Bands
School of Seven Bells “Disconnect” on their Latest Offering
Amy Dupcak :: Tuesday, July 13th, 2010 1:30 pm
Benjamin Curtis and I select a shady spot on a sweaty day in McCarren Park, surrounded by children, skaters, and uniformed baseball players. He wears a button-down shirt that reveals his new, and only, tattoo: the sleek cover design and logo of School of Seven Bells’ new album, Disconnect from Desire, which comes out today. Curtis tells me that both Alejandra, or Ali, and Claudia Deheza, the identical twins who sing, and play guitar and keyboard respectively, also had the logo inked onto their skin. But these three artists share a bond far greater than matching tattoos, and a musical output sure to be just as longstanding. MORE »
Bands, News
Nick Cave’s “Grinderman 2″ On Its Way
Amy Dupcak :: Friday, July 2nd, 2010 4:45 pm
Nick Cave’s demonic music and imagination have spawned a variety of awesome projects, from his work with The Birthday Party and the Bad Seeds, to his screenplay for The Proposition and recent novel, The Death of Bunny Munro (an absolute must-read!). In 2006, he formed Grinderman, and the band debuted their self-titled album a year later. Now, a follow-up, called Grinderman 2, is slated for release on September 14th. You can hear the first single, “Heathen Child,” on August 30th. And the spooky/surreal cover art, along with an odd little trailer, directed by The Road director John Hillcoat, have just been unveiled. MORE »
Bands, News
The Reformation Era: Five Bands That Will Never Reform
Colm McAuliffe :: Thursday, July 1st, 2010 1:00 pm
Is there any band out there that is not set to reform? In the latest Reformation news, the news that the line-up responsible for Guided By Voices stellar 1993-1996 period is about to reform and tour for the Matador Records 21st birthday party in Las Vegas, leaves us wondering - are all bands eventually going to kiss and make up, tour endlessly and become a cartoon copy of something that was once great (Hello, Pixies)? Click through for five bands that will probably buck the trend and never reform.
Bands
Dirty Projectors, Björk Collaborate On New Mini-Album, Mount Wittenberg Orca
Amy Rose Spiegel :: Wednesday, June 30th, 2010 5:10 pm
Much-lauded harmonizers The Dirty Projectors have teamed up with Bjork on a new seven-song release, Mount Wittenberg Orca. Beginning today, it’s only available online at mountwittenbergorca.com with a donation to the National Geographic Society Oceans Project; the songs are inspired by whales. “All We Are,” the album’s seventh track, utilizes highly minimalist instrumentation as the barely-perceptible background for the performer’s distinct vocal styles. Although the songs may seem delicate, Dave Longstreth, the member of the Dirty Projectors who wrote the album, has other ideas. In a letter on the album’s website, he implores listeners to eschew their “tinny computer speakers — put it on the stereo and blast that shiiiiiiiii!!” For those of you who like to blast echolocation-inspired jams at your keggers, this album is for you.
Bands, Celebrities, Pop Culture
Courtney Love Goes “Behind the Music”
Danielle Johnsen :: Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010 1:29 pm
Love her or hate her, its pretty difficult not to be completely enthralled with Courtney Love — which is why Vh1 gave the rocker her own “Behind The Music“. The two-hour special premiered this past Monday, allowing us an inside look into glorious crazy that is Courtney. From Courtney’s early childhood, where she was abandoned by nearly every family member, to her search for success in Hollywood, it was riveting to see the usually eccentric Love being frank and openly discussing the dark periods of her life. Love described her inherent awareness that she would one day be famous, her quest to lead the biggest rock band and her tendency to self-sabotage. MORE »
Bands, Celebrities, Comebacks?, Pop Culture
Bret Michaels and Miley Cyrus Are A Match Made in Blinged-Out Cowboy Hat Heaven
Elisabeth Dickson :: Thursday, June 17th, 2010 4:45 pm
Tomorrow morning, the hair extensions will flow freely and the spray tan fumes will linger in a studio midtown, where Bret Michaels and Miley Cyrus will perform a duet live on “Good Morning America”. Not since David Bowie and Bing Crosby gathered around a piano to belt out their cover of “Little Drummer Boy” has there been a pairing of such seemingly disparate entertainers, culminating in a showdown so epic that it will render news anchor Bianna Golodryga’s name un-ridiculous.
Bands
Crocodiles New Song - Sleep Forever
Colm McAuliffe :: Thursday, June 17th, 2010 11:05 am
San Diego duo Charles Rowell and Brendan Welchez, more commonly known to their friends as Crocodiles, have spent the majority of 2010 holed up in a Joshua Tree studio with Simian Mobile Disco’s James Ford working on the follow up to last year’s Summer of Hate debut. “Sleep Forever” is the first fruits of this collaboration.
But to save you time and effort, I have decided to listen to it myself so you will know whether it is any good or not. “What could this possibly mean for the band’s sound?!”, I hear you cry. Well…they still sound like Jesus & Mary Chain (who doesn’t?) but in a shocking reversal of evolution, the band appeared to have moved away from the digital to a more analog sound. Other than that, it’s still 1989 in the world of Crocodiles.
This is not a bad song by any means but it’s ridiculously derivative. Go listen to Loop instead.
Listen and download Crocodiles-”Sleep Forever”
Crocodiles-”Sleep Forever”
Bands, Television
Deer Tick Making Television Debut Tonight on Letterman
Amy Rose Spiegel :: Wednesday, June 16th, 2010 3:00 pm
After last week’s release of The Black Dirt Rising Sessions, Deer Tick’s third album, the band will make its television debut on The Late Show with David Letterman. Letterman is such a cool guy; he’ll definitely love the band’s always-partying, dark-as-death ways! Last week, Death + Taxes interviewed the band, who had some choice things to say about doing the late-night talk-show circuit. MORE »
Bands, Live Reviews, News, Should I Listen?
Live Review: Warpaint at the Knitting Factory
Danielle Johnsen :: Wednesday, June 16th, 2010 1:06 pm
After listening to Warpaint’s first EP “Exquisite Corpse” to the point of obsession, I was fearful to see them perform last night at The Knitting Factory. Sometimes bands are a pale imitation of their recorded selves live, but Warpaint exceeded my expectation and more with their impeccably tight and transcendental set, which had a sold out crowd entranced and dancing along. Coming off of their successful Bonnaroo set, the band stopped by NYC to play two sold out shows, and reintroduce themselves to the music scene that fell head over heels after last year’s CMJ performance. At the conclusion of last night’s show and their nearly ten minute jammy version of “Elephant”, which garnered them a spot on Pitchfork’s Top 100 of 2009, I felt like I was let in on a secret the whole music world will soon know about. MORE »
Bands, News
Tristan Perich’s 1-Bit Symphony Is An Electronic Nintendocore Wonder
Travis Walter Donovan :: Thursday, June 10th, 2010 7:35 pm
On August 24th, Cantaloupe Music will release tech wizard Tristan Perich‘s 1-Bit Symphony, the follow up to his 2004 release, 1-Bit Music. The album isn’t a traditional recording, as the jewel case houses an array of scattered electronic bits surgically intertwined with wires rather than a compact disc. Via a single headphone jack mounted into the CD case, the listener plugs in and actually hears as the electronic circuit performs in real time a 1-bit lo-fi symphony (as the title implies) with its minimalist construction employing a simple on/off switch and volume control.
MORE »
Bands, Interviews
Interview: Local Natives on David Byrne, Performing in Barns, and Insane Clown Posse’s “Miracles”
Amy Rose Spiegel :: Wednesday, June 9th, 2010 12:45 pm
When I met Local Natives before one of their shows at Bowery Ballroom in May, its members were “running on no sleep, fumes, and coffee,” according to Kelcey Ayer, who sings and plays keyboards, percussion, and guitar in the band. After playing at the Bowery in New York the night before, they had traveled to Philadelphia to perform for radio station XPN and then driven back to New York that night to play yet another Bowery show. Despite their well-earned exhaustion, they and the opening band, Suckers, seemed to have no trouble impressing the crowd that night, which happened to include a very pensive-looking David Byrne. MORE »
Bands, News
El Guincho Streaming New EP, Announces Short US Tour
Travis Walter Donovan :: Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 7:30 pm
El Guincho, the recording project of Pablo Díaz-Reixa, is set to release his next album on July 13th with Young Turks, preceded by a short US tour. Piratas de Sudamérica, El Guincho’s first release since 2008’s Alegranza!, is the debut in a series of five limited edition EPs that find the Spanish musician giving his own personal spin on old South American classics.
MORE »
Bands
Track Review: “Shower Curtain” - The Dardys
Amy Rose Spiegel :: Wednesday, May 26th, 2010 4:05 pm
“Shower Curtain,” the newest single by LES mainstays The Dardys, is now streaming on their MySpace. It’s a pop song with some serious, quiet charm - as well as the source of one of the best origin stories that I’ve heard recently. Band member Jimmy Keithly stayed the night at fellow Dardy David Heffernan’s apartment one evening. Where upon awakening the next morning and getting ready to leave, many would leave a typically polite thank-you note, Keithly left a poem. It was called - surprise!- “Shower Curtain,” and included the line “You stick to yourself. I peel you away,” which later became the chorus of this song. I wish my houseguests would leave me sweet poems that eventually morphed into winning pop songs instead of, uh, unmade beds. I’m jealous of this band’s fortitude, but it’s hard to hate them when their music is so cool. Thanks for making me feel so conflicted, assholes.
Bands
Butch Walker Headlines Webster Hall
Colm McAuliffe :: Thursday, May 13th, 2010 3:00 pm
Following a successful tour supporting Train, the hotly-tipped Butch Walker & The Black Widows headline Webster Hall on May 20 supporting I Liked It Better When You Had No Hear. The album has earned Butch the best reviews of his career and a place as “one of America’s best singer-songwriters” according to Rolling Stone. Butch’s recent shows have also been met with critical acclaim with The LA Times noted Butch has “refined… to a perfect essence.”
The full band heads to Europe at the end of May to open for P!nk and to play select headlining dates.
Watch Butch Walker’s nanja-tastic music video for “Pretty Melody” feat. Panic! At The Disco’s Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith here.
Bands
Antony and the Johnsons to Release New Album in October
Johnny Sanford :: Thursday, May 6th, 2010 1:45 pm
Antony and the Johnsons are to release a special edition of “Swanlights” this October which will include the CD inside a 144 page art book containing Antony’s paintings, collages, photography and writing.
“Swanlights” is the fourth Antony and the Johnsons album and the follow up to the critically acclaimed smash “The Crying Light” which topped year-end best of lists across the globe in 2009. To check out the front cover of the album, make the jump. MORE »
