W♥M

Minneapolis This Week (May 18, 2025)

What’s happening this week.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Bôa at First Avenue (13 May 2025) Read More bôa U.K. alt-rock trio bôa will be headlining First Avenue on May 13, 2025, in support of the new album Whiplash. Dream, Ivory (brothers Christian and Louie Baello) to open. …

13 May 2025 Tuesday

bôa
with Dream, Ivory
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

U.K. alt-rock trio bôa will be headlining First Avenue on May 13, 2025, in support of the new album Whiplash.

Dream, Ivory (brothers Christian and Louie Baello) to open.

Tour dates:

April 25 - Moody X-Fest, Rice University, Houston, TX

April 26 - Longhorn Ballroom - Dallas, TX

April 30 - The Plaza - Orlando, FL

May 1 - The Ritz Ybor - Tampa, FL

May 3 - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, GA

May 4 - The Underground - Charlotte, NC

May 6 - 9:30 Club - Washington D.C.

May 7 - Mr. Smalls Theatre - Pittsburgh, PA

May 9 - Electric City - Buffalo, NY

May 10 - Newport Music Hall - Columbus, OH

May 12 - Majestic Theatre - Madison, WI

May 13 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN

June 10 - New Century Hall - Manchester, U.K.

June 11 - Newcastle University - Newcastle, U.K.

June 12 - Queens Hall - Edinburgh, U.K.

June 14 - National Stadium - Dublin, U.K.

June 16 - Rescue Rooms - Nottingham, U.K.

June 17 - Stylus - Leeds, U.K.

June 19 - SWX - Bristol, U.K.

June 20 - Tramshed - Cardiff, U.K.

June 21 - 02 Forum - London, U.K.

July 31 - Aug 3 - Lollapalooza - Chicago, IL

July 25 - Latitude Festival, Suffolk, UK.

The SoapGirls at Green Room (14 May 2025)

14 May 2025 Wednesday

The SoapGirls
at Green Room
greenroommn.com

Alternative rock duo The SoapGirls is stopping by the Green Room, in Minneapolis, on May 14, 2025. Their latest single “She Don’t Wanna” is out now.

Tour dates:

May 14 Minneapolis MN Green Room

May 16 Sioux Falls, SD Bigs Bar

May 17 Lincoln, NE Witches Brew

May 18 Kansas City, MO Knuckleheads

May 21 Austin, TX Come and Take it

Thursday, May 22 Houston, TX Scout

May 25 Jackson, MS Hal & Mal's

May 27 New Orleans, LA No Dice

May 29 Orlando, FL Conduit

May 30 Destin, FL Club LA

June 5 Wilmington, NC Eagles Dare

June 6 Virginia Beach, VA Scandals Live

June 11 Boston, MA Rockwell

June 12 Albany, NY Empire Underground

June 13 Providence, RI The Parlour

June 14 Scranton, PA Road to Warped Tour

June 16 Thomasville, PA Racehorse Tavern

June 17 Pittsburgh, PA Smiling Moose

June 20 Lakewood, OH The Winchester

June 21 Westland, MI Token Lounge

June 24 Des Moines, IA Lefty's

June 25 Madison, WI Crucible

June 27 Chicago, IL Motoblot

July 1 Columbus, OH Rumba Cafe

July 2 Louisville, KY Bourbon Hall

July 3 Indianapolis, IN Melody Inn

Peter Bjorn and John at Fine Line (16 May 2025) Read More Peter Bjorn and John Like many fans, we first discovered Peter Bjorn and John through their big, viral hit ‘Young Folks’ (the song was soooo massive, even a young Kanye West stole the catchy melody). …

16 May 2025 Friday

Peter Bjorn and John
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Acclaimed Swedish indie-pop band Peter Bjorn and John will be playing their breakout Writer’s Block album (the album with “Young Folks”) in its entirety, with this special US tour in May 2025. The tour will stop by the Fine Line, in Minneapolis, on May 16, 2025.

Peter Bjorn & John at Fine Line (23 June 2016)

We saw the band in June 2016 and said, “Anyway, after a five-year break (their last album Gimme Some came out in 2011), to give room for various solo projects: Peter’s solo albums, Björn’s “Yttling Jazz”, and John’s project Hortlax Cobra. With all that out of the way and a fresh perspective, the trio is back with their catchiest album yet, Breakin’ Point. Joining the trio were new touring band members, Klaus and Freya, both doing various keys and extra percussions... which is reflective of Breakin’ Point’s synth-heavy new sound. The extra production really adds a fuller sound to PB&J.”

Tour dates:

09 May: San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall

10 May: Pasadena, CA @ Just Like Heaven

13 May: Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge

14 May: Denver, CO @ Bluebird

16 May: Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line

17 May: Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall

19 May: Toronto, ON @ Great Hall

21 May: New York, NY @ Irving Plaza

22 May: Boston, MA @ The Sinclair

23 May: Washington DC @ Black Cat

Mallrat at 7th St Entry (17 May 2025) Read More Mallrat Show up early to check out 19 year old Australian Mallrat. Mallrat’s sophomore EP In the Sky is out now on Nettwerk Records. …

17 May 2025 Saturday

Mallrat
with Anna Shoemaker
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Fresh off a 10-date Australian tour with Kylie Minogue, Mallrat is set to embark on her headlining world tour, starting April 29 , in Dallas, and stopping by the 7th Street Entry, in Minneapolis, on May 17, 2025.

Mallrat’s latest, Light hit my face like a straight right is out now on Nettwerk Records.

Mallrat at 7th Street Entry (07 August 2019)

We saw Mallrat in August 2019 and said, “Singer/rapper Mallrat (aka Grace Shaw) came on stage to unveil her brand new crazy pink folded top (which resembles a flower of some sort). Shaw would later confess that the shirt is too big and she can’t properly move her arms… describing that she felt like a Tyrannosaurs Rex. Starting out her set with “Tokyo Drift”, she would move back and forth and smiling brightly as she sings, “and we're never on time, laughing at the wrong time”.”

Anna Shoemaker to open.

Tour dates:

04/29 - House of Blues - Cambridge Room - Dallas, TX

04/30 - Parish - Austin, TX

05/02 - Vinyl at Center Stage - Atlanta, GA

05/03 - Neighborhood Theatre - Charlotte, NC

05/06 - The Atlantis - Washington, DC

05/07 - The Foundry at the Fillmore - Philadelphia, PA

05/09 - Elsewhere - New York, NY

05/10 - Brighton Music Hall - Boston, MA

05/12 - Space Ballroom - Hamden, CT

05/13 - Velvet Underground - Toronto, ON

05/15 - A&R Music Bar - Columbus, OH

05/16 - Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL

05/17 - 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN

05/20 - Marquis Theater - Denver, CO

05/21 - Kilby Court - Salt Lake City, UT

05/23 - Bottlerock Music Festival - Napa, CA

05/29 - Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, BC

05/31 - Neumos - Seattle, WA

06/01 - Holocene - Portland, OR

06/04 - Voodoo Room - San Diego, CA

06/05 - Echoplex - Los Angeles, CA

06/11 - Park 360 (Rock For People Festival 2025)

06/14 - Paradiso - Amsterdam

06/15 - Frannz Club - Berlin

06/16 - YUCA - Cologne

06/18 - La Boule Noire - Paris

06/19 - EartH - London

06/21- Manchester Academy - Manchester

06/22 - King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut - Glasgow

06/25 - Workman’s Club - Dublin

08/15 - Langs Akerselva Festivalen - Oslo

DeathbyRomy at 7th St Entry (18 May 2025)

18 May 2025 Sunday
DeathbyRomy
with heffy
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

The lovechild of Lady Gaga and Marilyn Manson, DeathbyRomy will be headlining the 7th Street Entry, in Minneapolis, on May 18, 2025, in support of her new album HOLLYWOOD FOREVER (available April 25).

heffy to open.

Tour dates:

Apr 25 Chain Reaction, Anaheim CA

Apr 26 VooDoo Room, House of Blues, San Diego CA

Apr 27 Valley Bar, Phoenix AZ

Apr 29 Dada, Dallas TX

Apr 30 Empire Control Room, Austin TX

May 2 The Social, Orlando FL

May 3 The Masquerade, Atlanda GA

May 4 Local 506, Chapel Hill NC

May 6 Elsewhere, Brooklyn NY

May 8 Atlantis, Washington DC

May 9 Brighton Music Hall, Boston MA

May 10 The Foundry at The Fillmore, Philadelphia PA

May 12 A&R Music Bar, Columbus OH

May 13 Adelaide Hall, Toronto ON

May 14 Pike Room at The Crofoot, Pontiac MI

May 16 Blueberry Hill Duck Club, St Louis MO

May 17 Beat Kitchen, Chicago IL

May 18 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis MN

May 20 Meow Wolf, Denver CO

May 23 Madame Lou's, Seattle WA

May 27 Goldfield, Sacramento CA

May 28 Cornerstone, Berkeley CA

May 30 The Moroccan Lounge Los Angeles, CA

Milwaukee Metal Fest (May 16 to May 18, 2025) Read More Gwar GWAR fans know what to expect when they see a live GWAR show. Whether it be covered in bile and blood, or stage props that could be used in any top tier horror ....

15 May 2025 Thursday
16 May 2025 Friday
17 May 2025 Saturday
18 May 2025 Sunday
Milwaukee Metal Fest
at The Rave/Eagles Ballroom
milwaukeemetalfestival.com

Metal Fans Unite! The Milwaukee Metal Fest is coming up on May 16 to May 18, with a pre-party kickoff on May 15. The event will take place at The Rave/Eagles Ballroom, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Since its original announcement, the music festival has added S.O.D. Tribute (ft. Scott Ian, Dan Lilker, Jamey Jasta), EYEHATEGOD, Pentagram, Toxic Holocaust, Bongzilla, Revocation, Ov Sulfur, Left To Die + The Lurking Corpses… now clocking in at over 60 bands on the lineup!

GWAR at Skyway Theatre (11 Oct 2019)

We’ve seen a few of these bands before, with GWAR as one of our most favorite, from Oct 2019: “You see, with each tour, there is a new storyline in the world of Gwar. Last year, the band killed Donald Trump, so this tour, the band is being impeached by the planet Earth. With a new storyline, that meant new songs (to fit with the them) and also delightful new dialogue from the band. Even if you don’t like metal music, you’ll still be very entertained by beheading (and the infamous blood squirts - so wear a raincoat to these shows!), puppets, and incredible costumes. Personally speaking, it’s the most entertaining show we’ve seen all year.”

The updated lineup is now as follows:

Friday, May 16 DOWN (Anselmo, Windstein, Keenan, Bower, Bruders) Chimaira S.O.D. Tribute (Scott Ian, Dan Lilker, Jamey Jasta) Enslaved Paradise Lost Suicide Silence Rotting Christ Wolves In the Throne Room Fugitive Pentagram Oppressor Bongzilla Wormrot No / Más Avernus Legions of Doom Nest Gigan The Lurking Corpses Ruin Dweller Bury My Demons

Saturday, May 17 Black Label Society Devin Townsend Exodus Death Angel 3 Inches of Blood Between The Buried and Me EYEHATEGOD Demolition Hammer TesseracT Left to Die Evil Dead Necrot Macabre Nekrogoblikon Revocation Brat Gorgasm Ov Sulfur Renesans Repentance Wraith SNAFU

Sunday, May 18 GWAR Arch Enemy The Dillinger Escape Plan SCOUR Amigo the Devil Sacred Reich Trouble Harms Way The Acacia Strain Frozen Soul Speed END Exhorder Deceased Toxic Holocaust Full of hell Lionheart Snuffed On Sight Jarhead Fertilizer Gates To Hell Tracheotomy

If your band is coming to the Minneapolis/St Paul area, please email details to [email protected] with a good lead time. Thank you.

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

My Big Mr Santa Baby

Read more Christmas, Girls Girls Girls, and Sex Sells.

Santa Baby by Kim Kardashian Read More The Kardashians Instead of focusing on the usual Christmas cover songs, Chan writes original Christmas music. Look for her music to be featured on an upcoming Keeping Up With The Kardashians: Christmas Special ...

Kim Kardashian
instagram.com

Celebrity, businesswoman, socialite, and star of Keeping Up with the Kardashians and various reality show spinoffs, Kim Kardashian, has released her sultry rendition of “Santa Baby.”

The release includes a music video from Nadia Lee Cohen and Charlie Denis by DMB Represents, featured a cameo from Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin.

I did watch the video, it’s terrible. They made this decision to put in glitches and VHS tracking and various low-quality video grains (to simulate that this was filmed in the 80s). Maybe this kind of weird video degradation is what the kids are into, but for me, it’s just unwatchable.

The concept seems cool, it looks like a one-shot video with no cuts. It follows Kim Kardashian crawling through this house full of random people and scenes.

The original 1953 “Santa Baby” song was by Eartha Kitt with Henri René and His Orchestra. Despite being “too sexy”, the song proved to be very popular, with many singers covering the song, such as Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Taylor Swift, Lindsey Stirling, Trisha Yearwood, Laufey, the Pussycat Dolls, Ariana Grande and Gwen Stefani.

Dear Big Santa by Saweetie

Saweetie
saweetie.com

I’ll admit I’ve never heard of Saweetie until I bought her McDonald’s meal. I think you’ve really made it when you’re featured on a fast food chain. By the way, I did like the Saweetie’s meal.

Anyway, the multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated Saweetie released Dear Big Santa, out now on Warner Records.

The two-track single features “Big Santa” and “I Want You This Christmas”, brings in a little naughty and nice combo. The former song is an upbeat anthem, while the B-Side taps into Saweetie’s melodic, seductive side.

“The holidays are all about spreading love, having fun, and, of course, looking good while doing it!” Saweetie shares. “I wanted to give my fans music they can vibe to whether they’re cuddled up or turning up. 'Dear Big Santa' is my little gift to them.”

Be My Santa Tonight by Staci Griesbach

Staci Griesbach
stacigriesbach.com

Los Angeles-based vocalist Staci Griesbach has released a new holiday single, featuring original music and lyrics, called “Be My Santa Tonight”. The song is described as blending Mariah Carey’s holiday songs with Meghan Trainor’s playful lyrics.

“Everyone wants Santa Claus to bring them something on their wish list, and I wondered, ‘What about Santa himself?’,” Griesbach said playfully, referring to the tongue-and-cheek lyrics. “Christmas can be a time to let your cares go, enjoy the spirit of the holidays and perhaps find new love! I’m a hopeless romantic, and I think there’s always an opportunity to find the love of your life at a holiday party, just like in Bridget Jones Diary with Mr. Darcy.”

“Be My Santa Tonight” features original music and lyrics by Staci Griesbach, along with her band: pianist Tamir Hendelman, bassist Kevin Axt and drummer Jake Reed.

“My Christmastime album last year featured a full depth of emotions, from up-beat to more melancholy, and this year, I wanted to focus all of my attention on this one playful tune,” Griesbach added. “While we all like listening to the tried-and-true holiday classics, “Be My Santa Tonight” is a fresh, memorable original perfect for holiday playlists throughout the Season!”

Hey, Mr. Santa by Katie Kadan

Katie Kadan
katiekadan.com

Chicago’s singer/ songwriter Katie Kadan is back with another original track for the holiday season called “Hey, Mr. Santa.”

“Instead of your typical Christmas song about decorating trees, cozying up with a loved one or listening for sleigh bells, we wanted to write a Christmas song with the cheeky fun my fans know and love,” shared Kadan. “This song is for all of my single folks out there. I hope you find a Santa to get wrapped up with this holiday season.”

The original song was written by Kadan with Johnny Reid, who also serves as producer.

Sample lyrics:

I walked in, there he was
The man in red, Mr. Clause
Even though it was cold outside
I could tell there was a fire burning in his eyes

I said, Hey Mr. Santa
Hey Mr. Santa
Hey Mr. Santa
You wanna be my Santa tonight?

If you have a 2024 Christmas/Holiday song, please provide as much detail as possible to [email protected] before Christmas Day (December 25, 2024). Thank you.

vu ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

East, West, under the Ocean

Read More Herman’s Hermits Dillon Francis and Yung Gravy with Kittens, Jan. 26, Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland. $35-$48 Herman’s Hermits, Jan. 28, Ameristar. $35-$50 Fortune Feimster, Jan. 29, Uptown. $29.50-$92 …

Herman’s Hermits
hermanshermits.com

“East West” is the sixteenth single by Herman’s Hermits. The single landed in December 1966, barely making it on the top 30 UK (and US) singles chart. While it was a fine song, it clearly meant something to a young Morrissey, as he would cover the song as a B-Side to his awful single, “Ouija Board, Ouija Board”. Morrissey’s version does change the lyrics around, notably, “Lush girls, older and dying, Sighing and crying…” and “Time flew, I wanted to see you somehow I could not do, because of success. What a strange life this can be!”

East, West, over the ocean
Perpetual motion, travelling around
No rest, singing and playing
Night out and day in, doing the rounds
What a great life it must seem
Swell joints, everything classy
Nothing that's passe', only the best
Lush girls ogling and eyeing
Crying and sighing, this is success
What a great life it must seem

But when I hear young voices singing out
The bells at home come ringing out
When I think all alone
Then I think of my home

Mom, Dad, all 'round the fire
In festive attire, keeping the day
Aunts, kids, all the relations
Congratulations, this is success
What a great life it must seem

But when I hear young voices singin' out
The bells at home start ringing out
When I feel all alone
Then I long for my home

- Herman's Hermits

LOWER EAST SIDE FILM FESTIVAL
www.lesfilmfestival.com

2023 will mark the 13th Anniversary of the Lower East Side Film Festival. The LESFF recently announced their programming, which includes exclusive feature film premieres, specialty short showcases, industry panels, and parties. It will take place from May 4 - 8 at the Village East Cinema, DCTV Firehouse Cinema, plus virtually through May 14. Open bar for all screenings.

“We love the movies. That’s the simplest way to put it,” says Festival Director, Roxy Hunt. “For me, there’s nothing like standing in the back of a dark theater, waiting with anticipation to see how the audience will react as the night unfolds, and being filled with so much joy when I hear the laughs, the shock, the appreciation, for each film they see - knowing that they put their trust in us. Any New Yorker has an endless amount of choices on how they’ll spend any given night, and I can’t describe how honored I feel they choose to spend it with us.”

Please see their website for the latest programming and schedule.

Read More The Meters Art Neville, the founding member of The Neville Brothers and The Meters (and later known as The Funky Meters), has died at the age of 81, according to a statement released by his longtime manager, Kent Sorrell, via CNN. Neville was 81. …

WILLIE WEST
williewestofficial.com

If you’re in the Minneapolis area, New Orleans legend Willie West (of The Meters) will be playing an early show at Crooners, this Friday, April 21st, 2023. Music starts at 4:30pm, tickets available at eventbrite.com.

We last mentioned The Meters when Art Neville (of The Neville Brothers) had died in 2019. Neville founded the band in 1965, but when Art (and Cyril Neville) left The Meters in 1977, the band added David Batiste Sr. on keyboards and added a new singer named Willie West! The Meters broke up in the 80s, but they’re still fondly remembered by fans.

Anyway, this upcoming Friday show will be Willie West’s first live performance in many years, and it’s to promote West’s new album The Soul Sessions.

If you arrive early, before the live music, there will be a live podcast by Twin Cities musician Mick Sterling, doing an interview with Willie West. You will find out all about The Meters and West’s solo career.

Joining West live on stage will be John Wright on bass, Dan Neale on guitar, Donald Hye on pockets - drums, and Toby Marshall on keyboards, etc.

Read More Lana Del Rey We’ve always like Lana Del Rey. With a #1 Billboard album Lust For Life (sold just over 107k copies in its opening week), expect a lot of happy fans attending this stadium show …

LANA DEL REY
lanadelrey.com

Once again, Lana Del Rey has the #1 album in the UK with the extra-long title: Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd (Polydor Records). This is her sixth #1 UK album for a solo female artist. Only Madonna, Taylor Swift, Kylie Minogue and Barbara Streisand have more.

We were big early fans, writing about Del Rey in Jan 2012: “Well, that, of course, is subjective. But on a basic level, Del Rey embodies a sound that should be quite popular on the current indie scene: sexy vocals that travel the sexy spectrum from “sad and sexy” to “whispery sexy” to “nasally sexy,” set against a lush, orchestral backdrop with sparse beats and some violins. The minimal tear-jerker “Video Games” was grudgingly included on a handful of Best of 2011 lists, but I prefer “Born to Die” for its haunting, controlled tone and also for this line: “Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain, you like your girls insane.” She’s no Dylan, but her lyrics feel authentic coming from the given source, regardless of whether or not her look is contrived. Would it be better or worse if she wrote about geeky boys in vests and made cryptic references to high-brow literature whilst strumming a Chinese erhu? What’s more, the production quality is pretty brilliant; Del Rey and co. have managed to hit a sweet spot—the axis of edginess and approachability, vintage pop and contemporary relevance, sexy bombshell and deadpan bad girl. She sounds good, the song craft is sharp, and even Pitchfork is “intrigued”.”

Lana Del Rey (05 Jan 2018)

We saw her live in Jan 2018 at the Target Center, and was blown away by the million-dollar set: “As for Lana Del Rey’s show, this was the best set design we’ve ever seen! It contains two beach folding chairs, a raised platform covered with rocks, surrounded by plants, trees, and palm trees. The floor is transformed into a body of water when the special effect lights are projected onto the surface. Plus, that’s not all: two hidden swings for the two dancers. It was unbelievable.”

If you look at the concert photos, you’re note quite sure if she’s singing at a concert or that she’s on vacation in the tropics. It was definitely the best concert set we’ve ever seen.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

W♥M225: Party Line

W♥M225: Party Line (40 mins) Read More Belle & Sebastian We've been very excited about news of the new Belle & Sebastian 2015 album for a while now, but the band recently made things official: It is called Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance …

Sally is back on W♥M Podcast, talking about some Sydney, Australia, things:

Yes I'm Leaving (21 Nov 2014) poster

Yes I'm Leaving is playing this Friday (21 Nov 2014) at Petersham Bowling Club with The Holy Soul, Avoid Island, Small Town Incident and Garry David.

