August 3, 2017 · 12:35 pm

Hangin’ Out With Faulkner

Credit: Missy Maggi

Faulkner is a four member bi-coastal rock group that came together in 2013. Last year they released their debut EP Revanchist and right now they’re gearing up for the album drop this fall. While the guys were in town for a show recently at the Rex Theater, I caught up with frontman Lucas Asher for a few questions after their sound check.

Credit: Missy Maggi

So what have you guys been working on?

We just got off our single with Royce da 5’9″, Eminem’s collaborator.

Yes, I’ve heard it! How did that happen?

Cool, yeah, we just reached out and connected through mutual friends – we just finished recording w/ RZA and so it’s all like a small circle.

Does the album have an overall theme?

Revenge. Very aggressive, a little bit dark — and then we open up and explore more areas on the LP. We’ll have more singles that are uptempo and more danceable, a little bit more of a fun record.

You just performed your new song “Hot Streak” at the Troubadour, right?

Yeah, we premiered it there. Tonight will be the second time we’ve ever played it live.

Really? That’s amazing! So special…

Who else would you love to work with in the future?

We like Kanye West, so he would be up there. We like The Weeknd a lot. Our music style is like a mix of The Clash and The Weeknd. We always lean towards urban collaborations. If we didn’t though, it would probably be Muse.

If you could sit under a table and listen to any two people talk, who would it be?

Nikola Tesla and…let’s see, who else…it’d be like, Bob Dylan.

That’s a nice pair, I wonder what that conversation would be like?! (laughs).

Yeah. (laughs).

What music have you been listening to?

A lot of new music. A lot of cool, new music. I’m really into house and electronic but I’m all over the place.

What platform do you use to listen to music?

I’m on all of them. Anything on demand, I don’t really like the Pandora type where it tells you what to listen to. I’m still mostly on YouTube, actually.

Yeah? Do you make your own playlists and stuff?

Yeah, follow me. (laughs).

What song do you remember most from your childhood or what makes you feel nostalgic?

I grew up on Queen, so I’m a huge Queen fan.

What else can you add for fans?

We have our first video, it’s called “Revolutionary” — it was shot in Hawaii and we’re shooting another music video in Morocco coming up. “Hot Streak” will be our next single.

At this point, the employees were getting prepped for the crowd and the band needed to finish a few last things, too. I graciously thanked Lucas and gave the guys my own version of a swag bag for their tour bus — it included a 6 pack of local Pittsburgh beers and a family size bag of potato chips. (Who wouldn’t want that swag? Duh.)

Credit: Missy Maggi

Obviously, we stuck around for the show. This was their first time playing in Pittsburgh and they were touring with Atlas Genius. The set killed it, with the guys playing fan faves, “Revolutionary” and “These Kids Nowadays.” And indeed they kept their word by giving us the experience of their newest track, “Hot Streak,” which was definitely my favorite AND maybe a new favorite of the band’s, too. “It’s always a lot of fun playing new songs at our shows,” expressed the band’s bass player, Dimitri Farougias.

The guys will be playing a couple shows later this month in California with The Kickback, so if you’re around, definitely check them out and go say “hi”!

August 24 – Brick & Mortar, San Francisco, CA

August 26 – Soda Bar, San Diego, CA

August 29 – Resident, Los Angeles, CA

 

Check out a couple of the band’s videos below:

This track will appear on the new album:

 

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July 28, 2017 · 3:25 pm

Still Obsessed: NVDES

Photo Credit: Neil Favila

Los Angeles-based creative collective NVDES announce the La NVDITÉ, Vol. 1 EP slated for an August 11th release on Maison Nvdité/Kobalt Music Recordings. An intriguing introduction to the laptop-punk of de-facto frontman Josh Ocean, he emerges with a five-track collection brimming with his signature frenetic guitars and punk energy, honing his prowess for crafting compulsive summery jams.

NVDES shares newest singles “Do You Think About Me” and “Do Ya” highlighted by a tropical groove and released tomorrow on all digital retailers. About the track/s, Ocean comments, “This song is about the modern saga of exploring love on the internet. We wrote it shortly after I started a long distance relationship with someone in Paris via Facebook messenger. It’s about the constant wondering “is this real?” and the melancholy that comes along with that.”

