New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
The Hazy Seas recently released a new single called “Heavy Heads”. This is the first single from the band’s forthcoming self-titled debut album which is due out in January.
This is the work of Alec Heredia, Jack Komos, Jacob Leyba, and Tim Hutchinson.
You can catch The Hazy Seas at Empty Bottle on January 6th with The Knees and Brass Calf.
Garage Rock group Town Criers recently released second EP of the year and their third overall, Town Criers III.
The band was interviewed by Jennifer Machuca for Music Why Not! two years ago after having just released their first two singles, and you can relive that full interview below.
Post Punk group Horrible recently released a new EP called “Shortsighted”. The three song EP contains a new track called “Myopia”, and two rerecorded versions of older songs.
This is the work of Pat Bond (Guitar/Vox), Jeff Gonzales (Drums), Joey Hribar (Guitar), and Phil Skurski (Lead Conga Whistle/Bass/Vox/Rhythm Conga Whistle).
Tåsi’s music is described as “coral reef meets poetry,” and as abstract as that sounds it’s also the perfect descriptor for Marlon Hedricks’ romantic, lo-fi rap. Tåsi urges himself and his audience to reflect, a theme that plays out both lyrically and sonically. His production is smooth but not entirely unfractured, with beats and drops that create a mirroring effect within each song. It’s a very chill, relaxing house of mirrors.
Tåsi does a lot of collaborations, blending his sound well with the sound of his fellow musicians. His most recent release was East 10th St, a 5 song LP he produced with Lungfulls, Falling Awake Sound Therapy and Malekinho. Tåsi & BLakchyl wrote and recorded the entire album at 1609 East 10th, a street that has significant meaning for both artists. As they say in the description, ”this is our love letter:” The LP starts out strong and ends even stronger. The speech sampling done on “DDD” is thoughtful and powerful, but it doesn’t distract the audience from the song at all. It’s a great example of Tåsi’s strengths as both a solo artist and a collaborator.
-Avril Carrillo
Mooner has teamed up with Kit Shields again to release their second collection of covers, EML 101 Vol. 2. They first did this back in March 2017, and this go around have selected songs from bands like the Bee Gees, Elvis Costello, Poison, The Jam, Depeche Mode, Weezer, Hall & Oates, and many more.
Grand Kid’s brand of groove-focused roots rock is equally at home in the city as it is in the Upstate countryside, an indie romp with all the trappings of good Americana, wrapped up in a Fender-friendly package. Their debut EP We’ll Be, recorded at New Paltz’s Welterweight Sound Studio, has all the energy of a live performance, bolstered by the occasional dramatic instrumental breakdowns; three quarters through driving introductory track “They’ll Be,” Grand Kid engages in a chromatic descent, just ahead of exploding into a lush chorus before seamlessly transitioning into a falsetto-laden last minute bridge. While just two tracks, We’ll Be demonstrates the Brooklyn trio’s willingness to engage in experimental song structures while maintaining all the fittings of classic (yet modern) instrumentation. Listen below, and catch Grand Kid at C’mon Everybody on January 3rd, opening for Gorgeous and Leafing. —Connor Beckett McInerney
On December 27th, see Post Life have a ball celebrating the release of their brand new EP Nothing/All Is Said, available on the legendary Shrimper Records. They’ll take the stage at the Hi Hat on a bill with Yaawn and Lunch Lady, both fellow LA indie acts who will come with the heaviest tunes they have to offer in order to properly close out the year and the decade. For Post Life, the show marks another step in a quest to become one of LA’s most intense acts, with a no-frills punk sound that can turn any room into a frenzy. See them do so at the Hi Hat on 12/27. For a preview, take a look at their video for "Brand Damage", a new single, below. – Will Sisskind
Fat Night released a live recording from their recent show at Sleeping Village of the Christmas classic “This Christmas!”. For this song the group, Daniel Hanson (Guitar), Gabriel Gundacker (Keys, Vocals), Ted Issen (Bass), and Nik Ritchie (Drums), were joined by the talented Wyatt Waddell.
The soulful funk group released a new single, “Sweet Nothings”, a few months ago and are back in their hometown of Orlando this week for a string of shows.
Photo by Rebekah Witt
The term “jam band” can be a divisive term, evoking images of meandering guitar work and instrumentation pandering to a heady listener base, and while NJ-based outfit Garcia Peoples incorporates psych rock as a founding pillar of their music, their new LP One Step Behind embraces a fuller sound. Opener and title track “One Step Behind” begins on a jazz fusion note, gradually segueing into an accessible, more indie influenced groove; while there’s no shortage of noodling guitar solos, the band’s eager incorporation of garage and prog rock could turn even the most reticent of listeners into full fledged fans. Stream it below to hear for yourself, and catch Garcia Peoples at Le Poisson Rouge on December 30th, opening for Ryley Walker.
An authentic poet is Norwalk, Connecticut’s Sarah Golley: the artist’s complete devotion to maximum exposure is the trademark of her latest record As We Crawl. From the spoken poetry of the opening track, “From the Sea,” to the grandiose string-instrument-driven composition that backs up her soulful vocals in “At a Snail’s Pace” the album opens majestically. The honeyed symphonies continue in tracks like “Over Time” and “Into the Flames” where the melodious grand piano keys fire away as Golley dramatically spills her heart; the music takes on a rich theatrical form that is as exquisite as it is immersive. Sarah Golley channels ferocious energy in the vein of artists like Amanda Palmer, yet her music has a softer touch to it that is rooted in the theatricality of it all. Tracks like “On the Treadmill of Thought” hypnotize with vibrant harmonies and thunderous kick drum patterns. From the onset, As We Crawl requests one surrender their thoughts and emotions entirely to each piece, weaving both for an experience unique, and satisfying. Listen to the gravity with which “Through a Black Hole,” from the new album, blossoms below. – Rene Cobar, photo by Jesse Newman
Ambient artist Ana Roxanne began her debut album ~~~ several years ago as a private project, a personal reflection on spirituality and art as an act of healing. Upon its rerelease in March by Leaving Records, the record took on another life, particularly as Roxanne had since explored more about identity and gender, having come out herself as intersex late last year. The record caught attention from a slew of new fans, which led Bandcamp to name it one of their top 10 records of 2019. Its blend of field recordings, droning synths, and minimalist percussion keeps the music simple while allowing the listener to open their mind in vast and unpredictable ways. Roxanne will head out east in January to introduce New York audiences to her music; take another listen to ~~~ for yourself below. – Will Sisskind
Avant rock performer Katie Burden just released the title track of her forthcoming album Edge of Sleep, and it is a captivating representation of the song. Burden, who has spent the last few between San Francisco, Los Angles and New York, created the album with a new level of consciousness. Of the name, Burden says, “There’s that ancient Toltec wisdom that describes our conscious life as a waking dream that we sort of project into the world…’Edge of Sleep’ refers to an occurrence that shakes one from their waking dream and brings about a new perspective or way of seeing.” Title track lies somewhere between Björk and Florence and the Machine. The video depicts the frustrating place between awake and conscious and emotion, dragging a woman through a house where she can’t seem to decompress. Enjoy Burden’s new video and keep an eye out for her full album Edge of Sleep out January 30, 2020. –Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor
