Track Reviewz: The Sounds "No One Sleeps When I'm Awake"

Ah. The Sounds. 

When I first heard their straightforward-rock-dance music it was blaring out the windows of a now defunct club on Sixth Street in Austin during a SXSW festival. 

Luckily, I was able to use my platinum Artist badge to sneak in and I've been a fan ever since. 

It doesn't hurt that their lead singer, Maja Ivarsson, is gorgeous as hell (tattooed forearm and all) and a dead ringer for Debbie Harry. 

The band recently dropped "No One Sleeps When I'm Awake," the lead single off their new album (out June 2) which sounds like the mantra of my last coked-out girlfriend. 

Sounds fans fret not: the song delivers. It's another mid-tempo rocker with synths and repetitive guitar leads that carry the instrumental parts.  

The catchy single just dropped on iTunes to hype the new record: "Crossing the Rubicon."

Check it out on their myspace, here.

There's also a lot of great new HD videos of the group performing new songs live on their page.

Doesn't that bleach-bloned beauty sound great? Uh, I mean the band's good too. Yeah. 

Starfucker: Greatest Band Ever?

If you were at SXSW this year, then you either heard about or caught a live show by Starfucker —easily the most talked about act of the festival. 

The trio, hailing from Portland, mixes beats, blips, monologues and catchy melodies that are reminiscent of some of the greats. Check out their myspace page here. 

You may or may not be into fuzzy keyboards (of which I am an adamant supporter) but I'd wager a case of PBR that you'll be humming  "Pop Song" or "Medicine" within minutes of finishing either. 

They just dropped a new album today — Jupiter — that packs a party's worth of dance numbers into eight tiny tracks. Though the band never really touches on topics deeper than love and tongue in cheek 1980s references, if you're looking for this generation's disco equivalent to Weezer, look no further. I have been spinning their last record (which can be heard on LaLa) non-stop poolside since the sun started making it's presence known last week. It has stronger songs in my opinion, but Jupiter is still good for a good time.  

I have a strong feeling this record will be on everybody's Summer Jamz playlist. 

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Check out the band's latest video for "Medicine," here.

ACL Announces 2009 Lineup

The Austin City limits festival, that crazy time of the year when the city gets flooded with modern hippies and enthusiastic pedestrians, has released the official lineup for it's 2009 fest — slated for October 2 —4 in Zilker park. 

1990s grunge staple, Pearl Jam, are topping the bill as this year's headliner along with Dave Matthews Band, Beastie boys, Kings of Leon, Ben Harper and John Legend? 

Check out the full lineup here. 

Jack White is bringing his new group, the Dead Weather, along for the ride and NYC art-rockers, The Virgins, will be in tow as well. 

Other notables include The Ravonettes, The Walkmen, Grizzly Bear, White Lies, Daniel Johnston and the Artic Monkeys, to name just a few.  

With these acts and more, it looks to be a great ACL this year, and hopefully with it falling in October, it won't be the unbearably hot dust storm that we've experienced years past. 

Trent Reznor plays April fool's joke on world

When I got into work today, everything on my desk was turned upside down. 

All of my pictures, my keyboard, even my chair. Not bad. 

But that pales in comparison to Trent Reznor's fantastic April fool's prank on the world — a new fake album, "Strobelight."

Reznor announced the new release on Twitter today and fans quickly flocked to the Nine Inch Nails Web site where they were greeted with a funky drum loop and awesome Kanye West-esque album cover, seen here.  

The Web site asks fans to enter their email to recieve the new full length — produced by Timbaland, of course — after which their credit card will be charged $18.98 plus a $10 "digital convenience fee." Brilliant. 

Unfortunately after entering an email address you are greeted with a faux fatal error prompt with the words APRL_FLS. 

Too bad, with tracks like "Pussygrinder" (featuring Sheryl Crow) and "Laid, paid and played" (featuring Fergie), it would have been an amazing record. Kudos Trent. 

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Check out NIN's myspace while you're at it, here. 

Kasabian releases free single and video

To hype their next release —West Rider Pauper Lunatic Asylum — due out in June, UK dance-rock saviors, Kasabian, have released a new video for their single "Vlad the Impaler", and until midnight on April 3rd, you can download the song for free on the band's Web site, here. 

Click the link to get the song, and then watch the video featuring a moustached Vince Noir aka Noel Fielding, of Mighty Boosh fame. 

Vince scours the countryside, preys on young hotties and pretty much wrecks havoc on a very 1970s-looking English countryside. It's really great and makes me hungry for blood...

Bob Dylan drops new free song

Gearing up for his 46th release, Together Through Life, Bob Dylan dropped off a little preview today on his official web site, Bobdylan.com. 

Check out the song, Beyond Here Lies Nothin', right here. 

If you haven't heard his last record, Modern Times, you need to. Don't write the old man off, he can still write the hits. His last video, featuring Scarlett Johansson, seriously brought me to tears. It was like the life I never lived in the early 1960s. Check it out here. 

His newest track — although not as breathtaking as some of his other bangers — is infectious enough and might make several repeats on your shuffle. It's got a Zydeco vibe, which feels like ole' Bob is playing a late night crawfish boil into the wee hours. Yum!

TI gets year and a day in prison

TI finally got his day of reckoning. 

The rapper and recent MTV reality star earned himself a year and one day in prison and was ordered to pay $100,300 in fines on Friday by a Federal judge in Atlanta.

Apparently the dude tried to buy machine guns and some silencers off  FBI agents awhile back and they weren't too happy about it...   

His ongoing TV show — "TI's Road to Redemption" — in which he mentors at risk kids and tries to teach them to stay off the streets, apparently didn't have any affect on prosecutors. He's gonna do some time. 

"I would like to say thank you to some, and apologize to others," said TI, whose real name is Clifford Harris (sounds menacing). "In my life I have been placed in the worst case scenario and had to make the best of it."

Well, let's hope he makes the best out of Federal prison. They might have a decent gym? 

Just listen to the age-old prison rule: don't drop the soap. And if you do, clench & twist. 

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Check out the rest of the story on Cnn.com or listen to TI's myspace page here.

Jenny Lewis spring/summer tour

In support of her new album, Acid Tongue, the intoxicating songtress Jenny Lewis, will travel from Australia to Hawaii — to all over the U.S. this spring and summer. 

Check out Lewis' official myspace page here, to look for dates near you. 

The Rilo Kiley singer has teamed with the Watson Twins as well in the past, but her new album — in which she stands on her on two feet — is arguably her best work yet. 

If you don't have Acid Tongue, seriously buy it and play it the next time you have a date over. The record seals the deal every time, guaranteed. 

Recording sessions for the album were filmed for the soon-to-be released documentary, Welcome to Van Nuys. 

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Here's Rilo Kiley's myspace page too — for good measure. 

Phoenix playing two new songs on Saturday Night Live

Parisian rockers, PHOENIX, have announced they will be performing on Saturday Night Live April, 4th and will debut two new songs off their upcoming release, "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix," due out May 26. 

The group plans to play "1901" the first single — available for download here — and "Lisztomania," named after Franz List, the first huge classical music star and the 1975 movie of the same name. 

This is the first time Phoenix has been offered the slot on SNL, a very popular platform of exposure in the states. Let's hope the kids catch on to the band's return to what they do best — fuzz it up and dance it out. Seth Rogen hosts, presumably to push his new movie "Observe and Report," due in theaters Friday, April 10. Check out the trailer — here. 

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Pheonix's ever popular myspace page — here. 

Mandy Moore marries Ryan Adams. Really?

Mandy Moore. Oh, girl. You were so cute at first. I really thought you had a shot at taking down Britney and Christina Aguillera.

But now, after a series of misteps (remember America Dreamz?) she's tied the knot with singer/songwriter Ryan Adams, who's ten years her senior. 

Apparently, the twosome have been dating on and off for a year-and-a-half, and after a brief break, announced their engagement Feb. 11 — taking the plunge a month later in Savannah, GA of all places.

Now I understand Adams' attachment. She's young, gorgeous, and more of a mainstream star, than he's ever been. But her? UGH. I give it a year, tops. 

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Check out Perez Hilton's take here, and OK! Magazine's here.

New York Times rips Jay from "The City"

In a recent article by the New York Times, Jay Lyon —Whitney's shaggy-haired love interest on MTV's "The City"— gets torn a new one. 

Check it out here. 

I was a little skeptical of the sound of Lyon's band "Tamarama" (anyone remember Chumba-Wumba?) when the cast on the show started dogging on the group before anyone else in America had a chance to. Not a good sign. 

In the live review of a recent show, the New York Times calls Lyon and his group "barely the sum of their influences: generous helpings of surf rock, with slight dashes of Hawaii and Carribean."

The NYT also notes the group's bubbly fans: "in front you see a dozen or so faithful fans —young women, mostly college-age—though what they're fans of is up for grabs." Ouch. 

The irony of the concert, was it was on a Monday in NYC, the same night The City airs on MTV.

"The concert ends around 10:20, just as Whitney -on TV- is bemoaning Jay's callousness...'he doesn't even have the decency to tell me, like, such a big thing in his life'...and you want her to know, hey, it's really not that big," the scathing article concludes. 

Damn, Jay. I hope you treat Whitney right. Everybody needs something to fall back on. 

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Check out Tamarama's myspace page here. 

Radiohead/Grammys: behind the scenes

The Grammys are never the "end all be all" music awards show for me. 

It usually seems overblown and phony. But in the last couple of years, they really have been packing on the live shows and upping their cred. 

The highlight of this year's pop-star drenched show was Radiohead, who came out with the University of Southern California (USC) marching band by their side. 

Check out their performance of "15 Step" here. 

Well, today some behind the scenes footage of the performance was uploaded to youtube for our viewing pleasure. Seen here.  

Watch Thom Yorke fuss about snare drums as the USC college kids are eager to listen.

Takes me back to my college days when our marching band performed with JC Chasez...

Depp and Bale in new Dillinger biopic

Ok, when I first saw this preview while I was eagerly awaiting "The Watchmen" to start, I wasn't able to give it my full attention. 

This lady was beating the sh*t out of her kid in the row in front of us and it was making me a little uncomfortable. 

But even then, I knew this movie looked like it was going to be the bomb.com

"Public Enemies" -bad title, great-looking movie - is the new period-piece gangster flick from director Michael Mann opening July 1. The trailer (seen here) follows Johnny Depp as John Dillinger, a depression era bank robber seen then as a Robin Hood type, who achieved celebrity status in newspapers.

Christian Bale steps in - midwestern accent in tow - as the cop who's going to try and bring the flashy criminal in. 

The whole film is shot with the same grainy-digital look that Mann has perfected over the years with movies like "Miami Vice" and "Collateral." 

Seriously, when I first saw Brad Pitt sporting the 1930s mustache and short hair after Benjamin Button wrapped, I thought it was a little weird. 

But when Depp does it as Dillinger, it makes this quasi-depression we are facing nowadays, look almost glamorous. 

*Our Hollywood correspondent, EG23, just let us know Brad Pitt is sporting the debonaire mustache for his new movie "Inglorious Bastards," directed by Quentin Tarantino. 

Ghostface Killah offers advice to Rhianna

It seems like everybody is talking about Rhianna and Chris Brown these days. We've all got our opinions and apparently, so does ex-Wu wordsmith: Ghostface Killah.

In his new track "Message From Ghostface," (available here) Ghost offers some raps of wisdom for Rhianna and some very specific medical references. I think I'll just let Ghosts' trademark lyrical wit speak for itself...

The funky joint - featuring Novel - kicks off with a short monologue from the smokey-voiced Ghostface:

"This is for all my women out there gettin' beat up in the streets...Rhianna." 

Beats drop and then he takes us back through the good, innocent times: 

"In the beginning it was real good, he sexed you right, held you close in the bed real tight." 

Ahhhh the imagery. But Dr. Ghost can't help but rise to the surface:

"Been four months since your last period came...your last man had you opened up like a pap smear." EEEWWWWWWW!

And as if Rhianna hasn't already had enough public embarassment, we've got to take a trip to her Gyno's office, mid-session? Sorry girl. You're still cute to us. 

To wrap it all up though, Ghost does put himself in place and offers up a timeless nugget of advice:

"I ain't here to interfere, but...protect ya neck."

If only Rhianna had been listening to Ghostface when she was riding in Chris Brown's ferrari that fateful night. Maybe we'd be writing about Ellen and Portia instead. 

New St. Vincent track: "The Strangers"

To promote Actor, due out May 5, ethereal songstress St. Vincent has released "The Strangers," a little dreamy preview of what's to come - available here. 

The song starts out with a faux gothic choir-sound that made me think of Home Alone for some reason, right before Kevin has to fight the burglars. 

Anyway, St. Vincent - the mysterious French sounding girl that is actually from Dallas - begins describing random things while a kick drum pulses a' la some rave in 1996.

"Desperate don't look good on you, neither does your virtue..." she croons just after a breathy verse about playboys being left around a messy apartment, I think? 

I get the sense it's an ode to an Ex. Or a messy roommate at the very least. 

The song builds, a strange symphonic loop comes in and out -reminiscent of an old Disney movie according to Gorilla Vs. Bear -  and right when you think it's gonna taper off, a very mean guitar comes in and gets things rocking. It's so dirty there for a minute that the acoustic guitar and almost-French accordion afterwards, seem like a breath of fresh air. 

Like St. Vincent herself just opened a window in a wooden cottage onto a flowery knoll with little animated chipmunks and pissed off elves. 

Jacko to play London w/ possible new tour

In what has been described as his "final curtain call," controversial entertainer Michael Jackson announced Thursday that he will play 10 concerts in London at the O2 arena.

 The shows, Jackson's first in 12 years, will kick off July 8 at the 20,000 capacity venue. 

Jackson held a press conference at the arena Thursday to make the announcement. 

"These will be my final shows performing in London. 'This is It' really means this is it," Jackson told fans and press, while wearing his trademark military get-up. "I'll be performing the songs my fans want to hear. I'll see you in July and I love you so much."

Tickets for the show will cost anywhere from 50-75 pounds, almost twice that in U.S. dollars. 

It may come as no surprise to some that Jackson is making a comeback jaunt amid terrible financial woes. A few months back, Jackson was sued - and settled out of court - by a business partner, and his Neverland Ranch is now on the auction block. 

Rob Hallett, promoter for the event, said "We are delighted to facillitate the return of the King of Pop, long may he reign!"

Which is a little confusing since it's his "final curtain call." 

Ever hear the one about Jackson's new department store? They've got kids' pants half-off. 

Sorry Jacko, it was too hard to resist. 

New Video: Bonnie Prince Billy "I Am Goodbye"

Will Oldham - or as he affectionately refers to himself - Bonnie "Prince" Billy, is hard at work on his new album Beware, due out March 17 in the United States. 

In the meantime, to promote the thing in between a handful of live shows in Kentucky and Brazil (this dude seriously gets around) he's released a new video for the song "I Am Goodbye" seen here. 

The video pits Oldham (or Billy?) against the backdrop of what appears to be the streets of L.A. at sunset, intermingled with a few choice dissolves of the Californian coast. 

Oldham wanders the streets, with his beard at dizzying lengths, like a crazy vagabond on acid - all while donning a shirt reminiscent of the former Soviet Union, or an Islamic mosque. 

Seriously though, check out the dude's eyes. The last time my eyes were that big, I was curled up in the fetal position on my mattress swearing to God I'd never touch psychedelics again. 

The song is a standard country-infused medley that Oldham has perfected so well over the years. Lying just under the surface is a very "flangery" lead guitar part that seems to echo the warbly feelings in the mysterious man's head. 

Oldham walks the streets proudly proclaiming "you are hello, I am goodbye.." as little kids run by and the unique song spinner hops, skips and jumps around town. 

Makes me miss my beard. Damn you Gillette! 

Wayne Coyne calls Arcade Fire "pricks"

Flaming Lips front man -Wayne Coyne- fresh off his band's song "Do You Realize?" being named Oklahoma's official rock song, decided to celebrate by dishing on a few indie celebs, most notably Arcade Fire. 

In a recent Rolling Stone interview Coyne let the mag know how he really felt about the Canadian-via-Texas rockers, who at first glance seem to be very sensitive chaps. 

"I'm a fan of them on one level, but on another level I get really tired of their pompousness. we've played some shows with them and they really treat people like shit. Whenever I've been around them, I've found that they not only treated their crew like shit, they treated the audience like shit...I don't care if it's Arcade Fire or Brian Eno. If either of them walked into a room and treated people like shit, I'd be like, 'Fuck you, get outta here'..."

Jeez. Let us know how you really feel Wayne. 

However, it seems that Coyne has a habit of critiquing his fellow rockers and this wasn't the first time. 

In 2003, Coyne spoke to the Guardian about Beck, a former tour mate. 

"It's a total devastation to know that he's not a relaxed Californian stoner. When you hear his songs, you think he really must have some tender feelings, but then you find out it's a made-up thing."

And on Radiohead, in the same article:

"The Radiohead thing - we're famous but we don't want to be famous - is odd. We love playing music but we're too weird to play music."

In the meantime, we at Reverb will continue jamming "Fight Test" praying for the day when Coyne and Arcade front man Win Butler duke it out with huge green plastic fists. 

 

Phoenix release new album cover and single

It appears Phoenix are back to their old tricks with "1901" the newly released single off their much anticipated new album "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" available here. 

The song recalls the dance-grooves of the band's earlier records, while still retaining the driving Strokes feel of 2006's "It's Never  Been Like That", a brilliant homage' to minimalism a' la Gay Paris'. 

And today Phoenix dropped the bomb (pardon the pun) on rock fans everywhere by releasing - via the internet - the cover to their new record (seen above) due out in the states May 26. 

The wartime motif is fairly obvious from the get-go, with pastel explosives falling onto what appears to be either New Mexico or Colorado.

What this means for Americans is anyone's guess. Is Phoenix starting a U.S. tour in the Rocky Mountains? Is this album so hot that it's going to "blow up" the music scene? Or is France about to engage in some musical Hiroshima on a ski resort? 

While fans ponder the Andy Warhol-esque artwork, you'll be happy to know that the band has also now released a multi-track version of "1901" (available on the same site) to encourage fans to re-work what is quickly becoming a vintage Phoenix rocker...

Tracklist for WolfGang Amadeus Phoenix:

01 Lisztomania

02 1901

03 Fences

04 Love Like A Sunset Pt. 1

05 Love Like A Sunset Pt. 2

06 Lasso

07 Rome

08 Countdown

09 Girlfriend

10 Armistice 

Doves announce U.S. tour

It's been four years since Doves, one of Manchester's greatest exports, have been stateside and now they are making their way back on a newly announced U.S. tour. 

The tour, in support of soon-to-be released "Kingdom of Rust", kicks off in San Diego at the House of Blues on May 14 and finishes up in Boston on June 7 at err, the House of Blues... yet again. 

Maybe the Doves were recently sponsored by  Dan Akroyd and his infamous restaurant/concert hall chain? One can only guess. 

If you haven't already heard "Jetstream" the first song to be released off the new album, we highly recommend downloading it from the band's official Web site: www.doves.net. 

The song pulses like an evil-dance track that seriously opens up about two minutes in...

"Kingdom of Rust", the title track, is by far a classic Doves hymn, echoing their past hit "There Goes the Fear". 

A recently released video for the song features a very English-looking gent driving the country side in search of a place to throw what appears to be ashes. And with the quick flashbacks of childhood, it's an easy stretch to assume the urn contains one of the character's parents. 

Seriously, if your Dad just died, you may cry like a baby during this remarkable video, seen here. 

But don't be expecting to see the Doves in the southern states anytime soon, unfortunately they are sticking to both coasts and the north. Start booking those tickets to L.A. asap!

Doves tour dates:

05/14 San Diego, CA - House of Blues

05/15 Anaheim, CA- House of Blues

05/16 Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern

05/18 San Francisco, CA - The Filmore

05/19 Eugene, OR - McDonald Theater

05/21 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom

05/22 Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom

05/23 George, WA - Sasquatch! Festival 

05/26 Denver, CO - Gothic Theater

05/28 Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater

05/29 Chicago, IL - Vic Theater

05/30 Detroit, MI - Majestic Theater

06/01 Toronto, ON Kool Haus

06/02 Montreal, QC - Le National

06/04 New York, NY - Terminal 5

06/05 Philadelphia, PA - The Trocadero

06/06 Washington, D.C. - 9.30 Club

06/07 Boston, MA - House of Blues