YAY!!!!!! One of my favorite dance music producers, Duke Dumont, will be in Philadelphia tonight to play Snacks at The Dolphin! Tickets are only $5 and you can get them here or at the door.

Duke Dumont had me when I first heard his track “No Money Blues”, and every song I heard since became a new favorite. Perfect for the dance floor, “Need U (100%)” and “The Giver” have been go-to songs for me whether I am getting ready, getting through the work day, or out with my friends. I can’t wait to hear all of those tracks live tonight on the dance floor with some of my best friends! Duke Dumont will be heading to Boston next and finishing this tour in Montreal before heading back to tour the UK. Make sure you get your tickets here!

*Note: The show in Philly was originally scheduled to be at Voyeur, it is now at The Dolphin, see you tonight!

xx Cher

Wow. I could not be more obsessed with this song right now! I kept hearing songs from Thumpers thinking “I really like this!!”, I would write them down and then realize I’ve written them down on every piece of paper surrounding my desk, all different songs by the band. They are undeniably going to be a special part of my summer soundtrack. Their upbeat (and very addicting) tracks are perfect for dancing and singing along to…especially “Unkinder (A Tougher Love)” made even easier to sing along to thanks to the lyric video Thumpers released.

This new single, taken from their UNKINDER EP will be available on June 3rd through Transgressive Records!There will also be a limited edition 12″ vinyl released I need to get my hands on. I can’t even believe this band started only a year ago. I am desperate to hear their music in a live setting, their music can seriously shake your bad day blues away and I bet the positive vibes their music radiates is even more powerful live.

Thumpers have a slew of shows coming up (hellooooo festival season! You UK kids are SO lucky…never forget it!), so make sure you follow them on SongKick and see them in a city near you!

xx Cher

I absolutely love this track “Off & On” by Findlay. The song is a perfect, badass mixture of blues and rock ‘n’ roll that will have you singing “he’s gonna teach me how to live” in your head for days.

The music video for the track is a sexy and dark film featuring the gorgeous Natalie Findlay, her band of babes, and some other sweaty, sultry characters. The video reminds me of the hauntingly beautiful yet creepy as hell intro of HBO’s True Blood…so basically, I love it. “Off & On” is available to download now on iTunes here and you can buy the signed 4-track 10″ EP here!

They have some upcoming gigs in the UK including The Great Escape Festival in Brighton, so make sure you follow them on SongKick here!

xx Cher

BANKS released a gorgeous new track today co-written and produced by my ultimate music-crush Orlando Higginbottom (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs). “Warm Water” is a luscious slow jam featuring the uplifting beats synonymous with Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs signature sound, addicting lyrics, and breathtaking vocals of Banks. This track further proves Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs can do absolutely no wrong, and Banks is a force to be reckoned with.

“Warm Water” will be available via iTunes (US/UK), Amazon and Spotify May 27th through Good Years Recordings.

In more brilliant news, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs will be coming to Philly for the first time, Thursday June 6, to play a DJ set at Morgan’s Pier.

Morgan’s Pier re-opened for the summer last Thursday and is offering a slew of incredible shows including this epic set from Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. The show will be $5 at the door, but you can get your tickets in advance through Ticketfly here.

I met Orlando after having one of the best dance workouts of my life during his DJ set on a rooftop in Austin at SXSW in March. He told me about this show after I gave him a hard time for not ever playing in Philly, and I have to tell you I this show at Morgan’s Pier can NOT come soon enough. I fully plan on bringing every single one of my friends. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs will also be playing Governor’s Ball in NYC that weekend so make sure you see him live there as well!

One of the best moments of my life:

xx Cher

Daft Punk’s new album Random Access Memories, due out May 17th on Columbia, is now available to stream in full on iTunes and on Grooveshark here. I have to say, after hearing “Get Lucky” with Pharrell and Nile Rodgers, I couldn’t be more excited to hear and get my hands on the new album. After meeting Nile Rodgers last week at Redbull’s Music Academy in NYC, my excitement grew even more. Whenever anyone asked Nile about his work with Daft Punk, his face lit up with excitement, proof from a music legend that this album is going to move a lot of people… in life and on the dance floor. Listen to the entire album now, pre-order your soundtrack to summer here!

