W♥M (Archive)

Sparks at Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles (11/11/13)

Setlist Your Call's Very Important to Us. Please Hold. How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall? B.C. Here in Heaven Academy Award Performance Those Mysteries Good Morning Falling in Love With Myself Again Big Boy What Would Katherine Hepburn Say I Am Ingmar Bergman The Studio Commissary Limo Driver (Welcome to Hollywood) Oh My God Nicotina Popularity This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing Suburban Homeboy When Do I Get to Sing "My Way" -- encore -- Tryouts for the Human Race The Number One Song in Heaven Revenge Of Two Hands One Mouth

Sparks are a new wave/glam band from Los Angeles, lead by two brothers: Ron and Russell Mael. The Los Angeles duo influenced everyone from Nirvana to New Order to They Might Be Giants.

It's pretty amazing that the band, having formed in 1968, is still around, and relatively active in their music output. Earlier this year, they released Two Hands, One Mouth: Live In Europe (released March 18, 2013) and, just recently, a box set called New Music For Amnesiacs (released October 21, 2013).

Anyway, Sparks' "Revenge of Two Hands One Mouth Tour 2013" (the followup tour to their 2012's Two Hands One Mouth tour) just wrapped up their U.S. appearance last night, November 11th, at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. According to online reports, apparently Morrissey was at this show.

Details from Morrissey-solo:

"… We sat about 8pm in second row of center... at around 8:40 with entourage of 4 comes M-- and is seated at a RESERVED section RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!!! Some fans - (maybe 4) took photos but security was letting them know M wanted to enjoy the show. He left midway during Sparks medley from "The Seduction Of Ingmar Bergman"…"

Sparks' Revenge of Two Hands One Mouth Tour 2013 continues through the UK:

11/22 Bern, Switzerland (Saint Ghetto Festival)
11/24 London, UK (Union Chapel)
11/25 Glasgow, UK (Arches)
11/27 Bristol, UK (Bristol Academy)
12/01 London, UK (Union Chapel)
12/02 London, UK (Union Chapel)
12/04 Paris, France (Alhambra)
12/06 Barcelona, Spain (Sala Razzmatazz)
12/07 Madrid, Spain (Sala Copernico)
12/12 Stockholm, Sweden (Sodra Teatern)

Special thanks to Dolly for these photographs.

Sparks at Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles (11/11/13)

dollylama + vu ♥ weheartmusic.com

Jessie Ware w/ The Invisible - Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (11/10/13) concert review

Setlist No To Love/I Want You Still Love Me Night Light If You’re Never Gonna Move Sweet Talk Devotion Taking In Water What You Won't Do For Love Imagine It Was Us/Battle For Middle You Wildest Moments Running -- encore -- Love, Thy Will Be Done True Believers Tour Dates 11/12/13 Englewood, CO Gothic Theatre 11/13/13 Salt Lake City, UT In The Venue 11/15/13 Seattle, WA The Neptune 11/15/13 Seattle, WA Sonic Boom Records 11/16/13 Portland, OR Roseland Theater 11/18/13 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore 11/19/13 Anaheim, CA House Of Blues 11/21/13 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern 11/22/13 Las Vegas, NV House Of Blues Read More Jessie Ware British singer/songwriter Jessie Ware will be stopping by the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis this Sunday, November 10th. If you're on the fence about seeing her live, she is doing a free in-store appearance at Electric Fetus..…

Question: When was the last time you saw the headlining act of a show also handle Coat Check duties?

Answer: Never…and probably never again, and that’s part of how UK soul-pop songstress Jessie Ware endeared herself to the Minneapolis crowd in attendance for Saturday night’s show at the Varsity Theater.

Fellow Londoners The Invisible opened with a taut 40 min. set of self-described 'Experimental Genre-Spanning Spacepop', leaning on extended instrumental passages and cuts from their latest, 2012’s Rispah (on Ninja Tune).

The Invisible

The trio, helmed by Dave Okumu (w/Tom Herbert on bass/synths and Leo Taylor on drums) was Mercury Prize nominated for their first album, and continues to stretch sonically with a unique mix based in classic rock and jazz, with a foothold in today’s tribal but modern beats and synth overtones. Okumu’s influences range from Eric Clapton to George Benson to Robert Fripp, which shows in his guitar work, as well as in his co-collaborating with Jessie Ware on her own debut.

Focusing primarily on songs from her first full-length, Devotion (on PMR Island/Cherrytree), Ware’s sound in the most simplest of terms can be described as this equation: [Sade - Adele, + The Invisible, cos x Moyet & Jessie J]. That is, take the smooth r&b of a Sade, with the beats of future-garage producer SBTRKT with the heartache songs and near-range of an Adele, with cosine bits of singers like Alison Moyet and Jessie J thrown in for good measure. In other words, a winning combination.

Ware entered onto a darkened stage for her 60 min. set, three-piece band grooving to the opening ‘No to Love’, which then melded into Marvin Gaye’s ‘I Want You’. She seemed playfully taken aback by the loud response given, and would also mention the in-store performance she did earlier in the day, making particular note (by name) of several fans that she was able to chat with then.

Photo of Setlist

People swayed in rhythm to ‘If You’re Never Gonna Move’ (aka ‘110%’ outside the US), but following which, Ware noticed something was holding the audience back from outright dancing. “I’m going to take this off you, because you have to hold it” she gestured to a person in front, taking their coat to side-stage, then asking “is there anyone else?” which spurred a coat check wave of 15-20 garments Ware was juggling. “I want tips at the end!” she mentioned as people laughed, now able to dance without heavy layers encumbering their movements while she and band fired up a beat-driven ‘Sweet Talk’, which had the crowd two-stepping in time by song’s end.

A sparse but elegant ‘Devotion’ followed, then a “song about my little brother”, ‘Taking in Water’, which was obviously personal from Ware’s emotive delivery. She then reprised a lovely cover of Bobby Caldwell’s ‘What You Won’t Do for Love’ (a song performed at the in-store as well) which prompted a shout of “Marry Me!”, from a crowd member. Ware, without breaking stride, replied “I’m taken, sorry!” showing off her ring in mid-verse.

‘Imagine with Us’ mimicked Michael Jackson’s ‘Rock with You’ beat and moved into UK producer Julio Bashmore’s ‘Battle for Middle You’, who also helped on her record. Dave Okumu, from the Invisible was brought back out for the remainder of the set, beginning with Ware’s biggest hit, ‘Wildest Moments’, a song we found out at the in-store, was inspired by her good friend/flatmate…and a food fight. Seeing the finish line, she solidly ended with ‘Running’, “I want to see you all up!” she commanded, which everyone from the floor to the reserved tables complied with.

Jessie Ware

Perhaps in a tip of the hat to Prince (who is self-admittedly a Ware fan), the encore began with a refined cover of his co-penned ‘Love, Thy Will Be Done’ that Martika recorded over 20 years ago. “Let’s get lost together”, she sang in new song, ‘True Believers’, which ended the too-short set, Ware connecting with a confident presence as a performer and the comfortable personality qualities of a humble friend.

Those that missed this surprisingly not-sold-out show will likely be kicking themselves in a year or two, realizing they had the perfect chance to see the local debut of a singer so clearly on the rise, with much more ahead of her. Those that were there, left impressed, smiling, and glowing.

Jessie Ware at Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (11/10/13)

john () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ jessieware.com ♥ theinvisible3.tumblr.com

Butch Walker w/ Marc Scibilia - Varsity Theater Minneapolis (11/08/13) concert review

Setlist Passed Your Place, Saw Your Car, Thought of You (solo on piano) Cigarette Lighter Love Song (solo on piano) Don't Move (solo on guitar) Mixtape (solo on guitar) Freak of the Week (audience member brought up to sing) Peachtree Battle Going Back/Going Home Pretty Melody Let It Go Where It’s Supposed To Weight of Her (Baba O'Riley tease) Closest Thing to You I'm Gonna Find I've Been Waiting for This Coming Home Synthesizers (Come On Eileen tease) She Likes Hair Bands (The Joker tease) Summer of '89 -- encore -- The 3 Kids in Brooklyn Hot Girls in a Good Mood Tour Dates 11/11 – Waco, TX @ Common Grounds * 11/12 - Austin, TX @ Lamberts 11/13 – Dallas, TX @ Trees 11/15 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge * Marc Scibilia solo show Read More Butch Walker Regular touring favorite Butch Walker returns to the road, including a stop this week at Minneapolis’ Varsity Theater. The native Georgian is still riding high from the release of his last full-length with band the Black Widows..…

How generous is rocker Butch Walker to his diehard fans? Enough to give up the stage for his biggest radio hit, and let an audience member instead sing it to the crowd. More on that in a moment…

The Georgia based performer (known more recently for his writing/producing stints for Avril LaVigne, Pink, and others) brought the spirit and passion his longtime fans have come to expect, for a 100 min. performance Friday night at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis.

MARC SCIBILIA

Newcomer Marc Scibilia opened on this night with a stripped down but solid set of soulful folk rock, many culled from his latest third EP, The Shape I’m In (Hickory Records/Sony/ATV). Accompanied by just one other guitarist, the affable Scibilia endeared himself to the crowd with songs like the EP’s title track, ‘How Bad We Need Each Other’ and ‘Something Good in this World’ (both of which were featured in Fox TV’s Bones).

Scibilia, a Buffalo native now based in Nashville, also charmed with his stories of lamenting his first glimpses of snow seen for the season on the drive in to the venue, and about his supporting mother attending many of his recent shows, though cheekily mentioning it might be more to see Butch Walker, rather than her own son. Keep an eye out, as Scibilia hopes to return soon with full band, which includes his brother on drums.

After a brief intermission, Walker emerged in front of a piano on a dimly lit stage. Illuminated only by a small makeshift lamp, fashioned from a Jameson Whiskey bottle, Walker quietly played the first two solo numbers there, followed by another two on solo guitar, including the sing-a-long, ‘Mixtape’ .

“Let’s keep going back in the wayback machine… but you know there’s a catch”, Walker mentioned as the first chords of Marvelous 3’s ‘Freak of the Week’ began and he asked for a volunteer to commandeer the song in his place. “This is the only guy I saw pointing at himself”, Walker said, bringing up local aspiring singer Joshua Logan for a houserocking performance that had the crowd singing the chorus back to everyone on stage.

Butch Walker

Walker remembered his recently deceased father (“Big Butch”) in a moving tribute that had him momentarily choked up for the intro to ‘Let It Go Where It’s Supposed To’. He knows his musical history too, evidenced by a seamless melding of Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ ‘Come on Eileen’ with his own ‘Synthesizers’ and Steve Miller’s ‘The Joker’ into his ‘She Likes Hair Bands’. Both were well received by the crowd that had an odd dichotomy: - most were devoted fans that knew many of the lyrics, yet were also half-drunk, restless, and chatty for most of the evening, which amounted to a strange combination.

Photo of Setlist

For the encore, ‘3 Kids from Brooklyn’ started with a slinky slide guitar intro, channeling Zeppelin’s ‘In My Time of Dying’, that had Walker making his way through crowd to climb onto the back bar and request a shot. Upon his return to the stage, he paused, had everyone creep low, to then explode into a jumping mass of waving and dancing humanity. Final song, ‘Hot Girls in a Good Mood’ was punctuated by a balloon drop and snow machine blast…like Minnesotans need to see any more of that this early in the season!

“I'll know wherever you are, that's my home”, Walker sings on the title track of his highly personal latest release, the digital EP/ltd. CD, Peachtree Battle (Dangerbird Records), and as proven by his versatile performance this night, the road seems a very comfortable home for him.

Butch Walker at Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (11/08/13)

john () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ butchwalker.com

Aokify America Tour at Epic, Minneapolis (11/09/13)

Tour Dates 11/11/13 Winnipeg, MB Garrick Centre 11/12/13 Denver, CO Ogden Theatre 11/13/13 Salt Lake City, UT Complex 11/15/13 Los Angeles, CA Shrine Aud 11/16/13 San Francisco, CA Bill Graham 11/19/13 Portland, OR Roseland Theater 11/20/13 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre 11/21/13 Vernon, BC Kal Tire Place 11/22/13 Edmonton, AB Edmonton Expo 11/23/13 Vancouver, BC UBC Thunderbird Arena 11/27/13 Miami, FL LIV Nightclub 12/06/13 Shanghai, China Shanghai World 01/04/14 Electrox 01/05/14 Osaka, Japan Zepp Namba Read More Steve Aoki Steve Aoki, record producer and the founder of Dim Mak Records is stopping by Minneapolis at Epic this Saturday, November 9th. …

Steve Aoki is currently partying across America with his Aokify America Tour, recently selling out his appearance at Epic in Minneapolis last Saturday, November 9th. The concert was basically a giant rave dance party with a ton of electronic dance music fans (thanks to Aoki and Israel's Borgore and Canada's Felix Cartal), but with a weird crossover of rap fans (mostly thanks to the hardcore rap styling of Waka Flocka Flame, who had his own dedicated set of fans).

Getting inside the venue, which historically has a reputation of violent shows (just this past Saturday, someone was shot and killed at the venue), took the better part of half an hour thanks to the slow process of a full body thorough search before entering into the premises.

WAKA FLOCKA FLAME photo by John

Deorro started the party shortly after doors open, until 8:30 when Waka Flocka took over with his rap crew. The scene was so hectic with so many young kids rapping along to this Georgian rapper. At the third or fourth song, Waka Flocka disappeared into the crowd, leaving his crew to take over. The thing about Waka Flocka's songs, at least his live version, almost all of his songs featured gunshot sound and siren effects.

Steve Aoki came on in a light suit and got the party properly started. The crowd went absolutely nuts in front, causing the barricade collapsed! After Aoki quickly discarding the light suit, he had to stop the music. He instructed everyone to, take two steps back so they can fix the barrier. After commenting on the venue to "invest in a better f***ing barricade", he actually seemed pleased that Minneapolis was so hardcore that they "broke the barricade after the first f*****ing song!"

Robots in Disguise

The rest of the evening continued without any difficulties, and included the things you've come to expect from an Aoki show: transforming robots, cake, and lots of dancing. Spoiler alert, the transforming robots was the coolest thing I've seen at a concert. I didn't see it coming, when it happened, everyone around me had that "What. The. F." look.

The other highlight was Waka Flocka showing up to help Aoki close out his set. Check out the photo below to get an idea of how packed the venue got on the dance floor.

If you're looking for a good time, you definitely need to check out the Aokify America Tour. The party continues in Winnipeg tonight at the Garrick Centre.

Steve Aoki (with Waka Flocka Flame) at Epic, Minneapolis (11/09/13)

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ steveaoki.com ♥ wakaflockabsm.com

Minneapolis November Week 2

Read More Nightlands Nightlands is the solo project of Dave Hartley (you may remember his previous band The War on Drugs with Kurt Vile). His latest album, Oak Island, is out now on Secretly Canadian. …

Here's what is happening for the second week of November. Read Minneapolis November Week 1.

NIGHTLANDS
nightlands.us

Earlier this year, Nightlands' Minneapolis show on March 18th at the Cedar Cultural Center was canceled due to a snowstorm.

The band, led by Dave Hartley, is coming back to the Twin Cities this Monday, November 11th, at 7th Street Entry, in support of their album Oak Island (Secretly Canadian).

U.S. Tour dates:

Nov. 10 - Chicago, IL @ Township
Nov. 11 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry
Nov. 14 - Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
Nov. 17 - Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar
Nov. 18 - San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
Nov. 24 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
Nov. 27 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
Nov. 30 - Marfa, TX @ Padres
Dec. 3 - Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
Dec. 6 - Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight

SEBADOH
sebadoh.com

That's right, Sebadoh's first LP in 14 years, Defend Yourself, is out now on Joyful Noise Recordings.

This band formed in 1986, for a time in the 90s, along with Pavement and Guided by Voices, help pioneer an era of low-fi indie-rock. The band broke up in 1999, but reformed under the guidance of original founder Lou Barlow (Dinosaur Jr), without Eric Gaffney (who is currently busy with his own music project called Fields of Gaffney).

Sebadoh is also scheduled to play at the Turf Club in St Paul this Monday.

Tour dates:

NOV. 10 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas Tavern
NOV. 11 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
NOV. 13 - Indianapolis, IN @ Radio Radio
NOV. 14 - Columbus, OH @ The Basement
NOV. 15 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Café

NOBUNNY
facebook.com

Since we've already mentioned Mazzy Star for Tuesday, I'm skipping to Wednesday, November 13th, for Nobunny at the Turf Club in St Paul.

Nobunny (aka Justin Champlin) is my brother's favorite band at the moment, and their live act sounds amazing, complete with weird costumes and that iconic bunny mask that Champlin wears on stage.

Tour dates:

11/10 - Milwaukee, WI @ Miramar Theatre
11/11 - Madison, WI @ The Frequency
11/12 - Iowa City, IA @ The Mill
11/13 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
11/14 - Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium
11/15 - Winnipeg, MB @ Pyramid Cabaret
11/16 - Saskatoon, SK @ Amigos
11/17 - Calgary, AB @ The Palomino
11/19 - Vancouver, BC @ Electric Owl
11/20 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza
11/21 - Portland, OR @ Rotture
11/22 - Eureka, CA @ The Ink Annex
11/23 - San Francisco, CA @ Brick + Mortar

ALBERT HAMMOND JR
alberthammondjr.com

The Strokes' guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr., will be in Minneapolis on Thursday, November 14th at the Varsity Theater.

It's been a while since his previous album ¿Cómo Te Llama? (2008), but it looks like he may have some new material on this tour, having recently announced the EP St Justice from his upcoming album AHJ (his initials).

Tour dates:

11/10/13 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre
11/11/13 Ferndale, MI The Magic Bag
11/13/13 Chicago, IL Double Door
11/14/13 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater
11/15/13 Kansas City, MO The Riot Room
11/17/13 Denver, CO Summit Music Hall
11/19/13 Santa Ana, CA Constellation Room
11/20/13 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre
11/21/13 San Francisco, CA Slim's
11/23/13 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre
11/24/13 Seattle, WA Chop Suey
11/25/13 Vancouver, BC Venue

CROCODILES
facebook.com

We previously caught Crocodiles at the 7th Street Entry last year. It looks like the band is returning to the Twin Cities this Friday, November 15th, in support of their latest Frenchkiss album Crimes of Passion.

Tour dates:

11/11/13 - Bunk Bar - Portland, OR #
11/12/13 - Barboza - Seattle, WA #
11/15/13 - Turf Club - St. Paul, MN #
11/16/13 - Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL #
11/19/13 - Lee's Palace - Toronto, ONT #
11/20/13 - Divan Orange - Montreal, QUE #
11/21/13 - Great Scott - Boston, MA #
11/22/13 - Boot and Saddle - Philadelphia, PA #
11/23/13 - MHOW - Brooklyn, NY #

# w/ Wymond Miles

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com

W♥M196: Young People's Music

Read More Guitar Wolf Guitar Wolf is currently on tour in America for Beast Vibrator. If you go to a Guitar Wolf show, you'll have such a fun time, although I would suggest hanging out in the back.…

Sally is back on W♥M Radio.

Part One: Australian Summer Festivals

Big Day Out (bigdayout.com): Blur, Pearl Jam, Arcade Fire, more

St Jerome's Laneway Festival (lanewayfestival.com): Adalita, Cloud Control, Dick Diver, The Jezabels, more

Canceled Festivals: Harvest Festival (harvestfestival.com.au) and Homebake Festival (homebake.com.au)

Part Two: Sydney Shows

Hotcakes at Sly Fox Hotel, Sydney (11/08)

Ramps at The Townie, Sydney (11/08)

The City Lights at The Midnight Special, Sydney (11/10)

Sounds Like Sunset at Brighton Up Bar (11/14)

Peter Fenton, Fletcher Lane, JR Smith at the Green Room Lounge (11/15)

Franz Ferdinand at The Metro Theatre (11/15)

Restless Leg at the Lansdowne (12/06)

Part Three: Brief Rocktober Recap

W♥M covered 46 Shows in October, Vu's personal highlight was Guitar Wolf.

10/01/13 Black Joe Lewis at First Ave 10/02/13 Features at 7th Street Entry 10/03/13 Guitar Wolf at Turf Club 10/04/13 Gold Panda at Triple Rock 10/05/13 Prince at Paisley Park 10/05/13 FallCon 2013 10/06/13 Tal National the Belmore 10/08/13 Noah and the Whale at Varsity 10/09/13 Franz Ferdinand at Skyway Theatre 10/11/13 Wesley Stace's Cabinet of Wonder 10/12/13 CBGB Festival: Grizzly Bear 10/12/13 Burgerama Caravan of Stars at Parish 10/12/13 ZZ Ward at the Skyway Theatre 10/13/13 Surfer Blood at the Triple Rock 10/14/13 Fiona Apple at the O'Shaughnessy 10/15/13 Boy at First Avenue 10/15/13 NZ @ CMJ 2013 10/15/13 Blow at the Cedar 10/16/13 TesseracT at Skyway Theatre 10/16/13 SSLYBY at the 7th Street 10/17/13 CMJ: Here We Go Magic at Heath 10/18/13 CMJ: Le Trouble 10/18/13 Jherek Bischoff: Composed

10/19/13 Waterboys at The Fitzgerald 10/19/13 CMJ: Magic Man @ Milk Studios 10/19/13 Keep Shelly in Athens at 7th Street 10/19/13 Josh Groban at the Target Center 10/19/13 CocoRosie at the Cedar 10/20/13 Deltron 3030 at First Avenue 10/21/13 The 1975 at Varsity Theater 10/21/13 The 1975 at Studio C 10/21/13 King Khan at the Turf Club 10/22/13 Little Green Cars at First Avenue 10/22/13 Lucy Rose at the Amsterdam Bar 10/23/13 Kodaline at Turf Club 10/23/13 Melt-Banana at the Triple Rock 10/24/13 Lucius at 7th Street 10/25/13 Mike Doughty at First Avenue 10/25/13 Those Darlins at 7th Street 10/27/13 Head and the Heart at First Avenue 10/29/13 Lone Bellow at Mill City 10/29/13 Walk The Moon at First Avenue 10/29/13 Broncho at 7th Street 10/30/13 Kate Nash at First Ave 10/30/13 Cyndi Lauper at Mill City 10/31/13 Beats Antique at Mill City

BONUS: Randomly meeting Del from Deltron 3030 and getting autograph, Cyndi Lauper talks a lot, Breeders' Last Splash, unaffordable The National and Sinead O'Connor tickets, resurrecting John Lennon, and "I Love It" by Charli XCX/Icona Pop.

--
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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

The Besnard Lakes and Elephant Stone at Triple Rock, Minneapolis (11/08/13)

Read More The Besnard Lakes November 8th sees The Besnard Lakes at the Triple Rock in Minneapolis. The new tour marks the first time the band has hit the West Coast since the release of their latest album Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO. … Elephant Stone Montreal’s Elephant Stone opened the show, armed with swirling projected images and frontman Rishi Dhir’s sitar to get the evening started on a tranced Indian-tinged beginning. Dhir would later return …

The Besnard Lakes and Elephant Stone are currently on a tour together; they stopped by Minneapolis' Triple Rock Social Club on Friday, November 8th.

THE BESNARD LAKES photo by Stefanie

The Besnard Lakes are from Montreal, playing "space rock" with live theatrics of smokes and lights. Guitarist Jace Lasek sings in falsetto, along with bassist Olga Goreas who counters with a deep croon. The Canadian band is currently on tour in support of their latest album Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO, out now on Jagjaguwar.

We last saw Elephant Stone opening up for Black Angels on April 20th, and John noted that the band played "tranced Indian-tinged" music, but also weaving in 60s era Beatles and the Kinks!

Elephant Stone's self-titled album is available now on Hidden Pony. Check out both bands on tour now.

Special thanks to Stefanie, who provided all the photographs.

The Besnard Lakes and Elephant Stone tour dates:

Nov 12 Seattle WA The Crocodile
Nov 13 Portland OR Doug Fir Lounge
Nov 14 San Francisco CA Brick & Mortar
Nov 15 Santa Ana CA Constellation Room
Nov 16 Los Angeles CA Bootleg Theater
Nov 17 San Diego CA The Casbah
Nov 19 Scottsdale AZ Pub Rock
Nov 22 Austin TX Red 7
Nov 29 Toronto, ON | Lee’s Palace

Elephant Stone at Triple Rock, Minneapolis (11/08/13) photo by Stefanie

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ thebesnardlakes.com ♥ elephantstonemusic.com

Tourist at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (11/08/13)

Tour Dates 11/09 - Denver, CO @ Norad 11/17 – Milan (IT) @ Elita Sunday Park 11/22 – Manchester (UK) @ Warehouse Project Read More Tourist London's Tourist (real name Will Phillips, also known as Tourist. with the period), recently signed to Disclosure's record label, Method Records. Tourist's first EP is called Patterns, and it's debuting on December 3rd. …

"It's proper cold here in Minneapolis," declared Will Phillips. Spoken like a true tourist from London, Phillips, also known as Tourist, mentioned how he was in Los Angeles the previous night and The 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis was the second to the last stop in his three weeks in the United States. Last night's show was presented by Hydrive Shows, who put together a variety of hip-hop, electronica, and dance shows around the Twin Cities.

The Sundance Kid (left) and Champagne (right)

Local DJ/music producer The Sundance Kid stepped in when doors were opened and filled the club with music. The music never stopped, even when the other local DJ Champagne stepped in and tag-team the Sundance Kid out at 10:30pm.

I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. Watching a DJ push buttons or turning knobs really isn't really the most exciting thing in the world, instead the real action is with the audience and how they react to the songs being pumped over the speakers. Dance fans aren't particularly picky the music, just as long as they can move to it.

Armed with two soundboards and a MacBook Air, Tourist greeted fans with a chilled mix in the first few songs. Any lyrical samples were chopped up and mixed in with several layers of beats. As the mixes pushed into a faster BPM, you heard rare handclapping (this rare because there are no breaks in the mix to indicate when a song ends or begins), which prompted Tourist to say "Thank you very much!"

Halfway into his set, you heard a louder bass from the speakers, which Tourist addressed, "Sounds a bit better doesn't? Didn't realize the bass was turned down." The rest of the evening continued without incident.

Tourist's last night in America will be at Denver's Norad tonight. Look for his Patterns EP from Disclosure's record label, Method Records, in 2014.

Tourist at 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis (11/08/13)

vu () ♥ soundcloud.com/touristmusic ♥ champagnemusique.com ♥ twitter.com/the_SundanceKid ♥ hydriveshows.com

The Devil Makes Three at First Avenue, Minneapolis (11/07/13)

Tour Dates 11/09 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew's Hall 11/10 - Bloomington, IN @ Bluebird Nightclub 11/12 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall 11/13 - Morgantown, WV @ Metropolitan Theatre 11/14 - Millvale, PA @ Mr. Small's Theatre 11/15 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club 11/16 - Phila, PA @ Theatre of the Living Arts 11/17 - Charlottesvile, VA @ Jefferson Theatre 11/19 - Baltimore, MD @ 8 x 10 Club 11/21 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall 11/22 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues 11/23 - Portland, ME @ State Theatre 11/24 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground 12/27 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore 12/28 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore 12/30 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst 12/31 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst Read More The Devil Makes Three Rootsy acoustic threesome The Devil Makes Three will be bringing their spirited brand of folk and bluegrass to First Avenue next month! Dropping October 30th will be the band’s fourth …

Santa Cruz’s The Devil Makes Three turned First Avenue into a rowdy Nashville honky tonk Thursday night, playing a wild set to a giddy, inebriated crowd. Indeed, the music seemed to spike the air with whiskey - were we drunk on actual liquor or just pleasantly numbed by that urgent, hypnotic string-led rhythm and lulled by those warm vocal harmonies? This was my first time seeing the band (they have played the Cabooze and the Triple Rock Social Club in years past) and I wasn’t sure what to expect - turns out the band knows how to work an audience with their enthralling music.

I only caught the tail end of opener Shakey Graves as he was wrapping up, but I liked what I heard. The 25-year-old musician Alejandro Rose-Garcia adopted the stage name Shakey Graves and has been making a name for himself in his current home base of Austin, Texas. The charming singer-songwriter commanded the stage with nothing more than his voice and an acoustic guitar.

Soon after, The Devil Makes Three strode out on stage, silently picked up their instruments and basked in the glow of applause. They kicked into their excellent new stomper “Stranger” off I’m a Stranger Here released last month on New West Records and kept the tempo feverish all night. Older songs like “The Bullet” from the band’s self-titled debut and “All Hail” from 2009’s Do Right Wrong encouraged a singalong from the crowd, but I was really impressed with songs off the new record. Tunes like “Forty Days” and “Dead Body Moving” were striking, with singer/guitarist Peter Bernhard singing effectively haunting lyrics like: “I won't be here for long so you got to understand/You can dance with the demon/look him dead into the eyes/I've already been where we go when we die.”

I have to admit: I’ve gotten a little sick of the banjo in modern music as of late. It just seems like every band is utilizing it and abusing it. BUT hearing and watching Cooper McBean just pluck the crap out of his banjo (like on “Gracefully Facedown”) made me appreciate the instrument’s intensity. McBean and his banjo can strum me into the grave any old time. On McBean and Cooper’s left, bassist Lucia Turino grooved alongside her upright bass, effortlessly slapping out the notes while lending her pipes to round out those great three-part harmonies. Later in the set, she sang lead on a Doc Watson cover, “Walk On Boy.”

In all my years of going to see live music, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crowd get so worked up over a Blind Willie McTell cover (“Statesboro Blues”) or that classic blues dirge “St. James Infirmary,” which was the set closer. But when the tempo is sped up to a breathless pace, especially on “St. James,” you can’t help but shake like you’re having a banjo-induced seizure.

Devil Makes Three at First Avenue, Minneapolis (11/07/13)

emily () ♥ thedevilmakesthree.com

Public Service Broadcasting - Inform Educate Entertain

Were you ever a fan of that song, Frontier Psychiatrist, by The Avalanches? If so, you'll probably feel quite comfortable with the sounds of this London-based duo, Public Service Broadcasting. Inform Educate Entertain is the recently released (in Australia) debut album from the outwardly nerdtacular J. Willgoose Esq. and Wrigglesworth. An eleven track album, each containing what appears to be sound bites from actual public service announcements from a bygone era arranged over the top of some synth-heavy indie music.

The word on the street is that these guys have played quite a few festivals (Glastonbury, Green Man, Secret Garden Party and the recent CMJ festivities in New York) in the bands short lifespan. This could be due to the fact that they are better suited to live shows? I guess I wont know until i see them. By the looks of their upcoming show list, no matter where you are, you're going to get a chance to see them (unless you live in Australia).

The Postal Service and Kraftwerk are two outfits which instantly spring to mind as I sit back and take in this album.  It's not an album one can merely just sit down and listen to. It requires something more: dancing? driving? vacuuming? or perhaps some vigorous cheese eating?

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give Inform Educate Entertain 7.6 vacuum cleaners. 

 

http://publicservicebroadcasting.net/

http://www.youtube.com/user/PSBHQ

Tour Dates

8 NOV              Newcastle                        Digital, Newcastle, United Kingdom

9 NOV              Sheffield                        The Leadmill, Sheffield, United Kingdom

11 NOV            Leeds                                    Stylus, Leeds, United Kingdom

12 NOV            Birmingham                        Library, Birmingham, United Kingdom

13 NOV            Nottingham                        Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, United Kingdom SOLD OUT

14 NOV            Stoke-on-Trent            Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent, United Kingdom

15 NOV            Belfast                                    Stiff Kitten, Belfast, United Kingdom

16 NOV            Dublin                                    Button Factory, Dublin, Ireland

17 NOV            Derry                                    The Glassworks, Derry, United Kingdom

18 NOV            Cambridge                        The Junction, Cambridge, United Kingdom

20 NOV            London                        The Forum, London, United Kingdom

21 NOV            Cardiff                                    The Globe, Cardiff, United Kingdom SOLD OUT

22 NOV            Brussels                        Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium SOLD OUT

23 NOV            Leeuwarden                        Explore The North, Leeuwarden, Netherlands

25 NOV            Liverpool                        East Village Arts Club, Liverpool, United Kingdom

26 NOV            Bristol                                    Anson Rooms, Bristol, United Kingdom

27 NOV            Brighton                        Concorde 2, Brighton, United Kingdom SOLD OUT

28 NOV            Southampton                        The Brook, Southampton, United Kingdom SOLD OUT

6 DEC               Rennes                        Transmusicales, Rennes, France

12 DEC            Istanbul                        Babylon, Istanbul, Turkey

14 DEC            Wroclaw                        Energy of Sound #7 @ C.K. Agora, Wroclaw, Poland

Sally (sally@weheartmusic.com)