September 20, 2012 · 10:52 am

Download: Royal Canoe – “Show Me Your Eyes”

Winnipeg-based six piece Royal Canoe have released their latest digital 7″, Purple and Gold. The digital release features two new songs, “Show Me Your Eyes” and “Summersweat.” The release also features remixes from Ryan Guldemond of Mother Mother and Tim “DJ Co op” Hoover. The 7″ is now available for purchase on the band’s official Bandcamp website as well as iTunes and will be available in physical form on October 8.

Royal Canoe is a group of musicians on a mission to construct ambitious, inventive music. The songs are thick with catchiness, rich in rhythm and are consistently pushing against the boundaries of pop music separating them from the standard indie music makers invading the internet. Having already been featured on the cover of Verb and with two singles charting on CBC Radio, Royal Canoe’s genre-defying arrangements and sharp lyrics has continued to garner the attention of media such as The Uniter which stated that “Royal Canoe have established themselves as musical mad scientists, throwing rock, pop and hip hop into a blender to create catchy-as-hell, dance floor-ready songs with odd time signatures and distorted vocals.” All the while, Indie Shuffle stated Royal Canoe have “an expertise in energetic psychedelic pop…deconstructed, slithering, intriguing.”  Listeners can check out exclusive new music teasers, studio footage and music and performance videos  found on their official youtube channel.

PURPLE AND GOLD NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

Sept 20 @ Hotel Utah – San Francisco, CA **
Sept 21 @ Fulton 55 – Fresno, CA
Sept 22 @ The Satellite – Los Angeles, CA
Sept 23 @ Soda Bar – San Diego, CA
Sept 27 @ The Broken City – Calgary, AB !!
Sept 28 @ The Artery – Edmonton, AB !!
Oct 9 @ Knitting Factory – Brooklyn, NY #
Oct 11 @ Club Lambi – Montreal, QC  # !!
Oct 12 @ Cafe Dekcuf – Ottawa, ON # !!
Oct 13 @ Rancho Relaxo – Toronto, ON & !!
Oct 14 @ Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA &
Oct 16-20 CMJ Music Marathon (performance details TBA)
Oct 17 @ BAR – New Haven, CT &
Oct 19 @ Ortlieb’s Jazzhaus – Philadelphia, PA&
Oct 20 @ Rock N Roll Hotel – Washington, DC &
Oct 22 @ Mayday Northside – Cincinnati, OH &
Oct 23 @ Garfield Artworks – Pittsburgh, PA &
Oct 24 @ Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH &
Oct 25 @ Township – Chicago, IL &
Oct 26 @ First Avenue (7th Street Entry) – Minneapolis, MN ^^
Oct 27 @ The Rathskeller @ Madison, WI ^^
Nov 23 @ The Artful Dodger – Regina, SK !!
Nov 24 @ Amigo’s – Saskatoon, SK !!
** w/ Lost Lander
# w/ Savoir Adore
& w/ Savoir Adore and Santah
^^ w/ Savoir Adore and Sun Airway
!! Headlining

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September 20, 2012 · 10:08 am

Bad Books – “Forest Whitaker”

Bad Books, the collaboration between Kevin Devine and Manchester Orchestra, will release their sophomore album II on October 9 via Triple Crown Records and Favorite Gentleman. This October the band will hit the road for tour dates across the US, with stops in Seattle, Los Angeles, and a performance at Austin City Limits.

Early enthusiasm for II and lead single “Forest Whitaker” continue, as the song charts at the #2 spot on Commercial Specialty Radio and enjoys heavy airplay on Sirius XM’s Alt Nation. Last week Bad Books launched the music video for their single, which highlights a number of movie scenes from legendary actor Forest Whitaker’s extensive career.

II was recorded at Favorite Gentlemen Studios in Atlanta, GA and was produced by Devine, Manchester Orchestra’s lead singer Andy Hull, and Bad Books/Manchester Orchestra guitarist Robert McDowell. Rob Schnapf (well known for his work on Elliott Smith’s seminal recordings XO and Either/Or) leant his talent to mixing the album. II expands upon the band’s well-received self-titled debut, which won praise for the unique “union of opposites” in Hull and Devine’s songwriting explored on NPR’s All Things Considered. Alternative Press praised the dynamic as well, writing “the thing both Hull and Devine are famous for is the ability to write great songs,” going on to say that “when the two styles meet, it’s especially rewarding.”

BAD BOOKS UPCOMING TOUR DATES:

  • Oct 6 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
  • Oct 7 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
  • Oct 9 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
  • Oct 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
  • Oct 11 – San Diego, CA @ The Irenic
  • Oct 12 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
  • Oct 14 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Music Festival
  • Oct 16 – New Orleans, LA @ Parish @ House of Blues
  • Oct 17 – Birmingham, AL @ Zydeco
  • Oct 18 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
  • Oct 19 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade – Hell Stage

 

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August 29, 2012 · 9:06 am

Video: Nause – “Hungry Hearts”

Swedish duo Nause have something to celebrate. Their brand new single “Hungry Hearts” has been released, and within hours crashed straight into the iTunes Top 10 in Sweden, with more territories sure to follow suit in no time at all. What’s more the smash hit record has received the full video treatment, directed by Tim Erem (Rebecca & Fiona, “Luminary Ones”)!

It follows the antics of both Jacob Criborn & Leonard Scheja as young boys, frolicking around Stockholm, attending record meetings and then gaining entry to an after-party, depicting an average day in the life of Nause, all complete with a juvenile twist – the video is a fresh take on DJ lifestyle! The rest is for you to indulge in…

Already soaring high in the clubs and record boxes of DJ’s around the world, Nause’s newest single acts as the triumphant vocal version of their 2011 hit, “Mellow”. Now complete, Hungry Hearts is out on PM:AM Recordings world-wide and is available now on iTunes.

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August 27, 2012 · 11:20 am

Video: The Hives – “Wait a Minute”

The Hives are ready for their close up with the release of their new video for “Wait A Minute,” which recently premiered on MTV. Directed by Travis Schneider, the video was filmed in a Chicago hotel room using only some leather, an iron, a floor lamp, frozen yogurt, and the sweltering Chicago sun. “Wait A Minute” is the second single from The Hives lauded new album Lex Hives, which was released earlier this summer on the band’s own Disques Hives.

The Hives will return to the U.S. next month for a West Coast run, kicking off September 2 at the Made In America festival in Philadelphia with stops in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, Oakland, Las Vegas, and more. The tour will include appearances on CONAN on September 12 and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on October 5.

The September dates are the latest on the band’s world tour, which included a stop this past weekend at Reading & Leeds Festival, and marks their second outing in the U.S. following a widely-praised run in June. The Philadelphia Inquirer proclaimed “The Hives have been single-handedly saving rock and roll,” and the Washington Times stated, “The Hives played the audience like a fiddle.” Similarly, MTV praised their “Superhuman capacity for consistent excellency,” and SPIN anointed Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist “one of the greatest frontmen in rock.”

The band’s newest album Lex Hives is receiving worldwide praise, with NME declaring “Let it be said that Lex Hives is amazing,” and The Independent states, “If Lex Hives has one fault, it’s that it makes you want to switch it off, go straight out and see the Hives live,” and Entertainment Weekly proclaims “The Hives have returned to remind us the Swedes do it better.”

THE HIVES TOUR DATES:

  • September 2 – Philadelphia, PA @ Made In America Festival
  • September 5 – Victoria, BC @ Club9one9 Nightclub
  • September 6 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
  • September 7 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
  • September 8 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
  • September 10 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
  • September 11 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
  • September 13 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
  • September 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
  • September 16 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks (93.3 KTCL Big Gig)
  • October 6 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet’s
  • October 8 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
  • October 9 – Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
  • October 10 – Ventura, CA @ Majestic Ventura Theater

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August 25, 2012 · 7:16 pm

New Music: Steven A. Clark

There is always that one that got away and Steven A. Clark’s soul filled track “Seashore” off his upcoming album Fornication Under the Consent of the King (due on on September 11)represents just that.  Clark tells Rolling Stone, who just premiered “Seashore,” that the track is a metaphor for losing someone and just hoping they’d come back. I’m at fault for losing her, yet I long for her to return to me like the waves. I wrote this song while living in a windowless warehouse thinking about my ex and watching Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on repeat.”

Last week Steven also shared his video for “Don’t Have You,” which was directed by Unkleluc. Steven A. Clark disclosed that the “song is a confession to my ex, it’s all the things I didn’t say to her when I had her.” The video represents Steven moving forward in his life by burning the memories with her from his past.

Alongside Frank Ocean and The Weeknd, the Fayetville, North Carolina native is a top forerunner in the Future RnB movement, spearheading a confident and new type of indie-rock and hip hop infused rhythm and blues that belies their young age. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, Clark’s songwriting reflects his absolute acceptance of the effects of love, including the adoration and despise, bliss and pain, and drinking and drugs. Building on the self-produced, written, and performed sound of STRIPES, Clark takes his synth-kissed sound one step beyond, cutting away niceties and digging into the core of his personal afflictions with F.U.C.K.

Clark is adding some needed seasoning to R&B, handling his own production, songwriting and recording. Like his peers, the musical artisan croons gut-busting lyrics about his personal life. But it’s his artistry that’s more vast, incorporating rap, R&B and funk into his skin-burrowing confections.

Trace it back to his matriculating at High Point University in High Point, North Carolina, where he found solace in relationship therapy through singing. He put collegiate life on the backburner in his junior year, chasing his musical dreams down to Miami where he cut his teeth working in a professional recording studio and set initial groundwork for STRIPES. But it was when he began recording F.U.C.K., that he finally learned to let go.

Download: Steven A. Clark – “Seashore”

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August 24, 2012 · 3:28 pm

Check ‘Em Out: ON AN ON

Newly-formed indie group ON AN ON are pleased to unleash “Ghosts,” the first song off their forthcoming debut album, Give In, which is due out January 29 on Roll Call Records. The sound marks a new direction for ON AN ON’s three members – Nate Eiesland, Alissa Ricci and Ryne Estwing – who had been performing together for the last few years with the indie group Scattered Trees. It was only this past March during the annual SXSW festival that they decided to follow their instincts and change course, with conservative compromises being a thing of the past.

Just two weeks later, the band hunkered down in a Toronto studio with acclaimed producer Dave Newfeld (Broken Social Scene). With a knack for genre-melding, and a boundary-pushing mindset, Newfeld would prove to be the perfect match for the trio’s new caution-less approach: synthesizers, scattershot electro beats and ambient ear candy would give guitars, bass and drums a newfound ghostly sheen. The end result was Give In, ON AN ON’s ten-track debut album – a dream-washed textural journey armed with a biting perspective on life, love and the commonality of loss.

Stream: ON AN ON – “Ghosts”

Download: ON AN ON – “Ghosts” (in exchange for your email)

ON AN ON TOUR DATES (w/ Reptar + Rubblebucket)

  • 09.11               Chicago, IL                 Lincoln Hall
  • 09.14              Minneapolis, MN       Icehouse  (Headline Show)
  • 09.22              Santa Ana, CA            Constellation Room
  • 09.23              Los Angeles, CA         Echoplex
  • 09.26              Austin, TX                  Beauty Ballroom
  • 09.27              Little Rock, AR           Juanita’s

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August 23, 2012 · 10:54 am

Video: The Money Go Round – “YAYAYA”

Check out this video from Sydney, Australia’s The Money Go Round.

The Money Go Round is a means of expression for five Sydney artists who have all had a passion for art and music throughout their lives. It is the product of years of experimentation, to develop a nucleus that promotes creative collaboration. Their debut single “YAYAYA” is about wanting something you can’t have. It sounds like falling down a waterfall into a bucket of rainbow paint. “YAYAYA” was produced by TMGR and Tracked/Mixed and Mastered through 301 Studios, Sydney.

The Money Go Round would very much like to embody the rock/psychedelic genre, TMGR are set to achieve a sound with longevity that is both modern and vintage, and drive their music with strong and memorable live performances.

For fans of: The Black Keys, Tame Impala, Kasabian, Black Lips, The Strokes and Arctic Monkeys.

AND, if ya fancy, you can go download “YAYAYA” for free, too.

Download: The Money Go Round – “YAYAYA”

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August 21, 2012 · 2:17 pm

Highly Anticipated: Paul Banks (+ free download!)

On October 23, Matador will release the 2nd solo album from Interpol vocalist/guitarist Paul Banks. With Banks, Paul ditches the Julian Plenti alter-ego, and the resulting 10-song album is a tour-de- force of exhilarating minor-key intensity.

Banks was recorded in New York and Connecticut with producer Peter Katis (Interpol, The National, Shearwater, Jónsi…). The album is personal and epic, catchy and serpentine – much like your favorite Interpol albums – with Paul’s wry humor, bare emotion, and varied influences all in full effect.

Listen/Download: Paul Banks – “The Base”

Track listing :

  1. The Base
  2. Over My Shoulder
  3. Arise, Awake
  4. Young Again
  5. Lisbon
  6. I’ll Sue You
  7. Paid For That
  8. Another Chance
  9. No Mistakes
  10. Summertime Is Coming

Preorder ‘Banks’ on LP or CD from The Matador Store

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August 21, 2012 · 2:08 pm

MIXTAPE: Bassnectar’s European Vacation!

The California-based DJ, producer and virtuosic maestro of all things bassy, and the man who has singlehandedly sold more hard concert tickets in North America than any other EDM artist this year (Deadmau5, Guetta, Skrillex, Avicii, Tiesto…the lot!) – is about to set off on his most gargantuan European tour yet!
Aptly christened “Bassnectar’s European Vacation” the original long-haired, dubbed-up superstar will play a total of 13 shows throughout Europe this summer, taking on a mixture of mammoth club gigs and eye-watering festival stages. Watch the official tour video below:
In preparation for the colossal occasion he’s also now decided to share a tasty, eclectic, bass-driven MIXTAPE.
 “These are a few insane bangers which I decided to compile for my month long summer vacation in Europe. We will be hitting 13 shows (festivals & clubs) and this is a selection of dirty music which I hope you enjoy when you find yourself in a high-speed chase, or tightrope-walking between skyscrapers in a windy metropolis, or sumo-wrestling someone much larger than you…” – Bassnectar
Enjoy!

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August 21, 2012 · 1:56 pm

Video: The Hood Internet – “Won’t F*** Us Over”

Chicago production duo The Hood Internet dropped the video for ‘Won’t F— Us Over’ which is the first single off their debut album FEAT out 10/2 on Decon Records.  Directed by Dan Huiting (Bon Iver videos, etc.) the video shows a bizarre unfolding of a group of kids partying in the wilderness.
UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
  • FRI SEP 7  – Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR%
  • WED SEP 12 – Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids, MI#
  • THR SEP 13 – Mayday, Cincinatti, OH#
  • FRI SEP 14 – Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY*
  • SUN SEP 16 –  Middle East, Boston, MA*
  • TUE SEP 18 –  Rex Theater, Pittsburgh, PA*
  • WED SEP 19 –  Canopy Club, Champaign, IL*
  • THR SEP 20 –  Metro, Chicago, IL*
  • WED SEP 26 – Blind Pig, Ann Arbor, MI^
  • FRI SEP 28 –  The Gramophone, St Louis, MO^
  • SAT SEP 29 –  The Firefly, Kansas City, MO^
  • SUN SEP 30 – Dada, Dallas,TX^
  • TUE OCT 2 – Korova, San Antonio, TX^
  • WED OCT 3 – Beauty Ballroom, Austin, TX^
  • THR OCT 4 – Tricky Falls, El Paso, TX^
  • FRI OCT 5 – Bar Smith, Phoenix, AZ^
  • SAT OCT 6 –  Club Congress, Tucson, AZ^
  • SUN OCT 7 – Los Globos, Los Angeles, CA^
  • TUE OCT 9 – New Parish, Oakland, CA^
  • THU OCT 11 – Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT^
  • FRI OCT 12 – Walnut Room, Denver, CO^
  • SAT OCT 20 – 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN
  • SAT OCT 27 – The Maison, New Orleans, LA$
 % w/ A-Trak, Baauer

# w/ My Gold Mask, Oscillator Bug

* w/ Body Language, My Gold Mask, Oscillator Bug

^ w/ Body Language, Kid Static, Oscillator Bug

$ w/ Mannie Fresh

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