San Francisco

Album Review: Al Lover – Sacred Drugs

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There is such a thing as a psychedelic rock ‘n’ roll DJ. Al Lover has proven that before, and his newest release, Sacred Drugs proves it again. This debut solo LP  blends fuzzed-out, psychedelic and reverb-drenched layers with driving rhythms and trance-inducing melodies that could have you staring at the visualizer on your computer’s music player all night long.

The album’s first single, Super Strength (Power Plant) featuring Morgan Delt could fit perfectly to a smoke-filled bar scene from some 60s foreign spy film (the entire album would make a great soundtrack to such a film). The track starts with droning synth layers giving way to a slow beat while Delt’s vocals layer over like this city’s thick morning fog.

The track that stands out the most is The Shadow Shadow Self Shake. It starts with a reverb drenched hip-hop inspired drum beat setting up for a solid and danceable track which continues for most of the song. However, just shy of the 2-minute mark in the track, a distant and fuzz riddled guitar makes its presence known adding more depth to what was already a solid track.

Sacred Drugs is sexy and eerie. It is everything you would want to hear in a club or your bedrooms with a drink in hand. The 14-track album dropped on Oct. 9 on vinyl via Psych Army Intergalactic and Crash Symbols (cassette). Love on it. –Skyler Warren

NYC

Internet electro star Ryn Weaver plays Baby’s All Right tonight (10.14)

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NYC/LA electronic muse Ryn Weaver pretty much lived through what most emerging musicians dream about each time they post a song on Soundcloud: instant fame! We are often suprprised when a song by a new act gets 10k plays – her single OctaHate got over TWO MILLION! (Check out the video below). The next challange for artists lucky enough to have earned some recognition through the web is always to follow up with a live show that can support a longer career in music. Ryn Weaver will be playing Baby’s All Right tonight (10.14); it will be a good opportunity to see where she’s at in that department.

NYC

Weekly Feature: Walking Shapes headlines The Deli’s Indie Pop CMJ Stage on 10.25

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Walking Shapes is the sort of band we would task with converting even the most die-hard dance adverse. Their songs tow that careful line between electronic and instrumental dance pop, and while meticulously programmed still manage to capture the electricity of a live band. Walking Shapes is thus an incredibly fluid band. The songs they play can begin ebullient and bubbly, then take a sudden turn towards the explosively propellant, before exploding into bright and spacey fractals, the sonic equivalent of closed eyed kaleidoscope. The result is songs hopeful and earnest with a broad vision.

Read Emilio Herce’s Interview with Walkling Shapes
See Walking Shapes live at The Deli’s Indie Pop CMJ Stage on Saturday 10.25 at Spike Hill 

Austin

Harvest Thieves

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Sometimes music is best heard in a dark bar; the nights when whiskey is your best friend and just wanna hear a song about loving and leaving. The Harvest Thieves seem to understand that need. Their alt country sound is mellow but still gets you tapping along to the beat. Cory Reinisch’s comforting vocals make everything all right. On the track “Little Feet,” from their four song EP Lightning In a Bottle, released last summer, he sings, “I’ll never love you half as much as he does…and you were right.” Reinisch’s delivery of the line is the perfect mix of compassion and frustration. Harvest Thieves play Stubbs this Friday Oct. 17.  Go check them out, drowning your sorrows in whiskey is optional. -Allison Mayoral

 

New England

Troy Ramey Funds EP Project, Continues Prep for Debut Release

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Back in August, I debuted the video for Rosary, a new song by Troy Ramey. At that time, he was just starting a PledgeMusic campaign to fund his first solo EP. I checked-in with him this week and he seems to have been very busy over the last two months. At the time of this posting, Ramey’s PledgeMusic campaign has been 99% funded, indicating that he will be able to move forward with the production of his debut EP. It’s great to see passionate local musicians succeeding with their projects and I’m excited to hear what Troy does with his final mixes.

 For more info about his EP (and the PledgeMusic campaign), click here. You can also stay up-to-date about his latest plans on his Facebook page. In case you missed it the first time, you can check out the video for "Rosary" below.

 -Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn)

Photo Credit: Jackson Himonidis
 
 

 

Toronto

Bordeen- 10/16 @ the Rivoli

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When I think about summer, I think about Bordeen! Light, pop-rock that lifts the spirit! It’s so cool to see a "band of brothers and a sister" come together creating a different sense of family values. You can hear how tight these guys are! Wicked harmonies and rolling melodies give Bordeen their edge! Check out ‘Broken Bones’ off their latest self titled record. It’s a pop track with a heavy lyric, pretty harmonies and rocking riffs that get you groovin. See them for indie week 10/16 @ the Rivoli. Check their FB for all upcoming shows!

Philadelphia

New Music Video: “Thick As Thieves” – Youth Crush

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Youth Crush‘s debut single, "Thick As Thieves," which you can download for free HERE, brings us back to the 80s. We envision it playing in the background of a John Hughes movie while its main character laments about a lost relationship or actually finally winning over his or her true love, overcoming the barriers of society or teenage social hierarchies. For Youth Crush, judging by the quote below that came with its music video, the inspiration might have come from something out of the Twilight series, but we’ve never seen any of those movies.

"We are all alone and pizza is as close as you are ever going to get to companionship, even if you are some undead teenage lord of the dark arts."

NYC

Interview with Deryck Todd of Bowieball

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Bowieball is an annual, one-day freak-out soiree honoring the king of glam, David Bowie. This year’s edition was hosted at Le Poisson Rouge on Sunday, 10/12 by artist/fashionista/all-around-flaneur Deryck Todd, and featured a diverse array of NYC acts such as DJ Frankie Sharp, the Toilet Boys, Matt Katz-Bowen (of Blondie), Militia Vox, the Vangeline Theater, and Keenan Duffty (among others). "The Deli" recently sat down with Todd to catch-up on the evolution of Bowieball, and to see who’s grabbing who’s ass. Brian Chidester asked Todd a few questions about the event in this interview.