W♥M (Archive)

Ghosts

ADMIRAL RADLEY
admiralradley.com

I've written about both Grandaddy and Earlimart before, so I was quite pleased to hear that members from both bands are in a new band called Admiral Radley. This is pretty exciting, considering that Spin Magazine recently debut their song, "Ghost of Syllables".

Their album, I Heart California, will be in stores July 13th, while the digital version will be made available July 1st. Be sure to check out the deluxe, limited edition package of their album.

Tour dates below:

Jul 8 - KCRW Hammer Museum - LA, CA
Jul 9 - Cellar Door - Visalia, CA
Jul 10 - Frank's Place - Fresno, CA
Jul 11 - The Partisan - Merced, CA
Jul 15 - Downtown Brew - San Luis Obispo, CA
Jul 16 - Blue Lamp - Sacramento, CA
Jul 19 - Crocodile Cafe - Seattle, WA
Jul 20 - Media Club - Vancouver, BC
Jul 21 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR
Jul 23 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA
Jul 24 - Special Event - Barn Show - Modesto, CA*

TYCHO
tychomusic.com

Tycho's latest album, Dive, is out now on Ghostly International. The title track on Tycho's LP is said to have his first song to feature a prominent guest musician, guitarist Zac Brown. The song also spawn a single from Ghostly and recently remixed by Toronto's Memoryhouse (which you can hear via Soundcloud).

He's currently on tour in support of his album, and I'll see him this July 5th.

07.02 Lawrence, KS @ The Granada Theatre
07.03 St. Louis, MO @ Plush
07.05 Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theatre
07.06 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
07.07 Pontiac, MI @ Crofoot Ballroom
07.08 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
07.10 Toronto, ON @ The Hoxton
07.11 Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rossa
07.13 Mariaville, NY @ Camp Bisco 11
07.14 New York, NY @ Webster Hall

Opening up for Tycho is Onuinu, the latest project from Portland's Dorian Duvall. Dorian described his music as "Disco-Hop", which should be fun to check out.

ORIGAMI GHOSTS
origamighosts.com

Seattle's Origami Ghosts is set to release their new LP called It Doesn't Exist for July 7th. The driving force behind Origami Ghosts is John Paul Scesniak, who has been writing hundreds of songs since the 90s.

The Tucson Weekly described the music as "earnest" and "not-quite-singing voice".

Expect to catch Scesniak's "childlike imagination" or a revolving cast of session musicians (like cellist, accordionist, drummers, bassists, etc) as they embark on tour to promote the It Doesn't Exist album.

07.13.12 - Tacoma, WA @ The Space 07.14.12 - Portland, OR @ White Eagle Saloon 07.17.12 - Stockton, CA @ Plea for Peace Center 07.18.12 - San Francisco, CA @ Hemlock Tavern 07.20.12 - Fresno, CA @ Cafe Infoshop 07.23.12 - San Diego, CA @ Tincan Alehouse 07.25.12 - Phoenix, AZ @ Trunk Space 07.27.12 - Santa Fe, NM @ Betterday Cafe 07.28.12 - Amarillo, TX @ 806 Coffee and Lounge 07.30.12 - Austin, TX @ Club With No Name

07.31.12 - Houston, TX @ Eastside Social Center 08.01.12 - New Orleans, LA @ Siberia 08.02.12 - New Orleans, LA @ Shotgun Near You 08.03.12 - Tallahassee @ Railroad Sq Art Park 08.04.12 - Savannah, GA @ Sentient Bean 08.11.12 - New York City @ Goodbye Blue Monday 08.12.12 - New York City, NY @ Pianos 08.23.12 - Milwaukee @ Riverwest Public House 08.26.12 - Fort Collins, CO @ Hodi's Half Note

BRIEFLY:

RURAL GHOSTS reverbnation.com All I know about Rural Ghosts is that they are from the "other" Portland (Portland, Maine). They have a debut self-titled EP, which you can buy hand-made via Etsy. Limited to 93 copies.

BLOUSE bandcamp.com The final installment of Room 205 is Blouse… and they perform "Ghost Dream". Director/editor Paul Stec decided to employ some computer generated imagery to the video. You can watch it on goincase.com.

MY GREAT GHOST mygreatghost.com My Great Ghost is an electronic duo (singer Drew Smith and producer Trevor Gureckis) and they have a debut EP coming out July 10, 2012. Check out their song, "Plain Sight" on Soundcloud.

