W♥M (Archive)

Toad the Wet Sprocket

After reuniting recently and touring again over the last couple years, Toad the Wet Sprocket, the alt-pop band known for songs like “Walk on the Ocean”, “All I Want”, and “Fall Down”, are about to release their first new album of original material in 16 years.

New Constellation will be out on October 15th on the band's own label, Abe's Records and is the end result of a very successful Kickstarter campaign in which the band’s monetary goal was met within 20 hrs. of its initial posting, and ended with more than five times the campaign’s anticipated amount pledged.

"New Constellation" was the very first new song written specifically for the band, “explained lead Glen Phillips, “After a decade in the folk/singer/songwriter world it was exciting to write with the band in mind.”

“Taking the record to Kickstarter just seemed to be the right way to go," Phillips said. "We wanted to get the record started without too much outside pressure or interference, and be able to go more directly to the most loyal fans.”

The band, rounded out by all-original members guitarist Todd Nichols, bassist Dean Dinning, and drummer Randy Guss, also stirred pre-release excitement by offering a free digital EP on Noisetrade, which features two of the new songs. Like the title of the Noisetrade release, expect a mix of ‘something old and something new’ live, as they the tour the country in support of the new music.

Tour dates:

09/18/13 - Portland, ME - Port City Music Hall 09/19/13 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground 09/21/13 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Farm Aid 09/22/13 - Unionville, CT - Infinity Hall 11/01/13 - Boston, MA - Wilbur Theatre 11/02/13 - Ridgefield, CT - Ridgefield Playhouse 11/03/13 - Albany, NY - College Of Saint Rose 11/06/13 - New York, NT - The Bowery Ballroom 11/07/13 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club 11/08/13 - Englewood, NJ - Bergen Performing 11/09/13 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre

11/11/13 - Pittsburgh, PA - Altar Bar 11/13/13 - Kent, OH - The Kent Stage 11/14/13 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music 11/15/13 - Louisville, KY - Headliners Music Hall 11/16/13 - Chicago, IL - The Vic Theatre 11/17/13 - Daytrotter Recording 11/18/13 - Bloomington, IN - Bluebird 11/19/13 - Cincinnati, OH - 20th Century 11/21/13 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom 11/22/13 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre 11/23/13 - Minneapolis, MN - Mill City Nights

john () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ toadthewetsprocket.com

America's Funnymen (and women)

Read More Neil Hamburger Truly, the worst stand-up in the world, Neil Hamburger, a has-been comedian that should've retired 15 years ago. His jokes are intentionally off-timing, he spills his liquor all over, and he constantly coughs…

NEIL HAMBURGER
americasfunnyman.com

What's funny about Neil Hamburger is that he's not very funny. Wow, that sounded like a Chinese proverb. America's Funnyman Neil Hamburger is doing a number of dates, possibly in support of Incident In Cambridge, Mass. … but I do not see Cambridge listed.

Either way, we are excited to be awkwardly and uncomfortably laughing at Neil's jokes when he comes to St Paul in Minnesota.

09/07 Nevada City, CA - Nevada City Film Festival
10/09 Chicago, IL Schuba's #
10/10 Milwaukee, WI Cactus Club #
10/11 St. Paul, MN Turf Club #
10/12 Fargo, ND Aquarium #
10/17 San Francisco, CA Hemlock Tavern +
10/19 Santa Monica, CA S Festival Supreme +
11/08 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's *
11/09 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom *
11/14 Santa Cruz, CA Crepe Place #
11/15 Sacramento, CA Sacramento Comedy Spot #

* (with Tim Heidecker)
# (with Major Entertainer Mike H)
+ ("Country Winners" set with the "Too-Good-For-Neil-Hamburger Band" )

KUMAIL NANJIANI
twitter.com/kumailn

Kumail Nanjiani is a Pakistani American stand-up comic, but you might have seen him on TNT's Franklin & Bash show or Comedy Central's The Meltdown With Jonah and Kumail (hint: he plays Kumail).

Nanjiani's Beta Male was released last month (July 23rd) via Comedy Central Records, but I only just discovered it. The comedy CD (and DVD bundle) is quite funny. I think only Nanjiani could tell these jokes, about his mother's observations, "The Elephant Man", "Call of Duty" game level at the city that Nanjiani grew up in, running out of printer ink, and Muslim/Porn.

If you saw Nanjiani's Comedy Central one-hour special, you can still enjoy the CD/DVD combo because the disc will feature unaired and uncensored jokes, plus a special post-show audience Q&A (his jokes sometime requires feedback from the audience, which make it for a unique show).

ILIZA SHLESINGER
iliza.com

Iliza Shlesinger is releasing her comedy album War Paint digitally this September 3rd, with a CD/DVD combo coming out November 5th, via New Wave Dynamics. She remains the youngest and only woman to hold the title of NBC's Last Comic Standing.

I got a chance to listen to War Paint and I can hear in Shlesinger's voice how excited it was for her to do stand-up in her hometown in Dallas. The thing about Shlesinger is that she certainly know and understand the single woman's psyche. You get the impression that she went out a lot with her women friends to hunt young men.

Some jokes didn't work well for audio only, for instance the "really want to go" (funny face?) and Shlesinger's talking about a Donald-ducking man doing something with his thing. This joke is probably really funny (or revolting) if you see it.

Her jokes tend to a bit on the toilet side, so not recommended if you're under 18. As vulgar as Shlesinger can be, she has issue saying "the p-word" (not penis) or the vagina (which she said sounds like an Indian casino)… instead she names them 'snootch'.

