- A culture magazine reaching terminal verbosity -
Manchester, Tennessee's annual music festival and hedonist mud orgy Bonnaroo is right around the corner, kicking off June 11-14th. Any good concertgoer knows to familiarize oneself with the music beforehand, and we've done the work for you, compiling a playlist of the top songs by the best artists featured during the first two days, which you can check out below.
Stay tuned for Part Two (Saturday + Sunday).
If you’re reading this on a mobile device we apologize for the irony.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra have revealed ‘Can’t Keep Checking My Phone’ to be their second single ahead of their third LP Multi-Love which is due out May 26th, and it’s a hand-clapping psych-soul groove.
In a newsletter sent to fans, frontman and multi-instrumentalist Ruban Nielson explains it’s about “missing somebody and that point where you refuse to accept online ‘connectivity’ as a substitute for being with someone IRL.”
Opening with a bit of meandering horns and classical guitar, ‘Can’t Keep Checking My Phone’ bounces around lyrical topics that include eating crickets, the aurora borealis, and wondering if the universe is really a hologram, all before putting the phone down and regrettably picking it up once again.
“Do you fall in love with the idea of someone? Or the chemicals they give off in person? Either way, I’ve got to get off my phone,” Nielson concludes.
World Tour:
5/7 – Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall
5/9 – Seattle, WA @ Barboza
5/10 – Spokane, WA @ The Bartlett
5/20 – Bristol, UK @ Thekla
5/21 – London, UK @ Islington Assembly Hall
5/22 – Coventry, UK @ Warwick University
5/23 – Liverpool, UK @ Sound City
5/25 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Bitterzoet
5/26 – Berlin, Germany @ Berghain Katine
5/27 – Brussels, Belgium @ AB Club
5/28 – Paris, France @ La Fleche d’or
5/28-30 – Barcelona, Spain @ Primavera Sound
5/29-31 – Nimes, France @ This Is Not a Love Song
6/2 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
6/3 – Montreal, QC @ Fairmount Theatre
6/4 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
6/5 – Pontiac, MI @ Pike Room
6/6 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
6/8 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock
6/9 – Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room
6/10 – St. Louis, MO @ The Firebird
6/12 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
6/13 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
6/14 – Carboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
6/15 – Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
6/16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot and Saddle
6/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot and Saddle
6/19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
7/14 – Bergen, Norway @ Landmark
7/16-19 – Southwold, UK @ Latitude Festival
7/23 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater
7/25 – Seattle, WA @ Capitol Hill Block Party
7/26 – Vancouver, BC @ Imperial
7/28 – Boise, ID @ Neurolux
7/29 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
7/31 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
8/1 – Santa Fe, NM @ Santa Fe Reporter Block Party
8/2 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent Ballroom
8/3 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
8/5 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah
8/6 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy Theatre
8/7-9 – San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands
9/8 – Helsinki, Finland @ Tavastia
9/10 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Debaser Strand
9/11 – Gothenburg, Sweden @ Pustervik
9/12 – Copenhagen, Denmark @ VEGA Small Hall
9/14 – Hamburg, Germany @ Ubel & Gefährlich
9/15 – Cologne, Germany @ Gebaude 9
9/16 – Frankfurt, Germany @ Zoom
9/17 – Berlin, Germany @ Lido
9/20 – Utrecht, NL @ Tivoli Vredenburg Pandora
9/22 – Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2
9/23 – London, UK @ O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
9/24 – Birmingham, UK @ The Library at the Institute
9/25 – Manchester, UK @ The Ritz
9/26 – Dublin, IE @ Whelan’s
9/28 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms
9/29 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
9/30 – Glasgow, UK @ QMU
Originally published on The Music Ninja
Contrary to what their name evokes, Wild Beasts continue to be some of the smoothest and softest songsmiths around with unreleased track "Woebegone Wanderers II," which was premiered on Jon Hopkins Radio 1 this week.
Recorded around the time of their last release, Present Tense, which was quietly one of the best albums of 2014, the song is a continuation of "Woebegone Wanderers" which appeared on the British group’s debut Limbo, Panto way back in 2008.
After gently swirling around the space in your head in that signature brooding Wild Beasts style for around two minutes, "Woebegone Wanderers II" dissolves into echoing glitter for the final third, floating off until you inevitably drag it back down for yet another listen.
Originally published on The Music Ninja
“Over the moon” is how indie pop masters Peter Bjorn and John said they felt releasing their first new original material since Gimme Some came out four long years ago, and that’s exactly where "High Up (Take Me To The Top)" will bring you as well.
This soaring tune is propelled by off-kilter percussion reminiscent of their 2009 LP Living Thing, but is perhaps a sign of things to come as it stemmed from “forthcoming album-sessions” co-written with Patrick Berger, who is best known for producing artists including Robyn and Icona Pop.
"High Up" has been released on the Stockholm-based artist collective and record label INGRID, which Peter Bjorn and John co-founded along with fellow Swedes Lykke Li and Miike Snow, among others, and the track is featured on INGRID Volym 2, a Record Store Day exclusive double-LP of which there are only 500 copies.
Originally published on The Music Ninja
Festival season is fast approaching, but can you tell the difference between the names of music festivals and the names of illnesses?
Click the button below to test your knowledge and take the quiz hosted on Buzzfeed!
A renowned violinist and founding member of Jupiter One, Kishi Bashi has recorded and toured internationally with artists ranging from of Montreal to Regina Spektor. He released his solo debut 151a in 2012 which earned him the title of “Best New Artist” by NPR, and in 2014 released his sophomore full-length Lighght, which charted at #53 on Billboard.
But recently he has revealed a new project that is different altogether: a unique blend of coffee released by his hometown Athens, Georgia-based company Jittery Joe's.
Athens is known for its alternative music scene, boasting artists including R.E.M., Neutral Milk Hotel, of Montreal, and Danger Mouse, but when members of the small college town aren't at shows they're drinking coffee. Kishi Bashi has successfully combined those two loves with his new Jittery Joe’s roast “Royal Daark Blend," each can of which comes with a download code of an exclusive track inside.
Transverso was at his release party this morning in the independent coffee shop Hendershot’s, where over 150 fans ranging from four year-olds in Wolverine costumes to townies who likely graduated with Michael Stipe packed the small space.
While we waited for the show to start we sampled Royal Daark. The coffee has a really strong, unique flavor from beans originating in a region in the Ethiopian region of Harrar which are known for their floral and fruity toned acidity. The beans are French pressed to give them a dark roast per Kishi Bashi's exact specifications.
Photos by Patricia Tancredi
After he arrived on stage he announced that it was the earliest show of his career (10 AM), and light-heartedly empathized with the audience about the morning show time even though he had been the one who booked it in the first place. I guess that's what the coffee is for after all.
Performing without a set list Kishi Bashi took suggestions from and interacted with the audience, even going as far as inviting the kids up on stage, giving his local fans a truly unforgettable experience. He ended up playing about five songs including “It All Began With a Burst,” “Bright Whites,” and “The Ballad of Mr. Steak,” which you can listen to below:
Transverso met up with Kishi Bashi after the show to discuss his new coffee and his roots in Athens, Georgia.
TRANSVERSO: What inspired you to start your own line of coffee?
KISHI BASHI: I really like Jittery Joe’s a lot and I usually don’t jump at things that are outside my comfort zone, like doing music things. They came to me and I was like oh yeah, it’s a no brainer because I like the coffee. Then we did a tasting and I found a coffee that I really liked and then expanded on it.
So basically, it wasn’t something that I was really inspired to do it’s just something that’s really fortuitous, because their coffee is really progressive and they’re kind of cool and local you know? So it was just a really easy thing to do.
Oh! You know why they approached me? It’s because they’re expanding. They’re going to start having Jittery Joe’s coffee in Japan. They were like this guy plays in Japan too and so I’m going to launch it with them and make it official. I think that’s the real reason they came to me.
Other artists such as St. Vincent, James Murphy, and most recently Win Butler have their own coffee products now too -
Wait they have coffees too? No way!
Yeah! Do you think that it’s something more artists are going to be doing in the future?
I think if you feel good about it…
Is there a reason you chose Hendershots as the venue for the event?
