YAY YAAAAAYYYYYYY for new Franz!!! Here are not one, but TWO new songs from the band’s upcoming album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action which will be released on August 27.
Brand New: Franz Ferdinand
Filed under Awesome, Highly Anticipated, Holy Freaking Crap!, listen, new albums, Whoa!
Download: Leftover Cuties – “What’s The Matter?”
Los Angeles-based noir-pop quartet Leftover Cuties are primed to release their sophomore full-length album, The Spark & The Fire, on July 23rd! Returning with a 12-track journey that swings easily from smoke-filled Bourbon St. speakeasies to quiet island getaways, Shirli McAllen’s silky voice provides the hook as the band’s sound pulls you in with upright bass, accordion, piano, brass, brushed drums, and yes, the ukulele.
We previously released first single “One Heart” – a powerhouse track filled with handclaps and stomping percussion. Today, we’re sharing “What’s The Matter?,” a beautifully bittersweet ode to an absent lover. The ballad shows off chanteuse Shirli’s powerful, emotive vocals alongside lush instrumentation and an irresistibly memorable chorus that fixes itself squarely in your mind (and heart!)
Listen/download: Leftover Cuties – “What’s The Matter?”
Leftover Cuties will embark on a full US tour this summer, giving new fans their first chance to see the Cuties captivating live show. The tour will start in California, with stops in New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Boston and more. The band has performed alongside Shelby Lynne, Alabama Shakes, Saint Motel, the Be Good Tanyas and many more.
Related articles
- Download: Leftover Cuties – “One Heart” (musicallyamusing.com)
Filed under Check 'em Out!, downloads, listen, new albums, Shows
New Music: Typhoon – “Young Fathers”
Last month, we introduced you to Typhoon and their song, “Dreams of Cannibalism.” Now, the band is excited to premiere the first single “Young Fathers” from their anticipated new album White Lighter.
White Lighter – out August 20th – is the follow up to the band’s EP A New Kind Of House that caught the attention of countless music critics and listeners for its inspiring hybrid of literate lyrics and wide ranging pop music.
Typhoon will head out on a North America headlining tour beginning September 5th in their hometown of Portland, OR. This six-week tour will include performances at the Austin City Limits Music Festival, Pop Montreal and Music Fest NW, along with stops in New York, Los Angeles and Vancouver.
What makes these songs so great is the sense of borrowed time and urgency. A series of events suffered from a bug bite – failed organs, life spared thanks to modern medicine and a kidney given to him by his father – Kyle Morton, the band’s lead singer and songwriter, channeled his emotions into songwriting to create this big-hearted sound that bursts with a raw emotion and energy. The end result is a remarkably powerful and beautiful collection of songs.
“When we started working on White Lighter, I had reason to believe that it would be the last thing I ever did,” says Kyle. “It is now six months since we finished. I’m still here and there’s still work to be done.”
Listen: Typhoon – “Young Fathers”
Typhoon Tour Dates (more to be announced) *Cdn dates are bolded:
September 5-6 Music Fest NW Portland, OR
September 9 The Rickshaw Theatre Vancouver, BC
September 10 The Crocodile Café Seattle, WA
September 12 El Korah Shrine Boise, ID
September 13 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT
September 14 Hi-Dive Denver, CO
September 16 The Waiting Room Omaha, NE
September 17 The Old Rock House St. Louis, MO
September 19 Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis, MN
September 20 Schubas Chicago, IL
September 21 Beachland Tavern Cleveland, OH
September 22 Wexner Center Columbus, OH
September 25 Pop! Montreal Montreal, QC
September 26 Higher Ground South Burlington, VT
September 27 The Iron Horse Northampton, MA
September 28 Littlefield Brooklyn, NY
September 29 Brighton Music Hall Boston, MA
September 30 Le Poisson Rouge New York, NY
October 1 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, PA
October 2 The Rock ‘n Roll Hotel Washington, DC
October 6 & 13 Austin City Limits Festival Austin, TX
October 17 The Satellite Los Angeles, CA
October 18 The Independent San Francisco, CA
October 19 WOW Hall Eugene, OR
Related articles
- Check ‘Em Out: Typhoon (musicallyamusing.com)
- Typhoon Announce Anticipated New Album White Lighter Set for an August 20th Release (hangout.altsounds.com)
Filed under listen, new albums, Newest Love, Shows, video
Brand New: Duck Sauce
Click on image to go buy the track on iTunes
Finally!!! Duck Sauce, the Grammy-nominated duo consisting of Fool’s Gold trendsetting boss A-Trak and house legend Armand Van Helden, are putting the final touches on their debut studio album, Quack, due for release this fall on Casablanca records. Together they shuffle into the summer with the absurdly catchy single “It’s You” and an equally bonkers, hair-raising video by acclaimed director Philip Andelman.
