Richmond’s metal scene is already legend, and it just keeps gettiing better. Case in point: Sinister Haze. The members have been around the scene for quite some time, but Sinister Haze itself is relatively young, having dropped their first demo in 2013. It promised something for old and new fans of metal alike, digging deep into classic heavy psychedelia to mix with the Doom. They’ve kept us waiting for more, and they’re finally releasing an EP, Betrayed By Time, through Heavy Stab Records on vinyl next month you can pre-order it now at the link). 

Check out the track below, "Change My Ways," premiered on Noisey, and catch them on their national tour, starting Tuesday April 28th at Strange Matter in Richmond.   

Drawing from influences as diverse (but intimately connected) as Throbbing Gristle, Butthole Surfers and early Ween, PC Worship is a musical entity that despises – rather than simply defying – categorizing. They are so hostile to crystallized descriptions that they brand themselves as ‘a band, solo project & collective of musicians […] aesthetically uncommitted and exploratory." And even though almost every band on the planet has delusions about being that free, PC Worship actually kind of pulls it off (although they are clearly committed to noise and dissonance – and to being unpredictable). You can see them live at Baby’s All Right on May 28. What to expect then? We are not sure about the number of musicians on stage, but music-wise: anything weird, although – luckily – not lacking some structure.

While we were checking out the listings at Rough Trade (see previous post) we stumbled upon Brooklyn’s revival pop trio Las Rosas. Their song will cast the listener to a vintage musical world where the cheeky melodies of the British pop bands of the ’60s (think Kinks) meet with the "beachy" psychedelic pop that invaded the west coast of the US during that same decade. The nasal lead vocals have a cool tone that works perfectly in the mix, and is balanced by well crafted falsetto harmonies. The band released a five song EP entitled "Flower in the Sun" in the spring of 2014, and then a two song single the following November including Ms. America (streaming below). You can catch them at Rough Trade on 04.23 opening for once NYC (and now Nashville) based Clear Plastic Masks.

If – right now – you feel the need to be charmed, just click on the play button of the song streaming below and let things happen. You will hear the never endingly titled song "Peggy Asked A Question & The Answer Is ‘Yes’ & ‘Let’s Keep Dancing." Relegated for some reason at the bottom of the tracklist, this is one of our favorite songs from Brooklyn pastoral-dream-pop collective Field Guides‘ debut album, released this past November, and entitled "Boo Forever." We highlighted the band in this blog for the first time a few months ago and it looks like things are moving in the right direction for them, since they’ve been booked to play the (rather large) Rough Trade stage on May 1st, opening for NYC indie staples Miracle of Modern Science and Emanuel & the Fear. If you live in South Brooklyn, you can catch them at The Rock Shop on April 23.

Do you love bands that bleed 80’s alt rock like Jesus and Mary Chain and The Cure? Are you in San Diego, or able to carpool out there next Sunday, April 19? Can you bring $5 cover to a 21+ event? Then head to the iconic Soda Bar to see The Chantepleures perform some new songs for their debut album. The four-piece beach natives exude romanticism with nods to Jim Reid’s breathy aesthetic and pastel guitar color, exemplified in their 2012 EP "Feels Like Heaven," and later in the 2013 single "All Our Days." Los Angeles post-rock group Young Lovers and San Diego 90’s psych/alt rockers Future Age will be supporting. Come out and dance like it’s Saturday night (even though it’s Sunday night). – Ryan Mo

Started by former Whigs and current MGMT guitarist Hank Sullivant in 2008, NYC Indie pop band Kuroma has gone through various inceptions before finally settling on their current one, the line-up rounded out by James Richardson and Will Berman of MGMT and Simon O’Connor of Amazing Baby. Considering the incredible background of all musicians involved in this project (who also work as producers), we thought it would be interesting to know a thing or two about their favorite gear and how they tackle the creative and recording processes. We asked Hank a few questions in this regard here.

If you dig the band, you shouldn’t miss their upcoming show at Les Poisson Rouge on April 23.

Antifolk favorite/Sidewalk Café regular Viktor Longo (another artist to make our latest Best of NYC Emerging Artists list) usually records sardonic pop songs under the name Viking, but this year he has begun releasing what he describes as sci-fi glam rock under his own name. Longo switches between cooing "O Holy Night" like a small, bright bird and crackling and cawing out “I want to kill the feeling.” Some songs rely on minimal guitar grooves or pitter-patters on piano while others travel by way of synths, distortion, and bold beats. You can celebrate the premier of his music video "The Feeling" at Emerson House on May 30th and catch him at Pete’s Candy’s Store on May 28th. – Leora Mandel

This past October Fancy Colors, a band featuring Zac Colwell (Chappo, Big Data) & Dave Heilman (Sondre Lerche, Regina Specktor) treated us to a beautiful live performance at our CMJ 2014 Pop Stage at Spike Hill. We are now happy to premiere their new video for single "History of Civilization." Here’s a note they sent us about how it came to life: "This time last year, we found ourselves in Panama City to play "Festival Abierto" with our friends Naked Hearts.  After the show, Dave stuck around for a few weeks to explore different regions of the country and Zac encouraged him to bring a video camera along to shoot some footage for a music video.  The images span a few days spent traveling to, and living on, the San Blas Islands along the Caribbean coast of Panama — a paradisiacal archipelago and home to the Kuna Tribe."

Bushwick’s reclusive Billy Woods has once again tossed out one of his cryptic introspective message-in-a-bottle albums. Following 2013’s highly-praised Dour Candy produced by indie-rap super producer Blockhead, it maintains Billy’s acerbic assessment of life and struggle. In contrast to his highly political work in side project Armand Hammer, this album feels more like a stack of random diary pages ripped out and read before being doused in kerosene and ignited. But with track names like “Zulu Tolstoy” and “U-boats” and lines like “That great escape – tree of knowledge, bagged and sold by the eighth – it only took one snake,” it’s not without its social commentaries. It moves quickly with few tracks even reaching the three-minute mark, but, knowing Billy, this is probably just a clandestine jab at audiences’ diminishing attention spans. For an artist as prolific as Woods, one can only wonder what would happen on the day he truly “wrote nothing.” Billy will be performing alongside Open Mike Eagle and The Karma Kids at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn on Sunday 4/19. – BrokeMc

Brooklyn via Boston duo Sonnymoon is a band criminally under-covered by many "cutting edge" music blogs – we wonder why. They just released their third album "The Courage of Present Times," follow up to their self-titled 2012 sophomore, which became a cult record for the rather small layer of music fans interested in that paradoxical genre known as "experimental pop." Since producer Dane Orr likes to keep hist mostly electronic arrangement at a minimum that borders on the "barely there," at least 75% of what happens in Sonnymoon’s music is centered around Anna Wise’s vocal experimentations, which constantly fluctuate between unpredictable improvisations and repeated melodic hooks, therefore creating a new interesting incarnation of pop’s proverbial "tension and release" dynamic. Check out "Grains of Friends from the latest release, streaming below.

With the spring comes the longing for travel, and, with it, the need for good soundtrack for the road. Notwithstanding the title, Brooklyn’s Such Hounds new 7" "Drink to Sleep" helps us fill that need. The track walks the line between Americana and Dinosaur Jr. style wall of distorted guitars. We encourage you to travel to The Shop on May 06 for their upcoming live show.

Following their 2014 record, “Lateness of Dancers”, Hiss Golden Messenger released an EP entitled “Southern Grammar” this past February. The band began in 2007 as southern duo of North Carolina transplant M.C. Taylor and New Yorker Scott Hirsch, but has taken many incarnations over the years, often pulling in friends/indie folk beloveds from Mountain Man, Bon Iver, Small Pond, and Megafaun. Their influences span mostly across the Southern/Western genre board including elements of country, jazz, bluegrass, gospel, blues, and our personal favorite: swamp pop. During this collection of songs our narrator shakes a divine hand, names “the rules” before a choir, meets with some smooth saxophone lines, and discusses the southern grammar of family. Check out below "Brother, Do You Know the Road?" – third and last song in the EP. – Leora Mandel