W♥M (Archive)

Sinead O'Connor: Take Me to Church

Read More Sinead O'Connor Over the topsy-turvy course of the last two decades Sinéad O’Connor has been known more for her erratic behavior and a myriad of controversies (most recently her online feud with Miley Cyrus) …

As you know, I'm a huge Sinéad O'Connor fan, having steadily followed her career since the late 80s (you can read more about my journey of discovery here). We recently covered her "American Kindness Tour" in 2013, to catch her at a rare US appearance in support of her How About I Be Me (and You Be You) (2012) album... but she's remained relatively quiet since then.

The good news is that O'Connor is back with a new album I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss, due this Fall, on a new label, Nettwerk Records. While I'm saddened about her departure from One Little Indian Records, I am excited to see where Nettwerk takes her.

To preview the new album, the label is offering to let us hear the preceding new single "Take Me to Church." The new single sounds surprisingly upbeat and happy, with plenty of electric guitars. The preview song also sounded woefully incomplete - fading out at exactly the three minute mark. I didn't get the whole picture, maybe there's more to be heard and seen, once August roll around.

I don't expect Sinéad O'Connor to tour in support of the new album. She's previously stated how she's got children and touring is long and difficult, but she also realized that live music performance is the only way to make money in the modern age. Even if there are no plans for touring, I'm still pretty excited to see that a new O'Connor album will be out this year.

Look for I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss on August 11th, 2014, via Nettwerk Records.

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

The Final SXSW 2014

Read More SXSW This is PART TWO of SXSW 2014 Preview for the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, starting next week. I believe this may be the last of the SXSW previews... …

South by Southwest (SXSW) Music is next week: March 11-16th. Since March 1st, I've received about 200 emails with the subject header of "SXSW", and I have to say (and you'll agree with me), that I'm already I'm sick sick sick of hearing about it! So this is the final SXSW article. What a relief.

This is PART THREE of SXSW 2014 Preview. Read more SXSW 2014 Showcases and SXSW 2014 Preview. As usual, many of these items below were already posted on news.weheartmusic.com.

GRANDSTAND
grandstandhq.com

This is a free show, no RSVP required. There's food trucks, free tattoos and Third Man Rolling Record Store will be featured outside the Sailor Jerry House (1504 E. 6th ST) on March 12th.

Lineup:

12:00PM Thus Owls
12:30PM Quiet Life
1:15PM GreyLag
2:00PM Soft White Sixties
3:00PM Public Service Broadcasting
3:45PM Promised Land Sound
4:30PM Creative Adult
5:30PM Bleeding Rainbow
6:15PM The Coathangers

I'm really keen on these Grandstand bands (particularly The Coathangers). We've previously written about Thus Owls, Quiet Life, Public Service Broadcasting, Bleeding Rainbow, and The Coathangers.

Boys vs Girls

BOY
listentoboy.com

Upcoming live 'Little Numbers' from Boy… who are anything but

The Swiss-German Pop female duo that can definitely be considered buzzworthy starts a brief U.S. Tour shortly, which includes two-night stands in both Minneapolis and Chicago.

Singer Valeska Steiner (Swiss) and bassist Sonja Milena Glass (German) met randomly at a music course 8 years ago, initially playing concerts exclusively before being signed to a label run by Herbert Grönemeyer, who happens to be Germany's most successful artist. And, yes, they sing in all English, so no language barriers here.

The North American release of their debut, 'Mutual Friends' via Nettwerk Records on February 26, 2013 brings them to our shores for the first time, headed by the lead single, 'Little Numbers', which has been garnering frequent radio airplay locally, and much of the album is shouldered by the drumming of Phoenix's Thomas Hedlund.

A chance to see an new band on an upward arc in small venues, which will definitely appeal to fans of Feist, ...(a feistier) Suzanne Vega, and maybe parts of The Pretenders.

03/01 New York, NY @ Joe's Pub 03/02 Brooklyn, NY @ Union Hall 03/04 Seattle, WA @ Triple Door 03/06 San Francisco, CA @ Swedish American Hall 03/08 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour 03/09 San Diego, CA @ The Loft 03/13 – 03/16 Austin, TX @ SXSW

03/18 Minneapolis, MN @ Bryant Lake Bowl 03/19 Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center 03/20 Chicago, IL @ Schubas 03/21 Chicago, IL @ Schubas 03/27 Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live 03/28 Vienna, VA @ Jammin' Java 03/29 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

GIRLS NAMES
tumblr.com

Girls Names is the latest band to be signed to our favorite indie label, Slumberland Records.

Belfast-based four-piece will be releasing The New Life on March 12th, 2013. Their debut album, Dead to Me, was critically acclaimed by various music outlets, including popular Pitchfork and NME.

