NYC

Album of the Month: Mirror Kisses “Bad Dreams”

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Putting Harrisonburg, VA on the map is the dark synthpop duo Mirror Kisses who’s latest LP Bad Dreams (also available on cassette) blows whatever you’ve claimed to be the anthem of summer away. This here is New Order and Less Than Zero dripping in sex on the dance floor. Pull those delorean doors down and get ready to go back to the 80’s inspired future of new wave as MK’s George Clanton and Doug Sexton lead the way.

Enter "Proud", a track that’s kicked off with the ultimate lo-fi teaser before the whoa moment whooshes in. Full of booming bass beats, synths and claps are layered on as powerful vocals shout out "I couldn’t be prouder without you tonight." Should this have been the song to close out the film Drive? Yes.

"She’s Gone" gets an electro boost with swirls of keys, clap echoes, and a tinge of gloom in the lyrics "I waited til she’s gone, forever and ever." Before you know it, you’ll forget what decade this really is, and that’s a good thing. "Call Me Now" dare I say enters the epic arena (epic is a word I try to keep to a minimum, but I can’t escape it’s use in this description.) A slight dose of sci-fi-ish keys and layers of droned out backing vocals come together in a galactic hum.

And that’s just the first three tracks. Basically, these are the 80’s cool kids that Bret Easton Ellis should meet up with. –Dawn

Catch Mirror Kisses live at the Galaxy Hut in Arlington 8/19, and at DC’s Axum Lounge on 8/25.

NYC

From the NYC Open Blog: Everest Cale at Spike Hill – 08.09

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For the past decade, Brett Treacy, Jeremy Kolmin and Aaron Nystrup’s paths have crossed, diverged, reunited and evolved, leading the college friends from South Carolina to New York. In 2010, Treacy (vocals, guitar) began focusing on his original material, and he expanded and matured that sound by involving in the project Kolmin (guitar), Nystrup (bass), Nate Becker (drums) and Ryan Roets (keys, vocals). Everest Cale was born, with each member’s own talents building on Treacy’s foundations.. Infused with classic rock influences, with enough of a modern twist to keep things from ever sounding stale, the band’s dynamic indie rock sound walks the line between fresh and familiar. See them live at Spike Hill on August 9. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli’s NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building.

NYC

Dinosaur Feathers tours with Fang Island

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Before Grizzly Bear drops their own harmony-soaked full-length later this year, be sure to check out the band just as in touch with the rhythm of the rising tide, and all set to compliment your next beach volleyball game better than mopey Ed Droste ever could anyway.

Dinosaur Feathers’ new single ‘Untrue’ (streaming below, off just-released record ‘Whistle Tips’) is something Franz Ferdinand might have made if they spent some time surfing in Mali. The album as a whole feels like the band mic’ed a barbeque and recorded the site live… Another standout is the groove-a-licious ‘Fantasy Memorial.’ The track is so much fun, you’ll feel like you just met the woman of your dreams (who happens to surf in… Mali!)

Check the group out when they come back home in the Fall after an east coast tour with Fang Island, and be sure and listen to the new record on their blogspot. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

NYC

NYC bands on the rise: Minerva Lions at Mercury on 09.08

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Not be confused with the Ohio high school mascot of the same name, Brooklyn’s Minerva Lions are quite possibly one of the best bands exploring the realm of “HoboGlam” (though they can also be said to sound more akin to psychedelic-infused folk and dream pop). The quartet has already won the likes of Nicole Atkins, with whom they collaborate and share musicians, and Mikael Jorgensen of Wilco, who remixed their track "For R.A." last year – impressive feats for a band barely two years old. The group released their debut EP "Great Strides, Priestess & Queen" last year, and returned to the studio this past May to record their first full-length album. Minerva Lions will join Jorgensen once again for a shared bill at Mercury Lounge on September 8. – Devon Antonetti

NYC

From the NYC Open Blog: The Archive plays St. Vitus on 09.04

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Brooklyn’s The Archive recently released this video for the single "Lamb". The Archive isn’t an argument for anything but itself. The band is after a new kind of psychedelia, one dedicated to the notion that Appalachian folk music was the original one-chord rock‘n’roll, the first head trip. The Archive is playing a show at St. Vitus September 4th and releasing their debut album Great Low Down this fall. – (as posted in The Deli’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here). The Deli’s NYC Open Blog is powered by The Music Building.

