W♥M

Flashback: Loquat at the Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (16 Oct 2008)

Read More Loquat Loquat, a band based out of San Francisco, are as sweet and delicious as the Chinese fruit that they are named after. Their brand new album, Secrets of the Sea, came out yesterday, October 14th. Compared to their first album, It's Yours To Keep, the new album … Greycoats Opening up for them was Minneapolis' Greycoats. Based on hearing the band's debut album in 2008, I have to say that their new materials (songs from 2013's World of Tomorrow) is a lot more upbeat, yet still maintaining their moody … Chriz Koza Vu and Chris Koza sat down at the Dakota Jazz Club to briefly talk about Rogue Valley and his upcoming solo album In Real Time. The record will be officially release on October 28th on iTunes, CD, and vinyl at chriskoza.com. Y …

To be fair, this was Loquat’s headlining show at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis on October 16, 2008…. However, the start of their North American tour landed in Minneapolis, which meant that their support act, Greycoats, became headliner. This is common with some bands touring… the support would become the headliner when they land in their hometown. Chris Koza was also asked to close the show, hoping to bring in some of his fanbase to the show.

I was a big Loquat fan, because they had a beautiful rendition of The Smiths’ “There is a Light that Never Goes Out”, and so I’ve written about them. Loquat’s singer, Kylee Swenson, saw what I wrote and commented, “If you only knew how hungover I was when I sang that Smiths cover. Oh man, it hurt so bad. Thanks for the kind words, We Heart Music. See you guys October 16 when we play in Minneapolis, finally....”

Just to clarify about that comment, Swenson actually grew up in Minneapolis and it was a dream for her to finally play in the city.

>>>
Loquat kicked off their tour last night at the non - profit / community - run The Cedar in Minneapolis. I've only ever been to this venue once before, and things seem to be looking up for this historic theater. The audience seems to be somewhat a mix of NPR patrons, couples with children, and artsy college students.

Loquat was the first of three bands for this Greycoats' CD release party. What's interesting about the Greycoats' set is that they had movies projected as they play. Although it's interesting, I found myself distracted by the moving picture. Each movie is timed exactly to the music, most of it went pretty well, except for the 50s "Day the Earth Stood Still" which ended early because they had cello sound problems.

It looks like, according to their website, that they are going to be tour mates with Loquat... And of course, Loquat played an hour earlier. They started playing shortly after 7:30pm, which is kind of early, so I reckon a lot of latecomers missed them... However, it did look like there were a lot of Loquat fans (and families) in the audience.

Kylee was pretty talkative inbetween songs, adding that "Swingset Chain" was about her friend and it was emotional being back in Minneapolis. I later found out that she grew up in Minneapolis, and have "always wanted to play here". She was quite friendly after her show too, lots of fans stood in line to get a chance to get her autograph and to talk to her.

The main act was Chris Koza, who I was told that I've seen him before, opening up for Jeff Hanson. He had a keyboardist, violinist and the standard guitarist/bass/drums, and I seriously don't remember that many band members at the Hanson show. Koza was easy-going, relaxed even, and the best part was they had carved this Halloween pumpkins the night before and had put them on stage. He named one of them "Luis" or "T___" I couldn't make out the second name over people's laughter at the ridiculous name.

So check out Loquat and Greycoats on tour.

Loquat at the Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (16 Oct 2008)

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

This is the Kit at Turf Club, St Paul (19 October 2017)

This is the Kit Setlist Easy on the Thieves Bullet Proof Nits All Written Out in Numbers White Ash Cut Empty No Teeth Moonshine Freeze By My Demon Eye Solid Grease Hotter Colder Spinney Bashed Out Tour Dates 10/21/2017 Third Man Records Detroit, MI 10/22/2017 Drake Hotel / Underground Toronto, ON 10/24/2017 Great Scott Allston, MA 10/25/2017 The Mercury Lounge New York, NY 10/26/2017 Johnny Brenda's Philadelphia, PA 10/27/2017 DC9 Washington, DC 11/02/2017 Pitchfork Music Festival Paris 11/03/2017 Rotonde Brussels, Belgium 11/04/2017 De Gudde Wellen Grund, Luxembourg 11/05/2017 Melkweg Amsterdam, Netherlands 11/07/2017 Kantine Am Berghain Berlin, Germany 11/08/2017 Cafe V Lese Prague 11/09/2017 B72 Vienna, Austria 11/11/2017 Le Bourg Lausanne, Switzerland 11/12/2017 Bad Bonn Dudingen, Switzerland 11/14/2017 Le Grand Mix Tourcoing, France 11/15/2017 La Cartonnerie Reims, France 11/16/2017 Groom Lyon, France 11/27/2017 Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall Portland, OR 11/28/2017 Paramount Theatre Seattle, WA 11/29/2017 Paramount Theatre Seattle, WA 12/01/2017 Queen Elizabeth Theatre Vancouver, BC 12/02/2017 Queen Elizabeth Theatre Vancouver, BC 12/04/2017 Verizon Hall Philadelphia, PA 12/05/2017 The Anthem Washington, DC 12/07/2017 MTELUS Montreal, QC 12/08/2017 MTELUS Montreal, QC 12/09/2017 Sony Centre Toronto, ON 12/10/2017 FirstOntario Concert Hall Hamilton, ON 12/12/2017 Civic Opera House Chicago, IL 12/13/2017 Civic Opera House Chicago, IL 01/25/2018 O2 Shepherds Bush Empire Read More This Is The Kit This Is The Kit + Rogue Valley Turf Club Thu 10/19/2017 (7pm/$15) This Is The Kit and Rogue Valley to play the Turf Club on Thursday. … Rogue Valley Rogue Valley's CD release show at the Cedar Cultural Center on November 26th, aka Black Friday, was a big success. Some fans, generally a late twenties/early …

Bristol’s This Is the Kit is the stagename for British musician Kate Stables, who made a rare appearance at the Turf Club in St Paul on Thursday night (October 19th).

We sometime see Rogue Valley’s singer Chris Koza solo (the last times being October 2014 and June 2014) … but to see the full band (Chris Koza, Peter Sieve, Luke Anderson, Linnea Mohn, Paul Engels) together was a real treat.

The last time we saw Rogue Valley, it was in seven years ago, when they were promoting four albums: Crater Lake, The Bookseller's House, and Geese In the Flyway and False Floors, all released within a year.

With so many songs under their collective belt, it seemed like they had a hard time keeping their set under the given 45 minute limit. Songs like ‘The Rutting Moon’ (played early in their set) went over easy at their “most well-behaved Turf Club show” ever.

Koza handled most of the lead singing duties, with the exception of a few songs, like ‘Somewhere in Massachusetts’, when Linnea Mohn took lead.

Rogue Valley ended their set with ‘Vainglory’, a song taken from their latest release Radiate / Dissolve.

On this tour, This Is the Kit (Kate Stables) is joined by bassist Jesse Vernon and drummer Jamie Whitby-Coles. She started off with a solo song ‘Easy on the Thieves’, then as a trio, then back to solo with ‘All Written out in Numbers’. Stables often tuned between songs, making for awkward unfinished stories and comments. She played acoustic guitar, but it seemed like she’s most comfortable when she’s plucking on her banjo.

Highlight of her set was Sad Sax of Sh** (the Bon Iver horns section led by Nelson Devereaux), joining This is the Kit for most of their set. According to Stables, they met in June 2017 and immediately hit it off. The added saxophones gave This is the Kit’s songs a fresh, upbeat sound.

Sad Sax loved playing with This is the Kit, that they’ve decided to drive down to Chicago with Stables & Company, to play at the Constellation.

Although This is the Kit just released Moonshine Freeze on Rough Trade Records, Stables decided that she would play more older songs, given the fact that she often doesn’t play the U.S.A. very often (in fact, I don’t think she’s ever played in Minnesota before).

Rogue Valley

Rogue Valley: Chris Koza

Rogue Valley

Setlist

This is the Kit

This is the Kit

This is the Kit at Turf Club, St Paul (19 October 2017)

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

Minneapolis: November 9, 2014

Here are shows taking place in Minneapolis/St Paul on November 9, 2014. Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Chriz Koza Vu and Chris Koza sat down at the Dakota Jazz Club to briefly talk about Rogue Valley and his upcoming solo album In Real Time. The record will be officially release on October 28th on iTunes, CD, and vinyl at chriskoza.com. Y …

CHRIS KOZA w/ Reina del Cid
at the Cedar Cultural Center
Sunday 11/09/14, 7pm
$12: thecedar.org

We caught up with Chris Koza recently to talk about his upcoming solo album In Real Time.

The CD release party is coming up, Sunday, November 9th, at the Cedar Cultural Center. Listed as opener, and previously mentioned in the brief talk, are Reina del Cid. I believe the band (Reina del Cid on vocals/guitars, Toni Lindgren on lead guitar, Chris Wiberg on upright bass, and Zach Schmidt on drums) used to be called The Cidizens.

Upcoming Chris Koza shows:

11/05/14 - Rapids Theatre - Niagara Falls, NY*
11/06/14 - Covenant Arts - Grand Rapids, MI*
11/07/14 - Shannon Falls - Madison, WI*
11/08/14 - Northfield Arts Guild -Northfield, MN
11/09/14 - Cedar Cultural Center - Minneapolis, MN
11/12/14 - Taft Theatre - Cincinatti, OH*
11/13/14 - Templeton - Athens, OH*
11/14/14 - LC Pavilion - Columbus, OH*
11/15/14 - Weidner Center - Green Bay, WI*

* denotes support for Ingrid Michaelson

Read More Yellowcard Jacksonville, FL pop-punk band Yellowcard is still going strong, even after over 15 years in the business. Their latest tour and release, Ocean Avenue Acoustic …

YELLOWCARD w/ Memphis May Fire, Emarosa
at Mill City Nights
Sunday 11/09/14, 7pm
$25: millcitynights.com

If you missed Yellowcard at Van's Warped Tour or their appearance at the Varsity early in January, the Jacksonville pop-punk band is back in the Twin Cities - along with Memphis May Fire and Emarosa.

Lift a Sail is Yellowcard's new album from Razor & Tie.

Tour dates:

10/28 Atlanta, GA – The Masquerade
10/29 Charlotte, NC – Amo’s Southend
10/30 Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
11/02 New York, NY – Best Buy Theater
11/03 Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
11/04 Boston, MA – House of Blues
11/06 Toronto, ON – Phoenix Concert Theatre
11/07 Pontiac, MI – The Crofoot
11/08 Chicago, IL – Concord Music Hall
11/09 Minneapolis, MN – Mill City Nights
11/11 Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall
11/12 Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex
11/14 Reno, NV – Knitting Factory
11/15 Los Angeles, CA – Club Nokia
11/16 San Francisco, CA – The Regency Ballroom

Read More Capital Cities After spending the summer supporting Katy Perry on the first U.S. leg of her Prismatic World Tour, Capital Cities will embark on a fall headline run. …

CAPITAL CITIES
at First Avenue
Sunday 11/09/14, 7pm
$25: first-avenue.com

Los Angeles duo Ryan Merchant and Sebu Simonian are Capital Cities.

We've already previously mentioned that Night Terrors of 1927 is set to open the show.

Also on the bill - another duo called Cherub (Jordan Kelley and Jason Huber).

Tour dates:

10/28 Boston, MA @ House of Blues
10/29 New York, NY @ Webster Hall
10/30 New York, NY @ Webster Hall
10/31 Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bowl
11/01 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
11/03 Montreal, QC @ Virgin Mobile
11/04 Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
11/05 Columbus, OH @ Newport
11/07 Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
11/08 Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
11/09 Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave.
11/16 Seattle, WA @ Showbox Sodo
11/17 Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
11/19 Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
11/20 Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda
11/21 Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda
11/23 San Diego, CA @ House of Blues

Read More The Kickback The Kickback is prepping for a new Summer album called Sorry All Over The Place, so I think they will be testing out the new songs on this tour (which 'kicks' off next week). …

THE KICKBACK w/ The Hudson Branch
at Icehouse
Sunday 11/09/14, 10pm
FREE: icehousempls.com

Chicago's The Kickback was previously in Minnesota March 1st, but the band is back, thanks to CMJ 2014.

Sets of brothers Cobey & Corey Bienert and Matthew & Jacob Boll makes up The Hudson Branch ... they are set to open this free show.

Please note 21+ age restriction and late start time (10pm).

The Kickback Tour Dates:

10/28 - Omaha, NE - Slowdown*+
10/29 - Kansas City, MO - Czar Bar *
10/30 - Denver, CO - TBA*
10/31 - Tempe, AZ - Yucca Tap Room*
11/02 - Long Beach, CA - Alex's Bar*
11/04 - Portland, OR - Rotture*
11/05 - Seattle, WA - Rendezvous*
11/06 - Boise, ID - The Crux
11/08 - Sioux Falls, SD - Icon Lounge*
11/09 - Minneapolis, MN - Icehouse*
11/26 - Indianapolis, IN - Melody Inn
12/06 - Chicago, IL - Metro^

* w/ The Hudson Branch
+ w/ Christopher the Conquered
^ Mutts Record Release w/ Archie Powell & The Exports

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

Kat Edmonson at Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis (16 Oct 2014)

Setlist Rain Day Woman You Said Enough Oh My Love This Was the One Crying You Can't Break My Heart Till We Start to Kiss Champagne I'm Not in Love Long Way Home Hopeless Blue All the Way Avion The Best Dark Cloud Lucky I Don't Know -- Encore -- Who's Counting Nobody Knows That (Solo) Tour Dates 10/19 Vancouver, BC Rio Theatre 10/20 Portland, OR Alberta Rose Theater 10/22 San Francisco, CA Great American 10/23 Los Angeles, CA Masonic Lodge 10/25 Dallas, TX North Oak Cliff Music Festival 10/27 Austin, TX KLRU Studio 6A Read More Kat Edmonson In August, we mentioned that Kat Edmonson will be out on tour in October... wow that was fast, October is here already. That means Edmonson is currently in the middle of her tour in support of her latest The Big .... Lucy Michelle Minneapolis-based Lucy Michelle & The Velvet Lapelles recently performed a session for Daytrotter. Personally, when Daytrotter switched to a "you have to sign in" to download, I haven't used them since. ....

Jazz singer Kat Edmonson is currently on tour in support of The Big Picture, stopping by the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis last night, October 16th.

Lucy Michelle with Chris Koza

Opening up the show was Lucy Michelle, with an unexpected appearance by Chris Koza. Michelle played some tracks from her previous band Lucy Michelle & the Velvet Lapelles ("Just a Kid") and one Karen Dalton cover ("Something On Your Mind"), but the majority of her set consisted of her solo material from Attack of the Heart, including the album's finale (and set closer) "Honey Moon".

Lucy Michelle will be back at the Dakota on October 26th, with a full live band. I am assuming the live band will feature some members from her new band, Field Trip.

The first time Kat Edmonson made her way to Minneapolis, it was last year at the Dakota Jazz Club. She got such a great reception and had such a good time, that for this 2014 tour, she had to come back to the Dakota.

As expected with these new album tour, the majority of the set was taken from the new album, The Big Picture (Sony Masterworks), which incidentally landed at #1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz, as well as #2 on Billboard Total Jazz chart.

I can tell that Edmonson is a natural born storyteller, as she could not wait to tell us all the little stories about her songs. My favorite story was for "Oh My Love", which about halfway into the song, Edmonson started singing in French. She tells us that an Ad Agency in Austin, Texas, wanted her to record an upbeat French song (as they erroneously used a sad/depressing lyrical song). Edmonson agreed to write and sing a new song in French... at first thinking it would be easy-peasy, but then quickly realized what a mistake she's made.

Setlist

Kat stuck to the setlist, except they skipped out "Who's Counting", in favor of playing it for the encore. The actual song intended for the encore, "For Two", was not played.

Caving to demands for another song, Edmonson remained on stage as her band went back stage. She took a deep breath and started singing "Nobody Knows That" a cappella. The entire audience was quiet as a mouse, listening to every note.

Kat Edmonson continues her tour in support of The Big Picture. If you attend her show, she is usually very accessible and you can usually get photos/autographs with the artist after the show.

Kat Edmonson at Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis (16 Oct 2014)

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

W♥M222: Chris Koza

W♥M222: Chris Koza (9 mins) Read More Chris Koza Chris Koza is an acoustic guitar player and singer. He specializes in songs that tell a story. He opened with "Healer." The highlight of the set was "Handful of Glass" a moody ballad about love …

Vu and Chris Koza sat down at the Dakota Jazz Club to briefly talk about Rogue Valley and his upcoming solo album In Real Time. The record will be officially release on October 28th on iTunes, CD, and vinyl at chriskoza.com. You can hear the preview single, "Radio Wave" at the end of the chat.

The album release show will take place on November 9th at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis.

Upcoming Chris Koza shows:

11/05/14 - Rapids Theatre - Niagara Falls, NY*
11/06/14 - Covenant Arts - Grand Rapids, MI*
11/07/14 - Shannon Falls - Madison, WI*
11/08/14 - Northfield Arts Guild -Northfield, MN
11/09/14 - Cedar Cultural Center - Minneapolis, MN
11/12/14 - Taft Theatre - Cincinatti, OH*
11/13/14 - Templeton - Athens, OH*
11/14/14 - LC Pavilion - Columbus, OH*
11/15/14 - Weidner Center - Green Bay, WI*

* denotes support for Ingrid Michaelson

--
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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

Dan Wilson at Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (06 June 2014) concert review

Three Nights at the Cedar poster Setlist Love Without Fear Easy Silence Secret Smile Breathless A Sing Can Be About Anything Too Much Your Brighter Days Disappearing Treacherous Don’t You Remember DND Closing Time Free Life -- Encore -- However Long Someone Like You Movies Tour Dates 06/11/14 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live 06/13/14 Vienna, VA Jammin' Java 06/14/14 Annapolis, MD Rams Head On Stage 06/19/14 Los Angeles, CA Largo 06/20/14 San Francisco, CA Great American Read More Dan Wilson Singer-songwriter/producer Dan Wilson proves you can go home again. As a Tax Day treat for Minneapolis residents, local record store The Electric Fetus hosted Wilson for a free in-store performance on this...

A pinch of this, a dab of that…

On the last of his three sold-out shows at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis over the weekend, singer/songwriter/producer/hometown favorite son Dan Wilson had decreed the night’s theme as a “Chef’s Choice”- to be composed of elements of his previous two storytelling evenings, and would also feature some rarely played collaborations and surprises.  With his 110 minute performance, the “Chef” did not disappoint.

Wilson had returned to town, in support of his second and latest solo effort, Love Without Fear (Kobalt/Ballroom Music, Ltd) and brought along his right-hand man Brad Gordon on keyboards, drummer Ken Chastain, and for several songs, the Laurel Street Quartet, who added an elegance with their Jacob Slichter-arranged string enhancements.

After a retrospective 45 min. set of his own featuring numerous solo and Rogue Valley songs, local songsmith Chris Koza gave way to the headliner, who began his set with the title track from his new album.  Dressed in jeans and a fitted dark denim jacket, Wilson then went into a stark version of the hit he co-penned with the Dixie Chicks, ‘Easy Silence’.

Dan Wilson

Prefacing the Semisonic song, ‘Secret Smile’, Wilson mentioned his mother’s advice to keep a dream journal and that song being one of the things that resulted from it.  The swooping strings from the quartet added a welcome polish to the acoustic version, while keeping its core pop roots intact.

Dan Wilson Setlist

A “massive hit” in Greece and Macedonia, ‘Breathless’ was next, the audience chuckling along with Wilson’s story about his brush with brief pocketed international fame.  The new ’Your Brighter Days’ is a pop nugget, borne out of a transcontinental plane trip and the inspiration and jet-leg as a result of landing half a world away.  Lead single from the new album, ‘Disappearing’, was delicate and heartbreaking at the same time, Wilson mining his willingness to show vulnerabilities and emotions, that makes him in demand as a creative collaborator, particularly with notable female artists (P!nk, Adele, etc).

Without naming names, Wilson then told an amusing story about his collaboration with Taylor Swift, before launching into ‘Treacherous’, from Swift’s 2012 album, Red; a confessional song about being enticed by something obviously also so dangerous. The Adele collaboration, ‘Don’t You Remember’ was next, with Wilson saying her vision for the song was to show “why the other album songs were so heartbroken”; one of Wilson’s favorites, he admitted though he rarely plays it himself live.

Laurel Street Quartet

Semisonic’s ‘DND’ was a mellow favorite and a shoulda-been hit, from 1998’s Feeling Strangely Fine, with the Laurel Street Quartet adding its appropriate elegance, alongside some gentle harmonica.   Semisonic’s biggest hit, ‘Closing Time’ was punctuated with a relaxed Wilson playfully over-extending a bridge section to the point of absurdity, to the chagrin of the amused audience, which was then followed by some other riffing versions of the song’s chorus.  ‘All Kinds of Beautiful’ had the crowd singing along to the chorus, in a Minnesota polite but not loud tone, and ended the main set.

The new ‘However Long’ with its lyrics inspired by a volcano, began the encore, followed by Wilson’s interpretation of Adele’s epic of sadness and redemption, ‘Someone Like You’.  Semisonic’s ‘Movies’, Paul Simon-like in its lyrical attention to detail and with the string quartet soaring at full energy, closed the evening and three-night stand, with flourish.

And with that, the “Chef” said good night, a palette satisfying, Grammy-winning recipe, prepared and served.

Dan Wilson at the Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (06 June 2014)

john () ♥ weheartmusic.com

Leftover Cuties at Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis (07/17/13)

Read More Leftover Cuties Los Angeles' Leftover Cuties are touring to promote their upcoming album, The Spark & The Fire, which is coming out July 23rd. Best known for single "Game Called Life" which was chosen as the theme of Showtime's The Big C...… LA's The Leftover Cuties and local act Chris Koza played the Dakota Jazz Club's this Wednesday night. Chris Koza is an acoustic guitar player and singer. He specializes in songs that tell a story. He opened with "Healer." The highlight of the set was "Handful of Glass" a moody ballad about love and uncertainty singing, "You could love just anyone/oh, but maybe just anyone could love you." The Leftover Cuties didn't just grace the stage ... they owned it! Bringing in unlikely and whimsical instruments such as the ukulele, an accordion, a French horn, a trumpet - and even a bird call, the quartet enchanted the audience. Shirli McAllen on vocals sang a sultry, and at times dark, alto. She swayed to each song and requested crowd participation through rhythmic clapping. Her voice is reminiscent of Swedish singer Miss Li. She costars with bassist Austin Nicholsen who plays music with his entire body. He often is pulling faces like a Tex Avery cartoon while strumming and dancing along to the music. Stuart Johnson on drums and miscellaneous percussion (read: bird call, horn, bells etc.) was equally entertaining to watch, while Mike Bolger on piano, trumpet and accordion remained the more serious of the group. He was either engulfed in the moment of the music or serious is just his resting face. They started off in the Dakota Jazz Club with a quiet and attentive audience, bringing up the old cliche "Minnesota Nice." The second song of the night was a retro, toe-tapping "Places To Go" complete with barbershop-like harmonizing. Off their upcoming album The Spark & The Fire, they played "What's the Matter?" "Thick and Thin," "Clarity" and "One Heart." All of which feature the key elements of great music: relatable lyricism, alluring vocals, and well-timed humor. With the random, and expertly coordinated sound effects - it feels like you're in on some sort of inside joke with the band. The Spark & The Fire will be released July 23, 2013 and is well worth a listen. Along with new songs, The Leftover Cuties also played three covers. They played a sad, break-up-song-like ballad of the children's nursery song "You Are My Sunshine," a fantastic Regina Spektor cover of "Fidelity" as well as a less synthesized more nostalgic "Pokerface" ala Lady Gaga. Their more well-known tunes "Smile Baby" from the Samsung Superbowl commercial and the theme to HBO's Big C, "Game Called Life" filled the ears of clubgoers. But, the real standout song of the night was "Sunnyside" which leads you through a rollercoaster of tempo and emotion. Keep an eye on The Leftover Cuties. July 23, 2013 is the release of The Spark & The Fire. Hopefully their tour will wind back through Minneapolis again, because I'd gladly revisit. 07/18/13 Rochester, MN Peace Plaza 07/21/13 St. Louis, MO Old Rock House 07/22/13 Chicago, IL Schubas Tavern 07/23/13 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark 07/25/13 Toronto, ON Rivoli 07/26/13 Montreal, QC Quai Des Brumes 07/28/13 Winooski, VT Monkey House 07/31/13 Cambridge, MA Regattabar 08/03/13 New York, NY Rockwood Music Hall 08/04/13 Bethlehem, PA Levitt Pavilion 08/06/13 Arlington, VA IOTA Club & Cafe 08/07/13 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 08/09/13 Tampa, FL David A. Straz Jr 08/10/13 Jacksonville, FL Jax Underbelly 08/12/13 Mandeville, LA Ruby's Roadhouse 08/13/13 Fort Worth, TX Live Oak Music 08/14/13 Austin, TX Stubb's Bar-B-Q 08/17/13 Phoenix, AZ MIM Music Theater 08/21/13 Los Angeles, CA Bootleg Theater 09/04/13 Seattle, WA The Triple Door 09/05/13 Portland, OR McMenamins White Eagle 09/07/13 Fresno, CA Painted Table 09/08/13 Larkspur, CA Marin Country Mart 09/13/13 San Diego, CA The Griffin holley ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ leftovercuties.com

Works for Words: Chris Koza

Tour Dates 06/14/12 The Ark* Ann Arbor, MI 06/15/12 Summer Sounds* Cedarburg, WI 06/17/12 The Space* Evanston, IL 06/18/12 Flying Mango* Des Moines, IA 06/20/12 Winchester Music Lakewood, OH 06/22/12 SK6ERS Field Day Vienna, VA 06/23/12 SK6ERS Field Day Vienna, VA 06/26/12 Tin Angel* Philadelphia, PA 06/27/12 Infinity Hall* Norfolk, CT 06/29/12 Live from Freehold* Freehold, NJ 06/30/12 Arts at the Armory* Somerville, MA * special SK6ERS acoustic set Read More Chris Koza Chris Koza is the headliner and he will explore the meanings of the lyrics and importance of words in songs…

"Works for Words" is a specially commissioned live one-of-a-kind special concert, commissioned by the local radio station, The Current 89.3. The show, which took place last night, June 8th, at the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, stars Chris Koza and his friends as they try and explore what makes great lyrics and their importance in songs… which never really got answered (I don't really think there is just one definitive answer).

Before we get to the music, I wanted to talk a little about the Fitzgerald Theater. I thought I had never been here, but, as it turned out, I've seen Belle & Sebastian here nearly ten years ago. The theater is the oldest theater in Saint Paul and have 1,000 seats (including a few balcony booths).

Each of the three guests (Gabe Douglas, Caroline Smith, and Sims) did one original song and one cover. Plus, Rogue Valley's Linnea Mohn covered Bjork's "Hyberballad", complete with fake swan, while orchestra Matt Olson wrote and sang an original song. The rest of the show is basically Rogue Valley songs and covers.

Highlight of the show was a toss up between Rogue Valley doing a cover of Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" and Koza's "Mmmm Medley". The latter is basically a combination of all the nonsensical "lyrics" of popular songs throughout the years (including whistling from the "Young Folks" song and the Smurf's theme song).

Odd bit of the night, but the crowd's favorite according to their cheers, was a game called "Encore" … which Douglas changed the rules. And the funny thing is, Koza just went with it.

I think the artist's choice of cover say a lot about the music they like and are influenced by. Caroline Smith did a Beyoncé cover, "Why Don't You Love Me", Sims did Outkast's "Bombs Over Baghdad", and Gabe Douglas did David Bazan's "Virginia". Koza's musical influence seems to be in that singer/songwriter area: from Jeff Buckley to Leonard Cohen… but that's not to say that he isn't ashamed to admit to loving Katy Perry or Led Zeppelin or Beastie Boys.

So, remember the "importance of lyrics" theme? I liked Caroline Smith's answer, which she tried and explained that the lyrics she wrote when she was 16-18 was so much different than her view of the world at her age. Her songs now, she confessed, is not that exciting: about training her dog, about sewing… vs her broken heart and boys when she was younger. I think what she was trying to say is that the lyrics had special and different meaning at different time in her life.

I would like to add my own thoughts on the subject: I love lyrics. That's why I listen to pop, folk, sissy music, and not, say, classical or movie soundtracks. I like it when lyrics are clever (the Lucksmiths are a great example), I like it when lyrics tell a story, and I especially love lyrics that has a great melody. If there's anyone that understands how important lyrics are to their songs, take it from the lyrical master, Chris Koza, who wrote about forty songs in a year for Rogue Valley's ambitious four seasons project.

Chris Koza closed out his set with "Red River of the North", followed by an acoustic version of Rufus Wainwright's "In A Graveyard". The encore was Rogue Valley's "Rockaway", which is their most upbeat and hand-clappy song.

Look for Chris Koza playing acoustic with Stephen Kellogg at many of their sold-out shows (they previously toured with Koza last year).

Left to right: Sims, Caroline Smith, Gabe Douglas, and Chris Koza at Fitzgerald Theater, St Paul (06/08/12)

vu () ♥ chriskoza.com

Sleep

My favorite sleep lyric is by the Lucksmiths: "We might be dressed as 'The Young and the Restless'/But the one thing we're best at … is sleeping in".

Caroline Smith: Calliope Read More Caroline Smith Full Disclosure: I would pay $15 for an album of Caroline Smith singing the alphabet song repeatedly for 40 minutes.

CAROLINE SMITH & THE GOOD NIGHT SLEEPS
thegoodnightsleeps.com

We like Caroline Smith. One listen to her album, Little Wind, and you'll agree with Andrew stating the obvious, she has an "incredible voice".

Smith will be playing at the Fitzgerald Theatre in Saint Paul this June 8th. I have agreed to see this show, mostly because I am excited that this is the place where they record "A Prairie Home Companion". It should be fun.

This show (Minnesota Public Radio Presents Works for Words) was commissioned by The Current for artists to create a one-of-a-kind performance… which I am assuming they intend to record and rebroadcast the show on their radio station. Chris Koza is the headliner and he will explore the meanings of the lyrics and importance of words in songs. Helping him will be The 4ontheFloor's Gabriel Douglas, Caroline Smith, Sims and other special guests. There will also be a mini orchestra and choir consisting of University of Minnesota graduate students.

Tickets are $25.00, but MPR members receive a $2.00 discount.

Below are more Smith dates, she'll be playing with some big names, like Cloud Cult and Jayhawks:

Thu, 2012-05-31 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
Fri, 2012-06-08 - St Paul, MN - The Fitzgerald Theater; Works for Words
Sat, 2012-06-09 - Ankeny, IA - Ankeny Unplugged: Caroline Smith solo acoustic set @ Wagner Park
Sun, 2012-06-17 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
Fri, 2012-06-22 - Eau Claire, WI - Grand Litltle Theater
Fri, 2012-07-06 - Apple Valley, MN - Music in the Zoo
Sat, 2012-07-07 - Duluth, MN - Twin Ports Bridge Festival
Tue, 2012-07-10 - River Falls, WI - Univ. of WI- Melvin Wall Amphitheatre
Fri, 2012-08-03 - Minneapolis, MN - Lake Harriet Bandshell

* We have written about Chris Koza and the 4onthefloor many times, so I suggest going through the archives to read more about them.

BRIEFLY:

THE BIG SLEEP thebigsleep.net I've previously mentioned these guys before. I said it was a big deal because the band previously took a long break/hiatus. Well, the Big Sleep is back and they're doing a ton of tour dates with Maps & Atlases. They'll be stopping by St Paul, at another venue I've never been to. 5/23 - Rock and Roll Hotel - Washington, DC * 5/24 - Local 506 - Chapel Hill, NC * 5/25 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA * 5/26 - Crowbar - Tampa, FL* 5/27 - The Plaza - Orlando, Fl* 5/29 - Bottletree - Birmingham, AL* 5/31 - Sons of Herman Hall - Dallas, TX* 6/01 - The Parish - Austin, TX* 6/02 - Free Press Summer Fest, Houston, TX* 6/04 - Lowbro Palace - El Paso, TX* 6/06 - Casbah - San Diego, CA* 6/07 - Constellation Room - Santa Ana, CA* 6/08 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA* 6/09 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA* 6/11 - Bunk Bar - Portland, OR* 6/12 - Media Club - Vancouver, BC* 6/13 - Crocodile Cafe - Seattle, WA* 6/15 - Neurolux - Boise, ID* 6/16 - Kilby Court - Salt Lake City, UT* 6/17 - Hi Dive - Denver, CO* 6/18 - Waiting Room - Omaha, NE* 6/19 - Amsterdam Hall - St. Paul, MN* * With Maps & Atlases

SLEEP MAPS facebook.com Speaking of maps… Sleep Maps is a NYC post-metal band. Their debut five-track album (totaling 40 mins) is called Fiction Makes The Future, and you can stream the whole thing at sleepmaps1.bandcamp.com. 1. Men Against The Stars 06:31 2. The Eternal Wanderer 07:19 3. Forbidden Light 09:42 4. A Greater Fire 09:53 5. Last Future 07:08

MISTER LIES & DIFFERENT SLEEP facebook.com Mister Lies is the project of Nick Zanca. His debut LP will be coming out this Fall under Lefse Records. That's still awhile, so in the meantime, he's offering a collaborative release with fellow Chicago producer Different Sleep called Mass EP. It was free for a limited time, but now it's $1. He'll be appearing in Los Angeles at Space 15 Twenty on June 2nd.

