GIVERS release debut music video

Hot off the heels of the release of their debut album, In Light, Louisiana's GIVERS have released their first ever official music video for bouncy, fun "Up Up Up". The video is rather simple, featuring the band performing in between rather artistic shots of the city, and the band members walking around said artistically shot city. And then things get a little weird. After stumbling upon a key, gravity all of a sudden gets turned off and delightful chaos ensues. Check out the video for "Up Up Up":

Beirut releases album and tour details

Beirut announced the release on their upcoming album The Riptide several weeks ago but I held off on covering it until and album cover was released. Well today is that day. Beirut's The Riptide is slated for an August 30th release date and the band will be hitting the road in support. The band is already currently on tour in Europe but here are some tour dates:

7/29 State Theater - Portland, Maine
7/31 Osheaga - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8/2 The Phoenix (with Owen Pallett) - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
8/4 The Phoenix (with Owen Pallett) - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
8/5-8/7 Lollapalooza - Chicago, Illinois
8/9 Commodore - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
8/10 Commodore - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
8/12 Crystal Ballroom - Portland, Oregon
8/14 Outside Lands - San Francisco, California
9/2 End of the Road Festival - Dorset, United Kingdom
9/4 Electric Picnic - Stradbally, Ireland
9/6 Manchester Academy - Manchester, United Kingdom
9/8 Paradiso - Amsterdam, Netherlands
9/12 Olympia - Paris, France
9/14 AB - Brussels, Belgium
9/16 Brixton Academy - London, United Kingdom
9/21 Terminal 5 - New York, New York
9/22 Terminal 5 - New York, New York
9/28 Fillmore Auditiorium - Denver, Colorado
10/4 Greek Theatre - Los Angeles, California
10/9 The Pageant - St. Louis, Missouri
10/11 Royal Oak Music Hall - Royal Oak, Michigan
10/25 The National - Richmond, Virginia
10/27 Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, Georgia
10/29 Stubbs Waller Creek - Austin Texas
11/11 Bogarts - Cincinnati, Ohio
11/13 Electric Factory - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Blind Pilot to release sophomore album

After what seems like ages of them talking about it, Blind Pilot have finally announced their release of their sophomore album We Are the Tide almost 4 years after their debut. If the teaser video is anything to go off of, the new album is going to be incredible. Featured title-track "We Are the Tide" seems so fun and bouncy and yet as subtle and serious as Blind Pilot's usual fare. I'm also excited about their upcoming tour to support the album because all those random Midwest and Europe tours and show just weren't doing it for me.

We Are The Tide - Album Preview 1 from Blind Pilot on Vimeo.

So with the new Laura Marling, new Cymbals Eat Guitars, and now an all new Blind Pilot all out on September 13th, you better start saving your money. It's gonna be a good September.

Megafaun to release new album in Fall

Normally I avoid album teaser like the plague but when Megafaun posted one I knew I would give in. After releasing their mini-album Heretofore late last year and touring with The Mountain Goats for much of this one, it's been a pretty busy time for Megafaun and yet, somehow with the myriad of shows and such, the band have been tweeting about the album's progress (well up until about a month or so ago) and today, they announce the release of their brand new self-titled album, their third to date, will be September 20th. Mark your calenders, folks.

Megafaun from Hometapes on Vimeo.

Peter Wolf Crier - Inter-Be (2010)

My introduction to Minneapolis duo Peter Wolf Crier happened in my pursuit of all things ARMS a couple months ago. While listening to the ARMS EP on infinite repeat, LastFM recommended I listen to Peter Wolf Crier cause they were similar. Intrigued, I decided to give them a listen. They weren't that similar (aside from some reverb) but they were good in their own unique way.

Inter-Be is an album filled with a sea of sounds always threatening to burst free of their track-by-track containment and yet restrained enough that when the track is over, there's no lingering residue; no loose ends. And yet somewhere among the clustered waves of cymbal crashes, drum beats, guitar riffs, and the multitude of keyboard accents, Peter Pisano's voice bubbles to the surface- aiming directly to the heart with its doleful tenor.

Inter-Be is an album of balance: never empty sounding yet never too busy that you can't make out each individual part, Pisano's light voice never obscured by the rather energetic parts surrounding it. Though classified as folk rock, Peter Wolf Crier move farther away from anything generically folky the deeper you go into Inter-Be. The result is a richly worthwhile listening experience from a band you'd be crazy not to add to your music library.

Listen to Inter-Be on Peter Wolf Crier's Bandcamp and look out for their sophomore album Garden of Arms out September 6th.

Isaac Graham - Empty Vessels

After what seems like months of my friend Joe (of Music Industry Earthquake) mentioning Australian musician Isaac Graham, I just got around to checking him out. After hours or listening to music that seemed a bit insincere, too generic, and occasionally forced; Isaac Graham and his simplistic, laid-back style of punk-inspired folk was a welcome change.

Armed with just a Tascam 8-track recorder and microphone, Isaac Graham's Empty Vessels has a smooth recording sheen that belies the album's lo-fi nature allowing it to shimmer with an honest truth and pervasive intensity that's a definite rarity. Whether in the folky "When I Found Gold" synth-poppy "Heat Exhaustion" or country-ish "Hurricane", Graham wears his genre influences on his sleeves but rather than coming off contrived, they inform his songwriting past the point of mere mimicry and make Empty Vessels into a feat of modern storytelling. Here's hoping there's more to come from Graham.

You can listen to Isaac Graham's album on his Bandcamp and if you like it, download it for free.

The Dø - Both Ways Open Jaws (2011)

My introduction to Finnish/French duo The Dø came from social networking radio MuMu Player when Frank from Listen Before You Buy uploaded "Dust It Off". I was immediately struck by Olivia Merilahti's airy vocals billowing sweetly over a minimalistic piano line. It's the sort of beautiful simplicity I wish more artists embraced.

That simplicity is the common strand between many of Both Ways Open Jaws' rather diverse set of tracks. Even when songs take on a more involved quality like poppy beat-heavy "Slippery Slope" or vaguely rockish "Gonna Be Sick!". Considering that the duo both come from film-scoring backgrounds, it's not surprising how effectively they use their sparse instrumentation (sweeping string arrangements on "Too Insistent" for example) but they blend their classical sensibilities with understated, though always engaging pop to create this unique listening experience. The barely there pop elements are just enough to give the album an ever forward momentum while the minimalistic elements make sure you don't breeze right through.

Their sophomore album, released earlier this month, is only available in Europe right now but you can listen to the whole thing on Soundcloud.
Both Ways Open Jaws by The Dø