Cowboy Indian Bear already won our hearts simply for having an awesome band name and some of the nicest band members around. However, if that’s not enough to also win you over, then their new album will. 

The Lawrence 4-piece band’s new album Live Old, Die Young is officially out now. It’s complete with the band’s signature cool harmonies, chill indie pop vibe and interesting percussion arrangements. You can stream the album in full over at Spinner and buy it via the Record Machine.

If you like what you hear, be sure to join the band for the CD release shows where they’ll be performing for two nights only as a 9-piece band. The first show is Thursday, April 25th at Davey’s Uptown in Kansas City (21+). Then they’ll be in their hometown of Lawrence, Kansas on Friday, May 10 at the Lawrence Arts Center for an all ages show.

Check out “Let It Down” off Live Old, Die Young:

Midcoast Station

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:

SXSW is a fun, but pricey excursion to Austin, Texas. Fortunately, Kansas City and Lawrence have been helping bring a piece of the festival right to the Midwest’s backyards.

Our oft partners and crime, I Heart Local Music, have put together a two-night local bill to not only bring a taste of SXSW to those sticking around Kansas, but to help those bands and press members wanting to go to the fest get there. This fundraiser show is scheduled for Friday, February 22, and Saturday, February 23, at the Jackpot in Lawrence. The fundraiser double night is only $5 to attend.

Here’s the lineup:

Friday, February 22:
Radkey
Approach
The Hips
Y[our] Fri[end]

Saturday, February 23:
The Sluts
Up The Academy
The ACBs
Winner’s Circle

Helping keep the price affordable are Lawrence businesses Jimmy John’s, Mass Street Music, KJHK 90.7 FM, and Blue Collar Press, and the Jackpot.

You can RSVP (optional) to the fundraiser on Facebook here.

Bethany Smith

I'm a geek; I love music, technology and grammar.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:

Some of Lawrence, Kansas’ greatest musicians have joined together to from a special supergroup: Lasorda.

This new indie pop band features Suzannah Johannes, Matt Pryor (The Get Up Kids), Nate Harold (fun., The Honorary Title), Dustin Kinsey (The New Amsterdams), Mike Strandberg (Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band) and Josh Adams (Ghosty). They got together to record Lasorda at home in Lawrence during their time off from touring with their other projects. Matt Pryor first talked about the project in an interview with us in 2011.

The debut self-titled from Lasorda will be available December 11 through Clifton Motel. Suzannah takes vocal leads on most of the songs, but some of the other musicians such Pryor also sing on the album. You can hear a song from the album, “No Intent To Return,” below.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Tracklist:
1. The Age Of Wonder
2. Interlaid
3. Basque On The Borderline
4. Fivefivefourtwo
5. Is There Any More To Lose
6. No Intent To Return
7. Of Little Faith
8. Echo In The Night
9. Sleep When You Are Dead
10. Go On, Give Me The Bad News
11. His Laugh Is Lowe

Bethany Smith

I'm a geek; I love music, technology and grammar.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:

There are few bands who have aged as well as Motion City Soundtrack. Though their earlier songs have a wild energy to them that got all of Lawrence dancing, their newer material has maturity and hooks that had everyone singing along. Motion City Soundtrack’s Granada show was one of the best of the year and they had some great openers in piano rock trio Jukebox the Ghost and indie harmonies of Now, Now.

Bethany Smith

I'm a geek; I love music, technology and grammar.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:

With their own mix of alternative rock, ska, reggae, and bohemian jams, Boston natives, State Radio, brought their hometown passion to the Bottleneck on Thursday November 15^th. People of all ages took shelter from the cold and warmed up with beer. Lots of it. In fact, the majority of the audience appeared to be adults, and the majority of them appeared to be drunk. Either they were drunk or they just really enjoyed screaming the lyrics out of tune. For me, this just made the show more entertaining. If you’re familiar with State Radio, the drunkenness definitely showed during the song “Mr. Larkin,” when the audience attempted to yell “You know never once have I been late!”

Sarah Jaffe and her small band opened the show. If Eurythmics’ song “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” could be expanded into a whole set, then you’ve got Sarah Jaffe’s set. The pounding tribal like drums, the strong almost masculine voice, and the somewhat haunting melodies all contributed to this “Sweet Dreams” idea. The crowd was very appreciative of her, with a few “I love you Sarah!”s being thrown out, each one graciously greeted with a thank you.

After a quick instrument tuning by the roadies and technicians, the lights dimmed and State Radio took the stage. Usually a 3 piece consisting of Chad Urmston (lead vocals, guitar), Chuck Fay (bass), and Mike Najarian (drums), Matt Embree of California’s Rx Bandits joined them on this tour providing seemingly effortless guitar solos and smooth harmonies which sounded just as rich live as they do on the recordings. Before “Bohemian Groove,” Chad pulled out 4 battery-powered candles for each band member stating, “We’re gonna turn up the love.” After thinking about this for a song or two, I realized these candles were simply there so they could read the set lists at each of their feet. A very smart idea if you ask me.

“Bohemian Groove” is the only song with “groove” in its title, but every song had people dancing and grooving. Looking around the venue, audience members were dancing, swaying, singing, or jumping just like the band. Matt in particular never stood still and made for quite an awkwardly entertaining dancer with his lanky body.  Chad somehow managed to get unbelievable air with jumps that he didn’t even prep for. It was like he was wearing spring-loaded shoes. Maybe he was.

The Bottleneck was a perfect venue for State Radio, the rawness and precise heaviness of their show would have been lost in a larger venue, especially since Chad makes each concert very personal, taking time to tell sort stories of their touring adventures, and thanking the family who had made them lunch earlier that day. Like the band’s music, their concert was rather politically charged. They made sure to show their support for Iraq War veterans, gay rights, and marriage equality. In fact, they had a table devoted to raising awareness on the marriage legal benefits that heterosexual couples receive and that same-sex couples are still fighting for. While the Bottleneck was not packed, but it had a decent amount of people and all of them seemed like enthusiastic fans, and if an audience member wasn’t a fan, I’m sure they were after seeing this passionate performance. State Radio displayed passion for music, their hometown, equality, and their fans.

State Radio on Tour

Katie

My essence is made of music, running, and Arrested Development

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:

It would appear that nobody told Oberhofer they were just the opening act for Matt and Kim. The Brooklyn band behaved like they were headliners…and in return the packed Liberty Hall crowd treated them as such.

The indie noise rock band had the swagger of a band like The Strokes mixed with the sweetness of a band like Tennis. They are basically rock and roll, but with the edginess of puppy. Xylophone and frequent cymbal crashes lace their music and much like the show’s (official) headliners, their songs are easy to jump up and down to and scream at the top of your lungs. At one point during an instrumental bridge singer Brad Oberhofer disappeared only to reemerge half dangling over the balcony playing his guitar — that’s something you don’t see everyday from an opening act, but these guys were giving it their all. I can’t wait for these guys to return and actually headline a show in Lawrence. After the band played radio single “Away Frm U,” and promised just one more song, I joined many in the audience in a chant for more (that’s right, folks, the audience asked for an encore from an opening band). The band happily obliged with two more songs.

Perfectly warmed up for Matt & Kim, the already packed venue squeezed even closer together for a better look at the dynamic duo. Not that it mattered, Matt & Kim made sure to take care of the view for their fans in the back, using a video camera backdrop to provide a unique perspective for the audience to watch their set from all sorts of wild angles. The group has played Kansas City/Lawrence frequently and have gained a very loyal following that was able to keep up with the band’s prolific catalog, singing along to every word and knowing what to chant when the only signal came from the video backdrop rather than a band member’s direction.

Much like Oberhofer didn’t behave like a typical opener, Matt & Kim don’t behave like your typical headliners. They treat each song with the enthusiasm and surprise that most bands reserve for just their final numbers. Their mantra seems to be, “why wait for the party to start at the end of the show when you can celebrate the whole time — here have some balloons.” They climb on their instruments (drums and keyboards), jump with the audience and act and sound like a mix between typical musicians and cheerleaders – key riff followed by a cheer or vice versa all accompanied by very big and bombastic drums.

There’s not a dull moment in a Matt & Kim performance and the same goes for opener, Oberhofer. Do yourself a favor and catch this tour live. You won’t regret it.

Bethany Smith

I'm a geek; I love music, technology and grammar.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:

Ten years ago,the pop punk debut record from a little Long Island band was released to the public. This record, Tell All Your Friends, would be one of those defining moments in music. For some, it meant falling in love and for others it meant falling apart. It would inspire new bands to form and for Taking Back Sunday’s own career it would help it to take off. Ten years later, some shifts in lineup, and the TAYF lineup is back; they’re still putting out influential music and packing clubs. It was a special moment in Lawrence, Kansas, to see a sold out show full of fans of all ages – x’s on the hands of many new TBS fans and beer bands on the older ones. And regardless of fan age or when people had discovered TBS andTAYF, everyone was united in this one thing Saturday night: a love of music.

Just because TAYF was the whole reason for this tour, TBS still treated everyone to some of their other hits. The first half of their set was performed in front of a backdrop to their 2011 self-titled album and featured songs from all their records. The club really got going for songs like “Error: Operator,” which got the mosh pit revved up, and “MakeDamnSure,” which brought out one of the biggest singalongs of the night. There were so many songs that the band could have still played, but they were saving up energy for the second half of their set.

Midway through the evening, the backdrop screen fell and revealed the iconic Exit 152 album cover art fromTAYF. The band proceeded to play this record straight plus they added the bonus of two songs written during that era. As one other unexpected treat, an additional touring musician joined for this portion of the set to add violin to these songs – something that really improved the qualify of some of the slower songs from this album. The band really came alive during this portion of the set. Singer Adam Lazzara shared guitarist John Nolan’s love story involving a Kansas gal before the band played “Great Romances of the 20th Century.” They alluded to some of the difficulties and rumors surrounding some of the drama of other lyrics. Toward the end of the set, Lazzara moved on top of a monitor and with a gleam in his eye and a sly smile, he slipped into the crowd. I think he only meant to sing just one song from the audience, but eager fans swarmed him and kept him out for another song. The entire time he kept smiling and moving as best he could to reach and embrace as many fans as possible. Meanwhile on stage, there were some even more hilarious antics occurring that many were missing with their eyes on Lazzara. As Nolan was concentrating on his call and response vocals to Lazarra’s main vocals, guitarist Eddie Reyes sneaked over to Nolan’s mike and bent it away toward the floor. Nolan looked incredulous, chuckled and fixed his mic…never missing a beat in his guitar line. It was great to see how at ease this group of musicians was with each other, but greater still to see how much they cared about their fans after all this time. After all, this anniversary tour wasn’t for the band or for the money; it was simply for the fans and it showed.

To quote the band’s Mr. Rogers intro music ‘It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood,’ but it was an even better night thanks to Taking Back Sunday.

Set List:
What’s It Feel Like to Be a Ghost
A Decade Under the Influence
Faith (When I Let You Down)
Liar (It Takes One to Know One)
One-Eighty by Summer
El Paso
Error: Operator
MakeDamnSure
//
You Know How I Do
Bike Scene
Cute Without The E
No ‘I’ in Team
Great Romances of the 20th Century
Ghost Man on Third
Timberwolves at New Jersey
The Blue Channel
You’re So Last Summer
Head Club
Your Own Disaster
The Ballad of Sal Villanueva

Bethany Smith

I'm a geek; I love music, technology and grammar.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:

Canadian alt rock band, Stars, is currently touring in support of their highly acclaimed 6th studio album The North, and it’s a tour you don’t want to miss…that’s why we want to help send you to their Lawrence, Kansas show.

Stars will be at The Bottleneck in Lawrence on October 9 and we are giving away some tickets to the show!

Enter the contest here.

Note: after completely filling out the form you must click on “Tweet” to confirm your entry.

Midcoast Station

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:

“How to get obliviated every night, but still rock. That’s the name of my first book,” boasted Guided By Voices front man Robert Pollard. If the speed at which he was drinking from his liquor handle and beers were any indication, Pollard would have to prove that he could keep his word with the rocking part of his comment. There was little doubt that he could easily achieve obliviation and little doubt that he could rock, but together? That was the question.

Turns out he could and he would; this combination would make the show extra memorable for those in attendance. Pollard quipped before every song, sharing anecdotes about his family and explaining what “classic lineup” meant. In the case of this tour, it means the reunion of the 93-96 lineup, but Pollard pointed out that any of the band’s lineups could be labeled as “classic.” All that mattered was the music and that audiences got to hear their favorite tunes. He also promised that there would be not just one or two new albums and even more tours, but that he was in the music-making business for life. And as a rock star in his mid-50s, I think that statement is safe to assume as true.

As much as the bantering and talk in between songs was a part of the show, the songs themselves were equally memorable. Much of the band’s music are short, lo-fi rock songs that last roughly two energetic moments before they’re over. But despite the brevity of the songs, the band packs as much as they can into those two minutes. During the songs, you’re treated to some great guitar riffs, somewhat silly but fun lyrics and lots and lots of high kicks. These guys put their full bodies into their music.

After a set list of 25+ songs, Lawrence Guided By Voices fans went home with a chuckle and some great memories.

Bethany Smith

I'm a geek; I love music, technology and grammar.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:

2012 seems to be the year of the feel-good folk music and as long as that means we keep getting bands like Colorado’s The Lumineers, then that’s a really good thing.

Thanks to the success of sweet love songs like “Ho Hey,” the Lumineers have been shooting up in popularity. So it was with little surprise that the band went from playing the tiny Riot Room in Kansas City this April, to quickly selling out the larger Bottleneck in Lawrence to moving the show to an even bigger Lawrence venue, Liberty Hall, and selling that out well before their September performance here. Even with this rapid success, the Lumineers remain a charming and down-to-earth band. when it came time for that big hit tune “Ho Hey,” they stopped the song asked everyone to put down their cameras and cell phones, grab a friend’s hand and simply sing along. They restarted the tune and it was like this magical kumbaya moment in the middle of the show. All bodies were just focused on the feeling of the song.

And this wasn’t the only sentimental and sweet moment of their set. “Elouise” was so beautiful that the audience was requesting the band to play it again. “Dead Sea” has this hypnotizing softness that had people shushing anyone who dared interrupt the lovely song with idle chatter. Other songs were more of a raucous party like “Charlie Boy” or pretty much the entirety of the encore. People were stomping their feet and clapping along like we were at a jamboree.

Each member of the band was wonderfully talented and fit together like puzzle pieces; I couldn’t imagine them trying to do a song with out the cello stylings of Neyla Pekarek, the vocals of Wesley Schultz or the fun little percussion arrangements of Jeremiah Fraites. Jeremiah is the band member to watch though. At times he looked like he was off in his own little world, strolling about the stage in his suspenders and hats, smiling and looking off into the distance as he tapped cymbals and strummed on a mandolin as he strolled. He looked more like he was a troubadour walking through a wide open meadow than a man standing on a stage in front of hundreds.

It was also great to see Jeremiah come out and join the opening band, The Comettes, on drums for a few songs. It was a fun treat for the audience who was already enjoying the trio’s alt rock tunes. But the biggest treat of the night was when the Comettes joined The Lumineers on stage and they all played a Bob Dylan cover. It was a perfect match for the folk rock we had been listening to all night, but it was also like this big cathartic moment where everyone was just goofing around and having a good time, taking their turn at the vocals. This was as much a treat for the bands as it was for the audience and was a great way to end an already fantastic night.

The Lumineers Set List:
Submarines
Ain’t Nobody’s Problem
Big Parade
Classy Girls
Ho Hey
Flowers in Your Hair
Dead Sea
Charlie Boy
Slow It Down
Elouise
Stubborn
Love Flapper Girl
//
Morning Song
The Weight (cover with The Comettes)
Dylan Solo

Dead Sea live:

Bethany Smith

I'm a geek; I love music, technology and grammar.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me: