WE LOVE YOU, KELLY! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING A PART OF RIOT ACT!

We have been so honored to have gotten to work with Kelly McClure--she's just the raddest. And now, she's Vice Magazine's new Music Editor! SO MANY CONGRATS to Kelly, and so many thanks from us. xoxo.

Listen To Billy & Dolly's "Gold" On This Is Book's Music.

"As for the two, if you recognize them, then you are familiar with Bill Rousseau and Dahlia Gallin Ramirez from their time with The Monolith, who were known for their love of everything that’s Moog. The electronic/synth size went to sleep when the group split, but Rousseau and Ramirez felt like continuing with their musical collaboration, which is how Billy & Dolly materialized." Listen to "Gold" and read the rest over here.

Take A Sneak Peak At The Spinto Band's Key Studio Session

"On Tuesday, Wilmington’s premier indie-poppers The Spinto Band will release its latest full-length record, The Shy Pursuit. To say we’re excited about it over here at The Key would be a massive understatement. The record is an excitable, energetic collection of eclectic pop songcraft that is more than worth the wait since the band’s last release, 2008′s Moonwink." Read on over here.

Download Pure Bathing Culture's "Ivory Coast" On Mix Tape Muse.

"The sun peers from behind departing rain clouds, and the chill fades. A veil of light falls gracefully down upon the shadows of the storm, returning a sense of comfort to the world. Darkness cracks under the force of it all, and now everything feels undeniably blissful. It comes across as a rather cathartic experience, and that pretty much captures the essence of Pure Bathing Culture's "Ivory Coast." With its glistening reverb and echo of '80s pop, it's pleasant and oh so charming." Read the rest and download "Ivory Coast" here.

Sea of Bees' "Orangefarben" Editor's Pick on eMusic!

"With sunny-sounding guitars and a sweet, ethereal voice that belies the agony of which she sings, Bee makes Orangefarben a meditation on mind over matter, the importance of gasping “I’ll be fine” again and again, even when it’s clear you’re not. “And I know I shouldn’t think those thoughts / but I’ve gone ahead and thought those thoughts and I’m fine,” she confesses on “Teeth,” as if convincing herself that the worst may be over, that time might go about its business and provide some relief. And if that grief is never fully eradicated, if she still finds herself longing for the comfort and safety of old attachments (oh, the sad letters I wrote to my parents from summer camp!), then at least the baggage she lugs around with her will be beautiful. Read the full review over here.

What Hearts' Self-Titled LP Reviewed On Darling Dork!

"The instrumentation and lyrical content on Do It In the Day have a very folk feel, but the vocal harmonization and violin give a distinct country vibe. Julie’s vocal style, on the other hand, is very indie pop. These various elements play off one another surprisingly well, and blend together into a very natural sound." Read the full review right here.

JACKPOT! ANNIVERSARY SHOWCASE POSTER! EXCITING!

Stream The Spinto Band's "Sly Pursuit" On Paste.

"The Spinto Band is bringing a good name back to pop music. Comprised of Jon Eaton (guitar), Nick Krill (vocals, guitar), Thomas Hughes (bass, vocals), Jeff Hobson (drums), Sam Hughes (keyboards, vocals) and Joe Hobson (guitar, vocals), the Delawarean rockers create catchy, textured three-minute ditties with an DIY aesthetic." Listen to the full album on Paste here.

CONDUITS: NEW LOVE DRUNK VIDEO FOR "THE WONDER":

This stunning video from Love Drunk showcases Conduits playing "The Wonder" live in a dark, dark room inside Omaha's The Slowdown. It is gorgeous, haunting, magnetic, engaging, and all-around fantastic...and we would LOVE for you to watch and share. Their energy live is compelling, and this video perfectly captures an amazing performance of an incredible song.

Tiny Mix Tapes Offers Up Johnny Headband's "Hot Button Topic" For Your Listening Pleasure.

"Sunshine. “Hot Button Topic” brings it. Your joints will free up and veins will pump with sparking endorphins; you’ll hunger for the mossy sting of fresh-cut grass stabbing up your nostrils; you’ll want to get your knees kicking high up; your fists will fold, and you’ll flail your arms as you jog out into the warming air — the smog of honking, zooming cars doesn’t even bother you; you’re off: This is a Summer Jam!" Download the track now and read on at Tiny Mix Tapes!

The Spinto Band's New Video For "Cookie Falls" Premiered On Consequence of Sound!

"Their long, hard work has paid off in a home-style video for “Cookie Falls”, the first cut off Shy Pursuit. Likel labelmates Dr. Dog and Generationals, The Spinto Band’s big, sweet retro arrangements perfectly soundtrack a nervous, Ginger Rogers-esque dancer performing for someone’s birthday. If only the stone-faced band members watching her were as charmed as we were (come on, she brought balloons!)." Read on and watch the video on Consequence of Sound here.

Delaware Online Chats It Up With The Spinto Band!

"For the first time since their breakout album “Nice and Nicely Done,” the band has no label. They recorded “Shy Pursuit” in their own home studio nestled in the hills of Hockessin at their own pace, funded with money made from touring and merchandise sales. They even brought back their old label name, Spintonic, for this new release." Read the complete interview over on Delaware Online!

Now Toronto Reviews Eamon McGrath's "Young Canadians"

"But it’s in the slow-burning, stripped-down Auditorium where McGrath hits an absolute sweet spot. Haunting and wistful, the song’s simple melody is deceptively catchy, and his powerful, rough-hewn vocals and heartfelt lyrics make it one to hold onto." Read the full review over on Now Toronto.

Gabriel and the Hounds' Daytrotter Session Up Now!

"There are bones being picked clean in Gabriel and the Hounds songs. They could very well be getting picked by the same hounds that lead singer Gabriel Levine is running with - that he's raising and training, that he's been patting on the head and thumping proudly on the ribs as they sit at his side. There is carnage littered about the ground, at the feet, broken people strewn here and there, in their various states of breakdown, and there are definitely buzzards and turkey vultures mingling around for their turns at the leftovers." Listen to Gabriel and The Hound's Daytrotter Session here!

Watch Kaia Wilson's Self-Made Video For "Canopy".

Recorded on her iPhone and edited herself, Wilson's latest video for "Canopy" is from her new album TWO ADULT WOMEN IN LOVE (out May 22nd on Jealous Butcher Records).

CANOPY from kaia wilson on Vimeo.

Natural Beardy presents a Beardy Session with Portland's Pure Bathing Culture!

Pure Bathing Culture - Ivory Coast - Beardy Session from Natural Beardy on Vimeo.

Wooden Wand's Briarwood is Out Today!

Early press for "Briarwood [Deluxe Edition]":

"If you're not familiar, now is as good a time as any to get acquainted. It's all this lovely." Spin

"Whether recording as Wooden Wand, under his own name or with others, I’ve long made a point to keep up with most everything James Jackson Toth has a hand in." Aquarium Drunkard

"...one of our favorite indie artists." American Songwriter

"[Briarwood] was one of the best albums to come out of the Magic City in recent memory." Oxford American

Listen To What Hearts' "Do it in the Day" On bePortland!

"The forthcoming album from Portland's What Hearts Self-Titled is out May 15th on Glad I Did Recordings! Make sure to check out their new video for "The Morning Crew" below and look out for these ladies on their upcoming Pacific Northwest tour." Read and listen now over on bePortland.

Pop Shifter Loves Johnny Headband's "Who Cooks For You"

"Like the music itself, Who Cooks For You? poses an unanswered (or unanswerable) question: Who (or what) is Johnny Headband? Who Cooks For You? seems familiar yet it’s not beholden to current “indie” music trends; it refuses to be pigeonholed but all the same, it is one ridiculously enjoyable album. Who Cooks For You? crams a lot of flavor into its 35 minutes." Read the full review on Pop Shifter here!

Fantastic feature on Bastards of Fate on the Phrequency blog!

Engrossing, weird, melodramatic pop

Much as their name suggests, Roanoke, VA’s The Bastards of Fate were born from the unholy union of musical curiosity and circumstance. Formed in 2006 by musical madman Doug Cheatwood, the band encountered many a setback early on: some their own fault (pulling a Black Lips and getting banned from venues), some the fault of cruel, cruel fate (their practice space being burned to the ground; their van being robbed.) But just as David defeated Goliath (and that girl from the Hunger Games killed all those other people in the Hunger Games), they preserved—beating the odds and creating a debut record that’s warm, fuzzy, and super (awesomely) weird.

That record is called Who’s a Fuzzy Buddy and really, “weird” doesn’t do it justice. Combining elements of new wave, indie pop, psychedelia and more, Fuzzy Buddy teems with sly pop hooks and eclectic sound effects: shrieks, crashes, wind blowing through trees, car doors slamming, babies crying—resulting in something totally new, and strangely accessible.

Read the rest HERE.

Listen To Pure Bathing Culture At Nialler 9!

"Portland(ia) is hometown for Pure Bathing Culture, the oddly-named indie-pop duo of Daniel Hindman and Sarah Versprille. Their debut self-titled EP is out on May 22nd through Father/Daughter Records. Its four tracks are full of sweet melodies, ’80s guitar effects and subtle synth sounds." Listen now over on Nialler9 here!

Altsounds reviews the Bastards of Fate album!

Since their formation in 2006, The Bastards of Fate have encountered much hardship. Their gigs would end in various mechanical calamities. Their rambunctious capers would get them barred from popular venues. Even The Bastards' rehearsal space burnt down, destroying their equipment. But now in the year 2012, The Bastards of Fate shrug off past sufferings and pose the question.. Who’s a Fuzzy Buddy?

Read the rest HERE.

Sea Of Bees' "Orangefarben" Streaming Now On NPR!

"It's hard to imagine packing more heartache into a single record than Julie Ann Bee does on Orangefarben. The album, her second full-length under the name Sea of Bees, is a collection of intimate, sometimes gut-wrenching love letters documenting the dissolution of a passionate but doomed relationship. This is Bee's heart laid bare: The songs are raw, personal and burning with love, sex, longing and grief." Listen now on NPR.

Stream The Electronic Anthology Project of Dinosaur Jr. On Stereogum

"Now, The Electronic Anthology Project of Dinosaur Jr., a collection of reinterpreted Dinosaur Jr. tracks, and yeah, Nelson got J. Mascis to record some new vox for that, too. This Nelson fellow is a go-getter, seems like. We’ve got the full thing, which features new versions of tracks like “Little Fury Things” and “Feel The Pain,” streaming below." Stream it now on Stereogum!

Wooden Wand's Picks Five Inspiring Songs On Impose Magazine

"James Toth of Wooden Wand has already been our Friend With Benefits. So we thought it best to get to know his musical taste further with a Selector. Wooden Wand's Briarwood - Deluxe Edition is out May 28 on Fire Records." Listen to all five songs on Impose now.

Johnny Headband's Video "And Then Again" Featured On MTV Buzzworthy

"The dudes in Johnny Headband are all about perseverance. In their fantastically wacky video for "And Then Again," the Detroit-based electro-pop trio try their best at chess, racing and rodeo and end up with some wildly mixed results. But just like your mom probably told you a million times: It's not whether you win or lose, it's how sexy you look while crawling across a strobe-lit dance floor in your gender-bending off-the-shoulder blouse and super-creepy black gloves." Read the full write up and watch their video now here!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: PETE HOLMES & DOUG BENSON ON KATU THIS MORNING RE: BRIDGETOWN!

"Comedians Doug Benson and Pete Holmes stop by the show. If you recognize Pete's voice, that's because he's voice of the E*Trade baby! The guys stick around for a completely fair game of Doug Loves Movies." Listen now on AM Northwest!

What Hearts On VintageGuitar.com!

"Portland’s What Hearts will release their first full-length album, Do It In The Day, on May 15th. The ten-track album delivers elements of tall tales, murder ballads, Jewsish fold songs and other adventures. With a sound that has been compared to Simon and Garfunkel, the five-woman ensemble brings pop and rock sensibilities and years of experience to their music." Read the full article on Vintage Guitar here.

Bloggertronix Hears The Roar Of Lioness!

"BACK IN 2008 I INTERVIEWED VANESSA FISCHER, FRONT WOMAN OF ONE OF THE MOST FIERCE ROCK OUTFITS BASED IN TORONTO, 'LIONESS' (CHECK THIS LINK FOR LIVE FOOTAGE & STORY!). BACK THEN THEY HAD JUST RELEASED THEIR DEBUT SELF TITLED EP AND I WENT TO SEE THE BAND PERFORM. I THOUGHT THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY SMASHING LIVE, VANESSA'S VOICE IS AN ALL POWERFUL ENTITY UNTO ITSELF, AND THE BAND WERE TIGHT AS ALL HELL. FAST FORWARD A FEW YEARS, AND THE TRIO ARE SET TO DROP THEIR FULL LENGTH VIA NEW ROMANTIC TONIGHT IN TORONTO." READ ON AT BLOGGERTRONIX.

Wooden Wand Demos Featured On Aquarium Drunkard

"Whether recording as Wooden Wand, under his own name or with others, I’ve long made a point to keep up with most everything James Jackson Toth has a hand in. Next week sees the release of the deluxe edition of Wooden Wand’s 2011 Briarwood LP, supplemented with 8 stripped down corresponding demos of songs from the original release. In Toth’s own words, “the demos are the grimoire.” Here, on the eighth installment of the Lagniappe Sessions, Toth pays tribute to Jonathan Richman and Born Against." Listen to the demos over on Aquarium Drunkard here.

Vice Premieres Hot Panda's Latest "Future Markets"

"This song has that sort of restrained, through the teeth aggression that is felt mere moments before the brick goes through the window or the bowl of noodles hits the wall behind your girlfriend's head." Listen to the track on Vice here!

Nylon loves Sourpatch!

The poppy, upbeat melodies of the California band Sourpatch are exactly like the candy of the same name—sugary, a little sharp, and totally addictive.

The playful four-piece (2 guys, 2 girls) pair their soothing vocals backed by a raw guitar foundation, all for an indie pop sound that’s like Best Coast meets Tiger Trap.

While their first album, Crushin’, brings us back to innocent middle school playground days, Sourpatch has since matured with the new release of Stagger and Fade.
Their latest single, “Cynthia Ann,” touches on the letdowns of a relationship, but with a bittersweet optimism we can all appreciate.

Read the rest over at NYLON.

BRIDGETOWN COMEDY FESTIVAL STARTS TODAY; ON THE COVER OF THE PORTLAND MERCURY & IN WILLAMETTE WEEK!

Here's the link to the feature:
http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/a-mountain-of-comedians/Content?oid=5911524

BRIDGETOWN COMEDY FESTIVAL STARTS TOMORROW! RUNS APRIL 12-15th: MARIA BAMFORD, TIM HEIDECKER, DOUG BENSON, JEANANE GAROFALO, JON GLASER, KURT

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

THE FULL LIST OF CONFIRMED PERFORMERS: http://bridgetowncomedy.com/performers/

Stream Eight Wooden Wand Demos On American Songwriter

"Wooden Wand’s James Toth, one of our favorite indie artists, will release Briarwood on Apri 17. He graciously shared with us the demos for the album, which we’d like to pass along to you (they’re also available on the deluxe edition)." Listen to all eight demo tracks on American Songwriter here.

Johnny Headband's New Video "And Then Again" Premiered On Tiny Mix Tapes

"Detroit’s brother duo Johnny Headband show their resolve in this video for the second single from their forthcoming Who Cooks For You (summer 2012). The secret as to how mastery of the royal game of Chess can lead to the Americana corral-kick-outs of the rodeo will likely be revealed throughout the subsequent songs on the full album." Read the full write up and watch the video over on Tiny Mix Tapes!

Eamon McGrath's "Young Canadians" Released Today!

Eamon McGrath's LP "Young Canadians" is out today on White Whale Records. You can watch his video below or stream the full album over on Exclaim here!

Vice Premiere Of Sea of Bees New Video "Broke"

"This new Sea of Bees video for the song "Broke" off of their upcoming album Orangefarben is quite possibly the crispest and most refreshing to watch video that I've ever watched." Watch it for yourself over on Vice here!

Check Out The Electronic Anthology Project's Cover Of Dinosaur Jr.'s "The Lung" On Spin Now!

"In what's quickly becoming one of the most tantalizing Record Store Day lineups to date, Built to Spill bassist Brett Nelson has also recorded new-wave interpretations of Dinosaur Jr. classics as part of his Electronic Anthology Project — with fresh vocal takes from guitarist J. Mascis." Listen and read on over on Spin.

Listen to Denison Witmer's Lovely Daytrotter Session Up Now

"He sings on, "Light On My Face," "Nothing replaces you now/Nobody knows how/Nothing replaces you now/No one and no how." It's pretty definitive. You fall apart a little when he's at it again, singing, "We fill those rooms between us/Every day we die unto ourselves/I counted up my blessings/I signed my name across you/I took yours upon myself/I'll be your friend." When he sings those words in front of us, we nearly kick him out and just tell him to cancel the last couple days of the tour, leave William Fitzsimmons to fend for his damn self and just speed home as quickly as he possibly can." Listen to his Daytrotter session over here

Download Wooden Wand's "Wither Away" On Spin!

"Sweetly strummed acoustic guitars, a lolling melody sung in a rueful, slightly weathered voice, lyrics of homespun wisdom — these aren't exactly groundbreaking elements upon which to build a song, but when they're used with as much heartfelt care as Wooden Wand's James Jackson Toth gives them on "Wither Away," they're pretty much irresistible." Listen and download "Wither Away" now on Spin.

Sea of Bees "Take" Premiered On RCRDLBL

Sea Of Bees, the musical project of Sacramento multi-instrumentalist Julie Ann Baenziger, will release a new album, Orangefarben, April 9 via Heavenly Recordings. The LP showcases Baenziger playing nearly all the instruments. Album cut “Take” is a sparkling indie-pop burner that's equal parts moody and hopeful, Baenziger’s voice pairing with her dulcet instrumentals to create an intimately evocative soundscape." Listen to Take" over on RCRDLBL here.

eMusic Shares A Track From Electric Anthology Project

"It’s understandable if the idea of Dinosaur Jr. songs being reworked to sound like they should have been on the soundtrack of (the original) Karate Kid or some other 1980s movie that involves a blonde haired, blue eyed bad guy makes you uncomfortable. But Brett Nelson (bassist from Built to Spill) won’t steer you wrong." Listen to a track over on eMusic.

Check out this video of The Curious Mystery at the Warp Records showcase during SXSW

NEW CONDUITS VIDEO: "LAST DIRGE"!

We hope you find Conduits' debut video for "Last Dirge" to be as stunningly haunting, engaging and arresting as it feels to us. Beautifully shot and epically, dreamily directed, the video finds Conduits' Jenna Morrison in the midst of a somnambulant-feeling day/nightmare. She is being watched, and not only by you.



VIEW/SHARE IT HERE:
Director Jonathan Tvrdik
Producer Tessa V. Wedberg
Assoc. Producer Jonathan Purcell
DP Michael Lang

Magnet Q&A With Wooden Wand's James Jackson Toth

We should talk about the new record that’s coming out.
That should be the focus. [Laughs] That’s seems to be a big part of the problem, spreading myself too thin and people don’t know. It’s weird, because I get accused of being too prolific, but if you pay attention it’s the one’s with the barcodes that you can get on Amazon that are the ones you review, the ones you pay attention to. The ones that come out on tape labels in Belgium, they’re not for everybody, because by the time people go looking for them they’re out of print or maybe never came out at all. There’s people more prolific than me. Jesus, how many records did Thelonius Monk put out in a year? Continue on for the rest of Toth's Interview on Magnet right here.