W♥M (Archive)

Loquat/Greycoats/Chris Koza at the Cedar, Minneapolis 10/16/2008

 10/17/2008 08:43:38  ♥ written by vu ()

Loquat - Harder Hit Loquat Tour Dates 10/17/08 The Hideout, Chicago, IL 10/18/08 Illini Union Courtyrd, Champaign, IL 10/20/08 The Gypsy Hut, Cincinnati, OH 10/21/08 Annabell's, Akron, OH 10/22/08 Red & Black, Washington DC 10/23/08 The Fire, Philly, PA 10/24/08 Ace of Clubs (CMJ), NY 11/04/08 Bottom of the Hill, SF,CA Read More Loquat http://weheartmus... I actually really love San Francisco's Loquat, so imagine my surprise to find that I have an adva... Loquat kicked off their tour last night at the non - profit / community - run The Cedar in Minneapolis. I've only ever been to this venue once before, and things seem to be looking up for this historic theater. The audience seems to be somewhat a mix of NPR patrons, couples with children, and artsy college students. Loquat was the first of three bands for this Greycoats' CD release party. What's interesting about the Greycoats' set is that they had movies projected as they play. Although it's interesting, I found myself distracted by the moving picture. Each movie is timed exactly to the music, most of it went pretty well, except for the 50s "Day the Earth Stood Still" which ended early because they had cello sound problems. It looks like, according to their official and myspace, that they are going to be tour mates with Loquat... And of course, Loquat played an hour earlier. They started playing shortly after 7:30pm, which is kind of early, so I reckon a lot of latecomers missed them... However, it did look like there were a lot of Loquat fans (and families) in the audience. Loquat - Swingset Chain Kylee was pretty talkative inbetween songs, adding that "Swingset Chain" was about her friend and it was emotional being back in Minneapolis. I later found out that she grew up in Minneapolis, and have "always wanted to play here". She was quite friendly after her show too, lots of fans stood in line to get a chance to get her autograph and to talk to her. The main act was Chris Koza (chriskoza.com/myspace), who I was told that I've seen him before, opening up for Jeff Hanson. He had a keyboardist, violinist and the standard guitarist/bass/drums, and I seriously don't remember that many band members at the Hanson show. Koza was easy-going, relaxed even, and the best part was they had carved this Halloween pumpkins the night before and had put them on stage. He named one of them "Luis" or "T___" I couldn't make out the second name over people's laughter at the ridiculous name. So check out Loquat and Greycoats on tour. PS, apology for the white text for RSS readers!

Links: www.loquatmusic.com myspace.com/loquat

Birds fly into my windshield, thoughts fall from my thoughts

Birds, what is up with that? It seems lately that we're getting album artwork that features birds on the cover artwork (especially owls). Can someone explain this to me? Seriously.

Below are a ton of bird-album artwork.

AVIARY GHOST aviaryghost.com ♥ myspace.com Aviary Ghost - Somewhere Else From Illinois is Aviary Ghost, a band that seems to be headed by Charlie Crimando and Stephen Kemsley. Reading their biography, it would seem that they spent a lot of time recording music in a one-room apartment in Michigan. One of my favorite song on their album, Memory Is A Hallway (featuring cut-out birds over a scenic location), is the most fast-moving song is "Windowlight", which seems to be about the light through the window - sung in an old-fashion cabaret-style song, which I will say works very well for the song. I thought "Somewhere Else" was also pretty good. The song is described as "catchy Swedish pop", which I'll have to agree with. The lyrics are pretty detailed too, I especially liked the chorus: "we're laughing, 'cause laughing is much better than a scream". You can get their album, Memory Is A Hallway (recently released July 15th), on iTunes or CD Baby. Aviary Ghost	MORE TEETH more-teeth.com ♥ myspace.com More Teeth - Electricity (Remix) I think someone in the W♥M group have this album, One Bird a Day, for review, so I won't go into too much details about it. Surfice to say that it's a compilation of three or four bands in the electro-genre. Based on what I've heard, I really dig Sparkydog (sounds like new wave) and More Teeth (which sounds like very experimental noise art). I've decided to go with More Teeth because of their snazzy drums and electroclashesque vocals of Mindy Abovitz. JESSICA LEA MAYFIELD jessicaleamayfield.com ♥ myspace.com Jessica Lea Mayfield-Kiss Me Again We're not really promoting Jessica Lea Mayfield (I don't think her PR company knows my address, which I will confess is fine as I have too much music to handle), but I couldn't resist the owl-art on her soon-to-be release album With Blasphemy, So Heartfelt out on September 16th on Polymer Sounds on her press release. What's there to say based on this one song, "Kiss Me Again"? She has a very nice voice, and sounds like Thao Nguyen.
PUTOIS citizensofcontraryknowledge.com ♥ myspace.com Putois-No More Dancing Yet another Chicago, Illinois band - man, they really love their animals! I believe "putois" is actually a ferret or something. Anyway, on their second album, Problem Is Not a Problem Anymore, we see a crane with some ducks (while their debut album, The Thinking Fireplace features a cartoon bird dressed as a gentleman). It would seem that these introspective songs are written and sung by its creator, one Bob Mason since 1995. Most of this album is acoustic, mostly folky and the song "No More Dancing" would best represent what currently Putois sounds like. There are a few highlights on the record. For instance, I liked what he was trying to do with "Cta". This had a weird bass and quirky noises and beeps. Even his singing style is different here (although I think this might be a guest-vocalist? It just sounds very different). The other song that isn't so acoustic is "The Lonely Traveler" with its arrangement of piano and harmonica. If you like bands like Minnesota's Low, Putois might be right up your alley. Problem Is Not a Problem Anymore is out now, you can get it from CD Baby.	PLUSHGUN plushgun.com ♥ myspace.com Plushgun-Just Impolite I love Tommy Boy Records. One of my first CD was a Tommy Boy and I just remember how big they were in the early 90s, especially with the b-boys and girls. Well, I guess the record label is still around and I have one of their latest release by one-man-band, Plushgun. Daniel Ingala's vocals sounds like he has a British accent, reminiscent of early 80s new wave pop bands. His latest self-titled EP has a cute drawing of a bird with an old SNES controller in a cassette-tape-style mess in the sky. All the songs were available for download on August 19th (iTunes). The four songs on the EP is a very easy listen. I love all the songs actually, with the exception of the semi-sappy "14 Candles". Although it was nice to hear a woman singing backup on this song, but I didn't think this song belong on the EP. Maybe I just don't like love songs. His other songs are more upbeat and sounds more like obsessive/stalker feel to them. There are some great lyrics on "Just Impolite" ("I walk the line, like Johnny Cash" and "I'm not upset, just impolite"). A physical copy of Plushgun will be available on September 9th via Amazon and other retailers for $9.99, but if you can't wait the download is sold now for 60% cheaper ($3.98)
BRICE WOODALL AND THE POSITRONS bricewoodall.com ♥ myspace.com Brice Woodall-This, There, Where Check out Brice Woodall and the Positrons with their album, Sine Wave Sea. The artwork on the cover is a flying bird block with a hole in its stomach. I know it's a bird because if you visit the artist's website (trevorbittinger.com), his all-flash website features these same block birds flying around. Brice Woodall is currently based out of Chicago, Illinois, according to his myspace. Woodall's vocals has a woman quality to them, but not in a falsetto way (and not as a put down). His voice is very interesting, it definitely pulls you in. I think my favorite songs off this album is easily "This, There, Where", a pop song with some interesting mix. I also dug the experiment on "Winter/Break/Down/Away". Well, it looks like they are currently on tour, be sure to check them out. 08/29/08 Quenchers Chicago, Illinois 09/12/08 Double Door- Kittypalooza Chicago, IL 09/24/08 Rapture Charlottesville, Virginia 09/25/08 Lucky Buddha Richmond, Virginia 09/26/08 Trash Bar Brooklyn, New York 09/27/08 Murky (upstairs) Arlington/DC area, VA 11/08/08 Art*Bar Riverwest Milwaukee, Wisconsin 11/19/08 Madison, Wisconsin 11/20/08 Chicago, Illinois 11/21/08 Detroit, Michigan 11/22/08 Indianapolis, Indiana You can pick up Sine Wave Sea from InSound.	CITIZENS OF CONTRARY KNOWLEDGE citizensofcontraryknowledge.com ♥ myspace.com Citizens of Contrary Knowledge-Complicated Featuring a drawing of a chicken on the cover of Citizens of Contrary Knowledge's You're What You Wish You Are. Upon closer inspection, is that a cock? They do sound a bit southern cock rock... Reading their biography, it would seem most of the band members are residing in Harlem, New York. Their singer/frontsman, Chris Barczynski, sounds like he doesn't take his biography too seriously (he writes that he was in the Witness Protection Program, etc). This is also a problem when he lists that he's appeared on stage with Green Day, Sugar Ray and Hootie - should you believe him? I'm leaning to 'no'. I was drawn to the faster/rock song and my favorite is "Complicated" and "Lonely Hearts Society", which is driven by a muscular guitar playing (with some neat tricks). Despite as I have said about their music being rock, they do lean to the sensitive/slow side with "House of Cards", "Unless You Do", "Real Love", and "Wrong Side of the World". I think listening to them that they might fare better as a live act, perhaps jamming their songs at a longer length at a dive bar. You're What You Wish You Are is out now, available on CD Baby. They just finished playing Arlene's Grocery, which is apparently a bar?

Here is the bonus segment, some bird-bands we've previously covered: Tinkture, Birdflu, Story of the Year, The Alarmists, The Notwist, Loquat, El Perro Del Mar, Ben Sollee, Peter Bradley Adams (Owl), Death Valley Sleepers, Death Cab For Cutie, Patrick Wolf, Deadbird, Jeff Hanson (Owl), They Might be Giants (Owl), Eels, Biography Of Ferns, Computer Vs. Banjo (Owl), Ash, Susan Krebs

Bands we haven't covered, but I'm sure we'll get around to them. These features birds on the cover: The Great Northwest (Experimental Folk), Nebraska (Folk), Foals (British Rock), The Black Keys (Southern Rock), KYTE (Ambient Pop), and the talented Graeme K (Experimental/Old-time/Dance). Honorable worth mention is Abigail Washburn with her tiny birds on the cover.

Graeme K-And Rattle	They Might Be Giants-Number Two	Jeff Hanson - The Hills	Peter Bradley Adams-So Are You to Me	Computer Vs Banjo - Give Up On Ghosts
Tristan	Susan Krebs & The Soaring Sextet-Medley- I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry-Dink's Blues-Three Little Birds	Birdflu - Bird Flu	Eels - Dog Faced Boy [Alternate Version][#]	Death Valley Sleepers - In The Valley
Story of the Year - Wake Up	Biography Of Ferns - Not a Magician	Tinkture - Pyrotechnics	It's Not Impossible	The Notwist - Hands On Us
Feral Flame	The Lucksmiths - Frisbee	Nebraska-The Great Divide (Radio Edit)	Loquat - Swingset Chain	El Perro Del Mar-Dog
Death Cab For Cutie - The New Year	Haste the Day-Pressure the Hinges	Nostalgia 77-Knee Deep (Nostalgia 77 Remix)	The Great Northwest-Know What I Mean	Foals - Mathletics
The Black Keys-Your Touch	KYTE - Home	Abigail Washburn & The Sparrow Quartet - Sugar & Pie	Ash - Teenage Kicks	Collections of Colonies of Bees - Flocks I (excerpt)

Links: weheartmusic.com myspace.com/weheartmusik

One-Track Mind

 

 

Skybombers - It Goes Off

Here's a quicky, just because there are some news & notes. Since, you may have noticed, I like doing these theme posts, this theme are one-song submissions.

They are very easy to write about (hey, it's just three minutes of your life!) but because they're based on one song, there's really not much I can write about.

First up, if you have a need to get all the latest music news, check out our announcement page. It's updated nearly every few hours, so news junkies will love this.

Some interesting news to note: watch DIG for free, Skybombers Announces new US Tour Dates, download Jeff Hanson music, and if you're in New York - you guys are so lucky. You could be attending Spiegelworld Festival!

That's just a few items from the nearly 100 post I've made since its birth a few days ago!

LOQUAT loquatmusic.com ♥ myspace.com     Loquat - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out I actually really love San Francisco's Loquat, so imagine my surprise to find that I have an advance copy of their brand new album, Secrets of the Sea - which is not out until the third quarter of this year. I'm probably not even supposed to talk about it until October, but what I can tell you is that it's very, very good. Just keep your eyes here, or site.w♥m for the latest news. Since I can't unveil any music from the new album, I will tell you that I first discovered her a few years ago when Loquat covered The Smiths' classic "There is a Light That Never Goes Out". Since I was already a huge Morrissey/Smiths fan, it's easy to fall in love with her version... which is a safe and very faithful cover. You can download the song from their flash official website. Kylee Swenson wrote: Mon, Jul 28, 2008 at 1:41 PM If you only knew how hungover I was when I sang that Smiths cover. Oh man, it hurt so bad. Thanks for the kind words, We Heart Music. See you guys October 16 when we play in Minneapolis, finally....

THERESA ANDERSSON theresaandersson.com ♥ myspace.com     Theresa Andersson - Birds Fly Away Since I am in love with all-things Swedish, here's a handsome girl called Theresa Andersson. Looking over her press release about her tour dates and the dazzling 700k youtube views. The weird thing is that the press release doesn't indicate any link to the actual video, but if you were curious, it is her playing in her kitchen (in New Orleans?). I was given one of her song, "Birds Fly Away", from her upcoming album Hummingbird, Go! (is that a nod to Thunderbirds Are Go!?) on September 2nd, and I thought it was very 60s pop girl-sounding, but with weird percussion instruments. I was happy to see that Mr Tobias Fröberg is producing her album.   Theresa Andersson - 'Na Na Na'   Trust me, this is a girl worth keeping an eye on.

THE DARES thedares.com ♥ myspace.com     The Dares - Love Me When I Leave Speaking of keeping an eye... Here's The Dares, an up-and-coming power pop trio from California, by the way of Vermont. Maybe I'm just old, but usually this kind of high-energy, on the verge of punk, type of music really isn't my cup of tea. However, I would have to admit this "Love Me When I Leave" is pretty catchy. It's very short, I had to re-play it a few more time to hear how well produced it is. They're currently signed to Zomba Recordings, which is a division of Sony/BMG, so expect a push from them on popular radio this Summer. Even if they don't do much this year, youth is on their side, I'm sure you'll hear from them next year.

THE SPACE BETWEEN THINGS myspace.com/thespacebetweenthings     The Space Between Things - Towel (More Vocals) After three version of his "Towels" song, Chris Hobson, aka The Space Between Things finally settled for his perfect version of "Towels". The irony would be if I f-ed up and uploaded the wrong version :/ I'm not given a whole lot to work with here, just one song and no biography. Instead, he directs me to an interview he did at Daydream Generation, which showcase the awesomely snowy Toronto (which means, shock, he's Canadian). Daydream must really like him, as he's also on their Daydream Generation 5 free compilation (over 300mb of music!) So happy downloading and let me know what you think of his song?

Links: weheartmusic.com

 07/26/2008 04:38:40  ♥ written by vu ()