Live Review - The Postelles @ Bowery Ballroom

This was an event many years in the making, not just a headlining gig for New York City boys, The Postelles, but also a record release gig. The Postelles, prodigies of Albert Hammond Jr of The Strokes (Hammond Jr produced a majority of the band’s material), have been waiting a very long time to release their major label debut, and finally it arrived and they arrived back home to do it. In the ever changing atmosphere of the Bowery, The Postelles came ready to create a good old fashion musical block party and just have fun and celebrate their achievements. The band has been on the road the past few months in Europe and back in the US supporting Interpol and Kings of Leon at that now infamous pigeon-dropping concert in St. Louis. Yet, The Postelles arrived back to where it all began in the city of big dreams to take their dreams even higher.

The band has been gigging around New York for a few years now, and playing a few shows outside the city here and there, but as time has gone on, the anticipation of their long awaited debut was building, it was finally here and so were they. A sold out concert in the 600 person Bowery Ballroom, fans crammed in on a hot night and didn’t mind breaking a sweat dancing and bopping to the bands set. The Postelles music is a cross between garage surf rock meets doo-wop and very easy to find yourself lost in their style. The bands live shows are very energetic, as they are lads from New York they look like an English band with the exception of front man Daniel Balk, who could pass for actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s doppelganger. As the slick band played their hour long set, it was the perfect amount of fun for the middle of the week, as they show cased songs off their debut as well as brand new songs they even made room to cover The Ramones “Beat on the Brat.” As Balk said before breaking into the cover, “We have covered this song on the entire tour, but tonight is the final night we ever do this because it’s New York and its from a great New York band, so this is for Joey Ramone!” as a new generation paid homage to their heroes and legends of the Bowery before them, The Postelles are a band that will give you the most fun from any new band all summer.

Flaming Lips on Letterman

Even on TV The Flaming Lips play each song and gig as if it is their last! Here they are on Letterman this week performing "Sea of Leaves," superb!

Live Review - Sting @ Jones Beach

I wonder if a punk from New Castle, England coming of age in the 70’s would have ever thought that later in his life he would be on a world tour with the Royal Philharmonic? For Sting, this idea has to cross his mind night in and night out on his latest tour. Backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Steven Marcurio, Sting is on the road touring opera houses and amphitheaters in support of his latest, Symphonicities. The record is a reinterpretation and rearrangements of his classic songs from his solo career and Police days as well as deep cuts and rarities.
Yet, the master of zen who has transformed himself into the master of ceremonies, performed for two and a half hours and at 58 years old, looks as young and as fresh as he did when he was a young punk. Opening with “Every Little Thing She does is Magic,” Sting had the audience guessing as the orchestra did their overture and with these new rearrangements the iconic rhythms of his songs are gone and completely new. It would not be until Sting would start to belt out the verses that people would sing along. As the audience enjoyed the guessing game of the set list all night, Sting would take time in between each song and told the story and origins of each song. As rock and roll met classical music, it felt as intimate as possible on a picture perfect night. “Jones Beach, this is one of my favorite places in the whole world to play,” Sting said just as he got into “Englishman in New York.” As the night went on, it was his B-sides, rarities and deep cuts like “Russians,” “Bourbon Street,” and “Hung my Head,” a song later made famous by Johnny Cash, would display the Royal Philharmonic’s power. As the crowd at Jones Beach would sit in awe and wonder, they would also sit in surprise as he would completely change his iconic rhythms and melodies to “Roxanne,” “Every Breathe you Take,” and “King of Pain.” The only song from his catalogue that would sound anything like the original version would be his turn of the century smash hit, “Desert Rose.”
It was the tale of two Stings as the last time audiences saw him on the road was just a few years ago with his first band The Police, a tour which we and they all knew was for money. However, this reinvention of his solo work seems to have revitalized Sting in such profound ways. He seems to be extremely proud of what he is doing, even after years of dabbling with old English folk songs and instruments; this seems to be a dream realized. Again, I wonder if that young punk had planned this event all along…..

EXCLUSIVE! Strange Death of Liberal England INTV!

Newly elected British Prime Minister, David Cameron visited the US for the first time since winning a spot at 10 Downing Street this past spring. Cameron is the first conservative leader in the UK since 1996 and ushering in a new era of politics to the US biggest allies. Therefore it is only fitting that my interview with The Strange Death of Liberal England happen now. Though this band has no political ties to a particular party (though I am sure we can guess what their ideology is), it takes it's name from the classic book by George Dangerfield of the same name. The Strange Death of Liberal England are ushering in a new era of music in their homeland. They are a band that have been compared to Arcade Fire and Pixies, however, they have a slightly darker edge to their sound and keep the momentum going as one of the premiere indie acts in the UK. As the band has been on a slow start, forming five years ago, they are finally entering the studio to record their debut after releasing a handful of EP's through the years. Take a look at my interview with lead singer Adam Woolway as we discussed the band's name, politics, recording their long awaited debut and like last week's band, The Dig, what it was like touring with one of my favorites, Editors.

Where does the band get it’s name from?

We pinched it from a book by George Dangerfield to make us look clever and thus impress girls.

Do you consider yourself to be a political band or just thought the name sounded cool?

Both. Everything you do is political from choosing to drive your car to watching a certain TV channel. We're not gonna tell you who to vote for but we may tut slightly if you don't vote at all. And it does sound cool, right?

You started off doing instrumental songs then shifted over to more “traditional” sounding songs with lyrics, why the shift? Will you ever go back an add lyrics to your instrumental numbers?

We got quite bored writing instrumental tracks. Although that was the kind of music we listened to at the time it was not the type of music our band was due to make. Any band can press a distortion pedal and thats all we were really doing. There are certain emotions you really need words to convey.

You have been often compared to Pixies and Arcade Fire, how do you respond to such high comparisons?

The first 70 times are quite flattering as they are great bands. After that you tend to suspect the journalist hasn't really listened to your record.

Recently drummer Andrew Summerly left the band, what caused his departure? How has David Lindsay been working out? Is it odd not having one of the founding members be the backbone of the bands sound anymore?

Being a band means 5 peoples lives all have to move in the same direction and sometimes its a miracle that happens at all. When we came to recording our album we realised we had drifted apart and unfortunately embarking on such a project amplifies such cracks. Andy left the band in December last year and David has now joined. He's great and an amazing drummer so its been way easier than we could ever have hoped for. Yes, at first, it was very odd Andy not being there but Forward, March and all that...

