W♥M (Archive)

Crocodiles at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis 06/22/12

Tour Dates 06/24 Detroit, MI Magic Bag 06/25 Toledo, OH Mickey Finn’s 06/26 Pittsburgh, PA Brillobox 06/27 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell’s 07/13 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s 07/14 New York, NY Village Voice 4knots Festival 07/15 Baltimore, MD Ottobar 07/16 Chapel Hill, NC Cat’s Cradle 07/18 Orlando, FL The Social 07/19 Palm Beach, FL Respectable Street 07/20 Miami, FL The Vagabond 07/21 Tampa, FL New World Brewery 07/22 Atlanta, GA Masquerade (Purgatory Stage) 07/24 Morgantown, WV 123 Pleasant Street Read More Crocodiles Crocodiles are a noise pop band from San Diego. I've read that they're influenced by Jesus and Mary Chain, so I can see why Amy would love this band

The San Diego-based noise-pop band, Crocodiles, brought some amazing energy to their show last night at the Entry despite having just driven all the way from Vancouver where they had played the night before. Early in their set, singer Brandon Welchez joked that they were all pretty stinky and “would trade merch. for Lady Speedstick.”

The last time I saw Crocodiles was at the Turf Club supporting Brandon’s wife’s band, the Dum Dum Girls. I was pretty surprised by their energy then, as well, as I had expected them to be laid back, too-cool-for-school Cali surf-rockers, but Brandon Welchez is completely and utterly absorbed in the music from the minute he hits the stage. This show was no different and the enthusiasm and intensity was a bit higher, with Brandon jumping into the crowd to pogo around a couple of times, spitting profusely on the stage during songs and whirling around so much that he unplugged his guitar.

As headliners, Brandon was also a bit chattier in between songs thanking everyone for coming, mentioning they liked playing Minneapolis and introducing a song by saying they had had a rough couple of weeks leading up to the show and asking if everyone else hated their bosses. And, judging by the reaction he received, most of the audience did not hate their bosses. Regardless, Brandon went on to say that the next song was about “punching your boss in the face until he dies.”

During their 50 minute set they played a good mix of songs from all of their albums, including “Endless Flowers,” “Sunday (Psychic Conversation #9)” and “Dark Alley” (all from their latest release, Endless Flowers, on Frenchkiss Records), as well as, “Mirrors,” “Hearts of Love,” “Stoned to Death,” “Sleep Forever” and “I Wanna Kill.”

I highly recommend seeing them live on the remaining dates on their tour, but be sure to bring some ear plugs or prepare to have your ears ringing for days because they are loud!

Crocodiles at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (06/22/12)

amy () ♥ killkillkillcrocodiles.blogspot.com

Isnaj Dui: Abstracts on Solitude

Read More Wil Bolton If you’ve been reading my articles consistently for a while, maybe you’ll notice I tend to say at least one thing a number of times, when it’s about instrumental music. Things like “this music should be listened to with headphones on”…

During much of my time here with We Heart Music, I’ve written on referrals that Vu has sent my way. A few times, however, I find an independent record label that has a good bead on my listening interests, and I write exclusively for them for a little while.

Of late, the label is Hibernate, based in the UK. I’ve written for Hibernate artists Antonyme and Will Bolton previously. Speaking very generally, the music has appealed to me as it’s been very ambient and dream-like in nature. I usually try to listen actively with headphones (which I am doing as I write this) but sometimes I’ll put a disc in the player for the music to sit in the background.

Writing about instrumental music can be very difficult. As I’ve said before, I find myself repeating the same advice over and over: “listen with headphones” and “decide for yourself”. Fortunately, the press releases for Hibernate artists are very informative and such material makes my work much easier. Currently, I have been asked to write about Isnaj Dui, who is Katie English, hailing from North London, UK. “Abstracts on Solitude”, her first album for Hibernate, was released June 8th and arrived to me by CD along with a copy of of Wil Bolton’s “Under A Name That Hides Her” (which I had requested) and a copy of a collaborative work (Isnaj Dui & Karina ESP: Slow Forms).

This was a few weeks ago. I apologize for being slow in reviewing this; but I have been in very poor health recently. It is partly because of that that I will reference the press release liberally, but also because it is very well written and references what I think are important details. I do not say that lightly as I have read many others for other music I have reviewed and so much is flowery words crafted to draw public interest. That said, I am left to guess as to how she came up with the name “Isnaj Dui”; it sounds vaguely Hindi to me. The following is a lovely example of how press releases for Hibernate artists include information about instrumentation and how the album is created:

With a history of recording and musical study that spans back to 1995, Katie’s current sound is characterised by her use of flute, particularly the bass flute. This is generally a rarely used instrument but is used frequently throughout her work as a defining feature. Add to this a few home-made instruments and electronics and you have the very distinctive sound of Isnaj Dui, a project that has been active since 2004.

The release also explains the album’s cover art as “an out of focus image of wires and circuit boards which was taken as part of a film made for a gig at the Union Chapel [venue].” It goes on to explain how such wires and circuit boards literally shape the album:

...the wires and circuit boards that you see in the cover art are allowed a voice within the album, which lightly scatter the organic sound of flutes and dulcimer. Effects and processing is kept to a minimum wherever possible and only the slightest trace of this is clearly evident. It is within these subtle electronic infiltrations that the album’s charm can be found, as restrained shards of noise, circuit boards, reverb and light hiss rest comfortably on a soft and atmospheric bed created by the acoustic instrument sounds.

The last bit of the release, as follows, is another fine example of how Hibernate illuminates the creative process of its artists:

On ‘What Lies Inside’, Katie had created an immediate response to having suffered a panic attack as a sort of recovery mechanism. The composition process comes from deep within, since she relies more on sub-conscious thought when recording. Whilst Abstract On Solitude is free from clear conceptual confines, it is its sense of lulling calm that becomes the calling card.

The last sentence brings a smile to my lips because it repeats much more beautifully what I said earlier: instrumental music is difficult to write about (listeners should judge for themselves) and that Katie English as Isnaj Dui is another defining example of the dream-like music of Hibernate’s artists.

 

jaklumen (jaklumen.wordpress.com) ♥hibernate-recs.co.uk

Going for Gold 13

Read more Going for Gold articles.

Read More Tori Amos You know I love Tori Amos. She is one of those artists that I'll still continue to buy her albums, despite getting review copies.

TORI AMOS
toriamos.com

You know I love Tori. Who doesn't?

She announced that she's gone back and hand-picking songs from her entire catalog and re-imagining those songs for her thirteenth studio album, Gold Dust (to be released for October 2012). Announcement is so far that I'm using her previous album, Night of Hunters, as the cover artwork.

I am expecting these "new" songs will be incredibly different, just like her previous re-working of classic Christmas songs and Classical Music.

Also, expect a bit of orchestra, as long-time collaborator John Philip Shenale will be on board with the renowned Metropole Orchestra (conducted by Jules Buckley).

Tori comments on the forthcoming album: "My relationship with all of these songs has changed over the years and they have changed my life. So it wasn’t just about capturing the past it was about realizing that the songs had a new narrative now - 10 or 20 years later than they did when I originally recorded them".

Be sure to see her on tour:

Oct 1 Rotterdam w/ Metropole Orkest Conducted by Jules Buckley
Oct 2 Brussels w/ Metropole Orkest Conducted by Jules Buckley
Oct 13 Warsaw (On-Sale Date 6/11)

Read More The Cribs The Cribs are an excellent three piece indie band of twin brothers Gary and Ryan Jarman and their little brother Ross Jarman.

THE CRIBS
thecribs.com

We like these guys, I was lucky enough to have caught these guys the last few times they toured through Minneapolis.

They premiered a video called "Glitters Like Gold" on Pitchfork in early June.

Here is what the directors, Andy Knowles and Stephen Agnew, had to say about the video: "We wanted to capture the look and feel of the videos we grew up loving, Vids by directors like David Marky (1991, The Year Punk Broke, Fuzz Gun '91) And Kevin Kerslake ('sliver') We loved the relaxed playful lo-fi feel of spots, and wanted to evoke the same love in a newer audience. Its also very relevant to the over all sound and feel of the track. However, we didn't want to simply wallow in our own selfish nostalgia, we also wanted to create something playful and interactive to run parallel to the linear video. So we arrived at the idea of creating an interactive fact driven video."

The band's currently on tour:

Jun 21 Club Quattro Osaka, Japan
Jun 23 Hostess Weekender, Ebisu Tokyo, Japan
Jul 06 T in The Park Balado, United Kingdom
Aug 24 Richfield Avenue Reading, United Kingdom
Aug 25 Leeds Festival 2012 Leeds, United Kingdom
Aug 26 Bramham Park Bramham, United Kingdom

TRISTAN PRETTYMAN
www.tristanprettyman.com

The California singer Tristan Prettyman will be returning to music after her four-year recording hiatus to unveil Cedar + Gold, coming out on September 25 via Capitol Records.

You can hear a sneak peek of "My Oh My" on Entertainment Weekly. The track will be available on July 10th to impact radio a few weeks later.

The track-listing for Cedar + Gold is as follows: Say Anything / I Was Gonna Marry You / My Oh My / Unconditionally / Quit You / Bad Drug / Come Clean / Glass Jar / When You Come Down / Deepest Ocean / Blue / Second Chance / Never Say Never / The Rebound (bonus track).

Since the album is announced so far in advance, we weren't given the cover artwork for it. Instead, I'll be using the cover from the last album, Hello, from 2008.

Be sure to catch Prettyman and Joshua Radin on their tour:

07/12 Napa, CA Uptown Theater 07/15 Boise, ID Knitting Factory 07/17 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot 07/18 Aspen, CO Belly Up 07/20 Des Moines, IA Wooly’s 07/22 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater 07/23 Cincinnati, OH 20th Century Theatre

07/25 Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse 07/27 Huntington, NY Paramount 07/28 Cleveland, OH Cain Park 07/29 Annapolis, MD Ramshead Onstage 07/31 Englewood, NJ Bergen Performing Arts 08/02 Alexandria, VA Birchmere 08/03 Norfolk, VA NorVa

HOLLOWS
hollowschicago.com

eMusic recently premiered "Golden Chain," the first video from Hollows' sophomore LP, Vulture.

I did a quick search on the 'net for Hollows, they have to do something about their name - there are already a few bands called Hollows - including one from Brooklyn and one from Glasgow.

