Category: Uncategorized

Beloved indie rock outfit ARMS unveils “Earthquake Weather” the angular, polyrhythmic second cut from their forthcoming EP2, due out 9/10 via Paper Garden Records. “Earthquake Weather”, just like the lead single “Comfort”, maintains that same caliber of tight, complex songwriting combined with the lyrical finesse we’ve come to expect from ARMS.

EP2 marks the first ARMS release since 2011’s ambitious full-length Summer Skills. This time around, ARMS loosened the reins, opening up their sound and energy to more raucous, exposed spaces. Self-recorded and self-produced, the 5-track EP is a particularly personal labor of love for frontman and songwriter Todd Goldstein, who designed the above album art as well.

ARMS | EP2
Release Date : 9/10
1. Comfort
2. Earthquake Weather
3. Sleepwalker
4. Sympathetic Strings
5. Up & Up

“I was exhausted,” says Todd Goldstein, reflecting on the years since the release of his band ARMS’ lush, ambitious 2011 album, Summer Skills. “I put everything I had into that album—creatively, emotionally—I had nothing left in me.” After spending his mid-20s playing guitar in New York’s much-loved Harlem Shakes and the ensuing years crafting two albums and an EP as ARMS, Todd took a sharp turn away from music. He went back to school to study design; he spent long afternoons throwing down in the kitchen; he looked elsewhere to find his creative kicks. Eventually though, he remembered why he can’t help but write songs. ARMS’ EP2 is the proof.

The product of a long, slow collaboration with drummer Tlacael Esparza, EP2 feels both urgent and relaxed, its five home-recorded pop songs projecting a lived-in looseness without sacrificing an ounce of tension. “Comfort,” the EP’s opening track and leadoff single, seems at first to be about music—or a girl. But, unlike most love songs that pull this double duty, the message of “Comfort” is unexpected: Neither one is a prescription for the ailments of real life.

ARMS’ EP2 is the sound of a kid with a worried mind—a frequent character in Todd’s musical universe—learning to let go at last. It only seems right that his leanest, most immediate record would finally arrive after leaving it all behind.

For those in the New York area ARMS is playing the following date:

9/10 – NEW YORK @ Mercury Lounge (EP release party!) w/ Common Prayer

Noah And The Whale will release their fourth studio album, Heart Of Nowhere, on September 24th via Caroline Records. The album, recorded at West London’s British Grove Studios, is the band’s fourth record in five years, and follows 2011’s platinum-selling Last Night On Earth

The band will be touring this Fall in support of the release. Beginning on September 27th in Seattle, WA the run will takes in major markets on both the west and east coasts, including an October 3rd show at the Avalon of Los Angeles and an October 22nd show at Irving Plaza in New York City. For the band’s full itinerary, please see below.

Noah And The Whale On Tour
Sep 27 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
Sep 28 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
Sep 29 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Oct 01 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Oct 02 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
Oct 03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Avalon
Oct 06 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival
Oct 08 – Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theatre
Oct 09 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
Oct 10 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
Oct 12 – Austin, TX @ ACL Official After Show
Oct 13 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival
Oct 15 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
Oct 16 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Oct 17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
Oct 19 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Theatre
Oct 21 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
Oct 22 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza

Canvasback/Atlantic recording artists Grouplove and Frightened Rabbit have both teamed up with Manchester Orchestra to release a very special 12-inch single for Record Store Day. The release, which features the Manchester Orchestra/Grouplove collaboration “Make It To Me” and the Manchester Orchestra/Frightened Rabbit collaboration “Architect,” will be available Saturday, April 20th at participating independent record stores. Listen to both tracks now below. For a full list of participating stores, visit http://www.recordstoreday.com.

“We wanted to release some sort of 12-inch for Record Store Day, but we had no idea how it would come about, or with whom we could trick into doing it with us,” said Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull. “I sent a text to the first two bands we wanted to work with and they said yes. Being friends with both Grouplove and Frightened Rabbit, we decided instead of doing a split, we’d make it a full on collaboration.”

“This is our way of putting some Manchester Love on some Group Orchestra,” added Grouplove’s Hannah Hooper, who helped design the release’s artwork. Manchester Orchestra’s Chris Freeman also contributed to the artwork.

“Andy Hull’s solo album ‘Church Of The Great Thief’ was pretty much my favourite record of 2012, so when the opportunity arose for us to write a song together I jumped at the chance,” said Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison. “Strangely, we’ve never met, but via a string of emails and texts we managed to complete ‘Architect.’ I’m really proud of it.”

For “Make It To Me,” Manchester Orchestra sent Grouplove a “bare bones rock-ditty, which Grouplove transformed into an electronic explosion of funky grooves,” explained Hull. For “Architect,” both Hull and Frightened Rabbit lead singer/guitarist Scott Hutchison began talking about the song, and over time, sent voice memos back and forth before landing on its final version.

