Stormporter are two story-writing Brits making sweet, soulful, indie pop-rock noise. Tim, from England and Tones, a Scot, came together to share their stories, make sweet music together and share fun times in their adopted country – New Zealand.
Stormporter
Stormporter tell stories through their music; stories about life. We all go through storms in our lives – sometimes exciting, often turbulent and sometimes life-changing. Stormporter believe there will always be someone or something to carry you through the storm.They hope the songs will get under your skin, that you’ll be moved or touched in some way, that the songs will become part of the soundtrack of your life. Perhaps, these songs will somehow help you through life’s storms.
Stormporter are hitting the stage and taking their infectious brand of soulful, indie pop-rock to New Zealand and the world.
Their debut single was released on March 10 and has been well received. The song is ear-worming it’s way across radio airwaves in New Zealand and the video is also being screened on New Zealand national music television (C4 and Juice TV).
The debut single, Find Yourself and their second single (due for release late April) were produced by Kiwi legend, Ben King (Goldenhorse, Grand Rapids). King also contributed bass on the songs. You’ll also hear Matthias Jordan (Pluto, Gin Wigmore) tinkling on the keys and cooking up some crazy big Hammond organ sounds. Adam Tobeck (Jesse Sheehan) is grooving on the drums and the sultry sounds of Haddon Smith (The Checks, Ruby Frost) on horns.
Stormporter’s sound and the influence for their songs are rooted in British Mod culture and the idea for the video for Find Yourself was inspired by the Northern Soul movement, born out of Northern England back in the late 60s/early 70s.
The result of this is a sweet and unique, soulful, grooving indie pop-rock sound and a vibe that will get you up out of your seats.
The renowned Philly rock group Dr. Dog debuted their new video via Stereogum.com yesterday. The clip is for the band’s song Distant Light from their latest album B-Room and offers an appropriately psychedelic kaleidoscope of imagery for the track. The video was directed by Aaron Hymes who has previously worked with Broken Bells, Booker T. Jones, Raphael Saadiq among others.
A revered live act whose shows the New York Times Magazine described as “feeling as if you’re at the best house party ever,” Dr. Dog is currently touring North American in support of B-Room. The Village Voice recently said of the band: “the sextet dabble in DIY oddities that continually recall their forebearers — Dylan, the Dead, even Simon & Garfunkel at times — but still manage to stamp their own inky sound across the top of it all.”
The band’s latest powerfully mines and expands upon the surrounding landscape of Philadelphia soul. Captured primarily live in-studio, the rollicking groove and beloved musical interchange which has highlighted the band’s concerts resonates throughout the album.
You can catch Dr Dog live on the following dates:
31 Jan 14 – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA
01 Feb 14 – Electric Factory – Philadelphia, PA
03 Feb 14 – Madison Theatre – Cincinnati, OH **
05 Feb 14 – Turner Hall – Milwaukee, WI **
06 Feb 14 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
07 Feb 14 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN **
08 Feb 14 – Riviera Theatre – Chicago, IL
19 Feb 14 – Civic Theatre – New Orleans, LA
20 Feb 14 – Warehouse Live – Houston, TX **
21 Feb 14 – Stubb’s – Austin, TX
22 Feb 14 – House of Blues – Dallas, TX **
24 Feb 14 – Crescent – Phoenix, AZ **
25 Feb 14 – Crescent – Phoenix, AZ **
26 Feb 14 – The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA **
27 Feb 14 – Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA **
28 Feb 14 – Catalyst – Santa Cruz, CA **
01 March 14 – Warfield – San Francisco, CA **
03 March 14 – Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR **
04 March 14 – Venue – Vancouver, BC **
05 March 14 – Neptune Theater – Seattle, WA **
07 March 14 – Complex – Salt Lake City, UT **
08 March 14 – Boulder Theater – Boulder, CO **
10 March 14 – Liberty Hall – Lawrence, KS **
11 March 14 – Slowdown – Omaha, NE **
12 March 14 – The Pageant – St. Louis, MO **
14 March 14 – 9:30 Club – Washington, DC
Only a teenager, Freya Roy is producing music that would be expected of someone double her age. Her voice has a quality in it that adds years to her vocals. Her lyrics aren’t simple, they aren’t ‘pop’ song lyrics. They have meaning and an understanding of the world which would be mistaken for someone twice her age. Freya Roy is a solo artist with a huge amount of potential and as she is still very young, her music will flourish as she does.
After releasing her debut EP in December 2012, Wait In The Water, she has returned with her latest EP release, Tomorrow. Tomorrow is just as awe-inspiring as Wait In The Water.
Track one Not Forgotten sees Roy experiment with a pop/jazz guitar riff using reverb overlapping with and complimenting the rhythm guitar which also uses the reverb effect. Knowing that Roy uses a loop peddle when performing live gives this song an extra boost – it’s perfect for a loop peddle. On Not Forgotten, Roy sings about a love lost, perhaps a torturous love which can damage the way someone thinks. It’s a song about breaking free from something that’s bad for you and pushing all those bad thoughts away while remembering what you have to look forward to, “Invest my mind with the stars that you gave me/There are in my head rotten at the core…Not forgotten I will not forget/The shine’s still shining in my head…Nothing better than a memory in my head/Keep them in front whilst you’re ahead”. Not Forgotten is a song about remembering the bad times, appreciating the not so good memories, and moving forward. Roy’s vocals on this track are outstanding, there’s little control but this is what makes it so fantastic. Her voice ascends and descends showcasing so much emotion. Her voice has definitely matured in the last year. Not Forgotten is another example of Roy’s ability to write lyrics as if she has a whole life-time of experiences and wisdom.
I Know It’s Alright is another favourite off the Tomorrow EP. It starts as a solemn number with Roy’s vocals having a vague resemblance to Patti Smith’s deeper tones until the chorus kicks in and Roy finds her distinctive voice again. The lyrics, “I know it’s alright/When the rays are in my eyes/When the sun shine is so bright/I know it’s alright/When the tears dry from your eyes/When the sun shine is so bright” are incredibly memorable and singable as well as being uplifting and meaningful. This song has a really good feeling about it – the guitar riffs are summery, meditative and totally relaxing which all aids this good feeling.
Sunrise sees Roy experiment with her vocal range with the chorus able to send shivers down your spine. Roy expresses so much with her voice so her accompanying music can be kept simple. I See is a jazz influenced song with plenty of jazz guitar and jazz singing. It’s really uplifting and has some wonderfully calming harmonies. It’s the penultimate track before Not Too Much Not Too Little comes in with its Jeff Buckley inspired sad tones.
The sound of the guitar on this record is very similar to the sounds achieved by Michael Kiwanuka – it has the jazz/folk/soul 70s feel to it. The whole EP has a familiar sound to it with influences from the likes of Patti Smith (vocals only), Michael Kiwanuka (guitar/stylistic qualities), Van Morrison and John Mayer (soul/jazz riffs). There is even a slight reminiscence of Jeff Buckley in some of the guitar riffs and tones.
Tomorrow is another marvelous release from Freya Roy. She is outstanding for her age – her wisdom, talent and view of life is much above most people at her age. This is an EP that everyone should take at least one listen of. It will open your eyes to the true talent that’s out there.
Soul singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples
Soul/gospel legend Mavis Staples is the subject of a new book entitled I’ll Take You There – Mavis Staples, The Staples Singers, and The March Up Freedom’s Highway which arrives in stores on January 21. The authorised biography by acclaimed journalist and author Greg Kot details Staples’ fascinating personal history as well as her profound and multi-faceted role in music, culture and the civil rights movement.
Staples, already a Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductee, was recently nominated for a Grammy Award for her latest album One True Vine in the Best Americana Album category. The record is Staples’ second collaboration with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and the follow-up to 2010’s Grammy-winning, You Are Not Alone.
Mavis Staples will be performing on January 25 at The Pepperdine University Center for the Arts. For more information, click here.
On October 1 Dr. Dog released their highly anticipated new album B-Room which RollingStone.com is currently streaming offering listeners a chance to hear the record in its entirety. In addition the site is featuring an interview with the band who have just announced a new series of 2014 live dates.
In recent years the Philadelphia band has emerged as one of the pre-eminent rock bands around, attracting a rapidly growing fan base with their imaginative song writing and a now legendary live show which the New York Times Magazine blog 6th Floor recently described as “the best house party ever.”
Dr. Dog
The previous months have been a time of enthusiastic construction for Dr. Dog. First they built a new recording studio in an old mill and then set about assembling a supremely soulful new album in B–Room which delightfully mines and expands upon the surrounding landscape of Philadelphia soul. The tracks on B-Room were captured primarily live in-studio. As a result the rollicking groove and beloved musical interchange which has been delighting live audiences resonates throughout the disc.
B-Room is a wonderful album that offers you everything. There’s soul, rock, pop and ballads among many more genres. Not one song sounds the same and at times, the songs don’t even sound like the same band is performing them. Dr. Dog manage to sound completely different in every song on B-Room making it an album that you will never get bored of listening to.
Track one The Truth starts with a pumping drum beat which is gradually accompanied by a string melody and keyboard. The song is calming with its slow stuttered guitar riffs and soft vocals. However, previous release Broken Heart spices the record up instantly. It’s a track that has a danceable beat. The chorus, “She really loved him/But I couldn’t see it though/He really loved her/But I don’t believe it oh no” is catchy with the music’s fast tempo and quickly sung lyrics adding to the lively nature of this track.
Minding The Usher brings in slightly Jimi Hendrix inspired soulful guitar riffs against a backdrop of deep bass and soft drums. The vocals sound entirely different from the previous tracks making it hard to recognise this track as part of the same album but this is what makes it so fantastic to listen to.
Phenomenon introduces some country into B-Room. The banjo plays at the beginning with the drums and fiddles slowly kicking in. This song has a great rhythm and melody that will leave it floating around in your head long after you listen to it. After Phenomenon’s upbeat colourful explosion on B-Room comes Too Weak To Ramble, the first ballad on Dr. Dog’s newest album. The vocals intensify all the emotions that the lyrics help to portray. The verse, “Too weak to try/Too drunk to stay up/Too grown to lie/I always told myself I would make it harder here alive/But I’m too weak to ramble” shows true emotion being expressed through the strained, almost tearful vocals.
Cuckoo, on the other hand, sounds like its sauntered straight out of the 70s – this sort of authentic, old rock sound isn’t always pulled off very successfully but Dr. Dog are an exception. Cuckoo has soulful rock vocals that resemble Jimi Hendrix and guitar riffs, drum rhythms and harmonies that place this song snugly in the 70s where it belongs. The harmonies resemble those of Neil Young in Cowgirl In The Sand and Southern Man.
The AV Club has recently premiered a new lyric video for the song Love from B-Room. The new video combines footage from vintage toy commercials with the song’s bittersweet lyrics. Love is a beautiful modern love song with the chorus’ lyrics, “Love can it/Last all my life/As it passes…” highlighting this.
Dr. Dog have produced a more than perfect album in B-Room. There isn’t a song that doesn’t live up to your expectations of this band. B-Room is a superb record and by far one of the best released in 2013. It’s a true triumph from musical genii.
You can catch Dr. Dog live on the following dates with Lumineers:
October 4 Chaifetz Arena St. Louis MO
October 8 Mud Island Amphitheatre Memphis TN
October 9 Tuscaloosa Amphitheater Tuscaloosa AL
October 12 Ryman Auditorium Nashville TN
October 13 Ryman Auditorium Nashville TN
October 14 Ryman Auditorium Nashville TN
October 16 UNO Lakefront Arena New Orleans LA
October 18 St. Augustine Amp St. Augustine FL
October 19 USF Sun Dome Tampa FL
October 20 Sunset Cove Amphitheater Boca Raton FL
Dr. Dog’s headline dates for 2013:
October 11 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
November 01 Pittsburgh PA ,Stage AE
November 02 Louisville KY, Headliners Music Hall
November 03 Asheville NC, The Orange Peel
November 05 Richmond VA, The National
November 06 Charlotttville, SC Jefferson Theater
November 07 Columbus OH, Newport Music Hall
November 08 Toronto, On Phoenix Concert Theater
November 09 Detroit MI, Majestic Theater
November 11 Cleveland OH, House Of Blues
November 14 Boston, MA, House of Blues
November 16 Baltimore MA Rans Head Live
Dr. Dog headline dates for 2014:
Jan-25 New York, NY Terminal 5
Jan-27 Buffalo, NY Town Ballroom
Jan-28 Burlington, VT Higher Ground
Jan-31 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
Feb-01 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
Feb-03 Cincinatti, OH Madison Theatre
Feb-05 Milwaukee, Wi Turner Hall
Feb-06 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Feb-07 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
Feb-20 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
Feb-21 Austin, TX Stubb’s
Feb-22 Dallas, TX House of Blues
Feb-24 Phoenix, AZ Crescent
Feb-25 Phoenix, AZ Crescent
Feb-26 Santa Ana, CA Observatory
Feb-28 Santa Cruz, CA Catalyst
Mar-01 San Francisco, CA Warfield
Mar-03 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
Mar-04 Vancouver, BC Venue
Mar-05 Seattle, WA Neptune Theater
Mar-07 Salt Lake City, UT Complex
Mar-08 Boulder, CO Boulder Theater
Mar-10 Lawrence, KS Liberty Hall
Mar-11 Omaha, NE Slowdown
Mar-14 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
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