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  1. WATCH THIS: Radical Face – “Pound of Flesh”

    September 23, 2011 by Steph

    I love this track “Pound of Flesh” from Radical Face’s new album The Family Tree: The Roots (out October 4 on Bear Machine).  It’s a complete indie folk soundscape with soaring vocals and simple but compelling melodies, creating cross between the vocals and mood of Manchester Orchestra and the sonics of Seryn. The video was shot in the Florida wilderness with a budget of just $165 by directors Ben Cooper (aka Radical Face) and longtime friend Mark Hubbard. To be honest, I love the concept of the video and how well it goes with the song, but the long breaks without music are a little distracting. For music, start at 1:02–the character starts by washing blood off of his hands and you can proceed from there.

    The Family Tree: The Roots is a concept album of a depiction of the life of a 19th century family. Cooper recorded it alone in a tool shed in his hometown of Jacksonville, FL and limited the songwriting and instruments to those which would have been available in the 1800’s–piano, acoustic guitar, a floor tom, and voices. Although traditionally shying from live performances, Radical Face will be touring the U.S. with a live full choir in each city.

    RADICAL FACE U.S. Shows, fall 2011:
    Fri 10/6 San Francisco, CA Brick and Mortar Music Hall (w/Albatross Choir)
    Tue 10/11 Los Angeles, CA Bootleg Theater (w/Easterly Singers)
    Sat 10/22 Arlington, VA Rock Spring Church (w/Yorktown Vocal Ensemble)
    Tue 10/25 New York, NY Webster Hall Studio (w/Cloud Family Singers) 



  2. WATCH THIS: Locksley’s – “The Whip” Dance Mashup Video

    September 22, 2011 by Steph

    This song is catchy as shit and the video is a riot! I dare you NOT to dance along!


  3. WATCH THIS: Other Lives – “Tamer Animals”

    September 22, 2011 by Steph

    A video from one of about 10 records I’ve purchased this year. Perfect fit for this track.


  4. Slow Club’s Sophomore Album Paradise

    September 19, 2011 by Steph

    http://bighassle.com/slowclub/slowclub_paradise_hires.jpgSlow Club’s debut album Yeah, So is one of my top five favorite albums of 2010. The follow-up Paradise had a lot to prove. This album isn’t claiming to bring you to a “state of bliss,” as the name might suggest, but conjures mixed feelings about themes of love, loss, heartbreak, and occasionally sex.

    “I think we both wanted to move away from our obsessions on the first album, and look more at our families, and how the loss of someone you love can affect you,” says co-songwriter and guitarist Charles Watson, before adding: “but we do still end up coming back to love and heartbreak, we can’t help it.”

    “So, death and shagging pretty much sum this album up,” says Rebecca Taylor, the duo’s other half. “Yeah,” agrees Charles sardonically, “cocks, fannies and death. That’s our thing.”

    (more…)


  5. SEE THIS: The Barr Brothers at The El Rey 9/21

    September 10, 2011 by Steph

    With a recommendation from a great publicist and a ringing endorsement from a great blogger friend, I don’t think I can skip posting about this upcoming show. Not to mention, this video with The Bridge Sessions is convincing enough for instant fandom.

    The quartet, featuring Andrew and Brad Barr along with harpist Sarah Page and multi-instrumentalist Andres Vial, has an easy-going summer evening vibe. Alt-country/indie-folk by genre they’d slot well alongside Dawes or The Avett Brothers. Their debut album will be out on September 27th on Secret City Records, but rather than waiting for the album, I’d highly recommend going to see them live on September 21st at The El Rey.

    FROM THE VAULT – The Barr Brothers “Beggar In The Morning” Live at Rockwood Music Hall from bridge sessions on Vimeo.


  6. “Better Off Without You” – Summer Camp

    August 31, 2011 by Steph

    My first impression of Summer Camp left something to be desired. It was on The Rumble Tour in LA and amidst a whole host of technical problems the hipsters’ still managed to gawk and awh at this buzz-drenched Brit band.

    Upon reconsidering my opinion and then falling in love with the track “I Want You,” I am now completely excited for their debut full-length Welcome To Condale. It’ll be out on November 8th via Summer Camp’s Apricot Records (an imprint of Moshi Moshi). The track below “Better Off Without You” will be officially out on September 13th, but you can listen now below.

    Whether it compares with the numerous other “Better Off Without You”s? (Jarrod Gorbell, The Clarks, Emmylou Harris, Zornik,…) Leave it in the comments.

    “Better Off Without You”

    Also, in case you haven’t heard yet…

    “I Want You”


  7. Marina and the Diamonds video for “Radioactive”

    August 26, 2011 by Steph

    This video is for newest single “Radioactive” from Marina and the Diamond’s upcoming 2012 LP. The track, a big “club-ier” than those previously, splits the scenes between a desert, a city at night, and a hotel room. All around, it’s certainly pretty white-hot.

    “Introduced to a glittering new nightlife, I fell in love with New York; it has this magic, fizzing white energy that no other city in the world has,” she said of that “Radioactive” day. “I felt happy and was inspired to write a song that felt light and euphoric, a more streamlined, minimalistic style of songwriting.”


  8. The Pacific Festival:OC Reviewed

    August 26, 2011 by Steph

    Written for TheAudioPerv.com
    Photos by Tamea Agle (photobytamea.com)
    More photos below.

    Upon arriving at the large canyon where Pacific Festival: OC was situated, my first thought was “where is everyone?” Even though the festival had already been going on for about an hour before my photographer Tamea and I got there, there was no line getting in and barely anyone wandering around the grounds. We staked out the place, crossing through the main stage area, through the array of still-close food trucks, to a giant dirt lot pulsing with electronic beats.

    AROD

    Gotta Dance Dirty’s AROD was positioned in a colorful Teepee-of-a-stage and grooving to white headphones behind a laptop and a turntable or two. Everything felt like the wrong setting. The crowd was sparse and the sun was bright overhead in what looked plainly like a desert, but the tunes were dark, hot, and wet. AROD is the girl at the club who is drunk and sweaty but too far gone to care. The samples were a whirlwind of textures, never leaning too house or aggressive–just a good time. Or rather, it would have been given the right place and crowd. He was just a victim of festival scheduling, but still made a good impression.

    Sneaking into the artist lounge to take a break from the sun and re-collect, we were happy to discover, THERE WAS HUMMUS. Once we had come up with a game plan, we set out for the Pacific stage where Superhumanoids was up next. (more…)


  9. St. Vincent video for “Cruel”

    August 25, 2011 by Steph

    St. Vincent is receiving some cruel and unusual punishment in her video for “Cruel.” Snagged from GvB from Huffpo. Watch below…