Athens Georgia based R.E.M. premiered the video for "Every Day Is Yours To Win" on the YouTube homepage today, a video composed entirely of footage from YouTube. Lead singer Michael Stipe and the video's co-director Jim McKay have also posted an intro video and a video featuring a list of their favorite YouTube clips. The "Every Day Is Yours To Win" video is part of the Collapse Into Now Film Project, where artists and filmmakers were asked to create short films for each song on the new R.E.M. album Collapse Into Now.
Reform The Resistance, comprised of former Justifide members Jason Moncivaiz (vocals/guitar) and Sambo Moncivaiz (bass) of Phoenix, AZ and drummer Ryan Dugger (drums) of Nashville, TN, is pleased to announced the digital release of their new album The Truth is Dangerous on Wuli Records. The album will be released physically on May 17th, 2011. The Truth is Dangerous was completed in October 2010 and was produced by Reform The Resistance vocalist/guitarist Jason Moncivaiz. The entire album was recorded and produced in Moncivaiz’s personal studio, with exception of the drums which were recorded in Chicago, IL at Gravity Studios.
The band also recently announced that they will be filming their new music videos for the tracks ‘Kill Lies’ and ‘Tonight We Ride’ which appear on The Truth is Dangerous. The videos will be directed by Ben Monteiro, a skilled graphic designer based in Portugal. Ben will direct and shoot the video for ‘Kill Lies’ in Nashville, TN and ‘Tonight We Ride’ in Chicago, IL beginning on April 27th, 2011. Ben is also a member of the band Triplet, who toured with Reform The Resistance in the past.
Punk pioneer Poly Styrene has passed away - from a press release issued by her publicist -
"We can confirm that the beautiful Poly Styrene, who has been a true fighter, won her battle on Monday evening (4/25/11) to go to higher places. Poly Styrene was born Marianne Elliot Said on June 3, 1957. She passed away due to cancer.
Poly Styrene was a punk amongst punks. A groundbreaking presence that left an unrepeatable mark on the musical landscape, she made history the moment she uttered, “Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard but I think oh bondage up yours!” The influence of Poly and X-ray Spex has been felt far and wide ever since. The seminal album Germ Free Adolescents is a landmark work and a primary influence on Britpop and Riot Grrrl. At the center of it was Poly Styrene, a bi-racial feminist punk with the perfect voice to soundtrack rebellion. Poly never sacrificed the intelligence or the fun in her music and style. Her trademark braces and dayglo clothes were a playful rejection of the status quo and of conformity and complacency. She dissected gender politics, consumer culture, and the obsessions of modern life in a way that made us all want sing along with her.
At the core of Poly’s work from Germ Free Adolescents through Generation Indigo, is a revolutionary with a genuine love for this world and the people and things in it. Her indomitable heart is all over the new material from her championing of cruelty free products and as she put it, "being conscious of the slaughterhouse culture" (“I Luv Ur Sneakers”) to giving voice to marginalized poor people worldwide (“No Rockefeller”) to tackling racism (“Colour Blind”). Poly Styrene never stopped exciting us with her incisive world-view, amazing wit, and her adventurous sound. It is impossible to imagine what modern music would be like without her incalculable contributions but it’s probably not worth imagining a world that never had Poly Styrene in it.
A thrilling work from a true pioneer and rebel in every sense, Poly Styrene’s album Generation Indigo is out today through Future Noise Music and was produced by Youth (The Verve, Killing Joke, The Fireman, Edwyn Collins).The album’s fusion of punk spirit, and fresh sounds has already received rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic from Spin, NPR, NME, MOJO and countless others. The forward looking Generation Indigo showcases Poly’s humorous musings on pop culture, the internet and fashion whilst also tackling heavier subject matter (war and racism) with her politically aware and intelligent lyrics all in the inimitable voice of a genuine icon."
Radical Dads featuring Members Of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah have announced their debut LP "Mega Rama" out June 14th on Uninhabitable Mansions.
Founded in 2008 along the banks of the Gowanus Canal, Lindsay Baker sings and plays the guitar, Robbie Guertin (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah) sings and plays the drums and Chris Diken plays the guitar.
The band released a self-titled EP in May 2009 and the Recklessness 7-inch in December 2010. Radical Dads' first full-length album, Mega Rama, is being released by Uninhabitable Mansions, an art collective and record label based in Brooklyn, NY.
The bands interests include disaster, piracy, land use, feedback, distortion, and feedback-laced distortion. For more information check out the bands web site at http://radicaldads.com
ACL Live at the Moody Theater was the place to be for Austin's music industry and for fans as well as the new Austin Music People (AMP) organization launched to a raucous party downtown.
AMP is Austin’ s newest non-profit dedicated to preserving the Austin music culture by working with Austin music businesses, musicians and fans and the list of Austin music businesses and individuals that have already joined is impressive. Headed by Paul Oveisi of Momo's as Executive Director, the list of advisers and board members alone includes music industry notables such as Charles Attal of C3 presents, Frank Hendrix of Emo's, Susan Antone of Antones, and Terry Lickona of Austin City Limits Television among others.
But AMP is as much about the music and the people that enjoy it as it is about the music industry, and AMP not only welcomes but encourages anyone that is a fan of the music scene in Austin to join, its' easy and in fact anyone that bought a ticket online for last nights sold out show is now a member.
Those lucky enough to buy a ticket or wrangle an invite got to sample from a veritable musical banquet of Austin's music offerings, with a variety of artists performing short sets from a number of genres. Ticket holders and guests alike were treated to sets by Ghostland Observatory, Blue October, Alejandro Excovedo, Bavu Blakes and more. Check out all the pictures from last nights show in the photo gallery, and if you like Austin music join AMP and play a part in shaping Austin's music scene.