Photo Source: Atomic Bride

Atomic Bride are going to appear at The Funhouse for a performance on Friday, August 10. Also on the bill are School Shootings, F-Holes, and Autolite Strike.

Back in May the five piece released their latest LP Dead Air. They have been putting on shows since 2007; the work put in since then to create their current record is palpable. They are governed by no one particular sound, spiraling through bouts of surf, alternative, punk and horror rock.

Take the track "D.N.A." for example, which transforms their surf-infused vibe of a modern B-52’s hit into a sing-song, rocking affair. They channel elements of former Seattle band Schoolyard Heroes but morph into something noticeably more punk and New Wave in behavior.

"Radio Recession" on the other hand rhythm-rides right in with a Dick Dale-like surf lick before breaking out with the straightforward energy of an alt-rock chorus. "American Meltdown" lands somewhere inbetween bands like Black Sabbath, Rob Zombie, and the Meat Puppets; but the song is not derivative in any sense of the word. Blending heaviness and country twang, Atomic Bride are fearless in their creations and thus are difficult to classify and pigeonhole. Kudos to them on their undeniable versatility.

Check out Atomic Bride on the 10th of August at The Funhouse for $6. The show begins at 9:30pm. In the meantime, visit their bandcamp page to stream the entirety of Dead Air and purchase it digitally or on CD. A preview of the band is below in the track "D.N.A."

– Cameron LaFlam

After road-testing a new batch of material in January across the UK/Europe, Brooklyn’s Emanuel And The Fear spent the better part of the winter/spring in the studio with Brendan Tobin (Red Sparrows/Made Out Of Babies) completing their new 8-song full length album "The Janus Mirror" which will be released by Germany’s Haldern Pop Recordings in Europe September 14th and in the UK September 21st. A US release will follow through a yet-to-be-named label. The Janus Mirror is the band’s forth release and is also the first recorded document of the bands slimmed down 6 member line up (from the previous 11). While the band’s previous releases have focused more on folk elements (2011’s "Hands" ep), orchestral pop (2010’s "Listen") and dance driven synth rock (the band’s 2009 self-titled ep). The Janus Mirror is a dark and mysterious rock piece with cutting yet ethereal lyrics touching on today’s tsunami of silicone madness we’re all currently stuck in. Emanuel and the Fear is currently touring Europe.

Former keyboardist for Passion Pit, Ayad Al Adhamy, certainly knows how to keep a room entertained. His Brooklyn/Boston based band Team Spirit played The Studio at Webster Hall on Tuesday, August 30th. Openers, Static Jacks and Beast Make Bomb (who celebrated their farewell show) set the right atmosphere, starting off the night with a lot of raw energy and catchy hooks. But Adhamy’s scratchy whine and his band’s punchy material succeeded in the most challenging of tasks: getting a NYC crowd to bounce to the tunes. With fast-paced punk/pop melodies, the band was completely in sync with tight instrumentals and vocals. The spirited front man jumped off the stage numerous times, dancing with girls in the audience, jamming with fellow guitarist, Cosmo Kilburn Di Giulio, and at one point, encouraging the audience to squat on the ground before he jumped back on stage into an aggressive fit of screams and powerful riffs. Team Spirit will be oopening for Miniature Tigers tonight at the TT the Bear’s in Cambridge, MA. – Chelsea Eriksen

So apparently singer Kendra is now into white guys. It’s true. Cold Blood Club’s new single ‘White Boyz’ (streaming below) reads almost like a wanted ad from some strange site where black girls look to take advantage of naive Caucasian gentlemen (ok, it sounds like an awesome site… and the kind of thing we are all for!)

While the Brooklyn act has always had a knack for biting, dance floor energy like in anthemic single ‘Ladies & Gentlemen,’ never before have they sounded this pungent. It’s a good thing for a new band that’s already played around town with members from TV on the Radio (Tunde), and set to continue burning through the club circuit when they take on CMJ this fall. See them live at the Manhattan Bridge Archway in Dumbo on August 9. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Nan Turner is one of the newest and hottest drummers to hit the Kansas City music scene. She’s one half of Schwervon!, who recently relocated to KC from Brooklyn. Nan tells us a little about her approach to the skins and her transition from the Big Apple to the ‘burbs. Catch the beat right here!

On The Beat is a weekly interview brought to you by drummer Sergio Moreno (of Hillary Watts Riot and Alacartoona), and features some of the many talented drummers in the Kansas City area.

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Vassals, a band that has studied at the altar of classic pop songwriting, is back with a new track (called ‘Informers’ – streaming below) that celebrates the possibilities of a warm guitar, a touching story, and what sounds like a drugged out zither.

