Philadelphia

FREE Strand of Oaks Release Party at Marvelous! March 4

Posted on:

What started off as a curated event by Strand of Oaks a.k.a. Timothy Showalter has turned into a last minute record release party for our much-buzzed about singer-songwriter! Come celebrate the physical release of Pope Killdragon at Marvelous! this evening and grab yourself a copy (vinyl and/or CD) of this fine album! The evening will be kicked-off by Brandon Morsberger laying down some slide blues guitar. Then Oaks will be performing some tunes, hustling some albums, doing a Q&A about synths, and toasting the night away while the drinks flow. His buddies Golden Ages are closing out the evening with some swirling, blissed-out jams. It’s a PARTY, BYOB, and FREE so you have no excuses not to swing by and join us in many toasts! See you there. Marvelous! Music, 208 South 40th St., 8pm, FREE, All Ages – Q.D. Tran
 

Chicago

Ami Saraiya and The Outcome

Posted on:

One of the more distinct voices in town belongs to Ami Saraiya. She mixes jazz-filled vocals with an edge that is powerful. On her new ep she has teamed up with The Outcome to establish a sound that is rather eclectic.  Ami wrote these songs will working the nightshift as a nurse se at Illinois Masonic.

Ami Saraiya and The Outcome will be celebrating the release on March 10th at Schubas with Jared Bartman and Julie Meckler.

Nashville

The Apache Relay @ Exit/In, 3/1/11

Posted on:

How does a group celebrate being a band for two years? The Apache Relay does it to a packed crowd at the Exit/In while opening for the legendary Philly-based G. Love & Special Sauce. Not too shabby for such a young band that got their name from a movie about fat camp. This was an epic show for these Nashville rockers, and they jumped to the occasion to deliver a high-octane set that built from the very beginning to the should-have-been encore. Their songs are mature and their riffs are locked down tighter than most two year old bands. The only real downfall was that they didn’t play longer than they were allowed.

This band is more than a tight sound and solid songs; they were also a blast to watch. For their opening number I saw two drummers, one sitting, and one pouncing on pre-positioned toms placed around the stage. I must have seen each member pull out three different instruments during this show – no wonder this band sounds huge on stage. Turning around and taking a look at the venue showed people on the upper deck standing and hanging off the edge during guitar solos and breakdowns. With the fluidity of the set and a demeanor that stands above their peers, The Apache Relay is at the front of the pack in this race. This band is a pastiche of the best things about our favorite genres of music, and I know I am not the only one who is planning on grabbing their album on April 12th. They held their own in this great venue and had a huge following. Oh yeah, and G. Love rocked too. – Beau Welsh

Philadelphia

FREE First Friday Event at DDG & Younglove’s March 4

Posted on:

Danger Danger Gallery is having a FREE First Friday event this evening in West Philly along with their next door neighbors Younglove’s. They’ll have music provided for you by Gypsy Death and You, Omar, Motorcycle Maus, Roman a Clef (Ryan Newmyer from A Sunny Day in Glasgow), Bridge Underwater, A Fair Few, and Flat Mary Road. You can also view an art exhibit by painter Mat Tomezsko, who will attempt to answer the age-old question “What do West Philadelphians look like?” in a series of 14 spray paint, oil, and acrylic paintings on wood. Sarahjane Patwell will be doing a film shoot to immortalize the evening. Free refreshments will be served. Sounds like a good time in my book, and if you’re low on the flow, it will be even better! Danger Danger Gallery/Younglove, 5011-5013 Baltimore Ave., 7pm, FREE, All Ages – H.M. Kauffman
 
Philadelphia

The Love Club Open for Akron/Family at The Blockley March 4

Posted on:

Love is in the air tonight at The Blockely. Philly’s own psychedelic popsters The Love Club will be opening up for Akron/Family, who are touring on their newly released Akron/Family II album. The Love Club is the perfect opener for this weirdo folk troupe who continues to raise eyebrows with their bizarre press releases and constant mystique. The Love Club are hard to pin down musically, but lets say that broadly they sound like an Olivia Tremor Control song with Sun Ra Arkestra soloing on top for basically the entire time. While that might sound like it could get distracting, knowing Sun Ra Arkestra’s distinctive playing, the saxophone fits surprisingly well into the oddball pop songs. All of this, with some hazy, Pavement-esque vocals makes this one incredibly eclectic but tasty musical sundae. The Blockley, 3801 Chestnut St., 8pm, $7, 21+ – Adam G.
 
NYC

Weekly Interview: Food Will Win The War – Rockwood Hall Rersidency in March

Posted on:

Painting enigmatic conversations as surreal portraits with his trademark baritone, Rob Ward’s band Food Will Win the War explores a space Iargely unexplored even in Brooklyn’s dense music scene. There’s a delicate balance in this music between the fun of surrealist fantasy and the acceptance of life’s realities. This is a man whose lyrics speak of traveling to far off destinations, even as the music speaks of already being home. Don’t miss the band’s residency at Rockwood Music Hall on March 10 and 24. – Read Mike Levine’s interview with Rob Ward here.

NYC

Grooms announce release of sophomore album “Prom”

Posted on:

Brooklyn indie rockers Grooms are ready to drop their sophomore album Prom, with the record being slated for a July 12th release. Plenty of time then for us to prepare by revisiting their much-lauded debut record Rejoicer, reading lyrics from Prom that the band have been previewing via groomsmusic.blogspot.com or checking out their Myspace where you can hear an ardent cover of Chris Isaac’s ‘Wicked Game’ which demonstrates some of the Sonic Youth-y textures they’ve become known for. A sleepy number, the song most probably came from the late night Prom sessions where the band reportedly slept in sleeping bags on the studio floor. But despite this, we’ve been promised a “more mature, unique, adventurous, and most of all, accessible record than Rejoicer” to look forward to. Dean Van Nguyen (@deanvannguyen)

Philadelphia

FREE Kurt Vile and the Violators Show at AKA Music March 4

Posted on:

The latest Matador release from Philly’s “constant hitmaker”, Kurt Vile hasn’t even hit the shelves yet, and already Smoke Ring For My Halo has received a nice amount of recognition. NPR has been streaming the entire album here. In honor of the albums official release on March 8th, Vile announced a mini tour of record stores across the U.S., and it wouldn’t be complete without a stopover at a hometown favorite. AKA Music will be hosting Vile and the Violators this evening. This show will be a perfect event to add onto your First Friday Arts Crawl itinerary, and it will also be a great opportunity to see them in an intimate setting before they pack up for bigger rooms and a dream tour with J Mascis (which hits World Café Live on March 23). But first, check out what’s in Kurt Vile’s bag below. Remember to get to AKA early because this show is going to be packed! AKA Music, 27 N. 2nd St., 7pm, FREE, All Ages – Bill McThrill
 

Philadelphia

Conversation with Enemies Bring Summer Cheer at Millcreek Tavern March 4

Posted on:

So this weather sure has been jerking us around, hasn’t it? One day it’s spring and the next I can’t feel my toes. But that’s the beauty about a band like Conversations with Enemies. No matter the season, their groovy rhythms, surf guitar, and joyous trumpets remind you of those prime summer days when you had plenty of friends and no responsibilities. Corey Duncan, former Pattern Is Movement guitarist, is the man behind Oh! Pears, who utilize their 13-person line-up to sculpt some of the most densely orchestrated folk-pop you’re likely to hear. Listen to the dizzying ascent of “Fill Your Lungs” for a taste. Bensalem rockers Cow Pals sound lighthearted for the most part, but it’s easy to sense a little sinister edge underneath, like in the spaghetti western-ish “It Was Hard”. Millcreek Tavern, 4200 Chester Ave., 9pm, $10, 21+ – Joe Poteracki

L.A.

The Body Rampant to appear on DJ Rossstar Punk Rock Show Wednesday, March 9th

Posted on:

Perhaps I’m jaded or maybe my tastes have changed, but LA seems to breed fewer talented rock groups than in past years (I remember the excitement of circulating a bootleg of Saosin’s white album in highschool, or seeing A Static Lullaby locally.) J.M. Lopez’s solo project turned rock band, The Body Rampant, is restoring a bit more hope to my ears.With a style that can only be described as an updated version of the "Drive Thru" sound, conjuring the melodies of The Early November, Hidden In Plain View, the band hit the studio with producer Casey Bates (Gatsbys American Dream, Portugal. The Man, MxPx, Chiodos) for their EP, Transient Years, due early April.

Catch the band on DJ RossStar’s Punk Rock Show next Wednesday, or head over to the band’s MySpace to listen to two tracks from the EP.

-Angelo Lorenzo

L.A.

Best of LA #31-Black Apples

Posted on:

 We continue our "Best of LA Countdown", covering each day another artist that made our Year Ends Best of LA Poll list (a chart compiled by a jury comprised of local bloggers, music writers, promoters, record store personnel, DJs, and our writers and readers).

Recently featured as our "CD of The Month", The Black Apples are fully backed by The Deli. These Echo Park natives take the influence of gritty, New York City style rock and combine it with the psychedelic garage sounds of the West Coast. Far-out reverbs, skate thrash, and rock ‘n’ roll angst never gets old. Catch the guys playing at Bootleg Theater on March 23rd, and The Echoplex on April 22nd.

 

Chicago

Urge Overkill is Back!

Posted on:

Six months ago we brought news that Urge Overkill was working on a new album and gave you a sample in the form of the track "Effigy". Now, we have concrete details. The album will titled Rock&Roll Submarine and will be released on May 10th on their own label UO Records.

The reformed lineup is made up of original singer-guitarists/songwriters Eddie “King” Roeser and Nash Kato, along with drummer Bonn Quast (Polvo; The Cherry Valence) and bassist Hadji Hodgkiss (Gaza Strippers).

Urge Overkill will be performing at The Bottom Lounge on May 20th.