Thursday, February 27, 2014

Australia's Sleepmakewaves' acclaimed debut mini-album to see worldwide release, first time on vinyl



Australian melodic instrumental rock quartet sleepmakeswaves announce plans today for the first time worldwide release of their acclaimed debut mini-album via England's Monotreme Records. The recording, in today already walks tomorrow will be issued for the first time ever on vinyl in a deluxe 180 gm package, as well as on CD and download.

The lead track "one day you will teach me to let go of my fears" is available to listen/share HERE.

sleepmakeswaves tour the UK and Europe in April-May. Please see complete dates below.

The band's 2008 debut in today already walks tomorrow was the first glimpse of the Australian quartet on the global stage. Indeed, the viral success of lead track made such an impact that it catapulted the band to the top end of The Silent Ballet’s 2008 end-of-year list, clocked over 50,000 downloads and earned them a loyal following around the world. Such a reaction for a band only newly minted in their homeland suggested something special about their approach - with music so immediately evocative that it speaks to people on a universal level.

sleepmakeswaves’ dramatic and sumptuous approach to their craft is brilliantly showcased on this diverse record, which blends powerful, dynamic guitars and strings with impeccably constructed electronics. At times heavy and climactic; at times understated and quiet, but always with a keen sense of melody and songcraft at the heart,  in today already walks tomorrow truly merits the descriptions "lush" and "cinematic."

Previously only available digitally and as a limited import CD outside of Australia, the album will be re-issued worldwide excluding Australia and New Zealand on Monotreme Records, including a CD edition and a deluxe 180 gm black vinyl edition of 500 copies that includes a free poster and album CD in a printed card wallet inside - the first ever vinyl pressing. All orders from the label’s web shop will also include free sleepmakeswaves pins and stickers whilst supplies last.

Last year, the band's 2011 ARIA Award-nominated (Australia's equivalent of the Grammys) full-length debut album And So We Destroyed Everything was also re-issued by Monotreme Records in deluxe 2-CD and 2LP editions, bringing more of sleepmakeswaves’ fantastic music to a wider audience.

The band’s current lineup of guitarist Jonathan Khor, guitarist Otto Wicks-Green, drummer Tim Adderley and bassist Alex Wilson have spent the better part of the past 3 years touring the world, including performances at SXSW, Dunk! Festival and touring alongside bands such as Karnivool, Boris, 65daysofstatic, Tortoise and more. They have earned a devoted following around the world, for their innovative and expansive music, coupled with an electrifying live show that has seen them sell out venues across their homeland. Recently, Kat Morris, the director of Europe’s leading festival for new music, The Great Escape, included sleepmakeswaves in her "top 5 Australian bands" list.


SLEEPMAKESWAVES LIVE:
04/17 Belgium Hasselt - Muziek O Droom
04/18 Switzerland Bulle - Ebulition
04/19 Belgium Zottegem - Dunk! Festival
04/20 Switzerland Geneva - Graviere
04/22 Spain Barcelona - Razzmatazz
04/23 Spain Madrid - Moby Dick
04/24 France Clermont-Ferrand - La Coopérative de mai
04/26 France Dunkerque - 4 Ecluses
04/27 Germany Karlsruhe - Jubez
04/30 Sweden Gothenburg - Fangelsets
05/01 Sweden Orebro - Slöjdgatan
05/05 Poland Wroclaw - Klub Hydrozagadka
05/06 Hungary Budapest - Durer Kert
05/07 Czech Republic Praha - NoD Theater
05/08 Germany Stuttgart - Juha West
05/09 Germany Hannover - Cafe Glocksee
05/10 UK London - Beyond the Redshift Festival

Artist: sleepmakeswaves
Album: in today already walks tomorrow
Label: Monotreme Records
Release Date: April 22, 2014

01. I will write peace on your wings and you will fly over the world
02. exits to nowhere
03. one day you will teach me to let go of my fears (MP3)
04. so that the children will always shout her name
05. it's dark it's cold it's winter
06. what we cannot speak of, must be passed over in silence



