Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Australian Producer, Flume, Tops iTunes Charts & Shares New Track, Star Eyes

flume

It's been a charmed few weeks for 21-year-old Australian producer Flume. His self-titled debut album reached #1 on the Australian iTunes album charts (overtaking One Direction) and he's still sitting at #2, right ahead of Taylor Swift! Now that he has, for all intents and purposes, conquered that continent, we are pleased to reveal a new track off the album, which is slated for a 2013 physical release in the US. Big things are stirring and Flume's potential seems limitless, so as a vital new talent takes our shores by storm, we don't blame you if you get "Star Eyes." Listen to/Download the new track, premiered today on Pitchfork.

“'Star Eyes' reflects the fleeting, soaring romantic sentiments its name implies.”

—Pitchfork

Listen to Star Eyes off Flume's Self-Titled Debut

Listen to Holdin On

Watch the Video for Sleepless (ft. Jezzabell Doran)

Watch Flume at Splendour in the Grass Below:

Swedish Drone-Metal Titans Switchblade & Italian Riff Mongers Lento Issue New Albums on Denovali Records

switchblade album

Switchblade: [2012]

Lento album

Lento: Anxiety Despair Languish

Swedish drone-metal titans Switchblade and Italian riff mongers Lento both announce forthcoming new albums available worldwide via Denovali Records. For the album [2012], Switchblade are joined by ex-Opeth, Candlemass and Katatonia guests. Special editions come with the band's own brand of coffee! Lento's third full length of pummeling sludge rock has already received a wealth of praise from European metal press, including Terrorizer and Rock-A-Rolla.


Switchblade's [2012] CD/2xLP/DL:

The phoenix has risen once again in a new shape and form—this time as a two-headed beast. The Swedish band's adjustment from trio to duo has been perfected over the last 3 years and this album is the result of that metamorphosis. Switchblade is taking one big step forward and two steps backward.

In three monumental movements spanning over 37 minutes, Switchblade plunges into an array of different dynamics, always ebbing and flowing. This time, the band is joined by Per Wiberg (ex-OPETH, SPIRITUAL BEGGARS, CLUTCH, CANDLEMASS) on Hammond organ, The Cuckoo (TERRA TENEBROSA), David Johansson (KONGH, THE ETERNAL VOID) and Lord Seth (ex-KATATONIA) on vocals.

Listen to [Movement II], Plus Additional Song Snippets

[2012] will be available in North America on December 11th on CD, deluxe gatefold 180g double LP and download via Denovali Records. Limited edition with coffee and mug available.


Lento's Anxiety Despair Languish CD/LP/DL:

Following the acclaimed studio albums Earthen (2007)and Icon (2011), and their latest live album Live Recording 8.10.11 (2012) Lento announce third full length Anxiety Despair Languish.

“The sort of riffs that will pummel you with a baseball bat and not even take your wallet afterwards -- just violence for sport”

—Rock A Rolla

Anxiety Despair Languish reaches beyond Lento's past albums: it tries to make a summary of the whole heavy music panorama of our time. The result is their most ambitious work: an album for people who are unfamiliar with that kind of music, and for people who solely like that kind of music.

The widely renowned loudness of their live performance has been reproduced in studio through the work of Lorenzo Stecconi and Matteo Spinazzè. Thirteen instrumental songs that does not let up throughout the total running time of 40 minutes and 50 seconds. After several intense years touring Europe between the 2007 and the 2012, this album represents a turning point in the band's history.

For fans of BARONESS, MARE, CULT OF LUNA or SLEEP:

Listen to Streams of Death Must Be the Place & A Necessary Leap from the Album via Soundcloud

Anxiety Despair Languish will be available on December 11th on CD, thick deluxe gatefold 180g LP (w/DL card) and download via Denovali Records.


Listen to Select Tracks from Switchblade & Lento:

The Cult Unveil Video for Elemental Light (Salem Remix)

When The Cult frontman Ian Astbury had the idea for SALEM to remix a song off their new release Choice of Weapon, he reached out to the band as an admirer, using an email he found on and EP he had. The band responded and chose Elemental Light which resulted in an ethereal, beat-driven version of the song.

Ian then called in the cinematic prowess of director/acclaimed fine artist Kostas Seremetis to create a visual element for the remix, and the result is more short film than music video.


“The sentiment of this film captures the loss of wilderness, and a generation trying to make sense of the trash heap they have inherited,” Astbury says of the project. “It evokes nature versus man, that struggle [and] desire to control nature and ultimately death.”

The film recently premiered on IFC.com.

the cult, weapon of choice

The Cult: Online | Facebook | Twitter

Weapon of Choice: iTunes        Choice of Weapon: iTunes | Amazon

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

KHORS, Ukrainian Black Metal Heathens, Issue New LIVE Video for The Last Leaves

Ukrainian black metal heathens KHORS recently unleashed a video for The Last Leaves. Shot live at the Metal Heads’ Mission Festival this past August in Crimea, Ukraine, the track comes off the band’s Wisdom Of Centuries full-length issued via Candlelight Records’ Cult Series earlier this Fall.

What Reviewers are Saying about KHORS:

Wisdom Of Centuries is full of charred vocals, tremolo-picked minor chords, and drums comfortably volleying between Celtic Frost strides and traditional black metal blasts. It’s the quiet moments…that are the most evocative: while many of their peers are content with downshifting into folk or unintentionally—‘80s keyboard symphonies, KHORS drape warm layers of synths over their frosty dervish. The pair of instrumentals in the middle of the album work as a fine palate-cleanser, relying on Wagnerian brass and Deftones-esque drumming in equal parts to relieve and build tension. It’s not the most innovative black metal album, but the tweaks that are implemented work beautifully.”

—MetalSucks


“KHORS is steadily becoming a force in the atmospheric black metal scene”

—Blistering.com


“Atmospheric brand of black metal that has progressed from rawness, to precision and darkness over time. They’ve always used keyboards giving their music somewhat of a psychedelic sound and even prog-ish at times though with this new album they enhance their sound better than on any other disc”

—Popdose


“Tasteful keyboard usage and traditional folkie instrumentation.”

—Decibel

KHORS features former members of Hate Forest, Tessaract, and Drudkh. Their fifth full-length Wisdom Of Centuries is enhanced by the use of various ethnic instruments, is the first performed in the band’s native tongue and continues to reap the praise of critics domestically and abroad.


Listen to Tracks from KHORS:

Sam Spiegel Announces New Project—Maximum Hedrum, ft. Derrick Green & Harod Faltermeyer

Sam Spiegel Announces New Project: Maximum Hedrum
Debut Self-Titled, Full-Length Album Out March 5th


Singles Keep In Touch (ft. George Clinton) & Synthesize
Available Now for FREE Download This Week

LOS ANGELES RESIDENCY SET FOR JANUARY AT LOS GLOBOS

Maximum Hedrum
November 27, 2012—LOS ANGELES, CA: Producer, composer, director, and DJ Sam Spiegel today announced the launch of his new project, Maximum Hedrum and the release date of the group's forthcoming self-titled debut album, due out on March 5th 2013 via Spectrophonic Sound. Maximum Hedrum'sunique electronic-funk hybrid features Sam Spiegel, the vocals of Derrick Green from the seminal heavy metal band Sepultura, and renowned German musician and producer Harold Faltermeyer, and examines the way our lives are changing through advancements in technology and the Internet. The album's first singles Keep In Touch (featuring funk legend George Clinton) and Synthesize are available for purchase on iTunes (Keep In Touch, Synthesize) and for free download for a limited time via SoundCloud.

Free Download of Keep In Touch | Free Download of Synthesize

Aside from his work producing the Yeah Yeah Yeahs Grammy® nominated sophomore album Show Your Bones and scoring countless films, documentaries and commercials, in 2009 Spiegel founded N.A.S.A (North America South America) whose landmark globetrotting debut LP, The Spirit of Apollo featured jaw-dropping collaborations from the likes of Kanye West, George Clinton, M.I.A., Tom Waits, RZA, David Byrne.

The Maximum Hedrum project was instigated by Spiegel's feelings on the advancements of technology and the resulting impact on our lives. “It was a feeling I had to express,” he said. “I really wanted to examine the interconnectedness and isolation this shift has brought…and the desperation that fills the Internet.”

After numerous experimental late night studio sessions with longtime friend and Sepultura vocalist Derrick Green in Sao Paolo, Brazil the project was officially born. “Derrick has only ever screamed on metal and hardcore albums before, but on this album he's crooning with his bass baritone voice like Isaac Hayes, and also signing crazy falsetto like Prince. It's really a departure from anything that either of us has ever done in the past,” said Sam Spiegel.

Sam Spiegel, Maximum Hedrum
“I always imagined and desired to use my voice in as many ways unimaginable,” said vocalist Derrick Green. “The combination of working together with Sam Spiegel has open many possibility to expand the boundaries of music. The idea of Maximum Hedrum is to break down all concepts and barriers of the mind and explore the unknown fearlessly. The journey is just beginning with so many endless possibilities with Maximum Hedrum.”

Heavily rooted in danceable electro-funk with classic synth textures, the album's single Keep In Touch is a thumping psychedelic offering that features additional vocals from George Clinton. The song will also be featured in the upcoming Girl Skateboards film Pretty Sweet (see teaser clip below). The massive R&B influenced Robosexual incorporates additional percussion from guest collaborator Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, while the dreamy track PHD trance pulses with classic hip hop inspired beats. From start to finish, the album is a genuine genre-melding ride.

Maximum Hedrum will kick off 2013 with a live residency at Los Globos in Los Angeles, performing on January 14th, 21st, and 28th. The band will also appear at Austin's South By Southwest in March. Stay tuned for additional live dates to be announced as well as an array of music videos, special mixtapes, remixes, and more.

Duo Touché Announces Live Shows & Drops Wild Horses Cover via BrooklynVegan

Touché's Wild Horses (Prefab Sprout Cover) MP3 Drops w/ BrooklynVegan Today!
Live Shows in NYC & LA Also Announced


Touché
 Band Photo

Touché is duo Alex Lilly and Bram Inscore, who explore themes of lust, obsession, fate, and the struggle for control. Touching upon hallucinogenic and esoteric ideas, they aim to find the place where their psyches overlap. The result is anthemic pop pieces darkened by the desires of the human heart and sharpened by personal politics. Finding support from XLR8R & Impose Magazine to Under The Radar & Death & Taxes, Touché’s I’m A Man Not A Machine single was released last month.

Touché has shared stages with MEN, Active Child, and Daedelus in their hometown of LA. Today they’re proud to announce that in addition to a show this week in LA, the duo will be bringing their pop chops to NYC this winter. For another taste of what you’ll hear live, check out the new spaced-out Wild Horses (Prefab Sprout Cover) MP3 where it premiered with BrooklynVegan today or HERE.

Separately, the two halves of Touché have been involved in a slew of musical projects. Alex’s previous project was prog-pop outfit Obi Best and she has played keys and sung back-up for The Bird and the Bee, Ry Cooder, and Nick Lowe as well as recently joining folk supergroup The Living Sisters. Bram has kept busy as touring and recording bassist & keyboardist for acts like Beck, Thurston Moore, and Charlotte Gainsbourg, and is currently a member of Twin Shadow. Stay tuned for more from Touché coming soon!

Touché Plays Live in NYC & LA


11/29/12
12/19/12
01/04/13
Los Angeles, CA
Brooklyn, NY
Brooklyn, NY
The Echo
Glasslands
Cameo Gallery

Companion Announces Debut Album & Premieres Music Video on Stereogum

Companion is a New Project from Pepi Ginsberg
Watch 20th Century Crime | Stream 20th Century Crime


Companion Album Cover

Companion is the new project from Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Pepi Ginsberg. With four critically acclaimed solo albums under her belt, Pepi returns with a new moniker, an expanded lineup and a lusher sound.

Today Stereogum premiered the band's music video for their first single 20th Century Crime, directed by Alec Sutherland. Watch the video on YouTube, and listen to the track on SoundCloud. The track is also now available on iTunes.

Companion will release their debut self-titled album on February 5th.


Biography

“If Cat Power's voice and Neko Case's voice made sweet, sweet love to each other, you'd likely get the voice of Pepi Ginsberg. But the soft sounds are delivered with razor sharp lyrics that tell amazing little stories.”

—Philadelphia City Paper

“Ginsberg does display an acute talent for making minor tweaks to the most time-honored formulas.”

—WNYC

Companion, a new project from Pepi Ginsberg (Red, East Is East), is defined by lush vocal arrangements and strong rhythmic hooks. A clear departure from Ginsberg's earlier work, Companion delivers artful pop with a twist.

The process of developing this new sound began around Ginsberg's thorough home recordings of her songs, along with vocal harmonies she created with bandmates Anna Thorngate and Amy Carrigan-both of whom she enlisted from the ranks of the Brooklyn Ladies Choir, an all-women singing group she'd formed in the winter of 2010. To flesh out these vocal-centric versions of the songs, she picked up her own guitar and turned to her longtime bass player, Tim Lappin, plus new guitarist Kirk Schoenherr and drummer Justin Veloso. In the studio, the band started to create a sound that incorporated elements both organic and electronic, often incorporating Ginsberg's homemade beats: “I needed to learn how to write harder parts on my guitar and sing more challenging melodies, and I was listening to a lot of HOT 97,” she says. “I wanted to build beats and have electronic aspects to the music, so I had to figure out how to write them, and blend those ideas with the organic nature of the songs.”

The production on the band's eponymous debut is big and airy. With help from people like Jake Aron (Grizzly Bear, Yeasayer, Jamie Lidell) and Nathan Sabatino (Dr. Dog), the album is powerful, rich and compelling. It marks an auspicious and mature beginning for a young band.

The Virgins Return with Strike Gently—Out March 12th on Cult Records

The Virgins' Strike Gently Released March 12th
On Tour in South America


The Virgins, Strike Gently, Album Cover

“[The Virgins are] making reliably honest, memorable music…their next album is definitely something to look forward to.”

—Rolling Stone

Cult Records is set to release Strike Gently, the long-awaited second full length from critically acclaimed New York-based band the Virgins, on March 12. The album was recorded in NYC at the East Village Recording Center underneath the site of the storied former rock club Brownies and produced by Johnny T Yerington and Gus Oberg as The Unicorn Parade. Cult Records founder Julian Casablancas notes, “When I first saw the Virgins I was psyched there was such a rad new band from NYC. Donald’s such an awesome guy and it’s great to meet someone who’s such a true artist. I think they’ve made a classic record and we’re really excited they chose to work with us.”

The forthcoming record follows up on the Virgins’ 2008 self-titled debut, which NME raved was “jam-packed with pop hits” and Entertainment Weekly called “punchy and slinky and over before you know it, but good, dirty fun while it lasts,” while SPIN noted that “these New York kids reflect the mirror-ball gleam of primo INXS and Emotional Rescue–era Rolling Stones onto the lives of today’s young, rich, and wasted.”

The Virgins

Photo credit: Adly Elewa

The group was started by frontman Donald Cumming in 2006 and features Max Kamins (bass), Xan Aird (guitar) and John Eatherly (drums). They have shared stages with Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Lou Reed, Sonic Youth and Patti Smith and have appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Last Call with Carson Daly. The single Rich Girls from their 2008 release was included on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008, and they most recently released the single Venus in Chains earlier this year. The group currently on tour in South America, having just recently completed a pair of shows in Santiago, Chile. Please see below for a list of dates.

See www.returnfromthevoid.com and www.cultrecords.com for additional info on the Virgins.

The Virgins South American 2012 Tour Dates


November 29
December 1
Bogota, Columbia
Buenos Aires, Argentina
La Puerta Grande
Personal Fest

Listen to Select Tracks from The Virgins:

EELS to Embark on World Tour & New Album Out February 5th

EELS to Embark on World Tour
Highly-Anticipated New Album
Wonderful, Glorious Out February 5, 2013


“That rarest thing in contemporary pop: a unique sound”

—The New Yorker

  

“I eagerly await each new release.”

—Tom Waits

Photo credit: Piper Ferguson

EELS will embark on a world tour to celebrate the release of their new album Wonderful, Glorious, out February 5 on E Works/Vagrant Records. Kicking off February 14 in Santa Ana, California, the tour includes dates across the United States, Canada, the UK and Europe. The tour will wrap up on April 24 in Paris, France; please see reverse for a complete list of dates. Tickets are available for pre-sale here. Peach Blossom, a new song from Wonderful, Glorious can currently be streamed here.

The ever-changing project of singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mark Oliver Everett (aka E), EELS recorded Wonderful, Glorious at Everett’s new Los Feliz, CA studio. Dubbed “The Compound”, the new space invigorated Everett’s writing process. “It was exciting,” he says, “it filled me with hope for limitless possibilities. And I realized I’d had a similar feeling when I first put the band together for the last two tours.” The band, which features guitarists The Chet and P-Boo, bass player Koool G Murder and drummer Knuckles, all had a hand in the writing of Wonderful, Glorious. “The only rule I had was ‘let’s try it,’” says Everett. “If anyone in the room had an idea, I’d say ‘let’s try it.’”

In the four years prior to his album trilogy, Everett embarked on a number of projects including his acclaimed autobiography Things the Grandchildren Should Know and the BBC-produced multiple-award winning Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives documentary film about E and his quantum physicist father, Hugh Everett III, which was broadcast on PBS’ Nova series in the U.S., fall of 2008. “All this time during the making of all these other projects, I was always writing and recording music,” says Everett. “Every time I branch out and try something else, I think it will be some kind of relief to take a break from music. But I always come back with my tail between my legs, because there’s nothing I enjoy more than making music. The other projects have been great experiences for me, but this is what I love to do.”

EELS 2013 World Tour Dates
Includes Dates in USA, Canada, & Europe


February 14
February 15
February 16
February 18
February 19
February 22
February 23
February 24
February 25
February 26
February 27

March 1
March 2
March 3
March 4
March 5
March 7
March 8
March 14
March 15
March 17
March 18
March 19
March 21
March 23
March 25
March 26
March 27
March 29
March 30

April 1
April 6
April 7
April 8
April 10
April 12
April 14
April 15
April 16
April 18
April 19
April 20
April 21
April 22
April 24
Santa Ana, CA
Los Angeles, CA
San Francisco, CA
Portland, OR
Seattle, WA
Minneapolis, MN
Chicago, IL
Columbus, OH
Toronto, ON
Montreal, QC
Boston, MA

New York, NY
Philadelphia, PA
Washington, DC
Carrboro, NC
Atlanta, GA
Dallas, TX
Houston, TX
Belfast, Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
Manchester, UK
Glasgow, UK
Leeds, UK
London, UK
Bournemouth, UK
Brighton, UK
Norwich, UK
Nottingham, UK
Bristol, UK
Birmingham, UK

Amsterdam, Holland
Copenhagen, Denmark
Hamburg, Germany
Berlin, Germany
Belgium, Brussels
Caen, France
Salzburg, Austria
Fribourg, Switzerland
Zurich, Switzerland
Milan, Italy
Graz, Austria
Linz, Austria
Vienna, Austria
Munich, Germany
Paris, France
The Observatory
The Fonda Theatre
The Fillmore
Aladdin Theater
Showbox Theater
First Avenue
Vic Theatre
Newport Music Hall
Phoenix Concert Theatre
Theatre Corona
Paradise

Webster Hall
World Café Live
9:30 Club
Cat's Cradle
Variety Playhouse
Granada Theater
Warehouse Live Ballroom
Limelight
Olympia
Academy
O2 Academy
O2 Academy
O2 Academy Brixton
O2 Academy
Dome
UEA
Rock City
O2 Academy
O2 Academy

Paradiso
Grey Hall
Grosse Freiheit
Astra
Cirque Royal
Le Cargo
Republic
Frison
Volkshaus
Alcatraz
Orpheum
Posthof
Gasometer
Muffathalle
Trianon

Listen to Select Tracks from the EELS:

Monday, November 26, 2012

Black Moth Super Rainbow Tracks & Tour!
Listen to & Share Like a Sunday

Listen up, freaks! You've had the main course and now the dessert! Black Moth Super Rainbow is spiking your sugar high with Cobra Juicy track Like A Sundae, which was named Today's Top Tune by KCRW. Get your masks on because the partying and mischief making continues next month on the East Coast. A full list of tour dates is below.

black moth super rainbow

Black Moth Super Rainbow Tour Dates:


12/03/12
12/05/12
12/06/12
12/07/12
12/08/12
03/10/13
Boston, MA
New York, NY
Brooklyn, NY
Philadelphia, PA
Washington, DC
Denton, TX
Paradise
Bowery Ballroom
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Union Transfer
U Street Music Hall
35 Denton



“What's unique about Black Moth Super Rainbow is the balance achieved between the grotesque and the beautiful. This is not as easy as it sounds.”

—Pitchfork

“…Cobra Juicy drips with the group's trademark heady synthesizers, as well as infectious hooks and punchy electronica to craft their most melodic and accessible record to date.”

—FILTER

“Black Moth Super Rainbow have over the course of several albums set themselves a consistent task, with heady results: discovering what a psychedelic soundtrack for the 21st century sounds like. Their latest effort, Cobra Juicy...nails that trademark pastoral-yet-greasy groove.”

—BlackBook

“It's the Black Moth Super Rainbow recording we've been waiting for…”

—Under The Radar



Listen to Gangs in the Garden

Listen to and Watch the Video for Windshield Smasher


Listen to Tracks from Black Moth Super Rainbow:

Buke & Gase Share Title Track Off General Dome, Reveal Cover Art, & Announce 2013 Tour Dates

New Album from Buke & Gase Out January 29th
Listen to General Dome | Listen to Hiccup

Buke and Gase have this vague sense of unease. Like someone, somewhere is always watching. Do a Google image search for the band's new album title, General Dome, and you'll come across images that instill ideas of paranoia and surveillance such as security cameras and rockets being launched. In times like these, when governments can freely survey the citizenry's every action and our lives become increasingly less private, people are often drawn to code. Take a look at Buke and Gase's album cover above. Its minimalist design could mean nothing at all. Perhaps this would be the case, if this were any other band than Buke and Gase.