“I couldn’t be happier with the end result and it certainly won’t be the last time we collaborate with either band,” said Hull.

GROUPLOVE ON TOUR:
4/12 – Baltimore, MD – John Hopkins University
4/17 – St. Louis, MO – University of Missouri
4/18 – Lincoln, NE – University of Nebraska
5/12 – Napa, CA – BottleRock Music Wine & Food Festival
5/17 – Gulf Shores, AL – Hangout Music Festival
5/18 – Atlanta, GA – Party in the Park
6/1 – Ozark, AR – Wakarusa
6/28 – Kansas City, MO – Kansas City Speedway
7/26 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest

FRIGHTENED RABBIT ON TOUR:
4/10 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
4/11 – Birmingham, AL – WorkPlay Theatre
4/12 – Little Rock, AR – The Rev Room
4/13 – Dallas, TX – Trees
8/2 – Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza

The four Londoners in the post-punk band The Vaccines turned the volume up for their band’s new EP, No Hope. A four track effort, the EP is a straight forward and raw effort that includes two live versions of the title track. “No Hope” is a critique of the self-centered mentality of adolescents growing up, trying to figure out who they are and not giving a damn about anything else besides themselves. If you don’t recognize this phase in your life, you’re still in it! The Vaccines have a hit home on a universally relevant theme, one that goes beyond age and rather focuses on the human condition of pessimism. While the band describes teenage angst (“I don’t really care about anybody else when i don’t have my own life figured out), “No Hope” is backed by sarcasm and satire and carried by catchy guitar and imperfect vocals that make the studio version just as natural and unprocessed as the recording from Brighton and demo that act as track three and four, respectively.

Lead singer Justin Young hands the vocals over to bassist Árni Hjörvar for the b-side titled, “Blow Your Mind.” The track is the first product of a series of singles/EP by The Vaccines that will offer a b-side written and sung by a different member of the band. Ushered in with a snappy riff and a semi-muted scream, the song is fully realized by Hjörvar deep vocals, which toughen up the song’s playful lyrics (“I know your kind but darling I will blow your mind.”) A little over two minutes long, the song is a fun take on the debauchery of romantic endeavors that takes The Vaccines from a post-punk to an edgier punk rock sound.

If this EP is a taste of The Vaccines’ sophomore album, due to be released later this year, we can expect a record that is catchy, concise and somewhat restless in an untroubled way. The Vaccines sounds gutsier on No Hope, and managed to roughen its sound without losing its initial charm.

Live performance is a skill I have seen very few bands master. Sure, I come on here a lot and post up some pictures, and often I tell you just how good a band is. I urge you to see a band – not because they’re perfect live, but because they’re darn good. Today, I’m going to preach to you that The Hives are one of the best live bands out there.

The Swedes decided to hit some east coast cities in North America before they pack up and play some more festivals in Europe. It’s been four years since they hit up Montreal, and the turn out for their show was superb. Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist and company walked on stage, sporting their formal attire with matching top hats. They wasted very little time and opened up with “Try It Again.” They had me singing along while I snapped my pictures, and they had the kids in the pit moshing and dancing away.

They had a very short setlist: only sixteen songs, most of them lasting less than three minutes, and the majority of them off the new album. “Take Back the Toys” and “1000 Answers” proved to be incredibly for fun for everyone, as the crowd didn’t seem to mind the group shelling out new material. However, the very talkative Per Almqvist (Howlin’ Pelle’s real name) did ask them for their input, “Do you want to hear a new song or an old song?” To which the crowd responded with “old!”

To which he replied, “Fuck you, you’re old! This is new, unlike all you who just said ‘old.'” He also took a swig of beer at one point in the show, looked at the bottle and asked, “Corona Extra? Is that a Canadian specialty?” He’s absolutely hilarious and knows how to entertain between songs. And while his French isn’t perfect, as he referred to “Tick Tick Boom” as a song from the year 10,000 (dix mille – not deux mille), he had the Montreal crowd cheering at every French sentence. Did I mention that their stagehands are dressed up as ninjas for no good reason? Yeah, don’t ask.

Did “Tick Tick Boom” and “Hate To Say I Told You So” sound good? Really? What do you think? Awesome. It’s not one single song that makes The Hives so good – it’s the way they move around stage, how Pelle twirls and tosses his mic all over the place, how Nicholaus has this crazy demonic look on his face when he strums his guitar, how Chris is constantly throwing out his drumsticks to the crowd, and how the formal attire slowly becomes a sweaty mess of white dress shirts. You can plainly see that they give it their absolute all every single night. The Hives don’t look at their live shows as something they have to do to make a buck. No, to them, it’s not a job. It’s a passion and love for the stage, and for the crowd that they feed off of.