Artist: sleepmakeswaves
Album: ...and so we destroyed everything
Label: Monotreme Records
Release Date: September 24, 2013

01. to you they are birds, to me they are voices in the forest
02. in limbs and joints (STREAM)
03. our time is short but your watch is slow
04. a gaze blank and pitiless as the sun
05. (hello) cloud mountain
06. now we rise and we are everywhere
07. we like you when you're awkward
08.  ...and so we destroyed everything



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Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Tim Larson premieres video from new album via Brooklyn Vegan

Click image above to watch video



"His dark pronouncements make even Nick Cave sound positively giddy by comparison." -- Blurt

Chicago songwriter Tim Larson premieres the first video from his sophomore album Vargar via Brooklyn Vegan today. The stark clip for the equally stark track "Don't Look Down" is available to watch/share HERE.

Brooklyn vegan also recently premiered the tune "Chasing It", available to listen/share HERE. And previously, Larson shared the first track, "6" to kick off Midwestern tour dates. That song is available to stream/download HERE.

The history of song, put simply, is at its heart our collective attempts at confronting entropy. As all things move toward their end; as relationships grow and break down, we use music either as an escape or as catharsis to soften the impact. Vargar, the sophomore album by Chicago songwriter Tim Larson explores a range of themes relating to "the end."

Larson's stark, often blunt lyrics and weathered baritone shares similarities to Michael Gira (Swans, Angels of Light) and Mark Lanegan, while the music often takes a more direct, anthemic approach reminiscent of The National. And, there are also generous shades of hazy shoegaze guitar and moody gothic overtones wedded to song structures that are pure American folk/blues at heart. It's no surprise that Larson's varied influences connect the dots between Son House and Bauhaus.

Larson has a college degree in music composition, being skilled at guitar, bass, mandolin, violin and piano. Born and raised in south side Chicago, he spent much of his college years touring as a member of the acclaimed Irish band The Drovers. In 2002, he retired from the band and has since been earning what we'd call an "honest living" in the asphalt business and pursuing his own music, releasing a solo debut No Weapons, No Allies in 2007, then with backing band The Owner/Operators for A New Deal and A Done Deal EP in 2011. Now, Larson returns as an eponymous solo artist. He's joined on Vargar by drummer Ryan Durdin, formerly of The Winter Sounds.

Vargar (a Swedish word for wolves) was released on CD and download on February 4th, 2014.

Artist: Tim Larson
Album: Vargar
Label: Follow Death
Release Date: February 4th, 2014

01) Chasing It (MP3)
02) 6 (MP3
03) Dust
04) Don't Look Down (VIDEO)
05) Shadow
06) I Follow Death
07) Dark Outside
08) Vargar



On The Web:

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Qui stream entire new album, tour with Moistboyz starts this Friday

Click image above to watch video


"Qui are back at it, dosing their shreddy punk tantrums with arty aplomb and surprising harmony." -- SPIN

L.A. duo Qui are streaming their new album in its entirety starting today, with the LP and CD available in stores everywhere. Life, Water, Living... is available to stream/share HERE.

Hot on the heels of the album's release, Qui take to the road with fabled hard rock band Moistboyz (ex-Ween, Mondo Generator) on the west coast. Please see all dates below.

SPIN recently debuted two of the album's videos: The clip for "Mucho Sex in America" directed by Laban Pheidias (Justin Timberlake, Billie Joe & Norah Jones, et al.), available to watch/share HERE (direct Vimeo link). And, the exploration of inter-band bromance of "Whateryadoin?" available to watch/share HERE.

If the third full length by L.A. duo Qui sounds like a radical departure, you probably were never really listening properly in the first place. Sure, perfectly taut vocal harmonies and precise, sparse instrumentation supplants much of the band's early fume-huffing punk-noise here, but their penchant for challenging, button-pushing ideas is stronger than ever. Qui also employed harmonies and experimental structures on their previous album Love's Miracle (2007) with former vocalist David Yow (The Jesus Lizard). But, Life, Water, Living... is clearly the band's most meticulously refined effort at using melody and harmony as subversive weapons.

