Colin Meloy Announces Solo Tour

It's been taking a little while, but slowly, the 2008 tour schedules are beginning to materialize before our eyes. Definitely the most exciting announcement I've heard came today with the word that Mr. Meloy, lead singer and front man of The Decemberists, is picking up the ol' acoustic gee'tar and is hitting the road by his lonesome.

Colin Meloy has a 20-city strong tour planned out, with the possibility of additional dates later. This isn't the first time, of course, that Meloy has taken a tour of the country by himself. In the vein of his two previous, Meloy will be releasing a new solo EP which will be unique to this tour. This time around, he'll be covering Sam Cooke, with the obligatory title Colin Meloy Sings Cooke.

You may not know, but I'm basically addicted to The Decemberists, not to mention Colin Meloy's other cover albums (featuring Morrisey and Shirley Colins). You know I'll be there when Colin drops by Granada Theater in Dallas. Tickets go on sale next Friday, Feb. 8th. But if you're on Colin's fanlist, you can grab your own tickets when they go for presale tomorrow.





4/7 - Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa
4/8 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
4/10 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
4/11 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
4/12 - Charlottesville, VA - The Satellite Ballroom
4/13 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
4/15 - Somerville, MA - Somerville Theatre
4/16 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall Of Williamsburg
4/17 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall Of Williamsburg
4/21 - Chicago, IL - Park West
4/22 - Milwaukee, WI - The Pabst Theater
4/23 - Madison, WI - Barrymore Theater
4/25 - Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall
4/26 - Boulder, CO - Fox Theatre
4/28 - Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre
4/29 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Rio Theatre
4/30 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
5/2 - Seattle, WA - Showbox
5/3 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom

"The Good Life" (Kanye West) - Cullen Rollins

It's good life when you get to perform good covers of Kanye West, which is exactly what singer-songwriter and newfound Voilà! writer Cullen Rollins has done. Paying respects to one of the best contemporary rappers to pick up a mic, Cullen breaks it down with a smooth, easy cover which is quite fun. Check it out on his Myspace, now-ish!

Spritz!!! Spritz!!! - Minus the Bear (Video)

What?! What?! Minus the Bear?!

Basically, when I went to see Minus the Bear a really long time ago, not only did I take quite a few pictures, but I also took a couple videos. One video was of "Dr. L'ling," where they put on a good show, but I didn't like the way it turned out. The other was of "Spritz!!! Spritz!!!," and I think it turned out quite alright, as far as "lame digital camera recordings of live concerts where there is intense bass and poor sound quality, when in fact, no cameras were allowed in the venue in the first place then to go.

Like I said, the bass is way too loud on my poor little camera's speakers, and that concert for some reason didn't put out a lot of sound from the main mic (at least not where I was standing). Then, the infamous YouTube screwed up the video quality (I swear it looked pretty before uploading). But it's a fun performance, needless to say. I might try uploading to Virb or imeem or something later though... this isn't cutting it.

Band of the Week: Casper & the Cookies

[January 28 - February 3rd]
Casper & the Cookies
Sounds Like: Indie-Pop
Drinking Buddies: Of Montreal, The Apples in Stereo, Oh No! Oh My!, Brown Recluse Sings
Synopsis: Arduously performed amiable indie-pop!
Makes You Want To...: Sing; Dance; Take a walk
[Myspace]




One week, one band. You know the drill.
This week, the featured artist is Casper & the Cookies


I (finally) finished The Amber Spyglass/His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman! It was very good, but had quite a few sad moments. I've moved onto You Don't Know Me by David Klass, very quirky and off-kilter. Since my music tends to match my mood and my predicaments, I need some more upbeat, quirky, and off-kilter tunes to fit the groove.

I need to turn no further than the interblag before I run into Casper & the Cookies. The indie music blogs have already had their run with Casper & the Cookies after their amazing song, "Kiss Me Beneath the Christmas Tree," which essentially completed ever single music lover's Christmas playlist (including mine).

Casper & the Cookies features ex-Of Montreal member Jason NeSmith, and with the help of the rest of the Cookies, this jovial jumble of musically eclectic entrepreneurs are playing a surreal, wild n' fun indie pop that only Georgia can seem to produce.

