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Portland

Read More The Decemberists What's also pretty cool about the episode is that the Decemberists briefly appeared as themselves! It's exciting because the Decemberists took a "multi-year hiatus" after their The King is Dead …

THE DECEMBERISTS
decemberists.com

Sure, their music is associated with hipsters and it's fair to assume singer Colin Meloy writes lyrics like he's from 1920, but The Decemberists are an unbelievably good band.

They recently announced their seventh studio album, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World to be released on January 20, 2015 on Capitol Records. UK fans will be able to get the album the day before via Rough Trade Records. This is an important album because we personally thought they broke up, especially by that dreaded "hiatus" status that hung over the band after their exhausting tour for 2011 album The King Is Dead...

With the new 2015 album and UK tour announced, expect Meloy to sing to a full electric backing band, and not acoustic 'campfire' versions of their songs (which was what we got when we saw Meloy solo last year).

The Decemberists – European Tour Dates

February 11 Dublin, Ireland Vicar Street
February 13 Glasgow, UK O2 Academy Glasgow
February 14 Leeds, UK O2 Academy Leeds
February 16 Bristol, UK O2 Academy Bristol
February 17 Manchester, UK Manchester Academy
February 18 Birmingham, UK The Institute
February 20 Brighton, UK Brighton Dome Concert
February 21 London, UK O2 Academy Brixton
February 23 Amsterdam, Netherlands Paradiso
February 24 Brussels, Belgium AB
February 25 Nijmegen, Netherlands Doornroosje
February 26 Berlin, Germany Astra Kulturhaus
February 28 Zürich, Switzerland Kaufleuten
March 1 Milan, Italy Magazzini Generali

Read More Mecca Normal Mecca Normal opened with “Art Was Great Leveler”, a love song about relationships and class. They’re one of my all time favorite bands because … Mirah Mirah was sick at her show at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis on Friday, May 16.... but as they say in 'showbiz', the show must go on. …

MECCA NORMAL
meccanormal.wordpress.com

Vancouver-based Mecca Normal duo (Jean Smith and David Lester) just wrapped up their Eastern US dates in support of their latest album Empathy for the Evil (produced by Kramer), which came out last month on M'lady's Records (from Portland, Oregon).

During the tour they were interviewed and performed on Democracy Now in New York.

Excerpt from the article:

Earlier this year, the 2014 Biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art featured an exhibit dedicated to Ritscher’s life. The pioneering Vancouver-based musical act Mecca Normal took part in the exhibit. In 1998, Mecca Normal recorded and released a song titled "Malachi." The cover of that record was included in the Whitney exhibit. Also included was a poster about Malachi designed by David Lester.

The Malachi exhibit is now headed to Chicago, where it will open later this month at the Audible Gallery at Experimental Sound Studio.

Jean Smith and David Lester of Mecca Normal recently joined us to talk about their work and to perform two songs, "Malachi" and "Anguish/Misogyny."

Mecca Normal have one last date at the Media Club in Vancouver with Mirah. Mirah actually lived in Portland for a number of years, and you may recall after seeing Mirah in 2010, was one of the best shows I've seen ... but unfortunately she got sick during her 2014 show.

Read More Tender Loving Empire Tender Loving Empire Records just signed their first non-Portland band: The Family Crest. The Family Crest is based out of San Francisco …

MUSEE MECANIQUE
museemecanique.net

Portland-based Musée Mécanique recently released From Shores of Sleep (an album "twenty years in the making"*) via Tender Loving Empire, and they're currently on tour in support of the new record.

Tour Dates:

11/05 New York, NY @ Cake Shop
11/07 Biddeford, ME @ Hogfarm Studios
11/08 Burlington, VT @ Skinny Pancake
11/11 Nashville, TN @ The Basement
11/13 Fort Worth, TX @ Live Oak
11/15 Marfa, TX @ El Cosmico
11/16 Silver City, NM @ house show
11/17 Phoenix, AZ @ Trunk Space
11/18 San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
11/19 Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg
11/20 Carmel, CA @ Barmel
11/22 San Francisco, CA @ Hotel Utah

* Songwriters Micah Rabwin and Sean Ogilvie met in their 9th grade English class and have been making music together ever since.

