Month: February 2011

DEPUI: FROM COURT JESTER TO MODERN DAY MINSTREL

Bent Ivar Depui Tversland can trace his lineage back to the royal courts of France where a presumed ancestor named Depui served as court jester. As the tale goes, eventually the king’s fool was banished from not only the court, but the entire country due to certain improprieties. And while Bent may be carrying on…

THE BEST OF CHICAGO’S MODERN MUSIC LEGACY COME TOGETHER AS CANDY GOLDE

With more than 100 years of accumulated rock ‘n’ roll history as a foundation, Candy Golde is the Midwestern musical collaboration of Nicholas Tremulis, Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick) John Stirratt (Wilco) and Rick Rizzo (Eleventh Dream Day).   The distinctive blend of blues groove, power pop, Americana and alternative shows itself in the self-titled…

LADY GAGA NEW VIDEO “BORN THIS WAY”

The clip was directed by Nick Knight, along with Lady Gaga, the Haus of Gaga creative team and choreographer Laurieann Gibson. The pop star confirmed last week that she will unleash another “Born This Way” video as well. The second version, she says, “is a more stripped-down version of the song that will be released…

SARAH JAFFE FIRST EP ANNOUNCED

Kirtland Records is set to nationally release Sarah Jaffe’s first ever EP — Even Born Again — on March 8th.   The decision to put this out comes on the heels of an incredibly successful year with her debut album Suburban Nature — which made Jaffe one of 2010’s breakout artists — topping year end…

BEN HARPER’S ‘GIVE TILL IT’S GONE’ SCHEDULED FOR MAY 17

On May 17th, Virgin Records will release Give Till It’s Gone, Ben Harper’s 10th studio album. The two-time GRAMMY winner will headline a trio of festivals this spring: Bluesfest in Australia, GrassRoots, the New Zealand Blues & Roots All Music Festival, and the Wakarusa Festival in Ozark, AR. The pre-sale for his upcoming shows in…

SKOLD RELEASES NEW ALBUM ANOMIE ON MAY 10, 2011

“Sometimes I wonder if I’ve been preparing my whole life for this album. I’m curious if people will actually ‘get it’,” so says SKOLD’s influential musical mastermind Tim Skold about ANOMIE, his first album in 15 years. “It really is completely self indulgent wankery, but that goes for just about every record I’ve ever liked.…

SIDEWAYS REIGN HEAD ON TOUR MARCH 2 / MP3

Sideways Reign, based in Union, Washington, is a band representative of the artistic sensibilities of the masses. They’re your local barkeep, the hard-hat wearing construction worker, or the ice cream maker on the corner; on and off stage they remain the approachable, everyday guys you grab a beer with after work. In the same sense…

SKOPE TV PHONER FEAT VIN KEATIN

Skope TV was fired up on Friday night as we got a call from a rising star in R&B/Urban music. Coming from the Bronx, NY is Vin Keatin and his new EP, ‘Certified.’ With songs like “Baby Making Music” and “I Wanna” it will not be long until music fans all over the world are…

MTV RADIO’S MORNING FACTS FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28th, 2011

TAYLOR SWIFT SEEN WITH GLEE STAR According to HollywoodLife.com, Taylor Swift attended an L-A Kings NHL hockey game with Glee star Chord Overstreet last Tuesday. Overstreet plays “Sam Evans” on the award winning show and has also made an appearance on No Ordinary Family and iCarly. Ironically, Taylor also attended an NHL game in L-A…

Q-UNIQUE RELEASES VIDEO “GREEN GRASS”

Brooklyn native and former Arsonists member Q-Unique has been painting vivid pictures of the grime and drab of New York life throughout his sophomore album, Between Heaven And Hell, his first project since the 2008 release of Vengeance Is Mine.

BROOKE FRASER ANNOUNCES SPRING U.S. TOUR

On the heels of back-to-back sold-out tours in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, Brooke Fraser will return to America for another serious of dates in support of her latest album, Flags.   The “Something in the Water Tour” will bring Brooke to legendary venues such as Webster Hall in NYC, the Fillmore in San…

BLIND PILOT TO SUPPORT THE DECEMBERISTS ON UPCOMING EUROPEAN TOUR

Portland, OR-based Blind Pilot, who are currently in the studio recording their second full-length album, will support The Decemberists’ upcoming European tour.   The tour begins on March 4th in Dublin, makes stops in many UK cities as well as Amsterdam and Antwerp, and concludes with a show on March 16th at Hammersmith Apollo in…

THE WATSON TWINS ANNOUNCE NEW EP

ight Covers, the latest EP from The Watson Twins to be released April 18th, 2011 is a collection of cover songs, pulling from influences and favorites spanning the last five decades.   Covers include songs from PJ Harvey, Bill Withers, Sade, The Turtles, Eurythmics and The Black Keys.   Sonically the recordings reflect each of…

DROPKICK MURPHYS SHOW SUPPORT FOR WISCONSIN UNION WORKERS

Dropkick Murphys have released an advance stream of their new song “Take ‘Em Down” in support of the thousands of Wisconsin union workers who are protesting the governor’s budget plan.   The song is available here: SKOPE IT HERE! In addition, as part of their way of showing solidarity with this movement, Dropkick Murphys are…

AIMEE MANN ANNOUNCES 2011 SPRING TOUR

Aimee Mann announces her first tour of 2011 with a string of spring dates across the east coast beginning in April. Aimee and her three piece band, made up of long time collaborators Paul Bryan and Jamie Edwards, will play select venues, kicking off at the Forum Theatre in Metuchen, NJ, with a date at…

MTV RADIO’S MORNING FACTS FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25th, 2011

KANYE’S NEW VIDEO CAUSES SEIZURES? According to AllHipHop.com, Kanye West’s new video, “All of the Lights,” could be a hazard to your health. A U-K based company called Epilepsy Action sent the visual to be tested at Cambridge Research Systems, which concluded that the video could trigger seizures “in some people with photosensitive epilepsy.” Before…

The Rural Alberta Advantage, Departing

Not long after the intense and equally cerebral and visceral shock of Hometowns, the debut from The Rural Alberta Advantage, wore off many were left wondering: how would the band fare under the weight of expectations from their sophomore release? It was a fair question, considering how immediate Hometowns was. It was a record that…

The Krista Parrish Trio, Playing With Pendulums

The Krista Parrish Trio is: Krista Parrish on vocals, mandolin & piano, Steven Murphy on bass and Michael Fazekas on drums & percussion.   There were also guest musicians on two tracks: “When” & “Easier Said Than Done”.   Krista was responsible for writing all the songs with the exception of one, “Eye To Eye”,…

ZION I & THE GROUCH NEW ALBUM & TOUR

West Coast hip-hop stalwarts Zion I & The Grouch return with their sophomore collaborative LP, Heroes In The Healing Of The Nation. The album, which is the follow-up to the group’s critically acclaimed Heroes In The City Of Dope released in 2006, will be released March 22, 2011. Zion I & The Grouch, known for…

DIRTBALL NEW VIDEO “I CAME TO PARTY”

The king of rapid fire rhyme, Dirtball has premiered his new video for the track “I Came To Party” online through WorldStar Hip-Hop. The track is the lead single from Dirtball’s new solo album, “Nervous System”, which hits stores on March 1st, 2011 through Suburban Noize Records. SKOPE IT HERE! www.MySpace.com/TheDirtball

THE WAVE PICTURES ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM

Moshi Moshi Records and The Wave Pictures are proud to announce the release of Beer In The Breakers, out April 19th 2011. True to their lo-fi aesthetic the band recorded the album live to tape in one day at friend and frequent collaborator Darren Hayman’s (of British band Hefner) house in Walthamstow, England. With the…

JOHNNY REID’S PUBLIC TELEVISION CONCERT SPECIAL / VIDEO

Already a chart-topping, platinum-selling artist in Canada, the pop entertainer Johnny Reid will release his first album in the U.S., entitled Introducing Johnny Reid,   May 3rd, 2011, on EMI/Manhattan Records. Two of his most popular hits in Canada “Today I’m Gonna Try and Change The World” and “Let’s Go Higher” will be available for…

Akron/Family, S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT

It’s impossible to know what to expect from Akron/Family. Their cosmic brand of experimental rock has been delighting fans for close to ten years, and part of their allure is how well they keep those fans on their toes. S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT, their latest, only confirms this. The…

SIR IVAN, I am Peaceman

For an accomplished banker, leaving an established & respected full-time gig to pursue a career in music seems like a no brainier. The transition no doubt would of course be a seamless one given the Financial independence where things like Promotion, Music Videos, Impressive Session players, & of course a Grand Ole’ Production would no…

ARE THE SLANTS OFFENSIVE? / VIDEO

Portland, Oregon-based Asian American dance-rock band The Slants’ trademark application for their name, “The Slants” has been rejected by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on the grounds that the term is deemed to be disparaging to persons of Asian descent and not sufficiently embraced by the Asian Pacific Islander (API) community. The dispute…

WARNER BROS. RECORDS ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH RICK ROSS

Warner Bros. Records is pleased to announce that it has entered into a partnership with Maybach Music Group, the label imprint founded by best-selling hip-hop artist and entrepreneur Rick Ross. Artists currently signed to Maybach Music Group include the rappers Wale, Triple-C, and Meek Mill, who will become part of Warner Bros. Records roster. “We…

SAM ROBERTS BAND TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM

Sam Roberts Band is thrilled to announce the release of their new album, Collider. Set for a May 10th release on Zoë/Rounder Records, Collider reinforces the spirit of the band’s classic pop song craft and infectious melodies that countless critics fell in love with. Joined by Califone percussionist Ben Massarella and Antibalas woodwind wizard Stuart…

MTV RADIO’S MORNING FACTS FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23rd, 2011

KATY PERRY COVERS RIHANNA, JAY Z, WILLOW Lady Gaga wasn’t the only one to kick off a tour over the weekend.   Katy Perry began a world trek in Lisbon, Portugal, and she decided to cover a bevy of songs, including Rihanna’s “Only Girl in the World,” Jay-Z’s “Big Pimpin’” and Willow Smith’s “Whip My…

The Wolfe Gang, Read The Fine Print

Right away I’m intrigued by the title of this band and album; The Wolfe Gang, ‘Read The Fine Print’–hmm…wonder what this will be about?   Definitely a good start just for the fact that I’m highly interested in this group and their new record before I’ve even heard anything.   Wondering if there will be…

CLINTON CURTIS COVERS VAN MARRISON / MP3

With the release date for his debut album 2nd Avenue Ball a month away, Clinton Curtis holds fans over with the freebie “And It Stoned Me,” a Van Morrison tune from one of Clinton Curtis’s favorite albums, Moondance.

J*DAVEY RELEASES FREE EP VIA BANDCAMP

J*DaVeY is excited to release their free downloadable 5-song EP Evil Christian Cop today via their website http://jdavey.bandcamp.com/. This release marks the duo’s first release in over a year and is the second free EP in a series they call The Great Mistapes. Evil Christian Cop was inspired by the dark undercurrents that exist in…

WILD BEASTS’ NEW ALBUM TRAILER VIDEO

Wild Beasts are set to release their much anticipated third album, Smother, on May 10, 2011 on Domino Records. The follow-up to the Mercury-nominated and critically acclaimed Two Dancers will be available on CD, LP and via digital download. [youtube 0Vf6oNalJ_8 nolink] www.myspace.com/wildbeasts

INFANTREE RELEASE ANIMATED VIDEO “FEET OF CLAY”

The young men of Infantree have just released an eerie, animated video starring a group of mannequins for “Feet of Clay.” The track is off their album Would Work, which is being re-released this Spring on Vapor Records (Jonathan Richman, Everest, Tegan & Sara). The song employs the group’s haunting group vocals over a vaudevillian…

TAMAR KAPRELIAN FEATURED ON AI

A room full of American Idol contestants jumped for joy last night when they found out they had made it on to the next round.   Fans at home watching the show heard Tamar Kaprelian’s “New Day” as the soundtrack to the exciting moment which couldn’t have been a more perfect fit.   “I really…

CHATEAU MARMONT “ONE HUNDRED REALITIES” VIDEO

Chateau Marmont (Guillaume De Maria, Julien Galner, Angy Laperdrix, Raphael Vialla) are known for their remixes of La Roux, Heartsrevolution, Ladyhawke, Röyksopp, but the visual representation of their music is equally noteworthy. Their “One Hundreds Realities” video is a black and white geometric playground that plays tricks on space and perspective. [vimeo 16974838 nolink] www.chateaumarmont.fr