Tennis – I’m Callin’

Tennis

As Tennis get ready to release their third album, Ritual in Repeat, the husband-wife duo have dropped a couple of tracks in anticipation, including “I’m Callin'” and “Never Work For Free.” Although both songs exhibit the usual effervescent dreampop characteristics we’ve come to love about the Denver-based pair, they sound more ebullient than ever on the new tracks. The springy chorus of their single “I’m Callin'” recalls the early pop sensibilities of Madonna’s first album (so what’s not to like)? Heck, even their website is a super fun exercise in nostalgia (involving an interactive spray can that reminds me of digital design software from the 90s).

The forthcoming LP — produced by Patrick Carney (The Black Keys), Jim Eno (Spoon), and Richard Swift (The Shins) — is due out September 9 via Communion. Listen to both new tracks below.

Tennis embark on their fall tour next month, making a stop at DC’s Black Cat September 25.

Caribou – Can’t Do Without You

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Canadian composer Dan Snaith (known as Caribou) hits us with the first single from the forthcoming album Our Love. The track, “Can’t Do Without You” preserves Caribou’s signature sound with pleasant drums and percussion, glowing synths, looped lyrics, and delayed vocals. Check out Caribou’s US tour dates this November below — including a stop at DC’s Black Cat.

 

US Tour Dates 2014:

Nov 11     Boston, MA | Paradise
Nov 12     New York, NY | Webster Hall
Nov 13     Philadelphia, PA | Union Transfer
Nov 15     Washington DC | Black Cat
Nov 17     Atlanta, GA | Terminal West
Nov 18     Orlando, FL | The Social
Nov 19     Miami, FL | Grand Central
Nov 20     Tallahassee, FL | Club Downunder
Nov 21     New Orleans, LA | One Eyed Jacks
Nov 22     Houston, TX | Fitzgeralds
Nov 23     Austin, TX | The Mohawk

Delorean – Destitute Time (Slow Magic Remix)

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Spanish group Delorean put out a new LP called Apar in September — that largely went unnoticed by me until this dreamy rework by Slow Magic surfaced. Check out the mysterious producer’s remix of their track “Destitute Time” along with his scheduled tour dates below.

Delorean will be embarking on a North American tour as well, which includes a stop at DC’s Black Cat early in the New Year.

 

Delorean tour dates:
1/24 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
1/25 Washington, DC @ Black Cat
1/26 Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
1/28 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade – Purgatory
1/29 Birmingham, AL @ Bottle Tree
1/30 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
1/31 Austin, TX @ Mohawk
2/1 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
2/3 El Paso, TX @ Lobrow Palace
2/5 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent
2/6 San Diego, CA @ Casbah
2/7 Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theater
2/8 Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
2/9 San Francisco @ The Independent
2/10 San Francisco, CA @ Independent
2/11 Seattle, WA @ Barboza
2/14 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry
2/15 Iowa City, IA @ The Mill
2/18 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
2/20 Toronto, ON @ Hoxton
2/23 Boston, MA @ Sinclair

Slow Magic tour dates:
12/05 Vancouver, BC @ Electric Owl (w/ El Ten Eleven)
12/06 Seattle WA @ Neumos (w/ El Ten Eleven)
12/07 Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom (w/ El Ten Eleven)
12/11 Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom (w/ French Horn Rebellion)
12/12 San Diego, CA @ Casbah
12/13 San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s (w/ El Ten Eleven)
12/14 Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey (w/ El Ten Eleven)
12/17 Tampa, FL @ Crowbar
12/18 Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub
12/19 Miami, FL @ Bardot
12/20 St. Augustine, FL @ Cafe 11
12/31 Chicago, IL @ Canvas

Tennis – Mean Streets

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If you love indie and also happen to be nostalgic for the dulcet pop stylings of the 50’s and 60’s, then look no further than the new Tennis EP just released via Communion Records. Sample their track “Mean Streets” off the five track EP Small Sound below and grab it on iTunes today.

Tennis will be playing at DC’s Black Cat TONIGHT!

 

Tennis Tour Dates:
11/06 Washington, DC @ Black Cat
11/07 Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
11/09 Montreal, QC @ II Motore
11/10 Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
11/12 Bloomington, IN @ Bluebird Nightclub
11/13 Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar
11/14 Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
11/16 Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
11/17 St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
11/19 Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
11/20 Madison, WI @ The Frequency
11/21 Maquoketa, IA @ Daytrotter
11/29 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater

MS MR – Fantasy

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In honor of the electropop duo MS MR playing in DC this Sunday, I thought I’d post a couple of their tracks hitherto undocumented on PIAECC before.

The first track, “Fantasy,” is from their debut album Secondhand Rapture; and the second is an RAC remix of their single off the same album, “Think of You.” I’m obsessed with both so check them out.

Cults – High Road

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In anticipation of their new album Static coming out October 15th, the Cults have released a couple new songs including the sweet but devastating lo-fi track “High Road.” The NYC based duo that premiered in 2011 with their eponymous debut record have a charming, fifties-inspired pop sound that reminds me a little of Camera Obscura. Enjoy it below along with my favorite off their first album, “You Know What I Mean.”

 

‘Cause I am afraid of the light, yeah, you know what I mean,
And I can’t sleep alone at night, yeah, you know what I mean.

