Just when things were starting to get a bit dull and predictable in the music scene, a group like Phantogram comes along and saves the day. I first heard about the group several months ago when I saw the video for “When I’m Small” on NewNowNext Music. Not only was the song catchy, it was also hard to look away from the video’s black and white imagery (and lead singer Sarah Barthel for that matter). Click the pic above for full-sized image.
The duo’s debut CD, “Eyelid Movies” is my current obsession and is one of the rare CDs that you can listen to straight through. Their label describes their music as a mix of “electronic loops, hip-hop beats, shoegaze, soul, pop.” As varied as the description is, that pretty much nails it. You’ll find a little bit of everything in their album. Out of several standout tracks, “As Far As I Can See,” “When I’m Small,” “Mouthful of Diamonds,” and “Turn It Off” are among my faves.
The duo has performed on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and played to a sold out crowd at Coachella. The group hits the road for the eastern U.S. and Canada in July.
Visit Barsuk Records to keep track of their latest news/tour dates and download a free mp3 of “When I’m Small.” And of course don’t forget to friend them on Facebook.
Obi Best recently released a four song, digital only EP titled Sentimental Education. The follow-up to the band’s debut release, “Capades,” includes the tracks “Knock on Any Door,” “To Have Class,” “Man Without a Yes,” and “Tropical Fish.” The group has also finally released an official video for “Tropical Fish,” a song which lead singer Alex Lilly and the band have been performing live for quite some time.
Sentimental Education can be purchased on iTunes and the Amazon mp3 store.
Nikka Costa, the hardest working woman in show business, is going back on tour to support her new album PRO*WHOA! which scheduled to hit stores on June 21. (If you don’t know why I referred to her as the hardest working woman in show business, then you obviously haven’t seen her in concert. The woman leaves it all on stage!)
Nikka kicks off the tour with a four night stand in Vegas (how cool is that…) before hitting a few cities in California and then taking her talents to the East Coast and then the Midwest.
And be sure to check out her YouTube channel, Nikka’s Box. She has some great acoustic performances and other cool vids in HD! And of course, join her Facebook page at www.nikkacosta.com.
June 15 – Las Vegas, NV / Book & Stage, The Cosmopolitan
June 16 – Las Vegas, NV / Book & Stage, The Cosmopolitan
June 17 – Las Vegas, NV / Book & Stage, The Cosmopolitan
June 18 – Las Vegas, NV / Book & Stage, The Cosmopolitan
June 22 – San Francisco, CA / The Independent
June 23 – West Hollywood, CA / The Roxy Theatre
June 24 – San Diego, CA / Anthology
June 25 – Hermosa Beach, CA / Saint Rocke
July 13 – Philadelphia, PA / World Cafe Live
July 14 – Poughkeepsie, NY / The Chance
July 15 – Cambridge, MA / The Middle East
July 16 – Baltimore, MD / Artscape Festival
July 17 – Vienna, VA / Jammin’ Java
Aug 10 – Bethlehem, PA / Musikfest Cafe
Aug 18 – Minneapolis, MN / Varsity Theatre
Aug 21 – Chicago, IL / Lincoln Hall
I will be updating Sirens of Song with a new theme this week. I kind of just settled with the current theme and never got around to finding and installing a new one.
Hopefully everything goes smoothly, but in the process, there may be a few broken links or photos missing. My main concern is that I don’t loose any comments you may have left! Worst case scenario, if something goes horribly wrong, I can restore the backup of the site.
Obi Best played an intimate set at Hotel Cafe in Hollywood, CA last night. Frontwoman Alex Lilly was joined onstage by usual band members Wendy Wang and Bram Inscore. Missing was keyboardist Aaron Arntz and drummer Barbara Gruska, but in their place were several guest musicians. Seeing a saxophone player and a flutist on stage isn’t typical of an Obi Best show, but it gave the night a classy, unplugged vibe.
Alex spent most of the night at the piano while Bram played upright bass and Wendy sang backup vocals. The set included favorites such as “Swedish Boy,” “Tropical Fish,” and the extremely catchy “It’s Because of People Like You.”
Obi Best’s second album, a four song EP titled Sentimental Education, will be released later this year and includes the songs “Tropical Fish,” “Knock On Any Door,” “To Have Class” and “Man Without A Yes.” It can currently be purchased after their shows. Visit www.obibest.com to hear the EP in its entirety.
June 10th, 2011 | 
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Nikka Costa, the hardest working woman in show business, is going back on tour to support her new album PRO*WHOA! which scheduled to hit stores on June 21. (If you don’t know why I referred to her as the hardest working woman in show business, then you obviously haven’t seen her in concert. The woman leaves it all on stage!)
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