Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 2170
December 17, 2015
Violent Femmes return with first new album in more than 15 years
VIOLENT FEMMES CAN DO ANYTHING
LEGENDARY AMERICAN BAND RETURNSWITH FIRST NEW ALBUM IN MORE THAN 15 YEARS 10-TRACK COLLECTION INCLUDES NEW CLASSICS LIKE "MEMORY" AND "ISSUES" EPIC WORLD TOUR TO BE ANNOUNCED WE CAN DO ANYTHING ARRIVES AT LAST ON FRIDAY, MARCH 4TH
(New York, NY) - Violent Femmes have announced details of their eagerly awaited new LP.
WE CAN DO ANYTHING
arrives via [PIAS] on Friday, March 4th. Violent Femmes' ninth studio album and first full-length collection in more than 15 years,
WE CAN DO ANYTHING
is among the most provocative and playful in the legendary trio's remarkable canon. As the album's title makes plain, the band - singer/songwriter/guitarist Gordon Gano, bassist Brian Ritchie, and drummer Brian Viglione - remains as intrepid and fearless as ever before, traversing genre and emotion via their immediately identifiable, still utterly idiosyncratic, mash of rambunctious folk, minimalist punk, cubist blues, cosmic jazz, and backwoods rock 'n' roll. Produced by Jeff Hamilton - a longtime member of the Horns of Dilemma, Violent Femmes' ever-evolving cabal of multi-instrumentalist backing musicians - and mixed by the legendary John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Kurt Vile, Dinosaur, Jr.),
WE CAN DO ANYTHING
was recorded in studios in Brooklyn, Nashville, Los Angeles, Milwaukee and Denver, while on tour during the summer of 2015. The album's cover image was drawn by Barenaked Ladies' Kevin Hearn, who also contributed accordion, guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals on several recordings. Rounding out the live touring band and members of The Horns of Dilemma are John Sparrow and Blaise Garza who has been playing with the band since he was 14 years old. Gano gathered the album's material by diving headlong into his own voluminous archives, listening to ancient cassette demos and leafing through old journals in search of suitable songs. Among his finds were such new classics as the murderous "Big Car" and the fractured fairy tale, "I Could Be Anything," Of the album's more recent songs, "Foothills" and "Holy Ghost" were both penned with the team of Sam Hollander and Dave Katz (Train, Joe Cocker), while "Issues" - co-written by Gano with Hollander and Better Than Ezra's Kevin Griffin (Christina Perri, Howie Day) - stands out as vintage Violent Femmes, as lyrically cutting as it is musically kinetic. Penned by Gano's big sister, gifted folk singer/songwriter/artist Cynthia Gayneau, "What You Really Mean," the album's sole cover, might as well be an original composition, hewing remarkably close to the frontman's own sonic sensibility and lyrical heart. Colored by explosive arrangements that veer on a dime from hard charging stomp to intimate melancholy, WE CAN DO ANYTHING is Violent Femmes at their very finest - joyous, exciting, and eternal. Violent Femmes will celebrate WE CAN DO ANYTHING with a full-scale North American headline tour. Complete details will be unveiled soon - for up to the minute news and information, please seewww.vfemmes.com/tour. WE CAN DO ANYTHING arrives hot on the heels of Violent Femmes' acclaimed 2015 EP, HAPPY NEW YEAR. Recorded in Ritchie's adopted home of Hobart, Tasmania as the band prepared for a sold out New Year's Eve 2014 concert at the world famous Sydney Opera House, the EP is highlighted by "Love Love Love Love Love" and "Good For/At Nothing" both of which are accompanied by animated companion videos streaming now at the band's official YouTube channel. HAPPY NEW YEAR is available now on the iTunes Store and other online retailers. One of the most beloved bands of the golden age of indie rock, Violent Femmes returned to action in 2013 with an acclaimed performance at Coachella, their first live appearance in several years. Drummer Brian Viglione (The Dresden Dolls, Nine Inch Nails) came aboard in 2013. The Violent Femmes embarked on a wide-ranging tour that included headline dates and ecstatically received festival sets around the world. The Guardian applauded their London show as "a triumphant rampage through their back catalogue," declaring the band's self-titled 1983 debut to be "a cult classic of teenage alienation - a sneerier, post-pubescent Catcher in the Rye, if you like, with added nocturnal emissions and rattling acoustic bass solos." Violent Femmes came together in 1981 and were quickly ranked among the era's most inventive and original, constantly pushing forward with their singular blend of folk and punk, sarcasm and spirituality. The trio released eight studio albums and more than a dozen singles, among them such iconic classics as "American Music," "Gone Daddy Gone," "Nightmares, "Add It Up," "Kiss Off" and of course, "Blister In The Sun." Violent Femmes' remarkable three-decade career earned them cumulative sales in excess of 10 million worldwide, with 1983's VIOLENT FEMMES earning RIAA platinum certification eight years after its initial release. With the turn of the millennium, Violent Femmes began a long hiatus from the studio, only coming together in 2009 to record a cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," returning the favor after the psychedelic soul duo's cover of "Gone Daddy Gone" proved a worldwide smash. For more, please see www.vfemmes.com and www.facebook.com/officialviolentfemmes.
