Source: theregoesthefear.com

Everyone’s favourite crazy “cult” band, The Polyphonic Spree, have announced a one off London show.

They’ll be bringing their robes and feel-good summery tunes to the Astoria on Monday 3rd September.

Photo comes from Ian Mutoo’s flickr stream.

Source: theregoesthefear.com

Turin Brakes have announced two dates as part of a fuller UK tour that is to be shortly announced (I believe). Tickets are on sale now from the usual places.

They’ll play:

Tuesday 2nd October - Manchester University
Thursday 11th October - London The Forum

Photo taken from Narisa’s flickr stream.

Source: theregoesthefear.com

So, last night I was lucky enough to catch The Thrills and Palladium at Scala in London. I’ve already written a quick bit on Palladium for Londonist (who gave me the free tickets), but now for The Thrills, a highlight of the month for me.

I caught The Thrills for the first time last month at the Millennium Dome, and loved their short set, and now I’ve finally got to see a full set I must say they’re a brilliant live band… full of energy, pizzaz and Conor sure knows how to work a crowd.

Working their way through all of the favourites and a lot of their new album, the guys from Ireland via America bought a tiny bit of summer to a rain swept London. Introducing new song “Restaurant” Connor jokes “This is the bit the whole band hates – I’m on rhythm guitar, holding it all together, and, well, my rhythm is non-existant”. Still, the track passes without a hitch. Undoubtedly the highlights of the evening are the ol’ classics “Big Sur”, “Santa Cruz”, “One Horse” and “Corey Haim”, however “Long Forgotten Song” definitely has the chance to join the favourites, sounding brilliant both on record and live.

After the jump find some pictures and the setlist. If anyone wants any of the pictures bigger just shout or leave a comment.

The Midnight Choir
Big Sur
Long Forgotten Song
Rosebud
When the tide creeps in
Restaurant
Santa Cruz
I Came All This Way
Not For All The Love
Nothing Changes
Gate crashing
One Horse Town

Encore:
The Boy Who Caught all the breaks
Corey Haim

Source: theregoesthefear.com

“This is a slower song – hope you don’t mind” Palladium’s Peter Pepper says before launching into “White Woman”. The audience certainly didn’t, as it gave a welcome respite from the scintillating pace they’d been playing at for the last twenty minutes.

Opening up with their new single “Happy Hour”, they quickly set out their manifesto: fast, friendly and frantic pop. Racing through 7 songs in 30 minutes, they worked the crowd well and had more arms flailing down the front than The Thrills did half an hour later for the main set of the evening.

Whilst trying to think of a band to compare them to, this Londonista really couldn’t decide, in the end settling on Klaxons fronted by Patrick Wolf playing Delays and Sunshine Underground. They really are an oddball group of people that really shouldn’t be in a band together, but somehow it just works.

There were three songs in the set (their opening two and closing song) which were very promising, easily able to outshine most of the current crop of pop-wannabes; however the middle of the set did seem to largely be filler that started to sound very similar. Their energy may have been unstoppable, but it’s no good if the tunes all sound similar but slightly re-jigged.

Peter Pepper (if that is his real name…) introduced the last, and perhaps best, song of their evening, Hi-5, by giving the record company spiel about buying their new single in a decidedly boring and un-Palladium like way… they might as well got the guys from EMI to do it themselves. This is one band where they should leave the music to do the talking for them.

Whilst at the moment Palladium are only playing small venues supporting bands at the moment, expect in time them to be playing their own palladiums and theatres near you

Palladium support Amy Winehouse at Somerset House tomorrow, then play Lovebox on Sunday and a headline show at the Barfly on Thursday 2nd August.

Source: morecowbell.net

You know how there are some bands that you grow to have an unnatural obsession with?  We all have them.  Some are embarrassing, some just get us curious stares, and others we parade around with pride, proclaiming them to be “the best!”  For me, British pop music has always been an unnatural obsession in pretty much any form.  Lately, it’s been Locksley (yeah, I know they’re from WI), the Fratellis and Maxïmo Park. 

July is my month, it seems, as two of the three obsessions in my life are not only coming to Minneapolis, but also to my favorite venue, the Varsity Theater.  The Varsity is a place I feel relaxed and at home.   However, I rarely sit in all the couches and comfy chairs littering the sides of the floor.  I’m usually bouncing from one side of the stage to the other, attempting to get some good photos without interrupting the experiences of concert-goers.  So I feel exceptionally blessed that both of my crackpot crazy obsessions will be playing their upbeat jams at my current place of worship.

Maxïmo Park is a band I first heard played by Brian Oake on his radio show, Freedom Rock.  I’ve always made a point to listen to Oake since he and Mary Lucia hosted the morning show on Rev 105 back in the day.   I trust them both with my musical life, which says a lot.  Oake played a song called “A Year of Doubt” which blew my mind.   It starts with a quick guitar riff that flutters downward into a bouncy tune you can’t help but dance to.  It’s not particularly intelligent or complex, but it makes me move, and sometimes that’s all I need.

The rest of Maxïmo Park’s music varies between punk-influenced kicks and mellow, thought-provoking tunes that discuss inevitable events in life.  Their newest album, Our Earthly Pleasures, has some of my favorite songs yet to date.  “Nosebleed” speaks of that time when you change yourself for someone else.  It rarely works out.  “Girls Who Play Guitars” is how life used to be, and how it’s changed.  My overall favorite album, however, is titled Missing Songs, and contains ”My Life in Reverse,” which is pretty self-explanatory, “Trial and Error,” about living with another person, and “Stray Talk,” which carries lines like “The only one you really trust is the one who always lets you down. It’s not my place to give advice, when all I’ve done was make mistakes.”

