Allison Veltz & Blaster Records Donate for Every View

Allison Veltz and her label, Blaster Records, have kicked off a campaign "Pennies for Penny" that will donate to the charity for every view between June 30th and July 20th. For every view, an additional penny will be donated to the Nashville Humane Association, where Penny (the dog in the video) was sheltered while waiting for a new home. The money will be donated in Penny's honor to help more dogs find their forever homes.

Watch the video above to support and to listen to a great song!

Artist Trades Album for Nudes

Artist, Loke Rahbek is giving his new album The Wild Palms away for free.  However, even though it costs no money, there is a price you would have to pay. He will only give away his album in exchange for a nude selfie with the The Wild Palms written somewhere on your body. He is only making the album available on cassette tape, in order to help stop people from sharing his album. He says he won't leak your naked selfie, if you don't share the album with others. If you do however, well, you asked for it. 

Loke Rahbek will only be making as many copies as equivalent to as many nudes he receives to  thewildpalms1889@gmail.com. The promotion ends on July 22nd.

Rahbek stated in FACT mag

“When you share your work with someone, it can be like showing your own skin – you are stripping naked,” he says. “So I ask that anyone who gets the music does not share it with anyone. And I promise in return to not share those photos with anyone. They are going to be in a file, and they are going to stay there. I wanted it to be secret, because you know if we’re talking about intimacy, nothing is stronger than keeping secrets together.”

This is something that has never been done before. We are curious to hear your thoughts on the form of "payment" Loke Rahbek is asking for his album The Wild Palms. Let us know your below!

INTERVIEW: Wheeler Brothers


We caught up with Patrick and Nolan Wheeler of Wheeler Brothers to discuss their current tour, future goals, and potential new music. 

For anyone who hasn’t listened to you yet, how would you describe your sound and what makes you stand out from all of the other bands in your genre?

PW: In regards to what our sound is and how it differentiates itself, I would say that it depends on who you ask. I have heard people describe us as folk rock, roots rock, indie rock or a combination of them all. In general, I think it is the sound we have come up with after mixing all of our influences in a bucket from the very first time we heard music until now. As music lovers ourselves, we will continue to add new sounds and put our own twists on things. I imagine how people describe us will continue to evolve and I believe that is a good thing.

I know three of you are brothers, how did you meet the other members in your band?

PWWe know AJ from back in the high school days and met Nate while he was touring with Emory Quinn

You recently just put both of your records on vinyl. Do you have a preference when it comes to vinyl or CDs?

NW: I love the vinyl experience. To me the sound is more warmly blended comparatively, but it’s more about thumbing through the collection and finding the right sound for the right moment to drop the needle.

PW: When we are home I would say most of us prefer vinyl and this is not because it’s trendy or nostalgic. Vinyl is cool because you typically listen through the whole album. This makes you more selective as to which bands records you buy. When I have a record going I am usually at my brothers studio, it is late at night and I generally have a Basil Haden’s with one cube of ice in hand. To me, there is no better way to soak up your favorite tunes and I wouldn’t be surprised if many were written in the same condition.

You guys are on tour right now, what can fans expect from a Wheeler Brothers show?

PW: At this point our shows are high energy rock shows. It’s usually not so much a fireworks and lights thing just good old fashion intensity. Every once and a while we will throw in a part of a cover and AJ can be pretty funny with his crowd observations and interactions. At the close of the night we usually trade a few drinks and stories with the other bands we meet along the way. In short, Fun, Sweat, Beer, and Stories.

What is something that you wish you could of told yourself when you first started touring that you know now?

NW: break the [drive      >sound check      >show    >Bar  >sleep  >drive] cycle as much as your schedule permits. There’s plenty to see along the way.

Sleep. Get it when you can. You’ll spend many a late night with your people. Pick your battles.

Don’t roll your heavy equipment over venue cables. Don’t roll it over any cables. Unfortunately, it took me a while to learn this. I apologized to the venues we visited from June 2011- probably May 2012.

PW: I would have told myself you are going to have to choose between being healthy and burning the candle from all ends. In other words not to bring the pull up bar because it is only going take up precious space in the van.

About a month ago, you guys were voted in the top Austin acts to break out in 2014. Based off of that, do you guys have any goals that you want to accomplish as a band this year?

NW: I’m excited to get back to the studio and finish our new material. That being said….. I wouldn’t mind playing a late night show. Say Jimmy Kimmel.

PW: Studio, Studio, Studio! We love touring but it’s time to get into creative mode and we are currently sifting through some producers we really respect. We really want to push ourselves and go all out on the next record. As far as new music goes we will likely be running a new tune here and there.

Can fans expect any new music this year?

NW: Tough to say. Following our spring/earlysummer tour we’ll be finishing our new material. We might release some of it via single. It’s too early to tell. But there will be previously unreleased tracks on the vinyl format of “Portraits” and “Gold Boots Glitter.”

Anything else you would like to add?

NW: I have a pretty nice collection of state magnets from places we’ve played but I need a good Rhode Island.

NEW INTERVIEW: Daley

We got the chance to talk with Daley! Read to see what he had to say about working with Pharrell Williams, his new album DAY & NIGHT, his current tour and more!

Click here to check out Daley’s official website.

Read what Daley. had to say below:

For anyone who hasn’t listened to you yet, how would you describe your sound? What makes you stand out from all of the rest in your genre?

I would describe it as honest songwriting, soulful at the core and futuristic in sound. Future-throwback.

I stand out because I am myself, and there’s only one of me!

 What made you want to get involved in the music industry?

I wouldn’t say I wanted to be involved in the music industry per say. I just love music. Expressing emotions through melody and words is therapeutic for me, and there is no other feeling like doing that live on stage. They are the things I want to be involved in, and that eventually lead me into the industry.

What is your favorite part about being a musician? 

Freedom. As much as there are logistical limitations to what I can do sometimes, it still gives me a feeling of freedom and control over my life, to know that I’m doing what I love and that there are people who truly connect and relate to it. It’s a beautiful medium.

What can fans expect on your DAYS+NIGHTS tour?

A little bit of what they know, and a whole lot of new! I’m really excited to bring the new songs to the live show, together with the songs people know me for. The album itself is really showing then next chapter of me as an artist so it’s great to finally be able to translate that to audiences in person. I always but emphasis on vocal performance and great musicianship at the shows too, so lots of that. A few special guests here and there !

What has been your favorite tour memory (on your current tour or any past tour) so far?

We actually just had the most amazing show in Fort Lauderdale FL last week, which I will never forget. The stars aligned and everything went so perfectly, from the audience to the venue to the band to the performance, it was a great show. So that’s my highlight so far this tour, last tour I would say performing my song ‘Alone Together’ with Marsha Ambrosius for the first time. We killed it!

How is it touring in the US vs the UK?

Very similar in most respects. I find my audiences wherever they are in the world are all appreciative of the same things musically, which is nice to see. In the US id say audiences are generally a little more vocal in expressing their excitement ! Which I love.

Speaking of DAYS+NIGHTS, you released an album entitled Days & Nights about a month ago. How has the reaction been? 

It’s been fantastic, and such a great feeling to see people connecting to these songs that I’ve had waiting for the last year or so. I love that people are embracing the new and different elements in bringing into the music as well as the stuff im known for. 

What is your favorite song off of the album? Any specific influence behind it?

Hard to choose, they’re all my children you know…! But I guess I’m really proud of the title track ‘Days & Nights’. That was the song that made me feel like I was working towards an album of material. From the sonic to the subject matter I love what I was able to create (with producer Bernard Butler) it feels very unique to me.

How was working with Pharrel Williams and Roots Ahmir “Questlove?” Thompson on it?

A complete honour. Pharrell is someone who I grew up admiring, so to have him involved in the album and be so humble and excited about me as an artist was a really career-affirming moment for me. Questlove much the same, someone I’ve always had so much respect for, and it was great that we got to jam out on some stuff in the process of making the album.

You also collaborated with Jessie J, and Marsha Ambrosius on some songs. If you could chose anyone to collaborate with in the future, who would it be?

I kind of feel like I’m all collaborated out right now! I’m not sure. I’d like to do something with Kendrick Lamar, he impresses me so much. Aside from that, maybe Prince??

Any plans for after tour?

Enjoy my Summer, maybe head back to the UK for some promo, hopefully do some festivals, live life!

Thank you for your time! Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Huge thanks to everybody who’s supported my music and the album so far! 

 

NEW INTERVIEW: Love Crushed Velvet

We got the chance to talk with A.L.X. of  Love Crushed Velvet about how they got started, their new album Delusions, and future tours!

Click here to check out Love Crushed Velvet’s official website.

Read what A.L.X. had to say below:

For anyone who has not listened to Love Crushed Velvet before, how would you describe your sound?

Love Crushed Velvet is a hybrid of modern and retro rock.  There are definitely postpunk elements to our music, but we try to push the genre into contemporary musical relevance.

What makes you unique from all the other bands in your genre?  

The fact that we have blended elements of classic rock, postpunk and modern rock.  There are of course other bands that have done this as well, but I think that we’ve put our own particular stamp on it.

What made you want to start a band?  

I’ve always had a love for performing, as well as writing original music.  I thrive on the energy of playing with a band, and the type of songs that I write were always geared towards playing in that kind of format.  As much as I enjoy playing solo, the camaraderie that you have in a band, both musically and personally, is very special.

Where does the name “Love Crushed Velvet” come from?  

It started as a tongue-in-cheek description of something, and we joked about how it would make a great band name.  Around that time, I’d also been working on a song that had the words “love” and “velvet” in the chorus, but something was still missing.  I threw in the word “crushed” and reworked the verse lyrics, and voila!  It all came together quite quickly.

Can you tell us a little more about your album Delusions?   

When making this album, we made a conscious decision to move away from the overt classic rock and postpunk feel that our debut album had.  At the same time, we still wanted to stay true to who we are musically, and also didn’t want to confuse our fan base by completely shifting gears.  Thus, our challenge was to find ways to present our songs in a way that was different, yet still familiar.  From a thematic perspective, we were also working with songs that had a different feel from our debut album.  We went from writing about the challenges of life in New York City to tackling themes like discontent and broken relationships. In that sense, it’s a lyrically richer album.

Any specific influences behind the album?  

We actually made a conscious decision to play down our influences.  While it was challenging, it gave us more freedom by allowing us to explore a broader musical palette.  Hence, there’s quite a wide stylistic range on the album.

What would you say is your favorite song off of the album?  

Probably “Spotlight”, which is likely to be our fourth single.  It has all of the elements that characterize where LCV is at this stage.  People have compared it to something out of a James Bond soundtrack

Any spring tours in the future for Love Crushed Velvet? 

We’re in the process of organized late spring and summer dates at the moment—stay tuned!

Thank you for your time! Is there anything else that you would like to add?

We just finished recording a new album that is planned for a mid-summer release.  If you like what you’ve heard from us thus far, stick around, because there’s more coming!

 

NEW TOUR: TAUK

TAUK is currently on tour with Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Funky Meters, Lettuce, Dopapod and more!

Check below to see if they are coming your way:

Apr 2 - Allston, MA @ Wonder Bar

Apr 3 - Worchester, MA @ Electric Haze

Apr 4 - Kerkhonkson, NY @ Rock N Roll Resort

Apr 8 - Asbury Park, NJ @ The Saint

Apr 9 - Frederick, MD @ Café 611 w/Moogatu & DeltaNINE

Apr 10 - Philadelphia, PA @ XO Lounge w/AlyCat

Apr 11 - Albany, NY @ Red Square w/ Mister F

Apr 12 - Providence, RI @ The Spot w/ Mr. Breakdown and Slice

Apr 16 - Winchester, VA @ Blue Fox Billiards

Apr 17 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Doc Taylors Seaside Market Lounge

Apr 18 - Charlotte, NC @ The Chop Shop w/ Yo Mama Big Fat Booty Band & Dopapod

Apr 19 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West w/ Motet & Consider The Source

Apr 26 - Philadelphia, PA @ Some Kind Of Jam 9

May 3 - Boston, MA @ The Church w/ Consider The Source

May 4 - Pomfret Center, CT @ Tyrone Farm w/ Aqueous

May 7 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bowl co-headlining w/Fikus

May 10 - Hedgesville, WV @ Blossoms Blooming Festival

May 14 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird w/ Aqueous

May 16 - Covington, KY @ Cosmo’s w/ Aqueous

May 22 - Richmond, VA @ The Camel

May 24 - Asheville, NC @ Asheville Music Hall

May 25 - Knoxville, TN @ The Bowery

May 30 - Terra Alta, WV @ Domefest

May 31 - Blackstock, SC @ Blackstock Music Festival

June 7 - Asheville, NC @ All Go West

Jun 19 - 20 -  Hedgesville, WV @ Mad Tea Party Jam w/ Dopapod

Jun 27 - Prospect Hill, SC @ The Big What

July 5 - Terra Alta, WV @ Under The Stars

Jul 12 - Berryville, VA @ Pasture Palooza Music & Arts Festival

Jul 25 - 26 - Floyd, VA @ Floyd Fest 

Aug 21 - Bartow, WV @ Camp Barefoot

Sept 12 - Rock Camp, WV @ Pink Moon Festival 

 

** With Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe

The three brothers in Before You Exit released a music video for their new single “Dangerous”. Watch above!

See below to watch the behind the scenes:

Check out our photos from their set of the Dangerous Tour in Charlotte, NC as well here

We caught up with Spencer Sutherland in Charlotte, NC when the Dangerous Tour rolled through Amos Southend. 

Watch to find out how he got started in the music industry, what his favorite part about tour was, and potential new music!

View photos from his set here

We caught up with Ashley Allen in Charlotte, NC when she stopped at Vance High School with High School Nation. 

Watch to see what she has to say about her new EP, future tours, and what touring with High School Nation is like! 

View photos from her set here!