The Shins – Oh, Inverted World

This is the debut album from The Shins, the band made famous by Zach Braff and Natalie Portman in the soundtrack of ’04 indie cult film, Garden State. If you’ve only heard the two songs from this album that were included on the Garden State OST, then you are missing out.

New Slang by The Shins

M83 – Saturdays = Youth

This is the indie-electronica outfit’s 5th studio album, but the first record of theirs that really hooked me and made me a fan.  I think this is an absolutely perfect album for an autumn drive.  So get it while it’s cheap here in the Spring and you’ll thank me come October.

Radiohead – OK Computer

Many people consider this the greatest album of the 90′s.  Depending on the day, this is my favorite Radiohead album.  I am pretty partial to The Bends, as it was the first album of theirs that I fell in love with. But it is hard to ignore the brilliance of this record. If you don’t own it, you need to snatch up this deal right away.

Best Coast – Crazy For You

There are a lot of albums that have come out over the past couple of years that were labelled as surf-rock and among those albums, I thought that the debut from Best Coast was by far the best.  They are kind of like a garage band version of the Beach Boys without the harmonies and a female vocalist.  I am a fan and think you should be too.

Spoon – Transference

These guys are indie rock. This is a subtle rock album. It took some time for me, not quite as catchy as their previous releases, but it is great album, that I think is worth a listen.

Sigur Rós – Ekki múkk from Sigur Rós on Vimeo.

Soundsupply Drop 2 from Soundsupply on Vimeo.

Okay it did happen, and as a result The Bombhappies and I have maintained somewhat of a distance relationship when it comes to cool tunes. Imagine my surprise when two weeks ago I get an email from Joel Bervquist of The Bombhappies.

Turns out they had just released a new single!

I’m not one to really compare artists to each other, but I’m definitely getting some Michael Stipe out of the vocals in “Ants.” Trust me, I’m not complaining when I say this. Otherwise, I’m really feeling like The Bombhappies have found their sound. Each consecutive listen is driving me to a new aspect of the track and it’s incredibly relaxing. Is this what living in Sweden feels like?

It gets sweeter though, because the full album just dropped last week. I’ve been jamming to it for the last few hours as I was hammering out work on my college newspaper. As stressful as that work should have been, I feel oddly happy. There’s only one thing that could have been the thing that made me less stressed, and it had to have been The Bombhappies.

The mix between faster and slower songs on the album really helps level the album. Like ocean tide, the album brushes in and the pulls back out. At the end you have a sweeping relaxation and you’ll just be dying to put the album back on again. Actually, put it on repeat this time so you can save yourself the trouble next time.

The album closes on the aptly named track “Closure.” In my personal opinion, far too many albums don’t give closure. The Bombhappies found a way to fix it. They’re literally giving your closure.

This little alternative outfit from the cold corner of Europe is worth a listen for sure. I’m not just saying that because I have history with them either. This album has some of my favorite offerings from the group since I first heard them back in 2005, and dare I say they have bested what I once thought their best tracks were.

The Bombhappies’ new album, A Good Fire, is available on iTunes and Amazon MP3 right now. Also, you can preview the entire album on Spotify (which oddly enough also comes from Sweden.)

Jag hoppas öronen blöder. Ω
(That’s Swedish for I hope your ears bleed.)

Along with the new release, Ritter also revealed the video for the song “Love Is Making Its Way Back Home” on Etsy. This crazy awesome stop-motion video was made with over 12,000 pieces of construction paper and had no effects added in post production.  Which means, everything that you see here is nothing more than photographs of paper with no effects whatsover.  Pretty amazing.

Josh Ritter – Love Is Making Its Way Back Home from Josh Ritter on Vimeo.

And in the off chance you have stumbled upon this site having never heard The Decemberists, take a listen to one of my favorites from their debut release Castaways and Cutouts.

The Decemberists – Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect

Recorded in AIR Studio‘s Lyndurst Hall back in October, this is quite the treat.

Bon Iver – Holocene

Horse Feathers – Fit Against the Country

Punch Brothers – Movement and Location

Origins – Single by tennisinc

Poison & Wine by thecivilwars

The Head and the Heart – Down in the Valley

2012 Spring Tour

Sat, Mar 03   Avon, CO  The Snow Ball Music Festival
Sun, Mar 04   Lawrence, KS   The Granada
Mon, Mar 05   Urbana, IL       Canopy Club
Tue, Mar 06   Louisville, KY   Headliners
Wed, Mar 07   Chicago, IL       Vic Theatre – SOLD OUT
Thu, Mar 08   Chicago, IL       Vic Theatre – SOLD OUT
Fri, Mar 09   Indianapolis, IN   The Vogue – SOLD OUT
Sat, Mar 10   Columbus, OH   Newport Music Hall
Sun, Mar 11   Pontiac, MI       The Crofoot Ballroom
Tue, Mar 13   Toronto, ON       The Opera House
Wed, Mar 14   Montreal, QC       La Tulipe
Thu, Mar 15   South Burlington, VT   Higher Ground Ballroom
Fri, Mar 16       Portland, ME       State Theatre
Sat, Mar 17   Philadelphia, PA   Union Transfer – SOLD OUT
Sun, Mar 18   New York, NY       Terminal 5
Tue, Mar 20   Baltimore, MD       Ram’s Head Live
Wed, Mar 21       Richmond, VA   The National
Fri, Mar 23       Athens, GA       40 Watt Club – SOLD OUT
Sat, Mar 24       Nashville, TN       Cannery Ballroom – SOLD OUT
Sun, Mar 25       St. Louis, MO       The Pageant
Mon, Mar 26       Nashville, TN       Cannery Ballroom
Sat, April 14       Indio, CA              Coachella – SOLD OUT
Sat, April 21       Indio, CA              Coachella – SOLD OUT
Fri, May 25          Bend, OR             Les Schwab Amphitheatre w/ Shins
Sun, May 27        George, WA             Sasquatch!
Mon, May 28       Salt Lake City, UT         Red Butte Garden Amphitheater w/ The Shins
Tues, May 29      Morrison, CO                 Red Rocks Amphitheatre w/ The Shins
Fri, June 1       San Francisco, CA         The Fillmore
Sat, June 2       San Francisco, CA         The Fillmore

Also know that I have excluded several albums that have already been released that surely would have made this list, had I done a month ago, including the new ones by Sharon Van Etten and Dr. Dog, which were both released this week.

12. Fanfarlo – Room Filled with Light (2/28)

These guys put out of my favorites of 2009 with their debut Reservoir.  They have such a fun and full sound, and I am in love with the way they incorporate horns into their music without making it ska or cheesy elevator music. Here is a live session of one of the songs from the new album.

11. Passion Pit – TBA (TBA)

Here is another band whose debut album, Manners,  found a spot on my 2009 year end list. And I am in desperate need for some new good dance music.  Lead singer, Michael Angelakos, announced in August of 2010 that they had already started work on the follow-up to Manners, and that they wanted to release it in the spring of 2011. Here is to hoping that the delay results in an album filled with tracks I can play at all the various parties and weddings I am scheduled to DJ this year.

10. Diamond Rugs – TBA (4/24)

After the last two Deer Tick albums, and the phenomenal Middle Brother album, I am a huge fan of John McCauley, who is fronting yet another super group album.  This time he is teaming up with members of Los Lobos, Black Lips, Dead Confederate, and Six Finger Satellite.  McCauley is a phenomenal songwriter and as he proved last year, with my favorite album of the year, he is a great team player. This could be a hell of a rock album.

Diamond Rugs – “Gimme a Beer” by goldminesacks

9. Greg Laswell – Landline (4/24)

This excellent singer/songwriter never seems to disappoint.  This go around he has enlisted the help of several great female vocalists, including Ingrid Michaelson and Sia.  Listen to this great live recording of one of my favorite songs of his that never made it on any of his full-length albums.

