[Night Out] Wrabel @ Rockwood Music Hall (Stage 2) 9/10/2014

Personal update: I'm trying to get back into the groove of going to at least two shows a week. I'm also I really exhausted from all the emails we get about bands I've never heard of and will most likely will never hear of because they're just "okay". To combat this, I've mostly been ignoring the majority of the emails that I get and just digging around the internet to find things on my own. Back in the day, I used to wander around record stores looking at album artwork and taking chances on art that I felt the most connected to and either give them a listen if they were at the listening bar or just straight up buy the album and take a chance. I found a lot of great music this way (VHS or Beta, Josh Rouse, Junior Jack, etc.). 

I started doing this again fairly recently on Rdio and Spotify for every New Music Tuesday. I just scroll around and look for things that are interesting and give them a try. It's less sexy than the thrill of buying an album and being like, "God I hope this is good," but whatever. This is how I stumbled across Wrabel (pronounnced RAY-bell, at first I thought it was rabble, lol) about a month ago. Purely judging a book by its cover, his EP, Sideways, felt familiar. I think it's because he looks like an American version of Mr. Hudson to me. Familiarity has continued to be an ongoing theme for me with Wrabel. His voice, subject matter, etc. all sounds and feels very familiar. Kind of like I've always known him. Obviously since you are reading this post he clearly was able to tick all the boxes I require to decide to keep tabs on him. 

After adding him to my extensive Twitter list to keep an eye on him, I noticed he was playing a show at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2. We should get one thing clear: I love Bowery Ballroom more than anything in this world, but there's something about Rockwood Music Hall (both original and stage 2) that holds a special place in my heart. A chance to experience any artist at Rockwood is a thing you should always do, so I decided to venture solo to see how an intimate performance from this newcomer would pan out. 

First things first, this guy's voice is nothing short of solid. Dude has a very strong set of pipes that probably need little to no pitch correction in the studio or anything like that, so much respect in that sense. I soaked in every last second of him pounding away on the piano and serenading a disappointly semi-empty room sipping some white wine, a true "This Is Why I Love Rockwood" kind of moment. It must have been a weird juxtaposition for him though considering he casually mentioned at one point between songs that the night prior he performed "10 Feet Tall" alongside Afrojack at Fashion Rocks over at the Barclays Center, but he never made it feel that way in terms of his performance. Between songs he was very friendly and laid back. At one point he even joked, "My mom keeps telling me to write happy songs and I was like, 'I wrote one!'" It's refreshing for me to know that although he was fairly recently signed to Island that it hasn't gone to his head. It's a shame that that's an exception and not the standard. 

Wrabel performing at Fashion Rocks at Barclays Center, September 8, 2014. Source: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images North America 

As I headed home last night, I put on Sideways to refresh myself on the recorded version of what I had just heard. I started feeling the parallel with him and Mr. Hudson again like the day that I first stumbled across him. Remember before his Kayne moment with Straight No Chaser when he was Mr. Hudson and The Library and had a sound of his own that he could really dig into (a la A Tale Of Two Cities)? I worry that the direction in terms of sound that they're nudging him into is going to get him lost into the Flavor of the Week pile. It's both a blessing and a curse that his voice has moments of Chris Martin, Sam Smith, and Landon Pigg, with hints of Mat Kearney peppered throughout. It's my hope for him that Island didn't just go, "Oh crap, we need a Sam Smith! Ooo! This guy seems nice. *SIGNS*" I don't mind the synthy bits in "Sideways". I get that bassy EDM + pretty vocals on top = Ca$h Money Hoe$ right now. I guess my hope is that as he assumingly starts working on his debut full length that he doesn't allow himself to get overwhelmed by people trying to tell him to be trendy for the sake of moving units this moment. Or that if he does that he knows exactly what he's doing and plans to be in the spotlight for 4 seconds and then when he has a pile of money he just runs off and does whatever the heck he wants. 

Fact of the matter is, Wrabel is a voice your ears need to hear and I think if he plays his cards right that he will be staying around with us for awhile. 

Wrabel is on the internet in various places like Facebook, Twitter, and Soundcloud. Follow/like/add as you will. His debut EPSideways is available for purchase on iTunes if you're into that as well. 

Against Me! Frontwoman Laura Jane Grace To Debut AOL Original Series "True Trans With Laura Jane Grace"

photo credit: Leslie LyonsAgainst Me! frontwoman Laura Jane Grace continues to make significant strides within the transgender community. Today AOL announced that they will be airing a 10-episode series called "True Trans With Laura Jane Grace". The first episode doesn't air until October 10th, but you can check out a preview of what's to come in the trailer below. Per the press release, "The series explores poignant moments from Laura's life that include identifying as transgender, the decision to come out publicly and the overall transition experience....Each episode will follow Laura and other powerful individuals who are part of the transgender community as they share stories about the harsh realities of growing up anxious about their own identities."