After a 5-year absence, Qui is once again back to the original duo formed in 2000 by drummer/vocalist Paul Christensen and guitarist/vocalist Matt Cronk. Life, Water, Living... features inventive song structures and warped pop sensibilities reminiscent of early Sparks and Frank Zappa with Queen-style harmonies... or something like if Badfinger were the Melvins. Throughout, it's an album that subtly commands attention as it shifts from a soft whisper to a chuckle to a scream.

Life, Water, Living... was produced by renowned engineer Toshi Kasai and Melvins drummer Dale Crover at Entourage Studios in Los Angeles. The album will be available February 25th, 2014 on LP, CD and download in partnership with Cobraside Distribution.

QUI LIVE:
02/28  Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite *
03/01  San Francisco, CA @ Slim's *
03/03  Mill Valley, CA @ Sweetwater Music Hall *
03/04  Arcata, CA @ Humboldt Brews *
03/06  Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge *
03/07  Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern *
03/08  Portland, OR @ Porch Couch
03/09  Spokane, WA @ Mootsy's
03/12  Oakland, CA @ Eli's Mile High Club
03/13  Long Beach, CA @ Alex's Bar
03/14  San Deigo, CA @ Tower Bar
03/15  Las Vegas, NV @ Double Down

* w/ Moistboyz

Artist: Qui
Album:  Life, Water, Living...
Label: Cobraside Distribution
Release Date: February 25th, 2014

01. Kicked Out of Mime College
02. Life, Water, Living
03. Mucho Sex in America (VIDEO)
04. Awkward Human Interest (VIDEO)
05. Boogie Down Disappointment
06. The Kind of Jazz This Is
07. Proof of Bass
08. Songbirds
09. You're a Girl
10. Whateryadoin? (VIDEO)
11. Ham Spray



On The Web:

Barrows premiere multi-track live performance video via Exclaim from forthcoming album

Click image to watch video

Los Angeles instrumental rock quartet Barrows announce the forthcoming release of their sophomore album Red Giant today with the premiere of a live multi-track audio, multi-camera performance video via Exclaim! The clip for this version of the album track "Beyond" is available to watch/share HERE. (Alternate YouTube link.) 

Red Giant is fittingly massive in thematic scope as it is in sonic heft. A concept album about the life of a star and what happens after it dies, the band depicts the stages of celestial death throughout the album’s five epic tracks. Akin to similarly expansive musical works like Pink Floyd’s Meddle, Tangerine Dream’s Stratosfear, King Crimson's Red and a light dose of sci-fi soundtracks, Barrows build upon entrancing, circling riffs and rhythms intercut with explosive peaks and brilliant subtlty.

To capture this sweeping endeavor, the band teamed up with revered engineer Toshi Kasai (Melvins, Tool), hunkering down for several months at Kasai’s newly built North Hollywood studio. The resulting 5-track, 40-minute album was mastered by Chris Common (Palms, Pelican) and will be available on LP and download on May 6th. 

Opening track “Nebula” sets up the album’s cinematic feel, starting with a hushed, distant layer of white noise as we slowly draw closer to the song’s gurgling notes. Softly plucked guitar lines materialize, rising and fading in the mix as drummer Richy Epolito’s driving beat veers into a wash of guitarist Jim Leonard’s tremolo-soaked strings cascading from the speakers. The album’s title track takes the proceedings up several notches to depict the final stages of the star, with a forcefully pulsating tom drum beat, chiming and wailing guitar notes circling around heavily distorted, rumbling bass notes. The drop followed by a huge delay swell at the end of the song is the sound of the star exploding and becoming a supernova. Transitioning into “Black Hole,” the energy remains strong as the instruments astonishingly create a dizzying feeling that we’re being pulled into an endless abyss. “Wormhole” follows from there, turning more upbeat and psychedelic, reminiscent of The Mars Volta’s early prog-explorations with Epolito’s masterful, endlessly rolling and rollicking beat and the ever-shifting wah-pedal warped guitar lines pushing and pulling in many directions. Finally, “Beyond” is the sound of us exiting the wormhole into a strange and unknown dimension. Beginning with clean tones and an interwoven bass and drum pattern, the tune progressively becomes darker and heavier while remaining rhythmic and mysterious. 

