[NEW TRACK]
VHS Collection’s songs have been streamed over 10 million times on Spotify and the band has seen festival performances at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, and Okeechobee in the last year. VHS also sold out a headline show at Bowery Ballroom in February. The band has released two EP’s to date and will release its first full length record later this year. They recently broke into the NACC Radio Top 200 Chart.“Lean” the single off the band’s first EP hit #8 on the Spotify Viral Charts last January. My introductory song to them, “Waiting on the Summer” the single off of the band’s 2nd EP Stereo Hype hit #14 on the Spotify Viral Charts. The “Waiting on the Summer Dave Edwards Remix” was #1 on Hype Machine in April.
VHS Collection got their start in the winter of 2014 but the three members, James Bohannon, Conor Cook, and Nils Vanderlip have been playing music in one form or another together since they were kids. Conor and James grew up across the street from each other in NYC and attended the same grade school where they began jamming on acoustic guitars; Nils and James met in high school, where they started their first band together and recorded an album.
Years later, with all three members back in NYC, VHS pulled together a collection of electronic leaning rock-influenced bedroom recordings and posted them on Soundcloud. Encouraged by the volume of hits the tracks received, VHS began performing a live set at friends’ parties and around NYC’s small clubs. 2015 saw multiple sold out nights for VHS at the Lower East Side’s indie-rock launching pad, the Mercury Lounge.
2016 saw the band’s first major festival performances at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits, in addition to sold out club dates on both coasts. The band supported Bloc Party and Powers at a number of dates last summer.
VHS has remained independent and is self-managed. Inspired by Chance the Rapper, they look forward to continuing to independently create and release good music.
VHS has created a writing process which is unique and serves them well. It starts primarily with each member individually writing and producing dozens of bits and pieces of songs on their laptops. The band spends months working on these initial song ideas virtually, sending each other files and collaborating via Dropbox. Every few months, the band heads to a cabin in upstate New York where they lock themselves in for 7 days at a time to complete the songs during intense writing sessions. During these sessions, the three members collaborate on every element of the song, with each member playing various instruments on the tracks. The band then weeds out the best of these home produced tracks to bring into the studio. For their upcoming record, VHS is working with producer Chris Zane who has also produced albums for Passion Pit, St. Lucia, and Friendly Fires.
Summer Tour
06.01 – Chop Shop – Chicago, IL
06.02 – The Pike Room – Detroit, MI
06.03 – Bunbury Festival – Cincinatti, OH
[TIX]06.06 – Vera Project – Seattle, WA
06.07 – Lola’s Cafe – Portland, OR
06.08 – Cafe Du Nord – San Francisco, CA
06.10 – Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA
06.12 – Soda Bar – San Diego, CA
06.13 – Soho 1221 – Santa Baraba, CA
06.14 – SLO Brew – San Louis Obispo, CA
06.25 – East Hotel – Miami, FL
06.29 – Music Hall Of Williamsburg – New York, NY
07.08 – The Surf Lodge – Montauk, NY
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
Seattle’s Sub Pop has scored a fantastic fivesome from the land of down under. You won’t want to miss their live show this Tuesday March 28th, at Barboza (Tix Here). It’s going to be killer!
Stream new EP “French Press” here.
Melbourne’s Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever announced ‘The French Press,” their debut EP for their new US label, Sub Pop, which released on March 10th.
“The French Press” EP levels up on everything that made their debut EP, “Talk Tight,” such an immediate draw. Multi-tracked melodies which curl around one another, charging drums and addictive bass lines converge to give each track its driving momentum. Honed through their live shows, this relentless energy carries the record through new chapters in the band’s Australian storybook.
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever’s songs have always had all the page-turning qualities of a good novel and “The French Press” EP is no different. Somewhere between impressionists and fabulists, lyricists Fran Keaney, Tom Russo and Joe White often start with something rooted in real life – the melancholy of travel on ‘French Press’, having a hopeless crush on ‘Julie’s Place’ – before building them into clever, quick vignettes. The result is lines blurred between fiction and reality – vibrant stories which get closer at a particular truth than either could alone.
Blending critical insight and literate love songs, “The French Press” EP cements Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever as one of Australia’s smartest working bands.
FEATURED VIDEO: LONDON GRAMMAR “BIG PICTURE”
London Grammar emerged in 2013 with the release of their critically acclaimed debut album, If You Wait, and quickly went on to becoming one of the most exciting international breakthrough acts of recent times. Winning a prestigious Ivor Novello Award for their hit single ‘Strong’ and being nominated for a BRIT Award, the trio have since sold-out multiple headlining tours worldwide and have performed on high profile US TV shows such as ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, as well as the former NBC’s Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and CBS’s The Late Show with David Letterman back in 2014.
Produced by acclaimed British musician Jon Hopkins (Brian Eno, King Creosote), this immense, sweeping soundscape is the second track to be revealed by London Grammar this year.
The band (Hannah Reid, Dot Major and Dan Rothman) worked with renowned video director Sophie Muller (Coldplay, Beyonce) to create a widescreen visual concept, vivid enough to reflect the track itself. The result, a video unlike anything we’ve seen from the band before.
SEISMIC-SOUND.COM: TOP 10 ALBUMS of 2016
- Radiohead- A Moon Shaped Pool
2. Mannequin Pussy- Romantic
3. Leonard Cohen- You Want It Darker
4. Frank Ocean- Blonde
5. Kikagaku Moyo- House In The Tall Grass
6. David Bowie- Blackstar
7. Anohni- Hoplessness
8. Michael Kiwanuka- Love & Hate
9. Angel Olsen- My Woman
10. Kris Orlowski- Often In The Pause
PREVIEW: NADAFEST 2016. BEST LITTLE NON-MUSIC FEST IN SEATTLE.
In case you haven’t heard. The festival season has come and gone, and although that may make some of us a bit sad, you’ll be happy to know, there is a new kind of fest. Yes, we have the Nadafest. It’s the only non-fest music festival, and its going on this month under the moniker of “We Are Not Having a Music Festival”, get it? No big sponsors, no ferris wheels or outdoor stages. Just you and some of your friends, and hopefully a few of your favorite local bands.
After a bit of a blunder last year, they are looking to turn things around, and make another run at spotlighting the incredible talent we have here in Seattle and the surrounding areas.
Nobody takes a cut, but the artists, yes you’ve heard it correct, all proceeds will go back to the artists. So if you want to come down and get way more bang for your buck (measly $10). I think you should come down and check out some of Seattles favorite acts. Lots of great bands, and a few of our favorites, which we urge you to check out. This runs all weekend October 21st – 23rd at Substation in frellard. For more info click here.
WILD POWWERS
WISCON
SNUFF REDUX
Disintegrate the Days from Sean O on Vimeo.
VERSING
GREET THE SEA
SEISMIC INTERVIEW WITH THE FOREIGN RESORT. LIVE AT THE FUNHOUSE 9.26.16
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing this band a few times … and every time I’ve walk away moved by their intensely tight performance and incredibly big sound.
If your in the mood to see a good rock show. Go check out these guys from Copenhagen at The Funhouse on the 26th of Sept. They’re worth it!
I had a chance to chat with lead vocalist Mikkel about touring, favorite things in the USA, and Donald Trump.
So you just finished raising money for the vinyl printing and re-mastering your first EP. With all the things you need money for, and as much as you guys travel overseas (touring the North America Sept-15/Oct 2nd), why was that so important? And congrats on meeting your goal.
Thanks Jason! Like a lot of music fans, we are into vinyl. The Foreign Resort 2011 EP was a milestone as far as us defining our own sound and ever since it came out we have been wanting to release it on vinyl. But with touring and new releases coming we just never had the funding or time to make it happen. Until now, where we are kind of in between releases while still touring in Europe and North America in support of The American Dream EP. We thought this would be a good time to try and fund the vinyl re-issue and make a special thing out of it, remastering it for vinyl and sending out the new mastering as digital download as well as adding two bonus tracks. This also completes the TFR discography on vinyl and that’s a big accomplishment for us.
Speaking of traveling. You must be one of the most well-traveled indie bands I know, and it’s all out of pocket. Why is traveling abroad so important, and how difficult is it?
Well, first of all, we like touring. If we’re not on the road for a while we become restless. Second, we’re getting a lot better response from The US, Germany and now also Canada than we do back home. To be honest, we probably have more people coming out to see us in cities like Seattle, Boston, Cologne and Leipzig than we have back in Copenhagen. The fans are also more dedicated – and they dance when we play! We love that!
