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Blonde Redhead to Play La Zona Rosa in Support of New Album
Blonde Redhead, a veritable melting pot of a band whose members hail from Italy and Japan and whose songs are written in multiple languages including English, Japanese, Italian and French, will visit La Zona Rosa on December 1 in support of their newest album Penny Sparkle. The band formed in 1993 in Boston, and their first album was released in 1995 with the help of Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley.
The band released their second album in 1995, again via Shelley’s label before moving to Touch and Go Records for the relase of their next three albums and an EP. The band joined 4AD, releasing Misery is a Butterfly in 2004 and 23 in 2007 to much critical acclaim. If you are new to the band, give 23 and Misery is a Butterfly a listen – as I write this their new album has not yet been released, but when it is I am sure that it will be one that you will want on repeat. Catch them live at La Zona Rosa on December 1! Tickets are available here.
Cheers.
Jamie Lidell to Play Antone’s this Fall
Jamie Lidell will bring his genre bending show to Antone’s in September. If you have had the chance to see Lidell perform, then you may want to go ahead and snap up your tickets now because you know what to expect. Lidell’s shows often meld genres including soul, funk, electronic and experimental with some pop sprinkled in for good measure. If that alone is not enough to make you curious enough to check him out then read on.
On 2005′s Multiply, Lidell took Warp, his record label to a place it rarely treads, a land of soul music and groove that he took and matched with his own style of percussion beats and persona that makes for a fresh experience each time you listen. His most recent album Jim continues down the same vein, but who knows what he has in store for his upcoming album Compass. No one does really other than Lidell himself which is the beauty of his work. Lidell is known to pepper in the occasional frenzy of electronic music in his sets that nods to his other band Super Collider and to his earlier work. Much of the backup vocals and even percussion on Multiply are created using only one instrument – Lidell’s voice, making it an even more fascinating album to listen to. If this write-up tells you anything let it be that you do not want to miss a Jamie Lidell show – you just never know what you are going to get – and in this case that is a very, very good thing.
Get tickets to see Lidell at Antone’s on September 24
Chromeo Announces World Tour With Stops in Austin and at Lollapalooza!
I have talked to a number of people who have no clue who Chromeo is, and this is a real travesty. I’m not saying that they should be pushing out songs and playing for crowds like someone with the awe inspiring talent of Justin Bieber or the Jonas Brothers, but seriously these guys have a niche audience and you should probably get in on this dance party. The band has released two studio albums, 2004s In Control and 2007s Fancy Footwork, both of which are consistently in my playlist.
They are currently polishing off work on their third studio album, Business Casual, and are celebrating by throwing a nationwide party, also known as a tour. The Business Casual Tour Runs from June 11 with the band appearing at Bonnaroo to the end of August with a date at the Hollywood Bowl with Chemical Brothers and YACHT. What a lineup. However, if you are not going to be present at either of those shows, then you should definitely check out the band at one (or more) of their other dates, particularly at Stubb’s or Lollapalooza!
Tickets for the Stubb’s date are on sale here and Lollapalooza tickets here.
Complete listings for the tour can be found here.
Also, check out a couple of videos from the band below. One is for their newest track “Night by Night” and the other is from the band’s appearance on Yo Gabba Gabba! Enjoy.
Live Review: Local Natives Austin, TX at Antone’s 4-23-10
Local Natives returned to Austin Friday night after blowing up SXSW this year. I had heard a bit about the band before SXSW, but they gained a lot of momentum over the week, playing something like nine shows and wowing the crowds lucky enough to catch them. I was not able to see them then, but thanks to a friend was able to get a ticket to their sold out show at Antone’s (moved from Emo’s due to overwhelming demand), and to say the least, I was not disappointed. They even made a point of thanking everyone for coming out and that the show was the largest show on their entire tour.
The band’s album, Gorilla Manor, made its European debut in November 2009 to little fanfare in the US, but since its February US release the band has seen a surge in popularity, particularly in Austin, TX. Local Natives has garnered accolades for their ever-present harmonies and songwriting skills that saturate their music. Their singing abilities and superb instrumental talent were very prevalent on this evening at Antone’s, with the musicians switching amongst instruments frequently and seamlessly throughout the set.
Each song was well-received by the packed house, but one track stood out from the rest – “Sun Hands,” an emotionally charged and heartfelt song that had everyone in attendance belting out the chorus. Even after the band had exhausted their catalog of music and left the stage, much of the crowd stood in place, yearning for just one more song. We will all have to wait a bit longer, but from the sound of the band and the love of the fans, I would imagine that there will be more to come quite soon. I, for one, can’t wait.
Listen to “Sun Hands” and “Camera Talk,” a couple of my favorite tracks of Gorilla Manor below!
[audio:http://www.frontgatetickets.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Local-Natives_03_Sun-Hands.mp3|titles=Sun Hands by Local Natives]
[audio:http://www.frontgatetickets.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Local-Natives_06_Camera-Talk.mp3|titles=Camera Talk by Local Natives]
Cheers.
Live Review: Ted Leo at Emo’s 3-31-10
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists paid a visit to Emo’s on Wednesday. The band is touring in support of their sixth studio album, The Brutalist Bricks, which was released on March 9, 2010 via Matador Records. They took the outdoor stage at Emo’s around 11:45pm to a solid group of fans, particularly for a Wednesday night. Ted immediately launched into a set that surely pleased most everyone in attendance, giving offerings from the whole catalog of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.
Photo by Stephen M. Keller AMERICAN-STATESMAN
The band seemed to be in good spirits, with Leo often joking back and forth with fans throughout the set. At one point, someone even called out “More talk and less rock!” prompting Leo to pause the show with a laugh as he stated that he had “never heard that one before.” My sentiments are much the same when it comes to musicians. Most of the time I want to listen to your music, not listen to you speak, but Ted Leo is one of the exceptions to this rule. He is able to entertain fully with both his music and his wit.
The band tore through their set despite a few technical difficulties including Leo’s guitar strap almost completely tearing away from his guitar near the end of one song. During the final song, his guitar gave out completely and he was forced to grab a case and whip out another one while the rest of the band played on. This flexibility combined with Leo’s excellent vocal skills, strong stage presence and great band make him an extremely fun live act to watch. If you get the opportunity to catch these guys on tour, do not pass it up!
