Handsome Furs: Do documentary series for CNN

The Handsome Furs, comprised of husband and wife duo, Alexei Perry and Dan Boeckner had one of the best albums of '09 with their second LP, Face Conrtol on Sub Pop records. Well known for their dynamic live shows the pair has had the opportunity to travel the globe in support of their latest album, and even had the chance to team up with CNN for a series of tour diaries while on tour in Asia, the first part of which is up on CNN's website now.

watch Handsome Furs tour diary pt 1 here.

visit handsomefurs.com

Sharon Van Etten- download new song, watch new video

Brooklyn singer, Sharon Van Etten had herself a breakout year in 2009 with her album, Because I Was In Love, which appeared in our top 20 albums of the year list. Not looking to slow down in '10 Sharon recently sat down with music blog
Muzzle of Bees for a new video series they kicked off called, Broken Harbors, which saw Sharon perform the song, "A Joke or a Lie."
In other news Sharon just released a new mp3 over at Weathervanemusic.org for a new track titled, "Love More" which you can download for free here.

Broken Harbors: Sharon Van Etten - A Joke Or A Lie from Colin Bridgham on Vimeo.

visit SharonVanEtten.com

get to know: Strand of Oaks

It was the Damien Jurado comparisons that made me give Strand of Oaks an initial listen, but it was his music that made me stick around and want to find out more.
Thought it was an interesting story too, so here's a little of his bio:
Strand of Oaks is Timothy Showalter, an Indiana Mennonite turned Pennsylvania Hebrew Dayschool teacher who even drives the school bus for extra cash (and has sing-alongs with the pupils as they ease on down the road). While escaping a relationship gone worse, Showalter returned home one day to a house burned down, leaving all of his earthly possessions charred in flames. Spending nights in downtown hotels and on park benches with a borrowed guitar, he began to face the proverbial demons.
Out of all this spawned Showalter's latest release, Leave Ruin, which is out now on La Société Expéditionnaire.
Strand of Oaks just announced a new round of tour dates, which you can catch below.

Strand of Oaks- "End in Flames"

Strand Of Oaks on the road:
02/16 - North Manchester, IN - The Firehouse
02/17 - Ypsilanti, MI - The Elbow Room w/ Chris Bathgate
02/18 - Grand Rapids, MI - The DAAC
02/19 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon w/ Juniper Tar, Common Loon
02/20 - Milwuakee, WI - Cactus Club w/ Daredevil Christopher Wright, Conrad Plymouth
02/21 - Chicago, IL - Halfway Lounge w/ Mako Sica
02/24 - Bloomington, IN - The Bishop w/ Vollmar, Mayor of Rocky, Ripple
02/25 - Akron, OH - The Manitee
02/26 - Columbus, OH - Skylab w/ The Black Swans
02/27 - Millheim, PA - Elk Creek Tavern w/ Chicken Tractor
02/28 - Frostburg, MD - House Show
03/01 - Baltimore, MD - The Wind Up Space
03/02 - Kutztown, PA - Eckhaus Gallery w/ Bad Temple
03/03 - Brooklyn, NY - Zebulon
03/04 - Stroudsburg, PA - Main St. Jukebox
03/05 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fire w/ Hezekiah Jones

Strand of Oaks on myspace.

Stream new Phantogram album, 'Eyelid Movies'

Proving that you don't have to be from Brooklyn to be a cool NY band, this upstate NY (Saratoga) duo have been generating a ton of buzz with their '09 EP, and soon to be released debut album titled, Eyelid Movies. The new album doesn't hit stores until next week, Feb 9th, but if you head over to NPR.org here, you can stream the album in full right now.

Phantogram-"When I'm Small"


Phantogram's upcoming tour dates:
Feb 3 STATE THEATRE State College, Penn.
Feb 4 CROCODILE ROCK Allentown, Penn.
Feb 5 NORTHERN LIGHTS Clifton Park, New York
Feb 8 RED DOOR Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Feb 9 GREAT SCOTT Boston, Massachusetts
Feb 11 UNION HALL Brooklyn, New York
Feb 12 MERCURY LOUNGE NYC, New York
Feb 13 KUNG FU NECKTIE Philadelphia, Penn.
Feb 15 DC9 Washington, DC
Feb 16 THE TREEHOUSE Columbus, Ohio
Feb 17 SCHUBAS TAVERN Chicago, Illinois
Feb 18 7TH STREET ENTRY Minneapolis, Minn.
Feb 20 THE DRAKE HOTEL Toronto
Feb 21 II MOTORE Montreal, Quebec
Feb 22 MONKEY HOUSE Burlington, Vermont

more Phantogram on myspace.

We Are Wolves: 'Invisible Violence'

Montreal’s We Are Wolves are out digitally today with their third album titled, Invisible Violence, on Dare To Care. The electro-rock infused disc, which is also physically in stores on Feb 23, was produced by Radwan Moumneh (Three Silver Mt. Zion, Pas Chic Chic) and Hadji Bakara (Wolf Parade).
You can get familiar with the band by checking out their new track, “Blue” which is available for download below.
We Are Wolves- "Blue"

We Are Wolves on the road:
Feb 4 Great Scott Boston, Massachusetts
Feb 5 Studio @ Webster Hall NYC, New York
Feb 6 Brooklyn Bowl Brooklyn, New York
Feb 18 Box-Office Drummondville, Quebec
Mar 5 Les Nocturnes du Musée d’art Montréal, Quebec
Mar 6 Trou du diable Shawinigan, Quebec
Mar 18 SXSW M for Mtl showcase @ Paradise Cafe Austin, Tx
Apr 1 Imperial de Quebec, Quebec
Apr 6 The Ale House Kingston, Ontario
Apr 7 Pheonix Concert Theatre Toronto, Ontario
May 15 Nuits Sonores @ Place de la Bourse. Lyon

more at We Are Wolves.net

'Song of the Week' : Frightened Rabbit- "Nothing Like You"; band adds US dates

Armed with a new album this coming March, Frightened Rabbit will be making their return to U.S. shores that same month with an appearance at SXSW, followed by a more detailed North American trek in April.
In other news the band just unveiled a new video from the new album for the killer track, "Nothing Like You."
Man am I looking forward to this one. The Winter of Mixed Drinks hits stores on March 2nd via Fat Cat Records.


Frightened Rabbit on MUZU

Frightened Rabbit North American Tour Dates:
March 12 - 21 SXSW Festival, Austin, TX
17 Apr - Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Indio CA
19 Apr - The Clubhouse, Tempe AZ
21 Apr - Walters, Houston TX
22 Apr - Loft @ Palladium Ballroom, Dallas TX
23 Apr - Revolution, Little Rock AR
24 Apr - The Masquerade, Atlanta GA
25 Apr - Cat's Cradle, Carrboro NC
27 Apr - Black Cat, Washington DC
28 Apr - Webster Hall, New York NY
29 Apr - Paradise, Boston MA
30 Apr - First Unitarian, Philadelphia PA
3 May - Petit Campus, Montreal QC
4 May - Opera House, Toronto ON
6 May - Southgate House, Newport KY
7 May - The Old Rock House, St. Louis MO
8 May - Metro, Chicago IL
9 May - Pabst Theater, Milwaukee WI
10 May - Varsity Theater, Minneapolis MN
12 May - Bluebird Theater, Denver CO
13 May - Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City UT
15 May - Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver BC
16 May - Neumo's, Seattle WA
17 May - Berbati's Pan, Portland OR
19 May - The Fillmore, San Francisco CA
22 May - Casbah, San Diego CA

more Frightened Rabbit on their myspace.

new video: Mumford & Sons- "The Cave"

Just the other day we were talking about the UK group, Mumford & Sons, and how the band will be see the physical release of their debut album, Sigh No More in the U.S. this Feb 16th. The group just came out with a new video for one of my favorite tracks off the disc called, "The Cave."
The band will also be hitting the road in a few major cities across the U.S. the same week as the albums release, stopping in NYC at The Bowery Ballroom on Feb 18.



Upcoming tour dates:
Feb 9 The Troubadour Los Angeles
Feb 11 Pop Scene San Francisco
Feb 15 Lee’s Palace Toronto
Feb 18 Bowery Ballroom New York
Feb 21 Festival Super Mon Amour Paris
Mar 3 ABC Glasgow
Mar 4 Academy 1 Manchester
Mar 6 Wulfrun Wolverhampton
Mar 7 Newcastle Uni Newcastle
Mar 9 Academy Liverpool
Mar 10 Junction Cambridge
Mar 12 Corn Exchange Brighton
Mar 13 Shepherd’s Bush Empire London
Mar 14 Shepherd’s Bush Empire London
Mar 16 Queen’s Hall Edinburgh
Mar 18 Academy Dublin
Mar 20 Mandella Hall Belfast

visit Mumford & Sons.com for more info

Apples in Stereo go time travelling

Psych-rockers The Apples in Stereo are releasing their new forthcoming album, Travellers in Space and Time, on April 20 via Yep Roc/Simian/Elephant 6.
The bands seventh album overall is being described as “their most hi-fi and hook-laden production to date,” according to Yep Roc, and frontman Robert Schneider called it "retro-futuristic super-pop."


'Travellers in Space and Time' track listing:
1. The Code
2. Dream About the Future
3. Hey Elevator
4. Strange Solar System
5. Dance Floor
6. C.P.U.
7. No One in the World
8. Dignified Dignitary
9. No Vacation
10. Told You Once
11. It’s All Right
12. Next Year at About the Same Time
13. Floating in Space
14. Nobody But You
15. Wings Away
16. Time Pilot

visit Applesinstereo.com

new video: Dawn Landes- "Young Girl"

Singer-songwriter, Dawn Landes, just released her third full-length album, Sweet Heart Rodeo on Jan 19th on Cooking Vinyl Records. The album features the track "Young Girl" which she also released a new video for, that shows a different side to Landes' usual acoustic stylings. The video was directed by Jon Watts, who also worked on TV On The Radio's "Wolf Like Me."



Dawn Landes on tour:
Jan 31-Atlanta, GA-Eddies Attic*
Feb 1-Mobile, AL-Callahan’s*
Feb 3-San Antonio, TX-Sam’s Burger Joint*
Feb 4-Austin, TX-Stubb’s*
Feb 5-Houston, TX-McGonigel’s Mucky Duck*
Feb 6-Dallas, TX-Granada Theatre**
Feb 9-Chicago, IL-Beat Kitchen
Feb 22 Doornroosje W/Josh Ritter Nijmegen
Apr 23 The Bell House w/ Elvis Perkins Brooklyn, NY
*Supporting Justin Townes Earle
**Supporting Justin Townes Earle and Chris Knight

find out more at DawnLandes.com

Emmanuel and the Fear releasing debut full length

Emmanuel and the Fear don't do thing small, from their 11 member line-up to their grand orchestral sound. Keeping things big, the Brooklyn ensemble are set to release their 18 song full length debut, 'Listen' which comes out in North America on March 9th and in Europe on March 22nd via Paper Garden Records. Spring and Summer tour plans both domestic and abroad should be announced soon, but in the meantime the band has a handful of dates already schedules in the coming months. You can "Listen" to the new album track, "Dear Friend" below.

“Dear Friend” mp3

Upcoming Tour Dates
2/27 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
3/10 NYC, NY @ Gramercy Theatre w/NYU symphony(album release show)
4/06 Brussels @ Botanique
4/09 Offenbach @ Hafen 2
4/10 Reutlingen @ Burning Eagle Festival
4/17 Leipzig @ Ilses Erika
4/18 Berlin @ NBI
4/22 Hamburg @ Zentrale
4/23 Dresden @ Scheune
4/24 Amsterdam @ London Calling

follow Emanuel and the Fear on myspace.

The Tallest Man on Earth signs to Dead Oceans

Kristian Matsson, aka The Tallest Man on Earth is Sweden's very own version of a modern day Bob Dylan. It's not only Matsson's vocal stylings but the guy flat out knows how to tell a story with his words. He first gained some notoriety here in the U.S. while supporting Bon Iver on his tour dates, wowing crowds that came out early. The Tallest Man on Earth just recently signed on with the label Dead Oceans (Bowerbirds, Dirty Projectors), who will be releasing his second LP, The Wild Hunt on April 13th (April 12th in the UK).
Listen to the album track “King of Spain” below, and stay tuned for soon to be announced North American tour dates.

"King of Spain"

The Wild Hunt tracklist:
1. The Wild Hunt
2. Burden of Tomorrow
3. Troubles Will be Gone
4. You’re Going Back
5. The Drying of the Lawns
6. King of Spain
7. Love is All
9. 8. Thousand Ways
10. A Lion’s Heart
11. Kids on the Run

Tallest man on earth - These Days (Nico Cover) - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

The Tallest Man on Earth on myspace.

Yeah Yeah Yeah's- "Skeleton"

Yeah Yeah Yeah's 2009 album, It's Blitz! topped more than a few best of lists for 2009, and although the disc has been out for quiet some time, the band just released a new video for the song, "Skeleton". It was premiered yesterday over on Babelgum here, as a seven-day exclusive and includes a 'making-of' video, live performances and an interview with director Barnaby Clay, who also directed the video for "Zero" earlier in the year.

new video: Langhorne Slim- "Be Set Free"

Langhorne Slim - "Be Set Free" from Mog Dotcom on Vimeo.

Here's a new video for the title track off of Langhorne Slim's latest album, Be Set Free. The video was directed/animated by Sami Lill.

Langhorne Slim on tour:
Jan 27*Aquarium*Fargo, North Dakota
Jan 29*Filling Station*Bozeman, Montana
Jan 30*Neurolux*Boise, Idaho
Jan 31*Crystal Ballroom**FREE SHOW**Portland, Oregon
Feb 2*Ravenous Cafe*Healdsburg, California
Feb 3*Crepe Place*Santa Cruz, California
Feb 4*Cellar Door*Visalia, California
Feb 5*Muddy Waters*Santa Barbara, California
Feb 6*McCabe’s Guitar Shop*Santa Monica, California
Feb 8*The Casbah*San Diego, California
Feb 10*Hi-Dive*Denver, Colorado
Feb 11*Record Bar*Kansas City, Missouri
Feb 12*Off Broadway*Saint Louis, Missouri
Feb 13*The Summit*Columbus, Ohio

more at Langhorne Slim.com

Mumford & Sons getting U.S. release

The UK folk scene has really blown up the last few years, seeing breakouts from the likes of Laura Marling, Johnny Flynn, and Noah and the Whale to name a few. Coming from that same group of performers and friends is the group, Mumford & Sons. The band made a splash in '09 with their debut disc, Sigh No More , which ranked high across British critics’ best of 2009 lists, and now the band will see the physical release of the album here in the States on Feb. 16. Mumford & Sons will be hitting the road in a few major cities across the U.S. that same week.
In other band news, Winston Marshall (vocals, banjo) is currently in the studio with members of Keane, Noah and the Whale and The Long Winters’ John Roderick, recording as a new project called, Mt. Desolation, no word as of yet as to a future release date.



Upcoming tour dates:
Feb 9 The Troubadour Los Angeles
Feb 11 Pop Scene San Francisco
Feb 15 Lee’s Palace Toronto
Feb 18 Bowery Ballroom New York
Feb 21 Festival Super Mon Amour Paris
Mar 3 ABC Glasgow
Mar 4 Academy 1 Manchester
Mar 6 Wulfrun Wolverhampton
Mar 7 Newcastle Uni Newcastle
Mar 9 Academy Liverpool
Mar 10 Junction Cambridge
Mar 12 Corn Exchange Brighton
Mar 13 Shepherd’s Bush Empire London
Mar 14 Shepherd’s Bush Empire London
Mar 16 Queen’s Hall Edinburgh
Mar 18 Academy Dublin
Mar 20 Mandella Hall Belfast

