Toro Y Moi (Chaz Bundick from South Carolina) has created a fantastic niche for himself. Combining diverse genres and influences into a cohesive package may be the hot thing to do, but no one does it quite like Toro Y Mo. Be it his captivating and lush vocals or the organic way songs flourish into life it is truly a serene listening experience.

The man recently premiered “Talamak” which you can view above. It starts out glitchy and electro but soon smooths out into a funky late night jam.

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Toro Y Moi - Blessa [MP3]

The man is also set to hit the road with the Ruby Suns, Quasi, and Explode Into Colors. All dates below including plenty of SXSW dates.

Toro Y Moi Tour Dates
03-12 Santa Barbara, CA - Muddy Waters *
03-13 San Diego, CA - UCSD *
03-14 Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room *
03-15 Tucson, AZ - Plush *
03-17 Austin, TX SXSW - Austinist / WOXY @ The Mohawk - 1:15PM
03-17 Austin, TX SXSW - Force Field PR / Terrorbird @ Red 7 - 4:25PM
03-18 Austin, TX SXSW - Urban Outfitters In-store - 12:00PM
03-18 Austin, TX SXSW - Carpark / Paw Tracks Showcase @ The Wave - 1:00AM
03-19 Austin, TX SXSW - Other Music / Dig For Fire @ French Legation - 3:30PM
03-19 Austin, TX SXSW - I Guess I’m Floating @ Lovejoy’s - 6:00PM
03-19 Austin, TX SXSW - Noise Problem Party @ Vice - 9:15PM
03-20 Austin, TX SXSW - End Of An Ear In-store - 1:00PM
03-20 Austin, TX SXSW - Force Field PR Party @ Ms. Bea’s AKA Cheer Up Charlie’s - 5:00PM
03-20 Austin, TX SXSW - Grandlife / NYLON Party @ Lanai - 10:45PM
03-21 Monterrey, Mexico - MtyMx Fest
03-22 Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn *
03-23 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 *
03-24 Washington, DC - Black Cat *
03-25 Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie *
03-26 Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Bowl *
03-27 Cambridge, MA - Middle East *
03-28 Winooski, VT - The Monkey House *
03-29 Montreal, Quebec - Il Motore *
03-30 Toronto, Ontario - Drake Hotel *
03-31 Chicago, IL - Schubas *
04-02 St. Paul, MN - Turf Club *
04-03 Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Saloon *
04-05 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive *
04-06 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court *
04-07 Nampa, ID - Flying M Coffee *
04-08 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey *
04-09 Vancouver, British Columbia - Biltmore Cabaret *
04-10 Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios *
04-12 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill *
04-13 San Luis Obispo, CA - SLO Arts Center *
04-14 Los Angeles, CA - Echo *
04-16 Swarthmore, PA - Olde Club @ Swarthmore College
04-17 Toronto, ON - Wrongbar
04-24 Charleston, SC - Eye Level Art Gallery

* = w/ Ruby Suns
# = w/ Quasi
% = w/ Explode Into Colors

I’m not sure how many readers previously knew what a Rube Goldberg machine was (even if they played with one as a kid - see Mouse Trap), but now that OK Go’s latest video has surpassed six million views just a week after its debut, it’s safe to say that the word is getting out. And the song itself is pretty cool, too.

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OK Go - This Too Shall Pass [MP3]
(Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky, 2010)

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OK Go - This Too Shall Pass (Passion Pit Remix) [MP3]

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OK Go - WTF? [MP3]
(Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky, 2010)

On Friday night, I headed to the video release party for “This Too Shall Pass,” held on the rooftop terrace at the Los Angeles County Mueseum of Art. Outside, as the crowd gathered, I noticed some people dressed up in tuxedos, suits, and formal dresses … but also funny hats. Of course, these were the talented bunch who worked on the video! It was a special night for them, not just the band, who would perform an acoustic set and participate along with the video’s creators in a Q&A.

A small stage was set with wooden chairs, guitars and my favorite - a mini Orange amp.  Three members of OK Go — Damian Kulash, Tim Nordwind and Andy Ross, sans drummer Dan Konopka — got settled and ready to play. Before they began, Kulash, noticing that some of the standing-room crowd were not able to see the stage, asked for a bench in front and for others to sit on the ground so that fewer views would be obscured. He also acknowledged the presence of his father, which made the intimate gathering seem like the audience was at their house. (Blankets from their closet — to fight the slight chill in the air — would have been helpful!)

True talent is apparent on a simple acoustic setup, and these guys have it. The anticipated acoustic set started off with “Here It Goes Again,” the song made famous by the band’s first viral video — better known as “the treadmill video” — which still inspires me to go to the gym. When the band launched into “Shooting the Moon,” Twilight fans let out the most cheers, recognizing the song from their beloved saga.

A couple of months ago, I saw members of OK Go perform with Black Francis and other members of the Pixies at the Echoplex for a benefit. At that event, Kulash seemed to be on the most natural high possible, so it made sense at this one when he mentioned the next song was by “the best band in the world.” No, not the Beatles, the Pixies, and they covered “Velouria.” Black Francis would be proud.

Kulash then took on a solo ballad from the new album called “Last Leaf.” I distinctly remember his words of “if it takes forever, then forever it will be” and felt at home. Where’s the couch?

The band offered another new song, “Back from Kathmandu.” Kulash encouraged us to sing along, and we did. Fans knew the lyrics so it wasn’t a problem. Other fans giggled as the mini Orange amp that Ross was using made some rather “unique” sounds.

And last but not least, we heard “This Too Shall Pass.” Afterward, ironically, the crowd booed, as they knew that after just six songs, the set was over. Kulash assured us more cool stuff was in store, kicked off by a screening of the music video, which we watched outside on a huge screen.

Originally to be held outside, the Q&A was moved indoors due to the colder-than-expected weather. It turned out not to be the best idea, as some gave their attention to the Q&A while others ignored it and chatted loudly at the bar.

Kulash and the president of Syyn Labs, Adam Sadowsky, took questions from the audience. It was a little difficult to hear the questions and answers clearly but from what I gathered, there were no injuries during the making of the video. I was actually quite distracted by the cool hats the Syyn people had on. I want to hang with these people.

After the Q&A, Nordwind came over to DJ and got people dancing.  I ventured over to the other end where parts of the video’s mechanism were stationed (see pics below).  It was great to see them up close and I’m still in awe of the talented people of Syyn Labs and, of course, OK Go for making another innovative video.

The show starts at 8 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. ET at livestream.com/thebirdandthebee.

When Caribou first dropped “Odessa” into our laps, we were very pleased with the vibrant throbbing nature of the track. It’s got a vitality that you can hear and Swim is one of our eagerly anticipated albums of 2010.

As busy and lively as the music promises to be, their live show plans to match that feat and then some. Expect plenty of visuals and the use of electronics to fully explore their sound. All dates below including stops at Music Hall of Williamsburg and The Bowery Ballroom.

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Caribou - “Odessa” [MP3]

CARIBOU TOUR DATES
04/ 19 MANCHESTER @ Deaf Institute
04/ 20 LONDON @ Corsica Studios
04/ 21 AMSTERDAM @ Paradiso
04/ 22 BRUSSELS @ Beursschouwburg
04/ 23 PARIS @ Le Point Ephemere
04/ 24 LAUSANNE @ Le Romandie
04/ 25 ST. GALLEN @ Palace
04/ 26 MILAN @ Magnolia
04/ 27 MUNICH @ Feierwerk
04/ 28 BERLIN @ Berghain
04/ 29 HAMBURG @ Prinzenbar
04/ 30 AARHUS @ Pop Revo Festival
05/ 01 STOCKHOLM @ Strand
05/ 03 TORONTO, ON @ Phoenix
05/ 04 OTTAWA, ON @ Babylon
05/ 05 MONTREAL, PQ @ Tulipe
05/ 06 BOSTON, MA @ Middle East Downstairs
05/ 07 BROOKLYN, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
05/ 08 NEW YORK, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
05/ 09 PHILADELPHIA, PA @ First Unitarian
05/ 10 WASHINGTON, DC @ RNR Hotel
05/ 11 CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA @ Jefferson
05/ 12 CHAPEL HILL, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
05/ 13 ATLANTA, GA @ Earl
05/ 14 BATON ROUGE, LA @ Spanish Moon
05/ 15 HOUSTON, TX @ Warehouse Live Studio
05/ 16 AUSTIN, TX @ Emo’s
05/ 18 PHOENIX, AZ @ Clubhouse
05/ 19 LOS ANGELES, CA @ El Rey
05/ 20 SAN DIEGO, CA @ Casbah
05/ 21 MEXICO CITY, MX @ Teatro Fru Fru
05/ 24 SAN FRANCISCO, CA @ Independent
05/ 26 PORTLAND, OR @ Hawthorne
05/ 28 VICTORIA, BC @ Sugar
05/ 29 VANCOUVER, BC @ Rickshaw
05/ 30 GEORGE, WA @ Sasquatch
05/ 31 CALGARY, AB @ Republik
06/ 01 EDMONTON, AB @ Starlite
06/ 02 SASKATOON, SK @ Amigo’s
06/ 03 WINNIPEG, MB @ Royal Albert Arms
06/ 04 MINNEAPOLIS, MN @ 7th St Entry
06/ 05 DAVENPORT, IA @ Rock Island Brewing Co.
06/ 07 ST. LOUIS, MO @ Firebird
06/ 08 LOUISVILLE, KY @ Zanzabar
06/ 09 CLEVELAND, OH @ Grog Shop
06/ 10 HAMILTON, ON @ Casbah
06/ 11 HALIFAX, NS @ Paragon

Artist Waka Flocka Flame ignited some controversy with a recent call-in to DJ Whoo Kid’s radio show. in the video above, hip hop expert Jay Smooth responds.

Here’s part of the back story, via MTV:

“I don’t got no lyrics,” Flocka told Whoo Kid and the DJ’s special guest co-hosts, the staff of XXL magazine. “The n—as who they say is lyrical, they ain’t got no shows … that ain’t finnin’ to get you no money.” Flocka, who has nearly recovered from a robbery in which he was shot last month, stopped by the MTV News offices Tuesday and clarified his statements. “They twist that around … I just said personally, me, I’m not into being lyrical,” Waka explained. “I read all the time. I know words. I’m just trying to get crunk. I’m not trying to be off the dome, do a million words in five minutes - I’m not into that. If I’m getting crunk, I’ll start your party. If you got the lyrics, that’s cool. I’m not blocking your party. People say, ‘Go listen to such and such. Get some knowledge.’ I’m like, ‘You wasn’t even born when that person was rocking.’ That’s how it goes. I like lyrical people. You gotta like other music - but me personally, I’m not into that.”

Jay Smooth blogs at nildoctrine.com and hosts New York’s longest-running hip-hop radio show, Underground Railroad, which he founded on WBAI in 1991.

You can hear this week’s episode, which begins around 8 min 42 sec, here:

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We are big fans of this Mayer Hawthorne who combines some amazing old school traditions with some progressive thinking. His vocals are spot on and the accompanying full band are sure to be great to see live. Lovers will get close, people will smile and there will be plenty of dancing. What more can you want from a night out? The tour kicks off tomorrow at Webster Hall! All dates below including supporting dates for Passion Pit and a stop at Coachella.

Hawthorne just released the video for “I Wish It Would Rain” enjoy it above. Below you can enjoy Hawthorne’s performance on Jimmy Kimmel and get a small taste of the live experience.

