Who you know, looking good for press photos, and of course talent are crucial parts to any musician’s success. For London retro-pop band Two Wounded Birds, they’ve got a lock on all three (seriously, just look at this promo pic).

After releasing the EP Keep Dreaming Baby in 2010, the group turned the subsequent buzz into a BBC session, two singles with Moshi Moshi Recordings, a gig at Glastonbury, and shows opening for Grouplove and Black Lips. When it came time to record their first album, the group parlayed all that into a spot on The Drums’ Jacob Graham’s newly-minted Holiday Friends Recording Company (part of the Frenchkiss Label Group).

Read more of this review and listen to “To Be Young” via Consequence of Sound after the jump</a>.

After quickly selling out a night at NY’s infamous, Roseland Ballroom, our favorite Ojai dwelling, neo-hippies,  Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros  have add a second show on Wednesday, May 9th.  Check two new tracks below, from their forthcoming and much anticipated album, Here, out via Community Music on May 29th.  Grab your tickets to see Alex Ebert and company in NYC while they last, with Los Angeles’ purveyors of indie afro-pop, Fool’s Gold supporting both nights.

Los Angeles’ Active Child is set to kick off the last North American tour in support of his debut LP You Are All I See on Vagrant Records.  Witch house producer Balam Acab and fellow L.A. band, Superhumonoids will support all dates. To coincide with the tour, Active Child will reissue acclaimed The Curtis Lane EP on 10-inch vinyl.

Nothing can quite prepare you for the leap that Pat Grossi of Active Child has taken with You Are All I See. Drawing inspiration from his early days in which he lent his heavenly voice to the boys choir, to his descent into the world of laptop-assisted, indie-pop and R&B intonations, Active Child’s wide array of layered vocals, shimmering synths, contrapuntal harp lines, and tracks boasting in fresh, forward-thinking lyrics, Pat’s artistic vision is truly realized on You Are All I See.

Of the album title, Pat says, “You Are All I See is an attempt to build a bridge between the listener and I, in that, I wrote these songs for you as much as I did for me. And right now when you are listening to my voice, by yourself, it really is just you and I.”  The album itself focuses primarily on the joy and heartbreak of relationships. From the harsh realities of love lost and rediscovered, the struggles to remain monogamous, to the battles with one’s identity.

ACTIVE CHILD ON TOUR

Apr 26 – La Jolla, CA @ The Loft at UCSD
Apr 27 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House
Apr 28 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent Ballroom
Apr 29 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
Apr 30 – Santa Fe, NM @ Sol at Santa Fe Brewing Company
May 02 – Norman, OK @ Opolis
May 03 – Dallas, TX @ Sons of Hermann Hall
May 04 – Austin, TX @ The Mohawk
May 05 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s
May 07 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
May 08 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
May 09 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
May 10 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
May 11 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
May 12 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
May 14 – Montreal, CAN @ il Motore
May 15 – Toronto, CAN @ Lee’s Palace
May 16 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
May 17 – St. Louis, MO @ Firebird
May 18 – Lawrence, KS @ The Jackpot Station
May 19 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
May 20 – Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theatre
May 22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
May 24 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
May 25 – Vancouver, BC @ Electric Owl
May 27 – Quincy, WA @ Sasquatch Festival
May 29 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
May 31 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour

http://activechildmusic.com
http://www.facebook.com/ActiveChild
http://twitter.com/activechild
http://www.youtube.com/ActiveChildMusic
http://www.vagrant.com

10/ We Are Augustines – The spawn of one of our old favorites, Pela.

9/ A$AP Rocky – If we’re lucky, we’ll witness another riot

8/ The Horrors – The most well-dressed band in indie rock… and the music is damn good too.

7/ Metronomy – UK favorite. One of the most underrate albums of last year. Buy it, love it.

6/ Black Lips – Hide yer kids, Hide yer wife

5/ Girls – So legit. Christopher Owens has got to be one of the most intriguing people in indie rock. Special bonus: lady back up singers.

4/ tUnE-yArDs – That voice, those loops. One-woman tribal dance party.

3/ Mazzy Star – Fade Into You. Yes, we grew up in the 90′s

2/ Dr Dre & Snoop Dog – Again, we grew up in the 90′s. Bring on the gin & juice… and ummm, Nate Dogg performing in hologram.

1/ Gardens & Villa – Don’t be fooled by the small print on the flier. This is our favorite band of the festival. Get down with the flutes, synths and groovy bass lines.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The event will run from noon to 8pm, but you’re going to want to arrive early to secure you handful of tasty tacos from Taco Cabana as you enjoy performances by: Gardens & Villa, Bass Drum of Death, Free Energy, Father John Misty, Great Lake Swimmers, Brother Ali , Waters, Bear Hands, Prince Rama, Exit Music, Andy D, Rockwell Knuckles, Burnt Ones, hotfox., and Stamps. Lets get rowdy and have us some good ole Texas fun!

RSVP to INDIGENOUS & MOKB’s 3/16 SXSW party 
powered by TicketFly and Gelaskins on Do512!

Seagate, the leader in hard drive development and product of choice by artists, musicians, and filmmakers, has handpicked a trio of talented music photographers to document each day of MWTX through their own creative lens providing fans with real-time updates throughout the event. MWTX and Seagate  will feature the work of photographers Shawn Brackbill, Charles Bergquist, and Tod Seelie, who will document both the performances and backstage moments. Fans can view all the photos at www.facebook.com/SeagateCreative or follow @Seagate on Twitter.

Sailor Jerry will be rounding out the combination of music and photography provided by Seagate and MWTX by offering drink specials, as well as free tattoos for artists at the Hold Fast Pop Up Tattoo Shop, featuring talented tattoo artist, Oliver Peck. Contact dynamitepr@gmail.com if you’re interested.

Along with the above mentioned, this years MWTX will feature performances by: YELLE DJS, Tycho, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Purity Ring, Titus Andronicus,Two Gallants, Chairlift, Tanlines, Deerhoof, Ceremony, Cloud Nothings,Crystal Antlers, Doomtree, The Men, The Young, Lower Dens, Pure X, Turquoise Jeep, Nick Waterhouse, Dinosaur Feathers, Razika, New Build, FIDLAR, Fat Tony, Juan Cirerol, and White Arrows, with a VERY SPECIAL GUEST TBA.

Through the larger-than-life attitude of both the state of Texas, SXSW attendees, and the talent to be showcased at MWTX, one fact is to remain clear: ”Everything IS bigger in Texas”!

This years MWTX was also made possible by: Oxfam, Ticketfly, Boxed Water, SESAC, Chilli Beans, and Incase.

“MWTX is a reminder of how it actually can be fun to hang out with your peers in a sunny boho setting (if the music remains in the hands of true fans).” - Spin