9 days until Jesus Day 2009. Have you been naughty or nice? Do you care?
I can tell you who cares, punk rockers The Briggs. They care so much that they are giving away a free mp3 download of their rendition of “Silent Night”. How freaking generous! The download is available on their MySpace page or you can just click below for a direct link. After listening to it myself I must say I will be adding it to my punk rock Jesus Day mix. Good stuff.
The Los Angeles band actually recorded this version in the middle of recording new material for their next release. Grab it while you can and be sure to blast it on the big day for all your friends and family!
I love it when I hear a song that I have to listen to over and over again because I like it so much. I put it on replay so that each time it plays though I can find something else about that song, perhaps a certain beat or a lyric that I might have missed around the first time.
This is the case with a song titled “Burn Bridges” that my pals over at Thirty Tigers sent me this afternoon to check out. The song is by an Australian band called The Grates who will actually be releasing their sophomore album titled Teeth Lost, Hearts Won through Thirty Tigers.
One listen to this song and there is a pretty good chance you are going to think The Grates are great too. It has this Mates Of State positive-makes-you-want-to-smile feel while at the same time being edgy and aggressive. I can hear hints of female driven 90’s bands as well as current indie rock style providing for a great listen. With the lead vocalist Patience sounding a lot like a young Gwen Stefani (before the solo crap) this band exempts a lot of energy and aggressive raw fun. I am really looking forward to hearing the rest of Teeth Lost, Hearts Won. The album drops on September 15th.
To add to my excitement the band is actually going to be playing some shows with my favorite ladies Those Darlins. Sadly they will not make it to the Cleveland show next week when Those Darlins return but I guess I will live. Hopefully they will make a stop here sometime soon. They sound like they would be a lot of fun to see live.
So seriously, did you dig that song as much as I did? Do you want more? Well head over to their MySpace page for a bunch of other tracks.
Better yet, have some fun and watch their videos:
The Grates Live (More Dates TBA):
September 3rd – Boston, MA – The Middle East Upstairs w/ Viennagram
September 4th – New York, NY – The Mercury Lounge w/ Tiger City
September 13th – Morrison, CO – The Monolith Music Festival at Red Rocks
September 18th – Phoenix, AZ – The Rhythm Room w/ Most Serene Republic
September 19th – Los Angeles, CA – Spaceland w/ Most Serene Republic
October 8th – Little Rock, AR – Whitewater Tavern w/ Those Darlins
October 9th – Norman, OK – The Opolis w/ Those Darlins
October 10th – Lawrence, KS – Jackpot Music Hall w/ Those Darlins
October 14th – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court w/ Those Darlins
October 16th – Seattle, WA – Sunset Tavern w/ Those Darlins
October 18th – Eugene, OR – Sams Bonds Garage w/ Those Darlins
October 20th – San Francisco, CA – The Rickshaw Stop w/ Those Darlins
October 27th – Albuquerque, NM – Launch Pad w/ Those Darlins
October 29th – Dallas, TX – The Cavern w/ Those Darlins
October 30th – Austin, TX – The Continental Club w/ Those Darlins
Band info:
Australia’s The Grates are set to release their anticipated sophomore album Teeth Lost, Hearts Won on September 15th via Thirty Tigers/Dew Process. The 13-song album was produced by Peter Katis (Interpol, The National) at Tarquin Studios in Connecticut and features guest appearances by Kori Gardner of Mates of State (vocals on “Milk Eyes“) and Tim Fite (vocals on “Not Today”). On this album, the follow up to their 2006 Interscope Records debut, Gravity Won’t Get You High, The Grates have brought a depth and density to the songwriting – the lyrics are raw and poignant and the sonics more biting and aggressive.
“If Teeth Lost, Hearts Won was a beast, I imagine it’d be like something from Where The Wild Things Are,” lead singer and front woman Patience says. “They’re big and scary, but they’ve also got this sensitivity, and pick up the little kid and protect him.” Drummer Alana adds, “Or maybe like the griffin In Alice In Wonderland. He’s like a lion and eagle together, but a really gentle creature.”
The band, who have recently relocated to Brooklyn, NY in order to make American touring easier, have confirmed a co-headlining tour with Those Darlins in October. Fresh off a completely sold out residency in New York City and various dates supporting Passion Pit, the band have also confirmed a performance at the Monolith Music Festival at Red Rocks on September 13th (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Phoenix, Mars Volta, etc) with additional live dates with Most Serene Republic.
In Australia, The Grates have played numerous sold out headline tours, played major festivals such as Big Day Out, Homebake, Falls Festival, Southbound and stole the show at Splendour In The Grass. Gravity Won’t Get You High has gone Gold in Australia while Teeth Lost, Hearts Won is well on its way to Gold status as well.
The American record release follows a highly successful trip to the U.S. for the SXSW Music Festival in March. While in Austin, the band played five buzzed about shows in four days and gained a massive amount of recognition for their highly energetic performances.
If you have never heard of Har Mar Superstar and claim to have a sense of humor as well as hold an appreciation towards those who work hard at the music they create, you are missing out.
I will say though, Har Mar is not for everyone.
Born Sean Tillman, Har Mar Superstar can be defined as a singer/songwriter with major indie(undie)-pop / R&B / dance qualities. He is a performer like none other and has made a huge name for himself in the UK in past years. In 2004 he released The Handler and in October he will be dropping an all new album titled Dark Touches. Not only does he write his own music, but he also writes for others making this guy one of the harder working artists out there.
On Dark Touches, Har Mar will take his dance club pop style to a whole new level thanks to his dedicated work to his moniker and will feature a huge roster of special guests including P.O.S., The Faint‘s sick beat creators Clark Baechle and Jacob Thirle, and even is joined by John Fields who has produced many acts including Andrew WK and Rooney.
To make things even more interesting Dark Touches will include a track that Har Mar co-wrote that was originally intended for pop superstar Britney Spears. Rejected by Britany Spears’ management for unknown reasons, Har Mar decided he keep the track “Tall Boy” and include it on his upcoming album with unchanged lyrics and his added style making for an interesting listen.
I can still remember the first time I had the pleasure of checking out Har Mar Superstar. It was 2001 and the then unknown artist was the opening act for Tenacious D. Har Mar came to the stage all by himself and performed to the crowd his material while slowly stripping throughout to his tighty whities.
The crowd was speechless.
I was cheering as loudly as I could. All the silent folk around me turned their heads from the stage and looked at me with the same puzzled look. Others in the theater were cheering too but I am pretty sure that not all of the applause was sincere. Mine was.
I cheered for a couple of reasons.
One being for his performance. It was good. He sang pop like songs sometimes heavy on the R&B over pre-recorded material. He danced about the stage in his own style and proved to have better moves that many people who frequent over priced dance clubs.
I also cheered because this guy had the balls to take the stage and do his thing without hesitation. There was a lot of heckling and plenty of booing during the show but Har Mar just blew it off like it was nothing. He believed in himself and even if his performance included scrapping his attire, I appreciated his performance.
Since the night I made sure to check out all that he has released and I not once was disappointed. “DUI”, a track from The Handler is a track that still remains in heavy rotation in my musical listening choices.
It’s been five years since I last heard from Har Mar and it’s true, I am excited to hear what is to come from this insanely talented performer. Look for the new album to drop in the states on October 13th.
After a five-year proper-album break since 2004’s The Handler, Har Mar Superstar, sexy as ever, is ready to unleash Dark Touches on the masses. On Dark Touches, Sean Tillmann – the singer, songwriter, and producer behind the Har Mar moniker – delivers his most club-friendly collection of jams yet. Tillmann’s silky smooth croon and tongue-in-cheek lyrics lead a nonstop dance party that blends everything from synth-pop to R&B, with ample hooks around every corner.
Dark Touches builds a bridge between the worlds of indie and Top 40 dance music, thanks in part to an eclectic group of collaborators. The album’s many guests include John Fields (Andrew WK, The Jonas Brothers, Rooney), The Faint’s beatmakers Clark Baechle and Jacob Thiele, singer-songwriter Adam Green, P.O.S. of the Rhymesayers collective, Neon Neon’s Boom Bip, Flowers of Doom, and Samaire Armstrong. The Bird and The Bee’s Greg Kurstin, who has also produced tracks for Britney Spears, Kylie Minogue, and Lily Allen, co-wrote and lent his studio wizardry to “Tall Boy.” The track was originally intended for Spears and, with the unchanged lyrics, takes on a vibrant new life in the hands of Har Mar.
Of course no Har Mar song is complete without Tillmann’s signature lyrics, which are both outrageously absurd and witty. “I Got Next,” which features The Bird and The Bee’s Inara George, details Tillmann’s practice of asking women to sign contracts that put him next in line to date if they ever leave their current boyfriend. He has also penned an anthem for the ladies with “Girls Night,” a track that was once intended for The Cheetah Girls, and like “Tall Boy,” maintains the original lyrics, written from a female perspective.
Tillmann is also getting ready to dip his toes into the world of Hollywood with the release of Whip It, a film directed by Drew Barrymore. As if he isn’t wearing enough hats already, Tillmann is actively developing his own movie scripts and sitcom pilots. Along with his golden pipes, the ability to juggle multiple creative outlets is sure to win him entry into both the hearts and undergarments of women and men everywhere.
I got the chance to check out the opening track of the album and thanks to the good folk at Thirty Tigers I can share it with you. The song titled “If You Ever Get Famous” really has this haunting Simon & Garfunkel feel to it. I really can not wait to check out the rest of the album.
