Longwave '09: Tour with OK Go, Tour with Bloc Party

After finishing off some headlining dates, New York rockers and moisturizing musicians Longwave will take the month of February off before hitting the road again in March. Dates begin in the early part of March supporting OK Go, before meeting up with Bloc Party here in Boston for a half dozen shows.

See Longwave Play.
03.06 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts*
03.07 Towson, MD @ Recher Theatre*
03.08 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg*
03.10 New Haven, CT @ Toad's Place*
03.11 Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street*
03.13 Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall*
03.19 Boston, MA @ House of Blues**
03.22 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club**
03.24 New York, NY @ Terminal 5**
03.25 New York, NY @ Terminal 5**
03.28 Chicago, IL @ Rivera Theater**
03.30 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue**
03.31 St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant**
*with OK Go
**with Bloc Party

And for those who didn't pick up on my quip about moisturizing, Longwave's "The Devil and The Liar" from Secrets are Sinister is in a new Lubiderm commercial. And here people thought bands didn't take care of their skin.

Stream: "Sideways Sideways Rain" [MySpace]

The Love Language: "Lalita"

So, I almost forgot to tell you anything about The Love Language.

Last weekend, they were with their Carolina buds The....Rosebuds, yes, and they were playing songs from their freshly printed up self-titled debut that they had for sale with some shirts back at the merch booth. They have this uber awesome lo-fi aesthetic about them, pieced together with some much catchiness that you would think Phil Spector produced Alien Lanes. Buried under the fuzz and mess the listener will find Stu McLamb blending his distinct howl of a voice with sunny melodies that one will never forget. This is very evident in the song "Lalita," the one that I knew would make me enjoy their live shows, the one they tore up the stage with at the end of their set, complete with Kelly Rosebud style dancing with tambourines in the audience by keyboardist Missy Thangs.

This could be the year for the Love Language, because there's always a year for love. The album drops March 17th on Balden County Records.

Download: "Lalita" [mp3]

The Stranded Q&A: Lansdowne

"While their vocals contain less preteen yelping then your used to from today's rock bands, Lansdowne fit into many genres but none simultaneously. Their music features vivid storytelling and a silky-smooth delivery that ranks them among the top unsigned bands out there today" (Absolutepunk.net).

The local Boston band has love for the city, and the city loves them back. Lansdowne was chosen as "One of Boston's Best Bands" by mix 98.5 and have had 12 sold-out Boston shows, most recently the Middle East Downstairs.

They definitely have a few "put-on-repeat" worthy songs, and that's exactly what I've been doing. Check out their music for yourself on their myspace page at www.myspace.com/lansdowne.

1. Hailing from Boston makes us better than all those non-Boston bands because:

"I think every market and region has its fair share of talent, but in Boston we've got an incredibly saturated scene juxtaposed against ever-changing weather. Right from the start Boston bands have to work that much harder to rise to the top and stay there, all the while hauling gear through eight inches of snow or two inches of rain just to get our stuff into the club. We work harder, period."

2. Name at least 3 bands that are still around and touring that you'd love to be on a bill with, and think it fits well:

"I think Kings of Lean, Paramore, and The Black Crowes would be right up there for me. All three have an incredible touring history, and I think we could learn a lot from each of them. I remember when Paramore was still supporting bills at Axis and I just loved their songs and how accessible they were. The new Kings of Leon record is really amazing and they are finally getting the credit they deserve in the US. As far as The Black Crowes go, as a vocalist I look up to Chris Robinson and would love to share a stage with him."

"It would would also be amazing to tour with the Goo Goo Dolls since Dizzy Up The Girl was a record that really defined high school for me and helped me understand why I loved music so much. Between Rob Cavallo's production and Rzeznik's writing, that album had a lot of influence on how I write music."

3. Your favorite Boston venue to perform in is:

"Middle East Downstairs. We sold out the room last year and will be returning this spring to close out our two and a half month national tour, and we just love the raw feel of it. The staff (Kevin, Clay, Kieran, John, Dave, Dick) have been incredibly supportive of us, and the sound is great. Right now, that's our home."

4. Are there any genres that influence your music conceptually, rather than sonically? (In that you can't hear from simply listening to the music, but from getting into the structure or mathematics of song-writing, etc.):

"I think for us it's less about genres and more about the emotion behind the music. I listen to Ray LaMontagne and I can FEEL the heartache in his voice and in his words. His record, Trouble, is completely disarming. Shaun loves Sigur Ros, because the music forces you to give yourself over to it. I think musicians are at their best when they're telling a story, whether it be with words or through raw power of the vocals or the movement of the instrumentation. We want to make sure that our fans are part of the story."

5. Your favorite local bar to hit up when not doing the whole band deal is:

"I love Bill's Bar. Our first sell outs were there and they've taken care of us like family. It's on Lansdowne street, too, and walking that street helps remind me of why I started playing music since we took so much inspiration from the shows at Axis and Avalon."

You can check out Lansdowne at one of their up-coming shows on February 6th at Harpers Ferry, with Eve 6. Doors open at 8pm.

Here's a little preview of what you'll be hearing:
Download: "I'll See You Again" [mp3]

Beep Beep Return to Enchanted Islands

Has it really been five years since Beep Beep came in to my world with the angular pop explosion that is Business Casual? It was Fall 2004, I was in NYC for CMJ and they played the Saddle-Creek showcase and blew me away with their catchy licks and cooky looks.

So here we are, years later. You would think that they Omaha band broke up, but they didn't. Since 2007 they've been in and out of studios, laying down almost two dozen songs, 14 of which make up Enchanted Islands. Due out March 24th on Saddle-Creek, the band looks to reclaim their throne as being a band that everyone should be all about. I know I cannot wait.

Enchanted Islands:
1. I See You!
2. Mermaid Struggle
3. Secrets For The Well
4. Return To Me
5. The Whispering Waves
6. The Lion's Mouth
7. Goodbye Sunshine
8. Wooden Nickels
9. Seppuku
10. I Miss You
11. Mortal Warrior
12. Baby Shoes
13. Two-Spirit
14. Only See Me

To get you ready, the band has posted four songs from Islands on their MySpace for you to check out. Get excited.

Band of the Week: Arthur

I discovered Fleet-based band Arthur in a roundabout way. While nosing around on Elle Milano's message board, I saw that Adam Crisp's new project, Entrepreneurs, had remixed a track from Hannah Shark who also plays in Arthur. The five-piece is about to drop their debut EP, Cinderella Story, which firmly places the band in a quickly-growing crowd of quirky/dark pop bands coming from the south of England. While tunes like "Comatose" may be raw, they signal this band isn't just screwing around -- they have ideas that show excellent potential.

Download: "Comatose" [mp3]

Monday Morning Newsletter (1/26/09)

This is an interesting ploy. In exchange for spamming five of your friends, the band Cactus’s hooks you up with a free download of their new album Tropical Terror. They rock pretty damn hard and are playing SXSW this March. I don’t think the next album will be free. So go git it.

Mark Hoppus recently addressed rumors of a Blink 182 reunion. Hoppus admitted that he and Tom DeLonge have kissed and made up and stated that "The future is wide open, but really you losers need to get over it.”...

Boy George is headed to the big house. Last Friday, a London judge sentenced the former Culture Club singer to 15 months in jail. He was found guilty of imprisoning a male escort at his home in 2007. If you recall he handcuffed and whipped a Norwegian gigolo with a chain in his London apartment.

This week we confirmed the rumor that actor Joaquin Phoenix is preparing to release his first album. Phoenix received accolades for his portrayal of Johnny Cash in the 2005 biopic Walk the Line, but strangely his first release is a hip-hop album apparently to be produced by P. Diddy. I can’t even make this stuff up. It makes Dogstar look good.

Saul Williams has just released a CD version of the Dead Emcee Scrolls. Backed by the Arditti String Quartet, the album has 33 tracks plus both instrumental and a capella versions of each song. You can download the album here.

The will of god was thwarted this week by G. Love and Special Sauce. After being struck down by an acute vocal hemorrhage last fall he lost his voice completely. After vocal chord surgery Mr. Love has decided that he is now able to return to the road in support of their newish album Superhero Brother.

Dead this week is www.fuzz.com. The music networking site will be going dark February 13th. Not a strong company before the economic slump, they’ve become a casualty of high operating costs, and narrow profit margins. Add another name to the long list of things killed by George W. Bush. Damn you W! damn you!

Dead Leaf Echo "Tears"

A few weeks Dead Leaf Echo reached out to us via our Myspace. We finally got around to checking out the band yesterday, and all we can say is "Wow!" These guys do shoegaze right -- slowly building until the song explodes, enveloping you in its wake. I am pissed I did not listen to them sooner.

Anyway, this band is the real deal and I am glad I am finally hooked. Expect to see them on a Stranded in Stereo gig very soon. Those of you in NY, check their MySpace page for dates coming up, and make sure you get their album.

Download: "Tears" [mp3]