Rave's Raves Blog

Come watch and listen to tonight’s Moheak Radio Music Meeting, airing 8-10 Pacific, 11-1 EDT. We’ll rate and debate important new releases, and we’ll cover music business topics with guests Alex Luke, Jeremy Hammond, and Scott Perry. Alex has radio experience, was recently Director of Global Music Initiatives at iTunes, and is now Executive VP of A&R at Capitol/Virgin. Jeremy has developed artists in the US from Crowded House, Radiohead and Sigur Ros to Tegan & Sara and Fanfarlo. His company is Western Front Music. Scott is a prominent digital media marketing guru. His consulting company is Sperry Media and he helps clients reach their fans online. He also publishes the New Music Tipsheet. Sat Bisla, host of the Passport Approved radio program and head of A&R Worldwide was due to join us but had to cancel today due to a family issue. We trust all turns out well with them.

Monday: Artists getting the highest kudos were The Kills, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Graffiti6, Kate Miller-Heidke, Washed Out, Portugal the Man. Thanks to our guests! Below is a link to the show as it aired.
Moheak Radio Music Meeting, August 28 by Bruce Rave

Here are links and the playlist from yesterday’s Go Deep show on Moheak Radio. It airs every Friday from 1-3p Pacific, 4-6p EDT, 9-11p GMT. You can download or stream at 128 by the hour. The Moheak Radio Music Meeting, where guests and I “rate and debate” important new releases, will air this Sunday evening from 8-10p Pacific. Guests will be industry heavies Sat Bisla (host of Passport Approved show and developer of international talent in the US), Alex Luke (A&R VP at EMI, formerly an iTunes exec),  Scott Perry (digital media expert and publisher of the New Music Tipsheet), and Jeremy Hammond (international music business expert who has handled US affairs for artists such as Sigur Ros and Fanfarlo).

Hour 1

Hour 2

The Rapture – Children (Song reminds of MGMT’s “Kids”)
The Joy Formidable – Austere (Their “Whirring” now top 10 national airplay)
Foster the People – Miss You (Reading, Leeds festivals this weekend in UK)
Florence & the Machine – What the Water Gave Me (First listen from November album)
Noel Gallagher – The Death of You and Me (Now in court case with bro Liam)
TeddyBears f/ Flaming Lips – Crystal Meth Christian (US dates in mid-September)
Handsome Furs – Repatriated (LA date a week from tonight)
The Horrors – I Can See Through You (Reading, Leeds this weekend)
Arctic Monkeys – Library Pictures (No new recording until 2013)
Butch Walker & the Black Widows – Day Drunk (2nd played track from Tuesday’s CD release)
The Subways – We Don’t Need Money to Have A Good Time (New UK single)
She Wants Revenge – Must Be the One (Their original choice for 1st single)
The Californian – The Man With the Goodnight Gun (Band referred to us by She Wants Revenge)
Ursula 1000 – Mondo Beyondo (This is DJ Alex Gimeno from Brooklyn)
Ida Maria – I Eat Boys Like You For Breakfast (Our interview on brucerave YouTube channel)
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Tigers (The current single )
Kate Miller-Heidke – Are You F*cking Kidding Me (Talented, funny Australian singer)
All Mankind – Can You Hear Me (Pretty song by Sydney band)
tUnE-yArDs – Gangsta (New England group off to Europe)
Fitz & the Tantrums – Don’t Gotta Work It Out (Guessing their Maryland date tomorrow is cancelled?)
Lykke Li – Rick Kid Blues (Moheak giving away tix for her Pamona show)
My Morning Jacket – Outta My System (Consistently good response when played )
The Features – How It Starts (Nashville band plays hometown gig tomorrow)
Titus Andronicus – Breed (Popular Nirvana cover)
Ladytron – White Elephant (Album coming in a few weeks)
The Rapture – Never Die Again (Probably my fave besides the single)
Erasure – When I Start To (Break It All Down) (Pretty new single for the guys)
Anna Calvi – Surrender (Cool Elvis cover)

Two killer albums are bookending our US summer. Teddybears dropped on July 5 and The Rapture’s newest becomes official on September 6. Both of these have a great shot at making my year-end list, and both deserve to be streamed in their entirely.

Teddybears—Devil’s Music…Hard to believe, but these versatile Swedes have been together for 20 years now. Their “Cobrastyle” made it onto countless commercials a few years ago, and they had their “Punkrocker” hit with Iggy Pop. This may be their best album to date and each track very much has its own identity. “Cho Cha” with Cee-Lo and Fred Schneider is a nice single, but I feel there are stronger tracks. Tips include “Crystal Meth Christian” (featuring The Flaming Lips), “Rocket Scientist” (featuring Eve), and Get Mama aHouse (featuring B.o.B.). Robyn fans should check out “Cardiac Arrest”, featuring her vocals. They will be touring the US in September.

The Rapture—In the Grace of Your Love…It’s been 5 years since we last heard from them, and they’ve returned as a rejuvenated 3-piece. They no longer have the edge of “House of Jealous Lovers” but maturity suits this album just fine. Just about every track works, and picking faves isn’t an easy process. Having to listen repeatedly hasn’t exactly been a chore. Besides the single “How Deep Is Your Love” (thankfully not a Bee Gees cover), “Never Die Again”, “Can You Find A Way”, and “Children” stand out among others.

!!! made the long drive worthwhile

Now in its second year, The Pacific Festival has the potential to evolve into a major event. Most of the 60 artists were electronic, but people like Snoop Dog and Black Lips were also on the bill. I was most interested in seeing Cut Copy, !!!, and Calvin Harris. The scenic festival takes place in a large remote park on Lake Irvine in Southeastern Orange County. It’s a pain in the ass to get to, but we felt it was worthwhile once we were inside. Tickets were available onsite, and a crowd of 10,000 was anticipated. One thing that needs to improve are the beer lines, which were way too long and too slow even in VIP and backstage. Then again, staying completely sober wasn’t a bad idea since I was designated driving.

!!! are good live. We arrived halfway through their set and their energy immediately made the long journey worthwhile. Calvin Harris totally crushed it with his festive set that had just about everyone in the crowd jumping around. Cut Copy were scheduled to go on at midnight but we needed to be back up in LA by then. I was sorry to miss them and also Black Lips, who are consistently good.

Uber cool DJ bus didn't draw the hoped-for dance crowds during the day

Here are links and the playlist from yesterday’s Go Deep show on Moheak Radio. It airs every Friday from 1-3p Pacific, 4-6p EDT, 9-11p GMT. You can download or stream at 128 by the hour.

Hour 1

Hour 2

Pajama Club – Tell Me What You Want (Neil Finn of Crowded House plus his wife)
The Kills – Nail In My Coffin (Their “Future Starts Slow” track continues to grow)
Muse – MK Ultra (Band going into studio next month)
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Senator (My Rave’s Fave of the Week)
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Same Mistake (Sunset Junction Festival in LA next weekend)
Mariachi El Bronx – 48 Roses (Lots of love for this song)
The Motels – Who Could Resist That Face (Great song from just-released Apocalypso album)
Sly Stone – Dance to the Music (Ray Manzarek plays on this updated version)
Jim Jones Revue – High Horse (Supposed to be great live band)
Soft Swells – Every Little Thing (LA band picking up national attention)
The Airborne Toxic Event – All I Ever Wanted (This is their new single)
The Rapture – Sail Away (Find their new album streaming online)
Arctic Monkeys – The Hellcat Spangled Shalala (Their current single)
The Postelles – 123 Stop (Fall dates with The Wombats and The Kooks)
Butch Walker & the Black Widows – Summer of ’89 (Album release date is August 30)
Little Dragon – Ritual Union (Beginning of Hour 2)
The Kooks – Junk of the Heart (European dates next few weeks )
Drawn From Bees – Of Walls and Teeth (New single and sound from Brisbane band)
The Features – Big Mama Gonna Whip Us Good (Great reports on their recent live show in LA)
Justice – Civilization (October release date for full-length)
TeddyBears f/ Eve – Rocket Scientist (Band formed in ’91)
Foster the People – Warrant (Off to Portugal, Ibiza, UK)
My Morning Jacket – Holding Onto Black Metal (Alabama and Georgia this weekend)
Sleeper Agent – Force A Smile (Physical release of album coming next month)
Kasabian – Days Are Forgotten (An interesting LL Cool J remix of this is online)
Theophilus London – I Stand Alone (Caused live stir at Cannes Film Festival this year)
Archers of Loaf – Web In Front (Band from North Carolina)
!!! (chk chk chk) – AM/FM (Band did a great job at Pacific Festival)

Come watch and listen tonight as we rate and debate important new releases. Guests will be Blake Miller (best known as leader of Moving Units), music marketing expert Elijah Kim (who toiled at Universal Music), and our Moheak Radio Besement Sessions co-hosts Reg B. and Rayne. We’ll probably hear some of Blake’s upcoming solo project. You can expect us to hit on Jane’s Addiction, Deadmau5, a brand new Arctic Monkeys track, and of course many more.  The program airs 8-10p Pacific, 11-1a EDT, 4-6a Monday GMT. There will be a Monday update, letting you know which artists got the best overall responses.

Monday Update: Of the national artists we played, highest consensus went to Jane’s Addiction, TeddyBears, and Mariachi El Bronx. The Horrors and Arctic Monkeys songs nailed it as well. We really liked tracks from local bands Plaque Vendor and Vanapresta.

Here are links and the playlist from yesterday’s Go Deep show on Moheak Radio. It airs every Friday from 1-3p Pacific, 4-6p EDT, 9-11p GMT. You can download or stream at 128 by the hour. The Moheak Radio Music Meeting, where guests and I “rate and debate” important new releases, will air 8-10p Pacific the next three Sundays in August.

Hour 1

Hour 2

Mariachi El Bronx – 48 Roses (Bronx side project nailed their Leno gig )
Cults – Bumper (Touring this fall with Foster the People)
Cold Cave – Confetti (Track picking up some airplay)
Arctic Monkeys w/ Miles Kane – Little Illusion Machine (b-side of latest single)
Miles Kane – Come Closer (from Miles’ solo album, out a few months ago in UK)
My Morning Jacket – First Light (Closing Lolla set last Saturday)
Deadmau5 – Professional Griefers (Played to tens of thousands at Lolla)
TeddyBears – Get Mama A House (U.S. dates this fall)
The Vaccines – Wreckin’ Bar (Strong Lolla gig on Friday)
The Californian – Everybody Loves You (LA band referred by DJ Adam12 of She Wants Revenge)
Cold War Kids – Louder Than Ever (Nice crowd, good set at Lolla)
The Airborne Toxic Event – All For A Woman (Austin City Limits in Sept)
Cut Copy – Need You Now (Pacific Festival tomorrow)
Fitz & the Tantrums – L.O.V. (Rocked the Lolla crowd as expected)
Lykke Li – Youth Knows No Pain (Highly anticipated Lolla set)
Flogging Molly – Don’t Shut ‘Em Down (Probably the most festive non-headliner at Lolla)
Titus Andronicus – Breed (Wish their 12:30 Sunday Lolla set was later)
Kasabian – Switchblade Smile (12 year old band originally called Saracuse)
Noel Gallagher – The Death of You and Me (Harder rockers to be included on album)
Beady Eye – Blue Moon (Cover of 50’s hit)
Jane’s Addiction – Irresistible Force (Biggest spin increase on alternative radio)
The Kills – You Don’t Own the Road (So many Lolla fans wanted to see them)
M83 – Midnight City (Fall dates planned in US)
Handsome Furs – Repatriated (Boston and New York this coming week)
The Rapture – How Deep Is Your Love (Will tour this fall)
Grace Jones – Sunset Sunrise (New “Hurricane” album very low-key)

My Morning Jacket onstage at sunset with Chicago Skyline in view

There’s only one major urban festival that I know of, and it takes place in my native city of Chicago. There’s lots to be said for being able to take a train to a music festival and chatting with other upbeat music fans, as opposed to sitting for hours in traffic jams to remote locations. The space is huge: 115 acres. It’s much longer than wide. The two main stages are over a mile apart, which means long walks. Rarely did this festival feel crowded even though 90,000 were in attendance every day, The sheer size meant there was little sound bleed from one stage to another, a refreshing upgrade from events such as Coachella. We Chicagoans grew up with a love of Buckingham Fountain, which was right in the center, where it should be! See the pic below. You Tube streamed many of the sets, and most can now be seen on the uber cool The Audio Perv site.

I was there Saturday and Sunday. The Friday lineup featured Muse as a headliner, and also Coachella breakout bands Foster the People and Two Door Cinema Club. Throngs turned out to see a killer Kills set. There were strong reports on Skrillex, The Vaccines, and Ratatat among others. The dance tent (Perry’s) was expanded this year and was a huge hit, where the 20,000 capacity often wasn’t enough. In the words of Perry Farrell, “dance music is the new punk rock”.

Of course, it’s impossible to catch every band we want to see. Consistent live force Friendly Fires added fans on Saturday, especially those who’d never seen them before. Their second album isn’t quite as festive as the debut, so their music isn’t quite as festival friendly as it was. On the other end, Fitz & the Tantrums were killing it as I arrived for their last two songs. Too bad the sets began only 15 minutes apart. Big Audio Dynamite made their fans happy, while Local Natives’ late-afternoon harmonies went down like a sweet iced tea. The Drums have filled out their sound by adding synths, a positive move for the band. Lykke Li’s set was highly anticipated and was very musical, although I was hoping the first half of her show would rocked a little more. My Morning Jacket are an awesome live band. The picture above depicts the beauty of the scene. They drew well, but I expected an even larger crowd to be on hand. I left their set to catch some Beirut, who always sound great. Their horn section killed. On the other end, people were loving Eminem from what I heard.

Flogging Molly are about as festive as a band can be, and I seriously doubt that any event could even consider turning them down. People were dancing everywhere and the reaction was top-tier among the among non-headliners. Cage the Elephant seemed to suffer from bad sound, and they didn’t have the energy I’ve heard from them in the past. The first of two torrential downpours delayed Arctic Monkeys’ set for a few minutes, but we had to think they felt right at home after playing at so many wet UK extravaganzas. They crushed it as always. Foo Fighters aced their headlining slot, doing exactly what they do. While the crowd was thinner following a second heavy rain squall, tens of thousands still turned out for Deadmau5. It was confirmation that they’ve ascended to the top tier of the electronic world. Cold War Kids were forced to compete with these final two shows, and the field fronting their stage was filled with water. That didn’t deter a sizable, appreciative group from hanging in with them and their strong set.

Again, streams from most of these sets are posted on The Audio Perv. I’ve been heading there to check out bands that I missed this past weekend.

The iconic Buckingham Fountain, right in the middle of Lollapalooza

Those Darlins brought serious energy, serious fun, and some good songs

Three shows over four late-July nights:

The Manchester band Wu Lyf (World Unite Lucifer Youth Foundation)brought their buzz to The Echo as part of a quick US jaunt. They’re growing and controversial in the UK, where they’ve refused all label overtures and have given irreverent interviews to majors such as the BBC. They’re interesting and know what they’re doing onstage, but I wasn’t as high on them as most people I spoke with that night. I just don’t know if what they’re doing can translate to a US audience, but time will tell. Crystal Antlers opened the festivities. Given their prominence, it’s interesting their appearance was unannounced. They’re quite big with the Pitchfork crowd, which says lots for them. The group is real solid but not my glass of scotch.

