Category Archives: Check ’em Out!

April 23, 2012 · 11:56 am

New Electric Guest Album, Mondo, Out Tomorrow

Asa Taccone and Matthew Compton–collectively known as Electric Guest have confirmed an April 24 release date (that’s tomorrow!) for their Danger Mouse-produced Downtown Records/Fontana North debut album, Mondo.

Stream: Electric Guest – “This Head I Hold”

The thoroughly unsettling video for album cut “American Daydream,” directed by Jorma Taccone (The Lonely Island, Saturday Night Live), premiered across MTV’s various platforms on January 23.

The duo is set to begin the second leg of their national tour on April 25.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, Highly Anticipated, listen, new albums, video

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

April 17, 2012 · 10:51 am

Preservation Hall Announces Jazz Fest and Summer Line-Up

Preservation Hall Jazz Band is excited to announce their upcoming summer tour dates. Kicking off their tour on May 5th at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (where they will be performing twice) and touring until August.

The Hall Band’s first performance at Jazz Fest will be starting at 4:25pm, Saturday, May 5th at the Economy Hall Tent. On May 6th, the Preservation Hall band and friends will close out Jazz Fest on the Gentilly Stage with a mega performance featuring a number of special guests including Steve Earle, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Ani Difranco, Allen Toussaint, Trombone Shorty, Bonnie Raitt, Wendell Eugene, and Lionel Ferbos.

As part of the Superfly During Jazzfest Concert Series, Preservation Hall Crescent City Revue featuring Preservation Hall and Friends will also perform on Saturday, May 5th at the brand new Joy Theatre, located in downtown New Orleans on Canal Street. Reminiscent of the revues of the 1920s, PHJB will be joined by a number of guests including The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Ivan Neville, Stanton Moore, Ernie Vincent, Leo Nocentelli, Benny Jones, Uncle Lionel, Little Freddie King, David Torkanowsky, and many more to be announced. Opening for this all-star revue will be the New Orleans Rock Cabaret The New Orleans Bingo! Show.

Also being announced is this year’s 8th Annual Midnight Preserves Lineup which will feature intimate limited-seating performances at Preservation Hall featuring both national and local artists. This year’s lineup includes Steve Earle, Theresa Andersson, Henry Butler, Tao Seeger, and much more! The Midnight Preserves series will also feature the Hall’s most admired bands paying tribute to legendary Hall musicians. Proceeds from the series will benefit The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program. Tickets are limited and available now at TICKETFLY.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band will also be releasing a limited edition 10” vinyl of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band Live at Carnegie Hall in advance of the full-length concert to be released later this year. The vinyl will only be available exclusively during Jazz Fest and includes “Sweet And Low Down,” “That’s Enough,” “Saints Go Marchin In,” “Bourbon Street Parade,” and “Tootie Ma.” Only 504 copies will be available for sale.

PHJB Tour Dates

5/5: Economy Hall Tent @ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

5/5: New Orleans, LA @ Joy Theater

5/6: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

5/11: Black Mountain, NC @ Lake Eden Arts Festival Lakeside

5/12: Bethlehem, PA @ Arts Quest River Jazz Festival

5/18: Montreal, QC @ Montreal Chamber Music Festival

5/19: Brooklyn, NY @ The Great Googa Mooga in Prospect Park

5/20: Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse

5/25: Chillicothe, IL @ Summer Camp Music Festival

5/26: Minneapolis, MN @ Orchestra Hall

5/27: Cumberland, MD @ 5th Annual Del Fest

6/2: Brookfield, WI @ Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts

6/7: Coral Gables, FL @ Coral Gables Congregational Church

6/10: Salt Lake City, UT @ Red Butte Garden (with The Del McCoury Band)

