Jack Prybylski wins Best Saxophonist Award – 9th time overall, 3rd year in a row at the Buffalo Music Awards!

Also – Best Small Jazz Group: First year nominated, first year won.

Band Members:

J.J. Moscato – keyboards & vocals
Reggie Evans – drums & vocals
Rodney Appleby – bass & vocals
Vince Mastrantonio – guitar

“It doesn’t take long to realize why Prybylski has been awarded top honors for his sax work so many times…” – Jazz Review

Jack Prybylski live shows:

Thursday, December 27, 2007:

WEIB 106.3 Smooth FM
“Cool, Smooth and Soulful After Work Cool Down”
Panorama Lounge
Holiday Inn Springfield
711 Dwight Street
Springfield, Mass 01104
(413) 781-0900
5:00 PM

Friday, December 28, 2007:

Irene’s Coffee & Jazz House
Hamilton St. Plaza
Geneva, NY 14456
(315) 759-5180
7:30 PM

For more information, go to:

Jack Prybylski Official Website

Jack Prybylski on Myspace

The Viper Room on Sunset Strip in LA is one of the coolest music venues to go and see live music. We’ve got the schedule for bands set to play from Thursday December 13th – Thursday December 20th, 2007:

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Doors: 10:00

Circus Diablo www.myspace.com/circusdiablo

Circus Diablo formed in early 2006 in Los Angeles. The band consists of Billy Morrison (Member of Camp Freddy, former member of The Cult) on vocals, Billy Duffy (Member of The Cult) on lead guitar, Ricky Warwick (former member of The Almighty) on rhythm guitar, Brett Scallions (former frontman and Lead singer of Fuel) on bass guitar and Jeremy Colson (formerly worked with Steve Vai) on drums. Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum plays drums on their debut album. They played Ozzfest over the summer and their video for single, “Loaded” landed at #1 music video on YouTube.

The Bangkok Five www.myspace.com/thebangkokfive

Friday, December 14, 2007

Doors: 7:30

The Royal Heist www.myspace.com/theroyalheist

Ok Stranger www.myspace.com/okstranger

The New Hotness www.myspace.com/thenewhotnessrocks

The Mulhollands www.myspace.com/themulhollands

Pudge Zeppelin www.myspace.com/pudgezeppelin

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Doors: 8:00

Semi Precious Weapons www.myspace.com/semipreciousweapons

“I can’t pay my rent but I’m fu*@ing gorgeous!” Justin Tranter sings tongue-in-chic in the Semi Precious Weapons signature song “Semi Precious Weapons” – adding during SPW’s forthcoming first single Magnetic Baby “It’s not my fault I look better in her party dress!” Managed by BP Fallon – associated with T.Rex/LedZeppelin/Johnny Thunders/U2 – and executive produced by Tony Visconti – T.Rex/Bowie/Thin Lizzy/Morrissey – New York’s Semi Precious Weapons are the new heroes of garage glam!

Monday, December 17th, 2007

Indie 103.1 Presents Check One Two Mondays

FREE W/RSVP WWW.MYSPACE.COM/MONDAYSCHECKONETWO

Doors: 8:30

Great Northern www.myspace.com/greatnorthern

The Happy Hollows www.myspace.com/thehappyhollows

“Sarah’s energy on stage was e-x-p-l-o-s-i-v-e. Her dynamic voice and trademark knee socks came packaged with a writhing sense of rock abandon that made the 3 piece feel more like a 12 piece. Sarah used Silverlake Lounge’s tiny stage to its fullest in a schizophrenic performance that left the audience awe-struck.” – Rock Insider Blog

“…a combination of detached female vocals, esoteric lyrics (see the palindrome-inspired “A Man a Plan a Canal”), and noisy instrumentation…Tackling not-so-happy subjects like Vietnam foxholes and thieving trolls, while also leaving room for ballads dedicated to wet tongues, the Hollows aren’t “happy” per se, but, then, quirky trumps cheery any day of the week.” – Flavorpill

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

KCRW PRESENTS…

Doors: 8:30

Oliver Future www.myspace.com/oliverfuture

ITIS www.myspace.com/itisrocks

The Cheat www.myspace.com/thecheatband

Sojourn www.myspace.com/sojournonline

“Rock always hits a little sweeter when the mofos playing it look fu*@ing great! But that’s certainly not to take away from the fact the Sojourn are great players. Despite the predictable rock posturing of the three boys with guitars, it all came acrosss fresh. The highlight of the set was Sojourn’s inspired and attitude laden rendition of Brian Jonestown Massacre’s “Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth”. The corridor like format of the vineyard proved a perfect conductor of Sojourn’s raw rock power”. Dan Watt – Beat Magazine.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Closed: Private Party

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Ride On Rides www.myspace.com/rideonrides

Ride On Rides is a simple band to love – with its mix of 1960’s melodies, angular dynamics, and rowdy, free-flowing performances- this combination is assembled around sharp hooks, descending bass lines, Bowie-esque piano arrangements, well arranged harmonies, and boombastic beats.

Raspberry Cocaine www.myspace.com/raspberrycocaine

Raspberry Cocaine is Jamie Tepper, a 32 year old Hollywood High teacher and his trusty laptop. “The music — damaged, driving electro doused with samples — is home-recorded and self-released (and has even earned some airplay on Indie 103.1). Working from beside a large screen, Tepper triggers his music plus a slide show of carefully curated images, including album covers, historical photos and pop culture ephemera. In front of the screen, actress/performance artist Princess Pop (a.k.a. Audrey Malone, pictured) mimes, lip-syncs and dances accordingly” (Kevin Bronson). Jamie Tepper describes his musical project as, “a multimedia spectacle.”

Run Run Run www.myspace.com/runrunrun

Nick Dixon www.myspace.com/nickdixonmusic

Need directions?

The Viper Room
8852 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, California

The Viper Room Official Website

Big news! The wonderful Duffy is playing a free gig at Rough Trade Shops in Ye Olde London Towne on 17 December, 2007.

This is going to be an acoustic set in the snug area of the shop – so no guest list needed. It would probably be good to get there early!

If you want to go to the gig, here’s the information:

Duffy Rough Trade East In-store
‘Dray Walk’
Old Truman Brewery
91 Brick Lane
London
E1 6QL
T: 020 7392 7788

Monday 17th December 2007, 2.00pm

Rough Trade Shops – In Store Gigs

Duffy’s latest single “Rockferry” was just released this week:

Duffy – Rockferry [7" VINYL] on amazon.co.uk

Watch “Rockferry” video

Watch video: Duffy and Bernard Butler in studio – “Syrup & Honey”

Rough Trade Shops Official Website

Duffy Official Website

Fans and critics got a sneak peek of new songs from the forthcoming ‘Don’t Let It Fall’ on November 9th when Dan Ferrari performed a live, in-studio session for JamNow.com. Now that entire set is available for streaming at www.jamnow.com/danferrari. As a bonus to fans, Ferrari has made the track “Heard From You” available as a free download on his website: www.myspace.com/danferrari. Along with the exclusive live performance, fans can hear an interview wherein Dan discusses the stories behind his songs, the therapeutic power of live performance and his penchant for Breedlove Guitars.

“Heard From You”, a recent finalist in the New York Songwriter’s Circle Songwriting Contest, is a song about absenteeism. Ferrari explains: “The song means a lot to me because it’s about a friend whose father left him when he was 10. Growing up, I was always very inspired by this friend and his perseverance in spite of his negative situation. He didn’t know I was writing this song, but when it was all done he told me it really hit the nail on the head and said everything he had wanted to say.”

Dan Ferrari loved performing live on the Internet on JamNow, “Live performance is my favorite part of making music and I’m very grateful at having been given the chance to expose my songs to so many new listeners.”

The New Jersey troubadour will perform an intimate, acoustic set on Thursday night, November 29th 2007 in support of his first full length album. The 9PM show, at Manhattan’s unWINEd will feature songs from ‘Don’t Let It Fall’, Ferrari’s debut on AtoZ Records.

‘Don’t Let It Fall’ is set for release January 15, 2008.

Dan Ferrari on Myspace

One of the best things about discovering bands and listening to new music online is when you can turn what initially begins as a virtual experience into a live music experience. The first time that I heard Souljacker was on their Myspace page after I was tipped off by a friend to check them out. I really liked their sound and had to wait about three weeks to see them play live at the Temple Bar in Oxford, England – and last Saturday the wait was finally over.

The Temple Bar has been around for quite a few years now, and in the “old days” was a place where a lot of musicians would gather and hang out. Over the years, there hasn’t been much going on there and I never really heard anyone talking about the Temple Bar – good or bad.

Things are different now. New owner Barry has opened the doors to musicians and has set up an open mic night on Wednesdays and live music on Saturday nights. There’s a great atmosphere, the bar staff are friendly and you can’t beat Barry’s enthusiasm toward live music and helping bands and musicians hone their craft, while entertaining the punters.

It was good to see the room begin to fill up as Souljacker started their set. They play guitar rock – originals that sound like old classics (“Jimmy Drank My Tea”), along with classic covers by bands like Free, Motorhead and Jimi Hendrix Experience. They even played a funky cover of “Ghostbusters”, which caught me by surprise. The crowd loved it.

Souljacker played two sets – and for each set, the crowd was engrossed. The band is full of confidence which, considering how young they are, is refreshing to see. Singer/guitarist Patrick Burley (and his soulful vocals) is entertaining and interacts with the crowd like an old pro. Same goes for guitarist Hamish Denny. The guitar solos are stand-out and drummer Josh Catling is incredible. As a unit they’re tight and sound like they’ve been playing for years.

I think that it’s easy to forget that while the area (Oxford) tends to be over-saturated with indie bands, that there are other styles out there. Saturday night proved to me that the public is hungry for something else.

If steered in the right direction, Souljacker could reach many more people who have missed hearing new rock bands on the scene. They are definitely a band to watch out for, and if they’re playing in a town near you, I highly recommend going to check them out.

Souljacker Band Members:

Patrick Burley – Guitar/Vocals
Hamish Denny – Guitar
Rowan Mayo – Bass
Josh Catling – Drums
Robbie Moore – Keyboards

For more information and live show dates go to:

Souljacker on Myspace

Photo Credit: Dave Tommo

By: Jenny May – Band Weblogs

The UK’s most successful new singer-songwriter, Newton Faulkner, releases his brand new single “Teardrop” on December 10th, 2007 through Ugly Truth Records. A classic winter-warmer, “Teardrop” is a starkly beautiful, and utterly unique, take on the Massive Attack song and shows both Newton’s magnificent voice and guitar versatility at their mesmerizing best.

The release of “Teardrop” follows the spectacular success of Newton’s Number One & Platinum debut album, ‘Hand Built By Robots’, which has so far spent two weeks at Number One on the UK album chart, as well as being a permanent fixture in the iTunes Top Ten since release (including five weeks at No1).

“Teardrop” comes hot on the heels of Newton’s last two singles, “Dream Catch Me” and “All I Got” which is currently riding high inside the UK Airplay Chart Top Ten.

A true DIY phenomenon (Myspace plays now well over 1 million) Newton has become a genuine grass roots success story as his sell-out EP’s, headline dates and support slots have gathered new fans and rave reviews alike. Newton has sold out all dates on his November nationwide tour and has just announced his biggest UK Tour to date through February and March 2008.

Newton Faulkner “Teardrop” review, watch video + more tour dates

Newton Faulkner 2008 UK tour dates:

Dates could change! Go to Newton Faulkner’s Official Website for the latest tour dates and information.

21st February Exeter University 01392 263 518
22nd February Portsmouth Guildhall 02392 824 355
23rd February Cambridge Corn Exchange 01223 357 851
24th February Birmingham Academy 0844 477 2000
26th February Newcastle Academy 0844 477 2000
27th February Aberdeen Music Hall 0870 169 0100
28th February Glasgow Barrowlands 0870 169 0100
29th February Leeds University 0113 244 5600
2nd March Manchester Apollo 0844 477 7677
3rd March Liverpool University 0870 320 7000
5th March London Roundhouse 0870 389 1846
7th March Bristol Colston Hall 0117 922 3686

24 Hour Credit Card Hotline 0871 2200 260. Tickets are also available from GigsandTours.com priced at £16 for London, £13.50 for other dates.

‘Newton’s cover of “Teardrop” is absolutely spellbinding’ – The Sun

Newton Faulkner on Myspace
Newton Faulkner Official Website

We bring you tidings of comfort and joy. Our new single, “One Christmas Wish” is out Monday December 3rd, 2007 on our very own Beehive Records via Cargo distribution.

(Read The Priscillas interview!)

Feel free to do what you will with it – play it on your radio show, write about it, put it on your Christmas compilation for your friends…or just plain LISTEN to it. Fill with joy at the key changes, and weep a tear of festive joy at the use of TWO types of bells.

2007 has been a great year with live appearances at the Camden Crawl, Bestival, Port Eliot Literary Festival, the NEC, Camden Electric Ballroom to name a few and radio plays by Gary Crowley, XFM, Rob Da Bank, Radio 1 and 2 and lovely press from NME to The Independent to Vogue.

Thank you to all of you who’ve been to our shows, bought our CD and 7″ vinyl singles, booked us, worn our T shirts, emailed us, played us on the radio, written about us, taken pictures of us, blogged about us, befriended us on MySpace, bought us drinks, or supported us in any other way. Thanks also to the support of all our London friends who voted for “(All The Way To) Holloway” to be XFM’s Song For London.

Merry Christmas Everyone and Best Wishes For 2008!!!

The single, “One Christmas Wish” was recorded and produced by Marc Waterman.

Come and see The Priscillas live – 2007 show dates:

November 15 – Gaz’s Rockin Blues, St Moritz, Wardour St, London W1
November 22 – Islington Academy, London N1 with Electric Eel Shock
November 29 – The Priscillas and Alex Zane turn on the Holloway Road Christmas lights, Nags Head, Holloway Road, London N7 at 5.30pm (broadcast live on XFM 104.9FM and via www.xfm.co.uk)
December 2 – DJ set at the Mucky Pup, London N1 from 4.30pm
December 7 – Dirty Water Club, The Boston, Tufnell Park, London N19
December 15 – Clerkenwell House, 23-27 Hatton Wall, EC1 with Kevin Rowland

For more pictures/information/show news/hair care tips, go to:

The Priscillas Official Website

Talk behind our backs at The Priscillas Message Boards

Add us to your Myspace Friends!

At his recent Electric Ballroom gig in London, newcomer Paul Steel was enthusiastically closing the set with a storming version of live favourite “Raygun” when he landed awkwardly on his foot. After two fractures of the 5th metatarsal on his left foot were confirmed, the young singer cancelled his autumn tour to much disappointment.

Now he’s back on stage supporting fellow Brightonians Electric Soft Parade. A natural born performer – this multi instrumentalist throws himself into all his epic sounding pop songs, backed by his loyal hyper coloured band mates.

Paul Steel 2007 tour dates:

24 November – Glasgow, King Tuts (Box office: 0870 169 0100)
25 November – Leeds, The Faversham (Box office: 08700 600 100)
29 November – Norwich, Arts Centre (Box office: 01603 660 352)
02 December – London, ULU (www.seetickets.com)
03 December – Brighton, Duke Of York’s (www.ticketweb.co.uk)

Paul Steel’s debut album ‘Moon Rock’ is due for release early next year on Fascination.

Sunday Times Culture – “An exciting find.”
London Paper – “verging on complete perfection.”
Loud & Quiet – “Undeniable musical brilliance.”

Paul Steel Official Website
Paul Steel on Myspace

The new video from Schoolyard Heroes for “Dude, Where’s My Skin?” is available for viewing on Purevolume. It was posted briefly on the BamboozleTV site, but has been removed due to the “graphic nature” of the video. So you’ve been warned!

Watch “Dude, Where’s My Skin?” video

Schoolyard Heroes have announced a whole slew of new tour dates in support of their album, ‘Abominations’. They are playing dates across the country with bands such as The Fall of Troy, Protest The Hero, Creature Feature, Stolen Babies, Silverstein, Greeley Estates and A Wilhelm Scream.

They are also playing Sunday’s Saints & Sinners Fest date in Asbury Park, NJ. Their tour schedule can be found below.

Download “Dude, Where’s My Skin?” MP3

“Dude, Where’s My Skin?” and 10 other tracks are only available on their Stolen Transmission debut ‘Abominations’, available in stores and through iTunes.

