Expect a guitar-solo-scorched face or two at the Mercury Lounge this Saturday night, as Jersey’s hard rockers The Parlor Mob treat their New York City fans to a much needed return appearance. Currently touring in support of their sophomore album "Dogs," which was released this past October through Roadrunner Records, and anchored by the first single, "Into The Sun," this is a record without fillers. On that single, the lyrical subject matter combines both defiance and hope, while the muscularly heavy sound of the band leads you into a chorus that’s as catchy as hell. "Fall Back" comes complete with brilliant start/stop breaks that underscore the fluid rhythm section. "Practice in Patience" shows the gentler side of the band, with emotionally strong vocals paired against an uncommon piano sound. "American Dream" chugs forward on heavy twin-tandem guitar riffing, as the lyrics express this current generations confusion about "who to trust" in the government. "I Want To See You" finds the band exploring more exotic rhythms, as a slightly jazzy, latin-tinged undercurrent propels it all towards a bolder, more rock heavy chorus. A blistering guitar solo elevates everything that much higher. "Hard Enough" takes on those gut-wrenching feelings of loss, as the lyrics state that "it’s hard enough to walk this loney road without you – to miss everything about you." While "Take What’s Mine" playfully references Jimi Hendrix’s "Foxy Lady," the track remains true to an originalty – within the classic hard rock formula – that is woven through the entire album. – Dave Cromwell

This Old Ghost, who submitted their music for consideration digitally here a few weeks ago, plays Americana tinged, pleasantly melodic folk-rock featuring harmonized boy/girl vocals and sudden heavy openings, like in their latest EP "Island of Violent lovers" first track "This Lifeboat", where the pretty atmosphere of the verse gets almost "violated" by a chorus that flirts with prog-rock. Being the indie maniacs we are, we prefer the less prog-rocky tracks like the traditional folk rock tune "Attack on the Settlers Cabin" (streaming below), which slowly builds in tension and brings back some good 90s rock vibes. This is a group of guys who can write good songs and, judging from their busy live schedule, also know how to entertain when on stage. Check them out at Pianos on 12.07 or at Rockwood on 12.16.

Fun show at The Living Room on Saturday December 10 with 2 NYC artists we are very familiar with (Psychobuildings and Team Genius, who recently signed with Paper Garden Records) and 2 other ones we haven’t covered as much (or at all for that matter), Cultfever and Swear & Shake.
Cultfever – in the picture – is an electro-pop duo featuring Tamara Jafar’s semi-breathy vocals and J. Peter Durniak’s multi-faceted arrangements. The band released their debut album in October and should have a video ready soon. The track streaming below, entitled "knewyouwell", is our favorite from the record and has the potential to cure – at least temporarily – your Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Swear and Shake will provide a folky break with their Americana tinged rock songs, bringing to the stage instruments foreign to the other bands on the bill, like acoustic guitars and harmonicas. Oh and if you are always on the look for a female voice to fall in love with (like us) you’ll have to give this band a listen – Kari Spieler is her name, see track streaming below.

Lots going on in December for Radical Dads, one of Brooklyn’s most buzzed about bands from the rather new pool of artists intent in instilling new life into the indie guitar sound of the 90s. The trio will open for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah on December 07 at Webster Hall, and then celebrate their 2nd CD’s release party at Cake Shop on the 5th. And if that wasn’t enough, the day after they’ll be playing the Brooklyn Vegan holiday party at BK night bazaar. No tracks from the new album are available as far as we can tell, apart from the rather lo-fi Pursesnatchers remix of the song Little Tomb streaming below.

Radical Dads – Little Tomb (Pursesnatchers Remix)
 

Light-hearted power pop quartet the Hoot Hoots know how to have fun, and their newest release Appetite for Distraction proves it. On the shelves since Dec. 3, their second full-length album of the year is rife with singsong choruses, idyllic imagery and enough peppy riffing to keep listeners feeling fuzzy long after the last track has finished. The animated call and response dialogue in “Worlds” is alternately whimsical and unsettling, but never strays far from the lively spirit of the album. “All these men, I hope they get along,” sings frontman Adam Prairie, and it seems hard to picture any kind of confrontation with such a playful soundtrack. The album ends on the appropriately titled “No More Sad Songs”, an appeal for the end of others’ melancholy outlooks. With a handful of shows slated for the coming months, the Hoot Hoots will get the chance to combat those downers themselves, as they bring their party to the people.

The Hoot Hoots’ upcoming shows:

December 17 The Benbow Room in West Seattle

January 7 The High Dive in Fremont

January 28 The Skylark Cafe

-Kate Shepherd

I’m not sure if long running trip-soul NYC band Mudville is still active, but their lead singer Marilyn Carino‘s solo record "Little Genius" keeps faith to that project’s sound – it looks like the other half of Mudville (producer Ben Rubin) is also involved to some extent in this record. Marilyn’s soulful alto takes us for a mesmerizing ride through mostly downtempo, dark tunes with electronic fluorishes, whose natural listening environment is any space suitable for love making. Her show at the small but pretty East Village bar/venue DROM might present you with a great opportunity to set the "right" atmosphere with your (hopefully not too shallow) date.

On the heels of a live appearance on KEXP on Dec. 3, indie rock lightning rod Cristina Bautista will be back onstage at The Sunset Tavern tomorrow night, along with Los Angeles acts Mike Bloom and Miracle Parade. Performing songs from her Gold Parts EP, the six-song follow up to 2006’s This is the Team, Bautista’s live appearances promise an amplified version of the explosive energy found on her recordings. The Visqueen bassist performed in the band’s farewell show on Nov. 26, but the future looks promising for her solo endeavors, something Bautista’s unabashedly honest lyrics and optimistic delivery express with eloquence.

Doors: 9 p.m.

Tickets: $6 advance

-Kate Shepherd

We just realized that Alex Winston released this video for the song "Velvet Elvis" back in August, but it doesn’t look like her team did anything to promote it, at least in the US – no trace of it on the major music blogs like Stereogum, Prefix and Pitchfork. We thought our readers might enjoy it. There is also a similarly titled EP out, probably promotion is about to start as we speak?

It’s never a bad time to have our ears wrapped in a gorgeously atmospheric shoegaze-pop sound. Field Mouse‘s video "You Guys Are Gonna Wake Up My Mom" adds a very appropriate visual component to the band’s single, by playing with lead singer Rachel Browne’s pale, porcelain complexion, stylishly cut dark hair (with one carefully placed feathery blonde streak) and full ruby red lips. The lead singer’s features are treated with various blurring effects and filters, in a way comparable to what the band does on a sonic level to the song’s melody and sounds: reverbered vocals and layers of guitars bring back to mind iconic 90’s dream-pop band "Lush". Multiple images of her, the band and select footage (buildings, flames) all contribute to a visually psychedelic presentation, conveying an overall feeling of uplift and beauty. "Fall asleep – you might just feel brand new," Rachel sings. "I should know, I do the same thing too" she adds with lovely clarity. What’s not to like? – See Field Mouse at the Big Snow Buffalo Lodge (new Brooklyn performance space) on December 22. – Dave Cromwell