LEGENDARY AMERICAN BAND RETURNSWITH FIRST NEW ALBUM IN MORE THAN 15 YEARS 10-TRACK COLLECTION INCLUDES NEW CLASSICS LIKE "MEMORY" AND "ISSUES" EPIC WORLD TOUR TO BE ANNOUNCED WE CAN DO ANYTHING ARRIVES AT LAST ON FRIDAY, MARCH 4TH
(New York, NY) - Violent Femmes have announced details of their eagerly awaited new LP.
WE CAN DO ANYTHING
arrives via [PIAS] on Friday, March 4th. Violent Femmes' ninth studio album and first full-length collection in more than 15 years,
WE CAN DO ANYTHING
is among the most provocative and playful in the legendary trio's remarkable canon. As the album's title makes plain, the band - singer/songwriter/guitarist Gordon Gano, bassist Brian Ritchie, and drummer Brian Viglione - remains as intrepid and fearless as ever before, traversing genre and emotion via their immediately identifiable, still utterly idiosyncratic, mash of rambunctious folk, minimalist punk, cubist blues, cosmic jazz, and backwoods rock 'n' roll. Produced by Jeff Hamilton - a longtime member of the Horns of Dilemma, Violent Femmes' ever-evolving cabal of multi-instrumentalist backing musicians - and mixed by the legendary John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Kurt Vile, Dinosaur, Jr.),
WE CAN DO ANYTHING
was recorded in studios in Brooklyn, Nashville, Los Angeles, Milwaukee and Denver, while on tour during the summer of 2015. The album's cover image was drawn by Barenaked Ladies' Kevin Hearn, who also contributed accordion, guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals on several recordings. Rounding out the live touring band and members of The Horns of Dilemma are John Sparrow and Blaise Garza who has been playing with the band since he was 14 years old. Gano gathered the album's material by diving headlong into his own voluminous archives, listening to ancient cassette demos and leafing through old journals in search of suitable songs. Among his finds were such new classics as the murderous "Big Car" and the fractured fairy tale, "I Could Be Anything," Of the album's more recent songs, "Foothills" and "Holy Ghost" were both penned with the team of Sam Hollander and Dave Katz (Train, Joe Cocker), while "Issues" - co-written by Gano with Hollander and Better Than Ezra's Kevin Griffin (Christina Perri, Howie Day) - stands out as vintage Violent Femmes, as lyrically cutting as it is musically kinetic. Penned by Gano's big sister, gifted folk singer/songwriter/artist Cynthia Gayneau, "What You Really Mean," the album's sole cover, might as well be an original composition, hewing remarkably close to the frontman's own sonic sensibility and lyrical heart. Colored by explosive arrangements that veer on a dime from hard charging stomp to intimate melancholy, WE CAN DO ANYTHING is Violent Femmes at their very finest - joyous, exciting, and eternal. Violent Femmes will celebrate WE CAN DO ANYTHING with a full-scale North American headline tour. Complete details will be unveiled soon - for up to the minute news and information, please seewww.vfemmes.com/tour. WE CAN DO ANYTHING arrives hot on the heels of Violent Femmes' acclaimed 2015 EP, HAPPY NEW YEAR. Recorded in Ritchie's adopted home of Hobart, Tasmania as the band prepared for a sold out New Year's Eve 2014 concert at the world famous Sydney Opera House, the EP is highlighted by "Love Love Love Love Love" and "Good For/At Nothing" both of which are accompanied by animated companion videos streaming now at the band's official YouTube channel. HAPPY NEW YEAR is available now on the iTunes Store and other online retailers. One of the most beloved bands of the golden age of indie rock, Violent Femmes returned to action in 2013 with an acclaimed performance at Coachella, their first live appearance in several years. Drummer Brian Viglione (The Dresden Dolls, Nine Inch Nails) came aboard in 2013. The Violent Femmes embarked on a wide-ranging tour that included headline dates and ecstatically received festival sets around the world. The Guardian applauded their London show as "a triumphant rampage through their back catalogue," declaring the band's self-titled 1983 debut to be "a cult classic of teenage alienation - a sneerier, post-pubescent Catcher in the Rye, if you like, with added nocturnal emissions and rattling acoustic bass solos." Violent Femmes came together in 1981 and were quickly ranked among the era's most inventive and original, constantly pushing forward with their singular blend of folk and punk, sarcasm and spirituality. The trio released eight studio albums and more than a dozen singles, among them such iconic classics as "American Music," "Gone Daddy Gone," "Nightmares, "Add It Up," "Kiss Off" and of course, "Blister In The Sun." Violent Femmes' remarkable three-decade career earned them cumulative sales in excess of 10 million worldwide, with 1983's VIOLENT FEMMES earning RIAA platinum certification eight years after its initial release. With the turn of the millennium, Violent Femmes began a long hiatus from the studio, only coming together in 2009 to record a cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," returning the favor after the psychedelic soul duo's cover of "Gone Daddy Gone" proved a worldwide smash. For more, please see www.vfemmes.com and www.facebook.com/officialviolentfemmes.
