Posts Tagged ‘French Kicks’

Monday, April 20th, 2009

CONTEST – Gimme Five (free shows over the next seven nights)

Hooray for the short turnaround contest! I asked the good folks at Against The Grain if they had anything for me to give away in the next little while in the way of concert passes, and indeed they did – all over the next week! So rather than divvy them up and dole them out individually, I’m just going to lump them all together and let you have at them all at once. Here we go. And if you find yourself complaining you’ve got nothing to do this week, don’t blame me.

Photo By Mark OwenMark Owen Who: The Handsome Family with Marissa Nadler
Where: The El Mocambo
When: April 21, 2009
Why: Both The Handsome Family and Marissa Nadler have new records – they with Honey Moon, she with Little Hells
What: Two pairs of passes to the show
How: Email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see The Handsome Family” in the subject and your full name in the body by noon, April 21.

MP3: The Handsome Family – “When You Whispered”
MP3: Marissa Nadler – “River Of Dirt”
Video: The Handsome Family – “My Friend”

Photo via World's FairWorld’s Fair Who: Youth Group
Where: Lee’s Palace
When: April 23, 2009
Why: The Aussie rockers have a new album out in The Night Is Ours
What: Five pairs of passes to the show
How: Email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Youth Group” in the subject and your full name in the body by midnight, April 21.

MP3: Youth Group – “All This Will Pass”
Video: Youth Group – “Two Sides”

Photo by Julé Malet-VealeJulé Malet-Veale Who: Hey Rosetta
Where: Lee’s Palace
When: April 24, 2009
Why: The Haligonian St John’s-ian outfit is continuing to tour last year’s Into Your Lungs (And Around In Your Heart And On Through Your Blood)
What: Two pairs of passes to the show
How: Email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Hey Rosetta” in the subject and your full name in the body by midnight, April 22.

Video: Hey Rosetta – “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
Video: Hey Rosetta – “Red Heart”

Photo via World's FairGravy Who: Shout Out Out Out Out
Where: Lee’s Palace
When: April 25, 2009
Why: The Edmonton electro-dance-punk crew rockers will release Reintegration Time on May 5
What: Two pairs of passes to the show
How: Email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see Shout Out Out Out Out” in the subject and your full name in the body by midnight, April 23.

MP3: Shout Out Out Out Out – “Bad Choices”
Video: Youth Group – “Two Sides”

Photo by Matthew StinchcombMatthew Stinchcomb Who: French Kicks
Where: The Horseshoe
When: April 27, 2009
Why: The New York band are continuing to work last year’s Swimming
What: Two pairs of passes to the show
How: Email me at contests AT chromewaves.net with “I want to see French Kicks” in the subject and your full name in the body by midnight, April 23.

Video: French Kicks – “Abandon”

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009

A Window

The Radio Dept come to America, still refuse to release new record

Photo via MySpaceMySpaceSo, yes – my head is a wee bit fried right now from endless photo processing. And on top of that, I actually had no planned posts, per se, for after SxSW – just a mess of links that have accumulated over the past week. So I’ll just vomit some of those out for you to get through the day. ‘Kay?

To begin – this post at BrooklynVegan made me first do a double-take, and then fire up Expedia to check prices for flights to New York City over the May long weekend. Why? The Radio Dept are coming to North America. It’s just a single show so far on May 16 at the Bell House in Brooklyn as part of NYC Popfest, but this interview with the band at Ca Va Cool reveals there’s one more NYC date to come and maybe – maybe – some more North American touring come Fall. But I will say this – if I’m not Barcelona-bound at the end of May, I could very well be en route to Brooklyn for the May 2-4. Hell, maybe even either way. Who wants to come?

To say that the ways of the Radio Dept are mysterious doesn’t even begin to cover it, as there’s been no word in many months as to the status of their third album Clinging To A Scheme, originally scheduled for a September 2008 release and then pulled. And so we wait. And we wait. The aforementioned bit about Autumn touring implies that it should be finished and out by then, but who knows. It’s not all bleakness for fans of their gorgeous Scandanavian synth-pop, though – they’ve made a complete live recording from last May available to download on their site. It’s not the finest audio quality – it sounds like a fan recording rather than soundboard – but it’s mostly listenable and the set contains a few new songs. There’s also a variety of live material available for download on their website but for whatever reason, some of the best stuff is inaccessible. How Radio Dept typical.

