Hot Hot Heat moved to the Loft Loft Loft

Hot Hot Heat
Wed October 17, 2007
The Loft
Atlanta, GA


The Hot Hot Heat show originally scheduled to take place at Center Stage has been moved up to The Loft. Tickets purchased for Center Stage will be honored.

According to Hot Hot Heat co-founder and frontman Steve Bays, Happiness LTD was written almost entirely on the road. With tracks penned around the world, from Span to Australia, the record is Hot Hot Heat's most adventurous to date.

Says Bays of the new record's sound:

“It’s difficult to describe its overall musical direction, but if I had to choose two adjectives I’d go with ‘big’ and ‘aggressive. As a band, we got most excited about the over-the-top, epic-sounding songs, so we kept pushing the tracks that way. The album has its fair share of seedy club songs, but they are dirtier and darker."

Listen! "Goodnight Goodnight"- Hot Hot Heat

www.hothotheat.com

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Sneaker Pimps' Chris Corner is IAMX- on tour this fall!

IAMX
Sat. November 10, 2007
Vinyl
Atlanta, GA



What does it mean to be “X?”

The concept began back in 1996 when Sneaker Pimps released their first record, “Becoming X.” Chris Corner, the mastermind behind the band, penned every song, and the record gained international play and critical acclaim. At the time, Sneaker Pimps featured Kelli Dayton up front on vocals. However, after being labeled as “trip hop” and lumped with bands like Portishead and Mazzy Star, Sneaker Pimps felt Dayton’s vocal style was too limiting.

That’s when Corner first moved the forefront. His delicate yet soaring vocals providing a new, raw energy. For those uninitiated, Corner’s vibrant range shares many of the same qualities as Matt Bellamy (Muse).

A decade after Sneaker Pimps, Corner has reemerged, this time proclaiming that he is X. IAMX takes some of the synth undertones of Sneaker Pimps and injects some sort of musical equivalent to Viagra. IAMX oozes with sexual tension, seedy glamour, and seductive rhythms.

In an Austrian television interview, Corner explained that being “X” has something to do with a lack inhibition or restraint. While it isn’t exactly an “act,” it is certainly a persona that he takes on in the studio and on stage. There is an animalistic quality in his performances; for all the dramatic glam theatrics that propels IAMX, Corner is able to rouse audiences with intense emotion.

Just take a look at the behind the scenes footage featured on UK Myspace. You can see his European audiences going nuts at festivals in Budapest, Berlin, Russian and beyond.
IAMX - Behind The Scenes

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Even over here in the States where Corner has no major label support, IAMX sold out dates in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Las Vegas in the spring. This success is due in large part to Myspace and his passionate fans. Just look at his Myspace page now, and you’ll see active street teams in almost every U.S. city he is visiting this fall!

So don’t delay on tickets to this upcoming tour. This is a rare chance to see a mesmerizing performer in the luxury of an intimate venue. Word on the street is that the first U.S. cities to sell out on this tour will be rewarded with exclusive IAMX merchandise! So grab your pair early for the chance to own some extra special gifts!

As an added bonus, more good news for American fans! You won’t have to shell out big bucks to have IAMX’s records imported from Berlin much longer. “The Alternative” is due for release in the States this fall as well..

http://www.iamx.co.uk/

www.myspace.com/iamx

Help promote the Atlanta show! www.myspace.com/iamxatlanta

Listen! "Spit it Out" - IAMX

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Black Angels on the road again!

The Black Angels
Oct 31, 2007 in Atlanta
Nov 04, 2007 in Washington, D.C.


Psychedelic drone machines Black Angels are back on the road this fall. We had a chat with singer Alex Maas back in March, and he had some great stories to tell about his haunted house, playing almost a million shows at SXSW (we are just barely exaggerating), and what it means to be psychedelic. We are working on getting the podcast up and running once again, and in the meantime I'll work on a transcript of the interview for your reading pleasure. Check back later today or tomorrow!

Here you go!
Black Angels Podcast

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"The Aliens" aren't from another planet; they're just English.

The Aliens

Fri September 21, 2007
Rock and Roll Hotel
Washington, D.C.

