RIOT ACT MEDIA, JULY 2008--MAKING IT HAPPEN!

And, by “it”, we don’t just mean barbecues peppered with illegally imported fireworks, although we do mean that, too. In lieu of mixing metaphors about how our hott summer releases will tan your backside with their stunning brightness, we’ll just get on with what knowledge we have to drop on you this July. And by “knowledge”, we mean “records”, and a “publication.” Perhaps you’re chomping at the bit to hear about Maps and Atlases’ You And Me And The Mountain EP (Sargent House, 7/15), The Hard Lessons’ B&G Sides LP (Quack, 7/8), Love You Moon’s Waxwane (Sargent House, 7/15), new Riot Act Family Addition Miss TK & The Revenge’s No Biterz EP (Mr. Record, 7/8) or the Under The Radar Protest Issue 2008? My friend, you’re in the right place. Likewise if you’re curious about tour dates from our pals Alina Simone, Bird Names, The Coast, Good Old War, The Interiors, Little Pieces, Maps and Atlases, Neva Dinova, RX Bandits and Say Hi, all of which you can view at www.riotactmedia.com/tourdates.htm.

About Maps & Atlases’ You and Me and the Mountain: These are songs that wrestle themselves from flailing, algebraic fits of spazzy guitar notes and drum ruptures to lulling, voice-driven melodies that speak stories using lyrical images strung together like soup cans chasing a Cadillac. Mostly influenced by experimental and technically adept musicians such as Hella, Don Caballero, and Psych-Folkies Devendra Banhart and Six Organs of Admittance, Maps and Atlases create a distinctive blend of the intricate and organic. You can hear the title track for this EP on the band’s MySpace page (www.myspace.com/mapsandatlases), and you can see them on the road as much as you want, because they are touring into infinity and beyond. www.riotactmedia.com/maps.htm

A bananas li'l video of them playing about a month ago with FOALS:


The Hard Lessons don't suck in a way that can make the most jaded cynic care about something new again. Their instantly memorable neurotic rock-indie (in The Hard Lessons case, “Rock” comes before “Indie”) keeps the self-conscious singing and dancing well past last call--The Hard Lessons continue to out-work, out-rock and out-play expectations—they’ve killed it onstage in support of Iggy and the Stooges, Wolfmother, Rodrigo y Gabriella, Ok Go, Brendan Benson, The Dirtbombs, New York Dolls, The Killers, Von Bondies, Electric Six and Social Distortion, just to give you an idea. To get a better one, hear jams from their new LP, B&G Sides, on their MySpace Page (http://www.myspace.com/thehardlessons)Don’t miss them on tour if you can help it.

There are those who are disciples of Matt Embree, and those who just haven’t gotten it yet—if you’re one of the latter, we’re hoping that his new project, Love You Moon, will make you one of the former. The longtime RX Bandits/Sound of Animals Fighting frontman, studio owner and all-around songwriting genius’ new full-length, Waxwane, is out on Sargent House on 7/15, and you can hear tracks on (you guessed it) Matt’s MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/loveyoumoondog). Embree’s passionate notes on the human condition, love, struggle and the current sociopolitical battles we all face are stunning, immediate, poignant and spit with hot, furied frustration that is as poetic as it is urgent.

Speaking of politics, this month also marks the release of Under The Radar’s 2008 Protest Issue. Using the time-honored connection between politics and music to promote political dialogue and awareness in a way that few print publications do in this day and age, The Protest Issue features two alternating covers: one with R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe and Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse, the other with Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla, The Decembrists’ Colin Meloy, and Britt Daniel of Spoon. Inside the issue, you’ll find in-depth interviews and photo shoots exploring the intersection of music and politics as artists tackle issues ranging from Darfur to the environment to the upcoming 2008 U.S. presidential election. This is a pivotal era in America’s history and n ever has the time to utilize musicians’ voices through the media been more apropos. Visit www.riotactmedia.com/undertheradar.htm for more info!

Finally, Riot Act is more than excited to announce the addition of Miss TK & The Revenge to its roster—their new EP, No Biterz, is available now via iTunes, and you can hear ‘em here: www.myspace.com/misstk. A primer: Miss TK & The Revenge bring it. Like Blondie, Tom Tom Club, Missing Persons, Waitresses, Cyndi Lauper, Josie Cotton, or Toni Basil, MTKR come from the land of trouble funk, where go-go cowbells and dub party sounds reign. Comprised of New Jersey punk rock royalty--Ari Katz, vocalist of seminal hardcore legends LIFETIME (DecayDance) and ZERO ZERO (Jade Tree) steps back from the mic and onto the drum kit while wife Miss TK (also of Zero Zero) takes center stage, MTKR are anchored by razor-sharp J5 on guitar, Worrell prodigy Street Stylz on keys, Le Bobby Neutronique kickin’ the bells, claps and whistles, and m. Groovesteau L'ingenieur du Bas on, well, bass. If “No Biterz” isn’t yr new favorite summer jam, I don’t know what I can do for you.

And, um, here's a super-ridiculous YouTube video I found of a DJ playing said jam somewhere:


That’s it for this month’s output, compatriots---but worry not. In August and September, we’ve got buckets of news for you regarding The Coast, All Girl Summer Fun Band, Good Old War, Musee Mecanique, At The Spine, Nurses, Henry Owings’ Rock Bible and more. Until then, please do visit our special Riot Act Blog (www.riotactmedia.blogspot.com) for updates.

Much love,
Joan & Sheila

RIOT ACT WELCOMES MISS TK & THE REVENGE!

Hey! We are so psyched to announce that we're now working with Miss TK & The Revenge, who just killed it dead at the Wave Festival, and whose new EP, "NO BITERZ", is out now on iTunes!!! We'll fill you in on all the band's news soon; for now, look at this sweet photo from the show, and check out the band's myspace page: www.myspace.com/misstk

MUSEE MECANIQUE ANNOUNCE RELEASE OF FULL LENGTH!

Frog Stand Records announce the highly-anticipated full length release Hold This Ghost from their newest signing, Musée Mécanique

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, June 25 2008

Portland, Oregon, five piece Musée Mécanique, founded by childhood friends Sean Ogilvie (of Tristeza) and Micah Rabwin, follow up their stunning tour-only EP You Are Now An Airplane with the highly anticipated debut full-length Hold This Ghost which will be released September 30 on Frog Stand Records (Clare & the Reasons). Recorded along the banks of the Willamette River in the basement of a old Victorian, Musée Mécanique crafted the lush, intricate orchestration of Hold This Ghost before mixing it with producer Tucker Martine (The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, Laura Veirs). Delicate arrangements comprised of glockenspiel, accordian, piano, musical saws, strings, woodwinds, and garage synthesizers are anchored by the vocals of Micah and Sean, the music as carefully engineerd as the turn of the century penny arcades and coin-operated marvels found at the San Francisco attraction after which the band named itself. From instrumentation to words, Sean and Micah also drew inspiration for the lyrics of Hold This Ghost from the stories found in a the pages of National Geographic issues nearly half a century old. It is the combination of science and discovery, man and machine, old fashioned instruments layered with modern day electronics, which come together in Musée Mécanique’s music, creating “a collection of beautiful anachronisms, grounded in no particular time” (Willamette Week).

A spring tour in which Musée Mécanique took their collection of instruments old and new on dates across the US evoked an amazing response from the press and also found the band with an early, highly excited fanbase. A North American tour in support of the Fall release of Hold This Ghost will be announced.


