“Dear Internet and users of the World Wide Web, it is with much joy that we wish to present the video for “Dark Water”. We feel that this video really encapsulates the tone of the song in a haunting and strangely beautiful way. Also, there are claymation versions of us–which has been a life long goal. Mission accomplished” - Josh Epstein and Daniel Zott, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
“Dark Water” is off the band’s brand new EP, Patterns, which came out a couple weeks ago. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. are booked to perform their hit in the making “If You Didn’t See Me (Then You Weren’t On The Dancefloor)” on CONAN June 11th.
The guys have just come off playing a string of sold-out shows in support of the new EP, including a hometown Record Store Day show in Detroit and a Brooklyn show at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Next up they will be performing at El Rey in Los Angeles tomorrow, May 16th. For a full list of upcoming show dates, see below.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. are gearing up for the release their sophomore LP later this year.
Confirmed DEJJ Tour Dates:
05.16 Los Angeles – El Rey
05.17 San Francisco – The Independent
05.24 Chicago – Lincoln Hall
Dangerbird Records and MapleMusic Recordings are proud to announce the release of Royal Teeth’shighly-anticipated debut full-length album “Glow” on August 13th. Recorded this winter in Toronto with producer Gavin Brown (Metric), the band entered the studio focused and ready to showcase the energy and spirited joy of the live shows that have drawn audiences to the band all around the country. The follow-up to their widely acclaimed debut EP, Glow is an engaging collection of indie-pop tracks that celebrate the band’s thirst for exploration and youthful adventures into the unknown, themes first explored in the band’s infectious breakout single “Wild.”
The band’s debut EP, “Act Naturally”, gained rapid traction in early 2012 launching Royal Teeth into the spotlight as “Wild” found its way into a Buick Verano Commercial, in addition to several other major network placements, and the soundtrack to EA Sports’ top selling video game, FIFA 13. “Wild” has inspired sing-a-longs via radio as well, connecting with new fans through airplay on SiriusXM’s AltNation and influential Alternative radio stations like CHHR Vancouver, CILV Ottawa, KNDD Seattle, KTCL Denver, WROX Norfolk, WWCD Columbus, KRBZ Kansas City, and CFJB Barrie.
Royal Teeth’s six members come from three cities across Southern Louisiana, a state known for its colossal musical output over the centuries. Now residing in New Orleans, their beat-centric sound is a technicolor addition to the legacy of Louisiana. After performances at CMJ, SXSW, Austin City Limits, Voodoo, and Jazzfest , the band made their television debut on Last Call with Carson Daly.
Royal Teeth North American Tour Dates:
May 10 – New York, NY @ Downtown Music Festival, Pianos
May 11 – Albany, NY @ WEQX Tulip Fest
May 23 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Varsity Theatre
May 31 – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room
June 1 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
June 3 – Detroit, IL @ Pike Room
June 7 – Buffalo, NY @ Tralf Music Hall – Studio Stage
June 8 – Philadelphia, PA @ WRFF 104.5 Summer Block Party
June 11 – Boston, MA @ T.T. the Bear’s
June 12 – Pawtucket, RI @ The Met
June 14 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
June 17 – Raleigh, NC @ Kings Barcade
June 18 – Charlotte, NC @ Visulite Theatre
June 19 – Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
June 21 – Dallas, TX @ Cambridge Room, House of Blues
June 22 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues Bronze Peacock
June 24 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
June 25 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
June 27 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
June 28 – Portland, OR @ Star Theater
June 29 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
July 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubador
July 3 – San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
July 13 – Frederick, MD @ Carroll Creek Amphitheatre
To their credit, the DC-via-Kentucky folk act Vandaveer understand how dark this old, weird America can be. Their new album, Oh, Willie, Please…, is a collection of “traditional murder ballads and songs of self ruin” that succeeds because the prettiness of the music only heightens the ugliness of the actions. There’s a matter-of-factness that makes the slicings, stabbings, stranglings, suffocatings, drownings, hangings and shootings all the more grim. Heidinger doesn’t shy away from the horror of “The Banks of the Ohio” or “Down in the Willow Garden” nor does he wallow in their gruesomeness. Singing about stabbing his lover and drowning her in the river—on both songs even—he trusts the material to deliver its shock. - PASTE
Vandaveer revisit the ghastly tale of “Pretty Polly” with a haunting and gorgeously spare arrangement on their new album of murder ballads, Oh, Willie, Please… using subtle restraint and carefully chosen notes from banjo and cello to perfectly create an atmosphere of foreboding and pain. – POPMATTERS
The macabre has long held uneasy sway over the human condition. From ghost stories to creation myths, from CSI to Shakespeare, from cable news voyeurism to Edgar Allan Poe, the subjects of death, murder and all things ghastly have fascinated and frightened for centuries. Songs are no exception. From Old World roots to more recent incarnations in America, the murder ballad has traversed, shapeshifted and persevered. Despite our collective desire to be good and virtuous, people do very bad things. And then we sing about them.
