THE ICYPOLES AT FOREFRONT OF AUSTRALIAN INDIE INVASION

RAVES IN BLACK BOOK, PASTE, AV CLUB, ETC. FOR NEW ALBUM ‘MY WORLD WAS MADE FOR YOU’




Alongside Courtney Barnett, Scott & Charlene's Wedding, Twerps, Lost Animal, and The Stevens, the Icypoles are an Australian indie invasion. The new album ‘My World Was Made For You,’ featuring covers of David Lynch’s “Just You” (from Twin Peaks) and Martika’s “Love, Thy Will Be Done,” co-written by Prince, is out now on Highline Records. Black Book is streaming the entire album.

Here’s what we’ve been reading about the Icypoles:

“7.7… a little dreamy… understated intimacy.”
- Eric Danton, Paste Magazine, May 15, 2014

“Sounds a bit like the XX merged together with some old doo-wop style girl groups.”
- Marah Eakin, AV Club, April 16, 2014

“A sweet treat [with] a sinister vibe… Led by Isobel Knowles, formerly of Architecture In Helsinki, the Melbourne quartet serves up retro-flavored tunes in the vein of the Brunettes, Soko, and the Boy Least Likely To.”
- Katie Chow, Black Book, May 1, 2014

“Delicious… Severely cool… The magic is in their surprising sense of melodic timing and coy delivery that plays out in our heads like a Mona Lisa smirk set to some kind of sarcastic retro choreography.”
- Charity Painter, The Wild Honey Pie, April 18, 2014

“Reminiscent of The Blow, with handclaps, singsong vocals and a slightly jagged, funky bassline.”
- Lizzie Plaugic, CMJ, May 6, 2014

KRISTIN MUELLER'S 'DESERTS & LONG TRAILS' OUT THIS WEEK ON EASTERN SPURS RECORDS

NYC INDIE ARTIST PLAYS EAST VILLAGE RADIO MARCH 2 & JALOPY MARCH 6

Kristin Mueller – the NYC drummer turned indie folk/indie rock/indie pop artist – is already receiving acclaim for the incredible 'Deserts & Long Trails' album, out this week on Eastern Spurs Records. She plays East Village Radio on Sunday, previewing her album release show March 6 at Jalopy. Reminiscent of Calexico, Aimee Mann, Beck's more pensive work, Mirah, and Smog, 'Deserts & Long Trails' was recorded with members of the Yellowbirds, Mercury Rev, and the bands of Beth Orton, The Lone Bellow, Trixie Whitley, and Jim O'Rourke.

American Songwriter is streaming the whole thing exclusively this week.

Bullet Media posted a photo diary of Mueller's European tour with C. Gibbs, premiering the track "Heaven Knows."

"Bold and expansive."
- Lizzie Plaugic, CMJ.com, February 20

"Powerful."
- Katie Chow, BlackBook, February 6

"Riveting."
- Eric Danton, Listen Dammit, February 20

KRISTIN MUELLER TO PLAY ALBUM RELEASE SHOW AT JALOPY MARCH 6

SOPHOMORE ALBUM 'DESERTS & LONG TRAILS' (FEB 25 / EASTERN SPURS RECORDS), MADE WITH MEMBERS OF THE YELLOWBIRDS & MERCURY REV

An eye-opening talent, Kristin Mueller will play an album release show March 6 at Jalopy for her new indie folk/indie rock album 'Deserts & Long Trails,' made in NYC with members of the Yellowbirds, Mercury Rev, and the bands of Beth Orton, The Lone Bellow, Trixie Whitley, and Jim O'Rourke. The album will be released February 25 on Eastern Spurs Records.

Black Book has premiered the first track, the scorching "What Are You Waiting For," calling it "a sunny slice of guitar pop that is more powerful than it initially lets on."

C. Gibbs will open the show. Billboard has said of him, "Rarely you hear songs that are this deep, this profound." Mueller opened a European tour for Gibbs in fall of 2013 and is drummer in his band Lucinda Black Bear.

WHO: Headliner Kristin Mueller w/ opener C. Gibbs
WHAT: Album release show for 'Deserts & Long Trails'
WHERE: Jalopy, 315 Columbia Street Brooklyn, NY
WHEN: March 6, 2014, time TBA
TICKETS: TBA

WRY CLIMATE'S "DYNAMIC" (CMJ) INDIE ROCK/SHOEGAZE OUT THIS WEEK, DRAWING COMPS TO REAL ESTATE (SOUNDCHECK & BLACK BOOK), DEERHUNTER (POP MATTERS)

Brooklyn and Purchase, NY indie rock/shoegaze project Wry Climate released the EP 'Radio Tower Pulse' this week. Hear it here.

Soundcheck.org weighed in, "The music of Wry Climate feels like waking up early, bleary-eyed and trying to piece together some half-forgotten dream. With songs that blend the laconic pop of Real Estate with a slow-building wash of shoegaze-y noise, the New York-based recording project-turned-band of Dan Nelson creates a wistful tone."

Blackbook raved, "It's recommended if you like Cheatahs, Real Estate, and daydreaming."

CMJ called it "a jolt of sonic collage art."

Pop Matters opined, "New York’s Wry Climate inventively updates ‘90s shoegaze riffs with notes of dreampop and bits of noise, turning their subtly complex tunes into something much more than the sum of their parts. The group has earned comparisons from Deerhunter to Dirty Projectors to Pavement, meaning they’re in good, eclectic company."

"ALLURING, EMOTIONAL, AND INFECTIOUS" (NPR) JOHN MURRY TO PERFORM AT DILETTANTE STUDIOS JULY 20

"I DON’T EXPECT TO HEAR A BETTER ALBUM THIS YEAR… 5 STARS." – THE GUARDIAN

John Murry -- the Bay Area-based second cousin of William Faulkner's who makes incredible Southern indie-noir music -- will perform at Dilettante Studios in Los Angeles on July 20. Roger Manning, Jr (Beck), Joe Goldring (Hope Sandoval, Sun Kil Moon), Michael Mullen, and David Baerwald (Joni Mitchell, Robbie Robertson) will perform with Murry. Andrew Stockdale (Wolfmother) and Carlos Forster (M. Ward) will open the show with their own sets.

US and UK outlets are raving. Most recently, MOJO gave 'The Graceless Age' 5 stars and called it "unique [and] formidable." The Guardian also gave it 5 stars, writing, "I don't expect to hear a better album this year."

NPR World Café called 'The Graceless Age' "alluring, emotional, and infectious" while the Wall Street Journal called it "arresting." Black Book said, "With an arresting sense of honesty and human insight, Murry is man that you should certainly get to know." MTV Hive said, "The guy's got gravitas [with] widescreen imagery and a soulful moan."

WHO: John Murry

WHAT: First Los Angeles Concert

WHEN: July 20, 2013, 8pm

WHERE: Dilletante Studios, 120 N Santa Fe Ave., Los Angeles, CA

TICKETS: $5, here

Now based in Oakland, CA, John Murry has lived many lives. He grew up in Elvis' hometown of Tupelo, MS and there's a photo of Elvis in concert that shows his mother reaching out to touch his hand. He was a junkie after he left Memphis to go to that den of iniquity, California. He wrote for the Village Voice for a time. He is William Faulkner's second cousin and friends have described him as lost in the worlds of southern literature. He has seen death in an alley and managed to stumble back from it. These identities come together in 'The Graceless Age.'

JOHN MURRY'S 'THE GRACELESS AGE' OUT TODAY ON EVANGELINE RECORDING CO.

NPR HERE & NOW SEGMENT, WALL STREET JOURNAL FEATURE RUN ON "MASTERFUL" (DAYTROTTER) & FASCINATING FAULKNER-RELATED ARTIST

NPR: "ONE OF THE BREAKOUT STARS OF THIS YEAR'S SXSW FESTIVAL"

John Murry – the Mississippi-born, UK breakout artist – will see his debut album 'The Graceless Age' released today on Evangeline Recording Co. to across-the-board raves. A fascinating, two-part conversation with NPR's Robin Young aired on Here & Now yesterday as the pair discussed his Mississippi roots, connections to southern literature, working with co-producer Tim Mooney (Sun Kil Moon, American Music Club), Murry's heroin overdose in his adopted hometown of San Francisco, and the role honesty played in both the album and in his recovery from addiction.

Full album stream:

More US raves for John Murry's 'The Graceless Age':

"Alluring, emotional, and infectious."

– NPR World Café, February 22, 2013

"Great songs."

– Andy Langer, Esquire, March 9, 2013

"Arresting."

– John Jurgensen, Wall Street Journal, March 29, 2013

"The real deal."

- Robin Young, NPR Here & Now, April 2, 2013

"With an arresting sense of honesty and human insight, Murry is man that you should certainly get to know."

– Hillary Weston, Black Book, March 13, 2013

"The guy's got gravitas [with] widescreen imagery and a soulful moan."

- Jim Allen, MTV Hive, February 5, 2013

"Masterful."

– Sean Moeller, Daytrotter, April 1, 2013

"There are standouts everwhere [from this] artist of major stature."

– 4.5 stars out of 5, Jim Beviglia, American Songwriter, March 1, 2013

"Masterful."

– Dorit Finkel, Baeble Music, January 23, 2013

"Raw, powerful lyrics and Springsteen-like cinematic sweep."

- Michael Mayer, San Jose Mercury News, March 22, 2013

BLACK BOOK, ESQUIRE & LONDON TIMES PREVIEW MISSISSIPPI-BORN, FAULKNER-RELATED, AVANT-NOIR NEWCOMER JOHN MURRY AT SXSW

ESQUIRE: MURRY AMONG THE "BANDS YOU NEED TO HEAR FROM SXSW"

THE LONDON TIMES: "HE LOOKS SET TO BECOME ONE OF THE INDUSTRY EVENT'S BREAKOUT STARS"

BLACK BOOK: "WITH AN ARRESTING SENSE OF HONESTY AND HUMAN INSIGHT, MURRY IS A MAN YOU SHOULD CERTAINLY GET TO KNOW"

Esquire, Black Book, and the London Times have all previewed avant-noir newcomer John Murry's SXSW this week on the strength of his forthcoming album 'The Graceless Age' (April 2 / Evangeline Recording Co.). Esquire named Murry among the "bands you need to hear from SXSW."

Postable streaming song "The Ballad of the Pajama Kid."

"California" music video.

Meanwhile, The London Times called 'The Graceless Age "images of broken-hearted gutter life over ten elegant and spacious songs." Here's a scan.

London Times direct link (password required).

Black Book Magazine ran a fascinating Q&A with the songwriter yesterday. Hillary Weston writes, "With an arresting sense of honesty and human insight, Murry is man that you should certainly get to know… his songs cut straight to into the heart of man steeped in emotion, with the psychological undercurrent of soul in distress. Born from the pain of loneliness and a desire for expression, Murry's solo debut The Graceless Age is a raw and emotional collection of autobiographical stories. Sonically exercising his demons, his voice croons through a record that amalgamates the bleak and the beautiful, the desolate and the serene, and the questions of existence that plague us all."

Murry plays Friday at 2:45pm at the Daily Havoc Day Party, Hole in the Wall, 2538 Guadalupe St. (front stage). RSVP or more info here.