Action Painters

Action Painters have released a new three-track EP titled "Lay That Cable". The first song, "Easy 2 Pretend" is a catchy introduction to the following two tracks, "456", and "Money Changes Everything". This three-song collection is upbeat, clever, and most importantly: danceable. The EP is different from the band's 2007 release of "Chubby Dancer", showing obvious growth both lyrically and musically. The band's style is similar to that of Julius Airwave, but the amount of energy in their songs set them apart from most groups that share their style.

In addition to the "Lay That Cable", AP has set to work on a new album, which they are planning on working on over the summer. The band has put down a new track called "Supermarket" that they plan on releasing with their new album. The single has more of a pop sound than their previous works, but the song is so good it will be on repeat for a good hour after you first listen to it. The video for supermarket has started to be recorded, and will make a debut sometime soon.

In addition to recording new tracks, they are completing a US tour (see dates below). Check back soon for an interview with the band and news updates.

Mp3:
Money Changes Everything
456

Video:




Upcoming Tour Dates:
Apr 22 2009 9:00P -THE RED AND THE BLACK -WASHINGTON, Washington DC
Apr 23 2009 8:00P - JOHN AND PETER’S - New Hope, Pennsylvania
Apr 24 2009 8:00P - METRO GALLERY- Baltimore, Maryland
Apr 25 2009 9:00P - NORTHSTAR BAR w/East Hundred - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Apr 29 2009 9:00P - BEACHLAND w/ Good Touch Bad Touch, Posh Army - Cleveland, Ohio
Apr 30 2009 9:00P - LAVA LOUNGE w/Triggers - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
May 1 2009 9:00P - THE BELMONT - w/Cowboy Messiah - HAMTRAMCK/DETROIT
May 2 2009 8:00P - TREEHOUSE - Columbus, Ohio
May 4 2009 9:00P - OFF BROADWAY - w/Target Market - St. Louis, Missouri
May 5 2009 8:00P - ELBO ROOM - Chicago, Illinois
May 6 2009 4:00P -WOXY Lounge Act Session - Cincinnati, Ohio
May 6 2009 9:00P - NORTHSIDE TAVERN w/The Koala Fires - Cincinnati, Ohio
May 7 2009 8:00P - Athens, Ohio
May 8 2009 8:00P - OLD GLORY - Canton, Ohio
May 9 2009 9:00P - RETOX- Tour Homecoming show! w/ Disasteradio - Brooklyn, NY
May 11 2009 10:00P - PIANOS - XYZ Affair Residency show! -NY, NY
May 15 2009 10:00P - NEWSONIC (THE LOFT) - Brooklyn, NY
May 28 2009 8:30P - MERCURY LOUNGE w/1990’s!!!! - NY,NY


Links:
Action Painter's website
Action Painter's on myspace
Action Painter's tour blog

John Vanderslice: Upcoming Album and Track preview

John Vanderslice’s new album, Romanian Names, will be released on May 19th (18th in the U.K.). The 12 songs were recorded in Vanderslice's home studio that he constructed in his basement. The result of this new approach to recording, in comparison with his previous albums, is a collection of tracks with a new sound all together. The track Fetal Horses was the first song recorded for the album, and is a preview for the eleven to come.

Be sure to check back for more information regarding the album's release and any updates about John Vanderslice.

Upcoming Tour Dates:
5/17/09 Merced, CA - The Partisan
5/19/09 San Francisco, CA - The Rickshaw
5/21/09 Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios
5/22/09 Seattle, WA - Easy Street
5/24/09 George, WA - Sasquatch!
5/27/09 Provo, UT - Velour
5/28/09 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
5/29/09 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
5/30/09 Omaha, NE - Slowdown Jr
6/06/09 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle
6/09/09 Pittsburgh, PA - The Warhol Museum
6/12/09 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williambsurg

Mp3: Fetal Horses

Links: Check out John Vanderslice's website here for more information, tour dates, and to purchase their cd.

Sebastien Granger: New Track and Video

The digital release of Sebastien Grainger and the Mountains has brought us a new song and video. It's a living, a new track recorded for this release, contrasts in sound to the previously recorded tracks on the album. The video for It's a Living was shot and directed by Sebastien. Both the album and this new track are available through the Saddle Creek Online Store, iTunes, emusic and other digital outlets.


Video for Sebastien Grainger's It's a Living:



Tour Dates:
Wed-Apr-01, Seattle, WA, Sonic Boom (Free in-store at 6pm)
Thu-Apr-02, Seattle, WA, The Crocodile Cafe
Fri-Apr-03, Victoria, BC, Lucky Bar
Sat-Apr-04, Nanaimo, BC, The Spice Lounge
Sun-Apr-05, Vancouver, BC, Zulu Records (Free in-store at 3:30pm)
Sun-Apr-05, Vancouver, BC, Richards on Richards
Tue-Apr-07, Edmonton, AB, The Pawn Shop
Wed-Apr-08, Calgary, AB, The Marquee Club
Thu-Apr-09, Saskatoon, SK, Amigos
Fri-Apr-10, Winnipeg, MB, Pyramid Cabaret
Sun-Apr-12, Minneapolis, MN, 400 Bar
Mon-Apr-13, Mankato, MN, What's Up Lounge
Tue-Apr-14, Chicago, IL, Subterranean
Wed-Apr-15, Toledo, OH, Frankie's
Thu-Apr-16, Pontiac, MI, Pike Room
Sat-Apr-18, Kitchener, ON, Go Festival
Sun-Apr-19, Hamilton, ON, Casbah
Fri-May-01, Brantford, ON, The Ford Plant
Sat-May-02, Peterborough, ON, Montreal House
Wed-May-06, Ottawa, ON, Zaphods
Thu-May-07, Montreal, QC, Il Motore
Fri-May-08, Quebec City, PQ, La Casbah
3/30-31 and 4/2 with New Villager
4/3-8 with Flash Lightnin

Greetings

Just writing to let any readers know why we haven't posted recently. We took a couple week break in order to get schoolwork, as well as blogwork done. Expect to see many reviews and new music in April/May!

Gramercy Arms Self Titled Album

Gramercy Arms’ self titled album is without a doubt a must have for any true fan of indie rock. The band consists of musicians from the NY area that were formerly in groups such as Guided By Voices, Joan As Police Woman, Luna, and several others. Together, they create an excellent sound that’s not too indie but not too rock.

On the album the first track "Automatic" is probably one of the best songs on the album. With its catchy chorus, intricate sound, and overall excellence, it makes a great first impression for Gramercy Arms.

The next song "Looking At The Sun" is a cutesy little thing that has a nice mellow but still upbeat feel to it. Skipping down a track or so, "Since Last September" essentially is a love song. Now, this does not make it some cheesy chick song; if anything it’s just a nice easy on the ears kind-of song.

"Fakin" is next up and also one of the better tracks on the album. This song features some excellent guitar melodies with some nice drumming in the background combined with the vocals make this track something special.

As for the rest of the album, a total of ten tracks, the songs are as good as the others and worth checking out. So all in all this album is a match for anyone who is seeking a upbeat but still chill and relaxing album.

Robert Pollard-The Crawling Distance

Let me make this known: I owe a whole lot to Bob Pollard. Pollard was the long-time leader of Dayton, Ohio lo-fi kings Guided by Voices, the band that got me seriously into music and beyond the limits of the Top 40. And ever since 7th grade when I heard “I Am a Scientist” on a boom box in my teacher’s classroom, I’ve turned time and time again back to the music Pollard has created in his 25+ year career.

