Sometimes you don’t feel like DJing the party. Either you’re too drunk to mix tracks, or someone attractive is whispering dirty limericks in your ear, or some other elaborate shenanigans have otherwise rendered you musically impotent. It is during these desperate times that albums like The Beatard’s I’m the DJ drop in and save the party. From the effervescent “Get Lite” to the psycho-disco of “Neon Light” every track is a certifiable banger. MC UTK drops equally vicious raps and infectious melody, while Chuck Wild spits heavy slabs of concrete. The “Mixtape Riot” parties solidified their presence, and this first album will undoubtedly propel them into the megasphere. Put down the headphones and step away from the turntables – the Beatards are the DJ. – BrokeMC

Lo-fi recordings tend to come under scrutiny these days.  Ever since the explosive, devisive release of Wavves’ self-titled first album, this issue has been floating around.  And if you subscribe to the general drivel of music criticism (this could be considered some), lo-fi recordings seem to be vastly on their way out (as do bedroom style reverb vocals, which I hope never fade away), unless the genre tackled is covering new territory- see How to Dress Well‘s work, the lo-fi instantiation of indie meets R&B.   

The affectation of lo-fi may be worth some small contention here.  When a musician with the spending bread goes into the studio to record an album or EP and uses the studio magic mixing and effects to procure that faraway garage resonance, it seems counterintuitive and possibly even fake as to what a "studio" recording should be.  I was actually disappointed to hear Wavve’s second album sounding so clean, in some small way, it seemed to be a concession to his critics, an acknowledgement of the imperfections of his first recordings and an attempt to convince people that he was actually a stellar craftsman.  These are all aesthetic choices of course, and the general white noise aura of lo-fi has its own characteristics of merit to aesthetes of sound, as well as its pitfalls- not to imply that someone is not an aesthete if they do not appreciate lo-fi, I’m merely saying that it’s oftentimes a cultivated taste.

Mary Mary, the lo-fi Bellingham based indie project of Alexandra Song, Geoffrey Trager and Zach Zinn, just put out their demos, which were recorded on cassette tapes, with French Camp Records.  The tender, angsty authenticity of these recordings I find engaging and accurately reflective of the sentiments contained within their lyrics and compositions.  Long live perfect imperfection.      

Lo-fi recordings tend to come under scrutiny these days.  Ever since the explosive, devisive release of Wavves’ self-titled first album, this issue has been floating around.  And if you subscribe to the general drivel of music criticism (this could be considered some), lo-fi recordings seem to be vastly on their way out (as do bedroom style reverb vocals, which I hope never fade away), unless the genre tackled is covering new territory- see How to Dress Well‘s work, the lo-fi instantiation of indie meets R&B.   

The affectation of lo-fi may be worth some small contention here.  When a musician with the spending bread goes into the studio to record an album or EP and uses the studio magic mixing and effects to procure that faraway garage resonance, it seems counterintuitive and possibly even fake as to what a "studio" recording should be.  I was actually disappointed to hear Wavve’s second album sounding so clean, in some small way, it seemed to be a concession to his critics, an acknowledgement of the imperfections of his first recordings and an attempt to convince people that he was actually a stellar craftsman.  These are all aesthetic choices of course, and the general white noise aura of lo-fi has its own characteristics of merit to aesthetes of sound, as well as its pitfalls- not to imply that someone is not an aesthete if they do not appreciate lo-fi, I’m merely saying that it’s oftentimes a cultivated taste.

Mary Mary, the lo-fi Bellingham based project of Alexandra Song, Geoffrey Trager and Zach Zinn, just put out their demos, which were recorded on cassette tapes, with French Camp Records.  The tender, angsty authenticity of these recordings I find engaging and accurately reflective of the sentiments contained within their lyrics and compositions.  Long live perfect imperfection.      

New York’s Jump Into the Gospel’s main aural attraction is Louis Epstein’s staccato new wave/Brit-pop vocal cadence which hops along with heavy guitar and bright, synth-driven riffs. The band raises the bar of synth-rock with energetic and contagious rhythms, sleek synthesizers, and straight up good songs with a quirky electronic twist. The band has an upcoming string of interesting shows in the NYC area, including Cameo Gallery on 09.16 and Bowery Ballroom opening for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. on September 24. – Read Meijin Bruttomesso’s interview with the band here.

Working under the name Bird of Youth, music journalist Beth Wawerna earlier this year has released “Defender,” an album that combines the guitar-driven pop sounds of 90s rock with Wawerna’s clever lyrics and authoritative delivery. Assembling a quality cast of friends and collaborators, Bird of Youth showcase the process in which the critic becomes the performer, with satisfying results. – See Bird of Youth live at Union Hall on September 29, read Jason Bertone’s Q&A with Beth here.

Mp3: Bird of Youth: "Bombs Away, She’s Here to Stay"

NJ and NYC based Psych Rockers The New Lines – who dropped their fourth single, History of Love/Off Axis at the beginning of August – have a sound that recreates the atmospheres of the psychedelia of the 60s adding to it a modern, mellow flavor – sounding like an even more out there version of Broadcast with male vocals. With the right amalgamation of Wurlitzer and Hammond keys, spacey samples, sparse drums and deep but gentle vocals drenched in reverb, this trio creates compositions bound to send you for a trip back to a time you only dreamed of. In "Off Axis" – on of our favorite songs – the notes from each instrument seem to playfully bounce off each other holding the listener’s attention until 1:47 when Hewson Chen’s hushed, relaxed vocals join the mix, conjuring up some kind of early Pink Floyd ballad. I think the ghost of Syd Barret sang the higher harmony there actually… The New Lines just finished mastering their first full-length album entitled "All That We See and Seem", which will be released in the early fall. The three-piece outfit shares the bill with four other bands at Goodbye Blue Monday on September 9.

We’ve been following NYC ex-blonde Lana Del Rey for quite some time, and witnessed her evolution from rootsy singer songwriter to pop diva – or "Hollywood Pop" diva, since that’s the genre indicated on her Facebook profile. After releasing an EP a few years ago, Lana is back with a new single – out in October on Stranger Records – paired with this video.

The Young Evils are on tour parading their dimple-sweet pop charm around the East Coast before they venture homewards to Seattleville.  The duo, who’ve thrown out the dating-a-band-member faux pas in favor of . . . well, dating a band member, released their debut LP Enchanted Chapel in 2010 to positive critical acclaim.  The album was produced by Barrett Jones, who also worked with Nirvana, The Melvins, and Pussy Galore.  Their songs are savory two minute pop constructions that drip enchantment, with straightforward instrumentation and singalong hooks genuinely intoned over gently strummed acoustic guitar.  Nice.

-Sep 08
The Red Room @ Cafe 939
Boston, MA
-Sep 09
Truck America Festival
Big Indian, NY
-Sep 09
Lizard Lounge
Lancaster, PA
-Sep 09
Chameleon Club
Lancaster, PA
-Sep 10
Susquehanna Bank Center
Camden, NJ
-Sep 13
NightCat
Easton, MD
-Sep 14
Black Cat Backstage
Washington, DC
-Sep 15
Rockwood Music Hall
New York, NY
-Sep 15
Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2
New York, NY
-Oct 01
The Tractor Tavern
Seattle, WA
-Oct 02
Doug Fir Lounge
Portland, OR

It seems almost unreal that a band as successful as NYC’s Escort is just about to release their debut full length. The 17 piece "disco-orchestra" has been around since 2006, and since then their music has been a constant presence in the country’s dancefloors through a seemingly endless stream of remixed versions of their songs. Escort’s long-awaited debut LP is finally set for release this November, and here’s a taste of it – the single "Cocaine Blues".