W♥M

Night Time Is the Right Time

Read more Nightlife.

NIGHTLANDS
nightlands.us

Nightlands is the solo project of Dave Hartley (you may remember his previous band The War on Drugs with Kurt Vile). His latest album, Oak Island, is out now on Secretly Canadian.

Nightlands will tour North America with Efterklang in March:

03/11 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music
03/13 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
03/14 - Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore
03/15 - Seattle, WA @ Neumo's
03/18 - Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
03/19 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
03/21 - Toronto, ON @ Mod Club
03/22 - Montreal, QC @ Il Motore
03/23 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

MIDNIGHT SPIN
midnightspin.com

Brooklyn's Midnight Spin just released their second single "Conchis Bliss" (you can hear it on Soundcloud) taken from their debut album, Don't Let Me Sleep.

Check them out on tour:

03/11: Houston, TX @ Super Happy Fun Land
03/12: Austin, TX @ Kick Butt Coffee
03/14: Austin, TX @ Zed's
03/15: Austin, TX @ 311 Club
03/15: Austin, TX @ Shakespeare's Pub
03/17: Austin, TX @ Red Eyed Fly
03/20: San Diego, CA @ Shakedown Bar
03/22: Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Cafe
03/23: San Francisco, CA @ Neck of the Woods
03/24: Sacramento, CA @ Marilyn's on K
03/26: Seattle, WA @ High Dive
03/28: Portland, OR @ Mt. Tabor Theatre
04/01: Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
04/02: Golden, CO @ The Buffalo Rose
04/03: Omaha, NE @ Louis Bar
04/04: St. Louis, MO @ Plush
04/06: Indianapolis, IN @ Birdy's

NIGHT MOVES
nightmovesmpls.com

No, not Bob Seger. We're talking about the Minneapolis band that we wrote about way too much.

This is just a brief mention that Night Moves will be supporting Django Django at First Avenue on March 16 (next Saturday). I will be there, but I may sneak out to see Veronica Falls next door. I will try my best to cover all the bands, come say hi if you see me.

Here are some additional tour dates with Django Django:

03/11 Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
03/12 Toronto, ON - Opera House
03/13 Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
03/15 Chicago, IL - Metro
03/16 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
03/19 Seattle, WA - Neptune
03/20 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
03/22 San Francisco, CA - Public Works
03/23 Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre

LATE NIGHT AT ARLYN STUDIOS
facebook.com

Say what you will be big corporation, but if they pour money into the music and arts, I do have respect for them.

Nokia and Verizon Wireless is presenting "Late Night at Arlyn Studios" concert series. The series kicked off last night (March 10th) with Solange.

If you can't make it to Austin's Arlyn Studios, you can stream the whole thing live at verizoninsider.com/nokiamusicverizon.

Jyrki Rosenberg, VP of Entertainment for Nokia, adds, "Whether you're new to the service or an experienced user, Nokia Music is a great platform for people to discover new music as much as it is for them to listen to some of their favorite artists. Keeping in line with that celebration of music discovery, we're excited to team up with Roc Nation and Raptor House for a thrilling week of performances in Austin from an eclectic group of artists."

Nokia will also present the Roc Nation at Raptor House Concert Series in Austin, Texas from March 10th - 14th, which you can stream at livestream.com/NokiaMusic.

Here's what on the schedule:

Monday, March 11 6:00PM - Roc Nation DJs (Outdoors) 7:10PM - The Lonely Wild (Outdoors) 8:05PM - The Lone Bellow (Outdoors) 9:05PM - Carousel (Outdoors) 10:30PM - Elle King (Inside Arlyn Studios) 11:40PM - The Blank Tapes (Inside Arlyn Studios) Tuesday, March 12 6:00PM - Roc Nation DJs (Outdoors) 7:00PM - Hunter Hunted (Outdoors) 7:45PM - Haim (Outdoors) 8:45PM - Vacationer (Outdoors) 10:30PM - Body Parts (Inside Arlyn Studios) 11:30PM - Caveman (Inside Arlyn Studios)

Wednesday, March 13 6:00PM - Roc Nation DJs 7:00PM - Mayaeni (Outdoors) 8:00PM - Wardell (Outdoors) 9:00PM - He's My Brother She's My Sister (Outdoors) 10:30PM - The Mowgli's (Inside Arlyn Studios) 11:40PM - The Wellspring (Inside Arlyn Studios) Thursday, March 14 11:30PM - 2:00AM - Late Night at Arlyn Studios featuring Rudimental

ELUVIUM eluvium.net Eluvium (multi-instrumentalist composer Matthew Cooper) will be releasing Nightmare Ending on May 14th, 2013, via Temporary Residence. This will be the first proper Eluvium album since 2010's Similes. You can preview a track called "Envenom Mettle" now via Soundcloud.

SLOW KNIGHTS slowknights.com Remember Scissor Sisters? Derek Gruen (aka Del Marquis) will be releasing his debut album, Cosmos, out March 26th, 2013, under his moniker Slow Knights. The album is described as "soulful" and "RnB", which is not the typical Scissor Sister's music style. If you can't wait to hear the album, check out the sampler at Souncloud

TEENAGE KICKS teenagekicksteenagekicks.com Their name, Teenage Kicks, makes me think of the wonderful Undertones. Their new song is called "Middle of the Night", which you can download here. Their website doesn't exactly list where they are from, but if I were to hazard a guess, I'd say they're from Canada, as their last gig was in Hamilton. Anyway, their most recent EP, Be On My Side, is out now. You can catch the band if you're heading to SXSW this year at Friends (Canada House) at 12:00 pm on March 16th.

NIGHT CLUB facebook.com L.A.'s "sinful synth-pop band" Night Club premiere a racy new video for "Control" via Buzzbands.LA. Night Club is the brainchild of DJ/Producer Mark Brooks, former guitarist Warlock Pinchers and vocalist Emily Kavanaugh. Their 5-tract debut EP will be out on March 19th via Gato Blanco Music, catch them on tour: 03/22 San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge 04/13 San Diego, CA @ Anime Conji 2013

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

W♥M173: The Varsity Theater

W♥M173 (12 mins)

Shayna from the Varsity Theater is our guest this week on W♥M Radio.

The Varsity Theater is the prettiest/best-looking venue around town; this is mostly thanks to their other business of booking wedding receptions and private events. They also get some of the best national bands with upcoming acts such as funnyman John Mulaney (03/16) , one of my favorite Britpop acts Ash (03/18), Frightened Rabbit (03/21), Mercury Prize Winner Alt-J (04/01), Pop Star Mika (04/02). We are actually covering a lot of bands at the Varsity - if I'm not there, usually I send someone else to cover it for me.

Anyway, too many good bands to mention, head over to varsitytheater.org to see their full calendar.

Shayna is really excited about Carroll (carrollmusic.net). The band won Vita.mn's fourth annual "Are You Local" contest and is heading down to SXSW:

03/14 SXSW Funk-It Rec Showcase
03/15 SXSW Minnesota Nice Showcase
03/15 SXSW Free Now Showcase

Song of the show is Jim James' "State of the Art (A. E. I. O. U)" from his album Regions of Light and Sound of God. I've previously written about James and how he's the singer of My Morning Jacket. He recently announced some exclusive "Conversation at SXSW", which I'll list all the tour dates and information below. His North American tour kicks in April.

For the latest updates, check with jimjames.com.

03/12 SXSW MTV/VH1/CMT Present 03/13 SXSW Interview w/ Bill Flanagan 03/13 SXSW Aquarium Drunkard Presents 03/14 SXSW Heartbreaker Banquet 03/15 SXSW Auditorium Shores’ show 03/16 SXSW Record Signing @ Waterloo Records 04/17: Louisville, KY @ Brown Theatre 04/19: Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst Theater 04/20: Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre 04/21: Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue 04/23: Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall 04/24: Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre 04/26: Boston, MA @ Royale 04/27: Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer 04/29: New York, NY @ Webster Hall

04/30: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club 05/02: Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom 05/3: Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel 05/6: Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek 05/7: Dallas, TX @ House of Blues 05/9: Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre 05/11: Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre 05/12: San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore 05/14: Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom 05/15: Seattle, WA @ Neptune 05/17: Gulf Shores, AL @ Hangout Music Fest 06/13-06/15: Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo 06/22: Dove, DE @ Firefly Music Festival 07/12-7/14: Louisville, KY @ Forcastle Festival 07/27: Newport, RI @ Newport Folk Festival

BONUS: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (or rather the shortened OMD) is coming to the Varsity Theater on July 8 July 22. This is a long way from now, but hopefully, if it all works out, I will be at that show. I don't want to call Shayna out on this one, but the song appeared on "Pretty in Pink". Although between you and me, I often get all of those John Hughes/Molly Ringwald movies mixed up ("The Breakfast Club", "Sixteen Candles", and "Pretty in Pink").

I don't think if it's officially announced yet, but Diamond Rings will be opening up for OMD on their US dates. We previously covered the Thomas Hardy book lover at 7th Street Entry. Update: OMD made the Diamond Rings news official on March 6th.

04/05/13 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom 04/06/13 Seattle, WA Showbox At The Market 04/07/13 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom 04/10/13 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot 04/12/13 San Francisco, CA Regency Ballroom 04/14/13 Indio, CA Empire Polo Club 04/21/13 Indio, CA Empire Polo Club 04/28/13 Margate, UK Winter Gardens 04/29/13 Birmingham, UK Symphony Hall 05/01/13 Nottingham, UK Royal Centre 05/02/13 Ipswich, UK Ipswich Regent Theatre 05/03/13 London, UK Roundhouse 05/05/13 Bristol, UK Colston Hall 05/06/13 Oxford, UK New Theatre Oxford 05/08/13 Sheffield, UK Sheffield City Hall 05/09/13 Leeds, UK O2 Academy Leeds 05/10/13 Manchester, UK Manchester Academy

