Instrumental-based single “Sonder” is fresh off the soundboard. Castle of Genre, from Gainesville, VA, released their single April 15, 2014, and it lives up to its name. The word “sonder” is used to explain the realization that every person you meet has had a life just as full as yours; each individual has faced hardship, love, disappointment, angst and their own intricate life experiences. In the song, fast-paced guitar begins a round, drawing each chord out into the next. Next, playful guitar melody is added, creating a round of its own. After understanding what “sonder” really means, the pairing is brilliant. The representation of separate lives carrying on, day after day, creating something beautiful as life ( or drumming) clashes and ticks on. Lyrically, “Sonder” is just as clever as the instrumentation. –Hannah Brady
Philadelphia
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Get High w/Gliss at KFN April 25
Hip-hop fans will be treated to an evening of young talent tonight at Kung Fu Necktie. While I was disappointed to learn that Gliss‘ High on a Weekday won’t be available anytime soon, we will get a chance to hear live versions of the songs that he’s been working on. I also learned that he’ll be the opener for Dock Street Brewery’s annual closing event for Philly Beer Week, joining Grandchildren and West Philadelphia Orchestra. Gliss will be sharing the stage this evening with emcee, producer and La Salle University baller Taylor Dunne, who is currently working on his fourth mixtape scheduled for release this summer, and brash newcomer Kylledge, who caught our attention towards the end of last year with Drugs Women Music. Rounding out the bill will be Miami, Florida’s Lil Raw. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 7pm, $7, 21+ – H.M. Kauffman
Chicago
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Dance Cheetah
Dance Cheetah has begun to dance its way into the scene over the last month. The trio of Matt Cornelison, Jake Bartlett, Austin Goodman released their debut EP "Get In Tu It" last month and performed their first live show last week at 1st Ward. Their sound is pure electro-pop and ready for the dance floor. Check out the video for "Satellite Love".
NYC
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The Veda Rays premiere “Waiting for Teeth to Show” from upcoming release + play Death By Audio tonight (04.25)
The Veda Rays‘ new single "Waiting for Teeth to Show" is proof of what can happen when a band takes its time to develop its sound and songwriting – a rare occurrence these days, in this city in particular. Channeling in part the noir, epic atmospheres of early Depeche Mode post-Vince-Clarke-departure, in part the romanticism of Duran Duran at their creative peak "Rio", this is an extremely well written, performed and produced song that bodes well for the band’s upcoming full length release, scheduled for later in 2014. You can get a preview of the new songs tonight at Death By Audio, where they share the stage with Heaven’s Gate, LostBoy?, Heeney & Sunflower Bean.
We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!
NYC
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Young Heel releases “Someone’s Touch” for our upcoming EP “TUFF “
Young Heel is one of the latest Brooklyn additions to the recent "Alt Soul" wave, consisting mostly in a Caucasian, slightly cerebral reinterpretion of soul-pop music in ways that are alternatively quirky or super chilled, but consistently electronic. Young Heel definitely belongs to the "chilled" side of things, with their tempos constantly in the 80-90 BPM range, and atmospheres that – notwithstanding an overall darkness of sound and rather abstract lyrics – are more than appropriate for love making, something that more than one classic soul-pop artists from the 70s/80s claimed as their mission. Some kind of tragic, pre-farewell love making then, something bound to generate one of the most complex combination of emotions a human being can experience. Young Heel will play live at Glasslands on May 30.
We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best mellow songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!
Chicago
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Bottomless Pit Epitonic Saki Session
Epitonic released their Saki Session with Bottomless Pit yesterday. The session was recorded live at Saki last year to celebrate the release of the band’s third album, Shade Perennial.
The session kicks off with the lead single from Shade Perennial, "Fleece".
Chicago
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Coaster @ Beat Kitchen
The indie rock band Coaster released their latest EP, Tattoos, earlier this month digitally and on cassette. The band is currently on a Spring Midwest Tour.
You can catch Coaster on May 2nd at Beat Kitchen with Chasing Dinosaurs and Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers.