Anyroad, the Chicago band is heading out on tour:

June 26 - Tip Top - Grand Rapids, MI
June 27 - Painted Lady - Detroit, MI
June 28 - Parts & Labour - Toronto, ON *
June 29 - Capital Rehearsal Studios - Ottawa, ON *
June 30 - Barfly - Montreal, QC *
July 1 - WWTA - Boston, MA *
July 2 - Glasslands - Brooklyn, NY *
July 3 - Cake Shop - New York, NY
July 5 - TBA - Baltimore, MD *
July 6 - Gillie's - Blacksburg, VA
July 7 - Espresso News - Boone, NC
July 8 - Springwater - Nashville, TN
July 9 - The Exhange - Hot Springs, AR
July 10 - H&H Lounge - Shreveport, LA
July 11 - Club Dada - Dallas, TX &
July 12 - White House - Conway, AR
July 13 - The Pleasure Chest - Fayetteville, AR
July 14 - Replay Lounge - Lawrence, KS
July 15 - Record Bar - Kansas City, MO
July 16 - PK's - Carbondale, IL

w/ Boyhood *
w/ Bass Drum of Death &

BRIEFLY:

GRASS WIDOW grasswidow.org "Goldilocks Zone" is the new song from Grass Widow, which premiered on Pitchfork. The song is taken from their self-released record, available through Internal Logic.

BILLY & DOLLY billyanddolly.com San Francisco's Billy & Dolly has a second full-length album out now called Dally Bon Idyll. Check out their single for "Gold" on Soundcloud.

IAN MCGLYNN ianmcglynn.com Ian McGlynn has a new album called Now We're Golden, which just came out earlier this month, June 5th via Bailey Park Records. The album was recorded all over the place, including Paris, Amsterdam and "exotic" Somerville, NJ. Will the songs on the album reflect his environment? I guess you have to listen for yourself.

THE HAPPY HIPPO FAMILY thhf.se Swedish indie band, The Happy Hippo Family, tells me that they have a second single for 2012 called "Settle for Gold" (this is after their previous single "Mustache"). "Settle for Gold", I am told, is about the mythical dream of fame and stardom and getting there without settling for second best.

THE KNOCKS www.facebook.com Don't know anything about the Knocks, they didn't send in links or bio, just that they recently remixed Santigold's "The Keepers", you can hear it on soundcloud.

PATRICK GOLDEN twitter.com Patrick Golden followed us on Twitter, so I thought I'd say hi. According to his twitter biography @7StringSerenade, he's the lead guitarist for Vulture King and Bog Iron and loves old stuff.

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

Sisters

Read More He's My Brother She's My Sister He's My Brother She's My Sister, a real-life brother (Robert Kolar) and sister (Rachel Kolar) band.

In honor of Amy seeing the sister band, 2:54, here are some more sisterly bands. Also see the companion article, Brothers.

HE'S MY BROTHER, SHE'S MY SISTER
hesmybrothershesmysister.com

I caught this sibling band at the Cabooze last month, and as I previously said: I liked the band. They're coming back to Minneapolis at the 400 Bar on July 5th. Because the date is so close to the holiday, most Minnesotans are probably recovering at their cabins… unfortunately, that's just how things are around these parts.

If you don't own a cabin, you should stop in at the 400 and check out this Los Angeles band. If you've never seen them live before, they do have a tap-dancer (the only other band that had a dedicated tap-dancer that I can think of is Tilly & The Wall).

Look for their debut LP coming out this fall. In the meantime, they have some studio, demos, and live tracks on their bandcamp.

Here is their tour schedule:

06/28/12 Hermosa Beach CA Saint Rocke 06/29/12 Fresno CA Fulton 55 06/30/12 San Francisco CA Cafe Du Nord 07/01/12 Sunnyside-Tahoe City CA Commons Beach 07/05/12 Minneapolis MN 400 Bar 07/06/12 Iowa City IA The Mill 07/07/12 Chicago IL West Fest 07/08/12 Columbus OH Woodlands Tavern 07/10/12 Arlington VA IOTA 07/11/12 Philadelphia PA World Cafe Live 07/12/12 New York NY Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival 07/13/12 Boston Ma Church of Bostn

07/14/12 New Haven CT Cafe Nine 07/15/12 Asbury Park NJ The Saint 07/17/12 Asheville NC The Grey Eagle 07/18/12 Chapel Hill NC Local 506 07/19/12 east Atlanta GA The Earl 07/20/12 Nashville TN 12th and Porter 07/21/12 Memphis TN Hi-Tone Café 08/24/12 Los Angeles CA Grand Performances 09/25/12 Arcata CA Humboldt Brews 09/26/12 Eugene OR Sam Bond's Garage 09/27/12 Portland OR Bunk Bar 09/28/12 Seattle WA Sunset Tavern 10/12/12 Austin TX Austin City Limits Music

ZAMBRI
zambri.net

Zambri is the ethereal duo of real sisters Cristi Jo and Jessica. They've been making music together since they were children. Their debut album, House Of Baasa, just came out April 10th, and fans of Beach House and Best Coast have already taken notice of this band.

Trivia: If you were wondering about the album name, it's a biblical story about a servant who rebelled against his ruler Baasa to overtake the throne for seven days (after which he set the palace and himself on fire).

Check them out in Europe:

06/22 - Dia de la Musica - Madrid, Spain*
06/26 - Madame Jojo's - London, UK
06/27 - The Old Blue Last - London, UK

* w/Azealia Banks, St. Vincent, Twin Shadow, Bear In Heaven + more

Download "Places" on Filter Magazine.

BRIEFLY:

THE VOLKOVA SISTERS volkovasisters.com Not actual sisters, The Volkova Sisters are a folktronic band from Hungary, forming in 2009 originally as a duo between Daniel Sandor and Dalma Berger. They got their name from the main characters in a book, "Pattern Recognition" by William Gibson. After playing at last year's SXSW, the band recorded a new EP called Hope, which came out May 28th.

