In addition to their previously announced set at Coachella, Thom Yorke’s solo band will hit several major U.S. cities this April on a two-week, eight-date tour. Thom Yorke broke the news on Radiohead’s blog Dead Air Space on Thursday, Feb 25th. Southern California’s electronic / hip hop artist Flying Lotus will support the band all eight nights.
The name of the band? Atoms for Peace. Aside from being the name of the stand out track on Yorke’s solo album, The Eraser (2006), Atoms for Peace refers to the title of a speech delivered by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to the UN General Assembly in New York City in 1953. The speech was likely a tipping point towards inspiring international focus on peaceful uses of atomic energy.
Atoms for Peace (the band) features Beck/R.E.M.’s Joey Waronker on drums, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea on bass, Mauro Refosco of David Byrne and Bebel Gilberto on percussion, and longtime Radiohead/Yorke producer Nigel Godrich on guitar/synths/laptop. This lineup is the same one that backed up Yorke at the Echoplex and the Orpheum Theater in L.A. in October.
Tickets are being sold via Ticketmaster as well as on Radiohead’s ticketing site, W.A.S.T.E. On sale info below.
Atoms for Peace Tour:
04-05 New York, NY – Roseland Ballroom * – onsale through TM March 2nd at 10am EST
04-06 New York, NY – Roseland Ballroom * – onsale through TM March 2nd at 10am EST
04-08 Boston, MA – Citi Wang Theatre * – onsale through CPAC March 2nd at 10am EST
04-10 Chicago, IL – Aragon Ballroom * – onsale through TM March 3rd at 10am CST
04-11 Chicago, IL – Aragon Ballroom * – onsale through TM March 3rd at 10am CST
04-14 Oakland, CA – Fox Theatre * – onsale through TM March 4th at 10am PST
04-15 Oakland, CA – Fox Theatre * – onsale through TM March 4th at 10am PST
04-17 Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl * – onsale through TM March 3rd at 11am CST
04-18 Indio, CA – Coachella
* with Flying Lotus
TM = Ticketmaster
CPAC = Citi Performing Arts Center
Pre-sale tickets are being sold on W.A.S.T.E. Tickets (Radiohead’s ticketing site) on the following schedule:
New York – Roseland Ballroom – April 5th & 6th – On sale through Tickemaster
Boston – Citi Wang Theatre – April 8th – On sale through CitiCenter
Chicago – Aragon Ballroom – April 10th & 11th – On sale March 3rd via W.A.S.T.E.
Oakland – Fox Theatre – April – 14th & 15th – On sale March 4th via W.A.S.T.E.
Santa Barbara – Santa Barbara Bowl – April 17th – On sale March 3rd via W.A.S.T.E.
I’ve never been much of an Of Montreal fan, but I’m currently in love with their video for “Wraith Pinned To The Mist & Other Games”. It follows the psychedelic, Yellow Submarine-esque, slightly violent journey of little square-bodied cartoon characters and friends. Love the purple one’s dance moves at the end (3rd from the right!).
The style of their music still doesn’t entirely capture me, but… as it often seems to be, there can be things you quite like hiding around the corner from a band you thought you disliked.
Said style is theatrical techno-pop glam, one that seems to have changed over the years from a more quirky, indie pop sound. They also tend to fuse gloomy lyrics speaking to apathy, loneliness and death, with bouncy, upbeat melodies and hooks. Certainly, the music is catchy in some bizarre, deranged, and fantastical way.
One more tune. Listen to “She’s a Rejector”, just to hear Kevin Barnes sing the following:
There’s the girl that left me bitter
Want to pay some other girl
To walk up to her and hit her
It seems the Swedes have cornered the market on innovative, ambient electro pop. The intentionally cryptic new group jj are another example of this breath of fresh air. The group fuses lushly atmospheric electro-pop and world music with sultry female vocals to create a rather exotic sound. What results is irresistibly beautiful and blissful.
The duo released their debut single jj n° 1 in early 2009 and several months later released their stylistically brilliant debut album jj n° 2. It’s a short opus of nine tracks of island infused synth pop, akin to the music of fellow label mates The Tough Alliance. But the duo emerges on the softer side due to the pervasive lush vocals of Elin Kastlander. Like their peers, jj show a propensity towards sampling, irritable pop hooks, and stylistic diversity to create something gorgeously intricate that shows admiration for both the expansive realms of world music and minimalistic electro-pop. jj sit aside The Tough Alliance and Air France, on one of Sweden’s best and most consistent labels, Sincerely Yours, founded by TTA in 2006.
jj’s dance pop is built on ethereal string and synth samples along with exquisite vocals that float freely through their tracks. The songs are deceptively simple, incorporating a vast array of musical influences from reggae to electronica, new age to hip-hop. The dream-like quality of Elin’s voice is lusciously smooth and textured taking the music even further.
The group’s full-length debut jj n° 2 changes styles slightly with every song, which makes listening to the 27 minute album an unpredictable yet alluring experience. Even when they explore 90′s ambient-house, they still allow emotion to flood through the textures. jj expand on the reach of ambient music — defined, as Brian Eno once did, as music that “suggests, a place, a landscape, a soundworld which you inhabit” — offering it a new essence .
“Things Will Never Be Again” opens jj nº 2 sounding much like The Tough Alliance, tying together synth samples of steel drums and MIDI Strings, with Elin’s low vocal tones and harmonies. “From Africa to Malaga” is by far my favorite track with Elin’s celestial, reverb-effected vocals riding atop synthy Caribbean percussion. The sounds wash over you and the winds referenced sweep you up into a blissful state of ecstasy. “Ecstasy” unexpectedly drops a sample of Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop” creating a track that is trippy and drug-hazy, turning the sound of the album drastically on a pin. (jj released another track with a Weezy sample in January, titled “My Way”. ) Later the album moves into more lilting folk-pop, and further into the laughing and hammer-dulcimer sampling “Intermezzo”. With jj nº 2, the duo created a visionary new sound that is bound to generate more buzz in 2010.
Fascinatingly, jj has kept to almost absolute internet silence. Seriously, not even a MySpace. Info on jj was literally nonexistent until recently, save for a few cryptic sentences, download links, and blood-splattered album artwork on their label’s site. It seems to have made the music all the more endearing and enchanting. Quite a surge of conversation has lived surrounding the identity of jj. Some rightly thought that it might be a side project of The Tough Alliance or Air France, but the mystery quickly unfolded. The enigmatic jj consists of multi-instrumentalist Joakim Benon and vocalist Elin Kastlander. The story almost ends there for now, although I did come across a fabulous interview with jj published on the Drumming On Tabletops blog several weeks ago. Here are a few excerpts.
Where does the name “jj” come from?
jag & joakim. joakim & jag. (“jag” means me or myself in Swedish)
What’s the plan for live shows? Did you originally ever expect to perform live? I ask that because it seems (from the various YouTube videos I’ve watched anyways) that the stage show is really based around the recorded music and projected images rather than the typical “live performance”.
We have grand plans for our public executions, it will be magic, soon enough. Now when we’re out there Elin is just trying to get over her social phobia and anxiety. She sings for her life, as always. And I’m (Joakim) trying to learn everything I recorded, and decide if I should play the guitar solo or the piano, the drums or the flute, or maybe get someone else to do it; so many decisions. Maybe we’ll get James Cameron to do the visuals, and perhaps Kanye will have some ideas. Whatever we do I hope people will understand that being on stage is a fucked up situation in the first place, where everything can happen: you can live more than you’ve ever lived or be wanting to die, feeling things will never be the same again.
The newest album, jj nº 3 has already leaked online. What does it feel like to have to deal with a leak? Do you mind it considering that almost every album leaks online now before the release date?
Beautiful, sad, scary, nice, confusing. It (jj nº 3) should’ve been released in September though, so it’s all good. A slightly fairer chance for anyone to keep up with us.
How much are drugs involved with your music (the song ecstasy, the pot leaf on the cover of jj nº 2)? Do you feel like the two can be separated or are they intertwined?
Our music is dope, you know that.
In December, jj signed with the indie label Secretly Canadian who will release the duo’s next LP, jj nº 3, in the U.S on March 9th in conjunction with the release on Sincerely Yours in Sweden. Following, they are set to perform 14 American dates with fellow lowercase, double-lettered electro group, The xx. These shows, along with SXSW, mark the first U.S. live appearances ever for jj.
JJ tour dates:
3/22 – Spanish Moon, Baton Rouge, LA w/ The xx
3/23 – Bottletree, Birmingham, AL
3/24 – Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA w/ The xx
3/25 – Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC w/ The xx
3/28 – Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, Washington, DC w/ The xx
3/29 – First Unitarian Church Sanctuary, Philadelphia, PA w/ The xx
3/30 – Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, NY
3/31 – Webster Hall, New York, NY
4/2 – Paradise, Boston, MA w/ The xx
4/3 – Le National, Montreal, QC w/ The xx
4/4 – Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON
4/5 – Wexner Center, Columbus, OH w/ The xx
4/6 – Buskirk-Chumley Theater, Bloomington, IN w/ The xx
4/8 – Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL w/ The xx
4/9 – Varsity Theater, Minneapolis, MN w/ The xx
4/12 – The Nightlight Lounge, Bellingham, WA w/ The xx
4/13 – Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC w/ The xx
4/14 – Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR w/ The xx
4/16 – Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA
I was absolutely startled by St. Vincent when I first heard “Now Now” off her debut album Marry Me (2007). The ringing harmonics, vocal overlays, orchestral crescendos juxtaposed with guitar plucking, penetrating bass lines, plus the final ripping electric guitar solo, together sent me over the edge.
St. Vincent is the moniker under which multi-instrumentalist Annie Clark performs. Her tunes are unpredictable, quirky and bizarre enough to stand out in a sea of emerging indie artists. Clark offers a new sound and voice. She twists catchy melodies into unique arrangements filled with her rich, yet fragile voice. The music warbles with cacophonous eruptions of sound and disturbing, thought-provoking lyrics and electric guitar solos woven with the classical instrumentation of piano, flute, horns, drums and violins.
Clark began playing guitar at 12 and as a teenager, worked as the tour manager for her uncle’s band. Her family moved from Tulsa, Oklahoma to Dallas during her high school years and for college she traveled to Boston to attend the Berklee College of Music. Prior to venturing out on her own, Clark performed as part of both the Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens’ 2006 live band. Touring extensively in support of Marry Me with artists including Death Cab for Cutie, The National, and Arcade Fire, Clark began to excite attention from audiences nationwide. The album landed critical acclaim and Clark a No. 90 spot on the U.S. Billboard charts.
St. Vincent’s sophomore album, Actor (2009), is denser and more melancholy. While Marry Me was a colorful splash of divergent sounds, Actor is a more subtle matter. Clark again blazes a new trail filled with beauty and darkness. The first track, “Stranger”, truly soars above the rest. Flute and synth spiral among blurry eruptions of sounds providing the music with strange warps and bends. Clark’s smooth and delicate voice lilts throughout whether transformed by effects or fully bare. And the rager that Clark is on guitar is yet again unleashed with loads of distortion in between sweet accordion-laced melodies.
Clark’s live performances are unusual, confident, mesmerizing and inspired. They bestow her artistic vision as she precisely articulates it will full band in tow. Definitely a marvel to witness. I’m excited to get a taste this weekend in Denver!
Feb 13 – The Bluebird Theater, Denver, Colorado
Feb 15 – Bottleneck, Lawrence, Kansas
Feb 16 – The Blue Moose TapHouse, Iowa City, Iowa
Feb 17 – Turner Hall, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Feb 18 – Metro, Chicago, Illinois
Feb 19- The Pike Room at The Crofoot, Pontiac, Michigan
Feb 20 – Outland on Liberty, Columbus, Ohio
Feb 21 – Diesel Club, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Feb 23 – Jefferson Theatre, Charlottesville, Virginia
Feb 24 – 9:30 Club, Washington DC, Washington DC
Feb 25 – First Unitarian Church – Sanctuary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mar 12 – Yu Gong Yi Shan, Beijing, Beijing
Mar 13 – Yuyintang, Shanghai, Shanghai
Mar 15 – Recital Studio, Esplanade, Singapore
Mar 18 – Pacific Blue Festival Clu, Wellington, Wellington
Mar 28 – Big Ears Festival, Knoxville, Tennessee
Mar 30 – Highdive, Champaign, Illinois
Mar 31 – MusicNOW Festival – Memorial Hall / University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
Jul 18 – Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago, Illinois
For those of you already enamored by The Avett Brothers and especially those who aren’t yet, check out this view of “Murder in the City”. It captures the brothers candidly sharing their song about family. The video is frank and touching, sweet and intimate. The song is off of The Second Gleam EP (2008).
Their upcoming tour begins at the end of the month and takes the Avetts across the states and beyond to both Europe and Australia.
The energetic, Swede pop perfection of The Tough Alliance immediately entangled me when I first heard “Neo Violence”. It’s spring loaded, synth heavy, techno-tropic and gets you giddily dancing. I adore their wry humor at the end. I finally dove into their last two releases and got turned on to more TTA. The songs are bright, emphatic, and uplifting, buoyant with constant explosions of sounds. I’m surprised they haven’t yet hit the scene harder in the U.S.
Check out the rad video for “Simple Games” from the New Waves EP (2006). It’s got girls jumping rope in the breathtaking, sun-dappled outdoors and projections of breaking waves (a recurring visual motif of theirs).
Childhood friends Henning Fürst and Eric Berglund formed The Tough Alliance in 2003. The Göthenburg, Sweden duo have polished their glammy blend of pop and electronica through a series of EP and album releases, first on the locally based Service label (home to Jens Lekman and Studio) and then on their own label, Sincerely Yours, beginning in 2006. Each critically acclaimed creation helped to establish them as a central force within the Swedish indie music scene. TTA began attracting greater international attention in 2007 due to outstanding reviews for A New Chance (2007) and American distribution.
Adding some color to their story, The Tough Alliance amusingly have an infamous reputation for their live appearances and receive frequent attention in the Swedish media for lip-synching to their backing tracks while ambiguously wielding baseball bats. The resulting accusations of glorifying violence and hooliganism haven’t gone unnoticed. TTA directly confronts all detractors in the lyrics of “Neo Violence”, which ascended to number 13 on the Swedish album charts in 2007.
No U.S. dates at the moment, but keep your eyes out for The Tough Alliance.
Neo Violence
No no need for a baseball bat
Don’t need no knife for a sharp attack
No excuses, no looking back
We think too much about the things we lack
This neo violence
Pure self-defiance
This neo violence
The Tough Alliance
I hardly noticed your short romance
Your careless manners and your anxious glance
Kissed and telled, got paid in advance
You’re far behind now love you missed your chance
This neo violence
Pure self-defiance
This neo violence
The Tough Alliance
Truly sorry thought you’d get the wink, it’s in our nature to be out of sync
Truly sorry thought you’d get the wink, it’s in our nature to be out of sync
This neo violence
Pure self-defiance
This neo violence
The Tough Alliance
This neo violence
Can’t stand the silence
This neo violence
The Tough Alliance
Britain’s Royal Mail is honoring both art and music with the launch of 10 stamps that feature iconic album covers from the past four decades. Speaking at the launch of the stamps at London’s Rough Trade West on January 7th, Jimmy Page revealed the irony behind Led Zeppelin’s iconic ‘IV’ album cover. “Almost 40 years after the album came out, nobody knows the old man who featured on the cover, nor the artist who painted him,” he said. “That sort of sums up what we wanted to achieve with the album cover, which has remained both anonymous and enigmatic at the same time.”
Royal Mail agreed upon the final list after going through thousands of album covers, lists, and polls. The decision was based on the art and album design, not necessarily music. “For decades, the album sleeve has been the canvas for some of the most imaginative graphic artists in the world, and this issue celebrates this unique art form and some of its greatest examples,” said Juliette Edgard, Head of Special Stamps at Royal Mail.
The chosen album covers include The Rolling Stones 1969 album Let It Bleed, Led Zeppelin’s 1971 album Led Zeppelin IV, David Bowie’s 1972 album The Rise and Fall Of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Mike Oldfield’s 1973 album Tubular Bells, The Clash’s 1979 album London Calling, New Order’s 1983 album Power, Corruption and Lies, Primal Scream’s 1991 album Screamadelica, Pink Floyd’s 1994 album The Division Bell, Blur’s 1994 album Parklife, and Coldplay’s 2002 album A Rush of Blood to the Head.
For decades the album sleeve has been the canvas for some of the most imaginative graphic artists worldwide. The U.K. stamp issue acknowledges this unique art form and celebrates some of the greatest examples used by UK musical artists.
During a recent visit to Australia in November to promote the release of their new album Contra (Jan 12, 2009) Vampire Weekend performed an exclusive concert for Triple J radio. Previous Triple J radio Live At The Wireless artist include Lily Allen, MGMT, Modest Mouse, and Air.
Denver-based songwriter/singer/musician, John Common and his band, Blinding Flashes of Lights, will be debuting their new record, entitled Beautiful Empty, at Casselman’s in Denver, CO on January 16th, 2010. The CD release will be a collaborative event that offers independent music, film and visual art, all related to and inspired by the new record. The band features John Common (vocals/guitar/keys), Jess DeNicola (vocals), Wes Michaels (cello/sax), Adam Revell (keys), Jimmy Stofer (bass/vocals) and Carl Sorensen (drums). The band will be joined on stage by a string section and other musical guests. Also playing that night are two popular Colorado artists, both who are superb: Achille Lauro and Danielle Ate the Sandwich.
Tickets are $15 presale and include an exclusive bonus EP (digital download), a copy of the new CD (given at the door) and other surprises on the night of the show. Tickets are $20 day of show and come with a copy of the new CD and the fabulous surprises, but no bonus track.
Earlier this fall a collaborative short film festival was organized for this event, named the Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy. A call went out to Colorado-based independent filmmakers who shot and submitted their short films, all inspired by and incorporating songs from Beautiful Empty. A handful of the most interesting short films will be shown throughout the night of the CD release.
The event will also feature box art by 60 artists from across the U.S. who were invited to create unique works of art inspired by what would eventually become the new record, Beautiful Empty. Each artist was sent a simple wooden box, along with early stage lyrics, images and music. They then mixed it all together into a beautiful collaboration called the Common Box Project. The final exhibit of the Common Box Project will happen the night of the CD release inside the venue. For more information visit .
Date: Saturday, January 16th, 2010 Location: Casselman’s Bar and Venue (26th and Walnut, Denver, CO) Music: John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light, Achille Lauro, Danielle Ate the Sandwich Film: The Beautiful Empty Short Film Conspiracy Art Exhibit: The Common Box Project Tickets: $15 presale / $20 day of show. Price of ticket includes a copy of the new CD, other surprises and an exclusive bonus EP (digital download) for those who buy tickets in advance Doors: 7pm / Show starts at 7:30pm Ages: 21+ Buy tickets:Casselman’s | John Common
Listen to some gorgeous tracks off the new album. It is thoughfully written and the vocal harmonies between Common and DeNicola are almost as stunning here as they are live.
Panda Bear – Person Pitch (2007)
This album delicately led me by the arm towards Animal Collective, when I was confounded by how strange it was. 2007 saw me doing yoga to Person Pitch almost every day, allowing me to sink into what Panda Bear and, as a result, what the whole AC crew had to offer. Person Pitch is simultaneously poppy and abstract, winsome and deranging, creating elaborate and magnificent convoluted sonic collages. mp3: Panda Bear – Comfy in Nautica mp3: Panda Bear – Bros mp3: Panda Bear – Good Girl/Carrots Download Person Pitch MySpace | Website
Lily Allen – Alright, Still (2007)
This album had me rocking out in my car during many of those 2007 summer months. Allen’s smart alec, sassy attitude is emphatic. Her explosion on the scene as one of Britain’s superstars might put off some, but it’s hard not fall for her well produced brand of bouncy, horn heavy, ska-inspired pop.
Check out “Smile”, “LDN”, “Nan You’re A Window Shopper” – explicit! (can’t post!) Download Alright, Still MySpace | Website
Brett Dennen – Hope for the Hopeless (2008)
Brett Dennen inspires me. His lyrics are entirely well considered and thought provoking, and his positive, dynamic melodies are hard to deny. “Make You Crazy”, featuring Femi Kuti, is the true gem here, gorgeous in it’s entirety, speaking about our untrustable government, prisons, child soldiers, and how people treat each other to get ahead. The songs soar, speaking of love, hope, home and peace. “San Francisco” is thoroughly nostalgic especially if you’ve taken any time to get to know Dennen’s amazing city. mp3: Brett Dennen – Make You Crazy mp3: Brett Dennen – Wrong About Me mp3: Brett Dennen – San Francisco Download Hope For The Hopeless MySpace | Website
Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)
By far my favorite release of the year. Since their inception, Animal Collective has wandered the territorial edges of music, seeking out boundaries previously erected and looking beyond them. They’ve imbued gorgeous indie songs with peculiar vocals and irritating noises, contrasted West African rhythms with British folk melodies, and have hung on a single chord for what seems like eternity. Merriweather feels like a culmination of all of these explorations, achieving a sound that is both accessible and thoroughly innovative. Finally an Animal Collective album that I’m moved to listen to all the way through -hooky and pop drenched in swirls of psychedelia, heavy with sonic texture. mp3: Animal Collective – My Girls mp3: Animal Collective – Summertime Clothes mp3: Animal Collective – Brothersport Download Merriweather Post Pavilion MySpace | Website
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (2009)
The danceable, catching indie rock of Phoenix is perfectly featured on their newest release. The tight grooves of the band’s electrifying synth pop flow loudly behind Thomas Mars’ smooth and all the while urgent vocals. Wolfgang is brilliantly sleek with sonic texture, putting the band on the map as one of the most exciting groups to blow up stateside this year. mp3: Phoenix – Lisztomania mp3: Phoenix – 1901 mp3: Phoenix – Lasso Download Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix MySpace | Website
Built to Spill – There Is No Enemy (2009)
On There is No Enemy, Built to Spill investigates an aesthetic they’ve created and honed over the years, revolving around Doug Martsch’s soft, yet penetrating vocals swimming in a bath of refracting guitar tones. The band again finds a new and interesting way to approach their sound making this my favorite BTS album since 1999′s Keep It Like A Secret. mp3: Built to Spill – Aisle 13 mp3: Built to Spill – Hindsight mp3: Built to Spill – Nowhere Lullaby Download There Is No Enemy MySpace | Website
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