NYC

Cool bill of emerging NYC folky bands on 11.06: Little Sur, Flearoy, Town Hall and Phil & The Osopher

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Our "dynamic" intern Amanda organized this show at Arlene on 11.06 without even asking our help, and we are very impressed with the selection of bands. Here’s what she has to say about them:

Little Sur (http://littlesurmusic.com/) are a duo who met at NYU in the Clive Davis recorded music program. They make indie folk music tinged with banjo and guitar, experimenting with any friends’ voices and instruments at hand. Their songs invoke hints of nostalgia, with lyrics that call upon stories of love lost and the bittersweet feelings of growing older.

Americana and soul music is constantly reimagined by Flearoy, a band of five NYC musicians who, since their start in 2008, have played venues all over NYC, won runner-up in the SongCircle Music’s annual songwriting contest, and recorded with legendary country songwriter Rodney Crodwell. The band draws their signature folk/funk/soul sound from influences as diverse as Otis Redding, The Band and Destiny’s Child.


Town Hall was started by three NYU students with a love for experimental indie and acoustic music who brought their three distinct personalities to songwriting together. Their quirky and memorable songs (featuring a well-used mandolin) reflect on life’s hardest moments in a way that makes the three young band members seem much older than 20.


Brooklyn’s Phil and the Osophers are a Deli NYC favorite who make folky and upbeat indie “mid-fi” rock music. Their latest 7” Figures of Speech is out now on Factual Fabrications Records.

NYC

Experimental NYC: Cracked Vessel

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I like dancing. I play and promote a wildly disputed genre of music wherein dancing’s the elephant in the room unless somebody snaps and starts writhing on the floor next to the stage with their shirt pulled over their head, obscuring their glasses. In the experimental stratosphere there are freaks, nerds, theatre expats, guitar teachers aplenty, with Europeans formally delegating from the top of the pile like meringue on pie…but there is no dancing. Unless the dancers are part of the performance and also double as throat singers.
Cracked Vessel makes people dance. I’ve seen it at least thrice. They urge the geeks into jumping and make even the most overdressed oyster-sipping upper-crust civilian wish they had a hula hoop.
Ben Syversen (trumpet, tunes), Xander Naylor (guitar), Jeremy Gustin (drums). Somewhere in the range of fractured balkan hardcore miasmatic sublime dissonant jazz like if Godspeed You Black Emperor played itself out on double speed over three sets of speakers simultaneously, just out of synch enough to make the white noise in your head spill out your eyes and nose and into your seltzer/beer (which you must set down because it is time to dance at this gallery space, 9 out of 10 high school geometry teachers agree). – Valerie Kuehne

Philadelphia

Free Download: Daytrotter Session – The War on Drugs

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Daytrotter just posted a new session with The War on Drugs. The hometown heroes performed “Best Night/I was There,” “Comin’ Through,” “Baby Missiles,” and “Brothers” from their latest album Slave Ambient. You can download it for FREE HERE, which we highly suggest while you can. The War on Drugs will be back in Philly again on Saturday, December 17 at Union Transfer. BTW: If you haven’t visited Daytrotter lately, you’ll notice that there have been some changes. The site is starting to charge a monthly fee of $2, which we feel is very reasonable for all the great music that they provide. And don’t forget how much time and effort it takes to bring all this to you. They have also added new features to the site which you should definitely check out (more will be explained on their page). You can still access the site for free for seven days on a trial basis. Help support Daytrotter who has shared so much with you over the years out of the kindness of their Midwestern hearts. Thanks!
 
NYC

From the NYC Open Blog: Howth plays Cameo on 11.01

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After releasing their debut album last year and generating some buzz in the blogs, NYC based, ambient/folk/rock band Howth begun playing live with a full lineup earlier this year, and performed at 2 CMJ shows last week. The band also just released a digital EP which can be found on their bandcamp profile. See them live at Cameo on November 1st. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli’s NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building and APS Mastering.

Philadelphia

Brown Recluse w/Lushlife and Sunny Ali & The Kid at JB’s Oct. 28

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Brown Recluse may describe themselves as "psychedelic/baroque pop," but what I hear, especially on their record, Panoptic Mirror Maze, is a spiraling funnel of vintage easy listening, Monkees-meet-Brian Wilson coastal radio pop, loose lo-fi lounge, organ rock, and 8-bit experiments. I know–that’s super specific. But in order to understand the greatness of one of Philly’s best kept secrets, you have to understand the textures and layers that define their sound. The band’s ironic richness will be mixed in at Johnny Brenda’s tonight with the one-man alt-hop innovator, Lushlife, who twists and melds beautiful old world melodies and trip-hop electronica with sick hip hop beats (bonus: Brown Recluse’s Tim Meskers also appears on Lushlife’s fantabulous new mixtape, No More Golden Days). And, because it’s never a party until they show up, Sunny Ali & the Kid will be bashing out their sneering country-garage rock for our pleasure. Now, go on, start off your Halloween weekend right, and get into some trouble. I won’t tell. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 8pm, $10, 21+ – Annamarya Scaccia



Chicago

From Our Open Blog: YFTB “Bowhead”

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Since the release of Hunter/Gather, yourfeetstoobig’s first EP, the name has been hitting ears and computer screens worldwide. On Monday, YFTB released, Bowhead, a new track from their first full length album. We must say, it’s a stellar tune. You can download it for FREE at their bandcamp. You can catch YFTB playing their first Chicago show in months at Lincoln Hall, November 14th with Keep Shelly in Athens and Body Language. A show to be reckoned with. See you there.

Philadelphia

The National Rifle Halloween Extravaganza at D!D!G Oct. 28

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When it comes to Halloween, it’s a time of year where The National Rifle are right in their element. The band has thrown some pretty serious ragers for it in the past while dressing up as the cast of The Wizard of Oz, the Scooby Doo Gang, and characters from Aladdin. And when they host their extravaganza at Danger Danger Gallery tonight, they’re guaranteed to pull out all the stops. Aside from stating that it will bring sexy back, The National rifle have been keeping mum about what costumes they’ll be wearing. But they’ll be supplying plenty of candy during this show, and they’ll definitely be playing some tunes from their upcoming full length. For the event, they also put together a rockin’ lineup, which features Vintage Kicks who recently put out their debut effort King Geek. Crills Wilson will be dishing out their booze-influenced southern slams, while Coup Couroux will be making you shake what yo mama gave ya with some brand new tunes. And Val de Val will be kicking the evening off. Danger! Danger! Gallery, 5013 Baltimore Ave., 9pm, $5 (Free hospitality w/costume), All Ages – Bill McThrill

Chicago

Redgrave

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Lovitt Records release a new single from the heavy blues duo Redgrave. I missed it then, but I am loving it now.

NYC

Broken Water Release

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The B-side track "Mother" is out from Broken Water’s first 7" Whet.  It’s a stony, shoegaze gem.  The heavy sliding guitar style of My Bloody Valentine (the quintessential genre name drop) is very prevalent in the song, with melty vocals that seem to dissolve into the misty reverberating atmosphere.  I don’t think this band has released anything I’m not excited about.  Listen to it below, and get excited about it!  

San Francisco

Local Listening: Your Soundtrack to Halloween Weekend

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This Friday, Oct. 28, kick off Halloween weekend at Bottom of the Hill with SF-based folk-rock outfit Please Do Not Fight, alt-folk band Rin Tin Tiger, singer-songwriter Debbie Neigher and indie-folk’s Owl Paws. Halloween Hoedown 2011 will feature costume contests and free treats, plus the first 50 people in costume will receive an autographed copy of the concert poster designed by Zen Zenith of Please Do Not Fight.

On Saturday, Oakland’s answer to beach pop The Hot Toddies headline Halloween Rock Party! at Rickshaw Stop with Ghost & The City, Sun Hop Fat and DJ Brother Grimm.

Bay Area spookers, The Soft Moon, headline The Independent on Monday, Oct. 31 for the Part-Time Punks Halloween Night! Expect lots of bass, lots of drones, lots of sounds you’d hear creeping out of a Haunted House. Out next week, preview The Soft Moon’s EP here. 

-Justine Fields & Whitney Phaneuf