Inspired by a recent Sol LeWitt exhibition at the Dia Beacon museum in Beacon, NY, Arone Dyer and Aron Sanchez started brainstorming about coded imagery. They decided to build a system of images that would dictate the direction of the artwork, which lead them to creating a new alphabet they could write with, not totally different from the way they create their music. They built a graphical alphabet that the artwork is made of, the code of which will be available on their website once it's released. There are more coded images like this throughout the packaging.

On Wednesday, the band shared their heavy, raw nerve of a title track via Pitchfork. General Dome is out January 29th via Brassland.

Also, the band is announcing their record release show and subsequent tour. If you'd like an idea of what to expect, check out a video of their whole performance at NPR Music's CMJ party earlier this year on the NPR website.

Buke and Gase Tour Dates:


12/07/12
12/08/12
12/09/12

01/30/13
01/31/13
02/01/13
02/02/13
02/04/13
02/05/13
02/06/13
02/07/13
02/08/13
02/09/13
02/11/13
02/12/13
02/14/13
02/15/13
02/16/13
02/18/13
02/19/13
02/20/13
Minehead, UK
Minehead, UK
Minehead, UK

New York, NY
Boston, MA
Philadelphia, PA
Washington, DC
Montreal, QC
Toronto, ON
Detroit, MI
Cleveland, OH
Chicago, IL
Minneapolis, MN
Denver, CO
Salt Lake City, UT
Vancouver, BC
Seattle, WA
Portland, OR
San Francisco, CA
Los Angeles
San Diego, CA
All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties

Bowery Ballroom
Brighton Music Hall
Johnny Brenda's
DC 9
Il Motore
The Drake
Pike Room
Beachland Tavern
Lincoln Hall
7th Street Entry
Walnet Room
Kilby Court
Media Club
Barboza
Doug Fir Lounge
Café Du Nord
The Echo
The Casbah

Listen to & Purchase the Function Falls EP

Watch the video for Misshaping Introduction

Introducing Brooklyn Duo Pearl Necklace, Debut Album Soft Opening Out January 2013

Introducing Brooklyn Duo—Pearl Necklace
Debut Album Soft Opening Out January 29th


Listen to Did You Feel It?

We are pleased to introduce the world to Brooklyn duo Pearl Necklace. Pearl Necklace is Bryce Hackford and Frank Lyon. Soft Opening is their debut release, and it drops on January 29th via Smalltown Supersound. Like their name, a mischievous double-entendre certain to conjure a sly grin, the music of Pearl Necklace is similarly coded. Nothing is quite what it seems. Hackford & Lyon share a fascination with text—with language, sound, meaning, and with forms of communication. Soft Opening is a subtle but distinct dissemination of all of that, wherein all we think we know is revealed to be, in fact, quite alien.

Building on their predecessors fascination with Sound as Text—from Pierre Henry to early Cabaret Voltaire to Christian Marclay to Matmos—Pearl Necklace define their SoundWorld by an open-minded approach to sampling, using source material of various fidelities—field recordings, Library records, dusted disco cuts, et cetera—and live, primarily synth-based instrumentation, plus definitive use of an MPC1000 sampler.

Derived from improvisations, Soft Opening was recorded in a relaxed pace over the course of a year in Hackford's studio in Williamsburg. While they wrote, a few guests popped by the studio to lay down some ideas: Alexis Georgopoulos, better known as Arp—who sensed a kinship between Pearl Necklace and Smalltown Supersound and subsequently introduced band to label—and Andrew VanWyngarden, better known as the singer of MGMT. The result is a minimal techno full of auditory surprises and rewards. Pitchfork premiered album track Did You Feel It?, which features Arp, this morning. They called it a “percolator, which uses its seven-minute running time to build a hill of squishy, warm techno textures.”

Midge Ure Announces 2013 Dates for First US Solo Tour in Over 10 Years + Autobiography Coming in 2013

November 26th, 2012—New York, NY: Grammy Winner Midge Ure has announced plans for a solo US tour in January 2013 which will be the first time he performs in the US in a decade. The tour kicks off in Long Island New York on the 8th of January with the only acoustic show on the trek and winds up on the west coast in LA on January 26th. The last tour Midge did across the US was all acoustic in 2001—this will also be the first tour with a full band since 1985. Right The Stars will be opening the shows and will also provide backing for Midge Ure.

Midge Ure has an impressive back catalogue of his own fronting the groundbreaking electrorock band Ultravox as well as being a member of such noteable bands as Visage and Thin Lizzy in addition to Band Aid where he produced and co wrote the smash charity single Do They Know Its Christmas. He was also one of the principle creators of Live Aid and Live 8 along with Bob Geldof. Ure has spent most of his career touring the globe most recently with Ultravox who reformed in 2009 as well as some solo shows and the notable role of MD for the Princes Trust at the Royal Albert Hall with a cast of the usual suspects including Eric Clapton, Phil Collins and Mark King.

Besides preparing for a US tour, Midge has been keeping very busy with the recent release of Ultravox's album entitled Brilliant (their first since 1986), as well as an ebook release of his highly acclaimed Autobiography If I Was due out 2013. Fans can expect Ure's solo material, perhaps a few Ultravox tunes as well as a few surprises Midhe is also working on his next solo album.

Midge Ure 2013 Tour Dates


01/08
 
01/09
01/10
01/11
01/12
01/13
01/14
01/15
01/16
01/17
01/18
01/19
01/20
01/23
01/24
 
01/25
01/26
 
Oyster Bay, Long Island
 
New York, NY
Philadelphia, PA
Stafford Spring, CT
Woodstock, NY
Rochester, NY
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto, Ontario
Cleveland, OH
Detroit, MI
Milwaukee, WI
Chicago, IL
Minneapolis, MN
San Francisco, CA
San Juan Capistrano, CA
 
San Diego, CA
Los Angeles, CA
 
Sagamore Yacht Club
only US acoustic show
Iridium
World Cafe
Palace Theatre
Bearsville Theatre
Water Street Club
Hughs Room
Hughs Room
Beachland Ballroom
Magic Bag
Shank Hall
Mayne Stage
New Skyway Lounge
Red Devil Lounge
Coach House
Co-Headline w/ Bow Wow wow
Brick By Brick
El Rey Theater
w/ Bow Wow Wow & Gene Loves Jezebel

Dutch Musician Blaudzun Makes US Debut & Confirmed to Perform at SXSW + Album Release Date January 15th

Acclaimed Dutch Musician Blaudzun Makes US Debut
SXSW Performance Confirmed


Heavy Flowers Set for Release January 15 on Krian Music Group

Heavy Flowers, the latest album from the critically praised Holland-based artist Blaudzun, will be released stateside January 15 on Krian Music Group. The new record, which recently received the 3voor12 Award for Best Album of 2012, follows his highly lauded sophomore release Seadrift Soundmachine which IndieMuse.com called “one of the best releases of 2010,” and NU.NL described as a “stunning successor.” Blaudzun made big impressions at the major summer festivals in Holland last year, including Into The Great Wide Open and Lowlands. He made his U.S. debut at CMJ Music Marathon in New York City in October and is now set to perform at SXSW in March. Further national tour dates will be announced soon in addition to his already sold out Holland tour.