6/16: Croton-on-Hudson, NY @ the Clearwater Festival

6/17: Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl

6/22: Vancouver, BC @ Centre for the Performing Arts

6/23: Victoria, BC @ TD Victoria International Jazz Fest

6/29: Las Vegas, NV @ The Smith Center for the Performing Arts

6/30: Las Vegas, NV @ The Smith Center for the Performing Arts

7/1: San Francisco, CA @ Sigmund Stern Grove

7/4: San Rafael, CA @ Marin County Fair

7/6: Irvine, CA @ Irvine Barclay Theatre

7/12: Grand Rapids, MI @ Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

7/13: Wichita, KS @ The Orpheum

7/14: Louisville, KY @ Forecastle Music and Arts Festival

7/25: Interlochen, MI @ Interlochen Center for the Arts Kresge Auditorium

7/26: Boston, MA @ Boston Globe Summer Arts Weekend in Copley Square

7/27: Boston, MA @ Boston Globe Summer Arts Weekend in Copley Square

7/28: Newport, RI @ Newport Folk Festival 2012

8/2: Wellfleet, MA @ Wellfleet Preservation Hall

8/8: Fryeburg, ME @ Fryeburg Academy Leura Hill Eastman Performing Arts Center

8/9: Waterford, CT @ B.O.M.B. FEST Harkness Memorial State Park

Leave a comment

Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, Events

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 16, 2012 · 5:24 pm

Video: Straight From The Harp – GoGoGoGoGo

Check out this awesomeness from Danish band, Straight From The Harp. The song was mixed by Lars Iversen of The Asteroids Galaxy Tour. The video is inspired by movies by Wong Kar-wai, Hitchcock and Danish Lars von Trier and they recorded the video themselves on an iPhone. Their upcoming album, I’m On Fire Just For You, will be out May 29th.
“GoGoGoGoGo” available now on iTunes here.

 

1 Comment

Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, video

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

April 11, 2012 · 1:55 pm

New Music: Wintersleep

“broods, billows and stalks the listener with soaring vocals, punching drums and waves of guitars.” —Wall Street Journal

“Wintersleep have a tendency to cut straight for the gold with infectious guitar lines and persuasive, high-energy choruses.” —Pitchfork

Wintersleep produces music that has the ability to grab listeners with  its pop charm and keep them captivated with its subtle complexities. The band is gearing up to release Hello Hum, a collection of diverse tracks full of resonant harmonies, rich layers of elaborate instrumentation and ear-catching melodies. Co-produced and mixed by Dave Fridmann (MGMT, The Flaming Lips) and Tony Doogan (Belle & Sebastian, Mogwai) and inspired by the members’ collective experiences, waking dreams, and musical experimentations, Hello Hum will be released June 12th via Roll Call Records/ILG.

Download: Wintersleep – “Resuscitate”

Leave a comment

Filed under Check 'em Out!, downloads, listen, new albums

Tagged as , , , ,

April 10, 2012 · 3:19 pm

Newest Love: Stepdad

Have you ever looked through those funhouse mirrors that show copies of your reflection continuing infinitely? Imagine seeing that, but in a strobe-lit room with mirrors all around you. Then imagine you’re tripping on LSD.” – Consequence of Sound

“Stepdad’s debut EP is an excellent one and enough to hype their upcoming full-length Wildlife Pop. If you love electro-pop music, you will want to add this band to your rotation.” – Earbuddy.net

“About the only way I can think of to describe them is that it’s like laying in the warm sunshine on a lazy summer afternoon. You just have to relax and smile.” – Revival Magazine

“If Passion Pit and The Postal Service got drunk one night and had a kid out of wedlock, the result would be Stepdad.” – Blogcritics

Stepdad have unleashed unto the world a brand new track from their upcoming debut LP Wildlife Pop, due out June 12th on Black Bell Records.

The Grand Rapids foursome are also excited to announce that they will be joining the Warped Tour this summer. The tour includes over 40 dates and the likes of Rise Against, Taking Back Sunday and many more. Get more info here.

Stepdad was forged in an unrelenting bath of summer heat on Chicago’s south side in 2009 by songwriters/producers/college dropouts/solid bros Ryan McCarthy and ultramark on the foundation of their joint worship of Roland Orzabal and Brian Wilson. After a few quick months, the still nameless duo was sitting on a small mountain of songs. The name Stepdad was arrived upon by a random phrase generator and adopted without regard for the impending banality of rehashing that story during interviews.

Swiftly deciding that a low cost of living heavily outweighed the benefits of Chicago, Stepdad relocated to Grand Rapids (because it’s not Detroit) in their home state of Michigan and self-released their debut EP Ordinaire.  Alex Fives and Jeremy Malvin were then added to the lineup on bass and drums respectively.  This incarnation carried them through tours with Fitz and the Tantrums, Passion Pit, and Rubblebucket.

The success of infectious and heavily layered pop behemoths like “My Leather, My Fur, My Nails” and “Jungles” helped Stepdad gain the attention of producer Chris Zane (Passion Pit, Asobi Seksu, The Walkmen, Les Savy Fav) and in the summer of 2011, Stepdad readily shacked up with friends and bedbugs in New York City to record their debut LP Wildlife Pop, out June 12th on Black Bell Records.

Wildlife Pop presents a creative leap forward for Stepdad, expanding their already massive pop sound. “Will I Ever Dance Again” and “Must Land Running” successfully transplant their aptitude for unforgettable choruses into a larger sound bed while the galactic rainforest sensations of “Treasure Hugs”, “Exploring”, and “Starfriends on Earth” create the cathartic urge to sprint barefoot through a gauntlet of scorpions on a municipal trail paved with searing drywall screws (fortunately for listeners everywhere, this compelling inclination would be devilishly hard to act upon).

