Jenny and Johnny, i.e. Jenny Lewis childhood-star-Rilo-Kiley-frontwoman-and-solo-fame-goddess and singer songwriter Johnathan Rice. Their relationship brought them a joint album titled We’re Having Fun Now that was released in 2010. Feeling all sentimental, here’s my favorite song from their album, called “Big Wave”.
Pond, from Perth, Australia, is a sick new band that will be touring the states this spring. Stereogum describes their sound:
“Australia’s POND mixes big licks and psychedelic vibes in a way that recalls some of the Beatles’ more far-out stuff.” I’m way down with that.
Their new album, Beard, Wives, Denim is out on March 6!
06 Black Cat Backstage – Washington, DC
07 Telfair Square, Savannah Stopover Music Festival – Savannah, GA
08 The Drunken Unicorn – Atlanta, GA
11 Fitzgerald’s – Houston, TX
18 Low Key Arts, Valley of the Vapors Independent Music Festival – Hot Springs, AR
20 Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA
21 Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
22 Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA
23 Casa Del Popolo – Montreal, QC
24 Cafe Dekcuf – Ottowa, ON
25 The Drake Hotel – Toronto, ON
27 Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL
28 Taylor University – Upland, IN
30 Cactus Club – Milwaukee, WI
31 The Maintenance Shop – Ames, IA
02 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN
04 A Club – Spokane, WA
05 Sunset Tavern – Seattle, WA
06 The Biltmore Cabaret – Vancouver, BC
07 Jinx Art Space – Bellingham, WA
08 Squeak & Squawk Music – Tacoma, WA
09 Mississippi Studios – Portland, OR
11 Rickshaw Stop – San Francisco, CA
13 The Echo – Los Angeles, CA
Yuksek has been making the rounds in Europe with their album “Living on the Edge of Time” for more than 6 months. Finally, their album is going to be released in the States on Feb, 14, or Valentine’s day (oh joy). If you like electronica with poppy melodic influences, then definitely check out this band.
Check out their song and music video “On a Train” and a couple of tracks and remixes from their SoundCloud below.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO M (m) I (i) A (a) M.I.A. is BACK, folks.
Her new vid for “Bad Girls” is like middle eastern fierce meets Fast and the Furious in Morocco. Her backup dancers also make animal print hijabs look supa cool.
PS is this the new 2012 girl power anthem?
You’ve probably, and hopefully, forgotten about the Ark Music Factory kids. You know, the production company the tripped, fell on a mixer and produced “Friday” by Rebecca Black.
I’m not gonna lie, I’ve spent a fair amount of time browsing songs and “stars” on the AMF website. And boy, are they special. You can see it in their mediocre eyes, how much they want to be stars. But unfortunately, no matter how hard their parents push them to be stars, or how much the kids themselves demand it, or how much their parents fork over for a shitty song and music video, the vast majority of these kids won’t even have the luck to be a real joke on the internet.
Flavorwire summed it up nicely:
“It turns out Rebecca Black is merely one of many products from the brilliant entrepreneurs Patrice Wilson and Clarence Jey, who run Ark Music Factory, an LA based production company designed to take advantage of super-rich kids with pop-star dreams, and their parents’ cash.”
I can’t even imagine what kind of music video and song I would have released had I been 12 with expendable cash and a penchant for stardom beyond my bedroom. cringe!
Really, I wonder how this is going to impact these kids growing up and learning that they aren’t talented. And I don’t mean it in a vicious way, but not everyone who has money to throw away is talented at singing, dancing and entertaining. Fact. Their parents are some pieces of work.
Anyways, CJ Fam is my favorite Ark Music Factory kid. She could (and should) headline the Curly Sue musical.
Her song, “Ordinary Pop Star” is so true.
I can’t believe St. Vincent, our beloved Annie Clark is going to be on Gossip Girl. It was cool enough when they got Lady Gaga and Lizzie Mcguire to be on their show, but this is just way too cool.
The episode featuring St. Vincent is going to air February 13, the Valentine’s day episode. I have to be honest: I haven’t been watching Gossip Girl. I should just turn in my life card right now. I turned away from Gossip Girl during… season 4 I believe. When Georgina was conning Dan into raising her baby that he thought was his… it was a little weird and far-fetched. Even for GG. +1 for Kristen Bell being Gossip Girl though. She is SO EFFING COOL.
Now I hear Blair got a royal wedding and maybe, probably something dramatic happened there as well. You’d think they’d chill out and sit down once in a while and watch Netflix. But that would be boring television. Plus they need to show off their fabulous wardrobes. The stylist on that show is beyond fabulous.
St. Vincent will be playing her songs “Cruel” and “Cheerleader” off her latest album Strange Mercy. The album is awesome, and I bought tickets last weekend for her spring tour which I am mondo excited for. Plus they were only 20 bucks. Annie knows we are living on a 20something poor and fabulous budget. She is a queen.
She will also be on an upcoming episode of the brilliant Portlandia, where “the dream of the 90s is alive in Portland.”
Yay for Annie!!!!!!!
This is definitely a close your eyes, headphones on type of remix.
Marina & the Diamonds “Obsessions” oOoOO remix
Also, oOoOO (pronounced “oh”) has a new album coming out on April 10 named Our Love is Hurting Us.
Check out “Hearts.”
Ugh, the Grammys. They may be the absolute worst awards ceremony ever, due to it being more of a popularity contest than a talent contest. Except for that one time Arcade Fire awesomely won Album of the Year, sending Twitter Bieber fans into a tween-high-fructose-corn-syrup rage.
Anyways, Midwest faves Bon Iver are nominated for 4 awards including Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Alternative Album. It’s always exciting to be nominated for things. Plus, my friend has hung out in Justin Vernon’s kitchen, and has petted his cat. Yep, I’m connected.
Also, it’s fun to root for anyone who wasn’t fist-pumped to on last season’s Jersey Shore.
Here’s a commercial promoting the 54th Grammys using Bon Iver’s “Holocene” to some aesthetically pleasing leaves, trees and wind.
Lana Del Rey is certainly a hot topic these days. The frenzy surrounding Lana Del Rey’s authenticity is an age old story really, because everything pop culture-big is coated in corporate lipgloss before it’s sent to make the monies. Truth.
It’s true, her album has been described as “a multiple choice test with every answer scanned “C.” and “music [that] doesn’t communicate actual feeling.” Ouch. However, it seems that critics have fallen on deaf ears, as her album Born to Die is number 1 in 11 countries.
I’ll admit that I can’t get “Video Games” out of my head. It is the best song to sing in your car. Trust me. Sometimes we like “B” things, and that’s okay man. Guilty or not, pleasures are pleasures.
If you’re already jonesin’ for remixes of her album, or have no idea who I’m talking about, take a gander at this amazing remix of her title track “Born to Die” by AlunaGeorge.
Yay for Feist fans! She’s going on tour this spring, and hopefully landing in a city near you. Unfortunately she’s not coming to my neck of the country, but that’s ok because I’ve got St. Vincent tickets to calm my cries. I’m still a little jealz though. I also stood in line for 40 minutes for Florence & the Machine tickets in Minneapolis, but they sold out in 40 minutes and weren’t being sold online. Which was pretty upsetting seeing as Ticketmaster should have gotten their shit together. Why don’t these lovely acts spend more time in our cities, hmm?! HINT HINT!
Sat April 14 & 21 – Indio, CA – Coachella
Sold Out
Sun April 22 – Phoenix, AZ – Orpheum
Presale 2/1 at 10AM / On-Sale 2/3 at 10AM
Presale pw: badeachother
Thurs April 26 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s
Presale 2/2 at 10AM / On-Sale 2/4 at 10AM
Presale pw: thebadineachother
Sat April 28 – New Orleans Jazz Fest
On Sale Now
Mon April 30 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian
Presale Feb 1st at 10AM / On-Sale Fri Feb 3 at 10AM
Presale pw: thebadineachother
Tues May 1 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
Presale Feb 1st at 10AM / On-Sale Fri Feb 3 at 10AM
Presale pw: metals
Wed May 2 – Asheville, NC – Thomas Wolf Auditorium
Presale Feb 1st at 10AM / On-Sale Fri Feb 3 at 10AM
Presale pw: METALS
Thurs May 3 – Raleigh, NC – Memorial Auditorium
Presale Feb 1st at 10AM / On-Sale Fri Feb 3 at 10AM
Presale pw: TheBadInEachOther
Sat May 5 – New York, NY – Radio City Music Hall
Presale Now for Feist fan club and AMEX EOS / On-Sale Sat Feb 4 at 10AM
Presale pw: thebadineachother
Mon May 7 – Boston, MA – House of Blues – Boston
Presale Feb 1st at 10AM / On-Sale Fri Feb 3 at 10AM
Presale pw: thebadineachother
Tues May 8 – Philadelphia, PA – The Academy of Music
Presale Feb 1st at 10AM / On-Sale Fri Feb 3 at 10AM
Presale pw: THEBADINEACHOTHER
Wed May 9 – Bethesda, MD – Strathmore
Presale Feb 1st at 10AM / On-Sale Fri Feb 3 at 10AM
Presale pw: thebadineachother
Fri May 11 – Burlington, VT – Flynn Theater
Presale Feb 1st at 10AM / On-Sale Fri Feb 3 at 10AM
Presale pw: the bad in each other
2PF 