. 17 BOONE, NC -- BOONE SALOON (w/Ravenna Colt & Possum Jenkins)
APR. 18 VIENNA, VA -- JAMMIN' JAVA (w/Paper Bird & Tao Seeger Band)
APR. 20 BROOKLYN, NY -- UNION HALL (w/Henry Wolfe)
APR. 22 PHILADELPHIA, PA -- NORTH STAR BAR (w/Roadside Graves)
APR. 23 CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA -- JEFFERSON THEATRE (supporting Sons of Bill)

Singer Skip Matheny, meanwhile, has also been keeping busy with his new interview series for American Songwriter magazine, 'Drinks With...'. The series, which launched in late October with an interview with Wild Beasts, currently features conversations with Alex Turner and Matt Helders (of Arctic Monkeys), Elvis Perkins, Fran Healy (of Travis), Alejandro Escovedo, Brendan Benson and Ashley Monroe, Jason Isbell, and Tom T. Hall.



Links:
Roman Candle's MySpace Profile

David Ford is Playing Union Hall on March 26th / New Disc out on April 20th

DOWNLOAD: David Ford - "She's Not The One" (from Let The Hard Times Roll)

Singer/songwriter and one-man band David Ford is playing a show at Union Hall next Friday, March 26th. David is touring in advance of the release of his third solo disc, Let the Hard Times Roll, which comes out April 20th on Original Signal.

Ford spent the second half of 2009 creating Let the Hard Times Roll and the disc was predominately recorded in an empty unit on an industrial estate in Eastbourne, East Sussex; additional piano parts and group sing-along vocals were captured in a semi-detached family home of a former convalescent hospital in southern England. Ford plays nearly every instrument on the record, save additional violin and trombone provided by friend and occasional touring partner Hannah Peel, as well as some alto-saxophone played by friend Franco Bidanco. He also produced and engineered (with the help of James Brown – who’s worked with Foo Fighters, Brendan Benson, Placebo) the album, as well as designed the artwork.

Ford came to national attention for the one-take video for “Go To Hell”, the opening track from Songs for the Road in which he performed multiple instruments (which include a water cooler, tea kettle, and fork and knife) live and looped the sounds to create his own imaginary backing band – similar to as he does at each and every show.



Tickets for the Union Hall show are $15 and David is sharing the bill with Ed Vallance.

Links:
David Ford

The Mary Onettes: CD Released Today, Show at Union Hall Tomorrow (11/4)

DOWNLOAD: The Mary Onettes - "Puzzles" (MP3)

Jesus and Mary Chain/Smiths inspired Swedish four-piece band The Mary Onettes release their sophomore album Islands today (Labrador Records) and the band is playing three local shows over the next week.

Here are the upcoming shows:
- Nov. 4th - Union Hall, Brooklyn (w/ Blacklist and Submarine Bells)
- Nov. 6th - Studio @ Webster Hall (w/Kordan)
- Nov. 8th - Mercury Lounge (w/The Art of Shooting, Coyote Eyes and Werewolves)

Tickets for each of the shows is $10 in advance. The Union Hall and Webster Hall shows are $12 DOS.



Links:
The Mary Onettes

Cobalt and the Hired Guns: Live in Crown Heights (Acoustic) / Live at Union Hall (Electric), July 25, 2009

Last month, Chicago's Cobalt & the Hired Guns did a short run up the East Coast and finished their tour at Union Hall. The band was kind enough to stop by on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Brooklyn to play a few songs acoustic.



To complement the acoustic set, here are a couple songs from the band's (electric) show at Union Hall:



Cobalt & the Hired Guns are a great live band and, for lack of a better word, their shows are simply fun. As I've seen too many mopey, lo-fi bands this summer, it is nice to a see a band that actually enjoys themselves on stage.

Cobalt & the Hired Guns are back home in Chicago and are playing a series of acoustic shows around town. Here are the current tour dates:

Sept. 1 2009, 8:00PM, Schubas, Chicago - acoustic showcase
Sept. 2 2009, 8:00PM, Uncommon Ground, Chicago - Acoustic Residency
Sept. 9 2009, 8:00PM, Uncommon Ground, Chicago - Acoustic Residency
Sept. 16 2009, 8:00PM, Uncommon Ground, Chicago - Acoustic Residency
Sept. 19 2009, 6:00PM, Cubby Bear, Chicago - Chicago Roots Collective Fest.
Sept. 23 2009, 8:00PM, Uncommon Ground, Chicago - Acoustic Residency
Sept. 30 2009, 8:00PM, Uncommon Ground, Chicago - Acoustic Residency

Links:
Cobalt & the Hired Guns' MySpace Profile

I Was A King - Live Video and Photos from Union Hall, Brooklyn 5-31-09

Last week, I posted to YouTube some video that I shot at I Was A King's show at Union Hall. I didn't realize though that both Eddie Murphy and Insane Clown Posse have, respectively, recorded songs entitled "I Was A King" and "If I Was A King" that YouTube's relevance algorithm brings to the front page over any I Was A King (the band) videos. SEO can be a very strange thing...


Anyway, there are reviews and pictures from this show already all over the 'net (strangely enough, someone posted a picture of me taking pictures) so I thought I'd just cross-post this video and a couple of my own pictures.






I Was A King's US Tour wraps up tonight in Seattle and the band is heading back to Norway. Here are the band's upcoming tour dates:

June 19, 2009, 8:00PM, Rockfest, Haugesund, Rogaland
June 23, 2009, 8:00PM, Hove festival, Arendal
July 2, 2009, 10:00PM, Egersund Visefestival, Egersund, Rogaland
Aug 7, 2009, 8:00PM, Raumarock Festival, Åndalsnes
Aug 8, 2009, 8:00PM, Lost Weekend, Bergen
Aug 13, 2009, 8:00PM, Øya Festivalen, Oslo, Oslo
Aug 21, 2009, 8:00PM, Pstereo Festivalen, Trondheim
Aug 22, 2009, 8:00PM, Parken festivalen, Bodø

Links:
I Was A King's MySpace Profile

So Many Dynamos Release New Disc Next Month and Play Union Hall on July 28th

St. Louis dance-punk band So Many Dynamos are releasing their third disc, The Loud Wars (Vagrant Records), next month. The new disc was produced by Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie, The Decemberists) and mixed by Walla and Alex Newport (Mars Volta, At the Drive-In).

The first single "New Bones" is streaming on the So Many Dynamos' MySpace page and a new track, "The Artifacts of Sound", will be posted later this week.

Here is a live performance of "New Bones" that was recorded last September in Arkansas.



The band is heading out on the road in June for ten dates with Maps and Atlases before setting off on their own headlining tour in July.

Dates with Maps and Atlases:
Jun 7 – Toronto, ONT @ El Mocambo
Jun 8 – Montral, QC @ Il Motore
Jun 10 – Hamden, CT @ The Space
Jun 11 – Albany, NY @ Valentine’s
Jun 12 – Philadelphia, PA @ M Room
Jun 14 – Baltimore, MD @ Sonar: Club Stage
Jun 15 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks
Jun 16 – Lexington, KY @ Al’s Bar
Jun 17 – Bloomington, IN @ Russian Recording

So Many Dynamos Headlining Dates:
Jun 27 – St. Louis, MO @ Firebird (Record Release Show)
Jul 8 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
Jul 9 – Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar
Jul 11 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
Jul 17 – Visalia, CA @ The Cellar Door
Jul 19 – Phoenix, AZ @ First Christian Church
Jul 28 – Brooklyn, NY @ Union Hall

Dead Confederate Play Union Hall and Conan O'Brien on Friday, Oct. 10th

Dead Confederate plays dark, southern-influence psych- rock and the band has been building up steam over the past year or so, sharing stages with acts like Dinosaur Jr., Drive By Truckers, and Deerhunte. The buzz really got going when Dead Confederates opened for REM at SXSW and the band was just listed as one of the "Six Acts Defining Rock and Pop in 08" in a recent Rolling Stone.

The band's full length CD, Wrecking Ball, came out last month. The disc was recorded in Austin, Texas at the studio where the sound effects for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre were recorded. Rolling Stone describes the disc as "a raw, howling take on Southern rock that recalls the darkest moments of Nineties grunge". Check out "The Rat", which was the first single from the new disc.

Dead Confederates are coming to town on Thursday for a show at the Mercury Lounge and they are playing Union Hall on Friday along with making an appearance on the Conan O'Brien show. Kuroma (from Athens, GA) is playing with the band both nights. At the Mercury Lounge show, the bands are sharing the bill with Catfish Haven.

Links:
Dead Confederate's MySpace Profile

The Spinto Band - Moonwink CD Review

There seemed to be a huge buzz in the blogs when The Spinto Band released Nice and Nicely Done but I just couldn't get into either "Oh Mandy" or "Brown Boxes" and I found the whole chamber-pop thing somewhat unsettling.

The band's sound has really matured over the past three years and Moonwink is a great set of infectious hyperactive/ADD pop tunes. I would expect this release to break big for the band and they have already moved from a Union Hall residency (capacity: 100) to playing Music Hall of Williamsburg (capacity: 550).

The first single from this release "Summer Grof" is available on iTunes and the band has also posted a video to YouTube. The frantic Self-Righteous Brothers/White Rabbits pace of this song will give you a good feel for what the rest of disc sounds like.



The band describes "Summer Grof" as "a vague tribute to the great comedienne Janeane Garofalo" and this single was released with a non-LP b-side, "Snowball".

Three of the new disc's eleven tracks are streaming on the band's MySpace page. One of the stand-out tracks is "Later On" which kicks off the disc. There is also a live video for this song on The Spinto Band's website where the band plays an "acoustic" version of the song using kitchen utensils and fruit.

Moonwink was recorded with Producer / Engineer Dave Trumfio (Wilco, Built To Spill, Billy Bragg, Mates of State) and Mixing Engineer Tchad Blake (Tom Waits, Los Lobos, Cibo Matto, Paul Simon). Moonwink will be released October 7th on Park The Van Records.

The Spinto Band plays Music Hall of Williamsburg on October 18th with Frightened Rabbit and The Sw!ms -- Tickets are $15.00.