New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Pepper Mill Rondo has released a wild new Christmas album called “It’s Christmas Time” via Hausu Mountain. This is the work of the label’s founders Doug Kaplan and Max Allison, and is perfect if your holiday is a little wrapped and twisted.
Photo by TINO FROM FOTO QUETZAL
Bad Ambassadors is the duo of Rich Jones and producer Walkingshoe. They are preparing to release their self-titled debut EP via Shoebox Records on January 10th. The EP’s lead single is called “Up To You” and can be streamed below.
The EP release show will take place at The Hideout on January 10th.
Brooklyn-based performance artist and musician Wsabi Fox may have dropped the video for “Flamingo” a few months ago, but it’s lurid, captivating visuals have a way of remaining with the viewer long far longer than its five minute run time. A dance between Ruben Sindo Acosta and Wsabi Fox bandleader Jennae Santos, dramatically captured amidst flashing lights and alternating day-night shots, lends a compelling aesthetic to the band’s stumbling, synth-friendly prog rock; it’s final image of Santos, lying motionless on the floor, as Acosta is seemingly recedes into the darkness, leaves onlookers with a haunting mise en scene. It’s a taste of the type of poignant performance Wsabi Fox will bring to C’mon Everybody on January 23rd — watch it below. —Connor Beckett McInerney
Tall Juan’s psych-garage rock has been a consistent presence within the New York D.I.Y. scene of the last five years, but on new LP TALL JUAN PLAYS CUMBIA, the enigmatic artist exchanges guitar pedals for auxiliary percussion, opting for a more genre-specific album that retains all the charm and quirks of his existent releases. Single “Vienes y Te Vas” is a sunny cover of a cumbia staple, and while a departure from the fast and rough sound we’ve come to associate with Tall Juan, feels instantly familiar. Coupled with tongue-in-cheek video of the artist playing music on the beach and the occasional superimposed sappy imagery, and you’ve got an alt-latinx bop tucked away for warmer months. Watch it below, and catch Tall Juan at Knitting Factory tonight.
Boston’s Oddysseys are delighting this December with a dual single release sure to catch your attention. “Testimony” and “Goon” complement one another with their lo-fi edge and dreampop sheen displayed at different tempos—both equally satisfying. The speedy pace of the drums in “Testimony” create along with sparkling-lingering guitar chords, a retro soundscape that brings out the brightest colors of ‘80s dreampop while finishing with light strokes of modern indie rock. “Goon” is far more atmospheric a track, yet its fat groove is undeniable as a voluptuous bassline drives the song into the euphoric breakdowns that characterize Oddysseys. The vocal delivery on both tracks should also be noted: “Goon” displays a softer and more sensitive tone while “Testimony” a confident baritone. Both singles stand on their own just fine, but together they are part of a greater work that demands it be appreciated as a whole. The band is set to perform at Lilypad Inman in Cambridge, MA, on December 28th. Stream the singles below for a ticket to a dreamworld rich in character. – Rene Cobar
Oakland’s Gorgeous released Gorgeous this fall and we just want to give an extra shout out to the band. They’ve got a funny B-52’s vibe but with a poppier, modern clever feel we dig on hard. Where are the shows, girls? We are ready, Freddy. –Lucille Faulkner
Hot off the release of their single "Set Me Up", Cold Violets will perform a show at the Troubadour on December 21st. The band put out "Set Me Up" and its B-side "Stay With Me" last week, providing fans with a one-two punch of new material. "Set Me Up" provides a taste of dark upbeat pop, while "Stay With Me" delivers a post-punk rumble rife with energy. The two songs make up Cold Violets’ first release since the 2018 EP The Silhouette; they preview potential new work from the group at the turn of the decade. Other bands and artists on the bill with Cold Violets on the 21st include Creating Monsters, Charlie Taylor, Kapali Long, and Alec Reid; head to the Troubadour on Saturday to see them all. Take a listen to "Set Me Up" below. – Will Sisskind
Prolific singer/songwriter Jesus Acosta, aka SOBBRS, released his first full length LP Fortunato on October 7th. Compounding catchy hooks, detailed grooves, and savory synths the record crafts an original pop sound with one foot planted in 80’s throwback and the other stepping forward into the world of modern production. Rewarding repeated listens, Fortunato uses pop music tropes in a very controlled fashion, the key change for the last chorus of “Monsoon” for instance, while having the foresight to subvert those same tropes later. Consistent quality is prevalent but “Cameo”, “Motherlode”, and “Bones” are stand-outs.
Finding balance is Fortunato’s biggest accomplishment. The instrumentals forge an energy that finds balance in equal parts kinetic spectacle and melancholic meditation, leaving the listener the choice to either dance or cry. Lyrically drawing from Edgar Allan Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado, the reflective words strike equilibrium between adverse themes of isolation and belonging. Even Acosta’s vocal delivery is balanced between rhythmic certainty and an emotive, quivering vibrato. This overall balance displays the benefits in both active and passive listening.
Upon the record’s release, SOBBRS packed Mohawk, seamlessly guiding the tracks into a live setting. His backing band consists of Springful’s Jim Hampton on guitar and Flora & Fawna’s Mason Ables, who is also responsible for the record’s intricate production, on keys and beats. Although playing the same songs, the group infused new life into them through the performance, teetering the scale towards dance and elation. With a St. Vincent cover, the premiere of a music video for “Crossfire”, and a celebratory onstage cake, it was a wonderful night.
-Hayden Steckel
Carvest, the latest LP by Brooklyn-based polymath Scott D. Townsend (recording under the project name HARD JOB) splits the difference between Townsend’s lively, melodic songwriting and a vast array of experimental, instrumental parts. The album opens with “I Look at Miserable,” a 90s rock inspired track that showcases Townsend’s bombastic, raw vox against a repeating, major bass loop, squealing riffs, and a floor tom heavy percussive line; this sound quickly transitions to “White Noise,” a song underpinned by reverb heavy drums and a persistent noisy hum alongside Townsend’s bright, alternative radio-friendly vocals. Later HARD JOB goes full art pop with “Dating In Your 30’s,” a fun upbeat tune supported by a constant kitschy metronome-like beat and various echoing electric guitars. Overall, Carvest is a deeply interesting and wholly disorienting effort, cohesive in its creator’s desire to reinvent a plethora of different genre influences in his own image, making for a fascinating listen. Stream it below, and catch HARD JOB at Alphaville on December 19th, alongside Painted Faces, Human Flourishing, and Video Daughters. —Connor Beckett McInerney
There’s an immediate warmth present in “Used To,” the latest single by New York-based artist Talulah Paisley, a feeling derived from the track’s lofi production and Paisley’s earnest, down-to-earth lyricism. While detailing the feeling of being the subject of another’s affection, and the subsequent feelings of dejection when that affection shifts to another, Paisley strums and plucks, shifting the tempo of her folk in an energetic, albeit sad fashion. It’s immediately evocative of NYC’s antifolk scene, and recommended listening for those seeking acoustic songwriters with a raw, tell-it-like-it-is voice; stream it below, and catch Talulah Paisley at Baby’s All Right on December 19th, alongside Zenizen and Water From Your Eyes.
Irreverent genre-wanderers Seldomo are seemingly never comfortable putting out the same flavor of music album after album. Their latest double single Insomnia / Scrap King is a hard pivot from their 2017 folk-tinged LP Probably Cool, informed by the same delightfully weird songwriting yet noticeably more discordant; both tracks’ psych-surf-stoner-rock sound feature heavy riffs, an abrasive drive, and the additional saxophone accents. It’s recommended listening for fans of The Oh Sees and screaming in general; jam it below, and catch Seldomo at Hart Bar on December 20th.
Multi-instrumentalist dreamweaver Jason McMahon developed his forthcoming LP Odd West with the intention of crafting music he could play for his parents and wedding ceremonies. This mindset produced an end result that is a grounded yet experimental acoustic effort, one centered around McMahon’s noodling guitar performance and bolstered by avant-garde vocal and electronic flourishes. Single “Book of Knots” encapsulates his mentality well; string arpeggios both major and minor play center stage, surrounded by various dreamlike accents from synth, electric guitar, and flute, all contributing to final effort that has all the trappings of familiar instrumental classical music with a wholly modern spin. Quietly enjoy it below, and catch Jason McMahon at Roulette Intermedium on January 22nd for the album’s release show.
