Tour news from The Twilight Sad

One of the more intense live acts you'll ever see, The Twilight Sad have announced plans for a new tour of the States and Canada beginning this April. The band will be the supporting act for friends and fellow Glasgow mates, Mogwai, who they also went on tour with back in '08. The band most recently came out with their The Twilight Sad Killed My Parents and Hit The Road, which was a limited edition release that featured live and previously unreleased material, including covers of Joy Division and The Smiths.

And She Would Darken the Memor...

That Summer At Home I Had Beco...

Upcoming tour schedule:
Apr 20 Numbers with Mogwai Houston, Texas
Apr 21 Republic with Mogwai New Orleans, Louisiana
Apr 22 Workplay Theatre with Mogwai Birmingham, Alabama
Apr 23 Orange Peel with Mogwai Asheville, North Carolina
Apr 24 Cats Cradle with Mogwai Carrboro, North Carolina
Apr 25 Trocadero with Mogwai Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Apr 27 Music Hall Of Williamsburg with Mogwai Brooklyn, NY
Apr 28 Music Hall Of Williamsburg with Mogwai Brooklyn, NY
Apr 29 Music Hall Of Williamsburg with Mogwai Brooklyn, NY
May 1 Wilbur Theatre with Mogwai Boston, Mass.
May 2 Pearl Street with Mogwai Northampton, Mass.
May 3 Metropolis with Mogwai Montreal, Quebec
May 4 Phoenix with Mogwai Toronto, Ontario
May 5 Tralf Music Hall with Mogwai Buffalo, New York
May 6 Crofoot Ballroom with Mogwai Pontiac, Michigan
May 8 Congress Theatre with Mogwai Chicago, Illinois

The Twilight Sad on myspace.

Lykke Li covers Kings Of Leon

The Kings of Leon song, "Knocked Up" has always been a favorite of mine from the band, and one that often gets overlooked by critics of the group that say all their tunes sound the same. There's been a cover floating around for a while now of Swedish songstress Lykke Li taking her turn on the track, but now courtesy of a recent stop at Portland's KNRK 94.7FM, there is video of Li performing an acoustic version of the song during a visit to their Pampelmoose New Music Hour. Pampelmoose is the music site run by Dave Allen, founding member and bass player for Gang of Four.


Exclusive Video of Lykke Li Covering Kings of Leon Live in KNRK studio from Dave Allen on Vimeo.

Lykke Li.com

Stream the new Neko Case LP

The long wait is finally over for Neko Case fans. After nearly three years since her last album, Fox Confessor Brings The Flood came out, Case is back with her highly anticipated new disc, Middle Cyclone. Although the album isn't in stores until next Tuesd, March 3rd, thanks to folks over at NPR, you can now get a sneak peek of all 15 tracks from the new album before it hits shelves. Middle Cyclone will be streaming over on the NPR site up until it's release date on the 3rd. The cd features guest appearances by artists including members of her old band, The New Pornographers, M. Ward, The Lilys, Los Lobos, and members of Calexico.

Neko Case on myspace.

Secret Life of Sofia- download (Free EP)

One of our favorite bands and albums from this past year was The Secret Life of Sofia, and their 'Seven Summits' LP. The album featured strong songwriting and great full compositions that managed to blend both factual and fictional tales of mountaineering expeditions about the seven summits (the seven highest summits of the seven continents). If you haven't heard the disc you should really check it out, but in the meantime you can get your hands on a FREE 3 song EP that the band just offered up via their website, Empty Sleeves. All it takes is putting in your email address and it's yours. You can preview one of the new tracks, "Moon on Sea's Gate" over on their myspace.

Secret Life of Sofia on myspace.

Photo- Josh Goleman

Wilco: New release in June

In addition to announcing plans for a new round of dates on an upcoming U.S. Spring tour, Wilco have recently unveiled that they should have a new disc out by June of this year. In a statement issued in their fan newsletter, the band said they are "making major progress on the upcoming soon-to-be-titled LP. They've been hunkered down in the loft with Jim Scott and are just about ready to start mixing. We've got it on the calendar for release in June." They also stated that fans should keep a close watch on the bands website for more details & updates on the new album over the next several weeks. The band have also added some dates to their Spring schedule in addition to their already planned stop at the Bonnaroo festival in Tenn. this June, check below for all the dates.

Upcoming Wilco tour dates:
March 26 Higher Ground Burlington, VT
March 27 Calvin Theatre Northampton, MA
March 28 Hight Auditorium, Beacon NY
April 14&15 Pabst Theater Milwaukee, WI
April 16 IU Auditorum Bloomington, IN
April 17 Memorial Auditorium Athens, OH
April 18 Tennessee Theatre Knoxville, TN
April 20 Classic Center Athens, GA
April 21 Thomas Wolfe Auditorium Ahseville, NC
April 22 Sloss Furnaces Birmingam, AL
April 23 Lyric Oxford Oxford, MS
April 25 Jazz & Heritage Festival New Orleans, LA
June 11-14 Bonnaroo Festival Manchester, TN
July 22-25 10,000 Lakes Festival Detroit Lakes, MN

Wilco's website

Take Away Shows w/ Ra Ra Riot, and Johnny Flynn

Before French Director Vincent Moon became well known for working on documentaries with the likes of The National and Arcade Fire, he started out with his site La Blogotheque and his 'Take Away Shows'. The site has blown up in the past year or so featuring a wide range of heavy hitters in indie music, the latest of which to get their turn being Syracuse's Ra Ra Riot and the UK's Johnny Flynn. Ra Ra Riot is scene performing along the streets of Paris amongst a throng of skateboarders, while Johnny Flynn is seen walking thru a fruit market in Buenos Aires.


Johnny Flynn - The Box // A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.


RaRaRiot - Dying is fine - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Weinland- new disc this Spring

This April 21st, Portland Americana/folk project Weinland will be coming out with their sophomore effort, Breaks in the Sun. It wasn't that long ago that we heard from the band with their 2008 release La Lamentor (to read our review click here), which featured the outstanding tracks, "God Here I Come", and "Sick as a Gun", which were definitely two favorites from this past year.
If you head over to the bands myspace now, you can hear one of the new tracks, "Sunken Eyes" from the forthcoming LP.


Weinland and The Portland Cello Project: "God Here I Come" from Douglas Jenkins on Vimeo.

