Hurricane Bells Release "The Waiting Song Video" from Upcoming EP // Free Live Track Available for Download

DOWNLOAD: Hurricane Bells - "Tonight I'm Going to be Like a Shooting Star" (Live)

Hurricane Bells just released the video for "The Waiting Song" (directed by Bill Moldt), the first from the band's upcoming "Down Comes The Rain" EP. The video premiered on AOL's Spinner blog. "The video was made by the one and only Bill Moldt, using very old footage found in his grandfather's attic," Schiltz told Spinner. "Apparently, the elder Moldt was also a video director. Bill took [his grandfather's] footage and made a new film out of it, and when he showed it to me, I loved it."



"Down Comes The Rain" will be released September 28th, 2010, on frontman/band architect Steve Schiltz's Invisible Brigades label.

"Down Comes The Rain" follows Hurricane Bells' debut album, Tonight Is The Ghost, which was released earlier this year. Like that album, the EP was written and recorded solely by Schiltz in his Brooklyn, NY, apartment and Queens, NY, studio. Hurricane Bells touring mainstay Ashen Keilyn (of Scout) joins him on backing vocals on the five tracks, which includes two new songs, "The Waiting Song" and "The Deep End," in addition to three covers: "Make A Deal With The City" by East River Pipe; "Into The Ocean" by Blue October; and "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" by The Shirelles.

"Down Comes The Rain" is also now available for pre-order via the band's website and MySpace page (link below). With purchase, fans will receive a free remix EP, "Ghost Stories", of select songs from Tonight Is The Ghost, as well as an immediate digital download of "Down Comes The Rain".

The "Ghost Stories" EP includes:
- "Monsters" (a Tonight Is The Ghost b-side featured on The Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack), remix by Carlos Anthony Molina (Mercury Rev)
- "The Darkness Is So Deep," remix by Sammy James, Jr. (Mooney Suzuki)
- "This Is A Test," remix by George Pasles (Overlord)
- "Winters In New York," remix by Carlos Anthony Molina
- "This Is A Test," remix by Travis Harrison (of Serious Business Records, also occasional Hurricane Bells touring drummer)

Hurricane Bells will play two shows around the release of "Down Comes The Rain": September 18th at DC9 in Washington, DC, and September 25th at The Rock Shop in Brooklyn, NY. More tour dates will be announced shortly.

Links:
Hurricane Bells

The Walkmen Team Up with Etsy.Com to Offer Limited Edition "Lisbon" Album Packages

STREAM: The Walkmen - Lisbon (entire album)

Rather than moaning on about how illegal downloading is killing the record industry, it is great to see another band (The Walkmen) come up with an innovative offering around their newest album.

The Walkmen are teaming up with Etsy to offer limited edition packages and items inspired by their new album Lisbon. For the collaboration, the band selected three Etsy artists to collectively design a unique silkscreen print insert, album poster and t-shirt. For those unfamiliar, Etsy is an online marketplace for homemade, one-of-a-kind items.

Click on the photo to go to The Walkmen Etsy store.

PACKAGES/ITEMS:

1. LISBON CD + AUTOGRAPHED 7 INCH + SILKSCREEN INSERT
LISBON hardcover digipack CD + Yusuf Sevincli designed autographed 7" vinyl containing A-Side "Weight On My Shoulders" and B-Side "Good Days Carry On". Each 7" contains a Beauideal designed limited-edition silkscreen insert (limited edition of 200).

2. LISBON VINYL + LISBON DIGITAL DOWNLOAD CARD + AUTOGRAPHED 7 INCH + SILKSCREEN INSERT
180 gram, 12", gatefold LISBON vinyl + Yusuf Sevincli designed autographed 7" vinyl containing A-Side "Weight On My Shoulders" and B-Side "Good Days Carry On". Each 7" contains a Beauideal designed limited-edition silkscreen insert (limited edition of 200).

3. LISBON INSPIRED WALKMEN POSTER
Limited-edition 14 x 18 inch poster designed by Etsy artist LittleTired (limited edition of 150 prints).

4. LISBON INSPIRED WALKMEN CORK TEE SHIRT
Limited-edition Cork tee shirt designed by Etsy artist Sheepshead. All tee shirts printed on American Apparel.

ABOUT THE DESIGNS:

Etsy Artist Beauideal: Silkscreen Insert for 7" Description:
The artwork inserts are inspired by the beautiful pavement designs, mosaics, and motifs found throughout Portugal. This specific design mirrors the actual elaborate pavement pattern in Cais Sodré, a vibrant port and train station in Lisbon. It's one of the most active places in the city with people meeting, waiting, parting, rushing to work or home, or crossing the river for beautiful views of the city and nightlife. It's filled with stories, romance, and emotions, sparking the design for The Walkmen's "Lisbon" single. The artwork inserts are hand screen-printed using 3 colors on grey heavy weight paper.

Etsy Artist LittleTired: Poster Description:
The patterns contained in this composition are partly mimicked from decorative tiles used throughout Portugal and partly inspired by them, made in my own artistic language. The almost unequivocal saturation of decorative tile and brickwork found in Lisbon alone is reason enough to marvel at this grand old city. Mingled amongst these vibrant patterns one can also denote imagery that represents elements of The Walkmen's music that is similar in vibrancy and brilliance. Each poster is silk-screened by hand using 3 colors on heavy 100lb cold-pressed paper.

Etsy Artist Sheepshead: LISBON inspired Cork Tee Shirt Printed on American Apparel:
Cork is wonderful thing. It doesn't just stop up your wine bottles and make bulletin boards, it's got a ton of other uses including making saxophones sound nice. It also played an important role in science. Robert Hooke discovered cells in 1665 while examining cork under a microscope. The Walkmen might not have a saxophone player in the band, but this cork cell tee was made especially for the release of their new album, Lisbon. Portugal produces half of the world's cork, and The Walkmen have produced 11 great new songs on Lisbon.

