New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Love In October is the work of brothers Erik and Kent Widman along with Chris Limerinos. These two have been fixtures in the music scenes for years and were formerly a duo known as Eight Bit Tiger. They are planning to released their latest album, Shapes, tomorrow, February 28th.
The album’s latest single is a beautifully dreaming tune called “Late Night”.
You can help Love In October celebrate the release of their latest album tomorrow night, Feb. 28th, at Chop Shop with Will Phalen.
Posture, the sophomore EP by Brooklyn’s atmospheric synthpop duo Haulm, features an aged desert landscape contained within a thick white border. It’s a perfect fit for the brooding, dark, and spartan work laid down over the release’s five tracks; one can almost picture an unknown beast slouching from the sandy landscape against the dissonant keys of Reed Kackley, as JT Norton’s distant, almost fugue-state vocals weaves in and out. It’s an EP oozing with atmosphere that’s curated using relatively few musical elements, and speaks volumes to Haulm’s penchant for fine tuning sparse synths and the human voice into engaging, mysterious soundscapes.
You can catch Haulm at SXSW on March 12th and 15th – until then, stream Posture below. -Connor Beckett McInerney (@b_ck_tt)
If you’ve popped past the Cambria Hotel lately, you may have noticed Tony Lucca playing in their True Music Room. The Americana artist will continue his monthly residency in the venue with a performance on March 4th, playing songs from his catalog and including ones from his upcoming album Ain’t No Storm, which is set to drop on March 29th. This new set of tracks — which has a sound eager to please fans of Jason Isbell or Dawes — stands as one of the most raw the artist has ever crafted, as Lucca does away with LA flash and focuses on making the base elements of each song shine. With good production and minimal overdubs, as well as collaborations from East Nashville musicians like Ted Pecchio and Patrick Sweany — songs like "Other Side of the Clouds" help Lucca further claim his stake among the top in the Nashville Americana scene. Take a listen to it below. – Will Sisskind
Doomerang released the first single, “Fix”, from their forthcoming EP, “Catch and Release”, this week. The EP is due out on March 5th and follows-up their 2017 self-titled debut album.
This is the indie rock of Daniel Robbins, Katie Kadan, Patrick Green, and Kirby Baumann.
You can Doomerang on March 9th at Burlington Bar with Kate Schell, Low Swans, and Eshé All Day.
Victory Is Rated, the third studio album from Dark Blue, is out now via 12XU. The magnitude and discontent of the current state of affairs rings remarkably clear. With a jarring, marching heaviness and John Sharkey III’s booming controlled baritone cutting through in melancholy catharsis, these songs bring you to your feet, but it also makes you take step back and reevaluate. The record appears to address larger societal problems, while integrating them within a powerful, personal perspective. (Photo by Manny Dominguez Jr.)
Sacred Monster is preparing to release their latest album, and first since 2015, Worship the Weird, this Friday, March 1st. This doom metal group is fueled by the unique screams of lead singer Adam Szczygieł. He is accompanied by Robert Nubel (guitar), Guillermo Moreno (bass), and Ted Nubel (drums). Listening through the album’s first two singles may make you thrash around your office and possibly make your throat sore, but in the best way possible.
You can catch Sacred Monster at Live Wire Lounge on March 1st and at Downstairs (SubT) on March 29th.
Most bands chose to include a visual element with a new release, but while it’s normal to expect album artwork or a music video, few would also expect to receive a scented candle as a part of the package. Rene Zladzyk of Ziemba delivers all three items with her project Ardis, an all encompassing "brain-pop" electronic project that imagines a futuristic utopia, complete with fragrance to match. Drawing on her own interest in feminist geography (and the sound of classic Brian Eno albums from the mid ’70s), Zladzyk beckons listeners into the fully realized world of Ardis, but the songs themselves reveal that not all is as it seems, in paradise. Instead, the tracks reflect back on our world, illuminating the faults of Earth in contrast to what could be. The Ardis project is a triage – part one was released on February 12th, with parts two and three to follow on April 4th and June 6th. Check out the first installment, and the world of Ardis, below. – Sunny Betz
Nate Leslie has released the first single, “Foggy Windows”, from his forthcoming 6th LP, Years We Lost. The single is accompanied by the colorful music video that was shot is just 30 minutes but is a lot of fun.
Years We Lost will be released on March 8th, but can be preordered now here.
A new single from Control Top’s highly-anticipated full-length debut, Covert Contracts (scheduled for release on April 5 via Get Better Records) has arrived. A fire-starting buzz instantly glows in the grimy, ripping “Chain Reaction.” Addressing the momentous avalanche of negativity and how it has rippling, personal affects, the track increases the hostility, and in a way, temporarily diffuses it. You can find the power trio on tour opening for Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers and Mercy Union, with a stop in Philly on Friday, April 19 at Underground Arts. (Photo by Farrah Skeiky)
Following the shower of support from their high-profile fans, Starcrawler quickly follows their self-titled LP with "She Gets Around." The sludgy, garage rock-leaning single has a more menacing air compared to the sprightlier songs of their debut, given how their chugging riffs and dissonant chord arrangements move at a slightly slower tempo. "She Gets Around" is also a first from a recording standpoint, as the quartet decided to take their time inside the studio rather than record it in one take.
"She Gets Around" is the first reveal off of Starcrawler’s soon-to-be-announced new album. It is now available on all streaming platforms. Juan Rodríguez
There are a lot of details and nuances in Cay is Okay’s music, but one thing that stands out is how comfortable the music makes you feel. This is especially true in their latest release, Lo-Fi. Listening to each song feels like slipping on your favorite old sweater. The album has a quiet, worn-in quality, which makes it all the more tender. Even the more upbeat, rascally songs such as “Call Out” feel friendly and inviting. Part of this is due to the softer D.I.Y nature of the music; the album is named Lo-Fi for a reason. It feels as if you’re hanging out with the band in their garage while they’re practicing. The other aspect is how clean the album is, the result of the member’s talent and chemistry. Listening is smooth and easy because the music flows as effortlessly as water.
Cay Is Okay is playing a show this Thursday at The Fixin To with Havania Whaal and Stanford Prism Experiment.
-By Avril Carrillo
Hailing from Queens, Lina Tullgren plays music that almost denies this geography and origin. Whether it’s her collaborations or solo material, the music from this DIY artist rarely conforms to the ideas of the moment or regional trends, without using the kitchen sink approach to experimentation. Thrashing drums and guitars that are simultaneously gritty and pristine can sneak up on you, whereas Tullgren’s vocals dip into emo territory at times and are the gravitational center for every song; these compositions are so powerful because of their disparate elements and how they resemble genres we know, but are blended in unexpected ways in her music. The even more surprising part is how these uncomfortably surreal songs harmonize together, reaching a point where these funeral marches are equal halves of hypnotic and skin-crawling. It’s music that beckons us to go deeper into the void, and you’ll be able to see it live on March 15 at the upcoming unofficial SXSW show linked to our Austin Synth and Pedal Expo – more info soon! – Tucker Pennington
