tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24029249107205854202024-02-19T02:29:51.697-08:00Rotting RhythmsHammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.comBlogger172125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-41981325915013722072016-10-04T19:55:00.001-07:002016-10-04T19:55:55.886-07:00Beach Slang A Loud Bash of Teenage Feelings Polyvinyl Records Release: 23 September 2016<div id="promoTitle" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: museo-sans-1, museo-sans-2, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
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<span class="s1"><i>Beach Slang- - A Loud Bash Of Teenage Feelings<br />September 23, 2016<br />Polyvinyl Records</i></span><br /><br /><i>“I don’t want to whisper things anymore. I want to yell them.” --Beach Slang’s James Alex</i><br /><br />First there’s the choppy E chord, revving the song like a boot stomping a gas pedal: the sound of all that excess energy built up at the start of the night. Then comes James Alex’s fine-grain sandpaper voice: “<i>Play it loud, play it fast </i>/ <i>Play me something that will always last </i>/ <i>Play it soft, play it quiet </i>/ <i>Play me something that might save my life</i>…”<br /><br />James Alex, songwriter and front man for Philly indie-punk outfit Beach Slang, knows wherefrom he sings. Like a lot of us, Alex is that kid Lou Reed sang about, the one whose life was saved by rock and roll. And <i>A Loud Bash Of Teenage Feelings</i> (Polyvinyl), Beach Slang’s second full-length, is just that—a crash-and-thunder collection of songs about what it takes to keep yourself going, to make it through the rest of the night—hell, through the rest of your youth—and beyond. <br /><br />Coming off a string of acclaimed EPs, Beach Slang’s first album, 2015’s<i>The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us</i>, won remarkably effusive acclaim from a number of critics, and wound up on several “best-of-the-year” lists. James wrote much of <i>A Loud Bash Of Teenage Feelings</i> on that album’s support tour, during which he spent a lot of time with the kids who’d picked up the record.<br /><br />“A lot of the songs [on <i>Loud Bash</i>] are the stories of the kids who got turned on to Beach Slang by the first album,” says Alex. “They’re autobiographical, too, but kind of at a remove—I’m not that young kid anymore, but I used to be. You know how it is; rock and roll is a new crop of 15-year-olds picking up guitars every year and having at it. There was something really cool about documenting someone elses life, but seeing myself in it. I suppose that’s why we connect. We’re all kind of one big gang.”<br /><br />The same could be said of Beach Slang itself, whose members came together very organically. After logging 15 years in Weston, the much-praised Philly hardcore punk outfit, Alex brought the songs that would become Beach Slang’s first EP to an impromptu jam session with outside musicians, including future bassist Ed McNulty. “It felt right, right away,” says James. “It was one of those rock and roll moments.” When second guitarist Ruben Gallego joined them soon after, Alex knew they’d found the formula for Beach Slang, a band that draws in equal measure from punk’s raw energy and power-pop’s emotional forthrightness—a combination that Alex found himself resonating with as he moved into adulthood and became a father.<br /><br />Going into the second record, Alex didn’t feel a sense of pressure to match the broad, unexpected success of the first. “What I did feel was a sense of responsibility to the kids who told me they were finding something in our music that brought them back from a bad place, the ones who were getting Beach Slang tattoos and quoting lyrics to me after the shows. I don’t want to let those people down. As a 20-year-old, I thought, hey, let’s all have fun, we’re gonna live forever. You don’t really see the finish line. Now it’s more like, am I leaving behind work that’s going to matter? What’s this going to say about me when I run out of air, and my son is listening to these records and tapes that I left behind. Is he going to say, “Yeah, my dad was all right”? These days I feel like I’m responsible for things bigger than myself. And I want to do right by them.”<br /><br />Indeed, Alex is that rare songwriter who can create songs that blend his own Young Man Blues with the grown man’s earned perspective. Check the arresting “Punks In A Disco Bar” and “Spin The Dial” for his skill at merging full-throttle hooks with memorable, whip-smart lyrics, or “Art Damage” and “Wasted Daze Of Youth” for a lesson in how rock and roll can be sinister and dissonant, and still end up beautiful.<br /><br />For all the volume and the fuzz and the fury, Beach Slang is a band for sloppy romantics who got there the hard way (“I still taste you in the ash / of every cigarette you kill,” sings Alex). And that’s how the band wants it: “Whether this Beach Slang thing flies or falls,” says Alex, “we want to know that we put everything into it. We’re a rock and roll band; we make records and we tour. We want to sweat it and bleed it. We want to do it like the bands we love and respect did it.<br /><br />“Without these guys,” James Alex says, “my life would feel really, really empty. And I have a full, beautiful life. But you know how some people have the ‘god hole’? I have the rock and roll hole. I’m that kid with the posters on his wall. Whether I’m right or I’m wrong, I’ve convinced myself this is why I’m here.”<br /><br />Beach Slang—plug it in, turn it up, and let it scream.<br /><br />BEACH SLANG TOUR DATES</div>
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9/2 -- Montauk, NY -- The Surf Lodge's Summer Music Series</div>
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9/8 -- Baltimore, MD -- The Ottobar</div>
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9/9 -- Raleigh, NC -- Hopscotch Music Festival @ Cam</div>
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9/10 -- Richmond, VA -- The Camel</div>
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9/17 -- Wilmington, DE -- Dogfish Head Analog-a-GoGo @ Bellevue State Park</div>
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9/23 -- Chicago, IL -- Goose Island Beer Co.s Urban Block Party</div>
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10/6 -- Boston, MA -- Royale%</div>
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10/8 -- Philadelphia, PA -- Project Pabst Citywide Festival @ Electric Factory</div>
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10/11 -- Washington, DC -- Black Cat **</div>
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10/12 -- Virginia Beach, VA -- Shaka's**</div>
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10/13 -- West Columbia, SC -- New Brookland Tavern**</div>
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10/14 -- Orlando, FL -- Blackbooth**</div>
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10/15 -- Jacksonville, FL -- Jack Rabbits**</div>
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10/16 -- Atlanta, GA -- The Masquerade (Hell)**</div>
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10/18 -- Nashville, TN -- The Basement East**</div>
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10/19 -- Louisville, KY -- Zanzabar**</div>
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10/20 -- Newport, KY -- The Southgate House Revival**</div>
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10/21 -- Cleveland, OH -- Grog Shop**</div>
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10/22 -- Pittsburgh, PA -- Cattivo**</div>
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10/24 -- Columbus, OH -- Rumba Cafe**</div>
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10/25 -- Bloomington, IN -- The Bishop**</div>
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10/26 -- St. Louis, MO -- Old Rock House**</div>
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10/28 -- Minneapolis, MN -- Triple Rock Social Club**</div>
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10/29 -- Maquoketa, IA -- Codfish Hollow**</div>
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10/30 -- Omaha, NE -- Reverb Lounge**</div>
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10/31 -- Kansas City, MO -- The Tank Room**</div>
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11/01 -- Fayetteville, AR -- George's Majestic Lounge**</div>
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11/02 -- Oklahoma City, OK -- 89th Street Collective**</div>
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11/4-6 -- Austin, TX -- Sound on Sound Festival</div>
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Hammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-78647372549773336642016-05-07T16:12:00.001-07:002016-05-07T16:12:10.716-07:00Aloha - Little Windows Cut Right Through<br />
