Unicycle Loves You: New video and MP3

A quirky, colorful and fun house party is the scene of Unicycle Loves You latest music video for the song "Garbage Dump." This song if off their new album Failure. Here is the MP3 of "Garbage Dump" [MP3].

Upcoming Tour Dates:

4/6 - Middle of The Map Festival - Kansas City, MO
4/7 - Heavy Anchor - St. Louis, MO
4/10 - Garden Bowl - Detroit, MI
4/11 - MOTR - Cincinnati, OH
4/12 - Wilbert's - Cleveland, OH
4/13 - Albert S. George Youth Center - Barnesville, OH
4/14 - Pianos - New York, NY
4/15 - Big Snow Buffalo Lodge - Brooklyn, NY
4/17 - BSP Lounge - Kingston, NY
4/18 - Middle East (upstairs) - Boston, MA
4/19 - Bug Jar - Rochester, NY
4/20 - M-Room - Philadelphia, PA
4/21 - Garfield Artworks - Pittsburgh, PA (w/ Woods, MMOSS)
4/24 - Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL (w/ Terry Malts)

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New Tour Dates and video: The Big Sleep

After a literal "big sleep" of several years, the Brooklyn-based duo The Big Sleep is releasing a full-length album entitled Nature Experiments. Set to be released on Frenchkiss Records this month, the album is said to be full of "restless rhythms" and "blow-out beats."

To catch a glimpse of their work, check out their video for "Valentine" by clicking here.

Below are their upcoming US an UK tour dates:

US Tour Dates

4/13 - Beat Kitchen - Chicago, IL #
4/15 - The Ballroom at the Taft Theatre - Cincinnati, OH #
4/17 - Brillobox - Pittsburgh, PA #
4/18 - The Metro Gallery - Baltimore, MD #
4/20 - Maxwell's - Hoboken, NJ #
4/22 - Middle East Downstairs - Boston, MA #

5/21 - The Studio - New York, NY *
5/23 - Rock and Roll Hotel - Washington, DC *
5/24 - Local 506 - Chapel Hill, NC *
5/25 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA *
5/26 - Crowbar - Tampa, FL*
5/27 - The Plaza - Orlando, Fl*
5/29 - Bottletree - Birmingham, AL*
5/31 - Sons of Herman Hall - Dallas, TX*
6/01 - The Parish - Austin, TX*
6/02 - Free Press Summer Fest, Houston, TX*
6/04 - Lowbro Palace - El Paso, TX*
6/06 - Casbah - San Diego, CA*
6/07 - Constellation Room - Santa Ana, CA*
6/08 - Troubadour - Lost Angeles, CA*
6/09 - Bottom of the Hill - San Francisco, CA*
6/11 - Bunk Bar - Portland, OR*
6/12 - Media Club - Vancouver, BC*
6/13 - Crocodile Cafe - Seattle, WA*
6/15 - Neurolux - Boise, ID*
6/16 - Kilby Court - Salt Lake City, UT*
6/17 - Hi Dive - Denver, CO*
6/18 - Waiting Room - Omaha, NE*
6/19 - Amsterdam Hall - St. Paul, MN*

* With Maps & Atlases
# With Fang Island

UK Tour Dates

5/12 - The Hope @ The Great Escape - Brighton, UK
5/14 - Music In Beta @ The Castle - Manchester, UK
5/15 - Nice N Sleazys - Glasgow, UK
5/16 - The Barfly - London, UK
5/17 - Art Academy @ LSC - Liverpool, UK
5/18 - Fleche D'Or w/ EMA - Paris, FR
5/19 - London Calling @ Paradiso - Amsterdam

http://www.thebigsleep.net/

https://www.facebook.com/thebigsleepnyc

http://www.myspace.com/thebigsleep

https://twitter.com/#!/thebigsleepnyc

Joy Formidable on Jimmy Kimbel Live

In case like me, you were not fortunate enough to attend this year's South By Southwest in Austin, Texas, you can catch a bit of the action here. The Joy Formidable, a sort of "grungey-pop" trio hailing from the UK, played on Jimmy Kimbel Live a few nights ago. I got the chance to check this group out at the Midpoint Music Festival in Cincinnati this past fall. It was quite a good show. It definitely has that 1990's feel mixed with poppy sounds of today.

Here are the Joy Formidable's upcoming tour dates:

March 19, Minneapolis, MN, Fine Line Music Cafe

March 20, Madison, WI, Magestic Theatre

March 22, Bloomington, IN, The Bluebird

March 23, Cincinnati, OH, 20th Century Theatre

March 24, Atlanta, GA, Masqureade

March 25, Asheville, NC, Orange Peel

March 26, Washington, DC, 9:30 Club

March 28, New York, NY, Terminal 5

March 29, Philadelphia, PA, Union Transfer

March 30, Boston, MA, Paradise Rock Club SOLD OUT

March 31, Montreal, CAN, SAT

April 2, Toronto, CAN, Lee's Palace SOLD OUT

June 7-10, Manchester, TN, Bonnaroo

http://www.thejoyformidable.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/joyformidable

http://www.facebook.com/thejoyformidable

Other Lives @ Red Palace - 2.21.12

Last night I went to the Red Palace to see Oklahoma-based band Other Lives. I've been a fan of them for quite a while and they have been generating some well-deserved buzz. The show was sold out and it was quite packed - they probably could've sold out an even larger venue, honestly.

First up was Australian-based Wim. I knew nothing about them before the show but I was impressed. The 5-piece all-male band had good energy, solid music and were not hard on the eyes to boot. The lead singer maybe tries a little too hard in some ways (mostly fashion-wise) but he's got a great voice and a strong lead presence. All in all, I highly enjoyed it and you should check them out. If I had to compare them to other bands, I would say they're Muse meets Locksley meets Drink Up Buttercup, all of whom I really like.

Other Lives definitely lived up to my (admittedly high) expectations. These guys are rapidly climbing my personal charts to my list of favorite bands of all time. They had so many instruments and keyboards and laptops and pedals and wires that they could hardly fit on the stage. I think every single one of them played at least two instruments. Their sound was... epic - so full and often dramatic. They have this awesome blend of rambling hillside folk and sprawling prairie orchestral (if that makes any sense...). My only complaint was that the sound mixing wasn't always the best and I'm not sure the Red Palace's sound system could really handle the amount of music Other Lives was throwing at them. I would love to see these guys in a large theater or something - somewhere that their sound can fill the space and expand/breath the way it deserves to. But seriously, these guys are going places. I wouldn't be surprised if I did see them in a big theater soon - one girl in the audience even speculated that they could be the next Radiohead. So get to know them now so you can say you knew them before they were famous.

And, of course, check out the excessive number of pictures that I took:

Other Lives @ Red Palace

Maps & Alases Teaser

Yes, I am blogging about Maps & Atlases yet again. I am excited about their upcoming album and could not resist listening to a little teaser. And now you can too:

Maps & Atlases - Winter

The song is quite catchy with a diversity of rhythms and moods. The refrain, with the repetitive and yet gradual guitar riffs draw you in, making you want more.

"The initial inspiration to write the song 'Winter' came on a freezing cold evening during the Chicago winter," says frontman Dave Davison. "The song contrasts memory and the perspective of winter as a season of possibility and creativity with the bleak, stillness of winter nights in the Midwest."

The song is quite fitting as we recently had a good snow here in Cincinnati. Winter, I'm afraid, is here to stay for just a tad longer. Maps & Atlases' newest album Beware and Be Grateful is due out April 16 on FatCat. Something to look forward to in the warmer months.

Maps & Atlases Latest

Maps & Atlases are one of my favorite bands to listen to as of late. Therefore the release of a new album is quite exciting. Fans, you'll have to wait just awhile yet as their second album, entitled Beware and Be Grateful is due out via FatCat on April 16 (USA April 17).

This new album is full of all sorts of marvelous sounds and melodies. It has definite electronic influences and some experimenting has been done with vocals and voice-sounds. It creates a very ambient feel. This video contains a bit of a preview for the album.

UK/Europe April Tour Dates:

April 16: Bristol, UK, Cooler

April 17: London, UK, Garage

April 18: Manchester, UK, Night and Day

April 19: Glasgow, UK, Nice N' Sleazy

April 20: Leeds, UK, Brudenell

April 22: Brussels, Belgium, Botanique

April 23: Amsterdam, Netherlands, Paradiso

April 24: Cologne, Germany, Gebaeude

April 25: Hamburg, Germany, Haus III&70

April 26: Berlin, Germany, Bi Nuu

April 27: Frankfurt, Germany, Das Bett

April 28: Paris, France, Fleche D'or

Like Maps & Atlases on Facebook!

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Maps & Atlases Myspace

Maps & Atlases Bandcamp

New Tour Dates: Mates of State

Connecticut indie-pop group has announced some new Spring tour dates starting this February. The duo just released a new self-produced record entitled Mountaintops, which was released in September of 2011 to much adoration and praise.

Mates of State also recently performed on the Late Show with David Letterman. You can view the performance here:

Mates of State on Letterman

Spring Tour dates:

Feb 16 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer Feb 17 - New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge Feb 18 - Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell's Feb 20 - Richmond, VA @ Canal Club Feb 21 - Norfolk, VA @ Jewish Mother Backstage Feb 22 - Durham, NC @ Casbah Feb 25 - Vestal, NY @ Binghamton University

http://www.matesofstate.com/

http://www.myspace.com/matesofstate

http://www.facebook.com/matesofstate

http://twitter.com/matesofstate

New video & Tour Dates From fun.

When I first went to check out this video, I was going CRAZY because I knew I had heard the song but not the original version, so I kept wondering if it was a cover or what. Then I realized I had heard it on Glee. To be honest I think I like the Glee version better, but it's still a good song, a fun(.) video (...get it?) and Janelle Monae (*heart*) is in it briefly. The one other weird thing: it has more likes than it has views. How does that happen, YouTube? (Tour dates after the jump)



And the Glee version, just for funsies.

