W♥M (Archive)

Rocktober: October 2, 2017

Here are some concerts taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on October 2, 2017.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Angel Olsen Angel Olsen is returning to Minnesota at the Cedar Cultural Center. Her forthcoming album My Woman is coming out September 2nd via Jagjaguwar. ...

ANGEL OLSEN
at First Avenue
Monday 10/02/2017 (7pm/$25)
first-avenue.com

Angel Olsen will be headlining First Avenue on October 2nd. Olsen fans can look forward to Phases, a collection of B-sides, rarities, and demos on November 10th via Jagjaguwar.

North Carolina trio Mount Moriah to open. The last we heard from the band, they released How to Dance on Merge Records.

Angel Olsen Tour Dates:

Sep. 29 — Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
Sep. 30 — Maquoketa, IA @ Codfish Hollow Barnstormers &
Oct. 1 — Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theater &
Oct. 2 — Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue &
Oct. 4 — St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant &
Oct. 5 — Lawrence, KS @ The Granada &
Oct. 7 — Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival
Oct. 14 — Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival
Oct. 18 — San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena #
Oct. 20 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum #
Oct. 21 — Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena #
Oct. 22 — Las Vegas, NV @ Mandalay Bay Events Center #
Oct. 23 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot $
Nov. 18 — Mexico City, DF @ Corona Capital
Nov. 28 — Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater %
Nov. 29 — New York, NY @ Town Hall ^
Nov. 30 — New York, NY @ Town Hall ^
Dec. 1 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel ^
Dec. 2 — Portland, ME @ State Theatre ^
Dec. 4 — Boston, MA @ House of Blues ^
Dec. 5 — Montreal, QC @ Rialto Theatre ^
Dec. 6 — Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre ^
Dec. 7 — Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre ^
Dec. 8 — Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre ^
Dec. 9 — Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre ^
Dec. 10 — Louisville, KY @ Mercury Ballroom *
Dec. 12 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer *
Dec. 13 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer *
Dec. 14 — Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club *
Dec. 16 — Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel *

& = w/ Mount Mariah
# = w/ Arcade Fire
$ = w/ Strong Words
% w/ Ned Oldham
^ = w/ Heron Oblivion
* = w/ White Magic

Read More Japanese Breakfast Opening will be singer Michelle Zauner, of Philadelphia indie punk band Little Big League, under the solo moniker of Japanese Breakfast. The music showcases Zauner's dark ...

JAPANESE BREAKFAST
at Triple Rock Social Club
Monday 10/02/2017 (8pm/$12)
triplerocksocialclub.com

Japanese Breakfast (Michelle Zauner) is back in town in support of her new album Soft Sounds From Another Planet (Dead Oceans). We previously caught the Korean singer in May 2017 and said that Zauner’s first band was actually in Strange Relations… so expect Strange Relations to be at this show.

Phildelphia’s shoegaze / punk band Mannequin Pussy and psychedelic indie/punk band The Spirit Of The Beehive to open.

Tour dates:

9/25 - Portland, OR @ Holocene +
9/26 - Vancouver, BC @ Fox Cabaret +
9/27 - Seattle, WA @ Crocodile +
9/28 - Boise, ID @ Neurolux +
9/29 - Salt Lake City @ Kilby Court +
9/30 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge +
10/2 - Minneapolis, MN @ The Triple Rock +
10/4 - Chicago, IL @ Subterranean +
10/5 - Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop +
10/6 - Detroit, MI @ UFO Factory +
10/7 - Toronto, ON @ The Garisson +
10/8 - Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB +
10/11 - Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair +
10/12 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg +
10/21 - Bristol, GB @ Simple Things Festival
10/23 - Cologne, DE @ Blue Shell
10/24 - Hamburg, DE @ Hakken
10/25 - Berlin, DE @ Badenhouse
10/26 - Paris, FR @ Pop Up Du Label
10/27 - Gent, BE @ NEST
10/28 - Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling
11/2 - Brighton, GB @ The Joker
11/3 - Manchester, GB @ Soup Kitchen
11/4 - Edinburgh, GB @ The Mash House
11/5 - Glasgow, GB @ The Hug and Pint
11/6 - Leeds, GB @ Headrow House
11/7 - London, GB @ The Dome Tufnell Park

+ w/ Mannequin Pussy & Spirit of the Beehive

Read More Matt Pond PA Look, I don't know about the 'state' of the "PA" in Matt Pond PA's name. I thought he officially dropped it last year, but the 'PA' is back in his name. Personally, I'm not a fan of the PA …

Other shows in the area:

10/02/2017 Dark wave band Drab Majesty will be headlining the 7th Street Entry on October 2nd. CGW, Burning and The Nightstalker to open.

Tour dates:

09/24 Philadelphia, PA @ Philamoca
09/25 Boston, MA @ Middle East
09/26 Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz
09/27 Toronto, ON @ Baby G
09/29 Chicago, IL @ Cold Waves Festival
09/30 St. Louis @ Delmar Hall
10/2 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street
10/4 Denver, CO @ Milk Bar
10/5 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
10/6 Boise, ID @ Neurolux
10/7 Seattle, WA @ Laser Dome +
10/8 Vancouver, BC @ Cobalt
10/10 Portland, OR @ Holocene
10/12 Sacramento, CA @ Low Brau
10/13 San Francisco, CA @ TBA

7pm, $10.

10/02/2017 Matt Pond PA is back in town at the Turf Club in St Paul this Monday. According to his bio, Still Summer will be the last LP that will be released under the Matt Pond PA name, so if you want to come out for one last hurrah, this is the tour to see Matt Pond and company. Special guests J Fernandez and We Are The Willows to open.

Tour dates:

09.24 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
09.25 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Night Bazaar
09.28 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
09.29 - Columbus, OH @ Ace Of Cups
09.30 - Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar
10.01 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas
10.02 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
10.04 - Davenport, IA @ Raccoon Motel
10.05 - Iowa City, IA @ The Mill
10.06 - St. Louis, MO @ The Firebird
10.07 - Dallas, TX @ Double Wide Bar
10.08 - San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
10.09 - Austin, TX @ The Sidewinder
10.12 - Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
10.13 - Charlotte, NC @ Snug Harbor
10.14 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle

7pm, $16.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Matt Pond PA, Laura Stevenson, Completions at Turf Club, St. Paul (10 Nov 2015)

Matt Pond PA Setlist More No More There Were Times Take Me With You So Much Trouble KC Halloween New Hampshire From Debris Spaceland Basement Parties Four Eyes with Laura Stevenson Let Me Live Specks Don't Look Down Love to Get Used -- Encore -- Summer is Coming The Hollows Measure 3 Tour Dates 11/17/15 Columbus, OH Rumba Cafe 11/18/15 Philadelphia, PA T Fillmore Philadelphia 11/19/15 Cambridge, MA Middle East 11/20/15 Kingston, NY BSP Lounge 11/21/15 New York, NY Marlin Room Read More Matt Pond PA Look, I don't know about the 'state' of the "PA" in Matt Pond PA's name. I thought he officially dropped it last year, but the 'PA' is back in his name. Personally, I'm not a fan of the PA … Laura Stevenson The last time I saw Laura Stevenson, she was with "The Cans" at The Triple Rock in 2011. I wonder if the band decided to drop the "The Cans" part and just going with "Laura Stevenson"? Anyway, she is …

A weeknight evening in mid-November St. Paul should be a state of cold; but instead, with Matt Pond PA headlining a show at the Turf Club, it was a State of Gold.

With eleven full-length albums (including newest release, The State of Gold on Doghouse Records) and ten EPs under their belt, the prolific Pond and band had plenty to choose from to satisfy both the longtime fans and the newly christened.

Completions

First up on this triple-bill evening was a short set of solo cello music from engineer, producer, and musician Shawn Alpay, who performs under the name Completions, and whose seven-song debut self-titled EP just came out last month.  The passing of his mother and another close friend pushed him through self-doubt and he resumed songwriting, with his stage moniker serving as a constant reminder that revision can serve too much like a shield and to finish things, even if imperfect.

Alpay did double duty this night, as he also plays in Pond’s PA, but his opening set was arresting in its reflective, often somber, and eloquent delivery.  Alpay’s vocals are delicate in a Ben Gibbard way with a string-plucking style borne from his formal musical training.

The attentive crowd listened intently as Alpay played most of his EP, including the lyrically wrenching ‘One Quiet Down’, a cover of Joni Mitchell’s ‘A Case of U’, and his own ‘Completions’ which found Alpay plucking over a series of sound loops he built up.

Laura Stevenson

New York singer-songwriter Laura Stevenson was next, accompanied by her Very Best Friends, as in that’s the actual name of the four-piece band that currently performs with her.  Her newest release, Cocksure (Don Giovanni Records) was so new (out Oct 30^th) that the band unfortunately was still waiting on copies themselves to sell, but it didn’t stop Stevenson and band from playing cuts from the new album.

Though she’s dabbled in folk previously, the new songs are full frontal rock, somewhat reminiscent of Liz Phair and the Lemonheads’ mid-90’s output, such as on lead single ‘Torch Song’.  Stevenson even dedicated a song (‘Emily in Half’) to ex-step moms everywhere and revealed the new ’Jellyfish’, to be about stopping any worrying and to just go on.

Matt Pond

An unseasonably warm November evening meant Matt Pond PA were overheating mid-way through their 73 min. set, with Pond asking for a towel or two from the bar, to cool down.  Pond is justifiably proud of his latest effort, which was also crowdfunded, though vocally less than pleased with his current label (though he didn’t go into any details).

The stage was adorned with a white diamond-shaped emblem mounted on the back curtain and dim amber lighting that slowly spun woods silhouettes on the stage as the band played. The first three songs of the set, were also tracks 1-3 from the new record, before Pond and band dialed it back ten years for 2005’s ‘So Much Trouble’.