Mayer Hawthorne & The County
03/04 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall ^
03/05 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar  ^
03/06 - Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street ^
03/07  - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club ^
03/09 - Philadelphia, PA @ The First Unitarian Church ^
03/10 - Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel ^
03/12 - Virginia Beach, VA @ The Jewish Mother ^
03/13 - Atlanta, GA @ The Loft ^
03/15 - New Orleans, LA @ The Parish at House of Blues ^
03/16 - Dallas, TX @ The Loft ^
03/17 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Studio ^
03/18-03/20 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
03/ 22 - Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry’s ^
03/ 23 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In ^
03/ 24 - Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar ^
03/ 26 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall ^
03/ 27 - Toronto, ONT @ Wrongbar  Toronto ^
03/28 - Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom *
03/29 - York, PA @ The Pullo Center *
03/30 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues *
03/31 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall *
04/02 - Chicago, IL @ Congress Theatre *
04/03 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall *
04/04 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue *
04/05 - Kansas City, MO @ Beaumont Theatre *
04/07 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre *
04/08 - Salt Lake City, UT @ In the Venue *
04/10 - Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre *
04/11 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom *
04/12 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre *
04/14 - Davis, CA @ UC Davis (Freeborn Hall) *
04/15 - San Francisco, CA @ Warfield *
04/18 - Indio, CA @ Coachella

^ - With Nikki Jean
* - With Passion Pit

Foals created something pretty great with Antidotes way back in 2008. There was an amazing sense of vitality with plenty of choice musical arrangements. It was a kinetic force of music with songs like “Balloons“, “Cassius“, “Red Socks Pugie” and “Electric Bloom” burrowing their way into our skulls and the album stuck on repeat. When they announced Total Life Forever to be released on May 10th…we were beyond excited. Now we get a new video for “Spanish Sahara”, can it get any better? Enjoy the video above.

Owen Pallett’s The Heartland is one of 2010’s best albums so far (read our review). One of the stand out tracks from that album was “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt” which has this great throbbing vibe and sounds that seem culled from 8-bit or 16-bit video games and aided by Pallett’s frantic yet hushed vocals.  The video is a great blend of fantasy role play, video games, home video, and randomness.

Owen Pallett is set to play way more than his three dates earlier in the year. Stops include Coachella and Webster Hall. All dates below.

Owen Pallett Tour Dates
04/08 Toronto, Ontario @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
04/10 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
04/11 Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
04/12 Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall
04/13 Columbus, OH @ Wexner Center
04/14 Pittsburgh, PA @ Andy Warhol Museum
04/15 Washington DC @ Black Cat
04/18 Indio, CA @ Coachella Festival
04/20 Boston, MA @ Institute of Contemporary Art
04/22 New York, NY @ Webster Hall
04/24 Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
04/25 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
04/27 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
04/29 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
04/30 Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
05/05 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
05/08 Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
05/09 Vancouver, British Columbia @ The Vogue Theatre
05/10 Victoria, British Columbia @ Alix Goolden Hall
05/11 Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater
05/13 Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
05/14 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge

First there was a treadmill dance, then a hidden marching band in a forest, and now, one to top them all?

Directed by James Frost, OK Go and Syyn Labs. Produced by Shirley Moyers. The official video for the recorded version of “This Too Shall Pass” off of the album “Of the Blue Colour of the Sky”. The video was filmed in a two story warehouse, in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA. The “machine” was designed and built by the band, along with members of Synn Labs over the course of several months.

Music-industry guru Bob Lefsetz was there for the preparation of this masterpiece and offered some comments in a recent blog post. Where this excerpt begins, Lefsetz had joined OK Go manager Jamie Kitman, who also reviews cars for the NY Times and Automobile mag, in a borrowed Bentley. “I don’t even know what kind of Bentley this was. Other than it was white, had four wheel drive and [621 horsepower].” And someone had named it Sunset.

We took Sunset to the beach. And then into the Valley via Malibu Canyon. Which is where I took the wheel, for the ride into Echo Park, where OK Go was shooting its new video. In an abandoned warehouse just off Glendale Boulevard.

Fascinating story. It’s all Damian’s idea, a semiotics major at Brown, he wanted to construct the world’s biggest Rube Goldberg contraption. So he went online, to a geek board, advertising for a couple of helpers. He ended up with rocket scientists. Twenty of them. Just about all of them doing the work for free.

Not that the video is free. State Farm Insurance is paying. All 160k.
continue reading "OK Go Runs Giant Rube-Goldberg System for “This Too Shall Pass” Video"

“We are not the children of Russian cosmonauts. We are the children of flower children.” - Sarah Negahdari

The Happy Hollows may seem easy to classify but let us not be so hasty to judge. Hailing from Los Angeles and being fronted by a charismatic and engaging front woman and lead guitarist Sarah Negahdari and backed by Charlie Mahoney on bass and Chris Hernandez on drums, the band creates some slick music that doesn’t mind to be stuck in a little mud and get a little dirty. Their debut Spells was two years in the making and it’s a fevered collection of rock tunes that feel like the flipped version of pop.

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The Happy Hollows - Faces [MP3]

Opening the album with angular riffs and insistent drumming of “Faces” with the punch and pomp of “Death to Vivek Camp”, Nagahdari strolls and flutters along, seemingly carefree. It’s as if she is an outside observer to the proceedings but soon adds plenty of flair with her changes in tones and inspired imagery. What we don’t do know just yet is how venomous Nagahdari can be but we’ll know to not take her for granted after hearing “Silver“.

“Silver” feels like a slap to the face. The howling Negahdari and the buzzing guitar feel like we took a wrong turn after the first two tracks. Maybe the songs were mislabeled or your headphones are playing a joke on you, either way it’s unexpected.

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The Happy Hollows - Silver [MP3]

The noisy revelation is matched by the seemingly benign “We Will Find You“. The stalker ode has a great tradition in music and The Happy Hollows indulge fully. The song is bouncy with jangling guitars and sunny vocals with whimsical lyrics that soon twist and turn to the true intentions with just a few intakes of breath by Negahdari. The final verse has some great demanding vocals.

“Lieutenant” is an early standout with buzzing guitars and a lush melding of the noisy and pop bliss of earlier songs. The vocals careen around like a creaky wooden roller coaster; you are this close to coming off the tracks, but don’t worry you are under control.

The fun imagery and casual wanderings continue in “Father Time” and “Monster Room” and are a fun detour before the standout track “High Wire“. The song sees the band blend the many facets together, creating one scintillating blend of noise, pop structure, and crashing vocals. It’s a circus act of sound and energy from just three people as each member adds their own unique touch to the music.

The second half of the promising debut is all about surprises. “Turtle and Hare” see the band fairly restrained and aided by somber strings. Fantasy images and 80’s movies are paid homage to in “Delorean” which is a fun riff on turning back the clock and features a male lead vocal and asks the amazing question “Where’s the Biff in my life?”.

The whimsical pining of “Tambourine” featuring appearances by a Republican senator and Billy Corgan and her journey from finding a man to joining a band. “A Man, A Plan, A Canal” is plain fun with the second male lead vocals with a wonderful spiraling chorus. “Second Lieutenant” is a sweet serenade to close out the very solid debut of The Happy Hollows.

The band is set to play a couple of shows including a stop at Cake Shop on March 5th (this Friday!) a send off show on the 12th at The Troubadour in Los Angeles as well as a slew of SXSW appearances. From all reports, the band puts on a brilliant show that is crackling with energy with Negahdari pulling out solos and Mahoney and Hernandez adding some rhythmic muscle.

TheMusic.FM had the pleasure to ask a couple questions Sarah Negahdari, view her thoughts on SXSW, the production of the album and more below.
continue reading "Get to Know The Happy Hollows: Interview, MP3 and Album Preview"