Ratatat Hits the Road
Post-rock never used to cause this much boogie-ing...
Nerd-core-dance duo Ratatat will be taking their bouncing loop-boops on tour this spring to finally promote their still-quiet release last year, LP3. With new remixes leaking out from Animal Collective and YACHT, there's a new buzz surrounding the New Yorkers that should help fill the much larger than normal venues (and accomodate the absolutely grandiose sound of the new record).
If you head out to catch Ratatat (and you should), be sure to bring your dancing shoes, a proper amount of your libation of choice, and an emergency contact phone number in your pocket: the possibility of acid-rock-inspired projections and flailing hipster limbs could get out of hand.
03-21 Cincinnati, OH - Bogarts
03-22 Pontiac, MI - The Crofoot
03-23 Chicago, IL - Metro
03-24 Columbia, MO - Blue Note
03-25 Omaha, NE - Slowdown
03-27 Aspen, CO - Aspen Gondola Plaza
03-28 Boise, ID - Boise Knitting Factory
03-29 Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo
03-30 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
04-01 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
04-02 San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
04-04 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Palladium
04-08 Houston, TX - Meridian
04-16 Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
04-20 Boston, MA - House of Blues
04-21 New York, NY - Terminal 5
Posted by Mark Steffen on Feb 09, 2009 @ 2:00 pm
Get to Know: Shelby Pollard
Folk rock with a touch of alt-country.
It’s not often that I stumble upon something that’s completely undiscovered. I’m usually the guy that thinks he found something awesome, only to find out that the rest of the world has known about it for several months. This time, I can definitively state that I was first. Ok, maybe not first, but dang it I’m sure as hell in on the ground floor. Without further adieux, I present: Shelby Pollard...
Posted by Cory Roop on Feb 09, 2009 @ 12:00 am
Peter Bjorn & John Debut New Video
Mustaches? Motorcycles? Asian rockabilly dance squad? Check, check, and check.
All right, there's no more denying it: Peter Bjorn & John are the happiest band in the world. Even after their transformation from wicked whistlers to full-blown rock stars (complete with excessive cursing and the obligatory indie-stache), they've still got quite the sense of humor and their new music video for "Nothing to Worry About" proves it.
Complete with Asian bikers, record-breaking pompadours, and a West-Side Story-esque public dance scene, this booze-fueled romp through blatant unconcern, "Nothing to Worry About" is as much a low-fi joy to watch as anything else the swinging-Swedes have thrown out at us. Their new album, Living Thing, will drop on March 31st.
Posted by Mark Steffen on Feb 06, 2009 @ 1:00 pm
TV on the Radio To Appear on SNL, Colbert
TV on the TV?
There's got to be a term nicer than "pathological" to describe the ludicrous rate that TV on the Radio works at. Sure, when you've got nothing better to do than sit in your loft in Williamsburg and experiment with noises, anyone can put out a lot of work, but Tunde, Kyp, and the rest of the gang are taking things one step further. This Saturday, they'll be appearing on Saturday Night Live and playing the hyper-funk "Dancing Choose" and "Golden Age." After that, it's just a quick crosstown jaunt to where they'll be appearing on The Colbert Report on Monday. Not only will you get to see Tunde howl twice this weekend, but the band is slated to be interviewed by Mr. Colbert as well. Neo-democrat indie-rock poster children hanging out with the king of right wing media? Something smells Awesome about that.
Because that's not enough, the band will also be releasing a remix album (of Dear Science) on iTunes on February 17.
Posted by Mark Steffen on Feb 05, 2009 @ 2:20 pm
Life Changing Mixtapes part II
Some more albums that changed people's lives.
This week is the follow up companion of the memorable and important albums mixtape. Behold, the five albums that blew my mind and influenced my life immensely.
5) Liz Phair - "Fuck and Run" from the album Exile in Guyville - I'll be the first to admit, there are many downsides to this album. First off, Liz Phair isn't a wonderful singer. The album is too long. And most guys I've talked to don't get Liz and her moody long debut. Simply put, this is a female thing...
Posted by Lisa White on Feb 05, 2009 @ 12:00 am