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ZU MySpace We did everything in our power to get Zu back to Soundlabs this year. Their concerts are tumultuous, turbulent, loud, a pandemonium of sound. The effect can be disturbing or ecstatic—depending on your point of view. If you missed them last year, let nothing stop you from the chance to catch them at Soundlabs this year. You have to hear them live to see whether you agree with us that they are rare virtuosos, and that their rightful place is on the Mount Olympus of the Italian music scene. |
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The Wave PicturesMySpace This year we are pleased to welcome the Wave Pictures back to Soundlabs—three Londoners with roots in Leicestershire who just one year ago brought us great music, good fun, and their special brand of humor. Their music delivers irresistible melodies, catchy tunes, danceable tracks, and deceptively simple yet witty lyrics. We can’t wait to see them again! |
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Virginiana MillerMySpace It’s been only twenty years and five records since Virginiana Miller joined the demanding world of Italian indie music scene. Their songs are inspired from reality and descriibe both political-social aspects and interior worlds. We are honored to have them gracing the Soundlabs stage this year. Our only regret is that it has taken so long to get them here! |
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Dum Dum Girls MySpace With their transgressive and sensual appearance the Dum Dum Girls certainly don’t slip by unnoticed. Describing their music as a “blessed-out buzz saw,” these four women from Los Angeles came together in 2008 out of an idea by guitarist and lead singer Dee Dee. The essence of their sound is a stylish and sophisticated mix of musical styles: seventies pop and punk, shoegaze, and much else besides. Anyone who has seen them will tell you that they are incredible live, an absolute must-see—not just because they’re gorgeous, but because the energy in their music is something they clearly have in their blood. |
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Wild NothingMySpace Following on the heels of several diverse musical experiments, Jack Tatum has thrown himself entirely into Wild Nothing, a new and utterly convincing solo project. His debut album Gemini (Captured Tracks, 2010) is the fruit of a passion that has consumed Jack for several albums—producing a kind of dream-pop bearing a soft patina of time. Compelling guitar, base, and stylish drum machine mixes follow some of the formulae in vogue during the eighties and make Gemini one of the best debut albums of the year. It is an album that jealously preserves the sounds of the past but casts off anything weak or tired. Wild Nothing brings a little bit of retro imagination to the Soundlabs stage: not to be missed! |
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MujeresMySpace Once upon a time in Barcelona, four young men met for an alcohol-fueled evening during their university years. With Tonly one EP, Mujeres (Sones, 2010) released to date, they have succeeded in making quite a name for themselves. Soundlabs is always on the lookout for bands on the cutting edge of the music scene, and couldn’t let one like this pass us by, when we discovered them in the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona. |
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Air WavesMySpace Describing the beauty of Nicole Schneit’s project Air Waves, Dan Deacon wrote, “The music she writes is like a favorite blanket wrapped around you.” These few words give a feeling for how easy it is to become captivated by this music after only one hearing. Schneit’s voice is captivating, telling stories of life, what she has seen, what has happened, and of what she imagines. Based in Brooklyn, Air Waves is an exploration of various genres—from folk to pop, rock to country. It is enchanting music recommended for long voyages, no matter what the destination. |
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MatinèeMySpace They’ve been seen at Soundlabs once before—at last year’s closing party—and we liked them so much we had to invite them back to appear on the Soundlabs stage. Not only are they smart and talented musicians, but they are from a nearby Abruzzo province. We look forward to seeing them again live and hearing the results of a year of hard work. |
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Simple MindsMySpace Inviting Simple Minds this year is a way for us to pay homage to that dynamic period and bring a piece of its music history to the Soundlabs public. In their live performances, Simple Minds are famous for their energy, their capacity to surprise and draw the listener into a magical atmosphere. Their music is the quintessential reflection of a time when music had a fundamental role in society, when people felt its power to shake the world. |
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A Hawk and A Hacksaw
MySpace An exultation of accordions, an explosion of brass, a mêlée of schizophrenic violins, bringing in bouzouki, cymbals, mandolins, and an array of other traditional instruments. On stage, accompanied only by Heather’s violin, viola, or violoncello, Jeremy is capable of playing as many as five instruments simultaneously. Together, they are a spectacular duo that transports an air of European folk—both revisited and reinvented—to the Soundlabs stage. Are you ready to dance? |
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Six young Californians with a passion for psychedelics, blues,
and guitar: the band Sleepy Sun has produced two albums to
date—Embrace and Fever— both springing from the same musical
DNA of the 1970s. There’s no doubt that a band that has already
done so much at such a young age is going to go far.
For now though, we get to bask in both the radiant simplicity
and musical complexity of Sleepy Sun.
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With their transgressive and sensual appearance the Dum Dum Girls
certainly don’t slip by unnoticed. Describing their music as a
“blessed-out buzz saw,” these four women from Los Angeles
came together in 2008 out of an idea by guitarist and lead singer
Dee Dee. The essence of their sound is a stylish and sophisticated
mix of musical styles: seventies pop and punk, shoegaze,
and much else besides. Anyone who has seen them will tell you
that they are incredible live, an absolute must-see—not just because they’re gorgeous, but because the energy in their music is something they clearly have in their blood.
Following on the heels of several diverse musical experiments,
Jack Tatum has thrown himself entirely into Wild Nothing, a new
and utterly convincing solo project. His debut album Gemini
(Captured Tracks, 2010) is the fruit of a passion that has
consumed Jack for several albums—producing a kind of
dream-pop bearing a soft patina of time. Compelling guitar,
base, and stylish drum machine mixes follow some of the
formulae in vogue during the eighties and make Gemini one
of the best debut albums of the year. It is an album that jealously
preserves the sounds of the past but casts off anything weak or
tired. Wild Nothing brings a little bit of retro imagination to the
Soundlabs stage: not to be missed!
Dario Brunori’s music is essentialist, simple, authentic. Beginning
from the same roots as many other Italian singer-songwriters,
he arrives at very different results. Listening to his debut-album
Vol. 1 (Pippola Music, 2009) can make you nostalgic and pensive,
yet it leaves a bittersweet feeling that speaks of bygone times
and sensations that we will never experience again. Dario Brunori
is capable of revealing a part of us through memories that feel so
vivid and real we can almost touch them—at least for the duration
of his show.
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Artwork by Jaime Martinez, Webdesign by Art-I-Webdesign
Artwork by Jaime Martinez, Webdesign by Art-I-Webdesign