GIVERS Announce 2016 Nat'l Tour Dates + Critically Acclaimed Sophomore LP
GIVERS
Critically Acclaimed Sophomore Album Hit #9 on CMJ + #16 on CMJ AAA Charts,Continue To Climb 4 Weeks After Release
Announce 2016 National Tour Dates, Including NYC, Chicago + more!
1/23: Birmingham, AL @ Saturn 1/25: Athens, GA @ 40 Watt 1/26: Asheville, NC @ Tiger Mountain 1/30: New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom1/31: Toronto, ON @ The Drake2/2: Pittsburgh, PA @ Cattivo 2/4: Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall 2/5: Columbus, OH @ The Basement 2/6: Cincinnati, OH @ MoTR Pub 3/4-6: Okeechobee, FL @ Okeechobee Fest3/11-12: New Orleans, LA @ BUKU
New Kingdom Out Now via Glassnote Records
Photo Credit: Allison Bohl
“Full of sonic wonders” – NPR
“...catchy indie-pop with electronic and world-beat bents” – New York Magazine
“ ...the new album takes a more ethereal, almost contemplative approach.” – The Times Picayune
“New Kingdom retains the band's ‘Southern Vampire Weekend’ charm while at the same time exploring new moods and textures.” – Portland Mercury
“...futuristic, otherworldly pop.” – Gambit Weekly
“Vocally rich” – Stereogum
Louisiana’s GIVERS have returned with their tour de force sophomore album, New Kingdom, out now on Glassnote Records. Hailed by NPR, Stereogum, New York Magazine and more, New Kingdom offers an organic fusion of southern soul and pop. Latest single “Sleeper Hold” ft. Dr. John bursts open the sonic palate and showcases GIVERS’ darker, ethereal side. Hitting #9 on the CMJ chart this week, New Kingdom is their second Top 10 CMJ album and now their highest charting album at CMJ to date. The album also hit #16 on the CMJ AAA chart this week.
GIVERS has developed an enraptured fanbase with their irresistible melodies, rib-rattling beats and explosive live show. The band is thrilled to announce that they will hit the road once again in 2016, making stops in NYC, Chicago, Columbus, Athens and more. Fans will have many new chances to experience new album favorites and beloved hits, as the band sets stages ablaze across North America.
The New York Times declared, “The music affirms joy with globe-spanning grooves” upon the release of GIVERS’ 2011 debut album In Light. During that time, they found themselves bouncing along a global festival circuit, making their national TV debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and performing alongside the likes of Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Carnegie Hall.
WEBSITE // TWITTER // FACEBOOK
Critically Acclaimed Sophomore Album Hit #9 on CMJ + #16 on CMJ AAA Charts,Continue To Climb 4 Weeks After Release
Announce 2016 National Tour Dates, Including NYC, Chicago + more!
1/23: Birmingham, AL @ Saturn 1/25: Athens, GA @ 40 Watt 1/26: Asheville, NC @ Tiger Mountain 1/30: New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom1/31: Toronto, ON @ The Drake2/2: Pittsburgh, PA @ Cattivo 2/4: Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall 2/5: Columbus, OH @ The Basement 2/6: Cincinnati, OH @ MoTR Pub 3/4-6: Okeechobee, FL @ Okeechobee Fest3/11-12: New Orleans, LA @ BUKU
New Kingdom Out Now via Glassnote Records
Photo Credit: Allison Bohl
“Full of sonic wonders” – NPR
“...catchy indie-pop with electronic and world-beat bents” – New York Magazine
“ ...the new album takes a more ethereal, almost contemplative approach.” – The Times Picayune
“New Kingdom retains the band's ‘Southern Vampire Weekend’ charm while at the same time exploring new moods and textures.” – Portland Mercury
“...futuristic, otherworldly pop.” – Gambit Weekly
“Vocally rich” – Stereogum
Louisiana’s GIVERS have returned with their tour de force sophomore album, New Kingdom, out now on Glassnote Records. Hailed by NPR, Stereogum, New York Magazine and more, New Kingdom offers an organic fusion of southern soul and pop. Latest single “Sleeper Hold” ft. Dr. John bursts open the sonic palate and showcases GIVERS’ darker, ethereal side. Hitting #9 on the CMJ chart this week, New Kingdom is their second Top 10 CMJ album and now their highest charting album at CMJ to date. The album also hit #16 on the CMJ AAA chart this week.
GIVERS has developed an enraptured fanbase with their irresistible melodies, rib-rattling beats and explosive live show. The band is thrilled to announce that they will hit the road once again in 2016, making stops in NYC, Chicago, Columbus, Athens and more. Fans will have many new chances to experience new album favorites and beloved hits, as the band sets stages ablaze across North America.
The New York Times declared, “The music affirms joy with globe-spanning grooves” upon the release of GIVERS’ 2011 debut album In Light. During that time, they found themselves bouncing along a global festival circuit, making their national TV debut on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and performing alongside the likes of Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Carnegie Hall.
