The Ropes, Jen Gloeckner, Chop Chop, Steve Middleton, Why I Hope, Mobile Wash Unit, and Build.
Final installment, three of three, of my band round-ups for 2009 (right, it’s not ‘09 anymore; never mind that). Come back for much more in 2010. Nice moody, angsty stuff from The Ropes (NYC), soulful singing with strings from Jen Gloeckner, new wave/pop of Chop Chop, and early introspective demos from UK singer-songwriter Steve Middleton. Then there’s the alt-country of Why I Hope (and their evil twin Why I Hate, but since it’s a new year, I’ll focus on the former). Mobile Wash Unit is the creative project of a philosophy professor, named after New York City subway cleaners. The music’s pretty interesting too. And Build are a hybrid classical indie rock ensemble melding many different influences for a very cool and sophisticated sound. (more…)
some amazing ladies - Theresa Andersson, Erin McKeown, Alicia Jo Rabins, Nomi Ruiz of Jessica 6, and Shilpa Ray.
Part two of three in my band round-up to clear the decks before 2010. I’ll start with a truly astonishing “one-woman-band”, Theresa Andersson, who completely blew me away when I saw a performance she did for Morning Becomes Eclectic. There’s also singer-songwriter Erin McKeown, and Girls in Trouble (a.k.a. Alicia Jo Rabins) whose two years living in Jerusalem inspired her self-titled debut album. From the psychedelic and dreamy Farewell Republic to the bluesy garage punk of the Willowz, and the pop punk/electro of Jessica 6, centering around Nomi Ruiz’s haunting vocals. Oh, and Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers. You just know you’re in for something good with a name like that.
I’m also featuring Sake Of The Song.com, a very cool site where musicians sell their own hand-crafted merchandise to raise money for recording projects. It’s an awesome time to be an indie musician right now, with so many DIY opportunities and a wide-open playing field – it’s a great time to be a fan as well! (more…)
Whole lot of catching up to do, and some really fine music. From Memphis-based Star & Micey, to the experimental Inca Ore and Japanese psychedelic band Yura Yura Teikoku, Scottish folk/pop of Frightened Rabbit, and a flashback to the 1980s with Relation and Pylon. Moody pop with Scanners, alt rock of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and a Motown-inspired chanteuse from New Zealand, Gin Wigmore. (more…)
Ok, so technically this isn’t a show preview, because they’re not coming to Boston, and the closest they’ll be is a 2+ hour drive away near Albany (I’ll let you know what it ends up being). But I thought I would mention The Parson Red Heads and their East Coast visit, as they’re a great band I’ve been enjoying for a little while now. They have a lovely psychedelic and folky, upbeat sound with delightful harmonies, reminiscent of bands such as The Byrds, Big Star, CSN&Y, The Kinks, Fairport Convention, and Wilco. (more…)
Num9 is Coque Yturriaga, who was formerly with Emak Bakia and Spanish indie folk group Migala. The music is a mix of electronics, samplings, and repetitive vocals. Some dreamier vocals mixed in, as on “Immune Slow backwards”. Curious stuff. “El Baile” from his upcoming recording has more of an accessible pop sound, and is quite nice.
Num9’s new recording “El Baile” (”The Dance”), featuring American folk singer Dawn Landes, is due out September 9 on the Spanish label Acuarela, and there will be a presentation of this music at Galileo in Madrid, Spain on Sept. 9. My Spanish isn’t so great, but it seems he’ll be performing with Jordi Sancho (on guitar?), David Unison on drums, and also piano. The CD can be pre-ordered from amazon.com. He has a previous recording called The Glow-Worm’s Resistance (Acuarela, 2007).
Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter Stephen Soul had performed with his bands Civil Beast and Ocean of Soul throughout the 90’s. His music is a mixture of electronic and acoustic; keyboards, guitar and percussion, with half-spoken, half-sung vocals. His influences include 80’s Bauhaus, The Cure, and Joy Division, in addition to newer acts such as Keane, Coldplay and The Killers.
After a ten year hiatus, he returned at the end of 2007 with Ocean of Soul to perform a series of shows, which then inspired his debut album, “Rise Above” (from his song “Caged Bird”: “Time to step out of the dirt, rise above the hurt”). He also released an EP, “Out of the Dirt”, which contains five alternate mixes and acoustic versions of songs from “Rise Above” plus a new song, “Get On”.
Stephen’s currently recording the full-length album “Wingless not Hopeless”, set for release in September.
Sep 15 2009 The Local 269 | New York, New York
Sep 16 2009 The Fire | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sep 22 2009 The Note | West Chester, Pennsylvania
Liz Lohnes
Liz Lohnes is a Boston native with ‘American Idol’ model magazine looks who sings slickly produced Pop/R&B. Not my thing, as I gravitate toward raw, unproduced, charmingly-flawed indie rock. But she clearly has the talent and can probably go a long way with this. At 19, she’s already had some high profile gigs, such as singing the National Anthem for the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium and the Boston Celtics at T.D. Banknorth Garden, performing at the Apollo Theater, and she’s won a bunch of local talent competitions. So if you like her type of music, have a listen.
NoArt Productions
NoArt Productions is the project of Guillermo Pascual, a recording engineer, producer, composer and musician, based in Glendale, CA. He plays keyboards, guitar, and does electronic programming, and has performed in bands such as Marques de Sade, Dafne, Force, Júpiter, and Sangre Azul. He’s been in the music business for over 20 years, and has collaborated with many different artists on albums, tours, and television performances. He has also done various film and television soundtracks. As much of this seem to have been done in Spain, I don’t know any of these names – David Santisteban, Ángeles Del Infierno, Vilma Palma, Ana Sidel, Alejandro Sanz, Laura Pausini, Marta Sánchez, Paulina Rubio, Mike Tramp (ex-White Lion).. but I did have one peculiar flash of recognition: a band called ZIROQ (with whom Guillermo performed) features Tal Bergman, Randy Castillo, and Carmine Rojas. Carmine I know from back in the 80’s when he was touring with David Bowie. Great to come across his name again. Cool guy; heck of a bassist.
You can listen to several of these people on Guillermo’s MySpace page.
Upcoming Performances
(not sure who he’s playing with)
Sep 9 2009, 10:30P – Conga Room(L.A. LIVE) – Los Angeles, CA
Sep 12 2009, 8:00P – Hecho en Mexico Restaurant – Los Angeles, CA
Oct 22 2009, 8:00P KING KING with ZUR – Hollywood, CA
Rescue Aurora
Rescue Aurora is a Boston-based band that includes Brittany Flynn, vocals; John Boles, guitar & vocals; Cooper Heinrichs, guitar & vocals; Lauren Baker, bass; and Jesse Hangen, drums. Brittany has a sweet voice that sounds almost classically trained with a hint of country songstress in it, and I think gives the band a more polished sound than you might expect from a newish indie group.
Their four-song Harbor EP (released back in January) is available as a free download. They’ve just finished work on six new tracks, which they’ll be releasing to their MySpace page in a few weeks.
Upcoming Shows
Sep 19 2009, 6:00P – The Lilypad – Cambridge, MA
Oct 13 2009, 9:00P – Throwed! – Middle East Upstairs – Cambridge, MA
Nov 8 2009, 1:00P – Middle East Upstairs – Cambridge, MA
Jeff Wirtzfeld
Singer/songwriter Jeff Wirtzfeld is from Denver, Colorado, who began writing songs a few years ago when his first son was born and he found himself up at all hours of the night. The songs on his MySpace page feature lovely acoustic guitar sound with harmonica woven in here and there, and vocals with a folksy, alt-country sound. Very nice stuff. His influences include Dylan, Springsteen, Petty, Nick Drake and early R.E.M. If you enjoy people like Steve Earle, James McMurtry, and Bruce Springsteen, give this guy a listen. He’s also a photographer and has a slideshow of his photos.
