A constellation of artists are coming forward with Bonnaroo in the 'virtual event' of the festival line-up. Don't worry though, no need to troll MySpace, Twitter and any number of band websites to try and figure out if this Manchester, Tennessee multi-day fest will rock. Here's a list of artists already announced on the bill: 311 The Avett Brothers Baroness Bassnectar Black Keys, Blues Traveler Chromeo w/ guest Daryl Hall Cross Canadian Ragweed The Constellations [...]
Long ago, Steve Earle declared himself an apostate from the Church of Dylan and pledged his allegiance to Townes Van Zandt. On Townes , Earle kicks the dirt loose from Van Zandt's catalog and then grinds it into the crevices for posterity. This is a labor of love - fresh and timeless. Reminds us of : Townes Van Zandt | Justin Townes Earle | Bob Dylan's coffee table Steve Earle : ( Official / Myspace ) [...]
Can you fall in love and still be ready for the floor? Indeed. What booty-shaking points Hot Chip loses, they gain in album cohesion. A record about unabashed love (for you, me, their brothers…) plays out with more gravity than you'd guess and more dancing than you'd dare hope. Reminds us of: The Avalanches | "Everything is Wrong/Play" era Moby | Memory Tapes Hot Chip: ( Official | MySpace ) Hot Chip One Life Stand
So let's get some full disclosure out of the way right off the bat: I've liked The Album Leaf for a long time. Whether I've ever been an Album Leaf fan, however, is another question. In fact I'd say I haven't. Not really, anyway. Not in the sense that I buy anything Jimmy LaValle puts out, or that I keep a lookout for similar artists. My interest has never run quite that deep. I did hold out some hope, though, that Friday night might change all that. With the Anomie Belle String Quartet lending a hand [...]
Adorned in a black shirt with puffy sleeves and a guitar strapped high, it was unclear if St. Vincent herself was going to be swallowed up by her surroundings. The typical indie-rock paradox would have Annie Clark slice through the environs with a single vocal slash to leave no doubt as to who was queen. But St. Vincent plays with opposites the way a toddler does with applesauce; she owns a far more delicate voice, ever teetering on the edge of self-determined rhythm and tune. Indeed, her slight frame initially betrays the gravity of her lyrics; her unruly [...]
If I were to give this show a one-word tweet-sized review, the word of the night would be WAI-YOOOOOO! Throughout the call-and-response filled evening, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and John Brown's Body brought the glory of Jah to Landsdowne Street. This was my first time seeing GPGDS, and they certainly had their beats and their pacing neatly packaged. They took the stage while I was still stuck in the long, cold line to get in. However, you could hear the band clearly from outside and they had the people in line [...]
Seeing Neon Indian play with Atlas Sound at NYU's E&L Auditorium on Thursday night was like going to two completely different shows back-to-back. Although, on record, the two bands produce similar sounds—both characterized by a fuzzy, lo-fi hazy vibe—the groups chose to take those vibes in completely different directions on stage. Where Bradford Cox stripped down Atlas Sound's instrumentation even further, Neon Indian ramped up the intensity and put on a dance party. It was an odd juxtaposition, to say the least, but it was a juxtaposition that worked. As [...]
James Murphy has decided that a new LCD Soundsystem album wasn't enough to hit his track-thirsty fans with. Wait for it...he's also unveiling his first film score, too. It's for Noah Baumbach's ( Squid and the Whale director) latest called Greenberg . Consequence of Sound has more details below: In addition to a new LCD Soudsystem album, European tour, and a newly announced appearance at the Pitchfork Music Festival, the electro genius known as James Murphy is also making news for his contributions to [...]
Not sure I can describe Jamie Lidell's new song "Compass" without just listing a bunch of the elements floating within its 5 min, 33 second long walls. Let's see: spacey intro, Spanish flavor in the middle, trumpet, shape shifting structure, hootenanny vocal outro, a bit of crooning, love lite lyrics, etc. It's kind of odd and asks a little bit more of your mind, than something that is so easily accessible, like "Another Day." You can check it out HERE and Pitchfork is going to have more news about his new album on Monday.
A few days ago, I posted an old track by Kid Cudi called "Highs N Lows," which originated from around the time when he was just starting out.Turns out it was from the demo tape he was shopping around, when he was out there hoping to get signed. It was then known as "I'll Be." That's a fun tid bit in itself, but here's something better. I found the demo tape and now you can check out what those label execs were looking at when they making their decisions about the man we call Cudi. Download it [...]
"Written In Reverse" is classic Spoon and this video for it, is classic Danny Clinch . A good pairing on paper, and a good pairing in practice. And I think the main selling point, besides it just being a good song, is that Clinch has that photographer's eye, which he uses to fill the black & white frames with interesting angles and cool contrast. He even manages to create a situation where Britt Daniel's vocals become even more stark. Take away the color, make the man howl, create a bit more umph. Check it out.
A keyboard player for the Ringling Bros. Circus, States compiled recordings from his train rides to create this album. Sounds pretty cool, but Strange Town unfortunately isn't. The album sounds far too bland, the instrumentation is nice but not lively enough, and the lyrics and sounds invoke religion too often. Reminds us of: Ben Folds | church | Michael W. Smith Ryan States: Official | MySpace Ryan States Strange Town
Lightning Bolt , a noise rock band hailing from Providence, RI released "Earthly Delights" last year and it is still worth talking about. Nine tracks and fifty-one minutes of power, this is easily one of 2009's best releases. It starts with "Sound Guardian" and never looks back - an explosively heavy album. Sounds like : Sleigh Bells | HEALTH | An eruption of noise Lightning Bolt : ( Load Records | Official Site ) lightning bolt earthly delights
Portland has no shortage of amazing experimental indie rock bands, and on Jan. 30, three of the best local groups came together at the Doug Fir Lounge for some seriously unforgettable and riveting music. Hip, danceable, and never lacking in ingenuity, these three bands put on one hell of a show and managed to look good all the while. Aan started off the show with music that seemed perfectly tailored for a basement venue. Their lush, dreamy blend of indie rock and freak folk is enticing and ethereal. Combining melodic instrumentation with [...]
Had I awoken from a cryogenic slumber and found myself at the 2010 Portland Music Awards , I could hardly have been more dismayed than Woody Allen's unwitting time traveler in Sleeper . Granted, I wasn't faced with an Orwellian police state, but the unexpected transformation of the Crystal Ballroom into a status-obsessed glitterati gala was no less alarming, and even a little sinister. Here I was, in one of Portland's most hallowed venues, surrounded by fashionistas variously attired in tuxedos, evening gowns, stilettos, silly golf hats, and not a few alarmingly skimpy dresses. (For the [...]
Here's an amusing video from Prof & St. Paul Slim called "Horses in the Ghetto," and if that name isn't enough to make you want to know more, try this on. The song, came from a record called Recession Music (that is free ) which was produced by ANT. Who hip hop fans know as the production side of Atmosphere. That was enough to make me check it out. Probably a B+ song, but the video is fun and slapsticky. Give it a look-see and if you like it, you can grab the album for [...]
A man stands in the middle. An odd looking man. Another man sings in his ear. The rhythm is bouncing along, a piano led rhythm. Another man comes over and sings in his ear. The man needs a beer to take it all in. The music is fun and the video is for Pablo's "Learn A Lesson."
When his solo album got released, Julian Casablancas , frontman for The Strokes , went out to promote that sucker. And in interview after interview, he was asked the question, "when are we going to get another Strokes record?" His answers kept getting more opaque from interview to interview and he basically made everyone out there feel like it was never going to happen. But, it appears that his apprehension was misguided, because The Strokes are back in the studio recording with Joe Chiccarelli; the guy who has produced such notables as U2, Beck, the Shins, and My [...]
Dot Da Genius , the producer behind Kid Cudi's "Day N Nite," just leaked a high quality rip of an old track called "Highs N Lows." Here's his explanation: This must be the realest shit ever. We did this track like 3-4 yrs ago during the grind, trying to get shit moving. Just knowing what he was dealing with during this time period makes this record more than just a song. The sample used in the song was taken from Bob Dylan's "Lay Lady Lay". I noticed a bad quality version of it [...]
The El Corazon 5th anniversary series of concerts started January 29, 2010 with an indie-gothic's dream: Adrian H and The Wounds starting the evening, followed by the sinfully good Legion Within , and winding up with that love child of Shel Silverstein and Marilyn Manson, Voltaire . The Portland group Adrian H and the Wounds swaggered through swirling stage fog and low green can lights to take the stage. Wrapped in black leather and steel studding from head to toe, Adrian growled through a hypnotizing set of songs from their [...]
New Releases V2.9
Hot Chip: One Life Stand
TOUR: The Tallest Man On Earth Announces U.S. Dates
