DJ James Pants Emerges from the Forest to Release Welcome
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Infusing elements of dance, hip-hop and funk, Spokane, Washington's one-band and DJ James Pants (born James Singleton) has released his debut album Welcome.
MP3: James Pants - "We're Through" from the album Welcome on Stones Throw Records
If you like what you hear, purchase Welcome from iTunes. After meeting Stones Throw Records head Peanut Butter Wolf, Pants' recording of "Do A Couple of Things" was included on Wolf's compilation Chrome Children.
Pants has a penchant for recording humorous and fun mixtapes, which have been the catalyst behind much of his popularity in the indie music underground.
In 2007, Pants has released a 12" EP titled Kash and a follow-up single track "Murder" on Chrome Children, Vol. 2.
Recently, Pants has toured as a DJ with Peanut Butter Wolf and Jamie Lidell.
Thursday Indie Rock LinkStorm - Vampire Weekend, The Black Keys, Adaline, Ryan Tedder, BSS, Ryan Lott, Brendan Canning
Thursday, May 08, 2008
The video above features Wolf Parade performing "This Heart's on Fire"
There's always too many indie rock articles and items of news and never enough time to write about them. So, as an antidote, IRC has come up with the 'linkstorm' concept to deliver to you the best in what's happening in the indie music world. Enjoy.
Akron, Ohio's The Black Keys cover 70's icon Captain Beefheart in the song "I'm Glad" (via Stereogum). Get the MP3 while you can because it could expire at any time.
New Tracks Tuesday: Dandy Warhols, Altas Sound, Culture Reject, Gentlement Auction Houses, No Age
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
The Dandy Warhols celebrated Cinco De Mayo yesterday with a CD release party in San Francisco; Deerhunter's lead singer Bradford Cox has released a free EP under the moniker Altas Sound; Culture Reject's debut album has hit the airwaves; the Gentlemen Auction Houses released an EP and is set to release a full feature album; and LA's duo project No Age has released their Subpop debut album.
Portland's indie trailer blazers The Dandy Warhols are back with a new album Earth to The Dandy Warhols (MySpace) which was launched yesterday at a listening party in a San Francisco art gallery.
Michael O'Connell, the man behind the Toronto indie project, Culture Reject, has released his first official solo debut record. Read the Culture Reject review from the popular indie blog SixEyes.
Deerhunter singer Bradford Cox, known for his prolific song writing and on-stage antics, has released a new EP titled Things I'll Miss and is offering for free via his blog, containing five songs - three instrumentals and two full songs.
Gentlemen Auction Houses' The Book of Matches EP is out today, May 6, and features two songs from the upcoming full album release, Alphabet Graveyard, via the band's new label, Columbia, Missouri's Emergency Umbrella Records.
After garnering praise from The Los Angeles Times for a variety of indie releases last year, the L.A. duo No Age has completed its official debut release with Subpop Records.
Indie Artist of the Week: Canada's The Weakerthans
Sunday, May 04, 2008
The Weakerthans, a Canadian indie band from Winnipeg, put themselves on the music map back in the late 1990's, and have been impressing critics and fans with subsequent, yet limited, releases ever since.
The band's latest album, Reunion Tour, released last fall, has received wide praise by the music press, bloggers and fans, making many top album lists for 2007.
Comprising an exciting mix of punk revival and melodic indie rock, Paste magazine hailed Reunion Tour as a collection of "songs of brutal beauty, little rock n roll vignettes that perfectly capture the malaise of the peculiar, disorienting times in which we live."
Here is the hit single music video "Civil Twilight" from The Weakerthans' Reunion Tour CD:
Propagandhi member John K. Samson left his former band and joined Red Fisher drummer Jason Tait and bassist John Sutton to create The Weakerthans in 1997. Later guitarist Steve Carroll and bassist Greg Smith joined the lineup.
The band, especially founder, John Samson, doesn't just record and play music; they are actively involved in promoting the fight against poverty and advocating for environmental conservation. Samson's 'day job' includes his publishing company, Arbeiter Ring Publishing.
Reunion Tour was, in a sense, aptly named since the band's last release before that, Reconstruction Site, was issued back in 2003 on Epitaph Records.
MP3: The Weakerthans - "Aside" from Last and Leaving
You can listen to and download more music, plus watch various music videos, from The Weakerthans on their official web site. Also, check out The Weakerthan's MySpace page and Facebook profile to social network with the band, get tour information, connect with fans and stream songs.
The Weakerthans were the first band in the CBC Radio 3's R3-30 chart history to hit the No. 1 spot with two different songs in the same year - a cover of Rheostatics "Bad Time to Be Poor" during the week of June 21, 2007, followed up in November 2007 by another No. 1 song, "Civil Twilight", their hit single from Reunion Tour.
The band released their debut album, Fallow, to wide praise from music critics and fans in 1998, on the indie label cooperative, G7& Welcoming Records. In 2000, The Weakerthans issued their sophomore record Left and Leaving, followed a year later by the EP Watermark.
Left and Leaving was eventually named one of the ten best Canadian albums of all time in a Chart magazine readers' poll last year. Epitaph re-released Fallow and Left and Leaving in Canada on November 6, 2007.
10,000 Lakes Festival Adds More Artists to 2008 Line-Up
Friday, May 02, 2008
The above video is a promotional vid for the 2008 10K Lakes Festival in Minnesota.
With two months and three weeks left until the festival gates open for the 2008 10,000 Lakes Festival. The following artists have just been added:
Deep Banana Blackout Lotus Extra Golden Papa Mali New Primitives God Johnson Lynx Ultraviolet Hippopotamus
You can purchase your tickets now before the May 15 price increase. Get the full details on camping tickets. Tickets for the four-day general admission and camping fee are now selling for $130.
The festival takes place on five stages starting Wednesday, July 23 through Saturday, July 26 at the Soo Pass Ranch in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.
The 10,000 Lakes Festival official line-up features:
Phil Lesh and Friends The Flaming Lips Michael Franti and Spearhead Leftover Salmon Mickey Hart Band feat. Kimock & Porter George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic [Late Night] Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood Slightly Stoopid Dark Star Orchestra WookieFoot TR3 featuring Tim Reynolds The Bad Plus JJ Grey & MOFRO Deep Banana Blackout [Late Night] Lotus [Late Night] Extra Golden Bonerama Papa Mali EOTO Panjea with Michael Kang Everyone Orchestra The Waybacks Secret Chiefs 3 The New Mastersounds Dub Trio The Wood Brothers Cornmeal God Johnson Family Groove Company U-Melt One Under New Primitives Kinetix Redux Lynx Pert' Near Sandstone The Rhinestone Diplomats WBPN Ultraviolet Hippopotamus The Hue