You can listen to more of his music on ReverbNation, some songs with a full band. The musicians contributing to Jeff’s songs are: Jeff Battershill (Drums), Allan Bumgartner (Bass~Recording Engineer~Music Producer), Jeffrey Cunningham (Drums), Mike Nichols (Lead Guitar), Laurice Quinn (Vocals), Guido Valeri (keyboards and vocals) and Charles “Chazz” Warriner (Vocals).
What he says about his work (in January 2009): “What you have here is my first attempt at writing music and producing photographs about some of the subjects I want to explore: loneliness and isolation; sin and redemption; history; crime and justice, conflict and commitment and sometimes even love and happiness.”
White Picket Fence
From Syracuse, NY, indie pop/rock band White Picket Fence only just graduated from high school this past June (ah, to be that young…), but already they sold out of their debut self-titled EP, returned to The Square Studio and worked with Steve Sopchak (The Brilliant Light, Eyes Averted, Remember Tomorrow) on their debut full-length album, Clocks and Calendars, which was released in June. It is available for download at eMusic.com.
White Picket Fence is: Singer Elise Miklich, guitarists Kelly Clancy and Logan Messina, bassist Ryan Chapman and drummer Garrett Koloski. Since they first formed in 2008, they’ve played in a variety of venues across New York, building their audience and garnering a lot of positive press in regional publications.
Sep 19 2009, 4:00P – Back to school Jam @ the westcott theater w/ Fazeshift, The Score & Phantom Chemistry – Syracuse, NY
Sep 30 2009, 6:30P – FREE HOT TOPIC SHOW @ CAROUSEL MALL! – Syracuse, NY
Oct 6 2009, 7:30P – Funk And Waffles w/ Mandy k, Amely – Syracuse, NY
Oct 11 2009, 1:00P – Syracuse Singalong @ The Westcott Community Center – Syracuse, NY
Oct 24 2009, 6:00P – Bongo’s w/ Honor Bright & Lights Out Dancing – Herkimer, NY
Zachary J Band
Zachary J - photo by Ken Salaets
Zachary J on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Jon on backing vocals and electric guitar, plus two new band members: Ross on bass and Greg on drums. They’re from Rockville, MD. They have a pretty straight-ahead rock sound, with some very nice vocals. I quite like their stripped-down, acoustic stuff (see video below), but that’s just me. They’ve been on a hiatus and regrouping with their new lineup, so no news yet about recording or shows lined up, but I’ll toss a video in here and you can see what you think. If you like what you hear, Zachary J has a solo album available called Behind the Rain – inquire about it on their MySpace page.
Third Grade Haters
Simply charming punk songs from a Knoxville, Tennessee band with a curious name, Third Grade Haters. There’s Jimi on vocals and guitar, Andy on bass, and Chris on drums. Lately they’ve been in the studio recording their new album. You can check their progress by following their blog or twitter.
They have one album out – Pompous and Proud (currently available on amazon.com, and you can also get it from CDBaby or on iTunes.
My next and final Band Roundup (for the time being) I’m really excited about, as I’ll be doing an update on what my beloved Silverlake bands are currently doing – and they all seem to be doing a lot, so it may take me a few days to coordinate. Stay tuned.
Continuing with my band roundup of artists I’ve recently been sent information on. Some of these people have been around for a while but I’m not terribly familiar with their work, so apologies to hardcore fans if the background information provided elicits a kind of “well, duh” reaction.
This extremely popular heavy metal band have been performing together since 2006, with their first show on September 8th at L.A.’s Wiltern Theater opening for DragonForce. Their debut album, The Way of the Fist (2006) sold 300,000 copies, due in no small part to two years of solid touring with bands such as Korn, Disturbed, Slipknot, Hellyeah, Trivium, and Atreyu. They followed an appearance at The Metal Mayhem Festival with their own headlining tour in the U.S. and Canada, then a European tour with Lamb of God, Metal Hammer’s Defender Of The Faith tour, and another headlining tour.
‘Shock and Raw’ Tour- with Shadows Fall, Otep, 2 Cents
Sep 18 2009 9:00P | Wasted Space @ Hard Rock Hotel – Las Vegas, NV
Sep 22 2009 8:00P | The Regency Grand – San Francisco, CA
Sep 23 2009 8:00P | Crest Theater – Fresno, CA
Sep 24 2009 8:00P | The Glass House – Pomona, CA
Sep 26 2009 2:00P | KUPD’s Summer Scorcher @ THE FARM – Phoenix, AZ
Sep 27 2009 8:00P | Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM
Sep 28 2009 8:00P | The Black Sheep – Colorado Springs, CO
Sep 30 2009 7:00P | Sokol Auditorium – Omaha, NE
Oct 2 2009 8:00P | The Rock – Maplewood, MN
Oct 3 2009 8:00P | Club V – Chicago, IL
Oct 5 2009 8:00P | Wescott Theatre – Syracuse, NY
Oct 6 2009 8:00P | Northern Lights – Clifton Park, NY
Oct 8 2009 8:00P | House of Blues – Boston, MA
Oct 9 2009 7:30P | Bourbon Street Ballroom – Baltimore, MD
Oct 10 2009 8:00P | Webster Theatre – Hartford, CT
Oct 11 2009 8:00P | Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ
Oct 13 2009 7:00P | TLA – Philadelphia, PA
Oct 15 2009 7:00P | The Crofoot – Pontiac, MI
Oct 16 2009 8:00P | Orpheum Theater – Madison, WI
Oct 17 2009 6:30P | Orbit Room – Grand Rapids, MI
Oct 18 2009 7:00P | Expo Five – Louisville, KY
Oct 20 2009 7:00P | Sunset Station – San Antonio, TX
Oct 21 2009 7:30P | Pavilion – Lubbock, TX
Oct 23 2009 7:00P | The Village – Little Rock, AR
Oct 25 2009 7:00P | Pop’s – Sauget, IL
Oct 26 2009 8:00P | Diamond Ballroom – Oklahoma City, OK
Oct 28 2009 6:00P | KBPI’s INFEST @ The Fillmore – Denver, CO
Oct 30 2009 7:00P | The Great Salt Air – Salt Lake City, UT
Oct 31 2009 7:00P | Knitting Factory – Boise, ID
Nov 1 2009 7:30P | Knitting Factory – Spokane, WA
Nov 2 2009 6:30P | Showbox SoDo – Seattle, WA
Nov 11 2009 8:00P | Live Music Hall – Koln
Nov 12 2009 8:00P | Columbia Club – Berlin
Nov 13 2009 7:00P | Vox Hall – Aarhus
Nov 14 2009 8:00P | Klubben – Stockholm
Nov 16 2009 8:00P | Nosturi – Helsinki
Nov 18 2009 8:00P | John Dee – Oslo
Nov 19 2009 8:00P | Brewhouse – Gothenburg
Nov 20 2009 8:00P | The Rock – Copenhagen
Nov 21 2009 8:00P | Sputnikhalle – Munster
Nov 22 2009 8:00P | Grunspan – Hamburg
Nov 24 2009 8:00P | Wulfrun Hall – Wolverhampton
Nov 25 2009 8:00P | Garage – Glasgow
Nov 26 2009 8:00P | Academy – Manchester
Nov 27 2009 8:00P | Electric Ballroom – London
Nov 29 2009 8:00P | Academy – Oxford
Nov 30 2009 8:00P | Waterfront – Norwich
Historics
Historics is a collaboration between Don Devore (Amazing Baby; Ink & Dagger; The Icarus Line), Josh Grubb (VietNam), Mickey Madden (Maroon 5), Jeff Knutsen (Fast Fourier), and Matt Werth (Favourite Sons). Psychedelic, garage rock, experimental, electronic… kinda difficult to describe.
