Two Inch Astronaut is an admirable attempt to pick up where 90s alternative left off.Twangy, out of tune, distortion heavy guitars mash against open hi-hat hits and restrained bass lines harkening back to the instrumental sounds of early Modest Mouse and Fugazi. Cutting through the mish mash are somber, angsty vocals, of the Built to Spill variety.
While most of the big 90s bands have since broken up or moved on to new sounds, Two Inch Astronaut hopes to prove that 90s music is still relevant, and they are doing a fine job.
Check out Two Inch Astronaut February 3rd at Black Cat.
Attention Bad Religion and Social D fans: Are you on the hunt for new tunes? Well, call off the search party and check out the Vansaders, an upbeat, folk-punk band based out of Asbury Park, that are cranking out tracks with good time written all over them. With infectious licks, and toe-tapping grooves, the band’s energy is guaranteed to bring the party to your local dive bar. Check out the Vansanders playing Pianos January 24th alongside Bodyface, the Black Clouds, and Yorkshire Tenth, and listen to them below.-Jocelyn Huggler
Joy Again celebrates their freshly released EP with a show this evening at PhilaMOCA. Available via Never Grow Up Records, the album hovers between its succinctly woven instrumental threads and its unassuming lo-fi inflections. An instant gravitational pull is the result, as the close connection of relaxed but reverberating vocals combine with the subtly strong steer of layered instrumentation, sparking fine grooves. It’s a fine example of the depths and power of simplicity. Ian Sweet, Acid Dad, and Shelf Life complete tonight’s lineup presented by Smilin’ Ambassador.
The quartet of Louie Louie is slated as part of a three-pronged (but sold out) show with Sheer Mag and Amanda X tonight at Boot & Saddle that will benefit New Sanctuary Philadelphia. Their latest single, “Do It (In Your Mind),” breaks through with a humorous, primal growl before a smooth guitar lick paves the way for assertive vocals to emerge backed by fanned-out harmonies. The band’s debut LP, Friend of a Stranger, is scheduled for release on February 10 via Philly’s own Born Losers, and you can celebrate it with them that evening at PhilaMOCA.
Philly producer/emcee Lushlife, a.k.a. Raj Haldar, has released a new mixtape, titled My Idols Are Dead + My Enemies Are in Power, "in the face of an incoming administration that has openly threatened our basic constitutional freedoms." All proceeds from the album will be donated to the ACLU. The project also features guest appearances from Moor Mother, Sad13, Sun Airway, Killer Mike, and many others.
Pop-punk band Double Feature recently released a split 7” on DysFUNctional Records with Ez Kebage.
You can catch Double Feature at The Other Side Tattoo on Feb 11th. They will also be performing at Subterranean on March 25th with Post Child, Drones, and Avenues.
If you’re feeling bummed about the upcoming, presidential inauguration of one flamin’ hot cheeto, then why not treat yourself to a hot, heaping portion of some quiality rock blues? Danielle Grubb’s latest track, "Glue" has us feeling better already about the next four years (barring impeachment)with its grimy guitars, swampy drums and Grubb’s own leathery vocals. This track hits like a shot of whiskey, providing some nice sedation as well as some light jabs to the midsection to get one’s gears in motion. Grubb is currently rocking a residency at Arlene’s Grocery, where you can catch her live on scattered nights until 3/16. —Henry Solotaroff-Webber
San Francisco based artist, Drea. m has released a brand new music video entitled, Riptide!
Drea. m commands the heart to listen. With soulful grit, haunting vocals, and entrancing live performances, this indie noir songstress entices the listener into a world of lush imagery and unveiled emotion. Reminiscent of Tori Amos, Fiona Apple, and Imogen Heap, what drives her music is a dark-edged honesty about what it means to feel vulnerable, powerful, and profoundly alive.
"Inspiration for the video: I was inspired to shoot most of the video in rural New Mexico because I wanted a world that reflected the one I was singing about–one of vastness, of solitude, of mystery…a world where time moves differently among the elements. Earlier in the video, you see me in a half-crumbled stone house with a window still intact, and later in the song I am in another dilapidated house with newspapered walls–newspapers from the 1940s!–and both of these structures were on the land where we shot, just waiting for us, perfectly representing perseverance through the long passing of time. Ultimately, though, the song is about inhabiting solitude, and all of the seeking and searching that tugs at our souls when we are truly enveloped by all that space…Inspiration for my music: What inspires me is the need to explore what lies beneath a particular emotion, a dark emotion, and the desire to tease out the story that surrounds that emotion. I get very stuck in rumination sometimes, and somewhere between my over-analytical mind and my emotionally-driven, heart-on-the-skin self, a song is born." – Drea M.
The name of NYC’s quartet Poppies is extremely appropriate, considering those flowers’ sleep (and high) inducing qualities – as all rock’n’rollers should know, all opioids like morphine, heroine and a slew of painkillers derive from poppy seeds. Both sleepy and dreamy, this band’s soothing, melancholic ballads feature the gentle and youthful voice of May Rio, and a tendency to find inspiration in old time pop melodies that’s somewhat reminiscent of Mitski (check out streaming single Eggheads in this regard). Their music video for “Told,” which features a man in a dog costume and an old lady resenting him, give us an example of their more "hallucinogenic" side. The quartet has a string of local shows scheduled, culminating with a show at Baby’s All Right on 02.01 with Baked and Soft Fangs (they’ll be also playing at Sunnyvale tonight 01.17).
“The Curious Cat’s Eyes,” the latest installment from The Vernes, can be heard in 2 parts below. The first captures a more straight-ahead, downhill variation, as percussion clears a path, flanked by the steady, cruising ring of guitar and the vocal narrative unfolds in a leisurely jog, before pushing the pace. The second finds keys/synth in the forefront, taking on more of a mind-wandering, head-in-the-clouds aesthetic. Either way, we’re onboard. Catch the band alongside Sonnder, Stadium Armory, and Very Bad Vibes this Friday, January 20 at The Fire!
Graveyard of Good Times is the new full-length album from Brandon Ayres, a.k.a. Brandon Can’t Dance, and is now available via London-based indie label Lucky Number Music. Traversing an electro-pop/rock landscape, the collection of songs continuously switches lanes, pushing the pace and then sitting back, before tearing ahead and maintaining a danceable yet mesmerizingly odd tone. Everybody Hits will be hosting a dual record release show this Sunday, January 22 with Marge, and will also include a solo set from The Goodbye Party. (Photo by Ali Lotz)
