Portland

Soft Ambience at Speck’s

Posted on:

Next Saturday, January 26th at Speck’s, Arbor Daze, Sunbaby, and Juracán will be playing an all-ages show. Juracán is fresh off his release of Niño, so you should take advantage of any opportunity to see it performed live as soon as you can. It’s a guaranteed night of soft, moody music. If you have some old friends you want to catch up with, or just want to nod off to some calming tunes, make sure to pop in. Doors are at 6, and you can find more info on the facebook page here. 

-By Avril Carrillo

NYC

Refs to make live debut at Bay’s All Right 03.02

Posted on:

Richard Saunders and Zach Lipkins first met on Craigslist approximately five years ago. The two debuted their collaborative musical effort Refs in 2015 with “Pain Goes Away,” a slow-paced minimal electronic pop track that has since racked up millions of streams on Spotify. The duo has continued to make downtempo, playlist-baiting chill pop in small amounts. Their most recent track, “Stories,” premiered late in 2018 with Saunders’ lightly R&B inflected vocals atop a light but percussive production by Lipkins. This year, Refs will make its first live appearance: you can see the duo live at Baby’s All Right on March 2. – Cameron Carr

NYC

Earthquake Lights unveil video for single “Moonlight” + announce LP

Posted on:

We’ve never been jazz fans – we are indie kids here at The Deli NYC, although we can certainly appreciate other genres – but admittedly, after 20+ years spent listening to similar variations of major and minor chords (with maybe a seventh thrown in for good measure every now and then), it feels incredibly refreshing to hear chord progressions that challenge our ear. NYC quintet Earthquake Lights just unveiled the video for their single Moonlight, a song based on a succession of chords that may sound slightly dissonant at first but that resolves beautifully in a subtle series of tension and release moments. The track’s songwriting and delivery betray an experienced and skilled group of musicians with jazz leanings, and as a matter of fact lead singer/keyboardist Myles Rodenhouse and company are veterans of the NYC scene and have been involved in all sorts of musical projects, including a jazz orchestra. The took the opportunity of the video premiere to announce the upcoming release of their debut LP Distress Signals, the follow up to their 2012 debut EP Bangups & Hangups.

Philadelphia

New Whaler Jr. EP Available for Streaming & Purchase

Posted on:

Whaler Jr., a.k.a. Brendan McHale (of RFA) recently posted his new EP. Atta Boy begins with its compact, breezy title track, while “Tired” casually coasts contrasting its self-accessing narrative with a sense of ease, throwing in some guitar sparks for good measure. “Coffee Fiddles” delicately awakens in acoustic strums, as wafts of morning brew welcome the day. This latest batch of recordings brightens with its thoughtful, bouncy bursts of energy.

Philadelphia

New Track: “Caterpillar” – Boon

Posted on:

All Of Us Laughing is the forthcoming album from the quartet of Boon, and is scheduled for release via Glass Orchard Recs. In the meantime, the band has shared a B-side, called “Caterpillar.” Enveloped in an aquarium-like atmosphere, the song explores personal transformation. Bubbles and echoes mix as a meditative, internal monologue moves through the membrane of one’s mind.

L.A.

Alex Lilly’s 2% Milk drips with originality, performs at El Federal on 1/20

Posted on:

Somewhere between glam, the ’80s and dream pop lays Alex Lilly and her new album, 2% Milk. Her latest offers a distinct and unique story that ignites an immersive, yet wild ensemble of music that one must feel for themselves. Lilly’s attention to detail pays tribute to the audience she is performing for, releasing a sense of relaxation and familiarization to whoever may need it at the time. Her music and art direction drips an originality that is both refreshing and welcome, especially to those trying to catch her on tour. 

Lilly will be performing at The Federal Bar in L.A. on the 20th. Follow her on social media to find up to date lists of all her upcoming shows. Listen to her single "Distracting Me" below. Kayla Hay

Chicago

Lavisher @ Burlington Bar (1/26)

Posted on:

Nefarious Industries announced today that they will be releasing the debut full-length album from Alt-Rockers Lavisher this Spring. The four-piece group released their self-titled debut EP back in 2017 and have been honing their sound ever since.

Lavisher is the work of Gavin Cushman III (vocals/guitar), Colin Morris (bass), Idin Alexander (drums), and Adam Tornheim (guitar). Over the summer they released a wild video for “Syzgy” from their debut EP.

You can catch Lavisher at Burlington Bar on January 26th with Huntsman and Tideshift.

Chicago

Ester @ Schubas (1/19)

Posted on:

Ester began as the solo project of Anna Holmquist of The Curls and has become a fully realized band over the last year. Back in May she release her debut album, Curtains, and has gather a group of talented musicians to perform these songs and work on the next Ester album coming later this year.

The band includes Katelyn Cohen, Chris Colson, Raul Cotaquispe (of Fran), Will Hulseman, Tim Newsum and Jenn Romero (of The Jellies).

Ester will be performing at a sold out show on January 19th at Schubas with Sontalk, Shortly, and Yoke Lore.