3 piece indie rock from Toronto…Ready the Prince. They just released their debut self titled EP last August. The EP opens with “Your Way Or Mine”…a good introduction to the band…solid rhythm section and nice guitars laying nicely over top. I catch some Kings of Leon vibes right away. The track has some interesting dynamics which give guitarist Daniel Prada the opportunity to show off his fast fingers…almost throwing in some flamenco licks. The next track is called “Drunk Without A Drug” and I’m not sure if that is supposed to be a good thing or a bad thing. This track is a bit more relaxed to start with a bit of an atmospheric feel to the verses. Again the dynamics in the pre-chorus take you through a sonic tunnel leading to a bit of an epic chorus. It’s a well recorded and well played EP. I would have to think they know what to do live as well. So go see them on Friday February 12th at the Rivoli in Toronto! – Kris Gies
Toronto
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PETE VAN DYK & THE SECOND HAND BAND – RETURN TO HOMEGROWN!
Pete and his crew of blues rockers from Hamilton have been lying in the weeds for the last few months. I started to wonder if they were soon to be relegated to the “Where Are They Now?” category….just kidding…but I havn’t heard much from the Second Hand Band lately. Just last April they released their self titled record. 7 tracks engineered and mixed by bass player/vocalist JD Norwood. The album opens up with “It Just Keeps On Comin’”…a straight ahead rock track setting the tone for what’s to come on this album. The fellas pick up the pace on the next track “Talk Of The Town” which was their lead single of the album and came with a video to boot. They chill out for the chorus though and lead shredder Eddie Van Dyk gets to soothe your weary bones with some sweet licks. I really dig the tune “Bad Scene”. A true blues track that’ll make you head straight for the bar for another whiskey. Pete’s howlin at the moon in this one and it adds a nice spicy mustard to this bluesy rock n’ roll sandwich. The sustain of the guitars will make you weep. By the way this record is available for any price you want at their bandcamp page. Pete Van Dyk & The Second Hand Band return to Homegrown Hamilton on Saturday! -Kris Gies
Austin
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Buy Leche’s Two New Drunk Southern Punk Tracks, Get Your Butt Licked for Free
Lookin’ for some real Texas-ass punk shit? Give this new two-tracker from Austin’s Leche a few minutes to thrash yer brains up all nice and scrambly. It’s some grumbling, don’t care about nothin’ DIY bluespunk glory; real drunk Southern madman music the way you want it to be (and rarely get), and it’s fun as fuck. As Leche themselves say, “GEt your Butz REady To Spend the Next 4 Minutes In Heaven” by clicking yon play button below and, if you’re so inclined (wink wink, nudge nudge), the band says they’ll “meet you down Buttlick Alley between Beerland and Sidewinder for one heck of a time” if you send them a few old fashioned, green “American Dollers™”/for the download. Texas punk and buttlicks? A hard bargain to turn down, if you ask us.
Austin
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Troller Makes Our Day with Album Release Dates, Devastating New Music Video “Not Here”
OH, what a very most lovely and doomiest of days! Not only has Deli-beloved act Troller just announced that we’re but months away from the release of their second full album, they’ve also deigned to bestow upon us ravenous Troller fans a new, dark, weird single from that album in the form of one hell of a music video for song “Not Here.”
It’s damn good too, pairing a Lynchian setting and visual style with a gripping performance from drag queen Louisiana Purchase, whose piercing, manic eyes and understated, elegant and sometimes terrifying dance grasps your gaze and won’t let go. The track, too, is of the highest Troller quality (which to us is a way to say it’s killer as fuck), doing their gorgeous drones and dark cathedral melodies and industrial drum machines thing to perfection on this devastating, heavy track.
Both track and video are exquisite treatment and representation of pain, something we typically get fed to us in music through highly pop (Taylor Swift) or deeply self indulgent and stereotypical (Adele) ways, but here get from a thoroughly non-mainstream (even in 2016) and queer-positive perspective. It’s done with beauty, finesse and a fine, sharp edge, and it bodes seriously fucking well for the upcoming album.
Watch and listen below, and look for Troller’s Graphic LP on April 8 through Holodeck Records.
NYC
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Alternative hip hop lyricist Steadfast releases debut single, Mend
Based in Baltimore, Steadfast is the next face to find in the hip hop scene. She’s building a sound grounded in alternative and DIY, making the beat and writing the thoughtful and catchy lyrics for the new track all on her own. She released her debut single a few days ago, so be sure to give it a listen. Her musical flow is smooth and fast, backed by a tight beat, and the lyrical content is sharply tongue-in-cheek. Keep an eye on this songstress as she’s displaying great potential and will surely lay down more sick tracks in the days ahead. -Jonathan Goodwin
Nashville
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ELEL releases video for “Kiss Kiss”
The wait for ELEL debut album Geode has been a long one. In the couple years since the dissolution of Heypenny, the previous project helmed by ELEL mastermind Ben Elkins, we haven’t seen much beyond a couple singles and the odd show here and there. But what we have seen is good. And it got well-deserved hype. It’s clear that his time spent making catchy but complex, sweet but not saccharine booty-shakers with Heypenny not only sharpened up his songwriting skills, but also taught him discipline. The quality and excitement behind ELEL’s drip-fed music, matched by the goodwill Elkins built up with Heypenny, is what makes their strategy of taking big but slow steps impressive rather than frustrating.
