W♥M (Archive)

November Week 0

I know Rocktober ended with October 31st, but seriously, we still have some amazing shows in November. I've already looked over the schedule, it's unbelievable how many great shows are coming to Minneapolis.

Read More Mountain Goats Mountain Goats show or if you are into the hundreds, Darnielle and Co. never disappoint those who come for the music, but leave having absorbed every word spoken or sung. All dates with (*) indicates with Matthew E. White. .…

I like how the weekly spotlight on shows turned out in October, that I will start doing as a weekly feature (although not every night will be written about if there are no bands playing that night).

This is week zero of November; week one officially starts November 3rd.

MATTHEW E WHITE
matthewewhite.com

Matthew E. White is playing on November 1st at First Avenue. The singer/songwriter is also noted as being the founder of Spacebomb Records in Richmond, Virginia.

Expect him to play some tracks off his recently released Outer Face EP, which was released October 22nd on Domino Records.

Tour information below:

10/31/13 Fargo, ND – The Aquarium *
11/01/13 Minneapolis, MN - First Ave *
11/02/13 Chicago, IL - Metro *
12/04/13 Allston, MA – Great Scott
12/05/13 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
12/06/13 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
12/07/13 Washington, D.C. – Rock n Roll Hotel

* with Okkervil River

Read More Fidlar Southern California’s FIDLAR followed, in support of their debut album on Mom & Pop, with an explosive 45min of punk/surf rock, set that threw the crowd immediately into a whipped up, sweat-dripped frenzy .…

THE ORWELLS
theorwells.com

The Orwells are opening up for Fidlar at the 7th Street Entry on Saturday night (November 2nd). You may recall how we described Fidlar's show as "sweat-dripped frenzy ", so this should be a fun night for all young people.

This five piece (Cousins Mario Cuomo on vocals, Dominic Corso on guitar, twins Grant on bass, Henry Brinner on drums, and Matt O’Keefe on guitar) have together since 2008, when they were in 9th grade… but we first came to know them as one of the few American (from Chicago) band to be featured in NME's Great Escape Showcase from earlier this year.

Their tour dates:

10/31/13 Chicago, IL Subterranean
11/01/13 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon
11/02/13 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
02/13/14 Jacksonville, FL The Weezer Cruise
02/14/14 Jacksonville, FL The Weezer Cruise
02/15/14 Jacksonville, FL The Weezer Cruise
02/16/14 Jacksonville, FL The Weezer Cruise
02/17/14 Jacksonville, FL The Weezer Cruise

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com

Cyndi Lauper, with Hunter Valentine, at Mill City Nights, Minneapolis (10/30/13)

Setlist Money Changes Everything Girls Just Want to Have Fun When You Were Mine Time After Time She Bop All Through the Night Witness I'll Kiss You He's So Unusual Yeah Yeah -- The Goonies 'R' Good Enough Sex Is In the Heel Shine Water's Edge True Colors Tour Dates 11/01/13 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre 11/03/13 Greensburg, PA Palace Theater 11/05/13 Nashville, TN Performing Arts 11/06/13 Knoxville, TN Tennessee Theatre 11/08/13 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall 11/09/13 Hollywood, FL Seminole Hard Rock 11/10/13 Lake Buena Vista, FL - HOB 11/12/13 Charlotte, NC Belk Theater 11/13/13 Washington, DC Warner Theatre 11/15/13 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre 11/16/13 Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse All dates with Hunter Valentine Read More Cyndi Lauper Children of the 80s should all know "Girls Just Want to Have Fun", which is actually a cover song. So basically all the money she made off that song and royalties went to one lucky Robert Hazard. … Hunter Valentine Hunter Valentine just wrapped up their all-girls tour with Girl in a Coma and Krissy Krissy and picking it right up with Cyndi Lauper… because you know these girls just want to have fun. …

Cyndi Lauper is currently on tour for her 30th Anniversary of She's So Unusual (originally released October 14, 1983, on Portrait Records), stopping by Mill City Nights in Minneapolis last night.

HUNTER VALENTINE

Hunter Valentine opened up the show. This was my fourth time seeing the Toronto-based band, but my first with new bassist Leanne Bowes. I thought I heard that she was from Sick of Sarah (a Minneapolis all-girls band), as described on stage in her introduction.

Anyway, you can tell the all-girls band were big fans of Cyndi Lauper, especially when singer Kiyomi announced that after their set that she would be joining the crowd and "dancing in the moshpit!"

I have to say, that this was, by far, their best show of the ones I've seen; their energy and excitement were kept up throughout their brief 40 minute set, as they play tracks from their 2012 album Collide and Conquer, including their latest single, "The Pulse".

Although this was the "30th Anniversary of She's So Unusual " tour, Cyndi Lauper explained that it was also meant to showcase a brand new album. Things didn't happen as planned, so instead this turned into, basically, a greatest hits tour. Which, I honestly didn't think anyone minded.

As promised, the entire She's So Unusual album were played leaving a few other songs for the encore (including one of her hit song "True Color").

