Kings Go Forth

[mp3] Kings Go Forth: "One Day"

While we're in the middle of this little mini-soul section here on the blog, we thought that it would be a good time to share a tune from this crack Milwaukee collective Kings Go Forth. Signed to the venerable Luaka Bop, Kings Go Forth's new record The Outsiders Are Back came out Tuesday (4/13). It's an album filled to the brim with rousing full-speed instrumental sections, blasting horns, and gritty vocal performances. With hints of afro-beat and Otis Redding at his loudest, Kings Go Forth have made a pure unadulterated party record. They're sure to be killin live as well -- they hit The Mercury Lounge in NY on the 21st and Southpaw in Brooklyn on the 24th.

Javelin: Cover Art, New MP3

[mp3] Javelin: "Me Thing Drawing Me"

We've been eagerly anticipating new music from Javelin who have just announced that their first LP No Mas will drop April 20th on the venerable and always reliable Luaka Bop label. Javelin are a musically ramshackle duo who use a junkyard of electronic sounds to create infectious, life-affirming pop melodies. XLR8R has a new tune for us. Grab it above. Oh yeah, Javelin just happen to be touring with Yeasayer. See those dates after the jump.

Tracklisting

1. Vibration
2. Mossy Woodland
3.Oh! Centra
4. On It On It
5. Intervales Theme
6. We Ah Wi
7. Tell Me, What Will it Be?
8. Moscow 1980
9. The Merkin Jerk
10. C Town
11. Off My Mind
12. Susie Cues
13. Shadow Heart
14. Dep
15. Goal/Wide

Javelin dates:

01-30 Brooklyn, NY - House of Yes
02-09 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg #
02-16 Birmingham, England - Academy 2 #
02-17 Glasgow, Scotland - Oran Mor #
02-19 Dublin, Ireland - Academy #
02-20 Belfast, Northern Ireland - The Speakeasy #
02-21 Manchester, England - Academy 3 #
02-22 Leeds, England - The Faversham #
02-23 London, England - Heaven (NME show) #
02-25 Bristol, England - Thekla #
02-26 Brighton, England - Digital #
03-04 New York, NY - New York University
03-23 Lawrence, KS - Jackpot Saloon &
03-24 Lincoln, NB - Bourbon Theater &
03-25 Iowa City, IA -Public Space One &
03-26 Bloomington, IN - Dope Couture &
03-27 Knoxville, TN - Big Ears Festival
03-28 Columbus, OH - Cafe Bourbon St.
03-29 Detroit, MI - The Cafe &
03-30 Toronto, Ontario - The Deleon White Gallery &
03-31 Montreal, Quebec - The Friendship Cove &
04-16 Madrid, Spain - La Casa Encendida !

# with Yeasayer
& with These Are Powers
! with High Places, Sunburned Hand of the Man

Don Dree Don Day Don Don

Brazilian artist Marcio Local makes party music. It's impossible not to have a good time at one of his shows, or listening to his new record Don Dree Don Day Don Don: Adventures in Samba Soul. Marcio cultivates the most feel-good aspects of samba and soul music and mixes them with African inspired funk and rock. What results is an international hodgepodge filled with blaring horns and percussion, all swirling around Marcio's driving baritone vocals. David Byrne's amazing Luaka Bop label signed Local after hearing his music through Mario Caldato, who produced Local's record, but has also worked with the Beastie Boys. Don Dree Don Day Don Don: Adventures in Samba Soul comes out May 12th.

Click after the jump for more from Marcio Local including a live session at the tripwire...




Stark had the fantastic opportunity to attend Marcio's first NY show at Zebulon in Brooklyn, which also happened to be his second show in the US ever. Coming on somewhere around midnight, Marcio and his band turned Zebulon into an (unexpected) dance party. As frequent concert go-ers, we were incredulous as to how the Brooklyn crowd would react to his music. In a conversation earlier, Marcio commented through his fantastic translator Jessica, about his perception of American crowds. "The fans in Brazil are used to this style of music, this is normal for Brazilians. I feel the Americans will be more surprised by the music we make. Because they are not used to the music [I think] they will be more uptight. People here pay more attention."

Yet, luckily for everyone, the Zebulon crowd did well for themselves and embraced the energy and joy that Marcio and his band put into every song. While the record focuses more on traditional song structures, Local's live show operates more loosely, jamming when necessary and extending various solo sections. This succeeded in giving Zebulon more a party atmosphere, rather than a typical stand around, shut-up and listen type of show. It was perfect. Local brought full doses of happiness and raw passion - two attributes found rarely in live music around Brooklyn these days. The show and interview were truly refreshing and a genuine pleasure.

When asked about the common threads or themes that hold his music together, Marcio Local summed it up simply and perfectly: "Music is what I live and feel - that is what ties my music together. I take pleasure in living things and sharing them with others. [My music] is very simple and true and that's what makes all the difference."