21 year-old Kerin Maguire sticks to a folk frame of simplicity on her single “Have You Ever”. Featured on her forthcoming debut album Self-Titled, the song unfolds as a reminder of pleasures and pitfalls of personal relationships. Remembering the low moments, the narrative circles back to a hopeful outlook despite the momentary melancholy. Vocally, she maintains a level albeit confessional tone, which peaks at key ending points in exclamatory fashion. Maguire is slated to perform at The Barbary on Thursday, March 23, along with Dirty Purple, Beard, and The Year End.
This indie rock quartet graced the cover of our winter 2017 issue of The Deli, and offers catchy and melancholic indie rock that sticks to the soul. They hone a fuzzy, distorted rock sound with folky overtones and production that cleans it up enough to be endlessly listenable.
Cut Worms offers 60s pop revival reminiscent of anything from The Beach Boys to Gerry and the Pacemakers. With catchy, simple, and relatable tunes that satisfyingly dabble in the retro, Cut Worms knows how to catch an ear.
Baby Acid is self-described as "grunge-gaze" and it’s easy to understand why on a first listen. They blend the fuzzier, harder, heavier elements of grunge with the the reverb-soaked, sound walls and atmospheres of shoegaze to create an entire sonic space.
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Here’s the list of all the finalists with their Readers’ Poll scores. As always, we’d like to thank all of our artists, jurors, and readers for participating in this year’s polls. Stay tuned and vote for all of our remaining genre polls!
This indie rock quartet graced the cover of our winter 2017 issue of The Deli, and offers catchy and melancholic indie rock that sticks to the soul. They hone a fuzzy, distorted rock sound with folky overtones and production that cleans it up enough to be endlessly listenable.
Cut Worms offers 60s pop revival reminiscent of anything from The Beach Boys to Gerry and the Pacemakers. With catchy, simple, and relatable tunes that satisfyingly dabble in the retro, Cut Worms knows how to catch an ear.
Baby Acid is self-described as "grunge-gaze" and it’s easy to understand why on a first listen. They blend the fuzzier, harder, heavier elements of grunge with the the reverb-soaked, sound walls and atmospheres of shoegaze to create an entire sonic space.
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Here’s the list of all the finalists with their Readers’ Poll scores. As always, we’d like to thank all of our artists, jurors, and readers for participating in this year’s polls. Stay tuned and vote for all of our remaining genre polls!
This indie rock quartet graced the cover of our winter 2017 issue of The Deli, and offers catchy and melancholic indie rock that sticks to the soul. They hone a fuzzy, distorted rock sound with folky overtones and production that cleans it up enough to be endlessly listenable.
Cut Worms offers 60s pop revival reminiscent of anything from The Beach Boys to Gerry and the Pacemakers. With catchy, simple, and relatable tunes that satisfyingly dabble in the retro, Cut Worms knows how to catch an ear.
Baby Acid is self-described as "grunge-gaze" and it’s easy to understand why on a first listen. They blend the fuzzier, harder, heavier elements of grunge with the the reverb-soaked, sound walls and atmospheres of shoegaze to create an entire sonic space.
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Here’s the list of all the finalists with their Readers’ Poll scores. As always, we’d like to thank all of our artists, jurors, and readers for participating in this year’s polls. Stay tuned and vote for all of our remaining genre polls!
We’re excited for you to check out San Francisco-based trio Rara Replica! They are releasing their very first EP entitled Feral Heart, due out on March 1, 2017. You can see their first ever music video for "Fever Dream" – which takes the viewer through a psychedelic, cautionary tale of how Santa Vanidad came to be.
At the forefront, Katya Lopez paints a dramatic narrative with her powerful vocals and experienced instrumental performance. On guitar, Chris Palmer seamlessly glides between rhythm and lead. His delivery weaves together dreamy soundscapes and gritty solos. On drums, Steve Hinan, adds the solid backdrop whether it be for a driving psychedelic guitar solo or a rock beat with a punch.
Looking to escape a life of factory-made songs and shrinking creative space, Rara Replica takes risks and takes names. Collectively, this power trio fuses carefully crafts songs with the soul of jazz artists and heart of metal musicians.
Rara Replica attributes its name as an adaptation of a Bikini Kill song title, revamped to “strange replica” in Spanish. Staying true to their mission, Rara Replica aims to push the listener and challenge the world of plastic music to embrace the beautifully unconventional.