UK's The Aliens seem to be invading music magazines across the globe, grabbing slots on prestigious compilations and garnering glowing reviews across the board.

It feels like this band has literally come out of nowhere, but its origins are less mysterious than they seem. The Aliens is actually comprised of Gordon Anderson, Robin Jones, and John Maclean who are all former members of The Beta Band. So, between their big moment in the movie High Fidelity and opening for Radiohead, these are seasoned musicians to say the least.

The Aliens' debut release "Astronomy for Dogs," is filled with glorious, modern pop. This is what The Beatles would of sounded like if they formed in 2000 and reached their psychedelic apex now in 2007, the whole of electronica at their disposal. The Aliens back narrative, melodic lyrics with layers and layers of keyboards, guitars, and sparkling keyboards.

It's not too late to make this your summer record!

Listen: The Aliens - "Robot Man"

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Not really blonde, but they are coming a long way: The Long Blondes

The Long Blondes

Mon November 12, 2007
The EARL
Atlanta, GA

Why re-write perfection? You can’t beat The Long Blondes’ self-proclaimed titles: Kate on “lips,” Dorian with the “licks,” Screech banging the “sticks,” Reenie’s “hips,” and Emma’s got “high kicks.” Basically, it’s your quintessential five-piece lineup and, no, not a blonde amongst them.

The girls and boys of this UK group readily name fellow Sheffield bands Pulp and Human League as major influences. It’s certainly not a stretch when you hear lyrics that echo Jarvis Cocker’s campy tales of sorted mischief backed by new wave tinged disco.

In 2006 Long Blondes followed in the footsteps of Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs when they were award awarded the NME Philip Hall Radar Award. Not long after, they scored a deal with the major indie label Rough Trade which culminated with a Top 30 single and a hit record: “Someone to Drive You Home.”

With their single “Once and Never Again” getting a fair amount of airplay across the pond, especially on satellite radio and indie shows, Long Blondes are ready to tour the States. If you don’t think you’ve heard the song, it’s the one that goes “Nineteen/You’re only nineteen for God’s sakes/You don’t need a boyfriend.” Yeah, that one! We’ve got it posted below for your enjoyment as well.

http://www.thelongblondes.co.uk/

Listen -"Once and Never Again" - Long Blondes

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"We are Elekibass...Come From Japan!"

Elekibass
Mon August 13, 2007
The EARL
Atlanta, GA
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TALive was charmed by this Japanese pop group when they opened for Of Montreal last year. With matching suits, assorted hats, and lots of smiles, Elekibass are dripping with charisma. Their upbeat, fanciful tunes are sung in both Japanese and English, but you don't have to understand the lyrics to dance along. These lads display a strong affinity for British Invasion legends and Athens' Elephant Six melodies.

Five members strong, Elekibass dominate any stage with a variety of instruments; literally pulling surprises out of their hats at times! Elekibass offer an interactive show, often parading into the audience and holding up signs with endearing Engrish chants. Speaking of which, the name is their take on the spelling of "a lucky bass," so pronounce it as so!

Listen! Almanack - Elekibass

http://www.waikikirecord.com/elekipage

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Girl Talk on tour: Drunken Debauchry Likely

Girl Talk w/ Dan Deacon
Sat. September 22, 2007
MJQ Concourse
Atlanta, GA
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The mash-up king Gregg Gillis (aka Girl Talk) blends hip-hop beats, indie rock melodies, and just about everything else into a dizzying array of dance party magic. His latest release, "Night Ripper" contains an estimated 300 samples!

Girl Talk is equally notorious for his live performances which drive audiences into a dancing frenzy. Don't be surprised if the man himself is left in the nude by the end of the set-- he is in the habit of stripping down as the sets get hotter.

His fans tends to get even crazier, as the recent Widespread Panic story reveals. So if you do make it out to MJQ, prepare your liver for an eventful night! You may need a serious detox the morning after.

A number of popular indie artists have enlisted the help of Girl Talk to remix their hit tracks including: Tokyo Police Club, Beck, Peter Bjorn and John, Of Montreal, and Grizzly Bear. A lot of these can be found on the web, so stop by his Myspace or do some searching on www.elbo.ws !

We'll make the first one easy for you. Here's the internet exclusive Grizzly Bear remix!

Listen: Girl Talk - "Knife"

www.girl-talk.net

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VHS or BETA interview!

This is a big year for Louisville’s VHS or BETA. After nearly a year and a half off the stage, they are returning on tour with a brand new album under their belts. “Bring on the Comets,” due out on Astralwerks this August, offers a massive, lush soundscape of swirling guitars and soaring melodies. The sound is a slight departure from their dance roots, with acoustic drums outweighing electronic for first perhaps the first time in their 12-year career.

This release, and the tour dates to come, also mark the band’s first without former guitarist Zeke. It’s always nerve-wracking to present a new lineup and a new record to old fans, but bassist Mark Palgy sounded upbeat and optimistic when we talked with him on the road. It’s clear how proud the band is of “Bring on the Comets” and they are both anxious and eager to get the record out!

TALive: Hey Mark, how are you? I know you are on the road now, where to next?
Mark Palgy: Nashville, we are almost there.

TALive: Great, how’s it been going so far? Have you been touring much yet, I know you have quite a few dates scheduled for this fall.
MP: Well, we actually just did our first show last night—first show in about a year and a half.
TALive: Wow!
MP: Yeah, in Murfreesboro. It was a lot of fun.

TALive: Have you played already with the revised lineup, since Zeke’s left?
MP: No! Last night was the first night of our new formation.

TALive: Was there a lot that needed to be changed in order to perform some of the older tracks?
MP: You know, we had to rehearse a whole bunch. There was a lot of singing that he had to learn and guitar stuff. It just took a lot of rehearsing, as I guess any band has to do. Judging by the crowd’s response I think they really dug it. I was really pleased with out how it went last night.

TALive: Well, I got an advance copy of “Bring on the Comets” this week which I am really excited about. It sounds huge; really love it. What is it like for you as a band to have this record, be excited about it, but you have this lag time before everybody gets the record in their hands.
MP: Yeah, it kind of sucks! I mean, it just takes so long for a record to get out and we have to sort of wait it out. We’re really anxious for everyone to hear the new material! We’re out on the road just sort of practicing it every night. Yeah, we’re playing a lot of stuff people haven’t heard yet and they are responding to it pretty nicely.

TALive: Is there still some anxiety there about what the reaction will be? I know you’ve gone in a new direction as a band…
MP: Yeah, you know there’s always a little bit of anxiety about that, but we are just so pleased with how everything came out. I think once people actually have the record in their possession for a while and then come see us it will really be a lot better.

TALive: The initial reactions I’ve seen suggest that it’s more rock than dance than the older material. Was that a conscientious effort? I mean, it seems like you guys have always been a little ahead of your time and now the market is saturated with bands that sound like you did two records ago. Was there a conscious effort to move away from that sound now, or was it more of a natural progression?
MP: Um, it wasn’t really conscious. We just felt like Le Funk came out a little too early and Night On Fire came out a little too late. And this time around it was just “let’s just make good song,” that’s the bottom line. People can sing along with them, still have a good time, it still sounds like us even if it’s more rock.

TALive: What was your connection with My Morning Jacket? I know they helped out a good bit with this record.
MP: They’re just really good buddies of ours. They’re from Louisville and we’re from Louisville so I mean… we’ve been seeing those guys out and about for years and years and years. And over the years, we’ve become a lot closer to them just as buddies, you know? Having a band that we can sort of relate to as far as being gone for long stretches of time, playing shows, and all that stuff…they just know what’s going on. And in all honesty, we don’t really even talk about music that much with them they’re just more buddies than anything. When we were in North Carolina, we wanted to get Bo [Koster] in to do some piano work, because he is just so, so, so, so great. And Jim [James] happened to be in the area so we got both of them!

TALive: And Jim lends vocals to the record, right?
MP: Yeah, he did some backing, some oohs and ahhs.

TALive: Did you meet producer Brandon Mason through them, is that right?
MP: No! We did a tour with the Secret Machine, and we got their album “Ten Silver Drops” and we’re like “Wow! This record sounds really good, who did it?” and Brandon Mason did it. So, we got in touch with him and Brandon expressed so much interest and passion in wanting to work with us, and we were just flattered by him. He’s a spectacular person. We had a really, really, really great time with him!

