If you like The Warlocks, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, 13th Floor Elevators, The Velvet Underground, Back Rebel Motorcycle Club, or Black Mountain (coming to Madison on June 30th! Tickets here), then you definitely need The Black Angels in your life.
This Austin-based band has been creating consistently incredible albums of sinister psychedelia since 2005, and are preparing to turn their latest creation, Phosphene Dream, loose later this year. The ‘Angels have kindly made one of their new tracks, “Bad Vibrations,” available as a free download. What do you think? We’re crossing our fingers that an upcoming tour will bring them back to Madison…
With the fourth of July quickly approaching and the temperature rising, summer has officially hit its stride in Madison. Be sure to get out there and enjoy it while it lasts, because in true Midwestern fashion, the fall isn’t too far away, complete with more concert announcements happening every week!
On Thursday, October 9, British rockers The Kooks roll into the Barrymore Theatre, as part of a North American tour in support of their April release, Konk, which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. The band recently grabbed some headlines for salacious comments made about the VIP section at the Isle of Wright Festival, in addition to Luke Pritchard’s name-dropping Carmen Electra as a boink interest.
Also announced this week: Former Phish bassist Mike Gordon on Wednesday, September 3, at the Majestic Theatre (interviewed recently in the Rolling Stone); Canadian folk group Great Big Sea on Thursday, September 11, at the Majestic; and North Carolinian group Southern Culture on the Skids on Wednesday, October 8, at the High Noon Saloon!
In his songs a poetic tension exists between textured imagery and pure improvised rock and roll. The record expresses Francis’ soulful rock, folk and blues influences with layered instrumentation of B-3 organ, lap-steel guitar, mandolin, and a driving rhythm section.
Similar to: Slightly Stoopid, John Butler Trio, Matt Nathanson, & Matt Costa
Shooting Star and the Ambulance- Pete Francis
Pete Francis Interview
with COLOURMUSIC
Genre: Pop/Rock/Experimental
messily refined indie rock..and innovative, yet catchy, melodies that work their way into your head without you even knowing it..wildly inventive shows, and it’s while performing that the band’s vivid personalities come through.
Similar to: The Flaming Lips, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, & Kings of Leon
Though the band is pinned as producing the same kind of indie rock aesthetic à la My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses, Dead Confederate dabbles in darker shades than their compared predecessors..Dead Confederate echo the Drive-By Truckers’ bittersweet southern rock angst with the smoke-heavy swagger of the Black Angels.
After a pair of glowing reviews from the influential music website Pitchfork they have recently come to prominence as a major indie rock band.
..evocative lyrics and powerful instrumentation..an outstanding fusion of alt-country earnestness and indie rock absurdity. Without any trace of flaunt or deliberateness, this homespun epic proves as casual in tone as it is ambitious in scope… sure to have tears welling and fists aloft in raucous salute.”- Josh Berquist, PopMatters, April 2007
Similar to: Okkervil River, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, M. Ward, The Avett Brothers, & My Morning Jacket
STARS AND STRIPES EXTRAVAGANZA featuring ROBBIE FULKS AND FRIENDS
Genre: Country/Indie/Bluegrass
While most current country music is calculated to form an inoffensive backdrop to the suburban shopping experience, Robbie Fulks writes songs that make you think and feel and quite often laugh out loud.
Similar to: Steve Earle, Neko Case, & Lyle Lovett
Cigarette State- Robbie Fullks
plus ROMANTICA
Genre: Americana/Folk/Pop
With an album on Paste Magazine’s Top 100 of 2007 and comparisons popping up all over the place between singer/songwriter Ben Kyle and both Jeff Tweedy and Ryan Adams, it probably won’t be too long before you’ll no longer be able to catch these guys in such a cozy venue.
Looking for the buzz on artists touring through Madison?
The Swell Season show this Monday sold out in 24 hrs. but for those of you have been wondering who the opener will be, Nina Nastasia has been chosen.
Mojo says: “These intimate hushes and lilts would be remarkable even as instrumentals…. Yet it’s Nastasia’s voice–and the words that it sings–that really sucks the air out of the room.”
Were you one of the fans disappointed by the break up of Page France? Well the frontman for that now defunct band started “The Cotton Jones Basket Ride” playing at Café Montmartre on June 22.
If you are one of the few who don’t know about legendary Wanda Jackson listen up..Ms. Jackson is sometimes referred to as the first female rock-n-roll singer, and is celebrated as “The Queen of Rockabilly”. She toured with peers Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly. Although ultimately she spurned Elvis’ romantic attempts, he is the one who encouraged her to shift from country and gospel to rock. Check out what else she has to say about the two of them in this Rolling Stone article. She has been nominated for 2 Grammys and inducted in to countless halls of fame. You can’t miss out on seeing the legend in person at age 71 Wed June 25 at the High Noon Saloon.
