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Afghan Radiers – LP33 SXSW Showcase

Jerry — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:55:05 +0000

As we have previously mentioned, this year marks LP33’s first ever showcase at SXSW!!! So over the course of the next couple of days will be highlighting artists that are throwing down for us at SXSW this year.

Afghan Raiders

Mikey Francis and Vincent “Beans” Campillo are Afghan Raiders. From the seedy city of Las Vegas the duo make electronic music of the house grunge variety (hope that reference little sense).

The pair have quickly garnered a healthy buzz form a very impressive list of remixes for the likes of: Depeche Mode, Neon Indians, The Faint, Phoenix and most notably The Black Lips and Gza for the track”The Drop I Hold”. Said track won Filter Magazines remix contest in August of 2009.

LIVE UPDATE: From My Ugly Balcony…

Jamie — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:47:20 +0000

Jamie Drake Update: LIVE From Her Ugly Balcony… from Pledge Music on Vimeo.

Jamie has posted a video blog to her Pledge Music campaign page! Hang out with her on her balcony as she gives you the inside scoop on her new upcoming album!

Tiny Masters of Music

Charis — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:55:22 +0000

Photo by Franck Goldberg

With music legends like David Bowie praising their sound, Brooklyn-based band Tiny Masters of Today are preparing to hit the music scene full-force.

Tiny Masters of Today are a punk band who take their name from Blake Nelson’s Rockstar Superstar, a novel about the trials and tribulations of being in a rock band. But unlike their written counterparts, siblings Ida and Ivan had no trouble finding artists like Kimya Dawson and Karen O to feature on their debut album Bang Bang Boom Cake.

Tiny Masters of Today began as a brother-sister duo – Ida, now 14, and Ivan, 16, who began writing songs together in 2004. When the band began, they played gigs using a laptop for beats but now include drummer Jackson Pollis in the lineup which sees Ida writing lyrics and Ivan penning melodies. And this young band is being blasted all over the radio, thanks to their unique brand of electro- and disco-infused punk.

You can check out their music video for “Pop Chart” here.

SXSWatch – No Depression Showcase

@christengreene — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:03:36 +0000

One of the things I’m super stoked to be attending during SXSW this year in Austin is the No Depression Showcase.

Put on by fearless No Depression leaders Peter Blackstock and Kyla Fairchild, the showcase is packed to the brim with Americana/Roots acts from all over the United States. Since it stopped printing the physical magazine, No Depression has evolved into a digital community and discussion board with more than 90,000 unique visitors per month, and it’s been an interesting phenomenon to watch. The community website continues No Depression’s tradition of giving voice to the music community – members include journalists, critics, artists and venue owners. No Depression also hosts an annual festival in Seattle – this crowd knows a thing or two about putting on an A-Class event.

And its showcase is packed with incredible talent. With acts like Vandaveer and Chatham County Line opening and closing the show, the entire evening will be one to remember.

The Aviation Orange

@lstempler — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:01:59 +0000

Photo by Samantha Leigh

If you’re an indie rock fiend like me, then let me hit you with some knowledge about Brooklyn-based group The Aviation Orange. On the surface, this five-person band hits every check mark you’d expect from an indie rock group – the kicker is they pull it off in a very unique and oracularly pleasing way. The combination of electric guitars and synthesizers give you an epic sound, akin to what you’d hear from bands like The Killers and MGMT – this is offset by a combination of male and female vocals that add an alluring and dreamy quality to the overall sound.

The Aviation Orange’s unique sound is exemplified by the song “Darling Johnny” (you can take a listen here). The track begins with a heavy guitar intro layered with synthesizers balanced out by Alex Beninato and Hana Mogulescu’s rich and harmonious vocals – think The XX, just with more energy and less black.

While The Aviation Orange will surely draw in the masses with its infectious indie sound, what really impresses me about this band is their lyrics and song composition are very well thought out and portray a real sense of artistry. I have no doubt this band will deliver live and win over the crowds at SXSW 2010.

You can catch The Aviation Orange’s video for “Radio” here.

LA Music Adventure Weekend: Extra Life, Explode into Colors, Quasi, Jesus Makes the Shotgun Sound

Chris — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:46:28 +0000

To prepare myself for the constant overload of music to which I’ll be subjected to at SXSW (this week!), I spent all of last weekend traveling across town watching music under a consistent yet moderate intoxication while sleeping as little as possible. The first show was Friday, March 13th at Spaceland with the band Explode into Colors opening for Quasi. Quasi is a trio from Portland who is on tour in support of American Gong, the newest album of many that they’ve released since their inception in the early 90’s. They continue to play a somewhat grungey style of indie rock that may have been more widely popular during their formative years, but their casual intensity has allowed them to stay relevant and somewhat nostalgic up until today. Their set was full of loud, fuzzy guitar riffs that brought excitement to the crowd. It also gave me a chance to see Janet Weiss, a drummer whose work I enjoyed in Sleater-Kinney. She didn’t get the chance to spread out as much as she could with that band but her confident playing a powerful backbeat that stayed exactly where it needed to be.

I was excited to see the openers Explode into Colors and they didn’t disappoint (they are pictured above; I don’t have a camera so I hope these quick sketches from my memory are acceptable). They are three girls who do a convincing representation of a post-punk band from the late 70’s, in which a lot of the song structures relied more on driving rhythms instead of melody to construct the songs. It is common now-a-days for that genre to be copied extensively, but from my experiences there haven’t been a lot of bands who play it as compelling or as legitimately as EIC does. The lead vocalist/guitarist has her guitar tuned down to as bassy a frequency as possible to stay close to the intense rhythmic patterns provided by the two drummers on either side of her. They effectively used that multipercussionist setup to create a relentless din of rapidfire bells and clicks over top of hectic beats to inspire plenty of infectious energy. One of the drummers occasionally complemented the guitar with organ-like flourishes on a keyboard and additional vocals to matched the lead vocalist’s style of dark, deliberate chants.

The day after on Saturday the 14th, I visited the Echo Curio to see a show with Jesus Makes the Shotgun Sound and Extra Life. I had played with JMTSS two years ago with a band I was in and they were a very plain and unassuming psychedelic rock group. Apparently they have since changed things up, staying true to the loud rock side of things but with an almost 80’s industrial influence. Maybe I’m basing that on their matching white facepaint and matching black outfits though, as that’s not a genre I have much experience with. Either way, they had a great grasp of dynamics by being able to use drony and robotic soundscapes to create tension through repetitive patterns, giving their intermittent bursts of harsh, heavy guitar that much more power. It was great to see that they had improved significantly since I saw them last.

Then it was time for Extra Life (pictured), who were on tour from New York and were another band I’ve once shared the stage with. It’s the new project for Charlie Looker that could be very loosely considered as a pop crossover from his old band, the intense and experimental Zs. The lineup also includes some other great friends I’ve met through touring (Tony, on bass, from Stats and fellow Baltimore-born drummer Nick from Yukon). They are starting to get widespread recognition for their talents through this new Extra Life project and it’s not hard to see why. Looker writes haunting melodies on the guitar and keyboard that tend not to rely on any tried-and-true song structures or patterns. Despite the work that goes into it, the final product sounds playful and spontaneous. This complexity is further emphasized by the rhythm section, who provide a polyrhythmic tension using minimal, calculated explosions instead of running beats or basslines. Adding to the wonderful confusion is dramatic violin accompaniment and a very unique, poetic stream-of-consciousness vocal style that I’m still trying to wrap my head around. Each song becomes a grand statement that is immediately epic and intense during the first experience but is riddled with so many subtle and impressive nuances that each repeated listen feels just as fresh and rewarding. To top it all off, they were good enough to keep me from passing out in a drunken stupor by early Sunday morning, so I got enough practice to become the unhealthy, over-stimulated mess I need to be next week. Thanks guys.

LP33 Showcasing – Fenech Soler –

Jerry — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 01:18:07 +0000

I can already smell the beer and the barbecue, which of course means that SXSW 2010 is nearly upon us.

Here at LP33 we are already surrounded by boxes; eagerly packing for what will surely fucking madness.

Were particularly excited about the first ever LP33 showcase taking place at Soho Lounge Thursday March 18th. The line up includes The Black Atlantic, Ben Rector, Afghan Raiders, The Nervous Wreckords, Figo and Fenech Solar.

Fenech Solar - a uk four piece comprised Ross Duffy, Ben Duffy, Daniel Soler & Andrew Lindsay – have drawn comparisons to french/Italo Dj Viatlic and english electro pop outfit Cut Copy. The bands self titled debut has already gained considerable praise from the likes of NME. The U.S. is sure to follow…

Doing Good at SXSW: Pablove Foundation

@ilroberto — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:38:30 +0000

Many of you who follow me (lp33.tv/ilroberto, twitter.com/robtherocket, facebook.com/ilroberto) probably know of my affinity for outdoor pursuits, cycling in particular. I raced on the road for 11 years, and I’ve worked in the industry at various times and capacities for just as long. But there’s always been a gap in my riding – music festivals, and SXSW in particular.

Even Atlanta had a harsh winter this year (by southern standards), and so the thought of going to Texas for a week in the warm sunshine with no bicycle is kind of depressing. Sure, I could bring a folding bike, or buy an overpriced junker on Craigslist, but I really want a get-out-on-the-road type of ride, to escape the madness for an hour or two. Besides, I wasn’t put on this earth to walk and my feet always revolt during weeks like this.

So imagine my joy when I found out Dangerbird Records founder Jeff Castelaz is expanding his Pablove Foundation awareness and fundraising to include a ride on Saturday, March 20 at SXSW! Last fall, Jeff rode across the United States to raise money and awareness for childhood cancer.

Just because you can’t or don’t ride doesn’t mean there isn’t something for you – as a musical component to the day, Jeff will be presenting his Dangerbird Records roster in a special showcase and fundraiser later in the evening at the Mellow Johnny’s bike shop in Austin.

For more information about the Pablove Foundation and to read the Pablog, please visit http://www.pablove.org/

Akron/Family and Warpaint – Music Hall of Williamsburg (NYC)

Michael — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:05:43 +0000

As the final stop of their recent tour, Akron/Family dropped their good ol’ indie sound on the hip denizens of Brooklyn. The sold-out show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg was everything one could dream of with the grouping of Akron/Family, Warpaint, and Please the Trees.

Akron/Family (don’t pronounce the ’slash’) is a threesome from well…not Ohio. They have been a part of the burgeoning indie scene in Brooklyn for the past few years, and its members still call the borough home. And this band is indie rock at its purest. Unexpected, odd, and just superfluous enough in its edginess, without overstepping the boundary into pure mayhem. During the show, the band dove into a few new pieces, but mostly stuck to work from their latest album, Set Em Wild, Set Em Free.

Which is precisely what they deliver in a live setting. A wild, chantable, sing-along experience without the campfire or a bed time. The theme of the show was “F*ck the Weekday”, as they began their set after 11:00pm on a Wednesday, but it’s New York, and Brooklyn no less, so what do you expect?

The three band members share the stage, and share the microphones, contributing their voices in each song. Imagine the distorted sound of Weezer, clashing with the absurdity of of Montreal, with flourishes of folk, hip-hop, and all that’s in between. Akron/Family’s ability to blend electronic sounds with their seemingly tactile harmonies, creates a great balance between man, and man-made.

Though this show concluded their tour, hopefully we can expect another album from Akron/Family in the near future.

Warpaint, a four-piece band from L.A., primed the stage with their sultry, pajama-clad jams. Call it psychedelic, call it sexy, call it what you will, whatever is going on here, I want more of it. I have no aversion to all girl bands, and Warpaint gives no reasons to complain. The reverb suspends the sound in a murky haze, with pounding drums in the background. Warpaint is both, exactly what I want to hear on an acid trip, and what I would want to hear if I was deep sea diving. Anything reminiscent of the unknown, dark, mysterious, and curious. These girls invite you to follow them into the rabbit hole, and I’m following their lead.Their EP, Exquisite Corpse is out now, and you can catch them all over SXSW in the coming weeks.

Hailing from the Czech Republic, Please the Trees kicked off the set. Although they traveled from afar, their sound fits in just right in the states. Lead singer, Vac Havelka, has a bit of an Eddie Vedder resonance in his voice, without all the parodied hoots and hollers. Pure and simple folk-rock, but instead of having its roots in the American Frontier, its in the Czech frontier, which is somewhere between the Hapsburgs and the Franz Ferdinand I.

Czech Republic: The Final, Final Frontier.

SXSW Watch – Cubic Zirconia

Mike — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:33:48 +0000

Downtown NYC electro favorites Cubic Zirconia are hitting the road and
doing it old school on the way to SXSW.

In addition to their official SXSW showcase (and a few unofficial, but officially banging parties, including an I Heart Comix/Mad Decent Carnival w/ Major Lazer, Amanda Blank and Ninjasonik!), they’ll be hitting Chicago, Cleveland, St. Louis (MO), and Oklahoma City.

Sporting a stage show fully equipped with male and female go-go dancers, visuals and more, Cubic Zirconia will turn the most square of haters into melt-faced bass addicts within two songs.

Get a taste of the bass heavy, fire-starting vibe that fills the floor of every CZ show in the video for their latest single “Josephine” below:

For all of Cubic Zirconia’s tour shanangains, be sure to check their
blog for BPM Mag at www.bpmmagazine.net.

All Together Now Showcase At SXSW 2010

@dallaslp33 — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:18:56 +0000

Busy SXSW schedule, huh? Too many places to be at once? You’ve started to call SXSW 2010, “SXSWaytoomanybands?” Wishing one showcase would allow you to enjoy your buzz and keep you from running around Austin, TX frantically trying to catch that next band’s set?

Well, then you might want to check out the annual All Together Now Showcase happening on 3/17, 3/19, & 3/20 at the Bayou Lounge at 500 6th street.

Last year’s line up was completely stacked and once again the All Together Now showcase, in association with sponsors Invisible Children, MTV, Popwreckoning, Big Picture Media, and BandTogether have provided a lineup that will keep you in one place, likely for longer than you planned.

A showcase known for being one of the most essential for catching some of today’s top rising artists (last year they brought us Crash Kings, Lydia, After Midnight Project, and Young The Giant) before they blow up; this year be sure to catch Elevation (8:40 PM, 3/19), Burn Down The Mission (9:20 PM. 3/19), Mata Leon (1 PM, 3/20), The Dangerous Summer (7:40 PM, 3/20), & Until June (9 PM, 3/20). Or you can just stick around all day on Wednesday March 17, Friday March 19, and Saturday March 20 and enjoy one of the most solid, top-to-bottom lineups offered at SXSW 2010.

Skip the sprinting around and enjoy the music in this 350-person cap venue throughout the week.

American Idol Kris Allen

Courtney — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:21:59 +0000

LP33.tv had the opportunity to sit down with American Idol winner Kris Allen!

Check out this exclusive interview where Kris talks about his amazing experience working on his self-titled album, and his hit “Live Like We’re Dying”!

LP33.tv’s TMI Show Episode 7

Courtney — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:54:34 +0000

Check out this week’s brand spankin’ new TMI Show, featuring the hottest upcoming bands going to SXSW this year! In this week’s episode, we bring you Breathe Carolina, Fenech-Soler, the Soft Pack, and Ben Rector.

We’ll be on the ground with up-to-the minute news, interviews, and other shenanigans at SXSW this year! Check it out at blog.lp33.tv as we cover all the hottest bands at SXSW leading up to, and during this years festival. Also check out loads of other great SXSW artists at www.lp33.tv/sxsw.

And if you’re going, LP33.tv will be at our MUST SEE official showcase at SoHo Lounge on Thursday, March 18th.

See you there!

Local Natives

@lstempler — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:50:21 +0000

I will rarely say that I get everything I highly demand from one band, but Local Natives comes pretty damn close to meeting that standard.

This five member band from LA showcases an intermix of classical musicianship and heart felt indie vibes. Their music incorporates layered violins, touches of trumpets, hard electric guitar, drums, and original vocals (all best exemplified in their song “Who Knows Who Cares”). I’m guessing the high expectations for “Local Natives” will be met by their 2010 SXSW performance in Austin.

Below is the live video of their song “Airplanes.” Enjoy!

Holy Bananas King Kong, I Have Cool Friends.

Jamie — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:19:24 +0000

Thank you to everyone who’s checked out my Pledge profile and helped out! It’s only been a week since we started, and already 25% of my pledge has been raised – holy crap you people are awesome!

If you’re just now hearing about this thing I’m doing, here’s the deal: I’m working with Pledge Music, which is “…where artists and fans work together with charities to make change.” You can be a part of making my dream come true AND at the same time give toward www.shedances.org – a non-profit that works to heal girls who have been victims of human trafficking. Just click on this link, and click on the “pledge” button!

In short, you will have fun helping me finish pressing my record (I post project updates – old and new demos, videos, poems etc exclusive to pledgers only) as well as helping these little girls via She Dances. What better way to spend a minimum of $10?

