Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 2449

Treasure Island Lineup Coming Next Week

TREASURE ISLAND MUSIC FESTIVAL
2014 LINEUP COMING NEXT WEEK Take a trip down memory lane with the recap video of last year's Treasure Island Music Festival. Stay tuned as we will be announcing this year's lineup next week!
WATCH THE OFFICIAL TREASURE ISLAND 2013 RECAP VIDEO»

Birdstriking UK Tour

Birdstriking UK TourBirdstriking have come back! Drummer Wang Xinjiu just finished his master degree of math in UK. The birds are ready to fly again!
They'll be opening for Brian Jonestown Massacre in July in England in Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Birmingham. They will also be doing their own gigs in Brighton and Bangor.Sat July 5th in Brighton UK, The Green Door Store (without BJM)
Sun July 6th in Newcastle UK, Riverside
Mon July 7th in Birmingham UK, Academy 2
Tue July 8th in Bangor UK, Cob Records (without BJM)
Thu July 10th in Manchester UK, The Ritz
Fri July 11th in Leeds UK, Cockpit
Sat July 12th in Liverpool UK, East Village Arts ClubMore details on Birdstriking's Facebook.

Joseph Arthur @ Fingerprints 7pm

Joseph Arthur is playing at Fingerprints tonight, Thursday, June 12th 2014. (at 7pm) FREE

photo: Angel Ceballos

Hannah Georgas confirms summer tour with Sara Bareilles

HANNAH GEORGAS CONFIRMS SUMMER TOUR WITH SARA BAREILLES
“ENEMIES” MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERES
SELF-TITLED ALBUM OUT NOW TO WIDESPREAD ACCLAIM 
  “Georgas’ glittery Emily Haines-esque live shows are one of the many reasons the talented chanteuse has taken off at mach speed, especially when you throw in a knack for penning addictive pop tunes.”—Exclaim Magazine
“Her driving electric guitar and emphatic vocals are what immediately grab you…shows off her skills for writing interesting, fetching songs…”—Baeble Music Acclaimed singer, songwriter and performer Hannah Georgas will embark on an extensive U.S. tour this summer supportingSara Bareilles including shows at New York’s Theater at Madison Square Garden and L.A.’s Greek Theatre. See below for complete details. In conjunction with the tour, the official music video for Georgas’ single “Enemies,” which was directed by filmmaker John Patton Ford and features actor John Ennis (“Mr. Show”), recently premiered and can be viewed/embedded here. Georgas’ self-titled sophomore album continues to receive widespread critical acclaim (iTunes). Earlier this year, her song “Millions” was featured in the closing credits of “Girls” (season 3, episode 6). Of the song, series creator and star Lena Dunham went on to praise, “[I] adore this upbeat yet tragical song.” Additionally,  NPR Music  included her song “Ode to Mom” in an “All Songs Considered” podcast, while  Mojo  declares, “Drop-dead delivery and wiseass lyrics hiding surging depths of emotion, Hannah Georgas is reminiscent of no one so much as the goddess Aimee Mann” and the  Vancouver Weekly  asserts, “It is honest, simple and uninfluenced. Her music is impressively unassuming.”    Since her debut in 2009, Georgas has toured with acclaimed artists Kathleen Edwards and City and Colour and, in 2011, was named “Emerging Artist of the Year” at XM’s Verge Music Awards as well as “Solo Artist of the Year” at the Sirius/XM-sponsored Indies. Additionally, in 2011, she was nominated for “Best New Artist of the Year” and “Songwriter of the Year” at the Juno Awards and again, last year, she was nominated for “Songwriter of the Year” and “Best Alternative Album” at the 2013 Juno Awards. Georgas also performed her song “Robotic” on the live televised awards broadcast.
HANNAH GEORGAS CONFIRMED TOUR DATES*supporting Sara Bareilles
 June 14                                                         Burnaby, BC                                     CBC Music Fest 2014July 10                                                         Chicago, IL                                              Chicago Theatre*  July 11                                                       Cleveland, OH                           Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica*  July 12                                                    Charlottesville, VA                        nTelos Wireless Pavilion* July 14                                                     Wilmington, DE                      World Café Live at the QueenJuly 15                                                         Boston, MA                               Blue Hills Bank Pavilion*July 16                                                         Lewiston, NY                                                            Artpark*July 17                                                     Philadelphia, PA         Skyline Stage @ The Mann Center*July 19 & 20                                              New York, NY           Theater at Madison Square Garden*July 23                                                         Atlanta, GA                              Chastain Park Amptheatre*July 25                                                      Hollywood, FL                            Seminole Hard Rock Live*July 26                                                     St. Augustine, FL                      St. Augustine Amphitheatre*July 28                                                        Charlotte, NC                                    Uptown Amphitheatre*July 30                                                    Whites Creek, TN                                The Woods at Fonanel*August 1                                                     Lancaster, NE                      Pinewood Bowl Amphitheater* August 2                                                      Littleton, CO          Denver Botantic Gardens at Chatfield* August 3                                                       Magna, UT                                          Saltair Amphitheater* August 5                                                    Redmond, WA                               Marymoor Park Concerts*August 11                                                Los Angeles, CA                                               Greek Theatre*August 14                                                   Berkeley, CA                                                  Greek Theatre*

Courtney Barnett Starts North American Tour

  COURTNEY BARNETT STARTS NORTH AMERICAN TOUR, RELEASES ELECTRIC LADY VIDEOS, TO PLAY NORTHSIDE FESTIVAL, NXNE, FIREFLY, LOLLAPALOOZA, OUTSIDE LANDS, OSHEAGA, PICKATHON AND FUN FUN FUN FEST    Photo Credit: Leslie Kirchhoff
Courtney Barnett is back again on US soil, playing a series of dates with Phosphorescent before hitting New York for Northside Festival and 2 sold out headline shows at Bowery Ballroom and Music Hall Of Williamsburg. Barnett and her band The Courtney Barnett's will then continue on to NXNE next week, one of several North American festival appearances which include Firefly, Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, Osheaga, Pickathon and Fun Fun Fun Fest. All tour dates are listed below.
Today WFUV released 2 videos filmed on a recent visit to the historic Electric Lady Studios where Courtney performed several songs from her album The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas, out now on Mom + Pop. You can watch live versions of "David" and "Avant Gardener" below.
Watch "Avant Gardener" Performed Live at Electric Lady Studios
Watch "David" Performed Live at Electric Lady Studios 
Earlier this year, Barnett opened for Billy Bragg during his Australian tour, while on the road the 2 recorded this gorgeous version of the Velvet Underground's "Sunday Morning," you can watch the video below as well as her Yours Truly session where she performs "Odetta" and chats about life, travel and LA looking like one big movie set. 
Watch Courtney Barnett & Billy Bragg Perform "Sunday Morning"
Watch Courtney Barnett's Yours Truly Session
 * * *North American Tour Dates /
06.12.14 - Georgia Theatre - Athens, GA *06.14.14 - Music Hall Of Williamsburg - Northside Festival - Brooklyn, NY **06.15.14 - The Surf Lodge - Montauk, NY06.17.14 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY **06.18.14 - The Sinclair - Cambridge, MA **06.19.14 - Firefly Festival - Dover, DE06.20.14 - 06.22.14 - Silver Dollar - NXNE Festival - Toronto, ON06.24.14 - 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 ^07.07.14 - The Triple Door - Seattle, WA07.30.14 - 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 11.07.14 - Fun Fun Fun Fest - Austin, TX
* w/ Phosphorescent** w/ Benjamin Booker^ w/ Sharon Van Etten^^ w/ Your Friend    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

Captured Tracks Northside Festival Showcase Tomorrow Night

Captured Tracks Northside Showcase
Tomorrow Night At Warsaw
Beach Fossils, Craft Spells, Juan Wauters, Donovan Blanc and Axxa/AbraxasTomorrow night we are excited to be hosting our Northside Festival Showcase at Warsaw with performances from Beach Fossils, Craft Spells, Juan Wauters, Donovan Blanc and Axxa/Abarxas and label founder/owner Mike Sniper DJing throughout the evening. 
Doors are at 7 PM and be sure to get there early for a very special cocktail created by our very own Donovan Blanc.
Take a big sip of Summerly  Heaven

Set Times
 7:30 Donovan Blanc
8:15 Axxa / Abraxas
9:00 Juan Wauters
10:00 Craft Spells
11:15 Beach Fossils

Purchase Tickets
Attend on Facebook Some tunes to get you in the mood

Beach Fossils“Generational Synthetic”From Clash the Truth out NOW Craft Spells"Breaking the Angle Against the Tide"
"Komorebi” From Nausea out NPW Donovan Blanc:“Minha Menina”
“Hurry a Long Time"From Donovan Blanc out June 24th Juan Wauters:“Escucho Mucho”
“Water"From N.A.P. North American Poetry out NOW Axxa/Abraxas: “I Almost Fell”
“On the Run"From Axxa/Abraxas out NOW

Rookie premieres Haley Bonar's "Kill The Fun" video

Rookie Premieres Haley Bonar's "Kill The Fun" VideoNew Album Last War Out Now On Graveface
"Echoing the bright guitars and synths of The Cure's poppier fare, Bonar creates a whimsical masterclass of indie-pop songwriting." - Consequence of Sound
"Wondrously ornate pop." - NPR Music
"Dynamic and demanding." - SPIN"It's a bold, confident statement, and it's an early pick for one of the year's best." - Wondering Sound Watch: "Kill The Fun" video via Rookie or YouTubeListen: "No Sensitive Man" via Spin
Listen: "Kill The Fun" via Stereogum   Rookie  has premiered the new  Haley Bonar  video for "Kill The Fun" from her fifth full length record,Last War, out now Graveface. Head to the Rookie site to check out and exclusive interview with Haley and watch the video which was directed by Will Keeler. Last month, NPR ran an exclusive  First Listen  of Last War. NPR's Stephen Thompson says, "Virtually every song on Last War strikes that kind of smart, careful balance, which Bonar achieves through equal doses of mystery and charm." He adds, "A bright, subtle storyteller, she displays a mastery of pop-rock craftsmanship that keeps these songs as relentlessly catchy on the surface as they are alluringly complex underneath." Last War is available now in the  Graveface online store.  Haley Bonar has several shows coming up later this month including a show at Rough Trade in NYC. All confirmed dates are listed below.   Haley Bonar had already recorded an album as a teenager before leaving Rapid City, SD for Duluth, MN-where she immediately recorded again. Alan Sparhawk heard her at a local Iron Range club one night and a week later, she was transformed from a college student to an ambitious dropout with her guitar and a drummer crammed into a Honda Civic opening for Low. She was nineteen years old. That's a story already.

But there is more to this story. In the last decade, Haley has released eight more recordings to critical acclaim and mounting success: lots of touring, playing festivals, capturing awards and artist grants, inventive video productions, placing song tracks on prime TV shows and popular film, appearing on myriad Best-Of lists while continuing to write and perform locally. Oh... and she also had a baby in there somewhere. It's no accident that her creative prowess drew the attention and respect of fellow collaborators like Dave King, Andrew Bird and Justin Vernon, not to mention the company she keeps in a rotating cast of premium band members including Jake Hanson (Halloween Alaska, Mason Jennings), Jeremy Hanson (Tapes 'n Tapes), Luke Anderson (Rogue Valley),Jeremy Ylvisaker (Andrew Bird, Alpha Consumer) and Mike Lewis (Bon Iver, Alpha Consumer).

Haley's musical adventure took on a passenger in the wack theatrics of her no/new-wave punkish side project Gramma's Boyfriend with an attention-getting album already behind them and an audience building in front of them. She is always throwing a curve ball or adding another dimension, akin to her heroes: Joni Mitchell, Mark Mothersbaugh, Laurie Anderson, Amy Sedaris, Maria Bamford, Louis C.K., Margaret Atwood and Cookie Mueller. Like them, she remains true to her artistry regardless of trend, politic or scripted gender barriers.

Haley Bonar is more than a hard working musician. She is an innovator, creative ass-kicker and visionary dug into the trenches of living. She writes genuine, epochal and poetic tales that feel like our heartbreak, failure, frustration and joy. In a clear, insistent and often haunting voice, she tells real stories back to us, as if they were our own. It just doesn't get much better than that. Upcoming Haley Bonar Shows: 
 06.14 - Arlington, VA @ IOTA
06.15 - Boston, MA @ Church Of Boston
06.16 - Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade
06.19 - Madison, WI @ UW Madison
06.28 - Duluth, MN @ Bayfront Festival Park 

La Sera debuts new video for "Fall in Place"

LA SERA SHARES "FALL IN PLACE" THE FIRST MUSIC VIDEO FROM NEW LP HOUR OF THE DAWN


VID - "Fall in Place" [dir. Michael Eric Nikolla]
MP3 - "Running Wild"
MP3 - "Losing to the Dark"

Seen first at Entertainment Weekly, we're proud to share La Sera's new music video for "Fall in Place," off of her acclaimed third record Hour of the Dawn. In the video, which you can stream and embed at the link above, Katy Goodman, La Sera guitarist Todd Wisenbaker, and their dog Bo--armed with a rotating arsenal of guitars--rock their way down a sun-soaked street in suburban Los Angeles. 

About the record:

As La Sera, Katy Goodman turned an aching heart into two marvelous, alluring yet bittersweet break-up albums (2011’s self-titled debut and 2012’s Sees the Light). On her latest, though, the former Vivian Girl is through crying.

Hour of the Dawn sees Goodman waking up, throwing open the bedroom windows and welcoming the day.

"I wanted the new La Sera record to sound like Lesley Gore fronting Black Flag," Goodman says. "I didn't want it to be another record of me sad, alone in my room. I wanted to have fun playing music and writing songs with a band." To back her nimble basslines and enchanting vocals, Goodman assembled a new band helmed by guitarist Todd Wisenbaker.

The forceful new La Sera line-up set about fleshing out Goodman’s melodies and lyrics into strapping rock anthems, debuting them to enthusiastic crowds on tour, and refining them with a newfound obsession to detail.

The sound that emerged from these disparate influences combined hardcore energy with tuneful harmony, as exemplified by opening track “Losing to the Dark.” Title track "Hour of the Dawn," meanwhile, rides a steady groove towards a long horizon of sunrise. It’s the record's thematic center: a final wave goodbye to a messy past and the beginning of a new day. In a burst of bright, immediate and jangly Smiths-inspired pop, "Fall in Place" captures La Sera at an emotional and musical crossroads.

Hour of the Dawn, as its title suggests, heralds the beginning of a radiant and energetic new chapter in La Sera’s evolution—the summit of Goodman’s steady ascent to rock and roll queendom.

FULL BIO HERE
HIGH-RES PHOTOS BY JAKE MICHAELS: 01, 02, 03
HIGH-RES ALBUM ARTWORK HERE

Press quotes:

"Katy Goodman has scored a hat trick." -- The New York Times

"Fun...open-hearted, delirious fret-runs, muscular fills." -- Pitchfork

"Both energetic and hardcore." -- Interview

"Katy is an established indie-pop force." -- The Seattle Times

"Lovely melody counter-balanced by rough guitars and lightning-quick solos." -- SPIN

"Big sunny riffs and beachfront sighs." -- The Village Voice

"Sharp and fun." -- Stereogum

"Breezy attitude...an easy listen." -- Paste


Tour Dates:

07.06.14 - Oakland, CA - Burger Boogaloo @ Mosswood Park
08.02.14 - Santa Ana, CA - Burger-A-Go-Go @ The Observatory
08.03.14 - Pomona, CA - Growing Up is Dumb @ American Legion Hall

Allah-Las Premiere '501-415' On SPIN || Sophomore LP

Allah-Las Premiere '501-415' On SPIN, Sophomore LP "Worship The Sun" Out September 16th On Innovative LeisureOn Tour Including Bonnaroo Festival 


Watch Their Huffington Post Live Set! Track Listing:1. De Vida Voz
2. Had It All
3. Artifact
4. Ferus Gallery
5. Recurring
6. Nothing To Hide
7. Buffalo Nickel
8. Follow You Down
9. 501-415
10. Yemeni Jade
11. Worship The Sun
12. Better Than Mine
13. No Werewolf *
14. Every Girl ** Included on digital and CD only
Tour Dates:Jun 11 – Nashville, TN – The High Watt
Jun 12 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
Jun 13 – Indianapolis, IN – Do317 Lounge
Jun 14 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
Jun 16 – St. Louis, MO – The Firebird
Jun 17 – Kansas City, MO – The Riot Room
Jun 18 – Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
Jun 19 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
Jun 21 – Leggett, CA – Hickey Fest
Jun 22 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall *
Jun 28 – Long Beach, CA – Summer and Music Festival
Aug 23 –Ucluelet, BC – Otalith Music Festival
Aug 30 – Vancouver, BC – Nootkah Sound Festival* w/ Dream Boys

Luluc's "Small Window" (American Songwriter premiere)

Listen to Luluc’s “Small Window,” a new offering
from Passerby, their Sub Pop debut

Premiere via American Songwriter

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/subpop/luluc-small-window
YouTube (Not the Video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7h4FyVLKdY

Plus - July 14th performance at Rough Trade NYC;
‘Passerby’ will be available July 14th / 15th worldwide via Sub Pop
and July 11th in Australia & New Zealand via Mistletone You can now listen to Luluc’s “Small Window,” the second offering from the group’s forthcoming album,Passerby. Lead singer Zoe Randall spoke about the origins of the song with American Songwriter: "‘Small Window’ was drawn from the sometimes enchanting space between dreaming and waking. It started from a small poem written on a plane, the keen listener might be able to guess where (read more via American Songwriter song premiere June 12th).

Recently, Luluc’s lead-off track “Without a Face” premiered via  Stereogum , who said of the track, “[It] captures the band’s homespun charm in its main melody which sits over spindly strings that move like ripples in still water.” Exclaim  called it “quietly lush,” and  Clash  raved, ““It's a gloriously entrancing piece of music. Zoë Randell and Steve Hassett seem to swirl around one another, the gentle arrangement allowing Randell's beautiful voice full space to express itself.”

Luluc has scheduled a show on Monday, July 14th in Brooklyn, NY at Rough Trade NYC. There will be additional live dates announced shortly.

Luluc’s Passerby will be available on CD/ LP/ DL July 14th in Europe and July 15th in North America. The album will also be available in Australia and New Zealand via Mistletone on July 11th.  Passerbywas recorded and produced by Luluc and Aaron Dessner at Aaron’s Garage in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn and mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound in New York.

Passerby is now available for preorder via Sub Pop Mega Mart,  iTunes and Amazon. All customers who pre-order the LP version of Passerby via megamart.subpop.com will receive the limited “Loser Edition” of the album on teal-colored vinyl. In addition, every pre-order placed for either the LP or CD versions of the album will also receive a lithograph art print signed by the band, while supplies last.

More on Luluc:
In a world where instant gratification is the norm, patience has become a rare commodity. But for Zoë Randell and Steve Hassett, who make up indie-folk duo Luluc (pronounced Loo-LUKE), letting things unfold in due time not only defines their career trajectory, it also works as a pretty good description of their approach to making music. Music that Sub Pop co-founder Jonathan Poneman describes as "bracing, subtle, tender and magnificent".

So while it may seem like Randell and Hassett’s history is littered with all kinds of good luck—from their initial meeting, to their relationship with The National’s Aaron Dessner, to their deal with Sub Pop, to grabbing the attention of Nick Drake’s producer—being in the right place at the right time isn’t just about fate. It’s about knowing when something feels right and having the confidence that people will respond when they’re ready.

There’s no question that everything these Australians (who split their time between Melbourne and their adopted hometown of Brooklyn) have done in their lives has been leading up to this summer’sPasserby (July 15th), their second album overall and first available worldwide. Co-produced by the band and Dessner, Passerby shows off all of Luluc’s best qualities, retaining the gentle beauty of the duo’s debut, Dear Hamlyn, while adding extra textures built with the assistance of a cadre of impressive players. It’s the trophy celebrating Luluc’s airtight case that good things—no, make that great things—really do come to those who wait (read more at Sub Pop).