[Listen] VOWWS - "Heartbreaker"

VOWWS @ AVIV days before it closed for good :( 

WELL WELL WELL LOOK WHAT THE GRIM REAPER DRAGGED IN! 

I don't want to hear about how your Tuesday feels like a Monday WE HAVE NEW MUSIC FROM VOWWS SO THAT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE. 

I feel like the last time I saw my little darklings at the second to last show at AVIV (RIP RIP RIP) that they previewed this new song, "Heartbreaker". Either way, uh... shit yes this is so good. 

It's been more than a minute since the darkest duo released their debut album, The Great Sun, but you can tell from, "Heartbreaker" that while they've really dug their heels into this sound that they've carved out for themselves that from a lyrical standpoint they're continuing to trek out into deeper waters. 

As Rizz explained to Blackbook (or unveiled in a press release that my ass has yet to receive),

"[Heartbreaker is] about cults of personality and the manipulation and control that goes along with them. Devoting yourself completely to someone else’s vision of the world can give a feeling of safety and protection; but it’s false, poisonous and ruins you from the inside. The world is now dominated by extremes that are pulling us further apart, unmooring us from anything real – we’ve created our own disease and are killing off the cure. We wanted to capture that in a song.”

Couldn't agree with you more, girl. KEEP THOSE TRUTHS COMING. We need y'all. 

MORE WONDERFUL NEWS: these kids are heading out on tour in February in support of White Lies! I am especially excited that they will be playing Music Hall of Williamsburg on February 2nd because MHoW is stones throw away from the last venue they played at in NYC (Cameo Gallery) before they packed up and shipped off to LA and actually started getting the attention they so rightfully deserve! 

We've come a long way, babykids <3 

Which VOWWS show will YOU be at? It's okay if you say all of them. I'll just be jealous forever. 

[Night Out] VOWWS, Night Club, & Winkie @ Baby's All Right (04/16/2016)

OUR DARKLING CHILDREN CAME TO VISIT US!

As you may or may not know, SKOA has been long time supporters of the glorious gloomy duo that is VOWWS. We've endured all the name changes. We reluctantly watched them pack their bags and head to LA, where they finally hit a nice streak of luck that they rightfully deserve. Now we also make sure to show up every time they're in NYC and wave our figurative pom-poms in support. This time I even brought home made chocolate chip cookies for them. Gotta make sure the kids are eating on tour even if it's just cookies!

Swear to god, the day this all finally comes together for them (which it most certainly will), I'm going to be that mother in every movie ever dabbing her eyes with with a handkerchief blubbering about how proud I am of them. It hasn't even been that long since the last time we saw them and already they're infinitely tighter than I've ever seen them. They also managed to look even more like they just left the after after party in hell. I mean this in the most loving way possible, obviously. 

Not only did our prodigal children come home to Baby's, but they brought a couple of their fun friends from LA with them! Night Club were super retro-dancetastic and fun, although I do worry about singer Emily Kavanaugh's knees from all that sliding around. Hopefully she took her own advice and got some knee pads. 

It was also very nice of Brooklyn's Winkie to spend some time out of the graveyard that it seems they've been living in to come open the show. Sprout was particularly enamored with singer Gina's black veil, which we learned courtesy of Instagram that it was made possible by Brooklyn designer Amy Lehfeldt. I forget that all the gloomy kids didn't abandon us for Los Angeles. I will have to make it a point to see Winkie again very soon. 

VOWWS ARE COMING BACK THROUGH BROOKLYN THIS SATURDAY AT AVIV SO LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE AND COME DANCE IN THE DARK WITH US. 

[Watch] VOWWS - "The Great Sun" (Official Video)

Fresh from the 'Better Late Than Never' pile is the latest from SKOA's favorite dark angels VOWWS *now with 2 Ws if you're following along!*. Their latest track, "The Great Sun”, which was released back in May, is as dreary and dancey as ever but with a bit more boom and gloom than their previous track, "Losing Myself In You". As we've continue to follow the evolution of the (now) LA-duo since their WAZU days, it's evident that the only direction these guys are heading is onward and upward to bigger and better things. 

"The Great Sun" is the title track of their forthcoming debut full length which will likely drop sometime this fall. For now, enjoy the video above complete with karaoke-style Japanese lyrics (at least I hope they're the lyrics in Japanese anyway). 

The band is currently on a mini-tour of sorts and will be making a stop in NYC at our new favorite venue AVIV. Peep tour dates below.

A photo posted by VOWWS (@vowwsband) on Jul 14, 2015 at 2:57pm PDT

[Night Out] VOWS at AVIV (1/24/2015)

For a better view of the gallery above, click here.

2015: The year of awesome. Sprout and I have been waiting patiently for the perfect show to kick off a year that we plan to jam full of music, laughter, hugs, friends, and adventures. This somewhat last minute show by longtime SKOA favorites VOWS (formerly WAZU) could not have been a better way to set the tone for the year ahead of us. This was our first encounter at DIY venue, AVIV, which is tucked away in an industrial part of Greenpoint, complete with absolutely no signage whatsoever and a bathroom that is working hard to be as notoriously nighmarish as the ones at CBGBs (RIP). One foot in the door and Sprout and I were in love with the place instantly. After grabbing drinks from an adorable bartender who was equally as anxious to see VOWS as we were, we proceeded to take our respective places and proceed to drink in the sounds of the evening along with our bubbles.

When last we laid eyes on the dark duo, they were out on the road with Soko. It had been even longer than that since we actually got to see them perform, so we were both pretty anxious to see if their big move out of Brooklyn to Los Angeles was worth us being short a few SKOA family members in New York. As they were setting up I was reflecting on how far their sound had already come along in just 3 years, especially since the first time I heard their debut EP as WAZU, which I had played earlier in the evening while getting ready. 

Then they started soundchecking. I only heard a few notes but I knew instantly that LA had been the right move. Like, so much so that if LA did that to them, maybe we should all consider getting Hollyweird, like, immediately. 

No. Seriously.

Songs that I was already more than familiar with had this aggressiveness and newfound energy to them that I hadn't realized was missing before. Multiple times Sprout and I exchanged awestruck glances from across the room. I could not have been a prouder rock mama than I was last night. 

I am beside myself in excitement to report that the band was in town after a day of recording in upstate New York, which means soon you'll be able to hear what I'm talking about. For now, feast your ears and eyes on "Symbol System" from their self-titled EP, which you would be foolish not to PURCHASE because it is worthy of more than streaming. 

[Night Out] OMG CMJ 2014 Day Five: Soko @ United Palace Theater Theater

Soko @ United Palace Theater 10/25/14 (with our boy Matt on guitar!)

Saturday night Kibbe and I trekked up to the United Palace Theatre to cover Soko (who opened for Foster the People.)  Honestly, I'm glad we didn't try to stick around after Soko because I'm not really a fan of Foster the People. I was still interested in covering Soko nonetheless, especially since one of our friends Matt was going to be playing his gothic heart out on guitar and keyboards to make it worth the commute. For those not in the know, Matt is half of the Los Angeles band VOWS (formerly WAZU). The other half, his gorgeous partner with the hauntingly velvet voice, Rizz, was there supporting him in the wings. So win win, we get to cover an artist that was new to us, and catch up with super talented and genuine humans we know (and love) as Matt and Rizz. 

May I dare say United Palace Theater doesn't have the friendliest security staff and some of them obviously haven't been to photo pit hospitality class 101 but, that's a story for another day. I held my own under their fascist "photo pit" rules and managed to get some fun shots.

Soko entertained us with upbeat rhythms intertwined with hyper banter about her suicide attempts and reminders that "she would be old tomorrow" because it's her birthday. She playfully slipped out of articles of clothing on stage because "it was hot" and then made mention that the crowd from the night before was a "better audience".  I'll agree that the crowd was not as present as they could have been but, I don't know, maybe they just weren't in the mood or their adult sippy cups of overpriced beer ran dry.

Soko's spirited set ended and I swiftly maneuvered up the aisle (in my awesome hot pink Dr Marten boots) to meet up with Kibbe in the lobby. She was talking to some random people and I approached them with my not so happy Sprout pout (which is a rare occurrence, mind you).

Deciding it was time to make like a tree and leave, we headed round back to meet up with Rizz to briefly exchange hugs, catch up on life, and then say our goodbyes.  We were saddened to hear that the big move to Los Angeles hadn't been as fruitful for our friends as they had hoped, which is unfortunate given how talented these two are. It really got to me while Kibbe was on the verge of tears after we parted ways with Rizz. 

We left the venue with a mixed bag of emotions and a laundry list of nuances such as: the not so friendly security people, lack of photo pit hospitality, and a fan base with a pretense so thick that it penetrated the theater's every molecule.

The cab ride back to Kibbtopia provided a forum for the "WTF" convo and I believe an epiphany which inspired the manifestation of a brand new SKoA mission statement (coming soon).I'm going to call this revelation "the big picture". It's not easily noticed sometimes but, it's definitely there if you're willing to really see. This particular 'SKoA Night Out' presented an opportunity for Kibbe and I to truly get a glimpse of the big picture. A scenario that involves our love of music, truly talented artists, and their connection to the music industry.  This combination has become the catalyst to our commitment in changing the way music is revered, celebrated and showcased. We love music and we need it to love us back again. 

We'll be making a big announcement in the next few days sharing our new mission and vision for SKoA. For now, click here to head over to our Gallery to check out more photos from the show.

[Watch] WAZU - "Councillor" (Official Video)

Following up the release of their self-titled EP at the beginning of the year, Brooklyn dark wave duo WAZU have unveiled the video for the lead single, "Councillor", which comes from their forthcoming debut full-length, Robobo, set to drop this Halloween. If you enjoyed their dancy goth jams the last time around, hold on to your effing hats because this song is about to knock the wind right out of you. Within less than a year the band has successfully been able to up their energy level all the while refining their craft, with succinct vicious guitars coupled with hauting synths and vocals.

Do You Have All The Tracks From Our #blog6music Playlist?

Yesterday we had the chance to handpick some of our current favorite songs for BBC 6Music Now Playing with Tom Robinson and live tweet about our picks. In case you missed out, you can head over to their website and listen to the broadcast. If you liked any of the songs we picked and don't have them already, we have links to individual streams of the songs plus ways you can own each and every one for yourself (there are some freebies in here FYI!)

For those of you who heard it, please let us know what you thought of our picks in the comments.

Tanlines - "All Of Me" (from Mixed Emotions)

Wazu - "Happy Endings" (from their self-titled EP)

Breton - "Episodes" (from Sharing Notes EP)

Japandroids - "The House That Heaven Built"

PINS - "Eleventh Hour"

Kishi Bashi - "It All Began With A Burst" (from 151a)

TV Girl - "Lizzy Come Back To Life" (from Benny And The Jetts EP)

[Watch] Kibbe Guest Hosts Today's Episode of Rock It Out! Blog

Our good friend Sami over at Rock It Out! Blog asked me if I would guest host for an episode of his show this week and I happily accepted. As per his Wednesday ritual, I made sure to share some bands that I thought people should check out this week, which included Sharks, Wazu and Breton. Hope you guys enjoy!