8. Phoenix - TBA (TBA)

Very little details are known about the forthcoming follow-up to one of the greatest pop albums of the last decade and yet another album off of my 2009 year-end list. It will be hard to top the genius of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, which is why I was glad to hear that this new album will be a more experimental departure from the pop sounds of their previous efforts.

7. Bruce Springsteen – Wrecking Ball (3/6)

I can’t help but love The Boss.  Even though I was disappointed with most of The Promise, and Working On A Dream, there is no way I will be able to resist going out and getting this album when it comes out this year. The first album since losing his long-time band-member and friend, Clarence Clemens, should be an emotional one, and I will be all ears.

6. Mumford & Sons - TBA (TBA)

The only reason this album isn’t higher is because I just don’t know how you follow up a debut album as good as Sigh No More.  I just can’t allow myself to get as excited as I wanna be.  As a huge folk fan, these guys are just right up my alley, and I have loved the spiritual nature of their lyrics.

Mumford & Sons – Ghosts That We Knew (Official Studio Version) by mariasbt

5. Sarah Jaffe - The Body Wins (4/24)

This girl’s voice is absolutely phenomenal.  If you haven’t heard her 2010 debut, Suburban Nature, you are seriously missing out.  Got the chance to see her live shortly after releasing it back in the fall of 201 and I was just blown away by the power and control of her voice.  A few of the songs on the upcoming record were included on last year’s CD/DVD combo release, The Way the Sound Leaves A Room. Take a listen to the title track from that short effort.

4. Grizzly Bear – TBA (TBA)

These guys released my favorite album of 2009, with the stellar Veckatimest, and then followed that up by scoring the soundtrack for fantastic Blue Valentine.  But 2011 left me hanging, other than an announcemnt on their Facebook page in December promising a new album in 2012. That is the extent of my knowledge of the new release, but that should be enough to hold me over for now. Here is a song off of Daniel Rossen’s forthcoming solo EP.

3. Fun. – Some Nights (2/21)

Lead singer Nate Ruess is seriously one of the most fun and dynamic singers and songwriters in the game. I have literally loved everything he is done.  His first album with The Format, is one of my absolute favorites, and since teaming up with Andrew Dost of Anathallo, he has been creating some of the most enjoyable pop music around.

2. The Shins – Port of Morrow (3/20)

Thank you Zach Braff for using Natalie Portman’s character in your excellent film, Garden State, to  introduce me and the rest of the world to the wonderfulness that is The Shins.  I absolutely loved 2007′s Wincing The Night Away, and it has been way too long since we’ve heard anything from them.  Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Mercer’s Broken Bells projects, but I can’t wait to hear the new stuff from The Shins.

1. The Beach Boys – TBA (TBA)

I still have a hard time believing that it’s true.  The Beach Boys have been my favorite band since I was just a wee lad, and I had just given up on the idea of ever getting to see “The Beach Boys” live, let alone get a new album will all new material.  Sure most of the guys have been touring through the years, but Wilson and Love and the rest of the gang are actually back together writing and producing and then performing together. I can hardly contain my excitement.

I absolutely wore out Danish singer/songwriter Teitur Lassen’s debut album Poetry & Aeroplanes.  It may have been the most played album for me from my college days. In fact my wife and I had some of our best friends play one of the songs off the album for us in our wedding.  That is how much this album meant to me.  Well if you’re like me, you waited for his follow-up with great anticipation, only to be disappointed when Stay Under the Stars finally released in the US in late 2006.  With the troubles/breakup with Columbia records and  follow-up to Stay Under the Stars being written in his native tongue and a foreign release, I gave up on Teitur and kind of assumed that was the last I would hear of him.

