I’m From Barcelona Live Videos: “Mingus” and “Surrounded”

Check out these videos of I’m From Barcelona performing “Mingus” and “Surrounded.” Boost was lucky enough to shoot the band when they made a stop at the Masonic Temple in Brooklyn, NY.

Future Secret Society shows include the Dirty Projectors and Dan Deacon on December 11th, and The Walkmen and The Dodos on December 16th, (also at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple).

Plus, check out more performances and interviews from Treasure Island, Pitchfork, and SXSW festivals featuring Aesop Rock, Lykki Li, Dizzee Rascal, No Age, Human Giant and more here

“Mingus”

“Surrounded”

Interview with the band

Blonde Acid Cult announce NYC gigs and release their debut single “Kick the Funk”

Blonde Acid Cult perform at The Mercury Lounge this Thursday at 8:30

Blonde Acid Cult seizes New York City’s vibe in an explosive here and now sound with their own brand of street funk, primal grooves falling out face-down on a stranger’s bed, white boy, black panther protest songs screaming through your ghetto blaster while you roll through central park during the Puerto Rican day parade madness.

Influenced by Manchester’s Hacienda party scene as much as they are by James Brown drum breaks and punk rock hip-hop like the Beastie Boys, Blonde Acid Cult is really inspired by their own scene of friends, people who paint their hometown in wild colors and trip to independent beats. The band consist of Michael Kilfoyle (Vox), Shaun Kilfoyle (Guitar), Phil Meynell (Drums) and Damian Genuardi (Bass and former member of The Explosion and In My Eyes) and first debuted late in 2007 on the border of Manhattan’s Lower East Side and Chinatown, playing a few invite-only loft raves and various magazine or fashion parties. Word of their insane and debaucherous live set quickly traveled through the downtown New York scene. Since then, they’ve appeared outside of New York with bands like Simian Mobile Disco, and at parties including Making Time, Paper, Transatlantic, as well as New York parties such as Robot Rock and Ruff Club.

Ripping a destructive path through New York’s party scene, Blonde Acid Cult brings a schizophrenic dose of maximum rock and roll that has been turning audiences upside down. Stealing cultural vibes from the best Stax Records and putting them in the blender with the suicide droning of the Stooges, BAC feeds you a molotov cocktail sure to get you fucked up and happy. Making their own scene of creative chaos has officially put them on the map and established them as one of the most undeniably exciting bands in New York today.

With a new video under their belts of “Shake it Loose” and their debut single “Kick the Funk” featuring the remix by Trash’s own Rory Phillips just released on RIPE Records the band is quickly gaining momentum.

www.myspace.com/blondeacidcult

A successful CMJ saw them perform with Ponytail, Crystal Antlers, School of Seven Bells, Holy Ghost!, Moby and others.

This Thursday you can catch them live at 8:30 at the Mercury Lounge with Little Joy (Fab Moretti of The Strokes) and Dead Trees. This show is already sold out, so if you’re not one of the lucky ones already holding a ticket, they’ll be playing again on December 2nd with Darker My Love and The Strange Boys at The Mercury. Other dates tba shortly.

Blonde Acid Cult is spreading their sonic love around and getting into people’s heads, already the band have been featured in Nylon, Warp, Dazed and Confused.

The Secret it Out. Join the Cult.

Thirty-five years since Daryl Hall and John Oates last performed at the Los Angeles Troubadour as an opening act, they returned in May of 2008 for two nights where they delighted fans with a nonstop barrage of unforgettable hits. On November 25 Shout! Factory will release Daryl Hall and John Oates: Live at the Troubadour, a two-hour, 19 song concert on DVD, Blu-Ray, and a 3-disc set containing the DVD and full concert spread across 2 CDs.

In May 2008, Daryl Hall and John Oates took the stage at the legendary Troubadour for the first time since playing their earliest Los Angeles shows there 35 years before. The best performances from this much anticipated two-night concert, which included hits such as “Maneater,” “Private Eyes,” “Rich Girl,” “Sara Smile” and “Kiss On My List,” will be made available in three formats – DVD, Blu-Ray, and a 1-DVD/2-CD combo, via Shout! Factory on November 25.

“John and I have a lot of great memories associated with performing at the Troubadour, since it was our first show in LA,” said Daryl. “It’s like going back to where it all began for us. We’ve always had an enthusiastic following in Los Angeles, and this is a chance for our fans to see us up close and personal in an intimate setting.”

