love shack, baby » Rock and Roll

Just because I thought it was Thursday all day yesterday….. Red Hot Rebellion

Tart — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:00:41 +0000

For The Benefit Of Evil mp3 Red Hot Rebellion
Uh yeah, what the hell was yesterday about? It wasn’t until around 10 p.m. that I realized it was only WEDNESDAY! But once I got my ears on this classic-sounding track I began to unwind a bit. See, sometimes it just takes a good guitar solo and some sass to get that WTF out of your system.

Red Hot Rebellion doesn’t have an album out yet. They’re that new. But the music is old-fashioned, garage rock. They call it “the soundtrack to a bar fight” and yeah, I think I’ve been witness to a few of those with this kind of thing playing on the jukebox. You have to frequent the right kind of bars in the right part of town, mind you.

So, that’s all I’ve got today. I’m off to see the Scissor Sisters tonight and then catch some of North Coast Music Festival this weekend! (Don’t ever accuse me of being a music snob, now!) I’ll give ya the lowdown, don’t fret. xoxo

Anberlin brings more than a concert to North America with “Impossible” from Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place

Tart — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:17:29 +0000

Anberlin has made a real splash in mainstream radio and TV, and for good reason. The album, Dark Is The Way, Light Is A Place, comes out Sept. 7th. I love this song, it’s totally infectious. If you go to their site you’ll see just what a cool band this is! Get this, they’re giving their fans a special “exclusive fan bundle” when you buy ticket to their show. This special includes: immediate download of the single, full album download on release day, your name on a limited edition tour poster, and some cool videos from the band! Now comeon! Wow! In an age where music is arguably becoming de-valued, the concert experience is most definitely not!

Anberlin – North American Tour Dates

9/18 Englewood, CO Comfort Dental Amphitheatre-KTCL Big Gig
9/25 Kansas City, MO Capital Federal Park at Sandston
9/28 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
9/29 Dallas, TX House of Blues
9/30 Oklahoma City, OK Diamond Ballroom (opening for 30 Seconds to Mars)

10/1 Albuquerque, NM Sunshine Theater
10/2 Phoenix, AZ Marquee Theater
10/3 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
10/5 Salt Lake City, UT The Complex
10/6 Reno, NV Knitting Factory
10/8 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues
10/9 Anaheim, CA House of Blues
10/10 San Francisco, CA The Regency @ The Grand
10/12 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
10/13 Boise, ID Knitting Factory
10/14 Seattle, WA Showbox SoDo
10/15 Spokane, WA Knitting Factory
10/16 Vancouver, BC The Vogue Theater
10/18 Calgary, AB MacEwan Hall
10/19 Edmonton, AB Edmonton Event Center
10/20 Saskatoon, SK Odeon
10/21 Winnipeg, MB Garrick Center
10/22 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
10/23 Chicago, IL House of Blues
10/25 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall
10/26 Toronto, ON Sound Academy
10/28 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
10/29 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts
10/30 New York, NY The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
10/31 Washington, DC 9:30 Club

11/1 Cleveland, OH House of Blues
11/3 Nashville, TN Rocketown
11/4 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
11/5 St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing
11/6 Orlando, FL House of Blues

The Stone Foxes: Bears and Bulls

Tart — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:28:56 +0000

I Killed Robert Johnson mp3 The Stone Foxes Bears and Bulls …. buy it now! …. go here to see where they’re playing!

Well, darlins, you know I love this retro trend when it’s done right. And somehow it seems the younger the band the more they seem to get this right, in my book. The Stone Foxes have achieved greatness, in this debut album, which they’ve recorded themselves, “live, with almost no overdubs, in a studio they built themselves” says their press release. It’s the harmonica. The bluesy, lazy-mouthed, wide-open just wild abandon of it all that the harmonica inspires in this album is what particularly stands out for me. More than just four guys playing around with some raw talent, Bears and Bulls covers some pretty wide ground. There’s echoes of Southern Americana from the 70s in this, some old fashioned blues, and Zeppelin-like sensibilities as well as a Chris Robinson spirit to the vocals. The instrumentation is tight. Drums are dished out heavy and hard. Guitar solos are searing and twisted and lead the song through repetitive, grinding goodness (hear “Hyde & Pine.”) I’m imagining this all played loud and live (hear “Young Man,”) and yeah, I’ll be there the second they make it near my great city, xoxo … I know a certain reader of this blog is gonna love this

The Stone Foxes “I Killed Robert Johnson” from Sideways Media on Vimeo.

oh and for those of you going to Pitchfork Fest…. check out this great preview (much better than I could come up with!) by Mike over at QRO Magazine

Thursday’s got me wanting the weekend… but I’ve got to tell you some stuff first

Tart — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:12:41 +0000

First off, if you’re in Chicago (I don’t know, I assume some of you are in Chicago, call me crazy) you should pay some mind to Green Music Fest this weekend. I went last year and it was pretty awesome! I first heard one of my favorite local bands there, Sybris, (they’re playing Millennium Park on July 17) and some other great music as well and the people and food and facilities were just wonderful. So support the second annual effort, won’t ya?! My most adored, Maps & Atlases are playing as well as all the bands listed on that pic! Here’s the most awesome part: it costs 5$ and it’s from noon – 10pm. Yes, for $10 you get to hear some truly great music and support local green initiatives. You cannot beat that, my lovelies!

On Saturday night you should come out to the Hideout to see My Gold Mask, Advance tix are only $8, it’s $10 at the door. They are heading out to Sled Island Fest in the beginning of July!

I’ve also been hit hard with some wonderful music in the inbox lately. So, in my usual half-assed fashion, I’m gifting you with some great tunes:

Golden Central – Jenny Gillespie by CrashAvenue

Jenny’s new album Kindred is coming out July 17… you can stream it on her bandcamp.com page. I think it’s a really nice blend of Regina Spector and Tori Amos with some Fiona Apple-ish undertones. Her vocals are strong and well-phrased and surrounded by dramatic instrumentation that emotes more than the usual folk sense. Kindred lies somewhere in between folk and pop and Hounds of Love. Go listen.

Saturday, July 17th
$7/7p
Martys
Advance Tickets

The Greenroom mp3 The Tins….. buy it!

Now you have to forgive me, because The Tins is another one of those albums I’ve had on constant play in my car (did you know i live in my car? Well, I drive around all day and my car is sort of my office, so I listen to 90% of my music in my car!) The wonderful Will of We All Want Someone To Shout For turned me onto this band The Tins at least three months ago. I cannot stop listening to them. Their self-titled album is five tracks of double-packed, tight, tight, tight American Nostaliga rock. Now, Tart, what the fuck is “Nostalgia rock?” you’re asking yourself at this point. You know that sound you know when you think of Elvis Costello, and old Bruce Springsteen, and some Replacements songs, and a little bit of the faster Simon and Garfunkle ones? It’s the minor chords and the jangly guitars and short choruses with really defined bridges – classic songwriting, that reminds me of crisp Fall days. So yeah, in my brain it’s “Nostalgia rock.” It’s also the perfect kind of album to turn up REALLY loud to sing along to in your car. Lead vocals are gorgeous, lyrics are thought-provoking and witty. There’s a certain new-wave feel to the guitar solos which pleases me. But the melodies are all American pop. God, I love this one. These guys have it going ON. You will want this album. This track is indicative of the rest. But the rest is even better, “June Avenue” being my favorite, with its classic sort of surfer rock sound, but so fucking much better. If I had a six year old, he or she would be singing this song (with made up words, cause that’s what kids do) and it would be priceless! xoxo

The Coppertone: Hidden Dreams… she can’t hide for long

Tart — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:41:03 +0000

Hidden Dreams mp3 The Coppertone Hidden Dreams …. pre-order it!

Nighttime Wishes mp3

Amanda Zelina can’t hide from me for long. I got this email from her a few days ago, downloaded her album and then promptly forgot about it. Today I plugged it into my speakers and had no clue who it came from (untagged, grrr!) Had no clue, that is, until the vocals began…. there is simply no mistaking this voice for anyone else once you’ve studied it as I have. Yes, the style is dramatically different from her previous, solo record, Love Me Til I’m Me Again, from 2009. The Coppertone, her new project as a three piece, has a very distinctive blues/rock feel and I’m more than willing to accept that. She wears it well.

Hidden Dreams brings nine tracks to your ears with finesse and smooth, heavy music for a hot summer night. This is sexy. This is a slow, deep kiss. This is reminiscent of Linda Ronstadt and Carly Simon, updated to showcase Amanda’s howling, modern vocals. I can easily imagine this crossing all sorts of scenes and sitting comfortably with anyone who loves twang, the blues, and even R & B. The bass lines are strong, taking initiative for the duration. Track four, “Satisfied Mind” has a nice busyness to it that stays just far enough back to offset a grinding guitar whereupon Amanda rides. Just listen to that You’re going to need a handkerchief for this album, it’s hot and sweaty! Overall, it has a slight homemade feel to it and I love that about Hidden Dreams. It’s intimate and sing-able, and honest. Don’t let this pass you by, this summer gem is worth digging out of hiding.

Jun 18 2010 9:00P NXNE//The Hide Out Toronto, Ontario, CA
Jun 25 2010 10:00P The Black Pirates Pub Thunder Bay, Ontario , CA
Jul 1 2010 9:30P The Victoria Park Boathouse Kitchener, ON
Jul 2 2010 9:00P Not My Dog Toronto, Ontario , CA

Hidden Dreams Promo from The Coppertone on Vimeo.

Amanda Zelina///The Coppertone: Wood & Wires Productions from Adrian Vieni on Vimeo.

The Locals: Salt … a sweet little EP from a kick-ass local band

Tart — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:50:18 +0000

The Locals never cease to thrill me. I mean really, how many bands do you know like this? They manage to walk the fine line between girl rock and raw, hyper-fueled, power pop and they do it with such finesse. This new EP, Salt, (itunes link) has four tracks and I love each of them. A step up from their most recent album, The Big Picture, The Locals give us sleeker, more filled out, just beautifully produced music. Salt packs a different kind of punch; it sighs in your ear as it slides its hand in your back pocket. The drums are fast, Kirk squeezes a lot in in a short amount of time. Melodies are well-crafted but what is most striking is Yvonne’s vocals, to be honest. Pushed way up front in the mix, her throaty delivery, as it slides up to those high notes is just beautiful. And then on “Amnesia” she shows her whole range from low, gutsy notes to an intimate, soft bit, to a true rock and roll howl. Christy’s harmonies just add the right amount of edge to what is already got you perked up and listening carefully. The Locals are a all that and a bag of chips. This EP more than proves their versatility and potential. Go see them, add these songs to your playlist now, xoxo

The Locals “SALT” 2010 (preview clips) by The-Locals

Dates
4/30/10 The Elbo Room 2871 n Lincoln 11pm with: Cyclesomething, The Powwows, 8Inch Betsy (CD RELEASE PARTY)
6/5/10 Cake Chicago Red Line Tap 9pm with: The Barrettes (Milwaukee), Ripley Caine (Chicago)
6/24/10 Skylight 116 North Third Street Lafayette, In with: Vicious Guns
6/25/10 Quenchers 2401 North Western Avenue Chicago, IL with: Vicious Guns, Julie Meckler
7/10/10 -7/11/10 Art Fair on the Square TBD Madison, WI TBD

Manchester Orchestra: Somebody Please Go To This Show For Me!!! Tomorrow night @MetroChicago, Tuesday March 23

Tart — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 20:24:45 +0000

I’ve Got Friends mp3 ….. buy it

listen to the EP here

With SXSW just finished, so many bands are making their way across the country and March has become the month (or so it seems) when there is a great show every night of the week. This week I could see something wonderful every night! So, I’m begging you, please…. go see Manchester Orchestra for me tomorrow, eh? This promises to be a really great time. Their performance at Lolla last year was something I also regret missing and the promise of it was one of the few things that almost convinced me to brave the crowd… almost. It just seems that I’ll never see this band, damnit! …. well, I don’t know if I can resist this one, I’ll let ya know

Now don’t go groaning about the borderline mainstream sound of Manchester Orchestra. They play some awesome, big, verging on “arena rock” or “stadium rock” music. And I’m not opposed to that, not one little bit. Sometimes you just need to rock. the. fuck. out. And Manchester Orchestra brings it, hooks grabbing you hard. Hearing a band like this at the Metro, one of Chicago’s finest venues where you can get up close and personal and still enjoy excellent, loud sound will be a fantastic experience. Go!

Read the wonderful Kata Rokkar’s review of the live show from the Bay Area’s Great American Music Hall, March 15, 2010

Shake It Out

Manchester Orchestra | MySpace Music Videos

Tour Dates
3/18 – Gothic Theatre – Denver, CO
3/23 – Metro – Chicago, IL
3/24 – St. Andrews Hall – Detroit, MI
3/25 – Mr. Small’s Theatre – Pittsburgh, PA
3/26 – Water Street Music Hall – Rochester, NY
3/27 – The Phoenix Theatre – Toronto, ON
3/29 – Northern Lights – Clifton Park, NY
3/30 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA
3/31 – Chameleon – Lancaster, PA
4/1 – Toad’s Place – New Haven, CT
4/2 – The Fillmore @ Irving – New York, NY
4/3 – The Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA
4/5 – The Recher Theatre – Townson, MD
4/6 – The Norva – Norfolk, VA
4/7 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrborro, NC
4/8 – The Music Farm – Charleston, SC
4/9 – Jillian’s – Columbia, SC
4/14 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA **
4/15 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA **
4/16 – The Howlin Wolf – New Orleans, LA **
4/17 – The Lyric Oxford – Oxford, MS **
4/18 – WorkPlay Theatre – Birmingham, AL **
4/20 – House of Blues – Cleveland, OH **
4/21 – Bogart’s – Cincinnati, OH **
4/22 – Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH **
4/23 – The Pageant – St. Louis, MO **
4/24 – The Rave – Milwaukee, WI **
4/25 – People’s Court – Des Moines, IA **
4/27 – Eagle’s club room – Vermillion, SD **
4/29 – The Railyard – Billings, MT **
4/30 – Knitting Factory – Spokane, WA **
5/1 – McDonald Theater – Eugene, OR **
5/3 – Knitting Factory – Reno, NV **
5/4 – The Catalyst – Santa Cruz, CA **
5/6 – Majestic Ventura Theatre – Ventura, CA **
5/7 – House of Blues – Las Vegas, NV **
5/8 – Rialto Theatre – Tucson, AZ **
5/9 – Sunshine Theatre – Albuquerque, NM **
6/10 – Bonnaroo – Manchester, TN

** co-headlining dates with Thrice

The Soundtrack of Our Lives: coming to Lincoln Hall February 28 with Nico Vega

Tart — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:18:18 +0000

The Soundtrack of Our Lives are coming to Chicago and I’ve been soaking them in all weekend. What a trip it’s been. Yeah, Communion, their latest double album was released in 2008, but I never got to it until now. And you know me, I love this hook-laden, rock-n-roll, heavy-bass, guitar-driven kind of music. It’s quite the contrast to The Black Atlantic, the other thing that’s been feeding my ears, I’ll tell you that! And it’s been a welcome contrast. I’m stoked to see them play live.

They’re ending their US tour right here in Chicago at Lincoln Hall with Nico Vega. I’ll be giving you the story, don’t worry, xoxo (it’s a Jam Productions show and therefore sold by Ticketmaster, which as you know, I think is the Devil Incarnate, so I’m sorry that link for Lincoln Hall takes you to them!)

buy their albums here

US Tour Dates
Feb 16th – Irving Plaza – New York, NY
Feb 17th – The Note – Philadelphia, PA
Feb 18th – House Of Sweden – Washington, DC
Feb 18th – Black Cat – Washington, DC
Feb 19th – The Warehouse Live – Houston, TX
Feb 20th – Emo’s – Austin, TX
Feb 21st – The Granada – Dallas, TX
Feb 23rd – The Rialto – Tucson, AZ
Feb 24th – The Casbah – San Diego, CA
Feb 25th – Glasshouse – Pomona, CA
Feb 26th – El Rey – Los Angeles, CA
Feb 27th – The Independent – San Francisco, CA
Feb 28th – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL

Truckstop Coffee: For Dear Life… hang on, this is seriously good

Tart — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:22:27 +0000

I-3 mp3 Truckstop Coffee For Dear Life …. buy it

Gas Tank mp3 Truckstop Coffee For Dear Life

[This is the third in a series of guest reviews by my good friend Puppet Show, who has thankfully given in to my begging and agreed to help me out. News of this band came to me from the awesome blog, ninebullets.net and I sent Pup this album for review. Needless to say, he took to it like a pig to shit. I had a feeling he would, it's a great record and one that I completely recommend for your last minute holiday shopping! xoxo]

When it comes to music I can be rather fickle as Tart can attest to. I have to like the music I see, if I don’t, then I won’t listen to it. Yes you read that correctly, I have to like the music I see. That might seem unusual to some people but it is something that I think I have grown up with, a sense of vision in the music I listen to. If I can’t envision a song, or the sounds can’t take me to a place that I have never been before in my head, then I probably won’t like it. How many vanilla wrappers do you want to see before the vanilla wrappers get boring.

Take Truckstop Coffee, not only is it a name with a visual behind it, but it pretty much takes you to where the music begins, with a cup of truck stop Coffee. This rock four piece out of Lake Worth, Florida has a knack for telling stories. Every song I listened to was devoid of fluff or filler, and it took me somewhere. The sound is an old friend and drinking buddy at an old watering hole where you would sit, drink whiskey, and talk.

For Dear Life is 12 stories of life experiences that you may have never lived but after listening to this album you will think like you did. “Gas Tank,” a favorite of mine, is a song about trying to escape. “And your friends they’re all your biggest fans, except when they’re pouring sugar in your gas tank” These lyrics took me back to a time in my life when all I had was the desire to escape where I came from. But everyone I knew cheered me on and held me back, I love that song now. “Mrs.Grady” is an absolutely somber song of war, but the way it is played and sung, I feel like I am there. Truckstop Coffee has an uncanny way of bringing you into their music in a way that you don’t want to leave, each song makes me want the next and the next. For Dear Life is an array of mini stories written on a master level.

This band is a bottle of bourbon as I look out on the Blue Ridge mountains from my back porch. It’s what good, old music should be: raw stripped down and able to take you somewhere in your head as you listen. This sophomore album, For Dear Life, has made my Top 3 for 2009. Go listen, and see what I mean.

Tour Details
Jan 8 2010 9:00P Orlando Brewing Co – PETE SOLO Orlando, Florida
Jan 15 2010 9:00P Propaganda w/ The Most Beautiful Losers, Matt Woods Lake Worth, Florida
Jan 16 2010 9:00P New World Brewery w/ Will Quinlan, The Most Beautiful Losers, and Matt Woods Ybor City, FL
Jan 17 2010 9:00P Will’s Pub w/ Thomas Wynn, Most Beautiful Losers, Matt Woods Orlando, Florida
Jan 21 2010 8:00P Bodega Blue – Pete Solo Vero Beach, Florida
Jan 23 2010 8:00P 4620 Reinvented w/ Matt Woods, The Most Beautiful Losers Knoxville, Tennessee
Jan 27 2010 8:00P P&H Cafe Memphis, Tennessee
Jan 29 2010 9:30P Live Wire Savannah, Georgia
Jan 30 2010 8:00P The Atlantic w/ Ninja Gun Gainesville, Florida
Feb 14 2010 8:00P Sadie Rene’s w/ The Most Beautful Losers, Gunt Punchers, Matt Woods Canton, Ohio

Apse: Climb Up is a Force to be reckoned with

Tart — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:06:41 +0000

Remember Spirit, the debut album by Apse? It was dark and delicious and declared to be the “deathnail to post-rock.” Described by critics as atmospheric and haunting, it propelled Apse into higher levels of notoriety, and fans have been eagerly awaiting the next album for some time now.

November 10th was the day, my darlings, when Apse revealed Climb Up, described to me to be their most intimate and yet accessible work to date. Melodic, with more emphasis on electronica, I’m listening to it now and yeah, I have to agree. It’s taken critics a bit off guard. Not that anyone has written off this band… no. But I’m not sure people realized just exactly what they were up to, holed up as they were in New England for much of 2008.

Climb Up starts out with “Blown Doors,” a rhythmic, heavy-bass line, balanced by delicate vocals track which won me over instantly. I love it so much I’ve included it on a certain year-end mix tape which will appear on these pages soon. It’s hurried, breathless, whirling. And from that point on, Climb Up continues to please with lots of electronic organ notes to compliment Bobby’s insistent vocals. Lyrically, songs like “Rook” drive the phrase “I’m losing my mind over you” into my head, a phrase which is only bettered by the buzzing, desperate melody. There’s a similar element in A Place To Bury Stranger ‘s Exploding Heads, a common, hungry, insistence. And halfway through, at “The Age” when the urging is peaked at a frenzied scale, Apse inserts this brilliant, gem of a song, “Tropica.” It’s perfect for holding the place it does on the album and reveals the thought that went into this project. Industrial-like percussion sounds stream out of my speakers, completely breaking the mood so that I find myself taking a long, deep breath for what seems like the first time since I turned this record on. That’s a very good thing; there’s five more songs to go. Step over here to see the new video they have for “3.1″

What follows are brilliant tracks that incorporate everything from rather rock-operatic effects in “Lie” to decidedly the swan-song feelings of the title track, “Climb Up.” But it’s the “The Whip” that thrills me the most, with it’s driving melody, like a sister song to “Blown Doors.” This record is good from start to finish. I’ve listened to it at least twenty times in the past month and I expect to use songs from it in a mix tape or two. We can only hope that they will bring this to a US tour, this is a band that is just now coming out of a bit of a long, self-imposed exile. Tour dates are just beginning to emerge and as I write this, Apse are completing the 10 Years Of ATP Festival in Minehead, UK. I can not wait to hear this live. Do not miss it when they come near you, xoxo

Dec 15 2009 8:00P Stuk Leuven Leuven, BE
Dec 16 2009 8:00P De Kreun Kortrijk, BE
Dec 17 2009 8:00P Vera Groningen, NL
Dec 18 2009 8:00P Ekko Utrecht, NL
Dec 19 2009 8:00P Borderline London