“Incredibly beautiful.”

—Oor Magazine

Singer-songwriter Johannes Sigmond played in bands for several years before going solo in 2006. In 2007 as Blaudzun, a name taken from a relatively unknown Danish cyclist from the 70s, he began working on a special collection of songs originally intended to be a soundtrack for a midnight car drive. He recorded most of the tracks in his Amsterdam home, several studios throughout Netherlands, and even added some sessions in Barcelona, a city he describes as having “a melancholic and sunny character that resonates through my life and work.” In 2008 V2 Records released his self-titled debut album. The following year he completed Seadrift Soundmachine—a collaboration with The City of Prague Orchestra.

“One of the most ambitious records of Dutch origin. Rare emotional depth.”

—NRC

Heavy Flowers was recorded in Utrecht at Mailmen Studio and most of the songs were again written in Barcelona. Of the album Blaudzun notes, “The writing process isn’t actually a one place and time event. For me it’s a constant state of mind. It shapes a song when you work on it in different cities and different atmospheres…I always travel with a paper notebook. When words or rhymes come up I put them down right away or record them on my phone. If I don’t, I feel like someone else will be able to pick it up from the sky or discover it and use it.”

This program is supported in part by public funds from the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York.


Listen to Select Tracks from Blaudzun:

Gigamesh Winter Tour Dates + Digital Mixtape: Fixtape Vol. 5

Sole Gigamesh Fixtape Volume 5

In colaboration with Solé Bicycles, Gigamesh is proud to offer Fixtape Volume 5— a digital mixtape available for download on the Solé blog here.



Gigamesh 2012 Winter Tour Dates:


12/06
12/07
12/08
12/13
12/14
12/15
12/21
12/22
12/31
Phoenix, AZ
San Francisco, CA
Denver, CO
New York, NY
Brooklyn, NY
Washington, DC
Rotterdam, NL
Paris, FR
Porto Seguro, BR
Gypsy Bar
Monarch
Marquis Theater
The DL
Glasslands
U Street Music Hall
Rotown
Wanderlust
Divino Praia

Thursday, November 22, 2012

New Track Stream from The Neighbourhood + Tour Dates with Paul Banks (of Interpol)

The Neighbourhood Logo

The Neighbourhood Announce Release
Details of New Single, Let It Go

Stream It Here


The Neighbourhood have announced details of the release of a new single. Let It Go will be released through Columbia Records on Monday January 14th, 2013. Recorded in their native Los Angeles, the single, produced by Justyn Pilbrow and Emile Haynie, will also feature the B-side A Little Death.

They released their debut 5-track EP, I’m Sorry, in August of this year. Having previously named Sweater Weather as his Hottest Record In The World, I’m Sorry was debuted on Zane Lowe’s show prior to release.

The Neighbourhood

“Dark-hearted, descending-chord epics.”

—The Sunday Times UK

The band is currently on tour in the U.S. with Paul Banks (tour completed with Temper Trap prior) and performed shows in London, Glasgow and Manchester. They will return to the U.K. in early 2013 for further dates.

Formed by five friends in August 2011, The Neighbourhood are set to release their debut album, which was recorded in L.A. during the summer of 2012, in the spring of next year. The Neighbourhood are: Jessie Rutherford (vocals), Jeremy Freedman (guitar), Zach Abels (guitar), Mikey Margott (bass) and Bryan Sammis (drums). Visit their official website.

The Neighborhood 2012 Tour Dates
Currently On Tour with Paul Banks of Interpol


11/26
 
11/27
11/29
11/30
12/01
12/03
12/05
Los Angeles, CA
 
Denver, CO
Las Vegas, NV
Santa Ana, CA
San Francisco, CA
San Diego, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Neighborhood Only
KYSR Radio Show @ The Viper Room
Bluebird Theater
House of Blues (Courtyard)
The Observatory
Slim's
House of Blues
The Fonda Theatre

Listen to Select Tracks from The Neighbourhood:

CAR BOMB Announce New Live Dates & Issues Post-Hurricane/Holiday Message

“Mathcore soaked in sludge is a potent combination that may not be groundbreaking but when done right the way like CAR BOMB has here, is highly addictive”

—Wicked Channel

New York tech metal contortionists, CAR BOMB, who recently issued their first full-length in five years with the mammoth w^w^^w^w, will take their instrumental acrobatics to the stages of Brooklyn this holiday weekend. The festivities commence with an unofficial CD release party at the Knitting Factory on November 24. On the following night they’ll ravage the stage of Saint Vitus alongside New York death metal titans Suffocation. Additionally, the band will appear at The Studio at Webster Hall in Manhattan for a pre-New Years blowout with Resolution15.

This weekend’s shows mark the first performances for the Long Island natives since Hurricane Sandy destroyed their studio located at The South Sound music complex new the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn.

Said the band in a collective statement: “We are deeply saddened not only by our own losses but the losses incurred by all of our friends at The South Sound. The total destruction that occurred at The South Sound was both devastating and incomprehensible. Gear that had taken a lifetime to acquire was destroyed in a matter of hours. As tragic as the events of Hurricane Sandy were, we were relieved to learn that no one affiliated with The South Sound was injured and that the losses were simply financial—along with some blood, sweat, and tears on the part of the guys running the place. We know how much time and effort those guys put into making The South Sound a great place for musicians to do their thing and we truly feel for their loss. This Thanksgiving, CAR BOMB is thankful that we all survived the events of Hurricane Sandy, as did our family and our friends. Everything else is replaceable.”




“…the noisiest, most brutal, melodic, chaotic, atmospheriest, adventure-seeking shitstorm I’ve heard so far in 2012.”

—MetalSucks


CAR BOMB’s epic w^w^^w^w was self-released earlier this and is currently streaming in all its intriguing complexity at their official BandCamp page. w^w^^w^w was recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered by the band at their own studios in Long Island and Brooklyn, produced by guitarist Greg Kubacki, and features guest vocalist Joseph Duplantier of Gojira on Third Revelation.


“This self produced record is raw and visceral and will absolutely rip you apart limb from limb…CAR BOMB have perfected their craft and song writing abilities to create an album that quite literally “kicks ass.’”

—American Aftermath

“…not your run of the mill progressive metal or thrash band, this is something truly unique that really has this power that will grab you within seconds, and not let you go till the record ends. This is a violent fuck you burst of middle fingers that we desperately need in metal these days… If Refused claimed they were the shape of punk to come, this is the shape of hardcore to come.”

—Sputnik Music


Said Pitchfork of the offering: “You'd be forgiven for thinking that New York experimental metal quartet CAR BOMB were a Meshuggah tribute band. The interplay between guitarist Greg Kubacki and drummer Elliot Hoffman does feature a lot of that tight mechanical syncopation that Meshuggah have made a career out of. That conjoined gunfire staccato is unmistakable. There are imitators, and there are groups who understand the essence, the soul of a group and build upon that distinctive sound,” adding that w^w^^w^w, “ranks among the year's most unrelenting records…CAR BOMB have cited IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) as an influence, and Kubacki's leads are the most readily apparent aspect of this. His Digitech Whammy abuse is best manifested on the lead breaks on Sentinel which sound like lasers becoming self-aware with bloodlust, and the nearly trance-like soloing on This Will Do the Job. Vinnie Vincent Invasion boasted on their self-titled album that no synthesizers were used, but CAR BOMB go for the more impressive feat of making electronic-esque sounds with standard metal instrumentation. Excess might seem to be the order of the day to the lazy ear, but there's an economy to the music, and not just in the 50-second Auto-Named. There's a lot of noise, but it's always just the right amount. At 50 minutes, you know they've got more to say, but they'll leave that for another record.”

