I've been following closely the work of former Pela guitarist, Nate Martinez and his project, Thieving Irons. He put out an excellent album called, This Midnight Hum back in 2010, and he's been working on the follow up, which has given us the track, "So Long" thus far. I finally had the chance to see the band live last night, where he finished up a month long residency at The Rock Shop in Brooklyn. Nate and the band played a great set, which featured almost exclusively tracks from the forthcoming LP, which btw he mentioned might see a release this June. Although I wasn't familiar with some of the new tunes, one of my favorites from the night was the new track, "End of September" which recently got posted online from a live session the band did with KEXP. Watch & listen below.
This March 27th Danish sextet, Alcoholic Faith Mission will release their new album, Ask Me This here in the U.S. & Canada. The band completed the new LP last fall with producer Tom McFall (REM, Stars, Weezer). Though the members hail from Denmark, the band was actually formed in Brooklyn in 2006 by high school friends Thorben Jensen and Sune Sølund.
When the pals stumbled upon Brooklyn’s Apostolic Faith Mission Church,
they reasoned that alcohol was as necessary an elixir as religion is for
the pious. Thus, their own Alcoholic Faith Mission came to be.
Check out the great track, "Running with Insanity" off the LP below. Upcoming Tour schedule:
April 25th – DC9 - Washington DC
April 26th – Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia (PA)
April 27th – Glasslands – Brooklyn (NY)
April 28th – TT the Bear - Boston (MA)
May 1st – Casa del Popolo – Montreal (QC)
May 2nd – Drake Hotel – Toronto (ON)
May 3rd – Founders Brewing Co. – Grand Rapids (MI)
May 4th – Der Rathskellar at Wisconsin Union – Madison (WI)
May 5th – Schubas Tavern – Chicago (IL)
May 6th – 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis (MN)
May 8th – Hi-Dive – Denver (CO)
May 9th – Kilby Court – Salt Lake City (UT)
May 11th – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland (OR)
May 12th – Comet Tavern – Seattle (WA)
May 14th – Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco (CA)
May 15th – Muddy Waters – Santa Barbara (CA)
May 17th – The Satellite – Los Angeles (CA)
May 18th – Soda Bar – San Diego (CA)
May 19th – Plush – Tucson (AZ)
May 22th – The Mohawk – Austin (TX)
It's no secret what a big fan I am of Brooklyn's, We Are Augustines. The band nailed down my Best album of 2011 spot last year with their fantastic and underrated LP, Rise Ye Sunken Ships. So I was pretty pumped up for the band to be getting some well deserved recognition last week, with their U.S. television debut on The Late Show w/ David Letterman, where they played a scorching version of the album track, "Chapel Song." Watch below, and be sure to check out the bands website for all their upcoming tour dates.
Raspy voiced Canadian singer, Eamon McGrath is coming out with a new album, Young Canadians this April 10 via White Whale Records. McGrath's music which has been called folk-punk, is far ranging in it's influences and sound, which continues on the new disc according to Eamon. (Via Exclaim) "This is a lot more diverse in sound. It's
way more all over the map. There's a lot of noise on it but then there's
some tender country songs." The press release notes that the patriotic themed LP was "conceived during a
coffee and Baileys-fuelled writing session after Sidney Crosby's winning
goal that signalled Canada's 2010 gold medal victory against the USA."
The resulting songs are filled with "lovers, regrets, secrets, guitars,
alcohol, ghosts, dive bars, and motels." With McGrath adding that the new songs look at "the experiences I've had being Canadian
and trying to figure out what about this country defines it."
Adam Arcuragi's new album, Like a Fire that Consumes all Before It, has been on heavy repeat ever since it came out several weeks back. One track in particular that I keep getting stuck on has been the romping sing-along, "Oh I See" that Adam just released a new video for.
Here's what he had to say about the making of the new vid (via NPR)... "The video for 'Oh I See' is a compilation of snap-shots and footage
taken on tours across the U.S. and Europe, traveling, practicing and in
the studio. The idea was to clean out the hard drive and share a look
into the many adventures we have found ourselves on over the past months
and years.
Part of the reason we chose
this song was because someone happened to capture a video in the
studio, of the take, of the version of "Oh I See" that appears on the
record. So some of the footage is literally of the moment we were
making the song you're hearing. It's a thank you to anyone and everyone
that has come to a show, bought a record, played on stage and shared in
the wild experience that was the making of this album. All together,
it is very much an affirmation that coincides with the spirit of the
song: It is the baying of many, to the moon.
