Even in the urban wilds of Brooklyn, there may be no one else like Jean-Philip Grobler, otherwise known as St. Lucia. Originally from Johannesberg, South Africa, Jean grew up performing with the Drakensberg Boys Choir School. When the choir wasn’t traveling—St. Lucia toured Japan, Australia, Europe, the US and more—they stayed in an enclave tucked in the South African mountains, learning everything from Bach and minimalist opera to African War…
Cleveland-based independent record label, Standby Records, has hit the ground running to kick off 2012. With releases in the pipeline for emerging acts like Hopes Die Last, Modern Day Escape and Freshman 15, as well as a newly designed website: http://www.standbyrecords.net, the DIY label run by owner, Neil Sheehan, is ready to welcome the evolution of rock music, “Rock N’ Roll 2.0.” Commented Sheehan, “The first decade of the 21st…
It’s a new year and the gang’s all back as VH1 revs up for the return of its live, morning entertainment show, “Big Morning Buzz Live” on Monday, January 30th at its new time, 10AM*. Coming to you LIVE from the 20th floor lobby of the VH1 headquarters in Times Square, host Carrie Keagan gets up close and personal and talks to and about all the most buzzed about headlines,…
Premiere hardcore group Comeback Kid is set to embark on their first headlining U.S. tour of 2012. With something in store for everyone, the line-up includes support from labelmates Close Your Eyes along with Foundation, Such Gold and Living With Lions. Comeback Kid frontman Andrew Neufeld expresses his enthusiasm for the line-up , “We really enjoy playing with all different kinds of bands and mixing up bills. This tour is…
Acclaimed singer-songwriter, Rachael Yamagata today announces new North American tour dates in support of her third criticially-acclaimed album Chesapeake. The Canadian live dates in February will have Yamagata supporting Adam Cohen before her she kicks off her U.S. headlining tour in March with Dan Wilson on select dates. The trek will launch on February 6th in Lennoxville, QC at Bishop’s University and wrap up on March 30th at the Wolf…
It’s safe to say that Victorian Halls has mastered such a broad appeal that they’re able to smoothly transition from touring with labelmates The Bunny The Bear to a cluster of different genres across the board. Next up: Victorian Halls will join pop/rock groups Divided By Friday, I The Mighty and The Mid-Summer Classic on a west coast tour in February. Chicago will have the chance to see the group…
CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS is proud to announce the signing of Las Vegas rock group OTHERWISE. A hometown breakout, OTHERWISE earned recognition on the national level when Fox News dubbed them the “#1 Unsigned Act in America” – and America backed the claim. The band’s song “Soldiers” became the first track by an unsigned artist to occupy the No. 1 spot on Sirius Radio’s Octane channel (where it currently maintains the…
In the latest installment of Gnome Life Records Echomancy cassette series, artist/folk legend Daniel Higgs contributes with a new 45 minutes recording The Measure of Mystery. Recorded (by Fletcher Tucker of Bird By Snow & Yurt) on cassette tape in Big Sur, California in the late night hours when the 29th of October was gradually becoming the 30th (2011). Song flowed forth from Source in a circular redwood room perched…
After a solid week of intensive recording at Pyramid Sound with producer Alex Perialas, Birth A.D. is close to the finish line with their debut album, I Blame You. Bassist/vocalist Jeff Tandy was quoted as saying, “Everything sounds great so far. Alex has pushed us to get the best performances of our careers, and even the raw tracks sound unbelievable. This record is going to blast a hole in all…
Limbo. It’s a funny place to be, but it provided inspiration for the second album from Standard Fare, the Sheffield-based indie-pop power trio who debuted with 2010’s The Noyelle Beat, their lovelorn, melodic songs and male/female vocals making them the new darlings of the indie-pop scene. “We’re now in our mid twenties – not young and not old, not yet with kids but starting to earn money, starting to see…
Emerging independent record label, Standby Records, has launched a brand new website: http://www.standbyrecords.net to kick off 2012, complete with streaming media, a web-store, social media and more, as the label looks to jump start its “Rock N’ Roll 2.0” movement. With new releases on the way from rising acts such as Hopes Die Last and Modern Day Escape, the “Second Coming Of Rock N’ Roll” is officially upon us! Commented…
The self-titled album will be manifested in wax by At War With False Noise, while Witch Sermon will handle the cassette version (which will feature a special bonus track, “Cataract”). Featuring Nick Phit (formerly of GRAVES AT SEA, ATRIARCH) on bass, UZALA’s lineup is rounded out by drummer Stephen Gere, guitarist/hellish vocalist Chad Remains, and chanteuse & axe-slinger Darcy Nutt (a world-renowned tattoo artist and devastating talent). For those who…
Since forming a few years ago, Vancouver, BC’s Petunia And The Vipers have made five trips down the West Coast–and they’re thrilled to be doing it again! The band just released their s/t record on vinyl & CD in addition to a limited-edition 45 (http://www.petuniaandthevipers.com/all-albums/), and they also had a video come out last spring: directed by Morgan Carrier, it aired many times on Bravo Television. It’s a stop-motion/live action…
New Zealand’s best kept secret since Flight of the Conchords has finally landed in America. Taking a page out of the prolific singer-songwriter book along the lines of Ryan Adams, Pete Yorn, Ben Kweller and Sufjan Stevens, SIMON SPIRE is an artist you can add to your list of musical obsessions. A sensation in his homeland, SIMON SPIRE, is here to win you over. He calls himself a New Yorklander,…
The All-American Rejects have now released the full track listing to their upcoming 4th studio album, Kids In The Street, which will be released March 27, 2012. The album features the first track, “Someday’s Gone,” as well as the first single, “Beekeeper’s Daughter.” The single will be available for fans to download starting on January 31st. The single will also be featured on a new episode of 90210, airing on…
Individually, they’re three of Australia’s most innovative songwriters. Sally Seltmann specialises in narcotic, dreamy, sweeping pop, aided by layers of cotton-soft vocals, pianos and synths. Holly Throsby is known for summoning melodies that sound beautifully crumpled, worn and decades-old, and matching them with hushed, cutting lyrics that read like a Carver short story. Sarah Blasko writes haunting songs that veer from intimate ballads to orchestral showstoppers, and sings with what’s…
More than a decade ago, in 1999, songwriter and vocalist David-Ivar Herman Dune and drummer Cosmic Neman let go of their secular life and created the French band, Herman Dune. John Peel picked the band as one of his favorites and invited them to more than ten of his glorious Peel Sessions that would allow Herman Dune to perform all over the world. Over the years, they have released many…
“I’ll Fly Away” is one of the most recognized songs that has provided comfort for millions around the world for the last 80 years. Now “I’ll Fly Away” is poised to give hope for the next generation. The I’ll Fly Away Foundation has been formed to educate our children as to the importance of our musical history through scholarships and musical education programs. The I’ll Fly Away Foundation believes music…
Digging deep into the New York downtown avant lineage, no one has inspired us more over the years than Charles Gayle. The fire, the tenderness, and yes….the controversy. Capturing the magic that we have witnessed on the bandstand so many times is no easy feat but today we are very excited to present Gayle, back on tenor for the first time in a decade, in a crystal clear studio recording.…
After a respite from the grueling world of celebrity culture, platinum-selling artist Aaron Carter is back with a vengeance – returning to the public eye as a lead in the world’s longest running musical The Fantasticks. Previously seen on Broadway in Seussical and as a 2009 contestant on “Dancing With the Stars,” Carter steps back into the role of Matt, the central character who has his love tested when he…