WEBSITE // TWITTER // FACEBOOK
SIA RELEASES NEW TRACK 'CHEAP THRILLS'
SIA RELEASES NEW TRACK "CHEAP THRILLS" FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM THIS IS ACTINGSET FOR RELEASE JANUARY 29, 2016
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO FOR "ALIVE"
FANS WHO PRE-ORDER THIS IS ACTING RECEIVE CURRENT SINGLE
"ALIVE,"
"BIRD SET FREE"
,
"ONE MILLION BULLETS"
AND "CHEAP THRILLS" INSTANTLYCLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO "CHEAP THRILLS"
(New York – December 17, 2015) Singer/songwriter/producer/massive hitmaker Sia today announces the release of a new song "Cheap Thrills" from her forthcoming album THIS IS ACTING set for release everywhere on January 29, 2016 (Monkey Puzzle Records/RCA Records).
"Cheap Thrills" was co-written by Sia and Greg Kurstin and produced by Greg Kurstin.
Fans who pre-order THIS IS ACTING will receive current single "Alive," "Bird Set Free," "One Million Bullets," and "Cheap Thrills" instantly. Click here to watch the video for "Alive." Click here to listen to "Bird Set Free," click here to listen to "One Million Bullets," and click here to listen to "Cheap Thrills."
Rolling Stone writes about THIS IS ACTING 's first single "['Alive' is] a devastating, electrifying vocal performance." Billboarddescribes the song as "another full-throated, unfettered performance from pop's most iconoclastic star." NPR declares "Alive" "a soaring pop anthem," and USA Today calls it "a coming-of-age anthem." In addition, Sia recently released her Alive Remixes EP featuring tracks from Maya Jane Coles, AFSHeeN, Boehm, Cahill and Plastic Plates. The Plastic Plates remix has been climbing the HypeMachine charts, peaking at #2 on the Popular chart.
Sia has performed her single "Alive" on Saturday Night Live , The Voice, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show . The video for "Alive" has enjoyed millions ofviews and stars 9 year old Japanese child actress/dancer Mahiro Takano. The video was directed by Sia and Daniel Askill, the same creative team behind the videos for "Chandelier," "Elastic Heart" and "Big Girls Cry." "Chandelier" crossed the 1 billion views last month.
In addition to Jesse Shatkin who produced "Alive," Sia also worked with longtime collaborator/producer Greg Kurstin on THIS IS ACTING. "Alive," the album's first single was written by Sia, Adele and Tobias Jesso, Jr. and was produced by Jesse Shatkin, who also co-wrote and co-produced Sia's massive four-time Grammy nominated "Chandelier."Sia released her #1 charting, critically-acclaimed, and gold-certified album 1000 FORMS OF FEAR (Monkey Puzzle Records/RCA Records) last year in July, which features her massive breakthrough singles "Chandelier" and "Elastic Heart." The groundbreaking video for "Chandelier" has enjoyed an unprecedented 1 billion views and its follow-up video "Elastic Heart" with over 475 million views.
An astonishingly creative and uncompromising performer, Sia is also a highly prolific hit maker and songwriter, having penned several hit singles over the last few years for others. She has crafted songs for pop icons including Rihanna ("Diamonds"), Katy Perry ("Double Rainbow"), Britney Spears ("Perfume"), Kelly Clarkson ("Invincible"), Carly Rae Jepsen ("Making the Most of the Night"), Beyoncé ("Pretty Hurts") and Celine Dion ("Love Me Back To Life"), and many more. Sia has also been the featured vocalist on some of the most massive hits she has written for others including "Titanium" with David Guetta, "Beautiful Pain" with Eminem, and "Wild Ones" with Flo Rida. Additionally, Sia was nominated for a Golden Globe for the song "Opportunity" from the 2014 adaptation of the Broadway musical "Annie."
Link to video for "Alive": http://smarturl.it/SiaAliveVidLink to listen to instant grat track "Cheap Thrills": http://smarturl.it/HearSiaCheapThrillsLink to listen to instant grat track "Bird Set Free": http://smarturl.it/BSFpvLink to listen to instant grat track "One Million Bullets": http://smarturl.it/HearSia1MBAlbum cover art and more available at www.rcarecordspress.com
(New York – December 17, 2015) Singer/songwriter/producer/massive hitmaker Sia today announces the release of a new song "Cheap Thrills" from her forthcoming album THIS IS ACTING set for release everywhere on January 29, 2016 (Monkey Puzzle Records/RCA Records).
"Cheap Thrills" was co-written by Sia and Greg Kurstin and produced by Greg Kurstin.
Fans who pre-order THIS IS ACTING will receive current single "Alive," "Bird Set Free," "One Million Bullets," and "Cheap Thrills" instantly. Click here to watch the video for "Alive." Click here to listen to "Bird Set Free," click here to listen to "One Million Bullets," and click here to listen to "Cheap Thrills."
Rolling Stone writes about THIS IS ACTING 's first single "['Alive' is] a devastating, electrifying vocal performance." Billboarddescribes the song as "another full-throated, unfettered performance from pop's most iconoclastic star." NPR declares "Alive" "a soaring pop anthem," and USA Today calls it "a coming-of-age anthem." In addition, Sia recently released her Alive Remixes EP featuring tracks from Maya Jane Coles, AFSHeeN, Boehm, Cahill and Plastic Plates. The Plastic Plates remix has been climbing the HypeMachine charts, peaking at #2 on the Popular chart.