With more than a thousand songs registered with BMI, Pollard is up there with R. Stevie Moore as one of the most prolific indie songwriters of the last 50 years. He’s known for banging out great pop ditties at an incredible clip that have all the teenage longing of early Beatles, all the jangle of The Byrds, and all the concision and less-is-more attitude of Wire. In addition to his long run with GBV, which saw the release of Bee Thousand, a cornerstone of 90s indie rock every bit as important to the genre as Slanted & Enchanted, Pollard has released albums under his own name since 1996, and exclusively since GBV’s breakup in 2004. In his first release of 2009, The Crawling Distance, Bob brings ten more tracks of his trademark sound.

On the album’s opener, “Faking My Harlequin,” Pollard sneeringly poses a challenge to a lover as the music chugs and throbs along: “Try not speaking to me, my love.” The hooks come fast and furious on this release, and the surreal lyrics that never seem random or forced but never quite make total sense fit nicely. Pollard has a soft side, too, and “It’s Easy,” a haunting dreamy pop song that brings up comparisons to “I’m Only Sleeping,” confirms that this 51-year old former school teacher is still brimming with creativity. “Imaginary Queen Anne” may be the best cut on the entire album, the best jangle-pop Big Star never wrote.

For those unacquainted with Pollard and Guided by Voices, The Crawling Distance isn’t likely to win over any new converts. But for fans of Uncle Bob, it’s one more in a long history of excellent releases that does nothing to detract from the legacy.

MP3: Robert Pollard - "The Butler Stands for All of Us"

For more information on Robert Pollard, or to purchase his CDs, check here

Dylan Gilbert - The Quiet Life

Dylan Gilbert's newest album The Quiet Life came rolling out in February 2008, almost a year ago. Music is nothing new to Dylan, a Charlotte, NC native who has been writing and performing since an early age. He has already released two full length albums including The Quiet Life, the first being The Artist & The Scientist (Sept 2006), as well as an EP entitled Oh No Oh Now I Know (Dec 2005). A mix of folk, experimental, and pop, The Quiet Life differs from Gilbert's earlier releases, which were based on a more folk-punk sound.

The album starts of with a track called "The Quiet Life", a three minute ditty about growing up and moving away from the lighthearted, untroubled days of youth. The song sets the premise for the album, introduced through lyrics "Safe from the noise of the city I'll keep my mind at ease" that simply state what the artist is missing.

The next few songs continue to please with Dylan's voice manipulation (tracks like, "I'll Plant A Seed" and "Math"); a style all his own that he has developed and grown comfortably into. Tracks like "Before My Egg Hatches," "Darlin' Don't Forget My Name," and "If You Leave Me" stick out with their catchy hooks and instrumentals. Gilbert's style is similar to that of groups like James K. Polk and the Family of Friends, another folk act hailing from NC.

The Quiet Life is the soundtrack that follows your trips back home, from the car ride and diner stops to the midnight coffee runs and everything else along the way. When you get to the last track, "Please Repeat," you'll want to do just that.

Video: Here is the video for Dylan's track "Before My Egg Hatches":


Mp3: Dylan Gilbert - The Quiet Life

Links: Check out Dylan's website here for more information, tour dates, and to purchase his cd.

Upcoming tour dates:
01.24.09 @ The Common Market (Charlotte, NC) [21+]
01.30.09 @ The Midnight Rooster (Hartsville, SC)
02.07.09 @ Legends (Wilkesboro, NC)
02.13.09@ Go! Bar (Athens, GA)
02.15.09 @ Deep South The Bar (Raleigh, NC)
02.19.09 @ The Soapbox (Wilmington, NC)
02.20.09 @ Wonder Root (Atlanta, GA)
03.01.09 @ Tremont Music Hall (Charlotte, NC)
03.12.09 @ Mansion 462 (Chapel Hill, NC)
03.17.09 @ Crossroads Coffee on the App State Univ Campus (Boone, NC)
03.20.09 @ The Evening Muse (Charlotte, NC)
6.06.09 @ Wedding (Johnson City, TN)