The Homophones are back tonight at Ortlieb’s (which is obviously a good thing!) after a period of dormancy. They’ve been working on some new material, and with a new keyboardist in tow, you can expect a bit of a variation in sound. However, frontman Jason Ferraro’s silky, smooth baritone vocals and witty, biting lyrics will still remain intact. Ferraro and crew will be joined on the bill by UK imports Swim Deep and The Fantastic Imagination (featuring members of A Sunny Day in Glasgow). BTW: If you can’t make it out this evening or simply can’t get enough of The Homophones, they’ll also be performing this Friday at the Ruba Club for the Phreaks N’ Queers Arts Festival Benefit. Ortlieb’s Lounge, 847 N. 3rd St., 9:30pm, $7, 21+ (Photo by David Turcotte) – H.M. Kauffman
The Woolen Men Record Release at Mississippi Studios 3.22
This Friday, March 22nd, at 8:00 pm the doors at Portland’s beloved Mississippi Studios will swing open, and a herd of Woolen Men fans will stream through the doors in celebration of the release of a new CD. What you may not know is the previous albums The Woolen Men have put out are reason enough to get you to a venue on a Friday night. This rock trio from Portland has it’s feet firmly planted on the ground of rock and roll and manages to do it in a way that is unique. Calling the songs catchy feels cheap, they are more than that. The songs stick around, haunting your mind until you give in and listen to more. The bill that night will be graced with the otherworldly Stay Calm, who have a dreamy vibe and echoing vocals that lighten a whole room, and the ever witty and energetic Sad Horse. $5 at the door or in advance will get you into the madness, but you really should bring a few extra dollars for a CD or two. When the music is this good, you want to take home a souvenir. – Joy Pearson
NYC band on the rise: Wild Leaves release ‘ Wind & Rain’ + play Mercury on March 25
Wild Leaves are five friends who moved from the Midwest to Brooklyn. Their Debut EP, ‘ Wind & Rain’ will be out on March 26th. Recorded live to tape over three days in Upstate New York, the songs on the EP look back at things left behind, a reflection on new lives taking root. Hazy melodies and spacious reverb recall memories not yet lost. See them live at their release party at Mercury Lounge on March 25. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli’s NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building.
We added this song to our SoundCloud compilation of emerging Rootsy NYC artists here – check it out!
Free Download: “Civil Inattention” – Restorations
Restorations just shared a new track this morning called "Civil Inattention," which you can download for free HERE. The song is off their upcoming album LP2 due out April 2 via SideOneDummy Records.
Video: Feeding People, “Big Mother”
The newest single off their full length release, ‘Island Universe,’ out on Innovative Leisure, “Big Mother” packs a serious punch. An in your face garage-y psych rock tune that’s punk rock short, and full of those sexy, Grace Slick style vocals from frontwoman, Jessie Jones that make you swoon and sweat. The video is cheeky and fun. It’s the best kind of tease, sure to send you straight to your e-retailer of choice to buy the whole album. Feeding People will join The Black Lips, Nick Waterhouse, and many more at Burgerama Day 1 on March 22 at The Observatory in Santa Ana. – Jacqueline Caruso
Michelle Cross & Joe Frawley
Dolls Come To Life is one of the most beautiful albums I’ve heard in a long time. Minnesota sound college artist Joe Frawley has been constructing amazingly complex pieces and detailed songs for several years, and has found a match and perhaps a muse in Chicago’s Michelle Cross.
Frawley’s approach to organic piano composition and textured sampling blends perfectly with Michelle Cross and her heavenly tones. Dolls Comes To Life is dark, playful, haunting, and beautiful.
Impulsive Hearts
Impulsive Hearts is fronted by Danielle Sines and have released two beautiful tracks so far this year. My favorite is their track "Young" which seems to take their sound in a slightly more psych-pop direction.
The Cry! at Mt. Tabor Theater and East End 3.20/3.23
If there’s one thing The Cry! knows it’s how to rock. The four piece rock n’ roll revivalists play with the style and vintage tones of some of the most prominent acts from the ‘60s and ‘70s and inject them with a gritty, punk rock spirit to create some of the most contagious and energetic power pop in the Portland scene today. Their live show is tight and seamless as they showcase short, catchy tunes without holding back an ounce of the anarchic energy they’re known for. This makes for an unforgettable experience, and if a night of old school rock n’ roll is what gets your bones moving this is your lucky week. The Cry! will be playing in the lounge at the Mt. Tabor Theater on Wednesday, March 20th and at East End on Saturday, March 23rd. Do yourself a favor and see these guys this week. – Benjamin Toledo
NYC Album of the Month: Parquet Courts’ “Light Up Gold”
Touchstones come easily for Parquet Courts. While a lot of Brooklyn bands try desperately to shed historical reference, songwriters Austin Brown and A. Savage seem to revel in finding common ground with those that have come before them. Doing their homework, they’ve managed to flirt heavily with the noise-rock expectations of Sonic Youth, the late, angular punk of The Stranglers, and the slacker torch passed over from Pavement for their much-discussed LP ‘Light Up Gold.’
But there’s also something uniquely New York in how they’ve channeled their frustrations through punk freakouts in ‘Master of My Craft,’ or when they’re talking about nothing in the universal truths of ‘Donuts Only.’ This is part of a timeless link in a chain heading back to Velvet Underground, but cutting its teeth in the grunge noise of the ’90s. Parquet Courts placed in 77th position in our recent Year End Poll for Emerging NYC bands, and also thanks to their energetic and tight live show got a lot of buzz going last week at SXSW. See them play with Iceage, April 20th at Bowery Ballroom. – Mike Levine @Goldnuggets)
This song was added to our SoundCloud playlist of emerging NYC artists here.
New Music Video: “One Shot” (Feat. Beano) – Chill Moody
Chill Moody just released a new music video for the track "One Shot," which features vocals from Beano (and a lot of Jameson drinking that we obviously aprrove of). Chill will be performing next in Philly this Friday, March 22 at Hard Rock Cafe where he’ll be joined by his "Talent Island" crew. Cheers!
Lightning 100’s Music City Mayhem: The Paranormals
After taking second place in our year-end Best Emerging Artist poll, The Paranormals are at it again, this time competing in Lightning 100’s Music City Mayhem for the chance to play Nashville’s summer concert series, Live On the Green.
For the price of a few seconds and an email address (to verify that you are a breathing human, not for spamming purposes), you can vote for the local three-piece here. Voting ends at midnight, so don’t forget to get in there.
We all know we’re going to Live On the Green this summer, so we may as well choose who we’re watching while we’re there.
Tuesday Tune-Out w/Cruiser at PhilaMOCA March 19
This evening, Philly Music Showcase continues its residency as curator for Tuesday Tune-Out at PhilaMOCA for the month of March. Headlining the bill will be the breezy indie-pop sounds of Cruiser, who will be performing to found footage put together by frontman Andy States. They’ll also be joined by eclectic York/Philly trio Younger Me. After the miserable weather yesterday, you owe to yourself to get out for an evening of feel-good tunes. PhilaMOCA, 531 12th St., 8pm, $5, All Ages (Photo by Zach Blum) – H.M. Kauffman