W♥M (Archive)

Scion A/V Remixes: Three Exclusive Releases

Charlie Brown

Scion A/V is at it again with three exclusive releases! They recently released the splendid Daptone Records Remixed sampler (W♥M), so it's safe to say that these are just as awesome.

First up is Ghostface Killah vs. Rhythm Roots All-Stars with "Charlie Brown". The original track, produced by MF Doom, was intended to be on Ghostface Killah's 2006 release Fishscale, but it contained a sample from Caetano Veloso's "Alfomega" and didn't receive clearance. Jump to now and here's the track featuring Ghostface's fast-paced rapping skills and the Rhythms Roots All-Stars' funky beats.

Charlie Brown (DJ Mehdi Remix)

The second release contains "four unique dance remixes of 'Charlie Brown' by world renowned French electro producers Yuksek, Orgasmic and DJ Mehdi, as well as Los Angeles-based DJ and production duo Guns N Bombs."

And the third release features up-and-coming hip-hop artists Wale, Pase Rock and 4th Pyramid rapping over beats by the 45 King and remixes by New York-based producers DJ Ayres, Inflagranti, Eli Escobar, and Sammy Bananas. 45 King is most famous for "The 900 Number" which samples Marva Whitney's "Unwind Yourself" and probably most recognized in DJ Kool's

The 900 Number (2k8)

"Let Me Clear My Throat".

Starting May 6, Scion will be distributing "Charlie Brown" and the remixes at Scion-sponsored events and will also be available as a free download online. On May 13,  the 45 King remixes will be available for purchase from all leading online retailers.

Links: Scion A/V

Posted by Jason | my♥posts

Sing it Loud

Tour Dates 04/23/08 Otto Bar Baltimore 04/24/08 Chameleon Lancaster 04/25/08 Jaggard UMC Altoona 04/26/08 Club Infinity Williamsville 04/27/08 Higher Ground Burlington 04/29/08 The Living Room Providence 04/30/08 Webster Theatre Hartford 05/01/08 ICC Performance... Allston 05/10/08 Jaggard UMC Altoona 05/13/08 Knitting Factor... New York 05/14/08 The Living Room Providence 05/15/08 Water Street Mu... Rochester 05/16/08 Meijer Skate Pa... Brighton 05/17/08 Club Bijou Toledo 05/18/08 Grog Shop Cleveland Heights 05/28/08 Turner Hall Milwaukee 05/29/08 The Loft Madison 05/30/08 Metro Chicago 05/31/08 The Intersectio... Grand Rapids 06/01/08 House of Blues Cleveland 06/04/08 Club Infinity Williamsville 06/06/08 Stone Pony Asbury Park 06/08/08 Middle East Clu... Cambridge 06/11/08 Irving Plaza New York 06/14/08 Chameleon Lancaster 06/15/08 Recher Theatre Towson Sounds Like Motion City Soundtrack http://weheartmus... I've been really happy that Motion City Soundtrack are a famous band from Minneapolis, Minnesota ...

 

 

Sing It Loud - Come Around (Acoustic)

Minnesota's power pop quintet Sing it Loud just released their self-titled EP April 1st with a full length album coming this fall. The EP is produced by Motion City Soundtracks' Josh Cain and mixed by Mark Trombino (Jimmy Eat World and The Starting Line). They exploded onto the Minneapolis indie scene and recently signed with Epitaph records. They are currently on a national tour with We The Kings.

You can definitely tell the Motion City influence on the EP, with bouncy pop riffs and synth back-up. I can just see hoards of teenage girls singing along to "Best Beating Heart" or "Bite Your Lip". Pat Brown's voice is somewhere between Motion's Justin Pierre and Boys Like Girls Martin Johnson. Nothing groundbreaking but in this genre originality isn't as favored as slick guitars and clever lyrics. My favorite song on the album is actually the acoustic version of "Come Around". It showcases their musical talents better than the other four songs which all sound extremely similar. Sing It Loud has a formula for power pop. They use often but use it well.

If you are a fan of Motion City Soundtrack or the like, there is no doubt you will also enjoy Sing it Loud.

 04/23/2008 09:32:00  angela my♥posts singitloud.com myspace.com

Three sides of an Australian Coin

What do I have here? Three Aussie bands. Three interesting bands, really quite worth tracking down really.

Milesago

Spectrum

Spectrum

Milesago was the second album release from Melbourne band, Spectrum. The lifetime of Spectrum spanned from 1969 to 1973 and was started soon after the New Zealand born singer/songwriter/guitarist Mike Rudd made his home in sunny Melbourne. The remastering and reissue of Milesago revives some of the music that potentially shaped the rock scene  of today.
The release itself contains a comprehensive biography of the band (which I wont bother repeating here) and some rather sinister looking photos of what most of our dad's probably looked like in the 70's.
The music on this Milesago is really like nothing I've heard. A lot of experimental type progressive rock sounds mixed with some very cheesy melodies.... not to mention the names of the songs. Love's My Bag, has to be a highlight (and of course, was the first track I listened to).. Do The Crab and Mama, Did Jesus Wear Makeup? and are also up on that level.
Additions to the original release are bonus tracks (including one track that is a brain-breaking 20-something minutes) from their performace at the Sunbury Festival in 1972.

Mevsyou

Me vs. You
A new release and 2nd EP release from Sydney band Me vs.You, The Fear Of Falling, spans a range of musical genre influences. From pop to rock to metal to punk. It really has something there for most people. The Fear of Falling presents an energetic but melodic collection of songs (the CD artwork itself contains the lyrics so you can sing along... great!).
Formed in 2005, by looking at their myspace page it's pretty obvious they have quite a solid following.
They also seem to like the colour green.
Check out their offical website: www.mevsyouband.com ...and and and get down to Luna Park on ANZAC day (April 25th) to catch them alongside Envy Parade, My Name 4 Your and The Hotel Charlie ($15 entry) and you'll receive a copy of The Fear of Falling FREE! They're also embarking on a tour of the east coast... so keep your eyes peeled.

Go/No-Go
It had been a while since I had ventured out to take in a band that I had not heard of before.

Go/No-Go

So i thought it best I ease my way back into new band seeing that was sure to be grand. Saturday April 19th was the night and Spectrum (no, nothing to do with the band above) was the venue. ..and indeed, grand it was.
For a first live performace, Go/No-Go have started on brilliant footing. It was rock, but popesque rock, perfect for dancing. Was i dancing? Well... no. They played at 8:15pm so there clearly weren't enough beverages in me by then.... but I would have! I swear!
There was a sizeable crowd there as well.. which was encouraging, but I guess that may have had something to do with the fact that it was the birthday of drum person, Nicholai. (If anyone see's him in the near future tell him that I wanted to wish him happy birthday, but the nanna in me was throwing a tantrum and made us go home).
Anyway, a entertaining performance by a band that I am sure will gain a following at a rapid rate. So get in early so you can't be accused of jumping on any band wagons. I'm not sure how they're going to deal with the fact that there are a swag of bands with the same name... but hey!

Check em out: Myspace page  or May 13th @ the Hopetoun Hotel, Surry hills.

Robin Danar - Altered States

Lisa Loeb & Steve Reynolds - Video Nasty Robin Danar Ratings: Press Release Altered States ft. Pete Yorn, Rachael Yamagata, Kinky, Minibar, Lisa Loeb http://weheartmus... Robin Danar Makes Shanachie Debut with Altered States featuring Pete Yorn, Lisa Loeb, Rachael Ya...

I was listening to Robin Danar's Altered States (released Mar 18th) for review on my iPod and seriously had a heart attack when I heard Minibar's doo-wop version of Morrissey's "First of the Gang to Die". It was the funniest thing I've heard in a long time.

As the name of the album suggests, Altered States are cover songs, however simply not just covers, these are songs reimagined.

I'll summarize the press material, this is music producer, arranger, musician Robin Danar's project. He assembled a cast of famous musicians to take on some famous (and not-so-famous) songs on this album.

I will have to admit that you really need to hear the original song to really appreciate the new versions. Although I haven't heard all the original songs, I know enough of them to really understand the joke.

Take for instance, Lisa Loeb & Steve Reynold's "Video Nasty", a sweet acoustic song. The irony is that the original song, "Nasty" is by UK punk band, The Damned.

If you're a fan of British culture, you'll probably know the term "Video Nasty" - which was the term they used to describe movies too horrible for consumption. These movies were banned and include (as mentioned in the song):The Driller Killer, Late Night Trains, and The Toolbox Murders.

Incidentally, when they made the Video Nasty list, it ultimately made a list of "must-see" horror films.... kind of like the "do not spam list", if you think about it.

Gary Jules & The Section Quartet - Weirdo

VS

The Charlatans - Weirdo

My other favorite song is Danar's take on The Charlatans' "Weirdo". The original song is kind of a psychedelic/dance song, but in the hands of Gary Jules and Section Quartet, these guy deliver a very strange industrial, gothy violin-driven song.... In some ways, even better than the original. You simply must hear it for yourself.

If you're a cover lover, like myself, this is a must-own album. It seems to me that many of these songs might be more obscure, but it's given me a new goal to find the original and hear how different they are compared to songs on Altered States.

PS, after receiving suggestions, I'm adding a "Rating" out of five hearts, for people who just want a quick summary.

 04/23/2008 00:30:54  vu my♥posts robindanar.com myspace.com/robindanar

CD Releases (4/22/2008)

This is just a quick note because I wanted to mention some of the great CDs that's being released today, Tuesday, April 22nd. We've covered a few of these bands, so I've included links to our articles below. I'm quite curious about the Whitesnake album. Cristina, please review this one!

Story of the Year - Wake Up	El Perro del Mar - Somebody's Baby
Billy Bragg - The Johnny Carcinogenic Show	Flight of the Conchords - Hiphopopotamus Vs. Rhymenocerous

Story Of The Year - The Black Swan
Elbow - Seldom Seen Kid
Whitesnake - Good To Be Bad
Blind Melon - For My Friends
Goldfinger - Hello Destiny
El Perro Del Mar - From the Valley to the Stars
Billy Bragg - Mr. Love & Justice
Flight Of The Conchords - Flight of the Conchords
The Young Knives - Superabundance
Elvis Costello - Momofuku (vinyl only)
Neil Hamburger - Sings Country Winners

Apparently Elvis Costello got a whole lot of people talking about his latest album, Momofuku because he's releasing it vinyl-only. What people didn't know is that a CD version of the album will eventually be made available, two weeks after today.

I got a note last week about Billy Bragg's Mr Love & Justice (regular and deluxe version of his album) will be available today. The story behind this album is that they had finished recording the album with a full backing band (The Blokes), but for some reason, Bragg decided to go back into the studio with his electric guitar to re-record the whole album by himself.

You can see the videos for all 15 tracks on www.mrloveandjustice.net.

New Zealander's Flight of the Conchords is back with a self-titled album (their fourth!) on Sup Pop Records.

Also, be sure to get W♥M's favorite El Perro Del Mar today too.

 04/22/2008 11:19:42  vu my♥posts weheartmusic.com

Biography of Ferns

Biography Of Ferns - Not a Magician Biography Of Ferns Tour Dates 04/25/08 China Clipper Olympia 05/03/08 Rendezvous Seattle Influenced By Wire http://weheartmus... Wire are an English rock band formed in London in October 1976,[1] (and intermittently active to ...

Biography of Ferns' Pastel Gothic is re-released today (April 22nd). Their record label, Tellous Records, lists that it was originally released November 1st, 2007.

So, Biography of Ferns is an indie pop band, based out of Seattle, Washington. All three members, Justin Hamacher (guitars/voice), Larry Brady (bass), are Stromi King (drums), share a ove of late 70s British punk/art and new wave.

In 2005, they earned a nomination for "Best Indie Band" in Seattle Weekly Music Awards, but lost to some obscure band called Death Cab for Cutie.

With that in mind, you can get a feel for what these guys sounds like... think (slower) Buzzcocks crossed with Wire and Television and you get the general idea.

Hamacher's vocals takes a little getting used to, it sounds like he's ready to give up, especially when he sings "heart" (as "hawt") or "paper" (as in "pape-ar").  It kind of makes me wonder if he's American :)

I thought these songs really stood out: the love-lost song "Not a Magician" (with great backup singing by Brady), the quick and distorted "Psi Fi Killer vs Dr. Lobotomy", and the bass-y "Visual Vagrant".

What I found really cool about this band and their record label is that they give 15% of their profits to supporting Poverty, Northwest Literacy, Arts & Womens' groups. The rest is split 50/50 between the label and the bands on their roster.

EPs selling for $8 and LPs ranges from $10-$14, and you can pick up Pastel Gothic right now directly from Tellous Records.

 04/22/2008 09:25:08  vu my♥posts biographyofferns.com myspace.com

Story of the Year - The Black Swan

Story of the Year - Wake Up Story of the Year Tour Dates 04/21/08 The Rock Nightc... Maplewood 04/22/08 The Pageant St. Louis 04/23/08 Blue Note Columbia 04/24/08 Cains Ballroom Tulsa 04/25/08 Baton Rouge Riv... Baton Rouge 04/26/08 Cynthia W Mitch... Spring 04/27/08 Pizza Hut Park Frisco 04/29/08 The Social Orlando 04/30/08 Floyds Music St... Tallahassee 05/01/08 State Theater St. Petersburg 05/04/08 Chameleon Lancaster 05/05/08 Mod Club Toronto, CA 05/10/08 Groezrock Festi... Meerhout, BE 05/11/08 Waterfront Rotterdam, AN 05/13/08 Markthalle Hamburg, DE 05/14/08 Oostbahnhof Berlin, DE 05/15/08 Elserhalle Club Munich, DE 05/16/08 Arena Vienna, DE 05/18/08 Volkshaus Zurich, CH 05/20/08 Mean Fiddler London, UK 05/21/08 Academy 2 Birmingham, UK 05/22/08 Academy 2 Manchester, UK 05/23/08 QMU Glasgow, UK 05/25/08 Slamdunk Festiv... Leeds, UK 05/30/08 Tivoli Brisbane 05/31/08 Luna Park Sydney 06/01/08 Billboard/ Afternoon show/ Under 18 Melbourne 06/02/08 Billboard/ Evening Show/ 18+ Melbourne 06/19/08 Warped Tour!!!! ALL DATES!!!! Pomona, California Discography [2003] Page Avenue [2005] In the Wake of Determination [2008] The Black Swan Read More Story of the Year Unleash The Black Swan http://weheartmus... St. Louis alternative rock heavyweights Story of the Year will release their hotly anticipated n...

Fans of St Louis's Story of the Year will be lining up in line tomorrow to get their much anticipated album, The Black Swan, their debut on legendary punk label Epitaph.

So a little background on SOTY, that they formed in 1995, originally as Big Blue Monkey, but due to conflict with a blues band, they changed their name to SOTY in 2001. Shortly after a huge buzz and a signing deal with Madonna's Maverick label, the group exploded on the alternative punk scene with their debut album Page Avenue (2003).

Sure, you've all seen the album art plastered on store's walls and windows, these guys were huge.

Their sophomore album, In the Wake of Determination (2005), wasn't as successful as their debut (probably due to lack of marketing and promotion), so I am assuming after their contract ran out, they decided to go with a great label as Epitaph that offers the kind of freedom and attention they need.

Surprisingly, the album starts off with a pretty hardcore song "Choose Your Fate", following some British television dialogue. The hardcore song soon gives way to what they're best known for: catchy alternative rock.

The key single is "Wake Up", which was the preceding single for the album. The song is mixed by Chris Lord-Alge, who you may know as mixer for Bad Religion, AFI, and My Chemical Romance. He really has an ear for constantly making the song sound louder and longer and more rocking.

For a second before the album ends with its riff-heavy song called "Welcome to Our New War", you're given this sweet and thoughtful dialogue:

The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. Thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. It underscores our responsibility to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot.

Apparently this is a rearranged excerpt from a speech by astronomer Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot". For a complete translation (in its corrected unedited sequence), head over to wikipedia

The Black Swan is out tomorrow at most major record store. You can get additional tracks if you buy it from iTunes (pre-order). Story of the Year is also in the middle of a very long tour, chances are, they are headed to your town soon.

 04/21/2008 22:51:18  vu my♥posts armyoftheblackswan.com myspace.com

WAZ - The Sweet Bye and Bye

Why Can't We

WAZ

WAZ is from Los Angeles, CA, but grew up in Cleveland, OH. While in college, he met Pete Yorn and after graduating, they formed a band. They went on the road for tours and WAZ realized the emotional impact music had on people. So, in between tours, he recorded his own music with R. Walt Vincent. After receiving some positive reactions to his own music, he decided to go solo. He started playing at The Hotel Cafe and was approached by Will Golden & Al Sgro who were opening a small studio. "While they were working with other clients, I would pick up odd jobs in order to pay for the sessions. We would work for 2-3 days at a time every couple of weeks... it was always borrowed time." The result was a four song EP released on iTunes in Europe and his debut full-length The Sweet Bye and Bye which is available now.

The songs on the album seem very personal and emotional. There were three tracks that stood out upon first listen. "Mine to Remember" is about wanting one last chance to say "I love you" to the woman he truly loves and hoping will stay. "Why Can't We" is from his father's perspective and is summed up in the chorus — "why can't we stay in love" — which is referring to his parents. And in "She's Gone" he's trying to cope with the woman's absence. The Sweet Bye and Bye is a solid, gripping debut from an up and coming singer-songwriter. For more information on WAZ, visit his website.

�04/21/2008 03:14:58� jason my♥posts myspace.com/waz

DAVID YAZBEK – EVIL MONKEY MAN

   

                 

NEVER GET OUT OF THIS

David Yazbek And His Warmest Regards

                                                  

                                You can praise the lord

                                You can curse your fate

                                You can stand in line

                                You can lie in state

                                But the truth’s right there

                                On a paper plate

   

 

David Yazbek is not only a Tony award nominee for musicals like The Full Monty and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels but also an Emmy Award winning T.V. writer for Late Night with David Letterman, which may help explain the tenor of this album.

 Let me say that any album that has the word monkey in the title already has my attention.  And “Evil Monkey Man” quickly delivers the message in the first song, “Terrible Thing” a funky Stevie Wonder vibe where Yazbek sings about landing right in the middle of middle age and deciding to give up.  So, if that’s the case, what’s the point of continuing on with the album?  Well, there are a few reasons.

First, Yazbek has catchy tunes with cool titles like “Monkey Baby Hanging on a Chicken Wire” and “Bazooka Joe.”  He also sings a couple of ballads like “A Blustery Wind” and “Steps of an Other Man’s House” that could fit nicely into a new musical.  And interspersed between the songs is what can best be described as three musical interludes called The Traveler:

DAVID YAZBEK

#1 (The Fecund Woods)
A happy-go-lucky-trudge-of-a-romp, if that’s    
possible.

 
            #2 (He Stomps Rhythms Down to Hell)
A jazz screed that sounds like a couple members of Metallica stumbled into an all-night jam session.

 

            #3 (Beside the Antifreeze Pond)
The title of the song says it all.