Throughout Red Giant the tracks segue smoothly from one to another, creating an album that’s best experienced as a whole, but equally filled with powerful standalone moments.


BARROWS LIVE:
03/22  Los Angeles, CA @ Bonnerhaus

Artist: Barrows
Album:  Red Giant
Label: Barrows Recordings
Release Date: May 6th, 2014

01. Nebula
02. Red Giant
03. Black Hole
04. Wormhole
05. Beyond (VIDEO)













On The Web:

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Modern Rivals premiere new track via Pitchfork from forthcoming album


Brooklyn indie pop quartet Modern Rivals premiere a new song from their forthcoming album today via Pitchfork. The track, "Pins and Stitches" is culled from the band's lush and charming 10-song full length Cemetery Dares out this spring and is available to listen/share HERE

The band previously shared the album track "The Dead Leaves" via PopMatters and it's available to listen/share HERE

Modern Rivals seem somewhat fittingly named for their transcendent psychedelic pop that both evokes antique 60s mod optimism, while also sounding defiantly current with their experimental edge. 

Modern Rivals' ethereal and dextrous songs share the buttoned-up charm of 60s psych-pop bands like The Zombies, mixed with more technically crafty contemporary artists like Minus The Bear and TTNG. Then, all of the elements are given the Nigel Godrich dreamscape approach in which no single sound is exactly what it seems. There is a delicate warmth to Modern Rivals' songs emanating from every meticulously placed note. 

Album opener "Angel Bones" opens with a simple melody of synth pipe organ notes as vocalist/guitarist Erick Lee softly sings a nearly falsetto harmony over the top as keyboardist/vocalist Alex Schiff, guitarist Mickey Novak, drummer Alex Raderman and bassist Patrick Smith carefully settle into the groove until a brief pause explodes into a frenzy of wailing guitars, cascading keyboard notes and pounding drums. "The Dead Leaves" kicks off with harmonized vocals interwoven with effected guitar notes akin to latter day Flaming Lips that quickly flit into warm, yet threadbare vocals/drums verse reminiscent of the breathy, emotional dynamics of The Beach Boys. Elsewhere, tracks like "Pins and Stitches" and "Yvaine" veer into Beach House dreampop territory, but the band's stellar musicianship is never lost in the reverb-soaked haze. And, songs like "Dig Up The Sunset" and "In Tuxedo" remind us of the slippery and elusive melodies The Shins once had. 

Modern Rivals first formed because there was a plague of skinny-necked young men in collared shirts strumming acoustic guitars everywhere they looked and listened in their hometown of St Louis, MO. So they began plotting and playing together in a spacious apartment, trying to think of better ways to use electricity and strings and sticks and skin to make sounds that could beat back this plague. Sometimes they drank outrageously and did their best impressions of Spencer Krug, sometimes they fought vigorously and bare-fisted in a concrete basement, sometimes they split their fingers open on instruments - but eventually they won.

To celebrate, Modern Rivals moved to New York. They made enough noise and moved enough hearts that some nice things were written about them. More and more people came to watch them sing and dance, and some of these people could even sing and dance along. To increase the ease of singing and dancing along, Modern Rivals spent a dozen days in a freezing recording studio filled with rare books and a sonic wizard named Slick. Immediately afterwards, they survived tuberculosis, bed bugs, and Derrick Rose exploding his second knee. But now, their mental and physical fortitude reformed, Modern Rivals will begin sharing their music with anyone who wants to listen and performing it for anyone who wants to watch. Cemetery Dares is Modern Rivals' first album, and the culmination of the aforementioned triumphs and tribulations.

