W♥M

Minneapolis: This Week (06/11/2023)

Here are some shows, this week, in the Minneapolis/St Paul area.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide

06/05 Love and Rockets with Vinsantos at Palace Theatre Read More Love and Rockets Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins, of Bauhaus, Love and Rockets, and Tones on Tail. Joining the duo to form Poptone will be Haskins’ daughter Diva Dompé, formerly of the Los Angeles rock band Blackblack. …

06/05/2023 Monday

Love and Rockets
with Vinsantos
at Palace Theatre
first-avenue.com

From the ashes of Bauhaus, came Love and Rockets (named after the Hernandez brothers’ comic book series)… the groundbreaking trio of Daniel Ash, David J and Kevin Haskins.

Poptone (08 July 2017)

While the group broke up long before we got into music, we did see Poptone, which consisted of two of the three, in July 2017: “Poptone took the stage a little later than advertised. The trio consists of Daniel Ash, Kevin Haskins, and Diva Dompé (Haskins’ daughter). The former two were previously in Bauhaus, Tones on Tail, and Love & Rockets.”

I supposed after the sudden cancellation of Bauhaus Reunion 2022 shows, due to Peter Murphy entering a rehabilitation facility for health and well-being… the rest of the band decided maybe to continue as Love and Rockets.

Vinsantos set to open.

Tour Dates:

May 20 Los Angeles, CA Cruel World
May 21 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
May 24 Salt Lake City, UT Sandy Amphitheater
May 26 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
May 27 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
May 28 Seattle, WA Moore Theate
June 5 St. Paul, MN Palace Theatre
June 6 Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre
June 7 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Hall
June 9 Brooklyn, NY Kings Theater
June 10 Philadelphia, PA Fillmore
June 11 Silver Spring, MD Fillmore
June 13 Atlanta, GA Coca Cola Roxy
June 15 Dallas, TX Factory in Deep Ellum
June 16 Austin, TX ACL Live
June 17 San Antonio, TX Boeing Center

06/08 Wavves and Cloud Nothings with Ultra Q at Fine Line Read More Wavves After a brief intermission, fellow So Cal garage punk/pop cohorts Wavves blasted in with an equally relentless 52min set (no encore, apparently not ‘punk’ to do so). “Idiot” appropriately started their set ..… Cloud Nothings Cleveland’s Cloud Nothings have booked a massive tour, starting in 2021 and going on to 2022 (not listed below). The tour is in support of their new album The Shadow I Remember (Carpark Records). . …

06/08/2023 Thursday

Wavves and Cloud Nothings
with Ultra Q
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Cloud Nothings and Wavves are teaming up for a co-headlining North American tour this summer. Their co-headlining tour kicks off on June 8th in Minneapolis, at the Fine Line Music Café. The tour spans 20 cities across the continent.

Wavves (29 Mar 2013)

We saw Wavves in Mar 2013 and said, “After a brief intermission, fellow So Cal garage punk/pop cohorts Wavves blasted in with an equally relentless 52min set (no encore, apparently not ‘punk’ to do so). “Idiot” appropriately started their set, only to be hindered early on, by lack of a channel in singer Nathan Williams’ monitor speakers. "Bug," from 2011’s Life Sux EP followed by "Take on the World" next, before the band played its recent and maybe most accessible song to date, "Demon to Lean On”, from the new ‘Afraid of Heights’ which understandably got a noisy positive response, despite being so early into the set.”

Ultra Q (named after Ultraman’s first series) to open.

Tour dates:

6/1 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall +
6/2 - Vancouver, BCC @ Rickshaw Theatre +
6/3 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile +
6/8 - Minneapolis, MN @ The Fine Line
6/9 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
6/10 - Detroit, MI @ El Club
6/11 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
6/13 - Buffalo, NY @ Rec Room
6/14 - Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix
6/16 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
6/17 - New York, NY @ LPR
6/18 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
6/20 - Washington D.C. @ Union Stage
6/21 - Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry
6/23 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade - Heaven
6/24 - Nashville, TN @ Eastside Bowl
6/26 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk
6/27 - Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips
6/29 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sister
6/30 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
7/1 - San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park
7/2 - Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory OC
7/3 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent
7/5 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
7/6 - Sacramento, CA @ Harlow's
7/8 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court *
7/9 - Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater *
7/11 - Kansas City, KS @ The Rino *
7/13 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups *

+ = Wavves only
* = Cloud Nothings Only

06/10 The Bad Plus with Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog and Alan Sparhawk (of Low) at First Avenue Read More Bad Plus Bill Frisell and Jazz trio the Bad Plus (drummer Dave King, pianist Ethan Iverson, and bassist Reid Anderson) will be reconstructing the first 10 years of recordings of Frisell in this very special …

06/10/2023 Saturday

The Bad Plus
with Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog and Alan Sparhawk (of Low)
at First Avenue
first-avenue.com

Jazz band The Bad Plus is returning to Minneapolis… which is described as a “ one-night-only triple-bill at Minneapolis, MN’s famed First Avenue featuring special guest Alan Sparhawk (of Low).”

The band is described as “one of the most enduring and acclaimed working bands in jazz” by the Jazz Times.

Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog is also on the bill.

So, if you’re into jazz and you like Low, this June 10th show is the place to be.

Tour dates:

06/09 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall †
06/10 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue † ^
06/11 – Madison, WI – Madison Jazz Festival †
06/13 – Indianapolis, IN – Toby Theater †
06/14 – Nashville, TN – 3rd & Lindsley †
06/15 – Atlanta, GA – Center Stage †
06/16 – Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle †
06/17 – Winston-Salem, NC – The Ramkat †
07/4 – Montréal, QC – Festival International De Jazz De Montréal #

* w/ Marc Ribot and the Jazz Bins
† w/ Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog
# Festival Performance
^ w/Special Guest Alan Sparhawk (of Low)

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

Minneapolis: June 7 to June 8

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

06/07 Korine with CD Ghost and SYM1 at 7th St Entry Read More Korine 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 … SYM1 Opening the show was local vocalist/producer SYM1 (formerly known as Symone Smash It). She seemed to be really into anime, cyberpunk, and cosplay, as evident by her stage costume. …

06/07/2023 Wednesday

Korine
with CD Ghost and SYM1
at 7th St Entry
first-avenue.com

Philadelphia’s electronic pop band Korine is back in town… and this time they are the headliner.

Korine (07 Aug 2021)

We saw the band in Aug 2021 and noted, “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.”

SYM1 (12 Nov 2022)

CD Ghost and SYM1 to open. We saw SYM1 recently and wrote, “Opening the show was local vocalist/producer SYM1 (formerly known as Symone Smash It). She seemed to be really into anime, cyberpunk, and cosplay, as evident by her stage costume.”

Tour Dates:

May 11 Baltimore, MD, US Metro Gallery
May 12 Raleigh, NC, US The Pour House Music Hall
May 13 Charlotte, NC, US Snug Harbor
May 14 Nashville, TN, US Cobra
May 15 Atlanta, GA, US Boggs Social and Supply
May 16 Winter Park, FL, US Conduit
May 17 Tampa, FL, US Crow Bar
May 19 Houston, TX, US Black Magic Social Club
May 20 Austin, TX, US The Lost Well
May 21 Dallas, TX, US Club Dada
May 22 San Antonio, TX, US Paper Tiger
May 23 El Paso, TX, US The Reagan
May 24 Phoenix, AZ, US The Rebel Lounge
May 25 San Diego, CA, US Whistle Stop
May 26 Los Angeles (LA), CA, US Resident
May 27 San Francisco, CA, US DNA Lounge
May 28 Sacramento, CA, US LowBrau
May 29 Eugene, OR, US John Henry's
May 31 Seattle, WA, US Substation
Jun 1 Portland, OR, US Holocene
Jun 2 Boise, ID, US Neurolux
Jun 3 Salt Lake City, UT, US International Bar
Jun 4 Denver, CO, US Hi-Dive
Jun 6 Kansas City, MO, US Record Bar
Jun 7 Minneapolis, MN, US 7th St Entry
Jun 8 Milwaukee, WI, US Cactus Club
Jun 9 Chicago, IL, US The Empty Bottle
Jun 10 Columbus, OH, US Space Bar
Jun 12 Toronto, ON, Canada The Garrison
Jun 13 Montreal, QC, Canada Bar le Ritz PDB
Jun 14 Cambridge, MA, US Middle East
Jun 15 Cambridge, MA, US Middle East
Jun 16 Providence, RI, US Dusk
Jun 17 Brooklyn, NY, US Saint Vitus Bar
Sep 29 Marseille, France Le Molotov
Oct 4 Paris, France L'International

06/08 The Cure with The Twilight Sad at Xcel Energy Center Read More The Cure One of the greatest band of all time, The Cure will be headlining the Xcel Energy Center next Tuesday, June 7th. The legendary band has numerous hits (expect them to play them all!) … Twilight Sad The evening got started on the right foot, with a band we’ve seen much more recently, Scotland’s The Twilight Sad, still in support of 2014’s Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave (Fat Cat Records). ...

06/08/2023 Thursday

The Cure
with The Twilight Sad
at Xcel Energy Center
first-avenue.com

The Cure and Twilight Sad returns to the Twin Cities this June 8th.

The Cure (07 June 2016)

We actually saw The Cure (with Twilight Sad as opener) in June 2016 and wrote, “You’d think playing thirty-four songs in three hours with four encores, was saved up to reward the fans because The Cure hadn’t played Minneapolis/St Paul since July 1996…- nope, just another night on their successful 2016 North American Tour.”

Expect to hear all the Cure’s love hit songs, including “Love Cats”, “Friday I’m in Love” and “Lovesong”.

Tour Dates:

05/10 New Orleans, La Smoothie King Center
05/12 Houston, Tx Toyota Center
05/13 Dallas, Tx Dos Equis Pavilion
05/14 Austin, Tx Moody Center
05/16 Albuquerque, Nm Isleta Amphitheater
05/18 Phoenix, Az Desert Diamond Arena
05/20 San Diego, Ca Nicu Amphitheatre
05/21 San Diego, Ca Nicu Amphitheatre
05/23 Los Angeles, Ca Hollywood Bowl
05/24 Los Angeles, Ca Hollywood Bowl
05/25 Los Angeles, Ca Hollywood Bowl
05/27 San Francisco, Ca Shoreline Amphitheatre
05/31 Portland, Or Moda Center
06/01 Seattle, Wa Climate Pledge Arena
06/02 Vancouver, Bc Rogers Arena
06/04 Salt Lake City, Ut Vivint Smart Home Arena
06/06 Denver, Co Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
06/08 Minneapolis St. Paul, Mn Xcel Energy Center
06/10 Chicago, Il United Center
06/11 Cleveland, Oh Blossom Music Center
06/13 Detroit, Mi Pine Knob Music Theatre
06/14 Toronto, On Budweiser Stage
06/16 Montreal, Qc Qc Bell Centre
06/17 Montreal, Qc Bell Centre
06/18 Boston, Ma Xfinity Center
06/20 New York, Ny Madison Square Garden
06/21 New York, Ny Madison Square Garden
06/22 New York, Ny Madison Square Garden
06/24 Philadelphia, Pa Wells Fargo Center
06/25 Columbia, Md Merriweather Post Pavilion
06/27 Atlanta, Ga State Farm Arena
06/28 Atlanta, Ga State Farm Arena
06/29 Tampa, Fl Amalie Arena
07/01 Miami, Fl Miami-Dade Arena

06/08 Wavves and Cloud Nothings with Ultra Q at Fine Line Read More Wavves After a brief intermission, fellow So Cal garage punk/pop cohorts Wavves blasted in with an equally relentless 52min set (no encore, apparently not ‘punk’ to do so). “Idiot” appropriately started their set ..… Cloud Nothings Cleveland’s Cloud Nothings have booked a massive tour, starting in 2021 and going on to 2022 (not listed below). The tour is in support of their new album The Shadow I Remember (Carpark Records). . …

06/08/2023 Thursday

Wavves and Cloud Nothings
with Ultra Q
at Fine Line
first-avenue.com

Cloud Nothings and Wavves are teaming up for a co-headlining North American tour this summer. Their co-headlining tour kicks off on June 8th in Minneapolis, at the Fine Line Music Café. The tour spans 20 cities across the continent.

Wavves (29 Mar 2013)

We saw Wavves in Mar 2013 and said, “After a brief intermission, fellow So Cal garage punk/pop cohorts Wavves blasted in with an equally relentless 52min set (no encore, apparently not ‘punk’ to do so). “Idiot” appropriately started their set, only to be hindered early on, by lack of a channel in singer Nathan Williams’ monitor speakers. "Bug," from 2011’s Life Sux EP followed by "Take on the World" next, before the band played its recent and maybe most accessible song to date, "Demon to Lean On”, from the new ‘Afraid of Heights’ which understandably got a noisy positive response, despite being so early into the set.”

Ultra Q (named after Ultraman’s first series) to open.

Tour dates:

6/1 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall +
6/2 - Vancouver, BCC @ Rickshaw Theatre +
6/3 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile +
6/8 - Minneapolis, MN @ The Fine Line
6/9 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
6/10 - Detroit, MI @ El Club
6/11 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
6/13 - Buffalo, NY @ Rec Room
6/14 - Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix
6/16 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
6/17 - New York, NY @ LPR
6/18 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
6/20 - Washington D.C. @ Union Stage
6/21 - Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry
6/23 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade - Heaven
6/24 - Nashville, TN @ Eastside Bowl
6/26 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk
6/27 - Fort Worth, TX @ Tulips
6/29 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sister
6/30 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
7/1 - San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park
7/2 - Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory OC
7/3 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent
7/5 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
7/6 - Sacramento, CA @ Harlow's
7/8 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court *
7/9 - Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater *
7/11 - Kansas City, KS @ The Rino *
7/13 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups *

+ = Wavves only
* = Cloud Nothings Only

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

Minneapolis: May 23 to May 31, 2017

Here are some concerts taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from May 23 to May 31, 2017.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Perfume Genius Seattle's Mike Hadreas, or otherwise known as Perfume Genius, is stopping by Minneapolis on September 30th, as part of his tour to support his new album Too Bright, (out September 23 on …

PERFUME GENIUS
at Cedar Cultural Center
Wednesday 05/24/17 (7pm/$17)
thecedar.org

Perfume Genius (aka Mike Hadreas) is stopping by the Cedar Cultural Center in support of his fourth record No Shape (Matador Records). The album was recorded in Los Angeles, produced by Blake Mills, mixed by Shawn Everett.

You may have recall us writing about Hadreas when his breakout record Too Bright was released 2014.

serpentwithfeet to open.

Tour dates:

May 18 - Union Transfer - Philadelphia, PA
May 19 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC
May 20 - Terminal West - Atlanta, GA
May 21 - Exit/In - Nashville, TN
May 23 - Back Room - Milwaukee, WI
May 24 - Cedar Cultural Center - Minneapolis, MN
May 25 - Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL
June 16 - Eaux Claires Festival - Eau Claire, WI
June 17 - Eaux Claires Festival - Eau Claire, WI
July 15 - Imperial - Vancouver, BC
Jul 16 - Revolution Hall - Portland, OR
Jul 18 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA
Jul 19 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA
Jul 23 - Capitol Hill Block Party - Seattle, WA

*support on all May dates will be serpentwithfeet

Read More Wavves After a brief intermission, fellow So Cal garage punk/pop cohorts Wavves blasted in with an equally relentless 52min set (no encore, apparently not ‘punk’ to do so). “Idiot” appropriately started their set ..…

WAVVES
at Triple Rock Social Club
Wednesday 05/24/17 (7pm/$20)
triplerocksocialclub.com

Wavves is currently on tour for their forthcoming album You're Welcome. The record comes out tomorrow, May 19th.

We previously saw Wavves in 2013 and wrote, “After a brief intermission, fellow So Cal garage punk/pop cohorts Wavves blasted in with an equally relentless 52min set (no encore, apparently not ‘punk’ to do so). “Idiot” appropriately started their set, only to be hindered early on, by lack of a channel in singer Nathan Williams’ monitor speakers. "Bug," from 2011’s Life Sux EP followed by "Take on the World" next, before the band played its recent and maybe most accessible song to date, "Demon to Lean On”, from the new ‘Afraid of Heights’ which understandably got a noisy positive response, despite being so early into the set.”

Show up early to check out Kino Kimino (aka Kim Talon), from “the snowy wilds of Manitoba.” Kino Kimino’s debut record Bait Is For Sissies is out now.

Wavves Tour Dates:

5/18 - Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace $
5/20 - Columbus, OH - The A&R Music Bar $
5/22 - Indianapolis, IN - The Hi Fi $
5/23 - Chicago, IL - The Bottom Lounge $
5/24 - Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock #
5/25 - Kansas City, MO - The Record Bar #
5/27 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey #
5/28 - Austin, TX - Mohawk #
5/30 - Santa Fe, CA - Skylight #
5/31 - Phoenix, AZ - The Pressroom #
6/01 - San Diego, CA - Irenic #
6/02 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram #
6/03 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent #
6/05 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile #
6/06 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre #

$ W/ Post Animal
# W/ Kino Kimino

Read More Everclear It's 1990 all over again with the annual "Summerland Tour". The 90s nostalgia tour was created by singer/guitarist Art Alexakis from Everclear, which would explain why they have headlined Summerland since its inception … 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 … Ha Ha Tonka Ha Ha Tonka closed with fantastic harmonies and an interesting mix of twangy country and rock. The band moved the audience to sing and dance along. The set was memorable … Soundset Soundset is the music festival put on by Rhymesayers Entertainment. This is happening at Canterbury Park in Shakopee. Tickets are more than $46 (I couldn't tell because Ticketweb .... Girlpool Los Angeles' Girlpool to arrive at Triple Rock Social Club. Locals Kitten Forever and Half Tramp will open (8pm/$10). …

Other shows in the area:

05/23/17 Justin Townes Earle will be headlining First Avenue on May 23rd in support of his new album Kids In The Street (New West Records). Earle will be bringing his longtime guitarist Paul Niehaus alongside The Sadies as his backing band (the band will also open the show). Also on the bill, Sammy Brue. 7pm, $22.

05/24/17 Legendary Neil Diamond to headline Xcel Energy Center. 7pm, $29.50.

05/25/17 American rock band Gov't Mule (fronted by winning artist Warren Haynes) is headed to the The State Theatre in Minneapolis on Thursday. 7pm, $51.50.

05/26/17 Multi-platinum rockers Everclear is touring in celebration of the 20th anniversary of So Much For The Afterglow. This is the band’s best known record, and they will be performing the entire album! They play Treasure Island Resort and Casino in Welch, Minnesota. Vertical Horizon and Fastball to open. 7pm, $27.

05/26/17 The last time Michael Kiwanuka was on tour, he had to cancel the tour. He’s making it up now with the upcoming show at First Avenue (originally scheduled at Cedar Cultural Center, but was upgraded to the bigger stage). Cloves to open. 7pm, $18.

05/26/17 Pallbearer will be at 7th Street Entry in support of Heartless. Inter Arma, Gatecreeper and Iosis will open. 7:30pm, $15.

05/27/17 Boston to play Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake. 7pm, $56.

05/27/17 The classically trained, five-piece Minneapolis-based band Tabah will be playing the Triple Rock Social Club on Saturday. The record debut album Symmetry Somewhere is available now. Jaedyn James & the Hunger and Kind Red Spirits to open. 9pm, $6.

05/28/17 The popular Soundset will be at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds this year. 11am, $94.

05/31/17 Free Throw will be headlining the Garage in Burnsville, Minnesota. Homesafe and Heart Attack Man , among others, to open. 6pm, $12.

05/31/17 Ha Ha Tonka to play Turf Club in St Paul. Trapper Schoepp to open. 7:30pm, $12.

05/31/17 Girlpool is playing the 7th Street Entry next Wednesday. Ian Sweet and Snail Mail to open. 7:30pm, $16.

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

Minneapolis: September 22, 2015

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on September 22, 2015.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Beach House One thing about Beach House that stands out above the rest is their mysterious stage performance. Victoria belts out her exquisite lyrics from under her infamous locks of hair, always keeping the crowd …

BEACH HOUSE
at First Avenue
Tuesday, 09/22/2015, 7:30pm ($25/Sold Out)
first-avenue.com

Don't have a ticket to this sold out Beach House show next Tuesday, September 22nd? No problem, there are still some tickets available for their second night, September 23rd.

Jessica Pratt to open. You may recall that we previously mentioned that she was in town last July at the Cedar Cultural Center. She will be showcasing some tracks from her latest album On Your Own Love Again, available now on Drag City.

Tour dates:

09/17 in Columbus, OH at Newport Music Hall*
09/18 in Cincinnati, OH at Bogart's*
09/19 in Royal Oak, MI at Royal Oak Music Theatre*
09/21 in Milwaukee, WI at Pabst Theatre*
09/22 in Minneapolis, MN at First Avenue*
09/23 in Minneapolis, MN at First Avenue*
09/25 in Omaha, NE at Slowdown*
09/26 in Lawrence, KS at Liberty Hall*
09/27 in St. Louis, MO at The Pageant*
09/28 in Memphis, TN at Minglewood Hall*
09/29 in Tulsa, OK at Cain's Ballroom*
10/03 in Birmingham, AL at Saturn*
10/04 in Nashville, TN at Ryman Auditorium*
10/06 in Atlanta, GA at Buckhead Theatre*
10/07 in Asheville, NC at Orange Peel*
10/08 in Saxaphahaw, NC at Haw River Ballroom*

*all dates with Jessica Pratt

Read More Ibeyi French Cuban twins, Naomi and Lisa-Kaindé Díaz (daughters of the late Cuban percussion Anga Díaz), are known on stage as Ibeyi. They announced their first ever North American tour ...

IBEYI
at Mill City Nights
Tuesday, 09/22/2015, 8pm ($20)
millcitynights.com

NPR named Ibeyi's album as one of their "25 Favorite Albums of 2015" and also named Ibeyi one of their "Favorite Artists of 2015."

We previously caught the twin sisters (Naomi and Lisa-Kainde Diaz) at the Cedar Cultural Center last March 2015, and wrote, "The combination of vocals, traditional Cuban instruments, and electronic loops/beats, gave Ibeyi's music a broad appeal to both old and young world music fans."

Viktor Taiwo to open.

Tour dates:

09/18/15 Mayan Theatre Los Angeles
09/19/15 Symbiosis Gathering Oakdale
09/22/15 Mill City Nights Minneapolis
09/23/15 Thalia Hall Chicago
09/24/15 The Ready Room St Louis
09/26/15 Mercy Lounge Nashville
09/27/15 Terminal West Atlanta
09/28/15 Haw River Ballroom Graham
09/30/15 9:30 Club Washington
10/02/15 Webster Hall New York
10/03/15 Royale Boston
10/04/15 Virgin Mobile Corona Theatre Montreal
10/09/15 Ancienne Belgique Brussels
10/10/15 La Cartonnerie Reims
10/12/15 Le Trianon Paris
10/13/15 La Vapeur Dijon
10/14/15 Nancy Jazz Pulsations Nancy
10/16/15 Ouest Park Festival Le Havre
11/02/15 Concorde 2 Brighton
11/03/15 Koko London
11/04/15 Trinity Bristol
11/06/15 Oobleck Birmingham
11/07/15 Brudenell Leeds
11/08/15 Gorilla Manchester
11/10/15 King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut Glasgow
11/18/15 Le Bikini Toulouse
11/19/15 Paloma Nimes
11/20/15 Théâtre de Villefranche Villefranche Sur SaÔne
12/08/15 Melkweg Oude Zaal Amsterdam
12/09/15 Mojo Club Hamburg
12/11/15 Kesselhaus Berlin
12/12/15 Kantine Cologne
12/13/15 Technikum Münich

Read More Man Man Man Man, the alt-experimentalists from Philadelphia are back on the road after a stint with Gogol Bordello, in support of their latest, last year’s On Oni Pond (ANTI- Records). …

MAN MAN
at Turf Club
Tuesday, 09/22/2015, 7:30pm ($16)
turfclub.net

We caught Man Man at a music festival in 2009, and they were clearly the stand-out highlight of that show. The high energy band will be back in Twin Cities on September 22nd at the Turf Club.

Like we have previously mentioned last year, the band is still touring in support of On Oni Pond (ANTI- Records).

Shilpa Ray to open. If the name sounded familiar, she used to be in a "Goth burlesque"-esque band called Shilpa Ray and her Happy Hookers. Since going solo, she's released three albums - her latest Last Year's Savage is out now on Northern Spy Records.

Tour dates:

09/14/15 Petaluma, CA Lagunitas Brewing Co
09/15/15 Eugene, OR WOW Hall
09/16/15 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre
09/17/15 Vancouver, BC Venue
09/18/15 Seattle, WA Neumos
09/19/15 Spokane, WA The Bartlett
09/22/15 Saint Paul, MN Turf Club
09/23/15 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
09/24/15 Cleveland Heights, OH Grog Shop
09/25/15 Harrisburg, PA The Abbey Bar
09/26/15 Rocktown Beer & Music Festival
10/18/15 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Bowl

Read More Wavves After a brief intermission, fellow So Cal garage punk/pop cohorts Wavves blasted in with an equally relentless 52min set (no encore, apparently not ‘punk’ to do so). “Idiot” appropriately started their set ..… Twin Peaks This is the Chicago Twin Peaks band... I wonder if they will get sued once Showtime start their David Lynch and Mark Frost's Twin Peaks production in 2016? ...

WAVVES
at Varsity Theater
Tuesday, 09/22/2015, 6pm ($20)
varsitytheater.org

The last time we saw Wavves, it was in 2013 and we wrote, "Other highlights included “Sail to the Sun” and “Green Eyes”, ending with a jagged cover of Sonic Youth’s “100%” and ”Post Acid”, that left both band members and crowd exhausted, but exhilarated."

Chicago's Twin Peaks (no relationship to David Lynch) is possibly the other co-headliner.

Since you're all familiar with Wavves and Twin Peaks, let me tell you about the other two other bands:

Recently, Bay Area quartet SWMRS (Swimmers) released their debut single "Miley", which i-D Magazine described as "the most punk tribute to Miley Cyrus ever." Singer Cole Becker explained, "I was trying to explore my relationship to Miley Cyrus as this person who has been a presence in my life since I was really young. I feel like I grew up with her... I think it's just the fact that she does exactly what she wants. I think it's really rare to see somebody doing that. She's a business commodity, but seems to have maintained a lot of creative autonomy, which I think is super punk rock. And the fact that she's standing up for sexual freedom and gender fluidity - I think that's really important, and something that not a lot of pop stars are doing."

Steep Leans is the solo project of songwriter Gray Somers. He recently signed to Ghost Ramp and released his debut LP, Grips On Heat, which Noisey is currently streaming the album from now until it's release date on September 18th (in four days).

Wavves Tour Dates:

09/08/15 - Seattle, WA @ Neptune *
09/09/15 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom *
09/10/15 - San Francisco, CA @ Bimbo's *
09/11/15 - Orange County, CA @ Constellation *
09/12/15 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour *
09/14/15 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom *
09/15/15 - San Diego, CA @ North Park *
09/16/15 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom *
09/18/15 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk *
09/19/15 - Dallas, TX @ Prophet *
09/20/15 - Lawrence, KS @ Granada *
09/21/15 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre $
09/22/15 - Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity $
09/24/15 - Milwaukee @ Rave $
09/25/15 - Chicago, IL @ The Vic $
09/26/15 - Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre $
09/27/15 - Toronto, ON @ Opera House $
09/29/15 - Columbus, OH @ Newport $
09/30/15 - Philadelphia, PA @ TLA $
10/02/15 - Brooklyn, NY @ St Vitus $
10/03/15 - New Haven, CT @ College Street $
10/05/15 - Boston, MA @ Paradise $
10/06/15 - New York, NY @ Irving $
10/07/15 - Washington DC @ 930 Club $
10/08/15 - Chapel Hill @ Local 506 $
10/09/15 - Athens, GA @ 40 Watt $
10/11/15 - Houston, TX @ HOB Peacock $

* w/ Twin Peaks and Swimmers
$ w/ Twin Peaks and Steep Leans

Read More Empress Of Lorely Rodriguez, otherwise known as Empress Of, was just in Minneapolis a few weeks ago opening up for Jungle. She seemed quite at home on stage, singing and dancing …

EMPRESS OF
at 7th Street Entry
Tuesday, 09/22/2015, 7:30pm ($10)
first-avenue.com

We randomly caught Empress Of (aka Lorely Rodriguez) when she opened up for Kimbra in Rocktober 2014. Well Rodriguez is back, this time in support of her latest Me album.

Abra and Cruel Love to open the show.

"Me & You" tour dates:

09/16/15 Allston, MA Great Scott
09/17/15 POP Montréal
09/18/15 Toronto, ON Drake Hotel
09/19/15 Waterloo, ON Starlight Social Club
09/20/15 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle
09/22/15 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
09/25/15 Vancouver, BC Biltmore Cabaret
09/27/15 Portland, OR Holocene
09/29/15 San Francisco, CA Rickshaw Stop
10/01/15 San Diego, CA Soda Bar
10/02/15 Phoenix, AZ Valley Bar
10/03/15 El Paso, TX Lowbrow Palace
10/05/15 Austin, TX The Mohawk
10/06/15 Houston, TX Rudyard's
10/09/15 III Points Festival
10/10/15 St. Petersburg, FL The Bends
10/11/15 Atlanta, GA Eyedrum
10/12/15 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle - Back Room
10/13/15 Norfolk, VA The Parlor On Granby
10/14/15 Washington, DC DC9
10/28/15 Cambridge Cambridge Junction
10/29/15 London Roundhouse
11/01/15 Antwerp, Belgium Muziekcentrum Trix
11/02/15 Luxembourg, Luxembourg Den Atelier
11/04/15 Cologne, Germany Kulturkirche
11/05/15 Prague, Czech Republic Roxy Prague
11/06/15 Warsaw, Poland Proxima
11/08/15 Stockholm, Sweden Debaser Medis
11/09/15 Oslo, Norway Rockefeller Music Hall
11/10/15 Copenhagen, Denmark Amager Bio
11/11/15 Berlin, Germany Berghain
11/12/15 Milan, Italy Tunnel
11/14/15 Madrid, Spain Joy Eslava

Read More Miracles of Modern Science Mean Dreams Miracles of Modern Science Original Release Date: August 14, 2015 Copyright: 2015 Miracles of Modern Science Total Length: 31:57 ...

MIRACLES OF MODERN SCIENCE
at Honey
Tuesday, 09/22/2015, 08:45pm ($5)
honeympls.com

New York's Chamber Pop band Miracles of Modern Science will be at Honey on September 22nd to promote their latest Mean Dreams album.

Also appearing: Treading North and Lunar Bedrooms. Both local bands have odd self-description, with Treading North as "dream funk" and Luna Bedrooms as "ghost pop."

I'm a big fan of sissy rock, myself.

Tour dates:

09/14 Rendezvous (Seattle, WA)
09/15 The Railway Club (Vancouver, BC)
09/17 Tom Grainey's (Boise, ID)
09/18 The Garage on Beck (Salt Lake City, UT)
09/19 Tuft Theater @ Swallow Hill (Denver, CO)
09/22 Honey (Minneapolis, MN)
09/23 Lion's Pause, St Olaf College (Northfield, MN)
09/25 The Hideout (Chicago, IL)
09/26 Midpoint Music Festival (Cincinnati, OH)
09/30 Maiden Alley Cinema (Paducah, KY)
10/01 Springwater Supper Club (Nashville, TN)
10/03 Silver Dollar Room (Toronto, ON)
10/05 Flour City Station (Rochester, NY)

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

Wavves / FIDLAR / Cheatahs: Live review Mar 29,2013

Wavves Setlist Idiot Bug Take on the World Demon to Lean On Beat Me Up Paranoid No Hope Kids Super Soaker Afraid of Heights Sail to the Sun Green Eyes --- King of the Beach 100% Post Acid Tour Dates 04/02/13 Columbus, OH The Basement 04/03/13 Cleveland Heights, OH Grog Shop 04/04/13 Detroit, MI Magic Stick Lounge 04/05/13 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern 04/06/13 Montreal, QC La Sala Rossa 04/08/13 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall 04/09/13 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's 04/11/13 Brooklyn, NY Glasslands Gallery 04/12/13 New York, NY Shea Stadium 04/13/13 Washington, DC Rock & Roll Hotel 04/14/13 Raleigh, NC King's Barcade 04/15/13 Atlanta, GA Drunken Unicorn 04/16/13 Nashville, TN The Mercy Lounge 04/18/13 Houston, TX Fitzgerald's 04/20/13 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom 04/21/13 Los Angeles, CA The Smell 04/22/13 Los Angeles, CA The Smell 08/03/13 Niagara, ON Butler's 08/04/13 Chicago, IL Grant Park Read More Wavves Once the hype machine roars to life, it's nearly impossible to ignore. Either you the spectator are borne up in its jaws, clamped irreversibly, or, arms akimbo, you stand and squint ..…

Wavves w/ FIDLAR and Cheatahs
7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN
Friday, March 29, 2013

         The Entry was loud Friday night, all night. – It was not the kind of three band lineup you want to forget your earplugs to, if you usually bring them. The room was sweaty as well, but with a packed house, there wasn’t a lot you could do about that, except to move with the crowd.

CHEATAHS

         UK-based Cheatahs, led by Canadian Nathan Hewitt started the night with a brief 30 min. set, playing songs from their debut, Extended Plays, including the single ‘The Swan’, which is getting radio airplay on local public radio. Their 90s inspired blend of churning guitars and heavy melodies never quite got off the launching pad in a set that was enjoyable, but hardly memorable.

FIDLAR

         Southern California’s FIDLAR followed, in support of their debut album on Mom & Pop, with an explosive 45min of punk/surf rock, set that threw the crowd immediately into a whipped up, sweat-dripped frenzy that swirled the crowd as one, from one wall edge to the opposite. From “Cheap Beer” to “Stoked and Broke” (“...cause that’s what we are”, intro'd singer Zac Carper) to “Cocaine” and “Got No Money”, the tempo kept chugging, the crowd moving, sweating and pogo-ing as one on the floor.

         “Max Can’t Surf”, “the Waiting Room” and “Wake Bake Skate”, kept the throngs moving, beer tossed in the air, crashing into a final farewell which was met by large applause, evident that much of the crowd was there to see FIDLAR, or at least ended up won over by them.

         After a brief intermission, fellow So Cal garage punk/pop cohorts Wavves blasted in with an equally relentless 52min set (no encore, apparently not ‘punk’ to do so). “Idiot” appropriately started their set, only to be hindered early on, by lack of a channel in singer Nathan Williams’ monitor speakers. "Bug," from 2011’s Life Sux EP followed by "Take on the World" next, before the band played its recent and maybe most accessible song to date, "Demon to Lean On”, from the new ‘Afraid of Heights’ which understandably got a noisy positive response, despite being so early into the set.

         Williams, who has had a sometimes notorious reputation in the past, seemed playful and relaxed over the course of the set- mocking random shout-outs from audience members, warbling through a verse of RHCP’s “Under the Bridge” and taking a red knit hat that someone had thrown on stage and literally biting it in half, before tossing it back into the crowd.

         Bassist Stephen Pope was his 80s blonde-maned best, holding down the lower end along with drummer Jacob Cooper, and guitarist Alex Gates roared away on guitar, sporting the remnants of a black left eye, that likely has some good story behind it. Even FIDLAR lead singer Zac Carper got into the festivities mid-set, leaping out from backstage to crowd surf and held high enough to scale the rafters in the small club, making for the inevitable “FIDLAR on the Roof” reference.

         Other highlights included “Sail to the Sun” and “Green Eyes”, ending with a jagged cover of Sonic Youth’s “100%” and ”Post Acid”, that left both band members and crowd exhausted, but exhilarated.

Wavves at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (03/29/13)

john () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ wavves.net ♥ cheatahs.net ♥ fidlarmusic.com

Groovin the Moo, Maitland Showgrounds, May 12th, 2012

Another beautiful day in sunny Maitland. The cows and horses were just hanging about as usual, but the natives were getting restless. May 12th saw the regional touring festival, Groovin the Moo, visit this small city just north of Newcastle. Thinking that the show ground wouldn't fill until late afternoon us weheartmusic kids wandered in early to grab a comfy spot and take in some of the earlier acts.

San Cisco have been quite elusive to me in terms of seeing them live. Sold out shows have always stopped me, but not this time (although the festival itself was indeed sold out, but this time I was a winner)! These kids whom I have fondly labelled TAF (twee as fuck), fully lived up to my expectations. Twee melodies, perfect for dancing around like a small child (many such children were spotted at this very moment). 

Big Scary were excellent; very unexpected. Just a two piece, but they were more than capable of getting the crowd to their feet and dancing. Catchy riffs and strong vocals. What made them appear even better was the fact that were followed by Matt Corby. Who is Matt Corby? Well, he’s very talented at playing “middle of the road” tunes and not rocking the boat. People around me seemed to recognise his tunes and the crowd seemed mildly impressed, but I was stumped. Not a stand out, in my opinion.

One band that I had been hanging out for were The Maccabees. These boys from London provided everything my Britpop-shaped heart required for the day (which is good because I managed to miss the Kaiser Chiefs). Very danceable tunes played by five lads. At this point I couldn’t tell whether the crowd was actually loving the bands or whether screaming and waving their arms in the air was just their default position.  Either way there was a lot of musical appreciation being given.

Lordy! I’d never seen this guy, but Andrew W.K. you are not a musician; you are not a performer; you claim to be a "party-er", but you are borderline insane. Hilarious! Song after song, each less distinguishable from the next, Mr W. K. Was definitely the vibes man of the afternoon.

In terms of the acts that played in the “tent of techno”, which I have questionably named it, here’s a brief run-down…. Hermitude definitely didn’t play their best set. They made it super poppy for all the wasted teens and tweens (yes, there were quite a few wasted youngsters even at 2pm-ish). They were still enjoyable though and as always their best song goes off with the “batshit” crazy dancing from the pretty Asian singer girl. Mutemath followed up with some well-needed tunes for sitting down and chilling. Purple Sneakers DJs were reported to have gotten the “party started” with some good tracks, whilst the kids either got their dancing feet going or sat (or standing in the drinks line) in the sun lapping up the essence of sunburn. 360, although quite self indulgent onstage, puts on a good show with lots of “you are the best crowd ever no exceptions!”. Wavves  were a little out of place on this stage and by all report severely confused a great deal of the dance-music-lovin’ kids. Muscles was very impressive and so much better than he used to be.

 All in all, another excellent day in the sun, sipping over-priced beverages and consuming mystery meat sandwiches all in the name of live music.

Sally

[email protected]

W♥M127: Groovin the Moo 2012 Preview

W♥M127 (33 mins) Read More Groovin' the Moo Groovin' the Moo is an annual festival across Australia. It started in 2005, and is going strong in 2011 with a healthy lineup.

W♥M Radio is available on iTunes. It's now much easier to find us and add us to your automatic podcast download.

Sally previews some bands from the upcoming Groovin' the Moo music festival, which takes place at Prince of Wales Showground, Bendigo (5/5), Murray Sports Complex, Townsville (5/6), Showgrounds, Maitland (5/12), University of Canberra (5/13) and Hay Park, Bunbury (5/19).

For more articles on GTM, head over to gtm.net.au or W♥M.

Song of the Sally is "Sally in The Galaxy" by The Penelopes (download available at soundcloud).

Andrew WK's conspiracy is true, the current Andrew WK is not the same as first Andrew WK (see Wikipedia)

Public Enemy's Flavor Flav is having fun with some recent restaurant adventures.

San Cisco, everybody's favorite young band at the moment.

Ball Park Music is cute… with a monkey.

Wavves … I don't get them at all, they're too noisy for me, but Americans love them.

Adrian Lux, Swedish DJ?

Bluejuice's "Act Yr Age" video is disturbing

Kimbra is the only female act at Maitland!

Song of the show is Maccabees' "Pelican", from their third album Given to the Wild.

BONUS: Guitar Wolf is on tour! Read their tour dates here and here. Also, Dig It Up at Sydney on April 22nd: Sally is looking forward to Red Kross, Hoodoo Gurus, and The 5,6,7,8's. And let's not forget Super Morrissey Brothers' "This Charming Man" in 8-bit style.

Maccabees are on tour:

04/21/12 Rotterdam - Motel Mozaique Festival 04/25/12 FLORENCE (Italy) Viper 04/26/12 BOLOGNA (Italy) Estragon 04/27/12 ROME (Italy) Orion 05/05/12 Bendigo - Prince of Wales Showground 05/06/12 Townsville - Murray Sports Complex 05/09/12 Brisbane - The Hi Fi

05/10/12 Sydney - Metro Theatre 05/12/12 Maitland - Maitland Showground 05/13/12 Canberra - The Meadows 05/16/12 Melbourne - The Hi-Fi 05/18/12 Perth - The Capital 05/19/12 Bunbury (Australia) Hay Park (16+) 05/23/12 Osaka (Japan) Umeda Akaso

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 ♥ +W♥M

Groovin' the Moo 2012

Read More Groovin' the Moo Groovin' the Moo is an annual festival across Australia. It started in 2005, and is going strong in 2011 with a healthy lineup.

It’s here again already? Groovin the Moo, our favourite regional touring festival is about to take off around Australia. After last year, we’re super excited to spend another day hanging out in downtown Maitland at one of the most easy going events of the year and again they’ve managed to get a pretty amazing set of bands to play.

360, Adrian Lux, Andrew WK (One-Man-Party Tour), Ball Park Music, Beni, Big Scary, Bluejuice, City and Colour, Digitalism, The Getaway Plan, Gold Fields, Hermitude, Hilltop Hoods, Kaiser Chiefs, Kimbra, The Maccabees, Matt Corby, Muscles, Mutemath, Naysayer & Gilsun, Parkway Drive, Public Enemy, Purple Sneakers DJs, San Cisco and Wavves.

Saturday 5th May – Prince of Wales Showground, Bendigo, VIC
Sunday 6th May– Murray Sports Complex, Townsville, QLD
Saturday 12th May – Showgrounds, Maitland, NSW
Sunday 13th May – University of Canberra, ACT
Saturday 19th May – Hay Park, Bunbury, WA

Depending on which locations you might like to attend there are different places to buy tickets and other juicy bits of information that you’ll only find out from the official website: www.gtm.net.au.

So we’ll meet at Maitland Leagues Club for a pre-band aussie-style sweet and sour pork and a noice schooner of VB? Sweet! See you there!

sally () ♥ www.gtm.net.au

News: Free Exclusive Holiday Music from Target

Jenny O. : Get Down for the Holidays

It's not even December, but Target is giving away Christmas gifts with their exclusive 13 holiday songs for free at target.com.

Tracks include Jenny O. (who has a new EP called Home out tomorrow, November 30^th via Manimal Records), Indie-faves like Wavves & Best Coast team-up song, and Coconut Records (aka Jason Schwartzman, who recently appeared in Scott Pilgrim vs the World).

Although Target's website lists "13 free tracks", there are actually 14. Below are the full tracklisting of Target's The Christmas Gig album:

1. "Tiny Tree Christmas" by Guster
2. "Toy Jackpot" by Blackalicious
3. "Snow Is Falling" by Darker My Love
4. "Perfect Gift" by Natalie Hemby
5. "10,000 Watts" by Crystal Antlers
6. "You'll Never Find My Christmas" by Bishop Allen
7. "Get Down for the Holidays" by Jenny O.
8. "Mrs. Claus Ain't Got Nothin' On Me" by Little Jackie
9. "Electronic Santa" by Blazer Force
10. "Got Something for You" by Best Coast/Wavves
11. "It's Christmas" by Coconut Records
12. "Party Hard" by Little Isidore
13. "Super Mama" by The Pinker Tones
14. "Un Regalo Para Mi" by Ceci Bastida

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com

♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com

♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Wavves - Wavvves

Wavves - So Bored Wavves Tour Dates 05/27/09 Old Blue Last London 05/28/09 PRIMAVERA FEST Barcelona 05/29/09 ZDB Gallery Lisbon 05/30/09 Mondon Vigo 06/01/09 Rio Porto 06/02/09 Saint-Ex Bordeaux 06/03/09 Point Ephmere Paris 06/04/09 Hirscheneck Basel 06/05/09 Buzz Club Winterthur 06/06/09 Vitamin C Days Party Milan 06/07/09 Babalu Munich 06/08/09 K4 Nurneberg 06/10/09 Debaser Stockholm 06/11/09 Garage Bar Oslo 06/12/09 Vasagatan Gothenburg 06/13/09 Debaser Malmö 06/14/09 Loppen Copenhagen 06/15/09 Molotow Hamburg 06/16/09 Festaal Kreuzberg Berlin 06/17/09 Tsunami Koln 06/18/09 Ekko Utrecht 06/19/09 Paradiso Amsterdam 06/21/09 Jericho Tavern Oxford 06/22/09 Luminere London 06/23/09 Cooler Bristol 06/24/09 Deaf Institute Manchester 06/25/09 Captains Glasgow 06/26/09 Cockpit Leeds 06/27/09 Buffalo Bar Cardiff 06/28/09 The Social Nottingham 07/18/09 PITCHFORK FEST Chicago, IL

WAVVES
"WAVVVES"
FAT POSSUM, 2009

Once the hype machine roars to life, it's nearly impossible to ignore. Either you the spectator are borne up in its jaws, clamped irreversibly, or, arms akimbo, you stand and squint skeptically at all the chrome and gears. The poor Nathan Daniel Williams, sole member of Wavves, is clenched tight in this monster's gnarled fist. A dewy 22 years of age, Williams is already on album number two and is wading over to album three.

So what can you expect when you take a former record store clerk with a sincere affection for rap and give him some dinky instruments to putter around with? Well, uh, not this, and what a relief. Sounding a heckuva lot more like Ariel Pink's kid brother than Lil' Wayne's, Wavves fits in beautifully with his avant/ fuzzy contemporaries. This time around, there's even more of the cochlea-detonating racket that made him famous. "So Bored" and "No Hope Kids" stand out for their gratifyingly simple melodic structure (and the former got covered by Vivian Girls at South by Southwest). Mostly, though, the tunes are bizarre gluts of evocative noise, layered with vocals that swing between a falsetto and a sunny smudge. Certainly the names are appropriate: "Goth Girls" really does sound like lady nightcrawlers in the crosshairs of club strobe lights, and "Beach Goth" conjures the hilarious image of a pasty teen assaulted by the brightness as he crosses the dunes.

In regards to that evil, lumbering hype machine mentioned above, Wavvves seems like an album knee-deep in the temptation cornucopia that GarageBand provides. But that's the awkward first listen; the next few couplings between you and this record get progressively better. Once you've slouched more deeply into its heavy Californian haze, the sound evolves into an engrossing and woolly miasma you can really dig your toes into. For maximum enjoyment, make sure you've got an orange soda in one hand and a roach in the other.

 05/01/2009 10:50:10 ♥ artie () ♥ ghostramp.blogspot.com ♥ myspace.com/wavves