 My favorite Maxïmo Park song of all time, however, is “Kiss You Better.”  Lead Paul Smith croons, “…and if it comes down to me and him, you know I kiss you better.”  Sigh.  Smith’s voice is clear and low, conveying perfectly the emotion in whatever song he’s singing, whether it be the more upbeat tunes or the ones that make the girls all swoon.  Smith wasn’t the original lead of this band, composed of jittery keyboardist Lukas Wooller, drummer Tom English, guitarist Duncan Lloyd and bassist Archis Tiku.  However, without him it couldn’t be the same experience.  Smith’s dancing alone would be reason for pretty much anyone to attend a Maxïmo show, as his leaps and bounds are, without question, the best I’ve ever seen.  The man gets four feet into the air just on his own… no trampoline required.   You sort of wait with baited breath for him to complete another pass.

Maxïmo’s show at the Varsity contained all I love about the band (and yup, they played “Kiss You Better”) and British pop.   In less than two weeks I have the opportunity to rip it up at the Varsity once again as The Fratellis take the stage on July 29.  Sorry to tell you the show is sold out, but there’s an in-store at the Electric Fetus earlier that day (time is still TBA).  Just remember to make room for me & my camera. 

Ollie Stone of openers The Oohlas loves her guitar

Paul Smith of Maxïmo Park

Paul Smith jumps and leaps like a madman

Keyboardist Lukas Wooller practices his air guitar

Paul Smith of Maxïmo Park

The rest of the set (along with photos of opening bands the Oohlas & Monsters Are Waiting) can be found by clicking on this link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mnconcertphotos/sets/72157600891073658/

Source: soundchronicle.com

Alt-Rock outfit The Killers announced September 2007 US/Canada tour dates. The band continue to support last year release Sam’s Town, which became platinum in US, and spawned singles “When You Were Young”, and “Bones”. The Killers will give concerts in Cleveland (OH) Columbus (OH, Toronto (ON), Austin (TX), Houston (TX), and some other cities. Tour schedule is listed below, tickets are on sale. This year band won four Shockwaves NME Awards, and two BRIT Awards. The Killers are Brandon Flowers, Dave Keuning, Mark Stoermer, and Ronnie Vannucci Jr.

The Killers Tickets

The Killers Tour Dates
9/4/2007 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
9/5/2007 - Council Bluffs, IA - Mid America Center
9/7/2007 - Cleveland, OH - Wolstein Center
9/8/2007 - Columbus, OH - Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
9/9/2007 - Toronto, Ontario - V Fest Canada
9/11/2007 - Louisville, KY - Palace Theatre
9/13/2007 - Grand Prairie, TX - Nokia Live
9/14/2007 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Festival
9/15/2007 - Houston, TX - Reliant Center
9/17/2007 - El Paso, TX - Abraham Chavez Theater
9/23/2007 - Del Mar, CA - Street Scene Festival

Source: soundchronicle.com

Country stars Brooks & Dunn added big bunch of dates to their tour itinerary up to the middle of December, as they started to promote upcoming album. Artists are touring from May with Alan Jackson, and also have planned 2 dates - July 28 and August 18 - with Kenny Chesney. Brooks & Dunn concert schedule is below; tickets are on sale. Duo’s upcoming studio disk Cowboy Town is scheduled to hit stores October 2. Currently rotating album single “Proud Of The House We Built” entered top 20 US Country chart. Previous released in 2005 Brooks & Dunn’s CD Hillbilly Deluxe became platinum, and spawned singles “Play Something Country”, “Building Bridges,” and “Believe.” Ronnie Dunn, and Kix Brooks during their music carrier sold together 30 millions albums, and received more CMA, and ACM awards, then any other Country artist/band.

Brooks & Dunn Tickets

Brooks & Dunn 2007 Tour Dates
7/28/2007 - Foxboro, MA - Gillette Stadium
8/18/2007 - Detroit, MI - Ford Field
8/24/2007 - Little Rock, AR - Alltel Arena
8/25/2007 - Birmingham, AL - Verizon Wireless Music Center
8/26/2007 - Atlanta, GA - HiFi Buys Amphitheatre
9/7/2007 - Woodlands, TX - Woodlands Pavilion
9/8/2007 - Dallas, TX - Smirnoff Music Centre
9/9/2007 - Oklahoma City, OK - Ford Centre
9/19/2007 - Las Vegas, NV - Las Vegas Hilton
9/22/2007 - Las Vegas, NV - Las Vegas Hilton
9/26/2007 - Hamilton, Ontario - Copps Coliseum
9/28/2007 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
9/29/2007 - Albany, NY - Times Union Center
10/5/2007 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
10/6/2007 - Albuquerque, NM - Journal Pavilion
10/7/2007 - Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Wireless Pavilion
10/12/2007 - Concord, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre
10/13/2007 - Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
10/14/2007 - Chula Vista, CA - Coors Amphitheater
10/19/2007 - West Palm Beach, FL - Sound Advice Amphitheatre
10/20/2007 - Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre
10/21/2007 - Orlando, FL - UCF Arena
12/12/2007 - Las Vegas, NV - Las Vegas Hilton
12/13/2007 - Las Vegas, NV - Las Vegas Hilton
12/14/2007 - Las Vegas, NV - Las Vegas Hilton
12/15/2007 - Las Vegas, NV - Las Vegas Hilton