Author: bella.king

Festival Bans Native American Headdress

Canadian music and arts festival, Bass Coast, released a statement, banning attendees from wearing Native American headdress on site.

The festival takes place in Merritt, British Columbia, August 1-4. The festival stated the the headdress would not be appropriate as the festival takes place on indigenous grounds.

The statement reads: “We understand why people are attracted to war bonnets. They have a magnificent aesthetic. But their spiritual, cultural and aesthetic significance cannot be separated… Bass Coast festival takes place on indigenous land and… we feel our policy aligns with [aboriginal peoples’] views and wishes regarding the subject. Their opinion is what matters to us.”

Silent Album Earns $20,000 on Spotify Through Royalties

The Michigan-based funk band, Vulfpeck, released a completely silent album, Sleepify, in March to help crowdfund a tour. The band prompted their fans to play the “album” on loop while they sleep in hopes it will help fund a tour where shows are free for fans. The album is ten tracks of silence, running around thirty seconds each. This stunt garnered them almost $20,000 in royalties.

According to Vulfpeck’s keyboardist, Jack Stratton, the band received a check for $19,655.56 from Spotify and another $1,100 expected to come.

In a video posted in March, the band told fans to play Sleepify while they sleep in hopes to fund a tour where tickets are free. Initially allowed on Spotify, the streaming service initially told the band to take down the album and eventually took it down in April. Vulfpeck is in the process of booking their tour.

Kele Okereke Set to Release New Album, Trick

After last summer’s The Nextwave Sessions EP and the announcement of Bloc Party’s indefinite hiatus, vocalist Kele Okereke has announced that he will soon release his sophomore album. As the follow-up to his first, The Boxer, released in 2010, Trick is set to release on October 14th. Okereke has released an album teaser in anticipation as well as the track listing.

Track listing:
1. First Impressions
2. Coasting
3. Doubt
4. Closer
5. Like We Used To
6. Humour Me
7. Year Zero
8. My Hotel Room
9. Silver and Gold
10. Stay the Night

Smallpools Release New Song and Announce Tour

Smallpools, LA-based indie pop band, announced tour with Panama Wedding and Magic Man. It is their first headlining tour, opening for bands such as Neon Trees and Grouplove. As well as announcing the tour, Smallpools released a new song, “Killer Whale” which is available for free on Soundcloud and for streaming on Hype Machine.

Smallpools are Sean Scanlon on vocals, Mike Kamerman on guitar, Joseph Intile on bass and Beau Kuther on drums. They are planning on releasing their first full-length album soon.

Watch Spoon’s New Video: “Do You”

They Want My Soul, the highly anticipated follow-up to 2010’s Transference is set to release on August 5th. Recently, Spoon released a video for their single, “Do You.”

As part of a video series for Urban Outfitters, the video has Spoon vocalist, Britt Daniel, driving around, surrounded with apocalyptic events going on around him.

The Melodic Tree’s Weekly Playlist

1.Locuras De Amor – Velazquez

2. Suburban Kid – Joey Briggs

3. Hello San Francisco – Margot & The Nuclear So And So’s

4. Antichrist – 1975

5. Hotel – The Antlers

6. Elevate – St. Lucia

7. Think of You – Ms Mr

8. All These Things That I’ve Done – The Killers

9. Welcome to Japan – The Strokes

10. Day Will Come – Keane

11. The World is Watching – Two Door Cinema Club

12. Cry Like a Ghost – Passion Pit

13. Inhaler – Foals

14. Me And You – Jake Bugg

15. Rearrange – Miles Kane

Melodic Tree’s Weekly Playlist

Coyote – VELAZQUEZ

Velazquez, the solo project from the guitarist and one of the vocalists from Liquits, Ro Velazquez, has released his first album, Coyote, on July 8. Produced by Y La Orkesta’s Sergio Mendoza in Tucson, Arizona, there are hints of nostalgia, love, and sadness scattered across the album. Born in Arizona, Combining traditional folk with modern rock, Coyote combines traditional folk with modern rock, this album shows how much Velazquez’s roots mean to him.

Bringing in trumpets, violins, tubas, guitars, accordions and drums into this album, Velazquez brings a mariachi sound while keeping the rock sound he is known for. With fiddle solos and fast tuba rhythms, there is a unique twist on this album that makes it as fun and interesting as it is. There was clearly a lot of heart that was put on this album, which shows especially in tracks such as “El Amor Es De Pendejos” and “Hasta Que Salga El Sol.”

There is the nostalgic tone throughout the thirty-four minute album that will take listeners to another land with the combination of old-school mariachi sound with modern rock sound that Velazquez as been associated with in the Liquits. Bringing love together with happiness makes this album an amazing debut for Velazquez.

Finish Ticket’s Van Gets Broken Into

Finish Ticket, an indie rock band from San Francisco, had their van broken into last night, July 17, in San Francisco on the corner of Golden Gate and Larkin. Stolen were a 2012 Candy Red American Standard Stratocaster and an Arctic White Mexican Standard precision bass. The theft occurred around 11:30pm – 12:15am.

Meeting in high school, Finish Ticket have been together since 2008, and recently released their debut album on May 19. The band consists of Brendan Hoye (vocals), Alex DiDonato (guitar), Michael Hoye (bass), Gabe Stein (drums), and Nick Stein (keyboard). Currently on tour in support for their album, Tears You Apart, Finish Ticket have dates through August, finishing the tour in Studio at Webster Hall in New York City.

For inquiries on the stolen instruments, contact their manager Warren Wyatt at (808) 333-4224.

Banshee Bones Making New Music Video

LA-based experimental rock band, Banshee Bones are currently working on an music video for “Dark Depths,” the opening track on their new record, Birds of Prey. Banshee Bones are currently creating sets for the video, as they decided to do stop motion with clay. Birds of Prey was released on October 2nd, 2013 and have played shows in support of it over the course of this last year.

Members, Eugene Rice (vocals), Ryan Rice (drums), Joe Perez (guitar), and Salem Romo (bass) all met in the famous music school in Los Angeles, Musicians Institute, and from then on, they have been creating music together.

You can visit Banshee Bones on their Facebook, Twitter, and their website. For more, Melodic Tree will also be home to up-to-date information on Banshee Bones on a regular basis.

The Drums Announce New Album

Two days after the release of their new single, “Magic Mountain,” the Drums have announced their new and third album, Encyclopedia, due to release on Septemeber 23. The Brooklyn indie-pop duo released the track listing, cover, and title for their follow-up to the 2011 release, Portamento. 

Jonny Pierce, in a recent interview with “Spin, stated, “Encyclopedia is full of magic and surprise while maintaining a serious, more weighty tone throughout. We were feeling very angry, confused, and alone when we made this album, and we wanted to be very honest this time around, even if being honest meant making some people uncomfortable. We’ve left the beach for higher ground, always searching for hope.”

The Drums has also announced an extensive US tour in Septemeber, dates can be found on their website.

The track listing:

1. “Magic Mountain”
2. “I Can’t Pretend”
3. “I Hope Times Doesn’t Change Him”
4. “Kiss Me Again”
5. “Let Me”
6. “Break My Heart”
7. “Face Of God”
8. “U.S. National Park”
9. “Deep In My Heart”
10. “Bell Laboratories”
11. “There Is Nothing Left”
12. “Wild Geese”