popwreckoning

Nerdy American hippie folkie and unlikely pop star Darwin Deez (real name Darwin Smith) has already made quite a name for himself in Britain. Over the last 18 months, his happy, chirpy singles “Constellations” and “Radar Detector” (completely nonsensical video for the latter below) appeared on national radio playlists in the UK. You couldn’t avoid them if you tried. (To be honest, for a while I thought he was following me around as “Radar Detector,” playing loud and irksome on a club PA, interrupted a serious conversation I was trying to have with an English band back in October.) Fans over there can’t get enough of him it seems, quickly buying up tickets to see him on a NME Radar tour for up and coming acts in spring 2010, a headlining tour of the UK this past October, and another upcoming UK tour set to begin in late February 2011.

His self-titled debut album was released in the UK in mid-May 2010, but it will finally have a release here in the U.S. on February 22 on Lucky Number. A single, “Bad Day,” will arrive about a month prior, on January 18. Gearing up for this release, Darwin and his band will be going on an extensive tour stateside so Americans will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with his music. Catch him at a venue near you.

Tour Dates
Jan 13 – Great Scott / Allston, MA
Jan 14 – Bug Jar / Rochester, NY
Jan 15 – Beachland Tavern / Cleveland@
Jan 16 – Schubas / Chicago^
Jan 17 – 7th Street Entry / Minneapolis#
Jan 19 – Larimer Lounge / Denver*
Jan 21 – Kilby Court / Salt Lake City*
Jan 22 – Neurolux / Boise*
Jan 24 – Media Club / Vancouver*
Jan 25 – Vera Project / Seattle*
Jan 26 – Holocene / Portland*
Jan 28 – Hemlock Tavern / San Francisco*
Jan 29 – Satellite / Los Angeles&
Jan 31 – Loft at UCSD / San Diego&
Feb 01 – Solar Culture / Tucson&
Feb 03 – Emo’s / Austin&
Feb 04 – Fitzgerald’s Downstairs / Houston&
Feb 05 – Hailey’s / Denton, TX&
Feb 07 – Hi Tone Cafe / Memphis&
Feb 08 – End / Nashville&
Feb 09 – Spring Street Firehouse / Birmingham&
Feb 10 – Club Downunder / Tallahassee&
Feb 11 – Drunken Unicorn / Atlanta&
Feb 12 – Snug Harbor / Charlotte&
Feb 14 – Local 506 / Chapel Hill&
Feb 15 – Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar / Charlottesville, VA&
Feb 17 – Black Cat Backstage / Washington, DC&
Feb 18 – Kung Fu Necktie / Philadelphia&
Feb 19 – Bowery Ballroom / New York City&
^ with S. Carey and Sea of Bees
# with Fol Chen
* with Fol Chen and Friends
& with Friends

Darwin Deez: website | myspace

Photo: Pieter M. Van Hattem

Sheffield, England death metal band Bring Me the Horizon will be coming over to America in March to support A Day to Remember on a North American tour. Also on the bill are Pierce the Veil and We Came as Romans.

Bring Me the Horizon‘s latest album, There Is a Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There Is a Heaven, Let’s Keep It a Secret, was released in October 2010 on Epitaph Records here in America.

Tour Dates
Mar 10-11 – Electric Factory / Philadelphia
Mar 13 – Palladium / Worcester, MA
Mar 16 – Stage AE / Pittsburgh
Mar 18 – Rapids / Buffalo
Mar 19 – Metropolis / Montreal
Mar 20 – Sound Academy / Toronto
Mar 22 – Royal Oak / Detroit
Mar 24 – Congress Theater / Chicago
Mar 25 – Epic / Minneapolis
Mar 26 – Beaumont / Kansas City
Mar 27 – Fillmore / Denver
Mar 29 – Saltair / Salt Lake City
Mar 30 – Knitting Factory / Spokane
Mar 31 – Showbox SoDo / Seattle
Apr 01 – Vogue / Vancouver
Apr 02 – Roseland Ballroom / Portland
Apr 03 – Warfield / San Francisco
Apr 05 – Woodward Park Amphitheater / Fresno
Apr 06 – Palladium / Los Angeles
Apr 07 – Sports Arena / San Diego
Apr 08-09 – Marquee Theater / Phoenix
Apr 11 – Brady Theater / Tulsa
Apr 12 – ACL Live / Austin
Apr 13 – Warehouse Live / Houston
Apr 15 – Masquerade Outdoor / Atlanta
Apr 18 – Jannus Landing / Tampa

Bring Me the Horizon: myspace

The Echo wasn’t very crowded. It’s quaint charm can be attributed to its ability to produce raw intimacy. Band members flit about in the audience; a casual convening of art and music enthusiasts enjoying a subtle night out provides an easy listening atmosphere for eager ears.

A Canadian quartet opens the show to a meager, but silently growing, crowd and approaches the challenge with enthusiasm. Their name is Hot Panda, and it’s their first time in California. They joke about their disappointment over the absence of Jake Gyllenhaal from the attendees (apparently he had been invited on their blog), and theatrically set the stage for their experimental, up-tempo, and often uncouth experimental indie pop. The lead singer’s voice is interesting; reminiscent of Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse. It’s slightly aggressive, high-pitched, and often indiscernible, but so entertaining simultaneously. Their spontaneity seemed to know no bounds as they frolicked about on stage, dramatically gesturing with various instruments and endearingly asking “Panda, ready?” prior to the introduction of a new song. Their sweet-sounding din was melodious and trance-like; a reflection of their synchronicity. Their band members are also extremely down to earth (a trait I observed when I floated over to their merch corner to praise them for their didactic performance. They offered me a copy of their vinyl EP How Come I’m Dead, which I intend to review, and have available for the next installment of Scratch’d Vinyl.

Although the Hot Panda set was enthralling, the second act was the band I had been anxiously anticipating all evening. I have been an avid Rumspringa listener since my brilliant friends took me to a gig they played with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes in 2009. But the band I was about to be privy to was of a completely different caliber. The Rumspringa I had previously known and loved was comprised of two members: a guitarist and lead vocalist (Joey) and drummer (Itaru). But this Rumspringa was completely transformed, minus one constant, Joey. Prior to the opening of the venue, I had a chance to meet the new band members–Andrew, Cecilia, and Cardo–during a very casual interview I conducted with them in an alley off of Sunset Boulevard. The interview will be available on PopWreckoning in the coming days. I anxiously awaited their set with a cigarette, contemplating how different their sound would actually be after discussing it with them before their sound check.

And in all honesty, they surprised me. Not that they were less groovy, but they were a little heavier melodically in a voluptuous manner. Cecilia’s back-up vocals and additional guitar riffs give their music a sensuous undertone, and the addition of bass adds a sinister and intriguing foundation for their funky psychedelic rock. Joey’s croons are as whimsical and as spine-tingling as they’ve ever been, but with the accompaniment of sound much different from the Rumspringa of old.

They are indeed, a completely different band, and I would definitely recommend catching the four-some hard at work.

Top 3 Albums of 2010:

• Dark is the way, Light is a Place – Anberlin
• 4X4= 12 – Deadmau5
• This is War - 30 Seconds to Mars

Honorable Mentions:

• Heroes – Moneta
• Odd Blood – Yeasayer
• Great Danger – The Audition
• Vagabonds - The Classic Crime
• Trans-Continental Hustle – Gogol Bordello
• We Stitch These Wounds – Black Veil Brides
• Teenage Dream – Katy Perry
• Year of the Black Rainbow – Coheed and Cambria

Best Show of 2010:
I guess this is a three way tie for me…

• Anberlin @ Showbox Sodo: Seeing Anberlin never ceases to blow me away. But this show, fueled by the energy of their recent release Dark is a Way, Light is a Place, literally took my breath away. The new lighting systems they were using, the spectacular sound at a venue that usually has CRAP sound, and the general ambiance of the show was PERFECT. Their cover of “Mother” by Danzig was pretty superb, and frankly, the whole darn set list was put together incredibly well. All members played to their full potential and played their hearts out, making this one of top 10 shows of all time, easily.
• Switchfoot @ Showbox at the Market: This was an exceptionally amazing show. Playing all of their 2009 release Hello Hurricane, plus older tracks, including “Chem 6a,” one of my all time favorites from them had the room singing at the top of their lungs. They played an exceptional show, the crowd was into it, and I had a BLAST.
• Soundgarden @ Showbox at the Market: Does this really even need an explanation? This 2 hour set from local Seattle legends seriously floored me. I was seriously lucky enough to be one of few people who got to order a ticket in the 2.4 minutes before it sold out, and goddess, the show was SO worth it. Being one of the first shows in over a decade, and being able to experience that, was seriously awesome.

Most Anticipated in 2011:

• Innerpartysystem: So super excited about the new album coming out in early 2011. “American Trash” and its remixes have been rockin’ my 2010, but it’s definitely time for some new material. Stoked to see what these guys come up with. Their live show is phenomenal and after 3 years of being a fan, it’s time for them to set the standard for themselves, and for live mixed dance across the board.
• Cake – Showroom of Compassion: I’ve been a Cake fan for YEARS now and from what I have heard of the album so far, it won’t disappoint. Been waiting for this for awhile now and I am really hoping that it goes back to their roots and brings out some of the older signature sound (hopefully something ala “Never There”).
• Blaqk Audio – Bright Black Heaven: Although a release date hasn’t officially been announced yet, I’ve been keeping an eye on these guys since their freshman release, Cexcells. Being a big AFI fan, Davey Havok’s side project has entranced me pretty thoroughly and has set the bar high for themselves before their sophomore album, Bright Black Heaven, was even in the planning stages. The teaser tracks are blatantly brilliant and promise more of the general industrial/dance that they brought to the table before.
• VNV – Nation Crossing the Divide: I’ve recently been reintroduced to VNV and frankly, I couldn’t be more excited for the upcoming EP. It’s not often I fall this hard for industrial/trance, and not usually get this hyped until I have at least heard a sampling of the album. With VNV, it’s guaranteed to be amazing, full of sick dance beats, some dirty bass, and captivating lyrics. Kudos to this band from across the pond for also hinting at a US tour for the first time in 2 years- both announcements have fans eagerly awaiting more.
• Aiden: During the show last Friday, wiL Francis mentioned that they would have a new album out in 2011. The guys have been tweeting about recording for the past few months and Seattle needs these guys to come back and rock ourselves out of the general indie funk we have been in lately. Seattle rock has its place, and frankly, Aiden has been at the heart of it for awhile now. With Knives out in 2009, it’s definitely time for some new material from them (as well as William Control), especially since reinforcing their sound with their most recent album after their hiatus into more mellow tracks with Conviction. We need more Seattle punk rock, and badly guys.

Most Overrated in 2010:

• Arcade Fire- The album was good, but not THAT good. Really. I promise.
• MGMT- Congrtulations was great, but their live show now SUCKS. What happened guys?

Favorite Musical Memory of the Year:

Shooting Capitol Hill Block Party and Bumbershoot:

There was an insane amount of people crammed into the middle of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood for CHBP and it was AMAZING. Great music, great photographer friends, fantastic memories. Seeing !!! play the KEXP Bean Room at Café Vita and turning the room into a giant dance party was pretty rad, and frankly, so quintessentially Seattle that it could only happen right here in the Emerald City. My first time at CHBP was wonderful and the people who make it all happen are GREAT. Kudos for bringing this fantastic event to a great neighborhood and having a blast doing it. Highlights for me included !!!, Holy Fuck, Yeasayer, and Black Breath.

The 40th anniversary of Bumbershoot was both fun and rewarding. Shooting for Seattle Center and the five stages that I managed to cover was seriously taxing on me as a photographer and a writer. I had a blast covering the 30+ bands over Labor Day weekend (giving up PAX to do so, which was SERIOUSLY hard to do) and danced, sang, and filled up SD cards with memories that will last forever. Balkan Beat Box, the Thermals, the Redwood Plan, and Fences were definitely highlights and I came across a lot of local stuff to look out for in the future.

Top 3 Albums of 2010:

• Delphic – Acolyte (Dangerbird)
• Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History (Glassnote)
• The Hundred in the Hands – The Hundred in the Hands (Warp)

Best Show of 2010:

• The Postelles at DC9, September 18, 2010. Tiny little club whose future remains in doubt (unfortunately), you can’t get atmosphere like that anywhere else in Washington. The band sounded amazing, and the audience reaction was absolutely mental. And they haven’t even put out an album yet! Definitely a band to watch in 2011.
• The runner-up show would be the Joy Formidable at Black Cat Backstage, November 11, 2010. The Backstage is of comparable size to DC9 (hint hint to bands, management, and promoters) and perfectly intimate. I had no idea how hard this band from Wales was going to rock out, and rock our hard they did. I almost got hit in the head by frontwoman Ritzy Bryan’s guitar a couple times.

Most Anticipated in 2011:

• White Lies’s second album, Ritual (Fiction) – the lead single, “Bigger Than Us,” sounds grand and gothic, just as “To Lose My Life” was in 2009. It seems a lifetime ago that I saw them gig, when in fact it was March 2009. So I’m looking forward to the new material and seeing them live again.
• The Joy Formidable’s debut album, The Big Roar (Atlantic) – I have the band’s EP A Balloon Called Moaning, which is nothing short of amazing, so a whole album coming in early 2011 will be great.
• Two Door Cinema Club’s second album – I know they’re working on new material, I just hope they can work fast enough so they can get it out before Christmas 2011. Here’s to hoping.
• Frankie and the Heartstrings’s debut album, Hunger (Sex Pop Ltd) – the Sunderland band has released three singles so far, “Hunger,” “Tender”, and “Ungrateful,” all of which I adore. While in America the big thing this year has been to go backward to Beach Boys-esque surf pop, England is returning to Beatles-esque guitar pop, and I look to this band to do well next year.

Most Overrated in 2010:

• Kings of Leon. I still don’t get their popularity. I’ll be honest, the pigeon story about their show in St. Louis in July made me giggle.
• Hmm, who else…Kanye West on Twitter. Do we really need to hear from him via his electronic soapbox?

Favorite Musical Memory of the Year:
It’s really difficult for me to choose among all the amazing shows I’ve been given the opportunity to cover, so I’m going to give my top 3.

• I went to my first major European music festival, Roskilde in Denmark, this summer and saw 28 bands from all over the world during the entire experience. It was truly mind-blowing. There were so many bands that I never expected to ever see live – Bad Lieutenant with Bernard Sumner (playing his new band’s songs along with Joy Division and New Order classics), LCD Soundsystem, and Pendulum, just to name three – and of course lots of Scandinavian acts playing right in their backyard, like the Asteroids Galaxy Tour, Miike Snow, the Kissaway Trail, and Casiokids. My trip had been booked months before Delphic was announced as a late addition, which was an unexpected surprise. I could have however made do without getting shoved to the ground during Biffy Clyro on the second night, having to get pulled out and over the barrier swiftly by vigilant festival security.
• Watching the Temper Trap play triumphant shows in September at Philadelphia’s Trocadero and Boston’s House of Blues signaled to me that they have the goods to be superstars. I’d already seen them in April in DC and also at Roskilde. In my opinion, they played the best set of the entire festival and completely smoked Prince, who played on the adjacent, huge Orange stage just after their set and bored me to tears; I along with some new friends I’d just made that day left early. When preparing to see them again on the last of their many tours of our continent this year, I expected to enjoy their show. But I was overwhelmed both times. I saw girls looking like they were going to faint and people jumping up and down like crazy during “Sweet Disposition.” And when you hear fans have come from as far away as Asia for these shows, you know the band has to be special.
• Delphic’s first-ever show in DC, at DC9 on October 8, was pretty amazing. All my friends had come along to this Friday night show and afterwards, they all came up to me with these starry-eyed expressions, telling me the show was far too short and asking me when they’d return to Washington. I’ve always thought that as a music blogger, I have two main goals: 1, to spread the word about music I love and get people excited about it and 2, put Washington on the map as a city bands want and need to play. This show and the mental crowd reaction gave me validation that all my hard work blogging concerts in town does make a difference.