Weinland on myspace

Band of Horses expand tour schedule

Already busy with recording the follow up to 2007's Cease To Begin, Band Of Horses have added a small run of dates beginning this April. Mixed in with some festival appearances that include Bonnaroo and Coachella, the band will also be hitting California, Baltimore, Virginia, and North Carolina among their stops, which will include a special acoustic performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City in June. The band Arbouretum will provide the support on all shows except Bonnaroo.

Catch the group performing "Is There a Ghost" on the Late Show w/ David Letterman


Upcoming tour dates:

Apr 15 Catalyst Santa Cruz, California
Apr 17 Fox Theater Oakland, California
Apr 18 Coachella Indio, California
Jun 10 The Norva Norfolk, Virginia
Jun 11 Carnegie Hall New York, New York
Jun 12 Ram’s Head Live Baltimore, Maryland
Jun 14 Bonnaroo Manchester, Tennessee
Jun 16 Orange Peel Asheville, North Carolina
Jun 17 Neighborhood Theatre Charlotte, North Carolina
Jun 18 House of Blues Mrytle Beach, South Carolina
Aug 15 Beatday Festival Copenhagen

New Releases: Wk 2/24

A short list this week, but with some discs i've been looking forward to hearing from the likes of Laura Gibson and Here We Go Magic, as well as Air France finally getting themselves a physical release in the States.

This Weeks New Releases: WK 2/24
Air France- No Way Down
Laura Barrett- Victory Garden
Black Lips- 200 Million Thousand
Client- Can You Feel EP
Company of Thieves- Ordinary Riches
Fever Ray- If I Had a Heart EP
Flight of the Conchords- Same Girl (single)
Gentleman Reg- Jet Black
Laura Gibson- Beasts of Seasons
Here We Go Magic- self titled
Illinois- The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe Chpt5 EP
Chris Isaak- Mr Lucky
The Morning Benders- Grain of Salt EP
Prodigy- Invaders Must Die
School of Seven Bells- Lamundernodisguise (single)
The Hundreds & Thousands- Dont Talk to Me (single)
War Child Presents Heroes (benefit compilation)
The Watson Twins- Live at Fingerprints EP
Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Zero (single)

get trippy with Speck Mountain

The psychedlic, dreamy, space-rock outfit, Speck Mountain fronted by co-leaders Karl Briedrick and Marie-Claire Balabanian, have a new album on the way,Some Sweet Relief, which comes out this March 17th. The band who describe their sound as “ambient soul”, are said to also enjoy keeping it old school in the recording process, using vintage effects and recording techniques, while on the new disc mixing in lot's of piano, organ, and sax to round things out.

You can hear one of the disc's new tracks, "I Feel Eternal" over on their myspace now.

Speck Mountain on myspace.

'Video & Song of the Week': Spanish Prisoners-"Some Among Them are Killers"

With an ecclectic and far ranging sound, mixed with his poured over poetic songwriting, Leo Maymind's project, Spanish Prisoners put out an impressive 2008 debut LP, Songs to Forget. The Brooklyn based Maymind produced and played most of the instruments on the album himself, which features the infectous track, "Some Among Them Are Killers."



Upcoming shows:
Feb 28 The Studio at Webster Hall- NYC, New York
Mar 12 Union Pool- Williamsburg, New York

Spanish Prisoners on myspace.

The Shaky Hands: back on the road

Portland folk/jangle rockers, The Shaky Hands announced new plans for a massive 37 date tour which kicks off this March at SXSW. The tour is the longest and most inclusive the band has had so far, since the release of their stellar sophomore disc, Lunglight which came out in Sept. of last year. The group will also be teaming up with KillRockstars labelmates, The Thermals beginning in April for 5 weeks of the trek.

Catch "We Are Young" from 2008's Lunglight.



Shaky Hands tour schedule:
Mar 19 Red Eye Fly (SXSW) Austin, Texas
Mar 22 Larimer Lounge Denver, Colorado
Mar 23 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, Utah
Mar 24 Neurlolux Boise, Idaho
Mar 28 Alladin Theater Portland, Oregon
Apr 10 Chop Suey Seattle, Washington
Apr 22 Neurolux Boise, Idaho
Apr 23 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, Utah
Apr 24 The Marquis Theater Denver, Colorado
Apr 25 Slowdown Omaha, Nebraska
Apr 26 Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis, Minnesota
Apr 28 High Noon Saloon Madison, Wisconsin
Apr 29 The Bottom Lounge Chicago, Illinois
Apr 30 Blind Pig Ann Arbor, Michigan
May 1 Beachland Ballroom Cleveland, Ohio
May 2 Big Orbit’s Soundlab Buffalo, New York
May 3 Horseshoe Tavern Toronto, Ontario
May 5 Pearl Street Northampton, Massachusetts
May 6 SPACE Gallery Portland, Maine
May 7 Middle East Downstairs Cambridge, Massachusetts
May 8 Bowery Ballroom New York, New York
May 9 Bowery Ballroom New York, New York
May 12 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 13 Black Cat Washington DC
May 14 Local 506 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
May 15 The Pourhouse Charleston, South Carolina
May 16 Masquerade Atlanta, Georgia
May 18 Bottle Tree Birmingham, Alabama
May 19 Hi Tone Cafe Memphis, Tennessee
May 20 Revolution Music Club Little Rock, Arkansas
May 21 The Loft Dallas, Texas
May 22 Mohawk Austin, Texas
May 23 The Warhol San Antonio, Texas
May 26 Rhythm Room Phoenix, Arizona
May 27 Troubador Los Angeles, California
May 30 Bottom of the Hill San Francisco, California
May 31 Bottom of the Hill w/ The Thermals San Francisco

The Shaky Hands myspace

White Rabbits: scary good

With a unique line-up of two drummers and three vocalists, NYC's White Rabbits take the old indie rock formula and manage to give it a fresh take. The band has just announced plans for their sophomore LP, It's Frightening, which is scheduled for a May 19th release. After almost two full years on the road in support of their last LP, 2007's Fort Nightly, the group took time off to record the new disc over a four week period in Bushwick, Brooklyn. The band teamed up with Spoon's Britt Daniel and Mike McCarthy, who produced and mixed the album respectively.

It's Frightening track list:

1. Percussion Gun
2. Rudie Fails
3. They Done Wrong / We Done Wrong
4. Lionesse
5. Company I Keep
6. The Salesman (Tramp Life)
7. Midnight and I
8. Right Where They Left
9. The Lady Vanishes
10. Leave It At The Door

From 2007's Fort Nightly

The Plot - White Rabbits

White Rabbits on myspace.

An Horse: set release date for debut

Aussie imports, An Horse are ready to unveil their debut full-length, Rearrange Beds this March 17th on Mom and Pop Music. The band recieved some big name support and help on the disc from Sara Quin (Tegan and Sara), who invited the pair on tour with the girls last spring, and then lended a hand in making the record with An Horse. The band will be heading out on tour in the US & Canada beginning this Feb 25th, which sees them picking up a few dates with Wintersleep, as well as appearing at SXSW in March.



AN HORSE tour dates:
Feb 25 Noise Pop Festival ~ Slim’s - San Francisco, Ca.
Feb 27 Sho - Salt Lake City, Utah
Mar 1 Walnut Room - Denver, Colorado
Mar 3 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mar 4 High Noon Saloon - Madsion, Wisconsin
Mar 7 The Green Room - Montreal, Quebec
Mar 9 The Montreal House - Peterborough, Ontario
Mar 10 Casbah Lounge - Hamilton, Ontario
Mar 11 London Music Club - London, Ontario
Mar 12 University of Guelph - Guelph, Ontario
Mar 13 Canadian Music Week ~ Tranzac - Toronto, Ontario
Mar 18 SXSW - Austin, Texas
Mar 19 SXSW - Austin, Texas
Mar 20 SXSW - Austin, Texas
Mar 21 SXSW - Austin, Texas
Mar 25 Hotel Utah - San Francisco, Ca. w/ Wintersleep
Mar 26 Lola’s - Portland, Oregon w/ Wintersleep
Mar 27 The Vera Project- Seattle, Washington

An Horse on myspace.

Sara Lov covers Silversun Pickups

I admittedly don't know too much about sweet voiced California singer, Sara Lov, other than that sometime back in the fall I stumbled upon a pretty great cover version she tackled, of Arcade Fire's "My Body is a Cage." Well Lov is on our radar again, and again it's due to her uncanny ability to re-work other artist's tracks, this time taking on Silversun Pickups "Kissing Families." Actually Lov seems to truly enjoy the art of the cover song, as she has just started up a new series of 'video covers', asking fans to post requests for songs you want to see her take on over on her myspace page , and she will choose a new one to do each couple of weeks. Her EP, The Young Eyes is out now on Nettwerk.

Sara Lov-"Kissing Families" (Silversun Pickups) cover:


Sara Lov on myspace.

U2: stream new album in it's entirety

If you head on over to U2's myspace now, you can listen to all 11 tracks from their forthcoming new album, No Line on the Horizon which are currently streaming for free. The new LP isn't available until March 2nd UK, March 3rd US & Canada. The album again sees the band working with longtime collaboraters Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois and Steve Lillywhite. On first impression, the strongest songs on the disc appear to be track 2, "Magnificent" and track 11, "Cedars of Lebanon."

Ben Nichols-'The Last Pale Light in the West'

Ben Nichols, frontman of the Memphis based folk-punk group, Lucero is out with his first solo effort, The Last Pale Light in the West. The band has built up a well known reputation over the past 10 years for pouring their blood, sweat and tears into their live shows and LP's, taking on an everyman appeal akin to the likes of Bruce Springsteen, The Hold Steady, or the Replacements for example. At the very heart of that everyman approach is Nichols, with his gritty, whiskey soaked vocals and a knack for Americana storytelling. On his solo affair, which is a 7 song mini-album of sorts, Nichols based his writing for the disc on author Cormac McCarthy’s book, Blood Meridian. While the musical style is a slight shift from his previous work in Lucero, Nichols ability to take you inside a character's head and emotions plays directly into his strengths here, taking on the role of a screen-writer almost. It's that character development that makes the disc work, even if your unfamiliar with McCarthy's book, as Nichols paints the picture for you. Musically speaking the disc is stark, and mostly an acoustic affair, with hints of pedal steel, piano and accordion. With that being said, it still shouldn't scare off die-hard Lucero fans, who are used to tracks like "The War" or "Hold Me Close" being scattered on the bands LP's.
The album is solid from top to bottom, but highlights of the disc include, the title track, "The Last Pale Light in the West", "Davy Brown" and "Tobin" to name a few.
In an era that seems to put little emphasis on great songwriting, it's a breath of fresh air to sit back and take in Nichols versatility and gift as a writer and storyteller.
In Lucero news, it was announced not long ago that the group is making the jump to the majors, having recently signed a four-album deal with Universal/Republic, no news as of yet as to when their next LP will be out.

The Last Pale Light In The Wes...

Sixteen - Lucero

Gregory and The Hawk- "Oats We Sow" live performance

One of the more criminally underlooked albums of 2008 has to be Gregory and the Hawk's, Moenie and Kitchi. Known for their tender folk melodies, the band released late last year a brilliant disc that saw them expand their sound with subtle little nuances and layers that gave it a real depth and rich quality.
G&H recently stopped by the folks at Bandstand Busking, which captures artists unplugged in various gazebos and parks around London, where they performed three tracks, one of which was "Oats We Sow." Other recent performers on the Bandstand Busking site include, Loney Dear, Frightened Rabbit, Of Montreal, and We were Promised Jetpacks.
To read our review of Moenie and Kitchi go here.



Gregory and the Hawk on myspace.

Here We Go Magic: new name & LP

Brooklyn singer/songwriter Luke Temple is out with a new project, which also sees him working under a new name, Here We Go Magic. The name change aside, the new self titled work also sees a shift in overall sounds, with a more textured, atmospheric style, which is a departure from his solo singer-songwriter material. Temple recorded the 9 tracks himself over a two-month period at home in Greenpoint, Brklyn. The LP is out now digitally via iTunes, with a physical release scheduled for Feb. 24th on Western Vinyl. Beginning on March 3rd, Temple and Here We Go Magic will take their act out on the road, which includes stops in New Orleans, Chicago, SXSW in Austin, as well as a Daytrotter recording session.



Mar 3 la poisson rouge New york, NY
Mar 7 the red and the black Washington DC
Mar 9 garfield artworks Pittsburgh, Penn.
Mar 10 southgate house Newport, Kentucky
Mar 11 my old kentucky blog laundromatinee session
Mar 11 cinemat Bloomington, Ind.
Mar 12 off broadway St. louis, Missouri
Mar 13 beat kitchen Chicago, Illinois
Mar 14 daytrotter session Davenport, Illinois
Mar 17 mountain house Dallas, Texas
Mar 18 sxsw Austin, Tx
Mar 22 Marigny Theatre New Orleans, Louisiana
Mar 23 529 Club Atlanta, Georgia
Mar 24 Local 506 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Mar 25 Ottobar Baltimore, Maryland

Here We Go Magic on Myspace.

Great Bloomers: album details, stream 2 new songs

A few weeks back we talked about the Toronto folk-rock band, Great Bloomers, who will soon be releasing their debut full length album, Speak of Trouble. At the time there was no official date set for the release, but now we can tell you that the disc will be hitting the streets this April 21st. The band worked together with another BTB favorite, Gavin Gardner of The Wooden Sky , who co-produced the disc with the guys. The 5 piece have said they that worked hard on the new disc to successfully revive the concept of 'the album', carefully crafting each song. You can hear for yourself, as the band are currently streaming two of 'Speak of Trouble's' new tracks, "Honey Blanket" & "The Young One's Slept" over at their myspace.

Great Bloomers on myspace.

Sasquatch festival unveils line-up

Of all the music festivals around, the Sasquatch music festival might have one of the most awe inspiring settings, sitting in the Gorge in Quincy, Washington surrounded by pristine mountains. Now the festival might just take home the title for it's star studded line-up that was just produced for 2009. The festival which is now in its eighth year just unveiled their list of performers, which includes Fleet Foxes, Of Montreal, NIN, Bon Iver, Kings of Leon, Ra Ra Riot, Grizzly Bear, TV on the Radio and The Walkmen to name a few. Check the full list below broken down by day. The festival runs May 23-25, with tickets going on sale Feb. 28th.

Saturday, May 23th
Kings of Leon / Yeah Yeah Yeahs / The Decemberists / Animal Collective / Bon Iver / Devotchka / M. Ward / Doves / Sun Kil Moon / The Gaslight Anthem / King Khan & The Shrines / Ra Ra Riot / Shearwater / Passion Pit / Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band / Vince Mira / Blind Pilot / Owl City / Arthur & Yu / Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele / Death Vessel / Hockey

Sunday, May 24th
Jane’s Addiction / Nine Inch Nails / TV On The Radio / Peter Bjorn and John / of Montreal / The Avett Brothers / Calexico / M83 / The Airborne Toxic Event / The Walkmen / The Wrens / St. Vincent / The Dodos / John Vanderslice / The Submarines / Viva Voce / The Builders And The Butchers / AA Bondy / Fences / Point Juncture, WA / Jon Benjamin

Monday, May 25th
Ben Harper and Relentless7 / Erykah Badu / Silversun Pickups / Fleet Foxes / Gogol Bordello / Santigold / Grizzly Bear / Explosions In The Sky / Girl Talk / Blitzen Trapper / The Knux / Monotonix / Bishop Allen / Black Moth Super Rainbow / Beach House / Mugison / The Dutchess And The Duke / School Of Seven Bells / Horse Feathers / The Pica Beats / Loch Lomond / BLK JKS

The Antlers: ready to drop new disc

Brooklyn's, The Antlers have been tabbed as a band to watch in 2009 by more than a few publications. In just a few weeks, the group will be releasing their new and long awaited disc, Hospice. The album, which was completed over this past summer, after about a year and a half of work, will be self-released by the group, both digitally and as a limited CD release beginning March 3rd. The LP is the bands third full-length, and it features appearances by Darby Cicci, Michael Lerner, and Sharon Van Etten. If you head over to the bands myspace you can download two of Hospice's tracks for free, "Bear" and the first single, "Two".

Tracklist:
1. Prologue
2. Kettering
3. Sylvia
4. Atrophy
5. Bear
6. Thirteen
7. Two
8. Shiva
9. Wake
10. Epilogue

From 2007's In The Attic of the Universe

In the Attic - The Antlers

The Antlers tour dates:
Mar 5 CD Release Show at UNION HALL Brooklyn, NY
Mar 9 M ROOM Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mar 10 METRO GALLERY Baltimore, Maryland
Mar 11 BLACK CAT (BACKSTAGE) D.C., Washington DC
Mar 12 NIGHT LIGHT Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Mar 13 TIN ROOF Charleston, South Carolina
Mar 15 ALABAMA MUSIC BOX Mobile, Alabama
Mar 16 SATURN BAR New Orleans, Louisiana
Mar 17 BOONDOCKS Houston, Texas
Mar 18 sxsw tba Austin, Texas
Mar 19 sxsw tba Austin, Texas
Mar 20 sxsw tba Austin, Texas
Mar 21 sxsw tba Austin, Texas
Mar 22 RUBBER GLOVES Denton, Texas
Mar 25 NORTHSIDE TAVERN Cincinnati, Ohio
Mar 26 CAFE BOURBON ST Columbus, Ohio
Mar 27 BRILLOBOX Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The Antlers myspace.

This Weeks New Releases: (WK 2/17)

A real solid heavy week of releases this week, that features the long awaited Dark Was the Night benefit(compilation), containing a who's who list of indie rock artists, as well as good stuff from The Acorn, The Appleseed Cast, and Vetiver.

New Releases Week of 2/17:

The Acorn- Heron Act
Alela Diane- To Be Still
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of The Dead-The Century of Self
The Appleseed Cast- Sagarmatha
Asobi Seksu- Hush
Audrye Sessions- self titled EP
Blitzen Trapper- iTunes Live Session
Dark Was The Night (compilation)- Various Artists
Great Lake Swimmers- Pulling on a Line (single)
Robyn Hitchcock- Goodnight Oslo
Iran-Dissolver
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit- Self titled
Katie Herzig- Apple Tree
M. Ward- Hold Time
Morrisey- Years of Refusal
Mountains- Choral
N.A.S.A.- Spirit of Apollo
Southeast Engine- From The Forest to the Sea
Vetiver- Tight Knit
Abe Vigoda- Reviver EP

Video & Song of the Week: Trixie Whitley-"I'd Rather Go Blind"

Armed with a killer voice and fantastic musical genes, soulful singer Trixie Whitley is a name you should be hearing a lot more of as the year goes on. Whitley is currently hard at work recording her debut, which has seen her working with the legendary Daniel Lanois at the helm. This weeks 'Video & Song of the Week', "I'd Rather Go Blind" comes from some of those recent sessions in late '08, that captures Trixie working with drummer Brian Blade and a very Rick Rubin looking Daniel Lanois. If you head over to her myspace you can also hear another one of the new track's that might make the disc, "Undress Your Name."

Trixie Whitley-"I'd Rather Go Blind":


Trixie Whitley on Myspace

Point Juncture, Wa- 'Heart To Elk'

If you happened to see our top 20 albums from 2008 list, it's no secret that we're loving the music that's coming out of Portland, Oregon, as 4 bands from the area placed on the list, with three making the top 10. While there is a good majority of folk based bands gaining popularity in Portland, Point Juncture Wa's new disc, Heart To Elk is on a different plain altogether. Though the band has been tagged as indie rock, don't let that fool you, as the album is far more diverse when giving it a full listen. I gotta say that it's an album that made a big impression on it's first listen, but with each one thereafter, after all the layers unfolded and were absorbed, it stuck with me even more.
The band isn't afraid to experiment and it shows, as the disc has moments of explosiveness, joyous pop, quiet pastoral melancholy, and lo-fi 90's rock, with a wide array of arrangements and instrumentation. There's a lot of can't miss moments on 'Heart to Elk', but there are a few tracks that push it over the top. On numerous tracks throughout the LP, Victor Nash (keyboards, vocals) & Amanda Spring (vocals, drums) swap vocal duties with the disc not skipping a beat, as both bring something uniquelly different to each track being tackled. A perfect example is on, "New Machine" which has lush harmonies and a playfull vibe between the pair. Other standout moments on the disc include, "Sioux Arrow" which has a slow, steady never ending tension, that despite a few moments of bursting out, still manages to show uncanny restraint. "Biathalon" feels like Sonic Youth at it's best, while tracks like, "Sick on Sugar," "Melon Bird," and "Fleet and Small" show the group's varying degrees of melodic understanding.
'Heart to Elk' which has actually been out since late '08, and just received it's re-release after getting picked up by Mt. Fuji Records. Check it out online or at a store near you.

New Machine - Point Juncture, ...

Melon Bird - Point Juncture, W...

Point Juncture, Wa on myspace.

new video: Marissa Nadler- "River of Dirt"

Marissa Nadler's fourth and latest album Little Hells is setting up to be her finest work yet. From the snippets that i've heard, the album is moody, dark, and sparse, with Nadler's voice floating perfectly above the tracks. The album doesn't come out until March 3rd, but Nadler just released a video for the album's first single, "River of Dirt" which is directed by Joana Linda.


Marissa Nadler - River of Dirt - Directed by Joana Linda from Kemado Records on Vimeo.

Upcoming tour schedule:
Feb 14 - 8:00p - The Iron Horse - Northampton, MA *
Feb 15 - 9:00p - Cafe Nine - New Haven, CT *
Feb 21 - 9:00p - Club Passim - Cambridge, MA
Feb 27 - 8:00p - Greenpoint Lutheran Church of the Messiah - Brookyln, NY**
Mar 4 - 7:30p - Joe's Pub - New York, NY
Apr 7 - 8:00p - Hotel Cafe - Los Angeles, CA
Apr 8 - 9:00p - Cafe du Nord - San Francisco, CA
Apr 10 - 8:00p - Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA #
Apr 11 - 8:00p - The Media Club - Vancouver, BC
Apr 12 - 9:00p - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR
Apr 16 - 9:00p - 400 Bar - Minneapolis, MN +
Apr 17 - 8:00p - High Noon Saloon - Madison, WI+
Apr 18 - 8:00p - Shubas Tavern - Chicago, IL +
Apr 19 - 8:00p - Shubas Tavern - Chicago, IL +
Apr 21 - 8:00p - El Mocambo - Toronto, Ontario +
Apr 22 - 8:00p - Black Sheep Inn - Wakefield, Quebec +
Apr 24 - 9:00p - Lizard Lounge - Cambridge, MA +
Apr 25 - 8:00p - Highline Ballroom - New York, NY +
Apr 26 - 8:00p - IOTA - Arlington, VA +
* - w/ Deer Tick
** MV + EE
+ - w/ the Handsome Family
# - w/ Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter

Marissa Nadler.com

Thao Nguyen: schedules new tour dates

One of our very first interviews we ever did for the blog when starting up just last year, was a sit down with singer/songwriter Thao Nguyen while at a tour stop in Brussels. Thao's wide ranging and ecclectic LP, We Brave Bee Stings and All wasn't out that long, but she was already managing to create a nice buzz around her debut full length. Later in the year she went on to do a run of dates with the Hotel Cafe Tour, as well as getting the opening slot in support of Rilo Kiley. Not slowing down in 2009, Thao just announced a new headlining tour that will kick off this coming April, which will see another BTB favorite Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers as the opening act.

You can catch our interview w/Thao from last Spring below.

Thao Nguyen & The Get Down Stay Down tour dates:
Feb 26 Noise Pop Festival- Swedish Am. Music Hall SF, Ca.
Feb 27 The Coffee House (solo) Davis, California
Apr 17 Black Cat Washington DC, Washington DC
Apr 18 Duke Coffee House Durham, North Carolina
Apr 19 Village Tavern Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina
Apr 20 EARL Atlanta, Georgia
Apr 21 Club Downunder-Florida State Tallahassee, Fl
Apr 23 The Parish Austin, Texas
Apr 24 Lola’s Ft. Worth, Texas
Apr 25 The Foundation Lubbock, Texas
Apr 26 The Sub-College of Santa Fe Santa Fe, NM
Apr 28 The Loft-UCSD San Diego, California
Apr 29 The Hotel Cafe Los Angeles, California
Apr 30 Independent San Francisco, California
May 1 Mississippi Studios Portland, Oregon
May 2 Chop Suey Seattle, Washington
May 4 Neurolux Boise, Idaho
May 5 Kilby Court Salt Lake CIty, Utah
May 6 Hi Dive Denver, Colorado
May 9 Empty Bottle Chicago, Illinois
May 10 Beachland Tavern Cleveland, Ohio
May 12 Iron Horse Northampton, Massachusetts
May 14 Bowery Ballroom New York, New York
May 15 First Unitarian Church Philadelphia, Penn.
May 16 The Boot Norfolk, Virginia



Thao Nguyen on myspace.

El Perro Del Mar: new album coming soon

The talented Swedish songstress Sarah Asbring, known as El Perro Del Mar might get overshadowed by fellow Swede Lykke Li in the hype machine, but she's equally as capable of delivering the goods if not more. Known for her smooth retro sounds, EPDM will be delivering a brand new record on April 1st, Love Is Not Pop, on Swedish label Licking Fingers. The label is currently streaming one of the new tracks off the disc, "Change Of Heart", which sounds quite promising over on their MySpace right now.
The new work sees her teaming up with Rasmus Hägg (Studio). No big tour dates are scheduled as of yet besides a couple of shows in her home country, but we'll keep you posted as plans are unveiled.

Glory To The World - El Perro ...

El Perro Del Mar on myspace.

The National: add some select Spring dates

One of my personal favorites, The National have just announced that they will be embarking on a brief US/Canadian tour this coming May, which will include the band showcasing some new material they have been working on. The group who's tour schedule was relentless ever since their fantastic disc, Boxer dropped in early 2007, recently took a break at years end to head into the studio to start work on the follow up.
If you can't wait until May to hear some new tunes from the band, then you can pick up the charity compilation 'Dark Was The Night' this Tuesday, that guitarists Aaron & Bryce Dessner produced for the Red Hot Organization. The disc has an all star line-up of indie artists, but also features a new National track, as well as a new song featuring Aaron with Bon Iver. Also, if you live in the New York City area, you can catch the side project Clogs, which features Bryce and Aaron along with special guest vocalists, joining the Bell Orchestre (which features members of Arcade Fire) and the Brooklyn Philharmonic on Thursday Feb. 26th at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Start A War - The National

The National tour dates:
21 May: Kool Haus, Toronto
22 May: Metropolis, Montreal
23 May: House of Blues, Boston
24 May: 9:30 Club, Washngtn DC
25 May: 9:30 Club, Washngtn DC
27 May: Variety Playhouse, Atlanta
28 May: Lincoln Theater, Raleigh, NC
29 May: Electric Factory, Philadelphia

The National's website.

new video: School of Seven Bells-"Half Asleep"

Sweet electro-pop trio, School of Seven Bells, have come out with a new video for their dreamy single, "Half Asleep." The band which consists of ex-Secret Machines guitarist Ben Curtis and twin-sisters Alejandra and Claudia Deheza (On-Air Library), came out with their debut disc, Alpinisms this past October. In other band news, the group is putting out on Feb. 17th a 7" vinyl and digital download of their song, "Iamundernodisguise," as well as a release of 'Alpinisms' on the 24th on vinyl. You can currently catch the band out on tour in the U.S. with Fujiya & Miyagi, before later venturing out on a European headlining tour later this month.

Upcoming School of Seven Bells dates:
2/11 Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry w/Fujiya & Miyagi
2/12 Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge w/Fujiya & Miyagi
2/13 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick w/Fujiya & Miyagi
2/14 Alfred, NY - Alfred Univ. Knight Club w/Fujiya & Miyagi
2/15 Boston, MA - The Paradise w/Fujiya & Miyagi
2/17 New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge w/ Fujiya & Miyagi
2/18 Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero w/Fujiya & Miyagi
2/19 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club w/Fujiya & Miyagi
2/23 Dublin, Ireland - Whelans
2/24 Glasgow, Scotland - Captain's Rest
2/25 Leeds, UK - Cockpit
2/26 London, UK - Cargo
2/27 Manchester, UK - Night & Day
2/28 Bristol, UK - Start the Bus
3/01 Brighton, UK - Audio
3/04 Brussels, Belgium - AB Club
3/05 Paris, Ile-de-France - Le Point Ephemere
3/07 Munster, Germany - Gleis 22
3/08 Berlin, Germany - Bang Bang Club
3/09 Hamburg, Germany - Molotow
3/10 Cologne, Germany - Studio 672
3/12 Vienna, Austria - Flex
3/13 Munich, Germany - Atomic Cafe
3/14 Milan, Italy - La Casa
3/18 Austin, TX - Buffalo Billiards (KCRW Showcase)
3/19 Austin, TX - Mohawk (Rhapsody Daytime Party)
3/20 Austin, TX - Emo's (Pitchfork/Windish Agency Party)
3/20 Austin, TX - Radio Room (Mojo presents Showcase)
3/21 Austin, TX - Urban Outfitters

School of Seven Bells myspace.

Brett Dennen: road warrior

Young California Singer/Songwriter Brett Dennen's busy year keeps getting busier. Dennen who was nabbed by Rolling Stone as one of their 'artist to watch,' has been touring nearly non-stop in support of his 2008 release Hope for the Hopeless, which features his popular single, "Make You Crazy." Dennen did manage to find some time while on the road to stop by Late Night w/ Conan O’Brien the other night, and he will also be playing this Saturday morning on the CBS Early Show for a special Valentines Day performance. After that, he'll continue his headlining dates until April sometime, which sees him playing alongside bands like, The Little One's, Angus & Julia Stone, and even some supporting dates in the UK supporting The Fray.

Brett Dennen tour dates;
Feb 13 Higher Ground Burlington, Vermont
Feb 14 CBS Early Show New York, New York
Feb 14 Paradise Rock Club Boston, Massachusetts
Feb 15 Cabaret du Musee Juste Pour Rire Montreal, Quebec
Feb 16 The Mod Club Theatre Toronto, Ontario
Feb 18 Blind Pig w/ The Little Ones Ann Arbor, Michigan
Feb 19 City Opera House w/ The Little Ones Traverse City, Michigan
Feb 20 The Basement w/ The Little Ones Columbus, Ohio
Feb 21 Beachland Ballroom w/ The Little Ones Cleveland, Oh
Feb 23 Varsity Theatre w/The Little Ones Minneapolis, Minn
Feb 24 Turner Hall Ballroom w/ The Little Ones Milwaukee, Wi
Feb 26 Park West w/ The Little Ones Chicago, Illinois
Feb 27 Music Mill w/ The Little Ones Indianapolis, In
Feb 28 Majestic Theatre w/ The Little Ones Madison, Wi
Mar 2 Headliners w/ The Little Ones Louisville, Ky
Mar 3 Duck Room w/ The Little Ones St. Louis, Missouri
Mar 4 Bottleneck w/ The Little Ones Lawrence, Kansas
Mar 5 People’s Court w/ The Little Ones Des Moines, Iowa
Mar 12 Richards on Richards Vancouver, British Columbia
Mar 13 Crystal Ballroom Portland, Oregon
Mar 14 Showbox at the Market Seattle, Washington
Mar 16 Knitting Factory Spokane, Washington
Mar 17 Knitting Factory Boise, Idaho
Mar 19 Grand Sierra Theatre Reno
Mar 20 The Fillmore San Francisco, California
Mar 21 The Fillmore San Francisco, California
Mar 22 Boardwalk Sacramento, California
Mar 24 House of Blues Los Angeles, California
Mar 25 House of Blues Los Angeles, California
Mar 27 House of Blues San Diego, California
Mar 28 Clubhouse Phoenix, Arizona
Mar 29 Rialto Theatre Tucson, Arizona
Mar 30 Santa Fe Brewing Co. Santa Fe, New Mexico
Apr 1 Belly Up Aspen, Colorado
Apr 2 Fox Theatre Boulder, Colorado
Apr 3 Bluebird Theatre Denver, Colorado
Apr 4 Murray Theatre Salt Lake City, Utah



Brett Dennen on myspace.

