Here we bring you this week’s music video roundup: La Blogotheque features a great take-away performance from Arts & Crafts Records artist Chikita Violenta, Sister Crayon presents us with a dark, spooky film noir video for their song “I’m Still The Same Person,” and the art of puppetry is reinvented in Daddy Lion’s video “Morning.”
Chikita Violenta on La Blogotheque
Artist: Sally Seltmann
Title: Heart That’s Pounding
Label: Arts & Crafts
Genre: Indie : Pop
UPC: 827590530027
Territory: United States and Canada
Release Date: 04.06.10
Australian-based Sally Seltmann is an award-winning songwriter and singer who formerly recorded and performed under the name New Buffalo. Her third full-length album, Heart That’s Pounding, is available on April 6 in North America. Seltmann is best known for co-writing the hit song “1234” (performed by Feist), but known also by her acclaimed full-lengths under the name, New Buffalo.
2005’s The Last Beautiful Day featured performances from Beth Orton and the Dirty Three’s Jim White, who played drums on three of the tracks. Seltmann’s stunning second album, Somewhere, anywhere (2007) features guest vocals from her husband Darren Seltmann (The Avalanches) and Kellie Sutherland (Architecture in Helsinki). Sally Seltmann has toured Europe, North America and Australia with such artists as Cat Power, Feist, Bright Eyes, Stars, The Concretes and Broken Social Scene and made fans of such of artists as Jens Lekman, with whom she performed a duet. More recently, Bon Iver covered the New Buffalo song “Emotional Champ” from Somewhere, anywhere.
Following in the success of Heart That’s Pounding, Sally is about to embark on a major North American tour; here’s the dates:
10 Jun 2010 20:00 Jammin’ Java: Vienna, VA
11 Jun 2010 19:00 World Cafe Live: Philadelphia, PA
12 Jun 2010 20:00 The Saint: Asbury Park, NJ
14 Jun 2010 19:00 Joe’s Pub: New York, NY
15 Jun 2010 20:00 Union Hall: Brooklyn, NY
17 Jun 2010 20:00 Le Cagibi: Montreal, Quebec, CANADA
18 Jun 2010 21:00 SUPERMARKET: Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
21 Jun 2010 20:00 Schubas Tavern: Chicago, Illinois
24 Jun 2010 20:00 High Dive: Seattle, WA
26 Jun 2010 21:00 The Woods: Portland, OR
28 Jun 2010 21:00 Rickshaw Stop: San Francisco, California
30 Jun 2010 20:00 Troubadour: West Hollywood, CA
And here’s a brand new video for her single “Dream About Changing:”
It’s been just over a week since SXSW 2010 kicked off and we’re all still trying to digest the dozens of bands we were lucky enough to check out in Texas. We asked for submissions from IODAns that made it down to see the madness and here is our list of stand-outs in no particular order (with as many free PromoTracks we could scramble up!):
Kings Go Forth
“One Day” (mp3)
from “The Outsiders Are Back”
(Luaka Bop)
What we say: Awesome, dirt encrusted, fun loving, soul from Milwaukee Like a beautiful, dusty 1970s 7” found in a Midwest yard sale. Makes Sharon Jones seem like a Vegas revue. – Erik Gilbert
What the critics say: “With a string of prized 45s and an upcoming debut on Luaka Bop, Milwaukee’s Kings Go Forth set their songs in that fleeting moment when soul transmogrified into disco, emphasizing tight percussion, lyrics that address heartache with dignity and composure, and stirring harmonies that draw from the Blue Notes, the Pips, the Impressions, and a thousand regional acts lost to time.” – Pitchfork
Full length , “The Outsiders are Back” out April 13,2010.
Zeus
“Marching Through Your Head” (mp3)
from “Say Us”
(Arts & Crafts)
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album
What we say: Saw them at the IODA party and spent the rest of SXSW planning my schedule around when I could see them next, whether it was just Zeus or Zeus as Jason Collett’s backing band. A great rock act in the vein of Spoon or Wilco, Zeus has three vocalists who alternate lead singer, guitarist, bassist and pianist roles- they kept us guessing and delightfully entertained. Their album “Say Us” on Arts & Crafts is solid, but to properly enjoy Zeus you need to see them live.
Texas Tornados
“Who’s to Blame Senorita” (mp3)
from “Esta Bueno”
(Bismeaux Records)
Buy at Napster
More On This Album
What we say: Another adventure away from 6th street that I really enjoyed was getting to check out the Texas Tornadoes, an all-start tex-mex supergroup. Highlights include “She’s About A Mover,” (originally by Texas Tornadoes singer’s father Doug Sahm) which when I was younger remembered as being “She’s a Body Mover.” Members include the legendary keyboard player Augie Meyers of the Sir Douglas Quintet the & Freddy Fender.
Geographer
“Kites” (mp3)
from “Animal Shapes – EP”
(Tricycle Records)
Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album
What we say: What was a San Francisco native doing at the Bay Area Takeover in Austin? Can’t I see these bands anytime back home? Yes; but I’d just become enraptured with this synth pop trio. They make soaring pop melodies that sound so fresh and far from overwrought. Lead singer Mike Deni’s vocals are impeccable live. This is the kind of band you just really want to make it. – Jillian
What the critics say: “Tailor-made for your own personal late-night dance party.” -Spin Magazine
Sleepy Sun
“Sandstorm Woman” (mp3)
from “IODA SXSW Opening Day Bash Sampler 2010″
(ioda)
Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album
What we say: The IODA SXSW party was my first time seeing Sleepy Sun live, and boy did they bring the goods. They had me at hello, but what absolutely sold me was their totally slamming closing cover of “No Sugar Tonight” by the immortal Guess Who. Such an awesome, unexpected way to ring out a great day of great music. The entire crowd was smiling and totally appreciative — especially this guy. Thanks guys! – Matt (Seconded by Adam)
What the critics say: “While much of Embrace draws on the alchemic power of the jam, most notably the billowing white-noise eruption of ‘White Dove,’ it’s a keen grasp of songwriting nuance that differentiates them from the legions of neo-psych charlatans.” – Under The Radar
Artist: Los Campesinos!
Title: Romance is Boring
Label: Arts & Crafts
Genre: Indie : Alternative
UPC: 827590500020
Territory: USA and Canada
Release Date: 01.26.10
The high energy adolescent explosion that is Los Campesinos! returns with their second full length album, Romance is Boring. Hot off the critically acclaimed and publicly adored 2008 mini-album, We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed, the seven-piece group hailing from Wales has pieced together a more filled out and firmed LP that leaves none of their unique and admired qualities behind, but rather develops them into a sound that’s bigger, deeper, more complex, and more direct than anything the group has recorded before. Romance Is Boring is filled out with added brass, strings, drum machines, and electronics, and packed with guest spots from proven musicians such as Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu, Zac Pennington of Parenthetical Girls, and Jherek Bischoff of the Dead Science. While they may not quite sound like the giddy sugar rush that was powered by adrenaline, youth, paranoia, and angst in their earlier work, Los Campesinos! looses none of their trademark energy, but rather employs it in new, exciting ways.
First off, their sound has clearly been refined and nurtured, leading it to expand and bloom with the help of veteran producer and Broken Social Scene collaborator John Goodmanson (Sleater-Kinney, Bikini Kill, Wu-Tang Clan). The recording itself is layered, complicated, and masterfully puzzled together to create a wild yet harmoniously arranged flare of color, energy and emotion. The group fits in well with the Arts & Crafts records line up, as they, like all A&C artists, manage to musically capture some of life’s most unique and fleeting emotions and moments that everyone experiences, but also has a hard time describing in words. While you may not be able to quite put a finger on exactly what you feel in these situations, it is music like this that can at least capture the feeling, take you back to those moments and trigger a sort of emotional Déjà vu. Los Campesinos! particular brand of nostalgia is enhanced by their newly added instrumentation which gives a previously absent depth to their sound. The builds are more tremendous, the calm bits are even more private and euphoric, and the energy is now driven more by musicianship than the pure, wild adrenaline of a new hot band on the rise. This, in turn, seems to mark a promise that the groups evolution will continue and they will remain an indie-pop staple for years to come.
Like label-mates Stars, the Campesinos have a dual-headed vocal attack featuring male and female parts. Where they differ from stars is the manner it’s employed: Stars uses their call and response strategy to enact adult conversations about affairs, romance, and enticing city nightlife. Campesinos, however, stage young, philosophic arguments about everything and anything that reads as a series of cut up diary entries from a young man and woman in the throes of early adulthood. In a show of their growing maturity, the group includes slower, personal encounters with songs such as “The Sea is A Good Place to Think of the Future” to show a range against their signature explosions like “There are Listed Buildings.” If you were a fan of the last EP, Romance is Boring will deliver everything you love about Los Campesinos! and show you a side of the group never before explored. A great step forward for a talented unit.
Fresh out of the editing room, here’s their brand new video for the title track “Romance Is Boring” via PitchforkTV:
Here’s a track to go off Romance Is Boring to take with you:
Los Campesinos!
“There Are Listed Buildings” (mp3)
from “Romance Is Boring”
(Arts & Crafts)
The Most Serene Republic
“Heavens To Purgatory” (mp3)
from “…And The Ever Expanding Universe”
(Arts & Crafts)
Buy at Rhapsody
More On This Album
Genre: Alternative
Release Date: 7/14/09
UPC:827590440029
Territory: Worldwide
The Most Serene Republic is a Canadian indie rock band formed in Milton, Ontario, by band members Adrian Jewett, Ryan Lenssen, and Nick Greaves, who had all left school to pursue more artistic ventures. The band takes its name from the sobriquet of formerly independent Venice under the Doges, which was regarded as “The Most Serene Republic of Venice.” The six-piece released its debut album, Underwater Cinematographer, in 2005 on the Juno Award-stockpiling Arts & Crafts label. As the first band on A&C that isn’t related in one way or another to Broken Social Scene (though Ryan and Adrian perform sometimes in their live shows), this group of newcomers draw a curious eye in the labels roster and have subsequently set out to create a discography of unique and engrossing material. They later released a tour EP in spring/summer of 2006, titled Phages, capturing more of the sweep of their highly recommended live performances alongside BSS, Metric, Stars, and The Strokes. Their sophomore album Population was released by Arts & Crafts in 2007 to positive reviews for their complex, precise, and highly layered sound.
With their previous two acclaimed albums and an EP already under their belts, these just now 24-year old musicians have prepped their third full-length, …And The Ever Expanding Universe. Produced by Dave Newfeld (Broken Social Scene, Super Furry Animals), their new record depicts Republic confidently striding forward with a more mature, diverse and exhilarating sound fueled by classical piano, an obsession with musical history, attention to detail, and Joycian stream-of-conscious lyrics.
Here’s what Much Music’s online blog, The New Music has to say about TMSR’s new album, a great description if we may say so:
“Recorded with Broken Social Scene’s in-house producer Dave Newfeld, the band’s third full-length, …And the Ever Expanding Universe, begins with a grand proclamation in “Bubble Reputation,” an urgent opus filled with dizzying twists and turns. From there both “Phi” and “Four Humours” borrow some ancestral inspiration from forefathers Broken Social Scene with heavy distortion and tight Teutonic drumming.
But it’s the album’s central couplet of “All of One is the Other” and “Patternicity” that really introduces the listener to this TMSR’s unlimited ability. The former is a sweeping comedown accentuated by undulating piano keys and languid vocals. The latter is arguably the finest moment of their six-year career: an instrumental juggernaut that eschews the band’s more pop tendencies for classical brilliance and a string-led, dramatic arc that sounds as though it was designed for a BBC natural history series.
Don’t let their aspirations fool you, …And the Ever Expanding Universe is more of a loose, kaleidoscopic pop album than it is a young band indulging in some overexcited prog rock gesturing.” –The New Music
Be sure to pick up this fantastic new record from Arts & Craft’s brave young explorers. Broken Social Scene isn’t the only great indie band in Canada donchyaknow!
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Ultre “The Nest & the Skull” Audiobulb Records Electronic : Alternative UPC: 843041046848 Territories: World |
Crafted from guitar, piano, electronics and homemade beats, each track is set within a frame of flourishing musical activity. Ultre’s second album is an elegant, bold & extravagant example of modern composition. |
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Vybz Cartel, Spice “Ramping Shop Remake” Adidjaheim/Notnice Dance Hall : Reggae UPC: 705105811796 Territories: World |
The remake of the sexy Vybz Cartel and Spice collaboration that has lit up the dance hall scene with its sexy lyrics and riddims. |
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Jennette McCurdy “So Close” Your Tyme Records Pop : Country UPC: 844185034524 Territories: World |
Jennette McCurdy, “Sam” from Nickelodeon’s iCarly, steps out with the first single, the country flavored pop single – “So Close” – from her soon to be released debut album. |
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Los Fabulosos Cadillacs “La Luz Del Ritmo” Nacional Latin : Rock en Espanol UPC: 718122028399 Territories: US, Canada |
Back after a seven year hiatus, Buenos Aires’s acclaimed Latin-rock outfit, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, have reassembled to release the highly anticipated La Luz del Ritmo (The Light of Rhythm). |
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Bell Orchestre “As Seen Through Windows” Arts & Crafts Indie : Classical UPC: 827590410022 Territories: World ex-Japan |
Bell Orchestre includes members of Arcade Fire & The Luyas; born in an old dance studio in Montreal they produce a terrific sound of strings, bells, horns, drums, stethoscopes, samples & quiet noise. Bell Orchestre make non-traditional music that pushes boundaries & shifts within intuition. |
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Stephen Lynch “3 Balloons” What Are Records UPC: 744626101122 Territories: World |
Stephen’s much anticipated new album. His first in over four years, all new songs and recorded in the studio. |
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