Beyond the classic hits, the sold-out shows featured rarely performed fan favorites and deep album cuts, as well as Daryl Hall solo material, with the duo backed by a band comprised of longtime member T-Bone Wolk on guitar and vocals, Mike Braun on drums, Charles DeChant on sax, keys and vocals, Eliot Lewis on keys and vocals, Zev Katz on bass, and Everett Bradley on percussion and vocals.

The concerts were filmed by Blaze TV with 10 remote-controlled HD cameras, allowing the viewer to experience the performance as if they were inside the crowded LA club. Although an abridged version of the show will be broadcast on VH1’s Rave HD channel in late 2008, the Live At The Troubadour DVD will be the only way to catch performances of all of the songs, as well as exclusive new interviews with Hall and Oates.

Formed in Philadelphia in 1972, Daryl Hall & John Oates have enjoyed six #1 singles between the mid-70’s and the mid-80’s, including “Rich Girl” (also #1 R&B), “Kiss on My List,” “Private Eyes,” “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) (also #1 R&B), “Maneater” and “Out of Touch,” from their six consecutive multi-platinum albums—’76’s Bigger Than Both of Us, ’80’s Voices, ’81’s Private Eyes, 82’s H2O, 83’s Rock N Soul, Part I and ‘84’s Big Bam Boom. The era would also produce an additional 5 Top 10 singles, “Sara Smile,” “One on One,” “You Make My Dreams,” “Say It Isn’t So” and “Method of Modern Love.”

Daryl also wrote the H&O single “Everytime You Go Away,” which singer Paul Young scored a number-one hit with a cover of the song in 1985. That same year, Daryl and John, participated in the historic “We Are the World” session as well as closing the Live Aid show in Philadelphia. By 1987, the R.I.A.A. recognized Daryl Hall and John Oates as the NUMBER-ONE SELLING DUO in music history, a record they still hold today.

Daryl and John have recently been receiving recognition from younger artists including KT Tunstall, Gym Class Heroes and Finger Eleven, all of whom have appeared on Daryl’s media and fan-praised web show, www.livefromdarylshouse.com, the captivating series that has been receiving kudos from Rolling Stone, Spin, Daily Variety and the influential Lefsetz Letter.

On May 20, 2008, the duo was honored with the Icon Award during BMI’s 56th annual Pop Awards. The award has previously gone to the Bee Gees, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon, Brian Wilson, Willie Nelson, James Brown, Ray Davies, Carlos Santana and Dolly Parton.

Shout! Factory is a diversified entertainment company devoted to producing, uncovering and revitalizing the very best of pop culture – The Stuff You Grew Up On But Never Outgrew. Founders Richard Foos, Bob Emmer and Garson Foos have spent their careers sharing their music, television and film faves with discerning consumers the world over. Shout! Factory’s DVD offerings serve up classic, contemporary and cult TV series, riveting sports programs, live music, animation and documentaries in lavish packages crammed with extras. The company’s audio catalogue boasts Grammy®-nominated boxed sets, new releases from storied artists and lovingly assembled album reissues. These riches are the result of a creative acquisitions mandate that has established the company as a hotbed of cultural preservation and commercial reinvention.

CD Disc One:
1. Everything Your Heart Desires (Daryl Hall)
2. When The Morning Comes (Daryl Hall)
3. Family Man (Tim Cross/Rick Fenn/Mike Frye/Mike Oldfield/Morris Pert/Maggie Reilly)
4. Say It Isn’t So (Daryl Hall)
5. It’s Uncanny (Daryl Hall)
6. Had I Known You Better Then (John Oates)
7. She’s Gone (Daryl Hall/John Oates)
8. Getaway Car (Gary Haase/Billy Mann)
9. Cab Driver (Louis Brown/Alan Gorrie/Daryl Hall)

CD Disc Two:
1. One On One (Daryl Hall)
2. Sara Smile (Daryl Hall/John Oates)
3. Maneater (Sara Allen/Daryl Hall/John Oates)
4. Out Of Touch (Daryl Hall/John Oates)
5. I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) (Sara Allen/Daryl Hall/John Oates)
6. Rich Girl (Daryl Hall)
7. Kiss On My List (Janna Allen/Daryl Hall)
8. You Make My Dreams (Sara Allen/Daryl Hall/John Oates)
9. Abandoned Luncheonette (Daryl Hall)
10. Private Eyes (Sara Allen/Janna Allen/Daryl Hall/Warren Pash)

DVD Performances

1. Everything Your Heart Desires
2. When The Morning Comes
3. Family Man
4. Say It Isn’t So
5. It’s Uncanny
6. Had I Known You Better Then
7. She’s Gone
8. Getaway Car
9. Cab Driver
10. One On One
11. Sara Smile
12. Maneater
13. Out of Touch
14. I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)
15. Rich Girl
16. Kiss On My List
17. You Make My Dreams
18. Abandoned Luncheonette
19. Private Eyes

Extras:

All New Interviews with Daryl & John

Rhino partners with Sprint to launch RockThePhone.com which offers over 100 ringtones from some of classic rock’s greatest bands. For a limited time, RockThePhone.com is offering a free ringtone of the Doors’ “Love Me Two Times.”

Sprint’s Rock The Phone Ringtones Available Here

Rhino Entertainment and Sprint introduce ROCK THE PHONE, a Web site offering rockin’ ringtones for every phone of legendary songs from some of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest bands, including The Doors, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, ZZ Top, Ramones, and more. Not a subscription service, wireless consumers nationwide can visit www.rockthephone.com for access to over 100 classic rock ringtones for $2.99 each. For a limited time, the website will offer a free ringtone of The Doors’ “Love Me Two Times,” and Sprint customers will have exclusive access to eight ringtones until December 11.

In addition to the free ringtone from The Doors, www.rockthephone.com also offers ringtones of classic rock tracks such as Led Zeppelin, “Rock And Roll”; ZZ Top, “Cheap Sunglasses”; Foreigner, “Cold As Ice”; The Doors “Light My Fire”; The Ramones, “I Wanna Be Sedated”; The Doobie Brothers, “China Grove”; Van Halen, “Runnin’ With The Devil”; and The Cars “My Best Friend’s Girl.”

Sprint users will have quick and easy access to the ringtones on their wireless devices and on Sprint’s Digital Lounge (www.sprint.com/digitallounge). Sprint’s eight exclusive ringtones feature the intro riffs to popular tracks such as Alice Cooper, “School’s Out”; The B-52’s, “Rock Lobster”; Devo, “Whip It”; The Doobie Brothers “China Grove”; Foreigner “Hot Blooded”; INXS, “Devil Inside”; Yes, “Owner Of A Lonely Heart”; and “ZZ Top, Sharp Dressed Man.”

Ringtones are not just for the younger generation anymore. According to comScore+ M:Metrics, the pioneer in mobile market measurement, the percentage of ringtone buyers between the ages of 18 to 24 has been flat over the last two years while the over 35 demographic has grown. Aimed at reaching this growing demographic, the Web site offers a FAQ section designed to educate users on how to download ringtones and personalize their mobile device.

SHOCKHOUND UNLEASHES FREE SHOW IN LOS ANGELES AND SAN FRANCISCO FEATURING NO AGE AND TITUS ANDRONICUS

ShockHound(TM), the All-in-One Music Site, Celebrates Site Launch with Exclusive Free Shows

WHAT: Popular Los Angeles lo-fi duo No Age and irreverent indie rock band Titus Andronicus are set to play in Los Angeles on a tour celebrating the launch of ShockHound, the new one-stop, genre-spanning music site. The tour kicked off in New York on November 9, and will also make stops in Chicago and San Francisco. For tickets and more information, please visit www.ShockHound.com.

WHO: No Age
Titus Andronicus

LA Show details:

WHEN: Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Doors 7:00 p.m.

Tickets will be available Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 10:00am EST on http://www.ShockHound.com

WHERE: Troubadour
9081 Santa Monica Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA

San Francisco details:

WHEN: Thursday, December 4, 2008
Doors 7:00 p.m.

Tickets will be available Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 10:00am EST on http://www.ShockHound.com

WHERE: The Rickshaw Stop
155 Fell Street @ Van Ness
San Francisco, CA

More Than a Feeling by Tom Scholz On the Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Film Soundtrack

THE BAND BOSTON ROCKS ON THE FILM SOUNDTRACK OF AMERICA’S # 1 MOVIE: MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA

The coolest critters to ever rock celluloid also have great taste in music. Fans of the band BOSTON were excited to learn that their favorite rock band is also popular with those cool as cucumber Penguins: Skipper, Kowalski, Private and Rico.

Watch and listen carefully until you see those wacky penguins pop an 8-Track into the dashboard of their jeep. Suddenly, the multi-platinum recording, “More Than A Feeling,” written and recorded by guitar wizard Tom Scholz for his band BOSTON fills the theater.

