Bon Iver in Little Rock
Grammy winning band Bon Iver is scheduled to play at the Riverfest Amphitheatre in Little Rock on June 3rd! Check it: http://boniver.org/#/tour/1/
Check out the artist lineup for Wakarusa. They’re bringing some really great bands to Arkansas this year! http://wakarusa.com/2012/lineup.asp
First Aid Kit - The Lion’s Roar
The second full length album of the Swedish sister act First Aid Kit (out Jan. 24th), has already hit iTunes. A band which gained notoriety through their cover of Fleet Foxes’ “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song,” First Aid Kit’s new album The Lion’s Roar resembles Fleet Foxes’ heavily acoustic and harmonic style. Check out the music video for the album’s title track “The Lion’s Roar” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl5FdvRR4pQ .
La Sera - “Please Be My Third Eye”
La Sera, which is Katy Goodman’s (Vivian Girls) project for those of you who aren’t aware, has an album, Sees the Light, due out in late March via Hardly Art. This is just adds to all of the exciting news for albums coming out this year. La Sera’s self-titled, which came out last year, was certainly a doozy. Check out the single, “Please Be My Third Eye,” below and make sure to pre-order yourself a copy of this album.
Frankie Rose - “Know Me”
Frankie Rose has certainly had her hand in plenty of great bands - Crystal Stilts, Vivian Girls, and Dum Dum Girls - as a drummer. In 2010 she released an album with the back band the Outs, which I haven’t listened to, but this track certainly has me scrambling to. As many have already noted, “Know Me,” which is the single to the album, Interstellar, due out in February, strays a bit from a lot of her previous work. This song has Rose commingling with some older shoegaze. The album comes out via Slumberland/Memphis Industries on February 21. Check out the single below and stay tuned for the album to come out.
Noteworthy Albums from 2011
This isn’t a list of my top whatever albums from 2011. I think it gets a little old seeing Destroyer’s Kaputt, Real Estate’s Days, and Girls’ Father, Son, and Holy Ghost listed everywhere. They deserve it, for sure, but I want to spread the love a little bit.
Amen Dunes - Through Donkey Jaw
Many people complained about how this album ends. I often heard and read that after the first five tracks that this album drops out. How wrong they all are. The best track is “Bedroom Drum,” which is track number 10 and you can listen to it below. This album drops in and out. It is a build up to something wonderful. McMahon is able to guide the listener through the album if the listener allows. Its an extremely dark album, almost problematic at times, but remains beautiful and accessible.
Chad VanGaalen - Diaper Island
VanGaalen may be better known for his production of Women’s last two albums, but he is a masterful songwriter in his own right. This is a super cohesive album, which strings together from beginning to end. VanGaalen returns to a lot of the sounds that many got accustomed to after listening to Women. Check out “Sara” below and make sure to go dig through everything VanGaalen has had his hands on if you haven’t already.
Coasting - You’re Never Going Back
What can I say? I am crazy about these girls. After listening to their 7 inches and seeing them at Gonerfest, I couldn’t wait for this album to drop. If I were to make a top ten of 2011 list, this would make it. They had a vibe they wanted to achieve and nailed it. It may not be the most cohesive album, but I constantly find myself heading towards this album for a song.
Lorelle Meets the Obsolete - On Welfare
Lorelle Meets the Obsolete is a wonderful psych band from Guadalajara, Mexico. On Welfare is a collection of some super psychy-shoegaze tunes that beg you to listen to the whole thing. It is full of heat and isn’t afraid to assert itself. I can’t wait for some more tunes to surface.
Lorelle Meets the Obsolete - “These Days”
The People’s Temple - Sons of Stone
HoZac Records always has some amazing releases and The People’s Temple was one of my favorites from 2011. This Michigan definitely invokes the sound of the 60’s garage-rock bands, but they are able to assert their own identity into each song. They add something refreshing to each song while making you believe that you just dug some sweet record out of your mom’s basement. Check out the title track below and try and tell me that this doesn’t belong on this list.
The People’s Temple - “Sons of Stone”
Posted by K.
It has been SO long since we last had a post. With the semester coming to a close, things got difficult. Also, I admit that it gets frustrating after a while. By it, I am referring to the search for something good. It is getting harder to be able to distinguish what is worth writing about and what isn’t.
However, I ran across Miró Belle the other day and it was a total delight. Miró Belle is a solo electronic act from San Diego. Miró Belle on Kiss This (Vol. 1), which you can download for free on bandcamp, was a refreshing find. I hope you can enjoy “Tea Bean Bags” below and make sure you go get the rest of the tunes.
Kurt Vile’s new EP, So Outta Reach, is out and you haven’t given it a listen yet, you are doing yourself a big disservice. The songs come from the his recording sessions of Smoke Ring for my Halo, which is arguable the best album of 2011 so you have to believe that this is some good stuff! Dig on the first track from the EP below, but this EP is definitely worth a purchase.
This is a super rad show coming to Little Rock on Tuesday November 8. Prince Rama, Indian Jewelry, and The Holy Shakes (Hot Springs) will be taking the stage at Pizza D’action around 9. If you haven’t heard of either them, you need to some time out of your day to soak it all in.
Brooklyn based, Prince Rama, may be the most mystical band around these days. Their most recent album Trust Now came out on the Animal Collective recorded label, Paw Tracks. This is some heady music, but remains accessible. This isn’t the type of psych music that wishes to alienate its listeners, but wishes to demonstrate it within the archetype of pop music. Dig on this song from Trust Now.
Indian Jewelry is a tough band to pigeonhole. Super noisy and heavy on the drone. Not quite as heady as Prince Rama, but they will surely satisfy your psych needs. They will undoubtedly bring a great show to Little Rock. Dig on this song from their most recent album, Totaled.
Indian Jewelry - Excessive Moonlight
It has been a long time coming since there was a show like this in Little Rock. Hopefully everyone will make sure they don’t miss out on this. It is only $3 and beverages are a dollar so no excuses. 21 and up so no little kiddos allowed!
Back from Gonerfest. Don’t know where to begin. This weekend was full of good food (BBQ!) and even better tunes. The fest has been over for a few days now, but I am unsure if I am really recovered.
One of the bands that we wanted to highlight was Coasting, who played on Friday afternoon at the Buccaneer. Coasting is Fiona and Madison. When listening to their music, one might be inclined to clump in them with some of female lead vocal groups such as Dum Dum Girls, Vivian Girls, or Best Coast, but there is a lot more going on here. They definitely have the surf-rock sound, but played like a huge tidal wave crashing in on the beach. Definitely head over to their bandcamp to preorder their first full album and grab some other stuff.
