W♥M

Information Society: ODDfellows

Read More Information Society Our special guest on W♥M Radio is Paul Robb from Information Society! Information Society is back with the original lineup of Paul Robb (synths), Kurt Larson (vocals) and James Cassidy (bass, keyboards). .…

When I first started really listening to music, I was in Junior High School. It was a special time, I was into Bad Religion, Harry Chapin, They Might Be Giants, The Smiths… and Information Society. Like your first love, you never forget and you still hold a candle for these special bands.

Info Soc came into my life with their sophomore album Hack in 1990. At that time, it was like nothing I’ve ever heard of. It’s pop music mixed with club/techno. It was hack-ish, put together by soundbytes and samples and loops.

Of course, I hunted down their debut album, which, sad to report, was nothing like Hack. It was still okay, it had that “one-hit wonder” song, “What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)”, but the record wasn’t as exciting as Hack.

Since then, I have faithfully purchased all their albums, up to 2007’s Synthesizer (which I wrote about in Dec 2007).

With all that said, I’m happy to report that Info Soc is back with ODDfellows, set for release August 6, 2021, via Hakatak International Records (digital). The CD/vinyl versions will be available from Negative Gain Records later this year.

While an old fan like myself likes ODDfellows, I don’t know if normal people would appreciate this record. If you’re into club / synth / dancewave type of music, you should probably check out Information Society.

There are some tracks I like, “Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds” is a like a cut-copy-paste lost track from Hack, and “Bennington” is a synth cover of John Maus (We saw Maus performed the song in Feb 2019).

“World Enough” is a good single for the dance crowd, but I tend to be drawn to “Down In Flames” with its great lyrics, “When I’m with you, we go down in flames.”

Let’s hope for a promotional tour… I’m very interested in hearing how some of these songs are created live, in person.

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

Minneapolis: December 1 to December 3, 2017

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from December 1 to December 3, 2017.

Read more: Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Rural Alberta Advantage The Rural Alberta Advantage is tamer. Their audience is a little older (beards, button shirts, beer-drinkers) and I was impressed at how many people knew the RAA songs .... Yukon Blonde In contrast, Yukon Blonde resides in the light. Their first album, a 2010 self-titled release was pure pop joy, with some amazing hooks and great harmonies. Their …

THE RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE
+ Yukon Blonde
First Avenue
Sun 12/03/2017 (7pm/$22)
first-avenue.com

I’ll never forget the first time I saw Canadian band The Rural Alberta Advantage - it was a sold out show at the 7th Street Entry in September 2009. It was so crowded that I couldn’t actually get a decent photo and instead did a drawing of the band.

The group is back on tour in support of their new album The Wild.

They are bringing along Vancouver group Yukon Blonde. Their album Tiger Talk was nominated for the 2012’s Juno Award, which spawned their hit song ‘Stairway’. The new 10” vinyl for ‘Crazy’/‘Emotional Blackmail’ is out now on Dine Alone Records.

We caught the band in 2015 and wrote, “Yukon Blonde, based in Vancouver, had played the Twin Cities and this club in particular before, though in 2011 as the headliner. At that time they were touring in support of their first self-titled album and their subsequent EP Fire/Water, and their sound could only be described as bright, almost unbearably catchy indie pop. Their music was characterized by great hooks and beautiful harmonies.”

Tour dates:

Nov 25 Kelowna, BC @ Kelowna Community Theatre *
Nov 27 Red Deer, AB @ Red Deer Memorial Centre *
Nov 29 Edmonton, AB @ Union Hall *
Nov 30 Edmonton, AB @ Union Hall *
Dec 1 Saskatoon, SK @ O'Brians *
Dec 2 Winnipeg, MB @ Pyramid *
Dec 3 Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave *
Dec 6 Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall *
Dec 7 Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall *

* - with Yukon Blonde

Read More David Ramirez Shakey Graves returns to First Avenue on Tuesday... bringing with them David Ramirez. The show is sold out. 7pm, $22/Sold Out. … Queens of the Stone Age Queens of the Stone Age are currently on tour for their sixth studio album ...Like Clockwork, out now on Matador Records. Opening up for Queens will be Chelsea Wolfe, she's currently enjoying touring with Queens of the Stone Age … Mogwai With their extended soundscapes, unique time signatures and largely instrumental output, Scottish band Mogwai have garnered comparisons from everyone to My Bloody Valentine and Fugazi but have cultivated a unique… Information Society Our special guest on W♥M Radio is Paul Robb from Information Society! Information Society is back with the original lineup of Paul Robb (synths), Kurt Larson (vocals) and James Cassidy (bass, keyboards). .… Katy Perry Yes, Katy Perry is one of my guilty pleasure. While I wasn't that into her singles from Teenage Dream (including "California Gurls" and the repetitive "Firework"), her new single, "The One That Got Away", was a hit for me.… The Staves England’s The Staves is a sister trio (Emily, Jessica, and Camilla Staveley-Taylor). If there’s one thing we know about family bands - they have natural harmonizing talents. The Staves’ latest EP ....

Other shows in the area:

DAVID RAMIREZ
+ Molly Parden
7th Street Entry
Fri 12/01/2017 (8pm/$15)
first-avenue.com

David Ramirez is currently on his “We're Not Going Anywhere” tour. He’ll be stopping by 7th Street Entry on Friday, December 1st. Georgia’s Molly Parden to open.

11/29: St. Louis, MO - Blueberry Hill Duck Room
11/30: Omaha, NE - Slowdown
12/1: Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
12/2: Chicago, IL - Schubas
12/5: Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
12/6: Asheville, NC - Isis
12/7: Chattanooga, TN - Camp House
12/8: Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
12/9: Atlanta, GA - The Earl
12/10: Dothan, AL - The Plant
12/12: Orlando, FL - The Social
12/13: Tampa, FL - Crowbar
12/14: Jacksonville, FL - JackRabbits
12/15: Tallahassee, FL - The Wilbury
12/16: Birmingham, AL - Saturn

GRIZZLY BEAR
+ Serpentwithfeet
Palace Theatre
Fri 12/01/2017 (6pm/$36)
palacestpaul.com

Grizzly Bear will be headlining the Palace Theatre in St Paul on December 1st. Their latest album Painted Ruins is out now on RCA Records. Serpentwithfeet to open.

Tour dates:

Nov 26 - Montreal, QC - Metropolis
Nov 27 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
Nov 28 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre
Nov 29 – Chicago, IL – Riviera Theatre
Dec 1 - St. Paul, MN - Palace Theatre
Dec 3 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
Dec 4 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
Dec 7 - Vancouver, BC - Orpheum Theatre
Dec 8 - Seattle, WA - Moore Theatre
Dec 9 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theatre
Dec 11 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theater
Dec 12 – San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theater
Dec 13 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
Dec 14 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern

KATY PERRY
+ Purity Ring
Xcel Energy Center
Fri 12/01/2017 (6:30pm/$50.50)
xcelenergycenter.com

Popstar Katy Perry will be at Xcel Energy Center on Friday, playing some songs from her new album Witness.

Show up early to check out Purity Ring.

MOGWAI
+ Xander Harris
First Avenue
Fri 12/01/2017 (7pm/$20)
first-avenue.com

Scottish band Mogwai don’t often tour the US, so when they tour here, do yourself a favor and go see them.

Tour dates:

25 November - Commodore Ballroom. Vancouver
28 November - Ogden Theatre, Denver
30 November - The Waiting Room, Omaha
1 December - First Avenue, Minneapolis
2 December - House of Blues, Chicago
3 December - Majestic Theatre, Detroit
5 December - Danforth Music Hall, Toronto
6 December - Corona Theatre, Montreal
7 December - Royale Nightclub, Boston
8 December - Terminal 5, New York
9 December - Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia
10 December - 9:30 Club, Washington
15 December - O2 Academy Brixton, London
16 December - The SSE Hydro, Glasgow

THE STAVES
+ yMusic
McGuire Theater
Fri 12/01/2017 (8pm/$32)
Sat 12/02/2017 (7pm/9:30pm/$32)
walkerart.org

English trio The Staves (Jessica, Camilla and Emily Staveley-Taylor) love Minneapolis so much that they moved here in 2016. The Staves is celebrating their limited-edition vinyl of The Way Is Read released by Nonesuch Records on December 1st, the day of their first performance in Minnesota at the Walker Art Center.

Joining The Staves will be classical ensemble yMusic, both bands will be playing December 1st and 2nd at the McGuire Theater. Please note there are two shows on December 2nd.

21 SAVAGE
+ NBA Youngboy
Myth
Sat 12/02/2017 (7pm/$35)
mythlive.com

21 Savage is touring in support of his record Without Warning (Slaughter Gang/Epic Records). The universally acclaimed album marked his top 5 debut in a year, and you can hear the hits at this upcoming Myth show. NBA Youngboy to open.

Tour dates:

11/26 Tampa, FL Ritzybor
11/28 Louisville, KY Mercury Ballroom
11/30 Detroit, MI Royal Oak
12/2 Minneapolis, MN Myth
12/5 Des Moines, IA 7 Flags Event Center
12/7 Milwaukee, WI The Rave
12/8 St. Louis, MO Pop’s
12/9 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theater
12/12 Denver, CO Ogden
12/14 New York, NY Radio Show
12/15 Salt Lake City, UT The Complex
12/17 Los Angeles, CA Rolling Loud
12/19 Albuquerque, NM El Rey
12/21 Tulsa, OK Cain’s Ballroom
12/22 Memphis, TN Minglewood Hall
12/23 Mobile Kitchen Soul Kitchen*

*without Youngboy NBA

KURT HARLAND
+ Abbie Gobeli, Illuminaté Steele
Kitty Cat Klub
Sat 12/02/2017 (10pm/$5)
kittycatklub.net

Dark Energy dance club is hosting a show at Kitty Cat Klub, featuring guest DJ Kurt Harland from Information Society. We’re big fans, take a listen to our interview with Paul Robb.

Details:

We'll be finishing off 2017 with a bang! Please welcome a very special guest for our December monthly event:

Kurt Harland Larson of Information Society

Experimental pop icon and video game soundtrack guru Kurt Harland will be providing an industrial influenced soundtrack for the night. Expect some serious body energy!

We will also be hosting another special guest: Abbie Gobeli from Seattle!

KEXP radio DJ and Minneapolis native, Abbie has a keen radar for emerging sounds in the realm of dark dance music.

Also featuring: Illuminaté Steele
+Art booth popup by Rachel Girard
+Visuals by Endif

$5

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
+ Broncho
Palace Theatre
Sun 12/03/2017 (6pm/$60/Sold Out)
palacestpaul.com

You’re not dreaming, Queens of the Stone Age was just in town in October, but they just can’t stay away. They’re back on December 3rd at the Palace with Broncho.

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

Minneapolis: April 16 - April 18, 2015

Here are some shows taking place in Minneapolis/St Paul from April 16 to April 18, 2015.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Mastodon Heavy metal band Mastodon will be playing an all-ages show at First Avenue on Wednesday. The Atlanta-based band are currently on tour in support of their latest album Once More Round the Sun which … Clutch Maybe it's less than momentous to debut as a guest blogger with a group as well known as Clutch, but having been a longtime reader, it seemed to me that we were lacking in the angry metal department. … Big Business Seattle’s Big Business, formed in 2004 by Karp bassist Jared Warren and Murder City Devils drummer Coady Willis followed with a down-to-business 35 min. set with a deep bottom end. In support of their latest, 2013’s …

MISSING LINK TOUR
at Myth
Thursday 04/16/15, 6pm ($29.50)
mythlive.com

Mastodon and Clutch are co-headlining The Missing Link Tour, with the bands swapping out closing the evening depending on dates and locations.

Neil Fallon (singer of Clutch) responded: "When we first announced the Missing Link itinerary it was received with a lot of excitement. It also received a good deal of consternation regarding the lack of a Detroit date. Myself included. So, we're happy to announce that there is now a Detroit gig on May, 23rd at the Freedom Hill Amphitheater. See ya there."

Supporting bands Big Business, who recently supported Mastodon throughout a sold-out European tour, is listed to open the show in Minnesota. We previously saw Big Business with the Sword in March 2014, which we described as, "Having previously opened for Tool and as the rhythm section of The Melvins Big Band, the trust was earned, and they did not disappoint."

Tour dates:

04/16 *St. Paul, MN Myth
04/17 * Winnipeg, MB Burton Cummings Theatre
04/18 *Saskatoon, SK O'Brian's Events Center
04/19 * Edmonton, AB Expo Centre
04/21 * Calgary, AB MacEwan Hall
04/23 * Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
04/24 **Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
04/25 *Portland, OR Roseland
04/26 *Seattle, WA Showbox SODO
04/28 *Oakland, CA Fox Theater
04/29 *Los Angeles, CA Palladium
04/30 *Tempe, AZ Marquee Theater
05/01 *Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
05/02 *Salt Lake City, UT The Complex
05/03 *Denver, CO Red Rock's
05/05 *San Antonio, TX Kapone's Ballroom
05/06 *Oklahoma City, OK Diamond Ballroom
05/08 Atlanta, GA Shaky Knees Festival
05/09 *Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theatre
05/10 **Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE
05/12 *Clive, IA (Des Moines) 7 Flags
05/13 *Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom Club Stage
05/15 **Bethlehem, PA Sands Event Center
05/16 **Baltimore, MD Pier Six Pavilion
05/17 *Boston, MA House of Blues
05/19 *New York, NY Central Park Summerstage
05/20 *Niagara Falls, NY Rapids Theatre
05/21 *London, ON London Music Hall
05/23 **Sterling Heights, MI Freedom Hall
05/24 **Columbus, OH LC Pavilion

*Mastodon Closes The Evening. **Clutch Closes The Evening

Read More Junip Thanks to the Current radio station, last night's Junip show at the Cedar Cultural Center, in Minneapolis, was sold out. This is both good and bad: good because it's great exposure for the band … Ólöf Arnalds Sondre Lerche on "Blossom", Channy Leaneagh on "Counting", and Ólöf Arnalds on "The Nest". As pointed out by Arnalds, drummer Greg Saunier, from Deerhoof, was the odd-man out …

JOSE GONZALES
at Cedar Cultural Center
Friday 04/17/15, 7pm ($20/Sold Out)
thecedar.org

It's official, José González entire North American tour is sold out*. This is Gonzales' first solo tour dates since 2008 (we previously saw him with Junip in 2011 and 2013), so fans are very eager to see him live again with a full band.

González will be playing tracks from his latest album Vestiges & Claws, his first album in seven years, which Under The Radar called it "a succinct evolution."

We're also excited to see that Olöf Arnalds was tapped as opener. She is the cousin to Ólafur Arnalds and múm singer.

José González 2015 Tour:

04/10 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
04/11 – Boston, MA - Paradise
04/12 – Montreal, QC - Corona Theatre
04/13 – Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre
04/14 – Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
04/15 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
04/16 – Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center
04/17 – Minneapolis, MN – Cedar Cultural Center
04/18 - Madison - Majestic Theatre
04/20 - Englewood - Gothic Theatre
04/21 – Boulder, CO – E Town
04/22 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
04/24 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
04/25 – Vancouver, BC – Imperial
04/27 - San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's 365 Club
04/28 - San Francisco, CA – Bimbo’s 365 Club
04/29 - Los Angeles - The Regent
04/30 - Los Angeles – The Regent

* Well one lone date (Salt Lake City) needs to get on the sold out party train....

Read More They Might be Giants Memo to myself, do the dumb things I gotta do... John and John are at it again! They Might be Giants will also be touring in 2015 .… Information Society Our special guest on W♥M Radio is Paul Robb from Information Society! Information Society is back with the original lineup of Paul Robb (synths), Kurt Larson (vocals) and James Cassidy (bass, keyboards). .…

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS
at First Avenue
Saturday 04/18/15, 8pm ($25)
first-avenue.com

Who would have thought that two of my favorite bands are playing the same night (Saturday 04/18) in Minneapolis? Information Society will be at the Fine Line Music Café in support of their latest album _Hello World, with openers Thought Thieves, Dance Assault and DJ Jake Rudh of Transmission ...

Since I'm not a fan of the Fine Line (for its aggressive no-camera policies and bad sightlines), I'm probably going to choose old favorites They Might Be Giants at First Avenue. TMBG's 2015 national tour kicks off next week, April 16th, in celebration of their Dial-A-Song service/collection. Admittedly, when I was in their fanclub, back in the days when long distances charges was a common telephone tactic to charge you more for their services... I did pay to call to their answering machine. Those were the days....

Anyway, the last time the duo (John Flansburgh and John Linnell) was in town (in 2013) it was sold out, so expect a strong fan support at this show.

Spring 2015 National Tour Dates:

04/16 Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small's Theatre
04/17 Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
04/18 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
04/19 Madison, WI @ Barrymore Theatre
04/21 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
04/22 Albany, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
04/23 Boston, MA @ House of Blues
04/24 Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
04/25 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
04/26 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
05/01 Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent
05/02 Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
05/03 San Diego, CA @ Belly Up
05/05 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
05/06 Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
05/07 Seattle, WA @ Neptune
05/08 Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
05/09 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
05/10 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
05/13 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
05/14 Austin, TX @ Stubb's
05/15 Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
05/16 St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
05/17 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
05/31 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

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

W♥M230: Best of 2014 Albums

W♥M230: Best of 2014 Albums (37 mins) Read More They Might be Giants Memo to myself, do the dumb things I gotta do... John and John are at it again! They Might Be Giants is offering a download of their First Album Live! .…

Emily and Vu's albums of 2014.

Best of 2014

Kelis' amazing edible-themed album Food.

La Roux's breakup album Trouble in Paradise.

Sloan's Commonwealth and how their live shows are done.

The Mopefather Morrissey's World Peace is None of Your Business is one of his finest album.

Canadians duo The Pack A.D.'s Do Not Engage is pure fun rock and roll.

Beverly is a recording project between Drew Citron and The Dum Dum Girls' Frankie Rose, and their Careers album is one of Emily's favorite LP of the year.

Looking forward to 2015

Elvis Perkins will have a new 2015 and possibly a national tour.

Sleater-Kinney's entire 2015 tour dates are all sold out.

Information Society will be touring in 2015 in support of their new album _Hello World

They Might be Giants will also be touring in 2015, in direct competition with Info Soc!

TMBG's tour dates:

01/25 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 02/22 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 03/29 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 04/16 Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small's Theatre 04/17 Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre 04/18 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue 04/19 Madison, WI @ Barrymore Theatre 04/21 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom 04/22 Albany, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall 04/23 Boston, MA @ House of Blues 04/24 Washington DC @ 9:30 Club 04/25 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts 04/26 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 05/01 Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent

05/02 Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues 05/03 San Diego, CA @ Belly Up 05/05 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot 05/06 Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory 05/07 Seattle, WA @ Neptune 05/08 Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater 05/09 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore 05/10 San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore 05/13 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater 05/14 Austin, TX @ Stubb's 05/15 Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom 05/16 St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant 05/17 Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall 05/31 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

BONUS:

Going to Canada.

Let It Be Records is still around (letitbe.com).

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Archive of this show at archive.org. More information on podomatic.com

W♥M229: Hating You For Christmas (15 December 2014) Vu + Emily W♥M228: Christmas Will Be Magic (08 December 2014) Vu + John W♥M227: Reissues Reissues Reissues (25 November 2014) Vu + Emily W♥M226: Riot Grrrls 2014 (23 November 2014) Vu + Emily W♥M225: Party Line (16 November 2014) Vu + Sally W♥M224: Bonus - Brian Jones and Comic Book TV (16 November 2014) Vu + John

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

W♥M205: Information Society

W♥M205: Information Society (20 mins) Read More Information Society You can hear their new 'longform single' "Land of the Blind", coming out March 4th, 2014 on HAKATAK International, on YouTube. …

Our special guest on W♥M Radio is Paul Robb from Information Society!

Information Society is back with the original lineup of Paul Robb (synths), Kurt Larson (vocals) and James Cassidy (bass, keyboards). Their upcoming album _Hello World is coming out Summer 2014 on HAKATAK International. The preceding single, "Land of the Blind" is out this week (March 4th).

It takes too long to transcribe all of Paul's answers, so these are just excerpts to get the point across:

1. The self-titled Information Society album and Hack was a departure in your sound. Why was it so different?
I get what you're saying. Keeping in mind that you came at them in the reverse order that they were created in, it might seem stranger to you than it was... A lot of what came out of the recording session of Hack, was our take on what we had been exposed over the last two or three years after we moved from Minneapolis to New York ... In '87, the whole band moved and we were suddenly officially New Yorkers, and I think that stew, and mixture of influences and sounds that we were exposed to in New York was very influential in making that potpourri kind of vibe that Hack has. And in terms of house beats, that we were just responding to what we've been exposed in the clubs.

2. Were you guys all into computers in the 90s?
Yeah, that was the essence of the band... we were always interested in the intersection between technology and humanity and the intersection between one human being and another human being and also the intersection between individual and society as a whole. It's those intermediate gray area that will always be interesting to us. We just happened to be around when the pace of technological evolution really started to speed up in the media and all aspect of life.

We started our life as a band as a media critique band. If you listen to our very earliest stuff, it was all complaining about television, and, you know, news media and things like that. Really what we were getting at was just how society mirrors itself through technology. That through line hasn't changed at all. Obviously when we started getting radio hits, we had to sort of fit ourselves in that template for pop consumption, but, you know, that too was part of the gag.

3. Cristina, one of my writers, wanted to know about the freestyle tour (without Kurt Harland). What was that like? And what was it like to reunite back with Kurt?
It's probably a more accurate to say when there was a time that that none of us were interested in pop music. We all off exploring our own interests and Kurt was doing his computer audio-thing and I was doing my music for TV. And we are still doing those things.

We got together to do a couple of shows in 2005, kind of like New York radio station shows. We hadn't played together in such a long that it was kind of fun. Enough time has elapsed that it didn't seem like 'oh god, we got to play those songs again', it was more like 'that's great, we get play those songs again!!'.

When I finally got around to writing some of the tracks [for the album Synthesizer], Kurt had just had a brand new baby and just gotten in this huge video game project that would over a year to complete. He was like, 'I can't really take the time to do another record right now.' And I said, 'I'm going to do it anyway', and he said 'that was fine, I don't care.' And he did fly in to do a couple of tracks.

We didn't really tour on that record. We played a couple of shows, y'know out of the country in Brazil or Mexico. It wasn't like a tour or anything. It was interesting experience to have the band without Kurt. But soon as he was available again, that it was the obvious choice for Kurt to be the singer again.

4. Why do you think your music translate so well in foreign countries, particularly Brazil and Japan?
Brazil, in particular, is our biggest market. I can't really answer. My stock answer is, 'they have excellent tastes in music'.

5. Tell me about HAKATAK International and also Think Tank.
Think Tank came about as a pseudonym for our band name. Our record label, Tommy Boy, wanted it to be an underground thing leading up to Hack. These tracks are instrumental, so let's just come up with a different name. So we came up with 'Think Tank'...

6. Explain the new single "Land of the Blind" and the b-side "Me And My Rhythm Box", coming out this week on HAKATAK International.
It's not going to sound like "Me And My Rhythm Box", that was just a fun cover we wanted to do in homage to that horrible/awesome movie Liquid Sky. "Land of the Blind" is probably our most traditional-sounding of all the songs in our upcoming record. That's one of the reason why we decided to release it as the first single. It's been a long time since the three of us have worked together to produce music as Information Society.

Information Society Brazil Tour 2014

Information Society will be playing Brazil next week:

March 12 - Campinas (SP) - Kiss & Fly
March 14 - Rio de Janeiro (RJ) - Circo Voador
March 15 - Volta Redonda (RJ) - Clube Nautico

"Land of the Blind" is available on bandcamp.com, more information on InformationSociety.us.

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

Living in Synth

Read More Information Society A few things why this album is important to me. It was my first compact disc ever so it spent a lot of time on my CD player (since I didn't really own a lot of other albums). …

There are a couple of things on news.weheartmusic.com this week that I'm super excited about. Since there are a million news item, I actually just going to highlight some bands. This week's theme is synth-y music.

INFORMATION SOCIETY
informationsociety.us

I'm actually really excited about hearing this. Information Society is back with a new album. It's said to be a return to the "classic" sound of their debut album (the one with the massive hit song, "What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)").

You can hear their new 'longform single' "Land of the Blind", coming out March 4th, 2014 on HAKATAK International, on YouTube.

As much as I love their debut album, personally, between you and me, I am more keen on their Hack album. The reason is because this was my very first Compact Disc and I listened to this all the time at that time period. As you can see, the album made it on my top ten greatest albums.

Anyway, I am really looking forward to checking out their new album _Hello World, which is set to for Summer 2014. As of this writing, I don't have any album or single artwork to show you. This is still early days, be sure to check back for more information on Information Society.

Read More The Faint The Faint is the best of both worlds: blending some horror atmospheric themes with danceable rhythms. Aside from some early technical difficulties, the Faint starts off with some songs from…

THE FAINT
thefaint.com

I saw these guys last year, when they were touring for their Danse Macabre album. Having already seen them a couple of other times, I have to say that this is a great band live. They know their fanbase, they play the hits, but they are not afraid to experiment as well.

The Faint just announced their sixth album Doom Abuse, set for April 8 via SQE Music. Of course, they're also returning on the road in support of the new record.

I cannot speak for the other venues, but just looking at the Minneapolis date, this is a smaller-sized venue (The Fine Line Music Cafe). This will likely sell out in no time, so if you're a Faint fan, do yourself a favor and buy a ticket now. You'll thank me later when it sells out.

The Faint's Upcoming Tour Dates

April 24 - Des Moines, IA @ Wooly's
April 25 - Madison, WI @ Barrymore Theatre
April 26 - St. Louis, MO @ The Ready Room
April 27 - Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck
April 30 - Tulsa, OK @ The Vanguard
May 1 - Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
May 2 - Austin, TX @ The Belmont
May 3 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live - Ballroom
May 6 - Fort Lauderdale, FL @ The Culture Room
May 7 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
May 9 - Jacksonville Beach, FL @ Freebird Live
May 10 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade - Heaven
May 13 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero Theatre
May 14 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Willamsburg
May 16 - Boston, MA @ Royale NightClub
May 17 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall
May 19 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
May 20 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
May 22 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
May 23 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
May 24 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café
May 27 - Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
May 28 - Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
May 30 - Seattle, WA @ Neptune
May 31 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
June 1 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
June 5 - Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
June 6 - Los Angeles,, CA @ The Roxy Theatre
June 11 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
June 12 - Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre
June 13 - Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium

Pull My Hair Back Hyperdub Read More Cut/Copy Cut Copy is currently on a worldwide tour to promote their third album, Zonoscope. Already they have played sold out shows in New York and Washington DC. On April 8th they play to a packed house …

JESSY LANZA
jessylanza.com

Jessy Lanza sold out most of her headlining in January. Like so many bands currently on the road, they are really on their way to Austin's massive SXSW music festival (this year registering over 2,200 official bands).

After SXSW, you can catch Jessy Lanza on tour with synth/dance band Cut/Copy. Lanza will be playing tracks from her debut record, Pull My Hair Back, was released in September 2013 on Hyperdub.

Jessy Lanza 2014 North American Tour Dates

03.05.14 - Spice Factory - Hamilton, ON
03.08.14 - Der Rathskeller - Madison, WI
03.09.14 - Off Broadway - St. Louis, MO
03.13.14 - Resident Advisor Showcase
03.13.14-03.15.14 - SXSW - Austin, TX
03.19.14 - Marathon Music Works - Nashville, TN #
03.20.14 – Echostage - Washington, DC #
03.21.14 - Terminal 5 - New York, NY #
03.22.14 - Terminal 5 - New York, NY #
03.24.14 - Corona Theater - Montreal, QC #
03.25.14 - Town Ballroom - Buffalo, NY #
03.26.14 - Newport Music Hall - Columbus, OH #
03.31.14 - House Of Blues - San Diego, CA #
04.01.14 - Hollywood Palladium - Los Angeles, CA #

# with Cut Copy

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

Vu's Top Ten Albums

Vu's Radiohead Collection Read More Radiohead Radiohead was called On A Friday in 1995 because that's when they met to rehearse. Oasis originally named themselves after a Beatles song called "The Rain" …

Inspired by Emily's post about her top ten greatest album of all time, this is my own personal top ten.

I have to explain many of these albums, because they aren't automatically great to everyone, but they are important albums that shaped me. It's organized by year, and apology in advance for all the Britpop music. There should be a subcategory of top ten greatest Britpop...

Harry Chapin - Greatest Stories Live (1976)

Greatest Stories Live Elektra

Basically the closest thing to a greatest hits album, since I don't believe he ever approved a best of collection. Chapin died in 1981, so all of his albums never gracefully made their way to digital. If you wanted to legally buy his music online pre-2005, it was impossible. Fans enjoyed his music on vinyl and cassettes, and eventually on CD when the format became popular in the early 90s. I picked up Greatest Stories Live because it was one of the very few albums that was released on CD. Remember that the move from analog to digital didn't happen overnight.

Smiths - The Queen is Dead (1986)

The Queen is Dead Sire

NME called this album "Greatest Albums of All Time", and I can't say I disagree. This is such a great album, because it is one of those albums that I know all the words to. There are no bad songs on this album and it is the perfect blend between instrumental guitar work by Johnny Marr and the witty lyrics of Morrissey.

Information Society - Hack (1990)

Hack Tommy Boy

A few things why this album is important to me. It was my first compact disc ever so it spent a lot of time on my CD player (since I didn't really own a lot of other albums). This album was not on anyone's radar. It's such a great album as a whole, the whole theme of hacking and computers were really ahead of their time. They were originally from Minneapolis.

Oasis - Definitely Maybe (1994)

Definitely Maybe Creation

Possibly the greatest rock and roll album. Met and interview Liam Gallagher in 1995. Saw them at a tiny venue in Sacramento. Did they stand the test of time? Probably not, if you talk to young people today, they probably have no idea who Oasis is. But for a time, the brothers Gallagher were shining so bright that they claimed to be bigger than the Beatles (probably a joke referring to Beatles claiming they were bigger than Jesus) ...

Pulp - Different Class (1995)

Different Class Islands

So many great songs on this album, from their hit "Common People", to the revenge "I Spy", to the dance favorite "Disco 2000", to kinkiness "Underwear". Love Jarvis Cocker and his wonderful songwriting. I have bought this album three times. Lost to lending it to a friend, lost to car break in, but I'm never long without the album. Like an old friend.

New Order - Best of New Order (1995)

Best of New Order Qwest Records

New Order were one of those bands that broke up long before I got into music, so my introduction to their music was through their Best Of album. I liked them enough to track down their previous releases, up until Republic. And although that album was good, but there are some lows on that album that felt uneven for me. So picking a favorite New Order album, I have to go with the greatest hits album simply because it collects the best songs. Also, "Regret" is New Order's finest hour.

Sleeper - The It Girl (1996)

The It Girl Indolent

No one loves Sleeper as much as I do. I own all of Sleeper's singles and albums. Their second album was a slightly superior to their debut Smart album, even though all the singles leading up to the debut album was wonderful. The It Girl's US tracklisting order was different (and missing one track), so I own the UK and US version of this album ... plus the 12" and 10-inch vinyl. Sleeper broke up in 1997, glad I didn't get a Sleeper tattoo.

Radiohead - OK Computer (1997)

OK Computer Capitol

I actually forgotten about how much I love Radiohead in my original list. The reason why is that I am no longer such a massive fan. OK Computer and The Bends were the albums that I loved in this time period. During The Bends period, I got to interview Phil Selway live on air on KFSR 90.7. Wow, still can't believe it. Sadly to say, as much as I love Radiohead, I feel no need to rush out to get whatever new albums simply because their music style has changed over the years. Some people say evolved, I say regress!!

Belle & Sebastian - The Boy with the Arab Strap (1998)

The Boy with the Arab Strap Jeepster

Most people would pick If You're Feeling Sinister, but I prefer Arab Strap. B&S can do no wrong, up until Catastrophe Waitress and Life Pursuit, of course. I'm not happy with the "Christian" direction they're heading in, but they are still a great band.

Deltron 3030 (2001)

Deltron 3030 Ark

Del, Kid Koala, and Dan the Automator. What a great concept album, and I don't even like rap music! That is saying something, because it transcend music genre, and if a so-called 'rap' album can be on my favorite list, that is saying something to the quality of the music.

Obviously lots of bands that I left off my list: Lucksmiths, They Might Be Giants, Red Hot and Blues, Julee Cruise, Air Supply (don't ask), ABBA, Baxendale, Momus, Camera Obscura, Bikini Kill, Pogues, Franz Ferdinand, Flight of the Conchords, Pet Shop Boys, Elastica, Echobelly, The Auteurs, Black Box Recorder, Looper, Trainspotting, etc. There are a lot of bands albums so restricting it to 10 was hard.

vu () ♥ weheartmusic.com

W♥M134: Pleased To Meet Emily

W♥M134 (36 mins)

Your hosts are Amy, Emily, and Vu.

Meet Emily, the girl who fell in love with The Replacements and moved to Minneapolis in stalking pursuit of Paul Westerberg. Her first show at "the legendary" First Avenue, it was an all-ages show for Built to Spill, while her first cassette purchased was for Dionne Warwick and The Four Tops. Who doesn't love oldies and Motown?

The main focus of the show is Mark Lanegan and his latest album, Blues Funeral, which came out February 2012, via 4AD. This is the first Mark Lanegan Band album since 2004's Bubblegum.

You might know Lanegan as the lead singer of the 90s band Screaming Trees, but he's become known more and more as successful solo artist. His collaboration list is also quite diverse, being in Queens of the Stone Age, The Gutter Twins (with Greg Dulli), and Isobel Campbell (of Belle & Sebastian).

Song of the show is Mark Lanegan Band's "Ode to Sade Disco".

He's currently on tour, Amy & Emily will be seeing him at the Cedar in Minneapolis.

10 May 2012 • New York, NY - Webster Hall 11 May 2012 • Washington, DC - 9:30 Club 12 May 2012 • Philadelphia, PA - Theatre Of The Living 13 May 2012 • Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club 15 May 2012 • Toronto, ON - Mod Club 16 May 2012 • Detroit, MI - Small's 17 May 2012 • Chicago, IL - Metro 18 May 2012 • Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center 20 May 2012 • Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre 22 May 2012 • Los Angeles, CA - Gene Autry Museum 23 May 2012 • San Francisco, CA - Great American Music 25 May 2012 • George, WA - Sasquatch! Festival 26 May 2012 • Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom 11 August 2012 • France - La Route Du Rock Festival

13 August 2012 • Frankkfurt, Batschkapp - Longhorn 14 August 2012 • München - Freiheizhalle 16 August 2012 • Hasselt, Belgium - Pukkelpop Festival 17 August 2012 • Germany - Highfields Festival 18 August 2012 • Switzerland - Gampel Festival 20 August 2012 • Holland - Lowlands Festival 21 August 2012 • Falmouth - Princess Pavilion 22 August 2012 • Wolverhampton - Wulfrun Hall 24 August 2012 • Uk - Leeds Festival 25 August 2012 • Saint-Cloud, Fr - Rock En Seine Festival 26 August 2012 • Uk - Reading Festival 28 August 2012 • Aberdeen - Garage 29 August 2012 • Edinburgh - Picturehouse 1 September 2012 • Uk - End Of The Road Festival 2 September 2012 • Verona, It - A Perfect Day Festival

PLUS:
I have a sad, sad, sad love for Wilson Phillips. This was my first cassette purchased at the Wherehouse (Blackstone location) in Fresno, California. The trio is back, and with a new covers album, Dedicated. Check out their live performance of "Good Vibration" via youtube.com. Wendy looks great!

They're coming to Minneapolis State Fair!

6/5/12 Austin, TX Long Center for Performing Arts
6/6/12 Dallas TX Winspear Opera House
8/17 & 8/18 San Diego, CA San Diego Symphony
8/31 & 9/1 St. Paul, MN Minnesota State Fair

*more tour dates to follow

BONUS: Things taken out of context: Emily's rant on the industry failing to grow out of the 60s, Paul Westerberg is a big Twins fan, "Kurt's dead, that's great!", "I'm Vu, Vu-me!". Falsetto, explained… which lead to Jeff Hanson (yes that song I used is by Jeff Hanson!). Emily's first cassingle was Salt-N-Pepa's "Ain't Nuthin' But A She Thing" and Vu was "How Long" by Information Society (that was 1991, I bought the CD Single later on as an upgrade). The cassingle played the same on both side A & B, you can see a scan of the cover here (along with "Think").

ROCK FOR PUSSY IX: Friday, June 8, 2012, at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Featuring Steve Price, John Eller, Dave Russ, Tommy Alsides, Janey Winterbauer, Christian Erickson, Aby Wolf, Chastity Brown, Venus and All the Pretty Horses, Adam Levy, Dan Israel, Reed Wilkerson, Laurie Lindeen, Dave Campbell, Ciaran Daly, Orion Treon, Liam Watkins, Michelle Massey, Brenden Green, Chris Perricelli, Leslie Ball, Chris Lynch, Kevin Nord, Matt Coffee, DJ Jake Rudh and many more!!!

W♥M Radio is available on iTunes, please subscribe!

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____
Archive of this show at archive.org. More information on podomatic.com

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

Information Society - Hack

Tour 01/05/08 Trocadero Theatre - Philadelphia, PA 01/06/08 El Corazon - Seattle, WA 01/13/08 DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA 01/18/08 Elysium - Austin, Texas Album Discography [1984] Creatures of Influence [1988] Information Society [1990] Hack [1992] Peace and Love, Inc. [1997] Don't Be Afraid [2007] Synthesizer Band Members ♥ Paul Robb ♥ James Cassidy ♥ Kurt Harland ♥ Christopher Anton Links Cassettes-a-rama! http://weheartmus... Haha ! I totally found these cassettes in my basement today.I had a few cassingles for Informati...

Information Society - Fire Tonight Information Society - Think (Radio Edit) Information Society - How Long Think Tank - A Knife and a Fork-R.I.P

I saw my sister over the Thanksgiving holiday and we were talking about the first CD we bought. We've previously were both buying and sharing cassettes album and, according to my sister, our first CD was going to be special. We pooled our money together and we bought Information Society's Hack. I don't even think we even had a CD Player back then (as those were quite expensive in 1991).

In this entry, I'll just be talking about Hack, as Information Society's history is both long and rich.

Most people know Information Society through their hit song "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)" from their debut album (I say debut because Creatures of Influences seems more of a very long EP). That self-titled album sold very well, but my first album I bought was Hack on cassette, before replacing it with the CD version co-owned with my sister.

Hack remain one of my all-time favorite album. I know all the songs by heart and it was really the first album that introduced me to sampling and mashups. I can't even tell you how often I listened to this album non-stop throughout high school. I even spent hours reading and looking at the liner notes.

From the liner notes, I was able to tell that all the sampling and loop hack songs were by Think Tank. I've long thought that this was an independent DJ, but I found out that it's basically Paul Robb's alter ego.

Two singles were released from this album, Think and How Long - which I own both cassingles (I also have "Think" on Maxi-CD Single). "Now That I Have You" was considered for release, but only the 12" Promo exists. If you asked me, I would've chosen "Fire Tonight" or "Mirrorshade", as I felt these were stronger songs.

The entire album works as a gapless album, between each main song (usually written by Paul Robb) are Think Tank's samples. Kurt Harland did write about five songs on the album, but some of them seem to be more arranging and programming samples.

If you love 80s synth-pop songs, this is such a great album. It's pure pop, and closed with a wonderful instrumental called "Chemistry". For a long time, I ended most of my mixtapes with this song.

On the subject of the album being called Hack, here is an excerpt from Harland:

A great deal was made of the name, "HACK". We were using the name much more loosely than most people assumed. True, we were thinking of computer hacking, but we were also implying the idea of musical hacks, meaning, getting the job done efficiently and moving on. Or, as Jim liked to say, it meant that "we cut up meat!". Truth is, things like that rarely mean as much to the band as they do to reporters and fans.

- Kurt Harland

Currently, Information Society are back together. They've just released Synthesizer  in October and planning on some tour dates in 2008.

EDIT: From Patrick:

Kurt is back in the band and is doing all vocals on the live tour. He also did vocals for one song on Synthesizer and will do all vocals on future albums.

There's a tour information page here:
http://dancing-ferret.com/isjangig.htm

 12/01/2007 00:32:33  vu my♥posts www.insoc.org informationsociety.us

Cassettes-a-rama!

Cassettes

Information Society - Peace + Love, Inc.

Information Society

Haha !  I totally found these cassettes in my basement today.

I had a few cassingles for Information Society, so I'm going to put them on the playlist for this week!  I love them so much !!

You may remember them back in the 80s with their big hit "What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)", which had a big problem with the sampling of Leonard Nimoy from Star Trek.