CAR BOMB Tour Dates 2012


11/24
 
11/25
12/29
Brooklyn, NY
 
Brooklyn, NY
New York, NY
Knitting Factory
 
Saint Vitus
Webster Hall
Unofficial Record Release
Party w/ Ashes Within
w/ Suffocation
w/ Resolution15

Listen to Select Tracks from CAR BOMB:

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Campver Van Beethoven to Release New LP in 2013 & Kicks Off Tour with Cracker December 27th

Camper Van Beethoven to Release
New LP La Costa Perida on January 22, 2013

Their First Studio Album in Nine Years!

La Costa Perdida, Camper Van Beethoven Album

Pre-Order La Costa Perdida on Amazon Now

Camper Van Beethoven—the beloved, genre-mashing musical unit and one of the bands that created the indie rock genre—has confirmed its first album in nine years with La Costa Perdida (January 22 / 429 Records). The release will mark CVB's first album recorded as a unit with the band cutting songs organically with all in attendance and produced entirely by the band's members. La Costa Perdida vividly depicts untamed characters and bizarre experiences on northern California's coastline, where the band began its musical adventures.


Listen to CVB's New Single Northern California Girls Below:



Camper Van Beethoven is: Victor Krummenacher (bass, baritone guitar), Greg Lisher (guitars), David Lowery (guitars and vocals), Chris Pedersen (drums), Jonathan Segel (violin, guitar, mandolin, organ, backing vocals) and new addition Michael Urbano (drums and percussion). [Joining the band for their winter tour dates is longtime CVB & Cracker drummer Frank Funaro.]

Camper Van Beethoven have long held a place as influential pioneers of indie rock. Pitchfork Media called them “great…assiduous creativity…inventive…delightful.” SPIN has praised the band's “depth and worldly flavors,” continuing, of its recent run in the 21st century, “The band still rocks with the vigor of any young sprite.” Rolling Stone has raved about the band's “adventurous music,” while NPR says, “Their cryptic wit and dense, layered music offered rewards in repeated listening…blending genres of world and rock, translating current events into a swirl of witty banter and interpretation.”

On the making of La Costa Perdida, Victor Krummenacher says, &lddquo;The coolest part was that everything flowed from the fact that these distinctive musicians and personalities sat in the living room. Four people are writing it. The songs have great energy, but we're more relaxed and stately and a lot more confident.”

Camper Van Beethoven Album

Cracker (left to right: Frank Funaro, Johnny Hickman, David Lowery, Sal Maida) Photo Credit: Jason Thrasher

Also led by Camper Van Beethoven's frontman David Lowery, Cracker will be joining CVB's run of winter dates. Cracker has been described as a lot of things over the years: alt-rock, Americana, insurgent-country, and have even had the terms punk and classic-rock thrown at them. But more than anything Cracker are survivors. Cofounders Lowery and Johnny Hickman have been at it for 20 years now—amassing nine studio albums (their most recent, 2009's critically acclaimed Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey), multiple gold records, thousands of live performances, hit songs (Low, Euro-Trash Girl and Get Off This to name just a few) that are still in current radio rotation around the globe, and a worldwide fan base—that despite the major sea-changes within the music industry—continues to grow each year. Along with longtime drummer Frank Funaro (since 1998's Gentleman's Blues) and bassist Sal Maida (since 2006's Greenland), this uniquely American band has no intentions of slowing down.

Camper Van Beethoven / Cracker Winter Tour Dates
More Dates to be Announced Soon


12/27/12
12/28/12
12/29/12
12/31/12
01/18/13
01/19/13
01/20/13
01/23/13
01/24/13
01/25/13
01/26/13
Solana Beach, CA
San Francisco, CA
Petaluma, CA
Denver, CO
Philadelphia, PA
New York, NY
Cambridge, MA
Augusta, GA
Athens, GA
Asheville, NC
Atlanta, GA
Belly Up Tavern
The Independent
Mystic Theater
The Soiled Dove (Cracker only)
World Cafe Live
Stage 48
Middle East Downstairs
Sky City (CVB only)
40-Watt Club (CVB only)
The Grey Eagle (CVB only)
The Earl (CVB only)


Listen to Select Tracks from Camper Van Beethoven & Cracker:

Canada's Delhi 2 Dublin Ready to Turn Up The Multicultural Stereo on February 19, 2013

Delhi 2 Dublin

“Sometimes we just need to drown out the noise of the world by making the music louder,” says vocalist Sanjay Seran of Canada’s multicultural and musically diverse Delhi 2 Dublin, which describes not only the meaning behind the new album’s title Turn Up The Stereo but also the philosophy behind it. “It’s a metaphor for us turning it up many ways for this album. We spent ten times the amount of time and effort writing this album than we have in the past. We really tried to make everything better, from music and lyrics to production and artwork.” What they ended up with is 13 new songs that reflect the diversity of their unique sound—challenging the definition of urban music by dragging it to the intersection of Bhangra, Celtic, Dub, Rock and Electronica. It will be released independently on February 19, 2013.

“Combine the Indian drums (tabla, dhol) and sitars of the subcontinent with driving Irish fiddles and toe-tapping Celtic progressions, keep the dynamics fluid with bhangra world beat soundscapes and you've got Delhi 2 Dublin.”

—Exclaim! Magazine

Huffington Post has exclusively premiered the acoustic version of their video Love Is The Hero with HuffPo's Mike Ragogna describing the band “a rootsy dance outfit from Canada that merges Indian music with Celtic music, a very odd mixture that really works.” Watch the video below and continue reading the Huffington Post's article here.

Turn Up The Stereo shows the band expanding their palette to include more electronic and dub elements than their earlier material. From the opening anthem Our House to shimmery and soaring Lighta to the more propulsive pop title track, the album combines seemingly continents-apart musical styles while remaining cohesive and fluid. “I think we get bored pretty quickly,” says electronics and percussions guru Tarun Nayar about what fuels the rich amalgam of influences that make up the music. “None of us has any desire to keep re-writing the same album over and over again.”

“The Vancouver-based collective combines dhol, fiddle and breakbeats in an Irish/Asian stew that is surprisingly varied, a marvellously wide-ranging and free-thinking concept.”

—BBC

Delhi 2 Dublin’s strong word-of-mouth for their live performances has enabled them to build a loyal and continent-wide fanbase in both Canada ands the US as well as the UK. Quickly becoming a fixture on the festival market, just this Summer alone, they’ve played Shambhala Music Festival, Festival of India, Wakarusa, Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, and Shangri-La Music Festival among many others. Described by one magazine as the “United Nations of rock n’ roll,” they have grown into one of Canada’s most buzzed-about bands. 2013 will see them enhancing that reputation Stateside.



Dehli 2 Dublin has a few shows booked for 2012 and will be announcing the dates for their 2013 tour. For those of you in Canada, here are the scheduled gigs for November:

Catch Dehli to Dublin in 2012


11/22
11/23
11/24
11/30
Nanaimo, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Courtenay, British Columbia
Vancouver, British Columbia
The Queen’s Hotel
Sugar
The Bridge Lounge
The Commodore
Buy Tickets
Buy Tickets
Buy Tickets
Buy Tickets


Listen to Select Tracks from Dehli to Dublin:

Monday, November 19, 2012

The Faint Release Danse Macabre (Deluxe Edition) [Remastered] Today + Free MP3

The Faint Release Danse Macabre (Deluxe Edition) [Remastered] Today + Free MP3

Share Remastered Version of Agenda Suicide

Eleven years since the release of their influential album, Danse Macabre, The Faint are reissuing the album today, along with six bonus tracks. To celebrate today's release, The Faint are sharing the remastered version of Agenda Suicide, the first single off the 2001 album, which was remastered by Grammy winning Ted Jensen (Nora Jones, Billy Joel, The Eagles) at Sterling Sound, who additionally handled the mastering duties for the entire project. Jensen managed to maintain the band's dance beats, dark keyboards, and punk rock undertones but brought it to another level, showcasing a more indulgent side of new wave. The electrifying track is available for download on the Saddle Creek site, click HERE to stream, download or share the song.

Along with the six bonus tracks, the remastered release features an extensive booklet and will be available on CD in a triple-disc format with a DVD, and on double vinyl that also includes the CDs and DVD. Additionally, the DVD will include archival video footage from the band, live projection videos from that era's tour dates, the "Agenda Suicide" music video (directed by MK12), some live footage, and more. Copies of the physical album will be limited to 5,000 for the 2xCD/DVD package and 3,000 for the 2xLP/2xCD/DVD package.

The Faint are currently on tour to support the reissue and performing Danse Macabre in its entirety for the first time ever. And aside from some warm-up gigs in August and September (including The Faint’s inaugural shows at Slowdown, the Omaha club run by Saddle Creek), it will be the first time fans have been exposed to the new slim-and-trim quartet of vocalist Todd Fink, keyboardist Jacob Thiele, guitarist Dapose, and drummer Clark Baechle.


Check out the video for the live performance of Agenda Suicide at The Brother's Lounge below:



Differentiating from previous albums, The Faint attempted to conjure the energy of bumping Berlin dance floors nearly 5,000 miles away from their home in eastern Nebraska with the release of Danse Macabre. The nine-song album sizzled with perfectly aggressive synth lines, Fink’s menacingly effected vocals, infectious beats, bits of industrial and goth, and, at the heart of it all, strong songwriting featuring the kind of minor-key melodies that make singing along inevitable. Lyrically, Fink moved on from the sexually-charged nature of Blank-Wave to explore themes related to the importance of living for yourself and doing what you love, most notably showcased in the ominous “Agenda Suicide.” Death-metal guitarist Dapose, who had been brought in to be the band’s art director and assist with the videos projected during live shows, eventually started adding to the music, and upstart engineer and producer Mike Mogis (whose name can be found all over Saddle Creek’s illustrious catalog) perfectly captured The Faint’s sound and attitude despite never previously working on an electronic record.

“We thought about what it would be to capture the essence of a dance club,” says Thiele. “I’m glad that the BPMs are all over the place and that we didn’t actually do a bunch of house tempos, which is more the direction we were trying to emulate. But we kind of kept it rock ’n’ roll.”


Listen to the Deluxe Edition Trailer below:


Not surprisingly, Danse Macabre gained a lot of attention, including that of major labels, though the band eventually decided to remain on its independent path. Saddle Creek owner Robb Nansel fondly recalls watching the group blow up before his eyes, a phenomenon that became more and more apparent when The Faint took its storied live show—full of sweat, smoke, eyeliner, and those invigorating strobe lights—on the road.

“I remember some of the shows at the Metro in Chicago—just seeing the crowds react was always the most rewarding moment,” says Nansel. “Seeing like 800 people, or whatever was in the room at the time, all freaking out and dancing around. We’d seen that in Omaha happen over the years, but it’s so different when you see it out of town.”

And they’re still freaking out over the band’s live performances, which take rocking and dancing to epic heights. In addition to the songs from Danse Macabre, this fall’s tour will include entries from across The Faint’s discography, which also includes 2004’s Wet From Birth and 2008’s Fasciinatiion, as well as some brand-new material. What better way to celebrate the band’s past, present, and future than with the dance party of the year?


The Faint Tour Dates
* with Trust | ^ with The Casket Girls | # with Icky Blossoms


11/20
11/21
11/23
11/24
11/27
11/28
11/30
12/01
12/02
12/05
12/06
12/07
12/08
12/09
12/11
12/12
12/13
12/14
San Diego, CA
Permona, CA
Phoenix, AZ
Las Vegas, NV
Dallas, TX
Austin, TX
Nashville, TN
Atlanta, GA
Asheville, NC
Washington, DC
Philadelphia, PA
New York, NY
Boston, MA
Montreal, QC
Toronto, ON
Chicago, IL
Minneapolis, MN
Omaha, NE
House of Blues ^
The Glass House *^
Crescent Ballroom *^
House of Blues *^
House of Blues *#
Emo's East #
Cannery Ballroom *#
The Masquerade – Heaven Stage *#
The Orange Peel #
9:30 Club *#
Trocadero *#
Terminal 5 *#
Paradise Rock Club *#
Club Soda *#
Sound Academy *#
Metro *#
First Avenue *#
Sokol Auditorium *#

Stream the New Remix Album by The Twilight Sad (ft. Liars, Tom Furse of The Horrors, & more…)

No One Can Ever Know, The Remixes Album Cover

Stream No One Can Ever Know: The Remixes

FatCat Records is pleased to announce No One Can Ever Know–The Remixes, out tomorrow (Nov. 20), featuring takes on cuts from The Twilight Sad's acclaimed recent album No One Can Ever Know by established acts such as Liars, Tom Furse of The Horrors and Com Truise, as well as reworkings by up and coming artists such as Warsnare and Ambassadeurs.

No One Can Ever Know

The Twilight Sad is also currently wrapping up their North American tour.


Listen to Tracks from The Twilight Sad:

NYC Heavy-Psych Band Sleep Maps Presents Medals + Video Premiere

Sleep Maps Presents Medals:
Deeply moving theme tackling empty pageantry for war veterans

New York City heavy-psych band Sleep Maps premiered the first video from their new long-form EP Medals recently courtesy of Consequence of Sound. The clip for the song The Final Weapon is particularly poignant, being released on Veteran's Day. Watch video above.


Medals is available on CD and download.
Stream the full release on Bandcamp here.


The latest from mastermind multi-instrumentalist Ben Kaplan is a deeply moving work, both musically and thematically as it addresses the shallow pageantry presented to war veterans, many of whose lives have been forever shattered by their experiences.

Medals is based upon the Winter Soldier Investigation from 1971. “A group of Vietnam vets held a press conference in Detroit to discuss the atrocities they had seen and sometimes participated in,” Kaplan explains. “This was meant to bring attention to the mainstream public about what was really happening in Vietnam. Of course after it was over the government did everything in their power to discredit them and claim they were liars.” The powerful, slow building fury of The Heavens Gaze Empty underscores the statements made by these war vets as they dispose of their awards of battlefield valor.

“The image of throwing the medals back is the refusal to be placated by a trinket when your entire life has been ruined,” says Kaplan. “The parallels between an era supposedly long gone and the wars of today are too blatant to be ignored. Soldiers coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq have also participated in medal throwing ceremonies, although mainstream media will not cover it.”

Medals builds a chronology across the first three songs using audio snippets from various speeches laid over Sleep Maps' masterful control of dramatic tension as spindling guitars, ominous keyboards and crashing drums weave the sound and theme into a vivid sense of intense emotions. Kaplan again performed all of the instruments on the EP, as he did on the band's debut Fiction Makes The Future. While the group has expanded to a full 4-piece lineup live—playing its aggressive yet atmospheric songs with poignant visual projections—Kaplan remains the sole creative force behind Sleep Maps.

“The Final Weapon” opens Medals with the pulsing sounds of war drums and the all-too-familiar rhetoric used to spur citizens to “fight the good fight.” Soaring guitars and anthemic melodies cascade into a military march as things segue into Blackout Eyes, sounding like a strange hybrid of Sigur Ros and Boyd Rice's NON. The syrupy tune traces a soldier's return to 'normalcy' and the lead up to the tortured intensity of The Heavens Gaze Empty. Bonus track Horror In The Telescope is the band's recent single, previously only available as a download.

Medals was produced, performed and mixed by Ben Kaplan. It's available now on limited edition CD and download.

Kate Nash Presents Death Proof Video & EP—Out Today!

Kate Nash is back! Check out her brand new video for the single Death Proof below:

“I wanted Death Proof to have a Tarantino feel,” English songstress Kate Nash says of the Aram Rappaport-directed clip for her new EP's titular cut. “But I also love this movie called Freaks so a lot of the inspiration came from that as well: old Bettie Page pictures, travelling circus people, and freak shows.”

SPIN.com

Death Proof the EP officially drops in the US tomorrow (11/20) but fans can download it for free by pre-ordering her forthcoming full-length Girl Talk (due out in March 2013) here.

Death Proof EP is also available digitally via iTunes and Amazon


Listen to Select Tracks from Kate Nash:

Vitalic Releases Free Download of Rave Age Minimix

New Album Rave Age Out Now

Vitalic Album Cover

Vitalic Releases Free Rave Age Minimix
Download Here


Techno maverick, Vitalic, released his eagerly anticipated album, Rave Age, last week via [PIAS] America. The French producer’s third album takes the laser-guided disco for which he’s known to an altogether wilder but no less euphoric place. This is a savage and carefree statement from a dancefloor visionary who’s spent the last decade redefining electronic music in his own particular fashion and has decided, as only he can, to keep things simple. In celebration, he has released the Rave Age minimix for free download. Download it here and please post and share.

Mixed by legendary production wizard, Stephane Alf Briat, known for his work with Air and Phoenix, Rave Age is a ballsy, firecracker of an album that showcases not just a passion for big room, electro smashers and electronica, but a broad set of influences that stretch from punk and film soundtracks to disco and indie dance.

Vitalic grabbed the international spotlight in 2001 with his now classic debut, the Poney EP. The record's instant and enduring appeal saw Pascal aligned with Daft Punk and Aphex Twin as a singular producer capable of shaping the future of electronic music and is arguably the first techno record of the last decade. He has released many essential records since then including the blistering euphoria of La Rock 01 and You Prefer Cocaine. Vitalic is also known for his searing live show.


Listen to Select Tracks from Vitalic:

Music Icon Kenny Rogers Celebrates 31st Anniversary of Christmas & Hits Tour

Kenny Rogers Christmas & Hits:
The Holiday Tradition Continues…

NASHVILLE, TN (Nov. 19, 2012) — Grammy Award-winning music legend Kenny Rogers will celebrate the 31st Anniversary of his Christmas & Hits Tour in 2012 with a festive show featuring live performances of holiday classics and his biggest hits. The one-of-a-kind vocalist and entertainer will perform at venues across America, once again joined by special guest Billy Dean, beginning on November 23rd in Catoosa, Oklahoma and wrapping December 23rd in Westbury, New York.

Rogers is known for creating an inviting atmosphere with his Christmas & Hits Tour, which consistently receives rave reviews and has become a holiday tradition in its own right since its start 31 years ago. The Christmas portion of this year’s inviting set will include heartfelt performances of traditional and original songs such as White Christmas, Silent Night, Joy To The World, and Mary, Did You Know. Local choirs and children will have an opportunity to showcase their talents, having once again been chosen to perform with Rogers in each city of the tour. Rogers will sing many of his timeless classics in the Hits segment of the show, including Lady, The Gambler, Islands In The Stream, Daytime Friends, Lucille, Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love To Town, She Believes In Me, Coward Of The County, Through The Years, and several more.

For more than half a century, Kenny Rogers, with his unique storytelling ability and soulful voice, has thrived as a singer, musician and showman on the international music scene. A beloved, universally known icon of American entertainment, Rogers has recorded some of the most revered music around the world. He has more than 65 albums to his credit and has sold more than 120 million albums worldwide, ranking him #8 on the R.I.A.A.’s list of Top Selling Male Artists of All Time. Rogers is the only artist to chart a record within each of the last seven decades. He has received countless honors, including three Grammy Awards, five Country Music Association Awards, eighteen American Music Awards, eight Academy of Country Music Awards and eleven People’s Choice Awards.

Rogers’ recently released his first autobiography titled Luck Or Something Like It which immediately became a New York Times Best Seller. In addition, Gaither Music Group has recently released two albums by Rogers in time for the holidays: Amazing Grace and Christmas Live! – the latter featuring performances captured on his Christmas and Hits Tour.

Rogers’ performances on his 2012 World Tour have generated rave reviews, including his hit-packed sets to overflowing crowds at the Bonnaroo Arts and Music Festival, Stagecoach, and CMA Music Festival, as well a successful sweep through New Zealand, Australia, and Asia. Named the 2012 Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Artist-in-Residence, Rogers is currently working on a new album for Warner Bros. Records, which is due out in 2013.

2012 Kenny Rogers Christmas & Hits Tour Dates
With Special Guest Billy Dean


11/23
11/24
11/25
11/26
11/29
11/30
12/01
12/02
12/04
12/05
12/07
12/08
12/10
12/12
12/13
12/14
12/15
12/16
12/19
12/20
12/21
12/22
12/23
Catoosa, OK
Grand Island, NE
Sioux Falls, SD
Des Moines, IA
Loveland, CO
Mescalero, NM
Albuquerque, NM
Salina, KS
Springfield, MO
Richmond, KY
Baton Rouge, LA
Baton Rouge, LA
San Antonio, TX
Green Bay, WI
Detroit, MI
Springfield, OH
Wabash, IN
Prior Lake, MN
Englewood, NJ
Verona, NY
Mashantucket, CT
Lynn, MA
Westbury, NY
The Joint
Heartland Events Center
Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science
Civic Center of Greater Des Moines
Budweiser Event Center
Inn Of The Mountain Gods Resort & Casino
Legends Theater
Stiefel Theatre For The Performing Arts
EKU Center For The Arts
O’Reilly Family Event Center
L’Auberge Baton Rouge Casino Resort
L’Auberge Baton Rouge Casino Resort
Majestic Theatre
Weidner Center For The Performing Arts
Fox Theatre
Clark State Performing Arts Center
Honeywell Center
Mystic Lake Casino Showroom
Bergen Performing Arts Center
Turning Stone Resort Casino
Foxwoods Resort Casino MGM Grand Theater
Lynn Memorial Auditorium
Theatre at Westbury

For the latest news and tour updates, please visit Kenny Rogers’ official website.


Listen to Xmas Tracks from Kenny Rogers: