Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 2496
March 23, 2014
Kool Keith @ Burgerama
Kool Keith performs at Burgerma today, Sunday March 23rd 2014, at 4pm.
March 22, 2014
The Orwells @ The Troubadour
photo: Angel Ceballos
THE ORWELLS play at The Troubadour, Saturday March 22nd 2014.
March 21, 2014
The Black Lips @ El Rey
THE BLACK LIPS perform at the El Rey Theater tonight, Friday, March 21st 2014
Photo: Angel Ceballos
DWNTWN Debuts Video for "Til Tomorrow"
Vevo Premiere’s DWNTWN’s Newest Video for Critically Acclaimed “Til Tomorrow”
Palm Springs and New York Date Announced “Shimmery, ethereal indie/electro-pop in excelsis.” - The Guardian
“We need all the sunshine we can get right now, and DWNTWN has it in spades.” - USA Today’s Pop Candy
"...catchy melancholy pop with twinkling electronics that could be sung by thousands during a festival twilight in the near future." - RCRD LBL
“...devastatingly affecting indie-pop.” - Buzzbands LA(click image to view)
The graceful video, like the song itself, is a story of perseverance. In 2010, Jamie Leffler and Robert Cepeda both went through difficult breakups (Jamie, from Robert’s brother!) and used writing music together as therapy, creating hope out of misery. Mirroring the band’s inception, DWNTWN’s new video for “Til Tomorrow” shows Jamie and Robert’s struggles and successes, and not giving up. After the airy watercolor and pencil animation of the “Til Tomorrow” lyric video, the band finally reveals itself in rich, warm tones. The alluring video was filmed in a classic Elks Lodge in Playa Del Ray, CA by director Lenny Beckerman and director of photography Kevin Hayden. Click to view and share video. DWNTWN’s “Til Tomorrow” will be released on their self-titled EP, dropping April 29th on Jullian Records. Copies of the EP are available for review.
DWNTWN Live:Friday April 4 - Palm Desert, CA @ Palm Springs Art Museum Friday May 2 - Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands
David J Hits the Road to Support 'An Eclipse of Ships'
An Eclipse of Ships
DAVID J(BAUHAUS/LOVE & ROCKETS) WATCH | LISTEN |
LIKE
| FOLLOW
www.davidjonline.com
[image error]Photography by: Scott Saw
"David J is the Avant of the Avant-garde." –Perry Farrell, Jane’s Addiction
David J, a British artist and something of a Renaissance man, makes his SXSW debut, premiering his upcoming 2014 album, An Eclipse of Ships. Selected by Spin magazine as a “SXSW Must See” artist, David J plays Valhalla on Wednesday, March 12 (1:00AM), Gingerman Pub on Friday, March 14 (3:00 PM) and Joe’s Crab Shack on Sunday, March 16 (6:00 PM).
The album, An Eclipse of Ships is essentially a journal of the heart and a paeanto Woman as muse. This new work sees a return in style to earlier mainly, acoustic records such as Songs From Another Season andCrocodile Tears and The Velvet Cosh and features a stellar group of musicians on violin, acoustic piano, Rhodes, standupbass, mandolin, oboe, percussion and a bevy of acoustic guitars. Recorded by candlelight in the City of Angels, the album is a showcase for lustrous jewels retrievedby a gentleman thief from the boudoirs of beautiful women.
“The title, An Eclipse of Ships, is a play on the old Longfellow line, ‘ships that pass inthe night’, describing the rare incident of seaborne vessels sailing directly past eachother in the dark,” explains David J. “Traditionally, sailors would shine a light onto eachother’s hulls as a silent greeting before continuing on their respective voyages. The phrase was later employed to describe a brief, intense encounter between two people who then part, never to see each other again.”
As founding member of Bauhaus, one of the most influential bands since The Velvet Underground; David J spearheaded the post-punk alternative music scene of the early‘80’s with a string of innovative albums and singles including, 'I'll Be You Chauffeur', thefirst number one single on the newly formed Alternative Charts in 1989. He was also a founding member of the innovative psychedelic rock band, Love and Rockets who scored a number two single on the Billboard charts with 'So Alive' in that same year. This year saw the release of the thirty year anniversary edition of his solo debut album, 'Etiquette of Violence'.
Aside from his own critically acclaimed solo works, various guest appearances,collaborations and production duties, David has also written and directed various stageproductions including the spectacular multi-media tour de force, Silver for Gold (The Odyssey of Edie Sedgwick) which originally premiered at the Met Theatre in Hollywood in 2008 and was shown at the REDCAT in Downtown Los Angeles in 2011. That same year, David penned and directed the haunting play with music and Butoh, The Chanteuse and the Devil's Muse which opened at the Bootleg Theatre in Los Angeles. He has also written several screen plays in collaboration with Don C. Tyler.
In 2014, David J showcases at SXSW, and tours his new album An Eclipse of Ships around the globe. His memoir, 'Who Killed Mister Moonlight?' ( Bauhaus, BlackMagick and Benediction ) will be published by Jawbone Press later this year.
[image error]Photography by: Scott Saw
"David J is the Avant of the Avant-garde." –Perry Farrell, Jane’s Addiction
David J, a British artist and something of a Renaissance man, makes his SXSW debut, premiering his upcoming 2014 album, An Eclipse of Ships. Selected by Spin magazine as a “SXSW Must See” artist, David J plays Valhalla on Wednesday, March 12 (1:00AM), Gingerman Pub on Friday, March 14 (3:00 PM) and Joe’s Crab Shack on Sunday, March 16 (6:00 PM).
The album, An Eclipse of Ships is essentially a journal of the heart and a paeanto Woman as muse. This new work sees a return in style to earlier mainly, acoustic records such as Songs From Another Season andCrocodile Tears and The Velvet Cosh and features a stellar group of musicians on violin, acoustic piano, Rhodes, standupbass, mandolin, oboe, percussion and a bevy of acoustic guitars. Recorded by candlelight in the City of Angels, the album is a showcase for lustrous jewels retrievedby a gentleman thief from the boudoirs of beautiful women.
“The title, An Eclipse of Ships, is a play on the old Longfellow line, ‘ships that pass inthe night’, describing the rare incident of seaborne vessels sailing directly past eachother in the dark,” explains David J. “Traditionally, sailors would shine a light onto eachother’s hulls as a silent greeting before continuing on their respective voyages. The phrase was later employed to describe a brief, intense encounter between two people who then part, never to see each other again.”
As founding member of Bauhaus, one of the most influential bands since The Velvet Underground; David J spearheaded the post-punk alternative music scene of the early‘80’s with a string of innovative albums and singles including, 'I'll Be You Chauffeur', thefirst number one single on the newly formed Alternative Charts in 1989. He was also a founding member of the innovative psychedelic rock band, Love and Rockets who scored a number two single on the Billboard charts with 'So Alive' in that same year. This year saw the release of the thirty year anniversary edition of his solo debut album, 'Etiquette of Violence'.
Aside from his own critically acclaimed solo works, various guest appearances,collaborations and production duties, David has also written and directed various stageproductions including the spectacular multi-media tour de force, Silver for Gold (The Odyssey of Edie Sedgwick) which originally premiered at the Met Theatre in Hollywood in 2008 and was shown at the REDCAT in Downtown Los Angeles in 2011. That same year, David penned and directed the haunting play with music and Butoh, The Chanteuse and the Devil's Muse which opened at the Bootleg Theatre in Los Angeles. He has also written several screen plays in collaboration with Don C. Tyler.
In 2014, David J showcases at SXSW, and tours his new album An Eclipse of Ships around the globe. His memoir, 'Who Killed Mister Moonlight?' ( Bauhaus, BlackMagick and Benediction ) will be published by Jawbone Press later this year.
Kitten Releases New Song "Why I Wait" Off Anticipated Self-Titled
KITTEN'S ANTICIPATED SELF-TITLED DEBUT LPOUT JUNE 24 VIA ELEKTRA RECORDSLISTEN TO NEW TRACK "WHY I WAIT"ON TOUR NOW WITH THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
Kitten's long-awaited full-length debut album will be released June 24 on Elektra Records.
NYLON
premiered a new track from the album called "Why I Wait", declaring that 19-year old front woman Chloe Chaidez "shows off an intimate, stripped down side to herself...the atmospheric anthem has hints of fellow indie babes like Banks and Charli XCX."
Please Stream & Share "Why I Wait":https://soundcloud.com/kittentheband/why-i-wait/s-PrqqDThe eponymous album comes on the heels of a string of well-received EPs that earned the LA-based band overwhelming acclaim from Los Angeles Times, NYLON, SPIN, Noisey and more. The self-titled album KITTEN , which will feature the intense, ethereal lead single G#, has generated electrifying anticipation. Kitten is in the midst of a nation-wide tour with The Neighbourhood, with stops in 15 cities across the North America, including a stop in Seattle to perform a live session on KEXP on April 2.
The group has illustrated limitless creative scope, dipping into various instrumental and lyrical styles. Despite the group's punk roots and electro-centric pop focus, Pitchfork's recent video premiere of the new track "Money," starring Ariel Pink, demonstrates Kitten's bold, hip-hop influenced side.Lead singer Chloe Chaidez calls the departure "just a way to let loose and have a good time making music with different friends, while waiting for the album to come out."Kitten has drawn ecstatic praise as one of today's most dynamic and imaginative new rock bands, joining the hard edge of late 70's post punk and the sweeping ambiance of 90's shoegaze with indie-pop's emotional delicacy to create a distinctive sound all their own. "While most hyper-young artists are working at the bleeding edges of dance music, Kitten's rich and atmospheric rock is surprisingly ageless," applauded the Los Angeles Times in a recent review. Formed in 2010, the band self-released their debut EP Sunday School that same year. A second EP - the group's stunning, major label debut Cut It Out - came out in 2012 followed quickly by a third EP Like A Stranger. The irresistible melodies, incessant hooks, and Chaidez's provocative lyricism on tracks like "Cut It Out" and "G#", earned Kitten high-profile radio support from Sirius XM's influential "Alt Nation" channel and other Alternative rock stations around the country. In the past year, the band has shared stages with acclaimed artists including No Doubt, Charlie XCX, Garbage, The Joy Formidable, and Paramore.
KITTEN TOUR DATES:(w/ The Neighbourhood)
March 21 - Montreal @ MetropolisMarch 22 - Toronto @ Sound AcademyMarch 24 - Chicago, IL @ Aragon BallroomMarch 25 - Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway TheatreMarch 26 - Winnipeg @ Burton Cummings TheatreMarch 28 - Calgary @ Macewan HallMarch 29 - Edmonton @ Union HallMarch 31 - Spokane, WA @ Knitting FactoryApril 2 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODOApril 3 - Portland, OR @ Roseland TheaterApril 7 - Reno, NV @ Knitting FactoryBe sure to check out KITTEN online:Official Website l Facebook l Twitter l YouTube l Instagram
Kitten's long-awaited full-length debut album will be released June 24 on Elektra Records.
NYLON
premiered a new track from the album called "Why I Wait", declaring that 19-year old front woman Chloe Chaidez "shows off an intimate, stripped down side to herself...the atmospheric anthem has hints of fellow indie babes like Banks and Charli XCX."Please Stream & Share "Why I Wait":https://soundcloud.com/kittentheband/why-i-wait/s-PrqqDThe eponymous album comes on the heels of a string of well-received EPs that earned the LA-based band overwhelming acclaim from Los Angeles Times, NYLON, SPIN, Noisey and more. The self-titled album KITTEN , which will feature the intense, ethereal lead single G#, has generated electrifying anticipation. Kitten is in the midst of a nation-wide tour with The Neighbourhood, with stops in 15 cities across the North America, including a stop in Seattle to perform a live session on KEXP on April 2.
The group has illustrated limitless creative scope, dipping into various instrumental and lyrical styles. Despite the group's punk roots and electro-centric pop focus, Pitchfork's recent video premiere of the new track "Money," starring Ariel Pink, demonstrates Kitten's bold, hip-hop influenced side.Lead singer Chloe Chaidez calls the departure "just a way to let loose and have a good time making music with different friends, while waiting for the album to come out."Kitten has drawn ecstatic praise as one of today's most dynamic and imaginative new rock bands, joining the hard edge of late 70's post punk and the sweeping ambiance of 90's shoegaze with indie-pop's emotional delicacy to create a distinctive sound all their own. "While most hyper-young artists are working at the bleeding edges of dance music, Kitten's rich and atmospheric rock is surprisingly ageless," applauded the Los Angeles Times in a recent review. Formed in 2010, the band self-released their debut EP Sunday School that same year. A second EP - the group's stunning, major label debut Cut It Out - came out in 2012 followed quickly by a third EP Like A Stranger. The irresistible melodies, incessant hooks, and Chaidez's provocative lyricism on tracks like "Cut It Out" and "G#", earned Kitten high-profile radio support from Sirius XM's influential "Alt Nation" channel and other Alternative rock stations around the country. In the past year, the band has shared stages with acclaimed artists including No Doubt, Charlie XCX, Garbage, The Joy Formidable, and Paramore.
KITTEN TOUR DATES:(w/ The Neighbourhood)
March 21 - Montreal @ MetropolisMarch 22 - Toronto @ Sound AcademyMarch 24 - Chicago, IL @ Aragon BallroomMarch 25 - Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway TheatreMarch 26 - Winnipeg @ Burton Cummings TheatreMarch 28 - Calgary @ Macewan HallMarch 29 - Edmonton @ Union HallMarch 31 - Spokane, WA @ Knitting FactoryApril 2 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODOApril 3 - Portland, OR @ Roseland TheaterApril 7 - Reno, NV @ Knitting FactoryBe sure to check out KITTEN online:Official Website l Facebook l Twitter l YouTube l Instagram
Sub Pop Signs Goat + Updated Tour Dates
Sub Pop Signs Swedish Band Goat For North AmericaUpdated Spring & Summer Tour Dates IncludeCoachella, Bonnaroo Festival AppearancesListen: “Dreambuidling”
http://youtu.be/d6JSWEBzNYU
http://soundcloud.com/subpop/goat-dreambuildingSwedish psychedelic collective Goat have signed to Sub Pop for North America. Goat's hypnotic, 2012 debut, World Music, received widespread acclaim and placed in many of that year's top-ten lists. The mysterious, masked group continued to awe the world with their intense, ritualistic live shows, the "Dreambuilding" b/w "Stonegoat" 7" (released in North America by Sub Pop in 2013), and the recentLive Ballroom Ritual double-album.U.S. fans can catch Goat on their upcoming west coast tour, which begins Thursday, April 10th in Pioneertown, CA at Pappy & Harriet’s, and ends Friday, April 18th in Indio, CA at Coachella. Additionally, Goat have two summer festival appearances to mention: June 12th-15th in Manchester, TN at Bonnaroo and June 20th in Toronto, ON at NXNE. Please find a complete list of tour dates below.While you await details of Goat's next record, please enjoy “Dreambuilding,” from the aforementioned Sub Pop 7" (Listen Here)More on Goat:
Goat are a collective who hail from a small and very remote village in deepest darkest Sweden. Legend has it that, for centuries, the inhabitants of the village were dedicated to the worship and practices of Voodoo. This strange and seemingly-unlikely activity was apparently introduced into the area after a travelling witch doctor and a handful of her disciples were led to the village by following an unknown Sami traveller from this area of Sweden. The reason he led them there is unknown, but their Voodoo influence quickly took hold over the whole village, and so they made it their home. There they were able to practice their craft unnoticed and unbothered for several centuries.This was until their non-Christian ways were discovered by the Church and they were burned out by the crusaders. But the survivors returned to the village, rebuilt it, and to this day the now-picturesque village is still influenced by the power of Voodoo; this power can be felt throughout the grooves of the Goat records (read more at Sub Pop).What People Have Said About Goat:
“Dreambuilding,” the first side of a forthcoming 7” single, finally spotlights that concision, as it lands its chant-along hook, a brilliant crybaby riff and a shake-it-out drum break in less than three cycles of the clock. What’s most impressive, though, is that Goat actually does all of this in the song’s first half, leaving the back half of the track open for a guitar solo that’s so gnarly, damaged and great that you might wish the side of vinyl went on forever.” [“Dreambuilding”] - Pitchfork “Beautifully realised, immaculately recorded, and one of the year's loveliest vinyl artefacts to boot.” [5/5;World Music] - The Guardian “Surrender your mind, body and soul to the Goat and one of the year's best albums so far.” [World Music] - BBC “Goat has distilled what could have so very easily become an overblown meandering jam fest into a punchy, forceful and infectious masterpiece of cosmic rock & roll – the will is palpable, nigh a trace of fat on these bleached bones.” [World Music] - The Quietus Tour Dates:
Apr. 10 - Pioneertown, CA - Pappy & Harriets
Apr. 11 - Indio, CA - Coachella
Apr. 12 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
Apr. 14 - Seattle, WA - Neumos
Apr. 15 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre
Apr. 16 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
Apr. 18 - Indio, CA - Coachella
Jun. 12-15 - Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo
Jun. 20 - Toronto, ON - NXNE
March 20, 2014
Dub Thompson - "Dograces" (Official Video)
Dub Thompson - "Dograces" (Official Video)
Ben Frost-Listen to Venter
BEN FROST
Listen to “Venter” off the new record
A U R O R A : Out May 27th
Ben Frost has unveiled the first track from his highly anticipated new album A U R O R A , out on May 27th, 2014.
Listen to “Venter” here: https://soundcloud.com/benfrost/ben-frost-venter/s-S3ukL
A U R O R A , Frost's fifth studio album, will be preceded by a series of live dates, launching with a performance at the Village Underground in London, on April 26th leading into festival appearances including Sonar in June and ATP Iceland in July.
Performed by Ben Frost with Greg Fox, Shahzad Ismaily and Thor Harris and largely written in Eastern DR Congo, A U R O R A aims directly, through its monolithic construction, at blinding luminescent alchemy; not with benign heavenly beauty but through decimating magnetic force.
Starved of all the adornments of its predecessor; wholly absent of guitar, of piano, of string instruments and natural wooden intimacy, A U R O R A offers a defiant new world of fiercely synthetic shapes and galactic interference, pummelling skins and pure metals.
A series of films has been created by Trevor Tweeten and Richard Mosse, watch the first here.
Ben Frost LIVE Dates:
April 26th---Convergence---London, EnglandMay 15th---The Button Factory---Dublin, IrelandMay 16th---Triskel Arts Centre---Cork, IrelandMay 17th---CLICK Festival---Elisinore, DenmarkMay 18th---STUK---Leuven, BelgiumMay 20th---Muziekgebouw at Trouw---Amsterdam, HollandMay 21st---UT Connewitz---Leipzig, GermanyMay 22nd---Berghain---Berlin, GermanyMay 23rd----MeetFactory---Prague, Czech RepublicMay 24th---Žedno Uho Festival---Zagreb, CroatiaMay 29th---MUTEK Festival---Montreal, CANADAJune 12th---Sonar Festival---Barcelona, SPAIN July 11th---ATP Festival---ICELAND
Listen to “Venter” off the new record
A U R O R A : Out May 27th
Ben Frost has unveiled the first track from his highly anticipated new album A U R O R A , out on May 27th, 2014.
Listen to “Venter” here: https://soundcloud.com/benfrost/ben-frost-venter/s-S3ukL
A U R O R A , Frost's fifth studio album, will be preceded by a series of live dates, launching with a performance at the Village Underground in London, on April 26th leading into festival appearances including Sonar in June and ATP Iceland in July.
Performed by Ben Frost with Greg Fox, Shahzad Ismaily and Thor Harris and largely written in Eastern DR Congo, A U R O R A aims directly, through its monolithic construction, at blinding luminescent alchemy; not with benign heavenly beauty but through decimating magnetic force.
Starved of all the adornments of its predecessor; wholly absent of guitar, of piano, of string instruments and natural wooden intimacy, A U R O R A offers a defiant new world of fiercely synthetic shapes and galactic interference, pummelling skins and pure metals.
A series of films has been created by Trevor Tweeten and Richard Mosse, watch the first here.
Ben Frost LIVE Dates:
April 26th---Convergence---London, EnglandMay 15th---The Button Factory---Dublin, IrelandMay 16th---Triskel Arts Centre---Cork, IrelandMay 17th---CLICK Festival---Elisinore, DenmarkMay 18th---STUK---Leuven, BelgiumMay 20th---Muziekgebouw at Trouw---Amsterdam, HollandMay 21st---UT Connewitz---Leipzig, GermanyMay 22nd---Berghain---Berlin, GermanyMay 23rd----MeetFactory---Prague, Czech RepublicMay 24th---Žedno Uho Festival---Zagreb, CroatiaMay 29th---MUTEK Festival---Montreal, CANADAJune 12th---Sonar Festival---Barcelona, SPAIN July 11th---ATP Festival---ICELAND
Built to Spill Announce May Tour Dates!
BUILT TO SPILL ANNOUNCE MAY TOUR DATESTICKETS ON SALE NOW!
March 20th, 2014 - (Burbank, CA.) - Built to Spill, one of the most endearing and enduring bands of our generation, have announced several upcoming shows in May, including a series of headlining dates, a show with Death Cab For Cutie on May 23rd and a performance at the Boston Calling Music Festival on May 25th. The Warm Hair will provide support on all headlining shows. Tickets go on sale either Friday, March 7th or Saturday, March 8th , depending on the venue. Please visit http://www.builttospill.com/tour for more info.
Built to Spill released its most recent album There Is No Enemy in October 2009. It was the band's first album since 2006's You In Reverse . Previous studio albums include 2001's Ancient Melodies of the Future, 1999's Keep It Like A Secret and their major-label debut, 1997's Perfect From Now On. In 2014, Built to Spill remains an influential force compositionally intelligent, lyrically thoughtful, melodic, guitar-centric rock music.
Built to Spill's upcoming tour dates are as follows:
5/16 Wilmington, DE World Café Live5/17 Asbury Park, NJ Stone Pony (The Warm Hair support)5/18 Baltimore, MD The Ottobar (The Warm Hair support)
5/19 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Bowl (The Warm Hair support)5/20 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg (The Warm Hair support)
5/21 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom (The Warm Hair support)5/23 Canandaigua, NY Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center
(w/ Death Cab For Cutie, The Head and The Heart)5/24 Burlington, VT Higher Ground (The Warm Hair support)5/25 Boston, MA City Hall Plaza (Boston Calling Music Festival)6/20 Seattle, WA Fremont Fair
March 20th, 2014 - (Burbank, CA.) - Built to Spill, one of the most endearing and enduring bands of our generation, have announced several upcoming shows in May, including a series of headlining dates, a show with Death Cab For Cutie on May 23rd and a performance at the Boston Calling Music Festival on May 25th. The Warm Hair will provide support on all headlining shows. Tickets go on sale either Friday, March 7th or Saturday, March 8th , depending on the venue. Please visit http://www.builttospill.com/tour for more info. Built to Spill released its most recent album There Is No Enemy in October 2009. It was the band's first album since 2006's You In Reverse . Previous studio albums include 2001's Ancient Melodies of the Future, 1999's Keep It Like A Secret and their major-label debut, 1997's Perfect From Now On. In 2014, Built to Spill remains an influential force compositionally intelligent, lyrically thoughtful, melodic, guitar-centric rock music.
Built to Spill's upcoming tour dates are as follows:
5/16 Wilmington, DE World Café Live5/17 Asbury Park, NJ Stone Pony (The Warm Hair support)5/18 Baltimore, MD The Ottobar (The Warm Hair support)
5/19 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Bowl (The Warm Hair support)5/20 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg (The Warm Hair support)
5/21 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom (The Warm Hair support)5/23 Canandaigua, NY Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center
(w/ Death Cab For Cutie, The Head and The Heart)5/24 Burlington, VT Higher Ground (The Warm Hair support)5/25 Boston, MA City Hall Plaza (Boston Calling Music Festival)6/20 Seattle, WA Fremont Fair
