Passion Pit play Myspace Transmissions

Thanks to what many think of as the worst holiday going, Valentine's Day, Boston’s Passion Pit have had themselves quite a big past year. The bands original EP, Chunk of Change, which created a huge buzz last year, was originally put together as a (belated) Valentine’s Day present that frontman Michael Angelakos gave to his girlfriend, which then spread like wildfire around Emerson College and the rest is history. The band ended up getting signed on to Frenchkiss Records which re-released the EP, and this Spring the band dropped their full length debut, Manners.
They recently stopped by the Myspace music series, 'Transmissions' playing some live tracks and also sitting down for an interview. You can download for free or watch the session by going here.

Passion Pit "Sleepyhead" from MySpace Transmissions


follow Passion Pit on myspace.

Emiliana Torrini: new Ep coming soon

Emiliana Torrini came out with her ecclectic new LP, Me and Armini in late 2008, featuring the songs, "Jungle Drum", and "Gun." The sweet voiced Iceland native, now based in the UK, just announced another go with Armini, as she will be releasing a new digital EP of the same name, 'Me and Armini EP', which will include a live version of the title track, along with two remixes from Simone Lombardi and Dan Carey. The digital EP will be released on 10th August in the U.S. and 14th September in the UK and also features two unreleased versions of "Ha Ha" and "Beggar's Prayer" which were recorded for a live KCRW session in L.A.

09.Gun - Emiliana Torrini


Emiliana Torrini on myspace.

Sea Wolf: new release this Fall

Two years after the release of his debut LP, Leaves in the River, California singer, Alex Brown Church, known as Sea Wolf is readying his new disc, White Water, White Bloom for a September 22 release date on Dangerbird Records. Produced by Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Monsters of Folk) and recorded with a full band of keyboardist Lisa Fendelander, bassist Ted Liscinski and drummer Joey Ficken, who toured with Church much of last year, the new work was recorded in Montreal, and is set against the cinematic changing of seasons.
You can download a free bonus track, "Stanislaus" now, by going here.

Upcoming tour schedule:
September
14 Santa Barbara, CA – Soho
15 Costa Mesa, CA – Detroit Bar
16 Pomona, CA – The Glass House
17 Los Angeles, CA – The Troubadour
18 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo’s 365 Club
21 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
22 Vancouver, BC – The Media Club
23 Seattle, WA – Sunset Tavern
25 Salt Lake City, UT – In The Venue
26 Denver, CO – Hi-Dive
29 Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry
30 Milwaukee, WI – Mad Planet
October
1 Chicago, IL – Schubas Tavern
3 Indianapolis, IN – Radio Radio
4 Newport, KY– Southgate House
7 Columbus, OH – Wexner Center for the Arts
9 Toronto, ONT – Sneaky Dee’s
13 Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
14 New York, NY – The Mercury Lounge
16 Brooklyn, NY – Union Hall
17 Philadelphia, PA – North Star Bar
18 Baltimore, MD – The Talking Head Club
19 Washington, DC – DC 9
24 Nashville, TN – Exit In
28 Austin, TX – Emo’s Jr.

From 2007's Leaves in the River

Youre A Wolf - Sea Wolf

listen to Sea Wolf on myspace.

El Perro Del Mar- new album getting U.S. release

Swedish songstress El Perro Del Mar's new disc, Love Is Not Pop, which has been out in her homeland since late March, will finally be seeing it's release in the US, this October 20th. The latest 7 song mini album, which sees EPDM tackle a cover of Lou Reed's, "Heavenly Arms", also sees EPDM changing directions a bit with the production help of producer Rasmus Hägg, who is one half of the Swedish electronic duo, Studio.
In other news from EPDM, the release in the States will be followed by a tour with Peter Bjorn and John.

Change Of Heart - El Perro Del Mar

Love Is Not Pop:
01 Gotta Get Smart
02 Change of Heart
03 L Is for Love
04 Let Me In
05 Heavenly Arms
06 It Is Something (To Have Wept)
07 A Better Love

from 2008's From The Valley To The Stars

Glory To The World (Album Version) - El Perro Del Mar

new Yo La Tengo video-"Here To Fall"

With their new album, Popular Songs on the way this Sept. 8th on Matador records, Yo La Tengo are bringing us the first of 5 new videos leading up to the albums release. “Here to Fall” directed by John McSwain is the first released, featuring some dizzying skywriting. Each of new videos will debut with a unique partner site, and you can see all the videos as they appear here.

'Field Recordings' with IVANA XL

Brooklyn singer/songwriter, Ivana XL is the latest to sit down with us for our 'Field Recordings' performance series. Known for her playful and yet intimate lyrics, Ivana gives us a welcome fresh take on the genre. Sitting on a bench in the tranquil MSGR. McGolrick Park in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, she plays us a new track, 'I Love You It Died, I Love You" off her forthcoming EP, which is due out sometime this Fall.



follow Ivana XL on myspace.

'Song of the Week': Wye Oak-"For Prayer"

The two piece of Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack, Wye Oak released their sophomore LP last week, The Knot. A much darker and haunting affair then their great debut, If Children, the new disc is less layered this time around, and more slow building, delving into weighty relationship territory. The pair is at their best going from the quieter moments to the flat out explosive, which is showcased on one of my favorites off the new disc, the sorrowful track, "For Prayer."
You can catch the band out on tour now, across the States and Europe into the fall, where they will be playing with acts ranging from, The Dodos, Okkervil River, and Blitzen Trapper. (all dates below)

For Prayer - Wye Oak
Upcoming tour schedule:
Jul 26 MERGE FEST - Memorial Hall Chapel Hill, NC
Aug 8 Black Cat Washington, DC
Aug 12 Bowery Ballroom NYC, New York
Aug 13 Middle East Boston, Massachusetts
Aug 14 North Star Bar Philadelphia, Penn
Sep 7 Manoquinerie Paris
Sep 8 Botanique Rotunda Brussels
Sep 10 Molotow Hamburg
Sep 11 Magnet Berlin
Sep 12 Melkweg Amsterdam
Sep 13 End of the Road Festival North Dorset, UK
Sep 14 Scala London, UK
Sep 25 McDonald Theatre Eugene, Oregon
Sep 28 El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, California
Oct 7 New World Brewery Tampa, Florida

listen to Wye Oak on myspace.

White Rabbits- live session

New York's own, White Rabbits have been one of the most promising and talked about bands of the year so far, thanks to their latest release, It's Frightening. The group were in the studios recently of the Seattle indie radio station KEXP to perform some of the albums tracks, which included lead single "Percussion Gun" and "The Salesman (Tramp Life)." To see the whole session you can click here.





White Rabbits upcoming tour dates:
Jul 24 The Secret Garden Party Cambridgeshire
Jul 25 Redfest Redhill, London
Jul 28 Hoxton Square Bar, London and South East
Aug 1 All Points West Liberty State Park, NJ
Aug 16 The National Richmond, Virginia
Aug 17 Cat’s Cradle Carrboro, NC
Aug 18 Visulite Theatre Charlotte, NC
Aug 19 Mercy Lounge Nashville, Tennessee
Aug 20 Variety Playhouse Atlanta, Georgia
Aug 21 The Bottletree Birmingham, Alabama
Aug 22 Union Green Tallahassee, Florida
Aug 23 The Social Orlando, Florida
Aug 25 Grey Eagle Tavern Asheville, NC
Aug 26 Fry’s Spring Beach Club Charlottesville, Virginia

Follow White Rabbits on myspace.

new music from The Cave Singers- "At The Cut"

Seattle's, The Cave Singers continue the trend of great folk based music overflowing from the Pacific Northwest with their new track, "At The Cut" off their forthcoming disc. Their sophomore release, Welcome Joy will hit shelves this Aug. 18th on Matador Records, and was recorded at The Hive in Vancouver with Colin Stewart, featuring appearances by Amber Webber (Black Mountain, Lightning Dust) and Ashley Webber (Lightning Dust). Another new song, "Beach House" is currently streaming over on their myspace page. The disc follows up their 07 debut 'Initiation Songs.'

At The Cut - The Cave Singers

Welcome Joy Tracklist:
01. Summer Windows
02. Leap
03. At the Cut
04. Shrine
05. Hen of the Woods
06. Beach House
07. Jangle
08. I Don’t Mind
09. Townships
10. Welcome Joy

find The Cave Singers on myspace.

Deer Tick performs live

A few short weeks ago the John McCauley III led band, Deer Tick saw the release of their rootsy sophomore effort, Born on Flag Day. The gravelly voiced McCauley III and the guys recently stopped in at My Old Kentucky Blog's Laundromatinee video series, performing 5 songs. Below you can check out "Houston,TX" off of the new disc, as well as a cover of The Rolling Stone's track, "Dead Flowers."
To see the whole session click here.

Deer Tick - Houston, TX from LaundroMatinee on Vimeo.

Deer Tick - Dead Flowers from LaundroMatinee on Vimeo.

Deer Tick tour schedule:
Jul 23 The Space Hamden, Connecticut
Jul 24 Bowery Ballroom NYC, New York
Aug 1 Terra Bella Fest @ Bogie’s Great Barrington, Mass.
Aug 1 Terra Bella Fest @ Bogie’s Great Barrington, Mass.
Aug 2 George Wein’s Folk Festival 50 @ Fort Adams State Park Newport, RI
Aug 7 Prospect Park Bandshell Brooklyn, NY
Aug 13 Philadelphia Folk Festival Philadelphia, Penn.
Sep 6 The Positive Jam at Stewart Park Ithaca, New York
Sep 13 Monolith Festival Morrison, Colorado
Oct 3 Austin City Limits Festival Austin, Texas
Oct 10 Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival Joshua Tree, Ca.
Oct 11 Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival Joshua Tree, Ca.

check out Deer Tick on Myspace.

'Oh My God' you need to hear the latest 'Song of the Week'

We told you last week how excited we were for the new upcoming release from, The Wooden Sky, due August 25th. After sitting down and spending some proper time with the album over the weekend, in peace and quiet with the headphones on, I have to tell you it's even exceeding my expectations. After an initial 4-5 listens through, my first impression at trying to describe the album would be, it sounds as if The National's 'Boxer' merged with Whiskeytown's 'Strangers Almanac', which coming out of my mouth is high praise as those are probably two of my favorite LPs over the last two decades. The album features some unbelievable depth, and brilliant songwriting, building on the maturity that the band showed on their debut, When Lost at Sea . Along with the first single, "Something Hiding For Us In the Night"off the forthcoming disc, the latest new track to get stuck in my head is the building sing along, "Oh My God ( It Still Means A Lot To Me)" which you can listen to below. We'll be previewing more tracks from this one in the weeks to come leading up to the release.

Oh My God (It Still Means A Lot To Me) - The Wooden Sky

get friendly w/ The Wooden Sky on myspace.

new Thom Yorke- "All For The Best" featured on upcoming tribute album

A new tribute album titled, Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy, comes out this September 29th via Shout! Factory. The album features a heavy hitting collection of artists performing his tracks, to help Mulcahy, who's wife, Melissa died suddenly in September 2008, with proceeds from the album going to help him continue his music career while raising his 3-year-old twin daughters. Some of the artists appearing on the album include, The National, Dinosaur Jr., Michael Stipe, Josh Rouse, Hayden, and Thom Yorke, who's new song you can hear below.
Mulcahy fronted the Connecticut based band, Miracle Legion in the 1980s to mid 1990s, later forming Polaris; a house band for the early 1990s alternative television series The Adventures of Pete & Pete (1993-1996).

All For The Best - Thom Yorke

'Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy' track listing:
Thom Yorke – All For The Best
The National – Ashamed Of The Story I Told
Michael Stipe – Everything’s Coming Undone
David Berkeley – Loves The Only Thing That Shuts Me Up
Dinosaur Jr. – The Backyard
Chris Harford & Mr Ray Neal – Micon The Icon
Frank Black – Bill Jocko
Vic Chesnutt – Little Man
Unbelievable Truth – Ciao My Shining Star
Butterflies Of Love – I Have Patience
Chris Collingwood (Fountains Of Wayne) – Cookie Jar
Frank Turner – The Quiet One
Rocket From The Tombs – In Pursuit Of Your Happiness
Ben Kweller – Wake Up Whispering
Josh Rouse – I Woke Up In The Mayflower
Autumn Defense – Paradise
Hayden – Happy Birthday Yesterday
Juliana Hatfield – We’re Not In Charleston Anymore
Mercury Rev – Sailors And Animals
Elvis Perkins – She Watches Over Me (Son Of Actor Anthony Perkins)
Sean Watkins – A World Away From This One

This Weeks New Releases (WK7/21)

This weeks interesting releases features among the lot,new albums from The Fiery Furnaces,, the sophomore release from Wye Oak, and the new side project from Sigur Ros titled, Jonsi & Alex.

This Weeks New Releases (WK7/21):

Bad Veins- self titled
Beastie Boys- Too Many Rappers (single)
Blue Roses- self titled
Civil Twilight- self titled
Deastro- Toxic Crusaders
Doves- Winter Hill EP
The Fiery Furnaces- I'm Going Away
The Hidden Cameras- In The NA EP
Historics- Strategies for Apprehension
James Yuill- This Sweet Love EP
Jonsi & Alex- Riceboy Sleeps
Kleerup- Longing for Lullabies EP
Lights- Rites
Magnolia Electric Co.- Josephine
Memory Cassette- Call & Response EP
Portugal. The Man- The Satanic Satanist
Rainbow Arabia- Kabukimono
Talbot Tagora- Lessons In the Woods or a City
Wheat- White Ink, Black Ink
Wye Oak- The Knot

Lucero: major label debut this Fall

If there was a title given out for the hardest working band in the business, Lucero might be hands down winners. Now that the band is on the verge of releasing their 6th overall, and first major label debut, 1372 Overton Park, for Universal/Republic on October 6th, the bands frantic tour schedule is sure to get fuller.
The genre bending alt-country, punk,folk inspired band's new LP was produced by Ted Hutt (The Gaslight Anthem), and is said to see Lucero get closer in touch with their hometown of Memphis' soulful and bluesy sound, even inspiring the albums title. The album serves as a love letter to Memphis, '1372 Overton Park' the address of the Memphis loft in which the band lived, practiced and even recorded portions of their albums over the years, with the space even serving as a karate dojo studio where local residents including Elvis took lessons in the 70's. Over recent years the bands members have gradually moved out just leaving frontman Ben Nichols the sole resident, until the band caught word that the building would be sold and demolished, marking the end of an era for the band. Nichols explains, “When [saxophonist] Jim Spake (Al Green, Cat Power) put that first horn track down, we began thinking of the record as having a certain sound. We heard pieces of Memphis history being played over our songs it floored us and we just went with it.”

You can stream the new track "The Devil and Maggie Chascarillo" over at Luceromusic.com