Shilpa Ray And Her Happy Hookers new single and LP news.

Shilpa Ray And Her Happy Hookers are excited for the coming release of their 7" single "Venus Shaver", available in mid-October 2010. The single and b-side "Natural Selection" serve as a precursor to their forthcoming full-length Teenage and Torture, set for release January 18th, 2011 on Knitting Factory Records, home of the recently resurgent Fela Kuti catalog. As a preview of the new material they are making "Venus Shaver" available for free download at the link below. "Venus Shaver" provides a promising look at what lays in store for listeners anticipating the full-length's release next year, living up to the effusive praise Shilpa Ray And The Happy Hookers have steadily amassed since their debut 2009 full-length A Fish Hook, An Open Eye. That album wrote The New Yorker, saw Shilpa Ray "further showcasing her seemingly indestructible vocal chords. She screams, growls, and snarls her way through the screeching muck of oil-stained garage rock and backwoods blues, cresting just above the waves of a sonic tumult that threatens to consume her minuscule frame. This tenuous command of a raucous sound makes for a volatile breed of rock and roll."

"Venus Shaver".Mp3











In the coming months Shilpa Ray And Her Happy Hookers will be playing dates showcasing the new material found on Teenage and Torture, including performances at CMJ 2011.


UPCOMING TOUR DATES
October
10/22 - Knitting Factory (CMJ Distiller Showcase) - Brooklyn, NY
10/23 - Arlene's Grocery (CMJ Windish Showcase) - New York, NY

November
11/3 - New York, NY - Pianos w/ Hooray for Earth, Arpline, Zambri

Laurie Anderson Interview

As an artist and musician, Laurie Anderson has been creating experimental music and innovative performances for over forty years earning her a reputation as a true renaissance woman in the arts. In addition to being an acclaimed violinist and inventing a number of instruments such as the talking stick and tape-bow violin, her song “O Superman” hit number 2 in the UK charts in 1981. She has collaborated with a variety of the creative world’s most notable names such as: William S. Burroughs, Peter Gabriel, Spalding Gray, and Andy Kaufman and in 2008 married long term partner Lou Reed. Her most recent piece, Delusion, is being presented at the Brooklyn Academy of Music through October 3 as part of the Next Wave Festival and her new album Homeland is now available on Nonesuch Records.

Read our interview here.

Neil Young - Le Noise

Neil Young is releasing brand-new solo album, Le Noise, Sept 28th on Reprise Records. The eight-song album is a collaboration between the acclaimed rock icon and musician/songwriter/producer Daniel Lanois, known for his work with U2, Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Brian Eno, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, The Neville Brothers and many others. Young and Lanois have crossed paths musically over the course of many years (Lanois’ performances at Young’s Bridge School Benefit Concert and Young’s performance at Farm Aid when Lanois was Willie Nelson’s music director) but this is the first time the two have recorded together. Recorded in Lanois’ home in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles, Le Noise features Young on acoustic and electric guitars with Lanois adding his trademark sonic textures, creating one of the most sonically arresting albums Young has ever recorded. No band, no overdubs, just “a man on a stool and me doing a nice job on the recording,” as Lanois puts it.

Surfer Blood live at The Social in Orlando FL

“Join our cult. You won’t be missing out. You’ll never want to leave.”

Those are the words that Surfer Blood’s drummer, Tyler Schwarz, used to sum up why we should all be a fan of this dangerously fun, pop rock group, and I have to say that statement is just. Surfer Blood mixes complicated and interesting sounds with an indie pop vibe that really hits the spot.

The band is co-headlining a tour with The Drums this fall, and I was able to catch the show at The Social in Orlando Fl. You would think that headlining a tour, promoting their album, Astro Coast, and coming off of a major signing deal with Warner Brothers, these boys would be ready to retire, but this is just the beginning for Surfer Blood.

“We haven’t reaped the rewards yet but there will be rewards later,” Schwarz says. “We have a thirst for commonwealth among the music world. We want to be common with all the other music people.”

And they are well on their way to becoming just that-- a household name. The Social was a sold out show and believe me when I say that there was no room to move. The audience waited with anticipated breaths for the moment to arrive when Surfer Blood would finally take the stage. Conversations came to a halt. People stood still. Eyes were adverting to the stage. Music came billowing over the sound system and confusion set in, for it wasn’t the sound of Surfer Blood but of an epic theme song, played to usher in the band. The crowd cheered as JP Pitts, the band’s front man hopped onto an amp and began to play the spontaneously chaotic rhythms that have become a Surfer Blood characteristic.

Most of the songs that the band played were from the Astro Coast album but the band did surprise concertgoers with some new music.

“We have two new jam songs that we play live. One song is completely finished but I won’t give you the name of it, you’ll have to look it up online,” said Schwarz, ”The other is untitled but if we had a name I wouldn’t give it to you yet. I’ll leave an air of mystery.”

With no help from Schwarz, I came up empty handed as to what the new songs were called but that didn’t stop me and the rest of the crowd from enjoying the music they so brilliantly played.

For more information on Surfer Blood and their fall tour visit www.myspace.com/surferblood.

Interview and Words by Jessica Nguyen Photos by Dave Lapham of Dave Lapham Photography

Crystal Stilts to drop new single

Crystal Stilts release a new single called "Shake the Shackles" via Slumberland Records on Oct. 26, 2010.
You can stream both tracks below.

track listing:
A. Shake The Shackles
B. Magnetic Moon

They are playing live at 10/29 in Brooklyn at Rock Shop!

Warpaint new single "Undertow" Mp3

Rough Trade is excited to release of the long-awaited debut full-length album from Warpaint. The Fool is set to come out on October 26th, 2010 via Rough Trade! The band weave intricate guitar lines, hypnotic vocals and driving post punk rhythms into gorgeous, sprawling songs that skirt the line between psychedelia and intimacy. Both live and on record, Warpaint sound like they're channeling something truly otherworldly, and mystical. Recorded in LA, The Fool was produced by Tom Biller (Beck, Karen O, Liars), with further mixes from Andrew Weatherall (New Order, Primal Scream, Bjork) and Adam Samuels (John Frusciante, Daniel Lanois). The Fool follows their Exquisite Corpse EP, released in 2009. The all-girl quartet from Los Angeles has toured incessantly over the last twelve months; with standout performance at CMJ and SxSW. They have also shared the stage with Band of Horses, Yeasayer, Javelin, and The Walkmen. In October, Warpaint will be the direct support for The xx fall U.S. tour.

Download Warpaint "Undertow" here.

Track listing:
1. Set Your Arms Down
2. Warpaint
3. Undertow
4. Bees
5. Shadows
6. Composure
7. Baby
8. Majesty
9. Lissie’s Heart Murmur

Warpaint - US Tour dates:
8/18 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
8/19 Knoxville, TN Pilot Light
8/20 Nashville, TN Exit/In (w/Royal Bangs)
9/4 Los Angeles, CA FYFest
9/22 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Palladium (w/The xx)
9/23 Oakland, CA Fox Theatre (w/ The xx)
9/24 Portland, OR Holocene (w/ The xx)
9/25 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre (w/ The xx)
9/28 Chicago, IL The Chicago Theatre (w/ The xx)
9/29 Toronto, ONT Massey Hall (w/ The xx)
10/1 Montreal, QUE Place Des Arts Maissoneuve (w/ The xx)
10/2 New York, NY United Palace (w/ The xx)
10/4 Philadelphia, PA Merriam Theatre (w/ The xx)
10/5 Washington, DC 9:30 Club (w/ The xx)
10/6 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle (w/ The xx)
10/8 Dallas, TX Granada Theater (w/ The xx)
10/10 Austin, TX ACL Festival

Time to read a book visit Brooklyn Book Festival

Now in its fifth year, the Brooklyn Book Festival is one of the top book festivals in the nation with a hip, huge and free all-star literary lineup!

Come see Salman Rushdie, Venus Williams, Sarah Silverman, Paul Krugman, Dennis Lehane, Paul Auster, Naomi Klein, Gary Shteyngart, Rosanne Cash, Jennifer Egan, John Ashbery, Nelson George, Mary Gaitskill, Colson Whitehead, Francine Prose, Esmeralda Santiago, Pete Hamill, Russell Banks, Michael Connelly, John Hodgman, Kristen Schaal, Sam Lipsyte, Sloane Crosley, Paul Harding and over 200 more! Plus children’s and young adult lit stars like Rebecca Stead, Sara Shepard, Jacqueline Woodson, Jon Scieszka, Jenny Han, Tad Hills, and Francisco X. Stork! Click here for more info and the schedule.