Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 2484

Julian Casablancas' Cult Records and Unif release limited apparel

CULT RECORDS AND UNIF COLLABORATE ON APPARELLIMITED EDITION JULIAN CASABLANCAS+THE VOIDZ,CEREBRAL BALLZY AND CULT RECORDS SHIRTS AVAILABLE NOWPhoto: http://www.wiissa.com/Cult Records is releasing a limited collaboration with tastemaking underground clothing label UNIF. Following the release of Cult Records and Cerebral Ballzy tees earlier this year, the first official Julian Casablancas+The Voidz tee is available now via the Cult Records webstore. (http://bit.ly/JCVoidzUNIFtee). Shirts will also be available at the band’s upcoming show at The Roxy, April 10.The shirts were designed in collaboration between Casablancas and enigmatic UNIF designer Eric Espinoza. Of working together, Casablancas said, “I’m honored and beyond thankful to be working with my favorite modern T-shirt/designer folk.” Further collaborations with UNIF are forthcoming.The Cult Records roster features artists including Julian Casablancas+The Voidz, Albert Hammond, Jr., Cerebral Ballzy, Har Mar Superstar, Rey Pila, Reputante and more.

anton newcombe & rob campanella BJM @ live me do

studio 105 charles trenet | maison de la radio, france inter
09 apr. 2014

THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES KICK-OFF 10-CITY SPRING 2014U.S&nbsp...

THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES KICK-OFF 10-CITY SPRING 2014U.S TOUR APRIL 26TH! LEGENDARY BAND TO FOLLOW-UP THEIR U.S. DATES WITH TOURS OF SPAIN & FRANCE IN MAY/JUNE! FLAMIN' GROOVIES DOCUMENTARY IN THE WORKS VIA KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN! THE FLAMIN' GROOVIES 2014 U.S TOUR DATES:April 26 - Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA (w/ The Tyde, The Light Fantastic)Tickets: http://ow.ly/vvKy9April 28 - One Eyed Jacks, New Orleans, LA (w/ The Men)Tickets: http://ow.ly/vvL7eMay 1 - Austin Psych Fest @ Red 7, Austin, TX (w/ The Warlocks, Asteroid #4, etc.) www.austinpsychfest.comMay 3 - House Of Blues, Houston, TX (w/ Muck and the Mires, Mikey and the Drags)Tickets: http://ow.ly/vvLEGMay 4 - Kessler Theater, Dallas, TX (w/ The Hickoids)Tickets: http://ow.ly/vvLZrMay 6 - Hi Tone, Memphis, TN (w/ Doug Tuttle, Tyler Keith)Tickets: http://ow.ly/vvMiCMay 8 - Plush, St Louis, MO (w/ Bad Dates)Tickets: http://ow.ly/vCsC6May 9 - House Of Blues, Chicago IL (w/ Archie Powell and the Export)Tickets: http://ow.ly/vvMCRMay 10 - Potawatomi Bingo, Milwaukee, WI (w/ Lee Rocker)Tickets: http://ow.ly/vBXfXMay 11 - Turf Club, St. Paul, MN (w/ Mighty Mofo’s)Tickets: http://ow.ly/vvN2p

Julian Casablancas+The Voidz added as Coachella surprise guests

JULIAN CASABLANCAS+THE VOIDZ ADDED AS COACHELLA SURPRISE GUESTSPLAYING THE ROXY IN LOS ANGELES TONIGHTJulian Casablancas+The Voidz have just been added to the Coachella lineup as surprise guests for this year’s festival. The band will play the Mojave Tent this Saturday, April 12 at 5:05 p.m. Additionally, the band will play tonight, April 10, at the iconic Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles.These shows follow the band’s first appearances at SXSW and Lollapalooza’s South American festivals in Argentina, Brazil and Chile. Julian Casablancas+The Voidz have a forthcoming album, watch the trailer atjuliancasablancas.com.

MOGWAI KICK OFF NORTH AMERICAN TOUR TOMORROW

MOGWAI KICK OFF NORTH AMERICAN TOUR TOMORROW

SIX-WEEK TREK IN SUPPORT OF RAVE TAPES INCLUDES COACHELLA PERFORMANCES


April 10, 2014, Seattle – Mogwai, whose recently released album, Rave Tapes , was dubbed “an epic instrumental ear-bender” by Entertainment Weekly, kick off their six-week North American tour tomorrow in Las Vegas.

The six-week outing, one of the Scottish outfit’s most extensive North American outings to date, includes performances at Coachella as well as an Apr. 17 show at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles and a May 9 date at Terminal 5 in New York.

Rave Tapes, released in January via Sub Pop, has earned four-star reviews from Mojo, Q, Alternative Press and The Guardian. Rolling Stone said, “Many were born to rock. Mogwai were born to score” while Magnet said the quintet has “become a sort of gold standard for what contemporary instrumental rock can aspire to.”

North American tour dates:

Apr. 11 – Las Vegas, NV – Hard Rock Live
Apr. 12 – Indio, CA – Coachella Music and Arts Festival
Apr. 13 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
Apr. 15 – San Diego, CA – Belly-Up Tavern
Apr. 17 – Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre
Apr. 18 – San Francisco, CA – Regency Ballroom
Apr. 19 – Indio, CA – Coachella Music and Arts Festival
Apr. 21 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre
Apr. 22 - El Paso, TX - Tricky Falls
Apr. 23 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
Apr. 24 - Austin, TX - Emo's
Apr. 25 - Houston, TX - Fitzgerald's
Apr. 26 - Baton Rouge, LA - Varsity Theatre
Apr. 27 - New Orleans, LA - Civic Theatre
Apr. 29 - Miami, FL - Grand Central
Apr. 30 - Tampa, FL - The Ritz Ybor
May 1 - Orlando, FL - The Beacham Theatre
May 3 - Nashville, TN - Exit In
May 6 - Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend
May 7 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
May 8 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
May 9 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
May 10 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
May 11 - Montreal, QC - Metropolis
May 13 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
May 14 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
May 15. - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
May 16 - Chicago, IL - The Vic Theatre
May 17 - Des Moines, IA - Wooly's
May 18 - Minneapolis, MN - First Ave
May 20 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
May 21 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
May 24 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
May 25 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre

Upset @ The Satellite

   

Megafauna stream full album via Brooklyn Vegan

Megafauna stream full album via Brooklyn Vegan, North American tour starts this month

Listen to Maximalist album HERE. Photo by Anna Webber"Austin's Megafauna have stolen all the gnarly riffs in the world and slammed them together with singer/guitarist Dani Neff's off-kilter vocals, delivered together with a raw punk energy to create a three minutes of taut, muscular, yet zingily melodic rock."  -- Noisey

Austin trio Megafauna stream their entire forthcoming album starting today via Brooklyn Vegan. The album, Maximalist is available to  listen/share HERE . 
Megafauna take to the road this month for extensive tour dates throughout North America in support of the album. Please see complete dates below.

The driving anthem "Time To Go" recently premiered at Consequence of Sound, available to stream/share HERE . And, the band previously shared the first song from the album via Noisey.com. The track "Haunted Factory" is available to  listen/share HERE .
As the title to Austin trio Megafauna's sophomore album Maximalist might suggest, it's optimistic, expansive and unabashedly over-the-top; an endeavor to take music to its utmost potential. The band's supercharged mixture of sounds ranging from prog-rock flash to alt-rock iconoclasm to pithy power-pop and garage rock energy is as infectious as it is inclusive. Megafauna paves their own hook-laden path -- much like the Pixies and Queen, who taught the world that even the most unusual pairings of styles can result in unforgettable and eternal classics.

Megafauna singer/guitarist Dani Neff was named Austin's Best Electric Guitarist by the Austin Chronicle. Although she's frequently referred to as a "shredder," one should never mistake her tasteful and clever virtuosity for flagrant flashiness. She's a woman of many talents: a dancer, musician, painter, feminist, lawyer, reiki practitioner, psychonaut -- clearly someone who embodies the maximalist philosophy.

Maximalist was mixed by legendary engineer Tim Palmer (U2, Pearl Jam, David Bowie; recently featured in Tape Op Magazine) and recorded with Dwight Baker (Blue October, Bob Schneider) in Austin. Maximalist will be available on LP, CD and download on April 15th, 2014 via Danimal Kingdom.
MEGAFAUNA LIVE:04/19  Austin, TX @ Mohawk Outside - Album release party/SXSWcares Fundraiser 04/23  New Orleans, LA @ Hi Ho04/24  Atlanta, GA @ Mammal Gallery04/25  Athens, GA @ Go Bar04/26  Raleigh, NC @ Slim's04/27  Durham, NC @ Motorco04/30  Philadelphia, PA @ North Star Bar05/01  New York, NY @ Knitting Factory05/02  Boston, MA @ Allston Rock City Hall05/03  Providence, RI @ Columbus Theatre05/07  Toronto, ON, Canada Music Week @ Hard Luck Bar05/08  Toronto, ON, Canada Music Week @ Bovine Sex Club05/11  Ferndale, MI @ The New Way 05/13  Chicago, IL @ The Burlington05/14  Indianapolis, IN @ Melody Inn 05/15  St. Louis, MO @ The Demo05/16  Hot Springs, AR @ Maxine's Live05/17  Denton, TX @ Dan's Silverleaf05/28  El Paso, TX @ Low Brow05/29  Tuscon, AZ  @ Sky Bar05/30  Los Angeles, CA @ Casey's Irish Pub 06/04  Costa Mesa, CA  @ Casa 06/06  Los Angeles, CA  @ Los Globos 06/08  Long Beach, CA  @ Alex's Bar06/11  San Francisco, CA @ Brick and Mortar 06/14  Seattle, WA  @ The Sunset 06/18  Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court06/19  Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre06/20  Boulder, CO @ Illegal Pete's 06/21  Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Bar  

SHOCKWAVE RIDERZ RETURN WITH NEW SINGLE 'DEAREST'

SHOCKWAVE RIDERZ RETURN WITH NEW SINGLE 'DEAREST' B/W 'THE PUNISHER'APRIL 25TH THROUGH VELOCITY OF SOUND RECORDS
LISTEN HERE
ON TOUR WITH THE JON SPENCER BLUES EXPLOSION BEGINNING APRIL 10TH Photo: Mike StraitPittsburgh PA's Phil Boyd and Paul Quattrone formed the rambunctious garage rock duo Modey Lemon in 1999. Originally featuring Quattrone's frenetic drumming and Boyd splitting synth, vocal, and guitar duties, the duo added Jason Kirker in 2003 and transitioned into extended, krautrock inspired territories. After releases on In The Red, Birdman, and Mute Records, Modey Lemon went on indefinite hiatus in 2010.

Boyd and Quattrone reformed in 2012 as Shockwave Riderz. Some of the noisey garage punk and krautrock elements remain, but Boyd now plays the drums and shares the singing with Sara Mac. Quattrone uses a sampler and an array of effects pedals to create swirls of warped guitars and electronic sounds that serve as the foundation for Boyd and Mac's vocal harmonies. Shockwave Riderz self-released their first 12" EP in 2013, as well as a split 7" last month. They playied select shows at SXSW this past month and head out again in April, joining the JSBX for their West Coast tour. A new single, 'Dearest' (Mickey & Sylvia cover) b/w 'The Punisher', will be released through Velocity Of Sound Records  April 25th. APRIL SHOWS:
4/10 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom  *4/11 - Los Angeles, CA - TBD4/12 - Las Vegas, NV @ Beauty Bar *Sun 4/13 - Grass Valley, CA @ Center For The Arts *Mon 4/14 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim's *Tues 4/15 - San Jose, CA @ The Blank Club *Wed 4/16 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo  *Thurs 4/17 - San Diego, CA @ The Casbah *Fri 4/18 - San Francisco, CA @ VacationSat 4/19 - Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress* * w/ The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

Band of Skulls music video premieres at Vevo

BAND OF SKULLS’ “ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL” VIDEO PREMIERES AT VEVO
NEW ALBUM OUT NOW TO WIDESPREAD ACCLAIM
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR CONFIRMED
U.K. TRIO PERFORMS ON “LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS,” “LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY” 
 “Cool enough for hipsters, heavy enough for metal heads, smart enough for muso snobs, Band of Skulls succeed in striking that oft-elusive aural sweet spot for fans of all stripes”—Village Voice
 “…supremely heavy…”—Rolling Stone
“…like the glory days of rock & roll, these English imports are evolving to find their place atop their respected genre.”—Music Connection
 “Monumental.”—NME
“Southampton natives Band of Skulls are no more than three on stage, but while they may be small in number, they are huge in sound.”—Filter Magazine
“This is the kind of timeless rock ‘n’ roll that will still sound fresh and hip 20 years from now.”—Grimy Goods
“Third time around, blues rockers Band Of Skulls finally give us what we want.”—Virgin Media
“Their most confident, epic, and ambitious work to date.” ****—Time Out London
“Set to be one of the best albums of the year.” ****—The Sun
Band of Skulls’ official music video for “Asleep at the Wheel” recently premiered at Vevo and can now be viewed/embedded here. The song is from the U.K. trio’s new album,  Himalayan , which is out now to widespread critical acclaim on Electric Blues Recordings via Kobalt Label Services (iTunes, Amazon). In celebration of the release, the trio will return this spring for extensive North American tour. Of their recent performance at the iTunes Festival at SXSW,  American Songwriter  praises, “the blistering rock nature of these tunes indicating that the group…have pursued an altogether more arena-capable sound.” See below for complete tour itinerary.
Last month, the U.K. trio performed “Asleep at the Wheel,” on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and was recently featured on NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly.” The song is also currently featured in worldwide Netflix campaign.   
Himalayan was produced by Nick Launay (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, Nick Cave and the BadSeeds) and was recorded during the summer of 2013 in Richmond, London at State of the Ark studios. It follows 2012’s Sweet Sour, which debuted at #14 on the U.K. album chart and received widespread acclaim—NME praised, “Proficient, precision-executed blues-rock,” while Consequence of Sound praised, “sizzles with muscle-driven, sludgy honest-to-goodness rock.” In the years since, the band has toured alongside Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Keys, The Dead Weather, Queens of the Stone Age and Muse and sold-out two headlining shows at London’s The Roundhouse and Brixton Academy. 
Band of Skulls is Russell Marsden (guitar, vocals), Emma Richardson (bass, vocals) and Matt Hayward (drums).
BAND OF SKULLS NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATESApril 24                                                       Toronto, ON                              Phoenix Concert TheatreApril 25                                                       Montreal, QC                                            Corona TheatreApril 26                                                    Philadelphia, PA                                          Union TransferApril 28                                                     Washington, DC                                                  9:30 ClubApril 29                                                        Boston, MA                                             House of BluesMay 1                                                         Pittsburgh, PA                                    Mr. Small’s TheatreMay 3                                                            Tampa, FL                               Big Guava Music FestivalMay 4                                                      Ft. Lauderdale, FL                                               RevolutionMay 6                                                          Nashville, TN                                       Cannery BallroomMay 7                                                          Carrboro, NC                                                 Cat’s CradleMay 9                                                           Atlanta, GA                                     Shaky Knees FestivalMay 12                                                          Austin, TX                                                    Emo’s EastMay 13                                                        Houston, TX                                            Warehouse LiveMay 14                                                          Dallas, TX                                            Granada TheaterMay 16                                                      Englewood, CO                                           Gothic TheatreMay 17                                                    Salt Lake City, UT                                          In The VenueMay 19                                                       San Diego, CA                                           House of BluesMay 20                                                       Santa Ana, CA                                   The Observatory OCMay 22                                                    San Francisco, CA                            The Regency BallroomMay 24                                                         George, WA                                        Sasquatch! FestivalMay 27                                                        Portland, OR                                         Wonder BallroomMay 28                                                       Vancouver, BC                                Commodore BallroomJune 3                                                       Minneapolis, MN                                             First AvenueJune 5                                                           Chicago, IL                                                      Park WestJune 6                                                            Detroit, MI                                          St. Andrew’s HallJune 7                                                         Columbus, OH                                    Newport Music HallJune 9                                                         Louisville, KY                                 Headliners Music HallJune 10                                                      Indianapolis, IN                                                The VogueJune 11                                                        Lawrence, KS                                          Granada Theatre

Gardens & Villa Premiere Remix Track, Set Out On US Tour

  Gardens & VillaPhoto Credit: Neil Favila
Gardens & Villa have just shared a remix of their song "Colony Glen," by emerging producer Mark McGuire, via Clash today. McGuire, who recently released his stunning new album, Along The Way, lends his incredible talent to remix the second single off the band's latest record, Dunes (out now on Secretly Canadian).  Clash  raves, "Mark McGuire helped push Emeralds to cult acclaim, with their gossamer retro-Futurist synth work...Tackling Gardens & Villa, the producer turns 'Colony Glen' into a heavenly piece of electronics."
Listen to "Colony Glen" (Mark McGuire's Road Chief Remix) here
Gardens & Villa will be supporting Tycho on a run of US dates this spring, followed by a performance at this year's Outside Lands Music Festival in August. Take a look at the full list of tour dates below.
Watch the official video for "Colony Glen" at Vevo here
Biography / Over the past three years, the Santa Barbarian comrades that make up Gardens & Villa – Chris Lynch, Adam Rasmussen, Levi Hayden, Shane McKillop, and Dusty Ineman – went from playing local bills to being veterans of the road. After releasing their self-titled debut on Secretly Canadian in 2011, they pushed their van's odometer into the six-digit range, zigzagging North America and Europe with over 350 shows in just 2 years. Gardens & Villa emerged a wiser, crystallized version of themselves.
Those experiences planted the seeds for the band's new batch of cohesive, personal, and beautifully layered pop songs -- homegrown in the confines of the band's beachside practice space. When it came time to record, they searched out acclaimed producer Tim Goldsworthy (Cut Copy, DFA Records, LCD Soundsystem, Hercules & Love Affair) and these five surf-town natives found themselves traveling to the unlikely locale of Benton Harbor, MI (pop. 10,040) in January. There they landed at the Key Club, located deep in the recesses of a converted locksmith's building where they would record what would become their second full-length, Dunes.
Gardens & Villa burrowed into the Key Club's retro-themed studio and living space, only leaving the facility five times over the next month. The disconnect between Santa Barbara's familiar sunny beaches and Michigan's snow-covered lakeshore led to the group's creative unraveling in the studio. The band lost track of the hours, days, and weeks as blinking analog machines captured the intense journey. In the process, Dunes was poured through Sly Stone's original custom-built Flickinger recording console.
With just a week left before deadline, Gardens & Villa sought a brief refuge from the studio where their progress had stalled. They went on a trip, traversing winding roads past frozen tundra and barren trees and into the wilderness of the nearby state park's tall dunes. The group climbed to the top and collapsed into a combination of sand and snow. Simultaneously reminded of home as well as their distance from it, their jaws dropped as they turned to see Lake Michigan's majestic and surreal expanse stretching toward the horizon.
Supported by Goldsworthy's guidance, the band went back to the studio and ultimately emerged with a record beaming with dystopian energy, subconscious lyrics, and uncompromising sincerity. Lynch has seamlessly integrated his bansuri flutes and Rasmussen has fleshed out his looming synths alongside shades of '80s cult films soundscapes that lurk just underneath the songs in an unnoticeable-yet-omnipresent fashion. Like the awe-inspiring clarity of sitting atop Michigan's dunes, the band's forthcoming record shares a clear and evocative vision of where Gardens & Villa's members have traveled, what they've learned, and what lies ahead.Upcoming Tour Dates04.09.14 - Kantine am Berghain - Berlin, DE
04.10.14 - Karstorbahnhof - Heidelberg, DE 

04.15.14 - Higher Ground - South Burlington, VT ** 04.16.14 - Iron Horse Music Hall - Northampton, MA
04.17.14 - The Sinclair - Cambridge, MA**
04.18.14 - Webster Hall - New York, NY**
04.19.14 - Union Transfer - Philadelphia, PA** 04.20.14 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC**
04.22.14 - Jefferson Theater - Charlottesville, VA **
04.23.14 - Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC **
04.24.14 - Visulite Theatre - Charlotte, NC **
04.25.14 - The Beacham Theater - Orlando, FL **
04.26.14 - Crowbar - Ybor City, FL
04.28.14 - Republic - New Orleans, LA**
04.29.14 - Fitzgerald's: Upstairs - Houston, TX**
04.30.14 - 502 Bar - San Antonio, TX
05.01.14 - The Parish - Austin, TX**
05.02.14 - The Parish - Austin, TX**
05.05.14 - Sister - Albuquerque, NM**
05.06.14 - Club Congress - Tucson, AZ**
05.07.14 - The Fonda - Los Angeles, CA **
05.08.14 - The Fonda - Los Angeles, CA **
05.10.14 - Cellar Door - Visalia, CA
05.11.14 - The Holland Project - Reno, NV
05.13.14 - Barboza - Seattle, WA
05.14.14 - Fortune Sound Club - Vancouver
05.15.14 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR
05.16.14 - Historic Everett Theatre - Everett, WA
08.08.14 - 08.10.14 - Outside Lands Festival - San Francisco, CA
** with Tycho