We’ve been waiting for this announcement to make things official. A Sunny Day in Glasgow will be release a new album entitled Sea When Absent on June 24 via Lefse Records. The announcement comes with an eardrum-splitting new track called "Bye Bye, Big Ocean (The End)." They’ll also be performing next in Philly on Sunday, July 27 at Johnny Brenda’s with opener Pattern is Movement.
Austin
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:: Poll Nominee :: Chipper Jones
Chipper Jones consists of friends James Lambrecht and Charlie Martin. Together, they create melodic, mostly instrumental songs reminiscent of Delicate Steve. James contributes a few vocal accents here and there, but the focus lies on the diverse and dulcet tones that emerge from drums, guitar and a touch of synthesizer.
The pair recently released the ten song EP Two Rooms, recorded in two days at Big Orange Studio. The album consists of live recordings – the band’s primary focus, plus five improvised sketches, highlighting how good this duo can be in the moment. “Sketch Five: Two Rooms Live” at almost 11 minutes, really lets you dive deep while the soundscape “Wild Senna” at just over a minute, shows off Chipper Jones’ playful, experimental side. The pace really picks up on “Scout” which inspires, at minimum, foot tapping if not full on groovin’.
Give Two Rooms a listen and get lost in the melodies. – Gillian Driscoll
Portland
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Papercuts // EDJ (Fruit Bats) // Ritchie Young (Loch Lomond) // 5.28.14
Set asside all serious strife and head out to Mississippi Studios tonight to have any stess serenated away by a sexy series of soulful singer-songwriters. Sponsored by Portland’s best summer music festival, Pickathon, tonight’s lineup features the dreamy sounds of San Francisco based Papercuts, the frontman of recently retired Fruit Bats, Eric D. Johnson (EDJ), and the local lovely, Ritchie Young of Loch Lomond fresh from an extensive European tour.
– Travis Leipzig
Philadelphia
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New Dark Blue 7″ Single Available for Streaming & Purchase
Freshly signed to Jade Tree Records, John Sharkey III-led post-punk trio, Dark Blue‘s new 7" single "Just Another Night With the Boys" is anchored by Sharkey’s deep commanding tone and a pulse-pacing bassline and guitarwork that expertly hovers the threshold maintaining the raw aesthetic with a clean a finish. You’ll also fine a cover of John Cale’s "Hungry For Love" on its B-side. Dark Blue will be in town for a couple of upcoming performances that includes a free show on June 20 at the Doc Martens shop and on June 27th at Space 1026.
New England
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‘Sno Moon drops out-of-this-world debut EP
Late yesterday afternoon, ‘Sno Moon dropped its eponymous debut EP. The five-track set begins with the hypnotic hum of “Steady Slumbers,” a left-of-center R&B jam that plays around with rhythms and a heavy metal guitar riff that peeks in and out of the mix. Where the first song showcases Paul Talbot’s slick harmonies, Brooke Vettese impresses with her all-hands-on-deck percussion on the jazz bar ballad “Love x Time.” Things get even weirder on “Heart Shaped Lights,” which could pass as the result of Talbot continuing to do what he does best – sing – even while being abducted by extraterrestrials, and later on “Sight Seldom Seen,” a blues ballad transmitted through a barrel of EDM sound effects. Between Talbot’s honey-coated melodies and Vettese’s buck-the-norm production, the pair clearly has chemistry. Talbot calls Massachusetts home, so let’s keep our fingers crossed for some New England shows in the not-so-distant future. – Jake Reed (@jakejreed)
L.A.
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Imaginary Persons unveils new track “Never Broken”
Late last year we gave Imaginary Persons the "artist to watch" stamp after listening to their impressive first single "Give Up", which was described at the time as "a wistful mid-tempo cut that shimmers with its sheer tunefulness." Thomas Benjamin Alexander has now unveiled his latest offering, "Never Broken", and it’s another surprising delight. The track can be described as a straightforward rocker with a neo-psychedelic bent, coupled with a strumming acoustic guitar and a widescreen riff that wants to invoke the spirit of Jason Pierce. As it usually is with Alexander’s still-mysterious project, we get just another taste to whet our appetites until a full EP is finally unveiled.
Philadelphia
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Damn Right Album Release Show at Silk City May 28
Damn Right really surprised me earlier this year with the uber-infectious track “Halo,” which made an appearance in one of my new favorite shows Comedy Central’s Broad City. The group has been making an effort to shed its jamband persona for an indie-electro sound that’s more reminiscent of acts like Tycho and Caribou, which is apparent on the band’s latest full-length album Frozen Sun. Damn Right will be celebrating its release this evening at Silk City where they’ll be joined by fellow locals Sun Cinema and Crouse. Silk City, 435 Spring Garden St., 9pm, $7, 21+ – H.M. Kauffman
Philadelphia
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New Track: “JM” – Strand of Oaks
Strand of Oaks, a.k.a. Timothy Showalter, is already back again this week with another stirring tune called "JM," which premiered yesterday via NPR. The seven-minute-plus track is a tribute to his songwriting hero Jason Molina, who passed away last year due to organ failure from alcohol consumption. It captures the essence of Molina’s work with Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co. You’ll be able to find the song on Strand of Oaks’ forthcoming album HEAL, which officially comes out June 24 via Dead Oceans. Showalter is also scheduled to perform live on Friday, September 19 at The Boot & Saddle.
NYC
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Album review: Red Kate/The Bad Ideas split 7″ record
(Photo by Todd Zimmer)
The sound of rock ‘n roll, serious dyed in the wool; real rock ‘n roll blasting through my speakers rejuvenates my tattered and weary soul. I’ve grown tired of the indie/college rock/shoegaze types; to me, music (rock especially) should be like sex: I’ll take a quick five-minute explosion of passion and true power over an hour of half-hearted posturing mediocrity any day.
The upcoming split single from KC bands Red Kate (pictured above) and The Bad Ideas, being released by Mills Record Company, is anything but a boring rock roll in the hay; it is rock ‘n roll laid out by two bands that clearly know how it is done.
Red Kate, the pinko commies from the Heartland whose sound is equal parts The Clash, The Saints, and Chuck Berry, continually put out music that is catchy, thought-provoking and top shelf. Its two offerings to the 7” are no exception. They are exactly what you would expect from Shawn and Company: fast and as invigorating as Bruce Lee kicking you straight into an ice-covered lake.
“On My Mind” is good ol’ sing-along punk rock. Red Kate gets to the point and breaks down the key ingredient of what makes music so addictive, how you should be as a player, someone that people will always follow: “Keep moving forward / leave them wanting more.” Rock steady drum, silky smooth bass, flamethrower guitar, and a run time of just over two minutes is a recipe for success in this ADHD world.
“I got new dreams and I’m gonna make ‘em real” is the fuse that light’s “New Dreams.” Repeating that line over and over as the band plays at breakneck speed, “New Dreams” molds itself into a mantra that becomes part of your brain, making you believe that these guys truly know what they want and where they’re going, and you buy what they’re selling. Red Kate clearly knows what it wants, has its convictions, and is willing to put it all out there. Lucky for us, the group is willing to lay it down on wax too. Editor’s note: “New Dreams” is originally a Naked Raygun song, written by Santiago Durango.
Since first hearing Patti Smith first belt out “Piss Factory,” Ann Wilson blowing my doors off with “Barracuda,” Kathleen Hanna singing about a “Rebel Girl,” or PJ Harvey saying she’s “Man Size,” I’ve thought women fronting bands—punk rock bands especially—is incredible and hot. Sure, that statement will probably get me shit for being chauvinist or whatever but I don’t care. A woman laying it all out there is amazing. Breaka Dawn of The Bad Ideas certainly will continue my fascination with frontwomen. The Bad Ideas’ contributions “Apocalypse Detroit” and “I’m Stuck” show that, like their partners in crime, they speak what they believe. They don’t play pretend when they play punk rock, they ARE punk rock.
The drums, guitar, and bass are as wild, hectic, and ramshackle as the subject matter. It’s two minutes and six seconds of chaos and anarchy. Quality punk rock visiting time-tested themes of punk: a system collapsing upon itself, choosing what side to be on, standing up for yourself, it’s all there and it’s done well.
“I’m Stuck,” the other is a California hardcore at its finest. It’s fast, disaffected, and bitches about the way people are treated in America. In short, it’s about being stuck in a rut dug by society. I’m sure we’ve all been there once or twice.
This split 7” shows that, even in America’s Heartland, people can be pissed, disillusioned, bored, and generally defeated by life. The key is to turn that into gnashing of teeth and let it boil over into creativity. These bands have certainly done that.
—Danny R. Phillips
Danny has been reporting on music of all types and covering the St. Joseph music scene for well over a decade. He is a regular contributor to the nationally circulated BLURT Magazine and his work has appeared in The Pitch, The Omaha Reader, Missouri Life, The Regular Joe, Skyscraper Magazine, Popshifter, Hybrid Magazine, the websites Vocals on Top and Tuning Fork TV, Perfect Sound Forever, The Fader, and many others.
Join Red Kate and The Bad Ideas at the album release party this Saturday at Harling’s. Faultfinder, Bruiser Queen (St. Louis), and Crushed Out (Brooklyn) will also play. Starts at 8 p.m. Facebook event page.
NYC
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Weekly Feature: Dear Georgiana plays The Deli’s B.E.A.F./Northside Stage at Spike Hill on 06.13
Dear Georgiana is the music of Brooklyn-based and Alabama-born Lauren Balthrop. If Patsy Kline had lived past 1963 and made a record produced by Barry Gordy, you would have probably been able to compare the two chanteuses. This is not the first musical project for Lauren, in fact, she is well seasoned in the NYC scene, having performed in numerous bands such as Balthrop, Alabama and The Bandana Splits. This is however her first solo endeavor, and possibly the most well conceived of all.
LINKS: Read Sam Kogon’s interview with Dear Georgiana.
EVENTS: See Dear Georgiana at The Deli’s B.E.A.F./Northside Rootsy Stage at Spike Hill on 06.13 with Weyes Blood, Bridget Davis, Great Caesar and Such Hounds among others.
San Francisco
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Growwler Celebrates Single Release at Public Works with Giggle Party and Taxes – 5/29
San Francisco based art rock indie band, Growwler will be celebrating the release of their upcoming single, Long Hair, Short Wits, with an event at Public Works in the Mission District on Thursday, May 29th. Long Hair, Short Wits is a two track alt indie folk single that will invigorate your senses.
Rounding out the bill will be two other San Francisco based musical outfits, Giggle Party and Taxes. Public Works will be hosting a solid line up of alternative art rock, and if you’re looking to go to a show that confidently sits on the outskirts of SF’s usual garage indie line ups, you should attend this event. We’re always into shows that are a little different and bands who throw unique events.
Come party and celebrate with a great band who is going to release a cool single, which you can attain digitally the day of the show. –je
NYC
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Weekly Feature: Leverage Models play The Deli’s B.E.A.F./Northside Electro Stage on 06.14
Seizing on electro and drawing on the depths of consciousness, Leverage Models create deliciously vibrant music. A bubbling sonic palette doused in multiple dimensions, the band makes glorious glistening sounds, nuanced with commentary and clever perceptive notes, that pulse with passion, short pounds and reverberating rhythms adding a complexity that never digresses from what it is – pure pop. Churning and bristling with self-confessed dark emotions, there’s a restlessness to it all, a deliberate provocativeness that thrives. It’s the masterwork of producer and creator Shannon Fields, his inspired hand sketching and shifting through the sounds of the bandmates to build music to dance, shake, groove and live to.
LINKS: Francesca Baker’s interview with Leverage Models.
EVENTS: See Leverage Models at The Deli’s NYC B.E.A.F./Northside Electro Stage at Spike Hill on Saturday 06.14 with Wavves, Twintapes, Zula, Psychic Twins and more.