I find that I like it when she tells more nerdy jokes (name-dropping things like Silver Surfer, Hentai, Verizon, CSI Miami, Skyrim, is always a bonus), perhaps I'm just hoping she's a comic book, gaming, and television junkie.

Iliza Shlesinger's War Paint is hitting the digital market this Tuesday, via New Wave Dynamics. Look for the CD/DVD this November 5th.

Trivia: Iliza Shlesinger taught me a new word from her crustacean joke: a "beejz".

KURT BRAUNOHLER
kurtbraunohler.tumblr.com

Variety put Kurt Braunohler on their annual "10 Comics to Watch" list, New York lists him as top 50 Funniest New Yorkers, while Comedy Central named him as "Comic to Watch". Clearly Braunohler is doing something right.

Braunohler released debut comedy album How Do I Land? last week (August 20th). What is most interesting about this is that Kill Rock Stars is releasing the album. If you read our coverage of KRS over the years, you know they were most famous for signing bands like Gossip and Bikini Kill. As far as I know it, this is KRS' first comedy album.

In support of How Do I Land?, Kurt Braunohler is currently on tour:

09/07 Hollywood CA Amoeba Records 09/13 Miami FL Atlantic Ocean Comedy 09/14 Miami FL Atlantic Ocean Comedy 09/15 Miami FL Atlantic Ocean Comedy 09/16 Miami FL Atlantic Ocean Comedy 09/18 Boston, MA Northeastern University 09/25 Hartford, CT @ Bushnell Center 09/26 Hartford, CT @ Bushnell Center 09/28 Brooklyn NY Bell House - Hot Tub

10/07 Michigan Theater Ann Arbor, MI 10/08 Detroit, MI Music Hall 10/11 Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theater 10/12 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre 10/17 Tacoma WA Tacoma Comedy Club 10/18 Tacoma Wa Tacoma Comedy Club 10/18 Tacoma WA Tacoma Comedy Club 10/19 Tacoma WA Tacoma Comedy Club 10/19 Tacoma WA Tacoma Comedy Club

THE REIGNING MONARCHS
thereigningmonarchs.com

It all started six years ago when standup comic and author of the bestselling book He's Just Not Into You, Greg Behrendt with the help of guitarist Michael Eisenstein (remember that band Letters To Cleo?) wrote the musical intro to Behrendt's comedy tour.

Since then, Greg & Mike formed The Reigning Monarchs. The Los Angeles band raised over $30k on Indie Go Go, exceeding their goal of $10k. So, the band will record Black Sweater Massacre, and document and go on tour, thanks to their fans.

Look for Black Sweater Massacre next month (September 24th, 2013), in the meantime, the band previewed their lead single, "Murder Your Summer", on their Bandcamp.

JOHN CAPARULO
johncaparulo.com

If you watch Chelsea Lately, you'll know John Caparulo simply as "Cap". Regarding Chelsea Handler, Cap had this to say: "It's like hanging out at my buddy's house and getting a check for it! It really is the most fun I've had since I got into comedy. I've known Chelsea since we were both doing 6-minute spots in the attic at The Comedy Store on Sunset Strip. I never thought she really liked me. Come to think of it... I'm still not sure."

Anyway, the comedian will be releasing Come Inside Me on CD/DVD this September 17th, 2013. The combo pack features exclusive Behind-The-Scenes footage. If you have a Netflix, you can start streaming Come Inside Me starting September 5.

Come Inside Me was recorded at The South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas to let fans take a peek inside the kimono to show the standup comedy side to him.

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

The Day After Labor Day

Read More Flume One of the hottest remixer/producer, as indicated by four of his remixes were in the Triple J Hottest 100 last year (with two of them in the top 20), is Australia's Flume. His "first ever" US tour .…

FLUME
flumemusic.com

Remember how we mentioned Flume's first ever American tour? I guess the Australian producer love it here so much that he's extended his tour to Minneapolis, stopping by First Avenue on September 3rd (the day after Labor Day, so don't wear White!).

If you've been holding out on buying his new self-titled album, you may want to wait until November 2013 when a Deluxe Edition of the album will be released. The deluxe edition will feature new versions of album as well as remixes by and of Flume, spanning over two CDs and two DVDs.

Tour dates below:

08/31/13 - Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
09/03/13 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
09/04/13 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
09/05/13 - Toronto, ON @ Opera House
09/06/13 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
09/07/13 - Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
09/08/13 - Boston, MA @ Boston Calling Festival
09/09/13 - Montreal, QC @ Telus Theater
09/11/13 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall
09/12/13 - Phila, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
09/14/13 - Tochester Hills, MI @ Meadow Brook
01/09/14 - Miami, FL @ Holy Ship!

Read More Alice In Chains Mike Starr, ex-Alice in Chains, passed away March 8th. He was the bassist up until Dirt (1993), and was displaced by another Mike (Inez) bassist. It would seem that he was a meth addict, having been arrested earlier…

O'BROTHER
obrothermusic.net

Meanwhile, next door, at 7th Street, happening on the day after Labor Day is O'Brother. They've just released their album Disillusion last week (August 20th) via Triple Crown, so the band is currently on tour in support of the release.

Revolver is calling Disillusion an album that sounds like "Deftones meet Radiohead meet Alice in Chains", while A.V. Club calling it "Soundgarden and Alice In Chains". I guess if you like Alice in Chains, you'll love O'Brother.

