Luno is gentle and artful bedroom pop of Christopher Gilbert. Today marks the release of his new album, Null Life.
You can help Luno celebrate the release on October 4th at The Whistler with Homme.
NYC
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NYC’s Blasteroid is equal parts ethereal and outrageous
Many musicians – electric guitarists and drummers in particular – dream of creating an insanely explosive sound, and often look for names that can express that effort. Enter NYC trio Blasteroid, a band that keeps its moniker’s promises in the 20 seconds long, truly blasting intro to their – so far – only single available for streaming, entitled ‘Oaf.’ We can pretty much see the three of them, in awe, while listening for the first time to the finished song through the studio monitors, high fiving each other second later. After the intro, the song settles into a more tranquil psych pop territory, with a gentle, almost childish Barrettesque melody leading to a dreamy chorus drenched in reverb. The contrast – defined by the band as "equal parts ethereal and outrageous" – has the effect to make every section more enjoyable. Now… give us more please!
We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best Psych Rock songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!
Chicago
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Sunjacket @ Lincoln Hall
Sunjacket has spent the last year focusing on their debut LP, which will be released in 2016, and are now emerging to perform at Lincoln Hall on October 17th. They will be opening for BRONCHO and Twinsmith and the show is a part of the Bonnaroo’s Spotlight Series. The band will be put up against four bands from four other cities for a chance to play at Bonnaroo in 2016.
Below is the band’s entry to the recent NPR Tiny Desk Concert challenge.
Philadelphia
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New Track: “Will You Find Me?” – Radiator Hospital
Radiator Hospital will release a split 7” with UK outfit Martha via Specialist Subject Records on October 16. The release precedes a run of UK tour dates together, which begins October 30. “Will You Find Me?” combines an up-tempo let loose feel with Sam Cook-Parrot’s unyielding vulnerable vocals.
NYC
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DJ Gina Turner releases track with Tony Quattro plays Brooklyn Electronic Music Fest
NYC’s Gina Turner, besides being an innovative contemporary EDM artist, is also a deejay/host on Sirius XM. Husband Laidback Luke shares side-project Nouveau Yorican with Turner, who recently collaborated with Sweden hitmmaker Style of the Eye too. She’s everywhere! She recently released this jazzy sounding track with Tony Quattro (also a NYC based artist) and will be performing at the upcoming Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival (date to be announced) – Brian Chidester
San Francisco
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Song Premiere: Seth Lael – Big Country
We´re proud to premiere a new song from the San Francisco based singer/songwriter, Seth Lael. Upon the release of his brand new album, Bird Strings, we have an exclusive new track from the album entitled, Big Country. This song is charming, simplistic and fun to listen to!
Seth Lael, a passionate singer-songwriter who has a bit of a soft-spot for the underdog. (don’t we all?) Lael brings 12 brand new songs to life in his second full-length, Bird Strings. His music marries Americana, Jazz, Folk, Pop, and Indie Rock into a definitive perspective of life. His commentary comes straight from the tips of his fingers on guitar, mandolin, and banjo, passing through to his modern/retro vocal delivery of honest, heartfelt lyrics.
I’ve spent the last 5 years working as a sound recordist documenting inspiring people ranging from Bobby Seal to the founder of the Black Panthers to Bill Gates. I’ve also spent time with working class folks struggling to make ends meet in hospitals, courtrooms, and on the road learning about what goes on in these 50 states. These songs are my reflections of those experiences. – Lael on his new album, Bird Strings
"After traveling to some of the poorest countries in the world, I began to look more closely at what we have within our own borders. It’s been especially eye opening to realize how diverse we are in the US. For example, in my city of San Francisco, you can attend a street fair promoting kinky sex and somewhere else in the same country, you have fairs promoting guns. There is something for everyone, and whether it’s viewed as a positive or negative is up to one’s personal belief. You don’t have these freedoms in most parts of the world, and I find many people could be more appreciative of this." – Lael on Big Country
Philadelphia
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Fight Amp 7″ Release Show at Everybody Hits Oct. 1
The power trio of Fight Amp has been hard at work, and tonight at Everybody Hits, their embattled, intense sludge-noise rock combination smashes, celebrating the release of their new 7”. Available as the fourth installment of Reptilian Record’s Keystone Noise Series, “No Trace”/“Hide Your Teeth” were recorded during the same sessions that resulted in Constantly Off (Brutal Panda). The band exhibits a physical prowess that spills over with spellbinding focus, unleashing a raw and refined uppercut. Local doom-metal quintet HIVELORDS drag you deep into an experimental cavernous underbelly with their gloomy sonic exploits, while the riff-loaded roar of Sunburster stomps in, unleashing the heavy. Everybody Hits, 529 W. Girard Ave., 8pm, $7, All Ages (Photo by Freddie Ross) – Michael Colavita
NYC
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Side Saddle premieres video for ‘Legs for Days’ + plays The Deli’s CMJ Roots Stage on 10.14
Astoria rock quintet Side Saddle‘s music video (playing below) for "Legs for Days" (off its July-released EP ‘Young Professional‘) unravels piercing drama in country sun. To cascading guitars and marching drums, the Lauren Tracy-directed clip intriguingly juxtaposes a tryst and a funeral, close-ups of the smiling protagonist and his mistress intercut with those of his true lover staring out from black garb as she and his friends say their final goodbyes. It isn’t until the music-less final scene when the gravitas of the story becomes really deep as the man, awoken from this nightmare, shares a glance with his partner, the hidden infidelity now heartbreakingly revealed. With a story credited to Side Saddle frontman Ian McGuinness, the crisply-filmed piece is not just a compelling visual accompaniment to the track but a searing portrait of ruptured romance. Side Saddle has several shows coming up, including a slot at The Deli’s CMJ Roots Stage at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 on 10.14. – Zach Weg
NYC
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Album review: Be/Non – “Moi Ou Toi” 7″
If you’ve been around the KC music scene for a while, there’s a good chance that, if you haven’t actually heard Be/Non, you’ve at least heard of them. The brainchild behind the band, Brodie Rush, created Be/Non over 20 years ago, and has remained the only constant member. Since then he has had many different supporting lineups, and has released several full-length albums, including A Mountain of Yeses, Esperanto at the Pantheon, Incognito, and RAN. These recordings are mostly artsy, progressive rock, with plenty of eccentric accents. While they may be interesting to certain ears, the majority of the songs are not going to appeal to the masses, which is probably just fine with Rush.
In 2011, Be/Non teamed up with now-defunct Earwaxx Records to record the 7” vinyl single, “Moi Ou Toi,” and the B-side, “Not Tonight.” Earwaxx folded soon after the record was pressed, and little became of the endeavor. Four years later, Haymaker Records decided to re-release the tunes on vinyl and digital formats, along with the bonus tracks “Che Che Coolie” and “Ice Fight.” I’m glad they did, as the songs deserve a second chance.
“Moi Ou Toi” (Me Or You), was originally featured on RAN in its demo form. It has transformed over the years to its current minimal version, consisting mainly of a drum machine from a keytar and a guitar played through a cheap Pignose amp. It’s lo-fi electro pop, yet is quite thought-provoking. The smooth, Leonard Cohen-esque vocals and driving rhythm are hypnotic. My first listen was spent nodding my head to the beat, while trying to comprehend the lyrics. “’Moi Ou Toi’ is a song about blame and liars,” Rush says. It’s erotic: “I am the piston in the shaft / I am the bullwhip smacking your ass.” It’s contradictory and almost eerie: “I am your alibi / I am the creep in the foyer.” The whispered chorus, “Moi ou toi,” adds to this. “Creeps tend to whisper,” Rush confirms. Few songs are intriguing, relaxing, and exciting at once. “Moi Ou Toi” somehow manages to be all three.
The flip side, “Not Tonight,” is a very different sound at first. Up-tempo acoustic guitars with an Indian influence play along to an intricate beat coming from what sounds like a cajon box drum. There is a noticeable influence from Led Zeppelin and The Beatles, both musically and through Rush’s vocal style. The lyrics, while sung in a flat, no-nonsense way, seem very melancholy under the surface. “Forgive me for taking the time to be real, but nothing can disturb you…alone, I am.” Towards the end of “Not Tonight,” an electronic beat takes over and the guitars fade away; perhaps indicating that the song’s protagonist is doing the same.
Rush admitted that both sides of the record are “a challenging listen.” I would agree that they will challenge the listener to think about what they are hearing, but would argue that they can be easy for fans of various genres to enjoy. Be/Non is a band that has few boundaries, and probably won’t be loved by everyone. Moi Ou Toi stays true to the band’s long history, but offers something for most.
Be/Non will be one of the featured artists at KC PsychFest and recordBar’s 10th anniversary party this weekend. They will be playing night 2 on Saturday at 9 p.m. Facebook event page.
–Brad Scott
Brad loves music, Boulevard beer, and his family. Not necessarily in that order.
Philadelphia
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The Deli Philly’s October Record of the Month: Everyone Make Happy – Shelf Life
Everyone Make Happy, the debut LP from Shelf Life, via Lefse Records, finds an absorbing lyrical yet comforting instrumental balance. Scott Leitch (ex-Pirouette/recent drummer for Alex G) cultivates songs that gently sway with internal warmth, while placing listeners in a deeply personal, somber state.
Space-warping synths smoothly land on the surface in “The Curse,” the initial introduction to Everyone Make Happy. Those glowing synths fade to the background as the airy, easily-assimilated acoustic guitar provides shimmers of daylight onto the song’s anguished lyrical tone – “bathe in sister’s blood/talk to the ghost of my dad’s mom/about nothing but heaven and the cancer in her gut.”
Pushed by its percussion, “Mark II” delivers what appears as subtle instrumentation, penetrating beyond the surface as a tight bedroom-pop sound. What starts drearily – “wake me up, when my lungs, start to pump normally” – lifts the shades to the point of optimism. “There’s always something in the sunlight,” riding a casual, almost accidental groove along the way. The album continuously stares directly into sadness, observing a very real place of grief. In “Creature” with its road-worn, country-folk twang , Leitch addresses the questioning nature of a sickness as a somber cloud hangs overhead. “I ask myself what my Father would do/he’d fold his hands lean to belief/but the creature inside him is not inside of me.”
“Low Key Lumber Theft” forebodingly spirals forward as the last dashes of daylight fall below the horizon. The guitar crisply cuts through dusk, venturing further out of sight as it gains momentum and then coolly concludes. With a daydreaming-psych vibe, “Time Traveler” moves into a nostalgic familiar space, which although consoling – “I am meeting the past/it is just how I thought/I have found what I lost” – still cuts – “You had gone away.” An anecdotal throwback, “Double Dare” soaks into your mind with its direct lyricism and catchy melodies, a la Alex G, while “Sinking Just Right” lulls you into a submissive calm of internal self-doubt – “does everybody hate me, just a little, little, little bit” – drifting until your “sinking just right.”
This album delicately balances the weight of emotional darkness with a glimpse of the light, from outside pushing in through the cracks. – Michael Colavita