Newtown Social Club (newtownsocialclub.com) is a new music venue in Sydney. They are booking some excellent bands:

Hurray for the Riff Raff (26 Nov 2014)

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks (3 Mar 2015)

Gruff Rhys (6 Mar 2015)

Sydney Festival is taking place most of January 2015... The Clean from New Zealand, and How to Dress Well are two of the bands playing at the Sydney Festival shows.

Johnny Marr is on tour for his second album Playland, stopping by Sydney's Enmore (05 Feb 2015)

Belle & Sebastian is playing in Sydney at the Enmore Theatre on Jan 29th and also at the Taronga Zoo on January 31st.

God Help the Girl film, Vu doesn't like, but Sally doesn't care.

B&S is releasing Girls in Peacetime Want To Dance for 2015, we previewed their new single, "The Party Line".

BONUS:

Harper's Bazaar (Dec 2014) Photographer: @simonlekias

Peter Hook played over three hours at a "no re-entry" sold out show.

Leichhardt Wind Orchestra's Summer Concert 2014 is taking place this 15th December 2014 at the Leichhardt Town Hall in Leichhardt, Australia.

Kylie Minogue and Dannii Minogue on the cover of Harper's Bazaar magazine.

Roxette's got the look.

--
W♥M Radio is available on iTunes, please subscribe!

Subscription Options
Subscribe on iTunes
Subscribe via RSS
Add to Google
Add to Yahoo
____
Archive of this show at archive.org. More information on podomatic.com

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

Four Roads

Read More Kylie Minogue Yeah, I have a soft spot for Kylie. As if you didn't know, part of her "K25" (25 years of Kylie in music) celebration, pop superstar, Kylie Minogue released "Timebomb" remixes this week (July 17th)....

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

- Robert Frost

KYLIE MINOGUE
www.kylie.com

Yes, I love Kylie….

As part of K25 (celebrating global pop icon Kylie Minogue's 25 years in music), the artist just released The Abbey Road Sessions in the U.S. today (November 6th.) The album features 16 classic tracks, but re-imagined and re-arranged by a full orchestra. By its title, the album was recorded in London's Abbey Road studios.

If you think you know "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" and "The Locomotion", think again because with the new arrangement, these are very different takes on the classic hits.

Already a big hit in the UK, where her album landed on #2, possibly due to the 1.8 million views of her single "Flower."

Look for Kyle to be in the state with performances on ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars” on November 13th and NBC’s “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” on November 14th.

WILD BELLE
wildbellemusic.tumblr.com

Wild Belle's first ever North American tour is happening this November, check out singer Natalie Bergman's video for Postcards from the Road N°1.

Wild Belle is a sibling duo (Natalie and Elliot Bergman) from Chicago, they are on tour with Deep Sea Diver (*) and Of Montreal (+):

11/25 San Diego, CA Casbah*
11/26 Los Angeles, CA Echo*
11/27 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill*
11/29 Portland, OR Doug Fir*
11/30 Seattle, WA Neumos*
12/01 Vancouver, BC Electric Owl*
12/07 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue (with Solid Gold)
12/08 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall +
12/09 Chicago, IL Metro +

C2C
c2cmusic.fr

"Down the Road" is the first single from C2C's Down the Road digital six-track EP (out now via Casablanca Records.)

The French turntable quartet is already big in Europe, having been around since 1998 and winning the "Disco Mix Club World Team DJ Championship" four years in a row (2003–2006).

It's really odd that the group finally released music in 2012 with Down the Road and Tetra, in their home country of France.

Anyway, check out the song on soundcloud.com.

CHRIS MANN
ChrisMannMusic.com

Chris Mann is a singer from Kansas… you might know him from The Voice. As you know, Lara is addicted to The Voice.

One year ago, Mann did his blind audition for The Voice. He was nervous: "I remember it was Halloween night and my blind audition for The Voice was just a few days away. I was a nervous wreck. I went to The Voice with the hope of just making the show."

The good news is that he won fourth place for the second season of The Voice. He quickly signed with Faircraft/Universal Republic and released Roads at the end of October.

"I would love to sing on an ancient amphitheater stage somewhere in Europe," Mann says, "and I’ve always fantasized about winning a Grammy. I can't wait to see where this road I've been on for so long leads me next."

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

Quoth the Raven

The music news of the world, courtesy of news.weheartmusic.com.

ATLAS SHRUGGED
myspace.com/bradfordcox

Broadcast - Come On Let's Go

Broadcast

I got this note that Atlas Sound is heading out on tour next week -- with Broadcast! Since we haven't written about Broadcast in, like, 2007, it's good to hear about them recently.


Unfortunately, they're not coming near Minneapolis (I've visited Northfield before - it's a bit isolated!), otherwise I would love to do some coverage on them.

The tour information:

10/15 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
10/16 Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
10/17 Washington, DC @ Black Cat
10/18 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
10/20 New York, NY @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
10/21 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
10/22 Boston, MA @ The Paradise
10/23 Montreal, QC @ Le National
10/24 Toronto, ON @ Lees Palace
10/25 Columbus, OH @ Wexner Center
10/26 Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
10/27 Northfield, MN @ The Cave
10/30 Vancouver, BC @ Richards On Richards
10/31 Seattle, WA @ Neumos
11/01 Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
11/03 San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
11/04 Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour
11/05 Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room
11/07 Denton, TX @ Hailey's

Kylie Minogue - Can't Get Blue Monday Out of My Head

Kylie Minogue

THE SHOW'S THE THING
kylie.com

Chicagoans, please note that tomorrow's Kylie Minogue's sold-out show at the Congress Theatre has been upgraded to the UIC Pavilion (University of Illinois at Chicago: 525 S Racine Ave., Chicago, IL 60607-3303). According to the announcement, this is being done because of "the sheer scale of the production".


All the tickets that fans have purchased for the Congress Theater will be good at the UIC Pavilion. However, because of the upgraded venue, more seats/tickets are available for purchase (it went on sale October 4^th, so I'm assuming it's probably already sold out). Good luck anyway, check with ticketbastard if you still have hope to attend.

MEAT IS MURDER
transformers.com

Since Christopher can't get enough of Morrissey and the Smiths, I thought I'd offer this: did you know the Smiths is in Transformers 2: Rise of the Fallen? I know this may sound trivial, but I think it's cool.


Shia LaBeouf's character evolved from loving The Strokes & Green Day, to The Smiths, apparently.

TRANSFORMERS: Megan Fox hiding

TRANSFORMERS 2: Meat is Murder poster

PHONING IT IN
nuclearoreilly.com

Nuclear O'Reilly describes themselves as:

A music duo disguised as male escorts for librarians

The world's first iPhone album, Phoning It In, by Nuclear O'Reilly is available on their website for free. I think it's a good promotion for both Apple and its software, by Intua Software (which costs $19.99). Both platform and music software is powerful enough to produce this electronic album.

I did quickly listen to the album, it sounds a bit like a video game. If you think there are no vocals, you're wrong, you can hear some mumbling on "Creamatorium", which I'm assuming they used the iPhone's mic to record it. It's kind of a gimmick, but since it's free, why not check it out? Maybe they can be the next Guitar Zeros, or even worst, iBand.

THE PEN IS MIGHTIER
olympusamerica.com

For years now, I've been using my pocket Sony T7 Camera, which I've been quite happy with - for daytime shooting. If you are interested in a credit card-sized camera, T7 is a great camera for you. Image quality is great, but sensor is slow (as with all compact camera), but you can get around this by taking small 640x480 shots. The bigger the size, the worst it looks. Plus for night shots, see example, you tend to lose details. And you can forget about "fast-action" shots, the sensor is not fast enough to capture frame-by-frame.

The $400, I originally paid for the T7 in 2005, have been totally worth every penny. But in the day of technology growing in leaps and bounds, especially in the digital camera market, my T7 is a dinosaur!

I've placed an order for the Olympus PEN E-P1 Camera. Based on reviews I've read, comparing image quality with other standard SLR camera in its class, I am impressed with the Pen Camera. It particularly did really well with low-light situations, which is what I was looking for. It also shoots 1080 HD movie files, which I think will become more useful in the future. The only complaint people have said is that is a bit expensive (base camera starts at $800), and I've also read that it's slow on the SLR class - but slow they indicate as much as three seconds to startup the camera. Three seconds is not slow! I can live with three seconds!

The tracking number said I'm receiving the camera on Thursday, just in time for Friday's show: Asobi Seksu, Lonely Dear, and Anna Ternheim.

If it all works out, we should have some fantastic pictures from the show. Sadly, I'll still have a perfectly working Sony T7. Should I sell it? Any offers? It's probably most likely going in the bin of other retired electronics, like my all my old iPods, Palm PDA, and MiniDisc players!

PS, Hooray, we're listed as a neighbor on team.vox.com.

