Check out Man Man’s new video for “Rabbit Habits”, title track from the Philadelphia darlings’ latest release. It stars SNL’s Fred Armisen along with Charlyne Yi, and Martin Starr.
For a good time, catch the guys on tour. As a Philadelphian, I’m bummed to not see Man Man’s hometown listed below, but dear non-Philadelphia readers, please go enjoy Man Man on my behalf! And report back so I can vicariously live through your Man Man pleasure.
Tour Dates: Apr 22 - The Square Room / Knoxville Apr 23 - The Rev Room / Little Rock Apr 24 - Lounge on Elm St / Dallas Apr 25 - Norman Music Festival / Norman, Ok. Apr 26 - Mercy Lounge / Nashville Apr 27 - Bottletree / Birmingham Apr 28 - Sluggo's / Pensacola Apr 29 - Social / Orlando Apr 30 - Social / Orlando May 01 - Variety Playhouse / Atlanta May 02 - Cat's Cradle / Carrboro, NC May 03 - Black Cat / Washington DC May 04 - The State Theatre / State College, Pa. May 05 - Diesel / Pittsburgh May 06 - Magic Stick / Detroit May 29 - Beaumont Club / Kansas City * May 30 - Cabooze Outdoor Stage / Minneapolis * May 31 - Congress Theatre / Chicago * Jun 04 - Ram's Head Live / Baltimore * Jun 05 - House of Blues / Boston * Jul 04 - Rothbury Festival / Rothbury, Mi.
The number of miles Nathan and Ben run is being recorded in real time at www.runforwaterwells.com so fans can follow along as they rack up the miles. There is a suggested donation of $1 for every mile that the guys run.
I have spent too many mornings jogging alone, returning sweaty while the others still sleep, stashing my tennies to keep my secret safe from the monolith that has forbade music and exercise to walk coolly arm in arm. Now I have a partner in Ben and a mission in WWFA. Join us! - Nathan Willett
While I’m glad Nathan and I will hopefully raise a good amount of money for a wonderful cause, what I’m really excited about FINALLY having a running partner on tour. - Ben Gibbard
Water Wells For Africa is a grassroots non-profit that was founded and run by Willett’s family twelve years ago. Through donations, WWFA has put in over 100 water wells in drought regions in Malawi, Southern Africa. Each well costs approximately $6,000 dollars to survey and install. WWFA water wells service and provide fresh drinking water to 150,000-200,000 Malawians per day, who would otherwise have no access to clean water.
The UN has named 2005-2015 the “Decade of Water.” In an effort to join this fight against thirst, WWFA is working toward the goal of installing 1,000 new wells in hopes to bring clean water to 2 million Malawians.
Tour Dates: Apr 09 - Belk Arena @ Davidson College / Davidson, NC Apr 10 - Louisville Palace Theatre / Louisville Apr 11 - Orpheum Theatre / Memphis (SOLD OUT) Apr 12 - Brady Theatre / Tulsa (SOLD OUT) Apr 13 - Holland Performing Arts Center / Omaha (SOLD OUT) Apr 15 - Roy Wilkins Auditorium / St. Paul Apr 17 - Aragon Ballroom / Chicago (SOLD OUT) Apr 18 - Breslin Events Center @ MSU / East Lansing, Mi. Apr 19 - Van Male Fieldhouse @ Carroll College / Waukesha, Wi. Apr 20 - Gothic Theatre / Denver Apr 21 - Commodore Ballroom / Vancouver Apr 22 - The Showbox at The Market / Seattle Apr 23 - Doug Fir Lounge / Portland (SOLD OUT) Apr 24 - McCarthey Athletic Center@ Gonzaga University / Spokane Apr 25 - The Morrison Center / Boise Apr 26 - Crystal Bay Club Crown Room / Crystal Bay, Nv. Apr 27 - Memorial Auditorium / Sacramento Apr 28 - The Fillmore / San Francisco Apr 29 - RIMAC Arena @ UCSD / La Jolla, Ca.
Not one to miss out on major events, Sub Pop Records is happy to support Record Store Day with limited 7″s from a slew of their artists. On April 18th, head to you local independent record store for the following:
Blitzen TrapperWar is Placebo VetiverWishing Well ObitsI Can't Lose Flight of the ConchordsPencils in the Wind
All of these are limited to 1500 copies, except Flight of the Conchords’ Pencils in the Wind which is limited to 3000 copies. Considering their popularity due to a little TV show by the same name that we at Popwreckoning adore, you’d better camp out at [insert record store here] on the 17th if you want one.
Iron and Wine will also be offering up a limited edition live CD recorded in Norfolk on June 20th, 2005.
Tom Petty meets The Pointer Sisters in a neon karaoke bar in Tokyo singing Tina Turner. You’re intrigued. I was.
Well that’s pretty much-ish the sound of California quintet Iglu & Hartly, comprised of Jarvis Anderson (lead vocals), Sam Martin (vocals, keys), Simon Katz (guitar), Michael Bucher (bassist) and Luis Rosiles (drums), who dropped out of college to move to Echo Park, California and hone their collective musical craft.
The album’s like that scene in The Wizard Of Oz when the picture flips from black and white into color…We want people to listen to our record, be inspired, look inside themselves and work out how they can dominate the world in their own unique way. We’re about smashing down barriers. - Jarvis Anderson
Iglu & Hartly recently teamed with Universal Republic Records to bring its debut release, And Then Boom, to the masses on May 5th. Listen to a sample of their synth psych pop now. It’ll getcha movin’ on this beauuuutiful Friday afternoon:
Tour Dates: Apr 11 - The Midland / Kansas City Apr 18 - Blank Club / San Jose Apr 19 - Velvet Jones / Santa Barbara May 01 - Martini Ranch / Scottsdale May 02 - University Of Arizona / Tucson May 05 - Roxy / Los Angeles May 09 - Detroit Bar / Costa Mesa May 23 - TBD / Tampa Sep 5-7 - Bumbershoot / Seattle
Jenny Owen Youngs is back with her second album, Transmitter Failure due May 26th. This record is a bold departure from her 2007 release Batten The Hatches, which thrust Youngs into the spotlight (and won her a record deal with Nettwerk) when her song "Fuck Was I" was featured on the TV show "Weeds".
I wanted to make something that would move people emotionally, but also move them physically. I did not want to end up touring for another three years on a record that wouldn’t offer people the opportunity to move…I set out to make something that was, quite simply, more fun to play live. In the process, my writing took turns I didn’t expect. - Jenny Owen Youngs
Yet throughout it all, Transmitter Failure is unmistakably Jenny: Smart song structures, melodies informed by her love of pop music, and an ability to sting the listener with her candid lyrical insights.
In addition to her upcoming album and tour, Youngs has collaborated with touring buddies, Jukebox The Ghostand have created a split 7" limited edition vinyl and tour poster, both available for purchase only on these tour dates.
Jenny and the Jukebox boys will be working hard to make every night count, joining in during one another’s sets, trading off on vocals, banging out a collaborative cover or two, and finishing each other’s drinks.
As they prepare for their 23-city tour, both artists have covered a collection of each other's songs. Don't miss Jenny on the road and get a sneak peak of Transmitter Failure.
Tour Dates: Apr 30 - Subterranean / Chicago May 01 - Slowdown Jr / Omaha May 02 - Hi Dive / Denver May 03 - Kilby Court / Salt Lake City May 05 - Tractor Tavern / Seattle May 06 - Doug Fir Lounge / Portland May 08 - Bottom of the Hill / San Francisco May 09 - The Hotel Café / Los Angeles May 10 - The Loft- UCSD / San Diego May 12 - Club Congress / Tucson May 14 - Stubb's BBQ Indoors / Austin May 15 - The Prophet Bar / Dallas May 16 - Juanita's Cantina Ballroom / Little Rock May 17 - Hi-Tone Café / Memphis May 19 - 3rd and Lindsley / Nashville May 20 - The Casbah@ Tremont Music Hall / Charlotte, NC May 21 - Cat's Cradle / Carrboro, NC May 22 - Canal Club Downstairs Lounge / Richmond, Va. May 23 - Rock and Roll Hotel / Washington, DC May 26 - Johnny Brenda's / Philadelphia May 27 - Bowery Ballroom / New York City May 28 - Café 939 / Boston May 29 - Empire Dine and Dance / Portland, Me. May 30 - Toquet Hall / Westport, Ct. Jun 1- 8 - TBA
Primal Scream seemed like a band on the edge at their recent 9:30 Club show. Bobby Gillespieveered between lethargic indifference and incoherent banshee wails, staring into the crowd indifferently during “Kill All Hippies”, appearing unhinged during”‘Drop the Bomb”. He may have been asking himself what he was doing in DC, in front of an aging crowd of (mostly male) fans who were enthusiastic enough but not wont to jump around like they might do in Europe or Asia. Not to mention the fact that he was in a city that’s arguably at the center of the “military-industrial illusion of democracy,” at a moment in time when so much of what Primal Scream have been trying to tell the people has turned out to be correct — our leaders have been eroding our civil rights, lying to us, and generally selling out to global business; people have been tortured and thousands have been killed unjustly; the world finds itself on the brink of financial collapse.
Yet there’s no revolution, at least not in the UK or US — instead we’re clinging on dearly, hoping for the best, and practicing civil obedience. How do you feel when you’ve been shouting the truth for years but, even after you’re proven right, people don’t want to listen? Or maybe he was just a bit out of it, tired after over 20 hard years in the Scream, playing a smaller than normal venue.
That’s not to slate the show though. Gillespie was in and out at times, but the rest of the band played tightly and intensely, blazing through a set consisting of songs mostly taken from 2000’s XTRMNTR and 2008’s Beautiful Future, with some stand-outs from most of their post-Screamadelica albums mixed in (”Rocks”, “Miss Lucifer”, “Country Girl”). Green laser effects helped to create a tense and foreboding atmosphere and the band stuck to their harder and more confrontational material for the most part. Fans of their more balearic and dubby sounds (i.e.- people like me) were to be disappointed — only “Movin’ On Up” made an appearance from Screamadelica, towards the end of the set, but it was enough to show us what uplifting music Primal Scream are capable of when they choose to indulge in it.
Having said that, tracks like “Beautiful Future”, with it’s contempt for recently excessive lifestyles, ring true in today’s context, and stand up well next to older classics such as “Swastika Eyes”. Maybe a time will come when Primal Scream feel that playing their more blissful material is appropriate. For now, still, it’s the brutal threatening stuff that seems to make the most sense to them. We’re all on the edge really, but Primal Scream might already be on the other side.
With last year's acclaimed Evil Urges still going strong, and memories of their many live performances fresh in the minds of all who witnessed them, My Morning Jacket would like to give a token of thanks in the form of a new, live EP, Celebración De La Ciudad Natal. The EP will be released on Record Store Day, April 18th, to celebrate the day with many other acts nationwide. In support of independently owned and operated businesses across the country, which Record Store Day has made its mission, it will only be sold in independent retail stores.
The recording is also a tribute to My Morning Jacket's hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, which has shown unwavering support towards the guys since day one. The seven tracks on the EP were recorded at the two very different but equally memorable Louisville shows the band played last year: an in-store performance at local record shop, Ear-X-Tacy, and a performance at local landmark Waterfront Park.
“We are proud to announce and release a lil live EP that was recorded right in our very own hometown of Louisville, KY. A few songs were taken from our in-store appearance at our beloved and fabled record haven Ear-X-Tacy and a few of them were taken from our concert at the fabled Waterfront Park…We are excited to make this a special release that you can only get at your favorite local independent record store, as now more than ever we all need to take the time to celebrate what our favorite local record stores and businesses mean to us – the value of community/human-to-human, non-internet related physical and spiritual contact, and supporting the hardworking people in your community who strive everyday to keep it unique and keep it local.
We are fortunate in our travels to get to see many wonderful things, but one of the most distressing things is the increasing “normalization” of the world and how all these places are starting to look the same – everywhere you look more and more towns are starting to be filled with the same gigantic corporations, and while some of these huge companies undoubtedly provide valuable services, it is so important that we realize that it is our local businesses and people…that are what make different towns worth coming to… things you can only get in one place, made and sold by people who believe in what they are doing… people who are trying to keep good weirdness alive in this crazy dome. God* bless all of you, and god* bless the world and all that kinda shit.
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