The Walkmen join Kings of Leon tour

NYC's The Walkmen, will be getting some wider exposure in the coming months, as the band have just jumped on board a portion Kings Of Leon's massive North American Arena tour. The band will be joining the tour in Boston in April, and will then see them hit Canada before wrapping up the support on the West Coast in San Francisco in May. The Walkmen released their latest disc, You And Me this past year, which featured the track "Four Provinces," which the band actually just came out with a new video for. You can check it out below.



The Walkmen upcoming tour dates:
04/19 – Boston, MA – Agannis Arena
04/20 – Montreal, QC – La Sala Rossa
04/21 – Toronto, ON – Air Canada Centre
04/22 – Pittsburgh, PA – Palumbo
04/24 – Fairfax, VA – Patriot Center
04/25 – Philadelphia, PA – Spectrum Center
04/27 – Norfolk, VA – Constant Convocation Center
04/28 – Raleigh, NC – Kooka Booth
04/30 – Charlotte, NC – Bojangles Coliseum
05/04 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Ampitheater
05/05 – Orlando, FL – UCF Arena
05/07 – Miami, FL – Bank United Center
05/08 – Tampa, FL – Sundome
05/10 – Charleston, SC – North Charleston Coliseum
05/12 – Cincinnati, OH – National City Pavilion
05/13 – Cleveland, OH – Tower City
05/19 – Phoenix, AZ – Mesa Ampitheatre
05/21 – San Fransisco, CA – Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

The Damnwells: Free Album download

The Alex Dezen led project, known as The Damnwells, have offered up their latest CD, One Last Century for free via a special offer over at Paste Magazine. The band which has had some line-up re-shuffling, has been quiet for the past several years since 2006's 'Air Stereo'. The reason for the free download according to Dezen goes like this ..." I suppose the hardest thing to explain to people is why I’m giving this record away".... later adding ...“I have never worked so hard or put so much of myself into a collection of recorded songs. It is for just this reason that I want to give it away. To me it makes perfect sense. I just want people to hear this music, and I don’t want them to have to enter into some kind of contractual agreement with a third party to do so.

Just go to www.pastemagazine.com/thedamnwells and you can download the record for free.

The Damnwells tour dates:
Feb 20 2009 8:00P The Englert Theater Iowa City
Mar 18 2009 5:00P Threadgills(South Store) Austin, TX
Apr 4 2009 8:00P Mercury Lounge NY, New York
July 11 2009 8:00P TT's Cambridge, MA
July 12 2009 8:00P Iota Club & Cafe Arlington, VA

The Damnwells on myspace.

Dan Auerbach- Live version "Trouble Weighs a Ton"

Just yesterday, Black Keys singer Dan Aurbach dropped his first solo effort, Keep it Hid on Nonesuch Records. With the Black Keys and now with his solo work it's always been clear that the blues played a heavy influence on his work. You can catch on record and in this recent video one of the main sources of that inspiration, his uncle, James Quine (who Dan credits for teaching him how to sing and play guitar). Auerbach & Quine sit down to play a track off the disc, “Trouble Weighs a Ton,” in Dan’s Akron, OH studio, which happens to also be where he produced Jessica Lea Mayfield’s record and also for the band Hacienda, who will be Dan’s backing band on his upcoming tour.



DAN AUERBACH ON TOUR
Feb 28 - 9:30 Club - Washington DC, Washington DC
Mar 1 - Paradise Club - Boston, Massachusetts
Mar 2 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, New York
Mar 3 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, New York
Mar 5 - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, Ohio
Mar 6 - Metro - Chicago, Illinois
Mar 7 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mar 10 - The Showbox - Seattle, Washington
Mar 11 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, Oregon
Mar 13 - Bimbo’s - San Francisco, California
Mar 14 - El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, California

Dan Auerbach on myspace.

Silversun Pickups: Sophomore disc on the way

After nearly a three year wait, the Silversun Pickups have finally announced plans for a new album. We last heard from the group on their brilliant debut disc, 'Carnavas' back in 2006. Their brand new disc titled, Swoon, will hit stores on April 14th via Dangerbird Records. Shortly after the albums release, the group will be playing the Coachella festival, with no other tour dates announced as of yet. We'll keep you posted when more dates are unveiled.

Little Lover's So Polite - Sil...

Silversun Pickups on myspace.

This Weeks New Releases: WK 2/10/09

Another short list this week , but with some real quality releases. Definitely recommend the new Point Juncture, Wa, as well as the new solo disc from Dan Auerbach.

New Releases WK 2/10:

Ryan Adams- Extra Cheese EP
Lilly Allen- It's Not Me, It's You
Dan Auerbach- Keep it Hid
Autopilot- To The Wolves
Beastie Boys- Pauls Boutique (20th Anniversary Addition)
The BPA- I Think Were Gonna Need a Bigger Boat
Damnwells- One Last Century
Delta Spirit- iTunes Live
Emmy the Great- First Love
Hot Panda- Volcano.. Bloody Volcano
Ingrid Michaelson- iTunes session
Point Juncture, Wa- Heart to Elk
Joshua Radin- Bonus Material (demos) EP
Miranda Lee Richards- Light of X
Angus & Julia Stone- Mango Tree (single)
Vox Jaguars- Powerhouse EP
Wavves- self titled (Bonus track version)

Our new 'Liner Notes' interview w/ Wintersleep

2008 was a big break through year for Canadian band, Wintersleep. The band took home the prize for 'Best New Band' at the Juno Awards (Canada's Grammy's), and also saw their 2007 album, Welcome to the Night Sky get released in the US and overseas. We had the chance to sit down with the band while at a recent stop in Brussels to chat about their year, the Canadian music scene, and their latest LP.