While I gave up on Teitur Lassen, fortunately, he did not give up and has continued to write and record some great music over the past several years, following up his Faroese release, with another English album in late 2008, called The Singer, which I have yet to hear.  And his most recent album, Let the Dog Drive Home, released back in October of 2010 in Europe, has fully restored my love for this extremely talented songwriter.  The album is wistful and beautiful and everything I adored about his lovely debut.  And most importantly it has finally been released digitally in the US.  You can sample a few songs below and then you can buy the whole album here: Let the Dog Drive Home

Teitur – Let The Dog Drive Home

Teitur – You Never Leave LA by blaavinyl

Fun. – “We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monáe)”

FUN. – We Are Young (Radio Edit) by MMMusic

Mat Kearney – “Ships In The Night”

Mat Kearney – Ships In The Night (Radio Edit) by MMMusic

The Darkness – “I Believe In A Thing Called Love”

Ray Charles – What’d I Say

Kanye West – Runaway [Explicit]

BUXTON Tour

Feb 04 Houston, TX – Fitzgeralds

Feb 09 Austin,TX – The Mohawk

Feb 15 New Orleans, LA – Circle Bar

Feb 16 Mobile, AL – The Music Box

Feb 18 Asheville, NC – Broadways

Feb 19 Cincinnati, OH – MOTR Pub

Feb 21 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle

Feb 22 Nashville, TN – The Mercy Lounge

Feb 23 Atlanta, GA – 529

Feb 24 Shreveport, LA – Shreveport Collective

Feb 25 Dallas, TX - Trade Winds

Supply Drop #1 Trailer from Soundsupply on Vimeo.

Download the whole album for $8 -Making Mirrors

So today’s post is my list of hopefuls for the 2012.  The films that I am most anticipating and the films I think have the best chance at “wow”-ing me.

12. The Avengers (May 4th)

I love super hero movies.  It’s honestly hard for me to not enjoy a superhero movie.  Even at the extreme rate at which Hollywood is cranking them out these days, it has been a while since we’ve had a really great one.  And with Joss Whedon at the helm, I think this could be a fun and exhilarating film. While I’m a little disappointed that Edward Norton won’t be reprising his role as the Hulk, I’m excited to see how the extremely talented Ruffalo will portray the character.

11. Lincoln (December)

I love U.S. History, and have always been fascinated with this particular time period.  That alone will get me in the theater, but then when you tell me that Daniel Day-Lewis, the ultimate method actor, will be playing Lincoln, well now you got me really excited.  Not to mention Joseph Gordon-Levitt will playing his son.

10. Django Unchained (Dec. 25)

Leonardo DiCaprio has owned the past decade, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt is working real hard to steal it from him. And Tarantino has enlisted them both to tell his story of a freed slave-turned-bounty hunter on a mission to rescue his wife.  But I think his best move may have been bringing back Christoph Waltz.  I’m hoping their partnership can bring back some of the magic that was in Inglorious Basterds.

9. The Great Gatsby (Dec. 25)

Two Leo films coming out on Christmas Day? I think Popcorn and Coke will suffice for presents this year.  So I will see just about anything DiCaprio does, so you can imagine my excitement when I heard he would be taking the lead role in the new adaptation of one of my absolute favorite books.  If it weren’t being filmed in 3D, this would be much higher on my list.

8. Moonrise Kingdom (May 16)

It’s a new Wes Anderson movie, why wouldn’t I be excited about it?  Glad to see some new faces among Anderson’s usual favorites. Looks to be a fun one.

7. Blue Like Jazz (April 13)

Another one of my favorite books is being made into a film this year.  Donald Miller’s hilarious collection of essays should make for a fun film, and knowing that Miller himself was involved in the making of this film, gives me confidence that the faith aspect of the film will be done well.

6. The Hunger Games (Mar. 23)

My wife and I both devoured these books when we first discovered them a couple years ago.  Although I kind of doubt that this will end up being a good movie, I can’t help but be excited about watching.  I just don’t know how you could pull off the intensity of this film in a tasteful way.  But if they somehow pull it off, it will be epic.

5. The Hobbit (Dec. 14)

Peter Jackson reunites the whole gang with the addition of Martin Freeman (Sherlock, The Office) to adapt my favorite Tolkien book. Yes please!

4. Gangster Squad (Oct. 19)

Ryan Goslin, Emma Stone, Josh Brolin, and Sean Penn in a 40′s Mafia film.  Not a fan of the title, but that won’t stop me from seeing this flick.

3. Argo (Sept. 14)

While I still have my doubts about Ben Affleck as an actor, after watching Gone, Baby, Gone and The Town, I am a firm believer in Affleck the director, and will watch anything that he directs from here on out.  And with both Bryan Cranston and Kyle Chandler leading the way, I have pretty high hopes for this film.

2. Jeff Who Lives At Home (Mar. 16)

Jason Segel is quickly becoming one of my favorite comedians and I continue to be impressed with Ed Helms as he branches out into different comedic roles.   Just looks like my kind of indie comedy.

1. The Dark Knight Rises (July 20)

The Dark Knight was my favorite film of 2008 and I thought their absence from the Best Picture nominations was the biggest snub of the year.  Christopher Nolan hasn’t made a bad film yet.  It’s unfortunate that Ledger will never be able to reprise his terrifyingly awesome role, but I’m excited about the addition of Tom Hardy as Bane.  Excited to see how Nolan finishes up this epic superhero saga.

Hope you enjoyed the list. What film are you most excited about seeing this year? What egregious error did I make?

“That Old Black Hole”

“Lonesome”

Dr. Dog – Lonesome by antirecords

If they are coming to a city near you, you should definitely attend their show.

February
1 - Columbus, Ohio @ Newport Music Hall
2 - Lawrence, Kan. @ Granada Theater
3 - Boulder, Colo. @ Boulder Theater
4 - Salt Lake City, Utah @ Urban Lounge
6 - Phoenix, Ariz. @ The Crescent Ballroom
7 - Solana Beach, Calif. @ Belly Up Tavern
10 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Orpheum
11 - San Francisco, Calif. @ Regency Center Grand Ballroom
13 - Portland, Ore. @ Crystal Ballroom
14 - Seattle, Wash. @ Neptune Theatre
17 - Minneapolis, Minn. @ First Avenue
18 - Chicago, Ill. @ The Vic Theatre
19 - Cincinnati, Ohio @ 20th Century Theatre

March
1 - Pittsburgh, Pa. @ Mr. Smalls Theatre
2 - Louisville, Kent. @ Headliners
3 - Nashville, Tenn @ War Memorial Auditorium
4 - Atlanta, Ga. @ Buckhead Theatre
5 - Birmingham, Ala. @ Workplay
7 - Mobile, Ala. @ Alabama Music Box
9 - Austin, Texas @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
10 - Houston, Texas @ Fitzgeralds
11 - Dallas, Texas @ Granada Theater
13 - Columbia, Mo. @ Blue Note
14 - Indianapolis, Ind. @ Old National Center
15 - Asheville, N.C. @ The Orange Peel
16 - Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club
17 - Baltimore, Md. @ Rams Head Live
19 - South Burlington, Vt. @ Higher Ground
22 - Boston, Mass. @ House of Blues
23 - New York, N.Y. @ Terminal 5
24 - Philadelphia, Pa. @ Electric Factory
25 - Philadelphia, Pa. @ Electric Factory

I suppose I should explain this bias I have towards this album. It’s an AA Bias if you will. I’m one of those people who will actually tell you an album changed their life. I’m not sure how it found it’s way to my iTunes library, probably from a music swap with friends, but one day Bondy’s softmore album When the Devils Loose started playing. I think I just hit accidentally hit play on my keyboard, and since A.A. is at the top of my iTunes, it started it. I listened all the way through the album.

It was a rainy day in October, I was pretty stressed out and well… the rest is history. From Mightiest of Guns to The Coal Hits The Fire, I really felt the album. I was transported from my dorm room in Edmond, OK to a Scott Bondy’s living room on a Mississippi night.

Music tastes different after you have yourself a nice big bowl of Bondy. He’s so peaceful, and the musicians he brings with him on his albums compliment him well.

So, needless to say, the idea of another album is pretty exciting. I haven’t forgotten about American Hearts, Bondy’s first album on his own, but it didn’t connect with my the way Devils Loose did. Besides, I wasn’t looking for a prequel; I was looking for a sequel.

Believers is the sequel I’ve been searching for.

The album starts strong. The Heart is Willing is one of the strongest tracks I’ve ever heard from Bondy, and it set a tone for the album that my heart understood a couple miles before my head did (I’m measuring that in miles because I since I do most of my “processing” in my car, it makes more sense to track it in terms of distance than minutes).

The ethereal ending to Heart is Willing goes quite before it leads off into Down in a Fire (Lost Sea). The opening riffs of this song are very Explosions in the Sky-ish, not only in sound but also mood. The song is very somber, very reminiscent of a Sunday evening in November after DST has ended. The track ends with about 45 seconds of delay and feedback effects. A bit different from what I’d expect, but it holds the mood and feels alright.

Skull and Bones is the first track I had to go back and listen to again. I normally like to do my first listen to an album all the way through, but I knew I had missed some stuff about the track and had to go back. The sound of the wind whispering, the harmonizing vocals, the light sounds of brushes on drum heads. The song is very cold. Cold like the first day in September when you should have brought a jacket, but you didn’t because technically it’s still Summer and well the low was only going to be 59, cold. It gave me goosebumps.

But here comes the turning point for the album. Bondy gives us a short break with 123 Dupoy Street and then he lays it on us with Surfer King, and boy does he lay it on thick. When the music swells in at about 3:05, you just ride the wave of sweet, sweet guitary goodness like a surfer king (see what I did there?). This is my favorite track on the album, by far. If you haven’t heard it, go listen to it right now over at NPR. It’s okay, I’ll wait.

After the strong swells and high tides, Bondy takes us on the road for Hiway/Fevers. When I close my eyes I imagine being a passanger in a car, hearing sirens, passing cars and just listening to the sounds of the road at night. Close your eyes, open your ears and free your mind. I have to be careful because it kind of feels like I’m going to be sucked into the song.

It’s not a surprise that the song Drmz has some of the most prominent percussion on the album. The song is a lot lower: in tempo, in tonality and in lyrics. Look at this line, “And if I said I believed in you / We still know what you would do/ Through the door into the blue, it burns.”  It’s a dark look at life, and it pulls me down a bit, so I’m just going to go to the next song.

The Twist has a very different sound. It sounds more like a hybrid of his older stuff and the softer stuff he did as a part of Verbena. I felt broadsided by this track the first time it came on. It was like a different album started playing. It’s a good track, but it doesn’t feel like a part of this album.

I always get nervous when I hit the title track of an album. What if it sucks? To me, I always assume that an album’s title track is the artist’s favorite song, otherwise why would they call it that? Rt. 28/Believers might be Bondy’s favorite song on the album. I don’t know, I didn’t send him or his representation an email to find. If it is however, it’s a great choice. All the qualities that made The Twist feel weird to me are resolved in Rt. 28/Believers, which is great since Bondy gives us seven glorious minutes of slide guitar and soft drums.

Silly name, serious music. Scenes From A Circus wraps up a brilliant third album. I think Rt. 28/Believers is a good ending in itself, but the gapless nature of these two tracks put together just makes it even better. So what I said a few lines ago about seven minutes of glorious wonder ends up being more like 11. The tempo slows, the end feels close. Bondy gives us a few last lyrics, and then its cue the 17 second fade.

This album is good, real good. I mean The Twist is a bit of a “twist” in terms of how the album feels start to finish, but it’s not a ruiner. It feels like it’s either in the wrong place in the lineup more than it feels out of place for the album itself. Either way, I guess I could say I’m a believer now. An AA Believer. #pleasedontbecomeatrendingtopic #whyamiwritinginhashtags

All that said, it is with strong personal bias that I recommend you should stop reading this article right now and go listen to Believers on NPR, or buy it on Amazon (MP3 / CD / Vinyl) or iTunes.

If you’re interested in hearing the album that “changed my life,” When the Devils Loose is on Amazon, iTunes and Spotify.

I hope your ears don’t mind the AA Bias. Ω

How Come You Never Go There by Feist

The Civil Wars – Disarm (The Smashing Pumpkins)

Always Sunny in Colcord

1) The Radio Dept. – Heaven’s On Fire

2) Tennis – Marathon

3) Local Natives – Wide Eyes

Wide Eyes by Local Natives

4) Two Door Cinema Club – Something Good Can Work

Something Good Can Work by Two Door Cinema Club

5) Neon Indian – Deadbeat Summer

Deadbeat Summer by Neon Indian

6) Gorillaz – On Melancholy Hill

7) Miike Snow – Burial

Walk the Moon – Anna Sun
Anna Sun by Walk The Moon

9) Free Energy – Dream City

10) Generationals – Greenleaf

11) Foster the People – Helena Beat
Helena Beat by Foster The People

12) M83 – Midnight City

13) Phoenix – Lasso

14) Ra Ra Riot – Boy

15) Matt & Kim – Cameras
Cameras by mattandkim

16) Robyn – Dancing on My Own
Dancing On My Own by robyn

17) The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition

18) Freelance Whales – Hannah

19) Sleigh Bells – Rill Rill

20) Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros – Home

September
17 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Bimbo’s 365 Club
18 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Masonic Temple
20 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Troubadour
22 – Chicago, Ill. @ Lincoln Hall
23 – Toronto, Ontario @ The Great Hall
24 – Montreal, Quebec @ Corona
25 – Boston, Mass. @ Brighton Music Hall
27 – Washington, D.C. @ Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
28 – New York, N.Y. @ Webster Hall

Listen to the new song, “Sophia” below

Get their new album for only $5 on Amazon right now – Sidewalks

Block After Block (Single Version) by mattandkim

August
13 – East Hampton, N.Y. @ Music To Know Festival
20 – Hollywood, Calif. @ Sunset Strip Music Festival
27 – Annapolis, Md. @ Silopanna Music Festival

September
7 – Saint Paul, Minn. @ Xcel Energy Center
9 – Bonner Springs, Kan. @ Sandstone Amphitheatre
10 – Noblesville, Ind @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
11 – Clarkston, Mich. @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
13 – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio @ Blossom Music Center
15 – Burgettstown, Pa. @ First Niagra Pavilion
16 – Saratoga, N.Y. @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
17 – Camden, N.J. @ Susquehanna Bank Center
18 – Virginia Beach. Va @ Farm Bureau Live
20 – Charlotte, N.C. @ Charlotte Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
21 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
23 – West Palm Beach, Fla. @ Cruzan Amphitheater
24 – Tampa, Fla. @ 1-800-ASK-Gary Amphitheatre
26 – Woodlands, Tex. @ Woodlands Pavilion
27 – Dallas, Tex. @ Gexa Energy Pavilion
29 – Alburquerque, N.M. @ Hard Rock Casino
30 – Tempe, Ariz. @ Tempe Beach Park Amphitheatre

October
1 – Anaheim, Calif. @ Honda Center
2 – Wheatland, Calif. @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre
5 – Mountain View, Calif. @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
6 – Chula Vista, Calif. @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
7 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ Red Rock Resort
8 – Hollywood, Calif. @ Hollywood Bowl

Foster the People‘s debut album, Torches  is out now and you can get for $10 on Amazon.

Washed Out – Wicked Game (Chris Isaak)

Buy Beirut’s phenomenal debut album for only $5 here – Gulag Orkestar

Beirut – Santa Fe by smithblogsatlanta

The Age of Adz is on sale on Amazon for only $5 for just a few more days. If you haven’t bought it yet, I suggest you get it here now!