Gorillaz

Today, Converse Inc. unveiled four distinct design concepts for the newest footwear collaboration with the world-famous virtual band, Gorillaz.

Launching in February 2012, the styles from the Spring 2012 collection combine the iconic Chuck Taylor All Star silhouette with the band’s legendary graphic images.

Award-winning designer and Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett has designed exclusive prints incorporating elements from their ground breaking artwork. Each design melds their diverse backgrounds and unique influences to create a revolutionary collection.

The partnership with Gorillaz will also include a Converse “Three Artists. One Song” original track titled “DoYaThing” featuring Gorillaz, James Murphy and Andre 3000 of OutKast. The free track will be available for download at www.converse.com on February 23, 2011.

San Francisco Images by: Susan J. Weiand

moe. :: 02.03.12 :: The Independent :: San Francisco, CA

Setlist
Set 1: Not Coming Down > Paper Dragon, One Life, Runaway Overlude > Bring It Back Home > Mexico

Set 2: George, Faker > Bring You Down, Wildflowers, Sticks and Stones, Don’t Fuck With Flo > McBain

Encore: Moth

2/3/12 – moe. @ The Independent (San Francisco, CA) View Photos

Continue reading for photos of next night in Los Angeles…

Los Angeles Images by: Paul R. Giunta

moe. :: 02.04.12 :: Club Nokia :: Los Angeles , CA

Setlist
Set 1: Skrunk, Smoke > Captain America, It, Lost Along the Way, St. Augustine > Downward Facing Dog, Down Boy

Set 2: Puebla > Billy Goat > Queen of Everything, Letter Home, Four > Rebubula

Encore: Time > Farmer Ben

2/4/12 – moe. and Keller Williams @ Club Nokia (Los Angeles, CA) View Photos

moe. Tour Dates :: moe. News

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Wilco with White Denim :: 01.28.12 :: San Jose Civic Auditorium :: San Jose, CA

A gallery of photos from the 02.01.12 Davis, CA show at the Mondavi Center For The Performing Arts is below review!

White Denim :: 02.01.12 :: by John Margaretten

While most of the polite, clean cut crowd waiting outside the recently reopened San Jose Civic were there for Wilco, I had come primarily to see handpicked opener White Denim, simply one of the fastest evolving, fully switched-on young bands working today. While this Austin, TX-based quartet play very different music than the headliner, theres a shared spirit of exploration and openness that marks both bands which makes the pairing just good sense, an acknowledgement of congruities and a nice lil gift to Wilco fans, most of whom seemed to be hearing White Denim for the first time this night.

The band tiptoed in with Street Joy, taking advantage of an audience of inclined to shut up and listen to music after years of leaning in to hear what Jeff Tweedy and company had to say. The tenderness and rising ache of this standout from last years stellar D album moved into a spacey whoosh, controls set directly for the heart of the sun, and within two pieces White Denim had already illustrated one of their greatest strengths a head-scratching knack for switching gears swiftly and seamlessly. James Petralli (vocals, guitar), Joshua Block (drums), Steven Terebecki (bass, vocals) and Austin Jenkins (guitar) moved with a strange, compelling mixture of youthful herky-jerky energy and limber, almost athletic musicianship. Theres almost a prog-rock ethos at work but infused with punk/post-punk attitude. By the third tune, the four-piece were interlocking and lunging with such empathy that the whole enterprise ceased to be a compilation of elements and simply breathed as a whole, a rock n roll animal with thick fur and glimmering teeth.

White Denim :: 02.01.12 :: by John Margaretten

There is no doubting the hunger inside White Denim, and a coveted opening slot for one of Americas biggest bands is precisely where they belong right now. More than half a decade of honing their sound, bouncing around indie labels, and trudging from SXSW to Timbuktu in search of an audience has produced a band, as witnessed in San Jose, on the verge of their next evolutionary leap a move that is likely to take them from the clubs theyve largely inhabited into small theatres and beyond. At the moment, their music is struggling a bit to adapt to the larger spaces this Wilco tour finds them playing, but it was exciting to see them realize the potential reach their music possesses in real time at the Civic. Mixing together scraps of Tropicalia, tasty soul jazz licks and propulsive Velvet Underground-isms, they showed how familiar elements can be repurposed into original shapes. And just when one would think theyd settled into big groove, an unexpected curve would whiff by our ears, one suddenly tossed into, say, the updated 60s pop of No Real Reason (a boffo ballad off the recently issued Takes Place In Your Work Place EP) or taken deep into the recesses of burly group jamming. White Denim is a trip worth taking, and the boisterous round of applause as they finished their set spoke to a growing number of folks ready to jump on board wherever they might be traveling.

Wilco :: 02.01.12 :: by John Margaretten

So, what about Wilco? Having never seen them play outside of a festival set at Bonnaroo a number of years ago, I honestly had no real expectations despite the countless glowing reviews of friends and critics firmly under the bands sway. While always admiring of their studio work, Id never made the leap to actual fandom, always kept at bay by Tweedys thin, modernized Dylan voice and something in the lyrics that just never snagged my emotional center. That said, I was assured by folks I trust on such matters that seeing Wilco live would reveal their true glory. Thats a lot for any band to live up to but I tamped down high expectations and just listened intently as they took the stage.

Opener One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend) is a patient build, very much the child of Dylan at his expansive, poetic 1960s best, and featured some of the most controlled, lovely playing I have ever heard. Seriously, it and all that followed showcased some of the most beautiful, technically savvy, intuitive playing Ive ever witnessed in my long years of concert-going. While the source material and the focal point within Wilco simply may not be my personal bag, there is no denying that the players in this band are phenomenal, each serving the songs with near-penitent devotion and focus, producing an ineffable glow to Wilcos music in San Jose – something that cant really be pinned down in clumsy words.

Jeff Tweedy :: 02.01.12 :: by John Margaretten

More than the actual content/subject matter of the lyrics holds sway. Theres little doubt that Tweedy and his cohorts are striving towards larger understanding, the rock show used as a form of community building that pushes towards common understanding of our shared imperfections – which is sort of funny coming from such a thoroughly professional production, where things began right on time and unfolded with a practiced grace in every element lighting, stage design, sound. There was NOTHING imperfect about this night, which at times made certain numbers feel a touch too rehearsed, too familiar, too comfortable. For all the echoes of Bobs freewheeling days down to the blazing musicianship of dudes like Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper Wilco came off as all-pro, all-the-time to me. Maybe because Im not part of the cult, Im less charmed by Tweedys quirks and between song banter, which mostly struck me as vaudeville moderne, a stage device an intensely personal artist has mastered in order to ply his trade. And Im not saying I wasnt charmed along with everyone else in the Civic, only that my years of watching countless rockers at work gives me an instinct for whats really happening in the moment and what comes from a well-studied playbook. This band is WELL aware of the Pavlovian bells to ring on faves like Handshake Drugs and Jesus Etc. and shook them loud and clear this night but for my own tastes, I kinda wish theyd dance on the edge a bit more like new one Art of Almost, which lit up the beginning of their set with Radiohead worthy electricity and chrome-plated futurism, or even the sprightly Nick Lowe/Rockpile-esque pop of I Might, which avoided the mid-tempo pacing they favor on a few too many songs.

In the end, walking back to my car as the encore wrapped, I came to the conclusion that Wilco is undeniably one of the best outfits operating today, as classy and well formed as anything America has kicked up since rocks first great swell in the 50s/60s. Its unlikely Ill become a fan anytime soon but its hard to imagine anyone with an appetite for fundamentally perfect rock not digging a great deal about this band.

San Jose Setlist
One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend), Art Of Almost, I Might, Bull Black Nova, Side With The Seeds, California Stars, Red-Eyed and Blue, I Got You (At The End Of The Century), Born Alone, (Was I) In Your Dreams, You Are My Face, Impossible Germany, Box Full Of Letters, I’m Always In Love, Jesus, Etc., Capitol City, Handshake Drugs, War On War, Dawned On Me, A Shot in the Arm. [Encore]: Whole Love, Walken, I’m A Wheel

2/1/12 – Wilco and White Denim @ Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts (Davis, CA) View Photos

White Denim Tour Dates :: White Denim News

Wilco Tour Dates :: Wilco News

JamBase | Golden State
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The Shins

The Shins have confirmed another leg of U.S. headline dates in support of the band’s upcoming fourth album Port Of Morrow, out March 20 on Aural Apothecary/Columbia.

As a very special pre-tour present to their fans, The Shins are offering a free stream of “September,” the B-Side to their current smash single “Simple Song,” as a free stream with accompanying custom made visuals inspired by and drawing upon Jacob Escobedo‘s artwork for Port Of Morrow.

The video will be streaming at recordstoreday.com as well as on the virtual reel to reel player at theshins.com. Check out the clip below.

The Shins U.S. Tour

06/09/12 Sat Iroquois Amphitheatre Louisville, KY

The Shins Tour Dates
::
The Shins News

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