Check out the new track from Young Gliss called “Annabel Lee” featuring Ang Bocca and production work from Elusive Orkestra! It was inspired by the Edgar Allen Poe poem with the same name. Gliss has an upcoming project entitled #HighOnAWeekDay. However, “Annabel Lee” won’t be found as part of it.
NYC
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Jaymay lands November residency at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2
The shortest day of the year may not be until December, but here in New York, the nights can get awful cold starting as early as October. In the immortal words of Eddard Stark: winter is coming. If you need a break from the dropping temperature, then allow the ever-charming Jaymay to warm your heart. Starting October 26th, NY based singer-songwriter Jamie Seerman will bring her musical project back home for a residency at Rockwood Music Hall’s Stage 2. She will be playing every Friday through November 16th. Listen to Jaymay’s latest EP, “10UNDER2,” streaming below. – Josh Johnson
NYC
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Witch Gardens at the Rendezvous this Sunday
Photo Source: Witch Gardens
Witch Gardens will be hitting the stage at the Rendezvous this weekend along with Hive Dwellers, Craig Extine, and the Exiles.
The quartet’s last EP R-I-P came out in April of this year, a three song bundle of jagged charm and cheer. Their music is refreshingly melodic and graceful without nosediving into twee pop’s precarious land of the saccarhine.
Lead track "Aunt Shae/Mean Colleen" is a natural spotlight grabber for the release, with its multi-faceted songwriting and suprisingly driving grooves. The start of the song begins as a softly materializing dream, harkening comparison to Sung Tongs-era Animal Collective or Women. The drums gallop; the guitarwork hastens; the vocals chime sweetly and matter-of-factly.
The closing song "Bakers Dozen" is more deliberate in its pacing. It possesses the twang of older Modest Mouse material while retaining their ’60s sunshine pop clarity. An enjoyable, lo-fi reverie through and through.
Doo-wop harmonies meet fuzzy rock with moments of freak folk affinity. In otherwords, ignore the catch-all words and just give them a prompt listen. Expect a genuine smile to pop up in no time.
Visit the Rendezvous this Sunday, October 7th to see the show for $7 with doors at 7pm. This is the venue’s first all-ages show, ever! Listen to "Aunt Shae/Mean Colleen" below and carry onto their bandcamp to hear the rest. You can purchase a copy of the 7” record over at Waterwing Records for $7. So many sevens; I wonder if they would conclude that, in the fabled words of the Pixies, "God is seven."
– Cameron LaFlam
Chicago
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Pink Frost “Where Days Go”
Pink Frost has released a video for their track "Where Days Go" from their 2011 album Gargoyle Days.
The band will be releasing a 7" single for their track "The Sun" soon and you can see that process here.
Chicago
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Mister Lies
Nick Zanca (aka Mister Lies) released his new 7" this week via Lefse. This is the follow-up to the Hidden Neighbors EP he released earlier this year. The 20-year Lakeview producer makes incredible beats and tracks and is preparing his debut full-length early next year.
Chicago
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Derek Erdman
The local label Sanzimat has "unearthed" a unique collection of archival recordings by the pop artist, formerly based in Chicago, Derek Erdman. The collection, Archieves Vol. 1, is series of what sound like field recordings but range to fragments of songs.
SZI-002 Derek Erdman: Coyote (Archives Vol.1) Promo. from Sanzimat on Vimeo.
NYC
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Interview with PLOY: DC Deli’s Artist of the Month (October)
DC based indie pop duo PLOY (Gil Wojcik & Justin Victoria) had been in other bands togther over the past few years, but decided to manoeuvre their sound into the electronic atmosphere back in March. The result was truly eclectic and can be heard in their self-titled EP, and has undoubtedly garnered the attention of fans who voted them band of the month. We wanted to find out more about these guys, so got a hold of Gil who tells us here about the Starbucks think-tank, the upcoming SxSW fest, and planning a DC gig this month! Now onto the interview…
Check out their latest single "Fool" below!
NYC
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New video: “Hangover Blues” by Making Movies
The Record Machine has released the new video from Making Movies, "Hangover Blues." The video gives us a snippet of the band’s exhilirating, sexy, costumed live shows and highlights some of the best features of Kansas City. Watch it for cameos from KC musicians Mark Lowrey and Hermon Mehari, and appearances from venues like CrossroadsKC at Grinder’s, Czar, The Union, The Cigar Box, Gusto, Mutual Musician’s Foundation, and YJ’s.
For a short time, you can also download Making Movies’ EP Aguardiente for free at the link below.
Check out the band’s upcoming tour dates:
10/4 Columbia, MO – The Bridge
10/11 Chicago, IL – Subterranean
10/12 North Liberty, IA – The Palms
10/13 St. Louis, MO – Plush w/Los Lobos
10/14 Dayton, OH – Blind Bob’s
10/16 Brooklyn, NY – The Rockshop / Mecca Lecca & The Record Machine CMJ Party
10/20 Burtonsville, MD – Blue Beetle Rock Bar
If you don’t happen to be in any of these locations, be sure to head to recordBar on Saturday, October 26, where the band will be playing and celebrating Dia de los Muertos. DJ Brent Tactic will also be spinning tunes. Facebook event page.
–Michelle Bacon
Philadelphia
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Free Download: “Move!” – Les Professionnels
You may be familiar with Les Professionnels’ beats that are scattered throughout the Philly hip hop music scene. Well, the group has new track for free download called “Move!” that will make its television debut on MTV tonight for the premiere episode of the Jersey Shore’s final season. Yup, Philly’s in da house for a little fist-pumping action this evening! Les Professionnels also have a remix EP for “Move!” that will contain contributions from Deli fave Lushlife, Eliot Lipp (of Pretty Lights), Psychemagik and Pete Herbert, which will be available via new indie label CNNSSR.