The Walkmen - Angela Surf City - Live at Governor's Island courtesy of Big Ass Lens

Links:
The Walkmen

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros Release RAC Remix of "Janglin" // Show at Virgin Mobile Free Fest on Sept. 25th

DOWNLOAD: Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - "Janglin" (RAC Remix)

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros seem to have been on a never-ending tour (move over Dylan) since the release of their debut disc Up from Below just over a year ago. The band was recently in town for a show at Governor's Island which got a great review from Huffington Post. Here is a video from the show of the band performing "40 Day Dream".



The band has announced a cross-country run of Sept. - Oct. dates with the closest show being the Virgin Mobile Free Festival on Sept. 25th.

Upcoming Tour Dates:
Sept 1 - Wow Hall - Eugene, OR
Sept 2 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR
Sept 3 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR
Sept 4 - Bumbershoot Festival - Seattle, WA
Sept 25 - Virgin Mobile Free Fest - Columbia, MD

Oct 7 - Rialto Theatre - Tucson, AZ
Oct 9 - Warehouse Live - Houston, TX
Oct 10 - Austin City Limits - Austin, TX
Oct 11 - The Collective - Shreveport, LA
Oct 12 - The Lyric Oxford - Oxford, MS
Oct 14 - The Howlin Wolf - New Orleans, LA
Oct 15 - DeLuna Festival - Pensacola, FL
Oct 16 - The Ritz - Tampa, FL
Oct 17 - The Social - Orlando, FL
Oct 19 - Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Oct 26 - The Grove of Anaheim - Anaheim, CA

Links:
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros

Tone Tank & Scott Thorough (Nuclear Family): Album Release Party at Southpaw on Sept. 16th

DOWNLOAD: Scott & Tone - "Crack Selector" (featuring Kool A.D.)

Nuclear Family members Tone Tank (Iller Than Theirs) and Scott Thorough are releasing a seven-song collaboration CD at a record release party at Southpaw on Sept. 16th and all attendees will a hand-painted copy of the new disc.

Two of the tracks have been made available as free downloads in advance of the album release. Here is the background on "Crack Selector": Tone Tank and Kool A.D. met while Tone was building props for a video shoot. Tone helped to purchase red ladies boot-sneakers that Kool A.D. ended up loving and wearing around a lot. Also, Kool A.D. was on Ecstasy that day and was all touchy-feely and Tone was like “Yo, why’s this fucking guy touching me!?” Somewhere between then and making this song, Tone realized that dude is a really funny guy and that they should do a song together.

Scott Thorough had made the beat a while back, and after him and Tone heard “Fake Patois” by Das Racist, they decided that it would be the perfect beat for a sequel to that song.

Sharing the bill at the Southpaw show are Junk Science, Serengeti and Safe.

Links:
Modern Shark
Tone Tank

Rusty Anderson: "Born On Earth" CD Review (Megaforce/RED)

DOWNLOAD: Rusty Anderson - "Where Would We Go"

I wish that I could claim that I was hip enough to have known who Rusty Anderson was prior to receiving a copy of his second CD but that wasn't the case. For those in a similar position, Anderson is probably best known as being Paul McCartney's lead guitarist. Going back a few years, Anderson was the guitarist in the band Animal Logic (which was made up of Anderson, Stewart Copeland and Stanley Clarke) and the post-grunge band Ednaswap (who originally penned "Torn" which was later covered by Natalie Imbruglia.) In addition to these starring roles, Anderson has played with a who's who list that ranges from Elton John to Miley Cyrus.

Anderson describes his sophomore disc, Born on Earth, as a loosely conceptual look at modern life and what it's like, as individuals and in communities, to be alive in this era and on our planet. Musically, the disc ranges from power-pop to mellow So. California rock. After listening to this disc, it is little surprise that Anderson has spent the better part of the last decade recording and touring with Macca as you can hear The Beatlesque/McCartney influence loud and clear.

Similar to artists like The Beatles and Steely Dan, Born on Earth benefits from a rich production where each instrument is clear and distinct in the mix. The song arrangements are also fairly complex and switch gears mid-stream on some occasions. A prime example is the lead-off title track which starts with orchestral strings before heading into Macca-style power pop but with a harder-edged guitar sound. This track is then followed by the dream-pop tune "Timed Exposure". While this is an easy disc to get comfortable with, there is enough gear-shifting to keep the listener engaged. Lyrically, Anderson's songs are mini vignettes which are predominately focused on love, loss and romantic fantasy.



As I'm preferential to the rockers on this disc, "Under A White Star" is one of the tracks that immediately caught my ear with its 60's style power pop sound.



Links:
Rusty Anderson

James Apollo Plays NYC on Sept. 10th and 11th // New Disc Out Oct. 12th

Pray for Rain - James Apollo by CrashAvenue
DOWNLOAD: James Apollo - "I've Got It Easy" (Live on the BBC)
STREAM: James Apollo - "Morphine and Wine" (Live on KEXP)

James Apollo has been on the road since his sixteenth birthday and his music reflects a drifter's view of the backroads and highways of the world. This is classic Americana with both Bob Dylan and Tom Waits being easy points of comparison.

In support of his upcoming release Til Your Feet Bleed (due out October 12th), James is playing free shows in Manhattan and Brooklyn on September 10th and 11th.