Rodes Rollins recently revealed her debut EP, Young Adult, a five track EP filled with a smoldering overcast of love, growing up, and becoming who you are meant to be. Young Adult paints a beautifully psychedelic experience, carrying you to and from your past as Rollins’s voice tells a stunning and nostalgic story: “I don’t know what big girls do, they think don’t follow no they decide.” Her storyline begins with her first song, “Young And Thriving”, and ends with “Feedback”, taking her audience on an emotional journey through young adulthood, love, and making your way back while still being in the high of it all. – Kayla Hay
Our reader’s have spoken once again and New Haven’s melodic alt-rock act, Chaser Eight, has emerged victorious as their pick for Best New England Emerging Alt-Rock/Garage Artist of 2016. Chaser Eight keeps things stripped down on their new release Been Lost Dreaming, while keeping their classic alt-edge that fans will expect. Self described as "Joat Jett meets the Killers at a Foo Fighters show", the band finds a balance, incorporating those influences and injecting their own flavor, sometimes soulful, sometimes aggressive. Check out chasereight.com for more info and hit the player below for their latest. -Brian Varneke
South Philly singer-songwriter Kate Della Monica and her bandmates – better known as No Thank You – mark another milestone with the release of their first full-length album Jump Ship (Lame-O Records).
Opening with the hazy romance of “Eyeballs,” a dreamy hymn awash in chimes and bittersweet melody. A lo-fi annunciation, the album’s first track has the perfect mix of lyrical brevity and delicate soundscapes, while “Cold” proves to be a doubly affecting ballad, fusing moody melodrama, driving bass, and grunge-y chords. Confessions like “I’m sorry that I’ve been so cold again/but my heavy heart it needs to be frozen” are quickly followed by blips of disenchantment and crystallized hope: “Maybe there’s a chance for me/to float in this goddamn mess that I’ve been drowning in.” A probable soundtrack for self-care or the latter days of a problematic but passionate relationship, “Cold” will thaw the heart of its listener, despite its namesake.
“Old News” explores the haunting aftermath of human closeness, the pain of letting go, and the complex irony of missing those who harm us with harmony and riffs nostalgic of 90’s icons like Shirley Manson and Veruca Salt. “Serenity Song” is energetic and earnest as fuck, offering fans a mantra for coping: “God grant me the goddamn opportunity to move on,” which serves as the flawless preface to the hushed ambience of “Bad @ Love Songs”. Here, No Thank You says everything most lovers fail to without a shred of pretense or hesitation, making the track the opposite of what its title suggests.
The endearingly twee of “Juicy J” is a dance inducing pick-me-up, bound to make even the coldest stoic swoon, up until it’s end, examining the fine line between reality and “playing pretend” before the solemn start of “Teeter” takes over. In the tradition of The Cranberries seminal LP Everybody Else Is Doing It So Why Can’t We?,No Thank You’s ability to be brutally honest manifests itself equally via diction, lyricism, and instrumentation. Closing with the affirmingly self-aware “The Unbearable Purposelessness of Being,” an anthem of survival and growing older where proclamations like “you never know how strong you are until you start to break” and “I’m twenty something and I’m alive” are just enough to get you and your friends through the darkest of times.
Jump Ship won’t just make you feel brave; it’ll heal your heart. – Dianca London
Slithering through dimly lit passageways, “Urgency,” found on the self-titled debut from dark-pop collective She Policeman, creates an anticipatory sense of unease. Those creeping-beyond-the-shadows vibes are further accentuated by the spectrum-morphing, sensory overload of its video’s colorful, shape-shifting display. Catch the record release and debut performance from She Policeman this Friday, March 3 at Boot & Saddle with Purples and Langor.
A kind of indie rock that seeps into your subconscious, Cotillon‘s music is the background to a sunny day in the park – or maybe it just triggers that thought. It’s fresh and sweet but also nostalgic and blue. Even on a first listen, you intuitively feel like you’ve heard it somewhere before. Blending groovy, irresistible hooks with acoustic-heavy instrumentation, and production from the likes of Al Carlson (St. Vincent, Wild Nothing, Ariel Pink) and Shane Butler (Quilt), Jordan Caros, the man behind the Cotillon moniker, offers us a classic sound we’ve all been missing – without knowing it. The band will be performing several shows in Austin during SXSW, including one at Hotel Vegas on 03.18. – Andrew Strader
Originally featured on the Too Far Gone Records compilation Three Years, “Teeth (alt.)” by cllctyrslf has been released as a single. The alternate take rushes instrumentally with jagged edges in opposition to the largely acoustic original version. The emotive momentum of the lingering post-breakup narrative surges with a sweet sting. The band is part of an upcoming billing at The Sound Hole on Thursday, March 16 that also includes Ridgewood, Welman, We Have Ghosts, and Sadhound.
We just witnessed another sprint to the end of our Yearly Readers’/Fans’ Poll for the category of Alt Rock. Thank you to all who participated and voted for this round of talented nominees.
Congrats go out to the quartet of PHNTMS! Led by the powerful, soulful lead vocals of Alyssa Gambino with Adam Jessamine on guitar, Mikal Smith on bass, and Beth Murphy on drums, the group creates a sound meant to be heard from larger stages. Their fans had a taste of what that would sound like with PHNTMS ending 2016 on a high note, gracing the stage of Union Transfer. The band is currently in the studio with producer Mike Watts (The Dear Hunter, Glassjaw), working on its debut full-length album. Keep a look out for some new material from the gang coming in the near future!
