10/17/2008 00:04:36  ♥ written by appples ()

Motörhead - Teach You How to Sing the Blue Motörhead Tour Dates 03 Nov 2008 Wolverhampton Civic Hall Wolverhampton 04 Nov 2008 Ipswich Regent Ipswich 06 Nov 2008 Brighton Dome Brighton 07 Nov 2008 Newcastle Academy Newcastle 08 Nov 2008 Sheffield Academy Sheffield 10 Nov 2008 Glasgow Academy Glasgow 11 Nov 2008 Leicester De Montfort Hall Leicester 12 Nov 2008 Southampton Guildhall Southampton 14 Nov 2008 Manchester Apollo Manchester 15 Nov 2008 Cardiff University Cardiff 17 Nov 2008 Cambridge Corn Exchange Cambridge 18 Nov 2008 Bristol Colston Hall Bristol 19 Nov 2008 Exeter University Exeter 21 Nov 2008 Norwich UEA Norwich 22 Nov 2008 Hammersmith Apollo London 24 Nov 2008 013 Tilburg 25 Nov 2008 AB Brussels 26 Nov 2008 Zenith Paris 28 Nov 2008 Philipshalle Dusseldorf 29 Nov 2008 Emslandhallen Lingen 30 Nov 2008 Pier 2 Bremen 02 Dec 2008 Stadthalle Offenbach 03 Dec 2008 Jako Arena Bamberg 05 Dec 2008 Messenhalle Dresden 06 Dec 2008 Schleyerhalle Stuttgart 07 Dec 2008 Zenith Munich 09 Dec 2008 Vega Copenhagen 10 Dec 2008 Scandinavium Gothenburg 12 Dec 2008 Loftbergs Lila Arena Karlstad 13 Dec 2008 Hovet Stockholm 14 Dec 2008 Spektrum Oslo 16 Dec 2008 Jaahalli Helsinki

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 09/15/2008 00:36:32  ♥ written by vu ()

Worst Case Ontario - You're Glib Sheri Miller - The Blade Five A.M-Just Say Anything Gershon Veroba - Bamarom The Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop Department Of Eagles - No One Does It Like You

What can I say? Another great show, and as I promised last week, I will be keeping these brief. If there is one podcast episode you have to listen to: it's this one.

Download this episode (44 min)

As usual, you can subscribe to the show via mypodcast.com

Also, for the first time, I think I've finally got the audio levels down so it's not too destructively noisy. This show is, once again, divided into three parts. Before I get to that, the music I excerpt throughout the show are: Sheri Miller, Worst Case Ontario, Five AM, The Ramones, Gershon Veroba, Bat for Lashes, and Laura Marling.

PART ONE
We talked to Sam from Worst Case Ontario about his band and living in New York and recording. Make sure they get to the top twenty for MTV2 by voting for them on addictedtonoise.com.

PART TWO
Brian and Alex talks about Apple's new line of iPods and iTunes 8 and its "genius" features.

PART THREE
Brody and Dolly talks about the music that they are loving lately. This includes Caroline Smith and Department of Eagles.

PS, please send me any suggestions and tell me what you like (do you want more band interviews? less news?).

UPDATE 9/15/2008:
This came kind of late, but I think I'm supposed to interview this guy, Kordan, when he arrives here tomorrow.  Here is an excerpt of the press release that came out:

Kordan is Arthur Eisele a Global Affairs graduate from Rutgers.  After having created drum n' bass music in Puerto Rico where he grew up, he had moved to Jersey City to pursue his education and is now currently residing in today's renaissance city Williamsburg. 

(excerpt)

Check out the demo for his upcoming single "Fantasy Nation" (MP3)

Kordan will begin working on his full-length soon after for a release early next year.

Tour dates opening for Cut Copy and The Presets:

September 16 @ Fine Line Cafe in Minneapolis, Minnesota
September 17 @ The Metro in Chicago, Illinois
September 19 @ Sound Academy in Toronto, Ontario
September 20 @ Club Soda in Montreal, Quebec
September 21 @ Webster Hall in New York, New York

Links: www.weheartmusic.com news.weheartmusic.com podcast.weheartmusic.com

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 09/07/2008 19:46:46  ♥ written by vu ()

Ladyhawke - Dusk Till Dawn (Pascal Gabriel Radio Mix) Inga Swearingen - Happy to Be Patterns Spiral Into Swarm Sal Kimber - Met Police

These podcasts keeps getting longer and longer! I promise to cut it down next week.

Download #22:
Download this episode (71 min), subscribe over at weheartmusic.mypodcast.com

Some bands/music that we used in the podcast are: Philanastasia, Inga Swearingen, Sal Kimber, Beatnik Turtles, Canvas Solaris, and Ladyhawke.