Friday, September 10th
James Apollo
The Living Room
154 Ludlow Street
New York, NY 10002
free / 8pm doors / 10pm set / 21+

Saturday, September 11th
James Apollo
w/ Numbers and Letters
Pete's Candy Store
709 Lorimer Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211-1312
free / 8pm show start / 9pm set / 21+



Links:
James Apollo

The Dwarves: Must Die Redux CD Review (MVD Audio)

(from a June '10 Interview with Punknews)
PunkNews: The new Dwarves record is tentatively titled The Dwarves Are Born Again. The previous record was called The Dwarves Must Die. Can you explain the significance?

Blag Dahlia: Once we were dead, it was critical that we be reborn. Otherwise, who's gonna make the records? Although Tupac managed to make quite a few records after he was dead. And so did HeWhoCanNotBeNamed.



The Dwarves new disc isn't out just yet but MVD Audio's reissue of 2004's The Dwarves Must Die should serve as a good stop-gap. The Dwarves Must Die was originally issued on Sympathy for the Record Industry and has been long out of print. As part of this reissue, MVD adds two non-LP singles: "Kaotica" (which was originally released as the b-side to "Salt Lake City" and "Kids Today" (from the Rock Against Bush compilation).



This disc has held up well over the last few years and the flow of the tracks are fairly indicative of the The Dwarves' current live show. This disc follows in the style of Come Clean and includes a number of memorable melodic hooks. The Dwarves Must Die's seventeen tracks (all clocking in around two minutes) are a mix of power-punk, surf rock and hardcore. (Note: I'm intentionally glossing over The Dwarves ill-advised, but amusing, venture into Beatie Boys style rap.)

The disc include guest spots from Dexter Holland from The Offspring, Nash Kato from Urge Overkill, desert rock icon Nick Oliveri, Josh Freese from The Vandals and Spike from Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Dexter Holland adds his distinctive vocals to "Salt Lake City" and Nick Oliveri guests on "Massacre". The Dwarves have been poking fun at absolutely everyone for the last twenty years but eveidently Josh Homme took offense to the lyrics of Massacre: "This one goes out to Queens of the Trust Fund/You slept on my floor/And now I'm sleeping through your motherfucking records" as he was sentenced to 36-months of probation for an assault on Blag in 2004.

While you aren't going to hear the blood, guts and chaos of The Dwarves' early live show, The Dwarves Must Die is what punk rock is all about.

Links:
The Dwarves

Watain Tour N. America Behind "Lawless Darkness" // Show At Santos Party House on Dec. 2nd

Swedish black metal overlords Watain, who unleashed their fourth full-length Lawless Darkness earlier this summer, will return to North American soil later this fall. Presented by Decibel Magazine and sponsored in part by Fangoria, Metal Injection and Killer Tours, the unholy trek will commence on November 6 at Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh and bludgeon its way through over two dozen cities before coming to close on December 4 at the Opera House in Toronto. Support will come from Goatwhore and Black Anvil.

The tour stops at Santos Party House on Dec. 2nd and tickets are $16 in advance. The show is all ages and doors are at 7PM.

Lawless Darkness was released via Season Of Mist on June 7. Recorded at Necromorbus Studio (Deathspell Omega, Funeral Mist, Ondskapt et al) in Alvik, Sweden with cover art by Zbigniew M. Bielak, the record continues to reap critical accolades from press nationwide and abroad. In addition to scoring cover spots in some of metal’s most esteemed publications including Decibel, Terrorizer, and Subterranea (Metal Hammer’s extreme metal supplement), "Reaping Death," the latest single off Lawless Darkness, was certified gold in Sweden for sales in excess of 10,000 copies.

At the Sweden Rock Festival this past June, Watain played a tribute set to Bathory - audience filmed footage is below.



WATAIN: Lawless Darkness North American Tour 2010
(w/ Goatwhore, Black Anvil)
11/06/2010 Mr. Smalls - Pittsburgh, PA
11/07/2010 Reggie's - Chicago, IL
11/08/2010 Station 4 - St. Paul, MN
11/10/2010 Marquis Theatre - Denver, CO
11/11/2010 Club Vegas - Salt Lake City, UT
11/12/2010 Branx (Loveland) - Portland, OR
11/13/2010 Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
11/16/2010 Boardwalk - Orangevale, CA
11/17/2010 DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA
11/18/2010 The Ruby Room - San Diego, CA
11/19/2010 The Whiskey - Hollywood, CA
11/20/2010 Clubhouse - Tempe, AZ
11/21/2010 Club 101 - El Paso, TX
11/22/2010 The Loft - Dallas, TX
11/23/2010 Emo’s - Austin, TX
11/24/2010 Numbers - Houston, TX
11/27/2010 Back Booth - Orlando, FL
11/29/2010 Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
11/30/2010 Sonar - Baltimore, MD
12/01/2010 Peabody’s - Cleveland, OH
12/02/2010 Santo’s New York, NY [No Goatwhore]
12/03/2010 Le Fou Founes - Montreal, QC [No Goatwhore]
12/04/2010 Opera House - Toronto, ON [No Goatwhore]

Links;
Watain

Lissie - Catching a Tiger CD Review (Fat Possum) // Show at Hiro Ballroom on Oct. 22nd

DOWNLOAD: Lissie - "In Sleep" (Live)

Neo-folkie Lissie (Maurus) released her debut full length Catching A Tiger earlier this month and this is her great leap forward toward headlining large halls. Last year's 5-track EP, Why You Runnin', fell pretty squarely in the alt-country genre and I made comparisons to Roseanne Cash and Nanci Griffith in a review of the disc. This time out Lissie expands her reach to include tastes of radio-pop, 60's girl group swing, California freeway rock and delta blues. Lissie puts her stamp across all of the songs with her clear, soulful voice and makes each of these genres her own.