The song shuffles its rhythms at a level on par with the most bouncy of Vampire Weekend’s tracks (but without even a touch of Cape Cod), while its story seems to take you in one direction only: awkward, adolescent love. The new song is the leading track from their upcoming record slated for later this year. I’m hoping this signals plenty of loud, raunchy guitar solos to come…

You’ll have many opportunities to see these guys live in August, since they are having a residency at Pianos on every Wednesday of the month starting from 08.08 – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Can’t get out to the water this weekend? Consider popping on Rebecca Brandt‘s immersive new single, ‘Staying Silent.’ Should be all you need to push yourself into the deep end. 

Molded in the style of fellow femme composers like Juliana Barwick and Zola Jesus, Rebecca’s latest record ‘Numbers & Shapes’ is a colorful tapestry of sound collage every bit as epic as much of the film scores she’s composed over the past several years. Not for the faint of heart, tracks like the hard-hitting ‘Run’ and ‘The Clock Breaks at Three’ should give you an idea of what to expect from time spent with this runaway personality. 

Sream the new record on her bandcamp and please leave her a message telling her she needs to play live soon! – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Photo Source: Grave Babies

Grave Babies are gracing The Funhouse stage this Friday for Day Two of the venue’s Pizzafest extravanganza. Other acts that night include The Biz, Golden Pelicans, The Yolks, and Shannon and the Clams. 

The group put out the Gothdammit EP in April courtesy of Hardly Art; the five tracks combine bouyant waves of synth with crunchy drum beats, warm bass tones, and solemn vocals.

"Fuck Off" is the first song on the record, both searing and lovely in its use of distortion, melody, and noise. Underground tremors seem to swell from all around when listening to Grave Babies – the music is otherwordly and dark, yet pinned down and precise in its rhythmic effect. "Bloodstains" behavior is similar in its regard for laying the foundation with subterranean and industrial-like sounds.

They will be at Pizzafest 2012 this Friday, August 3rd. The show begins at 7:30pm – and for only $12 you can enjoy eight bands in all. Stream Grave Babies’ song "Bloodstains" below and then check out their soundcloud page for more. You can also pick up their new EP for $11 through Hardly Art’s website.

– Cameron LaFlam

Blonds – Deli NYC artist of the month a few weeks ago – are about to release their debut album "The Bad Ones," which Stereogum is streaming in its entirety. With its beautiful mellow female vocals, slowed down groovy loops, Morriconian references, and occasional sonic bursts, this is a record that will appeal to many and make its ways in many "active" bedrooms. Don’t miss the release party at THe Rock Shop on August 28. Check out the recent stunning single "Time" streaming below.

We highlighted Brooklyn girl quartet TEEN (good luck Googling it! Facebook profile is here) few times since its inception, and they are now getting a good amount of buzz thanks to new material and an upcoming album entitled "In Limbo" which is scheduled to be released in September. The band also just announced a tour with delicious indie pop fellow Brooklynites Hospitality in October, and released this video of the single "Electric." See them live at their release parties at Le Baron in Manhattan (08.29) and Glasslands in Brooklyn (09.05).

The Slowdown has released a streaming and download link to its second single, "To Wonder," off its upcoming debut full-length album A. The 6-piece Kansas City band includes former members of Elevator Division, and describes itself as a "riff-based, roots-inflected, electronic-infused, deftly experimental take on full-bodied rock that conjures a blend of Wilco, Flaming Lips, M83, early Aerosmith, Alice in Chains, and My Morning Jacket."

"To Wonder" is a bit more straightforward than the band’s previous single, "A Mirror, A Torch." The song is driven by Sam Hoskin’s whispy vocals, atmospheric backing vocals, and constantly moving backbeat, with a heavy alternative but bluesy Jerry Cantrell-style guitar solo to top things off.

Listen to "To Wonder" for yourself at The Slowdown’s Soundcloud page.

And if you missed our post on this when it debuted, here’s the video for "A Mirror, A Torch":

–Michelle Bacon

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Dream-pop duo Savoir Adore announced that their sophomore album "Our Nature" will be released on October 16, and took the opportunity to promote two NYC shows this week, one one at Santos Party house on August 2 and the other one at the Ditmas Sanctuary Series (83 Marlborough Road Brooklyn) on August 5 with Lucius – the latter will be an acoustic performance.

On related but separate news, Savoir singer’s solo project debuted the new name "Deidre and The Dark" (it used to be just "Deidre" – check out a video here) at Glasslands on July 25 with Fast Years, with whom they share a light harted approach to pop, with doo-wop and bubble gum influences.