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

Mirah at the Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (16 May 2014)

photo: The Cedar Setlist Goat Shepherd Oxen Hope Gold Rush Turned The Heat Off Fleetfoot Ghost No Direction Home Hallelujah (Thao & Mirah) Radiomind Rubies and Rocks (Thao & Mirah) 24th St Mt. St. Helens -- Encore -- LC Little Cup (Thao & Mirah) Tour Dates 05-18 Bloomington, IN - The Bishop* 05-19 Columbus, OH - The Basement* 05-20 Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda's* 05-21 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg * 05-22 Allston, MA - Brighton Music Hall* * w/ Loamlands, Led To Sea Read More Mirah This is the truth, but I went to see Mirah and Thao a few years ago and I absolutely love Mirah's voice. I don't know what it is about it, but I can just listen to her sing all day.… Led to Sea Seattle-based violist, Alex Guy, goes by the stage name Led to Sea. The exciting news is that she's touring with Thao & Mirah (and you know we love Thao here). …

Mirah was sick at her show at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis on Friday, May 16.... but as they say in 'showbiz', the show must go on.

Mirah at Evanston Space, Chicago (05/14) photo: Dolly

Dolly mentioned that Mirah was coming down with something at Mirah's appearance at Evanston Space in Chicago on Wednesday, but she was still in fairly good spirit as she got off the stage and danced with the audience. I've seen Mirah before, and at her finest, she is an amazing performer, but unfortunately, the cold affected Mirah's show at the Cedar in Minneapolis. Mirah still gave it her best, despite her affected vocals.

Led To Sea

Opening for Mirah was Led To Sea, aka L. Alex Guy (who would later appear as Mirah's backing band). Although Guy is performing by herself with just her violin, she create this bigger sound using live loop recording. Near the end of her set, she noted how cold Minneapolis was... adding that she wonders how Minnesotans survives the cold here. "I picture penguins huddling in a circle to keep warm," Guy said.

Loamlands

Loamlands took the stage next, playing more traditional 'rock' songs, starting with "Keep on Walking." Many of their songs are about ex's, and I can tell that singer Kym Register survived some bad relationships.

I can also tell that Loamlands weren't used to the quiet sit-down audience, with Register commented, "I can feel tonight is the night for a good old fashion crowd surfing," right before launching into "Something New."

Mirah is currently touring in support of her latest album Changing Light, out now. Although Mirah was sick, she was surprisingly quite talkative and engaging with her fans. After someone in the audience responded a suggestion about drinking some tea with lemon, Mirah instantly responded, "Believe me, I've had lots of tea with lots of lemon."

Setlist

When the band started playing "Little Cup" (after "Oxen Hope"), after singing the first few lines, Mirah stopped the music with "Sorry, this is not going to happen. Forgive me, please, I just can't finish this song." Shortly afterward, someone in the audience brought Mirah a mug of tea, hoping it would help her vocals. Maybe the tea helped, as Mirah would later play "Little Cup" as a bonus song on the encore.

Mirah also understandably also skipped "I Am The Garden" and struggled with the sound feedback, so she moved her equipment about one foot to her left, away from the center drums.

While this was not one of Mirah's best shows, you still have to admire her for giving her best, where most artist (like Morrissey) would have canceled their appearance. Hopefully Mirah recovered from her cold and the rest of her tour goes well.

Mirah at the Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (16 May 2014)

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

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

File this under M: Mann, Mirah, Mousey, Millia

Read more Girls Girls Girls.

Read More Aimee Mann You must have remembered "Voices Carry" by 'Til Tuesday in the early 80s, don't you? What I know about the song is that it was inspired by a breakup between singer Aimee Mann and then-boyfriend Michael Hausman.....

AIMEE MANN
aimeemann.com

I grew up in the 80s, so 'Til Tuesday's "Voices Carry" ruled one summer for me. When the band broke up, singer Aimee Mann went solo and had a decent start with her 1993 debut album, Whatever.

I was pretty thrilled to have review her 2008 album, @#%&*! Smilers, and am glad to see that she's back with a new album Charmer four years later.

Regarding its title, Mann had this to say, "I'm fascinated by charming people and the whole idea of charm. It's hard to remember sometimes that there is usually an agenda behind the act of being charming, and that is what I'm most interested in. Is someone’s charm being utilized just to try and entertain people, make them feel special and interesting, or is there a more sinister purpose behind it? Sometimes I think 'charm' can just be another word for 'manipulation.'"

Aimee Mann's tour dates:

11/10 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
11/11 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theatre
11/13 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
11/14 Chicago, IL Park West
11/15 Chicago, IL Park West
11/16 Stoughton, WI Stoughton Opera House
11/17 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue

Be sure to look for Mann to appear with James Mercer (the Shins) on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on November 19th.

MIRAH
mirahmusic.com

Did I mention that when I saw Mirah & Thao at the Cedar in 2010, that it was one of the best shows I've seen that year? Mirah sounded fantastic, I just love her voice.

Anyway, Mirah's November tour dates started yesterday (November 9th). I don't think she's touring in support of a new album or anything (the last release I can recall was last year's duet with Tender Forever digital-only single "Low Self Control.") It doesn't really matter, because if you like Mirah as much as I do, you'll go to see her anyway.

11/11/12 New Haven, CT @ The Space
11/12/12 Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall*
11/13/12 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's*
11/14/12 Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel*
11/15/12 New York, NY @ Joe's Pub

*w/ Mount Moriah

BRIEFLY:

MOUSEY MCGLYNN twitter.com/mouseymcglynn Margaret "Mousey" McGlynn is from Ireland, but currently in Minneapolis. Her biography lists that she's currently working on an oil rig, but moonlight as an electro-pop singer. Mousey will be holding a "Video Release Show" on December 9th at Republic • 7 Corners in Minneapolis. The show will feature two music videos, "Faith+1 (Sunday)" and "Walked To The Water." The event is free and there will be a special DJ. Check out "Faith+1 (Sunday)" on soundcloud.com

MILLIA OZ milliaoz.com Portuguese singer-songwriter Millia Oz (but currently based in London) is one of the finalists for an Open Mic UK Area Finals, taking place November 18th at the Beck Theatre. If she wins, she'll move to the Grand Final at the O2. She'll also be playing at the Camden’s Bar Solo on November 14th and then December 10th at The Old Queen’s Head in Islington. You can download "Run Fire Burn" (acoustic) at soundcloud.com:

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

Girls Girls Girls 5

MIRAH
mirahmusic.com

Mirah's digital-only single, "Low Self Control" (featuring Tender Forever) is released today, August 16^th.

I have gone on record saying how much I love both Mirah and Tender Forever, so it's really natural that I would love "Low Self Control". You can download the track over at MTV Hive. While I did like the track, can't say I am a fan of the autotune. French rap, I'm okay with though!

Mini-tour starts tomorrow:

August 17 - Boston MA @ Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
August 18 - Northampton MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall
August 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Dead Herring
August 25 - Berkeley, CA @ UC Botanical Redwood Grove

GIRL IN A COMA
girlinacoma.com

Can't believe how far these girls have gone. As you know, I've followed their career from their beginnings in 2004. Well, they are currently on tour with THE Go-Go's! This should be an excellent bill, considering how much we all like Belinda and the Go-Go's around here.

Girl in a Coma will release their fourth album, Exits & All the Rest on November 1st, 2011 via Joan Jett's Blackheart Records.

Here are their tour dates:

8/16: San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
8/17: Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
8/23: Aspen, CO @ Belly Up Aspen
8/24: Denver, CO @ Ogden Theater
8/26: Dallas, TX @ House of Blues Dallas
8/27: Houston, TX @ House of Blues
8/28: Austin, TX @ The Paramount Theatre

ALEX WINSTON
alexwinstonofficial.com

Alex Winston, the girl with the boy-sounding name, is releasing Velvet Elvis EP, coming out September 19th, 2011, via Island Records UK/HeavyRoc US. Incidentally, today (August 16th) is the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death.

I haven't heard the song, but it's described by her press release, that it's about how people fall in love with objects. You can watch the music video at Pitchfork.