Wintersleep on myspace.

'Video & Song of the Week': Ra Ra Riot-"Can You Tell"

Ra Ra Riot's latest album, The Rhumb Line was an album that grew on me with each listen this past year, and by years end even managed to make it to #5 on my 'best of 2008 list'. The band are coming out with a new single for one of the albums finest tracks, "Can You Tell", which they also just released a new video for.
The group is out now on an extensive tour of, which will see them hit, the UK, Europe and the US through May. For a full list of all the dates you can check their myspace page.

Ra Ra Riot-"Can You Tell":


Ra Ra Riot on myspace.

Gomez: hitting the road, new single (free download)

News from the Gomez camp is that the band will be heading out on tour this coming March in support of their 6th and newest LP, A New Tide, which will be hitting stores, March 31st in North America and March 30th in the UK. The band will see stops at the South by Southwest Music Festival, a cd release show in NYC at the Bowery Ballroom, as well as appearing at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, in Manchester, TN. If you want to check out the new single, "Airstream Driver", you can download yourself a free copy now if you head over to http://www.gomeztheband.com/

Upcoming tour schedule:
Mar 21 Workplay Theatre Birmingham, Alabama
Mar 22 Visulite Theatre Charlotte, North Carolina
Mar 23 The Orange Peel Asheville, North Carolina
Mar 24 Center Stage Atlanta, Georgia
Mar 26 Rams Head Live Baltimore, Maryland
Mar 27 Chameleon Club Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Mar 28 Theatre of the Living Arts Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mar 29 9:30 Club Washington DC, Washington DC
Mar 31 Bowery Ballroom New York, New York
Apr 1 State Theatre Ithaca, New York
Apr 2 Pearl Street Northampton, Massachusetts
Apr 3 Music Hall of Williamsburg Brooklyn, New York

See The World - Gomez

new music: My Jerusalem

I first became aware of singer-songwriter Jeff Klein back in '05 when I found out that his LP, The Hustler was being produced by one of my personal favorites, Greg Dulli (Twilight Singers, Afghan Whigs, Gutter Twins). Jeff went on to later back some of those Dulli fronted projects, such as the Twilight Singers on their recent tours. Klein is now branching out with a new project of his own, My Jerusalem. The group is headed by Klein, and is a collaboration of artists and close friends that he's worked with in the past, which includes, guitarist Dave Rosser (Twilight Singers), bassist Ashley Dzerigian (Great Northern), drummer Cully Symington (Bishop Allen, Gutter Twins), and multi-instrumentalist Rick Nelson (of The Polyphonic Spree and St. Vincent). The band will be releasing their debut EP, Without Feathers, this March 10th on 00:02:59 Records. You can preview the new track "Sweet Chariot" over on My Jerusalem's myspace page, as well as two other songs not listed on the EP.

Without Feathers Track List:
Sweet Chariot
Under Your Skin
Heroin(e)
Turtledove
Remember Everything

Stripped - Jeff Klein

My Jerusalem on myspace
Jeff Klein on myspace

Camera Obscura: sign to new label

Before we had Scottish favorites like Frightened Rabbit or The Twilight Sad, there was a little indie band from Glasgow called, Camera Obscura. The band who has been around since the mid 90's, was last heard from back in 2006, with their LP Let's Get Out of This Country. The band just announced that they have been signed on with the label 4AD, who's impressive roster includes, TV on The Radio, The National, and Blonde Redhead to name a few. No details have been made available yet as to a new release, except to say that there should be something by years end.

Camera Obscura-"If Looks Could Kill" from 2006's Let's Get Out of This Country


Camera Obscura on myspace.

The Hold Steady: Releasing Doumentary & Live CD

One of America's hardest working rock bands, The Hold Steady, will be hitting stores this coming April 7th with a new Documentary DVD/ Live CD called A Positive Rage. Known for their reputation as a great live band, the documentary starts off with a performance by the guys from London back in '06, and then follows them back across the Atlantic on a tour across the U.S., before ending with a show at First Avenue in Minneapolis, which some of you might recall as the spot where Prince filmed Purple Rain. As far as the live album goes, it was taken from a set in Chicago in '07, and features 17 songs, as well as 5 bonus tracks.

A Positive Rage track listing
01 Intro
02 Stuck Between Stations
03 The Swish
04 Chips Ahoy!
05 Massive Nights
06 Ask Her For Adderall
07 Barfruit Blues
08 Same Kooks
09 You Gotta Dance (With Who You Came With)
10 Lord, I’m Discouraged
11 You Can Make Him Like You
12 Your Little Hoodrat Friend
13 Southtown Girls
14 Citrus
15 First Night
16 Girls Like Status
17 Killer Parities

Stuck Between Stations - The H...

Stay Positive - The Hold Stead...

Listen to The Hold Steady on myspace.

The Wooden Birds- New album & label

Andrew Kenny, formerly of the American Analog Set, is readying his latest project, The Wooden Birds. The bands first album, Magnolia, will be released this Spring on Barsuk Records, whom the band just signed on with. In Europe the LP will get released on Morr Music. According to Barsuk ..."Fans of AmAnSet will recognize Kenny's voice and songwriting immediately, but the arrangements on Magnolia are more vocal and percussion-heavy than anything he's done before."
Kenny, who originally grew up in Texas and later moved to Brooklyn, has returned to Austin, TX for The Wooden Birds project. Kenny has made guest appearances on albums by, the Album Leaf, Her Space Holiday, Styrofoam, and most recently the Broken Social Scene.
The Wooden Birds will be touring throughout the year, and will be making an appearance at South By Southwest this coming March.

The Wooden Birds on myspace.

Pela: working on new album, add 1st shows of '09

We all know there are a ton of NYC & Brooklyn based bands that get over hyped. Here's one band that we think hasn't gotten enough play though from the hype machine, the NYC indie four piece Pela. The band's last disc, Anytown Graffiti was one of the best from 2007, and if you've had the chance to see the band live, then you already know about their energetic performances.
The band have been quiet for the last several months, as they are wrapping up recording their new album. But if your in the NYC area in March, you'll get to preview some of the new tracks, as the band just announced that they will be doing two shows at The Mercury Lounge, on March 3rd & 10th. No release date on the album as of yet, but we'll keep you posted. In the meantime you can preview some of Pela's music and live show below.

Waiting On The Stairs - Pela

The Trouble With River Cities ...

PELA Live @ Mercury NYC


Pela on myspace.