Best Coast is back to brighten our Summer

Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno are Best Coast. Their First album Crazy For You made a big splash a couple of years ago. The simple yet brilliant, fun, Summer, California feeling album was praised by critics across the board, including me. Amongst all of the garage rock, girl group, California, surf rock, low fi groups that have come out these last few years, I contend that Best Coast does it so much better than the rest. With lyrics you can both relate and sing along to as well as music that FEELS like Summer, its just plain awesome. I'm looking forward to their music being my soundtrack for the coming season. They are simply the best road trip music ever. Anyway, I digress. The new album comes out May 15th. They will also be touring(tour schedule below). On a side note, Bethany has also recently collaborated with hip clothier Urban Outfitters to put out a line of clothing. So, check that out at urbanoutfitters.com.

Here are the tour dates as well as the first release from the album, The Only Place. Ok, last thing, if you get a chance to see them Live, try to see them with Those Darlings. Great LA band that is listed in a previous post.

03-12 San Antonio, TX - The Big Spill at the Korova
03-15 Austin, TX – Parking Lot at 9th and Trinity – Google Music SXSW Showcase
03-15 Austin, TX – Urban Outfitters Back Lot Performances
03-16 Austin, TX – Stubbs – Spin SXSW Showcase
03-17 The Hype Hotel – Hype Machine SXSW Showcase
05-18 Los Angeles, CA – Wiltern *
05-19 Oakland, CA – Fox *
05-21 Portland, OR – Aladdin *
05-22 Seattle, WA – Neptune *
05-23 Vancouver, British Columbia – Commodore *
05-25 Aspen, CO – Belly Up *
05-26 Boulder, CO – Fox Theater *
05-27 Lawrence, KS – Granada *
05-29 Omaha, NE – Slowdown *
05-30 St. Louis, MO – Firebird *
06-01 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater *
06-02 Houston, TX @ Free Press Fest *
06-03 Austin, TX @ Chaos in Tejas *
06-16 Glasgow, Scotland – Garage
06-17 Manchester, England – HMV Ritz
06-18 Birmingham, England – Academy
06-20 London, England – SBE
06-21 Brighton, England – Coalition
06-22 Isle of Wight, England – Isle of Wight Festival
06-24 Atlantic City, NJ – Metallica’s Orion Festival ^
07-09 Orlando, FL – The Social ^
07-10 Miami, FL – Grand Central ^
07-12 Atlanta, GA – Variety ^
07-13 Chapel Hill, NC – Cat’s Cradle ^
07-14 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club ^
07-16 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer ^
07-17 New York, NY – Terminal 5 ^
07-18 Boston, MA – Royale ^
07-20 Montreal, Quebec – Le National ^
07-21 Toronto, Ontario – Pheonix ^
07-23 Columbus, OH – Newport Theater ^
07-24 Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom ^
07-25 Madison, WI – Majestic ^
07-27 Chicago, IL – Vic ^

* with JEFF the Brotherhood
^ with Those Darlins

Scissor Sisters get Shady with new single and album

The Sisters are back in 2012. Their new album Magic Hour will be released in the UK on May 28th and US May 29th. They have already released a single titled Shady Love. It is written with Krystal Pepsi and Azealia Banks. Shady Love is stacked with sweet beats and has Jake Shears doing his best gay rap Eminem impression.

I loved their previous album Nightwork. I thought it was a big improvement over the second album. If Shady Love is any indication, we are in for more forward thinking party music from a group that one of the best party bands around. If you have not seen them live then do it! It is an amazing, crazy good time.

They have a new single dropping soon called Only the Horses that I am very eager to hear. Until then, here is the latest we have, Shady Love.

Azealia Banks. Now, this is fresh!

Azealia Banks has been making waves for quite some time now. She got bloggers and music journalists really talking with her video for 212(see below). I'll have to say, I loved it right away. I have not really listened to Rap, per se, in quite some time. I loved Rap when I was younger and always female Rap. Salt N Pepe, Roxanne Shante, MC Lyte, all those girls were the baddest bitches. Later I was a fan of Lil' Kim and Missy Elliot, but overall grew away from the genre. Azealia is the one that is bringing me back. She has amazing rhymes, fierce beats, dirty words and is super cute to boot! Her album does not drop until September but she does have an EP titled 1991 coming out April 17th. She is rumored to be working with Kanye and Lana Del Rey as well. If you have not heard it, here is the video everyone is talking about 212.

Love and the Anger is back!

Well, it has been a number of months but Love and the Anger is back. I recently had a friend ask me why I was not writing my blog anymore? I did not have a good reason and I told him that I thought no one really read it, but he disagreed(thanks Roland!). So, I 'm back. I'll be sharing my musical affections, live show adventures, favorite rock start pics and other fun cultural craziness.

If you do read my blog, become a follower! Let me know. That way I know who loves me:)

Stone Darlings: Eagerly awaiting this LA bands debut

I just discovered this lovely band over on twentyfourbit.com site. Don't know much about the band yet except that the sound is right up my alley. 24bit recommended this for fans of Neko Case or Best Coast. I think the Neko comparison makes sense to me. Even more so, I would say a young Emmy Lou Harris. They only have a 7 inch vinyl released so far. The sound is 60's, a little country, a little dark and a lot of talent. They have my attention. Looking forward to a full album from this up and coming band.

Here is a taste, first single Angeline and b side I Stopped Missing You Today.

Michel Gondry's new Bjork Video Crystalline

Bjork will soon be releasing her new album Biophilia. She is taking an album release to a new level with a multi platform media assault. She will be releasing it as a normal album but also as a series of IPad apps! Each app will coincide with each song from the album. The first track released has very much in common to her 3rd album Homgenic. It has the distorted sound scape's mixed with organic instruments. It even has some drum and base/Jungle thrown in. The video is pretty amazing and directed by her friend Michel Gondry. It will be very interesting to see if she tours with this project and how she chooses to present it live.

Check out the sweet video!

St. Vincent new song

St. Vincent, also known as Annie Clark, is one of the truly original musical artists in the last few years. She made her mark with her first album Marry Me and then followed it up with the critically acclaimed Actor. Actor placed her on many "best of" lists in 2009. I really loved Actor. Annie has a beautiful voice, but she backs that with such interesting arrangements that can only be described as her own. Her music can be pretty but also aggressive. She has a interesting way of creating juxtaposition in sounds.

Her new album is set to be released this September. It will be titled Strange Mercy and the first single from the record is titled Surgeon. The new single really shows how Annie is continuing to expand her sound with amazing synths. There is buzz that there will be guitar driven tracks that are more loud and judging by the experimental videos available as teasers, it will be interesting to see what we get.

Here is the first single Surgeon from St. Vincent.