Fresh off the December 4 release of the Deluxe Producer Edition of Sacrament, Grammy-nominated metal juggernaut LAMB OF GOD has teamed up with Sirius Satellite Radio and GarageBand to bring fans the “Producer Challenge” contest.
The contest winners will win a trip to New York to meet LAMB OF GOD at the premiere of their upcoming DVD, slated for a Spring 2008 release.
LAMB OF GOD is giving you the GarageBand files for the song "Redneck," (available at
www.lambofgod.tv/producer
or you can use the producer files that come with the Deluxe Producer Edition of Sacrament (available in stores now) to remix ANY song off the album.
Fans will be able to submit entries in the following categories:
Most Creative Remix
Best Replacement Track(s)
Best Additional Track(s)
Best Medley
Most Creative Loop
The winning tracks will be featured on the official LAMB OF GOD website. 5 finalists will win the new DVD (before it's available for purchase) and an autographed Lamb of God photo. The Grand Prize Winner plus a guest will win a trip to NYC to attend the DVD Premiere and meet the band!
With the Deluxe Producer Edition Sacrament , the Grammy-nominated metal band are breaking down the smoke and mirrors and allowing - for the first time in music history - fans and professionals alike the revolutionary opportunity to produce and/or remix the entire Sacrament audio CD. All of the studio audio tracks (guitar, vocals, drums & bass) from the entire Sacrament album have been isolated, separated and prepared for use by music fans everywhere in ANY Mac or PC.
The contest ends February 21, 2008, so go to
www.lambofgod.tv/producer
right now to submit your entry for the “Sacrament Producer” contest.
Friday, February 1, 2008
3 announces dates with Chevelle
Woodstock, NY’s prog-rockers 3 are pleased to announce live performances with alternative rock trio Chevelle in March. 3 will be joining Chevelle on March 10, 11, and 12 for shows in North Carolina and Virginia.
3 will be playing to support the February 18 re-release of 2007’s The End Is Begun. The audio CD will feature the 13 previously released explosive, mind boggling tracks as well as a bonus track; 3’s spin on the classic Pink Floyd song, “See Emily Play.” The bonus DVD will feature live performances of the songs “Monster”, “Bramfatura” and “Amaze Disgrace” (all songs from the band’s 2004 Metal Blade Records release, Wake Pig) from the Metal Blade 25th Anniversary show from Worcester, Massachusetts. Production videos of the songs “All that Remains” and “Alien Angel” will also be included on the bonus DVD.
OUTBURN MAGAZINE says 3 “…bear[s] the mark of a truly talented band, [and] has once again pushed the boundaries to exciting new places…” with The End is Begun.
Be sure to catch 3 at their upcoming shows with Chevelle in March…stay tuned for additional US dates. The End Is Begun: Special Edition hits streets February 18!!!
3 on tour:
March 10 - Fayetteville, NC - Jesters
March 11 - Jacksonville, NC - Hooligans
March 12 - Roanoke, VA - Cattle Annie’s
3 will be playing to support the February 18 re-release of 2007’s The End Is Begun. The audio CD will feature the 13 previously released explosive, mind boggling tracks as well as a bonus track; 3’s spin on the classic Pink Floyd song, “See Emily Play.” The bonus DVD will feature live performances of the songs “Monster”, “Bramfatura” and “Amaze Disgrace” (all songs from the band’s 2004 Metal Blade Records release, Wake Pig) from the Metal Blade 25th Anniversary show from Worcester, Massachusetts. Production videos of the songs “All that Remains” and “Alien Angel” will also be included on the bonus DVD.
OUTBURN MAGAZINE says 3 “…bear[s] the mark of a truly talented band, [and] has once again pushed the boundaries to exciting new places…” with The End is Begun.
Be sure to catch 3 at their upcoming shows with Chevelle in March…stay tuned for additional US dates. The End Is Begun: Special Edition hits streets February 18!!!
3 on tour:
March 10 - Fayetteville, NC - Jesters
March 11 - Jacksonville, NC - Hooligans
March 12 - Roanoke, VA - Cattle Annie’s
Dengue Fever to play free show at Viper Room
A quick heads up that Dengue Fever will be playing the ever popular Monday Check One....Two at The Viper Room on February 18. Doors are at 8:30pm. Admission is free if you email the club (http://www.myspace.com/mondayscheckonetwo)
Unfamiliar w/ Dengue Fever? Here are a few reasons you wont want to miss this FREE show:
* #44 on the Billboard New Music Charts -
http://blog.filter-mag.com/filter/2008/01/chart-rundown-4.html
* Charting on Billboard Heatseekers
* Charting on Billboard World Music Chart
* #15 at CMJ
* #3 at CMJ World Music Charts
*Press coverage in 2008 includes: New York Times, LA Times, Global Rhythm, Spin, Relix, Paste, Mojo, Uncut, The Times (of London) with more coming
*Read the LA Weekly feature and CD review here:
http://www.laweekly.com/music/music/khmer-wedding-dengue-fever/18205/
*NPR just featured the band this week:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18570235
Also, please listen to Indie 103 on Sunday February 17 at 7 pm when Dengue Fever performs live on the radio and talks with Mr. Shovel during his “Check One...Two” program at 7 pm.