05/13/13 Gateshead, UK The Sage Gateshead 05/14/13 Liverpool, UK Liverpool Empire Theatre 05/21/13 Hamburg, Germany Docks Konzerte 05/22/13 Bielefeld, Germany Ringlokschuppen 05/24/13 Berlin, Germany Tempodrom 05/25/13 Leipzig, Germany Haus Auensee 05/27/13 Cologne, Germany E-Werk 07/11/13 Toronto, ON Danforth Music Hall 07/12/13 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer 07/13/13 Washington, DC 9:30 Club 07/15/13 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club 07/17/13 New York, NY Terminal 5 07/19/13 Toronto, ON Danforth Music Hall 07/20/13 Detroit - St. Andrew's Hall 07/22/13 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater 07/23/13 Chicago, IL Metro / Smart Bar

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Archive of this show at archive.org. More information on podomatic.com

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ +W♥M

KMFDepecheMode

Read More KMFDM The 1990s--particularly the mid-'90s--were the Golden Age of Industrial Music. Nine Inch Nails was registering industrial on the pop-music charts with Pretty Hate Machine and its more …

KMFDM
kmfdm.net

KMFDM was formed back in 1984. Though the band has been through a few different lineup changes, but KMFDM is still the Kings of Industrial Rock.

There is something about the German heavy beats that gives it a pulse. I was first introduced to Industrial music not by the music itself but from the graphic design of it. When the cool goth kids didn't wear their Bauhaus shirts they had on an iconic KMFDM shirt.

Though this was back then you found out about bands, not through streaming services, but by the different band shirts you'll see at a concert. Because heaven forbid you wear the actual band shirt of the band playing that night (although there are a few exceptions like Morrissey where you wear your old tour shirt as a badge of honor.)

Take into account that many bands come and go, but KMFDM is still around.... their legacy of Industrial Rock from 1984 to 2014 shows that they are doing something right. I haven't had a chance to see KMFDM, and was excited to hear that they are touring.

This is one of those bands that I always wanted to see, but as time goes on I tell myself, "I'll see them next time they come around." Not this time though, this time I have to see them. My album cover obsessed teenage self is kicking my middle-aged self.

KMFDM's North American tour officially kicks off March 8th, in support of their latest album, Kunst, released February 26th, 2013, via Metropolis Records.

Mar 08 Star Theater Portland, OR Mar 09 Independent San Francisco, CA Mar 10 Fonda Theatre Hollywood, CA Mar 11 Observatory Santa Ana, CA Mar 12 Crescent Ballroom Phoenix, AZ Mar 14 Backstage Live San Antonio, TX Mar 15 Trees Dallas, TX Mar 16 Varsity Theatre Baton Rouge, LA Mar 17 Variety Playhouse Atlanta, GA Mar 18 State Theatre Falls Church, VA Mar 19 Trocadero Theatre Philadelphia, PA

Mar 20 Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA Mar 21 Irving Plaza New York, NY Mar 22 Mr. Smalls Theatre Millvale, PA Mar 23 House of Blues Chicago Chicago, IL Mar 24 Shank Hall Milwaukee, WI Mar 25 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN Mar 26 The Waiting Room Lounge Omaha, NE Mar 27 The Summit Music Hall Denver, CO Mar 28 The Depot Salt Lake City, UT Mar 29 Knitting Factory Boise, ID Mar 30 Showbox SODO Seattle, WA

DEPECHE MODE
depechemode.com

Depeche Mode, for the first time, announced that they will appear at this year's South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. This really indicates just how popular SXSW has gotten.

Anyway, Depeche Mode will appear on Wednesday, March 13th at 5pm at the Austin Convention Center. It is a "discussion" to be moderated by Jason Bentley (Music Director of KCRW in Los Angeles). Martin Gore, Dave Gahan and Andy Fletcher, will be discussing their new album, Delta Machine, which I've previously mentioned is coming out March 26th via Columbia Records.

Can't make it to SXSW (like me?), stay tuned for a North American tour announcement soon!

jimi + vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com

Soundcloudz

KOSHA DILLZ
koshadillz.com

See that picture? That's Kosha Dillz and Lupe Fiasco, just "hangin' out"... which incidentally is also the new song by Dillz (which you can hear on Soundcloud).

The Jewish rapper/hip hopper recently got his Kickstarter funded so, he will be doing some filming and editing the documentary for SXSW 2013.

At the moment, the Dillzionaire, himself, will be playing some Mid-West shows:

March 1 Reptile Palace Pounds Oshkosh,WI
March 2 Fine Line Café Minneapolis, MN
March 3 Central SAPC Santa Monica, CA
March 7 The Waiting Room Fashawn Omaha, NE
March 10 Hole in the Wall Austin TX
March 12 Spider House meet and greet Rap show
March 13 OY VEY SXSW* @ Spider House
March 13 SXSW SHOWCASE @ Townhouse
March 14 Austin Convention Center
March 15 hosting Whole Foods Rooftop Jam
March 16 Various Rapping Excursions

* free with RSVP

HOLLAGRAMZ hollagramz.com Denver's Hollagramz (real name Ron Cole) will be releasing a self-titled debut album on May 14th. The record label, Small Plates Records, "teased" us with his first single, "Sex Potion." Check out the song now (download for free via Soundcloud):

VATO GONZALEZ vato.nl No information given on Vato Gonzalez. Based on his website, I would suspect he's from the Netherlands. Apparently Gonzalez is a big deal in the UK, having scored a top 20 hit with "Not A Saint". He is following this up with a new song, "What?!", which you can download for free at Soundcloud.

