L.A.

VIDEO: On “Monochrome,” Runnner Sets Faded Memories To Music

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photo credit: Nell Sherman & Silken Weinberg

Runnner is the project of native Angeleño songwriter Noah Weinman. He’s recently released a music video for “Monochrome,” the latest single from his upcoming debut album for Run For Cover Records, Always Repeating, released July 16th.

The track fades in with fingerpicked acoustic guitar and banjo, with what sound like reversed electric guitar lines, all swelling into a beautiful, abstract mix, before drums kick in to establish a vaguely rollicking shuffle, dropping out to allow Weinman’s plaintive, double-tracked vocals space to enter. He sings with masterful restraint while the guitars and banjo provide delicate rhythmic emphasis on his lyrics. The music and vocals slowly build in emotional intensity, along with volume, squeezing every possible bit of pathos out of the highly personal lyrics.

“Although this isn’t the oldest song in the batch,” begins Weinman, “this feels like the first Runnner song…It’s about nuance and memory, and how hard it can be to remember something in all its color and detail. Part of me fights against that and tries to remember everything, but part of me also resigns to it.” The video was created by Weinman with the help of Helen Ballentine.

Runnner will celebrate the release of Always Repeating with two L.A.-area shows: a sold-out show July 22nd at Baader house, and a December 3rd gig at the Lodge Room in Highland Park. Gabe Hernandez

Chicago

Girl K “Girl K Is For The People”

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Girl K has released the title track from their forthcoming EP "Girl K Is For The People" which is due out Sept. 10th via Take This To Heart Records.

This is the Indie Pop of Kathy Patino, Tony Mest, Alex Pieczynski, and Kevin Sheppard.

Girl K will be touring this Fall with Slow Pulp and you can catch them both at Lincoln Hall on December 17th.

Chicago

Manwolves @ Thalia Hall 7.22

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Genre-breaking quintet Manwolves recently released their latest album, Sleeping In. The group consisting of Jamie McNear (vocals), Eli Cohen (guitar), Henry Wolf(bass), Julian Freeman (drums), and Ari Garfin (keys), blends Rock with elements of Jazz and Hip Hop.

The lead single from this album is called "Canned Soup" and is accompanied by the Andrés Guerrero animated video below.

You can catch Manwolves at Thalia Hall on July 22nd with Kari.

Chicago

Heavy Manners “Flamin’ First” (Fresh Mix)

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Heavy Manners have released a new remix of their classic 1982 single "Flamin’ First". The group released this remix to coincide with their inclusion in two new Ska-focused books, In Defense of Ska by Aaron Carnes and Skaboom! An American Ska & Reggae Oral History by Marc Wasserman.

This is the work of Kate Fagan (vocalist), Frankie Hill (vox/sax/keyboard), Shel Lustig (drummer), Mitch Kohlhagen (guitarist), Kevin Smith (multi-instrumentalist and singer), and Joe Thomas (bassist). The original recording of "Flamin’ First" included the group’s founding bass player Jimi Robinson who passed away in 2018.

Chicago

Jessica Ever “How’s This For Distance?”

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Jessica Ever recently released her debut full-length album, How’s This For Distance?. The album covers an array of emotions, longing, anger, but mostly it documents a love and hate relationship with the city we call home.

The video for the album’s lead single/title track perfectly demonstrates Ever’s ability to weave the city into her writing to tell her story around and through it’s large shadow.

For the recording of the album Ever enlisted the help of Michael Garrity of Nora Marks and Ivan Gonzalez.

Chicago

Canal Irreal

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Punk legend Martin Sorrondeguy is back with his latest group Canal Irreal and their self-titled debut full-length album. The supergroup includes Scott Plant of Broken Prayer and Droids Blood and members of Sin Orden.

It is not surprising that this collection of punk veterans have produced an album that blazes with fierce aggression from start to finish.

Chicago

Bellhead “Dead Lights”

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Bellhead has released the lead single, "Nothing As It Seems", from their forthcoming EP, "Dead Lights", which is due out this Friday, July 16th.

This is the Darkwave duo of Karen Righeimer (Low Bass / Vocals) and Ivan Russia (High Bass / Vocals / Drum Programming).

Bellhead will kick off their "Dead Lights" tour on August 28th at Bottom Lounge with V Is For Villians and Code Name: Phoenix.

Chicago

Jessica Mindrum @ Golden Dagger (8.10)

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Jessica Mindrum announced last week that she will be returning to the stage for the first time since since December 2019. She will be performing at Golden Dagger (formerly known as Tonic Room) on August 10th with Kara Jackson.

Mindrum released her latest EP, "Restart, Begin", back in May, an album that deals with loss and isolation in an honest, raw, and vulnerable way.

Chicago

Home Entertainment “Filet”

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Home Entertainment has released the third single, "Filet", from their forthcoming debut full-length album, Investments, which is due out later this summer.

This is the Prog Rock trio of Matthew Balzekas, James Brown, and John Fitzgerald.

Photo Credit: Noah Gage