Cannibal Cheerleader

INTERVIEW WITH HEARTSREVOLUTION

Hey Cannibal Cheerleader faithful, sorry about not updating yesterday, I was busy putting the finishing touches on Issue #2 of the CC zine, the cover of which you can see below! However, on to today’s business, which is a double update to make up for yesterday beginning with an exclusive interview with Lo, Ben, and Kate of Cannibal Cheerleader favorite Heartsrevolution. Here’s a sample:

CC: Tell us about the Heartsrevolution universe. How did it come to be? What’s the Heartschallenger? Lo: heartschallenger is about taking on the things that challenge you. i hated my job..so, i decided to build an ice cream truck because i had dreamt of doing that since i was 15 but everyone told me it would never work. then i realized everyone i knew was stupid and decided to prove everyone wrong. it worked. so, fuck everyone if they are reading this! Ben: Lo made an ice cream truck and I made the music for the truck. We wanted to continue to work together and made music and called it Heartsrevolution. Heartschallenger is the name of our company. The company is a representation of a generation of kids who are creating their own path. There are ice cream trucks that are a part of this world, but they are not called “the heartschallenger”

The rest of the interview can be read below. Heartsrevolution will be playing this thursday at Beauty Bar so make sure you’re there – free copies of the new CC zine will be waiting for you!

Heartsrevolution – “Switchblade”
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M.I.A. SPEAKS ON TERRORIST ACCUSATIONS

Having taken several courses on world terrorism in college (and being a music pirate myself, haha) I’m quite familiar with the LTTE, i.e., the Tamil Tigers, a terrorist organization calling for independence in Sri Lanka. While much could be argued to the validity of their claims, the group is most notorious for civilian kidnappings and burning down schools, etc. So what does this have to do with CC fave M.I.A.? Well the London-based Sri-Lankan raised rapper has roots in the LTTE movement, her father being a founder of an off-shoot student-led Tamil organization (his code name was Arular, thus the title of M.I.A.’s first album). Recently, our favorite rapper has come under harsh criticism for being a supporter of the Tamil Tiger a blog to her Myspace. Check it below:

“MY DAUGHTER THE TERRORIST

I CAME ACROSS THIS MOVIE TODAY ,

http://www.snitt.no/mdtt/prints/movie.htm

http://www.oslodocs.com/product_pages/my_daughter_product.html

I HAVE JUST ORERED IT SO I HAVENT SEEN IT YET , BUT WITH SO MANY ONE SIDED VIEWS IN THIS WORLD IT IS ONLY FAIR WE STAY EDUCATED AND EXPOSE OURSELVES TO ALL OPINIONS. I WANT TO SEE THIS MOVIE BECAUSE
1. NO ONE HAS EVER ACCESSED THE AREAS THIS FILM WAS MADE IN, AND I ACTUALLY DONT KNOW HOW THESE PEOPLE LIVE.

2. ANY EUROPEAN JOURNALISTS WHO HAVE ACCESSED THIS AREA , WHO INVESTIGATED THE TRUTH, HAVE BEEN SHOT DEAD BY THE GOVERNMENT, IN A BID TO KEEP THE PROPAGANDA MACHINE ONE SIDED .

3. I FOUND THIS STORY
http://www.asiantribune.com/?q=node/12934…

READING THE COMMENTS MADE ME WANT TO SPEAK OUT. BUT I WAS DENIED ACESS TO MAKE COMMENTS, ONLY THE WELL CONNECTED INSIDERS ARE ALLOWED TO COMMENT AND THIS IS THE CASE WITH SO MANY OF THESE BLOGS TALKING SHIT ABOUT ME. NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO TELL THE TRUTH, AND SET THE FACTS STRAIGHT. SO HERE IS THE COMMENT I WANTED TO MAKE!

THE TRUTH TO WHY I LEFT TO SRILANKA WAS …
A. I COULD , I WAS BORN IN LONDON.

B. EVERY TOWN AND VILLAGE MY MOTHER TOOK US TO WOULD GET BURNED DOWN BY THE ARMY. IN THE END EVEN THE TAMILS WOULDN’T LET US STAY THERE AND AFTER MY SCHOOL WAS SET ON FIRE BY THE ARMY, I HAD NOTHING TO DO THERE, AND WAS REALLY FUCKING BOARD.

C. FUCK YOU TO ALL THESE EVIL PEOPLE TWISTING THE TRUTH. YOU DONT SPEAK FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN SPEAK FOR MY SELF.