Cults 2013 Tour Dates:
Oct 22 – The Sinclair, Boston, MA, USA
Oct 23 – Theatre of Living Arts, USA
Oct 26 – Life Is Beautiful Festival – Las Vegas, NV, USARSVP
Oct 27 – Life Is Beautiful Festival, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Oct 29 – Black Cat, Washington, D.C., USA
Oct 30 – Motorco Music Hall, Durham, NC, USA
Oct 31 – Visulite Theatre, Charlotte, NC, USA
Nov 1 – The Loft, Atlanta, GA, USA
Nov 2 Voodoo Experience Music Festival, New Orleans, LA, USA
Nov 4 – Emo’s, Austin, TX, USA
Nov 5 – Fitzgerald’s, Houston, TX, USA
Nov 8 – Launchpad, Albuquerque, NM, USA
Nov 9 – Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix, AZ, USA
Nov 10 – The Irenic, San Diego, CA, USA
Nov 12 – El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Nov 15 – Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR, USA
Nov 16 – Rio Theatre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Nov 17 – Neumo’s, Seattle, WA, USA
Nov 20 – Bluebird Theatre, Denver, CO, USA
Nov 22 – First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Nov 23 – Metro, Chicago, IL, USA
Nov 24 – Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH, USA
Nov 25 – Lee’s Palace, Canada
Nov 26 – Webster Hall, New York, NY, USA

MS MR – Think of You

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MS MR has premiered a dreamy new video for their song “Think of You,” from their debut LP Secondhand Rapture — perfectly described by Pitchfork as “deep, thunderous rumblings, celestial twinkling, foggy shrouds, and the sweet clarity of a pastel dawn.”

Directed by BRTHR, the vid takes the 80’s like power-pop ballad and matches the genre in a modern tribute to the old public access television show “TV Party.” The directing duo wanted to create a quirky, lo-fi universe that’s sort of strange, but loveable at the same time. And indeed there’s a lot to love about this video, from the 80’s stylistic flair, to the psychedelic elements and modernistic twists.

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Lizzy Plapinger, the vocalist of MS MR calls to mind Florence Welch both visually and in her affective delivery of the song’s pathos — essentially “what it feels like to realize the person you once loved was a toxic bomb of negativity” (h/t to Winnie Cooper).

I still think of you and all the sh*t you put me through
And I know you were wrong.

Also, dates for their first North American tour were recently announced! Check out their sched below and visit their facebook page for ticket info. I for one am super stoked about their stop at DC’s Black Cat in September.

8/4 Lollapalooza – Chicago, IL
8/9 Outside Lands – San Francisco, CA
8/23 Reading Festival – Reading, UK
8/24 Leeds Festival – Leeds, UK
8/25 Rock en Seine – Paris, FR
9/1 Electric Picnic Festival – Stadbally, IE
9/16 Café Campus – Montreal, QC
9/17 Phoenix – Toronto, ON
9/19 The Church – Philadelphia, PA
9/21 Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA
9/22 Black Cat – Washington, DC
9/24 Webster Hall – New York, NY 
9/25 Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH
9/27 Berkley Riverfront Park – Kansas City, MO
9/28 7th Street Entry – Minneapolis, MN
9/29 Majestic – Madison, WI
9/30 Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL
10/2 Vanguard – Tulsa, OK
10/6 Austin City Limits – Austin, TX
10/7 House of Blues Cambridge – Dallas, TX
10/8 Warehouse – Houston, TX
10/9 House of Blues – New Orleans, LA
10/12 Corona Capitol – Mexico City, Mexico
10/13 Austin City Limits – Austin, TX
10/17 Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA
10/18 Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA
10/19 Soda Bar – San Diego, CA
10/23 Venue – Vancouver, BC

CHVRCHES – Gun

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One listen to CHVRCHES shimmery new single and you’ll understand why the electropop number is currently seated at the apex of the indie stratosphere. Although I prefer their previous release, the Scottish trio is an undeniable pop force. Officially out July 25th in the UK, “Gun” is sure to be featured on their highly anticipated debut LP – set to release sometime in September.

Also check out their punchy pop remix of MS MR‘s “Hurricane.” See a list of the group’s upcoming tour dates below — including a sold out show at DC’s Black Cat! June is going to be a good month : )

 

CHVRCHES – Upcoming Tour Dates
6/1 — Los Angeles, CA — Troubadour
6/2 — Solana Beach, CA — Belly Up Tavern
6/5 — Austin, TX — The Mohawk
6/6 — Dallas, TX — Granada Theater
6/7 — Lawrence, KS — The Granada Theatre
6/8 — Minneapolis, MN — Fine Line Music Cafe
6/10 — Chicago, IL — Lincoln Hall
6/12 — Toronto, ON — The Hoxton
6/15 — Montreal, QC — Le National
6/16 — Boston, MA — Paradise
6/17 — New York, NY — Webster Hall
6/21 — Washington, DC — Black Cat
6/22 — Dover, DE — Firefly Music Festival
6/23 — Philadelphia, PA — Union Transfer

It was a past life thing


tanlines

I had the opportunity to see Tanlines at DC’s Black Cat last month and the dynamic Brooklyn duo managed to exceed my expectations. Not only do they have a fantastic live energy, but their music also has an element of world fusion which I wasn’t aware of going into.

“All of Me,” from their debut album Mixed Emotions released last March was their first single that caught my attention; then after the concert I had to go and uncover a bunch more. “Real Life” is a shining example of the sheer exuberance that radiates from Tanlines. As if that weren’t reason enough to listen to them, they also have a great handle. Who wouldn’t want to soak up tanlines all year long? Vitamin D-deprived crazy people, that’s who.

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