“Dark Into Light Tour” Kicks Off
with Peggy Sue Supporting
+ New SLAM Remix EP
STREAM REMIX EP HERE: http://snd.sc/rMBKI8
“Hypnotic”- Rolling Stone
“makes even the most hardened hipsters bob their heads.”- KEXP
“perfect top-down songs”- Nylon Magazine
“One of the best live shows of the year”- Seattle Weekly
WATCH KEXP VIDEO: SOMEBODY LIKE YOU http://youtu.be/EDMsWHyOors
WATCH KEXP VIDEO LONELY LIFE: http://youtu.be/PPCFgHqGhuQ
If you caught New Orleans raised, L.A. based mustachioed indie artist AM paying his dues last year opening for AIR and also Charlotte Gainsbourg in the U.S. and Canada, and also any other number of musical icons such as Caetano Veloso, you won’t want to miss him headline his new musical collaboration mysteriously entitled “AM & SHAWN LEE” debuting the new album Celestial Electric on tour now which was just released on Limited Edition gatefold vinyl in November by Eighteenth Street Lounge (www.eslmusic.com). The band has been touring as support for Thievery Corporation, co-headlining with Fool’s Gold, and headlining their own shows to great reviews with comparisons to MGMT, Gary Numan, Beck, and Broken Bells. The Seattle Weekly proclaimed them one of the “best live shows of the year”.
Celestial Electric finds L.A.-based indie-pop auteur AM and London-based groovemaster/experimentalist Shawn Lee (winner of Best Original Video Game Score for Bully and better known for his project Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra on Ubiquity Records) pooling their talents to create seamless indie pop perfection, while mining a startlingly broad array of stylistic influences. The resulting blend of heartfelt, warmly melodic songcraft and vivid, inventive soundscapes underlines the artists’ abiding love for all manner of vintage genres, encompassing pop, soul, funk, jazz, Brazilian tropicalia, Turkish psychedelia, and soundtracks and library music from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.
Celestial Electric’s sleek, boundary-pushing approach is reflected on such uplifting tunes as the insightful generational anthem “Dark Into Light,” the bittersweetly soulful “City Boy” and the hauntingly intimate “Can’t Figure It Out,” which merge irresistible melodicism with deeply distinctive grooves. Elsewhere, “The Signal” demonstrates the duo’s penchant for exotic, eclectic arrangements, suggesting an ’80s Bollywood synth-pop dance party, while the swaggeringly funky instrumental “Callahan” (named in honor of Clint Eastwood’s ’70s cop anti-hero Dirty Harry) conjures up a bracingly atmospheric vibe a la Lalo Schifrin, while adding a dollop of futuristic electronic melody. The twosome’s irresistible pop sensibility also drives their effervescent reading of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils’ 1974 hit “Jackie Blue”.
AM & Shawn Lee documented their recording process in Los Angeles and London through photos, emails, and behind the scenes studio videos. You can now check out the band’s full archived live performance for KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic.
AM & SHAWN LEE DARK INTO LIGHT TOUR 2011
11/07 Brooklyn Knitting Factory
11/08 Cleveland Beachland Tavern
11/09 Chicago Subterranean
11/10 St. Paul Turf
11/11 Rockford Recording Daytrotter session
11/13 Toronto The Garrison
11/14 Montreal La Sala Rosa
02/10/12 Paris les Nuits Zébrées de Radio Nova @ La Machine du Moulin Rouge
More UK dates tba
*Peggy Sue opening all shows
ABOUT: AM & Shawn Lee is the name of the new 4 piece band project. Shawn Lee is best known for his Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra project and as the composer of the Bully Video Game soundtrack and Ubiquity Records collaborations with Clutchy Hopkins, Princess Superstar, Money Mark, and Bei Bei and more. Shawn’s music has appeared on TV shows, movies, and commercials including Lost, Ugly Betty, and CSI. AM spent last year touring as support for AIR in North American and France, and also on tour with Charlotte Gainsbourg, Caetano Velosoo, and Josh Rouse. His music has appeared on shows such as Greys Anatomy, Big Love, Brothers & Sisters and Teen Mom. Criminal Minds recently featured their song “City Boy”.
Promises Are Never Far From Lies Remix EP
(ESL)
Formats: 12″ / Digitial
Stream the EP in full here
Pre-order 12″
Digital Track List:
1. Promises Are Never Far From Lies (Rob Garza Remix)
2. Lonely Life (Dic Money Remix)
3. City Boy (Captain Planet Remix)
4. Dark Into Light (Virgil Howe Disco Mix)
5. Promises Are Never Far From Lies (original)
6. Lonely Life (original)
7. City Boy (original)
8. Dark Into Light (original)
AM & SHAWN LEE LINKS: