Check out NOISEY’s premiere of Miike Snow’s new video for “Pretender” which is the next chapter of our friend Jean Noel, the character from previous Happy to You videos. And how cool is it that this time he’s experiencing festival culture at LA’s HARD Summer.
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 ^^
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
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
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.
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*
Indie-electronic dance band, Gemini Club, are pleased to announce their new tour dates for this September. The three-piece have wowed their hometown of Chicago for the past two years with their unique live shows and now, for the first time, are expanding their live performance to North America’s North East. The band will be performing songs from the Future Tidings EP as well as their lastest EP release, Here We Sit.
Part of the band’s live allure lies within their tech-savvy nature. Known for their innovative techniques, the band have developed their own “rigs” which allow on-the-fly remixing of the songs, creating one-of-kind performances unlike any other.
In addition, the band will be carrying out a new mixtape series every month. Pigeons and Planes has just premiered the first of the series which can be heard and downloaded here. Furthermore, the band has recently released their third single from the Here We Sit EP, “Sparklers”.
Last month I posted about my newest love, Eyes Lips Eyes. Now, they’ve partnered with music aggregation site We Are Hunted to launch a free download of their hit-song “Tickle.” The song is the lead track from their forthcoming EP What You Want (If You Want) due out August 21 via Roll Call Records/ILG. The newcomers have already earned praise from MTV, who declares it “A wild indie rock dance party…It’s kinda nice to hear an indie act that trades in too-cool-for-school seriousness for hand claps and a sick bass line.”
This Fall, Eyes Lips Eyes will crisscross the nation on an extensive tour that includes stops in Los Angeles, Austin, New Orleans, Atlanta, New York and Boston. See below for details!
EYES LIPS EYES TOUR DATES:
08/10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Bar
08/14 – Costa Mesa, CA @ Detroit Bar
09/06 – Provo, UT @ Velour
09/08 – Logan, UT @ The Big Agg: Utah State University
10/03 – Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Bar
10/04 – San Diego, CA @ The Griffin
10/09 – El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace
10/10 – Austin, TX @ Gypsy Lounge
10/11 – Denton, TX @ Dan’s Silver Leaf
10/12 – Houston, TX @ Walter’s
10/13 – New Orleans, LA @ Howlin’ Wolf
10/14 – Mobile, AL @ Alabama Music Box
10/16 – Tallahassee, FL @ Retrofit Records
10/17 – Jacksonville, FL @ Burro Bar
10/18 – West Palm Beach, FL @ Respectable Street
10/19 – Miami, FL @ Bardot
10/20 – Orlando, FL @ The Social
10/21 – Tampa, FL @ New World Brewery
10/23 – Greensville, SC @ Radio Room
10/24 – Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre Rooftop
10/25 – Atlanta, GA @ The EARL (with Poor Moon)
10/27 – Pawley’s Island, SC @ Islander
10/28 – Wilmington, NC @ The Whiskey
10/29 – Charlottesville, VA @ The Box
10/31 – Annapolis, MD @ Metropolitan
11/01 – New York, NY @ Pianos
11/02 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall 11/03 – Brooklyn, NY @ Cameo Gallery
Check out this interview with Swedish band The Royal Concept, who released their self-titled EP in June via Lava/Universal Republic and has a full-length album due out in October. They’re also touring in October and November with Wolf Gang.
MA: What song is the most played on your iPods?
TRC: Up until yesterday we all thought Jimi Hendrix was the god of rock guitar but then we saw St Vincent and now her song Cruel is constantly on our iPods.
MA: What chore do you hate the most?
TRC: Sneaking our guitars on board planes as carry on luggage.
MA: Are you attending any festivals soon? (Whether performing or just going to hang out)
TRC: We’re at one now actually! Europe’s best festival: Way Out West in a beautiful park in Gothenburg, Sweden. We’re actually playing ourselves. It’s a small independent festival with some other bands including, Kraftwerk, Black Keys, Blur, Bon Iver.
MA: If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
TRC: In the small and beautiful mountain village in Croatia called Groznjan. Filip is born in that neighbourhood and its the most inspiring place on Earth.
MA: Do you ever read any music blogs? If so, how do you pick which ones?
TRC: Our relationship with music blogs is random. It can lead anywhere. From big blogs to the tiniest ones. We have the blogs to thank for our success so far.
MA: What’s your favorite music media outlet? (TV, radio, shows, magazines, etc. and which ones?)
TRC: Is internet an option? Other than that old radios, vintage magazines, Spotify and all kinds of app’s. We almost never watch TV, honestly.
MA: What’s the first concert you went to?
TRC: David saw Joe Zawinul, the father of synthesizers, when he was really young and he’s still talking about that show. So that’s gotta be the one. Zawinuls band Weather Report is a huge inspiration for us when it comes to sounds, so please check that out if you haven’t heard it before.
MA: Oddest food combination that you love? (Everyone has one!)
TRC: Yellow pea soup, mustard, pork, dried Thyme and Arrak Punch – believe it or not this is a Swedish speciality that you eat on Thursdays.
MA: Do you believe in past lives? If so, what do you think your life was like before this?
TRC: 50 % of the band believes and 50 % only hopes. But as we don’t remember any past life, we probably won’t remember this life in a next life, so whats the point really. Let’s say we were Marilyn Monroe , Greta Garbo, Grace Kelly and Rita Hayworth then, that would explain a few things.
MA: What’s going to be your next big purchase?
TRC: A Jaguar probably, gotta get that real quick. And we also need some strings and band aid for the road, so we’re saving for that first.
The Royal Concept and Wolf Gang Tour Dates:
OCTOBER
1 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
2 San Diego, CA Casbah
6 Portland, OR Doug Fir
7 Seattle, WA Crocodile
10 Salt Lake City, UT Urban
11 Denver, CO Hi Dive
12 Colorado Springs, CO Black Sheep
14 Kansas City, MO Record Bar
15 Minneapolis, MN Varsity
16 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
18 St. Louis, MO Blueberry Hill
20 Columbus, OH A & R
22 Toronto, ON Wrong Bar
24 Providence, RI Met Café
25 Boston, MA Brighton Hall
27 Washington, DC U Street
28 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
29 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE
30 Brooklyn, NY Cameo
NOVEMBER
1 New York, NY Santos Party House
3 Charlotte, NC Stage Door
4 Atlanta, GA Vinyl
5 Birmingham, AL Workplay
7 Houston, TX Fitzgeralds
8 Dallas, TX Trees
9 Austin, TX Parish
Today, the mysterious Brooklyn-based MS MR will reveal a few not before released tracks LIVE during their KEXP Radio Session at New York’s Cutting Studios.People can tune in on 90.3 FM in Seattle and listen worldwide starting 12 noon EST / 9am PST LIVE via http://www.KEXP.org. Beside their single “Hurricane”, they’ll play a selection of songs that have been played live on tour. The duo have created quite a stir online with their first single, “Hurricane,” a dark glitch pop track with equally hauntingly beautiful vocals. Head over to MS MR’s tumblr to get your fill of 90s influenced visuals. MS MR revealed their identities in a live performance of their debut single “Hurricane” at Electric Lady Studios for Yours Truly HERE.
MS MR, playing as a 4-piece live band, are continuing for their tour supporting Marina & The Diamondsand will head out with GROUPLOVE later in October / November and they’ll make their first trip to Europe in September.
MS MR tour dates:
* w/ Marina & The Diamonds
** w / GROUPLOVE
8/14 – Washington D.C. @ 9:30 Club*
8/16 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall*
8/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of the Living Arts*
8/18 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall*
9/12- London, UK @ Birthdays
9/15 – Leffinge, Belgium @ Leffinge Leuren
9/17 – Paris, France @ Nouveau Casino
9/19 – Amsterdam, Holland @ Paradiso
9/20 – Hamburg, Germany @ Reeperbahn Festival
9/22 – Berlin, Germany @ Berlin Independent Night
10/14 – New Orleans, LA @ HOB **
10/16 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade **
10/17 – Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theater **
10/18-22 @ CMJ Festival
10/23 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery **
10/24 – Norfolk, VA @ NorVA **
10/26 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar **
10/27 – Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall **
10/29 – Washington, DC @ 930 Club **
10/30 – Washington, DC @ 930 Club **
11/01 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory **
11/02 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5 **
11/03 – Boston, MA @ Royale **
Musically Amusing 