ORCA TEAM myspace.com Orca Team's new music video for "Ocean Ghost" can be seen at youtube.com. The song is from their album, Restraint, which is out now. They actually have a ton of tour dates, so check with their website for more details.

LOVETT ghostofoldhighways.com "Ghost of Old Highways" is a short film based on the song by Lovett. It's only 10 minutes long and I felt it was just an extended music video, complete with dream-like state of the Civil War, a bloody bride, and lots of guns. I guess I'm just confused why it had won so many film awards; surely there are better short films? By the numbers: "Ghost Of Old Highways" has now screened in 20 cities, 4 countries, and won 9 film festival awards in 2012 including Best Film, Best Score, and Best Cinematography. Watch the film now on IFC.

COMMUNIST DAUGHTER facebook.com Minneapolis' Communist Daughter just premiered "Ghosts" on Noisey/Vice. The song came from their forthcoming EP, Lions & Lambs. Songwriter Johnny Solomon had something deep to say about the song: "The song's about saying goodbye to the life I thought I had to live … But it's not about winning that struggle; it's about beginning that struggle…." Only to bring it back down to earth and insists that it could also be "just a song by a band in Minnesota." Look for their EP, Lions & Lambs, to come out July 10th on Grain Belt Records.

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

W♥M138: Nineties Revival

W♥M138 (50 mins)

Sally and Vu remembers (or tries to forget) the nineties.

Upcoming music festivals:

• Splendour in the Grass: Jack White, Smashing Pumpkins, At the Drive-In, The Shins, Mudhoney, Lana Del Rey, Dirty Three, Afghan Whigs, Bloc Party, The Kooks, Gossip
• Harvest Festival: Beck, Sigur Ros, Mike Patton's Mondo Cane, Grizzly Bears, Ben Fold Fives, Cake
• Fat As Butter: Wheatus,Good Charlotte, Pond, Mystery Jets, Yellowcard

Nineties revivals:

• Blur to unveil two new songs via @blurofficial. Blur to release BLUR 21: The Box, 21-disc Deluxe Box Set including all 7 studio albums, plus b-sides, and a Seymour 7".
• The Stone Roses reformed and currently on tour in the UK
• Ride, or at least Mark Gardener, rides again. Underground Lovers and Sky Parade to open for him in Australia.
• The Afghan Whigs on tour in Australia
• Spiritualized's Sweet Heart Sweet Light
• Song of the show is "Hey Jane" by Spiritualized

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

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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

Doug Benson: Smug Life

Tour Dates 06/28 Oklahoma City, OK City Arts Center 07/02 New York, NY Gramercy Theatre 07/08 Las Vegas, NV Palace Station 07/11 San Diego, CA Tipsy Crow 07/15 Salt Lake City, UT Wise Guys 07/22 Dallas, TX Hyenas 07/23 Ft Worth, TX Hyenas 07/25 Portland, OR Helium 07/28 Pittsburgh, PA The Improv 07/29 Pittsburgh, PA The Improv 08/04 Toledo, OH Funny Bone 08/05 Toledo, OH Funny Bone 08/09 Omaha, NE The Waiting Room Lounge 08/20 Philadelphia, PA Helium Comedy Club 08/22 Virginia Beach, VA Funny Bone 08/23 Virginia Beach, VA Funny Bone 09/01 Seattle, WA Bumbershoot 09/02 Seattle, WA Bumbershoot 09/03 Seattle, WA Bumbershoot Read More Doug Benson Doug Benson is a "potty" comedian… If you enjoy slacker, toilet, and pot humor, then you're in Benson's demographic.

Doug Benson best known for being 1/3 of the Marijuana-Logues, Last Comic Standing, Super High Me, and podcast Doug Loves Movies. Benson has been a prolific stoner stand-up comedian, winner of High Times 2006 Stoner of the Year. I have had the privilege to meet Doug over the years. Doug Benson has always had a very approachable personality. He has a childish glee, is almost always smiling, and quick witted.

Smug Life is a Comedy Concept Album. This 2-disc set features one disc recorded sober (uncooked) and another disc recorded baked (cooked). Both discs contain similar set list of jokes and observations with different audience interactions which show case his ability to adapt to make you laugh though his personality and not just through his punchlines. What make me enjoy his style of comedy are his stoner set up and his stoner timing.