Ocean continues, “Inspired by this theme of love on the internet, I teamed up with Jenna Josepher and Giulia Marsico to direct the lyric video. Their personal styles could be considered opposites, with Jenna’s affinity for inanity and patterns, and Giulia’s exploration in sexuality and the human figure, yet their interests in analogy and absurdity are what bring them together. For this video, they utilized the stark juxtaposition of two similar yet highly contrasting images as an interpretation of what love on the internet can feel like; when you’re receiving one signal but interpreting another, subsequently causing your reality to distort.”

Following the release of his glitchy 2016 debut EP Life With Lobsters, NVDES garnered over 10 million streams across platforms, charted on Spotify’s Global Viral Chart, and received acclaim from the likes of FADER, NYLON, and many more, including Musically Amusing. The four-track collection spins through an array of kaleidoscopic sounds that are both levitating and melodic, yet wholly original.

In anticipation of the release, NVDES has also announced a series of live dates in Chicago and New York.

8/24: Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern
8/26: New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge

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July 28, 2017 · 3:12 pm

New Music From OMD!

Synth-pop pioneers OMD return with their dazzling 13th studio album The Punishment of Luxury which sees them combine the wistful nostalgia and idealized romance of their previous work while stepping out of their comfort zone. The LP is out September 1st on White Noise Records.

The follow up to the critically acclaimed English Electric (released in 2013) The Punishment Of Luxury is a daring collection of stylish synth pop and masterful songwriting which will certainly rank alongside their very best.

Written, recorded, produced and mixed by OMD – Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys – the album is the sound of a band in their prime. “On this album, we have managed to make beautiful things out of noises and repetitive patterns,” explains Andy. “The trouble is, we just can’t help but write a catchy melody!”

The track and album are named after an 1891 painting by the Italian divisionist Giovanni Segantini that caught Andy’s eye. Andy explains, “Most people in the western world are materially better off than their predecessors ever were and yet we are unhappier. Now we have many possessions that we don’t need because we’ve been persuaded to buy. This is the punishment of luxury.”

Described by The Quietus as “not just one of the best synth bands ever – they are one of the best bands ever,” OMD’s influence has become ubiquitous. The xx, the Killers, and LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy have cited OMD as an inspiration, and the likes of Future Islands and Chvrches show traces of OMD’s DNA.

Check out three of the tracks from the new album now!

Punishment Of Luxury – Tracklisting
1. The Punishment of Luxury
2. Isotype
3. Robot Man
4. What Have We Done
5. Precision & Decay
6. As We Open, So We Close
7. Art Eats Art
8. Kiss Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Bang
9. One More Time
10. La Mitrailleuse
11. Ghost Star
12.The View From Here

U.S., U.K & EU TOUR DATES:

July 2017
Fri 28th SAN FRANCISCO, Regency Ballroom
Sat 29th LOS ANGELES, Microsoft Theater
Sun 30th TIJUANA, El Foro

August 2017
Wed 2nd MEXICO CITY, Pepsi Centre
Sat 5th DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, Hard Rock Cafe

October 2017
Mon 23rd DUBLIN, Vicar street
Tue 24th BELFAST, Mandella Hall
Sun 29th LIVERPOOL, Empire   
Mon 30th BRISTOL, Colston Hall

  November 2017
Wed 1st SOUTHEND, Cliffs Pavilion   
Thur 2nd IPSWICH, Regent
Fri 3rd CAMBRIDGE, Corn Exchange
Sun 5th LEICESTER, De Montfort Hall
Mon 6th NOTTINGHAM, Royal Concert Hall
Tue 7th SHEFFIELD, City Hall   
Thur 9th READING, Hexagon
Fri 10th SOUTHAMPTON, Guildhall
Sat 11th GUILDFORD, G Live
Mon 13th LONDON, Roundhouse
Wed 15th BEXHILL, De La Warr Pavilion
Fri 17th MANCHESTER, Academy
Sat 18th YORK, Barbican
Sun 19th GLASGOW, Royal Concert Hall   
Tue 21st BIRMINGHAM, Symphony Hall
Wed 22nd GATESHEAD, Sage 1
Sat 25th ERFURT, Traum Hits Festival
Sun 26th HAMBURG, Grosse Freoheit
Tue 28th BERLIN, Huxleys
Wed 29th LEIPZIG, Taus Auenesse
Thur 30th MUNICH, Tonhalle

