Happy Birthday, Thom Yorke!

To my families chagrin, October 7th will always be celebrated in my house because it is Thom Yorke's birthday. While he hasn't yet stopped by for cake and a hug, all of us wish him a very radical day and all the best in general!

Here's an acoustic performance of "Fake Plastic Trees" from "120 Minutes" from 1995.

Congrats, Karen O!!!!

instagram.com/ko

One of our very favorite people, KO from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, her solo music work and general kickass behavior, announced via instagram that she gave birth to a baby boy in late September. Not many kids have the right to say their mom did the songs for "Where the Wild Things Are," but this guy already has one of the coolest moms ever. As her first official "Mom move," she introduced the little squirt to the world by playing a Roberta Flack song. She said:

Shortly after we brought him home I held him in my arms and listened to Roberta Flack singing this tune I felt my heart exploding in my chest with a love I couldn't begin to put into words so Roberta's will have to do for now. "The first time ever I saw your face
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave
To the dark and the endless skies, my love
To the dark and the endless skies"

Bound to be light years ahead of his same-aged peers in fashion and prose, we send Karen, her husband Barnaby Clay and their little fellow all the best! (Also that lots of good songs come to her quickly because we need more of her music, stat.)

Hot Chip Announces US Tour Dates in May

Live in Portland for the first time since 2012 and behind their just announced new album Why Make Sense (due out in May) don't miss the return of Hot Chip! These cute little dance floor party-makers have been gone too long.

We've gotten a report that each album will have individual artwork. There will be color variants and subtle design differences that when combined lead to unlimited combinations! 

If you need some tunes to make your day a little better, here's the video for the first track off "Why Make Sense"

Not in Portland? That's ok! Hot Chip still loves you. Here are the tour dates:

Tue 05/26/15		Portland, OR	Roseland Theater
Thu 05/28/15		Denver, CO	Ogden Theatre
Sat 05/30/15		Minneapolis, MN	First Avenue
Sun 05/31/15		Milwaukee, WI	Turner Hall Ballroom
Tue 06/02/15		Detroit, MI	The Majestic Theatre
Wed 06/03/15		Toronto, ON	The Danforth Music Hall
Thu 06/04/15		Boston, MA	House Of Blues Boston
Fri 06/05/15		Washington, DC	Echostage

Anyway you slice it, Jade is no longer a Magnetic Zero

Jade Castrinos, the forefront female in Edward Sharpe and Magnetic Zeros, seems to have her summer freed up. Last night she wasn't onstage for a show in Atlanta and quickly after there was a brief "she said/they said" over Instagram and Twitter. Jade posted on Instagram that the break up was over email a week before their tour kicked off; the remaining Zeros posted on facebook that to believe it was that simple and quick is to "have no idea who we are."

When we covered them live last fall, we gushed about Jade. There is no doubt that whatever the reason(s) for her departure, Jade will land on her feet. She has a great voice and looks like a little cherub I'd like to put on my mantle. It should be noted that Edward Sharpe and Magnetic Zeros will also be just fine. To think that a band of any size doesn't have turmoil is naive. The magic is when they stay together and are able to make awesome music for as long as they can. While I don't see Jade becoming an alt-metal icon, it will be interesting to see where she chooses to go from here.

M.I.A's "Y.A.L.A." Video Is Kinda Awesome

She's an interesting gal, M.I.A. It would be easy to think she'd be on board with the YOLO craze, yet a track off her new album proclaims you can keep the party going....eternally. Samsara or no, "Y.A.L.A" (You Always Live Again) has her glammed up and rhyming 'contreau' with 'poncho'. It's just kitschy enough to make you cringe and just interesting enough to make you listen again.

Yuck asks, "tennis, anyone?"

Music videos have suffered the last decade since there has been no channel, shall we say, dedicated to music. And yet the men of Yuck sally forth, giving us their new video for their song "Middle Sea." This is their premiere single off Glow and Behold, their second album on Fat Possum, dropping September 30th. Drummer Jonny Rogoff shows us his tennis skills in the video directed by Michael Lawrence. Hotly anticipated, Glow and Behold can't show up soon enough! Yuck is touring Europe with the Pixies right now, but when they come stateside, we'll let you know.

The Blow is Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-ack!

The Khaela Maricich and Melissa Dyne project, The Blow is popping out another album in mere weeks! After wearing out our friends and family by saying "pardon me but wasn't that your heart" and making endless remarks about deli aisles, we finally get new material to etch into our sweet brain meats. This album, titled The Blow (we'll tell them to work on album names) comes out October 1 on Kanine to fight the fall doldrums.

Maybe you should follow them on twitter?

Y La Bamba Summer Tour

Y La Bamba is covering the west with their tunes and smiles this summer. As an awesome extra, the good people at Tender Loving Empire have created special vinyl bundle with both their debut full-length,Lupon, and 2012's follow-up, Court The Storm. Pick the records and say hi to the band!

SUN 16 JUNE Rontoms - Portland, OR, US

WED 19 JUNE Neurolux - Boise, ID, US

FRI 21 JUNE Utah Arts Festival - Salt Lake City, UT, US

SUN 23 JUNE The Walnut Room - Walnut St. Denver, CO, US

TUE 25 JUNE Mystic Hot Springs - Monroe, UT, US

THU 27 JUNE Soho - Santa Barbara, CA, US

FRI 28 JUNE The Chapel - San Francisco, CA, US

SAT 6 JULY Les Schwab Amphitheater - Bend, OR, US

SUN 14 JULY California World Fest - Chico, CA, US

WED 24 JULY Portland Center for the Performing Arts - Portland, OR, US

SUN 25 AUGUST Celebrate Eugene 2013 - Eugene, OR, US

Hooded Fang's New Video and West Coast Tour

It shouldn't matter that Hooded Fang is from Canada. (Toronto, to be exact.) And it shouldn't matter that they shot their video for "Bye Bye Land" in Mexico. But skipping the most favorite nation is not on the long game agenda for Hooded Fang. As they wrap up their current tour supporting Gravez, they'll slither on down the west coast. Might be worth getting out to say hi before they retreat to working on their label (Daps records), side-projects and youth mentoring. 




06/12 Winnipeg, AB - Windsor Hotel
06/13 Saskatoon, SK - MOSO Fest at Vangelis
06/14 Edmonton, AB - Brixx
06/15 Calgary, AB - Palomino
06/16 Vancouver, BC - Media Club
06/17 Seattle, WA - El Corazon Lounge
06/18 Eugene, OR - Cozmic Lounge
06/20 San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
06/21 Los Angeles, CA -Viper Room
06/23 San Diego, CA - Soda Bar 

Feeding People announces new LP with preview!

There are few more humble beginning than Feeding People. Headed by nineteen-year-old Jessie Jones, her project attracted Chris Alfaro of Free the Robots to produce some of their earliest recordings which were the borderline between humble and ghetto. Those recordings were done in one take in a 6'x10' walk-in closet with the mics taped to broom handles taped to fire extinguishers. Despite all that....authenticity...Feeding People managed to be the second band ever to be invited to play the ultra-hip Low End Theory club and shared the stage with none other than Thom Yorke. Not a bad start.

Their sophomore album, Island Universe, was recorded and produced by Jonny Bell of The Crystal Antlers and Hanni El Khatib and very likely not recorded with quite as much duct tape. Island Universe drops on Feb. 5, 2013, but you, friends, can get a listen here.

For more Feeding People goodness check http://feedingpeoplemusic.tumblr.com/