L.A.

Justus Proffit lays down surreal indie-rock on “Hole,” plays at Zebulon on 3/7

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Justus Proffit can’t get a dream he had out of his head. Following an EP with rising indie darling Jay Som, the singer-songwriter proceeds to follow the solo route with his latest single "Hole," a nineties-informed indie rocker whose blend of tuneful guitars are affixed with a slight tinge of dissonance. As the song progresses, his headspace teeters between dreamlike delirium and curious internal logic. He finds some clarity within the song’s robust, mid-fi range, possessing a fullness and a warmth reminiscent of Stone Temple Pilots’ more tender grunge ballads.

"Hole" is taken from Proffit’s forthcoming full-length album, L.A.’s Got Me Down, which is out on March 8 via Bar/None Records. You can catch him at Zebulon on March 7. Juan Rodríguez

NYC

Slut Magic to play Planned Parenthood benefit concert at Trans-Pecos 02.14

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With a name like Slut Magic, from the get-go it’s obvious this quartet makes no bones about being straightforward and political. “Slut” is such a loaded word, but for band founders Lauren Riucci and Emma Sky, it represents the assurance and indomitability that they want to reclaim through music. That music more than lives up to its aspirations; recalling the loud-soft-loud dynamics of grunge bands like Hole, Slut Magic knows how to balance every thrashing punk scream with moments of structural refinement (and vice versa). Slut Magic will play Trans-Pecos on Valentine’s Day, and will be donating all proceeds to Planned Parenthood – so if you’re looking to mosh for a cause this holiday, this might be the perfect opportunity. -Sunny Betz

Chicago

Jamila Woods “Zora”

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Jamila Woods announced today that her sophomore LP, LEGACY! LEGACY!, will be released on May 10th via Jagjaguwar in partnership with Closed Sessions.

Below is the Vincent Martell directed video for “ZORA” from the new album, and the full track listing which shows that the album will feature contributions from Nitty Scott, Saba, theMIND, Jasminfire, and Nico Segal.

BETTY
ZORA
GIOVANNI
SONIA (ft. Nitty Scott)
FRIDA
EARTHA
MILES
MUDDY
BASQUIAT (ft. Saba)
SUN RA (ft. theMIND and Jasminfire)
OCTAVIA
BALDWIN (ft. Nico Segal)
BETTY (for Boogie)

PHOTO CREDIT: Bradley Murray

Nashville

The Slow Drag releases new blood-pumping single “Beat of My Heart”

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We have laid the indie pop on you thick here at The Deli Nashville over the last few days, but we have good reason for that. When you’ve got catchy singles like "Beat of My Heart" coming from artists like Austin James aka The Slow Drag, you have to talk those up no matter how much pop (or Coke, I suppose) you’ve had to drink. James puts together a track worthy of the ears of fans of Grouplove or Vampire Weekend, mixing karate chop guitar chords with a drum beat and background vocal "whoa-ohs" and "la-las" that scream Early Song of the Summer Contender. James, who spent much of his life in California, lets the sunshine through in this song; fans of his previous band mid-Aughties West Coast pop outfit Everybody Else might take a serious liking to it. Check out "Beat of My Heart" below. – Will Sisskind

Chicago

Ex Okays “Involvement”

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Ex Okays have released a new single called “Involvement”. This is the DIY sounds of Aidan Cahill, Dominic Folino, Doñovan Thomas, Elias Snyder, and Johnny Cummings

You can catch Ex Okays at The Tube on February 19th with French Police and at Subterranean on March 11th with Spud Cannon, The Off Days, and more.

NYC

SIRINTIP brings complex jazz-influenced tunes to Trans Pecos 02.07

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It’s easy to talk about personal and cultural background when breaking down the music of SIRINTIP. Their frontwoman’s childhood journey from Thailand to Sweden and then to New York is definitely a source of inspiration. However, the complex and vibrant sound of SIRINTIP is also a product of honed technical skill and a deep love of jazz, a passion that they were able to share at a recent three day jazz singing workshop at New Jersey’s OCVTS Performing Arts Academy. SIRINTIP will play Trans-Pecos with Elijah Fox, Rosemary Minkler and Devon Yesberger on February 7; check out a great example of their adventurous arrangements in their latest video for “Don’t Give Up”, below. – Sunny Betz

Chicago

Let’s Pet “The Bluff”

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The latest release from Migration Media is somewhat unique, Let’s Pet, was formed by three members of Teith, Billy Baumann, Lisa Shelley de Brauw, and Trevor Shelley de Brauw, along with Dan Staackmann. They went into the studio with Che Arthur back in 2012 and recorded an album called “The Bluff”.

At the time they had no release plans or label, but felt they need to get these songs out and recorded. The band went on hiatus and has yet to reform, but Migration Media will be releasing “The Bluff” on February 22nd.

You can preorder the album and stream its title track below.

Philadelphia

New Lizdelise LP Available for Streaming & Purchase

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Holy Matrimony, the new, highly-anticipated album from Philly trio Lizdelise, is out now. There’s an elegant yet explosive, experimental dynamic at play. Those graceful, refreshing vocals serve as a calming, emotive force. With the ability to lyrically process while navigating personal circumstances, there’s a raw but refined element in these recordings – one that is precisely prepared and seasoned yet seems simultaneously spontaneous.

Philadelphia

New Track: “Television” – The Dove & The Wolf

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Paloma Gil and Louise Hayat-Camard, a.k.a. The Dove & The Wolf, will be self-releasing their first full-length album, Conversations, on May 3. The LP was produced by the duo and Dave Hartley (of Nightlands/The War On Drugs). It also features Japanese Breakfast‘s Craig Hendrix on drums and The War On Drugs’s Charlie Hall on percussion. Check out "Television," the latest single from the band’s forthcoming record, below!

 

NYC

Daisy the Great shares quiet single “famous” + plays string of shows in NYC

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It can be easy to overlook music that gets released during the glut of year-end lists pushed out around the holidays. This is especially true for music that appears as small and unassuming as that of Daisy the Great. However, their newest single “famous” definitely deserves reexamination. Combining twee aesthetics and simple vocal harmonies, the duo packs quaint imagery into a haunting track. Ugly sweaters, gumboil rings and fitting into new shoes all act as a disarmer before the hook asks what the point of life is if there’s no possibility of fame. There’s no denying this is a straightforward presentation, with plucky guitars gently strumming along, yet it’s the clash between the hartfelt folksy delivery and the mundane topic that fills the latter with a deeper existential meaning. Daisy the Giant celebrated their album release party at Baby’s All Right on Jan. 26 and will go on to play several dates in the NYC area between February and March. -Tucker Pennington

Toronto

The Straight Teeth – Raucous Debut LP from Two-Piece Rockers

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The Straight Teeth are a dynamic two piece hailing from Kingston. They released their debut record on January 25th 2019. The album kicks off with a noisy punk track “So” which features a really dirty guitar alongside thumpin’ drums and vocals that remind me of 90’s punk rock. 1:43 of pure madness. There is obvious influences from some of the more famous two piece bands which I don’t have to mention by name but they have an originality to their tunes that go from hectic to catchy and everything in between. The true test of a two piece is to see them live; you’re next opportunity in the area would be February 22nd at The Foxx in Barrie along with the Meringues, All My Life and Copper Hearts. – Kris Gies