Catching a Tiger consists of eleven new tracks and three hold-overs from last year’s EP. Lissie wrote or co-wrote all of the songs and the new, predominately electric guitar-based, songs show the influences of producer/engineer Jacquire King (Kings of Leon) and co-writers Craig Dodds (Sugababes, Amy Winehouse), Julian Emery (who wrote for British pop-rockers McFly) and Jim Irvin (who fronted the Brit-Pop band Furniture)

The disc starts with the syncopated pots n’ pans percussion of “Record Collector” and moves from there into the 80’s style rockers “When I’m Alone” and “In Sleep”. “Bully” is a piano ballad that starts heading back down into alt-county territory and this track is followed by Why You Runnin’ holdover “Little Lovin’”. “Stranger” is pure 60’s girl group swing and “Loosen the Knot” is B-52s style power pop. “Cuckoo” is a little too ‘Sheryl Crow’ for my taste but still not a bad song. Getting a little schizo with the stylistic jumps, the disc moves from here to the majestically soaring “Everywhere I Go” and then jumps back to the present for the funky “Worried About”. “Look Away” is the disc’s only throwaway track but this is followed by the brilliantly soaring “Oh Mississippi”.



Lissie is headlining a show at Hiro Ballroom on October 22nd as part of CMJ Music Marathon. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 DOS.

Lissie's US Tour Dates
Oct 06, 2010 -- Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
Oct 07, 2010 -- Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA
Oct 09, 2010 -- ACL Music Festival, Austin, TX
Oct 09, 2010 -- Emo's (Official ACL Aftershow w/ Dawes), Austin, TX
Oct 10, 2010 -- House Of Blues Bronze Peacock, Houston, TX
Oct 11, 2010 -- Granada Theatre, Dallas, TX
Oct 13, 2010 -- Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO
Oct 15, 2010 -- Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis, MN
Oct 16, 2010 -- Redstone Room @ River Music, Davenport, IA
Oct 17, 2010 -- Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL
Oct 19, 2010 -- El Mocambo Club, Toronto, ONT, Canada
Oct 20, 2010 -- 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
Oct 21, 2010 -- Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA
Oct 22, 2010 -- Hiro Ballroom, New York, NY
Oct 23, 2010 -- T.T. the Bear's, Cambridge, MA

Links:
Lissie

Hank & Cupcakes Play Electro Funk Dance Party at Southpaw on August 27th

STREAM: Hank & Cupcakes - Ain't No Love featuring Shane MauX

Bass and drums dance-rock due Hank & Cupcakes are playing an Electro Funk Dance Party this Friday night at Southpaw. Tickets are $10 and Hank & Cupcakes are playing with the like-minded Dynasty Electric, Zigmat and Navegante. Dynasty Electric kicks off the show at 9PM and Hank & Cupcakes are playing at 11PM.

Hank & Cupcakes released their debut EP earlier this summer and the band's high-energy live shows have been getting great reviews. "Their dancey rhythms permeate the crowd and turn the show into a party with an amazing playlist...The music has a sexy, cheeky charm that makes you want to dance, makes you want to party, makes you want to grope and make-out with strangers (not that anyone is advocating that)." - theaudioperv

Check out the band's cover of Joy Division's "She's Lost Control".



Links:
Hank & Cupcakes

Jenny Gillespie Plays Rockwood Music Hall on September 16th

Jenny Gillespie - Golden Central

Ethereal dream-pop musician Jenny Gillespie released her sophomore disc, Kindred, last month and she is playing a few select dates across the US which includes a stop at Rockwood Music Hall on September 16th. Tickets are $8.00 and Jenny goes on early at 7PM.

Having followed many musical threads from jazz to alt-country to electronica, Chicago-based Jenny Gillespie finds herself merging all of the tones, sounds, and textures she loves on her new album Kindred.

After her 2009 debut album Light Year drew praise for its blend of ethereal folk and art-pop grandeur, Jenny embarked on a new sonic adventure, recording her new album Kindred produced by Austin, TX multi-instrumentalist Darwin Smith. Smith had mixed Light Year and expressed interest to Jenny in recording an album in a house setting near her home base of Chicago. Using two years of home demos as a starting point, Smith and Gillespie worked together to arrange the songs and create the unique sound of Kindred. Recorded both in the living room of a rambling house in Wilmette, IL and various locations in Austin, TX, Kindred is a convergence of refined musicianship and experimental spontaneity.

Kindred veers into sometimes delicate, sometimes epic soundscapes with electronica, jazz and folk leanings, calling to mind diverse influences such as Joni Mitchell, Talk Talk, Cocteau Twins, and Bjork. Gillespie crafts lyrics that wend through metaphysical and natural imagery and themes of spirituality and sex. Kindred is a challenging yet soothing album for modern ears. Gary Newcomb (Richard Buckner, Gary Newcomb Trio) lends pedal steel, Dony Wynn (Robert Palmer, Steve Winwood) on drums, Steve Bernal (Bill Callahan, Calla) on cello and bass, and Steve Moore (Laura Veirs, Sufjan Stevens, Tift Merritt) contributes keys and brass. Kullen Fuchs and Roy Coon also add trumpet, flute, sax, and clarinet.

Links:
Jenny Gillespie

Dax Riggs: Tour Photos & Setlist from Mercury Lounge, NYC 8-15-10

Every now and then, I run across an artist that everyone seems to know but I really have no clue about the artist’s past (bands, recording history, etc). Dax Riggs’ show at Mercury Lounge last week was a “gathering of the faithful” but I felt like I was probably the only one in the room who didn’t know (and couldn’t sing along to) Dax’s back catalogue.

To give an overview of the show, the room was full by the time Dax hit the stage. I don’t think the show was sold out but this was definitely not the night to arrive late. Dax played about an hour set (with no encore) – his music and lyrics served as his voice for the evening and he had a minimal amount of direct conversation with the audience. To repurpose a quote from recent interview that Dax gave to The Aquarian, last week’s show was a “kind of a shamanistic stepping out where there are no floor boards, kind of thing; the idea of dreams being real and the magic and the power of the human mind to dream and make dreams reality.” I haven’t seen anyone play with this much (emotional) intensity since seeing Jeff Buckley play Arlene’s Grocery years ago.



One funny moment during the show was when an audience member bought Dax a beer in an attempt to get a song added to the set list. This interaction seemed to puzzle Dax. He spent a few minutes trying to figure out what the guy wanted; all the while the crowd was heckling this audience member and a ‘wit’ in the back of the roof yelled out that the beer that given to Dax “has roofies in it”.

Seeing Dax Riggs in a live setting is an experience that shouldn’t be missed.



Upcoming Tour Dates:
Sep. 08, 2010 -- Casbah, San Diego, Ca
Sep. 09 2010 -- Spaceland, Los Angeles, CA
Sep. 10 2010 -- Spaceland, Los Angeles, CA
Sep. 11 2010 -- Cafe Du Nord, San Francisco, CA
Sep. 14 2010 -- Dante's, Portland, OR
Sep. 15 2010 -- Sunset Tavern, Seattle, WA
Sep. 18 2010 -- 7th St Entry, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sep. 19 2010 -- The Frequency, Madison, WI
Sep. 21 2010 -- Vaudeville Mews, Des Moines, Iowa
Sep. 22 2010 -- Mojo's, Columbia, MO
Sep. 23 2010 -- Proud Larry's, Oxford, Mississippi
Sep. 24 2010 -- Hal & Mal's, Jackson, MS
Sep. 25 2010 -- Thirsty Hippo, Hattiesburg, MS

Links:
Dax Riggs

Diego Garcia (x-Elefant) Releases New Single as Free Download // Show at Le Poisson Rogue on August 26th

DOWNLOAD: Diego Garcia - "You Were Never There"

Former Elefant vocalist Diego Garcia has released the first single from his forthcoming solo disc as a free download (link above) and he is playing a show at Le Poisson Rouge this Thursday night.

"You Were Never There" (available as a two-track single on iTunes) is a departure from Elefant's indie-rock. This track is a throwback to the innocence and rich musical arrangements of some of the crooners from the 60's. In an interview last year with Black Book, Diego said "This solo record is from a malady of love, specifically and inspired by Laura, my ex-girlfriend. I think it’s a running script, and I think I know how it ends, and that’s that. That is what this album is ... it’s about closure."

Tickets for the show at Le Poisson Rouge are $10 and Diego is playing with Sarabeth Tucek.

Links:
Diego Garcia

Chicago's Oh My God Plays Piano's on Sept. 8th

"Oh My God knock out glam-rock anthems with a twist, Ig's organ propelling the way. Their concerts are sweat-inducing events, with drummer Bish hammering away as theatrical frontman/bassist Billy O'Neill works the crowd." — Chicago Tribune

DOWNLOAD: Oh My God - "But That's Just Me"
Chicago's Oh My God is kicking off their fall tour at Pianos in NYC on Wednesday, September 8th. The band is currently getting some attention for two very different video clips built around singles from last year's The Night Undoes the Work of the Day. The first clip was directed by Adult Swim's Dan Bigelow and has been featured on several international sites dedicated to animated videos. The second clip is a satirical look at sex and celebrity featuring Tila Tequila.





Links:
Oh My God

Tim Kasher (Cursive) Releases First Solo Single as Free Download // Show at Rock Shop on Oct. 6th

Cursive frontman Tim Kasher just released the first single, "Cold Love", from his forthcoming solo LP ,The Game of Monogamy, as a free download.

The Game Of Monogamy, which will be released October 5th, 2010, on Saddle Creek, is also now available in the Saddle Creek webstore for pre-order. The album can be purchased in multiple packages, including a special bundle with a limited edition 7" (only 100 copies made) featuring two non-album tracks, "Tightropes, Guillotines, Thin Ice, Landslides" and "Delirium Tantrums," with hand screened covers, signed and personalized by Kasher.

"Cold Love" will be released as an advance single on Sept. 14th along with the previously unreleased non-LP track "Just Don't Get Caught". This too is available for pre-order in Saddle Creek webstore.

Written and recorded in Whitefish, MT, this past January, The Game Of Monogamy is more of an arranged record than any of Kasher's past releases, filled with theatrical arrangements and lush instrumentation (including various strings, harp, oboe, flute, and trombone) to create his own blend of classic pop. This moody orchestral music evokes a 1950s-esque, conservative atmosphere, setting the stage for a dilemma that remains thoroughly modern. The protagonist's arc in The Game of Monogamy spans the wide range of distinctly human emotions tangled up around relationships in a starched shirt society. Call it the score for our collective sexual plight: expression routinely becomes repression in the name of romance.

Kasher will embark on a two-month long, full-band tour beginning September 30th at the Grog Shop in Cleveland, OH. After working his way across the country on the tour, which includes 12 dates in support of Minus The Bear, Kasher will wrap up in Chicago, IL, on November 20th at Schubas. Here is the complete set of tour dates:

SEPT. 30 -- CLEVELAND, OH GROG SHOP
OCT. 03 -- PHILADELPHIA, PA BARBARY
OCT. 04 -- ALLSTON, MA GREAT SCOTT
OCT. 05 -- NEW YORK, NY OTHER MUSIC (In-store)
OCT. 06 -- BROOKLYN, NY ROCK SHOP
OCT. 18 -- EUGENE, OR WOW HALL*
OCT. 19 -- SAN FRANCISCO, CA THE REGENCY*
OCT. 20 -- SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA DOWNTOWN BREWERY*
OCT. 21 -- SANTA CRUZ, CA RIO THEATRE*
OCT. 22 -- LOS ANGELES, CA WILTERN*
OCT. 23 -- TUCSON, AZ RIALTO*
OCT. 24 -- ALBUQUERQUE, NM SUNSHINE*
OCT. 25 -- LUBBOCK, TX JAKE'S*
OCT. 26 -- TULSA, OK MARQUEE*
OCT. 27 -- AUSTIN, TX STUBB'S*
OCT. 28 -- DALLAS, TX HOUSE OF BLUES*
OCT. 29 -- HOUSTON, TX HOUSE OF BLUES*
NOV. 01 -- DENVER, CO HI DIVE#
NOV. 03 -- SALT LAKE CITY, UT URBAN LOUNGE
NOV. 05 -- VANCOUVER, BC MEDIA CLUB
NOV. 06 -- SEATTLE, WA TRACTOR TAVERN
NOV. 07 -- PORTLAND, OR DOUG FIR LOUNGE
NOV. 10 -- VISALIA, CA CELLAR DOOR
NOV. 12 -- POMONA, CA GLASS HOUSE RECORD STORE
NOV. 13 -- SAN DIEGO, CA THE LOFT
NOV. 14 -- PHOENIX, AZ TBA
NOV. 19 -- OMAHA, NE THE WAITING ROOM
NOV. 20 -- CHICAGO, IL SCHUBAS
* supporting Minus The Bear
# with Azure Ray and Tim Fite

Links:
Tim Kasher

J. Roddy Walston and The Business: Self-Titled CD Review // Show at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Oct. 1st

"J. Roddy Walston and the Business is what would happen if Queen and Black Oak Arkansas birthed four boys in the backwoods and let them listen to nothing but Cheap Trick and showtunes." – Baltimore City Paper

Photo: Glynnis McDaris

DOWNLOAD: J. Roddy Walson and The Business - "I Don't Wanna Hear It"
DOWNLOAD: J. Roddy Walston and The Business - "Don't Break The Needle"
DOWNLOAD: J. Roddy Walston and The Business - "Brave Man's Death"

Watch out Kings of Leon, J-Roddy Walston and the Business have a hot new album and the band’s constant touring has them headlining bigger rooms with each stop through town. It is only a matter of time before J-Roddy is headlining the outdoor shed circuit and this bunch of (self-described) “scary sort of redneck types” don’t seem like the type to be scared off by some pigeon poop.

Nashville to Baltimore transplants J-Roddy Walston and the Business have just released their self-titled debut for Vagrant Records and disc’s ten tracks fuse T-Rex style glam/funk with southern rock that is equal part gospel fervor and whisky-soaked bar room boogie. Adding to this musical stew is a couple of tracks that fall into the Cheap Trick/Big Star style of power pop. While this mix of styles may not resonant on paper, Walston’s music has an infectious groove that will get even the most jaded audience on their feet.

The disc starts out strong with the Lynyrd Skynrd meets T. Rex cut “Don’t Break The Needle” where Walston’s cigarettes and whiskey voice and ferocious piano pounding set the tones for the rest of the disc. Some of the disc’s strongest cuts include the Big Star style “Used to Did” which is just as catchy as “In the Street”; the gospel rave-up “Don’t Get Old” and “Uh Oh Rock & Roll”, which could be the modern-day bastard child from Macca’s White Album days.

The perfect overview of this disc comes from a quote that Walston gave a few years ago: “People hear the first chorus and, by the second chorus, they’re singing along.”

J-Roddy Walston & the Business are out on tour through early October and the tour stops at Music Hall of Williamsburg on October 1st. The band is playing with Shooter Jennings and tickets are $15 (in advance).

Here is the complete list of tour dates:

Aug. 21 2010 -- House of Blues w/ Wolfmother, San Diego, CA
Sep. 08 2010 -- Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
Sep. 09 2010 -- Soho- Restaurant & Music Club, Santa Barbara, CA
Sep. 10 2010 -- Detroit Bar, Costa Mesa, CA
Sep. 11 2010 -- Pappy and Harriets Pioneertown Palace, Pioneer Town, CA
Sep. 12 2010 -- Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA
Sep. 24 2010 -- Visulite Theater w/ Shooter Jennings, Charlotte, NC
Sep. 25 2010 -- 8x10 w/ Shooter Jennings, Baltimore, MD
Sep. 26 2010 -- State Theatre w/ Shooter Jennings. Falls Church, VA
Sep. 29 2010 -- Diesel w/ Shooter Jennings, Pittsburgh, PA
Sep. 30 2010 -- Chameleon Club w/ Shooter Jennings, Lancaster, PA
Oct. 01 2010 -- Music Hall of Williamsburg w/ Shooter Jennings, Brooklyn, NY
Oct. 02 2010 -- Middle East Downstairs w/ Shooter Jennings, Cambridge, MA
Oct. 05 2010 -- Beachland Ballroom & Tavern w/ Shooter Jennings, Cleveland, OH
Oct. 06 2010 -- Ottos Nightclub w/ Shooter Jennings, Dekalb, IL
Oct. 07 2010 -- The Vogue Theatre w/ Shooter Jennings, Indianapolis, IN
Oct. 08 2010 -- Exit In w/ Shooter Jennings, Nashville, TN
Oct. 09 2010 -- Headliners Music Hall w/ Shooter Jennings, Louisville, KY

Links:
J-Roddy Walston & the Business

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

Early Graves: "Goner" Interview + Live Performance from Union Pool, Brooklyn 7-17-10

I had the opportunity to spend some time with Early Grave prior to their show at Union Pool last month but got delayed editing and posting this video due to a recent move. The morning after I finished this video, I read about singer Makh Daniels' passing in a van accident in Oregeon. I only met Makh Daniels once but his death really threw me. Out of respect for Makh and the other members of Early Graves, I decided to 'sit' on this video for a while.



Please consider making a PayPal donation to help Makh's family. The email account for donations is ripMakhDaniels@gmail.com.

There will also be a memorial show for Makh on August 29th at the Rickshaw Stop (155 Fell Street) in San Francisco. The band will be selling memorial shirts for Makh with all proceeds going to his family to get them through this tough time.

Links:
Early Graves
Early Graves - Goner CD Review

Pro-Pain - "Absolute Power" CD Review (Regain Records)

NYC metal crossover band Pro-Pain are back with their thirteenth studio disc, Absolute Power, which also marks the band’s second disc for Regain Records. This new disc was recorded in February 2010 at Little Creek Studios in Gelterkinden, Switzerland with producer V.O. Pulver (GURD) and the end result is some of the hardest hitting material that the band has done in years.

While the band’s rhythm section has shifted over the last decade around core members Gary Meskil and Tom Klimchuck, the only change this time out is that Rick Halverson (Stephen Pearcy, Cellador) has replaced JC Dwyer on the drums. Rounding out the lineup, the disc includes guest vocals from includes Destruction’s Schmier (on “Stand My Ground”) and Pulver’s Inga Pulver (on “Gone Rouge”).

Like most Pro-Pain discs, the lyrics are of a political bent with tales of government tyranny and oppression and these themes extend to the album cover as well. "The cover idea was inspired by an anti-communist illustration which depicted a worker smashing a red star with a sledge hammer. Our concept was to turn the imagery into something more us," bassist/vocalist Gary Meskill said. "So, the sledgehammer became a guitar, and the worker was made a musician. The statement that we are trying to make is that music has the ability to influence the political landscape a la the '60s. Music as a weapon, if you will.”

Musically, the band is well into its second decade but their high energy attack still hits like a runaway freight train; there are galloping drums, razor-sharp guitar blasts, hoarse, barking vocals and sing-along choruses. This is everything that you would want from a NYHC album and Pulver’s clear production sharpens the attack. Where Pro-Pain breaks from other bands in the genre is that, while Meskill and the band are obviously pissed off at the state of the world, the disc never loses its sense of melody.

Here is the live video for the disc's lead-off track “Unrestrained”:


Absolute Power holds its own with the band’s back catalogue but updates the classic Pro-Pain sound, bringing it into the present. The band has announced plans for a full US tour later this year.

Links:
Pro-Pain

Teenage Kicks Release Debut Single "Shook Our Bones" on August 17th

DOWNLOAD: Teenage Kicks - "Shook Our Bones"

Somehow I ended up on a distro. list for bands playing around the Toronto area so I gave one of the bands a listen the other day.

I hadn’t heard Teenage Kicks before listening to their debut 7” Shook Our Bones but the band's sound caught my ear right away. Singer/songwriter Peter van Helvoort cites his influences as The Beatles, Cheap Trick, The Who, and Creedence Clearwater Revival but I’m hearing more of the later-day FM-radio bands that I grew up with like Paul Westerberg, Jason Ringenberg and Dan Baird in this two-track single.

Here is a clip from the band’s bio:
Teenage Kicks are not special. Teenage Kicks are not hip. Teenage Kicks are not on the cover of trendsetting magazines or fawned over in taste-making blogs. Teenage Kicks are a rock and roll band.

"We're not very cool, we never have been" admits singer/songwriter Peter van Helvoort. "Patrick is cool, but Jeff, Cam and I are not cool guys. We're a very uncool band."

The frontman is allowed to admit this because he knows his band has something that most "cool" bands lack - great songs. His band draws its influences from pop rock legends - The Beatles, Cheap Trick, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival - and carries the torch forward. Teenage Kicks understand that a band becomes great not by emulating the aesthetic of its influences, but by creating something new with them.

"I think we tend to stick out like a sore thumb in the city, playing the music we do, in the places we play" the singer laughs. "I grew up on what you'd call the 'arena rock' sound, I just absolutely love big melodies and big guitars, that's what I grew up listening to, and that's what I want to write and play."

"All the best ideas and melodies come from that golden age in Soul and Rock music" adds brother and bassist Jeff van Helvoort. "We want to write songs that can take the best parts of all those bands and make them into something of our own, not just a reproduction of one aspect of them. I wouldn't be happy going up on stage and doing an impersonation of my favourite band."

Shook Our Bones comes out on August 17th, 2010 and the band is playing a release party show at Sneaky Dees in Toronto on August 20th, 2010.

UPCOMING SHOWS
Aug 14 @ Marcello's, MISSISSAUGA
Aug 20 @ Sneaky Dees, TORONTO (**7 Inch Release Show w. Sandman Viper Command, The Bad Ideas)
Aug 21 @ Call the Office, LONDON (w. The Bad Ideas)
Aug 22 @ The Mansion, ST. CATHARINES

Links:
Teenage Kicks

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

Dave Mustaine Signs "A Heavy Metal Memoir" Tomorrow at Barnes & Noble in Midtown

It has been more than twenty years since I've seen Megadeth play live. At this late 80's show, Dave and the band played a blistering thrash attack and, between songs, Dave made it clear that he was planning bodily harm to the guy who he thought had stolen one of the band's cymbols. As such, I have a hard time envisioning Dave signing autographs in such a "corporate environment" as Barnes & Noble.

I'm probably not one to talk though as I was at a black metal show a few weeks back and one of the crew asked if I liked that sort of music as I "kind of looked like a Billy Joel fan".

In between stops on the American Carnage tour, Dave is making in-store appearances at area bookstores to sign copies of his new autobiography Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir. Here is the schedule for the two area signings:

August 10
Barnes & Noble
555 Fifth Ave. @ 46th St.
New York, NY 10017
12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

August 12
Borders
Wall Street
100 Broadway
New York, NY 10005
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

The local tour stop for the American Carnage tour is August 12th at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, NJ. Tickets are still available and start at $7.00.

Links:
Megadeth

Ozzy Osbourne - Scream CD Review (Epic Records)

Earlier this summer, Ozzy Osbourne released his 10th studio album, Scream. This isn’t the ‘return to form’ that some claim but this is the best that Ozzy has sounded in years.

When reading earlier reviews of this disc, a lot of internet chatter has focused around Ozzy swapping out guitarist Zakk Wylde for little-known guitar player Gus G. I don’t think this swap was the key reason for Ozzy’s revitalized sound as I don’t hear a significant difference between Gus and Zakk’s playing; Ozzy may have just wanted the fresh blood. The sound of this disc was shaped by co-writers Kevin Churko (who produced this disc and 2007’s Black Rain) and Adam Wakeman (who co-wrote five of the disc’s eleven tracks).

Producer Kevin Churko retains some of the industrial leanings of Black Rain but Scream is a darker album than its predecessor. Churko rounds this out by giving a high-gloss finish to the disc’s arena-rock power metal anthems, sludgy nu-metal rawk and (the expected) ballads. This is a heavily commercial album but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Let’s face it – Ozzy’s menacing, p*ssing on The Alamo days are long past.

The first single from this disc is a fist-pumping, pounding rocker, “Let Me Hear You Scream”, which should make for both an FM-radio and concert staple for years to come. The current single, “Life Won’t Wait”, is a by-the-numbers power ballad which is carried by strong layered vocals from Ozzy. There are a couple of sludgy, almost Rob Zombie-ish numbers (“Soul Sucker”, “Latimer’s Mercy”) scattered across the disc but these are balanced by the ballads “Time” and the mostly instrumental “I Love You All”.

I remember sitting in the Brooklyn Brewery early one Saturday afternoon in 2007 and they announced that they had a pair of OzzFest tickets, free to any takers. While there were no takers then, I don’t think that would be the case now. Ozzy sounds revitalized on Scream and this disc will go a long way toward revitalizing his fan base.

Links:
Ozzy Osbourne

Coyote Eyes Plays A Fundraise Show at The Delancey on Aug. 6th

Help Coyote Eyes raise funds to finish the recording of their new EP!

"This post-punk, art rock trio has already drawn comparisons to Sonic Youth. But Coyote Eyes is no cheap indie rock knock-off. Yes, like Kim Gordon, band member Marta DeLeon plays bass and sings, but her high, bird-like voice is more energetic than Gordon's. DeLeon shares vocal duty with Manny Nomikos, who matches her sprightliness with yearning, and introduces a subtle, clever dissonance with his guitar. And drummer Jeremiah McVay gives the song a sense of urgency with frenetic yet controlled percussion." -- WNYC

Here is what the band posted regarding their fund raising show and Kickstart project:

"We were recently lucky enough to find ourselves in the position of being offered financial backing by a small label to record and promote an album. This was both very flattering and humbling and we went about planning production and eventually started to record. Unfortunately, after a few days in the studio, we got word that the label had folded and not only would they not be able to cover the cost of finishing recording, but they also wouldn't be able to cover any of the costs we'd already incurred. This left us in quite a financial bind as none of us had planned for the costs of recording since, you know, that was supposed to be covered by someone else.

But here's the thing: We think what we've done so far has come out extremely well and we think it would be a shame not to finish it. Because of the circumstances of how this happened, we can't really afford what we've already been left to pay, let alone the costs to finish. So, we decided to do two things: start a Kickstarter Project and organize a fundraising show.

We hope that you'll be kind enough to help us raise the money needed to pay for both what's been done and what's left to do. And we hope you'll see financial backing for finishing this recording not as charity, but as a pre-order of the eventual EP."

Here are the incentives for the Kickstart project:

PLEDGE $5 OR MORE
-- free download of the album, once completed

PLEDGE $10 OR MORE
-- free CD of the album, once completed

PLEDGE $25 OR MORE
-- free T-shirt + album download
-- this one has been quite popular

PLEDGE $50 OR MORE
-- We will learn a cover of your choosing and shoot a live video of it for you.
-- (this is currently sold out, but we're planning to add a couple of more of these this wek)

PLEDGE $100 OR MORE
-- free CD and we'll have you over for dinner, which we'll make.

PLEDGE $175 OR MORE
-- free CD and we'll play a show or party for you of your choosing anywhere in the 5 boroughs

If I wasn't spending all the money I have moving this weekend, I'd be looking at either having Coyote Eyes learn a bizarre cover (how about Miley Cyrus' "Can't Be Tamed") or having the band play a party as they are a phenomenal live act.

Admission to Friday night's show is $8 and Coyote Eyes plays at 11:30PM.

Links:
Coyote Eyes

Sonic Youth: "Expressway to Yr Skull", Live in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, July 31, 2010

The good folks over at Big Ass Lens reached out this morning and sent me some videos that they filmed last night at Sonic Youth's show in Prospect Park.

Here is a twelve minute performance of set closer "Expressway to Yr. Skull".

Sonic Youth - Express Way To Yr Skull - Live in Prospect Park from Big Ass Lens on Vimeo.

Check out additional video footage, set list, and a show review over at Big Ass Lens.

Links:
Sonic Youth