Preview: Black Lips show moved to Rickshaw

After Vancouver beats Boston for the Stanley Cup on Wednesday, head down to the Rickshaw for the afterparty! Black Lips are playing, tickets are a still available, and I have a feeling this show is going to be insane!

The Kills & co. crash the Commodore

The last time The Kills headlined in Vancouver was in 2008 at Richards, so their newfound fame brought a lot of curious new fans to their sold-out show at The Commodore last night. I think people were expecting a regular rock gig, so they were only mildly excited by the jarring noise of openers The Entrance Band and Cold Cave.

The Entrance Band are a three-piece psychedelic rock band with a lot of credibility in the alternative scene, having toured with many oddball-but-now-famous artists like Devendra Banhart, Cat Power even Sonic Youth. I only caught their last few songs since the show started early, for some reason, but they were fantastic.

The Entrance Band - Lookout! (YSI)

Cold Cave really blew me away, though. Literally. LOUDEST KICK DRUM EVER (as I said on Twitter last night). One part synthpop, one part new wave, and three parts crashing, scratching, grinding, piercing NOISE. These guys were off their shit, and for the right crowd (myself included), they would have had the dance floor bouncing, but honestly, they were so loud my teeth hurt, which is probably why no one was dancing.

Cold Cave - The Great Pan Is Dead (YSI)

The Kills, well, they killed it. I wonder how many times that's been said. Alison Mosshart dominated the stage. She is one hell of a rockstar. If you don't already know, the band is basically Alison and her guitarist, Jamie Hince. No bass player, no drummer, just the two of them and a full setlist of smashing drum tracks that sound like they came from a Casio keyboard that was just put through a meat grinder. Alison strikes me as someone who would be flattered to be compared to Siouxsie Sioux, and that's exactly what was going through my mind during the show. Their set leaned a bit too heavily on the new album though. Only 2 or 3 of the 8 songs they played from the new album got the crowd excited, and I'm sure a lot of their fans, like me, were disappointed that they left out “Cheap and Cheerful” and “Last Day of Magic”, two of the biggest fan favourites. Despite the missing songs, Alison has a reputation for her energy on stage and together with Jamie (who really deserves more spotlight, what with his magic fingers and all), they rocked the Commodore.

The Kills - Cheap & Cheerful (listen and tell me how they could skip this one!) (YSI)
The Kills - Satellite (off the new album, Blood Pressures) (YSI)

Darwin Deez Q&A and Tour Preview

Darwin Deez is best described by random YouTube comments. Watch one of his music videos and you'll find comments like “i feel so much more hipster after watching this video”, “hes so retardedly happy” and “This guy is definitely Moss of The IT Crowd.”



He has just started his first headlining tour in North America and we'll be seeing him on Monday at The Media Club in Vancouver. Before his tour kicked off, we wrote him to answer a few questions.

SK: Hey Darwin! Glad to have you here on Silence Killer, if only by email. I understand you're back home in North America for another tour. How was the UK tour with Little Comets?
DD: Love those guys so much. They are so so so sweet. And manly. We had a good time prank calling their music biz contacts at 2 am in a Travelodge. And they rock.

SK: A lot of bands are terrible at describing their own music within traditional genres. Tell me about your music, using big and unusual words.
DD: It's heliocentric and electrochemical...not. Ummm, it's minimal. If i say it's minimalistic is that a bigger word? It's simple and funkadociously fresh. I don't like big words, I guess. I like to be very clear and specific as much as possible! I always just call it homemade, authentic indie pop/rock.

SK: Math time. ____ + ____ = Darwin Deez. First things that come to mind. Don't say MGMT + Yo Gabba Gabba. Those are mine.
DD: Thriller + Dismemberment Plan?

SK: Where do you go when your creative parts are in need of new inspiration?
DD: I don't know. Chapel Hill, North Carolina, I guess. My parents' house, in other words.

SK: I think your jheri curl/pornstache combo is a perfect fit for the Deez steez. Do people ever make awkward comments about it, or tug your curls to see if they're real?
DD: Thank you! It's something. I like the way they both frame my face so I've kept them. And it's good to be recognizable in this business. And yes comments, and yes tugging.

SK: What do you do in the "green room" to prepare yourself before your set?
DD: Eat Asian food, I guess. And hope it doesn't sit too heavy in there while I'm dancing around like an idiot!

SK: Often when I go to a concert, the band says that they love the audience and it's their favourite place to play, but sometimes I think they just say that to every audience. What is your actual favourite place you've played?
DD: Seattle. But Vancouver was also a great show (that's the stage persona talking). We were opening for Bishop Allen and Throw Me the Statue last year and we actually got encored. As an opener!

SK: Tell me one popular band/singer/musician you're into right now, and one not-popular one. Then tell me your favourite album of 2010.
DD: One popular band I'm into is the Floyd. I'm having a moment for Dark Side of the Moon this week. A not popular one is my friend Jacob Ciocci's noise band, Extreme Animals. My favorite album of 2010 is Shut Up, Dude by Das Racist. Their first mixtape. Genius.

SK: I love your lyrics. You definitely stand out, lyrically, amongst the bands I'm into right now. What is the cleverest line you've written?
DD: Sweet, thank you! I think it might have been this rap couplet: “Rayanne Graf takin' a spray tan bath with Ray Bans on / the gay man's gone / for Christmas / Ricki / chasin' Angela Chase / wish she / was my so-called wife.” But you have to be a My So-Called Life fan to get it. Maybe “You are a radar detector...[because] you are always looking out for me.” That one's for everybody, but again you have to be familiar with an uncommon piece of electronics to get it!

SK: That's all! Any parting words for my readers and your fans?
DD: Please come to our show in Vancouver and check out myspace.com/friendsband and listen to “Friend Crush.” This band of our buddies will be gigging with us and it's one of my favorite songs of 2010. It's actually worth visiting myspace for!



Darwin will be at The Media Club in Vancouver on Monday, supported by Fol Chen, followed by twenty US dates, ending in New York City. Pick up his self-titled album anywhere or come see him live! I hear he likes dancing.

The Naked & Famous

Do you have a friend who stops midsentence whenever MGMT's “Time to Pretend” comes on, and starts jumping around and singing like he's trying to start a moshpit at the supermarket? Introduce him to this song.

New Zealand's own The Naked & Famous made their debut in June with “Young Blood”, becoming the first New Zealand band in 3 years to have a #1 single at home. Look for their album Passive Me, Aggressive You on September 6.

The Naked & Famous - Young Blood (zshare) (YSI)

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - 40 Day Dream

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros are a folk collective with as many as 12 members. If you're young enough to have missed the psychedelic 60s, “40 Day Dream” is as close as you may get to the barefooted decade of peace, love and the power of the flower. The song is off their debut album Up from Below which is out now on Community Music/Fairfax Recordings.

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - 40 Day Dream
Download MP3 (zshare) (YSI) or Listen on MySpace

The band will be presenting a feature-length epic musical film in 12 parts. Here is Part 1 “Desert Song” which is also from the album.


Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - Desert Song [HD]

BUY THE ALBUM
Digital: Boomkat | Amazon MP3 US | Amazon MP3 UK | 7digital | iTunes
CD: Rough Trade | Norman Records | Recordstore | Insound | CD Universe

The Angel Brothers - Ghosts

The Angel Brothers describe their new album as ‘a soundtrack to a film of your imagination’. That barely begins to describe their post-folk sound. “Ghosts”, an epic track off their new self-titled album, takes a journey through time and space to discover the indigenous music of a peaceful world where it is always night and the moon is always glowing. Not that there are any lyrics depicting such a backdrop, but it is the image that appears when I close my eyes and listen to “Ghosts”.

The eponymously titled Angel Brothers is out now on Navigator Records.

The Angel Brothers - Ghosts
Download MP3 (zshare) (YSI) or listen below



TOUR
The Angel Brothers will begin their England tour in September.

BUY THE ALBUM
Navigator Store | Amazon

Mid Day Rain - Welcome to the Rain

Weather affects moods and emotions, as does music. So in turn, weather and music are often a perfect match. Just type a few words like “summer”, “winter”, “cold” and “rain” in your iTunes search box and see how many of your favourite songs appear.

Mid Day Rain are an enigmatic 70s dream pop group, whose song “Welcome to the Rain” drips with the mellow sound of misty serenity. Enjoy.

Mid Day Rain - Welcome to the Rain
Download MP3 (zshare) (YSI)

2009: The Second Half of a Spectacular Year

I was going to write a list of the best songs in the first half of 2009, but PMA's Top 50 article covered them all. Here's what I'm looking forward to in the second half of this amazing year of music.

July 6 Bombay Bicycle Club
Bombay Bicycle Club is fronted by a singer with the voice of a mythical golem, made of twigs, leaves and stones. After two singles that sound nothing alike, the English rock band releases their highly anticipated debut full-length, I Had the Blues But I Shook Them Loose.
Download “Always Like This” (zshare) (YSI)
Pre-order from Recordstore

July 14 Miss Derringer
Vintage pop with a strong girl-punk influence. Her upcoming album Winter Hill is simply stunning.
Download “Black Tears” (zshare) (YSI)
Pre-order from CD Universe

July 20/September Kid British
The UK garage/hip-hop group split their debut It Was This or Football, to release it in two parts this summer. A terrible idea if you consider their international fans who will have to pay more than standard album price for each half. The album is one of my favourites this year, but I can't justify buying it.
Download “Lost in London” (zshare) (YSI)
Pre-order the first half from Recordstore
Pre-order the second half from Recordstore

August 17 Tinchy Stryder
Tinchy Stryder's last single “Number 1” was a number 1 hit in the UK this year, and deservingly so. Also worth mentioning is his previous single, “Take Me Back”, whose Sunship remix took top billing when the single was re-released. His album Catch 22 releases next month.
Download “Number 1 (Remix) (feat. N-Dubz & Kano)” (zshare) (YSI)
Pre-order from Amazon UK

August 24 Imogen Heap
Pushing the boundaries of pop music into unimaginable brilliance, Imogen Heap is no ordinary pop singer. She writes, produces and mixes her own music, having dreamt up some of the most innovative and memorable songs of the decade. Her third album Ellipse is set to release next month, though there's been a lack of buzz about it so far.
Listen to “Not Now But Soon” on YouTube
Pre-order from Amazon US/Amazon UK

August 25 Fun.
Indie pop circus from Nettwerk Records, their debut single suggests that Fun. is going to be laughing, drinking, smoking and singing their way to the peak of New York's indie scene. Their forthcoming full-length is aptly titled Aim & Ignite.
Download “At Least I'm Not As Sad As I Used to Be” (zshare) (YSI)

September Basement Jaxx
Basement Jaxx floored us all with the breathtaking disco sound of “Raindrops” that could easily take them from B-list to juggernaut status this summer. The album Scars is due in September.
Download “Raindrops” (zshare) (YSI)

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
Amy Winehouse handpicked The Asteroids Galaxy Tour for an opening slot of a concert, then Steve Jobs handpicked them for an iPod Touch commercial last year. The Danish psychedelic pop band, fronted by the charming and adorable Mette Lindberg, has been making waves in Europe for months now, playing sold-out shows with top billing. Their album has been delayed several times, now tentatively scheduled for autumn, after their summer tour with Katy Perry.
Download “The Sun Ain't Shining No More” (zshare) (YSI)

The Very Best
The highly anticipated debut album from The Very Best, the London pairing of club DJs Radioclit and afro-pop singer Esau Mwamwaya, releases this autumn. No matter how much mainstream popularity it lacks, everybody loves African music. This album is sure to be massive in any country where the people love to dance.
Download “Warm Heart of Africa” (zshare) (YSI)

Troy This
Troy This, rumoured to be the secret lovechild of David Bowie and Janet Jackson, is an enigma. Liquid pop music runs through his veins. His mysterious origin found him recording a song with Swedish pop queen Robyn, resulting in a perfectly matched duet with remarkable chemistry. He's working on a pop masterpiece that we hope will be revealed in late 2009.
Download “American Dream (Happy Song) (feat. Robyn)” (zshare) (YSI)
Download “One Day” (zshare) (YSI)

Dragonette
Martina Sorbara and her Dragonette boys released their electro rock single “Fixin to Thrill” earlier this year. Then, last week, they surprised us with “Boys & Girls”, a heavy dance track produced by Martin Solveig. The album Fixin to Thrill is due in autumn of 2009.
Download “Boys & Girls” (zshare) (YSI)

Super Viral Brothers
This spring, Super Viral Brothers came to us from Stockholm without warning, with their nonsensical underground hit “Hot Chocolate + Polar Bear Rug”. The song sounds like Dangermouse, Cee-Lo and some magical white electro powder. Their debut album Wires in Love is coming soon.
Download “Hot Chocolate + Polar Bear Rug (Dada Life Remix)” (zshare) (YSI)

Those are just 12 of the fantastic albums due in the last half of 2009. What are you looking forward to?

O. Children - Dead Disco Dancer

Last February, O. Children played a stunning showcase attended by Deadly People, who signed them the next day. Their upcoming single “Dead Disco Dancer” is a haunting, resonant song laden with acidic guitars and deep, heavy vocals.

O. Children's sound is dominated by their singer, who is gifted with an incomparable baritone voice. The instrumentation is dark, murky and post-psychedelic. The band takes their name from a Nick Cave song, but even a comparison to the legendary musician can scarcely depict the transcendant sound of O. Children.

The single releases in July on Deadly People. Here is the music video, but click the link below to see it in HD.


O. Children - Dead Disco Dancer (Watch in HD)

Rainbow Arabia - Omar K

Spirits from the underground ruins of Egypt, Rainbow Arabia take up arms and ravage a grocery store in their newest video for “Omar K”. Violent and seductive, this is one of the most astonishing music videos ever filmed.

Here are the song and its remix by Max Justus, both free downloads, and the stunning video. Rainbow Arabia's The Basta EP is out now on Manimal Vinyl Records.

Rainbow Arabia - Omar K
Download MP3 (YSI) or Listen on MySpace

Rainbow Arabia - Omar K (Max Justus Remix)
Download MP3 (YSI) or Listen on RCRDLBL

FREE MP3s
RCRDLBL also offers free downloads of “Omar K” and the Max Justus remix.



BUY THE BASTA EP
Insound | Norman Records | Rough Trade | Amazon MP3 US | iTunes

Electric Owls - Magic Show

Four albums deep in The Comas, founding member Andy Herod has a new project. Electric Owls is a magical mélange of shiny happy voices backed by warm acoustics and psychedelic synths. Their song “Magic Show” is so enchanting that, while listening, I can see a vivid music video in my head—something freaky and polychromatic like recent videos from Rainbow Arabia or Florence and the Machine.

Electric Owls' debut full-length Ain't Too Bright is out now on Vagrant Records.

Electric Owls - Magic Show
Download MP3 (YSI) or Listen on MySpace

BUY AIN'T TOO BRIGHT
Vagrant Records | Insound | eMusic | iTunes | Amazon MP3 US

The Brian Jonestown Massacre - You Look Great When I'm Fucked Up

The Brian Jonestown Massacre, nine albums to their name, brings together psychedelic rock with a haunting piano and a distinct spaghetti western vibe in “You Look Great When I'm Fucked Up” from their 2003 album And This Is Our Music.

SOUNDS LIKE Ennio Morricone, Animal Collective, The Velvet Underground

The Brian Jonestown Massacre - You Look Great When I'm Fucked Up
Download MP3 or Watch on YouTube below


Fan video of “You Look Great When I'm Fucked Up”

BUY THE ALBUM
iTunes Worldwide
eMusic MP3, worldwide
Amazon MP3 US only
Amazon MP3 UK only
7digital MP3, UK only
Recordstore CD, worldwide
Norman Records CD, worldwide
Insound MP3/vinyl, worldwide
CD Universe CD, worldwide
Amazon CD, worldwide
Amazon UK CD, worldwide