Krust Toons: "Pizza Time" by Tedd Hazard – please feel free to drop him a line at teddandthehazards@gmail.com if you dig or have any funny ideas. You can also check out more of his illustrations and animation shorts HERE.
NYC
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NYC Record of the Month: The Shacks’ self-titled EP
Feel like sending a chill through your old, mortal soul? Put on the eponymous, debut EP from The Shacks, which is our new, NYC Record of the month. Shannon Wise’s adorable, whispery voice and her simple but memorable melodies certainly charmed us to the core, but it was Max Shrager’s production, which updates the dream-pop genre in welcome ways, that brought the point home. Catch a cover of Ray Davies’ “Strange Effect,” which – slowed and stripped down – is the haunting opener. The more experimental “Orchids” – for which there is a music video, as shown below, follows lullaby "Left it With Moon," and shows off the musical variety and exploration for which The Shacks strive. More traditional dream-folk track “Tidal Waves” evokes dreams of summer, while the reggae-infused “Hands In Your Pockets” – with joyful bursts of slide guitar and innocent-sounding harmonies – bubbles with repressed youthful angst; a beat holding back a torrent of emotion. Least but not last, the collaborative track ‘Strange Boy (with instrumental NYC band El Michels Affair), offers a glimpse into the ways this band’s sound could evolve in the future with a more produced approach.
The Shacks just announced an early 2017 extensive tour in support of Chicano Batman – Will Sisskind
Philadelphia
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New Thom McCarthy LP Available for Streaming & Download
Thom McCarthy quietly released his album, 2088: The Jumbo-Cricket Landfill Incident, last year, under the moniker of his space-age rockabilly alter-ego Rocky Kaminsky. The record possessed a dark undertone, heavily influenced by fears of our decaying environment and its future effect on the world around us. And with Idiot-elect Donald Trump’s moronic views about climate change and the doubling down on such beliefs with his picks of key cabinet members, it becomes a more frightening yet ear-opening listen. Now, as the year winds down, the Philly artist has returned to share new material that still resonates his environmental concerns, returning, however, to his more traditional songwriting roots and surname on his LP Marvin the Giant, which you can now stream and download below. You can also celebrate its arrival with McCarthy this evening at Bourbon & Branch, where he’ll be supported by Joshua Park. (Photo by Andrea Poulsen)
NYC
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Sonya Kitchell releases single ‘Funeral’ about 2016 US elections
Since the appearance of Donald Trump on the US political scene, we’ve been receiving several submissions of protests songs, most of them filled with apocalyptic imagery and often also insults. We haven’t published any of them, maybe because… we felt Michelle Obama was right when she said "when they go low, we go high." Single ‘Funeral’ by talented Brooklyn songwriter Sonya Kitchell certainly raises the level of the conversation, analyzing the complicated swirl of emotions brought by the 2016 elections, appropriately compared to the ultimate ritual of loss. Not new to the scene, Sonya earlier this year released her third full length album ‘We Come Apart‘ after a long silence (her previous release is dated 2010), check out the video for single ‘Mexico’ below.
Philadelphia
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Sad13 Slugs It Out at Everybody Hits Dec. 12
After being advised to take a break from releases this year with her band Speedy Ortiz to avoid having fans get burned out, Sadie Dupuis found herself with an excess of songs that she had already written, inspiring her to record her debut solo effort as Sad13. Slugger (which is now available via Carpark Record) became a new lo-fi, electro-pop vehicle for Dupuis to tackle personal and societal issues. She is also currently on her first solo tour in support of the new LP, and it will be making a stop home this evening at Everybody Hits. She’ll be joined by tourmate Vagabon, the project of NYC guitarist and singer Laetitia Tamko, and dream-pop artist Emily Reo. (BTW: Unfortunately, Told Slant, who had been originally announced to perform, is no longer on the bill after getting picked up by Elvis Depressedly for their latest tour.) Everybody Hits, 529 W. Girard Ave., 9pm, $12, All Ages (Photo by Chad Kamenshine) – H.M. Kauffman
Philadelphia
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New Mumblr Album Available for Streaming & Purchase
Mumblr recently returned from an extensive journey around the U.S. that they dubbed the Family Fun Tour. They also recently shared a collection of recordings, accumulated over the last three years and now titled Foster Kids: B-sides and Unreleased Songs. The Philly quartet will be donating all proceeds from the seventeen-song album to Planned Parenthood so be as generous as you can and grab your copy below. Mumblr is scheduled to perform next in Philly on Thursday, January 26 at Johnny Brenda’s, but you never know if the guys will pop up for a performance somewhere around town before then so keep a lookout.
NYC
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Surf Rock Is Dead Release New Single “In Between”
Rising up over an eternally dreamy shoreline comes the latest single “In Between” (streaming below) from Brooklyn’s cleverly named Surf Rock Is Dead. Over a forward driving quickly-paced beat, layered reverberated guitars create immediate blissful waves. Those soaring guitar lines fill a number of instrumental passages while shimmering chords create lyrical space. Vocals hark back to the style of early 90’s MTV stars like The Ocean Blue which conveyed a sentimental nostalgia via a clipped, conversational delivery. “Go on, go on, back to where you used to be” ultimately emerges as the catchy dual voiced chorus hook, expressing that “in between” feeling of not knowing where you belong. Having recently wrapped up a 10 date tour supporting Australia’s The Jezabels, the band now prepare to release an EP this Spring. –Dave Cromwell
New England
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Buzz Alert: New Hampshire Singer/Songwriter Lina Tullgren Mesmerizes with EP “Wishlist”
New Hampshire songstress Lina Tullgren‘s Wishlist is a raw, vulnerable exploration of love, growth, and heartbreak. Utilizing the warmth and character of analog, Tullgren invents a reflective melancholic sound that is both original and inescapably personal, sacrificing technical perfection for emotional connection. With songs that feel more stream of consciousness than solid in form, Wishlist allows the listener a peek through the looking glass of what it is to be young and what it means to grow up. Lina is a unique and mezmerizing voice, and we can’t wait to hear what else she has to say. –Brian Varneke
Toronto
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Dreamy lo-fi dissonance on Nutrients’ new album
Back in September, Nutrients released their chilled out full-length debut, ‘what tangled webs we weave.’ The album is full of dreamy slacker pop that combines easy listening with deliberate dissonance. It can veer from shimmery to unsettling in a heartbeat, but it still sounds remarkably cohesive. The band clearly set out with a vision when they made the album, fine-tuning their focus with a stream of live appearances in October and November. Watch for more shows in the new year. – David Levy
Philadelphia
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Contemplate & Reflect w/Shadow Band at Magic Pictures Dec. 11
An effusion of sonic delight flows from the shroud of nostalgia to the present. Shadow Band’s music constructs a bridge to an ephemeral sabbatical, unfastened from the rapid advance of time. The group is a collective effort operating around the songwriting of Mike Bruno, whose compositions present a movement that feels both wistful and celebratory. The band produces a rich and expansive environment that encapsulates the singular advance of a sparse melancholia, cerebral psych-folk for contemplation and reflection. Shadow Band recently signed to Mexican Summer, who released their digital EP Eagle Unseen last month. Bruno and the gang will be performing tonight in South Philly at Magic Pictures, an evening that will also showcase the twisted enchantment of fellow Philadelphians Evil Sword and Chicago-based doom outfit Blood Licker. Magic Pictures, (Please contact one of the acts or venue for more info.), All Ages, 8pm, $8 – Josh Kelly
Philadelphia
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Eliza Hardy Jones Comes Into Her Own at Boot & Saddle Dec. 10
Eliza Hardy Jones is a unique talent in the Philly music scene that seldom gets her due. This classically trained pianist with the voice of a Siren has contributed to such notable projects as Buried Beds, Nightlands, Strand of Oaks, and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals over the years. But now, Eliza is set to come into her own with her debut solo album, being produced by Brian McTear and Nick Krill (Teen Men, Spinto Band). Tonight’s performance at Boot & Saddle will be a prime opportunity to hear what she’s been working on, backed by a full live band. Jones will also be joined by longtime friend and former member of mewithoutYou, Greg Jehanian, who is better known these days as Geology. Boot & Saddle, 1131 S. Broad St., 8:30pm, $10, 21+ – Bill McThrill
Philadelphia
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Instupendo Striking a Chord at PhilaMOCA Dec. 10
The work of Philadelphian sound artist Instupendo, a.k.a. Aidan Peterson, is lucid while out of focus; a silken and ethereal logic operating somewhere in the space between trap and ambient. His presence is mostly known online, striking a chord with the engaged Internet-selves that exist in a space between our inner and outer worlds. His music arrives at a distinct time in our culture in which a bedroom producer’s output has the capability of being accessible to the world, allowing Peterson to successfully tap into a vast network of potential creative futures before graduating high school. You can catch a rare Instupendo set this weekend when he performs at PhilaMOCA with emerging electronic producers Buji, Good Intent, and Haven. PhilaMOCA, 531 N. 12st Street, 8pm, $7-$10, All Ages – Josh Kelly