Friday, May 28, 2010

[new music] Dax Riggs - Say Goodnight to the World

New Album from Dax Riggs this Summer

Announced via Dax Rigg's MySpace page, the former Acid Bath and deadboy & the Elephantmen frontman will be releasing a new LP on August 3 (via Fat Possum). Say Goodnight to the World will be Rigg's second album released under his own name. The first single, "Grave Dirt On My Blue Suede Shoes" can be streamed here. I'd have to say the song picks up pretty much where We Sing of Only Blood and Love left off. Based on a solid track record, I'll bet the remaining jams are just as strong.

Currently Riggs is on a small tour around the Louisiana area, road-testing the new material before its premier. More to come!

Say Goodnight To The World track listing:
01. Say Goodnight To The World
02. I Hear Satan
03. You Were Born To Be My Gallows
04. Grave Dirt On My Blue Suede Shoes
05. Like Moonlight
06. No One Will Be A Stranger
07. Heartbreak Hotel
08. Sleeping With The Witch
09. Let Me Be Your Cigarette
10. See You All In Hell Or New Orleans

Dax Riggs tour dates:
May 28 // Dallas, TX // The Cavern
May 29 // Houston, TX // Mango's
Jun 4 // Houma, LA // The City Club
Jun 5 // New Orleans, LA // One Eyed Jacks
Jun 11 // Lake Charles, LA // Luna
Jun 12 // New Orleans, LA // One Eyed Jacks
Jun 18 // Lafayette, LA // Bluemoon Saloon
Jun 19 // New Orleans, LA // One Eyed Jacks
Jun 25 // Baton Rouge, LA // Spanish Moon
Jun 26 // New Orleans, LA // One Eyed Jacks

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

[new music] Patrick Watson - "Sit Down Beside Me"

New Single From Patrick Watson

Available exclusively as of today exclusively on iTunes in Canada and the USA, Patrick Watson's new single "Sit Down Beside Me" reportedly combines the accessibility of 2006's Close to Paradise with the subtle complexities of 2009's Wooden Arms. Recorded in Patrick's home studio,"Sit Down Beside Me" marks his return to songwriting after extensive touring. The new single blends piano, acoustic guitar, drums, marimba, a string quartet, bass and synth bass.

Monday, May 24, 2010

[video] Lost Self-Help Info


How To Get Over Your Loss...t

For those who finally get their Tuesday nights back, this video from Slate will definitely help you with your Drive Shaft withdrawal. As to which camp I belong to after last night's finale, you can read

Sunday, May 23, 2010

[review] Plants and Animals @ Crocodile (5-22-2010)

P&A Bring Rock & Roll to Seattle

For the Seattleites who braved the dreek and dreary weather and trekked over to the Crocodile yesterday evening, all were happily treated to a fantastic Saturday night special. Fans looking to see Plants and Animals got both wishes: stage support included Lost in the Trees and Frog Eyes.

Starting the night off with North Carolina septet Lost in the Trees, I could tell that there was going to be a good energy in the audience. Lost in the Trees somehow managed to fit all 7 members of their band on the Crocodile stage, including their full-band assortment of instruments (upright bass, cello, baritone, violin, drums, you name it). They apparently have a new album coming out this August, but they have plenty of music to discover over at their site (here). They really got a good vibe going, which led straight into Frog Eyes' set.

I had seen Frog Eyes years back during their '05 "Spiritual Animal Tour," which featured Whale Bones and Wolf Parade. At the time, I remember being a bit disappointed; however, I will point out that I hadn't developed an appreciation for Carey Mercer's spastic yelps of beauty. After a quick sound check, Frog Eyes really blasted fans with some of their heavy hitters. Half-way through the set, we were informed by Mercer's hysterical storytelling of his time spent at the L.A. Rock School. I won't try to re-tell it, since it will lose all its humor, but to sum up the lesson of the story: even when you're sick, you still put on a good show without telling fans how terrible you feel. In between songs, Mercer was coughing and wheezing while guzzling down water to aid his sore throat; however, during songs, Mercer sounded spot-on with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Frog Eyes are an acquired taste - unique styles of music are often misunderstood or underappreciated - but for those who are fans of the flavor, we were left with wanting more when the set concluded with "A Flower In A Glove," the first track off their new album Paul's Tomb: A Triumph.

After a short break, the arrival of Plants and Animals brought noise to the Crocodile. Hungry fans, tided over with incessant spins of their new album La La Land, were finally going to hear these jams in person. For those in the audience who caught their St. Patty's Day '09 show at Nectar, they may have expected a mellow set. But there was nothing of the sort this time around.

P&A kicked off the night with "New Kind Of Love," the slow-building song that climaxed with a Warren Spicer stage dive, mid-guitar riff, whereupon the lead singer finished the set-opener in the front row of fans. Fully feeding off the crowd's energy, P&A catapulted into "Fake It," my favorite groove-laden track from La La Land. Like before, Nicolas Basque - Québecois multi-instrumental extraordinaire - provided much of the complex sounds though frantic mid-song rotations between guitar, synth, and bass. Keeping the heart of each song rhythmically beating strong, drummer Matthew Woodley (aka the Woodman) slapped the sticks with a certain James Dean-swagger. Completing the power trio's tour-de-force, Spicer's howls cut straight through the chaos.

After three albums and one EP, Plants and Animals have developed a large enough repertoire of lead-heavy jams to fill a whole set. Guitar improvisation and song extensions throughout the night managed to adapt the band's lush orchestrations and works of beauty into an all-out rock concert. Highlights of the night definitely came when the band tore through new songs like "Celebration," "Undone Melody," and the cleverly titled "Tom Cruz." I was happy to hear With/Avec's "Lola Who?" but would have loved to hear "American Idol" or "Game Shows" - next time I guess. After blazing through "The Mama Papa" and waiting out a quick encore break, the band fittingly closed the night with Parc Avenue favorite "Bye Bye Bye."

All in all, Plants and Animals didn't disappoint. I'm sure after last night's performance there's bound to be new fans popping up all over Seattle. For a full set list, see below.

Plants and Animals Set List
(Crocodile, Seattle - 5-22-2010)

New Kind Of Love
Fake It
Celebration
Good Friend
Tom Cruz
Feedback In The Field
Lola Who?
Undone Melody
Faerie Dance
Mercy
The Mama Papa
Encore
Bye Bye Bye

Saturday, May 22, 2010

[tonight] Plants and Animals @ Crocodile (5-22-2010)

P&A this Saturday!

Tonight: Plants and Animals are playing the Crocodile (May 22, 2010). Stage support includes Frog Eyes and Lost in the Trees. Tickets are still available at the box office for a mere $13. Be there!

Who :: Plants and Animals
w/ Frog Eyes & Lost in the Trees
Where :: Crocodile Cafe, Seattle
When :: Saturday, May 22, 2010
How :: $13 Tickets

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

[video] The Black Keys - "Tighten Up"


Best Black Keys video ever

The Black Keys released a new video for "Tighten Up," the catchiest track off their newest LP Brothers, which was released today. I think Brothers might be my favorite BK album since Rubber Factory, and it's definitely on constant repeat. The video above is truly amazing. I won't even try to explain, you kind of have to watch it for yourself.

Also, if you haven't already, go register at TheBlackKeys.com and you'll receive the free mp3 for "Ohio" which was formerly an exclusive 7" single.

Buy :: The Black Keys - Brothers

Monday, May 17, 2010

[concert] Plants and Animals w/ Frog Eyes @ Crocodile (5-22-2010)

P&A this Saturday!

Just a reminder: Plants and Animals have been touring their new album La La Land, and they plan to hit the Crocodile this Saturday (May 22, 2010). Last time they stopped by Jet City, they played one hell of show. This time around, with special openers Frog Eyes and Lost in the Trees, Saturday night is a must-see show. Tickets are available (here) for a mere $13. What a deal! To further entice you, watch this Take Away Show for "The Mama Papa."



Who :: Plants and Animals
w/ Frog Eyes & Lost in the Trees
Where :: Crocodile Cafe, Seattle
When :: Saturday, May 22, 2010
How :: $13 Tickets (here)

Plants and Animals tour dates:
May 18 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
May 19 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
May 20 Boise, ID @ Neurolux
May 21 Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
May 22 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile w/ Frog Eyes
May 25 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
May 26 Visalia, CA @ The Cellar Door
May 27 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
May 29 Tucson, AZ @ Plush
May 31 Denton, TX @ Hailey's
June 1 Austin, TX @ Emo's
June 4 Orlando, FL @ Back Booth
June 5 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
June 6 Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle
June 9 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

Sunday, May 16, 2010

[news] Arcade Fire - "Suburbs" 12" In Stores Soon

New Arcade Fire In 2 Weeks

According to Arcade Fire's website (via this postcard addressed to the Internet), the new "Suburb" single has been pressed onto 12" vinyl and will be hitting shelves in a couple weeks! I love the "good luck with finals" (see below). Starting late in June, we'll start to hear some of the band's new jams road-tested while they're on tour. Dates posted below - expect more to follow.



Arcade Fire tour dates:
Dalhalla
Rättvik, Sweden June 30


Tickets
Hove Festival
Arendal, Norway July 2


Tickets
Rock Werchter
Werchter, Belgium July 4

Tickets
Oxegen
Dublin, Ireland July 9

Tickets
Ottawa Bluesfest
Ottawa, Canada July 13

Tickets
Osheaga Festival
Montreal, Canada July 31

Tickets
Lollapalooza
Chicago, USA August 8

Tickets
Leeds Festival
Leeds, UK August 27

Tickets
Reading Festival
Reading, UK August 28

Tickets
Rock En Seine
Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, France August 29

Tickets
Tempodrom
Berlin, Germany August 31

Tickets
Arena Parco Nord
Bologna, Italy September 2

Tickets

Saturday, May 15, 2010

[video] Beach House - "Used To Be"


Sean Pecknold: Resident Dream Maker

For those of you who missed the one-day premier of Beach House's music video for "Used To Be" (directed by Sean Pecknold & Co.), P4K is hosting the band's Teen Dream DVD companion, which features videos for each of the album's songs. You can watch "Used to Be" above, and the rest can be viewed here. But act quickly - these will be taken down in 10 days.

Buy :: Beach House - Teen Dream (Includes DVD companion)

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

[news] Wolf Parade Radio World Premiere! (KEXP)

Wolf Parade's Expo 86 on KEXP!

Jonathan Poneman and Megan Jasper of Sub Pop Records recently went on Cheryl Waters's morning time slot at KEXP and unveiled 4 previously unheard tracks from Wolf Parade's Expo 86. To hear the world premier of these fresh tunes, follow this link, which is KEXP's Streaming Archive. From there, you'll have to use the pull-down tabs to call up May 7, 11:08 am. Four songs were showcased for the June 29 LP: "Oh You, Old Thing," "Yulia," "Ghost Pressure," and "Cloud Shadow On The Mountain." This stream will only be up for the next 12 days, so go now and listen!

UPDATE: Thanks to CerpinTaxt, below are the streams of each song.

Wolf Parade - "Oh You, Old Thing"


Wolf Parade - "Yulia"


Wolf Parade - "Ghost Pressure"


Wolf Parade - "Cloud Shadow On The Mountain"

Monday, May 10, 2010

[new music] Steve Mason - Boys Outside

New music from Steve Mason

Great news for Beta Band and King Biscuit Time fans - Steve Mason's solo album Boys Outside can now be streamed in its entirety over at his website (here). The album was officially released in the UK last month, but the colonies will have to wait patiently until June 22 for physical copies. Luckily, Domino Records is offering the sales of digital copies today, though.

Below are two tracks I've especially found enjoyable. The first song, "I Let Her In," was originally released under the King Biscuit Time moniker for the first Ten Tracks compilation. It's a great melodic tune that sounds like it could have been strait out of The Three EPs, or Black Gold. The other song below is the slow groover, "All Come Down." The rest of the album is fantastic - check it out.

Steve Mason - "I Let Her In"


Steve Mason - "All Come Down"


Buy :: Steve Mason - Boys Outside (digital)
Pre-order :: Steve Mason - Boys Outside (CD/LP)

Sunday, May 9, 2010

[video] Local Natives - "Airplanes" on Craig Ferguson



For those of you who missed the Local Natives' awesome Thursday-night performance of "Airplanes" on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, here you go. One of my favorite albums thus far in 2010, Gorilla Manor is one of those instant classics that ceases to wear out. Below is another video of their KEXP live rendition of the Talking Heads cover "Warning Sign." Enjoy.

Buy :: Local Natives - Gorilla Manor

Thursday, May 6, 2010

[video] Handsome Furs - "HF Enjoy Some Down Time"


Handsome Furs - Indie Asia: Episode 7

The Handsome Furs continue to charm fans with their latest installment of CNN's Indie Asia: On Tour With The Handsome Furs. I found this to be the funniest episode thus far. In it, we get to see Dan and Alexie enjoying the downtime in Thailand and Singapore. Highlights include Dan's comment about recognizable clothing lines at the shopping mall, "there's Vodka the Clothes, and Buddy," as well as the fish that eat all the dead skin from the band's feet. You'll have to watch it to understand.

[new music] Ratatat - "Party With Kids" from LP4

Ratatat's LP4 finally gets a face

Head over to P4K or Stereogum and stream/download the first song shared by Ratatat from their upcoming fourth album. Following up their cleverly named LP3, LP4 was apparently recording during the same session, but will feature more worldly sounds than its predecessor. It also is supposedly going to rock hard. After listening to the new track "Party With Kids," though, I kind of felt like it was a tab bit on the boring side. Hopefully in the context of the rest of the album, these feelings will fade. We'll have to wait until June 8 when the album hits shelves to be sure. A track listing is posted below:

Ratatat - LP4:

01 Bilar
02 Drugs
03 Neckbrace
04 We Can't Be Stopped
05 Bob Gandhi
06 Mandy
07 Mahalo
08 Party With Children
09 Sunblocks
10 Bare Feast
11 Graper Juice City
12 Alps

Pre-order :: Ratatat - LP4 (XL Records)

Monday, May 3, 2010

[new music] Wolf Parade - Hear Songs from Expo 86!

"Ghost Pressure" &
"What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way)"


P4K just dropped a bomb of new info on Wolf Parade's upcoming third album Expo 86, including the two streamable songs below. We now have an official release date of June 29 (via Sub Pop), and a track listing of the album. Sadly, there's no "Things I Don't Know" (unless it's under a different song title). And if you remember back on the last interview from Dan Boeckner, you'll notice that only 11 songs made it onto Expo 86, meaning that expect an EP full of the other 4 tracks they recorded.
"we ended up writing about 15 songs . We tracked all of them. So we got about 80 minutes of music to work into a product, basically [laughs], into something. At this point, I don't know whether it'll be a double album. I'd really love to just release a single album and then, later on, an extended EP. But we're still trying to figure out what format to put all the stuff out in. We want to release it all. I don't feel that any of the songs are ugly cousins or duds..."
On a side note, the live recording songs so good. Reminds me of why I love these guys in concert. And speaking of concerts, Wolf Parade will play the Showbox on July 26th (tickets).

Track listing:
01 Cloud Shadow on the Mountain
02 Palm Road
03 What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way)
04 Little Golden Age
05 In the Direction of the Moon
06 Ghost Pressure
07 Pobody’s Nerfect
08 Two Men in New Tuxedos
09 Oh You, Old Thing
10 Yulia
11 Cave-o-Sapien

"Ghost Pressure"

"What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way)"

Saturday, May 1, 2010

[video] The Black Keys - "Next Girl"


Lip-syncing Dinosaur - Haven't seen that one before...

The Black Keys just released their newest music video for "Next Girl," one of the 15 new tracks that's album-bound for Brothers. According to the subtitles, "The Black Keys hate this video. and don't find it funny at all." Brothers, the band's sixth studio album, will drop May 18, and from the sounds of "Next Girl" and the single "Tighten Up," The Black Keys are still rocking hard. And how cool is the album art? (See below)

Pre-order :: The Black Keys - Brothers