Sizzling Chicago Indie Rock From Smith Westerns

•If "Weekend," this uber-catchy new single from Smith Westerns, doesn't set your heart aflame, I don't know what will... New album Dye It Blonde out on Fat Possum in February; winter tour dates below the video; stream "Weekend" here.


Smith Westerns - Weekend from Fat Possum Records on Vimeo.

Tue-Jan 18: Brooklyn, NY - Glasslands
Wed-Jan 19: New York, NY - Pianos
Fri-Jan 28: Nashville, TN - The End*
Sat-Jan 29: Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light* 
Sun-Jan 30: Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506*  
Mon-Jan 31: Athens, GA - 40 Watt Club*
Tue-Feb 1: Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn*
Thu-Feb 3: Orlando, FL - Backbooth*
Fri-Feb 4: Tallahassee, FL - Club Downunder*
Sun-Feb 6: Houston, TX - Fitzgeralds*
Mon-Feb 7: Austin, TX - Emos*
Tue-Feb 8: Dallas, TX - The Loft*
Thu-Feb 10: Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room*
Fri-Feb 11: Los Angeles, CA - Echo*
Sat-Feb 12: Costa Mesa, CA - Detroit Bar*
Sun-Feb 13: San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill*  
Tue-Feb 15: Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
Wed-Feb 16: Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Cabaret
Thu-Feb 17: Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe
Fri-Feb 18: Boise, ID - Neurolux
Sat-Feb 19: Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
Mon-Feb 21: Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
Tue-Feb 22: Kansas City, MO - The Record Bar
Wed-Feb 23: Omaha, NE - Waiting Room
Thu-Feb 24: Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club
Fri-Feb 25: Madison, WI - The Frequency
Sat-Feb 26: Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
Mon-Feb 28: Toronto, ON - Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
Tue-Mar 1: Montreal, PQ - La Sala Rossa
Wed-Mar 2: Boston, MA - Great Scott
Fri-Mar 4: Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel

^ = w/ MGMT

* = w/ Yuck

SoCal Surf Punks, South Carolina Chillwave, and Milwaukee Retro Soul

•When it's 20-something degrees out and the wind chill is in the teens, Levi Prairie & company's throbbing surf punk as Gantez Warrior (newly signed to Warriors Of Radness Records) is just the antidote. 


+Tour dates w/ Los Growlers: 
    Dec. 23 - Costa Mesa, CA @ Detroit Bar
    Dec. 28 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Velvet Jones
    Dec. 30 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
    Dec. 31 - San Fran, CA @ Hemlock Tavern

•Bedroom chillwave never sounded so good as when Columbia, SC, native Chaz Bundick AKA Toro Y Moi burst onto the scene last year with Causers Of This. Now Chaz is back with Underneath The Pine, an album full of live instrumentation equally inspired by Ennio Morricone and his Palmetto State surroundings. Download the new mp3 of "Still Sound" here; one date in New York with Cloud Nothings in January:

  +01/19 New York, NY Mercury Lounge

•Retro soul doesn't have to come from Brooklyn — take Milwaukee's Kings Go Forth, for instance. Before April 2010, this ragtag bunch of musicians hadn't performed farther away than Indiana. Download a hot mix of "Don't Take My Shadow" here and make sure you show up for one of these sweaty, action-packed live sets:

      +1/21/11 - Double Door - Chicago, IL

       1/29/11 - Majestic Theater - Madison, WI

        2/11/11 - Cedar Cultural Center - Minneapolis, MN

        2/16/11 - The Recher Theatre - Baltimore, MD*

        2/17/11 - Rock N Roll Hotel - Washington D.C.

        2/18/11 - Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA

        2/19/11 - Southpaw - Brooklyn, NY 

        2/21/11 - SOBs - New York, NY

        2/25/11 - Turner Hall Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI

        *with Fitz and the Tantrums

Triple D-Light

Somewhere in an alt-country fantasy land, some grungy kid was flipping through his iPod and stumbled upon the insane trifecta of Dawes, Deer Tick, and Delta Spirit: "Dude, I could listen to these three in a row all day long!"

Then, somewhere in the musical heavens, that wish was granted, when the three respective frontmen for each band decided to form a band called Middle Brother. They're playing a one-off show in Los Angeles on December; Partisan Records will drop their debut album on March 1st; and further spring dates will come.

This pretty much says it all: "In a time when synthesizers and laptops are taking over stages, Goldsmith, McCauley and Vasquez are leading the pack of young rock songwriters who strive to carry on the tradition of figures such as Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen Warren Zevon and Tom Petty. Middle Brother came together in mid-2009 when the three songsmiths realized, after several on-stage collaborations, that they shared a unique vision and wanted to take it one step further, into the studio. Their songs are anthemic, soulful, passionate and confessional."

Peep a video of "Daydreamig" here, and stay tuned here for more information.

Two Ends Of The Spectrum

•First, legendary Canuck comic Bill Hicks: Rykodisc, who released "Bill Hicks: The Essential Collection" in September, have teamed up with blog Street Boners And TV Carnage for a "Re-Animate Bill Hicks" contest. Sounds sacrilegious, yes, but the best fan-created video featuring Hicks' work receives prizes from the comedian's personal collection. And any excuse to go back and listen to Mr. Hicks is an opportunity upon which to seize. Enter here by December 30th.

•Second, in a phenomenal example of local government doing something good, the Pittsburgh, PA, City Council honored Girl Talk's Gregg Gillis by proclaiming him a true patron of the Steel City arts — and naming December 7th "Gregg Gillis Day." Gillis christened  Pitt's new Stage AE amphitheater with two sold-out shows last week. That's Mr. Girl Talk himself rocking the sweet sweater. Download his most recent masterpiece "All Day" here for free.

Monday, Monday

•Deer Tick Does Christmas —Our favorite rowdy Rhode Island country-rockers release "Holy Shit, It's Christmas"two-song EP; buy it here, get "Christmas All Summer Long" for free here.

Dates:
JOHN MCCAULEY AND IAN O'NEIL
Mon-Dec-20  Los Angeles, CA Troubadour *
Fri-Jan-14    Boston, MA    Middle East Upstairs
Sat-Jan-15    Providence, RI    Met Café
Sun-Jan-16    Northampton, MA    Iron Horse
Wed-Jan-19    New York, NY    City Winery
Thu-Jan-20    New Haven, CT    Daniel Street
Fri-Jan-21    Philadelphia, PA    First Unitarian Church Santuary
Sat-Jan-22    York, PA    Strand Capitol Performing Arts Center
Sun-Jan-23    Washington, DC    Rock and Roll Hotel
* = John McCauley only, w/ Mountain Man, Guards

•Kansas rapper Stik Figa teams with producer Oddisee to release funky, smoky, jazzy five-song EP, "From The Top." Download it for free here

As If Sleigh Bells Wasn't Enough... Brooklyn Duo Metermaids Pile On The Jams

...and blow even more eardrums with the FREE mixtape Billy Mitchell Presents: Sleigh Bells Remixed By Metermaids

Download their Hello mixtape for FREE too

A Warm, Loose, Jazzy Way To Fight The Recession From ESQ & Chikarmanga

19 free and fresh tracks here

Das Racist Produces Intelligent, Satirical, Free Hip-Hop — And They Talk Shit To The New Yorker

I can't even describe it... just download their first mixtape FOR FREE here...

And then read Himanshu Suri's 24 haikus in response to The New Yorker writer Sasha Frere-Jones' article about the death of hip-hop:

1
Hip-hop dies each year.
How many lives hip-hop got?
Is hip-hop a cat?
2
This ain’t reverting
back to your mom’s disco dog.
Technology.
3
Elder statesmen! Dads!
Turn down that autotune, son!
Your jeans are skinny!
4
“Improbably weird?”
Only if you’re looking in
from the outside though.
5
Nah Right never called
hip-hop “improbably weird”.
Thanks so much, Nah Right.
6
Jay-z’s Blueprint 3
Is just as weird as Weezy.
“Hater” is real weird!
7
Where near Jay’s old hood
does Sasha Frere Jones reside?
He cough up a lung?
8
Don’t disagree with
every thing he said but
why so alarmist?!?!
9
Gucci just dropped four
mixtapes. Sounds like hip-hop is
alive and kicking.
10
Are you suggesting
there are no new ideas
left to rap about?
11
Freddie Gibbs is dope
but so is Young Dro and like
ten other rappers.
12
Has rock been dead for
ages since it too builds on
older ideas?
13
Rock seems alive to
me. I saw a great band play
last night at Glasslands.
14
Stop trying to kill
rap. Matter of fact please let
it rock. Go away.
15
8 Yahoo! answer
pages all dedicated
to the death of rap?
16
Timekeeper of pop?
Who made you the time keeper
of hip-hop, New Yorker?
17
This is how I feel
when Anon. commenters talk
rap on BK Veegz.
18
Don’t like when Pitchfork
claims authority on rap.
Don’t like when you do.
19
Leave hip-hop alone.
What is this article ’bout?
Define hip-hop please.
20
You’re great grandfather
was Edgar Wallace. Mine was
some broke brown subject.
21
Why did I think you
were biracial for so long?
Writer payola?
22
Hip-hop is not dead.
Polka is dead. It died and
is not coming back.
23
Electro-rap and
Africa Bambaataa’s not
that different man.
24
Bambaataa sampled
Kraftwerk and that was back in
1982!!!

Psych-Rock Tour of the Century — Only One Florida Date

Vancouver titans Black Mountain...

Photo: Steve Gullick

Plus Austin freakazoids The Black Angels...

Equals The Dropout Boogie Tour...

Trippiest artwork since 1967.

Free download of "The Hair Single" from Black Mountain's upcoming Wilderness Heart
Ditto for "Old Fangs"

Most tickets go on sale this week; some will be available through Ticketmaster on August 4th via a tickets/download combo that includes digital copies of Black Mountain and The Black Angels' new albums, both out September 14th.

The Dropout Boogie Tour with The Black Angels
10/28/10 Chicago, IL - Metro
10/30/10 Buffalo, NY - Tralf Music Hall
10/31/10 Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre
11/01/10 Montreal, QC - La Tulipe
11/02/10 Boston, MA - Paradise
11/03/10 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
11/06/10 Philadelphia, NY - Theatre of Living Arts
11/07/10 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
11/09/10 Louisville, KY - Headliners
11/10/10 Asheville, NC - Grey Eagle
11/11/10 Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
11/12/10 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
11/13/10 Orlando, FL - The Social
11/15/10 Birmingham, AL - The Bottletree
11/16/10 New Orleans, LA - Tipitina's
11/17/10 Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
11/19/10 Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa
11/20/10 Dallas, TX - Kessler Theater
11/24/10 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
11/26/10 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
11/28/10 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
11/29/10 Seattle, WA - The Showbox
11/30/10 Vancouver, BC - The Commodore Ballroom

Fol Chen Really Loves You

Creepy red sweater video for "The Holograms" directed by Keith Musil, free remix EP, heaps of tour dates...




Free "The Holograms" Remix EP featuring the titular track remixed by Teen Daze, Primary 1, Hard Mix and FUR.


Free "In Ruins" Remix EP

08/02 Los Angeles, CA The Echo
08/03 New York, NY Mercury Lounge *
08/04 Brooklyn, NY Union Pool *
08/05 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's *
08/09 Los Angeles, CA The Echo +
08/16 Los Angeles, CA The Echo #
08/23 Los Angeles, CA The Echo
08/30 Los Angeles, CA The Echo
09/22 Washington, DC Black Cat $
09/23 Boston, MA Royale $
09/24 Northampton, MA Pearl Street $
09/26 Toronto, ON Lee's Palace $
09/28 Ann Arbor, MI Blind Pig
09/29 Chicago, IL Bottom Lounge $
09/30 Louisville, KY Headliners Music Hall $
10/01 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom $
10/05 Pawtucket, RI The Met Cafe $
10/22 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater $
10/23 Colorado Springs, CO Armstrong Hall $
10/24 Salt Lake City, UT The State Room $
10/26 Seattle, WA Crocodile Cafe $
10/27 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios %
10/28 Arcata, CA The Depot at Humboldt State %
10/30 San Francisco, CA The Independent %
10/31 San Jose, CA Blank Club %
11/02 San Diego, CA Casbah %
11/03 Tuscon, AZ Plush %
11/07 Houston, TX Walter's On Washington %
11/08 Dallas, TX Granada Theater %

* = w/ Baths
# = w/ Light Pollution, Crocodiles
$ = w/ !!!
% = w/ the Apples in Stereo
+ = featuring live sampling with the audience for source material for Fol Chen's third album
& = featuring live Craigslist auditions for a new singer
@ = Metal band Viscera performs the songs of Fol Chen!