Early into their set, Lauper's guitarist was experiencing some technical difficulties. The stage tech kept running on and off stage, trying to figure it out. After "When You Were Mine", they stopped the show completely. As they were trying to fix the problem, Lauper launched into one of her many, many stories about her incredible life, growing up in the 80s.

After a seemingly long story, you soon discover that it all lead up to a punch line about a loud clock, where the true secret origins of the lines "lying in my bed I hear the clock tick" and "the second hand unwinds" came from in the classic hit song "Time After Time".

Personal highlight of her set for me was "She Bop", which, in my opinion, is her best song. As soon as that first few chords were played, you instantly knew that "sound". It's important to note also that when Lauper started her career, musicians had to discover and invent their unique sound. Lauper vision, as she explained in one of her many stories that she was going after this reggae mixed with ska, but with her unusual vocals.

Anyway, if you want to 'bop' too, check out Cyndi Lauper on this 30th Anniversary tour, with her special guest Hunter Valentine.

Cyndi Lauper at Mill City Nights, Minneapolis (10/30/13)

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ huntervalentine.com ♥ cyndilauper.com

Walk The Moon at First Avenue, Minneapolis (10/29/13)

Walk the Moon Setlist Next In Line Quesadilla Lisa Baby Sidekick (new song) Tightrope anywayican Tête-À-Tête Boyfriend (new song) Shiver Shiver Me and All My Friends Iscariot Fixin' I Can Lift A Car Anna Sun Jenny (encore) The Mowgli's Setlist Waiting For The Dawn Emily Slowly Slowly Love Is Easy Say It, Just Say It Hi, Hey There, Hello Carry Your Will Leave It Up To Me The Great Divide San Francisco Smallpools Setlist Mason Jar Not Story Time Over and Over American Love (new song) You've Got The Music In You (new song) Dreaming Read More Smallpools Smallpools is an up-and-coming indie pop band, forming in early 2013. Based out of Los Angeles, the group consists of four members: Sean Scanlon (vocals), Mike Kamerman (guitar), Beau … The Mowgli's The evening began with relative newcomers, The Mowgli's, playing a solid set of rootsy West Cost folk/pop that more than a little suggested they were the next generation of Haight-Ashbury hippie …

Ohio band, Walk The Moon, is currently on tour promoting their latest album, simply titled Walk The Moon. Accompanying them onstage were bands Smallpools and The Mowgli's.

SMALLPOOLS

Indie pop band, Smallpools, hasn't been around very long, forming earlier this year, but they are already making big waves. The band opened with one of their singles, Mason Jar, before going on to play other songs off their latest EP such as Not Story Time and Over and Over.

Then, lead singer, Sean Scanlon announced that the band will be working on recording a new album after touring. They followed with two brand new songs, American Love and You've Got The Music In You. The band ended with their current hit, Dreaming, which was, without doubt, the highlight of the show. I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of Smallpools in the near future.

THE MOWGLI'S

Next up were The Mowgli's, an indie rock/folk band from southern California. Going into the show, I had no idea what to expect. Simply put, I was blown away. From their first song, Waiting For The Dawn, to Hi, Hey There, Hello the entire band brought unusual amount of positive energy, the kind of energy that would make someone like myself yearn to get on stage to dance beside them.

Katie of The Mowgli's

Dave Appelbaum, keyboardist and vocalist, was invited out of his corner of the stage to play guitar for the song Carry Your Will, which gave everyone just enough time to catch their breath. The atmosphere had changed, but not for long as the band finished the night off with songs The Great Divide followed by crowd-favorite San Francisco.

The Mowgli's are “the kind of band you see live and it makes you want to go and listen to all their music.” I will definitely be keeping an eye out for any nearby shows in the future.

Walk The Moon: “dance-rock” group from Ohio that most of the audience, sporting painted faces and official t-shirts, had been eagerly anticipating to take the stage. I had seen Walk The Moon earlier this year on my trip to Bonnaroo, and, although vastly different audience and venue sizes, I was not disappointed a second time around. The sounds of girls screaming quickly faded when the band began to play their first song of the night, Next In Line.

After playing a few more from their self-titled debut, Walk The Moon immediately followed with a first-time performance of the song Sidekick, and later introduced the audience to Boyfriend. For the song I Can Lift A Car, everyone in the crowd was asked to raise their arms and “push” into the sky, though instructions were likely unnecessary as so many already knew what to do. After exhausting much of their arsenal, the band went on to play their well-known single Anna Sun.

The vocals were drowned out during the chorus (“Oh Anna Sun!”) by the audience. For the encore, lead singer, Nicholas Petricca, busted out a keytar to play Jenny, another favorite amongst fans. A brand new album is set to begin recording upon completion of the tour, which is taking place today, October 31st at the Barrymore Theatre in Madison, Wisconsin.

Walk the Moon at First Avenue, Minneapolis (10/29/13)

aaronm ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ podcast.weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ +W♥M

Girls Girls Girls: Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Sky Ferreira, and Lindi Ortega

Read more Girls Girls Girls.

