These guys kick major ass
March, 2011
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The Sounds at The Avalon
March 29, 2011 by A2S
Category Live | Tags: The Sounds | No Comments
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Bad Books’ “Baby Shoes”
March 24, 2011 by A2S
Not new, and maybe totally irrelevant by now, but this song still sticks with me months later. Somehow it reflects my mood today perfectly. Sticky, hot, violent, and needy, Bad Books’s “Baby Shoes” captures the filth and fierceness of Nirvana and with the purity and honesty of Elliot Smith.
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Category Features, MP3s | Tags: baby shoes,bad books | No Comments
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Kids of 88 at The Sattelite
March 22, 2011 by A2S
Checked out Kids of 88 tonight at The Satellite and my feelings are mixed. The beats were heavy and probably the best part of the set, creating a sick vibe their bio describes as “a cross between a late 80s police drama intro theme and a sophisticated super hussy.” The electro melody coming from the laptop and keyboard were certainly danceable, if just a little too simplistic. The drum beats were redundant, but I guess that runs true in the electro/dance genre. The lyrics are sleazy, but in a sultry delectable way. My main gripe is with frontman Sam McCarthy. His vocals were strained and weak, wavering on and off pitch at random. Totally unaware of his lack of vocal control, Sam rocked his body with total confidence in his sensuality, demanding attention to his bony hipster frame writhing on stage. The music was great and would make the perfect soundtrack to an awesome dance party, but watching them somehow pissed me off.
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Category Live, MP3s | Tags: electro,kids of 88,the satellite | No Comments
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SXSW: Said the Whale
March 21, 2011 by A2S
I was able to catch these guys (and girl) at Maggie Mae’s on Friday at SXSW. They make some amazing folk-infused indie power pop will full vocal harmonies and charming lyrics, mostly about their homeland of Vancouver, Canada. Besides the fact that they rocked the stage, Said the Whale is so freaking nice. I <3 Canadians. While Tyler has the charming good looks of the band and a sweet tenor vocals featured as frontman on the majority of the tracks, it’s Ben’s sweet timbre that I enjoy the most on tracks like “B.C. Orienteering.” I can’t forget Jaycelyn, who rounds out the harmonies on songs like “Dear Elkhorn.” SO great live. Right now they’re touring on their sophomore album Islands Disappear but will be putting out a full length soon and while they’ve yet to receive the recognition south of the border as they have in Canada, I’m confident they will on their next release.
They’ll be playing a free show at 3 Clubs in Hollywood on Wednesday. See you there?
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Category Features, MP3s | Tags: Said the Whale,sxsw | No Comments
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I Heart Canadians
by A2S
Although music might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you mention “Canadian prairies,” Manitoba has had some pretty excellent musical exports. Especially as of late. This province is the home of the Weakerthans, Imaginary Cities, Les Jupes, Ash Koley, and Greg MacPherson. Don’t forget that this province was the launching point for Neil Young, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and The Guess Who. Personally, Imaginary Cities is one of my favorite up-and-comers out of this year’s SXSW.
MP3 “Hummingbird” from Imaginary Cities
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MP3 “Myth #3 (The Mountain)” from Les Jupes
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Category MP3s | Tags: Ash Koley,Greg MacPherson,Imaginary Cities,Les Jupes,The Weakerthans | No Comments
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SXSW: The Jezabels
March 20, 2011 by A2S
I’ve been a fan of The Jezabels for a while, but this Sydney band has never made it to LA before. So when I found out they’d be playing at SXSW, I knew I had to see them. Total, I managed to catch 3.2 of their 6 sets. My favorite was one put on by KVRX at Cheer Up Charlie’s, which was totally outside of SXSW on the east side of sixth street and full of college kids partying at their favorite local bar. Although vocalist Hayley Mary battled some feedback from the mic, the set was amazing. Hayley moved to the music in a completely organic way, singing songs like “The Man is Dead,” “Hurt Me” and the single from their most recent EP “Dark Storm.” Each song seems epic and profound; The Jezabels’ moody pop is hypnotizing.
Oh, yeah! They’re playing at The Satellite tomorrow (and Hotel Cafe on Wednesday) and I’ll be at the former. Besides The Jezabels as a draw, Damien Jurado will be headlining. Definitely a show not to miss!
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Category Features, MP3s | Tags: sxsw,The Jezabels | No Comments
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SXSW: Rah Rah
by A2S
I’ll be featuring several bands that stood out from SXSW this past week. First up is an amazing seven-piece band called Rah Rah. I caught them at the Canada House as these kids are from Regina, Saskatchewan. One of my favorite tracks from them is about their hometown, which must be a new one because I can’t seem to find it online, but the lyrics rang something to the effect of “it’s okay to be single in a city, but not in a small town.” Their line-up was revolving, starting with a kick-ass girl drummer, who later moved to keys and vocals (whose vocals were mature and strong). Their sound is an orchestral indie rock, with the basics adding in violin, keys, and accordion on occasion. They ended their set with a blast of confetti, as if their set wasn’t fun enough already.
Basically, Rah Rah rocked live, kept it interesting and fun, and made me want more. This indie pop band will surely be gracing The States with more of their presence soon.
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Category Features, MP3s | Tags: rah rah,sxsw | 2 Comments
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Contests…
March 15, 2011 by A2S
We’re not running any contests right now, but make sure to “like” us on Facebook and follow us on twitter to find out about upcoming merch and ticket giveaways.
Category Contests | Tags: Contests,Free stuff,giveaways,merch | No Comments
