Avett Brothers coming to Bayfield, Wis. ... seriously!
The Avett Brothers will make their Big Top debut Friday, July 9, 2010. Tickets for the show are $42.
There is no harmony like brotherly harmony. Something indelible in the weave of voices and play of sensibilities is stamped into the fraternal DNA and also stems from a lifetime of shared experiences. You can clearly hear fraternal magic at work in the songs of Scott and Seth Avett, better known as the Avett Brothers, as well. That magic is abundantly evident on I and Love and You, the Avett Brothers’ big-label debut. Its 13 songs are delivered in a style that defies pigeonholing but might be described as a rootsy amalgam of folk, country, bluegrass, rock and pop - even a jab of punk-style dynamics here and there.
Big Top Chautauqua information, schedules and ticket prices are available at www.bigtop.org or by calling 888-BIG-TENT (888–244-8368). Big Top is located 3 miles south of Bayfield, WI.
~Information courtesy Big Top
Posted by: mperrine@duluthbudgeteer.com on February 08, 2010 at 9:40 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: ashland, avett brothers, bayfield, big top, rick rubin, washburn county, wi, wisconsin
Awesome Mix Tape #63 (in the shake*your*shores series)
... is posted at http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/158781/.
Hopefully you already found it there, though!
Posted by: mperrine@duluthbudgeteer.com on February 02, 2010 at 12:46 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: awesome mix tapes, budge a and e, fly high duluth, music
Slug hosts Rhymesayers' Haiti benefit Feb. 9 at First Avenue
RHYMESAYERS ENTERTAINMENT TO HOST CHARITY BENEFIT FOR HAITI, TUESDAY FEBRUARY 9TH
HOSTED BY SLUG OF ATMOSPHERE AND FEATURING PERFORMANCES FROM BROTHER ALI, FREEWAY & JAKE ONE, SAGE FRANCIS AND MORE AT MINNEAPOLIS' FIRST AVENUE
ALL PROCEEDS TO BE DONATED TO THE EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS OF HAITI
"This is one if the greatest tragedies of our lifetime. It's time for all of us to help the people and families who are suffering." -Brother Ali
Rhymesayers Entertainment & friends are proudly coming together this February 9th, in a time of dire global crisis, to organize a benefit for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. With an all-star lineup assembled for an epic night of music for a good cause, 100% of the proceeds will be donated to charity! Featuring performances from Brother Ali, Freeway & Jake One, Sage Francis & B. Dolan, I Self Devine, Sims, Muja Messiah, Toki Wright, BK One, DJ King Otto and Kevin Beacham, the night will be hosted by Minneapolis' own, Slug of Atmosphere. All of these incredible artists are donating their time and coming together for what will undoubtedly be one of the most memorable nights in 2010. For the bargain price of $20, Rhymesayers will be giving their fans an easy and rewarding way to donate, with all proceeds going to Oxfam America, Doctors Without Borders and Yele Haiti, a foundation started by Grammy-Award winning musician and social entrepreneur Wyclef Jean.
Tickets go on sale this Wednesday, January 27th at 11:00am through Ticketmaster, Fifth Element, First Avenue and local ticket outlets.
Rhymesayers Presents: A Benefit For Haiti
Tuesday, February 9th 2010
First Ave (701 North First Ave, Minneapolis, MN)
7:00 pm / 18+
Hosted by Slug of Atmosphere.
Performances by Brother Ali, Freeway, Sage Francis, Jake One, I Self Devine, Sims, Toki Wright, BK One, B. Dolan, Muja Messiah, Kevin Beacham, and DJ King Otto
$20
"It's embarrassing to admit how unaware I've been of the living conditions in Haiti. And that's before the earthquake hit. I'm honored to be involved with this fundraiser and I'm thankful for the conditions that allow me to be on the giving end of this charity. I trust that our fans feel the same way." -Sage Francis
"The great people of Haiti live in the poorest nation in our hemisphere and have been impacted by the largest disaster in our hemisphere this century. This isn't about charity, this is about
respect for humanity." - Toki Wright
"At this moment Haiti needs the world's assistance. It's a privilege to be a part of something so special. Not only should we assist with donations for aid, food, and water, but let's come together 6 months, a year from now and help with the rebuilding process." - Muja Messiah
~Information courtesy Biz 3
Posted by: mperrine@duluthbudgeteer.com on January 25, 2010 at 1:54 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: atmosphere, benefit, brother ali, budge a and e, concert, first avenue, fly high duluth, haiti, hip-hop, minneapolis, rhymesayers, sage francis, slug
Gorillaz is back! Gorillaz is back!
Plastic Beach the new album from Gorillaz, will be released by Virgin on 9 March, 2010.
The album is preceded by first single Stylo (featuring Mos Def and Bobby Womack) which will receive its radio broadcast premiere tonight and will be available for download January 26.
When reached with news of the leak that pushed up the premiere of the "Stylo" single, Gorillaz bass god Murdoc Niccals ranted via Twitter http://twitter.com/MurdocGorillaz: "A leak! A leak! Plastic Beach has sprung a leak! One of those Russian pirates has put a bullet hole in my island! My single's leaked! STYLO!"
Five years on from the release of Demon Days, Murdoc and co. return with Plastic Beach. The band have taken up residence, recording on a secret floating island deep in the South Pacific, a Plastic Beach HQ, made up of the detritus, debris and washed up remnants of humanity. This Plastic Beach is the furthest point from any landmass on Earth; the most deserted spot on the planet.
The world's biggest animated band, Gorillaz formed in 1998, and have since sold 12 million copies over two albums Gorillaz (2000) and Demon Days (2005). They have hit number 1 in more than a dozen countries and picked up awards including Grammys, Novellos, VMAs and EMAs.
The Gorillaz' return will be marked by a headline appearance at this year's Coachella festival. The Sunday April 18 performance will be the first Gorillaz live spectacle on U.S. soil since the awe-inspiring Demon Days Live run in April 2006 at New York's Apollo Theater.
Plastic Beach is produced by Gorillaz.
The full tracklisting is as follows:
1. Orchestral Intro (featuring Sinfonia ViVA)
2. Welcome To The World Of The Plastic Beach (feat. Snoop Dogg & Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)
3. White Flag (feat. Kano, Bashy & The National Orchestra For Arabic Music)
4. Rhinestone Eyes
5. Stylo (feat. Bobby Womack & Mos Def)
6. Superfast Jellyfish (feat. Gruff Rhys & De La Soul)
7. Empire Ants (feat. Little Dragon)
8. Glitter Freeze (feat. Mark E Smith)
9. Some Kind Of Nature (feat. Lou Reed)
10. On Melancholy Hill
11. Broken
12. Sweepstakes (feat. Mos Def & Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)
13. Plastic Beach (feat. Mick Jones & Paul Simonon)
14. To Binge (feat. Little Dragon)
15. Cloud Of Unknowing (feat. Bobby Womack and Sinfonia ViVA)
16. Pirate Jet
Posted by: mperrine@duluthbudgeteer.com on January 20, 2010 at 1:34 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Tags: ae fyi, blogs, blur, budge a and e, damon albarn, de la soul, demon days, fly high duluth, gorillaz, lou reed, mos def, plastic beach, snoop dogg
Rhymesayers, Freeway and Jake One one-up George W.
I don't care much for Freeway's rhymes, but this is pretty cool:
In anticipation of the February 16, 2010 release of FREEWAY & JAKE ONE "The Stimulus Package", Rhymesayers' flagship store, Fifth Element is following suit in Freeway's efforts to stimulate the Hip-Hop industry. Everyone who pre-orders "The Stimulus Package" at www.fifthelementonline.com will receive a stimulus check courtesy of the Fifth Element. Each will ship to recipients separate from the album and bonus mixtapes. The Fifth Element stimulus checks will be good for 15% off any purchase at Fifth Element. Upping the value, Freeway and Jake One will personally sign each check which will be individually printed with the name of the recipient directly on the 'pay to the order of' line. Checks will be mailed separate from the album and bonus mixtapes. Envelopes will be adorned with limited edition Freeway & Jake One Stimulus Package postage stamps.
-> Read my review of Jake One's "White Van Music" here. <-
All who pre-order will automatically be entered to win $100.00. This is a straight cash prize, a crisp Benjamin gifted as part of Freeway's Stimulus Package. Fifth Element would like to increase the chances of those who pre-order by drawing not one, but five winners! Giving away a total of $500.00 in the Hip-Hop Recovery and Reinvestment Act initiative. Winners may use prize money as they wish, towards Fifth Element, Rhymesayers, or to support Hip-Hop in any way they see fit. The theme of this release is to appreciate and pay it forward. Freeway and Fifth Element would like to thank their fans and customers for their continued support, and what better way than giving away cold hard cash.
Fifth Element has decided to do their part in The Stimulus Package by adding two more bonus items for those who pre-order. In addition to receiving the Freeway & Jake One "The Stimulus Package", personalized FE stimulus check, and entry into a cash prize drawing, each pre-order will get Freeway's most recent mixtapes (while supplies last). The first, The Beat Made Me Do It [Freeway over Jake One beats]. The second, Freelapse [Freeway over Eminem beats]. Freeway, Jake One, album featured artists: Birdman, Raekwon, Beanie Sigel, Young Chris, Bun B, Latoiya Williams, Mr. Porter, Omilio Sparks and mixtapes with production from Jake One and Eminem. Freeway has brought a posse along for the ride. This Fifth Element pre-order package is a don't miss opportunity. Visit www.fifthelementonline.com to pre-order Freeway & Jake One "The Stimulus Package".
~Information courtesy RSE
Posted by: mperrine@duluthbudgeteer.com on January 18, 2010 at 11:43 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: arts and entertainment, budge a and e, cd, freeway, hip-hop, jake one, music, rap, record, rhymesayers, stimulus check
Doomtree's P.O.S. announces headlining tour
It's been quite a year for Rhymesayers recording artist P.O.S - Never Better marked the third album from this Minneapolis rapper, which appeared on multiple year end lists including Spin's "Top 10 Best Album You Might Have Missed" and MySpace's Top 50. After four videos (Drumroll, Optimist, Purexed, Never Better), a cover of Pearl Jam’s “Why Go”, MTV2 Discover and Download artist nod, a solo cup performance at the MTVu Woodies and non-stop touring it doesn’t look like P.O.S. will be slowing down anytime soon. He'll hit the road in February on a two month "Every Never Is Now" headlining tour. Full list of confirmed dates is below.
If you slept on Never Better back when it was released in February, don't sweat it. You still have time to get hip to one of the year's best releases before the year is over. Never Better combines a unique, powerful blend of rock, punk and hip hop that's appealing to a wide range of musical tastes. Just ask Kanye West and Pete Wentz, they dig.
"Every Never Is Now" Headlining Tour
w/Grieves, Dessa
2/2/10 Lawrence KS Jackpot
2/4/10 Colorado Springs CO Black Sheep
2/5/10 Denver CO The Marquis Theatre
2/6/10 Salt Lake City UT Kilby Court
2/7/10 Salt Lake City UT Urban Lounge
2/8/10 Boise ID Knitting Factory
2/9/10 Missoula MT Badlander
2/11/10 Vancouver BC CANADA The Biltmore Cabaret
2/12/10 Seattle WA Nectar Lounge
2/13/10 Portland OR Berbati's Pan
2/14/10 Eugene OR WOW Hall
2/16/10 Reno NV Tonic Lounge
2/18/10 San Francisco CA Bottom Of The Hill
2/19/10 West Hollywood CA The Troubadour
2/20/10 San Diego CA The Loft - UCSD
2/21/10 Pomona CA The Glass House
2/22/10 Scottsdale AZ Chasers
2/23/10 Tucson AZ Club Congress
2/24/10 Albuquerque NM Launchpad
w/Dessa, Astonautalis
2/26/10 Austin TX Red 7
2/27/10 Denton TX Hailey
2/28/10 New Orleans LA The Parish Room - HOB
3/2/10 Tallahassee FL Club Downunder
3/3/10 Orlando FL Backbooth
3/4/10 Atlanta GA The Masquerade
3/5/10 Chapel Hill NC Local 506
3/6/10 Washington DC DC9
3/7/10 Philadelphia PA First Unitarian Church
3/9/10 New York NY Bowery Ballroom
3/10/10 Cambridge MA Middle East Downstairs
3/11/10 Portland ME Space
3/12/10 Burlington VT Higher Ground Showcase Lounge
3/13/10 Montreal QC CANADA II motore
3/14/10 Toronto ON CANADA Sneaky Dee's
3/16/10 Pontiac MI The Pike Room at Crofoot Ballroom
3/17/10 Cleveland Heights OH Grog Shop
3/18/10 Chicago IL The Bottom Lounge
3/19/10 Madison WI High Noon Saloon
3/20/10 Milwaukee WI Turner Hall
~Information courtesy Independent Label Group
Posted by: mperrine@duluthbudgeteer.com on December 22, 2009 at 10:58 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Tags: concerts, dessa, doomtree, grieves, hip-hop, pos, rap, rhymesayers, shows, tour
Owl City coming to Minneapolis May 1
New York, NY – Owl City announces a Spring headlining tour of the US kicking off on March 30th in Boise, ID and hitting every major US market including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, Denver, DC and more before ending on May 2nd in Milwaukee. The tour will come on the heels of a headlining tour of Europe and the UK as well as a tour of Australia where they’ll be joining up with Cobra Starship. In addition, the Spring headlining tour will be Owl City’s second Stateside headlining tour in 2010 as the band is heading out on a sold out Winter tour in January.
As the band gears up for a busy 2010, Owl City can reflect on what has been an unbelievably successful 2009. Ocean Eyes was recently certified gold in the US and the first single “Fireflies” has sold more than 2 million copies making it double platinum. “Fireflies” also hit the #1 position on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart twice and went #1 on iTunes in the US, Canada, Denmark, Holland and New Zealand. In addition, the video for “Fireflies” found fans at MTV, FUSE and VH1 where it is currently the #1 Most Played video on the channel and the band established themselves as a viable live act thanks to sold out headlining tours of the US, China and Japan – making this small town artist an international phenomenon.
Additionally, Owl City earned numerous accolades from the media over the past six months. He was featured in Rolling Stone who said “…Ocean Eyes is filled with appealing dreamy electro-pop…,” USA Today who wrote “…Young belongs to a grand pop-music tradition – the bedroom musical savant,” and Entertainment Weekly who said “Young’s album Ocean Eyes contains quite a few catchy tunes, so we’re betting radio programmers won’t be leaving Owl City soon” and post Owl City’s NYC show in September Rob Harvilla at the Village Voice wrote “Owl City…gets a more intense reaction from a Bowery Ballroom crowd than even Nine Inch Nails did…too infectious to resist.” He’s also graced the covers of HITS and Pollstar and was featured in the New York Times, NME, and Billboard who have been incredible supportive since the beginning.
Confirmed Spring headlining US tour dates are listed below and for a complete list of Owl City tour dates please visit www.owlcitymusic.com.
March 30th Knitting Factory Boise, ID
31st Knitting Factory Spokane, WA
April 1st Paramount Theater Seattle, WA
3rd Roseland Theater Portland, OR
5th Fillmore San Francisco, CA
6th Fillmore San Francisco, CA
7th Fox Theater Pomona, CA
8th Soma San Diego, CA
9th Club Nokia Los Angeles, CA
10th Marquee Phoenix, AZ
12th Salt Air Salt Lake City, UT
13th Ogden Denver, CO
15th Stubbs Austin, TX
17th Nokia Theater Dallas, TX
19th War Memorial Nashville, TN
20th Tabernacle Atlanta, GA
22nd DAR Hall Washington, D.C.
23rd House of Blues Boston, MA
24th Terminal 5 New York, NY
25th Electric Factory Philadelphia, PA
28th House of Blues Cleveland, OH
29th Royal Oak Detroit, MI
30th Riviera Theatre Chicago, IL
May 1st State Theater Minneapolis, MN
2nd Eagle Ballroom Milwaukee, WI
~Information courtesy Stunt Company
Posted by: mperrine@duluthbudgeteer.com on December 21, 2009 at 11:29 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: ae fyi, concert, live, minneapolis, music, owl city, state theater
New Danger Mouse project Broken Bells unveiled
James Mercer and Brian Burton a/k/a Danger Mouse have completed work on the first album by their new and ongoing band Broken Bells. The album, also titled Broken Bells, will be released by Columbia Records March 9, 2010.
The album features 10 melodically seductive and psychologically provocative songs co-written and performed by Mercer and Burton. Titles include "The High Road," "Vaporize," "Your Head Is On Fire," "The Ghost Inside," "Sailing to Nowhere," "Trap Doors," "Citizen," "The Mall and Misery" and more.
Broken Bells features Mercer on vocals, guitars and bass while Burton plays organ, drums, piano, synths and bass. The pair play all the instruments on the album with the exception of a full string section arranged by Daniele Luppi. Broken Bells was recorded by Todd Monfalcone and Kennie Takahashi at Mondo Studio in Los Angeles and produced by Burton.
Each a long-time fan of the other's work, Burton and Mercer first met face-to-face backstage at the 2004 Roskilde Festival in
Copenhagen. The pair immediately hit it off and kept in touch over the prevailing half decade and in May 2008 seized the opportunity to finally collaborate on original music together. Once in the studio, the musical floodgates opened, an intuitive ease and seemingly ego-less telepathy producing an astonishing flow of new material over the course of a year. From more than 20 pieces of new music written and recorded, Broken Bells was assembled from 10 songs that coalesced together the most seamlessly.
* * * * *
Brian Burton a/k/a Danger Mouse has been nominated for 11 Grammy Awards, as both an artist and a producer, winning two in 2006 -- Best Alternative Music Album (St. Elsewhere) and Best Urban/Alternative Performance ("Crazy") -- for his work with Cee-Lo as Gnarls Barkley. Picked by Esquire magazine as one of the "75 most influential people of the 21st century," Burton has previously collaborated with a range of artists including Beck, Gorillaz, the Black Keys and others.
James Mercer is best known as the founder, principle songwriter and frontman of the Shins. The Portland OR-based group's massively successful third album, Wincing the Night Away, debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart in January 2007, becoming the highest charting album to have ever been released solely on the iconic SubPop label before its nomination for the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album.
Mercer and Burton previously worked together on the track, "Insane Lullaby," a song appearing on the Dark Night of the Soul multi-
artist collaboration with David Lynch.
Mercer and Burton will continue to work as a band in the future.
~Information courtesy Nasty Little Man
Posted by: mperrine@duluthbudgeteer.com on December 15, 2009 at 2:34 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: album, brian burton, broken bells, collaboration, danger mouse, duo, gnarls barkley, james mercer, music, record
Awesome Mix Tape #62 (in the shake*your*shores series)
Submitted for the approval of the Mix Tape Appreciation Society, I humbly present "Angels Live in My Town." (Note to self: Read this mix tape's awesome uncensored commentary at http://www.flyhighduluth.com/2009/12/awesome-mix-tape-62-in-shakeyourshores.html.)