ACTIVIA BENZ activiabenz.com Activia Benz is a small label out of England. For their third release, they've teamed up with a Danish "beat wizard", Eloq. The new C'mon EP will be out March 25th. Yes, of course, it's on Soundcloud:

MDNT facebook.com Pronounced "midnight", Brooklyn's mdnt just released his debut single, "Dreamcatcher", featuring Hip Hop artist Jez Dior and production from SmarterChild. What else? Soundcloud.

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ +W♥M

Band Band

Read more Repeat Repeat, Double Double, and Indie Indie Yeah Yeah.

Read More Chaos Chaos They're Asy (Asya) and Chloe, who I saw them play as Smoosh when they were 14 and 12, respectively. I last heard from Asya on two songs off of God Help the Girl, and was wondering what she was up to. .…

CHAOS CHAOS
chaoschaosmusic.com

We're proud to have been there for Chaos Chaos since their very first live appearance. This is the duo formerly from Smoosh (sisters Asy and Chloe).

In anticipation to their forthcoming LP, the girls gave us a sneak peek at the first single called "In This Place."

They will also be heading out on tour with San Cisco, following a string of SXSW dates.

03.02 - Seattle, WA @ The High Dive
03.13 - Austin, TX @ SXSW Darwin's Pub
03.14 - Austin, TX @ SXSW BD Riley's
03.15 - Austin, TX @ SXSW The Aquarium
03.16 - Austin, TX @ SXSW Chain Drive
03.21 - Boston, MA @ Great Scott #
03.22 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brendas #
03.23 - Washington, DC @ Rock N Roll Hotel #
03.24 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Brillobox #
03.26 - Toronto, ON @ The Garrison #
03.27 - Cleveland, OH @ The Grog Shop #
03.29 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas #
03.30 - Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club #
04.01 - Portland, OR @ The Doug Fir Lounge #
04.02 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos #
04.04 - San Francisco, CA @ Pop Scene at Rickshaw Stop #
04.08 - New York, NY @ The Bowery Ballroom #
04.10 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour #

# w/ San Cisco

Read More Now, Now Now, Now wasn't listed on the bill, but that's fine because I liked them. I saw this band, formerly known as Now, Now Every Children, last year and I thought they were young then, they're young now.. .…

NOW, NOW
nownowband.com

Now, Now (formerly known as Now, Now Every Children) will be doing a co-headlining tour with Chris Walla's Trans- Records label mates The Lonely Forest. Some selected shows Now, Now will be opening up for Bob Mould, per his personal request. See full date listing before for more information:

03/01 - Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern^
03/02 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick^
03/06 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall #
03/07 - Bloomington, IL - The Castle Theatre #
03/08 - Covington, KY - The Madison Theater #
03/09 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
03/11 - Louisville, KY - Headliners Music Hall #
03/12 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre #
03/14 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground #
03/15 - Providence, RI - Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel #
03/16 - Portland, ME - State Theatre #
03/17 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance #
03/19 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount #
03/20 - Stroudsburg, PA - Sherman Theater #
03/22 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore Charlotte #
03/23 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre #
03/24 - Charleston, SC - The Music Farm #
03/25 - Jacksonville, FL - Free Bird Live #
03/26 - Gainseville, FL - Side Bar #
03/27 - Ybor City, FL - The Ritz Ybor #
03/28 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre #
03/29 - Memphis, TN - New Daisy Theatre #
03/30 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom #
04/11 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge *
04/12 - Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room *
04/13 - Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Music Hall *
04/14 - Iowa City, IA - The Blue Moose TapHouse *
04/15 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall *
04/16 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club *
04/17 - Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club *
04/19 - Champaign, IL - Highdive *
04/22 - Austin, TX - Stubb's BBQ (indoor) *
04/24 - Scottsdale, AZ - Pub Rock Live *
04/25 - La Jolla, CA - The Loft (UCSD) *
04/27 - Los Angeles, CA - Satellite Club *
04/28 - Santa Ana, CA - Constellation Room *
04/30 - San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop *
05/01 - Eugene, OR - Cozmic Pizza *
05/02 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios *
05/03 - Vancouver, BC - Electric Owl *
05/04 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile *

# = w/ Minus The Bear, Circa Survive * = w/ The Lonely Forest ^ w/ Bob Mould

TAKKA TAKKA
takkatakkamusic.com

Takka Takka is a band from Brooklyn, and they are back with a new album, A.M. Landscapes. Since their debut in 2006, the group tagged along with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah for a North American tour ... by 2007 they must have done something right because they're currently signed to Ernest Jenning Record Co.