Cemetery Dares will be available on LP, CD and download on April 22nd, 2014. 

MODERN RIVALS LIVE:
02/26  Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory
04/22  Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands (album release show)

Artist: Modern Rivals
Album:  Cemetery Dares
Label: Muy Guapo
Release Date: April 22nd, 2014

01. Angel Bones
02. Dead Leaves (Danse Macabre Midnight) (MP3)
03. Dig Up The Sunset
04. Yvaine
05. The Ice
06. Somnipath
07. Moon Dust
08. A Shade Hesitating
09. In Tuxedo
10. Pins and Stitches (STREAM)








On The Web:

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Qui share nightmarish breakfast video from forthcoming album, tour with Moistboyz in Feb/March

Click image above to watch video

L.A. duo Qui share a fittingly bizarre new video from their forthcoming third album Life, Water, Living... today. The clip for the gliding bossa nova influenced tune "Awkward Human Interest" is available to watch/share HERE. (Cleared for re-posting.)

Hot on the heels of the album's February 25th release, Qui take to the road with fabled hard rock band Moistboyz (ex-Ween, Mondo Generator) on the west coast. Please see all dates below.

SPIN recently debuted the album's two previous videos: The clip for "Mucho Sex in America" directed by Laban Pheidias (Justin Timberlake, Billie Joe & Norah Jones, et al.), available to watch/share HERE (direct Vimeo link). And, the exploration of inter-band bromance of "Whateryadoin?" available to watch/share HERE.

If the third full length by L.A. duo Qui sounds like a radical departure, you probably were never really listening properly in the first place. Sure, perfectly taut vocal harmonies and precise, sparse instrumentation supplants much of the band's early fume-huffing punk-noise here, but their penchant for challenging, button-pushing ideas is stronger than ever. Qui also employed harmonies and experimental structures on their previous album Love's Miracle (2007) with former vocalist David Yow (The Jesus Lizard). But, Life, Water, Living... is clearly the band's most meticulously refined effort at using melody and harmony as subversive weapons.

After a 5-year absence, Qui is once again back to the original duo formed in 2000 by drummer/vocalist Paul Christensen and guitarist/vocalist Matt Cronk. Life, Water, Living... features inventive song structures and warped pop sensibilities reminiscent of early Sparks and Frank Zappa with Queen-style harmonies... or something like if Badfinger were the Melvins. Throughout, it's an album that subtly commands attention as it shifts from a soft whisper to a chuckle to a scream.

Life, Water, Living... was produced by renowned engineer Toshi Kasai and Melvins drummer Dale Crover at Entourage Studios in Los Angeles. The album will be available February 25th, 2014 on LP, CD and download in partnership with Cobraside Distribution.

QUI LIVE:
02/28  Los Angeles, CA @ The Satellite *
03/01  San Francisco, CA @ Slim's *
03/03  Mill Valley, CA @ Sweetwater Music Hall *
03/04  Arcata, CA @ Humboldt Brews *
03/06  Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge *
03/07  Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern *
03/08  Portland, OR @ Porch Couch
03/09  Spokane, WA @ Mootsy's
03/13  Long Beach, CA @ Alex's Bar
03/14  San Deigo, CA @ Tower Bar
03/15  Las Vegas, NV @ Double Down

* w/ Moistboyz

Artist: Qui
Album:  Life, Water, Living...
Label: Cobraside Distribution
Release Date: February 25th, 2014

01. Kicked Out of Mime College
02. Life, Water, Living
03. Mucho Sex in America (VIDEO)
04. Awkward Human Interest (VIDEO)
05. Boogie Down Disappointment
06. The Kind of Jazz This Is
07. Proof of Bass
08. Songbirds
09. You're a Girl
10. Whateryadoin? (VIDEO)
11. Ham Spray



