redefine music & art news

A video for Mark Ronson’s latest single, “Oh My God,” featuring Lily Allen… well, kind of. An animated Lily Allen. Enjoy!

Artist website: Mark Ronson
Label website: RCA

Way back when there was this band called Catch 22 and it released the album that probably saved ska from being a completely forgotten genre, “Keasbey Knights”. Then the front man, Tomas Kanolky left the band. Catch 22 carried on, now releasing mediocre at best albums. A few years later, Kanolky surfaced again under the guise of Streetlight Manifesto and continued his quest to single-handedly prove that ska is not dead. Streetlight Manifesto draws from the standard third-wave ska sound but also dabbles in a little bit of everything to produce its supercharged ska on crack sound. A notorious perfectionist, Streetlight Manifesto doesn’t exactly produce new material at warp speed, but finally, “Somewhere In the Between” is dropping in mid-November. Here is the first video, “We Will Fall Together”

Artist website: Streetlight Manifesto
Label website: Victory Records

Armor For Sleep - Williamsburg
Maplewood, New Jersey

Armor For Sleep is (almost) back with a new album, and guess what? They’re going to be playing on TRL. Which is most hilarious. It seems being on a label owned by a major (Sire Records, owned by Warner) does do a great bit of good for this band that was formerly on Equal Vision. Well, below is a video of their new single, which I’m not particularly feeling, but maybe you will. Maybe this newfound success has made them a bit happier because their music on this new album, Smile For Them, is pop-punk if I’ve ever heard it. Gone are the days of woefully imagining what it would be like to be dead. I don’t know that I like this precedent. I liked their old stuff. The new stuff sounds a bit more generic to me, but it will no doubt gain them some fans. Anyway, you can be the judge yourself. Head over to their MySpace to listen to the whole album or check out the video below and see if you’re feeling it!

Artist Website: Armor For Sleep
Label Website: Sire Records

The Blood Brothers - Set Fire to the Face on Fire
Seattle, WA
File Size: 3.7 mb, Length: 2:20
(Right click above link to save on a PC, control-click to save on a MAC)

It was a long time coming that most people had an inkling about, but The Blood Brothers have officially broken up. Love it or hate it, The Blood Brothers were not only quite the creative bunch, but always were somehow to stay one step ahead of the rest of the competition that worked so hard to clone that exact sound of disjointed grungy guitars and dual screaming. So RIP Blood Brothers, the music world will be missing you.

Jesu - Lifeline
United Kingdom
File Size: 10.3 mb, Length: 5:20
(Right click above link to save on a PC, control-click to save on a MAC)

Justin Broadrick is a god among metal men. Perhaps best known for both the early incarnation of Napalm Death as well as Godflesh, there isn’t another person in all of England (or the States for that matter) with more street cred him. And to realize the man’s true genius, you have to look no further than the beauty of the electornica-fused, drone sounds of Jesu. It just put out another EP, check it out. Even Pitchfork liked it.

Artist website:Justin Broadrick’s side projects

ISIS - Garden of Light
Los Angeles, CA
File Size: 13.4 mb, Length: 9:17
(Right click above link to save on a PC, control-click to save on a MAC)

In preparation for the 10th anniversary, it has been announced that ISIS will be releasing a 12 LP boxset limited to a mere 600 pressings (300 for the US, 300 for Europe). In addition to each album being housed in new artwork, the set will also come with an oversized poster insert and a cloth bound, foil-stamped custom box. For those that don’t know, ISIS is THE post-metal band, if your band plays long songs with post-rock influences that rise to massive climaxes, you sound like ISIS. The band is also embarking on a short tour where it will play music spanning from all ten years of the catalog, which is a real treat. Seeing ISIS live will shatter you to the very core, it is that good.

Tour Dates:
11/01 - New York, NY @ The Filmore
11/02 - Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero Theater
11/03 - Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East
11/04 - Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East
11/14 - Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s
11/15 - Vancouver, BC @ Richards on Richards
11/16 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
11/18 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
11/20 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour

Artist Website:ISIS
Label Website: Ipecac Records

Akimbo - Wizard Van Wizard
Seattle, WA
File Size: 6.0 mb, Length: 4:06
(Right click above link to save on a PC, control-click to save on a MAC)

It is important to note that Akimbo is Seattle’s last hair band. It even says so on the Myspace page. It is also important to note that while everyone gushes about the new Band of Horse’s album, there are still a few individuals specializing in skullsplitting rock. Equal parts punk, hardcore, power rock, with a little zest of metal, Akimbo destroys all and does it in a very humorous fashion. On stage banter has revealed songs to be about girls eaten by sharks and finding acceptance through Dungeons and Dragons. Everything about it is over the top, but isn’t that what makes the best rock the most fun? Just don’t forget to stretch out those neck muscles.

Artist Website: Akimbo’s website is freaking called livetocrush.com (that is awesome)
Label Website: Alternative Tentacles

Grieves & Type - “My Girlfriend Beats Me”
Seattle, Washington

This here is an amusing video which just came out today. Grieves & Type are two emcees from Seattle, and this song is goofy as hell. It’s a dedication to all of the guys who are bitches in their relationships, I suppose! But despite the fun, games, and beatings, these guys can crank out some worthwhile rhymes. If this isn’t exactly your bag of chips, though, don’t write them off just yet. Also notable is a track called “Irreversible” off of Grieves’ upcoming album, Irreversible (creative) — the track features Mr. Lif and can be streamed from his MySpace.

Artist Website: Grieves
Label Website: N/A

St. Albans,UK

Wax Stag is the alias of one Robert Antony Lee, a UK-based producer/ part time drummer for Warpee Chris Clark/overall awesome dude. His song, ‘Short Road’ recently made its way onto Hot Chip’s DJ Kicks mix. The song is a perfect slice of 8-bit electro-pop that’s able to occupy a space between kitschy nostalgia and melancholy without falling into the usual traps of retro videogame electronica. Not bad, especially when paired up with this totally rad video from the mysterious O W L S collective.

Artist Website: Wax Stag

Label Website: People In The Sky

Beirut - “Live On KEXP”
New York
File Size: 38.8mb, Length: 28:17
(Right click above link to save on a PC, control-click to save on a MAC)

Beirut - “A Sunday Smile”
File Size: 4.11mb, Length: 3:35
(Right click above link to save on a PC, control-click to save on a MAC)

Beirut is a city in Lebanon, but it’s also a band that utilizes violists, cellists, accordionists, and a variety of other instrument-toting individuals to create music with a underlying Eastern European tone. In this time when gypsy rock is all the rage with bands like Gogol Bordello and DeVotchKa are garnering huge amounts of attention, there couldn’t be a more appropriate time for Beirut to shine. Well, they seem to be getting the attention they deserve as well. Their music seems to transcend boundaries, and the fact that they’re touring North America and Europe back-to-back just seems natural. Unlike Gogol Bordello, however, Beirut’s vocals are a bit more typical and down-to-earth, and well, just less reminiscent of an out-of-control gypsy. In this Live Performance with John In The Morning on KEXP, Beirut plays four tracks from their upcoming album, The Flying Cup Club. If you hurry, you can also go to their MySpace and stream the entire album! You can also download the album version of their latest single, “A Sunday Smile.” Enjoy, enjoying.

Artist Website: Beirut
Label Website: Ba Da Bing

—

BEIRUT ON TOUR:
8 October 2007: Herbst Theater - San Francisco, California
9 October 2007: Herbst Theater - San Francisco, California
10 October 2007: Avalon - Los Angeles, California
(EUROPE THROUGH THE END OF OCTOBER)