Love these guys. So bummed I had the flu when they played Shadow Lounge a few weeks back…sigh…

photo ©2009 geekstar.com

Cursive is currently touring the United States in support of their new album, I Am Gemini. The band will be playing at Mr. Smalls on Wednesday, March 28th with Cymbals Eat Guitars and Conduits.

I Am Gemini was recorded at Omaha’s ARC Studios and mixed at Red Room in Seattle, WA, with producer Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Minus The Bear, Isis).  The album tells the tale of Cassius and Pollock, twin brothers who were separated at birth. One good and one evil, their unexpected reunion in a house that is not a home ignites a classic struggle for the soul, played out with a cast of supporting characters that includes a chorus of angels and devils, and twin sisters conjoined at the head.

Recorded in the summer/fall of 2011 at Omaha, NE’s ARC Studios and mixed at Red Room in Seattle, WA with producer Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Minus The Bear, Isis), I Am Gemini marks the first time front man Tim Kasher, holding the completed story already in mind, wrote album lyrics in a linear fashion, in order, from song 1 to song 13.  The result is thirteen singularly cohesive song chapters that blend effortlessly into one unique narrative.

The moody and playfully sinister I Am Gemini is Cursive’s musically heaviest in years, with alternately muscular and angular guitars, pounding drums and driving bass. From the eerie introductory sounds of epic barnstormer “This House Alive” and the irresistibly catchy, insistent “The Sun and Moon”, to the searing “Double Dead” and the split personality prog-pop of “Twin Dragon/Hello Skeleton”, to the roaring, mournful closing track “Eulogy for No Name”, the album is a dynamic, mind-bending, and imaginative ride.

Cursive with guests Cymbals Eat Guitars and Conduits
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Mr. Smalls Theatre
Doors: 7pm, Music: 8pm | All Ages
Tix: $16 adv, $18 dos

Bittersweet is the word the Söderberg sisters prefer to describe their music. “We like bittersweet songs, songs that affect you differently depending on how you interpret them,” says Klara, the younger of the Swedish siblings that make up First Aid Kit. “Making the melodies and lyrics head in different directions is very deliberate,” adds big sister Johanna. “A song like ‘Emmylou’ sounds cheerful, but the lyrics are the saddest thing you ever heard.”

First Aid Kit recently released a video for “Emmylou”—the second single off their new album, The Lion’s Roar (via Wichita Recordings). The video, which was directed by Maximilla Lukacs, features sisters Klara and Johanna Soderberg as they wander through a rustic oasis of beautiful dust clouds, and sing to a blue-sky overhead.

Shot at Joshua Tree National Park in California, the dusty desert is the perfect landscape to accompany the song’s classical country affection. According to the Soderbergs, “Emmylou” is “a tribute to some of our favorite country musicians – Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons, June Carter and Johnny Cash. It’s about the power of singing together with someone you love.”

First Aid Kit’s first US-recorded album, The Lion’s Roar, juxtaposes sadness and beauty in the best traditions of folk and country music. They even cite the Louvin Brothers’ cheerfully brutal version of the old murder ballad “Knoxville Girl” as the perfect example of the sweet and sour they adore. And this new carefully constructed collection deftly succeeds in setting references to their hometown of Stockholm and long, dark Scandinavian winters against a backdrop of country-rock swing.

Gene The Werewolf
Bear Cub
Of An Empire

Friday, March 16 2012
REX Theatre (1602 E. Carson Street)
8:00 PM – All Ages

Iron City Sound, presented by Iron City Beer, presents Gene The Werewolf, Bear Cub, and Of An Empire this coming Friday night at the REX Theatre in Pittsburgh’s South Side. All three bands share Pittsburgh roots, although Bear Cub has since relocated to Nashville. You won’t want to miss the opportunity to see all three bands play together. Come experience why Pittsburgh’s burgeoning music scene is getting national attention.

Bear Cub: The Jinx

Of An Empire: What You Never Do

I pretty much freaked when I read on Twitter that Trampled by Turtles was coming back to Pittsburgh in April. I first saw the band at the Tractor Tavern while visiting an old Pittsburgh friend, James, in Seattle. We were on a blue grass rampage and had already seen seven blue grass bands play in a period of three days. James commented Trampled by Turtles was the best blue grass he had seen to date. I totally agree and still do.

The band beautifully plays the banjo, fiddle and mandolin. TBT is known for their ballads and twangy upbeat songs that get the crowd dancing and hollering. It got pretty rowdy when we saw them at The Tractor. I’m hoping the same happens at Smalls.

Paste Magazine names Trampled by Turtles one of the top 25 acts to see live in 2011.

Trampled by Turtles
Saturday, April 14
Mr. Smalls, Millvale
Concert Info Here

Just for fun…

Help bring the Decentralized Dance Party to Pittsburgh!

http://kck.st/rX5xOv

What is DDP?
The Decentralized Dance Party (DDP) is a portable, battery-powered Party System. It consists of hundreds of Party people, carrying boomboxes, and a DJ who wears a backpack, containing an FM transmitter. All the boomboxes are tuned into the DJ’s master FM broadcast, resulting in a mobile, synchronized sound system!

This Portable Dance Party roams the night, generating complete awesomeness, street by street and block by block, onto buses and subways, into public fountains and beyond. Inevitably interfacing with the public, together we create an infectious epidemic of fun. A Roaming Party Adventure that lasts all night long!

More than a Party, the DDP has proven to be a very interesting social experiment; clearly demonstrating that thousands of people of all ages, cultures and social groups can come together to celebrate life and get crazy in our public spaces without causing any trouble. That is why the DDP is also known as “The Party Revolution”. It is a unique force that has the power to unify and inspire people in ways never before imagined.

When is DDP Pittsburgh?
Friday, April 27 at 8 PM with location to be announced!!
CLICK TO VIEW THE FACEBOOK EVENT

BUT THE PARTY WON’T HAPPEN IF WE DON’T REACH OUR KICKSTARTER GOAL by Feb.10th!

GIVE A DOLLA (or more) THROUGH KICKSTARTER:

http://kck.st/rX5xOv

We are at $727 dollars and need to raise $1000 to make it happen! Only 6 more days left! If everyone, gives at least a dolla, we will make it happen!

THE THEME:
This is the Strictly Business Tour. That means you MUST wear Business Attire (suits, ties, cufflinks, glasses, nice shoes, sexy skirts, gel that hair, etc) and bring along as much business paraphernalia as possible (wheeled office chairs, briefcases, rolodexes, calculators, coffee machines+mugs, water coolers, filing cabinets, etc. get Creative and get Crazy). You can buy suits at Value Village and Salvation Army for like $10 so NO EXCUSES!

Give a dolla on Kickstarter Geekstar friends! Give $20 and score a sweet Fanny Pack of AWESOMENESS!

VIDEO:

WATERS opened the Clap Your Hands Say Yeah show with a stellar performance. I’m a huge fan of their debut album, Out in the Light. The band exuded energy and purposefully engaged the audience. It was so refreshing to see a band who sounded amazing live (not just on their recorded album) and who absolutely seemed to enjoy performing. I’m sure a large portion of the audience was there to see Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, since they have a large following, but in my opinion WATERS stole the show.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah also put on a great show. My friend and I wished they had a bit more energy, but their musi sounded polished and the band was tight.

Mr. Smalls has received a bit of a revamp. My friend and I were greeted at the entry by one, very friendly manager. He informed us that the venue now serves hot food included BBQ. This was perfect since I had just traveled from work and an event at the Warhol. One veggie burger please! The burger was delish, especially topped with what the chef (see below) calls ‘Badger Sauce”. Super yum and cheap!

This photo pictures the hot dog my friend ordered. I have to say the cool edgy photo effects makes the hot dog look old and let’s be honest, gross. However, it was a specialty dog topped with strawberry jam and swiss cheese. Yes, you heard that right. My friend loved it (she’s a foodie)! She talked several other concert-goers into purchasing one too!

Who: Waters with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
When: Tuesday, December 6
Where: Mr. Smalls

WATERS is the new project from former Port O’Brien front man, Van Pierszalowski. Out In The Light is a collection of songs with fuzzy, pealing guitars, crashing drums and sometimes soaring, sometimes-languid melodies. Even before the album was released, it had already garnered favorable press from media outlets RCRD LBL, Stereogum, and Spinner.

According to Van, “The record is about waking up. It is about getting out of a situation that seems endless, and realizing you’re not too old to make dramatic and sudden changes in your life. It is about starting over.” This makes sense due to the fact that Van’s previous band, Port O’ Brien,  had recently disbanded in 2010. Needing a break from music and touring, Van went on a worldwide journey that began in Oslo, Norway. Next he spent time in Alaska and California then onwards to Brooklyn. Finally, Van ended up back in Norway where he now felt inspired and ready to write music again. That sometimes happens after one gets to swim in fjords and work on salmon boats over the course of a year. Van gathered together a group of local musicians which eventually resulted in WATERS’ album, Out In the Light.

WATERS will be opening for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah this coming Tuesday at Mr. Smalls. This will be a killer show that you’ll regret missing if you don’t go. Seriously.

Download these free MP3s from WATERS:

WATERS: For The One

WATERS: O Holy Break of Day

WATERS “For the One” Official Video from WATERS on Vimeo.