Listen: Stepdad – “Must Land Running”

Tracklist for Wildlife Pop
  1. Must Land Running
  2. Jungles
  3. Show Me Your Blood
  4. Mystery in the Faking
  5. Will I Ever Dance Again
  6. To Ribbons
  7. My Leather, My Fur, My Nails
  8. Pick & Choose
  9. Starfriends on Earth
  10. Treasure Hugs
  11. Exploring
  12. Warrior (Jungles Part 2)

Leave a comment

Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, Highly Anticipated, listen, Newest Love

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 9, 2012 · 3:06 pm

Video: The Spring Standards – Here We Go

“ethereal indie-pop” – NPR

“New York-based rockers the Spring Standard bring a touch of the Cars’ spastic guitar crunch to “Here We Go,” a soaring tune about those first hopeful flushes of romance.” – SPIN

“Together, the two EPs create a rich experience of sound and emotion.” – MAGNET

The Spring Standards are preparing to release their new record, yellow//gold, consisting of two emotionally-charged EPs that tell intertwining stories of growing up and leaving home to embark on a new adventure. yellow evokes a sense of nostalgia for the trio’s shared childhoods—they started playing folk music together as teenagers in the rural landscapes of the Pennsylvania/Delaware border— while gold is a declaration of young life in a big city, bursting with energy. Flush with rolling piano, wistful strings, and brittle to booming percussion, the yellow//gold double-disc record is due out May 1st on Parachute Shooter Records. “Here We Go” is a cautious, yet hopeful song about the discovery of true love, with an air of anticipation and excitement that explodes into a chorus packed with energy. The band has released a hilariously charming video for the album track right down to the Michael Jackson “Thriller” dance sequence.

Like a group of journeying troubadours, The Spring Standards tantalize the imagination with truthful, relatable stories and create a musical atmosphere that covers a vast spectrum of emotion.

The Spring Standards Tour Dates * with Rhett Miller

  • 4/6: Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory
  • 5/2: New Haven, CT @ Bar
  • 5/6: Ann Arbor, MI @ The Blind Pig
  • 5/7: Chicago, IL @ Schubas
  • 5/8: St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
  • 5/9: Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub
  • 5/10: Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe
  • 5/12: Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
  • 6/4: Washington, DC @ Jammin Java*
  • 6/5: Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live Theatre*
  • 6/6: Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café*
  • 6/9: Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall*
  • 6/15: San Diego, CA @ The Casbah*
  • 6/16: Hermosa Beach, CA @ Saint Rocke*
  • 6/17: San Juan Capistrano, CA @ Coach House*
  • 6/18: West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour*
  • 6/19: San Francisco, CA @ The Independent*
  • 6/21: Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge*
  • 6/22: Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile Cafe*
Related articles

Leave a comment

Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, listen, new albums, Shows, video

Tagged as , , , , , ,

April 9, 2012 · 2:51 pm

MP3: Zulu Winter – “Silver Tongue”

Zulu Winter is gearing up to release Language, a debut album that has the immediate appeal of pop while at the same time packed with emotional insight. Inspired by everything from 19th century literature to obscure ‘60s electronica, Language will be released in North America on June 19 via Arts & Crafts. Until then, have a free download!

Download: Zulu Winter – “Silver Tongue”

Related articles

2 Comments

Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, Highly Anticipated, listen

Tagged as , ,

April 3, 2012 · 10:18 am

Video: Secret Music – “Ghost in the Graveyard”

“Ramshackle indie rock duo Secret Music builds their frenetic pop around simple, catchy synth or guitar lines” –Stereogum

Brooklyn-based Secret Music (comprised of Chase Nicholl and Daniel Fry) have premiered the wild, new music video for their single, “Ghost in the Graveyard,” on Vice’s Noisey YouTube channel.

The rowdy track, which was produced by Passion Pit’s Ayad Al Adhamy, is from the band’s self-titled debut, which dropped on March 6th via Black Bell Records/Warner Music’s ILG. The video stars stunt man and Guinness World Record Holder for Longest Body Burn, Ted Batchelor – who plays a character escaping his tedious, suburban lifestyle, and winds up lighting himself on fire. The song is a perfect fit for the video’s outrageous story plot.

Additionally, Secret Music is thrilled to announce the band’s West Coast tour with rockers Middle Class Rut and Beware of Darkness that kicks-off on April 21st. While on the road, Nicholl and Fry will be joined on stage with touring members Dave Weingarten (drums), Jared Rich (keys/synth) and Michael Boss (bass), that will help to flesh out Secret Music’s infectious sound.

Secret Music Spring 2012 Tour:

w/Middle Class Rut and Beware of Darkness
4/21/12 – The Juggermaut Gallup, NM
4/22/12 – The Black Sheep Colorado Springs, CO
4/24/12 – Marquis Theatre Denver, CO
4/25/12 – Club Sound Salt Lake City, UT
4/26/12 – Neurolux Boise, ID
4/27/12 – Doug Fir Lounge Portland, OR
4/28/12 – T A Club Spokane, WA
4/29/12 – El Corazon Seattle, WA
5/02/12 – Fulton 55 Fresno, CA
5/03/12 – House of Blues San Diego, CA
5/04/12 – Constellation Room Santa Ana, CA
5/05/12 – Silverston Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, NV
5/06/12 – Troubadour West Hollywood, CA

Buy Secret Music’s new self-titled record on iTunes or Amazon.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, listen, video

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 2, 2012 · 2:40 pm

The Dig – “Red Rose in the Cold Winter Ground”

New York rock band The Dig will release their new album Midnight Flowers on May 29th via Buffalo Jump Records. After releasing their acclaimed debut album Electric Toys in 2010, and having toured with artists such as Portugal. The Man, The Joy Formidable, Thrice, The Editors, The Antlers and The Walkmen, band members David Baldwin (Guitar/Vocals), Emile Mosseri (Bass/Vocals), Erick Eiser (Keyboards/Guitar), and Mark Demiglio (Drums) are ready to share their new music with the world. The band will embark on a national tour supporting the release of Midnight Flowers alongside Ben Kweller and Sleeper Agent this March, April and May.

“Although seemingly somber on the surface, the track’s jarring bassline and random, punctuating drums make for a dynamic, albeit reserved moment of great rock and roll transcendence.” – Consequence of Sound

“Without a doubt, The Dig have released one of the year’s best records” – Last.fm Discover

“This is the catchiest, most intriguing power pop band to emerge outof the no-name pile in some time.  –Pop Matters

Listen: The Dig –  “Red Rose in the Cold Winter Ground”

The Dig Tour Dates:

  • 3/30: St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway *
  • 3/31: Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
  • 4/01: Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge *
  • 4/02: Knoxville, TN @ Preservation Pub
  • 4/05: Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry’s
  • 4/11: Houston, TX @ The Mink
  • 4/12: San Antonio, TX @ SATX Music
  • 4/13: Dallas, TX @ The Prophet Bar
  • 4/14: Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
  • 4/18: Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
  • 4/19: Bend, OR @ The Horned Hand
  • 4/20: Eugene, OR @ Eugene
  • 4/24: San Juan Capistrano, CA @ The Coach House *
  • 4/25: Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre *
  • 4/26: San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
  • 4/30: Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue *
  • 5/01: Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater *
  • 5/25: Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands (CD RELEASE SHOW)
  • 5/31: Chicago, IL @ Schubas (CD RELEASE SHOW)

* = On Tour with Ben Kweller and Sleeper Agent

The Dig – Midnight Flowers track listing:

  1. Red Rose in the Cold Winter Ground
  2. Black Water
  3. Already Forgot Everything You Said
  4. All Tied Up
  5. Hole In My Heart
  6. Animal Screams
  7. Break The Silence
  8. Police Car
  9. Clouds and The White Noise
  10. Glass Horse

Leave a comment

Filed under Check 'em Out!, Highly Anticipated, listen, new albums, Newest Love, Shows

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

April 2, 2012 · 2:07 pm

Newest Love (+ free DL): Fixers

Fixers has announced plans for their first U.S. EP, Pop Meat/Your Corruptor, which will see a release on April 24th on Dolphin Love Records. The Oxford, UK-based psychedelic pop quintet is sharing the track “Another Lost Apache” as a free MP3 download to give everyone a taste of the EP. With an aesthetic that blooms from Beach Boys-era harmonies and surf samples, Fixers assert themselves as a band to watch, with endless hooks and a love for experimentation.

Pop Meat/Your Corruptor opener, “Another Lost Apache,” builds on an a cappella harmony and turns it into a fuzzed out adventure. The anthemic “Crystals” will have you singing along on the first listen as its slow rolling speeds up to ecstatic peaks.  The monumental sound of  “Passages/Love In Action/108″ underscores its question of where did the world go before coming back down amidst chants: “We are the sun / We are the moon / We’re coming down / We’re coming down.” “Pink Light” has a propelling rhythm that will take you from a sunny afternoon into a late hours dancing frenzy. On Pop Meat/Your Corruptor, Fixers are hinting at what’s to come.  They never sacrifice the big melodies or the experimentation and the result is a sun-drenched, fuzzed out, joyride that will make your 2012 better.

Pop Meat/Your Corruptor EP Tracklist:

  • 1. Another Lost Apache
  • 2. Crystals
  • 3. Pink Light
  • 4. Uriel
  • 5. Passages/Love In Action/108

Upcoming US Tour Dates

  • 4/17 – Brooklyn, NY – Cameo Gallery
  • 4/19 – New York, NY – Pianos

Download: Fixers – “Another Lost Apache”

Leave a comment

Filed under Check 'em Out!, downloads, Newest Love

Tagged as , , , , , , ,