It's not like Cold War Kids ever left, I guess I just lost track of them after their last album Mine Is Yours. This isn't to say I forgot about their material (because believe me I still listen to Robbers & Cowards religiously), but I guess I wasn't following them like I do with other bands. I caught their set at Coachella 2011 which ended on a perfect note with "Saint John" (one of my favorites off Robbers & Cowards). It was literally this time last year when I stumbled across "Minimum Day", a single CWK released that was backed with "Minimum Mistake", which reminded me a LOT of their 2nd album Loyalty to Loyalty. It was to my surprise when I read yesterday that some "BIG news" would be exposed to us today. Not only was a brand new track "Miracle Mile" released, but a string of tour dates were posted via CWK's website. In addition, trailer #2 was uploaded onto YouTube which features various clips that were captured during the recording process of their upcoming album titled Dear Miss LonelyHearts.
I guess I missed the memo when they posted last week about the completion of album #4, zoops! Check out trailer #1 below for the LMLH which will be released on April 2nd! Expect a new trailer to be released weekly!
I was sad to find out that CWK will not be playing a show in Dallas/Fort Worth, but pretty stoked for my friends in California! Of the California dates, they will be playing at SoHo (one of my favorite venues located in Santa Barbara) on February 23rd! If you're reading this & live in SB, you better not let this amazing opportunity to see Cold War Kids in a small & intimate venue like SoHo pass you by!
What better way to pick yourself up from the weekend than with the mix of songs I'd listen to whenever I'd have to be wake up at 4am (for my 6am shifts, so fun). Just enough energy to have me two-stepping while brushing my teeth, but not to the point where I was shuffling.
James Murphy has a way with getting people to move their feet in various patterns, mine tends to be when my eyes are puffy and i'm barely making ends meet when picking out an outfit. This is Happening is an album that will pick your feet up, if you have the time (songs range from 5-8 minutes long). It's more than worth it, I promise.
What's better than hearing that songbird of a voice AKA Alison Mosshart in the morning? Hearing it paired with some electronic beats fueled by Sebastian. The Kills will remain a favorite of mine until the end of time (sounds cheesy, but it's the truth). Last September they played an amazing show at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles that I was lucky enough to experience, and this year they are also performing at the Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco! :)
In short: MAJA FOREVER. I've had one hell of an obsession with this woman and her pack of fearless men. I can't express how much love I have for this bitch and those catchy songs that trace back to my early high school days where life was all about my best friend Jackie & Vanilla Cherry Coke from the Ice Burgie. Excuse my language, but The Sounds are a fucking legend and your ears need to hear every single track from the 2003 full-length Living In America. "Don't Stop, Push It". They're fucking amazing to see live, and will always thrive on their show at the Fillmore in 2007. Madness
In case you weren't aware, that is Elizabeth Maurus on vocals (aka Lissie). This track is from Morgan Page's 2nd full-length album from 2010 which is also titled Believe. Lissie provides most of the vocals on this album, which has me believing they make a pretty good pair. Remember "The Longest Road"? That's Lissie too. Addictive beats.
Hangover or not, this song still has a sweet pick-me-up to whatever state of mind I'm in. I've yet to catch this track live, as I had to leave from their set after 3 tracks or so. It's a scientific way of expressing love for someone, and when that someone understands it- it's amazing.
Mmmm. here's another track from KASKADE that I can't get enough of. Remember the cosmic sounding female in the Dr. Dre video for "I need a doctor" or those mesmerizing vocals in P Diddy's "I'm Coming Home"? That's Skylar Grey, who also provides the vocals on this stellar track. Her voice & Kaskade's brilliance paired together is uplifting, and much needed for a sunday.
Both of these tracks were released on the 2nd full length album The New Romance in 2003. If the style/word "scene" rings a bell for you, you've probably brushed upon this band years ago. If you were wondering, yes I was under that "scene spell" just enough to create my own pathetic Xanga and thrive over The Blood Brothers whenever I was alone. Sadly Pretty Girls Make Graves broke-up in 2007 after forming a band 6 years before in Seattle, the name did come from the title of a Smiths song which is traced back to Jack Kerouac.
P.S. TOMORROW NIGHT IN SANTA BARBARA AT SOHO IS THE CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH SHOW. Expect some groovy tunes of theirs on tomorrow morning's post.
P.P.S. Thanks for visiting my blog! If you don't feel like leaving a comment on here, feel free to tweet/follow me at twitter.com/emponce ! :)
What's better than listening to your favorite band in the car or in the shower? SEEING THEM LIVE! This is definitely the case for me, (actually I can think of a select few that didn't impress me live but i'll save that for another post). Recently I've been stumbling across tour announcement after tour announcement, and I just can't keep it to myself what my eyes have seen! & tis the season for new music... as this season seems to continuously keep giving.
Twin Shadow recently announced a string of tour dates that will take place two weeks after the July 10th release of his sophomore LP album Confess on 4AD. Quite excited when I read that he will be performing at a local venue here in Santa Barbara (SoHo Restaurant & Music Club) on August 18th! For a list of tour dates and more information about Twin Shadow himself, click here!
This is their first track since falling off the face of the media world in 2009. If this is your first time listening to CocoRosie, you're in for one hell of a treat. CocoRosie was first formed in 2003 by sisters Bianca & Sierra Casady. What first comes to mind when I think of CocoRosie is indeed "freak-folk", a term several others have described this duo as. Bianca & Sierra each have their own individual singing style (Bianca's exotic mix of hip-hop/folk vocals while Sierra's hand-crafted sound stems from studying opera and is as dreamy as her kaleidoscope look). If their unique vocal collaboration doesn't grasp your ears, then you should know that this duo uses wind-up children's toys and a variety of gadgets that produce animal noises which definitely increases the freak in their sound. The single is officially out on June 5th with the b-side track "Tearz For Animals" on Touch & Go. They'll be coming to the golden state next month:
June 6 - The Regency Ballroom (San Francisco)
June 7 - Rio Theatre (Santa Cruz)
June 8 - Bellyup Tavern (Solana Beach)
June 9 - Luckman Fine Arts Complex (Los Angeles)
After an amazing first go-around for Bombay Bicycle Club, their upcoming US/Canada tour through the US & Canada has been extended to the west coast ! After catching BBC back in February (San Diego on the 14th & Los Angeles on the 15th), I wasn't sure that I would have the opportunity to catch them in California for awhile. They put on an amazing set both nights, and I highly recommend it if they're coming to your city. Here's Bombay Bicycle Club telling you why you should listen to them & their latest album A Different Kind of Fix in the time-span of 60 seconds.
This is an unreleased track by The Weeknd, and was the first track ever recorded (2006/2007). My, has he developed since then.
& if you haven't heard already, The Weeknd will be joining Florence + the Machine on tour later this year, along with The Maccabees and Blood Orange on select dates. Just the sound of those four names is a match-made in musical heaven for yours truly.
Today marks the release date of Neck of the Woods, the new full-length album from Silversun Pickups. It's almost uncalled for to hear a Silversun Pickups track that's less than 4 minutes long (an exception would be Broken Bottles, you bet I did my homework). I truly appreciate the longer length tracks, maybe it's because i've developed a high level of patience thanks to working in retail. With Silversun Pickups, it's a different story. Each track is like a spectral amusement ride, and in order to get the full satisfying effect-you need to listen to each track in it's entirety. Brian Aubert's raspy hiding-under-the-bleachers voice will always be one of a kind, and I love the way it brings me back to their last album Swoon with this first track "Skin Graph".
& with The XX recently announcing their summer tour through Europe which begins next week in London, one can only hope that this is a sign that the new album will be released before we imagined it to be. (I've listened to their first self-titled album so much that I can almost recite it backwards, yet I still get the butterflies when the tracks pop-up on shuffle.
& maybe a US tour? (fingers crossed). They released a demo titled "Open Eyes" last December, check it out below!
