NYC

A bicostal super-duo is born: Haunted Hearts announces debut album “Initiation”

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The collaboration between Brooklyn based Dee Dee Penny (Dum Dum Girls) and San Diego’s Brandon Welchez (Crocodiles) Haunted Hearts was many years dreamt, one cold winter realized. The duo’s debut full-length, entitled ‘Initiation,’ will be released on May 27th 2014, but we have a video for the single right here and right now, and it’s intriguing us. Dee Dee’s lazy vocals lay a stretched melody on a dilated background of what sounds like an everchanging drone of reversed guitars, creating a suggestive atmosphere reminiscent of a hybrid of Best Coast and the Velvet Underground at their droniest. Bicostal indeed! We are digging the lo-sci-fi video as well!

NYC

Hurrah! A Bolt of Light! celebrates album release (and hopefully… a bolt of light!) at Rockwood on 04.05

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It’s certainly not easy to "sense" summer here in NYC when the temperature out there is still around freezing, but some people are indeed getting ready for the sunny months – and a band with a name like "Hurray! a Bolt of Light!" couldn’t possibly have any other plans. The NYC pop group will release their sophomore album with a show at Rockwood’s Stage 2 on April 5. It features sun drenched tunes like streaming single ‘Ten Feet Tall,’ where a perky rhythm section animates the band’s hummable melodies, building up to borderline epic choruses.

Philadelphia

New Pattern is Movement LP Available for Streaming

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Pattern is Movement are currently on tour with Yellow Ostrich, and they’ll be back home next Thursday, April 3 at The Boot & Saddle for their Philly record release celebration. While some of you might have already heard it months ago, if you attended the duo’s album listening party at PhilaMOCA, you can now listen to their beautiful new self-titled LP over and over again right now below, which was shared earlier today at The A.V. Club. The record officially comes out on April Fools’ Day via Hometapes.

NYC

Photos: Halfway To Winfield at Knuckleheads, 3.15.14

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While many Kansas City musicians and fans were visiting Austin during its big music fest, several others remained on the homefront and celebrated the halfway mark to the wildly popular Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas this coming September. 

Nine acts took the stage on a brisk-turned stormy evening on Knuckleheads‘ outdoor stage to a large, excited crowd of folk/Americana/roots devotees. Here are some shots by Jaime Russell of Anthem Photography of the show:

Old Sound

 

Tyler Gregory

 

Konza Swamp Band

 

Truckstop Honeymoon

For the full set of photos, visit Anthem Photography’s set on Flickr.

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Philadelphia

New Track: “Halflife” – Kite Party

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You might notice a more patient, chilled-out sounding Kite Party on their latest track "Halflife," which may be a hint to the musical direction that they’ll be exploring on their next record. It’s the first single off the band’s upcoming full-length album Come On Wandering, and premiered yesterday over at Stereogum. The sophomore follow-up to 2011’s Baseball Season is scheduled for release on May 6 via Annaheim-based indie label Animal Style Records.

Nashville

Levi Weaver to Release “Your Ghost Keeps Finding Me” 5.13

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Levi Weaver’s third full-length studio album, “Your Ghost Keeps Finding Me” is due to be released on May 13th. Things got real for the former Deli Artist of the Month (and Nashvillian) in February, when he moved with his wife and two young children to an RV in order to tour full-time for the year of 2014. “Hear You Say My Name” is a sample of the cinematic scope of the album, which vacillates from soft and sweet to driving and anthemic in with seamless dexterity. Recorded at East Side Manor in Nashville with producer Aaron Dethrage, the recording features guest appearances from Rachel Yamagata and Carina Round. Weaver utilizes loop pedals and multiple mics to translate his recordings into a one-man live show. His current tour schedule is available here, and keep checking http://leviweaver.com/ for updates, and the next chance to see him finesse a band out of thin air here in Nashville. –Terra James-Jura

NYC

Recap: MidCoast Takeover 2014

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It’s an ever-expanding, atypical tradition, five years in the making.