PART ONE: News topics covered are Michael Jackson goes on secret dates with Pamela Anderson, Guns N Roses wants blogger to "rot in jail", Album leak welcomed by Metallica, Heart Lash Out At McCain Campaign’s Use of “Barracuda”.

PART TWO: Meet the Meat Extender, Alex and Brian talks to us about their punk band.

PART THREE: I originally requested the Music Success book to compare and contrast to The Indie Band Survival Guide, but having read both books, I have to say that these two books are not really in the same league. Both are written for different audiences, and both are worth looking into if you're thinking about promoting your band.

MUSIC SUCCESS IN NINE WEEKS
by Ariel Hyatt
cyberprbook.com

Music Success in Nine Weeks Book (2008)

Billed as a "step-by-step guide to supercharging your PR, building your fan base and earning more money," this 2008 book comes in both print and electronic version, and retails for $34.99 (there is no discount for the e-version, the last time I checked).

The book reads like a self-help book and generally is a breeze to get through. On a quiet evening, you can get through this 128-page book in a matter of hours. Don't let the 100+ pages discourage you, if you take away non-essential spacing or "notes" and exercise, I would guess this book is no more than 50 pages of solid reading.

The things I like about this book is that it's very easy to follow and read. No pretentious tones, and it's written through the eyes of Ariel Hyatt, a publicist who's been in the music industry for at least twelve years. Sometime her writing falls too much on the personal side (dealing with her past experiences or mentioning she's married to a blogger), but I sometime think that's part of the charm.

I also liked her money-saving tips, from free website endorsements to doing your own PR work. Writing your own biography and networking seem obvious to me, but if you're new to this, then reading the step-by-step guide is essential.

Like most self-help books, this book really depends on your participation. I would only recommend getting the printed version and following the instructions explicitly, otherwise the book might not work for you.

As an exercise, I did try and apply some of the tips to promoting W♥M: for instance, I will only give out my business card if someone asks what I do (instead of bringing up what I do in conversations). I have also thought about building the email list, which I think might not work for us (since people already subscribe to our RSS feed or via the neighborhood networking)... but I really should be more aggressive in promoting our Twitter which you can subscribe via email or text messages. Ironically, this account was setup by Ryan in the UK and twitter recently dropped their option to text to UK mobiles.

THE INDIE BAND SURVIVAL GUIDE
by Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan
www.stmartins.com
indiebandsurvivalguide.com

The Indie Band Survival Guide Book (2008)

Billed as a "complete manual for the Do-It-Yourself musician", this hefty 300+ book by Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan, two members of the band Beatnik Turtle, details their experiences and success in this essential guide.

The book is very affordable ($14.95, but obviously you can get it lower online), so there is no excuse to not owning this book. Although it's written for the musician, I think this book can apply to anyone interested in the music industry or work in promotions.

The book is broken into two sections: Get Prepared and Get Fans. The first part focus mostly on your image/branding and web presence, while the second part focused on publicity, distribution and getting booked. Between the two, I felt that the second part is the big hurdle, so you may want to focus more on the first part - which goes into details from picking a searchable band name to your website's content.

The book is very detailed, so as a guide book, which is not necessary cover-to-cover read, I suggest skipping to topics that interests you. You can get lost in all the details, for instance it goes into image color formats (RGB, CMYK, Black and White Line art and Grayscale), which I found very interesting - but might not apply to you.

From a web developer, I liked reading over the band website chapter. They stressed over the 'contact page', from their experience (and mine), that there are many opportunities that present themselves just by making contacting you easier. They also noted that if you're comfortable, you should also include a telephone number, as ABC Family/Disney (aka traditional media) still does business through the telephone. From a promoter's point of view, I can tell you that I have passed over some band because there was simply no way of contacting them.

Other interesting thing I discovered reading the second part (since this is the part that is most unfamiliar to me), that you can actually have your CDs in smaller stores as consignments (where they pay you only after they sold your CD). Even if you don't sell any albums, it works as a small advertisement for you as people will start recognizing your name. It even goes into detail about giving an extra store copy as a promotional device - really great tip.

For emerging bands there is a section to have banter or "stalling banter" prepared, in case you break a string on your guitar. Personally, I have always enjoyed when a band is talkative, and it really does help add to a band's showmanship.

They do admit in the forward that this book is best used by acting and doing, in addition to using the book as an idea or theory. The low cost and invaluable guide, I highly recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in music.

Links: www.weheartmusic.com news.weheartmusic.com podcast.weheartmusic.com

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 09/05/2008 18:44:22  ♥ written by appples ()

Remote Control Frequencies-Escape Plan

Remote Control Frequencies

Ok I'm just going to start off by saying this sort of noisy, ambient, sample ridden cluster fuck of sound is so up my alley it's actually IN my alley. And to quote a famous new wave band, I just can't get enough. Remote Control Frequencies latest album Tempus is about 45 minutes of some of the coolest stuff I've heard in a while.  It's all fuzzy guitar, echoplex madness, swirling drones, manic organs and vocals that are just buried under all that sound. Throw in a healthy serving of what sound like samples from late night infomercials and you've got yourself one hell of a party. I would really be hard pressed to narrow this down to one genre so I'll go ahead and describe this best as ambient post shoe gaze hip-hop.

Remote Control Frequencies is a two man wrecking crew of awesomeness consisting of R-Rock handling the vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass, noise, digital signal treatments and other effects with long time collaborator LG handling the drums. there are a few guest appearances on the album by Player 1, PJ Sumroc, and Sharkula. Despite all the sonic madness there is still an underlying pop sensibility here that is very keen. The hushed vocals do a great job of not overpowering the true artistry of the music, and overall R-Rock and LG have done a splendid job of taking elements from a diverse selection of genres and creating an pastiche of musical styles. I would definitely suggest this album for fans of psychedelic music and pretty much everyone with an open mind about music.

You can find out more about Remote Control Frequencies by visiting their myspace page at www.myspace.com/rcf (although they claim to have lost the password so it might not be updated), or by going to their label's web site at www.tslos.com, and as always be sure to stay tuned to W♥M for the latest in independent music. Next week I'll be dusting off the old phonograph to bring you a few gems from my vinyl collection. Yay records!

Links: myspace.com/rcf

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 08/30/2008 20:46:00  ♥ written by appples ()

The Dan Sheehan Conspiracy-Tired Eyes The Dan Sheehan Conspiracy Tour Dates 09/23/08 Working Musicians (TV show taping) White Plains, NY 11/01/08 Mama Java’s Coffee House Phoenix, AZ 11/02/08 Plush Tucson, Arizona 11/13/08 Ciccone Theater - Bergen Community College Paramus, NJ Discography [1996] Side One EP (Banter) [2002] Urban Pastures (Banter) [2008] The Dan Sheehan Conspiracy Influences Led Zeppelin http://weheartmus... Not to be outdone by The Goo Goo's Greatest Hits, is Led Zeppelin's Greatest Hits CD, Mothership....

Hailing from Long Island, New York, Dan Sheehan has spent the last several years perfecting a unique blend of classic and alternative rock. With his Latest effort The Dan Sheehan Conspiracy he has proven his abilities as a musician and a producer. The album, produced, written, and played (the drums are the only thing he doesn't play)  by Sheehan himself is an hour long journey through a wide range of musical styles, from softer folk influenced tracks, to more modern alternative influenced guitar rockers reminiscent of a strange love child of seventies arena rock run through a 90's alternative filter. I was able to contact Dan via E-mail and conduct a brief interview with him.

We Heart Music:  The influences on this album are quite varied, what would you say were the things that really inspired you to start making music in the first place?
Dan Sheehan: Listening to classic bands like the Who in my teen years made me aware of how wonderful music could be.  Also my sister worked for DoubleDay books and would bring me home free books, some of which would be music biographies.  Reading about the Beatles' and other bands' formative years made pursuing music out to be about the most exciting thing I could do.

The bands that I've loved the most, from The Who and the Beatles and Led Zeppelin to the Meat Puppets and the Screaming Trees and Pearl Jam have always been bands that varied their material rather than sticking to formula, and so on this album I consciously decided to allow myself to present a variety of songwriting and performing styles.  Why constrain oneself to one mode of expression?  I can't answer that, but it seems a lot of artists and labels place that constraint.

W♥M: What music that is coming out these days inspires you to continue writing music and trying new things?
DS: Lately I've been reviewing underground bands at GarageBand.com, and coming across some diamonds in the rough.  I have to say I am less enthused about the artists in the mainstream these days.  I know that's something a lot of people say, but I think it's true that the major label system and Clear Channel are not taking enough risks to put out really inspiring arists, so I mostly catch great new artists when I go to shows.  A few bands whose shows have grabbed me in recent times have been a band called Stone River from Toronto, and a Long Island band called The Headie Berrie.  I also really like the album from the reunited Meat Puppets and anything that Cris Kirkwood has done recently, as well as the new Mark Lanegan/Greg Dulli project the Gutter Twins.

W♥M: The album sounds very good, did you go to school for music production or did you just sort of pick things up along the way?
DS: After a long time of struggling with recording gear, I did go to an audio program at Emerson College in Boston which gave me a good foundation to then be more successful and picking things up afterwards.

W♥M: Do you have a day job or is music a full time thing for you?
DS: At times I teach audio production courses at a few colleges in the New York City area, which is a great way to meet upcoming young musicians.

W♥M: What are your thoughts on the effect that proliferation of affordable digital recording technology and sites like Myspace have had on music as a whole? are you for or against these changes?
DS: I think the proliferation of affordable recording technology is excellent.  It's great to be able to record a decent sounding album without the psychological impediment of watching the clock tick away hundreds of dollars while trying to stay focused on creativity.  However, I think recording musicians should make a point of being on top of the craft of recording if they're going to self-record and self-produce, and should take care to get outside opinions to maintain objectivity as the recording and mixing process move along. 

I also really like the opportunity of sites like MySpace to expose one's music to people who otherwise might not come across it.  Of course, MySpace has its down sides, such as people abusing it and spamming too much, but you have to take the bad with the good and overall it and other sites such as SoundClick are another avenue for exposure which is always welcome.  As long as artists can control what can and cannot be downloaded on these sites, I think they're a winning situation.  Plus, they save musicians a lot of postage money!

W♥M: Are you currently working on another album or any other projects?
DS: The DSC will be recording an EP in September which will include a Wierd Al style parody of Green Day's American Idiot, only this time the idiot will be from our hometown of Long Island (NY).  It will also have some super-catchy originals.

W♥M: How was/ is your tour going?
DS: Myself and my band have been having a great time playing shows at some great clubs with some great supporting acts, and have helped raise money for some deserving charities such as a cancer treatment center in Fredonia, NY and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation through some benefits we've been part of.  I also have been playing some solo shows which puts an interesting spin on the music and gives me opportunities to try the material out in a different format.  This fall we'll be hitting college campuses throughout the Northeast and I'll be doing some solo shows out west for the first time, which will be very exciting.  The dates will all be posted on our website.

Lately, I've been doing a TV tour, hitting some local TV shows with my acoustic guitar.

W♥M: And the perennial question on everyone's mind, what do you think about today's political climate in america?
DS: Just listen to "Collateral Damage" from the DSC (or better yet, watch the video at YouTube) and you'll have a pretty good sense of my thoughts on the political climate in America.  I think all the partisan politics and the influence of greed is disgraceful, and that too many Americans are letting themselves fall prey to propaganda from cable news pundits and bogus mass emails.  However, I acknowledge that these unfortunate circumstances are not unique to America.  I have good hope that Americans will continue to open their eyes and be able to recognize the real deal as we wise up after the post- 9/11 period of giving in to our worst fears.  I hope in a few years we can fix the health care system instead of politicians pandering to insurance and drug companies.

For more information about Dan and his music be sure to check out his website at www.dansheehan.net, and as always stay tuned to We Heart Music for the latest in independent music!

Links: dansheehan.net myspace.com/dansheehan

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 06/28/2008 13:41:56  ♥ written by appples ()

Alltruisms - A Lightyear Away

Alltruisms

Rappers are like clusterbombs, some drop and explode on contact, while others fall and lay in wait for unsuspecting hands and ears to come along and find them. This is the concept behind Alltruisms' debut album Clusterbombs. An intriguing combination of politically charged lyrics, unique beats (courtesy of a slew of guest producers), and good old fashioned backpack rap, Clusterbombs is proof that true hip hop is far from dead. Striking a perfect balance of political awareness, self deprecating humor, and lyrics about things we can all relate to like car trouble, girl problems, and having trouble finding a job.

Alltruisms rhymes with a style that is reminiscent of other underground hip hop heavyweights such as Atmosphere, Sage Francis, and Brother Ali. With guests appearances provided by several other Gravel Records artists Clusterbombs is a strong debut album that showcases the talents of a number of up and coming Chicago artists.

As far as debut albums go this one shows that Alltruisms will have no trouble reaching a wider audience of hip hop fans and should continue to be a lyrical force to be reckoned with. Clusterbombs is in stores July 1^st and if you pre order a copy from Gravel Records it comes with a cd of the album's instrumental tracks.

Alltruisms has found a rare balance between hard hitting political commentary and everyday subjects everyone can relate to, from inner city backpackers to suburban rich kids, Alltruisms appeals to a broad range of hip hop fans and should have no trouble finding fans all over the country. Although his MySpace doesn't have any tour dates currently listed I wouldn't be surprised if alltruisms hits the road before the end of '08. Until then be sure to stay tuned to W♥M for more reviews and other musical goodies.

Links: myspace.com/alltrubombs gravelhiphop.com myspace.com/gravelrecords

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