Band of the Week: Lykke Li

An excellent photo taken by Luderbus via Flickr.

[June 30 - July 6]
Lykke Li
Sounds Like: Singer-Songwriter/Indie-Pop
Drinking Buddies: Peter Bjorn & John, Kate Nash, Feist,
Synopsis: Sweddish folk artist with a tongue for indie-pop.
Makes You Want To...: Muse; Sing; Dream.
[Myspace]




One week, one band. You know the drill.
This week, the featured artist is Lykke Li.

Oh, good ol' Sweden. A gracious, bountiful land tucked serenely in the centre of Scandinavia. A land probably given too much credit in textbooks for certain psychological disorders named after certain capital cities rather than their excellent contributions to international culture. A land of opportunity? More than likely, since they seem to have an excellent economy, not to mention a glorious education system (and of course, beautiful landscapes!). Sweden is also reknowned for their contributions to the music scene: I'm From Barcelona, The (International) Noise Conspiracy, Shout Out Louds, José González, and of course, Peter Björn and John, all hail from Sweden.

But there's been another little lady who's been stirring up some dust around the internet who calls Stockholm her home. Her birth name is Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson, but avid listeners who have their ear to the underground know her as Lykke Li (pronounced roughly "Lee-key Lee" for those not yet savvy).

Lykke has been marking her territory all across the interblag with critical acclaim after the release of her hot-off-the-presses debut album, Youth Novels (which happened to be produced by Björn Yttling of Peter Björn and John). With a slew of addicting indie-pop anthems, Youth Novels has been an instant hit, especially for a debut album, rising to 112th best selling album in the UK.

An emerging talent is more of an appropriate connotation for Lykke: when she's not making bloggers gasp of sheer enjoyment due to her musical talent, especially with covers of certain rappers known as A Tribe Called Quest, she's appearing in fashion blogs like Painfully Hip for her discreet yet wonderfully unique fashion sense. But this is about the music, no? Her songs are wonderfully eclectic, putting an equal emphasis on the music with a folk tinge, as well as her delightfully light, lilting voice that's like an auditory massage. Her lyrics are calm, relaxing, and introspective, and quite the treat to hear. Need I flaunt more at this point?

Lykke Li premiered her debut full-length LP, Young Novels, back in May. It may be two months old now, but it still has that new-album smell; ergo, it's definitely worth a few dollars for some excellent music. Unfortunately the aforementioned album is a bit hard to track down in the States, but if you have Facebook, add the Lykke Li application, invite a few friends, and get two free tracks from Young Novels! Not bad, eh? Lykke Li definitely has a Myspace as well, though you aren't likely to see her there often beginning this coming Thursday...

No doubt in support of Young Novels, Lykke and her crew an extensive touring period. What's the recipe to a wonderful Lykke Li touring dish, straight out of the kitchen? Add one full month of steamin' hot touring across Europe until early August. After partying, let simmer for three weeks while she rests. Then, add three teasing shows on the North American continent before another tour in September. We have time to prepare for the wondrous visit of Lykke Li here in the US, but get busy, and start listening to more great music; and of course, have an excellent week.

Review: We Brave Bee Stings And All - Thao with The Get Down Stay Down

Cursive said it best: "We all know art is hard." Art and expression are hand in hand. They're dating, in fact. Don't worry, they practice safe sex and they seamlessly blend together to make wonderfully new and enthralling forms of visual, audio and/or imaginative bliss. But art and expression are also progressive; the process of expressing oneself through an art form is an active and ongoing process. Whether the artist has just finished his masterpiece painting, the director just picked up his first video camera, or the songwriter slammed into the infamous writer's block halfway through their latest song, there is always a "to be continued..." There will always more to express, and new ways to express; ergo, our artists must stay in top form to continue expressing themselves in the strongest way they possibly can.

But Thao Nguyen knows a thing or two about expression. "Feet Asleep is a tribute song for my mother," Thao says in an interview with imeem. "She owns a laundromat and drycleaner. Her hours are sick: about eight to eleven at night everyday for the past ten years.... The narrative perspective of 'Feet Asleep' is from her voice, saying things that she would never say. Y'know, complaining or acknowledging the difficulty and the hardship of it. Cause she never would, but in a way, I'm complaining for her.... But to make it less depressing, I made it a hootenanny."

Yes, Thao knows art and expression like the back or her hand. For this Virginia-bred singer-songwriter, creativity from her and her band, The Get Down Stay Down, have been flowing like a steady river since they formed. And they now have a shining beacon of expression under their belt with their latest release, We Brave Bee Stings And All. The album stands strong on all forms as a great expression of life, love, and family are combined into a steady, some dare say poppy, blend of contemporary folk rock that will certainly perk a fine listener's ears.
We Brave Bee Stings... launches straight into a blast of guitars, brass, and ukulele with "Beat (Health, Life and Fire)," introducing the expert poetic skills of Nguyen, the excellent production abilities of producer Tucker Martine (The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, Laura Veirs), and the musical talents of The Get Down Stay Down. And the album doesn't slow down there, following up with "Bag Of Hammers," "Big Kid Table," and many more excellently composed songs, all with a unique story to tell.

"I was a Sociology in Women's Studies major in college, and women's advocacy work - because of the way I grew up - I've always been interested. And so, 'Swimming Pools' is essentially about how women before me and women of my generation have to voluntarily and involuntarily sort of absorb everything that's out there," Nguyen says. "It's the idea that we can somehow absorb all of that before the little girls grow up."

"Geography" tells the tough story about cheaters with the almost completely antonymous, fun filled folk-pop juxtaposed along to the lyrics, while excellent songs like "Fear and Convenience" highlight Thao's amazing guitar playing while retaining that the progressiveness and honest pulse the entire album flies like a flag. We Brave Bee Stings... never slows down, consistently treating listeners to the beautiful country-tinged songs that only Thao and her posse can seem to produce.
We Brave Bee Stings And All offers an excellent set of songs that any avid music fan would love, especially if your in the mood for some contemporary folk with a flair. We Brave Bee Stings And All is currently available at fine retailers and online outlets as we speak. Expression and art both come in many forms, both requiring a great deal of experience to accomplish correctly. It seems quite apparent that this sophomore release proves that Thao with The Get Down Stay Down have all the experience in spades, and aren't about to hesitate in laying it on the table. The Big Kid Table, even.

Video: "Bitches In Tokyo" - Stars

If you haven't caught the vibe yet, from all of my random articles, I'm really into Canadian indie rock. From The Dears to Feist, my love is for those northerners. On that topic, the lovely folks, including Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan, from Stars have released their latest music video off of In Our Bedrooms After The War, for their song "Bitches In Tokyo". The song, as the name may or may not imply (depending on personal interpretation) is a total rock-out sort of song, with lots of walls of sound and very fun-to-chant-in-unison lyrics.

In the same vein, the video shows some "prodigy rockers" doing what they do best, otherwise known as rocking out in their parents living room. It's a very fun video, and a bit silly as the parents try to deal with the problem (and this is coming from someone who isn't particularly partial to music videos). But when I hear tale that this video was made by the eclectic Kevin Drew (from the Social Scene) and George Vale - together referred to colloqiually referred to as the Experimental Parachute Movement - you know I was even more excited.

You should certainly wander to Stars' Myspace, especially since they have just announced their latest tour of the United States, as well as a free ticket giveaway contest! You can also visit Arts & Crafts Records online. And since there isn't an official Experimental Parachute Movement website, you should go visit Broken Social Scene. But of course, you can catch the new video for "Bitches In Tokyo" by Stars right here.





Bitches In Tokyo

Unlimited Enthusiasm Expo 2008 Launches

Come one, come all, to the event of the decade!

Okay, maybe I'm overexaggerating a bit. But that's being enthused, right? Unlimited enthused?! To say the least, this is definitely a noteworthy happening of 2008. In celebration of fun times (as well as their 6th year as a band), wizard rock superstars Harry and the Potters are launching their Unlimited Enthusiasm Expo tour, which will take them across the country with best friends and buddies Math the Band and Uncle Monsterface.

Harry and the Potter has been hyping up Unlimited Enthusiasm 2008 for the last several months, particularly because of their lack of touring. Summer is Harry and the Potters season, and after three other quarters of the year spent making awesome new material (try googling: Rocking Out Against Voldemedia, or Wizard Rock The Vote, or The Enchanted Ceiling EP), they're ready for a party.

This isn't just a simple tour. You have to get PUMPED if you plan on attending in a city near you. If it already wasn't intense enough that they made an Unlimited Enthusiasm Expo Theme Song, they even have video commercials! While you get excited for an awesome time including (supposedly) circus tents, dancing, as well as nerd bands (seriously... Math The Band is really fun), as well as some good ol' fashion wizard rock action, be sure to visit the official Unlimited Enthusiasm Expo 2008 website, with lots of nifty/useful information. Oh, don't forget to check out those wrockstars Harry and the Potters Myspace.






June 25 | Cambridge, MA | Middle East Downstairs
June 26 | Portland, ME | the Space
June 27 | NYC, NY | Bowery Ballroom
June 28 | Brooklyn, NY | Southpaw (matinée)
June 29 | Philadelphia, PA | First Unitarian Church
June 30 | Washington, D.C. | Black Cat
July 1 | Carrboro, NC | Cat's Cradle
July 2 | Athens, GA | 40 Watt
July 3 | Gainesville, FL | Common Grounds
July 4 | Tampa, FL | Crowbar
July 5 | Orlando, FL | the Social
July 6 | Atlanta, GA | Eyedrum
July 8 | Houston, TX | Walter's on Washington
July 9 | Dallas, TX | Granada Theater
July 10 | Austin, TX | Mohawk
July 11 | El Paso, TX | El Paso Museum of Art
July 12 | Tucson, AZ | Club Congress
July 13 | Phoenix, AZ | Modified Arts
July 14 | San Diego, CA | Epicentre
July 16 | Pomona, CA | the Glass House
July 17 | Los Angeles, CA | the Troubador
July 18 | San Francisco, CA | Bottom of the Hill
July 19 | San Francisco, CA | Bottom of the Hill (matinee/BBQ)
July 21 | Portland, OR | Wonder Ballroom
July 22 | Olympia, WA | Capitol Theatre
July 23 | Seattle, WA | Neumo's
July 24 | Vancouver, BC | Ukraine Hall
July 26 | Salt Lake City, UT | Kilby Court
July 27 | Boulder, CO | Fox Theatre
July 28 | Denver, CO | Hi-Dive
July 29 | Lawrece, KS | The Granada Theater
July 30 | Omaha, NE | The Slowdown
July 31 | Minneapolis, MN | the Triple Rock Social Club
August 1 | Chicago, IL | Stas Mansion
August 2 | St. Louis, MO | the Bluebird
August 3 | Bloomington, IN | Rhino's
August 4 | Cleveland, OH | the Grog Shop
August 5 | Ann Arbor, MI | the Blind Pig

Band of the Week: Uffie

[June 23 - 29]
Uffie
Sounds Like: Electro
Drinking Buddies: Yelle, Feadz, Justice, M.I.A.
Synopsis: Neo-electro rapper who's is the next recruit on the Ed Banger crew.
Makes You Want To...: Get crunk!; Dance; Party.
[Myspace]




One week, one band. You know the drill.
This week, the featured artist is Uffie.

Hear the pulsating drum beat? The grooving rhythm? That irresistible combination of sounds that forces your legs to move of their own accord? That would probably be the wonderful sounds of one of the most popular scenes coming out of Paris these days. That would be the the French electro and house music scene that has been dominating the city since the nineties. Basement Jaxx and The Chemical Brothers may flaunt their success over the Channel in England, but anyone who knows how to dance and what music is best to dance to knows that French outfits like Daft Punk and Justice hold the trophy for best of the best.

Speaking of that French duo, Justice, they rock the beat on Ed Banger Records, the highly acclaimed France-based electronic record label featuring artists like Mr. Oizo, DJ Mehdi, and Feadz. But now they have a new audio soldier waving the Ed Banger flag. This trusty grunt hitting the front-line dance clubs happens to be the likes of Uffie, who's reputation is building astronomically.

Uffie hails from Miami, though she spent most of those silly ol' formative years out in Hong Kong. After relocating to to Paris, she booked Feadz for a party... and well, the rest was history. Since then, Uffie has been cropping up in clubs internationally, and she has gone on tour with the Ed Banger's crew. With her tough girl attitude and raunchy lyrics, Uffie lays down the law in fast paced dance tracks. There is controversy over her integrity; whether Uffie can hold her own, and not just leech off of her record label peers. She may have a huge sex appeal, a sailor's tongue, and a wild, raucous demeanour. But the personality is the spice to her music. If you're looking for something a little more rowdy and vulgar, and not wanting to resort to homestyle southern crunk-rap, Uffie should be right up your alley.

Now to Uffie's official music collection........... well... she certainly has a Myspace, with some incredibly excellent tracks. She also made an appearance on the latest Ed Banger's compilation (mixed by ex-boyfriend, Feadz). Furthermore, she has herself a few singles floating around still, as well as a feature roll on Justice's hit track "Tthhee Ppaarrttyy" on †. But beyond that, Uffie has no official debut! It's a tragedy, I realize. But never fear, dear reader! Uffie is currently whipping up her first debut album, rumoured to be an 8+ track filled dance adventure for your eager ears. Til then, keep your ear to the speakers, and those hips moving, and have yourself a good week.

Band of the Week: Wax On Radio

[June 16-22]
Wax On Radio
Sounds Like: Experimental
Drinking Buddies: Brand New, The Receiving End Of Sirens, Wolf Parade, Circa Survive
Synopsis: The ghost of a glorious band.
Makes You Want To...: Contemplate; Sing; Rock out.
[Myspace]




One week, one band. You know the drill.
This week, the featured artist is Wax On Radio.

There are tons of bands out there. They come and go on a daily basis; you aren't a true music fan unless you have followed an up-start band from it's beginning to its early end. Some lucky ensembles are lifted into music glory, and tour their hearts out for loving fans. Others live the life of a rockstar, and bow out quietly. Still more are the "one-hit wonders" that will forever remain in our minds for that one piece of musical and cultural gold. And many, many more will leave no mark at all, and will vanish before they had a chance to prove themselves.

Rarely does a band appear, pronounce themselves so perfectly, and then vanish without a trace.

Such is the case with the mysterious Wax On Radio. But let us start at the beginning of this strange story. Wax On Radio is a resoundingly talented quartet that formed in 2004 somewhere between the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois on the recommendation of mutual friends. The newly formed band hit it off well, playing shows in the infamous Chicago music scene.

Their style is incredibly unique, and balances on many different facets within music culture. Mikey Russel, guitarist and vocalist, sings in a fashion reminiscent of Anthony Green of Circa Survive. Wax On Radio's musical style blends all forms of modern rock. Their songs are marked by long, thorough instrumentals, powerful hooks, and loose lyrical formats. Every song in their repetoire is heavily layered and textured with melodies and harmonies that make the ear ring perfectly like a tuning fork. Wax On Radio also has a mastered knowledge of incorporating silence into their music as well, and can rise from a mere whisper to a wall of sound in seconds.

In 2006, Wax On Radio signed with Downtown Records, and later that year, released their debut album, Exposition. Their debut met enthused acclaim across the internet as well as respectable magainzes, including SPIN and Rolling Stone. In 2007, Wax On Radio found themselves opening for Forgive Durden and Brazil, and then a nationwide tour with The Ataris.

On May 1st, 2007, Wax On Radio announced that they were working on a new album, and by June, they were already halfway through with the composition, and would soon thereafter be tracking the songs in the studio... and then... they disappeared.

No new information on the band has been released to the public whatsoever since August 5, 2007, when Wax On Radio was a nominee on MTV2's On The Rise program. No interviews have been had, no new blog posts posted; no contact. Downtown Records no longer lists them as a recording artist on their label on the Downtown Records website, and at the time this article was written, returned no reply to my query on the state of the band at present. The Wax On Radio website has since become defunct. Finally, the Wax On Radio Myspace is like a Mayan ruin, haunted by the memories of the past, still featuring songs from Exposition, and the banner atop the page that tells of their proverbial soon-to-be new album.

Bands have gone on hiatus for long periods of time - that's nothing new. Godspeed You! Black Emperor hasn't released any material since 2002, and remain on an indefinite hiatus (but with side projects and occasional updates). Yesterday's article about In Dot Dat proves that bands can break up and return on a whim and a moment's notice. And Brand New, who's last album, The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me - which bears a staggering resemblance to the mood and quality of Wax On Radio's Exposition - went on hiatus for quite nearly three years, one of which was spent with complete silence and anonymity from the public. I could be wrong, and have blown this situation way out of proportion. But, dear reader, I frankly am not sure what happened to Wax On Radio. They are a ghost-band; like a ghost town, with hauntingly beautiful music still lingering in the speakers.

When contacted, Wax On Radio returned no reply to Voilà!'s two inquiries as to the standing of their band. Are they broken up? Are they planning the biggest album of the decade? Only they know. Regardless, Wax On Radio remains one of the most impressive bands to made a name for themselves in the past two years, and remains a personal favourite of mine. They have one album, Exposition, currently for sale via digital outlets and (possibly) retail stores. They have a mysterious Myspace which is collecting dust, but hides beautiful gems from their album, as well as their video journals from 2007 tour. And they are definitely worth a listen.

[author's note: since this article was published on Voilà!, Wax On Radio has publicly announced that they have not broken up, and have been on a public hiatus while writing new material.]

In Dot Dat Reconvene

North Texas has plenty of fresh and aspiring artists, from Cullen Rollins to Eisley - J Versus K to Organic Groove. But it seems that an old favourite, previously thought buried and gone, is rising from the ashes, and picking up those instruments to play once more.

Before Voilà! popped up around these parts, a humble experimental and post-rock band was building a nice local following in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Known as In Dot Dat, these boys hailing from Denton made some excellent instrumental tunes that were starting quite the commotion. They even released their first album, Tempting The Empty Emptying. Drawing inspiration from distant bands such as the Canadian Do Make Say Think, as well as music icons a bit more close to home, like Explosions In The Sky and This Will Destroy You, In Dot Dat quickly began to make a name for themselves.

Until they broke up...

Strangely enough though, there is activity at the abandoned In Dot Dat camp. The mysterious Dentonite post-rockers have announced their first show since the break up. This Thursday, June 19th, North Texans can check out the phoenix of experimental rock bands, In Dot Dat, performing at Cool Beans (bar), on the roof. Of course, though, if you simply can't wait to catch a glimpse of these folks who are sure to break some speakers in Denton, you can always check out their Myspace. Might I suggest you listen to "X-Wing?"

Now if you'd excuse, I'll be celebrating by listening to "God's Thumb" on repeat.

Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls Announce New Album Project

The wrock (Wizard rock) world has been buzzing for months now. That's no doubt due to approaching Portus 2008, a huge Harry Potter convention taking place Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas this coming July. Not only does this year's Portus offer a slew of things to do this year, but they also offer a wrocking dance party! This year, they feature the wrock line-up of talented musicians including: The Mudbloods, Catchlove, Ministry of Magic, The Whomping Willows, The Remus Lupins, and of course, Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls.

Coincidentally, yesterday was the birthday of Christian Calderia, Oliver Boyd's secret Muggle identity. And word has reached the Wizard Wireless that some creative ideas are coming out of the Oliver Boyd camp. Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls released their latest and greatest song, "Whoa Is Me," a very electronic-oriented lament from the perspective of Cho Chang. But this style of composure isn't in the tried and true Oliver Boyd style! There must be an explanation!

Turns out, the explanation is enthralling. Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls have just announced their latest album project: Hogwarts: Stories Within The Walls. Essentially, Stories Within The Walls is a series of EPs which are to be released separately, each highlighting one of the different houses in Hogwarts. Each EP will be titled after its respective house (Ravenclaw EP, Gryffindor EP, et. al.), and all will be separate entities from one another. Yet, once the project has been completed, each EP will be interconnected to the others, forming a whole series; combing four smaller pictures to enlighten listeners with the bigger picture.

This is an impressive task to take on by any band (see: Coheed & Cambria). But the stakes are higher for Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls since this is the story of J.K. Rowling, and the music will need to stay as in canon as possible. Definitely a tricky task. Which is why Oliver Boyd and the Rememralls are raising the ante by changing up the musical style.

"I decided this time around not to hold back on my creative ideas," Calderia said in his latest Oliver Boyd blog. "I wouldn't stop myself from writing or releasing a song because it 'wasn't OBatR sounding enough....' [Whoa Is Me] is definitely not a typical sounding OBatR tune, but that's what I love about it. That's what I want from this quartet of EPs. I want to explore all kinds of sounds and moods."

"Whoa Is Me" definitely doesn't follow The Remembralls' mold for songs, instead veering off in the direction of more attuned to the style explored by Talons & Tea Leaves, Calderia's collective band with the famous Texas wrockstar Catchlove. But if The Remembralls' last two albums speak for the future, fans can only expect excellent things.

The Hogwarts: Stories From Within The Walls collection is due to be released piece by piece over the next several months, beginning with (my favourite house) the Ravenclaw EP. Completition for the Ravenclaw EP is set somewhere within the next month! Just in time for its debut release at Portus 2008 in Dallas, where North Texas natives will be sure to see Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls, along with many other excellent wrockers (though Harry and the Potters will be mysteriously absent... busy with other tasks). Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls will also be offering their most recent endeavour, Open At The Close EP, as well as their last full length album, Back For The Fight, at Portus this coming July.

You can find out more information about Portus 2008 at the official website. Of course, you can also check out Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls' new song, "Whoa Is Me," from the Ravenclaw EP on their Myspace right now!

Band of the Week: Memphis

[June 9-15]
Memphis
Sounds Like: Indie-Pop
Drinking Buddies: Stars, Metric, Immaculate Machine
Synopsis: American twang from a Canadian duo.
Makes You Want To...: Go out drinking; Dance; Socialize
[Myspace]




One week, one band. You know the drill.
This week, the featured artist is Memphis.

Good ol' Memphis, Tennessee. Think about it for a minute. Memphis and music are synonymous. B.B. King, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash... Countless wonderful musicians have left their mark on the the town.

But there's a new Memphis in town. Memphis, who ironically hail from Vancouver, Canada, is an indie-pop band that also has a lot of soul. You may recognize the lead singer, Torquil Campbell, from Montreal based Stars. This would be his delightful side project, along with long-time friend Chris Dumont. These to whip up some sweet tunes about romance, inebriation, any combination of the two, along with everything thing else in between.

Memphis' style is quirky and unique, right up the alley of the Canadian indie rock scene that so many have come to love. It's clear that Campbell's experience with Stars has rubbed off on Memphis. But Memphis form their own noteworthy style to call their own, weaving complex and intensively layered songs together with heartfelt lyrics, or simply just breaking it down with songs that are almost danceable.

Word from the Memphis camp has been quiet as of late though. This is no doubt due to the busy nature of Torquil Campbell as Stars run around on their ever-so busy summer tour with the likes of the Broken Social Scene. But Memphis still has plenty to offer, with their debut I Dreamed We Fell Apart, as well as their latest release, A Little Place In The Wilderness, which is beyond excellent. And of course Memphis has a Myspace, where you'll no doubt find me today, listening incessantly to "Incredibly Drunk on Whiskey." To all thee readers, have a good week!

Interlude

I honestly wanted to provide a lovely article on this weeks featured band.
But had no inspiration.
But I shall not let you fair readers down.
So the Indie Tits (courtesy of Jeph Jacques, artist of Questionable Content) shall banter with humourous music jokes for me.
Hurray!

(Band of the Week tomorrow?)

Playlist: Rock Box

It's a long story. One I'm nowhere near coherent enough to tell. But to confess things bluntly, in a strange series of events involving Cullen and some remixes he's planning on mixing up, I've somehow garnered a miniature obsession with rap for the day. In an effort to quell my cravings, I found that I made a nifty playlist! The playlist is very simple: good rap from many different artists, new, old, and otherwise; something to keep you moving or to chill to, depending on your mood. For simplicity's sake, all the songs are in the following (and also nifty) imeem player. Listen in!

Brendan Canning Circumvents Album Leak

They've done it again! Those dastardly fiends!

Have you heard, my companions? The word from the village down the way says that the legendary Brendan Canning of Broken Social Scene was due to release his album, Something For All Of Us..., on July 22nd. But the thieves whom have been camping outside of town near the BitTorrents, on the plains of the internet, have leaked the beautiful new music out to the masses in an unmastered edition of the album. Those devilish souls have spread a false copy of the album to unsuspecting listeners everywhere!

Something must be done, and Brendan Canning is here to save the day. To prevent the digression of this situation, and halt the leak as much as possible, the latest featured artist from the Social Scene Collective has released Something For all Of Us... on the Arts & Crafts website for digital download. Unlike the gaudy version that has been circulating, this is the REAL version of the album. The hope is that people will stop passing around the unmastered version before things get out of control, even though the album is not officially due out for another six weeks.

What does this mean? Well, certainly that the BitTorrent nerds out there are sorely disappointed in their unmastered copy. But for the rest of us legal music buyers, it means that if we so desire, we can have our own copy of Something For All Of Us... starting right now! Or if we're the patient type (I certainly am), we can wait until July 22nd to buy our own hard copy from retailers throughout the country. Right now though, you can check out Brendan's Myspace for more information on the leak. Or you can wander over to the Arts & Crafts online store to snag your own official version of Something For All Of Us... right now.

Band of the Week: Via Audio

[June 2 - 8]
Via Audio
Sounds Like: Indie-Pop/Experimental
Drinking Buddies: Ra Ra Riot, 1900s, Throw Me The Statue.
Synopsis: Electronic groove tunes directly from the bloodstream of the indie sub-culture.
Makes You Want To...: Groove; Make cynical jokes; Dance.
[Myspace]




One week, one band. You know the drill.
This week, the featured artist is Via Audio.

Sometimes, not often, but sometimes, I think everyone questions themselves and that which they surround themselves in. Human beings aren't just idle zombies with no thought process; no need to question reality. We are human, and thus, we question. Hundreds of questions, answerable and unanswerable alike, abound before us. On this train of thought, someone who loves a style of music... oh, say contemporary pop music, for instance, may eventually reach the point where they sit down and say, "Why in the world do I listen to this?"

Via Audio has been there and done that. This quartet that formed up in the space that stretched between New York and Boston flaunts contemporary music culture. They flaunt contemporary culture in general: contemporary music, contemporary politics, contemporary people, contemporary relationships - the works. And the three/fourths of the band that constitute the songwriters do it with a straight, honest face. Though I suppose you should try to demonstrate tact in this world with it's silly contemporary culture of a music blogging frenzy, especially when you're touted as being Chris Walla (contemporary producer/musician of some little band called Death Cab for Cutie)'s favourite new band.

Liberal tendencies with Via Audio's lyrics pass through the speakers while as they sing to their listeners about the way things are now, at this very moment, all around everyone. They analyze modern love and modern music with the microphone of realism, and of course, with a since of humour. If their sassy and contemplative lyrics aren't enough, their quirky, extremely unique, bubbly instrumentation will keep your ears on their toes to see what strange sound will pop up next. Keeping things modern may show us something a bit strange, but dang, it sure is fun to hear!

Via Audio is signed to SideCho Records, an AMAZING independent record label which I can not even begin to express my fondness for (signing the likes of equally excellent artists including Ghosts & Liars, Peachcake, Sherwood, 1090 Club, Some By Sea, and Tokyo Rose).

That being said, the ladies and gentleman of Via Audio are currently about to embark on the road, wandering around on a North American tour for the remainder of June. This is of course after their grand tour with the jolly folks from of one and only Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin back in April. And of course, this quaint quartet has already made their rounds through the likes of Daytrotter, providing some lovely live recordings. Via Audio is no doubt still having a blast after the release of their first debut album, saysomethingsaysomethingsaysomething, which is on sale now. They have a nifty EP as well; you can snag both of these items via Via Audio's Myspace. Finally, Via Audio treats us to some video, with a song in the park... Tompkins Square Park in NYC in fact, with their all-acoustic performance of "Hazmat."

Before I bid you lovely readers adieu, I have a bit of Voilà! business to attend to. Good business in fact, because Voilà! has recruited our latest writer, Jeanette. Expect to see some interesting articles from her soon! Have a good week, dear readers. If you need me, I'll be addictively listening to "Digital" and "Modern Day Saint."