Philadelphia

In the Indiestry: Bantic Media’s Darren Walters

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Darren Walters knows DIY.
 
The 40-year-old Drexel University professor co-founded the legendary, Wilmington-based indie record label Jade Tree 20 years ago with nothing but ambition, idealism, restlessness, and limited funds. And since its 1991 inception, Jade Tree has procured a solid roster of boldly talented acts in the post-hardcore/noise/straight edge/emo/punk/melo-core family tree (check it: Cap’n Jazz, Kid Dynamite, Jets to Brazil, The Promise Ring, and Alkaline Trio, just to name a few).
 
The Wilmington resident is invoking the same DIY ethos with Bantic Media, the student-run artist development company/class in Drexel’s music industry program he started over two years ago and now oversees. But, unlike Jade Tree, Bantic’s mission is not as narrowed. In fact, its services reach well beyond the scope of a standard record label, touching on not only album releases, but touring support, film premieres, and release parties. It’s open to musicians, videographers, filmmakers, merchandisers, and event planners alike–wherever there is a relative, fillable need. And, so far in its short existence, Bantic has put its golden stamp on three blossoming (in their own right) artists: The Loved Ones‘ Dave Hause, who, at the start of his solo career, released a three-track 7-inch through Bantic in 2010 (the company’s first project); Philly’s smutty girl garage outfit Slutever, who’s releasing a limited edition 7-inch, Pretend to be Nice on March 29; and former Deli Band of the Month, When I Was 12, who’s releasing their indie twee-pop inspired limited 7-inch, "Eponymous" on Record Store Day, April 16. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Bantic is in talks with some filmmakers about "doing interesting things," and outreach efforts to artists about potential merchandising and music will begin in the next month. So there’s a bright future on the horizon for this student-run, Walters-led entity. We had a chance to chat with Walters about Bantic Media, what sets it apart from other artist development companies, and why pickles are just inherently awesome HERE.
 
New England

Eksi Ekso new LP, “Brown Shark, Red Lion” Out Now!

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Eksi Ekso

Boston’s Eksi Ekso new LP, Brown Shark, Red Lion was released last week via Mylene Sheath (label home to Giants, Caspian, and more.) Paired with a 28 page book of artwork, the album tells the story of a photographer and amateur astronomer who disappeared mysteriously in Eastern Turkey in the late 1800’s.

Brown Shark, Red Lion shows a band comfortable exploring areas of orchestral pop (with a nine-piece chamber orchestra), synth-soaked dance, and hard-hitting rock in ways that can appeal to the crowd who just want a catchy vocal line as well as the kids who go to the front of the stage to see what’s in a band’s pedal boards. The vocals are memorable and well-arranged, the melodic instruments make hooks out of refreshingly atypical chords and melodies, the rhythm section pummels with a deft blend of creativity and back-beat. Strings and brass are not haphazard novelties that show up when the band runs out of ideas; they propel the song when need be or billow beneath the din when subtlety is best.

Eksi Ekso will be playing at 10pm Saturday, March 26, at The Rosebud Bar in Somerville. The line-up is as follows:

9pm – Electric Laser People
10pm – Eksi Ekso
11pm – St. Helena
12am – KNTRLR (Brooklyn)

–Chrissy Prisco

New England

Vermont’s Bonjour-Hi! Release their debut, “Banana EP”

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Bonjour-Hi

BONJOUR-HI!, the innovative Burlington/Montreal DJ collective noted for their energetic, collaborative live shows, has released their debut, Banana EP.  This is their first official release and represents the culmination of their influences from holding dance parties across four continents and playing alongside notable acts such as Chromeo, Ninjasonik, and many others.  Their Banana EP is a collection of original tracks with a tropical bass influence set to make you get up and dance.
The EP was co-produced by Craig Mitchell and was released on Tuesday, March 22, 2011 by Burlington, VT label, Slanted Black Records.


“The whole BONJOUR-HI! crew is super excited for the release of our debut EP.  We’ve worked really hard on it, it’s great to see the record getting looks from DJs that have been inspiring us for years,” said Tomie Marosy, founding member of BONJOUR-HI!.

Banana EP is available on Beatport exclusively for the next two weeks. It will be available on iTunes and all other major download locations shortly after.

Click here for "Arabesque Friday Night — BONJOUR-HI remix" a free bonus download!

–Chrissy Prisco

Austin

From the Open Blog: Norushi Minx!

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Austin-based dream pop band Norushi Minx will provide a SXSW hangover cure show on Friday, March 25 at the ND @ 501 Studios. Norushi Minx is vocalist/guitarist Huyen and bassist V. Marc Fort (Schatzi, Bo Bud Greene, The Fuckemos) joined by friends: guitarist Mike Vlahakis (Dynamite Hack), guitarist Jon Sanchez (Roky Erickson, Paraguay) and drummer Jared Hoffman. Norushi Minx will debut material from their second EP to be released this summer, as well as a Cocteau Twins cover.

Norushi Minx drop their bliss-inducing noise pop at 10:30 p.m. Paraguay – featuring Sanchez and Claire Hamilton – headline the show at 12:30 a.m. The Low Lows (Austin via NYC) rock at 11:30 p.m. and Glad We Were open the show at 9:30 p.m.

(Ed.: this post taken from Norushi Minx’s post on our DIY Open Blog, check out other Open Blog posts in the Deli Kitchen.)

NYC

Lenka moves to Brooklyn, announces sophomore album + mini tour

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The other day in Austin I was talking with some friends about the fact that right now in Brooklyn there are a ton of new and gorgeously talented solo female acts (we were thinking about Lia Ices, Sharon Van Etten, Alex Winston, MNDR and Oh Land amongst many many many others). Well it turns out that there is one more I wasn’t aware of: Australia born popstress/actress Lenka, who recently moved to every rocker’s favorite neighborhood – Brooklyn. Lenka will release her sophomore album on April 19 and has just released a new video of the single "Heart Skips a Beat" (check it out down here). She will also be on a little mini West Coast tour starting April 1 to preview songs from "Two"

 

Philadelphia

Kurt Vile & the Violators Open for J. Mascis at WCL March 23

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Smoke Ring for My Halo, Kurt Vile’s latest effort for Matador Records and our Album of the Month, is a solid record compact with torn jeans charm, sonic distorts, and layered grinds (check out our review here). It’s a mountain range of innovation and inexhaustible display of complexity. But what else do you expect from the local golden boy and his merry men (backers, The Violators)? After all, Vile’s bag o’ tricks (a.k.a personal effects & pedals) was stolen last Saturday night at SXSW, but it didn’t stop him and his crew from turning out a stripped stellar performance at the Austin fest. You can watch him tear down any pretense tonight downstairs at World Café Live, where he’ll provide opening support for the legendary J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. fame. It’s a match made in distortion heaven. World Café Live (Downstairs), 3025 Walnut St., 8pm, $19 – $29, All Ages – Annamarya Scaccia
 
Philadelphia

Rockers! w/Lillie Ruth Bussey at Tritone March 23

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Oh, Lillie Ruth Bussey – you bewitching songstress! I can’t help but get excited when I see her name on a bill. Tonight she will be joining experimental politically conscious hip hop thrashers The Mighty Paradocs for their monthly “Rockers!” showcase at Tritone. I can honestly say that I never know what will happen at a Lillie Ruth Bussey performance, but I am never disappointed. (Well, maybe except when she takes so goddamn long to set up her happy place on stage cutting her sets short.) She truly is an artist that can sonically capture a whole spectrum of emotions in one evening. I love when I’m at a music venue, art space, laundromat, or on the street watching her perform and hear a buzz from the crowd around me asking who she is. I know that they realize she’s the real deal, and the setup time and costume change was all worth it. Tritone, 1508 South St., 9pm, $7, 21+ (Photo by Hannah La) – H.M. Kauffman
 

Portland

Vincent Moon’s An Island at Valentine’s Thursday!

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If you keep up with Blogotheque at all, you love Vincent Moon. If you watch anything by Vincent Moon, you probably love him. Moon has a way of sirenely capturing the very air of the moment with his camera, stealing songs from the very tongues of some of our favourite musicians and replaying it with the most gentle touch. Recently, Efterklang got together with Vincent to chronicle the music and community that blooms on the Danish Island Als, simply entitled An Island. That feeling of community doesn’t stop at the film. Around the world, private-public screenings have been scheduled to meld with the mood of the film itself. Small communties in homes and bars and venues where people can meet each other and kind of melt into the film. Portland’s very own screening of An Island is scheduled to show at Valentine’s this Thursday, March 24th! The film starts at 8pm sharp, it’s free, and DJ Womb Service is spinning some good tunes post-screening for your listening fancy. –MH

From the mouth of Efterklang/Vincent Moon:

"The community feeling has been a driving force for Efterklang & Vincent Moon throughout the An Island project. In the film itself you see Efterklang arriving to the Danish Island Als (where three of the four core members grew up) and here engage in collaborations with more than 200 local islanders including Efterklang’s own parents. 

The idea behind the Private-Public Screenings is also more than just distributing a film. It is about community. The Private-Public Screenings create a platform where people can meet in each others homes and on common ground which is the love for music and film. A thought and project that has proved its worth by far. The many group photos at An Island’s photo site shows how a community can exist in a global and very big world."

See you there!

 

Chicago

Deep Earth

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The trio know as Deep Earth is back with their first studio release. Armed with their syncopated and harmonious soundscapes, the trio is looking to put Chicago into a trance with House of Mighty. This cassette is now available their the Minn. label Moon Glyph, and is a spacey psychedelic trip through the Chicago underground. This sound fits perfect with what we have been hearing from other like-minded musicians like Gatekeeper and even the recent release from Netherfriends. The label has released 150 copies of this cassette so grab yours today. Also you can expect a split 7" with Deep Earth and the Minneapolis group Food Pyramid later this year.

Philadelphia

Chris Forsyth’s LP Release Show at KFN March 23

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Chris Forsyth will be celebrating tonight at Kung Fu Necktie the release of his third solo album Paranoid Cat and first for record label Family Vinyard, which drops on Tuesday, March 29 and features guest appearances by emerging artists Mike Pride, Nate Wooley, and Koen Holtkamp, among others. You probably know him primarily for his work with experimental trio Peeesseye, and this evening he has assembled the Paranoid Cat Band, whose members include Mike Pride, Peter Kerlin, Don Bruno, and Hans Chew, to help him bring his latest effort to fruition in a live setting. Below is a track from the album called "New Pharmacist Boogie (For Jack)" for you to check out, which was inspired by the late, great local guitar hero Jack Rose who was a close friend and collaborator. Tonight’s lineup will also include a solo set by D. Charles Speer (a.k.a. Dave Shuford), Pigeons, and Vapour Theories (a.k.a. Mike and John Gibbons of Bardo Pond) as well as DJ Max Milgrim spinning tunes throughout the evening. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 Front St., 8pm, $8, 21+ (Photo by Peter Davidson) – Alexis V.
 

New Pharmacist Boogie (for Jack) by Chris Forsyth

NYC

Indian Rebound play Party Xpo on March 26

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Bucking the trends and uniting disparate genres in an unlikely marriage, native Brooklyn band Indian Rebound have proven you don’t have to trade in your balls to get down with surf rock, and have done all our ears a favor in doing so.
Singer/Guitarist Ethan Levenson & drummer John Kallen have discovered a sweet groove lying somewhere between nuggets-style garage rock and last year’s beach pop craze, proving you can sound sweet and pretty and still pack some heat. It’s like At The Drive In started listening to Real Estate, dialing down the ‘epic’ a bit while keeping all the charm intact.
Check out their self-released debut EP at their bandcamp and head on over to Party Xpo this Saturday at 7pm to check them out. – Mike Levine (@goldnuggets)

Nashville

Road to Bonnaroo Part 2 @ Mercy Lounge, 3/21/11

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Cheer Up Charlie Daniels is off to see the ‘roo after playing a raucous set Monday night. Round two had its good, bad and ugly along with lots of extra people cluttered onstage for many of the sets and the usual desperate theatrics. It began with The Pink Spiders‘ infuriatingly infectious pop rock hooks. They shredded with a flashing sign behind them bearing their moniker and welcomed onstage tambourine-toting minions who danced through the crowd on the last song. The dreadlocks and wild arm flailing of Born Empty shattered that vibe and plunged us into a heavy, Incubus-like sonic stupor that would have been well-suited to Bonnaroo before Cheer Up Charlie Daniels piled onstage to deliver their musical variety show.

Keegan DeWitt managed to walk away as first runner-up, either because of some hooky songcraft or a shower of shiny, cheap confetti. Leroy Powell, the second runner-up, took the stage next, and hidden under a hat and dark shades, delivered enough heated blues riffs to cut through anybody’s drunken warm fuzzies. Here comes the bad – sadly, Brandon Jazz and His Armed Forces had to forfeit due to an untimely computer crash. Rotten luck, especially considering the time and effort he put into the show’s preparation.

As for the ugly, that could easily be the hideously awesome pants worn by The Captain Midnight Band during their strange and gritty funk rock. Finally, Big Surr‘s itty frontwoman closed with a big bang; though they were last, the band still had a loyal cluster of fans up front for four songs of revving, punkish indie rock. – Jessica Pace