On this rainy, dreary, cold day in Philadelphia I am transported by the sounds of DIANA new single “Born Again”. Like a dreamy island vacation with 80s-reminiscent bass, guitars, background vocals, and sax, along with soft smooth vocals, the track gives off a coat of sunshine, sand and ocean to all who listen.
DIANA, a band from Canada consisting of Carmen, Joseph, Paul and Kieran, are getting ready to release their full-length debut album around the world on August 20th through Jagjaguwar Records and Paper Bag Records in Canada. You can order this single, “Born Again” now with a Doldrums Remix b-side here!
Temples, what a brilliant band, with front man who, dare I say, has an arguably better curly mop of hair than my own. Don’t worry I am not making any official statements until this is compared in real life.
I’ve spoken of my love for Temples before. The band from Midlands, England, seem to turn out one neo-psych dreamscape of sound after the next and 60s reminiscent “Colours To Life” follows trippy, magical suit. The single is due out 24th June and they are currently on tour in the UK, tickets are selling out fast so make sure you get yours here.
In July, Temples will be supporting Beady Eye at Mallorca Rocks and Ibiza Rocks in Spain! I will definitely keep you posted on any new music from Temples and you can follow them on Facebook here. Check out Temples new music video for “Colours to Life” below!
Seriously, what is in the water in Australia?? It must be something purely magical, because I’ve been hearing so many incredible bands coming out of the Australia music scene and Palms is one of my favorites. I am literally addicted to this song. Since the audio went up on the web, I am pretty sure I am solely responsible for its 4,632 views on YouTube. In April, the duo from Sydney toured with one of my other favorite duos from Australia DZ Deathrays. I would have looooooved to see them together. No news of any US tour right now, but know I will be the first to tell you once I get any word. Check out Palms track “Love” below and some of their other brilliant releases below, including their new song, “This Last Year”!
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!
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!
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.
*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!
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!
What a great morning, to wake up and see this in my email. The 1975 released a gorgeous new video for their single “The City”, and as I expected I’m obsessed with it. Shot in black and white, the video features some breathtaking imagery of not only the band playing, but tiny stories played out by actors, some with moving projections of city life covering their skin. Their single “The City” is one of the incredible tracks from their self-titled upcoming album The 1975 due out (hopefully) this September. I seriously cannot wait for this record to come out. I need to make sure there is a vinyl with my name on it on my record player no later than October 1st…it will most likely be on constant rotation in my house from that point on (sorry I’m not sorry in advance housemates!). But until then, their next EP IV will be out May 20th! The 1975 will be back in the US to tour with The Neighbourhood! Both bands will be playing Johnny Brenda’s in Philadelphia on June 25th, tickets go on sale tomorrow at noon here!
The 1975 on tour with The Neighbourhood:
June 4th – Tulsa, OK @ Vanguard
June 5th – Dallas, TX @ Trees
June 7th – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s
June 8th – Austin, TX @ Antones
June 11th – Orlando, FL @ The Social
June 12th – St. Petersburg, FL @ The Local 662
June 14th – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
June 15th – Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits
June 17th – Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
June 18th – Charlotte, NC @ Amos Southend
June 19th – Norfolk, VA @ The Norva
June 22nd – Rochester, NY @ Main Street Armory
June 23rd – South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Showcase
June 25th – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
June 26th – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
Headlining shows:
July 24th – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
July 25th – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
I am not going to lie, I have not been this excited for a movie for a long time. The Great Gatsby is due to be out in theaters May 10th, but I feel like I’ve been waiting a lifetime. The incredible novel is brought to life by Baz Luhrmann, the brilliance behind Romeo+Juliet, the 1996 film that gave me one of my first crushes (still going) the gorgeous Leonardo DiCaprio, and my favorite movie soundtrack of all time. I already know The Great Gatsby will live up to my expectations due to the fact that 1.) Leonardo DiCaprio plays Gatsby and 2.) the teasers for the soundtrack are already out of this world. Featuring new music from Florence and The Machine, Jack White and The XX, the new film is bound to be magical. Listen to the tracks below and check out the trailer!
