Figure Eight Publicity

PHANTOM FAMILY HALO - stream the album today on AOL Spinner, out 2/14 on Knitting Factory Records

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:09:59 -0500

PHANTOM FAMILY HALO - stream the album today on AOL Spinner, out 2/14 on Knitting Factory Records:

On Valentine’s Day, Brooklyn via Louisville artists THE PHANTOM FAMILY HALO will deliver the first of their two 2012 releases on Knitting Factory Records. When I Fall Out is the band’s “dark” album and was written before their move to Brooklyn. The band’s sonically sophisticated blend of classic psych and 70s glam is hypnotic and intoxicating - check it out.

PHANTOM FAMILY HALO - stream the album today on AOL Spinner, out 2/14 on Knitting Factory Records

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:08:58 -0500

PHANTOM FAMILY HALO - stream the album today on AOL Spinner, out 2/14 on Knitting Factory Records:

PHANTOM FAMILY HALO - stream the album today on AOL Spinner, out 2/14 on Knitting Factory Records

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:05:31 -0500

PHANTOM FAMILY HALO - stream the album today on AOL Spinner, out 2/14 on Knitting Factory Records:

Heartless Bastards album streaming now at AOL Spinner - out on Valentine's Day!

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:57:14 -0500

Heartless Bastards album streaming now at AOL Spinner - out on Valentine's Day!:

With comparisons to Neil Young, Lucinda, Chrissie Hynde and even T. Rex, the Heartless Bastards deliver a career milestone with “Arrow” on their new album, musician-friendly Brooklyn indie Partisan Records.

AgesandAges song "No Nostalgia" makes Obama's campaign playlist!

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:14:54 -0500

AgesandAges song "No Nostalgia" makes Obama's campaign playlist!:

AgesandAges, a Portland-based 7-piece known for their uplifting live shows and group sinaglongs, are featured on President Obama’s Spotify playlist. Their song “No Nostalgia” is one of 29 songs that will be used by the Obama campaign at rallies, speeches and other events throughout 2012.

Hear Ya reviews Arrow - new Heartless Bastards album out 2/14 on Partisan Records

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:31:57 -0500

Hear Ya reviews Arrow - new Heartless Bastards album out 2/14 on Partisan Records:

Heartless Bastards – Arrow [Album Review]

by OZ on FEBRUARY 6, 2012

2012 is shaping up to be all about the women of indie music. We covered incredible albums from First Aid Kit and Sharon van Etten already and Heartless Bastards are equally deserving of praise. Erika Wennerstrom is the heart and soul of Heartless Bastards and she’s at her best on Arrow.

Arrow is the fourth album released from Heartless Bastards since 2005 and the first on Partisan Records. The album opens with “Marathon,” a down-temp song for those that have gotten off track and found themselves lost in life. It’s mostly just Erika and electric guitar and her voice is on full display.

We all want to belong
to something more than ourselves
because you can’t always do it alone
sometimes you just need
need a little help
on this long way home
on this long way home

And oh I, I ran so far
that I’ve forgotten
what I was running from
And time it takes you so far
And I am longing to be back home
On this long way home.

“Parted Ways” follows up and it has fueled several dance parties in my home – events attended only by myself, my 3 year old daughter and 1.5 year old son. This song is an addiction and I’m eager to find out if a better song will be released this year.

While “Parted Ways” is hard to move beyond, pay attention to the soulful “Only for You.” It’s a marvelous song that shows the full range of Erika’s voice which is nearly overshadowed by an amazing lead guitar throughout. “Gotta Have Rock and Roll” is a hard driving song powered by a simple guitar riff – it’s a song that would make Joan Jett proud. And “Skin and Bone” opens with an rootsy acoustic guitar that had me double checking my iPod for Blitzen Trapper on accidental shuffle.

“Low Low Low” gets even twangier with a change in production. I’m not sure if it’s a different room or a change in technique, but it’s more organic and Wennerstrom’s vocals are more distant – as if we’re hearing her in a barn or by campfire light. It’s a brilliant change of pace.

We’ve been Heartless Bastards fans forever. After their live session with us, I had a chance encounter with them. It was years ago after a full day of drinking that I found myself standing next to Erika at a late night Playboy party at SxSW, waiting for Janes Addiction to take the stage. There she was, randomly right next to me. I think I opened the conversation about us both being from Ohio and how much I love that state – or something equally stupid. Maybe a bunny walked by and I said “fancy meeting you here…” I can’t quite recall. I do recall her being one of the sweetest musicians I’ve ever met and it’s always an experience to see the band live. They will be touring now through May, socheck their site for dates. Arrow will be released on Valentine’s Day.

Heartless Bastards – Parted Ways

Middle Class Rut - video for their new single premieres today on Alternative Press

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:20:43 -0500

Middle Class Rut - video for their new single premieres today on Alternative Press:

Home

APTV
Premiere: Middle Class Rut, “Are You On Your Way (Lyric Video)”

Premiere: Middle Class Rut, “Are You On Your Way (Lyric Video)”

Tuesday, February 07, 2012 07:00am

Rating:

Check out the premiere of the lyric video for Middle Class Rut’s new single, “Are You On Your Way.” The tune comes from the duo’s album, No Name No Color, which is out now. MCR are heading out on tour with Chevelle and Janus; check out all of the dates below!

