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The Los Angeles-based artist unexpectedly returns with Loud City Song.

Julia Holter‘s Ekstasis was one of those rare albums that managed near-universal praise, and now the fiercely singular producer is back with a brand new album, which sounds almost as ambitious as its towering predecessor. Holter has already proved herself with a run of two devastating records, but apparently Loud City Song is rooted in demos made before even her 2011 debut Tragedy.

Based on Collette’s 1944 novella Gigi, Holter used this to reflect on her own hometown of Los Angeles, and recorded with an ensemble of Los Angeles musicians we can’t wait to hear what it sounds like.

UPDATE: Domino have now uploaded a video for the track ‘World’, and it’s utterly gorgeous, understated and decidedly minimal. Sort of like Stina Nordenstam performing with choir of ghosts. Check it out below.

Loud City Song will be released on August 19 on CD, LP and digital via Domino.

Tracklist:

01 World
02 Maxim’s I
03 Horns Surrounding Me
04 In The Green Wild
05 Hello Stranger
06 Maxim’s II
07 He’s Running Through My Eyes
08 This Is a True Heart
09 City Appearing

Dance pioneers still say they want to remain anonymous though

by Andrew Sacher

Julia Holter at Bowery Ballroom in 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

Art pop musician Julia Holter had one of the best albums of 2012 with Ekstasis, and she's now set to release that album's followup, Loud City Song, on August 20 via her new label home, Domino. Regarding the new album, Domino writes:

The songs that make up Loud City Song have origins that pre-date 2011's debut Tragedy - coaxed out and finessed as demos in Holter's bedroom studio and then finally coalesced into one thrillingly cohesive experience in the latter stages of 2012 by Holter and co-producer Cole Marsden Grief-Neill and an ensemble of Los Angeles musicians. The result is an album of enormous ambition - Holter taking inspiration from Collette's 1944 novella Gigi and using it as a prism through which to explore her relationship with her hometown of Los Angeles and modern life universally, taking cues from the work of Joni Mitchell and the poetry of Frank O'Hara but forging those touch-points into something resolutely unique.

Check out the video for the haunting opening track, "World," below.

Domino also just reissued her great 2011 LP, Tragedy, this week (5/21) and you can purchase that in 2XLP/CD formats at the Domino Webstore.

As mentioned, Julia is coming to NYC for a show on July 12 at Le Poisson Rouge with Jessica Pratt around the time of her appearance at Pitchfork M...

'Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action' is set for August release

Bassist Trevor Bolder, who played in David Bowie's Spiders From Mars and Uriah Heep, has passed away after a battle with cancer, reports The Guardian. He was 62.

Bolder played alongside Bowie on his albums Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Aladdin Sane, and Pin Ups, and also toured with him. To pay tribute to him, Bowie posted the following to his website:

Trevor was a wonderful musician and a major inspiration for whichever band he was working with. But he was foremostly a tremendous guy, a great man.

Uriah Heep, who Bolder joined in 1976 and remained with until present day, also posted a message to their site:

It is with great sadness that Uriah Heep announce the passing of our friend the amazing Trevor Bolder, who has passed away after his long fight with cancer. Trevor was an all time great, one of the outstanding musicians of his generation, and one of the finest and most influential bass players that Britain ever produced.

His long time membership of Uriah Heep brought the band's music, and Trevor's virtuosity and enthusiasm, to hundreds of thousands of fans across the world. He joined the band in 1976 and, barring one short break, was a fixture until his ill health forced him to take a step back early this year. Prior to joining Heep he was a founder and ever-present member of David Bowie's legendary Spiders From Mars band, performing...

Sometimes it takes the right singer to deliver the wrong song. And while Backstreet Boys seem like unlikely territory for Charli XCX, the British singer proves otherwise. On Tuesday, Charli stopped by Chicago indie record shop Borderline Music, where she performed a short in-store performance, which ended with a cover of the Boys’ “I Want It That Way”. Between the tune ups and her spectral vocals, Charli really makes it her own anthem, quite similar to how Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” forever belongs to Sinead O’Connor. Catch it below.

Keep your eyes peeled: Our own Sami Jarroush hung out with the rising British icon this week for another unique video interview, which will appear on Rock It Out! Blog shortly.

Charli’s debut, True Romance, is currently available via IAMSOUND.

The pioneering Italo-disco genius Giorgio Moroder, currently going through a popular renaissance thanks in part to his appearance on Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories, is 73, and he came up in the era when producers weren’t also expected to serve as DJs. But last night at the Brooklyn club Output, Moroder played his first-ever DJ set. The set was part of the Red Bull Music Academy series, and Moroder had the younger DJ and “musical director” Chris Cox helping him out; he wasn’t doing it all himself. Together, they played many of Moroder’s greatest hits, like the Donna Summer songs “I Feel Love” and “Bad Girls” and his own music for Midnight Express. They also worked in newer tracks like “Racer” and the Daft Punk collab “Giorgio By Moroder.” Moroder introduced himself via vocoder and added bits and pieces, including one keyboard solo, to the music. And you can hear a pristine recording of the entire DJ set below.