“Taverns” has a nice swirly, dreamy quality which is echoed perfectly in the video (see below). City scenes and bird imagery merge nicely with performance footage. Directed by Brendon Devore. Lovely job.
“Skin Orders” is multi-layered and psychedelic-tinged, Vocals weaving in and out of acoustic guitar lines. “All Fathers” is hypnotic with its start-stop pacing, repeated lyrics, and percussive blasts, and crazy soaring guitars.
They completely change direction on “Take It To The Top”, which features a guest appearance by rapper Kool Keith, relating a story of rock star excess to a rather schizophrenic “mashup” of hip-hop beats, hints of an orchestra gone awry and distant bells, and maybe an Indian mystic in there somewhere.
Their debut album Strategies for Apprehension (Metropolitan Indian Records) out now.
The original vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for The Stranglers (1974-1990), Hugh Cornwall has released seven solo albums – Wolf (1988), Wired (1993), Guilty (1997), HiFi (2001), Beyond Elysian Fields (2004), Footprints in the Desert (2005), Dirty Dozen (2006) – and three collaborations, Nosferatu (1979) featuring Robert Williams, CCW (1992) featuring Roger Cook and guitarist Andy West, and Sons of Shiva (2002) featuring poet Sex W. Johnston (a.k.a. John W. Sexton). He’s also published two books – The Stranglers: Song by Song (2001, Sanctuary Publishing) and an autobiography A Multitude of Sins (2004, Harper Collins).
He currently performs as a three-piece, with drummer Chris Bell and bassist Caroline Campbell. Their latest album, Hooverdam (Invisible Hands Music), a fun garagy romp with a rockabilly feel, is available for free download on Hugh’s official site. In February/March of this year, they toured the UK and France, performing the entire album followed by a mix of older solo and Stranglers material, and played to a packed crowd at the Glastonbury Festival.
Physical copies of the album (in stores September 8th) will be available on vinyl and as a triple-sleeved digi-pak CD/DVD, which will contain Hugh’s film “Blueprint,” featuring live studio performance inter-spliced with an interview with Hugh at the Tate Gallery in London. Both Hooverdam and “Blueprint” were recorded in Toerag Studios with producer Liam Watson (best known for producing the White Stripes’ Elephant).
09/08: Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
09/09: Long Branch, NJ @ Brighton Bar
09/10: Washington, DC @ Black Cat
09/11: Bordentown, NJ @ The Record Collector
09/12: New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom
09/13: Boston, MA @ TT The Bear’s Place
09/14: Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall
09/15: Montreal, PQ @ TBA
09/16: Hamilton, ON @ This Ain’t Hollywood
09/17: Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club
09/18: Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
09/19: Milwaukee, WI @ Shank Hall
09/20: Chicago, IL @ The Abbey
09/22: Minneapolis, MN @ 400 Club
09/23: Winnipeg, Manitoba @ The Pyramid
10/06: Frankfurt, Germany @ Nachtleben
10/07: Kõln, Germany @ Luxor
10/08: Hamburg, Germany @ Grunspan
10/09: Berlin, Germany @ Quasimodo
10/10: Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso
10/15: Vilnius, Lithuania @ New York Club
10/16: Druskininkai, Lithuania @ Amber Club
10/17: Palanga, Lithuania @ Ramybe Club
11/13: Newcastle, England @ O2 Academy Newcastle
11/14: Glasgow, Scotland @ ABC Glasgow
11/20: London, England @ O2 Academy Islington
11/21: Oxford, England @ O2 Academy Oxford
11/27: Manchester, England @ Manchester Academy 1
11/28: Birmingham, England @ Academy Birmingham
Cage The Elephant
photo by Danny Clinch
I had the pleasure of seeing these guys at the WBRU/McFadden’s Block Party in Providence last month, and man, were they awesome. Quick re-introduction: from Bowling Green, Kentucky. Matt Shultz (vocals), his brother Brad (guitar) and their friends Daniel Tichenor (bass), Lincoln Parish (guitar) and Jared Champion (drums). Crazy southern-style punk rock, Matt Shultz goes into a voodoo trance when on stage, convincingly channeling Iggy Pop. Listening to them now on their MySpace as I write this, at a much lower volume than when I last heard them, I hope I don’t offend them by saying how pretty their stuff is as well as unhinged and powerful. “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked” (their huge radio hit) has that lovely dobro throughout. “Lotus” has a nice funky beat and surprisingly insightful lyrics that for some reason, I kinda didn’t expect:
“Woke up before the morning sun
I found it tucked beneath the hills
I sat and watched it rise
It hit the sky and burst to flames
The lotus flower’s
Got me thinking bout the way we live
I’ve got this feeling
It’s gonna stop”
“Driven by religion
Running backwards down a one way road
A course collision, split decision
Tryin’ to save your soul
Manifest destiny
Is just a fancy word for murder
I’ve got this feeling
It’s gonna stop”
- Lotus
Their debut self-titled album is out now, they’ve been on David Letterman, at SXSW, Coachella, Bonnaroo, All Points West, and Lollapalooza. They were recently named a Breaking Artist by Rolling Stone. They’re now touring with Silversun Pickups. WOW. Must try to catch this somewhere.
09/11: Nashville, TN @ WBUZ Radio Show @ Riverfront Park
09/12: Noblesville, IN @ WRZX Radio Show @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
09/13: Dayton, OH @ WXEG Radio Show @ Montgomery County Fairgrounds
09/14: Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s+
09/15: Grand Rapids, MI @ The Orbit Room+
09/16: Green Bay, WI @ The Club+
09/18: Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium+
09/19: Des Moines, IA @ Hoyt Sherman Place+
09/21: Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic Lounge+
09/22: Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom+
09/23: Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall+
09/25: Little Rock, AR @ The Rev Room+
09/26: Huntsville, AL @ Big Spring International Park at Big Spring Jam+
09/28: Lexington, KY @ Buster’s+
09/29: Johnson City, TN @ Electric Cowboy+
09/30: Knoxville, TN @ Valarium+
10/02: Mobile, AL @ Bayfest
10/03: Ft. Myers, FL @ Ricochet+
10/04: Jacksonville, FL @ The Florida Theater+
10/05: Columbia, SC @ Headliners+
10/07: Charleston, SC @ Shoreline Ballroom+
10/09: Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues+
10/10: Durham, NC @ Duke University at Joe College Day
10/11: Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa+
10/13: Montreal, QC @ Metropolis+
10/14: Ottawa, ON @ Bronson Centre+
10/15: Toronto, ON @ The Sound Academy+
10/17: Providence, RI @ Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel+
10/18: Clifton Park, NY @ Northern Lights+
10/20: Hartford, CT @ The Webster+
10/21: Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground+
10/23: Rochester, NY @ Main Street Armory+
10/24: Pittsburgh, PA @ Ches-A-Rena+
10/26: Toledo, OH @ Headliners+
10/28: Peoria, IL @ Exposition Gardens+
10/30: Chicago, IL @ Cubby Bear
10/31: Madison, WI @ University of Wisconsin – Freekfest
Hot Chelle Rae
From Nashville, Tennessee, Hot Chelle Rae is Ryan Keith Follese: guitar, lead vocals.
Nash Overstreet: lead guitar, vocals, Ian Keaggy: bass, vocals, Jamie Follese: drums. Straight-ahead rock with a soft ballad here and there (”Bleed”), definitely Top-40 radio friendly and very accessible. More mainstream pop than alternative (but there’s still time; they’re young), and definite “boy band appeal” judging by their pretty looks. I’m guessing they probably have a lot of teenage female fans. Not a bad thing; I’m not the sort of blogger who passes judgment on what someone else may like (Say Yes To Apes, anyone?). Only thing that pisses me off is insincerity, but these guys are clearly genuine, doing what they do from the heart, even naming their band after one of their biggest fans!
They signed with Jive Records in October 2008, and their forthcoming album, Lovesick Electric, was produced by Eric Valentine (All-American Rejects, Taking Back Sunday) and Butch Walker (P!nk, Avril Lavigne). The first song, “I Like To Dance”, is available on iTunes[by the way, this song has already been featured on Fox's hit show "So You Think You Can Dance", so it looks like they're off to a good start.]
Sep 26 2009, 6:00P – Big Spring Jam w/ The Fray, Honor Society – Huntsville, Alabama
Steve Aoki
Steve Aoki is the mastermind and visionary leader of Dim Mak Records, specializing in electro dance music, whose artists include Bloc Party, The Gossip, Klaxons, MSTRKRFT, Scanners, and The Bloody Beetroots. He is also a club promoter and does DJ sets all over the world, under his stage name DJ Steve Aoki Kid Millionaire. Interesting background – born in Miami, raised in Newport Beach, California, his father was a Japanese Olympic wrestler and founder of the Benihana restaurant chain. In college he produced DIY records and presented underground concerts out of his living room. Two early bands he was in: This Machine Kills, which released Esperanza on Ebullition Records, and The Fire Next Time. He founded Dim Mak in 1996.
Along with production partner Blake Miller and under the name Weird Science, he did remixes for Snoop Dogg, Peaches, and Bloc Party. Under his own name, he’s done remixes for Michael Jackson, NASA (w/ Kanye West, Lykke Li & Santigold), The Killers, Lenny Kravitz, Tiga, and others as well as collaborations and tracks with The Bloody Beetroots, Armand Van Helden, Laidback Luke, Boys Noize and the Faint, Junkie XL and The Bloody Beetroots. His debut mix album, Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles, was released in January 2008.
Aoki will release his own debut single, “I’m In The House”, on September 15, “Featuring the Mysterious Masked Rapper, [[[zuper blahq]]]” (I’m guessing fans who follow this genre know who this is). The single features a diverse collection of remixes, with a second single featuring remixes by LMFAO, Sharam of Deep Dish, pianist Eric Lewis and more to be released later this year. He’ll release his full-length debut album in spring 2010.
“I’m In The House”
Meanwhile, he continues his many DJ residencies around the world – and oh yeah, he’s got his own clothing line.
Thu, Sep 10: Cardboard Robot ASR Party @ Voyeur | San Diego, CA
Fri, Sep 11: Sugar | Victoria, B.C.
Sat, Sep 12: Blueprint 12 Year Anniversary | Vancouver, B.C.
Mon, Sep 14: Prive | Las Vegas, NV
Fri, Sep 18: Club Tango | Beijing
Sat, Sep 19: 808 Bangkok | Bangkok
Sun, Sep 20: Zouk | Singapore
Mon, Sep 21: Creative Center | Osaka
Tue, Sep 22 : Ageha @ Studio Coast | Tokyo
Fri, Sep 25: Diesel Event | Shanghai
Sat, Sep 26: Dragon-I | Hong Kong
Tue, Sep 29: Welcome to the Neighborhood @ Next Door | Honolulu, Hawaii
Thu, Oct 01: Mario Barth Presents “The Biggest Tattoo Show on Earth” | Las Vegas, NV
Fri, Oct 02: The S.A.T. | Montreal, Que.
Sat, Oct 03: Invisible Children Fundraiser @ Henry Fonda | Los Angeles, CA
Mon, Oct 05: Case Of The Monday’s Dance Party! @ The Wall | Northbay, Ont.
Tue, Oct 06: L3 Nightclub St. | Catharines, Ont.
Wed, Oct 07: Opus Lounge | Guelph, Ont.
Thu, Oct 08: Club Mansion | London, Ont.
Sat, Oct 10 : Crobar | Chicago, IL
Wed, Oct 14: La La Land | Byron Bay
Thu, Oct 15: Family | Brisbane
Fri, Oct 16: Villa | Perth
Sat, Oct 17: The Academy | Canberra
Sun, Oct 18: Electric Circus | Adelaide
Wed, Oct 21: La La Land | Byron Bay
Thu, Oct 22: Club 324 | Auckland
Fri, Oct 23: Roxanne Parlour | Melbourne
Sat, Oct 24: The Metro | Sydney
Sun, Oct 25: The Barking Dog | Geelong
Sun, Oct 25: Elsewhere | Gold Coast
Wed, Oct 28: Lower Sproul Plaza | Berkley, CA
Wed, Oct 28: Infatuation @ Vessel | San Francisco, CA
Thu, Oct 29: MiX Thursdays @ M!X Downtown | San Jose, CA
Fri, Oct 30: BFD Subsonic Fest | San Francisco, CA
Thu, Nov 05: V2O Thursday | Long Beach, CA
Fri, Nov 06: Ex Fabrica de San Agustin | Puebla
Sat, Nov 07: Zoon | Mexico City
Finally, part III of my ‘band roundup’. If you’re in one of the bands I’m profiling and there’s new information, please let me know, and I’ll add it in.
Based in Anaheim, California and first formed in 2002, The Willowz features Richie James Follin, Vocals & Guitar; Jessica Anne Reynoza, Bass Guitar & Vocals; Loren Shane Humphrey, Drums; William-Lewis Mclaren, Guitar & Vocals. Their influences include ’70s and early-’80s punk, ’60s garage rock, blues-rock, and soul.
They contributed two songs to the soundtrack of Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in 2004 (and he worked on their music video “I Wonder”). Two of their songs, “Making Certain” and “Ulcer Soul” were used in the 2006 film The Science of Sleep. They’ve released several albums on the Sympathy for the Record Industry label and did a split single with the band Scarling. Their sound has been compared to The White Stripes, with a Stooges influence.
Their new album, “Everyone” (Dim Mak/Downtown Records) will be released November 17. For now, have a listen to “Repetition”.
Chautauqua (Dim Mak, 2007) Talk in Circles (Sympathy for the Record Industry, April 2005) Are Coming (Sympathy for the Record Industry, February 2005) Willowz (Dionysus, 2004)
Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo, an Italian producer from the hamlet of Bassano del Grappa, founded the Bloody Beetroots, his electronic alter ego, in January 2007. In the Beetroots live and dj sets, he’s joined by DJ Tommy Tea, and he’s recorded 45 remixes and has performed on several world tours. In 2007, he was signed to Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak label, releasing the EPs Rombo, Cornelius, and Warp (featuring Aoki). Rifo and Aoki recently formed a hardcore punk band called Rifoki, with plans to release an album in 2010.
Bob Rifo’s early influences include Seventies comics, classical music, rockabilly and Eighties punk, electronica and new wave, which all comes through in his musical experimentation and live performances.
(from their press release): “Whether Rifo is channeling the spirit of Beethoven, The Misfits, or something in between, The Beetroots’ primary objective is to incite a dancefloor riot.”
Bloody Beetroots’ debut album, Romborama (featuring appearances by The Cool Kids, Vicarious Bliss, Justin Pearson from The Locust and many more), is due out September 8th. The album incorporates all musical genres from pop, punk, electro, acid and hip hop to classical music, house and techno. Have a listen to “Awesome”, which features The Cool Kids.
Cornelius (Dim Mak Records, 2008)
Romborama (Dim Mak Records, 2009)
Warp EP (Dim Mak Records, 2009)
Upcoming Shows
Sep 3 2009 6:00P – Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo + Peaches DJ Set @ Diesel Radio – On Air, World
Sep 4 2009 1:00A – The Bloody Beetroots DJ Set @ Magnolia Parade -Milano, Italy
Sep 11 2009 1:00A – The Bloody Beetroots DJ Set @ Bestival – Isle of Wight
Sep 12 2009 8:00P – The Bloody Beetroots Live Appearance + Skunk Anansie @ MTV Day – Genova, Italy
Sep 26 2009 8:00P – The Bloody Beetroots DJ Set @ Kindergarten – Bologna, Italy
Oct 31 2009 8:00P – The Bloody Beetroots Hallo DJ Set @ Telus Theatre – Montreal, Quebec
Sean Tillmann – the singer, songwriter, and producer behind the Har Mar moniker
indie and Top40 dance music – croons his way through 70’s and 80’s style synth-pop, R&B and dance music, paying a comical but I think not insincere homage to those genres, as exemplified by such artists noted as his influences – Prince, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner & Elton John. Looking at the guy, you really wouldn’t match him with his voice, and yet he can definitely sing. The Independent said of his live act, “The (glorious) humour to his act led many to dismiss him as a novelty, but make no mistake: this guy’s got what it takes. He can write a killer tune, sing a mean falsetto, and do it all – literally – standing on his head.” He pulls this off quite convincingly, but his lyrics give a nice counterbalance and tells you he doesn’t take himself too seriously.
“Lookin’ out in the crowd, I see a lot of hotties
Tell me, which of you will be my mommy?…”
“I’m resisting the urge and turning on the telly
Baby, don’t you have something to tell me?
It’s 4 a.m., my brain has turned to jelly
Come on, baby boy, pick up your celly.”
- DUI (Club Mix)
His upcoming album, Dark Touches, includes a song called “I Got Next” (featuring The Bird and The Bee’s Inara George), which details Tillmann’s practice of asking women to sign contracts that put him next in line to date if they ever leave their current boyfriend. The ladies’ anthem, “Girls Night,” a track intended for The Cheetah Girls, maintains the original lyrics, written from a female perspective.
His previous albums include Har Mar Superstar (2000), You Can Feel Me (2002), and The Handler (2004). Dark Touches is due out October 13th, and includes many guests such as producer John Fields (Andrew WK, Jonas Brothers, Rooney), Clark Baechle and Jacob Thiele of The Faint, singer-songwriter Adam Green, P.O.S. of the Rhymesayers collective, Neon Neon’s Boom Bip, Flowers of Doom, and Samaire Armstrong. Greg Kurskin of The Bird and The Bee co-wrote “Tall Boy” (listen below), a track originally intended for Britney Spears.
Tillmann is also about to make his Hollywood debut in Drew Barrymore’s Whip It, and is actively developing his own movie scripts and sitcom pilots.
Upcoming Shows
Sep 5 2009 5:00P – FYF Fest @ The L.A. Historic State Park – Los Angeles, California
Sep 6 2009 10:00P – Hotel Congress – Hoco Fest 2009 – Tucson, Arizona
Sep 13 2009 9:00P – The Uptown Bar – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Sep 26 2009 9:00P – Pappy & Harriet’s Palace – Pioneertown, California
Oct 6 2009 8:30P – Casbah – San Diego, California
Oct 8 2009 8:00P – The Echo (w/Boom Bip & Ke$ha) – Los Angeles, California
Oct 9 2009 8:00P – Sandbar (New Noise Santa Barbara Festival) – Santa Barbara, California
Oct 10 2009 9:00P – The Uptown (w/The Heavenly States & HotTub) – Oakland, California
Oct 12 2009 8:00P – Club Vegas – Salt Lake City, Utah
Oct 13 2009 8:00P – Hi-Dive – Denver, Colorado
Oct 14 2009 8:00P – LaunchPad – Albuquerque, New Mexico
Oct 15 2009 9:00P – Emo’s (Inside Show) – Austin, Texas
Oct 16 2009 8:00P – Lounge on Elm Street – Dallas, Texas
Oct 17 2009 8:00P – Super Happy Fun Land – Houston, Texas
Oct 21 2009 8:00P – The Drunken Unicorn – Atlanta, Georgia
I’m not quite sure what to make of these guys. YACHT (which stands for “Young Americans Challenging High Technology”) consists of Jona Becholt and Claire L. Evans, who, from the looks of things, seem to be trying to channel David Byrne and Annie Lennox (as much as one can channel living, breathing, vital people). I’d be very careful, guys, as you’ve chosen two unique and brilliant artists to model yourselves on, so you better have something really, really interesting to say. [and yes, the triangle in their name is intentional; see their official site or MySpace for the explanation.]
Their just-released new album, See Mystery Lights (DFA Records), had an interesting inspiration. From their press release:
“Two years ago, while traveling through the West Texas desert on tour, YACHT experienced firsthand a paranormal phenomenon called the Marfa “Mystery Lights.” This experience was a catalyst, and they soon moved to Marfa, Texas, to work and develop their already-acute interest in religion, ritual, and mystery.”
Reading their biography on MySpace… “YACHT is a Band, Belief System, and Business conducted by Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans of Marfa, Texas and Portland, Oregon, USA.” The rest of it is quite funny, and more than a little creepy. “Strictly speaking, YACHT does “perform music.” YACHT provides inspiring Teachings of constantly changing elements: PowerPoint presentations, immersive audio, live audience audits, and shamanistic video environments.” Live audience audits?? They end with “YACHT IS NOT A CULT.” and “No additional information will be divulged for the time.” Hoo boy. And I say “hoo boy” as a person who has been interested in the paranormal, metaphysical subjects, and spiritual discovery all my life.
I suppose the real question is: are these guys for real, or is it a mockery of the New Age movement and religious dogma? Is it an art project making some sort of socially relevant statement? Surely, this is the first band I’ve come across that has a Mission Statement.
Now, if this was being done with tongue firmly in cheek (see Har Mar Superstar above), I’d say “Awesome, that’s hilarious. Great.” Problem is, I don’t think they’re kidding. I believe that they think they’re making a serious statement here. Their new video for “I used to live in a psychic city” shows a priest and a pagan performing various rituals. They address the hypocrisy of religion, as these two symbolic figures attack and fight each other at the end. And then they (literally) kiss and make up. Aw, that’s nice. This really isn’t anything terribly new, and yet they present it with a reverence that suggests it is. It’s less that religious people might be offended; I’m all for that, when one has an important message to convey or something interesting to share. But I don’t think this has either.
Psychic City
“I used to live in a voodoo city
where every little thing happens in a secret life
and I’d be washing up the dishes
and the kitchen might say
hang around baby baby, hang around baby baby, hang around baby,
we’ll be baking a cake for you.”
These are the type of lyrics (along with electronic music that includes this periodic, incredibly annoying “water drip” sound) that accompany the religious symbolism in the video. Perhaps it’s the juxtaposition that’s the point here, but it doesn’t do anything for me. It seems cheesy and hokey (and not even fun cheesy and hokey, like the ’80s bands Soft Cell and Romeo Void), and I don’t think that’s the intention.
So let’s strip away all that shit and have a listen to the music. Simplistic and “throw-away” lyrics, which is fine; that’s a valid songwriting style if there’s something underlying… but there doesn’t seem to be, unless it’s so subtle that I’m missing it entirely. The electronic beats and composition, while there are some high points, doesn’t sound like anything new or interesting. “Summer Song”, for me, is one of their stronger tracks. This one sounds like more an amalgam of influences, though according to their Pitchfork review, the track was written as an homage to LCD Soundsystem. This song is hypnotic with a good beat, though lyrics like “move your feet to a summer song” sound kinda inane, and I’d prefer to hear more obtuse vocalizations ala Dead Can Dance. Perhaps it’s because I’m a lyrics person, I get caught up in listening to them as words and phrases rather than an instrumental sound, so for me it breaks the spell of the music. I also understand the comparison to The Tom Tom Club, but I think they lack the musical and lyrical sophistication of that band.
I’ll give them one major compliment here – I’ve gone on and on and discussed their music much more than I have other bands I’m profiling, so obviously they inspire, be it perhaps in a negative sense. And that’s never a bad thing.
Upcoming “shows”
(or whatever one would call them)
+ = with Yeah Yeah Yeahs
& = with Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Breeders
Sep 4 2009 – Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands
Sep 7 2009 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom+
Sep 9 2009 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theatre+
Sep 10 2009 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theatre+
Sep 11 2009 – Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle (12am set)
Sep 12 2009 – Portland, OR @ Old Town Block Party (FREE) (9:30pm set)
Sep 13 2009 – Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue+
Sep 15 2009 – Pomona, CA @ The Fox Theatre+
Sep 17 2009 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre&
Sep 18 2009 – Madison, WI @ Orpheum Theatre Lobby, 11:30 pm set
Sep 19 2009 – Urbana, IL @ The Canopy Club, 11 pm set
Sep 30 2009 – Exil – Zurich, Switzerland
Oct 2 2009 – Nuit Blanche – Metz, France
Oct 6 2009 – Club Folamour! @ Point Ephemere – Paris, France
Oct 7 2009 – Katapult @ Studio 80 – Amsterdam, Netherlands
Oct 8 2009 – Make Up Club – Gent, Belgium
Oct 9 2009 – MC2 – Grenoble, France
Oct 10 2009 – Bicycle Film Festival – Milan, Italy
Oct 12 2009 – Nasty Mondays @ Apolo – Barcelona
Oct 15 2009 – Misfits Club @ Redrum – Helsinki, Finland
Oct 16 2009 – Rust – Copenhagen, Denmark
Oct 17 2009 – Prieka Maja – Riga, Latvia
Oct 24 2009 – San Diego, CA @ The Loft – UCSD, 10 pm set
Nov 14, 2009 – Miami, FL @ Electric Pickle
[Additional information if you happen to enjoy these guys. They've released a "Psychic City" digital single with seven tracks (which includes three remixes, a song called "Suicide" and two mixes of "Waste of Time"). The "Psychic City" remix by Joe Goddard from Hot Chip can be streamed or downloaded from RCRD LBL. Also, they've posted (free) instrumental versions of the songs from See Mystery Lights. Finally, there's a mixtape of music by other artists that inspired them while recording the new album.]
John Forté
From the bizarrely esoteric and emotionally removed to the gutsy, down to earth and personal. Brooklyn, New York-based John Forté is a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, producer, and classically-trained violinist. He’s also an ex-con, having served seven years for drug trafficking, pardoned by George Bush (of all people) in November of 2008. He’s best known for his work with The Fugees, having co-written and produced two songs on the their Grammy-winning 1996 album, The Score.
His songs are a mix of rap and softer R&B, with some reggae flavoring, and even ballads. Very wide ranging, with a stark honesty and introspective quality.
Rap isn’t a genre I’m very familiar with, but at its best, it’s social commentary and personal storytelling at its most hard-hitting, as valid in a literary sense as a Dostoyevsky novel. Unfortunately, the rap music that has made its way up from the underground into mainstream consciousness, for the most part, has been tremendously watered-down or in the cliched realm of violence-provoking, misogynist, or at least, meaningless tripe. This, however, isn’t any of those things.
John’s songs range from highly intelligent, powerful raps about his revelations while incarcerated (as in “StyleFREE” and “Play My Cards”) to soft folk/R&B, love songs and personal introspection, as on “Best That Love Could Be” (featuring Ben Taylor) and “Life Has Just Begun”. A bit of reggae comes in for “What A Difference (feat. Dinah Washington), the theme of redemption continues, but with a different feel and sound, nicely put together with a touch of horns, backing vocals, and the contribution from Dinah Washington. After a lovely piano ballad, “All The Pretty People”, I realize that this guy is really different. And immensely talented. In fact, I see he’ll be performing at the Paradise here in Boston, so I’ll try to go see him. Not sure if all the musical and vocal nuances will come through in that setting, but we can give it a try.
He also does a remarkable if unlikely rap cover of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”. His life experiences and history gives the song an added poignancy, and in addition to the lyrics being fantastic, musically it flows like honey from the familiar chorus to the rap verses. Very impressed with this.
His newly released “StyleFREE the EP” includes hip-hop tracks as well as ballads like “More Beautiful Now” and “There We Are” with honest, heartfelt lyrics and powerful insight. Listen to “Play My Cards For Me”:
Since his release from prison last December, Forté has been working on his music, writing his memoir for a recently signed book deal, has performed with various artists (including Ben Taylor and David Saw) and he works with at-risk youth at “In Arms’ Reach”, a Harlem-based arts, counseling and mentoring program for the children of incarcerated parents.
Wow. Seriously… wow. Yes, it’s been four days since the show and much of this time has been spent fretting about my camera meltdown (more about that later), but I have to say something about this wonderful performer, before more time goes by, and just ahead of another show she’s doing tomorrow night at The Lizard Lounge.
Laura Lee Imhoff started out as a Massachusetts native (Lowell, to be precise), and has played at many area clubs, but is now based in Texas. Listening to her sultry, soulful, playful voice serenading us on Wednesday night at Toad, it seems as though she was born and bred right there in Austin. I felt myself being pulled slowly into her world, into another time and place, a ramshackle cabin in the backwaters of Mississippi perhaps, a kettle simmering over an open fire… – surely this wasn’t the 21st century, in a hipster-cum-yuppie Cambridge, Mass. club? Absolutely wonderful. Performing with her was Hugh McGowan on acoustic guitar, and he was brilliant. I’m afraid I wasn’t able to stay for his full band’s set, but judging from the guy’s playing, I’m sure it was fantasic.
Her CD, “A Little Something for Kerrville”, is just Laura Lee’s lovely vocals and acoustic guitar, very personal and intimate, and I highly, highly recommend it. You can purchase this directly from her MySpace page, or buy individual tracks. In addition to her music, Laura Lee is also a visual artist, and does commissioned work as well.
As for why I don’t have any photos in this article… well, I have this brand new camera. Problem is, at the end of her exquisite set (after I had taken a ton of pictures), suddenly I get this “card error” message, and subsequently wasn’t able to read anything off it. I’ll be sending the #$*@! card back to the company and they’ll see what they can do, but as it’s unlikely they’ll be able to retrieve those photos, here’s some pics of Laura Lee that others have taken. My apologies (and great frustration). So tell me, do I really want a replacement card from this company??
The good news: I’ll be at the ‘Open Mic Challenge’ at the Lizard Lounge (with yes, a different memory card), so I’ll have another chance, and I’ll be able to hear her lovely singing again. If anyone in the Boston area sees this today or tomorrow and can make it to the Lizard Lounge, you’ll be very glad you did! (disclaimer – I’ve never been to any of these open mic challenges, so I have no idea how long she’ll perform for).
[8/24 - As it happens, I ended up having to work until 1:45 a.m. last night (this morning) and it's only 8 p.m. and all I really feel like doing is curling up with a book and then crashing. So I won't be at the Lizard Lounge, but maybe you will, and I'm sure it'll be a good time. According to Laura Lee's MySpace, she'll be on around 11pm, though I'm not entirely sure how she knows that! In any case, I'll make up for my laziness with a review of her lovely CD which I just finished listening to again... tomorrow.]
