“[‘Don’t Believe’ is a] soulful serenade to a detached lover, it blends laid-back drums, soft guitar and fuzzy, plucky synthesizers to make a smooth ’70s sound.” – NPR
We are excited to announce that Australia’s Slow Dancer has signed with ATO Records!
To celebrate the signing, Slow Dancer shares a cinematic music video for his effortlessly alluring track “Don’t Believe.” Watch the video via NPR’s “Songs We Love” HERE, and be prepared to have this intoxicating song stuck in your head.
Slow Dancer will make his U.S. debut next month, with performances in New York City, Los Angeles, and SXSW (schedule forthcoming.) He will also perform in London. See below to find a show near you.
Okely has been writing, recording and independently releasing music under the moniker Slow Dancer since 2014, and is gearing up to release his sophomore album with ATO this Spring. Crafting warm, soulful music with delicate vocals, golden guitar tones, and grooving beats, Slow Dancer is inspired by the music of his childhood and memories of long country drives through Western Australia listening to his parents’ rhythm and blues records. His music is deeply personal and irresistibly wistful, calling upon the likes of Jose Gonzales, Kings of Convenience, and Fleetwood Mac.
Melbourne, Australia’s Slow Dancer – the moniker of singer, songwriter and multi- instrumentalist Simon Okely – has shared his new track, “I Would” from his forthcoming sophomore album, In A Mood, out June 9th. Listen to the song via Nylon below, along with a live version of the track recorded and filmed at New Market Studios.
Pre-Order In A Mood: Official store / iTunes / Amazon
Slow Dancer also recently released a new video for his stand out single “It Goes” on. The social worker by day, soulful songbird by night said of the video:
“I wrote the treatment for the ‘It Goes On video’ with my ex lover of 14 years. We wanted to explore what the things we choose say about us. I have a theory about writing love songs; they are a curse; they inadvertently herald the end of the very relationship they here intended to praise. In this instance, I was painfully correct.
“We filmed my sections in the room I’d just moved into fresh after the breakup. I took only a suitcase of clothes, my grandmother’s fan and my songwriting equipment. After the first edit of the video came back, I was embarrassed by how bare my room was in comparison to the couples’. My cheap, new, self-constructed furniture was void of any real character. It’s honest though – a guiding principal! – and now I’m kinda glad we captured that space at that time.”
“[‘Don’t Believe’ is a] soulful serenade to a detached lover, it blends laid-back drums, soft guitar and fuzzy, plucky synthesizers to make a smooth ’70s sound.” – NPR “silky smooth…spindly and soulful” – Stereogum
“Okely’s soulful, Stax-inflected vocals and stinging guitar work stand out in any crowd.” – Billboard “It’s all happening for fresh-faced indie-R&B upstart Slow Dancer, so you’d better go ahead and get acquainted with his music now” – Paste
“This is old-school, baby-making stuff.” – WFUV “”an album that seeps into your consciousness…In a Mood creates a blanket of sound, each layer blending smoothly, a sonic gradient of guitar, organ, strings, bass, and vocals.” – Noisey
Simon Okely is lost in time. Or at least, his songs as Slow Dancer sound that way: warm, near-whispered indie-rock love letters to the 60s and 70s rhythm and blues records his parents would play on family car rides down Australia’s winding west coast, heavy on nostalgia and even heavier on imagination. His 2014 debut Surrender was a melt-your-heart, Fleetwood Mac-with-Neil Young licks “pop postcard” from another time, another place. Now returning in 2017 with In A Mood, Okely is aiming even higher, featuring a “more expansive, more ambitious” sound that’s “less about the stories we tell ourselves when in love and more about the moods that can come creeping over a relationship” at any time. It’s no wonder his music is already striking a chord with fans of Mac DeMarco, Tobias Jesso Jr, Connan Mockasin and more, with his latest single accumulating over a quarter of a million Spotify streams in just a few weeks.
Okely grew up near West Australian city Perth, in a “tiny farming town” where, as a small kid, he would bring a toy ukulele to church every Sunday and strum along as though he was playing the hymns. After growing up and learning the guitar aged nine, he inherited his grandmother’s piano and gradually became fascinated with the intense, intimate folk of Nick Drake, rhythm and blues vanguards Otis Redding and Wilson Pickett and his parents’ favourite Van Morrison.
After moving to Melbourne in 2013, Okely began writing as Slow Dancer in 2014, naming the project after a lyric from a song on Surrender that was “essentially an instruction manual for slow dancing with someone who is experiencing apathy.” Key to the Slow Dancer sound is the environment Okely writes and records in: alone, entirely at night, in a bedroom that “somehow crams in a drum kit, a piano, some guitars, and a bed,” he laughs. “This has always been my journal, my love letter to the music I love. My concentration will always be on making the music that pleases me, and if it pleases other people too, that’s also great. It’s been a wonderful ride so far.”
Simon Okely is lost in time. You should get lost in time with him.
By atony|Posted in news, featured|Tagged slow dancer|Comments Off on Listen to a new song “I Would” from Slow Dancer’s album In A Mood (pre-order now)
Mexico City’s Rodrigo y Gabriela originally released their self-titled breakthrough album in 2006 and are now excited to announce a 10year anniversary deluxe edition for 2017 that will be released on March 31st via ATO Records. The deluxe edition will include a 2-LP set including both a re-mastered version of the original album and a 2006 performance, live from Olympia Theatre in Dublin.
Affectionately known to fans as “the Crocodile album”, the original record has sold nearly one million copies worldwide and the global success of the album, together with endless touring, established Rod & Gab as one of the most popular acoustic instrumental artists in the world.
They made worldwide TV appearances on David Letterman, Jools Holland and Austin City Limits among others, and have sold out tours of America, UK, France and Japan, including festival appearances at Bonnaroo and Glastonbury and multiple nights at the Royal Albert Hall, Hammersmith Apollo, Le Zenith (France), Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Radio City Music Hall (NYC) and the Hollywood Bowl.
“We are busy at work on our new record, but looking back at this album, it’s good to be reminded of how far we’ve come in ten years,” said Rodrigo. “We had some crazy times in Ireland, and made many great friends there,” added Gabriela. “The fans are so passionate about music, this is a thank you to them and our time in Dublin.”
Rodrigo y Gabriela was produced by John Leckie (My Morning Jacket, Radiohead, The Stone Roses) and mastered by Robyn Robins, who also did the re-master. The CD format will be a two CD + one DVD set including the re-mastered album, the live set and a concert film of the live set. The vinyl version will be a double album on 180-heavyweight vinyl. Pre-order it HERE.
By atony|Posted in news|Tagged Rodrigo y Gabriela, rod y gab|Comments Off on Rodrigo y Gabriela announce 10-year Anniversary Reissue of Self-Titled Breakthrough Album
We are very excited to welcome LA’s psychedelic soul masters Chicano Batman to the ATO family! You may have seen the band on tour recently with Alabama Shakes and Jack White or at festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. The new Chicano Batman album Freedom Is Free is out now.
Chicano Batman came out of L.A., four young men in vintage formalwear, playing songs that blended Brazilian Tropicalía with early ’70s psychedelic soul and the romantic pop of bands like Los Ángeles Negros. It was an immediately addictive sonic brew, and their reputation grew fast. Now, they’re making their boldest statement yet with Freedom Is Free.
Freedom Is Free reflects Chicano Batman’s decision to foreground the soul and R&B elements of their sound. To achieve their ambitious sonic goals, the quartet worked with producer Leon Michels (El Michels Affair, The Arcs) in his Diamond Mine Recording studio in Long Island City, NY. Michels, a veteran in the New York soul scene, has performed in Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, The Black Keys and The Menahan Street Band. In addition to tracking the album to analog tape, Michels contributed keyboards and his trademark horn arrangements (he’s been sampled by Jay-Z and Ghostface Killah).The partnership between Michels and Chicano Batman truly captures the band’s live energy and brings their aesthetic goals to life.
UPCOMING CHICANO BATMAN TOUR DATES
Feb 23 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile #
Feb 24 – Portland, OR – Star Theater #
Feb 25 – Eugene, OR – HiFi Music Hall #
Feb 26 – Arcata, CA – Arcata Theatre Lounge #
Mar 01 – Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s #
Mar 02 – San Jose, CA – The Ritz #
Mar 03 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore #
Mar 13 – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad $
Mar 19 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live Studio $
Mar 21 – Atlanta, GA – The EARL #
Mar 22 – Asheville, NC – The Mothlight #
Mar 23 – Chapel Hill, NC – Local 506 #
Mar 24 – Charlottesville, VA – The Southern #
Mar 25 – Washington, DC – Rock & Roll Hotel #
Mar 27 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Showcase Lounge #
Mar 28 – Boston, MA — The Sinclair #
Mar 31 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom #
Apr 01 – Philadelphia, PA – The Foundry @ The Fillmore #
Apr 02 – Pittsburgh, PA – James Street Ballroom #
Apr 04 – Toronto, ON – The Velvet Underground #
Apr 05 – Detroit, MI – El Club #
Apr 06 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Stache @ The Intersection #
Apr 07 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall #
Apr 08 – St. Louis, MO – The Firebird $
Apr 10 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater $
Apr 11 – Santa Fe, NM – Meow Wolf $
ATO Records was proud to have 5 of our young stand out artists this year at SXSW, including Benjamin Booker, Hurray For The Riff Raff, Chicano Batman, Nick Hakim and Slow Dancer. Each artist brought new songs to Austin’s Cedar Street Courtyard Thursday night at the festival. See below for photos by Nicole Fara Silver.
King Gizzard’s newest album FLYING MICROTONAL BANANA is out February 24 – pre-order now from ATO and get a free, limited edition King Gizzard zine. You’ll also instantly download “Rattlesnake”, “Nuclear Fusion”, and “Sleep Drifter” when you pre-order, and receive an early download of the album on February 20.
Flying Microtonal Banana is King Gizzard’s first-ever experience in microtonal tuning, which features intervals smaller than a semitone and not found in customary Western tuning octaves.
“Earlier this year we started experimenting with a custom microtonal guitar our friend Zak made for Stu,” further explained drummer Eric Moore. “The guitar was modified to play in 24-TET tuning and could only be played with other microtonal instruments. We ended up giving everyone a budget of $200 to buy instruments and turn them microtonal. The record features the modified electric guitars, basses, keyboards and harmonica as well as a turkish horn called a Zurna.” – Eric Moore
US TOUR DATES
3/29 – Washington DC – 9:30 Club^#
3/30 – Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero Theatre^#
3/31 – New York, NY – Webster Hall^#
4/2 – Boston, MA – Royale^#
4/3 – Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall^#
4/4 – Montreal, Canada – Fairmount Theatre^#
4/5 – Toronto, Canada – Danforth Theatre^#
4/6 – Detroit, MI – Magic Stick^#
4/7 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom^#
4/8 – Chicago, IL – Metro^#
4/9 – Seattle, WA – Neumos^
4/10 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre^
4/11 – Portland, OR – Revolution Hall^
4/12 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore^
4/14 – Indio, CA – Coachella
4/18 – Las Vegas, NV – The Pool at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas^
Joseph has added nine additional West Coast shows to its current tour, including a hometown show at Portland’s Crystal Ballroom on April 28. While on the West Coast, the trio of sisters will play Coachella for the first time, performing on April 14 and 21. The band will also perform at Bonnaroo, Hangout and many other 2017 festivals. Tickets for the newly added shows will go on sale this Friday, February 3. Head to http://smarturl.it/josephtour for full dates and ticket links.
In a recent live review, the Philly Voice said, “With the precision of master harmonizers, the [sisters] delivered rich vocals one song after another to an adoring World Café Live crowd. Super catchy ‘SOS (Overboard)’ was eaten up to its candy core by everyone in attendance as were the rest of the audio confections they served up.” The band is touring in support of its new album, I’m Alone, No You’re Not, which spent two weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart and was voted as one of 2016’s top albums by NPR listeners.
“The members of Portland trio Joseph — sisters Natalie, Allison and Meegan Closner — blend their voices in the eerily close way that only siblings seem able to accomplish,” said NPR, praising their mix of “swoony delicacy and punchy anthems.” PAPER praised Joseph’s “dark folk-pop that will make you cry (in the best, most cathartic way possible).” BUST observed, “Joseph has certainly arrived, and this is one sister act whose talent will stand the test of time.”
Joseph – North American Tour Dates
2/23 – Fayetteville, AR @ George’s Majestic *
2/24 – Dallas, TX @ Dada *
2/25 – Austin, TX @ The Parish *
2/26 – Houston, TX @ The Heights Theater *
3/1 – Athens, GA @ Georgia Theater *
3/2 – Asheville, NC @ Grey Eagle *
3/3 – Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theater *
3/4 – Cincinnati, OH @ 20th Century Theater *
3/7 – St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall *
3/8 – Kansas City, MO @ Madrid Theater *
3/10 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird +
3/11 – Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theater +
3/12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ State Room +
3/14 – Missoula, MT @ Top Hat Lounge +
3/15 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory –
3/16 – Bellingham, WA @ The Wild Buffalo House of Music –
3/18 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret –
4/12 – Visalia CA @ The Cellar Door
4/14 – Indio, CA @ Coachella
4/15 – Santa Cruz CA @ The Catalyst
4/21 – Indio, CA @ Coachella
4/22 – San Diego, CA @ Belly Up
4/23 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
4/24 – Petaluma, CA @ Mystic Theater
4/26 – Enterprise, OR @ OK Theater
4/27 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox
4/28 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
4/29 – Eugene, OR @ HiFi Music Hall
5/19 – 21 – Gulf Shores, AL @ Hangout Music Festival
6/8-11 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
