W♥M (Archive)

NME Awards 2012 nominations

The annual NME Awards is happening on Wednesday, February 29, 2012 (tickets to the event goes on sale Feb 3rd at 9am). Host for this year is Jack Whitehall (I think Jarvis Cocker hosted last year, or was it the year before?). Bands confirmed to play are: Kasabian, The Vaccines, and Florence + The Machine (with The Horrors).

It should be a good night, I like all those bands.

So, let's start taking some bets on the nominees (hint: I would put some money on Arctic Monkeys, they have won numerous NME awards from 2006-2008).

Matt Helders, Arctic Monkeys, adds:

We're up for all the big ones - we're very happy. We had a lot of fun making 'Suck It And See' and it's great to be up for Best Live Band. That's all we do - record or play live - so it's good to be recognised!

Yeah, the award might as well be theirs.

Best British Band Arctic Monkeys Bombay Bicycle Club The Horrors Kasabian Muse	Best International Band Arcade Fire Foo Fighters Justice Odd Future (OFWGKTA) The Strokes	Best Solo Artist Adele Florence + The Machine Frank Turner Laura Marling Miles Kane Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
Best New Band Foster The People Lana Del Rey Tribes The Vaccines Wu Lyf	Best Live Band Arctic Monkeys Kasabian Muse Pulp Two Door Cinema Club	Best Album Artic Monkeys - Suck It and See The Horrors - Skying Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds PJ Harvey - Let England Shake The Vaccines - What did you Expect from the Vaccines?

 

Since there are a billion categories, from "Villain of the Year" to "Hottest Female", I won't list it all here. To see the full list, head over to news.weheartmusic.com.

 

vu () ♥ www.nme.com

W♥M122: Minnesota to London

W♥M122 (37 mins) Download: W♥M122

This is the last of the Trilogy of Lara's W♥M Radio appearance. Listen to Part One and Two.

Since most of the topics about music were pretty much used in parts one and two, this last show is a bit of a potpourri, with loads of random things that didn't fit anywhere. These little segments would work great in a 'best of' or bloopers show, but as it is... a bit of a jazz-theme.

Here's what went down:

The reason why Lara doesn't buy expensive electronic.

The 'genius' of Beady Eye. The podcast was recorded in early December, I've since saw them at First Avenue.

7th Street Entry and its revolting men's bathroom.

Fort Wilson Riot

Jamie N Commons' "The Preacher"

Second part of the show is just random nonsense: Black Friday, Jazz, Minnesota bands: Howler, Total Babe, and The Abdomen/Lynhurst.

Since I randomly saw Howler and noted they were "the buzz of the town". That was in early November. Now they're currently touring the UK, coming back to the states in March:

01/29 – Sheffield, The Bowery FREE SHOW 01/30 – Manchester, Deaf Institute (14+) 01/31 – Nottingham, Bodega (14+) 02/1 – Newcastle, The Cluny (16+) 02/3 – Leeds, Cockpit (14+) 02/4 – Glasgow, King Tuts (18+) 02/5 – Birmingham, HMV Institute (14+) 02/6 – London, The Lexington (14+) SOLD OUT 02/8 – Paris, Fleche d’Or (16+) 02/9 – Brussels, AB Club (All Ages) 02/10 – Amsterdam,Paradiso (All Ages) 02/11 – Berlin,Comet (16+) 02/14 – Tokyo,Harajuku Astro Hall 03/7 – Lawrence University – Appleton, WI 03/8 – Schubas Tavern – Chicago, IL 03/9 – The Old Rock House – St Louis, MO 03/10 – The Riot Room – Kansas City, MO 03/12 – House of Blues – Dallas, TX 03/13 – Mango’s – Houston, TX 03/22 – Soda Bar – San Diego, CA

03/23 – Echo – Los Angeles, CA 03/24 – Hemlock Tavern – San Francisco, CA 03/26 – Mississipi Studios – Portland, OR 03/27 – The Media Club – Vancouver, BC 03/28 – Sunset Tavern – Seattle, WA 03/30 – Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, UT 03/31 – Hi Dive – Denver, CO 04/2 – Waiting Room – Omaha, NE 04/4 – Happy Dog – Cleveland, OH 04/5 – Underground at The Drake – Toronto, ON 04/6 – Le Divan Orange – Montreal, QC 04/7 – Great Scott – Boston, MA 04/10 – Knitting Factory – Brooklyn, NY 04/11 – Mercury Lounge – New York, NY 04/12 – Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA 04/13 – Red Palace – Washington, DC 04/14 – Smiling Moose – Pittsburgh, PA 05/03 – Liverpool, The Kazimier (16+) 05/08 – London, The Garage (14+)

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Archive of this show at archive.org. More information on podomatic.com

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

JAZZ NOTE 18 – LOVE WHAT YOU DO

If you want to know why I love jazz, look at the aside picture.  It’s Art Blakey and he is smiling.  In fact, any picture of him behind a set of drums wielding a pair of sticks has a beaming face.  That’s unless he’s brandishing a lit cigarette.  Then, with lips pursed he reveals a sly grin.

