Paul Sicilian, Gabriel Wurzel and Willie Miesmer are Brooklyn’s (The) Tony Castles. Although new to the scene, these three are already working like true veterans and have rounded up help from Jake Aron for production and recording. Their debut EP, No Service, is set to release on September 21st and will be mixed by Nicolas Vernhes at The Rare Book Room Studio.

If you want to check out their debut single “Black Girls in Dresses,” you can stream and download it here, courtesy of The Tripwire. (The) Tony Castles will also be touring this September and just added some dates with Jamie Liddel.

09.06.10 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge **
09.07.10 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre **
09.08.10 Lincoln NE @ Bourbon Theatre **
09.09.10 St. Louis, MO @ Old Rockhouse **
09.10.10 Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop **
09.11.10 Boston, MA @ Royale **
09.23.10 Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel *
09.24.10 Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop *
09.25.10 Cincinnati, OH @ Midpoint Music Festival *
09.26.10 Nashville,TN @ Exit In *
09.27.10 St. Louis, MO @ The Old Rock House *
09.28.10 Chicago, IL @ Metro *
09.29.10 Toledo, OH @ Mickey Finn’s Pub *
09.30.10 Toronto,ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre *
10.01.10 Montreal, QC @ Cabaret Mile End *
10.02.10 Burlington, VT @ HG Showcase Lounge *
10.03.10 Boston, MA @ Paradise *

**w/ Jamie Lidell
*w/ Tom Tom Club

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For more information on (The) Tony Castles, visit myspace.com/thetonycastles.

MGMT have finally brought us a video for their title track album Congratulations. The band always find new and absurd angles to visually stimulate us, but decided to keep everything calm this time around. Still absurd, though. Follow MGMT and some weird creature (in need of a few calcium pills) through the desert in their video for “Congratulations”:

Here is the list for the latest U.S. tour dates:

10.17.10 San Bernardino, CA @ NOS Events Center
10.25.10 Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live *
10.26.10 Miami, FL @ The Fillmore *
10.27.10 Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall *
10.29.10 Asheville, NC @ Moogfest 2010
10.30.10 Oxford, MS @ The Lyric Oxford *
11.02.10 Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle *
11.03.10 Raleigh, NC @ Raleigh Memorial Auditorium *
11.04.10 Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium *
11.06.10 Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Fest

* w/ Kuroma

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For more information on MGMT, visit whoismgmt.com.

May or may not cause an epileptic reaction:

Initially debuted as a “fans-only premiere” on Facebook, fun. also took advantage of the social networking platform to leak behind-the-scenes photos from the video prior to its release.

The video also implies that it is compulsory for every member of fun. to have perfect teeth.

The band are gearing up for an expansive U.S. tour which will kick off in Salt Lake City this September. Find your city in the tour section of their website.

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Find more fun. information at ournameisfun.com.

As of now, there’s not a lot to go on, but the band have managed to tease us with an mp3 of “Flood and Flames” over on their MySpace page and a promotional video:

If you’re in the Columbia area, you can catch the first live Kingslyn show at New Brookland Tavern on August 29th. Their first EP is set to be released in September.

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For more information on Kingslyn, go to facebook.com/kingslyntheband.

Directed by Jason Whitbeck, the video for “Truth On Tape” was premiered today over at Dallas Observer and features the Dallas-based duo/former fiancees as living artwork, placing their personal lives and bathing suit areas on display for all to see.

For more on the making of Truth On Tape, check out our coverage via the In Production section here.

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Find out more about Smile Smile at smilesmilemusic.com.

In the event that you missed the hype last week, MTV broke the news that Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo and his bandmates have been toying with the idea of a tour that will feature the band playing two back-to-back nights in each city, one night featuring =w= playing their hit-laden Blue album while the other night would be a Pinkerton affair.

As of now nothing is set in stone, as the band are still working on promotion for their forthcoming album, Hurley–but a Pinkerton/Weezer (Blue) tour would be a great chance for everyone who jumped the Weezer ship back in the late ’90s to re-stake their claims as fans. And to also hear “Pink Triangle” live, which would be rad(itude).

Cuomo has encouraged fans to contact their local promoters to help set the tour in motion.

[Ed. note: THIS IS GOOD FUCKING NEWS!]

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For more information on Weezer, visit weezer.com.

»Album Reviews For Release Date: 08.17.10
by Joshua Krage

This week marks the anniversary of my arrival on this spinning (mostly-)blue ball, so it’s good that one of my favorite artists chose to drop his new, self-produced work of down-home vocal gold so close to my special day. Thanks Ray! There’s other stuff, too– check it out:

Trace Adkins
American Hi Fi
Bombay Bicycle Club
Jackson Browne – DVD
Chief
Darker My Love
Matthew Dear
Filter
David Gray
Hey Monday
ICP
Iron Maiden
Kem

Ray Lamontagne & the Pariah Dogs, God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise – adding a dedicated band hasn’t done much to alter this soulful songsmith’s sound but it has filled it in quite a bit. The biggest change on this, his fourth LP, is in production. Having learned the ropes from master sound sculptor Ethan Johns on his first three albums, Ray goes it alone this time around, yielding a less orchestrated atmosphere but capturing a more down home feel, with sheets of pedal steel filling in the corners. Vocals are front and center on every track, smartly putting the spotlight where it belongs, but the Pariah Dogs are no slouches, having collectively cut their teeth with the likes of Tom Waits, Lucinda Williams, Beck, and Ryan Adams, to name a few, and the band is masterfully understated in supporting these fine compositions. By now you know to expect sheer, earnest greatness from Ray Lamontagne, but it’s a triumph for the songwriter to strike out on his own in the production and remain true to his subtle, organic sound.

Leslie Stevens & the Badgers

Lissie, Catching a Tiger – an intriguing and invigorating mix of folk, indie rock, pop, and country flavors, this spirited Illinois songstress caught a bit of attention with her inventively-arranged and fully unexpected live covers of songs ranging from Kid Cudi to Metallica to Lady Gaga, and her own compositions pack some serious muscle as well, big pop hooks with a nuanced voice that’s all coy kitten one minute, jungle tiger the next. This girl’s got a future, and it’s a gloriously creative path she’s taking toward it.

John Mellencamp
NOFX
Rhythms Del Mundo
The Secret Handshake

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Let It Sway – one of my favorite indie pop bands, I’m constantly surprised one of this band’s songs hasn’t popped in a Wes Anderson movie yet, they’re so quirky and optimistically melancholy. This third album gets extra production mojo from Death Cab’s Chris Walla, who smartly stays mostly out of the way to let this band’s upbeat heartache bounce and roll along on its own volition. Sounds are crisp and uncluttered, and their jovial dual melodies and harmonies deliver that sweet sound that got them out of Missouri in the first place. Great follow-up from a band deserving of more recognition.

Esperanza Spalding
Superchunk
Taking Back Sunday – live
Camu Tao
Toadies

Brian Wilson, Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin – it’s a Gershwin tribute album, from Brian Wilson, who has never done any tribute albums, but who has had countless tributes devoted to his own work. This equals something special, and in addition to Wilson’s endearing and masterful re-interpretations of some timeless American Songbook standards here, he also received permission from the Gershwin estate to finish two incomplete compositions from the seminal songwriter. It’s a win all around here, maybe not for the ADHD crowd but worth a listen for some updates on songs which have stood the test of time.

Happy Birthday me. Next week half of America waits with bated breath for Katy Perry’s Teenage (wet) Dream, so prepare for either greatness or major annoyance. Or maybe both.

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To view past reviews, visit our archives.

New York’s Ra Ra Riot are getting ready for the release of their upcoming album The Orchard. The album is set to release on August 24th and in support of it, the band are going on an extensive tour starting in Brooklyn on the day of its release.

The first single off the album is “Boy” and the band are debuting the video for it today. During video production, lighting assistants are ironically left in the dark. Ra Ra Riot turned the tables and shed some light on these hard workers and gave them an active role in the “Boy” video. They also put all the stray cats in your neighborhood to use:

08.24.10 Brooklyn, NY @ Stripped Down In-Store Session / Sound Fix Records
08.24.10 Brooklyn, NY @ Record Release Party / Brooklyn Bowl
08.27.10 Syracuse, NY @ Funk ‘n Waffles
09.05.10 Seattle, WA @ Bumbershoot Festival / The Seattle Center
09.09.10 Portland, OR @ MUSICFESTNW
09.18.10 Geneva, NY @ The Cracker Factory
09.21.10 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
09.22.10 New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
09.23.10 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
09.24.10 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
09.27.10 Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street
09.28.10 New Haven, CT @ Toad’s Place
09.29.10 Providence, RI @ The Met
10.01.10 Boston, MA @ Royale
10.02.10 Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
10.03.10 Pittsburgh, PA @ Diesel
10.04.10 Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig
10.05.10 Chicago, IL @ Metro
10.07.10 Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theatre
10.08.10 Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room
10.09.10 Lawrence, KS @ The Granada Theatre
10.11.10 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
10.12.10 Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue
10.13.10 Crystal Bay, NV @ Crystal Bay Club
10.17.10 San Francisco, CA @ Treasure Island Festival
10.19.10 Pomona, CA @ Glass House
10.20.10 Los Angeles, CA @ The Music Box
10.21.10 Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
10.22.10 Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse
10.24.10 San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
10.26.10 Austin, TX @ Emo’s
10.27.10 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
10.28.10 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theatre
10.29.10 Little Rock, AR @ Rev Room
10.30.10 Nashville, TN @ EXIT/IN
11.01.10 Birmingham, AL @ WorkPlay Theatre
11.02.10 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
11.03.10 Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
11.04.10 Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
11.05.10 Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

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For more information on Ra Ra Riot, visit rarariot.com.

In addition to touring all summer, The Antlers have been giving fans access to guest-list spots to particular shows. If you follow them on Twitter, then there’s a good chance you’ve caught wind of their giveaways. With the end of their U.S. tour approaching, the band’s generosity hasn’t seemed to slow down.

The Antlers have given HobNob Wines the OK to distribute an exclusive remix of “Atrophy” (by Sybarite) for the low low price of following HobNob on Twitter. Drink. Follow. Whatever. Just reply with the hash-tag #antlersexclusive and they will DM the download link to you quicker than you can finish a glass of wine.

In the meantime, take a listen to The Antlers’ latest track:

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For more information on The Antlers, visit antlersmusic.com.

Cymbals Eat Guitars just wrapped up a few shows at this year’s Lollapalooza and they’re not really concerned with taking a breather. The band will be jumping back into the game at the end of September and they’re taking The Thermals along for the ride.

If you’re interested in catching any of the action, take a peek at the upcoming tour dates:

09.30.10 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
10.01.10 Iowa City, IA @ The Mill
10.02.10 Madison, WI @ Annex
10.03.10 Chicago IL @ Logan Square Auditorium
10.04.10 Bloomington, IN @ Rhino’s
10.06.10 Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
10.07.10 Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Tavern
10.08.10 Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
10.09.10 Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
10.10.10 Ithaca, NY @ Castaways
10.12.10 Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
10.13.10 New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
10.14.10 Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
10.15.10 Washington, DC @ Black Cat
10.17.10 Mt. Pleasant, SC @ Village Tavern
10.18.10 Athens, GA @ 40 Watt
10.20.10 Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
10.21.10 Birmingham, AL @ Bottle Tree
10.22.10 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jacks
10.23.10 Austin, TX @ Red 7
10.24.10 Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater

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For more information on Cymbals Eat Guitars, visit cymbalseatguitars.com.