Backwords blends modern psychedelics with folk rock, 60s pop and a myriad other sonic surprises, delivering gentle, lazy melodies that stick to the tongue and cannot be forgotten. Like a hawk nesting atop a New York skyscraper, there is a fury—a swooping darker underside that Backwords explores at the drop of a wooden nickel. It is and is not quite The Beach Boys meeting Daniel Johnston meeting The Band meeting Wilco and all sharing a mellow joint.
Based out of Brooklyn, Backwords is rooted in city grit but keeps a cowboy’s heart. The band is a regular fixture of the New York City scene and has played dozens of gigs over the last three years at venues and spaces such as Mercury Lounge, Cake Shop, Glasslands, Sycamore, and The American Folk Art Museum, as well as many others. Gigs have included headlining performances, in-store appearances, official showcases at 2009’s CMJ and 2010’s Northside Festivals and opening slots for bands such as These United States, Le Loup, Freelance Whales, Dinosaur Feathers and Darwin Deez.
Quilt, set for release on September 7, 2010, is the band’s third album after 2009’s The Buffalo Still Roam and 2008’s Factory Angles. On Quilt, the trio mixes the classic instrumentation of guitar, bass, drums, and keys with everything from toy flutes and banjos to accordions and clips of field recordings. The heartfelt lead vocals offer a story-teller’s tone of simple, honest warmth while the backing harmonies and good old-fashioned gang vox deeply layer the sound. 12 tracks of solid gold tunes and unfussy production make it a record that goes great with an old turntable and a pair of bulky headphones.
Quilt Track Listing:
1. And Then Sigh (click song to download free mp3)
2. Center of the Earth
3. In the Air & on the Ground
4. $80 Haircuts
5. Better Off Alone
6. Think of Me (As a Quilt Made Out of Stars)
7. Dig Deep
8. Gotta Talk
9. I Have Seen
10. None of This is Wrong
11. This is What That Last One’s For
Tour Dates:
8/28 – The Elephant’s Graveyard Barn – Upstate NY
9/2 – Union Hall, Brooklyn, NY (Album Release Party with BRIAN, Tatters and Rags, Toy Soldiers)
9/4 – The Ox – Philadelphia, PA (Album Release Party with Divine Lorraine, Tall Trees)
9/14 – PA’a Lounge – Cambridge, MA
9/15 – Cousin Larry’s – Danbury, CT
On August 10, 2010, My Old Kentucky Blog’s recently launched label, Roaring Colonel Records, will release Black Teeth & Golden Tongues the debut album from San Francisco-via-Indianapolis trio Burnt Ones. Hot on the heels of the All Night Long 7-inch (RCR001), Black Teeh & Golden Tongues is a self-produced, 11-song trip through wall of sound séances and blissed out rock ‘n’ roll, with doses of psych, sun, spit and girl group worship. Too boomy to be lo-fi and certainly not hi-fi, Burnt Ones want to go steady with your ears and leave your mind at home.
Burnt Ones fuzzed out rock ‘n’ roll is built on hazy melodies and sleazed-out electric rhythm. Their sound recalls Brian Wilson at his most Phil Spector obsessed, the warped pop ears of Joe Meek, sleazy T. Rex stomp and a little Spacemen 3 thrown in for good measure, while staying within throwing distance of like-minded groups such as Thee Oh Sees, Dum Dum Girls and Ty Segall.
Burnt Ones will be touring throughout the later half of 2010 and throughout 2011 in support of Black Teeth & Golden Tongues, with more 7-inches and limited releases due throughout the next year.
1. Bury Me In Smoke
2. Sunset Hill
3. Bring You All My Love
4. Soft City
5. Burnt to Lose
6. Kaleidoscope Eyes
7. Gonna Listen to T. Rex (All Night Long)
8. Famous Shakes
9. Real Gone
10. Only Ones
11. Never Gonna Die
Jesse Woods is a 27 year old who was born in rural California and moved to Texas when he was young. He now resides in Austin, Texas, and will record his first full length album with Bill Baird (Sunset) producing in Fall of 2010.
He was asked personally by C3 to play Austin City Limits Festival after only performing in Austin three times.
He was asked personally by Neon Indian to cover a song of his choice off their Psychic Chasms album.
Sunset, the indie-pop recording project for Austin, TX native Bill Baird. Baird describes Sunset as a project “still very much in its formative stages, [which] will probably remain that way for the duration of the project.” The dynamic nature of his approach to songwriting leads to an always-evolving sound, one constantly reaching for its true shape yet never settling in one form. This goes a little ways towards explaining Sunset’s prolific output. In the three years Sunset has been a band, there have been five full-length albums, multiple limited edition tour releases, a seven inch, and a number of Bill Baird solo albums.
Sunset’s 5th album, Loveshines But The Moon Is Shining Too, is set for release in October 2010 on the Austin, TX based Autobus label.
Jesse and Sunset will be hitting the road together beginning this weekend (dates below).
7/25 – unicorn palace – big sur, ca
7/27 – east village coffee house – monterey, ca
7/28 – crepe place – santa cruz, ca
7/29 – sol collective – sacramento, ca
8/1 – milkbar (day show) – san francisco, ca
8/1 – hemlock tavern – san francisco, ca
8/3 – rotture – portland, or
8/4 – high dive – seattle, wa
8/8 – whidby island – missoula, mt
8/10 – urban lounge – salt lake city
8/11 – hi dive – denver, co
Luna is Honey has become a fixture in Los Angeles’ burgeoning, increasingly diverse, and always progressive DIY music scene since their inception in 2006. Having played in various bands together since their pubescent days as goth teens who gradually transitioned into more melodic, more adult, less gaudily-stylized disillusionment, guitarist/vocalist Josh Crampton, drummer Amorn Bholsangngam, beatsmith/soundscape artist Jay Francisco (also known as jbts), and keyboardist Elijah Crampton (also known as E&E) joined forces once more to coalesce their love for punk intensity, pop sensibilities, jazz spontaneity, and dreamy sonic textures. The result is chaotic and beautiful at once, drawing from seemingly contradictory aesthetic sources to create a sound that is singular and harmonious. Having self-released two full-length albums on CD-R and cassette formats (2008’s Rhino Sinners and 2009’s Raptor Red), the group has crafted what may be their most accessible, most immediately enjoyable release yet. Copy Cats is a fine introduction to the world of Luna is Honey for those who have lived beyond the reaches of the L.A. music scene and the most accurate representation of the band as a formidable live entity. With bassist Tyler Binkley joining the ranks to round out the line-up, Luna is Honey is poised to do justice to all the things that influence their music — from their beloved city, to their musical heroes (Prince, Elvis Costello, My Bloody Valentine, Brian Eno, The Cure, to name a few), to their various pets, to their still-lingering affinity for all things dark — perhaps making a few fingers snap, a few toes tap, and a few heads bob along the way.
It’s that time of year again. The Underground Music Showcase-one of the largest indie music festivals in the western United States celebrates it’s 10th Anniversary in Denver. We’d like to invite you to check out some awesome Banter Media and Management artists we’ve got worked into the lineup. Please let us know if you’d like to attend a show.
Woodsman “When The Morning Comes”
Sunday, July 25 at 11:55PM at Verizon Wireless Stage at Hi-Dive
A Lull “Weapons for War”
Saturday, July 24 at 9PM at ShareTheMic Stage @ Moe’s Original BBQ
Dana Falconberry “Singing Lullabies”
Saturday, July 24 at 7PM at ShareTheMic Stage @ Moe’s Original BBQ
Sunday, July 25 3:30PM at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design Stage @ The Walnut Room Pizzeria
Wartime Blues “Youth”
Sunday, July 25 at 5PM at Verizon Driod Stage at Skylark Lounge
FUR “Black Castles”
Friday, July 23 at 7PM at Westaf Stage at Illiterate Magazine
Saturday July 24 at 8PM at Great Vodka Stage at Delite
Gangcharger “Apparition”
Sunday, July 25 at 11PM at Evergroove Stage at 3 Kings Tavern
The Apache
Saturday, 4:30PM at Fentress Architects Materials Garden
The Polyamorous Affair is a nomadic-by-way-of-Los Angeles duo who weave a rich fantasy world into their own mischievous brand of electronic pop. The duo which formed in Denmark in 2007 is comprised of Eddie Chacon and Sissy Sainte-Marie who currently divide their time between Copenhagen and Berlin.This summer they release their 3rd album, Strange Bedfellows. Widely acclaimed across the board from NME to Dazed Digital to bedroom bloggers, The Polyamorous Affair have become known for their strategic simplicity, chilly beats and warm vibes, all set in some bizarre frame of opulence. Their latest release finds the two conjuring up a strangely seductive electronic hybrid laced with haunting guitars and live percussion that pull you in, spellbound. Their live show is a multi-media experience featuring pioneering Visualist Mr. Cocoon.
Strange Bedfellows, the third release from The Polyamorous Affair finds the duo offering surprisingly few duets, instead each branching into two distinct styles. The album breathes and pulsates with vibrancy and balance. Eddie reconnects with his soul roots and traditional songwriting while Sissy taps into dreams and trails off on mystical disco byways. The alluringly distant front woman is at times angelic (Softer and Softer, The Avenues) and at times possessed by the Harlot of Babylon (Fantasy, Hypnotized), entities she seems to exorcise on the album’s grande finale, Rebel. Eddie floats with mercilessly beauty in flawless falsetto over big swinging beats (Strange, Shadows) and surprises us with some masterful guitar skills he has humbly hidden up his sleeve (Shadows, Swan Song, Rebel).
Currently the the band is in Europe collaborating with directors from each country they visit on videos for Strange Bedfellows.
Strange Bedfellows Tracklist:
1. Hypnotized
2. Strange
3. Softer and Softer
4. Fantasy
5. Shadows
6. The Avenues
7. Bright Ones
8. Swan Song
9. Witch
10. Rebel
Baltimore’s Soft Cat is set to release their debut record with Friends Records in Fall 2010
Raised in Texas, Soft Cat’s Neil Sanzgiri combines as many people and resources as he can together to create a unique blend of influences and arrangements ranging from folk pop to classical baroque interpretations on the singer/songwriter genre. Soft Cat’s music exists as the space between when the sun rises and the darkness that precedes it.
As lead singer of the Dallas based psych-pop band Voot Cha Index (who recorded with The Polyphonic Spree bassist Mark Pirro) while still in high school, Neil Sanzgiri relocated to Baltimore, MD to attend college while still keeping contact with many of the Texas affiliations he had. After returning in summer of 2008, he formed Talking Tiger Mountain with members of Sleep Whale, Sunnybrook, Matthew & The Arrogant Sea, and a number of other Denton friends, creating monumental folk rock tales. Soft Cat retains many of the production styles learned from both of these bands and integrates it in his own view of what he calls “the sound of everything that never happened” from his favorite songs.
Starting as a class project, Soft Cat developed into a project featuring various Baltimore musicians from acts like Small Sur, Weekends, and many more to create a passive understanding of the intricate wholeness existing in natural phenomenon of everyday. The songs lie somewhere between Van Morrison’sAstral Weeks and The Microphone’sThe Glow Pt. 2.
Wild Space is Soft Cat’s first album released through Friends Records. The ideas in this album are a collection of themes and explanations growing to a symphonic conclusion. As Neil explains it, “Any concentration of wilderness, growth, or life contained in a surviving ecosystem located in an urban setting is known as Wild Space. It is a non-domesticated area existing and dwelling as arcane emptiness. Wild Space creates fear from the unknown yet gives context to conformability. Organisms grow and cultivate while going unnoticed. Wild Space serves as the in between spaces in our lives.”
1. Silver Babies Sun
2. Dark When it Should Be Violet Hour
3. It Won’t Be Long
4. Mourn in the Night
5. Wildspace
6. When My Brother Reaches Me
7. Five Months Waiting
8. Blackbird
Coltrane Motion are a Chicago-based electronic indie rock duo, with a new album titled Hello Ambition! out June 1 via Datawaslost, which they just wrapped up touring in support of. Lead singer, Michael Bond records sixties obsessed electronic pop in his home studio, while guitarist Matt Dennewitz covers it all in wailing distortion and delay at their live shows-the result is a raucous wall of sound built out of drum loops and fuzzed-out melodies, held together by swirling synths and organ drone.
The group has its origins in a hanfdul of lo-fi CD-R and compilation releases, culminating in theit 2007 full-lenght debut, Songs About Music and a series of successful tours across the US and Canada. Their frantic live show has been described by the press an an “exuberant seizure” and the “cool kids in programming class”, it’s hyperactive intensity is a far fcry from your usual laptop performances.
Feel free to post “I Forgot There Was a War On” and “Please Call it a Comeback” let me know if you’d like more info.
1. When We Were Old
2. Maya Blue
3. I Forgot There Was a War On
4. Wherever This Is
5. Only Again
6. Terra
7. High Tide
8. My Heart Might Go On
9. Please Call It a Comback
10. One Year From Now
“Whatever There’s to Know” Holy Family consists of three members from different parts of the Gothenburg region in Sweden. They started the band in the summer of 2009 with the goal to tour Eastern Europe. Initially, the band was only created to do this one tour and then resolve. They never actually reached Easter Europe but the band persisted. Later that year, during the economic crisis, they had trouble finding any work other than odd jobs and chose to start working more whole-heatedly with Holy Family. They found themselves getting more and more satisfied with the songs they made and felt that Holy Family was worth going in for. The band is currently cranking out numerous demos which will eventually become their first proper record.
Nice Purse began as the brainchild of singer/songwriter France Camp. France was looking for better methods towards spare change and started “busking” around the Minneapolis Uptown area. After an extensive bout with covers, France eventually grew bored and started writing his own songs. France emailed a few of his tracks to his childhood friend Ian “Indian” Davis was instantly charmed by the passionate sounds France was creating. The duo soon signed up good friends Dylan and Elise to join them on their debut album Black Medal, Nice Purse is a blend of Violent Femmes and Bright Eyes, with a tiny bit of the Modern Lovers tossed in. Their songs are celebrations, often with their roots in tragedy.
Nice Purse’s songs seem to be wrought with equal amounts of insecurity and confidence. It is this mixture that makes France’s insights so poignant. Even if you’ve never loved and lost, France will pull at your heart strings and pull you into his lush musical world. Their new studio recording (to be released on the Minneapolis label, SoTM, August 10th) show a surprisingly mature side to the sounds of Nice Purse. There are more than brief moments of greatness on their debut album Black Medal.
Track List:
1. Heart Medley
2. Blood Tambourines
3. Blacker Water
4. Ice Cream Graveyards
5. That’s the Tude
6. The Loom
7. Hold My Gun
8. Kathalaugh
9. Moonlit Hugs
10. Pharmacy
11. Travel
12. Panther Like Me
Show Dates:
7/11 – Minneapolis, MN – Bedlam Theater w/ Telephone Hat
7/21 – St. Paul, MN – Turf Club w/ Pennyroyal/Dreamland Faces
7/31 – Minneapolis, MN – Red Stag Supperclub w/ TBA
8/12 – Cushing, MN – Come Unity Fest
8/27 – Minneapolis, MN – Sauce w/ Red Pens
8/28 – Minneapolis, MN – House Party!