“The lush-sounding quintet crafts drifing, fog-buoyed songs full of hushed melancholy and a love of the cinema” – The Onion

“Beautiful, complex, toughtful, memorable and full of “everything right where it should be” decisions” – Portland Mercury

“They shine quiet wonder through an eerie, nostalgic lens of quivering saws and keyboards, all the whole providing Sufjan Stevens with formidable competition in the “Best Baroque Folksters” category” – SF Bay Guardian


http://www.museemecanique.us/
http://www.myspace.com/museemecanique
http://frogstandrecords.com/

THE INTERIORS ON TOUR!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, GIrls and Boys, start your engines. The Interiors are heading out on their first US tour!

After an uncertain start to the whole process -the very day after the Chicago trio signed to 54/40 or Fight! to release 'The Interiors', guitarist Chase had his finger partially amputated when a mean Windy CIty wind slammed it in a door (yeow!) - this rock ready threesome is anxious to get out on the road and bring the awesomeness of their solid guitar-driven album to a city near YOU! And what nice guys, they are! The Interiors will kick off their tour with a FREE show tonight in Detroit! So go see them and watch for The Interiors' self-titled debut to hit stores this Tuesday.

6/19 - Detroit, MI @ The Belmont *free show!
6/20 - Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Tavern
6/21 - Columbus, OH @ Oldfields On High
6/22 - NYC @ Cake Shop
6/23 - Philadelphia, PA @ The M Room
6/24 - Washington, DC @ Dahlak
7/10 - Indianapolis, IN @ Melody Inn
7/11 - Yellow Springs OH @ Peach's Bar & Grill
7/16 - Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s
7/17 - Kansas City, MO @ Davey’s Uptown
7/18 - Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
7/31 – Detroit, MI @ Modern Exchange
8/1 – Dayton, OH @ Canal St Tavern
8/2 – Newport, KY @ Southgate House
8/3 – Washington, DC @ The Red and The Black
8/4 – NYC @ Knitting Factory
8/5 – New Brunswick, NJ @ The Court Tavern
8/6 – Boston, MA @ Church
8/7 – Philadelphia, PA @ Millcreek Tavern
8/8 – Cleveland, OH @ Now That’s Class
8/9 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Rock Room
8/29 – Madison, WI @ The Frequency
9/27 – Washington, DC @ The Red and The Black

THE COAST Release Tightrope 7", Tour US !

Hot on the heels of their super hot NXNE showcase and well in advance of the US release of 'Expatriate',  The Coast just released their sweet Tightrope 7" with a remix by Tokyo Police Club on Magnificent Sevens Records.  'Expatriate' will be released in the US this August by Aporia Records as The Coast's debut full length and the album kicks off with the track "Tightrope" in all its "hey hey you!" glory!  

Listen for yourself and be sure to get out and see this awesome Toronto four piece on tour as they hit a few select cities this month and next showcasing songs from the upcoming 'Expatriate', out Aug 19 on Aporia Records! Watch for The Coast on tour later this summer with Born Ruffians, too!

The Coast "Tightrope", Tokyo Police Club remix! http://www.easytiger.ca/TPCremix/Tightrope%20(Tokyo%20Police%20Club%20Remix).mp3
And check out the album version here along with other outstanding tracks from 'Expatriate'!
http://www.myspace.com/thecoastmusic

THE COAST ON TOUR:
6/14 - Petawawa, ON @ HMV w/Billy Bragg
6/18 - Detroit, MI @ Lager House
6/19 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Division Avenue Arts Cooperative
6/20 - Chicago, IL @ Quenchers
6/21 - Minneapolis, MN @ The Nomad
6/24 - Winnipeg, MN @ Lo Pub
6/26 - Edmonton, AB @ The Starlite
6/27 - Calgary, AB @ Sled Island Festival
7/1 - Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium
7/4 - Chicago, IL @ Schuba's
7/5 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Brillobox
7/6 - NYC @ Union Hall
7/7 - Arlington, VA @ Galaxy Hut
7/8 - NYC @ Rehab
7/9 - Philadelphia, PA @ The M Room
7/12 - Toronto, ON @ Edgefest
7/19 - Sault Ste Marie, ON @ Rotary Fest

ADEM ILHAN TO PLAY EXCLUSIVE US ENGAGEMENT TOMORROW!

New Yorkers take note.  You are the chosen ones.  Adem Ilhan is playing an exclusive engagement in support of his wonderfully intricate new album 'Takes' and will be performing ONE and only one US show tomorrow, Tues June 10 @ Union Hall in Brooklyn.   'Takes' which was just released last week on Domino and has everyone from the New York Times to blogs across the world singing its praises.  Please join us at Union Hall as Adem performs songs from 'Takes' as well as his heralded previous releases 'Homesongs' and 'Love and other planets'.  It will be a memorable night. Promise.  

SARGENT HOUSE HAS A BLOG, TOO!

For those of you who don't know, we're partnered with the incredible Ms. Cathy Pellow, visionaire extraordinare behind Sargent House and Refused TV. We will post tons of Sargent House news here, but you should also get the scoop from their blog. www.sargenthouse.blogspot.com ...in the meantime, perhaps you'd like to watch this ridonculously bananas Tera Melos video:

RIOT ACT MEDIA--JUNE 2008!

HOLY BANANAS, DO WE HAVE AMAZING THINGS HAPPENING THIS JUNE, FRIENDS, COMPATRIOTS, AND FANS OF THE ROCK MUSICS—AND, WE WILL HAVE MORE EXCITING ADDITIONS TO THE RIOT ACT ROSTER TO ANNOUNCE VERY, VERY SOON (not yet, though--astrologically, Mercury is retrograde until June 19th, a positioning that can delay life a bit, if you buy into the concepts behind cyclic planetary theory.) We can and will, however, tell you all about this month’s batch of new releases. Starting on June 3rd, Adem releases Takes (Domino) and Little Pieces’ s/t full-length is birthed (One Eleven). The Interiors’ s/t (54-40 or Fight!) is also out on June 24th. Oh, but that’s not all! June also marks 2008’s Noise For The Needy festivities in Seattle, including amazing shows from Talib Kweli, Matt and Kim, Black Angels, Two Gallants and more!

About ADEM’S TAKES (DOMINO): It’s a stunning and evocative collection of Adem’s interpretations of tracks that were released in the decade from 1991 - 2001, music that inspired and informed Adem while he was growing up. With 12 tracks ranging from covers of Bjork, Smashing Pumpkins and Yo La Tengo through to Tortoise and Aphex Twin, Takes, recorded at The Pool and Exchange studios, sees Adem step up from home-based to studio recording, and sees him producing and playing every instrument himself. SAYS MOJO: “IMPRESSIVELY, HE MAKES IT ALL HIS OWN--AT TIMES IT FEELS LIKE THE SONGS MIGHT HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY, OR FOR, HIM.” We couldn’t agree more. Here's Adem playing "Hotel Lounge (Be The Death Of Me)" off the new record:



About LITTLE PIECES’ S/T (ONE ELEVEN) full-length: Herman Jolly (ex-Sunset Valley, current legend in the pacific northwest), Grant Badger and Rob Lloyd (Guitar Defamation League) recorded their debut at Jackpot recording studio in Portland, and sayeth SOUND Magazine: “In his new trio, Jolly's bouncy melodies and quirky lyrics have more room to roam and less sonic distractions to compete with, while his voice sounds stronger and more confident. Like those of Robyn Hitchcock and the Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne, Jolly's authentic (and embedded in irresistibly catchy pop). THERE AREN'T A LOT OF FOLKS WHO CAN MAKE LINES LIKE "I'M A PARASITE WITHOUT A HOST" SOUND BOTH ENDEARING AND PERFECTLY NATURAL. This sprite debut is chock-full of gems, but check out the Pixies-ish"Featherweight Song" and the breathless "Wrote a Letter" for starters.”Herman & co. are touring the western and Midwestern United States of America this June; check
www.riotactmedia.com/tours.htm for details. www.littlepiecesmusic.com, www.riotactmedia.com/littlepieces.htm

Here's the video for "Candy Stairs", which isn't a Little Pieces song, but it is Herman--and it is a jam, just to familiarize those unfamiliar with his pop stylings:



About THE INTERIORS’ S/T FULL-LENGTH: Can You See The Sunset From The Southside said, “LET ME MAKE IT SIMPLE. THE INTERIORS ARE A GUITAR ROCK BAND. THEY ARE FROM CHICAGO. THEY ARE AWESOME.” And, so is their debut--it infuses inventive songwriting with an emphasis on strong, pulsing rhythms; the drums eschew grandiose shifts in favor of subtle variations on constant themes that run the range from stripped down, Stax-influenced backbeats to an eccentricity inspired more by African music than prog rock. This musical framework is fleshed out by hook filled, Mike Mills-Goes-To-Kingston bass lines, and an array of arpeggios, distorted drones, and guitar riffage. Visit www.myspace.com/theinteriors or www.riotactmedia.com/interiors.htm for more, and watch for them on the road!

And, there’s NOISE FOR THE NEEDY! June's Noise for the Needy festivities in Seattle will be bigger than ever before, featuring performances throughout the city from Two Gallants, Matt and Kim, Math and Physics club, Boat, The Maldives, Feral Children, Billy Joe and the Dusty 45s, The Girls, Ali Marcus, The Quiet Ones, Amateur Radio Operator, Lonesome Rhodes and the Good Company, Grand Hallway, See Me River and the Dead Horse Creek, Partman Parthorse, Strong Killings, The Oswald Effect, The Heavy Hearts, Goldie Wilson, Peter Parker, Facts about Funerals, Massy Ferguson, Carrie Clark and the Lonesome
Lovers, Levi Fuller, Kate Tucker and the Sons of Sweden, Black Whales, Lesbian, Fucking Eagles, Unnatural Helpers, Mos Generator, New Faces, Talib Kweli, Greyskul, Black Angels and more. THIS YEAR'S CHOSEN CHARITY, URBAN REST STOP, PROVIDES A CLEAN, SAFE AND WELCOMING FACILITY WHERE NEEDY INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES CAN COME AND USE RESTROOMS, SHOWER AND LAUNDRY FACILITIES IN SEATTLE. All services are provided at no cost to patrons. Visit www.noisefortheneedy.org for the complete schedule, along with donation and volunteer information. Also, www.riotactmedia.com/noisefortheneedy.htm.

Here is a rad tour of the Urban Rest Stop. Do watch it.



THERE IS SO MUCH HAPPENING BEYOND JUNE, BUT WE'LL BOMBARD YOU WITH ALL OF THOSE HAPPENINGS IN LATER DAYS. In short, keep your eyes peeled for Riot Act clients like ALINA SIMONE, THE BELLRAYS, BIRD NAMES, THE COAST, MAPS AND ATLASES, GOOD OLD WAR and others on the road, as well as for other goings-ons this summer, like the publication of and book tour surrounding CHUNKLET PRESENTS: HENRY OWINGS’ ROCK BIBLE, as well as releases from MAPS & ATLASES, AT THE SPINE, THE HARD LESSONS, GOOD OLD WAR, LOVE YOU MOON, and the UNDER THE RADAR PROTEST ISSUE.

As per always, if there’s anything that we can get you, please let us know.

One love,

Joan and Sheila

THE HARD LESSONS INTERVIEWED ON SPIN TV !!

Their latest US tour may have just wound down, but that doesn't mean The Hard Lessons are laying low!  Front page on SPIN.com you can check out Augie being interviewed just a short time after being awarded BEST ROCK BAND at the Detroit Music Awards earlier this spring.  The Hard Lessons will release the 'B&G Sides' singles compilation this July and will be back on the road before you know it!