The Ostgut heavyweight spans 1984 to 2010 in this broad-ranging selection for Fact. Steve Poindexter, Drexciya and Redshape are among the many treats.

Arizona based band What Laura Says has been busy gearing up for the release of its second album, Bloom Cheek, due out June 8 on Raleigh, NC-based label Terpsikhore Records. The band is known for its mix of blues, Americana, indie and pop sounds to create something both vintage and contemporary in sound. The group is currently on tour with Annuals and The Most Serene Republic.

Visit the band's website here.

Tour Dates:
May
19 Austin, TX - Emo’s Alternative Lounge
20 Houston, TX - Mango’s Café
21 Denton, TX - Hailey’s
23 St. Louis, MO - Old Rock House

June
15 Washington, D.C. - Dc9
16 Philadelphia, PA - North Star Bar
17 Allston, MA - Great Scott
18 Brooklyn, NY - Knitting Factory
19 Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell’s
20 New York, NY - Mercury Lounge

Monday 17 May 2010

Short review:

A beautiful journey southwards – Sudakshini is the title of Anoushka Shankar’s latest venture. An entirely acoustic project consisting of the majestic traditional ragas to newly composed ones including those created by her guru and father, Ravi Shankar.

The evening was a testament to exploring the affiliation between traditional northern and southern styles of Indian classical music. Accompanying Anoushka, were Ravichandra Kulur on Bansuri (Flute) and Kanjira, Pirashanna Thevarajah on the Mridangam, Kanjira and Ghatam, Nick Able on the Tanpura and the absolutely phenomenal maestro Tanmoy Bose on the tabla, making it an unforgettable experience.

Birmingham Town hall is not a big venue at all, with a maximum capacity of just over a thousand people; it was a good choice for the type gig. The stage was bathed in shades of purple and pink lighting, the atmosphere – tense, waiting to be graced by the presence of the supremely talented daughter of legendary sitar maestro Ravi Shankar.

I had seen Anoushka perform twice before but with Nitin Sawhney at the BBC Proms in 2007 and then again at the BBC Electric Proms in 2008. However this performance was very different, it was more elegant and beautiful. The show was split in two; the first half consisted of a classical performance of ragas kicked off with Madhukauns, played so elegantly it was like evoking beauty and romance subtly accompanied by Tanmoy Bose to complete the composition.

This below clip piece was also performed but the Violin was replaced with a Bansuri (Flute) Stunning!!!

Anoushka was tranquil, precise and graceful with her music. Like most Indian classical musicians I’ve seen perform, she too had that divine relationship with her Sitar – as she performed she swayed and catching her emotive and expressive facial expressions while she was playing. Like breathing life into each raga as she unfolds and expands it – simply enjoyable to watch.

The second half was more experimental, you’d thinking, hmm, electronic sounds or whipping out a Macbook Pro but nope, it was more about using other instruments in such to create such an incredible array of sounds to tickle the ears. The final set was so intense! Amalgamating the Sitar, Flute, Mridangam, Tanpura and Tabla and creating an interspersed yet coordinated dialogue between all the instruments given each musician an opportunity to display their amazing talents! WOW! … Truly an ear bending piece to finish off with …

Father and Daughter …

Despite looking like a long lost clip from the 80s, "Forever and Ever Amen" is actually the latest video from Brooklyn based indie pop collective, The Drums.

Featuring an array of (super!) awkward dance moves, high-water pants, straight cut bangs and a gang of well dressed child hoodlums, I guess something's do withstand the test of time.

The Drums' self-titled debut drops June 7th on Moshi Moshi.

Enjoy at FILTERmagazine.com

Get a feel for the young Third Ear producer's live show, with this extended footage captured late last year at Berlin's Tape Club.

Three years since their last album, Portland trio Menomena are gearing up to release Mines this summer.  Out July 27th via Barsuk, all eleven songs on the LP are spelled in capital letters.

Stream "FIVE LITTLE ROOMS" on Pitchfork.

Track List:
QUEEN BLACK ACID
TAOS
KILLEMALL
DIRTY CARTOONS
TITHE
BOTE
LUNCHMEAT
OH PRETTY BOY, YOU'RE SUCH A BIG BOY
FIVE LITTLE ROOMS
SLEEPING BEAUTY
INTIL

Dear The Black Keys,

You're awesome!

Love,
FILTER

Enjoy at FILTERmagazine.com

The ever-so-eclectic Ryan Adams has released his "first fully-realized sci-fi metal concept album", according to his newsletter.  ORION, was recorded in 2006 and features artwork by Away (Michael Langevin from metal band Voivod).  Pick up the limited edition clear vinyl at his official site now, as the album won't be released on CD.  Check out the track, "Electro Snake" below.

