Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 2059

BEACH GOTH V @ OAK CANYON PARK

BEACH GOTH V
October 22 + 23, 2016
Oak Canyon Park
Orange County, California
On Sale This Friday: www.beachgothfest.com
All Ages

#beachgoth #beachgothv #bgv

The Dandy Warhols share Gerald Casale (DEVO) Remix Of "Reverend Jim"

The Dandy Warhols Share "Pope Reverend Jim (DEVO Gerald V Remix)"
September and October Tour Dates Announced
Distortland Out Via Dine Alone
This Spring saw The Dandy Warhols release their newest album Distortland (Dine Alone Records) and today they are happy to share a Gerald Casale (Devo) remix of their track "Pope Reverend Jim."  It premiered via The Nerdist who said, "a decidedly Devo spin..."Pope Reverend Jim" graduates from rock club to dance hall."  Read what Casale told them about the track here.
Courtney Taylor Taylor notes "Devo is one of Thee bands of my life. Very possibly THEE band so working with Gerald on this was a life achievement/bucket lister of mine fer sher. I love it and I play it LOUD"  You should to!  LISTEN to "Pope Reverend Jim (DEVO Gerald V Remix)"cleared to share / post! 
Throughout their long career The Dandy Warhols have earned a reputation for bringing everything they have to their live show and that hasn't changed in 2016.   Around the release of Distortland they played to packed rooms on an East Coast run including 2 shows at NYC's Bowery Ballroom and one in Brooklyn at Rough Trade More recently they sold out multiple shows on their European and UK tour.   The band has now confirmed a Fall tour of the United States which kicks off in Minneapolis on September 23 with a show at The Varsity Theater and concludes with a 2-night stand at The Scoot Inn in Austin TX October 14 and 15.  Along the way they will stop in Chicago, Atlanta and Dallas, among many other cities.  The full tour is listed below.   
"pop hooks abound on (the album)" Consequence of Sound 
"Distortland (is) such a damned welcome sound for sore ears" Magnet
"it has all the understated, tuneful swagger that you would hope to hear from a new Dandy Warhols song in 2016."    Stereogum on "Catcher In The Rye"
a hypnotic strut of a song, that never quite peaks so much as lures you with singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor's vocals low and lulling in the mix. They're urging you to lean in that little bit closer."  Noisey on "STYGGO" 
"Everything about the new tune, from the instrumentation to the lyrics, comes off as effortless, but the simplistic hook is memorable enough that heads will surely nod." AV Club on "You Are Killing Me" 
"the song sports a chugging guitar riff and an earwormy hook"  Diffuser on "You Are Killing Me"  
"the choral hook will surely have you turning back again and again." Austin Town Hallon "You Are Killing Me"

Formed in Portland, Oregon, The Dandy Warhols consist of members Courtney Taylor-Taylor (vocals, guitar), Zia McCabe (keyboards), Peter Holmström (guitar), and Brent DeBoer (drums).   Distortland was first recorded in Taylor's basement on an 80s cassette recorder with the band putting on the finishing touches in a studio. Jim Lowe - best known for his work with Taylor Swift and Beyonce - mixed the album.  Courtney notes that the end result is an album that is "organized like a pop record but still has the sonic garbage still in there."  
The Dandy Warhols Live Dates:
September 23: Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater *
September 24: Chicago, IL - Park West *
September 25: Columbus, OH - Skully's *
September 27: Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live *
September 28: Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle *
September 29: Charleston, SC - Charleston Music Hall *
September 30: Orlando, FL - The Social *
October 1: Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room *
October 3: St. Petersburg, FL - The State Theatre *
October 4: Ponte Vedra, FL - Ponte Vedra Concert Hall *
October 6: Atlanta, GA - Terminal West *
October 7: Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge *
October 8: St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall *
October 10: Birmingham, AL - Saturn *
October 11: New Orleans, LA - Tipitina's Uptown *
October 12: Dallas, TX - Granada Theater *
October 13: Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall *
October 14: Austin, TX - The Scoot Inn *
October 15: Austin, TX - The Scoot Inn *
* - w/ Savoy Motel

Preoccupations Release New Song "Degraded," Extend World Tour

PREOCCUPATIONS RELEASE NEW TRACK "DEGRADED"

