Philadelphia’s Good Old Warwill play ten shows with Alison Krauss in June, beginning with a stop at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre on June 23rd. The band will then join Gomez for four east coast dates.
The trio’s self-titled album debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Chart, reaching #1 on iTunes Singer/Songwriter chart and #1 overall at Amazon. They’ve now sold over 40,000 albums on their independent label, Sargent House. Good Old War is currently recording their third album, expected to be released in late 2011.
Good Old War with Alison Krauss
06/23 Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theater
06/24 Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
06/28 Jacksonville, OR @ Britt Pavilion
06/29 Troutdale, OR @ Edgefield
07/01 Boise, ID @ Idaho Botanical Gardens
07/04 Calgary, AB @ Jack Singer Concert Hall
07/05 Edmonton, AB @ Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
07/07 Vancouver, BC @ Vancouver Island Music
07/08 Redmond, WA @ Marymoor Amphitheater
07/09 Bend, OR @ Les Schwab Amphitheater
07/10 Stateline, NV @ Lake Tahoe’s Harvey’s Outdoor Arena
Good Old War with Gomez
07/12 Boston, MA @ The Paradise
07/14 New York, NY @ Terminal 5
07/15 Philadelphia, PA @ Theater of Living Arts
07/18 Washington D.C. @ 9:30 Club
The Holy Ghost! story begins in 2007 – when Alex Frankel and Nick Millhiser, childhood friends and mutual lovers of dance beats, released a song that quickly became a dance classic, “Hold On.” It’s hard to believe it took them four years, but here we are in 2011, and the dance duo is finally releasing their self-titled debut album. No surprise they’re releasing it on their good friend James Murphy‘s DFA Records. Actually, you can trace James Murphy‘s influence in this first release of Holy Ghost!‘s: Murphy asked Frankel and Millhiser to tour with LCD Soundsystem in 2010, which forced the duo out of their comfort zone (usually presiding over the decks at dance clubs as DJs, never playing live) to come up with a Holy Ghost! live show. Interview Magazine has called their sound, “Michael Jackson meetsNew Order at a 1979 disco.” Right up my alley.
Indeed, songs from their debut album are currently being played while the duo, with three additional musicians, are opening for Melbourne’s Cut Copy on their North American tour, now in progress. However, Frankel has said, “I didn’t want to limit myself to making an album that could only be played in clubs,” with Millhiser adding, “we were trying to make something that people would want to listen to, front and back, at home.” Their self-titled debut album is a testament that this can be done – and can be done well. Two of the 10 tracks on this effort (“Static on the Wire” and “Say My Name”) are from the band’s Static on the Wire EP released last year, and the aforementioned “Hold On” also figures on this album. All three are superb tracks; it’s not hard for me to imagine these being played for sweaty masses on a dance floor, albeit possibly in clubbier, more drawn-out versions.
But you’d be remiss to only focus on those tracks. The album opener, “Do It Again,” is mesmerizing, with its relentless driving rhythm and shimmery synths. “Wait and See,” which DFA is giving away as a free download on Soundcloud, is clear evidence of the band’s ’70s disco / ’80s new wave and electropop sensibilities. “Hold My Breath” is cut from a similar cloth. “Jam for Jerry” is an upbeat yet wistful tune, likely to be a loving homage to the late Jerry Fuchs, drummer of LCD Soundsystem and !!!, disguised as a dance love song.
The best track on here is “It’s Not Over” – here is where I’m guessing any New Order comparisons began. The synthesized bass line sounds like it was yesterday that Bernard Sumner was surreptitiously pushing Peter Hook out of the band with programming, only that with Alex Frankel’s soulful vocal delivery and tribal drum patterns, it’s something very unique that you won’t quickly forget. As a dance record, Holy Ghost! is not in your face, and that’s a good thing. Most dance recordings are overproduced, overwrought jumbles of sound with no direction. This one hits all the right buttons.
