Six Christmases ago, when Mariah McManus was 13 years old, her father gifted her with various instruments. She taught herself how to play, picked up on songwriting and began working with other burgeoning musicians. Today, the 19-year-old indie pop/folk vocalist is gearing up to release her debut album, “Nice To Meet You.” The 10-track autobiographical album brings the listener into McManus’ head and heart. “I wrote this album to say everything I didn’t get to say,” she noted. “Releasing this record is a dream come true and I have been preparing for this moment in my life for a very long time.” With breathy vocals over pop hooks and folk-style melodies, she shares the typical teenage angst of love and heartbreak in songs like “Shame On You” and “Say It Again”. “Nice To Meet You” will be released on September 27th, the same day as her performance at the Hotel Café in Los Angeles. Catch her in action for yourself. – Nicole Dawley
Austin City Limits Spotlight: Cowboy + Indian
One of the more talked about new bands coming out of Austin, Cowboy and Indian will be performing at Austin City Limits this Saturday, September 17th.
Initially a power duo, Jesse Plemons (vocals, guitar, harmonica) and Jazz Mills (vocals, headdress extraordinaire) met up with Leopold and His Fiction frontman Daniel James (vocals, guitar, keys) in the spring of 2010. Since their debut, musicians Stephanie Hunt (vocals), Peder Gilham (bass, vocals) and Dorian Colbert (drums) have contributed to the current lineup.
Carrying ‘70s rock influences enveloped in lush acoustics and Native American war paint, Cowboy and Indian combines eclectic folk compositions with a sense of Americana storytelling. “Troubled Tracks,” one of several songs that comprise their soon set to release full-length album, submerges the listener in sultry, pre-war blues melodies and pushes spacious harmonies to the forefront. As far as their live shows, there is a constant, reassuring ebb and flow to the set lists and members alike. “We have never had one show exactly the same [as another],” says Jazz. “The set changes according to which band members are at the show. It keeps both us and the audience guessing.” If you’re going, make sure to catch Cowboy and Indian as they take the Austin Ventures stage at 1:00 PM.
–Whitney LeFevre
New Music Video: “Wild Palms” – Sun Airway
Below is the official music video for Sun Airway’s “White Palms,” the A-side to their latest single. Looks like it was shot in the First Unitarian Church, and you’ll have plenty of Jon Barthmus to go around for those ladies and gents who can’t get enough of him. The video was directed by Klip Collective’s Ricardo Rivera (who you might as well consider part of the band), and premiered earlier today via MTV Hive. (Photo by David Turcotte)
Sun Airway
Get More: Sun Airway, MTV Hive
Emil & Friends premiere single “Prescriptions”, play Pianos on 09.15 (tonight)
Sleepy and quirkily unpredictable, Emil & Friends apply the Beck lesson to dream-pop. Emil Hewitt’s brainchild group is about to release its debut album "Lo & Behold" in October, and Rolling Stone today is premiering the first single entitled "Prescriptions" here. Emil & Friends will be playing their last date of a month long residency at Pianos on 09.15 (tonight).
New Track: “undulate” – True Gold
DRIVE
The start of Nicolas Winding Refn’s film, Drive, is quiet and mechanic. It’s all clicks, clunks, revs, reverberations, deep buzzy rumbles, keys clanking, locks turning, gears changing, time ticking – cool, calculated, exact method unfolding. It’s clean and sober and you like it, from the top.
The quiet simplicity, the calculated core of this movie, shifts and carries on to the blackout quiet thunder of a notable score. And if, like me, you’re from Portland, chilly goose bumps will run their tight ranks on your forearms because you’ll hear it instantly – Johnny Jewel’s lustrous Itali-touch coasting alongside Driver and his crackers veracity.
Jewel and Refn have collaborated before with Refn’s 2008 film, Bronson. If you’ve seen that film, you know the muscle of the love affair between that singular Glass Candy track and the film. It’s pure nightclub poetry, as per the usual. But the alliance is pitch bloody perfect, just as it is here. Jewel has contributed just a couple of songs to the Drive soundtrack; Chromatics’ Tick of the Clock and Desire’s Under Your Spell, but he leaves his restrained mark, sincerely.
Drive is like a good dream gone horrific, but I don’t want to give anything away. Just know that it unravels exquisitely, as thoughtfully mechanized and automatic as it is, and it’s edited with a scalpel. The vibe is distant, yet physical. Touchable. The film slows down and lets you love it for what it is: equal parts Hollywood love story, existential driving movie, odyssey, action movie, Americana grindhouse, neo-noir, weird Lynchian cult classic.
That being said, there is not one thing defunct about this film. Not the car chases, not the love story, not the new-wave hot pink credits, not the itali-disco meets electro-synth score, not even the nutty – face flattening with a boot sole – Taxi Driver violence. Somehow, it’s all contemporary and chillingly fresh. Meticulously whole. It will reignite your love for commercial film, for the rev of an engine, for Ryan Gosling (as if you needed that), and for swanky, damaged disco. Just go see it. –Morgan Brothers
Little Black Rainclouds Forecasted at Emoda Gallery Sept. 15
Tonight locals Little Black Rainclouds will be performing at Emoda Gallery. The band features members of Dangerous Ponies and Bonjour. Now, with influences from Dangerous Ponies in the mix, you can expect some adorably infectious jangly upbeat indie pop, and Little Black Rainclouds certainly delivers with song likes “Florida” and “Don’t Sleep in Brooklyn” providing a most enjoyable balance between their shade of grey lyrics and hints of hope instrumentation. They’ll be hosting Baltimore acts noise-psych two-piece Weekends (Friends Records) and Neutron Bomb as well as former Philly natives now Brooklynites Snakes Say Hisss (Famous Class Records). Emoda Gallery, 3rd and Moore St., 8pm, $5, All Ages – H.M. Kauffman
OTP — Record Release at Middle East Up 9/9/2011
Local folk-punk act OTP headlined the Middle East upstairs last Friday night to celebrate the release of their new record, Where/We’re/Found, and regaled the surprisingly visceral crowd with some shiny new material. The album features 100 different album covers which were all colored in by mentally challenged adults, and was mixed and recorded by Luke Sullivan of Left Hand Does. The band shared the bill with Jay Knox Sherman, City of Squares, Adam and the Waxmen and Trebek, playing to a sizable crowd that seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. While it’s pure folly to try and deduce who came to see who, one thing that I can state with absolute certainty, is that nobody left early.
Click here to read the rest of the OTP show review by Andrew Jeromski.
Hank & Cupcakes record in Europe + tour + play Mercury on 10.08
Hot off nearly a month long stay in Europe working on a new album, Brooklyn sexy-pop duo Hank & Cupcakes are back in the States and eager to hit the ground running. Kicking off the band’s Fall tour with two dates at the Utica Music Fest in Utica, NY on September 15 and September 16, the two and a half week tour includes a number of dates supporting Jenny Owen Youngs, as well as a handful of one off shows, wrapping with a hometown show at Mercury Lounge on October 8.
The Majorleans release sophomore CD at Rockwood on 09.16
NYC’s own The Majorleans sound a little like a mix of The Strokes and Cake (see embedded song "Kill You"), which is actually an interesting hybrid. Or maybe in the previous sentence you could replace "The Strokes" with "Lou Reed" – but either way, the idea is that their vocals are full of "NYC flavor". Most importantly though this is a band with good songs and nice album art, which is always a good thing (I had a friend who used to buy albums by random band simply because he liked the cover). Girls may also wonder if they are also good looking, which also helps in this darn business. Well… I’m a guy so you’ll have to judge for yourself. Perfect opportuinty: they’ll be celebrating the release of their second album "Damager and The Main Vin" on September 16 at Rockwood Music Hall’s Stage 2.
Rachel Yamagata video for “Even if I Don’t”
"Chesapeake", Rachel Yamagata‘s first studio album in three years is set for an October 11th release date through her own Frakenfish Records. The album features an eclectic collection of songs projecting Yamagata’s optimism and hopefulness, showcasing her sultry and smoky voice.
BITBY’s September Episode Premiere Feat. Streetwalkers at Teri’s Tonight!
Come out and celebrate with The Deli and Bands In The Backyard the premiere of BITBY’s September Episode featuring Streetwalkers tonight at Teri’s Diner & Bar (1126 S. 9th St.)! We will also be premiering footage of Blood Feathers & the engagement of Kandace and David. Jeff Zeigler (Arc In Round) will be our special guest DJ this evening and as always, the BITBY Crew DJs will be keeping the party going. Be sure to get there from 9 – 10pm for the tasty beer special provided by our sponsor Sixpoint Brewery! Hope to see you sooner than later. Cheers!