NEW SNOW PATROL SINGLES

Good Weather for Airstrikes has had a hefty amount of NEW Snow Patrol tracks posted for awhile here and here, all from the forthcoming album Eyes Open due May 1st.

I have listened to them at least once and can't get into them as much as I did with Final Straw. For some reason they make me think British romance movies or that they will be used to promote one, like 'Pride and Prejudice' or something. "You're All I Have" and "Chasing Cars", the ballads thus far, are the best but you can feel that these guys went all out in the studio, making everything as grandiose as possible, maybe even over working them. I can see them growing on me though so check them out and let me know what you think.

NEW ORDER in Marie Antoinette trailer

New Order doesn't get much talk around here but I recently came across the trailer for the new movie, Marie Antoinette. Though I can't say much for ye Olde English Tomfoolery going on in the trailer, the song playing through the it is what got me. Figuring it was one of the 80's influenced IT bands of the moment (Bloc Party, Interpol, Stellastarr*, etc., I wanted to figure out the artist.

Lo' and behold, it was NEW ORDER! WTF, right!? The track is called 'Age of Consent' and appeared on their 1983 album (not 1999 as iTunes reports), Power, Corruption and Lies and I liked it enough to buy it and share it. I think it is nice to pay homage to at least one of the bands that lead the way for what I listen to today though I can't say I ever got into Joy Division and New Order...ever. Wierd.

mp3 - Age of Consent

Buy the album here.

REVIEW:EDITORS and STELLASTARR*March 25th, 2006 @ the Agora Ballroom

I'll admit it. I went into last night's show being well aware and a huge fan of Editors and knowing little of Stellastarr*. Editors have definitely fit into my music scene so following them from the start has been easy but I have just started to dig back into what Stellastarr* had to offer, only knowing 'Lost in Time' going into the show. I had been listening to the songs for both bands on CD exclusively and hearing these bands live, you can definitely feel the energy that the Editors put into the show and the emotion that Stellastarr* brings. Hearing these bands LIVE and LOUD is the only way.

First up was Editors with Vocalist Tom Smith putting on quite the show, performing what we dubbed 'the Claw' time and again. (Make the claw, catch something with both claws, extend to audience and release - repeat as needed.) My favorite going in was 'Camera' and they did not let me down and also brougth 'Munich' everything I hoped it would be. Tom Smith also looked like he was clawing at his skin like he was on something - but hey, whatever works, the guy and the band put on a great show.



Then was Stellastarr*, opening with all the new wave reverb and feedback you could want. The songs that stuck out for me (and made me come home and download them) were "On My Own" where lead singer Shawn Christensen started singing on the floor and then moved to the crowd, shredding his emotions with the lyric "But I'm doin the best that I can...On my own." Awesome. Then, luck for co-pilot Greg, they played "My Coco" in the encore which just made his night. And I can't foget to mention bassist Amanda Tannen who stole every indie boys heart last night as well as guitarist Michael Jurin's hoamge to Robert Smith, and while we're at it, drummer Arthur Kremer had a Stellastarr* asterik taped on his nipple!



Here are the remaining concert dates so be sure to check them out if they swing nearby:

TOUR DATES
3.27.06 – New York, NY (Bowery Ballroom) – only stellastarr*
3.28.06 - Brooklyn, NY (Warsaw)
3.29.06 - Washington, DC (9:30 Club)
4.01.06 - Philadelphia, PA (Trocadero)
4.02.06 - Baltimore, MD (Sonar)
4.04.06 - Norfolk, VA (The Norva Theatre)
4.05.06 - Carrboro, NC (Cat's Cradle)
4.06.06 - Athens, GA (40 Watt Club)
4.07.06 - Orlando, FL (The Social)
4.08.06 - Miami, FL (Studio A)
4.09.06 - St. Petersburg, FL (State Theater)
4.11.06 - Nashville, TN (Exit/In)
4.12.06 - Columbus, OH (Newport Music Hall)
4.13.06 - Detroit, MI (Magic Stick)
4.14.06 - Covington, KY (The Mad Hatter)
4.15.06 - Columbia, MO (Blue Note)
4.16.06 - Chicago, IL (Metro)
4.18.06 - Minneapolis, MN (Fine Line Music Cafe)
4.19.06 - Lawrence, KS (Granada Theatre)
4.21.06 - Denver, CO (Bluebird Theatre)
4.22.06 - Salt Lake City, UT (TBD)
4.25.06 - Vancouver, BC (Richard's On Richards)
4.27.06 - Seattle, WA (Chop Suey)
4.28.06 - Portland, OR (Dante's)
4.29.06 - San Francisco, CA (Mezzanine)
4.30.06 - Indio, CA (Coachella)

BUY Stellastarr*'s most recent Harmonies for the Haunted.
BUY Editors just released Back Room.

SNOWDEN

theBAND/theSOUND: Dang it, man! I've got the taste for some shoegazey, post punk rock and the only cure for it...IS MORE SHOEGAZING, POST PUNK ROCK! I blame it all on Interpol who led me to Bloc Party and more recently the Voom Blooms. Now I present you with SNOWDEN.

They are the product of Jordan Jeffares, the band's founding member and principal songwriter. SNOWDEN's sound is described as a cross between the rhythmic grit of The Yeah Yeah Yeah's and the melodic layers of The Cure, though I refer to those other bands named earlier as well. SNOWDEN recently signed to Jade Tree and their debut album, Anti-Anti, is tentatively due August 22nd.

To get you started, listen to Anti-Anti. Reverb saturated guitars and keyboards for a loud, lush sound. If you start there and need more to tide you over, head over to their myspace page for a few extra streaming tracks but ALSO, you can download their EP for FREE! (down under 'About Snowden').

Check out Snowden's website for more info.

NEWS: NEW PEARL JAM ALBUM ART

We here at the Test Piot are definitely supporters of ART as well as music, so I am happy to pass this along. I am not sure how wide spread this is yet because my own PJ Superfan, Co-Pilot Drue Dixon, informed me he has already seen this, so I assume the die-hards have already been privy to the new album art. IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET, here ya be.

I am not sure the back story on this or who designed this but Superfan Drue threw this out...
"This is from a PJ message board regarding the avocado album art...There's also been talk about the album art is possibly not the real art. Who knows!.....

Avocado Productions
The Guacamole Fund is a non-profit organization with a 501(c)(3) tax status. It assists environmental, social change, cultural and service organizations by facilitating, organizing and producing benefit concerts, rallies, special ticket sales, receptions and media campaigns...http://www.guacfund.org/...watch the scrolling supporters at the top of the site...sure enough there is PJ."

LEWIS VS. SENNET

Last month, the two leads of Rilo Kiley, Jenny Lewis (vocals and guitar) and Blake Sennet (vocals and guitar) went head to head, both releasing solo efforts, no less on the same day! Herewith, a review of the leads (and ex-lovers) albums and how they fared (in this peon of a blog's view):

FIRST ROUND: JENNY LEWIS and the WATSON TWINS
Out of the corner, JL & the WT had the early lead. Going into this, with her fame as the lead singer of Rilo Kiley, recently being voted as the hottest indie female singer (in indie circles of course) and also her fame as backing vocals for the juggernaut the Postal Service, she probably had the biggest built in audience. Off the cuff, that HAS to equal big results and big sales. Add to that, a M. Ward produced album on the Team Love label pioneered by Bright Eyes' Connor Oberst along with appearances of M. Ward himself, Ben Gibbard of the Postal Service and Death Cab for Cutie as well as her boyfriend and singer-songwriter Johnathan Rice AND Conor Oberst again and WHEW, do you have a lineup! That is like reading off a resume of someone very important who has to be guaranteed a job...OR DOES IT!?

SECOND ROUND: The ELECTED led by BLAKE SENNET
I won't lie. I knew little to nothing of this band going into it and still don't know much. Other than knowing that he sings in Rilo Kiley, was in the TV show 'Salute Your Shorts' and can be seen with a odd, Harvey Keitel mustache at times, I had nothing to go off of. Blake and his band, the Elected, were clearly the underdogs.

***It should be noted that both of these albums take on the Rilo Kiley sound of country, folk and pop to it's best balance. Not too heavy in one direction and very satisfying to the palette.***

THIRD ROUND: Off to a good start for JL & the WT
After a too long intro, we kick into the album with 'The Big Guns', what feels like a song to harken back to a country revivial. The spirit builds slowly within you and bursts forth, hand clapping all around, people fanning themselves from exhaustion and heat stroke and we are only 2 songs in!