 10/06/2009 18:40:06 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com

Kylie Minogue - Boombox: The Remix Album 2000-2008

Kylie Minogue - Can't Get Blue Monday Out of My Head Kylie Minogue Tour Dates 09/30/09 Fox Theater, Oakland, CA 10/01/09 Fox Theater, Oakland, CA 10/03/09 Pearl Theatre, Las Vegas, NV 10/04/09 Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA 10/07/09 Congress Theatre, Chicago, IL 10/09/09 Air Canada Centre, Toronto 10/11/09 Hammerstein Ballroom, NY 10/12/09 Hammerstein Ballroom, NY 10/13/09 Hammerstein Ballroom, NY Discography [1988] Kylie [1989] Enjoy Yourself [1990] Rhythm of Love [1991] Let's Get to It [1994] Kylie Minogue [1997] Impossible Princess [1998] Intimate & Live [2000] Light Years [2001] Fever [2003] Body Language [2007] X See Also Dannii Minogue http://weheartmus... For those who aren't brushed up on their dance music, Dannii Minogue is the sister of Kylie Mino...

Just to give you an idea how popular Kylie Minogue is: I got an email announcing her first ever US (originally 6 dates), only to find out that her later New York pre-sale tickets were already sold out by the time my eyeballs saw the email. Demands were so high, they extended her New York stay to three nights from her original one night performance. Wow, it's kind of hard to believe that in her 20 odd music career that Minogue have never tour through North America!

Having already sold 60 million records world-wide, with 50+ hit singles, and sold-out world tours... Australian actress-turn-pop diva, Kylie Minogue, or simply known as Kylie, have come a long way from her humble beginnings in the early 90s as an actress.*

Kylie's latest release, at least in the US, is called Boombox: The Remix Album 2000-2008, and as the name implies, this is not a studio album but a remix album. Note that this is her 11^th remix album, earlier remix hits, check out Greatest Remix Hits 1 (1997) followed by Greatest Remix Hits 2 through 4.

The new remix album opens up with possibly the best song on the album. Technically not a remix, but more of a mashup between New Order's "Blue Monday" and Kylie's "Can Get You Out of My Head". The mashup version first appeared live at the 2002 BRIT Award from DJ Stuart Crichton, but later appeared on other releases (including an odd choice of movie soundtrack for Layer Cake, starring current Bond, Daniel Craig).

Other interesting remixes includes Fischerspooner's "Come into My World" remix, which remains intact as sounding similar to the original mix, but adding his own flair to it.

I have never heard of Death Metal Disco Scene (myspace), but I was definitely impressed with their "Wow" remix, where they mostly concentrated on the extremely catchy "bow-wow-wow! just the way that you dance! bow-wow-wow!" section.

I simply hated the original mix of "2 Hearts" that appeared on Kylie's 10^th studio album, X, but Mark Brown made it more bearable by making the song a little faster.

I haven't heard the original "Your Disco Needs You", but the Casino Mix on Boombox is really good. It made the song to sound more like a Pet Shop Boys sound to it, and I'll definitely will try and pick up her 2000 album Light Years to check it out.

The best remixes are the ones that either transform the song, making it their own distinct and unique version. Case in point is The Chemical Brother's version of "Slow". They manage to pull off their usual beats and rave sound, extending the middle part and only keeping mostly the chorus. If you hear this "Slow" version on the radio, you'd swear that it was a Chemical Brothers song.

Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out of My Head

If you're new to the world of Kylie, this Boombox album does a decent job of compiling some of the best remix. If you're looking for a studio album, I will have to recommend Fever (2001), which features some of her best-known hits, including some Cathy Dennis-written songs like "Can't Get You out of My Head", "Dancefloor" and "Come into My World".

Kylie Minogue - Come Into My World

"Come into my World" was also a smash-hit music video by auteur director Michel Gondry.  The video remains one of my favorite Gondry videos (other favorites is the lego White Stripes and Daft Punk's "Around the World").

Boombox is available now at any box store that carries music. Starting in October, Kylie will be over in the US to do a few selected dates for her first US appearance. I'm sure by then tickets will be sold out - so buy your tickets now if you want a guaranteed seat. From watching her concert footage, it's a huge show with lots of costume changes and loads of dancers.

* Although primarily known as a pop singer, let us not forget her appearance in the horrible video game movie, Street Fighter, as Cammy. She made such a wonderful impression, that the Washington Post called her "the worst actress in the English-speaking world". Aw, well she now knows how Madonna feels.

 05/21/2009 05:32:56 ♥ vu () ♥ kylie.com ♥ myspace.com/kylieminogue