popwreckoning

The music of English duo Slow Club has slowly but surely been making its way into America’s consciousness. The most recent appearance of the act’s sound was of the song “Apples and Pairs” from their first album released in 2009, Yeah So, at the end of an episode of Showtime serial “United States of Tara.” Slow Club hails from Sheffield, a place that most people outside of the UK associate Def Leppard, Pulp, and Arctic Monkeys with. So it’s great that this pair is putting the Northern city on the map for folk rock instead.

The album was released this week on Moshi Moshi, a London indie label that seems to have a good finger on the pulse of the best from the underground English music scene, always managing to pick the cream of the crop from blighty. (And while I’m here, I might as well clue you in to two other bands on their roster: Trophy Wife [from Oxford, England, not the one from Philadelphia] and Summer Camp [another boy/girl singing duo, from London]; if you haven’t heard of these bands yet, you will. Soon.)

The album’s lead single “Where I’m Waking” begins aggressively, almost Sleigh Bells-like. Thankfully, Rebecca Taylor and Charles Watson pull it back with the right amount of restraint. The result is bouncy and fun, certainly one of the sunniest tracks on the album (possibly tied with the equally energetic “The Dog”), so it fits in nicely as part of “the story so far” coming off the success of Yeah So‘s more recognizable tracks. While neither is a “Giving Up on Love,” they’re still pretty good.

“Two Cousins,” the opening track of Paradise, also skirts the noise-pop barrier again, with bracing vocals. Is this the same band? It has been suggested by several British music pundits that Slow Club has “grown up” in this album, most noticeably with Watson’s voice being less young-girly and the duo’s foray into more bluesy, almost gospel territory (see: “Never Look Back”, “You, Earth or Ash”) utilizing their strong harmonies.

Taylor and Watson’s near perfect vocals in Yeah So are what made people fall in love with Slow Club, and while these great vocals are still present in Paradise, the percussion is cranked up in the wrong places and some instrumental choices have been made that are not flattering to the vocals. The title of “Hackney Marsh” is, I assume, a loving reference to the part of North London of the same name which, oddly, is the home of a disproportionate number of the city’s musicians. (Maybe that’s why it’s being immortalized in a song title?) It’s a great song, with a novel – but strange – saxophone interlude with Taylor scatting the melody. The thudding drums of “Beginners” mars an otherwise good song. You’d wish you had a mixer in your hands so you could adjust the equalizer. Slow Club took risks with this album and are showing their true hearts in it; this album less innocent and less precious than their debut was. The strong songwriting is still there, but I think in terms of the execution, people are really going to love love love this or not care for it.

Paradise by Slow Club is available now from Moshi Moshi.

Track Listing
01. Two Cousins
02. If We’re Still Alive
03. Never Look Back
04. When I’m Waking
05. Hackney Marsh
06. Beginners
07. You, Earth or Ash
08. Gold Mountain
09. The Dog
10. Horses Jumping

I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I had my doubts about Kanrocksas when I received the email regarding the press conference to announce the festival’s lineup. “A festival held at Kansas Speedway,” I thought to myself “will no doubt be a bunch a metal bands.”

Man was I was wrong. Offering a lineup featuring servings from some of the best bands in the world, Kanrocksas was the real deal and had landed right in my backyard. So, as I drove under the speedway into the VIP to catch the day’s first band, I felt as excited as I had for a festival in years. I parked, slid into the media center briefly, then bolted for my first band.

UME:

You know that groggy feeling that you sometimes will get when you wake up early for work on a day following a long night? You fumble to collect your clothes, somewhat unsuccessfully, gathering whatever laundry has pooled in piles on the floor of your bedroom. Skipping the shower, you rush to your neighborhood gas station to grab a red bull to supply whatever energy you can muster up to kick off the day.

In terms of the first annual Kanrocksas Music Festival, UME was that red bull. Taking stage early, these Austin, Texas firecrackers kicked open the door for what would be a great first day, with an energy and poise that left many bands standing in their shadow.

Rocking kind of a Jeckle and Hyde image, Lauren Larson sound checks and speaks in a shy and sheepish manner, before exploding into a large energetic ball of chaos. Sporting a great 1990′s sound, complete with swirling guitar and raspy snarling vocals, UME’s stage show is unquestionably worth mentioning. Their set left a thumbprint on me that would last the whole day, as they showed up several bands lower on the bill. I expect huge things from this band and will be disappointed if the world offers them anything less.

Fitz and the Tantrums:

There is no questioning the fact that the chemistry between Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs is real. While watching this band, every line of every song seems to be a tip of the hat to the passion that these two share for both each other and for music.

With a jazzy retro sound and soul train moves, Fitz and the Tantrums plowed through a stellar set, which included covers “Steady as She Goes” by The Raconteurs (corrected at 11:46 p.m. 8/7/2011) and “Sweet Dreams” by Annie Lennox. As if that were not enough to please, their crowd interactive set lit the Kanrocksas crew up, causing a stir I hadn’t expected in the 192 degree weather. Dancing and grinding around the pit area of the speedway, one would have to assume those in attendance put their complaints of sunburns and dehydration on hold, trading them for a prom dance throwback.

A stellar set from a stellar band.    

D12:

Sadly, my streak of sets that captured my heart would stall right there. D12 seemed rack with technical difficulties and lackluster efforts in front of roughly 2,000 viewers, the group honestly serves as my biggest disappointment of Kanrocksas. Having seen D12 before (when I was like, 16) I remembered them as a high energy, wicked funny rap group, slightly out of place at Warped Tour. However, I also remember walking away both impressed and stunned enough to grab their albums off the shelves. Sadly, the D12 on stage at Kanrocksas was not the D12 I remembered loving. Flowing over beats that seemed misguided and somewhat sloppy, the set simply flopped.

However, that would not stop a large mass of fans to sit, hopeful to catch an early glimpse of Eminem. They would in the end walk away empty handed.

Jack’s Mannequin:

I was of the small percentage of journalists who skipped Arctic Monkeys set to catch former Something Corporate front man Andrew McMahon’s newish project Jack’s Mannequin. Having always been a fan of his emotional performances and energetic stage presence, I figured I would no doubt find a bit of recovery from D12′s lackluster set.

Without a doubt, I was. Busting out old favorites and premiering new singles Jack’s Mannequin left nothing to be desired. Shifting, twitching and switching between two mics, McMahon ran the gambit of emotional content, ranging from cancer, coming to age and coming to terms with breakups.

While I’m sure some people would question my choice to skip Arctic Monkeys for a band that causes 16 year old fangirls to crowd the stage with “I fucking love you Andrew” signs, I have no regrets with my decision based on one solid fact: Andrew McManon is truly the nicest man in music. That should always be supported.

Regardless, for those who desire them, here are Scott’s Arctic Monkey’s Photos:

Check out Kanrocksas: Day One, Part Two featuring  Kid Cudi, Ween, Bassnectar, Flaming Lips and Eminem soon!

Alex Turner is sounding more and more like Carl Barat every year, I swear. The older he gets, the older his voice gets, with a softer, sweeter tone than when the Arctic Monkeys put out their first record, oh… five years ago.

But I’m not complaining, because I do love a good dose of the Libertines. Basically what the Arctic Monkeys sound like now is a mixture of Turner’s side project, Last Shadow Puppets, and all of Barat’s projects. Rather than the garage rock of the mid-00s that the Arctic Monkeys did so well, Suck It And See sound much more 60s, much more classic.

Which is quite ironic, because when I put this album into my iTunes, under genre it listed it as “Classic rock.” I thought, “that’s kind of perfect.”

With such a punchy, suggestive title to their new record, I expected a bit more of a bang from The Arctic Monkeys. I hoped for more attitude than what I got, but the album didn’t disappoint. The easy, sunny, hippie vibe of the album makes it perfect for summertime, and I can only imagine how fun it will be to dance to when they head on tour next month.

Starting with “She’s Thunderstorms” wasn’t the greatest idea, mainly because the whole beginning of the record isn’t nearly as strong as the latter half. At least that’s how it was for me. Several of the songs, “Black Treacle,” “Brick by Brick,” and “The Hellcat Spangled Shalala” all kind of mix together and don’t stand out that much from one another. The one thing “Hellcat” has going for it is the simple “shalalala” hook.

However, “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair” is a spectacular track, one that I would have preferred to open the album, but it is quite heavier than the rest of the tracks on Suck It And See. “Don’t Sit Down” has a driving bassline and a loud and fast “yeah yeah yeah” hook, as well as the most attitude from Turner. And what follows is the frantic “Library Pictures,” which is most reminiscent of vintage Arctic Monkeys, with a bit of dirty Sex Pistols punk rock mixed in. It was definitely a surprise in the middle of this otherwise rather vanilla record, but a pleasant surprise.

This is where the album starts to get really good. “All My Own Stunts” is another great heavy rocker, “Reckless Serenade” is a catchy summer track, “Piledriver Waltz” is a lovely ballad, as is “Love is a Laserquest.”

The final surprise, and another one of my favourite songs on the album is “That’s Where You’re Wrong,” which relies on Turner’s painfully earnest lyrics and very New Order-esque melodies.

So while the album starts out rather flat, the build up to the splendid finale gains plenty of momentum, making “Suck It And See” an album to at least give a listen or two. I know I’ll be spinning it all summer.

Track listing:
1. “She’s Thunderstorms”
2. “Black Treacle”
3. “Brick by Brick”
4. “The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala”
5. “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair”
6. “Library Pictures”
7. “All My Own Stunts”
8. “Reckless Serenade”
9. “Piledriver Waltz”
10. “Love Is a Laserquest”
11. “Suck It and See”
12. “That’s Where You’re Wrong”

TV on the Radio and Arctic Monkeys will headline the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday, September 25, 2011 at 6 PM.  Also performing are Panda Bear, Warpaint and Smith Westerns. Tickets go on sale Saturday, June 18.

Animal Collective’s Noah Lennox, also know as Panda Bear, will make his Hollywood Bowl debut sharing the stage with producer Sonic Boom.  Panda Bear’s latest album, Tomboy, is currently topping the CMJ charts, and the Hollywood Bowl performance will be the only West coast performance in support of the album. Warpaint, the critically acclaimed Los Angeles quartet, and Chicago’s Smith Westerns also make their Hollywood Bowl debuts.

This is an event that LA doesn’t want to miss. For more information and complete artist biographies, visit:  www.hollywoodbowl.com

Lollapalooza is celebrating its 20th anniversary and as promised, the recently announced delivers some pretty hefty acts. 

Eminem, Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Muse, My Morning Jacket, Deadmau5 and A Perfect Circle will headline the annual event in Grant Park from August 5-7, 2011.

If you missed Death From Above 1979‘s Coachella reunion, Lolla gives fans another chance. There’s also many other classic acts such as The Cars to up and comers The Naked and Famous. You can see the rest of the announced lineup below:

Eminem, Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Muse, My Morning Jacket, Deadmau5, A Perfect Circle, Cee Lo Green, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley & Nas, the Cars, Ween, Bright Eyes, Arctic Monkeys, Big Audio Dynamite, Deftones, Beirut, Explosions in the Sky, Death From Above 1979, Ratatat, Crystal Castles, Flogging Molly, Atmosphere, Cold War Kids, Lykke Li, Cage the Elephant, OK GO, Local Natives, The Kills, White Lies, Portugal. The Man, Two Door Cinema Club, Ellie Goulding, Delta Spirit, Beats Antique, Mountain Goats, Sleigh Bells, Manchester Orchestra, Smith Westerns, Best Coast, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, The Drums, Black Lips, Fitz & the Tantrums, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, City and Colour, Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses, Cults, Noah and the Whale, Sam Adams, J. Roddy Walston and the Business, Tinie Tempah, Lissie, Dom, The Vaccines, Foster the People, Titus Andronicus, Mayer Hawthorne and the County, Chico Trujillo, The Naked and Famous, Phantogram, Rival Schools, Friendly Fires, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Reptar, Maps & Atlases, Fences, Tennis, An Horse, Young the Giant, Los Bunkers, Imelda May, Grouplove, Wye Oak, The Joy Formidable, Lord Huron, Disappears, Walk the Moon, Gold Motel, Iration, Ryan Leslie, Tab the Band, Skylar Grey, Christina Perri, Black Cards, The Pretty Reckless, Boy and Bear, Patrick Stump, Kids These Days, Young Man, The Kingston Springs, Lia Ices, The Chain Gang of 1974, Ximena Sarinana, Typhoon, Electric Touch, Kerli, Ruby Jane, Julia Easterlin, and DJ Mel.

On Perry’s Stage:

Girl Talk, Pretty Lights, Kid Cudi, the Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77, AfroJack, Modeselektor, Skrillex, Perryetty vs. Chris Cox, Chuckie, The Glitch MOb, Busy P, Joachim Garraud, Super Mash Bros., Jay Electronica, 12th Planet, Daedulus, Feed Me, JackMaster, Collie Buddz, Savoy, Kyle Lucas and Captain Midnite, Ana Tijouxana, Midnight Conspiracy, L1ght, and Lady D.

Early Bird tickets have already sold out, but you can now buy regular priced tickets for $215 while supplies last. VIP Passes and Travel Packages are also available. A limited number of
Single Day tickets will go on sale June 7. Go here to buy tickets.

Organizers are expecting over 240,000 people.

New Kansas City camping music festival Kanrocksas has revealed the details of its lineup and location.

The festival will feature headliners Muse and Eminem at the Kansas Speedway. Eminem will headline Friday and Muse will be performing Saturday.

Also performing will be Tinie Tempah, Fitz & The Tantrums, Arctic Monkeys, Jack’s Mannequin, Flogging Molly, Primus, Girl Talk, D12, Kid Cudi, The Flaming Lips, A Perfect Circle and The Black Keys.

The event is August 5-6, 2011. The organizers say even more bands will be added to the festival.

You can find more information by visiting kanrocksas.com or following the festival on Twitter and Facebook.

“Are you ready to rock?” asked a jovial Barry Hyde of the Futureheads Friday night. Cheering ensued. He flashed an evil grin. “You’re in the right place, because we are too!” The Sunderland, England punk rock quartet played a blazing set of favorites old and new to a crowd raring to go at the Black Cat in Washington. Their latest album The Chaos was released in America this past Tuesday on Dovecote Records.

The first of two support acts, the Static Jacks, seemed perfectly matched to the punk sensibility of the headlining Sunderland rockers. This five-member New Jersey band is a band primed for success that you’ve probably never even heard of by name before. According to Wikipedia, tunes by this self-described garage-soul band have graced “The Hills” and “The City” and have been featured on stateside satellite radio. Despite sporting a haircut reminiscent of Lyle Lovett, singer Ian Devaney has the swagger and aura of coolness of Joey Ramone and the magnetism of the Horrors‘ Faris Badwan. I was standing in front of bassist Spencer Kimmins and guitarist Henry Kaye and nearly got hit in the head by wayward guitar necks; this didn’t put me off at the slightest, because this is what you should expect during a high energy punk set. You don’t expect the bass player to hit a suitcase with a stick like it was a drum either, but you go with it if the music is good. Despite their young age (all of them under 21, according to the Xs on their hands), they have a polished but aggressive sound. If they keep this up, expect big things from this band soon.

The Like, an all-girl group from Los Angeles, have previously toured with some heavy hitters – Muse, the Arctic Monkeys, and Razorlight, just to name a few. Given their sometimes punk, sometimes sunny pop sound, the comparison to the Go-Go’s is inevitable. There are also whiffs of the Beatles (check out the video for “He’s Not a Boy” below, which reminds me of the nightclub dance scenes in “A Hard Day’s Night”) and the Beach Boys with their harmonies. Oddly, their set sandwiched in between the Static Jacks and the Futureheads almost felt like a rest period because they couldn’t match the liveliness of the other two acts. I would have preferred if they stuck to punk (and showcase their technical chops) than with retro pop. Their next album produced by Mark Ronson, Release Me, will be released on June 15 on Downtown Records.

He’s Not A Boy from The Like on Vimeo.

Sunderland, nestled in the far reaches of Northeast England, has been criminally neglected by music pundits in the past, but mark my words, it won’t be for much longer. One of these days someday soon, America will come to its collective senses and realize the wealth of music there, from the likes of Field Music, Frankie and the Heartstrings, and Friday’s headliners the Futureheads. I should have known I was in for an amazing nights simply from a message lead singer/guitarist Barry Hyde sent me hours before the show, “we’re going to rock your socks off!”

The moment Hyde and his band stepped on the Black Cat stage, you could sense the electricity in the air. The driving count-in of “5-4-3-2-1!” of “The Chaos” was a superb way to begin a set that never let up in sheer intensity and fun. “Heartbeat Song” was prefaced by Hyde with, “imagine it’s the ’80s. You’re in a John Hughes film, and you’ve just fallen in love.” Wow. It’s the obvious earworm single of The Chaos, and was simply breathtaking live as a pop-punk masterpiece. I previously linked to the excellent promo video for the song on a tour announcement 2 months ago, but check out this “making of” video that shows you just how fun these guys are.

Their roadie had painstakingly taped down all the guitar cords onstage, and this was because guitarist Ross Millard, bassist Jaff Craig, and most often Hyde himself could be found roaming the stage while frenetically going at their instruments with gusto. By the second song in, all of them were covered in sweat. Having never seen this band before live, I was not expecting the very funny stage patter from Hyde and the interaction between him, Millard, and Craig. It made an already stellar gig even better, and I’d argue they rank up there with We Are Scientists for pure during-gig hilarity. Early on in the show, Hyde chided a drunk couple who had been chatting throughout the set, one of whom had thrown a empty glass at his feet. “You do know this is a gig, right?” The crowd cheered in response.

During their cover of Kate Bush‘s “Hounds of Love,” Hyde involved the audience in a shouting contest, as Millard was unable to do his harmonies due to a sore throat, Hyde admitting he was scared to sing part of a song that he’d never done live before. Aww. (If you were wondering, my side singing along with Craig won the contest due to our enthusiasm in participating.) For the encore, Hyde indulged a devoted fan as the band played “Man Ray” from their 2004 self-titled debut album, saying to her, “after every single song we’ve played you shouted for this.” Just goes to show that persistence, in the presence of a obliging band, pays off. After such an energetic set, it was obvious that these chaps from Sunderland could have played on for hours and hours and the crowd would have eaten it all up. I can’t wait to see these guys again soon.

The Futureheads Set List
The Chaos
Meantime
Heartbeat Song
Decent Days and Nights
The Baron
Area
Struck Dumb
Sun Goes Down
Skip to the End
The Connector
I Can Do That
The Beginning of the Twist
Hounds of Love (Kate Bush cover)
Jupiter
//
This is the Life
Man Ray
Work is Never Done

Tour Dates
Jun 07 – Paradise / Boston
Jun 08 – Bowery Ballroom / New York City
Jun 10 – Mod Club / Toronto
Jun 11 – Magic Stick / Detroit
Jun 12 – Lincoln Hall / Chicago

The Futureheads: website | myspace | The Futureheads Ready for June North American Tour
The Static Jacks: website | myspace
The Like: website | myspace

We bet that you’ll look good on the dance floor when the Arctic Monkeys come to Lawrence. That’s why we want to make sure you’re there and having a grand time.

PopWreckoning has been given a grand opportunity, thanks to Velocity Media, to give our fans the chance to see the Arctic Monkeys with Sleepy Sun for free. The show will take place at Liberty Hall (Lawrence, Kan.) on Monday, April 12 at 7 p.m.

PopWreckoning will be giving away 4 pairs (8 total) tickets to the show. This contest will end at 5 p.m. the day of show. Winners tickets will be at the door when you arrive at the show. Please make sure you include your full name and email in the comment, otherwise I can not get in touch with you to tell you that you have won.

Winning is simple (and only two steps).

1. Comment in this article the answer to the following question: What’s your favorite Arctic Monkeys’ song and why? PopWreckoning staff will read your opinions and choose the best four day of show.

2. Repost this article on either your facebook, twitter, myspace, blog, website or other social media tool. Spread the wealth, then send us the link (by posting it in your comment).

Then show up at the bar and have fun watching a great band on us.

Sheffield, England indie rockers Arctic Monkeys have announced a 11-date tour of America for this April. This tour will hit cities on the East Coast and Midwest. San Francisco band Sleepy Sun will be the opening act on all dates.

“My Propeller,” the band’s third single from their current album Humbug, will be released on March 22 in the UK.

Tour Dates:
Apr 01 – Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theatre / Miami
Apr 02 – Ritz / Tampa
Apr 03 – Hard Rock Live / Orlando
Apr 05 – 40 Watt Club / Athens, GA
Apr 06 – Disco Rodeo / Raleigh
Apr 07 – Rams Head Live / Baltimore
Apr 09 – Madison Theatre / Covington, KY
Apr 11 – Pageant / St. Louis, MO
Apr 12 – Liberty Hall / Lawrence, KS
Apr 13 – Cain’s Ballroom / Tulsa
Apr 15 – Marquee / Tempe, AZ

Arctic Monkeys: website | myspace | Photo Essay: Chicago Roundup (featuring Pixies, The Flaming Lips, Arctic Monkeys, etc.) | Humbug review | Arctic Monkeys to Stream Special Gig Including New Album Tracks | Arctic Monkeys Drop New Single, Announce North American Tour | Arctic Monkeys DVD/CD Contest

The past 30 days have been a doozy in the greater Chicago area for fans of music as The Pixies had a three night Dolittle showcase at the Aragon Ballroom, Arctic Monkeys brought the haunting fuzz rock of Humbug to the Riviera Theatre and The Flaming Lips headlined one hell of  a Christmas show with the likes of Phoenix and Pete Yorn at the All State Arena. Photos below.