Unfamiliar w/ Dengue Fever? Here are a few reasons you wont want to miss this FREE show:
* #44 on the Billboard New Music Charts -
http://blog.filter-mag.com/filter/2008/01/chart-rundown-4.html
* Charting on Billboard Heatseekers
* Charting on Billboard World Music Chart
* #15 at CMJ
* #3 at CMJ World Music Charts
*Press coverage in 2008 includes: New York Times, LA Times, Global Rhythm, Spin, Relix, Paste, Mojo, Uncut, The Times (of London) with more coming
*Read the LA Weekly feature and CD review here:
http://www.laweekly.com/music/music/khmer-wedding-dengue-fever/18205/
*NPR just featured the band this week:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18570235
Also, please listen to Indie 103 on Sunday February 17 at 7 pm when Dengue Fever performs live on the radio and talks with Mr. Shovel during his “Check One...Two” program at 7 pm.
Cosmosquad heading to Japan
Acclaimed Southern California metal fusioneers COSMOSQUAD, featuring guitarist Jeff Kollman (GLENN HUGHES, MOGG/WAY), bassist Christopher Maloney (DWEEZIL ZAPPA, HARDLINE), and drummer Shane Gaalaas (B'Z, DIESEL MACHINE), have announced their first ever Japanese shows. The band will be playing a pair of double headers (showtime: 7 pm and 9 pm, respectively) in Osaka and Tokyo and also appear at the Musician's Institute in Tokyo (open to students only!). Exact dates and venues are as follows:
March 12 - Live Square 2nd Line, Osaka, Japan
March 14 - Shibuya Duo Music Exchange, Tokyo, Japan
March 15 - Musician's Institute, Tokyo, Japan
For more info (in Japanese) please visit
http://www.hipjpn.co.jp/pc/04_art/268.html
In related news, NAMM show 2008 live footage of COSMOSQUAD (with Glen Sobel (SIXX:A.M., JENNIFER BATTEN) filling in for Shane Gaalaas) performing 'Fat, Mean and Nasty' at the Fender Frontline stage has been posted at this location http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D0paVP_x_0
The first ever COSMOSQUAD live DVD, filmed at the band's recent Musician's Institute gig in Hollywood, CA, is currently in the mixing stages and will be out sometime in the spring. The group's latest studio album, 'Acid Test', was released in 2007 and is available on Zain/Big M.F. in Japan and Marmaduke Records in the rest of the world.
For more info, please visit:
www.myspace.com/officialcosmosquad
www.cosmosquad.com
March 12 - Live Square 2nd Line, Osaka, Japan
March 14 - Shibuya Duo Music Exchange, Tokyo, Japan
March 15 - Musician's Institute, Tokyo, Japan
For more info (in Japanese) please visit
http://www.hipjpn.co.jp/pc/04_art/268.html
In related news, NAMM show 2008 live footage of COSMOSQUAD (with Glen Sobel (SIXX:A.M., JENNIFER BATTEN) filling in for Shane Gaalaas) performing 'Fat, Mean and Nasty' at the Fender Frontline stage has been posted at this location http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D0paVP_x_0
The first ever COSMOSQUAD live DVD, filmed at the band's recent Musician's Institute gig in Hollywood, CA, is currently in the mixing stages and will be out sometime in the spring. The group's latest studio album, 'Acid Test', was released in 2007 and is available on Zain/Big M.F. in Japan and Marmaduke Records in the rest of the world.
For more info, please visit:
www.myspace.com/officialcosmosquad
www.cosmosquad.com
Weekly Shimmy Showcase
The SHIMMY SHOWCASE begins at 7 p.m. at the COFFEE HAVEN in Long Beach (1708 E. Broadway -- 562-437-3785).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPCOMING SHOWCASE CALENDAR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 3: Saviya presents "Fringe and Feathers" -- A burlesque-inspired night of frolicking dance! Featured are special guest artists "Madame Sunset’s Hollywood Kittens," currently performing at Bordello's in Hollywood and all over LA, as well as the delightful gyrations of Christiana. Don’t miss a great opportunity to see these ladies for FREE, and sneak a peek at the PG13 version of their show! . So get in the mood for V-day, and having fun, and bring a friend to the show!
February 10: With Valentine’s Day around the corner, the theme is “Love, Love, Love.” Katherine the Great is the coordinator and we have Raks Bahlam and David lined up to put you in the right romantic mood--but could add a couple more dancers.
