It seems kind of random that an Iowa gospel guy, a classically trained musician and a Manhattan hippy got together in a band that actually makes sense. The Ludlow Thieves have been playing in NYC for less than a year with a sound that is hard to pin down: Alt-Folk? Classic rock with a rustic Americana feel to it? Whatever you call it, all that matters is that it sounds good – and fun. Dan, the lead guitarist and composer, brings a classical foundation, weaving in string elements and some of the harder hitting stuff. Danny, lead singer, carries the heart of the band’s sound in his voice. And Walker, the drummer, brings a tribalism to the band that you can hear in almost every song. See them at The Mercury Lounge on July 12. – Read Keith Putnam-Delaney’ sinterview with the band here.

Photo Source: The Apollos

The Apollos are playing Chop Suey next Tuesday, July 10th; Parts and Conduct Party are also set to perform.

This rambunctious group brings a raw fervor to their music that jives with the energy of old time rock ‘n’ roll. Last year’s set of Portland Demos – recorded in less than 24 hours, no less – illustrates a band of cosmically-inspired psychedelic rockers.

"Tractor Beams from Mars" sets the stage with a few seconds of guitar feedback before breaking into a string of catchy wails and riffs. This uptempo garage ‘n’ roll cut fades away about two minutes in as the band ascends into space. In the remaining minutes, strange feedback and buzzing and warbling noises lead you through what feels like the galaxy’s silent catacombs; as if an alien from Mars is really trying to communicate with you.

In contrast, the song "Hold Me Tight" is a relatively more straightforward reincarnation of soul ‘n’ roll. The call and response between vocalists yelling "Hold Me Tight" is anything but trite though – you just want grab onto that someone in your life and dance around.

One looks forward to the day they bring new material to the fore. Until then, next Tuesday on the 10th of July is a great opportunity to see the band at Chop Suey. The price of the show is zilch, nada, nothing – go see them for free! Their exuberant collaboration of music-making is even better served live.

Listen to "Tractor Beams from Mars" below and continue onto to their bandcamp for the rest of their tunes.

– Cameron LaFlam

Here come House of Blondes. A groove-based synth trio, the band owes a heavy debt to ambient purveyor Brian Eno. Singer John Blonde especially sounds like the innovator from ‘Here Come the Warm Jets’ in the slow build of ‘Do It Yourself (Landscape).’

As I understand it, Eno’s ambient music works equally well when played in the background of a room as it does when closely payed attention to. This is the spirit behind tracks like ‘Come Running’and ‘Supermoon’ (streaming below). These are songs that exist in their own universe of synth-generated noise and persistent drum machines that take on a life of their own as they evolve and develop over the space of over 9 minutes in some cases (‘Love 2 B Looped’). A band that doesn’t fit in with conventional pop formats, the time it takes to discover their soaring soundscapes is well worth the wait. See the group play this Sunday at Spike Hill at 7:30 pm with Photoreal. – Mike Levine

The free all ages 4Knots music fest will kick off in high gear on Saturday July 14 from 1-8 pm downtown at the South Street Seaport. Browsing through the NYC based acts performing, we decided to focus on Brooklyn’s Team Spirit, since we covered all the other acts abundantly in the past (Devin, Hospitality, The Drums). This band’s repertoire comprises boisterous and disorderly stompers that have the potential to inflame any rock’n’roll craving crowd. "Jesus, He’s Alright!" (streaming below) merges 80’s era Clash with the farfisa organ sound of Elvis Costello & The Attractions. The vocal phrasing and overall timbre, however lean more towards Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels of the mid 1960’s. "Teenage Love" careens along at a similarly frantic pace, as a tale of initial love found inevitably derails and crashes. While "Fuck the Beach" (video here) weaves between the hard riffs and harsh lyrics of the verses to a bouncier surf-rock chorus. Headliners Archers Of Loaf, and Crocodiles round out an excellent day of free music in this (insane) NYC summer heat. – Dave Cromwell

NYC’s Lightouts have released another free single titled “The Big Picture” (streaming below). The song veers in a poppier direction, although maintaining the band’s familiar rock influences. Their website supplies fans with free downloads , all hosting a clear influence of 90’s alternative music with a modern twist. Along with their summery new single, the band also announced news that they would no longer be a duo. The lineup will in fact expand by adding a permanent drummer and bass player. Lightouts  performed at the CBGB Festival on July 5 at the Highline Ballroom. – Christine Cauthen

Past Mistakes and Hauntings, the debut release from pop-punk trio Deco Auto, rips out of the garage with a mission to go, and it never looks back. From the first note of the album opener, “The Mercy Kind,” you assume you’re going to be in for a fist-pumping, air guitar-playing joyride. And you’d be right in that assumption. Wound tightly like a fist, this collection of catchy, energetic songs strikes a blow to anyone who might have thought power-punk trios were ruined by the likes of Green Day.

The hook-centric guitar work of vocalist/guitarist Steven Garcia is prevalent throughout the four-song EP, as well as his ability to find vocal lines that are accessible and rooted in pop music. The guitar tone is spot on for Deco Auto’s roaring renditions and is complimented by quality sound engineering. This extends beyond the guitar to bass and drums, as well, giving the album an energy that’s hard to capture for a lot of bands.

Bassist Tracy Flowers and drummer Michelle Bacon’s presence on these tracks is undeniable, keeping the band locked in and moving forward with each thump of the bass drum. “Pointless Fight” is a perfect example of what a solid drummer can do for a band: tight stops and starts, all the while keeping the attention and focus on the song. “I Shouldn’t Know,” which lends the lyric for the EP title, has Flowers center stage while she delivers a vocal melody that you’ll be humming the rest of the day. It’s this combination of aggression and sweetness that makes Deco Auto a worthwhile listen.

My only complaint about this release is that it’s only four songs. After listening to it, I definitely wanted it to keep going. After all, my air guitar was just getting warmed up.

Deco Auto celebrates its EP release tonight, July 6, with a special party at the Midwestern Musical Co. with local power pop legends The Pedaljets. The trio is throwing a second party next Friday, July 13, with an in-store performance at Vinyl Renaissance on 39th St. alongside Kelley Deal (The Breeders) and Mike Montgomery’s (Ampline) project R. Ring. 

—Mike Tipton

(Pictured above: Isaiah Radke of Radkey)

recordBar was home to a diverse showcase of local musicians on Saturday night, handpicked by Sonic Spectrum host Robert Moore. Drop A Grand, The Quivers, Radkey, and Soft Reeds played to an interested and expectant crowd.

The night started out with Drop a Grand.  This was my first experience of them, and indeed an experience they are. Electronically playful costumed noise punk like AC/DC, the Sex Pistols, and Elton John getting lost in the keyboard room at Guitar Center. The songs were short, loud, and brash, often sounding like the musical version of a stoned teenager fumbling at the top button of his high school sweetheart’s skinny jeans.  The wolf playing bass (Steven Tulipana) brought the technological side, often howling into the microphone through various processed effects. Overall, fun and interesting.

Kansas City’s Motown napalm darlings, The Quivers followed Drop A Grand. A little bit country, a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, a little bit Carrie Fisher with a flamethrower, their groovy tunes really got Ricardo dancing. Their set was quick, no nonsense, and a hell of a lot of fun. The well-dressed band jumped from song to song, never letting the sweaty crowd get too much of a break from the groovy vintage tunes. The set really picked up steam in the second half when vocalist Terra Peal let her voice play in the sandbox a little. Her vocals carry a combination of pure power and snarl that contrasts wonderfully with the organ and guitars beneath.

Next up were the young men from St Joseph, Radkey. Sporting clean cheeks, dreadlocks, and one fantastically groomed Billy Dee Williams moustache, they brought a simplistic and raw energy to the night.  Their straightforward rock n roll borders on radio metal at times and is the perfect music to nervously bite your fingernails to. It comes across as a young man’s Van Halen/Misfits mash up, minus the chainsaw guitar solos and the really, really short bodybuilder singer obviously compensating for something. They were tight, strong, and kept the crowd (who mostly seemed to be there for them) cheering for more.

Finishing out the evening were the hipster prophets themselves, Soft Reeds. Easily the most seasoned and talkative group of the night, Soft Reeds brought the show home with their energetic blend of dance rock. Despite their best effort to emulate The Killers or Franz Ferdinand, the Soft Reeds pop more when they allow themselves wade into the Talking Heads side of the pool. That said, they showed a true mastery over the cliffhanger art of dynamically building songs up to almost the brink of bursting only to stop them suddenly. It is certainly good music to not think too hard about and just sway side to side.

–-Zach Hodson

Photos © Todd Zimmer, 2012. Please do not use without permission.

Photo Source: Red Liquid

Red Liquid are set to play alongside Gibraltar, Kingdom of the Holy Sun, and Black Nite Crash this upcoming Saturday at Lo-Fi Performance Gallery.

Formed in 2009, the band released their debut EP I Wanna Be Yr Victim last year. They meddle with haunting and industrial-like sounds frequently, like at the start of the eponymous song "I Wanna Be Yr Victim." The tune – which begins with synths that recall rippling tides, engines and sirens from some doppelganger world – suddenly morphs into a relentless hybrid of punk and post-hardcore.

Led by vocalist and guitarist Lee Cizek, Red Liquid sinks deeply into sonic chambers of repetitive churning riffs that reverberate off into space with echoing synth waves; this interstellar effect can be heard prominently on "Neptune Massive." The vocals on this song especially display similarities to Nick Cave and Michael Gira of Swans. The track lulls you in with its mantra-like effect before tearing into a heavy, psychedelic rock section halfway through.

Their nightmarish, futuristic plunge into music pulls from post-punk, psychedelia, electronic vibes, and more. Visit Lo-Fi this Saturday, July 7th for the show – it costs $7 and will begin at 9pm. Until then, check out "Neptune Massive" below and give their bandcamp a visit to hear the whole EP. Word is Red Liquid is releasing a new cassette very soon too.

– Cameron LaFlam

Rather than scratching their heads like every pop culture scholar over a question with no shortage of answers – i.e ‘what the ‘ell is punk anyway?’- Brooklyn’s Sleepies made its past their playground, juggling anything from oi to pop-punk influences to craft fast and fun music. Godmode Records having recently released a preview of the band’s next LP ‘Weird Wild World’, we can all get a taste of the album to come! First impressions? Arrogant. Deliciously arrogant. Judging by the tone of ‘Seriously’, teasing game of distortions served with attitude and the stability of a tantrum, ‘WWW’ should be one more treat for those who like their punk with a middle finger up. Welcomed with a party at Dead Herring on the 17th of August, the LP will be released a few days later on the 21st,.Before that, catch them by the Rockaway Beach Boardwalk on July 21st!

The precise, direct stabs of singer/songwriter Laura Stevenson are the telltale marks of a true assassin lyricist. Hers are words that carve a fine point through anyone caught listening to the singer/songwriter’s haunting vocals, and rich instrumentation provided by tight rock outfit The Cans.

The Long Island-based chanteuse dives into her material with an enormous weight; whether hocketing through ‘Baby Bones’ (from the band’s second full length ‘A Record’) or challenging a violin for dominance in the comforting title track ‘Holy Ghost,’ from her debut EP. Stevenson’s spark and energy doses the band’s music with an epic quality perfectly suited for such personal tomes.

Her new full-length record ‘Sit Resist’ is no different. First single (streaming below) ‘Master of Art,’ paints a convincing method for bottling time spent between lovers with all the passion and denial necessary to make a statement like that actually work. This is what makes Stevenson such an enduring presence… and also what makes her an assassin.

Catch Laura Stevenson and The Cans when they play Bowery Ballroom on July 21. – Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Congratulations to Dollar Fox for The Deli – Kansas City’s artist of the month for July! They won by a landslide!

This 5-piece folk/Americana group plays music with precision, character, and heart. Since forming about 3 years ago, Dollar Fox has found success on Money Wolf Music with a full-length album under its belt and a wide fanbase. Between the 5 of them, the band uses probably 10 or more instruments in a set. That alongside Tommy Donoho’s sincere voice and lyrics helps make Dollar Fox stand out, even in an ever-growing base of Kansas City’s Americana scene.

Look forward to October 19 when Dollar Fox releases its sophomore effort, Little Mother’s Things I am Keeping.

Dollar Fox is:

• Tommy Donoho
• Nick Dothage
• Justin Penney
• Ethan Taylor
• Ryan Watkins 

Check out a few tracks from Dollar Fox’s 2010 release, Close to Home.

And check out the band’s recent performance on FOX 4, playing a track called "Letter" off the new album:

NYC quintet, Outernational, have had a whirlwind of a year so far. Touring since last year and recording all last spring/summer, these rockers have masterminded their second release, “Todos Somos Ilegales,” an 18-track album that revolves around the issues that haunt the American southern border and aptly combines fiery rock in English and en Espanol, rap, and World music vibes. Just a week ago, the title track’s eye-catching music video, featuring musical collaborators, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Residente of Calle 13, Pop/Latin Rock Producer, Thom Russo, and photo/video submissions from over 100 fans worldwide, dropped and has nearly 34,000 views and counting on YouTube along with heated commentary and debates. “Todos” made it onto a segment of CNN en Espanol and has aired in Venzuela, Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, and the UK so far. Check out the video below and visit www.weareallillegals.com to download the album in its entirety. Outernational will be headlining Bowery Electric on July 11 before heading back out on the road for a summer/fall tour. — Meijin Bruttomesso