W♥M

We♥KC - February 16-28 Upcoming Shows (Kansas City / Lawrence KS)

02/16 Patrick Droney at recordBar Read More Patrick Droney Singer/songwriter Alexz Johnson is currently on her Let 'Em Eat Cake tour, with Jared & The Mill and Patrick Droney, fresh off her appearances at CMJ 2014. You may recall Johnson from Disney's "So Weird" or Final Destination 3 …

Read more Kansas City Music Guide.

What a strange winter- not a lot of overall snow and it’s 60 one day and 20 degrees the next, but generally warmer temps usually signal a ramp-up in upcoming live shows, and despite the pesky Covid, 2022 is gradually roaring back. 

This last part of the month has a few noteworthy arena shows- Eric Church goes in-the-round and two concerts mean driving out east past the stadiums to Independence, but who’s better at rock theater right now than Ghost [joined by Volbeat!], and Tyler the Creator is white-hot.

Don’t forget the club-size shows either as those are often the most memorable. A few more postponements/cancellations to note, and the 1D fan base is still strong as Louis Tomlinson’s Uptown show has been long sold-out. 

Given the current public health state, assume masks and/or vaccination proof are required for entry.

Here’s what’s happening in the Kansas City/Lawrence area for the Last half of February:

Wednesday February 16
Patrick Droney, recordBar, $18-$70

The buzzing soulful pop singer/songwriter (a la John Mayer) whose career began at age thirteen, just released his Miley Cyrus “Wrecking Ball” cover. 

Cautious Clay, Riot Room. CANCELED

Thursday February 17
Manchester Orchestra w/ Michigander, Uptown. $28

The headliner is neither from Manchester nor is an orchestra but still has a long, loyal following, while the opener (aka Jason Singer) is actually from Midland, MI and we’re fans.

Chris Duarte, Knuckleheads, $15

Get your fix of Texas rockin’-punk blues with this always-entertaining veteran guitarist. 

02/18 Eric Church at T-Mobile Center Read More Eric Church Reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year and current ACM Entertainer of the Year nominee Eric Church is returning to the road with The Gather Again Tour. ...

Friday February 18
Eric Church, T-Mobile Center. $39-$169

The CMA Entertainer of the Year and current ACM Entertainer of the Year nominee returns to the road with The Gather Again Tour that is in-the-round and in support of the new triple album, Heart & Soul. 

 

Church has also become very sensibly pro-vaxx: “It became very clear to me that the only way to really get back to normal is through vaccinations. You’ve got to get needles in arms,” he shared in a recent Billboard cover story, so a big thumbs up from us!

Look for Chief's, his namesake six-story BBQ honky-tonk to open in downtown Nashville in 2023 as well.

Rodney Carrington, Ameristar Casino, $60+

Josh Abbott Band, Granada- Lawrence, $22-$25

Dirty Honey and Mammoth WVH, Uptown, POSTPONED to March 13

02/19 Lucy Dacus at Liberty Hall Read More Lucy Dacus American singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus will be headlining First Avenue’s mainroom on Saturday, October 9th, 2021. Bartees Strange will open. Dacus is touring in support of her new album Home Video, which …

Saturday February 19
Lucy Dacus with Indigo De Souza, Liberty Hall- Lawrence, $25-$32.

We’re fans of both acts on this solid double-bill, having seen Dacus in 2018 twice and in 2019 and she’s returning (after pandemic delays), in support of last year’s acclaimed Home Video (on Matador Records) where she mostly looks back on the good/bad of her teenage years. 

Be there early for De Souza, in support of 2021’s Any Shape You Take (on Saddle Creek Records), who has a loyal fan base, and already has her next record completed, so is only getting bigger– we liked what we heard when we caught her live last fall in Minneapolis. 

Tyler the Creator w Kali Uchis, Vince Staples, Teezo Touchdown Cable Dahmer Arena- Independence, $39-$99

One of the hottest acts in hip-hop is out in support of his latest, Call Me if You Get Lost, and has stacked the deck with a top-to-bottom set of support acts that would also draw a good-sized crowd on their own.

Bruce Dickinson, Uptown. $34.50-$64.50

The certified airline pilot and Iron Maiden frontman embarks on a spoken word tour, in advance of finishing his newest solo album, his first since 2005’s Tyranny of Souls. A Q+A session will commence, so have your questions ready for the legendary singer.

Tommy Cash, Encore Room at Uptown. $15

Whitney Cummings(comedian), Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. $29.50-$45

Prof, recordBar, Sold out

 

Representing the Twin Cities, the longtime rapper has seemed to get past 2020 accusations of misconduct and misogyny and has sold out many stops on the tour- MN area fans can still get tix to his April 15 Palace Theater show, however.

02/22 Low Cut Connie at Bottleneck Read More Low Cut Connie Low Cut Connie (Adam Weiner, James Everhart, Will Donnelly, Larry Scotton, and Lucas Rinz) will be in town in support of their latest Dirty Pictures (Part 1) via Contender Records. …

Rodney Carrington, Ameristar Casino, $60+

The Weeknd, T-Mobile Center. CANCELED



Tuesday February 22
Low Cut Connie, Bottleneck- Lawrence, $18-20.

They’ve been on our radar ever since MN music maestro GoJohnnyGo tipped us off in 2015 to this Philadelphia band, and they’ve knocked us out every time we’ve seen them play live since.

The band’s 2020 release, Private Lives, is their sixth in ten years and received widespread acclaim, but the best way to experience their music is live and in-person. 

Beach House w/ Colloboh, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. $35-$50

The Baltimore duo has its new record, Once Twice Melody, due out this Friday via SubPop. Heralded as bigger and more cinematic than anything previous, that’s probably a result of Dave (Flaming Lips) Fridmann and Alan (NIN, Killers) Moulder behind the mixing desk. 

Terry Fator (comedian), Ameristar. $62-$225

Wednesday February 23

02/23 Ghost at Cable Dahmer Arena Read More Ghost Sweden’s Ghost (also known as Ghost BC) will be headlining the Myth in Maplewood (St Paul area), this July 28th, touring in support of their new album Meliora (which came …

Ghost / Volbeat w/Twin Temple, Cable Dahmer Arena – Independence, $39-$99.

This solid co-headlining bill is worth the extra drive to the east metro- Volbeat’s Servant of the Mind was released in December (via Vertigo Records) and single “Shotgun Blues” topped the Mainstream and Active Rock charts and we saw them play the very first rock show at the $1.1 billion-dollar US Bank Stadium.

No one does rock theater any better than this Swedish melodic metal band (formerly Ghost B.C.), as evidenced when we caught them in very different live shows in 2016, opening in 2017, and again headlining in 2018.  Ghost’s single “Hunter’s Moon” was right behind Volbeat on both charts and the GRAMMY-winning band releases its fifth studio album, Impera, on March 11 (via Loma Vista Records) and has debuted new steampunk-inspired live costumes.

LA high priests of satanic doo-wop Twin Temple to open.

Cheat Codes, Granada– Lawrence, $20-$28

A Place to Bury Strangers, Bottleneck-Lawrence, POSTPONED to May 27

Thursday February 24
Crash Test Dummies, Madrid. $45.50-$79.50

The Winnepeg folk-rock band has been around since 1988, and returns humming, celebrating more than twenty-seven years since their breakthrough single. 

David Archuleta, Knuckleheads. $25-$140

Randy Houser, Prairie Band Casino-Mayetta, $40



Friday February 25

02/25 Slash at Arvest Bank Theatre Read More Slash Legendary Guns N Roses guitarist Slash is headlining Mill City Nights next Wednesday, October 7th. The show has long sold out. ...

Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators with Plush, Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland. $29.50-$99.50

“The River is Rising” claims the first single of the band’s fourth studio album creatively titled 4 (on Gibson Records) with the chance to see the longtime G’n’R guitarist up close, along with the talented singer who briefly was seriously considered to voice a Led Zeppelin reunion.  The odd choice of using alt-country producer Dave Cobb and recording in Nashville seems to have worked for the band, with very few, if any tickets remaining.

Randy Rogers Band w/ Wade Bowen, Uptown, $25-$39

Lane 8 w/ Sultan+Shepherd, The Truman. $29.50-$55

Geneviève Racette, Folk Alliance International Showcase, POSTPONED to May

Chris Tomlin with Hillsong United, T-Mobile Center, POSTPONED to June 14

Saturday February 26
Louis Tomlinson w/Sun Room, Uptown, Sold out

Now age 30, Tomlinson can’t really be called a boy-band member anymore, but the former One Direction singer sold this solo show out immediately, and to his fans, that’s what makes you beautiful. Walls is his solo debut album, and the opener is a rising SoCal surf rock band. 

Joan, recordBar, CANCELED
Sunday February 27
Dabin, recordBar, $22

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Minneapolis: June 1 to June 3, 2018

Ghost at Palace Poster Read More Ghost Sweden’s Ghost (also known as Ghost BC) will be headlining the Myth in Maplewood (St Paul area), this July 28th, touring in support of their new album Meliora (which came .…

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from June 1 to June 3, 2018.

Read more: Minneapolis Music Guide.

GHOST
Palace Theatre
Fri 06/01/2018 (8pm/$39)
palacestpaul.com

Swedish Grammy® Award-winning rock/metal band Ghost (formerly Ghost BC) is back in the Twin Cities, touring in support of their forthcoming album Prequelle (due for release on June 1st via Loma Vista Recordings).

If you’ve never seen this band live, you’re in for a treat. The group is known for their theatric stage performances, with center spotlight on the “anti-Pope” Cardinal Copia singer. Of course, the show is sold out.

Ghost US Tour Dates

05/22/18 Asheville, NC Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
05/23/18 Nashville, TN Tennessee PAC
05/25/18 St. Louis, MO Peabody Opera House
05/26/18 Pryor, OK Rocklahoma
05/27/18 Memphis, TN Cannon Center
05/29/18 Ft. Wayne, IN The Clyde Theater
05/31/18 Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theater
06/01/18 St. Paul, MN The Palace Theater
11/16/18 Los Angeles, CA The Forum
12/15/18 New York, NY Barclays Center

Vance Joy 2018 Poster Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks: Sparkle Hard Field Report 2018 Poster The Skull at Studio B Poster Read More Vance Joy Australian singer/songwriter Vance Joy has sold out his entire U.S.A. 2017 tour. Yes, he’s that popular. His new single ‘Lay It on Me’ was certified Gold by ARIA. … Stephen Malkmus Stephen Malkmus (former Pavement singer) and his band, the Jicks, will be stopping by the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis … Field Report To keep with the schedule, music started right on time at 2pm with Milwaukee's Field Report, playing tracks from their just-released album Marigolden (Partisan Records).....

Other shows in the area:

VANCE JOY
+ Alice Merton
Myth
Fri 06/01/2018 (8pm/$45)
first-avenue.com

Vance Joy is returning to the Twin Cities, this time at the Myth.

Show up early to check out Alice Merton, who recently signed to Mom+Pop Music last summer.

Merton’s tour dates:

5/22 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre*
5/24 Grand Rapids, MI 20 Monroe Live*
5/25 Chicago, IL Rosemont Theatre*
5/26 St. Louis, MO Fox Theatre*
5/27 Napa, CA BottleRock Napa Valley
5/30 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheater*
6/1 St. Paul, MN Myth Live*
6/2 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom*
6/3 - New York, NY - Governors Ball
6/14 Brooklyn, NY Prospect Park*
6/15 Boston, MA Blue Hills Bank Pavilion*
6/16 Hunter, NY NY Mountain Jam
6/14-6/17 Dover, DE - Firefly Music Festival
8/4 Montreal, QC Osheaga Festival
8/7 Toronto, ON Echo Beach^

* W/ Vance Joy
^ W/ Tash Sultana

STEPHEN MALKMUS AND THE JICKS
+ Lithics
Turf Club
Fri 06/01/2018 (8pm/$25/Sold Out)
turfclub.net

The great Stephen Malkmus and his band The Jicks will be headlining the Turf Club on Friday, June 1st, in support of their new album Sparkle Hard. The show has sold out, thanks to Malkmus’ popularity for being the bandleader for one of the most beloved Pavement band.

Portland’s Lithics to open.

Tour dates:

05/22/18 Asheville, NC Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
05/23/18 Nashville, TN Tennessee PAC
05/25/18 St. Louis, MO Peabody Opera House
05/26/18 Pryor, OK Rocklahoma
05/27/18 Memphis, TN Cannon Center
05/29/18 Ft. Wayne, IN The Clyde Theater
05/31/18 Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theater
06/01/18 St. Paul, MN The Palace Theater
11/16/18 Los Angeles, CA The Forum
12/15/18 New York, NY Barclays Center

FIELD REPORT
+ Alex Schaaf
Turf Club
Sat 06/02/2018 (8pm/$15)
turfclub.net

Wisconsin-based quartet Field Report will be playing the Turf Club on Saturday, June 2nd, in support of their new album Summertime Songs (Verve Forecast).

Former Yellow Ostrich frontman Alex Schaaf will open.

Tour dates:

05/25/2018 Continuum Arts Collective North Berwick, ME
05/27/2018 "Boston Calling"
05/31/2018 Raccoon Motel Davenport, IA
06/02/2018 Turf Club Saint Paul, MN
06/05/2018 SPACE Evanston, IL

THE SKULL
+ Earthride, Hyborian
Studio B
Sun 06/03/2018 (8pm/$20)
skywaytheatre.com

From the ashes of Trouble, vocalist Eric Wagner, bassist Ron Holzner and drummer Jeff “Oly” Olson formed The Skull. The group will be headlining Studio B at the Skyway Theatre on June 3rd.

Earthride and Hyborian to open.

