Coming out of the nascent VVYNL stable of acts that inhabit the Knitting Factory on Monday nights, Zachary Allen Starkey bucks the trend of erstwhile Lady Gaga acolytes that dominate VVYNL and offers a more socially- distressed alternative. He’s less, well, pretty. But by combining basic darkwave synths with Gary Numan-esque vocals, Starky’s newest single, “Into the Sun,” paints personal loss in simple poetic strokes that feel prescient despite its retro proclivities. 5 minutes, however, was quite enough and he’ll need to switch the formula up greatly to make this vocal style work over an album’s length. – Brian Chidester
Philadelphia
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New Video: “Trailer Trash” (Modest Mouse Cover – Piss Couch Sessions) – Pill Friends
We’ve been pretty spoiled with all this great weather so today’s showers have us a bit blue. Now, Pill Friends‘ music probably isn’t exactly the first thing that sane people grab to cheer themselves up, but we never claimed to be sane. Here’s the group performing a cover of Modest Mouse’s "Trailer Trash" (from the Seattle outfit’s classic LP The Lonesome Crowded West) for Maggot House’s Piss Couch Sessions that’s actually brightening our day. Enjoy!
Philadelphia
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Take Advantage of Buried Beds Headlining at KFN April 28
Take advantage of Buried Beds’ last local headlining gig before their third full-length album is released in the not so distant future (late summer/early fall) as the band brings their charming sound to Kung Fu Necktie tonight. The group develops a beautifully united combination of orchestrated pop that flourishes in its ability to use a plethora of stringed instrumentation, creating a layered and at times dramatic vibe. Utilizing a combination of male/female vocals (Brandon Beaver/Eliza Hardy Jones), the results are a supremely polished cascading musical experience that takes advantage of excellent story-style lyrics and the sonic potential of an advantageous instrumental toolbox. Auctioneer will fit quite nicely sharing their solemnly intense take on indie pop, while Baltimore’s husband & wife duo of Paul and Krystal Jean Masson, The Great American Canyon Band, delivers wistfully atmospheric ambient indie folk that plays off the marriage of their vocals. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 8pm, $8, 21+ – Michael Colavita
Nashville
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The Deli Nashville and Apple Road Present… Take Over the Press: Dream Showcase
Last night at our show featuring Milktooth, The Gills, and Vinyl Thief, Apple Road and The Deli Nashville teamed up to give you the chance to tell us your thoughts about the Nashville music scene and take over the blog for a day! With the ballots tallied, we give you… The Deli Nashville and Apple Road Present… Take Over the Press!
Our final category asked who would play your dream local showcase if you could feature two modern local acts and any local headliner, alive or dead. The results are fantastic:
Local acts:
*repeat repeat
The Future
The Gills
Eastern Block
Tipper Whore
Bryan Cates
Tristen
Milktooth
Alanna Royale
The JAG
Jack White
Mikky Ekko
Peter Terry & the City Profits
Blackfoot Gypsies
Cherub
Mantra Mantra Mantra
Natural Blonde
Escondido
Justin Kalk Orchestra
supre X
Ranch Ghost
Wild Cub
The Weeks
Tesla Rossa
James Wallace & the Naked Light
The Electric Hearts
Colorfeels
Alive or dead:
*repeat repeat
Justin Timberlake
Billy Swayze
Dolly Parton
Blackfoot Gypsies
Jack White
George Jones
Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes
Roy Orbison
Milktooth
Thanks so much to everyone who came out last night and to everyone who filled out a ballot! You make this fun and we appreciate that more than you would guess.
Until next time, Nashville!
Nashville
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The Deli Nashville and Apple Road Present… Take Over the Press: Local Shows
Last night at our show featuring Milktooth, The Gills, and Vinyl Thief, Apple Road and The Deli Nashville teamed up to give you the chance to tell us your thoughts about the Nashville music scene and take over the blog for a day! With the ballots tallied, we give you… The Deli Nashville and Apple Road Present… Take Over the Press!
In our third category, we gave you the mic to hype your most-anticipated upcoming local show. East Nashville Underground seems to be on everyone’s mind this week (can you blame them?), but there are some exciting shows coming up, and you guys told us what to keep an eye on:
Milktooth (next up: May 25th @ The Basement)
East Side Hootenanny (every Thursday in May @ East Park)
East Nashville Underground (May 10th & 11th @ the East Room)
The JAG (May 18th @ East Side Hootenanny)
Black Sea Royalty (tba)
The Saint Johns (June 1st @ the Basement)
The next Deli showcase (aw… thanks, guys!)