SAF safband.com Anglo-French brother-sister duo SAF have just released a brand new video for "I Can't", taken from their Nailstorm EP. What I like about their biography is that the EP is described as sounding like Garbage (Shirley Manson, not rubbish), noise rock and Britpop. You can check out the lead track, "Nailstorm", at RAK Studio (from February 2012) at vimeo.com.

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

2:54 at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis 06/18/12

Tour Dates 06/21 Seattle, WA - The Crocodile 06/22 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge 06/23 Vancouver, BC - Biltmore 06/25 San Francisco, CA - Independent 06/26 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour 06/27 San Diego, CA - Casbah 07/07 Roma Vintage - Rome 07/09 Spazio 211 - Turin 07/10 Hana-Bi - Marina di Ravenna 07/14 2000 Trees Festival - Cheltenham 07/26 Unknown venue - East Lulworth 07/29 Greenville Festival - Berlin 08/17 Unknown venue - Skipton 08/24 Richfield Avenue - Reading 08/31 End of the Road Festival - Salisbury 09/08 Robin Hill Country Park - Newport Read More 2:54 If you were wondering WTF is with 2:54? It's taken from "the bit where it gets good" in a Melvins' song.

The much-hyped London-based shoegaze-tinged sister act 2:54 played the Triple Rock (and Minneapolis) for the first time Monday night.

Support was provided by a local duo, Plastic Believers, who played dancey electronic rock. I only caught the last couple songs of their set “Victims of the Century” and “Your Place or Mine?”  They pulled off a fairly polished set (the part of it I actually heard) considering they were filling in at the last minute since Widowspeak, the band originally scheduled to open the show, had to cancel due to their van breaking down on their way from Chicago.

Sisters, Hannah (guitar) and Colette (vocals) Thurlow, bassist Joel Porter and drummer Alex Robins hit the stage and kicked things off with “Circuitry.” The nine song set was mainly comprised of songs off of their self-titled debut album released last month on Fat Possum Records. They threw in a couple songs off their EP, Scarlet, and also played the moody-sounding “On a Wire,” which isn’t found on either release. The band churned out “Creeping” to close out the set.

The crowd was a bit thin, even for a Monday night, and extremely quiet in between songs (seriously, I have never heard less chatter from a crowd in between songs) but after a couple of songs into 2:54’s set, the audience became a bit more responsive after each song finished. At one point, Colette stepped off the stage and danced up to a few guys standing at the front of the main floor in an attempt to evoke a bit more of a response, only to receive some sheepish grins before returning to the stage.

2:54 are in the middle of their first-ever tour of the US. Catch them if your town is lucky enough to be  one of the remaining dates.

2:54 at Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis (06/18/12)

amy () ♥ www.twofiftyfour.net

Deluxe Redux

Here are some recent re-issues/re-releases of albums from yesteryears in cool deluxe editions.

Read More They Might Be Giants Did you know that They Might Be Giants started doing "edutainment" albums, such as No!, Here Come the ABCs and Here Come the 123s? They're basically music for children…

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
theymightbegiants.com

I am a long time TMBG fan, ever since I heard that "brand new record for 1990". Like many of you, I was confused at first why they were now writing "children music" (which I believe started with No!), but I eventually understood this as a smart move. You got to get them young!

I own the original No! album, and outside of the flash animation on the CD, I didn't really love the album that much, but then again, it's really not meant for me.

Recently, they band announced a Deluxe Edition of No!, ten years after it was originally released. I didn't see any evidence of a physical version of the Deluxe Edition (but my "research" was limited to searching on amazon). I am assuming there will be a physical deluxe package, but at the moment the digital files are available for purchase as of June 11th (although I am told the album is officially released June 26 via Idlewild Recordings).

Since I had the original No!, I listened to a few songs for comparison and I really couldn't tell if there were any differences. At least my normal ears couldn't tell; I'm no supertaster, er, superhearer.

One of the nice things about reissues is that you end up re-listening to the music again. I'd forgotten how great "Where Do They Make Balloons?" is. I remember putting this song on many mixtapes … and I could've sword I heard some of these other songs like "Robot Parade" on TMBG's Dial-A-Song (although sound over the telephone is so much worse than the radio).

The new/bonus songs on the No! Deluxe Edition are: "Alphabet of Nations" (it's exactly how you'd imagine this song to be), "John Lee Supertaster (live version)", "Violin (live version), "Clap Your Hands (live version)", "Robot Parade (live version)", "Dr. Worm (live version)", and "Stalk of Wheat (live version) ".

If you've never seen TMBG live, the recording does a great job capturing their fun energy (and sometime their songs sounds so different than the recording). Oddly enough, "Dr Worm" from Severe Tire Damage and "Stalk of Wheat" from The Spine are included on the reissue.

Again, if you have kids (or is a kid), and don't already own No!, it's no brainer to get the deluxe version. If you've already own the original CD, I think you should be fine.

MAROON 5
maroon5.com

There's never been a better time for Maroon 5 fans. Singer Adam Levine is on NBC's hit series The Voice (which Lara is addicted to) and they've recently re-released their album, Songs About Jane, under the "10th Anniversary Edition" banner a few weeks ago. The three-time Grammy winners band is not my usual cup of tea, but for the 5 million fans who bought the first release, they can revisit the album with new material.

