:: Ghostland Observatory ::

:: Fox Theatre :: April 19 ::

By Tiffany Childs

Ghostland Observatory is a band with a mission — to make music that’s “sweaty, raw-boned and direct from the future, committed to electronics, stuck on big beats, yet unmistakably powered by rock and roll.” With the recent release of their third album, Robotique Majestique, and a tour to support the record, the Austin-based electro rock outfit seems to be right on track to completing the mission with ease. Continue — Read more »

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:: Morcheeba :: The Gothic Theatre :: April 4 ::

By Tiffany Childs

Morcheeba’s music may be mellow, but the two brothers behind the music, Paul and Ross Godfrey, seem to like stirring things up a bit with the release of every new album.

Dive Deep, the duo’s sixth release, is no different. Featuring a different singer on almost every track, the album still maintains the deeply emotional sound layered over hip-hop beats and psychedelic noises that is a trademark for Morcheeba, but manages to step further along the weirdly creative path they embarked on over a decade ago. Continue — Read more »

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::  The Whigs :: Larimer Lounge :: March 6 ::

By Tiffany Childs

The Whigs are a band that has enjoyed the luxury of a slow and steady rise in the music industry — which is pretty unusual in itself. Even more unusual is that their initial success has come based solely on a self-released effort. With a second album, Mission Control, barely out on the shelves, the three-piece continues to tour extensively and spread their explosive rock around the world.
For any band, the release of a second record always brings up the possibility of the dreaded sophomore slump. However, in a recent interview with The Marquee, guitarist/ vocalist/keyboardist Parker Gispert and drummer Julian Dorio told The Marquee that wasn’t the case for The Whigs, who are rounded out by Tim Deaux on bass. “I think the sophomore slump is due to pressure, but for us, you know, we didn’t have a lot of people looking for our release. We were still small enough that it was exciting rather than daunting to make our second album,” said Gispert.
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:: The New York Dolls :: Gothic Theatre :: February 26 ::

By Tiffany Childs

It’s been said that New York Dolls are ‘The Beatles of Attitude.’ With their androgynous looks and ever-famous lipstick-scrawled name, New York Dolls breezed into the music scene more than 37 years ago. And even though they broke up 33 years ago in “a haze of smack withdrawal and managerial anarchy,” it turns out they never really left us.

As a band in the ’70s, New York Dolls didn’t really get a whole lot of appreciation. They seemed to come a little too early for what they were doing. However, today, the list of bands influenced by the Dolls’ brand of strutting rock and roll attitude covers everyone from The Sex Pistols to Guns N’ Roses. Recently The Marquee spoke with one of the only two original members still alive – front man David Johansen – about the long love affair our music world has had with New York Dolls.

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Marquee Tags: Arthur Killer Kane, David Johansen, New York Dolls, Sylain Sylvain
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:: The Audition :: The Marquis Theater :: February 6 ::

By Tiffany Childs

The Audition, as a whole, is three years older than they were the last time they released an album. And you only need to give Champion, set to be released at the end of January, a quick listen to hear the difference. With an entirely different vibe than Controversy Loves Company, The Audition’s latest release is a leap forward into maturity for the Chicago-based quintet.

Vocalist Danny Stevens and drummer Ryan O’Connor recently sat down with The Marquee and Stevens said, “We have been touring a lot and seeing new stuff all the time, so this album is inspired by the world, really.” Another part of the record’s inspiration is, perhaps surprisingly, Justin Timberlake. Stevens told The Marquee that he is a big fan of the big soul and R&B sounds. Coming from a band that is often labeled as punk or alternative, that lends an interesting sexual quality to their music.

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Marquee Tags: The Audition, VIctory Records
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:: Bluebird Theater :: February 1 :: 

By Tiffany Childs

Black Lips is a band that has been notorious since its inception. With their legendary wild live shows that have gotten them banned from several venues, Black Lips have built a reputation as one of Atlanta’s most talked about underground bands. Recently, the band talked with The Marquee about how they’ve been staying busy — releasing their fifth album, Good Bad Not Evil, and touring almost continually.

The fifth album release was a pretty significant step in that it was released by Vice Records and is the band’s first studio album. Vice had previously released a live album from the band’s live show in Tijuanna and so Cole Alexander (vocals/guitar) was excited to work with Vice in the studio. “It was incredible to work with Vice. They are so fun and really know how to party,” Alexander said of the opportunity.

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Marquee Tags: Black Lips
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:: VHS or Beta :: Bluebird Theater :::: December 6 ::

By Tiffany Childs

VHS or Beta has long been a band ahead of its time. Since the group’s inception in 1997 they have been paving the way for bands such as The Killers, that mutate and infuse genres, crossing sounds like Kraftwerk and Gang of Four or club beats with ’80s style hookcraft. However, with their latest release, Bring on the Comets, VHS or Beta is trying to revive a genre rather than create a new one.

“‘Pop’ has become a bad word in music circles, especially indie circles,” bassist Mark Palgy told The Marquee in a recent interview. “It’s a genre that’s generally looked at as less than amazing and we wanted to transform the idea of pop as it is today.” Guitarist/vocalist Craig Pfunder agreed, “We’ve really focused on songwriting - on creating pop songs in a time when pop has been watered down. I wanted to write a record with huge catch and melody, but also something more. It’s the most profound statement we’ve done as a band.”

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:: Do Make Say Think :: Bluebird Theater :: November 8 ::

By Tiffany Childs
Do Make Say Think is a band known for pensively beautiful instrumental songs. That is why it was a surprise to most of their fans when their fifth release, You, You’re a History in Rust, came with vocals on some tracks. The Marquee recently had the chance to catch up with Justin Small (guitar/bass/keyboards) to talk about the switch and the band’s tour in support of the release.
“We didn’t really think it out as a concept,” Small said of the addition of vocals to this album. “It was more like we thought, what could we do differently? What is a challenge to us? And more importantly, we felt all of the songs couldn’t have vocals, they had to be worthy of having vocals.”
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:: Maroon 5 :: Fillmore Auditorium :: Oct. 29 & 30 ::

 (note: show relocated from Pepsi Center)

By Tiffany Childs
Waiting four years to release a sophomore record in an industry that has a notoriously short attention span may seem like a big gamble for most bands. Maroon 5, on the other hand, wasn’t worried about it at all. And it seems they had no reason to. Their newest release, It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, hit the charts running – their first single set records on the Billboard charts by jumping 63 slots to #1 — the largest jump in the charts’ 49 years.
Beyond that success, Maroon 5 has also seen their single take iTunes’ top spot in audio and video downloads as well as having pre-sale orders reach #1 on the iTunes album download sales chart. With all of this success one has to wonder if the Grammy-winning quintet is setting itself up for a repeat performance.
In a recent interview with The Marquee, Adam Levine (vocals/guitar) and James Valentine (guitar) spoke about their thoughts on the album’s success and the tour supporting it.
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:: Liars :: Fillmore Auditorium :: October 14 ::

By Tiffany Childs
Liars is a band known for drastic musical shifts in each of their albums and their latest release, the self-titled Liars, is no different. With their mystical and heavy sound, Liars is a band that has grown used to gaining and alienating fans with every new release. Liars, however, may see the band gain more admirers than ever before because this isn’t just a reinvention; it’s a brand new start for the group, using a simplistic approach to songwriting that we haven’t seen or possibly even imagined coming from Liars.
In a recent interview with The Marquee, Aaron Hemphill (percussion/guitar/synth) told us that this tendency to change each album is actually purposeful and not just a reaction to their previous work. “When we are making an album we try to exhaust all the possibilities before moving on. We try to make it so everything is covered in whatever style we are doing. And then we make a natural transition to what we’re interested in next,” he said.
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Cake

Friday :: Esurance Main Stage :: 10:15 p.m.

CAKE is one of those bands with a distinctive sound that is easy to identify, yet remains hard to label. In an amusing classification, Vince Difiore – trumpet, keys, vocals — told The Marquee in a recent interview, CAKE’s music is “just a bit downstream from mainstream.” Downstream or not, the band’s combination of funk, ska, pop, jazz, rap and country, among other genres, serves as the musical backing for songs ripe with lyrical wordplay, creating a style that has won the band several platinum albums and a dedicated fanbase that spans all sorts of demographics.
Part of the Columbia Records label for five years, CAKE recently decide to part ways with the major and create their own label, Upbeat Records. It’s on this label that the band plans to release their latest effort B-Sides and Rarities in October of this year. The album, a collection of songs originally sung by legends such as Frank Sinatra and George Jones, signifies a fresh start for CAKE. “This gives the band a new life,” Difiore said of the transition. “It’s a bit like moving from junior high to high school, moving from Columbia to our own label.”
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Editors

Friday :: New Belgium Stage :: 7:45 p.m.

This U.K. act has jumped on the hyperactive pop-punk machine of nostalgia that is currently being churned across the Atlantic. A hybrid of Franz Ferdinand and Echo and the Bunnymen, Editors forge far more experimental territory than their aforementioned inspirations. The Birmingham quartet’s 2005 debut The Back Room eared critical success as well as a Mercury Prize nomination for record sales in Britain, and found them on the bills of Coachella and Lollapalooza on this side of the pond. Their latest release An End Has a Start was helmed by legendary producer Jacknife Lee, who has been largely responsible for the signature sounds and success of U2, Kasabian and, more recently, Snow Patrol and Bloc Party.

— Brian Kenney

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