I picked up a copy of "The Great Southern Brood," the debut album by Honey Locust at their release show at the Stone Fox on the last day of February. Shortly thereafter, Nashville froze. By "froze," I mean “experienced mild ice cover,” which was still enough to shut down the city and keep everyone inside. It was also enough to coat every tree branch in ice, which I had the privilege of seeing in the noon sun as I risked the roads. And by "risk," I mean “drove on without incident.” Navigating the peculiar gray-on-gray, hill-after-ice-ensconced-hill was just as surreal as listening to “The Great Southern Brood.” Click HERE for a full review of this album. –Terra James-Jura
Philadelphia
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Debut Myrrias Recordings Available for Streaming
Check out the first three-song sampling of Myrrias entitled Endless Winter Session! The all-female powerhouse four-piece is made up of Mikele Edwards (Arc In Round), April Harkanson (The Downtown Club), Emily Robb (Lantern) and Casey Bell (Break It Up), and you can definitely hear the influences of some of their previous projects on this EP like the dream-pop vocals and shoegaze guitars of its opener "Focus," which is also available for free download. The recordings were produced by Edwards’ Arc In Round bandmate Jeff Zeigler at his Eraserhood studio, Uniform Recording.
Chicago
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Secret Colours “Heavy & Steady”
Secret Colours have released a new single, "Heavy & Steady", from their forthcoming EP Positive Distractions Part II. This is the band’s second EP in 2014. The band made their way down SXSW this year and reportedly had some great sets.
Secret Colours will be heading at EvenFlow Music & Spirits in Gevena this Saturday, March 22nd.
Philadelphia
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New Music Video: “Nitetime, waving” – A Sunny Day in Glasgow
A Sunny Day in Glasgow just quietly shared a new music video for what appears to be called "Nitetime, waving," which hopefully is a good sign that their next album is almost ready to drop. The group teases us in the track with a bookended lyrical reminder – "such a long time" – amidst its hypnotic haze and ratchety beats. Last we heard a few months ago, they were working on coordinating a label deal and talks of a European tour. We’ll let you know when we learn more.
Portland
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Bubble Cats // Dharma (CA) // Tamed West // 3.21.14
I’m a big fan of Bubble Cats and their epic pop/gateway metal–think heavy Weezer, like if Rivers Cuomo hadn’t phoned in the last five albums while getting restraining orders in Japan. These guys have the baddest guitar melodies and harmonies (guitarmonies) around. The Tamed West opens the show with their blend of groovin’ garage/psych pop remeniscent to the late Gauntlet Hair crossed with Tame Impala meets Elliot Smith esque vocals. Splitting up these two fine local acts Friday night, and measuring up quite nicely, is sothern California based Dharma.
The show is only $3 this Friday at Habesha. 8:30pm. – Chandler Strutz
Chicago
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Sabers @ The Hideout
Sabers is a new band fronted by Josh Chicoine (the M’s) and featuring members of some of the classic indie bands from around the city, Head of Femur (Colby Starck), Poi Dog Pondering (Max Crawford), and The 1900’s (Edward Anderson). The band’s debut album is called Sic Semper Sabers and is being released this month. The album’s first single is called "Armchair Warriors".
You can celebrate the release of the new album on March 22nd at The Hideout. Also appearing Kate Adams and Forgotten Species.
NYC
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Cigarette, and Janel and Anthony, join Yonatan Gat at Comet Ping Pong this Friday!
DC’s Cigarette is to indie what doom is to metal. They take the pretty guitar sounds and twee vocals and stretch them out into slow tendrils of reverb. Sweet indie lullaby music. If you haven’t picked up their experimental sound on vinyl from Dischord Records yet, you can catch them at Comet Ping Pong this Friday, 3/21 on a fascinating bill. They’ll be joined by DC’s Janel and Anthony, and incredible duo of guitar and cello, pushing their impressive musical talents to the limit in cascades of psychedelic imagery and imagination. Headlining the show is Yonatan Gat (once of the Israeli band Monotonix) who has apparently moved to New York to do a very exciting punk/world music thing. I’m sad about no more Monotonix, who put on some of the greatest shows I’ve ever seen, but I’m super excited about this new project. Don’t miss it! —Natan Press
Chicago
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Jon Langford “Weightless”
Jon Langford has released a video for the latest single from his upcoming album, Here Be Monsters. The album is being released on April 1st via In De Goot Recordings. Jon also has announced a free ep coming out on 7" called Days & Nights (Noisetrade) on Record Store Day (April 19th).
You can catch Jon Langford on March 23rd at The Hideout with Daniel Knox to celebrate the release of Here Be Monsters.
NYC
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Tiger Dare unveils video and celebrates release show on 03.28 at Shea Stadium
Brooklyn band Tiger Dare just unveiled this video for mellow, dream pop single “Good Times” as a preview of their upcoming debut album, ‘Wires Over, Wired In,’ out on March 25th. The band will be celebrating this release at Shea Stadium on March 28 with a bunch of other compatible and interesting locals: Free Time, Icewater, and Chase King. – Sammie Spektor
Tiger Dare – Good Times from Matthew Walker on Vimeo.
Philadelphia
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Album Review: Lost In The Dream – The War on Drugs
Lost In The Dream, the new full-length album released by ambient-rockers The War on Drugs, has arrived. The record is available via Secretly Canadian, and finds Adam Granduciel, Dave Hartley, Robbie Bennett and crew delivering an expansive, inviting sound, pairing intimate lyrics with a broad musical spectrum.
“Under Pressure” kicks off the record with the sonically illustrated tension of ticking, before falling into a smoothly spacious piano-steered scenario, and The War on Drugs’ central cog Adam Granduciel coolly offers some insight into his thoughts – “When I come down here, it’s easy like the arrival of a new day, but a dream like this gets wasted without you – under the pressure.” Instrumentally, “Under Pressure” spreads out over the course of nearly nine minutes, floating towards end into the album’s lead single “Red Eyes,” which follows with its synth/drum-paced 1980’s feel. “But abuse my faith, lose it every time, but I don’t know where you’re on my side again so ride the key wherever it goes, I’ll be the one.” “I can’t” punctuated by an exasperated “whoo” that paves the way for one of the album’s signature multifaceted musical forays.
“Suffering” momentarily eases the pace when paired with the solemnly pensive lyrics. However, despite its melancholy nature, the track includes thoughtful keys, giving way to a mournful guitar solo with brief glimpses of lap steel guitar and saxophone. Despite its drum-machine opening, “An Ocean in Between the Waves” thrives as a modernized nod to Dire Straits. The continuously ascending tempo and conversational vocal styling leads to an empty clearing that Granduciel’s guitar fills with a Knopfler-esque solo.
With pedal steel ringing like the arrival of a train (a foreshadowing of its’ lyrics), “like a train in reverse down a dark road carrying the whole load, just rattling the whole way home,” blended with the strumming of an acoustic guitar and an eerie harmonica, they welcome the Americana of “Eyes in the Wind.” The song’s overall effect is elevated through the use of densely layered instrumentation that accentuates the details.
Lost In The Dream’s lone instrumental “The Haunting Idle” serves as a segue between scenes of ominous echoing guitar and a synth base, painting a desert image which carries over into the early stages of “Burning” as an electric pulse builds anticipation before falling into a traveling rocker. With a mixture of enthusiasm and yearning aided by the additional warmth of the organ sounding keys, Granduciel proclaims, “So as you find yourself flying high above, when you release me from your heart again, I’m just a burning man, trying to keep the shit from turning over again.” The album’s title track sizzles with a deeply personal revelation/realization. The guitar stirs up the dust, the harmonica whines, and Granduciel admits, “Lost in a dream or just a moment, it’s always hard to tell…” “Loves the key to games that we play, but don’t mind losing…”
Closing with “In Reverse,” a smooth atmospheric rocker that reinforces the record’s common thread of personal thoughts revealed and questions worked through. “And I realize now, that the room was better, and I hear it all through the grand parade.”
The War on Drugs open up through Lost In The Dream, producing a fully envisioned album that retains the band’s customary haze and congruency, while simultaneously peeling back another layer, touching an up-close nerve.
The War on Drugs will be celebrating the record’s release this evening at Union Transfer with White Laces and A.M. Mills. – Michael Colavita
NYC
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Seen live on Saturday: ohnomoon
Brooklyn Indie shoegazers ohnomoon played an intimate, loud and good sounding show at Glasslands Gallery on Saturday, March 15, where they played with likeminded locals For Every Story Untold and Winkie. The PopGun Presents organized show was claimed by the band as their "slightly" outside of Austin SXSW show… more like 1700 miles away to be exact. With a voice reminiscent of a sweeter Karen O, Kat Lee fronts the quartet, her voice barely floating in the layer of effected guitars and synths. Listen to one of their latest tracks, a cover of The Flamingos’ "I Only Have Eyes for You" via their Bandcamp page. – Michael Haskoor (@Tweetskoor)
Philadelphia
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Free Download: “portals” – Young Tiger
Exploding World frontman and Creepoid affiliate, David A. Saylor, continues his adventure into avant-pop by revisiting his former project Young Tiger. Returning with a new five-song EP entitled True Alphabet, here’s a creeper called "portals," which we think best matches the record’s cover art (above) by Bill Saylor. The track is available for streaming and free download via Bandcamp, along with the rest of the album.