Released today at a local or technological record store near you, the much-anticipated, self-titled debut from the The Kingston Springs is a truly indie, bass-heavy explosion of stereotype-defying rock music. The Kingston Springs successfully fuses punk and Americana by combining twangy harmonies and blues-y riffs with fuzzy guitars and a drummer who likes to play fast and hard. The lyrics create a sense of angsty romance, accessorized occasionally by a harmonica solo or a soulful guitar riff.

Following a set at the Starry Nights Festival in Bowling Green, Kentucky this weekend, The Kingston Springs have returned to Nashville just in time to see their album released to the masses. In keeping with the band’s typical, hectic cadence, you can hear them play the 615 Show tonight on Lightning 100, you can see them live on Thursday at Live On the Green, and you can (and should) also buy and stream The Kingston Springs over on Bandcamp. – Brianne Turner

Earlier this month, Wild Cub‘s video for "Drive" experienced a very quiet premiere over on Spin‘s website, but the majority of us officially took notice of the video today, when the band posted a link to the video on their Facebook page.

The video’s credits read "Made by Fort Ripper," meaning the talented, Portland-based duo, Marc and Karina Ripper, had a lot to do with bringing this video to life. "Drive" captures a love story shot in Portland, Oregon and along Cannon Beach, the same beach that sculpted nearly all of my childhood (pre-Nashville) summers. This black and white love vignette makes me want to go back next summer just to create sexier, more-romantic memories there.

Special shout-out to the actors in the video for walking through the ocean so nonchalantly and braving hypothermia, by the way– that water never gets warmer than "iceberg cold." —Brianne Turner

Photo credit: Sandy Kim

Mikky Ekko has been taking the slow burn approach when it comes to releasing new music to the masses. Back in July, he premiered "We Must Be Killers" via his Soundcloud account, and now he’s taken to YouTube to debut his latest track, "Feels Like the End." The ethereal video suits the celestial vibe of the song and was created by German artist, Robert Seidel. You can download "Feels Like the End" here.

Press play and enjoy your out-of-body experience.

You know the drill: September is basically over, which means the holidays will be here in what will feel like just a few short weeks, and on November 6th, Sugar & the Hi Lows will release their second album, Snow Angel, to kick off the festivities.

Following this year’s self-titled debut, the duo’s Snow Angel will feature five original holiday songs– "Shake That Gift," "Snow Angel," "Sugar Cookie," "Naughty or Nice," and "Home On the Holiday," which you can stream below– as well as the holiday classic, "Jingle Bells."

If you’re in a rush to get into the yuletide spirit, you can grab a physical copy of Snow Angel early while Sugar & the Hi Lows are on tour with Ingrid Michaelson.

Syrupy sweet and daydreamy, Halle Jane has narrowed the wide scope of Art Circus, which made its arty, hodgepodge debut nearly seven years ago as a project for her, about a dozen other girls and Robert Ellis Orrall. Now it’s just Halle on her own for the follow-up, which is one of the three July 2012 releases on Infinity Cat’s sister label, Plastic 350 Records.

An influence of Madi Diaz’s unassuming sweetness and acoustic pop sense mixed with whirly piano, earnest vocals and glossy production that make it sound like an ultra girly version of Owl City, Apples & Oranges is pastel-colored, cotton candy pop filled with peach and apple pie, whipped cream and kisses. Produced by Orrall, it’s clear he knows how to tap into his inner girl. The lyrics read like diary entries addressed to some unknown dude, and Halle completely takes over them, making them her own as she unabashedly sings about some extremely heartfelt, sticky stuff on the topic of love and relationships.

Though the record could soundtrack an 11-year-old girl’s birthday party, Apples & Oranges isn’t a fluff pop record; there are intrigues here, like Halle’s unusual voice, which is soft, but substantial with an inquisitive lilt. And though the record is hooky beyond belief, it isn’t tiring to listen to, keeping pretty quiet and on an even tempo throughout, so that Apples & Oranges comes out endearing and infectious, rather than overtly sappy. – Jessica Pace

What does Bob Something, aka Robert Ellis Orrall, do? Whatever the hell he wants. His one-man solo project, Monkey Bowl, released its third eclectic pop album, Space, last July on Plastic 350 Records along with Art Circus’ Apples & Oranges and the little bear’s eponymous release. Space, not an album to be pigeonholed, is a diverse, mellow, lyric-driven record that outfits accessible pop in various masks from soft and acoustic (“And You Were a Spaceship,” “For the Hard Days Ahead”) to bright and sparkling (“She’s Got a Smile That Wakes Up the Sun, The World Comes Alive, Put Your Shades On!”).

Orrall, a hit songwriter many times over, writes simply, candidly and classically. On Space, he sings about love, the importance of secrets, spaceships and needing space with a warm, non-abrasive voice not unlike Elvis Costello’s that floats over instrumentation done by himself and several contributors.

The 12-track collection features a rendition of “Ten Nine Eight Seven Six Five Four,” which is on labelmate Art Circus’ Apples & Oranges as well as a hushed, softer rendition of JEFF the Brotherhood’s “The Tropics” that has a delicate piano base. The record leans heavily on piano hooks, like “The Secret Life of Secrets,” and one of the best is the distinct outlier, even on this mish-mash album, “You All,” with its wiry guitar and retro pop rhythm.

As with all Monkey Bowl output, Space is a multiform assortment of words and melodies that happened to strike the fancy of Bob Something, which is precisely the appeal; the variety of the record is its charm.

Listen to: “Everything I Saw, I Liked,” “The Secret Life of Secrets,” “You All,” “Stupid” – Jessica Pace

We have spent so much time singing the praises of Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes that we’ve decided to send you to their weekend show at the Exit/In so you can experience the magic yourself. For the price of a comment in our comments section below, you and a friend can see Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes share the bill with Lulu Mae and Neulore for free on Saturday night. And, if free tickets aren’t enough to entice you, it has also been announced that lead guitarist Timon Lance will be distributing free hugs throughout the duration of the evening.

Outside of playing nice, no rules apply– but bonus points may be granted to those who like the band on Facebook and/or can make us laugh. Comments will be closed at 10 am on Friday, so you will have plenty of time to think of something witty. Also, be sure to include your email address so we can contact you.

Have fun, and good luck!

The lineup is set to be revealed in February, but Superfly Productions and A.C. Entertainment have officially announced that the 12th annual Bonnaroo festival will take place June 13-16th, 2013, leaving you plenty of time to request some time off work. The festival will be held on its usual stomping grounds in Manchester, Tennessee, and limited-ticket information will be unveiled in November. In the meantime, there’s an odd 43 second clip of Carrie The Dancing Merengue Dog announcing the dates over on YouTube.

Natural Child‘s contribution to your summer soundtrack was "B$G P$MP$N," the first release from their forthcoming album, Hard In Heaven. The song is an Americana-infused punk song with rap lyrics; the result is a bizarre cacophony that shouldn’t work as well as it does and creates a vibe that stoners are absolutely going to dig. But their second release, "Derek’s Blues," offers a sound a that focuses on the band’s abilities as musicians and delivers a vibe that your parents might also appreciate… if they’re stoners.

"Derek’s Blues" was intially debuted over at Diffuser, but you can check out the track here.

Hard In Heaven is the band’s third full-length album and the second to be released this year. The album will be available on September 18th. —Brianne Turner

It’s Live On the Green season here in Nashville, which means lots of free music and cooler weather is on the horizon. Last night’s torrential downpour came and went just in time to leave tonight’s forecast wide open for a dry LOTG kickoff.

If you’re not familiar with the month-long, weekly concert experience, the show starts at 6 pm in that grassy area at 3rd and Union downtown. Tonight’s lineup starts big with Jon Cleary, Moon Taxi, and Dr. John, so be sure to show up early.

Next Thursday’s show goes even bigger with The Dunwells, Delta Spirit, and The Wallflowers, so show up especially early for that one, too. In fact, maybe just bring a sleeping bag to tonight’s show and save your seats for next week.

After releasing their second album, Run, just three short months ago, The Black Cadillacs have been gaining steam both in and out of Tennessee. Currently, the Southern six-piece resides in Knoxville, but rumors spread fast and the most exciting rumor surrounding the Black Cadillacs is that they have their sights on Nashville as their new homebase.

In the meantime, Will Horton, Philip Anderson, Matthew Hyrka, John Phillips, Kevin Hyfantis and Adam Bonomo have announced their fall tour dates, where they may be hitting a town near you, even if you don’t live in Nashville. The tour kicks off tomorrow in Louisville, Kentucky and the band passes through Nashville on September 22nd to play the Basement with current locals, The Electric Hearts.

If September 22nd feels too far away, you can keep "Choke" on repeat for the price of a right-click/save right here: "Choke," The Black Cadillacs.

It may be a school night, but clear your schedule and save the date. On Monday, October 15th The Deli Nashville will head to 12th and Porter for a night of booze and music. With an incredible lineup featuring Josh Foster, The Paranormals, and Ernie Halter, this show may be the best excuse to shirk on your weekday responsibilities and shake off your Monday.

The whole thing will kick off at 8 pm and is an 18+ event. It will cost you just $5, and once you’re inside, we encourage you all to come say hello.

For more information and to invite all of your friends, you can visit our Facebook event page.