One-girl-band extraordinaire Emily Wells, who recently moved from LA to NYC, will be headlining the Deli curated night at the 2nd edition of Brooklyn Night Bazaar, on December 7. Inspired by night markets across Asia, this event brings together the borough’s most creative independent vendors, musicians, artists chefs and brewers to vast indoor and outdoors spaces during Friday and Saturdays from November 23 until December 22, from 6pm until Midnight. This year the event will be hosted at 45 N 5th St. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. There will be bands playing every night, to be announced soon.
Austin
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New Video- The Boxing Lesson- “Better Daze”
Adorable and fantastic new video of The Boxing Lesson‘s track "Better Daze." Don’t miss them November the 17th at the Flamingo Cantina.
L.A.
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The Intelligence releases new video + plays The Griffin 11.8
Seattle/Los Angeles-based lo-fi garage band The Intelligence, who have certainly been around for a while (over a decade, that is), yet are still restlessly putting out records at the solid pace of an album a year since 2004 (along with a parade of EPs, singles and splits), recently released the video for their latest track ‘Hippy Provider‘. Taken off the band’s latest full-length ‘Everybody’s Got It Easy But Me‘, the single’s a short, cherpy ode to doing whatever the heck you may thingk is right, built upon a bed of delicate dissonances and swarming synth sounds. Currently on tour, sharing the stage with King Tuff in New Orleans this evening, the band will be back your way on November 8th, playing at San Diego’s The Griffin. Meanwhile, check out the video below.
Philadelphia
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The Deli Philly’s November Album of the Month: Manufacturing Joy – TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb
Twas a wise man who said, “Cocaine is a helluva drug.” TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb sound like they can attest to that. Their latest record, Manufacturing Joy, appears heavily influenced by the Philosopher James. It’s a testament to drug-fueled benders, whiskey-fueled bar crawls, and the heavy blues that accompany the mornings after. With the boot-stomping energy of a square dance veering out of control and vocals that recall the cigarette-weary drawl of Swans’ Michael Gira, the group has created a singular sound they’ve come to call “post-apocalypse blues.”
A weighty label to wear to be sure, but damn if it isn’t fitting; Kong and the A-Bomb’s brand of the blues isn’t spooky per se, but it carries an unsettlingly sinister undertone. On “10 Minutes,” vocalist Dan Bruskewicz sings, “I got my eyes on your bathroom window… I got just one reason to keep you around” in a devilish minor key while the drums pound just a little too angrily to just keep time. At some point in Manufacturing Joy’s universe, the liars, drunks and road-walkin’ bluesmen took over, and the resulting depravity is too enticing to not indulge.
Because at the center of Manufacturing Joy is the wild, reckless spirit of the blues, all the songs run at a tempo too infectious not to bop to, and all are decked with key blues-signifiers: finger-picking wizardry, hot harmonica solos, lyrics about criminals and cheatin’ dames. Manufacturing Joy is a fitting title not only because the record is littered with intoxicants and party drugs, but because the music itself is too peppy to ignore. One can imagine the joy that the band manufactures live simply by bringing the good times to their audiences. Picture them in a bar, energizing a stony crowd into a frenzy with the introduction to “Rock N’ Roll Club Bathroom Cocaine Blues.” Then there’s “Sweet Lorraine” striking a special chord with a guy five beers deep into forgetting his ex for a couple hours. If all bluesmen are storytellers, then Manufacturing Joy is TJ Kong and the Atomic Bomb’s story of survival. For in these post-apocalypse blues, there’s a party still a-ragin’. – Adam Downer
Philadelphia
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New Track: “Soup Boys (Pretty Drones)” (Prod. by Lushlife) – Heems
Here’s a dope new Lushlife-produced track below for Das Racist’s Heems called “Soup Boys (Pretty Drones).” Lush will be performing live this Saturday at Underground Arts for the Bibliodiscotheque Dance Party & 215 Fest Music Showcase.
NYC
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The Cardinal Points play Mercury Lounge 11.18
For a guy with a theremin player at his disposal, singer/songwriter John Washburn is a bit too hard on himself. A thoughtful band in the Indie Britpop vein of Blur or Pulp, The Cardinal Points’ debut EP ‘I Promised You Mermaids, But The Ocean Was Empty’ finds Washburn with some mixed up plans, but good intentions nonetheless. It’s a landscape of frozen dreams and tumbling anxieties on the pounding ‘Circle the Sun’ and theremin-kissed album opener ‘The Strangest Days.’ My favorite, title track ‘I Promised You Mermaids,’ is an epic tour of these settings, where Washburn tries to repair a disappointing relationship. An impressive debut, The Cardinal Points are as bouncy as they are stark, and I’m looking forward to seeing them announce some more dates. So pack your bags and take a visit. The album is streaming on their bandcamp. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)
NYC
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Found in our online music submissions: Fashions’ electro-pop
With the world slowly coming to terms with the fact that John Taylor just can’t pull off feathered hair anymore, millions of Duran Duran fans are wondering what to do now. Not to worry. Fashions is here to make sure we all still know exactly what’s cool, and what’s not. Brooklyn-based members Matthew Maclaren Jonathan Hudak and Lepaux have taken on the heavy task of making sure our city gets down properly in style… just like the ‘80s would’ve wanted us to.
To that end, they’re pulling out all the retro synths, dark sunglasses, and perfect hair they can manage, and serving it up on latest atmospheric dance banger “Young Heart.” The track is a perfect display of New Order/Duran Duran four-on-floor gusto sure to rally you up for your next big montage. Grab your hot pants and hang on… it’s going to be a long night. – This band submitted their music for review here – Mike Levine
Philadelphia
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West Philadelphia Orchestra Kicking Off the Tunes for 215 Fest at Underground Arts Nov. 1
Tonight West Philadelphia Orchestra will be bringing their Balkan Dance Party to its new home Underground Arts. So every first Thursday of the month, there will be a reason to celebrate in the Eraserhood. It will also be an extra special party this evening when the klezmer band helps to kick off the music for the reinvigorated 215 Festival curated by Philebrity’s Joey Sweeney. There will also be plenty of wit and humor added to the night with Juliet Hope Wayne, Shmitten Kitten’s Anna Goldfarb and Starlee Kline spinning their tales to entertain the audience. Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St., 9pm, $6, All Ages – H.M. Kauffman
Portland
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Hungry Ghost Plays Mississippi Studios 11.3
Hungry Ghost plays the kind of tight, tastefully constructed songs that can only come from musicians with experience and direction. The self-described “supergroup of obscure ‘90s indie rockers” combines heavy, blues-inspired riffs with a mature understanding of the psychedelic and an apparent need to experiment to create songs that sound simultaneously familiar and esoteric. The guitar tones are dialed with utmost precision and used to channel a chaotic and charged energy placed atop volcanic drumming and steady, smooth bass lines played with complete coordination and synchronicity. It’s easy to get lost in the grainy guitar riffs, and even easier to be woken from your trance by the abrupt breaks in music and the shouting vocals. If this sounds like your kind of show then you’re in luck. Hungry Ghost is bringing their dynamic sound to the fantastic Mississippi Studios for a free show on Saturday, November 3rd. Go and feed the ghost. – Benjamin Toledo
Philadelphia
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Give Into the Temptaion w/Sweatheart at PhilaMOCA Nov. 1
Use eye protection; you might contract something while watching Sweatheart’s set tonight at PhilaMOCA. As you give into the band’s visual temptation, you’ll be audibly struck by their rock assault time-warp, and won’t be able to control yourself from gyrating to their boppin’ riffs and tongue-in-cheek lyrics. The fivesome will be delivering a more personal set, since their last appearance was opening for the "I Believe In A Thing Called Love"-rockers The Darkness at Terminal 5 in NYC. Joining Sweatheart will be Philly’s D.V. NIKT, with its live instrumental and spoken word that addresses radical historical topics in media and politics, and Australian dark-wave duo WAZU, whose "apop-calyptic" sound is currently making its home in the Big Apple. PhilaMOCA, 531 N. 12th St., 8pm, $7-10 donation, All Ages – Brandi Lukas