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Crystal Antlers will tour this Fall with WU LYF in support of their new release Two-Way Mirror. Prior to that, you can catch Crystal Antlers at one of their Brooklyn, San Diego, or Los Angeles area dates. Here’s a  personal note from Jonny Bell in the band with further details!

Friends,

 A week ago we released our 2nd album, Two-Way Mirror in the US (UK August 1 and EU on September 5). It was born out of a trip of isolation in Mexico following a ton of touring and the news that our old label home, Touch and Go, was downsizing to a more catalog focused operation. We recorded in Long Beach with our good friend Ikey who produced our first EP and Jack Endino mixed it. Raymond Pettibon provided the art.

Since completing the recording we’ve been dealing with a mountain of DIY manufacturing tasks, setting up distribution deals and putting together a small team to help us get the word out. It’s been a tough and costly learning experience releasing it on this scale by ourselves, but for the knowledge we’ve gained, it was well worth it.

TOUR DATES

08-04 Brooklyn, NY – Vans House Parties (w/ Man Man, Glass Candy)

08-06 Brooklyn, NY – Glasslands Gallery (w/ Gary War, Team Robespierre, Balkans)

09-10 San Diego, CA – Bar Pink (w/ White Fence)

10-19 Riverside, CA – The Barn

TOUR W/ WU LYF

11-06 Washington, DC – Rock N Roll Hotel

11-08 Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg

11-10 Boston, MA – Middle East Downstairs

11-11 Montreal, QC – Il Motore

11-12 Toronto, ON – Legendary Horseshoe Tavern

11-14 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle

11-15 Minneapolis, MN – 7^th Street Entry

11-18 Vancouver, BC – Electric Owl

11-19 Seattle, WA – Crocodile Café

11-21 San Francisco, CA – The Independent

11-22 Los Angeles, CA – The Troubadour

www.crystalantlers.com

Catch Crystal Antlers on tour now and pick up a copy of their new, self-released LP Two-Way Mirror out July 12.

In early 2010, following the release of their first full-length album and the completion of nine US and European tours, Crystal Antlers finally settled down to focus on a new record. With their constantly evolving sound of experimental, punk, noise & psychedelia, and newest addition/influence to the band, organist Cora Foxx, Crystal Antlers developed a sound uniquely their own which is showcased within their second full length. With the new material in hand, the band began recording Two-Way Mirror in September 2010 at the Compound studio in their hometown of Long Beach, California. The completed tracking was sent to producer/mixer Jack Endino, (known for his work with Nirvana) for mixing, and finally to influential punk artist Raymond Pettibon for album art.

Tour dates are as listed below:

Jun 13 Reno NV – Holland Project
Jun 14 Sacramento CA – Luigi’s Fun Garden
Jun 15 San Francisco CA – Thee Parkside
Jun 26 San Diego CA – Che Cafe
Jul 04 Los Angeles CA – The Echo
Jul 11 Los Angeles CA – The Echo
Jul 18 Los Angeles CA – The Echo
Jul 25 Los Angeles CA – The Echo
Aug 06 Brooklyn NY – Glasslands

Visit www.crystalantlers.com for a FREE download of single “Summer Solstice.”

The backstory of London, England’s the Big Pink is, shall we say, quite interesting. Robbie Furze (vocals/guitar) and Milo Cordell (programming/keyboards/synthesizer/vocals) first joined up to run a record label called Hatechannel. At the end of 2007, they got to the point where they wanted to make some noise of their own and see where it would lead. They’ve admitted that they originally wanted to be “the digital Velvet Underground” and “more Phil Spector than My Bloody Valentine“; these descriptions may give you some indication of what they sound like if you’ve never heard a tune of theirs. But their foundations in loving the Band (whose first album provided the band’s name – Furze’s parents were huge fans of Robbie Robertson‘s group) and soul legends like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding should not be dismissed. In fact, the duo now say they are more of a “soul band” than anything else; they are quick to dismiss the lazy “shoegaze” label that was applied to them almost immediately when they first appeared on the British music scene. They appeared at the Black Cat Saturday night with Long Beach indie rock band Crystal Antlers.

Because of the freak D.C. area snowstorm earlier and the deathly cold temperatures, I wasn’t sure how many people would actually be in attendance. Before the Friendly Fires / the xx show at the Paradise in Boston the night before, I chatted with some fellow English music fans who said the crowd for the Big Pink at that venue earlier in the week was small (around 100 people). So I wasn’t sure if Washington would make a good showing. When my friend and I arrived in our winter coats and stepped on the main stage floor at 10, my worries disappeared as I saw the crowd that had assembled and ready to receive the opening band (which, in my experience, isn’t always the case at a local show). Phew.

Crystal Antlers launched into a set of psychedelic but raucous numbers. The first question that came to mind when they started playing: do you like Procol Harum? (Their classic “A Whiter Shade of Pale” should jog your memory, if you ever listen to compilations with names like Songs of the Sixties.) If yes, you will like what organ player Cora Foxx brings to the table. Jonny Bell, the band’s singer/bassist, has a shouty style of vocal delivery that didn’t impress me much, but the audience was receptive and overall approved of the band’s sound, especially when they went for it, guitars flying and percussion crashing (drums by Kevin Stuart and all manners of other percussion by a very lively Damian Edwards). A good example of their style was “Tentacles,” the title track off their 2009 debut album.

When the crew began setting up the stage for the Big Pink, I spied strobe lights, big and small, being hauled out and carefully arranged. The last time I’d seen anything like it at the Cat was for White Lies last winter. In a ridiculous way, the Big Pink’s lights and fog far surpassed that of White Lies’s set-up in March. I think both the lights and fog detracted from the fantastic, but brief performance they put on for us. Furze stood center stage in a black muscle tank – note emphasis on the muscle. The boy is ripped. He was also sporting a Metallica tattoo on his right arm and multiple gold necklaces (with key pendants) around his neck that looked like they were stolen from the stylist’s trunk of the xx. Cordell stood behind his synthesizer, wearing a hoodie and looking completely content to let Furze take the limelight.

Live, Cordell and Furze are augmented by Leopold Ross (bass) and Akiko Matsuura (drums/vocals). One of the best moments of the night was when Furze and Ross went balls to the wall with their guitars, like in “At War with the Sun,” balanced oh so well with the wistful refrain of “Young hearts know nothing but say it all / celebrate no control / but it is enough to realize / and miss us when we’re gone / live for the words that we sung / and don’t let go.” Breathtaking. Furze slowed things down a bit with a cover of Otis Redding‘s “These Arms of Mine,” which showcased his amazing voice. The Big Pink’s far too brief set was punctuated by their latest single, the almost celebratory “Dominos,” fists a-flying in the crowd to the band’s rhythms. Bloody fantastic. Following the 2010 Shockwaves NME Awards Tour in the UK in February, the band will return to North America next year for a March-April tour – I highly recommend seeing them before they start filling bigger venues.

The Big Pink Set List:
Too Young to Love
Frisk
At War with the Sun
Velvet
Crystal Visions
Count Backwards to Ten
Tonight
These Arms of Mine (Otis Redding cover)
Dominos

Tour Dates:
Mar 10 – Great American Music Hall / San Francisco*
Mar 12 – Neumo’s / Seattle*
Mar 13 – Venue / Vancouver*
Mar 14 – Doug Fir / Portland*
Mar 18 – First Ave / Minneapolis*
Mar 19 – Turner Hall / Madison, WI*
Mar 20 – Metro / Chicago*
Mar 22 – Southgate House / Newport, KY*
Mar 23 – Grog Shop / Cleveland*
Mar 24 – Mod Club / Toronto*
Mar 26 – Cabaret / Montreal*
Mar 27 – Paradise / Boston*
Mar 28 – Maxwell’s / Hoboken*
Mar 30 – Webster Hall / New York City*
Mar 31 – Theatre of Living Arts / Philadelphia*
Apr 01 – Rams Head Live / Baltimore*
Apr 02 – Cat’s Cradle / Chapel Hill, NC*
Apr 03 – Masquerade / Atlanta*
Apr 05 – Club Downunder / Tallahassee*
Apr 07 – Warehouse Live Studio / Houston*
Apr 08 – Parish / Austin*
Apr 09 – Granada / Dallas*
Apr 10 – Bottleneck / Lawrence, KS*
Apr 11 – Bluebird / Denver*
Apr 12 – Urban Lounge / Salt Lake City*
Apr 14 – Rhythm Room / Phoenix*
Apr 15 – Casbah / San Diego*
* with A Place to Bury Strangers

The Big Pink: website | myspace
Crystal Antlers: myspace

Seattle-based non profit Noise For The Needy, an organization that raises money for charitable causes through the production of live music shows, has announced the lineup for this year’s festival. Headliners include the 1990s, Art Brut, The Constantines, Grand Archives, Crystal Antlers and Throw Me The Statue.

This year’s shows will take place at several venues across Seattle from June 10th through 14th, will feature over 40 bands (line up below), and benefits Transitional Resources, a licensed mental health center and residential program located in West Seattle that offers a full spectrum of optimistic and respectful mental health services to adults with major mental illnesses.

Noise For The Needy is holding a Festival Season Kickoff Party at Woodshed Studios this Saturday, April 18th that features DJ Chrispo, Truckasaurus, Erik Blood, Exohxo, Origami Ghosts and Solomon Giorgio. The event is 21+, and begins with a free happy hour from 6 PM-9 PM. The show itself starts at 9 PM; tickets are $6. All proceeds from the event will go directly towards Noise For The Needy’s 2009 festival budget.

NOISE FOR THE NEEDY 2009 LINE-UP

Wednesday, June 10th:
Neumos: 1990s (Scotland), New Faces, Special Guest. 9PM | 21+ | $10
The Comet: Coulter, This Is A Process of Still Life, Safer, Skeletons With Flesh On Them. 9PM | 21+ | $7

Thursday, June 11th:
Tractor Tavern: Throw Me The Statue, Awesome!!!, Velella Velella. 9PM | 21+ | $12
Sunset Tavern: Widower, Painted Hills, Jack Wilson & the Wife Stealers, Shane Tutmarc & the Traveling Mercies. 9PM | 21+ | $8
Conor Byrne: Lucy Bland, Half Light, Trentalange, Cataldo. 9PM | 21+ | $7

Friday, June 12th:
The Crocodile: Grand Archives, See Me River, The Curious Mystery. 9PM | 21+ | $12 ADV/$15 DOS
Underground Events Center @ Belltown: The Whoremoans, Speaker Speaker, The Raggedy Anns, Wallpaper, Special Guest. 9PM | 21+ | $7

Saturday, June 13th:
Neumos: Art Brut, Special Guests. 9PM | ALL AGES Bar w/ID| $13
Wildrose: Black Eyes & Neckties, Transliberation Army, Loving Thunder, The Beats, Man. 9PM | 21+ | $7
High Dive: Furniture Girls, Anomie Belle, Hotels, Born Anchors. 9PM | 21+ | $8
The Comet: Brent Amaker & the Rodeo, The Valley, An Invitation to Love, The Beautiful Confusion, The Thoughts. 8PM | 21+ | $8
Chop Suey: Special Guest, Black Whales, The Pica Beats, Grant Olsen (Arthur & Yu). 9PM | 21+ | $10

Sunday, June 14th:
Neumos: The Constantines, Crystal Antlers, I Was a King (Norway), Hey Marseilles. 9PM | 21+ | $12
The Comet: Reptet, Gravelroad, Purty Mouth, Sam Marshall Trio. 5PM | 21+ | $6

More bands and venues to be announced soon.

Noise For The Needy: website |

The Rest

After a laborious, fulfilling year and half of writing and recording, The Rest is set to release their sophomore album, Everyone All At Once, this April. This Canadian septet found themselves leaving their respective cities in favor of a more secluded and natural environment to write the album. They returned to their urban settings for rehearsal and recording, the latter involved attempting to corral the songs and each individual’s energy into a preserved piece of electronic data. The fruits of the labors are emotionally charged shoegaze-esque indie rock gems.

The Rest – “Modern Time Travel (Necessities)”

The Rest – “Apples & Allegies”

website | myspace

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Finn Daniel

England’s Finn Daniel recently established indie label Stickman Records, named after the only think he’s able to draw (stick figures), to release his debut EP, Settle. Straightforward and passionate about his craft and his business, Daniel is sure to win you over with his earnest songwriting. Daniel picked up the acoustic guitar after years of classic piano training due to coming from a family that was deeply entrenched in performing music. The 24 year old Daniel has created a beautifully harmonic EP lush with beauty and creativity.

Finn Daniel – “If I Got Good”

website | myspace

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Crystal Antlers
Later this year, Long Beach’s Crystal Antlers will release Tentacles, the follow-up to last year’s lauded self-titled EP, on April 7th via Touch and Go Records. In support of the record, Crystal Antlers will hit the road with Cold War Kids this spring in a short trek along the West Coast. Their psychedelic garage punk is sure to incite a riot in venues around the world (the band is currently touring Europe) and will have you questioning all other musical forms.

Crystal Antlers: “Andrew”

myspace

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