EJRC is offering Takka Takka's "We Are Pilgrims No More (The End of Our Traveling Days)" as a free download via Soundcloud:



They also remind us that they will be playing live at the Cake Shop in New York on March 30th.

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Pump up the volume

NOISE POP
noisepop.com

Are you ready for Noise Pop? This nearly weeklong festival is starting tomorrow: February 26th to March 3rd, in San Francisco.

You can buy a badge for all the shows, but personally, from experience, I recommend just buying a la cart. You can get the full schedule over at schedule.noisepop.com.

Just quickly there are some shows I like immediately, most of them are on Saturdays and most of them are sold out, including: Thao Nguyen at Great American Music Hall (03/02), Toro Y Moi at The Independent (03/01 and 03/02), and DIIV at Brick & Mortar Music Hall (03/02) ... all these bands we have previously covered live in Minneapolis at one point or another. There's something to be said about living in a city that isn't as populated as San Francisco.

Between you and me, I would buy advance tickets to see Body/Head show at Rickshaw Stop (02/26). This is the band featuring Kim Gordon (of Sonic Youth).

QUIET COMPANY
quietcompanymusic.com

Quiet Company are from Austin, Texas. So you know what that means: SXSW party. The indie rock band is lead by Taylor Muse, and they are excited to announce the new record, A Dead Man On My Back: Shine Honesty Revisited, for national retailers on April 9th.

There will be a "private release show" in Austin on April 6th. Hardcore fans should be encouraged to get the very limited Dead Man Ultimate Pack, which includes Autographed CD, Monster Shirt, QC Comic Poster, & autographed & numbered piano key from our "Emasculated Man and the City that Swallowed Him" video shoot, a special photo from the shoot signed by the band, and a Certificate of Authenticity written by Tommy Blank & hand numbered.

Tour kicks off this March:

03/07 Waco, TX @ Common Grounds 03/09 SXSW @ Stubbs 03/10 SXSW @ Whole Foods 03/10 SXSW @ Blackheart 03/11 SXSW @ Waterloo Records 03/12 SXSW @ Bar96 03/12 SXSW @ the Parish 03/13 SXSW @ Hipstamatic Haus 03/14 SXSW @ Four Seasons 03/16 SXSW @ Buffalo Billiards 03/18 Tulsa, OK @ The Vanguard 03/19 St. Louis, MO @ Plush 03/21 Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen 03/23 Toronto, ON @ Rancho Relaxo 03/24 Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory 03/25 Philadelphia, PA @ The Fire 03/27 Charleston, SC @ Tin Roof

03/28 Nashville, TN @ 12th and Porter 03/29 Memphis, TN @ Poplar Lounge 04/03 Corpus Christi, TX @ House of Rock 04/05 Ft. Worth, TX @ Live Oak Music Hall 04/14 Conroe, TX @ Dosey Doe 04/16 Cleveland, MS @ Hey Joe's 04/17 Jackson, TN @ Downtown Tavern 04/20 Chattanooga, TN @ Honest Pint 04/21 Greenville, SC @ Radio Room 04/23 Charleston, SC @ Charleston Pour 04/24 Savanah, GA @ Jinx 04/25 Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn 04/26 Macon, GA @ Hummingbird 04/27 Columbus, GA @ the Loft 05/02 Bryan, TX @ Grand Stafford 05/11 Dallas, TX @ Homegrown Fest 08/9 Bethlehem, PA @ Musikfest 08/19 Bethlehem, PA @ Musikfest

IN THE SILENCE
inthesilence.net

Sacramento-based dark/progressive quartet, In the Silence, is re-releasing A Fair Dream Gone Mad, on April 9th, 2013, under the Sensory Records umbrella.

The debut album was originally released in 2012, with a very limited pressing of 120 units and immediately sold out due to word of mouth and being featured in popular metal 'zines.

Expect to find the album at the merch table as the band readies for an upcoming 2013 North American tour. They have already been confirmed for ProgPower USA XIV festival in Atlanta, Georgia, where they'll be sharing the stage with Circle II Circle, Rhapsody, Wolverine, Soilwork, Shadow Gallery, Wolf, Circus Maximus, Armored Saint and more.

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Boys vs Girls

BOY
listentoboy.com

Upcoming live 'Little Numbers' from Boy… who are anything but

The Swiss-German Pop female duo that can definitely be considered buzzworthy starts a brief U.S. Tour shortly, which includes two-night stands in both Minneapolis and Chicago.

Singer Valeska Steiner (Swiss) and bassist Sonja Milena Glass (German) met randomly at a music course 8 years ago, initially playing concerts exclusively before being signed to a label run by Herbert Grönemeyer, who happens to be Germany's most successful artist. And, yes, they sing in all English, so no language barriers here.

The North American release of their debut, 'Mutual Friends' via Nettwerk Records on February 26, 2013 brings them to our shores for the first time, headed by the lead single, 'Little Numbers', which has been garnering frequent radio airplay locally, and much of the album is shouldered by the drumming of Phoenix's Thomas Hedlund.