The 2-disc Deluxe Anniversary Edition includes all 12 original tracks, with unreleased songs like "Take What You Want," "Woman" and "Chilly Winter," as well as "Rag Doll" (a non-album B-side available only internationally) and an alternative mix of "The Sun." The second disc looks interesting - it's set to show you videos from maroon5.com, using PUSH technology.

Still can't get enough of Maroon 5? The band's fourth album, Overexposed, with current hit single "Payphone" featuring Wiz Khalifa, will be arriving June 26th, via A&M/Octone.

Tracklisting Disc 1: 1) Harder To Breathe 2:54 2) This Love 3:27 3) Shiver 3:00 4) She Will Be Loved (Radio Mix) 4:20 5) Tangled 3:18 6) The Sun 4:12 7) Must Get Out 3:59 8) Sunday Morning 4:06 9) Secret 4:55 10) Through With You 3:02 11) Not Coming Home 4:21 12) Sweetest Goodbye 4:31

Disc 2: 1) Harder To Breathe (Demo) 2:18 2) This Love (Demo) 3:22 3) Shiver (Demo) 3:10 4) She Will Be Loved (Demo) 3:09 5) Tangled (Demo) 2:44 6) The Sun (Demo) 3:23 7) Must Get Out (Demo) 3:17 8) Sunday Morning (Demo) 4:12 9) Secret (Demo) 4:10 10) Through With You (Demo) 3:23 11) Not Coming Home (Demo) 3:52 12) Sweetest Goodbye (Demo) 3:30 13) Take What You Want (Demo) 2:26 14) Rag Doll (Original Demo/Non-LP Int'l B-Side) 5:29 15) Woman (Demo) 4:05 16) Chilly Winter (Demo) 2:56 17) The Sun (Alternate Mix) 4:16

Acid House Kings - First Time

ACID HOUSE KINGS
www.acidhousekings.com

Our favorite Swedish record label, Labrador, announced that they are reissuing three Acid House Kings albums on extended digital format and limited edition deluxe 180g vinyl on August 28th, 2012. The vinyl are limited to 500 copies each.

Other than that, I don't have any other details. Will it have new tracks? New/updated cover artwork?

Advantage Acid House Kings (1997)
Mondays are Like Tuesdays and Tuesdays are Like Wednesdays (2002)
Sing Along with Acid House Kings (2005)*

If you were wondering why their first record Pop, Look & Listen isn't being reissued, according bandleader Johan Angergård, he thinks the album "isn't any good."

* The first 2000 copies came with a Karaoke DVD.

THE MELISMATICS
melismatics.com

The Melismatics are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their debut album, Postmodern Rock, with a worldwide reissue. The re-issued album, released May 1st, features several bonus tracks including the new single "Missing Years" (which you can listen & download on soundcloud).

Fans of the original release may noticed that the new album has been remastered by Ryan Smith with a brand new track order.

50% of all digital sales and $1 from the physical CD of this album will be donated to Twin Cities music nonprofit Rock the Cause.

New track listing:

1. Can't Relate 2. Learning to Walk Away 3. Like People 4. Turn the Inside Out 5. Speaking in Tongues 6. Better Days 7. Mir or Mirror 8. Laza Beam

9. Phase Shifta/Orbit Rate or Bit Rate/Phase Shifta Reprise 10. An Aluminum Place to Hide (Previously Unreleased) 11. Girl in Leather 12. Hey! Look At Me! 13. Moving Forward (Going Nowhere) 14. Sunny Day (Please Go Away) 15. Worlds Apart 16. Missing Years (2012)

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

Jonathan Coulton at the Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis (06/18/12)

Tour Dates 6/20: San Fran, CA @ Great American Music 6/21: Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater 6/22: Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market 6/23: Vancouver, BC @ Venue Read More Jonathan Coulton Just a friendly reminder that Jonathan Coulton will be playing at the Guthrie (McGuire Proscenium Stage) in Minneapolis on June 18th.

Jonathan Coulton nerd-rocked out at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, last night, June 18th, 2012.

Opening up for Coulton was extra bushy bearded John Roderick from the Long Winters, who took full advantage of the Shakespearean set piece (the background courtesy of Roman Holiday). All of the songs were Long Winters songs, including a new song, "Not Moving To Portland", but all done on acoustic guitar. Roderick knew how to handle the crowd and always had some banter queued up when he's tuning his guitar. He ended his set with "The Commander Thinks Aloud".

Everyone that came to see Jonathan Coulton played were hardcore fans, and we're talking about 600+ nerds who knew all of JoCo's songs by heart, at least that was the impression I got. They hung onto his every word, and it didn't really matter what he or his "2-piece orchestra" did for the next two hours, his fans would love it.

Coulton played a solid set, mixing a lot of old hits ("Code Monkey", "Skullcrusher Mountain" - with 'Scarface' singing) with a good mix from his album, Artificial Heart, plus "the newest song in the known universe", "Redshirt". He did explained a lot of his songs, which I often thought was unnecessary, because I felt that his audience already knew the origin of his songs (plus, everyone who likes Star Trek would already get the Redshirt reference).

I don't have the setlist, but according to my notes, he played some of these songs: "Still Alive" (clearly the audience's favorite song judging from the huge cheers), "You Ruined Everything" (about his daughter), "Tom Cruise Crazy", "1st of May" (for the adults in the room!), "Good Morning Tucson", and "Re: Your Brains" (aka the Zombie song).

My favorite song from his set, and I didn't expect to love it as much, is the live version of "Je Suis Rick Springfield". This is a song about Rick Springfield trying to pick up two girls in France and the song is sung through his "high school" French dialogue. But the best part is in the middle of the song, there is a medley of "Jessie's Girl", just to remind you that Coulton stole the chords and to remind you how truly awesome that song is.

He ended his set with "I Feel Fantastic", which obviously leads to the encore. Okay, you know how I feel about encores. Zero is abnormal, but forgivable, because usually the audience isn't demanding one or the band is tired or the band's policy is to not to do encores. One or two songs are standard. Three, if the audience really demands it and usually one song doesn't count because it's a cover song. Four… well four, that's like a mini-concert! As I previously mentioned, JoCo had a captive audience, so it really didn't matter if he played another six songs, his fans weren't leaving.

The four songs Coulton played were "I Crush Everything", "Mr. Fancy Pants", "Nemeses" and "Feel Like Makin' Love". I really enjoyed the Fancy Pants song, a bit of an irony considering the fancypants theater we were in, but also the way the song was "live remixed" was pretty incredible in my opinion.

If you are new to the Jonathan Coulton's "known" universe, he does offer most of his songs for free. They're all under creative commons, so you're allowed to remix, create music videos, or use it in your production - as long as you credit him. I think this kind of attitude works, because it does inspire people to spread your music. And even if they've already downloaded his songs, I see a lot of his fans buying the CD or T-Shirts or USB sticks because they want to support Team JoCo.

Jonathan Coulton is currently wrapping up his tour in support of his album, Artificial Heart, which is out now.

Jonathan Coulton (with John Roderick in the center) at Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis (06/18/12)

vu () ♥ jonathancoulton.com ♥ thelongwinters.com

Music Festivals 2012 (Part 7)

If you want to read more Music Festivals, click here.

BUNBURY FESTIVAL
Where: Cincinnati, Ohio
When: July 13-15, 2012
Pre-Sale Price: $46 (Single), $93 (3-Day)
Website: bunburyfestival.com

I would love to see this festival, mostly for Weezer and Death Cab for Cutie (even though I've seen all the headliners at smaller venues). With over 100 bands, $93 for an all three day pass is a bargain.

Schedule to appear:

Friday
Jane’s Addiction, Airborne Toxic Event, Minus the Bear, O.A.R., Foxy Shazam, Ra Ra Riot, LP, Matt Pryor, Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Ponderosa, All Get Out, The Minor Leagues, Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk, She Does Is Magic, Bo & the Locomotive, Tristen, Pet Clinic, Crash Kings, Capital Cities, Kids These Days, G Miles & the Hitmen, Find Vienna, Humble Home, Emily & the Complexes

Saturday
Weezer, Motion City Soundtrack - Manchester Orchestra, GroupLove, RJD2, Dan Deacon, Jukebox the Ghost, The Bright Light Social Hour, Kevin Devine, The Silent Comedy, Graffiti 6, 1,2,3, Secret Music, Messerly & Ewing, 500 Miles To Memphis, Lions Rampant, Jeremy Pinnell & the 55’s, Wheels on Fire, Hotfox, Imagine Dragons, Alberta Cross, The 4 On The Floor, The Sundresses, Sphynx, Black Taxi, Old Lights, Doop and the Inside Outlaws

Sunday
Death Cab for Cutie, Guided By Voices, City and Colour, Margot & The Nuclear So & So’s, Good Old War, Lights, Will Hoge, Maps & Atlases, YAWN, Now, Now, Wussy, Seedy Seeds, The Tillers, Neon Trees, The Deep Dark Woods, UME, Nikki Lane, Pomegranates, Black Owls, Belle Histoire, Child Bite, Arlo McKinley and the Lonesome Sound, Rachel Ann Figley, The Black Tape, Archer’s Paradox

NOZSTOCK: THE HIDDEN VALLEY
Where: Bromyard, Herefordshire, UK
When: July 27-29, 2012
Pre-Sale Price: £85 (Adult)
Website: nozstock.com

Nozstock: The Hidden Valley is a camping festival. They're currently holding a competition to find a talented DJ, you can find more details at nozstock.com/dj-competition (it ends July 4th).

There are a lot of bands, but the headliners are The Futureheads, The Proclaimers, Dreadzone, The Correspondents. Interestingly enough, there's also comedy (Rubberbandits, Jason Rouse), plus electronica mixers (Zinc, Andy C, Camo and Krooked, Octane and DLR, Tomb Crew).

The other interesting thing I've noticed is that prices are different depending on your age. They've sold out of their "advance teen" tickets (age 13-17), so I reckon they would have to purchase an "advance adult" tickets if they have to buy a ticket now.

GNARNIA
Where: Beech Mountain Resort, North Carolina
When: August 9-11, 2012
Pre-Sale Price: $75 (Single), $115 (3-day)
Website: www.gnarniathefestival.com

Billed as "Festival Culture Comes of Age in Western North Carolina", this diverse music festival is taking place on August 9th – 11th, 2012 at Beech Mountain Resort.

In addition to the music portion, I thought the extra cirque/theater stuff looks very interesting, including fire dancers, poets, fashion designers, Mud Wrestling Tournament, and "Bicycle Jousting".

I'll admit, I haven't heard of any of their artists because they aren't the typical musicians we cover (outside of one Beats Antique).

Thursday, August 9th
Beats Antique, 7 Walkers (feat. Bill Kreutzmann, Papa Mali, George Porter Jr, and Matt Hubbard), Gramatik, Paper Dia- mond, ESKMO, Afroman, Eliot Lipp, Mindelixir, Heyoka, Machines are People Too, KDSML, Songs of Water, Skytree, Pan- ther God, The Polychrons, Futexture, Ployd, Future Flutes, Amarru, Splynter, Uprise, Nomadic, Andrew Fletcher’s Silent Movie Theatre, Aligning Minds, Asian Teacher Factory

Friday, August 10th
Tipper, Emancipator, Mark Farina, Dieselboy, Easy Star All Stars, Toubab Krewe, VibeSquaD, Break Science, Gift of Gab, ZOOGMA, Starkey, DrFameus, Cas Haley, DEORO, Arpetrio, Firecracker Jazz Band, Bookworm, Ziggurat, Yesterday’s Gravy, Sonmi, Poetix Lounge, Imperial Blend, Old You, Fast Nasty, Chasing Edison, Sam Shacklock, Numatik, Uphill Both Ways, Sound Pimp

Saturday, August 11th
Conspirator, 12th Planet, Ott, Papadosio, Phadroid, Midnite, Rising Appalachia, Minnesota, DubConscious, Govinda, The Polish Ambassador, Zach Deputy, The Pimps of Joytime, The Mantras, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, Greenhouse Lounge, Sir Charles, Seduction Sideshow, The Human Experience, DJ Slink, Isness, Herobust, Dex, Laura Reed w Shannon Sanders, Brushfire Stankgrass, B!tch Please, Zack Mexico, The Native Sway, Jonathan Santos

FYF 2012
Where: Los Angeles, California
When: September 1-2, 2012
Pre-Sale Price: $77 (Weekend)
Website: www.fyffest.com

I've previously mentioned FYF before, but I liked a lot of their lineup this year that I thought I'd mention them again for 2012. This is their 9th year and some of the standout artists this year includes: Refused, M83, Beirut, Desaparecidos (Bright Eye's new/old/future band), Sleigh Bells, Against Me!, Redd Kross, Cursive, Chairlift, etc.

Tickets goes on sale June 22nd!

Full lineup:

AA Bondy, Aesop Rock, Against Me!, American Nightmare, Atlas Sound, Paul Banks (Interpol), Baroness, Beirut, Black Dice, Black Mountain, Ceremony, Chairlift, Chromatics, Cloud Nothings, Converge, Cursive, Dam Funk, Desaparecidos, Devin, Dinosaur Jr, DJ Coco (Primavera Sound), DJ Harvey, Doldrums, Father John Misty, FIDLAR, Fucked Up, Future Islands, Givers, Gold Panda, Health, Hot Snakes, I Break Horses, James Blake, John Maus, Joyce Manor, King Khan & the Shrines, Kishi Bashi, Liars, Lightning Bolt, M83, Moonface, Nick Waterhouse, Nite Jewel, PAPA, Purity Ring, Quicksand, Redd Kross, Refused, Sandro Perri, Simian Mobile Disco (Live), Sleigh Bells, Tanlines, The Allah La's, The Field, The Growlers, The Men, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Soft Pack, The Suicide of Western Culture, The Vaselines, Tiger & Woods, Turbonegro, Twin Shadow, Two Gallants, Tycho, Warpaint, White Arrows, White Fence, Wild Flag, Wild Nothing, Yeasayer

SHOCKWAVE FESTIVAL
Where: Varies
When: Varies
Pre-Sale Price: Varies
Website: shockwavefest.com

This is a traveling festival, on the more metal side of the music spectrum. Artists on this tour: Fear Factory, Voivod, Cattle Decapitation, Misery Index, Revocation, Havok, Dirge Within, Last Chance To Reason, Vildhjarta, The Browning and Forged In Flame. I would imagine that with a large cast of bands that these shows would probably start early and runs all day.

I did check out Station 4's listing, pre-sale is $22 and starts at 2pm. That's got to be rough, considering it's a workday and free street parking won't kick in until 5pm in Saint Paul.

Full Metal Jackie Presents: SHOCKWAVE FESTIVAL TOUR
7/06/2012 Studio Seven – Seattle, WA
7/07/2012 Vogue Theatre – Vancouver, BC
7/09/2012 The Republik – Calgary, AB
7/11/2012 Pyramid Cabaret – Winnipeg, MB
7/12/2012 Station 4 – St Paul, MN
7/13/2012 The Rave – Milwaukee, WI
7/14/2012 Kool House – Toronto, ON
7/15/2012 The Armouries – Windsor, ON
7/17/2012 Imperial Theater – Quebec City, QC
7/18/2012 Le National – Montreal, QC
7/20/2012 Northern Lights – Clifton Park, NY
7/21/2012 Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY
7/22/2012 Reverb – Reading, PA
7/24/2012 Revolution – Amityville, NY
7/25/2012 Palladium – Worcester, MA
7/26/2012 Empire – West Springfield, VA
7/27/2012 Alrosa Villa – Columbus, OH
7/28/2012 Mojoe’s – Joliet, IL
7/29/2012 Tebala Shrine – Rockford, IL
7/31/2012 Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
8/02/2012 Nakai Hall – Window Rock, AZ
8/03/2012 The Marqee Theater – Tempe, AZ
8/04/2012 House Of Blues – Hollywood, CA

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

The Mynabirds at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (06/15/12)

Tour Dates 06/16/12 Des Moines Vaudeville 06/17/12 Chicago, IL Schuba's 06/19/12 Detroit, MI Magic Stick 06/20/12 Cleveland, OH Beachland 06/21/12 Harrisburg, PA Abbey Bar 06/22/12 New York Mercury Lounge 06/23/12 Washington, DC Black Cat 06/24/12 Phila, PA Johnny Brenda's 06/25/12 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 06/27/12 Birmingham, AL Bottletree 06/28/12 Atlanta, GA Earl 06/29/12 Nashville, TN High Watt 06/30/12 Columbia, MO Mojo's 07/01/12 St. Louis, MO Firebird 07/02/12 Lawrence, KS Jackpot 08/04/12 Happy Valley Pickathon 08/05/12 Happy Valley Pickathon 08/11/12 Omaha, NE MAHA Fest Read More The Mynabirds We've written about The Mynabirds a few times. I just wanted to remind you that her album, GENERALS, comes out June 5th.

Yeah, we know, Mynabirds was just here three months ago, but they just kicked off their new tour at 7th Street Entry, in Minneapolis, last night, June 15th.

Vu-art: Sean Bones' bassist

Touring with them was Sean Bones. I kind of got in late (Ceu had a three-song encore!), but I caught the end of their set. I believe their last two songs were called "Black Gold" and "Cobra Trips".

Sorry, no photos, but here is a sketch of their bassist Saara Untracht-Oakner, who starred and sang on the indie film "Mow Crew".

I did take some photos of Mynabirds, but the lighting at 7th Street Entry is horrible, horrible, horrible. They do have front lights, but these are rarely turned on (the front lights are super hot). Besides, there were two photographers that were constantly taking photos; it's like they've never heard of the three-song photo policy. I understand that they have to take interesting shots, but come on, no one wants to look at 200 photos from one gig.

Like I previously said, it was only a few months since Mynabirds was here, so if you reference the previous photo, there were no changes - outside of clothing. Singer Laura Burhenn looks as skinny as ever, see crude drawing.

Vu-art: The Mynabirds

Their setlist is very similar to their previous show, including the standard new songs from GENERALS: "Karma Debt", "Wolf Mother", followed by What We Lose in the Fire We Gain in the Flood's "Let The Record Go" and "Give It Time".

I really liked the trumpet on "Buffalo Flower", but, once again, my favorite is their title track, "Generals", which required the audience to shout back "yes" and "love". They did mess it up by just jumping right into the song, without the introduction at first, which made me chuckle a little.

The Mynabirds are currently on tour to promote their second album, GENERALS, which is currently available via Saddle Creek Records. You can hear the entire album on teamcoco.com.

vu () ♥ themynabirds.com ♥ seanbones.com

Céu at the Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis (06/15/12)

Tour Dates 06/17/12 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater 06/19/12 Phoenix, AZ - Musical Instrument 06/20/12 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern 06/21/12 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre 06/22/12 San Francisco, CA - Herbst Theatre 06/25/12 Seattle, WA - Triple Door 06/26/12 Vancouver, BC - Rio Theatre 06/28/12 Allston, MA - Brighton Music Hall 06/30/12 Montreal, QB – Club Soda Read More Céu If I had to pick my favorite musical instrument, it would definitely be the female voice. That’s why I am partial to Céu.

Once again, Céu returned to the Twin Cities at the Dakota Jazz Club, last night, June 15th. You can just tell she loves the Dakota and she loves Minneapolis.

Curumin

Opening up for her was labelmate, Curumin (pronounced "koo-roo-meen"). For some reason, I thought it would be a one-man-band, but Curumin had a trio going. He was the singer and the drummer and occasionally had pre-programmed beats mixed in. His English sounded good, but reluctant.

My favorite song off his set was a track from his new album, Arrocha, called "Passarinho". He explained that the song is about a little bird (love) and you must set it free.

I believe this is Céu's third time in Minneapolis, and her latest appearance, she's more confident than ever as evident by her improved English and more upbeat/funk sound.

As you can see from the setlist, all of the songs on Caravana Sereia Bloom were played live. This included a block of songs in the first half of her set: "Fffree", "Falta De Ar", "Asfalto E Sal", "Amor De Antigos", "Contravento", "Streets Bloom", and "Retrovisor". You did catch a break with "Cangote" from her previous Vagarosa, but then it's back to Caravana Sereia Bloom for the next two songs.

When I see artists playing entire new material, it usually means that the band is extremely happy with the new songs and is eagerly trying it out live. Sometime it doesn't go well with the old fans (who wants to hear the hits), but I didn't get that reaction from the audience; they seem to enjoy the new upbeat/funk/world beat new songs.

There were three songs for the encore, one of which was "Concrete Jungle", one of her few English songs.

Céu's third studio album, Caravana Sereia Bloom, is out now, via Six Degrees Records. You can buy the record via Amazon.com, or pick up one when you meet her in person at a live show.

Céu at Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis (06/15/12)

vu () ♥ ceumusic.com ♥ facebook.com/curumin

BONUS: W♥M137: Céu

W♥M137 (8 mins)

This is a new thing I'm trying out, our audio notes of the shows we just saw, so it's still fresh on our mind.

NOTE: I was saying 'soo' as per the announcer. I believe the correct pronunciation of Céu is supposed to be 'cel', but most people calls her 'say-oo' or 'cee-oo'.

Dave thought Curumin had a nice groove and we were both surprise that the singer was also the drummer. Dave recalls Phil Collins, while I thought The Lucksmiths (before they had their own dedicated drummer) and The Romantics…. In either case, it's been a while since we saw the singer/drummer combo.

Compared to the last Céu show, her latest show is more funk, more afrobeat. Dave thinks it's and overall world music fusion. We both agree that the "Scratcher" has a strong influence on her current music.

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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