Wednesday, August 31, 2011

The Wild Honey Pie Reviews Sea of Bees' "Gnomes" EP

"Julie Ann Bee’s voice is arresting. It’s not the kind that allows one to sit idly by as it waifs in the background. It demands attention. It’s the kind that can turn a ubiquitous song like U2’s “With Or Without You” into a song that feels unfamiliar– something that takes on a whole new meaning.

This is exactly what Julie, more commonly known as Jules, does on Sea of Bees’ (@) Gnomes EP. Although the EP only features one original song, along with a remix and two covers, each track offers a completely different perspective and is very much unique to her style." Read the full review over on The Wild Honey Pie.

Nardwuar vs. The Pack a.d.

The Vinyl District Previews The Go Round's Upcoming Tour And Streams Their Debut "Gone"

"Folk group The Go Round got started just 3 years ago and have already begun to take the country by storm. Based out of Brooklyn, the two founding members, Brandon Whightsel and Richard Duke were successful as a duo on their debut album, Gone. For Eastern Parkway, their sophmore effort, the group decided to expand to a quartet, and have welcomed Scott Townsend and Theodora Prunoske, on the drums and violin, respectively." See all of The Go Round's upcoming tour dates and listen to their single "Gone" over on The Vinyl District.

Check Out The Premiere of The Go Round's "Angela" On RCRD LBL

"The pair (who graduated to a quartet) churns out surprisingly grounded folk numbers, employing some tasteful accordion and a storytelling vibe that invokes early-era Decemberists. Showing off the plucking skills life on the road with a guitar will grant you, “Angela” is the centerpiece of Gone, the band’s debut full-length available now." Listen to "Angela" now on RCRD LBL!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Tasseomancy Premiere Their Latest Track "Diana" On RCRD LBL

"It’s clear on “Diana” that the two could go sans instruments and be equally arresting, yet the slow drift from ambient croon to celestial pop and back makes for one of the richest tracks of the year thus far. Full-length Ulalume is out today on Out of This Spark." Listen to "Diana" and read the full write up over on RCRD LBL.

Friday, August 26, 2011

SSG Music gives Elba a thumbs up!

Click HERE to check it out.

Tasseomancy Premiere Their New Video For “Soft Feet” On CMJ

"The twin sisters of Canadian neo-folk duo Tasseomancy, Sari and Romy Lightman, have a new album coming out via This Spark next week. In advance of the release of Ulalume, we have the U.S. premiere for Tasseomancy’s video for “Soft Feet.” The duo list its influences as ambient sounds, drone music and Eastern songs, all of which are present and accounted for here, from the ghostly lyrics to the sustained groans of a cello." Catch Tasseomancy's new video below and head over to CMJ to read the full article.

Tasseomancy - Soft Feet from Tasseomancy on Vimeo.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Pack a.d. Supply Sadie Magazine With Some "Strongly Worded Letters" Along Their Tour

"When Sadie asked Vancouver-based band the Pack a.d. if they would be interested in doing a tour diary of sorts—they kick off a massive US tour September 10 in support of their upcoming release, Unpersons, out on September 13th via Mint Records—Maya Miller one-upped us and delivered right away, her first diary entry just fresh from the band’s last tour. Her concept? A series of Strongly Worded Letters, the nice kind and the less nice kind…the sort of letters you write in your head while on tour and you wish you could share them, but you don’t. Until now." Read Maya Miller's very first letter addressed to "Old Crappy Local Band" over on Sadie Magazine now.


The Go Round Goes on Tour With The Help of Kickstarter

"After two years of building up steam by playing the heck out of Brooklyn and the Northeast Corridor, The Go Round is going on its first national tour. We will be circumnavigating the U.S. to bring our tunes to your town. Along the way we'll be publishing an online tour diary of our songs and experiences on the road. Upon our triumphant return to Brooklyn we'll fashion all the pictures and videos into a DVD which is available to you as a reward." Cookies aren't all they are offering, take a peak at all of the awesome rewards for those who kick in to help make this tour happen!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

The Go Round Chat It Up With Music Moms

"Like any self respecting folk act with an ounce of credibility our sound was the result of painstaking market research and a few demographically appropriate focus groups. The whole ‘brand’ really being fine tuned to appeal to a mass audience of poetry loving, bohemian, hillbilly depressives." Read on for the complete (and entertaining) interview over at Music Moms.

Tasseomancy's Latest Full-Length "Ulalume" Premieres on Sadie Magazine

"Tasseomancy, if you don’t already know, is sisters Sari and Romy Lightman (touring members of Austra). You might have been a fan of their folkier incarnation, Ghost Bees; Tasseomancy brings the noise a bit more, but is equally as awesome (if not more so)." Stream Tasseomancy's latest in full at Sadie Magazine.

RCRD LBL Premiere's Elba's "From a Sinking Ship."



Grab your download from RCRD LBL HERE.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Matt Bauer's "TIC 1979" Video Premieres On Under The Radar

"Most of Bauer's various touchstones can be heard and seen in the mysterious and snowbound clip, below. Even though "TIC 1979" sounds like the music of a solitary man (RIYL: Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Litlte Wings), Bauer actually collaborated with almost 20 guest musicians from Brooklyn and his former home, San Francisco." View "TIC 1979" below and read the full review on Under The Radar.

TICS 1979 by Matt Bauer from matt bauer on Vimeo.

Basia Bulat Covers Ted Leo & The Pharmacists for The A.V. Club Undercover


Basia Bulat covers Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

Read the full article and feel free to watch this video over and over again on The A.V. Club!

Sea of Bees "Gnomes (Tunng Remix)" Premieres on RCRD LBL

"With this Tunng remix of “Gnomes,” we see Julie Ann Bee has fallen to earth, landing hard on the other, more human end of the psychedelic scale. Her beautiful strangeness is no less understandable—it’s simply primal where it once rang celestial. Add Far East guitars, chopped beats, harping keyboards and a wall of feedback, and you’ve got a lost-in-the-woods tweaker that'll haunt you for days." Click on over to RCRD LBL to listen to Sea of Bees "Gnomes" Tunng remix and hear it for yourself!

Mixtape Muse Reviews Matt Bauer's "The Jessamine County Book of the Living"

"On The Jessamine County Book of the Living, singer-songwriter Matt Bauer might be backed by tasteful, sweeping string arrangements, but it’s his delicate, gentle voice that makes the deepest impact. Bauer sings in a near whisper, his voice quivering as he trails his lines off into the ether. He doesn’t just wear his heart on his sleeve, he practically hands it to you. And while that sounds like the album is weighted down with a glut of melodrama, it’s not, as there’s great poeticism throughout each track." Read the complete review of Matt Bauer's latest right here on Mixtape Muse.


Monday, August 22, 2011

MTV Checks Out Strong Killings Track “Too Cool”

"Sometimes a rant is all you ever need — and this sharply unhinged, tight-as-skin three-piece from Seattle has your business handled. Strong Killings grab at equal parts punk and gut rock, recalling Screaming Females without the glossolalic solos and with one heavy dose of tongue-in-cheek." Listen to Strong Killings "Too Cool" and read the full preview on MTV here.

Sea of Bees' Cafe Du Nord Performance Reviewed On SF Weekly

"Baenzinger's songs have the honesty that those nutty celebrity relationships lack, and her voice has the ability to carry her heartbreaking lyrics to a happier place. It was as if Baenzinger was entertaining an intimate group of friends who knew what she had been going through without her having to explain it. But there's no need to get all mushy here. This performance certainly wasn't a no-boys-allowed, hormone-infused cocktail. This was the real shit, folks." Read all about Sea of Bees' San Francisco show over at SF Weekly.


Thursday, August 18, 2011

Listen to Nick Jaina on KZME's Trixie Pop show today at 7 PM PST!!

Tune in at 7PM PST to listen to Portland's own Nick Jaina who will be stopping by the Trixie Pop Show tonight. You can listen online RIGHT HERE or if you're in the Portland area, set your radio dial to 107.1 FM.


Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Sleeping Bag's Dave Segedy Talks With The Village Voice For The Premiere of Their New Video "Slime"

"I get inspired by a lot of different lyrical styles. I like lyrics that are ambiguous, cryptic, but not for the sake of being so. I also favor the sound a certain word makes over the meaning of it. I think Stephen Malkmus does a good job of that. Then again, I also like lyrics that are narrative. A good example of that, for me, is "Duncan" by Paul Simon." You can check out the full interview on The Village Voice HERE.

Sleeping Bag: "Slime" Official Video from 19th State Productions on Vimeo.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Big Eyes "Hard Life" Reviewed On Stereo Subversion!

"If Julia Stiles’ character from “10 Things I Hate About You” really existed, she would love this band. Big Eyes has that don’t-mess-with-me pop-punk sound reminiscent of ‘80s, Joan-Jett style punk. A trio consisting of a female vocalist/guitarist, bass player and drummer, Big Eyes captures that female teenage-angst sound, without sounding too…well, teenage-angsty." That's not all that Stereo Subversion had to say, hop on over and read the full review now.


Appetite's Latest Single "Warn Me, Right" Premieres On Smoke Don't Smoke

"It gives me great pleasure to be able to give you this new single off of Teddy Briggs brand spanking new album out today. Scattered Smothered Covered is an easily repeatable album. It’s an easy listen, concise, and full of classic Teddy Briggs quirkiness. Appetite fills a strange void for me musically, and hopefully it does for you too." Listen to Appetite's latest track right here on Smoke Don't Smoke.


DIBIASE: "HERE COMES FOREVER" OUT 9/13 ON EARTH ANALOG

We here at Riot Act are beyond thrilled to announce the debut EP from Dibiase, a four-piece instrumental phenomenon from Collinsville, Illinois (just across the river from St. Louis, Missouri). The release marks the launch of Earth Analog, a new record label founded by Hum's Matt Talbott.

While there are many elements to Dibiase---precision riffing, drones, loops and noise, simple melodies and layered harmonies, subtle (and not so subtle) dynamic and rhythmic shifts---the band's signature is most often found in cascading waves of rumbling, down-tuned open chords.

PHOTOS, LINKS, MORE HERE.

STREAM "HAILS FROM DARK PLACES" MP3 AND "12 POUND TOOTH" MP3 HERE.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Wonderful's "Rainbow Colors" on CNN!

CNN just featured Wonderful's track "Rainbow Colors" to accompany a selection of photos of double rainbows that readers have sent in—we couldn't have thought of a better combination! Watch the video below and read the full article on CNN.

The Bay Bridged Premieres Appetite's Live Rendition Of "Molecules"

"The latest BAMM.tv video from Phono del Sol spotlights festival openers Appetite. Teddy Briggs and his band came to Phono del Sol from Sacramento and delivered an awesome set of electronic art-pop from the band’s new album, Scattered Smothered Covered, out Tuesday, August 16th on Crossbill Records." Check out the complete write up on The Bay Bridged, and watch Appetite's performance below.

Appetite - "Molecules" (Live at Phono del Sol) from BAMM.tv on Vimeo.

Friday, August 12, 2011

A Taste Of Appetite Straight From Portland, OR

We caught Appetite at Holocene in PDX last night and holy crap, one of the tightest five pieces ever... (sorry to the fifth member who I couldn't fit in the photo!) Los Angeles, they're headed your way in September.

Don't Miss The Go Round's Animated Video For "Lonesome Blues"

Take a break and get lost in the beautifully animated video for The Go Round's song "Lonesome Blues"directed and drawn by Jordan Bruner.

Lonesome Blues by the Go Round from Jordan BRUNER on Vimeo.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Laura Stevenson & The Cans Perform Three Songs For Sleepover Shows

"Laura Stevenson, lead singer and guitarist of Laura Stevenson and the Cans began the band’s Sleepover Show with a song in the darkened hallway of Great Scott, her voice mellow as someone played the arcade game Buck Hunter nearby." Watch all three videos of Laura Stevenson and the Cans' Sleep Over Show right here.

NPR Mines The Pacific Northwest for Metal

The Seattle quartet Triumph Of Lethargy Skinned Alive To Death is one of many Pacific Northwest bands currently featured on NPR's extensive mix of notable metal bands. "While the Pacific Northwest has always had a plethora of heavy-hitting musical options to plunder, there's a bit of a renaissance going on today, especially when it comes to doom, sludge and stoner metal. As the producer and host of Seek & Destroy, KEXP's hard-rock and metal show, I've tried to highlight some of the most promising bands from our region." Listen to the complete metal mix right here on NPR.


Wednesday, August 10, 2011

NPR Premiere of Sea of Bees New Video "Skinnybone"

"Bike riding through Williamsburg, Brooklyn you never know what you might find. On Julie Ann Bee's ride she stumbles upon a very unusual garbage can. One that ultimately takes her into an alternative universe filled with neon splatter paint, voodoo rituals and alter egos." Watch Sea of Bees new video and read about the inspiration behind it on NPR's All Songs Considered.

Sea of Bees - "Skinnybone" from Gravity Sleeps on Vimeo.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Stream Sleeping Bag's Debut On My Old Kentucky Blog

"A few weeks back we slipped in a little something called Slime from Bloomington’s Sleeping Bag and more than a few of you perked up. Well, we took note, and seeing as how the band’s self-titled debut is dropping today, we did a little digital dumpster diving and came up with this stream to share." Stream their self-titled debut now at My Old Kentucky Blog.

Sleeping Bag's s.t debut is out today on Joyful Noise!




Early Press:
"Sporting a 90’s guitar-rawk aesthetic that falls somewhere between Pavement and Dino Jr, replete with Lithium-affected vocals and a wry sense of humor, the band seemingly cranks out tunes like Slime without breaking a sweat." My Old Kentucky Blog
""Slime" is exhibit A, Segedy’s voice harking back to Pedro the Lion and the simple days of indie, when a good hook and a catchy chorus made for a solid song. Fortunately, it still does." RCRD LBL
"Sleeping Bag make careful 90s indie odes with more than their fair share of Malkmussian vocal affection coupled with stringent building codes for their careful power pop. All love - the trio's teased a pleasant chemistry out of the formula, and they've set it to a full length self-titled album out August 9 on Joyful Noise." Impose
"Sleeping Bag encompasses a raw and edgy sound that harkens back Starflyer’s Silver album in the early `90s, with a power pop sound that takes me back to Weezer’s Blue album." Puddlegum
"Despite a somewhat sloppy presentation, the songwriting and melodies behind Sleeping Bag’s debut LP are sturdy enough to withstand hurricane-force winds." The Needle Drop

Monday, August 8, 2011

Under The Radar Premieres Sleeping Bag's Latest "Beside"

"Sleeping Bag's "Beside" is available to download now. The power-pop tune is off the Bloomington, IN trio's self-titled debut LP. That drops on August 9 via Joyful Noise Recordings." Listen to Under The Radar's Premiere of "Beside"right here.


Friday, August 5, 2011

Read the CBS Review of Robin Bacior's Single "Headless Sheep"

"Bacior's voice is the focus here. She's upfront in the mix, singing with a sweet tone and using layers of harmonies that belie a tough spirit in the lyrics.

The few other songs on Bacior's site fall loosely under the banner of folk or alt-country, but these are definitely pop songs, just with folk-ish instrumentation, including what sounds like upright piano and slide dobro." Read the full article and listen to her track "Headless Sheep" on CBS News.

Nick Jaina and His Little Box of Lies - Meet The WW's New Columnist

"As a performer you want people to fall in love with you, but you know how hard that is. When you fall in love with someone special, it's like you've discovered the last remaining member of a forgotten species of bird. You stumble into the clearing of a meadow and there it is, all the feathers in place in such a perfect and determined way. You love it for the struggle it had to go through just to survive as such a rare creature."Check out Nick Jaina's new column for the Willamette Week's music section where this week he discusses "The Benefits of Obscurity".

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Brass Bed Talks to CMJ About Collaborating With Feufollet On Their New Split EP

"I think as a songwriter the big influence for me is sort of looking at the beautiful simplicity of the song and saying “Look how much you can get across with two parts of the song, two melodies.” Putting on a different skin for a minute makes you grow and learn new colors to work with. Brass Bed, at the end of the day, is a power pop/psychedelic band, but we do like to try and keep ourselves diversified in our musical interest, and clearly this was something that was a little bit further than anything that we’ve ever tried. " Read the full interview with Brass Bed and listen to some tracks off their new split The Color Sessions on CMJ.

Appetite's Teddy Briggs Offers Up His Own Summer Mix on Terror Eyes

Terror Eyes suggests you "grab your lemonade, and find your shady tree" while you listen to Appetite's exclusive "mellow Summer mix" now streaming on their site. Trust us, the picture alone is worth the visit.

The Go Round Have a Chat with Scout Mob

"Listen closely and you'll hear a bit of Elliott Smith by way of the American South, lovely and warm and all the right kinds of loose. That's The Go Round for you, one of New York's most endearing folk-rock acts, born of lead singers Richard Duke and Brandon Whightsel, and featuring Theodora Prunoske on the violin and Scott Townsend on drums. Together, the foursome dish out two parts heart, one part ache and a shot of jangly wit." Read on for the complete interview over on Scout Mob.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Sea of Bees New EP "Gnomes" Reviewed on SSG Music

"Listening to Sea of Bees makes your imagination wander to the realms of Edgar Allan Poe’s darkest story, followed by the best display of musicianship and talent using distorted guitars, sampled drum beats and the ability to do absolutely anything. Jules as they call her, is such a great musician, apparently well-studied, well-practiced and innovative with vocals that will lull you into to strange and magical corners of your meditative mind." Click on over for the full review of Sea of Bees latest EP Gnomes.

Street Eaters Highlighted on the A.V. Club's Monthly list of "Loud"

"John Geek of long-running East Bay punk band The Fleshies has a side project called Street Eaters with his wife Meghan March. The duo has a new album called Rusty Eyes And Hydrocarbons—and it’s as sugary and intoxicating as a hard-cider Slurpee. Stripped to the bone and built back up with blearily distorted bass and playful drums—not to mention lots of new-wave-y, boy-girl vocals—the disc shimmers and sizzles like summer itself. (Bakery Outlet/Plan-It-X)" Read the full list right here on The AV Club.

Pitchfork Reviews Elysian Fields' Latest "Last Night on Earth"

"For 15 years, Brooklyn's Elysian Fields have been reliable purveyors of dream-pop and alt-rock noir. Singer Jennifer Charles exudes a forbidding cocktail-dress cool; her slick presentation conceals uneasy psychological themes. Think Mazzy Star on a serious Bad Seeds binge. The band has collaborated with many leading lights of the American pop avant-garde-- Marc Ribot, John Lurie, John Zorn, and Mike Patton-- while guitarist Oren Bloedow has backed up demanding traditionalists like Dr. John and Lizz Wright." Head on over to Pitchfork to read the complete review of Elysian Fields' Last Night on Earth.

Video Premiere for Point Juncture, Wa's New Video "Chronological Order"

"Forget for a moment that the members of Point Juncture, Wa, are bad at lip-synching. Forget, as well, that the outdoor shots in this Hart Ryan Noecker-directed video (shot on actual film!) could well serve as an advertisement for our fair city. And forget, if you ever knew to begin with, that almost everything in this video—from the shabby-looking Artistery (nothing can quite replace it) to the adorable-looking band (whom I spend one week of my summer with each year at an Eastern Oregon rock camp) to the city lights at night (which I have grown to love so much I have trouble contemplating ever leaving)—is pretty hard for me to be objective about. Or take that last fact into account, I don't really care: I'm convinced that everything and everyone and every note here is strong enough to stand independent of whatever I can add to the conversation." Read the full article and watch the new video at Willamette Weekly.

Chronological Order from ••ANTIPHON•FiLMS•• on Vimeo.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Don't Miss Out on Matt Bauer's Video Session with Laundro Matinee

Matt Bauer and Dana Falconberry join up for an acoustic session in Indianapolis where they perform two songs from his just released The Jessamine County Book of the Living along with "Don't Let Me Out" off of 2008's The Island Moved in the Storm. Read the complete write up and watch all three videos on Laundro Matinee.

Matt Bauer - Don't Let Me Out from LaundroMatinee on Vimeo.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Strong Killings Interviewed and Reviewed on The Rock and Roll Report

"This spirit is a truly refreshing beast as Strong Killings combines such a wide variety of the various punk genres without ever losing any energy or attitude. Yes, definitely loud and uncouth, and such a good album; Strong Killings lay down a message of social unease and nonconformity perfectly." Check out The Rock and Roll Report to read the complete interview with Strong Killings.