D.WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT YOU DONT HAVE TO BE A TAMIL OR A LTTE SUPPORTER TO KNOW THAT BURNING DOWN A SCHOOL WITH 800 KIDS IN THE NAME OF FIGHTING TERRORISM IS NOT COOL. I AM NOT A LTTE SUPPORTER. I WAS JUST AN 8 YEAR OLD THAT DIDNT GET KILLED ON THAT DAY, THATS ALL. I’M A MUSICIAN WHO DOESNT WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN, ESPECIALLY IN THE MUSIC PRESS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HEARING THIS

EVERYTHING IN ME WAS KILLED BUT MY ART IS NOT DEAD!

i love you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx m.i.a”

Brush off them haters M.I.A.! Also, start making new material, please!

M.I.A. – “Paper Planes”
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TRYOUTS – TV ON THE RADIO’S DEAR SCIENCE

If Brooklyn-based band TV on the Radio’s sophomore LP Return to Cookie Mountain was their experimental take on the modern rock album, Dear Science is their response to modern soul, which this album has in spades. Of course, being a TV on the Radio album one shouldn’t expect any straight-up funk jams or R&B hits, but beneath swirly whirlwinds of David Sitek’s studio trickery lies some of the most naked and heartfelt tunes of the band’s career. While RTCM was a firestorm of bombast and furty, DS is a delicate and hushed wind-swept evening, the perfect soundtrack to biking down a poorly-lit city street at night. Recalling the layered production work of Anywhere I Lay My Head, Sitek’s pet project released earlier this year with Scarlett Johansson, the album swims languidly through sensitive and careful tracks like “Crying” and album standout “Lovedog”. Still, TVOTR do occassionally bring the bounce, albeit with a tender touch, like on excellent opener “Halfway Home” and brilliant single “Golden Age”. The album flows seamlessly and despite early reviews that the record suffered from sameness compared to their older LPs Dear Science stands as a unique and rewarding experience. Definitely makes the team though it may be the nerdy kid who can’t execute a single move but does all the other cheerleaders homework for them.

TV on the Radio – “Halfway Home”
TV on the Radio – “Love Dog”
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NEW BLOC PARTY TUNE – “TALONS”

Straight off the release of their rushed-to-the-street third album , Bloc Party has released another one-off single from the Intimacy sessions, this one entitled “Talons” and it features all the makings of a great Bloc Party tune. Ingredients include, driving guitars, the requesite Kele Okereke whisper-verse, pummeling Matt Tong drums, and the new electronic soaked underworkings that have come to define the band as of late. Check the single out on their Myspace and buy Intimacy while you’re at it.

Bloc Party – “Halo”
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NEW VIVIAN GIRLS B-SIDE SURFACES

Over at Gorilla Vs. Bear we found a rare b-side for the Vivian Girls that needs to be checked out now. Download it below and make sure and buy these girls’ self-titled debut when it becomes available. More info at their website here.

The Vivian Girls – “My Baby Wants Me Dead”
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FREE RAVEONETTES EP

Apparently if you head on over to the Vice Records site you can download a free three-song EP from the Raveonettes which remixes three songs (”Dead Sound”, “Aly, Walk With Me”, and “Lust”) and somehow manages to make these excellent tunes awesome in a different way. Head over there now!

The Raveonettes – “Aly, Walk With Me (Nic Endo Remix)”
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NEW CANNIBAL CHEERLEADER ZINE OUT!

(picture uploaded tomorrow!)

From our office to your hands, from the computer screen to your subway car, the Cannibal Cheerleader zine Issue #2 is out, and it features complete interview with the Vivian Girls, Heartsrevolution, the Action Design, Ponytail, Treasure Mammal, Fight Bite, and more! Pick up yours today here in Austin at locations around town (Waterloo Records, Sound On Sound Records, MonkeyWrench Books to name a few) or just email me if you’d like a copy! We’ll of course have to do an exchange of some sort, so offer me something good, like a cool band recommendation or pictures from an upcoming show. You’ll get your hand on one of these bad boys if you do! Email me at cannibalcheerleader@gmail.com.
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HEARTSREVOLUTION INTERVIEW CONT’D

Here’s the remainder of our exclusive Heartsrevolution interview. Bonus questions will only be available in the form of our Cannibal Cheerleader zine, so pick one up to get the whole interview!

CC:How would you describe your music? An amalgamation of electro and rock? Techno? Undefined? Ben:We have a bunch of songs that I think sound pretty different, but they are electronic, pop, punk. Lo: i hate the word electro..and i am pretty sure i don’t like electro music. i hate the word techno..it makes me think of kids who are sucking on pacifiers w/ those weird kanye west shades CC: How important is the visual aspect to the Heartsrevolution world? Should fans consider their experience incomplete unless they see you live? Ben: It’s super important. The visual aspect of heartschallenger plays a big role here and this actually preceded the music. Sometimes it’s frustrating to not have the means to make the visual aspect known. We have so many specific ideas whether it’s videos, live show, etc. Like, we don’t know how to use photoshop. Luckily we have some close friends that are involved though and help us get things done. Lo: god is in the details. it is important to me to create things that are a reflection of the things that make me want to wake up in the morning. . CC: What’s your live show like for the uninitiated? Ben: A technicolor light up disco floor w/ mosh pit. Or at least it will be! Kate: The live show is where I come into the band, I joined after working with the band on the first record. It seemed right, I wanted to start working in moving image and to push the idea of a visual representation for the music to another level completely. I think a fully considered performance is what the viewers and listeners deserve. People don’t just come to hear the music, they want to see and absorb everything, and we strive to improve and make that the most exciting experience possible. CC: You recently had a split EP with Crystal Castles and it would seem that your two groups are at the forefront of a new musical movement. Do you feel your music is innovative in this way? Lo: cc make great music which is why i wanted to do something with them in the first place.. a friend that worked at vice magazine in the uk told me about them and suggested we do a split. but they are liars and i would love to have it out with them..i am sure that day isn’t far away. our paths will cross and it will come down to a blind folded knife fight…because i am an unforgiving scorpio. other than the fact that “alice” and i both have vaginas…and ben and “ethan” both have penises there isn’t really much else we have in common. CC: Do you identify with Crystal Castles and how has their success affected you? Lo: i love and believe in a lot of what “alice” says. she is a great writer. most people that ask me about them don’t even understand what she is saying..i think that is funny. and their most popular song bugs the fuck out of me…i don’t like crimewave at all. i can still remember 2 years ago “ethan” singing it at cmj /fort fader party…i guess it’s much better having her lip sing it. CC: What bands most influence you? Lo: sonic youth, nirvana… a bunch of the riot grrrl bands i listened to growing up..like bikini kill, comet gain, huggy bear. i used to work at an all age club called jabberjaw when i was 14 and would put on shows..that place was magical and i got to experience this tiny glitch in time that i probably wouldn’t have if i was still in school and going to bed by 9pm. Ben: Everything that I’ve listened to does. It could be bowie or the strokes or daft punk or the beatles or young mc or so many others. CC: What acts are you listening to right now? Lo: i don’t really like most music. one of our songs…called teenage teardrops, we are doing the vocals this week and i have had it on repeat. when i need a break i listen to the sads. they are brilliant and are a good place to go to clear my head. CC: Favorite songs (both ones you listen to and ones you’ve done)? Lo: smells like teen spirit. Ben: Stop in the name of love, the sound of silence, today was a good day, private eyes, she said she said, let the good times roll, young americans, liquid swords CC: What does the future hold for Heartsrevolution? Lo: collaborations and touring the world in the ice cream trucks so that kids everywhere experience this thing we have built. CC: Can we expect a full-length soon? More EPs? Lo: Yes, both! Full length early 2009.. Switchblade Ep out on iheartcomix Oct 21st. Switchblade remix single on iheartcomix…release date: TBA but i think in Nov. http://www.myspace.com/iheartcomix We have one of our tracks. “ultraviolence” out on the next Kitsune comp in Oct. http://www.myspace.com/maisonkitsune, split 7″ symbolone http://www.myspace.com/symbolone the split w/ symbolone is going to be limited edition and self released but it is top secret! you will have to check our myspace for details http://www.myspace.com/heartsrevolution Kate: Much more to come, total world domination!!!

Heartsrevolution – “Ultraviolence”

Comments?

M.I.A. GUESTS ON “RAIN DANCE”
M.I.A. has been an enigmatic figure as of late. First off there’s the mystery of her retirement – has she truly discontinued making music after her meteoric rise to the top with two blazingly original now classic LPs? Also, her single “Paper Planes” continues to climb the pop charts since it was used in the film Pineapple Express. Some of us of course realized the power of “Paper Planes” and Kala way back when it was released last year, but given today’s political climate and her increased popularity, we’re all hoping for an M.I.A. comeback soon! That’s what makes today’s released of “Rain Dance”, a collaboration between Radioclit and Esau Mwamwaya featuring our favorite Sri Lankan rapper so exciting. Check the video below care of GvsB:

What’s more, here’s another track from Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit’s upcoming collab featuring not only M.I.A. but Santogold as well. Check it:

Esau Mwamwaya – “Get It Up”

Here’s hoping M.I.A. pops up in even more substantial roles in the near future!
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JENNY LEWIS REVEALS “THE LAST MESSIAH”
Continuing on her string of awkward YouTube’s featuring an equally awkward Ben Gibbard, Jenny Lewis has revealed a new tune called “The Next Messiah” off her sophomore LP Acid Tongue and you can hear it below.

Jenny Lewis – “Acid Tongue”
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ANNUALS REVEAL ALBUM ARTWORK
Check out that bad boy! Looks pretty killer if we do say so ourselves, combining the grandeur of Annuals‘ sweeping pop sound with the kitschy playfulness of their rock antics. But maybe it’s just a mountain and we’re reading too far into this. Either way, here’s an Annuals track to tide you over for the weekend.

Annuals – “Confessor”

See everyone next week!

ZACH DE LA ROCHA SIDE PROJECT DEBUTS
Zach de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine fame is finally debuting a song from his side project One Day As A Lion with former Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore. Named after the infamous graffiti which read “It’s better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand years as a lamb,” the band clearly has retained the radical politics of Rage while providing for a more stripped down drum-and-bass aesthetic. The song “Wild International” is available for listen as the band’s Myspace, check it out.

BODIES OF WATER SAY ‘SORRY FOR SKIPPING TX’
Here’s the latest Myspace bulletin from our friends in Bodies of Water:

“hi guys, there is a lot going on these days. i feel the burn.

we put up a new song on our player called ‘water here’. its from our record that comes out on tuesday.

it’s real fun to put up these songs and have them out into the world and that you guys want to hear them.

thanks.

ALSO, los angeles friends….
we are playing a show tomorrow night at the echo to celebrate the release of this record.

and for our non-la friends, we’ll be touring around the country soon. all the dates are up on our page. im really sorry to texas. i so wish we could be going there this time around. its complicated… you’re right in the middle of the country, gas is so freaking expensive (we’re flying, not driving to the east-coast to do the loop), blah blah blah.

SPEAKING of texas, when we’re there in march for sxsw, we recorded these songs at DAYTROTTER”

507 E. 6TH MYSTERY DEEPENS
Reader ‘modern mel‘ posted a comment yesterday about the mysterious 507 E. 6th St. location that Of Montreal will be playing in August. She writes:

“yeah the club is the place formerly known as ‘bourbon rocks’. i wonder if emos got smart enough and bought that place out. that place is HUGE and has a lot of potential for sure. i know this show will definitely sell out.“

Sounds reasonable, but the Bourbon Rocks website is still running and says their address is 508 E. 6th. Also their online calendar says nothing about an Of Montreal show. Did Bourbon Rocks close without shutting down their website? Has Emo’s bought out this space? Some real investigation will have to take place this weekend, so stay tuned!
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M.I.A. REALLY CALLING IT QUITS?
Say it ain’t so M.I.A.! However, if her revamped website is any indication, perhaps the UK via Sri Lanka rapper will be devoting her time to an upcoming clothing line instead of making more tunes. Check it out here and tell us your take on the situation!

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TILLY/BELAIRE/RINGO ALL PLAY THURSDAY
An old Austin favorite (Belaire), a new Austin heavyweight (Ringo Deathstarr), and a traveling tapdancing troupe (who else but Tilly and the Wall), all on one stage tonight at Emo’s. Be there or be square!

Tilly and the Wall – “Tall Tall Glass”

Comments?

CARISSA’S WIERD OFFSHOOT BANDS COME TO AUSTIN
Our favorite post-Nirvana Seattle band and ‘sadcore‘ artists extraordinaire Carissa’s Wierd had a multitude of bands form in their wake, most notably Band of Horses. However, two of those bands, Grand Archives and the solo project of Sera Cahoone will be hitting up Stubb’s on June 21st. Two great acts featuring ex-members of CW, so be sure and hit them up when they come to town.

Carissa’s Wierd – Sofisticated Fuck Princess Please Leave Me Alone
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NEW BAND CHEER – HIGH PLACES
Although much blogged about, Pitchforked, and generally well-reported on, Brooklyn duo High Places are just now coming into rotation on the Cannibal Cheerleader playlist. Electronic noodling and whispy female vocals combine to make strange, ephemeral pop tunes that swim by easily but leave a smoky haze in their wake. Very unique in sound, this duo promises to go places with their upcoming full-length, as reported by Stereogum. Check them out, they’re definitely worth a listen.

High Places – Head Spins (Extended Edition)
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M.I.A. CANCELS EUROPEAN TOURThe seemingly endless tour of our favorite female rapper M.I.A. has apparently hit a snag, as the songstress has just announced she will be cancelling her upcoming European tour in order to avoid burning out. So sayeth Miss Maya:

“I’m canceling because I feel like physically I just have to stop for a second,” she said. “It’s too insane. I was losing a sense of just, like, reality, you know what I mean? I think for an artist like me, it’s so important for me to be in the streets and go to the same shop every day and see the same people and, like, communicate. And it’s really difficult to do that when you’re in the city every day for 24 hours. Like, I love connecting with my band, but I want to actually help them and be a part of peoples’ lives. Which is really hard when you’re on tour.”

Seems reasonable to us. Here’s hoping the time off produces a new record like last year’s Cannibal Cheerleader approved Kala.

Comments?

RINGO DEATHSTARR LIVE VIDEO


One of our favorite local Austin bands Ringo Deathstarr has posted a new video on their Myspace. This is obviously just an inkling of what’s experienced at a Deathstarr show but stay tuned for more videos from this awesome band (hopefully from yours truly!).

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NEW M.I.A. LIVE VIDEO


Today we’ve got our favorite UK rapper M.I.A. live from Philadelphia with her signature crazy on-stage antics. M.I.A. will be in town May 1st at La Zona Rosa so be sure and check her out if you haven’t yet.

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WHO IS CONOR OBERST AND THE MYSTIC VALLEY BAND?


Of course we all know who Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes fame is, but after it was announced that it was his new band is playing this year’s ACL festival, we wondered who’s this Mystic Valley Band and what do they sound like? First, check out this post by Hypeful and you’ll get a lot more information as to what Oberst’s new project is all about. They are rumored to have recorded a new album and from the sound of the tracks on Hypeful, it has a more upbeat, singalong vibe than last year’s dark (but excellent) Bright Eyes release Cassadaga. Here’s a few tracks to wrap your brain around.

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band – “Gone, Gone From New York City”
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band – “Beach Bum Song”
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band – “Where Pilgrims Disappear”

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NOTE FROM CHAN OF CAT POWER


Chan Marshall, the artist more commonly known as Cat Power, had a brief message posted on her Myspace that I thought was so damn touching that I would repost it. Here it is:

“yeah, phoenix ear nose and throat doctor said
i should take a week off of singing, if i want to
continue touring for the rest of this year,
also, if i don’t want to risk ruining my vocal chords permanently, as
i have a callous on the right side of my vocal chords, and a hint of a
new one on the left.

to say yesterday was a very depressing and
upsetting day for me and my band is to say the
very least.

i sincerely apologize for any inconvenience
that this has imposed on anybody.

all i can do is apologize.

i would not wish the way that i felt yesterday
on anybody.

if you need gas money for all that long distance driving to last
night’s phoenix show, maybe i can send you a western union wire for
all your gas,
or you could just pawn my c.d.
or throw it out
the window for that matter, how about that,
sound fair?
x

with love, frustration, feeling misunderstood
and unplugging myspace page,
yours,
chan human”

Let it be known that the band’s Myspace has said that the cancelled US dates will probably be rescheduled for October, and while that’s a ways away they also said they’ll honor all the previously bought tickets (like mine up there). So you can bet I’m hanging on to that sucker and I’ll be seeing Chan and the gang then.
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CANNIBAL CHEERLEADER ON MYSPACE


Today’s update is super long (which is a good thing I think!) and that’s mainly because I have no Cat Power show to attend! That said, I have been doing a lot of other stuff with the Cannibal Cheerleader brand as of late. I made the logo you see up there (probably temporary but I think it’s cool nonetheless), I registered on Last.fm (last.fm/cannibalcheer), and I finally got up the Myspace page! The URL is myspace.com/cannibalcheerleader and if you like what’s going on here you should friend me!

With all this updating going on, I really should reemphasize to any readers out there, that one of my main passions of this blog is to open up some windows for shooting live rock and roll. I love it, it’s my passion, and I think I’m pretty good at it too! If your band or any band you know of needs some filming done, tell them to get in touch, I’d love to help them out! I’m an independent videographer right now and would love to make a living out of this so just get in touch with me (cannibalcheerleader@gmail.com). Of course, if you just have news tips or something similar for the blog, let me know! Hope to hear from people soon!

On a lighter note, here’s Cannibal Cheerleader’s new mascot (besides the chainsaw of course) – Claire from Heroes, haha! Save the cheerleader, save the *music* world!

Comment folks!