Sia has performed her single "Alive" on Saturday Night Live , The Voice, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show . The video for "Alive" has enjoyed millions ofviews and stars 9 year old Japanese child actress/dancer Mahiro Takano. The video was directed by Sia and Daniel Askill, the same creative team behind the videos for "Chandelier," "Elastic Heart" and "Big Girls Cry." "Chandelier" crossed the 1 billion views last month.
In addition to Jesse Shatkin who produced "Alive," Sia also worked with longtime collaborator/producer Greg Kurstin on THIS IS ACTING. "Alive," the album's first single was written by Sia, Adele and Tobias Jesso, Jr. and was produced by Jesse Shatkin, who also co-wrote and co-produced Sia's massive four-time Grammy nominated "Chandelier."Sia released her #1 charting, critically-acclaimed, and gold-certified album 1000 FORMS OF FEAR (Monkey Puzzle Records/RCA Records) last year in July, which features her massive breakthrough singles "Chandelier" and "Elastic Heart." The groundbreaking video for "Chandelier" has enjoyed an unprecedented 1 billion views and its follow-up video "Elastic Heart" with over 475 million views.
An astonishingly creative and uncompromising performer, Sia is also a highly prolific hit maker and songwriter, having penned several hit singles over the last few years for others. She has crafted songs for pop icons including Rihanna ("Diamonds"), Katy Perry ("Double Rainbow"), Britney Spears ("Perfume"), Kelly Clarkson ("Invincible"), Carly Rae Jepsen ("Making the Most of the Night"), Beyoncé ("Pretty Hurts") and Celine Dion ("Love Me Back To Life"), and many more. Sia has also been the featured vocalist on some of the most massive hits she has written for others including "Titanium" with David Guetta, "Beautiful Pain" with Eminem, and "Wild Ones" with Flo Rida. Additionally, Sia was nominated for a Golden Globe for the song "Opportunity" from the 2014 adaptation of the Broadway musical "Annie."
Link to video for "Alive": http://smarturl.it/SiaAliveVidLink to listen to instant grat track "Cheap Thrills": http://smarturl.it/HearSiaCheapThrillsLink to listen to instant grat track "Bird Set Free": http://smarturl.it/BSFpvLink to listen to instant grat track "One Million Bullets": http://smarturl.it/HearSia1MBAlbum cover art and more available at www.rcarecordspress.com
Baroness' Purple Released Tomorrow, Full Album Streaming Now; European Tour Announced
BARONESS RELEASE PURPLE TOMORROW; FULL ALBUM STREAMING NOW
EXTENSIVE EUROPEAN TOUR ANNOUNCED
UNRELEASED ALBUM ON MULTIPLE YEAR END LISTS INCLUDINGROLLING STONE, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, DECIBEL &STEREOGUM
“These are some of the biggest, strongest songs Baroness have written…” – 8.5, Pitchfork
“Baroness have delivered their masterpiece…” – 4*, Mojo
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 17, 2015 – Baroness’ highly-anticipated new album,Purple (Abraxan Hymns), which will be released tomorrow, is streaming now via a variety of partners as part of a fan-fueled #FindPurple promotion:
“Morningstar” via Kerrang
“Shock Me” via YourBaroness.com
“Try To Disappear” via Stereogum
“Kerosene” via Nerdist
“Fugue” via Juxtapoz
“Chlorine & Wine” via Brave Words
“The Iron Bell” via Noisey
“Desperation Burns” via Metal Injection
“If I Have To Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain)” via Drowned In Sound
“Crossroads of Infinity” via Rolling Stone Australia
Marald van Haasteren, a Dutch-based visual artist, created the accompanying videos for the song premieres, as well as the internal drawings for Purple.
Purple has been universally praised in the lead-up to its release with Pitchforksaying the album features “some of the biggest, strong songs Baroness has ever written,” Rolling Stone Australia dubbing it “the most dynamic, robust guitar album this year,” Mojo echoing those sentiments, saying “Baroness have delivered their masterpiece: an album grounding their cosmic heaviosity with earthbound, compelling drama,” and German magazine Visions declaring “the quasi-comeback Purple is their best album to date.” The album has already landed on a number of year-end best of lists including Rolling Stone,Entertainment Weekly, Decibel and Stereogum.
“After releasing a lengthy and investigative record like Yellow & Green we all felt that we needed to make something much more direct and immediate,” explains band founder and singer/guitar player John Baizley of the approach behindPurple. “We wanted to write with our normal focus on artistry, balanced against an increased level of energy and focus. It was important for us to write our new songs with the type of enthusiasm and expressiveness that could act as a counterpoint to the album’s dark themes. As a result, the music came out in an intense, heavy and sonically captivating in a new way, which was important, loathe, as we are to fall into any kind of complacency pitfall or formulaic songwriting routine. Purple is the most fully realized representation of our intention as a band; considering the amount of physical and mental energy spent writing it, we have accomplished something which would have seemed impossible to us a couple of years ago.”
The band recorded the ten-song album with producer Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, MGMT) at the helm, whom Baizley said “He’s been on the top of my list since day one. I never thought he’d work with us. I absolutely worship his recordings.” Purple also marked the first time Baizley and Pete Adams (guitar, vocals) recorded with their 2013 recruited rhythm section of Nick Jost (bass) and Sebastian Thomson (drums), something the foursome discussed in the behind-the-scenes clip “Fifty Percent” (https://youtu.be/MXHUkOQh2_g). “I don’t think it’s too often you can replace two people in your band like that and have it work out just right off the bat, like clockwork,” said Adams of Jost and Thomson. That clip is one of ten videos the band has shared in recent months, documenting the making of Purple both with footage but also candid interviews with the band members (www.youtube.com/baronessmusic).
Photo credit: Jimmy Hubbard As Baroness wrap up a three-week trek of sold out, intimate club performances, the band has announced an extensive European tour, kicking off on Feb. 24 at the Engine Room in Southampton, UK; the same city Baroness was driving towards the day of their now infamous 2012 bus accident. Tickets for all European shows are on sale now via yourbaroness.com/tour.December 16 Richmond, VA Strange Matter SOLD OUT
December 18 Baltimore, MD Metro Gallery SOLD OUT
December 19 Manayunk, PA Main Street Music In-Store Appearance
December 19 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s SOLD OUT
December 20 Brooklyn, NY Rough Trade In-Store Appearance
December 20 Brooklyn, NY Saint Vitus Bar SOLD OUT
February 24 Southampton, UK Engine Room
February 25 Birmingham, UK 02 Institute
February 26 Leeds, UK Lees University Stylus
February 28 Glasgow, UK The Garage
February 29 Manchester, UK 02 Ritz
March 1 London, UK KOKO
March 3 Paris, France Le Trabendo
March 4 Bilbao, Spain Bilbao Kafe Antzokia
March 5 Madrid, Spain Teatro Barcelo (Sound Isidro Fest Special)
March 6 Lisbon, Portugal Paradise Garage
March 8 Barcelona, Spain Razmatazz 2
March 9 Lyon, France Le Transbordeur Club
March 10 Milan, Italy Magazzini Generali
March 11 Zurich, Switzerland Mascott
March 12 Vienna, Austria Flex
March 15 Leipzig, Germany Conne Island
March 16 Munich, Germany Backstage Werk
March 17 Prague, Czech Republic Futurum
March 18 Warsaw, Poland Proxima
March 20 Berlin, Germany SO36
March 21 Cologne, Germany Stollwerck
March 22 Brussels, Belgium AB Theatre
March 23 Utrecht, Netherlands Tivoli de Helling
March 26 Hamburg, Germany Gruenspan
March 27 Malmo, Sweden KB
March 29 Stockholm, Sweden Debaser Medis
March 30 Oslo, Norway Rockefeller
March 31 Copenhagen, Denmark Vega Small
April 1 Hannover, Germany Faust
April 2 Wiesbaden, Germany Alter Schlachthof
April 23 Mexico City, MX Vive Latino Festival
Star Wars Episode I 2XLP vinyl soundtrack out now
TAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE LIMITED EDITION 2XLP VINYL SOUNDTRACKAVAILABLE FROM I AM SHARK
FEATURING FIVE UNIQUE CHARACTER COLOR THEMES
FIRST EVER VINYL PRESSINGS OF STAR WARS EPISODES II AND III SOUNDTRACKS COMING IN 2016
I Am Shark fulfils the sci-fi fantasies of Star Wars fanatics and vinyl lovers alike with the limited edition 2XLP gatefold vinyl repressing of the John Williams scored original soundtrack to Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra and London Voices, the soundtrack is available in Darkside (180 Gram Black), as well as four other limited character coordinated color themes including Obi-Wan Kenobi (Translucent Blue), Qui-Gon Jinn (Green/Brown Marble), Darth Maul (Red/Gold Stripe on Black), and Hyperdrive (White Splatter on Black).
I Am Shark will soon complete the soundtrack trilogy, following Episode I with the first ever vinyl pressings of the Star Wars Episodes II and III soundtracks. The Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones vinyl soundtrack will be released this coming January, 2016. Release date and preorder information to be announced in the coming weeks.
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace soundtrackavailable via IAmShark.com
Stream “Duel of the Fates” on SoundCloud
“Williams is truly a master of Wagnerian-bombast and baroque composition, and when “Duel Of The Fates” kicks in, the Star Wars faithful can just sit there, listening and wishing that the theme was from a much better movie. The vinyl mastering on the release is also very good, and retains that certain warmth that you can’t get from the digital releases.” - A.V. Club
Recorded at Abbey Road studios over the course of a week, starting on February 10, 1999, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was the first Star Wars score Williams had composed in over 16 years. The scores of the following two films in the prequel trilogy would rely heavily upon tracking from this score, a decision that Williams and George Lucas had made early into production of the film. The original album was released on CD to accompany the film (May 4, 1999), and was certified Platinum in the U.S. and Gold in the UK.
The limited edition vinyl release of Star Wars soundtracks marks I Am Shark’s emerging role as an independent label for Film, TV, and Video Game soundtracks. Future soundtracks from iconic pop culture and beloved indie releases will be announced in the coming months.
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Track Listing:
Star Wars Main Title and The Arrival at Naboo – 2:55 Duel of the Fates – 4:14 Anakin's Theme – 3:05 Jar Jar's Introduction and The Swim to Otoh Gunga – 5:07 The Sith Spacecraft and The Droid Battle – 2:37 The Trip to the Naboo Temple and The Audience with Boss Nass – 4:07 The Arrival at Tatooine and The Flag Parade – 4:04 He Is the Chosen One – 3:53 Anakin Defeats Sebulba – 4:24 Passage Through the Planet Core – 4:40 Watto's Deal and Kids at Play – 4:57 Panaka and the Queen's Protectors – 3:24 Queen Amidala and The Naboo Palace – 4:51 The Droid Invasion and The Appearance of Darth Maul – 5:14 Qui-Gon's Noble End – 3:48 The High Council Meeting and Qui-Gon's Funeral – 3:09 Augie's Great Municipal Band and End Credits – 9:37 Total Time: 74:23
Officially Licensed by Sony Music and Lucasfilm LTD.
FEATURING FIVE UNIQUE CHARACTER COLOR THEMES
FIRST EVER VINYL PRESSINGS OF STAR WARS EPISODES II AND III SOUNDTRACKS COMING IN 2016
I Am Shark fulfils the sci-fi fantasies of Star Wars fanatics and vinyl lovers alike with the limited edition 2XLP gatefold vinyl repressing of the John Williams scored original soundtrack to Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra and London Voices, the soundtrack is available in Darkside (180 Gram Black), as well as four other limited character coordinated color themes including Obi-Wan Kenobi (Translucent Blue), Qui-Gon Jinn (Green/Brown Marble), Darth Maul (Red/Gold Stripe on Black), and Hyperdrive (White Splatter on Black).I Am Shark will soon complete the soundtrack trilogy, following Episode I with the first ever vinyl pressings of the Star Wars Episodes II and III soundtracks. The Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones vinyl soundtrack will be released this coming January, 2016. Release date and preorder information to be announced in the coming weeks.
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace soundtrackavailable via IAmShark.com
Stream “Duel of the Fates” on SoundCloud
“Williams is truly a master of Wagnerian-bombast and baroque composition, and when “Duel Of The Fates” kicks in, the Star Wars faithful can just sit there, listening and wishing that the theme was from a much better movie. The vinyl mastering on the release is also very good, and retains that certain warmth that you can’t get from the digital releases.” - A.V. Club
Recorded at Abbey Road studios over the course of a week, starting on February 10, 1999, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was the first Star Wars score Williams had composed in over 16 years. The scores of the following two films in the prequel trilogy would rely heavily upon tracking from this score, a decision that Williams and George Lucas had made early into production of the film. The original album was released on CD to accompany the film (May 4, 1999), and was certified Platinum in the U.S. and Gold in the UK.
The limited edition vinyl release of Star Wars soundtracks marks I Am Shark’s emerging role as an independent label for Film, TV, and Video Game soundtracks. Future soundtracks from iconic pop culture and beloved indie releases will be announced in the coming months.
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Track Listing:
Star Wars Main Title and The Arrival at Naboo – 2:55 Duel of the Fates – 4:14 Anakin's Theme – 3:05 Jar Jar's Introduction and The Swim to Otoh Gunga – 5:07 The Sith Spacecraft and The Droid Battle – 2:37 The Trip to the Naboo Temple and The Audience with Boss Nass – 4:07 The Arrival at Tatooine and The Flag Parade – 4:04 He Is the Chosen One – 3:53 Anakin Defeats Sebulba – 4:24 Passage Through the Planet Core – 4:40 Watto's Deal and Kids at Play – 4:57 Panaka and the Queen's Protectors – 3:24 Queen Amidala and The Naboo Palace – 4:51 The Droid Invasion and The Appearance of Darth Maul – 5:14 Qui-Gon's Noble End – 3:48 The High Council Meeting and Qui-Gon's Funeral – 3:09 Augie's Great Municipal Band and End Credits – 9:37 Total Time: 74:23
Officially Licensed by Sony Music and Lucasfilm LTD.
December 16, 2015
Thayer Sarrano @ Doug Fir Lounge PDX
All photos taken in Portland by Gene Brunak.
Santigold '99¢' Album Release Date Update, Out Worldwide February 26 via Atlantic Records
Santigold Album Release Date Update
99¢ Out Worldwide February 26 via Atlantic Records
Santigold’s third album, 99¢ , will now be released worldwide on February 26th via Atlantic Records. She will make your 99¢ dreams come true in 2016! Santigold will kick off the year sharing more material and videos from the album with a tour to follow. Stay tuned to Santigold.com, which will be updated continually with exclusive content. In the meantime, watch the cameo filled video directed by Santigold and Trouble Andrew for “Who Be Lovin Me (feat. ILOVEMAKONNEN)” here
Happy Holidays!
Santigold.com
99¢ Out Worldwide February 26 via Atlantic Records
Santigold’s third album, 99¢ , will now be released worldwide on February 26th via Atlantic Records. She will make your 99¢ dreams come true in 2016! Santigold will kick off the year sharing more material and videos from the album with a tour to follow. Stay tuned to Santigold.com, which will be updated continually with exclusive content. In the meantime, watch the cameo filled video directed by Santigold and Trouble Andrew for “Who Be Lovin Me (feat. ILOVEMAKONNEN)” here
Happy Holidays!
Santigold.com
Daddy (James Franco and Tim O'Keefe) share "You Are Mine" from debut album Let Me Get What I Want out Spring 2016
Daddy (James Franco and Tim O'Keefe) Share Album Track "You Are Mine" HERE
Debut Album and Film Let Me Get What I Want To Be Released Spring 2016
James Franco and Tim O’Keefe are the duo Daddy who encompass music, film and installation art into a multimedia experience. Their latest work is a full-length album and full-length film entitled Let Me Get What I Want , which comes out in Spring 2016 via We Are Daddy/Kobalt. Today, they shared the upbeat album track "You Are Mine",featuring The Smiths’ Andy Rourke on bass guitar. You can hear it via Youtube HERE.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, they stated: "Let Me Get What I Want is a concept album & film that tracks three characters as they weave through the dark ways of high school: love, death, and dreams."
James Franco said about "You Are Mine": "High school is a time of longing for the unattainable. We dream big, but we're still too young to make anything significant happen. At least I was too immature and sensitive to be the person I wanted to be. "You are mine" is about one teenager dreaming about another, even though they'll never be together,"and Tim O'Keefe added "Transforming James' poems to songs took on it's own creative process which was a new direction for me. Because the words weren't written by me, I had to take on the character of the individual whose perspective I was singing from. You Are Mine like many of the songs on Let Me Get What I Want expresses experiences that were relatable to my own high school experience, and therefore I had a lot of my own emotions to pull from."James recently published a book of poetry called Directing Herbert White: Poems. Two sections in that book are called “Poems Inspired by Smiths’ Songs” and are a series of poems loosely based on people James knew at Palo Alto High School; each poem sharing the title of The Smiths’ song that inspired it. James and Tim discussed the poems and their love of the Smiths. They soon decided to use these poems to create the new songs for their album. James discussed the process in his VICE column HERE.The accompanying film can be viewed as an hour-long film, or as individual music videos for all of the album’s songs. The film has no "beginning" or "end" point, it works like a loop (i.e. the "last" video, or video 10, connects to the first video, video 1, seamlessly). The film stars Palo Alto High School students, and edited in a Lynchian style reminiscent of Twin Peaks.
Last November, the first track “On The Sideline” (fka “This Charming Man”) from the album/film was revealed via VICE HERE. The Let Me Get What I Want album and film will exist as installation exhibitions in 2016.
https://www.facebook.com/wearedaddy
https://www.youtube.com/user/WeAreDaddy
https://twitter.com/wearedaddy
https://instagram.com/wearedaddy
Snapchat: WeAreDaddy
Debut Album and Film Let Me Get What I Want To Be Released Spring 2016
James Franco and Tim O’Keefe are the duo Daddy who encompass music, film and installation art into a multimedia experience. Their latest work is a full-length album and full-length film entitled Let Me Get What I Want , which comes out in Spring 2016 via We Are Daddy/Kobalt. Today, they shared the upbeat album track "You Are Mine",featuring The Smiths’ Andy Rourke on bass guitar. You can hear it via Youtube HERE.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, they stated: "Let Me Get What I Want is a concept album & film that tracks three characters as they weave through the dark ways of high school: love, death, and dreams."
James Franco said about "You Are Mine": "High school is a time of longing for the unattainable. We dream big, but we're still too young to make anything significant happen. At least I was too immature and sensitive to be the person I wanted to be. "You are mine" is about one teenager dreaming about another, even though they'll never be together,"and Tim O'Keefe added "Transforming James' poems to songs took on it's own creative process which was a new direction for me. Because the words weren't written by me, I had to take on the character of the individual whose perspective I was singing from. You Are Mine like many of the songs on Let Me Get What I Want expresses experiences that were relatable to my own high school experience, and therefore I had a lot of my own emotions to pull from."James recently published a book of poetry called Directing Herbert White: Poems. Two sections in that book are called “Poems Inspired by Smiths’ Songs” and are a series of poems loosely based on people James knew at Palo Alto High School; each poem sharing the title of The Smiths’ song that inspired it. James and Tim discussed the poems and their love of the Smiths. They soon decided to use these poems to create the new songs for their album. James discussed the process in his VICE column HERE.The accompanying film can be viewed as an hour-long film, or as individual music videos for all of the album’s songs. The film has no "beginning" or "end" point, it works like a loop (i.e. the "last" video, or video 10, connects to the first video, video 1, seamlessly). The film stars Palo Alto High School students, and edited in a Lynchian style reminiscent of Twin Peaks.
Last November, the first track “On The Sideline” (fka “This Charming Man”) from the album/film was revealed via VICE HERE. The Let Me Get What I Want album and film will exist as installation exhibitions in 2016.
https://www.facebook.com/wearedaddy
https://www.youtube.com/user/WeAreDaddy
https://twitter.com/wearedaddy
https://instagram.com/wearedaddy
Snapchat: WeAreDaddy