A chance to see an new band on an upward arc in small venues, which will definitely appeal to fans of Feist, ...(a feistier) Suzanne Vega, and maybe parts of The Pretenders.

03/01 New York, NY @ Joe's Pub 03/02 Brooklyn, NY @ Union Hall 03/04 Seattle, WA @ Triple Door 03/06 San Francisco, CA @ Swedish American Hall 03/08 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour 03/09 San Diego, CA @ The Loft 03/13 – 03/16 Austin, TX @ SXSW

03/18 Minneapolis, MN @ Bryant Lake Bowl 03/19 Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center 03/20 Chicago, IL @ Schubas 03/21 Chicago, IL @ Schubas 03/27 Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live 03/28 Vienna, VA @ Jammin' Java 03/29 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

GIRLS NAMES
tumblr.com

Girls Names is the latest band to be signed to our favorite indie label, Slumberland Records.

Belfast-based four-piece will be releasing The New Life on March 12th, 2013. Their debut album, Dead to Me, was critically acclaimed by various music outlets, including popular Pitchfork and NME.

Singer and songwriter, Cathal Cully, had this to say about the new album, "The New Life is not an over night change for Girls Names - just over two years in fact. Dead to Me literally was dead to us by the time it was committed to wax. But it's a learning curve. We started moving on as artists the moment we finished that recording session, maybe even before. Not to dwell on the past, The New Life is what happens when you reset everything back to zero and start again, but try to perfect. It starts back at zero the minute the needle hits the groove but we're also starting back from zero once the needle lifts at the end of the record. Ad infinitum. The New Life is what follows now."

Girls Names will appear at SXSW this year at The Iron Bear on March 13th. No words yet on a mini-USA tour, but it's inevitable.

Current tour dates:

02/21 The Grand Social Dublin, Ireland 02/22 The Cockpit Leeds, UK 02/24 Broadcast Glasgow, UK 02/25 Castle Hotel Manchester, UK 02/26 Sebright Arms London, UK 02/27 Point Ephémère Paris, France 03/02 Sala Apolo Barcelona, Spain

03/03 Astoria Turin, Italy 03/04 Circolo Degli Artisti Rome, Italy 03/05 Mascotte Zürich, Switzerland 03/06 Muz Club Nuremberg, Germany 03/08 Magnet Club Berlin, Germany 03/09 De Nieuwe Anita Amsterdam 03/10 Les Ateliers Claus Brussels, Belgium

john + vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Moon Madness

Check out Over the Moon and Blue Moon.

WILLY MOON
willymoon.com

Willy Moon will release his eponymous album, Here's Willy Moon, on April 2nd, 2013, via Cherrytree/Island Records.

He is in the middle of his February tour, but expect him to turn up at this year's SXSW.

February 21 Norfolk, VA @ Jewish Mother
February 22 Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
February 23 Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
February 25 Detroit, MI @ Shelter at St. Andrew’s
February 26 Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar
February 27 Los Angeles @ Bootleg Theater
February 28 San Diego @ House of Blues
March 1 Las Vegas @ Backstage Bar
March 12-17 Austin, TX @ SXSW Music Festival

THE MEN
wearethemen.blogspot.com

The Men, not to be confused with JD Samson's MEN or the 90s pop band The Men, this "The Men" is a punk band from the New York area (ex-Brooklyn).

The Men will be releasing their new album, New Moon, this March 5th on Sacred Bones Records, with an upcoming tour date in support of the album.

Single/video from the album is called "Electric", which was filmed in London at Shacklewell Arms. You can watch the video on YouTube.

Catch the band and see if they stick to their "no-one-is-frontman" mentality.

Tour dates:

Mar 07 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom Mar 09 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour Apr 10 Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom Apr 11 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall Apr 12 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue Apr 13 Northfield, MN - The Cave Apr 14 Winnipeg, MB - West End Cultural Apr 15 Saskatoon, SK - Amigos Apr 16 Calgary, AB - Broken City Apr 17 Edmonton, AB - Pawn Shop Apr 19 Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Cabaret Apr 20 Seattle, WA - Vera Project Apr 21 Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios Apr 22 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop

Apr 24 Las Vegas, NV - Bunkhouse Apr 25 Salt Lake City, UT - 1133 Richards Apr 26 Denver, CO - Hi Dive Apr 27 Omaha, NE - Slowdown Apr 28 St. Louis, MO - Firebird Apr 29 Memphis, TN - TBD Apr 30 Nashville, TN - The Stone Fox May 01 Durham, NC - Pinhook May 02 Washington, DC - DC 9 May 03 Providence, RI - RISD May 29 Birmingham, AL - Bottletree Cafe May 30 New Orleans, LA - Circle Bar May 31 Austin, TX - Chaos in Tejas Jun 01 Austin, TX - Chaos in Tejas

HONEYMOOON facebook.com Introducing Honeymooon: two Australian music producers (Aaron Shanahan and Benjamin Plant). Their debut single, "Hail The Madmen", can be heard on their Souncloud.

