Gibbz first single + lyric video “Bright Lights” is from his upcoming EP Oh My God out 12/16. When talking about the track Gibbz said, “Bright Lights was the first track written for the record. It’s about a night out with friends on whatever drugs you can find. The bright light is referring to how some substances can cause lights and colors to be more vibrant. The pacing of the track and its build of instrumentation are to show how there’s a delicate balance between taking just the right amount, and going too far.” You can catch Gibbz on tour this fall with Dragonette and also, check out his podcast “Drinking With Gibbz”.
In 2014, New York native Mike Gibney wanted to get away from his past, working for touring artists as a sound engineer and tour manager, to focus on writing and recording his own music. His debut EP Who Gibbz a F#@$ showed that he was no longer content with being behind the scenes, but rather yearned for the spotlight. Following up with the Chardonnay EP, he aligned himself with other artists that began to see him more as a peer, than a hired hand. He toured extensively through the US and Europe with Gramatik, Cherub, Exmag, Ghost Beach, and the Floozies before independently releasing his first full-length album, Above Water in 2016. Gibbzwill finish off 2016 with another EP titled Oh My God, before tackling his first headlining tour beginning in 2017.
TOUR DATES
11/26 – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR
11/27 – Neumos – Seattle, WA
11/29 – The Independent – San Fransisco, CA
11/30 – The Roxy – Hollywood, CA
12/02 – Metro Bar – Salt Lake City, UT
12/03 – Bluebird Theatre – Denver, CO
12/05 – 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN
12/06 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL
12/08 – A&R Music Bar – Columbus, OH
12/09 – U Street Music Hall – Washington, DC
12/10 – Warsaw – Brooklyn, NY
12/11 – Royale – Boston, MA
12/31 – Marathon Music Works – Nashville, TN
01/12 – Knitting Factory – Brooklyn, NY
01/19 – Knitting Factory – Brooklyn, NY
01/26 – Knitting Factory – Brooklyn, NY
On the heels of 2014’s acclaimed full-length Bodyparts which landed them a captivating performance on Good Morning America as well as collaborations with Kaskade, Galantis, Big Data, Martin Solveig among others, Canadian electro-pop trio Dragonette have made a valiant return with their fourth studio album Royal Blues to be released worldwide on November 11.
Strapped with a joyous energy yet tinged with melancholy undertones, the record is perfectly timed to keep listeners warm while the winter months creep in. “Body 2 Body” is a bass-driven silky lovesick banger that touches upon the universal struggle of letting go. Directed by Alison Honey Woods with dance and improvised choreography by Alex Crenian and Miles Faber, the “Body 2 Body” lyric video is posted below for you to check out.
Royal Blues is an irresistibly hook-laden, dancefloor-ready celebration of wisdom that only comes from life experience. To celebrate the release, the band will embark on a 22-date North American tour making stops in Boston, LA, Chicago, Portland, Toronto and more. Be sure to catch the powerhouse pop trio live in a city near you!
Tour Dates:
* = w/ Lowell
^ = w/ Gibbz
11/9: Waterloo, ON @ Maxwell’s*
11/10: Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre*
11/11: Montréal, QC @ Théâtre Fairmount*
11/12: Ottawa, ON @ Bronson Centre*
11/16: Winnipeg, MB @ Pyramid Cabaret*
11/17: Saskatoon, SK @ Louis’ Pub*
11/18: Edmonton, AB @ Starlite Room*
11/19: Calgary, AB @ The Gateway at SAIT*
11/22: Kelowna, BC @ Sapphire Nightclub*
11/23: Vancouver, BC @ Imperial*
11/24: Victoria, BC @ Sugar Nightclub*
11/26: Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge ^
11/27: Seattle, WA @ Neumos ^
11/29: San Francisco, CA @ The Independent ^
11/30: West Hollywood, CA @ The Roxy Theatre ^
12/2: Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Bar ^
12/3: Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater ^
12/5: Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry ^
12/6: Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall ^
12/8: Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar ^
12/10: Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw ^
12/11: Boston, MA @ Royale Boston ^
Kelly McMichael, aka RENDERS, pours her sensitive heart into this debut single, “I Am Gone”. Asserting herself in the discourse of pop music, Renders is a love letter to herself and the state of moving on.
Check out the track, described on SoundCloud as “sounds like Solange and Robyn making out in Washed Out’s studio.”
LOVE the intro. The song was produced by Mark Andrade of the band Paradise Animals (which you should also check out HERE).
Los Angeles’ quartet Smallpools will release their debut album LOVETAP!March 23rd through RCA Records. Lyric video for “Karaoke”premieres today on NYLON HERE. I’ve been in love with the song since I first posted it back in December here. Spotifywill be streaming the album beginning March 17th as part of The Drop Program. Catch Smallpools on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers March 16th before they swing through SXSW in Austin, Texas before their 32-date USA tour (see below for dates).
After bursting onto the scene with their 4 song self-titled EP, Smallpools has toured to all corners of North America opening for WALK THE MOON, Neon Trees, Grouplove, MS MR, Twenty One Pilots, and Two Door Cinema Club, played Lollapalooza and Firefly Festivals, and closed the year with a sold out Live Nation “Ones To Watch ’14” headline tour. The release of their self-titled debut EP gained them critical acclaim and brought them their national TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live, performing their debut single “Dreaming” which was produced by Captain Cuts. You can see the video HERE, which has 4.8 million views.
Supporters like Vogue, Interview Magazine, Idolator, BuzzFeed etc all praised the band’s catchy songs and invigoration live shows. Neon Gold called “Mason Jar” “a sepia splash of power-pop that crystallizes into a starscraping smash before the verse even kicks in, as stadium-sized Of Monsters And Men gang vocals ride high on the buoyant flair of Smallpools’ youthful, Two Door-esque ebullience.” In addition, NYLON Magazine premiered the Charli XCX vs Twin Idol Remix of “Dreaming”.
Smallpools – LOVETAP! track list (out 3/23 on RCA Records):
01. American Love
02. Killer Whales
03. Dreaming
04. Karaoke
05. Street Fight
06. Mason Jar
07. Over & Over
08. Lovetap!
09. What’s A Picture Of?
10. Dyin’ to Live
11. Admission To Your Party
12. 9 to 5
13. No Story Time
14. (Submarine)
SMALLPOOLS LOVETAP! HEADLINE TOUR: VIP tickets on sale HERE
3/18 – Austin, TX @ SXSW – Bar 96 @ BMI Showcase (11:00pm)
3/19 – Austin, TX @ SXSW – Palm Park @ IFC Party (9:10pm)
3/20 – Austin, TX @ SXSW – Empire Control and Garage @ Baeblemusic Day Party (2:00pm)
3/21 – Austin, TX @ SXSW – Little Woodrow’s @ Party in My Pants (2:00pm)
3/28 – Austin, TX @ University of Texas
4/11 – Tuscon, AZ @ University of Arizona
4/14 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s
4/15 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
4/17 – Tulsa, OK @ The Vanguard
4/18 – Kirksville, MO @ Truman State University
4/19 – St Louis, MO @ Firebird
4/21 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
4/23 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
4/24 – Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom
4/25 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
4/27 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar
4/28 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
4/30 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
5/01 – Cincinnati, OH @ Xavier University
5/03 – Princeton, NJ @ Princeton University
5/05 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
5/06 – Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall
5/08 – Las Vegas, NV @ Rock In Rio Festival
5/09 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
5/10 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
5/11 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
5/13 – Indianapolis, IN @ Deluxe
5/14 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock
5/15 – Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar
5/16 – Denver, CO @ The Summit Music Hall
5/18 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Sound
5/20 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
5/22 – Vancouver, BC @ Electric Owl
5/23 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
5/25 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
5/28 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
5/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey
“[All Hail the Silence] showcases the synergies between BT’s polished production style and Burns’ pop-conscious songwriting.” -Billboard
Grammy-nominated producer BT and triple platinum singer-songwriter Christian Burns’ new supergroup, All Hail The Silence, will open for legendary synthpop group Erasure on The Violet Flame North American tour starting 9/26.
“Vince Clarke of Erasure has been a major musical influence on Christian and me,” says BT. “We’re thrilled to introduce All Hail The Silence to Erasure’s audience and can’t wait to join them on tour.”
Long-time friends and artistic collaborators many times over, the announcement joins the unveiling of BT and Christian’s single, “Paralyzed,” which was released on Enhanced Recordings 8/25.
Inspired by 80’s New Wave bands like Depeche Mode, Yaz, and The Human League, All Hail The Silence gives BT and Christian the freedom to showcase a different side of themselves artistically and focus on the live music element of their performances. The songs on their upcoming album are being recorded in a basement in Baltimore using step sequencers and modular/analog synthesizers, straight to tape, without the aid of a computer.
“We’re excited for the fans who have supported us throughout the years to join us on this new journey,” says Christian.
Keep an ear to the ground for new music by All Hail The Silence and check to see if they’ll be coming to a city near you on The Violet Flame Tour starting 9/26.
All Hail The Silence // Erasure
Fall Tour Dates
9/26 – Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata, The Music Box
9/27 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
9/28 – Pittsburgh, PA – Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
9/30 – Toronto, CAN – Danforth Music Hall
10/1 – Detroit, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
10/3 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
10/4 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
10/5 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theatre
10/8 – Nashville, TN – War Memorial Auditorium
ABOUT ALL HAIL THE SILENCE
All Hail The Silence is the collaboration between BT and Christian Burns. The duo will be releasing a fully-analog album in early 2015.
Indie pop trio AJR just released the official lyric video for their new single “Infinity” for you to check out below.
This single follows on from certified Gold single “I’m Ready” and comes in conjunction with a 5-track Infinity EP, to be released on September 23. And AJR’s full-length debut is slated to follow in February 2015!
Infinity EP Track Listing:
1. Infinity
2. Alice By the Hudson
3. Pitchfork Kids
4. 3AM
5. I’m Ready (Remix by AJR)
Additionally, the NYC-bred brothers just announced the first few dates for their fall tour, including stops in Philly, Boston, at home in New York and more, and even a gig opening for Train! Tickets for this first leg are on sale this Friday (full list of dates below) – and stay tuned for more news of the Infinity Tour still to come.
AJR Fall Tour Dates
09/21 New Albany Classic – Columbus, OH
10/04 US Cellular Main Stage – Greenville, NC
10/08 Pride – XL 106.7 Concert Series – Orlando, FL
10/09 Weber State University’s Dee Event Center – Ogden, UT^
10/11 Fall Festival – Odessa, TX
10/24 Fillmore – Silver Springs, MD*
10/25 iPlay – Freehold, NJ*
10/26 Gramercy Theater – New York, NY*
10/28 Barbery – Philadelphia, PA*
10/29 Montage Music Hall – Rochester, NY*
10/30 The Waiting Room – Buffalo, NY*
11/01 The Space – Hamden, CT*
11/04 Red Room at Café 939 – Boston, MA*
^ Opening for Train
* with special guest Minor Soul and free Meet & Greet
Her identity prior to this evocative new pop incarnation was as sought-after songwriter, earning her bread writing hits for A-listers like Britney Spears, British pop star Conor Maynard, and The Ready Set, among others. But make no mistake – this ain’t no wistful follow-your-dream template that Sophie is cooking up now.
What makes the 4 song offering so upbeat and engaging—besides the toppling beats bracing Stern’s sultry swagger—are the songs, themselves; soulfully primed missives like “Woman” —percolating drums and piano skating over Sophie’s empowering vocals.
“The Bom Boms are my backing band led by producer/multi-instrumentalist David Elevator,” Sophie explains. “He is my writing partner and produces all my songs. It’s always a surprise to me which Bom Boms are going to be at shows or rehearsals. Sometimes it’s a big band, sometimes it’s just him.”
Hooray! Jenny Lewis is back!!! Ohhhh, how I miss Rilo Kiley.
Celebrated California singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis has debuted her new single, “Just One Of The Guys,” taken from her forthcoming album The Voyager, which will be released by Warner Bros. Records on July 29th. The album is now available for pre-order today from all participating digital retailers. Those who pre-order will receive an instant download of “Just One Of The Guys.”
“Just One Of The Guys” was produced by Beck, who also contributes backing vocals. “It was one of the tunes I’d tried a few different ways before I finally recorded it with Beck at his home studio in Malibu,” Lewis says. “The whole experience was super laid-back – walking on the beach, talking about movies, the Rolling Stones, and French pop music. It was just very mellow and lovely.”
Beck is one of several artists Lewis chose to produce tracks on The Voyager, which also features production from Ryan Adams, alongside Mike Viola, as well as her longtime collaborator, Johnathan Rice. The Voyager is the former Rilo Kiley frontwoman’s third solo album and first in six years, following 2006’s Rabbit Fur Coat (with The Watson Twins) and 2008’s Acid Tongue. It finds the always relatable songwriter at her sharp-witted best, singing about her recent experiences with honesty and incisiveness.
The Voyager is Lewis’s most deeply personal album to date, documenting her struggle to cope following the death of her estranged father in 2010 and the subsequent break-up of Rilo Kiley. The Voyager‘s rootsy, golden glow comes courtesy of Lewis and the artists she chose to produce various tracks, including Ryan Adams (who, alongside Mike Viola, produced all but three of the tracks), Beck, and Lewis’ longtime collaborator Johnathan Rice. The Voyager finds the always relatable songwriter at her sharp-witted best, singing about her recent experiences with honesty and incisiveness.
“Making The Voyager got me through one of the most difficult periods of my life,” she says. “After Rilo Kiley broke up and a few really intense personal things happened, I completely melted down. It nearly destroyed me. I had such severe insomnia that, at one point, I didn’t sleep for five straight nights. Many of the songs on The Voyager came out of the need to occupy my mind in the moments when I just couldn’t shut down.”
After several years of writing new material, Lewis took 2013 off to tour with The Postal Service. Sharing the spotlight was a freeing experience, providing the realization that she needed to give up control in order to move forward. While on the road, she reached out to Ryan Adams to record at his newly built studio, Pax Am, at Sunset Sound. Her first day back from tour, she went into the studio with Adams and his partner Mike Viola, and found the creative collaboration she was missing.
“Ryan and I didn’t know each other very well before this album — we had hardly even listened to one another’s music, to be honest. But I trusted the vision, and Ryan ended up being the person to get me over the fear of finishing something I’d been working on for so long. This record was the hardest one I ever made,” she says. “The Voyager tells that story: the longest night of my life and the journey to finally getting some rest.”
In other Jenny Lewis news, the sometimes actress also appears in the June 5th episode of IFC’s Comedy Bang Bang as a musical co-host filling in for Reggie Watts and singing a duet with Zach Galifianakis. She is on tour throughout the summer, including several dates with Ray LaMontagne, as well as appearances at Lollapalooza and the Outside Lands Festival. Lewis will also perform a hometown show at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on August 9th. See below for all tour dates.
June 4 Portland, ME State Theatre w/ Kurt Vile
June 6 New York, NY Governor’s Ball (Randall’s Island)
June 7 Washington DC 9:30 Club SOLD OUT
July 6 Toronto, ON Urban Roots Festival
July 8 Ottawa, ON Ottawa Blues Fest
July 10 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall w/ Ray LaMontagne
July 11 Orlando, FL Bob Carr Performing Arts Center w/ Ray LaMontagne
July 12 Miami, FL The Fillmore w/ Ray LaMontagne
July 15 Jacksonville, FL Florida Theatre w/ Ray LaMontagne
July 16 Charleston, SC North Charleston PAC w/ Ray LaMontagne
July 18 Alpharetta, GA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre w/ Ray LaMontagne
July 19 Birmingham, AL BJCC Concert Hall w/ Ray LaMontagne
July 20 Louisville, KY Forecastle Festival
July 22 Interlochen, MI Kresge Auditorium w/ Ray LaMontagne
July 23 Grand Rapids, MI Meijer Gardens w/ Ray LaMontagne
July 25 Newport, RI Newport Folk Festival
July 26 Camden, NJ XpoNential Music Festival w/Ryan Adams
July 27 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls
July 31 Indianapolis, IN Deluxe at Old National Centre
Aug 2 Chicago, IL Lollapalooza SOLD OUT
Aug 3 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Aug 9 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
Aug 10 San Francisco, CA Outside Lands Festival SOLD OUT
Sydney folk duo Falls, who released their debut EP Into The Fire last month via Universal Music Group’s Verve Records, have unveiled a playful new lyric video for EP single “Home.” The video uses an array of visually striking cut-out images to set a bright and cheerful backdrop for the song.
Falls is Melinda Kirwin and Simon Rudston-Brown, whose intertwining vocals perfectly compliment one another to breathe life into their heartfelt lyrics.
“Bleachers’ ‘I Wanna Get Better’ Is Basically the Song Of the Summer In February.” – HUFFINGTON POST
““I Wanna Get Better” is a great first effort; it’s exciting to imagine what else Antonoff has up his sleeve.”– TIME
“…heavy-hitting pianos, pulsing percussion and grandiose vocals…” – ROLLING STONE
“…the song is 100% anthemic alt-rock gold with some major production value, as well as a chorus that will have you singing along by your second listen.” – HILLY DILLY
“…bright bit of retro-futuristic pop-rock…” – STEREOGUM
Bleachers live:
3/12 – Austin, TX @ Palladia’s EPIC. AWESOME. SHOWCASE
3/13 – Austin, TX @ 2014 mtvU Woodie Awards and Festival – info HERE
3/19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour – info HERE
3/27 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
6/ 6-8 – New York, NY @ Governor’s Ball – info HERE
6/19-22 – Dover, DE @ Firefly Music Festival – info HERE
7/5-6 – London + Birmingham, UK @ Wireless Festival – info HERE
7/1-12 – Bilbao, Spain @ Bilbao BBK Live Festival – info HERE
!["[All Hail the Silence] showcases the synergies between BT's polished production style and Burns' pop-conscious songwriting." -Billboard](https://musicallyamusing.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/all-hail-the-silence.jpg)
Musically Amusing 