I'm in La La Land

After his show on Thursday night, Parker Gispert from the Whigs slipped me an advanced copy of the debut from recent tour mates, Wax Fang, and I am fucking glad that he did. La La Land, set to drop on November 17th on Don't Panic Records, is a thrilling musical amalgam that Gispert truthfully declares, "will rock your d**k off." Frontman Scott Carney and his Louisville, KY-based gang of merry rockers have molded a rollercoaster record that blends everything from psych-pop to Irish folk to post-rock to 80s hair fare. Beautifully orchestrated and hyperdynamic, La La Land's highlighted by some seriously kickass axe-wielding and drum-whooping, as well as Carney's off-kilter lyrical prowess. If I were you, I would be counting down the days until November 17th.

Check out some tunes from Wax Fang at their myspace.

Also check out this video of "Hearts are Made for Beating," live from Headliners in Louisville.

The Whigs: New Album

Athens, Georgia favorites The Whigs have announced January 22, 2008 as the release date for their ATO debut, apparently titled Mission Control. The album was produced by Rob Schnapf (Elliot Smith, Beck) in Sunset Sound Recorders in L.A. Both Pet Sounds and Exile on Main Street were recorded there. After hearing a number of these songs live, I am very excited for this thing to drop. Check out a stream of "Like A Vibration" below.

"Like A Vibration" [Stream]

As expected folks, this one seems like it's going to be a rock record.

Whig out this fall.

10-19-07: Lexington, KY. - The Dame w/ Jason Isbell
10-20-07: Atlanta, GA. - The Variety Playhouse w/ Jason Isbell Buy Atlanta Tix
10-23-07: Knoxville, TN. - World Grotto w/ The Broken West Buy Knoxville Tix
10-24-07: Asheville, NC. - Grey Eagle Tavern w/ The Broken West Buy Asheville Tix
10-25-07: Chapel Hill, NC. - Local 506 w/ The Broken West Buy Chapel Hill Tix
10-26-07: Philadelphia, PA. - Khyber w/ the Broken West Buy Philly Tix
10-27-07: Washington DC. - Rock and Roll Hotel w/ The Broken West Buy D.C. Tix
10-30-07: Nashville, TN. - The Exit / In Buy Tix Buy Nashville Tix
10-31-07: Cincinnati, OH. - 20th Century Theatre w/ The Broken West Buy Cincinnati Halloween Tix
11-01-07: Indianapolis, IN.- Birdy’s w/ The Broken West Buy Indianapolis Tix or Call (317) 254-8971
11-02-07: Chicago, Ill. - Schubas w/ The Broken West Buy Chicago Tix
11-03-07: Minneapolis, MN. - 7th Street Entry w/ The Broken West Buy Minneapolis Tix
11-04-07: Spearfish, SD – The Back Porch w/ Wild Sweet Orange
11-06-07: Boise, ID – The Bouquet w/ Wild Sweet Orange
11-07-07: Portland, OR – Roseland Grill w/ Wild Sweet Orange
11-08-07: Eugene, OR – John Henry’s w/ Wild Sweet Orange Buy Eugene Tix
11-09-07: Seattle, WA – University of Washington (KEXP Presents.....) w/ Wild Sweet Orange
11-12-07: San Francisco, CA – Café Du Nord w/ Wild Sweet Orange Buy San Francisco Tix
11-13-07: Los Angeles, CA – Spaceland (Aquarium Drunkard Presents.....) w/ Wild Sweet Orange
11-15-07: Austin, TX – Stubb’s w/ Wild Sweet Orange Buy Austin Tix
11-16-07: Dallas, TX – Club Dada w/ Wild Sweet Orange
11-17-07: Shreveport, LA – Sharpie’s w/ Wild Sweet Orange
11-29-07: Detroit, MI – The Crofoot w/ The Redwalls and Johnathan Rice
11-30-07: Toronto, ON – El Mocambo w/ The Redwalls and Johnathan Rice
12-01-07: Buffalo, NY – The Mohawk w/ The Redwalls and Johnathan Rice Buy Buffalo Tix
12-03-07: Boston, MA – TT The Bears w/ The Redwalls and Johnathan Rice Buy Boston Tix
12-04-07: New York, NY – Knitting Factory w/ The Redwalls and Johnathan Rice Buy NYC Tix
12-06-07: Cleveland, OH – Beachland Tavern w/ The Redwalls and Johnathan Rice Buy Cleveland Tix

Dead Confederate on KEXP

Fall break is here and I gotta run but before I do check this shit out. Dead Confederate played KEXP's CMJ Broadcast yesterday and fucking rocked "The Rat" and three new songs ("Heavy Petting," "Is It A Rose," and "Tortured Artist Saint"). These fellers destroyed my house party in Chapel Hill on Saturday night. Crowd surfing, mosh pit, the works. Click below to find out why and if you are in NYC this weekend make sure you check them out.

Dead Confederate live on KEXP

Dang.

What Would You Do If I Sang Out of Tune?

So tonight is Two Gallants and Blitzen Trapper at the Local 506. I am pretty stoked.

Almost as stoked as this guy.



Jayess!!!

Last Night Was A Surprise

So last night I wanted to catch folkster Ferraby Lionheart opening for the Brunettes at the Local 506. Well, I only got to see the last two songs because the damned team we were playing in the intramural flag football tournament wouldn't give up and we ended up having to put them down in overtime. It was still very good stuff--two songs I'd never heard before. I talked to Ferraby after the show and it sounds like he has really enjoyed the tour. If you haven't gotten his full length debut, Catch the Brass Ring, you need to, because it's great. (I gave it four stars in the upcoming edition of American Songwriter.)



I'm sure you've guessed by now that the surprise was the Brunettes. I knew it was going to be an interesting show when male lead Jonathan Bree set up his guitar and mic in the stripper cage (?) that the 506 has across the floor from the stage. This made for incredibly amusing New Zealand banter between the band and Bree and also magnified the chemistry between Bree and his lovely female counterpart (and band co-founder)Heather Mansfield. I laughed for most of the show, as they also had a "name game" band introduction and a dance contest, things that apparently they've been doing for awhile but were still quite funny. But that's not to say the music was a joke. Drawing from their new Sub Pop debut Structure and Cosmetics as well as 2002's Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks, the set was a great blend of sunny guitar and piano pop sprinkled with sparkling hand percussion, charming harmonies, and bubbly brass. Highlights included the choreographed "Brunettes Against Bubblegum Youth," almost Arcade Fire coda-ed "Her Hairagami Set," and set-ender "Small Town Crew." Bree says the latter will be the albums's first radio single, as well as a new music video, scheduled to be shot in a few weeks.

The Brunette's Myspace, where you can stream a number of new tracks from the S and C.

Also, here's a breezy video of Ferraby Lionheart's "A Crack in Time," from The Ferraby Lionheart EP.


How nice.

Wow, I'm back. / Portugal, The Man

Ok, I've been gone for awhile. But now I'm back and I don't think I'm going anywhere.

First on the platter is Portugal, The Man, a band I was supposed to go see the other night with a buddy of mine. I'm not sure how he met them, but their myspace says they are from Wasilla, Alaska. I must say after listening to some of the tracks from Church Mouth it sounds like that extra daylight up there has done them well. They remind me a lot of another northwestern outfit, Blitzen Trapper, in that their music transcends genre. It's an Alaskan snowball packed with grungy soul, rock, and roots that either wallops you in the face or envelops you in a druggy haze. And there's certainly enough talent here to get past the fact that the lead vocalist sounds like he took lessons from Jack White. Check it out some tracks on their myspace. I recommend "Telling Tellers Tell Me," and "Shade."

Portugal, The Man's Myspace

Also, here's a video of them with the Fall of Troy and Tera Melos jamming on "Tommy" from 2006's Waiter: You Vultures.



Kicking myself I didn't see them live.