I love Against Me! I LOVE Transgender Dysphora Blues. I love Laura Jane Grace. I love people of all shapes, sizes, genders, ethnicities, religions, etc. This isn't just some kind of awesome, this is all kinds of awesome. Mad props to her for doing this. Watching this trailer just made me want to hug all of them. I will be looking forward to hearing theses stories. 

[SKOA Presents] Bands & Brews: Interpol / Good Beer

Bands & Brews pairs our favorite bands to their "hoppy" soul mates and dishes out the coordinates of our favorite beer joints right here in NYC.

The first stop for Bands & Brews was the cozy beer shop, Good Beer, located in the East Village. Good Beer provided the ideal space to kick off Bands & Brews besetting us on all sides with shelves of interesting labeled bottles and decorated cans. The busy atmosphere and sea of friendly faces was the perfect backdrop for discussing two things we love: music and beer. I sat down with beer slinger Matt Cincotta anxious to find the quintessential bottle of suds worthy of a band I'll always be over the moon about, Interpol. Their new album El Pintor releases on September 9th here in the United States. El Pintor's teaser track "All the Rage Back Home" effortlessly transports us back to the blanket of seduction that was the band's 2002 debut, Turn on the Brights Lights. Enticing lyrics and the come-hither chords of these two albums envelop us in Interpol's infectious warmth and take us down that libidinous labyrinth.

Whether I was swooning over songs of old like "PDA", "Hands Away", and "Leif Erikson" or excited over new songs like "Breaker 1" (my favorite from El Pintor) and "Same Town, New Story", it was evident that words like "dark,warm, and heavy" would soon invade our taste buds with the brew we chose. After much discussion and many burps later, Matt and I chose to cool off from this masterful debate of musical darkness and abandon with a "Dark, Rich, and Sexy" brew called Porter (Founders Brewing). It's a smooth dark ale at 6.5% alcohol and for you beer nerds 45 IBUs (just enough bitter for the lusty soul). Cheers to Interpol for always making sexy happen. And yes, Stella (Artois) we still love you...

El Pintor is out September 9th. Pre-order it here. Enjoy, "All The Rage Back Home" below.

Click here for tour dates.

[Watch] Dillon Francis - "I Can't Take It" (Lyric Video)

Normally I'm not much for lyric videos. The one for Dillon Francis' latest single, "I Can't Take It", however, is something I can definitely get on board with. Following up his previous single that I played on repeat for a grand total of 11 times the first time I heard it, "When We Were Young" along with his first single, "Get Low", this latest track slows things down a bit for the sake of getting good and nasty. Both tracks come from Francis' forthcoming debut album, Money Sucks Friends Rule, which is slated for an October 28th release. You can pre-order the album over on iTunes if that's your thing. For those not in the know, Money Sucks, Friends Rule will feature collaborations from the likes of DJ Snake, Chain Gang of 1974, Martin Garrix, Twista, Panic! At The Disco’s Brendon Urie, The Presets and Major Lazer, among others. 

Upon the release of his debut album, Franics will be heading out on The Friends Rule Tour this fall, beginning in November and wrapping with a massive headline date at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in January. Peep the dates below for more info! 

DILLON FRANCIS ON TOUR:

**Denotes headline date                           

8/29       New Orleans, LA                              Mardi Gras World - Mad Decent Block Party

8/30       New Braunfels, TX                           Whitewater Music Amp - Mad Decent Block Party

8/31       Dallas, TX                                             Club Zouk - Mad Decent Block Party

9/5         Calgary, Canada                                Millennium Park - Mad Decent Block Party

9/19       Berkeley, CA                                      Greek UC Berkeley - Mad Decent Block Party

9/20       Eugene, OR                                        Cuthbert Amphitheater - Mad Decent Block Party

9/21       Vancouver, Canada                         ONE Amphitheater - Mad Decent Block Party

9/27       Fairburn, GA                                      TomorrowWorld       

11/12     Miami, FL                                             Norwegian Pearl Ship - Mad Decent Block Party

11/17     Nashville, TN                                      Marathon Music Works**

11/19     Asheville, NC                                     Orange Peel**

11/20     Charlotte, NC                                     The Fillmore**

11/21     Washington, DC                                Echo Stage**

11/22     Baltimore, MD                                   Ram’s Head Live**

11/25     Wallingford, CT                                 Dome at Oakdale**

11/26     Philadelphia, PA                               Electric Factory**

11/28     Boston, MA                                        House of Blues**           

12/1       Toronto, ON                                       Danforth Music Hall**

12/5       Chicago, IL                                           Aragon Ballroom**

12/6       Minneapolis, MN                             Skyway Theatre**

12/9       Madison, WI                                      Orpheum Theatre**

12/10     Kansas City, MO                               Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland**

12/12     Broomfield, CO                                 1^st Bank Center**

12/13     Salt Lake City, UT                              In The Venue**

12/18     Oakland, CA                                       Fox Theater**

12/21     Los Angeles, CA                                Shrine Auditorium**

1/16       Brooklyn, NY                                      Barclays Center**

[Listen] Don Diablo - "Back In Time"

Dutch house producer Don Diablo has dropped another banger on the masses last week titled, "Back In Time". The track follows his other recent danceable time themed delights, "KnightTime" and "AnyTime". If there's one thing you can rely on Don Diablo for, it's giving you all the wobble, grit, and bass that you didn't even realize was lacking from your life. Since first experiencing him via his track with Example, "Hooligans", I have yet to be disappointed. If you're like me and think it's time (pun most certainly intended) for him to drop a new release, then it will be music to your ears to know that Diablo is slated for a new release on September 8th courtesy of Spinnin' Records.

Put on your dancing shoes and have a listen to, "Back In Time" below. 

If you're the voting type, Diablo is currently leveraging his incredibly adorable mother, grandmother, and dog to solicit votes for DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs. You can vote for that here. 

[Listen] Interpol - "Ancient Ways"

Credit: Eliot Lee Hazel

File under: HNNNGGGGH! I have been so stupid excited about Interpol's upcoming album, El Pintor, that I feel like September 9th is just never going to come. WHY MUST TIME TAKE SO LONG? "Ancient Ways" (below) follows up their debut single, "All The Rage Back Home". The band will be making an appearance at FYF fest this weekend before hitting the road bringing their always addictive sound across North America. SproutDr and I will be dancing our faces off at the Terminal 5 shows. Will you be there? 

Interpol Fall Tour:
8/20 - Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee Theatre
8/21 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Pool at The Cosmopolitan
8/23 - Los Angeles, CA @ FYF Fest
9/15 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
9/16 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount
9/17 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
9/20 - Oakland, CA @ Fox Theatre
9/24 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
9/26 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
9/27 - Denver, CO @ Ogden
9/29 - Lawrence, KS @ Granada
9/30 - Tulsa, OK @ Cains
10/02 - Dallas, TX @ Southside
10/03 - Houston, TX @ House of Blues
10/04 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
10/07 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
10/09 - Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall
10/11 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
11/06 - St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Landing
11/07 - Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
11/08 - Miami, FL @ Fillmore
11/10 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
11/11 - Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
11/12 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
11/14 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
11/15 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst Theatre
11/17 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
11/18 - Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
11/20 - Montreal, QB @ Metropolis
11/21 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues
11/22 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
11/24 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5
11/26 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5
11/29 - Washington, D.C @ 9:30 Club
11/30 - Washington, D.C @ 9:30 Club

[Watch] Arctic Monkeys Live at T In The Park (Full Set)

Arctic Monkeys have been playing headline shows for a while now, and they've gotten pretty damn good at it. Back in 2007 when they got asked to headline Glastonbury for the first time, the band hadn't even been to the festival as punters. Their rise has been meteoric and they're not slowing down for anyone, doing their own thing, evolving with each record. Last night they closed T In The Park in their new found slick fashion with a career spanning set-list which featured an acoustic performance of the old classic; "A Certain Romance". As Alex walks out on stage and begins to play he can hear Disclosure's set in the next tent and begins performing in time to the Brothers' set. If like me, you're struggling with some post-weekend blues, check over your shoulder for your boss, put your headphones in and click play on the video below and waste some of your Monday with the Sheffield lads done good. It's their entire set from what will be the last TITP to take place at the Balado venue. Watch a bit of history go down and enjoy the chants of "Here we fucking go!". 

[News] Studio Killers Launch Kickstarter Campaign To Fund Live Shows

In their current state, electro-pop outfit Studio Killers have been confined to computer screens all over the world. If the group has it their way, however, that won't be the case for very long. In addition to the announcement that they would perform live at two festivals in Finland, a few days ago the trio launched a Kickstarter campaign in hopes to raise £50,000. At the time of this post, the campaign currently sits at close to £15,000, with 9 days left to reach their goal. While it seems like a hefty chunk of change to ask of their fans before they even perform their first live show ever, the band hopes to cover the costs of bringing their characters to life using state of the art technology courtesy of design company Immersive Ltd.. The firm's previous clients include: Jason Mraz, Bon Jovi, Knife Party, deadmau5, and many more. Additionally, per the band's Kickstarter page, they hope to use the funds to bring their live show various international locations as well. 

I for one hope they reach their goal. In fact, I've kicked in £60 because I feel like their live show would be something worth bringing to the masses. Their latest single, "Grand Finale" hints at a promising follow up to their self-titled debut, which makes me want to see the group through until they're standing on their own two pixels performing wherever they're loved the most. In terms of incentives, you get a little love regarless of how much/little you give. I'm personally very excited that my £60 will get me a limited print from Cherry since I've yet to experience her art in person (their gallery installation was in Helsinki). 

If you need further convincing, enjoy a snippet of "Grand Finale" below.