New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Clearance has released the A-Side of their forthcoming single, "Are You Aware" which will be released on August 26th via Tall Pat Records.
You can catch Clearance at Beer Mansion (1446 W. Kinzie) on August 13th with YAWN and Pool Holograph as part of a Brooklyn Brewery Event.
The sweet summery delicacy of a beach boys-y sound set against lyrics heralding apocalyptic doom? Def.GRLS is a band of devilishly delicious contradictions, combining elements of late 60’s garage-pop with disco beats, and laying down distorted guitar tracks that sound almost Zeppelin-esque in scope. The result is a sound that’s at once edgy and dulcet, delighting in retro vibes while never taking itself too seriously, and delivering lyrics that meld both fun and snark. Be on the lookout for their new EP dropping soon, but in the meantime listen below to single ‘The 4 Horsemen…’ and catch them tonight playing Shea Stadium with Sexy Neighbors, Dead Sexy Shelia and Das Black Milk.-Olivia Sisinni
We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best Psych songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!
What neosoul outfit Votive Crown lack in material, they make up for with potential and promise. Having released only three tracks over the past three years, the Brooklyn group has been coy, if not shy, about demonstrating what they’re truly capable of so far. What they have cared to share, however, is a shimmering, fresh take on vintage soul, just as their name would suggest. Their most recent release, "THEREMIN" (the first since 2013) gently weaves in worldly influences into a deeply melodic soul sound that’s headlined by silky, female vocals and ethereal synth and keys patterns. Votive Crown can’t release something else soon enough, and you can check them out at Mercury Lounge on 8/8. —Henry Solotaroff-Webber
Lithuania shared that they will be back in early 2017 with a new full-length album, titled White Reindeer. Below is the latest taste from the upcoming LP called "Holy Water," which premiered yesterday over at Brooklyn Magazine. It’s about “how we often complain about being alone in an era of interdependence and permanent connectivity.” You can get connected with them in-person on Friday, September 30 at Everybody Hits with Pinkwash, Loose Tooth, and Slow Mass.
Aerial View hail from Silver Spring, Maryland, and play a rather tranquil brand of indie rock that combines the ethereal sounds of shoegaze with the technical complexity of math rock. Their latest EP Wear breezes by with clean guitar tones that exhibit a different sound on each song. The track “Desiderium” (streaming) evokes the guitar playing of Hum, but with a more elegant and less crunchy tone. The EP’s closer “Hypnotist” ventures into prog rock reminiscent of the band Yes, while maintaining a dreamy guitar-driven shoegaze inspired sound. Aerial View will be playing at the Velvet Lounge on August 7th in support of HTML. – John Honan
San Clemente’s fuzzpop trio Iris Jupiter brings sunburned riffs and infinite sadness up north, touring through California for the release of their newest EP "Zero Cool". With member roots in the OC DIY collective and grassroots label Sun Terrace (Pedestrian, Ridgeway, SEIZURES, Red Curtain), Nadya Diaz, Devan Fuentes and Cole Sattler break you down faster than prolonged periods of direct sunlight. Blistering fuzz pairs with the bleak, opaque lyrics that’ll have you wondering if this might have been Billy Corgan had he not adorned himself with paisley and psychedelics.
Iris Jupiter kicks off their tour with a show at Beatnik Bandito on August 4th with Shutterings, Silver Spring, and Casual Friday. Listen to "Dream Helium" off Iris Jupiter’s newest EP "Zero Cool", out on Pacific Nature Records.
If we were living in an ’80s movie and the protagonist sees his love interest for the first time it would be as she’s dancing to “Violent Soul” in some dimly lit club, her hair primped to an effortlessly chic voluminous ‘do, neon flourescent lights flickering in the background. With an abundant amount of dark and ambient synths it’s difficult not to find ‘80s new wave as an influence on True Body. The distant, unpolished vocals on Demo ‘16 (streaming below) call to mind British alt rockers White Lies, with a touch of U2, but the spacey keys are reminiscent of Talking Head and DEVO–certainly something that belongs on the soundtrack to some John Hughes film. It’s brooding, yet bubbly, meant to be enjoyed in the late hours of the night when the idea of tomorrow is but a fleeting thought and you’re trying to forget who and where you are.
Accompanying True Body on stage that night is Fat Spirit, whose name does not deceive. Their tracks are perfused with an ecstatic sensation– spastic guitars shimmy throughout the album, swirling to life a sound that recalls a rough around the edges ’60s psych rock guitar riff. The vocals teeter between tender and moving to distant and apathetic, a perfect combination when singing about love, as Fat Spirit does throughout the album, or more specifically the loss of love and disintegrating relationships.
Lose yourself in Fat Spirit and True Body’s music below and make sure to check them out at Strange Matter on August 4. – Adriana S. Ballester
Mothers Fathers Sisters Brothers is a collaborative project created by Oakland based musician, Benji Marx.
The music of Mothers Fathers Sisters Brothers focuses on the cycles of gain and loss, happiness and sadness that flow through our lives. The songs were written after the loss of a relationship and a reevaluation of what it means to lead a fulfilling life. I realized that we all have a circle of responsibility and we choose how far we want to extend it. How far can we push this boundary? Can we include each other? This project is a totem to remind me and hopefully others of the circles we draw, and to maintain the mindset that we are all mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers.
"Favorite Food was written with the taste of a lover still in my mouth, her smell still in my nostrils, and a lingering question of where she had gone." – Benji Marx
Pavo Pavo is one of those bands that make music lovers happy, without really being a happy band, and notwithstanding those unnecessary mustaches. It’s just the celestial orchestration, the musical bits and pieces flawlessly coming together, we guess. This being sad, we wish they had more recorded songs! Nobody is happy about scarcity of what makes them happy, why do you do this to us, Pavo Pavo? Those of you who share the feeling should see these guys live tomorrow (August 4th) at wonderful new Brooklyn Venue National Sawdust – and yes, they’ll be playing more than the two songs you can find online (also streaming below)!
Purling Hiss will release their forthcoming LP High Bias on October 14 via Drag City. Thick battering percussion and shreds of fuzzy guitar immediately paint the hazy setting of their first single, “Fever”. It’s a raunchy, psych-garage tone that is commanding yet comfortable.
Mutts have released a new single called "Let’s Go". The new tracks features a contribution from Archie Powell (Archie Powell & The Exports) and Annie Prichard (HRDRYR).
Mutts will be touring through out the Midwest in August and you can find their full tour schedule here.
One of the most powerful assets of art is its ability to transform negative or sad experiences into positive emotions. A Valley Son does just that in their new, moody Americana and folk rock infused single, “Dark Places,” which tells the story of a mysterious old man full of dark tales – and of his undignified, lonely death ("They found him in his bathroom’s floor…"). The song keeps the band’s promise of “encompassing the dark, poetic lyricism of Bruce Springsteen,” yet they do so with accents that are more Southern and twangy than the ones adopted by The Boss. You can catch A Valley Son at Union Hall on August 13th. – Madeleine Grossman
