
Frontier Ruckus played Thunderbird Cafe last Friday to some lucky folks. They're a band on the rise, and you heard it here first, these guys are the real deal and are destined for some serious success. After the jump we have a concert review rundown and an exclusive interview...not to mention some great photos of the band. With two great album under their belts, the boys in Frontier Ruckus have definitely honed their live show and can bring it. Blake and I hadn't had the chance [...]
I like Shawnee, Oklahoma native Samantha Crain . A 24-year-old singer/songwriter, Crain's rich, unpolished voice and folk-infused songs are what they are, no extra embellishments needed. Her recent release, You (Understood) , has garnered a lot of media attention and Crain is on tour with her band to support the album. She's accumulated hundreds of thousands of miles on her Land Rover (I'm guessing for touring?) and she's worth going out to see. YouTube clips of her performances show her dancing along to the music on stage; she thoroughly enjoys performing and it comes through in her delivery. [...]
It's a really mixed bag for concerts in Toronto this week. Of course, if you buy the hype you'll be clamouring to see M.I.A. or Best Coast. Those aren't your best options though. Most overrated, yes, best no. The Polaris Prize Gala also takes place tonight. The Coast, El Mocambo, Sep 24th The Toronto band can blow you away live, as witnessed during NXNE. This show will be the CD release

Samantha Crain graced our studio for a session back in August of 2008 . Her vocals were even more impressive in person than on her debut EP, The Confiscation – an album we fell in love with . Samantha was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma and both her EP and debut LP, Songs In The Night , reflect her rural upbringing. The albums were mostly acoustic Americana, but there were subtle hints that something more rock n’ roll was lingering just below the surface. Her sophomore album, You (Understood), was [...]

Bryan Lee-O'Malley Yesterday afternoon, the words "Scott Pilgrim" became the top trending topic worldwide on Twitter , a remarkable if probably fleeting accomplishment that kind of underscores how big a deal the release of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (the motion picture) this coming Friday is... at least to people on Twitter. And like indie rock. And comic books. And (old-school) video games. And Toronto. In other words, people like me. And possibly/probably you. And so I present to you a selection of particularly interesting [...]

Murder By Death has announced a fall tour alongside Ninja Gun and Samantha Crain . The tour will be hitting up Asbury Lanes on September 22nd, Maxwells on September 23rd and Brooklyn's Union Pool on September 24th. Murder By Death is currently supporting MeWithoutYou on tour with stops at The Stone Pony (8/11) and Webster Hall (8/12). Murder By Death's latest album Good Morning,Magpie was released this past April.

Miyuki Samata A whole pile of concert announcements big and small came down the wire yesterday, but none more exciting - personally, at least - than this one. Self-proclaimed Japanese action comic punk band Peelander-Z - hands down highlights of our Hot Freaks! showcases at SxSW in 2008 and in 2009 - are finally bringing their absurd (and entertaining) beyond words show to Canada ... well, southern Ontario and Montreal, at least. And that includes two nights in Toronto - September 1 at the Velvet Underground and September 2 [...]

Photo: Jeremy Charles Samantha Crain was featured Saturday on NPR Weekend Edition . She played a couple songs from her most recent album, You (Understood) . (more...)

An American singer-songwriter from Shawnee, Oklahoma; Samantha Crain has slowly become a unique voice in the freak folk community. The songs are modest yet vicious without sounding too naive or forced. This brings an impressive and simplisitc style that is actually very catchy and remarkably sweet. Having toured with Frontier Ruckus, Avett Brothers , and the very similar Thao Ngyuen , Samantha is estblishing herself as one to watch this year. You can purchase download + pre-order You (Understood) here . This week's (late) Kuestionnaire [...]
Photo: Jeremy Charles Samantha Crain 's song "Lions" was featured last night on "Hung" (HBO, 9pm CST). The song appears on her most recent album, You (Understood) . (more...)
Samantha Crain, " Lions " (MP3 courtesy of AOL Spinner ) Website Daytrotter session The video for her song "Santa Fe"
Got a grip o' goods to add to your shopping list … Sugary pop genius from Superchunk that'll hit shelves July. Deceptively powerful pipes of Samantha Crain . Jenny Lewis ' his & her project Jenny and Johnny . Jangly, end-of-night rawk from Unbunny . And a sweet, head-noddin' electro strive from Brock Enright 's latest (thanks, Jessi !). Enjoy the weekend, folks. • • • • Superchunk “Digging For Something” from Digging For Something 73 (feat. John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats) [...]
Photo: Jeremy Charles Samantha Crain 's song "Up on the Table" was featured yesterday on indie-rock giant KCRW's Top Tune . Purchase: iTunes | Amazon Oklahoma-based singer Samantha Crain has logged over a 100,000 miles performing at venues throughout the country. Her latest release , You (Understood), gathers experiences she's had along the way and crafts these snapshots into songs. Today's Top Tune is "Up on the [...]
Oklahoma-based singer Samantha Crain has logged over a 100,000 miles performing at venues throughout the country. Her latest release , You (Understood) , gathers experiences she's had along the way...

Samantha Crain visited the Middle East Upstairs earlier this week. Listen to “Lion” while you view some images from the show. Samantha Crain - Lions Photos by Shawn Read [...]

Frank Yang This past Saturday night was one of those evenings with absolutely no shortage of options for Toronto concert-goers - and that's even before Arcade Fire showed up to siphon off another 1000 people or so to the east end - so I wasn't sure how well the Toronto debut for both Sweden's First Aid Kit and Oklahoma's Samantha Crain at The Rivoli would do, particularly since I heard that First Aid Kit's free in-store at Criminal Records earlier that afternoon [...]
Here are The Wheel’s Still In Spin’s suggested new releases. As always, feel free to leave a comment with your suggestions. Ceremony – Rohnert Park. The San Francisco punk band has a hardcore sound that takes influence from the Circle Jerks and Mclusky. The songs are short, quick, full of distortion and coarse vocals. Samantha Crain – You (Understood). Download “Lions” (mp3). Samantha Crain, who made my second favorite album of 2009, returns with another strong set of well-crafted songs. The music is diverse, the songwriting is stellar, and Crain’s voice captivates. Delta Spirit – History from Below. Download “Bushwick [...]

Hey everyone, Autopsy IV here. Sometimes someone sends you a review that puts things so well you just decide to scrap your own intentions of writing one and just run theirs. Such is the case today. Kyle Coroneos , a regular reader and frequent commentor sent my this review a couple of weeks ago and there is no better time to run it than on the album's release date. Enjoy! They say you have your whole life to write your first long player. [...]

Samantha Crain releases her latest album, You (Understood) , today on Ramseur Records . Purchase: iTunes | Amazon MP3: "Lions" "Crain has retained her frayed vocal charm, but has yet to oversell it, or let anyone convince her to do so. Her folksy charm is still there, but the new album [...]
Filed under: Free MP3 Download of the Day Artist: Samantha Crain Song: 'Lions' Album: 'You (Understood)' [ iTunes ] Sounds Like : Joanna Newsom , A Fine Frenzy Download: 'Lions' (MP3) [Get Winamp] [Download Help] [...]