Melbourne’s four-piece Strange Talk return to the fray with a new single, “Cast Away”, the first offering from their debut album due out in early 2013.
A laid-back cavalcade of synth washes, toms, layered vocals and organic instrumentation, “Cast Away” perfectly showcases Strange Talk’s ambitions to bring together futuristic soundscapes with hook-laden direct songs.
Key songwriters and producers, Steve Docker and Gerard Sidhu’s influences (the pomp and clout of Queen, the dream haze of M83) are as diverse as their backgrounds (Steve a classical violinist, Gerard a club DJ).
Strange Talk have already commanded airwaves and online with their previous singles “Climbing Walls”, “Eskimo Boy” and “Sexual Lifestyle”. They’ve followed this up with key performances at the likes of Falls Festival, Parklife and supports slots for the likes of Kele, Marina & The Diamonds, Foster The People, The Rapture, and Art Vs. Science.
STRANGE TALK USA DATES:
THU 10/11 – SAN FRANCISCO @ RICKSHAW STOP w/ Violens (tix Rickshaw Stop)
FRI 10/12 – LOS ANGELES @ ECHO w/ wildcat! wildcat! (tix Echo)
WED 10/17 – NEW YORK @ Mercury Lounge (CMJ) (tix Mercury Lounge)
THU 10/18 NEW YORK @ TBD (CMJ)
FRI 10/19 – NEW YORK @ Terminal 5 w/ The Presets (CMJ) (tix Terminal 5)
SAT 10/20 NEW YORK @ TBD (CMJ)
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
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.
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.
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.
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*
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
Automagik is a five-piece rock n’ roll outfit from Cincinnati, OH. With a sound inspired by the sunshine-y tones of the Beach Boys, the grizzly groove of the Gorillaz, and the upbeat party pop of Weezer, Automagik aims to arouse feelings of pure candy-coated jubilation and fuel all-night parties of the piñata-smashing variety. Since it’s inception at the end of 2010, the band has made great strides, seeing a few of their signature tunes featured in television programs such as MTV’s Battle of the Exes and ABC’s Rookie Blue, as well as being featured in two levels of the All-Nighters “Pokemon Snap” inspired iPod/iPhone app called “Rock Photographer.” With a new album nearing completion and a tour currently underway, Automagik is hard at work providing the essential soundtrack to anyone’s good time.
After falling through a hole into a psychedelic, animated, one-eyed dimension in space, My Morning Jacket share their new video for “Outta My System” featuring Zach Galifanakis as the wizard.
My Morning Jacket are also set to release The Outta My System EP tomorrow, August 7th, featuring remixes by Washed Out and Dave Sitek from TV on the Radio. The EP also includes fan favorite “Friends Again” from their limited edition 7” released in December.
After having just kicked off the U.S. leg of their Spontaneous Curation Tour, preceded by a successful European run, with their electrifying performance in Salt Lake City, My Morning Jacket performed back-to-back shows at the legendary Red Rocks. Throughout the tour, the band is asking fan club members and concert goers to assist them in curating each night’s set list through Twitter. The band will also be mining all six of their studio recorded albums and rarities to make each night a unique experience.
My Morning Jacket has had quite the fruitful summer following their return to the U.S., headlining both Forecastle Festival and Newport Folk Festival. Catch My Morning Jacket as they hit the road with Band Of Horses, Trombone Shorty, Trampled By Turtles, Shabazz Palaces, Iron and Wine, and Portugal. The Man.
Swedish band The Royal Concept, released their self-titled EP in June via Lava/Universal Republic (the full-length album due out in October). The band’s video for their breakout hit “Gimme Twice” has come out recently. With shimmering guitars and keyboards, and an immediately memorable hooks, the band swells with indie rock attitude and dance floor energy. They’ll also be touring extensively throughout the fall, first with The Wombats, then another leg with Wolf Gang.
Musically Amusing 