KEXP Loves Kevin Devine May 18, 2009
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Kevin Devine’s “Another Bag of Bones” has been chosen as KEXP’s “Song of the Day” today, May 18. The track was selected by Midday Show host Cheryl Waters who said:
“Today’s Song of the Day is just one of those songs that blend the personal, observational, and global: phrases like “collateral damage,” “cost of war,” “conflict diamond,” and “mission of identity” point to some larger message (i.e. how poorly we’ve made our time on earth), and indicate “the whole damn world turned inside out,” but there’s nothing here to be done about it — rather just let the whole thing burn. In the song, there’s an inherent relief from the burden of responsibility that we seek at times, even when we know that we shouldn’t sit back and let bad things happen. It’s a message echoed in the album’s next song, “Hand of God”: “Cut yourself some slack against a deck so stacked / I mean come on now, you’re just one man.” Rather than preach a particular message, Kevin Devine’s music does what good music should: it makes you rethink the things you’ve come to expect.”
Just before Kevin Devine and The Goddamn Band took off for their extensive cross-country journey, the band stopped by John Richards’ NYC studio to record a session for the venerable KEXP. Check out the videoed performance of Today’s “Song of the Day” as well as “I Could Be With Anyone” from his brand new LP, Brother’ Blood, out now on Favorite Gentlemen.
“Another Bag of Bones” live on KEXP
“I Could Be With Anyone” live on KEXP
Lucha VaVOOM Nominated for American Latino Award! Help them win! May 13, 2009
Posted by theinktanker in Artist News.Tags: American Latino Awards, burlesque, Cassando, Crazy Chickens, Lucha VaVOOM, masked mexican wrestling, The Mayan
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Lucha VaVOOM has been nominated for an American Latino Award and need your help to win. They are up for Favorite Live Performance/Staged Production for the 3rd Annual American Latino TV Awards for “bringing the essence of the Latino culture to a wide variety of audiences and innovative contributions to the stage that think outside of the mainstream.”
The competition is fierce but with your help they can beat out In the Heights (Broadway production), Circus Vargas (Latino-themed circus) and Fuerza Bruta (experimental theater).
Voting ends THIS Friday, May 15 so time is of the essence. Please vote now by going HERE and show your love for the Crazy Chickens, Cassandro, Dirty Sanchez and all the luchadors and burlesque beauties.
Thanks to everyone for making the Cinco de Mayan show one of their best yet. Check out some great photos from the night over at Life.com.
If you didn’t hear already, you can listen to their NPR “Morning Edition” story on NPR.org
Lucha will be back at The Mayan Theatre in Los Angeles on June 24 and 25 and have a slew of other dates throughout California planned. Visit the sites below for lots more info:
DJ Z-Trip Takes Over the Turntables on “Morning Becomes Electic” Today May 7, 2009
Posted by theinktanker in Artist News.Tags: Audiotistic, Chromeo, Cool Kids, mash-up, Morning Becomes Eclectic, The Roots, turntablist, Z-Trip
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DJ extraordinaire Z-Trip will be taking over the turntables today on “Morning Becomes Eclectic” to spin some of his trademark genre-defying material. The turntablist is stopping by the station to give a sneak peak into his performance this weekend at Audiotistic at the Nos Center in San Bernardino where he will be joined by The Roots, Chromeo, The Cool Kids and so much more.
Listen live today on 89.9 FM if in the LA area or online at KCRW.com
Check out his congratulatory mix inspired by Obama’s win that’s already been downloaded half a million times: http://www.djztrip.com/obama/victorylap/
Pick up tickets for Audiotistc HERE.
Gliss’ Gear Ripped off In Jersey May 6, 2009
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It seems that musicians getting ripped off on the road is sadly becoming more and more a reality. The latest in the growing trend is LA noise makers Gliss. The band’s van was broken into while they slept in a Jersey motel inbetween gigs.
Among the items stolen was a 1979 Fender Precision bass that frontman Martin Klingman received from his grandfather as a child. While the band is disheartened about the theft, they are hopeful that they will be reunited with their gear. “It’s always a cryin’ shame when you walk up to your van or car and find out that some lost, sad person has broken in and taken the sweetness from your life,” exclaimed Klingman. “My grandfather gave me a 1970’s Fender P-Bass years ago when I was a wee lad. I don’t care about the money… the sentimental value of the bass that was stolen last night will never be replaced.”
If you have any information, the band asks that you contact them: glissgear@gmail.com
Gliss just finished up with labelmates Takeover UK and will be pairing up with electro pop ladies Von Iva to wreak even more sonic havoc, catch them in your town: www.myspace.com/gliss
Lucha VaVOOM On NPR! May 6, 2009
Posted by theinktanker in Artist News.Tags: burlesque, lucha libre, Lucha VaVOOM, Mayan Theatre, mexican wrestling, Morning Edition, NPR
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NPR’s “Morning Edition” unveiled the growing phenomenon that is Lucha VaVOOM, the morning of their insane Cinco de Mayo extravaganza in LA. Listen HERE.
The crazed circus of masked Mexican wrestling, burlesque and comedy will be turning legal with its 21st show June 24 and 25 at L.A.’s Mayan Theatre.
However, for those not in L.A. that want to see the mini chicken wrassle or a scantily clad lady emerge from a giant cupcake, the spectacular will be making its way across California this summer. Many more locations are in the works so check Lucha VaVOOM for updates.
Silversun Pickups Make You Swoon Even Harder March 30, 2009
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Silversun Pickups’ long-awaited follow-up to Carnavas, Swoon, is just mere weeks away but you can pre-order it now here!
Dangerbird Records is also releasing a gorgeous deluxe package that includes the album on 180 gram vinyl in addition to a bunch of other amazing exclusives. Swoon over all this deliciousness:
Color us excited.
“Smog-Belching” Darker My Love In NME February 24, 2009
Posted by theinktanker in Artist News.Tags: Dangerbird Records, Darker My Love, NME
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Cali’s very own Darker My Love (including a nude Tim Presley) is in the pages of the latest NME. Run to your nearest newsstand (yes, they still exist) and pick up your copy. The rag calls their music a “smog-belching rev of Creation-ism a la The Jesus And Mary Chain and Ride, although suffocated by a hotter, brooding Cali garage punk breeding.” Throw in some Beach Boys and that’s about right.
Make sure to catch DML on tour with These Arms Are Snakes through March. Check out the tour dates here.
Silversun Pickups to Make You “Swoon” April 14 February 10, 2009
Posted by theinktanker in Artist News.Tags: Coachella, Dangerbird Records, Dave Cooley, Epiphone, Gibson, Record Store Day, Siversun Pickups, Tony Hoffer
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The wait is almost over. The time to Swoon is near. Silversun Pickups’ long-anticipated sophomore LP, Swoon, will be unleashed April 14 on Dangerbird Records. True to form, the touring machines are chomping at the bit to get back on the road and will have the chance to flaunt their new material at Coachella, Friday, April 17, alongside Paul McCartney, Morrissey, Fran Ferdinand and “Hallelujah,” the legendary Leonard Cohen.
Sounding like a self-described “nervous breakdown,” SSPU recruited an orchestra to add chilling layers of strings to several of their fuzz-filled songs. The result is like a drizzle of mercury over distorted density. Once again the foursome has teamed up with the production team of producer Dave Cooley and mixer Tony Hoffer, the gurus behind their breakthrough debut Carnavas, so you know this is going to melt your speakers.
For all you gamers out there, you will get first listen to two of the new songs when Guitar Hero World Tour releases an exclusive SSPU Track Pack prior to the album’s release. Players will be able to take the SSPU challenge with three downloadable tracks: two new songs, “Panic Switch” and “Nice to Know You Work Alone,” and “Well Thought Out Twinkles” from Carnavas.
For all you gearheads, Gibson/Epiphone is teaming up with the band to create some limited edition guitars with SSPU artwork. These guitars will be scattered about indie record stores around the country as part of the annual Record Store Day on April 18. Fans can enter to win one of these unique collaborations via www.recordstoreday.com beginning April 1. And we ain’t foolin’.
Look Daggers Penetrates Wired August 25, 2008
Posted by theinktanker in Artist News.Tags: 2Mex, Ikey Owens, Look Daggers
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Looks like the folks at Wired.com dig live hip-hop as much as we do, as they have recently given Look Daggers some love. We promise to stop using words that start with “L” if you head on over to their “Listening Post” and check out the article. While you’re at it, take a gander at the video for “Call U Later.”
Hip-Hop Made By Humans. Look Daggers Are Throwing It At You. August 15, 2008
Posted by theinktanker in Artist News, Uncategorized.Tags: 2Mex, Breakestra, Ikey Owens, Long Beach Dub All-Stars, Look Daggers, Mars Volta, Mastodon, Reel Big Fish, Sublime, Suffer in Style, Up Above Records, Visionaries
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It’s 2008. Any MC/producer team can crank out a hip-hop album these days with the aid of modern gizmos such as MIDI keyboards and multi-track recording software. But there’s the problem. Anyone can do it, so despite an unlimited palette of tones to cull from, we are continually bombarded with cookie-cutter sounds. Is it even possible to make a forward-thinking hip-hop album anymore? Look Daggers think so.
When Mars Volta keyboardist Ikey Owens got together with 2Mex from Visionaries to form Look Daggers, they decided to dump Pro Tools and go with *gasp* real musicians, wrangling up their friends such as Marshall Goodman (Long Beach Dub All-Stars, Sublime), Pat Bailey (Breakestra), Ryland Steen (Reel Big Fish), Brent Hinds (Mastodon) and many others. The resulting debut LP, Suffer in Style, drops September 30 on Up Above Records (Visionaries, MC Supernatural, Jurassic 5), and its genre-bending ways have us scrambling for descriptive superlatives. How they manage to incorporate dark dub, jazz, psychedelia, and pop into a hip-hop album that sounds like a singular work remains a mystery to us, though we have heard rumors of black magic. Rumors, mind you.