Johnny Velvet and the Scares (May 9th @ the End)
Dick Dale & *repeat repeat (April 30th @ Mercy Lounge)
Road To Bonnaroo stage (June 13-16 @ Bonnaroo)
Nashville
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The Deli Nashville and Apple Road Present… Take Over the Press: Favorite Artists
Last night at our show featuring Milktooth, The Gills, and Vinyl Thief, Apple Road and The Deli Nashville teamed up to give you the chance to tell us your thoughts about the Nashville music scene and take over the blog for a day! With the ballots tallied, we give you… The Deli Nashville and Apple Road Present… Take Over the Press!
In our category for "Favorite Local Artist," we had an overwhelming number of fans vote for Vinyl Thief, The Gills, and Milktooth, which is both expected and deserved. (Shout out to The JAG, who also had an solid turnout!) But the full list is impressive and spot-on, so check out which favorites are hitting radars throughout the local music scene:
The Gills
Milktooth
Vinyl Thief
The Future
Colorfeels
Thunderbitch
The JAG
Nudity
Billy Swayze
Vanessa Barbee
Kaby
Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes
The Features
Peter Terry & the City Profits
Justin Kalk Orchestra
Natural Blonde
Johnny Velvet & the Scares
Cherub
*repeat repeat
Kink Ador
The Young International
Nashville
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The Deli Nashville and Apple Road Present… Take Over the Press: Favorite Songs
Last night at our show featuring Milktooth, The Gills, and Vinyl Thief, Apple Road and The Deli Nashville teamed up to give you the chance to tell us your thoughts about the Nashville music scene and take over the blog for a day! With the ballots tallied, we give you… The Deli Nashville and Apple Road Present… Take Over the Press!
In the first category, we present to you your choices for the "Favorite Song By Local Artist" category, complete with a Spotify playlist* of your choices.
Spotify playlist: The Deli Nashville & Apple Road: Take Over the Press
The Young International, "Vampire"
*repeat repeat, "12345678" [stream here]
Natural Blonde, "30th Street"
Justin Kalk Orchestra, "Pancakes & Syrup" [stream here]
The Gills, "Let’s Get Together"
The JAG, "White Horse"
The Features, "Golden Comb"
Peter Terry & the City Profits, "Stripper Song"
Milktooth, "In My Blood"
The JAG, "Talk At Me"
Mikky Ekko, "Pull Me Down"
Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes, "Shoe Fits"
The Gills, "Summer Lovin’"
Milktooth, "The Gate"
Milktooth, "O Laredo!"
The Joy Of Painting, "Dontchu Wanna" [out May 21st on Tender Age EP. Stream here.]
Sexx, "Top Down" [stream here]
The Gills, "Keep Holding On"
COIN, "It’s Okay"
Milktooth, "Billie Jean"
Cherub, "Roxxy"
*Songs not available on Spotify are featured in the links provided.
Philadelphia
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The Fantastic Imagination Bringing the Fantasy Jams at KFN April 27
Pop-psych prog artists The Fantastic Imagination, a brand new project that features members of A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Arc in Round and Pet Milk, have wasted little time in delivering vibrant fantasy jams. Songs like their debut single "It Begins" do a sound job of channeling visions of walking through Middle Earth on acid. And their debut performance last month was an incendiary cacophony of weirdness. The band is fully prepared to raise the bar when they perform at Kung Fu Necktie tonight. The evening will also feature the dreary pop of Hurry, the jangly power-pop melodies of Literature, and the New Brunswick weirdo rock outfit Honeydrum. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 10pm, $8, 21+ – Bill McThrill
Philadelphia
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Cheap Dinosaurs Live Scoring Liquid Sky at PhilaMOCA April 27
The inaugural Cinedelphia Film Festival is holding its closing day festivities today. This afternoon, you’ll have the opportunity to view the 1982 New Wave classic Liquid Sky, which will be accompanied by a live score from 8-bit, prog rockers Cheap Dinosaurs. As an added bonus, the film’s reclusive producer/director Slava Tsukerman will be in attendance for a pre-screening introduction and post-screening Q&A. It is also the birthday celebration of Cinedelphia/PhilaMOCA’s Eric Bresler, who is truly a good dude, so swing on by and help him make it a memorable one (or even better, a day that he’ll need your help to piece together later on). Cheers to Eric and the Cinedelphia Film Fest for a job well done! PhilaMOCA, 531 N. 12th St., 4pm, All Ages – Q.D. Tran
Austin
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some say Leland Featured on Jason Molina Tribute Album, Playing w/ Ethan Azarian @ Barton Springs Bathhouse 4/26/13, TONIGHT
Some Say Leland has been in "hibernation" for nearly two years, but now they’re back and ready to release some musical wonders. This experimental folk band is working on two songs for a tribute album dedicated to the recently deceased Jason Molina. The album will also feature other local bands such as Linen Closet and James Petralli of White Denim and is scheduled to be released 5/16/13. But that’s not all they are working on… After getting a sneak peek into their next album which is reminiscent of Damien Rice, I am very excited about it and you should be too! See you tonight. — Written by Katy Glass
NYC
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Album review: Bears and Company – South of the Mountain
South of the Mountain has been in the works for a while now. After a successful Kickstarter campaign in January of last year, Bears and Company set out to “create a dynamically driven record fueled by honest emotion,” according to its Kickstarter page. Dynamically driven it is, and hot damn, is it emotionally honest. This brand-new album will melt your face with heavy indie jams and just as easily melt your heart with brutal, beautiful lyrics.
If you’ve seen Bears and Company live, you’ll be insanely content as soon as you press play. “I Dreamt I Destroyed the World” tears into the audible plane with fast, riffy guitars—a live show favorite. This is one of many songs that entices the whole crowd to sing along to. Not to mention this song was released on a limited demo album the band put out last summer as an acoustic track.
Pay attention, because before you know it, “Occurrence in the Wildwood” is on. A graceful guitar reverb sound blends the songs wonderfully. You’ll find yourself lost in an entanglement of Logan Tyler’s smooth voice and Alex McClain’s angsty screams as they combat for the attention of your ears.
Again, you barely blink before “Susannah and the Elders” hits your playlist. I’d love to say this is the catchiest song on the ten-track album, but truth is, that’s just in my ears. Sitting in class, or on the clock at work, and I find myself shamelessly humming the tune to any song on the album at any time. Large sounds from gang vocals spice up the tune.
The Bears finally key things down from the seemingly customary heavy and fast songs with “Carroll A. Deering,” the fourth song featured on South of the Mountain. The song is a lullaby compared to what we’ve heard so far. Slow, sentimental, and heartfelt. It takes an uphill aesthetic, getting louder and more intricate during the four minute and fifty second duration. Don’t understand? Close your eyes and listen to the song, you’ll get it.
Keeping the tempo down and the tunes quiet, track five is just as chill as four. “When the Sky Opened” is another limited acoustic track from the Bears’ summer demos. A chillingly soft timbre emits from this song. This is the closest thing to an anthem you’ll find on this album. Starting off with a daunting and melancholy tone, the song does pick up a brighter message near the end, powering into the last half of the album.
“‘Return of the Hunters” and “After the Quake” are two other crowd pleasers at any Bears’ show; crowd pleaser is putting it lightly. As the band plays these songs live, the whole ambiance of the room shifts. Show patrons get closer and for several minutes every individual molds into one. It’s a weird, eerie phenomenon that is spectacular at the same time.
After these two powerhouse songs, you’ll run into the album’s title track, which serves as an interlude—an all-instrumental arrangement. To be the bearer of great news, this is not a break from the hard-hitting action that you’ve become accustomed to for the past half hour. This song stands just as tall and strong as any other of the nine tracks.
A personal favorite of mine comes next: “We Were Brothers.” It’s a sorry, remorseful song that has a plethora of ups and downs, musically and lyrically. On the latter half of the song comes a haunting, spoken-word-esque, poetic verse. Combining the screams of McClain and the angst-driven voice of Tyler, an otherworldly sound is created. This song takes the cake for the most emotional arrangement, for me at least. Just as mentioned about the catchiness of all the tracks, any given song on South of the Mountain can be claimed as the most emotional.
The Bears finish strong with the finale, “Moskstraumen.” In alignment with the title, this song is a perfect soundtrack for imagining large swirling bodies of water. Again, if you don’t get it, listen close, eyes closed. It’ll become clear. The dynamic shift of the heavy indie jams blending into subtle “la da da’s” pushes the song around and around, further and farther. This song was by far the best choice for an outro track.
The production and mastering of this album is top notch. Recording artist Aaron Crawford kept Tyler sounding sweet and soulful, his bass prominent and plucky. McClain’s voice was very vivid, but not overshadowing. McClain and lead guitarist Zachariah Knoll’s guitar works sounded perfect. Coming in loud, merging into a soft embodiment, resonating and producing feedback; gentle plucks and fast power chords fill the rest of the guitars out. The production of Allan Latini’s drum work was excellent: loud when they needed to be, heavy where appropriate, and epically proportioned to keep each and every track moving along.
South of the Mountain is an extremely emotional ride. The music may suggest otherwise, but listen for the meaning of each song and you’ll find several heartbreaks lurking for you. I recall a show a few months ago where I was talking to McClain after their set. He informed that this album would be his most emotional and honest work to date. That really shines through.
Bears and Company will be celebrating the release of South of The Mountain tomorrow, April 27, at FOKL. Doors open at 7:30, $12. The Author and The Illustrator and Clairaudients will open. Facebook event page.
–Steven Ervay
|
Steven Ervay is super rad. |
Philadelphia
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Weekend Warrior, April 26 – 28
It’s Philly Tech Week, and this Sunday, you have the opportunity to attend an interesting free event at Underground Arts. The evening will kick off with an hour-long Q&A with ?uestlove, which will be hosted by XPN’s Bruce Warren. There will be performances by Lushlife, Man Man’s Pow Pow (a.k.a. Christopher Sean Powell), and Khari Mateen as well as tunes being spun by DJs Dave P and PHSH. Come out and learn a few things while shakin’ your ass to some dope sounds! Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St., 5pm, Free All Ages – H.M. Kauffman
Other things to get you out and about this weekend…
Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford Ave.) FRI Lantern, SAT Denison Witmer, Soporus
Kung Fu Necktie (1250 N. Front St.) FRI Belgrade Record Release Show, SAT (Upstairs) The Repellers, (Downstairs) The Fantastic Imagination, Hurry, SUN Buried Beds, Auctioneer
Underground Arts (1200 Callowhill St.) FRI Ginger Coyle, Katie Barbato, Echo Victory, SAT Super Galactic Expansive, SUN Lushlife, Pow Pow, Questlove, Dave Pianka, DJ PHSH Khari Mateen
PhilaMOCA (531 N. 12th St. Philadelphia) SAT Cheap Dinosaurs
North Star Bar (2639 Poplar St.) FRI Great Big House, The Real Feel, SAT The LBG Project and Overlook, SUN Spirit & Dust
The Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Anjuli Josephine, Ella Dars, Swedeland, Sun Flights, SAT (All Ages) Brothers & Sisters, The Dingleheads, (Late) The Badlees, John & Brittany, Jacob Kulick, SUN Bubblegum Octopus, Death Leopards, 185668232, Storm Blooper
MilkBoy Philly (1100 Chestnut St.) SAT El Malito, Mo Lowda
Ortlieb’s Lounge (847 N. 3rd St.) FRI Sheriff Ariff & The Walli Sanga, SAT Welter, The Moms, Nark
M Room (15 W. Girard Ave.) FRI Color Kingdom, Mystery Circle
Tin Angel (20 S. 2nd St.) FRI Matt Dike, Matt Santry, SAT (Early) Sue Bailey, (Late) No Good Sister
TLA (334 South St.) SAT Devise, The Great Socio
The Trocadero (1003 Arch St.) FRI Binary Bits
Electric Factory (421 N. 7th St.) SAT The Hooters, Good Old War
Fergie’s (1214 Sansom St.) FRI The Late Ancients, SAT The Keystone Mountain Boys, SUN Rusty Cadillac
World Café Live (3025 Walnut St.) FRI Ruder Than You, Fink’s Constant
The Legendary Dobbs (304 South St.) FRI Montoj, The Bartleby Jones, Cocktail Party Phenominon, SAT Firm Taqtics, Sound Barrier Experience, Five Times Famous, Drew Nielson Experience, Venice Sunlgiht, Beth Goldwater, Halfro, Aaron Coile, SUN (Downstairs) Supreem and The New Experience, Paulette Branson & Mixed People, Supreem Da Rezarekta, (Upstairs) Lanice London
Triumph Brewery (117 Chestnut St.) FRI The Raggamuffins
JR’s Bar (2327 S. Croskey St.) SAT Combat Crisis, Population Zero, Common Enemy, Spent Flesh
Connie’s Ric Rac (1132 S. 9th St.) FRI The Chelsea Kills, SAT Sunshine Acid Tabs
The Barbary (951 N. Frankford St.) SUN The Greek Favourites, Cayetana, Secret Plot to Destroy the Entire Universe
Rebel Rock Bar (100 Spring Garden St.) FRI Sick Trust, Flesh Engine, Macines of Penalty, Icarus Witch, Saint Rebel, SAT Honor
Field House (1150 Filbert St.) SAT Beat City
The Grape Room (105 Grape St.) FRI Sonoma Sound, Stealing Fame, Sonogram, The Mighty O.V., Xerohour, Justin DePaola, SAT Looseleaf Trio, East of The West, Grip of The Gods, Astorian Stigmata
Vox Populi (319 N. 11th St., #3) SAT gender EDGE w/Sgt.Sass, EX. By V., Ruby L.L. Voyager, DJ Nasty Sinatra
Locust Moon Comics (34 S. 4th St.) FRI King God, Kite Party
Golden Tea House (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SUN Glocca Morra, Luther, Grower
Michael Jordan (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Nicknames, Sovereignties
The Dream Oven (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Zach Enggleston, Wedding Favor, Kid Busy, Paige Osbourne, Ma Ja Ka
Great Indoors (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Ugh God, Ted Nguyent
Wolf Cycles (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Spent Flesh, Bad Energy
Hausu (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) SAT Hound, The Holidays, Slit Lips, Bad Doctors
Toby’s Purgatory (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.) FRI Shelf Life, Deep Internet, Olive Drab