The Optimist's Club, C&tC's debut album, was released back in '06. Of course, they have a Myspace, which you should totally rush over to and say hello. And don't forget to check out their two (count 'em) two interviews on Daytrotter. In the meantime, I have a date with "Sid from Central Park" and a book, along with a cup of super-sweet ice tea. Have a nice week everyone.

"I Pretend To Be" - All About Max

Super short, because I'm late for work, but a few days ago, All About Max released his latest song, "I Pretend To Be," on his Myspace. Very lovely, very intriguing, but also a lot deeper than you might get an impression for on the first listen. Needless to say, very good. Definitely be sure to drop by his Myspace RIGHT NOW! Oh, and if you know any good record labels that might help him release his upcoming album [slash] would like his style of music [slash] would like to have him on their team of musical artists, be sure to name drop them to him, so he can see what sort of musical business deals he can whip up.

"Medicine Man" - The Hush Sound

The Hush Sound, after much teasing and taunting, has finally released their latest song, the unmastered version of "Medicine Man," from their new and upcoming album, Goodbye Blues.

The song is phenominal on all accounts. Greta sings lead, with the rest of the band in a chorus of "oh's" in the background. Greta's voice has thoroughly advanced and matured since Like Vines, and she is showing she has an even more immence prowess over it then she did before. The music is fast paced and bouncing. And Goodbye Blues indeed, for Medicine Man contains a huge underflowing current of blues in its sound, of course mixed with the jubilant pop-punk sounds.

I can not begin to express my excitement for Goodbye Blues! "Medicine Man" really shows that The Hush Sound is not only remaining thorough with their music, as well as versatile, but there is definitely infinite limits on their creativity, and they can stretch their muscles wide with this album. If Goodbye Blues is this quality throughout, we can only expect good things! Go check out The Hush Sound's latest song on their Myspace RIGHT NOW!

Band of the Week: Uzi & Ari

[January 21-27]
Uzi & Ari
Sounds Like: Experimental/Electronic
Drinking Buddies: The Album Leaf, The Postal Service, All About Max
Synopsis: A fused blend of experiments.
Makes You Want To...: View modern art; Read fiction
[Myspace]
[Website]




One week, one band. You know the drill.
This week, the featured artist is Uzi & Ari.


Geez! It's freakin' cold. If you're in the United States, and you've forgotten that it's winter, well something is seriously wrong with you. The wind chill in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX today was 20 degrees! And believe me, it was blowing. The weather has also been moody - a dreary gray of rain and chill sulking over everything.

The music I listen to any given day is directly affected by my mood, and of course, mood is affected by everything, including the weather. The first thing that caught my ears on this rainy day was Uzi & Ari.

Uzi & Ari hails from Salt Lake City, Utah, and plays a strange, blended, eccentric electronic music reminiscent of the way The Postal Service composed their songs. Borderline post-rock, with songs similar to Mogwai, Uzi & Ari adds introspective lyrics to their tricky, fickle songs to make an abstract whole of texture and sound. These folks make some great thinking music, as well as keeping their sound fresh and uninhibited.

To be frank, I picked up on Uzi & Ari in a completely non-musical way. It just so happens that their last album, It is Freezing Out, happens to feature the artwork of my favourite artist, Thrush Holmes. But let's focus here: Uzi & Ari also have a few previous recordings, namely their debut album, Don't Leave in Such a Hurry. You can order both of their albums on their website.

If you couldn't guess, Uzi & Ari also has a Myspace, where you can download some of their other works in mp3 format, if that's your persuasion. They have their song "Mountains/Molehills" up for free download on their Myspace as well. And finally, on the off chance someone out there in the interweb is reading from Japan, you can catch Uzi & Ari's music video for "Asleep in Armor" in regular play on MTV. I leave you all with this video; everyone have a very good week!

The Brunettes on Daytrotter

I honestly hate to sound like I'm repeating myself...
I thought I should get that part out of the way first.

Because now Daytrotter, right after adding flashy songs by Oh No! Oh My! only a few days ago, have added The Brunettes, who are equally super-cool as Oh No! Oh My! and have four specially-recorded songs up for free download!

The Brunettes are fun for two reasons. Obviously, they have an amazing sound - the New Zealand duo has sweet, squishy, bubbly indie-pop that makes you smile. Secondly, where I found them. This was about half a year ago, and anyone who has/had HBO then knows exactly what was new to their line-up of shows. Flight of the Conchords! Also hailing from New Zealand, after getting completely addicted to FotC as soon as I saw the first episode, I went to their Myspace. Turns out they were featuring The Brunettes on their friends list. Awesome!

Anyway, go check out The Brunettes on Daytrotter. Don't forget to also drop by their Myspace, where you can hear more of their great tunes. And for the hell of it (especially if you haven't yet heard of them), go visit Flight of the Conchords. All actions are fully condoned by Voila, and you will regret NONE OF THEM!


...Oh.... and sorry, I can't resist.

On Top Of The World (Cheap Trick) - Nightmare Of You

Super short entry, but but but, Nightmare Of You posted a super-cool cover of the Cheap Trick song, "On Top Of The World," on their Myspace. This is pre-Bang! EP, so the sound is a bit different, but it's quite enjoyable nevertheless. NOY also plans to announce a short North-East tour for February and March sometime within the next week or so. Keep your ears open!


Run on over to their Myspace to check out their cover of Cheap Trick. They also have a few songs from their Bang! EP, which you should already have, right? The answer is yes, so go get it. In other news, hurray for weekends?!

Oh No! Oh My! on Daytrotter

For those out of the loop, possibly one of the best sites for awesome music that flies under the radar of the mainstream is Daytrotter.com. They invite wicked bands from all over to drop by their studios and record special performances of their songs, give interviews, and other sweet stuff. It's a great outlet for indie bands to get in the spotlight, and all their writers put me to shame.

That being said, Daytrotter tends to feature tons of bands, and this week, they're just so happening to feature Oh No! Oh My! Still "just so happening," when Oh No! Oh My! went to record songs at Daytrotter, they decided to play three never before released songs! Definitely check out the great article that Daytrotter wrote about Oh No! Oh My!, as well as snag their unreleased songs. You can do that right over here!

A Silver Mt. Zion US Tour

Those mysterious companions of the Godspeed You! Black Emperor collective, A Silver Mt. Zion, have announced a 2008 US tour. They have one show in March in Montreal, but come summer, ASMt.Z is off across the star-spangled states. No Texas yet, but then again, not all their shows are confirmed. PATIENCE.

Hrsta, lead by Mika Moya of Godspeed and A Silver Mt. Zion, are going to be setting off on their own separate tour of Europe in February. But could this all possibly hint at a GY!BE tour? Eh, probably not, but we can dream right (and constantly listen to Yanqui U.X.O., of course)?



20 MAR 2008 Montreal, QC La Tulipe
16 MAY 2008 Burlington, VT First Unitarian Univresalist
17 MAY 2008 Cambridge, MA Middle East
18 MAY 2008 Northampton, MA Pearl Street Nightclub
19 MAY 2008 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall Of Williamsburg
20 MAY 2008 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
22 MAY 2008 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church
23 MAY 2008 Washington, DC Black Cat
24 MAY 2008 Asheville, NC Grey Eagle Tavern
25 MAY 2008 Atlanta, GA Drunken Unicorn
26 MAY 2008 Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge
27 MAY 2008 St Louis, MO Bluebird
28 MAY 2008 Des Moines, IA Vaudeville Mews
29 MAY 2008 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater
30 MAY 2008 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall
31 MAY 2008 Chicago, IL Logan Square Auditorium
02 JUN 2008 Detroit, MI Magic Stick
03 JUN 2008 Columbus, OH Skully's Music Diner
04 JUN 2008 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
05 JUN 2008 Milvale, PA Mr Small's Theatre
07 JUN 2008 Toronto, ON Lee's Palace
08 JUN 2008 Toronto, ON Lee's Palace*

Tegan & Sara Announce US Tour

Excitement ensues!

I missed Tegan & Sara last time they made their rounds about the country, so if they drop by the DFW area again, that would be a relief. Sadly, they haven't announced a stop here, but they're definitely wandering around the rest of the country! And they haven't announced all their stops, so fingers are crossed.


