Pas Chic Chic

Here is the latest release from Pas Chic Chic...an art rock supergroup that features members of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Set Fire to Flames, and Fly Pan Am.

The new 12"/digital release features three new songs with all the lyrics written in French...“Allez Vous Faire Influencer”, “Premier Souffle”, and “Interlude”.

You can hear “Allez Vous Faire Influencer” here.

Little Dragon

Little Dragon is one of the most unique original groups out there right now - with a sound that infused melancholy pop, everything else, this group is positioned to be huge. And they were just the opening act on the most recent Gorillaz tour...need I say more? Validation and street cred has been effectively established.

Here's their video for "Blinking Pigs"


Anyway, next year they will be heading out on their own headlining tour which includes a whole bunch of U.S. dates, so get excited.

Tour Dates:
1/7 LOS ANGELES, CA @ LA Museum of Natural History
1/8 LOS ANGELES, CA @ Echoplex
1/10 PORTLAND, OR @ Doug Fir
1/11 VANCOUVER, BC @ Fortune
1/12 SEATTLE, WA @ Nectar Lounge
1/14 FARGO, ND @ The Aquarium
1/15 NORTHFIELD (MINNEAPOLIS), MN The Cave @ Carleton College
1/16 CHICAGO, IL Tomorrow Never Knows @ Lincoln Hall
1/17 TORONTO, ON Wrongbar
1/18 MONTREAL, PQ @ Il Motore
1/19 BOSTON, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
1/20 BROOKLYN, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
1/21 NEW YORK, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
1/22 WASHINGTON, DC @ Black Cat
1/23 PHILADELPHIA, PA @ Johnny Brendas
1/25 ATLANTA, GA @ Masquerade
1/26 ORLANDO, FL @ Backbooth
1/27 TAMPA, FL @ Crowbar
1/28 MIAMI, FL @ The Electric Pickle
1/29 Sundance SALT LAKE CITY, UT @ Urban Lounge
1/30 AUSTIN, TX @ Parish
2/2 RIVERSIDE, CA The Barn @ UC Riverside
2/3 SANTA CRUZ, CA @ Rio Theatre
2/4 SAN FRANCISCO, CA @ Independent

Gangrene

Gutter Water is the debut album from hip-hop duo Gangrene (a pairing comprised of rapper/dj's The Alchemist & Oh No).









Here's the video for their song "Take Drugs". It's really interesting, unique video...but rather disturbing in a lot of ways. Their publicist refers to it as "completely grotesque". You be the judge.

Jonquil - "One Hundred Suns"

One Hundred Suns the debut EP from Jonquil is not only refreshing but actually awe-inspiring. It feels like sensory overload - but it's not - or is it? I hear these songs. I taste these songs. I see these songs. I smell these songs. And ultimately, I feel these songs.

Hailing from Oxford, England - Jonquil was launched by three guys, Hugo Manuel, Sam Hudson Scott, and Robin McDiarmind from a bedroom floor. Self-described as Paul Simon's take on The Smiths - there's a safe emotional distance that Morrissey accomplished through his aching voice, that Jonquil captures with jangling guitars on a song like "It Never Rains". The difference is that The Smiths sounded like a late night cry - and like Paul Simon, Jonquil sounds like an early morning drive. Although I must admit, their naive optimism does almost come full circle and leave a ghostly echo in the back of your mind.

And to be perfectly honest, there has not been a sharper guitar riff this year, than the one on the intro to their first single "Get Up" (which you can download here, for free). The arrangements are lavish and sprawling - and yet ultimately minimal. They take a few instruments off the shelf and make them sound like the whole damn store. That alone is impressive.

Clearly Jonquil is a force to be reckoned with. This is a debut that feels like a continuation. It's like they're wrapping up some wonderful thought that they already shared with you - and yet you know they haven't...but they will. One Hundred Suns as a collection of songs literally will burst from your speakers and rain both joy and sadness on everything.







