Thursday, January 29, 2009

Cazals Making Love to the Masses

So, Cazals like to fuck... Up everyone's ear drums... Here is a little love from Shock Fever.

Stay tuned for more Cazals love making... We have them in Paris beginning of February but they'll be in the good old crumbling U.S. of A. soon, doing a show at Blender Theatre in NYC on June 18th...

Until then, you can get a taste of the awesomeness at www.myspace.com/cazalsuk

Ok... Now I'm out

Later Lovers

Mixed Bag: Fires of Rome, Green Owl Records and Gettin Happy

I feel a bit bi-polar today; what with the shitty economy, terrible weather , and awesome music.
So this post may reflect my unstable emotions/feelings/wishing I was a man/my need for toilet paper for 7 days now.....

....Anyway, in the midst of all this "danger, danger, terrorist, different people, hating freedom and jobless stock broker bull shit," one thing prevails: Solid tunes.

Yes, our good friend music has leaped in with a solid gold cape and saved the horrible and melancholy day (more like 3 months). If you too find yourself in a funk here are my suggestions for a more positive (or delusional) state:

Image
A. Cop yourself the Green Owl Comp: A Benefit For Energy Action. Who else is better suited to cheer you up than Bloc Party, Violens, School of Seven Bells, Deerhoof, Of Montreal and The Appletrees?
You can get an extra dose of happiness because ALL the proceeds go to the Energy Action Coalition! Now, doesn't helping heal?

B. Next, indulge in some mother earth of your choice (yes, freedom does still exists here at The Hours).

C. Know that Fires of Rome are in the top 30 of the CMJ charts right now! Well, that makes us happy.... But if you buy You Kingdom You, you'll feel just as excited as us.

D. Do something to save this beastly hell hole! Start a compost pile, shop at your local deli or bodega instead of a chain supermarket(sure it may be a few bucks more, but that is a few bucks that will circulate throughout your community and help it maintain itself), bring a few dishes to work and re-use them as opposed to using paper products every time you eat, drink or shit, oh... Wow, I should take care of my issue ans get some damn TP. Doing these things will give you an extra appreciation of the planet and make you feel like the hero you know you can become.

Lastly, know this is just a wave, you must ride it until it mellows out again. When it does mellow out, don't go buy some ridiculous flat screen, gigantic purse or get back into blow; fucken learn children and save cash money, so when the wave hits again your not a bunch of sobbing pussy's.

Later Lovers

Friday, January 23, 2009

Blender! You Make Us Many Pleasures.

Blender is totally like, my new bmf (best magazine friend, totally going on top 8 of my page)...

With all the wish-washy-ness of the musical-journalism world (people rather try to be cool as opposed to naturally being honest); one should appreciate a good ol' humorous-clad-short and sweet review with lots of pictures and colors. Checks it for yourself, it's like an cool-kid picture-book...

And need I say anything about Gunnars radness, nice methphor brother; it wasn't like a Motley Crew set, but at the same time, it was.

Later Lovers

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Fires of Rome Interview....

PensEyeView (click here) recently sat down with Gunnar and Oscar from Fires of Rome. Boy are they witty, clever and talented, check it for yourself.



Later Lovers

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

On The Set of Set In Stone, Miike Snow, Gunnar Olsen and More




Part of my lovely job is working a weekend here and there (in the hood and freezing cold weather, with no booze... cry for me Brooklyn), last weekend The Hours crew shuffled over to Bushwick to shoot the Set in Stone video. Director Matthew Lessner's vision was one I could hardly understand (or anyone at the shoot for that matter) but that is the beauty of a creative mind.




Let's just say there were afghan hounds, Fires of Rome, an old-Ed-Sullivan-vision-esque camera, and one stunning Swed (Adina Fohlin) . Collectively, they will contribute to a beautifully simple and minimal piece of art. It is a very strong aesthetic statement. There were only close to 11 shots but, you see, this camera was extra special; for every second filmed, there will be 40 seconds of footage. Very slow motion and eerie, the video will premier the first two weeks of February. I can hardly wait.