Read More Sophie Ellis-Bextor This was a very brief band from 97-99, fronted by Sophie Ellis-Bextor - who went on to have a series of very successful Eurodisco releases. I must admit, I never followed the band that much - they arrived a little too late for me.…

SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR
sophieellisbextor.net

The truth is, I've been in love with Sophie Ellis-Bextor when she was singing for Theaudience in 1997. That was 16 years ago; it's unbelievable that she still looks incredibly amazing today!

To this day, I still consider her song* "Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)" as one of the best moment in dance pop music history.

Anyway, guess what? Ellis-Bextor is back with Wanderlust, her fifth album, produced by none other than Ed Harcourt! The album comes out January 20th, 2014. I'm certain around that time, you'll hear that she will be out on tour! Cannot wait.

Track listing:

1. Birth of an Empire
2. Until the Stars Collide
3. Runaway Daydreamer
4. The Deer & the Wolf
5. Young Blood
6. Interlude
7. 13 Little Dolls
8. Wrong Side of the Sun
9. Love Is a Camera
10. Cry To the Beat of the Band
11. When the Storm Has Blown Over

* Officially a Freemasons song, but "featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor".

Read More Sky Ferreira Sky Ferreira and How To Dress Well are currently on a co-headlining tour. They stopped by Minneapolis at the Triple Rock Social Club last night, April 1st. …

SKY FERREIRA
skyferreira.com

We've been following Sky Ferreira since 2010, and finally, this year I got a chance to see her in person. She didn't play any old songs, which, as I've interpreted it was she was moving on from her early music, and "growing up". This isn't surprising since she did start her career when she was very young, and like most things, we all change as we grow.

Anyway, Sky's debut album Night Time, My Time came out yesterday exclusively on iTunes. If you're still on the fence, her single, "24 Hours" is available for FREE this week as iTunes Single of the Week. Grab it now, I did.

Sky will be heading out on tour in support of Night Time My Time, co-headlining with Smith Westerns:

11/11 -- New York, NY -- Webster Hall
11/13 -- Boston, MA -- The Paradise
11/14 -- Syracuse, NY -- Westcott Theatre
11/15 -- Philadelphia, PA -- The Church
11/18 -- Washington, DC -- 930 Club
11/20 -- Detroit, MI -- The Magic Stick
11/21 -- Columbus, OH -- A&R
11/22 -- Madison, WI -- High Noon
11/23 -- Chicago, IL -- The Vic

Trivia: The actual cover artwork shows her left boob, but most retailers (in the U.S. stores at least), is listing the censored cover artwork. If you must see it for yourself, you can click here [link redacted].

Read More Noah and the Whale Lindi Ortega is currently singing Laura's parts in all the songs with Noah and the Whale for the remainder of the their tour. Lindi is a classic folk singer from Toronto. …

LINDI ORTEGA
lindiortega.ca

Lindi Ortega's third LP Tin Star debut on the top 10 of the Americana chart. Her album was praised by Country Weekly, calling Ortega's music as "haunting" and "atmospheric", while NPR called it "gorgeous".

Tour dates below:

10/30 Cleveland, OH Beachland Tavern
10/31 Pontiac, OH Pike Room
11/01 Chicago, IL Space
11/02 Madison, WI The Frequency
11/03 Minneapolis, MN Icehouse
11/06 Swift Current, SK Lyric Theatre
11/07 Regina, SK The Exchange
11/08 Edmonton, AB Royal Alberta Museum
11/09 Calgary, AB Commonwealth Bar and Stage
11/13 Vancouver, BC Biltmore
11/14 Victoria, BC Lucky Bar
11/15 Seattle, WA Q Café
11/16 Portland, OR White Eagle Saloon
11/18 San Francisco, CA Café Du Nord
11/19 Los Angeles, CA The Mint
11/20 Phoenix, AZ The Western
11/22 Austin, TX Cactus Café
11/24 Houston, TX Mucky Duck
11/28-29 Ottawa, ON National Arts Centre Studio
11/30 Cobalt, ON Classic Theatre
12/05 Guelph, ON Van Gogh’s Ear
12/06 Montreal, QC Quai Des Brumes
12/07 Kingston, ON Grad Club

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com

The Fratellis: We Need Medicine

Read More The Fratellis The Fratellis are a 3-member band from Glasgow, Scotland that formed in 2005. The origin of their name is debatable. First, "fratelli" means "brothers" in Italian. Although the members …

The Fratellis are back! It's been a while since their debut 2006 Costello Music (which we wrote about nearly six years ago). After their second album Here We Stand, in 2008, the band went into "indefinite hiatus" to work on various side projects.

The band got back together last year to record We Need Medicine, which was released earlier in October via BMG.

The band will be landing in the U.S. in November to do a small tour in support of the album. Of course, they are not stopping in Minneapolis, so your next option will be an eight hour drive to Chicago on November 6th to see this Scottish band!

People still fondly remember the band, as evident by all these sold out shows!