EXTEND WORLD TOUR

SELF-TITLED ALBUM OUT SEPTEMBER 16TH ON JAGJAGUWARPhoto Credit: Alessio Boni Click Here To Listen To "Degraded"
Preoccupations have released a new single from their excellent new self-titled album. "Degraded" sees the banding taking on a more traditional song structure, with the chorus leaning as close to pop sensibilities as you'll see from them. However the band's lyrics pierce through with Matthew Flegel concluding "There's nothing left here to compete for. Degrade into a fraction of yourself."
Last month, the band announced the new album with the release of the video for album opener "Anxiety" which you can view below. 
Watch Video For "Anxiety"
The band, formerly know as Viet Cong, recently sat down with Fast Company to discuss the new album and events leading up to their recent name change, you can read it here.
Preoccupations will be touring North America extensively this summer and fall, starting with a run of dates with Explosions in the Sky as well as FYF Fest in LA in August. Full run of dates are listed below. Preoccupations Track Listing01. Anxiety02. Monotony03. Zodiac04. Memory05. Degraded06. Sense07. Forbidden08. Stimulation09. Fever

Pre-Order Preoccupations NowJagjaguwariTunesAmazonSupport you local independent record store

World Tour Dates08.21.16 - White Oak Music Hall - Houston, TX *08.22.16 - Bomb Factory - Dallas, TX *08.24.16 - Tricky Falls - El Paso, TX *08.28.16 - FYF Fest - Los Angeles, CA08.29.16 - Mountain Winery - Saratoga, CA *08.30.16 - Ace of Spades - Sacramento, CA *09.01.16 - Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR *09.02.16 - Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR *09.28.16 - The Rickshaw Theater - Vancouver, BC10.01.16 - Mac Hall Ballroom - Calgary, AB ^10.03.16 - WECC - Winnepeg, MB ^10.04.16 - Fine Line Music Cafe - Minneapolis, Mn ^10.05.16 - Thalia Hall - Chicago, Il ^10.07.16 - Crofoot Ballroom - Pontiac, Mi ^10.08.16 - Danforth Music Hall - Toronto, ON ^10.11.16   Virgin Mobile Corona Theater   Montreal, QC ^10.12.16 - The Sinclair - Cambridge, Ma ^10.14.16 - Warsaw - Brooklyn NY ^10.15.16 - First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, Pa ^10.16.16 - Rock & Roll Hotel - Washington DC ^10.18.16 - Masquerade - Atlanta, Ga ^10.19.16 - Gasa Gasa - New Orleans, La ^10.21.16 - The Mohawk - Austin, Tx ^10.25.16 - Valley Bar - Phoenix, Az ^10.26.16 - The Irenic - San Diego, Ca ^10.28.16 - The Roxy - Los Angeles, Ca ^10.29.16 - The Independent - San Francisco, Ca11.02.16 - Neumos - Seattle, Wa ^11.05.15 - Brudenell Social Club - Leeds, UK11.06.16 - Gorilla - Manchester, UK11.07.16 - Oval Space - London, UK11.08.16 - Exchange - Bristol, UK11.09.16 - Haunt - Brighton, UK11.10.16 - Le Guess Who Festival - Utrecht, NL11.12.16 - Botanique - Brussels, BE11.14.16 - Pumpehuset - Copenhagen, DK11.15.16 - Molotow - Hamburg, DE11.16.16  Bi Nuu - Berlin, DE11.18.16 - Musiques Volantes Festival - Metz, FR11.19.16 - New Noise Festival - Paris, FR11.21.16 - La Laiterie - Strasbourg, CH11.22.16 - Klaus - Zurich, CH11.23.16 - Magnolia - Milan, IT11.24.16 - Quirinetta - Rome, IT11.25.16 - Locomotiv -  Bologna, IT11.26.16 - Suprette Festival - Neuchatel, CH11.28.16 - Luxor - Cologne, DE11.29.16 - Paradiso Noord - Amsterdam, NL
^ w/ Methyl Ethel* w/ Explosions In The Sky

July Talk announces fall tour dates; new album out Sept 9

JULY TALK ANNOUNCES FALL NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES NEW ALBUM TOUCH OUT SEPTEMBER 9 ON ISLAND RECORDSPRE-ORDER AVAILABLE FRIDAY, JULY 15 Tour Includes Both Headlining Dates and Dates SupportingNothing But Thieves

"Leah Fay and Peter Dreimanis's alternating girly-and-gravelly vocals provide a soul-exfoliating sugar scrub" -  NYLON
"Canadian rockers give disco a deadly edge in new song, Push + Pull."  - Consequence of Sound
"The contrast between Dreimanis' Tom Waits-ish growl and Fay's soprano is remarkable; it just works" -  NPR (WXPN)
Today, July Talk announces their upcoming fall tour with support dates for Nothing But Thieves and Kongos in U.S. and Canadian headlining tour dates to follow. In addition to the already announced key festival plays this summer which include Festival D'éte,Rock The Shores, Area 506, Osheaga, XFest Sonic Boom and Austin City Limits, July Talk's upcoming tour dates are set to take the band across Canada, the UK, Europe, and the U.S. The band will kick off their touring schedule this weekend in Canada at Festival D'Ete de Quebec on Saturday, July 16. From there the band will make a stop in Brooklyn for a headlining show at Rough Trade on August 18 before heading to the UK and Europe. The support dates for Nothing But Thieves start on September 26 in Los Angeles at the Fonda Theater and will take the band across U.S. markets and into their Canadian headlining tour. U.S. headlining tour dates to be announced soon. See below for a complete list of tour dates and visit http://www.julytalk.com for tour updates, tickets links and more information. The tour is in support of July Talk's forthcoming and second album,  Touch , out September 9 onIsland/Universal (US and UK/Europe) and Sleepless Records (Canada.) The new album will be available for pre-order from iTunes this Friday, July 15th. The pre-order includes two instant grat tracks - the dynamically soothing, somber and swaying album cut  Strange Habit  and the band's previously released hit single, "Push + Pull". Both tracks will also be available for streaming. Last month the band released the visceral video for "Push + Pull" which was shot Nadia Tan and kept with the band's black and white visual motif. The song has received widespread praise and views.Touch album and full track listing can be found below.
Watch the video for "Push + Pull" on YouTube
"Thematically,  Touch has been inspired by our human experience over the past few years, just as much as our time spent as a band on the road," notes songwriter and vocalist, Leah Fay. "Touring constantly provides a strange view of the world because you're in transit more often than you're still. We became sensitive to the varying reactions we'd get from any given audience depending on the cultural norms and politics of a place. Because humans love to categorize in an effort to understand, Peter and I were often perceived as these opposing forces, representing "light vs. darkness", "female vs. male", "sweet vs. scary" blah blah blah, with each of us just dying to get a word in edgewise. These types of assumptions had a massive influence on the way we wrote the lyrics for this album because we knew we didn't want to feed into that sort of boring archetype. We became drawn to the idea of what it actually means to be a living breathing human. It's messy and visceral and unpredictable."
The  band recently performed "Push + Pull" live at the  iheartradio/MMVA broadcast in Toronto, with the group aligning solidarity, pre-Pride and post-Orlando, with the LGBT community in an electrifying performance that featured Leah in rainbow eye make up, weeping glitter tears, that NYLON  claimed their as their favorite:  "...came in the form of the very special LGBT pride tribute made by July Talk's Leah Fay and her dancers."  You can watch the band live from the iheartradio/MMVA here.
TOUCH TRACKLISTING1. Picturing Love2. Beck + Call3. Now I Know4. Johnny + Mary5. Strange Habit6. Push + Pull7. Lola + Joseph8. So Sorry9.Jesus Said So   10.Touch JULY TALK 2016 TOUR DATESJuly 16  - Festival D'Ete de Quebec - Quebec City, CanadaJuly 24 - Rock The Shores - Colwood, Vancouver Island, CanadaJuly 29 - Osheaga - Parc Jean-Drapeau - Montreal, CanadaJuly 31 - Area 506 Festival - Saint John, CanadaAugust 18 - Brooklyn, NYC - Rough TradeAugust 28 - Palmer, AK - Alaska State Fair ^September 3 -Sonic Boom Festival - Edmonton, CanadaSeptember - XFest - Calgary, CanadaSeptember 7 - Paradiso (upstairs room) - Amsterdam, NetherlandsSeptember 8 - Vera - Groningen, NetherlandsSeptember 9 - Applepop - Tiel, NetherlandsSeptember 10 - Atak (Saxion Hall) - Enschede, NetherlandsSeptember 11 - Rotown - Rotterdamn, NetherlandsSeptember 13 - King Tuts - Glasgow, United KingdomSeptember 14 - Sound Control Bar - Manchester, United KingdomSeptember 15 - Barfly - London, United KingdomSeptember 17 - Gleis 22 - Munster, GermanySeptember 19 - Lido - Berlin, GermanySeptember 20 - Strom - Munich, GermanySeptember 21 - Schlachthof - Wiesbaden, GermanySeptember 22 - Underground - Cologne, GermanySeptember 23 - Reeperbahn Festival - Hamburg, GermanySeptember 26 - Los Angeles, CA - Fonda *September 27 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar  *September 29 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theatre *October 2 - Austin, TX - Austin City LimitsOctober 3 - Dallas, TX - Cambridge RoomOctober 7 - Houston, TX - Bronze PeacockOctober 9 - Austin, TX - Austin City LimitsOctober 10 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar *October 11 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line  *October 12 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave *October 13 - Grand Rapids, MI - Founders Brewing Co.October 15 - Indianapolis, IN - Deluxe *October 17 - Columbus, OH - A&R Bar  *October 25 - Waterloo, ON - Maxwell'sOctober 26 - London, ON - London Music HallOctober 28 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music HallOctober 29 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music HallOctober 30 - Montreal, QC - Café CampusOctober 31 - Ottawa, ON - Algonquin TheatreNovember 25 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore BallroomDecember 6 - Saskatoon, SK - Louis'December 7 - Winnipeg, MB - Garrick Centre ^ w/ Kongos* w/ Nothing But Thieves