Setlist: The Hives at Metropolis in Montreal, Qc

Full Set of Photos: jakemullan’s flickr

SERJ TANKIAN PREMIERS NEW TRACK “TOTAL PARANOIA” ON REVOLVER.COM

TRACK TO BE FEATURED ON FORTHCOMING BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY – THE ALBUM DUE OUT OCTOBER 4TH Check out the brand new track “Total Paranoia” from Serj Tankian

Batman: Arkham City – The Album will be released in conjunction with the highly anticipated forthcoming videogame Batman: Arkham City. Featuring 11 new original tracks, Batman: Arkham City – The Album will be released on October 4th, two weeks prior to the game’s North American release on October 18th. The Batman: Arkham City Collector’s Edition of the game will include a download code for the album along with additional bonus content.

The artists featured on Batman: Arkham City – The Album approached their contributions to the album with their own unique interpretations of the stories surrounding Batman. The result is an eclectic mix of dynamic, atmospheric songs for an album that will appeal to fans of both the artists and Batman: Arkham City. Coheed and Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez said, “I write in a very conceptual format with the stories that surround Coheed and Cambria, but Batman has a much larger, defined history and rules that go along with it. My goal was to find universal themes from Batman’s existing history to help give the lyrics legs and dimension so that the song could live within that world.”

Check out the track listing below:

1. Panic! At The Disco – Mercenary
2. Coheed and Cambria – Deranged
3. The Duke Spirit – Creature
4. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Shadow On The Run
5. Blaqk Audio – Afterdark
6. The Raveonettes – Oh, Stranger
7. (Crosses) – The Years
8. The Damned Things – Trophy Widow
9. Daughtry – Drown In You
10. The Boxer Rebellion – Losing You
11. Serj Tankian – Total Paranoia

PANIC! AT THE DISCO PREMIER NEW TRACK “MERCENARY” ON IDOLATOR

TRACK TO BE FEATURED ON FORTHCOMING BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY – THE ALBUM DUE OUT OCTOBER 4TH Check out the brand new track “Mercenary” from Panic! At The Disco, currently premiering on Idolator: HERE

Batman: Arkham City – The Album will be released in conjunction with the highly anticipated forthcoming videogame Batman: Arkham City. Featuring 11 new original tracks, Batman: Arkham City – The Album will be released on October 4th, two weeks prior to the game’s North American release on October 18th. The Batman: Arkham City Collector’s Edition of the game will include a download code for the album along with additional bonus content.

The artists featured on Batman: Arkham City – The Album approached their contributions to the album with their own unique interpretations of the stories surrounding Batman. The result is an eclectic mix of dynamic, atmospheric songs for an album that will appeal to fans of both the artists and Batman: Arkham City. Coheed and Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez said, “I write in a very conceptual format with the stories that surround Coheed and Cambria, but Batman has a much larger, defined history and rules that go along with it. My goal was to find universal themes from Batman’s existing history to help give the lyrics legs and dimension so that the song could live within that world.”

Check out the track listing below:

1. Panic! At The Disco – Mercenary
2. Coheed and Cambria – Deranged
3. The Duke Spirit – Creature
4. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Shadow On The Run
5. Blaqk Audio – Afterdark
6. The Raveonettes – Oh, Stranger
7. (Crosses) – The Years
8. The Damned Things – Trophy Widow
9. Daughtry – Drown In You
10. The Boxer Rebellion – Losing You
11. Serj Tankian – Total Paranoia

WHEN SAINTS GO MACHINE SHARE NEW ALBUM TRACK, “KELLY” NEW ALBUM, KONKYLIE, OUT JUNE 21 ON !K7

“Kelly felt just right from the start. Her future is exactly as imperfect as ours, but at least she’s dancing. . . to an up-tempo track, which in reality is very slow. It is practically impossible not to move around to this song.” – When Saints Go Machine

Couldn’t have said it better ourselves! When Saints Go Machine’s “Kelly” could easily be your new favorite song. Scaled down from sketches of three different arrangements, “Kelly” is When Saints Go Machine’s most straightforward, focused track on Konkylie, an album full of intricacy and elegance. Take a listen and see what we mean. You’ll be hearing this one in your head all day long!

DOWNLOAD WHEN SAINTS GO MACHINE’S “KELLY” HERE

Premiered earlier today on Stereogum, we now give you this track to do with it what you please. Listen, enjoy, share and see what When Saints Go Machine are all about.