The members of Fires of Rome are a creative crew of grown men with ADHD; each of them have several side projects to help burn off all the extra energy (like a kid who's parents enroll them in 7 different sporting activities so they actually go to sleep at night). We asked Andrew and Gunnar to brief us on the hap's of their other artistic endeavors.

Fires of Rome frontman and multi-instrumentalist, Andrew just returned from Thailand where he embarked on a creative retreat focusing on other projects and reconnecting with the simplicity of life (which, we often forget in New York). Another group affiliated with Andrew has collaborated with Treasure Fingers, Crookers and DJ Mehdi on a mysterious musical venture . Gunnar (drums) has been exercising his own experimental powers with a project simply named; Gunnar (www.myspace.com/gunnarolsen). Gunnar's world of remixes has us currently stoked on a Kanye remix that should be in our hands soon.






Behind the scenes there was chit chat with the band, cigarette smoking and a bit of standing around (oh, and a set interruption due to a journalists' flash while taking pictures)... All and all it was a beautiful vision, day, and time well spent. Stay tuned, we will have more info on Fires of Rome, the Set In Stone video and more.




Later Lovers




The band and staff just living the dream.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Paper Mag "Firesof Rome" Feature

Hoooorah! Folks finally are realizing how dope Fires of Rome and You Kingdom You are (even if they don't write anything about them)... We'll have our own informative behind the scenes feature of the video as soon as I am done celebrating MLK day. Until then! Checks it!

http://www.papermag.com/blogs/2009/01/fires_of_rome.php


LAteR lOvErs

Thursday, January 15, 2009

College Still Exists!

There are college radio stations across the beautiful land of U.S. of A. Showing mad love to these Fires of Rome. Check it:

http://woxy.lala.com/

http://kwva.uoregon.edu/

America, fuck yea.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Fuck Obama. Vote For Cazals!

or die (we got ninjas on retainer)
follow the yellow link:
http://www.xfm.co.uk/news/2009/vote-for-the-xfm-new-music-award-2009
OK... I'm out of here for real now.

Getting Sticky With Nicky




Today we met for lunch with the young, quirky and talented artist/entrepreneur/scenester/art director/consultant/dedicated New Yorker/Mr. Positive/nightlife fox/mustache guy; Nicky Rhodes aka {Nicky Digital}.

Boy what a lunch it was. It's not easy finding a community in the big bad Gotham city; especially when your just wee budding record label. Well, Nicky let us eat his brain for lunch and it had the delicious taste of knowledge with hint of humble pie. No one from The Hours is from New York, were all a bunch of expats feeding off the last of the American Dream. Nicky, however, is a true blue New Yorker and his input, insight and stache equal solid fucken gold in our eyes.

OK, enough with the tangent. Point is, The Hours and Nicky Digital are talking about teaming up to bring you even more awesomeness! If you want to be really cool, start supporting Nicky's Wednesday parties at Ella (9 Avenue A); soon, The Hours will be joining and we can wiggle our boot-tays together. Don't feel out of place by the high end decor, hoity-toity ambiance or Chanel posters we're there to get sticky with Nicky. Give it shot; what else would be doing on a Wednesday night? Purchasing a ridiculous sweater for some ridiculous small dog. BORING! See you there suckers.

Later Lovers

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

FIRES OF ROME FOR YOUR DOME



YOU KINGDOM YOU is now available for purchase through all major retail outlets.
iTunes
Amazon



We know not everyone makes the big bucks (we know all too well). We also know that music sharing started because kids don't have $ for every album that rocks that special place in their heart. The albums first single "Set in Stone" has been making its rounds on the net for months, and has just recently (today) reached elite status of being amongst the top 5 most added to college radio stations around the country. Since you have probably only heard "Set in Stone" up until this point, some of the staff here at The Hours have suggested their favorite cuts off You Kingdom You. So, go on, minimize your pirating software, and buy a fuckin track (actually, buy the whole album, and throw a review up there while your at it) you no longer have to worry that your unable to shit hundred dollar bills; we got your back.

