Monthly Archives: January 2012
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Now a solo project of founding member Andrew Saks (also of The Northern Two), Sway began making noise in 1999 in Ventura, California. Sway was originally a four-piece garage rock outfit consisting of Andrew, Amber Carlson, Seth Eubanks, and Vince Alatorre, playing shows and confusing audiences up and down the west coast with its blurry wall of sound.
Sway has previously released a few indie EP’s with the above mentioned line up, including the shoegaze renaissance classic The Millia Pink And Green EP in 2003. The most recent release, This Was Tomorrow, is both Sway’s first full-length release and it’s last with musical contributions by all four of its original members. With this release, Andrew has begun his personal journey to write the soundtrack to his childhood memories.
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Daniel Victor is a different kind of Rock Star. Make no mistake about it though, he is most definitely a Rock Star. From his time at University of Windsor in Ontario, CA Daniel eschewed the prototypical band. Drawing influences from film soundtracks, compilation albums and Hip-Hop collaborations, Daniel embarked on a project where the songs would be the star. This project, Neverending White Lights drew its name from the sense that humans have an energy that doesn’t go away when they die. While the physical body stays on earth, the light escapes. That is what we’re made of, that never-ending light.
His records tell a story; with the albums themselves serving as ‘Acts’, the songs as ‘Scenes’ and his various collaborators as ‘Actors’. His ambitious first record was called Act I: Goodbye Friends Of The Heavenly Bodies and dealt with themes of death, spirituality and angels. Drawing influence from Brian Eno, Craig Armstrong, Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Kent, and Massive Attack, Daniel wrote the compositions or ‘Scenes’ and then sent them off to some of his favorite vocalists whom he thought would be good fits for those scenes. He scored collaborations with the frontmen of such Alternative bands as 311, Ours, Hum, Finger Eleven, Shudder to Think, Our Lady Peace and Starflyer 59 amongst others.
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The Toronto based dark and moody synthpop band Trust has just released a new single called Sulk off of the forthcoming full length album TRST. TRST is set to be released on the Arts & Crafts record label on February 28, 2012 and they are taking pre-orders for the new album on their website, http://www.ttrustt.com/. Every pre-order comes with a free download of F.T.F (Dinamo Azari For The Humanities Re-Edit).
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This past year has been a big one for Synthpop legends, Talk Talk. Toward the end of 2011, the band reissued their classic albums Laughing Stock and Sprit of Eden on Vinyl for the first time in a generation.
The coming months will bring a tribute book and album, Spirit of Talk Talk due May 28. Other names associated include Alan Wilder (Depeche Mode, Recoil), White Lies, Zero 7, Bon Iver, Joan As Policewoman and members of Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Weezer and Death Cab for Cutie covering 30 Talk Talk tunes from ‘Today’ to ‘Life’s What You Make It’ to ‘After The Flood’
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Robert Smith is has one of the most recognizable and icon voices of our generation. With over 13 studio albums, Robert and his band (The Cure) are still going strong. Over the past decade, Robert has contributed his voice talents to several other artists to build up an amazing library of collaborations. From old-timers Paul Hartnoll to newcomers Japanese Popstars, Robert has added his personal touch to their sounds and produced results that Cure fans should embrace.
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Screen Vinyl Image are Jake and Kim Reid, a husband and wife team who, along with their growing roster of ace releases under the SVI moniker, were also formerly of the very talented and now-defunct Washington DC shoegaze outfit Alcian Blue. Alcian Blue, since its demise, has gathered unto itself quite a cult following, and deservedly so. Other ex-members of Alcian Blue have gone on to be in bands such as Skywave (also now defunct, with a residual cult following much the same as Alcian Blue’s) and Ceremony, both superior bands in their own rights.
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The English Dance-Pop group Saint Etienne have not released a new record in 7 years, but that is going to change this Spring. The trio of Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs are preparing their 8th record, reportedly titled Words and Music.
Today, they have annouced the first single, Tonight, and have made it available as a free MP3 download thru their Official Website.
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One of the seminal bands of the Britpop Era will be hitting playing US dates for the first time since 1998′s This Is Hardcore tour. Pulp recently reunited for a series of European festivals, playing live for the first time in 9 years. A few weeks ago, the band announced 2 dates at the US Coachella Festival in Indio, CA April 13 and April 20.
