Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Gore Gore Girls interview

Gore Gore Girls
By Mike Hammer
Sep 1, 2007

To appreciate this music, you have to have a streak of wildness, a fierce independence of spirit, and an absolute belief in the unusual, the strange, the unpredictable, the offbeat, and even the generally unacceptable.” -- Herschell Gordon Lewis


The Gore Gore Girls are a noisy, tight, danceable garage rock quartet. They rock the stage with sweat and sexiness. The Detroit-based band has a bluesy feel that comes right at you and smacks you in the face and it’s obvious that they’re having fun. When Amy Gore climbs up on a stack of amps in her tight white vinyl dress, flashing her gold sequined panties at everybody and smiling intensely with glee, you know you’re watching some rock-n-roll. The Gore Gore Girls just released a new album called “Get the Gore” on Bloodshot Records and they are touring their way around the world right now. Amy Gore took some time to chat with me before a gig in Cleveland…


Mike Hammer: What bands do Amy Gore and the Gore Gore Girls listen to?
Amy Gore: Today in the van we listened to Ike Turner, some French pop and, at home I listened to the Flamin Groovies.
MH:
Tour music is always a variety like that, French pop and instrumentals.
AG:
Yep.
MH:
What else do you do in the van to stay busy?
AG:
Read, make fun of each other, poke fun at everything possible, on tour you just kinda make use of everything you have. I like to read.
MH:
What are you reading right now?
AG:
I'm reading a copy of National Geographic, a book on Karl Marx and Ike Turner's autobiography.
MH:
Ike Turner again huh? What's interesting about Ike Turner that we should know?
AG:
We love his guitar playing and his songs and I like that period of rock n roll, the early '50s, seminal rock n roll, I'm pretty into that.
MH:
And what appeals to you about Karl Marx?
AG:
I don't know if anything does, I just was reading about him, vs. Adam Smith.
MH:
A showdown.
AG:
(Laughs) Yes. Showdown. They had somewhat opposite, not totally opposite, views on economic policies. Karl Marx's theory was basically that capitalism will eventually collapse upon itself and Adam Smith said it won't, it will just keep going. We are seeing right now in American culture, society, whatever you wanna call it, that big business seems to be taking over. A prosperous model of successful economic structure would be based on a lot of small business working together. But, capitalism itself gives way for larger businesses and companies to take over.
MH:
So, did Karl Marx convince you? Do you think capitalism is gonna collapse on itself?
AG:
I don't know.
MH:
We are kinda reaching -- we are past it actually -- the historic 200 year empire mark - Rome and most of the big empires only lasted about 200 years before they collapsed.
AG:
It's remarkable that, the '30s were not that long ago and this country went through a terrific depression, and that's really not that long ago. Then we had credit and Social Security to get us out of it -- those are fairly new ideas and concepts, in comparison to the rest of history. The state that our country and our culture is in now, privatization is kind of running rampant and I do think that big companies are kinda ruining things. And they’re getting too big. There was a period in this country where the majority of people worked for themselves. You had the butcher in town, the farmer, the blacksmith, the schoolteacher, whatever, and now you’ve got people who are struggling to get and maintain jobs for big corporations and I wonder if that’s a good thing. I don’t really think it is. I think that society is moving away from human contact. Even knowing where their food comes from and where their shoes are mad… I mean, you know where they’re made, they’re made in China… With the way things are going and the way things have changed so much you can’t afford to buy American made anything. Because the cost of the wages, or the cost of the labor is crazy, but….we’re getting away from our main point, which is I’m playing at the Beachland Ballroom tonight in Cleveland.
MH:
What point? What? It's an interview, that's the point. To get you to talk about all kinds of stuff.
AG:
I don't have any answers.
MH:
What about the trade barter system? You give me a song and I'll give you a story.
AG:
I don't know. We're off the gold standard supposedly. So how do we even value our money? If the dollar represents something and we're taking away that something, what the fuck, what are we doing?
MH:
And now that we have the Euro which is becoming more valuable than the dollar, what's gonna happen?
AG:
The Gore Gore Girls toured Scandinavia right after 9/11 and when we showed them the dollars, to exchange the dollars, the people behind the glass were laughing at us.
MH:
Because it was worth so little or what?
AG:
It was Denmark, one of the Scandinavian countries, and they were enjoying the fact that this prosperous country, that, supposedly America is the best and No. 1 and all that but the dollar had fallen.
MH:
So you saw some of the ugly side of the European people over there?
AG:
Oh yeah, each time I've been over there, It's funny how musically we're really well received, I would say even more attentively than in America, but politically we're berated. We would play a show, I would find this a lot, that after the show people would come up to us and talk and be really positive about the music and the style, and really into artistically what was going on with us, but then they would shift to calling us out on our foreign policy and the Gulf War and this, that and the other.
MH:
Because you were from the U.S. you were a representative of our the U.S. flaws?
AG:
Yeah. We were there and I guess we were considered traveling statesmen.
MH:
Do you feel like a traveling statesmen? Do you think about, and do you try to represent the U.S. when you tour to other countries?
AG:
I guess, I don't know. I don't know what to say about that. I don't know what's going to happen. I think it's important for Americans to travel and be aware that there are other customs and cultures and languages. I think a lot of people in this country, we have it so good here, things are wrong, things need to be adjusted, but we have it so good here compared to other parts of the world. You can't expect everyone to speak English and everyone to know what a hamburger is and everyone to wait on you hand and foot. We in this country enjoy a special kind of service standard here, and it's pretty gross.
MH:
Do you have a favorite other part of the world?
AG:
I love Austria, Vienna, Austria, I love Mexico City, I love Stockholm it's gorgeous, Denmark was amazing, Spain Is a whole different world I love it there.
MH:
Have you learned any other languages?
AG:
I know a little, like travelers Spanish. Mas Cervas…
MH:
I do think it's unfortunate that we don't put an emphasis on learning languages In the U.S. But, you said the music translated well?
AG:
Yeah. I would say most places outside of this country, of America, have a ….I would say their palette is more well tuned for art. I think art in general, from a laymen's point of view, from my point of view, I would say that people are more receptive to art as a staple in their life, versus American culture is more about making money, in general. Making money, status, this that and the other, but it's pretty weak, pretty shallow. However when you tour different countries you see, people have a different respect for art and they have a longer attention span, and they're really interested in what you have to say. I think it's a sad commentary on this country, how, John Lennon was shot, the fact that somebody would shoot a rock musician, people would probably do it now, as a gangland thing, but not to hurt culture and hurt people. We don't have any John Lennon's right now. I would say Jack White is probably the closest thing, but he's not political. I think artists are really the keepers of everything, because art is everything, it's politics, it's economics, it's spirituality, it's aesthetics and you're life is nothing without that really. You just have your job and your fancy car and your TV set and it's a pretty weak, it's a pretty sad existence.
MH:
I lived in New Orleans for a couple years
AG:
How was that?
MH:
Great, great city, but I had to move around when Hurricane Katrina hit. Down there I had a friend, who grew up in Ohio and owned a PR firm in New Orleans and used to say in most of the United States people live to work, but in New Orleans people work so that they can live. Is that you're whole goal, and the goal of the Gore Gore Girls?
AG:
Yeah. I pretty much get by to do my art and do this band. Otherwise I'd have a 9-to-5 job, which would suck. What I see is people working eight and 12 hours a day and they're just getting by, they're just chasing their tails, there's a huge disparity, I'm not saying anything groundbreaking here, I'm just telling you what I observe, there's a gigantic disparity between the rich and the poor and it's getting to a point where I think the middle class is definitely disappearing and you have people working all these hours at these jobs, and what are they doing. I don't want to exist I want to live.
MH:
You want to leave a mark after you're gone.
AG:
I already have.
MH:
You don't think everyone does?
AG:
I think people do too different degrees.
MH:
Are you happy so far with the mark you've left?
AG:
You know, you kinda have to look at that in different ways, cause what I'm doing involves communication and people's perception of me. And what someone writes, or their interpretation of my music or of me is what's gonna be left. So, it's kind of like I can do what I want, but someone's perception of me is really what's gonna be left. Which, I have no control over.
MH:
Alright, well let's switch gear to the latest album from the Gore Gore Girls, Get the Gore, something you did have control over. Gore Gore Girls took it's name from an old slasher flick right?
AG:
Yes, from a Herschell Gordon Lewis film. He's considered the Godfather of gore, he created a genre of film, that's really gory, lots of blood and special effects, he created that genre. The movie Gore Gore Girls was his last movie, made in 1972 and I'm a big fan of Herschell Gordon Lewis in general, I think he's a brilliant man. I took the name of the movie because, at the time I started the band it seemed like a good mix of what I was into, '60s and '70s culture, yet I liked darker music, Black Sabbath or, innocent music but something with a little edge to it, you know. I really like how Herschell, when he approached movies he just went for it. He pretty much had no budget. He had a lot to do with the films. Not only did he direct them, he wrote some of the music for them, he was an all around D.I.Y. exploitation filmmaker.
MH:
He did liner notes for Get the Gore, how did that come about?
AG:
He did contribute liner notes, much to my absolute delight. I had written to him, I correspond with him. He's incredibly gracious. I took the name for the band without consulting him. I wrote him through e-mail, he has a Web site, and he was incredibly gracious and really well versed and great to talk to and he was kind enough to contribute liner notes.
MH:
What did you talk about with him?
AG:
We really didn't talk about much. It was a very short conversation and I sent him the rough tracks for this album, un-mastered versions, cause I kinda wanted his input. I asked him what he thought about them and would he write something about them and he respond, with I think three pages…
MH:
How did the record come about?
AG:
Well, the band in name, with me as the main songwriter has four releases, three records and one EP, and our latest record is our first full-length album, there are 13 songs on it and it was recorded up at Jim Diamond's studios up in Detroit, at Ghetto Recorder studios, the songs were recorded in two different sessions, one from April 2004 and one from September 2006.
MH:
So it took a while for this recording to come together.
AG:
The EP was self released, I put it out, then we went searching for a label and we talked to a number people and Bloodshot Records was the most natural fit for us.
MH:
You're the songwriter. What is your writing process?
AG:
They just come to me. I'm of the belief that songs come from a place and we are simply conductors of them and the melodies and the lines just kinda come to me and I write them. Usually motion is involved, if I'm traveling a lot or doing a lot of work then I'll get hit with a bunch of ideas.
They just come fast. The best songs for me, are written, they're just in my head and they come out. Although we did do a co-write with Kim Fowley (creator of the all girl band The Runaways and a songwriter for Kiss and others) on this record and he wrote some lyrics for me for two songs and Hammer and I had some songs ready to go, we just didn't have any lyrics. And one of the songs, just the phrasing and everything fit perfectly. That song was called the "Pleasure Unit." So I'm pretty excited to have a co-write credit with Kim Fowley.
MH:
Well, Fowley, Herschell Gordon Lewis, what else is special about this record?
AG:
I think it's varied, there are a lot of different stuff on it. When you have an album it's kinda like a painting, it's gotta have all the right elements to it, be framed the right way and displayed the right way, and I think the content of the songs, them being different from each other is interesting. And I like the way it was recorded, I like the way it sounds.
MH:
It does kinda have a nice big, swanky, rock-n-roll sound to it.
AG:
I like that. Big, swanky, rock n roll sound, that's great. Can I quote you on that?
MH:
You sure can. Were you going for that sound?
AG:
Yeah. I operate within my means and I always have recorded with Jim, and I wouldn’t mind doing all the Gore albums with him. It will keep the sound a certain way. Because a lot of times, you'll hear a bands first record, you'll love it, you'll follow them, you watch them get bigger and you get to like their 3rd record and it's different. I don't know that I want to do that. I like my sound, I like where it's at and I'm happy with my product now.
MH:
Are you happy with the all female, kickass band. It's kind of a novelty act setup right. You designed it this way apparently, but there are a lot less, percentage wise, successful all girl bands. So is it a challenge?
AG:
It was my concept to do an all girl band, and based on the name it came together that way.
MH:
Do you see it as a problem being in an all girl band
AG:
It has been a challenge for sure. But I've always maintained an all female cast with a couple exceptions, but 95% of this band has been always been all girl. If I thought it was that much of a problem I wouldn't do it.
MH:
But you don't think the Gores are viewed as a novelty act, you haven't perceived that? I know, whether it's right or wrong, sometimes I view an all girl act as a novelty, gimmicky, approach.
AG:
Are there any bands, that you think are all guy bands, that you think are novelty?
MH:
Sure. Like Backstreet Boys or even The Hives with their look and image, or, they're not all guys, but The White Stripes that kinda have a novelty kinda look.
AG:
What makes them novelty, to you?
MH:
They definitely have an image that they're looking to portray, and they work to sell the image as much as the music.
AG:
So in your perception if a band has an obvious stylized look that could contribute to them being a novelty?
MH:
Sure. Sometimes. Yes. You don't feel that way?
AG:
I don't think the White Stripes are novelty. I think they're too big to be novelty. The guy's played with Bob Dylan on stage, he's won five Grammy's. Fuckin' A.
MH:
Have you ever looked at any band as a novelty act?
AG:
Like, '80s cover bands to me or novelty or a Halloween band to me is a novelty, something high camp. I don't consider the Gores to be a novelty act, we work too hard and we're too much of a legitimate rock band. We're traveling in a van, we play our own instruments, we play old amplifiers, nobody tells us what to do and we pound the pavement and I think novelty sounds small and unimportant. And we're not small and we're not unimportant.
MH:
When I say novelty I think more unique.
AG:
Yeah, unique for sure, we are. I would say.
MH:
Was image important when you put the band together?
AG:
Sure.
MH:
Is image more important or the music?
AG:
You listen to the record and you tell me. You can answer that question.
MH:
Again. This is an interview about your thoughts. When you made the record were you thinking about balancing image and music?
AG:
I didn't think about it, I just made music.
MH:
Well, on the image kick, tell me about the cover art image on Get the Gore.
AG:
The cover photo, those were some Italian Go-go boots that I got In a thrift store In L.A., and that's the bottom of a picture of me that our Web designer used for the Web site, and I thought it was so cool I though, lets make It the cover of the record. It's simple and it's direct and I wanted a lasting classic image that was the cover of the album. I still think of things In LP format and I just thought it would be really cool to pull a record out and see that.
MH:
Have you pressed the LPs yet?
AG:
Yes. We did limited edition pink vinyl.
MH:
Sweet. That might look cool.
AG:
What are your favorite gore movies?
MH:
What are your favorite gore movies?
AG:
At this point I'm really into film noir and gangster movies from the '40s and '50s. White Heat and old Orson Wells films, I'm not especially a fan of slasher movies.
MH:
So you just liked the Herschall Gordon Lewis films?
AG:
Yeah.
MH:
Have you guys done any soundtracks for any type of movies, slasher or not?
AG:
No, but I'd love to. I think that'd be really fun.
MH:
Have you contacted anyone. Maybe told Bloodshot?
AG:
That would be interesting.
MH:
Maybe ask Herschell if he needs some stuff.
AG:
He does, I know he's doing a remake of one of his films now, I think it's Blood Feast, but nowadays he's an author and kind of a direct mail guru. So he's kind of out of the exploitation films, he's the Godfather of it but he's kinda moved on.
MH:
OK, you're about to go out and play. What do you want people to take away from your live show.
AG:
I just want them to have fun. I want them to be entertained and feel kind of a release. When I go see a band I like to see energy. It's like an art project, some kind of 3D thing, there's the visual aspect and I want people to be happy and to have a good time.

