Between those who’ll call it cheesy and others for whom ‘it all sounds the same’, a taste for surf can turn today into something of a guilty pleasure. But Bath Party are nothing like your hot rod Pebbles classics; closer to early instrumental waves, they spice up the old rolling routine with persistent distortion, and a sexy touch of hip-shaking Mediterranean riffs. Drowning deep vibrating vocals in a sea of bass & drums, they drifted for their second EP further towards heavily reverberated surf-infused garage rock and blues, as opposed to simply twisting the aesthetics of the genre. Skeptical? Check out the track below. Currently working on a third record to come, the trio will be playing at The Know on July 27th.- Tracy Mamoun
NYC
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Local Music Kickstarter Projects
We thought we’d begin letting you know about a few Kickstarter projects in the works for musicians around the area. Please note in the comments or send a message to us at kceditor@thedelimagazine.com to let us know if there are others we’re missing.
The RADKEY Quest to End False Rock: $5,000 goal, 10 days remaining
The St. Joseph brothers Radkey are asking for help to allow them to record an album in Minneapolis (with Ryan Smith of The Melismatics) and Brooklyn (at Adrian Grenier’s Wreckroom Studio). The funds will also go toward travel expenses and band merch.
The B’Dinas Morning Party Midwest Tour 2012: $2,500 goal, 11 days remaining
To help promote their latest EP Morning Party, The B’Dinas are embarking on an 8-city tour in August around the Midwest. They’re asking for help with travel expenses and band merch.
2 Twenty 2 to the Studio!: $3,000 goal, 10 days remaining
Lawrence group 2 Twenty 2 is getting ready to hit the studio, and is asking for some funds to get the process started.
Help support local music in whatever way you can!
–Michelle Bacon
NYC
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Show review: O, Giant Man at The Riot Room, 7.16.12
Here’s the thing about The Riot Room; it is loud. Always and without fail. This is as constant as the Northern Star. In fact, if Las Vegas were to handicap the betting odds on the room being flooded by noise, the percentages would linger at 100%. This is always a safe bet regardless of who is playing. An alternative country band from Raleigh; maxed. A metal band from the suburbs of the gates of hell; if it is too loud, you’re too old. Spinal Tap; cranked to 11.
There is no getting around it. However, sometimes there is also no excuse for it. Watching O, Giant Man open for The Henry Clay People, this principle was never more relevant. The group’s fidgety sound is best served wrapped in complex layers and complicated shifts. The group flutters throughout styles, touching on multiple approaches to writing throughout the set. A sparkling Rhodes organ will bleed through for a moment, meshed with the band’s controlled chaos, before subsiding and surrendering to a room full of drums. The organized clutter is thick and tricky in its ability to fool listeners into determining if it is actually planned. The casual observer might even assume the set list and the collection of tunes were an act of improvisation. However, broken down it is clear that O, Giant Man has meticulously constructed not only a set of tunes, but has managed to arrange them in a way that the evening becomes one long, flawless track. Each song is intentionally placed before the next and sown together with a cross stitch creating a warm, inviting quilt of songs.
Yes, watching O, Giant Man is like staying the night at your Grandma’s house. And who doesn’t love their Grandma? Nazis. That’s who.
What was I saying? Oh, yeah. Group frontman Christopher Robbins guides his group through their set like a ship’s captain guides his crew. Throughout the night his eyes dart around the stage as he intently directs traffic and shoves his band through the crosshairs to the intended destination. Yet simultaneously, he also manages to make his guidance look as effortless as listening to a GPS. "Turn left here." Wham! Hit single.
It is important however to remember that the crew behind Robbins is as talented as he is. There is no denying that they are the real deal once you’ve heard them play. Their structure, which is unique to the Kansas City area, sets them apart from the sometimes incestuous music scene, often complicated by having the same signature sound in every band. There is something rather fresh about the way O, Giant Man is an island unto itself.
However that island holds something for all types of vacationers. Swirling guitars and harmonic vocals are both in check. At any given time the band can shift from dance-friendly indie pop to a straight rock sound that will knock your teeth out. Sometimes, I can hear The Clash, then suddenly I think I’m listening to Ryan Adams. Then vocally, I would swear they were Counting Crows. However, regardless of what the shifting sounds, I expect big things from O, Giant Man. I’ll be disappointed with Kansas City and the world if they offer this extremely talented band anything less.
-Joshua Hammond
| After stints drumming for both The Afternoons and Jenny Carr and the Waiting List in the Lawrence/Kansas City music scene, Joshua Hammond found his footing as a music journalist, launching the national publication Popwreckoning. After running the show as Editor in Chief for 6 years, Hammond stepped away from the reigns to freelance for other publications like Under The Gun Review and High Voltage Magazine. This shift allowed the adequate amount of time for him to write passionately, allow the Kansas City Royals to break his heart on a daily basis and spoon his cats just enough that they don’t shred his vinyl. |
Philadelphia
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Univox Opening for “Surprise Headliner” at Goldilocks Gallery July 21
Spazz Presents is hosting a special show at Goldilocks Gallery tonight. Deli faves Univox are on the bill so you should know that their badass, rockin’ instrumentation and gorgeous vocal harmonies are already a good reason to make your way to Center City. However, the icing on the cake will come from this evening’s “surprise headliner.” You may already be catching their set at the much bigger, waterfront venue earlier today. But isn’t cooler to experience them in a more intimate setting surrounded by a small group of awesome folks? I think so. If you still have no clue who the “surprise headliner” will be, then check out the flier above for another hint. (And if that doesn’t help, then you are obviously a terrible Draw Something and Pictionary partner.) Also on the bill will be Post Sun Times. Goldilocks Gallery, 723 Chestnut St., 8:30pm, $6 – $10, All Ages – Q.D. Tran
Philadelphia
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Chill Moody Doing the Right Thing at The Blockley July 21
Chill Moody is rising through the ranks of the local underground hip hop scene just the way that I like to see it done – with a concentration on the art, the community and DIY ethos. The West Philly emcee follows in the tradition of hometown luminairies The Roots by adding live instrumentation to his performances. If you caught his set this year in the tent at The Roots Picnic, then you should know why I consider him as part of the next generation of up-and-coming Philly hip hop acts. There was a special vibe during that performance, which reminded me of a similar experience that I had a few years back when Meek Mill threw down in the very same spot. (And I hope that you are aware of what Meek is up to these days musically – not just the Chris Brown incident.) Catch Chill Moody at The Blockley tonight when he opens for Joe Budden (which is the official after-party for the Let It Bump Music Festival), and you’ll always have your story about how you caught him way back when! The Blockley, 3801 Chestnut St., 9pm, $20 adv/$25 door, 21+ – Dan Brightcliffe
Portland
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Swahili get Holocene tripping on 8/14
Listening to Swahili makes me feel like I’m hallucinating. Their songs are built upon droning guitars and tribal rhythms as lyrics echo around the instruments, creating some of the most trance-inducing music I’ve heard out of Portland to date. Their self titled debut feels like an acid flashback, complete with artwork that is visually equal to the music. Its symmetry matches the steady rhythms of the songs and its colors seem to coincide with the emotions captured through the vocalist’s melodic shouts. The debut is available for free on Bandcamp, and you can experience their fluid psychedelia live on August 14th at the Holocene.- Benjamin Toledo
Portland
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Menomena Drops First Track Off ‘Moms’
Heavy Is As Heavy Does, first track off Menomena‘s much-anticipated album ‘Moms’, is a most poignant piece of piano-led indie rock, in many ways as heavy as the title suggests. Heavily sincere as a grown-up Justin Harris sings with troubling placidity the pain of a betrayed teen who sees his father leave; heavy as the bass joins in, as the track builds up into rage, climaxing to the sounds of chainsaw; heavy as the guitar screeches and finally, it all simmers down. Menomena’s first output as a duo, this song is a beautiful introduction to the complex family dynamics explored on the album, set to be released on September 18th. On a side note, Menomena will be playing Portland’s MusicFestNW on September 7th as the second date of their ‘Moms’ tour.- Tracy Mamoun
NYC
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Orca Team Performing at Pizzafest at The Funhouse in August
Photo Source: Orca Team
Orca Team will soon appear at The Funhouse’s annual Pizzafest; the show date is Thursday, August 2nd. They are currently touring the U.S. leading up to the homecoming performance in Seattle.
The trio released their second full-length album, Restraint, just last month. Without exception, each of the eleven songs on the new record play out under three minutes. Brevity clearly suits them well, for they waste little time in advancing their plentiful melodic hooks.
"Night Moves" enters the atmosphere with a bass riff and drum beat attached at the hip; the tune then swiftly swims into contact with a catchy-as-all guitar part. It is precise and refined, lifting the underlying rhythm with splashes of reverb.
Leif Ander’s (bassist/vocalist) voice slides words off effortlessly, painting stories that listeners will swoon to. Their sound oozes with the innocence and earnestness of 1950’s and ’60’s rock and doo wop. Combining post-punk and surf vibes too, Orca Team’s two minute pop portraits are the antithesis to noisy, sonic affairs. Grab ahold to drift off into their contemporary reveries.
Check out Orca Team at Pizzafest this year on the 2nd of August – other bands that night include Sonny and the Sunsets, The Wimps, Fuckaroos, and Brandon Daniel & The Chics. Tickets are $12 and the show begins at 9pm.
Give "Strains" a listen down below and carry on to their bandcamp to hear all of Restraint. The album is available for purchase on CD or LP over at HHBTM Records.
– Cameron LaFlam
NYC
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Weekly Feature: Conveyor
Brooklyn’s music Conveyor presents an intriguing blend of styles and influences. Combining the percussion of afropop with moody electronics and rhythmic patterned vocal placement, their sound is bouncy and creative. Many of the songs are the result of a collaborative writing process, giving the defined sections an air of intricacy. Time signatures that break out of the 4/4 mold suggest artists not content to rely on the safety of familiar patterns. The band released their debut full-length album on Paper Garden Records and is currently touring the US. – Read Dave Cromwell‘s interview with the band here.
L.A.
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Anywhere push boundaries in their self-titled LP
Anywhere but where? Nowhere in particular. If there’s a more fitting name for a band then Anywhere fits this LA/SF outfit to a tee. More on that later. Putting the pieces together, Christian Eric Beaulieu (Triclops!) joined forces with Cedric Bixler (The Mars Volta) in 2010 in Los Angeles. Months down the line, the duo laid some tracks at The Melvins practice spot in DTLA and Beauliue killed two birds with one stone – playing live on Mike Watt’s (The Stooges) "The Watt from Pedro Show" and getting Watt to lay bass on the tracks. Still needing a vocalist, Beauliue enlisted Rachel Fannan (Bay Area’s Sleepy Sun). And the rest is history!
Fast forward to 2012 and they have a single out, "Dead Golden West", from the self-titled LP dropping July 24th on ATP Records. The music is eastern acoustic punk in the likes of Sandy Bull or Sir Richard Bishop. There’s ups and downs on this record – from the rapid speed of punk to light and enchanting in a medley of acoustic and electric sounds, geographic diversity, and even sci fi electronics that make the band that’s not just going somewhere musically speaking but anywhere.
Nashville
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See Tristen Play Exit/In Tonight
Monday night, Passion Pit canceled their show at Marathon Music Works, so the band that was going to open for them (Future Islands) scheduled a free show the same night at the Exit/In. I hadn’t really listened to Future Islands much, but I went anyway. And god, I’m glad that I did. This post isn’t about them, though they’re great– it’s about their opening band, Nashville-based Tristen.
I smoked a Lucky and walked in. The three band members were onstage, setting up. There was the lead guitarist, Buddy, the bassist Jordan, and then Tristen on acoustic. Everything seemed pretty relaxed, soundcheck and all. But then they started playing. And she can sing. She can really sing. You know those high notes that you wince at because no one can ever hit them and you wish they just wouldn’t try? Well she can hit them, and there’s a timbre to her voice that is too perfect. It reminds me a little of Neko Case, but a little more raw. She can get guttural (don’t you hate that word?) and screamy too. She gave me goosebumps.
And what a great show! They’re all talented. Buddy, who I’ve found out is actually Tristen’s fiancé, is a great lead guitarist. I enjoyed watching him; his blues influenced licks make their edgy folk even edgier. Jordan is a solid bassist and sings great harmonies. When they sang “Heart and Hope To Die” I shivered every time they harmonized. You can check that song out below.
They’re playing another show tonight. It’s at the Exit/In, and if you don’t go, I’ll be disappointed in you. –Ben Dunn
L.A.
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Dominique Pruitt wants “To Win Your Love”
Sometimes simplicity says it best. It used to be a standard in the dawn of rock n’ roll, when big shot producers would scout for that perfect three minute pop song in hopes of causing a dancing frenzy. We may be past those "glory days" as they say, but an artist like Dominique Pruitt finds great inspiration from the classic formula established after rhythm and blues achieved widespread popularity – with a gospel-esque backbeat, Pruitt’s earthy voice pulses out the song’s uncomplicated lyrics with resounding clarity while its tidy surf guitars and pounding rthythm section give it a jittery, sing-a-long feel. Sounds like a refreshing antidote to endure this blazing 90 degree weather. – Juan Edgardo Rodríguez (@juanerodriguez)