Sunday, August 9
Ra Ra Riot
As expected, Sunday’s heat topped well into the 90s, but that wasn’t about to impede Lollapalooza’s crowds. Before Ra Ra Riot’s set in the early afternoon, audience members were vying for the tiny sliver of shade directly in front of the Chicago 2016 Stage. (more…)
Inspired less by drummers and more by instrumentalists such as John Coltrane, Jimi Hendrix, and Ornette Coleman, drumming virtuoso Zach Hill begins his journey as a bandleader with Astrological Straits. (more…)
Running from August 7-9 in Chicago’s Grant Park, one of the world’s biggest summer festivals is back, including headlining performances by Tool, Beastie Boys, Depeche Mode, Jane’s Addiction, The Killers, and Kings of Leon. Check out the rest of the massive lineup below. (more…)
Mono: Hymn to the Immortal Wind
Mono delivers a majestic work with orchestral accompaniment.
Dan Deacon: Bromst (Carpark)
Dan Deacon mixes organic flourishes with his buzzing synths.
Mastodon: Crack the Skye (Warner Bros.)
Mastodon branches out while refining its vocals.
As the weather stops being oppressive in the Northern Hemisphere, a number of potentially great albums from countless genres are on the way. Here’s a list of ten that have us excited, including efforts from Isis, MF Doom, Coalesce, Prefuse 73, Mr. Lif, and more. (more…)
As the season’s wintry punishment eases (it cracked 50 in Chicago this weekend), more and more artists are getting back in their vans and braving the roads for packed and sparse crowds alike.
Here’s a list of tours on our radar, including dates from The Bad Plus, Fucked Up, Orange Tulip Conspiracy, P.O.S., Secret Chiefs 3, Young Widows, and more. (more…)
Announcements are made for new albums from Irepress, Karl Sanders, Black Moth Super Rainbow, and Staff Benda Bilili — a group of paraplegic Congolese street musicians.
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey releases its new studio album for free; Secret Chiefs 3 announces a concert DVD; Les Claypool announces an outstanding mini festival that will be in a town near you. This and more after the jump. (more…)
This year promises to be a great one for music. Isis, The Bad Plus, Mastodon, Dan Deacon, Coalesce, Jerseyband, Converge, and at least three Mike Patton creations (Mondo Cane, Fantômas, Crudo) are slated to release new albums.
Get the ETA on these and other anticipated albums after the jump. (more…)
Amon Tobin makes up half of a new project called Two Fingers; Witch goes on tour with Earthless; Dan Deacon posts a preview of his new album; Converge and Supermachiner each has a new album for ‘09; Kronos Quartet is giving away 50 pairs of tickets for its performance in France this month.
Read about these and 11 more news bits in our weekly roundup. (more…)
The London Sinfonietta celebrates its 40th anniversary with a series of miniature compositions; electro-acoustic madman Dan Deacon unveils a 15-piece live ensemble this week; prog/doom rockers Giant Squid announce details for their upcoming album; Fantômas has been added to Australia’s Big Day Out festival, and much more.
At first, Bromst (due out March 24, 2009 on Carpark Records) seems like a rehashed version of electro-spazz Dan Deacon’s last album, Spiderman of the Rings. But after the first few tracks pass, it becomes obvious that Bromst is the next logical step in Deacon’s sonic evolution.
“Snookered,” the disc’s fourth song, mixes his trademark whirring synthesizers with pretty glockenspiel melodies, chopped vocal bits, and traces of real singing. “Of the Mountains” continues the organic instrumentation, throwing live drums under mounting buzzes and chants, and a lively marimba part steals the show on “Baltihorse.”
Tracks like these show a promising union between Deacon’s dancing, lighthearted sounds and his “highbrow” flair, which is often touted through references of his collegiate education in music. Bromst should make a substantial impact on the electronic scene, and it has me excited about Deacon’s future.
- Scott Morrow
The Sword
Our plans this weekend include local shows with the massive stoner metal of The Sword, the experimental jazz of the Umbrella Music Festival, and the raw alt-country of O’death.
And our friends in Austin have another great festival of their own, as the Fun Fun Fun Fest run on Saturday and Sunday.
Photo courtesy of venue
In Greenville, North Carolina “booty dance club music” and cover bands dominate the music scene. The Spazzatorium Galleria offers an alternative for those unsatisfied with sing-a-longs and booty dropping beats. This community space hosts and a variety of local and touring bands; the Galleria is devoted to fostering self-expression and sustaining Greenville’s independent music scene. (more…)
Photo courtesy of the venue.
Queens, New York’s The Silent Barn is the first in ALARM’s ongoing series exploring the country’s best grassroots, Do-it-Yourself music venues and art spaces. If you play in a band and looking for new places to play, or just love supporting independent music, read on.
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Our plans for this weekend include Nora O’Connor (shown left), Riot Fest, Dan Deacon, Religulous, the Millennium Chamber Players, and…a 100-foot mystical dragon?
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