Blog: B-Sides

The psychedelic Brooklyn- based trio, Bear In Heaven, have rocked the New York music scene since 2003; incorporating sounds reminiscent of synth-driven 80's music and experimental drum-heavy accents of King Crimson. With the release of their recent album, I Love You It's Cool, they have reached to new musical heights as they produce lo-fi sounds of ambient nature filled with authentic teenage-ridden angst. B-Sides recently had the opportunity to talk with Adam, Bear In Heaven's guitarist, and discuss their musical progression as artists, his hate for guitar solos, and his timidity at playing the guitar. B-Sides: [...]

Catherine and Allison Pierces of the band The Pierces, talk about the influence and effect of being sisters and the role their family played in their musical upbringing.

The Brooklyn duo of Eric Emm and Jesse Cohen originally formed Tanlines as a remix project, which consisted of their friends singing with their music. However, as time went by, their music experimentation rapidly turned into a band. In March of 2010, the band released their debut EP, Settings. After touring extensively and releasing lots of remixes, Tanlines began to pop up on listener's radars. The group became well known for their funky, house-music, electronic beats. Mixed Emotions, the band's first full-length album, is an eclectic compilation of oddly ethnic rhythms, booming lyrics and mesmerizing melodies that create [...]

With the release of their latest EP, Give You The Ghost, Polica has been making a recent buzz amongst art- rockers, emulating similar sounds to that of eerie Portishead, and ethereal Bjork. The quartet are known to embrace a juxtaposition of musical ideas that thrives upon a rhythmic section of pulsating bass, frantic and clashing percussion, bubbly yet punchy synths, and manipulated vocals drenched in reverb and delay. Chris and Channy from Polica sat down with B-Sides to discuss their hometown, Minneapolis, their musical liberation of the omission of a guitar, and the primal music video to their single, Amongster. [...]

Indie-rock sensation the Shins, have finally released their newest album, Port of Morrow . Band front runner James Mercer, formed the group in 1996 originally as a side project. After tinkering with a different music project called Flake Music, Mercer finally devoted his attention to what would soon be an all time consuming project. The Shins were officially born with the release of their first EP, "Nature Bears A Vacuum." The record generated a flood of unexpected attention, thus launching the group's career into full swing. Quickly developing a signature chill, retro sound, The Shins released a plethora of [...]

Lana Del Rey has unveiled a new music video for her song "Blue Jeans," directed by Yoann Lemoine, and has confirmed June residencies in New York and Los Angeles. Tickets for New York go on sale Friday, March 23 at 10am ET and tickets for LA go on sale Saturday, March 24, at 10am PT via Ticketmaster. Del Rey will perform "Video Games" on American Idol on Thursday, March 22. 2012 DATES: June 3 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre June 4 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre June [...]

Coming all the way from the down under, the Voltaire Twins have been enrapturing their audiences with their "new wave disco space pop," that is reminiscent of the breathy, sensual vocals of Bjork, the disco madness of Depeche Mode, and the creative ingenuity of Holy Ghost!. The Voltaire Twins have recently released their new EP, Romulus, including their new single Animalia, that incorporates dark vocal undertones with punchy minimal electronic beats, ensuing in a frantic dance frenzy. During their stop in Austin at SXSW, Tegan and Jack sat down with B-Sides to discuss their first trip to the states, their [...]

One up-and-coming band from the heart of Portland Oregon, Radiation City, is bound to set you in a musical time warp, mixing vintage rock n' roll sounds with electronic, futuristic elements. They have released their new EP, Cool Nightmare, which is reminiscent of classic bossa-nova combined with new musical elements of ethereal and dream-like accents. This past week, Radiation City has hit the many venues of SXSW like the Grackle, and the Deli Music Showcase and will soon be off to grace the stages of California. On Wednesday, before their show at the Grackle, Radiation City sat down with B-Sides [...]

The 90's vintage- swaggered out rap artist, Theophilus London, stole the stage at the Warner Sound Showcase on Tuesday. The Brooklyn Native enraptured the audience with his enigmatic yet confident stage presence during B-side's favorite track, "Last Name, London," as well as his soulful and powerful runs during "All Around the World." Theophilus London oozed of smooth swagger as he took the stage at La Zona Rosa this Tuesday. Accompanied with a bassist, guitarist, and dj, he sets himself apart from other hiphop artists as he focuses more on unconventional styles of rapping. Instead of focusing on the [...]

Chiddy Bang, the witty, hip-hop duo of Chidera Anamege and Xaphoon Jones, have finally released their much anticipated full length, debut album, Breakfast . Chiddy Bang generated their original fame through a variety of mixtapes released to the online, underground hip-hop scene. The release of their "Swelly Express" mixtape in Oct. 2009, got Chiddy Bang a substantial online reputation. What really did the trick however, was "Opposite of Adults," the band's clever spin on MGMT's track "Kids." "Opposite of Adults" was eventually released as a single in 2010 and got the alternative, hip-hop crowd buzzing like crazy. [...]

Metallica will play Mexico this August, one month after the Orion Music + More weekend and will unveil a stage that will feature new components and visual elements spanning Metallica's entire 30-year career. The shows maintain the legendary band's presence in Mexico, where they've sold out numerous shows including, an unprecedented, five sold-out nights at Sports Palace in Mexico City, Mexico in 1993, as well as three consecutive SOLD-OUT nights to over 150,000 fans at Foro Sol Stadium in 2009. "Given our history with our rabid Mexican fans over the past decades, I couldn't think of a more [...]

SXSW 2012 is chock full of the "next big thing" as well as established performers, including Santigold, who performed at the La Zona Rosa amongst a set full of dance, house, and break-beat. For many performers it may have been a difficult mixture to shine through, but Santigold's music already combines all these different influences seamlessly and she managed to grab the crowd's attention. Through the beginning of her set she brought the crowd up with her eighties-influenced pop songs that were supported by her twin-clad back-up singers/dancers. A snapshot of the stage could easily have left [...]

Originating from the San Francisco Bay Area, Ceremony embodies every aspect of the genre "punk." Full of angst, anger, and rebellion, Ceremony somehow combines complex emotions into music that you can't quit listening to. Their music is raw, yet not too intense that it isn't enjoyable. That happy medium is what makes their sound unique. Ceremony made their musical debut in 2006 with the release of their full length, 13-song album, Violence. Their breakout compilation was notably more aggressive and brutal sounding. For a while, band members Ross Farrar, Anthony Anzaldo, Andy Nelson, Justin Davis, and Jake Casarotti, [...]

The Shins new album, titled Port of Morrow, is now streaming in its entirety online. The follow-up to Wincing The NIght Away, released in 2007, was produced by Greg Kurstin and contains 10 new tracks from the band. The album has been in the works for some time, as each of the band members have participated in other projects. Notably, James Mercer teamed up with producer Danger Mouse for Broken Bells and experienced success with the subsequent material. Port of Morrow will be released next Tuesday, March 20th.

After a three-year hiatus, Silversun Pickups will release new material on the album, Neck of the Woods on May 8th. The follow-up to their successful LP, Swoon, contains 11 tracks produced by Jacknife Lee (U2, R.E.M.) and will be supported with live performances including, Sasquatch Music Festival in the Pacific Northwest and Edgefest 2012 in Toronto, Canada. The band's website mentions that "Bloody Mary" will be the first single. In an interview with SPIN, lead singer, Brian Aubert mentions that the songs sound "like a horror movie, Swoon was more about what I [...]

A new electronic festival will be launched in both San Francisco and San Diego this Memorial Day Weekend. I LOVE THIS CITY will take place Friday, May 25 and Saturday, May 26 at The Lot at AT&T Park set on the historic San Francisco waterfront. The I LOVE THIS CITY festival in San Diego will take place Saturday, May 26 and Sunday, May 27 at PETCO Park. Over 40 of electronic music's top artists are confirmed for I LOVE THIS CITY, including TIËSTO and SKRILLEX as well as THREE SPECIAL GUEST HEADLINERS (to be announced [...]

Most noteworthy music festivals require the purchase of some sort of pass or wristband. What makes the world famous South by Southwest or SXSW music festival unique, is that while a wrist band is required for festival related showcases, there is still a wide variety of entertainment available for those without a pass. In fact, many of the free shows tend to generate more hype. With passes being fairly pricey and very tricky to get their hands on, B-Sides has found the top free shows for every festivalgoer. With a free party everyday of the week, anyone can participate in [...]

Metallica announced today they have tapped award-winning director Nimród Antal to direct the upcoming Metallica 3D feature film project. The film has been long rumored and finally confirmed by the band earlier this year and will be a marriage of narrative and concert featuring the five members of seminal metal band. Shooting for the film will begin this August and will be released in the summer of 2013. Antal has won many awards at numerous festivals including the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and the Gold Hugo prize at the Chicago International Film Festival. "I've [...]

It's been just about seven years since Fiona Apple released an album but the long wait is almost over as an equally long album title has been revealed. The Idler Wheel is wiser than the Driver of the Screw, and Whipping Cords will serve you more than Ropes will ever do will be the album title of Apple's next album, which by the way is only about a third of her 90 word title: When the pawn hits the conflicts he thinks like a king What he knows throws the blows when [...]

March 13 through 18, the world-renowned music festival South By Southwest, will invade Austin, TX. With live music covering the entire city, a few noteworthy females will be dominating the festival scene. B-Sides suggests checking out these rocking women. Sharon Van Etten Singer-song writer Sharon Van Etten has worked all over the music spectrum. From choirs, to jobs at record labels, In 2009, Etten finally took all of her life experiences and turned them into a musical career. Singing songs about relationships gone wrong, heartache, and a mature approach to life's trials, her [...]