ORION Track List:
Signal Fade
Imminent Galactic War
Disappyramid
Fire Away
Defenders of the Galaxy
Fire and Ice
By Force
Ghorgon, Master of War
Ariel
Electro Snake
Victims of the Ice Brigade
2,000 Ships
End of Days

ORION . ELECTROSNAKE by ryanadams

The ever-so-eclectic Ryan Adams is gearing up to release his "first fully-realized sci-fi metal concept album", according to his newsletter.  ORION, was recorded in 2006 and features artwork by Away (Michael Langevin from metal band Voivod).  Pick up the limited edition clear vinyl at his official site now, as the album won't be released on CD.

ORION Track List:
Signal Fade
Imminent Galactic War
Disappyramid
Fire Away
Defenders of the Galaxy
Fire and Ice
By Force
Ghorgon, Master of War
Ariel
Electro Snake
Victims of the Ice Brigade
2,000 Ships
End of Days

ORION . ELECTROSNAKE by ryanadams

Best known for his spacey chillwave production, Chaz Bundick (aka Toro Y Moi), is changing your perception about his musical range.  New single, "Leave Everywhere", places the electronic beats on the shelf, while picking up a few analog classics (guitars, drums and a charming xylophone).

Traditional instrumentation aside, it still retains the elements you've come to love about Bundick's musical persona.

The 7" single drops July 20th via Carpark.  Download "Leave Everything" courtesy of Pitchfork, HERE.

It’s that time of the week again: Notorious Brooklyn DJ trio The Rub are there with another history lesson, digging in the crates that spawned the Hip Hop History mix series. Let’s hear it for 1988-90!

For more lessons in the hip hop’s great past, see the posts on 1985-1987, 1982-1984 and 1979-81.

Hip-Hop History Volume 10: 1988 from The Rub at Letsmix.com.

Hip-Hop History Volume 11: 1989 from The Rub at Letsmix.com.

Hip-Hop History Volume 12: 1990 (mixed by Cosmo Baker) from The Rub at Letsmix.com.

Photo Ian Meyer

Tom's Restaurant might just be the most famous diner in Manhattan. Immortalized on 'Seinfeld', the Upper West Side eatery was the preferred place for Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer to while away empty hours. (The show renamed it Monk's Cafe, but the facade was Tom's.) It also served as the inspiration for the folk singer Susanne Vega, who recorded an acapella tribute to the joint—changing its name to the folksier 'Tom's Diner'—for her 1987 album 'Solitude Standing'. Now Bingo Players have taken Vega's iconic vocals straight into the Beatport Top 10 with two tense, tech-flavored progressive house versions. Somewhat incredibly, there's still another 'Tom's Diner' remake in the Top 100 at the moment. Giulio LNT's Watch this video on Beatportal

Michael Woods is one of the hottest new figures in British dance music today and is set to take the club scene by storm this year. Woods has had a busy, productive, and successful 2010 thus far. Not content with his chart-topping remixes of Deadmau5 and Chris Lake, as well as running his own label, Diffused Records, Woods' recent re-release and remix of his 2009 hit 'Dropzone' received rave reviews and is fast becoming a modern club anthem. With summer on the brink, we caught up with Michael Woods to find out more about his upcoming projects, and his interesting past.

Read more on Beatportal

Imagine a new creative project that spans the globe’s finest venues and features more than 80 groundbreaking artists. Well, Vice fashionistas and leading microchip manufacturer Intel plan on doing just that with their new Creators Project.

This multi-year program reaches out to the global youth and this unprecedented creative enterprise aims to celebrate a common passion for creativity and technology. Already, set to include some of the world’s most renowned tech-artist Interpol, Spike Jonze, Mark Ronson, Richie Hawtin, Ma Yansong, and Alexandre Herchcovitch.

The Creators Project is shaping up to be the place after the 2010 World Expo. Combining technologies creative facets in music, art, gaming, film and media, the Creators Project allows leading artists the opportunity to showcase their works and artistic visions through interactive platform. Expect creative conferences, new multi-disciplinary collaborative projects and in-depth insight to some of your favorite artists.

The cross-cultural exhibitions will be held in cultural hotspots ranging from New York, London, Sao Paulo, Seoul, and Beijing. If you’re in New York City this June, be sure to drop by, as the event will kick off with a collection of curetted artworks along with having a panel of discussions. After making the rounds at the other venues, The Creators Project will finalize in Beijing in a spectacular three-day event.

One of the great pioneers in music, Don Letts, will soon be commemorated in a new documentary entitled Superstonic Sound: The Rebel Dread.

The West Indian Englishman was a pivotal force behind some of the greatest artists to appear in punk, rock n roll and reggae. Some even going as far to say the link between punk and reggae. The now fifty four year old started out in a clothing store called ACME in 1975, which attracted some of the most popular bands of our time like The Clash, Sex Pistols and Blondie.

Soon thereafter moving into DJ’ing, making several documentaries himself and forming Big Audio Dynamite with Mick Jones from The Clash in 1984. Now, the camera has been turned on him and we find out more from this elusive personality, the movie describes Letts as the "The soundclash that changed British music forever".

Superstonic Sound: The Rebel Dread will premiere at the Roundhouse, London on June 7.

For more info go here.