Welcome to another amazing month of music from the incredible musicians that make up the Sonicbids.com community. We have chose a select group of amazing musicians that will be speaking directly to the Skope readers. As always we encourage readers to dig deeper and check out their EPK’s.
MATT & KIM ANNOUNCE MAY/JUNE SIDEWALKS TOUR
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Be forewarned, Matt and Kim declare war on dull nights out during their official SIDEWALKS headlining US tour, kicking off May 28th at the Sasquatch Music Festival and including Bonnaroo on June 10th. It’s the official tour in support of their third full-length, Sidewalks, out now via FADER Label, and the plan is to tear…
Young Galaxy, Shapeshifting
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A band’s previous record can often dictate their upcoming release with pinpointed accuracy. While Young Galaxy’s previous full length, Invisible Republic, contained some synth-laden and at times, symphonic masterpieces, (“Long Live The Fallen World”) the band’s overall aesthetic was most prominent on the equally synth-heavy but much more atmospheric numbers. The band managed to…
YELLE RELEASES TWO NEW VIDEOS FOR MINI FILM
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Today Yelle is releasing not one but two new eye-popping videos, which together form a miniature film for their forthcoming album Safari Disco Club (March 29th; V2/Cooperative Music USA/Downtown Records). In the first half, which is fthe video for the album’s title track, the trio hit the dance floor to create a real-life safari…
FOSTER THE PEOPLE ANNOUNCE DEBUT ALBUM RELEASE
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In early 2010 Mark Foster, Cubbie Fink and Mark Pontius released “Pumped Up Kicks” under the guise of Foster The People. The band put the unknowingly, transmittable song on the internet and emailed it to a few friends. A year later, over 1.4 million streams and a song that every DJ from California to Australia…
SKYSAW SIGNS TO DANGERBIRD RECORDS FOR DEBUT LP
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SKYSAW, featuring acclaimed drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, DC-based singer Mike Reina and guitarist Anthony Pirog, has announced the forthcoming release of their debut album, Great Civilizations, in May 2011 on Dangerbird Records. The Los Angeles-based indie label most recently released new records from Fitz and the Tantrums, The Dears, Silversun Pickups and Maritime, among others. SKYSAW…
BRIANNA KAHANE PERFORMS ON OPRAH AT 9 YEARS OLD
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Nine-year-old violinist Brianna Kahane was chosen by Oprah Winfrey to perform in the widely-celebrated grand finale episode of Oprah’s ALL-TIMEWORLD’S MOST TALENTED & AMAZING KIDS show to air in Oprah’s final season.
MTV RADIO’S MORNING FACTS FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 3rd, 2011
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CHRISTINA TO COACH CONTESTANTS ON THE VOICE Christina Aguilera has been named as a musician coach on NBC’s new musical competition series, The Voice. Aguilera joins previously announced musician coaches Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine. The Voice will be hosted by Carson Daly and the winner of the show receives a…
Ellen Tipper, The Juggler
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Pianist/singer/songwriter Ellen Tipper releases her latest CD “The Juggler” in 2010. Tipper is an accomplished player & composer from Maine. She has a string of releases to her credit, & had notably worked with many folks over the years. The recordings themselves provide a very folksy, earthy approach putting the piano & Tippers amazing voice…
Jon Wirtz, Sea Level
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Solo pianist Jon Wirtz releases his latest CD “Sea Level” in 2010. Wirtz is an accomplished player & composer from Colorado. He has a string of releases to his credit, & had notably worked with many folks over the years. The recordings themselves provide a very conservative, gentile approach putting the piano front & center.…
G. LOVE DEBUTS AT #1 ON ITUNES ROCK CHARTS
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G. Love’s new country blues album, Fixin’ To Die, debuted at #1 on the iTunes Rock chart and has reached the #35 spot on this week’s Billboard Top 200 Chart with 11,834 units sold in the first week. Radio stations across the country are responding well to the first single, “Fixin’ To Die,”…
MY M.O. DEBUT VIDEO “BONFIRE MAN”
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“Bonfire Man” is the first single from their sophomore EP aptly titled Bonfire. For a limited time only, the Bonfire EP is available for free download at http://mymo.bandcamp.com/album/bonfire-ep, and then will be officially released through iTunes on Unemployable Music this June.
THE LOW ANTHEM NEW VIDEO “BOEING 737”
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Here is the new video for The Low Anthem’s stomping jam ‘Boeing 737’ folks, a song of epic proportions that sees the Rhode Island quartet stray from their delicate folk sounds. ‘Boeing 737’ is taken from the new record ‘Smart Flesh’ and the video was shot by friend of the band Thom Zimmey within the…
K.D. LANG AND THE SISS BOOM BANG ALBUM OUT NEXT MONTH
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k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang will celebrate the release of Sing it Loud by playing the complete album live at two intimate shows the week the album is released. They will perform at the Troubadour in Los Angeles on Monday, April 11 and at (le) poisson rouge in New York City on Thursday,…
ESTATE OF SKY SAXON SUES FOR ROYALTIES
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SKY SAXON, the singer and songwriter behind the 1960s garage-rock band The Seeds, died in June 2009. However, for most of his career and to the end of his life, he received no royalties at all from his record company or his music publishing company. The reason? According to those companies, Saxon…
Steve Warner & the Rolling Coyotes, Train of Life
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Over the years we’ve seen American & Country Music slowly erode itself into over popish nothingness. Artist after artist presenting themselves as superstars in the making with nothing more than a pretty face, pushed in front of a microphone with an acoustic guitar by the corporate giants in the hopes of making a quick superficial…
Young Livers, Of Misery And Toil
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This is one that will most certainly kick your ass ten times until Sunday. Of Misery And Toil, the second full-length from Young Livers, a fervent and dedicated four-piece that only adds to the already strong reputation that No Idea Records has built for itself. If you get a chance to come up for air…
NEW VIDEO FROM NYC BAND MAKE OUT
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Trading on Mortensen’s manic take on pop music and the musical sensibility Hennessey developed from her own frenzied upbringing (and influence of her stepfather, The New York Dolls’ David Johansen), the band hooked up with producer Nicolas Vernhes (Dirty Projectors, Animal Collective, The Fiery Furnaces) at his Rare Book Room studios in Brooklyn. Crafting a…
HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD TO HEADLINE REVOLT TOUR 2011
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After a massively successful tour with Avenged Sevenfold, A&M/Octone recording group Hollywood Undead will return to the road to headline the Revolt Tour. Kicking off in Boston on April 6th the tour will feature special guests 10 Years, Drive A and New Medicine. On April 5th, the band returns with their second album: American Tragedy.…
SICK PUPPIES GO POLAR OPPOSITE WITH NEW RELEASE
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Australian rock trio Sick Puppies are set to release Polar Opposite, on March 1, available exclusively at WalMart and all digital retailers. The eight-song release, produced by Rock Mafia, features re-imagined tracks from their smash sophomore release Tri-Polar as well as their first hit “All the Same” from their debut album. This is Sick…
STACIE ROSE LAUNCHES MUSIC WEB SERIES: ‘SUITE SONGS’
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NJ/NYC based songstress Stacie Rose has just launched an exciting and original, new independent music series SUITE SONGS! SUITE SONGS is an intimate series about the personal & collaborative process of song making.
VANESSA CARLTON SIGNS WITH RAZOR & TIE / VIDEO
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Razor & Tie is excited to announce the signing of singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton. Her fourth studio album and first for Razor & Tie is set for release on June 21st, 2011. The album, titled Rabbits on the Run, was produced by Steve Osborne (U2, B-52’s, KT Tunstall) and was recorded in the UK…
HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD RELEASE VIDEO FOR “HEAR ME NOW”
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Hollywood Undead have just premiered a video for the song “Hear Me Now” and fans can check it out here. Leading up to the video premiere the band posted 15 teasers for the video on their YouTube and Facebook pages. [youtube pdoIs1jZbCY nolink] www.hollywoodundead.com/revolt
RANDOM STABBINGS & ARTLESS CRITIQUE, MARCH 2011
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Ben Kono, Crossing (Nineteen Eight Records) Nu-jazz, purportedly Asian influenced owing to multi-instrumentalist Kono’s (Japanese, I believe) heritage, however my immediate overall impression was of a fairly straightforward Western blend. “Castles and Daffodils” opens the record to rambling effect; originally a paean to a downcast Stanley Kunitz poem, the originally effect was scrapped and…
IT’S SAFE TO SAY ELIZ CAMACHO GOT IT GOING ON
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It looks like Stoli and Windows Media Guide both agree that Eliz Camacho is an artist on the rise. While they beat me to it by a week or so I am real excited to have Eliz here on Skoped Out. Eliz knows what looks good, sounds good, and she knows how to juggle multiple…
MTV RADIO’S MORNING FACTS FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 1st, 2011
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WILLOW SMITH DROPS “21st CENTURY GIRL” Willow Smith has released “21st Century Girl,” her highly anticipated follow-up to “Whip My Hair.” The dance track is on sale at iTunes now. The daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith made a splash last fall with her debut single, “Whip My Hair,” which became an Internet…
DEPUI: FROM COURT JESTER TO MODERN DAY MINSTREL
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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
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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”
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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
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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
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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
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“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
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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…
ORGANICARMA RELEASES FIRST VIDEO FROM DEBUT ALBUM
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organicArma, Miami’s acclaimed duo of conceptual electronica unveils the long-awaited debut single, “Love Is Not It All,” available on February 28th, 2011 through all major digital music outlets worldwide.
SKOPE TV PHONER FEAT VIN KEATIN
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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
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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”
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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
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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
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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…
GRAND MAL UNVEILS NEW VIDEO FOR “GUITARS STRUM IN DEJECTION”
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The latest creation from Grand Mal comes via a beautiful video for the song, “Guitars Strum in Dejection.” Experimental underground filmaker Kenny Curwood directed, shot, edited and animated the video on Super-8 film.
