Recently while I was watching the new and improved "120 Minutes" on MTV2, they played a video for this new band called Sleeper Agent which you can watch below. The song is called 'Get It Daddy' and its awesome just like the music video for it. This band has a punky up beat sound. Kind of like my other favorite band "Be Your Own pet."
The five piece band is from Bowling Green, Kentucky and all are barely out of their teens. The lead singer Alex Kendel is 18 and came into the band when she was only 17. Apparently she asked to be in the band but they wouldn't let her in because she was still in high school, but after convincing them they finally let her join.
They already started a tour with the hit band "Cage The Elephant" and some energetic shows at 'South By South West.' Their debut album 'Celebrasion' came out August 16 and I've only heard here and there on Pandora but it sounds really catchy and something you can listen to everyday. You can find out more about them on their website here.
The Dollyrots released a new EP today titled 'Arrested Youth.' The Track list includes "Playing With Fire", "Interaction", and "Free At Last."
You can watch the video for "Playing With Fire" below.
If you havn't heard of the Dollyrots then you have missed out. They have made three studio albums including 'Eat My Heart Out', 'Because I'm Awesome' and 'A Little Messed Up.'
They are made up of Lead singer and bass player Kelly Ogden, Guitar player Luis Cabezas and drummer Chris Black. They were formed in the year 2000 after their disappointment with the presidential election. "We were watching the 2000 presidential election results, and at four o'clock in the morning, when we found out that George W. Bush had won, Luis and I were like, "The world's probably gonna end anyway, and I don't want to go to med school," so we thought, "Let's just do the band," says Ogden. "So that's when it happened. We had no future anyways, so let's just be in a rock band!"
I've seen them live at the Troubadour back in February for my birthday and they were amazing. You can see a video of them live here..
I forgot to post this, but here is the new music video for Best Coast's song 'Our Deal.' The music video was directed by Drew Barrymore and stars Chloe Grace Mortez, Donald Glover, and Alia Shawkat.
Below I have a few videos from the show last night. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of them. I tried to get a picture with Cole but I guess he was too busy. They put on a pretty good show playing all the songs on their debut album "Don't Be A Dick" and some oldies like "Do You Wanna Dance." The band that opened up for them was called Fever Charm and they were pretty good. you can visit their page here. I got some videos of them playing with Travis (from emily's army) dancing on stage and their bass player slappin da bass. There were a lot of celebrities there too including Serena Williams and the dad from the show "Modern Family" and of course Billie Joe Armstrong with his wife Adrianne. The show was fun although not my favorite show of theirs. It was fun to sing a long and dance to all the songs I knew. They will be playing a show today at Dipizzas and then a tour along the east coast. I wrote a review for their debut album "Don't Be A Dick" here.
Radiohead has released three new remixed tracks from their last album 'The King Of Limbs'. The Songs are 'Feral (Lone RMX)', 'Morning Mr. Magpie (Pearson Sound Scavenger RMX)' and 'Seperator (Four Tet RMX)'. You can listen to them below.
The songs are featured on their new EP titled 'Issue Number 3 Of Our Remix Series'. You will be able to buy the EP on Monday August 1st. More info can be found on their website here.
Earlier this week the band announced they will release other remixes titled 'Little by Little, Codex' and 'Give Up The Ghost'.
Drew Barrymore has directed a new music video for the band Best Coast. A teaser was released online. You can watch it below. The music video is for the song "Our Deal" taken off from the bands 2010 album "Crazy For You."
The video features young actors/actresses like Chole Grace Mortez, Miranda Cosgrove, Alia Shawkat, Donald Glover, and Tyler Posey. The film will premiere August 2nd.
Best coast's Bethany Cosentino said that she met Barrymore after a gig in LA and said that Barrymore came up with a "Really cool concept."
Cosentino also mentioned that she is already working on their next album saying "I've been working on trying to find a way to blend the classic pop stuff that I do with this new country thing that I've been exploring a lot. It's not going to be a country record at all. I think a lot of people are getting scared when I say that."
MIA has just released her own tribute song to fallen idol, Amy Winehouse. You can hear the song below.
She posted the track on her soundcloud saying that the song was also dedicated to her friends that died at the early age of 27.
The song may also reference the "27 club". A group of musicians who died at the age of 27 like Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, and Brain Jones.
On the rappers twitter, she said that '27' was "an unfinished demo" and was recorded before her 2010 mixtape 'Vickileekx' and ended the tweet with a thoughtful "R.I.P A.M.Y.".
Famous rap group The Beastie Boys have premiered their new music video for their song "Don't Play No Game That I can't Win" online featuring Santigold.
The track is from their new album 'Hot Sauce Committee pt.2'.
The video features the rap group and Santigold portrayed by action figures/ Barbie Dolls playing a show, but then quickly ended by these assassins who try to kill them throughout the video. The group has to avoid Sharks and Zombies on the way as well.
The video is directed by none other than famous music video director Spike Jonze who does music videos for bands like Arcade Fire, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Fatboy Slim.
This video is the 2nd short story video released by the band. Following 'Fight For Your Right Revisited' featuring Seth Rogan, Elijah Wood, and Alicia Silverstone.
Punk legend Patti Smith recorded a live cover of Adele's smash hit "Rolling In The Deep." She covered the song at Castle Clinton in New York on Thursday July 14.
Smith has also announced that she will release a 'Greatest Hits' record this summer titled "Outside Society."
Other acts have done their own covers of song including Linkin Park and Black Stone Cherry. The song was also featured on the 2nd series of the hit show Glee.
Yeah Yeah Yeah's lead singer Karen O, will debut her work at ST. Annes Warehouse in Brooklyn for the creators project which runs from October 13 to 16 in the DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass).
Critics have said that the piece was "An assault on the tragic joys of youth." A title for the play hasn't been released, but the director is film maker Adam Rapp.
Other artist involved in the Creators Project are Jason Pierce from Spiritualized, and director Barney Clay. For more info on the creators project you can visit their website here.
The way I found this band is kind of weird story considering I found out about them at a garage sale with my friends. The lady that seemed to be running it said she was in this band called The Crippled Puppies so my friends and I looked them up and they were pretty good. They sounded kind of like Florence And The Machine meets Cat Power.
Their name kind of suits them with their dark eerie sound but it blends nicely with the lead singers pretty voice. Unfortunately I don't know any of their names because their website doesn't seem to be working and their myspace doesn't have any info either. All I know is that they are a three piece from my home town Ventura California. you can hear their music on their soundcloud here.
You can watch their music video filmed in Ventura CA for their song "Fake Is The New Real" here.
Blur bassist Alex James will open the all new Harvest Festival on his farm in Kingham, Chipping Norton with bands like The Kooks, Eliza Doolittle, The Feeling, and KT Tunstall.
The event will be held in September 9-12 and will be The kooks only UK summer festival appearance, but they will be touring in October for their new album, "Junk Of The Heart", that will be out on September 12. If you want to hear their new single "Is It Me?" you can check out our blog about it here.
The festival will also host not only music but cooking classes, restaurants, gardening workshop and a farmers market. James said that his family is "looking forward to a celebration of all our favourite things – food, the farm and music. What more could we ask for?"
Red Hot Chili Peppers just released a single off their new anticipated album "I'm With You" called "The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie."
The single was released on KROQ after it had already leaked online. You can hear the single on the radio stations soundcloud here.
This is the first single taken off of their new album "I'm With You", due out on August 30th.
As you might have heard, John Frusciante left the band back in 2009 to work on his solo work, so this album is the first time the band recorded with Frusciante's replacement, Josh Klinghoffer, who was the former bands guitar technician and a member of Warpaint.
The band has also revealed the their artwork for their new album "I'm With You" designed by Damien Hurst. They will begin touring in Europe in October and December.
Bestival will take place at Robin Hill Countryside Adventure Park near Newport on the lovely isle of Wight on Thursday September 8th through Sunday September 11th.
Featured Artist in the festival include The Cure, Bjork, PJ Harvey, FatBoy Slim, Public Enemy, Crystal Castles, Village People, Grandmaster Flash, Santigold, and many more...
If you want to find out more you can check out their website here.
British rock band, The Kooks, have just released their new single "Is It Me?"
You can officially buy the single on September 4th. Exactly a week before their new album "Junk Of The Heart" comes out.
The album was produced by Tony Hoffer, who produced albums by The Fratellis and Air. And was recorded in New York and London.
The single is the first time we will hear new bassist Pete Denton who replaced Max Rafferty. Rafferty left the band due to his drug addiction.
The Kooks toured a lot of random, fan chosen gigs earlier in the year. Including a show at the Troubadour that my friend Jazzmin went to and shes in the process of writing a review for that. Now the band will head back to the UK to play a nine date tour in the autumn. You can check the tour dates here on their website once ya scroll down.
Keith Caputo,37, is not only the singer of famous metal band Life Of Agony, but had a long career as a solo artist, releasing 4 albums on his own. He is the first high profile metal musician to undergo a sex change. He took to twitter to explain his decision: "Male to female transsexuals like me are the women who give up male privilege for femininity! Threaten the patriarchy!"
If you are not familiar with Life of Agony, they have made 4 studio albums and are praised influences for many of today's metal bands.
Indie rock band, The Black Keys, are completely done with their new record, ready for release later this year. This yet untitled record will be the duo's seventh studio album. The producer is none other than Danger Mouse who produced their last two records (Brothers 2010, Attack And Release 2008).
Lead singer and guitarist, Dan Auerbach, explains to spin.com that their new album won't have that soul sound that their last album, Brothers, had. He said that "It's way more driving and the tempos are really fast."
So far the tracks that have been confirmed on the album have been "Little Boy" and "Little Black Submarine"
The Black Keys will begin touring next month for dates set in Kansas City, San Francisco, Columbia, and Atlanta.
Famous rock band "Red Hot Chili Peppers" recently hired Banksy associate, Mr. Brainwash, or formally known,Thierry Guetta, to promote their long, new awaited album "I'm With You" by decorating the streets of Los Angeles with his street art along with other projects up their sleeves.
You may have seen Brainwash in the Oscar nominated documentary Exit Through The Gift Shop.
Although the band has not confirmed the street art, their new album is due out August 30th, and the single "The Adventure Of Raindance Maggie" will come out July 18. Touring will commence in Europe in October and December.
Although there already was a video for this song starring Emma Roberts and Dave Franco, it wasn't considered the official music video. You can watch that video here
Now, the official music video can be viewed on boingboing.com. It shows news clips of the Jonestown cult massacre and people singing along to the song. you can watch that video here.
Indie pop band "Rilo Kiley" was announced split by their guitarist Blake Sennett on spinner.com.
The quartet consists of famous indie singer Jenny Lewis who had a successful solo career singing along side the Watson twins, Elvis Costello, and boyfriend Jonathan Rice on her last record "Jenny and Jhonny." Sennet worked on different projects as well like his side band "The Elected".
Sennet's explanation for the split is as follows: "I just felt like there was a lot of deception, disloyalty, greed and things I don't really want to submit myself to. I had related that frustration to music but I just thought, 'I'm not going to put myself in that position again,' so I said, 'Fuck that, I can't do this anymore.'"
"Rilo Kiley" released 5 studio albums during their long 13 year run. Their last album, "Under The Black Light", was dissed by Sennet saying that the album "was not our best album by far". He even intended to release a "two-disk set of 40 songs" as an appropriate last release for the band.
If you're like us, and love some Smiths songs, can't stand Morrissey, think the Dum Dum Girls are groovy, and didn't realize they had done a brilliant cover of "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out," well, today is our collectively lucky day.
Emily's Army just debuted the first official music video for "Broadcast This," the first song on their new album Don't Be A Dick. Click the link below to watch it on the Rolling Stone website. If you haven't already, check out our review of their album Don't Be A Dickhere.
Yesterday, YACHT stopped by the Sirius XMU studios for a live set in support of their new album (which we'll discuss at some later date) and delighted everyone with a blippy electro-cover of the Judas Priest classic "Breaking The Law."
Cults got some attention last year with their release of the supremely catchy indie single "Go Outside." Some of that attention was from major labels, like Columbia Records, who signed the freshly-minted band and released their debut album "Cults." Some of that attention was from the usual indie blogger-bullies who couldn't wait to jump off the Cults bandwagon upon hearing that news.
Cults seems to have surprised a lot of people with their new release. The sound is consistent enough with the first single; 60's-era girl group kitch, tinged with ambient sound and electronica, all drenched in reverb. Beneath the bright and beautiful pop sound is a core of lyrical darkness - the band's name is "Cults" after all.