17-Apr Salem, OR - Elsinore Theatre
19-Apr Arcata, CA - Kate Buchanan Room
21-Apr Davis, CA - Freeborn Hall @ UC Davis
22-Apr Santa Cruz, CA -The Rio Theatre
28-Apr Phoenix, AZ - The Marquee
29-Apr Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre
30-Apr Aspen, CO -The Belly Up
2-May Tulsa, OK - Cains Ballroom
4-May St. Louis, MO -The Pageant
6-May Madison, WI - The Barrymore Theatre
7-May Milwaukee, WI -The Pabst Theatre
8-May Indianapolis, IN - The Egyptian
9-May Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's
10-May Pittsburgh, PA - The Palace Theatre
12-May New York, NY - Terminal 5

Band of the Week: Suburban Kids With Biblical Names

[January 14-20]
Suburban Kids With Biblical Names
Sounds Like: Indie-Pop
Drinking Buddies: Math and Physics Club, I'm From Barcelona, The Whitest Boy Alive
Synopsis: DIY Twee-pop.
Makes You Want To...: Tell jokes; Ride a bike; Go to Sweden?
[Myspace]




One week, one band. You know the drill.
This week, the featured artist is Suburban Kids With Biblical Names



No posts? Alas - I suppose this is what happens when school starts back up. Busy, busy! So how about a little busy, "hey, life is annoying, so cheer me up!" music? That's where Suburban Kids With Biblical Names comes in.

SKWBN hails all the way from Sweden, and this duo's specialty is wild, witty twee-pop. But splitting from what you wouldn't standardly expect, SKWBNs is an honest, home grown, home produced band. Johan Hedberg plays some simple drafts of songs in the hallway of fellow bandmate Peter Gunnarson's parent's storeroom. Then, these dandy little blossoming flowers of songs get shifted to Gunnarson, who cracks the indie-pop whip, and shapes the drafts in to bouncy, eclectic twee-pop songs. They've even been featured in the commercial for the Toyota Prius. Wicked!

Suburban Kids With Biblical Names has several EPs out, not to mention their debut album, #3, which was released back in 2005. The crazy Swedes also have a Myspace, which you should totally check out. In other news, I have critiques to write in French, and a lot of books to buy... lovely. Have a great week everyone!

Band of the Week: Los Campesinos!

[January 7-13]
Los Campesinos!
Sounds Like: Indie-Pop
Drinking Buddies: Architecture In Helsinki, Yo La Tengo, Pavement, Islands
Synopsis: To quote the title of their song: "You! Me! Dancing!"
Makes You Want To...: Dance!; go crazy; read fiction.
[Myspace]
[Los Campesinos! (dot) com]




One week, one band. You know the drill.
This week, the featured artist is Los Campesinos!


First band of the new year! As usual, New Years night was a party to be reckoned with. But it doesn't have to end there. I suppose you'd call this starting off with a bang, but may I introduce, Los Campesinos!

Los Campesinos! is only two years old, and formed from the collective of crazy college kids out in Wales. Inspired by all sorts of music, everything from Yo La Tengo and Pavement, heyday, 90s indie, wild thrashing punk, and... Amelia Fletcher?, Los Campesinos! rips away with an absolutely amazing style of party-rock, glazed in several layers of booze, loud violin-ing, and witty lyrics.

I have posted a few upbeat, "party" bands in my time with the Band of the Week, but Los Campesinos! is probably the pinnacle of any sort of party band. Every song is catchy and danceable, every single one forces your nerves to try and sing along, and every song is gold. And as mentioned, these blokes are witty! One of their latest singles is "It Started With A Mixx," which is all about them, and I quote, "trying to find the perfect match between pretentious and pop." Listening to only a couple songs will give you the understanding that Los Campesinos! (which translates literally to The Peasants!) are here to have fun.

They came together in 2006, and have been trailing after Broken Social Scene. They were even signed to Arts & Crafts, and have been/will be touring Europe frequently. No word for us stateside residents, but that's what Los Campesinos!'s albums are for. Presently, they have released their International Tweexcore Underground EP, as well as Sticking Fingers Into Sockets on Arts & Crafts, both of which are on iTunes as well. This year will be bringing more delightful tunes on their latest work, Hold On Now, Youngster... Til then, check out their wicked website, not to mention their awesome Myspace, both which contain a plethora of Los Campesinos! music videos. Here's a treat! Have a great week everyone.

Danger Radio Releases Two New Songs

Those groovin' funk-rockers Danger Radio have been working on new material for their upcoming Pac-Sun Music Tour, and now it's been revealed. Yeah, yeah, so the other acts (Envy On The Coast, Another Day Late, and The Audition) touring with them are a bit lame/emo/typical, but the new grooves are very promising for the boys of D:R. Sadly, they couldn't be normal and just put them up on Myspace, so you'll have to do some traveling...

