QRO Magazine wrote up a great review for Xiu Xiu's Portland show, even comparing Stewart's on-stage writhing with Morrissey. Follow the link below to read on. Also be sure to check out the live video above to see Jamie Stewart and Angela Seo performing "Hi".
Japandroids' new album, Celebration Rock, is currently streaming in its entirety all this week on NPR's "First Listen." Check it out HERE. When describing the album, NPR says: "In 35 minutes and just eight songs, these guys kick and scream ("Let rip, but never let go!"), fill their choruses with "whoa-oh-ohs," and generally sing the praises of a loud, messy life. It's fitting that Celebration Rock both starts and finishes with the sound of fireworks — figuratively, they never actually stopped."
But NPR aren't the only ones who have praised Celebration Rock. Pitchfork gave the album a great review (Best New Music - 8.8), saying it "remains structurally minimal but incredibly dense, fashioning a bionic kind of rock music from the best parts without a moment that lacks crowd-pleasing purpose."
The album is currently out now in Canada, and will be released everywhere else next week (6/5). Follow the links below to order the album and to read the reviews. Hide More
During this past SXSW, Brian & Dave of Japandroids sat down with Ryan Dombal at Pitchfork for an in-depth interview about their upcoming album, Celebration Rock. The interview goes into detail on how the band writes songs, why they love touring so much, and what they were thinking about while recording the new album.
"Personally, I really like the concepts of good and evil, heaven and hell-- the extreme boundaries of how people can feel and how fast things can change. I like that language. I'm not talking about just some night you felt a certain way, I'm talking about the night you felt that way-- that one time." - Brian King
Attention West Coast! Dusted will be opening for A Place to Bury Strangers & This Will Destroy You for a few upcoming dates in June. They'll be playing songs from their upcoming debut, Total Dust, which comes out July 10th (available HERE). You won't want to miss it! Check out the complete list of dates below.
Dusted Tour Dates
5/24 - Toronto, ON @ The Great Hall 6/05 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah * 6/06 - Visalia, CA @ The Cellar Door * 6/07 - Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex * 6/08 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill * 6/10 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir * 6/11 - Seattle, WA @ Crocodile * 6/12 - Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret * 6/14 - Toronto @ El Mocambo (NXNE HDD Showcase) *
*w/ A Place To Bury Strangers & This Will Destroy You
Japandroids' Brian King recently got a chance to chat with Anthem Magazine about their upcoming album, Celebration Rock + what's in store for Japandroids in the near future. Follow the link below to check it out.
The fine folks at Stereogum just debuted the brand new Dusted track "Property Lines" as a free download HERE. They also compare the band to Neil Young...which is A-OK in my book!
"Property Lines" appears on the upcoming album, Total Dust, which comes out July 10th. It's available for pre-order now RIGHT HERE.
We're very pleased to announce that Bloomington, IN's Stagnant Pools have officially signed with Polyvinyl. Their upcoming album, Temporary Room, will be released August 7th on CD / LP (black or white vinyl) / digital formats. The album is currently available for pre-order RIGHT HERE.
Stagnant Pools are Bryan and Douglass Enas, two brothers (21 and 22) from Bloomington, IN. With just one guitar and a drum kit, they make music which the Chicago Reader describes as "drone-heavy, slate-gray art-rock that should appeal to fans of Disappears, Joy Division, and Sonic Youth records from back when they were still actually scary."
See for yourself by streaming the first single, "Dead Sailor," above. Pitchfork also posted the track HERE, saying "the band sounds ready to escape something here, as a bucking rhythm and Strokes-like melody peeks through a hovering coal-dust cloud of distorted guitar sustain and reverb."
Birthmark's new album, Antibodies, is officially out today on CD / LP / MP3 formats worldwide! The album is available directly through our online store, or at your favorite local record shop (LPs are limited to just 1000 on 180-gram white vinyl). The album is also available on iTunes right HERE.
Stream the first single "Stuck" below.
Birthmark is the solo project of Nate Kinsella, a name you might recognize from Chicago based bands Joan of Arc & Make Believe. With Antibodies, Kinsella's 3rd release under the Birthmark moniker, musical boundaries continue to be pushed. From vibraphones to violins, cellos to clarinets, each instrument on the album was played either by Kinsella or a session musician. Even the stunning backwards string section on "Shake Hands" was painstakingly composed and performed with an actual string quartet.
Antibodies has already been getting praised from various music publications worldwide. The 405 calls Antibodies "one of the best things Kinsella has ever done," while Under the Radar gets directly to the point in stating, "Birthmark does it right." Antibodies also landed in ALARM'S "Best Albums of the Week" feature.
Wanna find out more about Birthmark? Follow the band on Facebook, Twitter & Tumblr, and be sure to follow the links below for more info on Antibodies. Hide More
Yes, you read that headline correctly! Braid just announced that they'll be heading out on a US tour this August with Owen opening all the shows. If you weren't able to see Braid & Owen together at our 15-Year Anniversary show last year, here's your second chance. Check out the complete list of dates below. Tickets for these shows can be found HERE.
Braid / Owen Summer 2012 Tour
08/07 - Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop 08/09 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom 08/10 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer 08/11 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 08/12 - Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East 08/16 - San Diego, CA @ The Irenic 08/17 - Pomona, CA @ Glasshouse 08/18 - West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour 08/19 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
It's been nearly 4 years since Saturday Looks Good To Me have played together as a touring band. All that changes tonight with the first show of their US tour with Wild Moccasins in North Manchester, IN at The Firehouse! If you live in one of the cities listed below, go see this band live. You won't be disappointed!
Saturday Looks Good To Me Tour Dates:
May 9, 2012 - The Firehouse, North Manchester, IN * May 10, 2012 - Schubas, Chicago, IL * May 11, 2012 - The Shitty Barn, Spring Green, WI * May 12, 2012 - Mike & Molly's, Champaign, IL * May 13, 2012 - Cosmic Charlie's, Lexington, KY * May 14, 2012 - Beachland Tavern, Cleveland, OH * May 15, 2012 - The Haunt, Ithaca, NY * May 16, 2012 - BAR, New Haven, CT * May 17, 2012 - Empire, Portland, ME * May 18, 2012 - Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, NY * May 19, 2012 - Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA * May 20, 2012 - Woodruff's, Ypsilanti, MA
Japandroids' vocalist/guitarist Brian King recently sat down with Matthew Perpetua of Rolling Stone to chat about their upcoming album, Celebration Rock (out June 5th). The two touch on tons of details - everything from the recording process of Celebration Rock, to the fact that the band almost broke up (not to mention Brian almost died) before their debut album, Post-Nothing, was even released. Check out the interview HERE.
After just getting back from a massive European tour in support of their new album, Always, Xiu Xiu are hitting the road here in the states & Canada starting tomorrow. The first half of the tour will be with Dirty Beaches, while the second half will see Yamantaka // Sonic Titan joining the party. Italy's Father Murphy will open all the shows. Check out the complete list of tour dates below.
On top of the tour, Xiu Xiu's new video for "Honeysuckle" just made its debut on Pitchfork. It features Xiu Xiu member Angela Seo and was directed by Amir Shoucri. Check it out above!
Xiu Xiu Tour Dates:
May 1, 2012 - King's Barcade, Raleigh, NC May 2, 2012 - Rock & Roll Hotel, Washington, DC * May 3, 2012 - First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia, PA * May 4, 2012 - Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY * May 5, 2012 - Middle East Downstairs, Cambridge, MA * May 7, 2012 - Iron Horse, Northampton, MA * May 8, 2012 - Space Gallery, Portland, ME * May 9, 2012 - La Sala Rossa, Montreal, Canada * May 10, 2012 - Le Cercle, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada * May 11, 2012 - Mavericks, Ottawa, Canada * May 12, 2012 - Lee's Palace, Toronto, Canada * May 14, 2012 - The Crofoot Ballroom, Pontiac, MI * May 15, 2012 - The Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids, MI * May 17, 2012 - Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL * May 18, 2012 - Memorial Union Terrace, Madison, WI * May 19, 2012 - Triple Rock Social Club, Minneapolis, MN * May 20, 2012 - Vaudeville Mews, Des Moines, IA * May 21, 2012 - Waiting Room, Omaha, NE * May 22, 2012 - The Jackpot Saloon, Lawrence, KS * May 23, 2012 - Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO * May 24, 2012 - Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT # May 27, 2012 - Barboza, Seattle, WA # May 28, 2012 - Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver, Canada # May 29, 2012 - Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR # May 31, 2012 - Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA # Jun 1, 2012 - Center For The Arts Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, CA # Jun 2, 2012 - Soda Bar, San Diego, CA # Jun 5, 2012 - Padre's, Marfa, TX # Jun 6, 2012 - The Mohawk, Austin, TX # Jun 7, 2012 - One Eyed Jacks, New Orleans, LA # Jun 8, 2012 - Bottletree, Birmingham, AL # Jun 9, 2012 - The EARL, Atlanta, GA #
* w/ Dirty Beaches # w/ Yamantaka // Sonic Titan Hide More
If you didn't get a chance to make it out to one of the recent of Montreal show's this year, NPR's got your back! They just posted of Montreal's entire performance from their 4/3 show at 9:30 Club in Washington, DC. Watch it above, then head to NPR for more by clicking the link below.
of Montreal's amazing new video for the Paralytic Stalks track "Spiteful Intervention" made its debut on Pitchfork TV today. The video was directed by Jesse Ewles and features a bunch of different paintings animated into one sequence. Check it out above, then head to Pitchfork TV for more.
We couldn't be more excited to announce that Dusted have officially joined the Polyvinyl family and will be releasing their debut album, Total Dust, on July 10th in conjunction w/ Canadian label Hand Drawn Dracula. The album is available for pre-order HERE and comes on 180-gram black or maroon LP & CD (includes a bonus track). The maroon LPs are limited edition of 500 and we only have 200 in the PV store, so act quick if you want one!
Hailing from Toronto, ON, Dusted is the side project of Holy Fuck's Brian Borcherdt. After 6 years of constant Holy Fuck touring, Borcherdt teamed up with producer Leon Taheny (Final Fantasy, Rituals, Bruce Peninsula) and fleshed out the songs that would eventually appear on Total Dust. They decided to keep it as a two-piece (Borcherdt on guitar/vocals, Taheny on drums/samples) and Dusted was born.
Stream the first single "(Into the) Atmosphere" above + watch a teaser video. SPIN.com debuted the track, describing it as "a dewy lo-fi pop ramble, with sweetly multi-tracked vocals, cavernous layers of melancholy guitar strums, and galloping, off-kilter percussion."
Follow the links below to pre-order Total Dust and to check out the single on SPIN.com. Hide More
We're very excited to announce that San Fancisco's Sonny & the Sunsets have joined the Polyvinyl family! The band's new album, Longtime Companion, will be released June 26th and is currently up for pre-order HERE (180-gram yellow vinyl / CD). All pre-orders receive an instant MP3 download for the entire album at checkout!
Longtime Companion is a country album centered around love & heartache, topics best suited for such a genre. Sonny Smith, the band's main songwriter, pours his soul into these songs, reflecting a break up with his girlfriend of 10 years. While Longtime Companion has hints of The Flying Burrito Brothers, Gene Clark, Townes Van Zandt and a little Johnny Cash, it still ultimately sounds like a Sonny & the Sunsets album through and through.
Check out the first single "Pretend You Love Me" above (also available on Soundcloud HERE).
Our favorite holiday is almost here! RECORD STORE DAY 2012! The one (and probably only) day where you're expected to blow off all your other more important plans and head down to your local record shop to support independent music.
While you're flipping through all the amazing records you're sure to find this Saturday, be on the lookout for the 9 releases we have. They're goodies! Read on for details on each release.
1. of Montreal / Deerhoof split 7" - Stygian x} Bisection - Limited to 2000 copies on clear gold vinyl, this 7" is the latest in Deerhoof's collaborative single series. Side-A features of Montreal's Kevin Barnes singing alternate vocals to Deerhoof's "Secret Mobilization," while side-B features of Montreal's song "Feminine Effects."
2. Xiu Xiu / Dirty Beaches Split 7" - Side-A features Xiu Xiu's cover of "Always" by Erasure while side-B features Dirty Beaches' cover of "Tu Ne Dis Rien" by Francoise Hardy. Limited to 2000 on black vinyl.
3. STRFKR - Heaven's Youth (Reptilians Demos) - Limited to just 1000 copies on white vinyl, Heaven's Youth gives you a glimpse into how STRFKR's main songwriter, Josh Hodges, created the songs on the band's latest full-length, Reptilians. Many of these versions were recorded in the van during STRFKR tours or back in Hodges' home studio. It also features new artwork. This is a must for any STRFKR fan.
4. Saturday Looks Good To Me - All Your Summer Songs - Named one of Pitchfork's Top 50 albums of 2003, All Your Summer Songs has been out-of-print on vinyl for some time now. To celebrate the band's upcoming album & tour, we wanted to make it available for your turntable again. Limited to 1000 on white vinyl.
5. Hey Mercedes - Hey Mercedes - After the break-up of Braid in 1999, Bob Nanna, Todd Bell, and Damon Atkinson went on to form Hey Mercedes and release this self-titled debut. Limited to 700 copies on black vinyl.
6. Rainer Maria - Rainer Maria - Features each of the band's 3 EPs (Rainer Maria, Atlantic, and Ears Ring) comprised into one vinyl release. This is the first time any of the EPs have been available on vinyl. Limited to 300 on black vinyl.
7. matt pond PA - Several Arrows Later - Back in print and limited to 1000 copies on black vinyl!
8. matt pond PA - Measure - First time ever on vinyl! Limited to 1000 on black vinyl.
9. Mates of State - Crushes (The Covers Mixtape) - A complete covers album from Jason and Kori of Mates of State! This is the first time this release has been made available on vinyl. Features covers of songs by Girls, Belle and Sebastian, Death Cab For Cutie, Fleetwood Mac, and others. Limited to 1500 on clear vinyl. Hide More
After recently completing a full US tour in support of their new album, Paralytic Stalks, of Montreal are already back on the road again, only this time they're across the pond in Europe. They're bringing their full 8-piece band and lighting crew, so if you reside in Europe, you're going to see a great show. Countries along the way include Norway, Germany, France, UK, Israel, Spain and more. Check out the complete list of dates below. Above photo by Joann Jovinelly.
of Montreal 2012 European Tour Dates:
Apr 16, 2012 - Tavastia Club, Helsinki, Finland Apr 17, 2012 - Rockefeller, Oslo, Norway Apr 18, 2012 - Train, Århus, Denmark Apr 19, 2012 - Die Werkstatt, Cologne, Germany Apr 20, 2012 - Motel Mozaique Festival @ Off_Corso, Rotterdam, Netherlands Apr 21, 2012 - Botanique @ Orangerie, Brussels, Belgium Apr 22, 2012 - Sound Control, Manchester, United Kingdom Apr 23, 2012 - Irish Centre, Leeds, United Kingdom Apr 25, 2012 - Koko, London, United Kingdom Apr 26, 2012 - Concorde 2, Brighton, United Kingdom Apr 27, 2012 - Le Trianon, Paris, France Apr 28, 2012 - Stereolux, Nantes, France Apr 29, 2012 - Apolo, Barcelona, Spain Apr 30, 2012 - Joy Eslava, Madrid, Spain May 2, 2012 - Theatre Lino Ventura, Nice, France May 3, 2012 - Circolo degli Artisti, Rome, Italy May 4, 2012 - Magnolia, Milan, Italy May 5, 2012 - Donau Festival, Krems, Austria May 7, 2012 - Barby Club, Tel Aviv, Israel May 9, 2012 - Babylon, Istanbul, Turkey Aug 19, 2012 - Green Man Festival, Wales, United KingdomHide More
During of Montreal's recent stop in San Francisco, Kevin Barnes stopped by Different Fur studios to play a stripped down version of "Dour Percentage" for a Yourstru.ly / Pitchfork.tv session. Check out the clip above, then follow the link below to watch more videos on Pitchfork.tv.
Previous Page