NYC

King Dude Opening For Wino and Conny Ochs This Sunday at The Comet

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Photo Source: Raz

King Dude is set to appear for a stellar show this weekend at The Comet Tavern. Wino and Conny Ochs are headlining on their Heavy Kingdom tour; Isis & The Ghost is on the bill as well. 

This solo project features the aforementioned artist projecting "dark pagan-fueled folk" into the stratosphere, and he does so with masterful confidence. His latest release Love came out in November of last year courtesy of Dais. The ten tracks are immediately pervasive –  "Don’t Want Me Still" sounds, on one hand, so far away, and yet its layers of echo and distance seem to emit signals from within your own body.

"Spiders In Her Hair" features a bouncy, uptemo riff that sets the tone for TJ Cowgill’s deep and resonant vocals; they are pensive and tuneful. Or take a listen to "Eternal Night" which seems to rumble along some cavernous wagon road, filled with spirited harmonies and an incessant, rattling rhythm.

King Dude’s take on folk as-it-were is no straight and narrow path. His material on Love becomes greatly enriched by buzzing, humming, singing, and other peculiar effects that give rise to a singer-songwriter surrounded by a field of subterranean sounds.

He will appear at The Comet this Sunday, August 12th. Doors are at 8:00pm for this 21+ show that costs $10. Listen to "Eternal Night" below and check out his bandcamp to hear Love all the way through. The album is for sale digitally and on vinyl. Also, keep on the lookout for his upcoming record Burning Daylight which is due out on October 16th.

– Cameron LaFlam

NYC

Artists on Trial: Josh Colburn of Little Rosco

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Little Rosco is one of the newest bands to emerge in what continues to be a growing Kansas City music scene. Though the four-piece rock group only has a couple shows under its belt, it shows promise and willingness to become a force in the musical community. Today, we chat a bit with frontman Josh Colburn.

The Deli: Gun to your head: one sentence to describe your music.  What is it?

Josh Colburn: You know the song that comes on the radio that makes you get a speeding ticket? Like that…

The Deli:  Let’s talk about your latest release or upcoming shows. What can we expect?
 
JC:  We’re are playing a show at Czar Bar on Saturday, August 11 with some other great bands: The Chaotic Goods and The New Imperialism (Wichita). It should be a great show. I know I am ready to throw down and I am super pumped to see the other bands perform! We are just starting out, so for us every show is huge — no matter how big or small.

The Deli:  What does “supporting local music” mean to you?

JC: Of course you can tell your friends about your favorite local bands, but will they actually take the time to go find and listen to them at home? It’s better to take your friends and go to a show and then if you like it, support the band! Buy a t-shirt, CD, sticker, death metal coffee mug for mom, or whatever your fancy is. Getting involved in the local music community is a great way to help and easy to do! For example, one of our members writes concert reviews for a local radio station on a volunteer basis. It may not pay anything, but he gets to meet a lot of great musicians in KC and plug them through a popular medium. There really are lots of ways to help out and make sure the music you love gets out there and doesn’t die on the vine. 
 
The Deli: Who are your favorite “local” musicians right now?

JC: There are a lot of great local bands in the KC area, so it’s really hard to just name a few. Some favorites would be Cherokee Rock Rifle, The Atlantic, The Strive and We Are Voices.

The Deli: Who are your favorite not-so-local musicians right now?
 
JC:  Well, Foo Fighters tops the list, I think for all of us. Also Jimmy Eat World, The Used, The Joy Formidable, Mutemath, Relient K and The Starting Line are all bands that have influenced us. On the other hand, some of the guys listen to bands that we don’t emulate as well, such as the Alabama Shakes and Japandroids.

The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?

JC: I don’t know if I can speak for everyone, but my personal favorites would be Rockin New Years Eve in New York and the Metro in Chicago. Not lofty, I know. But ever since I was young I’ve loved the intimate setting of the Metro and the energy of New York. But when it comes down to it, I don’t like to be too far removed from our fans during a show.
 
The Deli: Would you rather spend the rest of your life on stage or in the recording studio?
 
JC: Definitely on stage. I’ve never heard of "Studio Fright" and there’s a reason. I love the rush and the energy you feel being connected to other people. It’s incredible.

The Deli:
 A music-themed Mount Rushmore.  What four faces are you putting up there and why?

JC: Dave Grohl (do I need to explain?), Jimmy Page (again…), Frank Sinatra (there has to be at least one true gentleman up there) and Johnny Cash (again, I don’t think that needs an explanation). These guys are legends or legends in the making. Their music and lives inspire musicians daily.
 
The Deli:  All right, give us the rundown.  Where all on this big crazy web can you be found? 

Twitter – @littleroscoband 
 
The Deli:  Always go out on a high note.  Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?

JC: Go out and support local musicians. They’re your friends or potential friends and they’re working hard for you! Find music you love and don’t ever let it die because, as Quincy Jones said, "What a harmonious world it would be if every single person shared a little bit of what they are good at doing." We like to think we are contributing to such a world, but we need everyone to join us!

Rock out with Josh and the rest of Little Rosco this Friday, August 10 at Club 906 in Liberty, or this Saturday, August 11 at Czar Bar. They’ll be playing with The Chaotic Goods and The New Imperialism. Show starts at 9 pm.

-Michelle Bacon

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NYC

The Ugly Club releases debut LP + plays The Studio on 08.17

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After two strong EPs, the hardest-working band in New Jersey has just put out their first full-length ‘You Belong to the Minutes.’ Make no mistake, The Ugly Club have big goals in mind. Why else would they be busking around Austin and outside Fed Ex stores around the East Coast? Unless they’re crazy, which I guess is also possible. Their new single ‘Unravelling You’ is filled with an eerie sense of unease, like something is lying on the wings, about to take over. And when it does take over in the hook, an even more unexpected thing happens. Singer Ryan Egan’s vocals deliver a warmth that puts things right back together again. With a sound this ambitious, it’s amazing how simple the band makes it all feel.

Recorded at Rough Magic Studios with engineer Alby Cohen (Mos Def, Talib Kweli), ‘You Belong to the Minutes’ is a large-scale statement from a band just beginning to throw their weight around. Check them out August 17 at The Studio at Webster Hall. – Mike Levine(@Goldnuggets)

NYC

Fergus & Geronimo release new album on 08.10 at 285 Kent

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For their second album, ‘Funky Was The State Of Affairs‘ (out tomorrow, August 7th), Brooklyn-based band Fergus & Geronimo brought in two new members and left behind the sixties background of their debut, to find in the 80s the foundations of a new sonic flavour. Truthfully though, the various New Wave, dance rock and pop-punk influences are hardly the most interesting thing about this record. Amidst fast beats and freaky skits, they’re playing their very own ‘tale of idiots’, halfway between social satire and pure nonsense. Don’t be misled by that strange Northern-Cockney hybrid on the opening ‘No Parties’, the English aren’t a prime target here. Consumerism, paranoia, passivity and other defects of our kind, extraterrestrial fantasies and complex relationships: those are the main themes approached in this weird, gripping album which, agreed, is varied in sounds, but should certainly get as much credit for its coherence. The release show will be on Friday (8.10) at 285 Kent. – Tracy Mamoun

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NYC country lady Anna Krantz plays Rockwood on 08.12

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A lot of people don’t know this, but New York has a pretty strong Country scene. Mixed in with popular of-the-moment singers like Azelia Banks and Alexis Krauss, where people usually think to look for our city’s strong frontwomen, are some of the fiercest young honky-tonk women around. Enter Anna Krantz. An NYC singer with roots in London, (and musical roots in Nashville) her voice could light a fire every bit as explosive as any of these other leading women. Take ‘Flesh and Blood’ off her new EP ‘Foundation.’ Here’s a track that finds its way to its target with nothing but a strong voice and a story. It’s a traditional diva style from the school of Dusty Springfield that works well for someone this talented. While her brand of intimate pop songwriting isn’t for everyone, no one this capable can be easily dismissed either. You can see Anna live at Rockwood Music Hall on Sunday August 12 – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)