FOURTH ROUND: Sennet holds his ground
After a short and acoustic intro with a message (though I can't fly, I can sing!), Sennet and the crew are rolling through the countryside with 'Would You Come with Me'? Strumming the guitar with birds chirping in their ears, singing of love so strong it has to keep a-movin', these guys are grooving.

FIFTH ROUND: JL & the WT are wavering...
Jenny and the Twins seem to be struggling here. Jumping to a slow song after their rocker, then getting very twang on us, back to slow, back to fast, we can't keep up or stay in the right state of mind.

SIXTH ROUND: ...Sennet holding steady, looking strong
While JL & the WT are fumbling around, trying to figure out which glove goes on which hand, the Elected is PUMMELING one punch after another. Solid hit after solid hit, the middle of this album picks up it's strengths and doesn't stop.

FINAL ROUND
Because I am tired of the analogies and don't want to make this post any longer, (I am sure I have lost 99% of you by now), I will simply say Blake Sennet and the Elected pull out a unbelievable victory over the long standing heavy weight champ and have garnered a new fan. The album is just overall more cohesive, better produced and solid.

Listen to these mp3's and let me know your thoughts. Do I have it all wrong? Is the older Elected stuff worth checking out? Should I shut the hell up already?
mp3 - Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins - The Big Guns
mp3 - Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins - Born Secular
Buy Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins 'Rabbit Fur Coat' HERE

mp3 - The Elected - Would You Come With Me
mp3 - The Elected - Fireflies In A Steel Mill
Buy The Elected's 'Sun, Sun, Sun' HERE

***ALSO***it should be noted that both these band are touring in support of these albums. Once again, I have to give it to the Elected who already toured with STARS and are now seeing the country with the Magic Numbers for crying out friggin' loud! And of course, no shows for either band coming to Cleveland.
See Jenny Lewis's tour HERE
See Blake Sennet's tour HERE

NEWS: DOVES TO RELEASE LIVE EP

Via the Tripwire comes news that Doves (a fave here at thetestpilot) is releasing a live EP with a variety of songs from their most recent tour. Unfortunately, the EP will be just that - 5 songs only and to save us some cash (hopefully), it is downloadable only. Hopefully the US version of iTunes will carry it.


"As a snack to tide over fans hungry for more, Manchester’s Doves are currently planning on releasing a live mini-album for download on April 10. The performances were taken from various gigs in both North America and the UK from their ’05 tour in support of Some Cities.

The news popped up on their official website, where they said: “It’s great to have each song from a different gig and include something from the American leg of the tour and they all sound great.”

It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that most of the live tracks are made up of songs taken from the album in which they were supporting. The performances include “Black And White Town” from the Music Factory in Dublin, “Almost Forgot Myself” from Newcastle Academy, “Snowden” from the Hammersmith Apollo, “Ambition” from the Dublin Olympia Theatre and “Where We’re Calling / Pounding” from Brooklyn’s Warsaw.

NEWS: STELLASTAR/EDITORS coming to a town near you!

Two great bands who just looove the synths, Stellastar and Editors, are hitting up the concert circuit late this month into next. Check the dates below to see if they are hitting your town or somewhere close by. Seeing as they are coming to Cleveland, a city that gets little to no love from tours, I am sure they are stopping by your city as well.

And if you go to the Cleveland show, shoot me an email and maybe we can meet up.

Latest tracks from the bands:
mp3 Stellastar - Love and Longing Courtesy RCA Records
mp3 Editors - All Sparks From the blog SoundBites

TOUR DATES
3.20.06 - Boston, MA (The Roxy)
3.21.06 - South Burlington, VT (Higher Ground)
3.22.06 - Montreal, QC (Cabaret du Musse Juste Pour Rire)
3.24.06 - Toronto, ON (Phoenix Concert Theater)
3.25.06 - Cleveland, OH (Agora Theater)
3.26.06 – New York, NY (Bowery Ballroom) – only stellastarr*
3.27.06 – New York, NY (Bowery Ballroom) – only stellastarr*
3.28.06 - Brooklyn, NY (Warsaw)
3.29.06 - Washington, DC (9:30 Club)
4.01.06 - Philadelphia, PA (Trocadero)
4.02.06 - Baltimore, MD (Sonar)
4.04.06 - Norfolk, VA (The Norva Theatre)
4.05.06 - Carrboro, NC (Cat's Cradle)
4.06.06 - Athens, GA (40 Watt Club)
4.07.06 - Orlando, FL (The Social)
4.08.06 - Miami, FL (Studio A)
4.09.06 - St. Petersburg, FL (State Theater)
4.11.06 - Nashville, TN (Exit/In)
4.12.06 - Columbus, OH (Newport Music Hall)
4.13.06 - Detroit, MI (Magic Stick)
4.14.06 - Covington, KY (The Mad Hatter)
4.15.06 - Columbia, MO (Blue Note)
4.16.06 - Chicago, IL (Metro)
4.18.06 - Minneapolis, MN (Fine Line Music Cafe)
4.19.06 - Lawrence, KS (Granada Theatre)
4.21.06 - Denver, CO (Bluebird Theatre)
4.22.06 - Salt Lake City, UT (TBD)
4.25.06 - Vancouver, BC (Richard's On Richards)
4.27.06 - Seattle, WA (Chop Suey)
4.28.06 - Portland, OR (Dante's)
4.29.06 - San Francisco, CA (Mezzanine)
4.30.06 - Indio, CA (Coachella)

BUY Stellastar HERE
BUY Editors HERE

NEWS: EDITORS...acoustic?

Via the Tripwire via the BBC, we have this most unusual Editors ACOUSTIC perfromance of "Munich". They are somewhere in the English countryside, sitting outside a retro VW bus adn tent, rocking it out like a bunch of hillbillies. I don't know if this is a typical week/weekend for these guys but more power to 'em.

The song takes on a whole different side for me to see this song so stripped down without synths and vocal machines. Cool stuff.

LINK

***BONUS***
Editors label Fader was kind enough to send along UBER links to a ton of videos for your viewing pleasure.
First up<, the video for the single Munich.
(Windows Media)
(Real)

Second, Editors perfom Munich and Bullets on Jules Holland, which I am told is like Jay Leno only not lame. Both are up on YouTube.
Munich
Bullets

RAP UP

BOY, isn't that a funny play on words. Seriously though, I have never posted on rap on this site yet, but these artists are getting me waaaay back into it. While each of these artists deserve their own post, for the sake of condesing content, I present them together.


OHMEGA WATTS - The Find
Milton Campbell, aka Ohmega Watts, takes it back for me, to A Tribe Called Quest and Black Sheep - hopping grooves that can keep the party moving or tracks that get socially concious. Born in Flatbush, Brooklyn but now reppin' out of Oregon, his new album The Find "refers to both musical and personal inspiration with track themes spanning from crate diggin’ dreams and musical reminiscing, to social commentary and spiritually charged story telling."
mp3 - The Find
mp3 - A Request
Buy the albumHERE



CADENCE WEAPON - Breaking Kayfabe
Rollie Pemberton, the 19 year old aka Cadence Weapon, has his hands into everything. Just a few minutes of surfing on his blog, his myspace page and his website, you can learn the dude dropped out of journalism school to produce, rap, drink, make beats, etc. HELL, he even did reviews for Pitchfork!

He has his debut record as both an MC and producer, Breaking kayfabe out this Spring where he shows off his ear for lurching, heavy beats and dense, computerized ambience. This music is heavy rap from the Super Mario Bros. sounding beats on acid with heavy lyrics over the top, this is hardcore.

If you are lucky enough to be at SXSW check him out:
March 16 Brush Square Park
SXSW Alberta Showcase/BBQ
W/ Shout Out Out Out Out and Corb Lund

March 17 Victory Grill (Inside Stage)
Vice SXSW Showcase/BBQ

March 18 Caribbean Lights
SXSW Official Showcase
W/ Classified/Moka Only/K'naan/TTC

mp3 - Vicarious
mp3 - 30 Seconds
Buy the albumHERE


DERT - Sometimes I Rhyme Slow
José Gonzalez's recent CD, Veneer gets "reworked and blended with verses from some of today’s most elite underground and mainstream emcees." The new album, Sometimes I Rhyme Slow is "a take on fusing acoustic guitar samples with funk, soul and breakbeats. This mixtape, while not meant to overshadow the original tracks, provides a much needed ‘feel-good’ alternative to rap’s current heavy rotation."
For comparing purposes, José's cover of The Knife's "Heartbeats"...
mp3 - Heartbeats (The Knife cover)
...turned into...
mp3 - The Light
ALSO check out mp3 - 2Words and his myspace page for more snippets.
Buy the albumHERE