Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 2539
November 30, 2013
VUM @ The Echo
photo: Angel Ceballos
VUM play at The Echo every Monday in December 2013. Beginning this Monday, December 2nd 2013. It's a record release party.
Wire Pink Flag Guitar Orchestra
I played with Page Hamilton (Helmet) in Pink Flag Guitar Orchestra.At Neumos, in Seattle, November 23rd 2013.
November 27, 2013
Legendary Stiff Records Releases "Ten Big Stiffs"
Legendary Stiff Records Releases "Ten Big Stiffs"
Limited Edition 7" Box Set Featuring Plastmatics,The Untouchables, Wreckless Eric, Tracey Ullman + More
Available As A Record Store Day "Black Friday" ExclusiveNovember 29 On Razor & Tie Records
Watch Ten Big Stiffs Documentary Videos Directed By Nigel Dick On Each 7" As Exclusively Premiered With Vice Noisey, CMJ, Impose Magazine, Pop Matters, Death & Taxes, Vinyl District and Blurt Magazine - HERE
Founded in 1976, STIFF RECORDS was at the heart of the new wave, bringing the world artists as diverse as Elvis Costello, Kirsty MacColl and Ian Dury and what is generally regarded as the first ever punk rock single, “New Rose” by The Damned. The label set the yardstick for music business marketing, with artwork by Barney Bubbles and an array of memorable slogans, not least "If It Ain't Stiff, It Ain't Worth A F**k". Stiff continues to this day, with the 2012 UK #1 single “Bom Bom” by Sam And The Womp and a back catalog comprising 150 singles and more than 50 albums of revered 70s and 80s pop, punk and rock.
This LIMITED EDITION 7” Box Set "Ten Big Stiffs" takes you on a tour of the Stiff catalog, and ) which includes ten 7-inch releases, all chosen by Stiff Records, featuring some of the most recognizable tracks from the label throughout the years: Tenpole Tudor's “Swords of a Thousand Men” (as heard in Aardman Animations' Pirates! in 2012 and in TV ads for EA Games' FIFA 11 in 2011), Tracey Ullman's “They Don't Know” (#8 US hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983), Wreckless Eric's “Whole Wide World” (MacDonalds TV ads in 2012) and Desmond Dekker's “Israelites” (a classic hit featured in Drugstore Cowboy).
Set for release on November 29, as a Record Store Day exclusive in North America through indie stories via Razor & Tie Records Ten Big Stiffs is an incredible collector's item, the original sleeve artwork is recreated on each, with the exception of Mint Juleps – Docklands. This is ‘the Stiff 7-inch that never was”. Scheduled to have been a 7-inch release back in the day, it originally got overlooked, so collectors are always asking for it. The set also includes Plasmatics, Wreckless Eric, The Untouchables and more. (Full track list below)
Experience the history of STIFF RECORDS, and all the artists featured on this release, through a series of videos produced by award-winning film-maker NIGEL DICK. The videos will be rolled out over the next month at www.10BigStiffs.com. The British born Dick began his career at Stiff Records as a Press Officer. He has since directed over 300 music videos and seventeen documentaries, won three MTV Awards, three MVPA awards, two Billboard Awards and a Brit Award.
Watch his introduction to Stiff Records, below or Here:
TEN BIG STIFFS – TRACK BY TRACK
PINK FAIRIES - Between The Lines / Spoiling For A Fight"To hype this set, in the indubitably creative Stiff manner of hawking, they’ve created some promo video clips featuring mini-docs of bands from the box set." - Premiered on CMJWRECKLESS ERIC - Whole Wide World / Semaphore Signals"There are alternate planes of reality that began in 1978 and cut off around 1998 in which every mixtape a guy ever gave a gal contained Wreckless Eric near the end of side A." - Premiered onImpose MagazineJONA LEWIE - You’ll Always Find Me In The Kitchen at Parties / BureaucratsDESMOND DEKKER - Israelites / Why Fight?"In this video, directed by noted filmmaker Nigel Dick, UK journalists and label people talk about the popularity of ska with Britain’s working class and Dekker’s place as a ska king." - Premiered on Pop MattersPLASMATICS - Monkey Suit / Squirm (Live)"In the six years that the chaos-inducing Plasmatics existed, they built a reputation for performing with chainsaws and sledge hammers, finding their way to the center of a police brutality incident in Wisconsin, opening a full US tour for KISS, and just destroying TONS, and tons of stuff in the process." - Premiered on Death & TaxesTENPOLE TUDOR - Swords of a Thousand Men / Love and Food"Stiff continues to this day, with the 2012 UK #1 single “Bom Bom” by Sam And The Womp and a back catalog comprising 150 singles and more than 50 albums of revered 70s and 80s pop, punk, and rock." - Premiered on Vinyl DistrictTRACEY ULLMAN - They Don’t Know / The B-SideKIRSTY MACCOLL - A New England / PatrickTHE UNTOUCHABLES - (I Spy For The) FBI / WhiplashCheck out the video for the single as premiered on Blurt Magazine.MINT JULEPS - Docklands / Docklands 12” Version + The Stiff 7” That Never Was!"The oft-discussed Mint Juleps "Docklands" 7", which appears for the first time in this set." - Premiered onNoisey/ Vice
In North America: www.StiffRecords.MerchNow.comIn Europe: http://www.backstreet-merch.com/stores/stiff-records/
Limited Edition 7" Box Set Featuring Plastmatics,The Untouchables, Wreckless Eric, Tracey Ullman + More
Available As A Record Store Day "Black Friday" ExclusiveNovember 29 On Razor & Tie Records
Watch Ten Big Stiffs Documentary Videos Directed By Nigel Dick On Each 7" As Exclusively Premiered With Vice Noisey, CMJ, Impose Magazine, Pop Matters, Death & Taxes, Vinyl District and Blurt Magazine - HERE
Founded in 1976, STIFF RECORDS was at the heart of the new wave, bringing the world artists as diverse as Elvis Costello, Kirsty MacColl and Ian Dury and what is generally regarded as the first ever punk rock single, “New Rose” by The Damned. The label set the yardstick for music business marketing, with artwork by Barney Bubbles and an array of memorable slogans, not least "If It Ain't Stiff, It Ain't Worth A F**k". Stiff continues to this day, with the 2012 UK #1 single “Bom Bom” by Sam And The Womp and a back catalog comprising 150 singles and more than 50 albums of revered 70s and 80s pop, punk and rock.
This LIMITED EDITION 7” Box Set "Ten Big Stiffs" takes you on a tour of the Stiff catalog, and ) which includes ten 7-inch releases, all chosen by Stiff Records, featuring some of the most recognizable tracks from the label throughout the years: Tenpole Tudor's “Swords of a Thousand Men” (as heard in Aardman Animations' Pirates! in 2012 and in TV ads for EA Games' FIFA 11 in 2011), Tracey Ullman's “They Don't Know” (#8 US hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983), Wreckless Eric's “Whole Wide World” (MacDonalds TV ads in 2012) and Desmond Dekker's “Israelites” (a classic hit featured in Drugstore Cowboy).
Set for release on November 29, as a Record Store Day exclusive in North America through indie stories via Razor & Tie Records Ten Big Stiffs is an incredible collector's item, the original sleeve artwork is recreated on each, with the exception of Mint Juleps – Docklands. This is ‘the Stiff 7-inch that never was”. Scheduled to have been a 7-inch release back in the day, it originally got overlooked, so collectors are always asking for it. The set also includes Plasmatics, Wreckless Eric, The Untouchables and more. (Full track list below)
Experience the history of STIFF RECORDS, and all the artists featured on this release, through a series of videos produced by award-winning film-maker NIGEL DICK. The videos will be rolled out over the next month at www.10BigStiffs.com. The British born Dick began his career at Stiff Records as a Press Officer. He has since directed over 300 music videos and seventeen documentaries, won three MTV Awards, three MVPA awards, two Billboard Awards and a Brit Award.
Watch his introduction to Stiff Records, below or Here:
TEN BIG STIFFS – TRACK BY TRACK
PINK FAIRIES - Between The Lines / Spoiling For A Fight"To hype this set, in the indubitably creative Stiff manner of hawking, they’ve created some promo video clips featuring mini-docs of bands from the box set." - Premiered on CMJWRECKLESS ERIC - Whole Wide World / Semaphore Signals"There are alternate planes of reality that began in 1978 and cut off around 1998 in which every mixtape a guy ever gave a gal contained Wreckless Eric near the end of side A." - Premiered onImpose MagazineJONA LEWIE - You’ll Always Find Me In The Kitchen at Parties / BureaucratsDESMOND DEKKER - Israelites / Why Fight?"In this video, directed by noted filmmaker Nigel Dick, UK journalists and label people talk about the popularity of ska with Britain’s working class and Dekker’s place as a ska king." - Premiered on Pop MattersPLASMATICS - Monkey Suit / Squirm (Live)"In the six years that the chaos-inducing Plasmatics existed, they built a reputation for performing with chainsaws and sledge hammers, finding their way to the center of a police brutality incident in Wisconsin, opening a full US tour for KISS, and just destroying TONS, and tons of stuff in the process." - Premiered on Death & TaxesTENPOLE TUDOR - Swords of a Thousand Men / Love and Food"Stiff continues to this day, with the 2012 UK #1 single “Bom Bom” by Sam And The Womp and a back catalog comprising 150 singles and more than 50 albums of revered 70s and 80s pop, punk, and rock." - Premiered on Vinyl DistrictTRACEY ULLMAN - They Don’t Know / The B-SideKIRSTY MACCOLL - A New England / PatrickTHE UNTOUCHABLES - (I Spy For The) FBI / WhiplashCheck out the video for the single as premiered on Blurt Magazine.MINT JULEPS - Docklands / Docklands 12” Version + The Stiff 7” That Never Was!"The oft-discussed Mint Juleps "Docklands" 7", which appears for the first time in this set." - Premiered onNoisey/ Vice
In North America: www.StiffRecords.MerchNow.comIn Europe: http://www.backstreet-merch.com/stores/stiff-records/
November 26, 2013
The Warlocks "Skull Worship" out today
THE WARLOCKS RELEASE SKULL WORSHIP ON NOVEMBER 26, 2013 
photo by Eric Curtis
"Dead Generation" featured on Blurtonline.com :http://blurtonline.com/news/listen-new-warlocks-track-lament-dead-generation/
"Some bands play chords, but the so-far-unstoppable Warlocks play clouds -- songs that swirl around you like smoke and probably leave a little haze in your head, too." - LA WEEKLY
The Warlocks release their first new album in 5 years, Skull Worship on November 26, 2013 through Zap Banana (Cargo Distribution). Stream and share “Dead Generation” at https://soundcloud.com/the-warlocks/dead-generation
Recorded over a 2 year period, Skull Worship is the Los Angeles-based band’s eighth album. The Warlocks construct a dense, more elaborate web of sound, layers of distortion and the occasional synth a la Silver Apples and Red Crayola. “Silver & Plastic” expands the band’s oeuvre into acoustic territory recalling T Rex. Other songs like “Endless Drops” turn to Hawkwind, Neu! and experimental rock for inspiration.“Not everything fits perfectly on this record,” describes singer Bobby Hecksher. “There are loose parts, fragmented sections and then it rocks all together. It's not perfectly polished like a lot of records out there. More like an expression of moments in time that drip together like a strange dream.”
Bobby continues, “I consider Skull Worship the final musical piece of the trilogy which started with Heavy Deavy Skull Lover , then The Mirror Explodes and now Skull Worship. They are all suppose to be connected with similar cord changes and fragmented weirdness.”
Skull Worship Tracklisting: 1. Dead Generation2. Chameleon3. Endless Drops4. Silver & Plastic5. He Looks Good in Space6. You’ve Changed7. It’s A Hard Fall8. Eyes Jam
photo by Eric Curtis"Dead Generation" featured on Blurtonline.com :http://blurtonline.com/news/listen-new-warlocks-track-lament-dead-generation/
"Some bands play chords, but the so-far-unstoppable Warlocks play clouds -- songs that swirl around you like smoke and probably leave a little haze in your head, too." - LA WEEKLY
The Warlocks release their first new album in 5 years, Skull Worship on November 26, 2013 through Zap Banana (Cargo Distribution). Stream and share “Dead Generation” at https://soundcloud.com/the-warlocks/dead-generation
Recorded over a 2 year period, Skull Worship is the Los Angeles-based band’s eighth album. The Warlocks construct a dense, more elaborate web of sound, layers of distortion and the occasional synth a la Silver Apples and Red Crayola. “Silver & Plastic” expands the band’s oeuvre into acoustic territory recalling T Rex. Other songs like “Endless Drops” turn to Hawkwind, Neu! and experimental rock for inspiration.“Not everything fits perfectly on this record,” describes singer Bobby Hecksher. “There are loose parts, fragmented sections and then it rocks all together. It's not perfectly polished like a lot of records out there. More like an expression of moments in time that drip together like a strange dream.”
Bobby continues, “I consider Skull Worship the final musical piece of the trilogy which started with Heavy Deavy Skull Lover , then The Mirror Explodes and now Skull Worship. They are all suppose to be connected with similar cord changes and fragmented weirdness.”
Skull Worship Tracklisting: 1. Dead Generation2. Chameleon3. Endless Drops4. Silver & Plastic5. He Looks Good in Space6. You’ve Changed7. It’s A Hard Fall8. Eyes Jam
'The History of Caves' Film Is Available Now
The History Of Caves: The Directorial Debut From Emma Elizabeth Tillman Is Available Now Watch: The History of Caves Trailer (via YouTube)Listen: The History of Caves soundtrack (via Consequence of Sound)The History of Caves, the directorial debut of photographer and filmmaker Emma Elizabeth Tillman, is available now on iTunes and Amazon. Tillman says of the film, “The History of Caves was written under the strange circumstances of having immediately woken up from a dream. The film's story was fueled by my intense interest in the dark and seductive side of family life and in particular the relationship between parent and child in this regard. My interest in the occult and and the power of emotional turmoil served as the tint of the film. After writing the film, I spent most of my time during production staying in the abandon house we shot the film in. Looking at the film now I can see how its strange and ghostly atmosphere deeply infiltrated the lens of the camera and the actors. I can see Laurel Canyon's damp mystery all over the film, and it creates an even more miraculous experience when watching. Please enjoy The History of Caves, I do believe you will not be disappointed.” For more info on The History of Caves and director Emma Tillman click here.Esquire premiered the film’s trailer and had this to say, “The History of Caves is a beautifully bleak story set among the lush backdrop of an old home, once inhabited by Frank Zappa, in Los Angeles's artsy mecca Laurel Canyon. It follows widower watchmaker Hank Snow's (played by action sport filmmaker Rick Charnoski) attempts at sexual escapism and the family dynamics as his children cope — or don't — with his behavior (see trailer premiere November 13th).”In related news, The History Of Caves soundtrack, composed by Josh Tillman (aka Father John Misty), will be available later this week as a Record Store Day Black Friday release (November 29th). The haunting, spare instrumental score spans 10 tracks, all of which are featured on this limited-edition LP (of 2000). The album is also be available digitally from iTunes, Amazon, and all streaming services.
Diego Garcia To Perform At 30th Anniversary Celebration Of NPR
Diego Garcia To Perform At 30th Anniversary Celebration Of NPR's Mountain Stage® on December 1st
The Multi-Platformal Concert Event Will Air Live on West Virginia Public Radio, Stream Live Worldwide on www.mountainstage.org And Be Broadcast Nationally on NPR Music March 2014
Los Angeles, CA - November 26th, 2013 - Diego Garcia will perform as part of the 30th anniversary celebration of NPR's Mountain Stage® in Charleston, WV on December 1st. The concert performance will be broadcast live statewide on West Virginia Public Radio as well as Mountain Stage's first-ever live web stream (www.mountainstage.org) on December 1st at 7 p.m. from the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV. The event will be broadcast nationally in its entirety on NPR in March 2014.
Additional performers will include Todd Snider, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Mollie O'Brien and Rich Moore with special appearances by Deni Bonet and West Virginia Poet Laureate Marc Harshman. Advance tickets are $15 and available online, by calling 800-594-TIXX (8499) or visiting Taylor Books at 226 Capitol Street, Charleston. If tickets are available the day of the show, they will be $25 at the door.
Diego Garcia released his sophomore solo album "Paradise" on Concord Records last month, earning praise for his poetic and singular singing and songwriting approach. LA Tastemaker station KCRWdescribed "Paradise" as "a captivating recording" and Billboard Magazine called it "another stellar release" from Garcia. The New York Daily News praised Garcia's melodies calling them "exquisite."
The album is a collection of 11 songs with indelible pop melodies and a mesmerizing romantic blend of his musical inspirations, including lead single "Sunnier Days," described by Nylon Magazine as "a breezy, acoustic guitar-accented ode to things getting better" and "Tell Me" which USA Today handpicked for their weekly Playlist. The Fader premiered the quirky, uplifting video for "Sunnier Days" which it called a "light-peeking-through-everything lead single." Watch the video HERE.
Garcia is currently touring the United States. To purchase tickets for the tour, visit:http://www.diegogarcianyc.com/.
Mountain Stage® began in 1983 and is one of the longest running live music performance shows on public radio. The program has featured nearly 2,000 acts from more than 50 countries and nearly every conceivable genre for a catalogue of more than 800 shows. Mountain Stage® is heard weekly on West Virginia Public Radio Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. The program airs on 139 stations nationwide through NPR and around the globe on Voice of America. Mountain Stage® is also a featured program of NPR Music. More information can be found on the Mountain Stage website.Tune in live to the West Virginia Public Radio live stream at: http://wvpublic.org/listen-live. Mountain Stage web stream: www.mountainstage.org.
UPCOMING DIEGO GARCIA TOUR DATES:DATECITYVENUEDec. 1Charleston, WVNPR Mountain Stage with Larry GroceDec. 3Louisville, KYZanzabar**Dec. 4Bloomington, INThe Bishop**Dec. 5Grand Rapids, MICalvin College**Dec. 6Chicago, ILSchuba's**Dec. 7Minneapolis, MN7th St. Entry**Dec. 10Cleveland, OHBeachland tavernDec. 11Pittsburgh, PAClub Cafe**Jenn Grant supports
The Multi-Platformal Concert Event Will Air Live on West Virginia Public Radio, Stream Live Worldwide on www.mountainstage.org And Be Broadcast Nationally on NPR Music March 2014
Los Angeles, CA - November 26th, 2013 - Diego Garcia will perform as part of the 30th anniversary celebration of NPR's Mountain Stage® in Charleston, WV on December 1st. The concert performance will be broadcast live statewide on West Virginia Public Radio as well as Mountain Stage's first-ever live web stream (www.mountainstage.org) on December 1st at 7 p.m. from the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV. The event will be broadcast nationally in its entirety on NPR in March 2014.
Additional performers will include Todd Snider, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Mollie O'Brien and Rich Moore with special appearances by Deni Bonet and West Virginia Poet Laureate Marc Harshman. Advance tickets are $15 and available online, by calling 800-594-TIXX (8499) or visiting Taylor Books at 226 Capitol Street, Charleston. If tickets are available the day of the show, they will be $25 at the door.
Diego Garcia released his sophomore solo album "Paradise" on Concord Records last month, earning praise for his poetic and singular singing and songwriting approach. LA Tastemaker station KCRWdescribed "Paradise" as "a captivating recording" and Billboard Magazine called it "another stellar release" from Garcia. The New York Daily News praised Garcia's melodies calling them "exquisite."
The album is a collection of 11 songs with indelible pop melodies and a mesmerizing romantic blend of his musical inspirations, including lead single "Sunnier Days," described by Nylon Magazine as "a breezy, acoustic guitar-accented ode to things getting better" and "Tell Me" which USA Today handpicked for their weekly Playlist. The Fader premiered the quirky, uplifting video for "Sunnier Days" which it called a "light-peeking-through-everything lead single." Watch the video HERE.
Garcia is currently touring the United States. To purchase tickets for the tour, visit:http://www.diegogarcianyc.com/.
Mountain Stage® began in 1983 and is one of the longest running live music performance shows on public radio. The program has featured nearly 2,000 acts from more than 50 countries and nearly every conceivable genre for a catalogue of more than 800 shows. Mountain Stage® is heard weekly on West Virginia Public Radio Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. The program airs on 139 stations nationwide through NPR and around the globe on Voice of America. Mountain Stage® is also a featured program of NPR Music. More information can be found on the Mountain Stage website.Tune in live to the West Virginia Public Radio live stream at: http://wvpublic.org/listen-live. Mountain Stage web stream: www.mountainstage.org.
UPCOMING DIEGO GARCIA TOUR DATES:DATECITYVENUEDec. 1Charleston, WVNPR Mountain Stage with Larry GroceDec. 3Louisville, KYZanzabar**Dec. 4Bloomington, INThe Bishop**Dec. 5Grand Rapids, MICalvin College**Dec. 6Chicago, ILSchuba's**Dec. 7Minneapolis, MN7th St. Entry**Dec. 10Cleveland, OHBeachland tavernDec. 11Pittsburgh, PAClub Cafe**Jenn Grant supports
Elf Power announces Jan/Feb dates w/ Neutral Milk Hotel
Athens, GA Elephant 6 mainstays Elf Power
announce Jan/Feb tour w/ Neutral Milk Hotel
Interview requests: Alyssa DeHayes
New LP out now
"...Elf Power's strongest, most cohesive work in a decade." - NPR
View the new video here via SPIN
DOWNLOAD / STREAM / EMBED individual tracks:
"A Gray Cloth Covering My Face" via NPR's All Songs Considered
"Sunlight on the Moon" via Pitchfork
"Lift the Shell" via Flagpole
Elf Power formed in 1994 and over the last 19 years have released twelve albums, two EPs, and a handful of singles, while touring North America, Europe, and Japan many times. Albums such as 1998’s Dave Fridmann-produced A Dream In Sound and 2008’s collaboration with the late Vic Chesnutt, Dark Developments have cemented the bands’ reputation as the finest purveyors of modern melodic pychedelic folk rock around.
Their latest album, Sunlight On The Moon combines the scuzzy, sleazy recording qualities of their early lo-fi masterworks with their powerful live bombast, with experiments in Kraftwerk-styled/Eno-esque drum machine minimalism, into a seamless, perfectly flowing whole. The album’s release on October 1, 2013 coincides with American tour dates with the recently revived Neutral Milk Hotel, with whom Elf Power did their first big national tour 15 years agoin 1998! Many more headlining shows throughout America and Europe are planned for the fall and spring. Singer/songwriter Andrew Rieger and longtime collaborator multi-instrumentalistLaura Carter are joined by James Huggins (Of Montreal/Great Lakes) on bass, and Peter Alvanos on drums, though all the members play a wide variety of instruments on the recordings. Longtime collaborator* Bryan Poole (Of Montreal)* still joins the band on guitar at live shows.
Album art for Sunlight On The Moon
The band recorded the latest record in a variety of settings ranging from singer/songwriter Andrew Rieger’s home studio, to Athens, GA’s The Glow studio, to Lavonia, GA’s Gypsy Farm Studios, a long derelict country music theatre located in rural Georgia. Newly renovated and transformed into a recording studio, the beautiful auditorium hosted concerts from the likes of Dolly Parton, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and George Jones throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Some of the songs sprung from a return to Elf Power’s original mode of songwriting, writing and recording the song simultaneously without rehearsal. Songs like “Lift the Shell”, “A Grey Cloth Covering My Face” and “Things Lost” were recorded as they were being written with Rieger playing all of the basic instrumentation and other band members later embellishing the creations with their own flavors. Often, a more fully rehearsed “full band” version was recorded as well, but the more minimalistic original versions were preferred for their stranger, looser qualities.
Sunlight On The Moon sees release on October 1, 2013 as a joint release on Darla Records / Orange Twin Records. Orange Twin Records works in conjunction with The Orange Twin Conservation Community, 155 acres of beautiful land on the outskirts of Athens that has initiated the development of a highly progressive, self-sustainable and ecologically-minded cluster village and nature preserve.
Tour dates: all dates w/ Neutral Milk Hotel
announce Jan/Feb tour w/ Neutral Milk Hotel
Interview requests: Alyssa DeHayes
New LP out now
"...Elf Power's strongest, most cohesive work in a decade." - NPR
View the new video here via SPIN
DOWNLOAD / STREAM / EMBED individual tracks:
"A Gray Cloth Covering My Face" via NPR's All Songs Considered
"Sunlight on the Moon" via Pitchfork
"Lift the Shell" via Flagpole
Elf Power formed in 1994 and over the last 19 years have released twelve albums, two EPs, and a handful of singles, while touring North America, Europe, and Japan many times. Albums such as 1998’s Dave Fridmann-produced A Dream In Sound and 2008’s collaboration with the late Vic Chesnutt, Dark Developments have cemented the bands’ reputation as the finest purveyors of modern melodic pychedelic folk rock around.
Their latest album, Sunlight On The Moon combines the scuzzy, sleazy recording qualities of their early lo-fi masterworks with their powerful live bombast, with experiments in Kraftwerk-styled/Eno-esque drum machine minimalism, into a seamless, perfectly flowing whole. The album’s release on October 1, 2013 coincides with American tour dates with the recently revived Neutral Milk Hotel, with whom Elf Power did their first big national tour 15 years agoin 1998! Many more headlining shows throughout America and Europe are planned for the fall and spring. Singer/songwriter Andrew Rieger and longtime collaborator multi-instrumentalistLaura Carter are joined by James Huggins (Of Montreal/Great Lakes) on bass, and Peter Alvanos on drums, though all the members play a wide variety of instruments on the recordings. Longtime collaborator* Bryan Poole (Of Montreal)* still joins the band on guitar at live shows.
Album art for Sunlight On The Moon
The band recorded the latest record in a variety of settings ranging from singer/songwriter Andrew Rieger’s home studio, to Athens, GA’s The Glow studio, to Lavonia, GA’s Gypsy Farm Studios, a long derelict country music theatre located in rural Georgia. Newly renovated and transformed into a recording studio, the beautiful auditorium hosted concerts from the likes of Dolly Parton, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and George Jones throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Some of the songs sprung from a return to Elf Power’s original mode of songwriting, writing and recording the song simultaneously without rehearsal. Songs like “Lift the Shell”, “A Grey Cloth Covering My Face” and “Things Lost” were recorded as they were being written with Rieger playing all of the basic instrumentation and other band members later embellishing the creations with their own flavors. Often, a more fully rehearsed “full band” version was recorded as well, but the more minimalistic original versions were preferred for their stranger, looser qualities.
Sunlight On The Moon sees release on October 1, 2013 as a joint release on Darla Records / Orange Twin Records. Orange Twin Records works in conjunction with The Orange Twin Conservation Community, 155 acres of beautiful land on the outskirts of Athens that has initiated the development of a highly progressive, self-sustainable and ecologically-minded cluster village and nature preserve.
Tour dates: all dates w/ Neutral Milk Hotel
1.13 Ithaca, NY - The State Theatre
1.14 Jersey City, NJ - Loew's Theatre
1.16 Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre
1.17 Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre
1.18 Montreal, QC - Olympia de Montréal
1.19 Toronto, ON - Kool Haus
1.20 Toronto, ON - Kool Haus
1.22 Port Chester, NY - The Capitol Theatre
1.23 Brooklyn, NY - BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
1.24 Brooklyn, NY - BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
1.25 Brooklyn, NY - BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
1.26 New York, NY - Webster Hall
1.28 New York, NY - Webster Hall
1.29 Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theatre
1.30 Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
1.31 Washington, DC - DAR Constitution Hall
2.01 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
2.02 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
2.04 Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
2.05 St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
2.06 Chicago, IL - The Riviera Theatre
2.07 Chicago, IL - The Riviera Theatre
2.08 Madison, WI - Orpheum Theater
2.10 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
2.11 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
2.13 Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theatre
2.14 Tulsa, OK - Cain's Ballroom
2.15 Dallas, TX - Majestic Theatre
2.17 Austin, TX ACL - Live at the Moody Theater
2.18 Austin, TX ACL - Live at the Moody Theater
2.19 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
2.20 New Orleans, - LA Civic Theatre
2.21 New Orleans, - LA Civic Theatre
Cosmicide (featuring Brandon Curtis of Secret Machines) Release New Songs
Cosmicide (the new band led by Brandon Curtis of Secret Machines) have unveiled the first taste of their new material. You can stream and share "Talo's Corpse" at Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/cosmicide/talos-corpse-1
The track was written/produced by Brandon Curtis and mixed by Claudius Mittendorfer. The band has also just confirmed their very first live shows which will take place next month:
12.14 New Haven, CT @ The Cave 12.15 Boston, MA @ TT The Bears 12.16 Brooklyn, NY @ Cameo
Brandon says, "It's been a while since I have played my own songs for anybody. I guess since the last Secret Machines record was released in 2008, I have been busy mixing and producing music for other bands (Russian Circles, School of Seven Bells) or playing in other bands (Interpol). I never intended to wait this long - five years has flown by. I am excited to introduce my new project to you, finally."
Follow Cosmicide:
http://www.facebook.com/cosmicideofficial/
https://twitter.com/CosmicideBand
Neil Young Live At The Cellar Door Pre-Order
NEIL YOUNG LAUNCHES PRE-ORDER OF UPCOMING RELEASE LIVE AT THE CELLAR DOOR - DUE DECEMBER 10TH FROM REPRISE RECORDS
THOSE WHO PRE-ORDER BEGINNING TODAY WILL RECEIVE INSTANT DOWNLOAD OF ALBUM TRACK "OLD MAN"
November 26, 2013 - Burbank, CA -
Neil Young
has launched a pre-order of his upcoming December 10th release
Live At The Cellar Door
, through his website beginning today.
The latest in his Archives Performance Series, the album collects recordings made during Young's intimate six-show solo stand at The Cellar Door in Washington D.C. between November 30th and December 2nd, 1970, a few months after Reprise released his classic third solo album After The Gold Rush in August.
The album can be pre-ordered here in three configuration options: CD, on 180-gram vinyl mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering and pressed at Pallas in Germany (for maximum vinyl sound quality), and as a FLAC digital album. Everyone who pre-orders will each receive an instant download of the album track "Old Man." Click here for a view into the track.
Live At The Cellar Door , which features Young performing on acoustic guitar and piano, includes stunning live versions of songs that appeared on After The Gold Rush, and many other songs that make up a unique cross-section of material that Neil would draw from for these shows.Of the many intriguing gems found on Live At The Cellar Door, a rare solo version of "Cinnamon Girl" performed on piano rather than guitar is a particular treasure for Neil fans (the full band version appears on Young's 1969 second solo album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere ). In addition, Live At The Cellar Door features early, raw performances of songs that wouldn't appear until subsequent Young albums, including the rarity "Bad Fog Of Loneliness" (which appears on Live At Massey Hall '71 - released in 2007-- but was previously unreleased until the studio band version was included on Archives Vol. 1 1963-1972 ) and "Old Man" (released two years later on 1972's Harvest album)."Down By The River," also from Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere , rounds out the spectacular set. Click here for a preview of Live At The Cellar Door.
The track-listing for Live At The Cellar Door is as follows:
Side One:Tell Me WhyOnly Love Can Break Your HeartAfter The Gold RushExpecting To FlyBad Fog Of LonelinessOld ManBirds
Side Two:Don't Let It Bring You DownSee The Sky About To RainCinnamon GirlI Am A ChildDown By The RiverFlying On The Ground Is Wrong
THOSE WHO PRE-ORDER BEGINNING TODAY WILL RECEIVE INSTANT DOWNLOAD OF ALBUM TRACK "OLD MAN"
November 26, 2013 - Burbank, CA -
Neil Young
has launched a pre-order of his upcoming December 10th release
Live At The Cellar Door
, through his website beginning today.The latest in his Archives Performance Series, the album collects recordings made during Young's intimate six-show solo stand at The Cellar Door in Washington D.C. between November 30th and December 2nd, 1970, a few months after Reprise released his classic third solo album After The Gold Rush in August.
The album can be pre-ordered here in three configuration options: CD, on 180-gram vinyl mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering and pressed at Pallas in Germany (for maximum vinyl sound quality), and as a FLAC digital album. Everyone who pre-orders will each receive an instant download of the album track "Old Man." Click here for a view into the track.
Live At The Cellar Door , which features Young performing on acoustic guitar and piano, includes stunning live versions of songs that appeared on After The Gold Rush, and many other songs that make up a unique cross-section of material that Neil would draw from for these shows.Of the many intriguing gems found on Live At The Cellar Door, a rare solo version of "Cinnamon Girl" performed on piano rather than guitar is a particular treasure for Neil fans (the full band version appears on Young's 1969 second solo album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere ). In addition, Live At The Cellar Door features early, raw performances of songs that wouldn't appear until subsequent Young albums, including the rarity "Bad Fog Of Loneliness" (which appears on Live At Massey Hall '71 - released in 2007-- but was previously unreleased until the studio band version was included on Archives Vol. 1 1963-1972 ) and "Old Man" (released two years later on 1972's Harvest album)."Down By The River," also from Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere , rounds out the spectacular set. Click here for a preview of Live At The Cellar Door.
The track-listing for Live At The Cellar Door is as follows:
Side One:Tell Me WhyOnly Love Can Break Your HeartAfter The Gold RushExpecting To FlyBad Fog Of LonelinessOld ManBirds
Side Two:Don't Let It Bring You DownSee The Sky About To RainCinnamon GirlI Am A ChildDown By The RiverFlying On The Ground Is Wrong
