Solid Gold Announce Headlining First Ave. Mainroom Show

First Avenue and bound for a national breakthrough electro-pop trio Solid Gold have announced a mainroom show which will take place on Friday, May 15th. No doubt the show represents the culmination of a successful year for Solid Gold, as 2008 saw the release of their excellent Bodies of Water, dates at SXSW, and an earlier stop at First Ave. opening up for Tapes N Tapes. But now, Solid Gold be headliners. DJ Real Jaguar will open the 18+ show.

Friday, May 15
Mainroom / 8:00 pm / 18+
SOLID GOLD
with DJ REAL JAGUAR
$8.00 adv | $10.00 door

Solid Gold MySpace Page

(Jon Graef)

Vita.MN Announces "Are You Local?" SXSW Send-Off Concert @ First Ave.

Star-Trib entertainment offshoot vita.mn has announced its SXSW sendoff concert called "Are You Local?"*, the purpose of which is to send off local musicians headed to ye ole' South-By-Southwest music conference in Austin, TX.

Judging by the flyer posted above, the line-up is a doozy: Recently Forkcasted dream-pop trio Gospel Gossip, neo-psychedelic collective First Communion Afterparty, synth-dance-pop trio Solid Gold, and Sims of hip-hop nonet Doomtree are but four of all the excellent acts playing this show. Check out the rest of the lineup at the top of the post.

Here are the deets:

"Are You Local?"
March 14th @ First Avenue
$3 advance, $6 at the door

There will also be hot dogs. Check it all out at the top of the post.


*Well, no, not really. But it's cool if I do this, yeah?

New Video: Solid Gold - "Bible Thumper"

Solid Gold - Bible Thumper


Filmed and directed by John Carlucci, with some additional effects work by Suzanne Dyer

Solid Gold MySpace Page

New Solid Gold - "Who You Gonna Run To" (Mel Gibson and the Pants Remix)

Download: Solid Gold - "Who You Gonna Run To" (Mel Gibson and the Pants Remix)

(via SV)

Lots of unique band names in this one, and, like the TVOTR Nat King Cole Cover, it comes courtesy of Sound Verite. It's a remix of "Who You Gonna Run To," a track that both appears on the EP of the same name, as well as their Best-Of 2008 release Bodies of Water, done by fellow distinctively monikered MPLS band Mel Gibson and the Pants. Check it out at the top of the post.

Solid Gold MySpace Page
Mel Gibson and the Pants MySpace Page

Tonight: Solid Gold, Military Special @ Uptown Bar

Military Special MySpace Page
Solid Gold MySpace Page

Solid Gold Release New Mixtape, Get Written Up In The Guardian

*MP3: Download: Solid Gold - "Who You Gonna Run To"

We were a bit surprised when Decider Minneapolis said that synth-pop trio Solid Gold was a "bigger success overseas than in its hometown," but a recent write-up in UK newspaper The Guardian seems to serve as a coincidental back-up for said claim. UK critic Paul Lester has been writing about a new band every day for the past 455 days straight. Band 454? You guessed it: Solid Gold. I bet you had to strain your brain figuring out that one.

About the band, Lester says:

It may be late in the year, the time when record companies slow down, but there will be no drop in quality round these parts. Solid Gold are as good as anything we've heard in a while. They make downbeat dance music, sad synth-pop, melancholy club tracks, which might sound like a contradiction in terms but not to those of you who have, over the past 25 years, appreciated artists from Pet Shop Boys to Junior Boys.

Pretty apt comparisons, I should say. You can read more of Lester's write-up here.

Additionally, the band has posted the DJ Mix from its November gig at the Nomad World Pub over at its MySpace Blog. In addition to local talent like Mystery Palace, the mix also features nationally known acts. Check it out there.

Bodies of Water is out now. Listen to "Who You Gonna Run To?" at the top of the post.

Solid Gold MySpace Page

New Solid Gold - "Neon Rose"

Download: Solid Gold - "Neon Rose" (via)

Rift Magazine debuted this track from the synth-psych trio's just-released debut LP Bodies of Water. "Neon Rose" blends different influences and sounds (modern psychedelia and mariachi-style horns are the most prevalent examples) to create catchy, tight pop. Listen to it at the top of the post.

Solid Gold MySpace Page

Solid Gold Announce CD Release Party

Show Announcement: Solid Gold, First Communion Afterparty @ Club Jager

Saturday, Sept. 27
6-10pm bands
10pm-2am Attitude City DJs
Solid Gold
First Communion Afterparty
Bella Koshka
Beatrix Jar
$5, includes Summit Octoberfest
@ Club Jager

Saturday: Solid Gold @ Kitty Cat Klub

Show Announcement: Solid Gold at the Hexagon

Deets via More Cowbell:

Solid Gold + “Secret Special Guests”*
Saturday, August 23
Hexagon Bar
Minneapolis, MN
10 pm | FREE | 21

In order to celebrate the release of issue #25 (considering how the print business is floundering these days, any issue successfully printed is cause of celebration), Rift Magazine is holding a party that doubles as a birthday get-together for Robyn, who is turning the big 30. Sounds like "All My Friends" will be on the playlist for this one. The details for the event are above. As to who the surprise guests are? (Well, you probably know this already, but just play along. It's Wednesday.) If you're doomed to know, then you've figured out that this event won't be a P.O.S.. It's in the hands of Vampires.

Did you see what I did there?

In other Vamp Hands news, the experimental quartet will be playing before a screening of Bits, a local independent film. The viewing takes place at the Uptown on Friday, August 22nd. Doors are at 11:30 pm, with the band playing from 11:45-12:30. Then the film screens.

Check out more here.

(Jonathan Graef)

Tonight: Nomo at the 7th Street Entry

Download: Nomo - "Better Than That

Nomo, a nonet from Ann Arbor, Michigan (strange that they share a hometown with Borders) who are self-described as "post-afrobeat dance explosion", which the horns, mellow grooves, and adept jazz-like improvisation skills all but confirm that as being an apt description, play tonight at the 7th Street Entry. Their newest album, Ghost Rock, was released this year on Ubiquity Records.

Show information here. Solid Gold and Beatrix Jars open. Maps of Norway were to open, but, according to their MySpace, their drummer sustained an injury. So no MoN for a while. Sad.

Nomo MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Video: Solid Gold - "Bible Thumper"

Solid Gold MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)