One of the best days ever…meeting Nile Rodgers at his “Let’s Dance” lecture at Sky Room at the New Museum in NYC!!

xx Cher

This week has been a whirlwind of crazy and awesome. I saw Nile Rodgers on Sunday, The Breeders on Monday, Palma Violets on Wednesday, and The Veils and Lantern last night. Though I’m a bit exhausted, I’m completely stoked to see Lovelife, Gold Fields and Capital Cities at the TLA before heading to Maryland tomorrow for Sweet Life Festival!!

Lovelife are a synth-pop group formed by Lee Newell and Ally Young. The band features members of deceased UK band Viva Brother (formerly known as Brother) and they are now based out of NYC. The band has released two self-produced EPs, made their SXSW debut this year, and are now supporting Capital Cities on their US tour which stops in Philly tonight! Between Lovelife and Gold Fields, everyone at the TLA will get a major dance workout before Capital Cities even takes the stage.

You can definitely find me on the dance floor, hopefully dancing hard enough so everyone around me comes out of their shell and gets into the groove. If you go see live music, you should never be scared, shy, or ashamed to really take it in and give the energy the bands give to the fans, right back to them. It gives a whole new life to experiencing live music, and makes everyone have way more fun.

The show starts tonight at 8PM and you can buy tickets at the TLA box office!

xx Cher

London’s The Veils are back with their first record in four years, Time Stays, We Go and will be at Johnny Brenda’s tonight to play some new tracks and old favorites live! Doors are at 8PM, the show is at 9PM and the tickets are only $12! You can get yours here or at the door. Philadelphia’s own Lantern are opening so make sure you get to the show on time.

The Veils new album,Time Stays, We Go, was produced by lead singer/songwriter Finn Andrews with the help of producer Adam Greenspan who has worked with Divine Fits and Arcade Fire. The band coerced retired English producer/legend Bill Price (The Clash, Jesus & Mary Chain) to mix the record to tape at Metropolis Studios in London, giving the record a unique and rich vintage sound rarely heard in music today. The album is a perfect mix of upbeat, raw, addicting tracks and dark yet soothing slow jams. The record is bound to sound epic live and I can’t get in on the action tonight at Johnny Brenda’s! If you don’t have it already, make sure to pick the record up at the show tonight, at your local record store, or here through their website.

xx Cher

The 1975 released the gorgeous second track of their forthcoming IV EP, “Haunt // Bed” due out the 20th of May on Dirty Hit / Polydor in the UK. Hauntingly beautiful and slow dance ready, “Haunt // Bed” is five minutes and five seconds of pure heart-wrenching heaven. With a repetition of the phrase “I’m not scared” that gets stuck in your head and heart so quickly, the song feels like something you now know you needed in your life, without knowing anything was missing.

The 1975 have been selling out shows across the globe and rightfully so, I’ve seen them twice since March and I cannot get enough. They are touring the UK at the end of the month and coming back to the US in June to tour with another one of my favorite bands, The Neighbourhood. The boys will be stopping in Philly to play Union Transfer for the first time with The Neighbourhood on Tuesday, June 25th! I can’t wait! You can get your tickets for all tour dates below here, and make sure you do, because they are incredible live!

The 1975 on the road:

May

Tues 21st – Carlisle – The Brickyard
Weds 22nd – Newcastle – Northumbria Uni Reds
Thurs 23rd – Sheffield – Queens Social Club
Mon 27th – Glasgow – Oran Mor
Tues 28th – Birmingham – The Library at The Institute
Weds 29th – London – Heaven
Fri 31st – Portsmouth – Wedgewood Rooms
June

Tues 4th – Tulsa, OK – Vangard (with The Neighbourhood)
Wed 5th – Dallas, TX – Trees (with The Neighbourhood)
Fri 7th – Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s (with The Neighbourhood)
Tue 11th – Orlando. FL – The Social (with The Neighbourhood)
Wed 12th – St Petersburg, FL – The Local 662 (with The Neighbourhood)
Fri 14th – Fort Lauderdale, FL – Culture Room (with The Neighbourhood)
Sat 15th – Jacksonville, FL – Jack Rabbits (with The Neighbourhood)
Mon 17th – Atlanta, GA – Vinyl (with The Neighbourhood)
Tues 18th – Charlotte, NC – Amos Southend (with The Neighbourhood)
Wed 19th – Norfolk,VA – The Norva (with The Neighbourhood)
Thur 20th – Washington, DC – U Street Music Hall
Fri 21st – Providence, RI – Waterplace Park (with The Neighbourhood)
Sat 22nd – Rochester, NY – Main Street Armory (with The Neighbourhood)
Sun 23rd – South Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Showcase Lounge (with The Neighbourhood)
Tues 25th – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer (with The Neighbourhood)
Wed 26th – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall Of Williamsburg (with The Neighbourhood)
September

Sun 15th – Newcastle – University
Mon 16th – Birmingham – Institute
Tues 17th – Glasgow – ABC
Wed 18th – Nottingham – Rock City
Fri 20th – London – Shepherd’s Bush Empire (SOLD OUT)
Sat 21st – Manchester – Ritz (SOLD OUT)
Sun 22nd – Stoke – Sugarmill
Mon 23rd – Leeds – Leeds University Stylus.
Tues 24th – Oxford – Academy.
Wed 25th – Norwich – Waterfront.
Thurs 26th – Bristol – Academy
Sat 28th – Brighton – Concorde 2
Mon 30th – Dublin – Academy
Tues 1st – Belfast – Mandela Hall
January

Wed 8th – Manchester – Academy
Sat 11th – London – Brixton Academy

xx Cher

*Sigh* I think I’m in love again with Tame Impala! Though, to be fair, I never really stopped…

Tame Impala recently went into the studio of an Australian radio station and were asked to do a cover. Naturally, they chose one of their favorite songs, “Prototype” by OutKast (RIP/Please Come Back). Their banter before the song makes my heart even more sad we are not best friends yet and Nick and Kevin’s rendition of Andre 3000 is too good to be true.

Between the spot-on back and forth vocals, dreamy guitars, and baby-making bass line, Tame Impala’s version of “Prototype” makes you weak in the knees and makes you really want to go to the movies. I cannot wait to see this band live again, and to hear more new music from them, cover or not! Make sure you pick up a copy of their new record Lonerism from your local record store or here through their website!

xx Cher

Last Sunday the Queen of classical guitar, Kaki King, played World Cafe Live in Philadelphia. Sad on a plane leaving Texas, I sent my friend Rick to the show…and he loved it.

This Kaki King show was extra special because she is on tour celebrating the 10th Anniversary of her first album, Everybody Loves You, and performed the album in its entirety. Kaki King started the show alone, picking up her acoustic guitar she began playing the album, with stories about each song in between each breathtaking track. Switching guitars after each song, Kaki King fans were treated to the stories behind each track. Fans who have loved the album for ten years, as well as new fans, were treated to a unique and rewarding experience: being a part of a live storytellers from such a brilliant, award-winning artist. Kaki informed the crowd that her entire family was in attendance, along with her wife and her wife’s family. She said it was the first time their families were meeting!

Kaki King then incorporated tracks from her other albums, such as Legs To Make Us Longer and her new album GLOW. After playing for over an hour, Kaki took a mere 15 minute break before taking the stage once more with her band. She continued to play for another hour, with more selections from Glow, …Until We Felt Red, and her other albums, which included not only her intricate guitar work, but her delicate, mesmerizing vocals. The Philly fans stood in a state of quiet awe the entire show, loving every minute Kaki graced the stage.

Once the show ended, the crowd demanded an encore, which she so graciously obliged by playing an encore on slide guitar. Kaki King then greeted fans and signed her cds and vinyls before heading out to continue her world tour. This May, Kaki King will be playing Portugal, Turkey and Australia. You can find her tour dates here!

I was so stoked to have one of my friends experience such an incredible show, and I can’t wait to catch her next time she stops in Philly! Check out her music below and make sure you go to your local record store and pick up a copy of Glow!

xx Cher