February 17th: Alexiis is delighted to present the Desert Lotus Tribal! Do not miss this rare opportunity to see the high desert beauties here in Long Beach. This showcase is filled but we hope you will come out to help Alexiis celebrate her birthday with drums, laughter and dancing!
February 24: Saviya, your coordinator for this evening, presents Almase Arabesque and Perizad for another shimmering evening of dance.
March 2: Katherine the Great is the coordinator!
March 9: Our coordinator is Alexiis and she will be introducing Isabel and Maria-Zahira and joined by Marty and friend for a dazzling evening of top-notch dancing. Don’t miss this exciting show because we’ll be dark for the two weeks to follow!
March 16: NO SHOWCASE—It’s Rakassa weekend
March 23: NO SHOWCASE—Happy Easter
March 30: Celebrate ShimmyShowcase’s 5th Anniversary and Springtime with Alexiis as she proudly presents troupe Ban Dal, Katerina, and guest dancers!
April 6: The theme for the night is "Red Hot" and your coordinator Xandra will take you through an evening of sizzling performances by Kamar, Delilah, and Karina.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please allow time for parking to avoid missing any of the fun, so be sure to be at the coffee house well before 7:00 PM. We try not to start the show until everyone has settled with a tasty beverage.
7 pm Sundays at
Coffee Haven Internet Café
COFFEE HAVEN
1708 E. Broadway
Long Beach, CA
562-437-3785
For Schedule, go to www.shimmyshowcase.com
or email shimmyshowcase@yahoogroups.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPCOMING SHOWCASE CALENDAR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
February 3: Saviya presents "Fringe and Feathers" -- A burlesque-inspired night of frolicking dance! Featured are special guest artists "Madame Sunset’s Hollywood Kittens," currently performing at Bordello's in Hollywood and all over LA, as well as the delightful gyrations of Christiana. Don’t miss a great opportunity to see these ladies for FREE, and sneak a peek at the PG13 version of their show! . So get in the mood for V-day, and having fun, and bring a friend to the show!
February 10: With Valentine’s Day around the corner, the theme is “Love, Love, Love.” Katherine the Great is the coordinator and we have Raks Bahlam and David lined up to put you in the right romantic mood--but could add a couple more dancers.
February 17th: Alexiis is delighted to present the Desert Lotus Tribal! Do not miss this rare opportunity to see the high desert beauties here in Long Beach. This showcase is filled but we hope you will come out to help Alexiis celebrate her birthday with drums, laughter and dancing!
February 24: Saviya, your coordinator for this evening, presents Almase Arabesque and Perizad for another shimmering evening of dance.
March 2: Katherine the Great is the coordinator!
March 9: Our coordinator is Alexiis and she will be introducing Isabel and Maria-Zahira and joined by Marty and friend for a dazzling evening of top-notch dancing. Don’t miss this exciting show because we’ll be dark for the two weeks to follow!
March 16: NO SHOWCASE—It’s Rakassa weekend
March 23: NO SHOWCASE—Happy Easter
March 30: Celebrate ShimmyShowcase’s 5th Anniversary and Springtime with Alexiis as she proudly presents troupe Ban Dal, Katerina, and guest dancers!
April 6: The theme for the night is "Red Hot" and your coordinator Xandra will take you through an evening of sizzling performances by Kamar, Delilah, and Karina.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please allow time for parking to avoid missing any of the fun, so be sure to be at the coffee house well before 7:00 PM. We try not to start the show until everyone has settled with a tasty beverage.
7 pm Sundays at
Coffee Haven Internet Café
COFFEE HAVEN
1708 E. Broadway
Long Beach, CA
562-437-3785
For Schedule, go to www.shimmyshowcase.com
or email shimmyshowcase@yahoogroups.com
Click to help Animal Shelter Rescue obtain free food
Free Food for Animal Shelter www.theanimalrescuesite.com
Hi, all you animal lovers. This is pretty simple.. Please tell ten (or more) friends to tell ten today! The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals.
It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'feed an animal in need' for free. It's in a purple box in the middle of the page.
This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising.
Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.
www.theanimalrescuesite.com
Hi, all you animal lovers. This is pretty simple.. Please tell ten (or more) friends to tell ten today! The Animal Rescue Site is having trouble getting enough people to click on it daily to meet their quota of getting free food donated every day to abused and neglected animals.
It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'feed an animal in need' for free. It's in a purple box in the middle of the page.
This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate food to abandoned/neglected animals in exchange for advertising.
Here's the web site! Pass it along to people you know.
www.theanimalrescuesite.com
Quitzow and Setting Sun announce tour dates
New York State multi-instrumentalist artists Quitzow and Setting Sun have announced west coast tour dates in February to showcase songs from both bands’ forthcoming albums on Young Love Records. The two groups share more than a label and tour dates, however. Quitzow, the namesake of songwriter/singer/multi-instrumentalist Erica Quitzow features Setting Sun songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Gary Levitt alternately adding bass, drums and vocals to its live shows. Likewise, the Levitt-led Setting Sun band includes Erica Quitzow on violin and backing vocals.
Along with this kinship, both groups share an open interest in cross-breeding musical forms, merging classical strings (violin and cello especially), folk, chamber pop and hints of early electronic rock. The results are truly refreshing. Setting Sun has been compared to Merge artists The Radar Brothers, Elliot Smith at his darkest and early Nick Drake. Quitzow invites nods like “Solex meets Liz Phair” and “combining the fun of Peaches with the intelligence of Lori Anderson.” The intrigued are invited to hear for themselves during the upcoming string of west coast dates from the 5th to 12th of February. Please see complete dates below.
Quitzow / Setting Sun Live:
02/05 Los Angeles, CA @ Silverlake Lounge
02/06 San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside Lounge
02/07 Sacramento, CA @ Old Ironsides
02/08 Arcada, CA @ Mosgos
02/09 Eugene, OR @ Shady Pines
02/10 Portland, OR @ Ash St. Saloon
02/11 Seattle, WA @ The High Dive
02/12 Olympia, WA @ The Royal
Quitzow - Art College Album Tracklisting:
Release Date: May 13th, 2008
01. Art College
02. Sponsor
03. On TV!
04. Peanut
05. Better Than Ever
06. Stay Away From John
07. Love
08. Slept in my Car with a Kitchen Knife
09. Cats R People 2
10. Rhythm Machine
11. Unripened Fruit
12. Jackpot
More about Quitzow:
“Juggling mind-blowing moog/Rhodes/bass while singing,” playing Tchaikovsky in The Woodstock Chamber Orchestra, and creating Fender Rhodes loops layered with MPC drums, moog bass, cellos, violins and vocals, Erica Quitzow brings a wide diversity to her records and live performances. With a self-titled debut album and an upcoming second release, Erica is involved in various musical projects exploring new influences for her inner child gone wild, neo-post electro-pop sound. The new record, Art College, out in spring 2008 on Young Love Records, is a collection of sing-along pop song collages with orchestral arrangement over hip hop, electro-clash, and downtempo beats decorated with adventurous harmonies. Instrumentation is performed primarily by Erica and includes MPC, Reason and live drums layered with Moogs and korgs, Rhodes, Casios, classical and electric guitars, bass, cellos, violins, various percussion instruments with her alternately playful and woeful vocal style. The record was self-recorded in her upstate New York home with production and mixing assistance by band and label-mate, Gary Levitt.
Erica’s debut album, Quitzow, was self-recorded in her previous Los Angeles home and was built on the same acoustic/electronic collage elements as Art College. Again, she played most of the instruments, creating a high-drama palate, and always going for the extreme. While the use of strings in songs like “Drink-Up” sometimes conjures images of Rasputina with a similar Sabbath-style heaviness, often comparisons are elusive as in the cartoon-like playfulness of “R. Crumb.” Elsewhere, “Know Me” is complex and layered, evoking a Todd Rundgren soundscape with passionate screaming vocals reminiscent of Patti Smith.
The live performances include music from both records and ranges from solo cello/guitar and vocals to full band renditions. The upcoming west coast and national tours will be with a five piece band including cello, live and electronic drums, bass, backing vocals and percussion, with Erica on moog, Korg, guitar and vocals.
Among the other projects Erica is involved in is playing violin, cello and singing back up for the Setting Sun live show, as well as playing drums and keyboards on the recordings. Gary Levitt, leader of Setting Sun, is her partner in running Young Love Records and plays bass and sings back up for Quitzow. The bands tour together, share various band members, and assist each other in recording. Erica sometimes plays violin for The Woodstock Chamber Orchestra, working to develop the orchestrations on her recordings by studying the compositions of Tchaikovsky and Copeland, among others. She records strings on an array of projects, recently working with Tony Levin, Garth Hudson, and Malcom Burns on Sarah Perotta’s record, The Well.
Past projects include singing and playing bass in the critically acclaimed Heavy Pebble, a New York/San Francisco based experimental band that toured the west coast. More recently she played moog, Rhodes, and bass with Jennifer Turner (of Natalie Merchant’s band) in Los Angeles indie-pop band, Inner. The first record was recorded in Nellie Hooper’s London studio. (Bjork, Massive Attack) This band toured practically nonstop for its three-year incarnation to rapidly growing audience, a positive press response and national college radio play.
Quitzow will tour the full US in June, and plans to tour Europe in the near future.
Setting Sun – To The Next Place Album Tracklisting:
Release Date: May 6th, 2008
01. What We Wanted
02. How Long
03. No Devil Me No More
04. Carry Me Away
05. Overjoyed
06. Slob
07. Love My Love
08. Not Waste
09. Inside My Love
10. Morning Song
11. Happy Joy
More about Setting Sun:
Lovers of great songs with inventive and honest sounds can take heart. This third record from Setting Sun really shines. Aptly titled To The Next Place this new record shows Setting Sun going just there. With an intimate lyrical style, each word is slowly tasted before being spoken and set against driving beats, lashing cellos, soothing instrumental interludes and a rich cortege of violins, synthesizers and homemade sounds. All the while never losing its focus on the song with its layers of edgy counterpoint melody, lifting harmonies and soundscapes.
Having lived and created in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, Setting Sun’s sound bears the mark of each of these environments. The grime and grit of New York, the quirky artiness of San Francisco and the lilting sunshine of LA... all are orchestrally present in the music. Levitt now resides in upstate NY in the beautiful Hudson Valley where he has completed this third record.
The album was self produced with many friends lending their playing skills. Most noticeably on the record are the string arrangements expertly played by band- and label-mate Erica Quitzow. Set up in a spare room of the house, Quitzow and Setting Sun share a home studio, Young Love Recording Studio. Initially built to record themselves, Gary soon began taking on outside clients. “I love helping other artists work on their music,” says Levitt. “If they come in with just bare-bones sketches of songs and want to expand on them, I'll come up with ideas that add to the songs but don’t compete with them.” Gary also plays bass and sings harmonies for Erica’s band Quitzow.
A veteran of the indie music scene, Levitt started as a member of feverish NY band The Kung-Fu Grip. After four years of relentless touring, they made their way out to San Francisco where they paired down their numbers to a tightly focused three piece, all providing vocals for their cathartic, shock art sound. Levitt simultaneously formed Heavy Pebble with Erica Quitzow, becoming a hit in the music scene in San Francisco and touring the west coast, playing their quirky pop songs with post-modernist film collage projections to crowded houses and critical acclaim. After various line-up changes and key members leaving, both groups disbanded.
Upon having these long term projects fall apart leaving Levitt with no material to perform, he decided his next project would be solely his own. Levitt sequestered himself in a friend’s SF apartment with some borrowed gear and “two cheap microphones” to record what was to become Setting Sun’s debut, the appropriately titled Holed Up. Marked by a sense of palpable urgency, the album seamlessly fuses Levitt’s chief references—warm acoustic guitar, melodic counterpoint bent Beatles/Bowie pop, loud/quiet Pixies/Nirvana dynamics—into a catchy and inversely intimate lo-fi blend.
As Holed Up was nearly finished, Levitt was invited to play guitar for Virgin recording artist Jennifer Turner. He flew to London and recorded in Nellee Hooper’s (Bjork, Smashing Pumpkins) studio, putting his own album on the shelf. The band that formed was named Inner, and the record, containing two songs written by Gary, received critical acclaim and international airplay. After relocating to Los Angeles and touring to support the record, Levitt left the band to focus on his own music.
Back to Setting Sun... Young Love Records released Holed Up to much critical acclaim coinciding with the group touring regularly, performing as a trio. Gary also embarked on two separate one-month-long solo tours, playing every night, often paired with daytime radio and college shows, and sleeping where he could. He settled home eventually and began writing and recording his sophomore CD, Math and Magic.
Curious to hear Setting Sun’s potential with outside production assistance, Levitt embarked on the recording of his second album with producer Richard Chiu. With a different approach than the solo explorations of Holed Up, Math and Magic is more polished, produced and collaborative than its lo-fi experimental predecessor. The intimacy of Holed Up is not lost, but perhaps served on a cleaner plate. Released on Young Love Records in 2005, songs “The Only One” and “Found it by Midnite” can be heard in the short film ‘Paper Jam’, which won several awards in the festival circuit including Best Music. Setting Sun has been getting increasing attention from the film and television industries. As more people get exposed many find the music to be a natural fit with the moving image.
With this breakthrough third release, 2008 is sure to take Setting Sun To The Next Place.
On The Web:
www.myspace.com/quitzow
www.settingsun.cc
www.myspace.com/settingsun
www.youngloverecords.com
www.myspace.com/youngloverecords
Along with this kinship, both groups share an open interest in cross-breeding musical forms, merging classical strings (violin and cello especially), folk, chamber pop and hints of early electronic rock. The results are truly refreshing. Setting Sun has been compared to Merge artists The Radar Brothers, Elliot Smith at his darkest and early Nick Drake. Quitzow invites nods like “Solex meets Liz Phair” and “combining the fun of Peaches with the intelligence of Lori Anderson.” The intrigued are invited to hear for themselves during the upcoming string of west coast dates from the 5th to 12th of February. Please see complete dates below.
