Blackstarfoundation has signed The Book of Daniel and will be releasing a full-length album this fall.
New international tourdates for Ane Brun:
04/20 - The Electroacoustic Club @ The Slaughtered Lamb, London (UK)
05/09 - The Livingroom, NY
05/11 - Paradise Lounge, Boston (MA)
05/13 - Hotel Café, LA
05/14 - Mission Creek Music and Arts Festival, San Francisco, CA
05/16 - The Livingroom, NY
05/17 - Jammin´Java, Vienna, VA
05/18 - World Caf live- Upstairs, Philadelpia, PA
05/20 - Phoenix Hill Tavern, Louisville, KY w/Matt Costa
05/21 - Shank Hall, Milwaukee, WI w/Matt Costa
05/22 - Varsity Theatre, Minneapolis, MN w/Matt Costa
05/24 - Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO
05/25 - Avalon Theatre, Salt Lake City, UT w/Matt Costa
05/27 - The White Heart, Portland, OR
05/30 - The Livingroom, NY
06/03 - Whelans, Dublin w/Ron Sexsmith
06/07 - Bloomsbury Theatre, London (UK) w/Ron Sexsmith
06/08 - Passionskirche, Berlin (GER) w/Ron Sexsmith
06/21 - Centre Culturel Suedois, Paris (FRA)
07/03 - La Maroquinerie, Paris (FRA) w/Teitur
The latest Backyard Babies album "People like people like people like us" will be released in the US on May 6 via Abacus Recordings.
New York Magazine on The Ark: http://www.newyorkmag.com/arts/popmusic/features/16636/index.html
Upcoming tourdates for Circle:
04/26 - Kuudes Linja, Helsinki (FIN)
05/03 - Lavery's Bunker, Belfast (IRL)
05/04 - Roisin Dubh, Galway (IRL)
05/05 - Boom Boom Room, Dublin (IRL)
05/06 - Baker Place nightclub-"Life during wartime" festival, Limerick (IRL)
05/07 - tbc, Dublin (IRL)
07/19 - Thelka, Bristol (UK)
07/20 - The Hanbury Ballroom, Brighton (UK)
07/21 - Kosmische 10th Birthday Party, London (UK) w/Salvatore
07/22 - Supersonic Festival @ Custard Factory, Birmingham (UK)
Tina Dico says she will be back in the US in November to do a headlining tour and maybe also in September for some support dates.
MP3: Skywriter - Dead end street
Did I mention that I'll be posting new music five days a week from here on out? I know that's been the case for the last few weeks, but I'm making it official. It's hard to believe there's so much quality stuff coming out that my posting schedule is booked weeks in advance. I try to be fickle, but there's no arguing with quality.
Today's track comes to us from Skywriter, a dark and brooding rock act from Denmark. Reverbed-soaked guitars and lots of hanging chords, a frontman with a deep-voiced croon, nice sparse arrangements - imagine Madrugada, but more solemn, more sullen. "Dead end street", the song I've posted today, is the centerpiece of the band's debut album "Where both worlds never meet". It smolders with a quiet intensity that builds slowly as it weaves its melodramatic tale of a man's doomed love with a prostitute: "All she ever gave him was a name / every other part of her he paid for / and all he ever wanted was his dream / her worn-out pride, her child inside / who can say love doesn't cost a thing?" Sublime.
Skywriter - Dead end street
I absolutely love The Tiny's first album "Closer". Vocalist Ellekari's childlike voice and the group's intimate chamber-pop arrangements aren't just befitting to their name, they are beautiful and touching. Seeing them perform at Umeå Open was even better as their copious charms spilled freely from the stage into the audience. It's no wonder then that I was tremendously excited to hear their follow-up record "Starring; someone like you", but I'm sorry to say that my excitement faded quickly once I actually heard it. It's not that the record is bad (it's not), but this new recording has destroyed so much of what made The Tiny special. Layers of unnecessary instrumentation. Extraneous sound effects. Over-baked. What happened to The Tiny that I used to love? I used to feel a close kinship with you, but now you're pushing me away. The band I once knew is still there - I know because I can still hear it on songs like the one I've posted today, but our relationship has changed. Maybe we just need some time apart, but I tell you what: I'll be here waiting for you when you decide to come back.
Don't forget to check the article section on the right for some fresh content posted late Friday! We've got a brand new podcast mix and a new profile series and I even hope to have some new reviews posted later today as well.
Coalition Records has confirmed that they will release the vinyl edition of The Smackdown's newest full-length "Someone has to kill the headwriter" this summer along with a vinyl rerelease of their last album "Calling the spots".
Some news from Ny Våg: The European version of Regulations excellent "Electric guitar" record is just about done and will be released both as a 7-song 12" and on CD with the bonus 7" tracks (as included on the US version on Havoc). The vinyl version comes with a poster and will also feature an updated layout. Look for the band to tour Europe in May. Ny Våg also reports that Lost Patrol Band (the all-star power-pop act that began life as Dennis Lyxen's sensitive singer/songwriter project) is done with their second album and will be building up to its release with a 7" single called "Automatic kids" coming out sometime before summer. Organist Jonas Lidström has also reportedly left the band, but they will continue on as a four-piece. And lastly, the CD version of the The Vicious 12" has been delayed, but will be out soon and will include the band's first 7" as bonus-tracks. In other Vicious news, a new four-song 7" will be out on US label Feral Ward soon and a new full-length is in the works for the end of the year.
Umeå-based electronic act Ninja Massacre has posted his new single for free download: http://www.ninjamassacre.2ya.com/
Norwegian noise/cut-up act Next Life has posted a ton of new stuff for download: http://www.electricdungeon.org/03_Media.html
Recommended for fans of stuff like Single Unit.
Lasse Marhaug of Jazkamer lists his top 20 noise albums for Flux Us: http://www.flux-us.com.sg/blog/2006/04/lasse_marhaug_of_jazkamer_let.html
Head over to the official Jazkamer/Jazzkammer site for video and photos from the recent Asian tour: http://www.jazzkammer.com/
Zero has posted the winners of this year's SAMA awards: http://www.zeromagazine.nu/nyhet.asp?id=1220