Tracklisting
01. Do It Again
02. Wait and See
03. Hold My Breath
04. Say My Name
05. Jam for Jerry
06. Hold On
07. It’s Not Over
08. Slow Motion
09. Static on the Wire
10. Some Children
Holy Ghost!‘s self-titled debut album will be released on April 12 on DFA Records. The band is currently on tour as support for Cut Copy. The band will also make appearances this month at Coachella on April 15 and at a headlining gig at Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg on April 29.
Tour Dates
Apr 04 – House of Blues / Boston*
Apr 05 – Club Soda / Montreal*
Apr 06 – Terminal 5 / New York City*
Apr 07 – Sound Academy / Toronto*
Apr 08 – Riviera / Chicago*
Apr 09 – First Avenue / Minneapolis*
Apr 12 – Showbox SoDo / Seattle*
Apr 15 – Coachella / Indio, CA
Apr 16-17 – Grand Ballroom @ Regency / San Francisco*
Apr 20 – Granada Theater / Dallas*
Apr 22 – Stubbs / Austin*
Apr 23 – Republic / New Orleans*
Apr 29 – Music Hall of Williamsburg / Brooklyn*
*supporting Cut Copy
There aren’t a huge number of Welsh bands that have achieved worldwide superstardom. But if I had to place a bet on any active UK band, I would put my money on the Joy Formidable.
The band is fronted by a woman, the blonde, beautiful, and irrepressible Ritzy Bryan, and normally even I would be dubious of a woman out front of a indie rock group, but there’s something different here. The brilliant rhythm section of Rhydian Dafydd (bass / vocals) and Matt Thomas (drums) bangs on with equal authority to Bryan’s banging guitar and lead vocals. In May 2010, the trio released an EP in America called A Balloon Called Moaning, eight songs showcasing the band’s sound, mixing up pop, punk, grunge, and rock in an engaging way. This week, the Joy Formidable release their debut album in America called The Big Roar, and this is the kind of album that should make you take notice of this band.
At the start of “The Everchanging Changing Spectrum of a Lie,” the first song on the album, you can hear the sound of balloons being blown up and then being popped, no doubt a nod to their previous EP’s title. When Bryan asks emphatically, “can’t you see I’m good?” you can feel the lyric dripping with her emotion. It’s rare that I come across a female vocalist whose singing sentiment I can relate to; with Ritzy Bryan, you know this is a woman who wears her heart on her sleeve, for our benefit. The aforementioned banging guitars usher in and fill in around the words of “A Heavy Abacus.” The strangely titled “Llaw = Wall” allows Dafydd to take lead vocal duties; the first half of the song is as gentle as a lullaby before the guitars return to snap you back into the reality that is a Joy Formidable album.
This debut album smartly features some of the strongest songs from A Balloon Called Moaning. “Austere” features a thudding, relentless bass line from Dafydd and Bryan’s evocative lyrics. It’s one thing to just bash the hell out of your instruments, but this trio from North Wales seems to have figured out the formula of appropriately balancing guitars and drums to create a compelling soundscape to pair with dreamy lyrics. “Whirring” has Thomas’s military-style drumming, Bryan’s vocals spat out in a similarly staccato fashion. She repeats, “all these things about me you never can tell / you make me sleep so badly, invisible friend.” My guess is that the song is about how something haunts you, like a secret you can’t tell anyone else and how it’s eating you up because you can’t be honest with yourself, let alone other people. Whether your secret is big or small, I think everyone can relate to this.
Then there are the less successful numbers in this collection of 12 songs. “I Don’t Want to See You Like This”; I find the nearly spoken lyrics dry and not at the same high quality of the backing instrumentation. “Maruyama” is a Japanese-flavored dream pop track that doesn’t go anywhere interesting. The guitars and drums fight with Bryan’s voice for authority in “Buoy” and unfortunately the unconvincing instrumentation wins out.
But I can overlook these because there are some real gems in here. “The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade,” also borrowed from A Balloon Called Moaning, closes The Big Roar in fine fashion: the rhythm is hypnotic, and I love the way Bryan’s voice is soft and angelic despite the crashing guitars around her. It’s inspirational, yet also sad; truth be told, it makes me cry every time. I read it as someone saying goodbye to a lover: what comes after you’ve accepted that the relationship is over is the healing of your own heart, the recognition that brighter days ahead, and the cognizance that you can look to that other person not with hate or regret, but with the acknowledgment and remembrance of something wonderful that you once shared with that person. Which is what I think speaks to me most about the Joy Formidable: somehow they’ve managed to write compelling rock songs that allow you, the listener, to headbang to heavy but complex guitar rhythms, yet have strong lyrical, emotional content. So it shouldn’t be surprising that frontwoman Bryan has named the Smiths as an important musical influence. Get this album, you won’t be disappointed.
The Big Roar by the Joy Formidable is available now from Atlantic Records. Catch the band on their huge tour in North America in March and April, including appearances this week at South by Southwest and next month at Coachella. Support for the tour will be from Monaand the Lonely Forest.
Track Listing:
01. The Ever Changing Spectrum of a Lie
02. The Magnifying Glass
03. I Don’t Want to See You Like This
04. Austere
05. A Heavy Abacus
06. Whirring
07. Buoy
08. Maruyama
09. Cradle
10. Llaw = Wall
11. Chapter 2
12. The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade
Tour Dates
Mar 17 – Parish / Austin
Mar 17 – Mellow Johnny’s / Austin
Mar 18 – Waterloo Records (in store) / Austin
Mar 18 – Buffalo Billiards / Austin
Mar 19 – Brush Square Park / Austin
Mar 19 – La Zona Rosa / Austin
Mar 22 – Earl / Atlanta
Mar 24 – Coffeehouse @ Duke University / Durham, NC
Mar 25 – Black Cat / Washington, DC
Mar 26 – Valentine’s / Albany
Mar 28 – Met / Providence
Mar 29 – Brighton Music Hall / Allston, MA
Mar 30 – Johnny Brenda’s / Philadelphia
Mar 31 – Terrace Club @ Princeton University / Princeton, NJ
Apr 01 – Abbey / Harrisburg
Apr 02 – Horseshoe Tavern / Toronto
Apr 04 – Basement / Columbus
Apr 05 – Lincoln Hall / Chicago
Apr 06 – 7th Street Entry / Minneapolis
Apr 08 – Larimer Lounge / Denver
Apr 09 – Kilby Court / Salt Lake City
Apr 11 – Mississippi Studios / Portland
Apr 12 – Crocodile / Seattle
Apr 14 – Bottom of the Hill / San Francisco
Apr 16 – Coachella / Indio, CA
Apr 19 – Rhythm Room / Phoenix
Apr 20 – Launchpad / Albuquerque
Apr 22 – Luminary Arts Center / St. Louis
Apr 23 – Riot Room / Kansas City
Apr 26 – Grog Shop / Cleveland
Apr 27 – Smiling Moose / Pittsburgh
Apr 29 – Webster Hall / New York City
Melbourne, Australia’s Cut Copy will be touring North America this spring in support of their forthcoming album, Zonoscope, due out February 8 in America. The Aussie synthpop band will be supported on all (non-festival) dates by New York’s Holy Ghost!
These North American dates follow a European tour. The band will also be making appearances, naturally, at Australia’s Laneways Festival in February, as well as Miami’s big electronic music festival, Ultra, on March 26.
Tour Dates
Mar 26 – Ultra Music Festival / Miami
Mar 28 – Masquerade (Heaven Stage) / Atlanta
Mar 29 – 9:30 Club / Washington DC
Mar 31 – Trocadero / Philadelphia
Apr 02 – Terminal 5 / New York City
Apr 04 – House of Blues / Boston
Apr 05 – Club Soda / Montreal
Apr 07 – Sound Academy / Toronto
Apr 08 – Riviera / Chicago
Apr 09 – First Avenue / Minneapolis
Apr 12 – Showbox SoDo / Seattle
Apr 15 – Coachella / Indio, CA
Apr 16 – Grand Ballroom @ Regency / San Francisco
Apr 20 – Granada Theater / Dallas
Apr 22 – Stubbs / Austin
Apr 23 – Republic / New Orleans
Judging by the line that had already formed a hour and a half before doors opened at the 9:30 for a sold-out gig Saturday night, this was going to be a unique night. In all the time I’ve gone to gigs in Washington, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such devoted fans. A group of kids and an older man (probably a dad or uncle acting as chaperone) were camped out outside the box office for who knows how long, looking comfy with collapsible chairs, blankets, and provisions. Four teens caught my eye with their faces, bodies and clothes covered in Xs (black Sharpie) – obviously diehard xx fans. Both Hot Chip and their supporting act for the night, the xx, played well-received sets at the hordes at Coachella the previous weekend; they were two of a handful of acts that happened to be on the right side of the pond before the Icelandic volcano madness that grounded other English bands.
This was to be the third Washington appearance in 5 months for the xx, and from the vocal fan greeting, xx-mania in America is all systems go. The band looked weary and said little in between songs: singer/bassist Oliver Sim told us, “we’ve been here in the States touring for about 6 weeks now, and we go home tomorrow. So I’d like to thank you, Washington, on behalf of America. Thank you so much for an amazing tour. And thank you to Hot Chip, they’re gonna blow your mind!” Even though I’ve seen this band more times than I can count on one hand, I’m still in awe of Romy Madley-Croft‘s guitar-playing and her and Sim’s vocals, just fantastic. Their short set was punctuated by an instrumental added to the end of “Infinity,” which saw Sim ditch his bass in favor of hitting a high-hat with unbridled energy, all the while programming / percussion guru Jamie Smith providing even heavier driving beats.
Despite exhaustion, the three clad in black seemed unfazed by playing to their biggest crowd in D.C. yet, soldiering through most of the songs from their debut album from last year, xx. I can’t really pick out any particular crowd favorites, because from where I was standing, I was surrounded by fans who flailed and waved their arms to the sultry rhythms of every single song from this trio from London. Usually stoic Madley-Croft gave us a grin when a girl near me shouted, “Romy, smile!” The xx have a lot to be happy about – a dedicated and growing fanbase and North American success.
The xx Set List:
Intro
Crystalised
Islands
Shelter
VCR
Basic Space
Nighttime
Infinity
Hot Chip‘s set began with mood music that is better associated with the circus than as an intro for a celebrated electropop / dance band from London. Dressed nattily in a white suit jacket and blue and white stripy shirt, primary singer Alexis Taylorthanked us all for coming before launching into “Hand Me Down My Love,” an r&b infused track from their latest album, One Life Stand. I was most looking forward to hearing the title track, and it didn’t disappoint: guitarist/singer Al Doyle played a steel drum, which added a tropical feel to the band’s famous collection of synthesizers.
I’m still not keen on “Brothers” or “Alley Cats,” but I’m guessing I’m in the minority. This was a hands in the air/bodies bumping kind of night. When the band came back for an encore, they began with the great “I Feel Better.” Every time I hear this song, I can’t help but think of (and laugh about) the promo video they did for the song. Directed by Peter Serafinowicz, it shows the band’s evident joy in poking fun at the hugely popular (and unfortunately BRIT-winning, depending on who you talk to) boyband JLS. Hot Chip – I Feel Better
I’d never seen Hot Chip prior to this, so it was cool to see these almost cartoony characters I’d only seen in pictures come to life, performing on the 9:30 Club stage. It was fabulous to see and hear the audience reaction to the newer songs that dominated Saturday’s set list, which appeared to be no different and not any less enthusiastic compared to the reception of the obvious favorites “Over and Over” and set-ender “Ready for the Floor.” Speaking of the latter, that song was only the third time ever in my life when I actually feared for my life at a concert. Word of warning: Hot Chip shows are not for the faint of heart. If you’re not prepared to be swept up by a pulsating mob of giddy, drunk dancegoers, then stand in the back (or if you’re at the 9:30, watch from the balcony). But if you’re in the mood to get sweaty, let your hair down, and shake a tail feather with excited, like-minded individuals, a Hot Chip gig is the place for you.
NPR broadcast the concert live last night but in case you missed it, they have audio that you can stream now on their site. Enjoy!
Hot Chip Set List:
Hand Me Down My Love
One Pure Thought
Thieves in the Night
Brothers
One Life Stand
Over and Over
Alley Cats
Boy from School
Take It In
We Have Love
Hold On
//
I Feel Better
No Fit State
Ready for the Floor
Like Passion Pit, Hockey is an American band I was introduced to last winter not by American radio but by the lovely Nemone Metaxas, one of my favorite DJs on BBC6music. I loved the exuberant “Too Fake” the first time I heard its electronic dance pop goodness through my computer speakers. My interest in the Portland band was further piqued when I learned they had toured in the UK in early 2009 as support for Friendly Fires. The problem was getting a chance to see the band stateside. The band has toured North America a couple times now, but had never played in D.C., so when I got the alert a while back that they would be playing the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel, I was chomping at the bit.
The opening act for the night were the Postelles, a New York City band that Rolling Stone has described as “channel[ing] Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello and – more recently – the Arctic Monkeys and the Strokes, building songs from brief guitar stabs and sounding like the wound-up early hours of what will be a long Saturday night on the town. There are elements of both mod and post-punk, but the Postelles have a sneering attitude all their own…” Interesting description. Frankly, they sound to me more similar to New York-based indie rockers Locksley and Sunderland, England’s Frankie and the Heartstrings, bands that have gone back in time to perfect the ‘60s pop / rock ‘n’ roll band model.
Make no mistake: the Postelles have a sound all their own and they sound great live, led by lead singer/guitarist Daniel Balk’s yearning vocals. Sometimes I wish I had the talent to come up with a good pop melody. The Postelles definitely can, as evidenced by the guitar-jangly “Sleep on the Dance Floor,” one of their set’s highlights. The title of the song “Hey Little Sister” sounds like it was written by Lennon/McCartney (do “Hello Little Girl” and “Little Child” ring any bells?), and I thought it was just amazing live, guitarist David Dargahi taking on lead vocals and mixing things up a bit. In a way, I was glad the Constellations canceled, because that meant we got a longer set from the Postelles than fans in other cities. The band’s debut EP White Nights was released the first week of March on Capitol Records / Astralwerks and is available now.
The Postelles Set List
Looking Glass
White Nights
She She
New song
Beat on the Brat (Ramones cover)
Stella
Hey Little Sister
Can’t Stand Still
Sleep on the Dance Floor
1, 2, 3 Stop
Hockey were supposed to go on at 10 (with the Postelles at 9) but they didn’t actually get on stage until 10:40, fortuitous for latecomers who crammed in at the front of the stage. When the band came on stage to tinker with their instruments, lead singer Ben Grubin flashed me a grin, so I knew I was in for a good show. Their debut albumMind Chaos is such a fun, fun record that I had way too high expectations, envisioning that they’d all appear dressed as colorfully as their record with hats and bandannas, and be jumping all over the stage. No such luck.
Instead, Grubin came on in a trademark hoodie but soon peeled it off to reveal a stripy white and orange tunic over black jeans. He was bopping around the stage excitedly and man-handling his microphone reminiscent of another of my favorite musicians, Londoner Patrick Wolf. Alternately between guitar, harmonica (for the folky “Four Holy Photos,” proving the band’s versatility), and a percussion set-up, he was clearly the star of the night. Seeing that Wednesday was St. Patrick’s Day and the crowd at the RnR was rowdier than normal for a weeknight, a new song that I think is called “DJ” seemed entirely appropriate, introduced by Grubin as “[Irish] jig and bluegrass music.”
“3 A.M. Spanish” was a high point of their set, the bass lines from Brian White and hot beats from touring keyboardist Ryan Dolliver just fabulous with Grubin’s hip hoppy vocal approach, punctuated by yelps for the chorus. They also didn’t disappoint with my absolute favorite song from Mind Chaos, “Song Away.” If there was ever a song that could lift your spirits, this is definitely it, with its refrain of “tomorrow’s just a song away.” And really, it is, isn’t it?
Check out this video of the song from their performance at Lollapalooza last summer. I hope this explains why I don’t have too many good photos of him, the man cannot keep still! Just thinking about it, I’m so eager to see the band again very soon.
Hockey Set List
Work
Learn to Lose
Rebels Marry Young (new song)
3 A.M. Spanish
Four Holy Photos
DJ (new song)
Curse This City
Song Away
Preacher
Wanna Be Black
Everyone’s the Same Age
Too Fake
Put the Game Down
Tour Dates
Mar 21 – Snug Harbor / Charlotte
Mar 23 – Mercy Lounge / Nashville*
Mar 24 – Drunken Unicorn / Atlanta*
Mar 25 – Cafe 11 / St. Augustine, FL*
Mar 26 – Club Downunder / Tallahassee, FL*
Mar 27 – Bottletree / Birmingham*
Mar 29 – Thirsty Hippo / Hattiesburg, MS*
Mar 30 – Spanish Moon / Baton Rouge*
Apr 01 – Warehouse Live / Houston*
Apr 02 – Emo’s / Austin*
Apr 03 – Loft / Dallas*
Apr 05 – Brewing Company / Santa Fe*
Apr 06 – Larimer Lounge / Denver*
Apr 07 – Kilby Court / Salt Lake City
Apr 08 – Neurolux / Boise*
Apr 10 – Wonder Ballroom / Portland*
Apr 16 – Coachella Music Festival / Indio, CA
* with the Postelles
Monday night at the Patriot Center in Northern Virginia was just the second show in a long string of North American dates for stadium rock heroes Muse. I’ve seen some crazy crowd footage from the band’s performances in recent years so understandably, I was concerned about an out of control general admission audience. An English friend of mine is a huge fan of the band and has seen them more times than he count on one hand. So I figured he would be the one to ask regarding concert safety, and our discussion went something like this:
Me: Okay, so the Muse gig in March is general admission. Where do I stand, so I don’t get killed by the mosh pit? Him: Don’t stand in the middle! Stand either to the left or the right, and you’ll be fine. Me: Really? Him: Yeah, you’ll be fine.
And he was right. By the time a friend and I arrived at the arena, there was already a long line going around one side of the building, so I figured placing ourselves front and center wouldn’t be possible anyway. As luck would have it, we ended up in “second row” on stage right, squarely in front of the exact spot where Matt Bellamy (lead vocals / guitar / piano) stood for much of the show, so it turned out to be an excellent vantage point.
Opening for Muse was Los Angeles band Silversun Pickups. Frontman/guitarist Brian Aubert had the daunting task of leading his band in front of crazy Muse fans, but I thought they did an admirable job, playing songs familiar to me off 2009′s Grammy-nominated Swoon like the fabulous “Substitution.” Dark-haired bassist Nikki Monninger dazzled in a magenta sleeveless dress, busting out the awesome bass lines to the Silversun Pickups song everyone should know by now, “Panic Switch.” While they had no problem filling the cavernous 10,000-seat arena with their brand of rock, I’m imagining they’d sound even better in a smaller club.
Even before one note was played that night, there was the question of three towers draped in gray cloth, standing on the far end of the stage. We didn’t know what these were for until the lights went down shortly before 9:30 PM, causing everyone in the now-filled venue to hoot and holler in approval as images of shadows started to “walk” up the towers, further building the suspense. Finally, cloth dropped, revealing Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme(bass guitar / backing vocals), and Dom Howard (drums) on their individual towers. What a truly dramatic way to usher in “Uprising.” Turns out these “towers” house fancy hydraulic lifts that allow the band to be raised high above us or when they feel like it, join us mortals back down on the regular stage.
The Resistance was one of my top 10 albums of 2009, even though when I first heard some of the tracks, sprinkled liberally with sweeping orchestral arrangements and Bellamy’s piano tinklings, I wanted to scream, “stop trying to be Queen!” (The band have, in fact, admitted their love for Queen, and Queen guitarist Brian May has indicated his appreciation for Muse’s music, so this shouldn’t have come as a surprise.) Now, having heard many of the tracks from the Resistance live a couple days ago and having it all sink in, all I can say is…wow. This Led Zeppelin fangirl from back in the day was not at all expecting an homage to the gods of hard rock by way of Jimmy Page’s guitar solo at the start of Led Zeppelin II‘s “Heartbreaker.” But if there was any better way Bellamy could intro “Supermassive Black Hole” on his guitar, I’d like to see him try.
It’s hard to pinpoint my highlights of the night, but the superbly sensual “Plug in Baby” (from 2001′s Origin of Symmetry) has to be at the top of the list. Bellamy is the consummate songwriter, and my impression from Monday night is that he is also the consummate performer as well. Whether wailing on his guitar or keytar, singing in his trademark falsetto voice, or banging away on the piano, the man has more talent in his body than should be allowed. Wolstenholme’s thumping bass and Howard’s drumming, along with Bellamy’s contributions, assured that every Muse song was played with deftness and might. The crowning moment was “Knights of Cydonia,” the precision of the commanding guitars and Howard’s drumming making this truly one rocktastic tune. Every single person in the arena sang along with Bellamy on the chorus of “no one’s gonna take me alive / time has come to make things right / you and I must fight for our rights / you and I must fight to survive,” all in one voice. Absolutely brilliant. This band from Devon, England has worked so very hard to get where they are today, and I’m so glad that finally they’re getting the mainstream success they deserve in America.
There’s a wonderful line in Muse’s current love song single, “Resistance”: “I’ll wait a thousand years, just to see you smile again.” Muse is one of those bands that if you love sweeping guitar rock, they’re sure to make you smile. I’m glad I won’t have to wait that long to see them: the wide, Muse-induced smile is going to return to my face this summer. If you want to see what you’re missing, check out the official promo video for the song below. (If you’re seeing them on this tour, you may want to skip it so you’ll be surprised!)
Muse Set List
Uprising
Resistance New Born
Map of the Problematique
Supermassive Black Hole (with wicked Led Zeppelin “Heartbreaker”-influenced intro)
Interlude
Guiding Light
Hysteria
United States of Eurasia (no piano outro)
Feelin’ Good (Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse cover)
Helsinki Jam
Undisclosed Desires
Starlight
Plug in Baby
Time is Running Out
Unnatural Selection
//
Exogenesis
Stockholm Syndrome
Knights of Cydonia
Tour Dates
Mar 05 – Madison Square Garden / New York City
Mar 06 – Banknorth Garden / Boston
Mar 08 – Air Canada Center / Toronto
Mar 10 – Bell Centre / Montreal
Mar 12 – United Center / Chicago
Mar 13 – Palace Of Auburn Hills / Detroit
Mar 15 – Bridgestone Arena/ Nashville
Mar 17 – Fort Worth Convention Center / Dallas
Mar 18 – Toyota Center / Houston
Mar 29 – Rexall Place / Edmonton
Mar 30 – Pengrowth Saddledome / Calgary
Apr 01 – Pacific Coliseum / Vancouver
Apr 02 – Key Arena / Seattle
Apr 03 – Rose Garden Arena / Portland
Apr 05 – E Center / Salt Lake City
Apr 06 – 1stBank Center / Denver
Apr 09 – U.S. Airways Center / Phoenix
Apr 10 – Mandalay Bay Events Center / Las Vegas
Apr 11 – Pima County Fairgrounds / Tucson
Apr 14 – Oracle Arena / San Francisco
Apr 17 – Coachella Music Festival / Indio, CA
Australian band the Middle East is flying high these days. In early February, the group’s track “Blood” was tipped by two major BBC radio shows in Britain – Steve Lamacq‘s drivetime program on the now threatened with closure BBC6music station, and Radio2′s evening show hosted by Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie. Talk about ringing endorsements. So it should come as no surprise that with this momentum, the band has announced American festival appearances for the spring, with a proper tour of North America to follow.
Fittingly, the band will begin the tour – with darlings of the London folk scene Mumford and Sons in tow – at the Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on May 14. That tour ends on June 10 at Dallas’s House of Blues. I’ve been telling people the March UK tour line-up of Mumford and Sons with Fanfarlo couldn’t be beat, but I guess someone upstairs heard me! I couldn’t help myself, both bands are so wonderful, I wanted to share videos from both with you. Watch, listen, and enjoy. And catch the bands at a venue near you.
The Middle East – “Blood”
Mumford and Sons - “The Cave”
Tour Dates
Mar 14 – NX35 Music Conference / Denton, TX
Mar 17-20 – South by Southwest / Austin
Apr 18 – Coachella Music Festival / Indio, CA
May 13 – Cabaret du Musee Juste Pour Rire / Montreal
May 14 – Middle East Downstairs / Cambridge, MA*
May 16 – Fillmore at TLA / Philadelphia*
May 18 – Webster Hall / New York City*
May 20 – 9:30 Club / Washington, DC*
May 21 – Beachland Ballroom / Cleveland*
May 22 – Wexner Center / Columbus*
May 24 - Lincoln Hall / Chicago*
May 25 – Varsity Theatre / Minneapolis*
May 29 – Sasquatch Music Festival / George, WA*
May 30 – 560 Club / Vancouver*
May 31 – Aladdin Theatre / Portland*
Jun 03 – Great American Music Hall / San Francisco*
Jun 04 – Henry Fonda Theatre / Los Angeles*
Jun 07 – Rhythm Room / Phoenix*
Jun 09 – Antone’s / Austin*
Jun 10 – House of Blues / Dallas*
* with Mumford and Sons
The Middle East: myspace Mumford and Sons: website | myspace | MP3 Minute: Mumford and Sons Cover Vampire Weekend
On his way to Indio, California’s legendary Coachella festival, Thom Yorke of Radiohead fame has announced that his current project Atoms For Peace (formerly Thom Yorke????) will be playing select dates across the country.
Tour Dates:
April 5 & 6 – Roseland Ballroom / New York City
April 8 – Citi Wang Theatre / Boston
April 10 & 11 – Aragon Ballroom / Chicago
April 14 & 15 - Fox Theatre / Oakland, Ca.
April 17 – Santa Barbara Bowl / Santa Barbara
April 18 – Coachella / Indio, Ca.
By now, I’m sure you’ve heard the track “Sweet Disposition” by Aussies the Temper Trap, featured on the film “(500) Days of Summer.” And thanks to the very nice folks at Filter Magazine, we have some signed Temper Trap merchandise to give away.
To win a t-shirt or a poster featuring the cover art of their debut albumConditions signed by the band, comment below with the correct answer to the following question: What city is the Temper Trap from?
Answers must be in before Friday, February 19 at noon CDT. We will choose the winners then. Please use a valid email address when entering. Note: This competition is open to American residents only.
Check out below the promo video for the excellent “Fader,” the Temper Trap‘s third single out in the UK. Conditions is available digitally everywhere now. As previously reported on PopWreckoning, the band will hit the road in North America starting March 10 in Los Angeles and is scheduled to appear at Coachella on April 17.
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Concert Calendar
Nov 23, 2011
HaHa Tonka @ Recordbar, Kansas City MO
Nov 25, 2011
Thee Oh Sees @ The Granada, Lawrence KS
Philadelphia’s Good Old War will play ten shows with Alison Krauss in June, beginning with a stop at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre on June 23rd. The band will then join Gomez for four east coast dates.
There aren’t a huge number of Welsh bands that have achieved worldwide superstardom. But if I had to place a bet on any active UK band, I would put my money on 
By now, I’m sure you’ve heard the track “Sweet Disposition” by Aussies 