What works best with any type of comedy is the element of surprise or unexpected. With Doug Benson it's not knowing whether the humor comes clever observation or how a stoner observes a situation. At the same time the humor is mostly derived from the stereotypes of the weed culture. Marijuana has a devout following compared to other drugs; there are no heroin-based comedians or Viagra-based comedians. Doug Benson fits a niche audience that is relatable, because almost everyone is aware of pot.

Can Doug Benson do comedy that eschews from his comfort zone? The question really lies on whether Doug is funnier sober or stoned, and with Smug Life you can have two comedy sets for your own scientific experiments.

A few things I didn't like are there are a few references to some physical comedy that doesn't lend itself well to an audio format. There is also a twitter bit that feels uneven, because it is up to Doug to use his wit to make reading tweets as funny as a spoken joke. So therefore some set ups are not cleverly timed and punchlines are not as well executed.

I enjoy Doug Benson style of comedy, but it is very apparent that his jokes would not be funny if someone else was telling him. Which says a lot about his likability and charm. Doug Benson's Smug Life was recorded on 04/20/2012, and if you do not know the significance of 4:20 to the culture it is aimed at, this album may not be for you. As a Comedy Concept album, it is well executed and is worth a listen.

Doug Benson's Smug Life will be out July 3, 2012, via Comedy Central Records.

jimi ♥ douglovesmovies.com

music for teens.

Read More Here We Go Magic This is Here We Go Magic's second time in Minneapolis, and arguably their favorite yet as spoken by drummer Peter.

Don't forget the free download of Chester French's song from Music 4 TNGRS.

TEEN
teentheband.com

Former Here We Go Magic's Teeny Lieberson with her two sisters Katherine and Lizzie (and good friend Jane Herships) started their new band, TEEN (note caps). They put together an EP called Little Doods in April 2011 … and now their debut full length album, In Limbo, will be out August 28th, 2012, via Carpark Records (isn't that a parking lot?).

The album was recorded last summer in a barn in rural Connecticut and engineered by Jen Turner of Here We Go Magic.

They are playing a few dates in New York:

7/20 New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge w/ Dean Wareham
7/21 Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool "Summer Thunder Series"

PS, check out their feature at theneighborhood.tv.

TEEN DAZE
facebook.com/teendaze

Teen Daze is basically Vancouver's one-man electro band. His album, All Of Us, Together, got released June 5th via Lefse Records.

Recently, his song, "Brooklyn Sunburn" got remixed by Lushlife over at thefader.com. His touring partner band, White Arrows also got their song, "Get Gone" remixed by Good Night Keaton over at rcrdlbl.com.

Want more? Check out the video for "Treten" at youtube.com.

His tour dates with White Arrows and Beat Connection below (yes, I'm seeing them July 15th).

07/03 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie 07/04 - New Haven, CT - BAR Nightclub 07/06 - Cambridge, MA - TT the Bears 07/05 - Brooklyn, NY - Knitting Factory 07/07 - Montreal, QC - Il Motore 07/08 - Toronto, ON - Drake Hotel 07/10 - Pittsburgh, PA - Billobox 07/11 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop

07/12 - Chicago, IL - Schuba's Tavern 07/13 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Café 07/14 - Milwaukee, WI - The Cactus Club 07/15 - Minneapolis. MN - 7th Street Entry 07/17 - Denver, CO - The Hi-Dive 07/18 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court 07/19 - Boise, ID - Reef Boise 07/22 - Vancouver, BC - Electric Owl

TEENGIRL FANTASY
teengirlfantasy.angelfire.com

Teengirl Fantasy's website is hilarious. I'm sure the duo (Nick Weiss and Logan Takahashi) are pretty smart and funny based on whoever designed their website.

Anyroad, their sophomore album, Tracer will be out August 21st, 2012, via True Panther Sounds (R&S in Asia, Australia and Europe).

Expect to dance to their techo beats when you see them live:

7/6 Barcelona, ES - Razzmatazz - Sala Lolita
7/7 Balado, SF - Tea in The Park Festival - Slam Tent
7/13 Dour, BE - Dour Festival - R&S Stage
7/14 Novi Sad, RS - Exit Festival - R&S Showcase
7/16 Dublin, IE - Workman's Club
7/19 Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso - Noodlanding
7/20 Berlin, DE - Naherholung Steunchecn - Shameless Limitless
7/28 London, GB - Corsica Studios - Club Motherf*cker Summer Special
8/10 San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
8/11 Los Angeles, CA - Los Globos
8/12 San Diego, CA - The Casbah
8/17 Vancouver, BC - Waldorf Hotel
8/18 Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios

HALEEK MAUL
merokrecords.com

According to his biography, Malik Hall, aka Haleek Maul, is only 16 years old, making him a true teenager. His EP, Oxyconteen, was released last week (June 18th) via Merok Records.

Who does he look up to when he's being inspired to make music? "I don't really have anyone I look up to anymore, most people prove to be disappointments, including myself," says Haleek.

FACT recently named Haleek a "New Talent". You can grab the entire EP for a limited time at merokrecords.com.

Look for his first live New York City debut at Glasslands on July 20th.

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

Bass Drum of Death with DZ Deathrays at 7th Street Entry Minneapolis 06/25/12

Tour Dates 06/28 Seattle, WA - Sunset 06/29 Vancouver, BC - Biltmore 06/30 Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios 07/02 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill 07/06 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo 07/07 San Diego, CA - Soda Bar 07/08 Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room 07/10 Austin, TX - Mohawk 07/11 Dallas, TX - Club Dada 07/12 Houston, TX - Fitzgerald's Downstairs 07/13 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks 07/14 Oxford, MS - Proud Larry's Read More Bass Drum of Death The guitar/drum duo Bass Drum of Death is from Mississippi. They are described as "blown-out, blazing"... which Dan witnessed this himself…

The Entry was awash in a sea of hair-whipping garage rock Monday night as Mississippi-based Bass Drum of Death and Aussie band DZ Deathrays hit Minneapolis in the middle of their North American tour.

DZ Deathrays

DZ Deathrays are on their first ever tour of the US playing songs off their debut release, Bloodstreams. Their 30 minute set was loud and thrashy. Vocalist/guitarist Shane Parsons screamed into the microphone while stepping on effects pedals laid out on a mile-long board, while Simon Ridley beat the ever-loving crap out of the drums, flailing fast and furiously. There was no setlist, so I can only report that they played “Dollar Chills” with any certainty. The highlight of the set was when one dude in the audience was so overcome with the beginning of one song that he freaked out and made his own one-man mosh pit for a good 20 seconds before disappearing back into the crowd.

Next up, Bass Drum of Death played a good portion of songs off their 2011 release, GB City, on Fat Possum Records. Singer/guitarist John Barret didn’t have much to say between songs during their 50 minute set; they pretty much just ended one song and kicked into another to keep the intensity and momentum going through songs like “Nerve Jamming,” “Heart Attack Kid,” “Get Found,” “Velvet Itch” (one of the highlights of their set), title track “GB City” and a song off a tour-only split 7” with DZ Deathrays called “White Fright.” They left the stage for what seemed like 30 seconds before emerging to play a one song encore.

Catch them on the remaining dates of their tour for some punk rocking, ear-ringing fun!

Bass Drum of Death at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (06/25/12)

amy () ♥ bassdrumofdeath.tumblr.com ♥ dzdeathrays.com

Life's a gas

Read More Amy Campbell Amy Campbell is an acoustic folksy singer/songwriter from Toronto, Canada.

But, it really doesn't matter at all.
No, it really doesn't matter at all.
Life's a gas, I hope it's gonna last.

- T.Rex

AMY CAMPBELL
amycampbell.ca

You might remember Amy Campbell from an old interview. What has she been up to? New album, called Letters Home, coming out July 24th, 2012, apparently. The album was inspired by her visit to Nashville. You can preview song the tracks on her soundcloud page, including the new song "Gasoline". The track features Don on drums, Ben on bass and Aaron on pedal steel.

See her on tour:

Sunday, July 22nd - Halifax, NS
Tuesday, July 24th - Toronto, ON
Saturday, July 28th - Yarker, ON
Friday, August 10 - London, ON
Saturday, August 11 - St. Catherine's, ON
Friday, August 17 - Kingston, ON
Saturday, August 18 - Ottawa, ON

GASLIGHT ANTHEM
gaslightanthem.com

In our chat with Matt Pinfield, he let on that his favorite song at the moment is The Gaslight Anthem's "45". Any band that Matt Pinfield likes has got to be cool, right?

Well, the band is busy. I checked on their tour schedule, it's pretty amazing. When do they sleep?

They're stopping by Minneapolis at the tiny Fine Line Café on Wednesday, July 11th.

The new album, Handwritten , is coming out July 24th via Mercury Records. I'm pretty sure fans who attend a live show can pick up the album before the official release date.

Their never-ending tour dates:

Jul 05 The Independent San Francisco, CA Jul 07 Hawthorne Theater Portland, OR Jul 08 Crocodile Cafe Seattle, WA Jul 11 Fineline Minneapolis, MN Jul 12 Bottleneck Lawrence, KS Jul 13 Firebird St Louis, MO Jul 14 Bunberry Festival Cincinnati, OH Jul 16 The Opera House Toronto, Canada Jul 18 Mercy Lounge Nashville, TN Jul 19 Cat's Cradle Chapel Hill, NC Jul 20 U Street Washington, DC Jul 22 Middle East Boston, MA Jul 23 Upstate Concert Hall Clifton Park, NY Jul 24 Webster Hall New York, NY Jul 28 Scion’s Bonzai 2012 Rochester, NY Jul 29 WKRL's K-Rockathon Syracuse, NY Aug 13 Villa Manin Passariano Ud, Italy Aug 16 Pukkelpop Festival Kiewit, Belgium Aug 18 Area 4 Lüdinghausen, Germany Aug 19 Highfield Festival Leipzig, Germany Aug 22 Chiemsee Rock Chiemsee, Germany Aug 24 Leeds Festival Leeds, United Kingdom Aug 26 Reading Festival Reading, United Kingdom Sep 11 Agora Port Quebec City, Canada Sep 12 Bell Centre Montreal, Canada Sep 13 Ce Centre Ottawa, Canada Sep 14 Multiple Venues Chicago, IL Sep 15 Riot Fest Chicago, IL Sep 16 Eagles Ballroom Milwaukee, WI Sep 17 DeltaPlex Ebeye, Marshall Islands Sep 20 Bayou Music Center Houston, TX

Sep 21 DeLuna Fest Pensacola, FL Sep 22 Riot Fest South Dallas, TX Sep 24 The Fillmore Auditorium Denver, CO Sep 25 The Fillmore Auditorium Denver, CO Sep 28 Tempe Beach Park Tempe, AZ Sep 29 Honda Center Anaheim, CA Oct 01 Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas, NV Oct 02 Grand Sierra Theatre Reno, NV Oct 04 Save On Foods Victoria, Canada Oct 06 Stampede Park Calgary, Canada Oct 07 Edmonton EXPO Edmonton, Canada Oct 15 O2 Academy Brixton London, UK Oct 18 O2 Apollo Manchester, UK Oct 19 O2 Academy Glasgow Glasgow, UK Oct 20 O2 Academy Birmingham Birmingham, UK Oct 21 Ancienne Belgique Brussels, Belgium Oct 23 Paradiso Amsterdam, Netherlands Oct 25 E-Werk Cologne, Germany Oct 27 Jarhunderthalle Frankfurt, Germany Oct 28 Zenith Munich, Germany Oct 29 Gasometer Vienna, Austria Oct 31 LKA Longhorn Stuttgart, Germany Nov 01 Sporthalle Hamburg, Germany Nov 02 Columbiahalle Berlin, Germany Nov 03 Garage Saarbrücken, Germany Nov 04 La Cigale Paris, France Nov 05 Komplex Zurich, Switzerland Nov 06 Alcatraz Milan, Italy Nov 08 Sala Apolo Barcelona, Spain Nov 09 Sala Cats Madrid, Spain

WAKE UP MADAGASCAR
wakeupmadagascar.com

I have another show the date Wake Up Madagascar is coming to town, so I've asked Dave to cover this show for me.

If you were wondering what Wake Up Madagascar is, it's a collection of artists (Razia Said, Jaojoby, Charles Kelly, and Saramba) teaming up to end illegal logging in the rainforest of Madagascar and to bring awareness to the Lacey Act in the US.

Their scheduled tour dates:

FRI-July 13 - Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center
SAT-July 14 - Madison, WI @ La Fête de Marquette
SUN-July 15 - Chicago, IL @ Martyr's
TUE-July 17 - Toronto, ON @ Lula Lounge
WED-July 18 - Montreal, QC @ Festival Nuits D'Afrique
THU-July 19 - Somerville, MA @ Johnny D's
FRI-July 20 - Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse
SAT-July 21 - New York City, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge
TUE-July 24 - San Francisco, CA @ Yoshi's Jazz Club
THU-July 26 - Pasadena, CA @ Levitt Pavilion

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

Exciting news for Blur fans

What’s the exciting news? Well, Blur are set to debut two new songs live on Twitter via a worldwide live video stream at 3.15am Tuesday 3rd July Australian Eastern Standard Time. Filmed and streamed completely live from a secret UK location, the two new songs, Under The Westway and The Puritan, were written for the upcoming sold-out Hyde Park concert.

Damon Albarn said -“I wrote these songs for Hyde Park and I’m really excited about getting out there and playing them for people.”

Go to @blurofficial at 3:15am to hear the first track and an interview with the band, followed by the second track at 4:15am (AEST). Following the live stream, both songs will be available to download.  A limited edition double-A 7-inch single will be released in the UK by Parlophone on 6th August.

Watch Alex James here, for more information: http://smarturl.it/BlurYT

Also….

Blur 21: The Box will be released on 17th July 2012. Twenty one years since the release of their debut album Leisure in 1991, the band’s body of work has been compiled and gathered together into one box. Blur’s seven studio albums are collected with over 5 ½ hours of previously unreleased material including 65 tracks, rarities, 3 DVDs, a collector’s edition book and special limited edition Seymour 7 inch vinyl.

For full track-listing and a complete list of all bonus material and rarities please visit www.blur.co.uk/blur21

www.blur.co.uk

Sally

[email protected]

Meiko, Wilko, Yoko, and Koko

Another koo koo article for yoo.

Read More Meiko Meiko had a guest trumpet player on for most of her set (she requested him on for the rest of show because I guess she felt more comfortable with having someone else with her).

MEIKO
meikomusic.com

Did you happen to catch the beautiful Meiko on Jay Leno a few weeks ago? You can see her on her myspace video.

She played her new song "Leave The Lights On" from her new album, The Bright Side, via Fantasy Records/Concord Music. If you like the song, you can download it for free at her website.

Meiko's on tour:

Jul 3 KCRW "Morning Becomes Eclectic" Santa Monica, CA
Jul 5 MILWAUKEE SUMMERFEST, Milwaukee, WI
Jul 27 The Vanguard Tulsa, Tulsa, OK
Jul 28 Knuckleheads Saloon, Kansas City, MO
Jul 29 Juanita's, Little Rock, AR
Aug 1 Club Café, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Aug 3 Jammin' Java, Vienna, VA

Speaking of videos, Maker Studios sent me this link to her "One-Take" video for "Good Looking Loser" (you can watch it on youtube). The title was deceiving, I thought it was a one-take/one-shot/long-take video (you know, like that lipdub "I Gotta Feeling" or Daft Hands), but there are multiple camera edits.

WILKO JOHNSON
wilkojohnson.org

The former guitarist of Dr Feelgood, Wilko Johnson, announced his Autumn 2012 UK tour with special guest Virgil and the Accelerators.

Incidentally, you know that creepy mute executioner in HBO's "Game of Thrones"? That's Wilko Johnson. Apparently, when not pioneering British R&B, he is an actor. But that's not all! The talented man also released his "fractured autobiography," Looking Back At Me with co-author Zoe Howe.

Wilko Johnson Autumn UK Tour:

Bath Komedia (Oct 11) Exeter Phoenix (Oct 12) Gloucester Guildhall (Oct 13) Brighton Komedia (Oct 14) Stratford Cox’s Yard (Oct 17) York Fibbers (Oct 18) Gateshead Sage (Oct 19) Poole Mr Kyps (Oct 24) London Islington O2 Academy (Oct 25) Hertford Corn Exchange (Oct 26)

Holmfirth Picturedrome (Oct 27) Scunthorpe Plowright Theatre (Oct 28) Bedford Corn Exchange (Nov 1) St Helen’s Citadel (Nov 2) Glasgow O2 ABC (Nov 3) Stamford Corn Exchange (Nov 4) Bury The Met (Nov 22) Morecambe Platform (Nov 23) Carlisle The Brickyard (Nov 24) Bilston Robin (Nov 25)

YOKO ONO
yoko-ono.com

Didn't Kim & Thurston called it quits? They're still on good terms as they've teamed up with Yoko Ono to release YOKOKIMTHURSTON, coming out September 25th, 2012, via Chimera Music.

Can't wait for the 6-track album? You should check the limited 10" vinyl for "Early In The Morning", which came out June 19th (Europe will receive the 10" on July 3rd). The single has a special etching by Yoko on the flip side and limited to only 1,000 copies. Any profits from the pressing will be donated to Ashinaga Rainbow House to aid orphans of the 3.11 tsunami. You can order it from Sonic Youth.

KOKO BEWARE
kokobeware.com

Aw, who doesn't love a wrestling reference? Georgia's surf rock duo, Koko Beware, announced the release of their debut album, Something About Summer, to be released on August 7th, 2012.

I read that the album is supposed to be surfy/jangly… and if you spot a mistake, it's okay because they believe that it's about having a good time and mistakes are happy accidents. I got the impression that the duo don't really take themselves too seriously, like you can hang out with them.

Anyway, look for the album in August, around the same time, you can catch them in Brooklyn at the Legion Bar on August 3rd.

PS, they should tagteam with Cavemen, who have an album called CoCo Beware.

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

Stars in my eyes

Stars in the sky, stars in my eyes
They dilate, let me demonstrate

- S*M*A*S*H

Read More Stars Since I can't stop loving Stars (some of my favorite albums are Nightsongs and Set Yourself on Fire) and I'll always cherish their show at the 400 Bars many, many, years ago.

STARS
starsthenorth.com

Stars has a new album, The North, coming out in North America on September 4th. You can get a sneak peek at their new song, "The Theory of Relativity" over at soundcloud.com. With already 50k+ listens, you can tell they still have a lot of fans.

Why is the album called "The North"? They explained it:

It's called The North, 'cause it's where we're from, because it's the kind of music we make, and because the north doesn't just belong to the dead eyed little men who run it at the moment; it belongs to all of us. We made it in Montreal, like we always do, with love and hate, like we always do, but this time there were kids and guitarists and maybe even a little pie-eyed optimism thrown into the room with us. It felt really good. If you've got a funeral to go to, or you're drinking under a bridge with your best friend who you've decided you want to sleep with; you know we're there for you.

If you can't download from Soundcloud, you can also grab the song at youarestars.com.

Read More Sleater-Kinney Excuse 17 was a short-lived band … Carrie Brownstein went on to join this band called Sleater-Kinney.

CORIN TUCKER BAND
corintuckerband.com

Corin Tucker, yes, that singer from Sleater-Kinney, will once again release another album under the The Corin Tucker Band name. Kill My Blues, the sophomore album will be out September 18, 2012, via Kill Rock Stars. This is the follow-up to the critically acclaimed 2010 album, 1,000 Years.

Kill My Blues is said to be returning to the riot grrrl sonic roots, which, as you know, I am a fan of.

More dates will be announced later, but in the meantime, here are the September dates to correspond with the album release:

September 14-15 Hideout Block Party Chicago, IL
September 18 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, PA
September 21 The EARL Atlanta, GA
September 22 The Bottletree Birmingham, AL
September 23 DeLuna Fest Pensacola, FL
September 25 Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC
September 26 Black Cat Backstage Washington, DC
September 27 Mercury Lounge New York, NY
September 28 TT the Bear’s Cambridge, MA
September 29 The Bell House Brooklyn, NY

EASY STAR ALL-STARS
easystar.com

Easy Star All-Stars are "thrilled" to announce their next Tribute Album, Thrillah, coming out August 28, 2012 (the day before Michael Jackson's birthday). You can check out a free download of "Billie Jean" over at their website.

If you were wondering, yes, this is a reggae-inspired covers, like the previous efforts (Dub Side of the Moon, Radiodread, and Lonely Hearts Dub Band).

I'm always worried about full cover albums; I have read numerous times how artists like Guns 'N Roses or Prince have sent cease and desist for cover albums. Let's hope the Jackson family is okay with the tribute.

The band will be playing the album live, starting in September:

Sep 7 - Madison, WI @ High Noon Sep 8 - Clarks Grove, MN @ Shangri-La Festival Sep 9 - Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s* Sep 10 - Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater* Sep 12 - Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theater* Sep 13 - Boulder, CO @ Fox Theater* Sep 14 - Denver, CO @ Cervante’s Masterpiece* Sep 15 - Aspen, CO @ Belly Up* Sep 16 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge* Sep 18 - Santa Barbara, CA @ SoHo* Sep 19 - Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern* Sep 20 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre* Sep 21 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s* Sep 22 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst*

Oct 4 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza+* Oct 6 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle + Oct 7 - Washington, DC @ Howard Theatre+ Oct 9 - Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig+ Oct 11 - Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s + Oct 13 - Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace+ Oct 14 - Syracuse, NY @ Westcott Theater+ Oct 16 - Boston, MA @ Paradise+ Oct 17 - Stowe, VT @ Rusty Nail+ Oct 19 - Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater+ Oct 20 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Blockley+ * - w/Passafire + - w/The Aggrolites

BIG STAR
bigstarstory.com

I got word earlier this month that the Big Star documentary, "Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me", needed help to be re-cut for the major screens and also legal issues to get rights to music and footage. I think one of my writer help donated to the cause, and I'm happy to report that they've reached their goal of $32k and the project is green-lit to go June 28th. That doesn't mean they'll turn away any additional money… so if you really want that Big Star postcard, you've a few days left!

If you live in the Memphis area, the exclusive test screening will be taking place July 26th. I am told to watch out for a "surprise guest". If I were to guess, it's probably someone like drummer Jody Stephens from Big Star to appear.

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

The Daredevil Christopher Wright at the Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (06/23/12)

Tour Dates 06/26 Eau Claire, WI Volume One 06/29 Madison, WI The Frequency 06/30 Sheboygan, WI Paradigm 07/01 Milwaukee, WI Cactus Club 07/17 Milwaukee, WI Paste Mag 07/28 Avoca, WI Shitty Barn Session 08/01 Chicago, IL Subterranean * 08/02 Iowa City, IA The Mill * 08/03 Cincinnati, OH MOTR Pub * 08/04 Lakewood, OH Mahall's 20 Lanes * 08/14 New York, NY TBA 08/15 Boston, MA Great Scott * 08/19 Shippensburg, PA Thought Lot 08/23 Kalamazoo, MI Old Dog Tavern 09/13 Hayward, WI The Park Theater 11/02 Madison, WI UW-Madison 11/16 Minneapolis United Methodist Church * = Via Audio Read More The Daredevil Christopher Wright The Daredevil Christopher Wright is from Eau Claire, a city that has the benefit of being between Minneapolis and Milwaukee…

The Daredevil Christopher Wright was excited to play brand new materials from their forthcoming album, The Nature of Things at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, last night, June 23rd.

They just played their new materials the night before at Eau Claire's Grand Little Theater for the first time. I am assuming that went well, because I suspect some of their fans from that show travelled to Minneapolis, judging from the few Wisconsin license plates I saw on the road in the area.

Kalispell

Kalispell was one of two bands opening up the show. I got the feeling that the band is really new; I even thought I heard that their bassist just joined up five days ago. It also didn't help that almost every song required a few minutes to tune… which then lead to awkward banter that seems to go nowhere because bandleader Shane Leonard is busy trying to concentrate on tuning his strings.

As for the music, it wasn't bad; it seems they have a lot of material to draw from, for a new band. Most of the songs on the set seems to be taken from their latest album, Westbound, including "Methodist Lift" and "1157" and the title track.

We Are The Willows

The thing about We Are The Willows is that when you hear Peter Michael Miller speaks, it's in this weird feminine voice. Not exactly like a falsetto, it was just his speaking and singing voice. The closest thing I can think of is Jeff Hanson.

They started off their set with "Yellow Dress" from their A Collection Of Sounds And Something Like The Plague compilation. As expected, they did songs from their new release, Places, including "Hayward" and "Minneapolis (Savings Account by History Books)".

As previously mentioned, The Daredevil Christopher Wright basically played their entire new album, The Nature of Things, at their album release party. Songs like "Church" and "Pale Horse, Pale Rider" were lumped together, giving these religious overtones, but then you also had a nature/animal theme going with "The Birds of the Air and the Flowers of the Field" and "The Animal of Choice".

When the trio is really good, is when the two brothers do that harmonizing thing that only family bands do so well. When I didn't "get it", was when the band go into, what sounded to me, free jazz mode.

Highlight of the set for me was their song "Blood Brother". This song really demonstrates their ability to write great lyrics. When it comes down to it, most people will tell you that the reason why they love The Daredevil Christopher Wright, it's for their strong lyrics.

They did two songs for their encore, one of which was their name song, "The Daredevil Christopher Wright".

The Daredevil Christopher Wright is currently on tour for their latest album, The Nature of Things. The record comes out this Tuesday, June 26th. In the meantime, you can stream the entire album now at Exclaim!.

Trivia: Confirmed, the cover artwork to The Nature of Things is indeed inspired by Chino Latino.

The Daredevil Christopher Wright at the Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (06/23/12)

vu () ♥ thedaredevilchristopherwright.com ♥ wearethewillows.com ♥ kalispellband.com