My favorite song is “Never Get Out of This” a fun-loving ode to fatalism. It has some of Yazbek’s best lyrics and it chugs along with a Johnny Cash train beat, which is the beat of fate, which is a reoccurring theme of this album.

So, if you are looking for a light hearted fare to brighten up your day, you may want to take a pass.  But if you are looking for smart, sarcastic irony with a strong New York attitude, you may want to pick up this album and listen to “Wasted”, probably the first lament to a life unfulfilled buoyed by an uplifting samba beat. 

DAVE

News for the Week of 4/20/2008

A Faulty Chromosome - Them Pleasures Of The Flesh A Faulty Chromosome Tour Dates 04/26/08 Lime Light SanAntonio, TX 05/08/08 Louisiana 05/09/08 Popmayhem Fest! Gainesville, FL 05/10/08 Orlando, Florida 05/11/08 Georgia 05/12/08 Athens, GA 05/13/08 Drunken Unicorn  Atlanta, GA 05/14/08 Virginia 05/15/08 Danger Danger Gallery, Philly,PA 05/16/08 Philladelphia, Pennsylvania 05/17/08 New York, New York 05/18/08 Brooklyn, New York 05/19/08 WNYU radio New York City 05/20/08 Cafe Nine, New Haven, CT 05/21/08 Boston,, Massachusetts 05/22/08 New York, New York 05/23/08 Cleveland, Ohio 05/24/08 Michigan, Michigan 05/25/08 Michigan, Indiana 05/26/08 CBGB St. Louis, Missouri 05/27/08 Chicago, Illinois 05/28/08 Chicago, Illinois

We got an exciting week of news lined up for this week.

First off, I wanted to mention that Austin's A Faulty Chromosome (myspace.com/afaultychromosome) is going to set on tour, and judging from their myspace tour information listing, they are in need of help booking venues in various cities. They are definitely playing CBGB in St Louis, but if you're in New York, Chicago, and Massachusetts, and have or know public venues, please help them out.

I've also noticed that they are selling their music as donationware, their album, As An Ex-Anorexic's Six Sicks Exit has a suggested price is $6.66 - but you are free to donate any price you can afford. This is a really cool concept.

Although they lists Belle & Sebastian as "sounds like", I don't believe this is the case upon listening to some songs, but you can be the judge of that. I do like that they have a very DIY sound and often it sounds like they're making things up as they go along, with a general guideline.

By the way, I do have someone working on a review of this album, so hopefully that will be up sooner than later.

Ocote Soul Sounds and Adrian Quesada - Contra El Sol Death Valley Sleepers - In The Valley Brendan James - Green

Ocote Soul Sounds and Adrian Quesada (ocotesoul.com) have teamed up to produce one of the most interesting and exciting mostly-instrumental album coming out in June called The Alchemist Manifesto. They are members of Antibalas and Grupo Fantasma^[W♥M].

My initial reaction to this album is that it's a very strange soundtrack to a French movie, that is set in Spain. It's very refreshing and I look forward to putting up the review in June.

In the meantime, Quesada is playing with his Grupo Fantasma at the Norman Music Festival in Oklahoma and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in Louisiana.

You can find more information on our press release page.

Speaking of press release, check out Series Two Records 4 CD compilation to be released April 22nd. This is a rather impressive collection of bands (a total of 90 songs from 90 different bands).

If you're a fan of Sarah Records^[W♥M] and Swedish pop music^[W♥M], it's worth checking out.

It's also very limited, 100 handmade albums and all the money goes to promoting and releasing of future music on Series Two Records. Support your indie label and tell them you♥music too.

Finally, just a quick mention, but I was sent the finalized album artwork for The Day is Brave, the debut album from Brendan James (myspace.com/brendanjames).

Please refer to my earlier article on Brendan James for more information, but from the comments and personal feedback, I can tell you that this guy will be someone to look out for!

That's all I've got for this week. Keep me updated on music! Contact me!

 04/20/2008 13:36:26  vu my♥posts weheartmusic.com