New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
"FFU", the latest single by taut fuzzy rock trio Lakookala, is a raw, fiery expression of bluesy dissonance that’s rendered by the impassioned vocals of main songwriter Nicole Raailli. The blaring synths are the centerpiece of the track, adding weight to the grimy, defiant mood that fuels Ranalli’s sullen heart. She’s celebrating the release of the 7" single with a record release party at Origami Vinyl on June 27th at 6pm.
Alela Diane has readied her latest self-release, About Farewell, on her own label, Rusted Blue Records. Ten years ago her first self-release, Forest Parade, marked her expression that is a season of eternal autumn; dreamy layers of acoustic strums are backed with brassy elements, and her voice is an earthy alto with occasional high-rise songbird pitches. On Farewell, a cleansing rain of Alela’s poetry accost disappointment and the roots of her weariness. The color and light that flickers through is her empowerment to make ardent, definitive decisions and statements, especially the hardest ones concerning love and letting go. Her album release show at the century-aged Old Church will be a revival if you seek calm from the constant sense of urgency outside. Holcombe Waller opens, and Alela is accompanied by a string trio and friend Heather Broderick (Horse Feathers, Efterklange) on flute and piano. Also, there is the surreal option of having a beer while viewing from a church pew. – Brandy Crowe
"A vision blurred through colored glass
The white washed walls of summer’s passed
The smoldering I do recall
The hopeless fade, the way we fall"
Dead Cats Dead Rats recently played at O’Brien’s Pub and TT the Bear’s Place in Allston, and they’re some of the best punk you’re going to find in the city. They’ve snagged the Boston Music award in the genre twice and deliver it on 2012’s "No God in Massachusetts", delivering equal doses of garage and grunge with the self-titled single. Tracing back to their three previous albums since forming back in 2008, this is the consistent thread– Matt Reppucci, Travis Tenney, and Chris Gelz’s influences are tangible in every track on the new album. In the great tradition of Boston, Dead Cats Dead Rats are slotted to go down as a band that’s not catering to anyone, and that’s why we’re in love with them. Keep kicking ass, guys, and showers are optional. –Jamie Loftus
The much anticipated mixtape from Katie Got Bandz, Drillary Clinton, dropped today. The release features contributions from King L., GunPlay, Dreezy, and more.
After reported delays with getting things up to code with The Boot & Saddle, R5 Productions just announced yesterday via Facebook the first three shows confirmed on the calendar of their new South Philly music venue with Four Corners Management. “Shhh, we secretly announced the first three shows for our exciting new venue The Boot & Saddle which opens up on the fall : Grails on Sep 14th * Lightning Dust on Sep 16th * Laura Veirs on Sep 20th ! Lots more info on that soon…” Looks like it will be ready to open this fall. Special thanks to Philly.com’s Gabrielle Bonghi for the heads up.
Notwithstanding the cost of… everything in NYC is stunningly high, one of the most broke demographic on the planet doesn’t seem able to resist Brooklyn’s charm. Yes we are talking about indie musicians. Chicago’s lo fi pop trio Unicycle Loves You is one of the latest acts to join what’s probably the biggest community of musicians on earth, and The Deli welcomes them to the borough. The band has released 3 albums while in their home town, and are readying their NYC debut – they’ll be debuting songs from it at their upcoming show at The Knitting Factory on 06.27.
If you are sitting in your office, eating a PB&J at your desk, wondering what kind of hobbies Chief Keef claims as his own; you are in luck. I’ll give you a hint, drugs, cars, and money. Surprised? I was as well.
This downtempo, sleepy, cliché filled gem appears on the forthcoming "Almighty Sosa" mixtape.
San Francisco based neo sludge punk band, Scraper released their debut EP on July 16th of this year. This intensely gritty local punk outfit’s new self titled 7 inch release was produced and recorded by the legendary Ty Segall and Eric Bauer. Scraper’s 6 track EP is a homage to underground garage punk, and takes you through a dark tunnel of sludgy musical overtones and surreal lyrics. Make sure you pick up this new release from Drag City.
We’ve grown to become big fans of the songwriting by Michigan transplant Sam Cook-Parrot, a.k.a. Radiator Hospital. He manages to string together earnest, heartfelt/heartbreaking lyrics while his music remains uplifting, which is why we made his last EP Some Distant Moon our December 2012 Album of the Month. Well, we are obviously excited to hear that he’ll be releasing a new full-length album on vinyl, backed by a full band, entitled Something Wild on July 15 via Salinas Records, who is also home to Swearin’s rad self-titled LP. You can stream Radiator Hospital’s record below and "name your price" for it HERE.
Have you ever wondered what noisy post-punk would sound like if it had hints of anthemic, eighties glam rock in it? Look no further than Plastic Visions‘ self titled EP. The project of two cousins, Brad Shultz and Kane Stewart, Plastic Visions play raw, distorted tracks that deliver endless hooks . Never sounding too self-indulgent or derivative, the duo plunges you into an ecstatic world of submission, combining a rough, arty edge with the fun recklessness of a true rock n’ roll band. – John McGovern
Willis Earl Beal has released the first single, "Everything Unwinds", from his forthcoming album Nobody Knows. The album will be released on Sept. 9th via HXC Recordings / XL, and features a guest appearance by Chan Marshall of Cat Power.
1. Wavering Lines
2. Coming Through (featuring Chan Marshall)
3. Everything unwinds.
4. Burning Bridges
5. Disintegrating
6. Too Dry Too Cry
7. What’s the deal?
8. Ain’t Got No Love
9. White Noise
10. Hole In The Roof
11. Blue Escape
12. Nobody knows.
13. The Flow
For those who were around when Philly wasn’t quite the thriving hotbed of musical talent it is today, the breakup of psych-rock outfit Mazarin was a great loss to the local indie music community. Especially since it led to the hibernation of any new material from the group’s frontman Quentin Stoltzfus for about 7 years, until he surfaced last summer with the lovely single “And The Birds” and a show at Fleisher-Ollman Gallery under his new moniker Light Heat. Well, today marks Stoltzfus triumphant return with the release of the project’s debut self-titled LP available via Domino/Ribbon Music. You can celebrate with him and his band, which also consists of Walter Martin (The Walkmen), Drew Mills (Blood Feathers), Sam Cohen (Apollo Sunshine/Yellowbirds), and Mickey Walker (Mazarin), when they play a free in-store performance at AKA Music this evening. AKA Music, 27 N. 2nd St., 7:30pm, All Ages – Q.D. Tran
