BEST NEW BAND IN VEGAS: LUXURY FURNITURE STORE
Luxury Furniture Store (from left to right): æther (synth player), Proteus (singer), and spektor (bassist)
Interview and Photos by Jorge Lara
Luxury Furniture Store has created a unique sound and name for itself with amazing stage presence and style. Its mix of darkwave with a post punk aesthetic has garnered it the adoration of fans. VIM was lucky enough to capture their first live performance of the year at Artifice last month. Their performance of ‘Glum’ is featured on the second season of VIM Presents live music series. And now they are the first band to be named ‘Best New Band’ by VIM Magazine.
Singing about “dousing the cracks of labyrinth wounds” on song ‘Glum’ and “screaming minds, the naked kind” on song ‘Rainbow Wheel of Death” Luxury Furniture Store has created its own fabric of reality in dystopian and fantastical dreamy lyrics.
Luxury Furniture Store perform next on March 15th at Artifice with Closed Tear, Lesser Care, and Wisteria. We interviewed Proteus (singer), æther (synth player), and spektor (bassist) about the band’s future and other musings.
VIM Magazine: You first album Bedrot was released in 2021. Is there anything new in the works?
Luxury Furniture Store: Yes, we are working on some new music for 2023! Stay tuned!
VIM Magazine: Was lucky to have attended your last performance at Artifice. What do you all like about getting to perform your songs life?
Luxury Furniture Store: We really love seeing the crowd vibing and dancing to our set. Nothing makes us happier than seeing everyone having a good time and being part of the experience that we like to create.
VIM Magazine: How do you all go about writing and making your songs?
Luxury Furniture Store: Lately I like to write the concept and themes in my head while doing other things through out the day. Normally I wait until an idea hits and I go home and write everything with in an hour or so. The songs that fully presents itself right off the bat are the songs are usually the best ones. Once the main bones is done I take it to spektor (our bassist) and æther and we co produce the songs together.
VIM Magazine: You have another show coming up in March. You played some new songs in your last show. What can we expect from this upcoming show?
Luxury Furniture Store: That’s something you all will have to attend to see ;)
VIM Magazine: What are your future plans? Do any of you have other side projects?
Luxury Furniture Store: We do have many things in the works but I’d say the obvious one we have is Spektor Recordings. We have been recording other local artists and projects through this.
The London Suede, Manic Street Preachers Tour North America in 2022
This fall, alt Brit rockers The London Suede and Manic Street Preachers are co-headlining their first-ever tour in North America together, which will kick off in Vancouver on Nov. 3 before concluding in Toronto on Nov. 24.
Both bands left their indelible marks in the early ’90s straight off their debut albums—Manic Street Preachers’ Generation Terrorists in 1992 and Suede in 1993.
On hiatus for nearly a decade since 2002, The London Suede (also known as Suede) reunited with a show at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 2010 and followed up with their sixth album Bloodsports in 2013, along with Night Thoughts in 2016, and 2018 release The Blue Hour. Suede is set to release its ninth album Autofiction (BMG) on Sept. 16.
Manic Street Preachers have consistently continued to record together, even following the 1995 disappearance of guitarist Richey Edwards. Singer James Dean Bradfield, bassist Nicky Wire, and drummer Sean Moore regrouped shortly after, and the band has released 14 albums since their debut, including their most recent The Ultra Vivid Lament in 2021.
Individually, Suede and Manic Street Preachers have toured Europe and the U.K. extensively with fewer dates in North America. Both bands will perform songs from their entire catalog spanning 30 years. The London Suede last performed in the U.S. in 2011 at Coachella, while Manic Street Preachers last toured North America in April 2015. Both bands first toured together in Europe in 1994.
Same Sex Mary With The Acid Sisters At Artifice
Photos by Tiffany Salerno
Same Sex Mary triumphantly returns after 2 years. Joining them in concert is The Acid Sisters. The two bands are set to perform at Artifice on Wednesday, April 27 at 8pm
Same Sex Mary’s last release, an EP titled Public Comment, was a 20 minutes of no-holds-barred, politically charged rock ’n’ roll album.
8pm Doors
9pm The Morning Stream live podcast
10pm The Acid Sisters
11pm Same Sex Mary
Björk Cornucopia Dates Announced For Los Angeles and San Francisco 2022
Björk’s acclaimed production Cornucopia, produced with an award-winning team of digital and theatrical collaborators and based off her 2017 album Utopia, returns for a new slate of dates in early 2022 in Los Angeles and San Francisco; tickets went on sale October 15 and are available HERE for Los Angeles and HERE for San Francisco.
Cornucopia, directed by Lucrecia Martel and Björk with co-creative director James Merry, made its world premiere at The Shed in spring 2019 as part of its inaugural season in its largest space, The McCourt. Media artist Tobias Gremmler created the digital visual design in an environment created by stage designer Chiara Stephenson. New York Magazine called it “one of the most incredible displays of lights and sounds ever to grace a stage in the city” while The New Yorker praised Björk’s use of “fantasy as a weapon for change.”
Björk is a multidisciplinary artist who, time and again, innovates across music, art, fashion, and technology. From writing, arranging, and producing an expansive music catalog, to escapades in virtual reality and digital apps, Björk continues to inspire and experiment, redefining the boundaries of how a musician works.
Björk Orchestral, an intimate tour featuring Björk’s orchestral arrangements played by members of the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, flute septet Viibra, the Hamrahlid Choir and special guests, has four shows scheduled for this fall in Reykjavík after being postponed due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. They will be streamed live online, with a portion of the sales donated in support of women’s charities worldwide; livestream tickets can be found HERE.
Additional critical praise for Cornucopia:
“100 minutes of a nearly overwhelming array of sounds and images, a true feast for the senses and an ecstatic paean to nature and flutes. Her voice sounded incredible as ever, never flagging throughout the show as if drawn from an infinite wellspring of power and energy.”—Brooklyn Vegan
“Björk’s latest production is her most intricate, theatrical, and collaborative yet. It immerses fans in a sensory techno-acoustic utopia, underscored by a poignant socio-political message about the need for environmental action.”—Dazed
For more information, please contact Carla Sacks, Krista Williams at Sacks & Co., 212.741.1000.
Upcoming Cornucopia Shows
Shrine Auditorium /// Los Angeles, CA /// January 26
Shrine Auditorium /// Los Angeles, CA /// January 29
Shrine Auditorium /// Los Angeles, CA /// February 1
Chase Center /// San Francisco, CA /// February 5
Chase Center /// San Francisco, CA /// February 8
SUPERGRASS RELEASE REMASTERED SECOND ALBUM IN IT FOR THE MONEY
Supergrass has just released the remastered expanded version of their beloved, classic second album In It For The Money on 3CD, 2 x 2LP and digital formats via BMG, which sees the album available on vinyl for the first time since its original release in 1997.
Originally released on April 21, 1997 to a hail of critical and commercial acclaim, In It For The Money saw Supergrass reach #2 in Album Charts, passing platinum status in the UK and selling over a million copies worldwide. It was voted in the NME‘s top 10 Albums of 1997 and included in Robert Dimery’s ‘1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die’. Shedding their skin as the jolly japey kids we met on archetypal teenage debut I Should Coco, In It For The Money was dark, perverse and bristling with barely-repressed anger. It is the sound of Supergrass creating a world that was at once reassuringly normal and exhilaratingly weird. To crystallize this bold and assured step on from their debut, with In It For The Money the band were now producing themselves, (albeit with the aid of simpatico engineer/ co-producers in the form of John Cornfield and Sam Williams), and had welcomed in Gaz’s keyboard-playing brother Rob as a fully contributing member of the band.
As well as featuring the hit singles ‘Going Out’ (UK #5), the dark, dense and heavy ‘Richard III’ (UK #2), ‘Sun Hits the Sky’ (UK #10) and the lush, languorous longing of ‘Late In The Day’ (UK #18), In It For The Money also spawned a raft of classic videos in its wake.
This brand new expanded edition of In It For The Money features remastered audio from analogue tape on 180g Black and 140g Turquoise Vinyl. The LP also includes 12” single ‘Sun Hits The Sky (Bentley Rhythm Ace Remix)’ / ‘The Animal’ on 140g White Vinyl. The album hasn’t been available on LP since its original release in 1997. The 3CD format includes 43 tracks over two CDs of B- Sides, Rarities, Outtakes & Live Tracks, many of which are previously unreleased, imagery from revered photographer Kevin Westenberg, and sleevenotes from Charles Shaar Murray. The album has been remastered by Supergrass and all formats have been compiled by them.
Reuniting in 2019 after more than a decade apart, Supergrass once again witnessed success with “The Strange Ones 1994-2008”career spanning Deluxe Boxset and a sold out world tour. Formed in Oxford UK in 1993, the Brit, Q, NME and Ivor Novello-winning outfit released their Mercury-nominated No.1 debut album I Should Coco in 1995. Fourth single, ‘Alright’, was a pop masterpiece and became a massive hit, catapulting the band to global success. Supergrass subsequently released another five acclaimed studio albums: In It For The Money (1997), Supergrass (1999), Life On Other Planets (2002), Road To Rouen (2005), Diamond Hoo Ha(2008) as well as top 5 best of, Supergrass Is 10 (2004). Other top 20 singles include: ‘Lenny’, ‘Going Out’, ‘Richard III’, ‘Sun Hits The Sky’, ‘Pumping On Your Stereo’, ‘Moving’ and ‘Grace’. They scored an unbroken run of five Top 10 albums, among them three platinum sellers generating millions of worldwide sales spawning ten Top 20 singles, and scored the biggest-selling debut for Parlophone since The Beatles. Supergrass split in 2010, though the band members went on to lead successful solo careers: Gaz Coombes released solo albums Here Come The Bombs in 2012, Matador in 2015 and World’s Strongest Man in 2018; Mick Quinn has been playing with his own group, DB Band, and been a member of Swervedriver since 2015, Danny Goffey has released solo material including album Schtick in 2018. Ten years to the day since they split, Supergrass appeared on stage at Glastonbury Pilton Party 2019, in a secret special guest slot to announce their return. A string of 5 star reviews greeted their subsequent worldwide reunion tour, culminating in two sold-out nights at London’s Alexandra Palace.
Supergrass are Gaz Coombes, Mick Quinn, Danny Goffey and Rob Coombes. They play the following live dates this year:
July 24 - Latitude Festival, Southwold
July 25 - Tramlines Festival, Hillsborough Park, Sheffield
August 20 - South Facing 2021, Crystal Palace
August 27 - Down The Rabbit Hole, Biddinghuizen
August 28 - Camper Calling, Ragley Hall, Alcester
August 29 - Victorious Festival, Portsmouth
September 19 - Isle of Wight Festival, Newport
December 19 - O2 Academy, Glasgow
IN IT FOR THE MONEY (DELUXE, REMASTERED, EXPANDED EDITION) IS RELEASED BY BMG ON AUGUST 27, 2021
Available on all formats: https://supergrass.lnk.to/IIFTM2021TW
ALT-POP ARTIST CAROLINE ROMANO SHARES NEW TRACKS "ODDITIES AND PRODIGIES" (A-side) AND "LONELY INTERLUDE" (B-side) .
Alt-pop artist Caroline Romano is sharing two new brand tracks, "Oddities and Prodigies" (A-side) and "Lonely Interlude" (B-side).
Paired together, the two new songs balance tenacity and tenderness. The A-side, “Oddities and Prodigies,” is an electrifying and anthemic pop punk-inspired track. “‘Oddities and Prodigies’ is my life motto,” Caroline says. “For me, this song represents the beginning of my story. It’s the first page of the first chapter of this narrative I’m writing. I’ve set out on a quest to spin something beautiful, even if it is often tragic, as I don’t think you can have one without the other.”
The B-side, “Lonely Interlude,” sees Caroline tapping into a more melancholic side of her musicality, with soft acoustics and tempered vocals. It’s hauntingly sweet, tugging at the heartstrings with lines like, “I’ve been waiting for my whole life / For the day I feel alive / And Eleanor Rigby asked where all the lonely people go / And I think you and I know.”
Caroline Romano has something to say, and millions of people are listening. A self-proclaimed “loudest sort of introvert,” the 20-year-old Nashville-based artist has written and performed her way into the hearts and ears of an anxious generation. With a number of singles already out — including her Billboard-charting R3HAB collaboration, “I Still Remember” — she has quickly racked up millions of streams and support from key tastemakers like Hollywood Life, American Songwriter and Just Jared.
Wise beyond her years, Caroline's songwriting abilities showcase her witty, introspective and hopeful take on modernity, romanticism and the highs and lows of being young in today’s world. A unique and passionate force in the music world, Caroline Romano is a breath of fresh air who is forging a path of her own.
Stream "Oddities and Prodigies" & "Lonely Interlude": https://onerpm.link/odditiesandprodigies
MIKE TAVEIRA DROPS NEW SINGLE "SEX FOR BREAKFAST (FT. ALLIE X)"
Photo Credit: Jon Stars
Rising queer pop star Mike Taveira returns with his new single, “Sex for Breakfast (ft. Allie X),” from his forthcoming debut EP, ‘Cut Velvet.’ Due out in early 2022, ‘Cut Velvet’ is a glittering record of spacey 80s new-wave and rudimentary 70s synths balanced precariously over slap bass and funk grooves. It’s a conceptual record that chronicles Mike’s wide-eyed move to Los Angeles, the rise and fall of young love, and all the predators along the way.
"Sex For Breakfast" is the second single to be released from 'Cut Velvet,' following the lead single, "Switch," which was released earlier this summer. Featuring indie-pop superstar Allie X, “Sex for Breakfast” is a synth-fueled anthem packed with suggestive lyrical wordplay and beats that will get you moving.
“’Sex for Breakfast’ was one of those lightning-in-a-bottle songs,” Mike says of the new song. “The idea came to me after an intense morning with this guy I was head over heels for. We were essentially dating but kept pretending it was a fling. We ended up in this almost masochistic cat-and-mouse game, knowing we were so right together but both being too uncomfortable to admit it.”
Los Angeles-based Mike Taveira makes music that is wild, fun, and unabashedly queer. He showcases an infectious pop sensibility while tackling the complexities and vulnerability of sexual identity, love, gender and sex. Since making his artist debut in 2019, Mike has received praise from tastemakers like Billboard Pride, Gay Times, PRIDE, and Attitude. With an underlying message that preaches to be true to yourself, whoever you love, whatever you identity as, and whatever life throws your way, Mike is a vibrant force in the evolution of queer pop.
Listen to "Sex for Breakfast (ft. Allie X)" on all streaming platforms: https://ffm.to/sfbax
KAT VON D SHARES VULNERABLE SYNTH-WAVE SLOW JAM ‘I AM NOTHING’
Photo Credit: @sequioaemmanuel
Gifted multi-hyphenate Kat Von D shares vulnerable synthwave slow jam ‘I Am Nothing’, the second track from her forthcoming debut album, ‘Love Made Me Do It’, due August 27th and available for pre-order now. The pre-order of ‘Love Made Me Do It’ includes limited edition signed red vinyl, red cassettes, CD digipack, hoodies with Kat’s signature star face tattoos on the hood, custom sketchbooks and much more. Other limited edition color vinyl variants are also available for retail.
Listen to ‘I Am Nothing’ here - Pre-order ‘Love Made Me Do It’ here.
Produced by Kat with the help of her band, ‘I Am Nothing’ sees the talented artist at her most intimate and vulnerable, her fragile timbre coasts over sparse production and a dreamy beat before layers of synths open into a lush chorus. It’s the ultimate 3am dance floor synthwave slow jam for an Anti-prom that never happened but all alternative teens have dreamed about since the ‘80s. A sad bop for goths' broken hearts that will end up in their older sister’s pop playlist.
“I wrote the song for all of those who’ve ever felt not good enough, and Lord knows I’ve been there,” she goes on. “I wrote it during a time where I was lost in someone, but more importantly lost myself along the way, and I think that’s something many can relate to.” Kat contemplates, “wanting to be good enough for someone so badly, and somehow not measuring up”. “I believe there’s strength in vulnerability, but this song begs the listener of how much one's willingness to endure the things they can’t have”, she enthuses.
The new cut follows hot on the heels of debut single ‘Exorcism’ - defined by Billboard as “a darkwave bop about love, loss and change”- which unveiled the album's recurring theme, in Kat’s own words; “‘Love Made Me Do It’ is a collection of all my hopeless romantic thoughts poured into one album.” Talking to American Songwriter, Kat revealed; “it’s being able to dip into those feelings of codependency or craziness but not actually live in it. Although most of the songs were written during a time of depression, that’s definitely not where I want to live, but there’s a beauty and vulnerability and a strength to that as well. I’m not ashamed of writing out my faults. I’m so full of them.”
‘Love Made Me Do It’ sits at the core of Kat’s universe, proving that music is her first and strongest passion. Having been a classically trained pianist since her youth with a deep appreciation for music of all genres, Kat poured her soul into this long-awaited full-length debut album. The project features collaborators including Dave Grohl, Linda Perry, Dave Sitek (TV On The Radio), Peter Murphy (Bauhaus), Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails), Ladyhawke and Charo.
Long before the history-making tattoos, ubiquitous television shows, best-selling books and an influential beauty empire, Kat Von D sat down at a piano for nearly two hours a day and played. In essence, music became her first creative language and most trusted outlet. Classical training and a deep appreciation for music of all genres essentially underscored her life. She studied voice under Ken Tamplin six days per week, strengthening her vocals. In 2012, she began writing with GRAMMY® Award-nominated Linda Perry. Following this experience, Kat continued to write on her own, sitting at the piano and summoning songs from raw emotion. During 2014, she retreated to London to record the original mix of what would become her full-length debut album ‘Love Made Me Do It’(KVD/Kartel Music Group) before cementing it with her band – Gregg Foreman AKA Mr. Pharmacist (synth 1/Cat Power, The Gossip), Sammi Doll (synth 2/IAMX), Dave Parley (drums/Prayers), and Brynn Route (contortionist). They moved into a bungalow cottage on her property, lived together, and finished the record. Capping off the process, Dan Haigh of Gunship handled mixing. A pastiche of shapeshifting analog synths, post-punk dreamscapes, gothic hues, and shy pop magnetism, these eleven songs echo the eternal will of the perennially brokenhearted to love until death.
Tracklist for ‘Love Made Me Do It’:
1. Vanish Intro
2. Vanish
3. Enough
4. Exorcism
5. Protected feat. Peter Murphy
6. Fear You
7. I Am Nothing
8. Lost At Sea
9. Interlude
10. Pretending
11. Easier Sung Than Said
12. The Calling
MORE MUSIC
Hassan's New EP "Getting 2 Old 4 This" Set To Release On His Birthday, July 25th
In 2014 Hassan was voted best MC by the Las Vegas Weekly. Now on the eve of his birthday, VIM MAGAZINE interviews Hassan Hamilton on his current creative endeavors, the current political and culture environment, and the current state of his music. He is set to release his new EP “Getting 2 Old 4 This” on his birthday, July 25, 2020.
It’s been 10 years since Hassan Hamilton dropped his first album in the Las Vegas music scene, “MENACE II SOBRIETY.” Having moved to Vegas in the summer of 2005, he was literally done with rapping. It was a chance encounter that propelled him into the Vegas music scene. He soon started going out to shows and random open mics around town where he would discover and appreciate that Vegas was “more than just casinos, slot machines, showgirls, the strip, and Fremont Experience.” In time he became immersed with the Arts District and became part of the legendary collective Macro-Fi. He would become the MC for a house band at a clothing store called “CLOTH & CANVAS,” where he would rock the mic and where he would ultimately meet Marion Write. They linked up and Hassan told him about his ambition to make a project in Vegas. “He had the beats, I had rhymes, and the rest is history,” said Hassan. “MENACE II SOBRIETY” was born.
In 2014 Hassan was voted best MC by the Las Vegas Weekly. Now on the eve of his birthday, VIM MAGAZINE interviews Hassan Hamilton on his current creative endeavors, the current political and culture environment, and the current state of his music. He is set to release his new EP “Getting 2 Old 4 This” on his birthday, July 25, 2020.
VIM MAGAZINE: How have you stayed preoccupied during the pandemic? Any creative endeavors?
HASSAN: During the pandemic, I was still employed at Fergusons Downtown thankfully. Despite being frustrated with not being able to create and perform online like most artists began doing, I focused on writing again. A few songs were born out of quarantine.. can't wait to share them. And it reminded me to pay it forward and be charitable, lend a helping hand to those in need, and put in perspective that all that we cherish today can be gone tomorrow.
Music Video for Hassan’s "Can I Be Black?".
VIM MAGAZINE: The current political and culture environment is primed for movements and causes, have you kept up with what’s been going on?
HASSAN: At first I tried to ignore what was going on and deal with my own issues. But as time went by and more social injustice kept popping up from every corner, as a black man, I could no longer ignore it. My song and video "Can I be Black" started trending again.. unfortunately. But it helped open dialogue along with others who demand change. And I must say that I am damn proud of this younger generation that has willingly answered the call to action, and standing up and showing up against systematic oppression. It's a beautiful thing to see.
VIM MAGAZINE: What do you miss most from before everything was closed?
HASSAN: Honestly, I miss going to and performing at shows. Bar hopping lol. Hanging out at my favorite food spots, art galleries, etc. I just miss the camaraderie of my friends, local musicians, industry workers, and overall connecting with others and having a good time. Social distancing, while for the greater good, has made it completely awkward.
It’s been 10 years since Hassan dropped his first album in the Las Vegas music scene “Menace II Sobriety.”
VIM MAGAZINE: What music, artists have you kept up with during this time?
HASSAN: Truthfully, I haven't really kept up with any artists. I'll listen to some tracks from the local scene here and there, but that's about the extent of it. And mainstream music doesn't excite me anymore. I hate that I've become that guy, but the older I get, the more I listen to music that I was raised on.
VIM MAGAZINE: What’s next for you?
HASSAN: Well, I have a new EP called "Getting 2 old 4 this" coming out on my birthday(July 25th) that I'm excited about. I was honestly unhappy with my performance on my last project, so I wanted a chance to redeem myself creatively. The title to me is a culmination of being over it, but still loving it. Who knows from here
Links:
MORE MUSIC:
Michael Stipe Releases 'Your Capricious Soul,' His First Solo Single
Andrew Toth/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival
"Your Capricious Soul," Michael Stipe's debut solo single, is now available for download.
The former R.E.M. singer released the track exclusively on his website Saturday (Oct. 5) for a suggested donation of 77 cents (or more).
The purchase includes a master-quality audio version of "Your Capricious Soul," a video by Sam Taylor-Johnson, a lyric document, a print-ready poster, a stencil and an animated flip-book.
There is also an option to download just the song for free on Stipe's website.
For the next year, earnings from Stipe's new song will go to Extinction Rebellion, a non-violent global movement using civil disobedience in an effort to "halt mass extinction and minimize the risk of social collapse." The song's release coincides with Monday's (Oct. 7) “International Rebellion” climate justice protests.
Preview "Your Capricious Soul" in the video below, and download it at MichaelStipe.com.
MGMT Just Announced A New Show In Las Vegas
MGMT just announced a new show at the Pearl Theater at the Palms Las Vegas for November 21. The Grammy nominated group most recent album, “Little Dark Age,’ is said to be an expression of surprise and dismay to the current political and social climate. The album, released on February 9, 2018 is followed with a North American Tour.
The American pop and rock band formed in 2002 in Middletown, Connecticut was founded by multi-instrumentalists Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser.
More info: MGMT Official
SPOTLIGHT
CHIMMIE HERNANDEZ
Chimmie Hernandez performs her comedy at the Las Vegas Smokin' Comedy Showcase at Rick's Rollin Smoke Barbecue hosted by Steve McInelly. 8pm. Free Admission.
WE ARE PANCAKES
We Are Pancakes performing at the last night of competition at Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas for Life Is Beautiful.
We Are Pancakes at Brooklyn Bowl.
ELMER ABAPO
Las Vegas musician Elmer Abapo (www.elmerabapo.com) performed on Sunday at Soul Sessions at Raw Remedies to an enthusiastic crowd. By the end of his feature he had the crowd chanting and energized.
Elmer Abapo performing live at Soul Sessions on Sunday, July 3, 2016.
