Author Archives: Heather

Concert Review: Recoil (Alan Wilder of Depeche Mode) – The Triple Door, Seattle – October 18, 2010

For the last 15 years Alan Wilder hasn’t been a member of Depeche Mode. And in the span of 90 minutes, the length of Recoil’s show last Monday night in Seattle, it became painfully obvious what’s been missing from the last four DM albums.

Against a backdrop of intriguing (and sometimes disturbing) visuals Wilder, with the assistance of Paul Kendall (a longtime Mute Records engineer, producer and mixer), created a stunning sonic landscape, chock full of all of the elements we have come to know and love, i.e. analog synthesizers, sound effects and vocal samples. Playing songs spanning the entire Recoil discography, the tunes that received the biggest response from the audience were mash-ups that incorporated elements from the Depeche Mode catalog (for me, “Walking In My Shoes/Jezebel” was a highlight).

Apparently Wilder is constantly barraged with questions regarding when he’ll rejoin his former band mates. That would be fantastic! But, please Alan, at the very least: produce DM’s next album. Just imagine; Ultra, Exciter or even Sounds Of The Universe with Alan in the studio, behind the mixing desk. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed…

Mark
Music Programmer
PlayNetwork, Inc.

Heather’s Song Of The Day: Fresh

In case you missed it, New-Wave band Devo

Devo - Something For Everybody - out now!

recently released their first new studio album in 20 years. 20 YEARS! And it is a FANTASTIC album! Something For Everybody really does have something for everybody. I love this album and the video for the first single from the CD, “Fresh,” shows the boys are just as quirky as ever. Enjoy!

Heather
Producer, Branded Music
PlayNetwork, Inc.

Heather’s Song Of The Day: Yours

Finally! After two years of waiting, Dan Black is coming to Seattle! The Paris, France native will play Chop Suey on October 11 in support of his 2009 Polydor debut album ((Un)). That album made my Top 15 list last year, and I am super excited that Dan is finally coming to town. To celebrate, here is the video to one of my favorite tracks on the album, “Yours.” This video came out in October 2008, which is why I’ve been waiting so long for a Dan Black Seattle tour stop. Enjoy!

Oh yeah! Dan’s also been nominated for an MTV VMA! The video for his song “Symphonies” received a nod for best Breakthrough video. The awards show is September 12.

Heather
Producer, Branded Music
PlayNetwork, Inc.

Heather’s Song Of The Day: Any Which Way

Scissor Sisters have just released the second single from their new album Night Work, and it’s one of my favorite songs on the disc. The video is appropriately awesome and it only makes the wait until I see them live at Showbox Sodo on September 15 seem even longer. This clip has everything! People breaking stuff, hot shirtless men, pretty colors and clothes to die for. (I’d love a pair of shoes like the ones Ana is sporting at 1:44. Size 9, please!) And did I mention the song is fantastic? Enjoy!

Heather
Producer, Branded Music
PlayNetwork, Inc.

Heather’s Song Of The Day: Hang With Me

My friends and coworkers know I have a special place in my heart for Swedish pop singers. They seem to

Robyn's new album is our 09/07/2010

have perfected the magic formula to create the ultimate sugary-sweet songs. The artist responsible for today’s song of the day is no exception. She is one of the biggest music stars is Sweden right now and if you ask me, that success is well-deserved.

Robyn has had a busy few months. She is about to release her second album so far this year, with another album to go after that and she just finished up a US co-headlining tour with Kelis. Oh, and did I mention that she runs her own record label? She isn’t slowing down a bit, however. Her new single “Hang With Me,” the first off Body Talk Part 2, just dropped and the accompanying video gives the viewer a pretty good idea of what it’s like to be in Robyn’s shoes right now.

Look for Body Talk Part 2 on September 7, 2010. Enjoy!

Kids In The Hall Return To TV

Tomorrow night, everyone’s favorite gender-bending Canadian comedy troupe is back! That’s right, the Kids In The Hall return to television for the first time since their self-titled sketch series went off the air in 1994. This time, the Kids take on Death in the original IFC miniseries Death Comes To Town.

All five original KITH (Dave Foley, Mark McKinney, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald and Scott Thompson) play almost all of the roles in the new eight part series. The scripted 30 minute show follows the exploits of the residents of Shuckton, Ontario after the Grim Reaper arrives on the Greyhound bus and one of the townspeople ends up dead. The first two episodes air back to back starting at 10pm Friday, August 20th on IFC.

While you wait, here’s a classic Kids In The Hall clip. Enjoy!

Heather
Producer, Branded Music
PlayNetwork, Inc.

Concert Review: Chromeo – Showbox at the Market, August 12, 2010

Last night, Seattle’s Showbox at the Market rocked harder than I’ve

Chromeo

seen it rock in a long time. What was the occasion? Chromeo, of course! The Montreal-based electrofunk duo played a sizzling set for a shockingly enthusiastic all-ages crowd. Lead singer Dave 1 put it best when he said, “Seattle, can I say something? You’re nuts!” Not something that we notoriously standoffish Northwest audiences hear very often. In the case of last nights sold-out gig, however, Dave 1 was 100% correct.

Chromeo - Showbox at the Market - August 12, 2010

Dave 1 and his partner in funk, P-Thugg, played hits from their first two albums, She’s In Control and Fancy Footwork, as well as cuts from their upcoming release, Business Casual, scheduled to drop on September 14, 2010. I was excited to hear all of my favorite songs, including “Tenderoni”, “Fancy Footwork” and my number one Chromeo track, “Bonafied Lovin’ (Tough Guys).” I was also happy to hear some of the new stuff, as I was hoping they’d play their new single, “Don’t Turn The Lights On.” They did!

The show was opened with sets by Holy Ghost! and Telephoned who both did a great job of warming up the crowd for the main event.

Chromeo are about halfway though their US tour before they hit the UK in November, so you still have time to catch them. The remaining US dates are posted below:

August 29: Hollywood Bowl (w/The Chemical Brothers and Yacht), Los Angeles, CA, USA
August 27: BUSINESS CASUAL TOUR: Masquerade, Atlanta, GA, USA (w/Holy Ghost! & Telephoned)
August 26: BUSINESS CASUAL TOUR: Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN, USA (w/Holy Ghost! & Telephoned)
August 25: BUSINESS CASUAL TOUR: Palladium, Dallas, TX, USA (w/Holy Ghost! & Telephoned)
August 24: BUSINESS CASUAL TOUR: Stubb’s, Austin, TX, USA (w/Holy Ghost! & Telephoned)
August 22: CHROMEO LIVE (Fool’s Gold Pool’s Gold party), The Williamsburg Waterfront Park, Brooklyn, NY
August 20: BUSINESS CASUAL TOUR: Ogden, Denver, CO, USA (w/Holy Ghost!)
August 19: W Lounge (After Party & DJ Set), Salt Lake City, UT, USA
August 19: Twilight Concert Series, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
August 16: BUSINESS CASUAL TOUR: House of Blues, San Diego, CA, USA (w/Holy Ghost! & Telephoned)
August 15: The Independent (Aftershow & DJ Set) w/ Holy Ghost!, San Francisco, CA, USA
August 15: OUTSIDE LANDS Music and Arts Festival, San Francisco, CA, USA
August 13: BUSINESS CASUAL TOUR: Roseland, Portland, OR, USA (w/Holy Ghost! & Telephoned)

To whet your appetite, here are a couple of videos. The first, “Bonafied Lovin’ (Tough Guys).”

Chromeo – Bonafied Lovin’ from Vice Records on Vimeo.

And the newest video, “Don’t Turn The Lights On.” A word of warning about this video – it’s deliciously creepy and may give you nightmares if you watch it too close to bedtime. If you can get to sleep, that is.

Don’t Turn The Lights On from Chromeo1 on Vimeo.

Heather
Producer, Branded Music
PlayNetwork, Inc.

New Band Obsession: Hurts

For the past several weeks, I have been obsessed with new UK band Hurts. The electronic duo is comprised of vocalist Theo Hutchcraft and synth player Adam Anderson. While their first album hasn’t dropped yet, I am loving what I’ve heard so far. The first two singles have been very well received in Europe and I am anxiously waiting their arrival on US shores.

Their debut album Happiness is scheduled for release in Germany on August 27 and in the UK on September 6. Sadly, no release date has yet been set for the States, but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time.

Here is the video for their very first single, “Better Than Love.”

And the somewhat strange video for their newest single, “Wonderful Life.”

And my personal favorite Hurts video, a live performance for their song “Illuminated.” Enjoy!

Heather
Producer, Branded Music
PlayNetwork, Inc.

Scissor Sisters Are Coming To Town!

One of my all-time favorite bands, Scissor Sisters, just released their new album, Night Work, on June 28th. What? You say you haven’t heard it yet? Well, I highly encourage you to pick it up! I’ve been listening to it non-stop for weeks and it’s a fantastic summer album. Every song is so different and seems to be influenced by a different genre or band. There’s a song that sounds like it could be vintage Talking Heads, one that would be right at home on the new DEVO album and one that sounds like it was written in the middle of disco fever.

One of the best things about a new Scissor Sisters album is, of course, a Scissor Sisters tour. Tickets went on sale this past weekend for most of the dates on their newly-announced North American jaunt and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve missed them the last few times they came to Seattle, so I will be sure to catch them this time around when they play Showbox Sodo on September 15. Check below to see if the Sisters are playing in your town this summer and if they are, don’t miss them! Your life will only be filled with regret if you do.

Atlanta, GA The Buckhead Theatre (08/21)
Washington, DC DAR Constitution Hall (08/23)
New York, NY Terminal 5 (08/24)
Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory (08/27)
Boston, MA House of Blues (08/28)
Montreal, QC Metropolis (08/29)
Toronto, ON Sound Academy (08/31)
Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre (09/02)
Milwaukee, WI The Rave (09/03)
Minneapolis, MN Epic Nightclub (09/04)
Denver, CO Ogden Theatre (09/06)
Las Vegas, NV The Pearl Concert Theatre (09/10)
Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Palladium (09/11)
Oakland, CA Fox Theater (09/12)
Portland, OR Roseland Theatre (09/14)
Seattle, WA The Showbox Sodo (09/15)
Vancouver, BC Malkin Bowl (09/16)

Also check out the video for the Sisters new single, “Fire With Fire.” Enjoy!

Heather
Producer, Branded Music
PlayNetwork, Inc.

Who Got A Nod?

This morning, nominees were announced for the 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. Critical darling and international sensation Glee was nominated for a whopping 19 awards, while Tom Hanks’ latest wartime miniseries The Pacific earned a staggering 24. There were a few surprises on the list this time around.  

Best actress in a comedy:

Lea Michele, “Glee”
Toni Collette, “United States of Tara”
Tina Fey, “30 Rock”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “The New Adventures of Old Christine”
Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”
Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation”

Best actor in a comedy:

Jim Parsons, “Big Bang Theory”
Larry David, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
Matthew Morrison, “Glee”
Tony Shalhoub, “Monk”
Steve Carell, “The Office”
Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”

Best comedy series:

“Glee”
“30 Rock”
“The Office”
“Modern Family”
“Curb Your Enthusiasm”
“Nurse Jackie”

Best reality competition:

“The Amazing Race”
“American Idol”
“Dancing with the Stars”
“Project Runway”
“Top Chef”

Outstanding Reality Program:

“Antiques Roadshow”
“Dirty Jobs”
“Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution”
“Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List”
“MythBusters”
“Undercover Boss”

Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program:

Phil Keoghan, “The Amazing Race”
Ryan Seacrest, “American Idol”
Tom Bergeron, “Dancing with the Stars”
Heidi Klum, “Project Runway”
Jeff Probst, “Survivor”

Best drama series:

“Mad Men”
“Lost”
“Breaking Bad”
“Dexter”
“The Good Wife”
“True Blood”

Best actor in a drama:

Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”
Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”
Kyle Chandler, “Friday Night Lights”
Hugh Laurie, “House”
Matthew Fox, “Lost”
Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Best actress in a drama:

Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”
Glenn Close, “Damages”
Connie Britton, “Friday Night Lights”
Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”
Mariska Hargitay, “Law and Order SVU”
January Jones, “Mad Men”

Best TV movie:

“Endgame”
“Georgia O’Keeffe”
“The Special Relationship”
“Temple Grandin”
“You Don’t Know Jack”
“Moonshot”

Outstanding Animated Program:

“Alien Earths”
“Disney Prep & Landing”
“The Ricky Gervais Show”
“The Simpsons”
“South Park”

Outstanding Lead Actor in A Miniseries Or A Movie:

Jeff Bridges, “A Dog Year”
Ian McKellen, “The Prisoner”
Michael Sheen, “The Special Relationship”
Dennis Quaid, “The Special Relationship”
Al Pacino, “You Don’t Know Jack”

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie:

Maggie Smith, “Capturing Mary”
Joan Allen, “Georgia O’Keeffe”
Dame Judi Dench, “Return to Cranford”
Hope Davis, “The Special Relationship”
Claire Danes, “Temple Grandin”

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:

Chris Colfer, “Glee”
Neil Patrick Harris, “How I Met Your Mother”
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, “Modern Family”
Eric Stonestreet, “Modern Family”
Ty Burrell, “Modern Family”
Jon Cryer, “Two and a Half Men”

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:

Aaron Paul, “Breaking Bad”
Martin Short, “Damages”
Terry O’Quinn, “Lost”
Michael Emerson, “Lost”
John Slattery, “Mad Men”
Andre Braugher, “Men of a Certain Age”

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series:

Jane Lynch, “Glee”
Julie Bowen, “Modern Family”
Sofia Vergara, “Modern Family”
Kristen Wiig, “Saturday Night Live”
Jane Krakowski, “30 Rock”
Holland Taylor, “Two and a Half Men”

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series:

Sharon Gless, “Burn Notice”
Rose Byrne, “Damages”
Archie Panjabi, “The Good Wife”
Christine Baranski, “The Good Wife”
Christina Hendricks, “Mad Men”
Elisabeth Moss, “Mad Men”

Outstanding Voice-Over Performance:

H. Jon Benjamin, “Archer”
Dave Foley, “Disney Prep & Landing”
Seth Green, “Robot Chicken”
Dan Castellaneta, “The Simpsons”
Hank Azaria, “The Simpsons”
Anne Hathaway, “The Simpsons”

Outstanding Short-format Animated Program:

“Adventure Time”
“Chowder”
“Disney Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil”
“The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack”
“Robot Chicken”
“Uncle Grandpa”

Outstanding Casting For A Comedy Series:

“Glee”
“Modern Family”
“Nurse Jackie”
“30 Rock”
“United States of Tara”

Outstanding Casting For A Drama Series:

“Big Love”
“Dexter”
“Friday Night Lights”
“The Good Wife”
“Mad Men”
“True Blood”

Outstanding Casting For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special:

“Emma”
“Georgia O’Keeffe”
“The Pacific”
“Temple Grandin”
“You Don’t Know Jack”

Outstanding Costume for a Series:

“Glee,” for “The Power of Madonna”
“The Good Wife,” for “Crash”
“Mad Men,” for “Souvenir”
“30 Rock,” for “I Do Do”
“The Tudors,” for Episode #408

Outstanding Costumes For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special:

“Emma”
“Georgia O’Keeffe”
“The Pacific”
“Return to Cranford”
“You Don’t Know Jack”

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series:

“Glee,” for the “Pilot”
“Glee,” for “Wheels”
“Modern Family,” for the “Pilot”
“Nurse Jackie,” for the “Pilot”
“30 Rock,” for “I Do Do”

Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series:

“Breaking Bad,” for “One Minute”
“Dexter,” for “The Getaway”
“Lost,” for “The End”
“Mad Men,” for “Guy Walks Into an Advertising Agency”
“Treme” for “Do You Know What It Means (Pilot)”

Outstanding Directing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special:

“Georgia O’Keeffe”
“The Pacific,” Part Eight
“The Pacific,” Part Nine
“Temple Grandin”
“You Don’t Know Jack”

Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Series:

“The Colbert Report” for episode #5076 (in Iraq)
“The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” for episode #15054
“Late Show With David Letterman,” for show #3289
“Saturday Night Live,” hosted by Betty White
“The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien,” for episode #146

Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Special:

“In Performance At The White House: A Celebration Of Music From The Civil Rights Movement”
“The Kennedy Center Honors”
“63rd Annual Tony Awards”
“The 25th Anniversary Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Concert”
“Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony”

Outstanding Directing For Nonfiction Programming:

“The Amazing Race,” for “I Think We’re Fighting The Germans, Right?”
“By The People: The Election Of Barack Obama”
“Monty Python: Almost The Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut)”
“My Lai”
“Terror In Mumbai”

Jimmy Fallon hosts the awards ceremony on August 29th, so you have plenty of time to place your bets.

Heather

Producer, Branded Music

PlayNetwork, Inc.