Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 2045

Death Valley Girls Share Video, Announce Tour

Death Valley Girls Share Video, Announce Tour On Brooklyn Vegan'Glow In The Dark' Album Available On Burger Records Think of Death Valley Girls as an acid-tripping science experiment that’s been buried alive and resurrected as a sexually liberated dystopian chain-gang - a cosmic scar, if you will, on the hills of Echo Park. The experiment began in 2013 by proto-punk Bonnie Bloomgarden and guitarist Larry Schemel - they got lost in the desert, returned to their haunted garage in Echo Park, and pieced together their vision with shopworn images of sexploitation babes, a blood-soaked Iggy Pop, and Bloomgarden’s series of phantasms, the result of spending a year in a mental institution, where she planned her neon-glowing odyssey by listening to Black Sabbath and UFO, reading about alien conspiracy theories, and deriving her band’s moral compass from a line she saw in a movie:
“Everybody’s gotta be in a gang,” from campy sexploitation romp Switchblade Sisters (1975). LA Weekly referred to them as the city’s unofficial proto-metal boogie band. That was in 2014/15, when their debut album, Street Venom, resurrected the bygone spirit of sleazy rock and roll based on urban ills, tabloid nudes, dangerous sex, and the next generation of girl gangs.

Backstory: Bonnie Bloomgarden once belonged to New York City rock band The Witnesses, who emerged from the early 2000's scene made famous by the likes of The Strokes. They had a record produced by Tommy Ramone. They lived on a farm for most of that time. Their drummer is a doe-eyed blonde with a mean streak, a derby girl and cult femme fatale, known simply as “The Kid,” bassist Nikki Pickle, unearthed in the Arizona desert, recently joined the gang after they recorded their second full-length, Glow in the Dark.  The album is influenced by Bloomgarden’s conspiracy theories and mummy sightings in Echo Park, but mostly it’s their master plan to rev-up their collective, The Cosmic Underground, and how they hope to bring together likeminded maniacs under one umbrella of dopey happiness plus the glammed-up punkness of Rodney’s English Disco (Rodney Bingenheimer makes an appearance in the band's video for 'Disco'). The record also includes special guest performances by Jessie Jones (ex-Feeding People) Bobby May (ex-Gap Dream) Alana Amram and Laena Geronimo of Feels),
Recorded in Echo Park’s Station House recording studio, Glow in the Dark is a Burger Records production that includes 10 tracks of bluesy, electric rock that’s both danceable punk and oozing with psychedelic slime; like a doped-up Elvis, had he been an alien and a member of L.A. garage rock pioneers The Seeds. The 'Disco' video was directed by Kansas Bowling, who directed the recent Troma Movie, BC Butcher. Troma is a 42-year-old independent movie company led by Lloyd Kaufman, creator of The Toxic Avenger.US TOUR DATES:
 
8/17 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey w/ The Coathangers  8/19 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent w/ The Coathangers
9/2 - San Francisco, CA - Milk Bar 9/7 - Reno, NV - Holland Project
9/8 - Eugene, OR - Luckey's Club
9/9 - Seattle, WA - Black Lodge
9/10 - Vancouver, BC - The Cobalt
9/11 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios
9/12 - Tacoma, WA - The Valley Pub
9/13 - Spokane, WA - The Observatory
9/15 - Boise, ID - The Olympic Venue
9/16 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
9/18 - Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
9/19 - Lawrence, KS - Replay Lounge
9/22 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
9/24 - Detroit, MI - Third Man Records
9/25 - Toronto, ON - The Bovine
9/26 - Montreal, QU - L’Escogriffe
9/27 - Boston, MA - O’Briens Pub
9/28 - Jersey City, NJ - Monty Hall
9/29 - Brooklyn, NY - Shea Stadium
9/30 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie
10/1 - Washington,DC - Comet Ping Pong
10/3 - Nashville, TN - Third Man Records (after party at DRKMTTR)
10/4 - Atlanta, GA - 529
10/7 - New Orleans, LA - Siberia
10/8 - Austin, TX - Hot Burrito Fest
10/11 - El Paso, TX - Monarch
10/13 - Las Vegas, NV - The Griffin
10/14-16 - Joshua Tree, CA - Desert Daze FestivalWatch Death Valley Girls on PressureDrop TV

Lucius confirms fall tour dates + featured in an episode of Cameron Crowe's TV show Roadies on Showtime

LUCIUS CONFIRMS FALL TOUR DATES  GOOD GRIEF OUT NOW VIA MOM + POP TO WIDESPREAD CRITICAL ACCLAIM [image error] [image error] After a stretch of sold out U.S. shows Lucius confirms additional tour dates this fall with stops in Nashville, New Orleans, San Francisco, Houston and more. The new shows are in conjunction with the bands forthcoming headlining performances at New York’s SummerStage and Boston’s House Of Blues. Ticket pre-sale begins on Wednesday, August 3 at 10 AM EST and can be purchased at ilovelucius.com/tour. Additionally, vocalists Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig will perform with Roger Waters and his band in Mexico and this October at Desert Trip Music Festival. Of their live show, The New York Times proclaims, “What’s impressive about this duo is how the two use their approach to several different effects: one moment, it was as if they were singing in the round at the Ryman; the next, they attempted extravagant Pointer Sisters-like up-tempo soul; later, it was Velvet Underground-style whispers.” See below for complete tour dates. Additionally, Lucius was recently featured in and scored an episode of the new Cameron Crowe directed TV show Roadies on Showtime. Good Grief continues to receive critical acclaim: “Ebullient.”—Rolling Stone “Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig’s soaring vocals make a massive pop sound and hint at new possibilities for one of our favorite bands.”—NPR Music “Especially gorgeous, moving…”—The New York Times “But on the strength of tightly stitched melodies, an occasionally striking image, and those surging voices, it is more often lovely, well-crafted stuff.”—NPR’s Fresh Air  “We won’t be in tomorrow because we hit our heads on the ceiling while dancing on the bed to Lucius.”—The Late Show with Stephen Colbert “…buoyant as ever, shapeshifting and gleefully coopting 80s and 90s pop-vocal gymnastics.” —Under The Radar Good Grief was produced by Shawn Everett (Alabama Shakes, Weezer) and Lucius with Bob Ezrin. The album was mixed by Tom Elmhirst (Adele, Beck). Of the album, vocalist Wolfe says, “When we started writing for this record, we had been away from home for nearly two years. We had just returned from tour, having gone through such varied emotions—loneliness, sadness and exhaustion alongside excitement, fulfillment and some of the most joyful moments in our lives…Whenever one of us had an idea or a feeling, the other was already a witness to it and could help navigate through it—for the two of us, this usually came in song form.” Vocalist Laessig adds, “…When considering titles, we wanted to be sure to acknowledge any serious subject matter, while simultaneously allowing ourselves a comic sigh of relief from any personal turmoil. Ha! The yin and yang of the record naturally unveiled itself and, so, Good Grief.” Lucius is led by its co-founders and vocalists Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig accompanied by multi-instrumentalists Dan Molad, Peter Lalish and Andrew Burri. You can purchase Good Grief here: http://bit.ly/1VRQWvK LUCIUS LIVEAugust 11 —Maquoketa, IA —Codfish Hollow BarnstormersAugust 13 —Eau Claire, WI —Eaux ClairesAugust 14 —Portland, OR—94.7FM Alternative Portland’s Birthday PartySeptember 17 —Atlanta, GA—Music Midtown FestivalSeptember 20—Boston, MA—House Of Blues*September 21—Northampton, MA—Academy Of Music Theatre*September 23—New York, NY—Central Park SummerStage#September 28—Mexico City, MX—Foro Sol^September 29—Mexico City, MX—Foro Sol^October 7-9—Indio, CA—Desert Trip^October 14-16—Indio, CA—Desert Trip^October 26—Buffalo, NY— Asbury Hall at BabevilleOctober 27—Pittsburgh, PA—Mr. SmallsOctober 28—Baltimore, MD—Rams Head LiveOctober 29—Charlottesville, VA—Jefferson TheaterOctober 31—Louisville, KY—Headliner’sNovember 1—Asheville, NC—The Orange PeelNovember 2—Nashville, TN—The Cannery BallroomNovember 9—New Orleans, LA—Tipitina’sNovember 10—Houston, TX—White Oak Music HallNovember 11—Oklahoma City, OK—Academy of Contemporary MusicNovember 12—Kansas City, MO—Record BarNovember 14—Boulder, CO—The Fox TheatreNovember 15—Park City, UT—Park City LiveNovember 17—San Francisco, CA—The FillmoreNovember 19—Solana Beach, CA—Belly Up TavernNovember 20—Santa Ana, CA—The ObservatoryFebruary 4-8—Playa Del Carmen, Mexico—One Big Holiday
*supported by JD McPherson#supported by Big Thief and JD McPherson^performing with Roger Waters

