W♥M

Small Black at the 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (2021-08-07)

Setlist Duplex Canoe Breathless The Sun Was High and So Was I (Best Coast cover) Postcard Free at Dawn The Bridge Tampa Nobody Loves You Boys Life Service Merchandise Despicable Dogs No Stranger Driftwood Fire -- Encore -- Only a Shadow Song To Ruin Read More Small Black The tour is in support of Small Black’s new album Cheap Dreams , which came out in April 2021. We previously caught Small Black in November 2015 and wrote, “we've seen the band before and … Korine Chillwave pioneers Small Black will be back on tour this August 2021. All USA dates are supported by Korine. …

Brooklyn’s indie band Small Black stopped by the 7th Street Entry on Saturday, August 7, 2021, touring in support of their latest album Cheap Dreams. This is the first release from the 100% Electronica, leaving their original label Jagjaguwar behind.

This is also the first First Avenue-venue show that we’ve attended that requires either proof of a full series of COVID-19 vaccination, or proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours.

Korine 2021 Tour

Philadelphia’s electronic pop band Korine opened up the show… starting slightly later than advertised,

The duo (Morgy Ramone and Trey Frye) was very excited to play live again, writing before they headed out on tour, “Can’t believe we’re going to play our first show since pre pandemic this week. Tour starts this Thursday in Columbus OH, tickets are almost gone. See you there.”

After the second song, “Cold Heart” finished, Morgy asked, “Can we get a little less of that?” (pointing to the venue’s back light). Now in complete darkness, except for the custom Korine red light strips, the show continues. Most of their set seems to be taken from their latest, The Night We Raise, except for a few dance-numbers, like “Burning Up” from New Arrangements.

Near the end of their set, Morgy announced that they’re going to play some new songs, “No one’s heard of these before.”

Korine’s new album The Night We Raise came out on September 4, 2020, via Born Losers Records (US) and Data Airlines (EU).

Chillwave pioneers Small Black started their set with a slower numbers, “Duplex” and “Canoe”… before ramping up to a dance/high energy song, “Breathless”. Unfortunately, before they can kick off the dance song, they had technical difficulties and had to stop before resetting and restarting the song again.

Singer Josh Kolenik talked about how he was obsessed with Minneapolis, particularly Minnesota Twins baseball player Kirby Puckett. So he’s always excited to come to the Twin Cities (the band’s been here in 2015, 2014, and 2013).

Apparently, the band loves Best Coast’s song, “The Sun Was High and So Was I”, so they decided to make a faithful adaption of the song.

Their encore consists of “Only a Shadow”, taken from one of their most popular album Limits of Desire, followed by “Song To Ruin”, from their latest Cheap Dreams.

Small Black continues their tour:

08/10 - Denver, CO @ Marquis
08/11 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
08/13 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir
08/17 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
08/20 - Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex
08/21 - San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
08/22 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
08/25 - Austin, TX @ Antone's
08/26 - Dallas, TX @ Tulips
08/28 - Nashville, TN @ High Watt
08/29 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
09/01 - Washington, DC @ Union Stage
09/08 - Philadelphia, PA @ Foundry
09/09 - Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
09/11 - Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere

Korine

Korine (Morgy Ramone)

Poster

Small Black (Josh Kolenik)

Small Black

Small Black at the 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (2021-08-07)

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

It's the little things in life

Read More Small Black Small Black is back on tour, and stopping by St Paul's Turf Club next Saturday, April 5th. The band will likely play tracks from their latest Limits Of Desire and upcoming EP Real People …

SMALL BLACK
small-black.com

Chillwave pioneers Small Black will be back on tour this August 2021. All USA dates are supported by Korine.

The tour is in support of their new album Cheap Dreams , which came out in April 2021.

We previously caught Small Black in November 2015 and wrote, “we've seen the band before and said they sounded like 80s dance keyboard. Some people have described the band as chillwave, but I really don't agree with that term. They aren't calm or "chill", particularly when they start up the fog and strobe lights... making for a fun dance party.”

Small Black 2021 Tour Dates:

08/05 - COLUMBUS, OH @ Ace of Spade
08/06 - CHICAGO, IL @ Lincoln Hall
08/07 - MINNEAPOLIS, MN @ 7th Street Entry
08/10 - DENVER, CO @ Marquis
08/11 - SALT LAKE CITY, UT @ Urban Lounge
08/13 - PORTLAND, OR @ Doug Fir
08/17 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA @ The Independent
08/20 - LOS ANGELES, CA @ Echoplex
08/21 - SAN DIEGO, CA @ The Casbah
08/22 - PHOENIX, AZ @ Valley Bar
08/25 - AUSTIN, TX @ Antone's
08/26 - DALLAS, TX @ Tulips
08/28 - NASHVILLE, TN @ High Watt
08/29 - ATLANTA, GA @ Masquerade
09/01 - WASHINGTON, DC @ Union Stage
09/08 - PHILADELPHIA, PA @ Foundry
09/09 - BOSTON, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
09/11 - BROOKLYN, NY @ Elsewhere

Read More Little Dragon The last time we saw Sweden’s Little Dragon was in May 2015 and we said, “I'm happy to report that Little Dragon is all grown up. Since we last saw the Swedish band in November 2009 …

LITTLE DRAGON
little-dragon.net

Sweden’s Little Dragon will be releasing New Me, Same Us Remix EP on August 6, via Ninja Tune. The release features remixes from Ela Minus, Octo Octa, Midland, Andrés, Lil Silva, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Poté, FKJ and Little Dragon themselves (on “The Other Lover”).

We caught the band in May 2015 and noted, “With the larger stage of First Avenue's mainroom, the band had custom diamond light setup with a massive backdrop image. Musically, the band is doing more dance club, even tribal, sound. This music appeal to a new larger legion of club music ... only a little more diverse with various ethnic groups. This newfound fanbase may have been steadily building throughout the years, but it probably didn't hurt that Little Dragon's Nabuma Rubberband got nominated for a Grammy for best Dance/Electronic album of the year (2014).”

Track listing

1 Hold On (Ela Minus Remix)
2 Rush (Lil Silva Remix)
3 Another Lover (Octo Octa's River Flow Mix)
4 Hold On (Georgia Anne Muldrow Remix)
5 Rush (Midland Remix)
6 Hold On (Andrés Remix)
7 The Other Lover (Little Dragon Vocal Celebration Mix)
8 Water (FKJ Remix)
9 Hold On (Poté Remix)

Read More Michael Kiwanuka UPDATE: The entire USA Michael Kiwanuka tour has been cancelled. Stay tuned for details. Michael Kiwanuka Live: 11/30, Webster Hall, New York, NY …

SMALL AXE
bbc.co.uk

Director Steve McQueen (not that Steve McQueen) teamed up with Motown Records UK for the official soundtrack to the five-film anthology Small Axe.

McQueen personally curated curated all the songs on the The Small Axe Official Soundtrack, which featured an original score by award-winning composer Mica Levi.

Other tracks will include a rendition of “To Be Young, Gifted And Black” by Michael Kiwanuka and a rework of Janet Kay’s classic “Silly Games” by Tiana Major9.

Tracklisting

1. Mica Levi – Protest
2. Toots & The Maytals – Pressure Drop
3. Prince Far I – Throw Away Your Gun
4. Linton Kwesi Johnson – New Crass Massahkah
5. Sheyi Cole – Uprising
6. Marvin Gaye – Got To Give It Up
7. Tiana Major9 – Silly Games
8. Rochenda Sandall – Dread Beat An' Blood
9. Mica Levi – Old Bailey
10. Michael Kiwanuka – To Be Young, Gifted And Black
11. Imagination – So Good, So Right
12. Junior English – After Tonight
13. Mica Levi – In God You Must Trust
14. Shaun Parkes – Inglan Is A Bitch
15. Janet Kay – Silly Games (Lovers Rock Edit)
16. King Tubby, Augustus Pablo & The Aggrovators – More Warning

THE TINY MEAT GANG tmgpod.com The Tiny Meat Gang Podcast announced “TMG Live In Space”', a special upcoming live episode presented by the premium digital live platform Moment House. Hosted by comedians Cody Ko and Noel Miller, they highlight the funnier side of pop culture, social media, and the growing technological landscape. The hour-long show will go live Thursday, July 29th at 5:00PM PT / 8:00PM ET. Tickets are available in person or on VOD.

MINI TREES minitreesband.com Los Angeles based Lexi Vega’s solo musical project Mini Trees announced that she will be releasing a debut album on Run For Cover Records. The yet-to-be titled album is set to release this fall. To celebrate the news, Mini Trees released the new single “Spring”. Mini Trees will be appearing at The Moroccan Lounge in Los Angeles, on September 30, 2021.

LITTLE SIMZ littlesimz.com British rapper/singer Little Simz will be releasing Sometimes I Might Be Introvert in September 2021. Little Simz talked about one of her songs from the new album, “I Love You, I Hate You,” and said that it was a difficult song… because it was about her absent father. In the end, she concludes, “I’m not forgiving for you, man, I’m forgiving for me.”

LIL BABY facebook.com American rapper Lil Baby will embark on a nationwide tour with Lil Durk performing hits off their recent collaborative album, The Voice of the Heroes (which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart). The fall tour will kick off September 1st in Mansfield, MA, and will end October 15 in West Palm Beach, FL. See his website for full listing

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

Small Black, w/ Painted Palms at 7th St, Minneapolis (04 Nov 2015)

Tour Dates 11/11/15 Burlington, VT Signal Kitchen 11/12/15 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall 11/20/15 Brooklyn, NY Baby's All Right 11/21/15 Brooklyn, NY Baby's All Right 11/28/15 Vodafone Mexefest 04/23/16 Norman Music Festival Read More Small Black Small Black is back on tour, and stopping by St Paul's Turf Club next Saturday, April 5th. The band will likely play tracks from their latest Limits Of Desire and upcoming EP Real People … Painted Palms San Francisco's Painted Palms were not used to the snow here. After launching into "Falling Asleep", singer Reese Donohue confirmed it as much, "I think it's a little cold here." …

Small Black stopped by the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis last Wednesday night, in support of their latest Best Blues (Jagjaguwar).

Painted Palms

Painted Palms opened up the show, currently touring in support of their second full-length album Horizons, available now on Polyvinyl.

Since we last saw the duo (Reese Donohue and Christopher Prudhomme) in 2013, they've really expanded their song catalogue, now playing several tracks from their debut album Forever and their latest Horizons. New standout songs from the new album included "Refractor", playing in almost near-darkness.

We talked to fans who had specifically shown up to see Painted Palms, they mentioned that they really like the way Chris Prudhomme sings.

As for Small Black, featuring singer/keys Josh Hayden Kolenik, guitarist Ryan Heyner, bassist Juan Pieczanski and drummer Jeff Curtin, they are back with their third studio album Best Blues. The majority of their set included newer songs, including their latest single "No One Wants It To Happen To You".

The story of the Best Blues cover artwork is quite interesting. It shows a mysterious woman, walking alone at dusk in the desert. The photo was rescued from singer Kolenik's family home after the Hurricane Sandy's destruction. No one knew anything about the woman or the story behind that photo... only that it was taken by Kolenik's father.

Anyway, we've seen the band before and said they sounded like 80s dance keyboard. Some people have described the band as chillwave, but I really don't agree with that term. They aren't calm or "chill", particularly when they start up the fog and strobe lights... making for a fun dance party.

The show felt very intimate, with some fans casually trying to start conversations with singer Kolenik, so you get the feeling that the majority of fans knew each other and the Brooklyn-based band.

Best Blue is out now on Jagjaguwar.

Small Black at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (04 November 2015)

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

Minneapolis: November 4, 2015

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on November 4, 2015.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Shakey Graves Austin, TX’s Shakey Graves (aka Alejandro Rose-Garcia) immediately followed on the Stars stage, starting and ending his set as a solo artist, but accompanied by a full band, in-between. … Those Darlins We love Those Darlins. Currently the Nashville band will be releasing latest album Blur the Line this October 1st, and the band will be heading out on tour in support of the new record. .…

SHAKEY GRAVES
at First Ave
Wednesday, 11/04/2015, 7:30pm ($20)
first-avenue.com

We previously caught Shakey Graves (Alejandro Rose-Garcia) at this year's Festival Palomino. He recently took home the Emerging Artist Of The Year award at Americana Music Association's 14th Annual Honors & Awards. Shakey Graves gained over 20 million Spotify streams, thanks to his strong single "Dearly Departed" from his 2014 album And The War Came (Dualtone Music Group).

Opening up the show will be our favorite Those Darlins, the cow-punk/garage rock trio from Nashville. We have seen the band almost every time they come through town: Oct 2013, July 2013, July 2012, Apr 2011, Sep 2010, Apr 2010, Nov 2009, and July 2009.

Check out our interview with Jesse:

W♥M192 (11 mins)

Tour Dates:

11/01 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
11/02 Missoula, MT Top Hat
11/05 Chicago, IL Thalia Hall
11/06 Chicago IL Thalia Hall
11/09 Montreal, QC Virgin Mobile
11/11 New York, NY Terminal 5
11/12 Boston, MA Royale Nightclub Boston
11/13 Boston, MA Royale Nightclub Boston
11/14 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
11/15 Washington, DC 930 Club
11/16 Washington, DC 930 Club
11/18 Charlottesville, VA Jefferson Theater
11/19 Nashville, TN Cannery Ballroom
11/20 Knoxville, TN Bijou Theatre
11/21 Asheville, NC The Orange Peel
11/22 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
11/23 Birmingham, AL WorkPlay Theatre
11/24 New Orleans, LA The Civic Theatre

Read More Small Black Small Black is back on tour, and stopping by St Paul's Turf Club next Saturday, April 5th. The band will likely play tracks from their latest Limits Of Desire and upcoming EP Real People … Painted Palms San Francisco's Painted Palms were not used to the snow here. After launching into "Falling Asleep", singer Reese Donohue confirmed it as much, "I think it's a little cold here." …

SMALL BLACK
at First Ave
Wednesday, 11/04/2015, 7:30pm ($10)
first-avenue.com

Small Black is back with their new album Best Blue (Jagjaguwar). This is the group's third LP, which is said to hit their sweet spot of smoky intersection of considered & vulnerable songwriting and loose, almost nonchalant ambience.

