THE WOMBATS – PATRICIA THE STRIPPER
Sometimes a band just looks like their name, and on stage match their straggly haired namesake. A powerhouse live, full of high energy and best of all, a sense of humor, just the theme of “Patricia The Stripper” should tip you off to where they are coming from. From Liverpool, they’re one of the bands that had the most heat at this year’s SXSW festival, their single “Lost In The Post” on In America sold out.
Blowing up fast, deals coming in from WBR and Polydor. Management: Simon Bobbet. UK booking: Matt Bates.
Legal: John Statham. Needs: US Booking.
– LOST IN THE POST SINGLE – KIDS RECORDS
HONG KONG SIX – LAND OF THE BRAIN DAMAGED
Orange County’s have just completed their first professionally recorded full length CD with producer, Alex Elena, and the results have labels sniffing around.
They don’t try and pretend to be anything but what they are and where they are from, grounded in punk rock attitude + bouncing rhythms + an endless stream of catchy, sing-a-long melodies. This song is ready for radio, this band is ready for prime time.
Management: Robert Ptak.
Legal: Howard Sadowsky. Needs: Booking.
HONG KONG SIX – DEMOS – NO LABEL
BAND OF THIEVES – WOMAN
Is that Freedom Rock man?
You know a hit when you hear one, and “Woman” is a hit. Like a classic rock powerhouse that should spin next to BOSTON, AC/DC and BACHMAN TURNER OVERDRIVE, New York’s deliver this straight up groove that instantly gets your attention. Remember when songs were just fun and didn’t have to be so deep and emo?
This one has this kinda 'Welcome Back Kotter' meets THREE DOG NIGHT feel to it. The best song EDDIE MONEY never wrote. Management: Jonathan Klear, Wilspro Management.
Legal: Grubman Indursky Needs: Booking.
BAND OF THIEVES – DEMO – NO LABEL
DAVID VANDERVELDE – NOTHIN’ NO
Another act that really made waves in Austin at SXSW this year was . His oozing vocals release a funk that you can’t create, it’s just built in.
It’s almost like MARC BOLAN’S ghost is channeling through the 22 year old Vandervelde. From Chicago, he’s currently touring, doing dates with SPOON and RICHARD SWIFT, while spending time with JAY BENNETT in the studio.
Management: Jeff Macklin, Undertow Music.
Booking: Adam Voith, Billions.
– – Secretly Canadian Records
POP LEVI – BLUE HONEY
Born in London, then spending time in Liverpool, now living in Los Angeles, also drips with T REX influences, and his live show mixes PRINCE with ZEPPELIN. “Blue Honey” has that driving CANNED HEAT beat that would make a great fit on a final scene in the Sopranos as someone is about to get whacked.
Pop is no rookie, he was first in Ninja Tune’s SUPER NUMERI, then played bass in LADYTRON, before going solo and blowing up on BBC2 radio. His star continues to rise, as he will be playing this year’s COACHELLA Festival in April and a run with MANDO DIAO in Canada. Booking: Amy Butterer, Billions.
Needs: Management, legal.
POP LEVI - – COUNTER RECORDS/NINJA TUNE
TRAINWRECK RIDERS – IN OUT OF LOVE
Whenever I get stuck on a new band, I beat the hell out of them. My latest romance is with the band from San Francisco called .
These guys sound a little like MY MORNING JACKET, a little like WILCO, a little like THE MAGIC NUMBERS, and last time I checked, those were three great bands out touring these days. This is back porch music, a la THE BAND. Management: + 1 Management.
Legal: Dave Kostiner. Needs: Booking.
TRAINWRECK RIDERS – – ALIVE RECORDS
POOR RICHARDS PRESS – SEASONS
We’ve heard this voice before on FUTURE SOUNDS, but this solo performer has evolved with band into Orange County’s , while printing the same results of timeless sounding songwriting.
“Seasons” is like SIMON GARFUNKLE done by THE SHINS, but with the Southern Californian BYRDS influences unable to hide. Singer RICKY ANDERSON has a knack for music for the everyman. Needs: Booking, legal.
POOR RICHARDS PRESS – DEMOS – NO LABEL
APTEKA – THE SHEET
are not afraid to tip their cap to their heroes and fellow Chicagoans the SMASHING PUMPKINS, but also not scared to layer on top of it their own AUTOLUX/SILVERSUN PICKUPS sounding dimensions either. Comprised of musicians that have played in many diverse bands around the Windy City, is the focal point now for this four piece that are building their reputation in the Midwest through a wall of sound and JANES ADDICTION type fury. Needs: Management, booking, legal.
APTEKA – DEMOS – NO LABEL
THE BLAKES – LINTWALK
If you’ve listened to KEXP recently, or if you attended SXSW this year, then you’ve heard of , from Transylvania, I mean, Seattle. Dark and menacing, yet playful, kinda like the Vampire Lestat, this trio is now expanding its flight pattern beyond the Pacific Northwest into the bloodstream of music fans everywhere. Management: John Richards Lars Sorenson.
THE BLAKES – – NO LABEL
SONICFLYER – SUN IN MY POCKET
Wafting in with spring sweetness is , and “Sun In My Pocket” has that softness of THE SUNDAYS or the COCTEAU TWINS. Originally from Serbia (that’s right, as in cold and distant), now this four piece live in London and have been showing up on all the BBC radio playlists as of late. Management: Jon Dunn.
Needs: US UK booking, legal.
– DEMOS – NO LABEL.
OVERVIEW – MELANCHOLY IN THE CITY
For being a band all under the age of 21, San Francisco’s has a pretty solid birds eye view on getting started in the music business.
Originally in high school together up in Marin County, they found KILLERS producer, Jeff Saltzman, and manager/A R guy Neal O’Connor, and cut a record that is getting some attention. Live 105 in San Francisco is a fan, and just finished their first national tour and will head out for a West Coast swing in June. Manager: Neal O’Connor.
Needs: Booking, legal.
OVERVIEW – FORTY-FOUR STONE TIGERS – NO LABEL
NEW VIOLATORS – BURMA
From Trondheim, Norway, this MORRISSEY like attack comes from the . The NME just named them one of the ten best new bands at SXSW.
A five piece led by vocalist Per Borten, they claim more of a likeness to SPRINGSTEEN than to the Moz, the band isn’t afraid to flaunt and assault concertgoers. They’ll be spending the next couple of months recording before hitting the tour circuit.
Management: Matthias Siefert.
Legal: Richard Grabel. Needs: US/UK booking
NEW VIOLATORS - DEMOS – NO LABEL.
NEW CASSETTES – LIGHTHOUSE
Bouncy, in a KAISERCHIEFS/FUTUREHEADS sorta way, their debut single “You Won’t Stop” came out on Fantastic Plastic Records last year and brought them plenty of attention.
The NME has embraced them, BBC DJ Steve Lamacq has been their champion, and they’ve even toured with THE STROKES, so the next step is winning you over. Management: Neale Tidd. Legal: Peter McGaughrin.
Needs: US/UK Booking.
– DEMOS – NO LABEL.
KUDU – SUITE LIFESounding like the blaxsplotation version of Bladerunner, or like the end of the 70's/start of the 80’s landscape of New York/Brooklyn, is unlike anything you’ve heard recently.
Frontwoman Sylvia Gordan (aka Betty Black) is an absolute diva. The drummer of the band, Deantoni Parks, is in the MARS VOLTA, and honestly, could be one of the five best drummers alive. The final member of the trio, the DJ, makes beats for Redman, 50 CENT, etc.
Think ESG meets the GOSSIP, or PARLIAMENT if they were fronted by NENA CHERRY. Management: Craig Roseberry. Legal: Brett Green.
Needs: US Booking, European Label Deal.
– – NUBLU RECORDS
THE HUNDRED DAYS - HEY
San Francisco’s have a knack for writing great hooks. Their 4-song demo done at Tiny Telephone by Aaron Prellwitz was as strong as any I’ve received lately.
Getting support locally from Live 105 and all the Bay Area print magazines, they have a touch of EDITORS in there, but also enough gloomy San Francisco fog to properly color your vision for months, rather than days.
Management: Kendra Bonhomme, SoMa Management. Needs: Legal, booking.
THE HUNDRED DAYS – DEMOS - NO LABEL
OTHER BANDS TO WATCH
THE PARLOR MOB
Track: “Bullet”. I’ve been told that live are the second coming of LED ZEPPELIN, which would mean they are pushing out JACK WHITE. From Red Bank, New Jersey, this mob family is on everyone’s wanted list.
UNSIGNED.
CUT OFF YOUR HANDS
Track: “You And I”. New Zealand’s recently blew me away live, when they upstaged all the too cool for school US bands and just rocked their set.
They had urgency, something to say, and big, boomin’ tunes. in Australia. UNSIGNED elsewhere.
ZICO CHAIN
Track: “Where Would You Rather Be”. London 3-piece were another SXSW ’07 darling, having just finished a new record with super producer Joe Baresi that has everyone clamoring. First release on Hassle Records has landed them gigs with WOLFMOTHER, ALKALINE TRIO and NINE BLACK ALPS.
DRAGONS OF ZYNTH
Track: “Who Rize Above”. Only visiting Earth from the planet FreakOut are the . Part MILES DAVIS-Bitches Brew, part HENDRIX, part MAGGOT BRAIN, part crazy.
Mind blowing music ready for the GLASTONBURY type stages. Produced by Kyp of TV ON THE RADIO and Dave Sitek. UNSIGNED.
Track: “Blitzkrieg Over My Black Heart”. This song has been stuck in my head for weeks, it scorches in a ARCTIC MONKEYS kinda way. From Brighton, England, getting spins at specialty shows like Rodney on the Roq and Passport Approved in Los Angeles.
UNSIGNED for now.
ALSO BUZZING: Enter Shikari!, Foals, Deerhunter, Call Me Lightning, Manchester Orchestra, Metro Station, The Young Republic, Expatriate, Discovery Zone, Courtney Tidwell, We Are Wolves, Brother Reade, Roxy Cottontail, One Night Only, Cool Kids, Dusty Rhodes The River Band, Oh No Ono, Peter The Pirates, Blitzen Trapper, Holy Hail, Hot Club De Paris, Kicks, So So Modern.
EXCELLENT NEW RELEASES OF NOTE:
AIR – Pocket Symphony (Virgin)
ILLINOIS – What The Hell Do I Know (Ace Fu)
KINGS OF LEON – Because Of The Times (RCA)
K-OS – Atlantis – Hymns For Disco (EMI)
LOW – Drums Guns (Sub Pop)
TED LEO THE PHARMACISTS – Living With The Living (Touch Go)
THE FIELD – From Here We Go Sublime (Kompakt)
WILLY MASON – If The Ocean Gets Rough (Virgin)
WOLF CUB – Vessels (4AD)
RELEASES TO LOOK FORWARD TO:
WILCO – Sky Blue Sky (Nonesuch)
PART CHIMP – Cup (Monitor Records)
THE NATIONAL – Boxer (Beggars Banquet)
FILM SCHOOL – TBD (Beggars Banquet)
COCOROSIE – The Adventures of Ghosthorse Stillborn (Touch Go)
MANDO DIAO – Ode To Ochrasy (Mute)
THEE MORE SHALLOWS – Book Of Bad Breaks (Anticon)
BJORK – Volta (One Little Indian)
THE CLIENTELE – God Save The Clientele (Merge)
DUNGEN – Tio Bitar (Kemando)
ART BRUT – It’s A Bit Complicated (Downtown/Atlantic)
**** Please remember to buy music when you can or go out and see these acts live – support the arts!
CONTACT: Larry@fromthefuture.org
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