Mercury Prize nominated indie-electro-pop quartet, Metronomy, are set to release The English Riviera Unreleased Remixes, via Big Beat Records and Because Music, on March 6th.  As the title would suggest, the collection features thirteen reworkings of tracks from the group’s critically acclaimed third album, The English Riviera.  The English Riviera, which has sold over 150,000 copies worldwide, was proclaimed by NYLON Magazine the 2nd best album of 2011 calling it a “sexy and sultry…modest masterpiece.”  In addition to two new reworks of the single ‘The Look’ (which Huffington Post ranked among their top songs of 2011), the release presents left of center versions by much loved producers Benoit & Sergio, Ewan Pearson, Camo & Krooked, Jesse Rose, Soul Clap, and more.

Comprised of multi-instrumentalist front-man Joseph Mount, keyboardist Oscar Cash, drummer Anna Prior, and bassist Gbenga Adelekan, Metronomy are heading out for a North American Tour this Spring.  The tour, which puts the foursome out on the road with Brooklyn indie band Friends, will showcase Metronomy’s signature sound and bring a much needed spark of bliss to end the of Winter.  The group is particularly excited to announce their inclusion on this year’s already sold out Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California as well as Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Florida.

LISTEN TO ‘CORINNE (BENOIT & SERGIO COVER)’ HERE: 

METRONOMY TOUR DATES

Sat March 24       Miami, FL                         Ultra Music Festival

Sun Mar 25          Atlanta, GA                      Masquerade

Tue Mar 27          Washington, DC                Rock N Roll Hotel

Wed Mar 28         Philadelphia, PA               Theater of Living Arts

Fri Mar 30            New York, NY                   Irving Plaza

Sat Mar 31           Boston, MA                      Brighton Music Hall

Sun Apr 1            Montreal, QC                    Metropolis Theatre

Mon Apr 2            Toronto, ON                     The Hoxton

Wed Apr 4            Chicago, IL                      Lincoln Hall

Thu Apr 5             Minneapolis, MN              7th Street Entry

Thu Apr 12           San Francisco, CA           Slim’s

Sun Apr 15           Indio, CA                         Coachella

Sun Apr 22           Indio, CA                         Coachella

If you’re into bands like The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, My Bloody Valentine and Los Campesinos!, check out Chattanooga based noise-pop Moonlight Bride and their new EP Twin Lakes (out feb 28th). 

New music from South Florida noise duo – The Band in Heaven is available on 7″ featuring the track “Sludgy Dreams” on HoZac Records
Watch the original Alice Cohen created video for “Sludgy Dreams” above or the alternate version – “Sludgy Dreams/Sleazy Dreams” HERE.

Soft Lighting is the solo work of Bryan Cox, Kansas City based musician/producer. Equipped with a Juno60 and a bedroom studio, Cox makes his own brand of light headed pop music influenced by Italo Disco, 80s film soundtracks and contemporary Chillwave artists.

Soft Lighting – Slow Motion Silhouettes (3/1/2012)

Soft Lighting on Facebook

In the early 1990s, Seattle was the focal point of an emerging musical underground. The Gits helped spearhead this new scene. Their sound was proto-grunge and all-out punk aggression.  The earnest, blues wail of front woman Mia Zapata was its center. Mia was the very embodiment of riot grrrl intensity, talent, and humanity. Her uncompromised integrity epitomized a way of life that influenced an entire generation of female artists to follow. Upon returning from a successful European tour -and at the height of The Gits’ popularity- singer Mia Zapata was found raped and murdered, unfairly abbreviating the band’s fable. Incredibly, more than a decade later, new evidence would surface, Mia’s case file would be reopened, and a suspect would be brought to justice –as cameras rolled.

The Gits is an account of overcoming adversity, addiction, love, loss and pain. It’s a punk rock mystery, but not merely a tale of tragedy. It’s the mythic story of a great American Rock N Roll band.

Watch the full film HERE.

Watch more free documentaries

Immerse yourself in the energetic, innovative and potentially illegal world of mash-up media with RiP: A remix manifesto. Let web activist Brett Gaylor and musician Greg Gillis, better known as Girl Talk, serve as your digital tour guides on a probing investigation into how culture builds upon culture in the information age.

Brett Gaylor is a documentary filmmaker and new media director. He is the creator of opensourcecinema.org, a video remix community which supports the production of his feature documentary RiP: A remix manifesto. He is also the web producer of the Homeless Nation.org, a web project dedicated to bridging the digital divide – allowing everyone to participate in online culture.

Michael McDonald, Cee Lo, Ryan Adams and Childish Gambino (aka Donald Glover) share song cameos in this animated 30 rock webisode. Donaghy needs to find a Super Bowl halftime performer to replace an injured Madonna and the four singers must compete against each other, while singing NBC theme songs. Don’t miss the Michael McDonald Saved by the Bell theme cover.

Their goal was to see, experience and contemplate the effects of climate change first-hand – and to begin a creative conversation with the rest of the world about one of the most important and pressing issues facing the future of humanity.

Watch the full film HERE

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The four-piece band from Boise, Idaho known to the universe as Shades bring an eclectic mix of woozy melodic synths, crunched drums, smooth vocals and sweet vibes. “Clear Motions” will be released in January. We’re very excited to share a fantastic collection of songs that flow brilliantly into each other as warm waves grab the soul with emotion. Perfect for fans of Small Black, Washed Out, and love Shoegaze Electronica.
Shades on Facebook

BUY ON iTUNES

Transport is a short film collaboration between comedian/musician/maverick Reggie Watts and photographer Noah Kalina. Watts not only makes crazy beats and sounds with his voice, but also acts in this elegantly shot black and white walkabout.  Check out more of Watts here. 

Before sketch comedy duo Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney fame and Fred Armisen of SNL teamed up to make Portlandia, there was Thunderant.com; a series of awkward moments, misunderstandings, well-intentioned failures, and celebrations of cluelessness.  Watch the comedy side-project on the Thunderant Website or Thunderant on iTunes.

Thunderant Website
Thunderant on iTunes

The War On Drugs are excited to share the brand new video for the dylan-esc track “Brothers,” one of the many highlights off their stellar Slave Ambient. Following the more kaleidoscopic videos for “Baby Missiles” and “Come to the City,” the “Brothers” video, definitely takes a different approach with its bleak western narrative. Here’s what the director team of Brewer, a pair of brothers (Ben and Alex), had to say about the video:

“We kept picturing it as the soundtrack to a dark western like Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid or Unforgiven. That is where the deranged T.V cowboy character came from. We wanted the video to feel like the most exciting five minutes taken out of a longer movie. The biggest challenge in the filming was how to make the old cowboy (played by David Weindel) seem threatening, and how to make the nurse (played by Tallie Medel) seem like she was dealing with the situation the way a normal person might really handle such a nightmare.”

The War On Drugs’ “Come to the City” 7-inch single is available this week on Secretly Canadian. Listen to the b-side, “Don’t Fear The Ghost” 

Tracing the steps of “grunge” from its subversive inception, to its global rise, to the multimillion pop culture phenomenon
Tracing the steps of “grunge” from its subversive inception in neighborhood basements to its global rise to the multimillion dollar pop culture phenomenon, HYPE! incorporates hilarious interviews with rare concert footage of bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, and The Melvins. Filmed over three years in 24 track digital sound, HYPE! casts a discriminating look on how the fuse was lit on the northwest rock explosion.

Watch the full film HERE
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Husband is Gianlorenzo (Buzz Aldrin) and Chiara from Bologna.  Offsetting the driving Italo-pop dronetronica rhythms of their track “Slow Motion” is this strangely uneasy video filmed and edited by Ailien Reyes, which features the duo’s shared love of volcanoes.

Fader have just posted Rick Rubin’s remix of “On’n'On” by Justice. It’s from the EP for the song they have dropping on Monday. Check below for links and a hilarious note from Justice’s manager/label head Busy P:

Stream: Justice, “On’n’on (Rick Rubin Remix)”

ONCE UPON A TIME RICK RUBIN

It all started in 1989, I visited my brother in Canada, where he was living with my dad. We went record shopping, probably one of the first time I was buying my own records, my first real choices let’s say. Before that I was just the little brother, listening to what the family was listening, following my brother’s music taste ; Pink Floyd, Led Zep, Metallica, The Cure etc…I ended up with a bunch of cassette tapes : RUN DMC “Tougher Than Leather”, THE CULT “Electric” and BEASTIE BOYS “Licensed to Ill”. Don’t ask me why, but a funny name appeared on the credits of each tapes! produced by RICK RUBIN
No need to lie to you, at that time I did not know what was the meaning of it and I don’t think I really cared… Skateboarding was all I had, every week-end, then almost everyday, I cruised in the streets of Paris. Naturally (thanx to Thrasher magazine) I discovered SLAYER, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS and DINOSAUR JR (but we don’t need them here) And again! THAT name RICK RUBIN was written in the credits, even in capitals on the back of the records. Who’s that guy ? Is he the manager of the bands? nope Is he running the label or something ? nope… errr I mean YES! not always, but wait, are you telling me that man created DEF JAM with Russell Simmons ???? The label of LL COOL J, BEASTIE BOYS, PUBLIC ENEMY… OUI it’s him!
Oh I see now, he’s also behind the clash AEROSMITH vs RUN DMC “Walk this way”, what’s wrong with that man, sorry I meant how cool is that ?
I remember watching the video on MTV (hello Headbangers Ball!), probably one of my first musical shock, that man is a genius! Time goes on and here we are in 2008, Ed Banger records is only 5 years old, we released JUSTICE first album and the band is touring the USA. RICK RUBIN is running Columbia records from his house in Malibu. Our friend Kevin works at Columbia emailed me saying RICK RUBIN loved the album!

“guys” (me speaking) “i just got a message saying RICK RUBIN loved the album!”
“shut up Pedro!” (the boys spitting on me)
“and he wants to meet you…” (me almost crying, yes yes I’m not shy sharing this with you now)

We drove all the way to Malibu and entered RICK RUBIN’s world. For privacy reasons I will not speak about it here. Rick asked the boys about sampling, compression, and few other producers fantasy, me I was just dreaming (awake) We hang out, had a tea and took this memorable photo.

Time goes on and here we are in 2011, Ed Banger records is now 8 years old, we just released JUSTICE “Audio Video Disco” second album
and the band is about to tour the world.

“guys”(me speaking) “i just got a message saying RICK RUBIN loved the album AGAIN!”
RICK RUBIN is running Columbia records from his house in Malibu. Our friend Kevin is now Dilpo’s manager emailed me saying RICK RUBIN loved the album!

I will not waste your time repeating the same jokes… I prefer to share with you this piece of music, the kind of story you hear about someone meeting his hero. RICK RUBIN accepted to RUIN (or remix) JUSTICE new single. Not only it’s a dream, it’s an honor to have him on board.

Monsieur DJ Double R I salute you!

Photographer Mark Bramley spent 2 days in Tokyo with just his Canon 5D MkII, taking thousands of  photos. Lost In Tokyo captures his unique urban cultural experience through timelapse of Tokyo’s busy metropolitan streets, subway trains and skyline.

As the 90s came to a close, the business of music began to change profoundly. New technology allowed artists to record and produce their own music and music videos, and the internet became a free-for-all distribution platform for musicians to promote themselves to audiences across the world. The result was an influx of artists onto the cultural scene, and audiences were left wondering how to sort through them all. In this episode of the PBS series Off Book, watch as Jon Cohen (Co-Founder, FADER Label), Ryan Dombal (Senior Editor, Pitchfork) Blake Whitman (VP of Creative Development, Vimeo) and Anthony Volodkin (Founder, Hype Machine) discuss these massive changes, and reveal how music blogs and websites have arisen as the new arbiters of quality.  Produced by Kornhaber Brown, with music from Flex Blur, Mindthings, Dub Terminator and Nestor Gonzalez.

Artists from Music Video Section:

Rihanna – We Found Love - vimeo.com/33123323
Miss Eaves – Diva Pop - vimeo.com/34415367
My First Earthquake – We Float - vimeo.com/31941995
Moullinex – Catalina - vimeo.com/19723907
Sleigh Bells – Riot Rhythm - vimeo.com/16668477
Keep The Heat
Morning Teleportation – Expanding Anyway - vimeo.com/14304059
Da Silva – Les Stations Balnearies - vimeo.com/33569324
Goose – Synrise - vimeo.com/20913850
Tim and Puma Mimi – Perspective - vimeo.com/11742651
DYE – Fantasy - vimeo.com/30798517
Dan Wholey – Amateur Rocketry - vimeo.com/29672263
Health – We Are Water - vimeo.com/10818338
Colours – Colourfornia - vimeo.com/26906724
Dancing Pigeons – Ritalin - vimeo.com/13639493
The Naked And Famous – The Sun - vimeo.com/27790801
The Limousines - vimeo.com/18665622
Flying Lotus – Kill Your Co-Workers - vimeo.com/15568767

Follow Off Book:
Twitter: @pbsoffbook
Tumblr: pbsarts.tumblr.com/

This New Year’s Day, Marina Bay Sands, a 55-story resort was chosen as the venue for the largest BASE jumping attempt in Singapore. Watch as seven professional BASE jumpers [Marta Empinotti, James Pouchert, Amanda Vicharelli, Anne Helliwell, Tim Mattson, Brendon Cork and Jeb Corliss] participate in this adrenaline pumping display against the futuristic Singapore skyline to welcome in the New Year.  Skypark BASE jump was directed & Edited by Snow R. Shai with music from PowderTree and produced by extremegate.com.

Celestial themes such as violent star systems and lunar tranquility set the groundwork for ”Nothing Exists but Atoms and the Void”, the sophomore release from Brooklyn-based band, Spaces. Band members, Duke Ahrens and Franco Colon, continued with an unconventional approach to songwriting by building a recording studio in a decommissioned ferryboat. The pair drew inspiration from their surroundings to create music that reflects the beauty and wonders of the Universe. This ambitious album encompasses a sonic landscape from intense rhythmic movements to introspective orchestral pieces, making Spaces voyagers of the over-saturated post-rock galaxy.