Nashville
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Friday Feature: An Interview With The Daily Howl
Earlier in April, this editor made the trip out to Hermitage to sit down with The Daily Howl, Reader’s Choice winners of The Deli Nashville’s Best Emerging Artist of 2013 Poll. Between their hyperactive stage show, devotion to specific era of the Beatles career, and savvy promotion tactics, The Daily Howl are a powerhouse of a band that demanded their own feature this Friday. Read on to learn more about their history, social media strategies, and the worst place to get a burger in North Carolina. -Terra James-Jura
Philadelphia
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New Tracks: “The Mermaid Song” & “Skeleton Army” – Hezekiah Jones
Hezekiah Jones (a.k.a. Raph Cutrufello) wrote and produced a couple of new tracks, "The Mermaid Song," an ethereal siren call, and "Skeleton Army," an instrumental old-world, Eastern European waltz, for a project entitled Slice of Life, "a multi-media adventure about a princess who must team up with her unfaithful lover in order to stop the Queen from destroying the earth’s life force." He was also assisted in production by Kevin Killen and Philip D’Agostino. Ease yourself into the workday this morning. (Photo by Lisa Schaffer)
NYC
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Even as it grows into more of a beast year by year, Middle of the Map is delightfully Midwestern. Delightfully Kansas City. Delightfully ours.
Middle of the Map Fest recap
(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
Now that Middle of the Map Fest is all wrapped up, here’s a look back at the music fest a couple weeks back. We also had a blast at the forum and film portions of the fest. Here are some highlights from a few of our contributors.
(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
Kicking off the fest for me (and for most, as they were one of the first groups scheduled), the adorable couple took to the stage in their usual slightly off-kilter alternative garage rock fashion. I strolled in during the part of the set where guitarist Matt Roth recites beat poetry sans music while drummer Nan Turner dances of various persuasions. Though one could argue it is an odd move in the middle of a set of rock music, it ends up serving as just one more “we do what we want” layer of joy to the overall warm and fuzzy soul hug you get at a Schwervon! show. A special nod to the Riot Room sound here, as this was easily the biggest sounding Schwervon! show I have seen.
(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
For a band that has played a very small number of shows, Loose Park has quite a bit of buzz to them, probably due to its members currently or previously being in a slew of popular KC acts (Doris Henson, Soft Reeds, In the Pines, etc). Yet another of the pleasing number of trios I’ve seen between MOTM and SXSW this year, they lived up to the hype for me. The sound is rock and roll, borrowing as much from Neil Young as it does ‘90s alternative rock, with just enough prog-like quirkiness to keep things interesting. Vocalist/guitarist Matthew Dunehoo’s voice came across especially strong and although I was unable to stick around for their whole set, what I did hear was exciting. I’ll definitely be checking them out again.
(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
Unpretentious high-energy punk rock with pop sensibility and a synthesizer flair. Love these guys. I’ve had the pleasure of catching them numerous times over the past couple years and have really enjoyed watching them grow into the band they are now. They played an energetic set of tunes to an appreciative crowd that grew ten fold throughout the course of their set. Gary Numan had just let out more or less right above them, but his crowd that stumbled into Westport Saloon didn’t move on once they heard what the Lungs were putting down. Anytime a band can keep a large and growing group of people for a whole set at a festival with many things happening simultaneously is a good sign.
(Photo by Jaime Russell, Anthem Photography)
For many years, my pissed-at-the-world, play-as-loud-as-my-speakers-and-ears-can-take-it album was Something to Write Home About. Needless to say, I was pretty stoked to show up at showtime to hear the last couple minutes of the J. Roddy set, and therefore snake a spot about 15 feet back center stage when people left to get a beer. I’ve seen The Get Up Kids a few times now, but it had been a while, and not on a stage this big since Yahoo Outloud circa 2001. I was in full on fangirl mode.
They quickly shattered any doubt about what age and/or time may have done to a band with such an energetic reputation. Sure, there was a lot less jumping or running around and I don’t remember Dewees getting up on his keyboard stand even once, but whether due to the excitement of the crowd where I was standing or just refinement through time (or perhaps that I, like them, have grown older accordingly), their set came across as solid as it ever did. They blazed through mostly older material, though even they admitted that “it’s all old stuff at this point”. Someone from the crowd jokingly yelled out “emo grandfathers,” from which Pryor got a noticeable laugh and retorted appropriately.
The Get Up Kids showed the crowd why they are one of the biggest bands to come out of our neck of woods in recent memory. “Holiday” and “Action & Action” pummeled with raw angst and vigor. “I’m a Loner Dottie, A Rebel” brought the house down. The tender moments from “Valentine” reminded the crowd of the depth of their material. Even the technical difficulties that fouled up “Overdue” so much that they had to stop and resort to playing “Campfire Kansas” instead (which is probably what we wanted to hear more anyway) couldn’t put a damper on an otherwise hitch-free set.
They bantered about memories of Westport. 21st birthdays and an awkward bicycle ride at Buzzard Beach. The house not far away they used to live in. I never turned around to see how many people were there, but the ones around me felt like a community. We were all bouncing, we were all grooving, we were all belting the words along. It felt like a show in someone’s basement or at a small familiar haunt like the Replay. One of the most friendly mosh pits I’ve ever seen even broke out during their closing song “Ten Minutes.”
