Mahogany is one of the most interesting "shoegazy" NYC bands (although they are partly based in Philly as well), blending the genre’s typical droney and reverbery atmospheres with gentle electronic elements and loungy pop vocals reminiscent of Stereolab. From what we heard, the band went through a rough period involving line up changes but also new material, which will be showcased live tonight during the show at The Studio at Webster Hall in Manhattan

Rewards (brainchild of multi instrumentalists Aaron Pfenning, Co-Founder of Chairlift) has announced the release of his forthcoming single, "Equal Dreams", featuring Solange Knowles and Blood Orange, aka Lightspeed Champion. Quite interestingly we were just saying the other day how Blood Orange "sounds like an alt-soul version of Chairlift playing late Roxy Music songs". Set for a July 25th release on DFA Records the single will be available in 12" vinyl and digitally. Less opaque and murky than its predecessors, "Equal Dreams" starts with upbeat percussion, great big handclaps and a creeping bassline that sounds anything but melancholic. Rewards will be playing live at Cameo on August 18 with Suckers.

Milagres (ex The Secret Life of Sofia) writes catchy, melodic songs garnished with airy synths that are elevated by Kyle Wilson’s mesmeric falsetto. The slow builds drum up a voracious anticipation that is graciously rewarded by satisfying releases that warrant repeat listens. The band – signed to Kill Rock Stars Records, will be releasing their second album Glowing Mouth on September 13. Milagres have just announced a fall tour with Peter Wolf Crier. The band (voted #20 best emerging NYC artist in our latest Year End Poll) has released a free track from the upcoming album, which you can stream below.

Brooklyn-based Cinema,Cinema, an amalgamation of Ev Gold (vocals/guitar) and Paul Claro (drums), explodes into aggressive, grungy garage punk on their grumbling and demonic EP, “Shoot the Freak.” Frantic screamer, “Lady Abortion” surges with distortion and high speed drums. The EP continues the medical motif with “Pleased to Meet You, Anesthesia,” which features parallel melodies in vocals and instrumentation, losing control in sirens of guitar feedback. Banging drums and guitar riffs set Day-Leash” off in a progressive rock frenzy, eventually returning to the opening measures which fade into silence to close “Shoot the Freak.” Cinema Cinema’s music sounds explosive on record also because of the sound engineering help of Don Zientara, producer of crucial punk/hardcore records by Minor Threat, Fugazi, Bad Brains, and Bikini Kill, to name just a few. The band will be playing a series of dates in the NYC area, the first one at The Charleston (174 Bedford, Williamsburg) on July 15. – Meijin Bruttomesso

If you were listening to KEXP’s Audioasis last Saturday, you already know about Sports, and you can kindly consider this post a refresher on something that rocks.  Sports has a solid, 80’s-style electro sound. The tempo is relaxed, and the synths are backed up with reverberating guitars and melancholic vocals. Comparisons to bands like Depeche Mode are unfortunate, but inevitable. Sports played a great set on KEXP’s Audioasis last Saturday, which you can listen to at http://www.kexp.org/streamarchive/streamarchive.asp, though it won’t be up forever.

I’ve always found ambient music a little too uneventful – it’s a cool concept and everything but dude… it’s a little like when you meet a cute but very shy guy/girl who doesn’t say a word to save his/her own life, you know? "Talk to me, dammit!!!"
Brooklyn band Future Shuttle (a band we discovered by browsing through our own live listings on the right) play ambient-ish music that’s eventful enough to keep us interested – and that’s when we find out that the line between ineptly shy and rather charming is very fine indeed. Fronted by ethereal singer Jessa Farkas, this band’s sound is mostly based on droney, gently effected, intertwining electronic pads and sparse reverbered vocals – which add interest to the tunes conveying also a strong mystic element. There are also guitars, percussions and a flute in the mix, all working behind the scenes, in "atmospheric" and mysterious ways. Future Shuttle is playing at Silent Barn on July 6 and at Glasslands on July 9.

Brooklyn psych-rockers White Hills have a brand new album out and they want you to hear it. Titled "H-p1," the collection of 9 songs rails against our increasing dependence on corporate consumerism. "The Condition of Nothing" combines driving, psyched-out guitars and motor driven percussion with vocals that speak to nihilistic delusion, while guitars sounding more like metal hammering against industrial factory walls are the dominant element on the track "Movement." "A Need To Know" builds up gradually from hushed overtones, and the title track closes the album with an ambitious 17 minutes opus that delivers heavy jams for the disenfranchised. Though one wouldn’t be off base to think of very early Stooges (1969 era) or even Spaceman 3, White Hills share a similarly twisted compositional vibe with San Francisco psych rockers Wooden Shjips. The band will be performing live for their CD release show at Union Pool in Brooklyn on July 14 Oneida side project Man Forever and Weird Owl. – Dave Cromwell

Completely unrelated to legendary British prog-rock pioneer Robert Wyatt, Wyatt is a Brooklyn based quintet (via Colorado, New Mexico, and Michigan) that plays what we call "rootsy pop" – with an added indie twist in the production department. Led by Maddy Wyatt’s gentle presence and vocals, the band’s reinterpretation of folky atmospheres is entertaining and stimulating at once, thanks to a musical approach that successfully avoids tired formulas. Wyatt is celebrating their Brooklyn CD release with a show at Union Hall in Park Slope on July 7.

Gowanus’ own Lightouts delivers their music quick, jolting and right down the middle. With enthusiastic yelps delivered over power-pop chords, this trio sways the listeners over with fast power pop combining Husker Du’s steady distorted guitar/fast drums assaults with a more passionate rock delivery. – Simon Heggie

Songwriter Sam Amidon is single-handedly re-defining the boundaries of American folk music. His songs succeed in using grooves and melodies familiar to alt-folk listeners as the backbone that supports all-but-forgotten lyrics from early American folk tunes. Sam’s music gives cultural weight to otherwise outdated, seemingly irrelevant lyrics, bringing new life and accessibility to old American hymns. Not a simple feat, but one that his background uniquely prepares him for. Growing up in a family of folk musicians in Brattleboro, Vermont, Amidon was immersed in a rich musical tradition from a young age. Now based in NY, Amidon, along with his fellow Bedroom Community colleagues, is classing up Brooklyn’s indie scene, one folk tune at a time. With his ambitious new record I See The Sign (Bedroom Community), Amidon furthers his folk revival mission, bringing in guest stars like Beth Orton and Nico Muhlry to help out, as well as adding R. Kelly’s ‘Relief’ to his eclectic Americana catalog. – Read Mike Levine’s Q&A with the artist here.

 

Tanlines are a hard one to pin down. They’re perfectly suited for Brooklyn though. A place that values pastiche world music acts like Yeasayer and Dirty Projectors is a perfect breeding ground for the crazy imaginative, All-of-Epcot-on-a-Record approach to songwriting this duo has come up with. Songwriters/production team Eric Emm and Jesse Cohen have been working together for awhile, (each with their own impressive resumes as ex-members of The Brothers and Professor Murder respectively) but because of their DIY distribution model that includes releasing singles, remixes, videos and other takeaways at entirely random times, they still feel much like a new band. WIth their last EP about a year old, (and who remembers anything from that long ago?) I’m hoping to hear some new tracks soon. This is a band very hard on themselves, searching out new sounds with every song. So where most bands find themselves placing years of pent-up 7-inches on their eventual LP, I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot of brand new material coming from Tanlines for their first full-length, rumored for release later this year. Here’s hoping! – Read Mike Levine’s interview with the band here.