There needs to be some form of proper mediation between artist and listener, a barometer of taste and decency to give us something to dream on or at least bump on a portable media player. There is hope for pop music, this article will prove, but I just found out that Damian recorded with Bruno Mars on a song called “Liquor Store Blues.” Any conscious behaviors from Welcome to Jamrock are now out the window and under the bus. However, I’m happy to hear that Lil Weezy is upping his game with the recent video for his “6’7’” jam that shows that maybe Riker’s gave him back his chutzpah to be the genuine, sizzurp sippin’ Carter we know he is. But enough of this banter, here’s the week in pop in no particular order.
Florida’s Jacuzzi Boys have done the deed and signed to Hardly Art. The follow up to 2009’s No Season has them recording at Michigan’s fabled Key Club Studios. The rumored jambox demos are said to be floating around somewhere but all I have discovered is a stream of “Alligator Soul.” Could this be a hint of more jangly/fuzzier things to come? If Southern garage sounds are what you seek, look no further than King Khan, Golden Triangle’s Alix Brown, and K-Holes' Julie Hines.
Jacuzzi Boys- Alligator Soul by loutwoaudio.com
Catch the Jacuzzi Boys on tour this month at the following dates and venues:
March
04 Nashville, TN – Exit/In (Freakin Weekend)
05 Carbondale, IL – Hangar 9
06 Chicago, IL – The Hideout
18 Kalamazoo, MI – Louies Trophy House
19 Detroit, MI – Magic Stick Lounge
20 Toledo, OH – Woodchucks
22 Northampton, MA – Flywheel Collective
23 Boston, MA – Church
24 Poughkeepsie, NY – Vassar College
25 Brooklyn, NY – Bruar Falls
26 New York, NY – Cake Shop
27 Washington, DC – Comet Ping Pong
28 Richmond, VA – Strange Matter
29 Durham, NC – Casbah
30 Charlotte, NC – The Haunted Mill
Seattle’s Seapony has also just signed to Hardly Art, with singles and a debut in the works. “Dreaming” (previously out of print), which includes the songs “So Low” and “Late Summer”, will be re-released as a digital single March 15. The album is entitled Go With Me and is due May 31, but you can enjoy the sweet sounds of Jen Weidl’s dreamy vocals and Danny Rowland’s keen’s pop sensibilities here.
Catch Seapony on their west coast tour.
March
04 Seattle, WA Rendezvous with Fergus & Geronimo and Idle Times
06 Seattle, WA Vera Project
April
22 Seattle, WA Crocodile with Pains of Being Pure at Heart
May
28 Santa Cruz, CA 418 Project
29 San Francisco, CA Hemlock Tavern
A couple days ago, Cyclopean Records put out Iron Age’s Saga Demos via online download on their web site. The big ripper here is “Ripper of the Skies”, an epically skull crushing, dome shaking thunderbolt of a piece that clocks in just under eight minutes. Iron Age is also set to headline Tee Pee Records’ 2011 SXSW showcase on Friday the 18 at Headhunters. Be there.
Hooray for Earth has offered a stream of “Sails” from their upcoming True Loves LP. We enjoyed “Comfortable Comparable” and subsequent remixes last year and welcome “Sails” as another sliver of HFE’s club synth style, that is until we get to enjoy their debut album, out May 10 on Dovecote Records.
Here is Hooray for Earth’s tour schedule with A Place to Bury Strangers:
March
08 Brooklyn, NY at Glasslands with Rewards, Zambri, Lemonade DJ Set
10 Atlanta, GA at The Masquerade Hell Stage
11 Durham, NC at Motorco
13 Denton, TX at 35 Conferette with with Big Boi, Dan Deacon & Pains of Being Pure at Heart
15 San Antonio, TX at Korova
22 Oxford, MS at Proud Larry's
23 Greenville, SC at The Handlebar
24 Baltimore, MD at The Ottobar
And here is Hooray for Earth’s SXSW itinerary:
March, in Austin
16 Live Music Capitol Presents Psych Fest 4 at Eastern – 5pm
16 Official Showcase at 512 – 11pm with The Gay Blades, Mazes
17 Pitchfork #OFFLINE Festival at East Side Drive In – 2pm with DOM, Dum Dum Girls & Lower Dens
17 Dovecote Records & Life or Death PR Party at Emo's Annex – 4pm with Big Freedia, Wise Blood & Jonquil
17 Popantipop Party at Annie's West – 10pm with Alexander feat. Edward Sharpe, Cloud Control & Datarock
18 Under The Radar Party at The Flamingo Cantina – 12:45pm with Okkervil River, Menomena, Surfer Blood & Porcelain Raft
18 Big Ugly Yellow Couch Party at Lipstick 24 with Oh Land, more TBD
Then there’s the odd pop business of Body Rampant, who seem to fulfill the hole left by the demise of Slipknot. These dudes are into the sport of wearing distorted rubber masks of multiple eyes and mouths while wearing tattered suits. Their EP Transient Years is coming out April 5 and they'll be making an appearance at SXSW on March 15.
Artax Please! by thebodyrampant
And speaking of pop punk conceits, Wavves put out a video for “King of the Beach” in time to close their west coast tour with significant other Best Coast. This video has got it all for the slacker bro who digs Playstation, hanging with couch surfing bros that bogart all your club shwag, hot dogs on the beach, slurpees, kicking it with Snacks, bling encrusted bongs, boards, and the faux coronation of beach-bro-dom.
Beans released a music video this week for “Blue Movie” feat. Son Lux that is a collage of revolving close up images, colors and soft-porn cutups.
Beans – “Blue Movie” from anticon. on Vimeo.
Also from his album End it All is the tune “Mellow You Out” (Feat. Tunde Adebimpe), but sadly we have only an mp3 and no video featuring shiny swag or blue film babes. My suggestion is to stream/download “Mellow You Out” while watching the video for “Blue Movie” sans audio to see what happens.
Beans, “Mellow You Out” (Feat. Tunde Adebimpe)
Beans will also be attending SXSW and then touring the U.S. with Shapers and Tobacco.
March
16 19 Austin, TX SXSW
April
11 Denton, TX Conferette
13 Ann Arbor, MI The Blind Pig
14 Kalamazoo, MI The Strutt
15 Chicago, Il Lincoln Hall
16 High Noon Saloon Madison, WI
17 Seattle, WA Triple Rock Social Club
22 Chop Suey Seattle, WA
23 Holocene Portland, OR
25 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT
26 Larimer Lounge Denver, CO
May
03 Club Dada- Dallas, TX
04 Norman, OK Opolis
06 St. Louis, MO Off Broadway
07 Lexington, KY Cosmic Charlie's
Katy Goodman has a cute video out for “Devil Hearts Grow Gold” featuring Sean “Har Mar Superstar” Tillman as the devil and Goodman as herself. Things start off chill until the devil makes off with Goodman’s purse which initiates a plot that brings to mind a contemporary-alternative reading of the Seventh Seal. Ingmar Bergman eat your heart out.
Did you ever want to go record shopping with Kurt Vile? Well now you can accompany the man and peruse his purchases in this video of him being bothered by an Amoeba records clerk/fan.
And here’s some swag from the OFWGKTA crew on the MTV beat in the wake of the Jimmy Fallon performance, in which they cover the press and venue circuits, tea bag statues, and ponder Kanye’s tweet-fist bump of adoration.