The songs here are all consistently pretty, but also a little emotionally unhinged - if not sinister. Hearts are torn out on "Abucted," where the antagonist admits "I never loved her." In "I Can Never Heal Myself," more teenage heartbreak as frontwoman Madeline Follin pleads "tell me all the things that you thought weren't right about me." "Most Wanted" laments that teenage loss of innocence, the lure of the darkness, away from childhood loved ones and toward "flirtation, drug use, and adultery."
A solid record that we'll likely remember as one of the best of 2011.
The Lonely Island's sophomore album "Turtleneck & Chain" is a record full of disgusting raps about their dicks and having sexual relations with their friends' mothers, but the beats and hilarious lyrics really make up for the immaturity. In their last album "Incredibad," they were obsessed with the drink "Santana" champagne. Now they are obsessed with turtleneck sweaters and "thin ass chains."
The Lonely Island is composed of three SNL writers Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer. The group is like the Beastie Boys; white and awkward looking at first, but when hear the album, you realize that they can actually rap. The album is full of catchy hip hop songs featuring Nicki Minaj, Beck, Michael Bolton, Snoop Dogg, Akon, Rihanna, Santigold, and of course, Justin Timberlake.
The album immediately begins with the group rapping about how small and useless their dicks are in the song "We're Back." The immature lyrics themselves wouldn't work without highly-produced beats and their competent white boy flow.
In "I Just Had Sex," Andy and Jorma sing about having sex and how great it is, but once they get into detail you find out that their experience wasn't all that great. (she kept looking at her watch/ doesn't matter had sex/ but I cried the whole time/ doesn't matter had sex/ I think she might have been a racist/ doesn't matter had sex/ she put a bag on my head/ still counts!).
Another hit off the album, "The Creep", the group shows us a dance that they made up called "The Creep", which you can use it to "make friends at the ATM" or "When you see a country peach laying out on the beach." The song features famous female rapper Nicki Minaj and director John Waters who reminds you "Don't forget to smile." In the infamous "Motherlover" Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake team up for the second time after the huge "Dick In A Box" SNL success. They decide for mothers day, to sleep with one another's mothers. Although it does sound extremely wrong, the song is actually really funny and, like "I Just Had Sex", the song is one of those songs that you can't get out of your head so you end up singing along to it all day. The song "Turtleneck & Chain" pretty much sums the whole album up with fresh beats and of course who else but Snoop Dogg to explain their love for turtlenecks and a thin ass chain while sipping on a light beer.
This album surprised me with how funny it was, because I have been watching the past SNL Digital Shorts, (which is where most of these songs had their debut) and there haven't been a lot of extremely funny bits. The album really does work as a whole. I first heard this record on my last day of school and I was watching all the videos that come with the album and couldn't keep myself from laughing. This record is extremely funny and was worth half of the money on my iTunes gift card.
Emily's Army debut full-length album "Don't Be A Dick" brings a fresh new sound to modern day punk rock that still manages to respect the classic bands. Cynical modern punk rock is about what sucks and "fuck this and fuck that," but Emily's Army comes off with positivity and class. At times they remind me of The Clash. In their time, The Clash made punk that was about musical style, without sacrificing lyrical substance.
Now in 2011 Emily's Army have their full length album "Don't Be A Dick," including all songs we've heard over the last couple of years in the live shows. The album went on sale June 14th and i preordered the "bundle" which included the 12" record on vinyl, stickers, a T-shirt, and a poster for only $20. The record is full of catchy, fast, and stick-in-your-head songs that is amazing for a band with such young members ranging from 15 to 17 years old.
I've been following Emily's Army since the summer of 2009 and the only place you could find their music was on Myspace or YouTube. Then in the summer of 2010 they began touring up and down the California coast, and I was lucky enough to see them four times (once at Velvet Jones, and twice at the Troubadour, and once at Gilman).
"Don't Be A Dick" was produced by Green Day's Billie-Joe Armstrong and Chris Dugan in Jingle Town Studios in 4 days. The band consists of Cole Becker (singer and guitarist), Max Becker (bass and singer), Joey Armstrong (drums) and Travis Nuemann (guitar). They came up with the name from Max and Cole's 15 year old cousin Emily, who was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis in 1998. The name is also from the charity for their cousin.
The record begins with the song "Broadcast This," which is how they usually open a live show. Like most of the songs on the record I relate to it a lot because this song has to do with how the radio/media is full of "boring music and depressing talk shows." "Asslete." on the other hand is about how athletes who may seem straight edge or as Cole says "white horse" but in the end "you can't be a good guy in sports." "Little Face" I think shares a similarity with another great song on the album "Strictly For The Birds" because before, I only heard the songs live but on the record they have great catchy riffs and stick-in-your-head chorus sung by Max. "Ho-Lloween" sounds like a Misfits song with the band making weird screaming noises throughout the song and full of singalong "ba-ba-bas." The meaning is pretty straightforward with the title, about how girls dress like hoes on Halloween. "To some girls it just means everything/ so everyone's a skank for Halloween."
Another highlight in the record would have to be "West Coast", because its longer than most of the songs and changes to completely different riffs that give the song its own style. "Statutory Brainrape", however, uses a pretty common punk hook, but it can relate to anyone going through high school. Teachers manipulating us "with required books" and how "the video game industry is teaching us to learn how to kill." The last song, "Lochlomond", although a cover of the traditional Scottish song, is probably the best song on the album. If there is one thing Emily's Army is good at, it is making their cover sound better than the original.(i.e. listen to "Do You Wanna Dance). "Lochlomond" ends the record with a fun easy to dance to song that makes you want them to add more songs to this very short record.
This record was a great way to start off their hopefully long career of music. This record proved that they are serious about their music and plan to make more in the future. I know they are going to be really big one day and I have to say I'm gonna miss seeing them in small shows all around California. They're all really nice and smart kids that deserve to be remembered and seen as one of the great influencing bands of modern punk music.
P.S.. I have a lot of pictures from their past shows but unfortunately most of them are blurry. This band is like Bigfoot - always out of focus.
Ida Maria's sophomore entry, "Katla (named for an Icelandic volcano)," was surprisingly different. Her last album "Fortress Around My Heart" came on strong with songs like "I like You So Much Better When You're Naked" and "Oh, My God".
The new album "Katla" starts out with an acoustic ballad called "Quite Nice People," but soon takes a turn with the catchy and clap along song "Bad Karma," which takes the album on a sexy turn, Maria's voice crackling. The song "10,000 Lovers" stands out because in the middle of the song switches to some (likely Norwegian) awful foreign language - which I loved. .My other favorites are "Cherry Red," which was fun as hell, and filthier than one might expect. "Lets Leave," with its sing along "hey-heys," and the Mariachi-tinged song " I Eat Boys Like You For Breakfast", and "Devil." "Devil" winds the album down with a slow rocking jam, and long, yelling vocals.
The record ends with another slow song, "My Shoes," whose lyrics scream confession with Maria asking "Am I alone?."
That the album slows to a depressing end didn't take anything away for me. I had the pleasure of catching Ida Maria with Glasvegas in Hollywood last year. Her boozy but brilliant performance was great, and I hope to see the band pass through town again!
Arctic Monkeys new James Ford-produced album, " Suck It And See" sounds at first blush like a porno flick or Tootsie Pop commercial, but do not be deterred, the album is beautiful. The first song "She's Thunderstorms" soaks you into a beautiful melodic ballad. Lead singer Alex Turner, has a soothing sort of comforting voice throughout the album. Unlike every other Arctic Monkeys album, where the snotty British sneer was used to such great affect, (see "Whatever People Say I am, That's What I'm Not"), Alex shows he has the chops to perform a solid pop album.
Although I do love the easy-rocking songs of the back catagalog, I thoroughly enjoyed this album. I was reminded of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club meets Frank Sinatra; all the songs sound like they belonged in the climax of a beautiful movie.
My favorite songs of this record would have to be "She's Thunderstorms," "Black Treacle," and "Restless Serenade". In "Restless Serenade", Turner's voice is amazing (hence my Frank Sinatra reference). The album ends in two great songs as well. The song "Suck It And See" just defends the title with a pretty indie sound while "That's Where You're Wrong" ends with an epic explosion of piercing guitar and crashing cymbals. A beautiful end to a beautiful album.