Quitzow / Setting Sun Live:
02/05 Los Angeles, CA @ Silverlake Lounge
02/06 San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside Lounge
02/07 Sacramento, CA @ Old Ironsides
02/08 Arcada, CA @ Mosgos
02/09 Eugene, OR @ Shady Pines
02/10 Portland, OR @ Ash St. Saloon
02/11 Seattle, WA @ The High Dive
02/12 Olympia, WA @ The Royal
Quitzow - Art College Album Tracklisting:
Release Date: May 13th, 2008
01. Art College
02. Sponsor
03. On TV!
04. Peanut
05. Better Than Ever
06. Stay Away From John
07. Love
08. Slept in my Car with a Kitchen Knife
09. Cats R People 2
10. Rhythm Machine
11. Unripened Fruit
12. Jackpot
More about Quitzow:
“Juggling mind-blowing moog/Rhodes/bass while singing,” playing Tchaikovsky in The Woodstock Chamber Orchestra, and creating Fender Rhodes loops layered with MPC drums, moog bass, cellos, violins and vocals, Erica Quitzow brings a wide diversity to her records and live performances. With a self-titled debut album and an upcoming second release, Erica is involved in various musical projects exploring new influences for her inner child gone wild, neo-post electro-pop sound. The new record, Art College, out in spring 2008 on Young Love Records, is a collection of sing-along pop song collages with orchestral arrangement over hip hop, electro-clash, and downtempo beats decorated with adventurous harmonies. Instrumentation is performed primarily by Erica and includes MPC, Reason and live drums layered with Moogs and korgs, Rhodes, Casios, classical and electric guitars, bass, cellos, violins, various percussion instruments with her alternately playful and woeful vocal style. The record was self-recorded in her upstate New York home with production and mixing assistance by band and label-mate, Gary Levitt.
Erica’s debut album, Quitzow, was self-recorded in her previous Los Angeles home and was built on the same acoustic/electronic collage elements as Art College. Again, she played most of the instruments, creating a high-drama palate, and always going for the extreme. While the use of strings in songs like “Drink-Up” sometimes conjures images of Rasputina with a similar Sabbath-style heaviness, often comparisons are elusive as in the cartoon-like playfulness of “R. Crumb.” Elsewhere, “Know Me” is complex and layered, evoking a Todd Rundgren soundscape with passionate screaming vocals reminiscent of Patti Smith.
The live performances include music from both records and ranges from solo cello/guitar and vocals to full band renditions. The upcoming west coast and national tours will be with a five piece band including cello, live and electronic drums, bass, backing vocals and percussion, with Erica on moog, Korg, guitar and vocals.
Among the other projects Erica is involved in is playing violin, cello and singing back up for the Setting Sun live show, as well as playing drums and keyboards on the recordings. Gary Levitt, leader of Setting Sun, is her partner in running Young Love Records and plays bass and sings back up for Quitzow. The bands tour together, share various band members, and assist each other in recording. Erica sometimes plays violin for The Woodstock Chamber Orchestra, working to develop the orchestrations on her recordings by studying the compositions of Tchaikovsky and Copeland, among others. She records strings on an array of projects, recently working with Tony Levin, Garth Hudson, and Malcom Burns on Sarah Perotta’s record, The Well.
Past projects include singing and playing bass in the critically acclaimed Heavy Pebble, a New York/San Francisco based experimental band that toured the west coast. More recently she played moog, Rhodes, and bass with Jennifer Turner (of Natalie Merchant’s band) in Los Angeles indie-pop band, Inner. The first record was recorded in Nellie Hooper’s London studio. (Bjork, Massive Attack) This band toured practically nonstop for its three-year incarnation to rapidly growing audience, a positive press response and national college radio play.
Quitzow will tour the full US in June, and plans to tour Europe in the near future.
Setting Sun – To The Next Place Album Tracklisting:
Release Date: May 6th, 2008
01. What We Wanted
02. How Long
03. No Devil Me No More
04. Carry Me Away
05. Overjoyed
06. Slob
07. Love My Love
08. Not Waste
09. Inside My Love
10. Morning Song
11. Happy Joy
More about Setting Sun:
Lovers of great songs with inventive and honest sounds can take heart. This third record from Setting Sun really shines. Aptly titled To The Next Place this new record shows Setting Sun going just there. With an intimate lyrical style, each word is slowly tasted before being spoken and set against driving beats, lashing cellos, soothing instrumental interludes and a rich cortege of violins, synthesizers and homemade sounds. All the while never losing its focus on the song with its layers of edgy counterpoint melody, lifting harmonies and soundscapes.
Having lived and created in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, Setting Sun’s sound bears the mark of each of these environments. The grime and grit of New York, the quirky artiness of San Francisco and the lilting sunshine of LA... all are orchestrally present in the music. Levitt now resides in upstate NY in the beautiful Hudson Valley where he has completed this third record.