02/29/2012 | Burlington, VT | Higher Ground | Buy Tickets

03/01/2012 | Pawtucket, RI | The Met Cafe | Buy Tickets

03/02/2012 | Towson, MD | The Recher Theatre | Buy Tickets

03/03/2012 | Carrboro, NC | Cats Cradle |Buy Tickets

03/07/2012 | St. Petersburg, FL | State Theatre | Buy Tickets

03/08/2012 | Orlando, FL | Beacham Theatre |Buy Tickets

03/09/2012 | Atlanta, GA | Center Stage |Buy Tickets

03/10/2012 | Birmingham, AL | WorkPlay Theatre |Buy Tickets

03/20/2012 | Houston, TX | Warehouse Live Studio |Buy Tickets

03/21/2012 | Dallas, TX | House of Blues | Buy Tickets

03/23/2012 | Tucson, AZ | Rialto Theatre | Buy Tickets

03/24/2012 | Pomona, CA | The Glass House |Buy Tickets

03/28/2012 | San Francisco, CA | The Independent | Buy Tickets

03/29/2012 | San Francisco, CA | Bottom Of The Hill |Buy Tickets

03/31/2012 | Salt Lake City, UT | In The Venue |Buy Tickets

04/03/2012 | Fort Collins, CO | Aggie Theatre |Buy Tickets

04/05/2012 | Denver, CO | Bluebird Theater |Buy Tickets

04/06/2012 | Boulder, CO | Fox Theatre & Cafe |Buy Tickets

04/09/2012 | Iowa City, IA | The Blue Moose Tap House |Buy Tickets

04/10/2012 |Omaha, NE |The Slowdown |Buy Tickets

04/11/2012 | Madison, WI | The Majestic Theatre |Buy Tickets

04/13/2012 | Minneapolis, MN | The Varsity Theater |Buy Tickets

04/14/2012 | Chicago, IL | Vic Theatre |Buy Tickets

04/15/2012 | Detroit, MI | St. Andrews Hall |Buy Tickets

04/18/2012 | Grand Rapids, MI |The Intersection |Buy Tickets

04/19/2012 |Columbus, OH | Newport Music Hall | Buy Tickets

04/20/2012 | Rochester, NY | Water Street Music Hall |Buy Tickets

04/21/2012 | Boston, MA | House of Blues | Buy Tickets

04/27/2012 | Clifton Park, NY | Northern Lights |Buy Tickets

04/28/2012 | Philadelphia, PA |Theatre of the Living Arts | Buy Tickets

05/04/2012 |Washington, DC | 9:30 Club | Buy Tickets

05/05/2012 | Charlottesville, VA | Jefferson Theater | Buy Tickets

Seedy Seeds Show, Goodbye Southgate House!

This past Thursday, the Seedy Seeds delivered a wonderful performance at the Southgate House in Newport, Ky. The Seedy Seeds are a fun folky/electronic band from Cincinnati. With a mixture of drums, banjo, acoustic guitar and recorded beats, they put on a show that makes you want to jump and dance. They played a good amount of my favorites including "My Roots Go Down" and "Oh, Cincinnati." Click here to view Metromix Cincinnati's photos of the show. There are some good ones in there.

The Southgate House is closing after their last hurrah tonight. The Southgate House is an old mansion turned bar and concert venue in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area. For Cincinnati music fans, the Southgate House is a mainstay, a staple. I've seen many good shows in the parlor and the ballroom of this amazing venue. And I know I won't be alone in saying that I'll miss the Southgate House. So thank you for all that you've given to the amazing and vibrant music community of Cincinnati!

Upcoming Tour Dates for the Seedy Seeds:

• 1/19, Dayton, Ohio, South Park Tavern, 1301 Wayne Ave. 9 p.m.
• 1/22, Chicago, IL, Reggie's Music Joint, 2105 South State St. 7 p.m.
• 1/25, Columbus, Ohio, The Summit, 2210 Summit St.

Los Campesinos

I think I have been a bit late on this one....by about three months. I am blaming a very disappointing second album for my tardiness.

Back in 2007 I absolutely loved Los Campesinos!, my favourite single of 07 was a tie between their 'You! Me! Dancing!' and Mumm-Ra's 'She's Got You High'.

Then in 2008 they released their debut album 'Hold On Now, Youngster...' and EEP 'We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed' both of which I adored. Their second album proper 'Romance is Boring' seemed to fall flat though, it felt a bit, well, bland, shouty, devoid of any heart. That was what I kind of loved about them, there seemed to be soul and fun and tune in their tales of hearbreak, rather than just being depressing.
They fell off my radar, that was until recently when for some reason I thought I'd see if they had anything new out, onto Spotify and boom! Third album. I thought I'd give it a try.
Surprisingly, and happily 'Hello Sadness' is a return to form and harks back to their early songs, full of life and poppy riffs, but with tales of sorrow and sadness. It's a more developed sound, less frantic and, well, if you were talking about a person, I guess you'd say 'they've become a more rounded individual'.

Since finding the album 4 weeks ago, I think I've listened to it pretty much every day, it's certainly making my top 5 for 2011 list, and the lead single, 'By Your Hand' is beyond a shadow of a doubt, my favourite single of the year. The chorus does sound a bit like they've been listening to a lot of Passion Pit, but that's not a bad thing ,not at all.