I’m a bit fascinated by Lancaster’s NAH, the side project from 1994! drummer Mike Kuhn. Bringing together hip-hop influenced beats with a tasteful touch of noise, Kuhn produces jams that tantalize the senses while blurring the lines of labels, categories and genres. This ability to do so is probably why it’s not peculiar at all to find NAH at The Fest or sandwiched between math rock experimentalists The Joint Chiefs of Math and gnarly hardcore outfit Bad Side tonight at Golden Tea House. Also rounding out the bill will be local indie-punk crew Glocca Morra and Chicago pop-punks Boilerman. Golden Tea House, (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.), 7pm, $7, All Ages (Photo by Josh Jordan) – Alexis V.
Nashville
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Honey Locust Release Video for “Honey Pot”
Anyone who enjoys Horsefeathers but wishes that they took after OMD a little more in the vocal department ought to enjoy this video by Honey Locust. “Honey Pot” will be the first track of their upcoming album, “The Great Southern Brood," due to be released this fall. It brings me great joy to know there are kids out there producing such rich, emotionally intelligent music, and I hope the album delivers the same moody bite as this track. They hit the Basement this Monday night (10/21) with Frontier Ruckus. -Terra James-Jura
Nashville
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The WhiteWall Gentlemen at The End 10.21
The Whitewall Gentlemen have a finely tuned chemistry simmering beneath their swampy cocktail of blues and Southern rock. Comprised of 4 members that look all of 22, they score high marks for delivering all the elements of headbang-induced whiplash: chugging guitar, rumbling bass, auditorium-worthy bravado. “Promised Land” is just the type of racket to get this week started off right. By giving it the finger. They play The End this Monday night with Resident Zero and The Bracers, and Pretty Ugly. –Terra James-Jura
NYC
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Album review: Midwestern Audio, Vol. 2 – Electric Hullabaloo
(Photos by Todd Zimmer)
Love letters are funny things. The communique between two besotted people is such a private thing. Midwest Music Foundation has taken to writing very public love letters the last few years. The most recent being the release of Midwestern Audio: Volume 2: Electric Hullabaloo. The sampling of Kansas City music covers many genres and shares the talent and passion of Kansas City area musicians with fans and the uninitiated alike. Electric Hullabaloo kicks off with the catchy pop of Rev Gusto’s (pictured below) “Boys Are at it Again” and moves slowly into more straight forward rock and roll via Sons of Great Dane’s “Approximately 18th St.” The first three songs are rounded out by all-out-bare-knuckles-rock-and-roll with Cherokee Rock Rifle’s “Six to Midnight.” The initial offering is finished off by the fourth track, “Divorce Sea,” from Lawrence-based distorted punk-laced garage rock band Bloodbirds.
Lest the listener think pop and rock are the extent of the musical offerings in Kansas City, Electric Hullabaloo gives you musical whiplash by offering the sonic stylings of “Animate” by Middle Twin. The electronic indie band flawlessly flows into Heartscape Landbreak’s “God Money Problems’” fuzzy guitars, melodic lyrics, and speech sampling. Victor & Penny’s early twentieth-century rock and roll pulls you into each punctuated note on “Rickshaw Chase” and segues into the next chapter of the record.
This love letter has something for everyone, no matter your “type.” Dead Voices carry on the tradition of sad songs in happy keys as they bounce along through “Trust of a Fool.” Olassa delivers “Podner” with a deceptively slow start and then hits their indie folk groove with staccato guitar and subdued harmony. The mood mellows with The Silver Maggies’ “Slow Poke” and its smoky, gravel-laden vocals and keening harmonica.
Midwestern Audio’s compiler and mastermind, Brenton Cook, picks up the pace with Betse Ellis’s fiery fiddle in “Long Time to Get There.” The happy vibe of Metatone’s “Dark Empress” pulses with African-influenced beats and a nearly monotone lead vocal that clashes in the best way with the peppy popsplosion pulsing behind it. Spirit is the Spirit (pictured at top of article) follows with a throbbing beat, the distorted remnants of 60’s television science reporting, and angelic moaning in “I Believe That We Will Win.”
