popwreckoning updates

Posted: 06 Feb 2009 04:35 PM CST

After a two week hiatus, ‘Free Music Friday’ returns! Sorry for leaving you hanging at the end of the past couple weeks, dear readers. Bonus ‘Free Music’ days await. Let’s kick off the weekend right with some tunes you’re sure to love.

King of Conspiracy

Parisian art-punk trio King of Conspiracy, who is currently touring the UK, is set to release their single “Youth Against The Empire” via CatCutter Records on March 2nd.

“Youth Against the Empire”, available on digital download and as a limited edition CD, is a jet-powered rock song that opens with frantic cowbell and continues on a raucous journey of racing guitar riffs, raspy vocals, dancey drum beats and all around high energy. One listen and you know that King of Conspiracy must be a force to be reckoned with, especially on the stage.

King of Conspiracy - “Youth Against The Empire”

King of Conspiracy: myspace

Photo: Mark Oliff

–

North Elementary

Chapel Hill’s North Elementary will be releasing Not For Everyone, Just For You on February 24th and we’ve got two songs from the album for you to download free! “Decade Stylin’” is indie rock infused with just the right amount of beeps and boops and features airy synth rhythms that get you moving while “Golden Tigers” is a bit mellower.

Those that preorder through the band’s label, Eskimo Kiss Records, will have their album shipped a week early and the first 10 preorders will get a bonus of North Elementary’s 3 record 7″ series North Elementary Weeble Wobble Sound Series.

North Elementary - “Decade Stylin’”
North Elementary - “Golden Tigers”

North Elementary: website | myspace

–

Mi Ami
For the next two months, Mi Ami will be on the road virtually non-stop, hitting U.S. towns large and small alike to lend a taste of their forthcoming full-length debut album Watersports. We’ve had a listen to Watersports and we are diggin’ its unique nature. Don’t expect to hear a need little package of pretty songs: wild riffs, wailing and raging energy. Vocally, it’s akin to Saddle Creek’s Beep Beep, so you know it’s good. Personally, I’m amped to catch these guys live, but judge for yourself by checking out “New Guitar”.

Mi Ami - “New Guitar”

Mi Ami: myspace

February 5, 2009 — New Metric Single “Help I’m Alive” Video & MP3 (0)
February 4, 2009 — Free Manchester Orchestra, Anni Rossi MP3s (0)
February 3, 2009 — Heartless Bastards, Tour Stop: Maxwell’s in Hoboken, NJ 2/4 (0)
February 2, 2009 — Ladyfinger (ne) - Dusk (0)
January 30, 2009 — Dead to Me - Little Brother (0)
January 29, 2009 — Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach plans solo record/tour (0)
January 27, 2009 — New Music Tuesday! (0)
January 22, 2009 — Golden Boots - Winter Of Our Discotheque (0)
January 20, 2009 — Victory Lap: The Obama Mix Pt. 2 (0)
January 20, 2009 — Phil & the Osophers say ‘Buh Bye Bush!’ (0)

The Walkmen with Beach House @ Wonder Ballroom, Portland

Posted: 06 Feb 2009 03:25 PM CST

As I walked up to the counter to pick up my ticket, people were being turned away and I knew this was going to be a good night. I love sold out shows. They just feel right. The floor was packed even before Beach House took the stage, so by the time The Walkmen plugged in, and lead singer Hamilton Leithauser let go with one of his powerful wails, the crowd was ready and buzzing.

For a New York band whose sound often seems on the brink of falling apart in a drunken mess, The Walkmen are relatively clean cut — at least compared to the Portland crowd who, as usual, looked shaggy. You can tell that they’ve played together for years. Every warbled vocal and shambling plunk on the piano is perfectly timed. The only odd bit about the show was the addition of a four piece horn section that only came on for a handful of songs. Except for two songs, they didn’t really add much to the sound. In the end, they just seemed a bit superfluous.

While The Walkmen nailed my favorite song off You & Me, “In the New Year”, the highlight of the concert for me was when they sang “We’ve Been Had” and “Wake Up” off of their debut Everybody Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone. The songs were revved up, sounded fresh, and they took me back to when I first picked up their album. Leithauser has a great rock scream, which I think sounds best on their faster songs and always makes me think of late nights drinking. The rousing songs and wobbly almost slurred lyrics seem to make the lights both bright and blurry.

At first, I thought Beach House and The Walkmen made for an odd pairing, but once Beach House started playing it was clear that they had a similarly woozy albeit much quieter sound. It’s as if they were soundtracking the same night, just later on when you find yourself slumped over in a booth in some random bar, too drunk to move, but somehow unable to pass out. I don’t want to confuse you– Beach House opened and did a good job warming up the crowd. It’s just that if this concert was a film, I’d recut it and let the night wind down with Beach House instead.

You & Me
Price: USD 10.99
51 used & new available from USD 7.10

Written by: Jesse Gelwicks
Photos: Dese’Rae Stage

December 15, 2008 — Blitzen Trapper @ Wonder Ballroom, Portland (0)
August 25, 2008 — The Walkmen @ the Bowery Ballroom, NYC (2)
August 12, 2008 — The Walkmen - You & Me (3)
February 4, 2009 — Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings @ The Crystal Ballroom, Portland (0)
January 27, 2009 — Lenka @ Doug Fir, Portland (0)
January 26, 2009 — Blind Pilot @ Aladdin Theatre, Portland (1)
September 27, 2008 — Interview with: Dear and the Headlights (0)
September 17, 2008 — Free Yr Radio Final 3 Concerts (0)
August 19, 2008 — New Music Tuesday! (2)
June 27, 2008 — The Walkmen “In The New Year” Single (0)

Interview with: Joshua Radin

Posted: 06 Feb 2009 02:45 PM CST

As the songwriter that was cool enough to impress celebs like Ellen Degeneres and Zach Braff, Joshua Radin has garnered a lot of attention for a guy who has just released his sophomore album Simple Times. Radin took some time out from a recent tour to talk to PopWreckoning’s Joshua. Check it out here:

Joshua, PopWreckoning: Hey, this is Josh. What's going on?
Joshua Radin: Hey man, how are you?
PW: I'm good. Let's start with your newest album, Simple Times. You left Columbia Records where you released Here We Were to independently release Simple Times on Mom and Pop Records. Why the change?
JR: I turned in Simple Times to Columbia and felt they didn't hear a big pop, Top 40 single and I was like, "Well, yeah, that's cause I didn't write one." They said, "Keep working on it and then we'll release the rest of the record." And I said I wasn't doing that so I bought myself out so I could release the record the way I wanted to release it.
PW: I think that's great. I have actually heard the record and I think it's wonderful and I don't know what they were looking for.
JR: Thank you. Well, it's a major label system these days and who knows. Everyone in the company actually heard the record and they all loved it and were excited and they've been doing two years of work with me and they were super excited to get a product out there, but just the guy at the very top was like, "I need one single." And I was like, "Sorry man. I don't do Top 40."

PW: I think that is very commendable in a market where people will completely change their sound and change everything about them for a label. I think it is commendable to find an artist that will not.
JR: Thanks. It's sort of scary, but at the end of the day I was told when I signed with them originally that I would have full creative control about what was released and apparently that just wasn't true.

PW: Your songs have appeared in television shows like “Scrubs”, “Brothers and Sisters”, and “Grey's Anatomy”, as well as movies like The Last Kiss and Catch and Release. In your opinion, how do you feel that the visual media world is helping to shape music and do you think that television is becoming the new radio, thanks to the influence of people like Zach Braff?
JR: Sure, I think for about three years in interviews, I've been saying that TV is the new radio. I think it’s the visual. I think there's a form of energy of creativity in different forms of media. I think that ever since radio has become this sort of enigma of what gets played on it and a lot of people that I hang out with don't listen to the radio and I don't really listen to the radio, well certain stations. I listen to NPR, stations that have a backbone and play what they want to play rather than what they think they need to play. I think it's just a new marketplace for music and songwriters. I think that's why so many songwriters have moved to Los Angeles from New York, is to play for the music supervisors because it's almost like playing for program directors now.

PW: In the past, you've recorded with Imogen Heap and Schuyler Fisk and it has add a colorful touch to your raspy voice. Who would you like to record with in the future if you were given the chance to record with anyone?
JR: Well, Imogen, we didn't record together. She remixed one of my songs, so we never actually sang together like in terms of harmony and stuff like that. In terms of collaborations that I've done in the past that I'm most proud of are Patty Griffin on this record on "You've Got Growing Up to Do". I would say, I did the song "Sky" on Simple Times with Meiko, she was great.
In the future I guess I would say I would love to collaborate with Feist, Leslie Feist. I'd love to collaborate with Gillian Welch.

PW: You mentioned Meiko who is a staple to the Hotel Cafe Tour. The Hotel Café Tour in my opinion seems to have become a bit of a movement. Kind of like a Brat Pack sort of thing where you guys all work together.
JR: It's really just a, well if you look in the hip hop world, every one's just a strength in numbers. Everyone records with each other, writes with each other and promotes each other. It's just the same sort of thing happening in the singer / songwriter genre.
PW: I would have never thought to make that comparison, but it's very true the way you just worded it. What is it like to perform so closely with that group of people? I've heard Cary Brothers say that it's like working with your family.
JR: It's great. Cary and I have been playing that tour since it has started and it's always a great time. You get to get on a bus with your buddies and collaborate. Every one brings his or her own sound to the shows and get to introduce other buddies to their fans. It's a family vibe. It's supposed to be like SNL - the not yet ready for prime time players.
It's a tour of not quite ready to headline. If we can't headline, let's all do it together and you get some special guests every now and then like SNL, we’ll have a guest host or something like that who has been successful and will come back. That's sort of the model I guess for it.

PW: Smart marketing idea. You've recently performed the song "Today" at Ellen Degeneres' wedding, winning the spot over Justin Timberlake and George Michael. What was that experience like for you?
JR: I went in. I got calls saying that Ellen wanted me to play at her wedding a couple days before the wedding. I was on tour. I said of course I would, I would do it. I flew into LA and went to her house, it was her house in her living room. Just 20 people: her family. I played like six songs and then I had some cake and hung out and it was really fun. Ellen and Portia [de Rossi] are just so cool and nice and I can't say enough about them.

PW: What's in the future of Joshua Radin?
JR: I think my philosophy has become you play a show in a certain town so that you can come back and play a show in that town. So that you can make another record. I just want to continue what I'm doing and build a career honestly and organically. If all continues to go the way it is going now, I'll continue to be the happiest person alive.
I really feel like I fell into this career late in life and I feel extremely fortunate. I've had some good breaks and also if you just combine good fortune with being honest you're going to be successful and if I can continue to pay my bills doing what I love to do then that's what success is to me. That and being able to order anything on the menu.
PW: Sounds like a good life. I appreciate your time.
JR: Cool man. See ya.

Joshua Radin: website | myspace | Simple Times review

Simple Times
Price: USD 9.49
50 used & new available from USD 7.99

Photo by: Deborah Lopez

December 15, 2008 — Interview With: Jessie Baylin (0)
October 16, 2008 — Joshua Radin - Simple Times (12)
February 2, 2009 — Interview with: Amie Miriello (2)
September 5, 2008 — Interview with: Paul Velten of the Silents (1)
February 5, 2009 — Interview with: Kevin Devine, pt. I (0)
January 28, 2009 — Interview with: Gareth Jones of People in Planes (1)
January 25, 2009 — Bon Iver covers Feist’s ‘The Park’ (0)
January 22, 2009 — The Killers with M83 @ Magness Arena, Denver CO (6)
December 31, 2008 — Most Anticipated Albums of 2009 (1)
December 29, 2008 — Remix Monday: Feist (3)

Anya Marina @ Tin Angel, Philadelphia

Posted: 06 Feb 2009 11:45 AM CST

On any given night, the Tin Angel in Philadelphia’s Old City section can be practically dead or packed to the rafters. As far as venues go, it’s a fairly small space so it was no surprise when there was standing room only for a Anya Marina, Jenny Owens Young and Greg Laswell performance.

I slipped in through the entrance as California singer-songwriter and radio DJ Anya Marina’s set began and managed to snag a bar stool flush against the merch table in the back of the room. Marina’s voice is just as sweet live as it is on her recently released sophomore album Slow and Steady Seduction: Phase II. Despite the syrupy quality of her vocals, Marina isn’t all rainbows and lollipops: she joked about the freezing cold weather and how she can’t understand how people fornicate in such temperatures when she’d rather stay all bundled up and hibernate until warmer days.

To fight off the chill in the packed room, Marina announced, “it’s cold so I feel like dancing. Let’s get up and shake our asses!” before launching into “Waters of March”, a Brazilian song composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim, which Marina sang parts of in Portuguese. Marina shimmied around stage as accompanist Brandon Walters churned out edgy guitar riffs that provided a perfect compliment to Marina’s sweet and sexy vocals.

Marina ended her set with the hopeful “Miss Halfway” from her debut full-length of the same way and the opening track from Seduction, “Move You”. The former is an empowering anthem about not letting her spirit be broken, which could have been sung with a bit more of an angry passion. The latter started soft and slow before rocketing into an uptempo seduction of a song.

Anya Marina has some West Coast dates scheduled for this month before hitting the road again with Laswell, this time bringing Jay Nash in tow, as she works her way from the Northeast down to Austin, Texas for this year’s South By Southwest Music Festival. Be sure to catch her in a city near you.

Tour Dates:
Feb 06 - Les Saints / Montreal *
Feb 07 - Great Scott / Allston, Ma. *
Feb 11 - Fingerprints (In-Store) / Long Beach
Feb 12 - Hotel Cafe / Los Angeles
Feb 14 - M-Theory (In-Store) / San Diego
Feb 16 - Elliott Hall of Music / West Lafayette, In. #
Feb 17 - NIU Convocation Center / Dekalb, Il. #
Feb 21 - Pepperdine University @ The Sandbar / Malibu
Feb 25 - Vinyl / Atlanta ^
Feb 26 - The Evening Muse / Charlotte, NC ^
Feb 27 - Coffee East / Easton, Md. ^
Feb 28 - Tin Angel / Philadelphia ^
Mar 01 - The Canal Room / New York City ^
Mar 02 - Jammin' Java / Vienna, Va. ^
Mar 04 - Funk n' Waffles / Syracuse ^
Mar 05 - Red Square / Albany ^
Mar 06 - Cafe 939 at Berklee / Boston ^
Mar 07 - Club Cafe / Pittsburgh ^
Mar 09 - The Winchester Tavern & Music / Cleveland ^
Mar 10 - Rumba Cafe / Columbus ^
Mar 11 - Martyrs' / Chicago ^
Mar 01 - Vaudeville Mews / Des Moines ^
Mar 14 - The Bottleneck / Lawrence ^
Mar 19 - Hotel Cafe showcase at The Parish / Austin
Mar 21 - Atlantic/Chop Shop Records party at Brush Square Park / Austin
Mar 21 - Chop Shop Records showcase at Maggie Mae's / Austin

*w/ The Virgins
#w/ Jason Mraz
^w/ Greg Laswell and Jay Nash

Anya Marina: website | myspace | Slow and Steady Seduction: Phase II review

November 8, 2008 — Tobias Fröberg, Ane Brun @ Tin Angel, Philadelphia (2)
November 6, 2008 — Theresa Andersson@ Tin Angel, Philadelphia (1)
October 12, 2008 — Black Kids and The Virgins @ First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia (1)
October 11, 2008 — Philadelphia Ticket Giveaways! (1)
September 18, 2008 — Juliana Hatfield @ World Café Live downstairs, Philadelphia (1)
September 12, 2008 — Joan As Policewoman @ Tin Angel, Philadelphia (0)
January 28, 2009 — Cursive @ the Barbary, Philadelphia (1)
January 12, 2009 — Punk Rock Flea Market Rescheduled! (0)
January 5, 2009 — Oasis @ Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden NJ (2)
December 18, 2008 — Philly’s R5 Productions Holiday Punk Rock Flea Market (0)

Harlem Shakes to tour with Tokyo Police Club, “Technicolor Health” out March 24th

Posted: 06 Feb 2009 10:15 AM CST

New York’s Harlem Shakes will be hitting the road with Tokyo Police Club this winter to preview material from their forthcoming debut LP, Technicolor Health, out March 24th. Previously, Harlem Shakes have toured with the likes of Deerhoof, Vampire Weekend, and Beirut, and opened for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Arctic Monkeys, among others.

After extensive touring and a bit of schooling, the band got together with Chris Zane (Passion Pit, White Rabbits) to record their first full-length album, Technicolor Health. The result is one of the most quietly ambitious pop albums in ages. Harlem Shakes meld the Great American Songbook with unmistakably contemporary textures, creating what one might call “Am Pop.” Influences as disparate as the Band, Randy Newman, Carlos Santana and Spank Rock inform the soundscapes, but the vibe is too coherent to be called eclectic. The record captures the weary, hopeful, and sometimes triumphal vibe of a dark period in the band members’ lives.

Tour Dates:
Feb 14 - BAM Sounds Like Brooklyn Festival @ Southpaw / Brooklyn
Feb 24 - Lupo's / Providence *
Feb 25 - Webster Hall / New York City ^
Feb 26 - Black Cat / Washington DC ^
Feb 27 - Swarthmore College / Swarthmore, Pa.
Feb 28 - Mr Smalls / Pittsburgh
Mar 01 - Grog Shop / Cleveland
Mar 02 - Basement / Columbus
Mar 03 - Mad Hatter / Covington, Ky.
Mar 05 - Earl / Atlanta
Mar 06 - Downunder / Tallahassee, Fl.
Mar 07 - The Social / Orlando

*w/ Tokyo Police Club
^w/ Tokyo Police Club & Born Ruffians

Tracklisting:
01. Nothing But Change Part II
02. Strictly Game
03. TFO
04. Niagara Falls
05. Sunlight
06. Unhurried Hearts (Passaic Pastoral)
07. Winter Water
08. Natural Man
09. Radio Orlando
10. Technicolor Health

Harlems Shakes: website | myspace

Burning Birthdays
Price: USD 30.98
5 used & new available from USD 0.77

December 20, 2008 — Ra Ra Riot 2009 Tour Dates (0)
September 6, 2008 — Tokyo Police Club’s Interface Session (0)
August 6, 2008 — Weezer Tour w/ Angels and Airwaves, Tokyo Police Club (1)
July 16, 2008 — Tokyo Police Club on MTV, Fall Tour (0)
June 17, 2008 — Tokyo Police Club Announce US Fall Shows (0)
April 11, 2008 — Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell (5)
February 5, 2009 — Ray LaMontagne 2009 Tour Dates (0)
February 5, 2009 — YACHT March Tour, New Album “See Mystery Lights” (0)
January 30, 2009 — Minature Tigers to Tour with Ben Folds (0)
January 30, 2009 — Blind Pilot - 3 Rounds and a Sound (1)

Lukestar - Lake Toba

Posted: 06 Feb 2009 08:45 AM CST

Though their MySpace page says "Japanese Classic Music", Lukestar is not Japanese, but Norwegian. However, they are pretty classic when it comes down to their originality. Their album Lake Toba was released last year and received a lot of rave in Norway as well as in the U.S. It even received a Norwegian Grammy or "Spellemann" for the best rock album.

This album vibrates with powerful pop rock, energetic drumming, catchy guitar riffs and rocking falsetto vocals. Even though it sounds as if there might be some female vocals, it is a band full of dudes. Yup, that's right, no chicks in this band. Reminding me of a Norwegian Circa Survive, Lukestar opens up the album with tracks like "White Shade", "Shape of Light" and "The Shade You Hide" with a state of bliss and a hint of fantasy underneath all of the plays on words. After that, the rest of the album tends to echo those songs to the point of not being able to tell them apart. The only exception, "Intermission to Io", is a minute long vocalless melody that is just as the title states, an intermission for the record.

Overall Lake Toba is a good album, but it doesn't take my breath away. The theme is consistent, yet almost too consistent when all of songs seem to blend into one. Don't get me wrong, I like the record with all of the uplifting short songs, bright melodies and vigorous pace and I'm not surprised these Norse gods of rock scored themselves a [Norwegian] Grammy, but I'm not crazy about it. I'm sorry Lukestar. I love you, but I'm not in love with you.

Tracklisting:
01. White Shade
02. Shape Of Light
03. The Shade You Hide
04. Cold Numbers
05. Lake Toba
06. The Clouds Tell
07. In A Hologram
08. Intermission To Io
09. House Of Orion
10. Clockworks Of Tomorrow
11. Peregrin

Lukestar: website | myspace