San Francisco-based singer-songwriters Jeff Campbell and Megan Slankard have a unique way of going on tour. First of all, they are musicians with separate sets and separate albums (though they are known to accompany each other on stage), but they are also a couple. What’s it like to tour with a significant other?
RANDOM STABBINGS & ARTLESS CRITIQUE, FEBRUARY 2012
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Sugar & The Hi-Lows, Sugar & The Hi-Lows (self-released) Throwback-chill-rock from a boy-girl duo of TV-soundtrack hacks, but it’s not as bad as I just made it sound. World domination isn’t the plan here, more like a few more montage slots in TV shows for annoying 30somethings; it’s stuff for soccer moms whose empty…
F.G., No Fly Zone
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The indie hip hop world is moving fast, and it’s an exciting time to be a fan of the genre. With upstarts like ASAP Rocky becoming household names after mixtape success, there’s the sense that just about anything can happen. It’s because of this that indie releases are being given more respect than ever before,…
DEAD FINGERS DEBUT ALBUM NEXT MONTH
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Kate Taylor and Taylor Hollingsworth have joined hand in hand and formed a band. Ladies and Gentlemen, Dead Fingers might just be what you’ve been waiting for! In a time when guy-girl duos are becoming quite popular, this one is not just some gimmick, however perfect the timing and package may be. You…
NEW VIDEO BY PEP LOVE
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We’re originators over here; they’re followers!” exclaims Tajai at the beginning of the video for Pep Love’s “Can’t Nobody Do It Like Us,” the latest single from his forthcoming album Rigmarole, which will be released March 6th.
GARBAGE LAUNCH STUNVOLUME RECORD LABEL
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Garbage today announced the launch of their record label, STUNVOLUME. The band will self-release its highly anticipated upcoming studio album later this spring. STUNVOLUME will be distributed by Fontana in the United States. Around the world, Garbage will release their album on STUNVOLUME via licensing deals with Cooperative Music in Asia,…
JANUS RETURNS WITH NEW ALBUM ‘NOX AERIS’
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JANUS – singer David Scotney, guitarist Mike Tyranski, bassist Alan Quitman and drummer Johnny Salazar – experienced great success with their 2009 debut album, Red Right Return, but the band’s new album, NOX AERIS, reveals how far they’ve come. That musical revelation is the self-produced NOX AERIS, which is drops March 27 on REALID Records…
MALEA McGUINNESS, SWEET
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Singer-songwriter Malea McGuinness has an impressive list of accolades under her belt. She’s toured extensively, garnered a ton of positive reviews, and opened for acts like The Counting Crows. Her latest release entitled “Sweet” displays her impressive vocal chops overtop music that could be called country pop, though it’s safe enough to fit in the…
TRYEZZ RELEASES “SOLAR WINDS” INTO THE MUSICAL ATMOSPHERE
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Is it really 51 degrees out there in late January? Wow, and I thought that global warming was a bad thing, just kidding! Anyway lets get to my guest today who is heating up the music scene with hsi hit single “Solar Winds.” Tryezz is an overall creative type that dips into music, design, tee…
XIU XIU VIDEO FOR “HI”
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Avant-garde pop provocateurs XIU XIU have just unveiled the video to new single “Hi.” Directed by David Horvitz and Jamie Stewart, the video features footage shot on a crazed road trip through upstate New York and photos taken throughout 2010 – 2011 Xiu Xiu world tours, including sneaking out during the wee hours to burn…
MGK ON RECORD-SETTING 2012 HOSTILE TAKEOVER TOUR
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ST 19XX/Bad Boy/Interscope Records signee MGK (aka Machine Gun Kelly) will be joining Tech N9ne on the record-setting hip-hop tour for consecutive show dates in a 99 day span. The 2012 Hostile Takeover Tour will consist of an astonishing 90 tour dates in 99 days that kicks off March 22 with stops in New York,…
NEW ALBUM BY EMMURE VIDEO ANNOUNCEMENT
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Emmure are preparing to release their fifth full-length album, Slave To The Game, after re-signing with Victory Records. The forthcoming effort is slated for an April 10, 2012 release. The group is currently recording with producer Joey Sturgis, who previously worked with the band on 2011’s Speaker of the Dead. On the personnel front, the…
JADA RELEASE NEW EP
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Jada, Boston’s popular female vocal group, released their latest EP “Supersonique” to iTunes and Amazon.com on January 24th, 2012. Jada’s new five-song EP follows on the heels of their RIO-produced single and Vassili Shields-directed music video “This Party’s On Fire” and two Universal Motown releases, “American Cowboy”, produced by Akon and RedOne (Lady Gaga), and…
PAPA GROWS FUNK RELEASE ‘NEEDLE IN THE GROOVE’ ON MARCH 27th
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Booty shaking party music best sums up the inimitable Papa Grows Funk, one of the most successful funk bands to emanate from New Orleans. The group of all-star musicians teamed up with the legendary Allen Toussaint and fellow ‘who dat’ Tom Drummond of Better Than Ezra to co-produce their new album of “Mardi Gras…
MUSIC UP CLOSE – JANUARY 2012
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Well, hello, Music Up Close clubbers. Sorry for all of the packing boxes. We’ve been moving the club across the country and have been in transit and out of touch with all of our wonderful Music Up Close regulars. We are temporarily set up in an old warehouse in SOCAL as they say there, southern…
DECLAIME VIDEO “SHIP’S DOCTOR”
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Since Declaime aka Dudley Perkins and Georgia Anne Muldrow co-founded their own label, SomeOthaShip in 2010, the duo has been releasing projects from artists including Quazedelic, Riff Raff McGriff, and others. The pair is also focused on developing a collection of their own releases, and while Georgia will release Seeds, a collaborative effort with Madlib…
SANTIGOLD NEW VIDEO “BIG MOUTH”
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Santigold’s 2012 take over has officially begun! Following a pair of hometown shows at Music Hall of Williamsburg that sold out in five minutes, she is releasing “Big Mouth,” from her forthcoming album Master of My Make Believe, due out this spring on Downtown Records/ Atlantic Records. [youtube cxdQ_uD5IWk nolink] Santi calls out all trash-talkers…
MUSIC VIDEO DIRECTED BY ACTRESS SCARLETT JOHANSSON
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“One of the greatest gifts of growing up with Jessie has been watching her develop as a musician,” Director Scarlett Johansson said. “This song has a dreamy Brian Wilson sort of feel; I wanted to build on that and allow the video to carry on dreamily and use the changing tone and Jessie’s expression to…
UNSANE NEW ALBUM MARCH 20th
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Legendary NYC rock powerhouse UNSANE has completed work on its long awaited new album, titled “WRECK”. The seventh full length recording of the band’s storied career will see a March 20, 2012 release date via Jello Biafra’s Alternative Tentacles label. Recorded by the band and producer Andrew Schneider at Brooklyn’s Translator Audio (Pelican, Keelhaul, etc.),…
SPARTAN, A New Age
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Spartan is a young, up-and-coming heavy metal quartet hailing from Portsmouth, England. Their debut EP “A New Age” is a testament to the enduring nature of metal, and much like rock, the enthusiasm it’s enjoyed from its devotees. The band started their metal training early, as the average age amongst them is 15. I, for…
JAY BRANNAN TO RELEASE SOPHOMORE ALBUM
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New York-based singer/songwriter Jay Brannan returns with sophomore full-length album Rob Me Blind on March 27, 2012. Jay released his critically lauded debut album goddamned in 2008, but first gained attention with his role in John Cameron Mitchell’s 2006 indie film Shortbus, where he performed his original song, “Soda Shop.”
JASON CRABB LIGHTS UP TWITTER WITH 34.5 MILLION IMPRESSIONS
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GRAMMY Award-winning Christian vocalist Jason Crabb rang in the New Year with a Twitter chat with Country Music Chat (#CMChat), generating 34.5 million impressions and reaching 1.4 million people. #CMchat, the only registered chat devoted to country music on Twitter, is hosted by Jessica Northey, who is ranked as the most powerful woman on Twitter…
DANIEL ROSSEN ANNOUNCES DEBUT SOLO
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Having written some of the most critically-acclaimed songs of the last several years as part of Grizzly Bear and Department of Eagles, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Daniel Rossen is sharing a brand new collection of wholly personal songs on his debut solo release Silent Hour/Golden Mile. It is an output from a musician you know, yet…
SONS OF BILL TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM SIRENS
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Virginia-based rock band Sons Of Bill are thrilled to announce the release of their new album SIRENS. Set for a March 27th release, this powerful collection of guitar-driven rock songs and reflective alt-country was produced by long-time fan, and fellow Virginian, David Lowery (Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven). To get fans excited, Sons Of Bill has…
Peter Galperin, Perfect World Today
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Over the years we’ve seen pop, rock, and even alternative rock bands slowly erode into over-commercialized, corporate puppet shows. Talking to many music fans out there, the response is overwhelming. Give me something new, something that makes me feel good. Something that’s pure and is going to kick me in the heart. Something that doesn’t…
VEVO PREMIERES VIDEO FOR DEUCE’S ‘AMERICA’
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VEVO premiered Deuce’s his new video “America,” which will be featured on his debut solo album Nine Lives via Five Seven Music on March 27, 2012 worldwide. This is follow-up to his first video release, “Let’s Get It Crackin’” – http://bit.ly/deucelgic DEUCE, ‘AMERICA’ VIDEO – http://vevo.ly/zoXyhi http://www.myplaydirect.com/deuce
BEAK DEBUT SET FOR APR. 3 RELEASE
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Beak, the post-metal quartet formed by local Chicago luminaries Chris Eichenseer and Jason Goldberg previously of The Timeout Drawer, release Eyrie, the band’s debut album on Apr. 3 via Someoddpilot Records. Recorded and mixed in late-2011 at Engine Studios by Neil Strauch (Sage Francis, Bonnie Prince Billy), the five-track release highlights the band’s adept…