VINTAGE MOON facebook.com Also introducing Vintage Moon, a band made up of "East Siders from LA in the Silverlake, Echo Park & Glassell Park areas". Their new single, "Night Heights", can be heard on Soundcloud.

SOLVENTS solventsmusic.com Solvents is releasing Ghetto Moon on March 19th, 2013, via Bee Resin Records. This time around, they got rid of their "rock band" mentality and is now a duo of Jarrod Bramson and his chief musical collaborator (and wife) Emily Madden.

RICE CULTIVATION SOCIETY bandcamp.com Hot off the release of their latest LP, Sky Burial (released January 15, 2013), Rice Cultivation Society is showing off a new single called "Little Circuses On The Moon." You can grab the song over at Soundcloud.

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SXSW 2013: ZZ Ward, Flume, Ash, Current Swell

Read more SXSW coverage at sxsw.weheartmusic.com.

Hundreds and thousands of bands are heading to SXSW this year to play little thirty-minute sets on March 14 through March 17.

If you are a band heading to SXSW, send me your biography and stuff (see guidelines for more details), and I'll add you to an upcoming SXSW article. Please put "SXSW" in your subject header.

Here are just some bands scheduled to play at SXSW 2013:

ZZ WARD
zzward.com

Zsuzsanna Ward, aka ZZ Ward, has sold out all her shows on this current tour as she heads down to SXSW. ZZ is stopping by Minneapolis' Varsity Theater this Friday, February 22nd. We are covering a few shows this Friday (Emily is doing Eels and I'm covering Painted Palms), but I'll swing by to catch ZZ.

ZZ Ward is currently on tour in support of her debut album, Til the Casket Drops (released last October via Hollywood Records).

NOTE: Six-piece rock group Delta Rae is co-headlining with ZZ Ward on most dates, but not the Minneapolis show.

Tour dates below:

02/21/13 Kansas City, MO The Riot Room 02/22/13 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater 02/24/13 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall 02/25/13 Columbus, OH A & R Music Bar 02/27/13 Cleveland, OH Beachland 02/28/13 Toronto, ON Virgin Mobile Mod Club 03/02/13 Cambridge, MA Middle East 03/04/13 Baltimore, MD The 8X10

03/05/13 New York, NY Irving Plaza 03/06/13 Philadelphia, PA Theatre Of The Living 03/08/13 Norfolk, VA NorVa 03/09/13 Charlotte, NC Visulite Theatre 03/10/13 Nashville, TN 3rd & Lindsley 03/11/13 New Orleans, LA Parish 05/24/13 Quincy, WA Gorge Amphitheatre 05/31/13 Ozark, AR Mulberry Mountain

ASH
ash-official.com

Sure, I mentioned Ash last week, but today, they released the official SXSW shows and "mini" tour dates - which looks like they are catering to the mid-west (Chicago, Minneapolis).

If I have some spare cash, I will likely pick up their A-Z tri-color vinyl (I already own all the MP3s, but I still like to physically touch my music) when they come to Minneapolis. Yes, we are fans.

Confirmed tour dates:

03/12 Dallas TX / Cambridge Room
03/13 SXSW - Buffalo Billiards
03/15 SXSW -- BD Riley's / Full Irish Breakfast
03/17 Chicago IL / Lincoln Hall
03/18 Minneapolis MN / Varsity Theater
03/20 Detroit, MI / Magic Stick Lounge
03/21 Newport, KY / Southgate House
03/22 Indianapolis, IN / Radio Radio
03/23 Pittsburgh, PA / Altar Bar

FLUME
facebook.com/flumemusic

One of the hottest remixer/producer, as indicated by four of his remixes were in the Triple J Hottest 100 last year (with two of them in the top 20), is Australia's Flume. His "first ever" US tour is taking place this March and April… centering around SXSW, of course. And yes, Flume and one hundred other Australian bands are playing at the legendary Aussie BBQ.

Flume's self-titled album is available now via Mom & Pops Music.

Flume at SXSW:

Mar. 13 @ Red 7 - Windish Agency Official Showcase
Mar. 14 @ Hype Hotel - I Guess I'm Floating Party
Mar. 14 @ Latitude 30 - Transgressive SXSW
Mar. 16 @ Maggie Mae's - Aussie BBQ

Mar 20 - Miami, FL @ HARD Miami Mar. 21 - Miami, FL @ Bardot Miami Mar. 22 - Chicago, IL @ The Mid Mar. 23 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Rotunda Mar 26 - Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex Mar. 28 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop Mar. 29 - Vancouver, BC @ Electric Owl

Mar. 30 - Seattle, WA @ Lo Fi Mar. 31 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios Apr. 2 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg Apr. 3 - Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall Apr. 4 - Cambridge, MA @ Middlesex Lounge Apr. 5 - Toronto, ON @ The Hoxton Apr. 6 - Montreal, QC @ Le Belmont

CURRENT SWELL
currentswell.com

Victoria's Current Swell returns to the US next week (February 27th) as part of their long road to SXSW (note: date is not finalized). They are touring for their recent album, Long Time Ago, released on Nettwerk Records last October.

Tour Dates:

02/27/13 Wilmington, NC @ The Soapbox
02/28/13 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
03/01/13 Folly Beach, SC @ Loggerhead’s Beach Grill
03/02/13 Sarasota, FL @ Jake's Tavern
03/03/13 Naples, FL @ South Street
03/04/13 Vero Beach, FL @ Filthy McNasty's
03/05/13 St. Petersburg, FL @ The Local 662
03/06/13 St. Augustine, FL @ The Standard
03/08/13 Colorado Springs, CO @ Black Sheep
03/09/13 Denver, CO @ The Marquis Theatre
03/10/13 Ft. Collins, CO @ Aggie Theatre
03/31/13 Tyagarah, Australia Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm
04/01/13 Tyagarah, Australia Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm

TOY toy-band.com London's five-piece band called Toy recently announced some side dates, in addition to their SXSW appearance. Their self-titled album was released on Heavenly Recordings / Cooperative Music in 2012. March 14 SXSW@Cedar Street Courtyard March 15th-16th - SXSW (shows TBA) March 19th - Mercury Lounge – New York, NY March 20th - Knitting Factory – Brooklyn, NY

YEAH YEAH YEAHS yeahyeahyeahs.com Last week, Yeah Yeah Yeahs announced that they will play NPR Music’s SXSW Showcase at Stubbs on March 13th, 2013. The official showcase will also be broadcast worldwide on NPR.org/music. Also on the bill is Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, who will open the evening with a special set. YYY's latest album, Mosquito, will be out April 16th on Interscope Records. Expect the band to preview some tracks live at SXSW.

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Hey hey, my my. Rock and roll can never die.

HEY OCEAN!
loveheyocean.com

Vancouver's Hey Ocean! is out on tour in support of their latest album, IS, out now on Nettwerk Records. The trio will suspiciously be in the Texas area around SXSW … although this is normal because venues and schedules aren't finalized until closer to the actual date.

03/10/13 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
03/11/13 Englewood, CO @ Moe’s
03/13/13 Dallas, TX @ The Door
03/19/13 San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
03/22/13 Jacksonville, FL @ Phoenix Taproom
03/23/13 St. Petersburg, FL @ Local 662
03/24/13 Orlando, FL @ Backbooth
03/26/13 Atlanta, GA @ Purgatory Room
03/29/13 Philadelphia, PA @ Ortlieb's Jazzhaus
03/30/13 Hamden, CT @ The Space
03/31/13 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
04/01/13 New York, NY @ Studio At Webster Hall
04/02/13 Ewing, NJ @ The Ratskeller
04/03/13 Akron, OH @ Musica
04/04/13 Lansing, MI @ Mac's Bar
04/06/13 Chicago, IL @ Township
04/07/13 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
04/09/13 Billings, MT @ The Railyard

HEY MARSEILLES
heymarseilles.com

Hey Marseilles is from Seattle, currently signed to Onto/Thirty Tigers. The band is releasing their sophomore album Lines We Trace this March 5th.

Hear a the lead single "Elegy" on Soundcloud:



NPR's World Café recently called the "folkestra" sextet as their "Next" artist. You can listen for yourself on NPR.org.

Their people confirmed that they are indeed playing SXSW this year.

Tour dates:

02/27/13 Vancouver, BC Waldorf Hotel 03/01/13 Seattle, WA Showbox At The Market 03/02/13 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater 03/05/13 San Francisco, CA The Chapel 03/06/13 Los Angeles, CA The Satellite 03/07/13 San Diego, CA Soda Bar 03/11/13 Houston, TX Fitzgerald's - Downstairs 03/20/13 New Orleans, LA Breezy's 03/21/13 Birmingham, AL WorkPlay Theatre   03/22/13 Atlanta, GA Vinyl At Center Stage 03/23/13 Nashville, TN High Watt 03/26/13 Arlington, VA IOTA Club & Cafe

03/27/13 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's 03/28/13 New York, NY Mercury Lounge 03/29/13 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall 03/30/13 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Music Hall 04/03/13 Evanston, IL SPACE 04/04/13 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry 04/05/13 Ames, IA The Maintenance Shop 04/06/13 St. Louis, MO Off Broadway Nightclub 04/09/13 Denver, CO Hi-Dive 04/11/13 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court 04/13/13 Garden City, ID Visual Arts Collective 04/19/13 Spokane, WA Whitworth College

QUADRON quadronmusic.com Danish electronic soul/pop duo Quadron is coming out with a new album this Spring. In the meantime, the band is offering a new single, "Hey Love". Hear it on Soundcloud.com.

HEY ANNA tumblr.com New York's Hey Anna is a sister-act of Anna and Erin on keyboards/rhythm guitar and Katie on bass (the rest of the band consists of Andrew Smolin and Matthew Langner). I would place a bet that the band was named after Anna Rauch-Sasseen.

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