Washed-Out Fuzz Rock From Woven Bones, Mmmm-Kay

Why is Austin producing all the good garage-rock bands these days?

Woven Bones signs to Sub Pop imprint Hardly Art, releases deliciously summer-friendly "I've Gotta Get" mp3

smell the Woven Bones flowers

shambling visual delicacy

Tour love:
08/06 - Austin, TX, United States Art Authority !
08/07 - Dallas, TX, The Nightmare +
08/10 - Denver, CO, Hi Dive @
08/11 - Salt Lake City, UT, Kilby Court
08/12 - Boise, ID, Neurolux
08/13 - Portland, OR, Plan B
08/14 - Seattle, WA, Wildrose $
08/15 - Olympia, WA, Northern #
08/17 - Reno, NV, Lincoln Lounge [
08/18 - San Francisco, CA, Bottom of the Hill <
08/19 - Los Angeles, CA, Spaceland
08/20 - San Diego, CA, Casbah
08/22 - Phoenix, AZ, Rhythm Room
08/24 - Albuquerque, NM, Launchpad
08/25 - Lubbock, TX, Bash Riprock's
09/28 - Austin, TX, Stubbs Waller Creek ~
10/14 - New Orleans, LA - Circle Bar
10/15 - Birmingham, AL - The Bottletree %
10/16 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl %
10/17 - Asheville, NC - Broadway's %
10/18 - Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 *
10/19 - Baltimore, MD - The Ottobar *
10/20 - Philadelphia, PA - Kungfu Necktie *&
10/24 - Cambridge, MA - TT the Bears Place *
10/26 - Rochester, NY - Bug Jar *
10/27 - Cleveland, OH - The Spot *
10/28 - Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle *
10/29 - Madison, WI - The Frequency
10/30 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry
10/31 - Fargo, ND - The Aquarium
11/02 - Iowa City, IA - The Mill
11/03 - Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Saloon

! = w/ Residual Echoes and Happy Birthday
+ = w/ Bipolar Express and Nervous Curtains
@ = w/ Woodsman
$ = w/ Idle Times
# = w/ Christmas
[ = w/ The Madanna Bangers and The Humans
< = w/ The Splinters and Sandwitches
% = w/ The Coathangers
&= w/ Reading Rainbow
* = w/ Frankie Rose & the Outs
~ = w/ PAVEMENT

Motormouth Thursday — 9 Free Advance Downloads For Your Poor Ass

Thanks Motormouth Media!

"Treasure State" from So Percussion & Matmos, album out 7/13

"Made The Harbor" from Mountain Man, album out 7/20

"Days Of Our Lives" from Restless People, album out 9/14

"Sleep Forever" from Crocodiles, album out 9/14

"Black City" from Matthew Dear, album out 8/20

"AM/FM" from !!!, album out 8/24

"In Between Times" from Mice Parade, album out 9/14

"Atheist Funeral" from Dan Sartain, album out 7/20

"Die Slow (Tobacco Remix)" from HEALTH, album out 6/22

Deer Tick Covers Katrina, Tours East Coast

Go see this band — no excuses

"Sun Street" (Katrina & The Waves cover) mp3

Fri-Jun-18    Richmond, VA    Brown's Island
Sat-Jul-17    Providence, RI    Jerky's
Mon-Jul-19    Hoboken, NJ    Maxwell's
Tue-Jul-20    Philadelphia, PA    Johnny Brenda's *
Wed-Jul-21    Baltimore, MD    Ottobar #
Thu-Jul-22    Washington, DC    Rock and Roll Hotel *
Fri-Jul-23    Floyd, VA    Floyd Fest
Sat-Jul-24    Floyd, VA    Floyd Fest
Sun-Jul-25    Charlotte, NC    Visulite Theatre %
Tue-Jul-27    Orlando, FL    The Social %
Wed-Jul-28    Miami, FL    TBD %
Thu-Jul-29    Tampa, FL    Crobar %
Fri-Jul-30    Talahassee, FL    Engine Room %
Sat-Jul-31    Atlanta, GA    Buckhead Theatre %
Sun-Aug-01    Nashville, TN    Exit In %
Tue-Aug-03    Oxford, MS    Proud Larry's %
Wed-Aug-04    Memphis, TN    Hi-Tone %
Thu-Aug-05    St. Louis, MO    Off Broadway %
Fri-Aug-06    Chicago, IL    Lollapalooza
Sat-Aug-07    Chicago, IL    Lollapalooza
Sun-Aug-08    Chicago, IL    Lollapalooza
Mon-Aug-09    Toledo, OH    Mickey Finn's
Tue-Aug-10    Toronto, ON    Horseshoe Tavern
Wed-Aug-11    Cleveland, OH    Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Thu-Aug-12    York, PA    Capitol Theater
Fri-Aug-13    New York, NY    Webster Hall

Oh, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

Kip Berman may be the nicest interview subject ever

"Higher Than The Stars" video

"Say No To Love" mp3

06/03 Milford, CT Daniel Street
06/04 Rochester, NY The German House
06/05 Buffalo, NY The Tralf
06/06 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom
06/08 Memphis, TN Hi Tone Cafe
06/09 Birmingham, AL Bottletree Cafe
06/10 Tallahassee, FL The Engine Room
06/11 Orlando, FL Club at Firestone
06/12 Miami, FL Grand Central - Poplife 11
06/13 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbits
06/15 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
06/16 Washington, DC Black Cat

Psychedelic Hip-Hop Is The New Electro-Pop

Get hip with Dark Time Sunshine

Toro Y Moi Is Blowing Up

Who knew South Carolina chillwave could be so fun?

"Blessa" mp3

"You Hid" video

05/10 - Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel*
05/11 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theatre*
05/12 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle*
05/13 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl*
05/14 - Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon*
05/15 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live*
05/16 - Austin, TX - Emo's Alternative Lounge Outside*
05/18 - Tempe, AZ - The Clubhouse*
05/19 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre*
05/20 - San Diego, CA - Casbah*
05/21 - Mexico City, ME - Teatro Fru Fru*
05/22 - Monterrey, NL - Escenica
05/23 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent*
05/24 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent*
05/26 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater*
05/27 - Seattle, WA - Neumo's*
05/28 - Victoria, BC - Sugar*
05/29 - Vancouver, BC - The Rickshaw Theatre*
05/31 - Calgary, AB - The Republik*
06/01 - Edmonton, AB - The Starlite Room*
06/02 - Saskatoon, SK - Amigos*
06/03 - Winnipeg, MB - Royal Albert Arms*
06/04 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry*
06/05 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
06/06 - Lawrence, KS - The Granada Theatre*
06/07 - St. Louis, MO - Firebird*
06/08 - Louisville, KY - Zanzabar*
06/09 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop*
06/10 - Knoxville, TN - Pilot Light
06/11 - Columbia, SC - New Brookland Tavern
08/10 - Des Moines, IA - 7 Flags Event Center ^
08/13 - Council Bluffs, IA - Harrah's ^

* = w/ Caribou
^ = w/ Phoenix

Live! On French TV! Face-Melting Stoner Rock From Black Mountain!

New album coming soon... 



http://www.blackmountainarmy.com/

Everyone Loves Beach House

"Zebra (UK Radio Edit)" mp3

Apr 22 Emo's, Austin, TX
Apr 23 Walter's on Washington, Houston, TX
Apr 24 Spanish Moon, Baton Rouge, LA
Apr 25 The Engine Room, Tallahassee, FL
Apr 27 Bottle Tree, Birmingham, AL
Apr 28 Mercy Lounge, Nashville, TN
Apr 29 The Earl, Atlanta, GA
Apr 30 Grey Eagle Tavern, Asheville, NC
May 01 Cats Cradle, Carrboro, NC
May 06 Webster Hall, New York City, NY
May 07 First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA
May 08 2640 Space, Baltimore, MD
Jun 16 Diesel Club Lounge, Pittsburgh, PA
Jun 17 Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland, OH
Jun 20 Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY
Jul 27 Prospect Park (NY), Brooklyn, NY

More Saccharine Spector-esque Indie Pop From NC's The Love Language

"Heart To Tell" mp3

Merge Records debut Libraries out July 13th

I Usually Hate TV, But...

..."Treme" blew my mind, the music, the people, the food you can almost smell, the city of New Orleans, can't wait to go back