Perhaps I am waxing nostalgic, but this is what a rock show should be like.
This was my first TD show. Having heard good things about them, I slunk my way through the billowing crowd at The Riot Room to find a square foot to stand on that could see that stage. If MOTM and SXSW showed me anything this year, it’s that alt folk and dance pop bands had better get their fill now, because loud rock ‘n roll is making a comeback. Those Darlins are a friggin’ rock band. Loud guitars, rumbling bass, pounding drums, wailing vocals. The frontperson of this freight train? Jessi Zazu, a *maybe* 100-pound pasty white nymph, complete with a red blazer and curly auburn Annie hair. Her stage presence is an interesting mix of playful kitten meets jilted ex-lover meets psychopath, as she would often flare her eyes raptor size and stare holes through various people amongst the crowd. Their set was a great balance of musicality and showmanship.
Even as it grows into more of a beast year by year, Middle of the Map is delightfully Midwestern. Delightfully Kansas City. Delightfully ours.
–Zach Hodson
When Lauren Krum (The Grisly Hand) and David Regnier (Dead Voices) perform as a duet, with just their voices in tight harmony and his acoustic guitar, they perform under the moniker Ruddy Swain. They were part of the recordBar day party on Saturday, and you could have heard a pin drop as everyone in the place was captivated by the stripped-down performance of the lead vocalists of two of KC’s favorite alt-country bands. It occurred to me as I snapped pictures that they don’t need anything besides their voices and his guitar to hold an audience in the palm of their hand and keep them there for the entire set. No doubt, the audience would have demanded an encore if not for the tight schedule a successful festival commands.
Move over, Taylor Swift. 15-year-old Gracie Schram of Leawood doesn’t need a bad relationship or a horrendous breakup to write a good song. I’ve had the hook-lines from “Yellow Shoes” and “We Are the Change” running through my head since her set at the recordBar, and I’m not humming “God Save the Queen” to get rid of them. She’s a complete package: a gifted songwriter, a talented guitar player, and a superb vocalist, all combined with stage presence. Kansas City music aficionados will sniff haughtily some day when tickets to see her are going for $150 a throw that we remember her mom driving her to gigs and seeing her for five bucks at local coffee houses. Fortunately for us, we don’t just get to bear witness as she matures and grows, we get to call her one of our own.
–Tammy Booth
(Photo by Jaime Russell)
The latest incarnation of Joshua Allen’s rock outfit kicked off The Deli’s showcase at Riot Room on MOTM’s first evening. As promised, the four-piece delivered a bombastic, psychedelic sound to the early audience. Allen’s crunching, whirling guitars joined forces with Eddie Moore’s otherworldly keyboard noises, the anarchy of which was kept in check by the bass and drum groove of EvanJohn McIntosh and Mark Lomas. The band’s chaotic, high-energy set was devoured by a hungry crowd, eager for more, ready for a sensational music-filled weekend.
(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
The first time I saw Molly Gene, I was just beginning as a musician, still daunted by the complexity of my instruments, my lack of style, my own timidness. After I saw her perform, I probably should have quit right then, knowing that I would probably never possess that same ability, or charm, or grit.
Years later, she’s featured at Westport Saloon’s showcase. Still with all of the same elements as before, somehow enhanced. It’s not just her fancy-looking (and sounding) foot-controlled drum kit—complete with kick, snare, a cymbal, and who knows what else—but more of a toughness in her songwriting and sensuality in her stage presence. Her brand of garage rock heavily steeped in Delta blues created the precise mood for the evening.
There’s something both soothing and jarring when you hear Jorge Arana, Jason Nash, and Josh Enyart share a stage together. They conjure up these wickedly rich, complicated rhythms and melodies that almost make you uneasy. It’s like when you sneaked out of your parents’ house as a teenager to smoke cigarettes with your friends or make out with your crush—an innocent enough gesture, coupled with the exhilarating rush of rebellion and intensity. And every time the trio takes the stage, it seems like the perfect setting, whether it’s in a dingy basement or in this case—The Riot Room patio.
Among the highlights of the entire fest was the trio’s performance with special guest Steve Tulipana, whose mere presence on stage sent an invigorating shock wave through the already euphoric audience. The always-captivating Tulipana sang, spoke, and screamed like a shaman, keeping the masses transfixed and clinging to his every word.
I’ve always had a special place in my heart for what I consider true, classic, soul-satisfying, face-melting guitar rock. For several years, Supernauts was one of the best sources in KC for this unadulterated, unapologetic music. Their recent performance at MOTM—one of their only performances in years—proved that they still very much have the rock chops. Jordan Smith has a higher vocal range that can weave between a cool glam song or cut through Tim Braun’s colossal, soaring guitar riffs and J.F. Whitaker’s mammoth drum work. The Elders’ Kian Byrne also filled in on bass, helping the band produce a more solid, beefier sound than in years past.
Kicking off the main stage on Saturday afternoon—the final day of the fest—was another KC trio that has proven to be more than the sum of its parts. Fascinated by frontman Nathan Corsi’s striking voice and the band’s unmistakable overall appeal, the day’s early spectators had no choice but to move their feet. Augmented by a rhythm section (Liam Sumnicht and Bill Sturges) that provides just enough countermelody to heighten the band’s sound, Corsi ripped through the set flawlessly, keeping listeners lingering around the main stage to see if anything else could top that performance.
What happens when you allow a zany group of people dressed as comic heroes on acid to jump on a stage? If you have ever had the chance to see Peelander-Z, you already know the answer: several things, actually. You’ll probably get the urge to dance. You’ll probably belly laugh at least twice. You’ll definitely chant something having to do with a Rubik’s cube or guys named Mike. You may even end up on stage, playing a guitar or bowling. If you have any sort of capacity to enjoy things, you will have more fun than you’ve had at a concert… possibly ever.
Not only does this Japanese (from NYC) band know how to keep a crowd engaged better than most bands, but Peelander-Z can play a great set, which they proved on the Ernie Biggs stage. With plenty of punk influence along with a whole lot of quirkiness, you’d be a fool if you didn’t have a smile on your face by the end of the show.
Spirit is the Spirit was the finale of my time at the music fest, as I was too exhausted to possibly see anything else. But for me, it was an ideal ending. The recordBar was filled almost to capacity with people winding down from a stellar music weekend, and Spirit is the Spirit provided an outstanding soundtrack for the conclusion. The band, made up of five excellent composers/musicians, has a consistent rock sound blended with psychedelic touches, folk qualities, and atmospheric layers.
Special thanks to everyone who dropped by The Deli’s showcase at The Riot Room patio on the first evening of the fest, and especially to all the bands who played: Various Blonde, Is Paris Burning, Rooms Without Windows, Middle Twin, Loose Park, and Spinstyles.
–Michelle Bacon
NYC
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Album review: Middle Twin – City of Gold EP
Middle Twin calls its music peculiar art pop. Perhaps peculiar is in the eye of the beholder, because their new EP, City of Gold, is some of the most accessible local music I’ve heard lately.
Well, sure, they’re kind of unusual. In the guitar-dominated world of local music, City of Gold consists of seven keyboard-driven pop songs, propelled by live drums and electronic percussion. Sure, in their live shows, Joel Martin plays a small percussion pad with one hand and a keyboard with the other. And, oddly enough, vocalist Demi Renault has training as an opera singer and has never really played in a band before. But to me, the peculiar thing about Middle Twin is what a polished, professional EP it has produced in its short time as a band.
Middle Twin includes two former members of the late lamented Quiet Corral, guitarist Eric Davis and drummer Isaac Flynn. The latter recorded City of Gold in his home studio. A third ex-Quiet Corral member, Jim Barnes, helped with production and mixed the project. The group is rounded out by Jonny Fitzgerald on bass and vocals, who also sings with another Lawrence band, Paper Buffalo.
The guitar generally stays in a supportive role rather than dominating the multiple keyboard lines in Middle Twin’s music. Rather than sounding noodly or nerdy, though, there’s lots of ear candy here. The EP is a treat on headphones, with swirling stereo effects and interesting percussion samples galore. Somehow there is an organic quality to all these electronics, the arrangements carefully orchestrated to form an expansive, lush environment in which to place Renault’s expressive vocals.
It may be an encouraging sign of the times that Middle Twin was able to produce such a professional product on a shoestring budget. As Davis said in an email, "We were really just trying to make everything sound unique… We don’t have thousands of dollars worth of analogue synthesizers, so making electronic music that doesn’t sound cheap is a very big challenge."
The most encouraging thing may be a sense that Middle Twin is just getting started. I have a feeling we haven’t heard the last of them, and that’s a very good thing.
Middle Twin will be opening for Fitz & the Tantrums next Friday, May 3, at KC Live in Power & Light. If you’re in Lawrence, you can catch the band on Thursday, May 8, at Jackpot Music Hall for I Heart Local Music’s Stop Day Eve Party with Psychic Heat and Forrester. Facebook event page.
—Pat Tomek
Pat plays drums in The Rainmakers, Howard Iceberg & the Titanics, and Deco Auto, and records bands at Largely Studios.