Crazy Band; Making the Most of It

Loved this Music News update at theFADER reguarding LA-bred group Crazy Band. With a vivacious sound and attitude, members Jesse, Deana, twins Jazmin and Jennifer, Jenna and Anthony have been said to be one of the best things to happen to Los Angeles indie rock this year.
Crazy Band Does Not Give a Fuck



//.rapt Tuesday News 5-17-11//

Ringo Deathstarr ; Band of the Week May 16th - 22nd

Unhinged from the norm, Ringo Deathstarr has succeeded in quaking the seams of my skull in sonic reverbs and sound. Ghostly reminders of a distant tomorrow beam through the echo-enhanced lyrics; a better life, far from this one, looking through fog towards the sun.

Active since 2007, this shoegaze band from Austin, TX has been serging through playlists and opening ears of the youth across the states with singles such as So High and In Love. Since their debut EP released in 07, s/t Ringo Deathstarr, there have been notable records including Sparkler, released in 2009, and most recent 2011's Colour Trip. Labeled by Club AC30 (UK & Europe), Sonic Unyon (USA / Canada), and Vinyl Junkie (Japan), members Elliott Frazier, Daniel coborn, and Alex gehring have been influenced by names such as The Jesus And Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, and The Cure.

Currently [ON TOUR] Dates Listed Here.
What draws me in is the unique attitude they possess as a group. You can see it in their homemade-looking music videos and the humor expressed between each member. Their mission is to make true music and have fun doing it, leaving out the stern image some artists tend to convey. This lot can easily be associated with any one of their listeners, and that is what attracts me to them.
Have a listen and see for yourself, .rapt's Band of the Week Ringo Deathstarr won't let you down.

YOUTUBE PLAYLIST.

Fitz and The Trantrums; BAND OF THE WEEK May 9th - 15th

If this doesn't grab your ears and yank them into pleasureful sensations of musical excellence, then your taste in genre is questionable...
Of course, I say that lightly. When I first heard MoneyGrabber, I thought it was a refurbished song from the 60's! But then of course research proved that it is very much a present-day single by the soulful indie pop sounds of Fitz and The Tantrums!
In commemoration to their announced presence in the future lineup of Seattle's Bumbershoot 2011, .rapt is featuring this emotional mess as Band of the Week!

What began with an old church organ purchased by Michael Fitzpatrick would ultimately fuel the inspirations that brought together the creative collaborations of James King, Joseph Karnes, Jeremy Ruzumna, John Wicks, and vocal brilliance Noelle Scaggs. Together these individuals would form a modern-day replica of Motown vibrancy; infectious to listen to, adding some extra groove to indie pop.

Currently [ON TOUR] (Dates listed here)
Labeled by Dangerbird Records, Fits and The Tantrums' discography includes a debut EP released in 2009 titled Songs for a Breakup: Vol. 1, and a full-length record released in 2010 titled Pickin' Up the Pieces.
(Both available for purchase on itunes.)

What lures me to Fitz and The Tantrums are not only expression tracks such as Winds of Change (video below) and Darkest Street, but also the classic and almost jazzy aura their songs usher. It's refreshing to hear the influence of older genres collide with new to create a fantastic musical experience.

Check out Fitz and The Tantrums, lot. You won't be sorry.
OFFICIAL SITE.
YOUTUBE TRACK LISTS.

Owl of the Week

......hi.

A little inspiración. Trends // Topics

Recent images that have inspired me.
All photos courtesy of DeviantART and belong to their owners, respectably.

Ellie At Royal Wedding // New Material from Pixies?

Elena Jane, I can't get enough of you.
British singer/songwriter Ellie Goulding performed at one of the most coveted events of the year; the royal wedding, this past Friday. The songbird expressed that singing for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge "Was a very surreal, incredible experience. I'll never forget it. It was amazing."
Meeting William and Kate at a festival in 2010, Ellie was shocked when asked to perform at the reception almost a year later. Such a feat for the ever-brilliant UK-bred phenomena.

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Are Pixies back at it?
While their reunion tour "Doolittle" has created an uproar of nostalgia amongst fans, for many the tour has uprooted the desire for fresh material...one most notably Bono of U2 yearns for something new as well!
After nearly two decades, the band says that it is definitely a possibility. However, it must be cleverly thought out. Drummer David Lovering states: "The thing is, we want to protect the legacy. If we do something, it better be good. And as we go along - it's been seven years now - it gets more difficult to make that decision."
In reaction to Bono's calling for new jams, Lovering humorously replies, "He's like, 'Please make a record!' Goddamn, we can't leave that unturned. That would frustrate me. It would."
No matter the outcome, Pixies lives on as a rock band legend.
I'm all for some new stuff. How great would it be to be thrown fresh songs that fit in with their monumental originals?
Let the music thrive on!

//.rapt Tuesday News 5-3-11//

The Kills - Band of the Week May 2nd - 8th

Over 10 years of excellence and this band still brings the rock with their newest record Blood Pressures.
Currently [ON TOUR]...TOUR DATES LISTED HERE.
What does one get when they mix an edgy female vocalist from the states with a brilliant guitarist from the UK? A seductive mess of garage revival and indie rock that, if listened to loud enough, can be felt at the inner core.
The Kills, whom have been active from 2000-Present, have stopped at nothing to bring the sprouting youth record after stunning record of gracious noise since their debut release in 2003. Many of us have grown up with The Kills, and although they are not the freshest fish from the adverbial sea, their newest record and tour has inspired me to feature them as .rapt's Band of the Week to kick off May.

Backed by Labels which include Domino Records, Rough Trade Records, and RCA Records, singer Alison Mosshart ("VV") and British guitarist Jamie Hince ("Hotel") have worked through highs and lows to bring us such notable disography as:
Black Rooster EP, released May 28th 2002,
Debut record Keep Your Mean Side, released April 1st, 2003,
EP Fried My Little Brains, exclusively released in Japan in 2003.
2005's Run Home Slow EP,
tailed by their second record; No Wow, released February 21st, 2005.
2008's third record, Midnight Boom, released on March 10th.
An EP in 2009 titled Black Balloon.
And at last The Kills' latest record, Blood Pressures, released April 4th, 2011.
(All EP's and Record's available for purchase on itunes.)

Singles from these great records and EP's include 2003's Fuck the People, Fried my Little Brains, and Pull a U.
2005's The Good Ones (video below) and Love is a Deserter.
2006's No Wow.
U.R.A Fever (video below), Cheap and Cheerful, and Last Day of Magic in 2008.
2009's Tape Song (video below), Black Balloon, and Willow Weep for Me (Frank Sinatra Cover.)
And most recent 2011's single Satellite.




Described heavily as a mixture between The Clash, Steeleye Span, and The Rubettes, the duo have made a name for themselves over the years as an experimental art rock band that began with a drum machine and now play with the real stuff at gigs across the globe. If there was a band I could listen to while walking the rainy streets of Seattle or sitting on a hotel fire escape, The Kills would be it. Their sound is melodic, in a way. An outlandish rock experience from track to track.

Have a listen, lot. And check out The Kills' Site for more information on upcoming tour dates, Blood Pressure tracks, and VV and Hotel themselves.

OWL OF THE WEEK

Poor thing. I find myself very jealous of this man.