The album was self produced with many friends lending their playing skills. Most noticeably on the record are the string arrangements expertly played by band- and label-mate Erica Quitzow. Set up in a spare room of the house, Quitzow and Setting Sun share a home studio, Young Love Recording Studio. Initially built to record themselves, Gary soon began taking on outside clients. “I love helping other artists work on their music,” says Levitt. “If they come in with just bare-bones sketches of songs and want to expand on them, I'll come up with ideas that add to the songs but don’t compete with them.” Gary also plays bass and sings harmonies for Erica’s band Quitzow.
A veteran of the indie music scene, Levitt started as a member of feverish NY band The Kung-Fu Grip. After four years of relentless touring, they made their way out to San Francisco where they paired down their numbers to a tightly focused three piece, all providing vocals for their cathartic, shock art sound. Levitt simultaneously formed Heavy Pebble with Erica Quitzow, becoming a hit in the music scene in San Francisco and touring the west coast, playing their quirky pop songs with post-modernist film collage projections to crowded houses and critical acclaim. After various line-up changes and key members leaving, both groups disbanded.
Upon having these long term projects fall apart leaving Levitt with no material to perform, he decided his next project would be solely his own. Levitt sequestered himself in a friend’s SF apartment with some borrowed gear and “two cheap microphones” to record what was to become Setting Sun’s debut, the appropriately titled Holed Up. Marked by a sense of palpable urgency, the album seamlessly fuses Levitt’s chief references—warm acoustic guitar, melodic counterpoint bent Beatles/Bowie pop, loud/quiet Pixies/Nirvana dynamics—into a catchy and inversely intimate lo-fi blend.
As Holed Up was nearly finished, Levitt was invited to play guitar for Virgin recording artist Jennifer Turner. He flew to London and recorded in Nellee Hooper’s (Bjork, Smashing Pumpkins) studio, putting his own album on the shelf. The band that formed was named Inner, and the record, containing two songs written by Gary, received critical acclaim and international airplay. After relocating to Los Angeles and touring to support the record, Levitt left the band to focus on his own music.
Back to Setting Sun... Young Love Records released Holed Up to much critical acclaim coinciding with the group touring regularly, performing as a trio. Gary also embarked on two separate one-month-long solo tours, playing every night, often paired with daytime radio and college shows, and sleeping where he could. He settled home eventually and began writing and recording his sophomore CD, Math and Magic.
Curious to hear Setting Sun’s potential with outside production assistance, Levitt embarked on the recording of his second album with producer Richard Chiu. With a different approach than the solo explorations of Holed Up, Math and Magic is more polished, produced and collaborative than its lo-fi experimental predecessor. The intimacy of Holed Up is not lost, but perhaps served on a cleaner plate. Released on Young Love Records in 2005, songs “The Only One” and “Found it by Midnite” can be heard in the short film ‘Paper Jam’, which won several awards in the festival circuit including Best Music. Setting Sun has been getting increasing attention from the film and television industries. As more people get exposed many find the music to be a natural fit with the moving image.
With this breakthrough third release, 2008 is sure to take Setting Sun To The Next Place.
On The Web:
www.myspace.com/quitzow
www.settingsun.cc
www.myspace.com/settingsun
www.youngloverecords.com
www.myspace.com/youngloverecords
Ace Frehley to plan House of Blues Anaheim
He’s been sneaking back into our consciousness. We’ve seen him blast riff-driven fireworks in a nationally syndicated Dunkin’ Donuts Ad. He laid his cards out for VH1’s Rock And Roll Celebrity Tournament. He teased us with a taste of his live show at New York’s Hard Rock Café on Halloween. Throughout 2007, Ace Frehley has just been preparing us for his master plan.
Legendary guitarist Frehley, a founding member of KISS, will be blasting into House of Blues on March 22 in Anaheim.
A solo artist since the mid-eighties, the public has been awaiting the next Ace album since 1990’s Trouble Walkin’. Nearly 20 years later, his as-yet-to-be-titled album will be unleashed in 2008. Considering two decades have passed, Ace promises this will cure the hunger for his devilishly delicious rock n’ roll material.
“I haven’t put out a solo album in a long time” he says, “and I made sure this one is special.”
Debuting his new live band: Derrek Hawkins (Guitar), Anthony Esposito (Bass), and Scot Coogan (Drums), this Rocket Ride will continue into 2008.
Legendary guitarist Frehley, a founding member of KISS, will be blasting into House of Blues on March 22 in Anaheim.
A solo artist since the mid-eighties, the public has been awaiting the next Ace album since 1990’s Trouble Walkin’. Nearly 20 years later, his as-yet-to-be-titled album will be unleashed in 2008. Considering two decades have passed, Ace promises this will cure the hunger for his devilishly delicious rock n’ roll material.
“I haven’t put out a solo album in a long time” he says, “and I made sure this one is special.”
Debuting his new live band: Derrek Hawkins (Guitar), Anthony Esposito (Bass), and Scot Coogan (Drums), this Rocket Ride will continue into 2008.
Check out Longway
Although the term has become much more inclusive over the last decade, traditional punk rock music is without question, an all encompassing lifestyle that gave birth to a soundtrack. Much more than an aimless middle finger, or a collection of noise and angst, punk music has always been synonymous with the working class and rooted in a real sense of family and community. Steadily cultivating their own niche within the diverse, and always discerning Southern California music scene, Longway have managed to not only capture a sound reminiscent of punk before it was embraced by MTV, and have become a new generation of musicians who wear the fundamentals of the culture proudly with every song they write.
Formed in 2001, the band would see a few line-up changes before any real progress could be made. The quintet would inevitably hook up with Josh Stolo and the Old Shoe Records family. A label predicated on the family type working environment, Longway would ultimately find a home that understood and embraced their sound and perspective.
Frontman and band namesake Brian Longway explains, "We aren't trying to reinvent the wheel here, we're just trying to keep this ball of rock n' roll punk that started 30 years ago rolling. Our style isn't a large presence anymore and we would like to make sure we do our part to keep this sound alive."
With the support of the label and a line-up cemented, 2007 saw the debut release from Longway with "Come N Get It", a bombastic 10 track kick in the teeth. An admitted homage to the style of decades ago, Longway's release would only prove their credibility within the scene and the crowds have made it official. Taking the stage as support for epic punk bands including Bad Religion, The Briggs, Agent Orange, The Dickies, Voo Doo Glow Skulls, and a small stint with the Vans Warped Tour, Longway has become a more than just a draw in their native Southern California, but up and down the West Coast just the same.
Longway explained how important the crowd is, "Punk has become so fragmented and regionalized with all these different sub-genres. You've got your pop punk, emo, hardcore, etc. With Longway we try to bridge the gap between all these genres because when we take a look at the crowds at our shows it really is a pool of different people all having a good time just the same. Lots of bands exclude the people who are different, that is not what we are about."
Fresh off their debut release, and recent endorsement deals with Lucky 13 apparel and gear gods Spaun Drums, Longway is getting set to premiere their video for the single "Fade to Grey". Hell-bent on the old fashion way of grabbing a hold of success, by pounding out a consistent show schedule and a continuous writing regimen, this foursome is a real deal working class band. Holding onto the history of punk music and earning every piece of success, the band's aspirations are as real as their sound, "If we can sell records and tour 6 - 8 months out of the year and can concentrate on making more music when we get back, we are happy. There's nothing wrong with getting paid for doing what you love."
Brick by brick, Longway is redefining what punk is all about.
Please visit Longway at:
www.myspace.com/longway
www.oldshoerecords.com
Formed in 2001, the band would see a few line-up changes before any real progress could be made. The quintet would inevitably hook up with Josh Stolo and the Old Shoe Records family. A label predicated on the family type working environment, Longway would ultimately find a home that understood and embraced their sound and perspective.
Frontman and band namesake Brian Longway explains, "We aren't trying to reinvent the wheel here, we're just trying to keep this ball of rock n' roll punk that started 30 years ago rolling. Our style isn't a large presence anymore and we would like to make sure we do our part to keep this sound alive."
With the support of the label and a line-up cemented, 2007 saw the debut release from Longway with "Come N Get It", a bombastic 10 track kick in the teeth. An admitted homage to the style of decades ago, Longway's release would only prove their credibility within the scene and the crowds have made it official. Taking the stage as support for epic punk bands including Bad Religion, The Briggs, Agent Orange, The Dickies, Voo Doo Glow Skulls, and a small stint with the Vans Warped Tour, Longway has become a more than just a draw in their native Southern California, but up and down the West Coast just the same.
Longway explained how important the crowd is, "Punk has become so fragmented and regionalized with all these different sub-genres. You've got your pop punk, emo, hardcore, etc. With Longway we try to bridge the gap between all these genres because when we take a look at the crowds at our shows it really is a pool of different people all having a good time just the same. Lots of bands exclude the people who are different, that is not what we are about."
Fresh off their debut release, and recent endorsement deals with Lucky 13 apparel and gear gods Spaun Drums, Longway is getting set to premiere their video for the single "Fade to Grey". Hell-bent on the old fashion way of grabbing a hold of success, by pounding out a consistent show schedule and a continuous writing regimen, this foursome is a real deal working class band. Holding onto the history of punk music and earning every piece of success, the band's aspirations are as real as their sound, "If we can sell records and tour 6 - 8 months out of the year and can concentrate on making more music when we get back, we are happy. There's nothing wrong with getting paid for doing what you love."
Brick by brick, Longway is redefining what punk is all about.
Please visit Longway at:
www.myspace.com/longway
www.oldshoerecords.com
Upcoming concerts around California from Live Nation
On Sale Friday, February 1 at 12 Noon:
THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES
with special guests:
Street Dogs
The Pietasters
THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES
with special guests:
Street Dogs
The Pietasters
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