Ichiko Aoba's latest single might be the single most beautiful song we've ever brought you. "SONAR" is a stripped down and lush track that merges classical guitar with pop music. Rarely is a song this minimalist while still sounding as full as Aoba has managed here. The true secret of "SONAR" is how painfully quiet it is. Most songs demand your attention with noise and volume. This one does it by how quiet it is. If you want to listen (and you truly do want to), you'll need to drop virtually everything to focus on this one. By giving "SONAR" your full attention, the listener is heartily rewarded with a stunning piece of art.
You can watch the video for "SONAR" below. Luminescent Creatures is due out February 28 on hermine/Psychic Hotline, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Ichiko Aoba, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video and include a May 12 date at Berklee Performance Center.
Mon.
Feb. 24 - Hong Kong, CN @ Xi Qu Centre, Grand Theatre [with Musicians from HK
Phil]
Wed. Feb. 26 - Seoul, KR @ Sky Arts Hall (SOLD OUT)
Thu. Feb 27 - Seoul, KR @ Sky Arts Hall
Thu. March 6 - Taipei, TW @ Zhongshan Hall (SOLD OUT)
Mon. March 10 - Barcelona, ES @ Paral.lel 62
Tue. March 11 - Valencia, ES @ Teatro Rambleta
Thu. March 13 - Milan, IT @ Auditorium San Fedele (SOLD OUT)
Sat. March 15 - Zurich, CH @ Mascotte
Tue. March 18 - Hamburg, DE @ Laiszhalle
Wed. March 19 - Berlin, DE @ Urania (Humboldtsaal)
Fri. March 21 - Utrecht, NL @ TivoliVredenburg (Grote Zaal) (SOLD OUT)
Sun. March 23 - Groningen, NL @ Oosterpoort
Tue. March 25 - Antwerp, BE @ De Roma
Thu. March 27 - Paris, FR @ La Trianon (SOLD OUT)
Mon. March 31 - London, UK @ Barbican [with 12 Ensemble] (SOLD OUT)
Wed. April 2 - Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall (SOLD OUT)
Fri. April 4 - Gateshead, UK @ The Glasshouse
Sat. April 5 - Glasgow, UK @ City Halls
Thu. April 17 - Honolulu, HI @ Hawaii Theatre
Sat. April 19 - Vancouver, BC @ Chan Centre (SOLD OUT)
Sun. April 20 - Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall
Mon. April 21 - Seattle, WA @ The Moore
Wed. April 23 - Oakland, CA @ Fox Oakland
Sat. April 26 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern [with Wordless Music Quintet]
Sun. April 27 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern [with Wordless Music Quintet]
Tue. April 29 - Scottsdale, AZ @ Scottsdale Center
Thu. May 1 - Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
Sat. May 3 - St. Paul, MN @ Fitzgerald Theatre (SOLD OUT)
Sun. May 4- St Paul, MN @ Fitzgerald Theatre
Tue. May 6 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Wed. May 7 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Fri. May 9 - Detroit, MI @ Masonic Cathedral Theatre
Sat. May 10 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
Mon. May 12 - Boston, MA @ Berklee Performance Center
Wed. May 14 - New York, NY @ Kings Theatre [with Wordless Music Quintet]
Sat. May 17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Miller Theatre
Sun. May 18 - Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre
Thu. May 22 - Mexico City, MX @ Teatro Metropolitan
Somehow Peter Prescott of Mission of Burma and Volcano Suns has another band that I never knew about. Minibeast already released an album that I completely missed back in 2012, and they are currently at work on the follow up, Free Will. Based on a track from the upcoming album, "High Sea," Minibeast shares some common sonic ground with Mission of Burma, but with an added emphasis on the groovy side of things. It's basically the noise and dissonance of Burma but heard through a 60s surf groove, as if Frankie and Annette were punks. You can listen to "High Sea" below. Minibeast currently have a Kickstarter to help fund the final production of Free Will. You can get more information on that here . It should be out sometime in June.
With this weekend's upcoming Newport Folk Festival, we thought we'd highlight some of this year's can't miss acts. We're focusing on the bands playing smaller stages and earlier in the day. I mean, you're obviously going to see Ryan Adams and Jack White. Instead, these are the acts worth getting there early for, and seeking out the smaller stages. Phox Friday, 1:50, Quad Stage Phox hails from Baraboo, WI, the winter home of the Ringling Brothers' Circus. I'm not sure if that is connected to their music or not, but Phox has an otherworldly charm and a magical feel. They come across as a more grounded St. Vincent or a less intense version of early Tori Amos. Their music is simply beautiful and uplifting. Reignwolf Friday, 2:55, Quad Stage Truly pushing the boundaries of what can be considered "folk" are Reignwolf. Reignwolf is Jordan Cook, who sounds like a mixture of The Black Keys and Queens of the Stone Age, mixed with just a lit...
Earlier this week I was expressing sympathy for Limp Bizkit. Limp Bizkit just don't seem to be riding that surge of 90s nostalgia that all sorts of other terrible bands from that era are. Sure, they're terrible. But are they really that much worse than Filter, Alien Ant Farm, and other bands on those 90s nostalgia packages. And then this video is released. The first lyrics to the song are literally "Go fuck yourself." It then features Fred Durst sitting on a toilet, bikini clad chicks pretending to fellate garden hoses and leaf blowers, and Fred Durst talking about fucking bitches, all while wearing a hoodie and a backwards red baseball hat. Then Lil Wayne comes out. Please keep in mind Fred Durst is a 42 year old man.
