Archive for January, 2011
Kanye West and Jay-Z Collab Update
After almost a decade since Kanye West sampled the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” in Jay-Z‘s “Izzo” and produced a third of The Blueprint, the duo will be releasing a collaboration album together. Fittingly titled Watch the Throne, Kanye has announced at a concert in Las Vegas that the album should be released in the next week, as the two will be traveling to Australia to finish the final tracks.
EDIT: It looks as if Kanye was a little off in predicting the release date. Look for the album to come out March 1st.
The National + PBS
On January 15th, PBS will air The National‘s performance at the Austin City Limits studios in it’s entirety. Check out the setlist and a video taken from the performance for their song “Bloodbuzz Ohio” right here.
Review: Underoath – Ø (Disambiguation)
Underoath – Ø (Disambiguation)
Release Date: November 9, 2010
Label: Solid State Records
Purchase: iTunes | Insound | Amazon
With zero, count ’em, zero original members in the band, some longtime Underoath fans will be bold enough to say that this Underoath just isn’t truly the Underoath that originated in 1997. Some radical fans went as far as saying they should change their name or just call it quits, which was the exact thing suspected to evidently happen by vocalist Spencer Chamberlain, who had doubts about the band’s future after the departure of the band’s sole original member, drummer/singer Aaron Gillespie, in early 2010. But with the recruitment of former Norma Jean drummer, and long-time friend of the band, Daniel Davison, and a refreshed state of mind, Chamberlain and his fellow bandmates decided to press on with the Underoath name and record a brand new record, marking the point of new beginnings for the six-piece Florida-based metalcore band.
The new album titled Ø (Disambiguation) shows just how much Gillespie’s presence was holding back the band. With complete control over vocal duties, Chamberlain doesn’t hold anything back. Unleashing an incredibly dark and eerie singing variation, while transitioning beautifully into utterly menacing screams, it is quite clear that this is Chamberlain’s band now, and nobody is going to stunt his creative control.
Lyrically, Chamberlain has never been more vulnerable in his career. Knowing his past struggles with drugs, and his current passion and faith for the lord, Chamberlain weaves a thick, yet shallow web of words that undeniably seeps from the very depths of his dark memory. As he repeatedly shouts “Where is my fix?” in “A Divine Eradication”, one can’t help but feel the passion and emotion that flows up and out of Chamberlain’s throat.
Not only is the vocalization stunning in the newest edition of Underoath, but new stickman Davison also delivers a style of drumming that flows smoother than ever, yet hits you harder than anything Gillespie has ever accomplished on previous releases. The guitar work of Timothy McTague and James Smith continues to keep the same intricacy and experimentation, staying on par with the two previous Underoath’s releases,Define The Great Line and Lost In The Sound Of Separation. Also, the atmospheric delivery of programming, graciously provided to the listener by longest tenured member, Chris Dudley, on Ø (Disambiguation) is about as prominent as it has ever been, creating the illusion of floating adrift at sea in each and every song (most present in “Paper Lung” and “Driftwood”) of this undoubtedly water-themed album.
From the heaviness of the tracks “Illuminator” and “My Deteriorating Incline” to the ambient, Radiohead-esque feel of and “Driftwood”, Ø (Disambiguation) is a huge step forward for a band that has already progressed so far in their musical endeavors. With no end in sight (crossing my fingers!), Underoath has proven they are one of the top dogs in today’s declining music scene, always creating something fresh and intricate to rejuvenate the slow downfall of the state of music.
8.7
Standout Tracks: “Catch Myself Catching Myself”, “In Divison”, “Vacant Mouth”
Foo Fighters Done Recording New Album
Foo Fighters have announced that they have finished recording their new album via Twitter. They also released 10 seconds of one of the new songs, which you can listen to here.
Cults Album and Tour Dates
Pop duo Cults will be releasing their debut full length in May 2011 via In The Name Of / Columbia Records. They will also be heading on a North American tour, playing shows with Small Black and Asobi Seksu, as well as headlining shows of their own.
Check out the confirmed tour dates below.
Cults 2011 Tour Dates:
02/05 – Baltimore, MD @ Maryland Institue College of Art
03/10 – Chapel Hill, MC @ Local 506 *
03/11 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn *
03/12 – Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree *
03/13 – New Orleans, LA @ The Saint *
03/15 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgeralds *
03/17-19 – Austin, TX @ South by Southwest
03/22 – Nashville, TN @ The End ^
03/23 – Knoxville, TN @ Pilot Light
03/24 – Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter ^
03/25 – Washington, DC @ Rock N Roll Hotel ^
03/26 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brendas ^
03/30 – Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory
03/31 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
04/01 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
04/02 – Montreal, QC @ II Motore
04/04 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
04/06 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
04/07 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
04/08 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
04/11 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile Café
04/12 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
04/14 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
* = w/ Small Black
^ = w/ Asobi Seksu
Finally Famous: Finally No DJ
G.O.O.D Music signee Big Sean‘s 2010 mixtape Finally Famous Vol. 3 has been rereleased. This time around, the mixtape no longer has annoying DJ shouts throughout each song. Download the mixtape for free here (via the G.O.O.D Music blog).
Drummer Leaves The Dangerous Summer
Drummer Tyler Minsberg has announced his departure from The Dangerous Summer. He has stated that he will continue to make music, but has not revealed any further details. Read more to see Tyler’s goodbye message.
EDIT: AJ Perdomo has written a statement in regards to Tyler’s departure from the band, revealing that Spencer Peterson (Hidden in Plain View, Black Cards) wrote all of the drum parts for the band’s sophomore release. You can also read AJ’s statement after the break.
Tyler’s Message:
I feel it is absolutely my responsibility to both quiet any rumors and answer any questions regarding my participation with The Dangerous Summer. As of roughly over a month and half ago, I made the decision to sever myself from that band for personal reasons.
I’d like to thank from the bottom of my heart my fans, my family, my label, any industry personnel , and without any question the band that allowed me to live a dream that I had since I was a child. You all gave me an opportunity that I will never forget and that I can proudly say, I never took for granted. I learned about myself as a person, and as a professional musician through four great years of writing, recording, and performing live, a style of music that I felt perfectly fit the message that I wanted to help express.
The most important thing I hope is that none of you take this personally. You all did exactly what I wished from you and that was unconditional support. Please do not stop supporting this band, but do not think that I am finished with music. I have all different kinds of plans regarding my involvement in the music industry, and I hope that if I present you the audience with anything new, I can count on the incredible strength you gave me once again. I love you all. Thank you.
-Tyler Minsberg
AJ’s Statement:
Dear everyone in the world,
We were going to wait till christmas to tell you, but the bubble popped. We are no longer playing with Tyler Minsberg. He was one of the best drummers I had known, and had always known him since elementary school. I wish the absolute best for him in everything he does in the future. I hope he sticks with music more than anything. I think moral differences and musical barriers were being established. I feel it’s important to choose very carefully who you surround yourself with, and more importantly who you pour your heart out with. I hope our fans hold Tyler very dear to their hearts, he will always be a part of what built something great. As for the future of our band, we haven’t stopped. As soon as Tyler departed we focused on just finishing this record. Spencer Peterson (Hidden in Plain View, Black Cards) flew up a little bit ago and wrote all of the parts for the new album. He is a drummer we have looked up to for a very long time, and I have no doubt that you guys will be very happy with the results. We have yet to decide whether we would like to even permanently replace Tyler. Everything happens for a reason, and we as a band will always be working day and night to make the art that we have been developing for years.
Love,
AJ
Stream The Decemberists
You can stream The Decemberists‘ new album, The King Is Dead, on NPR. The album will be streamed in its entirety until its January 18 release via Capitol Records.
Interview: Otenki
I recently got to speak with the Houston based rock band, Otenki. Otenki’s new EP titled Kinetic is scheduled for release on May 3, 2011. Their single, “Ghosts”, will be released on February 7, 2011. We had to opportunity to talk to Otenki about their experience working in and out of the studio for Kinetic.
Otenki is Japanese for the word weather. We picked the name because it allowed us to always have the freedom to change virtually everything about our look and sound.
Why did you guys choose “Ghosts” to be the first single?
“Ghosts” was chosen as the first single because when we were in the demoing process and sending songs to James, that song stuck out the most. James immediately took a shine to it and said that it was the song that is going to set the standard for all of our other songs. All the songs are amazing but there’s something about “Ghosts” that really shines through.
What were the main sources of inspiration for Kinetic?
In reference to the song “Kinetic”, the inspiration came from all the years we have been a band. After so many years into being an unsigned band you struggle to find a reason to keep going because you’re not always making money, people dismiss you because you don’t have a label, labels dismiss you because you don’t have agents…it can wear you down. The music business can seem like a battlefield, there’s no mercy to be shown…However, the one thing that’s kept this going is our families, friends and fans. They’ve traveled hundreds of miles to see us, given us places to stay, fed us, inspired us to do great things. We do what we do for them. The song and the record are dedicated to those who matter the most to us. (more…)
Dispatch Announce Reunion Tour For 2011
Dispatch will be reuniting for the first time in almost a decade, embarking next summer for a six-leg tour. Fan pre-sale tickets will be available starting January 21st, with the general on-sale to follow on January 28th. A portion of all ticket proceeds will go towards education programs in local communities. If that’s not enough, the band is offering all four of their full-lengths for free digital download. Go here for more information and check out the tour dates after the break.
Dispatch 2011 Tour Dates:
06/04 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks
06/08 – Chicago, IL @ Millennium Park
06/11 – Berkley, CA @ Greek Theare
06/18 – Harrison, NJ @ Red Bull Arena
06/21 – Atlanta, GA @ Chastain Park
06/25 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
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