The reason for the smile is because Blakey loved what he did.  As a self-taught drummer in the late 40’s, he became an intricate sideman to Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.  As a budding bandleader in the 50’s, he formed the Jazz Messengers, a tight-knit group that created the funky style known as hard bop.

If there is one word I would use to describe Art Blakey, it would be joyous.  If jazz could be the musical equivalent to gospel, Blakey, who grew up a Seven Day Adventist, spent every waking moment spreading the good news.  Jazz filled him with an infectious spirit and he was tireless in his pursuit.  Many pictures not only had him smiling behind a set of drums but profusely glistening.  To him a concert was like a tent revival and he did everything under his power to bring everybody along.

Another aspect of Blakey that I love is how he never dulled in his musical pursuit.  When his band evolved in the 70’s and 80’s as a breeding ground for new talent, Blakey saw the setup as a two-way street.  For the rookies, they were given an established platform to make their argument.  For Blakey, he had continual flow of new blood to keep his band moving to the next gig.

Blakey recorded over 100 albums but it was his constant touring that he saw as the key.  His zeal is so well known there is a possible “true” story in Bill Crow’s Jazz Anecdotes to highlight this dedication:

Art was driving to an out-of-own job and passed through a village where traffic was completely tied up because of a funeral procession.  Since he couldn’t get past the cemetery until the service was over, he got out and listened to the eulogy.  The minister spoke at length about the virtues of the deceased, and then asked if anyone had anything else to add.  After a silence during which nobody spoke up, Art said, “If nobody has anything to say about the departed, I’d like to say a few words about jazz.”

I have over 20 songs of Blakey marked favorite.  One thing they have in common is they are bold and crisp.  They establish the melody early and get on with the solos.  I also find them thematic: Arabia, Night in Tunisia, Free for All and Alamode.  Just listen to Noise in the Attic and see if you don’t agree.   

Dave

Music Festival Guide 2012 (Part 1)

This just just part one of Music Festivals in 2012. Come back soon for even more music festivals. Tip: put the word "Festival" in your email subject head line, that's how I'm filtering my inbox.

Before we get to the upcoming Music Festival, The 11th Annual SF Sketchfest is happening right now (ends February 4th). The complete schedule looks daunting, you can find out more information on sfsketchfest.com.

>>>
THE TEXAS LUNAR FESTIVAL
www.texaslunarfestival.net
January 28th and 29th, 2012
Free?
Houston, Texas

Everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes their Chinese New Year celebration, happening this Saturday and Sunday.

I have attended a few of these New Year festivals, you don't really attend for the music, which consists of traditional Chinese, Hmong, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese music. Sometime you get dance sequence to Asian pop songs, but most people attending these things aren't interested in the music.

Be sure to stay for the dragon dancing, this is the main thing at these New Year events.

The good thing is that most of these things are free. The cost are usually offset by advertisements and raffle tickets, etc. So, if you're attending, enjoy the food, dancing, and entertainment.

Festival Hours
Saturday, January 28th, 2012: 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday, January 29th, 2012: 12:00 (Noon) to 6:00 pm

SNOWBALL MUSIC FESTIVALS
snowballmusicfestival.com
March 2-4, 2012
$156
Vail Valley, Colorado

I previously mentioned this music festival last year. They are back, better than ever with some big acts on their lineup: Snoop Dogg, The Kooks, Pictureplane, Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr, Gardens & Villa, Ghostland Observatory, TV on the Radio, Rusko, Head and the Heart, Bassnectar, Big Boi, Deer Tick, Major Lazer, Wolf + Lamb, Soul Clap, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Cassian, Gauntlet Hair, Small Black, Los Amigos Invisibles, Dillon Francis, Big Freedia, Tribes, Plastic Plates, Trampled By Turtles, Thundercat Figure and My Goodness.

For the price of admission - you also get to hit the slopes for skiing and snowboarding in Colorado! Sounds like a win-win if you're into wintery fun.

About SnowBall Music Festival:

There simply is no other festival in the world like SnowBall Music Festival. Going into its sophomore year, SnowBall is quickly demanding the attention of critics and tastemakers, taking the concept of a music festival to a whole new level. Drawing attention once again for a stellar lineup of indie rock and dance music artists, SnowBall is setting the standard as one of the most exciting and unique festivals to emerge in recent years. Offering all the perks of a world-class music festival—with the distinct bonus of being set in a skier and snowboarder’s paradise—the SnowBall Music Festival proposes the ultimate marriage of music and mountains.

For three days this March, SnowBall will sprawl out across Colorado's legendary Vail Valley, offering a diverse lineup of artists on multiple stages to pair the world’s best musicians with the world's best snow conditions; making the SnowBall Music Festival the ultimate winter getaway for music fans.