For more information go to www.goregoregirls.com

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Early Winters EP Out Now - “Tough Love” MP3 Available


Early Winters released their self-titled debut EP this month. Comprised of acclaimed UK singer Carina Round, two time Juno nominated Canadian artist Justin Rutledge, L.A. producer/musician Dan Burns and Zac Rae (Pedestrian), Early Winters are a thriving musical partnership without geographical boundaries or limitations.
Download the Tough Love MP3 here and we encourage you to post and share the song.

Since they were scattered around the world in 4 different countries, the band wrote the EP and their forthcoming album using video chat and Skype, but the beauty and intimacy of the recordings will make you feel like they’re performing only for you. Carina and Justin share vocal duties and combine their voices on “Light of Day” and “Turn Around” to create dazzling melodies. Carina’s intoxicating voice fills the anthemic “Tough Love” with a heart-wrenching honesty. “One Time In Your Life” is a rousing plea for redemption. “Spanish Burn” is a romance that burns slowly. Early Winters have made a play for your heart that you are not likely to resist.

KCRW, CBC, and CJT have already championed Early Winters. They’re now ready to enchant the US with the release of their self-titled debut 7", five-song digital EP.

Early Winters Tour Dates
3/30: Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Café
3/31: New York, NY @ Pianos
4/3: Brooklyn, NY @ COMMUNION at Public Assembly
4/7: Toronto, ON @ The Dakota

www.earlywintersmusic.com
www.facebook.com/earlywinters
www.twitter.com/earlywinters
www.myspace.com/earlywinters

Thursday, March 24, 2011

The Lonely Forest releases album Arrows, listen to Coyote mp3 NOW


"Anthemic, poppy earnestness...a sound that's both playful and
emotionally gripping." -NPR Music

The Lonely Forest have unveiled a new song, "Coyote.". The song is taken from their forthcoming Trans Records label debut Arrows, out NOW. Critical acclaim for Arrows in advance of the release includes praise from NYLON, which posits, "We are in love with The Lonely Forest. Listen to them now!" and Alternative Press, which calls Arrows "the band's most self-assured album yet." Meanwhile, NPR's Song of the Day hails the band's previous single, saying "'Turn Off This Song' serves as a catchy call to arms, not to mention one of the best and most honest slices of pop music around."
The band is embarking on an extensive North American tour supporting The Joy Formidable.

-MP3 link: "Coyote"

Trans Records is the new label headed by Chris Walla, guitarist and producer for Grammy-nominated rock band Death Cab for Cutie, who found The Lonely Forest's music so compelling he made the band his label's very first signing. Walla produced and engineered Arrowsat Sound City studio in Los Angeles, Tiny Telephone in San Francisco and his own, Portland-based studio, Alberta Court. He also mixed three tracks-"Be Everything," "Turn Off This Song And Go Outside" and "I Don't Want To Live There." The balance of the album was mixed by John Goodmanson (Girls, Nada Surf, Weezer).

"The Lonely Forest proves to me," says Walla, "In a time full of throwbacks and references and meta-references, that nothing can beat a focused, bulletproof guitar rock band with amazing songs. I didn't start a label for nothing."

From the outset The Lonely Forest-singer/guitarist/keyboardist John Van Deusen, guitarist Tony Ruland, drummer Braydn Krueger and bassist Eric Sturgeon- has been about inclusion. Having made their mark as a regional favorite with three prior records, the band never imagined a swift and organic rise to national distinction.



The Lonely Forest TOUR DATES:
March 24 Durham, NC Duke Coffeehouse
March 25 Washington, D.C. Black Cat
March 26 Albany, NY Valentine's
March 28 Providence, RI The Met
March 29 Allston, MA Brighton Music Hall
March 30 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's
April 1 Harrisburg, PA The Abbey Bar
April 2 Toronto, ON The Horseshoe Tavern
April 4 Columbus, OH The Basement
April 5 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
April 6 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
April 8 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge
April 9 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court
April 11 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios
April 12 Seattle, WA Crocodile Café
April 14 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill
April 19 Phoenix, AZ Rhythm Room
April 20 Albuquerque, NM Launch Pad
April 22 St. Louis, MO Luminary Center for the Arts
April 23 Kansas City, MO The Riot Room
April 26 Cleveland, OH The Grog Shop
April 27 Pittsburgh, PA The Smiling Moose
April 29 New York, NY Webster Hall


The Lonely Forest
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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

PUBLIC RADIO Releases FaceTime Video For "Forgot Love"

Carolina indie rockers PUBLIC RADIO have released an video for "Forgot Love" from their debut Sweetchild that features Apple's new FaceTime video technology.
"Full of pop hooks, youthful energy, and plenty of electronic / synth buried in the melodies, 'Sweetchild' finds itself being a charming debut for these guys on Deep Elm, the sort of disc that succesfully bridges the gap between mainstream arena rock and up and coming indie, straight ahead rock and quirky synth. Public Radio are as likely to remind you of superstars like Weezer as they are obscure bands like The Notwist, though ultimately they take on an identity all their own. Emotive, compellling and memorable - this is a short bust of power and melody, an exercise is what perfectly crafted indie rock sounds like in 2010. These guys could very well be the next big thing. For fans of: Postal Service, Death Cab For Cutie, Paramore" says Go211.

Video URL: http://bit.ly/pr-forgotlove
Record Label: Deep Elm

Monday, March 21, 2011

The Albertans New Album New Videos And Free MP3





Premiere Video for New Song "Megan"
Latest Full Length Album "New Age" Out Today on Ernest Jenning



This is a band well on their way to selling out club shows and moving into an opening slot for much greater things. - Jambase

The Albertans make music that is richly orchestrated but deftly composed so that each instrument's voice steps out of the way of the next. - Impose Magazine

Nothing ever quite jumps out and bashes you over the head. The guitars are gentle and often sparse, melodically rich and warm in tone. They’re joined by... Bravo’s delicate, quirky vocals (think Dan Bejar), which happily sit high in the mix. - The L Magazine



Watch the video for "Megan" here!

The Albertans, a quintet of Joel Bravo, Ian Everall, Curtis McLean, Krystin Monaghan, and Alison Yip, formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, defects from Alberta, Saskatchewan and the U.S. They met as a collective, and piled into a propane-fueled, converted short bus to tour down to San Diego and back. They toured this way for the next two years, unglamorously, crossing the continent to record in New York, playing shows with bands they didn't know, for people that didn't know them. They traveled 50,000 miles, hopped borders, broke down, and slept on the road. In those two years together, The Albertans recorded an EP and full length with Ernest Jenning Records. They played shows at Sled Island, SXSW, and CMJ with bands such as Cuff the Duke, Hard Drugs, and Woods, and were named one of L Magazine's top NYC bands of 2009. Last Fall, The Albertans finally found a home back in Vancouver, and have been playing shows in BC until now, when they'll leave for SXSW and ultimately a full US tour.

The Albertans recorded their new single and forthcoming album New Age, at Chandelier Studios in Brooklyn, NY. Ernest Jenning Record Company (Cuff the Duke, O'Death, Takka Takka, Still Flyin) have released the full-length album today.






"New Age" Track List
1 Jackpot
2 The Wake
3 Mila (Video)
4 May
5 Megan (Video)
6 Okay Now
7 People Don't Go
8 Furniture
9 Mellow
10 New Age

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Toronto’s Dinosaur Bones Release Full-Length Debut "My Divider " And Tour



Toronto-based Dinosaur Bones have released their debut LP, My Divider, via Dine Alone Records. Following the success of their recent Birthright EP, the band received a great deal of accolades in their native Canada. Now comes their return with the next chapter in their story. Dinosaur Bones are giving away the song “Royalty” from the album for free. Download the MP3 HERE.

The ambition of My Divider is easily noticeable. They continue to show their growth as a band with driving tracks like opener “Making Light” and “Sharks in the Sand.” “Highwire Act” and “Point of Pride” show off the band’s penchant for complicated melodies paired with guitar-driven stomps, a la influences like The Walkmen and Chavez. The title track, “My Divider,” closes the album and showcases frontman Ben Fox’s passionate lyrics and assured delivery. As a quintet, Dinosaur Bones’ ranges of influences are widely varied. This yields a sound that is equal parts fuzzed out indie rock and heartfelt emotion, but the cohesion and sensibility are unmistakable.

Dinosaur Bones returned to the studio to record My Divider with Jon Drew (Tokyo Police Club, Fucked Up, Arkells). He also recorded and mixed the Birthright EP.
Having already shared stages with the likes of Man Man, Arkels, Handsome Furs, Crystal Antlers and Plants and Animals, the band have rightly earned their place in the indie pop scene of Toronto. Now they bring their sound stateside. They’ll also be touring Canada in April with Tokyo Police Club and will be playing the main stage at the famed Edgefest in Toronto this year, sharing the bill with A Perfect Circle and Rise Against.

Upcoming North American Tour Dates:
03/18: Austin, TX @ SXSW – Paradise on 6th (10:00pm)
03/30: Kingston, On @ A.J.’s Ale House *
04/01: Guelph, ON @ Peter Clark Hall *
04/02: London, ON @ London Music Hall *
04/03: Barrie, ON @ The Mansion *
04/08: Ottawa, ON @ Capital Music Hall *
04/09: Sudbury, ON @ The Townhouse *
04/12: Thunder Bay, ON @ Crocks *
04/13: Winnipeg, MB @ Pyramid Cabaret *
04/17: Calgary, AB @ Republik *
04/18: Edmonton, AB @ The Starlite Room *
04/19: Edmonton, AB @ The Starlite Room *
04/23: Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom *
04/24: Victoria, BC @ Sugar Nightclub *
04/26: Nelson, BC @ The Hume Hotel *
07/09: Toronto, ON @ Edgefest 2011

# = w/ Rich Aucoin
* = w/ Tokyo Police Club

Dinosaur Bones:
Ben Fox (vocals, guitars)
Josh Byrne (guitars)
Branko Scekic (bass)
Dave Wickland (keyboard)
Lucas Fredette (drums)

For more information on Dinosaur Bones, please click HERE or contact:

Monday, March 14, 2011

Blonde Redhead: An Interview with Amedeo Pace



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Experimental pop band Blonde Redhead – featuring Japanese born Kazu Makino (lead vocal and guitars) and Italian twin brothers Simone (drums) and Amedeo Pace (guitars and vocals) -- was discovered by Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley and gained a cult following with it's self-titled debut in 1995. Since, the trio’s popularity has continued to grow and its most recent album “23” was released in April 2007 to rave reviews. Blonde Redhead makes a lot of noise, producing sounds similar to Portishead mixed with Brainiac, and is a must-see live. Guitarist Amedeo sat down with SuicideGirls after the band’s recent Lollapalooza gig to talk about their new album, a horrible experience on Conan O'Brien and food.


Mike Hammer: Have you guys played a lot of festivals?
Amedeo Pace: Yeah.
MH:
Do you have a most memorable festival, either as the best or the worst?
AP:
Actually, we just played Fugi in Japan and it's so beautiful there. I think that's been the best so far. Just the environment, it was at a ski resort and Japanese people are very respectful and clean, it felt amazing to just walk around, it felt safe. And the sound was good, the PAs were good and the lights.
MH:
You guys have played Japan a lot I imagine, since Kazu is from Japan. Is there a difference in the way the music is received? You mentioned the culture being a bit different, do they get into the music and appreciate it the same way as we do In the U.S.? Does the music translate across cultures? I know you just played in parts of Europe recently too.
AP:
Yeah, I think it does. I think with us, we have a pretty honest crowd - well not honest, but just… pretty, devoted to us, no matter where we go. They just seem to be happy to see us no matter where we go. We just went to Israel, they'd been waiting for us a long time and we hadn't been able to go.
MH:
That was in Tel Aviv right? How did it turn out?
AP:
It was amazing. They were so happy we were there and they knew all our songs and started singing.
MH:
Even though Blonde Redhead formed In the U.S., you and your brother grew up in Italy and Kazu grew up in Japan, so you have some international perspective - even beyond your touring in other countries. Are the 'scenes' very different in other countries? Are the fans different, or what they listen to mostly, or do you see a lot of overlap in each part of the world?
AP:
I think there is a lot of overlap. I think people who come to see us are usually interested in the same bands it seems like - good bands like Arcade Fire and Interpol and LCD Soundsystem. Bands that are really trying to create something new and exciting. It seems to be everywhere. Then of course every country we go to they love some of the bands from that country and will tell us about them and introduce us to them and they advise us to listen to certain bands that are really good.
MH:
Have you ever worked with, or met a band you wanted to work with or listen to, on tour?
AP:
We just met Beruit on tour, when we played in Spain. We really liked him. We just met a few minutes, but he came to our show and we talked to him for just a while, but he seems like a really nice person and I think I would like to get to know him.
MH:
You guys have been around a while, are there still people you want to work with?
AP:
There lots of people you meet always and they become part of your family.
MH:
You guys first worked with Sonic Youth with drummer Steve Shelley, you were kinda discovered by him - and you've worked with Guy Picciotto from Fugazi do you still talk with them, how did those relationships come about?
AP:
Steve, if I see him I say hi, but I don't think we've seen him in a really, really long time. I think maybe they were playing in Spain when we were playing and they came to see us, but I didn't get to talk to them. We are pretty out of touch. Guy is a really good friend and so are Ian and Joe and Brendan (the other members of Fugazi) and when we go to DC usually they come see us there, yeah... I really like them.
MH:
Speaking of other bands, you mentioned LCD Soundsystem and in Chicago at Lollapoolooza you guys were scheduled to play right before LCD Soundsystem, did you stick around and watch them.
AP:
Yeah, well actually we ran and got something to eat - cause we hadn't eaten in two days.
MH:
That's not good.
AP:
We hadn't eaten a full meal, we picked on things and I was so hungry I was about to faint after we were done playing, but I could hear them play.
MH:
So you guys been touring that much you haven't been able to eat.
AP:
We had lunch the day before, then we left and we got into Lollapalooza and we had a million things to do. It wasn't really two days without eating, more like 36 hours.
MH:
You said festivals are hard to play, and you just did Lollapalooza, which used to be a touring festival but is anchored now, do you think people don't like festivals as much anymore is it too hard economically to organize them, what do you think?
AP:
Well, I think it's a great idea, I do think it's really fun for everyone, but it must be really hard to organize, just having bad weather, a storm or something, you'd lose tons of money, so it's risky. I can't imagine one that moves around - that would be even harder. But, when it's right, like in Japan, it's really amazing, cause you feel like you're part of something that's really amazing. Like Coachella (annual festival in California) this time was really good…
MH:
How do you guys get involved with the festivals? Are these things you requested to play or do the organizers contact you? Like at Lollapalooza you were on the MySpace stage -- is that cause you love MySpace?
AP:
No, they just get ahold of us. I'm not sure why we were on the MySpace stage, I think they just sponsored that one. But afterward we did a signing and we met some people from MySpace and took photos with them and I think they were going to have something special with the band on MySpace and they might broadcast something. I've gone on MySpace like three or four times, it's not something that I've done a lot, but I guess I'm going to have to check It out.
MH:
Are you on the Internet a lot?
AP:
Yeah, if there's a band that I want to find out about I get obsessed with them and try to find everything about them and find them on YouTube or MySpace or their Web site so I can listen to their shows live, just out of curiosity and learning. So I'm not completely retarded, but I don't like to spend too much time on the Internet.
MH:
Are there some sites you visit everyday or so, that aren't music sites?
AP:
I'll check the Italian news sites a lot.
MH:
Do you get back to Italy a lot?
AP:
We go at least once a year and we play quite a bit there to, so we end up going maybe two or three times.
MH:
Is the food in Italy really 100 times better? What are the differences? I've never been there.
AP:
You kind of have to go to understand. You go to a supermarket and it's like, the basic supermarket has the most beautiful vegetables and fish and it's not expensive there, I mean, it is a little bit but it's just part of life just to have good food and good vegetables and people love food and are constantly talking about food, and it's really quite different. Even when traveling, on the highway, you stop at a gas station you can shop better than any U.S. store, cheeses from all different regions, and the specialty of the area, whatever... But, I like a lot of cities, I like cities in Holland and I love Paris and many places.
MH:
OK. You guys were on Conan O'Brien a couple months ago. It was your first time on late night TV in the U.S. how was that?
AP:
It was fun, but they kind of destroyed us with the sound mix. It was pretty terrible. Which was really unfortunate cause we put so much time into it and we even brought equipment so they wouldn't mess the sound up, and the still managed to make it sound really stiff and empty and there was no kind of dreaminess to it.
MH:
That's too bad, because 23 has a bigger soundscape than some of your past albums, you kind of opened up the barn doors. Is that a perception you wanted people to have.
AP:
Yeah, we wanted it to be special and big sounding, and we are learning how to do these things ourselves as we go on, so… it's almost like we never had enough time to expand it with all the things we wish we could explain and expand it with, as far as recording, and we only have so much time. So, the sound of the album is great, but I'm sure if we had more time we could even go further and ever album with us is different because we always want to move on with what we do musically and sound-wise.
MH:
You spent about a month recording 23. Are those eight hour days, full time, non-stop.
AP:
We spent about three weeks in one place and two weeks in another place, so a little more than a month. And usually we would start at 12 noon and finish at 1 a.m.
MH:
Is it still exciting making music? This is your seventh album -- is it fun to go put in all those hours or is it more like a job nowadays. Is there still that magic in there.
AP:
Yeah, that's what's good about us. When it happens for us it's really quite amazing, so it is always exciting. At the beginning we were doing things unconsciously a little more and we would only have three or four days to record an album, and the next one would be like a week or so. So it was difficult. So it's still exciting but we have to work hard.
MH:
Is the goal to buy your own studio one day and have infinite time to record?
AP:
I'd love to have a studio.
MH:
So you are involved a lot more now with the recording, have you gotten involved with the videos for your music? I saw some videos from Mike Mills for songs on 23[/]. How did that come about?
AP:
He kind of took on that and did it himself. We told him he could and we gave him a little bit of money and he did like five songs, pretty freely, and it's very cool.
MH:
Has that happened before? People just approaching you and asking to do videos?
AP:
People are allowed to do what they want with our music. Go out and make videos for us. But, for Mike we gave him a little bit of money, very little, and we had an agreement. But most of our budget we spent with Melodie McDaniel (who directed videos for the Cranberries, Madonna and Tori Amos, as did still photography for the films Seven and Love Jones) to make the video for 23.
MH:
How did the concept for that one come about and were you happy with It?
AP:
She contacted us and said she wanted to do it and told us what she wanted to do, and we didn't pay that much attention, but our label (4AD) told us we should do it with her and we went to LA, we talked to her on the phone a bit before, then we met her and she was really amazing and the video came out really amazing. You can see it on the YouTube or MySpace.
MH:
Do you like to participate in the videos and artwork and that portion of the creativity, or do you mostly stick to the music part?
AP:
I like the music aspect. We all have different strengths within the band. I think I function the best and I work the hardest when we start to make music and record and write it and I become very detailed and obsessive about it. Kazu is very detailed and creative that way, she looks like she's not thinking about anything and then she is and she comes up with something. She came up with the cover for 23.
MH:
What was the idea behind the cover and the title of the album?
AP:
The title came from the song "23" and the cover, we just thought It would be nice to have a title for the album that was short, because we always have such long titles. We always do things cause they feel right, without thinking about it or trying to explain them. It's not for us to tell people why we do things or what it means. A lot of accidents happen with us, that's sort of the nature of the band. We have different minds and we have to arrive at a place where we all agree on something. So even If someone has a very strong, distinctive idea, the other two might have to say, “Woah, calm down.”
MH:
Does that happen a lot? Is that a lot of the writing process, you guys bring in separate ideas and fight over them then meld them together?
AP:
Usually, I bring the main idea, the chords and the melody and I work with Kazu and we try to see if it's something she could sing and then we start arranging it and putting drums to it.
MH:
Is there a lot of arguing or head-butting on things though?
AP:
Sometimes, but not too much.
MH:
A lot of critics and music people are saying this might be the album that finally makes Blonde Redhead huge, does that matter too you guys, to be labeled as that level of success? Do levels of success matter?
AP:
Yeah, they do of course, but it's not a good thing if you don't grow, if you remain in the same clubs, playing for the same amount of people. So it's important for us to know that things are changing, just as much as we are musically, things around us are also changing.
MH:
You have gone from smaller labels too middle on Touch and Go and now bigger on 4AD, is there a final goal, a place you want to reach or are you just going along with it?
AP:
No, we're not going along with it, we're working hard and thinking about it all the time, what's the best way for us and the best situation for us. 4AD has been good and supportive to us, and gives us the freedom that we need, but it might be nice to have something more… to grow little bit more. We've always done things that we can handle and that's been kind of a blessing to us, our growth has been very gradual and I think with this record we are almost able to step to a different place and be very comfortable. To get some money to buy a place, none of us own a house, to get things that you want to have. I would love to own a piece of land.
MH:
30 years from now do you wanna have a big house in the Italian countryside with a recording studio?
AP:
I see myself In Scotland or Iceland, somewhere where there is lots of green and lots of rivers.
MH:
Still in a band, still touring you think?
AP:
No. I like horses. So maybe just raising horses. That would be fun.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

