Philadelphia

New Waxahatchee LP Available for Streaming

Posted on:

Waxahatchee’s new album Ivy Tripp, which will be released Tuesday, April 7 on Merge Records, is currently available for streaming via NPR’s First Listen. The Katie Crutchfield project continues to sonicly evolve, addressing a range of ongoing observations through engaging, private snapshot narratives that embody youthful adults that are growing restless. Steady on your feet, yet still searching. Waxahatchee is set to headline a show at Union Transfer on April 8 that also includes The Goodbye Party, Girlpool, and DJs Jenn & Liz Pelly.

NYC

Macula Dog are from a different sonic planet: live at Silent Barn on 04.01

Posted on:

In art, there’s a fine line between terrible and genius, and it’s mostly defined by taste – but to a certain extent also experience. When you make the choice to get bombarded on a daily basis by music submissions, when you stumble upon something that sounds truly different you can’t help but take notice. Hailing from Queens, NYC, Macula Dog produces heavily… insane music, probably inspired by bizarre experimental bands like The Residents, Pere Ubu and who knows what other obscure weird records. Refreshingly though, these guys aren’t just experimental for the sake of being experimental: their songs are very well produced, and there is a recognizable style unifying their repertoire. We’ll spare you from describing them, just take a listen to "Jungle Swingers" below, or go see them at one of the many upcoming live shows they have scheduled in NYC (list here), and open up your mind!

Philadelphia

New Track: “The Strawman” – Zachary Fairbrother

Posted on:

Lantern‘s Zachary Fairbrother recorded songs for a solo project last summer with producer Jeff Zeigler at Uniform Recording. "I’ve been dragging my feet with them – been feeling a little self conscious. It’s the first time I put my own name to a song. Pretty different than probably anything you’ve heard written by me. I hope you get something out of it." Here is a rare glimpse of Fairbrother on acoustic guitar for the track "The Strawman."

Chicago

Holt “Nightcall”

Posted on:

Holt (formerly Hollywood Holt) is back and now signed to Kayne’s G.O.O.D. Music. His first release on the label is a cover of Kavinsky’s "Nightcall" from the Drive soundtrack which features a contribution from Emily Morse of Glass Lux.. This is a very different sound for Holt but still produced by Million $ Mano. Holt, as  strong member of Treated Crew, has a full album ready but an offical relase date has not been announced.

Nashville

Brandy Zdan Releases First Single “More of a Man”

Posted on:

Brandy Zdan has an impressive resume thus far: she’s been half of Canadian/Americana duo Twighlight Hotel, and was guitarist/utility player for all-girl Americana group The Trishas in addition to releasing a handful of solo EPs under her own name. So it goes without saying that her first full-length album is long overdue. Zdan teamed up with producer Teddy Morgan and cherry-picked pals Carl Broemal and Tom Plankenship from My Morning Jacket as her backup band for her self-titled LP. Her first single, "More of a Man" shares the same sunny disposition as some of Sheryl Crow’s poppier numbers, but, like the album, has a streak of rebellion running through it. Zdan moved to Nashville from Austin to record the album, and immediately tweaked her creative style to run contrary to the traditional spirit of the city. Keep up with Brandy Zdan for tour dates and developments on the release date at www.brandyzdan.com. -Terra James-Jura

 

Portland

Live Sunday: Cool Ghouls, Mope Grooves and Dogheart at The Know

Posted on:

Hailing from San Francisco are the Cool Ghouls.  Their salty guitar riffs reek of the Pacific Ocean and their harmonies will lull you like the waves of the bay.  In a time when every band seems to be “psyching out in their garage”,  The Cool Ghouls’ sophisticated sound separates them from being just another band with reverb and a sick record collection. The song centric style of their sophomore release, A Swirling Fire Burning Through The Rye, makes for a great collection of recordings and stellar live performances.  The album flows seamlessly through ten tracks despite the band’s three songwriters. The sound is reminiscent of early Grateful Dead, golden-era Creedence and The Velvet Underground, yet is fresh and modern. Recorded live to tape by Sonny Smith of Sonny and Sunsets, the band’s live energetic vibe is beautifully captured. After touring the states a few times over and playing their hometown with heavy hitters like Nick Waterhouse and Of Montreal, it’s only a matter of time before we see these California dudes make a national television debut.  Be able to say you ‘knew them when’ and see Cool Ghouls live this Sunday at the Know. Local punk crooners Mope Grooves and Dogheart open the show, fixing for a good time to be had by all. 

M. Rowan 

Philadelphia

Little Strike Opening for Grounders at MilkBoy Philly March 29

Posted on:

Multifaceted local Israeli artist Tamar Dart, a.k.a. Little Strike, is a one-woman show. With guitar, keys, and electronics, she builds bittersweet, textured soundscapes that play off the sultry intimacy of her vocals. It’s easy to see how one could get transfixed on the doe-eyed enchantress. Little Strike will be at MilkBoy Philly this evening opening for avant-pop Toronto outfit Grounders. MilkBoy Philly, 1100 Chetsnut St., 8pm, $10, 21+ – H.M. Kauffman  

Austin

Redeye

Posted on:

Ominous guitar and bass start off the newest track from Redeye, an Austin act that straddles the line between indie pop with a folk bent and full on alt-country, but "Sleepwalk" quickly turns hopeful, if also a bit stark. It’s a track about hope, in fact, and it wonders whether someone will be there for the singer in rough times they seem sure are coming. Redeye caps the lovely and heart-tweaking track with the poignant image of this hoped-for ally being "A fragile light I’ll picture always/A fire burning in the snow," and this attention to scenery and mood are central to the artist’s sound.

Going from this track and a few other clips released, like this one that features track "Dryland," the upcoming third album "The Memory Layers" by Redeye (set to be released in April) looks like it will fit ideally into the Texas alt-country/folk canon. It hits that key requirement of also fitting so well into the sweeping, heat-affected spirit of Texas itself, and it’s not hard to imagine the swelling fiddles and Redeye’s twanging, yet not exactly country voice accompanying a long road trip across this state, even moreso for the vivid imagery conjured in each song. This album should be quite good, not only for Redeye himself’s work, but also for the impressive list of artists who have also had a hand in it, including folks who have been members of or worked with groups in the past like the Polyphonic Spree, Midlake, Black Angels, Dana Falconberry, and Baptist Generals. That kind of quality roster attached to the unquestionable talent of Redeye will have a hard time creating anything but a good record, and if you’d like to be one of the first to get it in your ears, listen to "Sleepless" below and get to Redeye’s show at The Mohawk with Bee Caves on April 18 for good, Texan music.

Philadelphia

Stacked Local Bill w/DRGN King, Dream Safari & Hello Shark at Everybody Hits March 28

Posted on:

DRGN King dishes out groove-oriented pop-rock that seeps under your skin, bubbling below the surface and then breaking loose with shards of guitar as Dominic Angelella clear vocals ease you into a comfortably chill space, cruising along until the moment of aggression reaches a tipping point and kicks into a high gear. Tonight, at the batting cages better known as Everybody Hits, DRGN King will be home from tour and joined by the percussive/key combination of Dream Safari, whose vibrant island vibes create a loose continually moving sensation that you’ll succumb to without a fuss, momentarily transporting yourself to a warmer climate in the process. The ceaselessly engaging honesty of Vermont transplants Hello Shark get you caught in a mesmerizing net of folkish rock with modern twists and turns. It’s a stacked local bill this evening! Everybody Hits, 529 W. Girard Ave., 8pm, $5, All Ages – Michael Colavita

NYC

The Shondes play The Rock Shop on 04.02

Posted on:

I don’t think any rock musician really likes to be referred to as a "veteran," but after four albums recorded in nine years of activity, all spent in that constant revolving door that’s New York City, The Shondes should hear that word as a title more than anything. In this time frame, through the violent ups and down only rock musicians can experience, the band has built a remarkable fan base without ever betraying its original sound, a melodic but direct indie rock at times reminiscent of a less angular version of criminally underrated Throwing Muses, with an added violin by Elijah Oberman, who founded the group with lead singer/bassist Louisa Rachel Solomon in 2006. The Shondes released their fourth album "The Garden" in 2014 and will be performing live at The Rock Shop on April 4th.