REJECT facebook.com With such a common word as Reject, I honestly could not find him on google. That's underground. So, Boston's Reject is back with his new song, "Go To Sleep", featuring Slaine (of La Coka Nostra) and New Jersey's MaddMaxxx on vocals.

INSPIRED & THE SLEEP inspiredandthesleep.com This is a lo-fi band from San Diego, California. They recently released their third single "Take Pills (Instructed Bliss)" for free with the help of a net label Hanging Hills. You can hear the song at soundcloud:

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

Emily wrote: Thursday, 24 May 2012 at 11:06 AM

Vu, you forgot the most important band: stoner metal band Sleep, who saw a deluxe reissue of their albums Jerusalem and Dopesmoker!

SLEEP on tour:

5/24/2012 Stylus – Leeds, United Kingdom w/ A Storm of Light
5/25/2012 ATP I’ll Be Your Mirror – London, United Kingdom w/ Slayer, Melvins
5/26/2012 Villette, Sonique – Paris, France
5/27/2012 Trix – Antwerp, Belgium w/ A Storm of Light
5/28/2012 Feierwerk – Munich, Germany w/ A Storm of Light
5/31/2012 ATP Primavera Sound Barcelona – Barcelona, Spain w/ Wolves In The Throne Room

Minneapolis Shows (April 2012)

Read More Minneapolis You remember That Dog's song, "Minneapolis"? I love it.

Below are some bands on the W♥M Calendar, what this means is that one of us will be in attendance and writing a review of the show. If you would like to have us see your band, we are located in Minneapolis, Sydney (Australia), and Manchester (UK).

PS, I normally cover most/all of the Minneapolis shows, but for the next couple of months, I will be getting help from Amy and Emily.

MINNESOTA ARTISTS AGAINST THE MARRIAGE AMENDMENT
mnunited.org/April12

Local Minneapolis bands have come together to help raise money to fight a proposed constitutional amendment regarding the Marriage Rights. The bill would effectively ban same-sex marriage for couples in Minnesota; we want you to vote "NO" to the November bill.

All proceeds go directly to Minnesotans United for All Families, a non-partisan organization that works to educate the public on why marriage rights matter and how the amendment poses a threat to our community. Here are some of the bands to donate their time and talent to play for you: Chris Koza of Rogue Valley, Chastity Brown, Gabriel Douglas of The 4onthefloor, Ellis, Ari Herstand, Joe Horton of No Bird Sing, members of The Farewell Circuit, Alison Scott and more, including a special video message from Roster McCabe and a cocktail hour toast from Dessa Darling of Doomtree. Local musician, Dan Rodriguez, will host the evening.

Where: Varsity Theater, Minneapolis, MN
When: Thursday April 12, 2012 from 6pm –10pm
Cost: $20 in advance, $25 at the door, all ages welcome
Online: mnunited.org/April12

SPECTRALS
spectrals.co.uk

I've previously mentioned Spectrals before, it looks like Louis Jones will be bringing his pop/surf-rock/oo-wop/garage rock to the states. Hopefully, if it all works out, Amy will be covering his appearance at First Avenue on 4/16.

His debut album, Bad Penny, is loved by various critics. BBC is calling it "terrific stuff from a songwriter of any age", while Pitchfork said "It's music pleasant enough to carry intergenerational appeal, characterized by a youthful spirit but rooted in a classic sound." Folks, he's 21 years old.

US Tour Dates:

4.03 - Constellation Room - Santa Ana, CA 4.04 - Great American Music Hall - San Francisco 4.05 - Slims - San Francisco, CA 4.06 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR 4.07 - Neptune - Seattle, WA 4.09 - Venue - Vancouver, BC 4.11 - Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT 4.12 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO 4.13 - Fox Theatre - Boulder, CO 4.14 - Granada Theatre - Lawrence, KS 4.16 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN

4.17 - Majestic Theatre - Madison, WI 4.18 - Turner Hall Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI 4.20 - Metro - Chicago, IL 4.21 - Rhinos - Bloomington, IN 4.22 - The Magic Bag - Ferndale, MI 4.23 - Mohawk Place - Buffalo, NY 4.25 - Phoenix Concert Theatre - Toronto, ON 4.26 - Corona Theatre - Montreal, QB 4.27 - Higher Ground - South Burlington, VT 4.28 - Boston University College - Boston, MA 4.29 - Pearl Street Nightclub - Northampton, MA

FRANKIE ROSE
missfrankierose.com

You may remember that we love Slumberland Records.

Frankie Rose (the drummer from Crystal Stilts, Dum Dum Girls, and Vivian Girls) will be doing some live dates for her Interstellar album (released in the US on February 21st, UK got the album last week).

The album got rave reviews, including from Pitchfork with an "8.5 Best New Music".

Her tour dates marked with (*) is with Dive:

Thu-Apr-05 Philadelphia, PA Northstar Bar * Fri-Apr-06 Arlington, VA Artisphere Sat-Apr-07 Baltimore, MD Golden West * Sun-Apr-08 Richmond, VA Strange Matter * Mon-Apr-09 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 * Tue-Apr-10 Atlanta, GA 529 * Thu-Apr-12 Oxford, MS Cats Purring Dude Ranch * Fri-Apr-13 Dallas, TX Club Dada * Sat-Apr-14 Austin, TX Red 7 * Mon-Apr-16 Phoenix, AZ Rhythm Room * Wed-Apr-18 San Diego, CA Soda Bar * Thu-Apr-19 Los Angeles, CA The Satellite * Fri-Apr-20 Santa Cruz, CA Crepe Place *

Sat-Apr-21 San Francisco, CA Brick & Mortar* Mon-Apr-23 Portland, OR East End * Tue-Apr-24 Vancouver, BC Biltmore * Wed-Apr-25 Seattle, WA Barboza * Thu-Apr-26 Missoula, MT Badlander * Sat-Apr-28 Fargo, ND Aquarium * Sun-Apr-29 Minneapolis, MN 7th St Entry* Mon-Apr-30 Chicago, IL Township * Tue-May-01 Detroit, MI Magic Stick * Wed-May-02 Toronto, ON The Shop * Thu-May-03 Albany, NY Valentine's * Sat-May-05 New York, NY Mercury Lounge

WE ARE AUGUSTINES
weareaugustines.com

I first heard about Brooklyn based We Are Augustines last September, with their debut album Rise Ye Sunken Ships. At the tim, Rolling Stones was calling them "Bands To Watch in 2011".

Since then, they band associated themselves with UK bands, including touring with Glasvegas (which we covered) and now, it looks like they are hanging out with Band of Skulls (who we also covered). I guess by sheer association, they should be good, or at least W♥M would like.

We Are Augustines are playing at Fine Line Café on April 4th.

Mar 28 The Met Providence Mar 30 Phoenix Concert Theatre Toronto Mar 31 Théâtre Corona Montreal, Quebec Apr 2 Saint Andrews Hall Detroit Apr 3 House of Blues Chicago Apr 4 Fine Line Music Cafe Minneapolis Apr 6 Ogden Theatre Denver, Colorado Apr 7 The Complex Salt Lake City Apr 9 Neptune Theatre Seattle Apr 10 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver Apr 11 Dante's Portland

Apr 12 The Fillmore San Francisco Apr 15 Empire Polo Club Indio Apr 22 Empire Polo Club Indio May 3 Dingwalls London, GB May 5 Live At Leeds Festival May 6 Hare and Hounds Birmingham May 9 O2 Academy Liverpool May 10 Captain's Rest Glasgow Jul 7 BALADO KINROSS Jul 15 Henham Park Southwold

BROWN BIRD
brownbird.net

I was told that Providence, Rhode Island-based duo Brown Bird (MorganEve Swain and David Lamb) are coming to Minneapolis, opening for Trampled By Turtles on April 24th at the 7th Street Entry. Did I read that right? There is NO WAY Trample by Turtles would even play a tiny venue like 7th Street, having seen them sell out its bigger brother First Avenue without a sweat. According to First Ave's calendar, Horse Feathers are the headliner.

Just to clarify, they are supporting Trample by Turtles, but later in May.

3/30 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant* 3/31 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant* 4/1 - Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom* 4/2 - El Reno, OK - Centre Theater 4/4 - Oxford, MS - The Lyric* 4/5 - New Orleans, LA - House Of Blues* 4/6 - Austin, TX - Stubb's* 4/7 - Dallas, TX - House Of Blues* 4/10 - Flagstaff, AZ - Orpheum Theater* 4/11 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot* 4/12 - Stateline, NV - Montbleu Resort* 4/13 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore* 4/14 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore* 4/17 - Sacramento, CA - Harlow's* 4/18 - Arcata, CA - Arcata Theater* 4/19 - Eugene, OR - McDonald Theater* 4/20 - Bend, OR - Midtown Ballroom* 4/21 - Seattle, WA - Showbox* 4/24 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry+ 4/25 - Madison, WI - High Noon+ 4/26 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall+

4/27 - Ann Arbor, MI - The Ark+ 4/28 - Grand Rapids, MI - Founders+ 4/29 - Toronto, Ontario - Horseshoe+ 5/2 - Montreal, QC - Il Motore+ 5/3 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground+ 5/4 - Northampton, MA - Iron Horse+ 5/7 - New Haven, CT - Café Nine+ 5/9 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom+ 5/16 - Lawrence, KS - Granada# 5/17 - Boulder, CO - Boulder Theatre# 5/18 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre# 5/19 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot# 5/21 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern# 5/22 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Music Box# 5/24 - Yosemite, CA - Strawberry Festival 5/25 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ball Room# 5/26 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue# * supporting Yonder Mountain String Band # supporting Trampled By Turtles + supporting Horse Feathers

I Am Not A Game Read More Ty Segall Ty Segall was the headliner, who came on stage with double sunglasses…

TY SEGALL & WHITE FENCE
ty-segall.com

Okay, their tour dates are actually until May, but I'm putting them down in this tour preview.

We've mentioned Ty Segall a few times, including seeing them at NXNE last year.

It looks like he's back, this time, teaming up with White Fence (who we previously written about). Ty Segall & White Fence is basically Segall and Tim Presley, but with a full band (with Sean Presley and Mikael Cronin). Their album, Hair, will be coming out April 24th via Drag City Records.

White Fence is playing with the Shins at Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium (4/22) and the previously mentioned Woodsist Fest (8/4).

All dates below are Ty Segall & White Fence, unless (*) where note, which Segall is playing solo

4-13 Gambier, OH- Kenyon College* 4-15 Oberlin, OH - Oberlin College* 5-2 San Francisco - Independent 5-3 Portland, OR - Star Theater 5-4 Vancouver, BC - Waldorf Hotel 5-5 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey 5-6 Missoula, MT - The Palace 5-8 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry 5-9 Madison, WI - High Horse Saloon 5-10 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall 5-11 Detroit, MI - Lager House 5-12 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern

5-13 Montreal, QC - Il Motore 5-14 Portland, ME - Space Gallery 5-16 New York, NY - Webster Hall 5-18 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's 5-19 Raleigh, NC - King's Barcade 5-20 Atlanta, GA - Earl 5-21 Nashville, TN - The End 5-22 Memphis, TN - Hi Tone 5-23 Little Rock, AR - Whitewater Tavern 5-24 Houston, TX - Walter's 5-25 Austin, TX - Mohawk (outside)

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