Jada Wagensomer is a multi-instrumentalist who generously lends her talent to numerous fellow LA-based outfits like Jail Weddings, Dante Vs Zombies, Baby & Guy, Streetrobe and The Dumbheads; but, a girl’s got to get her own, too! And for this, Wagensomer began writing her own music under the moniker, Brass Tax. The project’s debut LP, Brass Tax Album, spans a wide array of sounds and influences, pulling from 60s soul and garage rock, as well as classic storytelling pop and punk, all with the help of instrumentation including saxophone, violin, lap steel, Wurlitzer, wind chimes, and the kazoo. Although the sonic spectrum in this album is broad, it is all tied together by Wagensomer’s pop sensibility. These tunes are catchy. Be on the lookout for the LP, which is slated for a March 6th release date via Neurotic Yell Records. You can preview the record here. – Katrina Nattress
Nashville
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Thank You Ma’ams, Honey Locust tonight @The End!!
Tonight is folk night at The End with bluegrass rowdies The Thank You Ma’ams, gypsy folkies Honey Locust, Kentucky singer/songwriter Kelsey Waldon and Indiana’s Carpenter & Clerk. The Deli’s particularly glad to see The Thank You Ma’ams play in Nashville; unfortunately, it’s easy to go unnoticed hiding out in Murfreesboro. The band’s Handkerchief EP, released almost a year ago, is worth a listen or five if you haven’t heard it.
Who says you can’t tackle ramshackle folk with precision? The Thank You Ma’ams do by dressing up the record’s opener, “Miles and Miles of Nothing but Miles and Miles,” with vocal harmonies worthy of Fleet Foxes, and punctuating new-grass “Devil Knows It’s True” with a jaw harp (Taylor Lonardo). The off-kilter crack in Greg Stephen’s lilt adds some charm to these old-timey/new-timey romps that emulate equal parts of The Avett Brothers (found in the lyrical back-and-forth between details and repetition) and The Legendary Shack Shakers (found in their unbridled enthusiasm).
The Deli’s favorite? This little verse from the opening track: “Well you could help me understand/Why I’m such a lonely man/Why my memories are tangled/And my dreams don’t make sense/Why this life seems so short/Yet this life seems so long/Why there doesn’t seem to be/Any right or any wrong.” Or “Jubilee,” as beautiful and romantic a song about a prostitute as Ryan Adams’ “Tiny Toledo” is abrasive and sexy. Infectious banjo fingerplucking (Hank Parker Pruett) and guitar sweep through the lyrics like water. Listen to it below and come out to The End tonight. 9 p.m, $5. – Jessica Pace
Nashville
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Evan P. drummer’s last show/night in Nashville @ The Basement
Caitlin Rose, Buffalo Clover and Evan P. Donohue are playing The Basement tonight, which we know is motivation enough for most to make it out. But as a side note, Evan P.’s friend, roomie and sideman/drummer of the past five years, Mike Kavouras, is moving to NYC tomorrow. Kavouras, also a web developer, is the guy behind The Civil Wars’ website. Donohue says, “I’m going to miss him very much, and I want to make sure everyone who will miss him as much as I will won’t miss the show tonight!” Show is at 9; $8.
Philadelphia
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Meg Baird Opening for Zola Jesus & Talk Normal at Union Transfer Feb. 17
It’s starting to become commonplace to find singer-songwriter Meg Baird on oddly match bills, which is what you’ll have when she opens for operatically-trained indie darling Zola Jesus (a.k.a. Nika Roza Danilova) and noisy female duo Talk Normal (Best of The Deli NYC 2009 Poll Winner). But I’m confident that the local folk songstress can win the crowd over with just an acoustic guitar and her mellifluous vocals. After all, I’ve seen it done time and time again. Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., $13, 8pm, All Ages – H.M. Kauffman
NYC
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Zlam Dunk announce release of “Balcones” + play Stubb’s on 03.02
Zlam Dunk has been pounding with the beat of the Austin music scene for a while now and with the release of their second album this April, "Balcones," it seems like the blood will keep flowing. Forcing me to relapse into the more aggressive songs of Cursive and the intricate entangled guitar playing of Minus the Bear, these guys reminded me of how well brains and brawn can be blended together when the right people get involved. You can check these guys out before their album release on March 2 at Stubb’s. Enjoy a track from their previous album, "Noble Ancestry", streaming below. – Michael H
NYC
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Weekly Feature: Xray Eyeballs play Glasslands on 02.28
On their debut album "Not Nothing," (out in April 2011) Brooklyn gutter-glam punks Xray Eyeballs emphasize a sound that is rough and brittle. Songs like "Crystal," "Nightwalker" and "Egyptian Magician" feature a slightly off-kilter, almost twisted guitar intonation, mostly evident on rhythm chords. Additionally, when single note lines are called for, they are struck with a heavy (almost) twang to them. These kind of borderline quirky sonic details contribute to giving this band an identity that sets them apart from other artists in the same "nu-garage" scene. Pursuing the evolution of their sound, the band is releasing this month a follow-up titled "Splendor Squalor" (Kanine Records), professing to have a third album written as well. With newest members Sarah Baldwin (drums) and Liz Lohse (guitar/synths) joining founding members O.J. San Felipe (guitar/vocals) and Carly Rabalais (bass) one would expect this evolution to be significant. See tthem live at Glasslands on 02.28. – Read Dave Cromwell’s interview with the Xray Eyeballs here.