Scholz comments, “What a kick to have them to use my song in the movie! Helping animals is my passion and I loved the original Madagascar movie. Now I get to watch the sequel with the penguins partying to my guitar licks! How cool is that!”

Don’t forget to check out The Definitive Rod Stewart CD on November 18th!! Video streams for “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” and “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)” are now available in support of the release for use on your site. The Definitive Rod Stewart set includes a two CD Compilation of Rod’s hits with a previously unreleased track. Along with the two CD set the deluxe edition also includes a bonus DVD with rare and never-before-seem videos.

Rod Stewart Video Streams:
“Da Ya Think I’m Sexy”

“Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)”

With an estimated 250 million in album and single sales, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Rod Stewart arguably possesses one of rock’s greatest and most distinctive voices. For many years, he called Warner Bros. home, first as lead singer of the influential band the Faces and later as an internationally successful solo artist. This fall, Warner Bros. will launch a comprehensive catalog release campaign that focuses on Stewart’s solo years with Warner Bros., featuring Collector’s Editions of some of the artist’s biggest-selling albums, a trio of boxed sets spotlighting studio, live and rare recordings, as well as compilations of Stewart’s duets, soundtrack contributions and more.

Warner Bros. launches the singer/songwriters’ catalog revamp with the November 18 release of THE DEFINITIVE ROD STEWART available in two versions: a standard two-CD edition and a deluxe edition that includes a bonus DVD of music videos. As one of Billboard magazine’s most successful chart artists of all time, the newly assembled collection offers 30 of his greatest, showcasing not only his unmistakable rasp, but also his evocative songwriting and unique ability to inhabit a song. The collections will be available at all retail outlets, including www.rhino.com, for suggested list prices of $19.98 (standard edition), $24.98 (deluxe edition), and $14.99 (digital).

Arranged chronologically, Stewart’s early solo years are represented by several cuts (“Maggie May” “You Wear It Well”) from the unforgettable classics, Every Picture Tells A Story (1971) and Never A Dull Moment (1972). The opening disc also includes “Stay With Me,” a nod to Stewart’s time with the Faces. The second half of the disc shifts to Stewart’s Warner Bros. years with the stadium-swooning ballad, “Sailing,” the #1 smash “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright),” the Top 10 hit “You’re In My Heart” and “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy” from the #1 album Blondes Have More Fun (1978).

The second disc concentrates on music Stewart made during the ’80s and ’90s, including “Infatuation,” “Some Guys Have All The Luck,” “Love Touch,” “Forever Young” and “Motown Song” from the Top Ten album Vagabond Heart (1991). Among the other highlights is a rare studio version of Tom Waits’ “Tom Traubert’s Blues,” as well as a cover of Waits’ “Downtown Train” that Stewart took to #1, and “Have I Told You Lately” and “Reason To Believe”—a pair of standout performances recorded for MTV’s Unplugged series. The collection concludes with a previously unreleased track, “Two Shades Of Blue,” recorded in 1998 during the When We Were The New Boys session and features a sample of Borodin’s “Prince Igor,” which was also the main melody for “Stranger In Paradise” from Kismet.

The deluxe version of THE DEFINITIVE ROD STEWART features a bonus DVD with 14 music videos for some of the artist’s most beloved songs. Spanning 1975 to 1998, the video collection includes some never-before or rarely seen videos such as “Sailing,” “The Killing Of Georgie (Part I & II)” from A Night On The Town and “She Won’t Dance With Me,” along with MTV-era staples like “Hot Legs,” “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy,” “Young Turks,” amongst others.

Rod Stewart began his musical career in the mid-60s, and came to the forefront of the British pop music scene in 1968 with the Jeff Beck Group. He then teamed with the Small Faces (who subsequently changed their name to the Faces), and later released critically acclaimed solo records, including Every Picture Tells a Story, which made him world- famous. By the mid-’70s he’d gone solo for good, continuing a career of multiplatinum albums and chart-topping singles. Stewart was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, a fitting tribute to a masterful songwriter and peerless vocalist.

Between 2002 and 2005, Stewart released four Grammy®-winning volumes of the The Great American Songbook, which comprise the biggest selling ongoing series of new music recordings in history, with a total of 17.5 million copies worldwide. Beginning with It Had To Be You…The Great American Songbook in 2002, followed by As Time Goes By…Volume II in 2003. Stardust…Volume III earned Stewart his first Grammy® and entered the chart at #1 in 2004. Thanks For the Memory…The Great American Songbook Volume IV (2005) rounds out the Songbook series. 2006 saw the release of Still The Same…Great Rock Classics of Our Time, his first rock album in over eight years, which featured songs by his contemporaries and a return to his roots.

The Definitive Rod Stewart Listening Party

THE DEFINITIVE ROD STEWART Track Listing

DISC ONE
1. “Maggie May”
2. “Mandolin Wind”
3. “Every Picture Tells A Story”
4. “Stay With Me” – the Faces
5. “You Wear It Well”
6. “Sailing”
7. “The Killing Of Georgie, Parts 1 & 2”
8. “Tonight’s The Night”
9. “The First Cut Is The Deepest”

10. “You’re In My Heart”
11. “I Was Only Joking”
12. “Hot Legs”
13. “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy”
14. “Passion”
15. “Young Turks”

DISC TWO
1. “Tonight I’m Yours”
2. “Baby Jane”
3. “Infatuation”
4. “Same Guys Have All The Luck”
5. “Love Touch”
6. “Forever Young”
7. “My Heart Can’t Tell You No”
8. “Downtown Train”
9. “This Old Heart Of Mine” – with Ronald Isley (1989 Version)
10. “I Don’t Want To Talk About It” – (1989 Version)
11. “Rhythm Of My Heart”
12. “The Motown Song” – with the Temptations

13. “Tom Traubert’s Blues (Waltzing Matilda)”
14. “Have I Told You Lately” – Unplugged Version
15. “Reason To Believe” – with Ronnie Wood (Unplugged Version)
16. “Two Shades Of Blue” – previously unreleased (1998)**

DISC THREE (DVD) – DELUXE EDITION only
1. “Sailing”
2. “I Don’t Want To Talk About It”
3. “The Killing Of Georgie, Parts 1 & 2
4. “The First Cut Is The Deepest”
5. “You’re In My Heart”
6. “Hot Legs”
7. “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy”
8. “Ain’t Love A Bitch”
9. “She Won’t Dance With Me”
10. “Young Turks”
11. “Tonight I’m Yours”
12. “Baby Jane”
13. “If We Fall In Love Tonight”
14. “Ooh La La”

**Previously unreleased

Shout! Factory and the Country Music Hall Of Fame® and Museum Archive Series are proud to present Merle Haggard: Legendary Performances on DVD today.

Merle Haggard: Legendary Performances trailer video stream

“Mama Tried” video stream

“Okie From Muskogee” video stream

From the vaults of the Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum, this collection features nearly two decades of Merle Haggard performances in his prime not seen since their original broadcast. Now, for the first time on DVD, experience the hits through a chronology of vintage live performances such as “Branded Man” (Country Music Holiday,1968), “Mama Tried” (Billy Walker’s Country Carnival, 1968) and “Okie From Muskogee” (The Porter Wagoner Show, 1970).

When Merle Haggard left prison in 1960, he went on to achieve 38 #1 hits (to date) and establish himself as one of the greats in country music. But getting out of prison didn’t quite mean leaving his rebel ways behind. His songwriting depicted the truths of a rough-and-tumble life which he fused with a musical style derived from hardcore country, jazz, blues and folk to create a sound no one had ever heard, with lyrics many could relate to.

From the walls of San Quentin to his free-spirited life as an irreverent and unique voice outside the Nashville establishment to his induction in the Country Music Hall of Fame, Merle Haggard has never left a doubt that he is country’s original outlaw.

Amorine Queen (Crunchy Frog Records) ALBUM RELEASED TODAY
US Tour Starts November 25th

With their groundbreaking, catchy and explosive rock 18TH DYE earned great recognition in the international music press during the ‘90s, with albums Done (1992), Crayon (1993), Tribute to a Bus (1995) and Left (B-Sides and Rarities) (1999). They toured all over the US and Europe and left a mark which inspired a vast number of bands. With their new album, ‘Amorine Queen’, they continue their intensive work, which doesn’t just thrill the fans from ten years ago, but also carries away a new audience - a fact that’s hard to miss at their recent shows.

From 1992 to 1998, the band was signed to Matador Records, and toured with Stereolab and Yo la Tengo, amongst others, also recording with legendary producer Steve Albini. They completed three BBC Peel sessions (the only Danish band to do that) and scored several Top 10 hits on the English indie charts while receiving attention on the CMJ chart in the US. After having released the album ‘Tribute to a Bus’ and after extensive touring in Europe and the US, 18TH DYE stopped playing and it was not until 2005, at VibraCrunch07 Festival, that they began playing live again. In the last couple of years the band has made their sound heard at selected shows and small tours in Denmark and Germany, including appearances in 2007 at the legendary Rockpalast TV-show, the Berlin-based Summerize Festival, the Danish SPOT Festival, and, this year, performed at the largest Scandinavian music festival, Roskilde, in front of packed crowds.

A lot has happened in the lives of the three18TH DYE members in the time away from the band. Part Danish, part German Heike Rädeker spent time playing in several bands including Wuhling that was signed to Touch and Go/City Slang. She now lives in Berlin were she owns and runs the design furniture store STUE, made famous by the Louis Vuitton and Wallpaper guide books. Danish Piet Breinholm has been busy in the meantime too; together with the third 18TH DYE member, Sebastian, he formed the electronic duo Test and toured with several Danish bands including Rhonda Harris, Speaker Bite Me and Varano. Piet is also a designer and runs the bag company ”Piet Breinholm - The Last Bag”, that sells its products in Berlin, Paris, London and New York. German Sebastian Büttrich has toured with Lise Westzynthius and Speaker Bite Me. Now all three are together once again: 18TH DYE!

US TOUR DATES:

25-Nov Baltimore, MD - Talking Head
26-Nov Philadelphia, PA - M Room
28-Nov New Haven, CT - tba
29-Nov New York, NY - Santos
30-Nov Boston, MA - TT’s
1-Dec Montreal, PQ - Lambi
2-Dec Toronto, ONT - Horseshoe
3-Dec Detroit, MI - Cro Foot
4-Dec Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
5-Dec Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
6-Dec Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
9-Dec Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
10-Dec Portland, OR - Holocene
12-Dec San Francisco, CA - Bottom Of The Hill
13-Dec Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland

boy eats drum machine - “booomboxxx” from Jon Ragel on Vimeo.

c. BIO & HI-RES IMAGES: HERE

Tour Dates:

11/14 Bellingham, WA @ Boundary Bay Brewery
11/28 Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
12/03 Portland, OR @ The Old Church
12/04 Salem, OR @ Ike Box

BIO

Boy Eats Drum Machine is the solo work of native Portlander, Jon Ragel. He is a songwriter, producer, singer, turntablist, and also plays saxophone, guitar, synthesizer, organ, and several percussive nick nacks.

As a one-man musical act, Boy Eats Drum Machine merges the worlds of turntablism and live rock performance as Ragel spins breaks and surgically inserts sounds while juggling vocals, percussion, and saxophone.

His latest album, Booomboxxx, is an experimental pop record loaded with unique turntable textures, saxophone blasts, expertly chopped break beats, and gutsy vocals. Although the record effectively mashes several musical forms, it is Ragel’s most cohesive work to date, bringing to mind artists like DJ Shadow, Queen, Morphine, David Bowie, and The Postal Service.

Ragel started to make recordings under the name Boy Eats Drum Machine in 2001 when he used a 4-track to record and load his MPC with scads of samples, creating blippy pop experimentations. he wanted to evoke the idea of Pac Man and the music of the NES game “Metroid.” He sold his MPC and switched exclusively to computer-based recordings a couple years later.

The fall of 2005 saw Ragel using his new found love for the turntable for the first time in a full length recording. He spun and chopped up breaks to create the backbones of the songs that would form pleasure. Many of these beats were sampled from Bridgetown Breaks Volume 1. He recorded Two Ghosts from December ‘06 to March ‘07. It was released the summer of 2007 and featured many talented Portland area musicians. Booomboxxx is slated for release this fall from Portland label Tender Loving Empire.

IN THE PRESS

“Dubbed out hip pop.” - Willamette Week

“This album is full of sonic treats-especially for those who love their headphone candy.” - turntabling.net

“Boy Eats Drum Machine has become one of Portland’s favorite local acts, and for very good reason. Frontman Jon Ragel brings impressive turntable skills to a live band setting in a way that never sounds forced, gimmicky, or like those nü-metal DJs. His soulful, steady vocals weave in and out of the evolving, fluid arrangements.” - Portland Mercury

“Glitchy dance-pop explosions.” - Portland State University Vanguard

“Aside from a knack for hooks and splashes of vivid electronic color, Ragel has a dramatic voice that covers alot of ground, from sweet soul man to beleaguered bohemian to near operatic peaks of impassioned pop. Highly recommended.” - Portland Monthly - Best of The City ‘07