Tour dates below:

Aug. 31—Hi-Dive—Denver, CO
Sept. 1—Record Bar—Kansas City, MO
Sept. 3—7th Street Entry—Minneapolis, MN
Sept. 4—Vaudeville Mews—Des Moines, IA
Sept. 5—Bottom Lounge—Chicago, IL
Sept. 6—Musica—Akron, OH
Sept. 7—Pike Room—Pontiac, MI
Sept. 8—Hard Luck Bar—Toronto, Ontario
Sept. 10—Stage AE—Pittsburgh, PA
Sept. 11—Lost Horizon—Syracuse, NY
Sept. 12—Santos Party House—NY
Sept. 13—Brighton Music Hall—Allston, MA
Sept. 14—Space—Hamden, CT
Sept. 15— Barbary—Philadelphia, PA
Sept. 17—Rock And Roll Hotel—Washington, DC
Sept. 18—Local 506—Chapel Hill, NC
Sept. 20—The Basement—Columbus, OH
Sept. 21—The End—Nashville, TN
Sept. 22—Casbah—Charlotte, NC
Sept. 24—New Brookland Tavern—W Columbia, SC
Sept. 25—Roc Bar—Jacksonville, FL
Sept. 26—Crowbar—Ybor City, FL
Sept. 27—The Social—Orlando, FL
Sept. 28—Masquerade—Atlanta, GA

Read More Gary Numan Gary Numan's Replicas and The Pleasure Principle are great examples of music that still has a futuristic edge to it, even though both albums came out before most of the people reading this blog were probably even born. …

GARY NUMAN
numan.co.uk

Electro and industrial music pioneer Gary Numan kicked off his U.S. tour on Wednesday. He'll be opening up for Nine Inch Nail for a number of dates, so see details below. As for the day after Labor Day, Numan is playing the Metro Opera House in Oakland, California.

Look for Gary Numan's new album Splinter (Songs From A Broken Mind) on October 15th, his first studio album in over seven years!

North America Tour Dates:

08/30 - Fortune Sound Club, Vancouver, BC
08/31 - Bumbershoot Festival, Seattle, WA
09/01 - Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
09/03 - Metro Opera House, Oakland, CA
09/04 - The Observatory, Santa Ana, CA
10/25 - The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA
10/26 - Mountain Oasis Festival, Asheville, NC
10/27 - Black Cat, Washington, DC
10/29 - Music Hall Of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
10/30 - BB&T Center, Sunrise, FL*
10/31 - Amway Center, Orlando, FL*

* with NIN

UK Tour:

11/07 Bristol 02 Academy
11/08 Ireland Dublin Button Factory
11/11 Sheffield 02 Academy
11/12 Newcastle 02 Academy
11/13 Glasgow 02 ABC
11/14 Manchester Academy
11/15 Oxford 02 Academy
11/16 London Roundhouse
11/18 Brighton The Dome
11/19 Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Mumford and Sons and the Vaccines

Read More Mumford and Sons The quarter has developed their own genre with their own sound transcends. The band brings fervent energy, blistering banjo and acoustic guitar tunes. The real-life Begbies ask for more drinks whenever the band plays live.…

MUMFORD AND SONS
mumfordandsons.com

After a brief health-related delay that caused them to miss Bonnaroo, UK band Mumford and Sons has resumed their Summer arena/amphitheatre Tour, to great reviews and sold out shows. The London band, formed in 2007, rode the wave of alternative folk artists and has shot up in popularity in recent years, headlining major international festivals and in support of their latest release, Babel (Island/Glassnote), which won Album of the Year at February’s Grammy Awards.

The All English Tour also brings along London alt-country trio Bear’s Den and West London indie-rock buzz band The Vaccines, as support openers. The tour commenced again this week in Toronto and their Sept. 4th date in St. Paul is highly anticipated, as the Twin Cities market was one of the first to embrace the band, starting with its opening set at the tiny and now-defunct 400 Bar in 2008.

Expect a bombastic show and maybe a surprise cover song or two during their encore—tickets have long been sold out and were difficult to obtain all along, as the band employed an online invitation system, in hopes of thwarting possible ticket scalping.

THE FULL ENGLISH TOUR
9/02 - Klipsch Music Center - Noblesville, IN
9/03 - Marcus Amphitheater - Milwaukee, WI
9/04 - Xcel Energy Center - Saint Paul, MN
9/09 – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre – Pelham, AL
9/10 - Centennial Olympic Park - Atlanta, GA
9/11 - Charter Amphitheatre - Simpsonville, SC

RESCHEDULED DATES
9/16 - New Orleans LA @ Mardi Gras World
9/17 - Woodlands TX @ Cynthia Woods Pavilion
9/18 - Dallas TX @ GEXA Energy Pavilion
9/20 - Bonner Springs KS @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre

Read More The Vaccines Much has happened in the world of the Vaccines since they were last in Minneapolis, nearly two years ago opening for the Arctic Monkeys at First Avenue. Their wildly hyped, but well-received debut 2011’s What Did You Expect.…

THE VACCINES
thevaccines.co.uk

Opening up for Mumford and Sons on a number of dates are The Vaccines. The band recently released a new EP called Melody Calling, which came out two weeks ago (August 13th).

I have been listening to the EP and I can tell you that the band is maturing as a band. Their new EP is a more melodic, almost a gentler, softer sound to the band. Are you worry that this is a new 'serious' Vaccines? No worries, they have that one fun, "Do You Want a Man". Hear the remix of "Do You Want a Man" via Soundcloud. Try not to sing along to the catchy chorus: "Do you wanna a man? I could be your man."



The Vaccines on tour:

09/02 Noblesville, TN Klipsch Music Center*
09/03 Milwaukee, WI Marcus Amphitheatre*
09/04 St. Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center*
09/07 Guthrie, OK Cottonwood Flats *
09/09 Pelham, AL Oak Mountain Amph*
09/10 Atlanta, GA Centennial Olympic Park*
09/11 Simpsonville, SC Charter Amphitheatre*
09/13 Orlando, FL Social (headline show)
09/14 St. Augustine, FL Francis Field *
09/21 San Diego, CA Casbah (headline show)
09/22 Los Angeles, CA Mayan Theatre (headline show)
09/23 San Francisco, CA Regency Ballroom (headline show)
09/28 Chicago, IL UIC Pavilion **
09/29 Ypsilanti, MI EMU Convocation Center **
10/01 Boston, MA Agganis Arena **
10/02 Brooklyn, NY Barclay’s **
10/03 Columbus, OH LC Pavilion **

*supporting Mumford and Sons
** supporting Phoenix

vu + john () ♥ weheartmusic.com

Depeche Mode at the Grandstand, Minnesota State Fair (08/27/13)

Set List Welcome to My World Angel Walking in My Shoes Precious Black Celebration Policy of Truth Should Be Higher Barrel of a Gun Higher Love Shake the Disease Heaven Soothe My Soul A Pain That I'm Used To A Question of Time Enjoy the Silence Personal Jesus Encore: Home Halo Just Can't Get Enough I Feel You Never Let Me Down Again Tour Dates 09/01 Toronto, ON Molson Canadian * 09/03 Montreal, QB Bell Centre* 09/06 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center* 09/08 Wantagh, NY Nikon at Jones * 09/10 Washington DC Jiffy Lube Live* 09/12 Atlanta, GA Aaron's Amph * 09/14 Tampa, FL Live Nation Amph * 09/15 Ft Lauderdale, FL BB&T Center* 09/18 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods ** 09/20 Dallas, TX Gexa Energy ** 09/22 San Diego, CA Sleep Train Amph** 09/24 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl** 09/26 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amph** 09/28 Los Angeles, CA STAPLES Center 09/29 Los Angeles, CA STAPLES Center 10/02 Los Angeles, CA STAPLES Center 10/04 Austin, TX Austin City Limits 10/06 Las Vegas, NV Pearl Concert Theater 10/08 Phoenix, AZ Desert Sky Pavilion 10/11 Austin, TX Austin City Limits Support: * w/ Bat For Lashes ** w/ Crystal Castles Read More Depeche Mode Anyway, Depeche Mode will appear on Wednesday, March 13th at 5pm at the Austin Convention Center. It is a "discussion" to be moderated by Jason Bentley . Martin Gore, Dave Gahan and Andy Fletcher .…

Depeche Mode is currently on their Delta Machine tour, stopping by Minnesota State Fair, of all places, last Tuesday, August 27th.

The thing about the Grandstand stage is that it's a baseball stadium. In order to actually see the show at the Grandstand, you're actually forced to pay, on top of the ticket price, an entrance fee. It's kind of an unwanted tax, if you are only interested in attending a show and not care about all the food vendors that the Minnesota State Fair is known for.

By the time Depeche Mode took the stage, no one was sitting down at their seat. Surprisingly only about five songs from Delta Machine ("Welcome To My World", "Angel", "Should Be Higher", "Heaven", "Soothe My Soul") were played, which is fine, because I think everyone wanted to hear the hits/old classics anyway. After all, DM's last appearance in Minnesota was in 2001 at the Xcel Energy Center. It was a nice homecoming of sorts, as fans were eagerly singing along to such hits like "Walking in My Shoes" and "Policy of Truth".

The slower moments of the show was Martin Gore singing on "Higher Love" and "Shake the Disease" (he would also come back on vocal duties for the encore, "Home"). It's funny, but when Gore took over, I had almost forgotten that Gore also sings in the band (and he has a lovely singing voice).

As for the main singer Dave Gahan, he looks incredible for his age… the man has a six, possibly eight, pack. It was incredible to watch Gaham danced and rocked throughout the two-hour set. Keep in mind that Minnesota is going through a record-breaking heat wave!

Anyway, as long as I can remember, the cool gothy kids at my school, they all listened to Depeche Mode, The Cure, The Smiths, and New Order. Of course, Depeche Mode had some hits, like "People Are People" (kind of sad to not see this on their current set), but it wasn't until Violator in 1990 that Depeche Mode really went beyond 'the cool kids' to mainstream.

Violator was the first DM album I went out and bought, based purely on the music video for "Enjoy the Silence", directed by Anton Corbijn about a prince wandering the countryside with his lawnchair. So imagine my surprise that DM decided to end their set with a double-wammy of Violator songs, two of their biggest hits, "Enjoy the Silence" and "Personal Jesus". What a great way to end their set.

For the encore, they did five songs, which is pretty unusual for encores. I think one song is mandatory, two is standard, three is stretching it… so five is sort of a second set.

I found out later that the five-song encore is consistent with all their 2013 show, so if you really love "Never Let Me Down Again", you'll have to wait it out before you take a ride home with your best friend.

Depeche Mode at the Grandstand, Minnesota State Fair (08/27/13)

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ depechemode.com

The Valley

Read More Chad Valley Chad Valley, along with Ghost Beach, stopped by 7th St. Entry in Downtown Minneapolis. The Oxford lad is currently on tour in support of his full-length, Young Hunger .…

CHAD VALLEY
cascine.us

Oxford's Chad Valley (aka Hugo Manuel) will be coming back to America as part of his co-headlining tour with Greece's Keep Shelly in Athens.

You may remember W♥M covering Chad Valley in 2011 and again earlier this year. From the description from Oscar, he suggests that Hugo Manuel has "beautiful vocals" with "Balearic beats infused with funk and soul."

For his 2012 album, Younger Hunger, it represented the most personal record to date.

As for Keep Shelly in Athens, they are a chillwave duo (RΠЯ and Sarah P) from Athens. I thought their name was funky, considering that there's no Shelly in the band, but apparently they were named after the city Kypseli in Athens (pronounced like 'keep shelly').

The duo's latest single is called "Oostende" (which you can hear on Soundcloud), taken from their upcoming At Home (coming out on September 17th on Cascine).

Chad Valley and Keep Shelly in Athens tour:
10/09 Washington, DC - DC9
10/10 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
10/11 Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle
10/12 Allston, MA - Great Scott
10/13 Montreal, CA - Il Motore
10/15 Toronto, ON - Wrongbar
10/16 Pontiac, MI - Pike Room
10/18 Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle
10/19 Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry
10/22 Vancouver, CA - Biltmore Cabaret
10/23 Seattle, WA - Barboza
10/25 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop
10/26 Los Angeles, CA - Bootleg Bar
10/27 San Diego, CA - The Casbah
10/29 Brooklyn, NY - Glasslands

Read More Deap Vally "Turn that sh** up," screamed guitarist/singer Lindsey Troy, half of Deap Vally at the Turf Club in St. Paul, last night. .…

DEAP VALLY
deapvally.com

We love the gorgeous ladies of Deap Vally, the Los Angeles based rock-duo have announced some tour dates this September.

The so-called "Moon Block Party presents Deap Vally & Friends" shows will start on September 16 in Seattle and ending on a boat cruise with Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Be sure to look for their debut album Sistrionix, coming out October 8th on Cherrytree/Communion/Interscope/Island.

Deap Vally On Tour
09/14 San Pedro, CA @ Lobster Fest
09/16 Seattle, WA @ El Corazon *
09/17 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne *
09/19 Pomona, CA @ Glasshouse *
09/21 San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar *
09/24 Aspen, CO @ Belly Up *
09/25 Denver, CO @ Moon Room *
09/27 St Louis MO @ The Pageant
09/28 Cincinnati OH @ Mid Point Music Festival
09/29 Pittsburgh PA @ Mr Smalls Theatre
10/02 Baltimore MD @ Ramshead Live
10/03 Asbury Park NJ @ Stone Pony
10/04 Austin TX, @ Stubbs Jr
10/05 Austin, TX @ ACL
10/08 New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
10/10 Washington, DC @ LivingSocial 918 F Street
10/12 Austin TX @ ACL
10/13 Mexico City, MEX @ Corona
10/19 Miami, FL @ Bardot
10/20 Lynyrd Skynyrd's Simple Man Cruise
10/21 Lynyrd Skynyrd's Simple Man Cruise
10/22 Lynyrd Skynyrd's Simple Man Cruise
10/23 Lynyrd Skynyrd's Simple Man Cruise
10/24 Lynyrd Skynyrd's Simple Man Cruise

* Moon Block Party presents Deap Vally & Friends

MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS
facebook.com

You may remember Cristina mentioning how much she loves Midnight Juggernauts (comparing their music to Empire of the Sun)

Well the Melbourne-based band released Uncanny Valley, last month (July 9th) via Record Makers, and as expected they are in the middle of their Australian album tour (see details below).

Midnight Juggernauts' Uncanny Valley Australian Album Launch Tour
08/30 Hifi, Brisbane
08/31 The Northern , Byron Bay
09/06 Prince of Wales , Bunbury
09/07 Amplifier, Perth
09/13 Uni Bar, Adelaide

All dates with Kirin J Callinan and Fascinator

IN THE VALLEY BELOW
facebook.com

Los Angeles rock duo In The Valley Below will be releasing a new four-track EP called Peaches this September 17th on Capitol Records.

The band recently spent the past two weeks playing festivals all over Europe (including Reading and Leeds) and had a home-coming appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman.

You can currently catch them in October, supporting White Lies:

In The Valley Below On Tour
10/01 Toronto ON @ Opera House
10/03 New York NY @ Bowery Ballroom
10/04 New York NY @ Bowery Ballroom
10/05 Boston MA @ Paradise Rock Club
10/07 Chicago IL @ Metro
10/09 San Francisco @ Great American Music Hall
10/10 Los Angeles CA @ El Rey

VALLEY LODGE
facebook.com

New York's Valley Lodge is releasing their Use Your Weapons album this September 3rd. You can hear the lead single "Go" now on spin.com.



Use Your Weapons is the third LP from Valley Lodge, headed by singer/guitarist Dave Hill (Walter Schreifels Band, Diamondsnake, ex-Cobra Verde, Sons of Elvis), drummer Rob Pfeiffer (ex-Sense Field), guitar player Phil Costello (Tragedy, Diamondsnake), and bass player Eddie Eyeball (2 Skinnee J’s, Gordon Gano).

