12/20/2013

Best albums of 2013



BEST albums of 2013

1. DAFT PUNK “Random Access Memories”
2. My Bloody Valentine “MBV”
3. Foxygen “We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic”
4. Wire “Change Becomes Us”
5. The Knife “Shaking The Habitual”
6. David Bowie “The Next Day”
7. Cate Le Bon “Mug Museum
8. Savages “Silence Yourself”
9. Sam Amidon “Bright Sunny South”
10. White Fence “Cyclops Reap”

11. Washed Out “Paracosm”
12. Jacco Gardner “Cabinet of Curiosities”
13. Gliss “Langsom Dans”
14. CHVRCHES “The Bones of What You Believe”
15. Kurt Vile “Wakin on a Pretty Daze”
16. Death Grips “Government Plates”
17. Ty Segall “Sleeper”
18. Chelsea Wolfe “Pain Is Beauty”
19. No Joy “Wait To Pleasure”
20. Smith Westerns “Soft Will”

21. Toro Y Moi “Anything In Return”
22. Courtney Barnett “The Double EP”
23. Adult. “The Way Things Fall”
24. Suuns “Images du Futur”
25. Zola Jesus “Versions”
26. Parquet Courts “Tally All The Things That You Broke”
27. Chastity Belt “No Regerts”
28. William Basinski “Nocturnes”
29. Of Montreal “Lousy With Sylvianbriar”
30. Alessi's Ark "The Still Life"

31. Joanna Gruesome “Weird Sister”
32. Laura Veirs “Warp and Weft”
33. The Warlocks "Skull Worship"
34. Unknown Mortal Orchestra “II”
35. Crystal Antlers “Nothing Is Real”
36. Tennis “Small Sound”
37. Caveman “Caveman”
38. John Grant “Pale Green Ghosts”
39. Fidlar “Fidlar”
40. Weekend “Jinx”

41. Pure Bathing Culture “Moon Tides”
42. Surfer Blood “Pythons”
43. Anna Calvi “One Breath”
44. Still Corners “Strange Pleasures”
45. MGMT “MGMT”
46. Jonathan Rado “Law and Order”
47. Io Echo “Ministry of Love”
48. Goldfrapp “Tales of Us”
49. Dean Blunt “The Redeemer”
50. Wampire “Curiosity”



Honorable Mentions:

VUM "Psychotropic Jukebox"
Psychic Ills "One Track Mind"
Diane Birch "Speak A Little Louder"
Jake Bellows "New Ocean"
Fuzz "Fuzz"
Diane Coffee "My Friend Fish"
The KVB "Minds One"
Black Angels "Indigo Meadow"
Sons of the Morning "Speak Soon Volume One"
Gap Dream "Shine Your Light"
Factory Floor "Factory Floor"
Lisa Germano "No Elephants"
Julia Holter "Loud City Song"

Joan As Police Woman Announces Music Video for 'The Classic'

JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN
ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM ‘THE CLASSIC'
WATCH & SHARE THE NEW VIDEO HERE http://bit.ly/IIPtoT
UK TOUR ANNOUNCED
The Classic, the much anticipated new album from the supremely talented JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN, will be released MARCH 10TH 2014 on Play It Again Sam. It is available to pre-order now with physical formats from: https://www.musicglue.com/joan-as-police-woman/ and digitally from iTunes:http://georiot.co/4Hj
“I’m in the best place I’ve ever been in my life,” declares Joan Wasser, and she’s just recorded the album that proves it. The Classic, the fourth album of originals by the uniquely charismatic artist known as Joan As Police Woman, builds on the creative impetus and success of its 2011 predecessor The Deep Field. As ever Joan strives to create music rooted in an intimate, elemental and uplifting brand of soul combined with her own unique serene, torch-singing temperament, this time with a more liberated feel than ever before.
The title track is the first song to be released from the new album and it includes a street-corner doo-wop bass vocal from fellow singer-songwriter Joseph Arthur and a human beat-box backing from none other than US comedian extraordinaire Reggie Watts, which gives the track’s classic Fifties/Sixties vibe a more contemporary slant. It is accompanied by a life-affirming video featuring some of the albums main contributors and was shot in the streets of New York last month. The track is available digitally right now when you pre-order the album from iTunes as per the link above. 
 Watch/Share/Embed the video: http://youtu.be/LfXqJth6Eo4
A UK tour has been announced for April next year, plus two low-key shows in March. The Lexington show, announced to fans via Joan's Facebook page, sold out in a matter of minutes. Tickets for all the other shows go on general sale from 6th Dec though a limited number will be available in advance from Joan’s web store on the morning of 4th Dec here: https://www.musicglue.com/joan-as-police-woman
JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN - UK Tour Dates 2014 
March 2014
13th LONDON The Lexington - SOLD OUT
15th NORWICH Arts Centre
 April 2014
15th LONDON Village Underground
17th BRIGHTON Komedia
19th LEEDS The Belgrave
20th HEBDEN BRIDGE The Trades Club
21st MANCHESTER Gorilla
23rd NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms
24th BRISTOL Thekla
25th EXETER Phoenix
27th GATESHEAD Sage 2
28th GLASGOW Oran Mor

12/18/2013

Gliss Share Latest Video for "Waves"

GLISS SHARE LATEST VIDEO FOR "WAVES"   
Langsom Dans Deluxe Edition Available Now on Modern Outsider 
   
"the feedback is molten-- the guitars fed through an untold assortment of pedals and blown amps. The volume is surging forward... and sure beats anything the Silversun Pickups have dreamt up."
Pitchfork
  
Los Angeles duo, Gliss, is pleased to announce the release of their latest video for "Waves". The track appears on their latest release, Langsom Dans Deluxe Edition, available now on Modern Outsider. Victoria Cecilia explains about the video, "The song is a story about two people who have to say goodbye to each other and realize how much they are gonna miss each other. I wanted to capture that emptiness you feel after you lose someone you love, whether it's a family member, friend or a lover. I Filmed the video throughout Europe. At the time Martin had just lost his mom to cancer, and I feel his loneliness and emptiness really was captured in this video, and in these lost feelings you regain strength and hope. We move on and will look for happiness again."

Watch and share "Waves" here. 

Danish/American band 
Gliss makes a huge departure from their old sound on the new recordLangsom Dans which is gathering comparisons to Beach House, Crystal Castles and Lower Dens. The LA based duo, consisting of Victoria Cecilia and Martin Klingman, pour their collective musical imaginations into recording timeless art pop with a precise Scandinavian texture that steps away from their previous work. The 12-track LP features heavy synths and electronic beats with Danish expatriate, Victoria Cecilia, stepping into the role as lead singer. The passionate vocal harmonies dictate the recordings with stories of coming out of the darkness into a new life, bringing to mind The XX, Portishead and Depeche Mode.

Live Dates:
12/18 - Gimle,Roskilde, Denmark
12/26 - Paletten, Viborg, Denmark
02/07 - Pasadena, CA @ Whole Foods Arroyo
Langsom Dans Tracklist:
01. Blood On My Hands
02. A To B
03. Into The Water
04. Weight Of Love
05. Blur
06. Hunting
07. Waves
08. The Sea Tonight
09. Through The Mist
10. In Heaven
11. Black Is Blue                 
12. Kite In The Sky
13. Drool (bonus track)
14. Hunting (C-Berg Remix)
 
Credit: Filip Orestes

Caveman announce tour with Phosphorescent + Weezer Cruise

 Caveman Announce Tour with Phosphorescent
Followed by Weezer Cruise, Toro Y Moi and Midlake Dates


Unreleased B-side "Empire" HERE
"In The City" (Vacationer Remix) HERE
Caveman vs Al Green "In The City" (Chrome Canyon remash) HERE
Caveman - “In The City” (feat. Julia Stiles) on YouTube HERE and VEVO HERE 


photo credit: Philip Di Fiore and Christopher J. Lytwyn

Caveman live:
* w/ Phosphorescent
# w/ Toro Y Moi
& w/ Midlake

more dates tba

01/21/14 Tue - Philadelphia PA @ Union Transfer *
01/22/14 Wed - Washington DC @ 9:30 Club *
01/23/14 Thu - Charlottesville VA @ Jefferson Theatre *
01/24/14 Fri - Charlotte NC @ Neighborhood Theatre *
01/25/14 Sat - Atlanta GA @ Centerstage *
01/27/14 Mon - St Louis MO @ Firebird *
01/28/14 Tue - Indianapolis IN @ The Vogue *
01/30/14 Thu - Columbus OH @ A&R Bar *
01/31/14 Fri - Pittsburgh PA @ Mr. Smalls *
02/01/14 Sat - Toronto ON @ Mod Club *
02/03/14 Mon - Burlington VT @ ArtsRiot *
02/04/14 Tue - Boston MA @ Sinclair *
02/05/14 Wed - Hamden CT @ Spaceland Ballroom *
02/10/14 Mon - Chapel Hill NC @ Cat's Cradle Backroom
02/11/14 Tue - Athens GA @ Georgia Theater
02/13/14 Thu - Jacksonville FL @ Weezer Cruise
02/14/14 Fri - Jacksonville FL @ Weezer Cruise
02/15/14 Sat - Jacksonville FL @ Weezer Cruise
02/16/14 Sun - Jacksonville FL @ Weezer Cruise
02/17/14 Mon - Orlando FL @ The Social #
02/18/14 Tue - Miami FL @ Grand Central #
02/19/14 Wed - Tallahassee FL @ Club Downunder
02/20/14 Thu - Tampa FL @ Orpheum
02/21/14 Fri - Birmingham AL @ Bottletree
02/22/14 Sat - Oxford MS @ Proud Larry's
02/24/14 Mon - Louisville KY @ Zanzabar
02/25/14 Tue - Chicago IL @ Double Door
02/26/14 Wed - Detroit MI @ Magic Stick
02/27/14 Thu - Rochester NY @ Bug Jar
06/01/14 Sun - Orleans, France @ Astrolabe &
06/02/14 Mon - Bordeaux, France @ Rock School Barbey &
06/03/14 - Nantes, France @ Stereolux &
06/04/14 - Tourcoing, France @ Grand Mix &


Today, New York's Caveman announce their American leg of the Phosphorescent tour after having toured in Europe together last month. That tour will be followed by their first stint on the Weezer Cruise which takes off in Jacksonville, FL, and afterwards the six piece (they are joined by Matt Clark from White Rabbits) will play shows opening forToro Y Moi as well as perform headline shows. Next summer the band will tour in Europe again after their successful trip last month. (see full details).

The band just revealed an unreleased B-side called "Empire" which you can hear HERE and Vacationer remixed their track "In The City" HERE

Caveman's video for the track “In The City”. Director Philip Di Fiore made a thrilling portrait of a tourist couple visiting New York City for the first time. Head over to VEVO to see what happens when the couple, played by Julia Stiles and Fran Kranz, discover what lies underneath the surface of the playground of the city…

Peggy Sue Tour US Early 2014

PEGGY SUE SET TO TOUR THE U.S. EARLY NEXT YEAR
TOUR STOPS INCLUDE NEW YORK AND LOS ANGELES
CHOIR OF ECHOES OUT JANUARY 28 ON YEP ROC RECORDS
 
“Folky modal tunes, insistent drones and lyrics with biblical and allegorical overtones
…they were tales of love, death and transformation,
invoking tradition but bristling in the here and now.”—The New York Times

“Peggy Sue’s bluesy, soulful brood bounds easily from quirky to profoundly heartfelt, often over the course of a single song.”—NPR “World Café”
 
 “There’s a palpable sense of menace—horror movie strings twist around steel-straight guitars, and Young’s vocal harmonies with Rose Slade’s float like witch’s incantations.”—Rolling Stone

Acclaimed British rockers Peggy Sue will kick off 2014 by touring the U.S. in advance of their highly anticipated third full-length Choir of Echoes, out January 28 on Yep Roc Records. Joined by Mandolin Orange and Mariner’s Children (Peggy Sue bass player Ben Rubinstein solo), on select dates, Peggy Sue will play shows in New York, Los Angeles and more. Please see reverse for full tour routing.
 
Spin recently premiered the video for “Idle,” the first single from the new record. The video was created from found footage that the magazine calls “eerie” and can be viewed on YouTube HERE. The band says, “‘Idle’ is a song about being unemployed and incurably thoughtful. The opening and closing parts are a kind of troubled gospel song—a prayer for purpose in the knowledge that the purpose will probably not be a ‘good’ one. It’s about impatience and distractions and thinking about things too much. And of course it’s about a boy.”
 
Choir of Echoes was produced at the legendary Rockfield Studio in South Wales by Jimmy Robertson and mixed by longtime collaborator John Askew. Of the record, the band says “Choir of Echoes is an album about singing. About losing your voice and finding it again. Voices keeping each other company and voices competing for space. The call and response of the kindest and the cruelest words. Choruses. Duets. Whispers and shouts.”
 
The new album follows 2011’s Acrobats, which NPR called “mountainous and brooding.” Additionally, 2012 saw the self-release of a collection of reinterpretations of the groundbreaking soundtrack to Kenneth Anger’s 1963 cult classic short film Scorpio Rising. The 12 tracks resulted from their performances playing live alongside a screening of the film, and were issued as a series of 1,000 hand stamped, packaged and signed CDs.
 
Peggy Sue is singer-guitarists Rosa Slade and Katy Young and drummer Olly Joyce. Since the release ofAcrobats, the band has toured across Europe and North American with the likes of Jack White, Wild Flag, Joan As Policewoman and labelmates First Aid Kit, including a recent stop on the main stage of this summer’s Green Man Festival.
 
PEGGY SUE TOUR DATES
January 29                                                     Bryan, TX                                           Grand Stafford*
February 1                                                    Austin, TX                                              The Mohawk*
February 3                                                    Tempe, CA                                        Yucca Tap Room†
February 5                                                 San Diego, CA                                                 Soda Bar†
February 6                                               Los Angeles, CA                                               The Echo*
February 7                                                     Davis, CA                                                     3rd Space†
February 8                                                  Berkeley, CA                                           Starry Plough†
February 10                                                Portland, OR                                                   Holocene†
February 11                                                 Seattle, WA                                            Sunset Tavern‡
February 13                                                Brooklyn, NY                                                Glasslands‡
February 15                                              Philadelphia, PA                                                 Ortlieb’s‡
*with Mandolin Orange
†with Mandolin Orange and Mariner’s Children
‡with Mariner’s Children

12/17/2013

The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne Embarks on "Record Store Tour"

FLAMING LIPS FRONTMAN WAYNE COYNE EMBARKS ON "RECORD STORE TOUR" BEGINNING DECEMBER 19th

CLASSIC RECORDING, THE FLAMING LIPS EP, IS PACKAGED WITH CHOCOLATE SKULL, COMPLETE WITH REDEEMABLE GOLDEN COIN, WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT ALL TOUR STOPS

30th ANNIVERSARY VINYL ON SALE BEGINNING CHRISTMAS EVE

  
December 17, 2013 - (Burbank, CA.) - Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne will hit the road this Thursday, December 19th, for what is being billed as his "Record Store Tour." Coyne will be meeting and greeting fans and signing copies of the Lips' first-ever EP, The Flaming Lips 1st EP,
and The Flaming Lips 2nd Cassette Demo.

Wayne will be selling an extremely Limited Edition version of the EP which will be housed with a hand-crafted, custom-made solid chocolate skull. Anatomically correct and life-sized, of course. Each skull will contain a special Golden Coin that is redeemable as admission to any headline show byTHE FLAMING LIPS in the world. See below for all of Coyne's upcoming tour stops.

This product contains quite a substantial amount of high-quality, gourmet chocolate accompanied by the main course: A generous earful of the very earliest music created by THE FLAMING LIPS in their original incarnation and pressed onto color vinyl.  A feast for the senses, we're pretty sure you'll find this exclusive item delicious and satisfying on every level.

The Flaming Lips 1st EP  will be available as a limited edition 12-inch on green vinyl and signed by Coyne. The last time this recording was available on vinyl was in 1986. It was originally recorded in two sessions at Benson Sound in 1984 and released on the group's homemade label Lovely Sorts of Death Records. This edition has been remastered by LIPS bassist Michael Ivins and given a reimagined cover by freak artist Charlie Immer.

Also for sale, will be The Flaming Lips 2nd Cassette Demo (recorded in 1983), which will be available as a limited-edition 7" on blue vinyl and signed by Coyne. Originally recorded in 1983, it captures the group in a transition from its primitive shambolic drug-damaged punk-pop to the primitive shambolic drug-damaged hallucinogenic cosmic brother death rock heard on the 1st EP. The music has been remastered by LIPS drummer Kliph Scurlock and the cover photo is by Wayne's brother, DennisCoyne. Both items go on sale from participating record store retailers on December 24th and only 2,000 copies of each piece will be made available.

Don't forget that THE FLAMING LIPS' current six-song set, Peace Sword, featuring all new Lips music, is out now, along with their current album,THE TERROR

Wayne Coyne's Record Store Tour:

12/19 @ 4pm       Nashville, TN        Grimey's
12/20 @ Noon     Louisville, KY       Guestroom Records
12/20 @ 8 pm      Chicago, IL           Permanent Records
12/21 @ 5 pm      St. Louis, MO       Vintage Vinyl
12/22 @ 5 pm      Lawrence, KS       Love Garden Sounds 

 The Flaming Lips upcoming shows:

12/29    @ 7 pm                  Broomfield, CO                  1stBank Center
12/30     @ 9 pm                 Aspen, CO                        Belly Up
12/31    @ 9:30 pm             Aspen, CO                         Belly Up
01/10     @ 3:30 pm            Squaw Valley, CA               The Last Chair Festival
01/26                                  Riviera Maya, Mexico         My Morning Jacket One Big Holiday
01/27                                  Riviera Maya, Mexico         My Morning Jacket One Big Holiday
01/28                                  Riviera Maya, Mexico         My Morning Jacket One Big Holiday
01/29                                  Riviera Maya, Mexico         My Morning Jacket One Big Holiday
01/30                                  Riviera Maya, Mexico         My Morning Jacket One Big Holiday
03/08                                  Tampa, FL                          Gasparilla Music Festival
03/21                                  New Orleans, LA                BUKU Music + Art Project
03/22                                  New Orleans, LA                BUKU Music + Art Project


Listen to a New Song from the Black Lips's Forthcoming Album

BLACK LIPS DROP NEW TRACK FROM UNDERNEATH THE RAINBOW

Listen to the band's new track "Boys In The Wood" on Noisey: http://noisey.vice.com/blog/black-lips-boys-in-the-wood-premiere


NEW YORK, NY (December 17, 2013) - Black Lips today dropped "Boys In The Wood," the first taste of their forthcoming album, Underneath the Rainbow. The debut follows the recent announcement of the album, set to be released on Vice Records on March 18.

The twelve-song album boasts a stable of studio collaborators, including Patrick Carney of The Black Keys and Dap Kings music director Tommy Brenneck, speaking to how much the band has grown and sonically matured over the course of their 15-year-long career. 

Listen to "Boys In The Wood" on Noisey: http://noisey.vice.com/blog/black-lips-boys-in-the-wood-premiere

12/13/2013

David Lynch shares Venetian Snares remix

DAVID LYNCH SHARES VENETIAN SNARES REMIX
VIA ROLLING STONE

ANNOUNCES DELUXE EDITION OF
THE BIG DREAM
                                                                                                                                             Photo courtesy of Dean Hurley
 
To end the year on the right foot, David Lynch is sharing another track with us today - this time a remix of the title track from his sophomore LP, The Big Dream. Acclaimed electronic musician Venetian Snares provides a chilling take on the track, one that Lynch's producer Dean Hurley describes as “music for the end crawl of a bootlegged sci-fi/horror film that you borrowed from your friend’s older brother and caused you to realize for the first time that you were actually scared in broad daylight.”

This remix appears as the b-side on a very limited 12" single (one time pressing of 1,500 copies) that was just released by Sacred BonesIt also appears alongside other remixes by Bastille, Hot Since 82 & Bjorn Yttling on the Super Deluxe Edition of The Big Dream. 

The deluxe edition is out 12/16 digitally via Sacred Bones and on 1/27 physically via Sunday Best (UK/EU only)

Check out the Venetian Snares remix of "The Big Dream" as well as album / pre-order info below!

 

BUY: Bad The John Boy 12" - 
http://sacredbonesrecords.com/releases/sbr110/

PRE-ORDER: The Big Dream (Super Deluxe Edition) - 
www.davidlynch.com


 
 

DAVID LYNCH
BAD THE JOHN BOY
SACRED BONES RECORDS

OUT NOW
 
1. Bad The John Boy
2. The Big Dream (Venetian Snares remix)

12/12/2013

Best Music of 2013



BEST albums of 2013

1. DAFT PUNK “Random Access Memories”
2. My Bloody Valentine “MBV”
3. Foxygen “We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic”
4. Wire “Change Becomes Us”
5. The Knife “Shaking The Habitual”
6. David Bowie “The Next Day”
7. Cate Le Bon “Mug Museum
8. Savages “Silence Yourself”
9. Sam Amidon “Bright Sunny South”
10. White Fence “Cyclops Reap”

11. Washed Out “Paracosm”
12. Jacco Gardner “Cabinet of Curiosities”
13. Gliss “Langsom Dans”
14. CHVRCHES “The Bones of What You Believe”
15. Kurt Vile “Wakin on a Pretty Daze”
16. Death Grips “Government Plates”
17. Ty Segall “Sleeper”
18. Chelsea Wolfe “Pain Is Beauty”
19. No Joy “Wait To Pleasure”
20. Smith Westerns “Soft Will”

21. Toro Y Moi “Anything In Return”
22. Courtney Barnett “The Double EP”
23. Adult. “The Way Things Fall”
24. Suuns “Images du Futur”
25. Zola Jesus “Versions”
26. Parquet Courts “Tally All The Things That You Broke”
27. Chastity Belt “No Regerts”
28. William Basinski “Nocturnes”
29. Of Montreal “Lousy With Sylvianbriar”
30. Alessi's Ark "The Still Life"

31. Joanna Gruesome “Weird Sister”
32. Laura Veirs “Warp and Weft”
33. The Warlocks "Skull Worship"
34. Unknown Mortal Orchestra “II”
35. Crystal Antlers “Nothing Is Real”
36. Tennis “Small Sound”
37. Caveman “Caveman”
38. John Grant “Pale Green Ghosts”
39. Fidlar “Fidlar”
40. Weekend “Jinx”

41. Pure Bathing Culture “Moon Tides”
42. Surfer Blood “Pythons”
43. Anna Calvi “One Breath”
44. Still Corners “Strange Pleasures”
45. MGMT “MGMT”
46. Jonathan Rado “Law and Order”
47. Io Echo “Ministry of Love”
48. Goldfrapp “Tales of Us”
49. Dean Blunt “The Redeemer”
50. Wampire “Curiosity”



Honorable Mentions:

VUM "Psychotropic Jukebox"
Psychic Ills "One Track Mind"
Diane Birch "Speak A Little Louder"
Jake Bellows "New Ocean"
Fuzz "Fuzz"
Diane Coffee "My Friend Fish"
The KVB "Minds One"
Black Angels "Indigo Meadow"
Sons of the Morning "Speak Soon Volume One"
Gap Dream "Shine Your Light"
Factory Floor "Factory Floor"
Lisa Germano "No Elephants"
Julia Holter "Loud City Song"

Wampire shares "Giants" video

WAMPIRE SHARES "GIANTS" VIDEO VIA CONSEQUENCE OF SOUND

Wampire are excited to share their new video for "Giants," a track off their debut LP, Curiosity. The video was directed by David Fine who comments, "We had a Sony F55 on loan for a day and wanted to make a music video while we had it.  The concept for the video was simple: a guy with no shirt on is yelling at a girl. Surrounding that simple idea we created a story about a relationship in peril. I hope it's funny and a bit disturbing." 
 
The premiere of this video wraps up a year that not only saw the release of the band's debut LP but also US, European and Australian tours where they played shows with Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Foxygen, Smith Westerns, and The Dodos, amongst others.

Wampire also debuted "The Hearse" video last month with Gorilla vs Bear, which you can check out here. Watch the new video for "Giants" below.
 
 
VIDEO: "Giants" -  http://youtu.be/vG84XeTnfKY
 

After forming Wampire, Rocky Tinder and Eric Phipps steadily began to make a name for themselves in the same Portland, OR, scene that has produced labelmates STRFKR as well as Unknown Mortal Orchestra. It makes sense, then, that Wampire came to Polyvinyl's attention when the duo opened for STRFKR at a hometown Portland show and that UMO's bassist Jacob Portrait produced Wampire's debut full-length, Curiosity.

The choice of Portrait was a natural one, with both Tinder and Phipps believing he'd be able to contribute almost as much to the record as they would. And so, in mid-August Tinder and Phipps each brought fragments of song ideas into the studio, before deconstructing, re-arranging, and fitting them back together piece by piece -- at times lyrics and melodies were thrown out, brought back from the dead, or improvised on the spot.

This loosely structured approach made the process truly collaborative, with producer Portrait occasionally chipping in ideas for lyrics, arrangements, and instrumentation. The resulting nine tracks are instantly memorable, while defying easy categorization. Says Phipps, "We realized the record began to stray away from having a 'sound' and gradually became a platter with an assortment of sounds. The record showcases a flavor we haven't quite dug into before."

The album's diverse combination of sounds ultimately helped give birth to its title, Curiosity -- a word that invokes the listener's wonder at what will greet their ears next, while also describing the overall curious tone the record possesses.

First single, "The Hearse" serves as the perfect introduction for those unfamiliar with the band -- its opening notes swelling instantly with electronic organs over a driving drum beat. By the time bass and vocals kick in, you're already hooked. Elsewhere, "Orchards" weaves an infectiously breezy melody on the strength of vocal harmonizing, tuneful whistling, and undulating guitar lines. In some cases, Wampire's unique rhythms are best described by the band members, as with "Trains," a Motown-meets-Strokes track that Tinder perfectly summarizes like so: "It's sexy, sounds huge, and by all means should be blamed for future babies."

The album concludes with the equally sensual "Magic Light," a song centered around a dark seductive bass groove that sets the tone for Tinder's come-hither lyrics. It's the kind of track that draws you ever further into the record's beguiling clutches, leaving a lasting impression that remains well after its final notes have faded out.
  
  
WAMPIRE

CURIOSITY
(POLYVINYL) 
OUT NOW
   
1. The Hearse
2. Orchards
3. Spirit Forest
4. Giants
5. I Can't See Why
6. Outta Money
7. Trains
8. Snacks
9. Magic Light 

12/11/2013

Typhoon Announces Nationwide US Tour

TYPHOON CONFIRMS NATIONWIDE TOUR DATES IN SUPPORT OF ACCLAIMED NEW ALBUM WHITE LIGHTER
MTVU PREMIERES NEW VIDEO FOR "YOUNG FATHERS"
APPEARANCES ON NPR'S "TINY DESK" AND "WORLD CAFÉ"
Typhoon

Typhoon will spend much of early 2014 on the road in support of their critically-acclaimed new album White Lighter, following up on their sold out Fall tour across North America. Kicking things off in January with a handful of dates around the Pacific Northwest, the 11-piece band (featuring strings, horns and two drummers - in addition to the more typical rock lineup) will spend the ensuing months headlining a nationwide tour that spans both coasts, with a stop along the way at SXSW. The band will showcase their "mercurial ability to range moments from quiet, introspective folk/pop songs into an all-out aural assault with distorted guitars, pounding drums, and powerful howls" at New York's Webster Hall, Los Angeles' El Rey Theatre, Washington DC's 9:30 Club and Chicago's Metro, among others.

MtvU recently premiered the new video for acclaimed single "Young Fathers," declaring "'Young Fathers' takes us on a woodsy guest complete with a spirit animal guide." Similarly, SPIN asserts the song is "a mind-boggling chunk of orchestral pop...this latest epic dives into the group's enormous range."

Feel free to share & embed the new "Young Fathers" video on YouTube:

White Lighter has received overwhelming praise since its release earlier this year, debuting at #2 on the Top New Artists Chart and #101 on Billboard's Top 200. Recently, the band appeared on NPR'sTiny Desk as well as World Cafe, and was included in PASTE's Top 50 Albums of 2013 list. 

TYPHOON TOUR DATES:
Jan 17 - Spokane, WA @ The Bartlett
Jan 18 - Vancouver, BC  @ Venue
Jan 19 - Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre
Mar 4 - Sacramento, CA @ Harlow's#
Mar 6 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre#
Mar 7 - San Diego, CA @ The Irenic#
Mar 11-14 - Austin, TX  @ SXSW '14
Mar 15 - New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
Mar 17 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
Mar 18 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
Mar 19 - Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club*
Mar 21 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground*
Mar 22 - Boston, MA @ The Sinclair*
Mar 23 - Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall*
Mar 25 - Hamden, CT @ Spaceland Ballroom*
Mar 27 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall*
Mar 28 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer*
Mar 29 - Cleveland, OH  @ Beachland Ballroom*
Mar 31 - Louisville, KY @ Headliner's*
Apr 2 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall*
Apr 3 - Chicago, IL @ Metro*
Apr 4 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fitzgerald Theater / WITS
Apr 5 - Madison, WI @ The Sett / UW Madison
Apr 7 - Iowa City, IA @ Blue Moose
Apr 8 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
Apr 10 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
Apr 11 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
Apr 12 - Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory   

# - Grizfolk supports
* - Lady Lamb & the Beekeper supports

RIDE @ Fonda Theatre // 12.19.24 // THE PORTABLE INFINITE

All photos taken by Martin Worster