It might seem difficult to grasp the concept of traveling over 700 miles to see several bands you could normally see at a venue a couple miles away from home. But there’s much more to it than that.
 
Each year, thousands of people from around the globe descend upon Austin, Texas, for an annual music fest that—with each growing year—features bigger names and flashier advertisements. Fortunately, unofficial, free showcases are literally wall-to-wall along 6th Street. For the mere price of navigating through a sea of people and eating at a few taco trucks along the way [oh, and transportation and boarding], you can see hundreds of bands of varying genres and qualities. You might randomly stumble into a dive bar to hear a band you’ve been digging for a couple years, you might discover a band barely anyone else knows about. That’s all an important part of the experience. But for a couple hundred folks from the Kansas City/Lawrence area, the Austin experience holds a deeper meaning.
 
In its fifth year, last week’s MidCoast Takeover was bigger than ever, with over 100 bands on a giant outdoor stage and an indoor acoustic stage at Shangri-La on East 6th Street, an area just on the other side of the I-35 divide that has increased in foot traffic and event volume over the past couple of years. The bar itself is typically a popular haunt for Austin natives, with a huge outdoor patio that reached its 230-person capacity during the four-day showcase.
 
MidCoast Takeover is organized by Midwest Music Foundation, an organization that helps musicians with emergency health care, but also aims to be a voice for the music community. One way of doing this is with MidCoast, which places local/regional musicians on a national stage in front of hundreds, be it a random passerby, the drummer in your band, or Exene Cervenka (yeah, she stopped by).
 
A few of the MidCoast bands from the KC area were official showcase acts (including Radkey, Beautiful Bodies, Josh Berwanger Band, Pedaljets), stacked up with other notable-as-of-late locals (Shy Boys, Me Like Bees, Not A Planet, Katy Guillen & the Girls) and national bands (Not In The Face, Two Cow Garage, Sphynx), on one of the largest stages with one of the most impressive productions in all of downtown Austin. At any given time between Wednesday and Saturday, quality music emanated from Shangri-La, ranging from The Noise FM’s indie-rock dance party to Heartfelt Anarchy’s smooth hip-hop/jazz mashup to Jorge Arana Trio’s calculated noise-rock grooves. Let’s also not forget the acoustic stage, which featured poetic songs from Vi Tran; bluesy, emotionally weighted tunes from Gregg Todt (Federation of Horsepower); quirky dance numbers from Nan Turner (Schwervon!); driving but delicate harmonies from Clairaudients, among dozens of other artists who injected a special type of heart and personality into their deconstructed songs.
 
 
 

 

Still, this begs the question: Why would you go all that way to watch a bunch of bands, primarily from your hometown?
 
Perhaps it’s that notion of community that has been established in KC music and has found a resurgence over the past 5 years, due to MMF’s efforts. As MMF’s late co-founder Abigail Henderson pointed out to me in a 2012 interview, there is a strongly held belief that KC musicians do not simply make up a scene, but “a community that fosters itself—a thinking, doing community of people practicing an art.” So what comes out of this annual pilgrimage for the musicians and organizers is not typically a huge record deal or overnight worldwide success. Statistically for a band, it can result in nothing more than a few new Facebook likes, some t-shirt/album sales, and a whole bunch of poles and trash cans with your stickers attached to them. But in addition, it can be a nourishing, satisfying, proud experience to observe and participate in.
 
The sense of pride comes from witnessing the breadth and depth of music on each stage, in many cases being created by people you know personally. Watching the dedication of MMF/MidCoast staff—from sound engineers to promoters to stage managers—who work on this effort throughout the year and tirelessly run nonstop for a week to throw a party that has made several best unofficial showcase lists. Spending hours, even days with respected acquaintances that quickly develop into friendships, jam partnerships, and/or artistic inspiration. Watching each night close with a stronger fervency than the previous one. David Hasselhoff on Acid ended the first evening by melting eardrums and grey matter with its instrumental prog-rock onslaught. Not ones to be upstaged, The Architects rounded out night two with a raucous, tight set that one would come to expect and desire from a professional but unapologetic rock ‘n roll band. By Friday night, the majority of the KC contingent [and other festgoers] had arrived, poised and ready to celebrate a vacation weekend with several dozen friends. Of course, Hearts of Darkness was the ideal band for the task of charging an eager, over-capacity crowd with even more energy and jubilation. And on Saturday, in spite of a couple hours of inclement weather and resulting schedule changes, the showcase ended with a euphoric sonic inundation. Drop A Grand had the audience dancing and grinning along to its wacky brand of garage punk, and left them spellbound by ending the set with “Baba O’Riley,” featuring the fiddle-brandishing badassery of Betse Ellis. Maps For Travelers followed up in fine fashion, with the drive, the emotion, and the post-hardcore intensity that naturally led into the final act, Federation of Horsepower. The heavy-hitting rock machine punched that first power chord around 11:28 p.m., kicking the commencement into high gear. A raging crowd shook fists and banged heads, while others hugged, shook hands, and shed celebratory tears for a job well done.
 

 

That 700-mile trip teaches many of us that we co-exist in this microcosm with other like-minded individuals, some of whom we can forge genuine connections with, and some of whom can inspire us to delve deeper into our artistic passions. Whether it’s the veteran who’s played in dozens of bands since the ‘90s or the doe-eyed 19-year-old playing his first time out of town, there’s something to be learned and celebrated about each piece that fits into that puzzle.
 
Thank you to everyone who participated by playing, organizing, or just stopping in. We’ll see you next year. Same time, same place.
 
—Michelle Bacon
 
Michelle is editor-in-chief of The Deli Magazine-Kansas City and is a member of The Philistines, Drew Black & Dirty Electric, and Dolls on Fire.
 
 
 

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San Francisco

Coo Coo Birds Down Dirty Shake Electric Shepherd and Major Powers and The Lo Fi Symphony Play Slim’s – 3/26

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Come out to Slim’s this Wednesday for a night of excellent local garage rock with the Coo Coo Birds, Down Dirty Shake, Electric Shepherd and Major Powers and The Lo Fi Symphony!

Headliners, Coo Coo Birds are a group of psychedelic garage rockers and self-proclaimed “natural enemies of human mothers and boyfriends.” The band’s sunburnt vocal melodies and seasick guitar tones make them one of the most sonically exciting garage acts in the Bay Area. Down Dirty Shake will bring their own ’60s influenced rock and roll to the party, sounding like Glen Danzing fronting The Kinks. Electric Shepherd’s garage-prog sound combines revivalist tones with expansive arrangements and instrumentation. Rounding out the line-up is Major Powers and The Lo Fi Symphony, who might best be described as a talented and demented version of Queen.

Make sure you make it to Slim’s on March 26th to experience an amazing live local line up. – Ethan Varian

NYC

The Very Small record release show, Friday, 4/4, at Rock and Roll Hotel.

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It’s been a while since we’ve heard from DC’s The Very Small. Finally, after a long hiatus (surviving “real life” stuff like grad school and lineup chaos), The Very Small is back, with a new album to be released at a record release show at the Rock and Roll Hotel on April 4th. The new album, Zoomed Way Out, is unsurprisingly their most mature effort to date. It’s an ambitious take on melodic 90’s post-hardcore/indie sounds (bands that come to mind include Jets to Brazil, Piebald, Superchunk, Built to Spill, Archers of Loaf, The Get Up Kids, The Wedding Present, etc.), combining walls of guitar with skillfully layered vocals and mathy changes, into epic rollercoaster journeys around sound within tight songs. The entire thing is supremely entertaining and over far too soon. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait long for a follow up this time. Keep them busy; go to the show and pick up the album. –Natan Press