She's doing some tour dates:

19/08/11 Pukkelpop Festival Hasselt
20/08/11 V Festival Weston Park / Chelmsford Park
21/08/11 V Festival Weston Park / Chelmsford Park
30/08/11 Shepherds Bush Empire London
02/09/11 Lock Tavern London
09/09/11 Berlin Festival Berlin
11/09/11 Bestival Isle Of Wight
14/09/11 Proud London
09/11/11 University Anson Rooms Bristol
10/11/11 Roundhouse London
12/11/11 Leadmill Sheffield
13/11/11 Olympia Dublin
15/11/11 O2 ABC1 Glasgow
16/11/11 Empire Middlesbrough
17/11/11 Academy 2 Manchester
19/11/11 HMV Institute Birmingham
20/11/11 The Junction Cambridge
21/11/11 The Waterfront Norwich
23/11/11 Pyramids Centre Portsmouth

BROUS
brous.com.au

Speaking of girl with boy names, Brous is pronounced like "Bruce".

Sophia Brous is working under her surname (like how Megan Washington is doing the same thing, despite how common of a name that is in the USA - where 'Washington' is often associated with our first president and the state).

According to Brous' press release, her single, "Streamers", "has been on everyone’s lips…the lush production, undulating melody and hypnotic performance signaling the emergence of an exciting new artist in Australia". This probably has something to do with Triple J picking up the song for their rotation.

If you don't live in Australia, like me, the song is a free download via bandcamp.

09/03/11 Buffalo Club, Melbourne
09/06/11 The Vanguard, Sydney
09/07/11 Woodland Bar, Brisbane

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

News: Autumn Tours 2011

MARGARET CHO
margaretcho.com

I saw Margaret Cho last year, she's funny, but it's not a show for kids.

Anyway, I wanted to let you know that starting today, her Grammy-nominated album, Cho Dependent, can be had for as low as $1. This promotion is great if you haven't already got the album. And if you already own the CD, no problem, the digital download also includes two extra unreleased tracks.

Portion (20%) of this download goes to Immediate Justice, a charity for young women and queer folks of color. So be generous, if you've got the cash. If you're the #1 top donor, you get to appear in Cho's upcoming music video for "Asian Adjacent", filming in Los Angeles on July 24th. Second prize is a set of steak knives. Just kidding, you get a Cho Dependent package (tote bag, CHO HO tank top, posters, and an autographed LP). If 500 people donate, we all get "Sexting", an unreleased song from Drag Queen Sherry Vine featuring Margaret Cho. Make it happen.

Cho is doing some dates below:

07/16/11 San Diego, CA San Diego Pride Festival 08/03/11 - 08/05/11 Edinburgh Assembly Rooms 08/06/11 - 08/29/11 Edinburgh Assembly Rooms 09/02/11 Sydney Sydney Opera House AU 09/05/11 Brisbane The Tivoli Theatre AU 09/06/11 Melbourne Forum Theatre AU 10/13/11 London Leicester Square Theatre UK		10/14/11 London Leicester Square Theatre UK 10/15/11 London Leicester Square Theatre UK 10/16/11 Brighton Dome Concert Hall – Brighton 10/17/11 London Leicester Square Theatre UK 10/18/11 London Leicester Square Theatre UK 10/23/11 Glasgow The Stand Comedy Club UK 10/24/11 Glasgow The Stand Comedy Club

BEADY EYE
www.beadyeyemusic.com

It's inevitable, Beady Eye will conquer America this Fall 2011.

Lots of buzz, this post-Oasis band, lead by Liam Gallagher will play some key dates in America, hot off their debut album, Different Gear, Still Speeding. As I have previously warned/mentioned, you have to see this band this early in the stage of their career, otherwise you'll always kick yourself for not seeing them when they were starting out.

I know they're not even coming here until November and December, but you may want to buy tickets now before they sell out. Tickets goes on sale July 15th (Friday), with the exception of San Francisco - that goes on sale July 17th.

November 29 Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
November 30 Seattle, WA @ Showbox Market
December 2 San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
December 3 Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern Theatre
December 5 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
December 6 Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave Ballroom
December 8 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
December 9 New York, NY @ Terminal 5

M83
ilovem83.com

French electro-shoegaze band, M83, aka Anthony Gonzalez, will be touring the US this year. It's been over two years since his last live performance, so people are eagerly awaiting to see him.