The Return Of Rubén Blades coming July 22

The Return Of Rubén Bladescoming to Blu-ray and digital formats on July 22
Robert Mugge's portrait of actor, writer, attorney, activist, and Grammy Award winning world music artist Ruben Blades.
Between 1982 and 1984, music filmmaker Robert Mugge produced two feature length music docs for the UK's brand-new fourth TV network, appropriately named Channel 4 Television. Those two films were BLACK WAX with Gil Scott-Heron, now newly re-released on DVD and Blu-ray by MVD Visual, and GOSPEL ACCORDING TO AL GREEN. After both were completed, Andy Park, Channel 4's Commissioning Editor for Music who had funded both films, announced he would soon be leaving the channel. Mugge quickly realized, if he wanted Park to commission another film from him, he would need to act fast.

Therefore, in short order, Mugge proposed a film about the staging of Stephen Sondheim's then forthcoming musicalSunday in the Park with George. But before shooting could begin, the composer grew fearful that cameras could aggravate the stresses of an already challenging collaboration. So, sadly, that proposal was scrubbed.

Next up was a possible portrait of P-Funk mastermind George Clinton. But that proposal, too, was abandoned when the artist's own management noted his tendency not to show up when and where expected. Imagining what could happen to their modest budget if they booked crew, equipment, and supplies for a particular time and place only to have their subject fail to show, Mugge and Park soon abandoned that project as well.

Finally, in early 1985, Mugge proposed, and Park approved, a portrait of Panamanian-American singer, songwriter, musician, activist, essayist, lawyer, and politician Ruben Blades, who could rightly have been named "The Most Interesting Man in the World" decades before the tongue-in-cheek Dos Equis commercials dubbed actor Jonathan Goldsmith as such. At the time, Blades was the darling of American rock critics thanks to release of the 1984 Elektra album Buscando América, Blades' most successful attempt yet at "crossing over" into mainstream Anglo acceptance, even as his longtime Latin fans stayed with him. His previous albums on salsa label Fania Records, with and without Nuyorican musician and bandleader Willie Colón, had made him a household name among Spanish-speaking salsa fans worldwide. But Blades was looking for far more, both musically and otherwise, and he seemed on the verge of becoming a multi-hyphenated, bilingual superstar.

The release of Buscando América, with its intricate Latin dance rhythms, its rocklike intensity, and its poetic, Spanish-language reflections on the often turbulent relationship between the U.S. and Latin America, showed Blades to be a major cultural force. But what made him so much more "interesting" as a film subject was that, simultaneously, he was starring in a highly autobiographical independent film titled CROSSOVER DREAMS which he himself had co-written, was earning a Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) in International Law from Harvard Law School, was publishing political essays in both Spanish and English, was splitting his time between the U.S. and his native Panama in anticipation of future political ambitions, was reading scripts for additional acting roles in the hope of improving the image of Latinos in Hollywood films and TV series, was touring internationally with his superb band, and was planning ever new material he hoped would further dissolve barriers between the English-language and Spanish-language music industries. As a documentary filmmaker seeking to capture the life and career of Rubén Blades on film, Mugge saw his own biggest challenge as simply keeping up with this seemingly tireless potential subject.

Happily, Blades, Mugge, and Park did come to terms, after which Mugge and his crew spent the spring and summer of 1985 shooting the following: a concert by Blades and his band Seis del Solar at New York City club S.O.B.'s (Sounds of Brazil); an interview with Blades at his New York City apartment; a conversation between Blades and author Pete Hamill in a New York City park; Blades' graduation from Harvard Law School (including conversations with his mother and his dean); a Spanish-language recording session in Los Angeles featuring Blades and guest vocalist Linda Ronstadt; a joint interview with Blades and Ronstadt (who was then contemplating recording her own albums of Mexican songs she learned at home as a child); and a trip by Blades to his hometown of Panama City. In Panama, Blades was filmed on the balcony of his new high-rise apartment overseeing his city's changing landscape, in front of the bank where he once worked as an attorney,joining his father for a visit to the neighborhood where he grew up, in a courtyard discussing his intention to run for president of Panama one day, and walking along the Panama Canal discussing the sometimes tense relations between his native and adopted countries.

In the three decades since this film was made, Blades has accomplished much of what he set out to do, including (1) becoming a respected actor in Hollywood and independent films and television series; (2) continuing to serve as an effective political essayist and activist; and (3) continuing to record and perform powerful world music with both Spanish and English lyrics, and winning eight Grammy Awards and five Latin Grammy Awards along the way. Among his other awards and honors are a 2005 honorary degree from the Berklee College of Music and a 2011 Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award presented by ASCAP and partner WhyHunger for his international charity work. Just a few of the many films and TV programs in which he has starred or appeared are THE MILAGRO BEANFIELD WAR, MO' BETTER BLUES, THE TWO JAKES, PREDITOR 2, THE JOSEPHINE BAKER STORY, CRAZY FROM THE HEART, THE SUPER, X-FILES, CRADLE WILL ROCK, COLOR OF NIGHT, ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO, and FEAR THE WALKING DEAD. In 1997, Blades also headed the cast of The Capeman, Paul Simon's first Broadway musical. Although his run for the Panamanian presidency in 1994 was unsuccessful, he served as Panama's minister of tourism from 2004 through 2009 and, reportedly, is considering another run for the presidency in 2019. For more career highlights, please explore Blades' Spanish-language website and his English-language Wikipedia page. Blades has been married to singer LubaMason since August 4, 2006.


Songs performed in the THE RETURN OF RUBÉN BLADES are "Todos Vuelven," "Buscando América," "Tiburon," "Muévete," "Silencios," and "Pedro Navajo" (with "Mack the Knife"). Here is Blades introducing and then performing "Buscando América" in the film https://vimeo.com/156288935The Blu-ray can be pre-ordered at the MVD Shop or on Amazon.

Nedelle Torrisi (Sufjan Stevens & Ariel Pink collaborator) shares new track

Nedelle Torrisi'Advice from Paradise (Deluxe Edition)' out August 1stvia Tin Angel Records
Listen to ‘Born To Love You’ HERE
[image error] “Breezy elements of indie pop and slinky R&B.” – Noisey
“Smooth and synth-y grooves, Torrisi’s dreamy vocals feel like they’re born into darkness, then ascend into a buoyant light.” – Rookie
“Cryptacize co-founder Nedelle Torrisi is the connective thread between Sufjan Stevens and Ariel Pink.” – Stereogum
Nedelle Torrisi's last breakup was bad – “not throwing-clothes-out-of-a-window bad”, she laughs now, but gruelling enough to leave her feeling blue as a bruise alone in Los Angeles, wading alone through the fuselage wreckage of a four-year friendship and band. “I was frustrated at the thought of starting over again, because it also dissolved the band we were in. The silver lining was that I was alone, so didn't have to negotiate any musical decisions anymore.” A few months later, the Sufjan Stevens and Ariel Pink collaborator found herself with a batch of “unhinged, romantic, boy-crazy songs” that seeped romance from beneath every airy stroke of keyboard, lush 90s-R&B-throwback vocal and crisp drum machine clap. “I thought writing these sappy pop songs would somehow lift me out of that depression,” Nedelle remembers. Instead, the resulting album, ‘Advice from Paradise (Deluxe Edition)’, soon for re-release on Tin Angel Records, finds hope – revelling in the uncertainty, excitement and butterfly-flutter nerves of pulling yourself up from the ground and beginning again.
The daughter of a priest-turned-jazz drummer father and ex-nun turned pianist mum, Torrisi grew up in California steeped in music. She remembers singing for relatives as early as aged three, and trying to wriggle out of homework so she could listen to Whitney Houston. Music was “a given, not a choice” in her house, she recalls fondly – “you don't just take 5 piano lessons and quit. So I chose the violin and my brother chose the clarinet, and we both studied the instruments into our twenties.”
That devotion pays off on ‘Advice from Paradise (Deluxe Edition)’, a record with whip-smart musicality to match its infectious heartbreak. ‘Can't Wait’ sees wailing twin guitars fade to a slow jam saunter with shades of Toni Braxton, singing about longing for someone in unrelenting rain. ‘Double Horizon’ is a Beach House-ish harpsichord pop dream that Noisey called “sunshine-filled, poppy and blissful.” ‘Don't Play Dumb’ meanwhile is a tale of romantic game-playing set to gorgeous MIDI calypso synths and accompanied by a video that saw Nedelle cause trouble in a Target store – she and the clip's director, Travis Peterson, were actually kicked out of the supermarket twice while trying to film.
‘Advice from Paradise (Deluxe Edition)’ also features on backing vocals Domino baroque-pop favourite Julia Holter – someone Torrisi says is “a good reminder that listening to your heart and being yourself is always best. She doesn't compromise her values for shallow gains. As we all know the music industry is a slimy place, so I think this says a lot about her character.” She learnt too from cult acclaimed folk troubadour Sufjan Stevens, who since releasing Nedelle's old group, Cryptacize, on his Asthmatic Kitty label, has invited Torrisi to play in his backing band and sing on his latest album, ‘Carrie and Lowell’. “His work ethic is admirable, and as a band leader he's good at challenging everyone so they never become complacent.”
The album was recorded in two weeks with Haunted Graffiti member and former housemate Kenny Gilmore, with whom Nedelle “slept at the studio and worked all day until we became cross-eyed.” Then, disaster struck. “So, the album was missing in Russia for four months,” says Nedelle, incredibly. “The story is crazy, involving Russian friends, a nice taxi company, and a lot of luck, but we got it back!” It's a good thing they did – moving and warm, ‘Advice from Paradise (Deluxe Edition)’  is a sprawling pop paradise of its own, full of such insight into the trials and tribulations of the dating game, it came as no surprise to fans three years ago when Torrisi launched her own love advice column, now a video series on floodmagazine.com. “It's kept trucking, so I've just kept doing it,” says the singer. With a new album on the horizon after the re-release of ‘Advice from Paradise (Deluxe Edition)’.
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Cosmonauts - 'A-OK!'

Cosmonauts - 'A-OK!'Street Date, August 19th, 2016, Burger Records

Cosmonauts came into being in 2009 in outer space or Orange County, depending on the way you like to look at things. The band was originally formed by Derek Cowart and Alexander Ahmadi after he heard Cowart play a Spaceman3 song solo at a show in their home town of Fullerton, CA. The two were students at different high schools but as it turned out, of the same musical school of thought: two lovers of lo­fi, adorers of the atmospheric, kindred pop­loving spirits. The two bonded over the Velvet Underground and Brian Jonestown Massacre, and quickly turned their mutual appreciation club into a band. Cosmonauts have been making music ever since, picking up bassist James Sanderson and a host of different drummers along the way (the spot is currently filled by Mark Morones). Now residing in Los Angeles, they’ve put out a number of releases through Burger Records and various other labels. They’ve toured extensively through the US and Europe, and played alongside Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Pixies, Slowdive, Black Lips, Belle & Sebastian, and more, though Cosmonauts don’t exactly fit neatly into the fabric of their scene: too psychedelic to be punk, too punk to be psychedelic, and too absorbed in making their own brand of music to care. Their latest offering, A­-OK!, is out August 19th via Burger Records.  Track Listing:1. A-OK! **2. Doom Generation3. Party At Sunday **4. Be-Bop-A-Loser5. Shortwave Communication **6. Heavenspeak7. Good Lucky Blessing **8. Cruisin’9. Discophilia10. Graffiti

Watch Shearwater cover the Bauhaus classic “Kick In The Eye” for The A.V. Club’s “Undercover”

Watch Shearwater cover the Bauhaus classic “Kick In The Eye” for"A.V. Undercover” click image to playWhile on tour supporting Jet Plane and Oxbow, which is one of the best reviewed albums of the year, Shearwater stopped by The Onion’s offices in Chicago to film their cover of the Bauhaus classic “Kick In The Eye” for The A.V. Club’s seventh season of music video series, ‘A.V. Undercover’.The A.V. Club says of the performance, “Throwing down the gauntlet for future Undercovers, Shearwater showed up to our studio with a smoke machine and laser light show. They covered not only Bauhaus’ goth-rocker “Kick In The Eye” but also all of David Bowie’s Lodger. All of it.

With Shearwater’s latest album, the excellent Jet Plane And Oxbow, Jonathan Meiburg has crafted a more assertive and political effort without losing sight of the band’s biggest strengths: Meiburg’s baritone; descriptive, nonlinear lyrics; and songs that reveal more with each listen. Those strengths come out here in what is surely one of the more dramatic Undercovers we’ve hosted (see A.V. Club “Undercover” May 12th).”Meiburg adds, “Our bassist Sadie Powers is our Bauhaus authority; she plays fretless because of David J. I would’ve preferred to do “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”— but later that afternoon they filmed our cover of Bowie’s Lodger album, so I can hardly complain. A heroic day for the good people at the A.V. Club.”Jet Plane and Oxbow is available now on CD/ 2xLP/ DL from Sub Pop [link here]  and at an independent retailer near you.
What people are saying about Jet Plane and Oxbow:
“Fussed-over sounds abound — one track finds room for both synthesizer and dulcimer — which helps render Meiburg's songs both unsettling and majestic. The terrific "Quiet Americans" checks many of the band's boxes right away, as the synthspeal through static, while Meiburg's vocals bark, swoop, soar and swoon in tune with the moment. From there, the palette expands and contracts to include booming, stadium-sized urgency ("A Long Time Away"); a persistently rumbling, exploratory epic worthy of Wilco ("Filaments"); and a ballad that sneaks in some of Meiburg's favorite themes ("Wildlife In America"). Of course, that big, elastic voice remains at the center of these songs, but so too does a mandate to fill the surrounding air with big, bold ideas.” [First Listen] -  NPR Music "A defiant moody exploration of the magic and menace of technology." [4/5] - MOJO

"Meiburg's finest album to date." [8/10] -  Uncut

Lily & Madeleine to tour with Brett Dennen this Fall

LILY & MADELEINE TO TOUR WITH BRETT DENNENFOR EXTENSIVE FALL TOUR KEEP IT TOGETHER OUT NOW ON NEW WEST RECORDS "The harmonies from these Indiana-based sisters have always been outstanding. But now on their third album, Keep It Together, Lily and Madeleine have added more texture to their songs..."-NPR Music  "A work of serious, subtle beauty."-Uncut NASHVILLE, TN, July 11, 2016 - Lily & Madeleine's mesmerizing electronic pop will be the perfect precursor for Brett Dennen's breezy folk/pop when the two hit the road together this fall for a U.S. tour. The Indianapolis-based sister duo will join up with Dennen in Santa Cruz, CA on September 14 and serve as main support for a six-week coast-to-coast tour that will end in Philadelphia on October 24.  Lily & Madeleine will perform songs from their latest album,  Keep It Together , as well as material from their two previous records and EP. All dates are below. Keep It Together, the prolific pair's third full-length album since forming in 2012, was released in February on New West Records to rave reviews. When premiering one of the album's many highlights, "Hotel Pool," NPR Musicexclaimed, "The harmonies from these Indiana-based sisters have always been outstanding. But now on their third album, Keep It Together, Lily and Madeleine have added more texture to their songs," adding, "What are they going to be doing in 10 years if this is where they are already. That's incredible."  Entertainment Weekly  hailed album standout "Hourglass" as a "musical dreamscape" in their premiere of the kaleidoscopic video. Under the Radar declared, "In under 40-minutes, Lily & Madeleine prove there's still beauty in the world, and that sisterly love, coupled naturally with evolving talent, can make for an impressively powerful album," while Paste lauded the "liquid visuals" orchestrated by director George Salisbury (The Flaming Lips) in the "dreamy pop video" for the guitar-heavy "For The Week."  Uncut  enthused, "Lily and Madeleine Jurkiewicz's exquisite harmonies and gentle melodies are still present and correct, though here they venture beyond their initial '70s folk sound. 'Not Gonna,' 'Westfield,' and 'Hourglass' shimmer with gentle orchestral soul, while the guitar-driven 'For The Weak' is both laconic and robust, like Sleater-Kinney without the spikes. The added muscle suits them... Keep It Together is a work of serious, subtle beauty." Keep It Together is the sound of Lily, 19, and Madeleine, 21, asserting themselves as young women and very much coming in to their own as they learn to navigate adulthood and all that comes with it. On "For The Weak," an upbeat, chiming slice of indie rock, the pair pines, "so I just gotta know/Is hoping for the weak," while the sultry "Chicago" deals with a love affair in the Windy City. The album culminates with the devastating "Nothing," that sees the protagonist self empowered after a broken heart. Recorded at home in Bloomington, IN with producer Paul Mahern, who also helmed Lily & Madeleine's lauded debut and sophomore albums, the 10-song record is a mature and dynamic statement from two distinct musical personalities, grounded and bound by kinship, that melds seamlessly into an ethereal and enthralling collection. With the help of friends and touring band members Shannon Hayden and Kate Siefker, Lily & Madeleine take their songs into exciting new territory. Album opener, "Not Gonna," sets the tone for the album and serves as a confident mission statement both thematically and musically as the duo's beautiful melodies and impeccable harmonies are buoyed by orchestral strings, electronic flourishes, analog synth, piano and a pulsing groove. LILY & MADELEINE ON TOURAugust 26 - Cincinnati, OH @ Fountain Square*September 14 - Santa Cruz, CA @ Rio Theatre #September 15 - Calpine, CA @ Sierra Valley Lodge #September 17 - San Luis Obispo, CA @ SLO Brew #September 18 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Lobero Theatre #September 20 - Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole #September 22 - Telluride, CO @ Club Red #September 23 - Aspen, CO @ Belly Up Aspen #September 24 - Park City, UT @ OP Rockwell #September 25 - Missoula, MT @ Top Hat Lounge #September 27 - Ashland, OR @ Ashland Armory #September 28 - Bend, OR @ Tower Theatre #October 10 - New Orleans, LA @ Parish #October 11 - Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall #October 12 - Birmingham, AL @ Iron City #October 14 - Nashville, TN @ City Winery #October 15 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle #October 16 - Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle #October 17 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West #October 18 - Rocky Mount, VA @ Harvester Performance Center #October 21 - Portsmouth, NH @ The Music Hall #October 22 - Hartford, CT @ Infinity Hall #October 24 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer #October 27 - Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig #October 28 - Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst #October 29 - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway # *appearing with Swear and Shake# with Brett Dennen

J Dilla's The Diary instrumental version out now

Mass Appeal Records and PayJay have released an instrumental version of J. Dilla's The Diary, the production legend's recently unearthed 2002 solo album. Dilla had envisioned the album his proper debut as an MC, so he yielded the bulk of production work to his favorite engineers- this new version of the album features instrumental beats by Dilla, Madlib, Nottz, Hi-Tek, Pete Rock, House Shoes, Karriem Riggins, and more.

Check it out here:https://soundcloud.com/massappealrecs/sets/j-dilla-the-diary-instrumentals

Also available at all streaming services and digital retailers at this link:https://JDilla.lnk.to/TheDiaryInstrumentalsPR