It takes a lot of work to book a tour, but it is fun work and it has become easier with an ever expanding network of friends and contacts throughout North America. It is also very expensive and we spent a lot of money on work visas, plane tickes and rental vans. But that is also getting better. The shows pay better and our crowdfunding campaign last year to finance 3 North American tours, incl. the work visas we currently have, has improved our band economy significantly. We’re still a couple of thousand in the hole after a tour like the upcoming North America tour, but it is worth it. All of it.
Since I’ve known of you guys, you’ve been to Seattle at least 5-6 times? and I’m sure you’ve been here more. What do you love about Seattle? and what do you hate?
We have been to Seattle like 5-7 times. It’s been good every time. First time was back in 2009 and we still crash at Joel and Amber’s place. Only back in 2009 Joel was in Black Nite Crash and today he is in VibraGun. Joel Bergstrom is a fantastic guy. He is definitely one of the things we love about Seattle! In general, it is the people we have met in Seattle that make it such a great city.
If there’s anything we hate, it would be the weather, which is very much like in Denmark. Rain.
Another thing would be the rising house prices that force out the middle class or rather the creative and musically interested. Unfortunately, that is now a worldwide phenomenon – gentrification of the creative class. We even made a song about it calles “Onto Us” from “The American Dream”.
But let’s get back to the good things: The music scene of Seattle. Every time we play in Seattle we meet new great bands. We already mentioned VibraGun and Black Nite Crash. This time we’re playing with Charlatan whose music we really like and at previous shows we loved to play with Season of Strangers, Red Martian and Dacha.
Favorite places in the USA?
Oh man, you’re putting us on the spot here. That’s a difficult question. We love so many places in the US.
Obviously, Seattle is way up there. Portland too. Such great people and music! And very chill. Boston has always been good for us as well as San Francisco and Los Angeles. Boise, ID is definitely worth mentioning too. We played there a couple of times before playing at Treefort Music Fest, which was really awesome! Austin is worth mentioning, but to be fair we have only been there during SXSW.
What kind of foods do you look forward to here, that you can’t get at home … or are just not the same?
We started out with burgers. And we still get plenty of burgers – American style. Especially In N Out, which is luckily spreading from California to Texas, Utah and other states. Not sure exactly what it is but the burgers are just better in the States. On recent tours we started getting food from taco trucks and it is really delicious! So on this upcoming tour we will be getting a lot more Mexican food. And burgers.
Are you working on any projects right now? New albums?
We are currently writing and rehearsing songs for our next album to be released in 2017. With a lot of touring going on we haven’t started recording yet, but when we return to Denmark after this tour we will start recording the new songs. We’re also looking into recording a couple of cover songs. Not sure about it yet, but we could be covering Willie Nelson!
Give us Americans 5 bands we should be checking out from your neck of the woods?
Let’s do Northern Europe:
Then Comes Silence from Stockholm, Sweden – https://youtu.be/XFkQ3yHB0dQ (great video!)
The Exploding Boy from Stockholm, Sweden – https://youtu.be/3fq66NreVQU
The Entrepreneurs from Copenhagen, Denmark – https://youtu.be/awzTNxXBqCA
Jaguwar from Dresden, Germany – https://jaguwar.bandcamp.com/album/i-ep
Box and the Twins from Cologne, Germany – https://youtu.be/NLGMJRlb7k8
At this point in your musical career, what makes your proudest?
That we are still together as a band and doing all this touring. Most bands that aren’t super big, or at least making a living off their music, split up or remain a band that only plays the occasional local show. We’re all over the place and we can finally feel the hard work paying off, playing larger festivals and bigger venues. Especially in Germany and the US. People are starting to know our name and that makes us proud.
If I wanted to introduce someone to The Foreign Resort. Which song of yours would I play?
The song that gives the best insight into our music while also appealing to the broadest audience would probably be “Take a Walk” – https://youtu.be/Occr4GpJKAk
Lastly….. Any thoughts on Donald trump?
Donald Trump is douchebag feeding on scared Americans. What’s worse is that you guys are screwed either way this time, no matter if it’s Hillary or Donald. That said, better Hillary. We know so many great Americans that are scared and sad about the current state of affairs. Your politics and American society in general is such a sad story, and we feel sorry for you that these are the choices you have. You can change that though. Bernie got far and there will be others like him. Maybe next time. Don’t give up!
See you out there!
NEW BAND CRUSH & FEATURED VIDEO: WORLD WIDE “HOLLYWOOD”
If you don’t know World Wild, then the video for their new single HOLLYWOOD is going to make your head explode, between touring and electrifying the stage with the likes of Client Liaison and Luke Million .. World Wild have been busy making art happen.
World Wild teamed up with Aaron Shuppan, a film maker making waves around the world.
Singer, Jarrad Lee Jackson says: After watching Aarons reel I was blown away, it wasn’t like anything id seen lately, it was full of mystery and it took me to a dark place in which I felt safe and didn’t want to leave. I knew right away Aaron was going to have to make this video, the mans a genius.
The boys carted the whole production half a kilometre up a secret ridge to get that perfect view and as seen in the video WHAT A VIEW! The video is oozing with eighties influence, from an old broken down dirt bike to the blinders and smoke machines, there is a “Lost Boys” eeriness to a Ramones “Pet Cemetery” texture. It builds beautifully to a stadium ready ending sonically and visually makes you want to see World Wild’s explosive live performance.
Jackson: We were performing on a ridge over looking our city using generators, smoke machines, crazy lighting, we all worked together and made it happen, the rain held out and everything ran so smoothly. I took a moment to comprehend that it was even happening, there was an emotional static in the air in which I think we could all feel, you don’t get to feel that often and I will never forget it.
Hollywood is about two artists/lovers trying to make their dreams reality, the constant battles they push through and how easy it is to turn bad energy onto one another.
This indie synth driven piece of art is a hybrid of electronic loops and studio recordings inspired by true events, emotions and moments in time where the earth stood still.
Jackson: We aren’t here to enjoy success, we have no expectations of finding a pot of gold but only to live and breathe the adventure of putting in fruition our imagination, the battles we entail on each artistic burst is called life, we enjoy that.
SHOW PREVIEW: WOLF PARADE AT NEPTUNE. AUGUST 7th & 8th.
I’m sure everyone knows by now that after a five year hiatus, Sub-Pop band Wolf Parade have re-grouped and are currently in the process of a short tour.
After a few residency shows in New York, Toronto and London this May, they just kicked it off this weekend in Oregon at the annual Pickathon, and are wrapping it up end of September in Ohio.
Since putting Wolf Parade behind them, the band’s main members have gone on to release new music under various monikers and/or with new acts — Spencer Krug with Moonface, Sunset Rubdown, and Swan Lake; Dan Boeckner with Operators and Divine Fits. But fret not, the boys are back. And although a small evolution in sound (sounding a bit more refined and secure in their musical prowess), the signature Wolf Parade is intact.
And one thing is for certain, this band is a lot of fun to check out live, so don’t miss them this upcoming August 7th (Special guests Dardo) and 8th (Special guests Deep Sea Diver) at The Neptune Theater.
SEEN NOT HEARD: BLDNG BASH 2016
Finally I had a chance to get to a few of my pictures from BBB 2016. This was my first year attending BBB 2016, and it’s no doubt, one of the best little music fest’s around. I was able to snap some shots of some of my Seattle faves, as well, as some new discoveries (sign of a great fest), before I started to over indulge. I hope this doesn’t go away anytime soon, cause I am looking forward to next year already.
I think this pretty much sums up the BIG BLDG BASH 2016!
NEW BAND CRUSH: HAPPY DIVING – New Album ‘Electric Soul Unity’ out August 19 via Topshelf Records
Formed in the suburbs of San Francisco’s East Bay in 2013, Happy Diving play loud, spiritual rock music with a strong pop sensibility on the subject of freedom, love and pain. Though the band has seen various member and location changes (now with members living in Seattle, Vancouver and Oakland), the five-piece has gained notoriety for their blistering, high-energy performances and prolific release output.
Electric Soul Unity, Happy Diving’s fourth record in less than three years, showcases the band taking their dynamic rock to new heights. Their characteristic thick fuzz is coupled with tender melodies, a yin-yang of scorching in-your-face rippers and contagious hook-laden sing-alongs. The aggressive driving force of lead single “Holy Ground” meets its match with the slow-burning ballad, “Head Spell,” proving the band is just as comfortable in their quieter moments as they are being loud as hell.
The West Coast band will embark on their first ever North American tour, ending at San Francisco’s Bottom of the Hill for Creative Adult’s record release show with Never Young and Plush.
07.23.16 – Oakland, CA @ Sam’s House
07.24.16 – Santa Rosa, CA @ Arlene Francis Center (w/ Gun Outfit, Tony Molina)
07.25.16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hi Hat
07.26.16 – San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
07.27.16 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
07.28.16 – Albuquerque, NM @ TBD
07.29.16 – Oklahoma City, OK @ TBD
07.30.16 – Ft Worth, TX @ TBD
07.31.16 – Houston, TX @ Vinyl Edge Records
08.01.16 – New Orleans, LA @ Saturn Bar
08.02.16 – Nashville, TN @ Two Boots
08.04.16 – Richmond, VA @ TBD
08.05.16 – Raleigh, NC @ Pinhook
08.06.16 – Baltimore, MD @ TBD
08.07.16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Lava Space
08.08.16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Shea Stadium
08.10.16 – Providence, RI @ Tommy’s Place
08.11.16 – Boston, MA @ Great Scott (w/ Kindling, California X)
08.12.16 – Amherst, MA @ TBD
08.13.16 – Montreal, QB @ Poisson Noir
08.14.16 – Toronto, ON @ Smiling Buddha
08.15.16 – Detroit, MI @ TBD
08.16.16 – Milwaukee, WI @ High Dive
08.17.16 – Bloomington, IN @ Jan’s Rooms
08.18.16 – Eau Claire, WI @ TBD
08.19.16 – Duluth, MN @ Northern Isolation Fest
08.20.16 – Minneapolis, MN @ Dead Media (early show)
08.21.16 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Total Drag
08.24.16 – Calgary, AB @ Tubby Dog
08.26.16 – Vancouver, BC @ Antisocial Skate Shop
08.27.16 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
08.28.16 – Olympia, WA @ TBD
08.29.16 – Portland, OR @ TBD
08.30.16 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill (w/ Creative Adult, Never Young, Plush)
NEW BAND CRUSH: KIKAGAKU MOYO (ALBUM OUT 5/13)
Like a long journey House In The Tall Grass unfolds itself through many layers. Existing fans of Kikagaku Moyo will be comforted by the soft vocals harmonies and warm sitar, but what sets this release apart is the refinement of the band’s song-writing and their delicate execution. Side A begins with a pair of travelling songs where the interplay between the vocals, guitar, and sitar lift and suspend the listener on an unexpected journey. The patient listener is rewarded with tracks such as “Trad” and “Silver Owl” which demonstrate the masterful balance the band has between soft and loud; chaos and order, or being both cold and tender at the same time.
House in the Tall Grass, recorded between October and December of 2015 at Tsubame Studio where it was mixed, mastered, and produced by Yui Kimijima, takes the listener by the hand on a satisfying quest through destinations both familiar and unknown. It is a natural step forward for the band and perhaps the most refined example of their style to date.
Video Premiere- “Falsifier” By Cloud Person
We got a video premiere today with Seattle band Cloud Person, we asked them the process and inspiration for the video. This is what they said:
“We wanted to convey a mood rather than attempt to act out the narrative in the lyrics.
Our goal was to provide simple imagery to accompany the words. We decided to do this by using shadows and different colored lights. The hope was that the viewer would have a sense of mystery and that their mind would be allowed to wander with the words.
Our singer works at a warehouse with super tall, matte white walls so we cleared a big space and shot the video there. There is a long standing tradition of bands playing in warehouses in videos and we wanted to avoid being part of it, so we decided that all shots of actual people would need to be obscured in some way, either by angular motion or blurred focus.”
The video was directed by Steve Straney, and assisted by Scott Wilson.
Cloud Person – Falsifier from Cloud Person on Vimeo.
Make sure and check out their album release show at the Crocodile May 19th, with Day Laborers and Petty Intellectuals, Whitney Lyman and Yet. Tickets here . Pre-order album here.
What are the dreams of a youth that never makes time to rest? For 21-year-old Yung frontman Mikkel Holm Silkjær, a Danish DIY figurehead who has left a catalogue of cassettes and self-produced songs in his wake, the goal seemed to be recording, and living, as fast as possible. Writing and performing songs filled with gritty guitar and driving rhythms that snap like a live wire, he’s been busy channelling the electric drive of youth, creating brief, flashing sonic portraits of his life in Aarhus, the country’s gritty, industrial second city.
That makes the music on the reflective A Youthful Dream, the debut album from Yung (out 6/10 on Fat Possum), such a revelation. Angst makes space for wisdom, youthful exuberance begins channelling road-tested experience, and a blur of basement shows and self-produced bromides becomes something more. DIY doesn’t mean unrefined, it just means personal. And at a point where inertia made way for introspection, Silkjær showcased a new degree of songwriting craft and and sonic experimentation, and a new perspective on everyday life and young adulthood.
Where the previous releases such as “These Thoughts Are Like Mandatory Chores” found Silkjær masterfully running through buzzsaw riffs, recalling The Replacements and Jay Reatard, A Youthful Dream finds Silkjær reshaping his vocabulary and experimenting with a larger sonic palette. Richer melodies, pianos, and even trumpets made their way into the recording sessions at Sound Studio in Sweden, where Silkjær, Frederik Nybo Veile (drums) and Tobias Guldborg Tarp (bass) decamped with a handful of guest musicians.
After more than a decade of writing songs, he’s grown bored with other people’s perception of what “punk” means, and his ambitions and songwriting have evolved. Always on the move and in the moment, Silkjær has created a musical step forward, while pausing to consider and reflect on the past.
“For me, Yung has always equalled total freedom,” says Mikkel. “I don’t want Yung to be a band that you can put certain labels on. I wish for it to be a project that can principally go in any given direction.”
“YOU DON’T KNOW ME BITCH”: WITH GREAT GRANDPA
Here are 15 things from 2 members of the band Great Grandpa, that you probably didn’t know.
Make sure you check out Great Grandpa tonight (2/19), playing the Crocodile backbar. Listen here. And next Sunday at Chop Suey.
Alex’s facts:
I still sleep with a giant stuffed duck I was given when I was three
I have the coolest roommates- love you mom and dad!!
I’ve never been out of the u.s.
I have a toe that looks like a macaroni noodle
I shower once a week (garbage kids unite)
I hate wearing shoes
I lived off top ramen for 4 months once
I had to stop eating top ramen
I love Cheetos like all kind of cheetos. Ya cheetos yum.
I dye my hair at least 10 times a year
I haven’t been to the dentist since I was 12
I wanted to be a “doctor-mommy” when I grew up. Now I’m scared of the doctor and of being a mommy.
I danced on stage at a big boi concert when I was 13- it was dope.
Vegans are weird.
I can say that, some of my best friends are vegan
Carrie’s Facts:
My favorite book is jurassic park and I’ve read it way too many times.
I have a jurassic park themed tattoo.
My grandpa won the 1941 national cornhusking championship.
I’ve dived with sharks.
I have a dog named Obi.
The texture of velvet and velvety things makes me nauseous.
I started playing the bass about a year and half ago and GG is my first band.
I also play the piano, guitar, french horn and clarinet.
I got slimed on Nickelodeon as a kid.
I keep accidentally buying burgundy colored clothes so most of what I wear is that color.
I’m often asked what it’s like to be albino.
I’m not albino.
I studied biology and worked in labs for years.
I’m vegan.
As a kid I once wrote a letter to the editor of my local paper called “Harry Potter stands for good and fights evil.”
Today, Parquet Courts announce their new record, Human Performance, out 4/8 on Rough Trade. Recorded over the course of a year against a backdrop of personal instability, Human Performance massively expands the idea of what a Parquet Courts record can be. They’ve been one of the most critically acclaimed bands of the last 5 years; this is the record that backs all those words up.
“Every day it starts, anxiety,” began the first song on 2014’s Content Nausea. Those were essentially the song’s only lyrics, but Human Performance picks up where that thought left off, picking apart the anxieties of modern life: “The unavoidable noise of NYC that can be maddening, the kind of the impossible struggle against clutter, whether it’s physical or mental or social,” says singer, guitarist and Human Performance producer/mixer Austin Brown.