Death, murder and ghosts have long been underlying threads coursing through Vandaveer’s original songs, but instead of weaving their own shadowy tales into their latest studio effort, Oh, Willie, Please…, the DC-by-way-of-Kentucky alt-folk collective have tapped into the wellspring of traditional folk’s darker side.
Oh, Willie, Please… finds the group operating in a more collaborative spirit. In addition to the core duo of Mark Charles Heidinger and Rose Guerin, the talents of J. Tom Hnatow (These United States, The Mynabirds) and Phillips Saylor (Stripmall Ballads, The Shiftless Rounders) helped expand the project into a formidable ensemble, armed with steel string, resonator and pedal steel guitars, banjos and pianos, voices galore, and a common belief in the quality and relevance of the word ‘folk.’
Inspired by their recent participation in The 78 Project, the group gathered in a majestic old home on a picturesque horse farm in Lexington, Kentucky in the spring of 2012 and set to work re-imagining a collection of age-old murder ballads & songs of self ruin plucked almost entirely from the public domain. With longtime producer Duane Lundy once again at the helm, Vandaveer moved swiftly through the selected catalog, recording most of the tracks live in the manor’s great room. The result is a spacious, honest album that balances reverence and respect for the source material with a healthy coat of contemporary color.
VANDAVEER 2013 TOUR DATES:
5/2 – Rockwood Music Hall – New York, NY
5/4 – Club 603 – Baltimore, MD
5/8 – Southern Cafe & Music Hall – Charlottesville, VA
5/9 – The Garage – Winston-Salem, NC
5/11 – Kirk Avenue Music Hall – Roanoke, VA
5/16 – Rumba Cafe – Columbus, OH
5/17 – Willie’s Locally Known – Lexington, KY
5/19 – Space – Studio Room – Evanston, IL
5/20 – The Ark – Ann Arbor, MI
5/21 – Southgate House – Newport, KY
5/22 – Uncle Slayton’s – Louisville, KY
5/23 – The High Watt – Nashville, TN
5/24 – The Earl – Atlanta, GA
5/25 – Evening Muse – Charlotte, NC
5/26 – Local 506 – Chapel Hill, NC
6/7 – Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO w/ They Might Be Giants
6/8 – The Depot – Salt Lake City, UT w/ They Might Be Giants
6/9 – Egyptian Theatre – Boise, ID w/ They Might Be Giants
Last month Theophilus London dropped his first new studio track in a minute. “Rio” is the first taste of what’s to come on his forthcoming album, due later this year. The song, featuring the Menahan Street Band, now has an official video, which was directed by Tim Cruz, and produced by Mike Mihail for Guerilla Hollywood.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
Sat, July 6th – Brooklyn, NY – Prospect Park (Celebrate Brooklyn, Free Show)
Thu, July 25th – Las Vegas, NV – The Cosmopolitan
Fri, August 2nd – Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza
Multi-platinum pop group Barenaked Ladies are celebrating their 25th anniversary in grand style: they just released a lyric video for “Boomerang,” the lead single off their new album Grinning Streak (out June 4th on Vanguard Records) and are gearing up for this year’s much-anticipated “Last Summer On Earth Tour.” (See my post about it here.)
Led by “Boomerang,” the songs on Grinning Streak unfold with the blend of immediacy, tunefulness and witty sophistication that made such BNL hits as “Pinch Me, “Brian Wilson,” “If I Had $1,000,000” and the chart-topping “One Week” modern-day classics. “Pop is a form that I love—it can be high-energy and intricate,” says Robertson of the genre the band has championed throughout the last quarter century. “When I think of pop music, I think of the Cars and Squeeze—interesting melodic rock is what I gravitate toward and what I’m always striving for. I want guitar-heavy pop/rock that’s intelligent, evocative and thought-provoking. I want it to be singable and relatable, and I want there to be other layers in there for the people who want to go deeper—because not everybody does. I’ve heard so many times, ‘I love you guys ’cause your songs are just fun and easygoing.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m glad you enjoy them, but there’s a dark underbelly that you haven’t mined.’”
Indeed, there’s much more to the Barenaked Ladies than initially meets the ear. Suck on the candy-coated surfaces of Robertson’s songs long enough and you never know what you’ll encounter in their “emotional centers,” as Robertson puts it.
He wrestled with the songs for the new album over an extended period as he plumbed the depths of his psyche in search of just those emotional centers. Along the way, Robertson experienced periods of stress, though not to the degree he’d endured while writing the material for the band’s previous studio album, 2010’s All in Good Time. That one was their first project following the departure of Steven Page, who’d founded the band with Robertson in 1988, reconfiguring the BNL as a four-piece.
“This is the second record since all of that turmoil,” Robertson notes, “but it’s still a part of what we’re going through and what informs who we are. On the last record, there were some songs that were directly about the band split, but this record is much more about the emotional rebuilding after that process. Looking back on the maelstrom of all that upheaval, I wanted to convey a sense of hope, reconciliation and healing with these songs. ‘Off His Head,’ for example, is about pushing through difficulty. There’s a double chorus at the end that I flipped, because I didn’t want it to end with, ‘Wishing you were dead.’ That’s part of being exasperated and at your wit’s end. But what I like about this song is that it says you just do it. You think it’s hopeless, but there’s a reason you’re pushing through it. The song says you can let all these things ruin you, or you can take it on the chin and stand up again.”
“Boomerang” metaphorically examines the aftermath of a breakup, but on a deeper level it recounts an impassioned interior dialogue. “It’s a really personal song that says, ‘You can be done with me, but I’m not done with you,’” Robertson explains. “For me, it’s about feeling relevant—because, as I started to approach this record, there was a period where I felt like I didn’t know what to say and I didn’t know who cared. But then I realized, y’know, I care. I like what I do, I’m a good songwriter and I’m gonna write—I’m gonna express things. So that song is about getting your confidence back—or, as one of my colleagues would say, getting your swagger back.”
Atlas Genius will kick off its first-ever North American headline tour. The run includes sold-out nights in Houston, Santa Barbara, Denver, Minneapolis, Cambridge and New York City, where the Australian band will play The Bowery Ballroom on June 18 and 19. The band will play London, UK for the first time on May 7, as well. Supporting acts will include The Neighbourhood, The Postelles, The Colourist, Pacific Air and Haerts. Atlas Genius, who recently wrapped up a sold-out tour with Imagine Dragons, will also perform at numerous festivals, including the Sasquatch! Festival, Lollapalooza, the Firefly Music Festival, Summerfest, Edgefest, San Francisco’s BFD and San Diego’s X-Fest. See below for tour itinerary.
“Centred on You,” Atlas Genius’ new video was directed by Anders Rostad. ”Trojans,” the first single from the band’s full-length debut, When It Was Now(Warner Bros. Records), is a Top 5 Modern Rock/Top 10 Triple A radio hit. It has already sold over 250,000 tracks in the U.S. and has spent 49 weeks on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart. ”Trojans” has been heard on such shows as “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Deception,” “Whitney,” “Being Human” and “90210.” The band’s new single, ”If So,” praised by Rolling Stone for its “dream-like guitar licks, shifty hi-hats and a meaty bass backbone, has been licensed by “90210″ and the EA Sports FIFA video game.
Brothers Keith and Michael Jeffery wrote, recorded and produced When It Was Nowat a studio they built in their hometown of Adelaide, Australia. “Bouncy, jangly tracks like ‘Through the Glass’ and the single ‘Trojans’…[are] pretty damn irresistible,” said People.Seventeen placed them on its list of “17 Bands Everyone Should Be Talking About.” Neon Gold said that When It Was Now ”promises to be one of the year’s most impressive debuts,” NYLON tipped Atlas Genius as one of the top five bands to watch out for in 2013 and Entertainment Weekly named them as one of “15 New Stars We Love.”
May
3 – New York, NY @ Original Penguin SoHo store
4 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Piazza at Schmidt’s w/Family of the Year
7 – London, UK @ Electrowerks
19 – Mountain View, CA @ Live 105 BFD Festival
20 – Santa Barbara, CA @ SOhO Restaurant and Music Club ** SOLD OUT
22 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s Night Club **
24 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom **
25 – Quincy, WA @ The Gorge – Sasquatch! Music Festival – Bigfoot Stage
26 – Vancouver, BC @ Venue **
29 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court ***
31 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater *** SOLD OUT
June
1 – Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep ***
4 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café *** SOLD OUT
6 – Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe at Old National Centre ***
7 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall ***
9 – Nashville, TN @ 3rd & Lindley ****
11 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa ****
12 – Richmond, VA @ The Canal Club ****
14 – Albany, NY @ Bayou Café ****
15 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair **** SOLD OUT
17 – Pawtucket, RI @ The Met Café ****
18 – New York, NY @ The Bowery Ballroom **** SOLD OUT
19 – New York, NY @ The Bowery Ballroom **** SOLD OUT
20 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Casino – Wolf Den FREE SHOW
21 – Dover, DE @ Firefly Music Festival
23 – Toronto, ON @ The Opera House *****
24 – Detroit, MI @ Shelter *****
27 – Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
July
6 – Vancouver, BC @Kelowna’s Waterfront Park
10 – Ottawa, ON @ Ottawa Blues Festival
13 – Cincinnati, OH @ Bunbury Music Fest
August
2 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
4 – Montreal, QC @ Osheaga Music and Arts Festival
New York’s band Baby Alpaca is a 3-piece group that consists of Chris Kittrell (vocals, autoharp), Zach McMillan (guitar, backing vocals) and Robert Phillips (drums). The first single “Sea of Dreams” is a slow building and burning track off of the Baby Alpaca EP that will be released via Atlas Chair Records on June 25th. NPR’s Bob Boilen said this about the video, which is directed by the Cincinnati-native Chris Kittrell: “My dreams are never like Chris Kittrell’s “Sea Of Dreams,” but I wish they were. Watching this animation will be as close as I get”.
“…Sea of Dreams, which channels The Smiths with it’s dreamy, light dada-rock production – think soft, romantic rock that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. The debut EP ranges from playful to emotional, but always leaves you impressed. “ – Disco Naïveté
Album track “Giddy Up” is an upbeat, bubbly cut with buzzing electronic sound effects and a sing-along chorus. The band shows off showing their playful, fun-loving side with a video for the track, which shows them goofing off in their rehearsal space in Canada.
Driven by heavy-hitting electro rhythms, pulsing beats, and sing-along choruses, Dragonette’s music packs a mean punch. From emotion-packed ballads to fist-pumping anthems, Bodyparts takes listeners on a wild ride. Be sure to catch the band live in your city!
Team Spirit are thrilled to announce their US Spring tour with Peace. The Brooklyn rock band, fronted by former Passion Pit member Ayad Al Adhamy, just wrapped up select dates with The Joy Formidable. Starting April 30th, Team Spirit will be supporting UK buzz band/NME cover darlings Peace for dates across the US in support of their self-titled debut EP, which came out last week on VICE Records / Warner Bros. Records. Check out the band’s new video for “Jesus He’s Alright” below.
Click image to check out the EP on iTunes
‘Team Spirit’ EP Tracklisting:
Jesus He’s Alright!
MRDR It’s Ok
Fuck The Beach
Teenage Love
Phenomenon
Confirmed Tour Dates:
EP Release Party:
04.25 – Swat Bar, 59 Canal St – New York, NY 21+, $10 at the door; doors at 9pm.
Check out the video for Dillon Francis’ track, “Messages”. It is FILLED with messages via Emoji!!!! Personally, I enjoy the piggy in a bikini the best.