The Fratellis US Tour Dates:

11/01: New York, NY @ Webster Hall *
11/02: Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall*
11/03: Boston, MA @ Paradise *
11/04: Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live*
11/06: Chicago, IL @ Metro
11/07: San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop *
11/08: Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
11/09: Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
11/12: Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre

Dates with (*) indicates sold out

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ thefratellis.com

Broncho at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (10/29/13)

Setlist Tour Dates 10/30: Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club 11/01: Chicago, IL - Schubas 11/02: Cincinnati, OH - MOTR Pub 11/04: Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern 11/05: Pittsburgh, PA - Brillobox 11/06: Washington, DC - DC9 11/07: Brooklyn, NY - Cameo Gallery 11/08: Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie 11/09: Columbus, OH - The Basement Read More Broncho Saturday we have The Head And The Heart at First Avenue in Minneapolis. They are so popular that they have been selling out all their shows across the country. In fact, they've even …

Oklahoma's Broncho is currently in the middle of their tour in support of their re-release of Can't Get Past The Lips, out now on Fairfax Recordings.

Nashville's Denney & The Jets canceled the show, leaving local Nancy's Raygun as lone opener for the show (their first show at the Entry).

NANCY'S RAYGUN

You can tell this guitar/drum band was young, based on the singer, Daniel Hughes having an "X" on his hand, which is usually a sign that they could not legally sell him liquor in the U.S.

With a brief feedback instrumental, they kicked off their set with "My Kitchen Table", followed by "Rosetta, Rosetta". Surprisingly, as a young band, the duo had enough material to play over forty minutes.

Broncho's punk/DIY attitude and songs immediately got critics to compare them to 70s punk acts like the Ramones and the Stooges. To be honest, I thought they reminded me of early Undertones.

As you can see from their setlist, the majority of the songs were from their debut album, Can't Get Past The Lips, including "I Don't Really Wanna Be Social", "Psychiatrist", "Can't Get Past The Lips", "Record Store", "Losers", and "Try Me Out Sometime". Lots of 'yip' and 'yee' as singer/guitarist Ryan Lindsey sang their songs.

In the middle of their set, the band asked if they knew anyone in Milwaukee. "We're playing there tomorrow night," Lindsey said solemnly. When a few people said 'yes', Lindsey told them to call them and make them come to the show.

"You mean … right now?" asked a puzzled fan in front.

"Yeah, call them now. Facetime them!," Lindsey demanded. When it was discovered that the fan did not have a smartphone, Lindsey handed him his personal iPhone 5 to an impressed fan who tried to call his Milwaukee friend, as the band started to play again.

So, hey, Milwaukee punk fans, come out to their show tonight!

Broncho at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (10/29/13)

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ bronchoband.com ♥ facebook.com/nancysraygun

Girls Girls Girls: Amy Ray, Girls Names, Shy Girls, and Girl Talk

Read More Amy Ray Last night show at The Turf Club in Saint Paul was Amy Ray's final show in her month-full tour. The opening band, The Shadowboxers, mentioned that they will be continuing their tour in June. . …

Read more Girls Girls Girls. In this edition, these aren't necessary women, but bands or association with the word 'girl'.

AMY RAY
amy-ray.com

Amy Ray, the half of the folk-rock duo the Indigo Girls, just announced that she will be releasing her very first country and western album called Goodnight Tender* on her own Decatur-based imprint, Daemon Records. The album is set to be out January 28, 2014, but expect the digital version a little sooner.

Recorded last spring at Echo Mountain Studio in Asheville, N.C., the album will feature special guests Justin Vernon, Heather McEntire (Mt. Moriah, Merge Records), members of Megafaun and vocal appearances by Kelly Hogan and Susan Tedeschi.

Obviously the country genre is a dramatic departure from Ray's previous work, as she noted, "I love to scream and growl, but I also love the soft, sweet singing of artists like George Jones, so I slowed the tempo, got into a lower register, and let the songs and the musicians around me dictate a different direction."

More dates will be announced closer to the album release date, but in the meantime, these dates are booked:

01.24.14 - Asheville, NC - Iris
01.25.14 - Durham, NC - Motorco
01.26.14 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse

* Note: Cover artwork has not been released.

Read More Girls Names Girls Names is the latest band to be signed to our favorite indie label, Slumberland Records. Belfast-based four-piece will be releasing The New Life on March 12th, 2013.. …

GIRLS NAMES
facebook.com/girlsnames

Sure, we mentioned that Girls Names signed with Slumberland Records (for the U.S. distribution), but the band is back with the EP called The Next Life, which expands on their already-released sophomore album The New Life.

The EP will be out this November, on exclusive white vinyl and will be available in these formats: a 3 track 12", and as a 7 track download (October 29th).

Hear "Third Uncle", the Brian Eno cover song:



Tour dates:

29/10 - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
30/10 - Start The Bus, Bristol
31/10 - Roundhouse, London *
01/11 - Roundhouse, London *
02/11 - The Green Door Store, Brighton
09/11 - Whelans, Dublin

* with the Cult

SHY GIRLS
shygirlsmusic.com

Shy Girls is basically producer and vocalist Dan Vidmar from Portland. He's just released his Timeshare EP, which you can stream it on Soundcloud.



The stream will go dark after a week, so listen to it now before it goes offline.

Track listing:

1. Without
2. Still Not Falling
3. When I Say I Love U
4. Second Heartbeat
5. Voyeur's Gaze
6. Under Attack

GIRL TALK
facebook.com/girltalkmusic

Girl Talk (aka Gregg Gillis) just teamed up with Philadelphia rapper Freeway to bring you their collaborative EP, Broken Ankles. The EP will be out sometime this Fall (album artwork not released yet).

Regarding how the album was written, Gillis said, "I wanted to work closer to traditional song structure compared to my last few albums, but still include some detailed sample splicing and change-ups when it felt appropriate. The overall structure is what I thought worked best with Freeway's style."

Check out Girl Talk this December 31st end of the year celebration at FPHNYE in Houston, Texas.

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

Christmas in October 2013

Read More Celtic Woman Celtic Woman stopped by the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis last night, as part of their 2013 World Tour. …

Yeah, I know it's a little early for Christmas (especially since we haven't even seen Halloween!), but most of these albums were written and recorded months, sometime years, in advance. In order for them to make it to market in that coveted December timeframe, they have to make the album(s) available as early as September to November.

Here are a few Christmas albums coming your way. I will occasionally put together more Xmas albums for 2013, at least up until "Black Friday".

CELTIC WOMAN
celticwoman.com

If you haven't gotten around to buying Celtic Woman's Home for Christmas last year, then you'd be pleased that the album is released today (10/29) in a deluxe package. The new special edition will contain the original album and a band-new Live from Dublin on DVD.

The DVD is a real treat, because after seeing them live in Minneapolis, I can stand behind that their live show is one of the best I've seen. I can only imagine, especially with the professional filming, that the DVD will carry over some of that magic from the Dublin show.

Look for the Irish women on tour. Their band new "The Emerald Tour" will start in February 2014. Based on their tour schedule, the ladies are never 'home for Christmas'.

Never-ending tour dates:

11/22/13 Las Vegas, NV Venetian Resort 11/23/13 Las Vegas, NV Venetian Resort 11/27/13 Las Vegas, NV Venetian Resort 11/28/13 Las Vegas, NV Venetian Resort 11/30/13 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena 12/01/13 Newport News, VA Ferguson Center 12/03/13 Charleston, WV Clay Center 12/04/13 Bethlehem, PA Sands Bethlehem Event 12/05/13 Shippensburg, PA H. Ric Luhrs 12/06/13 Rama, ON Casino Rama 12/07/13 Rama, ON Casino Rama 12/09/13 Lynn, MA Lynn Memorial Aud 12/10/13 New Brunswick, NJ State Theatre 12/13/13 Mulvane, KS Kansas Star Arena 12/14/13 Dallas, TX Music Hall At Fair Park 12/15/13 Dallas, TX Music Hall 12/17/13 Greenville, SC Peace Center 12/19/13 Carmel, IN Palladium 12/20/13 Hammond, IN Venue 12/22/13 Atlanta, GA Symphony Hall 01/12/14 Boondall, Aus Brisbane Ent 01/15/14 Newcastle, Aus Newcastle Ent 01/16/14 Wollongong, Aus Win Ent 01/17/14 Darling Harbour, Aus Sydney Ent 01/18/14 Canberra, Aus Royal Theatre 01/19/14 Melbourne, Aus Hamer Hall 01/21/14 Hindmarsh, Aus Adelaide Entertain 01/24/14 Perth, Australia Riverside Theatre 02/14/14 Nashville, TN James K. Polk Theater 02/15/14 Nashville, TN James K. Polk Theater 02/16/14 Huntsville, AL Von Braun Center 02/18/14 Montgomery, AL Montgomery Perf 02/20/14 Macon, GA Macon City Auditorium 02/21/14 Pensacola, FL Saenger Theatre 02/22/14 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall 02/23/14 Melbourne, FL King Center 02/25/14 Lakeland, FL Youkey Theatre 02/27/14 Daytona Beach, FL Peabody Aud 02/28/14 Jacksonville, FL Times-Union Center 03/01/14 Gainesville, FL Univ. Of FL Phillips Center 03/02/14 Columbia, SC Township Auditorium 03/04/14 North Charleston, SC N. Charleston Perf. 03/06/14 Charlotte, NC Ovens Auditorium 03/07/14 Asheville, NC Thomas Wolfe Aud 03/08/14 Durham, NC Durham Performing 03/09/14 Roanoke, VA Roanoke Performing 03/11/14 Richmond, KY EKU Center For The Arts