Singer and songwriter, Cathal Cully, had this to say about the new album, "The New Life is not an over night change for Girls Names - just over two years in fact. Dead to Me literally was dead to us by the time it was committed to wax. But it's a learning curve. We started moving on as artists the moment we finished that recording session, maybe even before. Not to dwell on the past, The New Life is what happens when you reset everything back to zero and start again, but try to perfect. It starts back at zero the minute the needle hits the groove but we're also starting back from zero once the needle lifts at the end of the record. Ad infinitum. The New Life is what follows now."

Girls Names will appear at SXSW this year at The Iron Bear on March 13th. No words yet on a mini-USA tour, but it's inevitable.

Current tour dates:

02/21 The Grand Social Dublin, Ireland 02/22 The Cockpit Leeds, UK 02/24 Broadcast Glasgow, UK 02/25 Castle Hotel Manchester, UK 02/26 Sebright Arms London, UK 02/27 Point Ephémère Paris, France 03/02 Sala Apolo Barcelona, Spain

03/03 Astoria Turin, Italy 03/04 Circolo Degli Artisti Rome, Italy 03/05 Mascotte Zürich, Switzerland 03/06 Muz Club Nuremberg, Germany 03/08 Magnet Club Berlin, Germany 03/09 De Nieuwe Anita Amsterdam 03/10 Les Ateliers Claus Brussels, Belgium

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

Hey hey, my my. Rock and roll can never die.

HEY OCEAN!
loveheyocean.com

Vancouver's Hey Ocean! is out on tour in support of their latest album, IS, out now on Nettwerk Records. The trio will suspiciously be in the Texas area around SXSW … although this is normal because venues and schedules aren't finalized until closer to the actual date.

03/10/13 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
03/11/13 Englewood, CO @ Moe’s
03/13/13 Dallas, TX @ The Door
03/19/13 San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
03/22/13 Jacksonville, FL @ Phoenix Taproom
03/23/13 St. Petersburg, FL @ Local 662
03/24/13 Orlando, FL @ Backbooth
03/26/13 Atlanta, GA @ Purgatory Room
03/29/13 Philadelphia, PA @ Ortlieb's Jazzhaus
03/30/13 Hamden, CT @ The Space
03/31/13 Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
04/01/13 New York, NY @ Studio At Webster Hall
04/02/13 Ewing, NJ @ The Ratskeller
04/03/13 Akron, OH @ Musica
04/04/13 Lansing, MI @ Mac's Bar
04/06/13 Chicago, IL @ Township
04/07/13 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
04/09/13 Billings, MT @ The Railyard

HEY MARSEILLES
heymarseilles.com

Hey Marseilles is from Seattle, currently signed to Onto/Thirty Tigers. The band is releasing their sophomore album Lines We Trace this March 5th.

Hear a the lead single "Elegy" on Soundcloud:



NPR's World Café recently called the "folkestra" sextet as their "Next" artist. You can listen for yourself on NPR.org.

Their people confirmed that they are indeed playing SXSW this year.

Tour dates:

02/27/13 Vancouver, BC Waldorf Hotel 03/01/13 Seattle, WA Showbox At The Market 03/02/13 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater 03/05/13 San Francisco, CA The Chapel 03/06/13 Los Angeles, CA The Satellite 03/07/13 San Diego, CA Soda Bar 03/11/13 Houston, TX Fitzgerald's - Downstairs 03/20/13 New Orleans, LA Breezy's 03/21/13 Birmingham, AL WorkPlay Theatre   03/22/13 Atlanta, GA Vinyl At Center Stage 03/23/13 Nashville, TN High Watt 03/26/13 Arlington, VA IOTA Club & Cafe

03/27/13 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's 03/28/13 New York, NY Mercury Lounge 03/29/13 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall 03/30/13 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Music Hall 04/03/13 Evanston, IL SPACE 04/04/13 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry 04/05/13 Ames, IA The Maintenance Shop 04/06/13 St. Louis, MO Off Broadway Nightclub 04/09/13 Denver, CO Hi-Dive 04/11/13 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court 04/13/13 Garden City, ID Visual Arts Collective 04/19/13 Spokane, WA Whitworth College

QUADRON quadronmusic.com Danish electronic soul/pop duo Quadron is coming out with a new album this Spring. In the meantime, the band is offering a new single, "Hey Love". Hear it on Soundcloud.com.

HEY ANNA tumblr.com New York's Hey Anna is a sister-act of Anna and Erin on keyboards/rhythm guitar and Katie on bass (the rest of the band consists of Andrew Smolin and Matthew Langner). I would place a bet that the band was named after Anna Rauch-Sasseen.

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