THE HAUNTED – launch title track of new album “Unseen” online

THE HAUNTED – launch title track of new album “Unseen” online


In the light of the upcoming release date for THE HAUNTED’s much anticipated new studio album “Unseen” on March 22nd in North America, the album’s title track has been launched online for you to check out via the band’s official Facebook account: http://www.facebook.com/hauntedofficial.

Here is a message from the band about the song’s launch: “Well, the “Unseen” release is getting closer. Simply put: It feels just awesome! We are all damn proud of this album and can’t wait to get it out there. Today, we start off by giving you a sample of the title track “Unseen”. Enjoy!”

THE HAUNTED had previously premiered another new song off “Unseen” by playing the track “No Ghost” live at the P3 Guld Awards which were broadcasted in Swedish National TV. Check out a clip from the event here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QkWsJ80XDw

Monday, March 7, 2011

Rival Schools Release Video for New Single, “Wring It Out,” Announce West Coast Tour


New Rival Schools album out tomorrow on Photo Finish/Atlantic Records


Click HERE to Watch “Wring It Out” Video

“[Rival Schools] have the power to move, inspire, and heal” -Revolver

Rival Schools recently released the video for their anthemic new single “Wring It Out” off their new album Pedals (March 8th; Photo Finish/Atlantic Records), which comes nearly 10 years after their beloved debut full-length United By Fate. The tongue-in-cheek clip finds the gentlemen of Rival Schools in the unenviable role of professional exorcists attempting to cure a young girl of her (literal) demons. Rival Schools just kicked off an East Coast run of tour dates, and are excited to announce new West Coast shows in May following a UK/Europe tour in March/April with Trail Of Dead. The band will play their official album release show tomorrow night at Santos Party House in New York City.

When Walter Schreifels, Sammy Siegler, Ian Love, and Cache Tolman joined forces they were touted a “supergroup,” having played in bands like Gorilla Biscuits, Glassjaw, Youth of Today, Quicksand, Burn, CIV, and Iceburn, to name a few. With a shared desire to continue progressing forward from their roots in the hardcore scene, the guys crafted a sound that fused heavy rock of all varieties with anthemic melodies and sophisticated hooks. Some argued over whether to call their beloved quartet “alternative rock,” “post hardcore,” or a bevy of other labels that didn’t quite fit, while others just rocked out and sang along. Pedals is an immensely satisfying second dose of what made the band so cherished when they first hit the scene, and serves a reminder of their influence on so many young bands active today.


Rival Schools US Tour Dates:

03/07: Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
03/08: New York, NY @ Santos Party House
03/10: New Brunswick, NJ @ Court Tavern
05/20: Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction
05/21: Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theater
05/23: San Jose, CA @ The Blank Club
05/24: San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
05/26: Portland, OR @ Peter’s Room
05/27: Portland, OR @ Sasquatch Festival


For more info visit www.rivalschools.net

Thursday, March 3, 2011

DROPKICK MURPHYS TOUR FOR NEW CD AND DROPKICK VIDEO SHOWING NOW AT ROLLINGSTONE.COM

Dropkick Murphys' new CD Going Out In Style is out today via their own Born & Bred Records (ILG). The album is currently streaming on AOL Spinner and MSN Listening Booth. In connection with the CD release, the band's video for the title track, "Going Out In Style," is now exclusively available at RollingStone.com.

In the clip--directed by Mark Higgins--a funeral parlor scene quickly becomes a raucous celebration of life. Dropkick Murphys are joined by friends, family and special guests including NHL Hall of Famer Bobby Orr (Boston Bruins alumni), fellow musicians Fat Mike (NOFX) and Chris Cheney (The Living End), along with a host of Boston-based celebrities: Micky Ward (boxing champion; The Fighter), Lenny Clarke (Rescue Me actor & comedian), Shawn Thornton (Boston Bruins), Milan Lucic (Boston Bruins), Kevin Youkilis (Boston Red Sox) and Heidi Watney (NESN reporter).

Dropkick Murphys-- Al Barr (lead vocals), Tim Brennan (guitars, accordion, whistle, vocals), Ken Casey (lead vocals, bass guitar), Jeff DaRosa (banjo, bouzouki, mandolin, harmonica, vocals), Matt Kelly (drums, vocals), James Lynch (guitar, vocals), and Scruffy Wallace (bagpipes)--are touring the U.S. on their annual St. Patrick's Day trek which wraps up in Boston with a string of St. Patty's Day week hometown gigs. The current tour dates are below.

Date - City - Venue
March 1 - Denver, CO - The Fillmore
March 2 - Kansas City, MO - The Beaumont Club
March 3 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
March 4 - Des Moines, IA - Val Air Ballroom
March 5 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
March 6 - Cleveland, OH - House Of Blues
March 8 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
March 9 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
March 10 - New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom
March 11 - New York, NY - Roseland Ballroom
March 12 - Washington, DC - Shamrock Fest at RFK Stadium
March 13 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
March 14 - Providence, RI - Whiskey Rebellion
(private show for winners, family & friends at Ken Casey's new bar)
March 16 - Boston, MA - House Of Blues
March 17 - Boston, MA - House Of Blues
March 18 - Boston, MA - House Of Blues
March 19 - Lowell, MA - Tsongas Arena
March 20 - Boston, MA - The Paradise
(The Claddagh Fund benefit)