W♥M (Archive)

Minneapolis: July 01 to July 04, 2017

Here are some concerts taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from July 01 to July 04, 2017.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Chastity Belt One of Seattle's most talked-about bands Chastity Belt will be in Minneapolis at the Cedar Cultural Center next Wednesday, June 24, in support of their sophomore album Time to Go Home, out now on Hardly Art. …

CHASTITY BELT
at 7th Street Entry
Saturday 07/01/17 (8pm/$12)
first-avenue.com

Chastity Belt is back in town to support their new album I Used To Spend So Much Time Alone (Hardly Art) at the 7th Street Entry on Saturday, July 1st. We previously saw the all-girls band (Julia Shapiro, Gretchen Grimm, Lydia Lund, Annie Truscott) at Triple Rock Social Club in June 2015 and wrote, “Songs like ‘Drone’ and ‘IDC’ showcased some sophisticated guitar work as well as some snarky lyrical commentary. They were also often endearingly introduced by Truscott who would look over at Shapiro and Lund, grinning, and say something like, ‘This is a song about sluts. Cool sluts.’”

Darren Hanlon to open.

Tour Dates:

06/25/2017 The Mothlight Asheville, NC
06/27/2017 Purgatory Atlanta, GA
06/28/2017 Drkmttr Nashville, TN
06/29/2017 Off Broadway Nightclub St. Louis, MO
06/30/2017 Gabe's Iowa City, IA
07/01/2017 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, MN
07/29/2017 Obsidian Olympia, WA
07/30/2017 Outer Space Arcata, CA
07/31/2017 Arlene Francis Center Santa Rosa, CA
08/02/2017 Strummer's Fresno, CA
08/03/2017 Teragram Ballroom Los Angeles, CA
08/04/2017 Space San Diego, CA
08/07/2017 Constellation Room Santa Ana, CA
08/08/2017 Velvet Jones Santa Barbara, CA
08/09/2017 The Crepe Place Santa Cruz, CA
08/11/2017 Star Theater Portland, OR
08/12/2017 Roebling Point Ent Covington, KY
09/14/2017 The Garage London

Read More Bleachers Anyway, Charli XCX is doing a co-headlining tour with Bleachers this summer, stopping by the Cabooze Plaza in Minneapolis next Tuesday. …

GO FEST ‘17
at Cabooze Plaza
Sunday 07/02/17 (1pm/$29.96)
cabooze.com

This year’s Go Fest is taking place at the outdoor Cabooze Plaza with headliner Bleachers. Please note that the event starts at 1pm and closes out around 9pm due to noise ordinance from the city.

We saw MuteMath in April 2016 and it was one of the most entertaining and memorable shows we’ve seen that year.

Lineup:

Bleachers

MuteMath

The Unlikely Candidates

The Naked And Famous

Muna

Local stage will feature:

Step Rockets

Whosah

Jeanne Taylor

Music between sets will be by

Miles the DJ

Read More Miike Snow Miike Snow is touring in support their latest LP, Happy to You. The record is now available via Downtown Records/Universal Republic on iTunes and Amazon. …

MIIKE SNOW
at First Avenue
Monday 07/03/17 (7:30pm/$25)
first-avenue.com

Swedish pop band Miike Snow is headlining First Avenue, kind of a side-gig from their current Phantogram shows.

The band was previously in town last year, July 2016, as part of the Go Fest show.

Miike Snow’s latest album iii, came out in 2016. It’s rare (and not to mention costly) for these bands from Europe to come over to the U.S. for touring, so make the effort to see them live. However, it’s really too bad that the band book the show on a July 4th weekend... where, at least locally, many fans will be at their cabins on a long 4-day getaway.

Show up early to check out Norway’s Klangstof and find out why the band was named Best Alternative Act at the Edison Awards in Holland (the Dutch equivalent of the GRAMMY Awards).

Tour Dates:

06/25/2017 Wooly's Des Moines, IA
06/29/2017 Ogden Amphitheater Ogden, UT
06/30/2017 Grand Sierra Resort & Casino Reno, NV
07/01/2017 Greek Theatre Berkeley, CA
07/03/2017 First Avenue Minneapolis, MN
07/04/2017 Summerfest Milwaukee, WI

Read More Journey I briefly mentioned that Journey had a new Filipino singer called Arnel Pineda (who they discovered him on youtube) on the Terrordactyls article - ONLY because the Terrordactyls …

Other shows in the area:

07/01/2017 Journey and Asia will be at Treasure Island Casino on Saturday. If the $55 is too much for you, no worries, there is a free outdoor annual Island Block Party... which features Walker McGuire and Parmalee. 8pm, $55.

