the xx are back with another fantastic performance on pitchfork.tv’s video series, Surveillance. This time they performed “Basic Space”. Very dark and lovely.
Check it:
Archive for February, 2010
Local Natives have planned out a tour in order to get the word out about their excellent debut album Gorilla Manor.
Dates are posted below. I may have a class during their Bowery Ballroom show (that I can’t miss :-/) but I am crossing my fingers and hoping that I will be able to go, show them my support, and maybe hang out! We will see! If they are near you, please go support the guys. Buy them a drink for me!
04-20 Tucson, AZ – Solar Culture
04-22 Dallas, TX – The Cavern
04-23 Austin, TX – Emo’s Inside
04-24 Houston, TX – Mango’s
04-26 Little Rock, AR – Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack
04-27 Haittesburg, MS – Thirsty Hippo
04-29 St. Augustine, FL – Cafe 11
04-30 Nashville, TN – The Basement
05-01 Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
05-04 Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506
05-05 Washington, DC – DC 9
05-06 New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
05-07 Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie
05-08 Allston, MA – Great Scott
05-10 Pontiac, MI – Crofoot-Pike Room
05-11 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom
05-12 Columbus, OH – The Basement
05-14 Chicago, IL – Schubas
05-15 Rock Island, IL – Rock Island Brewing Company
05-17 Minneapolis, MN – 400 Bar
05-18 Iowa City, IA – The Mill
05-19 Columbia, MO – Mojo’s
05-21 Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
05-22 Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
05-25 Spokane, WI – Empyrean
05-26 Boise, ID – Neurolux
05-27 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
05-28 Vancouver, BC – Media Club
05-30 Seattle, WA – Sasquatch
06-03 San Francisco, CA – Bottom of the Hill
06-10 Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo
My sleep schedule is fucked up right now. Totally slept passed the press email about the album artwork for MGMT‘s Congratulations. Check out the artwork above, but it’s not like you read this before you glanced at it. It’s pretty damn trippy, and pretty much puts me at a loss for words! I like it, and it makes me a little bit more excited for the album for some reason!
Artist Anthony Ausgang teamed up with the band for the creation of the album art, and you can read more about their collaboration here.
Congratulations comes out on Columbia Records on April 13th. You can pre-order it here.
My buddy Willis who runs the Vinyl & Vodka magazine, just released the 2nd issue of his independent, non-profit online magazine. Here is the direct quote from Willis about what is in issue #2:
This issue features an interview with HEALTH and articles like The Internet and its Effect on the Music Industry, along with reviews of Tim Burton’s art gallery at MOMA. We also featured 500 Days of Summer and A Single Man. 5 bloggers (We All Want Someone, The Culture Of Me, Pigeons and Planes, We Listen For You, Both Eyes Closed) also participated in creating a cool feature.
There are 2 editorials that are in this issue, and thank you SO SO SO SO much to Shaun Scade from Scade Photography for fighting the cold and dealing with us for two days straight, shooting our models.
So yes, I did contribute to Issue #2, and I coudln’t be happier! Willis is a great guy, with fantastic vision. I was really happy that he would want me to add something to his fantastic project! He asked me to choose a band that I thought had a bright future in 2010 and beyond, and right away I picked Local Natives. You can read my article on page 51. I am honestly honored to be a part of this!
Please give the magazine a read if you have a free second. It is very well done and professional! Well done & congrats Willis!!!!
Read the Magazine Right Here
You can also download the 2nd Vinyl & Vodka Vodkast right here as well
I just got the word that it is cool to post the mp3 of The Morning Benders magnificent song “Excuses”. It is easily the best song that I have listened to in 2010. It seems as though most people are agreeing with as seen from the great reception their Yours Truly live take of this soon to be indie classic.
The studio version of the song had pretty big shoes to fill after such a stunning introductory performance, but the boys don’t disappoint. The emotion still hangs high through the retro vibe and dusty sound. I don’t think that it is possible to get sick of this song. This is the opening song off of Big Echo, and it is quite the way to start off an album.
The band are giving the mp3 for free download on their website or just download it below!
[mp3] : The Morning Benders – Excuses
Big Echo drops on March 9th. Purchase it here via Insound.
Pitchfork.TV’s video series “Surveillance” were successful in capturing the xx playing their song “Night Time” at the perfect setting: dark, isolated, and left with plenty of room for their sound to bounce of the walls and play with the listeners mind. I gotta say, this only gets me 10x more excited for their show at Webster Hall w/ jj on March 31st. I will be there, I hope you can make it too!
Check out some clips of one of our favorite new bands, Best Coast, recording their debut LP. Black Iris takes us behind the scenes to their LA studios to show give us some takes of some of the songs that are on the album. They are sounding GOOOOD!
We interviewed Beth last month, if you missed that, it’s just a click away! You should subscribe to Best Coast’s twitter, it is a good one! You gotta love Beth, she is a sweetheart! <3
If you read my blog, you should better know who Local Natives are. We have mentioned them once or twice. US fans have been eagerly awaiting the “official” release of the bands fantastic debut album, Gorilla Manor, which got a well earned 8.4 Best New Music from the fork. The album came out months ago in the UK, so it was about time that the US got the goods from these LA boys. Frenchkiss Records were the label smart enough to snag this talented band up.
Gorilla Manor was my 8th favorite album of 2009, so don’t expect it on my best of 2010, though it certainly deserves a spot! The album is a fantastic journey of sounds that tackle many different genres and a wide spectrum of influences. It is genuine collection of songs that are every bit exciting as they are beautiful, and rock and roll. A complete package. It is worth every bit of your time, and money, if you can spare some change. If you need some reassuring, you can stream the whole album over at NPR for free. After more and more listens, the album sounds better and better.
If you like what you hear, you should buy the album from insound. If you act now you can get a cool bundle with a t-shirt and 7 inch of “Sun Hands”. MP3 of Sun Hands below as well!
[mp3] : Local Natives – Sun Hands
“Unintended” may just be the best Muse song that no one knows. This is from their 1999 debut album, Showbiz. A beautiful ballad that I saw them play for the first time ever in America, during their massive MSG gig.
It always puts me in a good place. Matt’s young vocals sound so sincere. In “Unintended”, he sings about his recent submission into a new love, when he is just recovering from the loss of another. It may be my personal favorite song from Muse, and I wanted to share it with you guys.
Most people who know Muse are oblivious to this songs existence, and that’s a damn shame. A crying shame.
[mp3] : Muse – Unintended
Gorillaz Mexico pointed us to youtube vids that ripped the audio from Plastic Beach samples from songs that Murdoc “leaked”on his BBC hijack show. The said songs are “Rhinestone Eyes” and “Sweepstakes”.
They are short samples, but give us a decent idea about what the songs are going to be like. These are not as poppy as their stuff from Demon Days, that is pretty apparent. “Sweepstakes” features Mos Def and seems like a very dark Mos Def song, rather than a Gorillaz song. “Rhinestone Eyes” seems more like the old Gorillaz that we are used to. It sounds pretty mysterious and I like it. I think it can take off to a pretty stellar track!
Check it out for yourself via these video clips! :
Sweepstakes:
Rhinestone Eyes :
The good people at a radiohead forum posted the 3 radio shows that Murdoc did with the samples of new songs, plus some other hand selected songs. Download them, below:
Murdoc Pirate Broadcast 1# ->
Murdoc Pirate Broadcast 2# ->
Murdoc Pirate Broadcast 3# ->
Plastic Beach comes out on March 3rd. It’s sneaking up on us, isn’t it? It’s not that far away!
