…and why not scroll though the past week to find out just why.
ALL the info you need can be found right here.
We’re out the door. See you Monday!
Monthly Archives: April 2011
The Warm Up with Colour Revolt
http://soundcloud.com/tvd-memphis/the-warm-up-with-colour-revolt
Colour Revolt will be playing at The Hitone tonight AFTER Beale Street Music Fest! Go early to see the Grizzlies game!
Posted in TVD Memphis 1 Comment
Ride Or Die/DIY: Try To Keep Up With ME!
The Thermals Are Coming!
Hello Readers! As you may or may not know, I’ve been recording with The Pete (Pete Steinkopf , the brilliant guitarist for The Bouncing Souls). Yesterday we wrapped up some vocals, which required lots of patience, attention and most importantly: whiskey. Even though it was only 2 PM I knew that the screaming/singing I needed to do required some serious libation lubrication, so when Pete handed me a glass of Crown Royal, I did what I had to do. Long story short, the drinking ended about 12 hours later at The Asbury Lanes, my home away from home. ( I told lil Mike I am just going to move into the liquor closet—cut to the chase, you know?)
Somehow I Keep It Together Around This Rock Royalty: Pete Steinkopf Of The Bouncing Souls
The moral of the story is that I am gloriously hungover today, but as the saying goes, Ride Or Die. Winners don’t quit, and quitters don’t win, so I’m going to rage this weekend and keep the dream alive. I’m going to practice Charlie Sheen’s philosophy and win here and win here. Here’s where I’ll be this weekend. Fulfill your dreams of living my punk rock lifestyle and follow along!
Friday 4/29
Cheeky Monkey Sideshow. “You’ll be amazed. You’ll be amused. You’ll be just a little grossed out.” The Lanes always brings faboo freakish acts to town, so I’m sure this troop will deliver a night of bizarre, enthralling entertainment.
Saturday 4/30- Sunday 5/1
Power Pop-A-Licious Festival! The legendary Power-Pop King himself, Paul Collins curated this first ever of it’s kind extravaganza, and it’s going to be pretty spectacular! “Each day will feature bands from different regions of the country, with local DJs spinning sets to create an all-day dance party atmosphere. Similar in approach to “happenings” in 1960’s London, Power Pop-A-Licious is no mere rock n’ roll concert, it’s an event. DJs, performance artist’s video projections, and, of course, the spirited, high-energy live rock-n-roll performances from all these great new bands will provide the entertainment.”
Philadelphia International Festival Of Music And Arts Street Fair
“Gaining inspiration from the creative atmosphere in Paris over a century ago, Philadelphia is transforming into a 21st Century City of Light with incredible art, music, dance, performance, food, fashion and more. The celebration reaches a fever pitch with PIFA’s marquis event, a massive Street Fair on the Avenue of the Arts. There will also be two stages set up for live music, including performances from Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings and the Watcha Clan” and one of my all time favorite rock bands, The Thermals!
Posted in TVD Washington, DC Leave a comment
TVD’s The Idelic Hour with Jon Sidel
Greetings from Laurel Canyon!
I was watching TV Sunday and it dawned on me that I had not taken advantage of Easter week to indulge in a playlist with religious implications. Fear not—I am the “lord” and ruler of the Idelic Hour and it is certainly never too late to please the almighty!
Originally when I started putting together this playlist I was thinking of the expression, “lord have mercy.” Maybe riff on a soul, gospel-infused kind of vibe? Then thumbing through my crates, I took a left turn remembering a compilation of psychedelic Jesus music I had acquired not too long ago. Three of those obscure songs—Linda Rich, “The Edges of His Ways,” DJ Hooker, “The Bible,” and First Revelation, “Lord Come Into Me”—anchor the tone for a fun and spiritual session.
In the mix, Dirty Beaches’ knows best, while Ozzy’s is of this world, Nilsson suggests he’s living in the city and Becky Stark can’t figure out which side she is on? If Johnny Cash’s is willing then Jello just might string his ass up?
“Oh lord!”
The Idelic Hit of the Week: Other Lives | For 12
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What’s Happening in Toronto? Apr 29-Apr 30
FRIDAY, APR 29
ITZSOWEEZEE w/ Tom Wrecks and DeMiggs @ The Drake Underground
Steam Whistle Unsigned #18 w/ The Darcys, Wildlife, Freedom or Death and Make Your Exit (DJ set) @ Steam Whistle Brewing
Synchro Fridays w/ Pho, Denise Benson and Poppin’Fresh @ Andy Poolhall
Melting Pot w/ Nasty Nav, Ali Black, Pooyan and Isosceles @ The Supermarket
SATURDAY, APR 30
Lick A Shot w/ Andrew Roti, Geoff Snack and 84.85 (DJ set) @ Red Light
Devin The Dude (early show) @ Wrongbar (event link)
Treasure Fingers @ The Social (event link)
NastyMixx Saturdays w/ Rynecologist @ Wrongbar (after Devin The Dude)
Airhorns w/ Maysr, DJ Linterna, Caff and Adam Bomb @ Augusta House
Posted in TVD Canada Leave a comment
TVD Recommends: Sweetlife Festival (Part II)
Over here at TVD, Clark Newman, Jenn Bress and I can’t wait for Sweetlife Festival this Sunday! The festival returns this year with a fierce lineup including headliners The Strokes, and TVD is giving you a little preview of what you’ll be seeing at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Set times were just announced yesterday morning and are below. Need a ticket? There are still some available at Ticketfly.
We started off yesterday with Part I, and today we’re practically jumping out of our chairs because we’re so pumped about the list. Of the five bands we’re showcasing today, three of them have played all SOLD OUT shows at 9:30 Club recently. If you missed Girl Talk, Crystal Castles, or Cold War Kids over the past few months and have enviously been waiting for them to return, here’s your chance to see all of them!
The Strokes 8:45 – 10:00
Headlining the Sweetlife Festival 2011 are The Strokes, a little band you may have heard of who formed in New York City. Their decade plus-long tenure puts them at the forefront of indie rock music revival, the Sam Adams of the craft beer revival: big-time now but rooted in genuine artwork. They released their latest album Angles in late March, so expect a few new numbers among fan favorites like the timeless “Last Night.” They’re the last set and start at 8:45, huzzah!
Girl Talk 7:15 – 8:15
Girl Talk. Girl Talk. Girl Talk!!!! Greg Gillis returns to MPP under his nom de plume, and like all of his shows, it’s sure to be a sea of writhing bodies dancing on stage, in and on the seats, on the lawn, and on top of each other. Gillis followed up his sensational 2008 mashup anthology Feed the Animals with 2010’s All Day, and we could dance to this shit all day and all night. It’s all of your favorite songs from every music genre having an orgy together.
Lupe Fiasco 5:50 – 6:50
If it weren’t for Jay Z, Lupe Fiasco’s debut Food and Liquor would never have been released by Atlantic in 2006. Lupe’s entrenched in clout, having performed with Ice Cube in Da Pak, collaborated with Pharrell with All City Chess Club, and produced a mix tape that includes beats from Diddy’s “Angels,” Lil Wayne’s “Fireman” and Radiohead’s “The National Anthem.” Lupe fills the gaps in his accessible hip-hop style with indie flair; check out his post-punk band Japanese Cartoon’s debut album In The Jaws Of The Lords Of Death released under his real name Wasalu Jaco. Fiasco will likely perform songs off his new release, Lazer as well as hits like “Superstar” and “Words I Never Said.”
Crystal Castles 4:40 – 5:30
Crystal Castles, like Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros, will have glittery video game songs stuck in your head for days. The band’s name, a tribute to a song featured on the ’80s classic cartoon She-Ra, couldn’t be more appropriate for the band. Toronto’s Crystal Castles, heaving with spazzy synth and incomprehensible punky screams, never fail to entertain. We’re crossing our fingers for a special guest appearance by Robert Smith who collaborated with the duo on “Not in Love,” but that’s surely wishful thinking. Crystal Castles have headlined so many tours, they are sure to steal the show.
Cold War Kids 3:45 – 4:25
Cold War Kids, from Whittier, CA, have been blowing up the indie scene with moody, miraculous, soul-influenced albums since 2006, with their debut Robbers and Cowards. Jacquire King, the producer behind Kings of Leon’s commercial breakout Only By the Night, pushed the band into the limelight. They’ve sold out the 9:30 club a couple of times. They’ve got boyish charm.
We’re impatiently counting down the days till Sweetlife!
See you there!
Posted in TVD Washington, DC Leave a comment
What’s Happenin’ (Hot Stuff) This Weekend
In the city of dreams, live music, and falcon-sized mosquitoes, check out some of these events going on in beautiful Austin, TX this weekend:
Friday April 29, 2011-
Austin Psych Fest @ The Seaholm Power Plant
Nocturnal Festival @ Apache Pass, Rockdale, TX
Citizen Cope @ Cactus Cafe
Brave Combo @ The Continental Club
Ruby Jane @ Iguana Grill
Saturday April 30, 2011-
Austin Psych Fest @ The Seaholm Power Plant
Nocturnal Festival @ Apache Pass, Rockdale, TX
Citizen Cope @ Cactus Cafe
Record Convention @ North Austin Event Center
Willie Nelson’s Birthday Bash @ The Backyard at Bee Cave
Groupo Fantasma @ Paramount Theatre
The Decemberists @ Stubb’s
Sunday May 1, 2011-
Austin Psych Fest @ The Seaholm Power Plant
Citizen Cope @ Cactus Cafe
Record Convention @ North Austin Event Center
Lauryn Hill @ Stubbs
Foot Patrol Cd Release @ Playland Skate Center
Jane Monheit @ One World Theatre
The Derailers @ The Highball
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TVD’s Spring Vinyl Giveaways: Fenech Soler’s Demons 10″
(Ltd Ed, numbered)
If little plastic discs could be called sexy, this one would definitely qualify. British electropop band Fenech-Soler has gifted us a limited edition, hand numbered copy of their UK import, the Demons 10″, and we love you readers so much that we’re going to give it to one of you. Demons is currently only available digitally in the US, but a physical release is coming later in the year.
Collectors: No one else you know is going to have this.
“Demons” has possessed me, and I’m dancing in my chair to this:
I keep running, and I don’t know why
I see my demons, and I just can’t hide
Say no! I wanna let go!
Posted in TVD Washington, DC 4 Comments
TVD Ticket Giveaway: The Features at Rock and Roll Hotel, 5/4
The Features, a Nashville group whose live show is “explosive, with elements of psychedelia, krautrock, and indie,” are touring in support of their new album Wilderness, which comes out July 26th via Serpents and Snakes, Kings of Leon’s record label. They’ll be making a stop at Rock and Roll Hotel on Wednesday (5/4) along with Baltimore’s J Roddy Walston and The Business, and we have a chance for you to win a pair of tickets.
Confession: I hate everything by KoL post-“Sex on Fire.” Don’t boo me because I loved everything through “On Call.” Despite my misgivings when hearing that The Features were signed to KoL’s label, I gave them a listen… and damn, they’re good.
“Lions” from their last LP Some Kind Of Salvation is exactly the kind of happy indie pop rock I need to get me through this sunshiney Friday.
How did I not know about these boys before?
So today’s ticket giveaway theme is “bands you knew, all hipstery-like, before they got big.” I’m proud to claim Phoenix, The Black Keys, and Lady Gaga among mine, and I’ll be sure to rub it in when The Features are being played on DC101.
Tell me yours in the comments!
The winner will be chosen Tuesday (5/3) at 9am and must be able to confirm attendance by 4pm. (So be on top of your email.)
Posted in TVD Washington, DC 1 Comment
TVD Ticket Giveaway: Sour Soul at Double Door, 5/8
Sour Soul bring their “Laughs & Silly Dancing” tour to Double Door on May 8th, and we want you to go for FREE!
Hailing from Mexico City, Sour Soul play psychedelic inspired soulful pop, and are currently on the road in support of their latest release, L’appel du Vide. The album title is French for “the call of the void” but is more often used to refer to the instinctive urge to jump from high places.
Now, to get your FREE tickets to what Relix Magazine has called “a must see energy explosion”, all you have to do is, in the comments below, tell us the most exciting live band you’ve ever seen! THE DEADLINE TO ENTER IS 12 NOON ON MAY 3rd!
Sour Soul with Bear Lake, J.W. Basilo, and Jeremy Thornton, Sun 5/8, Doors: 7:30 pm / Show: 8:00 pm
Double Door is located at 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave.
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Reissues: Alt-Rock Classics Get the Vinyl Treatment
It’s always great to see new music being released on vinyl. Equally exciting is the current selection of reissues of older material being offered by labels such as Rhino and 4 Men With Beards. Hardcore collectors may scoff, but for the average listener, the chance to own one’s favorite albums on pristine vinyl at a reasonable price is often too good to pass up.
In most cases, I prefer to seek out the original issue of a record, but some titles are simply too difficult to find without resorting to eBay or similar auction sites. Sellers will often jack up prices if they know a particular disc is hard to come by. Such is the case with many indie rock, shoegaze, or Britpop acts from the mid-’80s to the early ’90s. This was a time when the vinyl market was slowly dying out in favor of CDs. By the time grunge hit, vinyl was being pressed in very small quantities, if at all. The discs that were pressed became increasingly rare (and expensive) over the years.
Thankfully, some choice records from this era are starting to show up as vinyl reissues. Plain has issued LPs from Ween, Spiritualized, Flaming Lips, and My Bloody Valentine among others. Rhino released Ride’s first full length album Nowhere in December. Warner’s Original Recordings Group has been working their way through the Nirvana and Sonic Youth back catalogs, and recently released a new pressing of Teenage Fanclub’s celebrated Bandwagonesque. Swervedriver’s first two albums have even shown up again courtesy of Hi Speed Soul.
Established indie labels have also taken to reissuing their own catalogs. Matador and Merge have done an excellent job with artists like Pavement and Superchunk respectively. UK labels Fire and Too Pure have made several classics from their vaults available, including titles by Spacemen 3 and Stereolab.
Fans of ’60s and ’70s soul, folk, psychedelic, punk, and new wave have been in luck for some time now, as many excellent reissues have touched on these genres. It’s nice to see more ’80s and ’90s bands joining the ranks. In this column, I hope to review some of the best of what is currently available. I’ll try to keep it as diverse as possible: expect some ’70s funk and German psych, ’80s post-punk, and good old fashioned indie rock to show up here.
Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what forthcoming reissues you’re excited about, and what your favorites have been so far.
Posted in TVD Los Angeles Leave a comment
Pick up Brandi Carlile’s new album to see her live at Easy Street!
Wondering what your next music purchase should be? Here’s my suggestion…Brandi Carlile just released here new CD, Live at Benaroya Hall, and if you pick it up at Easy Street Records you will score passes to see her play at their Queen Anne store on Tuesday, May 3rd.
Easy Street is making this opportunity even easier by having a midnight sale at the Queen Anne store on Monday, May 2. Be there to grab Brandi Carlile’s Live at Benaroya Hall and you will have the chance to see her perform live the very next day!
Brandi Carlile – “Late Morning Lullaby”
For further details on this special offer check out Easy Street’s website.
Posted in TVD Seattle 2 Comments
April 29th – TVDUK/360dgm Track Of The Day: Sex Pistols ‘God Save The Queen’
Well, it’s that time again…a time to doff your cap and bow to the royal sunshine… a time to lick the back of the Queen’s head and post a donation to the corgi society… a time to polish off your royal mugs and wave your dishcloths above your head and toast the royal couple….. yeah right!
Flashback to June 1977 and The Queen’s Silver Jubilee. That was also the day the Sex Pistols attempted to play from a boat named ‘Queen Elizabeth’ aside Westminster Palace on old father Thames. The performance was halted as the boys were fingered by the long arm of the law.
‘God Save The Queen’ was a massive anti-establishment anthem that certainly got some people hot under the collar… including the BBC, who banned it from the radio. Even so it reach number 2 in the UK charts amidst accusations that there had been some fiddling by the Beeb in order to keep it off the number one slot.
Oh happy days….
…It’s true what Laurence says, but God, how depressing that we now feel a sense of nostalgia for times when there was a voice for change, and an undeniable music force that would not be silenced. We have some great bands today, but most of the truly exceptional talents to have emerged in recent times (Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear, Deerhunter, Animal Collective etc.) are American, and deal more with personal politics, rather than the big picture. Admittedly, Arcade Fire wrestle with political fallout, but theirs is a grim reporting of alienation in the modern world, seen from the edge of society’s margins. The British bands who do have something to say, (The Supernovas and Krakatoa are among the best) are not big enough to make a national impact…
As for Britain’s bigger acts, we are hardly likely to see Mumford And Sons or Adele extolling the virtues of anarchy, and with reality TV now an accepted part of the British cultural diet, voices of resentment and retaliation are in short supply. Where is this generation’s Sex Pistols, Clash or The Smiths? I don’t just mean retreads of those bands’ sound or imagery, but where are the genuinely disaffected musical heroes, urging their compatriots and generational terrorists forward into battle? You’ve all gone very quiet out there…
‘This is Joe Public speaking: C-O-N, Control!’
THE CLASH, Complete Control, 1977
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TVD Ticket Giveaway: The First Annual Power Pop-A-Licious Festival!
Typically in this space we’re prone to some arm-twisty, “you really should come out for this!” kind of copy when we’re talking up a show and the tickets we have to put in your hands. But I don’t think we even need to go there for this one…
Suffice it to say we have a pair of tickets for both nights of the first annual Power Pop-A-Licious Music Festival taking place this coming weekend 4/30 and 5/1 in Asbury Park, NJ at the venerable Asbury Lanes—one pair per night for two winners!
Now, if in fact you’re not in the know on this one, festival founder and curator Paul Collins was kind enough to fill us in recently:
TVD: What can fans expect when they come to the Power Pop-A-Licious Festival?
Paul Collins: Fans will be treated to some of the best up and coming power pop/punk pop/garage pop bands from all over the mid west, the south, the east coast, and from as far away as Montreal and Ottawa!
What vision did you want to create when you thought of this weekend-long Pop Spectacular?
I was touring all over the country playing with all these great new bands who I really enjoyed and I thought to myself, “Why dont we have a big festival and bring them all together?!” The whole process has been really great and the bands have been so supportive and co operative it has been amazing. For me this is a whole new slant on the DIY ethic which I have been doing most of my professional career as far back as my first band The Nerves.
My motto now is “By the People for the People!” We are all stars at this festival all the bands are really great musicians who take their music very seriously but they also have fun which is what rock n roll is all about. Power Pop is a great and vastly unappreciated genre and I for one am doing everything in my power to make it much more visible.
I hope that if you are reading this you will get on up and come on down to Asbury Lanes because you will be in for a real treat! Eighteen amazing bands who play feel-good, bouncy, buoyant music, infectious melodies, and perfect harmonies will make this an incredible weekend to remember, I assure you! As with all first time events there will be magic in the air, and our devil-may-care DIY ethos means that no one will quite be sure of what will happen next…and girls there will be a lot of cute guys there! Keep on Rocking!
Join TVD in NJ by leaving your comment below. Let us know why you deserve to win the tickets and the most arm-twisty of the lot will win a pair for either Saturday or Sunday night’s musical confectionary. Let us know which you prefer!
We’re choosing our winners at noon on Friday, 4/29!
Posted in TVD New York City 2 Comments
Jazz Fest Picks: The First Weekend
Friday, April 29—Some people start Jazz Fest off in the Gospel Tent. I always head straight to the Mardi Gras Indians. There is something about that sound and those suits that soothes the soul. The Commanche Hunters, a relatively young tribe, kicks off the Jazz and Heritage stage at 11:20 AM.
Conflicts emerge early on the first Friday when George Porter Jr. and the Runnin’ Pardners are opposite Mia Borders. Why not skip them both and check out the first of Haitian acts that will be playing everyday at the Fest. Ti-Coca is a troubadour who sings in a style that reflects the connections between Cuba and Haiti.
The middle of the day is a good time to hit the Jazz Tent and I am excited to hear MASHUP—a soul jazz supergroup featuring the Dirty Dozen’s drummer Terence Higgins with Ike Stubblefield and Grant Green Jr. This set is bound to smoke.
Mumford and Sons (pictured) and the Avett Brothers close out the Gentilly Stage. Both of these bands are getting a lot of attention lately, and though I haven’t seen them live yet, a few videos I have seen indicate it’s warranted. They are deeply committed to their music and both bands feature animated performers.
Jump to Saturday and Sunday’s picks!
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