Anya Skidan is a young Brooklyn based singer songwriter who’s not afraid to charge her tunes with melancholy and sadness. Haunted with emotion, her voice floats on a layer of sparse, dreamy tracks. In the first song off of her LP ‘Shine the Brightest,’ her raw, natural voice has an eerie vibe reminiscent of a darker Kimya Dawson. The track, “Spiritual”, sets an interesting tone for the whole album, and showcases Skidan’s knack for portraying deep emotions and drastic tones. "Hidden Treasures" (streaming below) and “Soft and Gentle” have a more up-tempo feel, while “Summer is Gone” sounds like some kind of nightmarish litany where the singing-in-the-round technique is used, in conjunction with a an arrangement full of mallets and other percussions, to enanche the loss of the warm season. This is a budding artist we should keep an ear on. Anya Skidan will be performing on July 26 at Bowery Electric in New York, NY.

(pictured above: The Brannock Device)

There’s no rhyme or reason for what took place. 

No explanation that the normal human mind can calculate.

But it takes those elite few who bring sounds and experiences into our being. Doing the very things our brains only attempt to wrap themselves around.

There are those moments that you find yourself entranced by what you’re hearing. Saturday night at Davey’s Uptown was one of those nights.

The strangely odd but fitting combination of Steady States, The Brannock Device and The Ants was an evening of music for musicians. Three bands with decidedly different styles but conjoined by a passion for the placement of each beat or the merging of each intricate melody.

(pictured above: Steady States)

Steady States began the evening early with a heavy kick to the teeth. There’s no question that this 4-piece group—former members of Mother Culture, Ste. Simone and Last Call (New York)—has a definitive hardcore sound with a quirky sensibility. 

Compared to the bands that followed them, Steady States is relatively new to the scene, only playing in town for the past year. Nonetheless, this resulted in a 35-minute massacre of brute force, knowledge and style. Frontman Joel Shields gives off the mild-mannered vibe of Clark Kent, and explodes out of nowhere with an Ian McKaye sort of intent. At the surface, they have a raw noise post-punk sound. But as the name suggests, each screeching guitar note or yell continually creates another element as it expands and comes into itself. Steady States are unapologetically hardcore punk, with a minute but intelligent invasion of math rock.

Next up, The Brannock Device, a veteran Kansas City group. Watching Brannock can be like going to the symphony. You listen to the congruent convergence of several pieces and attempt to analyze each one in the tiniest of details, whether it be in the machine-like flow of Bernie Dugan’s drumsticks cracking snare hits; Jason Beers’ harmonic bass chords; Marco Pascolini’s ungodly guitar arpeggios; or Elaine McMilian’s theatrical vocal delivery.

The band’s clear connection to one another is evident in each progression. While Brannock’s experimental approach may not be pleasing to every musical palate, there’s an absolute sense of the song composition and execution. It’s a music lesson on how to bring a glowing warmth to each low tone and a melodic depth to each dissonant note. A performance by Brannock brings forth an inner study on how to play music and how to derive satisfaction from creating the exact part you want to create. One that fits together while simultaneously existing on its own plane.

(pictured above: Chad Bryan and Sean McEniry of The Ants)

Rounding out the evening was The Ants from Lawrence, a band fully adept and bent on making music on its own terms. Much like the bands that preceded them, The Ants played their own peculiar brand of music and had a hell of a time doing so. The group has been around almost as long as The Brannock Device and has been crafting its own signature sound ever since.

Frontman and guitarist Chad Bryan knows how to captivate an audience simply by writing bizarre licks and entertaining lyrics. But he goes further by singing with a purely honest vocal style, injecting The Ants’ overall personality. The music is progressive Americana, and never apologizes for being such. Like all of the other bands of the evening, The Ants played exactly what they wanted to, with vigor and expertise. Each song had a sway-inducing quality, often steered by a jangly guitar and just a touch of country swagger. 

At the last song of the set, The Ants invited Marco Pascolini to the stage for a long jam session. From ripping punk notes to disjointed but oddly connected guitar riffs, Pascolini and Bryan performed a battle of wits and wizardry set off by an eccentric expression laid out on keyboard, bass and drums.

This final scene showed us exactly what we had seen that evening: a group of musicians coming together to showcase what they loved, and entertaining and educating its fans at the same time.

–Michelle Bacon

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Here’s the thing about The Riot Room; it is loud. Always and without fail. This is as constant as the Northern Star. In fact, if Las Vegas were to handicap the betting odds on the room being flooded by noise, the percentages would linger at 100%. This is always a safe bet regardless of who is playing. An alternative country band from Raleigh; maxed. A metal band from the suburbs of the gates of hell; if it is too loud, you’re too old. Spinal Tap; cranked to 11.

There is no getting around it. However, sometimes there is also no excuse for it. Watching O, Giant Man open for The Henry Clay People, this principle was never more relevant. The group’s fidgety sound is best served wrapped in complex layers and complicated shifts. The group flutters throughout styles, touching on multiple approaches to writing throughout the set. A sparkling Rhodes organ will bleed through for a moment, meshed with the band’s controlled chaos, before subsiding and surrendering to a room full of drums. The organized clutter is thick and tricky in its ability to fool listeners into determining if it is actually planned. The casual observer might even assume the set list and the collection of tunes were an act of improvisation. However, broken down it is clear that O, Giant Man has meticulously constructed not only a set of tunes, but has managed to arrange them in a way that the evening becomes one long, flawless track. Each song is intentionally placed before the next and sown together with a cross stitch creating a warm, inviting quilt of songs.

Yes, watching O, Giant Man is like staying the night at your Grandma’s house. And who doesn’t love their Grandma? Nazis. That’s who.

What was I saying? Oh, yeah. Group frontman Christopher Robbins guides his group through their set like a ship’s captain guides his crew. Throughout the night his eyes dart around the stage as he intently directs traffic and shoves his band through the crosshairs to the intended destination. Yet simultaneously, he also manages to make his guidance look as effortless as listening to a GPS. "Turn left here." Wham! Hit single.

It is important however to remember that the crew behind Robbins is as talented as he is. There is no denying that they are the real deal once you’ve heard them play. Their structure, which is unique to the Kansas City area, sets them apart from the sometimes incestuous music scene, often complicated by having the same signature sound in every band. There is something rather fresh about the way O, Giant Man is an island unto itself.

However that island holds something for all types of vacationers. Swirling guitars and harmonic vocals are both in check. At any given time the band can shift from dance-friendly indie pop to a straight rock sound that will knock your teeth out. Sometimes, I can hear The Clash, then suddenly I think I’m listening to Ryan Adams. Then vocally, I would swear they were Counting Crows. However, regardless of what the shifting sounds, I expect big things from O, Giant Man. I’ll be disappointed with Kansas City and the world if they offer this extremely talented band anything less.

-Joshua Hammond

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Photo Source: Orca Team

Orca Team will soon appear at The Funhouse’s annual Pizzafest; the show date is Thursday, August 2nd. They are currently touring the U.S. leading up to the homecoming performance in Seattle.

The trio released their second full-length album, Restraint, just last month. Without exception, each of the eleven songs on the new record play out under three minutes. Brevity clearly suits them well, for they waste little time in advancing their plentiful melodic hooks.

"Night Moves" enters the atmosphere with a bass riff and drum beat attached at the hip; the tune then swiftly swims into contact with a catchy-as-all guitar part. It is precise and refined, lifting the underlying rhythm with splashes of reverb.

Leif Ander’s (bassist/vocalist) voice slides words off effortlessly, painting stories that listeners will swoon to. Their sound oozes with the innocence and earnestness of 1950’s and ’60’s rock and doo wop. Combining post-punk and surf vibes too, Orca Team’s two minute pop portraits are the antithesis to noisy, sonic affairs. Grab ahold to drift off into their contemporary reveries.

Check out Orca Team at Pizzafest this year on the 2nd of August – other bands that night include Sonny and the Sunsets, The Wimps, Fuckaroos, and Brandon Daniel & The Chics. Tickets are $12 and the show begins at 9pm.

Give "Strains" a listen down below and carry on to their bandcamp to hear all of Restraint. The album is available for purchase on CD or LP over at HHBTM Records.

– Cameron LaFlam

Brooklyn’s music Conveyor presents an intriguing blend of styles and influences. Combining the percussion of afropop with moody electronics and rhythmic patterned vocal placement, their sound is bouncy and creative. Many of the songs are the result of a collaborative writing process, giving the defined sections an air of intricacy. Time signatures that break out of the 4/4 mold suggest artists not content to rely on the safety of familiar patterns. The band released their debut full-length album on Paper Garden Records and is currently touring the US. – Read Dave Cromwell‘s interview with the band here.

Upbeat, catchy and serenely produced, Skaters‘ debut EP Schemers is a refreshing return to groove in an otherwise frenetic aural genre. Their songs call to grand truths of times past. They sing love songs shrouded in clairvoyant wisdom. Skaters’sound teeters on the edge of two musical genres – one foot in the up-tempo pop-punk world, the other knee deep in worldly grooves that feel timeless. Their live shows feature impromptu improvisations and unexpected interludes – proof that they are competent musicians, masterful in their ways. Three different people, hailing from three different places (Boston, LA and the UK), Skaters come together with a coherent melancholy that harkens back to The Strokes when they were cool. Schemers has the exciting feeling of the start to something beautiful. – Read Ed Guardaros’ interview with the band here.

One of my pet peeves as a lover of all types of music is when you mention a band to someone and their immediate reaction is, "Oh yeah, those guys sound like…" I mean, I get it. Our culture is full of musical references. I, for one, don’t think it’s a bad thing. To be influenced by other people’s art is natural for an artist. Most of the music we grew up listening to was a direct descendent from something else; we just don’t know about it, so we think it’s “totally original.” No one on the planet can convince me they are playing something that isn’t derivative of something else. All that being said, I admire bands that wear their influences on their sleeves. Not to replicate it, but to push it along and give it new life in a new context. Dream Wolf’s three-song EP, Learn To Survive, does exactly that and does it well.

"Future Man" is a really the perfect opener for this set because it sums up the band’s idiosyncratic take on ’70s prog-glam rock. Pushed along by Kansas-ish keyboard tones and some laser-focus guitar playing, the song sets the pace while spinning a Bowie-like lyrical yarn ("Circle now, around the Sun/What you’re seeing now, son, are things you don’t understand/But they will make you a man").

"All Time" starts off with an on-the-verge waltz feel, highlighted by chimes and terrific vocal work by Megan Zander and Katelyn Boone. Around 1:13, the song takes a veer into a shuffle hook, reminiscent of Meatloaf or Hedwig and The Angry Inch, before falling off into a quiet vocal round that builds back into a climax that should prove at least one member of Dream Wolf is related to Freddie Mercury.

Rounding out Learn to Survive is "The Water is Full of Lead," which invites us to join them in a swimming pool full of disease. However, it may be safer to stand around the pool and bask in the band’s ability to shift into more jazz-oriented playing styles, with a very nice piano solo to boot. Although stylistically these songs are obviously pure Dream Wolf, each one has an ability to spotlight the diversity of the band without losing track of what it is at the core.

I saw Dream Wolf play last fall and their live show was filled with thematic, over-the-top melodies and grooves that made me an instant fan. The expert musicianship of every member is evident on this recording as well as their exuberant imaginations that take the listener into strange situations. With another album coming up in the near future, this band will be one to watch as they reinvent their own versions of operatic rock and take it in new directions.

You can catch Dream Wolf tonight at Coda, headlining the show with guests Modern Arsonists and Sundiver. .

-Mike Tipton

In the latest installment of his ongoing IPhone videos – five parts, and something of an iSeries –  New York City producer and songwriter Jessie Harris has released this video for “I Won’t Wait” from his upcoming full-length album “Sub Rosa,” due out on July 31. Once again, the focus is on Harris’ friend Dulcinea Del Dolorosa dancing in a role described as “The Succubus,” was shot on director Lyle Owerko’s iPhone, and later edited on iMovie. The song is a mellow, but driving, blend of Harris’ pop and folk stylings, and features Bright Eyes main man Conor Oberst and Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Norah Jones also appears in several songs on “Sub Rosa.” The album release party will be hosted at record store Tropicalia in Furs on July 30th at 6pm. – Devon Antonetti

As they introduce a first full-length album to come with a clear second take on the fuzzy, poorly recorded ‘Dance Only (Only Dance)’ of their debut EP, NYC-via-New-Jersey septet The Everymen prove that they’ve come a long way in two years. Subtly supported in this soulful effort, amid heavy basslines and low sax tones, by the only female voice of the band, frontman and founder Mike V follows the melody with the clumsiness of both punks and macho rockers indulging in kitchy love songs that makes them sound all the more genuine.

Rough ’round the edges with no more need for noise, the track sees New Jersey Hardcore as a potential turning point in the band’s recording career. We will however have to wait until October to confirm, so meanwhile, I suggest you get a taste of the new sounds at Brooklyn’s House of Vans next Thursday (07.26), where they will be opening for psychedelic garage big band King Khan & His Shrines. That should be loads of fun. – Tracy Mamoun

With their good old-fashioned folk‘n’roll and a new video to match, The Bottom Dollars (who placed at #35 in our 2011 Best of NYC Poll for emerging artists) have premiered “Prizefighter” this week. The video was shot around iconic New York landmarks like the Coney Island boardwalk and Washington Square Park, and includes, yes, plenty of people having fun and fighting. The band, dressed dapper in 1920’s attires, duke it out in a series of brawls, though not always proving their claimed “prizefighter” status. The elusive single-named Seeley directed the video, which features appearances from a few friends, members of The Nuclears and the frizzy-haired W.M.D. DuBois of Deathrow Tull and Strings for Truth. See The Bottom Dollars live at Mercury Lounge on August 7. – Devon Antonetti

The magic hour is that one time of day when shadows get sharper, light gets more intense, and everything is perfect to take great photos. The debut video for Wilsen’s first release seems to recall this mood in its sharp instrumentation and dizzying lights. Shot in the band’s rehearsal space, ‘Dusk’ highlights the differing shapes and sizes this time of day creates. From Tamsin Wilson, a singer/songwriter usually associated with country twang, comes a surprisingly commanding voice backed by an ambitious folk trio. The song channels the heavens in its haunting refrain “dusk is rolling in,” and I’m excited to see what vision develops from here. Check it yourself when they play their debut album release show at Union Pool on July 25th. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)