Nashville

Matthew Perryman Jones and Derek Webb Headline Blood:Water Mission Block Party

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Taking advantage of Nashville’s recent break from the unbearable heat, Blood:Water Mission are hitting The Well in Green Hills to celebrate the Ride:Well team as they make their way through the charity’s hometown during their cross-country trip to raise awareness and money for the AIDS/HIV and water crises in Africa.

Featuring music by Matthew Perryman Jones and Derek Webb, the free block party begins at 5 pm and will provide food from the Puckett’s Trolley and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream. For more information on the event, visit their Facebook page.

NYC

The Numbs Releasing Debut Cassette This Week

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The Numbs has its first cassette coming out this Sunday, July 15th. The record – entitled People – will be released courtesy of Couple Skate Records. 

It is a one-man project, engineered by Jeff Johnson, the artist who is one half of the experimental and enigmatic duo U. The only track available for streaming right now, "Freaks Easy," syncs with its name perfectly. It swoons like a minitature soundtrack to someone’s odd carnival.

The sounds are peculiar, but ineffably tinged with a light and happy spirit. Almost if he were reimagining an instrumental track for Olivia Tremor Control. There are accordion-like noises, a door creaking, a small locomotive – and other repetitive, fragmented sounds which coalesce to form a twitchy, wordless song.

Stream "Freaks Easy" below and see how easily it sinks into you. Check back at Couple Skates Records website to purchase People soon.

– Cameron LaFlam

Austin

The Eastern Sea’s Matt Hines Playing Mohawk

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The Eastern Sea’s album “Plague,” released last month, is one of my favorite records released this year. The album’s biggest strength is the voice of frontman and founder Matt Hines. Oddly familiar yet totally unique, haunting yet strikingly uplifting, Hines’ voice takes the listener on a lush and winding journey. The ornate instrumentation serves as a perfect complement, and the result is just a fantastic listen. The Eastern Sea won’t be back in Austin until October’s Austin City Limits Festival, but Hines will perform a solo set July 18th at the Mohawk. “The Line,” the final track on “Plague,” is streaming below. – Josh Johnson

Portland

The Lower 48 at Doug Fir Lounge 7/31

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Listening to The Lower 48 is a heart-warming experience. Somewhere between the enchanting vocal harmonies, steady guitar rhythms and moving percussion rests the same soulful spirit that has been channeled through other folk groups such as Iron and Wine and Fleet foxes. Their music conveys a feeling of purity in its simplicity, as can be heard on their first full length album, “Where All Maps End.” The release is a calm and captivating debut that would be a welcome addition to the record collection of any enthusiast of the indie-folk genre. They’re playing at the Doug Fir on July 31st with Seattle’s The Young Evils; attend for what’s sure to be a great show.- Benjamin Toledo

Philadelphia

Beanie Sigel Sentenced to Two Years in Jail for Tax Evasion

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Philadelphia Daily News reported today that Beanie Sigel (a.k.a. Dwight Grant) has been sentenced to two years in jail for failing to file tax returns for the years 2003 through 2005. The local rapper had pleaded guilty to the charges in August 2011. U.S. District Judge Jan DuBois also added a year of supervised release to the sentence, and Sigel is supposed to pay all his back taxes, interest and penalties during that time. He has until September 12 to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons. (Run Beanie, run!!! ;o) Sigel has a new album entitle This Time coming out August 28. You can read more about the story HERE. (Photo by Matt Rourke)
 
NYC

New video: “The Love I Gave Ya” by Clay Hughes

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Check out the new video from Clay Hughes, called "The Love I Gave Ya" from his upcoming project Four. The track was originally released last year on Hughes’ collaboration The Whether Machine with JKR70. 

Hughes is a part of Sharp County Records, a local label founded by Lennon Bone of Ha Ha Tonka. 

Four will be available on July 24. Until then, you can catch Hughes at Saints in Lawrence on Friday, July 13 and The Granada on Saturday, July 21, when he opens for George Watsky.

 

Portland

Ramona Falls on BYUtv’s Audio Files- 7/17

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Ramona Falls debuted in 2009 as Brent Knopf drifted away from Menomena to  engage in a new experimental project. Backed by three core members, surrounded by a large cast of friends and colleagues, he orchestrated two complex takes on indie rock, Intuit and Prophet the latest of which was released in May ’12. With a multilayered sound of an outstanding clarity and some intriguing instrumental interactions, Ramona Falls is proving to be a new sensation on the indie scene. Attracting the attention of BYUtv’s Audio Files, Knopf’s brainchild will be featured in the show’s next edition. Targeting the finest of today’s indie scene, Audio Files will be analysing the band’s work over half and hour of interviews and exclusive footage; the episode will air on Tuesday, July 17 at 6:30pm MT/8:30pm ET, and you can stream previous ones on BYUtv.org.

Philadelphia

Good Times w/TJ Kong & The Atomic Bomb at KFN July 12

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This evening the good times will be had when TJ Kong & The Atomic Bomb take the stage at Kung Fu Necktie. Their down-home concoction of Americana, rock and a handle of whiskey will get fans on their feet and dancing like the world is going to end tomorrow and all that matters is tonight. And that’s the type of party you want to be at. I know that they have an album’s worth of new material to share, since their last album Idiots, which was a Deli Album of the Month. I just don’t understand why they haven’t officially released one yet. It’s been a while, fellas! But I’ll keep on patiently waiting for now listening to “Maximilian” (which can also download for free below). TJ Kong & the Atomic Bomb will be joined on the bill by blues rock lovin’ brethren Penrose and NYC’s Izzy & the Catastrophics. You’ll also get a chance to hear all of these bands and more if you make the long road trip to Belgrade Lakes, Maine later this month for the 4th Annual Caravan Music Festival. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 7:30pm, $8, 21+ – H.M. Kauffman

Philadelphia

New Music Video: “Weird Conscience” – Laser Background

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Here’s a new odd-ball, psychedelic video (but we’d expect nothing less) from Laser Background (the solo project from The Armchairs’ Andy Molholt) for the track “Weird Conscience.” It was directed by Anthony Zagarella. The song will appear on his self-titled debut EP out next week via tape label Stroll On Records (who released the work of Ku Klux Glam – the collaboration from Ariel Pink and R. Stevie Moore) and Molholt’s own imprint. He’ll be celebrating the albums release on Thursday, July 19 at Kung Fu Necktie with pals Arrah & the Ferns and Circadian Rhythms.

NYC

Hip Hop Weekend Warrior in NYC!!

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Are your ready for a weekend of beats, rhymes, and mayhem? Dust off your flyest kicks and your Cazale shades, because it’s summertime, and there’s rap in the air. New York boom-bap demigod El-P (video below), who recently released his 5th solo studio album on Fat Possum Records, “Cancer 4 Cure,” will rock Irving Plaza this Friday the 13th. If post-apocalyptic jazz-rap is not exactly your bent, then you can skip over to the Mercury Lounge for a heavy dose of Funky with Brooklyn’s dance-rap outfit Deathrow Tull and funk-damentalist Bernie Worrell (P-Funk, Talking Heads). Saturday you can revisit your roots at the 8th Annual Brooklyn Hip Hop Fest. You’ll see a diverse array of new and old-school artists including Maya Azucena, Freeway, and the mighty Busta Rhymes. Later Saturday night, test your mettle as east village gem NUBLU hosts the bombastic Underground Horns in what will surely be a sweat-drenched carnival of hip-gyration and swagger. After a rejuvenating Sunday afternoon BloodyMary-soaked brunch, saunter over to Brooklyn Bowl at 6pm where Queens legend Pharaohe Monch (pictured) will be rocking alongside Olamide and J Ross Parrelli as part of a fundraiser for MORE THAN ME, a local non-profit which builds schools for orphans in war-torn Liberia. Monday, unfortunately, you might have to go back to work. -=brokeMC

Chicago

Volcanoes Make Islands on Backstage Chicago

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Volcanoes Make Islands recently released the first single from the upcoming debut LP, "Time To Run", and now they have appeared on the very cool local web series Backstage Chicago. Big things to come from Henry Bianco, Brad Sawicki, Alan Takaoka, and Todd Hill.