Danger Radio's first, So Far Gone is over on their new flashy Facebook page. So Far Gone is the expected booty-rockin' tune and way fun, not to mention to cool bio they have on the page. But their second song is the treat. Kiss N' Tell is on the Pac Sun Tour site, and is an amazing slow-paced song. Don't fret, or don't let the word "slow" slow you down, because they keep it moving with a nice groove. It's quite possibly one of their best song thus far! Check both out, and don't forget to wander on over to their Myspace and add them [slash] listen to all the sweetz toonz [slash] wish them a late Happy New Years!

The Random Post?

First post of the new year?! Yay!

Anyway, I took a bit of a break from inundating myself with music. I thought it a healthy and prudent decision. But only for a moment. The first Band of the Week will be next week. There are five weeks in January, so I thought I'd skip a week.

In the meantime, I launch a fusillade of mini tidbits of music news, because I don't feel like writing anything substantial. Deal with it!



-J Versus K and Organic Groove played at The Aardvark in Fort Worth yesterday. It was intense! OG (formerly Macrolizard) was wondrous, what with Dustin and John bouncing back and forth off of guitar solos. And you always have to love George Waters and his crazy drum solos. J Versus K was intense; I finally got my hands on their new album, Who Wants To Fight A Million Bears? It's quite amazing - you should wander over to their Myspace and pick it up. As for their live performance, let's just say that if there were any chains in The Aardvark, J Versus K was off them.


-Word on the street (AKA: The Interblag) says that Cullen is covering a new song. INTRIGUE?!@#!!!


-Dear Juliet has a few songs exclusively on his Purevolume site. It's worth checking out!


-If you haven't given a listen to Julia, super-cool acoustic singer/songwriter, you better get started. I put special emphasis on doing this now, seeing as she will be having her first performance at The Door in Fort Worth, TX, on March 1st! Hustle.


-A band changes its name?! Unheard of! That seems to be the case with The Rinse, or rather (let's get used to this), Fall On Your Sword. But don't let the the new monkier change opinion, they're still breaking out the latest booty-shakin' tunes for your greedy little ears. Give them a listen, quickly!


-Is shameless self-promotion of a joke-like thing in order? Possibly. Not many people know, and I doubt many more care, about a little music I've made myself. Well, myself, and the good folks who invented Garage Band for the Mac. I have this little thing I once named When The Time Comes, and whenever I have the opportunity, I make some cheesy post-rock using only loop tracks given in Garage Band. Now, this is just personal opinion, but I think I did a damn good job, and I have a few interesting tunes. I enjoy them anyway. You can see the two songs I have up on the Myspace, or you can check out all the songs I've ever done at a handy dandy Virb site.
Might I recommend this song if you have a little time on your hands?


-The news is a bit old, but for those not already aware, after the release of their amazing latest record, Young Machetes, The Blood Brothers have broke up. Sad days, sad days, my friends. But never fear! There are plenty of little creatures that have spawned from the Blood Brothers, and there will be plenty to hear from the former alumni. Be sure to hit up Jaguar Love, Champagne Champagne, and my personal favorite, Neon Blonde.


-I'm sure just about any American has at least heard about the crazy antics of Britney Spears, not even mentioning her sister. To be honest, I don't follow tabloids at all, but I've still heard my fair share (which has been too much). That being said, this may not be new by any means, but I suggest that you go check out "Britney" by I'm From Barcelona. It's really fun/hilarious.







Finally, on a Voilà! related note, I want to remind every reader out there about the way we do things here. Basically, Voilà! is trying to gather as many folks out there who are willing to write about music. Any ol' person will do, and there are no requirements for being a writer (except for having a Blogger account). We want you to join the crew! The more the merrier!

If you've ever been interested in writing for a music blog, or can't think about anything but music, feel free to leave a comment or email me, and we can get you hooked up on the Voilà! writing squad. There's absolutely no commitment on how often you write, or how well you write (though fairly good grammar is appreciated!).

If you want to here a somewhat-official way that this site works, go over here.

If you'd rather just write, email me! But if you don't mind, those wanting to join might want to take a quick gander at the rules that I've mentioned. And I suppose if you're really curious, you could see who's already writing for Voilà!.



That was way longer than intended.
Good day everyone! Happy (late) New Years!