Toronto

The Crowleys – Jangly New Psych Single “Clarice”

Posted on:

The Crowleys are a psychedelic pop-rock band from Hamilton. They have figured out a way to effectively master that lo-fi garage sound while keeping the quality high and melodies catchy. Their new single “Clarice” has duel vocals and a medium paced jangle. The lyrics touch on “the uncertainty within yourself when dealing with mental health issues”. The Crowleys play This Ain’t Hollywood in Hamilton on November 6th along with Hot Garbage and Simply Saucer. – Kris Gies

Chicago

Ikaray “No Borders”

Posted on:

Post Metal band Ikaray recently released a new single called “No Borders”. This is the lead single from their forthcoming album and the first new music we have had from them since 2016.

You can catch Ikaray at Burlington Bar on October 29th with Ekki and Staghorn.

Chicago

Brady “Family Photos / Twist the Knife”

Posted on:

Brady has released a new double single “Family Photos” b/w “Twist the Knife”. The noisy rock band released a video for “Twist the Knife” back in August, but last week dropped both tracks on all streaming services.

This is the work of Sam Boyhtari, Jake Morse, Kacey Keith, and Connor McCoy.

L.A.

Illuminati Hotties’ brash, yet sweet “ppl plzr” narrates a night gone wrong

Posted on:

These days, Sarah Tudzin would rather not overthink things too much. In between touring in support of her debut album, last year’s Kiss Yr Frenemies, Tudzin (who fronts Illuminati Hotties) has been releasing new material as it comes to her—raw, spontaneous, and without considering the album format. One of those experiments, "I Wanna Keep Yr Dog," was a slice of cool surf-pop that could’ve easily stood out in a full-length album. Her latest, "ppl plzr," is brash and beautiful, a fuzz-driven scorcher where she details a messy relationship quarrel during a loveless New Year’s Eve. It’s sad, but also bitingly humorous, elegantly illustrating Tudzin’s songwriting mastery—even if she downplays the track as a spur-of-the-moment idea. 

All proceeds from the single will be donated to The Trevor Project, an organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ young folks under age 25. – Juan Rodríguez

NYC

Toledo bring their mello folk-pop to Baby’s All Right on 11.01

Posted on:

Daniel Alvarez and Jordan Dunn-Pilz form the dream-folk band TOLEDO. The New York City duo released their first EP, “Hotstuff” earlier this year, a collection of laid back, mostly acoustic tracks drawing airy pop melodies on a twangy background. Single “Qué Pasa?” perfectly sums up this Mazzy Star-inspired sound, in which smooth and dazed vocals perfectly complement the light and dainty melody. The other four song on the EP are consistently enjoyable, making this band a candidate for the post-Real Estate throne. TOLEDO will perform in NYC at Baby’s All Right on 11.02.

Chicago

Halloween @ The Hideout

Posted on:

Three of our local favorites, Mayor Daley, justindemus, and Midnite Cruiser, are spending Halloween together at The Hideout and we thought you should know. All three have been relatively quite in 2019, but release some of our favorite albums of 2018.

New England

A Deli Premiere: “New York City” by Lindsay Foote

Posted on:

Heartfelt and elegant is the new single by Boston’s Lindsay Foote: "New York City" is an ode to a fragile dream broken by reality, its shards buried deep in the bright guitar riffs and passionate vocals. It was not so long ago that Lindsay grappled with the tough decision that inspired the track that she recalls "’New York City’ was inspired by a decision I faced in my own life. A few years ago, I was deciding whether or not to move from Toronto to New York City with my boyfriend at the time. We were going through tough times in our relationship, and part of me hoped that a fresh start in a new city would fix it. Deep down, though, I knew that it wouldn’t. This song is about facing that decision and finally being honest with myself about what I wanted." The confession is a liberating one as "New York City" boasts Lindsay’s Americana style of music with a graceful abandonment of reservations; each instrument builds on the next with class: a clean and refined bassline accompanies a snappy snare beat that races alongside a reverberating electric guitar and Lindsay’s intrepid vocals toward an honest end. Americana/indie artists like Brandi Carlile and Katie Toupin exude sincerity in each lyric and captivate wholly, Foote shows she has that and then some. Lindsay will be playing at the Aeronaut Brewery in Somerville on November 13th; we are proud to premiere "New York City" below for New England and beyond. – Rene Cobar

Chicago

Alan Goldsher “Sticky”

Posted on:

Bassist and Producer Alan Goldsher has released the first single, “Sticky”, from his forthcoming album, 96 B.P.M., which will be released on November 12th via Gold Note Records.

This, his second album of 2019, is filled with a funky blend of Jazz and Hip Hop and throwback to groups like Digable Planets and A Tribe Called Quest.

NYC

Oona Ruin’s Don’t Look Down

Posted on:

Praise be, what a lovely discovery. Oona Ruin’s vocals echo with folk notes, a unique raspy strength, combined with soothing finger picking. A haunting and catchy song that is leaving us hoping and searching for more. Stay tuned for more releases and Bay Area shows. –Michelle Kicherer, Associate Editor

NYC

Fusion trio concrete concrete groove idiosyncratically on debut “Drifter”

Posted on:

Situated at the crosshairs of jazz, contemporary classical, and math rock is New York post everything trio concrete concrete, who, over the course of their debut LP Drifter, establish themselves as idiosyncratic songwriters and immaculate instrumentalists. From the bright guitar interplay on opening vamp “But I Still” to dark cinematic closer “Reverie,” concrete concrete demonstrate a penchant for fusion, employing orchestral strings, electronica interludes, and lush seven-chord arpeggios in tandem—only briefly allowing vocals to take centerstage of “Hues,” the record’s central track. Their predeliction for balance in the release’s many moving parts is remarkable, and shows both the group’s impressive instrumental chops and their tactful ears as authors of one of the year’s more interesting albums—give it a listen below. -Connor Beckett McInerney