Schoolyard Heroes 2007 tour dates:

Dates could change! Go to Schoolyard Heroes’ Official Website for the latest tour dates and information.

w/ Silverstein, FATA & Dance Gavin Dance
November 3 – Toads Place – New Haven, CT
November 4 – Saints & Sinners 2007 (Convention Hall) – Absury Park, NJ

w/ Creature Feature & Stolen Babies
November 6 – Anchor Inn – South Bend, IN
November 7 – Hayloft – Mt. Clemens, MI
November 8 – The Reverb – Cedar Falls, IA
November 9 – The Blue Goat – Salina, KS
November 10 – The Tree – Claremore, OK
November 11 – Black Sheep – Colorado Springs, CO
November 12 – Marquis Theatre – Denver, CO
November 13 – Club NVO – Logan, UT

w/ Greeley Estates & Confide
November 18 – The Alley – Las Vegas, NV
November 19 – Avalon Theatre – Salt Lake City, UT
November 20 – American Legion – Casper, WY
November 21 – Black Sheep – Colorado Springs, CO
November 23 – Conservatory – Oklahoma City, OK
November 25 – Mojo’s Rock House – Tinley Park, IL
November 26 – Creepy Crawl – St. Louis, MO
November 27 – Juanitas – Little Rock, AR

w/ The Fall of Troy & A Wilhelm Scream
November 30 – Chameleon Club – Lancaster, PA
December 1 – The Basement – Columbus, OH
December 2 – The Rock Box – Rockford, IL
December 4 – Sokol Underground – Omaha, NE
December 5 – Aggie Theatre – Ft. Collins, CO
December 14 – El Corazon – Seattle, WA

For more information visit these websites:

Schoolyard Heroes on Myspace
Schoolyard Heroes Official Website

Innerpartysystem is one of the newest signings to NYC label Stolen Transmission (The Oohlas, The Horrors, The Photo Atlas, etc).

Stolen Transmission is re-releasing the band’s debut entitled The Download EP, which features two additional previously unreleased tracks, “Don’t Stop” and “Lovers Dancing Remix”.

Listen: “Don’t Stop” MP3

Innerpartysystem has been quickly gaining notoriety, a fact that is evident through the presence of “Heart of Fire” on the MTV VMA’s playlist, and the band has also licensed its music for 2 EA video games. The song “Don’t Stop” will appear in FIFA, and “Heart of Fire” in Burnout.

Innerpartysystem is composed of four guys who were reared in the bleak small towns that surround Reading, Pennsylvania. The weathered houses, rusted factories and sprawling farms make this the landscape of true America. These environments are stark, urban and mechanical, and they are pregnant with dark and anxious hope – sentiments that Patrick Nissley, Innerpartysystem’s main songwriter, carries in his writing.

Nissley captures this blue collar and proletariat aggression of small town America, no doubt a product of his past singing in hardcore punk bands, but he synthesizes this with influences from electronica music. Other band members Kris Barman (keyboards, guitar, programming), Jared Piccone (drums, beats, programming) and Jesse Cronan (keyboards, programming) follow cue and add textures, electronics, keyboard lines and traditional rock instrumentation to each song. It’s this intermingling of styles and instruments that gives Innerpartysystem a distinctive vision, as its songs incorporate throbbing electronic beats that nod towards Autechre or Squarepusher but also the melodic aggression that’s not far from what you’d find in Nine Inch Nails or Nirvana.

However, don’t be mislead. Despite Innerpartysystem’s darker leanings its vision is coiled in music to which you can dance. Let that be rephrased, it does not create music to which you can dance, but to which you must dance. This is what makes Innerpartysystem special. There is a depth to the dance beat. There is a lingering emotion in the lyrics. There is an undeniable energy that will make you move.

Just as any great artist can reveal their minds eye to the listener in a three minute song, Innerpartysystem somehow finds a way to do more – it takes your hand, places something important inside it, walks you through the seedy and desolate alleys of its home-town and then it holds the door for you as you gape the dark and familiar. But don’t be afraid, it’s just entertainment.

Innerpartysystem 2007 tour dates:

Dates could be added or changed! Go to Innerpartysystem’s Official Website for the latest tour dates and information.

26 October – Boston, MA – Harper’s Ferry (Paper Party)
30 November 2007 M Room Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5 December 2007 The Orchard NYC New York, New York
12 December 2007 Piano’s New York, New York
20 December 2007 Legend’s Reading

The Download EP Tracklisting:

Don’t Stop
Heart of Fire
The Way We Move
Night is Alive
The Lovers Dancing
Lovers Dancing Remix

Innerpartysystem Official Website
Innerpartysystem on Myspace

I became aware of Joe Strummer way back in 1977. I was about 13 years old and at the right age for a teenage rebellion.