In support of the album's release, they will be appearing at:

09/06 Brooklyn's Book Court
09/18 The Artie Lange Show
09/17 Rock Shop in Brooklyn

UPDATE: Stream the entire album now at absolutepunk.net.

DEATH VALLEY RALLY
bandcamp.com

Supposedly this band sounds like Velocity Girl (a band that we love), so check out Death Valley Rally's song "Come On", available on Soundcloud.



The song is taken from the quartet's debut EP called The Stars Shine Brighter After Midnight, which landed in shops this week (August 27th). The EP was mastered by Jon Chaikin (The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Black Tambourine, Radio Dept. etc) and was aim to please indiepop fans.

Look for a tour of the East Coast sometime in support of the EP.

BUTCHERS OF SKY VALLEY
butchersofskyvalley.com

The self-titled debut album from Butchers of Sky Valley will be out November 5th, 2013, via Heeled & Heavy Records. There will be a special New York City show at Santos Party House on October 24th.

The album took six years in the making and will feature heavy distortion and murmurs of bombastic blues… kind of like "if early ZZ Top bitch-slapped The Black Keys while Queens of the Stone Age was on the radio."

Since the album release date is so far in advance, all I have is the single artwork for "Get Loose".

Hear it now:

BRIEFLY:

THE MALEX KINGS bandcamp.com Not a lot of information given on The Malex Kings. I'm going to guess they are based in the U.S. (they are based in Spain). I don't think they have an album, just a new single track called "Valley of Liberty", which they gave me the wrong link. The correct link is at Soundcloud:

TOKYO HANDS facebook.com North Carolina's Tokyo Hands is releasing his Islands EP on Donky Pitch Records. Not a lot of information, other than that the label is based out of Brighton. Hear the lead track, "Valleys", on Soundcloud now:

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Perfect Ten

Read More Throwing Muses "My setlist is super depressing," warned Kristin Hersh as she took the stage at the Icehouse in Minneapolis last night, May 19th. .…

THROWING MUSES
throwingmuses.com

One of my favorite shows this year was seeing Kristin Hersh live at the Icehouse in Minneapolis. I'm happy to announce that Hersh is back with Throwing Muses and she's releasing the band's first new music in ten years called Purgatory/Paradise. Yes, their last self-titled album was released in 2003.

What is unique about this upcoming Purgatory/Paradise release is that it will be released as a book and CD … although it is probably not a surprise to Kristin Hersh fans, who is familiar with her Crooked book/CD combo and biography Rat Girl, etc.

Still, I find it cool because, like Hersh, I'm old still would prefer to hold and adore music in my hand, reading over the liner notes, admiring or trying to make sense of the artwork, and reading over the written words and lyrics… There's something magical about owning a physical representation of music - why do you think vinyl are so popular these days?

In addition to the art book, which was designed by drummer Dave Narcizo, the book comes downloadable content such as commentary, instrumentals, and the album plus art in multiple digital formats!

Look for Purgatory/Paradise on November 11th via Harper Collins/It Books (actual book release date is October 28th). Makes for a perfect gift for the Throwing Muses fan in your family.

Check out a track called "Sunray Venus" from Purgatory/Paradise on their website throwingmuses.com

EL TEN ELEVEN
elteneleven.com

Los Angeles-based instrumental rock duo El Ten Eleven just kicked off their Fall tour yesterday at Nebraska's Bourbon Theatre. The tour is in support of their remixed Transitions album that came out in April, but the original mixed album is from last year. You can stream the entire original mixed record (50 mins) on their Soundcloud.

Tour schedule below:

8/29 Iowa City, IA - Iowa City Yacht Club
8/30 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
8/31 Chicago, IL - North Coast Fest
9/03 Bloomington, IN - The Bishop
9/04 Newport, KY - Southgate House
9/05 Columbus, OH - The Basement
9/06 Champaign, IL - Guitar Fest
9/07 Ann Arbor, MI - Blind Pig
9/08 Akron, OH - Musica
9/10 Buffalo, NY - Nietzsches
9/11 Ithaca, NY - The Haunt
9/12 Portland, ME - Empire
9/13 Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair
9/14 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
9/15 Providence, RI - Fete Lounge
9/18 Montreal, QC - Club Soda *
9/19 Toronto, ON - The Hoxton *
9/20 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's
9/21 Washington, DC - U Street Music Hall
9/22 Charlottesville, VA - The Southern
9/26 Fort Collins, CO - Hodi's Half Note
9/27 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre
9/28 Colorado Springs, CO - The Black Sheep

* = supporting Peter Hook & The Light

EVE
eve-360.com

Eve's first North American tour in TEN YEARS is happening now, in support of her Lip Lock album. You may remember that we mentioned the epic release earlier this summer.

Speaking of epic, Eve will be making a stop at Epic in Minneapolis over the Labor Day Weekend on September 1st (Sunday). We are covering her concert, so stay tuned for photos and a review.

We previously mentioned that she said how the new album was like starting over, like a brand new artist: "I'm not trying to relive any moments of my life, I'm in a new place in my life. I'm almost a new artist - 2013 is a year you will see more sides of me than ever before, this is just the start!"

Remember, the last time you saw Eve was 10 years ago, so if you missed her in the last decade, here's your second chance:

08/31/13 Detroit, MI Chene Park
09/01/13 Minneapolis, MN Epic Event Center
09/05/13 West Hollywood, CA The Roxy Theatre
09/06/13 Oakland, CA Grand Live
09/08/13 Aspen, CO Belly Up Aspen

TENSNAKE
facebook.com/tensnake

You know we love Astralwerks Records, so whenever they announce sign that they've signed an artist, we pay attention! Recently, Astralwerks said they've signed Tensnake. If you know your Germany DJ, that is the stagename for Marco Niemerski who gained international fame with his 2010 dancefloor smash-hit "Coma Cat."

I believe the first Astralwerks release will be called "58BPM" (featuring Fiora), which is the lead single from his forthcoming album See Right Through.

U.S. TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED
10/31 - Mezzanine - San Francisco, CA
11/03 - Hard Fest Day of the Dead - Los Angeles
11/07 - Concorde Music Hall - Chicago, IL
11/08 - U Street Music Hall - Washington, DC
11/09 - Verboten - Brooklyn, NY

TEN KENS
tenkens.com

Toronto's ethereal artrock Ten Kens released their third album Namesake earlier in May.

Just recently (August 20th), the band posted this on their FB:

It’s not all doom and gloom. Enjoy a free download of Ten Kens latest single, the summer-psych jam ‘The Field Around Your Van’. Just click the link below and enjoy.

soundcloud.com/ten-kens/ten-kens-the-field-around-your

If you want to check them out, it's a free download. Too lazy to click through the link? Stream it below:

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com

Bat for Lashes at the Grandstand, Minnesota State Fair (08/27/13)

Set List Lilies Glass What's A Girl To Do? Travelling Woman Sleep Alone A Wall Laura All Your Gold The Haunted Man Daniel Tour Dates 08/28/13 Indianapolis, IN Deluxe 08/30/13 New York, NY Webster Hall 08/31/13 Buffalo, NY The Town Ballroom 09/01/13 Toronto, ON Molson Canadian Amph* 09/03/13 Montreal, QC Bell Centre* 09/06/13 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center* 09/07/13 "Boston Calling" 09/08/13 Wantagh, NY Nikon* 09/10/13 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live * 09/12/13 Atlanta, GA Aaron's Amph* 09/14/13 Tampa, FL MidFlorida Credit Union Amp* 09/15/13 Sunrise, FL BB&T Center* * Appearing with Depeche Mode Read More Bat for Lashes Bat for Lashes is currently back in the U.S. to tour with Depeche Mode, but in between those dates, the band booked a few headlining side shows. Not surprising since they did a similar deal when they played Coachella.…

Bat For Lashes is currently touring in America with Depeche Mode (more on their show later), and the band stopped by the Minnesota State Fair as part of their tour.

We've been following and documenting Bat For Lashes since 2007, and we've seen singer/songwriter Natasha Khan (the woman behind the band) continually grow as an artist. I believe we covered her first appearance in Minneapolis at the 7th Street Entry in 2007 and then again at the Varsity Theater in 2009.

With the release of her third album The Haunted Man last year, we waited patiently for a major tour announcement. Well, it finally happened: Khan is currently on tour in support of The Haunted Man! As expected, we got to hear some of those new songs played live at last night's show.

Natasha Khan

The band came on stage dressed in all black, while Natasha was clearly the star in her gorgeous red dress.

The set was about half new songs, with the rest mixing the old hit song, "What's A Girl To Do?" (thanks to that Donnie Darko-inspired video) and some hits from Two Suns (including my favorite "Sleep Alone").

Of the new songs ("Lilies", "Glass", "A Wall", "Laura", "All Your Gold", "The Haunted Man"), I found the latter two tracks worked best, simply because of the catchy dance rhythms. The two songs were so good, that some lone fan at the show got up to dance to "The Haunted Man" that inspired Natasha to encourage everyone to stand up for her finale "Daniel".

Bat For Lashes is currently on tour with Depeche Mode in support of The Haunted Man. If you find it hard to afford a ticket to see Depeche Mode, Bat For Lashes are playing a number of smaller side shows, so check your local listings.

Bat for Lashes at the Grandstand, Minnesota State Fair (08/27/13)

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ batforlashes.com

Blue Öyster Cult at the MN State Fair, Leinie Lodge Bandshell stage (8/25/13) live review

Set List The Red & the Black The Golden Age of Leather Burnin' For You OD’d on Life Itself Harvest Moon Black Blade Last Days of May Godzilla (Don’t Fear) the Reaper Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll Tour Dates 08/29/13 Milwaukee, WI Harley Davidson 2013 09/07/13 Citrus Heights, CA Sunrise Marketplace 09/11/13 Central Point, OR Lithia Motors Amph 09/28/13 Hollister, CA Hollister Concerts 10/05/13 Las Vegas, NV Las Vegas BikeFest 10/12/13 Stateline, NV Harrah's Tahoe 11/01/13 Nashville, TN Wildhorse Saloon 11/02/13 Columbus, OH Hollywood Casino 12/07/13 Miami, FL Magic City Casino 12/13/13 Chicago, IL Copernicus Center 01/24/14 Agoura Hills, CA Canyon Club 01/25/14 Beverly Hills, CA Saban Theatre 01/31/14 Sycuan Casino Sycuan Casino 02/22/14 Newark, OH Midland Theatre Read More Minnesota State Fair It's that time of the year again: the Minnesota State Fair! We went last year to see Wilson Phillips at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell inside the State Fair. As we mentioned, the MN State Fair is the .…

40+ years on, Blue Oyster Cult still doesn’t fear the reaper. Or anything else. The band proved that on a recent two-night stand on the Lodge stage at the Minnesota State Fair.

Buck Dharma

The longtime group, still boasting original members, vocalist/guitarist Eric Bloom and lead guitarist Donald ‘Buck Dharma’ Roeser, started in Long Island, NY in 1967 as Soft White Underbelly, with vocalist Bloom joining two years later. The current lineup is ably rounded out by Jules Radino on drums, Richie Castellano on keyboards/guitar/vocals, and the talented, well-seasoned Kasim Sulton on bass guitar/ vocals, and is continuing its 40th anniversary tour, which began last year.

Set list photo

The band entered for their 80 min. set, to the rumbling ‘Game of Thrones’ theme as intro music, and segued into their opener, ‘The Red & the Black’, which set the mood for the evening. Following was ‘The Golden Age of Leather’, from 1977’s “Spectres” and a testament to their growing biker fan base. One of their biggest hits was played early, ‘Burnin’ for You’ from 1981’s classic ‘Fire of Unknown Origin’, with Bloom still in good voice and Dharma shredding it centerstage on guitar.

The band changed the setlist slightly on the second night, keeping the performance fresh and playing a variety of non-hits, to please the faithful and to stretch their musical chops. ‘Black Blade’ featured an intro that mentioned the influence of Michael Moorcock’s sword-wielding hero, Elric, and ‘Last Days of May’ led into an extended Dharma guitar solo that allowed him to freeform. Castellano proved a versatile utility man, deftly moving between guitar solos and keyboard riffs, having stepped into the shoes of original member Alan Lanier, who hadn’t toured since 2006, and who passed away just two weeks ago.

Eric Bloom

‘Godzilla’ was prefaced by Bloom’s pitchman-like intro about ‘dinosaurs walking the earth, all wiped out by meteor…except one…!’ prompting the crowd to chant the song’s title, before the band revved it up. The song featured not only a Radino drum solo, but also a career-spanning bass solo from Sulton, featuring riffs from his previous incarnations as bass player for Joan Jett, Utopia, and Meat Loaf.

Their biggest hit culminated the set, ‘Don’t Fear the Reaper’, which the band no doubt has a love/hate relationship with, being their best-known song and subject of a classic SNL skit. Several in the crowd predictably brought their own cowbells and were striking them in rhythm as Bloom himself even played along on ‘air cowbell’.

The set had ended just before the 10pm curfew, but Bloom then called an ‘audible’, off the setlist, and the band returned for a finale of ‘Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll’ - an apt ending song (given the extreme heat outside) from their 1972 self-titled album. Thankfully, no cowbell needed.

Blue Oyster Cult at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell, Minnesota State Fair (8/25/13)

john () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ blueoystercult.com

Minnesota State Fair 2013

Read More MN State Fair The Minnesota State Fair one of the largest and best-attended expositions in the world. The attendance to last night's Wilson Phillips' show at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell was packed .… Train Remember Train? The San Francisco band blew up with hit singles like "Meet Virginia" and "Hey, Soul Sister"? Well the band was on tour for most of 2012 with Mat Kearney for their sixth studio album California 37.… Bat for Lashes Bat for Lashes is currently back in the U.S. to tour with Depeche Mode, but in between those dates, the band booked a few headlining side shows. Not surprising since they did a similar deal when they played Coachella.… Trampled by Turtles Trampled By Turtles (aka TBT) had a very special two-day CD release shows for Friday and Saturday at First Ave, in Minneapolis. .…

It's that time of the year again: the Minnesota State Fair! We went last year to see Wilson Phillips at the Leinie Lodge Bandshell inside the State Fair. As we mentioned, the MN State Fair is the largest state fair in the U.S.! It's no wonder why they call it "The Great Minnesota Get-Together". The Fair ends on Labor Day, so you've only got one week left.

With exception of the paid Grandstand stadium, the MN State Fair's various stages are free (with the paid entrance admission). I am only listing the evening music shows - if you are interested in the full schedule, go here.

LEINIE LODGE BANDSHELL

Aug. 26 & 27: Hanson
Aug. 28 & 29: Sheila E.
Aug. 30 & 31: Robert Randolph & Family Band
Sept. 1 & 2: Larry Gatlin & Gatlin Brothers

BAZAAR

Aug. 26 & 27: Lost Highway
Aug. 28 & 29: Salsa del Soul
Aug. 30 & 31: New Primitives
Sept. 1 & 2: GB Leighton

HERITAGE SQUARE

Aug. 26 & 27: Sarah Gayle Meech
Aug. 28 & 29: Billy McLaughlin
Aug. 30 & 31: Pieta Brown & Sawdust Collective
Sept. 1 & 2: Chastity Brown

GRANDSTAND LINEUP

08/27/13 Depeche Mode/Bat For Lashes
08/28/13 2013 Internet Cat Video Festival
08/29/13 Train/Michael Franti/Spearhead
08/30/13 MN Music On-A-Stick
08/31/13 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
09/01/13 MN State Fair Amateur Talent Contest
09/02/13 Tim McGraw/Brantley Gilbert

Note that the Music On-A-Stick features Trample by Turtles as well as other acts. Please see their website for more details.

I'm very excited to see Bat for Lashes tomorrow, they are opening up for Depeche Mode at the Grandstand. If I wasn't already seeing BFL, I wouldn't mind checking out the brothers Hanson just to see them do "MMMBop".

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic