Scarlet Season - The Taxidermist

Swirling synths, pretty pianos, nasty bass, and moody electronic elements combine with vocal textures that run the gamut from howling and angry to sweet and seductive on The Taxidermist, the debut album by Seattle’s Scarlet Season.

Scarlet Season is the stage name of Aileen Paron, a self-taught pianist whose desire for autonomy and passion for learning all things musical inspired her to take the DIY approach to recording, programming, and composing. Paron produced The Taxidermist herself with co-production by Matt Frickelton of The Fading Collection.

The resulting sound is a natural for fans of Bjork, Tori Amos, Goldfrapp, Bat For Lashes and Depeche Mode with songs that chronicle themes of anger, loss, betrayal and loneliness. It is material that is admittedly personal and at times uncomfortably so, but Paron believes that pop music needn’t be fluffy.

This song-centric pop-rock approach, infused with dark, cinematic, neo-synth edges and gothic roots is at the core of The Taxidermist and its lead single, “Horse Fury”. The Taxidermist album art carries this theme as well, with haunting illustrations by Matt Strieby inspired by an actual Parisian taxidermy shop.


The Taxidermist will be released on May 24th, 2011.

Man Man Return With Life Fantastic

As frontman Honus Honus explains. “Contextually, this is an album fueled by the end of relationships, the death of good friends, an absence of structure, drifting from place to place without a real home. It’s funny because in the past I was able to take bad situations and turn them into something creative but this time around I just couldn’t at all. I felt nothing, which was worse than being miserable and depressed. Sometimes I guess you have to stumble around in a fog for awhile until you find a way out, rediscover your heart, take comfort in knowing that the only thing you really have control over is how you choose to roll with the punches. In many ways, this is an album about carrying on.”

Life Fantastic is the first Man Man album with a proper producer behind the boards. And not just any knob-twiddler, either. We’re talking Mike Mogis, the Bright Eyes member responsible for the widescreen backdrops of nearly every major Saddle Creek release. The record also features lush string arrangements by fellow Bright Eyes member Nate Walcott.

“The songs were fully-formed entities by the time we got to Mike’s studio,” says Kattner, “But he was there to say things like, ‘Okay, that’s a bit (too) much.’ He was able to help us carve the beauty out of the chaos we brought. It wasn’t whittling down the points; it was sharpening them so they’d puncture even deeper.”


The celebrated avant-garde rock outfit Man Man will release their brand new album entitled Life Fantastic this May 10 on Anti-Records.

Get Scared - Best Kind of Mess

Hot off the heels of their exclusive 3-song EP with Hot Topic late last year, goth rockers Get Scared are now set for the release of their full-length debut album, BEST KIND OF MESS. Due to hit streets on July 12th via Universal Motown Records, BEST KIND OF MESS is produced and engineered by John Feldmann (Atreyu, The Used, Goldfinger) and features the single "Sarcasm". The companion video for the track is already creating quite the buzz, with nearly 200,000 views on Vevo in just two months.

Hailing from Layton, Utah, Get Scared formed in 2008 and has already toured with the likes of Black Veil Brides, Alesana and Escape The Fate. The trio boasts more than 1 million MySpace hits, upwards of 100,000 Facebook friends and has already garnered early raves from the press: Outburn recently referred to the band's sound as "thunderously melodic." Get Scared is: Nicholas Matthews (vocals), Johnny B (guitars) and Bradley Lloyd (guitars).

Jeff Beam - Venus Flying Trapeze

The music of 23-year-old Jeff Beam has drawn comparisons to the studio musings and melodic flourishes of Elliott Smith and Harry Nilsson and also brings to mind the vigor of a young Elvis Costello, the unconventionality of Beck and the psyche-pop perfection of The Flaming Lips.

At such a young age, Beam already boasts a broad discography with several albums. His latest work Venus Flying Trapeze, a 12-song psychedelic affair featuring melodies that are warped and catchy, clever chord changes and existential, surrealistic lyrical content.

Before landing in New York, Beam was raised in a small town in the woods of Maine on a constant barrage of “The White Album,” Electric Light Orchestra, The Who’s Tommy, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. “To me, this is the best kind of music,” Beam says, “And I once heard a tip that you should try to make the kind of music that you want to hear.”

Via Fanatic Promotion.

Akomplice Spring 2011 Collection

Akomplice presented their Spring 2011 V.S.O.P collection. This collection refines Akomplice’s vision for producing designs that withstand the dribble of sand in the hourglass. Akomplice V.S.O.P is inspired by the thrill of natural beauty and the unexplored bounds of our imagination.








The collection is now available at their online store.

Converse Japan Chuck Taylor May 2011 Collection

A less-progressive month for Converse Japan, probably the earlier crisis created some setbacks. Anyhow, this month's Chuck Taylor release unveiled and is available in stores.

Swizz Beatz feat Eve - Everyday (Coolin)

Full Surface Records founder Swizz Beatz unveiled the video of his latest single Everyday (Coolin) featuring singing sensation Eve. The song was taken from Swizz Beatz upcoming 2011 release titled Haute Living.