Margo May appears next as a counterpoint to the multi-faceted Metatone and Spirit is the Spirit tracks. Chanelling Lisa Loeb’s Firecracker, May offers a simple acoustic guitar and a broken heart’s lament. “Close the Door” spills into “Broken Wing” by Sam Billen, maintaining a similar tone and emotional state. Billen’s is a song you would like to put on at the end of the day to ease your transition home. Like a sonic bucket of water thrown on your sleeping ears, Drew Black & Dirty Electric pounce on you with “Love & A Riot.” The driving rock and roll beat and theatrical saucy spoken word “I love you. Let’s riot,” is reminiscent of Rocky Horror Picture show. Six Percent’s “Live Out Loud” is evocative of early Green Day, if Green Day had a horn section. Pounding drums and slamming vocals urge listeners to stand up and listen.
Heartfelt Anarchy’s “Funk” opens with horns in a dramatically different sound from the way Six Percent blasted them. Undulating horns flow under Les Izmore’s lyrics and the song exits on shimmering tambourine and harmonica. The experimental music of Various Blonde’s “Blind Samurai” sounds, oddly enough, like The Kinky Wizards in High Fidelity (which is really Royal Trux “The Inside Game”). You just can’t stop listening to the guitar riffs and space sounds twisted all around a manic beat. Furthering your trip down the rabbit hole of experimental music, David Hasselhoff on Acid rides into your eardrums on a wave of weedling guitars and in-your-face drums. Bowing in and out of the speed and thrust of loud and high sounds and the simplicity of drums and guitar, “Breakfast” will either make you lose yours or ask for seconds. The farewell of this love letter from Kansas CIty music is Jorge Arana Trio (pictured below). The experimental noise-rock of “Catching Bullets with Your Teeth” dodges in and out of instrumental traffic to express a frantic conversation.
To us, from the Midwest Music Foundation and the musicians of Kansas City, this love letter expresses the passion of expression that must be released lest the heart of the musician explode. Enjoy.
–Angela Lupton
NYC
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Album review: Katy Guillen and The Girls – …and then there were three
(Photo by Brandon Forrest)
I never used to be a fan of the extended play record. I thought, way back in the day (as the kids say), that when an artist or group released something that had three to six songs on it instead of eight to twelve, they were just being lazy. For quite a while you didn’t see very many EPs on record store shelves so perhaps—way back in the day—that was indeed the case. But in these days the music industry is a lot different; online stores and internet radio stations and DIY promotion strategies have created a business model in which there is much more emphasis on immediacy of product availability. The vast majority of recording artists don’t have the luxury of taking years to create an all-encompassing work that tells a story gradually and with great detail. In a time when the single is king, I’ve realized that the short-set album now has much more relevance. I’m growing as an individual and as a consumer here. How ‘bout that.
There are a couple ways in which the EP offers ideal packaging for an artist’s music, one of which is to give a relatively new band some quick exposure. In the case of Katy Guillen and the Girls, their recently-released EP … and then there were three offers a trio of songs that showcases a trio of ladies who have firmly grasped the nuances of rock, blues, soul, and groove—and by “firmly grasped,” I mean they make it clear from the outset that they know their stuff. From the opening notes of “The Race”—a song that features Guillen’s sneering vocals and guitar work, Claire Adams’ rumbling, fat-bottom-bass foundation, and Stephanie Williams’ second-to-none percussive power and precision—you’d think you were hearing a band that had been together for a while… and in a sense, you’d be right. Katy Guillen and the Girls has been an entity for just more than a year, but the three have worked together in various forms and lineups and duos and trios for quite some time, and that familiarity helps to solidify their sound and give it the air of confidence that comes with having a history of working together.
That cohesiveness carries over through the other two tracks on … and then there were three: “Quiver” alternates between a dance-worthy salsa and a cautious waltz as Guillen’s ode to insecurities and doubt (“What makes you quiver, what makes you so upset? What makes your heart pound, what makes you lose your head?”) leans heavily on the rhythm section, and Adams and Williams are more than up to the task. “Stalling On Dreams” closes out the EP with a paean to unrequited might-have-beens (“I’ve been ghost-stalking old neighborhoods, getting pulled back into the woods, just humming my own tune, it don’t do me no good.”) that segues into more of that bluesy swagger, letting the listener know that—even though our protagonist may have some unsure moments—you can bet that she’ll figure things out in the end, on her terms.
As mentioned earlier, Katy Guillen and the Girls hasn’t been around as a unit for very long, but that didn’t stop them from entering—and winning—the Kansas City Blues Challenge at Knuckleheads a few months ago. They’ll be off to Memphis in January for the International Blues Challenge, where they will rep the 816 as they go up against bands from Europe, Canada, Australia, and possibly Latin American and/or Asia. Regardless of who else shows up, this is a band that just might be making some sweet, sweet noise for quite some time. And if they should happen to win the challenge and go on to the bigger and better things that they and their music deserve, we can say we knew them when they released their first EP.
Way back in the day.
Your next chance to see KG and the Girls will be back at Knuckleheads (in the Gospel Lounge) on Wednesday, October 30. The weekend after that, they’ll be heading down to Austin for a short tour. Head out to Knuckleheads next week and support them!
–Michael Byars
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Michael Byars did mention that there were a couple benefits of releasing an EP; he’ll tell us what the other one is in his next review. That’s called a tease, folks. Pretty damn sneaky, ain’t it? |
NYC
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DC’s FarAway Live at the Hamilton 10/23
DC’s singer/songwriter duo FarAway, comprised of Brian Franke and Sara Davenport, blend beautiful harmonies through a well orchestrated combo of folk and pop rock. Check out the track "Long Drive Home" below from their EP Somehow (released summer ’13) and you’ll pick up a Lumineers vibe mixed in. They recently concluded a fan-funded month long tour that took them to many of the best folk music scenes out there now. And now they are back home with a big show set for Oct. 23 at The Hamilton in DC, and will be joined by Nashville’s Carolina Story.
Wednesday 10/23, doors @ 7:00, the Hamilton $14/$17 day of.
Philadelphia
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1994! Enjoy the Violence at The Barbary Oct. 20
Combining both American and European influences, 1994! is a loud, celebratory, free-form car crash of punk that somehow manages to be thoughtful and under spoken at the same time. With downright searing guitar lines and vocals that turn on a dime from melancholy reflection to full-bore screaming, the duo is as violent as a band can get without actually burning down the venue. They’ll be joined by fellow local two-pieces +HIRS+ and The Joint Chiefs of Math as well as metallic screamo quartet Cassilis, making for one intense way to end your weekend. The Barbary, 951 Frankford Ave., 6pm, $10, All Ages – Daniel Ludwig
Philadelphia
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Oldermost Aging Gracefully at The Boot & Saddle Oct. 19
Ever since they released their debut full-length I Live Here Now with the help of recording audiophile Jon Low of Miner Street Recording (The War on Drugs, The National, etc.), who is currently working on The Menzingers’ next LP, Americana rock five-piece Oldermost has managed to mature their sound and unleash something that is complex and exciting. South Philly’s Boot & Saddle will be the perfect intimate venue for listening to incendiary songs like "Close to the Fire" and "Once I Left." And it will also be a great venue to catch the musings of multi-string virtuoso Jesse Sparhawk. The Boot & Saddle, 1131 S. Broad St, 9PM, $10, 21+ – Bill McThrill
Philadelphia
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Bloktoberfest 2013 at South St. West Oct. 19
Bloktoberfest returns to South Street West again for another block party filled with craft beers, food trucks, arts and crafts, and local music. This year’s beer lineup will feature harder to find selections for early arrivers, a huge station of pumpkin beers, and will even include an Oktoberfest-style ale brewed by Round Guys that’s exclusive to the festival. While South Street West restaurants like Rex 1516, Govinda’s, and Magpie show what they have to offer; food trucks like The Cow and the Curd, Lucky Old Souls, and Vernalicious will be parked to serve the masses. Alec Ounsworth and the rest of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah will be the main attraction this year. But the Jamaican Jerk Hut stage will also feature the jam-filled funk of Swift Technique and the Carnival suitable tunes of Alo Brasil. Meanwhile, the 16th & South Stage will rock with the harmonious sounds of Andrew Lipke & the Azrael Quartet, the blues rock frills of New Pony, and more. Bloktoberfest, Broad to 18th & South Sts., 12pm-8pm, Free, All Ages – Bill McThrill
L.A.
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Stream: Nguzunguzu “Mecha”
There’s something oddly amusing about production duo Nguzunguzu naming their latest track "Mecha". Its strident metallic tones and atonal rhythmic patterns sound like they were manufactured in a dystopian engine plant, readying its forceful machines for an imminent attack. The track is part of their upcoming Skycell EP, which will be released via local bred experimental electronic label Fade to Mind on November 5th.
L.A.
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Heathers Release ‘Teenage Clothes’ 7” at Pehrspace Oct. 19
I was first introduced to Heathers the last time they played Pehrspace back in June. I was there to see Ablebody, but was enchanted by the opening band, which, like a monarch butterfly, is a rare and magical experience, one you always hope for, but that mostly eludes you. Heathers’ unapologetically grunge and brit-pop influenced ennui wrapped me in its waify arms and grated on my soul to its unexpected delight. Their debut 7” aptly titled, ‘Teenage Clothes’, is not reinventing a wheel so masterfully perfected by its ancient predecessors, that it actually becomes more satisfying to your ears. Drenched in reverb and distortion, rife with repetition, speed, and catchy, screamable lyrics, like, “I don’t wanna be adored,” I didn’t even notice I had the two immensely brief songs on repeat for hours. Their ability to make you feel so indescribably ambiguous that it becomes cathartic is what makes them a must see live band. Stream the 7” below and catch them tomorrow at Pehrspace for the 7" release along with Roses, Vaude, and Media Jeweler. – Jacqueline Caruso
NYC
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CMJ Friday: Indie + Dream Folk Stage at Pianos with Wilsen, Ski Lodge, TEEN, Total Slacker, Celestial Shore.
Friday will be our last CMJ day – after that we’ll take the weekend "off" from show to focus on our Brooklyn Stomp Box Exhibit. It will be an exciting night though with two stages with truly amazing artists.
We’ll have a fair number of very mellow acts, including Wilsen, the band gracing the cover of our latest NYC issue, but also some buzzworthy indie pop acts like Spires, Ski Lodge and Rathborne, and some psych rock acts like TEEN, Celestial Shore and Writer. This is a show not to miss!
Full schedule of The Deli’s CMJ shows here.
INDIE + DREAM FOLK STAGES
Pianos – tickets
Pianos – tickets
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Downstairs ($10)
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| 07:00 Tiny Ruins (NZ) |
| 07:45 Palehound |
| 08:30 Wilsen |
| 09:15 TBA |
| 10:00 Total Slacker |
| 10:45 TEEN |
| 11:30 The Belle Game |
| 12:20 Ski Lodge |
| 01:10 Celestial Shore |
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Upstairs (free)
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| 07:00 Misun (DC) |
| 07:45 J Fernandez (Chicago) |
| 08:30 Andrew Cedermark |
| 09:15 WRITER |
| 10:00 Rathborne |
The Deli’s Staff