On The Web:

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Megafauna premiere new song via Noisey from forthcoming album; "Riff rock returns. Thank fuck." -- Noisey


“Where have all the riffs gone in indie rock? Why is everyone slathering twinkly synths all over everything? Maybe it’s because Austin’s Megafauna have stolen all the gnarly riffs in the world and slammed them together with singer/guitarist Dani Neff’s off-kilter vocals, delivered together with a raw punk energy to create three minutes of taut, muscular, yet zingily melodic rock.” — Noisey

Austin trio Megafauna premiere the first song from their forthcoming album Maximalist today via Noisey.com. The track "Haunted Factory" is available to listen/share HERE. (Alternate Soundcloud link HERE.)

As the title to Austin trio Megafauna's sophomore album Maximalist might suggest, it's optimistic, expansive and unabashedly over-the-top; an endeavor to take music to its utmost potential. The band's supercharged mixture of sounds ranging from prog-rock flash to alt-rock iconoclasm to pithy power-pop and garage rock energy is as infectious as it is inclusive. Megafauna paves their own hook-laden path -- much like the Pixies and Queen, who taught the world that even the most unusual pairings of styles can result in unforgettable and eternal classics.

Megafauna singer/guitarist Dani Neff was named Austin's Best Electric Guitarist by the Austin Chronicle. Although she's frequently referred to as a "shredder," one should never mistake her tasteful and clever virtuosity for flagrant flashiness. She's a woman of many talents: a dancer, musician, painter, feminist, lawyer, reiki practitioner, psychonaut -- clearly someone who embodies the maximalist philosophy. 

The album kicks off with the driving, time-signature leaping rocker, "Eggs" in which drummer Zack Humphrey, bassist Greg Yancey and Neff shift rhythms on a dime while showcasing exactly what makes Megafauna a band to covet: their expertise at fusing seemingly disparate musical styles. Likewise, "Hug From a Robot" somehow perfectly pairs gliding melodies with hard rock bite, something akin to The Breeders meets Red-era King Crimson. Elsewhere, the perfectly radio-ready track "Time To Go" blasts off with chiming guitar as Neff coos, "When it's time to go/ It's time/ Won't you sail me down to the fields." Death never sounded so uplifting in a 3-minute rock song. "Haunted Factory" gallops along Humphrey's syncopated hi-hat/snare interplay as Yancey's rumbling, distortion-ravaged bass lines cut like fangs across Neff's swiftly-picked guitar work as her powerful voice soars above the proceedings. Throughout, Maximalist is a truly inspired effort poised to become a touchstone of rock innovation. 

Maximalist was mixed by legendary engineer Tim Palmer (U2, Pearl Jam, David Bowie; recently featured in Tape Op Magazine) and recorded with Dwight Baker (Blue October, Bob Schneider) in Austin. Maximalist will be available on LP, CD and download on April 15th, 2014 via Danimal Kingdom

MEGAFAUNA LIVE:
02/15  Austin, TX @ Stubb's
02/28  Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's 


Artist: Megafauna
Album: Maximalist
Label: Danimal Kingdom
Release Date: April 15th, 2014

01) Eggs
02) Hug from a Robot
03) Touch The Lion
04) Time To Go
05) Two Headed Girl
06) Precious Blood
07) Haunted Factory (MP3)
08) This Town
09) Monsters Sleeping
10) Carnie Girl
11) Chromatic Fantasy




On The Web:

Tera Melos to tour with The Dillinger Escape Plan as main support, headlining EU tour currently underway

Photo by Jordan Fischels

Tera Melos announce spring tour dates as main support to The Dillinger Escape Plan beginning in April. The trio is currently on a headlining tour in Europe supporting their recent album X'Ed Out. Please see complete dates below and specific details (tickets, times, etc) HERE.

X'ed Out was released April 16th, 2013 on LP, CD and download via Sargent House.


TERA MELOS Tour:
02/11  Nijmegen, NE @ Merleyn
02/12  Paris, FR @ Batofar
02/13  Basel, CH @ Hirscheneck
02/14  Milan, IT @ Lo-Fi
02/16  Bologna, IT @ Freakout Club
02/17  Vienna, AUS @ Fluc
02/18  Bratislava, Slovak Republic @ Fuga
02/19  Ceske Budejovice, CZ @ Velbloud
02/20  Prague, CZ @ Klub 007
02/21  Berlin, DE @ Marie Antoinette
02/22  Hamburg, DE @ HafenKlang
02/23  Copenhagen, DEN @ KB18
02/25  Brussels, BE @ Beursschouwburg
02/26  Amsterdam, NE @ Occii
02/27  Oberhausen, DE @ Druckluft
02/28  Kiev, UA @ Underground Music Hall
03/01  St. Petersburg, RU @ DA:DA
03/02  Moscow, RU @ Manifest

04/27  Scottsdale, AZ @ Pub Eock Live *
04/28  Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad *
04/29  Denver, CO @ THe Marquis Theater *
05/01  Dallas, TX @ Trees *
05/02  Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's *
05/03  Austin, TX @ The Mohawk *
05/05  Little Rock, AR @ Juanita's Cafe *
05/06  New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks *
05/07  Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade *
05/10  Hartford, CT @ The Webster Theatre/Webster Underground *

* w/ The Dillinger Escape Plan



Artist: Tera Melos
Album: X'ed Out
Label: Sargent House
Release Date: April 16, 2013

01. Weird Circles (VIDEO)
02. New Chlorine
03. Bite (MP3) (VIDEO)
04. Snake Lake
05. Sunburn (MP3)
06. Melody Nine
07. No Phase
08. Tropic Lame (MP3) (STREAM)
09. Slimed
10. Until Lufthansa
11. Surf Nazis
12. X'ed Out and Tired






On the Web:

Hi-res photos, cover art, bio and more:

Monday, February 10, 2014

Stumbleine feat. Violet Skies premieres video via Exclaim, new song via Noiseporn

Click image above to watch video

UK electronic artist Stumbleine premieres a new video today via Exclaim from his genre-defying collaboration with Welsh songwriter/vocalist Violet Skies. The video for "Clip My Wings" is culled from the pair's forthcoming Chasing Honeybees EP on Monotreme Records. Watch/share video HERE.

Additionally, new music site Noiseporn premieres a new Stumbleine feat. Violet Skies track today. The song, "The Moonlight Flood" is available to listen/share HERE. (Direct Soundcloud HERE.)

Emerging from Bristol's music scene (perhaps most famous for legends like Massive Attack, Portishead and Tricky, but also widely considered "Britain's most musical city"), Stumbleine has already built a sizable following for his blissed-out, genre-transcending music, before forging a new collaboration with Violet Skies.

The duo have been hard at work in the studio, crafting a collection of songs that fuse the dreamy, shoegazy atmosphere and beats for which Stumbleine (aka Peter Cooper) is beloved by many, with a more classic pop sensibility, framed in the soulful vocals of Violet Skies.

The result is a welcome progression of the pop genre, with nods to the pop music of the 60’s (including a modern update of the Phil Spector classic "And Then He Kissed Me"), 80’s shoegaze artists like The Cocteau Twins, and post-dubstep and R’N’B, with songs that drift serenely between heartache and ecstasy. “Shoegaze had a big impact on me - Kevin Shields is one of my favourite producers”, says Peter. “I’m also really inspired by Phil Spector, I love his dedication to finding the ‘perfect’ pop track.”

The music still retains the trademark lush production that Stumbleine is noted for, with strong melody lines and compelling lyrics penned by Violet Skies. With Violet now involved in the songwriting, the likes of "Clip My Wings" and "Just Tell Me" sparkle and smolder. Peter admits she’s given Stumbleine a face and stamped his music with her personality. “She makes the music stand out and has opened the door to a wider audience,” he says.

