Gardens & Villa is the project of five college friends from Santa Barbara, formed following the collapse of a noisier post-punk band and a hitch-hiking journey up the west coast. Members Chris Lynch, Adam Rasmussen, Levi Hayden, Shane McKillop began playing in earnest as Gardens & Villa in 2008. The name is pulled from the location of their house on Villa Street, and the property's lovely garden to which they tend. The music they make is very much connected to coastal city they call home -- the bike rides, dance parties, a scene free of judgment. The band refers to this Santa Barbara feeling as "coco vibes." For two weeks in the summer of 2010, the band camped behind visionary and now-labelmate Richard Swift's Oregon studio. No shower, no kitchen, but all the magic you could ask for. After taking a band oath to always play all parts live -- a la Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense -- the band added member Dusty Ineman to supremely execute the live incarnation of the band.
Download “Star Fire Power” HERE.
07/29/11 Philadelphia, PA - Voyeur Nightclub w/ Craft Spells, Jamie xx, DOM
07/30/11 New York, NY - The Mercury Lounge w/ Craft Spells, Selebrities
07/31/11 Allston, MA - Great Scott w/ Craft Spells, The Dirty Dishes
08/01/11 Montreal, QC - Casa del Popolo w/ Craft Spells
08/02/11 Toronto, ON - The Drake Hotel
08/03/11 Pontiac, MI - Vernors Room at the Crofoot
08/04/11 Bloomington, IN - The Bishop w/ Dom and Qur'an Qur'an
08/05/11 St. Louis, MO - The Gramaphone
08/06/11 Kansas City, KS - Kansas Speedway
08/08/11 Wichita, KS - Rock Island Live w/ Too Femme
08/09/11 Fort Worth, TX - Lola's Saloon Sixth
08/10/11 Austin, TX - The Mohawk: Indoors
08/12/11 Phoenix, AZ - The Sail Inn w/ Dry River Yacht Club, Adam Arcuragi & the Lupine Chorale Society, The Whisper Lights
08/30/11 Costa Mesa, CA - MESA
09/18/11 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive w/ Youth Lagoon
09/20/11 Ames, IA - The Maintenance Shop w/ Youth Lagoon
09/22/11 Urbana, IL - Pygmalion Festival
09/27/11 Atlanta, GA - Masquerade: Purgatory Stage w/ Youth Lagoon
09/28/11 Charlotte, NC - Snug Harbor w/ Youth Lagoon
10/05/11 Grantham, PA - An Evening with Messiah College: Larsen Student Union
10/06/11 Grand Rapids, MI - Calvin College: Ladies Literary Club w/ Youth Lagoon
10/07/11 Chicago, IL - The Empty Bottle w/ Youth Lagoon
10/08/11 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry w/ Youth Lagoon
10/11/11 Seattle, WA - The Sunset
10/12/11 Portland, OR - Holocene
10/14/11 Los Angeles, CA - The Satellite