NAPA VALLEY FESTIVAL DEL SOLE
FestivalDelSole.org
July 13th – 22nd, 2012
$39
Napa Valley, California

We all know what Napa Valley is famous for: sweet, sweet wine. And that's exactly what you're getting with Napa Valley Festival del Sole this July 13th – 22nd, 2012.

In its 7th year, the festival is partnering with IMG Artists, including violinist Joshua Bell, mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, sopranos Danielle de Niese and Lisa Delan, baritone Nathan Gunn, cellist Nina Kotova, guitarist Angel Romero, pianist Hélène Grimaud, the Russian National Orchestra, and the Bolshoi Ballet.

Ticket prices are still pending, but you can probably guess it might be on the more expensive side, considering that their grand VIP package for the whole 10 nights is $7,500.

UPDATE: Individual ticket prices starts at $39, which is affordable. I've added an overview of the 2012 schedule on news.weheartmusic.com (schedule subject to change).

PAID DUES INDEPENDENT HIP HOP FESTIVAL
www.paidduesfestival.com
7 Apr 2012
$76 (General)
San Bernardino, California

Somehow, this Paid Dues Festival goes hand-in-hand with the Smokeout Festival (see next item).

More artists to be announced later, but in the meantime legendary Wu-Tang Clan is headlining:

PAID DUES Line-Up
Wu-Tang Clan
Odd Future
Living Legends
Dipset (Cam’ron + Jim Jones + Juelz Santana + Freeky Zekey)
Hieroglyphics
Kendrick Lamar
DJ Quik
Psycho Realm
Dilated Peoples

CYPRESS HILL SMOKEOUT FESTIVAL
smokeoutfestival.com
3 March 2012
$86 (General)
San Bernardino, California

No idea why the show date isn't April 20th, but from the title and such, they are celebrating "medical" marijuana.

Here's some of the items they'll be talking about:

• Cannabis Activism: With elections approaching and cannabis being in the media limelight more and more each day, it is imperative we represent ourselves as professional cannabis connoisseurs.
• Cannabis as Medicine: Young medical cannabis patients and their parents come together to tell incredible stories of how cannabis is saving their lives. Joining them will be an Expert Patient Consultant from an LA Collective and the President of a Cannabis Testing Laboratory.
• Does Prohibition Work?: Cannabis experts discuss the devastating effects of prohibition and how it might be doing more harm than good.
• Artist Panel: Medicine and music create a powerful force of influence when combined.

Oh, and there'll be music, some of the bands on the lineup includes: Sublime, Korn, Thievery Corporation, Wiz Khalifa, Cypress Hill, The Dirty Heads and Café Tacuba.

ØYA FESTIVAL
oyafestivalen.com
7-11 August 2012
2145.00 NOK
Middelalderparken, Oslo

Tickets are expensive, it works out to be about $368 a day, but it might be worth it to see The Stone Roses, Björk, Florence + The Machine and Feist, in one place.

I leave you with excerpts from their press release:

Øya festival is the largest outdoor music festival in Oslo, Norway, and one of the most discerning in Europe. Renowned for its diverse line ups, 2011 saw standout performances from the likes of Pulp, Kanye West, Fleet Foxes, Wiz Khalifa, The Jayhawks, Aphex Twin, Lykke Li, Janelle Monáe, James Blake, Guided by Voices, Pantha Du Prince and Jamie XX.

Entering into its 14th year, the Øya team have pulled together an initial line up of talent that continues the festival’s tradition of showcasing some of the most ground breaking and iconic acts from across the globe.

Headlining the festival for 2012 will be the inimitable, Björk. Always one to push boundaries - whether through high-concept albums such as 2011’s, Biophilia, or groundbreaking production for her live shows - Bjørk is certain to deliver a spellbinding performance full of unexpected surprises and esoteric twists.

Joining her as headliners for 2012 are none other than The Stone Roses. Having recently announced their reformation this year, the iconic Manchester quartet will be playing at Øya as part of their hugely anticipated reunion tour.

THE MAGIC LOUNGEABOUT
themagicloungeabout.net
Friday 27th - Sunday 29th July 2012
£ 100.80
Broughton, Skipton, North Yorkshire

The Human League headlined The Magic Loungeabout last year. It was so successful that the organizers have decided to increase audience capacities for 2012.

I actually couldn't find a listing for who's playing this year, but their website suggests you have to come back in February to see an update. Some details about the festival's director below:

There has been a hive of activity at The Magic Loungeabout HQ since the summer's huge success at the stunning Broughton Hall, arguably one of the most beautiful festival sites in the UK. The hearts and minds of those who flocked to Yorkshire were captured over a beatific sun-kissed weekend. Featuring headline guests including The Human League, Badly Drawn Boy, New Young Pony Club and Howard Marks, along with sumptuous food and drink, lots of fun and games and a truly refined and luxurious ambiance permeating every moment, The Magic Loungeabout set the standard for a truly indulgent refined unwind.

And with the festival returning in July 2012 to build upon its fantastic first year, the first wave of news can be announced. Simon Adamson, the festival's director, explains that, "It's great to be making our first full announcement as we look ahead to the summer. This year was a great success, so we are augmenting the festival across all areas whilst retaining the spirit and ethos of The Magic Loungeabout, which resonated so strongly with everyone. There was lots of brilliant feedback, which we have listened to and will be implementing. It's a really exciting time for everyone involved with the festival - I can't wait for us to be back!"

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

90s NOW

In keeping with the recent Britpop mentality, here are some 90s-era musician and what they're doing now.

WENER GOES CAMPING louise-wener.co.uk From sleeper.weheartmusic.com, I have reported that Louise Wener (of Sleeper) is going to appear on an upcoming magazine called CAMPING MAGAZINE (April 2012 Edition). First of all, there's a camping magazine??? And second, it was Wener's "it was our first time camping"????

DON'T THINK thechemicalbrothers.com For one-night only, there is a special The Chemical Brothers concert film, "Don't Think", to play on Wednesday, February 1st at 7:30pm. I've seen the DJs live before, it's not that exciting to watch live, but with 20 cameras filming the 50,000+ fans at the Fujirock Festival - I'm pretty sure they can make it more interesting to watch.

APPLE RETURNS fiona-apple.com Fiona Apple, that sexy extraordinary machine, last seen on Margaret Cho's album, but hasn't release an LP since 2005. Apparently, according to Perez Hilton, Fiona Apple will be returning with a new album in 2012. Where has she been? Who knows, but the album is "in the can" as they say.

FRIENDS OF R sararadle.com Sara Radle, was a member of the anti-Weezer band, The Rentals (the re-formed 2005 version, not the original lineup). She has a new album called Same Sun Shines, out on February 21st, 2012. Should keep an eye out on her in the upcoming month, especially if I'm picturing Radle playing violin and guitars on the album.

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

Sweet, Sweet Catatonia

W♥M is five years old today. I don't really have anything special lined up.

Catatonia: Sweet Catatonia Read More Catatonia From Britpop, comes Catatonia with their song, "Mulder and Scully". I used to really love this song, but it sort of wore thin when I realized that there were only a handful of great songs from their 1998 International Velvet.

I thought I'd talk about music purchasing in general. I don't normally go out a lot to music store, but I was out on Chinese New Year and ended up at a music store (I think it was called Disc Land) and I bought a pretty rare Catatonia CD compilation called Catatonia 1993/1994: The Crai EPs - For Tinkerbell & Hooked.

Although Catatonia enjoyed success in the UK, they never quite made it in the US, so you had to import most of their early records. So I bought the EP and I thought to myself: someone in Minnesota must have loved Catatonia to have imported the CD and then sold it back to this record store.

Anyway, this 1999 compilation collects Catatonia's first two EPs, "For Tinkerbell" and "Hooked", although only three tracks of "Hooked" were used on the compilation due to the limitation of the CD format.

Track listing:

1. "For Tinkerbell"
2. "New Mercurial Heights"
3. "Dimbran"
4. "Sweet Catatonia"
5. "Gyda Gwen" (Welsh version of "New Mercurial Heights")
6. "Hooked"
7. "Fall Beside Her"
8. "Difrycheulyd (Snail Ambition)"

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

When Animals Attack! part 7

Yeah, too many animal-bands. If you need to discover more, see When Animals Attack!.

YELLOW OSTRICH
yellowostrich.com

Yellow Ostrich's been in the news a lot lately. First off, Barsuk Records is releasing "Marathon Runner", their debut single from their sophomore LP, Strange Land (due out March 6th). If you haven't heard the song, it is available as a free download via Spin.com.

Their upcoming spring tour in support of the second album begins on March 3rd and ends on April 12th.

One of the band opening up for the Yellow O is 1,2,3. Their debut LP is called New Heaven (out now on Frenchkiss Records). You can grab their free EP, "Dreamland Pt 1 (For Daisy" on Soundcloud.

Yellow Ostrich tour dates:

3/3 - Great Scott – Allston, MA # 3/4 - Mohawk Place – Buffalo, NY # 3/6 - Beachland Tavern – Cleveland, OH # 3/7 - Pike Room at Crofoot – Pontiac, MI # 3/8 - Empty Bottle – Chicago, IL # 3/9 - Der Rathskeller – Madison, WI & 3/10 - 7th St Entry – Minneapolis, MN # 3/11 - Cactus Club – Milwaukee, WI # 3/12 - The Gramophone – St. Louis, MO # 3/15-19 - SXSW – Austin, TX 3/19 - Solar Culture – Tucson, AZ 3/20 - Soda Bar – San Diego, CA 3/21 - Bootleg Theatre – Los Angeles, CA 3/23 - Bottom of the Hill – San Francisco, CA @

3/24 - Depot at Humboldt State – Arcata, CA 3/26 - Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR % 3/27 - Media Club – Vancouver, Canada % 3/29 - Flying M Coffee – Nampa, ID % 3/30 - Kilby Court – Salt Lake City, UT % 3/31 - Hi Dive – Denver, CO % 4/2 - The Waiting Room – Omaha, NE % 4/10 - Johnny Brenda's – Philadelphia, PA 4/11 - Black Cat Backstage – Washington, DC 4/12 - Mercury Lounge – New York, NY # = with 1,2,3 & = with 1,2,3 and Lower Dens @ = with Lost in the Trees % = with Howler

OTHER LIVES
otherlives.com

I'm working under the impression that the band Other Lives is incredibly lucky and incredibly talented to secure a Radiohead support act, starting in late February! As you know, we are massive Radiohead fans, but I've long concluded that they are well out of my concert-budget-range (by playing only large-sized arenas and I can't afford the $100+ ticket for a decent seat).

Of course, I was curious about Other Lives, I put on their latest album, Tamer Animals, to listen... surprisingly a lot non-traditional instruments and falsettos that will definitely fit well with Radiohead's current music.

2012 U.S. Tour With Radiohead + Headlining Shows

02.06.12 - Jackpot Music Hall - Lawrence, KS 02.07.12 - Ciceros - St. Louis, MO 02.08.12 - Waiting Room - Omaha, NE 02.09.12 - 7th Street - Minneapolis, MN 02.10.12 - Lincoln Hall - Chicago, IL 02.11.12 - The Basement - Columbus, OH 02.13.12 - Ninth Ward - Buffalo, NY 02.14.12 - Drake - Toronto, ON 02.15.12 - Sala Rossa - Montreal, QC 02.16.12 - Great Scott - Boston, MA 02.17.12 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY 02.18.12 - Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, PA 02.21.12 - Red Palace - Washington, DC 02.22.12 - Brillobox - Pittsburgh, PA 02.23.12 - The Southern - Charlottesville, VA

02.24.12 - Local 506 - Chapel Hill, NC 02.27.12 - American Airlines Arena - Miami, FL ^ 02.29.12 - St. Pete Times Forum - Tampa, FL ^ 03.01.12 - Philips Arena - Atlanta, GA ^ 03.03.12 - Toyota Center - Houston, TX ^ 03.05.12 - American Airlines - Dallas, TX ^ 03.07.12 - Frank Erwin Center - Austin, TX ^ 03.09.12 - Scottrade Center - St. Louis, MO ^ 03.11.12 - Sprint Center - Kansas City, MO ^ 03.13.12 - 1st Bank Center - Broomfield, CO ^ 03.15.12 - Jobing.com Arena - Glendale, AZ ^ 04.09.12 - Key Arena - Seattle, WA ^ 04.11.12 - HP Pavilion - San Jose, CA ^ 04.12.12 - Santa Barbara Bowl - S Barbara, CA ^ ^ w/ Radiohead

SAID THE WHALE
saidthewhale.com

OK, second time's the charm. Once again, Lara will be heading out to the 400 Bar on pot day (4/20).

In Said the Whale news, their new album is called Little Mountain and comes out March 6th, 2012, via Hidden Pony Records/EMI. Their preview single is "Heavy Ceiling", which you can listen (and download) on Soundcloud.

As described about the new album:

Little Mountain finds the group defying rock conventions without sacrificing any of their pop smarts. Said The Whale enlisted the juggernaut production prowess of Tom Dobrzanski, and multiple Grammy Award winner Jack Joseph Puig, who mixed the 15-track collection. Their combined efforts steered the song suites to explode out of the speakers, as they shepherded the band’s signature sound to a new level.

More diverse than previous albums, Little Mountain is a multi-stylistic tour-de-force that ventures into everything from soaring, horn-laden cabaret ("The Reason") to jaggedly syncopated rock ("We Are 1980") and effervescent guitar pop ("Loveless"). First single, “Heavy Ceiling,” is a dancefloor-ready ditty that reflects the confident and razor-sharp sound that dominates this LP.

Tour details below:

Feb 25 Rio Theatre Vancouver, BC March 2 Q Café Seattle, WA March 5 Luigi's Fun Garden Sacramento, CA March 6 Hotel Utah San Francisco, CA March 8 Silverlake Lounge Los Angeles, CA March 10 Plush Tucson, AZ March 11 Rhythm Room Phoenix, AZ March 13-18 SXSW Austin, TX March 22 Club Café Pittsburgh, PA March 23 M Room Philadelphia, PA March 24 The Rock Shop Brooklyn, NY March 27 Peppers Pub Saint John, NB, CAN March 28 Reflections Cabaret Halifax, NS, CAN March 30 Grenfell College Cornerbrook, CAN March 31 venue TBA St. John's, NFLD, CAN April 5 UPEI Charlottetown, PEI, CAN April 7 Charlotte St Arts Centre Fredericton, CAN April 8 Le Cercle Quebec City, QC, CAN

April 10 Le Divan Orange Montreal, QC, CAN April 11 Ritual Ottawa, ON, CAN April 12 This Ain't Hollywood Hamilton, ON, CAN April 13 The Great Hall Toronto, ON, CAN April 14 London Music Hall London, ON, CAN April 16 Capitol Theatre Windsor, ON, CAN April 17 The Lager House Detroit, MI April 18 Double Door Chicago,IL April 20 400 Bar Minneapolis, MN April 21 Park Theatre Winnipeg, MB, CAN April 23 Artful Dodger Regina, SK, CAN April 24 Broadway Theatre Saskatoon, SK, CAN April 25 Myer Horowitz Edmonton, AB, CAN April 26 MacEwan Hall Calgary, AB, CAN April 28 The Habitat Kelowna, BC, CAN May 3 Vogue Theatre Vancouver, BC, CAN May 4 Alix Goolden Hall Victoria, BC, CAN

DUCKY
ducky.bandcamp.com

Ducky (aka Morgan Neiman) has an EP called The Whether coming out on February 21, 2012, and a sneak preview song is called "Killing Time", which you can hear on bandcamp.

Ducky recently performed live at The Engadget Show. The episode hasn't aired yet, here's what to expect:

Are you ready for this? We sure are. We're back from CES, just slightly worse for wear, and we've got a lot to discuss. We're going to kick off the first Engadget Show of 2012 with a parade of some of last week's hottest gadgets. We'll also be taking a look at Apple's new education initiative, giving you a behind the scenes tour of Engadget's CES trailer and taking you straight to the show floor. MakerBot's Bre Pettis will be popping in to discuss the company's new Replicator 3D printer and we'll be getting some serious hands-on time with the latest camera from Red. Also, musical guest, Brooklyn's Ducky and surprises galore!

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

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Out Of Frequency

Heart Attack (CSS Remix) Read More The Asteroids Galaxy Tour Yeah, you know the story. I think these guys are great, calling them top for 2008, and to this day, I sometime hear "Around the Bend" at clubs - which is pretty amazing how far the band's come.

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour are... er... on TOUR! I've been in love with this band since October 2008, and it's great that they are finally making their way from Copenhagen to Minneapolis!

The tour is to promote their second album, Out Of Frequency, which comes out on BMG Rights (basically BMG Berlin) on January 31st, 2012.

I did get a chance to preview the album, and it is more or less in that 60's/70's throwback sound (lots of amazing horns with that unique singing style of Mette Lindberg).

If you get your hands on the album, the official song doesn't actually start until "Major", with three songs ("Gold Rush Pt. 1", "Dollars in the Night" and "Gold Rush Pt. 2") acting as an introduction. I love it!

Their single for the album is "Heart Attack", which is one of the danciest song on the new album. The lyrics catchy: "jeez Louise" and "you and me until we drop" and "head over heels on gasoline" and "bang bang bang give me heart attack". Some of the lyrics I feel were written to rhyme with other words, but it doesn't sound silly, or out of place; it just feels natural. If you want to hear the song for yourself, Rolling Stone is offering a free download of CSS's remix of the song.

Anyway, I am loving the album so far, I'll be at 7th Street to see the band:

01/31 NEW YORK, NY - Irving Plaza 02/01 WASHINGTON, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel 02/02 PHILADELPHIA, PA - Union Transfer 02/03 BOSTON, MA - Middle East Downstairs 02/07 CHICAGO, IL - Lincoln Hall 02/08 MINNEAPOLIS, MN - 7th Street Entry

02/10 DENVER, CO - Larimer Lounge 02/13 SAN DIEGO, CA - Belly Up 02/14 LOS ANGELES, CA - Echoplex 02/15 SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Independent 02/17 PORTLAND, OR - Wonder Ballroom 02/18 SEATTLE, WA - Neumos

PS, While "The Golden Age" isn't on the new album, I thought I'd throw this one on because it's one of my FAVORITE music video:



Yes, I know it's basically a Heineken video, but it's awesome!

vu () ♥ theasteroidsgalaxytour.com

Emma writes:

Wednesday, 25 January 2012 at 08:40 PM

I totally agree with you about their album! I've just recently become a fan, and am so glad I came across them. They also have their whole album up for streaming on their site, so you can have another listen to it before it comes out next week :) www.theasteroidsgalaxytour.com

kevincorcoranjr writes:

Sunday, 29 January 2012 at 11:08 PM

i first heard about this band from their heineken beer commercial and fell in love with them! Now their new album is just two days away and i CANNOT wait! so pumped to hear what they come up with... should be a real treat when I pick it up before work tuesday morning! if you want a taste of what this band is like (or to see just why i like them so much) check out their music video for heart attack, it's rad!

The Devil You Know

Read More The Devil Makes Three I was pleasantly surprise to see that Devil Makes Three sold out the Triple Rock venue in Minneapolis on Friday the 13th, which was nice because the last few shows I've attended could have used more audiences.

THE DEVIL MAKES THREE
thedevilmakesthree.com

I saw these guys, The Devil Makes Three, last year, I was rather surprised by the turn-out (they sure have loads of fans).

If you want to experience the live show, they released Stomp & Smash last October. If you want to see the real thing, I've listed their tour dates below (note: they're playing with Irish-punksters Flogging Molly).

Feb 14 - Higher Ground - Burlington, VT *
Feb 15 - The Haunt - Ithica, NY *
Feb 16 - Horseshoe Tavern - Toronto, ON
Feb 17 - The Fillmore - Detroit, MI ^^
Feb 18 - Aragon Ballroom - Chicago, IL ^^
Feb 19 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH ^^
Feb 21 - House of Blues - Boston, MA ^^
Feb 22 - Hammerstein Ballroom - New York, NY ^^
Feb 23 - The Note - West Chester (Philadelphia), PA *
Feb 24 - The Fillmore - Silver Spring, MD ^^
Feb 25 - House of Blues - Myrtle Beach, SC ^^
Feb 26 - Fillmore - Charlotte, NC ^^
Feb 28 - Orange Peel - Asheville, NC ^^
Feb 29 - House of Blues - Orlando, FL ^^
Mar 2 - House of Blues - New Orleans, LA ^^
Mar 3 - House of Blues - Houston, TX ^^
Mar 4 - House of Blues - Dallas, TX ^^
Mar 6 - George's Majestic - Fayetteville, AR
Mar 8 - Masquerade Hell Stage - Atlanta, GA
Mar 9 - Workplay Theatre - Birmingham, AL
Mar 11 - 3rd & Lindsley - Nashville, TN
Mar 15 - The Handlebar - Greenville, SC
Mar 16 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC

w/ Brown Bird *
w/ Flogging Molly ^^

THE DEVIL'S BLOOD
thedevilsblood.com

The Thousandfold Epicentre is the new album by The Devil's Blood, it was just released this Tuesday, January 17th.

Prior to the album's release, Decibel Magazine was streaming "Die The Death" from the album.

Critics are saying:

MSN Headbang: "...this daring, mysterious album sees this promising band starting to sound closer to being fully realized than ever before."

Verbicide: "...if rock ‘n roll is truly the devil’s music, then THE DEVIL'S BLOOD could be headliners in Hell."

Here's their 2012 tour dates:

22.01.12 Athens - Greece - Kyttaro 17.02.12 Manchester - United Kingdom - Moho Live 18.02.12 Dublin - Ireland - The Pint 25.02.12 Barcelona - Spain - La[2] 02.03.12 Goes - Netherlands - 't Beest 03.03.12 Leeuwarden - Netherlands - Poppodium Romein 09.03.12 Köln - Germany - Underground 30.03.12 Deventer - Netherlands - Burgerweeshuis 06.04.12 Den Haag - Netherlands - Paard van Troje 06.04.12 Paaspop 2012 Schijndel - Netherlands 07.04.12 Paaspop 2012 Schijndel - Netherlands 08.04.12 Paaspop 2012 Schijndel - Netherlands 08.05.12 Toronto - Canada - Opera House 24.05.12 Maryland Deathfest X - Baltimore 25.05.12 Maryland Deathfest X - Baltimore 26.05.12 Maryland Deathfest X - Baltimore

27.05.12 Maryland Deathfest X - Baltimore 31.05.12 Muskelrock - Alvesta - Sweden 01.06.12 Muskelrock - Alvesta - Sweden 02.06.12 Muskelrock - Alvesta - Sweden 15.06.12 Hellfest Open Air 2012 Clisson - France 16.06.12 Hellfest Open Air 2012 Clisson - France 17.06.12 Hellfest Open Air 2012 Clisson - France 13.07.12 Bang Your Head 2012 - Balingen - Germany 14.07.12 Bang Your Head 2012 - Balingen - Germany 07.08.12 Øyafestivalen 2012 Oslo - Norway 08.08.12 Øyafestivalen 2012 Oslo - Norway 09.08.12 Øyafestivalen 2012 Oslo - Norway 10.08.12 Øyafestivalen 2012 Oslo - Norway 10.08.12 Jalometalli Festival 2012 - Finland 11.08.12 Jalometalli Festival 2012 - Finland 18.08.12 Méan - Belgium

BAND OF SKULLS
bandofskulls.com

Band of Skulls will be releasing their second album, Sweet Sour exclusively on iTunes on February 7th via Electric Blues Recordings (under license in the U.S. to Vagrant Records). The digital version will include a bonus track, "Such A Fool."

Fans who can't wait to see the new album can preview the music video for "The Devil Takes Care Of His Own" on youtube.com (the video looks incredibly 70s-ish).

They'll be doing SXSW and continuing on until Coachella:

13-Mar TUE Austin, TX Antone's 16-Mar FRI Houston, TX Fitzgerald's 17-Mar SAT Dallas, TX Granada Theater 19-Mar MON Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse 20-Mar TUE Nashville, TN Cannery Ballroom 22-Mar THU New York, NY Webster Hall 23-Mar FRI Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer 24-Mar SAT Washington, DC 9:30 Club 26-Mar MON Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club 27-Mar TUE Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg 28-Mar WED Providence, RI The Met 31-Mar SAT Montreal, QC Corona Theatre 30-Mar FRI Toronto, ONT Phoenix Concert Theatre

2-Apr MON Detroit, MI St. Andrew's Hall 3-Apr TUE Chicago, IL House of Blues 4-Apr WED Minneapolis, MN Fine Line 6-Apr FRI Denver, CO Ogden Theatre 7-Apr SAT Salt Lake City, UT The Complex 9-Apr MON Seattle, WA Neptune 10-Apr TUE Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom 11-Apr WED Portland, OR Dante's 12-Apr THU San Francisco, CA The Fillmore 15-Apr SUN Coachella 22-Apr SUN Coachella * We Are Augustines Support All Dates except Coachella

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

Girls Girls Girls 7: The Black and White edition

The theme for this article is 'black and white' because these album artwork is mostly in black and white (with soft/faded colors). Do you like girl bands? See more Girls Girls Girls then.

Read More Ladyhawke When Ladyhawke took the stage, she's nervous happy. Between songs, she was at a loss of words, or when she did speak they sound nonsensical to me. However, she did manage to sneak in the story about seeing a man...

LADYHAWKE
ladyhawkemusic.com

It's no secret, I'm in love with Ladyhawke. Her song made my top 2008 list, and I was lucky enough to catch her on tour a few years ago.

Her new album is called Anxiety and will be out in the US on March 27th via Casablanca Records (if you know Spanish, that means White House).

Look for the world premiere of her song "Black White & Blue" on Radio 1 (UK) with Zane Lowe at 7pm GMT on Monday Jan 23rd (2pm EST) (also available simultaneously on Australia's Triple J).

ANXIETY ALBUM TRACKLIST
1. Girl Like Me
2. Sunday Drive
3. Black White & Blue
4. Vaccine
5. Blue Eyes
6. Vanity
7. The Quick & The Dead
8. Anxiety
9. Cellophane
10. Gone Gone Gone

EMELI SANDÉ
emelisande.com

Scottish-born singer and songwriter Emeli Sandé will be making her North American debut with a handful of selective dates (including one in Minneapolis!). The mini-tour will preview of the songs from Sandé's upcoming debut album, Our Version Of Events (out on Capitol Records in June 2012).

She's already established in the UK, with Q Magazine calling her album: "passionate, powerful and possessed of real star quality."

With that, Sandé won the Critics Choice Award at the Brit Awards for 2012 (other past winners include Adele and Florence + the Machine). Since Adele and Flo were some of the breakout success of 2011, expect a similar embrace for Sandé in 2012.

Emeli Sandé's upcoming tour dates:

02/27 New York, NY The Box (private showcase)
03/01 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Forever Cemetery
03/02 San Francisco, CA Café du Nord
03/05 Minneapolis, MN Dakota
03/07 Toronto, ON The Drake

Check out the warehouse-ish video for Next to Me.

CATE LE BON
catelebon.com

Cate Le Bon's been busy, after supporting St Vincent in the USA, Annie Clark asked Le Bon to join her band as backup vocals on her European tour dates.

With that, last Tuesday (January 17th) saw the release of her second album, CYRK, via the Control Group. If you want to listen to it, you can do it right now via Paste Magazine or KCRW Radio.

I have already asked Lara to cover Veronica Falls, so we'll be reviewing Cate Le Bon's show at the 7th Street in Minneapolis:

Weds Feb. 8 - Cambridge, MA @ TT The Bears
Thu Feb. 9 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
Fri Feb. 10 - Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's
Sat Feb. 11 - Philadelphia, PA @ KungFu Necktie
Sun Feb. 12 - Washington, DC @ DC9
Tue Feb. 14 - Chicago, IL @ Shuba's
Thu Feb. 16 - Madison, WI @ Frequency
Fri Feb. 17 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Wed Feb. 22 - Seattle, WA @ Crocodile
Thu Feb. 23 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
Fri Feb. 25 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent (Noise Pop) *
Sun Feb. 26 - Santa Monica, CA @ McCabe's Guitar Shop
Mon Feb. 27 - Los Angeles, CA @ Bardot Hollywood ("School Night")

* = w/ Surfer Blood

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