We previously saw the band (singer/keys Josh Hayden Kolenik, guitarist Ryan Heyner, bassist Juan Pieczanski and drummer Jeff Curtin) last year at the Turf Club and noted they were "80s-style keyboard riff and ultra dance-y beat."

Painted Palms will open the show. The last time we saw the duo (Reese Donohue and Christopher Prudhomme), it was in 2013 when they only had one EP and a single (so they played everything they've ever wrote). Of course, now they have two albums: their debut Forever and Horizons, both available on Polyvinyl.

Tour Dates:

11/02/15 Kansas City, MO Tank Room
11/03/15 Iowa City, IA The Mill
11/04/15 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street
11/06/15 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
11/07/15 Detroit, MI UFO Factory
11/08/15 Toronto, ON The Garrison
11/10/15 Montreal, QC La Sala Rossa
11/11/15 Burlington, VT Signal Kitchen
11/12/15 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall

Read More Vanessa Carlton As a hardcore nessaholic, I have awaited "Rabbits on the Run" for some time but was happy when she released a compilation album with a bunch of my most favorite songs! I'd ...

VANESSA CARLTON
at Cedar Cultural Center
Wednesday, 11/04/2015, 7pm ($25)
thecedar.org

Vanessa Carlton will be in town in support of her latest album Liberman (Dine Alone Records). The ten songs on the upcoming album reflect Vanessa's current state of mind since moving from NYC to Nashville, marrying husband John McCauley (Deer Tick) and having a baby girl.

Canadian singer/songwriter Joshua Hyslop to open the show.

Upcoming Tour Dates

Nov 01 Iowa City, IA @ The Englert Theatre
Nov 02 Green Bay, WI @ Meyer Theatre
Nov 04 Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
Nov 05 Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
Nov 06 Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck
Nov 07 St Louis, MO @ Duck Room
Nov 09 Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar
Nov 10 Chicago, IL @ City Winery
Nov 11 Evanston, IL @ SPACE
Nov 13 Ann Arbor, MI @ The Blind Pig
Nov 14 Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe
Nov 15 Cleveland, OH @ Music Box Supper Club
Nov 17 London, Ontario @ London Music Hall
Nov 18 Toronto, Ontario @ Mod Club
Nov 20 Montreal, Quebec @ Lion d'Or
Nov 21 Ottawa, Ontario @ Mavericks
Nov 23 Hamilton, Ontario @ Molson Canadian Studio
Nov 30 New York, NY @ City Winery
Dec 01 New York, NY @ City Winery
Dec 03 Troy, NY @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
Dec 04 Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall
Dec 05 Portland, ME @ Asylum
Dec 07 Allston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
Dec 08 Fairfield, CT @ StageOne
Dec 09 Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
Dec 11 Washington, DC @ The Howard Theatre
Dec 12 Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern
Dec 14 Durham, NC @ The Carolina Theatre
Dec 15 Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Dec 16 Birmingham, AL @ WorkPlay
Dec 17 Nashville, TN @ 3rd & Lindsley
Dec 19 Asheville, NC @ New Mountain Theatre

Read More X Ambassadors For X Ambassadors, an unshakable sense of brotherhood has long shaped the sound and spirit of the band. Growing up in small-town upstate New York, frontman Sam Harris ... Skylar Grey For the 10th edition of Red White and Blue, this is a bonus color: Fifty Shades of Grey. ... 14. “I Know You” - Skylar Grey ... Kevin Garrett Also on the bill was Brooklyn's Kevin Garrett; he's joined by Sean Mullins on drums and Jeremy McDonald on keys/etc. Garrett's set included some very sensitive/personal ...

X AMBASSADORS
at First Ave
Wednesday, 11/04/2015, 7:30pm ($15/Sold Out)
first-avenue.com

The first time we saw X Ambassadors, they were the support act for Canadian singer Lights. At the time, we noted that they had family connection in the Twin Cities: "The band, who has producer connections to, and has opened for Imagine Dragons, has learned the art of audience participation well and had a built-in cheering section, as several members of guitarist Noah Feldshuh’s family were enthusiastically present on the main floor."

Their single "Jungle" (featured both Jay Z and Jamie N Commons) winning the Bronze Award at the 2015 CLIO Awards (for providing the soundtrack to the latest round of Jeep ads), and recently, their latest single "Renegades" is a hit in the charts (#19 at Pop Radio, #3 at Hot AC, #18 at Top 40, #3 at Alternative and #27 on the Hot 100).

Five-time GRAMMY-nominated singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Skylar Grey is listed to open. Her critically acclaimed album Don't Look Down (KIDinaKORNER/Interscope Records) was produced by Eminem and Alex Da Kid.

Joining on this sold-out show will be Kevin Garrett, a musician that is on both MTV and Grammys' "artist-to-watch" list. Garrett's latest single "Refuse" previewed on Zane Lowe’s Beats One Apple Music Radio Show... taken from his Mellow Drama EP.

Tour Dates:

11/03 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
11/04 Minneapolis, MN Mill City Nights
11/06 Des Moines, IA Wooly's
11/07 Kanas City, MO Arvest Bank Theater
11/09 Dallas, TX House of Blues
11/10 Dallas, TX House of Blues
11/11 Austin, TX Scoot In
11/13 Tucson, AZ The Rock
11/14 Los Angeles, CA Fonda Theater
11/15 San Diego, CA Observatory North Par

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

Small Black with Snowmine at Turf Club, St Paul (04/05/14)

Tour Poster Tour Dates 04/06/14 Chicago, IL Schubas Tavern 04/08/14 Columbus, OH Double Happiness 04/09/14 Detroit, MI Magic Stick 04/10/14 Ithaca, NY The Haunt 04/11/14 Montreal, QC Club Lambi 04/12/14 Burlington, VT Signal Kitchen 04/13/14 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom All dates with Snowmine Read More Small Black Small Black is back on tour, and stopping by St Paul's Turf Club next Saturday, April 5th. The band will likely play tracks from their latest Limits Of Desire and upcoming EP Real People (out April 1st via Jagjaguwar). … Snowmine Snowmine are back with a live video and some shop talk. We previously covered their CMJ 2011 performance at the Living Room NYC as part of the Paper Garden Records showcase. Well, the boys are hard at work … Aaron and the Sea Kicking off the night was Minneapolis' Aaron and the Sea (otherwise shortened to AATS), an electropop/synth one-man show. I wasn't familiar with his work …

Small Black are currently on their Real People North American Tour 2014, stopping by St Paul's the Turf Club last night. The tour is in support of their latest EP Real People, which came out April 1st, on Jagjaguwar.

Aaron and the Sea

Opening up the show was Aaron and the Sea. We've seen Aaron a few times before, so we already anticipated what his sound was like: just very emotional. We also knew about his own light setup on stage. However, new, at least to me, was an additional programmer on stage. Aaron and the Sea's latest release is Cloak & Dagger EP.

Snowmine

Although this was Snowmine's first time ever in Minnesota (even though their name fits very well with the state's climate), we've actually been following this "super-hipindie pop" band for quite a while. Lara first saw them at CMJ in 2011 and she raved about them, saying they look like they came off of a plane from 1980 and their music was a combination of electronica, funk/dance, tribal, and, yes, classical.

The band played tracks from their album Dialects (out now via Mystery Buildings), such as "Columbus". However, it would seem that their previous album Laminate Pet Animal also got lots of love when they started playing "Let Me In" and their set finale "Beast in the Air, Beast in the Water".

Small Black took the stage a little after 11pm, and they were armed with plenty of colorful lighting and a smoke machine. The setup was similar to their appearance at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis last year. Laurie described the band as "80s-style keyboard riff and ultra dance-y beat", which I'll have to say I will agree with that statement.

As expected, Small Black played some tracks from their latest EP Real People, including the title track, so people weren't that familiar with the new tracks just yet... however, it didn't stop the fans from dancing away.

They also played plenty of songs from Limits of Desire ("Free at Dawn", "Canoe", "Only A Shadow", just to name a few) their latest album from Jagjaguwar.

If you want some 80s-synth-pop action, then this new Snowmine/Small Black tour was made for you. The two bands will wrap up the Real People tour on April 13th at the Bowery in New York.

Small Black at Turf Club, St Paul (04/05/14)

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

Minneapolis Music Guide: March 30 - April 5, 2014

Here is a guide of some Minneapolis (and St Paul) shows next week: March 30 - April 5.

Read More Perfect Pussy Perfect Pussy are a noise-punk band from New York. They are excited to be confirmed for NPR's SXSW Showcase on March 12th at Stubb's in Austin. As expected with many of these bands, they tour around SXSW, so the tour is …

MARCH 30: 7TH STREET ENTRY
Perfect Pussy w/ Condominium + The Miami Dolphins

Across the street at the Mill City Nights is Gary Numan w/ Big Black Delta + Roman Remains. John is covering the late 70s/80s icon... here's hoping he does his hit "Cars" song.

Zeal Hot Records

Opening up for Numan will be Big Black Delta and Roman Remains. The latter is basically The Duke Spirit (Liela Moss and Toby Butler), in support of their full-length album, Zeal, out now on Dhani Harrison (George's son)'s H.O.T Records Ltd.

Hopefully, if it works out, I'll be at 7th Street to cover Perfect Pussy. The NY band has been touring relentlessly in support of their acclaimed new album Say Yes To Love, which is out now on Captured Tracks. Lots of buzz for this band, especially from NPR, SPIN, Stereogum, NME, and, of course, Pitchfork.

Opening up for the Perfect P will be Condominium (read about them here) and The Miami Dolphins. I believe both bands are from Minneapolis.

Perfect Pussy's tour dates:

03/27/14 Calgary, AB Tubby Dog 03/28/14 Regina, SK German Club 03/29/14 Winnepeg, MB Dead Lobster 03/30/14 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry 04/01/14 Chicago, IL Township 04/02/14 Columbus, OH Ace Of Cups 04/03/14 Pittsburgh, PA The Shop 04/04/14 Brooklyn, NY Death By Audio 04/05/14 New York, NY Mercury Lounge 04/24/14 Cambridge, MA Middle East Downstairs 04/25/14 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church 04/26/14 Washington, DC DC9 04/27/14 Richmond, VA Gallery 5

04/28/14 Raleigh, NC King's Barcade 04/29/14 Atlanta, GA The Mammal Gallery 04/30/14 Birmingham, AL BottleTree 05/01/14 Cambridge, MA Middle East Upstairs 05/02/14 Cambridge, MA Senior House MIT 05/03/14 Austin, TX Hotel Vegas 05/05/14 Oklahoma City, OK The Conservatory 05/06/14 St. Louis, MO Melt 05/07/14 Omaha, NE Sweatshop Gallery 05/08/14 Iowa City, IA Gabe's 05/09/14 Kalamazoo, MI Shakespeares Lower Level 05/10/14 Detroit, MI Trumbullplex Theatre 05/30/14 La Jolla, CA Che Cafe Collective 07/20/14 Pitchfork Music Festival

Read More Boy & Bear Boy & Bear is a band from Sydney, Australia. It started in 2009 as a solo project for singer/songwriter Dave Hosking, but eventually expanded into a full functioning band. …

MARCH 31: 7TH STREET ENTRY
Boy & Bear w/ Dresses
7:00pm | $15.00 | 18+

Australia's Boy & Bear is currently in the US to support their album Harlequin Dream, which reached #1 on Australia's ARIA Album Chart.

Opening up will be Portland-based indie-pop band Dresses, comprising of (girl singer) Timothy Heller and Jared Ryan Maldonado.

Tour dates:

03/26/14 Cambridge, MA The Sinclair
03/27/14 Montreal, QC La Sala Rossa
03/28/14 Toronto, ON The Garrison
03/29/14 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
03/31/14 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
04/01/14 Winnipeg, MB Park Theatre Cafe
04/02/14 Saskatoon, SK Amigos Cantina
04/03/14 Calgary, AB The Gateway @ SAIT
04/04/14 Edmonton, AB The Starlite Room
04/06/14 Vancouver, BC Electric Owl
04/08/14 San Francisco, CA Bottom Of The Hill
04/09/14 West Hollywood, CA Troubadour
04/13/14 West Coast Blues & Roots Festival
08/15/14 Pukkelpop Festival

Small things

Read More Small Black With almost all the lights off in the auditorium, save for a few bright neon lights flashing over the band, they started their set with the song 'Photojournalist'. A rhythmic, pulsating anthem-of-sorts, it started the show off on a good foot. …

SMALL BLACK
small-black.com

We recently covered Small Black at The Cedar in Minneapolis, well it looks like the band just announced their new fall tour dates with STRFKR.

The band also just debut their new live video for their song, "Breathless", which you can see on YouTube. The video was filmed at 285 Kent in Brooklyn and Ovvio Arte in Nashville, showcasing the band's energetic live set.

Small Black's Limits of Desire album is out now on Jagjaguwar, see them on tour:

07/14/13 Montauk, NY - Surf Lodge
07/20/13 Denver, CO - The UMS
09/03/13 Pittsburgh, PA - Altar Bar^
09/04/13 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club^
09/06/13 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer^
09/07/13 New York, NY - Terminal 5^
09/08/13 New Haven, CT - Toad's Place^
09/09/13 Boston, MA - Royale^
09/10/13 Portland, ME - Port City Music Hall^
09/12/13 Burlington, VT - Higher Ground^
09/13/13 Montreal, QC - Corona^
09/14/13 Toronto, ON - The Opera House^
09/15/13 Detroit, MI - Crofoot Ballroom^
09/20/13 Barcelona, Spain - BAM
09/21/13 Lisbon, Portugal - Musicbox
09/23/13 Paris, France - La Fleche d'Or
09/25/13 Lausanne, Switzerland - Le Romandie
09/26/13 Luzerne, Switzerland - Treibhaus
09/27/13 Offenbach, Germany - Hafen 2
09/28/13 Hamburg, Germany - Reeperbahn Festival
09/29/13 Aarhus, Denmark - Musikcafeen
09/30/13 Oslo, Norway - Revolver
10/01/13 Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Slussen
10/02/13 Gothenburg, Sweden - Pustervikbaren
10/03/13 Copenhagen, Denmark - Loppen
10/04/13 Berlin, Germany - Kantine Am Berghain
10/05/13 Amsterdam, Netherlands - The Paradiso
10/07/13 Brighton, UK - The Hope
10/08/13 Manchester, UK - Soup Kitchen
10/09/13 Bristol, UK - Start The Bus
10/10/13 London, UK - Sebright Arms
10/11/13 Brussels, Belgium - Witloof Bar Botanique
10/12/13 Lille, France - La Peniche

^ = w/STRFKR

INCAN ABRAHAM
incanabraham.com

Los Angeles' psychedelic pop four piece Incan Abraham recently announced what they are calling a "Microtour" with just three tour dates for this week. The tour is in support of their latest single, "Tuolumne", coming out this summer on White Iris Records.

The microtour kicks off at The Echo in Los Angeles this Thursday (07/11), which Jess will be there to witness and report back. Opening up will be Cotillion and Memory Motel.

Microtour dates:

7/11 - Los Angeles (Echo)
7/12 - San Diego (The Void):
7/13 - Orange County (Detroit Bar):

LITTLE LEGEND
littlelegend.us

Now Way To Tell is the new EP from Madison's Little Legend. The EP was just released on July 2nd via The Record Machine.

Their biography lists that the main singer/songwriter Brandy Tudor moved from Montana to Wisconsin, where he fell in love with the works of poet/writer Flannery O’Connor.

Track listing for the EP as follows:

1. Nowhere Fast
2. Heavyweight
3. For Heaven’s Sake
4. Bailout

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com

Small Black at The Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (06/04/13)

Tour Dates 06/07 Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Cabaret 06/08 Seattle WA - Bargoza 06/09 Portland OR - Bunk Bar 06/11 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw 06/13 Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex 06/14 San Diego, CA - Soda Bar 06/15 Phoenix, AZ - Last Exit 06/17 Dallas TX - Club Dada 06/18 Austin, TX - Red 7 06/19 Houston, TX - Fitzgeralds 06/21 New Orleans, LA - Hiho Lounge 06/22 Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn 06/23 Nashville, TN - Exit In 06/24 Chapell Hill, NC - Local 506 06/25 Washington, DC - Rock&Roll Hotel 06/30 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall Read More Small Black Small Black just released a new album titled "Limits of Desire", and are coming to the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis on Tuesday, June 4 to play the new songs live. Small Black offers up a unique …

It was odd to attend a show at The Cedar that wasn't sold out. In fact, very few people were in attendance for the Small Black show on Tuesday, June 4, but that's not to say it wasn't extremely fulfilling.

With almost all the lights off in the auditorium, save for a few bright neon lights flashing over the band, they started their set with the song 'Photojournalist'. A rhythmic, pulsating anthem-of-sorts, it started the show off on a good foot. Already the crowd of perhaps 50 were bobbing and moving about, as they then switched to a song 'Canoe', off their brand new album 'Limits of Desire'. They switched gears and played a song off their 2008 self-titled EP, called 'Bad Lover' and that's when I really got into it. The 5-song EP solidified them as a heavy contender against all the other "electronic indie" or "chillwave" bands coming out at that same time, even if Small Black didn't garner as much buzz as the others.

They continued with a few more cuts off 'Limits of Desire', including 'Proper Spirit', which got the crowd dancing around quite a bit more than before with its 80s-style keyboard riff and ultra dance-y beat. They noted that this was their first tour with a full band, including guitars, and that the guitarists were having so much fun being able to add new layers to the music with their live shows. The bassist/guitarist impressed me more than a few times with his ability to switch between guitar and bass seamlessly and really showcase his abilities on both instruments. It was also fun to watch the singer dance around with his microphone, all while occasionally turning a knob or two on his mixer/sequencer. The fog machine and flashing colorful lights made me forget where I was a few times during the show.

They played a handful of other songs from each of their releases, including 'New Chain', Breathless', Outskirts', 'Only a Shadow', ending with 'No Stranger'. They didn't play an encore, but I believe they felt as equally satisfied in their performance as did the crowd, and that more may have taken from the amount of greatness they showcased for us.

Small Black at the Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (06/04/13)

laurie ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ small-black.com

Black and Blue and Red all over

Read More Fck Buttons One of the most unfriendly radio band name is Fuck Buttons. They're basically two experimental DJs of Andrew Hung & Benjamin John Power from Bristol and Street Horrrsing will be released March 18th, 2008. …

F--- BOTTONS
fuckbuttons.co.uk

Once again, the mainstream-friendly named band, Bristol's Fuck Buttons, is back with their third album, Slow Focus (coming out July 23rd via ATP Recordings).

They recently unveiled "The Red Wing", which is a track from the upcoming album (but the single version remained unedited). The full version will be available in limited gold vinyl 12" (why not red?) and, of course, digital.

Fuck Buttons' Benjamin John Power, had this to say about the song, " “The Red Wing” has a sense of fear and of loneliness, as if deserted in an abandoned city. The feeling of malevolence is something we hadn't really explored in our music prior to this."

The duo will also be hitting this year's Glastonbury Festival, as well as other UK festivals, see the complete Summer 2013 UK and European festival dates below:

06/21/13 - Best Kept Secret Festival
06/22/13 - Body & Soul Festival
06/29/13 - Glastonbury Festival
08/15-8/18/13 - Greenman Festival
08/31/13 - ArcTangent Festival
10/26/13 - Release The Bats

SMALL BLACK
small-black.com

Small Black just released a new album titled "Limits of Desire", and are coming to the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis on Tuesday, June 4 to play the new songs live. Small Black offers up a unique brand of lo/hi-fi electro music, often utilizing drum beats from old Casio keyboards. I initially heard them back in 2008 when their self-titled EP dropped and was immediately drawn in by their sound. Their heavily reverbed vocals float over funky synths and vintage keyboards. Although the two albums since their first EP are a bit more cleaned-up sounding, they are still churning out catchy synth-pop songs worthy of a listen time and time again.

Opening for Small Black at the Cedar Cultural Center is Heavenly Beat, which is a project started up by the former bassist for the band Beach Fossils. Breezy guitar licks over synths and catchy beats, they'll be worth your time to show up early and catch live.

Tickets are $12 and will also be available at the door for the same price. Show starts at 7:30.

06/01 Ferndale, MI - Loving Touch 06/03 Chicago, IL - Schubas 06/04 Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural 06/07 Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Cabaret 06/08 Seattle WA - Bargoza 06/09 Portland OR - Bunk Bar 06/11 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw 06/13 Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex 06/14 San Diego, CA - Soda Bar

06/15 Phoenix, AZ - Last Exit 06/17 Dallas TX - Club Dada 06/18 Austin, TX - Red 7 06/19 Houston, TX - Fitzgeralds 06/21 New Orleans, LA - Hiho Lounge 06/22 Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn 06/23 Nashville, TN - Exit In 06/24 Chapell Hill, NC - Local 506 06/25 Washington, DC - Rock&Roll Hotel 06/30 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall

BLUE-EYED SON
blueeyedson.com

California's Blue-Eyed Son is currently on tour in support of their EP called Shadows on the Son (which just came out last month on Eenie Meenie Records). If you were wondering about the name, it's basically blue-eyed Andrew Heilprin, who noted, "I'm my mom's blue-eyed son. I'm gonna take that name and run with it."

Tour dates below:

06/01 – Dallas, TX @ Opening Bell Coffee
06/02 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory
06/04 – Kansas City, MO @ Czar Bar
06/05 – St Louis, MO @ tba
06/06 – Rock Island, IL @ Rozz Tox
06/07 – Indianapolis, IN @ Melody Inn
06/08 – Ankenny, IA @ Ankenny Unplugged
06/09 – Minneapolis, MN @ Spirits and Soundbar
06/10 – Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
06/11 – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s
06/13 – Lincoln, NE @ Zoo Bar
06/15 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Triple Nickel Tavern
06/16 – Denver, CO @ Lion’s Lair
06/18 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
06/19 – Las Vegas, NV @ Cheyenne Saloon
06/20 – San Diego, CA @ The Griffin w/A Fine Surprise
06/22 – San Luis Obispo, CA @ Frog and Peach Pub
06/23 – Long Beach, CA @
07/05 – Venice, CA @ WitZend, 10pm
08/09 – Venice, CA @ WitZend, 10pm
09/13 – Venice, CA @ WitZend, 10pm

*w Freedy Johnston

laurie + vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com