Chicago

Marker Releases a Box Set

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Last week the local label Audiographic Records released a new 3 CD Boxset from the Avant Jazz Quintet Marker called "Roadwork 1 & 2/Homework 1”. The songs on each album were recorded live at performances in New Orleans, Atlanta, and Chicago, two road shows and one home show which was recorded in February at The Hungry Brain. Each of these piece are extended Jazz adventures that pull you in and circle all around you.

Marker is Steve Marquette (guitar), Steve Marquette (guitar), Macie Stewart (keyboard and violin), Phil Sudderberg (drums) and Ken Vandermark (reeds).

Philadelphia

New Track: “Only One” – Empath

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Coming in hot on the heel’s of Empath’s album, Liberating Guilt and Fear, is their new 7” single, titled Environments. Styled in the vein of Irv Teibel’s Environments field recordings from the 1960s and 70s, Empath’s latest track softens the edges of their cleverly raucous repertoire. Each recording on the 7” is meant to represent wind or water; "Only One" takes on the latter, beginning in familiar, playfully punk territory, before opening up into blissful expanses of space as the song develops. The track’s creation of and care for space parallels the mission of their label, Get Better Records, which provides a safe space for Philly’s queer community, becoming an important bastion for underrepresented creatives by giving an early platform to diverse bands such as HIRS, Thin Lips, and Cayetana. (Photo by Matt Allen) – Josh Kelly

L.A.

James Rose’s “Lullabies to the Ocean” is an unassuming gem, new EP out 7/27

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The songs on James Rose’s latest EP, "Lullabies to the Ocean," are about finding happiness in far-flung destinations. For Rose, it was the sights and sounds of the Pacific Coast. On "Lullabies to the Ocean," which shares the name of his forthcoming EP, Rose speaks as a former spectator whose finally found, and marked, his little corner of the world. The sunny track, which takes on seventies soft rock with a gentle folk melody, has a homespun feel that perfectly suits his whispery vocal delivery. It’s one of the many directions Rose takes on Lullabies, all of which expand upon the barebones acoustic instrumentation of his previous work.  

Lullabies to the Ocean is out on July 27 on all major streaming platforms. Juan Rodríguez

NYC

Moon Daze release dreamy self-titled debut EP & play The UPTOWN (8.3)

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The debut self-titled EP by the San Francisco-based quartet Moon Daze is hot and cold, dousing lyrics like “It’s okay, I didn’t love you anyway,” (from lead single “Leather Jacket”) in the syrupy sweet vocals of Florie Maschmeyer and Carissa Quiambao. The EP retains the surf sensibilities of the Bay Area, as seen in the bouncy “Disco,” but elevates them to a hypnotic dream-like state. Listen to the EP in full below, and see Moon Daze play live on August 3 at The UPTOWN in Oakland. – Lilly Milman, photo by Domini Dragoone

NYC

The New Review bring inventive funk-soul to Foam Brewers (8.11)

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The New Review, the Boston-based funk-soul eight-piece, are known for bringing an uncontainable energy wherever they go — and their newest single “Portrait of a Man” (streaming below) is no different. With every piece of soul they create turning to gold, it’s no surprise that a video of the band performing the song landed them a spot headlining the Tiny Desk Submissions Showcase hosted by NPR in New York City. The melody of the heavy-hitting track takes it easy in all the right places, ebbing and flowing with an intuitive sense of rhythm only accessible to the very best. The New Review will be performing in New York City at DROM on August 10, and then heading back to New England for a show at Foam Brewers in Burlington, VT on August 11.  – Lilly Milman, photo by Madison McConkey

Toronto

Delta Days – Country/Rock from the Hammer, Casbah on 08.16

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Delta Days are a country/rock band from Hamilton. Their latest record “A Round Town” was released earlier this year. Their sound is easy-going, laid-back rock n’ roll. They have a nice twang giving them a unique country blend in their rock n’ roll jams. The album features former Harlan Pepper guitar player Jimmy Hayes III on pedal steel. They will be part of a show at the Casbah in Hamilton with a secret headliner (their last secret show hosted Monster Truck) on August 16th. – Kris Gies

Portland

Take a Trip With Mal London

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If there could only be one word to describe Mal London’s music it would be beautiful. Listening to the artist and producer’s crystalline beats is the musical equivalent of watching glass break slowly in reverse. His interstellar trip hop takes the listeners out of their mind and into Mal’s. On “if you don’t wanna rap don’t click” the beats are deftly interwoven with the song’s vocalizations. It creates a graceful soundscape. Mal is also equally talented as a rapper. His voice slips through songs smoothly and languidly, creating the rhythm at his own pace. Rather than letting the beats lead his rap or vice-versa, he takes charge of both at the same time. His latest music video for his song "new leaf." can be watched below. 

Photo by @noahrichardphotography 

Chicago

Noname Gets A Little Help From Some Friends

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Pitchfork Music Festival – Sunday – Red Stage 5:15pm

Noname released her debut mixtape, “Telefone”, back in 2016, but started her set with the new music. Last month she tweeted the new project would be called "Room 25”, but nothing else is known about the project. Through out the set she made playing to such a large crowd feel more intimate through joke and comments.

The first cords of “Diddy Bop” received a huge pop for the crowd, and sound great live despite not having Raury or Cam O’bi to contribute their verses. When fans heard the first cords of “Forever” there was an anticipation of Ravyn Lenae coming back out to sing the chorus and she did to huge applause. However, Joseph Chilliams may have received an even bigger roar when he hit the stage. The crowd calmed after that performance and Noname performed a few more fragments of what may become “Room 25”. She even performed a cover when she was surprised she had so much more left on stage.

Everything in her set seemed to building to the finally, and drink in hand she seemed a little eager to get off the stage. None of that matter as she launched into “Shadow Man”. The Phoelix portion of the track was removed, but as she built to verse two SABA erupted on to the stage and the crowd followed suit. Then Smino, who had just performed on the Green stage before Noname’s set, came running out. It was truly one of the best moments of day and strong showing for Chicago Hip Hop.

Chicago

Ravyn Lenae Has It All

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Pitchfork Music Festival – Sunday – Red Stage 3:20pm

What you may not know about Ravyn Lenae from listing to her 2018 EP, “Crush", is how poised and polished of a live performer she is. This is even more magnified when you factor in that she is just 19. From the red boa wrapped mic stand and mic to the shimmering clothing to the genuine and emotional storytelling between songs, Lenae really has is at all.

Lenae performed all of five songs from “Crush” and several songs from her 2016 & 2017 EPs “Midnight Moonlight” and “Moon Shoe". She whipped the crowd into a mini-frenzy when she intro’d “Computer Luv” by saying it was a song she had written with Steve Lacy. Lacy has been at the fest on Friday when he made a surprise appearance during his bandmate Syd’s set. However, he did not appear today, but Lenae still performed great version of “Computer Luv” and “4 Leaf Clover”.

When the opening notes of “Free Room” went up, I thought for a moment that Appleby might take the stage, but he did not. The set was just Lenae and that was all this incredibly hyped crowd needed. The highlight was of course “Sticky”, and there was not a person in the crowd left not moving to the beat.

Nashville

“Tennessee Is Alive” is a reflection on a hometown

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 "My hometown is losing pride / there’s some folks ’round here tryna skin it alive" sings Emily Kohavi of Wildeyes on the band’s new single "Tennessee Is Alive." But the song doesn’t sound like an accusation. There’s a sweetness to it, perhaps a subtle challenge- for said "folks" to try harder to be better. All that aside, the Americana arrangement of the song is full of beautiful, genre-specific moments: the words where Kohavi’s drawl rings through, the groove of the bass, the band’s wall of harmonies, a fiddle solo… "Tennessee Is Alive" is truly gorgeous. The band’s next show is at the Station in Louisville on 7.27. –Geena Kloeppel

 

Nashville

David Smalt’s “Grand Theft Cosmos” is a neo-folk masterpiece

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David Smalt’s vocal timbre alone is so enchanting, with a stunning mixture of grit and tenderness, that I had a hard time paying attention to the words he was actually singing the first time listening to "Grand Theft Cosmos." Then I listened again, and still found myself entranced by Smalt’s voice. He could sing the phonebook and it would sound good. Without giving too much away about the song (you should really just listen), the lyric "Since you stopped by, star-bright / I am frozen sunshine" absolutely took the air out of my body. Though it’s hard to pinpoint where exactly the sound of "Grand Theft Cosmos" evolved from, it’s reminiscent of Bon Iver, Bob Dylan and James Taylor- there’s a great guitar line, a sweet piano thrown in toward the end, simple percussion. David Smalt’s new record Fragile Magick is out 9/7. I can’t wait. –Geena Kloeppel