Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 2443
June 25, 2014
Sam Smith Debuts At #2, Makes History With Highest First-Week
SAM SMITH’S DEBUT ALBUM IN THE LONELY HOUR
ENTERS BILLBOARD TOP 200 AT #2
MAKES HISTORY WITH HIGHEST FIRST-WEEK U.S. SALES
FOR A UK MALE ARTIST IN SOUNDSCAN ERA
HIT SINGLE “STAY WITH ME” SURPASSES ONE MILLION SALES MARK
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HOLLYWOOD, CA – British soul singer and songwriter Sam Smith has made U.S. pop music history with his debut album, In The Lonely Hour , selling more copies in its first week of release – 166,000 – than any other debut album by a UK male artist in the 23-year history of Soundscan. The Capitol Records album will enter the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart next week at #2, propelled by the artist’s Top-Ten hit single, “Stay With Me,” which has just surpassed sales of one million copies this week.
The record-setting first-week sales figure for Smith’s U.S. debut reflects the British artist’s burgeoning popularity on this side of the Atlantic. A forthcoming North American tour in September has completely sold out (a few tickets remain in Portland, OR), including The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York and the Riviera Theater in Chicago.
Critics have lauded Smith and his music, as well, with TIME magazine proclaiming, “In The Lonely Hour finds Smith changing course and doubling back to recognizably classic sounds: warm, simple melodies with structures and tones cribbed from gospel music, plus luxurious strings and guitar lines that complement his fluttering vocal turns… Smith understands that his voice is the key to unlocking these songs, and when it’s made the focal point he shines… Smith’s pain leaps from the speakers, familiar and undeniable.”
The Associated Press gave Smith’s debut a “Grade A”, writing, “The 22-year-old English singer’s soulful pop debut, In the Lonely Hour, is a passionate, heart-wrenching album,” while the Washington Post raved, “In the Lonely Hour shows off every facet of Smith’s voice to goose pimple-raising effect.”
According to Capitol Music Group Chairman & CEO Steve Barnett, “We are thrilled that American audiences are embracing Sam Smith and In The Lonely Hour so strongly. Sam’s stirring and revealing songs, as well as his one-of-a-kind voice and soulful delivery, is a combination that’s compelling and imbued with artistry. We are still at the early stages of presenting Sam Smith and his music to U.S. audiences, but this record-setting first week is certainly a strong sign of music fans’ recognition that a great new artist has arrived.”
All this month, Smith is being featured as MTV’s “Artist To Watch” and VH1’s “You Oughta Know” artist. Smith’s North American concert tour begins September 15 in Boston. The complete schedule is as follows:
SAM SMITH FALL NORTH AMERICAN TOUR September 15 Boston, MA House of BluesSeptember 16 Washington, DC EchostageSeptember 19 New York, NY Hammerstein BallroomSeptember 21 Toronto, ONT Kool HausSeptember 22 Chicago, IL Riviera TheaterSeptember 24 Vancouver, BC Orpheum TheatreSeptember 25 Seattle, WA Paramount TheaterSeptember 26 Portland, OR Crystal BallroomSeptember 29 Los Angeles, CA The Greek TheatreSeptember 30 Los Angeles, CA The Greek TheatreOctober 4 Houston, TX House of BluesOctober 6 Atlanta, GA TabernacleOctober 7 Nashville, TN Ryman AuditoriumOctober 9 Dallas, TX House of Blues
HIT SINGLE “STAY WITH ME” SURPASSES ONE MILLION SALES MARK
[image error]
HOLLYWOOD, CA – British soul singer and songwriter Sam Smith has made U.S. pop music history with his debut album, In The Lonely Hour , selling more copies in its first week of release – 166,000 – than any other debut album by a UK male artist in the 23-year history of Soundscan. The Capitol Records album will enter the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart next week at #2, propelled by the artist’s Top-Ten hit single, “Stay With Me,” which has just surpassed sales of one million copies this week.
The record-setting first-week sales figure for Smith’s U.S. debut reflects the British artist’s burgeoning popularity on this side of the Atlantic. A forthcoming North American tour in September has completely sold out (a few tickets remain in Portland, OR), including The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York and the Riviera Theater in Chicago.
Critics have lauded Smith and his music, as well, with TIME magazine proclaiming, “In The Lonely Hour finds Smith changing course and doubling back to recognizably classic sounds: warm, simple melodies with structures and tones cribbed from gospel music, plus luxurious strings and guitar lines that complement his fluttering vocal turns… Smith understands that his voice is the key to unlocking these songs, and when it’s made the focal point he shines… Smith’s pain leaps from the speakers, familiar and undeniable.”
The Associated Press gave Smith’s debut a “Grade A”, writing, “The 22-year-old English singer’s soulful pop debut, In the Lonely Hour, is a passionate, heart-wrenching album,” while the Washington Post raved, “In the Lonely Hour shows off every facet of Smith’s voice to goose pimple-raising effect.”
According to Capitol Music Group Chairman & CEO Steve Barnett, “We are thrilled that American audiences are embracing Sam Smith and In The Lonely Hour so strongly. Sam’s stirring and revealing songs, as well as his one-of-a-kind voice and soulful delivery, is a combination that’s compelling and imbued with artistry. We are still at the early stages of presenting Sam Smith and his music to U.S. audiences, but this record-setting first week is certainly a strong sign of music fans’ recognition that a great new artist has arrived.”
