Philadelphia

New RUGS Album Available for Streaming & Download

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A texturally diverse, folksy, psych-pop sound characterizes Success Party, the latest release from RUGS. A melding of loose, enthusiastic, harmony-flavored tones juxtaposed by moments of minor, somewhat chaotic-disjointed noise creates a perplexing marriage. You’ll want to spin this through a few times.

San Francisco

CUBE Prepares to Release New Album

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CUBE is an experimental electronic music project from Adam Keith of Oakland, California. We´re exctied for his upcoming album My Cube which is due out on June 24th via Left Hand Path.

Cube’s first release came back in 2010, a self-released tape called Cubicle Rites. Since then, Keith has released numerous cassette tapes through his own imprint; through Human Conduct, a Baltimore experimental label; and through Digitalis, a prolific Oklahoma label, among others. Musically, he touches on industrial, dub, techno, noise, and more, but does so with a distinctly personal, emotional touch — the spirit of a singer-songwriter lurks underneath his waves of distortion.

My Cube is Cube’s first vinyl LP, and it is a multifaceted, kaleidoscopic listen, containing a multitude of moods and atmospheres. It sounds like the West Coast’s answer to Container, and will appeal to fans of Aussie synth-punks Total Control just as much as it will to fans of Regis, Silent Servant, and their seminal Downwards record label. Side A begins with a noisy scree, giving way to "Favorite," a riotous post-punk storm of churning guitars and drum machines, and ends with the all-too-brief techno beauty of "Opaque." Flip the record over and you’ll hear the piston-like beats and searing guitar of "Bargain Water"; soon comes the heavy, dancefloor-ready "Auto / Composite Face Fetish." If industrial music is less a sound than an attitude, then My Cube sounds like a rallying cry for the modern age.

Stream New Track: Auto / Composite Face Fetish via Soundcloud

Philadelphia

Debut Swanning EP Available for Streaming

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Drawing Down The Moon, the debut EP from Cynthia Ann Schemmer’s (Radiator Hospital) musical vehicle known as Swanning, won’t be officially released via Salinas Records until this Friday, May 27; however, it’s streaming over at Stereogum. So, the wait is over. On first listen, the album has an ever-evolving, jagged, melodic intimacy. Catch Swanning’s record release show on Tuesday, May 31 at PhilaMOCA with Allison Crutchfield, Littler, and Empath.

NYC

Lowhency Pierre brings meditative, genre-blending R&B to Pianos on 7/9

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Featuring vocals and production as smooth as they are stirring, New York R&B outlet Lowhency Pierre has the potential to go places.  Named after its vocalist and with a sole EP to their name, the R&B group demonstrates a musical and lyrical maturity rare for a group as young as they are. On each track the vocalist plays singer and poet alike, crooning profound messages about his experience as well as the human experience in general. Backing him up is impressive R&B production that pulls from a variety of influences including hip-hop, funk and neo-soul.  Not afraid to flex this diversity, the band often switches up the beat multiple times within songs seamlessly.  You can catch them at Pianos on 7/9. – Henry Solotaroff-Webber

Philadelphia

Free Download: “Come Out Alright” – Little Strike

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Below is a lovely new single from Little Strike, a.k.a. Tamar Dart, called "Come Out Alright." "Back in the states after a year of work and travel in China, I received an email from a close friend revealing that he had been doing heroin, and that I was the only person that he chose to tell… The chorus is directly taken from the email I received. He’s better now, not fighting alone." Dart will be performing next in Philly on Saturday, June 4 as part of the Sundrop Music Fest.

Nashville

The forecast calls for warmth and a strong chance of sunshine pop on Father Tribe’s self-titled EP

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This one slipped by my radar when it first came out, but Bandcamp’s search likes to make up its own rules sometimes. Occasionally, that causes a gem to surface, such as Father Tribe’s self-titled EP. All the hallmarks of summertime listening are there—the ‘verb, the lilting vocal sustains, the laid back tempo. Of course, these things can get a little one-dimensional. Fortunately it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows; it’s got that modern beach pop shimmer for sure, but it’s balanced out with the sense of urgency of 1980s synthpop. Give it a spin if you’re so inclined. We’d recommend it. –Austin Phy

Chicago

Monte Carload

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Monte Carload is moniker of Tyler White under which he creates jangly-pop anthems. He recently released a new single called "Heart Attack".

Portland

PREMIERE: The Toads – “I’m a Toad”

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*photo by Todd Young 

Coming out onto the scene with a fervent drive to dominate the pop punk world with excitable power, The Toads have done a lot with themselves in their first year as a band. Since their formation early last year, they’ve recorded a full length, performed upwards of 60 shows and have a couple music videos to tout. Today, we’re presenting you with another one.

With shots filmed around the Pearl, "I’m a Toad" is a fun video showing the three toadies, guitarist Matt Kane, bassist Matt Dinaro and drummer Mitch Gonzales run somewhat of a muck through Saturday Market, donning all white a la Andrew W.K. Their color performance scenes were filmed at the Khao San restaurant, with the restaurant owner Bud funding the video and even making a guest appearance chauffeuring the trio around in a Tuk Tuk.

The Toads have got a show coming up on the 28th with Daisy Deaths and Lord Becky at the Turn Turn Turn. "I’m a Toad" is both the kind of song and video that makes you want to jump up, act crazy and freak a few people out. Give it a watch below.

NYC

NYC Record of the Month: Home Blitz’s ‘Foremost & Fair’ – Live at Union Pool tonight (5/24)

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Based on the mix of influences, nothing about Home Blitz’s Foremost and Fair should work—except it does, and quite beautifully. At its core, this 2015 record is an emo pop-punk album with heavy slacker overtones – and a good one at that – but its the unique bells and whistles of the project that make it really intriguing. As the castle on the cover suggests, the record is filled with musical sequences that you would expect to find in a historical drama or a fantasy RPG, but definitely not a punk inspired LP.  This makes for a ton of enjoyable WTF moments across the full length, none better than single "I’m That Key," boasting baroque keyboard parts reminiscent of The Stranglers, or opener "Seven Thirty," where a flute part subtly integrates the track’s catchy guitars. On "Betton Hill," and "Tell me There" these throwbacks get pushed to the forefront as oddly catchy, courtly piano sequences that make up a good chunk of the tracks’ melodies, along with the singer’s never too whiny vocals. Foremost and Fair then bows out with "Cutting the Cross," a catchy finale, where twangy guitars and upbeat keys mingle to send the album out on a very high-note, while still retaining the overall (extremely) vintage feel. Seamlessly integrating these archaic elements into a punk record seems like something that would require nothing short of magic, but Home Blitz pulled it off, and in the process innovated a genre that some may think had reached its limits. Don’t miss their live show at Union Pool on 05.24. – Henry Solotaroff Webber

We added "I’m That Key" song to The Deli’s playlist of Best punky songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!