07/01/2017 The last time we heard from post-rock band <PIG>, frontman Raymond Watts was promoting his then-new The Gospel album on Metropolis Records. The band will be headlining their “Prey and Obey Tour” at the Amsterdam Bar & Hall in St Paul, with support from Julien-K and Ghostfeeder. 8:30pm, $15.

07/01/2017 The annual D4th of July is taking place on Saturday, starring cult-favorite local punk band Dillinger Four. The event packs a million local bands (this year featuring The Dopamines, Neighborhood Brats, Vacation, Royal Brat, Color TV, Murf, Edge Break, etc.) and is so popular that it usually sells out... so get your tickets now. 6pm, $20.

07/01/2017 Ed Sheeran will be at the Xcel Energy Center. If you’re a girl under the age of 26, Sheeran needs no introduction. His new album ÷ is out now. James Blunt to open. 6:30pm, $39.50 .

07/04/2017 Independence Day.

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

The Naked and Famous at First Avenue, Minneapolis (02 Nov 2016)

TN&F Setlist The Water Beneath You Higher All of This Punching in a Dream Losing Our Control Last Forever My Energy The Runners A Stillness Hearts Like Ours No Way Laid Low Girls Like You Young Blood -- Encore -- Rotten XYLØ Setlist Gossip Afterlife Get Closer Dead End Love Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea L.A. Love Song America Fool's Paradise Tour Dates 11/6/16 Chicago, IL The Riviera Theatre* 11/7/16 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall* 11/8/16 Toronto, ON Danforth Music Hall* 11/10/16 Boston, MA Royale* 11/12/16 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom* 11/14/16 Philadelphia, PA Union Transfer* 11/15/16 Washington, DC Lincoln Theatre* 11/17/16 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live* 11/18/16 Richmond, VA The National* 11/19/16 Norfolk, VA The Norva* 11/20/16 Raleigh, NC The Ritz* 11/22/16 Atlanta, GA Buckhead Theatre* 11/23/16 Nashville, TN Cannery Ballroom* 11/25/16 Dallas, TX House of Blues* 11/26/16 Houston, TX White Oak Music Hall* 11/28/16 Tempe, AZ The Marquee* 11/30/16 Oakland, CA The Fox Theater 12/3/16 Tampa, FL 6 MIDFLORIDA 12/4/16 Ft. Lauderdale, FL -- Rev Room 1/7/17 Sydney, AUS Metro Theatre 1/8/17 Melbourne, AUS 170 Russell 1/26/17 Oslo, Norway Vulkan Arena 1/27/17 Stockholm, Sweden Nalen 1/28/17 Copenhagen, Denmark Studio 2 1/30/17 Hamburg, Uebel & Gefaehrlich 1/31/17 Berlin, Germany Columbia Theater 2/1/17 Prague, Czech Lucerna Music Bar 2/3/17 Vienne, AustriaGasometer 2/4/17 Innsbruck, Austria Air Festival 2/5/17 Lusanne, Switzerland Les Docks 2/7/17 Cologne, Germany Kantien 2/8/17 Paris, France Le Trianon 2/10/17 Utrecht, TivoliVrendenburg 2/12/17 Edinburgh, Scotland Liquid Room 2/13/17 Manchester, Academy 2 2/14/17 London, England -- The Forum *w/ special guest XYLØ and The Chain Gang of 1974 Read More The Naked and Famous Sounds a bit saucy, but The Naked and Famous are actually an indie-alt electronic pop band hailing from Auckland, New Zealand. The five-piece is currently on tour, in support of their 2nd and latest full-length, …

New Zealand’s The Naked and Famous (singer Alisa Xayalith, guitarist Thom Powers, keyboards Aaron Short, bassist David Beadle, and drummer Jesse Wood) headlined First Avenue in Minneapolis last Wednesday, November 2nd.

The show started with a bang as The Chain Gang of 1974 took the stage. This indie/electro pop group definitely got the crowd warmed up, just like an opener should, but the crowd seemed to respond to them a lot more than most opening acts. I think the main reason for that was the undeniable energy that was coming off of the stage. It may have been early in the night but singer Kamtin Mohager acted like he was headlining the show with how much he was moving around.

The Chain Gang of 1974 can actually be referenced as Mohager's solo project that comes complete with a touring band. Mohager has a DJ background but it's not as easy to tell as you may think. I was beyond surprised to find out that Mohager was actually the touring bassist for 3OH!3 for a couple of years. It's hard to picture him doing that after seeing what he did last night. The music, although chill, wasn't boring. The way he would hop up and down and dance throughout the set really gave it a completely upbeat feeling. Even with being upbeat, it really didn't have that "DJ feel" to it hence why I was so surprised to find out about Mohager's background.

The Chain Gang of 1974's set seemed too short and within thirty-five minutes, they were leaving the stage and making way for the other opening act, Xylo.

Xylo (stylized as XYLØ) is brother sister duo from California that is taking the indie-pop world by storm. Joined on stage by two touring members, Chase and Paige Duddy are clearly the stars of this band and steal the most attention, specifically Paige. Paige Duddy has a beautiful voice that catches you off guard. The minimalist music that accompanies her really helps her shine.

This was Xylo's first full tour and, even though they got their fame through the internet and being featured in a PacSun video with Kylie & Kendall Jenner, they proved last night that they are so much more than a passing fad. With only an EP out at this time and rumors of a full length album in the works, these guys are poised to take over the radio waves very soon. If they aren't on your radar, you should probably change that.

Headlining the packed show were New Zealand natives, The Naked and Famous. These guys are in no way a new band having been around since 2007 but it seems like they are finally hitting their stride and getting the attention they deserve.

TN&F's music has a unique indie-pop sound that, at times, is super upbeat but, at other times, super melancholy. The two moods of their music merge beautiful just the like the voices of Alisa Xayalith and Thom Powers. The Xayalith and Powers do a sort of call and response thing in their songs, it's enough to give you chills. Their voices just blend together perfectly and sound angelic at times. Mix that with the instrumentation full of electronic sounds behind them and you get something truly unique.

TN&F have had huge success with singles on the radio including, my personal favorite, "Punching In A Dream", but the songs that really stood out were the ones that have not hit the level of being on the radio left. It was remarkable to watch the audience be captivated by this band and be truly respectful of the music. The crowd ate up every note and every single song was followed by roaring applause.

TN&F only have three albums out right now including Simple Forms (Somewhat Damaged / Kobalt Label Services) which just came out last month. They did a good job of playing songs from all of their albums but, if you aren't a huge fan, you really wouldn't be able to tell. It seems like since day one, this band has stuck to their roots and has been consistently writing catchy, yet beautiful, songs.

The Chain Gang of 1974

The Chain Gang of 1974

XYLØ

XYLØ

TN&F Setlist

TN&F

TN&F

TN&F

TN&F

TN&F

The Naked and Famous at First Avenue, Minneapolis (02 November 2016) all photos: John

john + langen ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Imagine Dragons w/ The Naked and Famous, Nico Vega at Xcel Center, St. Paul (12 March 2014) concert review

Imagine Dragons Into the Night Tour Poster Imagine Dragons Setlist Fallen Tiptoe Hear Me It's Time Who We Are Rocks The River Amsterdam Cha-Ching (Till We Grow Older) Tom Sawyer (Rush cover) 30 Lives Demons On Top of the World Radioactive -- Encore -- Bleeding Out (intro) / Monster / Nothing Left to Say Naked and Famous Setlist A Stillness Punching in a Dream Girls Like You Rolling Waves All of This I Kill Giants Hearts Like Ours No Way (Quiet) Young Blood Nico Vega Setlist Dance Gravity Back of My Hand No Home I Believe (Get Over Yourself) I'm on Fire Beast Naked & Famous Tour Dates 04/12/14 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 04/14/14 Las Vegas, NV Brooklyn Bowl 04/16/14 Tempe, AZ The Marquee 04/19/14 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 04/25/14 "Groovin The Moo" (Oakbank) 04/26/14 "Groovin The Moo" (Maitland) 04/27/14 "Groovin The Moo" (Canberra) 05/03/14 "Groovin The Moo" (Bendigo) 05/04/14 "Groovin The Moo" (Townsville) 05/23/14 Sasquatch! Music Festival 05/26/14 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot 05/27/14 Boulder, CO Boulder Theater 05/28/14 Omaha, NE Slowdown 06/03/14 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater 06/04/14 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall 06/05/14 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE 06/08/14 Richmond, VA The National 06/10/14 Orlando, FL The Beacham 06/11/14 Miami, FL Grand Central Read More Imagine Dragons It's apparent to me, hearing the sold out audience singing along to 99% of Imagine Dragons' Night Visions album, that these guys are well loved. According to their setlist, they played these songs in order: Intro … The Naked and Famous Sounds a bit saucy, but The Naked and Famous are actually an indie-alt electronic pop band hailing from Auckland, New Zealand. The five-piece is currently on tour, in support of their 2nd and latest full-length, … Nico Vega You know I love Nico Vega, the band is always fun to see live, although I'm sad to see Minneapolis isn't part of their itinerary. This new tour is with Crash Kings. I'm not entirely sure what the tour is in support of…

It almost didn’t happen… and Austin, TX would have been to blame.

With over 14,000 inside the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, and Los Angeles band, Nico Vega, and New Zealand’s The Naked and Famous warming up the crowd, staff and security were antsy as the main act was nowhere to be seen… or even in the state.

Las Vegas breakout act, Imagine Dragons had just co-headlined the inaugural U.S. version of the iTunes Festival, a fest within a fest, at Austin’s massive South by Southwest. Unforeseen delays and flight schedules delayed the band leaving Texas, and had them touching down less than an hour before their scheduled set time in St. Paul. But, with less than 20 minutes to spare, the band arrived to perform a 100 min. performance of arena-sized bombast and spectacle.

Aja Volkman

All three bands took advantage of the larger stage setup and catwalk which extended into the middle of the crowd, including quartet Nico Vega, who has toured often with Imagine Dragons, and is prepping release of their upcoming album, Lead To Light (Five Seven Music). Lead singer Aja Volkman (who happens to be married to Dragons singer Dan Reynolds) skipped and bounced back and forth down the extension (not barefoot though), singing with the growl of an Alanis Morissette and the knife edge of The Kills’ Alison Mosshart.

Nico Vega

Playing mostly newer songs, including ‘Beast’ from recent EP, Fury Oh Fury (Five Seven Music), the band connected with the audience in a way that few third acts on an arena bill do, and was well received with newest single, ‘I Believe (Get Over Yourself)’, from their upcoming Spring release.

Naked and Famous

Auckland’s The Naked and Famous then took then the stage for a moody and impactful 40 min. set of songs drawn from their latest effort, In Rolling Waves (Fiction, Republic, Somewhat Damaged) as well as 2010’s Passive Me, Aggressive You, on a grey-tinged set designed like the deconstructed flower on the new album’s cover. Starting slowly with ‘A Stillness’ and co-lead singer Alisa Xayalith cooing, “still, still, be still”, the song built momentum with its electronica soundscapes and pulsing synth beat.

Thom Powers & Alisa Xayalith

Co-lead Thom Powers took over vocals for ‘Girls Like You’, with Xayalith providing dreamlike harmonies, singing the bridge, then joining Powers for the final verse. The new album’s title track followed, with its yearning lyric, “take a piece or just walk away, like rolling waves”, then the thumping, ‘All of This’ from the band’s debut.

‘Hearts Like Ours’ bright synth riffs and boy/girl vocals belied its dark lyrics while b-side ‘No Way (Quiet)’ lay down a sense of introversion over crashing electronica and drum beats. Final song, ‘Young Blood’ was best received; a high-tempo’d with hopeful lyric, ” Trying to find the in-betweens, Fall back in love eventually”.

As good as the band was on the massive stage, they would be more ideal in connecting further at a club or small theater, so let’s hope a headlining tour is in the cards for later this year.

Imagine Dragons

Forget 2014 being the “Year of the Horse” according to the Chinese calendar, 2013-14 has clearly been the Year of the Dragon. The Las Vegas quartet (Dan Reynolds- vocals/drum; Ben McKee- Bass/keys; "Wing" Sermon- guitar; Daniel Platzman- drums; along with touring member Ryan Walker) has gone from playing small clubs and opening for bands like AWOLNATION, to filling major arenas, in just a couple of years. The band’s only full-length, Night Visions (Interscope) is still riding high in the charts, co-helmed by UK hip-hop producer Alex Da Kid (Nicki Minaj, B.O.B., Rihanna) and with four powerful singles.

The band wasted no time in striking with its anthemic, arena-ready sound, as evidenced on opener, ‘Fallen’, clearly studying the “big sound in a big room” lessons of Muse, U2, and Coldplay. Cryo jets shot steam up vertically and percussion was everywhere on stage, an earmark of the band’s sound, on display prominently in second song, ‘Tiptoe’.

Photo of Imagine Dragon Setlist

Singer Reynolds reminisced about the band’s beginnings as the intro to hit, ‘It’s Time’; likely the first song most of the crowd heard from the band, and was probably forgiven for constantly mentioning “Minneapolis”, even though they were across the river in St. Paul.

Sound production was its usual impeccable in this hockey arena and the stage was adorned with a Pink Floyd-style circular video screen above metal tree silhouettes with hanging shining lanterns and the stage had two side elevated ramps (with a drum present on each) in addition to the gang-planked catwalk out front. Each member’s solo was built in as an intro to one of their songs, such as guitarist Sermon intro-ing ‘Amsterdam’, as rail train images floated by on the screen.

Dan Reynolds

Singer Reynolds mentioned harkening back to “the songs of our parents” (which made me feel old), as the band struck up an authentic cover of Rush’s ‘Tom Sawyer’, another calculated arena-size song choice. A heartfelt ’30 Lives’ followed, dedicated to a 17yr. old that lost his cancer battle, then the 1-2-3 knockdown punch of hits, ‘Demons’, ‘On Top of the World’, and ‘Radioactive’, to end the set breathlessly.

After that, the encore of medley ‘Bleeding Out/Monster/Nothing Left to Say’ was somewhat anti-climatic, but the performance, like the show’s sometimes stilted pacing, is from a relatively new band, blindsided by its sudden fame, and still finding its way.

The real question (and no doubt, pressure) is how they will ever top the success level they’ve already reached, with their next album. Will they amp the percussion up further, to include marching bands and Japanese Kodo drummers, try to make every song stadium-sized, or try to crossover by using rappers on song interludes; it’s hard to say, but in this, the “Year of the Dragon”, you can’t help but pay attention.

Imagine Dragons at Xcel Center, St. Paul (12 March 2014)

john () ♥ weheartmusic.com

Minneapolis Music Guide: March 9-March 15, 2014

Here is a guide of some Minneapolis (and St Paul!) shows next week: March 9-March 15. Concert-wise, if you're into smaller/indie bands - it will be dead in Minneapolis, because everyone is in Austin, Texas, for SXSW.

Sword/O'Brother/Big Business at Mill City Nights Concert Poster Read More The Sword But the crowd didn't really start going nuts until The Sword went on. The Sword is a much younger band, formed in Austin, Texas in 2003. Their sound is more on the “thrash” end of doom metal, with riffing reminiscent of … O'Brother Songs from their slightly hour-long set consisted of music from Disillusion, including "Ascension" and "Disillusion", which seems to go hand in hand with its theme of darkness and anger. …

MARCH 9: MILL CITY NIGHTS
The Sword w/ O'Brother and Big Business

O Brother, where are thou?

Why, they’re on tour, opening along with Big Business, for The Sword.

An Atlanta-based five-piece, the band O Brother is playing in support of their sophomore full-length, Disillusions (Triple Crown Records), recorded in Long Island along with engineer/producer Mike Sapone (Brand New, Public Enemy, Daytrader). The heavier, more refined sound is a follow-up to the band's critically acclaimed 2012 debut Garden Window.

Regarding their new album, according to their bio, “The sprawling concept albums of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, King Crimson and more provided the grist, but these five intrepid seekers have crafted a complex slab of bejeweled art-rock that shimmers vividly all on its own.” That’s all we need to hear to pique our interest.

O'Brother's U.S. tour dates:

03/06/14 Indianapolis, IN Vogue
03/07/14 Grand Rapids, MI Intersection
03/08/14 Milwaukee, WI Rave Bar
03/09/14 Minneapolis, MN Mill City Nights
03/10/14 Kansas City, MO The Riot Room
03/11/14 Colorado Springs, CO Black Sheep
03/13/14 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
03/14/14 Boise, ID Neurolux
03/15/14 Spokane, WA The Hop
03/16/14 Seattle, WA Neumos
03/17/14 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre
03/19/14 Sacramento, CA Harlow's Night Club
03/20/14 San Francisco, CA Slim's
03/21/14 Anaheim, CA House Of Blues
03/22/14 Phoenix, AZ Crescent Ballroom
03/23/14 Albuquerque, NM Launchpad
03/24/14 El Paso, TX Lowbrow Palace
03/25/14 Oklahoma City, OK The Conservatory
03/26/14 Jackson, MS Morningbell Records

Bangerz RCA Read More Icona Pop Of course, her biggest hit song, "I Love It", is actually made famous by Icona Pop. I sensed a little bitterness when she announced the song, "You all know this, I wrote this song. This is my song." …

MARCH 10: XCEL ENERGY CENTER
Miley Cyrus w/ Icona Pop

Miley Cyrus' oversexualized Bangerz shows have been getting a lot of attention, criticized in TMZ where they comment how her parents were in the audience at one of her recent show.

Either you love it or hate it, it's hard to ignore all the attention that Cyrus is getting.

03/06/14 Omaha, NE CenturyLink Center Omaha
03/07/14 Rosemont, IL Allstate Arena
03/09/14 Milwaukee, WI BMO Harris Bradley Center
03/10/14 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
03/12/14 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
03/13/14 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
03/15/14 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center
03/16/14 Houston, TX Toyota Center
03/18/14 New Orleans, LA Smoothie King Center
03/20/14 Tampa, FL Tampa Bay Times Forum
03/22/14 Miami, FL AmericanAirlines Arena
03/24/14 Orlando, FL Amway Center
03/25/14 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
03/29/14 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
03/31/14 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
04/02/14 Boston, MA TD Garden
04/03/14 East Rutherford, NJ IZOD Center
04/05/14 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center
04/07/14 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena
04/08/14 Raleigh, NC PNC Arena
04/10/14 Washington, DC Verizon Center
04/12/14 Auburn Hills, MI The Palace Of Auburn Hills
04/13/14 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
04/15/14 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
04/16/14 St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center
04/18/14 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena Plaza
04/19/14 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center
04/22/14 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
04/24/14 Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum

The Naked and Famous at Red Bull Sound Space At KROQ, Los Angeles (09/24/13)

Setlist Tour Dates 09/27/13 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern 09/29/13 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre 10/01/13 Dallas, TX House Of Blues 10/02/13 Austin, TX Stubb's Bar-B-Q 10/03/13 Houston, TX House Of Blues 10/05/13 Atlanta, GA The Tabernacle 10/06/13 Washington, DC 9:30 Club 10/07/13 Washington, DC 9:30 Club 10/08/13 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory 10/10/13 New York, NY Terminal 5 10/11/13 New York, NY Terminal 5 10/12/13 Boston, MA House Of Blues 10/14/13 Toronto, ON Sound Academy 10/16/13 Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre 10/18/13 Denver, CO Fillmore Aud 10/20/13 Vancouver, BC Orpheum 10/21/13 Seattle, WA Showbox SoDo 10/22/13 Portland, OR Roseland Theater 10/24/13 Las Vegas, NV The Pool 10/25/13 Oakland, CA Fox Theater 10/26/13 Pomona, CA Fox Theater Pomona 11/01/13 Stockholm, Sweden Debaser Medis 11/02/13 Copenhagen, Denmark Grey Hall 11/03/13 Oslo, Norway Rockefeller Music Hall 11/05/13 Frankfurt, Germany Gibson Club 11/06/13 Hamburg, Germany Markthalle 11/07/13 Berlin, Germany Kesselhaus 11/08/13 Vienna, Austria Gasometer 11/10/13 Munich, Germany Theatre Fabrik 11/11/13 Zurich, Switzerland Komplex 457 11/12/13 Brussels, Belgium Ancienne Belgique 11/14/13 Paris, France Le Trabendo 11/16/13 Milan, Italy Magnolia Club 11/18/13 Cologne, Germany Live Music Hall 11/19/13 Amsterdam, Netherlands Paradiso 11/21/13 Manchester, UK The Ritz 11/22/13 Birmingham, UK The Institute 11/23/13 Norwich, UK Univ. Of East Anglia 11/25/13 Dublin, Ireland Olympia Theatre 11/26/13 Belfast, UK The Limelight 11/27/13 Glasgow, UK ABC1 11/29/13 Bristol, UK O2 Academy Bristol 11/30/13 Oxford, UK O2 Academy Oxford 12/02/13 London, UK O2 Shepherds 01/17/14 "Big Day Out" (Auckland) 01/19/14 "Big Day Out" (Gold Coast) 01/24/14 "Big Day Out" (Melbourne) Read More The Naked and Famous The information I have is actually for The Naked and Famous, but I'm tossing them here because they are really excited about their new song, "Young Blood" getting a remixed treatment by White Sea (aka Morgan Kibby of M83 …

An eclectic mix of music lovers gathered this Tuesday afternoon at Sound Space in Los Angeles for an intimate set by New Zealand’s rock group The Naked and Famous. Radio-sponsored events in L.A. are usually a hit, not only for the freebies (this one being sponsored by Red Bull), but also how fun and extremely well executed they are. The band was all smiles as they ran up onstage, excited to play their 1st gig of their new tour to such an amped audience.

During the Q&A session prior to playing the band talked openly about their inspirations for their new album In Rolling Waves. Lead singer Alisa Xayalith and guitarist Thom Powers giggled as they divulged in the antics of being covered in pink and blue paint for an album shoot and the perils of LA life, where they relocated to write their latest tracks. Their songs have been picked up by a number of hot television shows, such as True Blood, Gossip Girl and Grey’s Anatomy, just to scratch the surface. When the subject of Aaron Paul’s (Breaking Bad) affinity towards the band arose, darling Alisa pumped her fists in the air and exclaimed that the feeling was totally mutual. Thom added “It’s amazing how many people you can reach when your music is on T.V., along with social media outlets like Twitter.” These guys are opening for Nine Inch Nails and have played over 200 shows in 24 countries the past couple of years. Their idol is Batman and they write all of their songs. In short: They Rule.

The group started their set with the anthem track ‘Young Blood’ off their first album Passive Me, Aggressive You. What a set of lungs this girl has. The band’s energy skyrocketed and there was an unmistakable comradely between this fivesome... a certain truth that came out alongside their powerful lyrics. Next came ‘I Kill Giants’, which was inspired by a book series Alisa’s really into...being a bookworm and all. It’s also about her mother, which sent chills up my spine with the lyrics ‘The saddest of days...Why couldn’t we save you?’ The echoed mics add a nice touch to this one, and the harmonies are quite impressive. After breaking out an acoustic in ‘What We Want’, they played an oldie but a goodie, the inevitable crowd-pleaser ‘Punching’.

Alisa got out these egg-shaped objects filled with beads while simultaneously playing keys. These guys are wildly entertaining to watch and are obviously having the time of their lives onstage. After ending the set with their massively powerful track ‘Hearts Like Ours’, the group exited the stage while bowing gracefully to their fans. Catch them soon as they kick off their American tour- in a naked and famous kind of way.

The Naked and Famous at Red Bull Sound Space At KROQ, Los Angeles (09/24/13)

jess ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ thenakedandfamous.com

Lost at Sea

Led to sea: Is This The Last Time

My favorite sailor song is "Jackie" by Sinead O'Connor. It's about a ghost who mourns for her husband, lost at sea and never found. It's very heartbreaking and I really love the use of violins to sound like a threatening thunderstorm in the song.

I've been dead for twenty years
Washing the sand with my ghostly tears
Searching the shores for my Jackie-oh

Below are some bands that's come across my email about the sea.

LED TO SEA
www.ledtosea.com

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).

I've dug around to find out more about Led to Sea and I think she has two albums now, the most recent is called Into The Darkening Sky. From the reviews I've read, everyone seems to agree on one thing: she's amazing live... which incidentally brings us to her live dates - starting today, April 22^nd at the Northwest Folklife Festival. I'll probably pick up her album at the Cedar show, she's coming here to Minneapolis on June 2^nd.

04.22.11 - Seattle, WA @ Columbia City 04.24.11 - Seattle, WA @ Vera Project 05.01.11 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour* 05.02.11 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Soho* 05.03.11 - Oakland, CA @ the New Parish* 05.05.11 - Vancouver, BC @ the Biltmore* 05.06.11 - Bellingham, WA @ WWU* 05.07.11 - Seattle, WA @ the Crocodile* 05.08.11 - Portland, OR @ the Wonder Ballroom* 05.09.11 - Olympia, WA @ the Northern* 05.27.11 - Seattle, WA @ the Northwest Folklife Festival 06.02.11 - Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Center* 06.03.11 - Chicago, IL @ the Empty Bottle* 06.05.11 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace*		06.07.11 - Boston, MA @ T.T. the Bear's* 06.08.11 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg* 06.09.11 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church* 06.10.11 - Washington, DC @ the Black Cat* 06.11.11 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506* 06.12.11 - Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle* 06.13.11 - Atlanta, GA @ the Earl* 06.15.11 - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway* 06.18.11 - Denver, CO @ High Dive* 06.19.11 - Albuquerque, NM @ Launch Pad* 06.20.11 - Phoenix, AZ @ Rhythm Room* 06.21.11 - San Diego, CA @ the Casbah* 06.23.11 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American* All tour dates * with Thao & Mirah

Seapony: Blue Star

SEAPONY
myspace.com/seaponyband

I don't know much about Seapony, other than that I will probably like them since they are on Hardly Art records (the last two albums I reviewed from them are amazing).

Anyroad, it looks like Seapony is a trio: songwriter Danny Rowland, singer Jen Weidl, and bassist Ian Brewer (note: no human drummer).

Their music is described as "fuzz-drenched guitar playing simple chord progressions, topped with concise melodic hooks and breathy vocals." Sounds excellent.

Their album, Go With Me will be released May 31^st on Hardly Art. Tour information below:

04.22.11 - Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe
05.06.11 - Portland, OR - Renn Fayre (Reed College)
05.07.11 - Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
05.28.11 - Santa Cruz, CA - 418 Project
05.29.11 - San Francisco, CA - Hemlock Tavern
05.31.11 - Los Angeles, CA - The Echo
06.02.11 - Seattle, WA - The Vera Project
06.15.11 - Brooklyn, NY - Glasslands

Sea Of Bees: Wizbot

SEA OF BEES
www.seaofbees.com

Julie Baenziger is better known as Sea of Bees. I've previously reviewed her cutely named EP, Bee Eee Pee, and I thought her vocals sounded like "small cute child".

NPR seems to agree, naming her top 100 acts at SXSW 2011 with a mention about her voice:

The press is buzzing: But as always, the real star is Bee's lovely and distinctive voice.

Well, it looks like she's going on tour with Stornoway, a band that will likely bring a dolly on stage.

Her new album is called Songs for the Ravens and since it doesn't look like she'll be come through Minneapolis, I might look into trying to get her album for review (when I have more time).

Below are the tour dates:

04.21.11 - Manhattan, NY @ The Living Room 04.22.11 - Brooklyn, NY @ Spike Hill 04.23.11 - Brooklyn, NY @ Sycamore 04.25.11 - Manhattan, NY @ Rockwood Music Hall 04.26.11 - Manhattan, NY @ Joe's Pub 04.27.11 - Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands 04.28.11 - Manhattan, NY @ Piano's 04.29.11 - Manhattan, NY @ Cake Shop 04.30.11 - Manhattan, NY @ Mercury Lounge 05.01.11 - Manhattan, NY @ The Living Room		05.24.11 - Toronto, ON @ El Mocambo* 05.26.11 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg* 05.28.11 - Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall* 05.31.11 - Seattle, WA @ Triple Door* 06.01.11 - Vancouver, BC @ Media Club* 06.02.11 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir* 06.04.11 - San Francisco, CA @ the Independent* 06.05.11 - Los Angeles, CA @ the Troubadour* * with Stornaway

BAREFOOT DANCE OF THE SEA
myspace.com/barefootdanceofthesea

Barefoot Dance of the Sea seems to be an all-girls band (a trio of Rebecca Wood, Beth Gibson & Sophie Cochrane). Apparently two of them are from the Hot Puppies (which I'll admit, I've never heard of either).

Their upcoming release is called 'Til Voices Wake Us, a six-track limited edition EP (only 150 copies of the CD will be released), coming out May 16^th. The details I have is that it will come with a silver and translucent foiled packaging. Sounds delightful.

Described as "two-and three-part harmonies and enchanting minimalist instrumentation", I would imagine it to be a lot of folk-harmonizing-action. I do like that melody-thing, so I might check them out later down the road when I have more time.

THE SEA KINGS
facebook.com/pages/The-Sea-Kings

Another folky/harmonizing band (although interestingly enough, "medieval pop" was used to describe the band). Below is a proper description of the band:

The sound that The Sea Kings make is rooted in folk music, with branches twisting through crunchy jazz rhythms and contemporary pop melodies, all under an acoustic canopy. Their lyrics convey images of towering cliffs and sandy beaches, reflecting a shared longing for home derived from a life of self-imposed exile.

The Sea Kings is from England, but the email I got also mentioned that they are specifically not from Scotland. Perhaps there's another band called Sea Kings ? This one consists of James Wills (Guitar), Joe Holtaway (Mandolin) and Jake Alexander (Percussion/Cello), all singers apparently.

I was also given a Spotify link, which is like a Unicorn in the States: it doesn't exist here. I know Ryan and I talked about it for hours two years ago, but Spotify still can't sort it out here.

Their EP is called An Introduction To The Sea Kings and available on most digital retailers.

THE NAKED AND FAMOUS
thenakedandfamous.com

The information I have is actually for The Naked and Famous, but I'm tossing them here because they are really excited about their new song, "Young Blood" getting a remixed treatment by White Sea (aka Morgan Kibby of M83). You can listen to the song on soundcloud.com

Details of their continuing tour dates are listed below.

FRI 4/22 KANSAS CITY, MO Beaumont
SAT 4/23 ST. LOUIS, MO Firebird
TUE 4/26 CHICAGO, IL Metro
WED 4/27 COLUMBUS, OH Outland
FRI 4/29 CLEVELAND, OH Beachland
SAT 4/30 TORONTO, ON Phoenix
SUN 5/1 MONTREAL, PQ National
MON 5/2 BOSTON, MA Paradise
WED 5/4 NEW YORK, NY Webster Hall
THU 5/5 PHILADELPHIA, PA Theatre of Living Arts
FRI 5/6 WASHINGTON, DC 930 Club
SAT 5/7 BALTIMORE, MD Ottobar
SUN 5/8P PROVIDENCE, RI The Met

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