Portland

Dan Dan Share New Single, “Swimsuit Season”

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Since Dan Dan won our Artist of the Month poll back in October, they’ve instrumentally crawled deeper into our hearts with their synthy electro-rock. When we first heard of them, we itched to take in every last bit of Dan Dan’s creations like rays of sunlight providing all of that necessary Vitamin Dan. They’ve since released a couple of new tracks and have been play a grip more shows, one of each recently warming are hearts.

Dan Dan just shared "Swimsuit Season" with us no more than a day ago and it’s already sparked endless dreams of hot weather, sandy beaches and fun in the sun. Their use of synths, vocoder and an addicting drum beat on the track provide an endless allure that makes you want to play it on repeat.

Here’s to hoping they’ll play it at their next show, a benefit for the ACLU and the White Helmets fighting for what’s right over in Syria. Also set to play this benefit, taking place this Friday at Valentines, is Lavender Flu and Pathogens. Tickets are on a sliding scale of $5 to whatever you can afford and music starts at 9pm.

Enjoy "Swimsuit Season" below.

San Francisco

Q&A: New Perspectives on a Blue Harp: Amelia Romano Speaks About Her Music and Travels

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Guest writer, San Francisco based Michelle Robertson has written and conducted a great interview with Bay Area harpest, Amelia Romano.

"The blue harp is jarring. It punctuates the cityscape of San Francisco, refusing to blend in with the clear sky above. Just as out of place as the azure harp are the melodies emanating from it. We’ve seen this instrument before, in orchestral halls and mythological tales, but the music Amelia Romano’s harp creates is hardly classical nor folkloric.

Gazing upon the skyline captured in Romano’s “Legacy” video, one of the singles off her album New Perspectives, one begins to understand the tapestry of influences that compose the work. In this city, cultures and worlds collide, yet a humble cohesiveness emerges from such disparity…"

You can read the interview in its entirety here.

Philadelphia

New Aphra Album Available for Streaming & Purchase

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Rebecca Waychunas, a.k.a. Aphra, strings out stirring, sensitive songs, developed through personal/familial struggles. Her latest release, Sadness is a Gesture (Inherent Sounds), exhibits an unimpeded array of vocally-anchored, heart-rendering exposures. These songs maintain an intimate, aching proximity, aided instrumentally by scene-sketching electronics, molding the many moods. Waychunas finds a way to create elegantly raw music that shifts the focus onto the real and gritty darkness of addiction. She’s set to perform on Wednesday, March 8 at The Barbary to celebrate its release, with a lineup that includes Blood Sound and The Undercover Dream Lovers.

Philadelphia

New Track: “If You Harden On The Inside” – Hezekiah Jones

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Proceeds from “If You Harden On The Inside,” the new single from Hezekiah Jones, will benefit the Women’s Law Project. Paced by the bump of bass and snap of snare, the song delicately weaves, led by sunny stretches that counter the potential commentary of lines like the power play/greed of “What’s the point of having all the world? When your hands are so small” or the call to kindness of “If you harden on the inside, you’ll be easy to break.” While it may seem simple to get swept up in the recent reign of negativity, “If You Harden On The Inside,” with its inviting harmony and delicate sway, reminds us that the power of positivity remains.

Nashville

From the music submissions: Vassals play Shea Stadium on 03.09

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Despite their heavy retro ’60s psycedelic and ’90s alternative rock influences, Vassals is a fully modern indie rock outfit. Their quiet-loud dynamic shifts and hazy, atmospheric guitars are enough to evoke indie and psych classics like The Pixies and Jefferson Airplane, without ever borrowing so much as to sound outdated. "There’s something I’m forgetting," Spencer Shay repeats over and over again on their latest release, "So-Ho". The single perfectly captures the confusion of the urban dweller, using the dread and disorientation of the weekend atmosphere of So-Ho as a representation of the modern existential crisis. As a group, they’ve mastered the art of both sonic and emotional build-up and release, which is sure to be a central element of their upcoming Halogen Days EP, set for release in early April. – Andrew Strader

This artist submitted music for coverage here.