There has always been the emotional side of Parquet Courts, which has always had an important balance with the more discussed cerebral side, but Savage sees Human Performance as a redistribution of weight in that balance. “I began to question my humanity, and if it was always as sincere as I thought, or if it was a performance,” says Savage. “I felt like a sort of malfunctioning apparatus,” he says. “Like a machine programmed to be human showing signs of defect.”
The sonic diversity, time, and existential effort that went into its creation makes Human Performance Parquet Courts’ most ambitious record to date. It’s a work of incredible creative vision born of seemingly insurmountable adversity. It is also their most accessible record yet. Today, the band shares a video for the song “Dust,” and announces a string of new tour dates.
WATCH “DUST”
HUMAN PERFORMANCE TRACKLISTING
1. Dust
2. Human Performance
3. Outside
4. I Was Just Here
5. Paraphrased
6. Captive Of The Sun
7. Steady On My Mind
8. On Man, No City
9. Berlin Got Blurry
10. Keep It Even
11. Two Dead Cops
12. Pathos Prairie
13. It’s Gonna Happen
PARQUET COURTS TOUR DATES (new dates in bold):
Mon. Feb. 15 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall w/ Love Of Everything
Tue. Feb. 16 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall w/ Love Of Everything – SOLD OUT
Thu. Feb. 18 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club w/ Love Of Everything
Fri. Feb. 19 – Calgary, AB @ Commonwealth Bar
Sat. Feb. 20 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater w/ Dumb
Tue. Feb. 23 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Wed. Feb. 24 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom w/ Woolen Men
Fri. Feb. 26 – Oakland, CA @ The New Parish (Noise Pop) w/ Chris Cohen – SOLD OUT
Sat. Feb. 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ American Legion Hall w/ Chris Cohen – SOLD OUT
Sun. Feb. 28 – Los Angeles, CA @ American Legion Hall
Sat. Mar. 12 – Marfa, TX @ Marfa Myths w/ No Age, Emitt Rhodes, Quilt, Sheer Mag
Thu. Apr. 14 – Providence, RI @ The Met w/ Soda
Fri. Apr.15 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club w/ Soda
Sat. Apr. 16 – Kingston, NY @ BSP Kingston w/ Soda
Sun. Apr. 17 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit w/ Soda
Mon. Apr. 18 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups w/ Soda
Wed. Apr. 20 – Chicago, IL @ Metro w/ Soda
Thu. Apr. 21 – Detroit, MI @ Marble Bar w/ Soda
Fri. Apr. 22 – Toronto, Ontario @ Phoenix Theater w/ Soda
Thu. Apr. 28 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
Sat. Apr. 30 – Austin, TX @ Levitation Festival
Mon. May 2 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s
Wed. May 11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer w/ B Boys
Thu. May 12 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club w/ B Boys
Fri. May 13 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle w/ B Boys
Sun. May 15 – Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Festival
Mon. May 16 – Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge w/ B Boys
Tue. May 17 – Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight w/ B Boys
Wed. May 18 – Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theater w/ B Boys
Fri. May 20 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall w/ B Boys
Sat. June 4 – Barcelona, SP @ Primavera Sound Festival
Sun. June 12 – London, UK @ Field Day
Tue. June 14 – Bristol, UK @ Trinity
Wed. June 15 – Liverpool, UK @ New Kazimier
Thu. June 16 – Edinburgh, UK @ La Belle Angele
Fri. June 17 – Leeds, UK @ Irish Centre
Fri. June 18 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla
NEW BAND CRUSH: DIET CIG & SINGLE “DINNER DATE”.
Beginning as a casual project between Alex Luciano (guitar) and Noah Bowman (drums), New Paltz, New York’s Diet Cig have made a big statement out of five highly infectious pop songs. The pair met under rather unusual circumstances: Luciano, desperate for a lighter, interrupted the set of Bowman’s other band, Earl Boykins. No lighter was to be found, but a friendship was sparked and Diet Cig was born. The duo’s February 2015 debut EP, Over Easy, consists of lyrics written by Luciano in her bedroom. While recalling the sound of speedy twee-pop groups like Tiger Trap and All Girl Summer Fun Band, the record explores “the innocence of adolescence and infatuation.” With Bowman’s crashing drum kit offering stationary support, Luciano becomes an onstage tornado as lines between band and audience blur into a massive dance party.
Diet Cig return with their new seven-inch, Sleep Talk / Dinner Date. “Sleep Talk” begins where Over Easy left off, with the candidly self-analytical statement, “I can’t play instruments very well and I’ll eat all of your cereal.” While this line may feel lighthearted, the narrative quickly grows complicated with the gentle admission, “If I told you I loved you I don’t know who it would scare away faster.” “Dinner Date” continues the theme of painful retrospection and vulnerability as Luciano examines familial disappointment. Both songs offer a more complex level of intimacy and prove that Diet Cig are here to stay.
Sleep Talk / Dinner Date is a Father/Daughter and Art Is Hard co-release. The 7″ is limited to 1000 copies on white frosted clear vinyl (Order here). Like Over Easy, it was recorded with Christopher Daly at Salvation Recording Company in New Paltz, NY and mastered by Jamal Ruhe at West West Side Music.
SEISMIC-SOUND.COM: TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2015
(In no particular order)
LOW- Ones And Sixes
19. JENNY HVAL- Apocalypse Girl
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18. Dilly Dally- Sore
17. WOLF ALICE- Love Is Cool
16. KENDRICK LAMAR- To Pimp A Butterfly
15. GRIMES- Art Angels
14. MOUNT EERIE- Sauna
13. BULLY- Feels Like
12. BJORK- Vulnicura
11. BEACH HOUSE- Thank Your Lucky Stars
10. YOUNG RAPIDS- Pretty Ugly
9. PURITY RING- Another Eternity
8. BEACH SLANG- The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us
7. ROYAL HEADACHE- High
6. AXEL FLOVENT- Forest Fires
5.TITLE FIGHT- Hyperview
4. CAR SEAT HEAD REST- Teens OF Style
3. SUFJAN STEVENS- CARRIE & LOWELL
2. GUANTANAMO BAYWATCH- Darling … It’s To Late
1. LEON BRIDGES- Coming Home
NO WORDS NEEDED: RIDE w/ CAT HOCH @ THE CRYSTAL BALLROOM. NOV.16th 2015
RIDE 
CAT HOCH
NO WORDS NEEDED: DILLY DALLY AT BUNK BAR. OCT 29th 2015
Glasgow’s Holy Esque announce the release of their long-awaited debut album At Hope’s Ravine, available February 26th 2016 via Beyond The Frequency. The band are now streaming the brand new single “Hexx”, which will be released as a double a-side alongside “Silences” on December 7th 2015.
At Hope’s Ravine is a primal, muscular, and utterly elemental work – a true epic in an era when such an epithet is overused. Here, bold is beautiful and Holy Esque’s messages of hope and grief, escape and yearning are writ large across sonic skies. “These are songs about belonging, fear, love, self-doubt, dreams, religion, release, darkness versus light and escape – especially escape,” says singer Pat Hynes. Lyrically the songs are “about life events and experiences, but often it’s via abstractions.”
Holy Esque formed in Glasgow in 2011. Frontman Hynes and keyboardist Keir Reid both grew up in post-war Lanarkshire new town East Kilbride, a place most usually known for its brutalist architecture and the birthplace of The Jesus & Mary Chain. Keyboardist Reid and drummer Ralph McClure met at the famed Glasgow School of Art (alumni include members of Franz Ferdinand, Peter Capaldi and generations of some of Scotland most eminent poets, writers and painters) and Hugo McGinley joined on guitar.
Holy Esque’s music is comprised of tones and textures. Peaks and troughs. Brush strokes and breaking waves of sound. Here chiming guitars interweave with emotive synth embellishments, and all shot through with Pat Hynes’ inimitable vocals, delivered from a dark place somewhere deep within his very centre.
The new album follows a clutch of exceptionally well received EPs, which saw the band play all over the world as an unsigned band. Produced by Grammy Award winning producer Jon Schumann (Mew, Kashmir), At Hope’s Ravine was recorded in variety of locations and countries and is a bold statement of Holy Esque’s life to date.
A surge of musical serotonin delivered with breathless intent, the chiming guitars of new single “Hexx” recall that time when post-punk made a bid for stadium filling greatness while it’s b-side “Silences” offers the hope hinted at in the album’s title.
At Hope’s Ravine will be released via the bands own label Beyond The Frequency on February 26th 2016 and is available to pre-order now.
Seismic-Sound 