“Konkylie’s thoughtful execution and appealing hooks reflect time well spent. Try ‘Kelly,’ an electro-pop production with warm, new wave currents to its bounce. Vocalist Nikolaj Manuel Vonsild is out front with lines about young love and a record collection that clearly contains lots of Arthur Russell. For fans of Austra and Antony. . . ” — Stereogum

When Saints Go Machine’s “Add Ends” video

ROCKS-OFF PRESENTS THE ROCK N ROLL HISTORY WALKING TOUR! INCLUDING A GUIDED TOUR OF THE LOWER EAST SIDE WITHJOHN JOSEPH (THE CRO MAGS)!

Rocks-Off one of the most infamous concert promoters in New York (famed for their live rock boat shows) has launched a series of walking tours in NYC. The two inaugural walking tours include The History Of Art, Crime, Drugs and Punk Rock on the Lower East Side (a guided tour given by John Joseph of the legendary Cro-Mags) and The Past, Present and Future of Rock & Roll in New York City (given by Jake Szufnarowski, owner of Rocks-Off, talent buyer and concert promoter for many legendary clubs in NYC and front man of international touring juggernaut, Tragedy: “A Metal Tribute To The Bee Gee’s”).

John Joseph who detailed his infamous life in his celebrated 2008 autobiography The Evolution Of A Cro-Magnon has been a first hand participant in the history of punk and its ground zero in New York, The Lower East Side since 1977. In that time he witnessed some of the most infamous shows at clubs of legend like Max’s Kansas City, Great Gildersleeves, The Mudd Club and CBGB’s, roadied for the Bad Brains in their legendary rise, slam danced with John Belushi, was one of the first people to stage dive on national TV (Saturday Night Live), defined and re-defined hardcore music with The Cro-Mags.

As a resident of the Lower East Side Joseph squatted in condemned tenements, lived below a murderer (The Alphabet City Butcher Daniel Rakowitz), scuffled with the Guardian of St Marks Ave John Spacely (whom the big rock stars came to cop from when in NYC) and witnessed the Tompkins Square Police Riot. While still a teen Joseph survived life on the streets acting as a heroin mule and pulling cons. He spent close to two years in the worst juvenile prisons in NY state Spafford and Lincolndale.

Of the tour Joseph says “There is a lot of history in the Lower East Side and a lot of its culture and significance has been lost in recent years with the gentrification of the city. Some of the best artists in the world came out of there and some of the most storied crime lore came from there as well, and those two elements co-existed side by side. I feel like an archeologist, digging up and exposing the real Lower East Side for new generations before it becomes completely fossilized.

Jake Szufnarowski has been promoting shows in NY since 1997, where he put on some the best shows at clubs including The Wetlands, Brownies, Webster Hall and CBGB’s (where he booked the last 100 shows before it closed). However one of his first passions was being a tour guide, Szufnarowski recalls “I’ve always been a history buff; I started giving tours at the age of fifteen for the National Parks Foundation in Massachusetts, showing people around the mills there. When I moved to New York I took a class at the New School to be a tour guide here but life just got in the way, until I read John (Joseph’s book). In one chapter he tells the reader how he sees the white bread tours that roll through town and how he would give the John Joseph tour, the real deal tour and gives a lowdown on the areas of the village and what really went down there. I called him up and asked ‘are you serious about this tour?’ and he said he was and I said let’s do it!”

Szufnarowski’s tour walks you through the hot downtown spots for music over the past fifty years. From CBGB’s where you will learn stories of it’s heroes like The Ramones and how to properly go #2 in the CBGB bathroom. You’ll see the spots where groups like Rancid, Social Distortion, the Beastie Boys and The Replacements hung out and played secret shows. You’ll see where Gibby Hanes of The Butthole Surfers beat up a sound-guy mid show, see where the Hells Angels are headquartered and find out which famous rock n roll outlaw they kept out of NYC for 28 years. You’ll also see the future of rock & roll like Piano’s, The Cake Shop and Arlene’s Grocery where newcomers like The Strokes, Interpol and The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s honed their chops.

OLIN & THE MOON MAKE DEBUT TELEVISION APPEARANCE ON THE CW’S ONE TREE HILL SET TO PLAY L.A.’S BOOTLEG THEATER ON APRIL 29TH

2011 has been an incredible year for Olin and the Moon…and its only April! With the release of their latest album Footsteps in January, the band has already played to sold out crowds across the west coast, tore up Austin for SXSW and now has made their debut television appearance on the CW’s monster hit One Tree Hill. Performing the track Not In Love, the band’s appearance aired last night on the show.

If you missed One Tree Hill last night, here is the clip of the band’s performance:

Olin And The Moon – Not In Love video (One Tree Hill . 819)

Since the band’s appearance, the song Not In Love has been climbing the iTunes rock charts and has officially broken the Top 100!

The band will also be playing a special show on April 29th in Los Angeles at the Bootleg Theater presented by acclaimed local radio station KCRW alongside Sean Rowe and Gaby Moreno. If you’d like to attend the show please let me know and I will gladly accommodate.