Yeah, punk rock came along and killed any chance of educational qualifications. I was going to gigs in Portsmouth, England. The Locarno was my favorite haunt. At the age of 14 the door supervisors would turn a blind eye and let us under agers in. This is when I saw The Clash live for the first time. It is hard to explain with words the energy and positiveness and passion of that night. An explosion is the best way to describe it. The anger of Joe Strummer on stage I always thought left the cabaret of the Sex Pistols standing.

The Clash were the real deal live, even though most gigs the guitars were out of tune. “I’m just gonna tune up so it sounds like it does on the record. Who wants it to sound like the record? Me neither,” said Joe at one of the gigs.

To explain how The Clash educated me politically and musically is hard in these days of bland bands singing about love and boogying. To quote one of Joe’s lyrics from “(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais”: “The new groups are not concerned with what there is to be learned. They got Burton suits, ha, you think it’s funny turning rebellion in to money.”

I bunked off school and followed The Clash with some friends. We were always on the guest list, got to hang out with Joe and Paul Simonon mainly. They gave us food and booze and shelter occasionally. This was a man who didn’t want to be a pop star (I think Mick Jones did). He would take the pi** out of you and you could take the pi** back. Joe always had time for other people.

To lose Joe Strummer (real name John Mellor) back in 2002 was probably one of the biggest losses to popular music. Joe’s spirit will always be with me.

The picture above was created by a good friend of mine Milek Jakubiec.

Joe Strummer – Strummerville Official Website

By: Dave Tommo

If 2006 was all about promise for The Twang, 2007 has been all about delivery. Tipped by seemingly everyone at the start of the year, the five lads from Birmingham set about living up to such extravagant praise from the off whilst keeping their feet firmly on the ground.

First stop was the recording of debut album, the gold certified ‘Love It When I Feel Like This’ in Wolverhampton with long term associate Gavin Monaghan eschewing the big studios to keep it real. Next stop was a hectic touring schedule that saw the band’s fanbase explode and further saw the lads go to the people across the UK, a decision that has seen The Twang retain some of the most loyal and committed fans of the moment.

Then the promise was fulfilled, “Wide Awake” and “Either Way” becoming mainstays on radio, NME covers but, more importantly to the band, a Top 3 album position and increasingly big shows remain the high points of the year for The Twang. The summer saw them slay T In The Park, Phil unsure as to whether the huge crowd were all watching his band until the hands went in the air from front to back on “Either Way”, a packed John Peel Tent at Glastonbury despite the lake in the middle of the audience, two packed NME / Radio One tents at Reading and Leeds respectively and continued sales for the debut album that the band had thought about since the day they formed.

As The Twang journey around the UK on their biggest tour yet and another sell out to add to the list the boys have re-imagined one of the stand out tracks from the live set and the album for a single release on November 26th, 2007. Built around a cheeky sample of the bassline for Salt n Pepa’s “Push It” by Jon, “Push The Ghosts” has been twisted a little to emphasise the dance floor nature of groove and come out as a sparkling floor filler for the winter months ahead.

It seems even more appropriate – given that this is a song about their ambitions for the band – that it arrives to cap what has been for all five the best year of their lives. The single comes as a Double A with the band’s praised re-interpretation of Bran Van 3000’s “Drinking In LA” for Radio One’s 40th birthday celebrations, given a Midlands twist and a delicious lop sided groove. The formats also feature an unreleased acoustic version of “Push The Ghosts” and new tracks “First Sight” and “Put Your Faith”.

The Twang band members are: Phil Etheridge – vocals; Saunders – vocals; Stuart Hartland – guitars; Jon Watkin – bass; Matt Clinton – drums.

The Twang October/November 2007 UK tour dates:

Dates could change! Go to The Twang’s Official Website for the latest tour dates and information.

