Whiskey twang at it’s finest! This Friday night; put on your cowboy boots, stash a flask in your pants and direct your trusty steed on over to the Doug Fir Lounge to catch Denver, The Moondoggies and The Maldives. Following the release of Adios I’m a Ghost, and rounding out nearly four months on tour with well known regional acts Pickwick (Seattle) and The Maldives (Seattle), The Moondoggies are sure to help get you through those drunken holiday blues with their tasty vocal harmonies and country-grunge sounds. Special guests and local drunken-country legends Denver make this a show not to miss. Tickets are $12, doors open at 8 and show starts at 9. -Travis Leipzig
Philadelphia
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New Music Video: “Less” – Psychic Teens
Psychic Teens look like they needed to release some serious aggression after a funeral in their new music video for the track "Less" that premiered yesterday over at Pop Matters. It was shot by Anthony Zagarella and Nick Hatsis, who also edited the footage. The group just repressed their latest LP COME, which is available on opaque blue vinyl via SRA Records. They’ll be performing next in Philly on Friday, January 3 at The Boot & Saddle with Ladder Devils and Faking.
NYC
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Worldly beats: Red Baraat plays Highline tonight and Joe’s Pub tomorrow
It’s time to get down with some “Bhangra Funk Dhol ‘n’ Brass!” This band of Brooklyn maestros is quickly shaking and rattling their way into everyone’s party playlists. From the Great Googa Mooga to NPR’s World Cafe, Red Baraat are being celebrated far and wide for churning out unstoppable maelstroms of rhythm and melody. This eight-piece leans heavily on Indian Bhangra flavor but adds elements of go-go, brass funk, and other eclectic world elements. Their three records are expertly produced and capture the many lush layers of instrumentation with fantastic energy and clarity. Check out redbaraat.com or, if you’re craving a funk fix, head out to Highline Ballroom on Friday night or Joe’s Pub on Saturday night!
NYC
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Weekly Feature: Slonk Donkerson plays Mercury on 01.04
Take some heavy guitar riffs and lace it with upbeat, raspy vocals that take you on a journey back to grunge rock’s early roots. That’s what the Brooklyn power trio Slonk Donkerson sounds like to us. These up-and-comers go hardcore without destroying the integrity of their catchy song composition. See them live at The Mercury Lounge on January 4th with other like minded NYC guitar rock bands. – LINK: Michael Haskoor’s interview with Slonk Donkerson.
NYC
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Prog-grass? Cricket Tell the Weather plays Rockwood on 12.15
Recording their upcoming debut album in a barn in Easton, CT, progressive bluegrass quintet Cricket Tell the Weather strives for an authentic whirlwind of strings and harmony that sounds like they’ve all been playing together for years already. Check them out when they light up Rockwood Music Hall this Sunday December 15 at 11 pm (but come early to see Avidya & The Kleshas at 9), check out instrumental track "Off Island Shuffle below, and watch their live video for ‘Rocky Mountain Skies’ here. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)
Philadelphia
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The Blockley Will Be Closing Its Doors at the End of This Year
Last night The Blockley made a surprising announcement that they’d be closing their doors at the end of this year. The University City music venue has been building its reputation in a little over four years as a home for Philly’s jam band and hip-hop community, which will be surely missed by fans and artists alike. Below is an excerpt from the announcement, and you can read the rest of the post over at The Blockley’s Facebook page.
“In short- we lost our liquor license, without much notice. We’ve been negotiating it, but at this point we’re forced to move the license out of the building at year’s end. The news has blindsided our staff & family here, and it derails an experience and a community that we have been so very excited to see grow and flourish here.”
While the future for the space remains uncertain, we are pretty confident that there are many conversations happening today at the offices of Four Corners Management, who already own The Boot & Saddle, Ortlieb’s Lounge, The Dolphin, Morgan’s Pier and Union Transfer.
Philadelphia
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Market East Opening for Lee Fields & The Expressions at Union Transfer Dec. 13
One could call Lee Fields a master craftsman. With over 40 years of experience, Fields with his backing group The Expressions headline a performance tonight at Union Transfer. He encapsulates the sound of soul; his vocals have a multifaceted feeling maintaining a smooth sweetness while still carrying an authentic heartfelt yearning. With The Expressions accenting the vocals via dramatic strings, bright punchy horns and an omnipresent sensual groove, the connection or concept of retro/old school R&B/soul could be there. However, this sound isn’t as revisited as it is timeless. Locals Market East have the honor of directly supporting the living legend. The acoustic trio released their sophomore EP Children of Summer earlier this year, which possesses their signature graceful, tautly layered vocal harmonies. Also on the bill will be the inspired soul-rock combination of Aaron & The Spell. Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., 8pm, $18, All Ages – Michael Colavita
L.A.
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Drab Majesty play Part Time Punks on 12.15
The pulsing rush of slinky electro duo Drab Majesty slickly changed gears on their debut EP Unarian Dances, interspersed somewhere between throbbing electronic textures and irreverent lo-fi sonic excursions. They followed that EP with a pair of songs that featured a more pronounced darkwave aesthetic, emanating bouncy synth lines and snappy mechanized rythmic patterns like a mysterious silhouette shifting across the walls in a dance-fused frenzy. The project of main songwriter Andrew Clinco is making one last 2013 appearance this Sunday night at the Echo, opening for Captured Tracks electro-pop fixtures Minks in their infamous Part Time Punks series. Drown yourself with lavish sadness by streaming their gleaming track "Foreign Eyes" below.
Nashville
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Weekend Itinerary
Itching to take your hearing sensitivity down a few decibels? These shows will do it for you:
Friday the 13th: Lightning 100 is hosting their Festivus at Marathon Music Works, with The Features, Wild Cub and The Future. The show is a benefit for the Forgotten Angels Program, so bring a generic toy or item to donate, and pay $10 instead of $20 at the door. There is also a Seinfeld costume contest, which is the perfect opportunity to showcase your ill-fitting blazers and floral dresses. The doors are at 7, the show starts at 8. http://www.marathonmusicworks.com/event/413439-lightning-100s-festivus-nashville/
Local darlings Bully are performing at The Stone Fox at 9pm with Fancytramp and Swearin’. Enter to win a pair of passes HERE.
Saturday 12.14 This will be a powerhouse of local 70’s flavored stoner rock: Fly Golden Eagle, Blank Range, QuicheNight and Majestico. The meandering pathos of this tune, “Last Crash Landing” by Blank Range should be incentive enough to attend; it’s a pretty sophisticated song for a bunch of punks that look barely 21.
Need more screaming metal in your Saturday? Get down to Exit/In to see Voodoo Prophet and Look What I Did instead.
Sunday 12.15 If you don’t want to part with $25 to see Jason Isbell at The Mercy Lounge (hey, it’s for a good cause), The Deli Nashville has already recommended going to The Basement to see Walden, Dylan Lancaster, Charlie Whitten and W.B. Givens.
Nashville
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Walden “Before I Wake”
Walden’s five track album, "Before I Wake," takes the intimacy of the lone folk guitarist and expands into a burst of stratified ambiance. Brown’s bare-bones songwriting style and subdued manner works nicely with the slew of contributing instruments and effects. "Before I Wake" is a cohesive circuit of soothing melodies and swelling crescendos that perfectly animates the albums artwork and motif. Job well done. At times Walden can be a bit too similar to Mumford & Sons for my tastes, but if that’s your thing then this is right up your alley. I’m not sure if the name is a Thoreau reference or not, but the organic, intimate aesthetic is what makes this album worth a listen. He plays The Basement this Sunday, 12.15. -Michael Perry
NYC
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Shy Hunters announces debut album + unveils single “Echo” + plays Matchless on 12.18
We’ve been following Brooklyn trio Shy Hunters with interest for a couple of years, and it’s great to hear they are ready to release their debut album, scheduled for February 2014. The band plays an intense, edgy, and not overly sugary brand of dream pop, as you can hear from the preview single (link below), entitled "Echoes." You can see the band live at Matchless in Greenpoint on December 18.
LINKS: Shy Hunters: "Echoes"
New England
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Butterknife brings the rock and roll on “Attractions” EP
After celebrating the release of their EP “Attractions” at TT the Bear’s last month, the Cambridge venue asked Butterknife to return for its Holiday Party, alongside bands like the Derangers and Sinnet. Sonically, "Attractions" is straight rock and roll: bass, drums, slick guitar riffs and catchy, raspy vocals. "I saw you in my telescope," vocalist Phil Wisdom sings on the EP’s gripping second track. Check out “Telescope” below and catch the band at TT the Bear’s Holiday Party on December 17 – Jake Reed