Warpaint's Heads Up out September 23 on Rough Trade, "New Song" Premieres Today

WARPAINT’S HEADS UP SET FOR RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 23 ON ROUGH TRADE RECORDS“NEW SONG” PREMIERES TODAYON TOUR THIS FALL[image error]   “Ethereal, shoegaze-y postpunk, an amalgam
 of naïve beauty and
knowing pomp.”[image error] “The perfect backdrop for your next midnight séance or moonlit dance party.”[image error]     Heads Up , the highly anticipated third album from Los Angeles-based band Warpaint, is set for release September 23 via Rough Trade Records. The first song from the new album, “New Song,” premieres today. Listen to it here and pre-order here. Heads Up was recorded after the band spent 2015 apart working on solo projects and their own endeavors. Reuniting in January of this year, the band invited producer Jacob Bercovici—with whom they had worked on their debut EP Exquisite Corpse—into the studio to begin work on the new LP. The band spent time recording in their House on the Hill studio in downtown Los Angeles, their own home studios and Papap’s Palace, and—for the first time ever—recorded in pairs and alone rather than as a full band, allowing for a new creative freedom. “The doors were a little more open in terms of what was accepted and what wasn’t, because we were sharing ideas so rapidly between us,” says the band’s drummer Stella Mozgawa of the recording process. “The roles that each of us individually had—or had established—were a little more malleable.” “Everybody was allowed to have their space, time and creative freedom with songs and figure out, ‘I wonder what the best notes would be? I wonder what the best part would be to play?’” says bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg. “Everybody got to sit and go, ‘What do I want to do on this? What’s my part? What’s my role? How can I make it the best?’” The result is an album influenced by artists as eclectic as Janet Jackson, Björk, Kendrick Lamar and Outkast. “I feel really proud of what we made—almost surprised and shocked,” says Lindberg. “When we were making it, I was like, ‘I wonder what this is going to sound like? How’s this going to come together?’ I love the way that it came together so nicely. I feel so proud of it, and like it’s an evolution of our band. It sounds like a mature version of Warpaint.” To celebrate the release, the band will embark on a global tour this fall, including dates at Seattle’s Showbox; Chicago’s Thalia Hall; the Music Tastes Good Festival in downtown Long Beach alongside The Specials, Melvins, Kate Tempest, Squeeze, De La Soul and more; The Bowery Ballroom and Warsaw in New York and The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets and more information, please visit warpaintwarpaint.com. See below for full itinerary. Warpaint is Emily Kokal (guitar, vocals), Jenny Lee Lindberg (bass, vocals), Stella Mozgawa (drums, vocals) and Theresa Wayman (guitar, vocals). Heads Up follows their critically beloved debut EP Exquisite Corpse, 2010’s The Fool and 2014’s Warpaint. WARPAINT LIVE September 19                                             Seattle, WA                                             The ShowboxSeptember 20                                           Vancouver, BC                                   Imperial VancouverSeptember 21                                             Portland, OR                                        Wonder Ballroom
September 23                                             Oakdale, CA                                    Symbiosis FestivalSeptember 24                                          Long Beach, CA                                 Music Tastes GoodSeptember 25                                           Las Vegas, NV                                         Life is BeautifulSeptember 27                                          Englewood, CO                                         Gothic TheatreSeptember 29                                          Minneapolis, MN                                        Varsity Theater
September 30                                              Chicago, IL                                                    Thalia Hall
October 1                                                      Detroit, MI                                           St. Andrews HallOctober 3                                                    Toronto, ON                                     Danforth Music HallOctober 4                                                Washington, DC                                                9:30 ClubOctober 6                                                    Boston, MA                                    Paradise Rock ClubOctober 7                                                   Brooklyn, NY                                                      WarsawOctober 8                                                  New York, NY                                The Bowery BallroomOctober 9                                                 Philadelphia, PA                                         Union TransferOctober 12                                             San Francisco, CA                                            The FillmoreOctober 13                                              Los Angeles, CA                                  The Fonda TheatreOctober 22                                                  Bristol, U.K.                                Simple Things FestivalOctober 23                                               Edinburgh, U.K.                                             Queens HallOctober 24                                              Manchester, U.K.                                               Albert HallOctober 26                                                Liverpool, U.K.                                                 The DomeOctober 27                                                 London, U.K.                                      The RoundhouseOctober 29                                                 Paris, France                                         Pitchfork FestivalOctober 30                                            Cologne, Germany                                      Live Musik HallNovember 1                                             Berlin, Germany                                                         AstraNovember 2                                       Amsterdam, Netherlands                                            ParadisoNovember 4                                           Reykjavik, Iceland                       Iceland Airwaves – Húrra

Listen to Morgan Delt’s “Some Sunsick Day” from Phase Zero

Listen to Morgan Delt’s “Some Sunsick Day” from Phase Zero
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFVeq7clYCg

European tour begins August 4th Photo credit:  Matt Draper Phase Zero available worldwide
August 26th from Sub Pop
 You can now hear Morgan Delt’s “Some Sunsick Day,”  the standout single from Phase Zero, his forthcoming Sub Pop debut.

Listen: “Some Sunsick Day” [link here]

Morgan Delt’s European tour in support of Phase Zero begins Thursday, August 4th in Luxembourg-Bonnevoie at Rotondesbeen and ends August 20th in Stein Am Rhein, Switzerland at Klingen Openair Festival. Additionally, Delt’s previously announced North American trek runs September 14th-24th. More dates will be announced soon. Please find a current schedule below.

