Funeral Party is on a roll. The LA trio is picking up steam in the UK. Q Magazzine gave Golden Age of Knowhere 4 stars. Mojo Magazine says: “each track spills out with fist-in-the-air energy.” They are also getting rave reviews here in the US. the Los Angeles Times calls Funeral Party: “a ravenously physical, technically precise and impossibly fun live act”; and NME named Funeral Party one of the top 50 Best New Bands of 2010.
Their new BBC EP comes out Tuesday. Here is their single, Finale.
Indie rockers L’Altra are releasing their new album Telepathic on March 29th on Acuarela Discos. It is a fine blend of Blonde Redhead meets Pinback. Don’t take my word for it, download the single for free right here!
Renowned producer/DJ RJD2 and his label, RJ’s Electrical Connections, are jumpstarting the new year with the release of The Glow Remixes on January 3. The three-track digital EP is now available as a free download exclusively through Bandcamp and includes “The Glow” original music video.
The Glow Remixes features new remixes of “The Glow” track from his acclaimed 2010 release, The Colossus. One track comes from Paolo Palazzo, who was selected by fans as the winner of RJD2’s recent remix contest. The Chicago heavyweight DJ duo Flosstradamus also gives the original cut a dancefloor-friendly makeover while Candy Panther completes the EP with his laid back, mid-tempo club adaptation.
Two new pre-orders available today
RJ’s Electrical Connections is also pleased to announce the new record from The Insane Warrior, We Are The Doorways, coming February 1. Starting today, fans can pre-order the CD or digital version of the album exclusively on Bandcamp. Pre-sale includes an immediate free download of a track from the release, “The Water Wheel.” Another track from the album, “Then You Hear Footsteps” is available for free to all fans.
A strictly instrumental affair, We Are The Doorways was loosely inspired by horror and sci-fi film scores of the 70s and early 80s. At times jazzy, psychedelic and introspective with blissful ambient passages, the record still maintains the attention to groove that RJD2 is known for. Unrestrained, open passages – often without rhythmic elements – recall the work of both Eno and John Carpenter.
In addition, the RJD2 & The Insane Warrior limited edition deluxe package is available for pre-order starting today. Available only on Bandcamp, this special offer includes the We Are the Doorways CD, RJD2’s 2002-2010 vinyl box set (including Deadringer LP, The Horror EP, Since We Last Spoke LP, and the exclusive Tin Foil Hat EP), The Colossus LP, a signed silkscreen poster, and The Insane Warrior’s We Are The Doorways CD.
About RJD2 and RJ’s Electrical Connections
RJD2′s music is a no-format collage of cut-and-paste hip-hop, psychedelia, and kitchen sinkism combining disparate elements to make for soulful, moody portraits of the world. Born Ramble John Krohn, the innovative producer’s ten-year career reached a turning point in 2009 after he scored the award-winning theme to the hit AMC show, Mad Men. In early 2010, The Colossus became RJ’s Electrical Connections first release, hailed by SPIN as “his finest album since 2002’s instrumental hip-hop classic Deadringer, balancing punchy funk…with soul ballads.” Filter subsequently called Krohn “the real deal, in a world full of one-dimensional derivatives” while Relix deemed The Colossus a “kaleidoscopic album” with “fist-pumping hip-hop tracks and spastic dance numbers that deserve a place on your heavy rotation playlist.”
The Insane Warrior’s We Are The Doorways presents yet another unique landmark in the ever growing catalog of RJ’s Electrical Connections.
RJD2 Tour Dates:
Sat. 1/15/11 – Calgary, AB @ Canada Olympic Plaza w/ Subvert
Sun. 1/16/11 – Stateline, NV @ MontBleu Resort Showroom
Fri. 1/28/11 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
Sat. 1/29/11 – Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre w/ MTHDS, Willdabeast
Thu. 2/10/11- Richmond, VA @ The Canal Club
Fri. 2/11/11 – Athens, GA @ New Earth Music Hall
Sat. 2/12/11 – Tallahasse, FL @ The Engine Room
Fri. 3/4/11 – Bozeman, MT @ Rail Jam
On ‘Paradise,’ out now from Wildflower Records, Judy Collins pairs up with former lover Stephen Stills on the Tom Paxton song “Last Thing on My Mind.” The result is a fresh and sweetly melodic reminiscence of a couple’s breakup, beautifully weaving the duo’s complementary voices together with softly jangling guitars. The poignant sound of the two singing “I could’ve loved you better… didn’t mean to be unkind/ Don’t you know that was the last thing on my mind” makes for a wonderfully lilting and bittersweet tune.
Listen to Judy Collins and Stephen Stills sing “Last Thing on My Mind” from ‘Paradise’ here:
On February 15, 2011, Cowboy Junkies will release Demons, the second album in the four-volume Nomad Series on their own Latent Recordings. A collection of songs by the late Vic Chesnutt, Demons is described by Michael Timmins as “a labour of love” that explores Chesnutt’s deep and much overlooked catalogue and it follows the critically acclaimed first volume of the series, Renmin Park.
The band approached Chesnutt’s music with the same sense of adventure that Chesnutt approached his own recordings. Timmins says, “We let happy accidents happen and tried to invest his songs with the same spirit in which they were written, but at the same time adding our own Northern spin. Exploring his songs and delving deeper and deeper into them has been an intense, moving and joyous experience. I don’t think Vic would have wanted it any other way.”
Also available on February 15 from the band’s website will be a bonus digital only EP of seven Vic Chesnutt songs that Cowboy Junkies recorded during the Demons session that are not available on the CD. The track listing for both the CD and the digital EP are listed below. Demons will be followed by volumes 3 and 4 of the series: Sing in My Meadow and The Wilderness.
1. Wrong Piano
2. Flirted With You All My Life
3. See You Around
4. Betty Lonely
5. Square Room
6. Ladle
7. Supernatural
8. West of Rome
9. Strange Language
10. We Hovered With Short Wings
11. When the Bottom Fell Out
Demons Bonus EP Track Listing
1. Stay Inside
2. Forthright
3. Withering
4. Marathon
5. Old Hotel
6. Sad Peter Pan
7. Guilty By Association
Al Di Meola covers the Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields”. It’s It’s from his upcoming release ‘Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody’ out 3.15 on Concord Music Group. The album demonstrates this guitar legend’s ongoing fascination with complex rhythmic syncopation, combined with provocative lyrical melodies and sophisticated harmony -
Di Meola collaborated with World Sinfonia on ‘Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody” (accordionist Fausto Beccalossi, second guitarist Kevin Seddiki, bassist Victor Miranda, drummer Peter Kazsas and percussionist Gumbi Ortiz) as well as Pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, percussionist Mino Cinelu, Hungary’s Sturcz String Quartet and former Weather Report drummer Peter Erskine.
As a member of the groundbreaking jazz-fusion group Return to Forever starting in the 1970s, and in his solo work since, Di Meola earned a reputation for being technically brilliant with unbelievable chops. For the past several years, however, he has been spent as much time composing for chamber orchestras in Europe as creating blazing guitar solos. With World Sinfonia, Di Meola moves his audience with the range of emotions in his music, rather than simply blowing them away with his technique.
If you have Direct TV you might want to check out this performance featuring my friend and former bandmate John Tempesta on Drums.
The Cult are the special guests on tomorrow night’s Guitar Center Sessions. Show airs at 9pm EST and it’s going to be in 3D on Direct TV’s n3D. It’s also airing in 2D on Direct TV’s 101 Channel.
They will be performing a rare and intimate set that includes not only stripped down songs performed by the band, but interviews throughout hosted by Nic Harcourt (of KCRW).
Los Angeles native Holly Conlan has carved out a distinct niche in Hollywood’s expansive music community. Her musical journey from a child pawing her father’s grand piano, to classical composition student, to surefooted indie-pop artist has led to the sort of burgeoning career that few independent artists enjoy. Holly creates syncopated piano-driven songs with simple, but incredibly meaningful lyrics. With an affecting alto voice, Holly uses her training in classical composition to write unusual string voicings and surprising rhythms. Her unique sound has earned her gigs with performers such as Colbie Caillat, Katy Perry, Ingrid Michaelson and Butch Walker. She’s currently on a National tour opening up for Sara Bareilles. Here’s a sample from her new album ‘Fascinator’ which was released on October 3rd (Cloverbird) -
Austin indie rockers Oh No Oh My are set to release their second full-length album ‘People Problems’ on January 18th, 2011 (Koenig Records). Known for their “summery 60’s pop” (Anthem) and “infectiously upbeat” (Spin) sound, ‘People Problems’ is the long awaited follow-up to their 2006 self-titled debut. Their new track “Again Again” features an over the top distorted guitar line, a McCartney style bass, and a Velvet Underground/REM-inspired chorus.
This song is a lot of fun to play,” says multi-instrumentalist Tim Regan. “It took quite a while to piece together and figure out, but when the lead guitar part and bass parts clicked, the song took on a new energy.”
As a former child-actor and competitor in the Swedish version of American Idol it is no wonder that the artist called SHY is a brilliant performer. But it might come as a surprise to some that he is also a brilliant musician and song writer. After a number of well-recognized collaborations in his native Sweden he has now finished his first solo-album. Four of the songs from the album have recently been released on an EP and the first single is already on rotation on the most important radio station in Sweden, P3. I think you will understand why.
“Extrovert and brilliant soul funk ” stated the radioshow P3 Lab and made Shy “artist of the month” in October 2010. It is not the first time Sweden hears about Shy. He received much positive attention with his earlier musical collaborations, he has acted in some of the largest Swedish films as a child (maybe you remember the little kid in Ingmar Bergman´s “The Best Intensions”, directed by Bille August and winner of Best Picture Award at the Cannes film festival 1992?) Back in 2008 the jury of the Swedish version of American Idol was shocked to see SHY be voted out as number three from the final ten, they had him picked for top-two. But as a radio show stated earlier this month: it is when he gets to do his own thing he really shines.
In the single “Wu Girls” SHY cooperates with soul artist Hofstone. In the video you can see SHY and Hofstone trying to win the heart of a young lady by describing their styles, trademarks and various benefits. It is a video with a lot of humor but also with a great sense of style and attitude. A video of a kind that is rarely seen these days.
- I met Hofstone at My Space after I commented on some of his music, says SHY, aka Elias Ringquist. In this video we where inspired by the Batman-figures The Joker and the Penguin, a lot of colors and a cinematic style. I’m very happy with the outcome, and perhaps the greatest achievement was that we managed to get such a great video basically without money.
The single “Wu Girls” as well as the EP “4 CLUBS & HEARTS” are released on SHY´s own label Shymusic, and are available on ITunes etc
