New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Kevin Czaja has released a second composition, “Past, Present, Future”, from his forthcoming album. This is cinematic classical music that allows you to close your eyes and imagine the epic battle scenes and aerial shots this music was meant to accompany.
This is a far departure from the instrumental metal sounds of his rock duo Mad Martyr.
Black Fret’s fifth annual Black Fret Ball set a few different milestones this past Friday night, not the least of which was surpassing over $1 million in grants to local bands as well as upgrading the event venue to the ACL Live Moody theater. Black Fret co-founders, Colin Kendrick and Matt Ott, have made progress by leaps in bounds since inception by not only growing the charity organization in Austin but also expanding to other cities as well. Moving the Black Fret Ball venue from the Paramount Theater, where it was held last year, to ACL Live could have meant a lot of empty seats. Instead, the crowd was massive and members and attendees flooded the venue in impressive fashion.
Arrow Bowie is the forthcoming album from Philly emcee Ralphiie Reese. Its title track slips through the shadowy streets as soulful backing vocals, keys and percussion setup the scenario. A faded, grimy aggression flows at cruising speed, before a battle-tested determination springs forward. The LP is slated for release on cassette via Icy Palms Records on February 15.
Pugs Atomz released a new album last month called Highly Irregular. The features production from Mulatto Patriot and contributions from Shayna Love, Calid B., DJ Intel, Wes Restless, Maggie Vagle, and more.
Below is a new video from the album for the song “Hi!” featuring Awdazcate.
This week, Wilder Maker’s Gabriel Birnbaum shared the first piece of his debut solo project with the new single, “Stack the Miles.” As a preview of his forthcoming record, “Stack the Miles” succeeds in doing justice to this artist’s distinct vocal style and cerebral Americana. The mid-tempo, acoustic feel of this new track calls to mind the folky disposition of Milky Chance’s “Stolen Dance,” with a raw composure that has been likened to early Bon Iver. Currently still involved with acclaimed Ethiopian pop ensemble Debo Band and indie rock group Wilder Maker, Birnbaum seems to have pulled his wide knowledge of genre into the DNA of this new material, forming a unique new spawn of mellow Americana. The Deli caught a glimpse of Birnbaum’s upcoming full-length LP, set for release in 2019, and, let me say, there are more smoldering, soothing sounds waiting for you. Check out Gabriel’s Birnbaum’s new “Stack the Miles” below, and don’t miss him debuting his new music at Mercury Lounge on 12.18, sharing the stage with Brooklyn band, Office Culture. – Rebecca Carroll
Mister Wallace recently released their latest album Cool Mom via the label they co-founded, Futurehood. The album feature production primarily by Jeremiah Meece, and is a huge step forward the talent emcee.
You can catch Mister Wallace on January 27th at East Room with Ka5sh, SWSH, and Dj Miguel Santiago.
Cascader is the instrumental post-rock trio of Ben Chargot, Parker Langvardt, Jeff Schaffer. They released their debut LP, Me Us You, via Worry Records today. This is epic, anthemic, instrumental rock that powerfully tells stories in a wholly unique way.
You can catch Cascader at The Owl tonight, December 13th, with Horrible and Basement Family.
Greg Mendez just released an impressive collection of demos, entitled Home Videos (2006 – 2018). The gifted Philly artist is able to put a spotlight on the power of writing simple, well-crafted songs with his latest, bare-bones release. The (mostly) home-recordings immediately captivate without the need of studio magic. Mendez humbly posted, "they are far from perfect but I like them and they deserve to be out there. It took me a long time to feel comfortable really sharing my music with ppl I didn’t know so thank you for making me feel so welcome." Thank you for sharing. Do yourself a favor; get into this. (Photo by Veronica Isley)
One of the most difficult tasks for a musical artist is to develop her project’s sound after a first, well-received album. Being diagnosed with thyroid cancer and a genetic joint disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, conditions that affect vocals and instrumental ability, certainly doesn’t make the challenge any easier. None of this prevented Brooklyn songwriter Thelma (aka Natasha Jacobs) from taking her music to the next level in less than two years. Her 2017 self titled debut LP was a collection of heartfelt and somewhat odd orchestral ballads. From the sound of the first single from sophomore LP "The Only Thing," Jacobs is upping the ante of her songwriting by amplifying the oddness and intensity of her chord progressions, lyrics, melodies and arrangements. A sparse and imaginative mid-tempo featuring acoustic drums, synths and harp, Take me to Orlando" is an ode to illusions, a poem dedicated to a yet-to-be-met lover to whom Thelma sings: "I love how you play with illusion / cause you know how badly we need them / But honey you’re so real / and you dance around fear […] and you don’t make me feel like I’m the woman I am not." Which sounds like a cleared-sighted expression of the healing power of art-making.
Don’t miss Thelma’s live show at Trans-Pecos on December 20th and look out for her new album, scheduled for a February 22 release.
The Vegabonds have a new album slated for early 2019, and they’re hitting the road in support of it; the Alabama-born Southern rockers will play The Basement East on December 22nd. With four albums under their belt, the Vegabonds have taken time to craft their infectious Americana sound, rising from the Southeastern college circuit to headlining their own shows and opening for groups like Lynyrd Skynyrd. Their upcoming fifth album, titled V, showcases the latest iteration of their sound with tracks blending folk, country, rock & roll, and pop hooks, as well as the catchy wordsmithing of songwriter Daniel Allen. Fans of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, the Allman Brothers, or Springsteen will rave about V, which comes out on January 18. You can listen to the first single "I Ain’t Having It" below. – Will Sisskind
Producer Stunna (aka Jay Cappo) recently released a new single, “Blue Dreams” b/w “Cali Nights”. As Stunna has been come to be known, these tracks effortlessly blend Stunna skill as a classically trained keyboardists with savage Drum & Bass techniques.
Stunna also hosts a weekly radio show called “The Greenroom” which can be heard live every Wednesday from 2 to 5pm on Bassdrive Radio.
Magic Coffin Ride, the new album from Nyxy Nyx, arrived recently via Blight Records. Enjoy the comfort of a mesmerizing haze. Acoustic guitar leads one down a dreary/solemn path. The inviting, tranquil nature of the vocals contrasts with the volatility of the recording’s frayed, fuzzed-out edges. It’s an enchantingly eerie, adventurous adrift.
