Sheena Beaston

All is Full of Love: Robyn and Kelis Bring Their All Hearts Tour to Music Hall of Williamsburg

When Robyn and Kelis announced their joining of forces for their one-two punch of a dance-pop bill earlier this summer, it was with 100% anticipatory fan-girl excitement that I began counting down the days to their All Hearts Tour pit stop in NYC. Last night's first showing at Music Hall of Williamsburg (2 more sold out shows at Webster Hall next week) was precisely the excitable romp and rad time I could have ever imagined. Having seen both artists perform prior, this super special double headlining bill left me weak, wowed and wielding a heart ready to burst with adoration and appreciation.

 

   

Opening the evening's festivities were Far East Movement. Although the crowd was still noticeably thin for the early set from the Los Angeles hip-hop troupe, they took the stage with more energy than I can recall an act ever having for a 7pm time-slot. Following their lead, London's Dan Black began his set with my favorite of his tunes, Pump My Pumps, which comes from his debut album, ((UN)). Near the end of his time, the room began to fill more rapidly, as wanting hearts were eager for the girls to get their groove on.

Die Antwoord's US Debut EP, 5, Out Now

Rather quietly, Die Antwoord released their US debut EP, 5, last week (July 13). On the flip, if there's one thing that this South African troupe of fireballs personify, is that they are anything but on silent mode when it comes to their music.

 

  

While last week, the digital version of 5 was offered up via Cherrytree/Interscope, the hard pressing will see a outlet on July 27, with only 5,000 copies available through selected retailers.

 

You can stream the EP in full below, and here's your purchase link.

 

Die Antwoord play HARD Fest this Saturday, July 24 on Governor's Island, followed by a gig at Music Hall of Williamsburg the next night.

 

  

mp3: Die Antwoord - Enter the Ninja (DJ Fishsticks Remix)

 

 

The Kissaway Trail: New Remix from White Lies and Ticket Giveaway for Tonight's NYC Show!

Indie rock from Denmark? Sign me up. If you aren't already a fan of The Kissaway Trail, and their spectacular new album, Sleep Mountain, then let this be a nudge in the right direction for you. Drawing on influences from the likes of The Beach Boys to Sonic Youth, this Danish quintet recently rocked a number of rad performances in Austin during SXSW.

 

  

Cool dudes, White Lies, took on The Kissaway Trail's lead single, SDP, and gave it a rub of noise rock wash and we're tossing it to you for free. The Danes are currently on tour, and hey, they're swinging by Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight with The Temper Trap.

 

BONUS! I'm giving away two tickets to tonight's show...but you have to be FAST. Read on.

 

This contest closes at precisely 12:30pm today. So you have just under an hour and a half to enter. Go!

 

Simply copy, paste and send me the below tweet, using your favorite Twitter application. Be sure to follow this beast, as I'll DM you if you've won. 

yo @sheenabeaston, quick quick, give me the tickets to see @KissawayTrail tonight @MusicHallofWB

 

Send and you're entered. Winner will be announced/messaged at 1pm today.

  

April 6 -- Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club 
April 8 -- Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle 
April 9 -- Atlanta, GA@ The Loft
April 10 -- Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel 
April 12 -- Dallas, TX @ House of Blues 
April 13 -- Austin, TX @ Emo's 
April 15 -- Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse 
April 19 -- Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up 
April 20 -- Los Angeles, CA @ Spaceland 
April 22 -- San Francisco, CA @ Pop Scene 

 

 

mp3: The Kissaway Trail - SDP (White Lies Remix)

Chris Pureka - Broken Clock (video exclusive) and Win Tickets to Music Hall of Williamsburg Show!

**EXCLUSIVE**

In an age of fleeting success and temporary notions, Chris Pureka is an artist of substance, armed with an eye for detail and an emotional intelligence that can switch from withering to compelling with a subtle inflection. Her third studio album, How I Learned To See In the Dark, adds bold new elements to the base she has built over her six-year career.

  

How I Learned to See in the Dark marks a new stage in Pureka’s musical evolution, aided by her choice of co-producer and longtime friend, Merrill Garbus (of tUnE-YaRds). Standout track, Landlocked, showcases Pureka’s technical prowess with the finger-picking style that won her so many accolades on Dryland while Broken Clock is the rhythm driven, heavy hitter bound to be on your next break up mix. Wrecking Ball mixes quirkiness with percussive twangs...and is available as a free download a short scroll down.

  

Pureka brings her show to Music Hall of Williamsburg on April 12, and I've got a pair of tickets to give away. Read on for details.

Want to hit the Chris Pureka show with a friend? If you've frequented the contests here before, then you'll know we are cerifiably "twitter-crazy". So start by following us if you aren't already...winners get notified by DM, and the only way we can send you a beastly congratulatory message is if you're on board the beast train.

 

Next, simply copy and paste the below message and hit send in whatever tweeterrific application you use (we're partial to TweetDeck ourselves...)

 

yo @sheenabeaston, toss me the tickets to see @chrispureka on april 12 @MusicHallofWB

 

That's all you gotta do...easy peasy. Contest will remain open until 5pm on Friday April 9, so you've got two weeks to hit me with your tweets.

 

Oh yeah, and that video we mentioned? Check out this exclusive clip of Pureka behind the scenes of creating her track, Broken Clock.

 

  

mp3: Chris Pureka - Wrecking Ball

Miike Snow Touches All Our Senses at Music Hall of Williamsburg

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that this past Friday was the first time I had caught Miike Snow in a live setting. Sure there's been many an opportunity as they've passed through NYC countless times, yet it always seemed as if they were playing on a night when I had other obligations. Such again was the case on March 26, however, there was no chance I'd skip this fantastic opportunity.

 

The first and most impressive aspect you'll notice about a Miike Snow show is that its's truly a treat for all the senses. Well, maybe not the sense of taste, but every other perception and mentality is pretty well covered. 

Lights, masks and smoke add a dynamic visual quality to your sight. The touch and smell of a crowd, rabid with fandom goes above and beyond anything I've experienced in a closed venue like Music Hall of Williamsburg this year. And the sound, well, c'mon...saying it was anything less than spot-on perfection is doing the band a great injustice.

Championing the crowd through near sing-a-longs of each of their album cuts, Andrew and his mates impressed whether behind keys, wielding a mighty guitar or simply leading a chorus of Black and Blue. Known hits and new tunes rounded out a great night of music, which began with Spanish lads, Delorean, warming up the crowd with their exacting dose of indie pop-rock. (full set of pictures from the show can be found here)

So maybe I lied...because that 5th and final sense was present. You can totally taste the passion and drive that both of these magnificent acts have. Eat it up.

 

   

 

 

 

mp3: Drake vs Miike Snow - Cult Logic Forever (The Hood Internet Mash)

mp3: Delorean - Monsoon