May 14th is the Nashville album release show for Los Angeles transplant Rocko Wheeler. His debut effort, "The Book of Rocko Wheeler," dropped earlier this spring, and the songwriter has a tour with Kyle Cox in the works this month that will kick off a The 5-Spot next Thursday. Though now a Tenessee resident, Wheeler’s music remains true to his Sunshine State origins. Dripping with organ, fiddle, and slide guitar, there’s a vintage quality to his sound, and there are a few moments in the album that pay homage to the ghost of Gram Parsons. There’s also some handy wordsmithing at play which makes for and engaing and ever-changing listen as new turns of phrase surface. For instance, the last refrain of "Emmanuel, your well’s run dry-" in the first track "Time to Change," has a satisfying ring to it. Check out the song below, and put May 14th down on your calendar to pick up the album in sweet, sweet vinyl and see the songwriter before he hits the road. -Terra James-Jura

An album where both the lyric and performance find honesty is a gem. May I introduce you to Andrew Combs recent LP, "All These Dreams."

Think David Gray with Texas country-folk roots, soft-spoken and strummed, well-versed and mature. Combs poetry neither plunges too dark nor tries too hard. His melodies and arrangements offer pop sensibility for repeat listening, without ever being pop. Even the most soul-searching of tracks carry enjoyable serenity, with space to reflect all the same if you wish.

No song screams single, but all songs yell craft. In the land of singles we call that an album. In this case, the kind where the artist writes first for himself, with no one to please, and nothing to prove. Just damn good songwriting.

Singles are a modern obsession, anyway. Take a sundown drive with "All These Dreams," then thank me for the introduction. -Ben Neumann

"All These Dreams" was release March 3, 2015 through Coin Records.

www.andrewcombsmusic.com

kidDEAD released this video for "Patric Swayze" on April 30th, along with the caution that "this video could potentially trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised." Of course, this should perk up that brain center where one’s 5th-grade mentality still resides, because anything that comes with a warning label is instantly better. Morbid fascination for forbidden fruit aside, this is a solid video is for one some the sleeper hits off of kidDEAD’s debut album "Rap and Destroy" (though, seriously, don’t watch it in a dark room.) We enjoyed his first album very much last year, and we’re glad that this most serious of tracks, with all of its urgency and self-loathing, is getting another go-round. It puts a spotlight on Norton’s strength as a lyricist, and his ability to show some emotion without being insufferable. This video coincides with kidDEAD’s “No Gods, No Genres” tour (which just kicked off at the Stone Fox on May 1st,) as well as the release of his brand new 3-track EP “Truth Bombs.” Check out the new material over in iTunes, and keep an eye out for his next home town gig at www.kiddead.com.

Congratulations to Lauryn  Peacock, our new Artist of the month! The transient songstress lead a strong and tireless campaign straight out of the gate (excuse the derby reference…) that would eventually secure her rightful place at the top of this site. Peacock built the foundation of her musical career in Chicago and Philadelphia, where she worled on her solo endeavors as well as toured with mewithoutyou. She’s drawn upon the great reperetoire of friends and experiences built over the last few years in the making of her newest album, "Euphonia." The album is due out June 26th, with the plainative, haunting single "Wounds Grow Grass" offering a tantalizing glimse into the rich and highly orchestrated universe Peacock has spent the so much time and energy constructing. Peacock will be playing a album release show on June 27th in the loft at Mad Donna’s. Check out www.laurynpeacock.com/ for more information and to learn more about our winner!

"Man Up" is the second single from Dalton Diehl, aka Young Brother. "Kamakae" is the title of Young Brother’s debut EP, due out June 2nd via Yobro Records. This will be Diehl’s first release since his longtime band, Kansas City-based Christian alternative band Samestate parted ways. The track is fun and upbeat, with a little left-field instrumentation in the mix to keep your ears engaged. This listener can hear a few bits of Diehl’s past musical life filtering into this song, from a soaring pre-chorus swell and an overwhelming sense of positivity (editor’s note: not that there’s anything wring with this.) Check out the track below and learn more about Young Brother at www.youngbrothermusic.com.

Congratulations to the Mos. Bros. for winning our latest Artist of the Month poll! We’re hoping that this was a clean match, and that no one took any advice on how to scam the system from a certain recently-run (and highly entertaining) piece.

We’re not at all surprised that the Mos. Bros. won this contest. The North Carolina-born twin brothers, Will and Bobby, build their brand of indie rock on a foundation of solid songwriting with an alt-rock bent. The brothers took a step back after being flattened by the mainstream music wringer, and refocused their energy into playing songs more authentic to themselves. The pair just put out an EP this march, entitled "Three," and are preparing for a live, streaming performance of material off their upcoming full-length on May 5th (more details here.) Keep up with the siblings and their fierce crusade of independence at www.mosbrosmusic.com. 

Pardon the cliche, but it’s fitting: Koa blew the roof off Exit In Friday night.

In case you thought pop music achieved total music monopoly, these Belmont music buffs have something to say. Trading off sax, nord, and guitar solos throughout upbeat barn-burners, hell even the sound booth was head-bobbing.

Jam band would be accurate, think O.A.R and Dave Matthews. But then forget I said that. Koa is no wannabe, and moreover dodges the genre’s biggest pitfall: bad songwriting. No amount of noodling creates strong lyric and arrangement. Koa puts a checkmark by it, then has you sing along.

These seven guys need to graduate, drop out, ask pops for money, whatever. It’s one thing for skilled musicians to collaborate. It’s another to make it work. And yet another to make it a live success. The first two are clear. The 300 in attendance Friday know the third is, too.

–Ben Neumann; Event hosted by Cause A Scene at the Exit In 4/10/15.

Whether it is valued as a free way to drum up some attention for your band, or shrugged off as an unfortunate tap on the head in this perpetual game of local music Duck, Duck, Goose, The Deli’s Artist of the Month poll is a longstanding and steadfast tradition. It ain’t goin’ nowhere.

While we consider it high flattery when an act gets into the spirit and spreads the word, there is (as always) a limit to the enthusiasm. We recognize that this is a poll for nothing more than a picture on our header and a fleeting title, and realize the absurdity in trying to scam the system in order to win this, of all things. There is nothing wrong with a little healthy competition, but we’ll say it again: cheaters are losers, cheaters are losers, cheaters are losers.

We’re big fans of the weirdness that is The Chewers, and are dismayed to find out that they had to step over to the dark side to try to win our poll early in 2014. The place they are in is plenty dark already, thanks much. Not only did they still not win, it sounds like they burnt through a lot of fuel while failing. Luckily, member Michael Sadler submitted this short piece "How The Chewers Lost to a Dog" chronicling their efforts, and we love the band even more for it. Read a full account on how to NOT cheat in our little online contest HERE.

Then, go check out one of the Chewer’s upcoming local shows. They are playing Wednesday, April 15th at Mouthhole in East Nashville with Bandits! And Jerry Fels & the Jerry Fels, then again on April 24th with Ami Dang, GG Alien and No Milk (same venue.) They’re also planning to release their second album, “Dead Dads” on June 13, and have revamped their website to include some more nightmare-inducing content like this video for “The Lurk.” -Terra James-Jura

http://www.thechewers.com/

It took frontman Sam Tinnez three years of working, reworking and reimagining with a handful of collaborators (namely Josh Farro of Paramore repute, with mixing and mastering courtesy of Brad Bronlewee and Chad Howett.) During this time Tinnez also earned his stripes writing and producing with other Nashville acts including Young Summer, Farro, and Ruelle. The debut single of this long-simmering project, dubbed Wave & Rome. With nostalgia as an underlying theme to Wave & Rome’s upcoming EP "Across the Map" (out this summer via Unsecret Music) the title track reflects on more innocent times, with driving drums and a beachy, warm weather-appropriate tone to the lead guitar. Check out the single and five remixes below, and keep up with W&R at www.waveandrome.com. -Terra James-Jura

UK-cum-Southern belle Callaghan is preparing to release her second full-length album, "A History of Now" tomorrow, April 7th. Preceding this release is this sweet video for "Crazy, Beautiful Life" It’s a lighthearted song, and the video is a little twee in that it involves singing "La la la la la" in front of a green screen of rolling clouds, but it goes down so well that is is sure to please a multitude of palates. Proceeding her album and contrasting with the spun-sugar of the single is a hardcore, breakneck 41-date (and counting) tour of living rooms across the nation. Check out the full tour and learn more about Callaghan at www.callaghansongs.com. 

It took a search for our favorite Don Coyote song of all time (so far) to stumble across this upcoming show on Saturday. "Give it a Rest Coast" should be the final call song in every honky-tonk worth its salt along Broadway, but for now let it be incentive to get yourself down to Turn One this Saturday night. Not only will you get the chance to possibly belt this out with your arm around your neighbor and breath reeking of PBR, but you’ll also be able to pick up their brand new album from this new generation bar band for your very own. Joining the lineup are Kelly and Joey Kneiser of Glossary, as well as The Inglewood Reapers and Birmingham’s Steel City Jug Slammers. The show starts at 9pm and is only $5. Give us a better thing to do on a Saturday night, and, well, we’ll ignore it, because we will be shooting pool at Turn One. -Terra James-Jura