New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Aunt Kelly released their sophomore EP, "Ready When You Are”, last week. This is Indie Pop trio lead by the powerful vocals of Kelly Hannem.
The group recently created video for the 2019 NPR Tiny Desk Contest of them perform “I Can Get Better” from their EP.
The Husband and Wife duo of Shannon and Yuen Yee Richardson (aka Adjacent Cruise) have released the first two singles, “Better Weather” and “Woolves”, from their forthcoming debut album, "Light as a Feather, Heavy like the Sun”.
You can help Adjacent Cruise celebrate the release of their album on September 20th at Martyrs with Ezra Bell and Public Porch Disco.
Back in June, Boston’s False Pocket released its neo-soul music collection titled Space. The album is a jazz euphoria that you wish would never end, each song immerses you deeper into the group’s lush soul fusion. "Uh2" opens the record with a groovy beat and punchy-soulful vocals that accentuate each lyric with sass. The album’s title track provides the kind of jazz atmosphere that melts the body into the nearest couch, in complete happiness; the bass is just that smooth, the sax that elegant. The snappy snare in "Touch" draws you into a slow dance groove, and deeper you go. By the end of the album, the classy electric guitar strums and Italian lyrics in "Una Prova Infinita" will have you under the band’s sonic sea of harmony. The group is playing at Thunder Road in Somerville tonight, and it promises to be a good time. We are streaming "Bract" from Space below. – Rene Cobar
Andy Molholt (Laser Background, Coughy, Speedy Ortiz) recently shared a collection of five demos, under the moniker of Amby Moho. The set of recordings is a tranquil, melodic, lo-fi sampling of what the DIY Philly music vet has been up to of late. We are looking forward to seeing/hearing where and in what form these songs will take shape next. Laser Background is slated to perform at Ortlieb’s on Friday, October 18, with Jimmy Whispers and Sitcom. (Photo by Marie Alyse)
Griffen released his debut album, Sacred View, late last month. According to him this is almost a concept album meant to be consumed as whole preferably with headphones. The album focuses on hills and valleys of life, or as Griffen puts it a "life full of isolation and revelation”.
Musically, this is Electronic Pop with dark psychedelic elements with nods to Radiohead, Public Image Limited, and Dead Can Dance. We were completely caught off guard by this album and are sure you will be too.
Nothing Left Behind is the new LP from Will Henriksen, which is available now via local label Sleeper Records. Backed by Andrew Keller (Snow Caps), Jack Washburn (Remember Sports), as well as Will Kennedy and Ari Ratner, the ensemble creates subtle instrumental arrangements that lay the foundation for candid, endearing songwriting. With transportive lyricism, reinforced by melodic warmth, these recordings easily relate and adhere. Just allow them to do so. (Photo by Ari Ratner)
Veteran PowerPop Quartet The Lilacs have released a video for the lead single, “Monica”, from their first EP in more than 25 years, The Lilacs Endure. The EP was released last week via Pravda Records.
You can help The Lilacs celebrate the release of their EP on October 19th at Phyllis’ Musical Inn.
Indoor drama is a central theme to Brooklyn indie trio Boot’s debut EP, finding both comfort and claustrophobia in the time spent at home. Each of the extended play’s four tracks set a scene with two players, with each performance a soliloquy that revels in the coziness of intimacy, or squirms under unescapable pressure. From opener “Heaven Is A Place In Queens,” which details the simple pleasures of suburban living over dreamy arpeggios, to “Let’s Go To Bed,” wherein the protagonist lands himself on the couch for things that should have remained unsaid, Boot has a talent for rendering the highs and lows of domestic living in a way that feels ubiquitous. The EP’s instrumental accompaniment feels equally homespun; bright, lofi guitar work and melodic syncopation lend a calm comfort to each track’s performance, breaking only for an explosive solo on “Tally Up” to close this effort on a high note. Stream it below. -Connor Beckett McInerney
Twin Peaks has released a second single, “Ferry Song”, from their forthcoming album, Lookout Low, which is set to be released on September 13th via Grand Jury.
The band will be touring in support of the album the Fall, and you can catch them at The Riv on November 29th with The Nude Party and Ohmme.
We are sad to report that one of New England’s own, Phil Haggerty, has passed away, the Somos guitarist was 28. The Boston-based band, heartbroken as it is, stepped up by releasing their initially fall scheduled album Prison On A Hill early. The album’s proceeds went toward the family’s funeral expenses, with an additional $3,000 donated to the Heather Heyer Foundation. The band’s sound has always been characterized by its high-energy and no-holds-barred approach. The group’s latest single "Mediterranean" is a prime example of the massive sound of Somos: string instrument swells, heavy drums, and Haggerty’s electric guitar work fuel the single. Our support is with the Haggerty family and the remaining band members during this difficult time. We are streaming "Mediterranean" below. – Rene Cobar
Augusta Koch (Gladie, Sheena, Anika & Augusta, Cayetana) recently shared her latest solo effort, “a friend.,” which describes and observes thoughts and actions of isolating loneliness, within the search for connection. The sparse, instrumental backdrop allows the lyrical sincerity to shine. Simple Pleasures, the forthcoming EP from Sheena, Anika, and Augusta, is set to arrive on September 6 via Asian Man Records, and the trio is scheduled to perform at South Philly’s TRUCK on Saturday, September 14.
Crooked Spine recently dropped its new tape End of Days, which is "about a UFO cult." A mysterious urgency holds one in a suspenseful state. However, amid the torrent of instrumentation, a first-person narration offers a kind of levity against the sonic surge. With the recent departure of bassist Garrett Bolin, the next incarnation of the band plans to touch down this fall.
