W♥M (Archive)

Whitney at First Avenue, Minneapolis (17 Oct 2019)

Whitney at First Ave Whitney Setlist Polly No Matter Where We Go Giving Up Dave's Song On My Own The Falls Rhododendron Forever Turned Around Only Love Can Break Your Heart (Neil Young cover) Golden Days Before I Know It Follow -- Encore -- Used to Be Lonely Southern Nights (Allen Toussaint cover) No Woman Valleys (My Love) Read More Whitney Newcomers Whitney (not to be confused with the late Whitney Houston) to open. Whitney is led by drummer/vocalist Julien Ehrlich, previously from Unknown Mortal Orchestra. ..… Lala Lala Chicago’s Lala Lala (Lillie West, Karla Bernasconi, Abby Black) opened up the show. The band had a DIY girl rock sound to them and their music seemed to fit in really well with the Girlpool audience. …

Chicago band Whitney headlined First Avenue in Minneapolis on October 17.

Opening up was Lala Lala, the music project of songwriter Lillie West. The interesting thing about West is that she was raised in London, but her family relocated to Los Angeles, when she was a teenager. She got deeply involved in the Illinois music scene, while attending the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

We first saw Lala Lala in October 2017 and said, “The band had a DIY girl rock sound to them and their music seemed to fit in really well with the Girlpool audience. They ended their brief 30-minute set featured many songs from their debut record Sleepyhead, ending with ‘Future Flower’, a song that they’ve confessed had never been attempted to play live before.”

We saw them again earlier this year, in March 2019 and wrote, “The band’s downtempo sound amid often dark lyrics is still evolving and hearing the new single early in the set, helped prove that. West reminisced after playing it, about coming to Minneapolis just after forming the band, and playing a memorable house party, marked by someone casually walking around in a Mozart costume.”

Lala Lala played a combination of their 2016 debut Sleepyhead and their new album The Lamb (Hardly Art), including single “Siren 042” on their 40-min set.

Whitney closed out the show. The most interesting thing about this Chicago band is that their singer is actually their drummer, Julien Ehrlich. We saw the group in May 2016, stating “The second they took the stage, there was something familiar about them. Come to find out that two members of this band (Max Kakacek and Julian Ehrlich) are actually former members of The Smith Westerns (RIP). These guys had joined forces with members of a few other Chicago groups to form Whitney.”

We soon realized that, in fact, the band is actually from the ashes of Smith Westerns… who we saw in August 2013: “Smith-Westerns took to the stage after 10 pm and kicked in to “Fool Proof,” off of Soft Will. The guys played well despite the oppressive heat (lead singer Cullen Omori, who was dressed in an ultra-thin, billowy shirt, looked like he might melt under the stage lights) and end-of-tour fatigue.”

Still relatively new in their 2019 tour for their brand new album Forever Turned Around (Secretly Canadian), the band seemed eager to play on stage. They were all handsomely dressed, complete with a full backing band.

Looking at their setlist, you can see that they played their new single, “Giving Up” early, with a nice cover of Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart”, midway in their set.

Remaining tour dates:

10/19/2019 Slowdown Omaha, NE
10/21/2019 Ogden Theatre Denver, CO
10/23/2019 Metro Music Hall Salt Lake City, UT
10/24/2019 Knitting Factory Concert House Boise, ID
10/25/2019 Columbia City Theatre Seattle, WA
10/25/2019 The Neptune Seattle, WA
10/26/2019 Venue Nightclub Vancouver, BC
10/27/2019 Revolution Hall Portland, OR
10/30/2019 Big Room Chico, CA
11/01/2019 Revolution Hall Portland, OR
11/02/2019 The Wiltern Los Angeles, CA
11/21/2019 Le Trabendo Paris, France
11/23/2019 Whitney SWX Bristol Bristol
11/25/2019 Cambridge Junction Cambridge
11/26/2019 The Rescue Rooms Nottingham
11/28/2019 Albert Hall Manchester
11/29/2019 Roundhouse London
12/01/2019 The Academy Dublin, Ireland
12/05/2019 Thalia Hall Chicago, IL
12/06/2019 Thalia Hall Chicago, IL
12/07/2019 Thalia Hall Chicago, IL
12/08/2019 Thalia Hall Chicago, IL

Lala Lala

Lala Lala

Lala Lala

Whitney

Whitney

Whitney at First Avenue, Minneapolis (17 Oct 2019)

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

Minneapolis: March 25 to March 26, 2016

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from March 25 to March 26, 2016.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Young Fathers I'm told that this show will likely sell out, so grab your ticket now. The Edinburgh-based rock/pop group, who won the Mercury Prize for their album Dead in 2014, is in the USA in support of their latest album ....

YOUNG FATHERS
with HXLT
at Fine Line Music Cafe
Friday, 03/25/16, 8pm ($15/$17)
finelinemusic.com

Scotland’s Young Fathers is back in the USA - mostly touring around the Coachella Music Festival. We caught the Mercury Prize-winning band last May 2015, and noted, “Energy from the three singer, all with different styles, remained consisting high, often dancing too hard and sweating throughout their nearly hour long set.”

The trio (‘G’ Hastings, Alloysious Massaquoi and Kayus Bankole) recently collaborated with Massive Attack for “Voodoo In My Blood,” which you can watch on youtube.

Opening the show will be HXLT, which Pitchfork described as “an undeniable live performer, full of charisma.”

Tour dates:

Mar 22 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
Mar 23 Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
Mar 25 Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Cafe
Mar 26 Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
Mar 27 Ann Arbor, MI - Blind Pig
Mar 30 Toronto, ON, Canada - Horseshoe Tavern
Mar 31 Montreal, QC - Théâtre Fairmount
Apr 01 Allston, MA - Great Scott
Apr 02 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall Of Williamsburg
Apr 03 Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel
Apr 06 Atlanta, GA - Aisle 5
Apr 08 Dallas, TX - Do214's 3 Year Anniversary Party at RBC
Apr 09 San Antonio, TX - Maverick Festival
Apr 15 San Francisco, CA - Mezzanine
Apr 17 Indio, CA – Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
Apr 24 Indio, CA - Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
May 28 Liverpool, UK - Liverpool Waters

+ Notes Tour Dates Supporting Massive Attack

Read More Judah & the Lion Nashville based trio Judah & the Lion (not to be confused with Daniel & the Lion) is on tour in support of their full-length studio album Kids These Days entered Billboard's Heatseekers chart at #2 and the Folk Albums …

JUDAH AND THE LION
at Varsity Theater
Saturday, 03/26/16, 7pm ($15/$17)
varsitytheater.org

Nashville’s Judah & The Lion is back in town, supporting their sophomore album Folk Hop N Roll. The record entered the Billboard’s Heatseekers Album Chart at an impressive #2 and #1 on the Heatseekers South Central!

That’s not really a surprise considering we first caught them in 2014 and was blown away by their growing fanbase: “Many of their songs got their most dedicated fans to help sing along, especially on "Back's Against the Wall", where Akers stopped a second to hear his fans finish the lyrics... with the biggest grin on his face.”

Opening the show will be The Saint Johns. The Saint Johns is a duo who are quickly gaining popularity and have a new album, Dead of Night, which came out 4th. Their music has been featured on "Sons of Anarchy", "Nashville", and many other popular television shows. They have also had an appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman".

Tour dates:

03/22 Turner Hall in Milwaukee, WI
03/23 20th Century Theatre in Cincinnati, OH
03/24 Deluxe in Indianapolis, IN
03/25 Metro in Chicago, IL
03/26 Varsity Theater in Minneapolis, MN
03/29 Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland, OH
03/30 World Café Live in Philadelphia, PA
03/31 Gramercy Theatre in New York, NY
04/01 Sinclair in Boston, MA
04/02 Hamilton in Washington, DC
04/05 Off Broadway in St. Louis, MO
04/06 George’s Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville, AR
04/07 Granada Theater in Dallas, TX
04/08 Parish Room in Austin, TX
04/09 Warehouse Live Studio in Houston, TX
04/13 Common Grounds in Waco, TX
04/14 Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, OK
04/15 Waiting Room in Omaha, NE
04/16 Gothic Theatre in Englewood, CO
04/26 Complex in Salt Lake City, UT
04/19 Loft in La Jolla, CA
04/20 Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA
04/21 Chapel in San Francisco, CA
04/22 Doug Fir Lounge in Portland, OR
04/23 Crocodile in Seattle, WA
04/24 Hi-Fi Music Hall in Eugene, OR
04/26 Complex in Salt Lake City, UT
05/20-05/22 Hangout Festival in Gulf Shores, AL
06/09-06/12 @ Bonnaroo in Manchester, AL

Read More Smith-Westerns It’s been two years since Chicago’s fuzzy dreamsicles Smith-Westerns dropped some teenage kicks on our skulls with their effervescent single “Weekend” and it’s equally energetic album Dye It Blonde. … Suzie And also local artist Suzie, aka Mark Ritsema, with his new album Born Single. Tour Dates 10/04 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry % ....

CULLEN OMORI
at 7th Street Entry
Saturday, 03/26/16, 8pm ($12/$14)
first-avenue.com

After the 2014 breakup of Smith Westerns, singer Cullen Omori decided to strike out on his own as a solo artist. His debut New Misery recently came out (March 18th) on Sub Pop Records.

We previously caught Smith Westerns before they broke up in 2013, and wrote, “The guys played well despite the oppressive heat (lead singer Cullen Omori, who was dressed in an ultra-thin, billowy shirt, looked like he might melt under the stage lights) and end-of-tour fatigue. Affable jams like ‘Best Friend’ and ‘White Oath’ worked well alongside choice cuts from the band’s breakout album 2011’s Dye It Blonde like the spritely ‘End of the Night,’ ‘Fallen in Love’ and a favorite of mine, ‘Smile.’”

Omori is currently on his “Sad Guy No More” tour with Canadian dream pop band Living Hour. Living Hour’s self-titled album is out now on Lefse.

Opening the show will be local “post-gender” artist Suzie.

Tour dates:

03/24/16 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
03/25/16 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon
03/26/16 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry
03/28/16 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge
03/29/16 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
03/30/16 Boise, ID Neurolux
04/02/16 Vancouver, BC Fortune Sound Club
04/03/16 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
04/05/16 San Francisco, CA The Independent
04/07/16 Los Angeles, CA Teragram Ballroom
04/08/16 San Diego, CA The Casbah
04/09/16 Phoenix, AZ Valley Bar
04/11/16 Austin, TX Stubb's Bar-B-Q
04/12/16 Dallas, TX The Prophet Bar
04/13/16 Houston, TX Raven Tower
04/15/16 Atlanta, GA The EARL
04/16/16 Nashville, TN High Watt
04/17/16 Columbus, OH Basement
04/18/16 Washington, DC DC9
04/19/16 Philadelphia, PA Boot & Saddle
04/21/16 Allston, MA Great Scott
04/22/16 New York, NY The Bowery Ballroom
04/23/16 Montreal, QC Divan Orange
04/24/16 Toronto, ON Horseshoe Tavern
04/27/16 Rock Island, IL Rozz Tox

Read More Jonathan Richman Whether you think Jonathan Richman is an untrained genius or an overrated man-child, you can’t deny that he’s entertaining…

JONATHAN RICHMAN
at Cedar Cultural Center
Saturday, 03/26/16, 7pm ($15/$20)
thecedar.org

Look, we just love Jonathan Richman, okay? The last time we caught the loveable singer, it was in 2012 and we had this to say, “Jonathan Richman has the kind of rock ‘n roll holiness reserved for someone like Leonard Cohen. But where Cohen is all hushed poetic passages and melancholy overtures, Richman inspires the kind of reaction that could only be found in a Baptist church on a Sunday morning. Dressed in yoga pants and slippers, with a long-sleeved green shirt over a black and white striped shirt, Richman padded across the Cedar Cultural Center’s stage looking like a Parisian street corner balladeer, his arms wide open ready to embrace the entire audience. An excited young fan near the front held up a glittery and feathered sign (“Jonathan, be my little dinosaur”) and Richman pointed at it and smiled and then patted his chest in gratitude as the entire room erupted in applause.”

As usual, he’s joined by Tommy Larkins on drums. The two are irresistible together.

Tour dates:

03/20/16 Edmonton, AB The Brixx Bar & Grill
03/21/16 Saskatoon, SK Amigos Cantina
03/23/16 Winnipeg, MB The Good Will
03/24/16 Duluth, MN Sacred Heart Music Center
03/25/16 Winona, MN Ed's No-Name Bar
03/26/16 Minneapolis, MN Cedar Cultural Center
03/27/16 Milwaukee, WI Shank Hall
03/29/16 Cleveland, OH Survival Kit Gallery
03/30/16 Ithaca, NY The Haunt
03/31/16 Brooklyn, NY The Bell House
04/01/16 Brooklyn, NY The Bell House
04/02/16 Northampton, MA Pearl Street
04/03/16 Portland, ME SPACE Gallery
04/05/16 Pawtucket, RI The Met
04/06/16 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer
04/07/16 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
04/08/16 Charlotte, NC Evening Muse
04/09/16 Asheville, NC The Altamont Brewing Company
04/10/16 Nashville, TN The Basement East
04/12/16 Springfield, MO Patton Alley Pub
04/13/16 Norman, OK Opolis

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

Smith-Westerns with Strange Names at the Varsity Theater 8/20/13

Listen Read More Smith-Westerns It’s been two years since Chicago’s fuzzy dreamsicles Smith-Westerns dropped some teenage kicks on our skulls with their effervescent single “Weekend” and it’s equally energetic album Dye It Blonde. …

Chicago indie band Smith-Westerns broke through the humidity Tuesday evening with a short and sweet set at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis. The band were rounding out a tour promoting their latest record Soft Will with the Minneapolis show being the final one.

STRANGE NAMES

Opening for the dream-pop quintet were local band Strange Names who brought a satisfying brand of R&B-flavored pop (think 80s staples ABC or Heaven 17) to the stage. Songs like “Strange Revelation” and the bouncing “My Sharona”-like bass of “Minor Times” prove why this band was has been stirring up a lot of buzz lately.

Smith-Westerns took to the stage after 10 pm and kicked in to “Fool Proof,” off of Soft Will. The guys played well despite the oppressive heat (lead singer Cullen Omori, who was dressed in an ultra-thin, billowy shirt, looked like he might melt under the stage lights) and end-of-tour fatigue. Affable jams like “Best Friend” and “White Oath” worked well alongside choice cuts from the band’s breakout album 2011’s Dye It Blonde like the spritely “End of the Night,” “Fallen in Love” and a favorite of mine, “Smile.” They also tossed in a track from their first album (2009’s self-titled), a garage-y Ramones-style tune. The sweetly synthed “Varsity” saw Omori’s airy vocals soar and fan-favorite “Weekend” brought the set to a close.

Smith-Westerns will take a four week break before returning on the road on their European tour:

Sep 17 100 Club London, UK
Sep 18 Deaf Institute Manchester, UK
Sep 20 Incubate Festival Tilburg, Netherlands
Sep 21 Paradiso Amsterdam, Netherlands
Sep 22 Botanique Sint Joost Ten Node, Belgium
Sep 23 Le Point Ephemere Paris, France
Sep 25 Magnet Berlin, Germany
Sep 26 Repperbahn Festival Hamburg, Germany
Sep 27 Vega Copenhagen, Denmark
Sep 28 Radar Århus, Denmark

Smith-Westerns at the Varsity Theater, Minneapolis (08/20/13)

emily () ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ smithwesternsmusic.com

Western Life

Read More Smith-Westerns From what I can tell, there was a lot of buzz about this Smith-Westerns band when their album, Dye it Blond, was released earlier this year. One listen to "Only One" and I understood why: they're quite good! …

SMITH-WESTERNS
smithwesternsmusic.com

It’s been two years since Chicago’s fuzzy dreamsicles Smith-Westerns dropped some teenage kicks on our skulls with their effervescent single “Weekend” and it’s equally energetic album Dye It Blonde. Hard to believe the band were little more than teenagers when they started in 2007 - their debut owes more to scuzzy 60s garage-rock than to the dream-pop that would appear on their next record. But don’t let those baby faces fool you; these guys know what they’re doing. The band’s third LP Soft Will, released back in June, sees members Max Kacacek (guitar), Cullen Omari (vocals) and Cameron Omari (bass) crafting a more sophisticated sound. The songs certainly have a bit more restraint to them, but still have that lovely, undulating melody that’s both thoughtful and head-noddingly catchy. And maybe it’s because I just got home from seeing the new Big Star documentary Nothing Can Hurt Me, but when I hear Cullen sing, I can hear Big Star’s Chris Bell with his piercing, melancholic vocals somewhere inside.

Be sure and catch Smith-Westerns at the Varsity Theater on August 20th. If you can’t make it, do yourself a favor and check out the great homage to the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” video the band did for their single “Idol” available at their website.

Tour dates:

08/05 + Kansas City, MO - The Riot Room
08/06 + Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
08/07 + Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
08/09 + San Francisco, CA – Outside Lands Festival
08/10 + Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
08/11 + Pomona, CA - The Glass House
08/12 + San Diego, CA – Casbah
08/15 + Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
08/16 + Seattle, WA - The Crocodile
08/17 + Vancouver, BC - Electric Owl
08/20 + Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
10/04-10/06 + Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Festival
10/11-10/13 + Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Festival

BALMORHEA
balmorheamusic.com

Austin's Balmorhea just kicked off their West Coast tour this month, August. They don't have a new album, but with over five LPs, including their 2012's Strangers on Western Vinyl, they should have more than enough material to work with.

Check out "Pyrakantha" from Strangers:



Tour dates:

08.03 • Echo (Los Angeles, CA)
08.04 • Bottom of the Hill (San Francisco, CA)
08.08 • Mississippi Studios (Portland, OR)
08.09 • Columbia City Theater (Seattle, WA)
08.10 • Shakedown (Bellingham, WA)
08.11 • Rickshaw Theater (Vancouver, BC)
08.15 • Live Oak Music Hall (Ft. Worth, Texas)
08.16 • Mohawk (Austin, TX)

AISHA BURNS
aishaburns.com

Speaking of Balmorhea, Aisha Burns is their resident violinist and occasional vocalist for the band. It would seem that her Western Vinyl debut record, Life in the Midwater, is coming out September 17th. You can check out two songs on NPR.org right now. NP describe her music as "delicate intimacy".

I am going to assume she's out on tour with Balmorhea, so see dates above.

Life in the Midwater track listing:

1. Sold
2. Midwater
3. Shelly
4. Gatekeeper
5. Discerpo
6. Requiem
7. Mine to Bear
8. Destroyer
9. Nothing

emily () + vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com

Go western

Read More Ghost Towns of the West I did like the fact that names like Ghost Towns of the West, Chiefs of the North, and Red Daughters, seems to suggest...

The theme of the day is obviously 'west'. So, go ahead and put on that Village People song.

Go west, life is peaceful there
Go west, lots of open air
Go west, to begin life new
Go west, this is what we'll do

GHOST TOWNS OF THE WEST
myspace.com/ghosttownsofthewest

Earlier this year, I did manage to catch this band, Ghost Towns of the West, at their debut EP release party.

Well, they are back with a gorgeous 7", "Robust" b/w "Mr. Loewe" - officially released today, November 22nd. I did get a copy to look at, the vinyl etching reads "NOISELAND", which I thought was a message from the band, but it is actually a local manufacturer.

If you want to check them out live, or pick up a 7", they'll be playing at Fine Line Music Café this Saturday, November 26, 2011, along with Chiefs of the North, Little Man, and Stereo Pirates.

You can actually listen to both Ed Ackerson-produced songs at bandcamp, and looking over their setlist, they did play both these songs live. I quickly listen to the songs, on "Robust", about the 2 minute mark is an excellent bassline that can't be missed!

SMITH WESTERNS
smithwesternsmusic.com

From what I can tell, there was a lot of buzz about this band when their album, Dye it Blond, was released earlier this year. One listen to "Only One" and I understood why: they're quite good!

Before heading back into the studio to record a follow-up to Dye it Blond, they are going to do a tiny 2012 tour:

Fri 1/27 TORONTO, ON Horseshoe *#
Sat 1/28 MONTREAL, PQ Il Motore *#
Sun 1/29 BOSTON, MA Paradise *#
Tue 1/31 NEW YORK, NY Webster Hall *#
Wed 2/1 WASHINGTON, DC Black Cat *#
Fri 2/3 CHICAGO, IL Metro *#
Sat 2/4 MILWAUKEE, WI Turner Hall *#

# = w/ Porcelain Raft
* = w/ Bleached

GO WEST
gowest.org.uk

Do you remember that British pop duo from the 80s called Go West? Of course you do. Fresh from a massively successful tour through Australia, Malaysia and the Philippines, it looks like they'll be back home in the UK with some dates.

The nationwide UK tour is to coincide with their brand new studio album, 3D.

Robin 2, Wolverhampton (Dec 7)
The Stables, Milton Keynes (Dec 8-9)
o2 ABC Glasgow (Dec 13)
o2 Academy Liverpool (Dec 14)
o2 Academy Sheffield (Dec 16)
o2 Academy Newcastle (Dec 17)
o2 Academy Oxford (Dec 20)
o2 Academy Birmingham (Dec 21)
London o2 Shepherd's Bush Empire (Dec 22)

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