New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Late last month Conrad Merced (formerly of The Red Jacket and Shoplifter) released a two song EP paying tribute to the poet Shel Silverstein. This was his third release of 2018, a year that has found him returning to music after a decade prompted by the loss of his mother.
Below is the video for the lead track from "A Tribute to Shel Silverstein", “Colors”.
Crying In Public recently shared a pair of new recordings as part of the Sad Nectar demos. "Mr. Danger" is a warm, dream-pop ballad that feels as if you’ve entered the singer’s bedroom. The ideal qualities of a new relationship are accented by the elegant clarity of the song’s longing vocals. The soft, steady backbeat merges with the strums of guitar to create a soothing, lo-fi progression.
Z is the work of multi-instrumentalist Matthew Zwirkoski formerly of Ultra Sonic Edukators. Last week he released a second track of his forthcoming album Try On Pelican. It is not clear when the project will be released, the first single was released in March of 2017, but we will take what we can get. This is slow and somber track perfect for a chilly overcast fall afternoon.
Heavy alt-rock group Lola Montez released their debut EP Glean last year to rave reviews, so they’ve expanded upon it to release a deluxe edition with remastered versions of the original seven songs, along with two new songs mixed into the tracklist. "Carousel" and "Strange Things" — the two new tracks — fire all engines with Inga Rudin’s soulful voice and the band’s stadium-ready riffs. The band are touring to support the re-release of Glean; they’ll return to Tennessee on October 26th, when they’ll play at Kings Dining & Entertainment in Franklin. Listen to "Carousel" below. – Will Sisskind
One of our recent Emerging Artist of Month Poll winners was the talented emcee known as Fury. We though it would be the perfect time to reach out her, Samantha Jordan, and ask a few questions about her most recent EP, “Black Magic”, being a parent, and what the future might hold.
You can read the full interview here and catch Fury at Gman Tavern this Friday, October 12th with Axons, Little Church, and Nexus J.
Brooklyn’s Taja Cheek is an experimental singer/instrumentalist whose classical music education inspires her solo project L’Rain‘s rich, ambient sound. While creating her debut, self-titled record in 2017, Taja’s burgeoning music career was intersected by the passing of her mother Lorraine, which affected L’Rain’s lyrical content with themes centered on the subject of grief – as heard in tracks like “Stay, Go (Go, Stay)” and “Heavy (But Not in Wait)”. Her tracks, however, wander through mystifying and dreamy territories in the aim to blend morbidity with cheery effervescence. Listening to L’Rain’s is the aural equivalent of gazing into a sonic kaleidoscope composed by a multitude of synths, samples, and effects, concocting a wistful carpet blanketed with her lush, whispery vocals. You can experience the L’Rain’s poignant and dreamy music live, at Sunnyvale on October 19. -Rebecca Carroll
Recorded over the last two and a half years, Winter Winds, is the debut EP for Austin-based singer Mathew Wojcik. Heavily influenced by Springsteen’s Nebraska and Wojcik’s own experience with loss, the debut is packed with wistfulness and a naked vulnerability that transfixes. The five song debut was recorded in Austin with the help of Mathew’s wife Virginia, Gianna Sarmiento, and Evan Kaspar. Wojcik is a natural storyteller that borrows from Mount Eerie’s talk/sing delivery to resonate themes and hits a meandering forlorn tone that is reminiscent of early Modest Mouse. While there is a room to run on production, Wojcik has delivered a powerful debut that has harbingers of great songwriting.
Wojcik will be playing October 17th at Sahara Lounge with Matthew Squires.
Chicago-based musical comedian Gabriel Gundracker recently released a one minute long hilarious Smallfoot credit’s inspired single called “Zendaya Is Meechee”. It is not the typical thing we write about, but it been looping through our heads for a week so we thought we would put it yours, enjoy!
At just 16 years old SMBA (aka Tyrone Jordan) has launched a clothing line, started a record label, 2DB Records, and over the summer released a single, “Honeydew" that can’t be overlooked.
“Honeydew” paints a picture of what it is like to be a high school student in 2018 touching on bullying, heartbreak, and more.
Our appreciation for mewithoutYou has existed long before the inception of The Deli Philly. The band never ceases to astound; with its masterful songwriting, the group’s ever-changing musical palate continues to refine/redefine its vast catalogue. [Untitled] is mewithouYou’s seventh full-length album, and is available via Run For Cover Records. The Philly stalwarts are gearing up to hit the road once again on a national tour in support of their latest release, and won’t be back home until Wednesday, December 5 at the TLA, where they’ll be joined by The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die and Hold Down The Ocean.
Rich Jones has released a second single, “Dreaming”, from his forthcoming LP, The Shoulder You Lean On, which will be released on November 2nd.
The track features the talented Nnamdi Ogbonnaya and production from J. Klier and Kenny Keys.
"Kanagawa" is the lead single featured on Florry‘s forthcoming album Brown Bunny, scheduled for release on November 23 via Sister Polygon Records. Its new music video (by Jamie Alam) captures a candid/vivid home video aesthetic. There’s a mellow melancholy of overcoming loneliness within the steady progression, interjected with intense, instrumental expansions. That mix of somewhat subdued closeness with brash heaviness is an enticing combination. You can catch the band’s record release show on Sunday, November 18 at Tundra Dome, with Corey Flood, Emily Yacina, and Will Table.