You can download "Fighting Smiles" here.

Go-Go Boots and DBT...

As we announced last week, Drive-by Truckers will be releasing their latest album Go-Go Boots in February, barely a year after the release of the immutable The Big To Do.

Since then the band has had their long time friend, photographer Jason Thrasher filming concerts, rehearsals, acoustic performances, and behind the scenes conversations with the band. These are being edited down into an internet docu-series also called "Go-Go Boots" - it will begin running in the end of December and they will put out new episodes regularly until the release of the new album.

Here is a preview of the series as frontman Patterson Hood discusses the idea behind the series itself, as well as the band's upcoming Record Store Day release, "The Thanksgiving Filter"/"Used to Be a Cop" 7 inch.



And while we're on the topic...here is also an acoustic performance of "The Thanksgiving Filter" from Patterson Hood.

Rival Schools is back!

In March the reunited Rival Schools will be releasing their first album in almost a decade. The band has just released a video for the first single off Pedals (out March 8th), the song is called "Shot After Shot".

The song is also available as a Deluxe Single available for download from iTunes.

Delicate Steve

If you haven't heard Delicate Steve yet...you're already missing out. There's something a little bit weird, a little bit transient, and just a little bit brilliant about this band. I can already smell the hipster love dripping from their jowls. The band is just now releasing their debut 7" with the instrumental track "Butterfly" as their debut album Wondervisions will be hitting shelves in February. On the b-side of "Butterfly is a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Albatross".

You can listen to "Butterfly" here.

New ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead

...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead have just released a new song called "Summer of All Dead Souls" of their forthcoming album Tao of the Dead, which will be released in February on the band's own Richter Scale Records.

The song can be found exclusively at Spin.com - follow this link to check it out...

You Know 'em Just a Little

You may not know the name of L.A.-duo Little & Ashley - but you know them more than you know. Try saying that ten times fast...

Both actors by day, Annie Little has been featured on "Scrubs" and "Mad Men", while Marcus Ashley has appeared on "Bones" and "CSI: NY". As a musical ensemble these two actors are clearly favorites of Amazon.com - who have used four of the band's songs in commercials for the Kindle. Three of which, "Stole My Heart", "Fly Me Away", and "Come On Let's Go", are all featured in ads here stateside, while their latest "Winter Song" is featured in a UK Kindle commercial.

Download "Stole My Heart" here...

Here comes The Concrete

Swedish Indie-pop group The Concretes have just released a new album WYWH on Friendly Fire Recordings.

Check out the video for their latest single "All Day" below...




You can download the song for free here...

The band will be kicking off their first American tour in four years in January 2011.

January 14 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock
January 15 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas
January 16 – Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
January 17 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
January 18 – Ottawa, ON @ Mavericks
January 19 – Montreal, QC @ La Sala Rossa
January 20 – Allston, MA @ Great Scott
January 22 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
January 24 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brendas
January 25 – Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel
February 26 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
February 28 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
March 1 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
March 3 – Sacamento, CA @ Blue Note
March 4 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
March 5 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah

Fresh Greyhound

Earl Greyhound just announced they will be releasing a new EP called Ancient Futures. Although there is no exact release date there is a tracklist:

Ancient Futures EP:
1. Hellhound
2. Lady Laser
3. The Fall and Rise of Mu


Their most recent full length LP Suspicious Package is still currently available everywhere.

You can download "Everything Else is Illusion" by Earl Greyhound (featuring Shooter Jennings), here.

And below is the video for Earl Greyhound's "Shotgun".



Both "Everything Else is Illusion" and "Shotgun" are featured on Suspicious Package.

Fire Damages Neil Young Memorabilia

(From Yahoo News)

SAN CARLOS, Calif. – Authorities say a fire at a San Francisco Bay area warehouse damaged a vintage car and other memorabilia belonging to singer Neil Young.

Firefighters responded to the blaze at the San Carlos warehouse around 3 a.m. Tuesday.

Belmont-San Carlos Fire Chief Doug Fry says the 10,000-square-foot building contained only items belonging to Young and his family, including six vintage cars and paintings.

It's not clear how much of the memorabilia was salvaged. Fry says fire officials are working with Young's representatives to remove what's left.

The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

Vote for Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame Inductions...

Do you wanna vote on who gets inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame next year? Click on the banner below!

A couple of new tracks that rock...

Check out this beautiful instrumental duet by Amanda Palmer (Dresden Dolls) and her protege Tristan Allan called "Janos vs. Wonderland". It's featured on Allan's debut self-titled EP, all of which he composed himself. The story of their collaboration is an incredible tale of two kindred spirits meeting by chance as Palmer took a leisurely stroll through Berklee School of Music's campus where Allan was a student.

Download their breathtakingly gorgeous duet for piano "Janos vs. Wonderland" here.




Rubblebucket just released this awesomely strange cover of "Michelle" by The Beatles. You have to love any band that has a member with the title of "Frontwoman/Saxaphonist". This on their latest EP Triangular Daisies.

Download "Michelle" here.

Coming Soon...a new DBT album...

Drive-by Truckers have already announced the release of a new album! They put out "The Big To Do" earlier this year - and apparently early next year (February 15th), they will be releasing "Go-GO Boots". Best music news of the day!

Hey Rosetta! and All...

Here's the free download of Hey Rosetta! performing an acoustic version of "Young Glass" from their debut album Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through your blood). It was recorded with XM The Verge at SxSW. You can download it below...

You can watch a video of the performance here:





And hey I liked that song...so why not toss in another Hey Rosetta! video? This is a song called "Bandages"...

Hey Rosetta! | Bandages | A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

I Freakin' Love That Song...

This is a short article I was asked to write for a website called - "I Freakin' Love That Song...":


Nirvana

"Smells Like Teen Spirit"

Nevermind (1991)

It was a call to revolution. It was the spark that lit the fire. When "Smells Like Teen Spirit" hit the radio in 1991, everyone seemed to understand that this time it was going to be different, this was the new era where young people would no longer suffer in silence. There was now a battle cry. A signpost to rally around. And over night, those opening power chords that introduced the world to Nirvana, aslo sounded a whistle that put hair bands, and the decade they so self-indulgently defined, out to pasture.

And by the early 90's divorce had become a pandemic that was ravaging middle-class homes across America, leaving suburban kids to slip quietly through the cracks to nowhere. But with Nirvana, with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - youthful frustration was finally being echoed by rock stars who had a platform, and a microphone, and who for the first time looked like the middle-American youth they were voicing. This band finally got it. They said it, sometimes with a whisper and sometimes with a scream - but the message was unmistakable: Young people were tired. They were tired of being glanced over by their elders, and their leaders, and the establishment that was supposed to be as much theirs as their parents. They were tired of the trickle that never trickled. Simply...being he silent majority was no longer going to work for them.


Almost twenty years later, it's hard to remember the first time you heard a song like "Smells Like Teen Spirit". It's etched so deeply in your bones that you feel like it had always been playing somewhere in the world before it came to you. And now you've long lost the ability to remember actually existing in a time before that song co-existed with you. It's yours. There's some twisted, co-dependent ownership you take of a song that needs you to listen as much as you need to hear.


Granted, it doesn't really sound like Nirvana. It's more polished than it should be - it sounds sleek, crisp, clean - all the things that Nirvana never was as a band - but maybe that was the point. Perhaps, that was producer Butch Vig's diabolical plan, to slip three lower-middle-class boys from Seattle into the mainstream through the backdoor, and by doing so, changing the world in ways that no rock band had done since The Beatles.

New Video from Brother Ali...

A new video from Hip-Hop artist Brother Ali. The song is "Breaking Dawn" off of his 2009 album Us.

The video is cool, the song is great. Definitely check it out below.