Portland

Alexis Gideon Releases Trailer for New Audio/Visual Album

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Alexis Gideon – the wizard of hip-hop, animation, guitar strumming and storytelling – has just posted a trailer to his next (very ambitious looking) video album titled Video Musics II: Sun Wu-Kong. The project is being described as a “one hour multimedia video opera based on the 16th century Chinese novel ‘The Journey to the West’."

A wide variety of musical and animation contributors are credited, including Rachel Blumberg (M. Ward) and Cynthia Star (Coraline, Moral Orel, Robot Chicken). Video Musics, his previous audio/visual endeavor, had a run length of around 25 minutes while it followed ancient Hungarian Folk tales.

You can check out multiple clips from Video Musics here. The release date is slated for Fall of 2010.

Check out the preview clip below; looks weird (and cool):


Gideon has also released a cool mixtape titled Move Your Shit, Man via the folks over at African Tape Group that features an interesting remix of White Hinterland’s "Begin Again". You can stream or download the mixtape here.

Joel Sommer

New England

Audrey Ryan and The Points North @ Club Passim 6/24

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tpn

The Points North and Audrey Ryan will be preforming this Thursday at Passim. The Points North have been Down Under and back the past few months, Audrey Ryan’s been around but is about to leave for Maine for the summer. This is a very special show featuring two very unique folk-rock bands. The Points North have been our band of the month and and favorite of the Deli. Their music is mystic and magical and the epitome of ol’ New England folk. Audrey Ryan is one of the most creative folk artists in the area, a one-girl-band of sorts. Catch them tomorrow at Passim.

Club Passim 26 Church St. Suite 300 Cambridge, MA

–The Deli Staff

Austin

YellowFever Tour

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YellowFever ("all one big-ol word" according to their site), they of the legendary, rarely seen Desert Chicken Dance, and the more frequently seen cat drawings, are headed out on tour…kicking off today at the Black Cat in D.C.

06/23 – Washington D.C. – Black Cat @
06/24 – Brooklyn, NY – Union Pool (Northside / Panache Showcase) #
06/25 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom @
06/26 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom @
07/01 – Houston, TX – Mango’s
07/02 – New York, NY – Seaport Music Festival $
07/03 – New Orleans, LA – No More Fiction
07/04 – Athens, GA – Farm 255
07/05 – Charlotte, NC – Snug Harbor
07/06 – Shepherdstown, WV – Blue Moon Saloon
07/07 – New Brunswick, NJ – Meat Town USA
07/08 – New York, NY – Cake Shop
07/09 – Brooklyn, NY – Monster Island Basement
07/10 – Providence, RI – As220
07/11 – Northampton, MA – Elevens
07/12 – Binghamton, NY – Bazooka / Bazooka
07/13 – Rochester, NY – The Bug Jar
07/14 – Toronto, ON – Horseshoe Tavern %
07/16 – Columbus, OH – The Summit
07/17 – Carbondale, IL – Handsome Fest
07/18 – Lawrence, KS – Jackpot
07/19 – Des Moines, IA – Vaudeville Mews
07/20 – Madison, WI – Project Lodge
07/21 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
07/22 – St Louis, MO – Antartica
07/23 – Nashville, TN – Little Hamilton
07/25 – Hot Springs, AR – The Exchange +
07/26 – Norman, OK – The Opolis
07/27 – Denton, TX – TBA
07/29 – San Antonio, TX – Korova Basement
07/30 – Laredo, TX – Old No. 2
07/31 – Austin, TX – Emo’s
08/01 – El Paso, TX – Hideaway Lounge
08/02 – Phoenix, AZ – Trunk Space
08/03 – San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
08/04 – Los Angeles, CA – The Smell ^
08/05 – Los Angeles, CA – Day Off – Going to Disneyland!
08/06 – Sacramento, CA – The Hub
08/07 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent !
08/08 – Klamath Falls, OR – Contemporary Arts Kitchen
08/09 – Portland, OR – East End
08/10 – Olympia, WA – Northern
08/12 – Vancouver, BC – Honey
08/13 – Seattle, WA – Cairo
08/14 – Provo, UT – The Compound
08/15 – Denver, CO – Rhinoceropolis
08/16 – Albuquerque, NM – Wunderkind
08/17 – Lubbock, TX – Bash Riprocks 

@ = w/ Voxtrot
# = w/ Airwaves, Aa
$ = w/ Woven Bones
% = w/ Titus Andronicus
+ = w/ Halloween Swim Team
^ = w/ Ty Segall, Royal Baths
! = w/ Thee Oh Sees

Chicago

Mirror, Mirror

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Highwheel Records announced yesterday that they will be releasing the sophomore album from Unicycle Loves You on September 7th. It’s been two years since the last release from this band, and from the sounds of the first single from the album, “Mirror, Mirror” is pushing forward with their off-kilter brand of psych-pop.

Unicycle Loves You will be performing as part of Sketchbook X at Chopin Theatre on June 25th.

Chicago

The Joke, The Threat & The Obvious

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Crooked Creek Records is releasing the latest album from the most compassionate band in town, The Giving Tree Band on September 21st. The album will be called The Joke, The Threat, and The Obvious, and will be filled with folk, bluegrass, and jam band goodness. Leading up to the release the band will be releasing a series of webisodes explaining the band, it’s history, and the process of the new album.

The Giving Tree Band will be performing at Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn on July 2nd, The Cubby Bear on July 3rd, and at Naperville’s Ribfest on July 4th.

NYC

Folk in the City: Spirit Family Reunion

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A quick listen to Spirit Family Reunion’s 3-song EP and it’s easy to see how they can so easily convince a live audience to pick up their feet and sing along. The songs exude a sense of fun and urgency that feels free of irony. Raw and raspy Appalachian folk-inspired vocals lead off the verses, and the whole band joins in for anthemic choruses that scream out for listener participation. “Alright Prayer” is an exuberant hoedown replete with lively strings, manic banjo picking, a thumping drum beat and the most memorable choral hook on the album. “I Will Not Go Up to the Sky” slows things down a notch, but remains just as boisterous, and the ballad “Gazebo Song” is filled with the kind of bittersweet lyrics that make up the entire EP, but are masked by its mostly celebratory feel. Give this record a spin, head out to a show, and you too can be part of Spirit Family Reunion, at least for a bit.

NYC

3 NYC minor girls playing the poppy punk game: Care Bears on Fire

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We guess the Brooklyn based Rock Camp for Girls (around since 2004) is starting to show its effectivness, as lately NYC girls who aren’t even old enough to drive keep to impress us – in this case we are talking about Care Bears on Fire. Sophie, the 15-year old lead singer, rocks out with heart-breaking attitude and age-appropriate lyrics, accompanied by 14-year-old drummer Izzy and 16-year-old bassist Jena who keep a rocking beat – most likely while dancing around the stage in white Chuck Taylors. Their punkish music is relatable for jaded pre-teens, singing along in the back of a mini-van on the way to soccer practice. Reminiscent of the Muffs, best known for their hit “Kids in America” on the “Clueless” soundtrack, Care Bears embraces the punk spirit and humor of early 90s girly rock. Songs like “Gym Class Haze” and “Met You on MySpace” are abrasive rhythmically but contain hilarious lyrics like “ hey tights aren’t pants” and “said you were 12, but you’re really 300.” The best track on the album is “Heart’s Not There,” which includes smooth, building tempos and the catchy chorus “Can’t use me if my heart’s not there.” Their name, Care Bears on Fire, says it all. – CBM

NYC

Best of NYC #31: FaltyDL, Live at Cassette Brooklyn on 06.26

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We continue our "Best of NYC Countdown", covering every day one of the artists that made our Year End Best of NYC list (a chart compiled by a jury comprised of local bloggers, music writers, promoters, record store personnel and DJs).

Decidedly dubstep, FaltyDL (Drew Lustman) seems to have created his own brand of NY garage, experimenting with and interbreeding a diverse set of influences and sounds. Hip-hop, UK garage, jazz, and funk awash his tracks. Beats range from impressively regular to strategically patchy, usually with a sweet swing rhythm — most tracks pulsate forward with a lounge-esque coolness and certain elegance, even when they’re more aggressive. Clear Portishead and Aphex Twins influence here. Though crisp and tight, Lustman’s experimental style lends itself to casual beat and synth placement throughout, one of the many aspects that make FaltyDL’s sound fresh and interesting. – Paul Dunn

Philadelphia

Artist(s) Who Deserve Your Friendship: Sun Airway

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Frontman Jon Barthmus and drummer Patrick Marsceill, formerly of The A-Sides (Vagrant Records, Prison Jazz Records), are back with a promising new project, Sun Airway. The shared tracks from their debut album Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier (no scheduled release date yet) are delightful pieces of shimmering electronic pop with touches of shoegaze. I already find it way more interesting than anything that I’ve heard from their former band. I’m really enjoying “Put the Days Away” where Barthmus’ engaging vocals stand out front and center wavering between hints of Julian Casablancas and Bono making Sun Airway no-brainers for the radio stations. You can catch their debut live performance at JB’s tomorrow night. – Q.D. Tran

Philadelphia

Jukebox the Ghost Releasing New Album on Yep Roc Sept. 7

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Jukebox the Ghost recently announced that they’ll be releasing Everything Under the Sun, their long-awaited follow-up to Let Live and Let Ghosts, on Yep Roc. Their scheduled release date is Sept. 7. Yep Roc is also home to fellow Philly transplants Drink Up Buttercup. (It looks like someone else besides Matador is giving Philly a little love.) Jukebox the Ghost attempted a musical tour of NYC’s five boroughs yesterday to promote their upcoming release. They had planned to perform a single song from the album in each borough at pianos stationed throughout the city as part of the public art installation “Play Me I’m Yours”. However, they had to cancel their final stop to Staten Islands Children’s Museum due to Tommy Siegel completely losing his voice. (It’s Staten Island. No one really wants to go there anyways.) The band kept their followers/stalkers updated on their location via Twitter throughout the day. They’ll also be making the rounds at a few of the festivals this summer which includes a stop at Lollapalooza so expect many tweets about that. – H.M. Kauffman