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All mp3s are posted here with permission from the artists/labels/PR folks, and for a very brief time. If you have any issues with content on this zine please email me; atartytart@gmail.com I'm addicted to my Iphone, darlins'... I'll get back to you.
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Yep, this week I’m still celebrating year TWO here at Chez Love Shack and thanks for reading these two years, I love doing this blog. And I love doing it the more I give music to you, the more I find new stuff that maybe you’ve not heard of yet. Just last night I had a fantastic time at Ronny’s hearing Medications and Deleted Scenes. Wow! Both bands totally swept me up in completely different ways and even though in between sets I thought it wasn’t worth standing there in that hot, sweaty, man-filled room, by the end of each I was convinced that it was so incredibly worth it. Live music is just so worth it. I can’t convey that to you in any way that makes sense unless you’ve been out to a show and felt that feeling of exhilaration when a band just hits you with something so great!
But today, I’ve got some great recorded stuff for you, stuff that I know will be overpoweringly wonderful live.
Sonny And The Sunsets have this little retro song that has some pretty cool handclaps in it. It’s a nice quirky summer song. You can sing along by the second chorus, it’s simple. Enjoy. They’ve got a Daytrotter session too!
Too Young To Burn mp3 Sonny and the Sunsets Tomorrow is Alright …. due Aug. 31 on Fat Possum Records.
Tour Dates
FRI 08/13 BROOKLYN, NY Cinders Gallery (Sonny Smith Solo Set & Art show)
THU 08/19 SAN FRANCISCO, CA The Independent *
MON 08/30 SAN FRANCISCO, CA Amnesia
THU 10/28 PORTLAND, OR Holocene #
FRI 10/29 VANCOUVER, BC Cobalt #
SAT 10/30 SEATTLE, WA Neumo’s #
SUN 10/31 SPOKANE, WA Stage 54 #
TUE 11/2 SALT LAKE CITY, UT Urban Lounge #
WED 11/3 DENVER, CO Bluebird #
FRI 11/5 DALLAS, TX Granada #
SAT 11/6 HOUSTON, TX Mango’s #
TUE 11/9 PHOENIX, AZ Rhythm Room #
WED 11/10 SAN DIEGO, CA Casbah #
And, have you seen this little movie of Sharon Van Etten by Vincent Moon? You know she just blew me away at Pitchfork. Give this a shot… she starts singing somewhere after the two minute mark and believe me, the ending is really worth getting to… so beautiful.
This is Leopold And His Fiction, from San Francisco, who I wish I were hearing live very soon, alas! Whew! This is a sassy, sexy little number that gave me something to think about. It’s not only the vocals, delivered in such a manner as to make your mind wander south, but it’s the whole construction of the thing, with its gentle lead up and then driving, off-kilter beat. Rawr!
Golden Friends mp3 Leopold and his Fiction (from the upcoming album, TBA)
You can go to their MySpace and buy either of their previous two albums, Leopold and his Fiction, s/t or Ain’t No Surprise
Tour Dates
Aug 5 2010 8:00P THE VIPER ROOM HOLLYWOOD, CA
Aug 6 2010 8:00P The Gypsy Den Las Vegas, Nevada
Aug 7 2010 8:00P The Sidecar Park City, Utah
Aug 15 2010 8:00P The Hemlock Tavern w/Dan Sartain San Francisco, California
Campfires in Winter gave me a thrill at first listen. And no, it’s not just that Scottish accent, contrary to what my American friends will think, heh. It’s that initial clash of sound – how can you seriously resist that when it’s immediately followed by a flowing melody, tinged with reverb? Recipe for smash hit!!! They’ve been all the talk of my Edinburg/Glasgow friends and now I know why. So thank you, Lloyd, for sending them my way. I hope you all go crazy over them, their creativity and talent surely deserve it. If you like the sort of post-rock, angst-ridden sound of Twilight Sad, We Were Promised Jetpacks, ect., you will find some of that here, but this is surely not limited to it’s roots or influences. Campfires in Winter draws from lighter, more forward thinking sources as well. This EP is just a glimmer of what this band will bring to us soon, I’m quite certain of that.
You can download the EP, Cardboard Ships, for free but you might really want to send support to the band (and hurry them on their route to recording their first LP) by purchasing a handmade CD (there’s only 50!) for only 5GBP which is currently $7.77
I am so pleased to be part of this event and to share with you this film. A number of websites and blogs are joining together today to SIMULTANEOUSLY stream this so that it’s an EVENT. That just makes me smile. So tune in and use the little widgety thing at the bottom to chat with Stuart from the band and with Vincent Moon, the director following the screening. It will go “live” right here, in this box below, at 12:00 PM PST/4:00 CST/3:00 PM EST/8:00 PM GMT, can’t wait! Go see Frank’s gorgeous post over on Chromewaves for more informed commentary on exactly what the album is like and what to expect. He’s also got a contest for you folks in Toronto to see the screening on the big screen. Chicago, our screening is August 29 at Smart Bar and tickets will be sold at the door! I’ve not got my copy of the album yet, but I’ve ordered it. I hope you do the same. xoxo Mogwai’s movie “Burning” can be pre-ordered here!
J. Irvin Dally slid into my consciousness last night as I was thinking of a way of breaking it to you all that it’s our 2nd year anniversary together I’d decided yesterday to just give you a ton of music all week to celebrate the fact that any of you might possibly be reading this still! I dunno… I lost the plot so many moons ago that it’s all sometimes just so haphazard. I feel bad for that and then I say “get a grip! it’s your life and the blog is about it, not the other way around, eh?” But I do feel a renewed enthusiasm for writing to you all when I immerse myself in new music like this. So have at it! (and to be honest, DC’s show had been keeping me going in terms of enthusiasm as well and when that went off the air… well, … it’s difficult being the only one you know excited about new, new, new stuff!)
But, back to J. Irvin Dally, he’s got that voice like the guy in Brazos, really pleasant to listen to without being characteristically this or that. Instrumentally, it’s all that I love. It’s inventive and also economical. There’s more than a few times when I hear a band and think, they just didn’t need all that to do what they’re doing. That’s not the case with this stuff here. With some mild vocal effects, a shaker, guitar, drum and ukulele (?) this manages to create a soundscape that envelops the whole room I’m listening in.
The Gentle Guest from Eau Claire, WI brings a nice Americana/bluesy-bluegrass sound to some very traditional type lyrics. This album came out July 20 to good reviews, including one by Lee, my dear blogger buddy, over at Knox Rd. I marvel over and over when I see these bands of young, attractive men singing what sounds to me to be such somber, traditional, non-rock-n-roll music. But more than a few minutes into this album and you hear the appeal to it, the creativity of it is very attractive. Some of the faster tracks carry on like Mumford & Sons or even like a band I had on these pages over a year ago, the wonderful, Greenland is Melting. And hey, check out the awesome Daytrotter session from back in February that they did! The horn on that first number is omg good.
Cheyenne Maire Mize is coming to Chicago on Friday! Come out to Uncommon Ground, Clark St. location, $5 donation. She’s got a wonderfully evocative voice, expressive and natural. She’s becoming known for her duets with Bonny “Prince” Billy, (see The Decibel Tolls post here) but she’s toured on her own this July and is releasing this, her solo album, Before Lately due out in September.You can stream it from the widget below.
Update!! You can download her album with Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Among The Gold FREE, this week, here
Stuyvesant, New Jersey “Crunch-Pop” ha! recently signed on a twitter friend of mine’s recently revived record label, Dromedary Records. Yeah, so I chatted up someone over on Twitter for a bit and found out he was secretly working on getting his defunct label back in order. He was super stoked to be able to re-release some great albums by the Mommyheads and cuppa joe, indie classics from the 90s. It was pretty exciting to hear how it was progressing. And now he’s gone and signed this awesome new, young band. I like this song. It’s punk-pop to my ears, and there’s never enough of that in the world, in my opinion. Bi-Polar Bears by Deus Ex Machina Publicity
Off the upcoming EP Jihad Me At Hello due out Aug 10, 2010
Oh this one came to my inbox a long while ago and I’ve just now got to it. Hey, I’m just gonna stop feeling shame for the length of time it takes. I seriously need another writer here. Chicago… if you like the music on this site and are interested in hitting up shows and can write, let me know. I’m so ready to take you onboard. Back to this track… it’s from a new group, Land of Bingo. They’re a two piece out of Wales who have just finished up an EP with the Super Furry Animals. SFA actually play on the record, and this track, “Company Hymn” (I’m told by the press release) “features bass playing by Guto Pryce (Super Furry Animals) and drumming by Arran Ahmun (Australian Pink Floyd). It is a song about Barry Fry (a maverick football manager, who famously sacked Darren Ferguson – Alex Ferguson’s son).” I think it’s a smooth, funky, summery track that carries you nicely out of that post World Cup malaise.
I’ve been listening to a local band, Big Science’s new EP Skyscraper Sound a bit lately and I totally recommend it. A month ago it was released and local press has been giving it straight up positive reviews. They’re playing Wicker Park Fest this weekend with the likes of Cap’n Jazz and Mission of Burma and I’m convinced the more people hear their Big Country-inspired sound the more their Big Science sound will travel. It’s more than a retro band, it’s more of a solidly secure, band with good musicianschip that plays homage to music of the 80s – the equally solid music of the 80s, not the stuff we usually see parodied on TV and in movies.
Lastly, I’ve owed Matthew this posting of Loch Lommond’s wondrous track, “Wax and Wire” for ages and ages! It’s simply gorgeous and if you’re anywhere near where they’re touring this summer/fall in the Seattle area, do go see them. It’s full of birdsong and bellows and just orchestral enough for non-folk lovers to really attach themselves to, I think. Wax and Wire mp3 Loch Lommond Night Bats … buy it from Song by Toad Records, here!
At long last, The Waiting Room, our friends from Cardiff, Wales UK are back at it! Since the sad demise of WOXY… sniff, sniff… we have been prodding DC for details as to where his new home on the internets might be. He’s spent some time and has come up with a fantabulous plan for SYNDICATION of his wonderful radio show which features new music that you will absolutely not hear anywhere else. I’m so proud to bring you news of this!! (And I’m so shamefaced to have missed its debut last week – but hey, Pitchfork Fest had me completely overwhelmed! Apologies, my loves!) B U T, by stroke of luck, episode 1 is being replayed tonight on one of the stations, Radio Phoenix, so tune in tonight, those of us in the US… Chicago it’s 10 pm! Internet listeners click here.
Closer To Dallas (TWR Live Session) mp3 Alcoholic Faith Mission …. buy Let This Be The Last Night We Care
And, catch episode 2 this Thursday on Error FM and Sunday on Radio Phoenix! This is a special, exclusive session with Alcoholic Faith Mission, from Denmark, by way of Brooklyn, and at this moment of recording, via Cardiff (did ya get all that?) They popped in for a quick recording set and show, while in the middle of their European tour, last March. And DC’s got an interview with Thorben Seierø Jensen, from just this week, to add to those beautiful songs, which tells more about the band and its history. Don’t miss this unique view on a band to watch!
That’s right, darlings, this very own little blog is one of just 45 (so far) in the world, to take part in a collaborative, virtual, screening of Mogwai’s film, “Burning” on July 27th. That’s no big deal, you might say. We’re all just gonna stream a movie. But really, it’s more than that, because you all who watch are also given the chance to live chat with Stuart Braithwaite, and the movie’s director, Vincent Moon. Now, how cool is that? If you’ve not heard of the film, it’s largely comprised of content from their Brooklyn shows, during their 2008/2009 American tour. It won’t be released until August 24th (as a DVD with triple LP and CD), and US screenings on the big screen start then, in Brooklyn. But catch it here first in all it’s dark, noisy, delicious goodness!
US Screenings:
Aug 24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
Aug 24 – Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Cinematheque
Aug 26 – Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall
Aug 28 – Long Beach, CA @ Art Theatre of Long Beach
Aug 28 – Cambridge, MA @ Brattle Theatre
Sept 2 – Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot
Sept 4 – San Francisco @ Roxie Theater
Sept 10- Portland, OR @ Bagdad Theater
Sept 12 – Los Angeles @ Echoplex
Sept 14 – Toronto, ON @ The Drake Underground (2 showings)
Sept 23 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
A bit Elf Powerish, a lot of psych-pop goodness. I like this Darker My Love. I’m still a bit fried from Pitchfork Fest. Three days in a field in the sun, standing up the whole time and taking in about 19 bands will really fuck with your body, at this advanced age, haha. So bear with me, darlins. Go to the wonderful Dangerbird Records and download these songs and support this band!
Their album, Alive As You Are, comes out August 17 here in the US…. pre-order here! Tracklisting for Alive As You Are
1. Backseat
2. Split Minute
3. 18th Street Shuffle
4. New America
5. Rain Party
6. Maple Day Getaway
7. Trail The Line
8. June Bloom
9. Dear Author
10. A Lovely Game
11. Cry On Me Woman Split Minute by Dangerbird Records
August 17th Bootleg Theater Los Angeles, CA *
August 19th The Independent San Francisco, CA *
September 24th The Greek Theater Berkley, CA **
September 25th The Greek Theater Los Angeles, CA **
September 27th The Joint Las Vegas, NV **
September 28th In The Venue Salt Lake City, UT **
September 29th The Fillmore Denver, CO **
I’m Pitchfork’d out, my loves!!! It’s fucking hot, sweaty, dirty… and NOT the way I usually like those three words strung together, let me tell you!
But really, the music has been fantastic and as I suspected, I’ve been very pleasantly surprised by some acts that I knew nothing about and very much more impressed by others I thought I knew something about. The first day, the first act, completely won me over. Sharon Van Etten is truly a sight to behold. I had heard her recordings, I have listened to Because I Was In Love a few times in preparation for this and I liked it well enough. I knew she has been getting loads of hype. And when she took the stage, her tiny self absolutely dwarfed by that immense structure, I worried a little for her. She was obviously shaken up a bit to see herself on the ginormous screen but after two songs or so, the music possessed her. (I spoke with a guy who works for WXRT promotions later that day, and we agreed, she is POSSESSED when she sings!) It was chilling how her voice rang out across that stage. We cheered and yelped and jumped up and down to encourage her to do it some more. God, yes… do it some more! Her new songs are magnificent. Go see her. Go buy her new album the second it hits. This is all so much more than the hype can even promise, I swear it.
Other day one highlights included: El-P, who I only heard a few songs, but who impressed me nonetheless (and hip-hop/rap is NOT my thing at all!); Liars, who I saw upclose and personal from the VIP section and the energy was fan-fucking-tastic. Their drummer is amazing, he was truly a pleasure to watch. Bands like that often suffer from having all the focus on the frontman so that instrumentally, aside from having to hang together in a general way, it doesn’t have to do much else. But this version of Liars was tight and fast and very good. I loved it! And as a closer, Modest Mouse just won me over, heads over tails! They reigned over the crowd that night. I heard quite a bit of grumbling on Twitter about them, but this blogger was very, very happy to dance, sweaty and dirty and tired in a field of equally filthy hipster kids at the end of a long day to the music of Issac Brock and band (did we really see Pete Quirk of the Cave Singers playing trumpet up there? Can anyone confirm?) xoxo
Well, darlins, you know I love this retro trend when it’s done right. And somehow it seems the younger the band the more they seem to get this right, in my book. The Stone Foxes have achieved greatness, in this debut album, which they’ve recorded themselves, “live, with almost no overdubs, in a studio they built themselves” says their press release. It’s the harmonica. The bluesy, lazy-mouthed, wide-open just wild abandon of it all that the harmonica inspires in this album is what particularly stands out for me. More than just four guys playing around with some raw talent, Bears and Bulls covers some pretty wide ground. There’s echoes of Southern Americana from the 70s in this, some old fashioned blues, and Zeppelin-like sensibilities as well as a Chris Robinson spirit to the vocals. The instrumentation is tight. Drums are dished out heavy and hard. Guitar solos are searing and twisted and lead the song through repetitive, grinding goodness (hear “Hyde & Pine.”) I’m imagining this all played loud and live (hear “Young Man,”) and yeah, I’ll be there the second they make it near my great city, xoxo … I know a certain reader of this blog is gonna love this
and thanks for reading these two years, I love doing this blog. And I love doing it the more I give music to you, the more I find new stuff that maybe you’ve not heard of yet. Just last night I had a fantastic time at Ronny’s hearing Medications and Deleted Scenes. Wow! Both bands totally swept me up in completely different ways and even though in between sets I thought it wasn’t worth standing there in that hot, sweaty, man-filled room, by the end of each I was convinced that it was so incredibly worth it. Live music is just so worth it. I can’t convey that to you in any way that makes sense unless you’ve been out to a show and felt that feeling of exhilaration when a band just hits you with something so great!
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