Pussy Riot to Sue Russian Government

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, the two freed members of Pussy Riot, are suing the Russian government over their arrest in 2012 for their “punk prayer.” The Guardian states that the two women are looking for €120,000 ($161272) each in compensation as well as €10,000 in court fees. Both served 21 months in imprisonment, released in December of last year. 

Agora, the human rights legal group representing the two, stated, “They didn’t get fair trial here in Russia so they want to get it finally in the European court of human rights. Plus they want this case to set a precedent that Russians can speak publicly on sensitive political issues, even if this speech is not supported by majority. This is a case about freedom of expression and fair trial first of all.”

Pussy Riot continue their political activism since their release. Alyokhina and Tolokonnikova have since set up an English-speaking Twitter account, initially commenting at Russian censorship.  

Melodic Tree’s Weekly Playlist

1. Blackbird Smile – Nightmare and The Cat

2. Land of Gathering – The Ceremonies

3. Tearing it Up – Boxed Wine

4. Unkinder (A Tougher Love) – Thumpers

5. Hymnals – Grizfolk

6. Congo – Bear Mountain

7. Agora – Bear Hands

8. Lovers in Bloom – Harts

9. Miss Teen Massachusetts – SKATERS

10. Back to the Shack – Weezer

11. Who Needs You – The Orwells

12. Shout it Out – Mikal Cronin

13. Boys Will Be Kings – Raised Among Wolves

14. Beware the Dog – The Griswolds

15. Freaks – Machines Are People Too

16. Love Don’t Go – The Family Crest

17. Tongue Talk – The Holidays

18. Wishbone (Wish Wish Wish) – Hey Sholay

19. Upstairs – Young Buffalo

20. Facing the Sun – Treefight for Sunlight

Melodic Tree’s Weekly Playlist

American Authors Announce Tour

American Authors, a New York City-based indie rock band, recently announced tour dates with the Mowgli’s, Echosmith, and Oh Honey in support of their new album, Oh What a Life. Tour dates can be found above and presages can be found here.

Meeting at Berklee College of Music in 2007, members, Zac Barnett (vocals and guitar), James Adam Shelley (guitar and banjo), Dave Rublin (bass), and Matt Sanchez (drums) originally started at “The Blue Pages” and eventually changed their name before releasing “Believer” under their new pseudo, American Authors.

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.