Phase Zero is available to preorder now [link here]. The limited Loser Edition LP on red vinyl is sold out in the Sub Pop Mega Mart, and thus only available from independent retailers (out Aug 26) or directly from the artist on tour (while supplies last).

Phase Zero, which includes the singles “I Don’t Wanna See What’s Happening Outside,” “The System of 1000 Lies,” and the aforementioned “Some Sunsick Day,” was performed entirely by Delt and recorded in his Topanga Canyon studio, with mastering by JJ Golden at Golden Mastering.

More on Morgan Delt from Brian Turner of WFMU:
The invocation of classic west coast psychedelia that permeates Phase Zero, Morgan Delt's Sub Pop debut LP, feels like a continuous sunrise, never concealing its influences yet perfectly putting its songs through a gauzy lens that blurs and obscures. Is such a thing even possible after witnessing umpteen reverb-jockeys creating their own take on the genre? Can anything truly different be done in the realm of being both original and reverent, wearing favorite records and artists' moves on one's sleeve? Definitely the case with our man here. After releasing a 6-song cassette in 2013 followed by a full length for the Trouble In Mind label, the California native now fine-tunes his sound world outwardly rather than honing in on a specific trajectory, allowing all of said influences to coexist together in a unique yet undoubtedly Californian vision.

The resulting 10-song collection, performed entirely by Delt, recorded in his Topanga Canyon studio and then mastered by JJ Golden, is a home-fi construction with a more subtle,braintickling character than its predecessor, and somewhat reflects a realist take on the flower power fantasy of 1967. Doused in echo and haze, slow chords lap in like Pacific waves, flanked by gentle whispers of multi-tracked, cooing vox, phased guitars and fuzz that calmly surrounds the listener's head less than it jabs at the cortex. Opener “I Don't Wanna See What's Happening Outside” is almost the sharpest-sounding number on the record with jittery, choogling guitar that makes its dry solo run upfront, appearing mid-song out of a fog. The sense of home experimentation amidst the lo-fidelity and oozy layers of vocals almost brings to mind Christine McVie's lush pacification of Lindsey Buckingham's deliberate New Wave pot-stirring on Tusk, but unlike that record, Delt's futurism fog can't help but nod to Sunset acid of days of yore. One doesn't need to listen close to extract healthy doses of Notorious Byrd Brothers, Curt Boettcher, Terry Riley, and Buffalo Springfield in the stew with a solid line of fluttery electronics that fizzle in and out of the floaty arrangements. “Sun Powers” hits the deck like a lift-off from a ‘70s UK sci-fi TV show, sunny tremolo zipping in circles around warm Zombies-like vocals coming out of some kinda cave, lovely melodies and words overriding any turbulence or background FX (read more at Sub Pop).

What people have said about Morgan Delt:
"I Don't Want To See What's Happening Outside" sounds like the kind of music you'd listen to on a perfect sunny day. But Morgan Delt not only doesn't want to go outside, he can't even bear to look out his window.” [“I Don’t Wanna See…”] - NPR Music

“His new song “I Don’t Wanna See What’s Happening Outside” is a piece of crystal-clear underwater pop music, and it sounds a bit like recent-vintage Tame Impala might sound if they drifted much further out into space.” - Stereogum

“Blissful, gorgeous...” [“I Don’t Wanna See…”] - Brooklyn Vegan

“Listen to the taped-together percussion on opener “Make My Grey Brain Green”, which rides a scratchy bass line and flowers into something like the moment when Dorothy’s black-and-white world goes RGB. There’s the Morricone-meets-Jodorowsky acid drone of “Barbarian Kings”, the cyclical wobble of “Little Zombies”, the way “Chakra Sharks” rattles and crashes through a hornet’s nest of guitars into a wailing refrain of “Bye bye, farewell.” Throughout the album there’s a heightened, eerie quality to his vocals; the feeling is something like an asylum patient waving to a car as it recedes over the horizon.” [Morgan Delt]- Pitchfork

“This debut album proper, an 11-track collection on the Chicago imprint Trouble In Mind, takes something from the Ariel Pink school of outré production, although Delt is quite obviously on his own trip, and you could just as easily work him into a lineage that stretches from The Red Krayola and West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band through to psych-influenced beatmakers such asEdan,Gonjasufi and The Gaslamp Killer.” [Morgan Delt] -   FACT Magazine

“He allows his guitar and vocals to meld into a single, constantly mutating surface that coats Morgan Delt like neon jelly in a vacuum, continuously rippling and hovering in all directions. The overall effect suggests the sound of a crafty intellect worming its way through the pleasantly foggy mazeofan Rx-abuse cloud.” [Morgan Delt] - Impose

“A lot of people have done the same kind of excavation and restoration work he has, but few have done itasmemorably. Almost no one has done it with songs as good as these.” [Morgan Delt] - All Music Guide

Tour Dates
Aug. 04 - Luxembourg-Bonnevoie, LX -Rotondes
Aug. 05 - Liege, BE - Micro Festival
Aug. 06 - Yverdon-les-Bains, CH - Club Paradis
Aug. 08 - Berlin, DE - Berghain Kantine
Aug. 09 - Copenhagen, DK - KB18
Aug. 10 - Oslo, NO - Oya Festival
Aug. 11 - Göteborg, SE - Way Out West Festival
Aug. 12 - Hamburg, DE - ÜBEL&GEFÄHRLICH
Aug. 13 - Amsterdam, NL -  Paradiso
Aug. 14 - Saint-Malo, FR - La Route du Rock Festival
Aug. 15 - London, UK - Moth Club
Aug. 16 - Manchester, UK - Soup Kitchen
Aug. 17 - Leeds, UK - A Nation of Shopkeepers
Aug. 18 - Brighton, UK - Prince Albert
Aug. 19 - Paris, FR - Le Point Ephemere
Aug. 20 - Stein Am Rhein, CH - Klingen Openair Festival
Sep. 14 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
Sep. 15 - Detroit, MI - UFO Factory
Sep. 16 - Toronto, ON - The Silver Dollar
Sep. 17 - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz
Sep. 20 - Washington, DC - DC9
Sep. 21 - Philadelphia, PA - Boot & Saddle
Sep. 23 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East
Sep. 24 - Brooklyn, NY - Baby’s All Right

BIG STAR - ISOLATED IN THE LIGHT

BIG STAR -  ISOLATED IN THE LIGHT
First extensive photo monograph of the 1970's cult band, BIG STAR
Containing over 200 images, the limited edition book comes in two formats and will be released in October 14, 2016
Pre-orders available now at www.firstthirdbooks.com


First Third Books announces the release of  BIG STAR - Isolated In The Light , an authorized, limited-edition volume, showcasing images from photographers who chronicled, both Big Star's beginnings during the burgeoning 1970's Memphis music scene and later solo projects of songwriters Alex Chilton and Chris Bell in Memphis, New York and across Europe.
Five years in the making, this is a collaborative effort between graphic designer Fabrice Couillerot and photographer Donna Ranieri, working remotely from both Paris and New York.  
"Fabrice and I both share a love of music and photography and once we realized that we were both fanatical about the music of Big Star, the idea was hatched to create a first-ever photography monograph.  Here was a band, not well known at the time, surrounded by a constellation of talented, gifted photographers, many of whom are now major names in the photography world. When you have someone like William Eggleston taking your band photos, that elevates the imagery to a completely new level."
BIG STAR - Isolated In The Light features over 200 (many rare and previously unseen) color and black and white photographs by illustrious names in the Fine Art and Rock Photography world such as William Eggleston, Michael O'Brien, Maude Schuyler Clay, Carole Manning, David Bell, John Fry, David Godis, Stephanie Chernikowski... and historic images from the vaults of Ardent Studios Archives. All photos are lovingly re-scanned and restored from original negatives, transparencies and prints.
These photographers share their unique visual perspective along with memories of a band that went on to influence several generations of musicians. The book also features new interviews and Chris Bell's original handwritten letters and lyrics.
The publication coincides with the 50th Anniversary of Ardent Studios, the Memphis independent label and recording studio that became ground zero for all of Big Star's recordings. The book pays tribute to late Ardent founder John Fry, their mentor, producer and engineer extraordinaire.
The book includes exclusive new interviews with select photographers as well as Big Star drummer, Jody Stephens; David Bell, (the brother of guitarist Chris Bell) and an introduction by Bob Mehr, (author of Trouble Boys: The True Story Of The Replacements) an authority on Big Star and contributor to the Big Star career retrospective box set, Keep An Eye On The Sky.
photo credit: Maude Schuyler Clay
The book also features essays and anecdotes by fans and musicians: Ivo Watts-Russell, Founder of 4AD and producer of This Mortal Coil, whose innovative cover versions of Big Star songs helped introduce them to a new generation of listeners. Simon Raymonde - current director of Bella Union, formerly of the Cocteau Twins, and participating This Mortal Coil singers Kim Deal of The Breeders & The Pixies; Cinder of Cindytalk; and Dominic Appleton of Breathless. It also features commentary from various band alumni such as Tav Falco, Chris Stamey, Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of The Posies/reformed Big Star.
"And so we have this gorgeous document. Make no mistake -- this is a fine art book that happens to have a popular music group as its subject. Discovering these photos for me is like finding a letter never sent, beautifully rendered, lovingly compiled. As much as Alex was uncomfortable with the edification of Big Star, a music project he considered a commercial & artistic (I kid you not) failure, I like to think that he would have approved of this monograph, because this collection is about the images, and the quality of the art is undeniable. We are lucky to have the art, and blessed that it's been compiled and catalogued here so lovingly and beautifully." -Ken Stringfellow- The Posies/Big Star
"Big Star were a guitar pop band from Memphis who, by their third album, were playing the heartbreakingly bleak and stunningly fragile songs that I first heard as covers on This Mortal Coil's It'll End in Tears. Apparently they were disappointed by their lack of commercial success. It's no mystery really: when they are good, they are way too good for that world." -Dominic Appleton - Breathless/This Mortal Coil
"Many years ago, shortly after I recorded "You and Your Sister" with This Mortal Coil, a woman named Lauren approached me.  She worked at One Little Indian.  She wanted to let me know what happened the other night while she was listening to the song.  As she was feeding her newborn baby in the middle of the night she broke down, utterly, when this song began to play.  Broke down crying with such joy and happiness and love, with her baby in her arms and this song playing.  And me singing,  "all I wanna do...is to spend some time with you so I can hold you." She specifically wanted me to know that she was overcome with love while this song was playing. It's the best compliment I ever got from any song I've ever sung."-Kim Deal - The Breeders/The Pixies

BIG STAR - Isolated In The Light is a unique document of the band's career that will be published October 14, 2016 as a hardback limited edition of 1000 numbered books. Two options are available - a standard version of 500 copies retailing at £40 (approx. $53) and the Signature Edition of 500 copies which will include a previously unpublished signed and numbered 10"x7.5" print from Michael O'Brien and 2 posters.  The book retails at £75 (approx. $100), sold exclusively via First Third Books website.
Previews are available at www.firstthirdbooks.com
Pre-orders are now being taken at www.firstthirdbooks.com
photo credit:© Eggleston Artistic Trust
About First Third Books:With offices in London and Paris, First Third Books is an independent publisher of high quality photo books on alternative music and subcultural life. Previous collaborations include volumes of Sheila Rock's photos of the early London punk scene, the UK bands FELT and Saint Etienne; enfant terrible Genesis Breyer P-Orridge, Marc Almond and the Ramones.

Ariana Delawari Releases Entelechy

Ariana Delawari Releases Entelechy
Short Film via Flaunt Magazine



Double Album Entelechy I & II Out August 12

First Single “ Here Is My Love ”
Available for Stream + Download

Musician, filmmaker, and activist Ariana Delawari has released her short film Entelechy via Flaunt Magazine . Scored with the first volume of her upcoming double album, Entelechy I & II out August 12, the film serves as the visual manifestation of the album’s creative direction. The fictional short was written and directed by Delawari, produced by artist-curator Nicole Disson (Sleepover LA, THE SERIES), and follows Delawari thorugh a guided, shamanic dream-state. It’s a mystical musical that introduces the album’s themes of spirituality and self-discovery presented as a film about the state of the world, the destruction of the earth, and a dream of a brighter unified future.

Delawari began recording Entelechy I in 2014, “but then I started seeing visuals and was like ‘Oh wow, this is a film’. I had been traveling to all these countries and wanted to communicate the message of what I had seen.” She began filming in early 2015. Once Entelechy I was finished, Delawari followed with the second volume of her album and the premiere of the short at the Cleveland International Film Festival in April 2016. The film is an experimental, docu-musical about global warming and changing the dream. A woman is guided by a dream therapist onto a shamanic journey through the inner and outer worlds of being. Within the dream state she works to shift her dream to a vision of love, and in doing so succeeds in shifting the universal dream as well.

Entelechy, meaning fulfilling one’s potential in Greek, is Delawari’s second full length album. Entelechy I was produced by Butchy Fuego (a.k.a. Electronic artist San Gabriel) and Entelechy II is the same collection of tracks presented as acoustic and unproduced featuring Salar Nader - a fellow Afghan-American and a famed virtuoso of the tabla. The idea of fulfillment permeates throughout and is represented by her voice - a golden mean between Joan Baez’s warm soprano and Kate Bush’s intoxicating, otherworldly vocals.

An artist of prismatic creativity, Delawari boasts an impressive resume. Her psych-folk musical creations earned her a fan and collaborator in director David Lynch. She is an award winning filmmaker for her feature length documentary about the making of her first album in Afghanistan and her family story called We Came Home that was just acquired for distribution. And, she is an activist whose life’s passion culminated in a TED talk. Now she is taking another step forward with ENTELECHY.



Tracklisting
1. Heartbreak / Love Waits
2. This Love
3. Here Is My Love
4. Our Love Is Strong
5. In The Snow
6. I See The Hope In You
7. The Warrior
8. African Lightning Fire
9. The Wonderment
10. Sekander Of Rio
11. Your Dream Is My Dream

Links
Website
Facebook
Twitter
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Vimeo

MAGIK*MAGIK feat. How To Dress Well Shares New Song "Laugh a Lot"

MAGIK*MAGIK (feat. How To Dress Well): "Laugh a Lot"
(Photo credit: Manchul Kim)
Ladies and gentlemen!
We hereby introduce a stunning, spectacular new artist onto your radar: her name is Minna Choi and she plays/composes/conducts music under the name Magik*Magik.  
After 8 years of leading her very own orchestra (how many people do you know that have started their own orchestras?), she has finally written and recorded her own songs, the first of which is a slow-burning ballad called "Laugh a Lot" which features a duet with How To Dress Well's Tom Krell, with whom Magik*Magik have collaborated on and off since 2012.    
Listen to "Laugh a Lot" HERE courtesy of Stereogum
Minna Choi, one of the Bay Area's most prolific musicians, began the Magik*Magik Orchestra in 2008, for whom she still writes, arranges and conducts.  With early praise for Choi's work from the likes of Wired, NPR Music, and 7x7 (who called Choi one of their 40 Under 40), her orchestra has toured North America with Death Cab For Cutie, recorded the score to the films Looper andthe Oscar-nominated short The Dam Keeper , released an album with acclaimed artist John Vanderslice, and much much more.
"Laugh a Lot" is Magik*Magik's first release as a solo artist, and is highly anticipated amongst people in the know. Don't miss this one, and stay tuned for more......
Official Magik*Magik websiteMagik*Magik Instagram // Magik*Magik Twitter

"Heads Up"- new Warpaint Album!!

    Hi!! We made an album, it's funky and called "Heads Up" and it is our babay. So..yeah it doesn't come out until September 23 on Rough Trade but here's the announcement! We love you. We love it. Can't wait for you to meet each other. funkay....  You can pre-order ‘Heads Up' from the Rough Trade webstore HERE where if you're quick you'll receive some really special exclusive items ( only available when ordered from RT) :
- Album on limited edition pink and black colored vinyl
- “No Way Out (redux)" b/w “I'll Start Believing” 7”
- Autographed postcard (only 500 available worldwide)
- Custom-printed flower seed packet - the gift that keeps on “growing”!

You can also pre-order the album from iTunes and Amazon 

In the meantime, you can listen to "New Song" HERE     

We'll be leaving for tour soon! Hope to see you at one of the dates below! Tickets and info are HERE

August 18 Hasselt, Begium Pukkelpop
August 19 Biddinghuizen, Netherlands -Lowlands Festival
August 21 Abergavenny, UK - Green Man Festival
August 23 Dublin, Ireland - The National Concert Hall
September 19 Seattle, WA -The Showbox
September 20 Vancouver, BC -Imperial Vancouver
September 21 Portland, OR -Wonder Ballroom
September 23 Oakdale, CA -Symbiosis Festival
September 24 Long Beach, CA -Music Tastes Good
September 25 Las Vegas, NV -Life is Beautiful
September 27 Englewood, CO -Gothic Theatre
September 29 Minneapolis, MN -Varsity Theater
September 30 Chicago, IL -Thalia Hall
October 1 Detroit, MI -St. Andrews Hall
October 3 Toronto, ON -Danforth Music Hall
October 4 Washington, DC -9:30 Club
October 6 Boston, MA -Paradise Rock Club
October 7 Brooklyn, NY -Warsaw
October 8 New York, NY -The Bowery Ballroom
October 9 Philadelphia, PA -Union Transfer
October 12 San Francisco, CA --The Fillmore
October 13 Los Angeles, CA -The Fonda Theatre
October 22 Bristol, U.K. -Simple Things Festival
October 23 Edinburgh, U.K. -Queens Hall
October 24 Manchester, U.K. -Albert Hall
October 26 Liverpool, U.K. -The Dome
October 27 London, U.K. -The Roundhouse
October 29 Paris, France -Pitchfork Festival
October 30 Cologne, Germany -Live Musik Hall
November 1 Berlin, Germany- Astra
November 2 Amsterdam, Netherlands -Paradiso
November 4 Reykjavik, -Iceland Iceland Airwaves – Húrra
 

All Things Must Pass coming to DVD on 9/13

All Things Must Passcoming to DVD on September 13th
Documentary examining Tower Records' explosive trajectory, tragic demise, and legacy
Established in 1960, Tower Records was once a retail powerhouse with 200 stores, in 30 countries, on five continents. From humble beginnings in a small-town drugstore, Tower Records eventually became the heart and soul of the music world, and a powerful force in the music industry. In 1999, Tower Records made an astounding $1 billion. In 2006, the company filed for bankruptcy. What went wrong? Everyone thinks they know what killed Tower Records: The Internet. But that's not the story.
Directed by Colin Hanks, and featuring music icons like Dave Grohl, Elton John and Bruce Springsteen, All Things Must Pass is a feature documentary film examining this iconic company's explosive trajectory, tragic demise, and legacy forged by its rebellious founder Russ Solomon. For seven years, Hanks took on the documentary that lamented and celebrated the Sacramento-based record store that grew from his hometown into an American retail powerhouse.

"I remember buying 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was the informative record for me on my musical path, which I bought at Tower Records," he said.
Variety validated the efforts of Hanks saying the film was "soundly constructed, briskly paced and, in the end, affectingly wistful." 
The DVD can be ordered now at the MVD Shop

Violent Femmes unveil next leg of World Tour; 'Issues' video streaming now

VIOLENT FEMMES UNVEIL NEXT LEG OF EPIC WORLD TOUR LEGENDARY AMERICAN BAND ANNOUNCE NEW US HEADLINE DATES,BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 24 AT FRANKLIN, TN'S PILGRIMAGE MUSIC & CULTURAL FESTIVAL NS4W NEW VIDEO, "ISSUES," STREAMING NOW  WE CAN DO ANYTHING AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE  
"Never quite grasping the success of some of their equally madcap peers, Violent Femmes have rightly earned their place in musical history with their outstanding debut alone." - NPR "The Wisconsin punk-folk trio's first album in 18 years occasionally summons the warped whimsy of their classic self-titled 1983 debut - only updated for ruined teens hitting their fifties."  - Rolling Stone
(New York, NY) - Violent Femmes have announced the next North American leg of their hugely popular 2016 world tour. The new dates get underway September 24 at Franklin, TN's Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival and then travel through late October (itinerary attached). Special guests will be announced soon. For updates and complete ticket information, please visit www.vfemmes.com/tour. Violent Femmes have spent much of the year on their epic world tour, including headline treks across Australia and New Zealand and festival dates around the world. The trek celebrates Violent Femmes' acclaimed new album, WE CAN DO ANYTHING, released earlier this year via [PIAS] and available now on CD, VINYL, and DIGITAL DOWNLOAD. Violent Femmes' ninth studio album and first full-length collection in more than 15 years, WE CAN DO ANYTHING includes the rollicking single, "Memory," hailed by NPR Music upon its exclusive premiere for possessing "the playful quirkiness, infectious beats and jittery observations of the band's earliest work." The song has an animated companion video - directed by Australian filmmaker (and lifelong Violent Femmes fan) Harley Hefford - streaming now at the band's official YouTube channel.  "Issues," the latest single from WE CAN DO ANYTHING, followed, again accompanied by a NSFW companion video that premiered last month via NOISEY, which noted how the clip - directed by David Gladstein - "lays it out with a couple stick figures going at it in more ways than one." "The darkly humorous black-and-white clip depicts two drawn characters in a relatable relationship," wrote Rolling Stone , where issues are tearing them apart...However, it's those same issues that also spark intrigue and bring the couple together for some inevitable (and funny) stick-figure makeup sex." WE CAN DO ANYTHING has received rapturous responses from Violent Femmes' fervent international fan following as well as from high profile media outlets worldwide. "The Wisconsin punk-folk trio's first album in 18 years occasionally summons the warped whimsy of their classic self-titled 1983 debut," offered Rolling Stone, "only updated for ruined teens hitting their fifties." "Remarkably fresh and unforced," raved the UK's Uncut while Classic Rock declared WE CAN DO ANYTHING to be "a breezy return to what they do best: acoustic folk-punk with ragged edges, held together by Gano's ear for a ringing melody." "A sprightly ten-song set which could easily stand up to anything (Violent Femmes) released in the '80s," applauded CLASH, singling out "Issues" as "a lyrical feast all laid out with a sing-a-long chorus (that) will put a smile on the face of any fan." "Classic Femmes," exclaimed The Observer, "tuneful, bordering on sociopathic, big on Brian Ritchie's acoustic bass." The Line of Best Fit decreed the album to be "a fun, nostalgic celebration of the laid-back acoustic-punk they created with their self-titled debut and THE BLIND LEADING THE NAKED in the '80s... (Violent Femmes) have successfully fuelled WE CAN DO ANYTHING with the scruffy-but-vibrant spontaneity that made all their earlier records the much loved works they are." VIOLENT FEMMESON TOUR 2016 SEPTEMBER24 - Franklin, TN - Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival *              25 - Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theatre27 - Charleston,  SC - Charleston Music Hall28 - Raleigh, NC - North Carolina Museum of Art30 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
OCTOBER1 - Montclair, NJ - The Wellmont Theater2 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount4 - Port Chester, NY - Capitol Theater5 - New Haven, CT - College Street Music Hall7 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre 8 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore22 - Santa Ana, CA - Beach Goth * ADDITIONAL DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON * FESTIVAL APPEARANCE www.vfemmes.com/tour