Musically Amusing

February 7, 2011 · 3:06 pm

FILTER Magazine’s 2nd Annual CULTURE COLLIDE FESTIVAL

FILTER Magazine is proud to announce that the second annual Culture Collide Festival will take place October 6 – 9, 2011 in Los Angeles.

The four-day international festival will once again welcome bands from all over the world for a multi-cultural musical melting pot throughout the vibrant scene of LA’s East Side, including an all-day Block Party on Sunday, October 9 in Echo Park. Festival wristbands providing access to all Culture Collide showcases will once again be priced at just $20.

“We couldn’t be more excited about what we have planned for this year,” said Alan Miller, co-owner and co-founder of FILTER Magazine. “2011 will feature more intimate venues within walking distance from each other as well as even more participating countries from all over the world.”

Last year’s inaugural Culture Collide Festival attracted 10,000 attendees and featured 54 bands from 16 countries. Performing artists included Black Lips, Klaxons, Tokyo Police Club, White Lies, Phantogram, Monotonix, Casiokids, The Boxer Rebellion, Jenny and Johnny, Fran Healy, Suuns, Sébastien Tellier, and more. Dangerbird Studios hosted several recording sessions for visiting artists, resulting in the first “Live from FILTER Magazine’s Culture Collide Festival” mix available as a free download at culturecollide.com.

Additional details including 2011 wristband sale information, participating countries and performing artists will be announced in the coming weeks. For the most updated information on FILTER Magazine’s Culture Collide, please visit culturecolide.com, and follow FILTER Magazine on Facebook and Twitter.

“Filter Magazine’s Culture Collide Festival brings some of the best and brightest indie rockers from around the world.” — LA Times

“Filter Magazine’s Culture Collide Festival is like the feisty little brother to bigger music fests like SXSW and Coachella, and by all appearances, a lot more interesting (not to mention less expensive). The extended, multi-venue tribute to independent music has a lineup that’s not just indie, but good.” — Flavorpill

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Filed under Events, Highly Anticipated, Shows, Whoa!

Tagged as Black Lips, Boxer Rebellion, Casiokids, Culture Collide Festival, Echo Park, FILTER magazine, Flavorpill, free download, Klaxons, Los Angeles, Monotonix, Phantogram, Sébastien Tellier, Suuns, Tokyo Police Club, White Lies

February 4, 2011 · 10:19 am

NEW Free Download: Holy Ghost! “Do It Again”

Holy Ghost!’s already ubiquitous track “Do It Again” is an amazing intro to the band’s catchy-as-hell self-titled debut album. The 10-song LP will include a few guest appearances from the likes of Luke Jenner from the Rapture, Chris Glover from Penguin Prison, and Michael McDonald…and yes, it is that Michael McDonald, formerly of The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan!

Known around the globe for their party starting singles and their unparalleled ability to get bodies moving on the dancefloor, Holy Ghost! have developed from an in demand DJ duo to a full live band crafting disco-tinged pop songs that satisfy equally on the dancefloor and in a car.

After successful tours last year with LCD Soundsystem and Chromeo, the band will be heading out on a US tour with pals Cut Copy to bring their sounds of future pop to the masses. And these are not guilty pleasure pop tunes…Holy Ghost! makes pop cool.

Download “Do It Again” here

The album release date is April 12, but will be available via iTunes on April 5th!

Tracklisting
1. do it again
2. wait and see
3. hold my breath
4. say my name
5. jam for jerry
6. hold on
7. it’s not over
8. slow motion
9. static on the wire
10. some children

US Tour Dates w/ Cut Copy
03/28 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
03/29 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
03/31 – Philadelphia, PA – The Trocadero
04/01 – New York, NY – Terminal 5
04/02 – New York, NY – Terminal 5
04/04 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
04/05 – Montreal, QC – Club Soda
04/07 – Toronto, ON – Sound Academy
04/08 – Chicago, IL – Riviera
04/09 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
04/12 – Seattle, WA – Showbox Sodo
04/16 – San Francisco, CA – The Grand Ballroom
04/20 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
04/22 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s
04/23 – New Orleans, LA – Republic

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

Tagged as Chris Glover, Cut Copy, dance, DFA Records, free mp3 download, Holy Ghost!, LCD Soundsystem, Luke Jenner, Michael McDonald, new album, Penguin Prison, pop, Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers, The Rapture

January 27, 2011 · 11:16 am

NEW Free Download: DATAROCK’s “Catcher in the Rye”

For the past decade, Norway’s DATAROCK have melded indie dance, new wave, pop, and funk into a custom sound responsible for a steady stream of unforgettable tracks and performances. “Catcher in the Rye” is the band at their best, instantly memorable and insanely fun. The single takes their adventurous pop to the next level. The band’s new album is due out in March and they will be launching a world tour in support of “the most extravagant single in history,” so be sure to join in on the madness!