Fabien, Ben, Katherine
Dawn Lament
If you like: heavy organ

Opens with a beautiful organ, setting off a slow and eerie beginning as Wyatt delicately pours his heart out. After about a minute the guitar and Gunnar's drumming intrudes the melancholy tone and Wyatts voice goes into a splendid falsetto climatic explosion. It makes you want to go emo and cut yourself as you look into the eyes of your biggest crush...while floating....on a cloud..in Rock n Roll hell. Smashing.

Gautier, Ashley
But Your Such A Cherry
If you like: Maroon 5, Led Zepplin

This is one of the danceable, pop-rock tracks (never mind that it's about cradle robbing). Wyatt's immediate introduction "you're too young and the young need to be schooled" mixes nicely with the instrumental pop-rock orgy supporting him. In the chorus he goes into his unique falsetto again giving chills down me spine...arrrg. The guitar demands attention like a Zepplin track, and Wyatt has a spoken-word Robert Plant-esque moment. One of the best components of this track is the lyrics; sweet, honest and still a bit dirty.

Vincent
It Makes Me Weak
If you like: Kasabian, Bush

Nice heavy bass and drum intro, like if you could put a sound to hot women soldiers marching. 30 seconds in you have the grimy-yet-angelic voice of Wyatt "sometimes I break up from myself" where he displays a virtuoso that only he can (you buy, you understand). Supporting the sing-songy sound of Wyatt, Matt, Gunnar and Oscar fade in with meaning: drums banging steadily, bass strumming and guitar snarling. Great track, nice use of layering with, again the organ and some synth.

We wouldn't lie to you (about this anyway), you need to cop "You Kingdom You." Your friends will think your the coolest and you'll probably get laid (turn up the heat, put on track 1 Dawn Lament and wait for the magic to happen).

Later Lovers

Monday, January 12, 2009

Fires of Rome - Spins and Grins

Well, it is less than 12 hours until the debut album from NYC's own Fires of Rome hits the shelves. Since November, college radio, internet radio, and music blogs have been all over the albums single "Set In Stone", and the remixes by M83, Don Rimini, Dada Life and others. Within the last few weeks though, we have seen a rise in attention to several other notable tracks, including the albums opener "Dawn Lament", and rock anthem "Love is a Burning Thing".








It has been a hoot to see the albums impact around the country -- the bay area's CMJ award winning Bagel Radio has been giving the album some lovin lately, along with WLUR 91.5 out of Lexington, VA.





If you haven't yet pre-ordered your copy of You Kingdom You, you can do that by clicking HERE

Friday, January 9, 2009

Cazals "Video Of The Day" on Spinner.com


Cazals "Somebody, Somewhere" video featuring Lou Doillon continues to pop up around the world wide web. AOL powered blog Spinner.com featured it as the "Video Of The Day" on January 1st 2009.




If you aren't one of the hundreds of thousands who have already viewed the video, ch-ch-ch-check it out!



Tuesday, January 6, 2009

SPIN Loves Us, You Should Too.




Hey Gang, HapPy NeW Year and all that B.S. We were too busy to blog because we just (as in three minutes ago) caught our breath over this holiday cheer! Checks it.


The January 09' issue of SPIN magazine featured our dear lads, Cazals, in their "Songs You Must Hear Now!" section. In addition, we have cracked a major religious/folkloric myth and proved that Santa does NOT exist. We've been the naughtiest bunch of assholes on this side of town; what with the assaulting, running from the po-po and beating up babies. OK, maybe Santa does exsist and is a drunk, who passes out by noon disabling himself from monitoring our actions. Who knows? Either way, we don't care.

Next week marks the dropping of Fires of Rome's debut album You Kingdom You, so stay up and get down!

later Lovers

Monday, January 5, 2009

Hey You! Pre-order You Kingdom You!

Fires of Rome debut album You Kingdom You is available for pre-order on iTunes and Amazon