WILL JOHNSON, JAY FARRAR, YIM YAMES & ANDERS PARKER TO TOUR
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Will Johnson (Centro-matic, South San Gabriel), Jay Farrar (Son Volt, Gob Iron, Uncle Tupelo), Yim Yames (My Morning Jacket, Monsters of Folk), and Anders Parker (Varnaline, Gob Iron) will tour in support of their collaborative Woody Guthrie tribute, New Multitudes. The select run of dates will begin on March 6 at the legendary…
Julie Clark Shubert, From the Inside Out
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It all began on Julie Clark Shubert’s 50th birthday when she unwrapped a Fender Stratocaster — a gift from her husband of over thirty years. Schubert had never touched a guitar nor was it her intention to craft a full studio album but strumming some strings has been on her bucket list for a…
LAMB OF GOD ALBUM TEASER
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Following two album teasers featuring the songs ‘Ghost Walking’ and ‘Desolation’, LAMB OF GOD releases today the final teaser for the CD Resolution, set for release on January 24th. This video features the song ‘King Me’, which closes the CD. The track, one of the most musically ambitious the band has ever put…
PETER WHITE TEAMS UP WITH DAVID SANBORN AND KIRK WHALUM
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After nearly four decades of writing, recording and touring — either as a sideman or a solo artist — Peter White still seeks out the road not yet traveled. Whether it’s new songs, new ideas, new styles or new collaborators, this virtuoso of contemporary jazz, classical, pop and Spanish guitar is at his best when…
SAY ANYTHING NEW ALBUM OUT MARCH
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Equal Vision Records is excited to announce that Say Anything will release their fourth studio album, Anarchy, My Dear, produced by Tim O’Heir (Say Anything, Sebadoh, Superdrag), on March 13th, 2012. Say Anything has been making odd, unclassifiable indie rock music since they were 14 or 15 years old, playing strangely literate and loud rock,…
NEW VIDEO BY AARON COHEN
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Aaron Cohen let’s loose the visuals for “Never Should Have Let Me Go” as featured on his forthcoming mixtape Crack, which drops next week. Directed by Shervin Nassi, the video depicts the bi-coastal AC marauding through the woods in a ’71 Plymouth Fury with his entourage of zombified models…stay tuned for that Crack music!…
LOMA PRIETA’S DEATHWISH DEBUT ALBUM
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Loma Prieta have been a mainstay of the Bay Area hardcore community for more than half a decade. In that time they have released four 12 inch records and two 7 inch records mostly on their own label, Discos Huelga. They have also toured the U.S., Japan, Canada, and Mexico numerous times, all while members…
ROBERT DAVI’S TAKES ON SINATRA IN DEBUT ALBUM
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Robert Davi thought he had the world on a string in 1977 when he made his onscreen debut at age 24 opposite Frank Sinatra in the TV movie “Contract on Cherry Street.” Embarking on a fabled Hollywood career that would one day include playing a James Bond villain (“License to Kill”), an FBI Agent in…
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS RESCHEDULE DATES ON UPCOMING U.S. TOUR
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Red Hot Chili Peppers regret to announce that they must postpone the start of their upcoming U.S. tour due to multiple foot injuries sustained by lead singer Anthony Kiedis. Kiedis recently underwent surgery to remove a crushed sesamoid bone and correct a detached flexor tendon in his foot and is expected to make a full…
PEASANT TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM BOUND FOR GLORY
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Damien DeRose, the talented singer and songwriter behind Peasant, will release his third and most complete album Bound for Glory on April 17th via London-based Schnitzel Records (Ween and Hello=Fire). The follow up to the critically acclaimed and fan favorite Shady Retreat, Bound for Glory is a collection of deep and diverse tracks that reveal…
SNAFU Kitties, Break Yo’ Back EP
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SNAFU Kitties. It’s a strange, strange name, but it’s the strange things in life that we remember, isn’t it? The new EP from Danish pop/rock quartet SNAFU Kitties is called “Break Yo’ Back”. Inspired by the likes of The Beatles, The Dears and Radiohead, the band has good taste, but how do they stack up?…
THE PARTICLES VIDEO FOR “TAKEN AWAY” IS A SMASH HIT
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The Particles first got together in 2005 when they began work on the album “Voices”. It was the beginning of what they describe as a “mystical alliance” that continues to this very day. For the last several years they have been working hard to develop their unique sound. One of the most interesting aspects of…
NORTH OF THE BORDER – MUGZ
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muGz is one of those acts you just know is destined for success. His official debut video Lonely Girl was premiered on cult BET show 106 and Park and his mixtape I Cosign Myself scored him a Montreal Hip-Hop award, not bad for this multi-faceted performer.
