The delightfully chaotic live show offered by Brooklyn’s bad boy band Clouder is something that needs to be seen and experienced first hand to truly grasp it all. Frontman Eric Gilstrap already had a reputation for a loose Johnny Thunders-like presence in his previous band, Telltale. However, he has now put down the guitar and is fully focused on delivering his angst-filled vocal lines while the rest of the band masterfully rumbles on behind him. On "Broadcast Victim" some kind of Peter Gunn detective groove is churned out by the boys as Eric’s vocal tone and delivery resides in a place somewhere between The Sex Pistols’ Johnny Rotten and The Fall’s Mark E. Smith. A wickedly tasty guitar solo (of sorts) leads the track to a madcap conclusion. "The Collapse" pitches delightful dual guitar and bass interplay against bright ride cymbal, as Eric wails on (in that Lydon-esque way) about how relationships fall apart. An even ruder guitar outburst takes this one to its tender conclusion. Two more glorious tracks can be heard on their bandcamp page from this, their "Serious Business" EP. Clouder will be releasing their debut full-length album on 12/20 in the digital realm. Physical copies are planned for late Jan/early Feb. They are playing a show at Party Expo on 12.02 and at The Charleston on the following day with Boston cult psych rockers 28 Degrees Taurus. – Dave Cromwell
Band Name Wrapping Things Up in Philly at KFN Nov. 30
Before power punk trio Band Name head out on a weekend mini-tour with Algernon Cadwallader, they’ll be playing what will most likely be their final Philly show of 2011 at Kung Fu Necktie tonight. The band also has future plans to release a split 7” with DC’s Shat Shorts so you might just be in for some sadistic new material. Canadian garage rocker Mark Sultan was originally scheduled to headline the evening, but he dropped off the bill, and has been replaced by local pals The Eeries. They’ll also be joined by garage punk rock trio The Pussy Dogs. Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 8pm, $5, 21+ – Bill McThrill
Stolen Silver on Rooftop Sessions
Even though their self-titled debut album came out back in July, Stolen Silver feels like a duo built for the bitter cold of the Chicago winter. You can feel and see what I mean in their recent rooftop performance for Rooftop Sessions of the track "Please Stay Strong". You can grab their album through bandcamp, and you can chack Stolen Silver on the WGN Morning News on December 28th.
Electric Hawk Strobe Session
The instrumental power trio Electric Hawk is releasing their self-titled debut album on December 15th with a performance with Brokeback at Strobe Session (2631 Division). The trio of Graham Mclachlan, Noah Leger, and Michael Burns all met while performing as part of the live band for Blue Man Group. The album that three produced is dark, driving, and aggressive. The band has recently opened for bands like Fu Manchu and Helmet and promise to represent their album well on the 15th.
The last I heard there were very few spots left for the Stobe Session taping and release. If you are interested rsvp to strobesessions@gmail.com.
Bully In The Hallway @ Empty Bottle
Bully in the Hallway is back with a new album called Crooks and their Castles. The album and release event both fall on December 1st, and you can catch the band at Empty Bottle. This is the band’s second self-released album and if they continue to make these types of leaps in their sound and presentation they will find a home label in 2012. Check out the first single from the album, "Life is Money", below.
Bully in the Hallway is performing with Dax Riggs and My Cold Dead Hand at Empty Bottle on Thursday Dec. 1st at 9:30pm.
Artist to Watch: The Sister Ruby Band
The Sister Ruby Band is the brainchild of 22-year-old art student, Johnny Ruby. Just like the young musician, who was born in Los Angeles and educated in London, his music straddles both continents, oscillating between wailing British shoegaze and gritty American folk. At times, Ruby’s warbling wall of sound screams of the reverb-drenched psych-rockers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and at others, his grizzled folk sounds like a younger Cass McCombs. These influences are evident on the band’s debut record, In Cold Blood, which is a solid collection of songs that showcases the singer/songwriter’s ability to write meticulous, shimmering psych-rock. – Katrina Nattress
The Sister Ruby Band – Graceland Smile from The Sister Ruby Band on Vimeo.
Annalise Emerick — Starry-Eyed
On her album Starry-Eyed, singer-songwriter Annalise Emerick blends folk music with pop sensibilities as she crafts melodies as pretty as her name. The album follows the story of a young woman who learns to stand her own ground and rely on herself, but without sounding jaded. Emerick opens the album with You Win, a breakup song to her dear Nashville– the city that became the takeoff point for her career as a singer-songwriter. In the beginning, she admits she was “starry-eyed and full of hope,” but when she gets her heart broken, she knows better than to let others get the best of her.
With its innocent and thoughtful lyricism, Starry-Eyed focuses some of its attention on looking back, like in I Came Around, which analyzes the should-haves of life and love and shows off Emerick’s tough side. But more importantly, the core of the album is about moving forward. Emerick has the soul of a traveller, and she’s not afraid to pick her life up and go when she needs to; She’s a Texan who has settled down in Nashville and Seattle before planting her roots in Boston, at least for the moment.
Annalise Emerick — A Runner and a Singer
–Sarah Ruggiero
Crashing Cars — Coming Alive to Fall Asleep
From the first chord to the last swells of feedback, Crashing Cars latest release, Coming Alive to Fall Asleep, is an invigorating ride on a rock rollercoaster. Their sound spans everything from Nirvana and Modest Mouse, to Foo Fighters, At the Drive-In and even subtle hints of Death Cab and Elliott Smith. It also became quite apparent to me that lead vocalist Jon Kohen must be an avid Kurt Cobain fan. At the end of Something to Burn, I’d swear Kohen was channeling Kurt from beyond the grave with an “All Apologies”-esque scream. I thoroughly enjoyed songs like Empty Seas and My Mind–a track that any fan of Elliott Smith (or just music in general) would be sure to love. The somber cello line really thickens the mix and provides a perfect accompaniment to Kohen’s vocals.
My favorite song would have to be the title track. I loved the slow Modest-Mouse type build-up into an At the Drive-In surge of emotion and power. I found their use of dynamics on this track (and throughout the entire album), to be quite excellent.
Overall, Coming Alive to Fall Asleep is a great album. It was nice to finally hear a band making honest garage rock instead of Micro-Korg driven dance beats. From what I could find online, they have no upcoming dates, but head over to their bandcamp page and give them a listen. You won’t be disappointed.
–Daniel McMahon
The Fagettes, The Jitters, Radio Control, Cooling Towers : Friday, 12/2 @ Ralph’s
The Fagettes (no, that isn’t a typo) will be performing live at Ralph’s Rock Diner in Worcester, MA this coming Friday, December 2nd. Hailing from Allston, MA, the group combines garage, punk and a tinge of the blues in an effort to resurrect the 60s garage punk scene. If you’re a fan of 60s rock (and how could you not be), go check out The Fagettes this Friday alongside The Jitters,Radio Control, and Cooling Towers. Show starts at 9pm.
–Daniel McMahon
The Roots’ New Album Streaming via NPR
New Music Video: “That Old Black Hole” – Dr. Dog & Spring Tour Dates
Dr. Dog premiered a new track today called “That Old Black Hole,” which you can stream via Stereogum. It’s off their upcoming album Be the Void that will be released on February 7 via ANTI- Records. You can also check out the new music video that accompanies it and Dr. Dog’s spring tour dates below. If you missed last week’s performance at Kung Fu Necktie, then they’ll be back on stage in Philly on March 24 & 25 at the Electric Factory.
02/02 Lawrence, KS – Granada Theatre
02/03 Boulder, CO – Boulder Theater
02/04 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
02/07 Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up Tavern
02/10 Los Angeles, CA – The Music Box
02/11 San Francisco, CA – Regency Ballroom
02/13 Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
02/14 Seattle, WA – TBD
02/17 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
02/18 Chicago, IL – The Vic
02/19 Cincinnati, OH – 20th Century Theater
03/01 Pittsburgh, PA – Mr. Smalls
03/02 Louisville, KY – Headliners Music Hall
03/03 Nashville, TN – War Memorial
03/04 Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre
03/05 Birmingham, AL – WorkPlay Soundstage
03/07 Shreveport, LA – Riverside Warehouse
03/09 Austin, TX – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheatre
03/11 Dallas, TX – Granada Theatre
03/15 Asheville, NC – Orange Peel
03/16 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
03/17 Baltimore, MD – Rams Head Live
03/22 Boston, MA – House of Blues
03/23 New York, NY – Terminal 5
03/24 Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
03/25 Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
New Track: “Tired” – Cousin Brian
Check out the new track from Cousin Brian called “Tired.” But be careful because it’s super catchy, and we take no responsibility for excessive listening. It’s the opener to their debut full-length First that the four-piece just dropped last week. We’re seriously digging it. Enjoy!