The collaboration has been so productive that a full-length follow-up album is scheduled for release in April 2014. “These five tracks give a good indication of what’s to come - I’ve got more aces lined up for the album. I’ve pushed myself much harder over the past year to create something a bit different,” says Peter.

With Chasing Honeybees, Peter has added Violet’s vitality to the dreamy essence of Stumbleine and the results are breathtaking. Peter also reports for active duty as one third of dubstep envelope pushers Swarms.


Chasing Honeybees will be available February 11th via Monotreme Records on CD and download.


Artist: Stumbleine feat. Violet Skies
Album: Chasing Honeybees EP
Label: Monotreme Records
Release Date: February 11th, 2014

01. Clip My Wings (Vimeo) (YouTube)
02. Just Tell Me 
03. The Moonlight Flood (STREAM)
04. And Then He Kissed Me
05. Caroline

Artist: Stumbleine
Album: Spiderwebbed
Label: Monotreme Records
Release Date: November 13th, 2012

01. Cherry Blossom
02. If You
03. Capulet (VIDEO)
04. The Beat My Heart Skips (ft. CoMa) (MP3)
05. Honeycomb (MP3)
06. Solar Flare
07. Fade Into You (ft. Steffaloo) (MP3)
08. Kaleidoscope
09. The Corner of Her Eye
10. Catherine Wheel (ft. Birds Of Passage) 



On the Web:

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Helms Alee stream entire new album via Pitchfork Advance

"The essence of the band is perfected on Sleepwalking Sailors. It's a masterpiece." -- Seattle Weekly


Seattle trio Helms Alee are streaming their entire forthcoming album Sleepwalking Sailors all this week via Pitchfork Advance starting today. The album will be released on February 11th. Listen/share the full album HERE.

Helms Alee also takes to the road as direct support to label mates Russian Circles (with KEN Mode opening all shows) in March. Please see complete dates below.

Helms Alee's music is exactly the sort of mutant, fantastic hybrid that used to only occasionally erupt out of small, isolated scenes, uninformed by trends of the day - instead inspired by the band's own collective contributions. The Seattle trio's unique amalgam of metal, art rock, pop and punk is charmingly reminiscent of the fertile creativity that groups once had before the Internet seemed to instruct bands to only copy one another. Helms Alee's third album, Sleepwalking Sailors sounds like many styles combined into one, and none of it concerned with any notion other than creating vital, urgent and uniquely characteristic music. 

Bassist/vocalist Dana James, drummer/vocalist Hozoji Matheson-Margullis and guitarist/vocalist Ben Verellen combine a vast array of ideas within a single song, while still sounding entirely cohesive. Their songs are undeniably heavy, but also freely roaming through icy post-punk and warm melodic haze at any given moment. Any given song can be pummeling one moment and then subtly shift into triple harmonies without the listener even realizing what has happened. 

Sleepwalking Sailors will be available everywhere on LP, CD and download on February 11th, 2014 via Sargent House. 

HELMS ALEE LIVE:
03/04  Seattle, WA @ Neumos *
03/05  Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom *
03/07  San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall *
03/09  San Diego, CA @ The Casbah *
03/10  Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre *
03/12  Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent Ballroom *
03/13  Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad *
03/14  Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory *
03/15  Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar *
03/16  Chicago, IL @ Metro *

* w/ Russian Circles, KEN Mode

Artist: Helms Alee
Album: Sleepwalking Sailors
Label: Sargent House
Release date: February 11th, 2014

Track list:
01. Pleasure Center (STREAM)
02. Tumescence (STREAM)
03. Pinniped
04. Dangling Modifiers
05. Heavy Worm Burden
06. Crystal Gale
07. New West
08. Fetus. Carcass.
09. Slow Beef 
10. Animatronic Bionic
11. Dodge The Lightning





On the Web:


Follow Helms Alee on Twitter: @HelmsAleeMusic