visit Mumford & Sons.com

Nate Martinez from Pela has new project: Thieving Irons

When one of my favorite bands, Pela disbanded in 2009 I was seriously bummed out, along with a lot of other fans of the band who believed they were on the cusp of blowing up. But in what could be the best news I've heard so far this 2010, comes word that guitarist Nate Martinez is readying his first solo project, called Thieving Irons. He's been in the studio finishing work on his debut, titled 'This Midnight Hum' with the help of some friends, Mike Brown, Dan Brantigan, Bryan Devendorf, Soda Gardocki, Jim Smith, and Zak Ward.

he just posted a demo of one of the new songs, "Ashes On The Riverbank" which sounds extremely promising, and you can give it a listen and download it here.

You can also check out some footage of him recording in the studio:


ThievingIrons.com

The National: announce new tour dates; new album this Spring

The National have just announced their first live shows of 2010, highlighted by shows in NYC at Radio City Music Hall, in London at Royal Albert Hall, and a performance with Pavement in Paris. Prior to the kick off of the tour the band will make a special appearance at the Big Ears festival in Knoxville, TN on March 26-28. The festival is being co-curated by The National guitarist Bryce Dessner, who is also curating the MusicNow festival in his hometown of Cincinnati, OH set for March 30- April 1.
On all the dates the band is expected to be performing songs from their as yet untitled new album, which will be released in May on 4AD.
Stay tuned for announcements of additional US dates, as well as a specific date of the news albums release.

The National U.S./Canada Tour:
APR 22-23 Richmond, VA @ The National Theater
MAY 6 London, England @ Royal Albert Hall
MAY 7 Paris, France @ Le Zenith (w/Pavement)
MAY 9 Berlin, Germany @ Astra
MAY 22 Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
MAY 23 San Diego, CA @ Spreckels Theater
MAY 27 Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
JUN 02 Boston, MA @ House of Blues
JUN 5 Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
JUN 6 Washington DC @ DAR Constitution Hall
JUN 8 Toronto, Ont. @ Massey Hall
JUN 16 New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall




more on The National at Americanmary.com

'Song of the Week": War Paint- "Elephants"

There's been some great fuzzed out lo-fi coming out of L.A, especially from the female bands (Eagle and Talon, Dum Dum Girls). Warpaint, tabbed by many as a band to watch for 2010 is another talented band you can add to the list, with their latest EP Exquisite Corpse, which has been growing and growing on me with each listen. The band have signed to Rough Trade records and they have been in the studio recording their first full length LP with producer Tom Biller (Beck, Karen O, Liars). Making some time in between recording, the band will be on tour coming up with Yeasayer and also with Akron/Family next month. Catch them while you can.

Warpaint- "Elephants"

TOUR DATES:
Feb 5 NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM w/ Yeasayer Los Angeles, CA
Feb 17 ARTISTIKA NIGHTCLUB w/ Akron/Family Greensboro, NC
Feb 18 40 WATT CLUB w/ Akron/Family Athens, GA
Feb 19 BACKBOOTH w/ Akron/Family Orlando, FL
Feb 20 CLUB DOWNUNDER w/ Akron/Family Tallahassee, FL
Feb 21 ONE EYED JACKS w/ Akron/Family New Orleans, LA
Feb 23 WALTER’S ON WASHINGTON w/ Akron/Family Houston, TX
Feb 24 THE PARISH w/ Akron/Family Austin, TX
Feb 25 GRANADA THEATER w/ Akron/Family Dallas, TX
Feb 26 HI-TONE CAFE w/ Akron/Family Memphis, TN
Feb 27 EXIT/IN w/ Akron/Family Nashville, TN
Feb 28 PILOT LIGHT w/ Akron/Family Knoxville, TN
Mar 3 MUSIC HALL OF WILLIAMSBURG w/ Akron/Family Brooklyn, NY

more at Warpaint's myspace.