The normally non-plussed Pond didn’t say much between songs, other to calm down an over-zealous fan determined to get a high-five or fist bump numerous times, or to mention this evening was going better than Des Moines the previous night.

Stevenson re-emerged mid-set, reprising her album duet with Pond on the new ‘Four Eyes’.  Musically, the band was spot on, with longtime guitarist Chris Hansen leading the charge, and cellist Alpay adding an appropriate elegance to many of the indie pop songs.

Setlist

The three song encore deviated slightly from the setlist, starting with the requested and lilting ‘Summer is Coming’, then the also-requested ‘The Hollows’ and ending with ‘Measure 3’, with its opening lyric “Will we both be happy to stand alone / I can't see forever, where will I go”.

If the rumors are true, the band goes on an indefinite hiatus after this tour, the result of its recent label dealings, and Pond planning to step away to open a restaurant/bar in Kingston NY.  If that’s the case, we’ll no doubt miss seeing Matt Pond PA in concert, but have the plentiful back catalogue to always go back to, and grateful that we saw the last (for now) hurrah.

A few dates remain in 2015, so see the band while you still have a chance.

Matt Pond PA at Turf Club, St Paul (10 Nov 2015)

john ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ itunes.apple.com

Minneapolis: November 9 to November 10, 2015

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from November 9 to November 10, 2015.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More The Polyphonic Spree Time to “reach for the Sun”! Dallas-based choral symphonic rock band The Polyphonic Spree is back on the road for their Psychphonic Tour in support of last year’s Yes, It's True …

THE POLYPHONIC SPREE
at Fine Line Music Cafe
Monday, 11/09/2015, 7pm ($20)
finelinemusic.com

The Polyphonic Spree is one of the best live bands we've ever seen. The Dallas-based band is currently on their 15th Anniversary Tour.

We're not entirely sure how they can fit the 14+ band members on the small Fine Line Music Cafe stage... but it'll be fun to watch.

Local Adam Levy to open.

Tour dates:

11/05/15 Cleveland, OH Music Box
11/06/15 Millvale, PA Mr. Small's
11/07/15 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall
11/08/15 Chicago, IL City Winery
11/09/15 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line
11/12/15 Missoula, MT Top Hat
11/13/15 Spokane, WA Bartlett
11/14/15 Vancouver, BC Venue
11/15/15 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern
11/16/15 Portland, OR Star Theater
11/18/15 Las Vegas, NV Sayers Club
11/19/15 San Francisco, CA Independent
11/20/15 Los Angeles, CA El Rey Theatre
11/21/15 Pomona, CA Glass House
12/12/15 Dallas, TX Majestic Theatre

Read More Matt Pond PA Look, I don't know about the 'state' of the "PA" in Matt Pond PA's name. I thought he officially dropped it last year, but the 'PA' is back in his name. Personally, I'm not a fan of the PA …

MATT POND PA
at Turf Club
Tuesday, 11/10/2015, 7:30pm ($13)
turfclub.net

Matt Pond PA will be in town in support of his new album The State Of Gold (Doghouse Records). We actually already mentioned the tour in August 2015, but the show is coming up and we thought we'd mentioned it again.

Although we have mentioned that we didn't like the "PA" in the name, it does make the band name more distinct... unlike all the common-band names.

Opening up the show will be Laura Stevenson in support of her fourth studio album Cocksure (Don Giovanni). The last time we saw Stevenson, she was still with her band Laura Stevenson and the Cans at the Triple Rock in May 2011.

Also on the bill will be Completions, aka Shawn Alpay. The songwriter/cellist recently released a self-titled debut EP on October 9th... so expect to hear some of those tracks at this show.

Tour dates:

11/6: Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
11/7: Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
11/8: Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
11/9: Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
11/10: St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
11/12: Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
11/13: Nashville, TN @ The High Watt
11/14: Akron, OH @ Musica
11/17: Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe
11/18: Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
11/19: Boston, MA @ Middle East Downstairs
11/20: Kingston, NY @ BSP Kingston
11/21: New York, NY @ Webster Hall

Read More Howard Jones I grew up in the 80s, so you know I have a love for Howard Jones. Although I first heard his song, "What is Love?" (which was a top 40 hit here in the U.S.), for this upcoming tour, it's in honor …

HOWARD JONES
at Fine Line Music Cafe
Tuesday, 11/10/2015, 7pm ($40)
finelinemusic.com

"What is love anyway? Does anybody love anybody anyway?"

You know, we've already mentioned how much we love Howard Jones. He'll be stopping by the Fine Line Music Café as part of his "The Songs, The Piano & The Stories'" tour.

No opening band listed, but with over 10 studio albums under his belt, I don't think the English singer will have trouble playing a double set... why should we mind, why should we mind?

Tour dates:

11/05/15 New York, NY Iridium Jazz Club
11/06/15 I Want My 80's Concert
11/07/15 New York, NY Iridium Jazz Club
11/09/15 Chicago, IL City Winery Chicago
11/10/15 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Cafe
11/11/15 Toronto, ON Hugh's Room
11/12/15 Toronto, ON Hugh's Room
11/13/15 Sugar Loaf, NY Sugar Loaf
11/14/15 Montreal, QC Rosewood Montreal
11/19/15 Niagara Falls, NY Hard Rock Cafe
11/26/15 Stockholm, Sweden Viking Line
02/03/16 Milton Keynes The Stables
02/04/16 East Grinstead Chequer Mead Centre
02/05/16 London Union Chapel
02/06/16 Winchester Theatre Royal
02/07/16 Exeter Exeter Phoenix
02/10/16 Glasgow Oran Mor
02/11/16 Gateshead Sage Gateshead
02/12/16 Liverpool Epstein Theatre
02/13/16 Worcester Huntingdon Hall
02/14/16 Sheffield Memorial Hall
02/18/16 Manchester Royal Northern College
02/20/16 Lincoln Drill Hall
02/21/16 Bury St. Edmunds The Apex
02/19/19 Leeds City Varieties Music Hall

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ itunes.apple.com

Going for Gold XXV

Read more Going for Gold.

Read More Matt Pond Matt Pond (PA), the NY-based collective formed by the Philadelphia native, hits the road again with Ohio folk-pop openers The Lighthouse and The Whaler, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of his seminal fifth album … Laura Stevenson The last time I saw Laura Stevenson, she was with "The Cans" at The Triple Rock in 2011. I wonder if the band decided to drop the "The Cans" part and just going with "Laura Stevenson"? Anyway, she is …

MATT POND PA
mattpondpa.com

Look, I don't know about the 'state' of the "PA" in Matt Pond PA's name. I thought he officially dropped it last year, but the 'PA' is back in his name. Personally, I'm not a fan of the PA, but I guess for legal reason(s), Matt Pond has to use the name Matt Pond PA.

Matt Pond PA's new album The State Of Gold is out now on the newly relaunched, Doghouse Records, the label known for introducing such artists as The Get Up Kids, Hot Water Music and Say Anything. A limited edition gold translucent double LP is available to order in the Doghouse Records online store.

As usual he will be out on tour in support of the album - but oddly enough he has put together a series of small house shows. Addresses are not listed, you just have to be in the know to see him at these house parties.

"The State Of Gold" Tour Dates

10.14 - Washington, DC - Rock n Roll Hotel *
10.15 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle *
10.16 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade *
10.17 - Jacksonville, FL - 1904 Music Hall *
10.18 -Tampa, FL - New World Brewery *
10.19 - Orlando, FL - The Social *
10.21 - New Orleans, LA - Big Mama's Lounge *
10.22 - Houston, TX - Rudyards *
10.23 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey *
10.24 - Austin, TX - The North Door *
10.26 - Phoenix, AZ - The Rebel Lounge *
10.28 - San Diego, CA - The Casbah *
10.29 - Los Angeles, CA - Echo *
10.30 - San Luis Obispo, CA - SLO Brewing *
10.31 - Sacramento, CA - Harlow's *
11.01 - San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop *
11.03 - Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern *
11.04 - Portland, OR - Dante's *
11.06 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court *
11.07- Denver, CO - Hi-Dive *
11.09 - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews *
11.10 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club *
11.12 - Chicago, IL - Subterranean *
11.13 - Nashville, TN - The High Watt *
11.14 - Akron, OH - Musica *
11.16 - Cincinnati, OH - Southgate House Revival *
11.17 - Columbus, OH - Rumba Cafe *
11.18 - Philadelphia, PA - The Foundry *
11.19 - Boston, MA - Middle East *
11.20 - Kingston, NY - BSP Kingston *
11.21 - New York, NY - Marlin Room *

* with Laura Stevenson and Completions

Read More British Sea Power British Sea Power are quite famous, so I won't spend too much time talking about them. They played here in Minneapolis yesterday (March 21st) at the Triple Rock Social Club. …

BRITISH SEA POWER
britishseapower.co.uk

We haven't seen British Sea Power since 2008... but I'm happy to report that their upcoming studio album Sea Of Brass will be coming out October 30th, 2015, via Golden Chariot Records. The record will be available on double vinyl and CD. What is unique about the vinyl is that it will come with six bonus tracks.

If you didn't know, Golden Chariot Records is BSP's own label. Golden Chariot was the imprint for the band's first release, the Fear Of Drowning CD, released in 2001.

The Sea Of Brass project stems from a commission from Arts Council England, PRS Foundation and Derby Council and led to selections from the British Sea Power catalogue being reworked for brass orchestra by arranger Peter Wraight.

Track listing:

1. Heavenly Waters
2. Once More Now
3. Albert’s Eyes
4. Atom
5. A Light Above Ascending
6. Machineries Of Joy
7. When A Warm Wind Blows Through The Gates
8. The Great Suka

LP ONLY:
9. Waving Flags
10. No Need To Cry
11. The Smallest Church In Sussex
12. Lights Out For Darker Skies
13. Wooden Horse
14. Lately

Read More Daniel Martin Moore Friday’s show proved among other things that it’s quite hip to be square, or at least sporting square-shaped eyewear. In roughly an hour and a half, Ben Sollee, Daniel Martin Moore, and their band …

DANIEL MARTIN MOORE
danielmartinmoore.com

Golden Age is the new album from Daniel Martin Moore. The Jim James* produced album will come out October 9th via Sofaburn Records.

We last saw DMM at the Cedar Cultural Center in 2010 on his Dear Companion tour with Ben Sollee.

Regarding the album, Moore said “We wanted a bigger sound—full band treatments, strings, outer-space, and less guitar. It was Jim's suggestion that we start each song from the perspective of the drums & bass, finding the right foundation, and then seeing how the rest of the instrumentation would fit into that. In the past, it had very much been the other way around—everything was based around what my guitar was up to. We turned that on its head for this record.”

Tour dates:

Sep 19 - Nashville, TN - Americanafest
Oct 06 - St. Louis, MO - College Of Pharmacy
Oct 10 - Cincinnati, OH - River Grill Fest
Oct 11 - Louisville, KY - Brown Theatre
Dec 8 - Chicago, IL - Schubas
Dec 9 - Bloomington, IN - Bishop

(more dates to be announced soon)

WILDLING
wildlingmusic.com

Los Angeles' Wildling recently covered Neil Young's "Heart of Gold". The song is available as a free download via their website.

Wildling is singer Ryan Levine, bassist Justin Levine, keys Andrew Ampaya, guitarist Erik Janson, and drummer Casey Brothers. Based on their t-shirt, I can tell at least one of them likes the Smiths.

They're also currently on tour, supporting Hey Marseilles (who we just saw with Mates of State in July 2015).

Tour dates:

9/1 - Los Angeles, CA - Satellite
9/2 - San Francisco, CA - Brick + Mortar
9/3 - Davis, CA - Sophia's Thai Kitchen
9/4 - Portland, OR - Miss. Studios

NOVA HEART
nova-heart.com

Beijing's minimal electro / pop group Nova Heart recently played Modern Sky Festival in Helsinki. The all-girls trio (Bo Xuan on bass, Shi Lu a.k.a. Atom on drums, and Helen Feng on keys and vocals) was previously dubbed “the Queen of Beijing Rock” and the “Blondie of China.”

While we wait for Nova Heart's self-titled debut album this October 2nd (via FakeLoveMusic), we can check out their latest single "We Are Golden" on The FADER.

Tour dates:

06.10 - Roughrade East - London
08 10 - Badaboum - Paris
11.10 - Artheater - Cologne (w Shao aka Dead J)
13/10 - Lido - Berlin (w Shao aka Dead J)

BRIEFLY

FOOL'S GOLD RECORDS foolsgoldrecs.com/ Madeaux is the latest musician/producer to be signed to Fool's Gold. The record label will debut his six track EP called New Wav EP on September 4th. Madeaux recently performed at Fool's Gold Day Off LA at Shrine Expo Hall & Grounds with Action Bronson, Travi$ Scott, A-Trak, and many more on August 29.

GOLD ROAR goldroar.com Label Gold Roar recently told me about North London's singer/songwriter Gabi'el with her new track "Pu$$y", featuring label mate Monique Lawrence, along with hot South London rapper Ms Banks. "Pu$$y" will also be available on Gabi'el's upcoming EP, set for release this November 2015.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ itunes.apple.com

Matt Pond w/ The Lighthouse and the Whaler, Turf Club in St Paul, MN (12 May 2014) concert review

Matt Pond PA: Emblems 10th Anniversary Tour Poster Setlist KC Closest (Look Out) Lily Two Bring on the Ending The Butcher New Hampshire Claire Summer (Butcher Two) East Coast E. Last Song Grave’s Disease Close (KC Two) Halloween -- Encore -- Love to Get Used Starting From Debris Tour Dates May 16 Marquis Theatre Denver, CO May 17 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT May 19 Mississippi Studios Portland, OR May 20 The Tractor Tavern Seattle, WA May 22 Bottom of the Hill San Francisco, CA May 23 Roxy Theatre Los Angeles, CA May 24 Soda Bar San Diego, CA May 25 The Crescent Ballroom Phoenix, AZ May 27 Red 7 Austin, TX May 29 Mercy Lounge Nashville, TN Read More Matt Pond Matt Pond (PA), the NY-based collective formed by the Philadelphia native, hits the road again with Ohio folk-pop openers The Lighthouse and The Whaler, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of his seminal fifth album …

The Turf Club in St. Paul, MN was a hot scene for indie rocker Matt Pond and band to perform his seminal album, Emblems. Literally.

“Why is it 90 degrees in here? Who said turn the heat up?”, Pond would remark during his first trip playing the eastern side of The Twin Cities during a 73 min. appearance that more than pleased the Pond-faithful, and converted new fans to his unique blend of orchestral indie-pop.

The New York-based Philadelphian finally dropped the “PA” from his band’s name last year and is on the road for a month-long tour, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the album, Emblems (on Altitude Records), which launched him firmly into the indie-pop mainstream. The album, his fifth, was written shortly after re-locating to New York and the band is celebrating by not only playing the album in its entirety, but has even added the “PA” back, just for this tour.

The Lighthouse and the Whaler

After a set by locals The Farewell Circuit playing cuts from last year’s We Were Wolves, Ohio-based The Lighthouse and the Whaler took the stage, opening as they did on Pond’s previous outing, with a feel-good blend of indie folk-pop, in support of their self-released latest, This is an Adventure.

Led by Singer Michael LoPresti , the collective released its first EP in 2008 and followed that with a full-length the next year. Their 45 min. set started with the title track and continued with songs similarly akin to their name, which alludes to a Moby Dick-inspired theme. Newer songs like ‘Little Vessels’ and single, ‘Venice’ mixed well with older tracks, like the anthemic ‘Whoa Whoa’, for an enjoyably buoyant opening set.

“St. Paul, Minnesota, if I’ve got it correct, this is our first time playing… we’ve been playing that city across the way, Minneapolis,… have you heard of it?...we’re going to play an album if you don’t mind”, was how Matt Pond somewhat nervously started his set, before launching into Emblems in its entirety. Pond and his backing band, including longtime guitarist and literal right-hand man Chris Hansen (who stood just behind Pond to his right for the whole set), were all still somewhat getting used to each other, the new drummer having entered the picture less than two weeks ago.

Photo of Setlist

The set started strong though, with a slightly sped-up version of album opener, ‘KC’ and its beginning line, “I remember you, do you remember me”, which set the mood for everyone to reminisce on the impact of the ten-year old album.

‘Closest (Look Out)’ was a higher tempo danceable song and the first of the evening to bring the cello to the forefront, compliments of Shawn “Stickers” Alpay; nicknamed by the rest of the band, though Pond was unsure the moniker would…uh, stick. The heartfelt melancholy of ‘Bring on the Ending’ seemed to connect with the audience as Pond, who had already sweated through his shirt, sang the song with eyes closed as Alpay’s cello seemingly cried along with him.

“Was that ok for you?” bass/keys player Tierney Tough asked after the album’s first half was completed, to yelps and applause from the Monday night audience. ‘New Hampshire’ was gorgeous in its orchestral scope, while ‘’Grave’s Disease’ got heads bobbing and people moving in place with a lyric that is familiar to all Minnesotans, “the winter froze all of your things and you went inside”. After finishing the album with the slower ‘Close (KC Two)’, Pond and band closed the main set with ‘Halloween’ from album Several Arrows Later, to end things on an upbeat note.

Matt Pond

The three song encore included ‘Love to Get Used’ from his newest release, The Lives Inside the Lines in Your Hand (BMG Records) and the chugging rhythm of ‘Starting’ from 2010’s The Dark Leaves, before ending with ‘Some Debris’, also from 2005’s Several Arrows Later.

Pond and band have been busy of late; getting a track on a recent Wes Anderson tribute album, working on another new full-length (via a successful Pledge Music campaign) and releasing a work-in-progress, pay-what-you-want collection called Skeletons and Friends via Noisetrade.

The ten-year anniversary of Emblems was a perfect excuse for the band to get out of the studio for a while, to bring beloved music both old and new, to a loyal fan base and then go back with fresher perspective, to try and capture that lightning in a bottle, as they finish work on the new album.

Ironic that the venue’s A/C system kicked on right as the band finished, Matt Pond’s future still seems “hot” and worth following as to where he will take things next.

Matt Pond at the Turf Club, St Paul (12 May 2014)

john () ♥ weheartmusic.com

Minneapolis Music Guide: May 11 - May 17, 2014

Here is a guide of some Minneapolis (and Saint Paul) live shows and events taking place next week: May 11 - May 17.

The Ash & Clay ANTI Records Read More The Milk Carton Kids The Milk Carton Kids started off their set with a Joey Ryan (JR) song, "Permanent", followed by Kenneth Pattengale's "Girls, Gather 'Round". I thought Pattengale's singing style has a very Dylanesque quality…

SUNDAY, MAY 11
DAKOTA JAZZ CLUB
The Milk Carton Kids w/ Brian Wright

Moms, you must have the best children, if they bring you to this Milk Carton Kids show at the Dakota Jazz Club for Mother's Day on Sunday.

For the 'kids', they will enjoy the music, for the mothers, they get to enjoy some great food at the swanky restaurant.

On a serious note, I have spent $75+ on dinner at the Dakota and it was well spent. Delicious.

Tour dates:

05/08/14 Chicago, IL Old Town School Of Folk Music
05/09/14 Chicago, IL Old Town School Of Folk Music
05/10/14 Stoughton, WI Stoughton Opera House
05/11/14 Minneapolis, MN Dakota Jazz Club
05/12/14 Winnipeg, MB West End Cultural Centre
05/14/14 Calgary, AB Festival Hall
05/15/14 Edmonton, AB Mcdougall United Church
05/28/14 Austin, TX Paramount Theatre
05/29/14 Houston, TX McGonigel's Mucky Duck
05/30/14 Austin, TX Paramount Theatre
05/31/14 Dallas, TX Poor David's Pub
06/01/14 Oklahoma City, OK The Blue Door
06/03/14 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
06/05/14 Salt Lake City, UT The State Room
06/06/14 Boise, ID Neurolux
06/11/14 Seattle, WA The Neptune
06/12/14 Vancouver, BC St. James Hall
06/13/14 Vancouver, BC St. James Hall
06/14/14 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
06/15/14 Chico, CA Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
06/16/14 Napa, CA City Winery Napa
06/17/14 Santa Cruz, CA Kuumbwa Jazz Center
06/18/14 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
06/19/14 Santa Barbara, CA Lobero Theatre
06/21/14 Los Angeles, CA Aratani Japan America Theatre
06/22/14 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
06/23/14 Phoenix, AZ MIM Music Theater
06/24/14 Phoenix, AZ MIM Music Theater
07/17/14 Durham, NC Carolina Theatre
07/19/14 Charlottesville, VA Jefferson Theater
07/20/14 Rocky Mount, VA Harvester Performance Center
07/21/14 Knoxville, TN Bijou Theatre
07/22/14 Columbus, OH Lincoln Theatre
07/23/14 Pittsburgh, PA Kelly-Strayhorn Theater
07/24/14 Portland, ME Port City Music Hall
07/26/14 Newport, RI Fort Adams State Park
09/19/14 Lyons, CO Planet Bluegrass Ranch

Emblems Anniversary Tour Read More Matt Pond We've written about Matt Pond before, I suppose he's dropped the "PA" part of his name for some reason? His press release explained the reasoning behind the removal of the "PA" section: With the new album, The Lives Inside the.…

MONDAY, MAY 12
TURF CLUB
Matt Pond w/ The Lighthouse And The Whaler

Matt Pond: A decade of Emblems

Matt Pond (PA), the NY-based collective formed by the Philadelphia native, hits the road again with Ohio folk-pop openers The Lighthouse and The Whaler, in celebration of the 10th anniversary of his seminal fifth album, Emblems (Altitude Records) and what Paste Magazine described as “a lush, haunting collection of superbly crafted chamber pop” and what CMJ said was "an ideal record for the mature indie-rock fan with a weakness for string sections."

Thought by many as their favorite of Pond’s 8 LPs and 8 EPs, the tour is a rare chance to see that work performed in its entirety, along with selected new music including cuts from last year’s The Lives Inside the Lives In Your Hands (BMG) and other favorites.

Pond has been busy of late, releasing Skeletons and Friends via Noisetrade and working on another new full-length, via a Pledge Music campaign. Expect a laid back look into the past, as well as one that looks ahead, from this seasoned indie veteran.

Tour dates:

May 08 the Mod Club Toronto, Canada
May 09 Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL
May 10 Duck Room St Louis, MO
May 12 Turf Club St Paul, MN
May 13 Record Bar Kansas City, MO
May 14 The Waiting Room Omaha, NE
May 16 Marquis Theatre Denver, CO
May 17 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT
May 19 Mississippi Studios Portland, OR
May 20 The Tractor Tavern Seattle, WA

X'ed Out Sargent House Read More The Dillinger Escape Plan The Dillinger Escape Plan and Deftones on the same bill made a whole lot of sense, because both bands' sound is hardcore/borderline metal. Dillinger was incredibly hard to shoot because of they were mostly…

TUESDAY, MAY 13
7TH STREET ENTRY
Tera Melos w/ Holographic Sands and Hardcore Crayons

Tera Melos are currently touring in support of X'ed Out, which came out April 16th, 2013, via Sargent House.

Tera Melos are currently a three-piece band (Nick Reinhart, Nathan Latona, John Clardy), playing rock, jazz, and "unconventional song structure."

The Sacramento-based band will headline some dates after supporting The Dillinger Escape Plan in early May.

Tour dates:

05/09 Amityville, NY @ Revolution Bar *
05/10 Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre *
05/11 Pittsburgh, PA @ The Mr. Roboto Project
05/12 Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme
05/13 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
05/17 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
05/23 Sacramento, CA @ Witch Room
05/24 Fresno, CA @ Golden Parking Lot
06/13 Osaka, Japan @ Shangri-La #
06/14 Nagoya, Japan @ Tokuzo #
06/20 Tokyo, Japan @ Liquidroom #

* w/ The Dillinger Escape Plan
# w/ LITE

Ghosts II

Read More Yellow Ostrich The title of Yellow Ostrich’s just-released album is pretty apt. Alex Schaaf knows a thing or two about trekking through unfamiliar terrain, as a Midwest transplant in New York City and, more importantly .....

YELLOW OSTRICH
yellowostrich.com

Yellow Ostrich just premiered their video for "Ghost" on Stereogum. You can also download the free MP3 of "Ghost" at yellowostrich.com.



"Ghost" is the title track from the band's recent 6-track EP. The video directed by the band and Frank Larson, premiered via Stereogum, who described it as "focus[ing] tight on bandleader Alex Schaaf, alternating between the singer delivering his lament in present-day and fuzzy old VHS footage capturing happier bygone times."

Trivia: The cover artwork of Ghost is an original painting by New York-based artist Graham Parks over 100 blank record sleeves. You can own a piece of the original artwork by purchasing the 100 one-of-a-kind limited edition. That sounds really cool, but I could not find any details about pricing or if it's even available for purchase. It just sounds really expensive, but incredibly awesome to own.

MATT POND
mattpondpa.com

We've written about Matt Pond before, I suppose he's dropped the "PA" part of his name for some reason?

His press release explained the reasoning behind the removal of the "PA" section: With the new album, The Lives Inside the Lines in Your Hand (out February 5th via BMG), to be Matt Pond's first official "solo" release. I'm glad, I honestly hated that PA part.

Update: I have the cover artwork now. February is a way off... In the meantime, you can listen to the lead single, "Love To Get Used" on Soundcloud:



Matt Pond just announced his massive winter tour dates with Jukebox the Ghost. Full details below.

02.06 - Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall 02.07 - Hartford, CT @ Arch Street Tavern 02.08 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall 02.09 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar 02.10 - Charlottesville, VA @ Southern Cafe 02.12 - Cincinnati, OH @ The Taft Theatre 02.13 - Louisville, KY @ Headliner's 02.14 - Columbus, OH@ Wexner Center* 02.15 - St Louis, MO @ Firebird 02.17 - Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge 02.18 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade* 02.19 - Ybor City, FL @ Crowbar 02.20 - Orlando, FL @ The Social 02.22 - Houston, TX @ House of Blues 02.23 - Austin, TX @ Stubb's Jr.

02.24 - Dallas, TX @ House of Blues 02.26 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom 02.28 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo 03.03 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios 03.04 - Eugene, OR @ Cozmic 03.05 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile 03.08 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe 03.09 - Chicago, IL @ Metro 03.10 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop 03.11 - Toronto, ONT @ Horseshoe Tavern 03.13 - Ithaca, NY @ The Haunt 03.14 - Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall 03.15 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer 03.16 - Washington, DC @ 930 Club # All dates with Jukebox the Ghost

BRIEFLY:

CAUGHT A GHOST caughtaghost.com Caught a Ghost is basically L.A.-based songwriter and producer Jesse Nolan. When Nolan takes his project live, they become an eight-piece band (including a three-piece horn section). Jesse explained his band's name, "It's an old expression, musicians used to say you caught a ghost if you gave a good performance. Like you were possessed." Look for his debut EP, Nightworks, on February 12, 2013, via +1 Records.

HEATHERED PEARLS facebook.com We've already covered many of Ghostly International's bands (mostly because we like the label), including recently seeing Beacon randomly. Ghost International's latest release is Loyal by Polish-born, Brooklyn-based Heathered Pearls (the moniker of Jakub Alexander.) Pitchfork seems to love him, having calling his track, "Beach Shelter," as "an intuitive knack for burrowing deep into feelings of caution and anxiety then gets out before outstaying its welcome."

VACATIONER vacationermusic.com We've written about randomly seeing Vacationer on tour before. The latest item I have from them is that their song, "Good As New" got a Ghost Beach remix. You can grab the remix for free at Soundcloud: Look for the Good As New Remixes Collection coming soon on Downtown Records.

GROSS GHOST bandcamp.com Gross Ghost is going on tour with their labelmate, Spider Bags. Dates listed: 1.15 Durham, NC - The Pinhook * 1.16 Richmond, VA - Strange Matter * 1.17 Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie* 1.18 Brooklyn, NY - Cameo Gallery * 1.19 Baltimore, MD - Golden West 1.30 Raleigh, Nc - King's (without Spider Bags)

TEAM GHOST facebook.com Never heard of Team Ghost? Well, you might have heard of M83, which Nicolas Fromageau was part of, before leaving in 2004 to work on his own project. Team Ghost's album, Rituals will be out March 19th, 2013, in North America. You can check out "Dead Film Star" via Soundcloud.

LONE WOLF iamlonewolf.com Lone Wolf's "Ghosts of Holloway" video recently premiered on Consequence of Sound, describing it as "Leeds artist Lone Wolf is cast as both a disembodied personification of his own conscious and a version of himself up to no good." Lone Wolf (otherwise known as Paul Marshall) just released his album, The Lovers, earlier this November 27th, via It Never Rains.

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