LA’S CHASING KINGS TO HOLD COURT ON JUNE RUMBLE TOUR
If you’ve been reading this blog at all over the past 6 months, you’re more than aware of our devotion to CHASING KINGS, so much so that we’ve tapped them to headline the West Coast leg of THE RUMBLE JUNE.
Named one of the Top 20 Indie Bands in LA by The Deli Magazine, they’ve already shared the stage with Sea Wolf, conquered SXSW, where they played our parties as well as the Levi’s/Fader Fort and have already snagged a spot up at the upcoming Also I Like To Rock summer series at The Hammer Museum. Comprised of four childhood friends, Matt Schwartz, Drew Beck, Mike Goldman and Nick Sandler, CHASING KINGS ooze a genuine enthusiasm for playing and crafting memorable melodies and harmonies that transcend whatever musical trend is penetrating the industry with The Pop Stereo calling them a “soaring breath of fresh air.”
Schwartz continues to draw comparisons to Elvis Costello and Britt Daniel with vocal and key skills well beyond his years, especially on “Dark Sunglasses.” Attracting the attention of bloggers and industry heavyweights including Tony Berg, who produced their six-song debut EP The Current State of Our Future last summer, Chasing Kings are on to something with their infectious piano laden indie pop. We can’t say it enough, they are a must see.
Kicking it off at THE RUMBLE SEATTLE at Havana Social Club on Monday June 7th, CHASING KINGS will be joined by Tacoma’s MOTOPONY. Led by Daniel Blue MOTOPONY are being compared to Broken Social Scene and Wilco. KEXP’s Richard Johnson has already jumped on this one, featuring “Seer” in his Song of the Day Podcast and recording a live session with the band back in January. TRUMER PILS specials all night!
Tuesday June 8th, CHASING KINGS will head down to Holocene for THE RUMBLE PORTLAND to play with PRIORY and BLOOD BEACH. PRIORY is a PDX four-piece calling themselves spacious folk rockers with touches of classic rock and soul with their debut scheduled to come out in June. Track “Devil vs. Heater” is sprawling number peppered with three part acappella harmonies.
BLOOD BEACH is a haunting shoegazy lo-fi outfit originally from Texas, calling Portland home and recently opened for Smith Westerns at Backspace. Velvet Underground combined with heavy distortion, BLOOD BEACH are right on point with lo-fi psych rock trend. With TRUMER PILS specials all night, THE RUMBLE PDX easily trumps Taco Tuesday.
On Wednesday June 9th we’ll head down to Milk for THE RUMBLE SF, where LEOPOLD & HIS FICTION and CITY LIGHT will share the bill with CHASING KINGS. Local trio Leopold & His Fiction, an act that’s long been on our radar with their southern infused rock folk meets fuzzy blues. Led by Detroit native, Daniel James, Leopold & His Fiction are the Black Keys meets The White Stripes, but better. Their recently released single, “Golden Friends” is a piece of looming 70’s freak folk goodness. With their release, Ain’t No Surprise touted as one of the Thirty-Two Greatest San Francisco Bay Area Albums of 2009 by our friends at The Bay Bridged, LAHF are Rumble ready.
CITY LIGHT, another Bay area band are Postal Service and Aqueduct esque electro rockers and Noise Pop fav. Their release Burned Out Bright (Banter Media) is full of bright yet distorted electronic soundscapes like “Someday Maybe” and has already caught the attention of out friends over at The Bay Bridged. Resident DJ, BAGEL TED will be there spinning throughout the night. RSVP at Sonic Living.
Thursday June 10th we’ll venture to 3 Clubs for THE RUMBLE LOS ANGELES where CHASING KINGS are likely to pack the house on their home turf. Also joining us are YAWN, an experimental indie pop act from Chicago. Think shades of Animal Collective with afro beat percussion and vocals in the vein of Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koening. “Toys” is a danceworthy tribal jam off their Pitchfork certified self-released EP.
Rounding out the night are FOSTER THE PEOPLE, an LA based act being called the next MGMT (pre Congratulations). The brainchild of TV composer Mark Foster, Foster the People, are garnering major attention from NylonTV to London’s The Guardian. Their track “Pumped Up Kicks” has been branded the song of the summer by Black Book Mag and with a whistling hook that rivals Peter Bjorn & John’s “Young Folks” and The Drums “Let’s Go Surfing” it’s easy to agree. We’re already anticipating the dance party that’s about to occur in the backroom, so Foster the People are most definitely that band you’ll be glad you caught before they blow up…so don’t miss out.
Then Saturday June 12th were back in San Diego at Bar Pink, for what’s fast becoming one of the most best nights of The Rumble tour, with a constant stream of SD bands that never disappoint and June’s no different with MAREN PARUSEL and DRUG WARS sharing the bill with CHASING KINGS.
German songstress, MAREN PARUSEL’s reflective indie pop is melodic and beautifully orchestrated, especially “Dear Love” off their Dear Love/Days in Universe 7 inch (Single Screen Records). Formerly of Wild Weeked, an all female punk band, Parusel’s new keyboard based sound has been getting attention with a San Diego Music Award nomination for Best New Artist last summer and capturing the attention of Kim Fowley at SXSW this year.
Dirty, loud garage rock from SD best describe, DRUG WARS round out the night. Called “the best kind of post-hardcore-punk-rock to listen to” by 7 Inches, this four piece are gathering buzz even across the pond with Collective Zine UK taking notice of their 7 inch 9846 (Grizzly Records).
We'll be announcing line-ups for The Rumbles in Las Vegas, Austin and New York soon.
Labels: Blood Beach, Chasing Kings, City Light, Drug Wars, Foster The People, Leopold and His Fiction, Maren Parusel, Motopony, Priory, The Rumble, Trumer Pils, Yawn
THE RUMBLE: SAN DIEGO roars into North Park tonight for the June edition @ Bar Pink with three amazing acts, a guest DJ, Trumer Pils beer specials all night and free admission - if you can get in.
