Category Archives: Check ’em Out!

April 27, 2011 · 3:41 pm

New Video: Tahiti 80 “Easy”

“So why don’t you erase my name, cuz I will never feel the same.”

Check out this happy little ditty from Tahiti 80.

Tahiti 80 specialize in a danceable mix of carefree melodies and intoxicating grooves.  The band’s debut album, Puzzle, was released by Minty Fresh in the U.S. in 1999, and was critically acclaimed as a refreshingly upbeat nod to late 60s West Coast pop (particularly the Beach Boys). The album also placed Tahiti 80 squarely in the center of the  “French Pop Invasion” that was hitting the U.S., along with fellow French bands Phoenix and Air (most notably).  The band has been relentlessly productive ever since, having released an astounding ten EP’s and The Past, The Present & The Possible marking their sixth full-length album (which is available now).

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April 25, 2011 · 10:30 am

Newest Love: Strange Talk (+ free download!)

Click image to listen to Strange Talk's EP

The latest band that gets the hot Neon Gold label treatment is Australia’s Strange Talk, who will be releasing their Strange Talk EP on May 2nd. This EP marks Neon Gold’s first ever vinyl and CD release (to this point there have only been vinyl Neon Gold releases). The last few months have seen Strange Talk flex their musical muscle as a live act, honing their show opening for the likes of The Rapture, Neon Indian and Marina and The Diamonds.

Coming off like the perfect hybrid of Friendly Fires and Phoenix with a bit of that Down Under electro touch thrown in for good measure, Strange Talk are one of the most polished and exciting new acts to emerge. Fully equipped with an arsenal of stadium-ready anthems, “Climbing Walls” is all shimmering synths, cascading bass surges and expert delay pedal use, while next single “Eskimo Boy” shines as the bands flagship anthem, churning synths and heavy basslines slowly building up to the kind of dancefloor-swallowing breakdown Neon Gold dreams are made of. Elsewhere, “Is It Real” and “We Can Pretend” beg to be blasted with the top down on the open roads of summer as producer Eliot James (Two Door Cinema Club, Bloc Party), earns his 2011 Music Producers’ Guild Breakthrough Producer of the Year award with some of his finest work yet.

The Strange Talk EP is available for preorder from the Neon Gold website now for delivery on or around May 2nd.

Download: Strange Talk – “Climbing Walls”

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April 25, 2011 · 10:08 am

New Video: The Tender Box – “Crashing Down”

Originally inspired by the post punk and synth pop groups of the 1980s, The Tender Box was formed by the four childhood friends in the predominantly Mexican American neighborhood of South Gate, known in music circles as the hometown for the groundbreaking Latin rap outfit Cypress Hill. The lush and despairing decadence of Britpop appealed to their sensibilities and their own personal histories. Henceforth, The Tender Box would continue to immerse themselves in a veritable fusion of musical tastes and fine-tune their recipe for success blending alternative rock, Latin grooves and electro dance beats seamlessly together.

The band has recently shared stages with Echo & The Bunnymen, Lifehouse, Ida Maria and toured North America with She Wants Revenge & Kill Hannah. Also, with new music in hand the band embarked on a spring tour of the west coast supporting Montreal’s The Dears and made a number of appearances at this year’s SXSW.

Their second album, Reverence, comes out tomorrow.

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April 15, 2011 · 11:29 am

Newest Love: French Horn Rebellion

Watch the video for “Up All Night”

“Next big thing…Electro” New York Times
“Irresistible, panting synth-pop, with fat new wave key tones and ecstatic vocals.” Pitchfork
“A roller-coaster ride of an album that is as uplifting as it is beguiling” Q Magazine
“Warp speed eclectic” Time Out London

French Horn Rebellion (Robert and David Perlick-Molinari) kick off 2011 by announcing the US self-release of their debut album The
Infinite Music of French Horn Rebellion on April 19th digitally and May 24th physically (Once Upon A Time Records) and play 27 North American live shows supporting French electro pop outfit Yelle starting 17th April. MySpace Music exclusively premieres the band’s debut early, go here to listen to it.

Written, produced and mixed by Robert and David, ‘The Infinite Music…’ is a debut album that warps the fabric of dance, electro, rock and funk and may just turn out to be a contender for this year’s most ambitious, multi-faceted and engaging debut album. Crucially, the album also follows an intergalactic narrative that tracks the physical and emotional journey of an unknown French Horn player. “There is a story running through the album, it’s about the Universe. We’re pretty clear on what the story is, but what you take away from it may be something entirely different,” says David.

These two unassuming brothers, originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have already toured and played with the likes of Hot Chip, Sleigh Bells, The Drums and Cut Copy. The band have also remixed the likes of MEN, Two Door Cinema Club, OMD, Young Empires and Alex Winston.

Check out this hilarious video for “Broken Heart”

You can have a listen at the entire new album on MySpace by clicking here.

Download “This Moment” here

Download “Up All Night” (Clubfeet Remix) here

Download “What I Want” (JD Samson’s EVA HESSE remix) here

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April 11, 2011 · 11:35 am

New Video: The Belligerents – “Such a Crime”

LOVE the song, LOVE the video!

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April 8, 2011 · 1:56 pm

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – “Morning Thought”

Click image to go to the band's website

Detroit indie-pop duo Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. have released “Morning Thought,” the first track off their upcoming full-length debut, It’s A Corporate World, now set for a June 7th release through Quite Scientific Records in conjunction with Warner Bros. Records. The track is available as a free download in exchange for an email address on the band’s website. The band just wrapped up a tour with
Tapes ‘n Tapes and were all over the place at SXSW. Paste caught a great live version of “Vocal Chords” at their showcase, check out the video here. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. will then continue across the country on a headlining tour starting May 11th in NYC.

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April 8, 2011 · 1:47 pm

Outasight – “Figure 8”

 

Click image to listen to "Figure 8"

New York native Outasight follows up his acclaimed Never Say Never mixtape with a 5-song EP, Figure 8, slated for an April 26th release. Beginning Monday, April 25th, Outasight will be offering up the EP as a free download in exchange for an email address on his web properties and on April 26th, the EP will be for sale on at iTunes, Amazon and all digital retailers. Figure 8 is a pop-tinged achievement of rap and R&B, vividly complimented by Outasight’s observant lyrics and laidback harmonies.

The instrumental element of the EP reflects an appreciation for detailed production, densely layered with organs, guitars and percussion combined with the synths and heavy, mid-tempo drums that anchor the sound in hip-hop. The sonically rich canvases, supplied by Cook Classics, The Knox, and Matt Max and polished to a sheen by mixing engineer Chris Carmouche (Big Boi, Outkast), are the perfect
backdrop for Outasight’s casually contemplative ruminations on the widely relatable, alternately rapped and sung.

Listen to “Figure 8”

Tracklist:

1. So What (Produced by Cook Classics)
2. Figure 8 (Produced by Matt Max)
3. Maybe Next Time (Produced by Cook Classics)
4. Life or Something Like It (Produced by The Knocks)
5. Everyday (Produced by Cook Classics)

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April 8, 2011 · 11:51 am

Newest Love: The Chain Gang of 1974

“The Gang — which is actually just the recording moniker of Kamtin Mohager — delivers silken bursts of New Wave-inspired dance music with meaty, Cut Copy-sized hooks and flourishes of Passion Pit-style falsetto.” – SPIN‘s 35 Must-Hear Acts at SXSW

After self-releasing two albums over the past several years and receiving early praise from the likes of SPIN, The FADER, RCRD LBL, Brooklyn Vegan, and more, The Chain Gang of 1974 is ready to break out with Wayward Fire! Set for release June 21st on ModernArt, this is an album as restless as The Chain Gang of 1974‘s White Guts, an album which funneled three years of instrument-swapping, sample-splicing experience into a lean focused listen, but it melds the standout moments from that release into something wholly new and realized. In creating this new album, The Chain Gang of 1974’s genre-jumping singer/multi-instrumentalist Kamtin Mohager moved from Denver to Los Angeles, severed the ties of the two-year relationship that fueled Wayward Fire, and raised the
curtain on what’s next, proving that this particular film has just begun.

Download/listen: “Undercover”

On Wayward Fire, the laser-guided synth lines of “Undercover” and the rather epic “Hold On”-crowd pleasers that hint at everything from LCD Soundsystem to Talking Heads-make perfect sense alongside such shifting soundscapes as the shimmering keys of “Don’t Walk Away,” the hands-in-the-air hooks of “Taste of Heaven,” and the choruses that cut through the rain clouds in “Matter of Time.” Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Mohager balances his minor-key melodies with bold, bloodletting lyrics.

“Fresh off a string of noteworthy performances at South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas, Chain Gang is positioned to pick up where LCD Soundsystem is leaving off – live dance music with an abrasive edge and hipster swagger.” — Denver Post

In the lead up to this release, The Chain Gang of 1974 will play select dates on the west coast with Jamaica.

The Chain Gang of 1974 Tour Dates

Sat. April 23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex

Tue. April 26 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent w/ Jamaica

Thu. April 28 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios w/ Jamaica

Fri. April 29 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos w/ Jamaica

Sat. April 30 – Vancouver, BC @ Fortune Sound Club w/ Jamaica

Sat. June 11 – Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre w/ Candy Claws, Bad Weather California, Fellow Citizens

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March 31, 2011 · 10:57 am

Check ‘Em Out: Tin Can Radio

Explosive indie-dance/art-rock five-piece from Brisbane, Australia, Tin Can Radio, are celebrating the release of their debut album, Chase the Sun, Hold the Night with a massive 20 date tour around metropolitan and regional Australia. The tour spans over April and May of 2011.

The debut album, Chase the Sun, Hold the Night, is the accumulation of two acclaimed single-releases and many hard months in the studio. The 11 track LP runs a knife edge between accessible and fun, and ambitious and sonically challenging; journeying through dreamy landscapes, sing-along hooks, punchy guitar driven riffs and grinding dubstep breakdowns. (AWE-SOME!)

Lead singer Tom Wearne explains, “The album is a reflection of our shared struggle in trying to do exactly what we want to do, our attempts to live forever, to never sleep and to have never ending, uncompromised fun. You could say that these are over-riding themes in the songs, but they are also over-riding themes in our lives and the reason why we make this music.”

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March 30, 2011 · 2:51 pm

New Download: O’Death’s “Bugs”

Check out this new video from O’Death: Filmed on the coast of Maine, the video depicts a duo of mysterious, masked individuals, in abstract journey and ritual, seemingly swallowed by darkness. Simultaneously colorful and dark, the video is the perfect companion to the evocative song.

O’Death is a 6 member American folk rock band from Brooklyn. Today they are beginning an extensive tour in support of their new album, Outside. Everyone knows I’m not too big on folk music, but I am loving these guys. With the usage of a banjo, fiddle and ukulele, their music is more upbeat and happier than other “folk” music. I cannot wait to go see these guys JAM out when they’re here in Pittsburgh next month. If you have the chance to make it to one of their shows, you should take up on it, it’s sure to be a great time. 

Listen/download the first track (and possibly my favorite) from the new album: “Bugs”

O’DEATH TOUR DATES:

  • Wednesday, Mar. 30 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret w/ The Strange Boys, Natural Child
  • Thursday, Mar. 31 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
  • Friday, Apr. 1 – Missoula, MT @ The Palace w/ The Strange Boys, Natural Child
  • Saturday, Apr. 2 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux w/ The Strange Boys, Natural Child
  • Sunday, Apr. 3 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge w/ The Strange Boys, Natural Child
  • Monday, Apr. 4 – Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive w/ The Strange Boys, Natural Child
  • Tuesday, Apr. 5 – Pueblo, CO @ Red Raven Gallery w/ Sasquatch, The Haunted Windchimes
  • Wednesday, Apr. 6 – Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
  • Thursday, Apr. 7 – Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium
  • Friday, Apr. 8 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club w/ Grandchildren
  • Saturday, Apr. 9 – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen w/ Grandchildren
  • Monday, Apr. 11 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop w/ The Hollows, Grandchildren
  • Tuesday, Apr. 12 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Cafe w/ Grandchildren
  • Wednesday, Apr. 13 – Grantham, PA @ Messiah College
  • Thursday, Apr. 14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie w/ Grandchildren
  • Friday, Apr. 15 – Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory w/ Grandchildren
  • Saturday, Apr. 16 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott
  • Wednesday, Apr. 27 – Dublin, Ireland @ the Workman’s Club
  • Thursday, Apr. 28 – Cork, Ireland @ Crane Lane Theatre
  • Friday, Apr. 29 – Clonakilty, Ireland @ De Barras
  • Saturday, Apr. 30- Galway, Ireland @ Kelly’s Bar & Lounge
  • Monday, May 2 – London, UK @ Cargo
  • Wednesday, May 4 – Paris, France @ La Fleche d’Or
  • Thursday, May 5 – Luzern, Switzerland @ Vasco da Gama, Frigorex
  • Friday, May 6 – Schaffhausen, Switzerland @ Tap Tab
  • Saturday, May 7 – Zürich, Switzerland @ El Lokal
  • Sunday, May 8 – Schorndorf, Germany @ Manfaktur
  • Monday, May 9 – Munich, Germany @ Feierwerk
  • Wednesday, May 11 – Prague, Czech Republic @ K4
  • Thursday, May 12 – Dresden, Germany @ Beatpol
  • Friday, May 13 – Leipzig, Germany @ Conne Island
  • Saturday, May14 – Berlin, Germany @ Privatclub
  • Monday, May 16 – Hamburg, Germany @ Molotow
  • Tuesday, May 17 – Nuremberg, Germany @ MuZ
  • Wednesday, May 18 – Cologne, Germany @ Studio 672
  • Saturday, May 21 – Middleburg, The Netherlands @ De Spot

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