NYC
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Weekly Feature: Robin Bacior plays Mercury on 02.19
Robin Bacior‘s songs fuse intimate and honest lyrics with arrangement ranging from the "girl-with-guitar" to more complex orchestral productions, showcasing a musician who is well beyond her twenty four years. After the release of her 7” “Man Before Me” and her debut EP “Aimed for Night”, Robin released a full length “Rest Our Wings” via Consonants & Vowels Records and graduated from open mics to performing at venues like Spike Hill, Union Hall, and most recently (and again on February 19) Mercury Lounge. Her comforting orchestral folk is perfect for the winter season: a time of nostalgia and self-awareness yet utmost beauty. – Read Amanda Dissinger’s Q&A with Robin here.
Philadelphia
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Gold Crowns 7” Release Show at The Station Feb. 17
Since debuting at The Station last year on March 15 during a crazy show that also featured their longtime friends Tough Shits, Gold Crowns have gone on to perform at some big shows at Kung Fu Necktie and events like the Art Star Craft Bazaar. However, the band that features former members of Dark Horse & the Carousels, Sweatheart, and The Invisible Friends has taken a bit of a break since the fall to concentrate on some much-needed recording. Their first offering is a 7” that will be released on a new local label Founding Fathers Records (run by their bassist Max Jonas). The band will celebrate their debut album at the bar where it all began tonight, and they’ll be joined by the always impressive Adam & Dave’s Bloodline as well as Far-Out Fangtooth’s Joe Kusy & the Big Shirts. The Station, 1550 McKean St., 9pm, $5, 21+ (Photo by David Turcotte) – Bill McThrill
Chicago
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Redgrave @ The Hideout
The duo of Angie Mead and Stephen Howard (aka Redgrave) recently recorded their upcoming EP which is set to be released this summer via Lovitt Records. In the meantime the band recorded a brooding session with Coach House Sounds that you can view below and will be supporting Dead Rider at The Hideout tomorrow, Friday Feb 17th.
Chicago
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Campfires ‘Slaughter Tropes”
Campfires (aka Jeff Walls) has released a new album/tapes via the local label Priority Male. The first track for the album is a fuzzed-out and wacky pop tune in clear tribute to the Beatles called "Melted Rubber Soul.
NYC
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Ninjasonik to release “No Swords or Masks” EP on march 6
Ain’t no party like a Ninjasonik party cause a Ninjasonik party drops bass. Telli and McFly are back again with their signature agro-lethargic cadences splayed over the dirtiest punk-hop beats born in Bushwick. No Swords or Masks may imply that they’ve cast aside their ninja ways, but the lead single “Turned up” doesn’t pull any punches. Chopped samples, strategic flows, and subsonic bass create an energizing mix guaranteed to get any crowd roundhousing and throwing their fists of fury skyward. Are you ready to enter the dojo? Go now, before they pick their swords up again. No Swords or Masks drops from Decon Records March 6. -=brokeMC
Philadelphia
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Best of The Deli Philly’s Fans’ Poll Winner: ASAAD
North Philly’s ASAAD (born Saayid Asaad) has no hate in his heart…“just an extreme distaste for the unjust that appear to be just.” The prolific 21 year old emcee/producer certainly has no lack of confidence, but that’s exactly what you need to make it in the entertainment industry (as well as a good sense of humor). With music being part of his life practically since birth, you’ll find that it has naturally become his weapon of choice as the “working class hero” tells his story of the “#DIRTYMIDDLECLASS” in his latest album, and it has also led him to the top of the Best of The Deli Philly’s Fans’ Poll for Emerging Artists. You can read our recent interview with ASAAD HERE. (Photo by Chicquelo)