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Thursday, October 27, 2005

THE POSIES - ARTIST OF THE DAY ON MANIATV!




The Posies will be the "Artist of the Day" today, Thursday, Oct. 27 on http://www.maniatv.com/.

(The interview with the Posies was taped in Denver earlier this month). Tune in at 2pm and 8pm EST to see their 10 minute ManiaTV! interview feature…
There is no link, other than the live stream on the homepage. The interview will run just after 2pm and 8pm EST today.
It will go up as a direct link next week on the MusicTV page on the site, but all mania tv's interviews are only available by tuning in live during the first week - that's where they are actively driving traffic.

It will run again in the 3pm EST hour on both Saturday and Sunday.

The band also kicks off the first show of their European show tonight in Hamburg, Germany with TEENAGE FANCLUB @ Knust, and then a string of shows with TF through Berlin, Dresden and Munich.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

APARTMENT announce first UK University Tour




APARTMENT, a band I have a HUGE soft spot for, are about to hit the road in Britain for the University Challenge! They've just announced tour dates that should finish out 2005 nicely. Here you go!

UK University TourTue 25 OCT: Hertfordshire University
Thu 27 OCT: Birmingham University
Fri 28 OCT: Wolverhampton University
Mon 31 OCT: Buckingham Chilterns University (supporting Towers of London)
Tue 01 NOV: Warwick University
Fri 04 NOV: Nottingham Trent University
Sat 05 NOV: Southampton University
Thursday 10th: Best of 'in the city' / Islington Academy (London)
Fri 11 NOV: Hull University
Mon 14 NOV: Manchester Met University
Tue 15 NOV: Leeds University
Fri 18 NOV: Reading University (Supporting British Sea Power)
Sat 19 NOV: Bangor University


After their UK dates, they'll be going to France for some pre-Christmas gigs:

Tue 13 Dec: Le Cylindre - Besancon (France)
Wed 14 Dec: Ninkasi Club - Lyon (France)
Thu 15 Dec: La Maroquinerie - Paris (France)
Fri 16 Dec:Ubu - Rennes (France)

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Film School On & On: 4 stars




Film School On & On
Record Label/Beggars Banquet
Format/Single
Street Value ****


http://www.2-4-7-music.com/newreleases/index.asp

Not, sadly, a cover of the Longpigs' lumbering Britpop classic, but a brooding, dark, swirling, upright spindle of drone rock gold from San Fransico that runs circles round and firmly wraps up your expectations. Sits quite comfortably alongside Manchester's abstract art-noise merchants The Longcut, and throws up hints of Echo & The Bunnymen, The Cure, Grandaddy, Sonic Youth, Slint and Mazzy Star across its three tracks. Brilliant.

Monday, October 24, 2005

Entertainment Ireland: Amber & Green review (4 stars)




David Hopkins - Amber and Green
The story of Dublin band Lir is all too familiar: lots of promise in the
early 90s, a gruelling tour of America, disappointing record sales and an
obscure break-up. Now, with the release of this solo album from their former
keyboard player David Hopkins, we can see that behind the hype there was always a rock-solid talent. He's already attracting comparisons with Damien Rice, and the introspective mood occasionally conjures up the ghost of Nick Drake. But this isn't just another self-indulgent singer-songwriter exercise - instead Hopkins turns out a string of delightfully spiky pop songs, tempering his natural melancholy with some addictive hooks and electronic textures. The title suggests that he's fed up hanging around and is
desperate to get his career moving again. If there's any justice, Amber and
Green
will do just that.


4 Stars


CD Review by Andrew Lynch
Reviewed on 20 October 2005

Friday, October 21, 2005

THE POSIES WRAP UP THEIR NA TOUR WITH SOME HOME COOKIN'

After dodging hurricanes and playing 47 dates in North America, THE POSIES are finally back in the town where it all started, Bellingham, Washington, to close out a successful tour. They play tonight at WILD BUFFALO in Bellingham, and then have two days of rest before the European tour begins next week.

The Posies Fall European Tour

DATE LOCATION VENUE WITH DETAILS
10.26.05 Bielefeld, Germany Forum Teenage Fanclub
10.27.05 Hamburg, Germany Knust Teenage Fanclub
10.28.05 Berlin, Germany Postbahnhof Teenage Fanclub
10.29.05 Dresden, Germany Star Club Teenage Fanclub
10.30.05 Munich, Germany Ampere Teenage Fanclub
11.01.05 Bristol, UK Fleece Voicst
11.02.05 Brighton UK Concorde 2 Voicst
11.03.05 Oxford, UK Zodiac Voicst
11.04.05 Leicester, UK Charlotte Voicst
11.05.05 Northampton, UK Roadmenders Voicst
11.06.05 Portsmouth, UK Wedgewood Rooms Voicst
11.07.05 Cambridge, UK The Junction Voicst
11.08.05 Norwich, UK Waterfront Voicst
11.10.05 Mechelen, Belgium CC Mechelen Voicst
11.11.05 Gronigen, Netherlands Vera TBA
11.12.05 Den sHague, Netherlands Music In My Head Festival TBA
11.14.05 Copenhagen, Denmark Loppen Briskeby
11.16.05 Bergen, Norway Garage TBA
11.17.05 Stavanger, Norway Folken Beezewax
11.18.05 Oslo, Norway Betong Beezewax
11.19.05 Trondheim, Norway Blaest Beezewax
11.21.05 Helsinki, Finland Tavastia Club Latebirds
11.22.05 Tampere, Finland Klubi Latebirds
11.23.05 Turku, Finland Klubi Latebirds
11.25.05 Malmo, Sweden KB Halle Briskeby
11.28.05 Ghent, Belgium Vooruit TBA
11.29.05 Paris, France Maroquienerie TBA
11.30.05 Evereux, France Abordage TBA
12.01.05 Angouleme, France La Nef TBA
12.02.05 Bordeaux, France Brabey TBA
12.03.05 Bilbao, Spain Kafe Antzokia TBA
12.04.05 Oviedo, Spain Sala Triseca TBA
12.05.05 Vigo, Spain La Fabrica de Chocolate TBA
12.06.05 Burgos, Spain La Quinta Avendida TBA
12.07.05 Madrid, Spain Arena TBA
12.08.05 Granada, Spain Industrial Copera TBA
12.09.05 Alicante (Sta. Pola), Spain Sala Camelot TBA
12.10.05 Barcelona, Spain Bikini TBA
12.11.05 Palma de Mallorca, Spain Teatro Xesc Forteza de Palma TBA 12.13.05 Geneva, Switzerland L'Usine Wok
12.14.05 Torino, Italy Hiroshima Mon Amour TBA
12.15.05 Rome, Italy Circolo degli Arstisti TBA
12.16.05 Bologna, Italy Estragon TBA
12.17.05 Mezzago, Italy Bloom TBA
12.18.05 Zurich, Switzerland Abart Music Club Preen

2 great FUTURE SOUNDS ACTS Live tonight in LA

First, the early show:

LEMON SUN @ 8:30PM sharp
@ The Knitting Factory
7021 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles,CA


The second bill:
SCISSORS FOR LEFTY @ 10:30 PM
@ El Cid
4212 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles,CA
They play with THE BEDROOM WALLS, a great LA band.

Then you can do the GANG OF FOUR by midnight..

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Mohair Sign North American Record Deal

You may remember MOHAIR from FUTURE SOUNDS 21, well congratulations go out to them for they have just signed an exclusive North American recording contract with a new label set up by Q Prime Management. Q Prime, with a roster including Metallica, Muse, Shania Twain, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lostprophets, and Garbage among others are are looking to continue that success with their own new independent record label. The management team of Cliff Burnstein and Peter Mensch will be working closely with the UK team of Adrian Bell and Will Williams.

First to join the roster of their new label is the UK band Mohair. “It’s been amazing getting involved with the Q Prime family. Their wealth of experience and respect for their artists and what they do is incredible. It feels great that some of our hard work is finally paying off. We’re very excited about the whole affair!” says Tom Billington of Mohair.

Hailing from the London suburb of Watford, Mohair have created an entirely unique sound. Having spent the past several years honing their live show, Mohair finally headed into the studio earlier this year with producers Mark Wallis (U2, Travis, The La’s and The Go-Betweens) and David Ruffy (of the legendary punk band The Ruts as well as Aztec Camera and The Waterboys). The result is a powerful debut album.

Mohair's debut album 'Small Talk' is scheduled to be released in the first half of 2006 on the soon to be named label. There are also plans for the band to tour extensively throughout the states including performances at SXSW.
Mohair are currently part way through a ten week tour of Britain:

19 Oct Wolves Little Civic
20 Oct Cambridge Man In The Moon
21 Oct Peterborough Met Lounge
22/ Oct Doncaster Leopard
28 Oct Hemel Hempstead Club 201
31 Oct Liverpool Academy 3
3 Nov Bury St Edmunds Pot Black
4 Nov Bournemouth BIC
5 Nov York Fibbers
10 Nov London Islington Academy (Best Of In The City Showcase)
11 Nov Northampton Soundhaus
12 Nov Tunbridge Wells The Forum
16 Nov Bristol Club 3
17 Nov Oxford Jericho Inn
18 Nov Ilfracombe Marlboro Club
23 Nov Poole Mr Kyps
24 Nov St Albans Horn
25 Nov Kingston The Peel
26 Nov Bath Moles
28 Nov Glasgow King Tuts
29 Nov Edinburgh Cabaret Voltaire
30 Nov Greenock Connelly’s
1 Dec Aberdeen The Tunnels
2 Dec Perth Twa Tams
3 Dec Ullapool Seaforth Inn
4 Dec Evanton Balconie Inn
5 Dec Inverness Raigmore
17 Dec Newquay Global Live
19 Dec London Camden Barfly

Monday, October 17, 2005

SCHAFFER THE DARK LORD



A buddy of mine in SF just wrote me about this rapper he just saw recently called SCHAFFER THE DARK LORD. I wasn't that into hearing another white rapper but this song is totally hilarious - CLICK HERE to download 'Your Band'

Saturday, October 15, 2005

"ON & ON" review - THE FLY

"ON & ON" SINGLE OF THE WEEK (StereoEffect)



"ON & ON" STEREOEFFECT SINGLE OF THE WEEK


If the thumping basslines and hollowed vocals don't draw you into "On & On", let Film School work their magic with agitated guitars, screaming like the soundtrack to a murder scene. The shifting moods to the band's latest single aren't as severe as, say a Mogwai, or as subtle as a Hope of the States. Where the band lacks hooks, they make up for with melody and the wall of sound distance that only comes with the most accomplished shoegazers. Film School are certainly a find, but whether they can live up to this lovely noise for a full album will have to be heard to be believed. Single of the Week.

LIVE FILM SCHOOL REVIEW FROM BRISTOL, UK

Live! The Rogers Sisters/Filmschool - Bristol Louisiana 04/10

See, the thing about the Louisiana is that it's the tiniest venue in the world, so much so that you actually feel like you're in the band. More precisely, due to the added luxury of a carpeted dance floor, it feels like you're in the band's living room y'know,..like you were just in the area and decided to drop in for a cuppa.
And thanks to the maths we learned at school, we all know that the size of the venue is inversely proportional to how hot the venue actually gets. Multiplying by a factor of 1.257 if carpet is involved, of course.

With this, and the fact that the bar is downstairs in the pub area in mind, it takes a damn fine support band to keep the audience exactly where they found them and Beggars Banquet's new signings Film School mastered the task superbly. Their sound hovers somewhere in between the machine gun stutter rhythm sections of the Hardfuturepartychiefblocs and the lushly layered fuzzpop geetars of early nineties MBV and college rock stalwarts Drop Nineteens. They're loud, they're big and they make the stifling humidity worth battling. The album is out next year but you'd be well worth checking out new single 'On and On' (http://www.myspace.com/filmschool) to get a better idea.

Thursday, October 13, 2005

LOVEDRUG SIGNS TO COLUMBIA

You may remember the Columbus, Ohio band, LOVEDRUG from the demo songs on FUTURE SOUNDS 05, well they just inked a deal with Columbia Records, and will reissue thier debut album, Pretend You're Alive through the major label. The album was originally released in August 2004 from The Militia Group. Congratulations go out to everyone involved.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

THE POSIES NA TOUR HEADS WEST




THE POSIES have rounded the corner, finishing up the midwest and destined to return to their home roots in Seattle - here's where you can see them through the end of this week:

OCTOBER 12 WEDNESDAY - KANSAS CITY

6PM @ RECYCLED SOUNDS - Ken & Jon in-store performance
3941 Main Street - Kansas City

10:30PM @ THE HURRICANE
4048 Broadway Street - Kansas City

OCTOBER 13 THURSDAY - DENVER

5PM MANIA TV interview

6PM @ WAX TRAX - Ken & Jon in-store performance
638 13th Avenue, Denver

11PM @ LARIMER LOUNGE
2721 Larimer Street

OCTOBER 14 - FRIDAY - SALT LAKE CITY

PRESS: NEW WEST article
SALT LAKE CITY WEEKLY


7PM @ ORION'S MUSIC - Ken & Jon in-store performance
2110 S 1100 Street, Salt Lake City

10PM @ Velvet Room
155 W 200 Street

OCTOBER 15 - SATURDAY - BOISE

PRESS: Boise Weekly article

4:30PM @ KRVB 94.9 THE RIVER
Ken & Jon on-air performance, meet & greet with KRVB contest winners

12AM @ BOURBON STREET
416 S. 9th Street, Boise

DAVID HOPKINS FEATURED ARTIST ON CDBABY




David Hopkins: Amber and Green
This Irish lad, with a breathtaking voice that draws you in and holds your attention from the first note he sings, wraps up his fuzzy vocals in a gorgeous washy, reverby, sonic, folk-informed pop texture, somewhat reminiscent of Nick Drake and Damien Rice. Plodding along with the jangly guitar is the solid, chordal piano writing, the cushioned attack of the piano strings playing with the strumming of the guitar. Here is a man who fully inhabits the sound worlds he creates, fleshing out the possibilities from slow, mind-numbing tracks to more 60's pop, Beatles-inspired uppers. All around, he is a singer/songwriter to get acquainted with- for it's only a matter of time before his albums start showing up everywhere.

Derek Sivers, President of CD Baby said this:
" I love "Amber and Green" CD so much I'm going to feature it on the FRONT PAGE of CD Baby for a few days. We're REALLY picky about what goes on the front page. We get about 100 new albums a DAY coming in here now, (about 100,000 total), and yours
is one of the best I've ever heard."

Friday, October 07, 2005

BUSY WEEKEND FOR POSIES IN MIDWEST - CHICAGO TONIGHT





The 25 shows in a row marathon continues for THE POSIES as they roll into Chicago tonight to play THE DOUBLE DOOR.

Here's what the weekend looks like:

FRIDAY OCTOBER 7 CHICAGO

7PM Reckless Records in-store (Wicker Park)

Midnight The Double Door - 1572 N Milwaukee

SATURDAY OCTOBER 8 MINNEAPOLIS

7:30PM Ken & Jon on-air performance at KUOM

11PM 400 BAR - 400 Cedar Street

SUNDAY OCTOBER 9 MILWAUKEE

4:30PM Atomic Records in-store

9:15PM SHANK HALL - 1434 N. Farwell Avenue

LEMON SUN shine on The Killers

You may remember LEMON SUN from the most recent FUTURE SOUNDS 21, you know..."The Answers"...catchy tune, near the front??? Anyway, they dropped a 9 song set opening up for THE KILLERS (who?) last night at Long Beach Arena and dropped some jaws. I visited their practice space earlier this week and realized that they are twice the band I thought they were based on the songs on the demo. I know that this short demo has already got some label lovin' happening for the band. Really cool vibe band, filled with VU, Stones, Interpol, and well, Lemon Sun all over it.

If anyone is interested, write me, I'll try and get you a demo.

Thursday, October 06, 2005

THE POSIES-BOWERY BALLROOM review in BILLBOARD

October 06, 2005 - BILLBOARD

The Posies / Sept. 29, 2005 / New York (Bowery Ballroom)

The Posies aren't exactly young anymore -- Ken Stringfellow and Jon Auer have been playing together since the '80s. They've broken up and reformed, they both have other jobs and they just ended a seven-year drought between studio albums. But taking the stage at the Bowery Ballroom on Sept. 29, the foursome (current rhythm section: drummer Darius Minwalla and bassist Matt Harris) was bursting with energy befitting a rock band two decades its younger.

The professionals, dressed in black, bounded aboard and quickly whipped up the chugging hum that opens up "Definite Door," from their 1993 breakthrough album, "Frosting on the Beater." At breaks between mic time, Stringfellow took to spitting furious bursts of saliva straight into the air above him and happily strumming his guitar while shaking his hair in the resulting shower. Auer was more restrained mobility-wise, but he had a ball with his guitar, tossing it up high in the air repeatedly, and wielding it aloft to fan the audience with sound.

The set list drew most heavily from "Frosting" and its 1996 follow-up "Amazing Disgrace," along with a heaping handful of material from the group's new set, "Every Kind of Light." Fan reaction was boisterous for some of the retro material, especially the jagged rocker "Please Return It" and the shimmering "Apology," from the band's first Geffen record, "Dear 23." But the band was at its best when playing the new songs.

"Second Time Around" was especially jubilant with riffs careening around the stage. Minwalla and Harris were obviously in their comfort zone as well, with material they helped write in the studio. A fiery "I Guess You're Right" followed and provided more spit showers and guitar pyrotechnics.

The Bowery dance floor wasn't so packed, so the two front men thought it would be a lark to get down with the people, lowering mic stands onto the floor to perform old favorites like "Grant Hart" and "Dream All Day."

Back on the stage, the Posies showed their professionalism again with a cursory encore break. "We're not here to waste your time," Stringfellow declared amiably as he wandered right back on stage with a drink. A riotous version of new track "I Finally Found a Jungle I Like" closed things out in proper party fashion, and Stringfellow soon bounded out from backstage to man the merchandise table, another successful night in rock for a pair of career musicians still out to have a good time after all these years.

Here is the Posies' set list:

"Definite Door"

"Ontario"

"Throwaway"

"Please Return It"

"Second Time Around"

"I Guess You're Right"

"Apology"

"Last Crawl"

"You're the Beautiful One"

"Conversations"

"Grant Hart"

"Dream All Day"

"Everybody Is a F**king Liar"

"Flavor of the Month"

Encore:

"Solar Sister"

"I Finally Found a Jungle I Like"

Paul Pena, 55, Blues Guitarist and Songwriter, Is Dead

Incredibly sad day as the big man has passed. You may remember him from the film, "Genghis Blues," or for the amazing song, 'Gotta Move', one of my favorites to get a dancefloor moving. - LL

October 5, 2005

Paul Pena, 55, Blues Guitarist and Songwriter, Is Dead
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS


SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 4 (AP) - Paul Pena, a San Francisco blues guitarist
who
wrote one of the biggest hits for the Steve Miller Band, died here on
Saturday. He was 55.

The cause was complications of diabetes and pancreatitis, his Web site
said.

Mr. Pena is perhaps best known for writing "Jet Airliner," a Top 10 hit
in 1977. He lived off the royalties from that song.

He is also familiar to audiences for the 1999 Academy Award-nominated
documentary "Genghis Blues," which tells the story of how he took up
Tuvan throat singing.

Mr. Pena, almost completely blind since birth and plagued by illnesses
most of
his life, was born in Hyannis, Mass. He proved to be a natural
musician,
singing and teaching himself several instruments. In the late 1960's,
he was in
a band that opened for big-time acts including the Grateful Dead and
Frank
Zappa. Blues artists ranging from T-Bone Walker to B. B. King to Bonnie
Raitt
recognized his talents, hiring him to play guitar in their bands.

In 1971 Mr. Pena moved to San Francisco, where he played many gigs,
frequently
opening for Jerry Garcia's and Merle Saunders' bands.

Mr. Pena became interested in throat singing when he heard a Tuvan
broadcast on
his shortwave radio in 1984. Later he found a Tuvan record, playing it
countless times until he learned how to throat sing, which involves
producing
several distinct vocal-cord sounds simultaneously. In 1993 he
demonstrated his
technique to Kongar-ol Ondar, one of the foremost throat singers in the
world.
Mr. Ondar was impressed with Pena, nicknaming him Earthquake and
inviting him
to Tuva to participate in the annual competition.

His 1995 journey to Tuva, where he won awards in the contest and
charmed local
residents who were delighted with this foreigner who had mastered their
art
form, is recounted in "Genghis Blues."

He is survived by his parents, Jack and Virginia Pena of Harwich,
Mass., and
two brothers, Jim of Lynnfield, Mass., and Peter.



Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

You should've been at THE RED LION in NYC last night....

DAVID HOPKINS played with Joss Stone and Gavin DeGraw at THE RED LION last night. David is playing there every Tuesday this month and the collection of drop-in musicians is pretty amazing each week.

David Hopkins October residency
THE RED LION, 151 Bleeker Street, New York City
Bleeker and Thompson, 212-260-9797

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

CATCH FILM SCHOOL @ THE GARAGE IN LONDON TOMORROW NIGHT W/THE ROGERS SISTERS




The Garage - Wednesday 5th October - doors 7.30pm - £8.50advTHE ROGERS SISTERS
+ FILM SCHOOL
+ PERFORMANCE
+ THE PRISCILLAS
+ DAUGHTERS OF KAOS DJs

Live at The Garage

Wednesday 5th October

doors 7.30pm

£8.50 advance



Busy Brooklyn trio The Rogers Sisters return to the capital for a headline Garage show in support of their Too Pure Records debut mini-album, Three Fingers.

The sisters, well two sisters and a multi-instrumentalist Hawaiian, draw on a wide range of influences that encircle new wave, no wave, punk, post-punk and garage rock.

Embracing a rough and ready aesthetic, the band played its first ever show just one day after forming. "We wanted to ditch the seriousness and over-thought-outed-ness of 90s indie rock," says drummer Laura. "We wanted to let loose, have fun, and get a little soul."

Appearing at the North London venue on Wednesday 5th October, the sassy ensemble will be supported on the night by new Beggars Banquet signing, Film School, Manchester's dance/rock boy-girl-boy-girl quartet Performance and beehived Ramones-a-like, The Priscillas.

Club Motherfucker resident DJs, Daughters Of Kaos, will also be providing the between band entertainment.

DAVID HOPKINS NYC RESIDENCY BEGINS TONIGHT




Finally back in the States in his new hometown of Manhattan, DAVID HOPKINS will begin a month of shows on Tuesday nights at THE RED LION in NYC through the month of October.

THE RED LION, 151 Bleeker Street, New York City
Bleeker and Thompson, 212-260-9797

TONIGHT: DAVID HOPKINS 1AM

Monday, October 03, 2005

FILM SCHOOL HIT THE ROAD WITH THE ROGER SISTERS THIS WEEK




Here's a cool shot of FILM SCHOOL at their Water Rats show in London. Lots of chances to see them as they play every night this week, see below...

OCT
On tour with The Rogers Sisters
Mon 3rd - Brighton, Komedia
Tue 4th - Bristol, Louisiana
Wed 5th - London, The Garage
Thu 6th - Sheffield, Fuzz Club @ University
Fri 7th - Liverpool, Club NME @ Academy 2
Sat 8th - Birmingham, Cold Rice @ Academy 2
Sun 9th - Newcastle, Cuckoos Nest @ Red Rooms

Saturday, October 01, 2005

DAVID HOPKINS @ NEMO TONIGHT IN BOSTON



TONIGHT, in Boston at THE BURREN, catch DAVID HOPKINS performing a solo set of music at the Irish Music Showcase presented by IMRO.

IMRO/IRISH SHOWCASE
Twin Kranes 12-12:45
David Hopkins 11-11:45
The Urges 10-10:45
Steafán Hanvey 9-9:45