[SONG OF THE DAY] Miro Shot - "Half of Us"

I can’t think of a more perfect excuse to make my triumphant return from my longer-than-anticipated hiatus than to happily update you that my favorite global digital utopian artist collective Miro Shot has unveiled the opening track, “Half Of Us”, from their forthcoming debut full-length album, CONTENT.

As the homey Roman Rappak, de facto frontman of the band told Fame Magazine,”Half of Us” is about a girl gamer the band is friends with who has a huge following on Twitch but had to give up streaming her games because of the rampant amount of sexist and abusive comments she received.

“The song is about the layers of reality technology creates- often leading to people acting in a really unpleasant way- but its also about the way it can bring people together,” he explains, “So much is said about how we are ‘all on our screens’ and how instagram/Twitch influencers are shallow – but there is a really beautiful side to these new ways of communicating that often gets overlooked. The back and forth between the ultra happy female vocal in the song, and the intensity of Tomo’s beats and Jamies distorted bass feels like the audio equivalent of this.”

When last we met our heroes, the Servers EP had just begun to scratch the surface of the immersive world that is Miro Shot. As their widely lauded live show has continued to evolve, so has the band’s sound and subject matter, which mostly means they’ve honed in on their primary mission, which Rappak very succinctly describes CONTENT as an “album is about the end of the world, and the best way to avoid it.”

I hope y’all are ready for what’s next because SHIT IS ABOUT TO GET VERY REAL and in the BEST. POSSIBLE. WAY.

The future we’ve all been dreaming about our entire lives is happening right now as we speak, you guys, and the accompanying soundtrack for living our best possible future drops on May 1st.

[Watch] Breton - "Parthian Shot" (Official Video)

Has SKOA's beloved London based band Breton seduced us with a recurring theme of all things great (world domination perhaps)?  Indeed they have. With extra singles off the deluxe edition of War Room Stories like "Titan", and today's release of the video for "Parthian Shot", it seems quite evident. Whether it's their always evolving use of atmospheric sounds which may include:  recording samples of everyday objects, a recurrent echo, or simply sounds and lyrics played in reverse; this alchemy is throughly woven into Breton's style and will taunt your mind like a sharply fired arrow of a Parthian archer. 

You can imagine my delight in seeing a link with the words 'NEW' and 'BRETON' in the same sentence. Sitting at my desk, headphones snugly in place, I took a look at the "Parthian Shot" video. I was drawn in immediately by the reverse tones of choir like chants at the beginning of the song which effortlessly transported my mind to a cavernous, stained glass window chapel of sorts (yes, I have a very vivid imagination).  My eyes then devotedly fixated on the screen. Here I watched as  a surreal, creamy, technicolor melting liquid mesmerizingly cascaded over a human structure naturally morphing and mixing in synch with the sound. It was easy to lose myself in this video. I felt a familiar yearning to connect the enchanting audio in my headphones to what I was seeing,  and then unite it with its unique song title.  Was it a metaphor for the sharpness our words can have when we speak them to one another? The way someone's words can 'dissolve' and 'melt' us or 'put us back together'? I don't know. The simple fact that this song and video stirred something in me was satisfaction enough. Sometimes the simplest Breton visions and sounds bring forth the most complex journeys. And I'm ok with this.

Watch "Parthian Shot" below:

Breton On Tour! 

21 Nov - Liberte´ - Rennes, FR
22 Nov - La Cartonnerie - Reims, FR
23 Nov - L’Autre Canal - Nancy, FR
24 Nov - La Rodia - Besancon, FR
25 Nov - Casino de Paris - Paris FR
27 Nov - Marche´ Gare - Lyon, FR
28 Nov - Paloma - Nimes, FR
29 Nov - La Sire`ne - La Rochelle, FR
30 Nov - CCM John Lennon - Limoges, FR 
02 Dec - Heaven - London, UK

[Watch] Breton - "Titan" (Official Music Video)

Ugh, Breton is on FIRE this year. I've barely been able to keep up with all the happenings and goings on with these guys, which is a fantastic problem to have if I'm honest. Since releasing their sophomore LP, War Room Stories the four-piece has basically been full throttle nonstop in the form of extensive touring just about everywhere as well as putting together some bonus goodies to go on their upcoming re-release of the now highly acclaimed release, which drops on November 10th. I've already expressed all my feels about the addictive little dance pop track, "Titan", but now the tune has a video to go with it and boy it is a stunner.

Way back before their debut album, Other People's Problems, dropped, I chatted with singer Roman Rappak about how the band likes to speak in multiple languages when it comes to their art, which obviously has always included video. I have to admit that prior to peeping the video below that the danciness of the tune sort of distracted me a bit from the subject matter. The video does an excellent job of reshifting the focus.

Fun fact about this video: it was shot a mere 15 minute walk outside of the bands old stomping grounds, Breton Labs aka the abandoned bank that the group had been living and creating in. (h/t to Noisey for that bit of info they got from Roman) 

Watch every last second of "Titan" below. 

[Listen] Breton - "Titan"

I'm calling it right now: Breton's third album will be their breakthrough in the states. This is not up for debate. It's going to happen and I am so excited about this I feel like having sex with a drum machine. 

I'd love to be wrong about that and have it be sooner though, specifically since they announced that they'll be re-issuing War Room Stories  on November 10th on their very own label Cut Tooth (via Believe Recordings). The reissue will include two brand new songs, "Titan" and "Parthian Shot", along with 9 bonus tracks, previously unseen tour pictures and a PDF of all the band’s lyrics to date.

Earlier this week the band shared "Titan" for your listening pleasure in anticipation of the reissue. Remember when I was super excited about "Got Well Soon" and said it was the best thing they had ever made? I think I still stand by that for now, but in the case of "Titan" there's this new found approachability in this song that was previously only found in little snippets throughout their work, which is why I'm convinced that they're on the path to worldwide domination. Keep in mind that War Room Stories only came out in February and already we're seeing a massive growth spurt from the band in this track. Granted, I'm sure that some credit should go to Antoine Gaillet (co-wrote  M83's Before the Dawn Heals Us, mixed on Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming), who co-produced the song. Even so, the band has matured at such a rapid pace since their 2011 debut album, Other People's Problem that it's almost hard for me to believe that it's even the same band. 

Either way, it's basically all that Sprout and I have been listening to all morning and there has been much chair dancing at our desks as a result. Have a listen to "Titan" for yourself and tell me that your hips don't involuntarily shake even a little bit the second it hits your ears. 

Lucky folks across the pond can catch the band on tour next month. Make the best decision of your life and catch them if they're playing in your area. 

BRETON ON TOUR

09 Nov - Effenaar - Eindhoven, NL
10 Nov - Patronaat - Haarlem, NL
12 Nov - Berghain Kantine - Berlin, DE
13 Nov - Minoga Club - Poznaně, PL
14 Nov - Klub Hydrozagadka - Warsaw, PL 
15 Nov - Jazz Club Hipnoza - Katowice, PL 
17 Nov - Chelsea - Vienna, AT
18 Nov - Grabenhalle - St. Gallen, CH
19 Nov - L’Usine PTR - Geneva, CH
21 Nov - Liberteě - Rennes, FR
22 Nov - La Cartonnerie - Reims, FR
23 Nov - L’Autre Canal - Nancy, FR
24 Nov - La Rodia - Besancon, FR
25 Nov - Casino de Paris - Paris FR
27 Nov - Marcheě Gare - Lyon, FR
28 Nov - Paloma - Nimes, FR
29 Nov - La SireĚne - La Rochelle, FR
30 Nov - CCM John Lennon - Limoges, FR 
02 Dec - Heaven - London, UK

[Listen] Breton - "S Four"

Photo Credit: Kieran PharaohEarlier today, Breton unveiled a new song from their upcoming album, War Room Stories, due out on February 3rd. Of all of the tracks we've heard so far from the new album, "S Four" most appropriately showcases the growth that the band has seen since 2012's Other People's Problems. The band has clearly thought out which edges were the right ones to smooth out and which ones to keep jagged and sharp. Where "Got Well Soon" reminded us of the band that we've grown acquainted to was still capable of, "Envy"  and "S Four" (below) are demonstrative that you don't always have to sacrifice complexity for palatability, or vice versa. It's no small feat the way the band can weave their usual layered beats and instrumentation alongside the likes of orchestral movements and sounds as basic as knives scraping against the pavement (which finally explains that teaser clip from last year). It's executed in such a seemingly effortless fashion that it takes several careful listens to stop taking all of these details for granted. It took me until the third listen to hear the knives sample, for example. 

If you've got a hankering for more newer Breton songs, you can also grab their Force of Habit EP  that they released for their US tour (that unfortunately was rescheduled for later this year). 

Make sure you pre-order War Room Stories now, because that's what nice people do.

Breton On Tour

06/02/14 - West Rock, Cognac, France - http://tinyurl.com/bretoncognac
07/02/14 - Charada, Madrid, Spain
08/02/14 - Be Cool Club, Barcelona, Spain
09/02/14 - Le Bikini, Ramonville St Agne, France - http://tinyurl.com/bretontoulouse
10/02/14 - Rockstore, Montpellier, France - http://tinyurl.com/bretonmontpellier 
11/02/14 - Ninkasi Kao, Lyon, France - http://tinyurl.com/bretonlyon
13/02/14 - Lanificio 159, Rome, Italy 
14/02/14 - Covo Club, Bologna, Italy 
15/02/14 - Magnolia, Milan, Italy 
17/02/14 - Komplex Klub, Zurich, Switzerland - http://tinyurl.com/bretonzurich
18/02/14 - Les Docks, Lausanne, Switzerland - http://tinyurl.com/bretonlausanne
19/02/14 - La Laiterie, Strasbourg, France - http://tinyurl.com/bretonstrasbourg
20/02/14 - MTC, Cologne, Germany - http://tinyurl.com/bretoncologne
21/02/14 - FIREWORKS! FESTIVAL 2014, Roubaix, France 
22/02/14 - La Nouvelle Vague, Saint-Malo, France
23/02/14 - Botanique, Brussels, Belguim - http://tinyurl.com/bretonbrussels
24/02/14 - Übel & Gefährlich, Hamburg, Germany - http://tinyurl.com/bretonhamburg
25/02/14 - BETA, Copenhagen, Denmark - http://tinyurl.com/bretoncopenhagen
26/02/14 - Privat Club, Berlin, Germany - http://tinyurl.com/bretonberlin
28/02/14 - Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands - http://tinyurl.com/bretonamsterdam

03/03/14 - The Louisiana, Bristol, UK - http://tinyurl.com/bretonbristol
04/03/14 - Soup Kitchen, Manchester, UK - http://tinyurl.com/bretonmanc
05/03/14 - Village Underground, London, UK - http://tinyurl.com/bretonlondon
06/03/14 - La Cigale, Paris, France - http://tinyurl.com/bretonparis
07/03/14 - Le 106, Rouen, France - http://tinyurl.com/bretonrouen
08/03/14 - L'Echonova, Saint-Avé, France - http://tinyurl.com/bretonvannes
20/03/14 - Treefort Music Fest 2014, Boise, ID, US

[Watch] Breton - "Got Well Soon" (Official Video)

Just this past weekend as Liz and I were hanging out I half joked, "We should totally train up in the gym so that when Breton comes to town we are in tip top shape to dance super hard all night long at the show." 

That was prior to experiencing that which is the new Breton single, "Got Well Soon". 

Now I think we should have been training since the day the band first Vined a snippet from the studio around the beginning of the summer. I had a ballpark idea of how much I thought the band had matured and progressed in the year-ish that Team SKOA has been following the artist, but now I regret underestimating them like that. This first single is a compilation of the things that I have always celebrated about the band: it's dark, showcases a lot of depth and complexity, and is semi-gloomy yet electrifyingly bassy so there's no chance in hell that, at the bare minimum, your hips won't be swaying back and forth juuuuust a little once it hits your eardrums. On top of this solid initial offering from a musical standpoint, the accompanying video unveiled yesterday is yet another powerful visual that the band is well-known for. What they've managed to capture in under 5 minutes is so striking that I was invested immediately in the story and pretty much had my jaw on the floor by the time it ended. To date, I would say this is their best work overall.  

Per the song's premiere on BBC 6 Music yesterday on Mary Anne Hobbs' show, the album is slated for a February 2014 release and was recorded in Berlin. From what I can tell from the several videos and Vines that the band has teased throughout the past few months on top of this first single, it is going to be one doozy of a followup to their 2012 debut, Other People's Problems. 

The band will be heading out on a small string of dates starting next Wednesday (10/16) in support of Local Natives before playing a small handful of festival and North American gigs. Team SKOA will be training up for their Glasslands show on December 13th, so look for us there. We'll be the ones dancing the hardest, obviously. 

Enough yapping, check out "Got Well Soon" below: 

Breton Tour Dates

16/10 - Waterfront, Norwich, UK - w/ Local Natives
20/10 - Sage 2, Newcastle, UK - w/ Local Natives
21/10 - Arches, Glasgow, UK - w/ Local Natives
22/10 - Limelight, Belfast, UK - w/ Local Natives
24/10 - Olympia, Dublin, Ireland - w/ Local Natives
25/10 - Leadmill, Sheffield, UK - w/ Local Natives
26/10 - The Ritz, Manchester, UK - w/ Local Natives
27/10 - O2 Academy, Bristol, UK - w/ Local Natives
29/10 - University, Southampton, UK - w/ Local Natives
30/10 - Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands - w/ Local Natives
31/10 - AB Club, Brussels. Belgium - w/ Local Natives
12/11 - Zenith, Paris, France - w/ Foals
23/11 - Goodgod, Sydney, Australia
05/12 - The Lexington, London, UK
13/12 - Glasslands Gallery, Brooklyn, US
14/12 - Il Motore, Montreal, Canada

[Contest] [NYC-Only] Win A Pair Of Tickets To See Breton (9/6) @ Bowery Ballroom!

In a little over a week SKOA favorites Breton will be taking the stage at my most favorite venue, the Bowery Ballroom. Sprout and I will be there sporting our best dancing shoes and we want to make sure you have a piece of the dance floor! We managed to get our hands on two pairs of tickets to the show so the SKOA family will be properly represented.

For your chance to get your hands on a pair, leave us a comment on this post before next Wednesday (9/5) at noon EDT. Two winners will be selected at random and notified shortly afterwards.

To get you warmed up for the big gig next week, here's a fresh remix of "The Comission" courtesy of Lapalux:

Don't live in NYC? Make sure you catch Breton in your neck of the woods while they're in the US!

9/4 - Washington, DC @ DC9 *
9/5 - Philadelphia, PA @ North Star Bar *
9/6 - New York, NY @ The Bowery Ballroom ^*
9/7 - Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East ^
9/8 - Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo ^
9/9 - Toronto, ON @ Rivoli ^
9/11 - Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick Lounge ^
9/12 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle ^
9/13 - Vancouver, BC @ Electric Owl
9/14 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza
9/15 - Portland, OR @ Rotture
9/18 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
9/19 - San Francisco, CA @ Brick & Mortar Music Hall

^ w/ The Big Sleep
* w/ Ambassadors

[Watch] Breton's Entire Set From La Route du Rock

Now here's something that doesn't happen on a daily basis. London-based band (and my personal favorite of the year) Breton had the privilege of performing in a castle over the weekend at France's 22nd annual La Route du Rock festival in the seaside city of St. Malo. The fine folks over at Arte.tv were amazing enough to record their entire set for those of us who couldn't travel the thousands of miles away to experience it for ourselves.

I'm not gonna lie, it's hard not to have a proud rock mama grin while watching this. To think at one point my brain considered them headlining the Bowery Ballroom to be a beautiful moment for them. This certainly knocks that right out of the water. Not that you still shouldn't go to their Bowery Ballroom show next month, because you totally should, if not merely for the sake of watching me make a complete fool out of myself dancing around.

Don't live in NYC? Make sure you catch them as they tour around Europe before pass through North America for a few weeks.

Also, make sure you pick up their debut album Other People's Problems if you haven't already.

BRETON UPCOMING TOUR DATES

AUGUST

16_ Pukkelpop – Kiewit-Hasselt – BELGIUM
24_ Steinbergasse /w Franz Ferdinand – Winterthur – SWITZERLAND
25_Obstiwiesen Festival – Ulm – GERMANY

SEPTEMBER

04_ DC9 – Washington DC – USA
05_ North Star Bar – Philadelphia PA – USA
06_ Bowery Ballroom – New York NY – USA
07_ The Middle East –  Cambridge MA – USA
09_ The Rivoli – Toronto ON – CANADA
11_ Magic Stick Lounge – Detroit MI – USA
12_ The Empty Bottle – Chicago IL – USA
13_ The Electric Owl – Vancouver BC – CANADA
15_ Rotture – Portland OR – USA
18_ The Echo – Los Angeles CA – USA
19_ Brick & Mortar Hall – San Francisco CA – USA
23_ Consortium – Dijon – FRANCE
24_ Le Grand Mix – Tourcoing – FRANCE
25_ La Lune Des Pirates – Amiens – FRANCE
27_ La Gaîté Lyrique - Paris – FRANCE
28_ Brain Damage – Centre Di Tri Postal – Begles – FRANCE

OCTOBER

24_ Scala – London – UK

DECEMBER

7_Club Control – Bucharest – ROMANIA

11_ Les Aventuriers – Salle Jaqcues Brel – Fontenay-sous-Bois – FRANCE