Mick Signals

Jovi Rockwell – Keep It Real video

Directed by Puma.

by Heather Snowball and Amber Bryant-Peller

MVRemix: Have you ever been to Vancouver before?

Kevin: Once, a long time ago.

Sadie: I’ve never been here before. It’s my first time.

Joe: We played a show here in 2004 or something.

Kevin: Yeah, that’s sounds about right.

Joe: And then I’ve been here before just randomly with some friends.

MVRemix: How has your tour gone so far?

[All laughing and answering sarcastically]

Kevin: Pretty good.

Joe: Really good.

Sadie: Great.

Joe: I think every tour has its own issues and we solved a bunch of issues from the last tour and now we have a bunch of new issues on this tour. It’s like every tour is going to have its own problems. But the things that have gone good have gone really good. We have a sound person now which has made life a lot easier.

MVRemix: And then your touring down into California from here?

Joe: Yeah we play… Olympia, Portland, San Francisco, Santa Cruz.

MVRemix: So do you have a certain feel or vibe that you are aiming for in your shows?

Kevin: Obviously we want it to be fun. And we’d also like it to be a little unique. Fun. Unique. Funique.

Joe: We don’t think about it too much. We just really want to have the set go well. Have it sound super good and then hopefully everything falls into place.

MVRemix: Do you have any preshow traditions?

[All look down at their beers]

MVRemix: Haha. That seems to be a common preshow tradition. So your music has been called drone, ambient, noise music, but it seems difficult to label, is that intentional?

Kevin: Yeah, we’ve never been interested in fitting into a genre or to figure out some kind of classification. It has never been something that has interested us as the people making the music. It’s intentional in that we don’t care about trying to fit into a box – we prefer to not. We are not trying to create some new music thing. We are just making what we make and people furrow their brows and walk out.

MVRemix: Or sometimes stay?

Kevin: Yeah, yeah.

MVRemix: Where do you find inspiration for your unique sound?

Kevin: All over the board I think. We all have different tastes.

Sadie: We have a wide range of tastes.

Joe: Each of us, alone, have our own wide tastes and we all kind of obsess about our own things. And I don’t think it is conscious effort to be inspired by a certain thing. I don’t think we are inspired by a certain band or anything like that. For me personally, stuff kind of washes over me and then things pop out and then maybe I’m curious about other things and so it shifts and goes on.

MVRemix: Do you do a lot of improvisation on stage?

Kevin: Not really, no not at all.

Sadie: No, no.

Joe: Certainly not in the sense of the way people understand improvisation. Sometimes there is a little bit of play in between the songs which can be unstructured but for the most part it is fairly set.

MVRemix: How did you come up with the name Growing?

[All laughing]

Sadie: I named the band. No, I’m just kidding, I wasn’t in the band at the beginning.

Joe: We just came up with a bunch of different names, like 10 years ago and Growing seemed to be the one that stuck. At the time we were a pretty heavy, kind of crazy/loud, brutal band that was super vicious sounding so I don’t think it has the same connotations now as it did then.

MVRemix: But you still feel it fits?

Joe: Seems to be okay. It’s been long enough now that it is purely abstract. It doesn’t mean anything to me anymore. It just happens to be the collection of letters that signifies what we do.

Kevin: We wanted a verb too.

MVRemix: Why did you want a verb?

Kevin: I don’t know, to be totally honest with you. I think it was just better than a noun.

MVRemix: So you were both (Kevin and Joe) in bands before Growing?

Joe: Yeah, nothing too serious. We played in a hardcore band together and we also did some stuff that was just the two of us with just guitars. We decided to put the two bands together and that was when we called it Growing. We, sort of, melded the two styles and found some middle ground.

MVRemix: How did you guys first meet and get to know each other?

Joe: Kevin and I had moved to New York around 2003/2004 and that is around the same time Sadie moved there. And we had similar circles of friends and so we met her through them and we played some shows together with our bands.

MVRemix: Do you find New York is a good scene for music?

Sadie: Yes and no.

Joe: It’s a tough place to be a musician.

Sadie: Yeah, it’s hard there to find space and time. But then there are also a lot of venues to play at and there are tons of other musicians and lots of energy and sometimes that’s a good thing and sometimes a bad thing. There are both extremes.

MVRemix: How did you guys first get into music?

Joe: I was just a kid. I liked music a lot when I was a kid. I obsessed about it.

Kevin: There is not a lot to do when you are a kid, especially before video games.

Sadie: We didn’t have computers when we were children.

Kevin: Not that there is anything wrong with that. But yeah, we had to entertain ourselves and music was a fun thing to do. You could meet a bunch of weird people and hang out with a bunch of weirdos. It was exciting, at least that’s how I remember it, because you had to use all these weird channels to find out when and where something was happening and it was almost like it wasn’t supposed to be happening but it was. And then you would go to this place and get a taste for beer, hang out, meet people…I kind of feel like an old man. In an accent. We used to crowd around a fire with a banjo…

Joe: One of the reasons that Kevin and I became such good friends is because our upbringing as teenagers is similar. We both lived in suburban dead zones. So when you find that punk rock world it is kind of a big deal.

Kevin: It’s exciting.

Joe: And you start to feel, not to get too corny, that there is a place that is not like the world you live in and that you want to get out of that. That was a big draw for me, I think.

MVRemix: Do you have any future aspirations for your music?

Kevin: That is survives. laughs

Sadie: I think we are all trying to figure out how to make another record and getting new ideas for it.

Kevin: And definitely one thing that we never do is set a specific goal. It’s important to us, creatively speaking, to let things happen really naturally. We don’t say, this next record let’s make a country record. We kind of try and just let things…

Sadie: We try and let the music dictate what we do.

Kevin: And there are going to be other outside influences but we try not to control it too much.

Joe: We just let ourselves be curious and hope that where we go with that can fit with each other and it usually does.

MVRemix: Do you have plans for after this tour?

Joe: Yeah, we will probably start trying to make some new songs. We have two new songs now, in this set and then we will try and make some more over the summer and maybe tour again in the fall, if we can. And try and start thinking about recording.

MVRemix: Do you have any parting words for your fans?

Kevin: Where are you?

[All laughing]

Sadie: Come to the show. Come see us please.

Joe: We like you.

Growing live in Vancouver reviewed by Heather Snowball and Amber Bryant-Peller

The band Growing, currently based out of New York, describes their sound as unique, fun, or in the words of one member during an interview before their show, “funique.” Their sound is definitely just that and could certainly be described as unforgettable. Growing recently took the stage at Vancouver’s Biltmore Cabaret and two bands opened for them.

The first was a local artist called JDH and this was his debut show at the Biltmore. He drew a local crowd that supported him and those fans thinned out once his performance finished. However, more of Growing’s fans replaced the people that came only for JDH later in the night.

The second band that took the stage was a duo that introduced themselves as Jack and Nato. They used a lot of looping adding drum beats, electric guitar and vocals. Sometimes the loops seemed to overpower the guitarist resulting in an unbalanced performance.

The crowd really enjoyed their style. Most people were out on the dance floor and had a good time rocking out to the music. The crowd seemed to enjoy the transitions between the bands just as much as the bands. There were impromptu dance-offs and more dancing during the transitions than when the bands actually played.

Growing had a darker vibe than JDH or Jack and Nato. Their music was heavier and slower so most of the dancing stopped when they took the stage. Wearing casual clothes like hoodies and jeans and with no song interludes, Growing invited the audience into their world.

Growing did not address the crowd at any point in the night. They neither introduced themselves nor the songs. Instead the band played their music and flowed from one song to the next, never leaving time for a pause in the music. Although this was less interactive, Growing still gained the crowd’s attention.

It’s hard to characterize what kind of music Growing performed. It was very chaotic and sounds similar to some drone and other noise music. It was one thing for sure – loud. If there is one thing that we can recommend to future Growing audiences: prepare yourself for the loud music and the intensity. At the loudest guitar solos we feared that our eardrums would burst.

The fans appeared to enjoy the music and didn’t seem to notice the volume. Most of the crowed was staggered throughout the dance floor. Some people swayed while others just stood straight looking ahead at the band. Because of the nature of the music and the dramatic changes, you could never find much of a rhythm to move to. Although there wasn’t a large crowd, those who came seemed pleased.

Although we may not be adding Growing to our ipods, for those into noise music looking for a set of unique artists, Growing is worth checking out. For a closer look at the artists behind the band Growing, check out the interview with them.

Cosmic Gate, one of the most well known electronic music groups of all time, have announced plans tour North America.

The duo, consisting of Nic Chagall and Bossi, will embark on their largest tour of the US and Canada to date. With their massive successes this year coupled
with their remix of the main title theme from AVATAR – (James Horner I See You) Cosmic Gates star power and presence is on the rise.

What may look like an overnight success to some, is in fact the culmination of years of hard work and devotion to dance music. Following a chance meeting at a
label office in Cologne in late 1998, the pair collaborated for the first time. Its a production partnership that has become one of the dance worlds most successful
and memorable. Collaborations and remixes for EDM peers such as: Tisto, Armin van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, Above & Beyonds OceanLab project, Paul Van Dyk,
Deadmau5, Rank 1, John OCallaghan and Blank & Jones have further exposed Cosmic Gates vast musical talents and definitive sound to millions worldwide.
Add to this a touring calendar with over 100 dates per year, and is clear that this in demand duo is going all the way.

With their fourth studio album still charting (released in 2009, the essential Sign of the Times) and their ongoing compilation mix series Back2Back
(released through Black Hole this past March) its easy to see and hear why Cosmic Gate are one of the most influential, respected and sought after acts in electronic music today.

COSMIC GATE ON TOUR

June
3- Upstairs Cabaret- Victoria, Canada
4- Event Center- Edmonton, Canada
5- Decor @ Musicbox- Los Angeles

July
2- Voyeur- San Diego
3- Lizard Lounge- Dallas
4- Pool Party- Las Vegas
23- Ruby Skye- San Fran
24- Audiotistic Festival, LA
30- Festival tba- Montreal, Canada
30- Circus – Montreal, Canada
31- Glow- Washington DC

September
4- TBA
5- Electric Zoo- New York

SINGER/SONGWRITER JARROD GORBEL TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM DEVIL’S MADE A NEW FRIEND ON AUGUST 31 ACCOMPANYING LIVE VIDEO FOR EACH SONG FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCES

Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Jarrod Gorbel, formerly of The Honorary Title, will release his first solo album Devil’s Made a New Friend August 31 on independent label Burning-house Records and his own imprint, Gorbel Music. Blake Sennett (of Rilo Kiley and The Elected) produced the album, which features many collaborations and a band made up of members of Rilo Kiley, Black Crowes, Mystic Valley Band, and Azure Ray.

Each song on the new album is accompanied by a live video shot in various locations throughout New York City. In the collaborative spirit of Devil’s Made A New Friend, all of the videos feature appearances by other musicians, including celloist Yoed Nir, Nicole Atkins, Portastatic violinist Margarite White and others.

Jarrod recently visited PS 22 in Staten Island, NY and performed a heartwarming rendition of new track “Ten Years Older” with the school choir. The video of that performance can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbhRXZmLYjg

Also live videos for each song with Jarrod collaborating with different artists are being filmed. One video will be released per week for 10 weeks leading up the album’s release.

After several years performing under the moniker The Honorary Title (which eventually evolved into a full-fledged quartet praised by Spin and Rolling Stone,) Devil’s Made a New Friend is Jarrod’s debut full-length release under his own name. The peaks and valleys of both his musical career and personal life resulted in this candid, passionate collection of songs, which sees Jarrod looking to classic soul, traditional folk and Americana for inspiration. The songs incorporate new elements such as strings, horns and female backing vocals for a lush, organic sound that compliments Jarrod’s signature deceptively simple melodies, warm arrangements and soaring voice. In his own words, the album is a set of 10 songs that capture an artist “starting over, going back to the beginning, and reestablishing myself.”

Kottonmouth Kings Release Free Download Of The Dirtball Rips The Hits Vol. 1 Mixtape

Kottonmouth Kings are on the road tearing up amphitheatres across the country as a part of the Happy Daze Tour featuring Insane Clown Posse, Coolio, Kittie and Necro. During their downtime on the road Kottonmouth Kings have assembled a free mixtape for fans entitled “The Dirtball Rips The Hits Vol. 1”, which is available for download online at http://subnoize.fm/dballmixtape. The mixtape features Dirtball putting his own spin on classic tracks like “Put It Down”, “Can Anybody Hear Me”, “K-O-T-T-O-N-M-O-U-T-H Song”, “King Klick”, “Pack Your Bowls”, and “Where I’m Going”.

“When we were putting together the Kottonmouth Kings live show for this tour with ICP, the guys sat down and tried to figure out how to incorporate my talents into older tracks,” commented Dirtball. “DJ Bobby B laced together a mixtape and made it sound dope. Make sure to download these classic tracks, intertwined with new raps I added to give them a new twist. Don’t sleep on this! Download it, burn it, and bang it, while we wait for the next crop to bloom.”

Kottonmouth Kings new album, “Long Live The Kings”, debuted at #26 on the Billboard Top 200 without the aid of mainstream press, radio, or MTV. The group is currently on the road co-headlining the ‘Happy Daze’ tour alongside Insane Clown Posse.

KOTTONMOUTH KINGS TOUR DATES:
May 21 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium
May 22 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium
May 23 – Pittsburgh, PA – Amphitheatre at Station Square
May 24 – Cleveland, OH – Nautica Pavilion
May 26 – Minneapolis, MN – Cabooze
May 27 – Council Bluffs, IA – Westfair Amphitheater
May 28 – Sauget, IL – Pops Outdoors
May 29 – Bonner Springs, KS – Capitol Federal Park at Sandstone
May 31 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheater
Jun 01 – Magna, UT – The Great Salt Air – Outdoors
Jun 03 – Spokane, WA – Knitting Factory Concert House
Jun 04 – Portland, OR – Expo Center – Hall C
Jun 05 – San Francisco, CA – The Warfield Theatre
Jun 06 – Anaheim, CA – The Grove of Anaheim

Thought to have been recorded between her stint with Rockford, Illinois, psych-rock outfit Pisces and her lone 45 on the Vincent label, Songs For A Friend is the last known recordings by Linda Bruner. Tracked in one continuous session in the back of Nielson’s Music Store, Bruner drags herself through five doleful reinterpretations (Don’t Let Me Down, Thorn Tree In The Garden, Georgia On My Mind, Wichita Lineman, Rainy Night In Georgia) and one original. This neglected lover’s note caught our eye by chance, the blue spine of its box crying out from a disheveled clutch of Pisces outtake reels. We’ve chosen to preserve the tape’s intimacies, allowing it to roll through its imperfections, bits of banter, and hiss. If her disconsolate pop recreations reveal a tormented songbird soaring toward the edge of despair, it’s only affirmation of what little we know for sure about Linda Bruner, now long lost.

vinyl only.

She’s the girl who at 17 did these covers and for the past 50 years has been on the run as a grifter. Numero Group found her work and is putting it out.

Ninjasonik – BARS video [Teaser]

Ninjasonik and Jason Goldwatch banged out a classic video for the BK party anthem “BARS,” shot throughout the NYC and BK, and dropping extremely soon.

JORDIN SPARKS ANNOUNCES HER SUMMER HEADLINE TOUR, “THE BATTLEFIELD TOUR Presented by MIKE AND IKE®”

New York, NY – Following the success of her sophomore album release Battlefield (19 Recordings/Jive Records) and 2009 tour with the Jonas Brothers and Britney Spears, the unstoppable Jordin Sparks will launch her summer headlining tour beginning this June. Jordin’s tour will hit over 35 major theatres across the U.S., ending on July 18th. Tickets for the “Jordin Sparks, The Battlefield Tour, Presented by MIKE AND IKE®”, are on sale now.

Her standout album Battlefield debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Top 200 albums chart with her hit single of the same title, peaking at #6 on the Pop singles charts. Fans and critics alike rave “The strength of the tunes-and Sparks’ vocals…plays up her versatility” People Magazine, “Battlefield certainly delivers on the artistic end. . . [with] Sparks, showing heretofore unseen vocal dexterity” Entertainment Weekly and “Battlefield,” her expertly constructed second album, upholds a darker, more experienced tone… Sparks is becoming more compelling” New York Times.