2/24 The Orbit Room                                           Grand Rapids, MI
2/25 Piere’s Entertainment Center                         Fort Wayne, IN
2/26 Rapids Theatre                                            Niagara Falls, NY
2/28 State Theatre                                               Portland, ME
2/29 Irving Plaza                                                  New York, NY
3/2     Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel                               Providence, RI
3/3     House of Blues                                            Atlantic City, NJ
3/5     Rams Head Live!                                         Baltimore, MD
3/6     The NorVA                                                   Norfolk, VA
3/8     The Valarium                                                Knoxville, TN
3/9     Marathon Music Works                                 Nashville, TN
3/10   Egyptian Room at Old National Centre           Indianapolis, IN
3/11   Gillioz Theatre                                              Springfield, MO
3/13   The Cotillion                                                 Wichita, KS
3/14   Sokol Auditorium                                          Omaha, NE
3/16   Diamond Ballroom                                        Oklahoma City, OK

ADMIRAL FALLOW - North American release of their single "Squealing Pigs"

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 12:11:06 -0500

ADMIRAL FALLOW

NEW NORTH AMERICA SINGLE RELEASE FROM ADMIRAL FALLOW ON LO-FIVE RECORDS VIA INGROOVES ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5

“Squealing Pigs” from the Scottish quintet’s debut release, Boots Met My Face - hear an instrumental bit of the song in new GE television commercial premiering during the Super Bowl!

Download free track, non-album version of “Delivered”

February 4, 2012: Glasgow’s Admiral Fallow (an NPR “Band to Watch” at SxSW 2011 and Paste Magazine’s #3 Top International tip in the USA for 2012 ), are releasing their foot-stomping, clarinet-driven, singalong single, “Squealing Pigs” (think Arcade Fire, Flaming Lips, Mumfords on speed). The track, already a favorite in the UK, will be released in North America on February 5, 2012 as a digital single on Lo-Five Records via INgrooves and will feature newly designed artwork (see above). http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/squealing-pigs-single/id500237978

This song is already known in the States; it was used on an episode of NBC’s Chuck in 2011. “Squealing Pigs” will be featured in a GE commercial that will make its network television premiere during Super Bowl 2012 on February 5 before an audience estimated at 111 million. Admiral Fallow also just recorded a Daytrotter session in London where they co-headlined with We Are Augustines at a sold-out show for the HMV Next Big Thing Festival.

“Squealing Pigs” is the lead track from the band’s 2011 debut release, the critically acclaimed Boots Met My Face, which MOJO Magazine called “enduring and compelling;” the album is now available in the US on Lo-Five Records. The song was also performed on the BBC TV’s Hogmanay Live show in the UK on New Years Eve 2011 which you can view on the band’s website.

An extended version of another song from the Boots album, “Delivered, Alternate Version” is available here on a free download. (Feel free to share.)

Admiral Fallow have been signed by NETTWERK on a worldwide deal and their second album will be released later in 2012, followed by a fall US tour. In the UK and abroad, the band has toured with acts such as Belle and Sebastian and The Low Anthem and performed at many major festivals, including Glastonbury, Latitude, Cambridge Folk Festival, Green Man and End of The Road.

Links:

Admiral Fallow performs “Squealing Pigs” live on the BBC

Jonny Corndawg and David Allen Coe shared a stage in Nashville - the Nashville Scene talks outlaw country with Jonny

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:43:00 -0500

Jonny Corndawg and David Allen Coe shared a stage in Nashville - the Nashville Scene talks outlaw country with Jonny:

Jonny Corndawg shows us where outlaw country is going, while David Allan Coe reminds us where it’s been

Coe-Headliners

by EDD HURT

that could express the evolution of the outlaw in country music better than the double bill of David Allan Coe and Jonny Corndawg, but it’s hard to imagine what that would be. Nowadays, Nashville country music seems very far away from any lingering smell of the long-haired, dope-smoking country rebel who once haunted the city’s recording studios and stages — and yeah, I think Jamey Johnson has some of the most evocative feral-biker hair in all of pop music. But it’s the seemingly subcultural work of Corndawg that illustrates what’s happened to outlaws and American men in the last decade.

Released last year, Corndawg’s epochal full-length Down on the Bikini Line was one of the filthiest, funniest and most innocent country records in recent memory. No great vocalist, the leather-working, marathon-running singer nonetheless is an effective communicator — a gentle soul who is interested in laser hair-removal billboards and the women who need a little help below the bikini line, not to mention the responsibilities of a father who happens to be a filthy-minded but responsible parent.

Yet Down on the Bikini Line is an angst-free ride that appears to have thrown off all countercultural reference points. If Coe’s 1969 debut full-length Penitentiary Blues derived its musical energy from such rhythm-and-blues performers as Junior Parker and Muddy Waters, Corndawg’s songwriting and performance style seem indebted to the distinctly post-hippie tunes of Michael Hurley, Tom T. Hall and Bobby Bare. Like Coe, Corndawg writes about how his unconventional life has taken him into new places, but Corndawg is a modern outlaw who has moved beyond confrontational politics.

This is significant, and I think it has to do with the urge to get into showbiz — to make your case and your art to everyone at all times, despite your relative lack of talent or vision — that has dominated American culture for the past 10 years. If the fictional Michael Scott of the television show The Office could make a record, it wouldn’t necessarily sound like Corndawg’s Bikini Line, but it wouldn’t flaunt its eccentricity or its roots in the blues, as Coe did back in 1969.

As everyone probably knows, Coe went on to write successfully for the country music industry, even though the Ohio native had been a stone R&B fan before coming to Music City to make his name. YetPenitentiary Blues is a sly declaration of freedom done in the idiom of Chicago blues. Much like Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Tompall Glaser in the early ’70s, Coe both simplified his music and looked outside Nashville and mainstream country for inspiration.

