Having previously admired Robert Toher’s work in the dark synth-percussive band ERAAS, we kind of knew what to expect from his new project Public Memory, whose album “Wuthering Drum” will be released March 18 on Felte Records with significant tour dates surrounding its arrival. Recently released single “Zig Zag” presents an ominous buzzing undercurrent with fluidly pulsing percussion that, although mechanical and electronic, gives off the sense of some kind of cosmic tribal ritual. Vocals further enhance this mysterious sensibility, with alien processing and frequent tandem synth lines. Its overall feel is hypnotic, possibly cabalistic, leading to an ultimate unsettling vibe, a perfect soundtrack to a film sequence where the protagonist puts on a fright mask, douses his victim with psilocybin and proceeds to blow their mind. Initial lead single, "Lunar," and the follow-up, "Ringleader" (streaming) can also be streamed prior to the full-length release. Public Memory will debut their live show this Saturday 3/12 at Alphaville, with the like-minded Tempers, and play. Immediately following they head down to Austin for SXSW on Tuesday, March 15 at Barracuda. – Dave Cromwell
Sweet Cobra @ Empty Bottle
Sweet Cobra has released a video for their song "Repo" which appeared on their 2015 release Earth.
You can catch Sweet Cobra at Empty Bottle with like minded local band’s Bloodiest, Electric Hawk, and Allen Epley on March 12th.
Palmas take their beachy vibes to Berlin on 3.24
Images of California and West Coast chill factors readily come to mind when listening of surf rock infused music. Philly/NYC based band Palmas brings that West Coast warmth and sunshine to the East Coast with their retro croon-pop. With hazy guitars and distant, reverb-drenched vocals Palmas’ sound readily evokes sepia-tinted memories of swaying waves at the beach. Since Brighton Beach’s waters are still too cold to enjoy, come and welcome spring’s much awaited warm weather with Palmas at Berlin on 3.24 as they accompany dream pop Brooklyn band Surf Rock is Dead. – Adriana S Ballester
New Dear Forbidden EP Available for Streaming & Purchase
The trio of Dear Forbidden recently released a new EP Glitter & Dissonance. The album lyrically offers a jagged edge, smoothed-over by harmony and anchored to the loose grit of instrumentation, which steps up to provide additional muscle. The sound approaches like an impending storm – calm from the interior but tumultuous from the outside; that duality captivates.
So Totally (In Love) at KFN March 10
So Totally, the newest hazy nu-gaze band to emerge in the Philly scene, will be headlining a Guild show at Kung Fu Necktie tonight. Their single, "Zoetrope," incorporates the surreal lassitude that typifies bedroom dream pop with the dark tenor of moody 90’s shoegaze and the sonic dynamics of grunge. The guitar lines are somber and delicate with occasional gentle pitch dives at the end of a line as the melody falls away. Supporting So Totally will be Soft Fangs, whose sound oscillates from driving, full-bodied shoegaze to gently strummed, minimalist bedroom folk ditties. What remains consistent is songwriter John Lutkevich’s light, whispery voice and distinctly unhurried, lolling attitude of the songs. Brandon Can’t Dance, the side project turned main for Brandon Ayres, will be appearing with his arsenal of guitar-and-drum-machine-loop-inspired dark electro pop tunes. Also joining the lineup is Aphra, whose sweet, instrumentally minimalist but melodically intricate compositions will hit your ears like lullabies for yearning, jaded adults. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 8pm, $6, 21+ – Bryce Woodcock
Soulful Rockers The Skins Play Union Pool 3.25
It’s hard to come by a great, purely rock band. In a scene that is drowning in pop-anything-and-everything The Skins step in to offer a reprieve. The Brooklyn based band, consisting of the Mckeithan siblings and two friends, infuse rock with a pinch of funk and a lot of soul. Through Bayli Mckeithan’s vocals and the alternating guitar warbles of Spencer and Chell the band creates a textured sound with warmth and depth that infiltrates unapologetically the space it surfaces at. Don’t miss them performing at Union Pool on March 25! – Adriana S Ballester
New Track: “Brett” – Vita and the Woolf
Jen Pague’s powerful vocals rush forward in booming sonic command on Vita and the Woolf‘s latest single “Brett”. Surrounded by an ominous, percussive thump and sinister synth, Pague’s words carry an authoritative weight as the instrumentation gathers strength in a danceable exhibition of force. As we await their new LP, Vita and the Woolf (who are currently on tour) have planted seeds that suggest the album is one, whose bloom we patiently anticipate.
Playlist of NYC artists playing official SXSW shows
Here’s a playlist with (hopefully) most of the NYC artists playing SXSW this year – in random order.
Bummr City releases IOWASKA ahead of show tomorrow (03.10) at Drkmttr
Bummr City is the kind of band that doesn’t want you getting too comfortable with what they do. These guys have been around for the past year or so putting out a consistent flow of releases hailing from all over the way-out lands of lo-fi recording. So how does a band continue to surprise when they’ve worked exclusively in the domain of the unpredictable? In the case of "IOWASKA," lead single from the upcoming The Death of Cool, the band subverts expectation by, ironically, moving in a more conventional direction. They haven’t eliminated the grainy weirdness found in their earlier releases—we are still talking about a track named after the phonetic pronunciation of a substance that’s easier to say than spell after administering—but instead have cultivated it, refining their songcraft and taking to the studio for a much more polished end result. It takes an amount of confidence in your own sound to move toward what’s more recognizable without losing what makes you unique, and Bummr City has pulled it off.
If you love a good show and hate vowels, make sure to see Bummr City tomorrow (3.10) at Drkmttr with Darkwing, The Mumzees, and The Plastic Bags. –Austin Phy
New Hotel Neon Album Available for Streaming & Purchase
Sonicly spread out over Iceland with ambient trio Hotel Neon’s latest release Remnants. Absorb the biting Arctic chill as drone guitar and field recordings create layered minimalistic notes of comforting isolation. These bare landscapes wipe away the exterior distractions, causing you to focus on the intricate details, while channeling inward. Hotel Neon is slated to perform at St. Mary’s Church on Saturday, April 9, opening for Slow Meadow as part of The Gatherings Concert Series.
Ramonda Hammer releases video for “Goddamn Idiot”, play the Hi Hat on 3.14
Engaging in indie rock melodies with grungy guitars, Ramonda Hammer are the latest to bring back a nineties alternative rock aesthetic with its clean riffs and antipodal dynamics. Fronted by the soft, though passionate vocal delivery of Devin Davis, the four-piece somehow keep things grounded with a honeyed melody that never becomes either too scruffy or drenched in an excess of reverb. The band has just released a video for “Goddamn Idiot”, which takes a comical slant by taking cues from defunct trash reality TV show Cheaters. The satirical nature of the video is more on the lighthearted side, though it doesn’t in any way limit their songwriting smarts; instead, we get a band so confident in their abilities that any major contrast to their sound only helps to enhance their still-nascent careers with a lively shot of personality.
Make sure to catch Ramonda Hammer at the Hi Hat on March 14.
New Music Video: “Super!” – Mumblr
Mumblr will be giving their support at Lavender Town this Friday March 11, as part of a two-day Bernie Sanders Benefit: Berning Man. This video for “Super!”, found on their EP Super! Premium! Deluxe!, captures your attention as a shadowy silhouette crashes and crawls along the evolving color-box backdrop. This shape shifting is paired with running script that questions how one’s current state affects the future. This perplexing/tormenting state of affairs may resonate for a bit.