Laura Lee’s Upcoming Shows
Aug 24 2009 11:00P | Lizard Lounge Open Mic Challenge | Cambridge, Massachusetts
Aug 29 2009 8:00P | Radio Zendo | Austin, Texas
Sep 3 2009 8:00P | House Concert | Austin, Texas
Continuing where I left off last time, here’s part II of my ‘band roundup’. If you’re in one of the bands I’m profiling and there’s new information, please let me know, and I’ll add it in.
Former Utopia is singer-songwriter/guitarist/vocalist George Gargan, with special guests Violeta García López and Chiara Meatelli. George formerly played bass in Lazarus Clamp (1999-2003), and formed Former Utopia in 2003. Lovely and very pretty folky acoustic guitar as on “A Love Like Infinity” and “Chilli Linguini Demo” (the latter adding violin and a female vocalist (not sure who it is, sorry), to great effect. Then there are truly quirky and odd things like an unrecognizable cover of “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” and the relationship ruminations of “Women X Possibilities”, with the line “but you’re impossible and I’m a rascal, I just want an easy life.”
He/they have one recording available: a limited edition (250) 3-track vinyl 7″ which includes a CD with two additional bonus tracks. It includes tracks from Former Utopia, Michael L. Clamp, The Philanthropists, and Stupidly For Blood.
Upcoming Shows:
9/23 – The Donkey, Leicester-with Julie Doiron & Construction and Destruction plus guests – Leicester, Midlands
9/24 – The Cluny2 Newcastle-with Julie Doiron & Construction and Destruction plus guests – Newcastle, Northeast
9/25 – The Bowery, Edinburgh-with Julie Doiron and Construction and Destruction – Edinburgh, Scotland
9/26 – Glasgow DIY Festival-with Julie Doiron, Construction and Destruction plus guests – Glasgow, Scotland
9/27 – Islington Mill, Salford-with Julie Doiron, Lazarus Clamp, Construction and Destruction – Manchester, Northwest
9/28 – The Buffalo Bar, Cardiff-with Julie Dorion, Construction and Destruction plus guests – Cardiff, Wales
9/30 – Julie Doiron @ Luminaire with Lazarus Clamp, Construction and Destruction, Former Utopia – London, London and South East
10/10 – World International John Peel Day @Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes – London, London and South East
10/29 – DJ Set (DJ Set) with We Vs Death (Holland) plus guests @ Bardens Boudair – London, London and South East
“I like your style, you dress like you’ve been crazy for a while” – Those trainers r fucking crazy
The Venetia Fair
When I first listened to The Venetia Fair, I jotted down “punkish, crazy shit. fun.” That assessment still stands. Based here in Boston, there’s Benny Santoro on (shrieking, snarling, nutty) vocals; Samuel Parsons, bass; Chaz Kang, guitar; Joe Brown, keyboards; and not quite sure who on drums (guess they’re looking for a drummer). I honestly don’t know why Sparks comes to mind when I listen to them. Maybe Sparks at the circus, while doing badly-manufactured amphetamines.
Their debut release, “The Venetia Fair Presents: The Circus was released on June 12 on Red Blue Records. As for tour dates, it’s rather cryptic on their MySpace, because they’ve listed all the places they want to play – which I think with most bands would be everywhere, right? So here’s the ones that are actually – I think – real shows happening at real venues in real cities. Check back with them for updates.
8/30 – Red Electric w/ Phone Calls From Home – Las Vegas, Nevada
9/4 – Jake’s Back Room w/ Phone Calls From Home – Lubbock, Texas
9/10 – The High Ground w/ Phone Calls from Home – Metairie, Louisiana
9/12 – Island Oasis w/ Phone Calls From Home – Winter Park, Florida
9/18 – New Brookland Tavern w/ Phone Calls From Home – West Columbia, South Carolina
9/19 – DRINK! w/ Phone Calls From Home – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
9/20 – The Canal Club w/ Phone Calls From Home – Richmond, Virginia
9/23 – Shawnee VFW w/Phone Calls From Home & The Paramedic – Louisville, KY
9/25 – The Cavern w/ Phone Calls From Home & The Paramedic- Xenia, Ohio
9/27 – Park Theatre w/ Phone Calls From Home – Holland, Michigan
10/1 – Bogies w/ Phone Calls From Home – Albany, New York
Your Favorite Ex
Just one year old as of this past August 1, this Boston-based band plan consists of Chris Mitchell, vocals and guitar; Anthony Sharamitaro, guitar; Joe Borge, bass; and Tim Ringwood, drums. Their debut EP, Seven Days ’til Spring, is set for release in late September, and you can listen to the three tracks and download “Caramel Thoughts; The Sweetest Dreams” from purevolume. It’s pretty decent stuff for their first recorded songs and considering how young these guys look. Age is not an issue, of course, but I’m always impressed when a bunch of kids (yeah, unfortunately I’m old enough that I can call them kids) have enough focus and savvy to jump right in and do it.
They have three shows currently planned, and it sounds like more on the way soon.
8/29 The West End Theater // ALL-AGES // Gloucester, Massachusetts
8/31 Harper’s Ferry // 18+ // w/ The Sophomore Beat, All Out – Allston, Massachusetts
9/18 The Sad Cafe // ALL-AGES // w/ Hollywood Lies, The Coming Weak, and more! – Plaistow, New Hampshire
From Nice in the south of France, Shudderwall (two brothers, Emmanuel and Christophe (drums and guitar/piano), and their sister Florence on bass, with all on vocals) have been recording and performing together since 2007. Their 11-track debut album is available from Believe Digital. It was recorded and produced by Scott Matthews, who has produced, recorded or performed with Mick Jagger, Barbra Streisand, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, John Lee Hooker, George Harrison, Joe Satriani, The Beach Boys and Neil Young. They’ve performed shows in France, Italy, and England, with radio, TV, and press coverage in Europe, Canada, the U.S., and even India.
An interesting sound – dark and gothic on songs like “Fairy Tale” and “The World Is So Gray”; quite hard-edged and even industrial in places, as on “Grudge”. Upcoming shows are just in Nice for now: Oct 6th at King’s pub, Oct 9th at Staccato with On The Edge, and Oct 14th at Nikaia 700 with Majda + Really addictive sound + The Nuances.
Grudge promo video
Fairy Tale
Godshills
Godshills first formed when Ewelina (lead vocals, guitar) moved to Baltimore from Poland and met Marc Canyon (bass) via a newspaper ad. Marc had previously played with Futureground in Los Angeles. John Tomakos rounds things out on drums and percussion. Influences include The Cure, The Strokes, Pearl Jam, early Modest Mouse – and they have a dreamy, atmospheric feel with lovely vocals from Ewelina.
After performing in Baltimore clubs for about a year, they released their debut album March (er, in April) on Rescue Records, which is available through iTunes, CD Baby, or Amazon.com.
Spider Webs
PAPA
PAPA (based in New York City), is Darren Weiss, Danny Presant, and Sean O’Brien. From what I can tell, they’ve been around for just under a year, and released their debut album back in April, available on iTunes. I like their sound; someone in their MySpace comments mentioned a Modest Mouse influence, so I’ll go with that until I hear/learn more. They also have a Facebook page, but not much on there yet. I don’t see any tour dates mentioned, so I’ll assume they’re ‘in the works’ and I’ll keep my eye out for them. I’d definitely go see these guys.
I’ve got some serious catching up to do. After my “mini-festival-weekend” now two weeks ago (which included Boston’s Best Music Poll and the WBRU/McFadden’s block party in Providence), it took me all the following week to assemble my plethora of notes, photos and video clips into a few reviews. Since then I’ve been trying to catch up with a backlog of MySpace requests, emails and bands I’ve been meaning to check out.
What I’ve decided to do, rather than have to choose (from a wide variety of some great or at least interesting music) which bands to do profiles on, is to have periodic “band roundups”, where I’ll write shorter profiles, much like I did during the Coachella Festival. Since I’ve got over 20 bands to get to here, I’ll do this in bite-size chunks, rather than assault you with yet another of my massive tomes.
I’ve only heard of these guys just recently but man, they’re awesome. LA-Underground wrote a nice piece on them back in February of last year. They cite influences as varied as Simon and Garfunkel, Neil Young, Wilco, Flaming Lips and Pink Floyd. Their delightful and unique sound mixes some very pretty and highly sophisticated musical arrangements with wonderfully quirky vocals and literate, emotionally complex lyrics. Beautiful guitar playing and lead vocals from Avi Buffalo, with Rebecca Coleman on backing vocals and keyboards, Sheridan Riley on drums, and Arin Fazio, bass.
A guitarist and songwriter from Long Beach, California, Avi performed with Monogram, JoeyJoel and The Blues Crusaders, before writing and recording his own music. There’s a depth to his lyrics and a sophistication to the band’s sound that would be impressive for seasoned musicians who had been together for many years. They’d be exciting enough with their adept musicianship and insightful lyrics, but to learn that they’re all around 18 years old is astonishing. Add to that the surreal fact that they’re not old enough to be in the places where they’re currently performing (including a month-long residency at The Echo), and that by all accounts, they’re completely blowing away audiences accustomed to extraordinarily good bands.
The band’s debut album (produced by Aaron Embry at Hunter’s Hollow Studio in Los Angeles, CA) is due for a late 2009 release.
Upcoming Shows
Sep 5 2009 – FYF Fest Presents: Save Our State Parks at LA Historic Park – Los Angeles, California
Sep 12 2009 – Monolith Music Festival (their first festival!) – Red Rock, Colorado
Sep 19 2009 – Musicfest Northwest Berbati’s Pan with John Vanderslice and Beach House – Portland, Oregon
Sep 20 2009 – Neumos with BEACH HOUSE – Seattle, Washington
Sep 22 2009 – Department of Safety with BEACH HOUSE – Anacortes, Washington
Sep 23 2009 – The Nightlight with BEACH HOUSE – Bellingham, Washington
Born into a musical family (his father is a producer and classical pianist; his two older sisters were both in various rock bands), he released his debut album, “One By One” (Aeronaut Records) in 2007 when he was 19, and played drums, banjo, bass, piano and mandolin in addition to guitar on that album. His music and lyrics are introspective and personal (he’s compared to a young Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle and Neil Young; rightly so, I’d say, at first listen – especially those first two). Very nice. The storytelling in “All of my Trains” especially really drew me in.
Performing with Robert are Graham Lathrop (pedal steel, guitar), Alex Kweskin (bass), Richard Gowen (drums), and Benji Lysaght (guitar).
They’re currently on tour with Priscilla Ahn and have a few shows of their own lined up:
8/18 The Ark w/Priscilla Ahn – Ann Arbor, MI
8/19 The Drake Hotel Underground w/Priscilla Ahn – Toronto, Canada
8/21 NYC – Bowery Ballroom w/Priscilla Ahn – New York, NY
8/22 World Cafe Live w/Priscilla Ahn – WXPN Studios, Philadelphia, PA
8/23 IOTA Club & Cafe w/Priscilla Ahn – Arlington, VA
8/24 Pianos – New York, NY
8/26 Case Western Reserve University – Cleveland, OH
8/27 Schuba’s – Chicago, IL
8/30 The Walnut Room – Denver, CO
Recently signed to Atlantic Records, his next release is due out this fall. The first two tracks, “Nightfall” and “Darkness”, can be heard on his MySpace or Facebook pages.
Based in the Buffalo, NY area, Colors In The Air have been performing together since summer 2005. The band features Brian Miller – vocals, piano, guitar, Ryan Cullinane – bass, Pat Williams – drums, Justin Walker – guitar. Walker and Miller had previously been in the Lockport-based band, Tears of Tomorrow. They went from performing around Buffalo to signing with indie label The Workshop Recording Group in 2006 and embarked on a regional tour to support their first EP, to releasing their second album, On The Inside and recently performing for a few weeks on the Warped Tour.
Official video for “Phetamine” (from On The Inside, 2007)
They’re currently booking more local and regional shows. See their MySpace for tour dates. So far:
Sat 8/29 Block Party @ SUNY Fredonia – Fredonia, NY
Thur 9/10 The Hairy Lemon (Muldoons) – Fredonia, NY
Mon 9/21 Croc Bar – Buffalo, NY
Fri 9/25 Gonzo’s – Lockport, NY
Sat 10/10 Mohawk Place – Buffalo, NY
Fri 10/30 Gonzo’s – Lockport, NY
additional cities mentioned: Rochester, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Toronto, Long Island, NYC, and possibly Chicago.
This is Oscar Martimor, from Valencia, Spain. Very nice jazz/progressive guitar over unobtrusive, complimentary electronics and percussion (”Fase Terminal (Terminal Illness)” and “Nido De Culebras (Snakes Nest)”) and also solo guitar, quite lovely (as in “Expansion”, which also includes a really nice string section at the end).
Not sure if he has any releases available, but his Quartet will be performing at a venue called Acoustic Lives on October 1 – if you happen to be in Valencia, Spain at that time.
Trading Voices
Taylour Chanel & Dylan Fant of Trading Voices. Photo by Brandon Waterman.
Based in Woodinville (Seattle), Washington, Trading Voices is the musical project of Dylan Fant (who is also involved with J Minus (acoustic) and J Minus (rock). He’s a multi-instrumentalist inspired by various genres. For Trading Voices, Dylan plays various instruments with guest female vocalists. In the banjo-driven “Take Me With You”, the focus is on Taylour Chanel’s lovely singing, with a smattering of piano coming in as a nice complement. Other tracks like “I Will Erase You” and “Just Walk Away” are more rocking. Bee Simonds is another of Dylan’s guest vocalists, different from Taylour’s style, but also quite good.
As if all that weren’t enough to keep the guy busy, he also runs 1 Shot Studio. Trading Voices’ debut album is available as an mp3 download on amazon.com. J Minus has the following releases: Sun & Moon Double Album (2006) and Mr. Robotron on the Byway (2009), which are both available here.
As for live performances, his band J Minus has the following shows scheduled:
9/7 (2:00PM) – Alzheimers Benefit – WSU Chi Delta Sigma – Pullman, Washington
9/9 – Great Northern Bar & Grill (21+) – Whitefish, Montana
9/11 – Crusty’s Pizza (all ages) – McCall, Idaho
9/15 – The Black Nugget – Carbondale, Colorado
9/18 – Diablo’s Downtown Lounge – Eugene, Oregon
The Twees
Hailing from Long Island, New York, The Twees are Jason Abrishami, guitar and vocals; Will Mazzoli, bass; and Logan Sorrentino, drums. They’ve only been around since January of this year, and seem to be off to a good start. Citing influences such as The Strokes, Bloc Party and The Wombats, their sound is bouncy and pop-quirky on their newer songs; more punkish on earlier tracks (especially “I’m Not Saying” and “It’s Been So Long”).
Their new 4-song EP, Lessons To Connect, can be heard on gimmesound.com, along with four older tracks. If you sign up for a (free) membership, you can download the EP free of charge.
As of now, just two shows listed: 9/12 at The Wave w/ The Royal Chains in PATCHOGUE, New York (that’s on Long Island), and 9/27 at Arlene’s Grocery in NYC, New York.
