Blog: ChordStrike

If the Grammys and Canada's Juno Awards are any indication, Arcade Fire has officially taken over North America. The band took home four prizes – Best Group, Best Album and Alternative Album, and Best Songwriter - at Sunday night's ceremony in Toronto, but they didn't sweep the event. You may recall they won Album of the Year at last month's Grammy Awards for The Suburbs . Teen-phenomenon Justin Bieber took home his first-ever trophies from his native Canada's awards, predictably winning the Fan Choice [...]

In the wake of the tragedy earlier this month in Japan, many of the world's most popular artists have come together to support relief efforts. Songs for Japan , which comes out on April 5th, features 38 tracks including classic hits and current chart toppers. The proceeds from album sales will benefit the Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS). According to a press release, "The society(JRCS) will use the funds for the ongoing provision [...]

Braids is a Montreal, Quebec-based quartet consisting of Raphaelle Standell-Preston , Katie Lee , Austin Tufts and Taylor Smith . The band members met at a young age and began collaborating in high school, eventually forming Braids in 2006. Their debut album Native Speaker was released in early 2011 in Canada and the United States to critical acclaim. Alternately ambient and sparse, Braids is not afraid to exploit technology, but the sound is dreamy and feminine. All [...]

Copyright Criminals , the acclaimed documentary on the history of sampling in hip-hop, lands in stores Tuesday as a richly expanded Funky Drummer Edition box set , complete with hip-hop artist trading cards, vinyl, new video features and more. The box set also includes Clyde Stubblefield 's Ultimate Breaks and Beats, which includes a groundbreaking license for commercial and non-commercial sampling usage. Skinsman Stubblefield played drums on classic James Brown cuts like "Funky Drummer" and "Cold Sweat" yet Stubblefield has never received payment for the hundreds of samples of his work [...]

It seems like every celebrity needs an intern these days. Charlie Sheen took to the interwebs to find someone to handle his mushrooming Twitter feed and had over 75,000 applicants. Now Twitter-enthusiast and Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah has advertised his need for "writers, marketing, photographers, social networking, and designers."Applicants should be warned that Killah as a penchant for personal hygiene , fashion forward thinking , and treatment of the fairer sex . Qualified applicants should send Mr. Killah your resume at ae.theodoreunit@gmail.com. [...]

The Strokes ' newest release Angles came out on Tuesday. Let's take a look at what some critics had to say. In what might be one of my favorite reviews I have ever read, Ed Comentale from Tiny Mix Tapes , gives the record a measly 1.5 out of 5 stars. He begins by saying, "I can listen to Julian Casablancas sing anything. It wouldn't matter if he were backed by The Strokes or the house band at Ark Music Factory." So [...]

In our new feature, the Midweek Distraction, we pledge to bring you some great free music every week, so make sure to stop by on Wednesdays. Did you know, over at Amazon, March is Metal Month? That's right, and to help whet your appetite for metal music, they have an 11 song sampler available for free for the month. Do you want to be distracted by the soaring guitars of Deicide or the howl of Winds of Plague 's vocals? How about the Gatling-gun [...]

Iconic actress and screen persona ElizabethTaylor has died at age 79 of congestive heart failure. The woman responsible for creating the template of modern celebrity was surrounded by her four children and loved ones as she passed away at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Wednesday."We have just lost a Hollywood giant," said Elton John , a longtime friend of Taylor. "More importantly, we have lost an incredible human being."The London-born Taylor appeared in more than 50 films, including 1944's National Velvet and the [...]

Beginning in July, 2009 and lasting through 2010, punk rockers Green Day committed every show on their worldwide 21st Century Breakdown tour to audio tape. When the tour concluded the band – singer/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong , bassist Mike Dirnt , and drummer Tre Cool – got together and sifted through the audio to nail down the 17 best performances from their shows. The resulting collection is the trio's new live album, Awesome As F**k . [...]

This Monday we'd like to bring to your attention rising artist Apex Manor . Their track "Under the Gun" from their debut release is available for free download here . Lo-fi indie rock sound with slacker-urgent delivery, the song is just one of ten on the album put out by the freshly-formed quartet early this year. Ross Flournoy of The Broken West wrote the first songs on the album as part of a songwriting content on National Public Radio. Flournoy wrote, recorded, and submitted songs to NPR's Monitor Mix and the [...]

Despite the fever pitch popularity of pop music these days, it turns out garage-rock is alive and well, and little surprise, the man behind the movement is Dave Grohl . As the Foo Fighters gear up to release their seventh LP, titled Wasting Light on April 12, word comes the album was literally recorded and mixed down in Grohl's San Fernando Valley garage. Check out a Grohl-guided video tour of where the magic happened here . Now the band is [...]

What happens when you take three forward-thinking individuals fluent in jazz and punk and give them free reign to create an album garnished with afrobeat rhythms, Eastern melodies, atmospheric electronics, and equal parts cojones and subversion? You get the most recent recording from the Dead Kenny Gs , titled Operation Long Leash , released today on Royal Potato Family . Keenly aware of jazz's great past and the decline into the present's smooth jazz, the trio – Mike Dillon (drums, vibraphone, timbales, tablas), [...]

As promised, we are happy to highlight another artist on the rise this week. Noah and the Whale , formed in 2006 in London, consists of Charlie Fink , Doug Fink , Tom Hobden , and Matt "Urby Whale" Owens as well as a rotating cast of talented women. Over the years, the female vocals have been contributed by the likes of Laura Marling , and front woman for Slow Club, Rebecca Taylor. Here at SoundUnwound, we love band trivia. And we love that fact that Noah and [...]

Somehow, between recording and prepping a new album, writing weekly advice columns and an autobiography, being a father and husband, former Guns N' Roses bassist, Duff McKagan has founded a financial management firm for fellow musicians. While recovering from a ruptured pancreas, brought on by years of hard partying, McKagan found himself thumbing through Gn'R financial statements and realized he had not a clue what the numbers meant. He enrolled in basic finance courses and later enrolled at Seattle University's Albers School of Business. "I'm not a financial planner -- I was [...]

May 27-30, 2011 George, WA Sasquatch! caters to up and coming indie and electro acts, as well as those bands that established the genres. Out of the 92 acts, there's an emphasis on Pacific Northwest artists, and there's a comedy tent, which is sweet, 'cause we love funny stuff. The festival sells out every year, with 50K music lovers making the pilgrimage to the center of the state; the small town of George, WA on the Columbia River. Headliners include Foo Fighters on the heels of a new album, [...]

September 8-11, 2011 Isle of Wight, UK We have it on good authority that one of Eurpoe's finest smaller scale events – compared to Glastonbury or Roskilde – is the Isle of Wight's Bestival. About two hours outside of London to the southeaast, the festival boasts an eclectic lineup in a beautiful, leafy park. Campers can rent tipis or yurts, but there's more traditional tent camping, too. The event is family friendly and since its inception in 2004, the festival has won numerous awards from the UK Festival Awards. [...]

July 7-9, 2011 Mariaville, NY Line-up TBA This three-day music and arts event at picturesque Indian Lookout Country Club in Mariaville, New York is one of the original and longest running electronic/rock festivals. Founded by electro-rockers, The Disco Biscuits and boasting 70+ acts over two stages, it's small wonder that Camp Bisco was named one of the "Top Ten Summer Music Festivals" by Forbes Traveler. The event has been happening since 2001, so if you want to experience some of the tenth anniversary party, make tracks to New England in early July! [...]

Lightning in a Bottle May 27-30, 2011 Silverado, CA This sustainable festival put on by The Do Lab at Oak Canyon Ranch is a beautiful participatory weekend of live music and dance-friendly beats, breathtaking art installations, smiling faces, yoga, workshops and more. Since 2004, LiaB has established itself as the antithesis to soulless raves; the four-day outdoor event is uniquely full of heart and a true community experience. Pretty Lights , Thievery Corporation , Beats Antique , Lucent Dossier Experience, MiM0SA , Nick [...]

June 2-5, 2011 Mulbery Mountain, AR Deep in Arkansas' charming Ozark Mountains, along the Mulbery River you will find the Wakarusa music and camping festival. The festival sold out in 2010, due in large part to the non-music pursuits of festival-goers. The area's natural beauty makes it perfect for hiking, Frisbee golf, yoga, swimming, and just existing outside of the rigors of daily life. And then there's the music. Wakarusa boasts one of the largest and most eclectic festivals in the country. There is something here to please everyone's ears - [...]

June 30-July 3, 2011 Roskilde, Denmark Roskilde Festival is the largest North European music and camping festival and has existed since 1971 and it draws bands from far and wide to their yearly event. Artists from North America join those from Africa, Australia and Europe, with an emphasis on Danish groups. 2011 sees an eclectic lineup from Cuban jazz to American metal and all genres in between. The festival is a non-profit organization consisting of about 25 full-time employees and thousands of volunteers. Each year, The Roskilde Festival Charity Society, which is the association [...]