NEWS: Arctic Monkeys to be on SNL

Fromt the Tripwire:
Arctic Monkeys have already sold a bazillion kazillion copies of their debut album in the UK. The buzz surrounding Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not has been mighty impressive here in the US as well, and will reach new heights now that they will be performing on Saturday Night Live. That’s right kids, Arctic Monkeys are set as the musical guests on SNL for March 11th, making their North American TV debut. Finally, a reason to watch SNL again!

Their TV performance will kick off a string of North American tour dates, beginning March 13 at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. Now go set your Tivo to record the March 11 airing of SNL. Arctic Monkeys are one of the few groups that live up to their hype on stage. You gotta see it to believe it!

Arctic Monkeys North American Tour
03.11.06 – Saturday Night Live
03.13.06 – San Francisco, CA (Great American Music Hall)
03.15.06 – Los Angeles, CA (Henry Fonda Theatre)
03.17.06 – Austin, TX (La Zona Rosa)
03.18.06 – Chicago, IL (Metro)
03.20.06 – Toronto, ON (Air Canada Centre w/ Oasis)
03.21.06 – Toronto, ON (Phoenix Concert Theatre)
03.22.06 – Montreal, QC (The Spectrum)
03.23.06 – Boston, MA (Paradise Rock Club)
03.25.06 – New York, NY (Webster Hall)
03.26.06 – Philadelphia, PA (First Unitarian Church)
03.27.06 – Washington, DC (9:30 Club)
03.29.06 – Seattle, WA (Crocodile Café)

SPIDER-MAN 3 teaser...

He's supposed to be wearing a black suit? Explain...

DIVISION DAY

theBAND/theSOUND:Kevin from the band Division Day emailed me to give notice of his bands forthcoming EP, "The Mean Way In". 4 mp3's are up for listening to on their Music page and that is where I would start.

I am having a tough time getting a grasp on this band and their sound but that is keeping me interested. The song I recommend the most is Colorguard. Great atmosphere and mood that really gets you in a headspace. From their, it is a tough call. Tigers is like Ben Folds piano pop that revs up and won't stop. Two other mp3's, Hurricane and Tap-Tap-Click-Click take it from there, pushing their sound in so many different ways.

Listen for yourself and tell me if you can figure it out.

PEOPLE IN PLANES and IRVING

Two bands that are getting the PR pimp right now, People in Planes and Irving.

People in Planes on Wind Up Records definitely looks to rock you and has a pretty cool Joaquin Phoenix directed video for their lead single, "If You Talk Too Much (My Head Will Explode". Go to their media page for streaming singles as well as the video or check out this link for the single.

Irving on Eenie Meenie Records will rock you more gently and more harmonically along with their 80's synths. Click onto their music tab to stream samples off their new album or check out mp3 - Jen.

SINGLES

There are a lot of new singles I have listened to lately and only one that really has me tingling.

THE RUNDOWN:
Mogwai - mp3 - Folk Death 95 courtesy Matador Records
Other than hearing of these guys before, I knew nothing. As of now, I know that they are a group of dudes, English I think, who make what I would call eerie instrumental music. I was able to torrent a file of theirs that had 4 full albums but only listened to one so far and it didn't move me. This single from their upcoming album though, I am digging.
***ALSO, check out this sick ass poster by Aaron Horkey for a upcoming Mogwai gig. Like I said, I don't know or love the music yet but this poster makes me want to.

Ambulance LTD - mp3 - New English courtesy IndieBlog heaven
I really liked this bands first LP to the point I kicked myself for not plunking down the $8 to see them live (not literally). This single, from the New English 7 song EP, comprises only 2 new songs with unreleased material and rarities. It is the first treat to whet your appetite for the new LP coming this summer, just doesn't capture everything this band did with their fist album. The atmosphere, the amp, the vibe is just not there. I don't know what milk-toast is but I would say this song describes what that sounds like - bread soaked in tepid milk - yuck.

Mellowdrone - mp3 - Oh My courtesy Red Music
I really enjoyed the first single from this forth coming band, Fashionably Uninvited. It reminded me of the darker stuff that Travis produced. This track goes in a completely different direction. It's like "Spitting Games" by Snow Patrol with Beck and the Dust Brothers working the vocals and the sound boards. Not that those aren't good bands with good sounds, they just don't go well together.

NEWS: South Goes West To Tour

I supported this bands last CD and it didn't seem like they took off much. I heard the first single called 'Shallow' on stereogum awhile back and I can't get into. I have only heard one song released though so maybe they will have more to show. The closest they are coming to me in Cleveland is Columbus.

From www.thetripwire.com
As previously reported on The Tripwire, the Brit-rock band known as South are releasing their third album, Adventures In The Underground Journey To The Stars, on April 4 via Young American Recordings. In conjunction with the highly anticipated release, the guys have also announced that they will be going on a cross country tour starting out March 24 in Orlando with Something For Rockets. Some of y’all may remember seeing Something For Rockets when they played our SXSW FADER Trading Post party last year. Don’t freak out if you see that your city is missing. Rumor has it that more tour dates will be made public soon.

In other South news, the lads recently wrapped up shooting a black and white video for “A Place In Displacement”, which you can view by clicking here. If you still don’t have your fill of South after all of this then be sure and keep your eyes peeled when perusing through iTunes. South will be recording an exclusive session on April 24 for them that will be made available online shortly after.

SOUTH TOUR DATES:
03.24.06 - Orlando, FL (The Social)
03.26.06 - St. Petersburg, FL@ Tamiami Room at Jannus Landing)
03.27.06 - Atlanta, GA (The Loft)
03.29.06 - Baltimore, MD (Sonar)
03.30.06 - Washington, DC (9:30 Club)
03.31.06 - Philadelphia, PA (Northstar Bar)
04.01.06 - Hoboken, NJ (Maxwell's)
04.03.06 - Toronto, ON (Lee's Palace)
04.05.06 - Montreal, QC (Cabaret de Musee Juste Pour Rire)
04.06.06 - Cambridge, MA (T.T. the Bear's)
04.07.06 - New York, NY (The Bowery Ballroom)
04.08.06 - Buffalo, NY (Showplace Theatre)
04.11.06 - Ann Arbor, MI (Blind Pig)
04.12.06 - Columbus, OH (Skully's Music Diner)
04.13.06 - Indianapolis, IN (The Vogue)
04.15.06 - Chicago, IL (Double Door)
04.17.06 - Minneapolis, MN (Varsity Theatre)

the VOOM BLOOMS

theBAND/theSOUND:I just heard these guys recently on Steve Lamac's UK show. He portrayed them as one of the few, new Euro bands that were working the Bloc Party sound effectively. I couldn't agree more. With comparisons to Interpol and the Libertines as well, this band is very much in it's infancy (8 months and counting) and only have a 3 song EP out thus far.

Get more info on them here at their site and check out the 2 mp3's for a good taste.

mp3 - Politics & Cigarettes
mp3 - The London Heads

NEWS: the Test Icicles split

Word leaked last fall that, a month after their debut release, Test Icicles split. Now we have official word from the band (apostrphe's left out because they made the code all whack):
"Hmm, well, I not really sure how to explain this, but I gather from the comments that have been left on our myspace page over the last twenty-four hours that you all know that our group, band, project or whateveryawannacallit is going to split up.

Ive just spent the last hour writing a dissertation about what our band is/was/intended-to-be and have twisted my brain inside out trying to explain the chaos, dilemmas and confusion that has engulfed this band in the past 18months, Im not even sure I understand what has happened to us let alone trying to explain it to someone else. We started this band in August 2004, our only intention was to have bit of fun, to play a few shows, cause some trouble and to split up shortly afterwards, the fact of the matter is that we played our 5millionth gig the other day after a year of multiple tours and were sick, tired and miserable, and to put it simply, it just isnt fun anymore and hasnt been for a very long time, so weve decided its time to find something that does make us happy because unfortunately this isnt it.

The original plan was to play a UK tour, European Tour and American Tour all in succession, finishing up with our final 5 shows around the UK in April.

I think we always suspected that at some point during this three month period of constant touring that something would go wrong and unfortunately that time came after the final show of our European tour in St. Malo last week, Im not say who it was who snapped or in what circumstance but it had been a long time coming and I was almost relieved when it actually happened.

Im really sorry to anyone who was looking forward to seeing us playing at that NME show or catching us on tour in the US, I hope that anyone who bought a ticket manages to get their money back without too much hassle. I wouldve loved to have toured the US, but in our current state of disrepair it was never going to happen and if we did try and make it happen it probably would have led to something much worse happening and the three of us disappearing somewhere near Utah never to be seen again, or something like that, so unfortunately the US tour wasn’t to be. We will however play our final shows in April, thatll give us some time to sort our heads out and hopefully we can all have a week long ‘fuck the Test Icicles’ party together ? should be a good way to kill us off I think, bring your shovels and well bury Test Icicles once and for all.

Ok, well, I dont really know what else to say other than thanks to anyone who invested their time, money and effort into this band, i.e. the people who bought our records and came to see us play, I know it probably doesnt always seem like it, but we do appreciate it.

With a bit of luck the next projects that we undertake, whether they be comic books, Nobel prize winning scientific discoveries or, who knows, maybe just maybe another band, will be better than Test Icicles and youll look back and be glad we split up ?

For the time being I’m going to grow a beard, move to the forest and work on my hillbilly-psych-out-jams and we’ll see you in April, clean shaven and ready to fuck some shit up for the last time as Test Icicles!!!!

Take care of your badass-mudda-fuggin-selves, Luurve,
Raaaaaary Decihells / Aggwelt / Atwell"

SORRY...

Sorry again it seems. I have been under going a job hunt/change for the last 2 months or so as well as some minor other things, so I have not been able to post much. ON TOP OF THAT, I recently haven't had much music that has been catching my ear lately. I guess that is not completely honest, seeing as there are a few bands I am currently digging, but it gets tough to get a post in here and there with family and other obligations.

Hopefully something will kick start inside me again and I will get cracking. Until then, thanks for stopping by and keep your eyes open for a resurgence soon.

DEVICS

THE BAND:Devics, named after a little-known guardian angel, is vocalist Sara Lov and multi-instrumentalist and sometimes singer Dustin O'Halloran, a musical duo from Los Angeles who found a home in Italy after signing to the UK label, Bella Union. Push the Heart (release date TBA) is a revelation, a new beginning for Devics that highlights past triumphs and gives the listener a glimpse of never before seen musical destinations. The new album, Push The Heart is available for pre-order at Amazon.com or through iTunes.

THE SOUND: Devics come across as a mystical, early 30's radio sound. Simple instrumentation through drums and piano with a eerie sound lurking behind it in the vocals. Think Cat Power wandering slowly through a black and white countryside where a unicorn might pass through. I think that could get you there.

mp3 - Come Up
FROM MOKB mp3 - Just One Breath