I know Seth Hendershot, I think he used to work at Jittery Joe’s. That’s the whole backstory behind Seth. And then it’s a cool place because they’re serious about their coffee here. And also I just texted him because there’s no show here in the morning so it’s really easy to book.
What’s the inspiration behind the name of your coffee?
Oh Royal Daark Roast? Well the Royal thing is because I really like the graphic that JLP designed. I came up with the idea of having the suicide king, that’s a card. He’s got a knife behind his head. It’s a pose that people know. And I was like oh yeah, it should be royal you know? So that was easy. I did 'Daark’ because I have an album, Lighght, so it’s just really a play on words.
When you buy the can it has a free song to download. How did you choose the track?
I wrote it, I mean I literally was like I need a song to put on this coffee can or it’s going to be a hard sell, especially for my fans. So I was thinking about coffee and everything that came out was pretty shitty so I was like I’m just going to write a song and that’s what happened. It has nothing really to do with coffee.
Are you targeting your coffee directly to fans of your music or more to coffee lovers?
I have a feeling that a lot of people just bought it, not even coffee drinkers, just because it’s an interesting gift, and a cool can.
How has being based in Athens affected your career?
I got my start here when I was touring with of Montreal. My first solo show was here and everyone in of Montreal was there heckling me. [of Montreal frontman, Kevin Barnes] was there at that show and was heckling me and people were getting mad like at him because they didn’t know who he was. They were were like ‘why are you such an asshole?! He’s trying so hard!’ It just made him look like an asshole, it was hilarious.
Which Athens coffee spot is your favorite?
I go to Jittery Joe's a lot. The Alps one is a little sterile. The one at Five Points is hard to park but I like it. But I don’t really have a favorite spot, I usually just drink at home.
When you’re on the road, do you have a favorite coffee spot that you visit?
Every town has really cool coffee shops. I can’t think of anything that’s really stuck out. They usually have one, there’s always a cool coffee shop with good music going on.
And lastly, how do you take your coffee?
A little milk, no sugar.
Leeds-based trio alt-J have released a new music video for their single “Hunger Of The Pine” that's not unlike a nightmare most of us have had before. With a barrage of inescapable arrows chasing after him, the unfortunate soul in the video frantically and determinedly sprints through the forest in a desperate fight for his life while Joe Newman’s chilling voice coos.
Along with “Left Hand Free,” this Miley Cyrus sample laden track is another preview of alt-J’s forthcoming album, This Is All Yours, which is slated for release on September 22 in the US via Canvasback / Infectious Music. Check out the video below.
Directed by Nabil Concept by Joe Newman From the album 'This Is All Yours' Available on iTunes here: http://smarturl.it/TIAYitunes Available on CD / Double LP here: http://www.altjband.com/ Stream Hunger of The Pine here: http://smarturl.it/hungerstream Forthcoming live dates: http://showsnear.by/alt-J
Originally published on The Music Ninja
It seems Cold War Kids are in a giving mood; not even a month after frontman Nathan Willett and bassist Matt Maust released Is Exotic Bait, the debut album from their side-project French Style Furs, the Kids have revealed new single “All This Could Be Yours” to the world along with the announcement of new tour dates and an as-of-yet unnamed LP on Downtown Records this October.
The forthcoming record will be a surprisingly early addition to what has been a period of high productivity for the LA artists, with the full band’s last LP, Dear Miss Lonelyhearts, coming out only little over a year ago, followed by the EP Tuxedos last fall, and one-off single “A Million Eyes” in March.
The new album will be Cold War Kids’ fifth overall, but the first with what appears to be a new lineup following reports that drummer Matthew Aviero has been replaced by Joe Plummer, who, along with guitarist Dann Gallucci, is best known for his tenure with indie rock classics Modest Mouse, in addition to work with The Shins, Mister Heavenly, and more.
The single itself kicks off with a piano riff just as last summer’s “Miracle Mile” did, followed by Willett’s signature vocals at their most piercing and a marching pulse of percussion from Plummer. A catchy track, “All This” further pushes the boundary of anthemic pop-ness for the band, leaving fans to wonder just would could be theirs come October.
Tour Dates:
07/20 – Chicago, IL @ Rock N Roll Half Marathon
07/26 – Tulsa, OK @ The Center Of The Universe
08/29-31 – Columbus, OH @ Fashion Meets Music Festival
10/20 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
10/24 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
10/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
11/18 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
11/19 – Solona Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
11/22 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
Originally published on The Music Ninja
“You are going to be pleasantly surprised by this,” seduces Nathan Willett in the opening line of “Miami U R About 2 B Surprised,” and he couldn’t have been more right.
It was indeed quite a surprise when it was announced that the Cold War Kids frontman and bandmate Matt Maust were teaming up with We Barbarians drummer Nathan Warkentin (with Haley Dekle of Dirty Projectors featuring as well) to form side-project turned supergroup French Style Furs, and now it’s finally here, with the trio releasing their debut LP Is Exotic Bait on Frenchkiss Records today.
Named after a storefront in Brooklyn and cultivated in spontaneity, French Style Furs is abstract and pulsing with the kind of creative urgency that comes with writing and recording in between shows, with Willett’s signature howls, barks, and wails giving restless life to lyrics inspired by Trappist monk and mystic Thomas Merton’s poetry.
Opening with the quasi-autobiographical “3 Friends,” Is Exotic Bait exudes this vivacity, confidently declaring “Damn it / We are here” after chronicling the musicians’ decision to “Live together and know nothing of it,” with “No plans / No benefits,” and asking “Could we just fly in space / And forget to exist?” If that isn’t the description of playing in a band then I don’t know what is.
Taking the dance-inspiring synth vibes explored in Cold War Kids’ last album Dear Miss Lonelyhearts and running with them, Willett and co. get downright frantic in “All The Way Down,” before transitioning into the fuzzy, vaguely U2-esque riffs of “(World In My) Bloodstream.”
Standout track “Solitary Life” opens with one of the best bass grooves of Maust’s discography so far (you can almost see him jerkily swaying on stage as you hear it) before swinging horns, Dekle’s vocalizations, and even some cowbell are layered on.
Produced by Nick Launay, whose past projects include Nick Cave (one of the Cold War Kids duo’s main influences) and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Is Exotic Bait is steeped in the brooding of the former and the sharpness of the latter; “Miami” and “Turn or Burn” display some of the darkest and deepest vocals ever recorded by Willett, while the beat and pulse of “Christmas Card” could just as easily be filled with Karen O’s shrieks and shouts.
Complete with another beautiful specimen of cover art from Maust, Is Exotic Bait is good on its promise of being one of this year’s most pleasant surprises. Oh, and only Willett could write a song called “Ambassadors Of General Electric” and make it sexy as hell. Check it out in its full glory below:
Originally published on The Music Ninja
Ten years ago Zach Braff’s last film Garden State did wonders for propelling indie, specifically The Shins, into the mainstream spotlight. It seems Wish I Was Here, his Kickstarter-funded forthcoming directorial sophomore effort, will be similarly musically inspired, with a soundtrack boasting many of the screenwriter and star’s favorite artists, including Paul Simon and The Head And The Heart.
The Shins appear once again with shimmering new tune “So Now What,” with frontman James Mercer taking a break from side-project Broken Bells to write the song specifically for this sountrack. Just as wistful and dreamy as they were a decade ago, the now Portland-based sextet seem eager to reunite with Braff with lines like “I guess we’ll just begin again / I hope you know you’re my best friend” making up the soaring chorus lifted by Mercer’s gentle and softened falsetto.
Another new track commissioned for Wish I Was Here is Bon Iver’s eerie and minimalistic “Heavenly Father.” Justin Vernon’s vocals layer over a looping synth vibration in what, according to NPR, was an incredibly spontaneous recording:
“They were enjoying it and laughing, but at a certain point, they just got quiet. When it was over, Justin started humming. We talked afterwards about the relationship between Zach’s character and his brother [Josh Gad], and Justin and Nate talked a little about their father — all the while Justin kept distractedly humming. Eventually, he sang out the words ‘heavenly father.’ Before I even left their house, Justin was recording the first version of the song in his downstairs studio. His inspiration was that immediate.”
The complete soundtrack is due out July 15 via Columbia with the film hitting theaters three days later. There will be a separate vinyl release on August 5, with Garden State’s soundtrack being reissued the same day. Check out the tracklist below:
Wish I Was Here
Originally published on The Music Ninja