No longer banned: You Say Party! We Say Die! getting official U.S. release

Canadian band YSP!WSD! hasn't been able to perform in the U.S since back in 2006, afer their bass player Stephen O'Shea was issued a five year ban for not giving the proper visa paperwork to U.S. customs/border control. Although the ban wouldn't expire till 2011, the band is in the process of working things out, and the Vancouver group just announced a new round of tour dates scheduled for this March, which includes their SXSW debut. Their latest pop masterpiece, XXXX, which features "Laura Palmers Prom", has been out since last September in their native Canada, but next month the album will get it's official U.S. release on Feb. 9th.

"Laura Palmers Prom" mp3

and the band also just came out with a new video for thr track, "Dark Days"

You Say Party! We Say Die! - Dark Days from Paper Bag Records on Vimeo.

Upcoming tour dates:
Mar 9 - Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
Mar 10- Portland, OR - Doug Fir
Mar 12- San Fran, CA - Bottom Of The Hill
Mar 13- Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex
Mar 15- Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room
Mar 17 - Austin, TX - SXSW
Mar 18- Austin, TX - SXSW
Mar 19- Austin, TX - SXSW
Mar 21- Memphis, TN - Hi Tone
Mar 22- Atlanta, GA - The Earl
Mar 23 - Charlotte, NC - Snug Harbor
Mar 24- Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
Mar 26- New York, NY - Knitting Factory
Mar 27- Boston, MA - TT The Bears
Mar 29- New York, NY - Pianos
Mar 30- Detroit, MI - Pike Room
Mar 31- Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle

visit You Say Party! We Say Die! on the web.

Midlake premiere new short film

Ready with the follow up to their critically acclaimed 2008 album, The Trials Of Van Occupanther, the Denton, TX band Midlake are set to unveil their latest effort, The Courage of Others. The album doesn't drop until February 2 on Bella Union, but the band just offered up a cool little preview of the upcoming disc with a short film directed by My Name is Earl's Jason Lee (watch below). The film will be available as a DVD with the deluxe edition of 'The Courage of Others', along with a double LP, 45 rpm version of the record, and a 32 page book and a live CD.

The Courage of Others track list:
Acts of Man
Winter Dies
Small Mountain
Core of Nature
Fortune
Rulers, Ruling All Things
Children of the Grounds
Bring Down
The Horn
The Courage of Others
In The Ground



Midlake Tour Dates:
March
1 Tucson, AZ - Plush
2 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
3 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
4 San Francisco, CA - The Great American Music Hall
5 Arcata, CA - The Van Duzer Theatre
6 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
7 Bellingham, WA - The Nightlight
10 Salt Lake City, UT - The State Room
11 Denver, CO - The Bluebird Theater
12 Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Saloon
13 Denton, TX - NX35

find more at Midlake.net

Peasant: new album this March

Damien DeRose better known as Peasant, gave us a sneak peak to his forthcoming album, Shady Retreat back in August when he released the first single from the disc titled, "The End." If the single was any kind of precursor of what's next, then fans have a lot to look forward to. The new work will be available for release via Paper Garden Records this March 2, in North America and April 5th in Europe. The album was recorded in several locales, including the attic of a 200-year-old farmhouse that DeRose set up in, staying true to his DIY beginnings.
You can preview the new track, "Well Done" off the upcoming disc below, which features DeRose's signature sleepy, whispered vocals and intimate, confessional writing.

Peasant-"Well Done"

Shady Retreat track listing:
01. Thinking
02. The Distance
03. Well Alright
04. The End
05. Pry
06. Prescriptions
07. Into The Woods
08. Tough
09. Hard Times
10. Slow Down

Peasant on myspace.

new video: The XX-"VCR"

This young south west London band caught fire this year with their debut album xx, which appeared all over critics best of lists here in the States and abroad. The group just released a new video for one of my favorites off the disc, "VCR" which you can watch below.
In other news the band is out on tour now across Australia and Europe, and they'll be returning to the the U.S. this March, with an appearance in NYC at Webster Hall on March, 31st.



more at thexx.info