You have gained such high recognition due to your live shows, what is it like taking the stage and playing your hearts out?

We all live regular lives, have dumb jobs and have to sit in a transit van for hours to play a gig for an amount of money that won't cover the petrol cost. If we didn't enjoy playing live so much we wouldn't play at all. We put on a good show but its all for our benefit.

What is it like being on the road with another high energy live British act – Editors?

Its great, you learn a lot and they give you champagne. Our transit van has penis envy parked next to their two sleeper buses.

How have Editors been to you guys? Are you fans of their work? Do you learn anything from watching such an experienced band while you are still a rather young band?

Editors are great. Their live show is amazing and you learn something from every band you play with, either how to do something or how not to do it.

Is a new album in the works? When can we expect it?

Soon. It’s all recorded and mixed. It was recorded in Dec 09 with David M Allen who did a lot of the 80s Cure and Depeche Mode albums. The first single is Flagships and is available on iTunes now, by the way.

I ask this question to every foreign act I speak with, is it still a big deal for a band to break big in America?

Of course. A country so similar to ours yet also such a contrast. The more people your music truly connects with the more value it has

When can we expect you across the pond, here in the States?

I couldn't say for sure but we'll only have to be asked once. Lets say...soon?

101 Undisputable Rock Facts

101 Undisputable Facts About Rock & Roll

Organized by Bill Reese*

1. There are 18 songs on London Calling, at least 12 of them are incredible.Had it been pared down by one-third, it would be considered in a category with Sgt. Pepper and Pet Sounds. 2. Billy Corgan is thin, but ever since he shaved his head he looks like a fat ass

3. Disco is panned as an awful genre, but if you look at its instrumentation, the best disco songs have orchestral strings, horns, woodwinds; ambitious instrumentation indeed. In contrast, The Ramones played three instruments, all terribly, and they’re considered legends.

4. Scotland is the new Brooklyn.

5. Nickleback’s 2005 album All the Right Reasons has sold more than 8 million copies in the United States. There are 300 million people in the United States. That means that 1 out of every 37 people in this country supposedly owns a Nickleback album.

6. I do not know a single person who owns the aforementioned Nickleback album. Despite knowing roughly 500-1,000 people, the odds of not knowing anybody who owns that album are staggering.

7. The Misfits wrote a goal song for the New York Rangers with the lyrics “I wanna be a New York RANGER! I wanna live a life of DANGER!” The song was rejected by team officials who did not want to encourage their fans to live dangerous lifestyles.

8. None of the lyrics in Alanis Morrisette’s “Ironic” represent the literal definition of irony.

9. Paul Schaeffer of The Late Show with David Letterman co-wrote “It’s Raining Men.” (Hallelujah)

10. Jazz music possibly gets its name from Jass, which was short for Jassum, which came from Jassum Clubs, a.k.a. brothels. Jassum was a 1900s New Orleans euphemism for male reproductive cells.

11. Bruce Springsteen originally wrote “Hungry Heart” for The Ramones.

12. Van Morrison is the greatest white soul singer ever.

13. Flava Flav is the only reason Chuck D and the rest of Public Enemy weren’t assassinated by the U.S. Government in the late 1980s. Think about it, they were promoting some revolutionary shit and they could have easily been taken out. But while Chuck D was saying It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Flava Flav was wearing a giant clock around his neck. It distracted the feds away from the real revolutionary lyrics and made them take Public Enemy less seriously.

14. Karen O is not a sex symbol. I’d rather fuck John Popper pre-gastric bypass.
15. Many great artists do not have a platinum selling album. But Shaquille O'Neal does.16. Marvin Gaye wrote a sequel to "Let's Get it On" called "Keep Gettin’ It On."People are having sex in the background of the song.

17. James Brown's screams at the tail end of the extended version of "Cold Sweat" are the most terrifying sounds ever recorded on tape.

18. Tom Waits has no idea who the fuck Scarlett Johnansen is.

19. Matt Sharp's Rentals have been severely ripped off by the late 2000's indie synth-pop movement. The Rentals missed being immensely popular by a solid 10 years.

20. Rivers Cuomo ended up marrying a Japanese girl. We're still crying to "Across the Sea."

21. Ringo Starr, who just turned 70, will live to be 112 years old and will only die because he'll cross paths with The Highlander, and THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!

22. Yoko Ono broke up The Beatles. Everybody knows that. She is also

—directly or indirectly—responsible for the breakups of The Police, Van Halen, The Smiths, At the Drive-In, My Bloody Valentine, The Pixies, Wings, OutKast, Fleetwood Mac, Oasis, Steve & Edie, A Tribe Called Quest, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Fire Flies, Guns N’ Roses, Simon & Garfunkel, Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden, Audioslave, The Fugies, The Verve, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Libertines, and convinced John Frusciante to leave Red Hot Chili Peppers.

23. Lil’ Wayne has more tattoos than good songs.

24. Freddie Mercury was so flamboyant that the fact that he was gay ranked about 5th on the list of the most outrageous things about him. Ranking #1, the mustache.

25. The Hold Steady are not a Christian band, but if they are, they are more talented than Creed, cooler than P.O.D. write catchier riffs than MxPx and got more soul than Winger.
26. Now that Jacko is dead, Justin Timberlake is hereby appointed King of Pop.

27. While we’re at it, Ozzy Osbourne is almost dead so we’ll need a new Prince of Darkness. The Devil has probably had enough of heavy metal anyway, Papa Roach ruined it for him. Come to think of it, the devil was always more of a Delta Blues, Rockabily, drinkin’-cheatin’ Country music kinda guy anyway. Hell, he taught Robert Johnson how to play his guitar that one night on the crossroads. In this case, Jack White should be anointed Prince of Darkness. Jack’s always in red and black, dabbles in rock, blues and country and has even written an album called Get Behind Me Satan.

28. T.I. went to jail for having a gun in his car, yet the motherless bastards who produce “Kidz Bop”—albums of “family friendly” popular songs sung by choirs of tweenage brats—walk the streets freely.

29. With the exception of Robert Christgau, David Fricke and sometimes Kurt Loader, all music journalists are as original as Hoobastank, as talented as William Hung, as intelligent as Jessica Simpson, and as tacky as Stryper—especially the author of this list of facts.
30. Album reviews in rock magazines are tied specifically to who does the cover story and how many ads their label buys within the paper. Don’t believe me? Inquire about purchasing a banner ad on this most scrupulous blog.