Download “Catcher in the Rye”

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Tagged as Catcher In The Rye, Datarock, free mp3 download, funk, indie dance, New Wave, Norway, pop, the most extravagant single in history, upcoming new album

January 26, 2011 · 3:44 pm

NEW Free Download: YELLE’s “Safari Disco Club”

French dance-pop purveyors Yelle return with their long awaited second album, the exotically addictive Safari Disco Club (to be released March 29). Adding depth and experience to the sweet & sour pop cocktail found on their acclaimed 2007 debut Pop-Up, Yelle find themselves in a more reflective mood and have learned a few new tricks during their time off. Katy Perry asked them to remix her hit single “Hot n Cold” which has led to them supporting her UK tour in April.

Yelle is fronted and named by Yelle, aka Julie Budet, a sparky gamine with a deceptively demure schoolgirl voice. Yelle first arrived amid a flurry of 80’s inspired pop, with the likes of CSS and New Young Pony Club all revered for their take on brightly colored electro. Pop-Up stood out from the crowd with its wry, frothy and unashamedly fun outlook. This infectious appeal not only led to work with Robyn and Katy Perry, but gained them fans in fellow musicians such as M.I.A. and Mika, as well as mainstream personalities like Perez Hilton and Jessica Alba.

The new album’s first single and title track “Safari Disco Club” starts with Yelle’s signature bubblegum pop, but soon shifts into a darker sound with a sweeping synth backed by moody dancehall beats. It signals that the innocent and fun part of the party has moved into a more wild and chaotic scene, as Yelle sings over the madness, “the animals all dance in the safari disco club.”

If Pop-Up was a breakout set of fun-loving bawdy pop, Safari Disco Club is it’s sharper, wiser sibling. It’s an album that takes us on a captivating journey, with as much ingenuity, beauty and mystery as Pop-Up had sparkle and fun.

Download “Safari Disco Club”

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Filed under downloads

Tagged as CSS, free mp3 download, fun, Hot n Cold, Jessica Alba, Julie Budet, Katy Perry, M.I.A., Mika, New Young Pony Club, Perez Hilton, pop, Pop-Up, Safari Disco Club, Yelle

January 26, 2011 · 2:55 pm

New Video: CREEP “Days” ft. Romy Madley-Croft of The xx

Brooklyn duo CREEP (producers/DJs Lauren Flax and Lauren Dillard) released their debut single, “Days,” yesterday, January 25, through Young Turks. The single features guest vocals by The xx’s Romy Madley-Croft.

“Days” is a ghostly blend of Romy’s ethereal voice and CREEP’s sinister beats, blending tones of goth, shoegaze and R&B to create darkly prophetic and orchestral soundscapes. I’ll keep ya updated on the full album that’s set for release this year.

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Filed under Check 'em Out!, video

Tagged as CREEP, dark, Days, ghostly, goth, Lauren Dillard, Lauren Flax, music, Romy Madley-Croft, The xx, video, Young Turks

January 21, 2011 · 4:06 pm

Newest Love: Erland & The Carnival

Erland & The Carnival: vocalist Erland Cooper, drummer David Nock (producer and engineer for The Orb, Paul McCartney, David Gilmour), and guitarist Simon Tong (former member of The Good the Bad & the Queen, The Verve and now guitar-for-hire for Gorillaz), recorded their forthcoming album, Nightingale, in a small, dank studio.

Erland & The Carnival’s debut North American full-length album, Nightingale, will be released March 29^th on Full Time Hobby/Yep Roc. The band plays SXSW in March.

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

Tagged as David Gilmour, David Nock, Erland & The Carnival, Erland Cooper, Gorillaz, Highly Anticipated, Newest Love, Nightingale, Orb, Paul McCartney, Simon Tong, SXSW, Verve

January 20, 2011 · 12:40 pm

You Can Dance

Whether you know it or not, you know Chilly Gonzales. You’ve for sure seen and heard the commercials for the iPad with that catchy piano tune. The song is called “Never Stop,” and yup, that’s him.

Chilly Gonzales, the notorious (and always brilliant) producer/rapper/world-class pianist is already on a roll in 2011. Check out the Gemini Club remix of “You Can Dance,” which RCRD LBL premiered – head over there for the free download!

Chilly Gonzales – “You Can Dance” (Gemini Club Remix)

Also unleashed last week was the video for “You Can Dance,” which is already over 250,000 views (if you’ve seen it, you know why! Let’s just say T&A). The single, available digitally, features several remixes, including a stellar cut from nineteen-year old blog sensation Robotaki. Other remixes come courtesy of Shadow Dancer, Max Tundra, Edwin Van Cleef,
Cosmonaut Grechko and Popular Computer.

Gonzales is also known as a super-producer of sorts, working with a wide array of artists. Best known for his production work with Feist (whose album The Reminder earned him a Grammy nomination), Peaches and Jamie Lidell, he has more recently worked with Marina & the Diamonds and Tiga…not to mention older collaborations with Bjork and Daft Punk.

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Filed under Check 'em Out!, downloads, video

Tagged as Arts & Crafts, Chilly Gonzales, Daft Punk, Feist, free download, Gemini Club, iPad commercial, Jamie Lidell, Marina & the Diamonds, Never Stop, Peaches, RCRD LBL, Robotaki, video, You Can Dance

January 19, 2011 · 12:41 pm

Congratulations, CAKE!

CAKE is back on top! The band’s new album, Showroom Of Compassion, has debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, marking their first number one album in their nearly two decades of existence. Showroom Of Compassion, CAKE’s first record of new material since the release of Pressure Chief seven years ago, comes via the band’s own label, Upbeat Records. Not only is this a first for CAKE, who have always made it a point to stay true to their independent roots, but also the first Number One release for Warner’s Independent Label Group.

“Sick Of You” remains a Top 5 hit at both Alternative and Triple A radio, and the video continues in heavy rotation at both MTV2 and MTVu. Rolling Stone did a Q&A with lead singer John McCrea and premiered the video for the Showroom opener “Federal Funding.”

The buzz continues with “Long Time” set to be the second single from the album, featuring an animated music video. Look for the video to debut next week.

“We heard this hip little fuzzed-out tune on the radio, and we were, like, who’s this cool new band? Maybe something called Bear Antler? Then we realized it was CAKE.” – Rolling Stone

“[‘Sick Of You’] is vintage CAKE, with frontman John McCrea’s jaded, semi-spoken vocals, crunchy guitar riffs, a skippy beat, and blasts of trumpet.” – Spin.com

Oh, and how funny is this? From CAKE’s road journal:

Monday, December 6, 2010
Pittsburgh, PA

We were in Pittsburgh on a Monday, so The Warhol museum was closed, which was especially unfortunate because a Marilyn Monroe exhibit is there now.

Do you know Pittsburghers have a dialect all their own?!

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Filed under Holy Freaking Crap!, Interviews, new albums, video, Whoa!

Tagged as Billboard Top 200, Cake, Federal Funding, Independent Label Group, John McCrea, Long Time, Pressure Chief, Short Skirt/Long Jacket, Showroom of Compassion, Sick of You, Spin, Studio album, Upbeat Records

January 17, 2011 · 12:01 pm

Get In On This!

If you don’t get in quick on Foster the People, you will be sorry. I mean, yeah, you can get in on it later but that’s no fun. That would be like me just now getting into reading the “Twilight” series. Little late — that boat left the docks a looooong time ago.

I think huge things are to come for Foster the People. They are who I’ll be paying attention to this year. Last summer, people fell in love with “Pumped Up Kicks.” Tomorrow, their EP will be released. It’s got three songs: “Helena Beat,” “Houdini,” and “Pumped Up Kicks.” These are the kinds of songs that you never get tired of hearing. That’s rare and awesome.

Check out your new favorite song, “Helena Beat.”