1. Everclear - "White Noise"
2. The Pink Spiders - "Back to the Middle"
3. The Killers - "Sweet Talk"
4. The Watson Twins - "Savin' You"
5. Islands - "Vapours"
6. Boys Noize - "Jeffer"
7. Ash - "Return of White Rabbit"
8. Colourmusic - "You Can Call Me By My Name"
9. The Phenomenal Handclap Band - "15 to 20 (Den Haan Remix)"
10. Zack Martin - "The Trapper"
11. Weezer - "In the Mall"
12. The Mother Hips - "White Falcon Fuzz"
13. Built to Spill - "Hindsight"
14. Atmosphere - "Mattress"
15. Bob Dylan - "To Ramona"
16. Breathe Owl Breathe - "Linda"
17. The Pixies - "Manta Ray"
18. Cars & Trucks - "Too Bad So Sad"
19. Beulah - "Silver Lining"
20. Sloan - "Last Time in Love"
21. Marching Band - "For Your Love"
22. Dressy Bessy - "Princess"
23. Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - "Contrabando de Amor"
24. Gogol Bordello - "Wonderlust King" [Live at the BBC]
Thus concludes your sixty-second dose of SHAKE*YOUR*SHORES, the awesome mix tape series formerly known as "Don't Tell a Soul." Hope you enjoyed it!
Posted by: mperrine@duluthbudgeteer.com on December 02, 2009 at 10:01 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: arts and entertainment, awesome mix tapes, blogs, budge a and e, fly high duluth, indie rock, music
Bill Jones to leave KQDS (and Duluth altogether)
KQ MORNING SHOW HOST AND O.M. BILL JONES LEAVING DULUTH
Management Changes Take Place at Red Rock Radio with New Morning Show to Debut in January Bill Jones, co-host of the popular KQ Morning Show and Operations Manager for Red Rock Radio Duluth’s 8 radio properties has announced he is leaving the market.
“As of Dec. 15, I will no longer be a part of the KQ Morning Show. It is with mixed feelings that I make this announcement as I will be sad to leave KQ and Duluth, but excited at the opportunity to do new things outside of broadcasting,” said Bill Jones.
Jones has been with KQDS-FM since the mid-1990’s and has been Operations Manager for the past 11 years. He has been co-host of the popular KQ Morning Show with Bill Jones and Jason Manning during that time. The KQ Morning Show has been the No. 1 morning radio program in Duluth/Superior with adults and men 25-54 since 1999.
“We will miss Bill and the energy he brought to the morning show over these many years,”said Red Rock Radio Vice President and General Manager Shawn Skramstad. “We are excited about the new morning show that will debut in January, and think that the very best of what the KQ Morning Show is all about will provide for an almost seamless transition.”
Morning show co-host Jason Manning will become KQDS-FM Program Director, while Tom Roubik takes over as Red Rock Radio Operations Manager.
The new version of the KQ Morning Show will debut on January 4, 2010 with more details to be announced soon.
~Information courtesy Red Rock Radio
Posted by: mperrine@duluthbudgeteer.com on December 02, 2009 at 3:33 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: arts and entertainment, bill jones, budge a and e, classic rock, duluth, fm, jason manning, kqds, life, radio, red rock radio, tom roubik
Cloud Cult preps double-disc reissue w/ bonus tracks!
Cloud Cult Announce the December 8th Release of a Double-Disc Reissue – They Live on the Sun (2003) and Aurora Borealis (2004) – Remixed, Remastered and with Bonus Tracks!
New York, NY – On December 8th, 2009 Cloud Cult will release a double-disc reissue of They Live on the Sun (2003) and Aurora Borealis (2004) – two of their earliest albums. These two home recorded releases have been re-envisioned, remixed and remastered for the first time by Cloud Cult's Craig Minowa and this special double-disc release will contain previously unreleased bonus tracks. The albums, which are now out of print and could only be purchased at live gigs and select Independent record stores, will be available for the first time nationwide and fans can take advantage of a presale on the band’s web site in late November – www.cloudcult.com.
Cloud Cult’s lead singer/songwriter Craig Minowa created these albums during 18 months of seclusion at his Northern Minnesota organic farm after his two-year-old son passed away unexpectedly in 2002. Originally released on the band’s own Earthology Records, they were mainly available on a local level due to a shoe-string credit card budget. Despite the limited distribution, They Live on the Sun landed on Pitchfork’s 2004 Year-End “Found Sound column” and was put into rotation at KEXP, while Aurora Borealis climbed to the Top 5 on KEXP. In addition, both albums found fans at college radio across the US and The Live on the Sun even surpassed major label releases on many stations including Radiohead's Hail to the Thief.
2004 Pitchfork Year-End “Found Sound”
“They Live on the Sun is a sweeping indie epic.”
Pitchfork--Marc Hogan
“Like Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Aurora Borealis is the rare album that has the musical merit to match its great making-of story. Confident, mature, honest, inventive, eclectic, and unremittingly catchy: Minowa's fourth release deserves all the adjectives befitting a classic album.” – PopMatters
All of the attention these early albums received helped this Minneapolis band break out onto the national scene and it only seems fitting that they reissue these releases as the band is gearing up to hit the road in Spring of 2010 after taking their longest break from touring in 6 years. A self -imposed hiatus, the break gave Craig and his wife Connie time to adjust to being parents again as they welcomed a new addition to their family this October.
Cloud Cult has gone on to sell more than 30,000 copies of its follow-up releases, despite turning down major label offers along the way. In addition, they’ve just ended a very busy year where they played Coachella for the first time, made their late night TV debut on Last Call with Carson Daly and co-headlined a nationwide tour with Margot and The Nuclear So and So’s. Following the reissue this Winter and the Spring 2010 tour, the band is gearing up for a new album release in the Fall of 2010 – so please stay tuned for more news in the near future.
~Information courtesy Stunt Company
Posted by: mperrine@duluthbudgeteer.com on November 04, 2009 at 12:23 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: ae fyi, arts and entertainment, bonus tracks, budge a and e, cloud cult, duluth, expanded editions, flaming lips, music, reissue
Mojo Nixon free MP3 extravaganza ends Oct. 28
ORCHARD ARTIST MOJO NIXON SURPASSES ONE MILLION FREE DOWNLOADS ON AMAZON MP3
New Album and Entire Past Catalog Were Made Available for Free Download During Special Two-Week Promotion; Promotion Showcases The Orchard's Position as an Innovator In the Music Space
New York, NY - October 27, 2009: On October 6th, in support and celebration of the release of Mojo Nixon's latest album "Whiskey Rebellion", The Orchard, a full service media company specializing in the distribution of music and video entertainment, announced that Mojo's entire catalog would be available to download at no cost, exclusively from Amazon MP3. Since this announcement, the promotion has led to more than one million downloads of Mojo's music. As an innovative promotional tool to expose new and existing Mojo fans to his vast body of work, the free downloads are available at www.amazon.com/mojo until October 28th.
"The successful execution of this pioneering promotion has generated tremendous awareness for Mojo," said Brad Navin, EVP and General Manager of The Orchard. "This is a showcase of how The Orchard, as a nimble and forward-thinking company, has the ability to orchestrate trendsetting promotions for our clients. The success of this promotion will be measured by its long-term benefits, not the short-term risks, and our expectation is that it will generate sales momentum."
Mojo Nixon's current catalog includes 11 albums and 144 tracks. The downloads for this music during the two weeks of the Amazon promotional period amounted to a 23,000% increase from paid downloads across all digital retail networks in the United States during the first half of 2009.
BigChampagne, a technology-driven media measurement company that analyzes the trends of popular entertainment media, reported that the number of users and corresponding volume of files stayed pretty consistent overall on P2P sites during the two week Amazon promotion that began October 6th. In August and September, the average volume of files on P2P networks was 35,000 and in the first week of the promotion, there was 13% increase on the networks, but this fell back down to around 35,000 the following week.
"The success of this promotion is demonstrated by the numbers," commented Eric Garland, CEO of BigChampagne. "As a result of the giveaway, Mojo's online popularity is spiking across key indicators. It's also worth noting that there has been no concurrent increase in piracy of Mojo's material. Free Amazon MP3 downloads now completely dwarf the unauthorized flow of his catalog."
Mojo Nixon, remarking on his career and lack of digital marketing skills, said:
"Great googley moogley. I'm almost speechless. A million Mojo songs stirring up trouble across this great land. I'm a cult artist and apparently I've grown the cult and made the cult happy. A little blast of joy in these dark and desperate times. A retired lunatic with no Facebook, no Twitter, no MySpace or tour. Not even an e-mail list. Never underestimate the power of the Mojosity. The true sound of the American nutjob is forever. You can't kill rock 'n roll. The question is--did I lose a million dollars or gain a million fans?"
About Mojo Nixon
Mojo Nixon is currently a full-time on-air personality on Sirius XM Satellite radio hosting a daily music show on the Outlaw Country channel, a weekly political talk show on the Raw Dog Comedy Channel and a weekly racing show on the NASCAR channel. Bruce Springsteen has called him "The King Of The DJs."
Mojo is coming out of retirement for a tour to support Whiskey Rebellion. The tour includes a total of two shows in Texas with his backing band The Toadliquors. On Friday November 6th he will be performing at The Continental Club in Austin and Saturday November 7th at The Continental Club in Houston. Dash Rip Rock and New Duncan Imperials will support both shows.
