Lo-Fi NYC artists on the rise: Radical Dads play Coco66 on 03.23
Injecting their Lo-Fi approach to indie rock with various influences including Modest Mouse, Pavement, Sonic Youth and (in particular in the song associated with this video) Jane’s Addiction, Radical Dads is one of the most interesting new names coming out of Brooklyn’s DIY scene. Their next show is on March 23 at Coco66.
Free Download: “Live at Pilam in Philadelphia” – Tadoma
Billboard.com Interviews Biz Stone & ?uestlove for Twitter’s 5th Anniversary
Free Download: “Spirit” (Pink Skull Remix) – Arc In Round
Cross Record and Another New Calligraphy
Local label and publisher Another New Calligraphy recently announced the signing of the hauntingly beautiful Emily Cross (aka Cross Record). Late last year Emily released a series of free singles through bandcamp as Cross Record that were charming and entrancing that the local label could not resist. ANC will be releasing Emily’s debut album Magnetic Current on April 19th.
In the last two months Emily has shared the stage with Thin Hymns, Pillars & Tongues, Can.Ky. Ree, and other like minded bands. She is well on her way to having a great emergence this year.
Live Performance Videos from NPR of Man Man & Kurt Vile at SXSW!
Meijin’s SXSW day 3
On my third day of SXSW, I was showing clear signs of slowing down (temperature in the 80s hasn’t helped). Despite my zombie state, I sauntered over to Beso Cantina for the Moheak Radio party, a station for whom I DJ, to show support; there, Austin’s Tony Scalzo and the Familiar Strangers were crooning convincingly. Next, was the Baeblemusic Party at The Phoenix.
The Rural Alberta Advantage, Toronto’s indie trio, soothed the audience with dreamy harmonies. The Boxer Rebellion, whose members are from Tennessee, England, and Australia, engaged with their rock with a twang, and warmed the crowd up for Norwegian headliners electro-rock band, Datarock (top picture), who pranced about in matching red sweat suits and sunglasses, promoting their new single, “Catcher in the Rye.” After a taco break at Chupacabra, I hailed a cab to the 21st Street Co-Op, a group of dorm-style quarters with rooms dedicated to live performances. I paid a visit to virtuosic Brooklynites, Apollo Run and hopped downtown again to Club De Ville for LA’s Gram Rabbit (picture below), whose twists on cowboy get-ups and interpretive dancer wearing a bunny suit, combined with their danceable and echoing electro-rock, consistently make them a band to note.
Another trip to the Co-Op landed me mid-set for NY’s duo, Hank and Cupcakes (pictured below) and my night’s closers, Black Taxi. An “early” 1am evening seemed like a good idea in anticipation for the following day, the last of SXSW. – Meijin Bruttomesso
The Non-Commissioned Officers, “Money Looking For Thieves”
The Non-Commissioned Officers are going to use their synthesizers, damn it. And they’ll use them to resurrect the spirit of British ’80s glam pop. Money Looking for Thieves, the band’s second album released March 11, sounds like the soundtrack for a Bowie-guided tour through the Labyrinth or a slick nightclub Talking Heads would have frequented. The drums are crisp and the feedback is transparent as the sextet emulates Peter Gabriel, The Smiths and occasionally The Police.
Thieves is a synthesized playground that shimmers and pops from the drizzly buzz and clean percussion of “Party for 40 Bucks” to the quivering noise of “Salt of Earth” with its vacant, western-influenced guitar pluck echoing over Eric Lehning’s solemn croon. At times the album seems a little pleased with itself, particularly with “Fair Verona” and “Take Me to Your Teacher” which have a Bowie-like vanity and grandeur, but that comes with the territory.
Standouts include the opener “The Message” in which Lehning gets wordy spouting hyped-up poetic rhymes, or “Rich Stuff,” the album’s poppiest number that would be right at home at an ’80s high school dance. It’s a guilty pleasure, but it’s well-executed and polished, which is true for the entire album. – Jessica Pace
Free Download: “Motorcycle” (Demo) – Hair Rocket
The Dead Milkmen Release New Album The King In Yellow!
Uh Huh Her, free music, new EP, and tour dates
If you were ever a fan of The L word, you may remember seeing Leisha Hailey as the character Alice. We’ll shes back, Leisha that is, as one half of the electro-dance-pop-amazing duo Uh Huh Her along with fellow stellar musician Camila Grey.
Working on their forthcoming full length Nocturnes, the dreamy "Same High" was included on the soundtrack of the Oscar nominated movie, The Kids are Alright. And after hearing "Same High" flavored with 80’s dance and synth pop, it was no surprise to me that the duo enlisted Wendy Melvoin (Prince & the Revolution) for co-production duties. These ladies released The Black and Blue EP earlier this week to whet their fan’s appetites, in case you couldn’t wait for the full length. The band has made the title track "Black and Blue" a free download over on SoundCloud while "Never the Same" can be scored for free too via Nylon Magazine.
If scoring 1/3 of the EP makes you want to grab it, you have two options: the digital download through the band’s store or the physical copy that you can only get your paws on by seeing the band live on tour. Uh Huh Her will be playing 4/01 @ The El Ray in LA and 4/02 @ Velvet Jones in Santa Barbara.
-Angelo Lorenzo