Philadelphia

Free Download: “I Feel Extra-Natural” (LVL UP Cover) – Slaughter Beach, Dog

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Slaughter Beach, Dog, a.k.a. Modern Baseball‘s Jake Ewald, has released a cover of LVL UP’s “I Feel Extra-Natural,” found on Hoodwink’d. The acoustic strumming pattern, subtle keys and softly interlaced vocals play into the song’s delicate, emotive nature. Tonight, Slaughter Beach, Dog will be performing at Hazel House on a bill presented by The Guild, which also includes Abi Reimold, Meridian, and Pinch Hitter. (Photo by Jessica Flynn)

Philadelphia

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah 10th Anniversary Tour w/Teen Men at JB’s May 26 & 27

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It’s hard to believe that it has been a decade since Clap Your Hands Say Yeah dropped their debut self-titled album on the world. The groundbreaking LP sold tens of thousands of copies out of bassist Tyler Sargent’s Brooklyn apartment at that time, which was unheard of in the music industry, and helped to alter the scope of what indie/DIY acts could accomplish without a record label. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of this generation-defining moment, the group is re-issuing its first release, and will be hitting the road performing the record in its entirety along with other favorites from the band’s catalog. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah will be kicking the tour off this evening at Johnny Brenda’s with Teen Men, who have been asked to support them during their travels across the U.S. and Canada. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $20, 21+ – H.M. Kauffman

NYC

The Last Internationale plays European arenas with The Who

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While we were blogging about a million other NYC artists, a relatively unknown local band we booked at our Best of NYC Fest in 2011 (as an opening act) kept working hard at their music and live show. Fast forward four years, and we find the group signed to Epic, putting out records produced by Tom Morello (of Rage Against the Machine fame), shooting awesome videos inspired by Western movies (streaming below) and… playing arenas in Europe opening for The Who! We are referring to alt rockers The Last Internationale, a band that deserves huge kudos for their achievement – and also a little apology from The Deli for not seeing it coming. The band released their debut album ‘We Will Reign‘ last year, a powerful record that combines blues rock and Morriconian influences with their politically aware story-telling.

Nashville

Summer Palace, “Rotator”

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We had this curiosity come across our desk recently, and we’re slowly being pulled into the meticulous soundscape of "Rotator" by avant-indie group Summer Palace. Delivered to us via our Open Submissions page with about as much fanfare as there is info about this mysterious individual(s?), we’re digging it for two reasons: it is 6 tracks of graceful experimentation with looping, harmonies and repetition, and the lack of an online presence suppresses our usual need to know the background of a group and the inevitable judgements we tend to pass in the research process. So we give props to Summer Palace for freeing up our minds to simple enjoy the aural stimlulation, which is currently lighting up the same drool-inducing sypapses as someone dragging their nails over our scalp (seriously, we could fall into a sweet, dreamless sleep to final track "Shanti, Shanti, Shanti.")  We’ll leave you with opener "Do I Do All I Can" and let you pass your own judgement. -Terra James-Jura

 

San Francisco

Music Video Premiere: Future Twin – We’re Here

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The San Francisco based soul-gaze band, Future Twin has produced a music video for their upbeat rock-pop track, We’re Here. The video is great. It’s always good to see the conceptual expression of helping ordinary people escape what is boring and mundane, and discover what colorful fun life has to offer. We’re Here tells a story of three people who are seemingly lost in the monotony and routine of their realities until a strange human lady with a colorful mask appears to break them free of their pain and disenfranchisement.

“"We’re Here” is a song about standing together. About not being broken up. It’s about cohesion. The script and concept that we attempted to portray in this music video center on the daily lives of archetypes of urban life: the office worker, the service worker and the retired elder. In hyper-productivist America, we often ask people when first meeting them, in order to get to know them better, “What do you do?” Playing on this way of defining people, as if our day job equates the very fiber of our being, as if that’s the most interesting facet of someone’s life (what they do to commodify their labor)– we attempted to show the triviality of such things." – Jean Jeanie, Future Twin

We like Future Twin and we like the song, We’re Here, so it’s a happy experience for us to share a music video that they’ve been super passionate about sharing with the world. Here it is, check them out and make sure you attend their upcoming Bay Area shows:

Jun 06 SubZERO Festival San Jose, CA
Jul 18 Dissilience Oakland (A benefit for Oakland Fund for the Arts) w/ Jean Jeanie

NYC

Raising the spirit of noise pop with Crown Dancer’s debut EP

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Facebook likes aren’t everything; just ask Crown Dancer. Formed in 2013 somewhere in South East LA, the five musicians Fernando Nunez, Keith Hernandez, Jesus Barron, Marlow Coloma, and AJ Dungo were more interested in crafting wildly poppy songs from their prismatic and far-flung influences: outwards from Japanese post-rock math group Toe and the British jazz-punk King Krule, to the hip hop messiah Kendrick Lamar and late soul wonder Lee Moses.

What came out from hours in the studio was a sound consciously inflected by emotive synth, crash, and fuzz. With noisy-yet-catchy compositions and high-energy lives fit to open for acts like No Age, Future Islands, and The War On Drugs, it’s almost heinous that they’re still infants in the social media scene.

But don’t take their sparse Internet presence as a sign of youth: Crown Dancer have performed with the finest underground acts in all corners of city, sounding off with the progpunk duo The Littlest Viking, glistening noise trio Take Pictures, and the Gutter Trunk hip hop muse Bizzart aka GOTHIC CHOLO.

Crown Dancer are currently working on their first EP “Leftovers”. Recorded and mixed by Dylan Wood (Pageants, Time of Wolves, ex- 60-Watt Kidd), this year-long labor of love is slated to finish by the end of June. They have plans to begin recording a full-length soon, and will make their last appearance (for a while) tomorrow at Young Lovers’ third night of residency with The Littlest Viking. Listen to the first three demos of “Leftovers” EP and see them live tomorrow night at Pehrspace! – Ryan Mo

Philadelphia

Final Day of Sundrop Music Festival at The Fire May 24

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The third and final day of the 5th annual Sundrop Music Festival (presented by Philadelphia Brewing Company & iRadio Philly) packs The Fire with an eclectic range of talent from the afternoon through the evening. Among those performing are the murky, dance-inspiring, electronic synth/percussion exploits of qqq, the chilled-out, gentle-swaying pop-rock of singer/songwriter Bryant Eugene Vazquez & The Songs, and the emotive alt-rock of Mumblr, whom have a propensity to shift those glum moments in combustible rockers. The sharp spun rhymes of The Bul Bey and the soul-filled electronic R&B Elegant Animals pave the way to a full day of enjoying that time off. The Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave., 2pm, Free, All Ages – Michael Colavita

Philadelphia

On the Water Record Release Celebration at PhilaMOCA May 23

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Celebrating the release of its new full-length album Cordelia (which will be available for purchase on vinyl this evening) is the oddball-folk troupe of On the Water, who will be headlining PhilaMOCA tonight! The Fletcher VanVliet-led group’s latest is something you’ll readily absorb with its fine-detailed, fresh open-air instrumentation and rumbling vocals. These songs find a sweet spot, stretching out in intriguing expanses, while still keeping close contact on a personal level. On the Water will be joined by the jazz-folk of Liz & the Lost Boys, who elegantly breeze through one’s mind with a classic yet contemporary approach. The big-band explorations of Impressionist round out the night of local talent. PhilaMOCA, 531 N. 12th St., 8pm, $6-$10, All Ages – Michael Colavita

NYC

The Cutting Room celebrates Culture Remixed 4th Anniversary at R Studio

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Culture Remixed and Sumo Hair come together for the third Cutting Room experience, celebrating four years of beat coverage by Culture Remixed! Come early to clean it up at downtown LA’s Studio R with cuts from Sumo Hair, then get dirty with sets from Aztlan Quetzal, Luke Cage, Josh Spoon, Nite N Dae, Point 10, and Rob Bliss.

Julián Félix is the man behind Culture Remixed, covering the Los Angeles Beat scene, emerging Latina/o electronic artists, and independent labels around the globe. As a writer, community college professor, and moonlighting DJ/visual artist, Félix began covering Lincoln Height’s experimental hip hop and electronic music purveyor Low End Theory, and started Culture Remixed as a way to improve his DJing. He has since branched out to write and feature producers across the country and in LA’s backyard, including Open Mike Eagle, Bür Gür, and Kenny Segal. Along with his bread-and-butter, Félix also spins jazz, soul, funk, R&B, Afro beat, and more from Boyle Heights’ Radio Sombra.

Stream Culture Remixed at Radio Sombra every Saturday Night from 6-8pm PST, and check out the eclectic lineup tomorrow, free from 7pm – 1am! – Ryan Mo