03/13/14 Elizabeth, IN Horseshoe Southern 03/14/14 St. Louis, MO Fabulous Fox Theatre 03/15/14 Green Bay, WI Weidner Center 03/16/14 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre 03/17/14 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center 03/19/14 Saskatoon, SK TCU Place 03/21/14 Edmonton, AB Edmonton EXPO Centre 03/22/14 Calgary, AB Jack Singer Concert Hall 03/23/14 Abbotsford, BC Abbotsford Ent'ment 03/25/14 Everett, WA Comcast Arena 03/26/14 Eugene, OR Hult Center 03/28/14 Sacramento, CA Memorial Aud 03/29/14 Oakland, CA Paramount Theatre 03/30/14 Ontario, CA Citizens Business 03/31/14 San Diego, CA Copley Symphony Hall 04/01/14 Costa Mesa, CA Segerstrom Center 04/07/14 Tucson, AZ Tucson Music Hall 04/08/14 Tempe, AZ Gammage Auditorium 04/09/14 Albuquerque, NM Popejoy Hall 04/10/14 El Paso, TX Abraham Chavez Theatre 04/13/14 Houston, TX Hobby Center 04/14/14 Corpus Christi, TX Selena Auditorium 04/15/14 San Antonio, TX Majestic Theatre 04/17/14 Tulsa, OK Mabee Center Arena 04/19/14 Denver, CO Denver Coliseum 04/22/14 Greeley, CO Monfort Concert Hall 04/23/14 Cheyenne, WY Cheyenne Civic Center 04/24/14 Colorado Springs, CO Pikes Peak Center 04/26/14 Lawrence, KS Lied Center Of Kansas 04/27/14 Sioux City, IA Orpheum Theatre 05/01/14 Rockford, IL Coronado Performing 05/02/14 Peoria, IL Peoria Civic Center Arena 05/03/14 Milwaukee, WI Riverside Theatre 05/06/14 Evansville, IN The Centre 05/08/14 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre 05/09/14 Ann Arbor, MI Michigan Theater 05/10/14 Saginaw, MI Arena 05/11/14 Columbus, OH Palace Theatre 05/13/14 Cincinnati, OH Aronoff Center 05/14/14 Akron, OH Akron Civic Theatre 05/17/14 Pittsburgh, PA Benedum Center 05/18/14 Dayton, OH Schuster Performing 05/20/14 Williamsport, PA Community Arts 05/27/14 Baltimore, MD Hippodrome Theatre 05/29/14 Burlington, VT Flynn Center 05/30/14 Bangor, ME Darling's Waterfront 06/03/14 Albany, NY Palace Theatre 06/07/14 Lancaster, PA American Music Theatre

KELLY CLARKSON
kellyclarkson.com

Grammy Award winner Kelly Clarkson very first Christmas album, Wrapped In Red, is out today, October 29th.

Also a first, will be her NBC Christmas special, taping tomorrow (10/30) at the Venetian in Las Vegas. I am assuming the special will air sometime closer to Christmas time.

Wrapped In Red Track listing:

1. Wrapped In Red
2. Underneath The Tree
3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
4. Run Run Rudolph
5. Please Come Home For Christmas (Bells Will Be Ringing)
6. Every Christmas
7. Blue Christmas
8. Baby, It's Cold Outside featuring Ronnie Dunn
9. Winter Dreams (Brandon's Song)
10. White Christmas
11. My Favorite Things
12. 4 Carats
13. Just For Now
14. Silent Night featuring Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood

MARY J. BLIGE
maryjblige.com

Speaking of firsts, Mary J Blige's very first Christmas album is being released on December 2nd on Verve Records.

The Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist Mary J. Blige teams up with a variety of stars (Jessie J, Clark Sisters, Barbara Streisand, and Marc Anthony) to produce A Mary Christmas.

Track-listing:

1. Little Drummer Boy
2. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
3. My Favourite Things
4. This Christmas
5. The Christmas Song
6. Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer
7. When You Wish Upon A Star - duet with Barbra Streisand
8. Winter Wonderland
9. Do You Hear What I Hear - duet with Jessie J
10. Petit Papa Noël
11. The First Noel - duet with The Clark Sisters
12. Noche de Paz - duet with Marc Anthony

LEONA LEWIS
leonalewismusic.com

Even more "first ever" Christmas albums, Christmas, With Love, by Grammy-nominated recording artist Leona Lewis, is coming out December 3rd on Syco/RCA Records.

This album contains the typical Christmas standards, but will also include three brand new original holiday songs.

Leona had this to add about the album, "This has been such a busy year for me having been on tour, shooting my first movie and being in the studio. But I cannot wait to get out there this Christmas and perform these songs. I had such fun recording this record and that really comes through in the songs. I am looking forward to spreading a little Christmas cheer!"

Track listing:

1. One More Sleep
2. Winter Wonderland
3. White Christmas
4. Your Hallelujah
5. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
6. Mr. Right
7. O Holy Night
8. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
9. Ave Maria
10. Silent Night

ELIZABETH CHAN
lizchanchristmas.com

Elizabeth Chan annual Holiday album just kicked off last week with her Everyday Holidays (Merry Bright Music), the follow-up to her critically acclaimed debut EP, Naughty & Nice.

Instead of focusing on the usual Christmas cover songs, Chan writes original Christmas music. Look for her music to be featured on an upcoming Keeping Up With The Kardashians: Christmas Special on E!.

