Category Archives: new albums

February 1, 2013 · 3:49 pm

Download: Hollis Brown – “Nightfall”

hollisbrownalbumart

“perfectly twangy, Instagram filter haze-y sound” – NYLON

“Hollis Brown makes music that sounds just as alive today as it would’ve in 1966 and will 40 years from now.” – SPIN

Hollis Brown will release their debut full-length album, Ride On The Train, March 5th via Alive Records. Having already shared an early taste with album track “Down On Your Luck,” Hollis Brown has now unleashed a second new track. Featuring crooning vocals and light, dreamy instrumentation, check out their newest single, “Nightfall.”

Full of gritty jams and soft, sweet ballads, Ride On The Train opens with the title track, a triumphant song of new beginnings lead by warm, crackling guitar. “Doghouse Blues” is a straight-up bluesy rock song with rollicking melodies and dirty guitar licks. Despite its title, album track “Down On Your Luck” sets a bright, hopeful tone with twangy guitars and a playful vocal melody, while “Walk On Water” kicks it up a notch with raw vocals and screeching guitar solos. Tracks like the melancholic “If It Ain’t Me” and the powerfully optimistic “Faith & Love” showcase the band’s vulnerable side.

Having already performed alongside acts like Deer Tick and Caveman, fans will have another chance to catch Hollis Brown live on their east coast tour, which kicks off today!

Download: Hollis Brown – “Nightfall”

Hollis Brown on Tour:
2/01: Burlington, VT @ Red Square
2/02: Boston, MA @ Great Scott
2/16: Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy
2/27: Indianapolis, IN @ Do317 Lounge
3/21: Birmingham, AL @ The Bottletree
3/22: Atlanta, GA @ Smith’s Olde Bar
3/23: Nashville, TN @ The Basement
3/24: Asheville, NC @ Jack of the Wood
3/27: Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
3/28: Richmond, VA @ The Camel
3/29: Washington DC @ Bayou
3/30: New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
4/04: Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie

Leave a comment

Filed under downloads, listen, new albums, Shows

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

January 31, 2013 · 9:45 am

Listen: Gold Fields – “Happy Boy”

GoldFields

Gold Fields’ debut album Black Sun is armed with pop hooks, tribal beats, danceable rhythms, and plenty of emotion. Revered for their larger-than-life live show, the Australian quintet will kick off a national co-headlining tour with A Silent Film & Royal Teeth next week. Fans that can’t make it out can watch their debut TV appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! performing ”Dark Again,” February 27th at 11:35/10:35pm Central on ABC.

The band has already shared a few songs off Black Sun via thematically charged videos for “Treehouse” and most recently “Dark Again” ft model Shaun Ross who has also starred in Katy Perry, Kanye West & Beyonce videos. With dreamy, swirling layers and sincere lyrics that showcase the band’s vulnerable side, the band has unleashed new album track “Happy Boy” today.

Stream: Gold Fields – “Happy Boy”

Hitting listeners with a power-packed punch from its first note, Black Sun opens with the infectious “Meet My Friends,” a bass and percussion-driven track with haunting echoing vocals. The single “Dark Again” is a pop gem flecked with driving guitars and bright synths, all building to a heavy-hitting chorus that’s sure to make you move. The album also contains “Treehouse” and the electrically-charged “Moves.”

MTV has named Gold Fields one of their 13 Artists to Watch in 2013, supporting the band across their platforms throughout the year. The result of relentless work and playful experimentation, Black Sun will be released February 26th via Astralwerks. The album is available for pre-order now. Be sure to catch Gold Fields LIVE on tour and stay tuned for more news + SXSW details!

Gold Fields On Tour!

* = w/ A Silent Film
# = w/ Royal Teeth

2/4: Washington DC@ U Street Music Hall *
2/5: Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live *
2/6: New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *
2/7: Philadelphia, PA @ TLA *
2/8: Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall *
2/9: Providence, RI @ The Met *
2/11: Toronto, ON @ The Drake Hotel *
2/12: Detroit, MI @ The Shelter *
2/13: Columbus, OH @ The Basement *
2/14: Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom *
2/15: Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
2/17: Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club *
2/19: Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep * #
2/20: Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge * #
2/22: Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue * #
2/23: Missoula, MT @ Elks Live * #
2/24: Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Café * #
2/25: Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
2/28: Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour * #
3/2: Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room * #
3/5: San Diego @ The Casbah * #
3/6: Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom * #
3/8: Las Vegas, NV @ Hard Rock Café * #

Leave a comment

Filed under listen, new albums, Shows, video

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

January 29, 2013 · 2:54 pm

Debut Album From C2C Out Today

Cover_Art_Tetra

Hot on the heels of their acclaimed Down the Road EP, C2C’s debut album, Tetra [Casablanca Records], is out digitally today (January 29) via iTunes and all digital retailers, with the physical version hitting the shelves on February 11. As a gift to listeners, the French turntable trailblazers are offering the first single “Happy” [featuring Derek Martin] as a free download (see link below). The band will also be coming over Stateside in April to perform at Coachella on April 12th and 19th. Keep an eye out for more US tour dates, coming soon!

Currently, the music video for “Happy” (which I posted here) is nearing 800K YouTube/VEVO views, and it’s firmly planted the groundwork for the French quartet’s American infiltration. Critics continue to sing their praises as well. Paper Magazine declared that C2C are “simply brilliant,” MTV Iggy called them “lush, inventive,” and Absolute Punk extolled them for being “otherworldly, astounding, and awe-inspiring.”

This isn’t their first time around the block though. C2C initially came together in 1998, formed by the four high school friends. From 2003-2006, they conquered the DMC Championship, winning four times in a row and garnering a rabid worldwide fan base. However, 2006 marked the beginning of a four-year break for other projects, Hocus Pocus and Beat Torrent, before these four musicians would reform. Now, C2C have returned, and they have their sights set on dance floor domination uniquely mixing live instrumentation and turntable fireworks.

Download: C2C – “Happy”

1 Comment

Filed under downloads, new albums

Tagged as , , , , , ,

January 29, 2013 · 2:45 pm

New Album Alert & Trailer Video: !!!

!!!

On April 30, !!! will release their fifth full-length album THR!!!ER.   “Over the course of many long van rides and post-coffee verbal riff sessions”, guitarist Mario Andreoni explains:

“Thriller didn’t merely come to represent the selling of a lot of records…it became synonymous with an artist(s)’ and/or genre(s)’ artistic high-water mark.  INXS’ Kick is the Australian Thriller…Alanis’s Jagged Little Pill is the Canadian Thriller…Wham’s Make It Big is the blow-dryer’s Thriller…every recording by the 13th Floor Elevators is the dosed-man’s Thriller…Sister Ray by Velvet Underground is the Thriller of musical fever dreams. One day at the studio, Nic [Offer, vocalist] drew THR!!!ER on a napkin and I liked it…then we made our THR!!!ER.”

Famous for their high-energy live shows and relentless touring schedule, the band have really focused their efforts on crafting an album with tighter song structures. To help with this, the majority of the album was recorded with Jim Eno, the drummer in Spoon and one of the key forces behind the boards for the band.  Like many people, Jim was a fan of !!!’s live show, but he felt that they too often tried to capture these performances in the studio. Instead of trying to chase this feeling, Jim encouraged them to create a different type of excitement by using weirder sounds, inventing new dynamics within each song and introducing unexpected changes. “They had this working flow that was a little rigid and I wanted to break them out of it,” says Jim.

With the members spread out across the country, writing new music wasn’t the easiest of processes. Andreoni offers that “In the past we just put albums together any way that works. That usually meant a lot of jamming on loose ideas.” For THR!!!ER, !!! went into the studio with everything written and a strong sense of each song’s shape. “We’ve never tried to make the same record twice, we might have accidentally, but we’ve always tried to push on. For this one it felt like we definitely shoved off from the shore,” says Offer.

THR!!!ER Tracklist
1.    Even When The Water’s Cold
2.    Get That Rhythm Right
3.    One Girl/ One Boy
4.    Fine Fine Fine
5.    Slyd
6.    Californiyeah
7.    Except Death
8.    Careful
9.    Station (Meet Me At The)

Leave a comment

Filed under Awesome, Highly Anticipated, new albums, video

Tagged as , , , , ,

January 29, 2013 · 2:20 pm

Video: Tegan and Sara Teach Andy Samberg How to be a Heartthrob

teganandsara

Tegan and Sara’s seventh studio album, Heartthrob, is out today (iTunes link, Spotify link). Everyone seems to be talking about the album and first single, “Closer” (which I posted the video for, here) The girls released songs early on a wide range of outlets including Vanity Fair, Glamour and NPR via All Songs Considered. Heartthrob premiered in its entirety with Rolling Stone, who have been huge supporters.

To say there’s a lot going on right now would be an understatement. The girls are on the cover of the new digital issue of Spin, scored a massive feature in The Wall St Journal, covered the Rolling Stones classic “Fool To Cry” for the soundtrack to the HBO smash series Girls and were just announced as one of the top line attractions at Coachella. They’ll be performing “Closer” this Thursday, January 31st on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Tour Dates:

  • Feb 01     Club Nokia – Los Angeles, CA
  • Feb 19 Beacon Theatre – New York, NY
  • Feb 20 Beacon Theatre – New York, NY
  • Feb 26     MTS Centre – Winnipeg, Canada
  • Feb 28     MacEwan Hall – Calgary, Canada
  • Mar 01     MacEwan Hall – Calgary, Canada
  • Mar 03     Shaw Conference Centre – Edmonton, Canada
  • Mar 04     Conexus Arts Centre Theatre – Regina, Canada
  • Mar 06     First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
  • Mar 07     Pabst Theater – Milwaukee, WI
  • Mar 09     LC Pavilion – Columbus, OH
  • Mar 10     The Pageant – St. Louis, MO
  • Mar 11     Cain’s Ballroom – Tulsa, OK
  • Apr 12     Coachella – Indio, CA
  • Apr 14     Rialto Theatre – Tucson, AZ
  • Apr 19     Coachella – Indio, CA

Leave a comment

Filed under Awesome, new albums, Shows, video

Tagged as , , , , , ,

January 28, 2013 · 12:24 pm

The Flaming Lips – “Sun Blows Up Today”

The Flaming Lips and Warner Bros. Records will release their thirteenth studio album, THE TERROR on April 2nd but you can see and hear and the new video for an exclusive non-album track, titled “Sun Blows Up Today” right now!

As previously announced, those who pre-order The Terror digitally beginning Jan 29th, through the iTunes Store or other participating digital retailers will receive “Sun Blows Up Today” as an instant gratification, non-album, bonus track. This is the only way to get the new song by The Flaming Lips.

Looking for more from your favorite band?   Well, if you’re near a TV set this Sunday, Feb 3rd, watching the Super Bowl, you might just see a very cool TV commercial by Hyundai that stars none other than The Flaming Lips and features the song, “Sun Blows Up Today”.

Leave a comment

Filed under new albums, video, Whoa!

Tagged as , , , , , ,

January 16, 2013 · 3:50 pm

Brand New: Stream Cold War Kids “Miracle Mile”

cwk

Cold War Kids are excited to announce the release of their fourth studio album, Dear Miss Lonelyhearts, on April 2, 2013 via Downtown Records (and via MapleMusic Recordings in Canada). In anticipation of the release, the band is currently streaming the album’s engaging lead single, Miracle Mile.

Stream: Cold War Kids – “Miracle Mile”

Dear Miss Lonelyhearts came to life at the band’s San Pedro, CA studio space. They enlisted new guitar player, Dann Gallucci (Murder City Devils, Modest Mouse) and Lars Stalfors to produce.   “We were shaken up, ready to let certain songs go further than before by trying new styles and arrangements, while keeping others sparse and caring more about the finished product and less about how we got there,” says lead singer Nathan Willett.

The band will release trailers, from the making of their record, each week leading up to April 2nd. Trailers 1 and 2 are available now on their website. They truly encapsulate the energy that Cold War Kids bring to their live performances and it are those performances which remain the heart of the band.

Current confirmed tour dates are listed below:

  • February 15           Pappy & Harriet’s Palace – Pioneertown, CA
  • February 16           SLO Brewing Company  – San Luis Obispo, CA
  • February 21           The Observatory  – Santa Ana, CA
  • February 22           Cellar Door  – Visalia, CA
  • February 23           SOHO Music Club  – Santa Barbara, CA
  • March 8                 The Crescent Ballroom – Phoenix, AZ
  • March 9                 Tricky Falls  – El Paso, TX
  • March 11               Fitzgerald’s – Houston, TX
  • March 13               Clive Bar  – Austin, TX
  • April 3                    Gothic Theatre  – Englewood, CO
  • April 4                    Slowdown – Omaha, NB
  • April 5                    First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
  • April 6                    Metro – Chicago, IL
  • April 9                    Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH
  • April 10                  Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
  • April 11                  9:30 Club – Washington, DC
  • April 12                  Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA
  • April 13                  Webster Hall – New York, NY
  • April 15                  Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC
  • April 16                  Cannery Ballroom – Nashville, TN
  • April 17                  The Masquerade –  Atlanta, GA
  • April 24                  Batacian – Paris, France
  • April 27                  Plaza – Zurich, Switzerland
  • April 29                  Flex – Vienna, Austria
  • April 30                  C-Club – Berlin, Germany
  • May 16                   Neptune Theatre – Seattle, WA
  • May 17                   Vogue Theatre  – Vancouver, BC
  • May 18                   Crystal Ballroom  – Portland, OR
  • May 23                   Regency Ballroom  – San Francisco, CA
  • May 24                   Henry Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
  • May 25                   Belly Up Tavern – Solana Beach, CA
  • May 1                     Paradiso  – Amsterdam, Holland
  • May 2                     Gebaeude 9 – Cologne, Germany
  • May 6                     Pumphuset – Copenhagen, Germany
  • May 7                     Grunspan  – Hamburg, Germany
  • May 9                     Forum – London, UK
  • May 10                   Ritz  – Manchester, UK

Leave a comment

Filed under Awesome, Band Change-ups, Highly Anticipated, listen, new albums

Tagged as , , , , , ,

January 16, 2013 · 3:06 pm

New: Houses Album Preview

It’s a product of quiet bedroom experimentation: subtly crafted for headphones, yet full enough to envelop a room in gorgeous melodies and exuberant sheets of sound– NPR

Recorded over the past year, splitting time between their new home of Los Angeles and Sonic Ranch ( Animal Collective, Beach House, At the Drive In, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s), the bliss-duo Houses are set to release sophomore album A Quiet Darkness on April 16th via Downtown Records.

The narrative of the album tells the story of a husband and wife separated in the midst of a nuclear disaster and their attempt to reunite with one another along the Highway 10 in California before their inevitable deaths, each song taking place in different abandoned houses along the way.  Real life couple Dexter Tortoriello (also of Dawn Golden and the Rosy Cross) and Megan Messina made the trek themselves multiple times, to record sound and video at these abandoned houses that are featured on the album.

The album’s celestial ambiance and wanderlust concepts are conveyed throughout the recording with techniques employed by Dexter Tortoriello’s production and the stark contrast between the minimal electronic pulses, found sounds and meandering and melancholy harmonies.  The ethereal sound on which Houses was built is woven through A Quiet Darkness, the 2013 release shows a deep and pensive side to a band who clearly encompass a darker side of bliss; a bold new bravado that will resonate with anyone who has ever experienced love and loss.  Look for Houses to preview some of A Quiet Darkness at this years SXSW and check out some additional tour dates below.

Stream: Houses – “Beginnings”

HOUSES LIVE DATES:

  • 2/27 The Echo (LA)
  • 3/13 SXSW (AUSTIN)
  • 3/14 SXSW (AUSTIN)
  • 3/15 SXSW (AUSTIN)
  • 3/16 SXSW (AUSTIN)
  • 3/28 Popscene (SF)

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Highly Anticipated, listen, new albums, Shows, video, Whoa!

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

January 15, 2013 · 11:38 am

Stream: Gold Fields – “Dark Again” (Diamond Rings Remix)

After releasing an EP last March, Gold Fields will release their debut LP, Black Sun,  on February 26th via Astralwerks. The Australian quintet has toured with Diamond Rings, Crystal Castles, SBTRKT & Metric, and will be heading out their first US co-headlining tour early next month.  Having played 2012’s SXSW and CMJ, the band has already received praise from the New York Times, Billboard, FILTER, & more. Check out the streams below, Diamond Rings and Gold Fields remixed each other!

Stream: Gold Fields – “Dark Again” (Diamond Rings Remix)

Stream: Diamond Rings – “Runaway Love” (Gold Fields Remix)

 

Leave a comment

Filed under new albums, video, Whoa!

Tagged as , , , , , , , , ,

January 11, 2013 · 9:50 am

Download: Hollis Brown – “Down On Your Luck”

Lo_Res_Press_Photo_1_4

After releasing their debut EP last year, the NYC-based band is gearing up to put out their first full-length album, Ride On The Train. Full of gritty jams and soft, sweet ballads, Ride On The Train will be released March 5th via Alive Records.

Despite its title, album track “Down On Your Luck” sets a bright, hopeful tone with twangy guitars and a playful vocal melody. “Doghouse Blues” is a straight-up bluesy rock song with rollicking melodies and dirty guitar licks. “Walk On Water” kicks it up a notch with raw vocals and screeching guitar solos. Tracks like the melancholic “If It Ain’t Me” and the powerfully optimistic “Faith & Love” showcase the band’s vulnerable side. The album closes on a sweet note with “Nightfall,” fading out with smooth, crooning vocals drifting above light, dreamy instrumentation.

Having already performed alongside Deer Tick and Caveman, Hollis Brown will hit the road for a mini East-coast tour this month. Be sure to catch them live in your city, and stay tuned for more from Hollis Brown coming soon!

Download: Hollis Brown – “Down On Your Luck”

Hollis Brown on Tour:
1/11: Annapolis, MD @ Metropolitan
1/16: Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
1/17: Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
1/18: Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe
1/19: Frederick, MD @ Cafe Nola
2/01: Burlington, VT @ Red Square
2/02: Boston, MA @ Great Scott
2/16: Philadelphia, PA @ Milkboy

Leave a comment

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

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