New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Lala Lala and Audiotree have release the band’s performance of “Water Over Sex” from their 2018 debut album, The Lamb. Their line-up for this set included the talented, and everywhere, Nnamdi Ogbonnaya on bass.
Lala Lala will be performing two sold out shows at Lincoln Hall this month, but were also named as one of the many local artists (Ric Wilson, Tasha, Dreezy, Whitney, Grapetooth) to be included in the 2019 Pitchfork Music Festival line-up taking place on July 19 to the 21st.
Struan Shields — who performs music on a first-name basis as Struan — takes the stage to open for Mike Mains & the Branches at The End on March 14th. The indie pop artist released two singles over the course the past several months which have been raking in the Spotify listens. The first track "Better" brings on the synth-pop of the early 2010s which might give listeners hints of The Naked And Famous or YouTube retrowave artists like FM-84 or The Midnight. The latest track, called "Always", slows things down to a tempo fans of The 1975 or CHVRCHES might find familiar. Struan gets the indie pop formula right, and it’ll be worth your while to see him execute it live. Take a listen to "Always" below. – Will Sisskind
Dan Rico has released a new single, “DRE@M VACA$ION”, from his forthcoming album, Ba$ement Pop.
You can catch Dan Rico at Empty Bottle for a free show with Vamos and Rich Jones on March 25th.
Wild Pink‘s new EP 5 Songs is a delightful listen, and its remixes and new tracks serves as a fitting primer to new listeners. The group’s last full-length record Yolk in the Fur came out last July, which means that a taste of a something new was in the cards. Therefore, Wild Pink have compiled two new tracks: The wistful "How’s The Tap Here?" about changing relationships, and the anthemic "Coaches Who Cry" about growing up in Virginia. To keep things interesting, the band have also included remixes of three tracks from Yolk in the Fur for the EP: Shy Layers’ trip-funky "There Is A Ledger", Dondadi’s glitched-out "Love Is Better", and Eerie Gates’ atmospheric "All Some Frenchman’s Joke". Wild Pink recently performed at Bowery Ballroom, and they’re currently on a US tour. While you wait for them to return to NYC, you can listen to "Coaches Who Cry" below. – Will Sisskind
All Time Present, the forthcoming double-album from Chris Forsyth, is scheduled to arrive on April 12 via No Quarter. “Mystic Mountain” engages the ongoing spiritual journey in the search for meaning/answers. Embracing a comfort in one’s existence and surroundings, a laidback groove progresses. Amid that even-keeled march, flares of psych guitar emerge, illuminating the terrain. You can catch Forsyth’s record release show at Jerry’s on Front on Saturday, April 27, supported by Garcia Peoples.
15 Passenger announced today that they will be reissuing the debut album from Campdogzz called Riders In The Hills of Dying Heaven this Friday, March 8th. This will also mark the first time the album will be available on vinyl. Below is a cool new trailer for the album that gives a brief window into the band’s life at the time of recording the album back in 2015/2016.
You can catch Campdogzz on March 22nd at Sleeping Village with La Luz and Wild Powwers and on March 30th at Metro with American Football and Sam Prep.
Pop-punk/garage trio LUNCH recently dropped the single "Forget Everything," which is also accompanied by a music video (produced by Ian Kelly). The narrative of the track hovers between the idealism of a relationship versus the reality of a breakup. A joyous, enthusiastic, backend rumble sets a locked-in yet loose approach; however, there’s a realization of a cycle with unproductive behavior that may suggest moving on is the best course of action. The alternative of starting over and/or pressing the pause button temporarily seems like a more pleasant idea, but it could just result in delaying the inevitable.
Diana & The Dishes have embarked on an ambitious project for 2019 that they are calling the Monthly Mini Club. Each month, from January to August, this year they plan to release a new two or three song single. It’s music as a subscription service and will be worth every penny from the sound of the first six songs below.
This is the piano driven theatrical pop of Diana Lawrence (piano, vocals), Dave Saenger (guitar), David Keller (cello), Dan Thatcher (bass) and Bob Parlier (drums).
You can catch Diana Lawrence at Hey Nonny on March 12th with Todd Kessler and others performing in the round.
Sara Olmstead had followed many an artful pursuit before she felt the confidence to direct her talents toward music. With a guitar in hand, Olmstead—who performs under the name Rows Arc alongside band members Jason Gagovski and Neeraj Kane—wrote a vast amount of folk songs thinking they would never see the light of day. "Some Days" was one of those songs. Defined by a sparse acoustic arrangement, "Days" unfolds its minimal layers of ambiance as Olmstead lets out a wistful, yet sultry croon. Its bare-bones structure makes her performance all the more potent, coursing through a haunting melody that is subtle in emotional expression.
"Some Days" is the first release off of Rows Arcs’ forthcoming full-length, High on the Tide, out on March 29 via Hawthorne Street Recordings. The trio will perform at independent art gallery The Pit on April 19, which will also include some of Olmstead’s multimedia installations. Check out the video for the track below. Juan Rodríguez
We are happy to announce our return to Austin with not one but TWO live show during the famous music festival in the Texan city. The shows are linked to our Austin Synth and Pedal Expo, hosted on the third floor of very central venue Chuggin’ Monkey.
This is a free show – RSVP HERE!
Here’s the lineup and a playlist for the first night, on March 15, hosted at the Chuggin’ Monkey‘s ground floor right on East 6th Street!
Easy goin’ indie rock trio Rikashay hail from Markham. They released a double single last fall “Le Hut/Lunaaa”. “Le Hut” opens up with a mellow adult contemporary verse but don’t get sucked in to that world too easily as the song evolves into an all out indie rock attack. “Lunaaa” has a happier tone to the music although I’m not sure the lyrics match that same gleeful tone. The singer’s voice reminds me of Wayne Petti of Cuff the Duke. Rikashay plays Jimmy Jazz in Guelph on March 30th with The Effens and Pacer before hittin’ Super Wonder Gallery in Toronto on April 4th. – Kris Gies
Trudeau is under investigation, maple syrup is being diluted with corn syrup but Canada’s greatest export are still as potent and powerful as ever. Indie rockers, Metric, came to ACL Live on Saturday night and leveled the crowd with an evocative and ear-pinning set. The opening set from tenured Mexican space rockers, Zoe, gave the show an exciting outset, and a sense of North American bonhomie, with all three nations present. A 16-song set from the headliner would eventually satiate even the most rabid Metric fans.
Emily Haines…. That name is enshrined in the psyche of men and women alike as a goddess who deserves to be fanned and worshipped until the pillars of civilization fall. Haines has a cavalier but seductive air about her that has not lessened since the band began in 1998. Yet the transcendental baptism truly immerses listeners when Haines begins to sing, her vocals pristine and effortless. Sauntering around the stage with a panther-like gait, Haines owns every inch of her path, assiduously stealing the focus of every single member of the audience.
The show erupted with the sugary “Love You Back” and quickly segued into a sneeringly addictive “Synthetica”. Guitarist, James Shaw, played an electrifying counterbalance to Haines, unleashing his frenetic energy on songs like “Risk” and “Gold Guns Girls”. An early set crescendo was reached when a newer hit, “Dressed to Suppress” was played with all the cocksure moxie the band could muster, and followed with the vulnerable and uplifting, “Breathing Underwater”.
A nostalgic reminiscing took place mid-set, where Haines ruminated on earlier Austin shows that featured BBQ, Barton Springs and playing Stubbs. Yet the driving momentum was hardly diminished and the band then plowed into the surprise of the night, “Cascades”, which had disco charm and a futuristic cocktail party vibe. Little did the audience know that a ‘Sophie’s Choice’ was soon about to be foisted on them by Haines.
“This is the existential part of the set where I decide whether to embrace a time of innocence for the band, or a time of recklessness – Should we play ‘Gimme Sympathy’ or ‘Dead Disco’?”
Despite my own decibel and octave levels reaching Everest-esque heights for “Dead Disco”, it was “Gimme Sympathy” that would be played, with little to no complaining on m end. The building inertia was only further propelled by “Gold Guns Girls”, which layered Haines’ sirenic vocals over frenzied drums and guitars.
An encore of “Dark Saturday”, “Now or Never Now” and the audio equivalent of Thor’s hammer, “Help I’m Alive”, would conclude a colossal show. A curious energy shot through the audience; a motley mix of liberation, adoration and even aggression (a fight broke out in front of me) swirled into the ether. Whatever your motives were for seeing Metric, old fans and new, the sheer force of their sound and eclectic emotional range was delivered with devastating effectiveness, and we the audience, were gifted the with a 90 minute escape from ourselves.
