New Band Alert: Leogun

 

Leogun stormed into my life Wednesday night when they played an electrifying set at The Satellite. I don’t think this band has been around for too long (they joined facebook in April of 2012), but I’m sure it won’t take too long for their popularity to grow. They are the kind of band that demands notice. For a quick summary, their fb page gives two definitions for the term “Leogun”. The first is “a three-piece band from London, surging with a mix of blues, soul and a whole lotta rock & roll. With “bite your head off” choruses and a hunger to groove, LEOGUN mixes the musicality and heart bleeding emotion of The Racounteurs with all the sexual prowess and break-neck attitude of Queens of The Stone Age.” The second definition is “believed to be a were-lion, LEOGUN was a half man, half lion.” I think that sums up my experience of the band quite nicely.

Their debut self-titled EP comes out next week (10/16). Here are my quick thoughts on each song:

“Let’s Be Friends” – their first single, a great introduction to their rockin’ style with stand-out guitar licks, soaring yet gritty vocals, and brazen attitude all wrapped in a catchy tune.

“End of The World” – sung with abandon, it will seduce you

“You’d Better Love Me”- a blistering rock song that rightly demands the attentions of its listeners

“Everyday” – a slower-building jam that showcases the groovier side of the band but will have your head banging by the end

 

Here’s the band’s first official video:

 

Other important info to get you connected to the band:

Website: http://leogunband.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LeogunBand

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeogunBand

They are currently touring around the US. Be sure to catch them if they near a city by you!

 

DATE CITY VENUE INFORMATION
10/10/12 Los Angeles, CA The Satellite More Info
10/14/12 Phoenix, AZ Hard Rock Cafe More Info
10/17/12 Philadelphia, PA North Star Bar More Info
10/18/12 Easton, MD Nightcat More Info
10/19/2012 New York City, NY Fat Baby – CMJ Convention More Info
10/23/2012 Somerville, MA Johnny D’s Restaurant & Music Club More Info
10/31/2012 – 11/04/2012 Miami to Great Stirrup Cay Kiss Kruise II More Info
11/07/2012 Chicago, IL The Ace Bar More Info
11/08/2012 Madison , WI The Rigby More Info
11/09/2012 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry More Info
11/11/2012 Saint Louis, MO Heartbreakers Rock-N-Roll Saloon More Info
11/12/2012 Lee’s Summit, MO Jerry’s Bait Shop More Info
11/14/2012 Denver , CO Hi-Dive More Info
11/16/2012 Colorado Springs, CO Stargazers Theatre More Info
11/20/2012 Boise, ID Neurolux More Info
11/21/2012 Spokane, WA Knitting Factory Concert House More Info

Listen! Learn! Love!

~ Kristen

Twin Atlantic: new single, contest, and US tour dates!

This morning I was casually listening to a live internet chat with two of the members from Scottish alt rock band, Twin Atlantic. Sam (vocals) and Ross (bass) spend some time answering random questions from fans and then played a couple of tunes from their record, Free. One of the songs played was “Make a Beast of Myself” which, incidentally, is one of my favorites from the album and their newest single.  The band just released a video for this song. What’s more is that if you watch this video and can find and click on the hidden link, you’re entered into a contest to win a guitar that was used by Sam in the “Time For You To Stand Up” music video.

I think this idea for a contest is genius! Even if you don’t win the guitar, you can still get a free song download.

Here’s the video. The hint for the contest is that Sam likes to paint…

 

Even more exciting than the potential to win a guitar, is the guarantee to see these gents live during their upcoming US tour with AWOLNATION (another band that made my SXSW ’11 mix).  They come to LA in a little over a month! November 3rd at The Music Box.

 

 

Finally, in case you were wondering, my favorite question asked during the chat session: “What is your favorite Biffy Clyro song?”

Answer: Ross: “Bubbles” (off Only Revolutions)
Sam: “Eradicate The Doubt” (off  The Vertigo of Bliss)

There is no such thing as too much Biffy in one’s life…:)

 

~ Kristen

New Band Altert: The Milk Carton Kids

It’s Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale! Looks like they’ve finally made it official. This makes me very happy as I LOVE this duo. The formation of The Milk Carton Kids was just announced so don’t forget to like on facebook, follow on twitter, and check out their website.

They have a couple songs up for FREE download on their site. So, what are you waiting for? Just press “download”!

They are on tour this summer, opening for Joe Purdy. That means, The Troubadour on April 30th for all my fellow Los Angelenos. For everyone else, check out their website or just look at the dates and places below:

 

4/22 Austin, TX: The Parish
4/23 Dallas, TX : The Loft
4/25 Santa Fe, NM: Corazon
4/27 Phoenix, AZ : Rhythm Room
4/28 Solano Beach, CA : Bellyup Tavern
4/30 Los Angeles, CA : Troubadour
5/3 San Francisco, CA : The Independent
5/5 Portland, OR : Doug Fir
5/7 Vancouver, BC : The Rio Theater
5/9 Boise, ID : Neurolux
5/10 Salt Lake City, UT : State Room
5/12 Denver, CO : Bluebird Theater
5/14 Lawrence, KS : Bottleneck
5/15 Des Moines, IA : Vaudeville Mews
5/16 Minneapolis, MN : Varsity Theater
5/17 Milwakee, WI : Turner Hall
5/18 Chicago, IL : Lincoln Hall
5/19 St Louis, MO : Off Broadway
6/9 Birmingham, AL : WorkPlay
6/10 Atlanta, GA : The Loft
6/11 Asheville, NC : Grey Eagle
6/12 Carborro, NC : Cat’s Cradle
6/14 Annapolis, MD : Ram’s Head
6/15 Philadelphia, PA : World Café Live
6/16 New York City, NY : Highline Ballroom
6/17 Fairfield, CT : Stage One
6/20 Northampton, MA : Iron Horse
6/21 Allston, MA : Brighton Music Hall
6/22 Fall River, MA : Narrows Center for the Arts
6/23 Burlington, VT : Higher Ground
6/25 Montreal, QC : Petit Campus
6/26 Toronto, ONT : Horseshoe Tavern
6/27 Pittsburgh, PA : Rex Theater
6/28 Cleveland, OH : Beachland Ballroom
6/30 Syracuse, NY : Westcott Theater

~ Kristen

 

p.s. Joey and Kenneth playing “Girls, Gather Round” live at the Vail Film Festival:

 

Tour Alert! Civil Twilight + Paper Tongues + Neon Trees

So, when one of your new favorite bands goes on tour, you take notice, find the date in your city, and buy tickets.  When TWO of your new favorite bands decide to team up and go out on the road together…well, then you start thinking about how many of the shows you will be able to find people to road trip with you to go see! Both Civil Twilight and Paper Tongues are bands I’ve discovered and fallen in love with in the last year. I would never imagine them going on tour together as they don’t strike me as very similar…other than the fact that they both had free singles on ITunes, I can’t think of anything that would tie the bands together.

Also on the bill, Neon Trees, a band that’s been on my watch list since they did a tour with Nico Vega that never quite made it to LA. Their song “Animal”…hey…come to think of it this song was also a free ITunes download…hmm…anyway, I like it and have recently purchased their album Habits.

Point Being: They’re calling it the “Bang the Gong Tour” It starts next Saturday and It is going to be amazing. If you can, you should try to check it out.

The dates are (as listed on the Neon Trees myspace):

26 Jun 2010 7:00 P
BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ Heritage Landing – Main Stage – Muskegon Summer Celebration Muskegon, Michigan Find Tickets
27 Jun 2010 7:00 P
BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ Summerfest – US Cellular Connection Stage Milwaukee, WI Find Tickets
29 Jun 2010 7:00 P
BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ NEWPORT MUSIC HALL Columbus, OH Find Tickets
30 Jun 2010 7:00 A
BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ House of Blues Cleveland Cleveland, OH Find Tickets
1 Jul 2010 7:00 P
BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ Altar Bar Pittsburgh, PA Find Tickets
2 Jul 2010 7:00 P
BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ Crocodile Rock Cafe Allentown, PA  
 
8 Jul 2010 4:00 P
KXNA PRESENTS : X FEST 10TH ANNIVERSARY – Dickson Street – Entertainment District Fayetteville, ARKANSAS  
12 Jul 2010 7:00 P
BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ 9:30 Club Washington, DC  
13 Jul 2010 7:00 P
BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ Bowery Ballroom New York City, New York  
15 Jul 2010 7:00 P
BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ Common Grounds Music Festival Lansing, MI Find Tickets
16 Jul 2010 7:00 P
89X BIRTHDAY BASH / BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ The Fillmore Detroit Detroit, MI Find Tickets
19 Jul 2010 7:00 P
BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ Triple Rock Club Minneapolis, MN Find Tickets
20 Jul 2010 7:00 P
BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ The Beaumont Club Kansas City, MO  
21 Jul 2010 7:00 P
BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ Bluebird Theater Denver, CO Find Tickets
23 Jul 2010 7:00 P
BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ Velour Provo, Utah Find Tickets
24 Jul 2010 7:00 P
BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ The Knitting Factory reno, nv Find Tickets
25 Jul 2010 6:00 P
BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre Chula Vista/San Diego, CA  
27 Jul 2010 7:00 P
BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ Slim’s San Francisco, CA Find Tickets
28 Jul 2010 7:00 P
BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ Glass House Pomona, CA Find Tickets
30 Jul 2010 7:00 P
BANG THE GONG TOUR w/ PAPER TONGUES + CIVIL TWILIGHT @ Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas, NV

 

For some enticement:

~ Kristen

First Aid Kit at Bootleg Theater

All I can say is FINALLY! First Aid Kit was the only group on my best of ’09 mix that I had not seen live. And to make my list as a band I’ve never seen…well that right there is saying something. But this duo from Sweden has what it takes to melt my heart; crystal clear voices ringing out in delicate harmonies. Their live set certainly did not disappoint, adding charming personalities to the list of things I love about these ladies, sisters Klara and Johanna Soderberg. They did perform “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song,” their Fleet Foxes cover which lead to my discovery of them over a year ago. They also did a couple songs out in the audience sans microphones. Fortunately the acoustics of the room (an old bra factory) were more than adequate.

Their debut album, The Big Black and Blue, is certainly worth looking into. Also, they are not in the US that often, so if you can, check them out on their current tour (dates below) before they hop back over to the other side of the pond. Opening for them is the wonderful Samantha Crain, another artist who I’ve been meaning to see live since she made my best of SXSW ’09 mix.

Check out First Aid Kit:

Samantha Crain:

US (and some Canada) tour dates:

2 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Bottom of the Hill San Francisco, California, US  
4 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Mississippi Studios Portland, Oregon, US  
5 Jun 2010 8:00 P
The Vera Project Seattle, Washington, US  
6 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Media Club Vancouver, British Co, CA  
9 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis, Minnesota , US  
10 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Schubas Tavern Chicago, Illinois , US  
11 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Grog Shop Cleveland, Ohio, US  
12 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Rivoli Cabaret Toronto, Ontario , CA  
13 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Le Belmont – NEW VENUE Montreal, Quebec, CANADA  
14 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Middle East Upstairs Cambridge, Massachuse, US  
15 Jun 2010 8:00 P
The Bell House Brooklyn, New York , US  
16 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Mercury Lounge New York, New York, US  

~ Kristen

Carney Day!

Today is the day folks! Mr. Green Vol. I is officially out in stores, on ITunes, etc. Carney’s first full length CD has been on the precipice of release for sometime now it seems, but I’m pretty sure it’s actually happening this time. I would highly recommend everyone go out and get yourself a copy. Once again, for a taste, enjoy the video for the band’s first single, “Love Me, Chase Me” :

The release falls in the midst of a little tour…to get your taste of Carney live (trust me, you’ll love it), see if they’re coming to a town near you. And if you live in LA, I really hope you can come to The El Rey this Saturday to see the boys put on their last hometown show before heading of to NYC.

As for the rest of the dates (copied directly from Myspace):

10 May 2010 8:00 P
Casbah San Diego, California, US  
11 May 2010 8:00 P
Hotel Utah San Francisco, California, US  
13 May 2010 8:00 P
Detroit Bar Costa Mesa, US  
15 May 2010 8:00 P
El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, California, US Find Tickets
30 May 2010 8:00 P
Furthur Festival Angels Camp, US  
31 May 2010 8:00 P
Maxwells Hoboken, New Jersey, US  
1 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Bowery Ballroom New York, New York, US  
2 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub Cambridge, Massachuse, US  
3 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvan, US  
5 Jun 2010 8:00 P
The Bell House Brooklyn, New York, US  
6 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Jammin Java Music Club & Cafe Vienna, Virginia, US  
7 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Lee’s Palace Toronto, Ontario, CA  
9 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Double Door Chicago, US  
10 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis, US  
12 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Bluebird Theater Denver, US  
14 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Crocodile Cafe Seattle, US  
15 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Venue Vancouver, CA  
16 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Mississippi Studios Portland, US  
22 Jun 2010 8:00 P
The Rhythm Room Phoenix, US  
24 Jun 2010 8:00 P
The Cambridge Room @ House of Blues Dallas, US  
25 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Stubbs Jr BBQ Austin, US  
26 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Walter’s on Washington Houston, US  
28 Jun 2010 8:00 P
WorkPlay Theatre Birmingham, US  
29 Jun 2010 8:00 P
Vinyl Atlanta, US

 

~ Kristen