TALive: Do you think that his input made this album more distinctive?
MP: Umm, to an extent. I mean, he just knows what he’s doing. He’s a wizard in the studio. He wants to talk about a sound you want to make. Ultimately he leaves it up to the band to say how we want to sound, and he achieves it. He puts the ball in the band’s court, you know? He’s not trying to put his stamp on anything, really. He’s a really hard worker, and he’s really gifted at what he does.

TALive: How long have you been with Astralwerks? I was excited when I heard about that—seems like such a perfect match, they’ve got Radio 4..
MP: Yeah! I think we signed with them in ’03, so it’s been a few years.

TALive: And they’ve helped you quite a bit. I’ve seen some amazing tour slots from Reading Festival to opening for Duran Duran. What have been some of the highlights for you on tour?
MP: One time we played Bogotá, Columbia and it was spectacular. It was a three day festival they have in the park, and the government puts it on so its free. There was a curtain on stage, and it opens up and we are playing in front of like 80,000 people in Columbia. It was really awesome, we felt like Queen or something.

TALive: Wow, who were the headlining acts for that festival?
MP: A bunch of people you haven’t heard of. A bunch of South American acts. I hadn’t really heard of a many groups that were playing, but they were huge down there.

TALive: And they responded well to your music?
MP: Yeah! It was really overwhelming. We still get e-mails from Columbian fans like, “when are you coming back?!”

TALive: I have noticed that South American fans tend to be extremely enthusiastic about any band they are fans of.
MP: Yeah. I mean it’s getting better for them, but I think in the States we have bands coming in and out of every city every night of the week. There, I don’t think it’s as common. So when they get to see a band come in from London, or New York, or…Kentucky.. they get pretty excited about it!

TALive: Do you know who is going to be joining you on tour this fall?
MP: Yeah, we are taking a band called Walter Meego. I think they’re from Chicago, I’m not exactly sure. It’s kind of a poppy electronic thing, they’re cool.

TALive: I also read about a 12inch you are going to be releasing with a few remixes from the record? I guess later this year?
MP: Yeah, we’re gonna do a teaser, like a white label 12 inch of “Burn It All Down” with some remixes by some folks. And that is going to be like a teaser single, and shortly after we are going to release “Can’t Believe a Word” as a proper single…like, the main single.

TALive: Do you know who is going to be on board to do those remixes or is that a surprise?
MP: Yeah, for “Burn it All Down “ we got this Surkin from France. And we got the Midnight Juggernauts from Australia who are really cool. And we got a guy named Fred Faulk whose French also.

TALive: Very nice, is that harking back to your earlier days of French house music?
MP: Yeah, definitely. We still love that stuff. I think “Burn it all Down” is a single that fans who enjoyed “Night on Fire” can still dig it. Even if the record is going in a little bit of a different direction, they can still know we aren’t totally abandoning anybody.

TALive: Great, well we are definitely looking forward to having you back in Atlanta.
MP: Yeah! We can’t wait! We love The EARL, it’s going to be fun!

Featured shows:

Rock and Roll Hotel

Washington, D.C.
Sat September 1, 2007
Find Tickets!

The EARL
Atlanta, GA
Mon September 24, 2007
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MP3: VHS or Beta - "Heaven"

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John Vanderslice announces fall tour!

John Vanderslice
The EARL
Atlanta, GA
Thurs September 20, 2007
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Rock and Roll Hotel
Washington, D.C.
Sat September 22, 2007
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Solo artist John Vanderslice brings his raw, melodic sound on the road in September. Starting his career with the band mk Ultra he didn't gain national acclaim until, as a solo artist, he released his 2000 single "Bill Gates Must Die". Subscribing to the school of "all analog, all the time" John has painstakingly recorded directly from analog masters tapes, with analog instruments even going as far as founding his own recording studio "Tiny Telephone", one of the few remaining studios of its kind. Promoting his new album Emerald City John is bringing his raw and politically savvy music writing all over the US.

Listen! John Vanderslice - White Dove

http://www.johnvanderslice.com/

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