The Pistola Press

The California turned New York City band We Are Scientists is in the midst of their “Big Fucking Deal Tour”, where they will play three cities in four days. If you’re lucky enough to be in one of those three cities, you will have the opportunity to purchase their limited edition tee shirts for the “Big Fucking Deal Tour”. They only made 30 of them and you can check them out HERE.

The first stop of the tour will be tonight here in Philadelphia at Johnny Brendas. Tickets are only 15 dollars and they can be purchased HERE(or at the door). According to a recent Twitter post from Johnny Brendas, the show is half way sold out.

I did an interview with Keith from We Are Scientists for my friends at The Elitist Magazine when they first started a little over a year ago. You can read the interview HERE.

The xx - Photo by Chris La Putt

The guys at R5 Productions have booked some great shows in the Sanctuary of the First Unitarian Church lately. They’re taking full advantage of the upstairs venue which offers a very different atmosphere than the Church’s basement. The xx, a British trio of 20 year olds who put out a well-received debut record in 2009, will play in the Sanctuary on Monday, March 29th

Tickets for the show can be found HERE. (I just read that 20 tickets are left for the show via R5′s Twitter. The show will probably be sold out be the time you read this post. Craigslist? )

The xx – 2010 Tour Dates
03/22 - Spanish Moon - Baton Rouge LA *
03/24 – The Earl – Atlanta GA **
03/25 – Cats Cradle - Carrboro NC *
03/28 - Sixth & I Historic Synagogue – Washington DC *
03/29 – First Unitarian Church Sanctuary – Philadelphia PA *
04/03 - Le National - Montreal QC *
04/05 - Wexner Center - Columbus OH *
04/06 - Buskirk-Chumley Theater – Bloomington IN *
04/08 - Lincoln Hall - Chicago IL *
04/09 – Varsity Theater - Minneapolis MN *
04/12 -The Nightlight Lounge - Bellingham WA *
04/13 – Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver BC *
04/14 - Aladdin Theater – Portland OR *
04/16 -Fox Theater - Oakland CA **
04/19 - Riviera Theatre - Chicago IL **
04/20 – INK / Guvernment / Koolhaus – Toronto ON **
04/22 - Terminal 5 - New York NY **
04/24 -  9:30 Club - Washington DC **
* w/ jj
** w/ Hot Chip

Coachella just announced the line up for the festival which will take place at Empire Polo Field in Indio, California from April 16-18. Each day of the festival has a pretty killer line-up. A line-up that calls for a road trip. If you’re going to fly, get your tickets now… they’ll be cheaper!

Avi Buffalo

Download: Avi Buffalo – What’s In It For?

Three folky, acoustic artists/bands will play Kung Fu Necktie this Wednesday(01/20). Vetiver will headline the gig while Philly girl Megan Baird gets the middle slot. A young new band from Long Beach, California, Avi Buffalo will open the show. Some of them are still in high school. Get there early, they’re definitely worth it. Check them out via the download above.

Tickets for the show can be found HERE.

Download: Toy Soldiers -When I Tripped Into You

Philly natives Toy Soldiers are wrapping up a two week tour of the South this weekend in Baltimore opening for The Dutchess and The Dukes. They are a young, fun group of musicians who create a lively atmosphere at their shows. Next Friday(01/22), Toy Soldiers will play their first ever headlining gig at Johnny Brendas with The Great Unknown and TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb. It’s only 10 bucks. What else are going to do? Tickets can be found HERE.

Ron Gallo from Toy Soldiers dropped by for an interview a few months back. That can be found HERE.

St. Vincent put out a fantastic album in 2009–Actor. It was overlooked on most critic’s year end list, but Annie Clark’s second solo release gained her a lot of praise from her peers. Before she released material under St. Vincent, Annie was in The Polyphonic Spree and played in Sufjan Stevens‘ touring band. She spent the better part of 2009 touring in support of Actor. The majority of her tour dates were spent opening for the multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird. They came to the Electric Factory back in October.

She announced a headlining tour a few weeks ago, where she will play in the Sanctuary of the First Unitarian Church on Thursday, February 25th. It’s the ideal venue in Philadelphia for her to play. Tickets for that show can be found HERE.(All tourdates and videos below.)

St. Vincent – 2010 Tour Dates
01/29 – The Allen Room – Time Warner Center – New York, New York
02/03 – Element - Victoria, British Columbia @
02/04 – Venue - Vancouver, British Columbia @
02/05 – Neumos – Seattle, Washington @
02/06 – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, Oregon @
02/08 – Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, California @
02/09 – El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, California @
02/10 – Belly Up Tavern – Solana Beach, California @
02/11 – Rhythm Room - Phoenix, Arizona @
02/13 – The Bluebird Theater – Denver, Colorado @
02/15 – Bottleneck – Lawrence, Kansas @
02/16 – The Industry – Iowa City, Iowa @
02/17 – Turner Hall – Milwaukee, Wisconsin @
02/18 – Metro – Chicago, Illinois @
02/19 – The Pike Room at The Crofoot – Pontiac, Michigan @
02/20 – Outland on Liberty – Columbus, Ohio @
02/21 – Diesel Club - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania @
02/23 – Jefferson Theatre – Charlottesville, Virginia @
02/24 – 9:30 Club – Washington DC, Washington DC @
02/25 – First Unitarian Church – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania @
@ w/ Wildbirds & Peacedrums

Today is a very, very sad day in the world of music. Jay Reatard has passed away at the age of 29. Way too young for someone to die. I’m super bummed that I never had the chance to see him live. He recently played Johnny Brendas but I was a few days shy of 21 so I couldn’t get into the venue. Lame.(Details and a few videos below)

RIP Jay Reatard

If you haven’t watched the documentary of Jay, check it out HERE. It’s definitely worth 21 minutes out of your day.

Brooklyn Vegan reports:

Matador Records writes, “We are devastated by the death of Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr., aka Jay Reatard. Jay was as full of life as anyone we’ve ever met, and responsible for so many memorable moments as a person and artist. We’re honored to have known and worked with him, and we will miss him terribly.”

NY Times confirms with a quote from Goner Records: “It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our good friend Jay Reatard. Jay died in his sleep last night. We will pass along information about funeral arrangements when they are made public.”"

Philadelphia’s own Dr. Dog made a few big announcements today. Their new album Shame, Shame will be released on April 6th via Anti- Records. The record marks their first release for Anti- Records. The band also announced plans to tour North America in support of Shame, Shame. They will play the Electric Factory on Thursday, May 13th. Lastly, Dr. Dog proclaimed that they will release the first single of the new record once they hit 20,000 friends on Facebook. You can become their friend HERE. (More details on Shame, Shame, all tour dates and video of Dr. Dog ordering pizza for the crowd last time they played Philly below)

“The stylistic reference points of Dr. Dog remain on Shame, Shame but with a darker tone. It’s an album whose themes of doubt, confusion and unanswered questions are soothed by bright harmonies, taut guitar riffs and soaring melodies. From beginning to end, Shame, Shame is a record destined to claim its place on the timeless margins, untouched by modern tastes and content to exist on its own terms. It’s the auspicious sound of Dr. Dog writing their exciting next chapter, one they’ve been working towards since they played their first notes together.” via Big Hassle press release

Dr. Dog 2010 Tour Dates (more to be announced):
01/27 – Revolution Hall – Troy, NY  *
01/28 – Higher Ground – Burlington, VT  *
01/29 – Lupo’s – Providence, RI  *
01/30 – Westcott Theatre – Syracuse, NY  *
02/01 – Mohawk Place – Buffalo, NY  *
02/03 – The Pike Room – Pontiac, MI  *
02/04 – Turner Hall – Milwaukee, WI  *
02/05 – High Noon Saloon – Madison, WI  *
02/06 – The Mill – Iowa City, IA  *
02/08 – Waiting Room – Omaha, NE  *
02/09 – Rock Island Brewing Co. – Rock Island, IL  *
02/10 – Case Western University – Cleveland, OH  *
02/11 – Video Saloon – Bloomington, IN  *
02/12 – Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH  *
02/13 – State Theatre – State College, PA  *
04/14 – Lee’s Place – Toronto, ON
04/15 – Blind Pig – Ann Arbor, MI
04/ 16 – Metro – Chicago, IL
04/17 – Fine Line – Minneapolis, MN
04/19 – Belly Up – Aspen, CO
04/20 – Gothic Theatre – Denver, CO
04/22 – Neuroluz – Boise, ID
04/23 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
04/24 – Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA
04/25  – Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA  **
04/27 – Henry Fond – Los Angeles, CA  **
04/29 – Santa Fe Brewing Company – Santa Fe, NM  **
04/30 – The Loft – Dallas, TX  **
05/01 – Emo’s Outside – Austin, TX  **
05/02 – Warehouse Live Studio – Houston, TX  **
05/03 – Majestic – Fayetteville, AR  **
05/05 – Workplay – Birmingham, AL  **
05/06 – Cannery Ballroom – Nashville, TN  **
05/07 – Headliners – Louisville, KY  **
05/11 – Paradise – Boston, MA  **
05/12 – Paradise – Boston, MA  **
05/13 – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA **
05/14 – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC  **
05/15 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY  **
* With The Growlers
** With Deertick

The Baltimore duo, Beach House, are appear to have another busy year ahead of them. In 2009, they toured with Grizzly Bear, recorded a new album, and contributed to several projects. Victoria Legrande provided vocals on Grizzly Bear’s “Two Weeks” from Veckatimest and “Slow Life” from The Twilight Soundtrack.

The band show no sign of slowing down in 2010. They are set to release their third album, Teen Dream, on January 26th via Subpop Records. Along with a new record, Beach House will head out on the road in support of Teen Dream. The last stop of tour will be here in Philadelphia. They will play in the sanctuary of the First Unitarian Church on Friday, May 7th. Don’t miss out on this show. Beach House in the Sanctuary is seriously a dream come true. Tickets go on sale this Friday(01/15). They can be found HERE. (Mp3 download and all their tour dates below)

Download: Beach House – Norway

Vampire Weekend’s 36 minute, 10 track sophomore album Contra will be released tomorrow on XL Recordings. Having given it a few spins already, it’s a perfectly constructed pop album with extremely catchy songs. Amazon.com is offering the album for only $3.99 today(01/11) and tomorrow(01/12). The band also announced tour dates in support of Contra last week, where they’ll play the Electric Factory in April.