Track listing:

1. Fa La La
2. Resolution
3. Tis the Season
4. Try to Have a Merry Christmas
5. Hey Santa
6. A Christmas Song (Remix)
7. A Christmas Song (Acoustic)

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

The Head and the Heart at First Avenue, Minneapolis (10/27/13)

Tour Poster Setlist Read More The Head and the Heart Saturday we have The Head And The Heart at First Avenue in Minneapolis. They are so popular that they have been selling out all their shows across the country. In fact, they've even … Thao & the Get Down Stay Down San Francisco-based band Thao & The Get Down Stay Down got down with us at the Cedar Cultural Center on April 1st and we loved every moment of it. The band is currently … Quiet Life The Portland indie/Americana band is currently touring in support of their sophomore LP, Wild Pack. The digital and CD were released last week (October 15th), but look for the …

Seattle's The Head and the Heart just stopped by First Avenue, in Minneapolis, as part of their national tour in support of Let's Be Still. The album was released last week, October 15th, 2013, on Sup Pop.

QUIET LIFE

Opening up for this sold-out folk show were Quiet Life, from Portland. I got the impression that the band are close friends with The Head and the Heart and they were really grateful to be sharing the stage with the headliner.

The band had a very brief thirty minute set with about six songs, starting with "Devil's Kin", from their latest album Wild Pack, and ending with "Shaky Hands", which I think I heard was a new song, written about a friend's divorce. Highlight of their set was "Messin' Around", mostly thanks to the organ-playing and catchy (easy to remember) chorus.

THAO & THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN

Since we last saw Thao Nguyen, she was at the Cedar earlier in 2013. This truncated set featured a lot of new songs, taken from her latest release We the Common, including "Holy Roller" and "Every Body". The new material, as I discovered it hearing it live, is more aggressive than her folk songs from her previous two albums.

Although the set was shorter, Thao display her talent for all things strings: jumping from guitar to acoustic to banjo to steel guitar. It was fun to watch the transitions.

Prior to The Head and the Heart taking the stage, whoever was manning the music was playing nothing but Velvet Underground songs. It was a fitting tribute to Lou Reed, who passed away that day.

Then the intro music of "Springtime" was played on the speakers and suddenly The Head and the Heart launched into "Summertime", featuring Charity Thielen on lead vocals. You soon discovered that vocals were shared among the trinity of Charity, Josiah, and Jonathan. And, in fact, the three of them does a lot of tight harmony on many of their songs.

As you can see from their setlist, about half the songs are from their latest album Let's Be Still, including "Summertime", "Homecoming Heroes", "Shake", "Cruel", and "Josh McBride". You could always tell which songs were from the debut self-titled album because they usually had the audience singing along, in particular the set closer "Rivers and Roads".

Encore were "These Days Are Numbered" (featuring Charity solo), "Gone", and "Down in the Valley". After seeing how both the Head and the Heart shows sold out, singer Jonathan Russell just could not believe that all these fans came together. "You're all strangers in one room," Russell said, "It's crazy." You get the feeling that the band also agree that bringing people together, this is what they are about.

The Head and the Heart's latest album, Let's Be Still, is out now on Sub Pop Records. The band has been selling out all their double shows, so if you don't have a ticket now, you may be out of luck. Maybe you could grab a ticket early on the next tour?

Their remaining tour dates:

10.28.13 | Madison, WI | Orpheum Theater *+ 10.29.13 | Royal Oak, MI | Royal Oak Music*+ 10.31.13 | Toronto, ON | Danforth Music Hall *+ 11.01.13 | Boston, MA | The Royale * 11.02.13 | Boston, MA | The Royale * 11.04.13 | Washington, DC | 9:30 Club *+ 11.05.13 | New York, NY | Terminal 5 *+ 11.06.13 | New York, NY | Webster Hall *+ 11.08.13 | Philadelphia, PA | Union Transfer *+ 11.09.13 | Philadelphia, PA | Union Transfer *+ 11.10.13 | Raleigh, NC | Ritz *+ 11.12.13 | Atlanta, GA | The Buckhead *+ 11.13.13 | New Orleans, LA | Tipitina's *+ 11.14.13 | Houston, TX | Warehouse Live *+

11.15.13 | Dallas, TX | Southside Ballroom ^+ 11.16.13 | Austin, TX | Stubb's ^+ 11.17.13 | Austin, TX | Stubb's + 12.02.13 | Vancouver, Bc | Commodore Ballroom ^ 12.03.13 | Seattle, WA | Key Arena ! 12.05.13 | Oakland, CA | Fox Theatre^ 12.07.13 | Los Angeles, CA | The Wiltern ^ 12.10.13 | Los Angeles, CA| The Wiltern ^ 12.12.13 | Denver, CO | Ogden Theatre ^* 12.13.13 | Denver, CO | Ogden Theatre ^* 12.14.13 | Kansas City, MO | Midland Theater * = Thao & The Get Down Stay Down + = Quiet Life

The Head and the Heart at First Avenue, Minneapolis (10/27/13)

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ quietlifeband.com ♥ thaoandthegetdownstaydown.com ♥ theheadandtheheart.com

The Loneliest

Read More The Lonely Forest The Lonely Forest lead, John Van Deusen, only lived in Edina for the first year of his life before moving west, eventually forming the band in Anacortes, WA in 2005, while Now, Now …

THE LONELY FOREST
thelonelyforest.com

Washington-based rock band The Lonely Forest is currently on tour in support of their latest album, Adding Up the Wasted Hours. This is the follow up to their debut Arrows album, which NPR called "one of the best and most honest slices of pop music around."

We previously covered their Minneapolis appearance earlier in 2013, but missed their Rocktober (10/15) appearance due to overwhelming shows that night (Boy at First Avenue, The Blow at Cedar, etc.)

Check out the band on tour, featuring singer/guitarist/keyboardist John Van Deusen, guitarist Tony Ruland, drummer Braydn Krueger, and bassist Eric Sturgeon:

Oct 28 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's
Oct 29 - Dallas, TX @ Three Links
Oct 30 - Austin, TX @ Holy Mountain
Nov 01 - Phoenix, AZ @ Pub Rock Live
Nov 02 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
Nov 03 - Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
Nov 05 - Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg
Nov 06 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
Nov 08 - Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar
Nov 09 - Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre

THE LONE BELLOW
thelonebellow.com

Brooklyn trio The Lone Bellow continues their US Tour, with a stop at Minneapolis’ Mill City Nights on Tuesday. The trio, led by guitar/vocalist Zach Williams (along with Kanene Donehey Pipkin- mandolin, vocals and Brian Elmquist -guitar, vocals) is currently promoting their self-titled debut full-length (on Descendent/Sony BMG), which was produced by Charlie Peacock, who helmed the last couple Civil Wars albums.

The Lone Bellow’s Americana rock (or Brooklynized country) sound is somewhat akin to the Civil Wars, a darker Lumineers, or less bombastic Mumford and Sons. Somewhat inexplicably, the show is being sponsored by an insurance company (and Paste Magazine), with the upside being, you still may be able to score free tickets to this self-described ‘”dream show” here: diffuser.fm

Expect solid harmonies, maybe a John Prine cover, and an upbeat show that should transcend their sometimes melancholy lyrics and themes.

Tour dates:

10/29/13 Minneapolis, MN Mill City Nights 10/30/13 Madison, WI Majestic Theatre 11/06/13 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE 11/07/13 Columbus, OH The Basement 11/10/13 St. Louis, MO Old Rock House 11/11/13 Bloomington, IN Bluebird Nightclub 11/12/13 Cincinnati, OH 20th Century Theatre 11/14/13 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer 11/15/13 Baltimore, MD Baltimore Soundstage 11/16/13 Washington, DC Sixth & I

11/20/13 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club 11/21/13 Buffalo, NY The Tralf Music Hall 11/22/13 Detroit, MI Magic Stick 11/24/13 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom 12/01/13 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater 12/04/13 Salt Lake City, UT The State Room 12/06/13 Vancouver, BC Electric Owl 12/08/13 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater 12/10/13 San Francisco, CA The Independent 12/11/13 West Hollywood, CA Troubadour

ED KOWALCZYK
edkowalczyk.com

Ed Kowalczyk's "I Alone Acoustic Tour" just kicked off this week, in support of his second solo album The Flood and the Mercy via Soul Whisper/Harbour/Caroline Records. If that name sounds familiar, you may remember that he's the singer of that un-googleable band Live, who sold eight million copies of their album Throwing Copper in the mid-90s.

The The Flood and the Mercy album features special guests singer/songwriter Rachael Yamagata and R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck. I'm not entirely sure how the duet with Yamagata "Holy Water Tears" will play out as a solo acoustic live song … maybe you can find out at one of these shows:

11/06/2013 Joe's Pub New York NY
11/07/2013 Joe's Pub New York NY
11/09/2013 The Pullo Center York PA
11/10/2013 WV University Morgantown WV
11/11/2013 Eddie's Attic Decatur GA
11/11/2013 Lyric Theatre Lexington KY
11/14/2013 Franklin Theatre Franklin TN
11/15/2013 The Kent Stage Kent OH
11/16/2013 Blueberry Hill St. Louis MO
11/17/2013 SPACE Evanston IL
11/20/2013 Dosey Doe The Woodlands TX
11/21/2013 One World Theatre Austin TX
11/23/2013 The Kessler Dallas TX
12/02/2013 RIO Theatre Vancouver CA
12/03/2013 The Triple Door Seattle, WA
12/04/2013 Seasons Performance Yakima, WA
12/05/2013 Aladdin Theater Portland, OR
12/07/2013 Assembly Sacramento, CA
12/08/2013 Cafe Du Nord San Francisco, CA
12/09/2013 Grammy Museum Los Angeles, CA
12/10/2013 Belly Up Solana Beach, CA
02/22/2014 The Rock Boat Miami, FL

vu + john () ♥ weheartmusic.com