Boomarking the first Coachella date, they have just announced 2 more shows, in NYC and San Francisco. The shows will span Pulp’s Discography and feature all original bandmembers; Jarvis Cocker (vocals, guitar), Nick Banks (drums), Candida Doyle (keyboards), Steve Mackey (bass), Russell Senior (violin, guitar) and Mark Webber (guitar).
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Partnering with NCM Fathom, Omniverse and EMI Music, Rowlands and Simons will present the film, The Chemical Brothers Don’t Think in select movie theaters on Wednesday, February 1 for ONE NIGHT ONLY. Originally captured in 2011, at the iconic Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, this event captures the synesthetic barrage of sound, film and light and the transforming effect it has on its audience. Fans will also be able to experience not only an incredible concert but gain access to never-before-seen behind the scenes footage from the Fuji Festival and an exclusive interview with Adam Smith, the concert’s director and visual creator of all of The Chemicals Brothers live shows.
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Do you enjoy watching live concert footage? Do you especially enjoy the behind the scenes footage that is sometimes included? We’ve seen all the behind the scenes stories of some of our favorite musicians but now, we can go behind the scenes of the legendary DJ – DJ Tiësto.
Tiësto has launched a new web series titles In The Booth which gives fans an idea of what life on the road is like for him. The series is made up of 10 digital episodes which will each be posted on his Youtube page.
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School Of Seven Bells have just announced a full slate of 2012 North American Tour Dates in support of their forthcoming album ‘Ghost Story’. The album is set to be released on February 28th, and early returns on the singles The Night and Layafe have been very positive.
Check out the tour dates and see if SVIIB is coming to a city near you.
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London-based musician Matt Bartram is best known as the creative master mind behind the much-beloved Air Formation, who split in April 2011, to much dismay. However, anyone truly familiar with Matt and his work knew that this was certainly not the end of his musical endeavors.
Over the past 13 years, Matt has proven to be one of the most prolific, consistent and most respected songwriters of the second wave of shoegazing. Never the sort of musician to remain quiet, always feeling the need to keep moving forward, Matt has also released music under the project name The Static Silence (a collaboration with Rachel Goldstar of Experimental Aircraft, Eau Claire and All In The Golden Afternoon), as well as remixed tracks for Kontakte (incidentally, last week’s Shoegaze Spotlight focus, and a smashing remix, to boot) and Monster Movie (the enduring project from Christian Savill of Slowdive).
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IFC’s Portlandia is seemingly one of the more popular shows amongst Strangeways listeners. The quirky Hipster-skewering sketch comedy starring SNL’s Fred Armisen and Sleater Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein is taking the show on tour.
Portlandia: The Tour will feature Brownstein and Armisen performing live music, presenting sneak-peek clips from season two and sharing personal anecdotes about the creation of the show. The duo have sold out 5 dates already and have just added 6 new ones. Get your tickets while you can!
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The Raveonettes, are building on their busy 2011 and continuing full steam ahead into 2012. The duo are putting the wraps on a brand new 4 song EP. According to Sune Rose Wagner, he and Sharin Foo have just completed their last day in the Cophenhagen studio, resulting in 4 new tracks: Bad Ghosts, Too Close To Heartbreak, Into The Night, Night Comes Out Now with a possible additional cover of The Mamas and The Papas’ classic, California Dreamin’.
This would be surprising news from almost any other band, coming just one month after the release of their first compilation album, The Raveonettes – Rarities & B-Sides. The record features 27 tracks of b-sides and rare material spanning the records Whip It On, Chain Gang of Love, Pretty in Black and Lust Lust Lust. It also marks their first release to contain the Christmas Song, their biggest selling track to date, although never intended for commercial release. They finally released a video in December 2011, shot in Sune’s NYC Apartment.
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CREEP, the Brooklyn based duo of DJs Lauren Flax and Lauren Dillard released a new remix this week for their single Animals. Dark beats and strings combine with the haunting ethereal voice of guest vocalist Holly Miranda. This official remix by NY dance duo Modern Machines will be released on January 17th along with the single. This is the third single to be released for the highly anticipated full length album from the pair that has finally been announced. Their ghostly debut singles Days featuring The XX’s Romy and You featuring Nina Sky came out earlier this year.
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