Fervent readers and movie buffs know Holly Golightly, the country-turned-cafe-society girl from Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Golightly (played by the unforgettable Audrey Hepburn) has an independent air, an entrancing one; she’s a character who literary analysts have studied as, among other things, a feminist icon. Now Brooklyn avant-blues-indie artist Mima Good has released a single named after Golightly, using clips from Breakfast at Tiffany’s to create a slowed-down groove which accompanies her musings on her own femininity. In her press release for "Holly Golightly", Raechel Rosen — the brains behind Mima Good — says: "To me, [Golightly] is a charming metaphor for surviving under capitalist patriarchy and making it look good as hell." And while toxic masculinity and misogyny still exist in New York and beyond, artists like Mima will take influence from icons like Golightly and keep surviving, too. Take a listen to the single. below. – Will Sisskind
Harm’s Way @ Beat Kitchen (8/7)
Hardcore band Harm’s Way is kicking off headlining tour with Jesus Piece, Portrayal Of Guilt, And Fuming Mouth tomorrow night, August 7th, at Beat Kitchen.
They recently released a remix album called “PSTHMN”, which feature remixes of four songs from their 2019 album Posthuman (Feb. 2019, Metal Blade).
Debut Unclaimed Diamonds EP Available for Streaming & Purchase
The quartet of Unclaimed Diamonds recently shared its debut EP The First Five Slabs. A casual, conversational approach exhibits a commanding presence. Succinct songwriting quickly allows impactful, sonic scenes to take shape, riding a wave of noise-injected grit. The album was also engineered by Kyle Gilbride (Waxahatchee, Dark Thoughts, Yowler) of Wherever Audio.
Ceschi digs deep in new record, Middle East performance set for 09.01
New Haven’s Ceschi Ramos challenges listeners to enter his world of inconvenient truths and dark social tales. In his brand new record Sans Soleil, Ceschi makes use of a full sonic arsenal: from alternative hip-hop verses that sting with precision to folk eulogies fit for gatherings by the porch light, it all delivers somber realities. Ceschi and his array of collaborators hold nothing back as they comment on today’s political tensions, state of the media, inner-city conditions, and how identity gets muddled in it all. Take a track like “Incesticide (feat. Open Mike Eagle, P.O.S, Onry Ozzborn, Factor Chandelier, Mo Niklz)” which showcases Ceschi and his collaborators alternating spitfire verses to the might of a percussive electronic beat, the back and forth recalling the glory of ‘80s hip-hop groups. “Christ on a Cross” by comparison is a heartfelt track that uses an acoustic guitar chord progression to tell an urban tale of religious ambiguity, the tragedy of faith exposed. The stories found in Sans Soleil hit hard, the way music should. Catch Ceschi Ramos at Middle East in Cambridge on September 1st. We are streaming “Yoni’s Electrocardiographs (feat. Yoni Wolf)” for you below. – Rene Cobar
The Darling Suns
The Darling Suns have released their debut full-length album called Midnight Feelings. The band released the album two lead single, “Raspberry Homecoming” and “Loving You”, over the last couple of months and below is a live video of there DZ Records performance of “Raspberry Homecoming”.
This is the work of Robert Krause (Guitar/Lead Vocals), John Stenger (Guitar/Synth/Vocals), Lindsey Ward (Violin/Vocals), Sam Rorie (Bass) and Charlie Dresser (Drums/Percussio).
You can catch The Darling Suns at Subt (Downstairs) on August 17th with Sick Day and Morgan Powers.
New Bad Heaven Ltd. LP Available for Streaming & Purchase
Strength, the new album from John Galm’s (ex-Snowing) Bad Heaven Ltd., has recently arrived. The delicate, intimate narratives wrap the listener in a tranquil, hypnotic state. The soothing, somber dynamic drastically alters when earth-shaking, fuzz-filled force enters the equation. You can catch Bad Heaven Ltd. at The Barbary on Sunday, September 8, as part of a lineup that also includes Very Bad Vibes, Highnoon, and Proper.
Understudy “Sun Bleached Gauze”
Understudy has teamed up with Chicago Research to release a new collection of Lo-Fi, warped, dark Synth-Pop songs called “Sun Bleached Gauze”.
This is Understudy’s third album in as many year’s, but unlike previous album, this one is a accompanied by a volume of Understudy’s original visual art.
Kissed By An Animal share new animated video and song
Animated band cartoons playing along with explosive two-minute power-pop song is a can’t-miss combination, and that’s just what you get with Kissed By An Animal‘s latest release “The Good Times Are Here Again” (streaming below). Guitarist/vocalist Dima Drjuchin applies the technique of Rotoscoping to live action footage while adding a steady flow of animated flames, hearts, flowers, skulls, birds, bunnies and more to the Peter Max style psychedelic imagery. Self-directed and drawn over in Adobe Animate, the track is a power-noise-pop treat with crunchy guitar, hard-edge drumming and a fluid bassline. The first hook is reached just 30 seconds in, via a descending progression that goes “sometimes hard to be a friend when the good times are here again.” An even bigger hook arrives with the chorus stating “when no one sees you, no one is holding you back,” that get’s turned into “there IS no holding back.” The riff breaks lean towards the heavy and tight Dinosaur Jr variety, adding dramatic accent breaks and a touch of pitch-bended warped guitar tones. Big dreamy background “ahhh’s” lift it higher into near dream-gaze territory.
One thing is for sure, these guys deserve more than 82 friends on their Facebook page! Don’t miss their live show at the Gutter on August 22.- Dave Cromwell
Mrs. Henry takes us to “The River”
San Diego four-piece Mrs. Henry usher in the classic and roots rock of the ’70s, often paying homage by closely following the intended source material. Recently, the band recruited over thirty musicians from their local music scene to recreate influential Canadian rockers The Band’s farewell show The Last Waltz. And "The River," their latest original single, represents a collective renewal after undertaking such a daunting project—even if they originally conceived it during a busy period in their lives. The gospel-tinged boogie rock of "The River" evokes a loose jam session, but more so in feeling, as the arrangements sound carefully crafted and versatile. Inspired from a trip guitarist/vocalist Dan Cervantes took to Big Sur, the rollicking, multi-part track signifies the search for something meaningful, using natural elements to bring cleansing from within. It’s a simple step forward for a band who’s choosing to narrow their focus after satisfying their lofty ambitions. – Juan Rodríguez
The pure folk of Suzanne Vallie
If you feel the need to be soothed today, take a little listen to the latest by Suzanne Vallie. Any song off the album is equally as pleasing as the last. Tracks feel like folk lullabies: gentle guitar plucking, Vallie’s sweet voice, soft harmonies. Based out of Big Sur–and maybe that’s where the nature-inspired songs come from–Vallie pops in and out of the Bay Area for shows with different bands, including Range of Light Wilderness, and her solo works. In fact, she’ll be playing Hotel Utah this August 14. Come in for some soothing purity. –Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor
The Safes “It’s True”
The Safes have released a video for the latest single, “It’s True”, from their forthcoming album, Winning Combination, which is out September 7th via Action Weekend & Bickerton Records.
The Safes will be touring the East Coast in September and the Midwest throughout October and November. You can catch them at Beat Kitchen on November 27th. You can also catch them on August 9th at BuckleDown Brewery in Lyons with Bleach Party and Time Thieves.
Spark The Forest “The Practice of Learning from Past Mistakes”
Instrumental Rock duo Spark The Forest has released a video for the second single, "The Practice of Learning from Past Mistakes" from their recently release album, Growth In Erosion.
This is the cinematic rock of Ryan Nelson (Drums) and Anders Johanson (Guitar, keys, synth).
You can catch Spark The Forest at The House Pub in Saint Charles, IL on August 11th.