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Category Archives: A Quickie With…
If you were lucky enough to be at this weekend’s Wilco-curated Solid Sound Festival you had the opportunity to get first dibs on the band’s new single “I Might” with their cover of Nick Lowe’s “I Love My Label” as the B-side. The single won’t officially be available for purchase until July 19 and their new album, The Whole Love, is due in September.
Personally, I’m loving this new song with its prominent fuzzy bass and crunchy guitar solo. If this is what ‘Dad Rock’ sounds like then sign me up. More, please!
This one’s for The Naughty Librarian®.
On Tuesday, May 31st at 8pm CST, My Morning Jacket will partake in a live webcast from the Louisville Palace Theatre as part of the festivities for their upcoming release, Circuital. Not too shabby, right? It gets better. The webcast will feature appearances by Erykah Badu and Rachel Dratch (that’s right, Debbie-effing-Downer herself).
My Morning Jacket hit the Auditorium Theatre June 17 and you betcha I’ll be there ready to turn the hose on TNL.
And to those of thinking, “But Bee, Erykah Badu and MMJ?” then please allow the video below to tell you all you need to know.
There are three things I adore about Kansas City: its BBQ, Wendy (hey girl!) and the band Making Movies. Making Movies is back with a new video for their delightful new single “Twenty Years”. The song is available as a FREE download via their bandcamp page along with their debut album, In Dep Speramus. The kids are hitting Texas in mid-May and return to Chicago June 3rd for a show at Congress Theatre with Ozomatli.
MAKING MOVIES – “Twenty Years” from MAMMOTH on Vimeo.
TOUR DATES:
April 28th @ The Jay, Omaha, NE (FREE SHOW)
April 30th @ Crossroads, Kansas City, MO
May 12th @ The Mix, San Antonio, TX
May 13th @ Momo’s, Austin, TX
May 14th @ Bohemios, Houston, TX
June 3rd @ Congress Theater, Chicago, IL w/ Ozomatli
The Pear Traps landed in my Inbox a couple weeks ago and as is the case with someone who “blogs” part time while juggling a kid, family, 9-5 job, etc. I have become awful at getting around to listening to bands that send me music. I’m sorry for that but I am glad I gave these kids a spin because they’ve made a fan of yours truly.
The band’s email directed me to their bandcamp page to stream their self-titled EP which was recorded over a winter weekend in a rural cabin. They’re currently offering the single “Come Home” as a free download with the rest of the EP available for purchase. Singer Bryant Howe’s vocals are drenched in reverb and add a haunting echo to “Come Home.” The band also incorporates a charming DIY sensibility as Howe makes his own amps. Another highlight of the EP is “Predictable Kind of Thoughts” which is a nod to the slow dance songs of 1950s and “Safer Than You” perfectly showcases how the band successfully pulls off its Joy Division-meets-Ryan Adams sound. They’ll be at the Fireside Bowl tonight (8p/$8) with Videotape, We Are The Willows, and The Bingers but if that’s too short notice you can see them at Cole’s on May 27th for their EP release party (Free/21+).
The Lolla line up is out* and I have mixed feelings about it. See, I’ve seen or plan to see in the coming weeks artists like: Damian “Jr Gong” Marley, Smith Westerns, Best Coast, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Cults, Titus Andronicus, Mayer Hawthorne & the County, Maps & Atlases, Tennis, Ximena Sarinana, Lia Ices, Pretty Lights, Jay Electronica and Daedulus. But I’m excited for Foo Fighters, Eminem, Lykke Li, The Kills, The Mountain Goats, Death From Above 1979, and Julie Easterling. Like I said – mixed response to the lineup.
But I bought my ticket early and look forward to this year’s fest because for me, Lolla is about attending with friends and checking out artists I might not be able to see due to the fest’s ridiculous exclusivity clause, sold out shows or other previously scheduled engagements. So while I might be annoyed that I’ve already seen a good number of artists on the lineup, I’m excited to see those whose shows I’ve missed and hanging out with my besties in what will probably be another insufferably hot August weekend. Once again, I’ll fill my backpack with Imodium, toilet paper, sunscreen, cameras and baby wipes and I’ll see you kids in line for the lobster corndogs at Graham Elliot’s food stand (scratch that – I’ll be FUPA huntin’ with The Naughty Librarian, La Blue Eyes and Wendy from KC. You’ve been put on notice).
*I won’t post the full line up because at this point why bother – it’s EVERYWHERE. Google that bitch if you really want to see all the names.
On March 29 Broken Bells will release a 4 song EP, Meyrin Fields. It will include two unreleased tracks Heartless Empire and Windows as well as An Easy Life which was on the bonus ITunes edition of their self-titled debut and Meyrin Fields which was previously released digitally. What a great way to start the morning. You can hear the title track HERE.
For those you musicians/bands out there hoping to land a gig at SXSW: Gigmaven is holding a contest with two winners receiving slots to play at their SXSW day party at Emo’s in Austin on Tuesday, March 15, 2011. The kind folks at Gigmaven will also throw a few bucks your way for travel expenses, they’ll have a professional photographer at your set and more. The winners will be announced March 2, 2011 at 2pm. For a full description of rules click HERE.
And if you don’t know…Gigmaven is a free service connecting musicians directly to venues. They’re a NY based company that recently expanded to Chicago and hosts a blog that highlights their picks for artists to watch. So yeah, check it out.
You knew it was coming. It was only a matter of time before Matt Ryd tackled Gaga’s Born This Way (a/k/a Express Yourself 2.0). Enjoy!
Sometimes the day job as cubicle slut extraordinaire (it’s on my business cards) allows me time to troll the web for new music. This morning Dedicated Ears pointed me in the direction of Sutcliffe Catering Co. The first song off the Ponderosa White EP, Masturbation Coma, was something I simply had to share with the two of you reading this (Hey Kristy!). Its shoegaze which automatically has my attention and then throws in a Bukowski sample: “The writer has no responsibility except to jack off in bed alone and type a good page”. So yeah, win at life today. Go forth and LISTEN!
