popwreckoning

We’re not picking sides for the Super Bowl at PopWreckoning, but it looks like Paper Tongues has.

The hip hop/rock group’s tune “Trinity” was used in this chronicle of the New Orleans’ Saints journey to the Super Bowl.

Enjoy watching it, while killing time before the big game and then check the group out on tour:
Tour Dates w/ Crash Kings
Feb 11 – Cain’s Ballroom 2nd Stage / Tulsa, Oklahoma
Feb 13 – Midland Theatre – KRBZ’s Afentra’s Valentines Party / Kansas City, Missouri
Feb 14 – The Rave – FM 102.1 Kramp & Adler Missed Connections Mixer / Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Feb 17 – The Waiting Room – KIWR 89.7 The River Presents Paper Tongues / Omaha, Nebraska
Feb 19 – McGuffy’s House of Rock – WXEG Presents Paper Tongues / Dayton, Ohio
–
Hello Hurricane Tour w/Switchfoot
Feb 22 -  Cains Ballroom / Tulsa, Oklahoma
Feb 25 -  The Black Sheep / Colorado Springs, Colorado
Feb 26 -  Ogden Theater / Denver, Colorado
–
May 1 - The Bamboozle- Meadowlands Sports Complex / East Rutherford, New Jersey

Tapestry of Webs is the debut album from Past Lives. Recorded in the summer and fall of 2009 and to be released at the end of this month, the album is a collage, well…more a tapestry of songs exploring styles within a post-punk theme.

Past Lives formed in 2007 out of the break-up of the Blood Brothers—in fact the band is the Blood Brothers minus Johnny Whitney and original guitarist Devin Welch back in place of Cody Votolato. Not that Past Lives is Blood Brothers-light. This is a new band, a new sound, and there is a clearer connection to a Gang of Four swagger and an updated focus on textures.

“Falling Spikes,” may be the most single ready song; angular guitars paired to asymmetric rhythms and the clearest vision of pop songs with dynamic builds. Harmonies dodge in and out and there are plenty of opportunities to hear the interplay between Welch’s guitar and Henderson’s baritone guitar. There is lyrical talent throughout—this particular song being about the dangers of falling spikes—but they come to the fore on the same-name-as-the-band-song “Past Lives”; the band reaches the hypnotic balance between music and vocal.

It’s clear the Seattle-based group is trying to create aural landscapes juxtaposed with ‘rock-ier’ portions. Sometimes they may just stay in the aural landscape portion of the song (particularly on “Deep In The Valley”) and other times they may just stay in the ‘rock-ier’ portion (like “K Hole”)…not a bad idea. Each song has unique identifiers but common elements create a cohesive album feel.

On initial listen the stylistic jumps can be jarring, but repeated listening bears out an almost Zappa-esque worthy comparison. In short, the band has put keen effort into creating song structures and song order and—if nothing else—that makes the album worthy of the aforementioned repeated listens.

The band is performing a string of shows, with most of my interest being on their Detroit (3/27) and Grand Rapids (3/28) shows. The group bears a similar chemistry to Ghost Heart and these two shows should almost be performed in tandem.

The album closes with the track, “There Is A Light So Bright It Blinds.” The song sprawls across six minutes, making it an apt closing track. Ideally, this is the direction that Past Lives will continue to take: longer passages that stretch into each other, some parts Delta 5, some parts Swell Maps but a good listen that makes the listener ponder future releases.

Track Listing:
1. Paralyzer
2. Falling Spikes
3. Past Lives
4. Don’t Let the Ashes Fill Your Eyes
5. Deep in the Valley
6. K Hole
7. Hex Takes Hold
8. Vanishing Twin
9. Hospital White
10. At Rest
11. Aerosol Bouquet
12. There is a Light So Bright it Blinds

When I introduced my sister to Hot Chip right after Made in the Dark came out, she misunderstood the name of the band. “This band is called Hot Shit?” she asked while I blasted “Out at the Pictures” through car speakers.

Close enough.

With One Life Stand, the British electro-pop group continues to make hot music. This album is less frantic than its predecessor. It’s mid-tempo modern disco juxtaposed with moments of melancholy. And it’s this versatility that has always impressed me. Any band that can make me want to get up and shake it one minute and cry the next has something going for it. Hot Chip is electronic with heart.

“I Feel Better” is immediately infectious, pure dance music with deceptively slow and somber vocals. This combo repeats throughout the album: lyrics about romantic commitment (the title track “One Life Stand”) or fraternal love (“Brothers”) set to sky-high beats per minute. “Alley Cats” upsets this formula – in a good way. It’s soothing, gorgeous, thoughtful – the perfect interlude before Hot Chip’s synths come back full force for “We Have Love.”

One Life Stand just feels good. The music and lyrics are exuberant and optimistic. Every track, every phrase is perfectly developed and executed to make this the album you have on repeat for weeks. Take that time to introduce it to your siblings.

Track Listing:
1. Thieves in the Night
2. Hand Me Down Your Love
3. I Feel Better
4. One Life Stand
5. Brothers
6. Slush
7. Alley Cats
8. We Have Love
9. Keep Quiet
10. Take It In

Written by Zoe Martin

Los Angeles favorite sons and Smell staples Abe Vigoda recently announced a month-long Spring tour with Billboard chart-toppers Vampire Weekend.

In addition to the Vampire Weekend dates, the boys will also be playing a handful of shows with Nottingham punks Lovvers, Vivian Girls, Effi Briest and Gringo Star. Abe Vigoda will be debuting some brand new tracks from the yet to be titled follow-up to the Reviver EP, set for release sometime this summer on PostPresentMedium.

Listen to a demo of the new track “Crush” here.

Tour Dates:
March 6 -  21 Grand / Oakland, CA **
March 7 – Bottom of the Hill / San Francisco , CA **
March 9 – Crepe Place / Santa, Cruz, CA **
March 10 – Echo / Los Angeles, CA **
March 11 – Bar Pink Elephant / San Diego, CA **
March 12 – Trunk Space / Phoenix, AZ **
March 13 – Corazon / Santa Fe, NM**
March 16 – Lounge on Elm St. / Dallas, TX **#
March 22 – First Avenue / Minneapolis, MN*
March 23 – Riverside Theater / Milwaukee, WI*
March 24 – The Project Lodge / Madison, WI@
March 25 – Riviera Theater / Chicago, IL*
March 26 – Riviera Theater / Chicago, IL*
March 27 – Tennessee Theater / Knoxville, TN*
March 30 – The Sound Academy / Toronto, ON*
March 31 – Mercury Lounge / New York, NY##
April 1 – Orpheum Theatre / Boston, MA*
4/2 – Electric Factory / Philadelphia, PA*
4/3 – DAR Constitution Hall / Washington, DC*
4/5 – Ryman Auditorium / Nashville, TN*
4/6 – Orange Peel / Asheville, NC*
4/8 – The Tabernacle / Atlanta, GA*
4/9 – House of Blues / New Orleans, LA*
4/10 – Stubb’s BBQ  / Austin, TX*
4/11 – House of Blues / Dallas, TX*
4/13 – Marquee Theater / Tempe, AZ*
4/14 – Fox Theater / Pomona, CA*
4/19 – Fox Theater / Oakland, CA*
4/20 – Fox Theater / Oakland, CA*
*= w. Vampire Weekend
**= w. Lovvers
# =w. Vivian Girls
@ = w. Gringo Star
## = w. Effi Briest

There’s really only one right choice when it comes to the new Choosing Sides EP from Hidden Pictures: get it now.

It’s only $3 to download (although if you really want to help the band out, you can chip in a little more).

The group formed from the ashes of OK Jones. With Hidden Pictures, you get the promise of quirky, loveable indie pop tunes that will be stuck in your head all day. Few can so gracefully infuse glockenspiel. The only thing better than the recordings is the live show.

Go here to download Choosing Sides.

For those of you unfamiliar with Butch Walker, you may recognize him from his recent Grammy performance with muilt-Grammy winner Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks. This, of course, is only one feat from the notorious song-writer and producer who has worked with the likes of Avril Lavigne, Pete Yorn, The Donnas, Weezer, All Time Low, Hot Hot Heat and so many more.

I Liked You Better When You Had No Heart is his seventh solo album that you can now stream in its entirety on ThinkIndie. Also, thanks to ThinkIndie and their team of independent music stores, you can buy the album a week early starting February 9th. You can either download the album through ThinkIndie or go down to your local indie store to purchase the 180 gram gatefold vinyl complete with bonus CD and poster. Find a store near you.

We don’t normally go around promoting Britney, but this cover of Britney’s “Toxic” is worth it’s own post.

San Fran indie, alt country act Or, the Whale recently covered Brit’s “Toxic” recasting the lead vocals with a male voice accompanied by female vox on the harmonies. Acoustic and slide guitar as well as a faint piano accompany the voices. The song is slowed down to a third of the original tempo. They basically twisted the club anthem into a country ballad.

Again, country isn’t my usual cup of tea, but props to the group for doing such an overhaul to the tune. Give it a listen.

.“Toxic” cover

In the depths of Hollywood lies a door, and through this door lies a venue that totally befits its name: the Unknown Theater.

By Sophia Schorr-kon

Amidst the hustle and bustle of Hollywood, this unmarked door is placed in the discreet residential shadows just off of La Brea and is only distinguishable by a throng of smokers loitering outside of it. The Unknown’s underground façade is charming and eloquent; it’s a place where what is considered classy rests slightly off the beaten path of mainstream culture. The theater, which features a quaint lobby next to the bar, chandeliers composed of christmas lights and seating for a little over forty in front of the stage, was packed with indie enthusiasts, who obviously must have had some sort of insider knowledge of the local scene to have shown up at the right time at such a low-key venue (I was informed by friends of mine who religiously attempt to catch multiple Rumspringa shows while they are in town of this particular event).

The openers, White Arrows, are another member of the local scene, and are stylistically similar to their headliners in their rhythmic qualities and their mature, vintage influenced rock. To be blunt, they were brilliant, and I am personally looking forward to catching them more often on the LA circuit. But as much as I enjoyed White Arrows, Rumspringa absolutely blew my mind tenfold.

The first Rumspringa performance that I was blessed to be held privy to was last April. They were opening for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. To see their transition from opening to headlining is awesome and just validates their establishment as a well-respected band amongst these parts. Almost everyone was on their feet and dancing throughout the entire set, sashaying dreamily to the glorious rhythm and blues that emanated from the infamous duo. The majority of their set was comprised of tracks off of their upcoming album Sway, so named after the title track (and obviously their ability to make their audience do just that), and is set for release towards the beginning of the summer.

Despite some minor mic difficulties, the band was on beat and swinging the entire show, even going as far as to comment on how “lovely” and “splendid” their faithful, enthusiastic patrons were. Their lead singer is probably one of my favorite voices in the biz right now. His voice carries so much soul in every note; it gives the listener a nostalgic aftertaste in their mouth: a reminder of a time when the greatest names in R&B/Soul were still touring, alive, and kicking. The drummer was just as soulful: merely a frenzy of fingers, wrists, locks of hair and intricate drum fills as he sat silently behind his kit.

The duo ended the night with fan favorite, “Shake ’em Loose Tonight,” and it is very difficult to explain to you, just how epic that is live. It is definitely recommended that you find 10 or 15 dollars and partake the dance-worthy madness for yourself.

Murdoc from Gorillaz has been wreaking havoc online from his new home on the Plastic Beach island. Check out a trailer for the Pirate Radio broadcast.

Whether you consider yourself a super fan that can recite not only all the words to every Michael Jackson song, but those to the Jackson 5 as well, or you’re a casual fan who watched “Thriller” a few times on YouTube, Michael Jackson’s music probably impacted your life in some way.

Though Jackson passed away in 2009, his legacy will live on in his music, the new documentary This Is It and the hearts of his fans.

PopWreckoning.com is giving away a copy of the film and the soundtrack. To win, comment and tell us what Michael Jackson and his music meant to you by Sunday, February 7 at 3 p.m. CDT. We’ll pick a winner then.

This contest is now closed. Thanks to all who entered. The responses were wonderful and if we could, we’d select you all as winners.