Minus The Bear go 'Acoustic'

Minus The Bear are releasing a new EP titled, Acoustics on Oct. 7th. The new EP will be feature newly recorded acoustic versions of various tracks from the Seattle bands back catologue, along with a brand new track entitled "Guns & Ammo." The EP will be available digitally via online outlets like iTunes, Amazon and Emusic, while physical copies will be sold exclusively on the bands headlining tour. To check all the latest tour dates you can visit the bands myspace.

Acoustics track listing:

1. Guns & Ammo (new track)
2. We Are Not a Football Team (from the album, Highly Refined Pirates)
3. Burying Luck (from the album, Planet of Ice)
4. Knights (from the album, Planet of Ice)
5. Pachuca Sunrise (from the album, Menos El Oso)
6. Throwin' Shapes (from the album, Planet of Ice)
7. Ice Monster (from the album, Planet of Ice)

new video: Wye Oak- "Please Concrete"

This past April, Merge records re-released Wye Oak's fantastic debut disc, If Children. For those who haven't caught the two man band yet, the album is one of the year's pure indie rock gems (to read our review you can go here). The pair have been busy on the road since the album's release, but recently had some time to release a brand new video for their track "Please Concrete", directed by Caleb Stine and Eric Diga.

Wye Oak- "Please Concrete":



For tour dates & more go to Wye Oak on myspace.

New Releases Wk 9/30:

Here's this weeks short list of new releases that might peak your interests.

New Releases week of 9/30:

Mercury Rev- Snowflake Midnight
Chairlift- Does You Inspire You
Deerhoof- Offend Maggie (digital)
Jesus & Mary Chain- The Power of Negative Thinking (B sides & rarities)
William Fitzsimmons- The Sparrow And The Crow
Gemma Hayes- Hollow Of Morning
Joseph Arthur- Temporary People
Joshua Radin- Simple Times
Dungen- 4
La Rocca -OK Okay
Travis- Ode to J. Smith
The Western States Motel- Painted Birds Flying...
Vivian Girls- self titled
Born Ruffians- Little Garcon EP
Angus & Julia Stone- Just a Boy EP
The Killers- Human (single)

Our 'Liner Notes' video intvw w/ Frightened Rabbit

Scotland's Frightened Rabbit has been building a slow and steady buzz ever since their sophomore CD The Midnight Organ Fight hit the scene earlier in the year. Garnering attention the old fashioned way, the band has built their following through first and foremost a more than solid album, a reputation for their electric live performances, word of mouth from die hard fans and even a wave of nearly flawless reviews.

We sat down with frontman Scott Hutchinson from Frightened Rabbit recently while he was at a stop in Brussels to tackle topics such as the bands intimate lyrics, pressure for a follow up album and the Scottish music scene.

our 'Liner Notes' interview w/ Frightened Rabbit:

Video & Song Of the week: The Gutter Twins- "Down The Line" cover

Several weeks back our favorite princes of darkness, The Gutter Twins released a new 8 song EP Adorata, which featured several new tracks along with rest being mostly covers the band has been playing out. One of the standouts of the EP is the bands take on "Down The Line", which was originally done by José Gonzalez. The dark somber lyrics fit effortlessly into the Twins repertoire, which you can catch a live performance of from this years Lollapalooza festival.


The Gutter Twins- "Down The Line"

Passion Pit- Chunk Of Change

There's many that would argue that Valentine's Day is a holiday that shouldn't be celebrated. Don't tell that to fans of the electro-pop band from Boston, Passion Pit, as they have a lot to owe to the holiday. You see, frontman Michael Angelakos originally put together the Chunk of Change EP as a belated Valentine's Day present to his girlfriend, which then spread to friends and fellow students at Emerson College, catching on like wild fire and Passion Pit was born. The band has been on a roll ever since, having recently signed on to French Kiss records who re-released the album earlier in Sept, as well seeing the band head out on tours opening for acts like Death Cab For Cutie & Girl Talk.
Chunk Of Change is full of carefree electro-synth, led by the track that has left everyone buzzing, "Sleepyhead". The track already has many hailing it as song of the year, and Sleepyhead's sample heavy, handclapping, swirling vocals are perfect examples of the infectios nature of the band. Angelakos' falsetto, set against his melancholy lyrics mix perfectly on tracks such as "I've Got Your Number" and Better Things", while "Smile Upon Me" delivers sunny pop bliss.

Following the EP, Passion Pit is on schedule to deliver it's debut full length, which should be coming out in early 2009.

Upcoming tour dates:

10/4 - Pop Montreal w/ The Dodos - MONTREAL, Quebec
10/11 - Boston @ Middle East with Les Savy Fav
10/27 - Neumo’s w/ Yelle - Seattle, Washington
10/28 - Commodore Ballroom w/ Yelle - Vancouver, British Columbia
10/29 - Berbati’s Pan w/ Yelle - Portland, Oregon
10/31 - Mezzanine W/ Yelle - San Francisco, California
11/1 - Henry Fonda Theatre w/ Yelle - Los Angeles, California
11/2 - The Beauty Bar w/ Yelle - San Diego, California

Passion Pit on Myspace

new video: The Shaky Hands- "We Are Young"

The Pacific Northwest continues to be a hotbed of talent, more specifically from Portland, Oregon. The latest group to catch our attention is the jangly indie rock band The Shaky Hands. The group released their sophomore LP a few weeks back and just released a new video for their first single off the disc "We Are Young". The band is currently on tour (see dates below) supporting the new disc and are playing some of the dates with Canada's The Acorn.

The Shaky Hands- "We Are Young":



Sep 27 backspace portland, Oregon
Oct 16 Doug Fir w/ The Acorn Portland, Oregon
Oct 17 Tractor w/ The Acorn Seattle, Washington
Oct 19 Sam Bond’s Garage w/ The Acorn Eugene, Oregon
Oct 21 Hemlock w/ The Acorn San Francisco, California
Oct 22 Crepe Place w/ The Acorn Santa Cruz, California
Oct 24 Spaceland w/ The Acorn Los Angeles, California
Oct 25 Modified w/ The Acorn Phoenix, Arizona
Oct 28 Hi Dive w/ The Acorn Denver, Colorado
Oct 29 Slowdown w/ The Acorn Omaha, Nebraska
Oct 30 7th Street Eatery w/ The Acorn Minneapolis
Oct 31 Café Montmartre w/ The Acorn Madison, Wisconsin
Nov 1 Schuba’s w/ The Acorn Chicago, Illinois
Nov 4 Middle East, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Nov 6 Johnny Brendas Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nov 8 Mercury Lounge new york, New York
Nov 10 local 506 Chapel Hill, North Carolina

The Shaky Hands on myspace.

Rachael Yamagata live @ Johnny Brenda's- Philly 9/24

For fans of Rachael Yamagata the anticipation has been building for quite some time now, ever since news of her long awaited new album was announced. So it's no wonder that at Johnny Brenda's last night in Philadelphia that the pre-show atmosphere quickly turned into a swelling of chants waiting for Rachael to take the stage (to see the photo gallery from the show click here). Yamagata opened the set with a rare treat of "Collide" off her 2003 EP and then launched straight into the popular "Be Be Your Love", which as soon as she began playing had the crowd going nuts at least a full minute into the song. From there on out Rachael mixed in songs both off of her brilliant debut LP Happenstance and her new Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart. Older tracks "Letter Read" and "Worn Me Down" were highlights as were the heavier tracks "Faster" and "Sidedish Friend" off of the new disc, which showcased her band of Jason Kanakis(guitar), Justin Saunders(Cello), Jon Flaugher(Bass), Chris Giraldi(Drums), and the opener Kevin Devine sitting in on guitar most of the set.

In between songs Yamagata was candid with the crowd, chatting on topics ranging from her difficulty in switching labels, to relationships and drinking. Towards the end of the set the festive night took another turn, as the band along with the crowd serenaded Rachael with a happy birthday champage toast. Back to the music, the intimate new track "Elephants" was also a standout with just Yamagata and her piano commanding the stage, while the tender "Sunday Afternoon" closed things out before an encore of the heartbreaking "Reason Why".

Rachael's new album doesn't come out until Oct. 7th, in the meantime you can preview new tracks over at RachaelYamagata.com

story and photo's contributed by: Robert Proffe

Elbow on Later w/ Jools Holland

Earlier this month Elbow took home the the Nationwide Mercury Prize, which is awarded for the best album in the UK and Ireland. The group had to beat out some pretty heavy competition, including Radiohead and The Last Shadow Puppets. To celebrate the big win the band made an appearance Tuesday night on the popular BBC2 chat & music show Later W/ Jools Holland.

Elbow- "Grounds For Divorce" on Later W/Jools Holland

The Rosebuds- streaming new album, tour dates added

The Raleigh North Carolina duo of Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp known as The Rosebuds, have announced that their new LP Life Like will be coming out on 0ct. 7th. The band which is known for it's chameleon like ability to change styles, are said to have returned to a more acoustic and indie-rock territory on the latest work. This will be in sharp contrast to 2007's synth-heavy dance pop album Night of the Furies.
The new album includes special guests such as Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and Portastatic's Matthew McCaughan, you can currently listen to the album streaming in full over at the Merge records website.

Upcoming The Rosebuds Tour Dates:
Oct. 23 Washington DC - Black Cat
Oct. 24 Brooklyn, NY - The Bellhouse
Oct 25 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge (Merge Records CMJ showcase)
Nov. 7 Durham, NC - Carolina Theatre (Troika Music Festival)
Nov. 11 Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
Nov. 12 Indianapolis, IN - My Old Kentucky Blog Concert
Nov. 13 Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
Nov. 14 Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
Nov. 15 Iowa City, IA - The Picador
Nov. 16 Saint Paul, MN - Turf Club
Nov. 19 Vancouver, BC - Media Club
Nov. 20 Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern
Nov. 21 Anacortes, WA - The Department of Safety
Nov. 22 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
Nov. 24 San Francisco, CA - The Independent
Nov. 25 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
Nov. 26 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress
Nov. 28 Denton, TX - Hailey's
Nov. 29 Austin, TX - Mohawk
Dec. 1 Atlanta, GA - The Earl

The Rosebuds on myspace.

Serena Ryder- New music on the way

It's been a stellar year for Toronto Canada's Serena Ryder. Earlier in 2008, Ryder took home the Juno Award (Canada's version of the Grammy's) for best New Artist of the Year. Now Ryder has announced plans for both a new EP, which drops in the US next month followed by a new full length LP later on in the year. The EP Sweeping The Ashes will be available in the US beginning October 14th, while the forthcoming album Is It O.K will be coming out on November 11th in Canada and February 17th, 2009 in the US.

You can Listen to two of the new songs, "Little Bit Of Red" and "Sweeping The Ashes" now on her myspace. All 3 tracks available on the EP will also be appearing on the forthcoming full length.

"Sweeping The Ashes EP" tracklist:
1. Sweeping The Ashes
2. Little Bit Of Red
3. Blown Like The Wind At Night


Listen to Serena Ryder on myspace.

Ezra Carey- The Fire Keeps Us Warm

Ezra Carey is an artist we have been keeping tabs on for a while now. In fact, when this whole blog thing just got off the ground he actually gave us our first interview at BTB (to read the interview click here). Ezra is now out with a new album, the aptly titled The Fire Keeps Us Warm. On the new work, Carey who's voice itself is earthy, warm and comforting delivers a nostalgic brand of folk music that sounds at the same time both familiar and fresh. The disc is rich and inviting, capturing an essence of an old country campfire or your most comfortable family living room. The album is neither part of the more popular indie folk or anti-folk movements, but is at it's core deeply traditional. While similar to his previous EP in the traditional sense, this time around on The Fire Keeps Us Warm we see Carey enlisting the help of the exquisite backing vocals of Mallory Posedel. Posedel compliments Carey's voice perfectly, bringing a new depth to his sound, while also adding to the already inviting nature of the LP.

Tracks not to miss include, "Lost & Lonely", "Lay Me Down", "Riverbed", "The Fire Keeps Us Warm" and "Amalee".

Listen to Ezra Carey on Myspace.

This weeks New Releases: WK 9/23

A heavily anicipated and heavily loaded release week this week. With releases from big names such as TV On The Radio, Cold War Kids, Kings Of Leon and Jenny Lewis to name a few.

Here's the rundown:

Cold War Kids- Loyalty to Loyalty
Kings Of Leon- Only By The Night
TV On The Radio- Dear Science
Mogwai- The Hawk is Howling
Ten Kens- self titled
Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
Friendly Fires- self titled
Thievery Corporation- Radio Retaliation
Blitzen Trapper- Furr
Tracy Shedd- Cigarettes & Smoke Machines
Mason Proper - Olly Oxen Free
All Girl Summer Fun Band- Looking Into It
Wire- Object 47
These United States- Crimes
Bjork- Dull Flame of Desire
Joshua James- Crash This Train/The Garden EP
Lights- self titled EP
The Ravonettes- Sometimes They Drop By EP
Deerhoof- Fresh Born (single)

Bear Hands- new songs posted

Unsigned Brooklyn rockers Bear Hands have been working on some new tracks that they have just put up on their myspace page. The tracks, "Can't Stick Em" and "What a Drag" see the band working with producer Chuck Brody(Northern State) in what will eventually be the follow up to 2007's Golden EP. In other band news, the aforementioned 4 song EP is getting a release date in the UK on October 27th by Guerilla Music. To coincide with the release of the EP, the band will be playing a handful of shows in the UK at the end of October. In the meantime you can check out a video for another of the bands recent demo's, "Vietnam" from their performance on the indie rock show Fearless TV.

Bear Hands- Vietnam



For dates and info check out Bear Hands on Myspace.

Video & Song of the week: Samantha Crain-"Traipsing Through The Aisles"

Young singer songwriter Samantha Crain and her track "Traipsing Through The Aisles" are our choice for 'Video & Song of the Week' this week. Crain and her band the Midnight Shivers released her Confiscation EP this past July, which has been garnering a slow and study build the last few months. It's likely that Crain will see her star rise even further in the coming months as she will be taking part in the newest edition of the 'Hotel Cafe Tour' , where she will be sharing the stage with the likes of Ingrid Michaelson, Thao Nguyen, Meiko and Rachael Yamagata. In the past, the tour has been a launching ground for more than a few artists to reach wider recognition and added exposure. With a voice like Crain's it's only a matter of time before she joins the ranks of her more well known peers.


Samantha Crain- "Traipsing Through The Aisles":



Samantha Crain's dates w/ The Hotel Cafe tour:

Oct 23 Common Grounds--Hotel Cafe Tour w/ Ingrid Michaelson Gainesville, Florida
Oct 24 State Theatre--Hotel Cafe Tour w/ Ingrid Michaelson, Thao Nguyen, and Meiko Saint Petersburg, Florida
Oct 25 The Social--Hotel Cafe Tour w/ Ingrid Michaelson Orlando, Florida
Oct 27 Cat’s Cradle--Hotel Cafe Tour w/ Ingrid Michaelson and Thao Nguyen Carrboro, North Carolina
Oct 28 9:30 Club--Hotel Cafe Tour w/ Rachael Yamagata and Jenny Owen Youngs Washington, Washington DC
Oct 29 World Cafe--Hotel Cafe Tour w/ Rachael Yamagata and Jenny Owen Youngs Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct 30 Bowery Ballroom--Hotel Cafe Tour w/ Rachael Yamagata and Thao Nguyen New York, New York
Oct 31 Paradise Club--Hotel Cafe Tour w/ Rachael Yamagata, Thao Nguyen, and Jenny Owen Youngs Boston, Massachusetts
Nov 1 Music Hall of Williamsburg--Hotel Cafe Tour w/ Rachael Yamagata and Thao Nguyen Brooklyn, New York

Listen to Samantha Crain on myspace.

Dead Confederate- Wrecking Ball

The Athens, Georgia band Dead Confederate gained notoriety back in 2007 for their self titled EP, which featured their psych-rock stunner "The Rat", which is already high in our minds for a year end top songs list. On their new album Wrecking Ball, the group mixes sounds of early 90's grunge with southern and indie rock to create their own compelling brand of angst.
Right from the opener "Heavy Petting", frontman Hardy Morris sets the tone with his raspy beer soaked growl over non-stop relentless cymbal crashes. "The Rat", which is actually a protest song about the religious right in America makes an appearance on the full length as well, with it's swelling wall of distortion. The album is both loud and aggressive, "Start Me Laughing" is a frenetic display of guitar and drums that rumble under Morris' hurried screams. Tracks like "Goner" with it's soft to loud and back again swing and "Flesh Colored Canvas" with all it's peaks and valleys show the bands diversity, with the latter checking in at 12 plus minutes of raw intensity.
While the band has drawn lot's of comparisons to Nirvana for it's partial early 90's sound, on 'Wrecking Ball' they show they can not only hold their own, but they can carve out their own sound while making a lasting impression as well.

Listen to Dead Confederate.

Radiohead- unveil second remix project

Several months back, Radiohead launched a remix project for their song "Nude". The band posted different parts of the song, vocals, guitar, bass and drums, etc., letting anyone who thought they had the skills tackle their own take on the track. The endeavor was a hit not only with fans who got to vote on their favorite remix, but also with artists who took part in the mixing, and even with Radiohead themselves as they saw "Nude" become a successful single. The band has just announced the second go around of remixing, this time around for their track "Reckoner".

Anyone who took part in the "Nude" project received a heads up email from the band which offered advance access to the pieces which are available in order to remix "Reckoner". For the rest of the public those parts of the song will go up for sale digitally starting on Tuesday, Sept. 23. For "Reckoner", you'll be able to download tracks for "Lead Vocal", "Guitars", "Bass", "Drums", "Backing Vocal", and "Piano/Strings".

To find out more information you can check things out at http://radioheadremix.com/ for more details.

TV On The Radio- tour and album news

NYC's TV On The Radio will be dropping their new LP, Dear Science on us next Tuesday the 23rd. For those that just can't wait, the new disc is currently appearing in the US iTunes store, not only days in advance but in both a regular and "bonus track" edition. With the bonus track edition you'll recieve the extra tracks "Make Love All Night", "Dogs of Light", "Heroic Dose", along with several TVOTR remixes.
In other band news, the group has added several dates in Europe to the back end of their already multi-international tour.

TV On The Radio Tour dates:

09-27 Hamburg, Germany - Reeperbahn Festival
09-28 Berlin, Germany - Roter Salon
09-30 Paris, France - Nouveau Casino
10-01 Amsterdam, Netherlands - VPRO Presents
10-03 London, England - Concrete and Glass Festival
10-10 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
10-11 Providence, RI - Lupo's
10-13 Boston, MA - Wilbur Theatre
10-14 Brooklyn, NY - Masonic Temple
10-15 Brooklyn, NY - Masonic Temple
10-15 Brooklyn, NY - Masonic Temple
10-18 Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's
10-19 Indianapolis, IN - Vogue Theater
10-20 Minneapolis, MN - First Ave.
10-21 Minneapolis, MN - First Ave.
10-22 Chicago, IL - Riviera
10-24 New Orleans, LA - Voodoo Festival
10-25 Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
10-26 Knoxville, TN - Bijou Theatre
10-28 Dallas, TX - Lakewood Theatre
10-29 Beaumont, TX - House of Blues
10-30 Austin, TX - Stubb's
10-31 Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
11-02 Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
11-06 Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern
11-08 San Diego, CA - 4th and B
11-09 San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre
11-15 Dublin, Ireland - Tripod (Heineken Green Synergy Festival)
11-16 Glasgow, Scotland - ABC 1
11-17 Manchester, England - Academy 2
11-18 Birmingham, England - Academy 2
11-19 London, England - Shepherds Bush Empire
11-21 Cologne, Germany - Kulturkirche
11-22 Leuven, Belgium - Het Depot
11-24 Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
11-23 Berlin, Germany - SO36
11-26 Vienna, Austra - Arena
11-28 Milan, Italy - Magazzini Generale
11-29 Munich, Germany - OP3 Radio
11-30 Zurich, Switzerland - Aktionshalle
12-01 Paris, France - Balaclan
12-03 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg
12-05 Tourcoing, France - Le Grand Mix

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals: new album plans

The man notorious for a seemingly never ending supply of new material (see: 2005's 3 releases), Ryan Adams, has announced plans for the follow up to last years 'Easy Tiger' and 'Follow The Lights' EP. His newest album titled Cardinology, will be coming out on October 28th via Lost Highway Records and features Adams and his longtime backing band The Cardinals. Adams recently wrapped up touring with Oasis' feuding Gallagher brothers and will be embarking on a headlining tour of his own, with dates beginning on Sept. 25th in Albany, NY with more to be announced soon.


Ryan Adams & The Cardinals upcoming tour dates:

Sept 25 Albany, NY – The Egg
Sept 26 Syracuse, NY – Landmark Theater
Sept 27 Rochester, NY – Auditorium Theater
Sept 29 Columbus, OH – Palace Theater
Sept 30 Cleveland, OH – Palace Theater
Oct 2 Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
Oct 3 Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theater
Oct 4 St. Louis, MO – Fox Theater
Oct 5 Madison, WI – Overture Hall
Oct 7 Ames, IA – Stephens Auditorium
Oct 9 Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater
Oct 10 Tulsa, OK – Brady Theater
Oct 11 Grand Prairie, TX – Nokia Theater
Oct 13 Austin, TX – Paramount
Oct 14 Houston, TX – Verizon
Oct 16 Tuscaloosa, AL – Bama Theater
Oct 17 Atlanta, GA – Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

new Portugal. The Man

Portugal. The Man’s newest album Censored Colors , came out earlier this week. The new disc is the eccentric Seattle bands third full length, which features fifteen new tracks with two varying sides of music. The first side of the disc is compiled of six laid back folk driven single tracks, while the second side consists of longer more experimental compositions which segue from one into the next. The band can currently be seen on tour in Europe, returning to the States on Oct 14th for a full fledged tour across the US.
In the meantime, we recently found a cool acoustic performance of the track "Colors" that the band put up on their youtube site.

Portugal,The Man- "Colors":



Portugal. The Man on myspace.

Jessica Lea Mayfield- With Blasphemy So Heartfelt

Jessica Lea Mayfield is a young singing sensation from Ohio. At only 19, and armed with a voice that has drawn comparisons that range from Mazzy Starr & Lucinda Williams to Neko Case, Mayfield has even caught the eye of several contemporaries. She has recently toured with The Avett Brothers, Lucero, and The Black Keys, with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys being so impressed that not only did he have Mayfield do some backup vocals on their last album, but he also took the controls for her debut, producing the LP.

Upon the first few listens do yourself a favor and forget the comparisons, Mayfield undoubtedly has a unique sound, a style that begs to be genre bending and all her own. Her vocal delivery is equal parts sultry and edgy, while at the same time sounding down home and earthy with her slow southern drawl. Musically the disc weaves pieces of indie-folk, blues and country sounds around her stories of heartbreak and loss, while somehow giving it all an optimistic vibe. From the dark and brooding opener "Kiss Me Again", Mayfield lures you in with her gut wrenching approach. Songs like "I Can't Lie To You Love" with it's slow haunting guitar and the soft simple acoustic number "Call Me" display Mayfield's sparse arrangements which showcase the emotion in her music, almost feeling the torture and lament of the lost love that Mayfield sings of. "The One That I Love Best" is the fullest arrangement on the album, complete with hammond B3 organ, while the track "Bible Days" could be the albums standout, while also showing off Mayfield's strong songwriting prowess.
Overall the album shows a maturity and depth far beyond her years, let alone for a debut, and lends the opinion that she is someone we'll be hearing a lot more from in years to come.

Jessica Lea Mayfield on Mspace.

New video: Rachael Yamagata- "Elephants"

Rachael Yamagata, who's new two part album Elephants ... Teeth Sinking Into Heart hits stores on Oct. 7th, has just released a new video for the albums haunting first track, "Elephants". The video was shot at the Salton Sea in California by Paul Brown of Bau-Da, who has done videos for everyone from Paul Simon to Death Cab For Cutie.
Preceding the albums release Rachael will be out on the road showcasing the new tunes, while later on in the month of October Yamagata will be joining the singer/songwriter showcase, the Hotel Cafe Tour. To check all the dates you can head over to Rachael's myspace.

Rachael Yamagata- "Elephants":

Mogwai- streaming new album

Though their new album The Hawk Is Howling doesn't come out until next Tuesday the 23rd, Scotland's psychedlic rock outfit Mogwai have put up on their myspace the whole album which is streaming in full. Earlier in the month the band also released their 3 song EP Batcat.

Upon The Hawk Is Howling being released, there will be a limited edition CD/DVD available that features a film of the group directed by La Blogotheque's Vincent Moon.

New video: Cold War Kids- "Something Is not Right With Me"

There seems to be a few different videos floating around out there for the Cold War Kids new song "Something Is Not Right With Me", with all claiming to be the official video. The latest one released seems to be the real deal though, as it just premiered on MTV2 the other day and is directed by the ever in demand video director Sophie Mueller. The groups anxiously awaited new sophomore LP Loyalty to Loyalty comes out on September 23rd.


Cold War Kids- "Something Is Not Right With Me":



Cold War Kids myspace.

Interview with Johnny Flynn

We had the opportunity recently to interview UK folk troubadour Johnny Flynn, who's brilliant debut disc A Larum just hit American shores (to read the review click here). Following the release of his album Johnny has just embarked on his first full scale tour of the US with fellow UK singer Laura Marling.
Here's our interview with Johnny Flynn:


BTB- You have a very old school folk sound that harkens back to a much different time. Where does that originate from do you think?
Johnny Flynn-I'm not really sure. i like honest sounds - i like the sound of guitars fiddles banjos mandolins etc played in the way they used to be. i didn't set out to recreate anything. i guess i just filtered the music i like listening to through my own songwriting. and i'm sort of attracted to the type of song that sounds like it's been handed down and passed around - something that feels worn in.

BTB- I read that you spent some time in NYC years ago and it changed things for you musically? Can you explain?
Johnny Flynn- I was just really into the whole 'anti-folk' thing and blown away by the power of somenone like Jeffrey Lewis singing songs about very local (to him) things and that being connected to a much broader universal than say some pop star going "blah blah i love you" and it not being connected to anything.

BTB- You started out performing as an actor. What made you turn your attention to music?? & Is acting something that you would still like to pursue?
Johnny Flynn- I went to drama school and stuff and made a living from acting for a few years but i always wrote songs and played gigs and played in bands etc - i just did it all on a small, unpaid scale.... things began to lift off a bit musically and there suddenly wasn't any time for acting. but i miss it and am hoping to do some more soon.

BTB- How did you get involved with Lost Highway records??
Johnny Flynn- They'd heard the album a few months before it was due out in the UK and then we came to SXSW in Texas and the lost highway people came and saw us play a few times... and then they took us for a really nice meal, so we were like... no, really they are really really lovely and seemed to really understand where i/we was coming from and everyone in the band really connecteds with them all. and with their history of putting out records it seemed like the right place to be in the U.S. and basically we're really lucky that they took us on.

BTB- The title of the new disc A Larum? Where does that come from and why did you choose that title?
Johnny Flynn- It's the old spelling for Alarm. the 'larum' used to be a warning bell in towns and was rung to warn people of invaders or disease etc. i liked the idea of reconnecting society today with those old bells and the ideas of bells generally is poignant in religious contexts, ship's bells, all sorts of ways.

BTB- Can you take us thru the recording process of A Larum? How long did it take?
Johnny Flynn- It took about 5 weeks to record. we came out to Seattle to work with Ryan Hadlock, a producer who runs a studio called Bear Creek with his family. we had to go back in the middle of recording to tour for a few weeks, which was a good thing as we had time to listen to mixes and feel good about them. we generally recorded the basis of most tracks live and then did overdubs. it felt like a very organic process, cliche as it is to put it like that, as we did basically what we did live and then felt our way through building up the tracks without overdoing things.

BTB- How does your love of storytelling and the theatre affect your writing??
Johnny Flynn- Quite alot i suppose.i like exploring in a song, the kind of drama, the sort of push and pull that you might see in a well written scene from a play. and i think storytellling is in everone's cultural heritage, wherever you're from. so that means that if you imply a kind of story in a song (and songs being only a few minutes long you can't really go to far with it) that resonates with people.

BTB- One of our favorite tracks off the new disc is "Tickle Me Pink", is there a story behind that one?
Johnny Flynn- It's a song about letting go and accepting the way things are - to the point where you can die and you know it doesn't really matter. that's really the only story there...

BTB- You'll be touring for the first time in the U.S. w/ Laura Marling? What are you looking forward to the most about that tour?
Johnny Flynn- I'm actually here on the first day of that tour and it's all been good so far. we had breakfast at ihop and now i'm not sure i can move fast enough to get to the gig tonight on time. i'm looking forward to driving for days on end and seeing countryside i've only seen in westerns. and more ihops.

BTB- Do you have a favourite movie or book to read or watch while on the road?
Johnny Flynn- I'm enjoying reading 'bound for glory' the woody guthrie book, which seems like a relevant touring book. it's cool to be in the country where it's set but about 70 years later.

Listen to Johnny Flynn on Myspace.

This weeks new releases

Here's what we dug up for this weeks short list of new releases. This week features a strong debut from Jessica Lea Mayfield, as well as releases from Portugal, The Man, Dead Confederate and Land Of Talk.

Here's this weeks releases, 9/16:

Passion Pit- Chunk Of Change
Jessica Lea Mayfield- With Blasphemy, So Heartfelt
Dead Confederate- Wrecking Ball
Land Of Talk- Some Are Lakes (digital release)
Mother Mother- O My Heart
Noah And The Whale- Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down
Dressy Bessy- Hollerandstomp
Brandi Carlile- Live in Boston (iTunes only)
Portugal, The Man- Censored Colors
The Break And Repair Method- Milk The Bee
James- Hey Ma
Marc Broussard- Keep Coming Back
The Cure- Hypnagogic States EP
War Tapes- self titled EP
School Of Seven Bells- Half Asleep (single)
Dark Captain Light Captain- Jealous Enemies (single)

The Killers set album release date

Sin City's favorite son's The Killers have announced that their new disc Day And Age will be hitting stores this November 25th. The album will be the bands third studio effort and is the follow-up to 2006's slightly dissapointing 'Sam's Town'. Sam's Town fell short of some peoples expectations following the quick rise up the charts that band had created from their award winning smash debut, 'Hot Fuss' from 2004. Only time will tell if the group will return to the mega success it found with Hot Fuss or settle into a happy medium somewhere between the two. You'll be the judge.

Day And Age was produced by Stuart Price (Madonna, Gwen Stefani). The first single to be released off the new album will be "Human."

Video & Song of the week: Liam Finn "Better To Be"

This weeks choice for 'song of the week' comes from New Zealand's Liam Finn. Son to Neil Finn of Crowded House fame, Liam's fantastic disc I'll Be Lightning came out in early 2008, with the multi-talented Finn playing nearly every instrument on the album. Liam's latest track "Better To Be" will be coming out as his new single in the UK, while the haunting film noir style video directed by Marc Swadel has been out there for some time. It still gets our nod for 'song of the week' this week.


Liam Finn- "Better To Be":




Liam Finn on Myspace.

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan's 'Sunday At Devil Dirt' gets release date in US

The unlikely duo of the sweet voiced Isobel Campbell (Belle & Sebastian) and rocks resident prince of darkness, the dark baritoned Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, Gutter Twins) have announced the US release date of their second album together, Sunday At Devil Dirt. Their sophomore effort which has been out in the UK and Europe since May is now getting a proper US release on November 18th, with the US version featuring five extra bonus tracks. 'Sunday at Devil Dirt' continues the pairs exploration of their alt-country, folk and blues sounds that brought them critical acclaim on their 2006 release, 'Ballad of the Broken Seas'.


Sunday At Devil Dirt tracklisting:

'Seafaring Song'
'The Raven'
'Salvation'
'Who Built the Road'
'Come On Over (Turn Me On)'
'Back Burner'
'The Flame That Burns'
'Shot Gun Blues'
'Keep Me In Mind Sweetheart'
'Something to Believe'
'Trouble'
'Sally Don't You Cry'

bonus tracks:

'Fight Fire With Fire'
'Asleep On A Sixpence'
'Violin Tango'
'Rambling Rose, Clinging Vine'
'Hang On'

Brooklyn's Chairlift: ready for primetime

Get ready to hear a lot more of Brooklyn's Chairlift. If you haven't heard of the indie electronica outfit yet, chances are you will soon, as the bands song "Bruises" has just been chosen for the new Apple iPod "nano-chromatic" ad.
Drummer Patrick Wimberley said this on the band being chosen ..."I hope people are going to be smart enough to listen to our record and won't just know us as 'the iPod band'. It's something we're aware of, but we're hoping we can break through, and use it as something to help jumpstart our career. We're honoured and privileged that Apple chose us."

The band has a new album that it will be releasing later in October titled Does You Inspire You, and the band will be hitting the road with fellow Brooklynite's Yeasayer in October.

Upcoming Chairlift tour dates:

Oct 18 2008 Bowery Ballroom [w/ The Juan Maclean] New York
Oct 22 2008 Paradise [w/ Yeasayer] Boston, Massachusetts
Oct 23 2008 Bates University [w/ Yeasayer] Lewiston, Maine
Oct 24 2008 8:00P Le National [w/ Yeasayer] Montreal, Quebec
Oct 25 2008 8:00P Horseshoe Tavern [w/ Yeasayer] Toronto, Ontario
Oct 26 2008 8:00P The Blind Pig [w/ Yeasayer] Ann Arbor, Michigan
Oct 27 2008 8:00P Taylor University [w/ Yeasayer] Upland, Indiana
Oct 28 2008 8:00P Bottom Lounge [w/ Yeasayer] Chicago, Illinois
Oct 29 2008 8:00P Turner Hall Ballroom [w/ Yeasayer] Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Oct 30 2008 8:00P Triple Rock Social Club [w/ Yeasayer] Minneapolis, Minnesota
Oct 31 2008 8:00P Grinnell College [w/ Yeasayer] Grinnell, Iowa

Listen to Chairlift.

New video: El Perro Del Mar- "Glory To The World"

Earlier in the year Swedish songbird El Perro Del Mar brought us her sophomore effort, From The Valley To The Stars , which is full of her crafty 60's esque lo-fi pop. The pop sensibilities are something the Swedes seem to have a monopoply on of late, see:(Lykke Li, Kristoffer Ragnstam, Peter Bjorn And John and Robyn). See for yourself, as El Perro Del Mar has just come out with a new video for her catchy track "Glory To The World" directed by Emily De Groot.


El Perro Del Mar- "Glory To The World":



El Perro Del Mar on myspace.

Rachael Yamagata- new album teaser

If your a regular reader of BTB, you probably know how much were looking forward to the new album A Record in Two Parts: Elephants...Teeth Sinking into Heart from Rachael Yamagata. The much delayed but much anticipated new disc will be out on October 7th and a few weeks back we previewed the new tracks "Elephants" and "Sidedish Friend", both of which are now streaming on her myspace. Leading up to the albums release, Rachael has begun to put out a series of behind the scenes making of style videos, the first of which you can catch here, which highlights another new track "Faster".
Prior to the albums release Rachael will begin her tour on Sept. 20th in Asbury Park N.J., which will then lead into dates with the 'Hotel Cafe' tour later in October.

To check all the dates & info you can visit RachaelYamagata.com.

Plants and Animals add tour dates

Two Canadian bands are better than one, and Plants and Animals agree. The Montreal indie-folk trio are teaming up with fellow Canucks Born Ruffians on a tour that will see the bands jetting across Canada and the US in the coming weeks. Earlier in the year Plants And Animals released their critically acclaimed debut disc Parc Avenue which featured the tracks "Bye Bye Bye" and "Feedback In The Field".

Plants And Animals kick off the first part of the tour without Born Ruffians but will meet up with the group in Pontiac, Michigan for most of the remaining dates from there on out.


Tour Dates For Plants And Animals:

09/18 - The Horseshoe - Toronto, ON
09/20 - LOLA Fest Victoria - Park London, ON
09/25 - The Black Sheep Inn - Wakefield, QC
09/26 - The Montreal House - Peterborough, ON
09/27 - The Casbah - Hamilton, ON
09/29 - Phoenix Concert Theater - Toronto, ON
10/01 - The Crofoot Ballroom - Pontiac, MI*
10/02 - Club 770 - Madison, WI*
10/04 - Pyramid Cabaret - Winnipeg, MB*
10/06 - Amigo's Cafe - Saskatoon, SK*
10/07 - Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB*
10/08 - The Warehouse - Calgary, AB*
10/10 - Richard's on Richards - Vancouver, BC*
10/11 - Sugar Nightclub - Victoria, BC*
10/12 - Chop Suey - Seattle, WA *
10/13 - Holocene - Portland, OR*
10/15 - Bottom of The Hill - San Francisco, CA*
10/16 - Spaceland - Los Angeles, CA *
10/17 - Casbah - San Diego, CA *
10/18 - Modified - Phoenix, AZ *
10/20 - Emo's - Austin, TX*
10/21 - Spanish Moon - Baton Rouge, LA *
10/22 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA *
10/23 - Local 506 - Chapel Hill, NC *
10/24 - Rock and Roll Hotel - Washington D.C.*
10/25 - Talking Head - Baltimore, MD*
10/26 - Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA*
10/27 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY *
10/28 - Union Hall - Brooklyn, NY *
10/29 - Paradise - Boston, MA *
11/05 - Theatre Petit Champlain - Quebec, QC
* w/ Born Ruffians

Listen to Plants And Animals.

MySpace music store to go head to head with iTunes

Networking website MySpace has announced it will be opening its long-awaited online music store later this month. In a deal that works with the music from three of the big four major labels (Warner Bros., Sony BMG & Universal Music), the store is said to allow fans the ability to download and stream millions of songs that will include new music as well as the back catalog from the three labels. To try and seperate themselves from the pack of the leading digital music retailers like Apple’s iTunes and Amazon’s MP3 Store, the MySpace Music site will let fans share the music through their pages and give them the ability to build communal playlists. Through the site music fans will also be able to purchase merchandise and tickets to concerts and events.
The site’s co-founder Tom Anderson said .....“It’s not the same kind of listening you do with iTunes,” .... “It’s about sharing songs with your friends and checking out what they are listening to.”
The songs will be made available as unprotected MP3s, and prices are said to be competitive with the other music services.

It still remains unclear how all the indie and unsigned artists fit in to MySpace's new model, which leaves many to wonder if millions of fans and artists that helped build MySpace's music community will be left out in the cold.

new video: Dead Confederate- "The Rat"

A few weeks back we told you about Dead Confederate's new album coming out, and even chose their song "The Rat" as our 'video & song of the week'. At the time there was no official video out for the track, but with the release of Wrecking Ball hitting stores next week (Sept 16th), the band has put out an official video for "The Rat". You can preview tracks off the new album and check the bands upcoming tour dates on their myspace.

Dead Confederate- "The Rat":

She Keeps Bees- Nests

Gritty, Soulful, Raw, Powerful. All words that can describe the new album Nests from Brooklyn's She Keeps Bees. SKB's is the dynamic two piece made up of Jessica Larrabee (guitar, vocals) and Andy LaPlant (drummer/producer). Often unfairly compared to Chan Marshall (Catpower), Larrabee is much more aggressive vocally and brings more swagger to the table. Born to a father who was an R&B drummer, you can tell Larrabee has the blues/soul music deep in her bones from the instant you hear SKB's music.
In a music scene that is sometimes truly devoid of any depth, substance, or authenticity, Larrabee and SKB's is a refreshing find among the pop tinged indie players of today.
Having recorded the album themselves, Nests is not overly produced & has very much a live atmosphere about it. LaPlant and Larrabee keep things simple with an in your face formula of Larrabee's husky vocals and assertive guitar playing , mixed with LaPlant's unassuming drumming. It's a formula that works well, whether it is on the menacing, dark acoustic number "Wear Red" or on "Gimmie" which showcases Larrabee's attitude and sex appeal along with her classic howl. "My Last Nerve" is a slow blues soaked number that builds around Jessica's powerful vocals, while "Release" could be the albums best, with it's infectious chorus and forceful drumming.

If your looking for a refreshing change from the same old same old music and appreciate something with some soul to it, SKB's is one not to miss. We look forward to more big things from SKB's in 2008.

She Keeps Bees on myspace.

The Dears- ready to launch 'Missiles'

It's been almost two years since we've heard from Canada's indie rock elder statesmen The Dears. The group who are known for their magnetic live performances and lush orchestrations are due to release their fourth full-length, Missiles on October 21st. Their latest effort & follow up to 06's Gang Of Losers is said to be a stripped down affair with simple arrangements. Frontman Murray Lightburn had originally set about writing tracks for what was supposed to be a solo album, but four songs into the process he discovered that he was indeed making was a new Dears record.

Prior to the albums release, the band will begin a short tour which will make stops in Canada, the UK and the US thru November. You can preview the new track "Meltdown In a Major" and check out the latest tour dates over at the The Dears myspace page.


Missiles Track listing:

Disclaimer
Dream Job
Money Babies
Berlin Heart
Lights Off
Crisis 1 & 2
Demons
Missiles
Meltdown in A Major
Saviour

Bon Iver On Conan O'Brien

It's hard to believe that with all the good press and buzz following Justin Vernon and Bon Iver that nobody has snatched him up for a live performance on the talk show circuit here in the States. Better late than never i guess, as Bon Iver made his network television debut on Monday night on Late Night W/ Conan O'Brien, performing the track "Flume" off of For Emma, Forever Ago. Be sure also to check out his chilling performance of "Skinny Love" from this past May on the BBC's Later W/ Jools Holland below.


Bon Iver- "Flume" on Conan O'Brien:



Bon Iver- "Skinny Love" on Later w/ Jools Holland

School Of Seven Bells- new 7" "Half Asleep"

Having met while both their bands were opening up for Interpol, ex-Secret Machines guitarist Ben Curtis and twin-sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza (On-Air Library!), collectively got together to form the electonic trio School of Seven Bells. The group has been on a roll of late, having recently opened up for Blonde Redhead, and are now armed with a new 7" single "Half Asleep" which comes out on Sept 16th (you can preview it over at their label Ghostly International's website). Shortly thereafter the band will unveil their new LP Alpinisms, that will be hitting stores on October 28th, which will be proceeded by the group kicking off a tour starting in the middle of October, which includes select dates opening for M83.

School Of Seven Bells tour dates:

Oct 17 2008 Pike Room @ The Crofoot Pontiac, Michigan
Oct 18 2008 State Theater Kalamazoo, Michigan
Oct 28 2008 Old Blue Last (London, UK) London, and South East
Oct 29 2008 The Social (London, UK) London, and South East
Nov 11 2008 The Earl w/ M83 Atlanta, Georgia
Nov 12 2008 Tremont Music Hall w/ M83 Charlotte, NC
Nov 13 2008 Black Cat w/ M83 WASHINGTON, Washington DC
Nov 14 2008 Webster Hall w/ M83 New York, New York
Nov 15 2008 Starlight Ballroom w/ M83 Philadelphia, Penn
Nov 16 2008 Pearl Street w/ M83 Northampton, Mass
Nov 18 2008 Middle East Downstairs w/ M83 Boston, Mass
Nov 19 2008 Studio Juste Pour Rire w/ M83 Montreal, Quebec
Nov 20 2008 Opera House w/ M83 Toronto, Ontario
Nov 21 2008 Bottom Lounge w/ M83 Chicago, Illinois
Nov 22 2008 Triple Rock Social Club w/ M83 Minneapolis, Minn
Nov 25 2008 Neumos w/ M83 Seattle, Washington
Nov 26 2008 Richard’s on Richards w/ M83 Vancouver, BC
Nov 27 2008 Doug Fir Lounge w/ M83 Portland, Oregon
Nov 28 2008 The Fillmore w/ M83 San Francisco, Cal
Nov 29 2008 Henry Fonda Theater w/ M83 Los Angeles, Cal

Listen to School Of Seven Bells on myspace.

This weeks new releases

Once the weather starts to cool down you can usually count on the amount of new releases starting to heat up. SO, now that the slow summer release season is fading away, we start to see a heavy slate of goodies coming out this week and thru the rest of the fall.

Here's what you might find of interest this week 9/09:

Okkervil River- The Stand Ins
Emiliana Torrini- Me & Armini
Horse Feathers- House With No Home
Mogwai- Batcat Ep
Chad VanGaalen- Soft Airplane
Calexico- Carried to Dust
Damien Jurado- Caught In The Trees
Fujiya and Miyagi- Lightbulbs
The Lovely Sparrows- Bury The Cynics
Sam Champion- Heavenly Bender
The Ettes- Look At Life Again Soon
Foals- Gold Gold Gold EP
The New Year- self titled
The Low Lows- Shining Violence
The Shaky Hands- Lunglight
Of Montreal- Id Engager/Alter Eagle (single)

Video & Song of the week: The War On Drugs- "Needle In Your Eye #16"

One of the most underrated and overlooked bands to come along this year have to be Philadelphia's The War On Drugs. Their debut album Wagonwheel Blues came out on Secretly Canadian back in June (click here to read our review), and the band has been out on the road supporting the new LP since. The group has also just put out a new video for the track "Needle In Your Eye #16", which is directed by Mark Shonenveld and is our choice for 'video and song of the week this week'.

The War On Drugs- "Needle In Your Eye #16"



Upcoming The War On Drugs Tour Dates:

Sep 29 2008 Academy Oxford
Sep 30 2008 Academy / Manchester
Oct 1 2008 ABC / Glascow
Oct 2 2008 Wulfrun Hall / Wolverhampton
Oct 3 2008 Norwich Arts Center - Norwich
Oct 4 2008 Anson Rooms / Bristol
Oct 5 2008 Rock City / Nottingham
Oct 6 2008 Pyramids / Portsmouth
Oct 7 2008 The Windmill / Brixton
Oct 8 2008 The Roundhouse / London
Oct 9 2008 Nouveau Casino / Paris
Oct 10 2008 La Materie - Lille
Oct 11 2008 Knust - Hamburg
Oct 12 2008 Luxor - Koln
Oct 13 2008 Melkweg - Amsterdam
Oct 16 2008 Debaser - Stockholm
Oct 17 2008 Sticky Fingers Goteberg
Oct 18 2008 Debaser w/ Xiu Xiu Malmo
Oct 19 2008 Vega - Copenhagen
Oct 20 2008 Columbia Club - Berlin
Oct 21 2008 WUK - Vienna
Oct 22 2008 Ampere - Munich
Oct 25 2008 Heineken Green Space Festival, Valencia

Kaiser Chiefs- new song and video

The Kaiser Chiefs have released the first single off of their new disc Off With Their Heads , which has gotten a release date of October 14th. The first single is "Never Miss A Beat" and features backing vocals from Lilly Allen. The single will hit stores the week prior to the albums release.
The new disc was done by producer of the moment, Mark Ronson & also producer Eliot James. Ronson was supposedly a big fan of the band and was anxious to work with the Chiefs. In fact the group has said the intent wasn't to make an album at first, it was just to work on a few songs. But working with Ronson and James was so enjoyable and productive, that the group just kept working through and eventually came up with a new albums worth of material.
Along with Lily Allen's backing vocals on "Never Miss A Beat", the singer also appears on the track 'Always Happens Like That'.

