Tag Archives: Spin

June 27, 2014 · 10:53 am

Listen: Mainland – Shiner EP

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Listen: Mainland – Shiner EP

Watch the video for “Leave the Lights On” below

“Though lead singer Jordan Topf sneers, “Living in the city, I get so bored,” with Julian Casablancas-like aplomb in the track’s bridge, the adolescent energy and colorful nostalgia of these visuals are anything but blasé.” – SPIN

“the spirit of the sunkissed old rock is well alive in this piece, with an infectious guitar line to hook and a solid bass and drum section which gives it an almost krautrocky, motorik feel.” – Tiny Mix Tapes

“They’re great on stage, with tons of humor and energy in each show.” – Blackbook

“Mainland has released a perfect ode to summer: the video for their single “Leave The Lights On.” – Earmilk

“Brooklyn indie rockers Mainland recently released their sophomore EP Shiner featuring four diverse songs of driven guitar rock, including noteworthy single “Savant” (streaming), an upbeat and semi-epic punk rock gem bearing sonic overtones ranging from spaghetti western soundtracks to the irresistible punk-folk of The Pogues.” – The Deli

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May 22, 2014 · 9:24 am

Video: Midnight Faces – “Hold Tight”

“Crisp, synth-lined pop drama.” – SPIN

“This record is solid from start to finish.” – Nylon Guys

“Full of air and catchiness.” – The Onion A.V. Club

Matt Doty, one half-of LA based duo Midnight Faces with Philip Stancil says of the “Hold Tight” video ,“it was pretty impulsive overall.” The clip is a joyous tour of Los Angeles that sees the Midnight Faces guys dancing in the Saddleback Butte State Park desert, the fields of Mugu State Park, the Angeles National Forest mountains, downtown, and at the Santa Monica beach.

“We set aside a few days to shoot it and headed out to the desert,” Doty says.  “After a few shots, we decided we were having more fun dancing than walking around.”  It’s fun for the viewer, too.  The clip perfectly captures the humanity behind the insular circumstances of the album’s creation.

Midnight Faces new album, The Fire Is Gone, is out now.

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Tracklist for The Fire Is Gone

  1. Wake Me
  2. Over Again (Stream)
  3. Shadows
  4. Hold Tight (Stream)
  5. This Time (Stream)
  6. Give It Up
  7. Animal
  8. The Fire Is Gone

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April 2, 2014 · 10:32 am

Newest Love: Walking Shapes

“Epic” – SPIN

“… a strange sort of calm we can’t deny.” – Earmilk

“… a bass-heavy, atmospheric rock aesthetic and frenetic live shows that draw comparisons to Radiohead and Alt-J.” – BPM

The new video “Winter fell” from Walking Shapes reflects the state of emotional flux, feeling overwhelmed and is depicted by two masked dancers in a confined space.

“The song ‘Winter fell’ came about during a ‘polar vortex,’” singer Nathaniel Hoho tells Village Voice, who deems the tune “much warmer than its subject matter.” It’s a song about being forced to take a break, reflecting and coming to terms with one’s inner demons, while simultaneously embracing the good things and people in life.

Heralded by publications such as SPIN and Earmilk, Walking Shapes was formed by way of mountains, and through the tides of the city. Their fierce and eclectic debut Taka Come On channels their love to their home New York City. Featuring Nathaniel Hoho on vocals and guitar; 
Jesse Kotansky on guitar, violin, vocals
; Jake Generalli on keys, vocals; 
Dan Krysa on bass and vocals; and 
Christopher Heinz on drums, Walking Shapes meld driving guitars, intricate arrangements and visually evocative songwriting into stunning audio refractions on New York’s sonic landscape.

Debut album Taka Come On out next week!

Catch Walking Shapes’ Riveting Live Shows this Spring: 

4/3: Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite
4/4: Los Angeles, CA @ House of Blues
4/5: Ponoma. CA @ Acerogami
4/6: San Francisco, CA @ Brick @ Mortar Music Hall
4/7: Los Angeles, CA @ Bardot
4/8: Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Room
4/12: Dallas, TX @ The Prophet Bar
4/13: Fayetteville, AR @ Smoke and Barrel
4/14: Oklahoma City, OK @ VZD’s
4/19: Nashville, TN @ High Watt
4/21: Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern
4/23: Asbury Park, NJ @ The Saint
4/24: New York, NY @ Bowery Electric
4/25: New York, NY @ DROM

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March 27, 2014 · 2:35 pm

Video: Milagres – “Jeweled Cave”

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“Album highlight ‘Jeweled Cave’ has a blissful, spectral sound with Milagres fusing dramatic songcraft with almost pastoral synths.” – Clash Magazine

“…combines a David Bowie-like theatricality with a sprawling prog groove.” – SPIN

” …evokes classic, synth-steered modern rock and highlights frontman Kyle Wilson’s hypnotic voice.” – Rolling Stone

Brooklyn indie rock quartet Milagres recently released their sophomore full-length album, Violent Light, via Kill Rock Stars in the US (out now via Memphis Industries in the UK). The follow-up to their 2011 debut Glowing Mouth LP, Violent Light finds the band channeling influences as diverse as Al Green, Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush, and introduces a darker, harder sound for the group.

Violent Light album cut “Jeweled Cave” is a psych-pop number that immediately bursts open with bouncing synths & a driving bassline. Today, the band reveal the striking accompanying video (directed by Mikel Cee), filled with subtle social commentary on gender roles.

Milagres (Kyle Wilson, Fraser McCulloch, Chris Brazee & Paul Payabyab) will make their national network television debut on Last Call with Carson Daly on April 10th, 1:35am ET/12:35am CT on NBC! Additionally, album cut “Perennial Bulb” was handpicked by tastemaker Nic Harcourt for his radio show Connections.

The band are currently on a full US tour in support of the record, including a homecoming celebration at the Bowery Ballroom! Full dates follow below:

North American Tour

3/28: Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
3/29: Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
4/1: Lincoln, NE @ Vega
4/2: Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
4/3: Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern
4/4: Kansas City, MO @ Middle of the Map Fest
4/5: St. Louis, MO @ The Demo
4/8: Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR
4/10: New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

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May 31, 2013 · 10:18 am

Listen: Escort – “Barbarians”

Click image to listen to "Barbarians"

Click image to listen to “Barbarians”

NYC’s Escort, founded by Eugene Cho and Dan Balis and fronted by the enormous vocals of lead singer Adeline Michèle, delivers a danceable blend of disco, funk & soul that pays homage to the classics while remaining fresh and modern. Hot off the heels of their critically acclaimed self-titled debut album, the ensemble will release a new package for their single Barbarians, complete with remixes from CSS, Rance Muhammitz and an Extended Dub.

Brimming with disco-infused riffs and tribal beats, the irresistibly catchy chorus effortlessly commands you to “stand up” and move.

Dubbed one of the “Best Albums of 2012” by both SPIN and Rolling Stone, Escort will kick off an international tour with a hometown throw-down at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg, making stops in Chicago, Toronto, Los Angeles & more.

Escort On Tour

5/24: Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
6/14: Chicago, IL @ Taste of Randolph Street
6/15: Chicago, IL @ The Hideout, Chicago (DJ Set)
7/19: Linz, Austria @ Castle Clam
7/20: Vienna, Austria @ Nova Jazz & Blues Night
7/21: Oeiras Portugal @ Cool Jazz Fest
7/26: Toronto, CA, Toronto’s Festival of Beer w/De La Soul
8/9: Claverlack, NY @ The Big Up Festival
8/20: Los Angeles, CA @ Check Yo Ponytail, The Echoplex

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February 19, 2013 · 3:40 pm

New Music From The Cannanes

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Australian indie pop duo The Cannanes will issue their first official release in over 11 years on March 19th, 2013. The “Small Batch” EP contains the fun, bouncy songs that the band’s fans know them for (and that famously earned them a mention in Kurt Cobain’s journals.)  The Cannanes have been releasing modest, ramshackle records since being formed in Sydney, Australia by Fran Gibson and Stephen O’Neil almost 30 years ago.

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UK producer Richie Phoe has his own take on the first single from “Small Batch” and his downtempo remix of “Bumper” is streaming and available for download now. BBC Radio 1’s Rob Da Bank has described Phoe as “Brighton’s Lee Scratch Perry” and fellow BBC Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens calls his work “Bouncy dub at its very best.”

Stream/Download: The Cannanes – “Bumper” (Richie Phoe Remix)

SPIN recently premiered the original EP version of “Bumper,” with columnist Marc Hogan writing, “Cardigan-owners, rejoice! Long-running Australian indie-pop combo The Cannanes have returned with ‘Bumper,’ the first taste of their first major release since 2002’s Trouble Seemed So Far Away. The ‘Small Batch’ EP, due March 19, is helmed by veteran members Fran Gibson and Stephen O’Neil; and while the production quality seems slightly more polished, the earnest melodicism remains.”

For the “Small Batch” EP, The Cannanes have once again collaborated with Explosion Robinson producer and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Hermann.  The six-track release sees Gibson and O’Neil at their best, back on familiar territory musing on the nature of friendship, love, and outer space that has characterized their best work over the last 27 years.

Stream/Download: The Cannanes – “Bumper”

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March 28, 2012 · 9:35 am

New Rusko Album

“This Brit beatmaker’s productions helped define early subwoofer-punishing dubstep.”-Rolling Stone

Rusko’s new album has quickly overtaken the charts, firmly at #1 on the iTunes Electronic chart in the USA, UK, Canada, France, Ireland and Holland!

SONGS is a collection of masterful pop songs that will reach far beyond the dance floors. Rusko has created a body of work that encapsulates all the best elements of bass heavy music and infuses them with sublime melodies and a euphoric spirit.

Download “Skanker” from SPIN here.

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February 29, 2012 · 2:26 pm

Download: Hollis Brown

“Hollis Brown make music that sounds just as alive today as it would’ve in 1966 and will 40 years from now.”
—SPIN

“Rambunctious, twangy blues-rock…”
—Time Out New York

Born and bred in New York City, Hollis Brown embarked on a pilgrimage to Nashville to capture their authentic sound. They shacked up for two weeks in the backyard cabin/studio of producer Adam Landry (Deer Tick, Middle Brother), and found themselves. They recorded everything live, straight to analog tape. The result was a warm, vintage sound that displays the band’s explosive live energy. Their new EP, Nothing & The Famous No One, takes the listener back to that cabin to experience the raw vibe, smell the smoke, and feel alive. Download “Spoonful” below, which features vocals from John McCauley of Deer Tick.

Download: Hollis Brown – “Spoonful”

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January 19, 2012 · 7:18 pm

New Music: Miike Snow – “Paddling Out”

Click image to go check out "Paddling Out" at Spin.com

Miike Snow is excited to announce the first string of tour dates throughout the US and Canada in support of their sophomore release, Happy To You.  The 11- date run, which includes performances at SXSW, Ultra Music Festival and Coachella, will offer Miike Snow fans the first glimpse of the dynamic new live stage show that has made Miike Snow infamous.  Miike Snow’s Andrew Wyatt, Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg relay their anthemic and haunting hybrid of pop, dance and electronic music into a transcendental live experience that drives audiences into dance-fueled overdrive. The upcoming tour will highlight the group’s evolving sound while delivering the same energy that fans repeatedly expect to experience from a Miike Snow show.

Happy To You will be available in stores and digitally on March 27th via Downtown Records / Universal Republic.

TOUR DATES:
Tue. 03-03-12          SXSW                                      Austin, TX
Fri. 03-23-12            Ultra Music Festival            Miami, FL
Tue. 04-10-12           Paramount Theatre             Seattle, WA
Wed. 04-11-12          Roseland Theater                 Portland, OR
Thu. 04-12-12          Fox Theater                            Oakland, CA
Sat. 04-14-12            Coachella                                Indio, CA
Sat. 04-21-12            Coachella                                Indio, CA
Tue. 04-24-12          Terminal 5                              New York, NY
Fri. 04-27-12            Electric Factory                     Philadelphia, PA
Sun. 04-29-12          House Of Blues                     Boston, MA
Tue. 05-01-12           Sound Academy                    Toronto, ON
Wed. 05-02-12         Metropolis Theatre              Montreal, QC

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October 13, 2011 · 1:07 pm

New Album: Juan Maclean – “Everybody Get Close”

 

Since the release of  2009’s The Future Will Come, John “Juan” Maclean has stayed quite busy remixing artists like Chairlift, Matthew Dear, The Tough Alliance and forthcoming remixes for Yoko Ono and Stevie Nicks. He’s also appeared on both the Holy Ghost! Static on the Wire! EP (shredding guitar solo!) and took front man duties on Shit Robot’s “Grim Receiver”. Juan Maclean is now gearing up for the October 25th release of Everybody Get Close on DFA Records. The digital only album features previously released outtakes and re-mastered tracks as well as remixes from some of his most talented colleagues. For an early taste of the record, you can listen where it is streaming on SPIN.com all week.

Stream album: Juan Maclean – Everybody Get Close

Interspersed among the eleven songs are five that originally appeared on Find A Way, an EP only previously available at Juan Maclean live shows. “Find A Way” opens the record with call-and-response vocals from Maclean and bandmate Nancy Whang atop an electronic pop base, followed by “Let’s Talk About Me,” which bounds blissfully throughout. “Deviant Device” is laden with dubby percussion and echo-drenched synths reminiscent of Basic Channel. “X2” offers up wide hall of house and robotized vocals. Short and sweet track “The Robot” is filled with mechanical sounds and extraterrestrial noises. “Feel So Good,” from the DJ-Kicks compilation also features vocals from Whang and is built on a rolling loop and an indefatigable beat provided by late drummer Jerry Fuchs. Japanese bonus track “When I Am With You” leisurely moves along on a relaxing romantic groove. Album closer and title track “Everybody Get Close” has mechanical vocals and funky synth bleats that show faint traces of major influences like Zapp and S.O.S. band, respectively.

Juan Maclean and Nancy Whang have begun work on The Juan Maclean’s 3rd LP for DFA Records. In the meantime the digital compilation Everybody Get Close, serves as a handy compilation and welcome reminder of the music Juan Maclean has contributed to both the dance and indie community. It also can only hint at what might come next from the chameleon-like Juan Maclean.

Download: Juan Maclean – “Find a Way”

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