“It’s You” properly follows in the webbed footsteps of Duck Sauce’s past video hits, including 2011’s VMA nominated, comically grotesque “Big Bad Wolf” and the viral smash “Barbra Streisand” in 2010. The stadium-filling whistle of “Barbra” remains one of the biggest dance tracks of the last decade, racking up over 100 million YouTube plays and hitting #1 in 12 countries.
Duck Sauce plan to shake things up with Quack, coming later this year. This isn’t your typical dance album: Quack pushes the boundaries of house music and sampling into an absurdly visual listening experience, interwoven with skits, scratching and irresistible loops. Expect many more videos from the pair of New York prankster pioneers.
Related articles
- Duck Sauce – It’s You (hypebeast.com)
- Duck Sauce release new single/video ‘It’s You’ today (hangout.altsounds.com)
Filed under Highly Anticipated, listen, new albums, video, Whoa!
Check ‘Em Out: London Grammar
“London Grammar account for every slippery string, vocal echo, ultrasound heartbeat, and wordless, holy vocal peal on “Metal and Dust,” the second in a so-far immaculate collection.”–Pitchfork
“The title track of their debut EP, Metal & Dust, features backing so tasteful it cries out to be defaced, while the Unfinished Sympathy breakbeat further enhances the sense of early-90’s déjà vu.” – The Guardian
“London Grammar are now officially 2-for-2, with this dusky, sumptuous new single [Metal & Dust] emerging from the mysterious LDN group.” – Gorilla vs. Bear
London Grammar is Hannah Reid, Dot Major and Dan Rothman, who formed the band while attending university together. After spending most of 2012 in the studio working on their debut album, London Grammar revealed their first single, “Hey Now,” on their Soundcloud in December. “Hey Now” has hit almost 370,000 plays to date, while total Soundcloud plays are now over 1.5 million.
The Metal & Dust EP will come out in America on June 25th via Columbia Records. The EP will include their latest UK single “Wasting My Young Years” as well as “Hey Now,” “Metal & Dust” and a Dot Major remix of “Hey Now.” “Wasting My Young Years” is an emotional and passionate track featuring an intricate piano hook and haunting vocals that lead into a beautiful and powerful chorus backed by escalating drums and guitars. The “Wasting My Young Years” official music video, directed by BISON, can be viewed below, and you can see a gorgeous live rendition at The Guardian HERE.
The London trio will play Glastonbury and various other festivals in the UK this summer, following two sold out headline shows at London’s Electrowerkz and Islington Assembly Hall. The band should be making their way to the states in the near future. London Grammar is also featured on the Disclosure album track “Help Me Lose My Mind”.
London Grammar – Metal & Dust EP (out 6/25 on Columbia Records)
01. Metal & Dust
02. Hey Now
03. Wasting My Young Years
04. Hey Now (Dot Major Remix)
Download: London Grammar – “Hey Now” (Dot Major Remix)
Listen: London Grammar – “Metal & Dust”
Listen: London Grammar – Wasting My Young Years (Kids of the Apocalypse Remix) (this one is my FAVORITE, been listening to it repeatedly for 2 weeks!)
London Grammar Tour Dates:
Sat 6/22: London @ Night + Day, Hatfield (festival curated by The XX)
Sat 6/29: Pilton @ Glastonbury
Thurs 7/4: London @ Soho House
Fri 7/5: Winchester @ Blissfields
Sat 7/13: Warlingham @ Leefest
Fri 7/19: Grafenhainichen @ Melt
Sun 7/21: Dublin @ Longitude Festival
Sat 7/27: Kendal @ Kendal Calling
Sun 7/28: Huntingdon @ Secret Garden Party
Fri 8/2: Dorset @ Camp Bestival
Sun 8/4: Standon @ Standon Calling
Wed 8/7: Ibiza @ Ibiza Rocks
Fri 8/9: Cornbury @ Wilderness Festival
Sat 8/24: Katowice @ Tauron Nows Muzyka
Fri 9/6: Isle of Wight @ Bestival
Tues 10/15: Norwich @ Norwich Open
Wed 10/16: Brighton @ Brighton Haunt
Fri 10/18: Brixton @ Brixton Electric
Sat 10/19: Oxford @ Oxford Gathering
Sun 10/20: Bristol @ Bristol The Fleece
Tues 10/22: Nottingham @ Nottingham Rescue Rooms
Wed 10/23: Birmingham @ Birmingham Academy 3
Thurs 10/24: Leeds @ Leeds Cockpit
Sat 10/26: Manchester @ Manchester Soundcontrol
Sun 10/27: Glasgow @ Glasgow Broadcast
Mon 10/28: Newcastle @ Newcastle Cluny
Newest Love: Caravan Palace
“Imagine sashaying into a night club, looking to get down to some thumping electro, only to hear swing music from the 1930s. That’s just what you’d hear if you happen into a club where the band Caravan Palace is playing. And if you hang for just a moment … you’ll be dancing.” – NPR
“[Panic] is terribly cool and fun to listen to. The musical magic is evident on every one of the 14 cuts… one of the best shows of the summer, no doubt.” – KCRW
The sprawling musical collective known as Caravan Palace are celebrated worldwide for pioneering the sound of electro swing. From their 2009 eponymous debut album, which sold over 150,000 copies (and made them a surprise breakout band from France that year) to their latest album Panic, they have always combined their trademark studio technology with incredible musicianship and infectious onstage energy. This seamless and thrilling fusion of Django Reinhardt / Stephane Grapelli-inspired gypsy jazz with Daft Punk-inspired dance beats and crisp production has justly won them a legion of loyal fans.