We are a quarter of the way there – but let’s not stop there! A percentage of whatever I make BEYOND the pledge goes toward She Dances. I don’t want to just meet my pledge, I want to shoot beyond that so we can raise funds to help them build the safe house in Honduras for the girls they’ve gotten to know – we have 54 days left – let’s do this!

___

To check out more of Jamie’s music, check out her LP33.tv profile!

SXSW Watch – FIGO

Courtney — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:33:49 +0000

One of the many talented bands showcasing this year at LP33.tv’s Official SXSW Showcase is New York band FIGO!

With a new album ‘Put It All On Black’ releasing digitally this Spring 2010, this is a band not to be missed. The album’s first single ‘We Will Kill You’ is releasing digitally on March 23, 2010.

Check out their track “Time To Get Even” and get psyched to see them this year at SoHo Lounge on March 18 in Austin, TX!

New & Breaking! Erik Hassle

Courtney — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:50:58 +0000

Meet Erik Hassle, a 20 year old Swedish singer-songwriter who has already graced the stage with established acts such as Little Boots and Mika.

His album “Pieces” is officially out globally. Check out his hit “Hurtful” above!

SXSW Watch – Duck Down Records Showcase

@a3c — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:35:12 +0000

For 15 years the fellas over at Duck Down Records have been grinding away and bringing the world some of the best Independent Hip-Hop and to celebrate their 15th Anniversary they are bringing nearly the whole damn roster to Austin with them to party at SXSW.

To set off the 15 year milestone, Duck Down will be throwing a huge party on March 19th at 8PM at The Scoot Inn (1308 East 4th Street, Austin, TX)

With support from VTECH, 2K Sports, & Pro-Keds, the showcase will feature:

B-Real of Cypress Hill
Buckshot & 9th Wonder
Sean Price
Black Milk
Smif N Wessun
Pharoahe Monch
Kidz In The Hall
Blue Scholars
Skyzoo
Promise
Marco Polo
Torae
Ruste Juxx
Nottz

+ Special Guests

Music by DJ EVIL DEE

In addition to being home to some LEGENDS of hip hop (Sean Price, Buckshot, Pharoahe Monch, Boot Camp, ect) DDR is also home to the most exciting up and coming cats in the game (Marco Polo, Kidz in the Hall, Torae, Skyzoo, and Blue Scholars).

This is a label that does things right and I am jacked about joining them to celebrate 15 years of great music.

Kiefer Sutherland Discusses “…A Series of Terrible Mistakes”.

Courtney — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:06:47 +0000

You may know him as the hard core Jack Bauer, the man who saves the world on a weekly basis on the hit show, 24.

But LP33.tv got to know him as Kiefer Sutherland. The label owner, the music lover, the all around rad individual.

In this two-part interview, Kiefer gives us an inside look on IronWorks Music, the label he co-founded with friend and partner, Jude Cole. In part one, Kiefer gives you an inside look in to the home of Billy Boy on Poison, honeyhoney, and Rocco DeLuca, in addition to his own musical habits.

And as if to say it couldn’t get any better, you also have a chance to win a Gibson SG Guitar, signed by the man himself just by becoming a friend of Kiefer on LP33!

Check out the contest rules at http://www.lp33.tv/kiefergiveaway.

Stay tuned for part two, releasing next Tuesday, March 16th.

SXSW Watch – Jonathan Tyler Set To Light Up SXSW 2010

@dallaslp33 — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:15:01 +0000

When you come to Texas, this is this is the kind of rock music you expect to hear. Dallas, Texas-based band Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights return to SXSW this year armed with a fresh set of southern-tinged rock jams that are ready to be heard on your modern rock radio airwaves, but are more reminiscent of what was heard back when the likes of Skynyrd and ZZ Top ruled the charts.

Poised to release their major label debut, “Pardon Me” on April 27, 2010 through F-Stop/Atlantic Records, Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights are prepped to take over the world of rock and roll in 2010.

Be sure to catch them at various SXSW 2010 shows like the Maggie May’s BMI showcase on Thursday night March 18, or at the Galaxy Room Backyard Relix Magazine Showcase Saturday night March 20 at 9 PM.

It’s about to be a big year in the JTNL camp, so don’t miss ‘em.

@dallaslp33