Jordin also recently announced she will make her Broadway debut in the 2008 Tony and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical In The Heights. 20 year old Jordin Sparks will play Nina Rosario in a limited 12 week engagement starting on August 19, 2010 through November 14, 2010. Performing from a young age, Sparks has enjoyed some impressive company in the world of female Top 40 radio. On the heels of becoming the youngest American Idol winner in 2007, Jordin released her self-titled debut album and went on to sell over 1.6MM copies worldwide. “Jordin Sparks”, which earned U.S. platinum status, spawned three Top 5 Billboard Pop hit singles including “Tattoo”, “No Air” and “One Step At A Time”. Cumulatively, these popular singles have sold almost 9MM downloads and ringtones. In addition to winning an American Music Award for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist and receiving two MTV Video Music Award nominations for Best Female Video and Best New Artist; she earned one of the music industry’s highest honors with a 2008 Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for “No Air.” This multi-faceted performer is also known for her philanthropy, which includes her own project, the I’m M.A.D. Are You? campaign as well as other charitable efforts.

MIKE AND IKE® Brand Candies is pleased to mark the second year of its exclusive partnership with Jordin Sparks. MIKE AND IKE® along with its charitable partner Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer™ (ALSF) will once again join Sparks to present a custom branded experience including a tour vehicle, a green screen photo booth where fans get a free virtual photo with Jordin and samples of their favorite MIKE AND IKE® fruit flavored candies to take home. New this summer, MIKE AND IKE®and Jordin Sparks will be giving away concert tickets viaradio stations in select U.S. markets. At concert events, fans will engage with MIKE AND IKE® Tour Ambassadors, learning about Sparks’ support for ALSF, a charity which MIKE AND IKE® has been supporting with donations through its LEMONADE BLENDS® variety for over two years. Exclusive Jordin Sparks content and promotions will be available on mikeandike.com. MIKE AND IKE® will also continue to share exclusive content on its facebook page and via twitter.

Jordin Sparks Tour Dates
June 3 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
June 4 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights
June 8 Greensburg, PA Palace Theater
June 10 New York, NY Nokia Theater
June 11 Hampton, NH HB Casino
June 12 Hartford, CT Webster Theater
June 13 Boston, MA House of Blues
June 15 Cincinnati, OH 20th Century
June 16 Detroit, OH Royal Oak
June 17 Cleveland, OH House of Blues
June 19 Norfolk, VA The Norva
June 20 Charlotte, NC Fillmore
June 22 Fort Lauderdale, FL Revolution
June 23 Orlando, FL House of Blues
June 28 Houston, TX House of Blues
June 29 Dallas, TX House of Blues
July 1 Tempe, AZ Marquee
July 2 Anaheim, CA The Grove
July 3 Reno, NV Knitting Factory
July 5 Seattle, WA The Showbox
July 6 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
July 8 San Diego, CA House of Blues
July 9 Los Angeles, CA Club Nokia
July 10 San Francisco, CA The Regency Ballroom
July 12 Denver, CO Ogden Theater
July 14 Kansas City, MO Beaumont Club
July 16 Minneapolis, MN First Ave
July 17 Chicago, IL House of Blues
July 18 Philadelphia, PA TLA

Mogwai to Release the Concert Film “Burning” with Live Album Special Moves Out on August 24th Directed by Vincent Moon & Nathanael Le Scouarnac of La Blogotheque’s Take-Away Shows

Seminal Scottish post-rock band Mogwai are thrilled to announce their first official live concert film release “Burning” with accompanying live album Special Moves. The film, directed by Vincent Moon and Nathanael Le Scouarnac of the world-renowned La Blogotheque’s Take-Away Shows, was shot at the band’s sold-out three-night residency at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg in April 2009.

These creative powerhouses in film and music have come together to produce something undeniably unique and mesmerizing, grabbing the audience from the first opening seconds and never letting go. The 45-minute film presents itself as a modern urban noir thriller, a black-and-white journey, starting on the same electrifying New York streets Bernard Hermann scored for Martin Scorsese. Manholes hiss steam, taxi headlights flare in the camera lens and strangers wait in street corner shadows. Moon and Le Scouarnec call their film an “experience of the senses… a lifetime of feelings in just one night.”

The release also includes Special Moves, an 11-track live album. For a band who comes to such epic, monumental life in the live arena, it might be surprising that this is the first official live concert compilation they’ve ever released…and we think you’ll be excited by the results! And fans can download for free the track “New Paths to Helicon Pt. 1” from the concert HERE, as well as pre-order the limited edition album/dvd bundle (with the added bonus of 3 pieces of vinyl, signed poster and patch!) HERE.

Tracklists:

Special Moves
1. I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead 2. Friend of the Night 3. Hunted By a Freak 4. Mogwai Fear Satan 5. Cody 6. You Don’t Know Jesus 7. I Know You Are But What Am I 8. I Love You, I’m Going to Blow Up Your School 9. 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong 10. Like Herod 11. Glasgow Megasnake

“Burning”
1. The Precipice 2. I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead 3. Hunted By a Freak 4. Like Herod 5. New Paths to Helicon Pt. 1 6. Mogwai Fear Satan 7. Scotland’s Shame 8. Batcat

NEW METRIC TRACK “ECLIPSE (ALL YOURS)” IS THEME SONG FOR UPCOMING FILM THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE

Metric and Twilight fans alike have something to be very excited about – a brand-new track by Metric will be featured on the highly-anticipated soundtrack for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, as the movie’s theme song. The song, titled “Eclipse (All Yours)”, was co-written by Metric lead singer Emily Haines and guitarist Jimmy Shaw with legendary film composer Howard Shore, who wrote the acclaimed score for the Lord of the Rings film trilogy among many others.

“I’ve always wanted to write music for a film, but I never expected to start with something on this scale,” said Emily Haines about the soundtrack. “I don’t have to tell you what an honor it was to be hand-picked by Howard to do this work. We are massively grateful for the opportunity.”

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack will be released on June 8, 2010 via Chop Shop/Atlantic. The first single from the album will be Muse’s “Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever)”. Metric’s “Eclipse (All Yours)” will be featured along with music from such major artists as Vampire Weekend, Muse, The Black Keys, Bat for Lashes, Florence and the Machine, Band of Horses and The Dead Weather. The soundtrack was supervised by Chop Shop’s Alexandra Patsavas (Grey’s Anatomy, Gossip Girl) who worked closely with the film’s director David Slade. The soundtrack to the previous film, which included Thom Yorke, The Killers, OK Go, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Muse, sold almost 4 million copies worldwide. The soundtrack topped the Billboard top 200 chart upon release.

Summit Entertainment’s The Twilight Saga: Eclipse opens on June 30, 2010. The film stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Bryce Dallas Howard, Billy Burke and Dakota Fanning and is directed by David Slade. In Eclipse, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob – knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the struggle between vampire and werewolf.

Tracklisting for The Twilight Saga: Eclipse – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack:

1. Metric – “Eclipse (All Yours)”
2. Muse – “Neutron Star Collision (Love is Forever)”
3. The Bravery – “Ours”
4. Florence and The Machine – “Heavy in Your Arms”
5. Sia – “My Love”
6. Fanfarlo – “Atlas”
7. The Black Keys – “Chop and Change”
8. The Dead Weather – “Rolling In On A Burning Tire”
9. Beck and Bat For Lashes – “Let’s Get Lost”
10. Vampire Weekend – “Jonathan Low”
11. UNKLE – “With You In My Head” (feat. The Black Angels)
12. Eastern Conference Champions – “A Million Miles An Hour”
13. Band of Horses – “Life On Earth”
14. Cee Lo Green – “What Part of Forever”
15. Howard Shore – “Jacob’s Theme”

BEAR HANDS FREE DOWNLOAD! “THE RUMPUS SESSION” LIVE SOON TO BE RELEASED ON CANTORA RECORDS AN AUDIO VISUAL FEAST FEATURING LIVE PERFORMANCES OF NEW SONGS FROM THEIR FORTHCOMING DEBUT ALBUM

NEW TOUR DATES BELOW

Due to such an amazing reaction from Monday’s premiere of Bear Hands “The Rumpus Session” which premiered on AOL Spinner Bear Hands and Cantora Records have decided to give all their fans “The Rumpus Session” as a Free Download for a limited run at bearhandsband.com, Once you sign up you will receive a Bear Hands // Rumpus Room digital bundle containing the full video session and an MP3 of the live session mixed + mastered audio. Cantora Records will be releasing The Rumpus Session later this summer.

Watch the Trailer “The Rumpus Session” live on Cantora.

The Rumpus Session is a boisterous 4 song set performed Live at Cantora Records + The Rumpus Room in Brooklyn in January 2010. Directed and edited by Bear Hands own Ted Feldman, with camera work Ray Concepcion, Ben Altarescu and Andrei Schwartz. Ray Concepcion’s work can be seen quite regularly on Pitchfork’s Tunnel Vision and Forkast. According to Dylan “Upon seeing the final product I think it went over pretty ok. I might not have worn that Marlins hat and maybe I should have asked for some more vocal in the monitors but it’s only rock and roll right?”

TRACK LISTING

What A Drag
Belongings
Blood and Treasure
Camel Convention
The set features the single, “What A Drag” plus three new songs that explode with Bear Hand’s addictive rhythm section, induced tribal stomping drum beats, reverb heavy guitars, driving bass and Dylan’s soulful falsetto drop-ins. While “Camel Convention” is their slowest jam yet and according to Dylan “It’s one of our favorites. “Blood and Treasure” is about stealing and stomping peoples faces and then grabbing their loot. It’s the closest I could approximate that Biggie tune (“Gimmie the Loot”).

Sexy, funky, blisterous indeed! If this is the kind of live magic that is conjured in one live session you won’t believe your ears when you get to hear the full length coming soon.

Bear Hands are now back in NY after 3 months on the road with Passion Pit and We Were Promised Jet Packs and are ready to take over Time Square Tonight, Thursday May 20. Before they head back on tour in July (dates below) they will be working diligently on their debut album set for release this September.

For this event please RSVP To SiouxZ@MagnumPR.net.net space is extremely limited to capacity!

TOUR DATES

DATE
VENUE
LOCATION
WITH
Monday July 5th
The Note
West Chester PA
We Were Promised Jetpacks
Tuesday July 6th
Sonar
Baltimore MD
We Were Promised Jetpacks
Thursday July 8th
Smalls
Millvale PA
We Were Promised Jetpacks
Friday July 9th
Magic Stick
Detroit MI
We Were Promised Jetpacks
Saturday July 10th
Forecastle Festival
Louisville KY
Flaming Lips, Cap ‘n Jazz, She and Him
Monday July 12th
Empty Bottle
Chicago IL
We Were Promised Jetpacks

MINUS THE BEAR CONFIRMS NORTH AMERICAN HEADLINING TOUR VIDEO FOR SINGLE MY TIME NOW ONLINE NEW ALBUM OMNI OUT NOW

Seattle-based quintet Minus the Bear is proud to announce the addition of four weeks worth of tour dates on their already successful North American headlining tour. Currently on the west coast with upcoming shows at The Mayan Theatre in Los Angeles and a performance at this year’s Sasquatch! Music Festival, the band is on the road in support of their new album OMNI, which debuted in the Top 50 of the Billboard Top 200. The new set of dates begin June 25th in Victoria, BC and include a performance at this year’s Lollapalooza. Released May 4th on Dangerbird Records, Alternative Press calls OMNI “An immaculate vacuum of dark-yet-catchy ’80s prog and new wave” and “the perfect album to launch [MTB] into another dimension entirely.”

Fans can check out the entertaining video for the band’s first single, MY TIME, here

With deep bass lines, provocative lyrics and use of the Japanese Omnichord synthesizer, MY TIME, is a rush of pure electro-pop lust, revealing new layers in the band’s songwriting and inimitable musical style.

Boldly experimental yet instantly accessible, OMNI is Minus the Bear’s most provocative and potent work to date. Paste Magazine raves, “OMNI is a record to rupture speakers. Dave Knudson’s noodling has evolved into heavier, tighter riffing, allowing his Bear bandmates to flex; the result is the group’s most explosive record.” AOL Spinner goes on to say “each tune on OMNI, though tighter and more focused, will spin heads and warp minds” while The Austin American Statesman raves “OMNI showcases a band expanding its musical palette … stepping far beyond genre constrictions.”

TOUR DATES:

June 25 Sugar Nightclub Victoria, BC
June 26 Venue Vancouver, BC
June 27 Republik Nightclub Calgary, AB
June 28 Starlite Room Edmonton, AB
June 29 The Distrikt Regina, SK
June 30 The Royal Albert Winnipeg, MB
July 2 Taste of Minnesota St. Paul, MN
July 3 The Intersection Grand Rapids, MN
July 4 Mod Club Toronto, ON
July 5 Water Street Music Hall Rochester, NY
July 7 Starland Ballroom Sayreville, NJ
July 8 Webster Hall New York, NY
July 9 Northern Lights Clifton Park, NY
July 10 Mr. Smalls Theatre Pittsburgh, PA
July 11 Forecastle Festival Louisville, KY
July 12 Firebird St. Louis, MO
July 13 The Granada Lawrence, KS
July 14 Ogden Theatre Denver, CO
July 15 In The Venue Salt Lake City, UT
July 16 Knitting Factory Boise, ID
July 17 Showbox at the Market Seattle, WA

August 6-8 Lollapalooza Chicago, IL

Norway’s Susanna And The Magical Orchestra Tours North America For The First Time Rune Grammofon Artist Will Perform Enchanting Covers and Originals in Select Cities

Norway’s Susanna And The Magical Orchestra is the duo of singer Susanna Karolina Wallumrød and former Jaga Jazzist member, keyboard player Morten Qvenild, purveyors of some of the most haunting and heartfelt interpretations of modern classic pop songs (including hits by AC/DC, Scott Walker, Thin Lizzy, KISS, Fairport Convention, and more). Along with their own formidable and delicately sparse original compositions and these interpretations, Susanna And The Magical Orchestra have made a name for themselves across Europe. Singer Wallumrød has the unique ability to make a well-known song her own, filling the lyrics and melodies with the emotional content they require to create something new out of something so familiar.

Susanna And The Magical Orchestra are pleased to announce their first foray into North America.

Susanna And The Magical Orchestra Tour Dates:
Friday, June 18 – Rochester, NY @ Xerox Rochester Jazz Festival (two shows)
Sunday, June 20 – Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s
Tuesday, June 22 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
Friday, June 25 – Vancouver, BC @ Vancouver International Jazz Festival
Saturday, June 26 – Victoria, BC @ Victoria International Jazz Festival
Monday, June 28 – Montreal, QC @ Montreal Jazz Festival
Tuesday, June 29 – New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge

Susanna And The Magical Orchestra’s 2004 Rune Grammofon debut, List of Lights and Buoys, featured a stunning rendition of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.” Their second release, Melody Mountain (2006), an album composed entirely of their distinct interpretations, included the standout “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” which, along with Susanna’s original song “Believer,” was used in the series “Grey’s Anatomy.” Leeds Guide UK called their cover of the Joy Division classic an “astonishing, heartbreaking deconstruction” which “could keep you awake for days,” and was ranked number 25 on the Observer’s list of “50 Greatest Covers Ever”. Susanna also received accolades for her collaboration with Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy on a rendition of Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak”, while Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy covered two songs by Susanna on his 2009 7”, “Stay”.

With their newest record, 3 (2009), SATMO return with their own songwriting. Darker and more electronic, the record’s arrangements are more evolving and varied, the words reflecting such topics as inner conflicts, human relations, outer space, stars and planets, and journeys to unknown galaxies. They have, however, left room for an absolutely stunning interpretation of Roy Harper´s beautiful love song ”Another Day,” while the album ends on an optimistic note with the gorgeous chorus of their original song, ”Someday”.

Saddle Creek’s The Mynabirds Debut New Video for “Numbers Don’t Lie” US Tour Begins Next Week, Includes Shows with Josh Ritter

The Mynabirds – Numbers Don’t Lie video
“Like the best soul songs, [‘Numbers Don’t Lie’] takes emotional despondency and finds gritty, soaring catharsis”
Washington City Paper

“a set of bold, assured songs so elegantly composed that many could pass for old standards. 8.0”
Pitchfork
Laura Burhenn has just released the first video from What We Lose In The Fire We Gain In The Flood , her acclaimed debut album as The Mynabirds (in stores now on Saddle Creek). The clip is for “Numbers Don’t Lie,” and was directed by Alan Tanner, who has also helmed videos for Jenny Lewis and Conor Oberst. Click HERE to watch and please feel free to post and share.
The Mynabirds, who have been on a hot streak lately, were also featured on NPR’s “Fresh Air” this week which you can listen to on NPR’s website. You can catch Laura and her band live as they hit the road this month for headlining dates and some slots supporting Josh Ritter, plus a special show opening for Al Green. What We Lose is also specially priced at $6.99 on iTunes for this week only!
Formerly one half of the DC duo Georgie James, Burhenn’s vision for The Mynabirds stems from an idea she had to create music that sounded like Neil Young doing Motown. Burhenn eventually found out that coincidentally Neil Young had once played in a band with Rick James that was called The Mynah Birds.

The Mynabirds – Spring Tour 2010:
* = with Josh Ritter
5/27: Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
6/1: Cleveland, OH, Beachland Tavern
6/2: Washington, DC, Black Cat
6/3: Brooklyn, NY, The Bell House
6/6: Chicago, IL, Do Division Festival
6/7: Chicago, IL, Empty Bottle
6/8: Iowa City, IA, The Mill
6/9: Columbia, MO @ Mojo’s
6/11: Birmingham, AL, WorkPlay Theatre *
6/12: Baton Rouge, LA, Manship Theatre *
6/14: Austin, TX, Antone’s *
6/15: Dallas, TX, Granada *
7/24: Omaha, NE @ MAHA Festival with Spoon and Superchunk
8/1: Council Bluffs, IA @ Stir Cove with Al Green
8/7: Council Bluffs, IA @ Stir Live and Loud

THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE DEBUT NEW TRACK ‘CHARMER’ TODAY ON TOUR WITH GWEN STACY THIS SUMMER!

Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE is set to reveal a brand new track today, entitled ‘Charmer’ from their Good Fight Music debut, Haunt What’s Left. The track will be located at their MySpace page. Haunt What’s Left is produced by Josh Wilbur and LAMB OF GOD’s Chris Adler, and is set to hit stores on June 22nd, 2010. When asked to comment on ‘Charmer’, Adler stated, “This is the shit that makes me get up in the morning. This is not the hit, this is not the second single, this is not the third – it is the ’shedding skin’ tune. This gives me goose bumps and makes me jealous.”

THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE vocalist Ricky Armellino had a few words of his own to express the meaning behind ‘Charmer’. “The more I struggle to learn about myself, the more I just abhor the amount our society consumes. It’s disgusting that a religious belief could make one feel empowered enough to irresponsibly destroy and consume other forms of life because they feel that there is an “afterlife” only for themselves and nothing else,” starts Armellino. “One of my dearest friends calls me a “charmer” because I tend to be cunning and persuasive when I talk to others, it’s a gift and a curse; you can be so convincing that you can even distort the truth in your own eyes and make yourself believe you’re not one of ‘them’, you’re not to blame. I named the song after that nickname because I always want to remind myself that I should be holding myself accountable first, the rest of the world second.”

Chris Adler also had the following to say about the working with THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE on the production of their new record: “I’ve wanted to produce a band other than my own for a while now, but never found one that inspired me quite enough to jump in. It’s an exhaustive process to commit your creativity and focus to someone else. Most bands that are noticed today do one thing really well, or are known for a particular direction. Few combine as many elements as seamlessly as THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE. This record is intense to say the least. It feels like a landmark music moment. Time will tell, but I’m obviously pretty f’n psyched.”

THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE is also heading out on the road with GWEN STACY and INHALE EXHALE this spring and summer! All THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE tour dates are listed below.

Catch THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE on the road!

THIS OR THE APOCALYPSE TOUR DATES W/ GWEN STACY, INHALE EXHALE:

6/14 Ground Control,West Palm Beach, FL
6/15 The 7 Venue, Douglasville, GA
6/16 The 7 Venue, Douglasville, GA
6/17 The Oasis, Charleston, SC
6/19 Club Relevant, Virginia Beach, VA
6/20 The Brewery, Raleigh, NC
6/21 Mt. Airy Firehall, Mount Airy, MD
6/22 Spotswood VFW, Manalapan, NJ
6/23 Hangar 84, Vineland, NJ
6/24 Bogies, Albany, NY
6/25 Rocko’s, Manchester, NH
6/27 Championship, Lemoyne, PA
6/29 Frankies Toledo, OH
6/30 The Pike Room, Pontiac, MI

LCD Soundsystem – Bye Bye Bayou video

The official video for LCD Sound System’s “Bye Bye Bayou”

Jake and the Leprechauns Album “At Midnight, The Birdsong” Out June 22nd

We’re excited to spread the good word about the third upcoming album from JAKE AND THE LEPRECHAUNS, titled “At Midnight, The Birdsong”, set to be released June 22nd on Landlocked Records / FAB Distribution.

Led by singer and multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire C-Antoine Gosselin, and novelist, pedal steel and guitar player Philippe Custeau, Jake and the Leprechauns hail from the deep dark woods of the Eastern Townships of Quebec. The pair began trading songs by mail thirteen years ago while Custeau still lived and studied in Iowa.

Jake and the Leprechauns’ music is a genre-bending blend of folk, rock, country, and minimalist music with a strong focus on lyrics. Their first two albums, released in 2006 (Self-Titled) and 2008 (“A Long Dash”) respectively, feature guest appearances by some of Canada’s finest musicians, including Bob Egan (Blue Rodeo, Wilco), Andy Creegan (Barenaked Ladies) and Jim Bryson (The Tragically Hip, Kathleen Edwards), and managed to garner an impressive list of stellar reviews in Canada and in Europe.

The albums were both named ‘Best Of’ and the band’s live performances voted among the most important cultural events of the past three years by VOIR and La Tribune.

“At Midnight, The Birdsong” their third full-length release, was recorded with Mark Lawson (Arcade Fire) at The Mighty Hotel2Tango, and finds the band, along with friends Jim Guthrie, Robbie Kuster (Patrick Watson), Jeremy Strachan (Rockets Red Glare, The Sea Snakes), and Angela Desveaux, in fine form. On this new collection of songs, Gosselin and Custeau elevate their trademark musicianship and evocative, literate songwriting to new heights. This is Jake and the Leprechauns at their catchiest and most poetic.

“At Midnight, The Birdsong” is a lush, ambitious record by a band with seemingly unlimited creative potential, an album which is bound to threaten their status as one of Quebec’s best-kept secrets.

TRACK LIST ::

JAKE AND THE LEPRECHAUNS
At Midnight, the Birdsong

01 When the Flood Came
02 The Year in Review
03 Busy Bee
04 Tangiers
05 Misunderstanding Entropy
06 The Modest Triumphs of a Life Examined
07 Remnants
08 From Here to There
09 A Unified Theory of Everything
10 We May As Well Have Been Kings
11 When It Breaks, It Breaks
12 Bowhead Song
13 Longanimity
14 You Looked So Small

TOUR DATES ::

21 May 2010 – Sherbrooke QC @ Antiquarius Cafe
22 June 2010 – Sherbrooke QC @ Antiquarius Cafe (CD Release Party)
19 July 2010 – Magog QC @ Vieux Clocher de Magog
26 August 2010 – Lac-Megantic QC @ Parc des Veterans

oney Jam, produced by PhemPhat Entertainment Group, is the longest running all-female talent showcase in Canada and the search is on for this year’s line up of undiscovered talent!

While the live auditions are in Toronto, THIS IS A NATIONAL SEARCH. Artists unable to make the audition on Sunday June 13 at The Mod Club @ 722 College Street, can email a link to one of their live performances. All of the details are on www.honeyjam.com

Please note, there is no charge to audition, but audition spectators will be charged $5 at the door.

Judges include Honey Jam Alumni and Juno award-winning vocalist Jully Black and vocal coach Elaine Overholt who worked with actors in the Oscar award-winning film Chicago. The judging panel will also include reps from A&R departments, radio, music media, artist funding bodies, producers, managers and artists.

Honey Jam, which celebrates their 15th anniversary this year, continuously delivers one of the summer’s hottest shows featuring electrifying live performances. Whether hip hop, R&B, rock, pop, jazz, soul, country, classical, dancehall – talented female vocalists representing all musical genres can take part.

Artists chosen to perform at this year’s showcase, which will take place on Sunday, August 15 will be announced at the media launch in July. They will have the opportunity to attend a free artist workshop sponsored by PhemPhat and the Harris Institute for the Arts to give them some insight into the industry in keeping with PhemPhat’s mandate to educate and mentor, as well as give exposure to up and coming female artists.

To help fund the show and workshop, a fundraising raffle will be held over the summer. Tickets are $20 and prizes include a 1 week hotel stay at Amaryllis Beach Resort in Barbados.

Sponsors include Slaight Communications Inc., Nelstar Entertainment, TD Bank, Yamaha Canada Music, MuchMusic, VerveGirl Magazine, the New FLOW 93.5, EXCLAIM, Universal Music Canada, The Canadian Independent Recording Artists Association, Ontario Arts Council, the SOCAN Foundation, FACTOR, Taylor Mitsopulos Klein Oballa, Canadian Musician and World Vision.

Lady Gaga Releases “Alejandro – The Remixes,” Additional 2011 Dates Announced

Lady Gaga’s “Alejandro – The Remixes” is available today! The new EP features remixes of Gaga’s hot-like-Mexico single “Alejandro,” offered up by 8 A-list DJs from around the world. Grab “Alejandro – The Remixes” on iTunes!

iTunes URL

Additional dates have been added to Lady Gaga’s 2011 North American Monster Ball. Buy a ticket on LiveNation.com and you’ll also score a free download of an exclusive new Lady Gaga song. Joining her on the 2011 dates will once again be Semi Precious Weapons, her current opening band who are releasing their own debut album, You Love You, on June 22nd.

The MONSTER BALL TOUR 2011 starring LADY GAGA
2/19 Atlantic City, NJ Boardwalk Hall
2/21 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
2/26 Pittsburgh, PA Consol Energy Center
3/3 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
3/8 Boston, MA TD Garden
3/10 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
3/15 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center
3/19 Salt Lake City, UT Energy Solutions Arena
3/25 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand
4/8 Houston, TX Toyota Center
4/9 New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena
4/12 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Bank Atlantic Center
4/13 Miami, FL American Airlines Arena
4/18 Atlanta, GA Gwinnett Center