All this month, Smith is being featured as MTV’s “Artist To Watch” and VH1’s “You Oughta Know” artist. Smith’s North American concert tour begins September 15 in Boston. The complete schedule is as follows:
SAM SMITH FALL NORTH AMERICAN TOUR September 15 Boston, MA House of BluesSeptember 16 Washington, DC EchostageSeptember 19 New York, NY Hammerstein BallroomSeptember 21 Toronto, ONT Kool HausSeptember 22 Chicago, IL Riviera TheaterSeptember 24 Vancouver, BC Orpheum TheatreSeptember 25 Seattle, WA Paramount TheaterSeptember 26 Portland, OR Crystal BallroomSeptember 29 Los Angeles, CA The Greek TheatreSeptember 30 Los Angeles, CA The Greek TheatreOctober 4 Houston, TX House of BluesOctober 6 Atlanta, GA TabernacleOctober 7 Nashville, TN Ryman AuditoriumOctober 9 Dallas, TX House of Blues
Princess Superstar premieres new song with Entertainment Weekly
PRINCESS SUPERSTAR PREMIERES NEW SONGWITH ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
NEW EP, I�M A FIRECRACKER, OUT JULY 15
�Few have gone to the lengths that hip-hop outlier Princess Superstar is willing to go... Superstar is an incredibly inventive musician who blends together elements of hip-hop and various bits of electronic and dance music that is always interesting and typically profoundly funny.� � MTV.com
�I applaud Concetta Kirschner�s spectacular capacity for reinvention and self-creation because it�s clear that musically she knows her shit.� �NME
Entertainment Weekly has premiered a new song from Princess Superstar called �Push You Away.� The track appears on the female rapper�s new EP I�m A Firecracker (out July 15 via Instant Records), and encompasses the outlandishly wicked rhymes and unapologetic, provocative persona that has made Princess Superstar globally renown as a pop culture trailblazer ahead of her time. In addition to premiering �Push You Away,� EW.com is also offering a first look at Princess Superstar�s new reality series, I Love Princess Superstar , chronicling her life as an Upper East Side mother by day and world-renowned rapper by night.
Stream �Push You Away� and watch teaser clips from I Love Princess Superstar here:
http://music-mix.ew.com/2014/06/25/princess-superstar-push-you-away/#
I�m A Firecracker marks Princess Superstar�s first official release of new material in nearly five years, including re-workings of select cuts from The New Evolution, an album made for and funded by fans via her Pledge Music crowdfunding campaign. The EP finds Princess Superstar collaborating with famed UK production duo The Rural(Gorillaz, Beyoncé) and legendary producer Richard Gottehrer (Blondie, The Go-Go�s). As a result, the music takes her signature blend of electroclash and hip-hop to new heights. The EP�s title track is available as an instant download upon pre-ordering I�m A Firecracker on iTunes.
Pre-order I�m A Firecracker:http://bit.ly/1n5Rg53
Princess Superstar�s eccentric persona and animated rhymes has led to cracking the UK charts with hits like �Bad Babysitter� and �Perfect Exceeder,� astonishing collaborations with famed MCs and producers as Kool Keith, Arthur Baker and Prince Paul of De La Soul, and numerous placements in TV and film (including Netflix�s Orange Is The New Black and MTV Made ). For the past few years though, the female MC stepped away from the spotlight to focus on her greatest endeavor yet: raising a family. �I was dying to return; music is so important to me,� declares Princess Superstar. �However, I also wanted to work on projects that can combine my family life and music.� In addition to blending her rap career and family life through I Love Princess Superstar (to premiere online shortly), Princess Superstar has been helming a hip-hop class called Play Skool for 1- to 8-year-olds at Rough Trade�s record store in Williamsburg. �It�s an educational exercise and helps teach kids about language,� Princess Superstar recently told The New York Post in a full-page story about the class. �It�s the same reason we teach kids nursery rhymes. When you�re rapping, you have to think fast.�
Princess Superstar will be releasing a music video for �I�m A Firecracker,� which promises to reflect the fierce feminine empowerment heard in the song. She also intends to make a full return to the road, with plans for a global tour currently in the works.
More info: www.princesssuperstar.com
NEW EP, I�M A FIRECRACKER, OUT JULY 15
�Few have gone to the lengths that hip-hop outlier Princess Superstar is willing to go... Superstar is an incredibly inventive musician who blends together elements of hip-hop and various bits of electronic and dance music that is always interesting and typically profoundly funny.� � MTV.com
�I applaud Concetta Kirschner�s spectacular capacity for reinvention and self-creation because it�s clear that musically she knows her shit.� �NME
Entertainment Weekly has premiered a new song from Princess Superstar called �Push You Away.� The track appears on the female rapper�s new EP I�m A Firecracker (out July 15 via Instant Records), and encompasses the outlandishly wicked rhymes and unapologetic, provocative persona that has made Princess Superstar globally renown as a pop culture trailblazer ahead of her time. In addition to premiering �Push You Away,� EW.com is also offering a first look at Princess Superstar�s new reality series, I Love Princess Superstar , chronicling her life as an Upper East Side mother by day and world-renowned rapper by night.
Stream �Push You Away� and watch teaser clips from I Love Princess Superstar here:
http://music-mix.ew.com/2014/06/25/princess-superstar-push-you-away/#
I�m A Firecracker marks Princess Superstar�s first official release of new material in nearly five years, including re-workings of select cuts from The New Evolution, an album made for and funded by fans via her Pledge Music crowdfunding campaign. The EP finds Princess Superstar collaborating with famed UK production duo The Rural(Gorillaz, Beyoncé) and legendary producer Richard Gottehrer (Blondie, The Go-Go�s). As a result, the music takes her signature blend of electroclash and hip-hop to new heights. The EP�s title track is available as an instant download upon pre-ordering I�m A Firecracker on iTunes.
Pre-order I�m A Firecracker:http://bit.ly/1n5Rg53
Princess Superstar�s eccentric persona and animated rhymes has led to cracking the UK charts with hits like �Bad Babysitter� and �Perfect Exceeder,� astonishing collaborations with famed MCs and producers as Kool Keith, Arthur Baker and Prince Paul of De La Soul, and numerous placements in TV and film (including Netflix�s Orange Is The New Black and MTV Made ). For the past few years though, the female MC stepped away from the spotlight to focus on her greatest endeavor yet: raising a family. �I was dying to return; music is so important to me,� declares Princess Superstar. �However, I also wanted to work on projects that can combine my family life and music.� In addition to blending her rap career and family life through I Love Princess Superstar (to premiere online shortly), Princess Superstar has been helming a hip-hop class called Play Skool for 1- to 8-year-olds at Rough Trade�s record store in Williamsburg. �It�s an educational exercise and helps teach kids about language,� Princess Superstar recently told The New York Post in a full-page story about the class. �It�s the same reason we teach kids nursery rhymes. When you�re rapping, you have to think fast.�
Princess Superstar will be releasing a music video for �I�m A Firecracker,� which promises to reflect the fierce feminine empowerment heard in the song. She also intends to make a full return to the road, with plans for a global tour currently in the works.
More info: www.princesssuperstar.com
School of Seven Bells Announce Plans to Release New Album
School of Seven Bells Announce Plans to Release New Album
Video For 'I Got Knocked Down (But I'll Get Up)' Premiered Today
(June 25, 2014)- Throughout 2012 School of Seven Bells were working on a follow up to the critically acclaimed Ghostory. When producer/gu itarist Benjamin Curtis was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma in 2013 the band took a break. Today, School of Seven Bells is excited to announce plans to release a new album. Prior to passing, Benjamin had recorded his portion of the record in its entirety, both before he was diagnosed and after, between treatments. Alejandra is picking up where they left off and heading into the studio to finalize the next record. Stay tuned for more details to come.
Additionally, School of Seven Bells have premiered the official video for the track 'I Got Knocked Down (But I'll Get Up)' today on CultureCollide, the new editorial platform founded by Alan Miller (co-founder of FILTER Magazine). Recorded in it's entirety to his laptop from his hospital bed at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York City, 'I Got Knocked D own (But I'll Get Up)' is Benjamin's final recording before passing on December 29, 2013 at age 35.
Directors and long time friends of the group, Toby Halbrooks and Alan Del Rio Ortiz, created a visually stunning piece, revolving around cross-country road trip stops in Indio and Joshua Tree, that celebrates life while displaying its cyclical and inexplicable properties. Viewers are reminded that nothing is quite as it seems while scenes give us the sensation we are traveling through a quick glimpse of our own best-life-memories. "Benjamin always held the desert very close to his heart," Alejandra comments. "It was a really important place to him. I'm glad we were able to shoot this video where we did, for him."
To watch the video, please visit CultureCollide.com. You can also listen to the track here: https://soundcloud.com/vagrantrecords/school-of-seven-bells-i-got-knocked-down-but-ill-get-up/s-CL4k8.
Stockholm duo Vulkano; LP out 7/1
VULKANO ARE RELEASING THEIR DEBUT LP, LIVE WILD DIE FREE, ON 7/1 (VULKANOMUSIK). "Vision Tricks" video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd9u5xxwAVE
“As buoyant as it is brooding… They’re close to achieving the perfect blend of indie menace and pop promise.” – Guardian "New Band of the Day"
“Fun loving riots that recall a more animated Savages” – NME Radar
“You’d be well advised to give it a spin” – Drowned in Sound
“A duo informed by Riot grrrl with a soft edge”- Clash
“The record’s eleven tracks of playful post-punk are full to bursting point with character, wit and intensity” – Notion
Vulkano are an explosive new Stockholm duo pushing post-punk forward in their own charming way. With a passion for astrology, the paranormal and nature, healing stones, tropical landscapes, mythology and mountains, Vulkano are made up of the constantly-headbanging Lisa Pyk-Wirström (keyboards/percussion) and Cissi Efraimsson (drums/lead vocals), a real tour de force. Vulkano’s debut album will be released on July 1, 2014 through Vulkanomusik. Uncompromising, extrovert and maximalist, Vulkano captivates.
Since erupting onto the scene, Vulkano attracted a variety of attention when they performed across the UK supporting Kate Nash. Alongside this, they have also been busy directing their own psychedelic short film, Neptune Moon, in their Swedish hometown (the film just made its premiere in Swedish cinemas on May 14th, and will be given away with the purchase of the album).
The real focus, though, is their gutsy, potent punk full of hooks, chaos and straight-up boundless energy. Taking inspiration from Pink Floyd (especially the live clips from Pompeii), Siouxie & the Banshees, Bo Hansson, MGMT, Velvet Underground, ESG, and films such as Lucifer Rising, Barbarella, Holy Mountain and 2001: A Space Odyssey, Vulkano want to explore the realms of art, music, film, fashion and performance. They want to amaze, make people react and interact while abusing their art school roots.
Maps To Release Remix Album Feat. M83, The Field, and more
MAPS
MAPS REALIGNED REMIX ALBUM OUT AUGUST 19th 2014
LISTEN TO M83 REMIX OF “TO THE SKY”
REMIXES FROM MAPS’ THREE STUDIO ALBUMS FEATURING MIXES BY ANDY STOTT, OLIVER HUNTEMANN AND THE FIELD
Maps – aka James Chapman – has announced details of a remix album, Maps Realigned , out on Mute on August 19th, 2014.
Listen to M83’s remix of ‘To The Sky’ here.
The original version appeared on Maps’ We Can Create , which was a Mercury Album of the Year (2007) and M83’s remix originally appeared on a split single with Maps’ remix of ‘We Own The Sky’.
Also featured on Maps Realigned is Andy Stott’s remix of ‘I Heard Them Say’ from 2013’s Vicissitude (previously only available on a sold out limited edition vinyl) as well as producer and DJ Steve Lawler’s remix of ‘I Dream Of Crystal’ and Paul Woolford’s Anti-Gravity club mix of ‘Love Will Come’, both original versions feature on Turning The Mind (2009).
Maps Realigned follows Chapman’s third studio album, Vicissitude , which was awarded 9/10 by Clash magazine and described by The Guardian as “a lysergic soaked Pet Shop Boys meeting Moby at his most electronic and blissful.”
The remixes on Maps Realigned follow the trajectory of each of Maps’ album releases. While Turning The Mind swung like a hedonistic after-party held after Maps’ debut We Can Create ’s Mercury Prize nomination, the follow up Vicissitude has the distinct feeling of digging deep and confronting reality head on. In each of those cases, with Chapman the sole creative force behind the music, any Maps album is defined entirely by where his head was at during the recording process.
Deluxe extended digital editions of each Maps album are released on August 25th 2014. Each album is presented anew with unreleased tracks, demos and remixes from the likes of The Invisible, Legowelt, Bomb The Bass & A Place To Bury Strangers.
MAPS REALIGNED TRACKLISTING To The Sky (M83 Remix)I Heard Them Say (Maps Remix)It Will Find You (Mock & Toof Remix)Built To Last (Free School Remix) **Let Go Of The Fear (Oliver Huntemann Dub)I Dream Of Crystal (Steve Lawler Remix)Love Will Come (Paul Woolford Anti-Gravity Club Mix)Die Happy, Die Smiling (Maxime Dangles Club Mix)You Don't Know Her Name (The Field Remix)A.M.A. (Eule Remix) **Don't Fear (Fantastic Mr. Fox Remix)I Heard Them Say (Andy Stott Remix)
** exclusive to Maps Realigned
MAPS: WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | SOUNDCLOUD
MAPS REALIGNED REMIX ALBUM OUT AUGUST 19th 2014
LISTEN TO M83 REMIX OF “TO THE SKY”
REMIXES FROM MAPS’ THREE STUDIO ALBUMS FEATURING MIXES BY ANDY STOTT, OLIVER HUNTEMANN AND THE FIELD
Maps – aka James Chapman – has announced details of a remix album, Maps Realigned , out on Mute on August 19th, 2014.
Listen to M83’s remix of ‘To The Sky’ here.
The original version appeared on Maps’ We Can Create , which was a Mercury Album of the Year (2007) and M83’s remix originally appeared on a split single with Maps’ remix of ‘We Own The Sky’.
Also featured on Maps Realigned is Andy Stott’s remix of ‘I Heard Them Say’ from 2013’s Vicissitude (previously only available on a sold out limited edition vinyl) as well as producer and DJ Steve Lawler’s remix of ‘I Dream Of Crystal’ and Paul Woolford’s Anti-Gravity club mix of ‘Love Will Come’, both original versions feature on Turning The Mind (2009).
Maps Realigned follows Chapman’s third studio album, Vicissitude , which was awarded 9/10 by Clash magazine and described by The Guardian as “a lysergic soaked Pet Shop Boys meeting Moby at his most electronic and blissful.”
The remixes on Maps Realigned follow the trajectory of each of Maps’ album releases. While Turning The Mind swung like a hedonistic after-party held after Maps’ debut We Can Create ’s Mercury Prize nomination, the follow up Vicissitude has the distinct feeling of digging deep and confronting reality head on. In each of those cases, with Chapman the sole creative force behind the music, any Maps album is defined entirely by where his head was at during the recording process.
Deluxe extended digital editions of each Maps album are released on August 25th 2014. Each album is presented anew with unreleased tracks, demos and remixes from the likes of The Invisible, Legowelt, Bomb The Bass & A Place To Bury Strangers.
MAPS REALIGNED TRACKLISTING To The Sky (M83 Remix)I Heard Them Say (Maps Remix)It Will Find You (Mock & Toof Remix)Built To Last (Free School Remix) **Let Go Of The Fear (Oliver Huntemann Dub)I Dream Of Crystal (Steve Lawler Remix)Love Will Come (Paul Woolford Anti-Gravity Club Mix)Die Happy, Die Smiling (Maxime Dangles Club Mix)You Don't Know Her Name (The Field Remix)A.M.A. (Eule Remix) **Don't Fear (Fantastic Mr. Fox Remix)I Heard Them Say (Andy Stott Remix)
** exclusive to Maps Realigned
MAPS: WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | SOUNDCLOUD
June 24, 2014
Tennis Annouces Fall Tour, "Ritual In Repeat" out September 9
TENNIS TO TOUR NORTH AMERICA THIS FALL
RITUAL IN REPEAT OUT SEPTEMBER 9 ON COMMUNION RECORDS
“Their dreamy, nostalgic pop laps and recedes like waves hitting the shore.”—The New York Times
“Breezy pop songs re-imagining brill building pop craft some 50 years on.”
—The Wall Street Journal
“The group turns up the volume and starts downright rocking.”—TIME“Lo fi indie pop, old-school girl group choruses and garage rock organ.”
—WNYC “Soundcheck” “A refreshing sense of comfort and warmth.”—Glamour
“Tennis have broadened their horizons just the right amount, adding rock’n’roll muscle and a more purely pop clarity.”—Pitchfork“Bold, bluesy, and instantly unmistakable.”—Esquire
Ritual In Repeat , the highly-anticipated upcoming album from Tennis, will be released September 9 onCommunion Records. Fresh off a sold-out tour with HAIM, the band is set to tour North America this fall in support of the new LP. The duo’s third full-length release, Ritual in Repeat follows 2013’s Small Sound EP. Pitchfork recently premiered the first pre-release track from the album, “Never Work For Free.” Listen to the track via Pitchfork HERE, Soundcloud HERE, and the track is now available for free download on Tennis’ website. Full fall dates below.
The band worked in three sepreate cities with three well-known producers on the new album. They returned to Nashville to work with Pat Carney (The Black Keys) on five of the album’s tracks including “Never Work For Free.” They also worked with Jim Eno (Spoon) in his Austin Studio on “Bad Girls”and lastly Richard Swift(The Shins) in Portland, who collaborated with the band on four songs including “Timothy.” The band told Relix, “as we’ve grown, we are trying to challenge ourselves and transform musically.” See full track listing below. Tennis is Denver couple Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley. The duo began writing music together as a way to document the history of their time living aboard a sailboat. The result was their first release, Cape Dory. Moore and Riley followed Cape Dory with Young and Old, which The New Yorker described as “winsome as it is ebullient,” and debuted #1 on Billboard’s Heatseeker Chart and #1 on CMJ Top 200, where it remained for three straight weeks The album also debuted on Soundscan’s “New Artist Chart” at #1 remaining there for nine consecutive weeks. The band performed on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Conan” and “Last Call with Carson Daly.” Twenty thirteen brought Small Sound EP and the band’s Spring tour with Haim.TENNIS TOUR DATESSeptember 18 St. Louis, MO The Ready Room September 19 Louisville, KY Headliners Music HallSeptember 20 Atlanta, GA Terminal West September 22 Orlando, FL The Social September 24 Carrboro, NC Cat's CradleSeptember 25 Washington, DC The Black Cat September 26 New York, NY Webster Hall September 27 Northampton, MA Pearl Street September 29 Cambridge, MA The Sinclair September 30 Philadelphia, PA Underground Arts October 2 Montreal, Canada La VitroleOctober 3 Toronto, Canada Virgin Mobile Mod ClubOctober 4 Columbus, OH A&R Music Bar October 5 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall October 7 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Cafe October 17 Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge October 18 Boise, ID Knitting FactoryOctober 20 Seattle, WA Neumos October 21 Vancouver, Canada Fortune Sound ClubOctober 22 Portland, OR Wonder Room October 24 San Francisco, CA Great American Music HallOctober 25 West Hollywood, CA TroubadourOctober 26 San Diego, CA The Casbah October 29 Phoenix, AZ The Crescent Ballroom November 1 Austin, TX Red 7November 2 Dallas, TX The Loft November 4 Lawrence, KS Granada TheaterNovember 5 Omaha, NE The Waiting RoomNovember 7 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
Black Bananas share new video + LP Out Now
BLACK BANANAS SHARE NEW VIDEO VIA PITCHFORK
ANNOUNCE EUROPEAN TOUR DATES
ELECTRIC BRICK WALL OUT NOW VIA DRAG CITY
Today, Black Bananas release their second album, Electric Brick Wall, via Drag City. To coincide with the album's release, the band is sharing the video for album opener "Powder 8 Eeeeeeeeght," which was directed by Amanda Milius. Additionally, the band is announcing a European tour in November. Check out the new video, tour dates and more information about the album below.
WATCH: Black Bananas - "Powder 8 Eeeeeeeeight" http://youtu.be/ksfDjpVgvAo
Previously:
LISTEN: "Physical Emotions (Liars Remix)" - https://soundcloud.com/drag-city/physical-emotions-liars-remix
WATCH: "Physical Emotions" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTuYxZQbqrQ
Upcoming Shows:
8/8/14 - Seaport Music Festival - New York, NY11/1/14 - ZDB - Libson, PO11/2/14 - Primavera Club - Barcelona, ES11/3/14 - Bad Bonn - Dudingen, SW11/4/14 - Kantine am Beghain - Berlin, DE11/5/14 - Loppen - Copenhagen, DK11/6-7/14 - Iceland Airwaves Festival - Reykjavik, IS11/8/14 - Paridiso upstairs - Amsterdam, NL11/9/14 - Autumn Falls Festival @ Trix - Anvers, BE11/10/14 - Brudenell - Leeds, UK11/11/14 - 100 Club - London, UK11/12/14 - Point FMR - Paris, FR11/14/14 - Pn Box Studio - Pordenone, IT11/15/14 - Interzona - Verone, IT
More about Black Bananas and Electric Brick Wall:
Up against the Electric Brick Wall, motherfuckers!
Black Bananas is Jennifer Herrema, Nadav Eisenman, Brian McKinley and Kurt Midness. They work with their machines to play rock that's progressive, experimenting and never less than super-exciting, fuckingly awesome amazing. They do it becuz it's fun and it sounds rad.
With eyes and ears out for the phases and strains of rock past and present, Black Bananas are on the lookout for a sound that mainly exists in their mind, an idea of sound to wrap around the tunes, a cattle-prod sneaking around the backside of your aural cortex. To jolt you into magical thinking. And to make you jump, and make your hair stand up. Yeah, Black Bananas' production pays forward the psychotropic effect with ultimate line blur, but Electric Brick Wall is solidly composed of time-tested elements - the beat, the groove, licks, builds and bridges, fused together for projection as a new musical shred-spress to the stars.
The lead single, "Physical Emotions," is a dance-floor blast that our ears and minds deeply needed - an invitation back in da club - and now Electric Brick Wall solves even more problems by introducing more and harder beats, upping the sugar quotient along with the strychnine in a line of insanely hilarious new music hybrids aplenty. It's an age of hybrids - but Black Bananas come on with hot Yankee ingenuity, true cross-breeders with a refreshing lack of values and a corresponding shortage of shame, producing variations like trance-bounce, new jack metal, dub-gum, rhythm-n-bus, nu country-psych-hop and glam-core. The gamut of these andmore is run, and there's so much to hear inside the Electric Brick Wall of sound - played on the guitar simulator, the digital saw and the blues synth, tweaked to wack perfection, with vocals, vocals and more vocals rocketing EVERYWHERE.
So yeah, a brave new world of sounds that rock you the BEST. Because no matter how elevated their strange sonic pursuit, Black Bananas keep their feet on the ground, their toes in the sand of life as it is down in the street. The ultimate hybrid is the dream of the reality of the dream. On Electric Brick Wall, Black Bananas are in total control. They've stood up next to the mountain and they're electric; they're splayed out in front of the brick wall, an iconic backdrop for rock and rollers of infinite ages - but this time, it's a wall with a switch, a wall that you can turn on and off. Black Bananas are a band with the tools in their hand, hotwiring the concept of what they can be and not needing to be anything else.
Black Bananas
Electric Brick Wall
(Drag City, OUT NOW)
Pre-Order: Physical / iTunes
1. Powder 82. Dope on an Island3. Hey Rockin4. Physical Emotions5. Highway Down6. Eve's Child7. Ride the Chump8. Give it to Me9. Creeping Out of Line10. Old Gold Chains11. Bullshit and Lies
ANNOUNCE EUROPEAN TOUR DATES
ELECTRIC BRICK WALL OUT NOW VIA DRAG CITY
Today, Black Bananas release their second album, Electric Brick Wall, via Drag City. To coincide with the album's release, the band is sharing the video for album opener "Powder 8 Eeeeeeeeght," which was directed by Amanda Milius. Additionally, the band is announcing a European tour in November. Check out the new video, tour dates and more information about the album below. WATCH: Black Bananas - "Powder 8 Eeeeeeeeight" http://youtu.be/ksfDjpVgvAo
Previously:
LISTEN: "Physical Emotions (Liars Remix)" - https://soundcloud.com/drag-city/physical-emotions-liars-remix
WATCH: "Physical Emotions" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTuYxZQbqrQ
Upcoming Shows:
8/8/14 - Seaport Music Festival - New York, NY11/1/14 - ZDB - Libson, PO11/2/14 - Primavera Club - Barcelona, ES11/3/14 - Bad Bonn - Dudingen, SW11/4/14 - Kantine am Beghain - Berlin, DE11/5/14 - Loppen - Copenhagen, DK11/6-7/14 - Iceland Airwaves Festival - Reykjavik, IS11/8/14 - Paridiso upstairs - Amsterdam, NL11/9/14 - Autumn Falls Festival @ Trix - Anvers, BE11/10/14 - Brudenell - Leeds, UK11/11/14 - 100 Club - London, UK11/12/14 - Point FMR - Paris, FR11/14/14 - Pn Box Studio - Pordenone, IT11/15/14 - Interzona - Verone, IT
More about Black Bananas and Electric Brick Wall:
Up against the Electric Brick Wall, motherfuckers!
Black Bananas is Jennifer Herrema, Nadav Eisenman, Brian McKinley and Kurt Midness. They work with their machines to play rock that's progressive, experimenting and never less than super-exciting, fuckingly awesome amazing. They do it becuz it's fun and it sounds rad.
With eyes and ears out for the phases and strains of rock past and present, Black Bananas are on the lookout for a sound that mainly exists in their mind, an idea of sound to wrap around the tunes, a cattle-prod sneaking around the backside of your aural cortex. To jolt you into magical thinking. And to make you jump, and make your hair stand up. Yeah, Black Bananas' production pays forward the psychotropic effect with ultimate line blur, but Electric Brick Wall is solidly composed of time-tested elements - the beat, the groove, licks, builds and bridges, fused together for projection as a new musical shred-spress to the stars.
The lead single, "Physical Emotions," is a dance-floor blast that our ears and minds deeply needed - an invitation back in da club - and now Electric Brick Wall solves even more problems by introducing more and harder beats, upping the sugar quotient along with the strychnine in a line of insanely hilarious new music hybrids aplenty. It's an age of hybrids - but Black Bananas come on with hot Yankee ingenuity, true cross-breeders with a refreshing lack of values and a corresponding shortage of shame, producing variations like trance-bounce, new jack metal, dub-gum, rhythm-n-bus, nu country-psych-hop and glam-core. The gamut of these andmore is run, and there's so much to hear inside the Electric Brick Wall of sound - played on the guitar simulator, the digital saw and the blues synth, tweaked to wack perfection, with vocals, vocals and more vocals rocketing EVERYWHERE.
So yeah, a brave new world of sounds that rock you the BEST. Because no matter how elevated their strange sonic pursuit, Black Bananas keep their feet on the ground, their toes in the sand of life as it is down in the street. The ultimate hybrid is the dream of the reality of the dream. On Electric Brick Wall, Black Bananas are in total control. They've stood up next to the mountain and they're electric; they're splayed out in front of the brick wall, an iconic backdrop for rock and rollers of infinite ages - but this time, it's a wall with a switch, a wall that you can turn on and off. Black Bananas are a band with the tools in their hand, hotwiring the concept of what they can be and not needing to be anything else.
Black Bananas
Electric Brick Wall
(Drag City, OUT NOW)
Pre-Order: Physical / iTunes
1. Powder 82. Dope on an Island3. Hey Rockin4. Physical Emotions5. Highway Down6. Eve's Child7. Ride the Chump8. Give it to Me9. Creeping Out of Line10. Old Gold Chains11. Bullshit and Lies
Orenda Fink shares new single "You Can Be Loved"
Orenda Fink Shares New Single "You Can Be Loved" With Entertainment WeeklyNew Album Blue Dream Out August 19 via Saddle Creek 
Photo credit: Bill Sitzmann "Blue Dream floats in a state of meditative weightlessness suspended by plentiful pop hooks. Fans of Kate Bush should be pleased by the results." - Entertainment Weekly
"Orenda Fink embraces spirituality and mysticism along with more challenging songwriting." - Pitchfork
"Fink's voice is lush, full, seductive, vulnerable, mature, and innocent at various times, and on rare occasions, all of those qualities at once." - Pop Matters
"Lovely and visceral all at once." - Paste
Listen: "You Can Be Loved" via Entertainment Weekly or SoundCloud
Orenda Fink will release her new album, Blue Dream on August 19 via Saddle Creek. Entertainment Weekly has premiered "You Can Be Loved" from the album and the song is also available to post and share via SoundCloud . Entertainment Weekly said, "'You Can Be Loved," with its chiming guitar figures and ethereal multitracked vocals, puts all of Blue Dream's best qualities in one place." The "You Can Be Loved" single is available to purchase now at iTunes . The single also features a demo version of "You Can Be Loved" as well as a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska." Last month, Orenda shared the album's lead track, "Ace Of Cups" with Paste Magazine and it's also available for streaming and embed at SoundCloud. Paste said, "Orenda Fink has taken things in a more introspective direction with her latest songwriting, using her solo work to closely analyze the her feelings on death and fate. Fink's forthcoming album Blue Dream builds upon the sadness she felt at the death of her dog of 16 years, but pushes the reflection deeper by pondering spirituality and the way humanity is interconnected." Blue Dream can be pre-ordered now on CD and LP in the Saddle Creek online store. Fans that order the deluxe LP (Blue and Coke Bottle vinyl) will also receive a bonus Blue Dream Dream Journal handmade and inscribed by Orenda Fink. The blank journals, limited to 100, are hand screen printed originals made from vintage re-purposed books.
Throughout her time with Azure Ray and over the course of her solo career, Orenda Fink has never shied from exploring the darker edges of spirituality and the human condition. On her debut solo album Invisible Ones, Orenda explored traditional Haitian ritual and mysticism. She then followed that up with an examination of the Southern Gothic subconscious on Ask the Night. Needless to say, death has been visible in much of her music. On her latest album, Blue Dream, she looks deeply at the subject, reflecting upon a year-long meditation on death that started with a dog named Wilson and the words of Laurie Anderson.
"Just look at yesterday, and what you were doing, and how important it was, and how nonexistent it is now! How dreamlike it is! Same thing with tomorrow. So where are we living? Tibetans have unbelievably fascinating answers to that. This is what I'm studying because my dog died." - Laurie Anderson Orenda was sent this quote by her friend Nina Barnes after Wilson, Orenda's dog of 16 years, died. That year she found herself on a deeply personal search for the meaning of death. Pieces of answers, coded in riddle, came to her in dreams. Her dreams began to tell a story - about life and death and the afterlife, reality, and the fine line between the conscious and subconscious world.
She then spent the next year understanding the experience and filtering it through the musical inspirations of Smog, Violetta Parra, and Kate Bush to craft Blue Dream. The album truly came together at ARC in Omaha, NE with the help of producers Ben Brodin and Todd Fink (The Faint), along with drummer Bill Rieflin (Ministry, Swans, R.E.M., King Crimson).
Lead single "Ace of Cups" starts the album off by using the Tarot symbol of attunement and spirituality to explore the interconnectedness with the world and humanity that even death cannot undo. The haunting "Holy Holy" examines them directly with lines "We come into this world all alone/and we leave with not much more" and "I lay in bed/collect all my dreams/then I pay/someone to read them to me/the simple ones are just as they seem/but open your eyes/and they say so much more." Whereas "All Hearts Will Beat Again" displays ideas Orenda came to understand upon reflection in lines "It's a sign in the eyes/something in your smile/it's a nod and a wave from the darkness/but our hearts will beat again/and the love we gave will come back/but i don't know where or when."
Writing the album allowed Orenda to contemplate the experiences that precipitated it and explore new perspectives gained over the past year. This process left her with the belief that we can only be truly healed if we find our "interior God." How do you find your interior God? There are many ways, but she believes one of them is through dreams. Dreams being the closest way to have a direct experience with the all-knowing past, present, and future.
1. Ace of Cups (stream)2. You Can Be Loved3. This Is a Part of Something Greater4. You Are a Mystery5. Holy Holy6. Blue Dream6. Sweet Disorder7. Poor Little Bear8. Darkling9. All Hearts Will Beat Again
For more info, please visit:
http://www.orendafink.com/https://www.facebook.com/pages/Orenda-Fink/100910303080https://twitter.com/orendafink
Photo credit: Bill Sitzmann "Blue Dream floats in a state of meditative weightlessness suspended by plentiful pop hooks. Fans of Kate Bush should be pleased by the results." - Entertainment Weekly"Orenda Fink embraces spirituality and mysticism along with more challenging songwriting." - Pitchfork
"Fink's voice is lush, full, seductive, vulnerable, mature, and innocent at various times, and on rare occasions, all of those qualities at once." - Pop Matters
"Lovely and visceral all at once." - Paste
Listen: "You Can Be Loved" via Entertainment Weekly or SoundCloud
Orenda Fink will release her new album, Blue Dream on August 19 via Saddle Creek. Entertainment Weekly has premiered "You Can Be Loved" from the album and the song is also available to post and share via SoundCloud . Entertainment Weekly said, "'You Can Be Loved," with its chiming guitar figures and ethereal multitracked vocals, puts all of Blue Dream's best qualities in one place." The "You Can Be Loved" single is available to purchase now at iTunes . The single also features a demo version of "You Can Be Loved" as well as a cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska." Last month, Orenda shared the album's lead track, "Ace Of Cups" with Paste Magazine and it's also available for streaming and embed at SoundCloud. Paste said, "Orenda Fink has taken things in a more introspective direction with her latest songwriting, using her solo work to closely analyze the her feelings on death and fate. Fink's forthcoming album Blue Dream builds upon the sadness she felt at the death of her dog of 16 years, but pushes the reflection deeper by pondering spirituality and the way humanity is interconnected." Blue Dream can be pre-ordered now on CD and LP in the Saddle Creek online store. Fans that order the deluxe LP (Blue and Coke Bottle vinyl) will also receive a bonus Blue Dream Dream Journal handmade and inscribed by Orenda Fink. The blank journals, limited to 100, are hand screen printed originals made from vintage re-purposed books.
Throughout her time with Azure Ray and over the course of her solo career, Orenda Fink has never shied from exploring the darker edges of spirituality and the human condition. On her debut solo album Invisible Ones, Orenda explored traditional Haitian ritual and mysticism. She then followed that up with an examination of the Southern Gothic subconscious on Ask the Night. Needless to say, death has been visible in much of her music. On her latest album, Blue Dream, she looks deeply at the subject, reflecting upon a year-long meditation on death that started with a dog named Wilson and the words of Laurie Anderson.
"Just look at yesterday, and what you were doing, and how important it was, and how nonexistent it is now! How dreamlike it is! Same thing with tomorrow. So where are we living? Tibetans have unbelievably fascinating answers to that. This is what I'm studying because my dog died." - Laurie Anderson Orenda was sent this quote by her friend Nina Barnes after Wilson, Orenda's dog of 16 years, died. That year she found herself on a deeply personal search for the meaning of death. Pieces of answers, coded in riddle, came to her in dreams. Her dreams began to tell a story - about life and death and the afterlife, reality, and the fine line between the conscious and subconscious world.
She then spent the next year understanding the experience and filtering it through the musical inspirations of Smog, Violetta Parra, and Kate Bush to craft Blue Dream. The album truly came together at ARC in Omaha, NE with the help of producers Ben Brodin and Todd Fink (The Faint), along with drummer Bill Rieflin (Ministry, Swans, R.E.M., King Crimson).
Lead single "Ace of Cups" starts the album off by using the Tarot symbol of attunement and spirituality to explore the interconnectedness with the world and humanity that even death cannot undo. The haunting "Holy Holy" examines them directly with lines "We come into this world all alone/and we leave with not much more" and "I lay in bed/collect all my dreams/then I pay/someone to read them to me/the simple ones are just as they seem/but open your eyes/and they say so much more." Whereas "All Hearts Will Beat Again" displays ideas Orenda came to understand upon reflection in lines "It's a sign in the eyes/something in your smile/it's a nod and a wave from the darkness/but our hearts will beat again/and the love we gave will come back/but i don't know where or when."
Writing the album allowed Orenda to contemplate the experiences that precipitated it and explore new perspectives gained over the past year. This process left her with the belief that we can only be truly healed if we find our "interior God." How do you find your interior God? There are many ways, but she believes one of them is through dreams. Dreams being the closest way to have a direct experience with the all-knowing past, present, and future.
1. Ace of Cups (stream)2. You Can Be Loved3. This Is a Part of Something Greater4. You Are a Mystery5. Holy Holy6. Blue Dream6. Sweet Disorder7. Poor Little Bear8. Darkling9. All Hearts Will Beat Again For more info, please visit:
http://www.orendafink.com/https://www.facebook.com/pages/Orenda-Fink/100910303080https://twitter.com/orendafink
Courtney Barnett Announces Fall North American Tour
COURTNEY BARNETT ANNOUNCES FALL NORTH AMERICAN TOUR
Photo Credit: Liam Cameron
Courtney Barnett is taking North America by storm on her current tour. This past weekend she played 3 sold out shows at NXNE in Toronto with Exclaim reporting "They don't give out the title of Queen of NXNE, but if they did, Barnett would've won it in a landslide."
Courtney is today announcing her North American fall tour where she will co-headline with San Fermin. All dates are listed below and with stops at several major US festivals including Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, Pickathon, Osheaga and Fun Fun Fun Fest.
Also tune into The Current this afternoon where you can hear Barnett do a live studio session, she'll be playing songs from her critically acclaimed The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas which is out now on Mom + Pop.
* * *North American Tour Dates /
06.24.14 - Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, MN **07.01.14 - Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO ^^07.02.14 - Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT ^^07.04.14 - Fortune Sound Club - Vancouver, BC ^^07.05.14 - Neptune - Seattle, WA ^07.30.14 - Schubas Tavern - Chicago, IL08.01.14 - Lollapalooza - Chicago, IL08.02.14 - Osheaga Festival - Montreal, QC08.03.14 - Pickathon Festival - Happy Valley, OR 08.07.14 - Casbah - San Diego, CA08.08.14 - Pappy and Harriets - Pioneertown, CA08.08.14 - 08.10.14 - Outside Lands Festival - San Francisco, CA 10.16.14 - The Loft - Atlanta, GA *10.17.14 - Visulite Theatre - Charlotte, NC *10.18.14 - Black Cat - Washington, DC *10.20.14 - Union Transfer - Philadelphia, PA *10.22.14 - Webster Hall - New York, NY *10.24.14 - Cabaret Mile End - Montreal, QC *10.25.14 - Lee's Palace - Toronto, ON *11.07.14 - Fun Fun Fun Fest - Austin, TX
** w/ Benjamin Booker^ w/ Sharon Van Etten^^ w/ Your Friend* w/ San Fermin and Mikhael Paskalev
The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas
Tracklisting /
01. Out Of The Woodwork02. Don't Apply Compression Gently03. Avant Gardener04. History Eraser05. David06. Anonymous Club07. Lance Jr.08. Are You Looking After Yourself09. Scotty Says10. Canned Tomatoes (whole)11. Porcelain12. Ode To Odetta
Photo Credit: Liam CameronCourtney Barnett is taking North America by storm on her current tour. This past weekend she played 3 sold out shows at NXNE in Toronto with Exclaim reporting "They don't give out the title of Queen of NXNE, but if they did, Barnett would've won it in a landslide."
Courtney is today announcing her North American fall tour where she will co-headline with San Fermin. All dates are listed below and with stops at several major US festivals including Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, Pickathon, Osheaga and Fun Fun Fun Fest.
Also tune into The Current this afternoon where you can hear Barnett do a live studio session, she'll be playing songs from her critically acclaimed The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas which is out now on Mom + Pop.
* * *North American Tour Dates /
06.24.14 - Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, MN **07.01.14 - Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO ^^07.02.14 - Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT ^^07.04.14 - Fortune Sound Club - Vancouver, BC ^^07.05.14 - Neptune - Seattle, WA ^07.30.14 - Schubas Tavern - Chicago, IL08.01.14 - Lollapalooza - Chicago, IL08.02.14 - Osheaga Festival - Montreal, QC08.03.14 - Pickathon Festival - Happy Valley, OR 08.07.14 - Casbah - San Diego, CA08.08.14 - Pappy and Harriets - Pioneertown, CA08.08.14 - 08.10.14 - Outside Lands Festival - San Francisco, CA 10.16.14 - The Loft - Atlanta, GA *10.17.14 - Visulite Theatre - Charlotte, NC *10.18.14 - Black Cat - Washington, DC *10.20.14 - Union Transfer - Philadelphia, PA *10.22.14 - Webster Hall - New York, NY *10.24.14 - Cabaret Mile End - Montreal, QC *10.25.14 - Lee's Palace - Toronto, ON *11.07.14 - Fun Fun Fun Fest - Austin, TX
** w/ Benjamin Booker^ w/ Sharon Van Etten^^ w/ Your Friend* w/ San Fermin and Mikhael Paskalev
The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas
Tracklisting /
01. Out Of The Woodwork02. Don't Apply Compression Gently03. Avant Gardener04. History Eraser05. David06. Anonymous Club07. Lance Jr.08. Are You Looking After Yourself09. Scotty Says10. Canned Tomatoes (whole)11. Porcelain12. Ode To Odetta
Liars-NEW Video 'Pro Anti Anti'
“Pro Anti Anti”Watch the NEW video HERE
EP features remixes from Factory Floor & Truss out July 1st
Watch “Pro Anti Anti” performed LIVE from KEXP’s Studios
Monterey’s First City FestivalAnnounced
New Album - Mess – Out NOW
“a fiery cacophony of fuzzy, jarring tones and marching beats”-SPIN
“a nasty banger”-NME
LIARS have unveiled the compelling new video for their latest single, “Pro Anti Anti.” The video was directed by Yoona Park, whose previous credits include Big Deal and Washed Out.
Watch it HERE: http://www.nowness.com/day/2014/6/23/3958/liars--pro-anti-anti
“Pro Anti Anti” is released on digital download July 1st, 2014 (with limited colored vinyl out July 15)and features remixes by Nik Void and Gabriel Gurnsey (Factory Floor), London based producer, Truss and one from the Melbourne collective Nest Of Teens (who remixed Liars’ previous single, “Mess On A Mission”). In addition, the single comes backed with an exclusive new track “Waste Fraud” and a radio mix from Daniel Miller.
“Pro Anti Anti” is the latest single to be taken from their critically acclaimed seventh studio album, Mess – out now.Liars return to Europe in July and August for a series of festival dates – Roskilde, ATP Iceland, La Route du Rock and Jabberwocky.
LIARS TOUR:
July 3rd-- Roskilde Festival —Roskilde, Denmark
July 11th-All Tomorrow’s Parties-Iceland
August 15th - La Route du Rock - St. Malo, France
August 16th – Jabberwocky - London, England
August 23rd & 24th— First City Festival —Monterey, CA
