I first saw Leftover Cuties play in Hollywood at The Bardot and fell instantly in love with their music. It is a soft American folk with a beautiful edge that was lovely in the venue. Their song “Places to Go” became my anthem and I believe I proclaimed that in a review here on BTH. Since I already loved their sound I was so happy to hear that they are coming out with their new Covers EP out May 15th.

Songs include : Fidelity (Regina Spektor)
Poker Face (Lady Gaga)
You Are My Sunshine (Bing Crosby)
At Last (Etta James)
Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (Bob Dylan)
Trouble (Coldplay)

To choose the songs on the EP the band reached out to fans to decide on a track. The fans came back with Fidelity by Regina Spektor and the Cuties gave a it a great new spin.

(photo from their set at the Bardot 2011, photobytamea.com)

I recently spoke with the band’s vocalist Shirli McAllen (pictured above) about the upcoming EP and how they chose the songs. Growing up Shirli was a fan of Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchel and they have been influences ever since the beginning. She said that they wondered what they would be able to bring one of Bob Dylan’s songs an a new update with his sound being so iconic. They decided, rightly so, that they would be able to give their own take on it with success. Their rendition of Don’t think twice, It’s all Right has a Leftover Cuties spin but keeps the Dylan feel. It became one of Shirli’s favorite recordings in the band’s history thus far.

You are my Sunshine, which Shirli said was chosen by the band’s string player, Austin Nicholsen, was my favorite on the EP. Though I grew up with the song (and I think most of us did) it is a sombre song and their new key choices gave it a new story. Shirli was excited about the recording and that the song and lyrics explode with Mike’s trumpet intro on the song.
When I spoke with her, Shirli was “very excited about the cover album… because I think it is allowing us to show a new color of the band and a new side that we have not previously been able to show.” The band seems to be coming out of their shell and, while I do love the covers, I am most excited for the new album we have been promised.

We have a little while to wait, but 2012 should have a new Leftover Cuties full length album. “The new record will be out in the fall. I would like to write some more music for it so we have more to choose from, but we have enough material. We just need to get in to record.”

I’ll be looking forward to the new record and to the tour that is on the horizon. For more information on the band and their new music visit  the sites below. To see them live, do not miss their album release party in Hollywood at the Hotel Cafe on May 16th. They will be playing covers from the EP and I would not miss it. We’ll see you there!

Cheers!

Till next time,

Ohio

One of our favorite albums of 2010 was Fang Island‘s self-titled debut, and this morning the band finally detailed its follow up, Major, which will be released on July 24th via Sargent House (BtH faves, if you weren’t aware).

If they’ve expanded upon the blissful, guitar-driven harmony that characterized the first album, you’re going to be doing a bit more high-fiving once summer fully arrives.

From the band’s press release:

Like the painstakingly chiseled marble of the album artwork, Major is hefty, solid, monolithic and regal. Whereas Fang Island described their celebrated 2010 self-titled Sargent House debut as, “everyone high-fiving everyone,” Major is evermore confident, triumphant and brimming with infectious enthusiasm. Its warm harmonies are given proper berth with more expansive dynamics and focused pop song craft.

Among the reasons why they named the album Major, and why its album cover looks the way it does:

- Major key (the first song is minor though!)
- Valley girl colloquialism
- Because we are on an independent label
- Because the rank under Sargent (House) is major
- It sounds like a constellation
- Steely Dan’s “Any Major Dude” was in rotation a lot during the sessions
- The record is packaged to look like stone because it’s ROCK. I really wanted people to hold a piece of rock when they picked up the record.”

Get amped with the teaser video below, and stay tuned for more Fang Island goodness in the months to come.

Major track listing:

1. Kindergarten
2. Sisterly
3. Seek it Out
4. Make Me
5. Never Understand
6. Asunder
7. Dooney Rock
8. Regalia
9. Chompers
10. Chime Out
11. Victorinian

This year’s Weenie Roast included Coldplay, Incubus, The Dirty Heads, Garbage, and many many more great performers. (Full line up below) I was disappointed to miss the first set by fellow Ohioans Walk the Moon. I heard their set, and Anna Sun was just like I had hoped it would be! Sadly I was still making my way to the stages and didn’t manage to shoot their set, but their upcoming shows in LA will be a must attend.

In full music fest form, after seeing Grouplove and Awolnation, I was one of many to witness the standing ovation received by one brave girl who decided to poo in the bushes. It was about 3 in the afternoon so I like to think that she wasn’t already really that obliterated, but in keeping with KROQ’s shows, she probably was. Seriously though, claps and shouts from hundreds making their way from stage dos to uno. Brave intro to her new friends. She got a stern taking to from some security guards who let her go on her way to the next stage… I wish they had offered her some purelle, but they did not. Anyway, bush pooing aside, the show must go on! Next was Garbage on Uno (It was the Weenie Roast y Fiesta for Cinco De Mayo)

I think every band of the night gave a well deserved shout-out to The Beastie Boys who lost MCA only a day before. Garbage’s tribute was the most emotional and heartflet and was also for “anyone who has lost someone they loved.” They had apparently lost a friend tragically in Brazil and commemorated both loses with Blood for Poppies. Angels and Airwaves had a moment of remembrance in true rock style, no moments of silence here. A hard drum beat gave the audience their time to reflect on rock’s recent loss.

The Dirty Heads, all in Beastie Boys shirts thanked the band and MCA for paving the way for bands like them.

*there’s more after the photos… keep goin’*

With the line up already fantastic we were surprised to have Soundgarden come out to play a full set later in the evening. The surprise set was well received with the audience singing along and on their feet from beginning to end.

Incubus and Coldplay were by far my favorites of the night. I had not seen Incubus live since the 2010 Smokeout with our very own Flak. Last night was sans Flak, but he missed out on georgeous Incubus set. The music was as usual amazing. I have a few favorite songs from their newest album and happily they played their beautiful In the Company of Wolves. The song at over 7 minutes long and filled with instrumental solos, was amazing to hear live and I was lucky to be able to watch just side of the stage after leaving the photo pit. If you get the chance to see the guys of Incubus on their upcoming Honda Tour, go, you will not regret it!

Coldplay came out and thanked everyone for staying for their set. Front-man Chris Martin pointed to a man in the crowd wearing shirt from an old Offspring tour and thanked him personally for staying to hear them play. A small gesture, sure, but a good way to kick off a set with pyrotechnics, giant confetti guns and plenty of big beach balls (I got slammed in the face, but I still got the shot! kudos to me…) Hearing Yellow and Viva La Vida live admittedly made me smile like an idiot for about an hour.

With an evening of emotional ups and downs over loss to the industry and beautiful performances, I was happy to be able to share it with my fellow photographers and audience members. Thanks Kroq for again hosting a great day of music.

Full line of of the day:

Coldplay

Incubus

The Offspring

Soundgarden (surprise appearance)

Silversun Pickups

Pennywise

Angels & Airwaves

The Dirty Heads

Garbage

AWOLNATION

Grouplove

Of Monsters and Men

Walk the Moon

All photos © Tamea www.photobytamea.com

Cheers everyone! I will soon be headed to Ohio to see everyone at Rock on the Range, so if you’re reading this from back east, let us know!

See you at the show,

Ohio

Adam Yauch - 1947-2012

MCA of the Beastie Boys died today at the age of 47.

Needless to say, this sucks. Reports said he had beaten his 2009 cancer diagnosis, although he did miss the Beastie’s induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in April, so maybe his situation was worsening quietly…at any rate, this is a sad day for fans of the Beastie Boys.

We extend our sympathies to his family, friends, fans, and Ad-Rock & Mike D.

Wherever you are, blast some Beastie Boys today to honor the memory of Adam Yauch – gone much, much too soon.

Harakiri is now available for pre-order in Serj’s webstore. Fans can advance order the album or pick up a limited edition Harakiri album bundle which includes a 18” x 24” lithograph poster, download of two bonus tracks (to be delivered on 7/10) and a CD. Both pre-orders come with an instant download of the new single, “Figure It Out.” $2 from the sale of each pre-order will be donated to a non-profit organization to fight global hunger.

Last week, it was announced that Serj and the rest of his bandmates in System of a Down will be performing a handful of dates in August. Dates below.

Confirmed System Of A Down Tour Dates:

08/02   Philadelphia, PA – Susquehanna Bank Center

08/04   Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center

08/05   Wantagh, NY – Nikon at Jones Beach Theater

08/07   Washington, DC – Verizon Center Arena

08/09   Boston, MA – Comcast Center

08/11   Montreal, QC – Heavy Metal Festival Parterre @ Parc Jean Drapeau

08/12   Toronto, ON – Heavy Metal Festival Downsview Park

08/14   Detroit, MI -  DTE Energy Amphitheater

08/15   Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena

Connect and follow here:

http://www.serjtankian.com

http://www.facebook.com/SerjTankian

https://twitter.com/officialserj

The tireless Chino Moreno, known mainly as the Deftones‘ vocalist, has formed yet ANOTHER band, this time joining forces with Aaron Harris, Clifford Meyer & Jeff Caxide, all formerly of post-metal/experimental band Isis.

The band’s name is Palms, and they will release their debut album on Ipecac Recordings sometime this year.

Said Harris:

“Clifford, Jeff and I started Palms a little over a year ago out of a desire to continue making music together after ISIS ended,” explained Harris.  “Chino joined shortly after and our sound took shape from there.  We’ve worked really hard on this first release and are excited for people to hear it.  It’s nice to be back behind the drum kit, and with this line up.”

Chino himself had great things to say about isis, and how the project began:

“Being a huge ISIS fan I’ve always dug the moods these dudes convey with their sound,” added Moreno.   “I am excited to combine my sense of creativity with theirs, and to have fun doing so.”

It’s not as if things are slow in Moreno’s main band – the Deftones are working on a newa lbum for a summer release, and he’s been busy with his OTHER side project, ††† (Crosses)(who obliterated the Glasshouse a few months back). The dude’s just hungry for more musical projects, and there’s no doubt that Palms will be pretty mind-bending.

Stay tuned.

OUTSIDE LANDS MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL

ANNOUNCES 2012 LINEUP

FEATURING:

STEVIE WONDER, METALLICA, NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE, JACK WHITE, 

 FOO FIGHTERS, BECK, SKRILLEX, SIGUR ROS, JUSTICE, NORAH JONES,

 THE KILLS, GRANDADDY, BIG BOI, FUN., OF MONSTERS AND MEN,

 ALABAMA SHAKES  AND MORE

TICKETS ARE ON SALE

VIA WWW.SFOUTSIDELANDS.COM

April 17, 2012 — San Francisco, CA — Another Planet Entertainment, Superfly Presents and Starr Hill presents, in a partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, are proud to announce the lineup for the fifth annual Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival. The world’s only gourmet music festival will once again take place in San Francisco’s historic Golden Gate Park August 10 – 12, 2012. Tickets will go on sale Thursday April 19 at 12 noon PDT via www.sfoutsidelands.com. A significant portion of every ticket sold will directly benefit San Francisco’s Recreation and Park Department.

Outside Lands’ fifth anniversary lineup represents a palpable expansion on the traditions of the festival Rolling Stone called last year, “One of America’s best.” Consistently setting the standard in Northern California for intelligence and diversity in its programming, Outside Lands will up the ante once again and feature a staggering array of sets from established artists, newcomers, and the icons who inspired them. Featured this year are two Bay Area giants, Neil Young & Crazy Horse and Metallica, the latter of whom, on the heels of their 30^th anniversary, will be performing in their home park for the first time ever. The festival also welcomes Stevie Wonder’s first Bay Area appearance in many years, Jack White, who is celebrating the release of his first solo record, and Foo Fighters and Skrillex, both enjoying a multi-Grammy award winning year. Notables also confirmed are: Sigur Ros, Justice, Norah Jones, Grandaddy, Bloc Party, Die Antwoord, Amadou & Mariam, Fun., The Walkmen, Two Gallants, Alabama Shakes, Tame Impala, Sharon Van Etten, Bomba Estereo, Tennis, White Denim, Caveman and more.

Outside Lands has quickly become known for being as much about the food as it is about the music. As The Huffington Post reported, “unlike, well, every other music festival in the country, the culinary offerings at Outside Lands are truly spectacular.” This year, the festival will see its most expansive line-up yet. In total, ticket holders will discover approximately 100 food and wine options including organic, kegged wine; food trucks and bites from some of the city’s hottest chefs. Over 50 restaurants will gather in A Taste of the Bay Area and fans can expect to enjoy returning favorites like Maverick, Farmer Brown’s Little Skillet, Pacific Catch, American Grilled Cheese Kitchen and 4505 Meats. Wine Lands will celebrate over 30 of the region’s wineries and welcome back standouts like Long Meadow Ranch, Scribe, Bonny Doon, Kermit Lynch and Paul Grieco’s Summer of Riesling 2012.

Now in its fifth year, the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival has become a cherished event that the city of San Francisco has embraced as fans from across the country flock to spend a incomparable weekend in one of America’s greatest parks. Each year, festival organizers ensure that every facet of the event highlights the Bay Area and all of the components that make it one of the most desirable places to live and visit. They also like to the say thank you to the city and the local communities surrounding the park by giving back in substantial ways, raising a total of $4.3 million for the San Francisco Recreation And Park Department. Last year alone, the festival had a $68 million impact on the city as a whole. Outside Lands would like to thank its partners Heineken, StubHub, Toyota, eSurance and PayPal.

Confirmed Outside Lands 2012 lineup is below:

Stevie Wonder

Metallica

Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Jack White

Foo Fighters

Beck

Skrillex

Sigur Ros

Justice

Norah Jones

Dispatch

The Kills

Regina Spektor

Passion Pit

Andrew Bird

Grandaddy

Big Boi

Bloc Party

Explosions In The Sky

Franz Ferdinand

Mstrkrft

Rebelution

Die Antwoord

Fitz and The Tantrums

Portugal. The Man

Amadou & Mariam

Wolfgang Gartner

Fun.

Dr. Dog

The Walkmen

Washed Out

City and Colour

Two Gallants

Of Monsters and Men

Mimosa

Alabama Shakes

Reggie Watts

Trampled By Turtles

Tame Impala

Jovanotti

The Be Good Tanyas

Geographer

Sharon Van Etten

Yacht

Sean Hayes

Bomba Estereo

Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Big Gigantic

Thee Oh Sees

Wallpaper

Tennis

Zola Jesus

White Denim

Allen Stone

The M Machine

Michael Kiwanuka

Tanlines

Father John Misty

Electric Guest

Caveman

Yellow Ostrich

Papa

Honey Island Swamp Band

Animal Kingdom

More artists, restaurants, wineries to be announced in the coming weeks; check out www.sfoutsidelands.com

On May 15, the Expendables will release Gone Soft, a collection of acoustic songs.

The 12-track album is their first acoustic record, and will include new, stripped-down versions of Expendies classics like Bowl for Two, Positive Mind, and Trying to Focus, along with other choice cuts.

From the press release:

“After years of fans asking for an acoustic album, we finally delivered.  While the album is almost entirely acoustic instruments, it is just as stylistically diverse and quirky as the rest of our discography.  We wanted this to feel like a new album which is why we experimented with different tempos, melodies, and instrumentation while recording music that spans our entire career to date,” says Raul of The Expendables.

To promote the record, the band will hit the road for a short tour in May alongside Unwritten Law and Josh Fischel, formerly of Bargain Music.

The dates:

May 18^th ~ Anaheim, CA  – House of Blues w/ Unwritten Law
May 19^th ~ Tempe, AZ – The Marquee w/ Unwritten Law
May 24^th ~ Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Tavern  w/ Unwritten Law
May 25^th ~ Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Tavern w/ Unwritten Law
May 26^th ~ Ventura, CA – Majestic Ventura Theater w/ Unwritten Law

And as an added delight, fans can download a free MP3 of Trying to Focus, from Gone Soft, for free by clicking this link.

We here at BtH are big fans of the Expendables, as you probably learned with this interview we conducted with lead singer/guitarist Geoff Weers back in 2010.

Listen to Trying to Focus below.

MXPX’S ALBUM ‘PLANS WITHIN PLANS’ AVAILABLE NOW

Full Album Stream Available on AOL Music and MySpace Music

Free Track Download of “Far Away” Available for a Limited Time on G4.TV

Track-by-Track Feature on AltPress.com

“MxPx have been pop-punk’s torch carriers for the better part of 20 years.  Plans Within Plans is proof that growing up doesn’t necessarily mean slowing down. ” – Alternative Press

After five long years, pop-punk icons MXPX finally released their ninth full-length album, PLANS WITHIN PLANS, today, Tuesday, April 3, through MRI/Rock City Recording Company (U.S./Canada). The album is available for purchase through iTunes and Amazon, in addition to major retail outlets such as Best Buy, Walmart, FYE, Barnes and Noble, and Newbury Comics, to name a few. For a full list and special bundle packages, please visit www.mxpx.com.

Having faced the reality of the music industry and growing up, the band stay true to both themselves and their sound, showing they can persevere by putting out fun, positive music for both old and new fans to enjoy. A good portion of PLANS WITHIN PLANS pays homage to those who have stuck by the band’s side all these years, a love letter of sorts to the fans and friends who have believed in the punk rock trio for almost two decades now.

Eager to share the songs with their fans, a little over a month ago the band released the video for their first single, “Far Away,” which was featured on G4TV’s “Attack of the Show” and is currently available as a free download for a limited time on their website, http://g4.tv/GSilbp.

MXPX is Mike Herrera (bass/vocals), Tom Wisniewski (guitars) and Yuri Ruley (drums). In the span of 19 years, the band has sold over 2.5 million records worldwide. Their music has been known for its ability to unite formerly distinguished fan bases such as the skate/surf community and the punk underground for almost two decades.

MXPX’s “20th Anniversary Shows”:
5/26 @ El Corazon — Seattle, WA*
6/29 @ House of Blues — Anaheim, CA**
6/30 @ House of Blues — West Hollywood, CA**
8/31 @ Amador County Fairgrounds — Plymouth, CA (JoshuaFest)

*w/Amber Pacific
**w/Set Your Goals, Mest and Rufio

www.mxpx.com

www.facebook.com/mxpxpx

www.twitter.com/mxpx

www.myspace.com/mxpx

EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS UNVEIL NEW SONG “THAT’S WHAT’S UP” FROM

 FORTHCOMING ALBUM HERE

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros have revealed a second track from their forthcoming studio album, Here. Entitled “That’s What’s Up”, fans can stream the track at the band’s tumblr page. Due out May 29th on Community Music, beginning today Here is available for pre-order on iTunes. Fans who pre-order the album will receive a free download of  “That’s Whats Up.”

MAY

2nd                    Oakland, CA                 Fox Theatre

4th                     Los Angeles, CA           Greek Theatre

5th                     Santa Barbara, CA       Santa Barbara Bowl

8th                     New York, NY               Roseland Ballroom

9th                     New York, NY               Roseland Ballroom

11th                   Upper Darby, PA         Tower Theatre

12th                   Boston, MA                  Orpheum Theatre

13th                   Toronto, ONT               Kool Haus

15th                   Washington, DC           9:30 Club

16th                   Charlotte, NC                The Fillmore Charlotte

18th                   Woodlands, TX             Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion*

19th                   Dallas, TX                       Gexa Energy Pavilion*

21st                    Atlanta, GA                   The Tabernacle

24th                   Chicago, IL                      Riviera Theatre

25th                   Minneapolis, MN          Cabooze Outdoor Plaza

26th                   Milwaukee, WI              Riverside Theatre

30th                   Columbus, OH               The LC Pavilion

31st                    Nashville, TN                  Ryman Auditorium

JUNE

1st                       Ozark, AR                      Wakarusa Festival

* With Dave Matthews Band