18.10.07 – Loughborough Uni
20.10.07 – Leeds Uni
21.10.07 – Keele Uni
22.10.07 – Norwich UEA
24.10.07 – Nottingham Rock City
25.10.07 – Birmingham Academy
26.10.07 – Brixton Academy
28.10.07 – Cardiff University
30.10.07 – Brighton Dome
31.10.07 – Exeter University
01.11.07 – Bristol Anson Rooms
02.11.07 – Oxford Academy
03.11.07 – Southampton Guildhall

The Twang Official Website
The Twang on Myspace

San Diego, California based rock band Transfer has, lucky for us, caught our attention here at Band Weblogs. The boys have managed to write and record one of THE BEST songs that I’ve heard this year. That song is called “You Are The Wolf”. Of course their other tracks are spectacularly superb, like “Bring A Knife” and their new single, “Sinking, Sailing”. The vocals, musicianship and songwriting that Transfer brings to the table along with mouthwatering chords and changes within songs, is tight, polished and top notch. – Jenny May

Transfer was gracious enough to take the time out between recording and preparing for a UK tour for an interview with BandWeblogs.com.

Compiled by: Dave Tommo

Dave Tommo: I hear you’re recording at present. How’s it going and what distractions are there in L.A.?

Transfer (Jason Cardenas): Ahhh.. the bright lights, the scantily clad celebrities, the seemingly endless supply of party drugs. We actually keep our noses to the grindstone in the studio. So far, the recording process has been pretty spectacular for us… we have the chance to work with a solid producer at a good studio, so we’re definitely taking full advantage. Lucky for us, we have a lot of friends in LA so after the work day we can always knock off and party at a buddy’s house (saves money that way).

How did Transfer come to be?

We all met through our mutual friend, Merlin Olsen. Apparently we had in common a love of leather bound books, the smell of rich mahogany, and making sweet music. Three years later, here we are.

What influenced your latest album/EP (Faded Signal/Sunken Eyes)?

I think the new Sunken Eyes EP has a much more aggressive sound than Faded Signal. I think the influence comes mainly from within on this one. Spending a lot of time together as a band, being cooped up in a van driving up and down the coast, eating rats on tour… I think it all added to writing some grittier tunes.

Where does the name Transfer come from?

It was actually the name of one of the first songs every written as Transfer. We felt that the title summed up the feeling at the time – we were in a very transitional period, both musically and personally. Of course, in hindsight we would have named the band something else… the name doesn’t really lend itself to a google search.

What’s the favorite drink(s) on the road?

Pre-show: Pabst Blue Ribbon
After-show: Jack and Coke
After-after-show: Absinthe

How do you entertain yourselves when traveling from gig to gig?

We have various methods of entertainment while traveling in our vansion – attempting to build perches out of gear and sleeping bags, drawing spot-on caricatures of bands we play with, drawing penises on the foreheads of passed out mates… lots of drawing. We’re very artistic, I guess.

What do you do when not on tour or playing music?

We go back to our pods, re-insert our feeding tubes, and hibernate until the next tour.

Where is the best place to gig?

We primarily gig the West Coast and Southwest in the US. For me, the best gigs are at sweaty dive bars that have open bar tabs for the bands. You set up your gear on the ground, play way too loud, and get really drunk. The band plays for drinks and the money at the door…that’s fu**in’ rock n’roll.

What is your recording procedure in the studio?

We usually have a real clear-cut idea of the material we’re recording and how we will record it… we’re very big on pre-production to save time and cost in the studio. We dial in tones starting with the drums, then lay down the basic tracks focusing on drums and bass. Then comes the magic…layers upon layers of sounds. We believe in laying down way too many tracks, then whittling this down during mix. This can be a real pain in the ass, but it’s definitely worth it.

Who is your favorite monkey?

Dr. Zaius, of course. That cold-hearted monkey son-of-a-bitch.

What musicians inspired you to form a band?

Too many to list in this interview… our musical inspirations run the spectrum of genres. Anything honest inspires us. Unfortunately a lot of new music today sounds pretty fake. Give us the real shit, man!

Can you tell us some of the guitar effects that you use?

Lotsa reverb, my man…big hall reverb! I usually use a combination of effects at any given time, reverb, slap back delay, backwards echo, tremolo, midgets beat-boxing… we try to run the effects gamut!!

What music are you listening to at the moment?

Music that gets the most plays in the vansion: The Besnard Lakes, Band of Horses, Tapes n’ Tapes, Led Zeppelin, The Shins, Wilco, Black Sabbath, M. Ward, ABBA.

How do you come up with your video concepts?

We haven’t delved that deeply into videos really… At this point, we’re fortunate to have some really talented friends who put together video ideas and setup of the shoots. We just roll along with the ideas. Recently, we’ve been coming up with some different video concepts we want to put together, but nothing that has come to fruition just yet.

I love the song “You Are the Wolf”. How do you conjure up such a sound?

Ahh yess, conjuring sound… we channeled the ancient spirits for that track!! Again, lotsa reverb. That was one of those songs that just about wrote itself…We jammed it out during some off time while touring in Washington. It’s one of those rare songs that was written very quickly, and hasn’t really changed at all from the original conception.

Do you get spooked out when you listen back to music that you’ve just recorded?

I think spooked may be the wrong word… analytical maybe? Hopeful? Embarrassed? I dunno…

Have you ever had a spiritual occurrence in the studio while recording?

Our drummer Cooper was once possessed by the spirit of Keith Moon while recording…He didn’t really play the drums at all, he just passed out and defecated himself. He claims he was possessed. Not sure if I buy it, though.

Transfer band members are:

Jason Cardenas (guitar/vocals)
Matt Molarius (vocals/guitar)
Jeremy Chambers (bass)
Mike Cooper (drums)

Transfer will be on tour in the UK with Leeds band Vib Gyor from October 18th – October 27th, 2007.

For more information go to:

Transfer Official Website
Transfer on Myspace

As a special exclusive to the upcoming touring partnership, Manchester Orchestra and Annuals have created an exclusive, limited edition 7-inch for fans attending the shows. Only available on the upcoming tour dates, this split vinyl 7″ contains each band covering each other’s tracks: Annuals cover Manchester Orchestra’s “Where Have You Been”, and Manchester Orchestra cover Annuals “Brother”, the Mp3s of which are available below. For the artwork, each band re-interpreted the other’s album art, featured below.

Tour Split 7″ Cover Art:

MP3 Download: Annuals covering “Where Have You Been”
MP3 Download: Manchester Orchestra covering “Brother”

Annuals are also set to release a digital-only EP, entitled ‘Frelen Mas’ (Be He Me B-Sides) which contains b-sides from the Be He Me sessions and also includes their cover of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” Details coming soon.

‘Frelen Mas’ EP Tracklisting:

1. Nah Keseyi
2. River Run
3. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
4. Misty Coy
5. Sewn to Kites
6. Such a Mess
7. Ease My Mind
8. Frelen Mas

Watch Annuals’ new video for “Carry Around” directed by Peter Sand:

Manchester Orchestra and Annuals Co-Headlining 2007 US Tour:

Dates could change! Go to the bands’ Official Websites for the latest tour dates and information.

October 26 – Drunken Unicorn – Atlanta, GA
October 27 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC
October 28 – Rock and Roll Hotel – Washington DC
October 30 – Northstar – Philadelphia, PA
October 31 – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY
November 1 – Great Scott – Boston, MA
November 2 – Le Gymnase – Montreal, QUE
November 3 – Mod Club – Toronto, ONT
November 5 – Shelter – Detroit, MI
November 6 – Subterranean – Chicago, IL
November 7 – Varsity – Minneapolis, MN
November 10 – Crocodile Cafe – Seattle, WA
November 11 – Plaza Club – Vancouver, BC
November 12 – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR
November 14 – Bottom of the Hill – San Francisco, CA
November 15 – Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA
November 16 – Epicentre – San Diego, CA
November 17 – The Clubhouse – Tempe, AZ
November 19 – HI-Dive – Denver, CO
November 20 – The Bottleneck – Lawrence, KS

Annuals: “Carry Around” YouTube video link

Annuals Official Website
Manchester Orchestra

London promoters Funkstain promotions always brings you the best in acoustic madness to brighten up our Sunday evenings.

Headlining is Douglas James Hall: who has been making waves on the London circuit playing a blend of raw, alternative & aggressive acoustic based blues & pop.

Co – headlining is the fantastic indie pop princes Rosie Oddie who is taking a break from her odd squad to play us a rare magical acoustic set – expect the unexpected.

Support comes from the fantastic Matt Hayes who ripped it up last week and is back for some more, the wonderful Iman, and all the way from Birmingham MR James Rae!

Cost : Free / 18+ Only

Open Mic: Open mic will be first come first served between 5pm – 6.30pm

Venue: Upstairs at The Paradise Pub (By Way Of Kensal Green), 19 Kilburn Lane, London, W10 4AE

Douglas James Hall
Rosie Oddie
Matty Haines
Iman
James Rea