Talented Brooklyn emerging singer/songwriter Frances Cone (one of our NYC Artists on the Rise a few weeks ago) will join LA based Indie/Folk outfit Milo Greene for a special performance at Bowery Ballroom on August 29th. Frances recently released her first single “Come Back” along with this music video, while Milo Greene has toured with The Civil Wars, after releasing their debut album this past July – if interested you can win VIP tickets to the private event by visiting this site. – Chelsea Eriksen
Philadelphia
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New Music Video: “Pink Ruff” – Bleeding Rainbow
Here’s a new music video for the lead single, “Pink Ruff,” off Bleeding Rainbow’s forthcoming album Yeah Right. It premiered earlier today via Stereogum. It was directed by Herbie Shellenberger and Michael Thomas Vassallo. Below is what they had to say about its production.
Bleeding Rainbow approached us about shooting a video for the firstsingle (“Pink Ruff”) from their new album. One of the references they mentioned was the “Stargate” sequence from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Thinking about this scene, we were reminded of similar abstract portraits (Warhol’s “Chelsea Girls” as well as films by Kenneth Anger and Shuji Terayama) and the colorfield films of Paul Sharits.
We shot on 16mm color reversal (Ektachrome 7285) in Rob and Sarah’s basement with each of the four band members sitting and posing in a bust shot. We had intense lights with color gels moving around the band members, video and overhead projectors, a fog machine and a sequence with plastic wrap in front of the lens.
When we got the film back from the lab, we discovered that much of it was misregistered in the camera and out of frame. The footage was even more abstract than was planned, but luckily it fit with the theme. Michael Tom edited the footage with lots of fast cuts, chopping it up to match the intensity of the song. We are very proud to work with Bleeding Rainbow and thank them for their support in helping us shoot on 16mm!
NYC
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Hip Hop from Brooklyn: Weekend Money
Pockets feeling a little light? Swagger misplaced? Subwoofer blown? Don’t fret NYC party people, get yourselves some Weekend Money. Take some electro-infused grind-worthy beats, lace them with some gritty street raps and get ready to sweat. Producer Ne$$ and Baghdaddy cite influences from Jimi Hendrix to Mobb Deep and are currently in the lab finishing up their premier ep tentatively titled “Naked City.” If you’re ready to drop it like it’s hot then seek them out, just be prepared for them to run their bass all up in your face. Check out the video for "Insomniac" here. -=brokeMC
New England
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Hostage Calm Announce New Album
Is Stockholm syndrome so wrong? Prepare to be held for ransom by thick, grisly riffage and tales from the future-punk Odyssey. Connecticut’s shape-shifting aggro-prog outfit Hostage Calm have announced the drop date of their second LP, “Please Remain Calm,” which will hit the streets October 9th thanks to the fellas at Boston’s Run For Cover Records. Unhappy to settle on any one sonic definition, Hostage Calm are a slithering and regenerative Hydra of complex rock flavors with an undercurrent of East Bay punk rage, harkening equally to Pavement, Tom Petty and Rancid while remaining unfamiliar and fresh. With a grandiosity and panache rarely seen since the days of arena rawk and vinyl leggings, each track on “Please Remain Calm” reflects on the illusion of time and the absence of right and wrong – there is only creation.
Hostage Calm will be touring with Into It. Over It. on their first full tour from October 17 to 31, and then flying right back out the door in support of Streetlight Manifesto on the Always Almost Home Tour. Don’t miss them when they come through Boston and New York on November 24 and 25! Listen to the band’s debut album streaming below. – Dean Shakked
Philadelphia
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New Music Video: “Get Free” (Feat. Amber Coffman) – Major Lazer
Check out the dope new music video from Major Lazer for the track “Get Free” featuring Amber Coffman! It was directed by SoMe. Yo, does anyone else feel like going to Jamaica with us now!?!
NYC
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Miniboone releases video + plays Cake Shop on 09.06
MiniBoone‘s latest music video for punchy pop-rock romp "Brand New Thing" embodies every kid’s dream. You know, candy, junk food, soda, and … sasquatch? Well, it must be some kid’s dream: some very awesome, party animal kid’s dream to be precise.The song, off 2011’s On MiniBoone Mountain EP, lends itself extremely well to this… ahem… quirky video. Both are pulsing with energy and emphasize a tongue-in-cheek take on life; the New York-based five-piece didn’t cut any corners when it came to absurdity and a musically good time. Be sure to check it out – this could very well be the most ridiculous just-under-4-minutes you’ve spent in some time. – Corinne Bagish
Austin
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Introducing: Holy Wave
Holy Wave is grounded well within the Austin psychedelic scene, but they take many interesting side steps into other trains of thought. A crutch of some psychedelic rock bands is to fall into a strung out and trudging groove that would be cool if you were stoned. Holy Wave never falls into this defect of their genre. Mixed in with cool surf licks, the band has incorporated a crescendo style into their act. Any time the boys seem to be cruising along in one groove, it isn’t long before one of the members shoots the rest of the band into a jaw-dropping climax. Holy Wave’s intelligent take on psychedelic surf rock is engaging and will make you feel like you’re at a 1950’s beach party.- Taylor Browne
NYC
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Fun NYC folk trio: Plume Giant release party – Mercury, 08.31
Fresh from their graduation ceremony at Yale this past spring, the new-to-Brooklyn trio Plume Giant is hitting the road in support of their full-length album “Callithump.” The record comes after an eponymous EP in 2010, and shows off the band’s jovial fusion of folk and fiddle, highlighting playful harmonies with their male-female vocals combination. “Callithump” was recorded over an 11-month stretch around tour and exam schedules, and will be released on August 28, with a US tour to follow. Fellow local folkies Tall Tall Trees will join Plume Giant for their record release show at the Mercury Lounge on August 31. – Devon Antonetti
L.A.
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PYYRAMIDS at The Spare Room (8.23)
Picked by The Guardian as ‘New Band Of The Day’ (nice one!), they may have been around for barely a year, but it sure doesn’t feel that way. LA-based duo PYYRAMIDS‘ debut EP ‘Human Beings‘ is precise and smoothly executed from start to finish: the arrangements are spotless, there’s depth to the textures, their ventures further from pop rock roots into soul tones or prominent electronics aren’t in the least overbearing; rather, they maintain the cohesion and contemporary feel of their aesthetic. In other words, one of these confidently laced debuts that sets the bar up fairly high for a second output but sends the word out to the critical community: artist to watch. Note that they’ll be playing a free show at LA’s Spare Room this evening!
Philadelphia
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Last Sickoids Show in Philly for a While at Golden Tea House Aug. 23
Tonight at the Golden Tea House is the last show in Philly for punk outfit Sickoids in a while. The trio will be soon scattered throughout the U.S. According to a post on their blog from Rob Fitzpatrick, he’ll be leaving for the Bay Area to satisfy his “Babylonian tendencies.” Vince Klopfenstein is heading off to LA “where he will probably seek work in a Sunset Strip cock-rock band.” And Eric Montanez will be going down to Richmond, VA “where he will sit on his throne as the King of Punk.” However, it’s not exactly the end for Sickoids. The band just recorded six songs this past weekend for a 12” that will be released via Sorry State. They’ll also continue to perform and tour when it fits their schedules. Sickoids will be joined this evening by Nightbirds, No Stayer, Mutant Genes, and Attitude Era. Golden Tea House, (Please contact one of the acts or the venue for more details.), 7pm, $7, All Ages – Alexis V.
NYC
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Lightning Bolt previews new EP + plays 285 Kent 9.20
If you think their previous records were insane, this one’s about to blow your head off. On September 25th, Providence based (but constantly associated to the Brooklyn DIY scene) noise-rock duo Lightning Bolt will be dropping a seven-track compilation of some favorite unreleased recordings, ‘Oblivion Hunter’ (Load Records), which they’ve introduced with King Candy (streaming below). Nerve-wrecking explosion of gritty basslines, aggressive drums and howling vocals reminescent of Japanese noise aesthetics fusing from beneath the chaos, the track fully captures the furious energy of their sets, and opens an EP already much anticipated, with some teasingly tasty alliterations in the titles (Fly Fucker Fly or World Wobbly Wide) and a strongly suggested ‘not for the faint-hearted’ label. Currently on a tour which started in DC on Tuesday (8.21), the duo will – prior to the release – be shaking up Brooklyn’s 285 Kent on September 20th.
NYC
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Album review: The Hearts of Darkness – Shelf Life
(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
Editor’s note and correction: Shelf Life is the second album release from The Hearts of Darkness. The band’s first album, a self-titled LP, was released in 2010 and available at Bandcamp.
"Welcome to the Middle of the Map!
Kansas City, to be exact!
I’m Les Izmore, and I’ve brought some friends along!
They go by …
The opening cadence of the very first song, the title track to The Hearts of Darkness’ new album Shelf Life, is not an introduction. It is not a gentle request for your attention. What it is … (deep breath) … is one of Kansas City’s most bombastic frontmen throwing down the gauntlet and defying you to turn your attention away from the forty-five-minute barrage of music and lyrics that comprise the first full-length effort of a band whose reputation as a live act without peer has been growing since its inception in 2008. Their progression has followed the standard blueprint of sought-after success: play gigs, become known for their live shows, record an EP, play more gigs, get asked to play high-profile slots in such big-ticket events as Farm Aid and Kanrocksas, release a bonafide album. Two years in the making, Shelf Life brings together the beat of West Africa, the spirit of New Orleans, the funk of James Brown, the rhythm of Fela Kuti, and the soul of Count Basie. There’s also no shortage of KC pride here; HoD makes it very clear that they are raising the hometown flag high throughout the record.
Not bad for a group that bandleader Bob Asher describes as a "side project" when they came together nearly 5 years ago. He says that most of the musicians (anywhere between 12 and 19 on a given night) had little to no experience playing in a band, so the Hearts of Darkness sound was carefully cultivated along the way. The result is a collective that is amazingly tight in spite of its sometimes sprawling stage presence – and a presence they are, with Izmore and a formidable trio of dynamic, compelling ladies providing the lyrics to music that demands movement from the listener. While the rhythm is almost always on full-speed-ahead mode, the messages aren’t always simply about having fun and dancing the night away, as witnessed by such tracks as "Standing on the Corner" and "Got to Hustle." Chad Meise at The Cooler Studio does yeoman work in capturing the energy of a live performance, but vinyl and plastic can only do so much, so attending HoD’s CD release party (emphasis on "party," as The Good Foot will be laying down the soul groove sounds as well) is highly recommended.
What’s next for The Hearts of Darkness? According to Asher, some well-deserved down time, as the band will be cutting back on performances for the rest of the year and gearing up for 2013, with new songs at the ready. The target to kick back into full swing is around Mardi Gras time – and what better event for such an unstoppable musical force to flex its muscles? Shelf Life will either be the start of a new sonic addiction or the latest dose of an already-ingrained habit. As Les and the ladies ask in "Numeration," how far will they go before they stop?
Here’s hoping we don’t find out where the “stop” is for a long, long time.
The Hearts of Darkness will be releasing Shelf Life at a special release party this Saturday, August 25 at Knuckleheads Saloon at 8:00 pm. They’ll be accompanied by special guests The Good Foot.
–Michael Byars
| Michael is the host of The Mailbox, a weekly podcast that offers new music, concert info and news about the Kansas City area and more. In his spare time you might find him looking for some good live music, particularly at a certain bar that has lots of records. |