The Australian band Cloud Control moved to London a few months ago. They were signed by the Infectious Records label that has had great UK success the with Aussie band The Temper Trap. The head of Infectious said she’d never sign another Aussie group due to the distance, but she found this band irresistible. Their sweet harmonies have earned them a nickname of the Australian Fleet Foxes, and they know how to play. I’m not sure their songs are quite ready for US prime time, but they’ve got major promise. Eleanor Friedberger preceded them on this good-vibe evening at The Satellite LA. She’s half of The Firey Furnaces but was onstage alone, supporting her solo album. It was a heart-warming set that featured her “My Mistake” song that is getting some radio airplay.

Back to The Echo, where Those Darlins proved themselves to be a fun Tennessee band with strong potential. They’ve got energy and hooks. Their first album had more of a country feel while the follow-up brought out more of their punk leanings. Their encore was the sickest part of the show, and that’s when we saw the most variety. It was a long set and they worked hard, but the band might have benefited by shortening the main set by a song or two. Seattle group Motopony opened. They’ve got some great ideas but the show in its entirely didn’t quite jell. They’re getting national attention and are a band to watch.

Here are the playlist and links for the most recent Go Deep show on Moheak Radio. It airs live every Friday from 1-3p Pacific, 4-6p EDT, 9-11p GMT.  The hourly links are just below. The Moheak Radio Music Meeting will next air on Sunday, August 14 at 8p Pacific.

Hour 1

Hour 2

Butch Walker & the Black Widows – Summer of ’89 (Perfect way to begin a summer show)
Sleeper Agent – Get It Daddy (Song picking up national airplay)
TeddyBears f/ Eve – Rocket Scientist (Yet another sick TB track–Rave’s Faves of the Week)
Jane’s Addiction – Irresistible Force (Brand new single for them)
My Morning Jacket – Outta My System (Okonokos concert video shows them off as ace jam band)
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Same Mistake (Song becoming a current fave)
Golden State – Setting Sun (Nice buzz on this LA band)
Handsome Furs – Repatriated (Title means being sent back to original country)
Noel Gallagher – The Death of You and Me (Hearing there will be rockers on the album)
Tom Morello: The Night Watchman – It Begins Tonight (Rage/Muse headlined in LA last Saturday. )
Titus Andronicus – Breed (Nirvana cover from SPIN compilation)
The Ettes – Excuse (Late-August date at The Echo/LA)
She Wants Revenge – Must Be the One (Their original choice for 1st single)
Arctic Monkeys – She’s Thunderstorms (Seattle and Portland next week)
The Kooks – Junk of the Heart (Another week of increased American airplay)
The Horrors – I Can See Through You (Album out in US next Tuesday)
Florence & the Machine – Not Fade Away (This cover was recorded in New Orleans)
Theophilus London – I Stand Alone (Brooklyn dude)
The Subways – It’s A Party (Great live band releasing next album early September)
Two Door Cinema Club – I Can Talk (Long-ago first single )
Justice – Civilization (Album done, hear it’s more rock-oriented)
Kasabian – Days Are Forgotten (Wrote groove first, built song from there)
The Kills – Future Starts Slow (New US radio track picking up steam)
The Vaccines – Post Break-Up Sex (Lolla this weekend, Outside Lands next weekend)
M83 – Midnight City (Killed it on Moheak Radio Music Meeting last Sunday)
Foster the People – Houdini (Chicago today @ Lolla, then House Of Blues)
Friendly Fires – Hawaiian Air (August festivals in Japan, Holland, UK)
Gomez – Options (Recently on Leno and Letterman)
Viva Brother – Still Here (Album finally out this month)
Eleanor Friedberger – My Mistake (Very pleasant solo set at Satellite LA)