Austin

BOMBÓN X PELIGROSA Is the Dance Record You Need to End Your Summer

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Peligrosa, Austin’s premier Latin electronic music collective, has just teamed up with Houston-based collective Bombón to release what is absolutely one of the can’t-be-missed beat records from Texas this year. Now, electronic music collective is a term that probably brings up images of a council of brightly colored rave-outfit bedecked youths sitting about a table in their most regal of kandi jewelry and discussing molly-related group policies (No? Just me?), but in Austin, that concept more often refers to the complex and eclectic crews of veteran electronic producers like Applied Pressure, Feedback Alliance and the legendary Peligrosa.

Peligrosa has been a shining beacon of fun, smart beats in Austin since their birth back in ’07, and just this year they have taken their hard-won production and music-industry acumen to the next logical step by creating Discos Peligrosa, their very own label.

This record, a split aptly titled BOMBÓN X PELIGROSA, is one of the first releases by Discos Peligrosa as a new label, and it features Peligrosa and Latin robot soul mates Bombón taking turns dropping killer tracks one after the other for 7 stellar pieces of future Latin dance music. Both of these groups are all about taking the traditional sounds of Latin instrumentals and song structures (especially beats) and melding and exploding them from their original states into the newtech, future-leaning world. Both crews are on point in their efforts toward this highly commendable endeavor with BOMBÓN X PELIGROSA, which is exciting and dynamic from end to end and is actually scientifically impossible to avoid dancing to (Being Ultra Music Expert Geniuses, we know this to be a fact.).

Of particularly special note on this record are the kick-off track “Chamba” by Bombón and “Santa Marta” from the Peligrosa side of things. “Chamba” comes in with a bit of a hip-hop meets Latin electronica thing, and whose oddly reassuring deep demon vocals anchor the track’s party vibe to somethin’ that’s fun-ly sinister (I get the evil toons from Who Framed Roger Rabbit dancing to it in my head). “Santa Marta,” on the other hand, starts out about as light and chill as a track can with some pan flute bars, but this being Peligrosa, it quickly transitions to some bouncy melodic dance mallet-work (something like a xylophone sounds like) and then to straight-out, nuts-ass electronic wonkiness at 1:11 in. Frankly though, that’s just my particular taste on this record when it comes to best tracks, because there is not a weak one in the bunch here. Slink-beat album-closer “Vientos” with it’s Atlantic City boardwalk in 2060 vibe almost knocked off “Chamba” for my top spot, and the weird warped hedonistic “Me Gusta” is definitely one of the best weed tracks since Madvillain’s “America’s Most Blunted.”

Get up on this thing below and blow your friends minds by dropping some of the most undeniably sick future dance music available in the world at yer next party instead of That Goddamned EDM again, and keep up with Peligrosa at their blog here, which is frequently updated and has some pretty damn decent writing if we do say so. Viva Peligrosa.

NYC

New Brooklyn Rock Quartet Young Cum plays The Gutter on 10.01

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Newly-formed Brooklyn rock quartet Young Cum unabashedly depicts the scary on its April-released two song debut. While the band’s guitar-scuzzed "Tradin’" (video streaming below) conveys a lost man’s vain reaches towards redemption, its similarly grainy "Bloodrage" goes downright macabre as it paints an ‘American Psycho’-like revelry in murder. Despite these dark stories, and as seen in the noirish black-and-white music video for "Tradin’," the Kate Bush-admiring group seems just eager to thrill. Young Cum plays at The Gutter on October 1st. – Zach Weg

Austin

Grey Lakes Needs Your Help to Make a Record

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Austinites, assemble! A cute indie band needs your help gettin’ you more of that sweet, jangly music you crave. Local act Grey Lakes has finished the big majority of a record they’re hoping to release this year, but they need a little help along the way to finish up those persnickety and expensive things that come with record-creating like mastering. They’re running an indiegogo page right now to raise the funds (as of this writing it looks like they need about $4k in 9 days), and they’ve released a couple of singles to show you lovely potential listeners what they can do for ya.

The two tracks released so far, "Sea Foam Green" and "Our Blood" are nice little pretty-ass indiepop gems that deal with classic pop concepts, but bring them out in ways that feel refined as opposed to tired. There’s much twangly, floating guitar here and breathy vocals that feel like they hearken back to when indie was more rock-pop and didn’t have as much of the folky influence goin’ on yet. "Sea Foam Green" is especially heavy on the indie-pop side, and the band does very well with the components of this genre to layer them just so in the track so that it culminates in a droney, well-balanced and pleasing way with all layers present.

Puttin’ out a record is a tough thing, and really most musicians outside of the biggest acts put a ton more into these financially and in terms of hours worked than they actually get back out of it, and you can help make it happen and also get yourself a nice bit of music to listen to by headin’ over to the page and droppin’ a dollar or two of beer money. Check out the tracks below, and help these guys out if you feel so inclined. The scene needs you to live, remember that kiddos.

NYC

Brooklyn shoegazers Weed Hounds play CMJ at Acheron on 10.14

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A shoegaze band can adopt usually one of two schools of sound; either the overbearingly fuzzed out and effectually mind blowing guitars that convey soothing melodies over punkish rhythms, or the slowed down and aerial space tones and powerful astronomical vocals of Cocteau Twins. But a band like Brooklyn-via-Long-Island’s Weed Hounds is able to pull off both sounds rather well. Their first proper self titled full-length dropped last year (following a couple of singles, a split 7” with Dude Japan, and an impressive demo cassette), and it’s a well versed, well thought-out act of harshly heavy tones juxtaposed against breathtaking reliefs, all arranged in pleasing succession, so as never to let one end of the spectrum take over entirely. A line is drawn between weighty fuzz choruses and extremely airy verses, interwoven with Laura Catalano’s celestial vocals, which penetrate in heightened beauty, sometimes echoing the radiating reverbed guitar highs, and sometimes gorgeously contrasting the pummeling force of swirling delayed fuzz. The band will be performing at the upcoming CMJ Music Marathon on October 14 at the Acheron–JP Basileo

Chicago

Al Scorch

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The local label Bloodshot Records announced yesterday that they had signed local singer/songwriter Al Scorch. They also announced that Scorch will be releasing his second full-length studio album and label debut this Spring. Below is Al’s appearance on Audiotree from 2013.

You can catch Al Scorch at The Hideout on October 9th, SPACE in Evanston on October 21st, and at Lincoln Hall on Nov. 27th.

Nashville

Reality Something Releases Debut EP

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 What’s that? You love flannel, Doc Martens and cut-and-paste zines? And your heart has been yearning for a local female-fronted acid soft grunge band? Dude, us too, and we’ve found everything we wanted and more in pastel punk rockers Reality Something.

Keeping it raw, the Nashville three-piece puts their own spin on 90s rock with head-noddable rhythms, growling guitar and tender vocals.  And with a debut EP this strong, we can only imagine what’s next.

Check out the EP below, and catch Reality Something live 12.1 at ACME for No Country for New Nashville’s showcase.

 

Philadelphia

New Track: “Titchy” – Spacin’

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In true Spacin’ fashion, we have a new track and news from our favorite Philly psych-garage outfit, but the band didn’t bother to tell anybody so I guess we’ll have to do it. Check out their latest single "Titchy"! It’s grimy, catchy with classic melodies and hooks that burrow into your eardrums. There are few (if any) records that we are more excited about hearing, and the follow-up to must-have-for-your-collection Deep Thuds finally has a title, Total Freedom, and a release date, which will be November 15 via (what we’ve been told to be) local indie label Richie Records. Enjoy!

New England

BRAIN Arts Org. Announces Indiegogo Fundraiser, Unveils Hassle Fest 7 Lineup

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If you live in the Greater Boston area, you probably are well-acquainted with the three phenomena that are guaranteed to accompany the arrival of fall in New England: the annual migration of drunk college students, clogging the archaic transportation system, the reappearance of annoyingly-outspoken Patriots fans and Boston Hassle Fest. Yesterday, BRAIN Arts Org. unveiled their Indiegogo fundraiser campaign for this year’s Hassle Fest, offering much-needed respite from "Free Brady" t-shirts lining the Boston city streets. This year’s lineup boasts over 50 bands, with the likes of Pile, Downtown Boys, and Guerilla Toss serving as the welcoming committee for major headliners Screaming Females, Flipper (with David Yow) and Terrence Dixon. The Indiegogo campaign is the only way to secure advance tickets to any fest performance, so make sure to donate early and guarantee your presence at BRAIN Arts Org.’s biggest annual event.

For more information about Hassle Fest, click here.

-Dan McMahon (@dmcmhn) 

Philadelphia

Bondage & Discipline Opening for Superhumanoids at JB’s Sept. 29

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Bondage & Discipline will be leaving the confines of Cambridge Sound Studios this evening, where the trio has been recording its debut album. The band, who originally came together as part of raucous indie-rock outfit The National Rifle, has left behind its beer-drenched, adrenaline-fueled past for a polished synth-pop sound that wanders through waves of longing. The bravado of the group’s previous life has been dismantled, leaving the band exposed but ready to unveil its next sonic adventure. Bondage & Discipline will be opening for LA dream-popsters Superhumanoids tonight at Johnny Brenda’s with Brooklyn’s Rush Midnight in tow. Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 9pm, $12, 21+ (Photo by Jon Stars) – H.M. Kauffman

NYC

Delicious Audio Feature: The Mast’s Gear and Creative Process

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Brainchild of singer Haleh Gafori and drummer Matt Kilmer, NYC’s duo The Mast in the recent past has been developing their dream pop in a growingly electronic direction. The project has always been centered around Haleh’s ethereal vocals and airy melodies and Matt’s jungly, intricate beats (mostly performed live), but the guitar that was resting on the singer’s shoulder has been replaced by an electronic toy and an iPad, while the drummer’s set up has changed radically, losing almost entirely the traditional drums, replaced by an intriguing hybrid featuring a mix of synths, tablets and exotic percussions. We thought this band would be perfect for our series of Q&A related to gear and the creative process.

The Mast interview about gear, recording and the creative process.

Philadelphia

New Music Video: “Happy Joyful Life” – Fight Amp

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Sludge-metal trio Fight Amp has a new schizophrenic music video for the track "Happy Joyful Life," found on Constantly Off (Brutal Panda). The song features guest vocals by Multicult’s Rebecca Burchette, and the video was edited by Matt McGinnis (of Headache Heroes). Fight Amp also has a new 7" for the Keystone Noise Series available via Reptilian Records, and the band’s rescheduled release show will be happening this Thursday, October 1 at Everybody Hits. (Photo by Dante Torrieri)