[Watch] Queens of The Stone Age's Full Set from the Movistar Arena, Chile

While the festival summer may be over, we can still look back fondly on the bands we most enjoyed. For me, that would be Queens of The Stone Age who played a biblical, career spanning set of tracks in August at Reading & Leeds Festival. Now the weather outside my window right now looks miserable and the memories of summer fade into darkness. Winter most definitely is coming. That doesn't mean we can't enjoy some awesome live music from the warm, comfort of our homes though, does it? QOTSA played close to a 2 hour set a few nights ago at the Movistar Arena in Chile, once again reaching into their ever growing back catalogue of hits. You can check out the full set above, all while avoiding the elements that plague the outside world. Not a bad deal, huh? Hat top to QOTSA Mexico for the upload.

[Listen] Don Diablo - "Back To Life"

Ol' Donnie boy has dropped yet another banger folks! Pretty sure he's unstoppable at this point. Earlier today, Dutch producer Don Diablo unveiled, "Back To Life", which is full of high pitch vocals, snazzy synths, and bass that only a rock mama could wubwubwub (see what I did there?). The track officially drops on October 20th on Spinnin Records, so you can wear out the stream below for the time being. 

US Don Diablo fans! The man himself is playing a few select dates this month so if you're in the area make sure you do whatcha gotta do to get out and see him. Even though I'll actually be in Philly this weekend I will unfortunately be unable to catch him at Soundgarden on Saturday night. I am hoping to bump into him around town tho in hopes of getting the scoop on his secrets to acheiving insanely flawless skin. My guess: babies blood. Or genetics. Whatever. 

Don Diablo On Tour

02 Oct Fluxx (San Diego, USA)

03 Oct Foundation (Seattle, USA)

04 Oct Soundgarden (Philadelphia, USA)

10 Oct Gala Supalec (Paris, France)

11 Oct Bonusz Festival (Budapest, Hungary)

12 Oct Globe @ Gotham City (Athens, Greece)

15 Oct Protocol @ Melkweg for ADE (Amsterdam, Holland)

18 Oct DJ Mag Top100 Party @ Brixton Academy (London, England)

[Watch] Electric Youth - "Runaway" (Official Video)

Appropriately timed with their latest album, Innerworld, dropping today, fall in love with Toronto-based synth duo Electric Youth's video for their single, "Runaway". I'll admit, I had a moment where I felt like a worried mother watching this couple making out while riding around on a moped, but it really fits nicely with the songs subject matter, so I'll allow it. I love how this video celebrates imperfections in love, humans, etc. in a really beautiful way. Also Beirut (where the video was shot) looks like a place I wil have to visit one day. 

If you haven't purchased/streamed/whatever Innerworld yet, you should probably get on that...now. 

The duo will be hitting the road in North American starting in November so you have plenty of time to memorize the album and perfect your dance moves. 

Electric Youth North American Fall Tour:
11/03 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy
11/04 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
11/06 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
11/07 - Victoria, BC @ Victoria Event Centre
11/08 - Vancouver, BC @ Imperial
11/12 - New York, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
11/13 - Washington D.C. @ Black Cat
11/14 - Philadelphia, PA @ District N9NE
11/15 - Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
11/18 - Toronto, ON @ Hoxton

[Listen] Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr - "James Dean"

Earlier today Detroit duo Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr unveiled a new track titled "James Dean". From the looks of their recent tweets, the song is merely a one off and not a kickoff single for a new album. A bit of a bummer in that regards, but this song will more than hold you over if you've been itching for new music from them. 

Have a listen to "James Dean" below. 

Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr On Tour

10/17 - Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA *
10/18 - Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, B.C. *
10/19 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR *
10/22 - The FIllmore - San Francisco, CA *
10/23 - Belly Up Tavern - Solana Beach, CA *
10/24 - The Regent Theatre - Los Angeles, CA *
10/25 - Orpheum Theater - Flagstaff, AZ *
10/27 - Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT *
10/28 - Fox Theatre - Boulder, CO *
11/7 - Scoot Inn - Austin, TX † 
11/8 - Trees - Dallas, TX † 
11/9 - Fitzgerald's Upstairs - Houston, TX † 
11/11 - Terminal West @ King Plow Arts Center - Atlanta, GA † 
11/13 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY † 
11/14 - 9:30 Club - Washington, DC † 
11/15 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY † 
11/16 - The Sinclair - Cambridge, MA † 
11/19 - The A&R Music Bar - Columbus, OH † 
11/20 - 20th Century Theatre - Cincinnati, OH † 
11/21 - Metro - Chicago, IL † 
11/22 - The Crofoot Ballroom - Detroit, MI
11/23 - The Crofoot Ballroom - Detroit, MI

Support from:
* Miniature Tigars & Madi Diaz
† Mini Mansions

[Night Out] Wrabel @ Rockwood Music Hall (Stage 2) 9/10/2014

Personal update: I'm trying to get back into the groove of going to at least two shows a week. I'm also I really exhausted from all the emails we get about bands I've never heard of and will most likely will never hear of because they're just "okay". To combat this, I've mostly been ignoring the majority of the emails that I get and just digging around the internet to find things on my own. Back in the day, I used to wander around record stores looking at album artwork and taking chances on art that I felt the most connected to and either give them a listen if they were at the listening bar or just straight up buy the album and take a chance. I found a lot of great music this way (VHS or Beta, Josh Rouse, Junior Jack, etc.). 

I started doing this again fairly recently on Rdio and Spotify for every New Music Tuesday. I just scroll around and look for things that are interesting and give them a try. It's less sexy than the thrill of buying an album and being like, "God I hope this is good," but whatever. This is how I stumbled across Wrabel (pronounnced RAY-bell, at first I thought it was rabble, lol) about a month ago. Purely judging a book by its cover, his EP, Sideways, felt familiar. I think it's because he looks like an American version of Mr. Hudson to me. Familiarity has continued to be an ongoing theme for me with Wrabel. His voice, subject matter, etc. all sounds and feels very familiar. Kind of like I've always known him. Obviously since you are reading this post he clearly was able to tick all the boxes I require to decide to keep tabs on him. 

After adding him to my extensive Twitter list to keep an eye on him, I noticed he was playing a show at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2. We should get one thing clear: I love Bowery Ballroom more than anything in this world, but there's something about Rockwood Music Hall (both original and stage 2) that holds a special place in my heart. A chance to experience any artist at Rockwood is a thing you should always do, so I decided to venture solo to see how an intimate performance from this newcomer would pan out. 

First things first, this guy's voice is nothing short of solid. Dude has a very strong set of pipes that probably need little to no pitch correction in the studio or anything like that, so much respect in that sense. I soaked in every last second of him pounding away on the piano and serenading a disappointly semi-empty room sipping some white wine, a true "This Is Why I Love Rockwood" kind of moment. It must have been a weird juxtaposition for him though considering he casually mentioned at one point between songs that the night prior he performed "10 Feet Tall" alongside Afrojack at Fashion Rocks over at the Barclays Center, but he never made it feel that way in terms of his performance. Between songs he was very friendly and laid back. At one point he even joked, "My mom keeps telling me to write happy songs and I was like, 'I wrote one!'" It's refreshing for me to know that although he was fairly recently signed to Island that it hasn't gone to his head. It's a shame that that's an exception and not the standard. 

Wrabel performing at Fashion Rocks at Barclays Center, September 8, 2014. Source: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images North America 

As I headed home last night, I put on Sideways to refresh myself on the recorded version of what I had just heard. I started feeling the parallel with him and Mr. Hudson again like the day that I first stumbled across him. Remember before his Kayne moment with Straight No Chaser when he was Mr. Hudson and The Library and had a sound of his own that he could really dig into (a la A Tale Of Two Cities)? I worry that the direction in terms of sound that they're nudging him into is going to get him lost into the Flavor of the Week pile. It's both a blessing and a curse that his voice has moments of Chris Martin, Sam Smith, and Landon Pigg, with hints of Mat Kearney peppered throughout. It's my hope for him that Island didn't just go, "Oh crap, we need a Sam Smith! Ooo! This guy seems nice. *SIGNS*" I don't mind the synthy bits in "Sideways". I get that bassy EDM + pretty vocals on top = Ca$h Money Hoe$ right now. I guess my hope is that as he assumingly starts working on his debut full length that he doesn't allow himself to get overwhelmed by people trying to tell him to be trendy for the sake of moving units this moment. Or that if he does that he knows exactly what he's doing and plans to be in the spotlight for 4 seconds and then when he has a pile of money he just runs off and does whatever the heck he wants. 

Fact of the matter is, Wrabel is a voice your ears need to hear and I think if he plays his cards right that he will be staying around with us for awhile. 

Wrabel is on the internet in various places like Facebook, Twitter, and Soundcloud. Follow/like/add as you will. His debut EPSideways is available for purchase on iTunes if you're into that as well. 

[Watch] Dillon Francis - "I Can't Take It" (Lyric Video)

Normally I'm not much for lyric videos. The one for Dillon Francis' latest single, "I Can't Take It", however, is something I can definitely get on board with. Following up his previous single that I played on repeat for a grand total of 11 times the first time I heard it, "When We Were Young" along with his first single, "Get Low", this latest track slows things down a bit for the sake of getting good and nasty. Both tracks come from Francis' forthcoming debut album, Money Sucks Friends Rule, which is slated for an October 28th release. You can pre-order the album over on iTunes if that's your thing. For those not in the know, Money Sucks, Friends Rule will feature collaborations from the likes of DJ Snake, Chain Gang of 1974, Martin Garrix, Twista, Panic! At The Disco’s Brendon Urie, The Presets and Major Lazer, among others. 

Upon the release of his debut album, Franics will be heading out on The Friends Rule Tour this fall, beginning in November and wrapping with a massive headline date at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in January. Peep the dates below for more info! 

DILLON FRANCIS ON TOUR:

**Denotes headline date                           

8/29       New Orleans, LA                              Mardi Gras World - Mad Decent Block Party

8/30       New Braunfels, TX                           Whitewater Music Amp - Mad Decent Block Party

8/31       Dallas, TX                                             Club Zouk - Mad Decent Block Party

9/5         Calgary, Canada                                Millennium Park - Mad Decent Block Party

9/19       Berkeley, CA                                      Greek UC Berkeley - Mad Decent Block Party

9/20       Eugene, OR                                        Cuthbert Amphitheater - Mad Decent Block Party

9/21       Vancouver, Canada                         ONE Amphitheater - Mad Decent Block Party

9/27       Fairburn, GA                                      TomorrowWorld       

11/12     Miami, FL                                             Norwegian Pearl Ship - Mad Decent Block Party

11/17     Nashville, TN                                      Marathon Music Works**

11/19     Asheville, NC                                     Orange Peel**

11/20     Charlotte, NC                                     The Fillmore**

11/21     Washington, DC                                Echo Stage**

11/22     Baltimore, MD                                   Ram’s Head Live**

11/25     Wallingford, CT                                 Dome at Oakdale**

11/26     Philadelphia, PA                               Electric Factory**

11/28     Boston, MA                                        House of Blues**           

12/1       Toronto, ON                                       Danforth Music Hall**

12/5       Chicago, IL                                           Aragon Ballroom**

12/6       Minneapolis, MN                             Skyway Theatre**

12/9       Madison, WI                                      Orpheum Theatre**

12/10     Kansas City, MO                               Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland**

12/12     Broomfield, CO                                 1^st Bank Center**

12/13     Salt Lake City, UT                              In The Venue**

12/18     Oakland, CA                                       Fox Theater**

12/21     Los Angeles, CA                                Shrine Auditorium**

1/16       Brooklyn, NY                                      Barclays Center**

[Listen] Interpol - "Ancient Ways"

Credit: Eliot Lee Hazel

File under: HNNNGGGGH! I have been so stupid excited about Interpol's upcoming album, El Pintor, that I feel like September 9th is just never going to come. WHY MUST TIME TAKE SO LONG? "Ancient Ways" (below) follows up their debut single, "All The Rage Back Home". The band will be making an appearance at FYF fest this weekend before hitting the road bringing their always addictive sound across North America. SproutDr and I will be dancing our faces off at the Terminal 5 shows. Will you be there? 

Interpol Fall Tour:
8/20 - Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee Theatre
8/21 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Pool at The Cosmopolitan
8/23 - Los Angeles, CA @ FYF Fest
9/15 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
9/16 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount
9/17 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
9/20 - Oakland, CA @ Fox Theatre
9/24 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
9/26 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
9/27 - Denver, CO @ Ogden
9/29 - Lawrence, KS @ Granada
9/30 - Tulsa, OK @ Cains
10/02 - Dallas, TX @ Southside
10/03 - Houston, TX @ House of Blues
10/04 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
10/07 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
10/09 - Memphis, TN @ Minglewood Hall
10/11 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
11/06 - St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Landing
11/07 - Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
11/08 - Miami, FL @ Fillmore
11/10 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
11/11 - Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
11/12 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
11/14 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
11/15 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst Theatre
11/17 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
11/18 - Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
11/20 - Montreal, QB @ Metropolis
11/21 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues
11/22 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
11/24 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5
11/26 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5
11/29 - Washington, D.C @ 9:30 Club
11/30 - Washington, D.C @ 9:30 Club

[Watch] Arctic Monkeys Live at T In The Park (Full Set)

Arctic Monkeys have been playing headline shows for a while now, and they've gotten pretty damn good at it. Back in 2007 when they got asked to headline Glastonbury for the first time, the band hadn't even been to the festival as punters. Their rise has been meteoric and they're not slowing down for anyone, doing their own thing, evolving with each record. Last night they closed T In The Park in their new found slick fashion with a career spanning set-list which featured an acoustic performance of the old classic; "A Certain Romance". As Alex walks out on stage and begins to play he can hear Disclosure's set in the next tent and begins performing in time to the Brothers' set. If like me, you're struggling with some post-weekend blues, check over your shoulder for your boss, put your headphones in and click play on the video below and waste some of your Monday with the Sheffield lads done good. It's their entire set from what will be the last TITP to take place at the Balado venue. Watch a bit of history go down and enjoy the chants of "Here we fucking go!".