NYC

A Deli Premiere: Jazze Belle kicks it quixotic with EP “Go To Bed Standing Up”

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The Deli Magazine is proud to premier Jazze Belle’s first EP, ‘Go To Bed Standing Up.’  The four songs are an all too short celebration of those moments in life where we feel like we’re doing everything we can to make our dreams happen and it’s still not enough. In “Every Day Tomorrow,” vocalist Taylor Simone expresses perfectly how even our dreams can be a subtle form of torture; she sings, “My dreams are made of never ending alarms so I sleep with one eye open.” Those words should hit close to home for any New Yorker. We’re excited to be invited to the slumber party! – BrokeMc

Philadelphia

New Music Video: “Talk to Me” – Kaytronalia

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The acoustic quartet of Kaytronalia that includes Rebecca Zimmerman, Deb Gilmore (Busy Bee), Sage Forte, and Syd Schollenberger recently released a new song/video. “Talk to Me” simmers in a delicate, innately cohesive groove as the semi-hesitating vocals stick, while the candid/scenic footage provides unassuming imagery. It’s a simple, tightly woven track that sweeps one into the band’s slow-burning honesty.

NYC

Parlor Walls release debut LP “Opposites” at Sunnyvale on 03.09

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Experimental art punk trio Parlor Walls are set to release their debut full-length “Opposites” through Northern Spy records on March 10.  Recently released single “Birthday” (streaming below) initially presents a simple percussive pattern in disguised waltz tempo, underneath strummed trebly electric guitar, brass and reed woodwind pads and soft droney vocals.  All of that changes with an angular skronk cadence taking over to deliver vocals declaring “you wanted everything – everything, everything.”  Including saxophone as an integral sonic element suggests jazz influences, however the phrasing and jagged rhythms positions the instrument closer to John Zorn’s often dissonant avant-garde.  The percussion becomes more nuanced as instrumental segments progress up until vocals break in with the phrase “don’t you know I’m perfect!”  A fuller version of the opening progression returns before one final launch into an intensified stomp where the song’s meaning (and title) is ultimately revealed. The band will play a release show at Sunnyvale on 3/9 with The Dreebs & Arian Shafiee (of Guerilla Toss). – Dave Cromwell

Nashville

No Ritual Hones Minimalist Bedroom Rock

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No Ritual is the kind of act you’ll brag about seeing in someone’s basement ten years from now. Their lo-fi bedroom rock flows through the same sonic vein as Beach Fossils or early Sonic Youth. The songs are hook-heavy, pushing catchy little guitar riffs that meander and branch off in different directions. Being a three-piece band, their arrangments are decidedly minmalist. They’ve honed the skill of doing a lot with very little, patching song sections together with subtle accents that serve as satisfying variations. Sometimes setting limitations can open up undiscovered creative pathways, little artistic rabbit holes into which the trio dives without reservation. They know how to create high energy yields with low energy inputs, which is why No Ritual is a band we can all have faith in. Their artistic process is sustainable. 

-Andrew Strader

NYC

March 3rd: Ace Cosgrove at Tropicalia

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Fresh beats and an unusual cutting edge flow define the appeal of politically inclined Gaithersburg native Ace Cosgrove. Drawing from the beats and flow of both trap and chillhop, Cosgrove’s versatility shines through on songs like “Making Moves” and “Righteous Views”. In turn lyrically boastful and politically charged, the most consistent thing about Cosgrove’s music is the quality of the tracks.

After a tour in New Zealand, Cosgrove will take the stage at Tropicalia March 3rd to headline DC’s Sounds of the City Festival.

-Written by Michael Dranove

Toronto

TED EVANS BAND – “PEDAL” PREMIERE

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Ted Evans is a wild n’ crazy guy from Kingston, Ontario. He’s a busy fella doing work with various bands and solo projects . Now his latest release as the Ted Evans Band is set for release this Friday called "Pedal". The title track is an excellent blend of pop and rock from various decades. It’s like Buddy Holly playing with the Odds. Very catchy tune for real. Follow Ted Evans Band on facebook and get ready for the "Pedal" EP comin’ out this Friday March 3rd. See them live at the Mansion in Kingston on March 10th! – Kris Gies