Tour dates:

06/02/2018 Chicago Doomed and Stoned Festival
06/03/2018 Studio B At Skyway Theatre Minneapolis, MN
06/05/2018 Zebra Cocktail Lounge Bozeman, MT
06/07/2018 Highline Seattle, WA
06/08/2018 The Shakedown Bellingham, WA
06/09/2018 Star Theater Portland, OR
06/10/2018 Blue Lamp Sacramento, CA
06/11/2018 The Atrium Santa Cruz, CA
06/12/2018 Elbo Room San Francisco, CA
06/13/2018 Resident Los Angeles, CA
06/14/2018 Count's Vamp'd Las Vegas, NV
06/15/2018 Soda Bar San Diego, CA

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

Iron Maiden & Ghost at Xcel Energy Center, St Paul (16 June 2017)

Iron Maiden Setlist     Intro: UFO‚Äôs ‚ÄòDoctor Doctor‚Äô If Eternity Should Fail Speed of Light Wrathchild Children of the Damned Death or Glory The Red and the Black The Trooper Powerslave The Great Unknown The Book of Souls Fear of the Dark Iron Maiden -- Encore -- The Number of the Beast Blood Brothers Wasted Years Ghost Setlist     Intro: Gregorio Allegri‚Äôs ‚ÄòMasked Ball‚Äô Square Hammer From the Pinnacle to the Pit Ritual Cirice Year Zero Absolution Mummy Dust Monstrance Clock Tour Dates 6/19 - Oklahoma City, OK - Chesapeake Energy 6/21 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center 6/23 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center 6/24 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center 6/27 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater 6/28 - Scottsdale, AZ - Talking Stick Resort 7/1 - San Bernardino, CA - Glen Helen Amph 7/3 - Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena 7/5 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena 7/7 - West Valley City, UT - USANA Amph 7/9 - Lincoln, NE - Pinnacle Bank Arena 7/11 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center 7/12 - Maryland Heights, MO - Hollywood Casino 7/15 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage 7/16 - Ville De Quebec, QC - Centre Videotron 7/19 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center 7/21 - Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center 7/22 - Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center Read More Iron Maiden Legendary metal band Iron Maiden is headlining the Xcel Energy Center this Friday, June 16th. Their first MN show in 17 years! The English band‚Äôs latest album The Book of Souls is available now .‚Ķ Ghost Sweden‚Äôs Ghost (also known as Ghost BC) will be headlining the Myth in Maplewood (St Paul area), this July 28th, touring in support of their new album Meliora (which came .‚Ķ

Legendary British metal band Iron Maiden just played a sold-out Xcel Energy Center show last Friday, June 16th.... their first Minnesota show in 17 years! The anticipation was strong, as the massive crowd loudly ascended to the stadium in St Paul. You’ve never seen anything quite like it, they were all dressed in old Iron Maiden T-shirts, all in black. This was a dedicated crowd.

Ghost

Swedish metal band Ghost started the event with a generous 47-min set. Ghost was formerly known as Ghost B.C. in the United States, because of legal reasons, but eventually got the legal right to use the name Ghost. Like Daft Punk and early Slipknot, early in their career, the band members in Ghost were unknown. After a lawsuit filed by four former members, the true identity of “Papa Emeritus III” is Tobias Forge. Forge’s band consists of Fire (lead guitar), Water (bassist), Wind (keyboardist), Earth (drummer), and Ether (rhythm guitar).

It’s all part of the show, Forge in a Satanic version of a Roman Catholic Priest clothing, his “Ghouls” wearing metal Devil masks. If you look past the gimmicky costumes and just listen to their music, they actually sounded very, very good. It’s not just heavy metal, you can hear other influences in their sound... and it’s a bit unfair to dismiss them based on the outfits they wear. In fact, if you take a look at the band’s latest EP Popestar, the band covered Echo & the Bunnymen’s ‘Nocturnal Me’ (alternative rock), Simian Mobile Disco’s ‘I Believe’ (electronic DJs), Eurythmics’ ‘Missionary Man’ (synth) and Imperiet’s ‘Bible’ (rock)... all very diverse genres.

Their set ended with a “really heavy, heavy metal song”, as described by Forge, called ‘Mummy Dust’, followed by a “slow one” called ‘Monstrance Clock’.

After setting up the stage, Iron Maiden (bassist Steve Harris, guitarist Dave Murray, guitarist Adrian Smith, singer Bruce Dickinson, drummer Nicko McBrain, and guitarist Janick Gers) took the stage to 14,000 fans screamed and stomped loudly at their idols on stage.

Singer Bruce Dickinson had to addressed the crowd, “You know, the media still wondered how Iron Maiden can still sell out arenas... I’ll give you a reason, 14,000 reasons!” as he pointed to the audience. He went on to talk about the younger fans born after 1982, “Your mother was probably getting it on to this next song.” With that said, the band launched into their big hit song ‘Children of the Damned’.

The theme of this “The Book of Souls Tour” was inspired by Maya culture, as seen by a war painted Eddie and the Mayan temple stage design. Of course, being an arena tour, there were occasional fireballs... whenever they went off, it was very impressive.

The setlist was also The Book of Souls-heavy, but, by now, the fans have all had a chance to listen to the new record, so they were familiar with the songs. That is because the 16th Iron Maiden studio album was released in 2015, as a double album, the band’s longest record to date, but there was no tour promotion for it. Instead, the band had to postponed their tour until vocalist Dickinson could recover from a cancerous tumor that year.

It was well worth the wait, as Dickinson was in tip-top form, running, jumping, dancing, and singing at the top of his lungs. He’s still got a great voice, even at some of the high notes. For the first few songs, Dickinson seemed overdressed (in a sweat jacket cover) for all the energy he was exerting, but you quickly realize that it was to cover for a British uniform costume he was wearing underneath.

Sometime we got bass solo from the great Steve Harris or a long guitar intro by Dave Murray, it was deliberate to give time for Dickinson to change costumes. It was almost theatrical, the planning it went to put together this show. For those who never saw Iron Maiden before, they can attest that this was one of the most memorable shows they’ve ever attended.

Iron Maiden’s The Book of Souls is out now.

NOTE: With these big stadium shows we’ve opted out of photo passes due to the venue’s heavy camera restrictions.

Iron Maiden at Xcel Energy Center, St Paul (16 June 2017)

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

Minneapolis: June 16 to June 21, 2017

Here are some concerts taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from June 16 to June 21, 2017.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Ghost Sweden’s Ghost (also known as Ghost BC) will be headlining the Myth in Maplewood (St Paul area), this July 28th, touring in support of their new album Meliora (which came .…

IRON MAIDEN
at Xcel Energy Center
Friday 06/16/17 (6pm/$39.50)
xcelenergycenter.com

Legendary metal band Iron Maiden is headlining the Xcel Energy Center this Friday, June 16th. Their first MN show in 17 years!

The English band’s latest album The Book of Souls is available now, and like all their previous releases, features the iconic Eddie the Head as the band’s mascot.

Trivia: Did you know singer Bruce Dickinson is the cousin of Rob Dickinson (of Catherine Wheel)?

Show up early to see Grammy-winning (for “Best Metal Performance”) artist Ghost. This is the perfect pairing, as both bands are known for their showmanship and theatrics. We previously caught the band last year and noted, “Assuming a leader role immediately, Papa (Papa Emeritus III) had the crowd responding at will, swinging a thurible (the metal censer suspended from chains) back and forth to fill the room with sweet incense, and even brought a pair of “sisters of sin” on stage, to distribute communion to the faithful pushed up along the front barriers during ‘Body and Blood’ (though he warned the crowd against any “touching” beforehand).”

Tour dates:

6/13 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
6/15 - Tinley Park, IL - Hollywood Casino
6/16 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
6/19 - Oklahoma City, OK - Chesapeake Energy
6/21 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
6/23 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
6/24 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center
6/27 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater
6/28 - Scottsdale, AZ - Talking Stick Resort
7/1 - San Bernardino, CA - Glen Helen Amph
7/3 - Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena
7/5 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
7/7 - West Valley City, UT - USANA Amph
7/9 - Lincoln, NE - Pinnacle Bank Arena
7/11 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
7/12 - Maryland Heights, MO - Hollywood Casino
7/15 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage
7/16 - Ville De Quebec, QC - Centre Videotron
7/19 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center
7/21 - Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center
7/22 - Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center

Read More JD & The Straight Shot JD & The Straight Shot's album is called Right On Time, and this review is not right on time as it was released June 24th. To be fair, it was submitted only days before the …

DON HENLEY
at Xcel Energy Center
Sunday 06/18/17 (6:30pm/$79.50)
xcelenergycenter.com

The boys of summer is back ... You know we love The Eagles and Don Henley, so this is a show that you can’t miss. He will be playing hits from the past four decades.

Again, show up early to check out JD & The Straight Shot. Although we wrote about this Americana band in 2008 (nearly a decade ago), this is the information they provided for us: “JD & The Straight Shot’s sound is steeped in the quiet fire of Americana with distinctive elements of roots music topped off with a dash of classic rock. The band is currently working on their forthcoming album due out in 2017. JD & The Straight Shot has been touring nonstop in support of their 2016 all-acoustic album Ballyhoo!. In addition to playing with Don Henley, the group has performed alongside luminaries such as Joe Walsh, the Eagles, Keith Urban, the Dixie Chicks, Jewel, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Chicago.”

Tour dates:

6/13 Toronto, ONT @ Budweiser Stage
6/15 Cincinnati, OH @PNC Pavilion
6/17 Chicago, IL @Huntington Bank Pavilion
6/18 St. Paul, MN @Xcel Energy Center

Read More Ecid It wasn't just his set that was like that. Ecid, a local rapper, opened up the show with more energy than all of the openers I've ever seen at a rock show. Just like Sage and B. Dolan, … Russ Atlanta-based DIY rapper Russ is on his “Yung God Tour”, he will be headlining the Fine Line Music Café this Halloween. Russ does everything himself, writing, performing, producing, mixing, … David Bazan David Bazan's new record Curse Your Branches came out yesterday on one of my favorite record label, Barsuk Records. To understand Bazan, you have to look back at the band he started, Pedro the Lion. … Susto Charleston-based Susto (pronounced “soos-toh”) will be stopping by the 7th Street Entry. The band recently debut on CBS This Morning: Saturday. … Badflower Also on the bill is Badflower (not to be confused with Badfinger). The band is described as “one of L.A.’s most buzzed-about rock ‘n’ roll bands.” The band features Josh Katz … Night Moves The locally based band, promoting their debut, Colored Emotions (Domino) impressed us enough opening for Poliça (in Minneapolis and Colorado) and Django Django last year…

Other shows in the area:

06/16/2017 Brooklyn-based hip-hop artist Ecid returns to his old stomping ground at the Triple Rock Social Club this Friday. Triple Rock? More like Quadtrouple Rock with DJ Adatrak, Moodie Black, and Carnage The Executioner to open. 9pm, $10.

06/16/2017 Acclaimed artist Garland Jeffreys is touring in support of his new album, 14 Steps To Harlem (Luna Park Records/Rough Trade). The album is receiving critical praise from USA Today who calls it “timeless,” while American Songwriter proclaims, “[Garland is] one of rock’s most compelling voices” ... check it out yourself at the Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant. 6pm, $30.

06/16/2017 John Moreland will play Turf Club in St Paul this Friday. Will Johnson (formerly of Centro-matic) to open. Johnson’s latest Hatteras Night, A Good Luck Charm is available now. 8pm, $12.

06/17/2017 Charlie Mars is ending his tour at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis this Saturday, June 17th. Mars’ latest Beach Town. Local Dan Rodriguez to open. 7pm, $25.

06/17/2017 I remember seeing At the Drive-In at Coachella... and then we saw them at their last Minneapolis show (before they broke up). At the Drive-In has reformed and will be playing the Palace Theatre in St Paul this Saturday with Le Butcherettes. 7pm, $43.

06/18/2017 David Bazan (formerly Pedro the Lion) is back in town at the Turf Club. Rana May to open. 7pm, $20.

06/18/2017 Atlanta-based DIY rapper and producer Russ will be at the Myth in support of his debut album There’s Really A Wolf album. 7pm, $34.

06/19/2017 Charleston-based Susto (pronounced “soos-toh”) is headlining the 7th Street Entry on Monday. The band was last in town in February 2017. Skyway Man to open. 7:30pm, $10.

06/19/2017 Turtlenecked will be at Memory Lanes in support of their forthcoming Vulture album (Good Cheer Records). Cool American to open. There’s no details on the venue’s website, but if they play inside, they’ll have to fight against the crashing pin noises (something that Bryant-Lake Bowl deals with). 6pm, $??.

06/20/2017 Nashville based rock band, Goodbye June is saying hello to June at the Triple Rock Social Club this Tuesday. Co-headliner Badflower was previously in town in February 2017. 7pm, $10.

06/21/2017 Local band Night Moves is playing a free show at the Turf Club this Wednesday. Also on the bill: Mariah Mercedes and Jade Earth. 7pm, FREE.

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

Ghost w/ Macabre at Myth, Maplewood, MN (28 July 2016)

Ghost Setlist     intro music I: Miserere Mei, Deus (Gregorio Allegri song)     intro music II: Masked Ball (Jocelyn Pook song) Spirit From the Pinnacle to the Pit Ritual Con Clavi Con Dio Per Aspera ad Inferi Body and Blood Devil Church Cirice Year Zero Spöksonat He Is Absolution Mummy Dust Ghuleh/Zombie Queen If You Have Ghosts (Roky Erickson cover) -- Encore -- Monstrance Clock outro music: Host of the Seraphim (Dead Can Dance song) Macabre Setlist Intro The Trial Nero's Inferno The Iceman Night Stalker Albert Was Worse Than Any Fish in the Sea Scrub a Dub Dub Hitchhiker Vampire of Düsseldorf Ed Gein Tour Dates 09/16/16 Rochester, NY Main Street Armory 09/17/16 Revolution Rock Festival 09/18/16 Rock Allegiance Festival 09/19/16 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE 09/21/16 Cleveland, OH Masonic Auditorium 09/23/16 Memphis, TN Minglewood Hall 09/24/16 Texas Mutiny 09/25/16 Houston Open Air 09/27/16 Tulsa, OK Brady Theater 09/28/16 St. Louis, MO The Pageant 09/30/16 Kansas City, MO Arvest Bank Theatre 10/01/16 JJO Sonic Boom 10/02/16 Louder Than Life Festival 10/03/16 Detroit, MI Fillmore Detroit 10/04/16 Kalamazoo, MI Kalamazoo Theatre 10/05/16 Cedar Rapids, IA Paramount Theatre 10/07/16 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre 10/08/16 Salt Lake City, UT Rockwell 10/09/16 Missoula, MT The Wilma 10/11/16 Calgary, AB MacEwan Hall 10/13/16 Vancouver, BC Vogue Theatre 10/14/16 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre 10/15/16 Eugene, OR McDonald Theatre 10/16/16 Portland, OR Roseland Theater 10/18/16 Riverside, CA Riverside Municipal Aud 10/20/16 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern 10/21/16 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern 10/22/16 Las Vegas, NV Brooklyn Bowl 10/23/16 Aftershock Festival 10/25/16 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre 10/27/16 Lubbock, TX City Bank Auditorium 10/28/16 San Antonio, TX The Aztec Theatre 10/31/16 Little Rock, AR Metroplex Live 11/02/16 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Cafe 11/03/16 Miami Beach, FL Fillmore Miami Beach 11/04/16 Jacksonville, FL Florida Theatre 11/05/16 Charlotte, NC Fillmore Charlotte 11/07/16 Raleigh, NC The Ritz 11/09/16 Toronto, ON Queen Elizabeth Theatre 11/11/16 Montreal, QC Metropolis 11/12/16 Brooklyn, NY Kings Theatre Read More Ghost Sweden’s Ghost (also known as Ghost BC) will be headlining the Myth in Maplewood (St Paul area), this July 28th, touring in support of their new album Meliora (which came .…

To random passerbys, it must have seemed that Halloween came early—

The early evening line outside the Myth nightclub in suburban Maplewood stretched and twisted like a snake, with many people in masks and makeup.  Not to celebrate any calendar holiday; rather, the coming of Swedish doom metal band, Ghost for a theatrical and melodic appearance, as part of their Black to the Future Tour.

Macabre

The all-ages show began with a memorable forty-minute set from Chicago’s Macabre, an extreme metal three-piece that has been together making music since 1985.  Their self-branded murder metal  (also the name of a 2003 album) often centered around particular serial killers, with singer/guitarist Corporate Death (Lance Lencioni)prefacing  each song with the gory and sometimes humorous details of what made that killer, so infamous.

Stories of dismemberment, sleeze gore, and habits of the deranged may not have been the most ideal topic for the youngest in the audience, but most was done with at least a partial tongue in cheek and enhanced on a few occasions with dressed up crew members briefly shambling on the stage, to better bring the subject matters, to life.

Musically, the riffs were fast and hard, getting the moshing started in the middle of the floor, with dark lyrics and barking vocals.

Ghost

After a brief set change and prolonged intro music, a gothic stained glass backdrop, stage platforms, and mysterious lighting brought on the Swedish band, Ghost, for a charging and theatrical ninety-minute set.  Singer Papa Emeritus III and his Nameless Ghouls took the stage with absolution, though seemed to be missing (Water) the band’s bassist, on stage this night (though it was hard to notice sonically).

“Minnesota…are you with us?!” Papa asked in a deep Scandinavian accent during the opening ‘Spirit’, dressed in papal garb, complete with mitre headdress, flowing dark robe, and black gloves.  The Ghouls were all dressed alike, in dark cardinal suits adorned with symbols and each in full molded horned silver masks missing the mouths, preserving their anonymity.

In promotion of last year’s, Meliora (on Loma Vista Recordings), which cheerily means "the pursuit of something better" in Latin, the audio assault continued with the album’s second track, ‘From the Pinnacle to the Pit’ (the band played seven of Meliora’s ten songs in full) as the mostly younger audience clapped along at Papa’s bidding.

Assuming a leader role immediately, Papa had the crowd responding at will, swinging a thurible (the metal censer suspended from chains) back and forth to fill the room with sweet incense, and even brought a pair of “sisters of sin” on stage, to distribute communion to the faithful pushed up along the front barriers during ‘Body and Blood’ (though he warned the crowd against any “touching” beforehand).

Musically, the band plays a tight and surprisingly melodic blend of dark metal, that sometimes fringes on psychedelic and/or progressive, with predictably dark and ominous lyrics, but is presented in such a palatable way, the effect is anything but depressing or fear-ridden.

After a handful of songs, Papa shed his had-to-be-sweltering papal garb, for a svelte black three-quarter coat and white vest, trading the black gloves for white ones and showing his slick black hair, while maintaining the skeletal face makeup.

‘Cirice’ lived up to its 2016 Grammy award for best metal performance played live, ‘Mummy Dust’ maybe the hardest song of the night, roared with dual-guitar riiffage, and the main set ending 1981 Roky Erickson cover crunched the song with a metal sheen, the Texas singer probably could have never imagined.

The encore chants of “one more song” from the crowd were rewarded with exactly that- a single song to end the night, their usual ending of ‘Monstrance Clock’ from 2013’s Infestissumam.  Papa deemed the song the penultimate moment of their set, akin to two people meeting, dating and then culminating their relationship.

The song's choral lyrics of “come together, together as a one” seemed joyous and binding… until you hear the follow-up line, “come together for Lucifer’s son” … and remember again that you’re at a doom metal show-- with sardonic tongue-in-cheek, of course.

Ghost takes a brief break, before heading out again next month on a fall leg, dubbed the Popestar Tour, so know that any facepaint or masks in their crowd are only for band worship, and not any early Halloween.

Audience

Macabre

Ghost

Ghost

Ghost

Ghost at Myth, Maplewood, MN (28 July 2016)

john (johnc@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Minneapolis: July 27 to July 28, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from July 27 to July 28, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Børns Børns set to open the show. Tour dates: 07/28/15 Salt Lake City, UT The Complex 07/29/15 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium 07/31/15 Lollapalooza Aftershows 08/01/15 Lollapalooza Chicago …

BØRNS
at First Avenue
Wednesday, 07/27/16, 6pm ($20/Sold Out)
first-avenue.com

Los Angeles’ Børns, often stylized as BØRNS, is headlining First Avenue next Wednesday, July 27th. Børns recently opened up for Charlie XCX in August 2015, so expect his music to be on the dancey-side.

The show is sold out.

Show up early to check out a pair of duos from New York Beau (Heather Golden and Emma Rose Jenney) and Lewis Del Mar (Danny Miller and Max Harwood).

Lewis Del Mar’s single ‘Loud(y)’ was number one on Hype Machine, #3 on the Spotify Viral 50 chart, and their debut EP peaked at number 7 on Billboard Emerging Artists.

Lewis Del Mar’s Tour dates:

7/22 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant +
7/23 - Detroit, MI @ Mo Pop Festival
7/26 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom *
7/27 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue *
7/29 - Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza
8/02 - Aspen, CO @ Belly Up
8/03 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
8/06 - San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands
8/12 - Somerset, WI @ Summer Set
8/26 - Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
8/27 - Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
9/02 - Seattle, WA @ Bumbershoot
9/04 - Denver, CO @ Riot Fest
9/23 - Las Vegas, NV @ Life Is Beautiful
10/01 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits

* w/ BØRNS
+ w/ Glass Animals

Read More On An On The Minneapolis Trio On An On will be heading out on tour in support of their latest album And The Wave Has Two Sides, which is coming out next Friday, July 24th, via Roll Call Records. ...

ON AN ON
at Turf Club
Wednesday, 07/27/16, 6pm ($12/$14)
turfclub.net

We got word that On An On is going on an extended hiatus. The group is playing their farewell show at the Turf Club in St Paul next Wednesday, July 27th. If you’ve never seen them, you definitely need to do it now.

The band offered this message:

ON AN ON is going to be taking a break from touring. We may still release music and play concerts now and then around Minneapolis, but we are winding ourselves in for now. There are a few reasons that this is our next move. If you're able to make it to any of the last OAO shows in the next couple months we can talk more about it... It's an entirely positive decision for us. We're redirecting the energy we were giving to OAO into new exciting things.

Of course, everyone in the band has their solo projects, Alissa Ricci is making ambient music and doing art. Ryne Estwing has been writing songs for the past several years under the name Louis (the band) and an electronica project called MLMO. Nate Eiesland’s solo project is called Como.

As we noted at the On An On’s And The Wave Has Two Sides record release party in July 2015, they have a good, strong local fanbase.

We’ve been writing about the trio since 2013, with Jess championing them when she discovered them at SXSW 2013: “On an On is one of those bands that got the attention of Jess, who said they look and sound amazing from their recent SXSW appearance.”

Opening the farewell show will be locals Margaret (not to be confused with the Polish singer or the London band) and Val Son.

Tour dates:

07/23 Capitol Hill Block Party
07/24 Mississippi Studios Portland, OR
07/27 The Turf Club Saint Paul
07/28 The Empty Bottle Chicago, IL

Read More Ghost Ghost B.C. has a new EP out now called If You Have Ghost on Loma Vista Recordings. The five track EP was produced by Dave Grohl and includes cover versions of songs by and a live version .…

GHOST
at Myth
Thursday, 07/28/16, 6pm ($27.50)
mythlive.com

Sweden’s Ghost (also known as Ghost BC) will be headlining the Myth in Maplewood (St Paul area), this July 28th, touring in support of their new album Meliora (which came out last summer via Loma Vista Recordings).

The metal band is known for their visually unique live shows, and it’s easy to see why they won “Best Metal Performance” at the Grammy’s.

Special guest Macabre to open.

Tour dates:

07/23/16 Hell & Heaven Metal Fest
07/27/16 Clive, IA Seven Flags Event
07/28/16 Saint Paul, MN Myth
07/29/16 Lollapalooza
07/30/16 Lollapalooza Aftershows
07/31/16 Green Bay, WI Sandlot
08/06/16 Heavy Montreal
09/16/16 Rochester, NY Main Street Armory
09/17/16 Revolution Rock Festival
09/18/16 Rock Allegiance Festival
09/19/16 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE
09/21/16 Cleveland, OH Masonic Auditorium
09/23/16 Memphis, TN Minglewood Hall
09/24/16 Texas Mutiny
09/25/16 Houston Open Air
09/27/16 Tulsa, OK Brady Theater
09/28/16 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
09/30/16 Kansas City, MO Arvest Bank
10/01/16 JJO Sonic Boom
10/02/16 Louder Than Life Festival
10/03/16 Detroit, MI The Fillmore Detroit
10/04/16 Kalamazoo, MI Kalamazoo State
10/05/16 Cedar Rapids, IA Paramount Theatre
10/07/16 Cedar Rapids, IA Paramount Theatre
10/08/16 Salt Lake City, UT Rockwell
10/09/16 Missoula, MT The Wilma
10/11/16 Calgary, AB MacEwan Hall
10/13/16 Vancouver, BC The Vogue Theatre
10/14/16 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
10/15/16 Eugene, OR McDonald Theatre
10/16/16 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
10/18/16 Riverside, CA Riverside Municipal
10/20/16 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
10/21/16 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
10/22/16 Las Vegas, NV Brooklyn Bowl
10/23/16 Monster Energy Aftershock Festival
10/25/16 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre
10/27/16 Lubbock, TX City Bank Auditorium
10/28/16 San Antonio, TX The Aztec Theatre

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

Ghosts VIII

Read more Ghosts, Ghosts II, Ghosts III, Ghosts IV, Ghosts V, Ghosts VI, and Ghosts VII.

Read More Madonna Our favorite Material Girl has done things the old-fashioned way to get attention, but is showing some movement in the digital direction. First, she posed provocatively in the Art Issue of the Dec/Jan .…

MADONNA
madonna.com

We previously talked about the Material Girl Madonna's 13th studio album Rebel Heart in January 2015.

Now that the album is out now, we're seeing incredible numbers from her, including debuting at #1 album on the Soundscan album sales chart. The first single from Rebel Heart, "Living for Love" went to No. 1 on the Billboard Dance Charts, etc... all that will lead up to Madonna's "Rebel Heart World Tour", kicking off August 29th in Miami, FL.

Madonna's latest single "Ghosttown" was recently shown on Meerkat (which I've read did not work out due to the popularity of the music video). The new music video was directed by Jonas Ã…kerlund and co-stared Empire's Terrence Howard. You can watch it on YouTube.

North American Tour Dates:

08/29/15 Miami, FL AmericanAirlines Arena
08/30/15 Miami, FL AmericanAirlines Arena
09/02/15 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
09/05/15 San Juan, PR Coliseo de Puerto Rico
09/09/15 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
09/10/15 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
09/12/15 Washington, DC Verizon Center
09/16/15 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
09/17/15 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
09/19/15 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center
09/24/15 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
09/26/15 Boston, MA TD Garden
09/28/15 Chicago, IL United Center
10/01/15 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena
10/03/15 Atlantic City, NJ Atlantic City Boardwalk
10/05/15 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
10/06/15 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
10/08/15 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
10/11/15 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
10/12/15 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
10/14/15 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
10/17/15 Portland, OR Moda Center
10/19/15 San Jose, CA SAP Center At San Jose
10/22/15 Glendale, AZ Gila River Arena
10/24/15 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden
10/27/15 Inglewood, CA Forum

Read More Geographer Tokyo Police Club will be stopping by the Varsity Theater with Geographer and Said The Whale this Friday, as part of their tour …

GEOGRAPHER
geographermusic.com

San Francisco's Geographer is back with their fourth "proper" album Ghost Modern. Jess, who discovered their album Myth a year after its release, wrote " I only recently discovered them, first hearing a live version of “The Boulder”. This band may be the most precious I've discovered in the last year, and reviewing their albums in reverse order is as delightfully satisfying as it gets."

We previously saw Geographer with GRMLN in 2013.

To support Ghost Modern, Geographer will be heading out on tour:

5/06: Portland, OR - Doug Fir
5/07: Spokane, WA - The Big Dipper
5/08: Billings, MT - The Pub Station
5/10: Fargo, ND - Aquarium
5/11: Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
5/12: Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
5/13: Columbus, OH - Rumba
5/15: Detroit, MI - Blind Pig
5/16: Toronto, ON - Sneaky Dees
5/17: Montreal, QC - Fairmount Theatre
5/19: Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
5/21: Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
5/22: Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
5/23: Washington, DC - U St Music Hall
5/24: Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506
5/26: Atlanta, GA - The Earl
5/27: New Orleans, LA - Gasa Gasa
5/28: Houston, TX - Fitzgeralds
5/29: Dallas, TX - Trees
5/30: Austin, TX - Mohawk

Read More Ghost Towns of the West Earlier this year, I did manage to catch this band, Ghost Towns of the West, at their debut EP release party. Well, they are back with a gorgeous 7", "Robust" …

GHOST TOWNS OF THE WEST
facebook.com/ghosttownsofthewest

Shadows in Light

Our friends Ghost Towns of the West (not to be confused with Melbourne's Ghost Towns of the Midwest or Los Angeles' Ghost Town) recently released their debut LP Shadows in Light on Tuesday, April 7th. The album was produced by Timothe Catlin and engineered by Ed Ackerson (Polara and BLNX) at Flowers Studio.... and it is the band's first material in four years (we last talked about Ghost Towns of the West's "Robust" b/w "Mr. Loewe" 7" in 2011).

To celebrate the 2015 album release, the band will be playing at the Cabooze in Minneapolis on April 10th, and Livewire Lounge in Chicago on April 11th, 2015.

Details:

Cabooze, Minneapolis (10 April 2015)
● Ghost Towns of the West
● Red Daughters
● Little Man
● Chiefs of the North

Livewire Lounge, Chicago (11 April 2015)
● Ghost Towns of the West
● Stoop Goodnoise
● Bellum Boca
● Kodakrome

BRIEFLY:

PASTEL GHOST pastelghost.com California-based artist Pastel Ghost (Oakland-native Vivian Moon) recently released her album ABYSS, out now on Chicago-based outfit, 80’s Ladies Records. According to Moon, the album's theme is centered around emotions of darkness and loneliness. Looking over her website, she seems to really like Anime... perhaps she's a big fan of Masamune Shirow's "Ghost in the Shell"?

GHOST LOFT ghostloft.com Los Angeles' Ghost Loft (Danny Choi) will be releasing his EP Chocolate Haze in May 2015, but in the meantime, he's releasing some singles... including "Overflow", which came out a few weeks ago (March 25, 2015) via Kintsugi. They say that Ghost Loft's music are pulled directly from British bands like The Beatles and Blur.

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

Ghosts VII

Read more Ghosts, Ghosts II, Ghosts III, Ghosts IV, Ghosts V, and Ghosts VI.

Read More Ghost B.C. After not actually planning to attend this show, thinking $90 was a bit steep for a band that will probably tour Australia a few more times before they vanish off the face of the planet, I went. But honestly... the Kaiser Chiefs with Razorlight .…

GHOST B.C.
ghost-official.com

Ghost B.C. has a new EP out now called If You Have Ghost on Loma Vista Recordings. The five track EP was produced by Dave Grohl and includes cover versions of songs by and a live version of Roky Erickson, ABBA, Army of Lovers, Depeche Mode, and a live version of "Secular Haze", recorded in Brooklyn earlier this year.

The Swedish metal band put on an amazing concert, unfortunately I missed them when they stopped by Minneapolis earlier this year. Trust me, it was not my fault for missing them.

If You Have Ghosts track listing:

1. If You Have Ghosts (Originally Recorded By Roky Erickson)
2. I Am A Marionette (Originally Recorded By ABBA)
3. Crucified (Originally Recorded By Army Of Lovers)
4. Waiting For The Night (Originally Recorded By Depeche Mode)
5. Secular Haze (Recorded Live At Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

Read More Kavinsky Most of the score were composed by Cliff Martinez (about 13 tracks) with only five "pop" songs, including the excellent "Drive" by Kavinsky & Lovefoxxx (which starts off the long intro credits). …

LIPS
lipssongs.com

New York, by the way of New Zealand, singer/songwriter Lips (aka Stephanie Brown) will be releasing a new EP called Ghosts & Demons next week, December 11th. The EP features a cover of Kavinsky's "Nightcall", which you can hear over at Yours Truly.

Check out the title track, "Ghosts and Demons", which is actually an older song from 2012's Look, Listen:



Lips will be celebrating the release of the EP at her December 14 at Glasslands in New York. Details on the Glassland website lists two additional bands: Fielded and Germans.

Ghosts & Demons EP track listing:

1. Ghosts and Demons
2. Nightcall
3. Freddy Bardot
4. Standing Like An Old Man

Read More Holograms It didn't take long for the mosh pit to break out in front of Holograms during their set at Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh last Thursday. It happened organically, as a good mosh pit does.…

TV GHOST
facebook.com/TVGhost

Indiana psyche post-punks, TV Ghost is currently touring in support of their third full-length album Disconnect via In The Red. TV Ghost will be opening up for Holograms on all North American tour dates.

Sweden's Holograms are currently on tour in support of their sophomore album Forever, which came out this past September.

Tour dates:

12/06: 285 Kent – Brooklyn, NY #
12/07: Il Motore – Montreal, QC #
12/08: Garrison – Toronto, ON #
12/09: Majic Stick – Detroit, MI #
12/10: Schubas – Chicago, IL #
12/11: 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN #
12/14: Chop Suey – Seattle, WA #
12/15: Electric Owl – Vancouver, BC #
12/16: Holocene – Portland, OR #
12/18: Bottom of the Hill – San Francisco, CA #
12/19: The Echo – Los Angeles, CA #
12/20: Soda Bar – San Diego, CA #
12/21: Constellation Room – Santa Barbara, CA #

# Holograms headlining

SIMIAN GHOST
simianghost.com

Speaking of Sweden, Simian Ghost is back with a new track called "A Million Shining Colours". I believe the song is taken from a forthcoming album The Veil, which is due in 2014.

In the meantime, singer Sebastian talk about the new song, "We wrote "A Million Shining Colours" based on an idea which runs through much of the material on the new record; that we would try to develop our songwriting, partly by looking back in music history. The lyrics, to me, are about that feeling I think many people working with music or art in any form gets sometimes, that it's a bit hopeless what you're doing. It's about coming to terms with that, to able to look at yourself and what you burn for in life, in all it's hopelessness, and smile."

GHOST BEACH
ghostbeachmusic.com

We've previously seen Ghost Beach live when they played here in Minneapolis. At the time, the New York duo was touring in support of Modern Tongues Remixed, and it would seem that they've also recently released Miracle (Remixes) EP via Nettwerk Records. The new remix album feature several songs remixed by Le Youth, Jon O’Mahoney, DallasK and Nathan C. Stay tuned for an upcoming 2014 debut LP.

Ghost Beach has a few dates coming up:

Dec 12 U Street Music Hall Washington, DC
Jan 16 Schubas Chicago, IL

GHOST MAPS
ghost-maps.com

Ghost Maps is from Dublin, Ireland. Their new album The Ocean From The River recently came out to some rave reviews, including a four-star review in the Irish Independent.

The thing about Ghost Maps is that it is the solo project from Jeff Martin, who is the founding member of Halfset (their latest album Way of Being There was The Irish Independent's 'Album of the Year').

The Ocean From The River came out November 15, 2013, on Casino Gravity.

SPIRIT ANIMAL
spiritanimal.us

We've previously mentioned this NYC-based party-rock quartet, Spirit Animal, when they released Kingdom Phylum. Seems like they are back with a not-so-traditional holiday anthem, "Come To Christmas", which you can see on NylonGuysMag.com.

The holiday tune feature frontman, Steve Cooper, washing up to shore on a sunny beach, a poolside party featuring a drunk Santa-attack...

Kingdom Phylum was released on October 1, 2013, via Just Hit Send.

MAYA VIK
mayavik.com

Norway's Maya Vik has a song called "Teen Spirit" (not the Nirvana cover) from her EP called Lay Low, out now on Oslo Records. The song feature Dawn Richard on vocals.

Hear the song on Soundcloud:



In addition to winning the Norwegian “Grammy” with her previous band Montée, Maya Vik played in Savoy with a-Ha’s Paul Waaktaar.

KNOCKING GHOST
knockinghost.com

Knocking Ghost's new single is called Soul Aspiration the followup to their EP Distractions, which was released earlier this year.

Knocking Ghost is an electronic music duo (Rob Taylor and Neil Quinlan) from West London, they are described as "intelligent synth-pop".

Having only been together a year, the London duo certainly capture that electronic/dance audience when they previously played with Erasure and Bastille.

Soul Aspiration was released December 2, 2013, via EmuBands.

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com

Ghosts IV

Read More Sky Ferreira Sure, the single, "Red Lips," was released a few months ago (June), but I don't care. I think Sky Ferreira is awesome and we've been following her career since 2010. .…

Read more Ghosts, Ghosts II, and Ghosts III.

SKY FERREIRA
skyferreira.com

Sky Ferreira and How To Dress Well are doing co-headline tour next month. I'm not surprise to see that the tour is centered around the SXSW dates (which most bands are doing - so expect a ton of your favorite indie bands, especially from overseas, to play in your city this month until April).

I've seen How to Dress Well last year, and can tell you that singer Tom Krell sings in falsetto with minimalistic music arrangement. I should also mention that he certainly has his fans - so expect the show to have a really good turn out.

Personally, I'm a Ferreira fan and will love to see her live. We've been covering her music since 2010 and I love how she plays on the sexuality thing, especially the double meaning on such songs as "Sex Rules" and Sky in her undies on the video for "Red Lips".

Check out Sky performing "Everything Is Embarrassing" (from her Ghost EP) live on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

Tour dates:

03/07 - San Francisco, CA - Popscene 03/09 - Monterrey, MX - Festival NRMAL 03/19 - Washington, DC - U Street Music Hall * 03/20 - NYC - Bowery Ballroom * 03/21 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg * 03/23 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's * 03/24 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall * 03/25 - Montreal, QC - Salla Rossa * 03/27 - Toronto, ON - Wrong Bar * 03/29 - Columbus, OH - Basement *

03/30 - Chicago, IL - Schubas * 03/31 - Madison, WI - The Frequency * 04/01 - Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock * 04/03 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge * 04/05 - Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Cabaret * 04/06 - Seattle, WA - Barboza * 04/07 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios * 04/10 - Silverlake, CA - Los Globos * *Sky Ferreira and How To Dress Well co-headline

DEAD GHOSTS
facebook.com/deadghosts

Canada's Dead Ghosts is releasing a "none bummer album" called Can't Get No on April 30th via Burger Records. The band is kicking off their European tour tomorrow:

02/19 - Münster, Germany @ Gleis 22
02/20 - Eindhoven, Netherlands @ Area 51
02/21 - Bruxelles, Belgium @ Madame Moustache
02/22 - Paris, France @ La Mécanique Ondulatoire
02/23 - La Rochelle, France @ La Barbarella Club
02/24 - Rennes, France @ Sympatic Bar
02/25 - Bordeaux, France @ Café Pompier
02/26 - San Sebastian, Spain @ Bukowsky
02/27 - Madrid, Spain @ Costello Club
02/28 - Barcelona, Spain @ Sidecare
03/01 - Sant Feliú de Guixols, Spain @ TZVR
03/02 - Marseille, France @ La Machine à Coudre
03/03 - Luzern, Switzerland @ Club Sedel
03/04 - Kreuzlingen, Switzerland @ Horst
03/05 - Antwerp, Belgium @ Trix
03/06 - Hamburg, Germany @ Komet
03/07 - Copenhagen, Denmark @ Drone
03/08 - Stockholm, Sweden @ Southside
03/09 - Göteborg, Sweden @ Showdown Henriksberg

KACEY JOHANSING
kaceyjohansing.com

San Francisco's Kacey Johansing is coming out with Grand Ghosts on February 26th. The album is said to weaves together elements of folk, jazz, pop and classical music.

If you live in the San Francisco area, head over to Noise Pop Festival to see her live, alongside other great acts like Thao Nguyen and Sallie Ford.

NOISE POP FESTIVAL - MARCH 2ND 2013
Thao & the Get Down Stay Down
Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside
Kacey Johansing

@ The Great American Music Hall
All Ages, Doors @ 7pm, Show @ 8pm
Advance tix here

Look for Kacey to do a US Spring tour in support of the album soon.

SPECTRES
facebook.com/wearespectres

Spectres just won the "Artrocker Unsigned Band of the Year" award. They will be releasing their Hunger EP on March 11th, 2013, via Bristol's Howling Owl Records. The limited 12" vinyl will come with a CDR and download codes. Limited to 100 copies with handmade sleeve and artwork.*

Be sure to check them out live:

02/23/13 - Bristol Motorcade FlashParade
02/27/13 - Cardiff Buffalo
02/28/13 - Winchester Railway Arms
03/06/13 - Basingstoke Bang Bar
03/07/13 - London Old Blue Last
03/08/13 - Birmingham Flapper
03/09/13 - Portsmouth Southsea Social Club
03/14/13 - Bath Moles

* Apparently all 100 copies are sold out. There is a second pressing, but I don't think it comes with the handmade artwork.

H∆SHTAG$ redbullmusicacademy.com Episode 3 of Red Bull Music Academy's mini-documentary series H∆SHTAG$ is available to watch online. The latest episode, "Don’t Call It #CloudRap" features interviews Main Attrakionz, Flatbush Zombies, SpaceGhostPurrp, Robb Banks and London's Piff Gang and more.

PHANTOM phantomthefilm.com Todd Robinson's movie, "Phantom", will be hitting theaters March 1st. Not to be confused with the horror movie, "Phantoms", this upcoming movie is about a Cold War Soviet missile submarine and stars Ed Harris and David Duchovny. Look for the soundtrack from film composer and recording artist Jeff Rona to be released a week earlier (February 26th) on Milan Records.

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