Mojo Nixon released his first album in 1985. He has shared the stage with artists ranging from Dead Kennedys, The Pogues and The Butthole Surfers to Koko Taylor, Jerry Lee Lewis and Ali Farka Toure. He officially retired from touring in 2004. He was the unofficial captain of the medal winning 1998 US Olympic Luge team. In one week he appeared on a cover story in the Wall Street Journal while also appearing nude in Future Sex Magazine. A column he once wrote for Hustler Magazine was censored for inappropriate material. He has appeared in several bad movies. He debated Pat Buchanan on Crossfire. Don Henley once joined him onstage to sing along with the song Don Henley Must Die. He has surprisingly never been shot or arrested. He has been named Drunk of the Month by Modern Drunkard Magazine. He has performed in Moosejaw, Sasketchewan. In 2009 he was very surprised to find a shoe box under his front porch with 17 cassettes of unreleased songs.
~Information courtesy The Orchard
Posted by: mperrine@duluthbudgeteer.com on October 27, 2009 at 11:07 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: ae fyi, amazon, budge a and e, downloads, free, mojo nixon, mp3, music
First impressions of … Islands’ ‘Vapours’
An “impromptu” track-by-track review of Nick Diamonds’ latest album-of-the-year contender by Matthew R. Perrine:
Islands releases just belong on the open road.
To be fair, I’m probably more than a little biased. My first “moment” with the genius of frontman Nick Diamonds was listening to the second Islands outing, “Arm’s Way,” while traversing up and down Highway 53 late last winter. I was covering the new Bob Dylan exhibit at Ironworld — sorry, Minnesota Discovery Center — but my excitement for that wonderful ode to Duluth’s most famous native son somehow took the backseat to the enthralling sounds being produced by my Canadian “co-pilot”: That Islands record was all at once epic (the Who-y “In the Rushes”), clever (“Kids Don’t Know S---”) and, with songs like “Pieces of You,” unabashedly powerful.
It was deep enough to keep me entertained on a roadtrip but exciting enough to keep me from dozing off and taking out a few mailboxes. That is, it was the perfect highway companion.
Since that unforgettable afternoon and evening, I’ve since discovered the rest of Diamonds’ acclaimed output: the Islands debut, “Return to the Sea,” and the Human Highway side project. So, needless to say, I was more than a little excited to hear “Vapours,” which finds Islands welcoming Jamie Thompson back into the fold. (Thompson left the group after the release of “Return to the Sea.”)
Here are my thoughts on the new one, whose tracks, regrettably, haven’t been “road tested” yet:
1. “Switched On”
Stop sweating. While most of the mid-2000s “It” bands have proven to be just flashes in the pan, Islands is in it for the long haul: Not only is “Switched On” a beautiful continuation of the ever-expanding soundscape that was “Army’s Way,” it also manages to pull off a more accessible vibe, which should land the Canadian group some new legions of listeners.
2. “No You Don’t”
Wow, listen to that intro — Michael Jackson would be so proud! Diamonds and company are really taking Islands in bold new directions: After those “Thriller”-worthy opening notes, “No You Don’t” incorporates ear-pleasing elements of some of today’s favorite throwback genres (reggae, ’80s pop).
3. “Vapours”
This grooves like old-school Elvis Costello and the Attractions, and then there’s that brazen brass section … I’m starting to subscribe to Diamonds’ assertion that “Islands are forever.” These tracks will surely be pumping on my stereo for years to come.
Another chance accolade: This is the best title track in some time.
4. “Devout”
Given the booty-shaking foundation this one sits on, a quick DFA remix and “Devout” will be rattling all the world’s dance floors in no time.
5. “Disarming the Car Bomb”
If this is an attempt at getting political, I’m not hearing it, because I’m too busy concentrating on ways to describe this expertly-pieced-together gem: Take any ubiquitous Robert Palmer backing track, throw in some of those guitar riffs preferred by Frank Black and … oh, hell, just go listen to it. No amount of flowery prose will effectively get across how amazing this track is.
6. “Tender Torture”
Again, is this about foreign wars? Or tickling? Nevermind, it doesn’t matter; this is simply midtempo gold. If Moby were to produce more rock bands (or any…), there’d be a lot more mood-elevating No. 1 shots in the world sounding just like this.
7. “Shining”
Kind of a snoozer, though, to be fair, there’s a buildup near the “dénouement” that’s at least a little rewarding.
8. “On Foreigner”
A strange little piece of tape. Did this psychedelic reel escape from the Flaming Lips’ acid-washed “Embryonic” by chance?
That’s not to unfairly dismiss this dreamlike affair, however, as it possesses impressive parallels to Danny Elfman’s Tim Burton-related body of work (the “Edward Scissorhands” theme in particular). I approve.
9. “Heartbeat”
Auto-Tune? Why? Is this some kind of “Gotcha!” response to Kanye West’s polarizing “808s & Heartbreak” album and its “Heartless” single?
Funny, I say that now, but this will probably be the one that lands Islands those aforementioned legions of fans. Which they deserve.
So, I guess, go on with your bad selves….
10. “The Drums”
Swimming in reverb, this is a fine return to form. Fans of Björk’s 1995 electronic pop masterpiece “Post” will find much to love here.
11. “EOL”
Perhaps a nod to the genius of Jeff Lynne, this track features a number of the tricks he employed with Electric Light Orchestra (or ELO, for those of you without any game). There are circling percussion grooves, crunchy guitar bits that sound as if they were molded in a more-adventurous 1950s and, evocative of that beloved group’s underrated 1981 album “Time,” trancelike synths that dance around in the background.
12. “Everything is Under Control”
Have you ever stood on the edge of an ocean — or, hey, maybe one of the Great Lakes — during a blustery storm and studied the crashing waves with such detached amazement that you totally forgot about all of life’s little problems? Good, because A) everyone needs a little release sometimes and B) this song is expansive enough to allow you to recapture that feeling and live it again and again, no matter where you are. Now that is a powerful piece of rock and roll music.
Listen to tracks from “Vapours” at www.myspace.com/islands.
Matthew R. Perrine (aka me, the guy wrote this) is a reporter for the Duluth Budgeteer News. Read his regular Arts & Entertainment coverage at www.duluth.com.
Posted by: mperrine@duluthbudgeteer.com on October 21, 2009 at 3:25 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: arts and entertainment, budge a and e, cd review, islands, life, music, nick diamonds, rock
Former UWS students star in 'The Fourth Wall'
In conjunction with UW-Superior Alumni Days Events, and in honor of Professor John D. Munsell's induction into the UW-Superior Communicating Arts Wall of Service, Rubber Chicken Theater is working in cooperation with University Theatre to present an All UWS Theatre Alumni production of the comedy The Fourth Wall by A. R. Gurney. The Fourth Wall will be performed at the Experimental Theatre inside the Holden Fine and Applied Arts Center on Catlin Avenue and 19th Street on the UW-Superior campus. (For maps and directions to campus, go online to www.uwsuper.edu/directions). The show will be performed on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, October 8, 9, and 10 at 8pm. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors, and $5 for current UWS students and can be reserved by calling (218) 213-2780 and are also available at the door.
The Fourth Wall is set in the year 2002, after the election of George W. Bush. Peggy, who has slightly leftist leanings, has redecorated the living room and her husband, Roger, can't stand it. Everything faces one wall, the "fourth wall", which she has left bare (and which is really the audience). Unable to cope any further, Roger calls in Peggy's old friend, Julia, from New York. Julia agrees that something strange is going on, especially since everyone who enters the room begins to behave as if they were acting in a play. Finally, Roger calls in a local community college theatre professor named Floyd to doctor Peggy's "play" and bring it to a close. But that doesn't work so well either as Floyd agrees with Peggy and urges her to bring her play to its ultimate conclusion.
The Fourth Wall stars the following UWS Theatre Alumni: Betsy Gregg (class of 2009), Victoria Main (class of 1986), Brian Matuszak (class of 1987), and Joe Zastrow (class of 2004). It is being directed by UWS Theatre alum Merry Renn Vaughan (class of 1987). Costumes are being designed by Bobbie Lamaere (class of 1984), and piano accompaniment is being provided by David Saffert (class of 1997).
The show is being produced to honor John D. Munsell, a long-time UWS Theatre professor who retired in 2001 and is revered by many of his past students which include Brian Matuszak, Merry Renn Vaughan, David Saffert, Bobbie Lamaere and Victoria Main. Victoria is currently a professional actress living in the Twin Cities who has come up specifically to work on this show and be a part of the weekend's alumni festivities.
For more information on The Fourth Wall, please see below"
WHO: Rubber Chicken Theater
WHAT: The Fourth Wall by A. R. Gurney
WHERE: Experimental Theatre inside the Holden Fine and Applied Arts Center on Catlin Avenue and 19th Street on the UW-Superior campus.
WHEN: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, October 8, 9, and 10 at 8pm
TICKETS: $15.00 adults, $10 students/seniors, $5 current UWS students
INFO: (218) 213-2780 or email Brian@RubberChickenTheater.com
PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured left to right, back row first: Floyd (Brian Matuszak), Roger (Joe Zastrow), Julia (Victoria Main) and Peggy (Betsy Gregg) all wonder what lies beyond the infamous fourth wall.
~Image and information courtesy Rubber Chicken
Posted by: mperrine@duluthbudgeteer.com on September 30, 2009 at 4:47 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: ae fyi, alumni, brian matuszak, budge a and e, budgeteer, comedy, rubber chicken, theater, theatre, uws
Droppin' some hot, fresh mix tape action on you
over at http://www.flyhighduluth.com/2009/09/awesome-mix-tape-60-in-shakeyourshores.html
Posted by: mperrine@duluthbudgeteer.com on September 27, 2009 at 9:47 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: awesome mix tapes, compilation, indie boredom, indie crap, indie pop, indie rock, looner, music
