Category Archives: 2012

[on the road] Islands

Islands are heading out for a North American tour in support of their latest LP — A Sleep & A Forgetting (out 2/14/12 via ANTI-).  All the dates are below, but more details and ticket info can be found on the band’s facebook page.

Islands – This Is Not A Song (from A Sleep & A Forgetting)

 

Feb 14 Bootleg Theater Los Angeles, CA
Feb 15 Crescent Ballroom Phoenix, AZ
Feb 17 St David’s Episcopal Church Austin, TX
Feb 18 Sons of Herman Hall Dallas, TX
Feb 20 Bottletree Birmingham, AL
Feb 21 TBA Chapel Hill, NC
Feb 22 Black Cat Washington, DC
Feb 23 TBA Baltimore, MD
Feb 24 First Unitarian Chapel Philadelphia, PA
Feb 24 First Unitarian Chapel Philadelphia, PA
Feb 25 TBA New York, NY
Feb 26 The Space Hamden, CT
Feb 27 Cabaret du Mile End Montreal, Canada
Feb 28 Music Gallery Toronto, Canada
Feb 28 Music Gallery Toronto, Canada
Feb 29 Magnetic Recording Pontiac, MI
Mar 01 Lincoln Hall Chicago, IL
Mar 02 7th St Entry Minneapolis, MN
Mar 03 West End Cultural Centre Winnipeg, Canada
Mar 05 THE HAVEN SOCIAL CLUB Edmonton, Canada
Mar 06 THE IRONWOOD Calgary, Canada
Mar 08 Rio Theatre Vancouver, Canada
Mar 10 Vera Project Seattle, WA
Mar 11 Mississippi Studios Portland, OR
Mar 13 Hotel Utah San Francisco, CA
Mar 13 Hotel Utah San Francisco, CA
Mar 14 TBA San Diego, CA

 

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[on the rise] Painted Palms

Caught these guys opening for Starfucker at The Glass House this last Sunday night (really good show, btw) and was really impressed. [SF Weekly’s review of the two recent SF shows is spot on]

Painted Palms is cousins Reese Donohue and Christopher Prudhomme.  They’re originally from Louisiana, but now call San Francisco home, and last year they dropped one mighty fine EP, Canopy, via Secretly Canadian.  Besides their current gig supporting Starfucker, they’ve played shows with the likes of Braids, Pepper Rabbit , and were hand picked by of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes to open for them on their last North American tour.

I thoroughly enjoyed their live set.  I was lucky enough to catch the first ever performance of “Angel”, which will be recorded for their new album, and was one of the highlights of the entire show for both the wifey and I.  Check out the video below from the show.  The quality doesn’t do the song justice, but it’s better than nothing [big thanks to the uploader].

Here’s what Secretly Canadian has to say about ’em:
“The two grew up together on the same block in Lafayette, Louisiana. After Donohue moved to the Bay Area in California for school, they spent several years exchanging music they had made by themselves — hypnotic sound experiments and song fragments. However, it wasn’t until they both returned home for the winter break in 2009, that they began playing music together.

Canopy is the debut EP from duo Painted Palms. With its echoes of Brill Building pop, buoyant electronics, and encompassing textural experimentation, the EP exudes something ebullient as well as meditative. Canopyis a modern psych-pop collage with an affinity for fluidity and the exotic.” [more]

I’m crossing my fingers for more from Painted Palms in the near future, but in the meantime, head on over to their bandcamp page and get your fill.

♪ Painted Palms – All Of Us (from Canopy EP)

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[on the road] The Joy Formidable

This March, Welsh rockers The Joy Formidable are hitting the road to celebrate the release of “A Heavy Abacus”.  The band will be joined by A Place to Bury Strangers and Exitmusic. Tickets of on pre-sale tomorrow.  Dates are below, but more information can be found here.

Mar 13 – San Francisico, CA @ The Independent *
Mar 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Music Box *
Mar 17 – Denver, CO @ The Bluebird Theatre *
Mar 19 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café *^
Mar 20 – Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre *^
Mar 22 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bluebird *^
Mar 23 – Cincinnati, OH @ 20th Century Theatre *^
Mar 24 – Atlanta, GA @ Masqureade *^
Mar 25 – Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel *^
Mar 26 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club *^
Mar 28 – New York City, NY @ Terminal 5 *
Mar 29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer *^
Mar 31 – Montreal, QC @ Cabaret Mile-End *^

* with A Place To Bury Strangers ^ with Exitmusic

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[hot off the press] San Cisco//Awkward EP

You hear the distinct vibration of your mobile phone. A text message from a new crush. Do you text back? Do you wait? Is it stalking or does it just show that you’re interested? Everyone has been there, taking those first steps in a new relationship. It’s, well, awkward.

For San Cisco, there has been very little waiting around. The four-piece have followed their own path since emerging from Fremantle, Western Australia a few years ago. From humble beginnings of weekend jams to being nominated for a 2011 Unearthed J Award, the band have a natural chemistry, growing organically into their own mold to create their sophomore EP, Awkward.

Lead single “Awkward” is an unmistakable pop gem featuring the vocal talents of both Jordi Davieson and drummer, Scarlett Stevens. Penned in the studio one afternoon, the song has since risen to become a triple j favorite in Australia, embedding itself in the head and hearts of listeners as they respond to the band by voting it in for a week as the number one most requested song.

Following on from their success of their debut EP, Golden Revolver, San Cisco returned to the recording studio with Steven Schram (Little Red, Little Birdy and Cat Empire) in Melbourne to delve further into the songs they had perfected on stage and in the backyard shed. The finished product is their sophomore EP, Awkward, featuring five tracks of indie pop goodness, showcasing Jordi’s turn of phrase and Josh Biondillo’s varied influences in his music writing. In its entirety it is an eclectic mix of indie pop with dashes of rock and slashes of synth. Each member of the band brings a different influence to the table from their diverse and eclectic palate of indie, rap, hip-hop and jazz.

The Awkward EP is slated for a digital release in the U.S. on February 7th through their own record label Island City Records independently through MGM. [source]

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Remix for Theophilus London