31. Now that James Brown is dead, the title of “Hardest Working Man in Show Business” goes to Iggy Pop, who attempted to stage dive at a Carnegie Hall benefit and landed flat on the floor when no one attempted to catch him. Search & Destroy indeed.

32. Emo is R&B for white people.

33. There is a secret booklet under the CD tray in Radiohead's Kid A album. The secret booklet has some album lyrics and really fucked-up artwork.

34. Contrary to popular belief, Sharon Jones is not the black, non-psychotic Amy Winehouse. Winehouse is the British, drugged out Sharon Jones.

35. Nobody has ever correctly pronounced the names of Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke, Live singer Ed Kowalczyk, or any of the Armenian names in System of a Down.
36. Nine out of Ten emo girls agree: Chubby, pre-Zooey Deschanel Ben Gibbard was cuter and wrote better songs than skinny, happily married Ben Gibbard.

37. E Street Band guitar virtuoso Nils Lofgren also played the piano on Neil Young's haunting classic "After the Gold Rush."

38. Dr. Dog is not a rap group.

39. A rooster will never crow when you are singing… they're not that foolish. They wait for a pause in-between phrases, then they crow like hell.

40. Sufjan Stevens played more than 20 different instruments on his epic album Illinoise.
41. The Verve never made a dime off "Bittersweet Symphony" or its corresponding album Urban Hymns. The string sections in "Bittersweet Symphony" were sampled from a Rolling Stones song.

42. Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore contributed a song and appeared on the CW's Gossip Girl because their teenage daughter was a huge fan of the show.

43. Morrissey is a dick.

44. Green Day's "Before the Lobotomy" is the only punk song in a 7/8 time signature.

45. Trent Reznor recorded The Fragile in a former funeral parlor in New Orleans.

46. Rhode Island-based noise-punk band Lightning Bolt play every gig in a circle in the center of the floor or pit. At festivals, they wait until the previous band play their last notes, say "thank you, goodnight" and then begin their set.

47. While at SUNY Purchase, Dan Deacon helped lead an effort to name a new student dormitory "WHAM! CITY." He and fellow Purchase alum Jimmy Joe Roache eventually formed the Wham City arts collective in Baltimore.
48. Gogol Bordello's members are American citizens.

49. The Age of Rockets album Hannah is a palindrome. The album's title is spelled the same backwards and forwards, and the album is arranged so that the album's bookends reflect one another.
50. "Parents Just Don't Understand," by Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff set hip-hop back 10 years.

51. Kim Deal's song "Gigantic" off The Pixies seminal Surfer Rosa album is about exactly what you think it's about.

52. Lady Gaga wrote "Bad Romance" about the bartender at Welcome to the Johnson's.

53. Every young band Johnny Marr joins gets exponentially better. (Are you reading this, Jonas Brothers?)

54. Fred Durst is a better music video director than Clint Eastwood is a musician.

55. At the very end of Brand New’s Deja Entendu Jesse Lacey sings "…Never to see any other way…" which is the same phrase as the creepy loop played 30 seconds after the end of "A Day in the Life" on The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s...
56. Norwegian Black Metal musicians are the most ridiculously dressed performers in the world.

57. Chili Peppers bassist Flea played one of The Nihilists in The Big Lebowski as well as the hippie licking LSD off Johnny Depp’s jacket in Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas.

58. There were two Dr. Dre’s, the one who’s famous and the other who was the fat co-host on Yo! MTV Raps with Ed Lover.

59. When asked in an interview what her favorite Jay-Z song was, Miley Cyrus couldn’t name a single one, despite the lyric “...And a Jay-Z song was on” in her mega-hit “Party in the U.S.A.”
60. The LAPD killed Tupac.
61. Tupac is still alive.

62. All Gnarls Barkley photo shoots feature Danger Mouse and Cee Lo dressed in costume as characters from movies, TV, etc.
63. TV on the Radio’s Return to Cookie Mountain is a reference to a level in Super Nintendo game “Super Mario Brothers.”
64. Dave Chappelle killed Rick James
65. Willie Nelson wrote Patsy Cline’s “Crazy.”
66. Jimmy Buffett was the first author to write a #1 New York Times Bestseller in both fiction and nonfiction.

67. Since about the mid-to-late-1970s or so, only one artist/group has been able to build long-term success after hitting it big with a cover song. Marilyn Manson’s first big hit was “Sweet Dreams,” which was written by The Eurythmics. It which was followed a year later by “The Beautiful People,” Manson’s first original hit. In contrast, plenty of groups scored with a cover and then faded: The Ataris “Boys of Summer,” Orgy “Blue Monday,” etc. Even The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” was the group’s first and only U.S. hit.

68. It is illegal in New York City to be James Iha. 69. The Killers’ Sam’s Town does not sound like a Bruce Springsteen album, no matter how much Brandon Flowers believes so. The only groups that sound remotely like the E Street Band are Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Gaslight Anthem and The Hold Steady.
70. Freddie Mercury’s real name was Farrokh Bulsara.
71. The riff from The White Stripes “Seven Nation Army” is sung by nearly a dozen European football clubs as a chant.

72. Iggy Pop played the father of Ellen on The Adventures of Pete & Pete.

73. Legend has it that blues legend Lead Belly—who wrote “In the Pines,” or, as most people know it, “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” from Nirvana Unplugged—was set free by the Governor of Texas when he wrote the Governor a song appealing for his release. Ironically, the Governor had won election on a platform of not paroling violent offenders such as Lead Belly.

74. Wal-Mart and K-Mart refused to sell Nirvana’s In Utero because the back cover was illustrated with dozens of fetuses and because it contained a track titled “Rape Me.” Nirvana issued Wal-Mart an alternate back cover and changed the name of the song to “Waif Me,” but left the song itself unchanged.
75. MTV has censored lyrics that refer to everything from sex, guns, drugs, suicide, to 8” spinny rims. MTV also no longer stands for “Music Television.”

76. Just because you are from Long Island doesn’t mean you must automatically worship Billy Joel.
77. Slash’s birth name is Saul Hudson.

78. Craig Finn is writing the screen adaptation for Chuck Klosterman’s book Fargo Rock City.
79. Aerosmith have 14 studio albums but 11 “greatest hits” albums.
80. Radiohead’s debut Pablo Honey is named after the Jerky Boys prank call of the same name.

81. Reel-to-reel tape sounds better than vinyl.

82. Number of anti-Iraq War songs by Incubus: 4. Number of anti-Iraq War songs by Zack de la Rocha: 0.

83. Cablevision honcho and N.Y. Knicks and N.Y. Rangers owner James Dolan plays in a band called J.D. and the Straight Shot. He pays Cablevision employees to come to his shows at BB King’s in Manhattan to cheer and pretend that he isn’t a talentless hack.
84. Based solely on its cover, MGMT’s Congratulations should be re-titled Cowabunga! 85. The “Little Drummer Boy” duet between David Bowie and Bing Crosby is the strangest holiday recording ever made.
86. The legendary Fillmore East theater in Manhattan is now a Duane Reade drugstore.
87. It is a fact that Van Halen’s tour riders called for there to be a bowl of M&Ms in their dressing room, but all the brown M&Ms had to be discarded.
88. Napster founder Shawn Fanning changed music in a more profound way than Elvis Presley.
89. More people illegally downloaded Radiohead’s In Rainbows than obtained the album for free through the group’s own website.

90. Auto-tune is the greatest thing to ever happen to Chili Peppers singer Anthony Keidis, and the worst thing to ever happen to Kanye West.

91. Audiences that do not sustain applause for at least five minutes after a set do not deserve an encore. Likewise, bands who return for “scheduled encores” should be forced to record with Phil Spector in jail.
92. Brian Wilson is still batshit crazy.

93. Word Up Magazine, (As in “It was all a dream, I useda read Word Up Magazine” from Biggy Smalls’ classic “Juicy”) is still in print. It’s now a teeny-bopper magazine and has featured the very un-Notorious Justin Bieber on the cover twice in 2010 alone.

94. Staten Island will be allowed to remain one of the five boroughs of New York City so long as it is re-named The Land of Shaolin and the Verrazano Bridge is re-named in honor of Ol’ Dirty Bastard.

95. Michael Jackson died while filming the Pepsi commercial when his hair caught fire. He was replaced with a series of actors hired by Joe Jackson who hatched a vast conspiracy to disillusion the public for 20 years and then culminate the con in a spectacular fake death sequence. For the record, MJ has sold 35 million albums since his death. In contrast, the highest selling new album in 2009 sold only 3.21 million copies (Taylor Swift).
96. Despite the relative proliferation of so-called “Indie Labels,” the highest selling indie album of all time is The Offspring’s 1994 breakthrough Smash, released originally on Epitaph. It has sold 11 million copies worldwide since 1994.

97. Nobody but Cedric Bixler-Zavala understands The Mars Volta’s lyrics.
98. Rick Rubin is the baddest motherfucker alive. When you’re worshipped by the diverse likes of Jay-Z and Slayer you’re allowed to hold that title.
99. It is impossible to have 99 problems without a bitch being one of them. Even Obama has to worry about Sarah Palin.
100. Johnny Ramone has the most awesome tombstone ever. Take that Pharaoh Khufu! 101. In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make... except if you are a rock star, then you make way too much love to balance the equation.

***Please note, none of these facts have been checked. Bill Reese is a contributing writer to With This I Think I'm Officially A Yuppie. He has also written for Good Times Magazine, Skope and is an Editor at Playbill.

Robyn Cover & Tracklisting

Swedish Pop princess Robyn is set to release Body Talk pt. 2 later this year, take a look at the cover and track listing below:

01 In My Eyes
02 Include Me Out
03 Hang With Me
04 Love Kills
05 We Dance to the Beat
06 Criminal Intent
07 U Should Know Better [ft. Snoop Dogg]
08 Indestructible (acoustic version)

Also, just in case you missed it, Robyn OWNED Letterman this week, take a look HERE.

Quick News

One of the biggest bands on the planet, The xx, have revealed plans that they might begin work on a follow up to their ultra international debut later this year. Bassist and vocalist Oliver Simm told XFM in UK "We've found touring to be not too creative. We come home in October so hopefully we’ll start writing then. I think there will be pressure on us. This album was made with no expectations of us; no-one knew who we were. A lot of the songs were written in the mind frame that only the three of us would hear them. Writing in the mind frame that a lot of people might hear these new songs will be different, but hopefully it's something we can block out."

One of the most influential bands of all time, Fugazi, may make every show they ever played available digitally very shortly. Speaking to the fansite World of Fugazi, member Guy Picciotto said "We are not that far away from being able to set up our own website, where ultimately almost every show we ever played will be available for download." This maybe the biggest live catalogue the music world has ever seen considering Fugazi played a plethora of shows in their tenure.

Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger are set to team up again! This time they will be creating a series for HBO called A History of Music and chronicles the tale of two friends in 40 years of the music business from R&B to Hip-Hop. No word on when production will start but it seems that Soprano's writer Terence Winter will help write the series.

Lupe is in a real fiasco, the Chicago rapper is having difficulties getting his long awaited Lasers record released and now fans from all over are petitioning Atlantic Records to release the project. For more information or to sign the petition go HERE.

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. Clover & Track listing

UK favorites Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly return with their sophomore self titled release on September 13, take a look at the cover and track listing below.

1. Hand Me Downs
2. Collapsing Cities feat. Shy FX
3. nightlife
4. All of This is yours feat. Baaba Maal
5. Queen For A Day
6. All Falls Down
7. Where Will you Stand
8. Stitch by Stitch - Interlude*
9. The Uprising
10. The Plot
11. Morning Light

Rick Ross on Fallon

I can't get enough of this song, Rick Ross just released his latest Teflon Don and celebrated by jamming with The Roots on Fallon. Take a look as he performs "BMF"

Playlist

Here is a playlist of jams to check out on this scorching summer we are facing:

- The National - "Bloodbuzz Ohio"

- LCD Soundsystem - "Drunk Girls"

- Blood Red Shoes - "Light it Up"

- Spoon - "I'll Be Yr Cherry Bomb"

- Dead Weather - "Die by the Drop"

- Green Day - "2,000 Light Years Away"

- Male Bonding - "Year's Not Long"

- Amanda Palmer - "The Truth"

- Jonsi - "Animal Arithmetic"

- Patti Smith - "Gloria"

- Erykah Badu - "Window Seat"

- MGMT - "Brian Eno"

- Codeine Velvet Club - "Hollywood"

- Coheed and Cambria - "Guns of Summer"

- Jimi Hendrix - "All Along the Watchtower"

- Far - "At Night We Live"

- Sex Pistols - "EMI"

- Pearl Jam - "Black"

- Stone Temple Pilots - "Between the Lines"

- Crash Kings - "1985"

Big Boi on Fallon

Outkast's Big Boi hit up Fallon last week in support of his debut solo record, Sir Lucious Leftfoot: Son of Chico Dusty. Take a look!

Quick News

The Klaxons have told NME magazine that after their label scrapped their original second record, they thought they would never record again. Singer James Righton told NME "For a while we were nowhere near the headspace to make a record. The more we discussed what we wanted to become, the more tangled we got. It felt so forced. The opposite of what we were about. If I'm honest there was a brief point where I thought, 'Was it all just a moment in time that we can't recreate? Will we ever be able to do it again?'" Klaxon's latest, Surfing the Void is out in August only in the UK and Europe, no word on a US release date, though the band will be here for a small fall tour.

Lady Gaga tells Rolling Stone that she is finishing her new album from her tour bus. The singer says it will be out in 2011 and will announce its release on New Year's Eve.

Metallica's Lars Ulrich spoke to Australia's Herald Sun recently and says that the band's brilliant 2004 documentary Some Kind of Monster, was a "mistake."Ulrich says "Every time I see Noel Gallagher he quotes lines from that movie back to me. That thing has taken on a life of its own. I had to live that shit for three fucking years! The whole thing was a mindfuck. I am aware a lot of other musicians seem to have lived a lot of those moments. They weren't necessarily stupid enough to film them like we were and share them with the rest of the world." Metallica is currently on the road finishing up support for 2008's Death Magnetic.

Pearl Jam "Amongst the Waves"

Take a look at the latest video from Pearl Jam for the single "Amongst the Waves." Unlike any other video out there, this one is to raise awareness for our ocean and Pearl Jam's Oceans project, for more info go to www.pearljam.com/oceans.

Jimmy Eat World Cover & Track listing

Jimmy Eat World unleashed some great info to fans this week, their latest record, Invented will be out September 28! Take a look at the cover and track listing below:

Heart Is Hard To Find
My Best Theory
Evidence
Higher Devotion
Movielike
Coffee and Cigarettes
Stop
Littlething
Cut
Action Needs An Audience
Invented
Mixtape

Robyn on Letterman

Sweden's favorite singer Robyn hit up Letterman this week, take a look and get ready to shake your ass.

EXCLUSIVE! The Dig INTV!

New York City has always been a melting pot for culture, art, business and creativity, there is no denying that. Yet, with the emergence of so many New York band's these days it is hard to keep track of who is who and what is what. While we sift through the internet to find new acts, many will sound very similar to one another, now here is a band from New York that does not sound like anyone in particular but themselves - The Dig. The four piece band plays sci-fi style rock and mixes it with early indie, so think early REM or Pavement meets Muse or Editors. It is very hard to explain, but something worth listening to. More impressive are the band's live shows, after seeing them open for Editors and The Antlers this winter, I was hooked. Now come and meet the band as they just released their debut, Electric Toys this past spring. I had a chance to speak with Dig bassist, Emile Mossari as we talked about recording, touring with Editors and Portugal the Man and what the band hopes to achieve.

You guys have been in a band since you were teens, how have you managed to hold it together after all these years?

We group up playing music together so I guess we don't know anything else in terms of playing with other bands. I think we're still together because we're all friends and love writing tunes and playing shows together.

How would you describe your music for someone who has never heard of you before?

That's a tough one. I'd say that were a rock and roll band, and that we're influenced by an older style of songwriting but use more modern arrangements for our tunes. We listen to all sorts of tunes and I'm sure it all comes out one way or another.

What was the recording of your debut like?

Recording Electric Toys was a blast. Our good friend Bryce Goggin produced it and we tracked and mixed it at his studio in Brooklyn called Trout Recording. He was really instrumental in putting it together, in the months leading up to tracking the record he came to many rehearsals and all our shows and became really familiar with the songs. we spent about 30 days in the studio scattered throughout the summer.

Once it was completed did you feel vindicated that after all this time, a full record of your music was finally done?

Definitely, there was a lot of time and energy put into making this record. so finishing it felt great.

It is an interesting arrangement you have as far as singers go, there is no clear cut front man in your band. Singing responsibilities go between you and David, how did this formula emerge? Does each singer write their own song or do you collaborate like Lennon and McCartney?

Well, many of the songs are written and arranged by all four of us collaboratively. Some are written individually by Erick, David, or myself. As far as the singing goes, David and I have been in bands since we were 10 years old and we always traded off singing tunes and sang songs together. So I guess it came together naturally.

You toured earlier this year with Editors, what was that experience like? Did you get a chance to hang out with them?

Touring with Editors was great. They're great dudes, all very warm people. We hung with them a little bit but they kind of did their own thing after the shows etc.

Was it nice to have fellow New Yorker’s The Antlers on tour with you while you were on the road with a massive British band?

Definitely, The Antlers were also on that tour, we hung with them a lot more , probably cause we're all from New York and know a lot of the same people and it naturally happened that way. They're an amazing band and awesome dudes. We were psyched to be playing with both those bands at such great venues.

You also toured with Portugal The Man, how did that go?

The shows have been amazing. Every show has sold out and the crowds and the bands are really great.

How diverse were the audiences from Editors to Portugal The Man?

I think the crowds are different. Its hard to tell how much of it has to with the bands we're touring with and how much is the cities we're playing in. Although, Portugal The Man has a very loyal and distinct following. I think it helps that our band, Portugal the Man and Port O'Brien all have been jamming together on stage and partying together. Its more of a community, and I think the crowds respond to that. Maybe because its a longer tour.

Is it tough being the opener for bands like these with such a massive, almost cult-like following?

I wouldn't say its tough, Its such a great experience for us to playing with all these great bands. its our responsibility to warm up the crowds and get people going. But the audiences have been really receptive and warm. Especially on the tour we're on right now.

http://vimeo.com/9767070 from VVUSIC on Vimeo.

Live Review - Siren Fest

This summer has been a scorcher in New York City and to pack 1000+ hipsters to Coney Island for a long hot Saturday brings out the best, worst and most creative in people. As a slew of New Yorkers ascended to Coney Island on Saturday for the 10th Annual Village Voice Siren Music & Arts Festival, the heat just got heavier and no one seemed to mind. The bands and refreshments kept the crowd going and the legendary park came alive with adventure and excitement as indie rock's finest came to beat to the heat and enjoy the festival.

Through the years the Siren Festival has been a major platform for indie acts like Scissor Sisters, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, VHS or Beta, Mates of State and a slew of others, this year's proved no different. Arriving as early as I could, I got to the festival just in time to see the band that was one of my main reasons for coming out - New Brunswick, New Jersey's Screaming Females. Seeing this band before when they opened for Arctic Monkey's at Terminal 5 last December, I was blown away then and just as impressed yesterday. The best band of the day hands down, even successors of Scream Females gave them praise all day long. The trio which is a punk/garage rock band just know how to shred and get the crowd going. Singer Marissa Paternoster sounds like a British Joan Jett, but is so adorable on stage, acting very timid and shy when she would speak to the crowd, but as soon as she would start strumming she meant business. Screaming Females are going places and start getting into them now!

After that was West Palm Beach's Surfer Blood, a band who's debut, Astro Coast, is one of my favorite's of the year. Surfer Blood sounded just as they do on the record, psychodelic surf rock and Coney Island provided the perfect atmosphere and backdrop for this fun in the sun band. The bands Pavement meets Vampire Weekend style was perfect for the day, yet as they do not have much of a stage presants multi-instrumentalist Marcos Marchesani leaped into the crowd toward the end of the band's set with a floor tom-tom drum and let the crowd bang away as he ran back to the stage to do work.

From Surfer Blood's psychedelic beach odyssey it was Ponytail that we caught next. Ponytail proved one thing to me, anyone with no talent can be in a band these days. I am not a fan of the Animal Collective influenced bands and this was one of them, they sounded like a bunch of rapid animals screaming over old school Nintendo beats. As I could not enjoy their music, the crowd was the highlight. As kids would stage dive, crowd surf and mosh on the hot pavement, it made this bands awful set something to stick around and view.

Once Ponytail finished, it was Early Greyhound who took the stage. Now this was a band worth watching, the trio was a southern rock meets 70's soul outfit that looked like Iggy Pop with a guitar fronting Jimi Hendrix on bass and James Brown on drums. Something to witness and experience, as their classic rock influence brought a new aspect to the avant-gaurde festival. Leaving Early Greyhound a bit early to catch Brooklyn rocker's Pains of Being Pure at Heart was a difficult task but worth it. The Brooklyn band has been gaining all sorts of buzz since last summer and I finally had a chance to catch them. As it was later in the day, it would be expected that more people would arrive and Pains played to a packed crowd. Very early REM influenced, Pains proved they could live up to the buzz and are a band that we will be hearing a lot more of come the next few years.

As Pains would finish out their set more and more people ascended to Coney for the final acts. One of those would be Siren Fest vets Ted Leo & the Pharmacists. The indie hero was certainly the oldest guy at the festival, but he showed the kids how it should be done. Taking his garage sound and kicking it up a notch, Ted Leo and Co. can play any venue to any crowd, hell, the last time I saw these guys was summer 2008 as they opened for Pearl Jam at MSG, now as they were in the great outdoors, Ted just showed off his skills and had a great time doing it.

As the sun began to set, the crowd grew larger and larger and more packed together waiting for headliners Matt & Kim. The Brooklyn duo who have grown large through the years in New York playing everything from house parties to boardwalks to big stages are now headliners in their own backyard. Making the crowd sweat it out and wait, the music of Big Pun's "Lean Back" remix featuring the famous "Where Brooklyn At?!!?" freestyle from Biggie Smalls came on the speakers. As Matt & Kim ran out and jumped on their keyboards and drums respectively, they got the crowd hopping from the first note. In between songs they would play favorites like R. Kelly's "Ignition" and 70's disco classics. They are a quirky duo and represent everything Brooklyn in this day and age is about - creativity, happiness and helping nerds get laid since the renaissance of Park Slope last decade. As they heated up so did the crowd and as their set finished, every hipster ran into the ocean with the band to cool off.

While Matt & Kim broke out into a dance party, those just looking to decline from the day watching ambient electro rockers Holy Fuck. I had to catch their set, or some of it for the fact that I have heard nothing but great things about this band, in fact Rachel Ray is a huge fan. As I stood in awe of the sounds coming from their gear, they were a great way to end the great day. As the sun set over Coney Island, the Cyclone slowed down and the Wonder Wheel would illuminate, Siren Fest came to a close and Holy Fuck gave the soundtrack.

Holy Fuck

Matt & Kim

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists

Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Earl Greyhound

Ponytail

Surfer Blood

Screaming Females

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Live Review - The Flaming Lips @ House of Blues (A.C.)

The Flaming Lips - 7/4/10 at House of Blues Atlantic City
By Jessica Rionero*

I took a last minute trip to Atlantic City with no real intentions. Between trying to escape Diddy's white party and gambling my youth away I stumbled upon The House of Blues at The Showboat casino. In search of the bar I spotted the marquee exclaiming “ The Flaming Lips 7/4”. There was no ‘Sold Out’ sign preceding it. It was certainly meant to be. Now here comes the disclaimer--- I am not a die-hard fan. Not because I hate them, on contrary- I just have not paid the respect they deserve despite their entire discography that I own thanks to online torrent sites. Nevertheless, a voice from freshman year involving dorm room banter chimed in my head. I recalled a conversation with a trustworthy source that noted that The Flaming Lips in concert has changed his life. Who does not want to change their life? I am ready for some life altering experiences. So three margaritas and 30 dollars later, I attend a pack floor venue right on time at the House of Blues; people sport American Flags and the scent of marijuana, I was ready.

The show commenced with psychedelic visuals following a naked hippie girl spreading her legs for the entire venue to see. I always felt pressured sometimes in standing concerts. I judge, who is really a fan, who is drunk or who is grabbing my ass right now. In this case, the colors and explosions marveled me before my eyes and the flying confetti with the contraptions that the band members were coming out of. Giant assortments of balloon balls surfaced. The band and the audience were one, experiencing together making this show and interactive one. Not just a conventional set that can be seen anywhere. This could not be repeated. Just when there was, no more oxygen left, "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song’s" opening notes hypnotized everyone. Now it is truly rare in my opinion to see a band transcend their record, to sound better in a large hall with unperfected acoustics not to mention a crowd who sings off key blurring out any quality. On that note it was the complete opposite, I felt like I was in my first real rock concert. We just danced to the beat letting singer Wayne Coyne, guild our moves.

There was a point where I felt like I could not rock no more along with the rest of the audience when we were serenaded with Yoshimi Battles the Pink robots Part 1. It made me think of years ago of how I learned the song from someone’s myspace page. I could have melted. I think a few people did. My nostalgic sweat did not stop me then, the set ended with the ever so famous “Do you Realize?” Now some consider this a sad song. And yes, it is but so is life. I think that is the point of the song—Do you realize, that life is a crazy sad bittersweet thing that is indefinable. I mean, do you? I admit it is hard for me to do a proper music review, not my profession but boy do I know experience. The same fellow who suggested this concert to me years ago used to remark we never know what can happen: where life is going to take you. Did I wake up knowing I was going to the concert? God no! Total whim and surprisingly I have been low on spontaneity. Then to see a concert that had that whole “go with it” attitude. If you get a chance revaluate reality with an out of body experience, The Flaming Lips will point you in the right direction.

**Jessica Rionero is a contributing writer to With This I Think I'm Officially A Yuppie. She is a filmmaker and comedian, please be sure to check out Jessica and her team, Pink Axe

July 31st 7:30 PM at Parkside Lounge (LES). For more info go to www.pinkaxe.com.

Marina & the Diamonds on Ferguson

Marina and the Diamonds made her American TV debut this week performing "I am Not a Robot," on Craig Ferguson. The Scotsman had a bit of fun poking fun at the Welsh singer, take a look!

Quick News

Amy Winehouse has revealed that her new album will "be out in six months, at most," she told UK magazine METRO this week. Winehouse discussed that it will be a jukebox album, very much like her explosive Back to Black record. We hope you stick to your word Amy!

As REM guitarist Peter Buck readies his new act, Tired Pony with Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody, he tells Rolling Stone that REM have finished their new disc in Berlin. The band's 14th studio album will be out next year and was produced by Jacknife Lee, the genious mind behind the bands stellar 2008 release, Accelerate.

As mentioned before, Arcade Fire are set to release their latest, The Suburbs with eight different covers. Take a look at all eight below:

UK synth duo Hurts have released the track listing to their debut, Happiness, which will be out in September. Take a look at the track listing below:

'Silver Lining'

'Wonderful Life'
'Blood, Tears & Gold'
'Sunday'
'Stay'
'Illuminated'
'Evelyn'
'Better Than Love'
'Devotion'
'Unspoken'
'The Water'

Quick Spins

Addie Brownlee – East of Leaving EP
It is part country, it is part folk but it is all heart. Pouring everything she has into a nice succinct EP with some heavy hitters such as Martha Wainright and Doveman as guests, Addie Brownlee is a name that you will have to remember. After blowing me away at a recent performance at The Living Room, Addie’s EP is a nice way to get to know her and become obsessed.
FINAL GRADE: A-

Sting – Symphonicities
The master of Zen returns with an album of orchestral arraignments of his biggest hits from The Police and his solo career as well as under the radar songs from his catalogue. Backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sting’s brilliance is in the rearrangements of his tunes, yet it would have been great for a few originals with this record.
FINAL GRADE: B+

Scissor Sisters – Night Work
New York City’s favorite flamboyant dance-rock troop is back and still going strong. Much like other American acts that hit it big in Europe before really cultivating a fan base throughout all of the US, Scissor Sisters are ready for commercial glory after already getting critical acclaim since their major label arrival in 2004. Night Work is a fun effort with no surprises to most Scissor fans; they just keep the adrenaline and sex up all night.
FINAL GRADE: B

Devo – Something forEverybody
They were weird 20 years ago and still bizarre today, however, just as ahead of the musical curve they were back in the day they still are right now on their triumphant return. Everyone’s favorite Toppleheaded band is back and still having fun and cranking out beats that leave most contemporary favorites such as Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem and Hercules and Love Affair in awe. Something for Everybody is just that!
FINAL GRADE: B

The Rescues – Let Loose the Horses
This is a band I have introduced you to and have grown to enjoy. The Rescues arrive gracefully on their major label debut, Let Loose the Horses. A band comprised of solo artists from the LA area have come to make beautiful music together. This is a band and album not to sleep on.
FINAL GRADE: B-


We Are Scientists – Barbara
Another band that can fit into the Kings of Leon, Scissor Sisters mold – an American act bigger in the UK and Europe than their native country, on We Are Scientists third album not much has changed in their sound and style. The California via Brooklyn duo now have former Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows making the beats and cultivated themselves as a trio, with Barbara the quirky garage rock band is hoping to finally crack it on their native shores.
FINAL GRADE: B-

Chatham County Line – Wildwood
North Carolina is not really known for any particular music scene and not really known for many acts to break out of that state. So when you are a band kicking around for 10 years like the men in Chatham County Line have, making your art and doing your thing, the biggest risk is risking it all. On the band’s fifth release, Wildwood, they poured everything they had into the creation of this record; money, pride, passion and the result shows. Self producing Wildwood, the acoustic / alt-country quartet are bound to get noticed once you give a listen.
FINAL GRADE: B-

Kele – The Boxer
The anticipated solo debut from Bloc Party’s front man Kele Okereke finds him venturing into bizarre and very new territory. It does take a much, how would you say it – balls to do what Kele is doing. Adopting a new sound and persona, if you look at the man he is nowhere near a shadow of his former self. Kele has transformed himself both physically and musically with The Boxer, an electric escapade of futuristic and wild sounds. Gone are his trademark dreds and skinny frame, now he has bulked up and cut his hair to show he is shedding from his cocoon. This is a record that may take fans a while to wrap their head around or just loathe from first listen. The Boxer is not for everyone, but certainly worth a listen to see and hear where Kele wants to go.
FINAL GRADE: C

MIA - /\/\/\Y/\
MIA will always be a singles artist for me. It was great to see her have a hit with “Paper Planes,” and cross over into the mainstream and become a household name. However, her records as a whole I never really fully digested. Now with her latest, /\/\/\Y/\ she is weird for the sake of being weird. It is a unlistenable pop record with no hooks and no idea what it or she wants to do. Much like MGMT throwing as much shit on the wall to see what sticks with Congratulations, MIA does the same thing. Do yourself a favor and hit skip on this.
FINAL GRADE: D

Quick News

Pearl Jam told a crowd in Portugal that they have played their last gig "for a long time." Eddie Vedder spoke to the audience at Optimus Alive Festival in Lisbon "Thank you for coming to our last show, not our last ever, but our last in a long time." The band has been non stop recording and touring since 2006, these road dogs need a bit of a break doing their thing on stage three hours a night.

Speaking to NME at T in the Park festival in Scotland, Muse bassist Chris Wolstenhome told the magazine that "We'll definatly start working on a new album next year." Wolstenhome went onto say "I think we'll definitely take some time off after this touring period because it's something we've never done. I think the most time we've had off is about six weeks in the last 12 years, so we're due a break." Muse's latest The Resistance was released last Fall to global acclaim.

U2 have rescheduled their North American tour after this years was postponed due to Bono having to have emergency back surgery. The dates for the 2011 U2 360 Tour can be found HERE.

MIA on Letterman

MIA hit up Letterman last night to plug her new record. In typical MIA fashion, it was anything but typical showing up with a series of doppelgangers and members of Suicide to perform "Born Free." Take a look.

Screaming Females & Gang of Four Tracklistings

Fine New Jersey punks Screaming Females just announced the release date and track listing to their latest record. The band will release Castle Talk on September 14 via Don Giovanni records. Take a look at my interview with the band from this past Spring HERE. Here is the track listing to Castle Talk:
Laura + Marty
I Don't Mind It
Boss Normal
A New Kid
Fall Asleep
Wild
Nothing at All
Sheep
Deluxe
Ghost Solo

For the first time in 15 years, iconic British punk band Gang of Four will release a new record. Funded by their fans, Gang of Four will unleash Content on October 4 in the UK. Take a look at the track listing below:

'She Said 'You Made A Thing Of Me''
'You Don't Have To Be Mad'
'Who Am I?'
'I Can't Forget Your Lonely Face'
'You'll Never Pay For The Farm'
'I Party All The Time'
'A Fruit Fly In The Beehive'
'It Was Never Going To Turn Out Too Good'
'Do As I Say'
'I Can See From Far Away'
'Second Life'

EXCLUSIVE! The Whip INTV!

Manchester, England and its surrounding area's have given the world so much great music. From The Stone Roses, The Smiths, Happy Monday's, Joy Division, Oasis, The Buzzcocks, The Verve and countless others to the rising bands of today such as Hurts, Delphic, Starsailor and The Whip. The Whip take the psychedelic sounds of early 90's Manchester and add a strong beat to it, something you can dance to and rock out to at the same time. Since their creation in 2006, The Whip have gained fast attention through all of the UK and Europe. Aside from being in a band the band, like many these days, DJ gigs on the side and have developed a cult like following and report for their after parties. As they finish working on their new album, slated for a release later this year, they hope to and probably will explode across both sides of the Atlantic. Take a look at my interview with Whip member Bruce Carter as we discuss being from Manchester, the band's latest creation and their rise.

How is the new album shaping up? You guys have been hard at work on it, what is it going to be like?

Yeah, we've been working non stop on it. I've written and recorded about 30 songs in varying stages of completion, we're working through them at the moment trying to make the songs as good as possible. Initially I wanted to make the second record really quickly and put it out about a year ago but as the vibe is getting better given time I’m glad I was forced to wait. We’ll be going in the studio really soon to put the nail in the coffin and finish it off. I'm really proud of how it's shaping up, there is more depth to the songs and parts of it are pretty dreamy but filled with enough nightmares too. We've been playing a few songs at recent shows and they are going down well with people for a first listen, some nice moves and shapes have been thrown by the crowd.

Honestly though I can't wait to finish it and get back on the old open road that we call home for a couple of years. We enjoyed touring the first album so much and had so many random parties meeting new friends that we can't wait to go do it again.

As a band from Manchester, a city with deep music roots and history. Do you feel any pressure to ensure the quality of your music due to where you come from?

Yeah and it's great to have that pressure and even better to try and push the sound of the city forwards. All those great bands from the past made amazing music but it's best to create things new and that’s what we're really trying to do now.

We don't feel a conscious musical link to our city across all our tunes just something that happens subliminally a little.

How does The Whip stand apart from other Manchester bands and its history?

A lot of our influences are from other places, this is the same for a lot of Manchester bands past and present, everyone’s got their own vibe. We listen to a lot of electro house, a lot of French music, Italia disco, the soulwax remixes we're a bit influence when I was putting together 'trash' and we're finding our feet and getting a sound for the band on the first album.

It seems that you have become, or always have been close friends with the lads from Late of the Pier. Describe your relationship with them as friends and as colleagues.

Yeah, it's funny how music can bring bands together wherever you are from. We love to play shows with those guys, they are a good laugh. We always get a little crazy when we're out on tour together, not just the obvious party madness but just having a bit of a crazy time together. They have a bonkers side to them that we share, it's a pretty specialist kind of humor, musically we are in to their vibe too.

We had a good time touring around the states with them last year; we met them really early on a couple of years ago. We both supported 'hadouken' on a UK tour and got on since then. We’re supposed to be planning a camping trip with them but it's yet to happen.

You have gained much attention here in the States due to your remixes of everyone from The Editors to Haduken. What is it like re imaging a bands song and making it your own?

I love making remixes, it's great to take someone's song and find parts that you can loop up and take in to another world, it's really exciting. I wouldn't see the point it doing a really similar version to the original, it's good to listen to bits and then try and look at it like solving a puzzle, things start to leap out to you when you let yourself get sucked it. I'm really looking forward to doing more mixes once the 2nd album if finished.

DJing seems to be a big thing for the band when on the road or when you have downtime. Why is this?

It's just part of where we are from, fee and I have always liked to DJ so if we can find a DJ set at an after show we're well up for it. We DJ’d on our UK tour before the whole band played and it was great to set the right mood with some tunes before we whipped it up as a band.

You are playing Glastonbury last year. Describe the experience with all of those fans and new ears in front of you at the world's biggest and best festival.

We played it last year for the 4th year in a row and it was my favourite show there yet. We were on the other stage and it's the biggest crowd we have ever played to. It was strange to play in the daylight cos there was no major lights or strobes to hide behind. It was great though. I didn't go to bed for a couple days after it as it was such a buzz to play that stage.

Coming from the UK, is making it in the US still a big deal for a British musician?

It's just great to have your music recognized wherever you go but it's great to tour the states. I had such a fun time on the last trip. We toured for 5 weeks and did a big horseshoe of a journey, we saw so much, it was a real privilege to see. We played shows on hotel roofs in Miami, random TV shows in LA. Clubs and festivals all over the place and camped out in the desert near Coachella. Fun times, we are really lucky to be able to do it.

Burning Question: Man City or Man U?

Ahh, I'm a hardcore Wolverhampton wanderers fan because of my dad, I love the wolves. I watched them play a big game in a bar in New York when we were last over. I couldn't believe it when all these random wolves fans appeared.

Going back to your question, I'm not liking the way City have had a load of cash thrown their way, all of a sudden they are a different team. It’s like a microwave meal; it gets cooked too fast and tastes a bit fake.

When can the US expect to see The Whip again?

We'll be back over with the new album as soon as it's out over there, we can't wait. I love it over there, we'll be ripping it up again soon.