BRIDGETOWN COMEDY FESTIVAL, APRIL 12-15th: JUST ADDED: JEANANE GAROFALO, JON GLASER, KURT BRAUNOHLER, TODD BARRY, MORE!

Holy crap, you guys. THIS YEAR'S BRIDGETOWN COMEDY FESTIVAL IS GOING TO BE INSANE.

In five short years, Portland’s Bridgetown Comedy Festival, produced by fan and comic Andy Wood, has established itself as a first rate, world-class comedy event. This year’s festival, aside from marking the five-year anniversary of Bridgetown, features a stunning array of talent, including Doug Benson, Tim Heidecker, Maria Bamford, Pete Holmes, Mary Lynn Rasjkub, Todd Glass, Steve Agee, Horatio Sanz, Jeanane Garofalo, Kurt Braunohler, Todd Barry, Jon Glaser, Maria Thayer, Dave Hill, and many others.

There’s a crazy amount of incredible, nationally-known talent, sure. But one of the most fantastic and outstanding things about Bridgetown as a force in comedy is its organizers’ commitment to seeking out, discovering and showcasing new and as-yet-unknown comics, many from the Pacific Northwest. This year’s festival received more submissions than any other year in its history (more than triple the number of submissions in 2011), and the festival organizers not only reviewed every single submission, but booked an incredible amount of its applicants. According to fest producer and curator Andy Wood, “Over half of this year's 200+ performers are making their Bridgetown debuts, and over 50 of this year's performers were unknown to us before they submitted online. A few names that fall into the unknown-to-us-but-awesome category are Sagar Bhatt, Mike McClowry, David Gborie, Kristen Studard, Sasheer Zamata, KC Arora, Casey Ley and Jesse Elias.”

Tickets are on sale now here.
For performer photos, info & more.
Bridgetown history.
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THE FULL LIST OF CONFIRMED PERFORMERS: http://bridgetowncomedy.com/performers/

The Spinto Band's Free Download: It's All In The Fine Print

This is Book's Music Reviews Bastards of Fate's Who's A Fuzzy Buddy?

The Bastards Of Fate are a band out of Roanoke, Virginia who have the option to play it safe. They could easily be a pop band, but they twist up those options into the obvious, the not-so-obvious, the weird, the bizarre, the crazy, and everything else which helps to turn it into the delightful. Who’s A Fuzzy Buddy (This Will Be Our Summer) brings to mind a lot of so-called “alternative” bands who wanted to display a wide range of sounds for the hell of it. On one end you might hear a song that may have a bit of new wave here, some chamber music there, wrapped up with some country influences, only to get into a bridge that sounds like Italian spaghetti western soundtracks. Imagine if Mike Patton andWayne Coyne did mushrooms with Bjork while hanging out with Electric Light Orchestra, Ween, and Boredoms, but if they liked to create J-pop mash-ups withHanson and Weezer. Yeah, you’re probably thinking “this makes absolutely no sense to me” but when you hear it, it makes perfect sense.

Read the rest and stream the entire album HERE.

Dentoneer Talks With Wooden Wand’s James Jackson

“I was blessed slash cursed with the ability to write songs on command,” Toth said. “I mean, think about J.D. Souther writing all those Eagles songs, you know … How many people covered Dylan? That’s kind of going away, because everybody needs to write, but not everybody should be writing. I’m not going to join a jazz band to play bass, because I can’t; I couldn’t even fake it. It’s like Dirty Harry: Every man’s got to know his limitations.” Click on over the read the rest of Dentoneer's interview with Jackson.

Christiaan Mader of Brass Bed Imagines Alex Chilton and Ray Davies Together

"The humidity suffocates Alex as he clutches his chest and gapes at Ray. When he opens his mouth to speak, a coughing fit erupts from his chest, spewing his cigarette from his mouth on to the cracked and broken sidewalk. Alex watches in horror as it hits the ground, rolling toward an anthill erupting in a crack between two concrete slabs. He slowly turns his head up, eyes expecting laughter but meeting a wry smile on the wounded idol standing on the porch a mere twenty yards away." Read the complete story on Vice here.

The Loom Perform On Capital Public Radio

"Brooklyn's "The Loom" are gearing up to head West on tour in support of their debut LP, "Teeth" Teeth sways from somber drones of distortion and lonely French horn to manic layers of trumpet, guitar fuzz, and cymbal crashes, its resonance lies in the way these contrasts conjure the idiosyncratic personal details and experiences, both immense and minute, of everyday life." Stream their set on Capital Public Radio here.

LIONESS RELEASES NEW SINGLE: "THE NIGHT"; SET TO RELEASE "THE GOLDEN KILLER" LP ON NEW ROMANTIC 4/17!

We are SO thrilled to work with Lioness--and to get you the first single off their forthcoming LP, "The Golden Killer", which is out on New Romantic April 17th. They have tour dates, too--behold.

"THE NIGHT" is downloadable here: http://soundcloud.com/newromantic/lioness-the-night-limited-time

LIONESS ON TOUR:
April 13 Toronto, ON - Horseshoe Tavern (RELEASE SHOW)
April 18 Kingston, ON - The Mansion
April 30 Ottawa, ON - Café Dekcuf
May 1 Montreal, QC - Le Divan Orange
May 3 Brooklyn, NY - Cameo Gallery
May 4 New York, NY - Pianos
May 5 Cleveland, OH - Happy Dog
May 7 Chicago, IL - Township

The Great Pumpkin interviewed Sourpatch!

Nicole Munoz, Christine Tupou, Mander Farrell, and Rich Gutierrez of San Jose’s Sourpatch sat down and talked with me about food, eating, life on the road, a bit of music, and how somethings affect their stomachs. Discussions ranged from their enthusiastic support of Ted Leo and his venture into candy sponsorship (Rich’s love for Citizen’s Arrest), our bonding of the amazing music of Julie Doiron, in depth discussions on ice cream and non-dairy alternatives all the way to thoughts on coffee in San Francisco and potato chips on I-95.

Sourpatch just released their second LP, Stagger and Fade, on the wonderful Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records (the home of 90s influenced indie darlings, and Great Pumpkin favorite, Tunabunny), and are gearing up to not only tour tour but also to food tour throughout May and June.

More about their album after our chat!

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Sourpatch is based in San Jose. Are ya’ll born and raised there?

Rich: Yes.
Nicole: Go sharks!
Rich: hahaha
Nicole: I’ve never been to a sharks game in my life.

Rich told me that he is vegan, two of you are vegetarian, and two are omnivores…how long have the vegetarians and vegans been not eating meat, and the omnivores, were you ever vegetarian?

Mander: 6 years vaginitarian
Rich: Woah! I have been vegan for almost 11 years. I eat fairly healthy as well, except on tour, I have a steady diet of vegan cake and coffee.
Mander: No that’s a lie.
Nicole: I’m the omnivore and I’ve never been vegetarian.
Christine: I eat what I like. I love seafood, but I’ve become accustomed to cooking vegan because Rich and I live together.

Read the rest HERE.

SSG Music offers up Eliza Rickman's "Pretty Little Head."

Los Angeles based artist Eliza Rickman has just self-released O, You Sinners March 6, 2012 and has graciously offered to giveaway “Pretty Little Head” from that album viaSSG Music.

If you haven’t heard of Eliza Rickman, you soon will. She’s one of those people who became fascinated with music, learned how to play a bunch of instruments (piano, strings, percussion), then proceeded to discover the miracle of layering. “Pretty Little Head” shows off her creative prowess as well as her cute, catchy vocal style.

Read the rest and listen to the track HERE.

Johnny Headband's Video "Over There" On Baeble Music!

Click on over to watch "Over There" on Baeble Music now.

Tom Tom Magazine interviewed The Curious Mystery!!

Tom Tom Magazine: How’d you get signed to K Records?

The Curious Mystery: Our friends in Seattle run a radio station called Hollow Earth Radio and they throw a great festival every year to raise funds. The first year they held it the Curious Mystery and Calvin Johnson were both on the bill for the finale show, Calvin was right up front watching our set and after we played he took our set list and got Nic’s phone number, called the next day, and we recorded our first album with him at Dub Narcotic.

How do you feel your sound has changed over the years?
We play more upbeat songs now than when we started out, although we still like to keep a balance. Most of my favorite bands play to a wide range of tempos and emotions, the Velvet Underground was all over the place! I think our first album is pretty slow and dark, we called it “Rotting Slowly” to sort of make fun of ourselves, although I don’t think most people saw it that way judging from the reviews…I remember Pitchfork questioning whether I was a safe person to be left alone with!

Read the rest HERE.

Bowlegs Gives Solander's "Passing Mt. Satu" High Marks

"It’s no wonder that the band have made a niche for themselves doing soundtrack work (notably on the wonderfully Nordic-sounding A Dead Crow and Hate Gothenburg). They’re that good, cinema has come to work for them: they were accompanied by Dutch visual artist Iris Piers for collaboration on their previous tour. I have no idea where or what Mt Satu is, but these views you get as you pass are gorgeous." Visit Bowlegs to read the rest of the review.

Noisey Talks To Brendan From The Pharmacy About His Old Day Job

"When I heard that The Pharmacy’s drummer Brendan used to be a weed farmer, I had developed a few preconceived notions about him. Firstly, it made perfect sense that he kept postponing our meeting due to his forgetfulness and oversleeping and stuff (took two weeks and, like, eight rainchecks to make this interview happen). Two, I was pretty sure that he would have long, stoner hair, smell faintly ‘herbal,’ and throw around a lot of “yeahhhhhhhh duuuude it was totally rad’s” while relaying highlarious anecdotes from the weed farm." Read on for the full interview with Brendan over on Noisey.

Listen to Solander's New Track "The Garden" On Spinner!

"'The Garden' was closing in on perfection. They lived through their flowers and the rising sun was always a blessing. It was their life's work and their dream at once. Then a series of events stopped this paradise from blossoming and the dream was lost in their minds." -- Guitarist Fredrik Karlsson Listen now at Spinner.com

Verbicide Magazine Stopped By The Riot Act Day Party And Wrote All About It!

"The Swan Dive is an upscale bar in Austin that hosts 1920s-themed parties, and the bartenders have the know-how to make any kind of cocktail you desire. The stage is set up just beside the venue’s large windows and cream-colored curtains, allowing in the perfect amount of sunlight. For a day show, the place was packed with eager fans." Check out Verbicide's coverage of our SXSW event complete with a full photo set!

The Spinto Band Performs A Song For BITBY.TV

Watch The Spinto Band perform live below between shows at SXSW.

The Reader Reviews Conduits Debut Album

"Conduits have grown into Omaha's brightest indie rock beacons thanks to patience.

Right players, right label, right songs. All have come together as the band, headed up by singer Jenna Morrison and guitarists J.J. Idt and Nate Mickish, have given their project time to evolve." Read the complete review over on The Reader.

SSG Reviews Solander's "Passing Mt. Satu"

"Their folksy style fits in quite well with the softer trend in rock these days that has left many to wonder if ‘rock’ is dead. Dave Grohl may lament the type of songwriting that lends itself more to small packed coffee shops than stadiums that makes ants of the musicians, but it is hard to disregard its value listening toPassing Mt. Satu. “Flight” is home to the most depressing thought humanity has tooffer: “Everyone on this earth dies alone/And so will we.” The banjo and strings create mournful bluegrass with the easiness of floating down a river on an inner tube."

Mashable on Denison Witmer's Skype Concerts

"After chatting with him for roughly five minutes about these sessions, Witmer plays “Stations,” one of two songs I requested. The Lancaster native lets fans pick any song in his catalogue, and asks that selections be chosen beforehand. He has a big songbook to choose from, having just released his ninth album, The Ones Who Wait, earlier this month. Witmer got his start playing with singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens before going solo, and has built a very loyal following since." Read on at Mashable.

Watch Wooden Wand "Supermoon" Live at SXSW

CONDUITS IN BILLBOARD

"Rebecca Thomas' "Electrick Children," about a 15-year-old Mormon girl whose first exposure to rock music winds up with a mysterious pregnancy, sparked an interest in its music selections. The film end credits song, which received an enthusiastic response during a Q&A, is the Conduit's "Top of the Hill."Signed to Conor Oberst and Nate Krenkel's Team Love label, the Conduits' album will be released March 20, two days before they go on an extensive tour with Cursive and Cymbals Eat Guitars. Krenkel consulted on the music for the film, landing "Top of the Hill" on the trailer as well."" Read the full film review on Billboard now.

Sourpatch go "Fishin" for Rookie

Sourpatch recorded a brand new song called "Fishin" especially for Rookie. Check it out HERE.

Alialuyah Choir: "A House, A Home"

Read the complete article on how the video was made over on OPB.

Brass Bed's Cover Of "One" w/ Allison Bohl Premieres On MOKB

"The cover comes after being asked to perform for a Harry Nilsson tribute night, Brass Bed and long-time collaborator Allison Bohl, decided to record their take on Harry’s classics that now taken the form of a four-song EP featuring, in addition to One, He Needs Me, He’s Large, and Don’t Forget Me. Brass Bed’s version utilizes the piano that is all-so familiar in the original, but layers it over lush atmospheric distortion that takes it to an even darker place than Nilsson’s version." Listen to "One" now on MOKB.

Watch The Video For Solander's new single "Book Of Advice"

Solander – Book Of Advice from A Tenderversion Recording on Vimeo.

Download Denison Witmer's "Life Before Aesthetics" On Spin Now

"The Ones Who Wait is Witmer’s first record for Sufjan Stevens' label’s base, Asthamtic Kitty. "Life Before Aesthetics" follows in the same steady, supremely solid acoustic-based jams Witmer has always offered up, but the man tosses in some sad sack organ and gloomy horns to ratchet the track’s melancholy tone up to near tear-shedding levels." Click on to download the track exclusively from Spin.com.

Consequence of Sound Premiere The Loom's – “In Your Doldrums”

"Brooklyn’s own folk-infused rockers The Loom take a simple yet effective approach for their “In You Doldrums” video. Some string lights, glass orbs, sidewalk chalk, a few strobes, and a judicious use of darkness are all they need to create a work of art." Click on over to Consequence of Sound to watch the video.

KEXP Reviews The Pack A.D. @ Crocodile 2/28

"Miller plays off Black’s dark themes and punkish yowl with comic relief. Her between-song banter will either make you laugh or want to launch a beer at her, which either way makes for a fun show. On guitar and vocals, Black is captivating. She’s alluring and dangerous, like a younger Juliette Lewis… but musically more talented (sorry, JL!). " Read on for the rest of the live review and more pictures from the set.

Watch The Pharmacy's New Video “Pines” Premiered On Consequence Of Sound

"Seattle’s psychedelic punk outfit The Pharmacy goes vintage with their new video for “Pines”. Shot on Super 8 and 16mm film, the clip’s classic feel fits nicely with the simple joys of jamming together and hanging out by the river." Check it out on Consequence of Sound.

Denison Witmer's "The Ones Who Wait" Gets High Marks On Consequence Of Sound

"While Witmer has always aired on the honest, personal side of singing and songwriting, The Ones Who Wait drives the Pennsylvania native’s intimacy to a new level with content that centers on life, death, and relationships. In his own words, the album is about 'patience and reverence…being mindful and open to what you’re experiencing.'" Visit Consequence of Sound here to read more.

Bust Magazine premieres "Be Still" - the new video from The Curious Mystery!

At this point in winter, it feels like our down jacket is melding with our skin, and that spring may never actually materialize. But watching "Be Still," the spacey-yet-cheery new video from The Curious Mystery, is making us believe that bare legs and beach parties are just around the corner.

Check out the rest, and watch the video HERE.

Watch John Heart Jackie Perform Two Acoustic Tracks

Shot while on tour in Manitou Springs, CO, John Heart Jackie perform two live acoustic renditions of "Hook In My Arm" and "You've Been On My Mind."

RIOT ACT CROSSOVER! THE ETTES' COCO HAMES REVIEWS THE NEW TIM & ERIC MOVIE (TIM HEIDECKER PERFORMS AT THE 2012 BRIDGETOWN COMEDY FEST!)

"Everything is a challenge, either to you (can you hang?) or to the concept of comedy itself. A longstanding rule in improv is that you never say "no" — you never stop a joke or a routine before it can start. Tim and Eric say "no" all the time, and their brand of anti-humor rises like a creepy, drooling, two-headed phoenix from the ashes of standard comedic practice." Read Coco Hames' full review on Nashville Scene here.

2012 BRIDGETOWN COMEDY FESTIVAL: NOW IN ITS FIFTH YEAR! MORE CONFIRMED PERFORMERS ANNOUNCED! TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

In five short years, Portland’s Bridgetown Comedy Festival, produced by fan and comic Andy Wood, has established itself as a first rate, world-class comedy event. This year’s festival, aside from marking the five-year anniversary of Bridgetown, features a stunning array of talent, including Doug Benson, Tim Heidecker, Maria Bamford, Pete Holmes, Mary Lynn Rasjkub, Todd Glass, Steve Agee, Horatio Sanz and many others.

Tickets are now on sale, and the full schedule will be announced soon.

Read the complete press release for all the details.

WEB: http://bridgetowncomedy.com
TWITTER: @bridgetown
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/bridgetowncomedy
Tickets are on sale now here: http://2012bridgetowncomedyfestival.eventbrite.com/
For performer photos, info & more: http://bridgetowncomedy.com/performers/
Bridgetown history: http://bridgetowncomedy.com/history/

Stream Denison Witmer's "The Ones Who Wait" On Paste Now

"Denison Witmer’s poetic neo-folk style he has perfected in nearly two decades since his first release on a cassette in 1995 hasn’t faltered with his latest release, The Ones Who Wait. In fact, the album can be seen as a growth for Witmer as a musician and he explores his life experiences through intimate reflections." Head on over to Paste now and listen.

My Old Kentucky Blog Is Giving Away A Personal Performance via Skype from Denison Witmer

"My wife and I are expecting our first child this December. We can’t wait! Part of getting to know him/her means that I won’t be touring anymore this fall or early spring. However, I still want to stay active with my fans and play music, so I came up with this “Holiday / Baby On The Way tour 2011." Read on for more information on how to enter.

HUICHICA MUSIC FESTIVAL LINEUP ANNOUNCED! BEACHWOOD SPARKS, SONNY AND THE SUNSETS, POOR MOON, PURE BATHING CULTURE, MORE!

ABOUT THE HUICHICA MUSIC FESTIVAL:
There are a lot of music festivals these days. They vary in scope from giant scale corporate behemoths featuring A-list headliners and a slew of up-to-the-minute buzz bands to tiny street fairs. Somewhere down the middle path exists a new breed of homegrown boutique fest, usually curated and produced by one or two people, often artist-led, and mainly tailored towards vibe. A good rule of thumb for this type of event is that it’s best if it occurs in a stunningly beautiful place.

Now in its third year, the Huichica Music Festival in Sonoma, California is the embodiment of this new breed of festival—gorgeous location, experientially fantastic for both artists and fans, hand-picked and extra-awesome lineup, and more.

DATES:
JUNE 1 & 2, 2012

THE LINEUP:
BEACHWOOD SPARKS
PAPERCUTS
SONNY AND THE SUNSETS
POOR MOON
COTTON JONES
THE DONKEYS
OCCIDENTAL BROTHERS DANCE BAND INTERNATIONAL
LITTLE WINGS
SEA OF BEES
PURE BATHING CULTURE
OLD LIGHT
DJ SET FROM VETIVER’S ANDY CABIC
LIVE FILM SCORE FROM TIM RUTILI AND RACHEL BLUMBERG
SONNY SMITH & FRIENDS PERFORM “SEES ALL, KNOWS ALL”

TICKETS, PHOTOS, JAMS & MORE INFO AVAILABLE ON THIS AMAZING, SUPER USER-FRIENDLY & INFORMATIVE SITE.

"Shit People at SXSW DON'T Say" Brought To You By The Spinto Band

"Be Still" - A Brand New Video by The Curious Mystery!

"Be Still" is Side A of The Curious Mystery's new 7" coming out on K Recs.

Be sure to check them out on tour. Look at ALL THESE DATES!

This is Book's Music Reviews Sourpatch's Stagger and Fade

Biting indie rock with those nice touches of pop and punk (and perhaps bubble gum pop?) mixing and playing with one another as if it’s a jungle gym: that’s the sound that Sourpatch provide on their album Stagger and Fade (HHBTM).

The band alternate between female and male vocals, and by doing so it allows listeners to hear the different qualities not only amongst each singer, but also in the songwriting department. The songs are observations of ones world in their immediate vicinity, as well as their outlook on one another and the rest of the world, done in a way that is exciting to hear, and is probably more powerful to see and hear live. Musically, they keep things rough, rugged, and raw, and while you may just hear the immediacy of these songs, listen real good and you’ll hear a few nice quirks in how they play. It’s not just a band trying to play punk-flavored punk just for the hell of it, nor are they trying to be lofty or prog rock about it. It’s the kind of album that is sure to become a staple of many “best of” year end lists because of how blunt it is to hear. Honest and genuine, makes me wish more bands and albums were like this. Thank you, Sourpatch.

Our Hearts & Thoughts Go Out to Fay Wrays

We've just heard the incredibly sad news that Fay Wrays bassist Paul A. Harper is no longer with us. Everyone at Riot Act Media sends their condolences, love and support to Eli, Ben, and Paul's family. There are never any words when someone passes away, but the band's beautiful ones follow: "It is with our utmost sadness and deep regret that we inform you all that our dear friend and collaborator Paul A. Harper passed away. It was a humbling experience to share a stage with such a vibrant artist and friend. He was truly a gifted human being who was so easy to bond with and to love. He will be forever missed. - Ben & Eli. (the video below is of a live show of us playing with Paul.) RIP Paul Albert Harper."

Listen To Gabriel and the Hounds' “What Good Would That Do?” On MTV

"Wasting no time with dusky guitars ringing out and a stomping kick-drum pounding away, Gabriel and the Hounds’ “What Good Would That Do” is the sort of tone-setter that a young Quentin Tarantino dug through countless crates trying to find." Listen and read on at MTV Hive.

The Herald Extra Chats With John Heart Jackie

"Songs have to be real," Murray said. "One thing that I think that our songs do in general, and that I hope that they do, that regardless of whether they're sad or happy or neutral or whatever, is that they transmit and instill this sense of hope, that in the end they make you feel good." Read on for the complete interview on The Herald here.