Category Archives: Check ’em Out!

June 22, 2010 · 11:16 am

Setting Sun & Quitzow

Last month I posted about Setting Sun and their new album Fantasurreal. I also posted a link in March to their video for “Driving.”

WELL, they’ve released a new video for “Make You Feel” and have announced tour dates including one here!!! Hooray!!!

Click to watch the new video for "Make You Feel"

Setting Sun is touring with Quitzow, another band who share four band members between them and Setting Sun. Kinda cool, huh?

Click to watch Quitzow's video for "Cherry Blossom"

Setting Sun + Quitzow Summer Tour Dates:

 7/15 Philadelphia, PA  @ Milkboy (All Ages)

7/16  Washington, DC @ TBA

7/17 Greenville, NC @ Tipsy Teapot (All Ages)

7/18 Chapel Hill, NC @ TBA

7/21 Columbus, GA @ Soho (All Ages)

7/22 Atlanta, GA  @ Wonderoot (All Ages)

7/24 Memphis, TN @ Murphy’s

7/25  Little Rock, AK @ Rev Room

7/27 Norman, OK @ The Deli

7/28  Amarillo, TX @ The 806 (All Ages)

7/29 El Paso, TX @ Zenmeister  

7/30 Tucson, AZ – Solar Culture (All Ages)

7/31 Phoenix, AZ @ The Dressing Room

8/2 Los Angeles, CA @ Viper Room

8/3 San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop

8/4 Eugene, OR @ Muse Lounge

8/5 Portland, OR @ The Woods

8/6 Seattle, WA @ The Comet

8/7 Monroe, WA @ Eddies Trackside

8/9 Boise, ID @ The Bouquet

8/10 Salt Lake City, UT @ TBA

8/11 Denver, CO  @ TBA

8/12 Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room

8/13  Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews

8/14 Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s Music Joint

8/15 Indianapolis, IN @ Melody Inn

8/16 Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks

8/17 New York, NY @ TBA

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June 21, 2010 · 11:43 am

Familiarize Yourself With Ozomatli

The band Ozomatli has been around since 1995. You might have heard of them, you might not have, OR you might not know that you actually have. I heard them on my satellite radio awhile ago and liked what I heard. Then, in my various music browsings, I discovered a little more.

Here’s how you might not know that you do know of Ozomatli: Remember the movie Never Been Kissed with Drew Barrymore in 1999? They are the band playing in the reggae club when her character Josie ingests “weed cake,” a cake with marijuana. In the scene, the song playing is “Cut Chemist Suite.”

Pretty cool fun fact, I think.

The band currently has 7 members, but they’ve in the past had as many as 10. Some of those members included DJ turntablist Cut Chemist and Chali 2na, who both moved on to a different project, Jurassic 5.

That’s another fun fact!

Anyways, Ozomatli’s latest album came out in April this year. Fire Away is definitely worth listening to. You may just find yourself a new favorite. You’re welcome.

Band members Jiro Yamaguchi and Ulises Bella describe Ozomatli:

“You drive down Sunset Boulevard and turn off your stereo and roll down your windows and all the music that comes out of each and every different car, whether it’s salsa, cumbia, merengue, or hip hop, funk, whatever, it’s that crazy blend that’s going on between that cacophony of sound is Ozomatli, y’know?”

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June 16, 2010 · 2:17 pm

My New Favorite Song: The Mama Papa

Click to watch the video for "The Mama Papa"

I can’t get enough of Plants and Animals  “The Mama Papa”

Disclaimer: Be prepared to have this stuck in your head!

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June 11, 2010 · 11:53 am

No Surrender

Did anyone else know that the character Darnell (aka Crabman) from My Name is Earl is in a sweet ass group?

No stranger to the New York underground scene, No Surrender is gearing up to release their intricate sophomore effort Medicine Babies (ZerOKilled Music, Fall 2010). Blending hip-hop, electro, soul, synth-pop, and indie-rock, No Surrender’s spanning sound is genre-bending.

Enlisting European production team Radioclit, TV On The Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe, New York fixture DJ Monica Sharp, and former Tricky muse Costanza, their guests are equally as diverse, and equally as interesting.

After self-releasing their critically lauded debut, White Power Black Magic, No Surrender was put on hold when Eddie Steeples became a permanent cast member on NBC’s My Name Is Earl, playing Darnell/Crabman. Putting unfinished tracks on the back burner, Seraphim participated in different projects (including guesting on tracks for Evil Nine) until Steeples finished filming. Picking up right where they left off, but adding years of experience and influences, No Surrender took on producer Costanza Francavilla to finish Medicine Babies in the ZerOKilled studio in Brooklyn.

“Your new favorite shit.” –Vice Magazine

 “…a groping, grimy jam sticky with parking-lot feedback, Rick James-esque yelps, and fuzzy synths… Just remember that Medicine Babies is the name of the album dropping this fall, and it’s gonna be dope.” – RCRD LBL

Get It Now: The first single from Medicine Babies is “Godda Get It” featuring production by Radioclit.

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June 7, 2010 · 2:39 pm

Musically Fashionable

The Music Tee is a new product line that combines digital music and t-shirt fashion in one eye and ear-catching package.  Each Music Tee features an artist (or compilation) with a graphic image (“cover art”) on the front of the shirt and a track listing on the back. Each shirt comes with a unique code that can be used to download a digital copy of the album featured on the shirt, redeemable at www.themusictee.com.  The result is a new way of delivering music to fans, allowing them to easily fill their iPod while landing the “album art” a coveted place in their wardrobe!

Already generating a huge buzz state-side, The Music Tee boasts over fifty artist collaborations, including The Cold War Kids,  Amanda Blank,  Mos Def, Monsters of Folk and more. The line has also launched a “vintage” collection, featuring Bad Brains, Bad  Religion and The Exciter, with more titles coming soon. With festival season upon us, The Music Tee is sure to be a must-have for the summer season.

“The Music Tee has been a phenomenal success in the US by giving artists a new platform to distribute their music,” says Jeremy Wineberg, President of The Music Tee.  “We continue to sign new major label partners and content providers each day.  For the UK launch (June 9th) we wanted to introduce fresh artists and will be kicking off with The Daisy Dares You Music Tee arriving in June. We are excited about engaging music and fashion fans in the UK while continuing to grow our collection of compelling artists.”

“The Music Tee is a unique fashion concept that’s perfect for the summertime,” notes Selfridges Contemporary Buying Manager, Gary Edgley. “Band tees have long been a wardrobe essential and the idea brings an interesting update to a modern style classic.“

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June 2, 2010 · 3:02 pm

Setting Sun

Setting Sun released their newest masterpiece, Fantasurreal, through Young Love Records yesterday. 

This is the fourth release from Setting Sun, and definitely the most sonically ambitious. Over the course of six months, the record just flowed. “This was the easiest record I’ve ever made,” says Levitt. “It felt natural to come home to my studio and let these songs pour out while embracing some solitude that is so hard to find on tour. It was a big relief and a great way to ease back into my life.” The end result was energetic indie folk textured with percussion, swirling electronics, trumpets and strings creating a record that exists somewhere between Beck’s most insular moments and the giddy excitement of MGMT, simultaneously undercutting the vitality with raw, emotive vocals and lyrics that channel Bright Eyes or Elliott Smith. Buoyant pop songs like “Driving” share space with introspective indie folk tunes like “Don’t Grow Up”. Add in booming floor stomps like “Make You Feel” and Fantasurreal becomes Levitt’s most diverse work to date.

Here are my 2 favorites from the album:

Download “Make You Feel”

Download “Driving”

This record marks Setting Sun as a mainstay of the indie scene, as songwriter Gary Levitt further carves a niche writing and producing another soaring batch of sweepingly beautiful indie pop songs.

Download “Sacrifice”

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May 25, 2010 · 2:23 pm

The Volcano Coalition

 Check out this new track “The Volcano Coalition” by Plump DJs vs. Kelis vs. The Beatles

I’ve been a fan of London based Plump DJs (Lee Rous and Andy Gardner) for awhile now. Their sound is revered for its blurring of the boundaries between electronic musical styles taking in breakbeat, house and techno. Check out their MySpace page for a listen to some of their other tracks, including mixes of Deadmau5 and Stanton Warriors!

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May 18, 2010 · 10:16 am

Bang Pop

Free Energy debuted their new video for “Bang Pop” just the other day on Myspace.

Photo Credit: Ann-Sophie Fjelloe-Jensen

Click on the picture to go check it out!

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May 3, 2010 · 3:25 pm

Holy Ghost! Debut EP

The duo Holy Ghost! is one of the most talked about remixers for the last few months. They’ve released a string of hit remixes for artists such as Cut Copy, Moby, MGMT and Phoenix.

Now they’re just about set to release their EP Static on the Wire (DFA Records). And you can catch a preview of the disco-pop track “Say My Name” here AND go have a listen to their latest remix of LCD Soundsystem’s “Drunk Girls” streaming on their website.

And for the first time ever you’ll be able to see them live, performing as a full live band (guitars, drum kit, keys, the works!) this spring and summer, including US dates opening for LCD.

Static on the Wire EP Tracklisting:

1.) Static on the Wire

2.) Say My Name

 3.) I Will Come Back

4.) I Know, I Hear

 

05/20: New York, NY @ Terminal 5 *

05/21: New York, NY @ Terminal 5 *

05/22: New York, NY @ Terminal 5 *

 05/23: New York, NY @ Terminal 5*

05/24: Montreal, BC @ Metropolis *

05/25: Toronto, BC @ Koolhaus *

05/26: Chicago, IL @ Metro *

05/29: Portland, OR @ Roseland *

05/31: Vancouver, BC @ Malkin Bowl *

06/03: San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore *

06/04: Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium*

06/05: Pamona, CA @ Fox Theater*

06/08: Austin, TX @ Stubbs *

06/09: Dallas, TX @ Palladium *

06/18: Baltimore, MD @ Sonar

06/19: Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall

06/25: Philadelphia, PA @ Making Time

07/02: Calvi, Corse @ Calvi On The Rocks

07/08: Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute

07/09: Lisbon, Portugal @ Optimus Alive Festival

07/10: London, UK @ Fabric

07/15: Arvika, Sweden @ Arvika Festival

07/16: Winchester, UK @ Glade Festival

07/17: Berlin, Germany @ Melt

07/18: London, UK @ Lovebox

08/04: New York, NY @ Summer Stage, Central Park (with Hot Chip and Hercules & Love Affair)

* = shows with LCD Soundsystem

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April 22, 2010 · 2:03 pm

Newest Love: The Amplifetes

The Amplifetes are a brand new 4-piece band from Sweden. Being accomplished songwriters and producers on their own, the members have worked with names such as Kelis, Madonna, Grandmaster Flash and Peter Bjorn and John. While having occasionally crossed paths during the course of their careers, they have existed as a unit for about a year. The band think of themselves as a dreamteam collaboration of their influences – listing 60s Psychadelia, The Electric Light Orchestra, The Ramones, Elvis Costello, David Bowie and Chicago Trax Records House releases.     
 
The highly addictive result can be heard in The Amplifetes debut single “It´s My Life“, a spitting image of urban life and a happy three-part marriage between garage pop, electro and punk. It was featured recently in a promo campaign for Italian fashion house Roberto Cavalli, starring a lightly dressed Milla Jovovich, creating quite a stir over Europe. 
Watch the video for their second single, “Whizz Kid”  HERE and fall in love like I have!

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