MP3: The Radio Dept – “Freddie and the Trojan Horse”
MP3: The Radio Dept – “The Worst Taste in Music”
MP3: The Radio Dept – “A Window”
MP3: The Radio Dept – “Pulling Our Weight”
MP3: The Radio Dept – “Why Won’t You Talk About It?”
ZIP: The Radio Dept / Live In Lund – May 18, 2008

Clash, Irish Times and Black Book talk to Nina Persson of A Camp. Colonia is out domestically on April 28 and they play the Mod Club on June 1.

Clash and New York Magazine talk to Peter Bjorn & John, whose Living Thing is out next week but streaming at their MySpace. They’re at the Phoenix on April 25.

Stream: Peter Bjorn & John / Living Thing

Pitchfork reports that Norway’s Ida Maria will give her 2008 debut Fortress Around My Heart a North America release on April 14. She was originally supposed to play two SxSW showcases last week but missed them both due to visa issues. She was also supposed to open up the whole of Glasvegas’ North American tour, including the April 3 date at the Mod Club in Toronto. Now she’s only with them as far as the March 31 show in Boston. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was doing her best to avoid me.

Video: Ida Maria – “Oh My God”
Video: Ida Maria – “I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked”
Video: Ida Maria – “Stella”

Le Blogotheque features a Take-Away Show with Sigur Ros in a French cafe. Loverly.

Patrick Wolf has released the first video from The Bachelor, out June 1, and if it were a film it’d have a big ‘ol NC-17 rating attached to it. Oh my. Stereogum gets an update from Wolf on how the album is coming along.

Video: Patrick Wolf – “Vulture”

Drowned In Sound meets Doves, whose Kingdom Of Rust is out April 7 and who are at the Kool Haus on June 1.

Filter and The Times have features on White Lies, in town next Tuesday at Lee’s Palace.

CMJ reports that Elvis Costello is suddenly prolific again, with a new country-Americana album in Secret, Profane And Sugarcane set for release on June 2. The last time he walked this stylistic path, we go the sublime King Of America. Can he do it again? If he even comes close, it’ll be a worthy record.

Manic Street Preachers will release the Albini-produced, Edwards-penned Journal For Plague Lovers on May 18. Details at The Quietus.

The new album from The Rumble Strips has a name and release date. Look for Welcome To The Walk Alone on June 8. Details at NME.

The rumour mill has a Metric show at the Mod Club on April 14 with Holy Fuck as support. They said they had something special planned for the April 7 release of Fantasies – I think a little club show would qualify. Will confirm that when I can but in the meantime, watch their new video. And read this interview at Clash.

Video: Metric – “Gimme Sympathy”

French Kicks are at the Horseshoe on April 27, tickets $10.50.

MP3: French Kicks – “Also Ran”

New York state folk duo Gregory & The Hawk have a date at the El Mocambo on May 2. They were recently featured on Bandstand Busking.

BrooklynVegan reports that Jonathan Richman and Vic Chesnutt are hitting the road together this Summer, and that tour includes a June 25 date at The Great Hall in Toronto.

Camera Obscura have announced a North American tour in support of My Maudlin Career, out April 21. The Toronto date finds them at Lee’s Palace on June 27, a considerably smaller venue than their last couple visits, which were to the Opera House and Phoenix. Expect this to sell out super-quick.

Jay Reatard will be at the Mod Club on June 29.

Crystal Castles have a July 25 date at the Sound Academy as part of the TIME Festival.

Due to “personal medical issues”, Passion Pit have cancelled their April 3 date at Lee’s Palace, which in turn was a make-up date for their January 24 date at the Horseshoe, which was cancelled due to visa issues. Their debut Manners is out May 26.