For Corndawg, writing about junk food and trucks — not to mention oral sex and his fictitious daughter’s teenage sex parties — isn’t an act of cultural rebellion or even music on a grand scale. Just like the hapless but somehow sexually empowered Michael Scott, Corndawg seems post-everything and glad to be rid of the shackles of conventional masculinity, although both men appear to have a healthy interest in sex. Coe plays a guitar that resembles a Confederate flag; Corndawg makes leather billfolds with cute dogs on them.

I managed to catch up with Corndawg via email. I admire his music, which really is country, and wondered about the influence of Hurley and other songwriters. “I’m a bit of a snob,” he writes. “I get really excited about some folks and then really upset about most everyone else. I’ll get in trouble if I open up too much more about my musical opinions.”

That’s neither surprising nor perplexing — I’ve asked far more famous “outlaw” performers the same thing and gotten even less of an answer. These more famous figures are, of course, handled by the kind of careful, hovering folks who oversee these big Nashville country performers, so a journalist is lucky to get even a straight answer from them, let alone anything profound.

But it was Corndawg’s response to my question about his connection to the old-time rule-breakers of Nashville — Coe, Jack Clement, Johnny Cash, Jennings — that surprised me. “Not really,” answers Corndawg. “Honestly, I think they would hate me. I’m not worried about it, though. I’m not looking for anyone’s approval. I’m just doing my thing.”

This is the voice of a man unconcerned about rebellion. Corndawg told me he was happy being out on the road after a period, as he put it, of “wife-swapping peaks and suicidal valleys.” I do think he’s wrong about those old outlaws, though — they probably love him and wish him well as he explores the limits of expression in a world where freedom is just another word for everything that’s left to gain.

GREGORY ROGOVE Piana, featuring John Medeski and special...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:57:30 -0500

GREGORY ROGOVE

Piana, featuring John Medeski and special guests, out today on Knitting Factory Records

Multi-media release includes bonus DVD with videos and remixes by Adam Green, Fab Moretti, Devendra Banhart, Violens and more

Gregory Rogove, known for his work with Devendra Banhart, Priestbird and Megapuss, releases his first album of solo piana compositions today. Piana is a collection of simple, melancholic yet beautiful instrumental pieces for piano that were inspired by the French Impressionist piano music of Erik Satie and Claude Debussy (or, in other words, sad, instrumental pop songs). The compositions were conceived and written in Mexico by Rogove; they were performed by Rogove and John Medeski (of Medeski, Martin, & Wood) and recorded in Woodstock, NY.

Piana consists of a CD of solo piano songs as well as a bonus DVD which includes remixes, or re-interpretations of each tracks. You can get an idea of the concept at this link which features the solo piano track “Jackyl,” the “remix”/reinterpretation by Violens, and a stop-motion video set to the solo piano piece.

The bonus DVD is like a virtual “gallery” - you can click on images hanging in this virtual gallery and jukebox and view or listen to “remixes” of the solo piano compositions as interpreted by both musicians and visual artists. This disc includes remix tracks by Devendra Banhart, Violens, Lucky Dragons, The Bees, BIlly Martin (MMW) and more. The visual re-interpretations include photography by Lauren Dukoff, a collage by Fabrizio Moretti (the Strokes) and videos by Steve and George Gorrow and Greg and Diana Garcia.

Upcoming performances:

2.09.12 Los Angeles, CA @ Bullett/Dillitante Records w/Emily Kokal (Warpaint), The Moor

2.19.12 Los Angeles, CA @ Hemingways Lounge, w/Big Sir, Eureka the Butcher + Sarah Luna

Order Piana:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/piana/id468881801

http://www.knittingfactoryrecords.com/artists/gregory-rogove/store/

Gregory Rogove on the web:

www.gregoryrogove.com

http://www.facebook.com/GregoryRogove

https://twitter.com/#!/GregoryRogove

Portland’s AgesandAges do Ray Davies proud on their Astrud...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:52:30 -0500

Portland’s AgesandAges do Ray Davies proud on their Astrud Gilberto-esque version of The Kinks classic “No Return.” This cover kicks off a year-long series by the band and they promise a lot of surprises!

Frontman songwriter Tim Perry explains:

Whilst working on our second album, we thought it would be a pretty fun idea to record and release one cover a month for every month of this year. For all you math nerds out there, that’s a total of twelve songs. Also, we were hoping to accompany each with a video, shot by our good friend, Jaclyn Campanaro. The songs we’ll be working on vary far and wide, but all are dear to our hearts. We’re doing this because it’s fun and we like music. We’re doing this because the record release process can take a while and we wanted something a little more immediately gratifying; something we could give away for free right after we’re done making it. And we’re doing this because we identify with these songs and we want to express them with our own voice. This, to us, seems pretty fulfilling. Some people might like this sort of thing, others might think it’s sacrilege, and still others won’t give a shit either way. We on the other hand, are pretty excited about the next twelve months. And if you like it too, well then that’s what we call a bonus!

Amy Ray - Housing Works Bookstore NYC benefit on February 27

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:05:08 -0500

An intimate benefit evening with Amy Ray.

Join Indigo Girl Amy Ray to hear favorites and songs from her February 28, 2012 release Lung of Love.

For over 25 years, Amy Ray has been renowned as one half of Grammy-award winning folk duo the Indigo Girls. She’s also an activist, label owner (her label, Daemon Records, has been going now for two decades) and a tireless innovator, challenging herself and continuing to grow as an artist. With her debut solo album, Stag (2001), Ray turned in her acoustic guitar for a Les Paul and delivered a critically acclaimed album that showed her love of punk and rock and roll. With her succeeding solo albums, Prom and Didn’t It Feel Kinder, Ray continued to explore her voice and stretch herself as an artist; she collaborated with such kindred spirits as members of the Butchies (who are currently part of her recording and touring band), Brandi Carlile, and many others.

Lung of Love, out on February 28 on Daemon Records, is a milestone for Ray – it’s her most accessible, universal album to date. And catchy to boot. It’s also the first time in her career that she’s ever co-written with anyone — her producer Greg Griffith. (In the Indigo Girls, she and Emily Saliers write separately and bring their songs to the studio.) From her great power pop single, “Glow,” to a come-to-Jesus throwdown, “The Rock is My Foundation,” Ray and her guests, including Carlile, Jim James and Lindsay Fuller, deliver a batch of songs that sound like an instant classic.

Lindsay Fuller opens. Lindsay Fuller’s haunting Southern Gothic songwriting is unlike any other in her genre. Born in Alabama, the Seattle-based artist is the antithesis of the typical ethereal songstress. Her storytelling has been compared to Flannery O’Connor’s, while her voice to Johnny Cash, Nick Cave, Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch – delicate and dark, “a burnished, soulful trill that sounds like the frame of a beautiful old church that’s about to collapse on itself” (The Examiner).

$25 tickets guarantee admission but not seating. Standing room is on a first come, first served basis.
$35 tickets guarantee seating. Seats will be assigned in order of purchase, startling front and center and working out and back.

Doors will open at 7:30PM.
All ticket sales benefit the Housing Works mission of fighting to end AIDS and homelessness.

The Live From Home concert series in generously sponsored by Whole Foods.

For Event Listings:

Who: Amy Ray and Lindsay Fuller

What: Live From Home with Amy Ray, a benefit concert for Housing Works

When: Monday, February 27, doors at 7:30pm

Where: Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, 126 Crosby St. between Houston and Prince streets

Phone: 212-334-3324

Price: $25 general admission, $35 guaranteed seating

Tickets: http://www.housingworks.org/events/detail/live-from-home-with-amy-ray

Press contact: Amanda Bullock, 212-966-0466 x 1104,events@housingworksbookstore.org

Housing Works Bookstore Cafe is one of downtown New York’s most vital cultural institutions, presenting an eclectic mix of events—from readings and concerts to comedy nights and storytelling competitions—featuring many of today’s most exciting artists. The bookstore is staffed almost entirely by volunteers and 100% of its profits go to Housing Works, Inc., which provides housing, health care, job training, and advocacy for New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. As an independent cultural center, it offers patrons a unique opportunity to join the fight against AIDS and homelessness simply by buying or donating books; eating at our cafe; coming to concerts, readings, and special events; or volunteering on our staff.

VIRGIN FOREST - IFC video premiere for "Don't Be Afraid" from their album "Easy Way Out" out 1/31/12 on Partisan Records

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:23:31 -0500

VIRGIN FOREST - IFC video premiere for "Don't Be Afraid" from their album "Easy Way Out" out 1/31/12 on Partisan Records:

Check out the New York set video for VIRGIN FOREST’s track “Don’t Be Afraid,” filmed in St. Marks and at frontman Scott Stapleton’s home (the opening scene is shot in Scott’s bedroom). We went to St. Mark’s so it would have an uber NYC vibe, and we also wanted it to be where kids still hang out,” Stapleton said. “We have some awesome Goth kids in the video and wonderful people we met on the street — I want to give a shout out to “Batisha!!” (the African American woman throwing a goat in the video). None of it was planned out, just the basic idea and the neighborhoods. The Satanic shit is my room; that’s my bedroom.”

XYLOS -new session live at WFUV "The Alternate Side" up now!

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:00:41 -0500

XYLOS -new session live at WFUV "The Alternate Side" up now!:

Xylos: TAS In Session

Brooklyn’s electro-popsters Xylos released their self-titled debut last spring, but the melodic quintet are already working on their second album, test-driving new songs in live shows like tonight’s gig (January 26) at New York’s Hiro Ballroom at the Maritime Hotel, with Deadbeat Darling and Roma!

Late last fall, the band — singer Monika Heidemann, guitarist Eric Zeiler, keyboardist Nikki Lancy, drummer Christopher Berry and bassist Matt Aronoff — came by TAS’ Bronx studios and played not only older tracks, but newly-written material like “Summer Song” and “Eastern Pose.” Go to TAS online and check out the session!

Gregory Rogove, 'Jackyl (Violens Remix)' -- Free MP3 Download

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:21:16 -0500

Gregory Rogove, 'Jackyl (Violens Remix)' -- Free MP3 Download:

Artist: Gregory Rogove

Hails From: Los Angeles, Calif.
Song: ’Jackyl (Violens Remix)’
Album: Piana [Amazon] [Buy]
Sounds Like: Violens , Devendra Banhart

In His Words: “I met Jorge from Violens long ago when he was doing the band Lansing-Dreiden. One of my bands, Priestbird, and L-D were label mates on Kemado Records and we both used to record at their in-house studio. I’ve always dug his experimental, ’80s pop style. Last year, I played drums for his new incarnation, Violens, for a show and that’s where we talked about doing this remix. Their take on ‘Jackyl’ is probably the remix most different from the original. They turned a solo piano piece into a ’90s, new age shoe gazer, pop song. No mames wey.”

Listen to ‘Jackyl (Violens Remix)’

Download: ‘Jackyl (Violens Remix)’ (MP3)

Virgin Forest talk to the Village Voice - check out their "Doom Folk" track "Don't Be Afraid"

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:58:45 -0500

Virgin Forest talk to the Village Voice - check out their "Doom Folk" track "Don't Be Afraid":

The guys have a chat with Christopher Weingarten about music, breakfast tacos, their new single and their most memorable show to date (it involves their pals and labelmates Deer Tick).

Brooklyn’s Virgin Forest is stick-to-your-ribs indie rock courtesy of 80% of Phosphorescent, fueled on Townes Van Zandt and heavy metal thunder. Their sophomore album (and first for Partisan), Easy Way Out (due January 31), mines similar Neil Youngish territory as Phospho, but is more Ragged Glory than Gold Rush, the restraint jettisoned over for some unrestrained rockers. “Don’t Be Afraid” is a mix of shadow-staring doom-folk, Eagles-gone-loftpunk guitar shimmer and an irresistible splatter of fuzz bass.

Download: Virgin Forest, “Don’t Be Afraid”

Q&A: Virgin Forest on “Don’t Be Afraid”

What is “Don’t be Afraid” about?

Scott Stapleton, vocals/keyboards: The song is about refusal to let fear control you. And it’s about love. The lyrics speak for themselves.

How did you get this excellent bass sound?

Stapleton: Jeff Bailey is responsible for that. He is the best.

Jeff Bailey, bass: The bass sound comes from a Death By Audio Interstellar Overdriver. Also it comes from a bass played by alternating fingers, played with feeling.

You recently opened Whirlybird, a breakfast taco and coffee spot in Williamsburg. How is it going? What’s the hardest part about the taco business so far?

Bailey: Whirlybird is going great. Better than I figured even. It’s had a great response and has been growing organically. I’m learning as I go how to make it work, but if I had to compare it to a crossword puzzle, it would be a Monday. Also, the featured record label project [featuring a label’s records displayed on the wall as art] has been really fun. It has created a lot of conversation about Partisan during their feature and a slew of other record labels are interested. I’m going to feature No Quarter next, in early February. The tacos keep getting better, and Jesse [Ainslie, guitar] has been working there from time to time.

What was the most memorable show you played in New York City?

Stapleton: New Year’s Eve show with Deer Tick was by far the most memorable. With Phosphorescent we performed the To Willie record front to back, and sold that bitch out.

What’s your favorite place to eat in Brooklyn?

Stapleton: Whirlybird!

Bailey: My favorite place to eat is a tie between Nha-Toi, a Vietnamese pho spot on Havemeyer, and Miller’s Tavern on Hope Street. Both places just kill it with the delicious.

Middle Class Rut announces tour with Chevelle, new single!

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:54:56 -0500

“Raucous, melodic rock.“ - AOL Noisecreep

“MC Rut are riveting, the rawness and intensity of their performance drenched in the pints of sweat they undoubtedly shed at every show.” - Alternative Press

New York, NY - January 23, 2012: Sacramento-based rock duo Middle Class Rut, still riding the success of their breakthrough debut, No Name No Color, is gearing up for a run of dates with Chevelle and Janus. Kicking off onFebruary 24 in Grand Rapids, MI, the band will make their way around the Midwest and East Coast, with stops in New York, Providence, Atlantic City, Nashville, and more (scroll down for complete tour dates).

2011 saw Middle Class Rut, aka MC Rut, reach No. 5 at Alternative Radio with their smash radio hit “New Low,” off their debut album, No Name No Color. The duo’s anticipated new single, “Are You On Your Way,” will impact radio around the start of the tour in mid-February. Having been named “2011 Artist to Watch” by MTV and scoring a coveted USA Today “On the Verge” feature, Middle Class Rut are one of the most promising acts of the year.BBC Radio 1 tastemaker Zane Lowe awarded them “Hottest Record” honors, calling them “something propulsive and tribal that promises to unleash the rock, but remains unexpectedly restrained.”

Middle Class Rut’s raw, heartfelt cover of the Bob Dylan classic “Hurricane” is now available for purchase via all digital service providers. The digital bundle also features an exclusive live version of “New Low” (from No Name No Color) and “Dead Set” (from 25 Years EP), recorded live in the UK at Zane Lowe’s Maida Vale session and at XFM Studios, respectively. The “Hurricane” 10”-inch single is also available on vinyl - order HERE.

Middle Class Rut’s Zack Lopez (vocals, guitar) and Sean Stockham (drums), have been playing together since they were teenagers. The pair records every song they write together almost immediately upon coming up with the idea in their rehearsal space, capturing the instantaneous spirit of a track while still in the moment. They’ve toured with a range of artists, including Social Distortion, Alice in Chains, Them Crooked Vultures, …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, The Bronx and AWOLNATION. Their track “Lifelong Dayshift” is featured on the exclusive GameStop release of the Transformers: Dark of the Moon soundtrack.

MIDDLE CLASS RUT TOUR

With Chevelle and Janus

2/24 The Orbit Room Grand Rapids, MI

2/25 Piere’s Entertainment Center Fort Wayne, IN

2/26 Rapids Theatre Niagara Falls, NY

2/28 State Theatre Portland, ME

2/29 Irving Plaza New York, NY

3/2 Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel Providence, RI

3/3 House of Blues Atlantic City, NJ

3/5 Rams Head Live! Baltimore, MD

3/6 The NorVA Norfolk, VA

3/8 The Valarium Knoxville, TN

3/9 Marathon Music Works Nashville, TN

3/10 Egyptian Room at Old National Centre Indianapolis, IN

3/11 Gillioz Theatre Springfield, MO

3/13 The Cotillion Wichita, KS

3/14 Sokol Auditorium Omaha, NE

3/16 Diamond Ballroom Oklahoma City, OK

WATCH:

Video for “Busy Bein’ Born” live and uncensored at Alternative Press HERE

Video for “New Low” at MTV HERE

Behind the scenes video of ”Hurricane” cover HERE

BUY:

No Name No Color oniTunes or Amazon.com

Collector’s lyric book for No Name No Color HERE

Check in at www.MCRut.com for additional dates and other updates!

GREGORY ROGOVE talks to the Huffington Post about "Piana" out 1/31 (with live clip from Electric Lady Studio)

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:08:00 -0500

GREGORY ROGOVE talks to the Huffington Post about "Piana" out 1/31 (with live clip from Electric Lady Studio):

A Conversation with Gregory Rogove

Mike Ragogna: Gregory, let’s start with a little background for everyone. You grew up in Pennsylvanian Amish Country, born to Jewish parents, right?

Gregory Rogove: Yes. Well, my father is of Ukrainian-Jewish origins and my mother’s side is a mix of English and French. But my mom converted to Judaism when I was born.

MR: And you also spent a year in India on a year-long scholarship?

GR: Right. When I was 18, I went there to study the North Indian classical drum, or the tabla.

MR: And from there, you also went to Singapore, Mali, Mexico and China where you visited the Peking Opera, right?

GR: Yeah. I was mesmerized by those gongs that can be simultaneously beautiful and nauseating when they’re repetitively banged in your brain. (laughs)

MR: Later, you graduated from Wesleyan University in 2002 and was a recipient of the Pecora Award, correct?

GR: Yeah. That was more of a surprise than anything. That award wasn’t something I was thinking about or planning for, it was something I got in the mail. I didn’t think anything of it, really. I thought it had something to do with Indian food. (laughs) I thought maybe it was some kind of joke until I did a little research on the award. I was so pleased and my friends who identified themselves as actual composers were a little upset at that. I’m not sure how it happened, but I was very happy to get it.

MR: From there, you immediately formed the band Tarantula A.D, which later became Priestbird, right?

GR: That’s right.

MR: Plus you’ve even had the opportunity to play with Beck and tons of other hugely talented musicians, and you even bonded with Paul McCartney, right?

GR: Well, to be honest, that’s a bit of a stretch. I met Paul McCartney for a second, which was a lifelong dream for me. my mom was a huge Beatlemaniac. When she found out I met him, she cried tears of joy. (laughs) But that was only a brief, really embarrassing meeting. That’s another story entirely, though. As for Beck, I played a show with Devendra Banhart in Reno in a God-awful casino. We did one Devendra song together and the Beck’s drummer said that he thought I should do the song, so I played the drums with Beck’s band as he sang with Devnndra.

MR: And let’s not forget Megapuss.

GR: Good ol’ Megapuss. (laughs) Before we even made any music, Megapuss was a band that Devendra and I put together while on tour. The name came from a bunch of confusing texts that I got from a very sweet Swedish girl. She was very innocent, but she ended all of her texts with phrases like, “…puss, puss, puss.” Well, one of them was, “Megapuss,” and I had no idea what she was talking about. I told Devendra and he thought it was awesome, so we had a band name. Turns out that the word means “kiss,” so she was just sending me a mega-kiss via text. (laughs) We started writing titles of songs before we even had music, and we had a rule that we quickly write a song before a show so that by the end of the tour we had about 20 song sketches. When we got home I crashed at his place for about two months and we finished and recorded a record. We invited Fab Moretti from The Strokes to come in and sing a song. He’s a great friend and a beautiful artist.

MR: Your new album Piana album focuses on John Medeski as the featured musician. Can you tell us about how that came together?

GR: Well, I spent a little time in Mexico writing these pieces. I wrote and recorded a version of all of the songs myself. When I got home I was working on some of the mixes and thought that I was extremely happy with the songs, but I’m not a trained pianist. I feel comfortable writing for the instrument, but I don’t have the touch of someone who has an intimate relationship with the instrument. At that point, I had known John Medeski for a few years, though not very well. The drummer in his band was a very close friend of mine and my teacher’s for a while. So, I reached out to John and asked him if he’d be interested in playing all of the pieces and he said, “Sure.” I was so excited because he’s such a master. I also thought it would be very interesting to have him do it because he’s a virtuosic improviser and these are short, simple composed pieces. I thought it would be very interesting to have the tension of someone who wants to just paint with notes ad hoc and have that be restrained. He did an amazing job, but you could tell that the whole time, he just wanted to burst out of the strict composition structure, though we had one semi-improvised piece where you can really hear him shine. It’s called, “Young Mountain.”

MR: It’s a beautiful song. So, you’re on the Knitting Factory label.

GR: Yes, that’s right. The label started in New York and they have a history of putting out a lot of the downtown, avant-garde musicians. Then the label changed hands, I believe. I don’t know the whole history behind it. Anyway, they’re back on the scene and putting out a really fantastic array of music. They have the entire catalog of Fela Kuti, who is a huge hero of mine. That was actually one of the selling points to me for the label. (laughs)

MR: Right. They also allowed you to do a companion DVD with distinct images that go along with this album. What’s behind the concept?

GR: After I had all of the pieces in the can from Medeski’s performance, I thought it would be really interesting to pass each one of the pieces on to artists that don’t usually work with this material and try to rearrange it. The piano music stands alone, but it’s so often a springboard for other music. So, I thought it would be interesting to send something with more of a classical lean to a folk artist or whatever. I started passing it out to musicians, but I also have a lot of friends who are visual artists who thought it would be interesting to do a multimedia project along with it. What if I gave it to painters or visual artists or sculptors to link sounds to these compositions? So, that’s what I did. Everything kept rolling and rolling and eventually, I had each piece remixed and rearranged musically and reinterpreted visually. So, the DVD comes with a visual and musical reinterpretation of each song.

MR: And personally, I think the presentation was very unique.

GR: Thank you. The whole concept seemed so simple at first. Of course, it’s always more complicated than you may think. But in the end, I’m very happy with the way that it turned out.

MR: Now, you drew inspiration for these pieces from French impressionists?

GR: Yeah. I’ve been playing the drums since I was 10 years old. It’s kind of where I feel most natural. But I always loved writing songs and all kinds of music, so when I was 17 or 18, I came across Erik Satie’s music and was completely taken with it. Of course, that led to Ravel and Debussy. But Erik’s pieces in particular are so simple. I thought to myself that I could probably play those pieces if I just sat down at a piano long enough. I started teaching myself the pieces and just kind of kept hanging around the piano with those pieces and writing my own. All of that left an indelible mark on my perspective of music and writing. Over the years, I had a bunch of sketches like the ones on this album, but it didn’t make sense for Megapuss or Priestbird or any of those bands. I really wanted to have a solo piano record because that’s some of my favorite music to listen to as you’re going about your day. It enlivens the world and I wanted to make an album like that.

MR: Right. Where was this album recorded?

GR: I wrote the songs in Mexico, but when the stars kind of aligned for us to record it with John Medeski, the plans changed. I had a kind of busy Fall when I needed to record, as did John, and we both happened to have the same two days off when we were both in New York. So, I shot up to Woodstock where John was incidentally starting to make sketches for his own solo piano record. We recorded in one day in this little wooden shack where John used to live in Woodstock, NY.

MR: Who’s idea was it to put the apes in tighty-whities?

GR: That was a stop motion animation experiment that my girlfriend, Diana Garcia, and I did. We came across a studio that was allowing people to rent a bunch of studio equipment for free. It was sponsored by Levi’s and when we saw all of the equipment, we knew we had to write something to produce. So, I wrote a little something and when I showed her she was a little crestfallen. She thought it would take our entire lives to film. She wanted to take an afternoon to film it and it ended up being about three weeks straight of animating. The story, I think, came from an idea I had while reading Jonathan Safran Foer’s novelExtremely Loud And Incredibly Close. It’s an image of our ancestors walking arm-in-arm through the savanah. It’s kind of romantic - these Australopithecus creatures enjoying love the same way we know it now, back then. Then the sun burns out and there’s a bit of chaos and they lose their clothes and are forced to leave the city and enter back into the wild. They no longer had the tools to live in that environment.

MR: Gregory, what advice do you have for new artists?

GR: I hear this from my heroes all the time, and I think it’s so true: Do something original. Do something that stretches your boundaries and makes you uncomfortable, but that excites you.

Tracks:

CD:
1. Khadi
2. Carolyn
3. Jackyl
4. Castle Garden
5. Vines
6. Love Cherries
7. Casa Azul
8. Sunken Ships
9. White Room
10. Young Mountain

DVD:
1. Carolyn - The Bees
2. Jackyl - Violens
3. Sunken Sh-illy (Sunken Ships) - Billy Martin
4. Vines - Natalia Lafourcade
5. Young Mountain - Devendra Banhart
6. White Room - The Storms
7. Khadi - Hecuba
8. Castle Garden - Carly Margolis
9. Love Cherries - Adam Green
10. Casa Azul - Lucky Dragons

Transcribed by Evan Martin

ADULT SWIM PRESENTS: A BRAND NEW, TOTALLY FREE, 35-TRACK ALBUM FROM SQUIDBILLIES!

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:11:49 -0500

“MUSIC FOR AMERICANS ONLY MADE BY AMERICANS IN CHINA FOR AMERICANS ONLY GOD BLESS AMERICA, U.S.A.”

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COPY TODAY!

Just in time for mid-January, Adult Swim presents a brand new, totally free, 35-track album from the Squidbillies entitled “MUSIC FOR AMERICANS ONLY MADE BY AMERICANS IN CHINA FOR AMERICANS ONLY GOD BLESS AMERICA, U.S.A.”

What’s more American than big trucks, big hair and camp meetin’? The Cuyler clan knows there ain’t nothing, so they’ve put together an album extolling all things patriotical. With artists ranging from George Jones to T-Pain and Hayes Carll to Lucinda Williams, this album will make your heart swell up with pride for the Red, White and Blue. Chock full of original ditties and the best covers of the Squidbillies theme, MFAOMBAICFAOGBAUSA (that’s the album title for short) will go down as one of the most important historical contributions to this great land, right there with the Declaration of Independence and the demolition derby.

Visit www.AdultSwim.com/squids to download your free copy now! If you don’t, we’ll tell everyone you hate America.

Song Credits (with Character Names):

1. Squidbillies Theme
Performed by George Jones
Lyrics & Music by Dave Willis & Jim Fortier
Featuring Jim “Moose” Brown, Joe Stark, Robby Turner, Greg Lee, David Stark, Dave Cobb, Hargus “Pig” Robbins & Shawn Coleman

2. Early’s Gospel
Performed by Early
Lyrics by Dave Willis & Jim Fortier
Music by Unknown Hinson

3. Squidkickin’
Performed by Early & Granny
Lyrics by Dave Willis & Jim Fortier
Music by Michael Kohler

4. Burned
Performed by Early
Lyrics & Music by Unknown Hinson

5. Children of the Woods
Performed by The Jayhawks
Lyrics & Music by The Jayhawks

6. Nature’s Bounty
Performed by Early, Rusty & Granny
Lyrics by Dave Willis & Jim Fortier
Music by Shawn Coleman
Featuring Johnny McGowan, Matt Wauchope, David Boling, Kris Dale, Mark Van Allen, David Lee Powell & Shawn Coleman

7. Squidbillies Theme
Performed by Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit
Lyrics & Music by Dave Willis & Jim Fortier

8. It’s Not My Truck
Performed by David Lee Powell & Dave Willis
Music by David Lee Powell & Dave Willis

9. C’mon Everybody
Performed by Shawn Coleman
Lyrics & Music by Shawn Coleman

10. Otis Nixon
Performed by David Lee Powell & Bradley Burch
Music by David Lee Powell & Bradley Burch

11. Ain’t it Odd / Listen to the Animals
Performed by Hayes Carll, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Unknown Hinson, Rhett Miller, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, David Rawlings, Todd Snider, Gillian Welch and Lucinda Williams
Lyrics by Dave Willis, Jim Fortier & Shawn Coleman
Music by Shawn Coleman
Featuring Johnny McGowan, Matt Wauchope, David Boling, Granger Beem, Kris Dale, Mark Van Allen & Shawn Coleman

12. Power Ballad
Performed by Shawn Coleman
Lyrics & Music by Shawn Coleman

13. Granny Goes to Meetin’

14. (I Like) Driving In My Truck
Performed by T-Pain & Early
Lyrics by Dave Willis & Jim Fortier
Music by Shawn Coleman

15. Squidbillies Theme
Performed by Lucinda Williams
Lyrics & Music by Dave Willis & Jim Fortier
Featuring David Lee Powell, Ron Benner & Kris Dale

16. For This Land / For Three Grand
Performed by Drive-By Truckers & Early
Lyrics by Dave Willis
Music by Drive-By Truckers

17. Hoofprints
Performed by Satan
Lyrics by Dave Willis, Jim Fortier & Shawn Coleman
Music by Shawn Coleman

18. Francebound Clown
Performed by Hayes Carll
Lyrics by Dave Willis, Jim Fortier & Shawn Coleman
Music by Shawn Coleman
Featuring Scott Davis, W. Brad Fordham & Lisa Pankratz

19. Crossin’ the Line
Performed by Sheriff, Early & Rusty
Lyrics by Dave Willis & Jim Fortier
Music by Shawn Coleman
Featuring Johnny McGowan, Matt Wauchope, David Boling, Kris Dale, Mark Van Allen, David Lee Powell & Shawn Coleman

20. We Did It!
Performed by Split Lip Rayfield
Lyrics by Dave Willis, Jim Fortier & Shawn Coleman
Music by Shawn Coleman

21. Yellowcake
Performed by Rhett Miller & Granny
Lyrics by Dave Willis, Jim Fortier & Shawn Coleman
Music by Franklin Bruno
Featuring Franklin Bruno, Kris Dale, Marlon Patton & Steve Wesson

Album Credits:

Mixed by Shawn Coleman

Mastered at Glenn Schick Mastering

Website Design by Chris Heller

Cover Design by Brandon Lively

Character Voices Appearing On This Album

Early - Unknown Hinson (Stuart D. Baker)

Granny - Dana Snyder

Rusty - Daniel McDevitt

Sheriff - Bobby Ellerbee

Dan Halen - Todd Hanson

Lil - Patricia French

Reverend - Scott Hilley

Satan - Jim Fortier

David Allan Coe - Himself

Clowny Freakz - Shawn Coleman

Popmatters reviews the LIJADU SISTERS "Danger" - 8.0

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:15:22 -0500

Popmatters reviews the LIJADU SISTERS "Danger" - 8.0:

Reissue of 1970s Afro-pop masterpiece; more on the way

The Lijadu Sisters have a story worthy of film treatment. Twins Taiwo and Kehinde were born in Nigeria in 1948, and by the 1970s were making a splash in the same vibrant Nigerian music scene that spawned Sunny Ade, Victor Uwaifo, and Fela Kuti. Coming to the attention of both local and international music figures (such as Cream drummer Ginger Baker), The Lijadu Sisters recorded four albums in the 1970s for Decca Records’ Afrodisia imprint. The sisters toured the United States in the 1980s, to glowing reviews, before tragedy occurred: A nasty fall left Kehinde with spinal injuries that she has been struggling with ever since. The Sisters stopped recording and touring, and their records fell out of print. It seemed the career of The Lijadu Sisters was over.

Until now. Knitting Factory Records has embarked on a reissue program that will see all four original recordings released in the coming months. The first of these reissues, Danger, is out now. The only thing to say about this record is: “Hallelujah!” And, possibly, “thank goodness someone at Knitting Factory had the good sense to dig these records up”. Read more HERE:

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