New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Vamos is back after a two year hiatus and they come bearing a new LP called "1~2~3”. This is the band’s follow-up to the 2015 LP, Spiderbait. Below is Part 1 of the hilarious trailer for the album.
You can help Vamos celebrate the release of their new album at Empty Bottle on March 16th with Rich Jones and Lifestyles.
Instrumental Rock trio Sasquatch Turf War will be releasing their self-titled debut album on March 19th via Cavetone Records. Below you can stream two of the tracks featured on the album.
You can help the band celebrate the release on March 19th at Empty Bottle as part of Cavetone Records’ FREE X Year Anniversary Show.
“Nite Owl’s Theme” serves as the second installment from Rolled Gold’s forthcoming compilation album. Riding the wave of an infectious, hypnotic flute line, a street-cruising sound sets the stage for Ai-Que‘s relaxed, pertinent bars, outlining the strategy necessary to attain one’s goals. Philly’s hip-hop truthsayer Reef The Lost Cauze takes his turn at educating the future, favoring wisdom over weaponry and family over the familiar.
In 2015, the girlfriend of Lovechild‘s frontman Leo Liebeskind was living in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in New York- Ocean Hill, Brooklyn. Now, the neighborhood is the namesake of Lovechild’s latest single and music video, "Ocean Hill." Complete with twangy guitars and a breezily-paced rhythm section, the song reminds listeners that we are on the upswing headed out of winter. The music video, however, depicts an icy Coney Island boardwalk, and fellow band members Wyatt Mones, Daryl Cozzi, and Karl Markgraf VIII attempting to teach Liebeskind how to ride a bike. There’s still a bit of waiting to be done until beach season, but until then you can listen to "Ocean Hill" and dream of lazy summer afternoons.
Lovechild will be playing live at The Knit on March 8. – Geena Kloeppel
Annie Glass is the new musical vehicle of Farzad Houshiarnejad (formerly of Night Panther, White Birds, and Drink Up Buttercup). As if sung from futuristic mountaintop, “Where Did I Go Wrong” captures a sleek, nighttime intimacy. A persistent synth-steered groove snaps you to your feet. However, is it really dancing if your floating in a cloud?
Fran is a four-piece band featuring the songwriting and vocals of Maria Jacobson. They released their debut EP, More Enough, through Lake Paradise Records back in December. Below is the video for their single “Enough”.
You can catch Fran at Empty Bottle on March 4th with Gratitude Journal and Furbie.
In her own words, Oakland shoegaze solo act highandfragile is “a project founded out of desperation for emotional relief by Breannyn DeLongis.” A refreshing departure from the conventions of the genre (typically dominated by men), highandfragile’s debut EP i was not well operates within the space where angst and actualization coalesce, exploring the modern pitfalls of being a young adult—it’s angry, artful, and honest all at once. The chorus of opening track “happy birthday” (streaming below) is almost anthemic (as much as is possible for shoegaze.) In this project, DeLongis has established herself as an artist and is definitely one to watch in the future. She will be joining There’s Talk at their record release show at Rickshaw Stop on March 8th. – Lilly Milman
To make it into the crowd for Bodega’s set when they play Jonathan Toubin’s Soul Clap at Elsewhere requires a fair bit of effort, strategic movement, and patience. But it’s worth it. On stage the New York quintet is a fluid sea of movement darting along to pointed rhythms and shouted post-modernism. That was two weeks ago, when searching for the band’s music revealed only outdated links to its predecessor Bodega Bay. On Wednesday, the band premiered its first single under the shortened name, a staccato post-punk piece called “How Did This Happen !?,” produced by Parquet Courts’ Austin Brown. The art punk influence is apparent, with vocalist/guitarist Ben Hozie half-speaking half-shouting monotone lines like “this machine you know it don’t kill fascists, this machine just softens its heart. This machine it killed the dream of the ‘60s, this machine you know it’s just a guitar.”
What’s Yr Rupture? is set to release the group’s debut album this summer. To accompany “How Did This Happen !?” Bodega has released a 360-degree interactive video, describing it as “a simulacrum of a typical night at our favorite Brooklyn venue, ALPHAVILLE. Some audience members scroll on their phones, others half listen (waiting to play), [sic] and those with light to spread join the show.” You can watch the video below and catch Bodega at Union Pool on March 10th, before they head to SXSW to play Pianos’ SXSW party on 03.17. – Cameron Carr
“I wasn’t born in Texas, but I got here as soon as I could.”. Raised in Los Angeles – a jazz vocal student at UNC – it wasn’t until moving to Austin that Molly Burch found her audience. Having released her debut album, Please Be Mine, nearly a year ago – Burch already has a record deal, a national audience, and garnered gravitating comparisons to Patsy Cline, Nina Simone, and Billie Holiday. While nostalgia permeates Burch’s romantic melodies, her subtle experimentation on tracks like “Fool” and “Please Be Mine” proves that Burch’s music is contemporary and unique. Keep an eye on Molly as she seduces SXSW crowds this March in Austin.
Philly four-piece Corey Flood’s debut EP Wish You Hadn’t (Fire Talk) is the perfect mix of sincerity and cynicism. Whether scathing, gloomy, or endearing, each song emotively pays homage to their 1980s namesake.
Opening with the ominously titled “Crypt,” Corey Flood’s record unfolds with heavy bass and hushed but brooding vocals. The lyricism, though sparse, enhances the beach-y melody, which ends abruptly, leaving listeners with a nearly tangible sense of urgency. From the very beginning, Wish You Hadn’t christens Corey Flood as the deserving successors of All Saints Day, Frankie Rose, and Veronica Falls. Melancholy without being maudlin, “Crypt” reflects on the ephemeral – whether it be literal or metaphorical – in an emotionally memorable way.
The EP’s second offering, “Soft,” is romantic and deliberately tempered. By pairing the repetition of “You’re just so soft to touch” with sanguine riffs and reverb, the recording is a lush declaration of desire. Reminiscent of Colleen Green’s early B-sides and the moody ease of Best Coast’s Make You Mine, “Soft” is a relatable glimpse at yearning and human closeness.
Similarly, “Feel Okay” explores the weight and impact of intimacy on the psyche’s perception and the limitations of language. Through steady chords and lines infused with fervent transparency, “Feel Okay” isn’t just a confessional. It’s a testament to erosion of a relationship and all that’s left in its wake. By the song’s end, it becomes clear that Wish You Hadn’t is most likely rooted in the lived experiences of Corey Flood’s members, which makes the authenticity of “Feel Okay” all the more meaningful.
The final track on the EP, “Causeway,” is an alluringly direct ballad awash in pensive ruminations and despondent brilliance. A moving reflection on truth and the necessity of being heard, the song is a satisfyingly unnerving anthem for jilted lovers and introverts alike. Whether devoured digitally or via cassette, Wish You Hadn’t is a refreshingly candid although brief meditation on what it means to be real about your flaws and feelings. – Dianca London
Kevin Connor, a.k.a. The Trust Fund Kids, has put his Featured Artist Poll mixing (Sleepless Sound Studio) and mastering (APS Mastering) prizes to good use. Below is his latest single, "Waiting On You," which is conveniently accompanied by a lyric video. The song springs into action, getting caught in a tug of war between the bright instrumental aggression and the pause-inducing, internal pondering. Taking a breath before surging toward the finish line, unresolved emotions still hold on.
