Santa Rosa, CA based duo Teenage Sweater have released a fresh LP entitled Concentration, available now on Tricycle Records. Concentration is a captivating collection of new-new-wave dungeon pop that combines the aural breadth of New Order, with the brooding intensity of Zola Jesus to create an album that’s as fitting on the dance floor as it is in the privacy of your bedroom while blaring through headphones.

Singer Mario Ruiz’s gently pleading chants express wary excitement–a skeptical enthusiasm for what lies ahead. In the track “Giant Summer”, where that highly anticipated season is treated as the greatest opportunity… for wasting time. Connor Alfaro’s steady, cavernous drumming shines on “Fangs”, complimenting the haunting bass line and creating an ambiance that’s entrancing in its repetition.

Ruiz and Alfaro seem most on point in “Cold Spots” and “Young Glitter”, the album’s most urgent, energetic tracks. Concentration is flush with iconic 80s synth timbres, but made to sound contemporary, more as a homage than a replication. Three instrumental interludes (all titled in parenthesis), are interspersed throughout the record, highlighting Teenage Sweater’s synth-school credentials and emphasizing the overall transient undercurrent or the album. In short, Concentration is indie dance music for hungry hearts, and a fitting title as they’ve clearly put some thought into its crafting. Stream the album in its entirety here, and don’t miss them at New Parish in Oakland on March 27th. -Andy Lambert

Burger/K Records 60’s pop darlings, The Shivas play live in Oakland, CA tonight. This nostalgic indie pop band has been known to play amazing live shows and is currently embarking on a 2013 Spring tour to promote the upcoming release of their new album WHITEOUT due out on April 30th. Make sure you make it out to Eli’s Mile High Club tonight to check out this talented rock group.

Eli’s Mile High Club

3629 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Oakland, Ca

You can get details on the show and the line up here.

3/07/13 – San Francisco, CA @ The Hemlock Tavern w/ The Pharmacy

3/08/13 – Oakland, CA @ Eli’s Mile High Club for the worldwide burger party in every city with Cumstain, Sir Lord Von Raven and MOM

3/09/13 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Smell

3/10/13 – Tuscon, AZ @ La Cocina w/ Acorn Bcorn

3/11/13 – El Paso, TX @ Black Market w/ Apache, Bad Vibes, Glitz

3/13/13 – Austin, TX @ SXSW Burger City @ Hotel Vegas

3/13/13 – Austin, TX @ SXSW Portland Showcase @ The Grackle

3/14/13 – Austin, TX @ SXSW @ Levitation by The Reverberation Appreciation Society

3/15/13 – Austin, TX @ SXSW @ Gnar Tapes House Party Showcase

3/15/13 – Austin, TX @ SXSW @ House of Commons

3/16/13 – Austin, TX @ SXSW Pop Press International 5

3/19/13 – Austin, TX @ Russelville, AR @ The Cavern w/ Tiger High, Detective

3/20/13 – Memphis, TN @ Buccaneers w/ Tiger High, White Mystery

3/21/13 – Springfield, MO @ Outland/High Life w/ Tiger High, Detective

3/23/13 – Detroit, MI @ The Magic Stick

3/25/13 – Omaha, NE @ The Middle House

3/26/13 – Dever, CO @ Unit E

3/27/13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Burt’s Tiki Lounge

San Francisco based, bi coastal indie rock duo, Wildlife Control has released a brand new single today. The new track is called Ages Places and it has been released in support of the band’s live musical appearences at SXSW. This new track is expressed to be written based on "modified haikus". Wildlife Control will premier the live version of Places Ages on stage at SXSW. You can also find this entrancing track on AmazonMP3, Spotify, Itunes and Rdio starting today.

A free downloadable version of Ages and Places is available on Soundcloud!

SXSW Show Dates:

March 13th – SoundCloud & Tumblr Creator Clubhouse
March 15th – Official Showcase presented by CD Baby
March 15th – 2:40pm: BPM / SDR 4th Annual SX Party
March 16th – 3pm: House of Creatives Filming presented by No Shame

Popular SF based blues rock band, The Stone Foxes are set to headline The Deli Magazine’s UN/OFF party in Austin, Texes this year. The event is completely FREE, and will be held on March 15, 2013 at Rusty’s. Don’t miss The Stone Foxes tear the house down along with the amazing line up that will precede them!

THE DELI’S UN/OFF PARTY TWO STAGES

LOTS OF AWESOME BANDS 8pm-2am, Rusty’s 405 E 7th St Austin.

NO BADGE REQUIRED, RSVP HERE

The Stone Foxes (SF)
Pearl and The Beard (NYC)
The Couch (Austin)
Friend Roulette (NYC)
André Obin (Boston)
Borrisokane (Austin)
Cultfever (NYC)
Old Blood Club (NYC)
Fan Tan (NYC)

San Jose natives and new post punk revivalist group, Bears! Bears! Bears! have dropped a new track from their recently released LP, All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Go. This full length album was produced and mixed by Scott McDowell (Birds & Batteries, Geographer, The Stones Foxes), and embodies the bellowing echoes of tried and true gloom-and-doom post rock music. Bears! Bears! Bears!’s single, I Guess We’re Both Lonely is free on soundcloud, and is a testament that this up and coming rock band has a great amount of potential.

03/29 @ Cafe Du Nord, San Francisco
05/04 @ The Pancakes & Booze Art Show, Los Angeles

The darkly moving electronic/soul duo, Sister Crayon has relocated to the Bay Area and is intensely working to inspire their listeners with new music. Before revealing a new live sound, tour dates and details about their second full length album later this Spring, Sister Crayon has released the title track from their upcoming EP entitled, Cynic as an mp3 single. Cynic will be released on Fake Four Inc in April. Self proclaimed recluse, and the artistic backbone of Sister Crayon, Terra Lopez permeates beautiful and haunting vocals on the new single which creates a strong anticipation for the release of the full EP.

San Francisco based underground apocalyptic rock heroes, The Soft Moon have released a new music video entitled, Insides. Insides is a track from the band’s latest LP, Zeros (Captured Tracks), and was shared to accompany the announcement of The Soft Moon’s United States and European 2013 tour dates. Insides was directed by Jacqueline Castel, who also edited and shot the music video in the Mojave Desert. This beautiful and entrancing video marks a wonderful start to The Soft Moon’s 2013 endeavors. The band kicks off their tour today in Las Vegas.

03-06 Las Vegas, NV – The Beauty Bar
03-07 Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent Ballroom
03-08 El Paso, TX – Lowbrow Palace
03-09 Denton, TX – 35 Denton (Denton Fest)
03-10 Norman, OK – Opolis
03-11 New Orleans, LA – Dragon´s Den
03-12 Houston, TX – Fitzgerald´s
03-14 SXSW – Club De Ville (Insound Showcase)
03-14 SXSW – Hotel Vegas (Austin Psych Fest Showcase)
03-16 SXSW – The Parish (Captured Tracks Showcase)
03-16 SXSW – The Elysium (Moog Showcase)
03-18 Kansas City, KS – Riot Room
03-19 Lincoln, NE – Knickerbockers
03-20 Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge
03-21 Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
03-29 Aarhus, Denmark – Atlas
03-30 Copenhagen, Denmark – Loppen
03-31 Stockholm, Sweden – Debaser
04-02 Helsinki, Finland – Kuudes Linja
04-03 Saint Peterburg, Russia – Mod
04-04 Moscow, Russia – Artpay
04-05 Athens, Greece – Gagarin
04-06 Prague, Czech Republic – Meet Factory
04-07 Budapest, Hungary – A38
04-08 Zagreb, Croatia – Mocvara
04-09 Ljubljana, Slovenia – Menza Pri Koritu
04-10 Rome, Italy – Circolo degli Artisti
04-11 Milan, Italy – Elita Milano Design Week Festival
04-12 Bologna, Italy – Covo
04-13 Padova, Italy – Loop / Bastione Alicorno
04-14 Dijon, France – Consortium (Kill Your Pop Fest)
04-15 Paris, France – Trabendo
04-16 London, England – Islington Academy
04-17 Amsterdam, Holland – Melkweg
04-18 Antwerp, Belgium – Trix
04-19 Lille, France – Le Grand Mix
04-20 Amiens, France – La Lune des Pirates
04-21 Nantes, France – Stakhanov
04-26 Austin, TX – Austin Psych Fest
06-06 Los Angeles, CA – Echoplex #
06-07 Santa Cruz, CA – Catalyst Atrium #
06-15 Montreal, QC – Il Motore
06-16 Brooklyn, NY – 285 Kent (Northside Fest)

San Francisco legends Afrolicious will bombard Great American Music Hall on Friday, March 15th, complete with 12-piece live band, to celebrate their first full length release, California Dreaming. Hatched from the acclaimed weekly Afrolicious dance parties, the Afrolicious band preserves the electro-world flavor of the DJ sets while emphasizing the funky Afro/Latin feel only a horn section and live percussion can supply. The players on California Dreaming hail from a diverse range of cultural and geographic backgrounds. Despite the variety of tastes and styles they throw into the pot, the resulting dish definitely gels.

Hosted by Blue Note/Motown artist DJ Smash, the event touts a fully packed roster. In addition to sets by Afrolicious co-conspirators DJs Pleasuremaker and Señor Oz, supporting acts include Bay Area based soul band Midtown Social and KCRW/Los Angeles DJ Jeremy Sole. California Dreaming is available March 12th. You can sample the title track below. -Andy Lambert

Local Bay Area lady, Ash Reiter and her band are taking their decidedly Californian, dreamy pop music on tour. The track I’ve Got Something I Can Laugh About, from their late 2012 album Hola, exemplifies the snappy melodies and retro 60s tones that characterize the group. The stylized instrumentals combined with Reiter’s wholesome vocals make for upbeat, good clean fun. She does, however, sneak in the occasional sly remark to spice things up. Ash Reiter plays Disco Volante in Oakland this Wednesday, March 6th, along with David Glasebrook of Santa Cruz Americana outfit Deep Ellum and Portland’s Wild Ones. After their local show Ash Reiter and her band will play an extensive tour with their label mates, Li Xi and Couches. 20 Sided Records is sending these talented San Francisco bands all over the US. Make sure you catch them when they arrive at a city near you. -Andy Lambert

20 SIDED RECORDS TOUR DATES:

03.08.13 – Tempe, AZ @ Yucca Tap Room w/ High Horse,Couches, Li Xi, Ash Reiter
03.09.13 – Cottonwood, AZ @ Cactus Kate’s Saloon w/ Li Xi, Couches
03.10.13 – Durango, CO @ The Summit w/ Couches, Li Xi, Ash Reiter
03.11.13 – Santa Fe, NM @ Stats Bar w/ Cuches, Li Xi, Ash Reiter
03.13.13 – Austin, TX (SXSW Festival)
03.14.13 – Houston, TX @ NOTSUOH/DEAN’S(Somewhere Southwest Fest) w/ Couches & Li Xi
03.15.13 – Shreveport, LA @ Bears Bar w/ Couches, Li Xi
03.16.13 – Fayetteville, AR @ Smoke & Barrell Tavern w/ Couches & Li Xi
03.17.13 – Tulsa, OK @ Soundpony (20 Sided St Patty’s Day Party) w/ Couches, Li Xi, Ash Reiter
03.18.13 – Wichita, KS @ Rock Island Live w/ Couches, Li Xi
03.19.13 – Denver, CO @ Unit E w/ Rubedo, Ash Reiter, Li Xi, Couches & Scatter Gather
03.19.13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Bar Deluxe w/ Rubedo, Ash Reiter, Couches
03.21.13 – Pocatello, ID @ Flipside Lounge w/ Rubedo, Ash Reiter, Couches
03.22.13 – Boise, ID @ Off (Treefort Festival)
03.23.13 – Boise, ID @ Red Room (Treefort Festival Showcase) w/ The Blank Tapes, Rubedo, Ash Reiter, Ugly Winner, Pony Village
03.24.13 – Hood River, OR @ Trillium Cafe w/ Ash Reiter, Pony Village, Couches
03.25.13 – Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar (Post-Treefort Party) w/ Animal Eyes, Ash Reiter, Pony Village, Couches, Talkative

Oakland, California based alt folk rockers, Known to Collapse‘ The Collectives LP was released last week on Secret Library Recordings. In addition to Lehner’s vocals, guitars, and piano, it features bassist/vocalist David Somerall, drummer Matt Bryant and, as hinted by its title, several other talented contributing artists. As such, the eight tracks combine a range of genres that underline a penchant for experimentation. The dreamy “Stop Back” kicks off on a gentle, hopeful note as the acoustic, narrative-like “The Grey Area” diffuses a slight country-western vibe. The mood picks up with the multi-layered “Felicity City”—arguably the most experimental track—with its intense bridge that opposes its epiphanic chorus. The upbeat and catchy “Kelly’s Eyes (Kelly’s Island)” engenders optimism that contrasts the blunt, edgy rebuke that is “Hate Hater.” Yet, ironically, a lack of lyrics just might have the strongest impact through the beautifully moody, piano-backed instrumental tune, “Cander.” The concluding piece “No One Can Teach You To See” features Kevin Lehner and Alora King in a duet, where gritty guitar riffs parallel the bittersweet undertone of relationships and life lessons.

With tracks alternating between laid-back and intense, dreamy and harshly sobering, Collectives feels relatable through its honesty. If there’s the occasional cryptic lyrical content, it’s a nod to another level of experimentation and uniqueness that opens the door to personal interpretation. – Natacha Pavlov

Wax Idols, an Oakland based post-punk rock band has dropped a new single entitled, When It Happens. When It Happens is the first single from Wax Idols’ new album, Discipline and Desire which is due out on March 26th on Slumberland Records. This is the band’s sophomore album and is described as a stronger manifestation of their debut album, Fortune, with Discipline and Desire exuding stronger melodies and fuller expressions of intensity. You can catch Wax Idols live as they are performing a plethera of shows this Spring:

03/06 Oakland, CA – New Parish
03/07 San Diego, CA – The Void
03/08 Tempe, AZ – Sail Inn
03/09 El Paso, TX – Lowbrow Palace
03/13 Austin, TX – Red 7 – Force Field PR / Stones Throw Showcase (SXSW)
03/13 Austin, TX – The Iron Bear – Slumberland Records Showcase (SXSW)
03/13 Austin, TX – CMRTYZ/DOLCE VITA SECRET SHOW (SXSW)
03/14 Austin, TX – Waterloo Records – SXSWATERLOO (SXSW)
03/14 Austin, TX – Tillery Park – GET BENT (SXSW)
03/15 Austin, TX – Gypsy Lounge – Castleface/CMYR (SXSW)
03/16 Austin, TX – Greenhouse 701 – Castleface/ HOZAC (SXSW)
03/21 Salt Lake City, UT – Richard Street Art Collective
03/22 Boise, ID – Treefort Music Fest
03/30 San Francisco, CA – Brick & Mortar Music Hall (Record Release Show)
03/31 Los Angeles, CA – The Echo (Record Release Show / Part Time Punks)
04/20 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
04/21 Detroit, MI – PJ’s Lager House
04/22 Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups
04/24 St. Louis, MO – The Heavy Anchor
04/25 Nashville, TN – The Stone Fox
04/26 Atlanta, GA – The Earl
04/27 Durham, NC – The Pinhook
04/30 Baltimore, MD – Metro Gallery
05/04 Brooklyn, NY – Shea Stadium

Oakland based electro-noise party punkers, Religious Girls have recorded a new single, "Dead Dog", and shot a bizarre new video for the track to formalize its release. The trio has been busy collaborating with Bay Area production, Sprinkle Lab on the new video and embarking on an expansive US tour. Dead Dog offers a taste of the forthcoming album, I Want To Believe, which will be released this summer by fledgling indie label, Field Conditions. Religious Girls combines lush synths, frantic drumming and wailing vocals in an onslaught that’s extremely effective in getting an audience riled up.They’ll end their tour on April 18th at the Milk Bar in San Francisco. – Andy Lambert

Mar. 12th – SXSW Austin, TX @ The Granada House

Mar. 13th – SXSW Austin, TX @ Royal House Co-Op

Mar. 14th – SXSW Austin, TX @ SXSWendys

Mar. 15th – SXSW Austin, TX @ SXSHALLOWEEN!

Mar. 17th – SXSW Austin, TX @ HOLE IN THE WALL