Union City’s The Lo-Fi’s embody the type of slacker rock mentality their name suggests, crafting fuzzy, sing-speak narrated vamps tailor made (and fostered by) the northeast DIY scene. Recent single “Rest Assured” embodies these qualities in the best way, finding strength in syncopated vocal lines, tinny percussive beats, and reverbing blue wave riffs, perfect for nonchalant dancing at a basement show, or in my case, dissociating on the L train. Jam it below, and catch their easygoing bops at Trans-Pecos on July 24th, supporting Earth Dad, Ocean Heights, and Pynkie. -Connor Beckett McInerney
07.19: Them Fixes bring electric buzz to Springwater Supper Club
Buzzworthy alt-rockers Them Fixes will bring their electric music to Springwater Supper Club on July 19th to support the release of their debut EP Electric Prophetic. The duo of Dustin Rye and Shawn Jones formed in 2017, and throughout the next year they cut their teeth blasting out the speakers of Nashville’s many bars and venues. Electric Prophetic contains four tracks, including previously released singles "Fangs" and "Kill The Nights"; every track hits the compression hard with guitars and drums that pound against your ears. It reflects the kind of energy that Them Fixes want to channel through their music; sometimes even the best headphones can’t handle it. If you want to get the real effect, go see Them Fixes live at Springwater Supper Club on July 19th, where they’ll share the stage with The Stone Eye, Ape Vermin, and Blacklight Velvets. Take a listen to the band’s second single "Kill The Nights" below. – Will Sisskind
Better Love “Stay With Me”
Indie Pop band Better Love released their new EP, “All I Ever Wanted Is To Be Where You Are”, last week. This is the band’s second EP, and it contains the sparkling summer jam, “Stay With Me”, below.
You can help Better Love celebrate the release of their EP on August 9th at Beat Kitchen with Capital Soirée, The Happy Alright, and Co-Stanza.
Photo by Kaitlyn Johnston
Little Arcs July shows, new releases
Little Arcs’ latest release, First One, is a trio of songs with beautiful harmonies and surprising key shifts that work bright and true, every moment of it. It’s clear these folks have an understanding of creative composition and some jazz backgrounds. Little Arcs is for diggers of Whitney, appreciators of Radiohead and lovers of juxtopositions. It’s like if Grizzly Bear was even more chill and included a female vocalist in the mix to lighten the harmonic balance. The band just put out their first cassette, which you can snag at their last show before summer break–July 13th and 14th at their own abode. You can find out the location of these semi-secret shows on their Facebook. It’s all high praise, we know. But these folks are a gem and we recommend catching them while they’re around. – Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor
Krust Toons: “Americana” by Tedd Hazard
Krust Toons: "Americana" 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.
My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult Fall Tour
Back in February local Industrial music veterans, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, released their thirteenth album, In the House of Strange Affairs. This marked the first new music from the group since 2014 and first since celebrating 30 years in the industry back in 2017. Below is the album’s title track, “Strange Affairs”.
Last week the band announced a fall tour in support of the album with special guest Curse Mackey (Pigface). You can catch TKK on November 7th at Chop Shop.
CAZADOR invites listeners into its turbulent world with new single “Skeleton Crew,” plays Middle East 09.07
Boston’s CAZADOR is a vivid symbol of everything that has made progressive rock a nearly religious listening experience for so many: the band uses ear-piercing guitar riffs, break-neck pace changes, ambient sounds, and intense vocals to stimulate all senses, to possess souls. The band’s latest single "Skeleton Crew" showcases the group’s tendency to mix up its viscera-shaking breakdowns with psychedelic atmospheric stretches that are a nod to progressive rock’s genesis bands like Pink Floyd and Yes. The single is part of the band’s upcoming record Failure to Thrive, due out July 12th. For progressive rock and metal zealots, the single is a promise of a record that deserves praise, recognition for its commitment to the modernization of the sometimes obscure genre. We are streaming "Skeleton Crew" below in anticipation of the new album and the band’s upcoming show at Middle East on September 7th. – Rene Cobar
New Under The First Floor Compilation Available for Streaming & Purchase
Below is a new twenty-band compilation from the Under The First Floor podcast, entitled Mixtape Vol 1. It features Deli Philly favorites such as Strawberry Runners, Yowler, Corey Flood, Radiator Hospital, TVO, MINT, and many more rad, fledgling artists. Their performances were laid down on four-track cassette in a basement. "Shitty recordings of bands you should like." All proceeds will be donated to RAICES, "a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees."
Mielo
24 year-old producer and musician Mielo has had an epic first half of 2019. He released his debut EP, “Anywhere But Here”, back in the Spring and last week dropped a remix of the latest single from LA’s Crywolf.
Having organically built a following over the last few years, Mielo is poised to be one of the biggest artists to come from our city in awhile.
Local Dialect pair day and night on “Poseidon,” play Elsewhere 7.13
New York electronic duo Local Dialect excel in creating understated techno, crafting tactile soundscapes that would feel just as appropriate underground as they would in open air. Their recent drop “Poseidon [REALM]” is a perfect example of this two-pronged production mentality, with its deep, brooding bass underscoring energetic, almost tropical percussive accents. The pairing of these two subsets of electronic music—the mixing of both dark and light elements—makes Local Dialect’s music recommended listening for summer nights and July pool parties alike (or perhaps both, if you’re dancing long enough). Stream it below, and catch them at Elsewhere on July 13th, alongside Willaris.K. -Connor Beckett Mcinerney
Biggie Da Don shares his story of triumph in latest single “Don Talk”
A calm piano overture ushers in a powerful beat that accompanies the opening stanzas of "Don Talk," the latest single from Boston’s Biggie Da Don, verses that are heavy with personal revelations, hints of defiance, and flames of passion released. The ever-active rapper continues to shake out one fertile track after the next, with "Don Talk" being his first single of the summer. Biggie Da Don’s gruff vocals in the song help him establish an authoritative tone that clarifies his confessions for people to listen to, disclosures that reveal his street experiences and personal struggles, his eventual triumph over them. Vulnerability may not be hip-hop’s current market product, but it is a sorely missed part of the game where some of the best tracks live. Biggie Da Don is not afraid to spit his truth, and "Don Talk" is a prime example of that. Enjoy the single streaming for you below. – Rene Cobar
Iyves returns with cinematic R&B anthem “Gold”
Brooklyn-based songwriter Iyves has maintained a relatively low profile since her breakout EP Chromatic dropped last year, a release lauded by many outlets for its urbane alternative R&B sound. With newly arrived single “Gold,” Iyves reemerges on the scene after a year-long hiatus, laying down a sleek, dramatic foray into the New York night. As a track, “Gold” finds strength in its cinematic delivery—its vocals grows from muted to explosive over the song’s three minutes, playing opposite to grandiose electronic bass hits, in a performance that wouldn’t feel out of place in a Bond film’s opening credits. It’s an exciting, theatric ride, one that promises more sultry jams from Iyves throughout the second half of 2019. Stream it below.