Kid Mountain is an up and coming Boston indie band. Though hard to classify the exact genre of what they play, they like to call it Shoe-Pop. It has the ambience and reverby guitar and vocals of shoe gaze yet much more up beat with an acoustic guitar that fills everything out and gives everything a unique sound. They have an EP that came out in January called, Visitor’s Center and they are currently making their debut album due at the end of the summer. Though just a baby band this quartet has already played with the likes of Reptar, The Wandas, and many more bands that are currently big on the indie scene, so keep your eye on them! – (as posted in The Deli New England’s Open Blog – post your band’s entries, videos, and Mp3s here).

Photo Source: Haunted Horses

Haunted Horses are getting to ready to play Capitol Hill Block Party on Sunday, July 22nd. For those who cannot wait until then, drive north to Vancouver, BC where they are playing the Zoo Zhop this Friday, July 13th. 

The band, composed of members Colin Dawson and Myke Pelly, forge an unholy alliance between rhythm and noise. Dark noise is a more apt descriptor; the mood that pervades their music is one of sinister intensity and confusion. The possible comparisons to noise rock duo Lightning Bolt do not hold much weight because Haunted Horses trajectory appears fundamentally different: one of raising, praising and agitating spirits from the next realm with a calmness in their chaos, rather than all-out dance shreddage and ceaseless throttling of the drums.

Chanting moreso than shouting plays a role in the songs – such as in "The Veil," the closing track of their January release EP They Set Us Fevered Water. It is on the track "Pariah" that their signature concoction of tom-heavy rhythms melt together with wave upon wave of distorted guitar and shouts. 

The bandmates cite their influence as "a woman who died in 1976 after unsucessful attempts to perform an exorcism upon her with psychotropic drugs." Perhaps a fitting image for listeners to plant in their mind as they navigate the band’s challenging and curious material.

Haunted Horses play at 5:45pm on the 22nd of July on the Cha Cha Stage. Stream "Pariah" below for an idea of the aural explosion to come. You can listen to They Set Us Fevered Water on their bandcamp page; it is available for digital download or cassette purchase. It is the last in a series of three cassettes that band released.

– Cameron LaFlam

Cuddle Magic, a 10 piece avant-pop orchestra split between Philly and Brooklyn, is about to celebrate the release of their third album "Info Nympho", which is available for streaming here. The band offers an array of soothing instruments (including glockenspiels, toy piano, and various strings and winds) along with the more standard guitar, bass, and drums. At once playful and haunting, the record thrives on the dual male and female vocals spinning intricate counter-melodies. The rhythm section provides a steady but never banal backdrop, while the less conventional instruments are allowed to take the forefront and guide the listener through truly stellar compositions. The variety of sounds, textures, and arrangement ideas, and the quality of the material showcase a band in its full maturity, mastering an impressive musical vocabulary, ranging from classical counterpoint to math rock influences, without disdaining occasional jazz chords and electronic elements. From opener "Disgrace Note"’s semi-robotic mallets in six fourths, to "Jason" (streaming below) and "Hadwrit", with their beautiful melody and organic arrangements featuring almost any instrument you can imagine, this is a record that manages to be original, moving and memorable – what else can you ask? Catch Cuddle Magic in Bushwick on July 13th, at a new venue named Muchmore. – Bob Raymonda

Eric Gilstrap (vocals), Steve Spinella (guitar), Matt Revie (guitar), Max Goransson (bass), and Jim Wood (drums) unite under the name Clouder. The band has been quite prolific, releasing their EP, "Serious Business," last September and full-length record, "Freakin’ Out the Squares" in February. The Brooklyn-based quintet rustles up the sounds, auras and cover art inspirations of music’s decades past, saturating the already-spacey musical atmosphere with even more psychedelic effects, and injecting them with elements of surf and garage rock. Live, they are a force to be reckoned with – see them at The Grand Victory on July 14. – Read Meijin Bruttomesso’s interview with the band here.

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.