December 2017
Sat 2nd OFFENBACH, Stadhalle
Sun 3rd DUSSELDORF, Mitsubishi Electric Hall
Tue 5th TILBURG, 013
Wed 6th ANTWERP, De Roma
Fri 8th LAUSANNE, Les Docks

 

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July 28, 2017 · 2:14 pm

Listen: TR/ST

“…the verses where Alfons mutters his incantations of discordant, metallic noises create a mood venomous enough to linger over the hook’s explosive synthy turn-up.” – FADER

“TR/ST, is another one of those breaking Canadian acts that seems to have appeared fully-formed with a heap of brilliant, deviant, electronically infused tracks” – NOISEY
Check out the new song from Toronto based musician TR/ST. The track is entitled “Bicep” and will be part of a release due out early 2018. When talking about the track TR/ST (Robert Alfons) says, “This song and much of the album was written in isolation in a farmhouse in rural Canada. It’s about the journey of a figure — essentially a narcissist — fighting with ideas of impurity and worthlessness. It’s about the struggle between accepting and resisting shame, as well as an expression of sexual fantasies.”

After years of extensive touring, and garnering glowing praise from top international critics at Pitchfork, VICE, and The Guardian UK for the 2012 Juno-nominated debut album TRST, the follow-up album Joyland is out now on Arts & Crafts. Joyland is an eruption of guts, eels, and joy.

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July 27, 2017 · 7:38 pm

Newest Love: White Cliffs

“Pulsing with shakers and bass, the track oozes hazy electro-pop magic. White Cliffs tests out his own vocals as well, which works well in highlight the lean, sexy energy of the track. The ultimate result is a lusty dance track, perfect for pulling your favorite person nice and close on a humid summer night.” – The 405

 

Check out this new single from White Cliffs, “On Call” which will be featured on his debut EP due out 9/29. When talking about the track White Cliffs says, “”On Call” represents a new road that I’ve wanted to travel since making music,” says White Cliffs. “It’s a little taste of the songs I’ll be releasing from now on and I can’t put into words how excited I am to share it with everyone.” Be sure to be on the look out for more White Cliffs as the summer rolls along.

Brooklyn solo artist White Cliffs is excited to release his debut single “On Call.”  This song features a dizzying blend of guitars, organs, and synthesizers, topped with his own vocals.  The track represents a refreshing new direction for the producer and is the first tune off of his forthcoming EP.

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July 27, 2017 · 7:18 pm

Newest Love: Private Island

Photo credit: Anthony Pham

“For a sound so contagious, I’d bet they’re impressive to see live.”
– What Youth

“So grab your sunglasses and sunscreen and hit the pool with this one on your loudspeakers.” — Earmilk

“L.A.-based Private Island has one foot in the retro-ism of smooth jazz and funk and the other in the gang’s-all-here musical collectivism of modern indie-pop.”
– Buzzbands.LA

After dominating the West Coast music scene and selling out headlining shows in LA, Private Island is heading on their first US Tour with Future Generations, prepared to bring their mix of funky California indie pop-rock to a venue near you. After making a splash on the internet with their Hype Machine approved hit “Drugs,” and over 3 million streams on Spotify, Private Island is excited to promote their third studio project, Night Drive, which will mark a slight departure from their indie-rock past to a smoother R&B vibe.

The lead single, “Turbulence,” is Private Island’s first step into a world that breaks away from the shimmering indie-rock of their past releases. While maintaining their roots, the new music opens the door into a darker, more polished sound, where lead singer Christian Lum effortlessly denounces his loss of faith in love. The sonic development of the new single mixed with their signature bluesy-rock sound leaves listeners with a taste of the new album, due out fall 2017. The Southern California six-piece band, comprised of Christian Lum, Tommy Nickerson, Cameron Anderson, Michelle Guerrero, Tim Barbour and Roger Mawer, worked with producer Jacob Munk and mastering engineer Joe Lambert for Night Drive.

TOUR DATES

July 28th @ The High Watt in Nashville, TN

July 29th @ The EARL in Atlanta, GA

Aug 1st @ The Evening Muse in Charlotte, NC

Aug 2nd @ DC9 in Washington, DC

Aug 4th @ Kung Fu Necktie in Philadelphia, PA

Aug 5th @ Knitting Factory in Brooklyn, NY

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July 27, 2017 · 7:06 pm

Check ‘Em Out: Warbly Jets

LA’s Warbly Jets have been building buzz locally and nationally since the release of their debut single “Alive” last November. In addition to being named an Artist to Watch by KCRW and earning praise from both LA Weekly and LA Record, they’ve also racked up spins on Beats1 and KROQ, caught the attention of Liam Gallagher’s Pretty Green (who used “Alive” as the official song of its SS17 line), and landed slots opening for acts like The Dandy Warhols, The Mystery Lights, and Night Beats. 

Now, Warbly Jets share their second single, “The Lowdown.” A snarling anthem meant to call out the music industry and its endless games, it’s the band’s way of saying that they’re here, and they’re here to stay. (Check it out below.)

“The Lowdown” was written last year, beginning with a backbeat and bass lick constructed by keyboardist Julien O’Neill. From there, the band added guitars, vocals, and additional melodies, along with a heavy dose of confidence and a playfully brash attitude. Inspired by their own experiences with the music industry at large — specifically the empty promises of stardom and money, all while major labels go bankrupt pumping out heartless music —  “The Lowdown” is Warbly Jets’ way of asserting that they got where they are on their own, and they’re not going to wait for anyone to give them the green light.   


Warbly Jets on Tour:

7/30: Denver, CO @ Lost Lake
8/2: Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room
8/3: Rock Island, IL @ RIBCO
8/4 – 8/5: Appleton, WI @ Mile of Music
8/6: Chicago, IL @ Schubas
8/8: Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right (Pond Magazine Presents)
8/9: Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right (Pond Magazine Presents)
8/10: Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
8/11: Washington, D.C. @ DC9
8/15: Nashville, TN @ The Basement
8/19: Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
8/20: San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
9/5: London, ENG @ The Shacklewell Arms
9/12: London, ENG @ The Shacklewell Arms
9/19: London, ENG @ The Shacklewell Arms
9/25: London, ENG @ The Shacklewell Arms

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July 27, 2017 · 4:39 pm

Video: Anna of the North – “Someone”

Anna of the North shares her self-directed visual video for “Someone”, shot on location in Miami, Florida.

Of creating the video, Anna says:
It’s a video made in Miami but it’s certainly not a stereotypical Miami video. The ‘party’ side to cities like Miami can feel vacuous, making them the loneliest places in the world, so it’s a fitting backdrop to the story. It’s set the day after a big night, when you instantly regret something that happened. It’s about the internal battle of the day after; trying to accept that you’re human and how hard it is to forgive yourself for your own mistakes. It gets more desperate throughout as the realization sets in.

The second single to be taken from their highly-anticipated debut album Lovers, “Someone” journeys through a swaggering opening and a head rush of synths, which then make way for Anna’s tender vocals before the chorus explodes into a blockbuster-scale road trip.

Due for worldwide release on September 8, Lovers is an album deeply rooted in heartbreak, a subject that courses through the veins of all ten tracks – through the turmoil, the guilt and the tentative joy of finally letting yourself move on.

In three years since the release of debut single “Sway”, the Norwegian-Kiwi duo of Anna Lotterud and Brady Daniell-Smith have paved the way for their full-length debut following a run of singles which have notched up over 60 million streams, multiple No.1spotst’s on the Hype Machine charts and rotation on Radio 1, Triple J and Beats 1.

Now they offer up an emphatically assured debut LP, its clean, springy beats and shimmering synths underpinned by the rich, emotive clarity of Anna’s voice. Recorded in Oslo and mixed in Copenhagen and London by Luke Smith (Foals, Depeche Mode), Lovers is a coherent but endlessly varied beast.

The story of the project began five years back. Anna was working in a shop in a small town near Oslo, settled with her first love whilst anticipating a life of routine and normality when a customer came in and changed her life. Polite and well groomed, the woman, a stranger to Anna, began making daily visits, browsing for hours but never buying a thing. One afternoon, for reasons Anna will never know, the woman approached her and implored her to abandon the traditional life she had planned out, and go and expand her horizons. The plea jolted something in Anna, and in an act of uncharacteristic spontaneity, she booked a flight to Australia, leaving behind the life and the person she thought she’d spend her life with.

Her time in Australia was fulfilling but turbulent. She fell in love again, only to have her heart broken as suddenly and inexplicably as her decision to leave Norway in the first place. That’s when she met Brady Daniell-Smith. Brady, who’d been struggling with his own complicated relationships, was performing an acoustic show in Melbourne; Anna was in the audience, drinking with friends. Becoming friends, he encouraged her to find solace in songwriting, discovering they could make music together as a way of exorcizing the demons of their love lives and the project was born. He jokingly started calling her “Anna Of The North” and the name stuck.

It’s the two of them combined that make Anna Of The North’s sparse, brooding electro-pop so potent. Brady, who’s from New Zealand and grew up partly in Australia, injects elements of the countries’ bright, vibrant electronic scene to their music; Anna brings the glacial minimalism of her Scandinavian roots.

Anna of the North’s debut album Lovers is due for release on September 8 via Honeymoon / +1 Records / Different Recordings.

Live Dates:
10 Aug 2017 – Way Out West, SW
18 Aug – Pukkelpop Festival, BE
23 Aug – Hudson Ballroom – Sydney, AU
24 Aug – Northcote Social Club – Melbourne, AU
26 Aug – Maroochy Music & Vis Arts Festival, AU
09 Sep – Bestival, UK
26 Sep – Omeara – London, UK
12 Oct – Obaren, Stockholm, SW
13 Oct – Vega Ideal Bar, Copenhagen, DK
14 Oct – Häkken, Hamburg, DE
16 Oct – Auster Club, Berlin, DE
18 Oct – Sugarfactory ADE Live, Amsterdam, NL19 Oct – Yuca, Cologne, DE20 Oct – Pop Up du Label, Paris, FR
09 Nov – Parkteateret – Oslo, NO
18 Nov – Room 2 P12 @ Transardentes, Brussels, BE
10 Nov – Det Akademiske Kvarter – Bergen, NO

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July 26, 2017 · 3:44 pm

Check ‘Em Out: Priest

Priest announces their debut album New Flesh. The album is set for release on the 17th of November on Lövely Records. The Stockholm based band have during the spring released praised singles as “The Cross”, “Reloader” and “The Pit”.  Album producer Simon Söderberg (Alpha/ ex Ghost member) has worked with the band to perfect their sound. There is modern touch with a retro vibe over the entire album. New Flesh contains a total of ten tracks that that brings 2017 back to the 80´s.

New Flesh will be released on all digital platforms and as physical CDs and LPs. The album is available as a bundle including CD, LP, Priest Logo Metal Pin and a cover art Tote bag. The LPs are available on black and purple colored vinyl. Everything can be orded from: http://freighttrain.se/

Tracklist
1 – The Pit
2 – Vaudeville
3 – History in Black
4 – Populist
5 – The Cross
6 – Private Eye
7 – Nightmare Hotel
8 – Virus
9 – Call My Name
10 – Reloader

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July 26, 2017 · 3:09 pm

There are bands, there are fans, and then there’s Dennis and Lois

 


Dennis and Lois are legends in the music industry. Having been around since the early days of CBGB, they’ve attended over 10,000 shows. Check out the Kickstarter and help out so their story can come to life!

Visit the Kickstarter Project here 

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