New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Noname has released a video for the latest single, “Blaxploitation”, from her recently released LP, Room 25. This is her first ever music video and it is a fantastic debut.
Noname will be kicking off her North American tour with three shows at Thalia Hall on December 29th, 30th, and the 31st.
Tom Schraeder & His Ego have released a new album called Aim Higher. This is their first album since 2015’s Gush, and first with the talented Kate Adams of Mending. She makes her presence felt through the album, but really standouts on “Wearing and Faded”.
Schraeder is currently touring Japan and will hopefully bring this album to stage in Chicago when he returns.
Rookie has released a new single called “I Can’t Have You But I Want You”. This is the band’s third single of 2018, a year which saw them them burst onto the scene with the classic look and sound.
Something Merry recently released EMO-TION, a tribute to Carly Rae Jepsen’s album EMOTION. All proceeds from the compilation will be directed to Immigration Equality, "the nation’s leading LGBTQ immigrant rights organization". The Superweaks are one of fifteen artists included on the album, contributing their take on “Gimme Love”. The song retains its tranquilizing, emotive vocal power; however, a quaking backend and the soaring, twin-lined guitars bring it home. (Photos by Scott Troyan)
Brooklyn-based night pop project Unknown Caller explores the dichotomy of meaningful connections on his newest drop, “See You Again.” The song, a four minute, Saturday night R&B romp, mediates between the significance of human interaction as appreciated through melancholy, rose-tinted glasses. “‘See You Again’ is about people and places that appear in your life – perhaps briefly, perhaps enduring – [who] impact your worldview in a way you don’t always realize in the moment,” says Unknown Caller’s Alex Lichtenstein. Setting this lachrymose appreciation for forlorn connections against pulsing night rhythms evokes memories of evenings on the town with old friends – perhaps some who have since left the city – providing an adult perspective and melancholic appreciation for those times that have come and gone. It’s a mature, groovy take on NYC nightlife that will resonate with anyone who has lost a friend to parts unknown.
Unknown Caller will bring his visions of evening’s past to The Delancey on December 7th, supporting Blonde Maze, Sophie Colette, Hopper Race, and Ekurtis. Before that, stream "See You Again" below. – Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)
Below is Grandchildren‘s new single, "Zuni," which shares the name with the band’s 2015 full-length release. Recorded a couple of months too late to make their last record, it ending up serving as a "musical compass" for the group’s forthcoming self-titled LP, with its more sparse, acoustic arrangements and concentration on harmonies. The album was recorded at beloved but now defunct West Philly DIY space Danger Danger Gallery. It is scheduled for release next year via Ernest Jenning Record Co.
Kayela J’s latest album Homage (Thank you) came out this fall, and you really need to listen to it. As the album title suggests, it pays tribute to her inspirations, with each song on the album dedicated to a different artist. Known for her own clever lyrical style and fast beats, Kayela brings a new twist to iconic styles such as Salt-N-Pepa and Lil Kim. With this album, Kayela J is well on her way to becoming one of the greats.
Give Homage (Thank you) a listen below!
-By Nick Hartman
Jimmy Whispers has announced that he will be returning home for two shows at Hungry Brain this Holiday season. He will be bringing his full five piece band from LA, and will be performing songs from his forthcoming new album.
Whispers has been pretty silent since the release of his debut album, Summer In Pain, back in 2015. It will be a great opportunity hear direction his new album, and life in LA is taking his sound. Below is a fun accapela video that was recorded in Berlin back in 2016 and features Jimmy performing a song about “Humboldt Park”.
You can catch Jimmy Whispers on December 21st at Hungry Brain with The Lemons and Sports Boyfriend, and on December 22nd with, a yet to be announced, “very special surprise guest”.
Krust Toons: "4 Hours of Recording Time!" by Tedd Hazard – please feel free to drop him a line at teddandthehazards@gmail.com if you dig or have any funny ideas. You can also check out more of his illustrations and animation shorts HERE.
The newest single “New Jazz” (streaming below) from the Boston-based trio BROADBAND is the kind of song that leaves you with the unquenchable desire to do something, even if you’re not sure what that something is. From the first few seconds, the melody begins escalating, twisting and turning through twinkling guitars and exhilarating vocals. Even though the track pushes four minutes, it never loses its sense of urgency; it feels like a flash of excitement, a single moment in time. If you loved the track as much as we did, see BROADBAND play live at O’Brien’s Pub with Stray Fossa, New Dakotas, and Tiffy on December 10. – Lilly Milman
Lwke is a somewhat mysterious electronic music producer who has released two albums this year. His latest, A Fool’s Errand, was released on November 1st, and is filled with chill, downtempo music.
The sounds and instrumentation vary from acoustic guitar to keyboards, to intricate sounds and loops.