Check out The Duke and the King in their cabin kitchen performing “The Morning that I Get To Hell”:
The Duke and the King are going to be on tour too:
Aug 4 – Mercury Lounge – CD RELEASE SHOW – New York, New York
Aug 6 – LOCAL 506 – Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Aug 7 – EDDIE’S ATTIC – Atlanta, Georgia
Aug 8 – BOTTLETREE – Birmingham, Alabama
Aug 10 – THE BASEMENT – Nashville, Tennessee
Aug 11 – SOUTHGATE HOUSE (PARLOUR) – Newport, Kentucky
Aug 13 – LOCALS ONLY ART & MUSIC PUB – Indianapolis, Indiana
Aug 14 – SCHUBAS – Chicago, Illinois
Aug 15 – CLUB CAFE – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Aug 16 – IOTA CLUB & CAFE – Arlington, Virginia
Sep 11 – SALISBURY – End Of The Road Festival Southwest
Sep 12 – SWANSEA – THE CHATTERY Wales
Sep 13 – GLASGOW – KING TUTS Scotland
Sep 15 – LEICESTER – THE MUSICIAN Midlands
Sep 16 – LEEDS – THE BRUDENELL Northwest
Sep 17 – NEWCASTLE – THE CLUNY Northeast
Sep 18 – LONDON – THE GARAGE (Club Uncut) London and South East
Sep 19 – NOTTINGHAM – THE MAZE Midlands
Sep 20 – BIRMINGHAM – THE GLEE CLUB Midlands
Sep 22 – BEDFORD – THE CIVIC East
Sep 23 – BARCELONA – BAM FESTIVAL Barcelona
Sep 27 – BELFAST – Open House Festival Northern Ireland
Kid Koala in my opinion is one of the most amazing vinyl manipulators out there. His ability of scratching vinyl is more of an art form at times especially when he lifts the needle from one groove on a record and drops it to the exact location of the next without missing a beat.
I have been a huge fan of him since I was first introduced to him on his debut Carpel Tunnel Sundrome on Ninja Tune. I loved the experimental feel and the constant scratching that was more of an instrument to the album over just your typical beat interjections.
I have been a fan of scratching for as long as I can remember. Thanks to acts like Praxis as well as RUN DMC I was fond of the style. I used to take my old records and try to emulate them on my Fisher Price record player. Sadly I never acheived the sound.
Recently I learned that the DJ is back with an all new project titled The Slew Tour. The tour is rather a score for a film turned into live set featuring Dynomite D as well as the former rhythm section of Wolfmother. The film was actually scrapped while Kid Koala was working on it but thanks to interest from the Austrailian rockers and Kid Koala’s determination the score was turned into a traveling show.
Armed with six turntables Kid Koala and master mixer Dynomite D will be taking stage with Chris Ross and Myles Heskett of Wolfmother. This is going to be one of those performances not to miss.
Of course the tour is skipping Cleveland. Every opportunity I have ever had to see Kid Koala live has failed. Years ago he came to nearby club in Oberlin with his jam band project Bullfrog. For reasons unknown I did not go and I regret it.
Let me give you a hint of how much I dig Kid Koala. Two of my tattoos are Kid Koala inspired. Actually they were taken from his graphic novel Nufonia Must Fall.
I hope one day to see Kid Koala live. His turntable abilites blow me away while listening, I can only imaging what would happen if I were to see it with my eyes. Oh well, there is always next time
Info about The Slew from an email I received from the fine people of Terrorbird Media:
A couple of years back Eric San (aka Kid Koala) and Dylan J. Frombach (aka Dynomite D) were approached to soundtrack a new documentary feature film that was in production. Koala was already well known for his uncanny turntable manipulation, whilst Dylan had remixed Money Mark and collaborated with the Beastie Boys, amongst others. The duo worked for a long time on the psych rock-influenced score, only for the filming to collapse and any release to be canned. Although the film may never see the light of day, its music is about to be brought to life on stage.
Recently Koala & Dylan met the former rhythm section of Grammy Award-winning Australian rock band Wolfmother and began telling them all about the film and its lost music. Chris Ross and Myles Heskett loved the clips and urged that the material had to be heard; subsequently Kid Koala and the guys decided to put a show on the road.
After intensive rehearsals the show is now ready to go. Featuring drums, bass/keys and the DJs working across a truly excessive six turntables, the set is seventy minutes of raw guitar cuts and heavy beats. We can guarantee that you will never have heard anything quite like this and also that you are unlikely to again. It’s a one-off tour, so when it stops in your town you’ll either be there or will have missed it forever.
Anyone who has seen previous Kid Koala events will not be disappointed – from Kid Koala’s incendiary solo turntable spectaculars to the Nufonia book launch, Deltron 3030 live to the Short Attention Span Theater.
Brash, loud and defiantly turned up to eleven. The Slew Tour is coming to your town. Don’t miss it.
TOUR DATES:
WED 9/23
VANCOUVER, BC
Commodore
THUR 9/24
SEATTLE, WA
Nectar
FRI 9/25
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Independent
SUN 9/27
LOS ANGELES, CA
Key Club
WED 9/30
BROOKLYN, NY
Music Hall Of Williamsburg
THUR 10/1
BOSTON, MA
Great Scott
FRI 10/2
MONTREAL, QC
La Tulipe
SAT 10/3
TORONTO, ON
Lee’s Palace
SUN 10/4
CHICAGO, IL
Abbey
Here are a couple MP3’s from the tour only album 100% for your listening enjoyment: