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Interview: These United States
I had a chance to sit down with (aka emailed) D.C.'s own These United States to ask them a few questions while they're on tour. Needless to say, hilarity ensued.
Next stop for These United States is the New York metro area. Be sure to check them out at Cakeshop on August 1st and at Goodbye Blue Monday on August 2nd if you happen to be in the area.
crazyeyes: What's the scene like in D.C.? What are some of your favorite bands in the area?
These United States: Tom hates everyone, including himself. He's a perfectionist. Jesse loves everyone, including himself. He's a hedonist. The rest of the band hates and loves Tom and Jesse, depending on the day and distance away from D.C. those two are. On this particular day, Tom and Jesse are far away from Washington, D.C., greatly increasing everyone else's opinion of them. In general, and due partly to their ever-expanding numbers, members of These United States are prone to like just about any given sound that could possibly occur on the D.C. scene. It's common sense statistics. There are like 20 people in These United States. The band that secretly runs the entire scene is called Kitty Hawk. They are Jedi masters of full-blown mind control. They are probably influencing the way you are reading this sentence right now.
crazyeyes: How's your tour going?
These United States: Truly grandly. Just picked up a couple young musicians from Columbus who go by Barnowls. They'll be our rhythm section for the next several days, on the run of the tour that culminates in a festival in Rochester this weekend. Then it's Tom and Jesse off to the great Northeast -- Boston, Portsmouth, Providence, and back down though NYC and Brooklyn, Philly and DC, playing with a few other folks along the way and finally back to the home team by those last couple shows. You should see the home team's new uniform.
crazyeyes: We hear there's a new album...
These United States: You hear well. You must've been to less shittyloud rock shows than we.
More after the jump!
7 Blue Skies bring Shoeless Rock to Amie Street
Central Florida based 7 Blue Skies are bringing their special blend of "shoeless rock" to Amie Street with their debut album . This modern rock group combines elements of Heavy Metal and Hardcore with rich melodies and textures common to Pop-Rock. Think Silverchair meets Vertical Horizon ... or Staind meets Good Charlotte ... or just listen to it for yourself and then think of your own clever comparison and leave it as a comment on this post. Yeah, that's probably a good idea.
Here's a video for
Disappearing Act
(
).
Key Tracks:
Sheri Miller brings Sultry Pop to Amie Street
Sheri Miller is a New York based singer-songwriter who has been performing at Joe's Pub, World Cafe Live, the Bluebird Cafe, the Living Room, the Cutting Room, Makor, Rockwood Music Hall, and Maxwell's. She has co-written songs with Grammy-winning collaborators and recently had a song featured on the Songwriter's Hall of Fame Compilation CD, Vol. 4. On her self-titled album , she highlights her strengths as both an established songwriter and performer with strong pop songs that sound familiar and catchy, but also have a raw edge.
Rendering bittersweet tales of inscrutable romantic interludes, sensual yearnings, and assorted spiritual awakenings, sultry singer-songwriter Sheri Miller fuses pop, southern soul, gospel, and modern rock with an infectious joie de vivre akin to classic Elton, Alicia Keys, and Shelby Lynne." [Tom Semioli, Amplifier Magazine]
Key Tracks:
powerful, rockin' voice with so much energy....lots of pizazz that makes you want to get up and dance and a force that goes right to your soul." [rec by dorsey]
One of the best songs on a very good album. If you enjoy the folksy, soulful pop rock of acts such as sheryl crow you'll like this." [rec by jwill]
SoCal Melodrama with a New Orleans Birth Certificate
Recently relocated to L.A., New Orleans born Battle Alaska sounds a bit like Resident Hero, My Chemical Romance, Against Me, and Atreyu. On the band's debut album, , Battle Alaska emerges with a signature sound which featuring modern rock infused melodies, frequent feel changes, melodramatic lyrics, and a good amount of screaming. They also manage to keep a continuous narrative throughout the course of the album -- so if you only plan on buying a few songs, you're missing out on the full story!
Check out this review written by Kevin Wierzbicki on Campus Circle.net:
Everyone's a Capulet ... what makes you think you're Juliet?" That clever reference to Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" comes from Battle Alaska's "Everything's Roses," an I've-had-enough-of-your-crap break-up song where about all that's left of the flower is a stem of thorns. That's also a summation of the rest of the lyrical content in this concept album that tells a story far too complicated to go into -- let's just say that it's sort of a scorn-and-retribution tale.As such, it gives lead singer Zac Woodring lots of opportunities to spit out vitriolic comments like, "It's your nails with French tips as they dig in my skin/It's a message in lipstick, you misspelled 'just friends.'" Woodring plays the putout soul to the hilt, and the songs are arranged perfectly to complement that; thundering with anger here, sobbing with self-pity there.
Whether you figure out the storyline or not, this is good stuff. Grade: A"
Check out this montage of Battle Alaska footage at a skate park
in Malibu featuring
W.T.F.
(
).
Key Tracks:
The Many Musical Faces of Agent Double E
Agent Double E (aka Renée Asteria) was born in America (New Jersey to be exact) and grew up in France with her Bolivian father and Dutch mother. Her music is as eclectic as her multi-cultural upbringing. is a fitting album title considering the range of styles and languages utilized throughout the record. Don't be surprised to hear anything from Spanish singing over a reggae groove (no, not reggaeton) to edgy rock to ambient folk soundscapes.
Key Tracks:
Been listening to this album a lot lately. Hard to decide which one is my favourite song but this could be it. No idea what she's singing about but I love the way she sings it." [rec by jannehh]
Very nice song, sunny and strange at the same time,I love it!" [rec by gof]
Funny song. I loved it from the instant I heard it. "You left me smiling, and noone - crying"; well, this one left me smiling :-) Nice guitar-licks. That goes for the whole album really :-)" [rec by Velmont]
The Sterns: Sinners Stick Together
The Sterns play pop rock with a punk attitude. But don't think Blink 182, these guys are more like the Beatles meet The Clash.
Here's an excerpt from a review of their album from the Boston Herald:
In the spirit of Barenaked Ladies, listening to this 2-year-old pop quintet presents an emotionally confusing experience. Say you're bopping along to the happy beat of "For Your Photograph" off their debut album, "Say Goodbye to the Camera." Then it dawns on you: This song is about extreme loneliness and heartbreak. No more bopping. Most songs from this album deal with relationships, but Stern predicts a shift with the release of the tentatively titled , due out in early fall. "The subject matter is less homogeneous," Stern said. "It's by no means optimistic, but it's not as melancholy."Look forward to social and political commentary set to sounds of euphonious '60s rock embroidered with elements of '80s Brit pop. In other words, here come the keyboards. And here come the Sterns, looking to make their mark. 'We're at an age where we have to make something of ourselves pretty quickly," Stern said. "The next step is to play as many shows as possible."
The sound: Each song contains a series of tiny musical explosions - like Pop Rocks for your ears."
Check out this video for
Buffer Zone
(
).
Keeley Valentino: The Mechanics of Living
Keeley Valentino grew up performing for her five younger siblings in their living room. It wasn't until she took a songwriting class at Vanderbuilt University that she met collaborator Stan Sonu. The two have been making sweet country-tinged folk ever since.
Key Tracks:
Special Pre-Release from Tokyo Rose!
Amie Street is bringing you Tokyo Rose's brand new album before it hits stores! This New Jersey based trio is bringing their unique brand of emo dance-punk to the Vans Warped Tour this August. They've only been on Amie Street for a short time, but everyone's already raving about them:
We Can Be Best Friends Tonight, But Tomorrow I'll
(
)
If you enjoy Panic At The Disco, you're likely to enjoy this song (or complain it's way too similar but still secretly like it). The style of singing is *very* close, just slower. Still, I like." [rec by parasight]
So good. I can't explain it. Its just _that_ good." [rec by heygabe]
If you like Fallout Boy, you will like Tokyo Rose even more. You can actually understand the lyrics clearly.." [rec by Heeetherette]
Cool wandering harmonic guitar intro, slowish musical verses, catchy chorus, makes ya feel good :-)" [rec by Macca]
Amie Street TV: B. Rich “Grown Man”
Check out this video for
GROWN MAN
(
) by B. Rich. He's been
asking us to put it up all week- but it's so hot that we would've
done it anyway. Thanks for the heads up B!
Dee: You’ve Probably Heard Him Before
Dee is a multi-instrumentalist/DJ from Montreal. His music is super danceable electro-pop that has been featured in a Ford commercial, Grey's Anatomy, Law & Order, and Punk'd.
Check out this video for
lonelygirl (bonus track)
(
). If you haven't guessed by the song
title, the tune is about LonelyGirl15.
Key Tracks:
Yaaa Yaaa! Do not hesitate, click the button and buy this song. A seriously rocking electroPop number that made it impossible for me to stay in the chair. I had to boogie around the desk, then sat down and wrote this rec..." [rec by roguepuppet]
Dee is one of my favorite new groups to Amie. I really like the song Real (Summertime). Their whole album is really good!" [rec by jasontl]
Great song! You might recognize it from the Ford Edge commercial: 'I like to live on the edge...'" [rec by jandsroberts]
When DEE puts aside the electronica and rocks out, he's knows all the right buttons to push." [rec by CraigH]
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