General ticket sales are available to purchase today (July 12th), however, if you were a fan, you had early access as early as July 6th. Hopefully, when he comes around Minneapolis, we'll cover him.

Oct. 15 – Mexico City – Corona Capital Festival
Oct. 28 – Washington DC – Black Cat
Oct. 29 – Raleigh, NC – Kings Barcade
Oct. 30 – Asheville, NC – Moog Fest
Oct. 31 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
Nov. 2 – Orlando, FL – The Social
Nov. 4 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
Nov. 5 – Austin, TX – Fun Fun Fun Fest
Nov. 7 – Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent Ballroom
Nov. 9 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
Nov. 10 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent
Nov. 11 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
Nov. 12 – Vancouver, BC – Venue
Nov. 13 – Seattle, WA – Neumos
Nov. 16 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
Nov. 17 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
Nov. 18 – Toronto, ON – Lees Palace
Nov. 19 – Montreal, QC – La TuLipe
Nov. 20 – Boston, MA – Paradise
Nov. 22 – New York, NY – Webster Hall

MARNIE STERN
myspace.com/marniestern1

I wanted to see Marnie Stern's famed "tapping" guitar style (which some people is calling her "Greatest Female Guitarists Of All Time"), but unfortunately, I was out of town when she was here in Minneapolis. She's still on tour, so here are the dates:

09/21 - Hamden, CT @ The Space
09/23 - Toronto, ON @ Wrong Bar*
09/24 - Chicago, IL @ Subterranean*
09/25 - Cleveland, OH @ Happy Dog*
09/27 - Washington, DC @ The Red Palace*
09/28 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church*
09/29 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg*
09/30 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Upstairs*
10/02 - Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theater
10/06 - Sydney, Australia @ Tone
10/07 - Melbourne, Australia @ Northcote Social Club
10/08 - Perth, Australia @ The Bakery
12/07 - London, UK @ XOYO
12/09 - Minehead, UK @ ATP Nightmare Before Christmas+

* w/ No Joy
+ w/ Les Savy Fav, Archers of Loaf, No Age, The Dodos

THAO WITH THE GET DOWN STAY DOWN
thaomusic.com

Speaking of Kill Rock Stars, I missed Thao & Mirah the last time they were here too. This was not my fault, BOBBY's van broke down and Led to Sea had failed me.

It's fine, I've seen them a few times, I still love them. The Get Down Stay Down is returning with Thao this September, minus Mirah:

09/20 - New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
09/21 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
09/22 - Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theater
09/23 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
09/24 - Charlottesville, VA Jefferson Theater
09/25 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Ukie Club
09/26 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
09/27 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
10/03 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Calvin College Fine Arts Center
10/06 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
10/07 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theater
10/09 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
10/10 - Denver, CO @ Gothic Theater
10/18 - Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall
10/19 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
10/20 - Vancouver, BC @ The Commodore Ballroom

THE VACCINES
thevaccines.co.uk

I saw these guys open up for Arctic Monkeys, I have to say "A Lack Of Understanding" sounded great live. I also mentioned that their most energetic song was called "Nørgaard", which the video just debut July 7th via vevo.com. The video features a sexy active Danish girl Amanda Nørgaard playing tennis, skating, bicycling, and bowling.

9/8 Seattle, WA Crocodile Café
9/9 Vancouver, BC Venue
9/10 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
9/13 Los Angeles, CA Music Box
9/14 San Diego, CA The Casbah
9/18 Austin, TX ACL
9/21 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
9/22 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
9/24 Philadelphia, PA Popped Festival
9/25 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
9/27 Toronto, ON Phoenix Concert Theatre
9/28 Montreal, QC Corona
9/30 New York, NY Webster Hall
10/1 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg

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

What about Bobby?

BOBBY
bobbytheband.com

BOBBY joins other one-named people like Thao and Mirah on the road this June. I've previously mentioned this girlie tour via Led to Sea, but I might as well mention the tour dates again (see below).

Honestly, I don't know much about BOBBY, but that's probably just how they like it: elusive and strange. I thought I read it's lead by Tom Greenberg and features members from Mountain Man (an all-girls band). I suppose all the mysteries will be revealed when I see them at the Cedar Cultural Center this June 2^nd.

Free download of "Groggy".

Tour dates with Thao & Mirah:

Jun 2 - Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center Jun 3 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle Jun 5 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace Jun 7 - Cambridge, MA @ TT The Bear's Place Jun 8 - Brooklyn,NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg Jun 9 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church Jun 10 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat Jun 11 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506 Jun 12 - Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle Jun 13 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl		Jun 14 - Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge Jun 15 - St Louis, MO @ Off Broadway Jun 16 - Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar Jun 18 - Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive Jun 19 - Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad Jun 20 - Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room Jun 21 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah Jun 22 - Costa Mesa, CA @ Detroit Bar Jun 23 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music

BOBBY LONG
bobbylong.info

Bobby Long is a British singer/songwriter, who signed with Dave Matthews' record label, ATO Records.

His latest release is called A Winter Tale, recorded in London and produced by Grammy-award winner Liam Watson (The White Stripes). You can preview what he sounds like with a free download of "Penance Fire Blues" via Spinner.

Here is his tour dates:

May 19 Webster Hall New York, NY
May 21 9:30 Club Washington, D.C.
May 26 Wabe Berlin, GER
May 27 Backstage Munich, GER
May 28 Arkadas Theater Cologne, GER
May 29 Sinkkasten Frankfurt, GER
May 30 Logo Hamburg, GER
May 31 Verve Bielefeld, GER
June 1 100 Club London, UK
June 2-5 Mountain Jam Music Festival Hunter, NY
June 10 8 PM "The On Tape Lounge" at Bonnaroo Manchester, TN
June 11 3 PM "Sonic Stage" at Bonnaroo Manchester, TN
June 24-26 DMB Caravan Atlantic City, NJ
July 8-10 DMB Caravan Chicago, IL

BOBBY BIRDMAN
bobbybirdman.com

Bobby Birdman hatched in San Diego, but flew the coop and is nesting in Los Angeles. I am told that he's laying "new s**t" on June 21^st, a 7" called Don't Walk Away, via K Records.

Don't Walk Away was recorded at Dub Narcotic Studio, in Olympia WA (with Selector Dub Narcotic, aka Calvin Johnson). You can listen to Calvin's Dub Walk here.

Listen to the A Side:

Bobby Birdman - Don't Walk Away

He recently wrapped up his tour with YACHT (another favorite K artist of mine), and unfortunately, I think he may have cancelled his Minneapolis appearance.

Birdman's been busy with a bunch of music-related projects, such as remixing Young MC's "Fastest Rhyme" and compising music and sound installations for Geoff McFetridge. He's also contributing tracks to YACHT, Ben Butler and Mousepad, among others.

BOBBY V
www.bobbyvmusic.com

Last March, Bobby V announced that his album, Fly on the Wall, landed on the top 10 of Billboard's Top 200 album (debuted at #4 on the Hip Hop and R&B Chart)!

What's interesting to note is that Bobby V covered another famous 'Bobby', Bobby Brown's "Rock Wit'Cha". The song definitely helped the album reach its top ten status.... especially because Bobby Brown gave big approvals on the cover song.

Fly on the Wall was released March 22^nd, via Capitol Records and Blu Kolla Dreams label.

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

Thao and Mirah with The Most of All at the Cedar Cutural Center, Minneapolis (7/1/10)

Tour Dates 07/03/10 The Bottleneck Lawrence, KS* 07/05/10 Hi Dive Denver, CO* 07/07/10 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT* 07/10/10 Mississippi Studios Portland, OR 07/17/10 Edgefield Troutdale, OR 07/18/10 Paramount Theatre Seattle, WA 07/19/10 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, BC 07/20/10 Bing Crosby Theatre Spokane, WA 07/23/10 Verdi Club San Francisco, CA * with Mirah Read More Thao and the Get Down Stay Down http://weheartmus... There's a lot of buzz around this singer, Thao Nguyen and the Get Down Stay Down (seriously, jus...

Fellas, if you were wondering where all the women were on the night of July 1^st in Minneapolis, they were all at the Cedar Cultural Center to see Thao Nguyen and Mirah Zeitlyn.

Opening up for them were These United States (official / myspace), a band that I almost considered writing an article with The Presidents of the United States. They seem to have a love and history for Dinkytown in Minneapolis, as Jesse Elliott awkwardly deliver these stories between songs. One thing is for sure, they were certainly happy to be there that night as they've admitted that they've played some "sh** dive bars". Mirah and Thao and the Most of All, all joined These United States on stage to do a jamboree epic end song.

So, I'll try and quickly summarize Thao and Mirah for you, if you're not familiar with their music. To me, the two artist are somewhat different. I'll give you some examples, Mirah's work seems to be about nature and the Earth, while Thao's music are somewhat biographical, and lately, more fun/dancy. Even the two's singing style are different: Mirah is more melodic and quiet, while Thao's singing style is erratic. To hear them singing each other's songs, in an almost cover lover lovefest, it's so weird to me.

 

Thao Nguyen - Feet Asleep

Often the songs are done as duets, like on "Feet Asleep", which Mirah started, but Thao ended the song with the second stanza. I've never really thought the song needed another singer, but it really works live.

The highlight of their set, was definitely their finale, "Gone Are the Days", dubbed "the Disco song". This is just an amazing song, done live. Everyone, including These United States were on stage, singing, laughing, dancing, and having a great time.

♥ Thao and Mirah

♥ "Gone are all the Days"

Mirah - Gone Are All the Days (Disco Mix)

Mirah

I would also like to take this opportunity to mention that you can get this special disco mix of "Gone Are The Days", as well as five other remixes (Instrumental Mix, Doulgeris remix, Vox Only, Shawn Parke Remix, and Reduced Instrumental) as the first of K Records' very special Zip-Pak service. I've previously mentioned that it's $50, but you get about 50 EPs (this new service replaces the monthly singles club that were popular in the 90s).

If you're a Mirah collector, you'll want to pay attention to the two exclusive remixes, Shawn Parke (which, incidentally had a silent 45 seconds at the end) and Reduced Instrumental, which is only available as part of this massive 120mb download. Personally, I can't get enough of "Gone Are The Days" and each remix, with the exception of the instrumentals, does it correctly by not distracting from Mirah's beautiful vocals. I've heard too many remixes that gets it wrong by just putting techno beats and totally destroying the vocals. And as much as I like disco, I'll have to say that the Doulgeris remix is probably the best among the bunch.

Next week, July 8^th, the K Singles Zip-Pak will feature Electric Sunset, a band that I'm not familiar with, but I'm definitely going to check it out. And that's really the point of the K Singles club, for you to discover K's other bands.

 07/03/2010 17:17:44 ♥ vu () ♥ thaomusic.com ♥ myspace.com/cmonmirah

 

 

The Blow & YACHT

Yo, any Northwesterners here to represent?    

 

 

I lived in Olympia, Washington for a few years and will be moving back next month.  To prepare myself for reintegration, I’ve been getting back into the Northwest sounds.  One of my personal favorites is Mirah.  But, recently I’ve gotten into the electro-poppy sounds of The Blow.  Khaela Maricich (former member of The Microphones, visual artist, woman of the world) hooked with Jona Bechtolt (only member of YACHT, Urban Honking co-creator, man of the town) for the LP Paper Television (2006).   

 

 

Pile Of Gold

The Blow

The catchiest tune on the album would be, by far, ‘Pile of Gold.’  When I heard this song I realized what a treasure it was I was sitting on and decided to get to a bank post haste.  All the songs on the album are a pleasure, really, and I have fallen in love with each one separately and change weekly which one to have on repeat.

 

 

So Post All 'Em

YACHT

 

 

As I mentioned previously, Jona goes by the pseudonym YACHT for his musical creations.  Just this year he came out with the album I Believe In You.  Your Magic is Real.   The title is a combination of the names of two separate songs on the CD.  The song I chose to share, “So Post ‘Em All”, is off of this new album which I would call a lo-fi electronic fiasco.   I’ve neglected to mention some talented NW artists who I hope to cover in later posts. 

 

-  The Valley Girl

 

Make It Hot (Over Remix)

Mirah

Bonus track:  For other Mirah enthusiasts out there, here’s a mix YACHT did of her song “Make It Hot.”  It’s called the Over and Over version for good reason.