NYC
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Album review: White Girl – EP Two
The intro track, “We Will Never Die” kicks off White Girl’s EP Two with an explosion of feel-good dance rock. This track would make Passion Pit and Temper Trap shake their heads for not writing it first. What sets “We Will Never Die” apart from the rest of the songs on the album is the complexity in its rhythm, which bounces seamlessly between 6/8, 4/4 and 2/4. While it’s easy to dance to, I do not suggest air drumming to this song unless you are a professional. Frontman Martin Bush introduced me to this song last weekend. When the vocals kicked in, I asked if he was a fan of Animal Collective. He grinned and gave me a big nod. My personal opinion is that “We Will Never Die” is the best track on this finely crafted record.
Shifting the feel of the record, “Captain to Copilot” shows a glimpse of the dynamic songwriting abilities that White Girl has to offer. The reverb-filled opening guitar riff that remains somewhat constant throughout the song gives a sense of longing. Vocally there is a hint of Beach Boys influence that floats smoothly over this synth/bass-heavy track. The gigantic-sounding drums that appear midway through drive this song home.
If you aren’t dancing yet, “Setting Fire” will change that instantly. This song will grab you with its beautifully clear synthesizers and crisp guitar tones. The four on the floor, kick/snare/high-hat combo, and grooving bass hold a solid foundation for Martin’s ambient voice. The poppy progression of this song is reminiscent of Hall and Oates and Talking Heads. Extremely catchy, “Setting Fire” is a dance anthem that any DJ would be lucky to remix.
After its beautiful multilayered synth-intro ,“Last Men Standing” erupts into ambient glory. The tone of every instrument on this song is exquisite. Its hopeful chant/sing-along chorus is extremely uplifting and dreamy. This is a song that would be great to listen to first thing in the morning, on the roof of a tall building while the sun is just on the horizon.
The electronic side of White Girl makes its largest appearance on the EP’s final track “Lament.” Most of this final tune is Bush singing into a vocoder, and is a heart-touching ballad that is based off the epic poem “Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Coleridge. As his story builds, bit-crushed drums and atmospheric synthesizers build with him until they both reach a climax and drift away. This intimate song is the perfect track to end a well-rounded EP.
For fans of: M83, Hall and Oates, The Appleseed Cast, MGMT, Animal Collective, U2, Talking Heads, Passion Pit, Temper Trap, Empire of The Sun, and The Beach Boys.
White Girl is:
Martin Bush: Vocals/guitars/keys
Skylar Mcclun: Keys/guitars/vocals
Matt Epstein: Guitars/vocals
Nick Organ: Drums
EP Two will be released tomorrow, October 5. You can catch White Girl at the album release party on Friday, October 25 at The Union with special guests The Atlantic and Sphynx. The band will be touring the East coast this fall, and you can find their tour dates at http://www.whitegirl.org.
—Eric Fain
| Eric plays a mean bass for The Atlantic. |
Philadelphia
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Rock to the Future Wins a Grant from The Fender Music Foundation
Congrats to local do-gooders Rock to the Future for winning a grant from The Fender Music Foundation! The free afterschool music education and learning program will be receiving new guitars, drum sets, amps, and more to help further enrich the lives of Philly students and our burgeoning music scene. Cheers!
NYC
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Album review: Chocolate Velvet – Moan (EP)
Chocolate Velvet‘s EP release Moan is the brainchild of the prolific William (Scott) Chaffin, a songwriter who is also brain-rearing tunes for The Black Bullet Promise and Vitae and The Pale Horse, among other artistic endeavors. This 5-song collection of new and previously unreleased material is very much reflective of the pseudonym under which it resides: smooth, dark, and textured.
I listened to this release a few times during the daylight hours, wishing for a long drive at night to thoroughly devour the subtleties hidden in Chocolate Velvet’s songs. The feel of this EP, more emotionally than sonically, has the depth of "In the Air Tonight" (pre-drum intro), with a contemplative lyrical element paired with electronic grooves, never going over the edge, never straying too far from it.
The release begins with "Moan," a steady, ambient song held together with a synth line and layered atmospheric guitars that support Chaffin’s edgy vocal delivery. This song as an opener is a great introduction for the rest of the songs on the EP: cool, collected, and riding on a deceptively simple groove that proves to be haunting and direct at the same time. "Tomorrow is a Witch," my personal favorite, works in a marimba-style beat while maintaining good electronic dance music posture. Vocally, this song brings Chaffin front-and-center with a vague resemblance of Peter Gabriel, with a floating, rhythmic cadence while proclaiming "Tomorrow is a witch that is drowning to pay." "Emotion" follows with a more emotive hip-hop delivery, with use of auto-tune, but used in a context that’s less Top 40 than most are used to hearing it in. The 80’s groove of "Joker" moves along on a synth line that makes room for layered electronic noises and piano that supports Chaffin’s warning, "You’re better off lying cause they’ll put you in a cage." This track is both danceable and cerebral in its elements and provides for solid foot tapping or existential deliberation, whichever floats your boat. The EP concludes with an instrumental version of the title track and shows the layered beauty Chaffin has the ability to conjure through the use of space and timing.
This is a modern and, at times, ethereal release from an artist that deserves recognition for his songwriting across all his projects, and in particular, for his ability to shift genres without much crossover from one to the other. You can follow the man himself on Twitter @ticketforone.
—Mike Tipton
| Mike is a KC native that enjoys new music and playing with his band, Molly Picture Club. He also enjoys people watching and documentaries by Ken Burns. |