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<tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 10px 10px 112px; width: 100px;"><img class="CToWUd" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEh4Y09NzG6qzV5VcixmnRl0_JdVlx_dcVhMujj3X0QLfAzyseH7W_BQ8RcKeIfjX3n9-vDCm9R05TO_uxZBuiXx94NYb6AL56HcqcTw6QcNavezhOT_FdFZo7kSBDB_loFm7oiYIm5s9_XHDadabVN1PXk5OQX0wxd4lPDN=s0-d-e1-ft" /></td><td align="left" colspan="1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px 112px 10px 0px; vertical-align: top;" width="500px"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://polyvinyl.haulix.com/Media/Link?h%3DOB7MpDSM30axrt5fPCiLzA%3D%3D&source=gmail&ust=1462746659040000&usg=AFQjCNE_joS3qs1Z_yhPYZTfbaVDUGcJjg" href="https://polyvinyl.haulix.com/Media/Link?h=OB7MpDSM30axrt5fPCiLzA==" style="color: #ce2a0d; font-family: Arial; font-size: 18pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Aloha</a><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;">Little Windows Cut Right Through</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Polyvinyl Records</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">6 May 2016</span></td></tr>
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Restless by nature, Aloha has never made the same album twice. And if they’ve earned a reputation as a cult band, it’s because each record creates its own aural world, spawning a new set of devotees.</div>
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Aloha traffics in an introspective style of rock, vivid but melancholy, both fragile and forceful. Not difficult, but also not obvious. On Little Windows Cut Right Through, the band follows its prog influences into the early 80s when Fairlights, LinnDrums and Prophets pushed ambient textures and straight lines into music that had grown bloated and unfocused. This invigorating shift highlights what Aloha does best -- driving rhythms behind a matrix of interlocking mallets, keys and guitars. A kind of post-rock in the service of its heartfelt-but-never-precious songs.</div>
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Lyrically, Little Windows offers dispatches from the void. The title comes from singer Tony Cavallario’s attempt to write the album in character, yet finding evidence of himself in each song. It’s a story of self-doubt and reflection, where small truths breaks through a dark, sometimes dangerous solitude. </div>
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Opener “Signal Drift” begins out-of-sync, crooning above unsteady waves of sound which soon give way to a wistful flutes and pounding marimbas, foreshadowing redemption. Radiant ballad “Flight Risk” pleads for a chance to make things right, propelled by a frantic pattern of wood blocks, cymbal crashes, ratchets — the sound of an orchestral percussion section going off script and into its feelings. The brooding, cinematic “Swinging for the Fences” enlists eerie arpeggios in the defense of sadness as a social good. The bright synth-pop of “I Heard You Laughing” closes out the album on a defiant high note with a dose of self-acceptance and relief.</div>
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For all the album’s existential tension and bleak observation, as a listening experience the takeaway is loud and clear. Aloha has distilled disparate elements (and four years of demos) into a precise, mature record that pulses with life, providing catharsis without bluster.</div>
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Little Windows Cut Right Through is the perfect introduction to Aloha for the unfamiliar listener, while longtime fans will be glad to find the band consistently unsatisfied, continually seeking.</div>
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Hammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-52133148540129162962014-08-15T13:04:00.001-07:002014-08-15T13:04:52.990-07:00Rotting Rhythms: Listen: The Afghan Whigs Cover The Police<a href="http://rottingrhythms.blogspot.com/2014/08/listen-afghan-whigs-cover-police.html?spref=bl">Rotting Rhythms: Listen: The Afghan Whigs Cover The Police</a>: Listen to the Afghan Whigs cover the Police HERE I am going to their show in Cleveland in September. They are always awesome live. T...Hammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-81590507504488773992014-08-15T13:03:00.000-07:002014-08-15T13:03:55.710-07:00Listen: The Afghan Whigs Cover The Police<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbBoA5vUkXUiYOeUipvjm0LsjIlhmTY92hYUROhk_FE83JJVkKNjYZLpnFaXIrOulOGlIrSi6GXQpdgli43xTVfzW0O6RIEHpLmdBSebCKAjtxjyd-eYGx7Syf4p_IGz2SnxyF4Lsiws/s1600/do+the+beast.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbBoA5vUkXUiYOeUipvjm0LsjIlhmTY92hYUROhk_FE83JJVkKNjYZLpnFaXIrOulOGlIrSi6GXQpdgli43xTVfzW0O6RIEHpLmdBSebCKAjtxjyd-eYGx7Syf4p_IGz2SnxyF4Lsiws/s320/do+the+beast.jpg" /></a><br />
Listen to the Afghan Whigs cover the Police <a href="http://music-mix.ew.com/2014/08/14/afghan-whigs-police-every-little-thing-she-does-is-magic/">HERE</a><br />
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<br />
I am going to their show in Cleveland in September.<br />
They are always awesome live.<br />
<br />
The Afghan Whigs have turned in a slow burn cover of The Police’s Ghost in the Machine classic, “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.” Entertainment Weekly says of the song, “Dulli and company have brought that spooky undercurrent to the front, and infused the Police’s composition with the dark and dangerous sensuality they specialize in" (<a href="http://music-mix.ew.com/2014/08/14/afghan-whigs-police-every-little-thing-she-does-is-magic/">see EW.com August 14th</a>). The track was recorded during the sessions for the band’s current Sub Pop album Do to the Beast.<br />
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The Afghan Whigs will kick off their North American trek with a performance on KCRW’s "Morning Becomes Eclectic" the morning of Monday August 25th. The tour begins the following evening on August 26th with a two-night stand at Doug Fir in Portland, OR. Joining the band on drums for the North American tour will be Patrick Keeler (Raconteurs, Greenhornes). Due to an unforeseen scheduling conflict, the August 31st show in Boise, ID has now been cancelled. For the most up to date information and tickets please visit <a href="http://theafghanwhigs.com/">theafghanwhigs.com</a><br />
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Earlier this week, Sub Pop also announced The Afghan Whigs’ leader Greg Dulli’s collaboration with author & longtime friend Danny Bland for <a href="https://megamart.subpop.com/goods/danny_bland_and_greg_dulli/i_apologize_in_advance_for_the_awful_things_im_gonna_do?r=1">I Apologize in Advance for the Awful Things I’m Gonna Do....</a> Awful Things… is a 120-page, full-color, paperback collection of haiku written by Bland and is the first published collection featuring Dulli’s photography, with calligraphy by Exene Cervenka (co-founder of the band X).<br />
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The Afghan Whigs 2014 Tour Dates<br />
<br />
Aug. 26 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge*<br />
Aug. 27 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge*<br />
Aug. 29 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom*<br />
Aug. 30 - Seattle, WA - Bumbershoot Festival<br />
Sep. 03 - Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room<br />
Sep. 05 - Montreal, QC - Virgin Mobile Corona Theatre*<br />
Sep. 06 - Toronto, ON - Riot Fest Toronto<br />
Sep. 09 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues*<br />
Sep. 10 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall*<br />
Sep. 12 - St. Louis MO - Ready Room*<br />
Sep. 13 - Chicago, IL – Riot Fest<br />
Sep. 16 - Nashville, TN - Cannery Ballroom*<br />
Sep. 18 - Orlando, FL - The Beacham*<br />
Sep. 19 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage*<br />
Sep. 20 - New Orleans, LA - Civic Theatre*<br />
Sep. 26 - Cincinnati, OH - Mid Point Music Festival*<br />
Sep. 27 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Small's Theatre*<br />
Sep. 30 - Boston, MA - Boston Royale*<br />
Oct. 01 - Washington, DC - 9.30 Club*<br />
Oct. 03 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer*<br />
Oct. 04 - New York, NY - Beacon Theater**<br />
Oct. 07 - Chapel Hill, NC - Cats Cradle*<br />
Oct. 08 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel*<br />
Oct. 11 - Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue*<br />
Oct. 22 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore*<br />
Oct. 24 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up*<br />
Oct. 25 - Los Angeles, CA - Fonda Theatre*<br />
Oct. 28 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge*<br />
Oct. 29 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater*<br />
Oct. 31 - Austin, TX - The Mohawk*<br />
* w/ Joseph Arthur<br />
** w/ Charles BradleyHammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-27205709027402324532014-08-08T10:14:00.001-07:002014-08-08T10:14:58.307-07:00Rotting Rhythms: Castanets' video for "Tell Them Memphis" is a beau...<a href="http://rottingrhythms.blogspot.com/2014/08/element-pilates-weight-loss-for.html?spref=bl">Rotting Rhythms: Castanets' video for "Tell Them Memphis" is a beau...</a>: Castanets is set to return with a brand new album, Decimation Blues, on Asthmatic Kitty later this month on the 19th. Yesterday, Stereogum ...Hammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-40226261582227397262014-08-08T10:13:00.000-07:002014-08-08T10:14:05.386-07:00Castanets' video for "Tell Them Memphis" is a beautiful slowburn that pairs perfectly with the song's haunting tempo (off Decimation Blues out 8.19)!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvrRptPqSfC7hH0gJ9pMBo3Y2pOXdMITMLJgu24sX36l0f4iQ6QpXDIpOrE-oBHoB0LZgfGDZPsSN8fL24tadYG3MOXzkxIXi4dkWuh7ySA2OYECHlhdln-ekMjsmdhBEsZl8G5VsxDg/s1600/xCastanets_DecimationBlues_Cover2000x2000-300x300.jpg.pagespeed.ic.7E-rIIoxg-.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvrRptPqSfC7hH0gJ9pMBo3Y2pOXdMITMLJgu24sX36l0f4iQ6QpXDIpOrE-oBHoB0LZgfGDZPsSN8fL24tadYG3MOXzkxIXi4dkWuh7ySA2OYECHlhdln-ekMjsmdhBEsZl8G5VsxDg/s320/xCastanets_DecimationBlues_Cover2000x2000-300x300.jpg.pagespeed.ic.7E-rIIoxg-.jpg" /></a><br />
Castanets is set to return with a brand new album, Decimation Blues, on Asthmatic Kitty later this month on the 19th. Yesterday, Stereogum debuted the video for "Tell Them Memphis" calling the song "eerie and alluring, like a stranger’s comforting hand on your shoulder." The video for it pairs beautifully with the song's glacial pace and rewards viewers who give it their full attention: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3341g2INv0U">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3341g2INv0U</a><br />
<br />
The songs on Decimation Blues represent the music of a man who’s learned to live and build among the wreckage—twelve seemingly offhand, secretly meticulous tracks that we can hunker down in. In a time when so much music seemingly sounds recycled, Raymond Raposa has crafted an incredible album of singular vision that only he could make. For copies of the album, interviews, or anything at all, don't hesitate to reach out.<br />
<br />
Thanks for all the listening you do and have a lovely weekend!<br />
<br />
- NathanHammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-7750536922216570562014-02-28T13:19:00.000-08:002014-02-28T13:22:37.654-08:00Their/They're/There - Analog Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSyMnMQNSyf-2Gg6AlTcB9Ek8efSTQYSZ9j53vCnxlzzH5-DSR14khCAwlr0NJg-rl24KypeXn2oXmG0ohE0wl80afR5HMeu6Rmyl1YggWlFyHpWHAXWBPLGmcI0r9qGd2BB6Kq7vBtI/s1600/their+there+thery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsSyMnMQNSyf-2Gg6AlTcB9Ek8efSTQYSZ9j53vCnxlzzH5-DSR14khCAwlr0NJg-rl24KypeXn2oXmG0ohE0wl80afR5HMeu6Rmyl1YggWlFyHpWHAXWBPLGmcI0r9qGd2BB6Kq7vBtI/s320/their+there+thery.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.polyvinylrecords.com/">Polyvinyl Records</a> press release:<br />
<br />
Their / They're / There<br />
Analog Weekend EP <br />
Polyvinyl Records / Top Shelf Records <br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.polyvinylrecords.com/artists/index.php?id=1057">Their / They’re / There</a> is the brainchild of Evan Weiss (Into It. Over It.), Mike Kinsella (Owen, Owls, Cap'n Jazz, American Football), and Matthew Frank (Loose Lips Sink Ships).<br />
<br />
Analog Weekend, the band’s second EP, was recorded directly to tape at Ed Rose’s Black Lodge Recording over a single weekend and features piano by James Dewees (The Get Up Kids, Reggie and the Full Effect, Coalesce).<br />
<br />
You can listen to the Analog Weekend EP on the <a href="http://www.polyvinylrecords.com/artists/index.php?id=1057">Their / They're / There page at Polyvinyl</a>.Hammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-47186524616256054872014-02-14T12:02:00.001-08:002014-02-14T12:02:03.173-08:00Rotting Rhythms: Wye Oak share "The Tower" from new album Shriek & ...<a href="http://rottingrhythms.blogspot.com/2014/02/wye-oak-share-tower-from-new-album.html?spref=bl">Rotting Rhythms: Wye Oak share "The Tower" from new album Shriek & ...</a>: Merge Records press release: On April 29, Wye Oak return with their fourth full-length studio album Shriek. Yesterday, NPR’s All Songs ...Hammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-52022848125053057372014-02-14T12:01:00.000-08:002014-02-14T12:01:17.755-08:00Wye Oak share "The Tower" from new album Shriek & announce tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh803GOOG28TOBnAObZF5jHbskVboSaXZ-__cXtsP7EKcvzc2ZcNWqzesf_pEaT7jQ4lGISP-GEEWWAeHUpRHbaNihbQGzGNJ06Tmu2smnTw-UPZ2sWxCfYQC2mdFHOlUgnjbg4XeADMf8/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh803GOOG28TOBnAObZF5jHbskVboSaXZ-__cXtsP7EKcvzc2ZcNWqzesf_pEaT7jQ4lGISP-GEEWWAeHUpRHbaNihbQGzGNJ06Tmu2smnTw-UPZ2sWxCfYQC2mdFHOlUgnjbg4XeADMf8/s320/unnamed.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<a href="www.mergerecords.com">Merge Records</a> press release:<br />
<br />
On April 29, Wye Oak return with their fourth full-length studio album Shriek. Yesterday, <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2014/01/28/265734799/new-mix-wye-oak-ratking-john-lurie-more">NPR’s All Songs Considered Podcast</a> unveiled the first track “The Tower”. Listen to “The Tower” today at the top of each hour on the <a href="http://www.npr.org/music/allsongs247/">All Songs Live Stream</a> and on demand via the band’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1UUqrGn2B0&feature=youtu.be">YouTube channe</a>l.<br />
<br />
Following extensive touring in support of their critically acclaimed 2011 release Civilian, Wye Oak members Jenn and Andy found themselves apart for the first time. Andy had recently moved to the west coast, leaving their hometown of Baltimore. Simultaneously but separately, the two began exploring new ways of writing. Jenn, having picked up the bass did not begin with her typical guitar and likewise Andy began to explore different ways of layering keyboards. The freedom of these new methods allowed for a new found emotional immediacy and in spite of, or perhaps because of the distance, Wye Oak have recorded their most personal album yet. <br />
<br />
Shriek was a co-production between Wye Oak and Nicolas Vernhes of Rare Book Room in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Vernhes also engineered and mixed the album. His inventive production work complimented the band’s new direction, helping them to create their immensely layered and emotive new sound. <br />
<br />
Wye Oak will be on tour throughout the spring beginning March 3rd and including stops at both Coachella and SXSW. With the assistance of <a href="http://www.atctower.net/">Air Traffic Control</a>, $2 of every ticket sold on this tour will go to a local charity of the band’s choice in each town they visit. Full tour dates below. <br />
<br />
<br />
Wye Oak on tour:<br />
Mar 3 Charlottesville, VA — The Southern*<br />
Mar 4 Asheville, NC — The Orange Peel*<br />
Mar 5 Saxapahaw, NC — Haw River Ballroom*<br />
Mar 6 Savannah, GA — Savannah Stopover*<br />
Mar 7 Chattanooga, TN — JJ’s Bohemia*<br />
Mar 8 Oxford, MS — Proud Larry’s*<br />
Mar 9 Baton Rouge, LA — Spanish Moon*<br />
Mar 12-16 Austin, TX — SXSW Music Festival<br />
Mar 20 London, UK — Lexington SOLD OUT<br />
Mar 21 Brussels, BE — Botanique<br />
Mar 23 Amsterdam, NL — MC Theater<br />
Mar 25 Berlin, DE — Privatclub<br />
Mar 28 Zurich, CH — M4M Music Festival<br />
Mar 29 Istanbul, TR — IKSV<br />
Apr 11 Indio, CA — Coachella SOLD OUT<br />
Apr 18 Indio, CA — Coachella SOLD OUT<br />
May 2 Pittsburgh, PA — Mr. Smalls Theatre<br />
May 3 Lancaster, PA — Chameleon Club<br />
May 5 Philadelphia, PA — Union Transfer<br />
May 6 Washington, DC — 9:30 Club<br />
May 7 New York, NY — Webster Hall<br />
May 9 Boston, MA — Paradise<br />
May 10 Montreal, QC — Il Motore<br />
May 11 Toronto, ON — Horseshoe Tavern<br />
May 13 Chicago, IL — Metro<br />
May 14 Milwaukee, WI — Turner Hall<br />
May 15 Minneapolis, MN — Fine Line Music Café<br />
May 16 Omaha, NE — The Waiting Room<br />
May 17 Lawrence, KS — The Granada<br />
May 18 St. Louis, KS — Old Rock House<br />
May 20 Nashville, TN — Mercy Lounge<br />
May 21 Atlanta, GA — Terminal West<br />
*with Future Islands<br />
Hammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-15166759430774815732014-01-30T11:21:00.000-08:002014-01-30T11:25:11.516-08:00JFS Releases "New Girl in Town" Music Video<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHIWufH0v2Tftx-b2yYWaWWQwPKzuYMWOijHK4bMkxBpwHMCaKmeJqNZXl1TfSunxdZ7-pqWtynX_mjInGTr0shqPcyk6TeZZDhyS218KS7s37y0UgupXNOe3L73RkhD1DjcfORqxXhY/s1600/unnamed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHIWufH0v2Tftx-b2yYWaWWQwPKzuYMWOijHK4bMkxBpwHMCaKmeJqNZXl1TfSunxdZ7-pqWtynX_mjInGTr0shqPcyk6TeZZDhyS218KS7s37y0UgupXNOe3L73RkhD1DjcfORqxXhY/s320/unnamed.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://post-echo.com/">Post Echo</a> press release:<br />
<br />
<br />
Neon arcades and fluorescent lasers collide with young love in "New Girl in Town"- the latest music video from JFS. A standout track from the recently released Artax Lost Forever, "New Girl in Town" offers a synth-driven roller-rink experience unlike any other. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://post-echo.com/jfs-releases-new-girl-in-town-music-video/">Watch the new video here.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://post-echo.com/portfolio/jason-f-stroud/">JFS' Artax Lost Forever is streaming here.</a><br />
<br />
Be sure to also check out the <a href="http://post-echo.com/jfs-releases-liberty-music-video-reveals-artax-lost-forever-tracklist/">music video for "Liberty"</a>- the previous single from Artax Lost Forever.Hammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-2395171292957289602014-01-27T13:56:00.000-08:002014-01-27T14:05:19.257-08:00She & Him video for "I Could've Been Your Girl" <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBFaX2_foG5YwEQyeRBLwh80uMzbzTsF3ESmdaSq0VX9JdIoAtNnLlbwsNhQpXJotrhQVRDbe_YIy5VAcsTIO3zBjAa7XAXd-u085RQ3pIOBil0mWq06YRyL7OKgtpJ3VrjNshBjdKE4/s1600/10_245_245_474_shehim_vol3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBFaX2_foG5YwEQyeRBLwh80uMzbzTsF3ESmdaSq0VX9JdIoAtNnLlbwsNhQpXJotrhQVRDbe_YIy5VAcsTIO3zBjAa7XAXd-u085RQ3pIOBil0mWq06YRyL7OKgtpJ3VrjNshBjdKE4/s200/10_245_245_474_shehim_vol3.jpg" /></a></div><a href="http://www.mergerecords.com/">Merge Records</a> press release:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mergerecords.com/she-him">She & Him</a> posted the video for their newest song, “I Could’ve Been Your Girl."<br />
<br />
The video marks the first time the band’s singer-songwriter Zooey Deschanel has stepped behind the camera to direct; the result is an amalgamation of everything that makes She & Him so damn charming—an incredible chorus, choreography by fellow HelloGiggles founder Sophia Rossi, vintage dresses, M. Ward’s genius guitar playing, and a whole lot of fun.<br />
<br />
Watch & share the video for "I Could've Been Your Girl" now at <a href="http://hellogiggles.com/new-she-him-i-could-have-been-your-girl-premiere">HelloGiggles.com</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CajPifzYyRs">YouTube</a><br />
<br />
Says Deschanel about directing, “After 7 years and 4 albums with She & Him, I figured it was about time I took a crack at making a video for a song I wrote. The process was so much fun, and gave me a chance to give a nod to some of my favorite 60’s musicals.”<br />
<br />
“I Could’ve Been Your Girl” is one of the highlights on the band’s last album, Volume 3, which is in stores now. In Volume 3, they’ve created an effortlessly effervescent, bleached-out-in-the-sun pop record, featuring some of the most dynamic, complex songs Deschanel has ever written. The album allows for tempo shifts, disco grooves, string arrangements on multiple tracks, and horn flourishes that perfectly suit the She & Him sound.<br />
<br />
She & Him’s Volume 3 is available on CD, LP, and now cassette in the Merge store, the band’s online store, and at your local record store. Hammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-68543561376526732862014-01-06T14:04:00.002-08:002014-01-06T14:04:23.016-08:00"Snow" from LIGHTS & MOTION streaming<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7ZszBM05YqBn6RGF4QQb7Nmr72Tro__VXbj3PSCr1V5IeC-Azhm78mMN5lkQEscqnCKa4oXkNDrm130vvJxp_Zd4u41MkFNFx76yvCGFo8eDrOsMyNL4mplo5QVoYW3t7fSXbqAfwVQ/s1600/a2433523108_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7ZszBM05YqBn6RGF4QQb7Nmr72Tro__VXbj3PSCr1V5IeC-Azhm78mMN5lkQEscqnCKa4oXkNDrm130vvJxp_Zd4u41MkFNFx76yvCGFo8eDrOsMyNL4mplo5QVoYW3t7fSXbqAfwVQ/s320/a2433523108_2.jpg" /></a><br />
A message from <a href="http://www.deepelm.com/">Deep Elm Records</a><br />
<br />
The Deep Elm Records website is now streaming "Snow" from LIGHTS & MOTION's release "Save Your Heart." It is a gentle but powerfully beautiful instrumental rock track.<br />
<br />
"Snow" is now streaming here: <a href="http://deepelmdigital.com/track/snow">http://deepelmdigital.com/track/snow</a><br />
<br />
See a teaser about "Save Your Heart" here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn_zvhoCYxQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn_zvhoCYxQ</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Some early press said:<br />
<br />
"Co-Albums Of The Year. Save Your Heart and Reanimation are two of the greatest post-rock albums EVER released. 100/100." - Post-Rockstar<br />
"The perfect symphony of our wildest dreams...as if time has stopped and left us in a moment of eternal grace." - Alternativ News<br />
"An even higher level of crescendo-induced bliss. One of the biggest post-rock albums of the year." - Stationary Travels<br />
"Bound to be one of the most talked-about albums of the year. Franzen is a magician." - StitchedHammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-74221131069814765802013-10-04T14:53:00.000-07:002013-10-04T14:53:11.061-07:00Polvo premieres "Total Immersion" & talks UNC basketball with Grantland<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBlLGS0MEo0NiPwErPCNmjTYJcW45YuH7LgmzKQdOc-0NBoop3u8N-e4TDSZtHSEnuLXW7LU8CAtUljg4ar-mtQV2_4ArxPDqGEm5SC_ntjNToiUY5wit657wwINJcj9j6ci5Jq2DPg4/s1600/410_polvo_siberia_news_item.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBlLGS0MEo0NiPwErPCNmjTYJcW45YuH7LgmzKQdOc-0NBoop3u8N-e4TDSZtHSEnuLXW7LU8CAtUljg4ar-mtQV2_4ArxPDqGEm5SC_ntjNToiUY5wit657wwINJcj9j6ci5Jq2DPg4/s320/410_polvo_siberia_news_item.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
Press Release from <a href="http://www.mergerecords.com/">Merge Records</a>:<br />
<br />
<br />
Polvo shared "Total Immersion" from Siberia today at Grantland along with a spirited chat about UNC Basketball with superfan & Polvo co-leader Dave Brylawski. Siberia will be in stores October 1 in the US and October 14 in Europe.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/70693/qa-polvos-dave-brylawski-talks-the-state-of-unc-sports-plus-premiere-of-polvos-new-song">Read Dave Brylawski's take on the state of UNC Basketball at Grantland</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/mergerecords/polvo-total-immersion">Listen & share Polvo's "Total Immersion" via Merge SoundCloud</a><br />
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During their initial run from 1990–1998, Polvo crafted a sound so fantastically obstinate and so perfectly cockeyed that its DNA is essentially resistant to mediocrity or repetition. On Siberia, that sound feels more limber and more aerodynamic than ever. Its songs glide and bob like UFOs, both serene and unsettling. Some of that is owed to a looser approach. “Preparing for In Prism, we labored over that material pretty intensively,” explains founding guitarist Ash Bowie. “A lot of the songs on this album were not rehearsed much at all. I’d like to think this album has a few more adventurous moments.”Hammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-64258062961012344012013-08-13T11:18:00.001-07:002013-08-13T11:18:59.318-07:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBctDF8eNWL_PtDQ1Qqn8KpR-ejN3xDSQXG2CldRGUs4HcA859C6mNlXpoIfQn78oqsLFpbEMMebwcFI9MGl5QHeP9eQ7J05OvdoJCb0JTlbtx0WoTeVxrtt6GFsh3B9qPw2MqcafHT64/s1600/thethermals_hero.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBctDF8eNWL_PtDQ1Qqn8KpR-ejN3xDSQXG2CldRGUs4HcA859C6mNlXpoIfQn78oqsLFpbEMMebwcFI9MGl5QHeP9eQ7J05OvdoJCb0JTlbtx0WoTeVxrtt6GFsh3B9qPw2MqcafHT64/s320/thethermals_hero.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
from the <a href="http://saddle-creek.com/">Saddle Creek Records</a> newsletter:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYZT20OKGok">The Thermals - The Sunset</a><br />
from the album Desperate Ground<br />
<br />
For their latest video, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYZT20OKGok">"The Sunset"</a>, Thermals bassist Kathy Foster took lessons from professional boxer Molly McConnell to prepare for her role as "The Boxer". You can also the band live at a handful of shows later this summer, a full rundown is below.<br />
<br />
The Thermals tour dates<br />
Sat-Aug-17, Omaha, NE, MAHA Music Festival<br />
Fri-Aug-23, Eugene, OR, Kaleidoscope Music Festival<br />
Sat-Aug-31, Grand Rapids, MI, The Pyramid Scheme<br />
Sat-Sep-07, Portland, OR, Mississippi Studios<br />
Thu-Sep-26, Cincinnati, OH, The Taft TheatreHammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-76942114903224048532013-08-03T16:13:00.000-07:002013-08-03T16:14:46.633-07:00Shugo Tokumaru - video for Katachi<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8cv35wvIN3T3nvhDUHd3JAZ0Ie4i1Jzqw9q0deMAV35y6etN3qzTsZgE2IgxQVk45AcynifBRWb1G46BgjMQYWXdR8Kl7LffIYYLXFwx1_-STu-d271E8KIvRNt_jnh0dqcawYjCHms/s1600/06728_ShugoTokumaru_4-438-SQUARE.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ8cv35wvIN3T3nvhDUHd3JAZ0Ie4i1Jzqw9q0deMAV35y6etN3qzTsZgE2IgxQVk45AcynifBRWb1G46BgjMQYWXdR8Kl7LffIYYLXFwx1_-STu-d271E8KIvRNt_jnh0dqcawYjCHms/s320/06728_ShugoTokumaru_4-438-SQUARE.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.polyvinylrecords.com/">Polyvinyl Records</a> press release:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-WM-x__BOk&feature=youtu.be">Watch the amazing video for "Katachi": http://youtu.be/Q-WM-x__BOk</a><br />
<br />
"...a giddy celebration of pop music's potential for mayhem...it all comes together in a beautifully sharp series of technicolor audio bursts." -Pitchfork<br />
<br />
"This is a whimsical Flaming Lips-meets-Sufjan Stevens trip through the mind of one of the finest producers of psych pop working today." - Under the Radar <br />
<br />
<br />
For the first half of 2012, Shugo Tokumaru locked himself inside his home studio while working on In Focus?, often forgetting to eat and sleep for long stretches of time while crafting the record's 15 songs -- each of which contains an average of 20 instruments and hundreds of recorded parts that are meticulously mixed together to create a single, cohesive track.<br />
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As a result of this extreme care and attention to detail, In Focus? -- despite its title -- represents the clearest manifestation of Tokumaru's multifaceted musical vision to date.<br />
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From slow building album opener "Circle"'s perfect transition into standout track "Katachi," to lead single "Decorate" and the beautifully delicate acoustic ballad "Tightrope," it's clear that Tokumaru has again succeeded in writing universal melodies while singing in his native Japanese.<br />
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After Tokumaru completed recording and mixing, In Focus? was mastered at Abbey Road Studios -- a fitting location for an artist who grew up listening to the Beatles and Japanese pop music and whose music builds on the best elements of both to produce a unique sound irresistible to listeners regardless of their generation or the language they speak.<br />
Hammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-53529482922374833242013-07-25T10:57:00.000-07:002013-07-25T10:57:33.882-07:00Watch The Love Language's new video for "Calm Down" now!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mergerecords.com/">Merge Records</a> press release:<br />
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The Love Language's Ruby Red is in stores now on CD, LP and digital! Celebrate by watching their super-fun new video featuring a cameo by Superchunk's Laura Ballance! And the ever-increasing list of the Love Language full band tour dates is below!<br />
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Watch & share The Love Language's new video for "Calm Down" now at <a href="http://pitchfork.com/tv/youtube/13-music-videos/860-the-love-language-calm-down-official-music-video/">Pitchfork.TV</a> & <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyNSUZh0toE">Merge's YouTube channel<br />
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</a><br />
Ruby Red produces new standards for the Carolina pop songbook, finding The Love Language as an extroverted community art project made by responsible citizens of a loosely packed scene who know that Stuart McLamb will match whatever they contribute. As the Independent Weekly proclaimed, “This isn’t The Love Language we’ve come to expect. It’s something bolder.”<br />
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Keep up with The Love Language at their <a href="http://www.thelovelanguage.com/">newly relaunched website</a> and on <a href="https://twitter.com/thelovelanguage">Twitter </a>and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thelovelanguage">Facebook</a>.<br />
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The Love Language on tour:<br />
Jul 26 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle # Album Release show!<br />
Jul 27 Washington, DC – Rock & Roll Hotel #<br />
Jul 28 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s #<br />
Jul 30 Allston, MA – Great Scott #<br />
Jul 31 New York, NY – Mercury Lounge #<br />
Aug 01 Brooklyn, NY – Glasslands Gallery #<br />
Aug 02 Richmond, VA – Strange Matter #<br />
Aug 03 Charlottesville, VA – Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar #<br />
Aug 27 Nashville, TN – Stone Fox<br />
Aug 28 St. Louis, MO – Firebird<br />
Aug 29 Chicago, IL – Schuba’s<br />
Aug 30 St. Paul, MN – Turf Club<br />
Aug 31 Kansas City, MO — Czar Bar w/ Schwervon<br />
Sep 01 Omaha, NE — O'Leaver's<br />
Sep 02 Denver, CO – Hi Dive<br />
Sep 03 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge<br />
Sep 04 Boise, ID Neurolux ^<br />
Sep 05 Portland, OR – MusicFest NW<br />
Sep 06 Eugene, OR – Cozmic Pizza %<br />
Sep 08 Seattle, WA – Neumos %<br />
Sep 10 San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw w/ Bleeding Rainbow<br />
Sep 11 Los Angeles, CA – Bootleg Bar<br />
Sep 12 San Diego, CA — Soda Bar ^<br />
Sep 13 Scottsdale, AZ – Pub Rock w/ Soft Metals<br />
Sep 14 Tucson, AZ — Club Congress<br />
Sep 16 Austin, TX – Mohawk – Inside ^<br />
Sep 17 Dallas, TX – Club Dada<br />
Sep 18 Houston, TX – Mango’s<br />
Sep 19 New Orleans, LA – Gasa Gasa<br />
Sep 20 Atlanta, GA — Masquerade w/ Man Man<br />
# w/ Eternal Summers<br />
* w/ The Critters<br />
% w/ The Dodos<br />
^ w/ On An OnHammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-68019203262094106582013-06-26T11:01:00.000-07:002013-06-26T11:01:11.846-07:00Lights & Motion video for Home from Deep Elm Records<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSro2oEE4lk3b6sUNYAJmxdGVOcwnKJRXAcHT1tkADOsz7DKQGcwvBL48O4tim7NV7c_NyxyYsNA3FFHgjcVMlinyw4hEMiaWKwNTw787Nebg5-TxKSimb3zTLauStg650ds1NaXpUQN8/s1600/a2000715606_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSro2oEE4lk3b6sUNYAJmxdGVOcwnKJRXAcHT1tkADOsz7DKQGcwvBL48O4tim7NV7c_NyxyYsNA3FFHgjcVMlinyw4hEMiaWKwNTw787Nebg5-TxKSimb3zTLauStg650ds1NaXpUQN8/s320/a2000715606_2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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From <a href="http://www.deepelm.com/">Deep Elm Records</a><br />
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One word: Epic. That's the most succinct way to describe the stunning instrumental debut by cinematic post-rock powerhouse LIGHTS & MOTION. <br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBxkJ0Bl9mY">See the video for Home from Lights & Motion here.</a><br />
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The band's braintrust, 24 year old self-taught multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, engineer, mixer and all around musical savant Christoffer Franzen, created and composed every song in real-time during late night insomnia sessions through pure accident, improvisation and inspiration. And the result? More than you could have ever hoped for. Reanimation is pure, sweeping, musically-animated emotion: modern yet classic, bold yet restrained, grandiose yet humble, storming yet tranquil, swerving yet linear...and you are completely surrounded in the sincerity, the ecstasy, the illumination of it all. Every song is so deeply intimate yet so massively majestic, culminating in a timeless album that is seemingly created from the same stuff dreams are made of. "Reanimation will be acknowledged as one of the most important post-rock albums ever to be made...and if this was the last album we ever released on Deep Elm Records, I would consider our 18 year mission an overwhelming success" says label founder John Szuch. <br />
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"Melodies and harmonies, movies and images, loneliness and melancholy are my influences" says Franzen. "There is just this urge, this need to create and it takes on different shapes. Sometimes it's rough and loud and sometimes it's very quiet. I consider myself to be more and more of a painter of sound. It always starts out with something easy and timid, like a simple brush stroke. Depending on the mood, I change the color and intensity of my next stroke and suddenly the whole impression of what that piece was drastically changes. I compose with layers and depth, and it's often the slightest thing that makes the whole song turn into a new direction, often one I didn't see coming myself. That is part of the journey, at least for the way I write music. I never know what I wiIl end up with, and it's often very different from what I started out with. Sometimes I tell people that this album consists of my dreams...only I wasn't sleeping with they came to me, I just did my best to get them down on tape." <br />
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Franzen continues, "At the beginning, I really had nothing except for a vision of something vast, heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. I didn't think in terms of music, but in terms of other things that inspired me, things that painted a picture in my head that I could see so clearly. This was in the Fall of 2011. Without any education in sound engineering or music production, I spent countless nights learning how to get the sounds that I could hear in my head to come out through the speakers. I did this by trial and error, reading endless forums about music production, watching tutorials and experimenting. By doing this I learned the capabilities and limitations of the studio and the gear that I could use, as well as my own as a producer. In order to achieve the sound that I had in mind, I had to pick up all these different instruments and learn how to play them. If somebody had told me one year ago that I would record an entire album by myself, I wouldn't have believed them. I am very proud of it and I can't believe it's done. This album was about gathering the courage to launch an endeavor that was purely my own. It was a reawakening, a rebirth, a resurrection of sorts, and a passageway into a dreamlike world that I created myself...a world to get lost in...a world that gives us hope." <br />
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"An album for which my immediate feeling is astonishment. I am in awe. Thank you Christoffer." - Troublezine <br />
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"Amazingly beautiful, intimate, relaxed melodies and soundscapes. Very impressive...a success." - 520 Music <br />
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"Cinematic soundtrack-mash-ups that bring a fresh breeze into a otherwise linear and narrow genre." - MelodicHammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-36985384868660705952013-05-14T17:07:00.000-07:002013-05-14T17:07:44.023-07:00Dear Blanca Performs New Song, "Noma", Live from Dead Tree Festival<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCP5LpfYXUN4skGEF7IujQfmgQ6woVRSEhl9pwYhgVcgkZAC_C-DKStPpnbma42yYfln02Vo4Lt1PDGp671fekkKTlH859obFPemnnxqlZ8-UhN7OaBPplFCanUvcRwVVtwUvKKzctnU/s1600/Talker-Top-Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVCP5LpfYXUN4skGEF7IujQfmgQ6woVRSEhl9pwYhgVcgkZAC_C-DKStPpnbma42yYfln02Vo4Lt1PDGp671fekkKTlH859obFPemnnxqlZ8-UhN7OaBPplFCanUvcRwVVtwUvKKzctnU/s320/Talker-Top-Banner.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://post-echo.com/">Post-Echo</a> press release:<br />
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With new band members, Dayne Lee and Conner Mills, in tow, Dear Blanca recently performed at this year's Dead Tree Festival unveiling a collection of new tunes- including "Noma", a song blending the raw angst of Talker with a gentler, melodic direction.<br />
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Given life in 2011 and named after the late grandmother of Dylan Dickerson, Dear Blanca consists of Dickerson himself and long-time bandmate Marc Coty on drums. Offering an eclectic range of sounds inspired by diverse acts such as 80′s punk group Minutemen as well as Townes Van Zandt, Dear Blanca promises energetic rock music coupled with folk-songwriting aesthetics both mild-mannered and rambunctious.<br />
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Dear Blanca’s debut LP, Talker, was released on February 12, 2013 via Post-Echo.<br />
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<a href="http://post-echo.com/dear-blanca-performs-new-song-noma-live-from-dead-tree-festival/">Check out "Noma" here.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://post-echo.com/dear-blanca-performs-havana-tonight-live-at-sxsw/">Watch Dear Blanca performing "Havana Tonight" at this year's SXSW.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://post-echo.com/portfolio/dear_blanca/">Stream Dear Blanca's debut LP Talker- available as a CD and digital download.</a>Hammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-54953196126932997282013-05-04T17:20:00.000-07:002013-05-04T17:20:06.500-07:00Listen to "Bright Light" from Mount Moriah's new album, Miracle Temple<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTuId42_z1xpuIMsf5ykM4YzAHhMaEI6wrwPCef0jHj3QASHiI8iDd6Q32WyrQUGpGXZhqv4pWWU_GtxtwvdPmRgUAUfY-eovbl58tP5OH5xDCfKuW_JohBapqS7plnRzVei5Sq2Hzx8/s1600/466_mtmoriah_newsitem.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTuId42_z1xpuIMsf5ykM4YzAHhMaEI6wrwPCef0jHj3QASHiI8iDd6Q32WyrQUGpGXZhqv4pWWU_GtxtwvdPmRgUAUfY-eovbl58tP5OH5xDCfKuW_JohBapqS7plnRzVei5Sq2Hzx8/s320/466_mtmoriah_newsitem.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://mergerecords.com/">Merge Records</a> press release:<br />
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Mount Moriah shared "Bright Light" from their forthcoming new album Miracle Temple via SPIN today. In their premiere, SPIN described the track as a "luminous Southern-rock shuffler."<br />
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<a href="https://soundcloud.com/mergerecords/mount-moriah-bright-light-1">Listen & share "Bright Light" now at the Merge SoundCloud page</a><br />
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Where 2011's Mount Moriah tended towards the simpler, Miracle Temple boasts fuller arrangements, replete with forceful vocals and lyrics that read like prize-winning poetry. The instrumentation's more soulful, the choruses more rambunctious, and the band's vision of the South is even more intricate -- and conflicted -- than it was before. No stone goes unturned: whether it's meditations on gender or reminisces of ex-lovers, Miracle Temple supplies both eloquence & rock 'n' roll in abundance.Hammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-80976601955328393182013-04-24T13:08:00.001-07:002013-04-24T13:08:24.129-07:00Shout Out Louds release video for "Illusions" & US tour dates<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcO169bd3bfpI-wdu77C81dFov_yhw9VupXf9SLTPOWqgi1rDAXOajA4tAGcj_ClRCA4z8u7My1SxHaqDxgRjrXhSqzFAqwIOr9_EqqP9jOxcigG9eF13OCLA1SjvbrToT0SlxxXjbeQA/s1600/SOL_Illusions_newsitem.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcO169bd3bfpI-wdu77C81dFov_yhw9VupXf9SLTPOWqgi1rDAXOajA4tAGcj_ClRCA4z8u7My1SxHaqDxgRjrXhSqzFAqwIOr9_EqqP9jOxcigG9eF13OCLA1SjvbrToT0SlxxXjbeQA/s320/SOL_Illusions_newsitem.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://mergerecords.com/">Merge Records</a> press release:<br />
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Shout Out Louds premiered the new video for "Illusions" via RollingStone.com. The band will kick off their US tour in support of their new album Optica on May 7 at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC.<br />
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Directed by Hugo Stenson, the video follows a woman on a speed dating adventure ending in a dance party. Frontman Adam Olenius told RollingStone.com, "In Sweden, to get 25 people to dance and act or even show up for a video shoot or anything in that area you have to buy them copious amounts of booze and lure them with money. In L.A., the city of dreams, they show up for nothing and shimmer!"<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S9vBovJVPQg">Watch & share "Illusions" now</a><br />
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Shout Out Louds took their time with these songs, recording for about one-and-a-half years in a small Stockholm studio and producing themselves for the first time with help from Johannes Berglund. A theme emerged and Optica was born, an album celebrating color and light from a band confident in its sound, filled with real strings, trombones, trumpets and flutes.<br />
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NPR’s Stephen Thompson writes, “Listening to ["Illusions] in 2013, it’s as if a young band is tapping into our shared nostalgia by rehashing a hit that’s somehow been lodged in our memory banks all along. ‘Illusions’ may be brand-new, but it already feels eternal.”<br />
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Shout Out Louds on tour:<br />
May 7 Washington, DC 9:30 Club<br />
May 8 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer<br />
May 10 New York, NY Webster Hall<br />
May 11 Boston, MA Paradise<br />
May 13 Montreal, QC La Sala Rosa<br />
May 14 Toronto, ONT The Opera House<br />
May 15 Detroit, MI The Magic Bag<br />
May 16 Chicago, IL Metro<br />
May 17 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater<br />
May 20 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom<br />
May 21 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater<br />
May 22 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall<br />
May 23 Los Angeles, CA El Rey<br />
May 24 Los Angeles, CA El Rey<br />
May 25 George, WA Sasquatch Festival<br />
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Hammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-18604380236774651482013-04-18T12:32:00.000-07:002013-04-18T12:32:30.412-07:00She & Him share "I Could've Been Your Girl" from Volume 3<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3Z2GXZvPJ9rIKfz7i97AnZIpgIsthI9T6Van0YSdFACCjRmCeseYv941Fdi2GSAeLh4CfS0Gdaoh8HCcyFoVcsiwKvV_N0YdeQN7VDHR53zO84PMsgYi84P8jUSaXhQt_HvPjqyBw6U/s1600/phpThumb_cache_mergerecords.com_src5f4a82ca84a918f96efe1b44ee3be267_parf1b22e1de2635f23c6079233a5e88ba7_dat1359583360.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3Z2GXZvPJ9rIKfz7i97AnZIpgIsthI9T6Van0YSdFACCjRmCeseYv941Fdi2GSAeLh4CfS0Gdaoh8HCcyFoVcsiwKvV_N0YdeQN7VDHR53zO84PMsgYi84P8jUSaXhQt_HvPjqyBw6U/s320/phpThumb_cache_mergerecords.com_src5f4a82ca84a918f96efe1b44ee3be267_parf1b22e1de2635f23c6079233a5e88ba7_dat1359583360.jpeg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://mergerecords.com/">Merge Records</a> press release:<br />
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She & Him have shared a new song from their forthcoming album Volume 3. Written by Zooey with string arrangements by M. Ward, “I Could’ve Been Your Girl” is 60’s pop perfection, and one of the album’s most impressive tracks.<br />
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In their premiere, the Wall Street Journal's Speakeasy blog wrote, "Deschanel lets her voice ring over a rich blend of strings and guitars before Ward takes over with a trebly guitar break during the bridge."<br />
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<a href="https://soundcloud.com/mergerecords/she-him-i-couldve-been-your">Listen & share "I Could've Been Your Girl" now via SoundCloud</a><br />
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Volume 3 is another exciting chapter in singer-songwriter Zooey Deschanel and guitarist/producer M. Ward’s unique collaboration. Of course, She & Him is not just about the time that Deschanel and Ward manage to spend in a studio together; theirs is a remarkable, year-round dialogue that began serendipitously on a film project in 2007 and has flourished ever since. Deschanel and Ward are like 21st century pen pals, emailing music files back and forth from whatever recording studio, sound stage or dressing room they happen to be in. We get to periodically share in this exuberant exchange as they display their passion for, and knowledge of, a wide range of music – from classic country to vintage pop, no frills rock and roll to grandly overdubbed Wall Of Sound drama.<br />
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Volume 3 is available for pre-order on CD, LP and now cassette in the Merge store. The first 500 LP preorders will receive Volume 3 on limited edition robin’s egg blue colored vinyl! Photos & bio can be found here, and full album streams are available for review. For more information, contact christina@mergerecords.com or jen@pressherepublicity.com.<br />
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She & Him on tour:<br />
June 13 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium +<br />
June 15 Grand Prairie, TX Verizon Theater at Grand Prairie +<br />
June 16 Austin, TX ACL Live at the Moody Theatre +<br />
June 18 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theater +<br />
June 19 Las Vegas, NV The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas &<br />
June 21 San Diego, CA SDSU Open Air Theatre &<br />
June 22 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre * &<br />
June 23 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl *<br />
June 25 Salt Lake City, UT Red Butte Gardens &<br />
June 27 Council Bluffs, IA Harrah’s Stir Cove &<br />
June 28 Kansas City, MO Kanrocksas Music Festival<br />
June 29 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom #<br />
July 1 Ann Arbor, MI Hill Auditorium #<br />
July 3 Montreal, QUE Montreal Jazz Festival #<br />
July 4 Toronto, ON Toronto Urban Roots Festival #<br />
July 5 Ottawa, ON Ottawa Blues Fest<br />
July 6 New York, NY SummerStage, Central Park #<br />
July 9 Philadelphia, PA Mann Center for Performing Arts #<br />
July 10 Boston, MA Bank of America Pavilion #<br />
July 11 Vienna, VA Filene Center at Wolf Trap #<br />
+ with Secret Sisters<br />
* with Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell<br />
# with Camera Obscura<br />
& with Tilly and the WallHammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-73115668557093355752013-04-11T11:23:00.001-07:002013-04-11T11:25:24.436-07:00Eleanor Friedberger Touring Now, watch the video for "Stare at the Sun" from her new album, Personal Record<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3n4AD8aLaA-evhsgLijDWp8NRG-_0qaNpgkRW0cGRtMzb4iVvMXLOmHn0mhdBg8iNRhXu-q5j26k-vFZOtUp3eDFqQVqSkEnOWMdrAlyerlScDkEPEfVS-TdJ0z6bmBqkFdLiGi7MQKk/s1600/eleanor_starevideo_newsitem.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3n4AD8aLaA-evhsgLijDWp8NRG-_0qaNpgkRW0cGRtMzb4iVvMXLOmHn0mhdBg8iNRhXu-q5j26k-vFZOtUp3eDFqQVqSkEnOWMdrAlyerlScDkEPEfVS-TdJ0z6bmBqkFdLiGi7MQKk/s320/eleanor_starevideo_newsitem.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://mergerecords.com/">Merge Records</a> press release:<br />
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Eleanor Friedberger premiered her new video for <a href="http://pitchfork.com/news/50257-celebrate-spring-with-eleanor-friedbergers-new-video-for-stare-at-the-sun/">"Stare at the Sun"</a> from Personal Record today at Pitchfork. Directed by <a href="http://www.scottmjacobson.com/">Scott Jacobson</a>, the video features sign language, cuddly sheepdogs, and lots of air guitar!<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=74-iyAoMa6Y"><b>Watch the video for "Stare at the Sun" now at YouTube</b></a><br />
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Personal Record is Eleanor Friedberger at her finest – recorded in late 2012 in New York and Los Angeles, and written with musician/novelist Wesley Stace, Personal Record is full of love songs – hellos and goodbyes, infatuation, pre-occupation, loss – but not simply about romantic love. Eleanor explains, “They’re also love songs to music: how you feel on stage when you do something spontaneous and it works, how you feel when you hear someone sing a song for the first time, what it’s like to watch a friend perform, how you can feel close to someone you barely know because you both happen to love the same record, or playing the same song forty times in a row, not being able to rest until you own every song recorded by your favorite singer, or every version of your favorite song.”<br />
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Watch Eleanor’s <a href="http://vimeo.com/61121929">album trailer</a> set in beautiful Jamaica, too!<br />
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Eleanor Friedberger on tour:<br />
April 10 New York, NY Town Hall w/ Rodriguez<br />
April 12 Northampton, MA Parlor Room w/ John Wesley Harding<br />
Jun 04 Buffalo, NY @ Babeville *<br />
Jun 05 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern *<br />
Jun 06 Pontiac, MI @ The Pike Room *<br />
Jun 07 Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle *<br />
Jun 08 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock *<br />
Jun 11 Vancouver, BC @ Media Club *<br />
Jun 12 Seattle, WA @ Neumos *<br />
Jun 13 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir *<br />
Jun 15 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent % *<br />
Jun 18 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo % *<br />
Jun 19 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom<br />
Jun 21 Austin, TX @ The Parish *<br />
Jun 22 Dallas, TX @ The Loft *<br />
Jun 24 St. Louis, MO @ The Demo *<br />
Jun 25 Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio *<br />
Jun 26 Pittsburgh, PA @ Brillobox *<br />
Jun 27 Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall *<br />
Jun 28 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg + *<br />
*w/ TEEN<br />
% w/ Icewater performing 1st of 3<br />
+ w/ Cassandra Jenkins performing 1st of 3Hammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-58619243816479811082013-04-04T12:30:00.000-07:002013-04-04T12:36:06.936-07:00New ACCENTS Video<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjntJLFpIDw0YsOrjQHmSIkSgcHgF4JjAUkKXrBn2vxZQcPop3-6fLBEn2vriK7wLxvYQ4D2aAoethDvmNPAXA7pLJTer8-m2W2PrGpL3roTmYtYfrRLiaYezmGEfkEGRFK3Ox2nDQYYnM/s1600/accents.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjntJLFpIDw0YsOrjQHmSIkSgcHgF4JjAUkKXrBn2vxZQcPop3-6fLBEn2vriK7wLxvYQ4D2aAoethDvmNPAXA7pLJTer8-m2W2PrGpL3roTmYtYfrRLiaYezmGEfkEGRFK3Ox2nDQYYnM/s320/accents.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.deepelm.com/">Deep Elm</a> Press Release:<br />
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Indie-folk outfit ACCENTS have released a stunning HD music video for "Alright With Me" off their Deep Elm Records debut <a href="http://deepelmdigital.com/album/growth-and-squalor">Growth And Squalor</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYn_HDwfetE">See the video here.</a><br />
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Filmed on location in Albany, New York on February 16-17, 2013, the cast and crew of 30+ people included Justin Stewart (Writer, Producer, Director), Gary Flugge (Director of Photography) and George Lookshire (Editor, Digital Image Transfer). Accents was formed by duo TJ Foster and Benjamin Hemingway, but has since expanded to a quintet including Lauren Alexander on Vocals / Keyboards, Jordan Stewart on Guitar and Matt Bent on Bass / Vocals.<br />
"I wanted to embrace the theme of the song by showing a relationship that is struggling from financial concerns and how it can corrupt love. It blossomed into a theme that represents society's dependency on technology and the mindlessness that often ensues. With an experienced crew, an idea that encompasses prevalent issues, and a song that has all the right elements, I knew we were creating something special. I can't imagine how many times I spent listening to this song pausing and rewinding trying to figure out the sequencing and timing of each scene. Not once did I get tired of hearing it" says director Justin Stewart.<br />
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"The video itself is a narrative about society and its relationship with technology, the overall message being that nowadays we're so 'plugged in' all the time, we forget to experience the beautiful world around us. It focuses around an average young couple just trying to get by while coping with the added stresses that go along with getting older. It's a constant balancing act between one's obligations and the things that provide him / her happiness. It's a strikingly honest, albeit unique, coming-of-age tale" says band member TJ Foster.<br />
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Matt Bent adds "I think the video does a great job showing the hardships that we all seem to face every day. It can make us hard and emotionless. We stop caring about what makes us happy and focus more on just getting through our 12-hour shift. Relationships suffer. Dreams become all too impossible to achieve and actually are mocked or devalued by the reality, and pressure of our jobs. But there is a always a bright light. When all seems lost, the girl in the video is the anchor that everyone needs. She is the personification of love, inspiration and hope. She is a constant reminder that there is no substitute for the human heart. We may all be drones, attached to our computers, and as anti-social as ever, but she is the symbol that no matter how much technology exists, our humanity is all that matters."<br />
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Video Link / Credits: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYn_HDwfetE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYn_HDwfetE</a><br />
Album Link: <a href="http://deepelmdigital.com/album/growth-and-squalor">http://deepelmdigital.com/album/growth-and-squalor</a><br />
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"A gorgeous, atmospheric slice of indie-folk music. One of the best albums of the year [9.5/10]." - Absolute Punk <br />
"Top 5 Albums of 2012. A folk-rock session that is both refreshingly upbeat and reinvigorating." - Muzik Dizkovery <br />
"It's brilliant...an overall indie-folk musical masterpiece..." - Heavy PetalHammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-44174346283024895192013-03-14T10:23:00.000-07:002013-03-14T10:31:15.134-07:00The Thermals' on tour now, new track from new Album Desperate Ground available now<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_QVZ_z6jZOQOJHjo-b5YBW08WZfMYa_Acd9_47hp-dFfqbfJNxEHkJ9JVwZaPr7w_WEZsBh41uiLX10fsqIxx4QhmCCF35vXJ1y0Q2IO9H_3Ifha1f7YUmgeuxifwsVer_d5AEQ-P2I/s1600/thermals.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_QVZ_z6jZOQOJHjo-b5YBW08WZfMYa_Acd9_47hp-dFfqbfJNxEHkJ9JVwZaPr7w_WEZsBh41uiLX10fsqIxx4QhmCCF35vXJ1y0Q2IO9H_3Ifha1f7YUmgeuxifwsVer_d5AEQ-P2I/s320/thermals.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://saddle-creek.com/">Saddle Creek</a> press release:<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke4h95pue-w">Check out the new Thermals song here.</a><br />
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The Thermals - Desperate Ground CD/LP/Digital - April 16, 2013<br />
The Thermals’ sixth LP and debut for Saddle Creek, Desperate Ground, was produced by John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth) at Water Music in Hoboken, NJ. Agnello and The Thermals completed the record and evacuated the studio just hours before Hurricane Sandy ravaged New Jersey, a fate quite fitting when you consider the product: a true scrappy and scratchy return-to-form for The Thermals, with all the raw power and unhinged adolescent energy that made their early LP’s so insanely enjoyable. Lyrically, the album is a brash and irresponsible ode to human violence, a black celebration of the inevitability of war and death. A dark and yet joyous affair, Desperate Ground tells the (murky) tale of a lone rogue in the night. One man, one path, one sword. An unceasing urge to destroy. A never-ending battle against the forces of nature. A destiny impossible to avoid.<br />
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Desperate Ground, the brand new studio record from The Thermals, will be in stores on April 16. The record is now available for pre-order now, featuring an exclusive marbled red and black vinyl version.<br />
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<a href="http://www.spin.com/articles/the-thermals-born-to-kill-song-desperate-ground">The first track from the new album, "Born to Kill," recently premiered at Spin.com.</a> Check out the article for the free download of the song, or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke4h95pue-w">a peak at the lyric video</a>. The track also made the list of <a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/03/01/173275533/the-mix-the-austin-100">100 songs by artists to discover at SXSW 2013 at NPR Music.</a><br />
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Baeble Music recently ran a couple great articles with the band. Check out an <a href="http://www.baeblemusic.com/featuredarticle/Its-An-Album-About-Killing-Not-Death-Interviewing-The-Thermals.html">interview</a> and Hutch Harris' <a href="http://www.baeblemusic.com/featuredarticle/TGI-Mixtape-The-Thermals-Honor-Saddle-Creek-Classics.html">10 favorite Saddle Creek songs.</a><br />
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The Thermals are already playing shows in support of the new record.<br />
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The Thermals - Spring 2013 Tour Dates<br />
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Thu-Mar-14, Austin, TX, Spin Party @ Easy Tiger Patio, 2pm<br />
Thu-Mar-14, Austin, TX, Filter Party @ Bar 96, 5pm<br />
Fri-Mar-15, Austin, TX, Brooklyn Vegan Party @ The Main (Old Emo's), 4pm<br />
Sat-Mar-16, Austin, TX, The Onion/A.V. Club Party @ Mohawk, 3pm<br />
Sat-Mar-16, Austin, TX, Baeble Music Showcase @ Peckerheads, 6pm<br />
Mon-Mar-18, Los Angeles, CA, Origami Vinyl (Album listening party and band hang sesh) Mon-Mar-18, Los Angeles, CA, Echoplex (Check Yo Ponytail)<br />
Fri-Mar-22, Boise, ID, Treefort Music Fest<br />
Fri-Apr-20, Portland, OR, Branx<br />
Thu-Apr-25, Seattle, WA, Neumos<br />
Fri-Apr-26, Vancouver, BC, Fortune Sound Club<br />
Sat-Apr-27, Bellingham, WA, The Wild Buffalo<br />
Fri-Jul-12, Hannover, DE, Bootboohook Festival<br />
Sat-Jul-13, Ruesselsheim, DE, Phono Pop FestivalHammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2402924910720585420.post-65551704565798255772013-03-05T11:01:00.000-08:002013-03-05T11:03:26.891-08:00AGAIN FOR THE WIN RELEASES VIDEO FOR "MERKABAH" FROM NEW ALBUM "WE'VE BEEN HERE FOREVER"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6RtWCaB4b0UUHGxsUUcp_az5ibUJ8-Wom3eOwrsLHHRA87A50OkzQhL7Vp7Ys85F3L4LC4N_Yij9_XaPpoPeo3PrMHhGkLRyBk7srebG7oAkCRuKV29RstEw6z750_yRfIx7n4Wriyw/s1600/art_540+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6RtWCaB4b0UUHGxsUUcp_az5ibUJ8-Wom3eOwrsLHHRA87A50OkzQhL7Vp7Ys85F3L4LC4N_Yij9_XaPpoPeo3PrMHhGkLRyBk7srebG7oAkCRuKV29RstEw6z750_yRfIx7n4Wriyw/s320/art_540+(1).jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.deepelm.com">Deep Elm Records</a> press release;<br />
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Texas rockers AGAIN FOR THE WIN have released a video for their popular song "Merkabah" off their Deep Elm debut "We've Been Here Forever" released in August 2012. Between the killer guitars and tightly locked rhythm section, you'll hear something different nestled away with every listen of this album opener. By breaking convention and not pulling any punches, the band displays an unabashed sense of individualism...almost uncategorizing themselves in the best way possible. Filmed on location at The Mohawk in Austin, Texas in February 2013. Cinematography, production and editing by Zac Witte.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGm8Z8pcZdU">SEE THE VIDEO HERE</a><br />
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"As the swirling echoes of twin guitars and the dreamy sounds of a keyboard spin and whirl inside my ears I feel as though I have been here forever. I am drifting through the cosmos in a time before time. Then a monstrous percussive boom and an explosion of echo-laden guitars interrupt my dream state suddenly and unexpectedly. The world has just been created. This whole story is told in the magnificent opening track Merkabah..." - Surviving The Golden Age<br />
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"Yes, this is emo and unashamedly so in the driving rock from a broken heart / bloody knuckled stance of the lonely pack with nothing to prove and even less to lose 'Amen, Brother!' way that only Texan men with earnest beards can play..." - Pinpoint Music<br />
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"AFTW's music falls into that nearly visceral space where heavy is shared by post-rock, radio-rock and art-rock..." - Independent Clauses<br />
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"Big on hooks, bigger on atmosphere, and an all-around heady experience. An impressive record..." - Big Takeover<br />
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Genre(s): Anthemic Rock. Post-Hardcore <br />
Recommended If You Like: Brand New, Jimmy Eat World, Desoto Jones, Dangerous Summer, Taking Back SundayHammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815982295513743109noreply@blogger.com0