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(via @liokanine)

Tickets to see Death Grips at Webster Hall go on sale today at noon.

Tickets to see Peter Hook & The Light performing New Order albums at Webster Hall go on sale today at noon.

RJD2 is playing a HARD NYC event at Terminal 5 on October 4 with Zeds Dead, Paper Diamond, Green Lantern and Branchez. Tickets to that show go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for the Ty Segall shows at MHOW and Bowery Ballroom go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for The Flamin' Groovies shows at Bowery Ballroom and Maxwell's go on sale today at noon.

Iggy Azalea is playing The Bowery Ballroom on June 17. Tickets to that show go on sale today at noon.

Tickets for the Kisses show at Mercury Lounge go on AmEx presale today at noon.

Mike Birbiglia is playing Carnegie Hall on June 2. Tickets to that show are on sale now.

Week of Wonders, Chalk & Numbers, and Pale Lights are playing Mercury Lounge on July 8. Tickets to that show go on AmEx presale today at noon, with a general on-sale starting Friday (5/24) at noon.

Frenchkiss signees Drowners are opening for Skaters at The Bowery Ballroom on July 19. Tickets to that show go on AmEx presale today at noon, with a general on-sale starting Friday (5/24) at...

Here’s a new lick from Ikonika, featured on Girl Unit’s recent Night Slugs mix. It’s called Mr. Cake, and it’s quite beautiful in a strange way, sumptuously positive in its chords and relative simplicity (check the bassline as well, whoo!):

As mentioned, Minneapolis' BNLX were just in NYC for a couple shows. Now back in their home state, the band have left us a present in the form of a new video for "Vibrant," a song off last year's full-length debut. The clip was filmed on their recent visit to Amesterdam and it premieres in this post. Watch it below.

Meanwhile BNLX are prepping another of their "serial indoctrination campaigns," like the quarterly EPs that first introduced the band. They're also about to play their first-ever West Coast shows, including dates in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Those are listed below.

Continue reading "watch the video for BNLX's "Vibrant" ++ updated dates" at brooklynvegan

Trevor Bolder, former bassist of David Bowie’s Spiders From Mars and Uriah Heep, died Tuesday at the age of 62. According to The Guardian, Bolder had been suffering from cancer.

Bolder played alongside Bowie from 1970 to 1973, appearing on four albums: Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Aladdin Sane, and Pin Ups. Afterward, he joined UK rock band Uriah Heep, for which he remained a member through 2011.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Bowie said: “Trevor was a wonderful musician and a major inspiration for whichever band he was working with. But he was foremostly a tremendous guy, a great man.”

Trevor Bolder, former bassist of David Bowie’s Spiders From Mars and Uriah Heep, died Tuesday at the age of 62. According to The Guardian, Bolder had been suffering from cancer.

Bolder played alongside Bowie from 1970 to 1973, appearing on four albums: Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Aladdin Sane, and Pin Ups. Afterward, he joined UK rock band Uriah Heep, for which he remained a member through 2011.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Bowie said: “Trevor was a wonderful musician and a major inspiration for whichever band he was working with. But he was foremostly a tremendous guy, a great man.”

Ty Segall in Chicago in February (more by James Richards IV)

Ty Segall has been busy with his proto-metal-inspired band Fuzz (who play NYC soon), but not counting Ty's January reissues, it's been over 6 months since he released an album, which in the world of Ty Segall is like a century. Luckily, we can all breathe again, because last week he announced a new solo record, SLEEPER, will be out on August 20 via Drag City. No new music has been revealed from the album yet, but you can watch a trailer for the new album below.

Ty Segall was recently announced for LA's FYF Fest, which takes place this August, and he's since announced some other dates surrounding that fest. A full tour hasn't been revealed yet but we do know that he'll be coming to NYC on August 29 at Music Hall of Williamsburg and August 30 at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets for both NYC shows go on sale today (5/22) at noon.

All currently known dates are listed, along with the new album trailer and a video of Ty performing "You're The Doctor" from his last solo album, Twins, on 'Letterman' in 2012, below...

Continue reading "Ty Segall releasing new solo LP, announces summer shows" at brooklynvegan

The four-guitar Nashville punk monster Diarrhea Planet has lately cultivated a rep as one of the best, most fiery young live bands on the touring circuit. If their revolting band name is still (understandably) putting you off, their live cover of “Born To Run” with Titus Andronicus frontman Patrick Stickles might be enough to change your mind. And later this summer, they’ll release the sophomore album I’m Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams. The first single is the ragged, anthemic “Separations,” and you can hear it below.

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Former reality show judge will be back alongside Gary Barlow, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh