It’s the height of summer, and you know what that means. Time for some high life, and Sinkane‘s got exactly what you need. To this end, new single ‘Jeeper Creeper‘ does a fantastic job of negotiating a place for Nigeria within the psychedelic trappings of Brooklyn. The song takes its time, building a wall of endless groove before settling into a warped guitar path that slithers its way across layers of buzz and characteristically Malian delay. All this from an artist originating from Omdurman, Sudan and finding a place all his own in our humble neck of the world. You can see him every Monday for the month of August at Zebulon where he landed a residency, and when he plays with Tanlines on Tuesday (8.21) at Mercury Lounge for…drumroll please… the official 2012 CMJ ARTIST ANNOUNCEMENT PARTY!! – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

It’s great to know why musicians do what they do. Why they write songs about heartache or joy. What kind of emotion they’re trying to express. Who they most look up to. That’s the magic of what they do. But then there’s the science of it. How do they make the most raw or sensual sounds come out of their instruments?

For this week’s edition of Grinding Gears, we catch up with keyboardist Nick Combs of The Latenight Callers. He’s a madman on the keys, and a recovering drummer. 

Read our interview at the link here!

–Michelle Bacon

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(Photo by Michael Forester)

Tiny Horse, the dynamic duo of husband/wife team Abigail Henderson and Chris Meck is back at it again with a new single called "Ride," featuring Zach Phillips of The Architects, Matt Richey of The Grisly Hand, and Cody Wyoming. The single was recorded this week and mastered by Chad Meise.

The duo made its triumphant return to the stage back in April, and continues to go strong with intimate but powerful live shows, showing no signs of slowing down. This new single showcases Meck’s seemingly innate talent on the guitar coupled with Henderson’s unique, captivating voice. 

You can see Tiny Horse tomorrow (Friday, August 17) at The Brick as they perform with (of) Tree. 

–Michelle Bacon

Now that I’ve got the story straight, Parquet Courts is a NYC-based ‘three-quarter Texan‘ four-piece, one member of which (Andrew) is also part of Fergus&Geronimo, another (Austin) of The Keepsies. The thing about their first album ‘Light Up Gold’ is that sure, they haven’t exactly tried to reinvent the wheel, but see, I’ve played it over the last week or so more times than I’ll admit; ergo it’s about time to spread the word.

On one side, there are the many influences of punk & co they’ve squeezed into these ten tracks each more nonchalantly catchy than the next, which range from Buzzcocks-style fuzzy pop-punk to groovy post-punk and stoner-folk-…well, punk, excuse the repetition. On the other, there’s the lyrical appeal of these contemporary flâneurs wandering ‘Stoned and Starving‘ the streets of NYC, who translate their observations, experiences and social critiques as mundane as they may be into prose poetry, in the simple subjective flow of some 60s Beat and New Journalism writers. That’s two thumbs up in my books. Released on Saturday (8.18) via Dull Tools, ‘Light Up Gold’ will be welcomed with a show that same evening at Death By Audio. – Tracy Mamoun

Fitting snuggly within a loosely defined set of epic-minded solo troubadours is the solo project of Richard Aufrichtig, The Lost Shores. Constructing narratives from very personal material, tracks like ‘Blue Skies in the Afternoon’ and my fave ‘I’ll Surround You’ from his full-length ‘Green Leaves,’ attach lush but simple folk arrangements under his heartbreaking tenor. A reluctant protagonist, you know Richard’s never going to get everything he wants, but you’ll find yourself rooting for him anyway.

See him on Sundays when he plays at his residency at Pete’s Candy Store this month. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Hold on tight, ’cause it’s about to get loud up in Brooklyn. On Tuesday (8.21), sibling duo Unstoppable Death Machines will be releasing its first full-length album, the (ironically) named ‘We Come In Peace‘, and as it drills through your skull I can already picture it tipping your neighbours over the edge. Mine anyway (perfect!). Now, if amateurs might create hardly more than inaudible cacophony out of such a surge of sonic aggression where punk, metal, gritty industrial and pounding dance beats converge, the Tucci brothers are dexterous and experienced noisesmiths; their loud basslines and smashing drums have brought a unique sound to the city’s messy DIY parties for a couple of years now, and they sure know how to skilfully turn such a cocktail into a terrifically stimulating and abrasive burst of decibels that’ll get you grinding your teeth and banging your head at once.

You can already find a taste of it on their Bandcamp page, but for the full effect, get down to XPO 929 on Saturday (8.18) for the pre-release party, followed next Thursday (8.23) by the official release party at Shea Stadium.

Photo Source: Robin Dupuy

The Absolute Monarchs are hitting the Seattle Center stage this weekend on Friday, August 15th. They, along with Wayfinders, are opening for the seminal band Love Battery.

This four piece released their debut LP this past spring on Good To Die Records; the name of the album is 1. Its hybrid, in-your-face jams carry a lot of punch, driven straight to your gut with fiery shouts and yells.

Consider the opening track "Attack," which lives up to its name, blistering all the way through. Beginning with a twisting and shimmering riff, it quickly shifts into an immensely powerful shouted chorus. This song will knock the dust right off your old speakers.

"Fell in Line" starts off with an off-kilter and chugging guitar line before switching into a head thrashing anthem. The Absolute Monarch’s medley of abrasiveness and catchiness does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.

Post-punk, noise rock, alternative rock – you could stamp their music with these descriptions and more. What they do ecstatically bring to Seattle’s sonic round table is an infectious sense of melody told through a kaliedoscopic view of loud music.

Catch The Absolute Monarchs at the Mural Ampitheater this Friday the 17th starting at 5:30pm. The Concerts at the Mural series is a great summertime opportunity for fans and musicians to come together for outdoor performances. Admission is completely free! Listen to "Fell In Line" below and then check out their bandcamp to stream all of 1. You can purchase a copy on cd or vinyl courtesy of GTD.

– Cameron LaFlam

The Brixton Riot is the kind of good natured power pop that could only come out of my home state of New Jersey. Like the bands I used to see at Birch Hill back in the day, before it turned into a country club of sorts, Brixton Riot finds the heart in otherwise embarrassing experiences, tying together these experiences into relatable anthems so you don’t have to.

From ‘Hipster Turns 30,’ to ‘Strange Matter,’ singer Jerry Lardieri echoes his awkward journey into adulthood for all to hear. No matter if he prefers to ‘Keep It Like A Secret,’ as their album’s closing track implies with its peaks and valleys reminiscent of some of the Lemonheads’ best work. Check out the quartet’s debut full-length ‘Palace Amusements’ on their Soundcloud page and see them when they play at Maxwell’s (Hoboken, NJ) on August 25th. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Night Creep is the seventh in a series of twelve songs that Brooklyn-based electro-pop band Rarechild began releasing each month via Dimension Arts at the start of 2012. From the first few seconds there’s definitely something creepy about it, that something being an eerie high-pitched synth melody that is just a little off, a little twisted, you’ve entered the haunted house, what next? Well, it all tunnels in, the synth parts get denser, that strange melody still subtly echoes in the back but by that time you’re already so familiar with the track and its big beat that you’re quite possibly dancing to it. Below, the video to Night Creep, directed by Steve Nolan and Eddie Costas; expect strobes, ghostly apparitions, and furry tails hanging out of little black shorts.

Rarechild’s next show will be at the Big Snow Buffalo Lodge on August 28th, with Treasure Teeth & Shad[]wB[]x.

Straight from Brooklyn’s DIY scene, Bad Credit No Credit marches onto the stage in a wave of cheerful provocation, combination of socio/political consciousness and a blatant lack of inhibitions. The groovy brass-based septet is fiercely led by its charismatic singer/sax player Carrie-Anne Murphy, who seemingly can sing but would much rather scream and roar her discontent, telling tales of alienation, misogyny and other delights to the sounds of punk-infused jazz and instrumental freakouts. Which is just fine, as it makes for a most convincing (and entertaining!) performance.

Having raised enough funds to ‘kickstart’ their debut album ‘The Whole Buffalo’, which has been in the making for the last two years and is now about to be released, BCNC left us a little treat for the road, dedicated to their generous donators: a cover of Joe Cocker’s popular take on ‘You’re So Beautiful To Me‘. They will be playing with Ancient Sky, Gross Relations and Turnip King on Friday (8.17) at Brooklyn’s Cameo Gallery.