I can still hear the wolves calling from miles away .." via NPR
Brooklyn indie-folksters, Great Elk just announced plans for their forthcoming debut full length. Here's the details straight from the band themselves ..... "We're very happy to announce that on May 22nd, 2012 we will release our debut full length album, Autogeography.
The new record was recorded and produced by D. James Goodwin (The
Bravery, Norah Jones, Devo, many more) in Woodstock, NY in the Spring
and Fall of 2011 and is without a doubt a giant leap forward for the
band, both sonically and musically. It represents the first time Great
Elk has been able to create and record in a truly collaborative manner
and we couldn't be more excited about the result. We simply can't wait
to share it with you."
There's no new music to preview as of yet, but give a listen to one of my favorite tracks from the band called, "Bow Echo" which comes off their 2010 self titled EP.
This weeks 'Song of the Week' comes from the brilliant new Damien Jurado LP, Maraqopa that hit stores yesterday. Although this is Jurado's 10th LP, I'm inclined to say that what I've heard so far has been some of his finest to date. One track in particular that I can't get off my speakers from the new disc is "Working Titles." One of the things that makes it so special to me is that it sounds like nothing that Jurado has ever done before, he's in completely new territory and it sounds like he's been mastering it for years. The lyrics, the incredible harmonies, the arrangement, the whole vibe of the song, everything about it just floors me. I call it the Song of The Week but I could easily call it my Song of the Year so far.
Watch Damien playing the song live at a recent show at the Neptune Theater in his hometown, joined by an all-star Seattle line-up that includes, Jon and Josiah from The Head and The Heart,
Galen from Pickwick, Bryan John Appleby and Jessica Dobson from Deep Sea
Diver and The Shins.
Damien Jurado- "Working Titles"
You could mess up my life in a poem
Have me divorced by the time of the chorus
Theres no need to change any sentence
When you always decide where I go next
Many nights you would hide from the audience
When they were not in tune with your progress
In the end you are like the journalist
Who turns what you sing into business
You could use to be more like a hero
A darker shade of damage distortion
Wearing death like a cape or a costume
Cut your ties and leave town when you want to
Killing time till I pass through the chamber
Or the room where you keep my replacement
So fed up still you're starving on paper
You are no him, but he's you, only better
Leave me an exit to damage
I could use a ledge to jump off of
I wasn't lying when I said this was over
I have questions that lead to more questions
Running time that will cut off my fingers
You wrote about me on every new record
I'll show up in the title of your song
I only hope somebody requests it
Whats it like for you in Washington?
I've only seen photos of Washington
I'll never know
Leave me Manhattan
I want the evergreens
Write me a song
I can sing in my Sleep
As sure as the rain
that will fall where you stand
I want you and the skyline
These are my demands
What's it like for you in Washington?
I've only seen photos of Washington
I'll never know
No
A few weeks ago I heard the term 'Death Gospel' for the very first time when hearing & reading people describe the music of Adam Arcuragi. Now we have something called 'Doom Soul' when speaking of Canadian singer Al Spx, aka Cold Specks. She recently signed up with Mute Records and she'll be releasing her debut album, I Predict A Graceful Expulsion this May 22nd. The disc was recorded in London where Spx is now based, and it saw her work with a group of musicians,
including regular PJ Harvey collaborator Rob Ellis who helped out with arrangements and percussion.
Cold Specks name comes from a line in James Joyce’s Ulysses
(“Born all in the dark wormy earth, cold specks of fire, evil, lights
shining in the darkness), and Spx cites influences from Lomax Field
Recordings and James Carr to Bill Callahan and Tom Waits.
Check out the haunting track, "Holland" below, and visit her website to see all the upcoming tour dates which include performances with Great Lake Swimmers.
I've been a huge fan of these guys ever since I came across their debut LP, When Lost at Sea back in 2007. The Toronto band is coming out with their latest album and 3rd overall, Every Child a Daughter Every Moon a Sun next week, Feb. 28th via Blackbox Recordings. If early indications mean anything, these guys keep getting better and better with each new work. You can stream the LP in full now over at Paste HERE, and in other news the band just added a few new U.S. dates which include some stops in the NYC area, with shows on May 9th at Union Pool in Brooklyn and May 11th at Pianos in NYC.
There's seems to be an explosion of great acoustic, roots based artists breaking out lately. From groups like Mumford & Sons to The Head & the Heart, the genre has been getting a boost in the public eye. The latest band I think is destined for big things is the Denver based trio, The Lumineers. The band just recently announced plans for their forthcoming debut album. The self titled disc comes out April 3rd via Dualtone Records, and is led by the foot stomping, sing-along first single, "Ho Hey." The track is available for purchase now via iTunes, and if your looking for more music from the group you can head on over to the folks at Paste, where you can download their four-song, Tracks From The Attic EP for free. Before the debut hits stores the band will be licking off an extensive tour across the States, starting on
March 21 in San Diego, with a stop in NYC at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on April 21. Chech out their website for all the tour dates & other info HERE.
The Lumineers- "Ho Hey"
(Ho!) I've been trying to do it right
(Hey!) I've been living a lonely life
(Ho!) I've been sleeping here instead
(Hey!)I've been sleeping in my bed,
(Ho!) I've been sleeping in my bed (Hey!)
(Ho!)
[Verse 2]
(Ho!) So show me family
(Hey!) All the blood that I would bleed
(Ho!) I don't know where I belong
(Hey!) I don't know where I went wrong
(Ho!) But I can write a song (Hey!)
[Chorus]
1,2,3 I belong with you, you belong with me in my sweet heart
I belong with you, you belong with me in my sweet (Ho!)
(hey!)
(ho!)
(hey!)
[Verse 3]
(ho!) I don't think you're right for him
(hey!) think of what it might have been
(ho!) If we took the bus to china town
(hey!) I've been standing often now
(ho!) The Bowery (hey!)
(ho!) She'd be standing next to me (hey!)
[Chorus]
1,2,3 I belong with you you belong with me in my sweet heart
I belong with you, you belong with me in my sweet heart
[Bridge]
The love we need is now
Its hope for some
Cause, we're bleedin out
[Chorus]
I belong with you you belong with me in my sweet heart
I belong with you you belong with me in my sweet (Ho!)
I got to know this band toward the end of last year and I've fallen pretty hard for everything I've discovered from the group, both new and old. There's an endless supply of music to find on their website w/ lot's of free downloads available, including a series of covers that Tim in the band puts out almost every Thursday for his Cover Thursday's series. The latest track to get the cover treatment is St. Vincents "Year of the Tiger." For a deeper look at some other tracks the band tackled, click HERE.
I recently came across Philly band, White Birds who released their debut full-length yesterday called, When Women Played Drums.
The band which is made up of 3/4 of the now defunct, Drink Up Buttercup, create a hazy lo-fi wall of noise on their debut, which is led by the sweet slow building title track.
Give it a spin below and read what the band had to say about their Feb. 14th release date.
“We decided to go ahead and release this album as kinda a little
fuck you to Valentines Day since it is most definitely a break up album
through and through. The song itself is of that same nature, just being
the ghost to your widow who’s now living her life on earth without
you.”
Former Pela guitarist, Nate Martinez has been prepping his sophomore effort under the Thieving Irons moniker. The album is slated for release sometime this year and so far the new project has given us a preview of the dreamy single, "So Long" from the forthcoming LP. Back in October during CMJ they stopped by the Ace Hotel in NYC to play an acoustic set for KEXP, which just got posted online. The band played three new songs including the aforementioned, "So Long." You can watch the whole session over on the KEXP blog, and if you head over to the Thieving Iron's website HERE you can pick up "So Long" as a free download.
Also if your in the NYC area this month the band is playing a residency at the Rock Shop in Brooklyn on Monday nights, come and check them out.
I spent a good part of my day yesterday being completely unproductive, as I found out that the new Damien Jurado album, Maraqopa was streaming in full over at The AV Club. It was totally worth it though because the album is fantastic. I listened to it at least 3-4 times and although it might be too early to call it one of his best, I would have to put it in the running.
The new full-length comes out on February 21st, and is available now for pre-order HERE.
Be sure to check out his website for all his upcoming tour dates, and take a look at this live sit down with i-N session, where he performs two of the new tracks, “Museum of Flight” and “So On, Nevada.”
I've been on a major kick lately of loving everything and anything with boy/girl vocals. The latest band to make it's way onto my radar is the indie lo-fi duo, Big Deal. This pair of American Kacey Underwood, and Brit Alice Costelloe released their debut album Lights Out this past January via Mute Records. While the LP is sparse on percussion, it sure is heavy on love sick lyrics, sexual tension and great harmonies.
The duo just released a new video for their latest infectious single, "Talk," directed by Yoonha Park (Deerhoof, Beach House) which you can check out below.
There's a lot of bands from the Pacific Northwest that do the folk genre, but there may not be one that nails it down better than Horse Feathers. The Portland based group led by Justin Ringle are readying their fourth full-length, Cynic’s New Year,
due out on April 17th via Kill Rock Stars. The new 12-song disc is produced by Point Juncture, WA's Skyler
Norwood, who recently worked with Blind Pilot and Talkdemonic. The
new album is said to have Ringle and the band expanding their quiet setup to 11 members playing instruments ranging from French horn, piano and bells, to upright bass and
banjo, according to the press release. No new tunes have been leakes as of yet but stay tuned, and check out the tracklist below.
Cynic’s New YearTracklist:
1. A Heart Arcane
2. Last Waltz
3. Pacific Bray
4. So Long
5. Where I’ll Be
6. Nearly Old Friends
7. Fit Against the Country
8. Better Company
9. Bird on a Leash
10. Fire to Fields
11. Elegy for Quitters
12. Summer for Capricorns
Watch an interview we did w/ Justin from 2008 in Belgium.
It seems like this Seattle band has been going at it non-stop since their self titled debut came out in 2010. The band has been on the road virtually ever since, and with word of mouth spreading from their intense live shows the group has finally been getting some well deserved recognition. They just released a new video for one of my favorites off the LP, "Down in the Valley" that chronicles some of the bands travels over the past year or so. The video was directed by E. Ryan McMackin.
Thanks to a reader tip from up in Canada, I recently discovered the young and talented, Kandle Osborne, aka Kandle. The 20 year old from Victoria, BC & Montreal is the daughter of Neil Osborne (also her
producer), singer and guitarist for 5440. She obviously grew up in a
house where music played a major influence, and at 16 she began her own band called, The Blue Violets with her sister
Coral. In 2010, she began focusing in on her own work, ultimately creating the six tracks that would become her first solo record/EP. The self titled EP came out in 2011, and features the sultry track, "Know My Name."
You can grab the 6 track EP over on her Bandcamp page now for whatever price you choose. Get it while it's hot.
Special thanks to Cassie for the heads up.
I posted this one on my Twitter feed (@burnthebowery) the other day, but I wanted to spread this out to the rest of you that don't follow me on there. I honestly don't know much about this band other than that they hail from Belgium, and that they were featured on a cool site I recently stumbled across called, 'A Jerrys Joint' that produces really fantastic videos.
I gotta find out more on this one, but in the meantime watch and listen below.
The Black Keys 2011 album was right up there with some of my favorites of 2011. One of the standouts from the disc was "Gold on the Ceiling" which the band just released a new video for. The video features mostly live footage, mixed with backstage, and recording
studio montages from the bands recent tours. It's no "Lonely Boy" (watch here) which was hilarious, but check it out below.
I'm seriously hyped for this one. A few weeks back The Wooden Sky unveiled plans for their forthcoming LP, Every Child a Daughter, Every Moon a Sun along with a new song off the disc called "Child of the Valley." It was extremely promising considering how high my expectations are for the new disc. Now the band just released a second teaser off the LP called "Malibu Rum" which has some real nice harmonies and a mellowed out vibe. Every Child a Daughter, Every Moon a Sun is available Feb. 28th on Black Box Recordings.
The band will also be kicking off a tour this Feb. 24th, and are offering fans a chance to play in their living rooms, giving away 6 free House Shows. Check out all the details over on Exclaim to find out how to win.
With all the Super Bowl madness over the weekend it might have been easy to forget that Bon Iver was appearing on SNL on Saturday night. The band played two tracks off of their second album Bon Iver, Bon Iver, a truly stunning version of "Holocene" and also "Beth Rest." Check them out below.
I had the chance to attend the album release show for Adam Arcuragi last night at Union Pool in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. His new album, Like a Fire That Consumes all Before it... came out this week and like I said previously, it's fantastic. I'm relatively new to his music so this was my first time seeing him in concert. On record his music comes through as deeply intense and passionate, so I was anxious to see what he would bring to the live setting. It wasn't really a surprise but he delivered ten fold with an emotion filled set, opening with a one two punch of "Presidents Song" & "Oh I See." I've seen his music get described before as 'death gospel' and I guess I never really fully understood the description until seeing him in person. His soulful voice paired with the foot stomping and hand clappin' on stage and in the crowd definitely gave off that spiritual vibe.
Check out some pictures from the show below, plus more over on our Facebook page HERE.
Of Monsters And Men will be officially releasing their debut effort, My Head is an Animal in the U.S. this April 3rd via Universal Republic. I've been excited for this one for a while now and I gotta say I'm not the only one that thinks this, but these guys are gonna blow up this year. The new LP serves as a follow-up to the band’s EP, Into The Woods, which came out in December, and features several tracks that were on the EP including, "Little Talks" and "Six Weeks." My Head is an Animal was produced by Aron Arnaarsson & Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Modest Mouse, Cold War Kids), with Craig Silvey (Florence + the Machine, Arcade Fire) mixing.
Leading up to the albums release the band will be heading out on a tour in March beginning with an appearance at SXSW. Check out the full listing of tour dates below, as well as the new video they just released for the single, "Little Talks."
March 14 - March 17 - SXSW - Austin, TX
March 21 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA*
March 22 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA*
March 24 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR*
March 25 - Venue Nightclub - Vancouver, BC*
March 26 - The Neptune Theatre - Seattle, WA*
March 29 - Fine Line Music Cafe - Minneapolis, MN*
March 30 - Subterranean - Chicago, IL*
March 31 - The LC Pavilion - Columbus, OH
April 2 - The Black Cat - Washington D.C.*
April 3 - Theatre Of The Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA*
April 5 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY*
April 6 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY*
April 7 - Brighton Music Hall - Boston, MA*
April 9 - Club At Water Street Music Hall - Rochester, NY*
April 10 - Jillian’s - Albany, NY*
April 11 - La Sala Rosa - Montreal, QC*
April 12 - Virgin Mobile Mod Club - Toronto, ON*
* with Special Guest Lay Low
Here's another great band hailing from the Toronto, Canada music scene. The Wilderness of Manitoba stopped by the studios of KEXP to perform live in studio, playing tracks off their latest album, When You Left The Fire. You can watch the whole 4 song session HERE.
Ever since I got my hands on the new album, Like A Fire That Consumes All Before It from Adam Arcuragi last week, I haven't been able to stop listening. The albums official release was just yesterday via Thirty Tigers and if you haven't had the chance to check out his music you should stop what your doing and give it a spin. It would be hard to pick a favorite off the LP so soon, it's chock full of great Americana and roots based tunes, but one I've been loving is the foot stomping sing along, "Presidents Song." He recently premiered a nice intimate new video for the song w/ his band The Lupine Chorale
Society, that was directed by Kristian Hansen. Watch and listen below.
Upcoming tour dates: Feb 01 – Garfield Artworks, Pittsburgh, PA
Feb 02 – Union Pool, Brooklyn, NY
Feb 03 – PA’S Lounge, Somerville, MA
Feb 04 – Cafe Nine, New Haven, CT
Feb 06 – Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA
Feb 07 – IOTA, Arlington, VA
Feb 08 – Cedars Lounge, Youngstown, OH
Feb 09 – Musica, Akron, OH
Feb 11 – MOTR Pub, Cincinnati, OH
Feb 12 – The End, Nashville, TN
Feb 13 – Bottletree, Birmingham, AL
Feb 14 – The Earl, East Atlanta, GA
Mar 14 – The Green Room at Warehouse Live, Houston, TX
Mar 21 – Sail Inn, Tempe, AZ
What to do when your 18 years old and you can't get into half the shows your even playing in? Such is the problem of young phenom, Malcom Lacey aka Arrange. That's what Lacey recently joked on his Facebook page, saying that he needs fake ID for 90% of shows happening in his home base of Portland. Originally hailing from
Fort Lauderdale, Arrange has had the blogosphere buzzing with a series releases from 2010 until now that feature his gorgeous brand of electronic dreamy pop. Fans in love with his music will have a treat come this Valentines day, as Arrange will be releasing his latest 7-track EP, Five Years With The Sun via JUKBOXR. Give it a test ride below, and check out his website for all the latest tour details.
I've been following closely the work of former Pela guitarist, Nate Martinez and his project, Thieving Irons. He put out an excellent album called, This Midnight Hum back in 2010, and he's been working on the follow up, which has given us the track, "So Long" thus far. I finally had the chance to see the band live last night, where he finished up a month long residency at The Rock Shop in Brooklyn. Nate and the band played a great set, which featured almost exclusively tracks from the forthcoming LP, which btw he mentioned might see a release this June. Although I wasn't familiar with some of the new tunes, one of my favorites from the night was the new track, "End of September" which recently got posted online from a live session the band did with KEXP. Watch & listen below.