'Off With Their Heads' track listing;

1. Spanish Metal
2. Never Miss A Beat
3. Like It Too Much
4. You Want History
5. Can't Say What I Mean
6. Good Days Bad Days
7. Tomato In The Rain
8. Half The Truth
9. Always Happens Like That
10. Addicted To Drugs
11. Remember You're A Girl

Kaiser Chiefs- "Never Miss A Beat"

Foals- New EP being released

UK indie psych rockers the Foals have announced plans to release Gold Gold Gold, a new six-track digital-only EP, which will be available via the US iTunes on Sept. 9th. Along with their single "Olympic Airways", the EP will feature three previously unreleased tracks that were only available as UK b-sides, as well as remixes of "Red Socks Pugie" and "Cassius".
The band will be out on the road for the rest of the fall, hitting the US, UK, and Europe in support of their latest LP Antidotes. Check the bands myspace for a full list of dates.

Gold Gold Gold tracklisting:

Olympic Airways
Dearth
Gold Gold Gold
Titan Arum
Red Socks Pugie (Henrik Schwarz remix)
Cassius (Kieran Hebden version)

Johnny Flynn & Laura Marling hitting the States

Throughout the year we've been keeping up with young UK imports Johnny Flynn and Laura Marling. Within the past month or so both have released albums in the US, Flynn with his old school stylings on A Larum , (to see our review click here). While Marling came out with her Alas I Cannot Swim, which featured the tracks "Ghost" and "My Manic And I".
The pair have now teamed up for a co-headlining tour across the US, which will get started in Allston, Ma. To celebrate the kick off of the tour, they two recently got together for a live duet, covering Jeffrey Lewis & Diane Cluck’s anti-folk tune, “Travel Light.”

Johnny Flynn & Laura Marling co-headling tour:

September
13 - Allston , MA - ICC Church
15 - New York , NY - Bowery Ballroom
17 - Philadelphia , PA - Side Chapel @ First Unitarian Church
18 - Alexandria , VA - Birchmere
20 - Chicago , IL - The Bottom Lounge
21 – Minneapolis, MN – The 400 Bar
23 - Englewood , CO - The Falcon
26 - Los Angeles , CA - The Hotel Cafe
28 - San Francisco , CA - Cafe Du Nord
30 - Portland , OR - Lola's
October
1 - Seattle , WA - Tractor Tavern
3 - Montreal , QC - Pop Montreal Festival
4 - Toronto , ON - Rivoli

"Travel Light":

Jenny Lewis- New album soon, tour dates added

Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis is soon to be releasing her second solo effort, Acid Tongue on Sept. 23rd. The new disc will feature guest appearances from Johnathan Rice, Elvis Costello, M. Ward & Zooey Deschanel of She & Him, along with Chris Robinson from The Black Crowes. Prior to the albums release Lewis will head out on her ever expanding tour, kicking things off in New Mexico then heading across the US, before making a brief stay in Europe with a handful of shows.

Jenny Lewis tour schedule:

09-15 Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre
09-16 Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre
09-17 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre
09-18 Lawrence, KS - The Granada
09-19 Chicago, IL - Epiphany
09-20 Omaha, NE - Anchor Inn
09-21 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
09-22 Knoxville, TN - Bijou Theatre
09-23 Fayetteville, AR - George's Majestic Lounge
09-24 Oxford, MS - Lyric Theatre
09-25 Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
09-26 Austin, TX - Austin City Limits
09-28 Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa
09-30 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
10-01 Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre
10-02 Washington, DC - Sixth & I Synagogue
10-03 Wilmington, DE - Grand Opera House
10-04 New York, NY - Apollo Theatre
10-05 New Haven, CT - Shubert Theatre
10-08 Paris, France - Le Maronquinerie
10-09 Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg
10-10 Hamburg, Germany - Knust
10-11 Berlin, Germany - Lido
10-13 Stockholm, Sweden - Kagelbanan
10-14 Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega Junior
10-16 Cologne, Germany - Gebaude 9
10-17 London, England - Koko
10-18 Glasgow, Scotland - QMU
10-19 Dublin, Ireland - Button Factory
10-25 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
10-26 Seattle, WA - Showbox

Listen to Jenny Lewis.

Ra Ra Riot on Conan O'Brien

With their new album The Rhumb Line out only a few short weeks, Ra Ra Riot are riding the wave of early critical success. The group made their first network television appearance on Tuesday night on Late Night W/ Conan O'Brien performing the track "Ghost Under Rocks".

Ra Ra Riot- "Ghost Under Rocks":



Ra Ra Riot on Myspace.

Fuck Buttons new single + tour

Fuck Buttons, the electronic project of Andrew Hung & Benjamin John Power will be coming out with a new single "Colours Move" on September 8th. The new track will be made available digitally as well as a 12" disc. The B-side of the single, "Sweet Love for Planet Earth" was mixed by Andrew Weatherall who became well known for his remixes in the 90's for groups such as New Order, My Bloody Valentine, and Primal Scream.
In other Fuck Buttons news, the group will be hitting the road in support of Mogwai, which will bring the band across the US and the UK, in addition to some headlining shows the group has planned in Japan.

Fuck Buttons tour itinerary:

September 4 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA *
September 5 - Element - Victoria, BC, Canada *
September 6 - Commodore - Vancouver, BC, Canada *
September 8 - Grand Ballroom - San Francisco, CA *
September 9 - Wiltern Theater - Los Angeles, CA *
September 10 - Rialto - Tucson, AZ *
September 12 - Stubb's Bar-B-Q - Austin, TX *
September 13 - Granada Theatre - Dallas, TX *
September 15 - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, GA *
September 16 - The National - Richmond, VA *
September 17 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC *
September 18 - Terminal 5 - New York, NY *
September 19 - Starlight Ballroom - Philadelphia, PA *
September 20 - ATP NY @ Kutchers Country Club Monticello, NY
September 22 - Wilbur Theater - Boston, MA *
September 23 - Metropolis - Montreal, Quebec, Canada *
September 25 - The Crofoot - Pontiac, MI *
September 26 - Congress Theater - Chicago, IL *
September 27 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN *
October 9 - Sunsui - Osaka, Japan
October 10 - Liquid Room - Tokyo, Japan
October 21 - Corn Exchange - Edinburgh *
October 23 - Academy - Manchester *
October 24 - Hammersmith Apollo - London *
October 25 - Unsound Festival - Krakow, Poland (w/ Xiu Xiu)

* w/ Mogwai

Listen to Fuck Buttonson myspace.

William Fitzsimmons- Unveils plans for new full length

Like a lot of indie artists out there today, William Fitzsimmons is one of those DIY success stories. After starting out in the mental health profession, Fitzsimmons began tinkering with music full time, recording and releasing albums on his own. Garnering a huge following on his Myspace do to his fan friendly hands on approach, and with his intimate and personal writing style (his last album Goodnight chronicled his parents divorce), William saw his second LP rise up the charts on the iTunes folk section.
Fitzsimmons has just announced plans to release his 3rd full length The Sparrow And The Crow, which will be coming out on Sept. 30th, with a handful of tour dates being slated as well. Currently you can hear three new tracks from the forthcoming LP on William's Myspace, "If You Would Come Back Home", which is a free download, "I Don't Feel It Anymore" and "You Still Hurt Me". Also leading up to the albums release, he'll be posting 4 separate webisodes featuring behind the scenes footage of the making of the album, the first of which you can catch below.

Upcoming tour dates:

Sep 20 2008 Play: STL 2008 Music Festival - St. Louis, Missouri
Sep 30 2008 SUNY Cortland - Function Room of Corey Union Cortland
Oct 1 2008 The Living Room New York, New York
Oct 2 2008 Hamilton College Clinton, New York

Making of Album preview:

Santogold- first headling tour

Coming off the success of her debut full length, Santogold has announced plans for her very first headlining tour in the US and Canada. Having played the opening slot recently for acts such as The Ting Tings and even Coldplay, Santogold will soon take top billing, kicking things off in her hometown of NYC at the Irving Plaza on Sept. 19th.

The Goldrush Tour dates are:

Sep 19 2008 Fillmore New York @ Irving Plaza New York, New York
Sep 20 2008 Paradise Rock Club Boston, Massachusetts
Sep 23 2008 Theatre of Living Arts (TLA) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sep 24 2008 Guvernment Toronto
Sep 25 2008 House Of Blues Cleveland, Ohio
Sep 27 2008 St. Andrews Hall Detroit, Michigan
Sep 28 2008 House Of Blues Chicago, Illinois
Sep 30 2008 Liberty Hall Lawrence, Kansas
Oct 1 2008 Gothic Theatre Denver, Colorado
Oct 4 2008 Showbox SODO Seattle, Washington
Oct 5 2008 Crystal Ballroom Portland, Oregon
Oct 7 2008 Fillmore San Francisco, California
Oct 10 2008 House Of Blues San Diego, California
Oct 11 2008 House Of Blues Las Vegas, Nevada
Oct 13 2008 House Of Blues Anaheim, California

Santogold on myspace.

Brooke Waggoner- new cd

Since moving from Louisiana to Nashville after college, Brooke Waggoner has been rising fast in the Nashville indie music scene. Ever since the release of her 2007 EP Fresh Pair Of Eyes, which is actually available as a free download via her website, Waggoner has been receiving a steady buzz around the local singer/songwriter circles. She is now out with her debut full length Heal For The Honey, which still showcases her strong talent on the piano, while also mixing in elements of folk and electronica. Particularly stellar tracks to check out are "Young Friend", "The Wrong", the title track "Heal For The Honey" and "Fresh Pair of Eyes".
A full set of tour dates have not been announced as of yet, but we'll keep you posted on when they become available.

Listen to Brooke Waggoner.

Tuesday's New releases

With the long holiday weekend in the States this week, it is a relatively slow release schedule. With more of the bigger releases being slated for later on in the month.

Here's the best that we could come up with this week to recommend:

Brooke Waggoner- Heal For The Honey
Gutter Twins- Adorata (iTunes exclusive)
Friendly Fires- self titled
Suzannah Johannes- self titled EP
Chemical Brothers- Brotherhood
Bears- Simple Machinery
Birdmonster- From The Mountain To The Sea
Sonya Kitchell- This Storm
Broadfield Marchers- The Inevitable Continuing
Angela Desveaux- The Mighty Ship
Styrofoam- Bright Red Helmet EP
TV On The Radio- Golden Age (single)

new Hotel Cafe fall tour- announces all female line-up

The Hotel Cafe Tour, which is the singer/songwiter showcase that was born from the venue of the same name in L.A., has come out with their new fall line-up that will be hitting the road this fall. It will be an all female affair this time around, and will feature a rotating cast of artists including: Jaymay, Meiko, Priscilla Ahn, Rachael Yamagata, Thao Nguyen, Ingrid Michaelson, Katie Herzig, Samantha Crain, Kate Havnevik, Brooke Fraser, Alice Russell, Erin McCarley, Jenny Owen Youngs, Lenka, Emliy Wells, Anya Marina, Holly Conlan, KaiserCartel, and Catherine Feeny. Things gets started on Oct 9th in Santa Barbara, but to check out which line-up will be appearing in your area be sure to check with your local venue to see who will be on the bill.

Hotel Cafe Tour dates:

Oct 9 2008 SoHo Restaurant Santa Barbara, California
Oct 10 2008 Hotel Cafe Los Angeles, California
Oct 11 2008 House of Blues Anaheim, California
Oct 13 2008 Belly Up Solana Beach, California
Oct 14 2008 Martini Ranch Phoenix, Arizona
Oct 16 2008 House of Blues Dallas, Texas
Oct 17 2008 The Parish Room Austin, Texas
Oct 18 2008 Meridian Red Room Houston, Texas
Oct 20 2008 Work/Play Birmingham
Oct 21 2008 Exit/In Nashville, Tennessee
Oct 22 2008 Variety Playhouse Atlanta, Georgia
Oct 23 2008 Common Grounds Gainesville, Florida
Oct 25 2008 Social Orlando, Florida
Oct 27 2008 Cat’s Cradle Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Oct 28 2008 9:30 Club D.C., Washington DC
Oct 29 2008 World Cafe Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct 30 2008 Bowery Ballroom New York, New York
Oct 31 2008 Paradise Club Boston, Massachusetts
Nov 1 2008 Music Hall of Williamsburg Brooklyn, New York
Nov 3 2008 Bogart’s Front Room Cincinnati, Ohio
Nov 5 2008 Park West Chicago, Illinois
Nov 6 2008 The Varsity Minneapolis, Minnesota
Nov 7 2008 High Noon Madison, Wisconsin
Nov 8 2008 Blueberry Hill St. Louis, Missouri
Nov 9 2008 Liberty Hall Lawrence, Kansas
Nov 11 2008 Bluebird Denver, Colorado
Nov 12 2008 Avalon Theater Salt Lake City, Utah
Nov 13 2008 Knitting Factory Concert House Boise, Idaho
Nov 14 2008 Doug Fir Portland, Oregon
Nov 15 2008 Chop Suey Seattle, Washington
Nov 17 2008 Great America Music Hall San Francisco, California
Nov 18 2008 Henry Fonda Theater Los Angeles, California

visit the Hotel Cafe tour on myspace, where you can to get up to date with all the artists that are featured on their page.

More proof that the Major Label Record Companies just don't get it.

In a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, a report stated that UK r&b singer Estelle's record label, Warner, removed her album Shine along with her hit single single "American Boy" from iTunes in the US. The action is to encourage fans to buy physical copies of the records, which in the end earns more money for Warner.
Well thanks to Warner's marketing strategy Estelle has seen her album & single take a major dip in the charts after they were removed. "American Boy" which was at number 11 in the US Billboard singles chart fell to number 37 following the removal from iTunes. As far as the album itself 'Shine', it dropped down to 159 in the albums charts, after sitting in the 38th position.

A spokesperson for Warner said that the move was part of strategies "uniquely tailored to each artist and their fanbase in an effort to optimise revenues and promote long-term artist development". Sounds more like a unique strategy in finding ways to alienate already weary artists of major labels, while hurting artists revenues and only maximizing their own. The exact reason why more and more artists are deciding to go the more friendly indie label route.

Video & Song of the week: The Awkward Stage- "The Sun Goes Down On Girlsville"

Hailing from Vancouver,Canada Shane Nelken and his indie-pop band The Awkward Stage recently came out with their sophomore release, Slimming Mirrors, Flattering Lights which is the follow up to their 2006 LP Heaven Is For Easy Girls. Nelken was a longtime supporting musician for artists such as A.C. Newman and also Sparrow. Their latest release features the single "The Sun Goes Down On Girlsville" which the group has just made a video for.

The Awkward Stage- "The Sun Goes Down On Girlsville"



The Awkward Stage on myspace.