New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
What more would you want from a band than the ability and the desire to "shake butts"? Uh Bones shake butts and they will be shaking them at Empty Bottle tonight. They released their debut self-titled ep back in June and have been shaking local crowds for awhile now.
You can catch Uh Bones tonight, August 21st, at Empty Bottle with Magic Milk, The Man, and Dikes of Holland. This show is Free with RSVP!
Honestly, we’ve admired Blues Control from afar for years now since first discovering the few tracks that were originally posted on their MySpace. Since then, Lea Cho and Russ Waterhouse have left behind the hectic life of New York City, spent a brief stint in an apartment that they did not care for in Philly, and have now comfortably settled into their current home nestled in the Lehigh Valley on a mountain. We really didn’t know much about the duo’s backstory beforehand – just simply their music that is provocatively unique while still giving a nod to the multiple influences that they’ve plucked from music history, which is a good reason for you to grab their latest release Valley Tangents (Drag City) if you haven’t already. (You can also read our review of the album HERE.) It was a pleasure having the opportunity to learn more about Blues Control. Please check out our interview with the couple/bandmates Lea Cho and Russ Waterhouse HERE.
Looking back, The Due Diligence‘s debut album ‘I Will Wreck Your Life‘ seems like a delicate mise en bouche for what the band had in store, a raw power (so to speak) they unleashed as they let their music flow harsh, unpolished on the five tracks of their follow-up EP ‘Let It Be Already‘, which they released mid-July. Harsh perhaps, but no lo-fi soup, none of that ‘noise for the sake of noise‘; instead, a jam-like tease of a rock’n’roll record, casually swaying over soul and folk undertones, one to get you hooked at ease on the screeching guitars or the dandy, hiccupy rhythm of a boogie, just rough enough to strike below the waist; after all, rock’n’roll… it’s about getting the crowds off, isn’t it? Speaking of which, any new shows coming our way guys? – Tracy Mamoun
The Hood Internet has released a video for their track "Won’t F*** Us Over" which features contributions from BBU and Anne Hart. The track is the lead single from the duos forthcoming album FEAT which will be released on October 2nd via Decon.
You can catch The Hood Internet with Body Language, Oscillator Bug, and My Gold Mask on Sept. 20th at Metro.
Folkadelphia’s Fred Knittel continues his curation of this month’s Tuesday Tune-Out tonight at PhilaMOCA. Now, over the years as the name Hezekiah Jones has gained notoriety and come to be known as a folk outfit to some with a rotating cast of over thirty members. To me, it will always be the moniker of gifted singer-songwriter Raph Cutrufello, the guiding force that the constellation of talented local musicians has gravitated around. It’s usually unpredictable how many of his Jones family members will join him on stage, but as long as you have Raph’s earnest vocals, thought-provoking narratives and welcoming stage presence, you will leave the venue thoroughly entertained. PhilaMOCA, 531 N. 12th St., 8pm, $5, All Ages – Q.D. Tran
UPDATE: SHOW HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO ILLNESS.
Download the Soft Moon’s new track "Die Life" from upcoming album Zeros, out Oct. 30. The Soft Moon is a dark noise experiment from San Francisco’s Luis Vasquez. He’ll be touring in the U.S. and Europe in support of the new record, the follow up to last year’s Total Decay EP.
–Whitney Phaneuf
Having worked and re-worked its baggy-psychedelia cocktail, Brooklyn-based trio Dinowalrus set off in March towards its best efforts to date with ‘What Now‘, pulling the droning vocals out of the washed-out depths of their reverb’, picking up the pace with some fast steady drumbeats and glorious effusions of synth and guitars. Dropped five days ago, the shimmering ‘Grounded‘ pursued this fuller, more fluid sound, only slower, so very laid-back that one can’t help but notice the confidence they’ve gained over the last couple of years. If we’re going to extrapolate here, there’s a bigger and bolder Dinowalrus to be expected from their album to come (produced by Jorge Elbrecht).
The band will be playing this Friday (8.24) at Public Assembly, for a show introducing Ken Griffin’s latest project August Wells and headlined by Variety Lights, Chicago-based duo featuring ex-Mercury Rev David Baker. All of this and more (including a Dj Set by Spacemen 3’s Rosco) courtesy of the lovely Lady Bree.
Photo Source: Dreamdecay
Dreamdecay are playing at The Josephine this Friday, August 24th. The other groups performing are Matt Akers, Mutant Video, Gag, and Nudes.
These musicians have penned a document overflowing with sonic fury in Fern, which was released earlier this calendar year. Dissonant and chaotic, intensely cathartic and rhythmic – Dreamdecay’s feedback frenzy spins a web that is hard to disentangle from.
Take track "II" for instance, whose opening riff would not sound out of place in a Fugazi song. This vibe quickly dissolves into a heavier, punchier affair as the cymbals come crashing and the vocals meander on in – landing somewhere on the measuring stick near Michael Gira of Swans, and the vocalists of Young Widows and Daughters.
Song "IV" captures their most balanced blend of angular math rock and noise rock; except it has been tossed in a blender and coughed back out as a mass of raw venom.
Their music is fearless and peerless in the Northwest because of its thirst for unadulterated noise and energy. They carry with them the relics of noise rock’s forefathers – bands like The Jesus Lizard or Sonic Youth – and yet they ultimately convey and champion their own passion rather than another’s.
See Dreamdecay at The Josephine coming up on the 24th of August. You can stream "IV" below and then visit their Soundcloud to hear all of Fern. The record is available for purchase via Great Plains Records.
– Cameron LaFlam
As if in an attempt to mirror the eclectic and ever changing Austin music scene, The Baker Family is hard to pin down in any single genre. At the offset you’d think they’re a Liars influenced dance punk band, but on their recordings the band jumps genre from track to track. Haunting folk music with intelligent electronic touches gives way to visceral bass and keg drum beating tracks. They’re hard to put in a category, which is one of the many reasons The Baker Family is one of the greatest additions to Austin. The band is wonderfully misleading even in their lyrics. A song which at one moment might be heartwarming will turn horrifying at the drop of a hat.
We haven’t even begun to touch on their live performances which are, frankly, incandescent. Their dance punk style is executed perfectly. Each member is a pure joy to watch perform. Too often indie bands don’t convey any sense of energy or, when they try to convey it, they do so by jumping around. But by this very action they seem to force the energy and come across as insincere. The Baker Family may be the epitome of the untrustworthy narrator, but you will get nothing but an honest and enthralling experience from seeing them live. – Taylor Browne
(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
Thee Water MoccaSins are one of the most well-known, yet most elusive bands in Kansas City. While frontman Billy Smith is now making his mark in New York, the other members of the group (Steven Tulipana, Wade Williamson and John Berusch) remain busy with a host of other projects. This week, we get a rare chance to sit down and talk with the group and find out a little more.
The Deli: Gun to your head: One sentence to describe your music. What is it?
Thee Water MoccaSins: We call it Psychedelic Electronic Fractal Pop. It is music that was made with a sense of urgency with an overall goal of keeping all things casual. Not only musically but internally as a band member. Easy Breezy.
The Deli: Let’s talk about your latest release or upcoming shows. What can we expect?
TWM: We have a show coming up on Thursday, August 23 at The Riot Room with Be/Non and Olivetti Letter.
The Deli: What does "supporting local music" mean to you?
TWM: The members of our band have spent most of our lives creating, participating and nurturing the local music scene by being booking agents, club owners, studio producers, haunted house builders, back patters and bartenders. All vital cogs in the local music machine. We take great pride in how the local music community represents itself.
The Deli: Who are your favorite "local" musicians right now?
TWM: We like bands that like are more exploratory in the live setting. Expo ’70, Be/Non, Ad Astra Arkestra, Gemini Revolution, Surroundher, Conquerors, Soft Reeds.
The Deli: Who are your favorite not-so-local musicians right now?
TWM: Digging bands like Tame Impala, Django Django, Tinarwen, Caetano Veloso.
The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?
TWM: Queen with Einstürzende Neubauten, Stone Roses, My Bloody Valentine & The Residents.
The Deli: Would you rather spend the rest of your life on stage or in the recording studio?
TWM: Each one has a personal satisfaction. In the studio you get that instant song playback that gives you chills when the mix is perfect. I love to push the boundaries of what the studio can offer. It always helps when the producer/engineer is willing and able to help us experiment with sounds and non-traditional ideas when tracking songs. Chris Cosgrove really helped guide this record. And so far we have all been lucky with working with great producers and engineers. Thee Water MoccaSins could easily maintain and flourish within the settings of only a studio. Live: We love to play these songs live. We get to open the songs up a bit more like how we originally wrote them. Feeding off each other and being able to reach a psychic level of playing is about the highest mental plateau that humans can reach. And we push to open a communal bliss between us and the audience when we play live by adding an intense light show and percussive audience participation during some numbers. It is our attempt to say that All Are Welcome here.
The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore. What four faces are you putting there and why?
TWM: Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Leonard Cohen, Mark Mothersbaugh. Wise Man, Protector, Lover, Human Dissent.
The Deli: All right, give us the rundown. Where all on this big crazy web can you be found?
TWM: www.theewatermoccaSins.com. You can download or listen to our full record. It sounds a bit silly when you just stream it due to some songs being strung together. Just buy it.
The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for The Deli audience?
TWM: We would like to thank everyone for their continual support. Support your locals. Never bite the hand that feeds you. Please be good to each other. Start Now.
Thee Water MoccaSins will be bringing their psychedelic electronic fractal pop to blow away The Riot Room this Thursday, August 23 with special guests Be/Non and Olivetti Letter. Since they rarely play live shows, this is your chance to see them. Prepare to be impressed.
–-Zach Hodson
| Zach is a lifetime Kansas City resident who plays multiple instruments and sings in Dolls on Fire and Drew Black and Dirty Electric, as well as contributing to many other Kansas City music, art, and comedy projects. He is very fond of edamame, treats his cat Wiley better than he treats himself, and doesn’t want to see pictures of your newborn child (seriously, it looks like a potato). |
Chris Riffle could be New York’s unlikely mellowcore champion of the year. A mix of folk authenticity and offbeat sentimentality, Riffle has just released his second full-length ‘Another Dream‘ that charts many of his unrequited hopes for love, with topics ranging from his wishes for the shapes of stars, to his wishes for the names of stars. In songs like ‘Kiss On The Cheek‘ and his fantastic cover of ‘And I Love Him,’ Riffle proves New York is still a home for hopeless romantics at heart. Like Bright Eyes and M. Ward, Riffle’s tenor brings home passionate urgency to matters of the heart. See the troubadour when he plays this Thursday, August 23rd at Spike Hill. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)
Hola! We’re back with another episode of Choice/Cuts. This time around Keith Birthday and Dr. Awkward, a.k.a. Norwegian Arms, a.k.a. Fulbright scholar/ESL Folk founder Brendan Mulvihill and Dr. Dog’s Eric Slick were nice enough to come by and chat, crack a plenty of jokes, and play us some tunes. Check out a sweet sounding version of “Tired of Being Cold” off their upcoming album Wolf Like a Stray Dog. As always, special thanks to the awesome crew at HotBox Studios! We love working with them, and you will too so drop them a line for your audio/video recording needs. Enjoy!
