New Pornographer Kathryn Calder Set for Solo Tour

by Emily Youssef

New Pornographer Kathryn Calder kicks off her first ever solo tour next month in support of her solo debut Are You My Mother? Download “If You Only Knew,” and check out the video for “Arrow.”

Calder will of course be playing one show with the New Pornographers alongside Thao & Mirah, then it’s off for a short run on the west coast with Himalayan Bear and Karl Blau.

We caught up with Calder and fellow Pornographer Carl Newman, who told us about their intent to release solo albums. Sort of.

Eat to the Beat: The Kills Release Album, Issue Food Ban

by Kathleen Willcox

Punk-blues-rock duo The Kills have released their fourth album, Blood Pressures, to the usual subdued fanfare reserved for amazing, middle aged rockers who have gracefully wafted through the indie scene without making fools of themselves.

The two appeared on Conan, stomping and grinding away in their usual lo-fi, steely, whiskey-tinged glory. Equal parts Janis Joplin, Robert Smith and Joe Strummer, fussy dietary predilections are the last thing one would suspect The Kills to have.

Singer Alison Mosshart and guitarist Jamie Hince are both vegans, a dietary choice that bleeds into their aesthetics as well. “No red foods,” Alison told “Q” magazine. “So spaghetti is out.”

Below, check out footage from The Kills on Conan, where the red-hating, chain-smoking vegans churn out some visceral, flesh-eating beats.

The Stills Announce Break Up

by Emily Youssef

The Stills announced their break up late last week via their website. The Canadian band released three full-length albums in over 10 years playing together.

From the website: “We love each other, we have taught each other, and we’ve grown up together, through all kinds of madness and years and twists and turns, and we spent the better part of the last year trying to keep it going for each other, out of love for one another and out of respect for our long past together. But ultimately, the best decision for each one of us, and in order for each of us to live fully, creatively, and freely, being true to our hearts, this had to happen.”

We’ll always have The Stills though. They’re in our archive forever, sharing their love of Wu-Tang, bourbon and mescaline (but not all in one night).

Cassettes Won’t Listen Preps New Album, KEVINSPACEY

by Emily Youssef

Cassettes Won’t Listen has a new full-length album, KEVINSPACEY, out June 21 via Daylight Curfew. The follow up to 2008′s Small-Time Machine, the producer’s latest was recorded in Los Angeles while he continued to remix other groups, including The Death Set featuring Diplo, Gold Panda, Homeboy Sandman, Houses and more.

For a sneak peek of the album, check out “The Echoes” at the Cassettes Won’t Listen website. Summer and fall tour dates will be announced soon.

For those wondering, the producer stopped by our studio to straighten out who and what exactly is behind Cassettes Won’t Listen anyway.

Eat to the Beat: “The Dutch” Get Hip

by Kathleen Willcox

The dominance of music television has waned and changed over the years–Jersey Shore has taken over MTV and America has shifted obsessions. Now, instead of focusing our neuroses on the intricacies of the music world, quasi-indie rock n’ roll video montages from hipster chefs are the new hotness.

This week, Andrew Carmellini and his crew from the soon-to-debut “The Dutch” and the boys of Torrisi Italian Specialties go toe-to-toe with visual feasts that celebrate two very different–but equally relevant–pockets of downtown NYC.

For the old school, the Torrisi boys blare Billy Joel, Frank Sinatra and Jay-Z over a montage of cheesy foodie scenes–close ups of fresh mozzarella, fresh pasta flipping in hot buttery skillets and Little Italy and the Lower East Side–without seeming lame. Check it out here.

For the forward-thinking, “The Dutch” went totally po-mo with a mash-up of scenes from the farmer’s market,  lashings of chili sauce and louche night shots.

Clear a new place in your YouTube-watchin’ schedule–a new genre’s in town.


Vivian Girls Release Share the Joy, Tour with Black Lips

by Emily Youssef

Vivian Girls have released their third-full length album, Share the Joy (Polyvinyl), and simultaneously launched a 28-city tour. Head over to NPR to hear the whole album, which guitarist/vocalist Cassie Ramone says is “cleaner and more hi-fi than the previous records.”

The band is on tour through the end of April with Black Lips and joins up with No Joy for the first half of May. They also recently debuted the video for “I Heard You Say.”

And even if it’s not overtly apparent in their music, Vivian Girls cite Nirvana as a huge influence. Minus the bad stuff.

Eat to the Beat: Panda Bear Peppers Us with Tomboy

by Kathleen Willcox

When Panda Bear released Person Pitch in 2007, the indie world erupted into a spontaneous standing ovation. Then before we knew it, Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion was released in 2009. Worshipful hysteria ensued.

Finally, Noah Lennox–the man behind Panda Bear–is back with Tomboy, his fourth solo album.

Not one for sophomore slumps, weak follow ups or anything approaching normal human frailty, where does this genius go to mine for inspiration? Oddly enough, the spice cabinet inspires him.

“I like to think of it like salt and pepper–you put these weird little sounds in there to spice up the song,” Noah told NPR. “I’ll often think about making music and making food. I’m a terrible chef, though.”

We don’t care, Noah. We just like what you cook up in the studio. For NPR’s preview, go here.

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