sonya ina

I'm still not completely settled in anywhere, but I have some time for a quick update.

I was not able to see The Last Kiss, due to my extensive travels, but my best buddy Michelle told me it's not worth seeing, but I may still see it. Who knows. However, the soundtrack is still awesome. Mmmhmmm!

More updates coming soon (just as soon as I get all settled)!

Come tomorrow (Friday 9/15), I will be out of town for the next few weeks, then I am changing towns. Needless to say, updates will be minimal. However, during my travels I'll be lucky enough to catch some great bands live, so I'll try and fill you in on those. Look out for posts about Vedera, Mae, The New Amsterdams, Copeland, etc. Ta ta!

We all know how much of a staple J.R.R. Tolkein's Lord Of The Rings Trilogy is to book lovers, and we also know that Peter Jackson did an absolutely amazing job translating the trilogy into believable movies. So, I bring news to those who loved the movie soundtracks. Howard Shore's complete Grammy-award winning score to The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers will be released on a 4-CD set on November 7th [Reprise/WMG Records]. The first three discs contain over 180 minutes of music, and the fourth disc is a DVD-Audio presenting all the recordings in 5.1 surround sound. Oooooo ah! ;]

Last week Fat Possum Records announced that they signed Andrew Bird, and his follow up album to one of my favorite albums of all time [The Mysterious Production of Eggs], Armchair Apocrypha, will be released in the Spring of 2007.

Now, let me tell you a little about the lovely Andrew Bird. First and formost, he's fabulous, and his violin picking, whistle while you work, eclectic folk rock is absolutely contagious. My good friend passed him off to me quite some time ago, then we ventured out to NYC's Bowery Ballroom to catch a performance. Let me tell you, Mr. Bird puts on an incredible show. Loop after seemless loop, he has perfected his one man, yet highly involved show.

"Masterfade" - MP3 [link will expire in 7 days]

In any case, the Bird is going on tour beginning the 16th. So, if you happen to be in the area to see the clever fella, please do.

09-16 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
09-17 Salt Lake City, UT - In the Venue
09-19 Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theater
09-20 San Diego, CA - Belly Up Tavern
09-21 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre
09-22 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
09-26 Eugene, OR - WOW Hall Community Center
09-27 Portland, OR - Aladdin Theater
09-28 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
09-29 Vancouver, British Columbia - Media Club
09-30 Bellingham, WA - Nightlight
10-06 Dubuque, IA - Voices Warehouse Gallery
10-07 Cedar Rapids, IA - C.S.P.S.
10-13 Minneapolis, MN - Bryant Lake Bowl
10-14 Madison, WI - Stage Door at Orpheum Theatre
10-21 Chicago, IL - High Concept Laboratories (The Blackbird Party)
11-24 Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium
11-25 Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium

The CMJ Music Marathon, kicks off in NYC on October 31 and runs through November 4. The elaborate 5 day music festival showcases the likes of hundreds of indie bands on the rise. Well, some have already risen, hehe. Is it me, or do the band names get weirder and weirder every year? Peanut Butter Wolf? Pit er Pat? Get Him Eat Him? Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin? Wow.



Recent new additions:

The Shins, Clipse, the Thermals, Girl Talk, Tapes 'n Tapes, Magnolia Electric Co., George Clinton, Beach House, Figurines, Architecture in Helsinki, Cansei de Ser Sexy, Apples in Stereo, Peanut Butter Wolf, the Plastic Constellations, +/-, J Rocc, Oh No, Dudley Perkins, Roc C, Aloe Blacc, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Feathers, What Made Milwaukee Famous, the Ms, Parts & Labor, Ladyhawk, Get Him Eat Him, Aloha, the Album Leaf, Oxford Collapse, Forward, Russia!, the Annuals, Human Television, Cex, David Bazan, the Drones, Cale Parks, the Big Sleep, Call Me Lightning, Rahim, Pit er Pat, Excepter, Fog, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Tokyo Police Club, Land of Talk, Bobby Conn & the Glass Gypsies, Skeletons & the Girl Faced Boys, An Albatross, Mickey Avalon

Previously announced:

The Knife, Deerhoof, the Slits, Hot Chip, the Black Keys, Madlib, Califone, Jason Forrest Band, 120 Days, Portastatic, Oakley Hall, Thunderbirds Are Now!, Professor Murder, Blonde Redhead, Ben Lee, Erase Errata, Blue Cheer, Cold War Kids, Cloud Cult, Silversun Pickups, White Whale, Percee P, Dr. Dog, Archie Bronson Outfit, Keren Ann, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, These Arms Are Snakes, Micah P. Hinson, Extra Golden.

General:
$450 before September 25
$495 after Sept 25 and onsite

Student:
$275 before Sept. 25
$295 after Sept 25 and onsite

College Radio Group Discounts (10 or more people):
$175 each before September 25

College Radio Group Discounts (20 or more):
$125 each before September 25

College Radio Group Discounts (40 or more):
$100 each before September 25

VIP:
$750 no discount VIP Package (Guaranteed admission to select shows)
[Oh and whoever shells out $750 for a VIP badge is really REALLY dumb.]

According to their Myspace profile, "Army of Me is a rock band." However, that doesn't quite paint a clear enough picture of this intriguing DC band. Lead vocalist, Vince, has a distinctive and charming voice, and his writing ability is unrivaled. I've always had a hard time describing their sound, so you may as well listen for yourself.

"Going Through Changes" - MP3 [link will expire in 7 days]

I spoke with their guitar player, Brad, who shared with me, "We are currently on a nationwide tour with a band called The Damnwells, and we have an EP coming out in November, and the full length record entitled Citizen is coming out in January." Thanks for the info Brad!

Sep 12 - Starr Hill Music Hall, Charlottesville, VA
Sep 13 - The Cashbah at Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte, NC
Sep 14 - The Earl, Atlanta, GA
Sep 15 - The Nick, Birmingham, AL
Sep 16 - The End, Nashville, TN
Sep 19 - The Mink, Houston, TX
Sep 22 - The Sets, Tempe, AZ
Sep 24 - Brick By Brick, San Diego, CA
Sep 25 - Knitting Factory, Hollywood, CA
Sep 27 - Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA
Sep 28 - Dante's, Portland, OR
Sep 29 - Crocodile Cafe, Seattle, WA
Sep 30 - The Empyrean, Spokane, WA
Oct 3 - All Star Bowl, Moorhead, MN
Oct 4 - Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis, MN
Oct 5 - Cafe Montmarte, Madison, WI
Oct 6 - Double Door Chicago, IL
Oct 7 - Skully's Music Diner, Columbus, OH
Oct 8 - The Buffalo Icon, Buffalo, NY
Oct 12 - DeltaPlex, Grand Rapids, MI
Oct 13 - Kool Haus, Toronto, ON
Oct 14 - Ohio Northern University, Ada, OH
Oct 15 - Ball State University, Muncie, IN
Oct 17- Orpheum Theatre , Memphis, TN
Oct 18 - Cain's Ballroom, Tulsa, OK
Oct 19 - US Cellular Coliseum, Bloomington, IL
Oct 22 - Eagles Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI
Oct 24 - University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Oct 26 - University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
Oct 27 - US Bank Theater at Target Center, Minneapolis, MN

Zach Braff's latest movie, The Last Kiss is hitting theaters next friday (9/15). I'll be there, with a box of raisinettes in hand. Like Braff's last movie release, Garden State, he hand picked the songs for the soundtrack (8/8). I must admit, Braff has impeckable taste, plus he's funny and endearing.

1. Chocolate - Snow Patrol
2. Star Mile - Joshua Radin
3. Pain Killer - Turin Brakes
4. Warning Sign - Coldplay
5. Ride - Cary Brothers
6. El Salvador - Athlete
7. Hide And Seek - Imogen Heap
8. Reason Why - Rachael Yamagata
9. Hold You In My Arms - Ray LaMontagne
10. Prophecy - Remy Zero
11. Paper Bag - Fiona Apple
12. Today's The Day - Aimee Mann
13. Arms of a Woman - Amos Lee
14. Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk (Reprise) - Rufus Wainwright
15. Paperweight - Joshua Radin and Schuyler Fisk

I pretty much despise Myspace, but I can't deny its ability to be a fabulous publicity tool. Hence, I made sonya ina a profile. Be friends here. Please keep in mind that I do NOT have a personal Myspace, nor do I want one. Therefore, if you know me in real life, please keep it real and refrain from airing my personal business on Myspace. Thanks!



Oh, and I might be a little late on this news, but apparently Apple is coming out with another new Mac OS X operating system. So if you haven't gotten Tiger yet, don't, because here comes Leopard [Spring 2007]. Hmmm, I wonder what brawny cat will be next? Leopard features some interesting new programs such as Spaces and Time Machine. Check out the sneak peak and see for yourself. Most of it looks pretty sweet. I bought into Tiger when that first came out, so I might have a hard time resisting Leopard. After all, there are some great new iChat features that I wouldn't mind using.

Have a great rest of the weekend! :]

Feel good indie rock quartet Copeland, has announced that they will be embarking on a headline tour this coming November into early December in support of their most recent release In Motion (The Militia Group, 2005). Opening bands will include The Appleseed Cast, Acute and Owen.

Check out their Myspace page to hear some sweet tunes.

11.03.06 - Nashville, TN @ Rocketown
11.04.06 - St Louis, MO @ Mississipi Nights
11.05.06 - Iowa City, IA @ Picador
11.06.06 - Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theatre
11.07.06 - Lawrence, KS @ Granada
11.10.06 - Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theatre
11.11.06 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
11.12.06 - Chicago, IL @ Metro
11.14.06 - Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre
11.15.06 - Salt Lake City @ Avalon Theater
11.16.06 - Boise, ID @ The Venue
11.17.06 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
11.18.06 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
11.20.06 - San Francisco, CA @ Slim's
11.21.06 - Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
11.22.06 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
11.25.06 - San Diego, CA @ Soma
11.26.06 - Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse
11.28.06 - San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
11.29.06 - Dallas, TX @ The Door
12.01.06 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
12.02.06 - Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls
12.03.06 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
12.04.06 - Boston, MA @ Axis
12.06.06 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
12.07.06 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
12.08.06 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues
12.09.06 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution

Mute Math is going on tour this fall to support their long overdue debut LP, which is set for a September 26th release. You can check out their ecard here. The tour (and e-card) also features Shiny Toy Guns, Jonezetta and The Whigs. For a full list of tour dates check out their Myspace page.

Also, recently Mute Math frontman, Paul Meany, and drummer, Darren King, had a chance to sit down with Mae drummer, Jacob Marshall, and conduct a dual interview. Thanks lowercasepeople. Check it out here.

I love Wired, it's the only magazine I feel is worthy enough to get a subscription to. Usually laden with articles about trendy technological advances, every once in a while it has some noteworthy music related articles. This month's September issue is chock full! Beck graces the cover with the title "The Rebirth of Music" placed iconically on his chest. I sat in the airport a few weeks ago, magazine in hand, completely enthralled. So this is where music is going? Nice!

The Infinite Album
No Suit Required
The Pitchfork Effect

"I'd like to find a way to let people truly interact with the records I put out - not just remix the songs, but maybe play them like a videogame." - Beck

If I think about it real hard, I don't know anyone who doesn't like at least one song by Death Cab For Cutie. Yup, they're pretty much awesome, and lucky for us they love to tour. The guys just announced another long winded tour to support their major-label debut, Plans (2005, Atlantic), as well as Directions (2006, Atlantic), their music video DVD.

Oct. 26 - Tower Theatre, Upper Darby, PA
Oct. 27 - Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY
Oct. 28 - Ottawa Civic Centre Theatre, Ottawa
Oct. 30 - Massey Hall, Toronto
Nov. 1 - Metropolis, Montreal
Nov. 2 - The Opera House, Boston, MA
Nov. 4 - Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence, RI
Nov. 6 - Constitution Hall, Washington, DC
Nov. 8 - The Garden, New York, NY
Nov. 10 - Norva, Norfolk, VA
Nov. 11 - Ice Garden Arena, Belle Vernon, PA
Nov. 13 - PromoWest Pavilion, Columbus, OH
Nov. 14 - Murat Theatre, Indianapolis, IN
Nov. 15 - Louisville Palace Theatre, Louisville, KY
Nov. 16 - Alabama Theatre, Birmingham, AL
Nov. 17 - Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
Nov. 18 - Clemson University, Clemson, SC
Nov. 19 - University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
Nov. 20 - University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
Nov. 26 - Eagles Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI
Nov. 27 - The Pageant, St. Louis, MO
Nov. 28 - Orpheum Theatre, Memphis
Nov. 29 - The Republic, New Orleans, TN
Nov. 30 - Sarofim Hall, Houston, TX
Dec. 2 - Mesa Amphitheatre, Mesa, AZ
Dec. 3 - The Joint / Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
Dec. 5 - Bren Events Center, Irvine, CA
Dec. 6 - Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara, CA
Dec. 9 - Key Arena, Seattle, WA

I leave you with 2 different videos for the track "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" off of Plans.

1. I Will Follow You Into The Dark

2.

Since almost everyone on God's green earth is on the overpopulated social and music networking website known as Myspace, I have some news. Today, Myspace announced a partnership with SNOCAP, the company that Napster founder Shawn Fanning started, which will allow users to download music from band profiles using a pay-per-download service. Bands will be able to price their own songs accordingly, while they split the profits with the Myspace band of brothers. When will this begin? No word yet, but I have a feeling it will come with mixed reviews.

Steve Irwin, better known as the "Crocodile Hunter," died yesterday. Ironically, it wasn't a crocodile that killed him. Read more here. What a sad sad day.

My friend Mike got me a great album entitled, The Electricity In Your House Wants To Sing (April 4, 2006), by a one-man electronic artist by the name of Shaw-Han Liem from Toronto, Ontario. He calls himself I Am Robot And Proud. And he should be proud, because this is great stuff!

This is Shaw-Han’s fourth album as I Am Robot And Proud, and it is a collection of 11 tracks that have enabled him to continue his electronic music exploration. Woohooo!

Track Listing:
1. Electricity in Your House Wants to Sing
2. When I Get My Ears
3. Work
4. Save Your Neck, Save Your Brother
5. Scholars and the Travellers
6. Neil Lake
7. Me vs. Heidi
8. Good Sleep
9. Man That Runs Too Fast
10. Places We're Trying to Find
11. Center Cities

Check out some of his pervious work:
MP3: Learn From Mistakes
MP3: A Proposal To Tune The World To F

How can one not love Regina Spektor? Not only is she absolutely adorable, but she also has a beautiful voice, and pounds the piano like no other. Her most recent album Begin To Hope was released on June 13th via Warner Brothers Records.



She recently shot a video for one of my favorite tracks off the album entitled "Fidelity". Beginning off as a drab, melancholy and colorless video (aside from her dazzling red hair and lipstick), it takes wondrous shape. Take a peek at it via Windows or Quicktime. Yes, it's cute, and who doesn't love a happy ending? ;]

Welcome to the sonya ina blog! I'm Sonya, and this is my blog. Here I will be posting my thoughts on various music related topics, as well as whatever else I feel is worth mentioning. Let the games begin... ;]