This summer Caravan Palace will once again ignite dance floors across the country when they return to North America for a 29-date tour that is not to be missed. To celebrate the tour, the band is also re-releasing their last album, Panic, along with a FREE MP3 of “Clash” (Jupiter Remix).
Download: Caravan Palace – “Clash” (Jupiter Remix)
Caravan Palace on Tour this Summer
6/21: Stratton Mountain, VT @ Wanderlust
6/22: Stratton Mountain, VT @ Wanderlust
6/23: Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
6/25: Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
6/26: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
6/27: New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
6/28: Montreal, PQ @ Montreal Jazz / Club Soda
6/29: Toronto, ONT @ Mod Club
6/30: Detroit, MI @ Crofoot
7/1: Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
7/2: Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar’s
7/4: Denver, CO @ Bluebird
7/5: Copper Mountain, CO @ Wanderlust
7/6: Copper Mountain, CO @ Wanderlust
7/15: Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory
7/16: San Diego, CA @ Belly UP
7/17: Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda
7/18: Santa Cruz, CA @ Rio Theater
7/19: Lake Tahoe, CA @ Wanderlust
7/20: Lake Tahoe, CA @ Wanderlust
7/22: San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo’s
7/24: Portland, OR @ Star Theater
7/25: Seattle, WA @ Neumos
7/26: Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw
7/28: Calgary, ALB @ Calgary Folk Festival
7/31: Edmonton, ALB @ Pawn Shop
8/2: Whistler, BC @ Wanderlust
8/3: Whistler, BC @ Wanderlust
Check ‘Em Out: Ewert and The Two Dragons
Deemed by critics as “the crown jewel of Estonian music,” Ewert and The Two Dragons are excited to announce they will be returning to the U.S. for a nationwide headline tour this Fall. Kicking off September 4 in Portland, OR, the 6-week stint includes stops in New York, Los Angeles, Austin, Denver, Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, San Francisco and more. The 4-piece indie folk rockers are touring in support of the long-awaited U.S. release of their acclaimed second album Good Man Down, which is set for a digital release on June 25 and a physical release on August 13, via Sire/ADA.
Led by Ewert Sundja, Ewert and The Two Dragons is rounded out by Erki Pärnoja, Pärnoja (guitar) and Kristjan Kallas (drums), and Ivo Etti (bass, guitar). Good Man Down has received overwhelming praise since its 2011 European release, quickly becoming one of Estonia’s best-selling albums and earning them five Estonian Music Awards, including “Album of the Year,” “Song of the Year” and “Band of the Year.” Their biggest accolade, however, came this past January when the band won the European Border Breakers Awards honoring the best new acts in Europe for achieving success outside their home country with their first international release.
The band discusses their music and life on the road in:
“A Portrait of Ewert and The Two Dragons“
Ewert and The Two Dragons have been steadily on the rise since the release of their 2009 debut The Hills Behind The Hills. The 4-piece has toured all over the world and are fixtures throughout the European festival circuit, performing at Iceland Airwaves, Eurosonic, The Great Escape, Germany’s Popkomm, Waves Vienna, and more. Finnish music magazine Rumba caught them during the early stages of their career at the renowned Baltic music festival Positivus, declaring them “the best band at the entire festival” where they were on the line-up alongside Muse, The Scissor Sisters, and others. The buzz garnered by the band at these festivals got the attention of legendary A&R man Seymour Stein, who immediately signed them to Sire Records after seeing them perform live in the U.S.
EWERT AND THE TWO DRAGONS TOUR DATES
Sept 4 – Portland, OR @ MusicFestNW
Sept 6 – Vancouver, BC @ The Media Club
Sept 7 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza
Sept 9 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
Sept 10- Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite
Sept 11- San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
Sept 12- Scottsdale, CA @ The Rhythm Room
Sept 13 – Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
Sept 14- Denver, CO @ Moon Room
Sept 17 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory
Sept 19- Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s Downstairs
Sept 20 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s BBQ
Sept 21- Dallas, TX @ The Prophet Bar
Sept 23 – Nashville, TN @ The High Watt
Sept 24- St. Louis, MO @ The Firebird
Sept 25- Madison, WI @ The Frequency
Sept 27- Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Sept 28 – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
Sept 30- Columbus, OH @ The Basement
Oct 1 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig
Oct 2 – Toronto, ONT @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
Oct 3 – Rochester, NY @ The Bug Jar
Oct 4 – Pittsburgh, PA @ The Smiling Moose
Oct 5 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
Oct 7 – Washington, DC @ DC9
Oct 9 – Cambridge, MA @ TT the Bear’s Place
Oct 10 – New York, NY @ The Mercury Lounge
Oct 12 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, listen, new albums, Newest Love, Shows, video
Download: Kyle Andrews – “Crystal Ball”
Kyle Andrews has released several deliriously catchy albums built to make you smile. Best known for his 2010 hit “You Always Make Me Smile,” which was featured in a worldwide ad campaign and had a video that was shot during an attempt to make the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest water balloon fight, he returns with a new full-length Brighter Than The Sun, out July 23 via Elephant Lady Records!
Album track “Crystal Ball” glistens with shimmering synth and an infectious, dance-worthy beat that’s sure to lift your spirits.
Listen/download: Kyle Andrews – “Crystal Ball”
Brighter Than The Sun is a pulsating, fun-inducing pop album. “Looking Up” is so funky you can’t help but bounce to the feel-good bass line. “The Way To Wonder” begins with light acoustic-guitar strumming and handclaps, quickly building up to an epic climax. Drawing inspiration from society’s inclination towards the technological, Kyle is no stranger to the innovative – he uses everything from built-in laptop mics to top-of-the line studio set ups to compose and record his tunes.
Filed under Awesome, downloads, listen, new albums
New Music From Editors
The Weight Of Your Love, Editors’ fourth studio album, is, according to lead singer and songwriter Tom Smith, “a band record, a musical record, a rock record… with a foot in that alt-rock / Americana world.”
The Weight Of Your Love is the first Editors album to feature new members Justin Lockey and Elliott Williams, following the departure of founding member Chris Urbanowicz in 2012. Inspired by Scott Litt’s work with REM amongst others, and built around a live performance approach to recording, the album was recorded in Nashville at Blackbird Studio by producer Jacquire King (Tom Waits, Norah Jones, Of Monsters And Men, Kings Of Leon) and mixed by Craig Silvey (Arctic Monkeys, The Horrors, Arcade Fire, Bon Iver). It also features extra production from Clint Mansell (Grammy award winning ‘Black Swan’ soundtrack) on “Nothing”, rescored from the original to become what Tom and Ed Lay both describe as the “centerpiece” of the album.
Lyrically focused on “love songs that don’t adhere to the traditional love song type” according to lead singer Tom Smith, The Weight Of Your Love features lots of firsts for the band, not the least of which is Tom’s falsetto on “What Is This Thing Called Love”. Horns make an appearance for the first time on an Editors record, and Elliott’s amazing new vocal contributions serve as a beautifully melodic counterpoint to Tom’s, as best displayed on “Formaldehyde”. “The Phone Book”, meanwhile, seemed to need nothing more than an acoustic guitar. “I have a deep love of those big rock records that are straightforward,” notes Tom, “and we really embraced that throughout this album.”
The Weight Of Your Love is the follow up to Editors two consecutive Number One UK Albums: An End Has A Start (2007) and In This Light And On This Evening (2009). Their debut album, The Back Room (2005) has sold over half a million copies in the UK.
The Weight Of Your Love will be released by Play It Again Sam / [PIAS] America on July 2nd digitally, and July 9th on CD, double CD (with bonus tracks), & double 180g vinyl.
The first single, “A Ton of Love”, will be released digitally on June 18th – watch the video for “A Ton of Love” below.
And here’s my forever FAVE song from Editors (from their 2005 debut album, The Back Room):
Related articles
- Editors are back – A List of what we know so far…! (transatlanticdiablog.wordpress.com)
- Editors release video for their new track The Weight (hangout.altsounds.com)
Filed under Band Change-ups, Highly Anticipated, listen, new albums, video
Video: Goldfish – “One Million Views”
“They’re my favourite band right now” – Fedde Le Grande
“I couldn’t get their album off my stereo by the pool this Summer” – Pete Tong
In the new Goldfish video for “One Million Views”, the fish take a tongue in cheek look at DJ culture and it’s button pushing phenomenon.
“Some people got it right from the start, some didn’t, but it’s cool to know that Joel [Deadmau5] knew what we were expressing. Much respect to him for commenting, a cool surprise for us!” -Goldfish
“One Million Views” is an amazing animated piece of art which was created by longtime Goldfish animator extraordinaire, Mike Scott.
Check out the video:
Musically Amusing 