a u t o p i a

Sunset Junction: Bates Stage, 8/26/06

Great Northern

The Little Ones

Darker My Love

Lavender Diamond

Sunset & Hyperion

The new website

The new website is located here: www.autopiamusic.com

Darker My Love sign to Dangerbird.

Dangerbird Records haven't wasted any time in the past year signing several of L.A.'s best artists (Silversun Pickups, Peter Walker, Sabrosa Purr). This week Darker My Love announced that they have inked a deal with Dangerbird as well. So what does the future hold for DML? The band will be Spaceland's Monday residents during July and their debut record is already completed. Look for a release date in late August.

-DML includes former Distillers drummer Andy Granelli and former Nerve Agent Tim Presley.

Gnarls Barkley plays tonight, MYSPACE secret show.

The not-so-secret myspace gig is going to take place tonight at The Roxy, April 28th. Doors at 7:00, Gnarls Barkley go on at 7:30, It's first come first served! For those of you who don't know where the Roxy is it's located next to the Rainbow club where Joey Buttafuoco used to work.

For Those Who Know

Texas has always been a breeding ground for some of the most excellent noise-pop music to date (Explosions in the Sky, Experimental Aircraft, ...Trail of Dead). So it's no surprise that Austin's For Those Who Know follow in that same tradition of great pop-songwriting with aggressive, psychedelic guitars, think Wire with trippier, noisier guitars.

Listen to 'Grow Old Together And Die' on their myspace band page.

Live:

5/4: EMO'S with Helio Sequence - Austin, TX.

5/5: HAILEY'S with Helio Sequence - Denton, TX.

5/25: THE PARISH - Austin, TX.

5/28: "LOCAL LIVE" 91.7 KVRX - Austin, TX.

Paperplanes: Volcanoes EP (Self-Released, 2006)

After several years of lineup changes and gigs all over California Paperplanes have become the hardest working band in Los Angeles. The Blues-Rock trio have finally released the long-awaited Volcanoes EP which easily demonstrates their years of blending gentle guitar passages, emotive vocals, and straight-up, overdriven rock 'n roll. There's the melodic influence of Pixies guitar riffage on 'Bouncing off the Walls' and 'Summer'. Even a hint of country-rock with some wicked pedal steel guitar on tracks like 'Lotus' and 'There Must Be Another Way'. Volcanoes is varied throughout it's eight tracks showing signs of maturity and even more blues-influenced rock 'n roll with a little distortion and delay for good measure. If this is a demonstration of what Paperplanes are capable of their next release is sure to be even more memorable.

Rating: Strong

Oneida, new album details.

From camp Oneida:

"ONEIDA return with new full-length album, extensive U.S. tour; will appear at All Tomorrow's Parties; prep upcoming releases on Brah Records. Brooklyn's unpredictable psych trio will release their newest full-length album, Happy New Year on July 11, 2006. It is coincidentally Jagjaguwar's 100th release. The record will come out in both the CD and LP formats."

"The band has also been very busy with their own label, Brah Records, that they started as an imprint of Jagjaguwar in the latter half of last year. They have just released the PARTS & LABOR CD/LP, called "Stay Afraid" (a co-release with Jagjaguwar), will release HOME "Sexteen" CD (a concept record about the art of lovemaking) in May, and will follow both of those up in June with OAKLEY HALL "Gypsum Strings" CD (featuring former ONEIDA member Papa Crazee). PARTS & LABOR are currently on tour with Jagjaguwar label-mates WILDERNESS, and both OAKLEY HALL and HOME will be doing extensive touring throughout the early summer. Check out www.brahrecords.com for dates and more info."

"Finally, in other news: ONEIDA are set to play the YEAH YEAH YEAHS-curated day of All Tomorrow's Parties on May 13. And, following the success of the ONEIDA/PLASTIC CRIMEWAVE SOUND split LP last year, ONEIDA have made plans to release more split LPs through Brah Records in the coming year. In the works are split records with KINSKI, EX-MODELS, BLACK MOUNTAIN, and LIARS."

Track-listing for Happy New Year CD (Jagjaguwar/Brah Records, JAG100):
Happy New Year
The Adversary
Up with People
Pointing Fingers
History's Great Navigators
Busy Little Bee
Reckoning
You Can Never Tell
The Misfit
Thank Your Parents

Boards of Canada

Boards of Canada released a free video download for the stunning 'Dayvan Cowboy' taken from last year's amazing album The Campfire Headphase. 'Dayvan Cowboy' is also WARP's 200th EP release and the opening track from the forthcoming Trans Canada Highway, which is scheduled for release on May 29th. It features 5 new tracks including a remix from Cloudead's Odd Nosdam.

Quicktime of 'DAYVAN COWBOY': http://212.78.76.244/dayvancowboy/boc-dayvancowboy.mov

Tracklisting:

1. Dayvan Cowboy
2. Left Side Drive
3. Heard From Telegraph Lines
4. Skyliner
5. Under the Coke Sign
6. Dayvan Cowboy (Odd Nosdam remix)

Lavender Diamond: The Cavalry of Light (Self-Released, 2005)

Lavender Diamond recorded this 4-song EP over a year ago, but it's never too late to review something so ear-catching and relevant as this band has become. Over the past year Becky Stark and her talented minstrels have played L.A.'s Arthurfest, Arthurball, and performed numerous shows and residencies all over Los Angeles. This introductory CD is strong, original, and emanates a super-positive vibe over the entire sixteen minutes. Every song has this melancholic and endearing quality that brings to mind The Carpenters and Linda Ronstadt as Becky Stark belts out anthems of love and happiness. The opening track 'You Broke My Heart' is a triumphant ballad that hints at sadness but is musically joyful and positive with it's thumping drums and melodic chorus. 'In Heaven There is No Heat' reminded me of when I first watched Peter, Paul, & Mary sing on PBS as a child. The Cavalry of Light EP is a must-have for music fans looking for something more inspiring than your typical L.A. rock.

Rating: Strong

Army Navy: Live at Spaceland, 4/24/06.

Army Navy were excellent last night as they blasted the crowd with songs from their self-titled EP. The Spaceland residents hit the stage and played flawless driving pop with plenty of distorted guitars. The nasally vocals of Justin Kennedy call to mind a weird combination of Butterglory crashing into the noise-pop of Henry's Dress. With continuous solid performances, and having played shows several well-known touring acts (Arctic Monkeys, Wolfmother, Cut Copy...), Army Navy are well on their way to earning a record deal so they can get on with releasing all the other great tunes I didn't recognize. The band had their residency extended one more Monday night on May 1st at Spaceland.