Such is the case with the release of their “Kiss Kiss” video. Sure, it’s an incredibly well-shot video with a catchy tune to match. But for Elkins, that’s old news. These guys go the extra mile by not only lining up the video release with the mushiest holiday of them all, but offering up a download of the track (plus remix!) in the form of free-to-print Valentine’s Day cards. Get all warm and fuzzy with the video below and keep your eyes out for more from ELEL—though if these guys keep it up, you shouldn’t have to search too hard. –Austin Phy
Philadelphia
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New Track: “My, My, My” – Purling Hiss
After trying out a more polished rock sound on his last album Weirdon, Mike Polizze has gone back to his roots for his latest forthcoming 7" Something. The new Purling Hiss EP finds Polizze recording himself on all the instrumentation at home on a four-track, shifting gears towards his earlier releases. You can take a listen to his latest single, "My, My, My," over at Impose Magazine. Something will be available on black and limited-edition red vinyl on February 19 via Brooklyn indie label Famous Class.
Portland
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Big Feelings to open Hey Lover premiere show TONIGHT
Say you’re interested in checking out what’s happening in new music across the nation, then you can turn on any Top 40 station and be incredibly disappointed. Yet, if you are interested in what’s really going on in music, then look no further than a few blocks away from wherever you are in town – at Portland’s underground music scene. Our city is notorious for its eclectic scene and it’s still true that the average Joe (or Jolene) can go out on a Tuesday night and find an act that’s definitely worth seeing for $5 or less. Surprisingly, this really does still happen in PDX despite the number of amazing venues shutting their doors due to rent hikes, condos popping up all over town, and food carts closing down in place of new high rise construction.
If you are looking for a little taste of what PDX was like before it turned into condo-central, then check out the Portland based band, Big Feelings. Their upbeat and lo-fi sound is reminiscent of Camera Obscura, Beat Happening, Magnetic Fields, etc. They’re opening up Hey Lover‘s video premiere show (along with White Glove) Thursday, February 11th, at The Know. The band’s creations are a result of candid, "living room" style collaboration that have been going on for what seems like years. Having three writers who collaborate effortlessly is what gives this group the ability to put each story through their own DIY filter; resulting in music that emphasizes simplicity and the kind of lo-fi grooves that really set the tone for an evening of hanging with your buds and slamming some Old Germans in one of Portland’s hole-in-the-wall dive bars. You can check out Big Feelings’ newest single, "Making Faces," below and be sure to get out and see these guys (and gal) tonight at the Know!
-D.T. Barkness
Philadelphia
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Slip Into the Spacey Pool of Tygaton at Ortlieb’s Feb. 11
Slip into the spacey pool of Tygaton tonight at Ortlieb’s. The quintet develops an emulsified, comforting sound – over-driven guitars rattling in one’s head. Soak in that slow-cooked sonic stew with its sorcerer-led, enchanting, multi-pronged vocals guiding the passage through foggy surroundings. Tygation finds an equilibrium of travel between full-throttle and floating. Joining in on journey will be the fuzzy, shoegazing four-piece of Dreambook and the opaque, surf-shoegazing combo of Woven In, whom recently released a new EP New City No Money. Ortlieb’s, 847 N. Third St., 8pm, $10, 21+ – Michael Colavita
Chicago
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The Pact @ Lincoln Hall
The Pact released their debut EP, Reaching In The Dark, late in 2015 after forming just 9 months earlier. They have a polished rock sound that seems to have them destined for larger stages and wider audiences.
You can catch The Pact opening for Family and Friends on Feb. 27th at Lincoln Hall.
San Francisco
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Premiere: YOURS – Goldmine
We’re very excited to premiere the San Francisco based band, YOURS new track, Goldmine. Make sure you listen to this track and support local artists!
"Realizing the drastic changes happening around us in San Francisco over the last couple years opened up the doors for writing Goldmine. As SF continues to become this money making machine, it also starts to have an impact on a lot of struggling industries. The massive flood of tech driven individuals, increased house prices, and expensive day to day living has made it hard for the creative minds to make a living. However, the upside is that you hope with all this money laying around some good may come out of it for us like new venues and more spending on music sales or commercial opportunity. We’ll see what happens to this golden city in the next couple of years…."
The birth of YOURS started long before the name, when founding members Kazmo Vilmar and Milton Nieves met during the college days in Tallahassee, Florida. It was in this place that their musical bond bloomed; it was during this time that they shared experiences which would spark a common interest. From the time they met up until graduation day, Kazmo and Milton with the help of some friends played the hits all the college kids were talking about while compiling some ideas of their own. After getting some degrees, the summer of 2010 they packed all they could fit into a trailer and drove across the country to their destination and place that they would call their newfound home of San Francisco, California. Walking on historic Haight street one day, the concept of YOURS was brought to life, and for them it came to represent all they would hope to.
After 2 years of songwriting and recording, YOURS debut EP was released in early 2013, followed by a handful of shows at local venues including Bottom of the Hill, Brick and Mortar, El Rio and The Knockout. After cycling through some additional members to help make the live show that more appealing, YOURS decided to start prepping the release of a new record. The latest EP was recorded and produced at one of the greatest analog labs in the country, Tiny Telephone Studios. Headed by the legendary John Vanderslice, Tiny Telephone Studios enabled YOURS to experiment with all their funky analog equipment and state of the art tape recording. It was a great experience for the group and with the help of well known Bay Area producer, Jamie Riotto, the band is stoked for everyone to listen to these new tunes.
Press Photo (credit: Russie Sanders)