Shiny Toy Guns 'Waiting Alone' >> will be out tomorrow [6.26] on internet machine storefronts worldwide. It's the first single off their forthcoming studio release #III, which will be STG's 3rd full length album and first signs of life in nearly 4 years. This track offers some sexy vocals from Carah, classic shiny keys and lots of synthetic sounds that comprised most of their debut We Are Pilots album. If this cut is any indication of how the whole will taste then it should be a solid album.
Videos from the YACHT >> show this past Thursday night at Crescent Ballroom have been posted to the zBORED YouTube channel. Don Ricardo and Onuinu played sets to start the evening before the headlining YACHT took stage in downtown Phoenix to wrap up the last leg of their Shangri-La tour.
The Portland-based duo opened with 'Summer Song' and immediately got the house going absolutely fucking bananas. The oversized screen behind Jona and Claire featured the classic YACHT triangle in front of various retro images of them and other miscellaneous nonsensicals like microscope footage [I think I also saw scenes from a few different Hitchcock flicks]. Jona wasted no time getting into the crowd at center stage to sing with us using YACHT's classic, infinitely long microphone cord which Claire would later tangle herself in at vocal breaks.
After the intro song came a band intro and then they got right into lots of Shangri-La tracks like 'Utopia', 'One Step', 'I Walked Alone' [with live cowbell!], 'Dystopia [The Earth Is On Fire]' and my favorite off the album 'Tripped And Fell In Love'. Sporadic tracks off prior albums would later ensue like 'I'm In Love With A Ripper' and 'Psychic City [Voodoo City]' which they outro-ed with [I'm not using 'closed' or 'closed out' anymore since encores have sadly become predictably standard these days - I think this warrants a future post]. The tour and album title track 'Shangri-La' made for a perfect 'encore' as Claire let us sing along for most of the bridge and every hook.
It was such a fun show. They are really cool [got to chat with them before the show, stay tuned for my exclusive interview coming this week] and I'm anxious to see what kind of show they put on in San Francisco for Outside Lands in August.
Hot Chip In Our Heads >> is finally out today for US yankees [released yesterday in EU]. It's the 5th full length album from the lads of London and thus far after a few iPad revolutions this 11-track release is already much better than their last [One Life Stand] which I think has been their most inferior - too many long, annoying and boring tracks IMO. But this one is stronger than Coming On Strong and is comprised of several songs with more of an electro-pop formula, moving back into the direction of my favorite of their albums Made In The Dark. Clearly they want us to dance more and hopefully we can do just that if they hit the desert on this tour since they practically avoided the left coast altogether on their last tour a few years ago.
Cop your hard copy at Zia for $7.99 or download it on iTunes at the same rate. Do it.
Get plugged in >> today at Techiepalooza in Scottsdale. The geek gala will feature workshops, demos and googles of networking opportunities for anyone interested in building websites/apps, optimizing your social capabilities and various other tech topics galore.
There will be local food, beer and wine plus chances to win an iPad and other techie swag. Best of all, it's free. Be sure to bring your laptop for the hands-on stuff and get your geek on. See you there!
Videos from >> the Santigold show at Crescent Ballroom on Monday have been posted to the zBORED YouTube channel. Her long awaited return to Arizona and first time visiting Phoenix was a long time sold out show that most definitely lived up to the hype. Phoenix we go hard.
Currently on the southwest leg of the Master of My Make-Believe tour, Santigold played the ultra intimate venue downtown which was perfect for how active and engaging she was during an uber-intriguing, poly-outfitted performance. She had a full band of dudes behind her wearing weird white Frankstein wigs and perhaps the best surprise of the evening was her endlessly energetic dancers/back-up singers who had the coolest moves ever. They even worked a variety of props into their routines like umbrellas, sledge hammers and brief cases. I've stolen every move I can remember and I'll be demo-ing them next time I hit the disco floor.
Santi performed a nice blend of the illest tracks from her latest album as well as her self-titled debut [under Santogold back then]. She opened with 'GO!' like her latest LP does but unfortunately no Karen O to accompany her on stage like I had hoped for. Then she hit us with 'L.E.S. Artistes' [which I thought she would open with] and the rest of the show pretty much followed that 1st-2nd release pattern. There are so many good tracks on both and she got to all of my favorites like the aforementioned, 'Shove It', 'Lights Out', 'Freak Like Me' and 'Disparate Youth' which I love a million times more now after Monday night. I can't wait to relive this show all over again at Lollapalooza and Outside Lands later this summer.
Friends Manifest >> hits the US storefronts tomorrow. It's the first full length studio release from the Brooklyn-based band although many of the tracks have been out for over a year now like 'Friend Crush' which is the jam that initially got me into these cronies last summer.
The dozen track album opens with 'Friend Crush' and wastes no time getting funky on the drums and thick bass thereafter with 'Sorry' and 'Home'. I really like 'A Light' [track 5] which features sexy layered vocals, heavy synth and some tight distortion [rare on this album] collectively making for a neo new-wave jam. I have probably listened to it 50 times this past week.
The tempo starts to slow a little at about the halfway point of the album after 'I'm His Girl' which I've grown to like more and more because I'm instantly reminded of when the lead singer came into the crowd and sang this song at Crescent Ballroom in April. She is hot and so is the girl who plays bass and other miscellaneous thingamajigs. They will be back here in Phoenix at the same venue June 30th and I will be there again for sure.
Pick up your copy of Manifest tomorrow at Zia or get after the soft copy on iTunes tomorrow for $9.99. Do it.
June is >> fresh into gear and apparently so are the 90's. This month there are plenty of new indie and electro releases to be excited for in the front half and in the balance every new release Tuesday is seemingly a DeLorean ride back some 15-20 years with new studio albums coming from Del, Fiona Apple, Smashing Pumpkins and The Offspring.
It will be interesting to hear what comes about after such long hiatuses from Billy Corgen and especially Fiona Apple. The Pumpkins' title track 'Oceania' is pretty cool and I've always liked Fiona's distinct voice and demeanor so I think these will be solid productions. I'm particularly excited for new LP's from Friends, The Temper Trap and Hot Chip. Here are the drop dates for all the aforementioned as well as the notables in June.
