It’s always nice to find a young local band a few years after we first covered them and notice the progress. The Future of What is the electro-dream-pop project of trio Blair, Max and Sam. In the, eccellent remix of single "The Rainbowed Air" (streaming) angular drum machines and sweeping synths create an intriguing sonic backdrop for Sam’s melodic vocals. Check out also the original track here.
Philadelphia
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New Track: “You Aren’t the Same” – The Lawsuits
Straight up – The Lawsuits‘ Vanessa Winters has a beautifully sexy voice! And on their latest single, "You Aren’t the Same," which just premiered at The Village Voice, she takes the reins, guiding you through her heartbreak. However, for us, it’s the last 30 seconds of the song that we find most intriguing because it had us envisioning what Winters would sound like on an experimental, lo-fi project. Someone needs to make that happen – just putting that energy out there into the universe. The Lawsuits have a new EP Tumbled coming out soon on September 23, and they’ll be celebrating its release on Friday, September 26 with DRGN KING and Tutlie.
NYC
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September Artist of the Month: The Thunderclaps
The Thunderclaps are our September artist of the month!
Though the two have been making music for a number of years, Bryce Jones and Colin Blunt formed The Thunderclaps just at the beginning of 2014. A grimy garage rock guitar/drums duo influenced by the surf leanings of The Gories and the psychedelic offerings of Thee Oh Sees, the band delivers an undeniable lo-fi rock ‘n roll edge.
Along with being our artist of the month, the band will be playing on INK’s stage at the Plaza Art Fair next weekend. We talked with Jones and Blunt to get a little more insight on what The Thunderclaps are all about.
The Deli: Down and dirty: one sentence to describe your music.
Bryce: It’s like a fried egg sandwich: nothing fancy, but it’ll stick to your ribs.
The Deli: The Thunderclaps is a relatively new band. How long have you been together? How did it all come to be?
Bryce: We’ve made quite a bit of noise together over the years, but most of it has been for our own enjoyment and edification. The Thunderclaps got going when Colin tracked down a drum set and we tried our hand at thumpin’ out tunes and filling them out as best as we could as a duo. We played to the living room for a long while before we decided to gig for a friend’s New Year’s gathering. Folks were dancing and having a good time, so we settled into the idea of trying to get out and play as often as we can.
The Deli: The Thunderclaps are a guitar/drums duo. Was this a conscious effort to conceive a certain type of sound, or have you wanted to add other instrumentation?
Bryce: The configuration was bred out of necessity in a way. I don’t live in KC, so it streamlines the process a bit when I can make it to town. We can buckle down, get things moving, and flesh out ideas. From a songwriting angle it does provide interesting parameters within which to work. Certain ideas just aren’t going to play, but other options that otherwise wouldn’t even come up rear their head. We’ve kind of toyed with the idea of adding a bass player, but for right now it’s enough of a good time that I think we’ll roll with this instrumentation for a bit.
The Deli: What have been your greatest accomplishments as a band?
Colin: Honestly, being interviewed is pretty sweet. Being asked to play the Plaza Art Fair is a huge step forward as well. Then there was the time when we were asked to play at someone’s wedding reception. That was real fun. The bride lived near where we practice, heard us from up the street, and the next thing we know, we’re playing for a dancing bride and groom.
The Deli: You released an EP, Not Bad, August. What can we expect from it?
Colin: “Not Bad” is actually just kind of a placeholder name for the tracks we recorded on a cassette player a while back. And we didn’t really “release” them as much as we “put them on the internet.” But to answer your question, you can expect some lo-fi rumblings and a crocodile on the telephone.
The Deli: You guys are playing the Plaza Art Fair in a couple weeks. Who are you most looking forward to seeing there?
Colin: You know, to be honest, I haven’t heard a lot of the bands that are playing this year, which is really exciting actually. I like going to shows where you don’t really know what to expect and being pleasantly surprised. I anticipate I’ll have a few new favorite local bands after that weekend, but for now, I’ve heard a lot of good things about My Brothers & Sisters and Katy Guillen & the Girls, so that’ll be fun.
The Deli: What does supporting local music mean to you?
Colin: Hangin’ with good people who appreciate making and enjoying music.
The Deli: Who are your favorite local musicians right now?
Colin: Cadillac Flambe, Rooms Without Windows, and Making Movies are all amazing, but I’d say our new favorite is The Garage Kings—they make great music for ordering a hamburger, and even better music for eating a hamburger.
The Deli: Who are your favorite non-local musicians right now?
Colin: Oh man, where to begin. As far as classic stuff, Bo Diddley is the alpha and omega of rock and roll music as far as we’re concerned. Besides that, we also really like Thee Oh Sees, The Gories, JD McPherson, Thee Headcoats, The Oblivians, Reigning Sound, etc. Basically anyone who just brings the rock and roll and never looks back.
The Deli: What is your ultimate fantasy concert bill to play on?
The Thunderclaps: Realistically, any of the happenin’ flashback bands right now would be fun to open for. But ultimately, maybe we bring Phil Lynott back from the dead so we can open up for Thin Lizzy?
The Deli: A music-themed Mount Rushmore. What four faces are you putting up there and why?
The Thunderclaps: Bo Diddley (because he’s a gunslinger), Fats Domino (because he’s the man), Link Wray (because louder is better), and Elmore James (just because). Can Teddy still hang around to class up the place?
The Deli: What other goals do The Thunderclaps have for 2014?
The Thunderclaps: We just want to keep on rockin’ and rollin’.
The Deli: Where can we find you on the web?
The Thunderclaps: http://www.facebook.com/ThunderclapsKC
The Deli: Always go out on a high note. Any last words of wisdom for the Deli audience?
Bryce: If your toes start tappin’, tap ‘em. If your knees start shakin’, shake ‘em. And if your hips start movin’, by all means, groove ‘em.
The Thunderclaps will be playing on INK’s stage at Plaza Art Fair on Sunday, September 21 at 1:00 p.m. The stage is located at Ward Parkway and Pennsylvania Avenue, next to Gram & Dun and Plaza III. Facebook event page.
–Michelle Bacon
Michelle Bacon is editor of The Deli KC and plays in bands.
San Francisco
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Buzzmutt Celebrates Album Release at Hemlock Tavern TONIGHT
San Francisco based experimental post punk band, Buzzmutt has released a new album entitled, Strange Planes of Surveillance. Their music is loud and untamed, but their song’s composition is structurally coherent. Buzzmutt’s brand of noise music has a danceable element that is really fun but doesn’t take away from their punk integrity.
If you’re into Sonic Youth and New Order, you’ll be into Buzzmutt. They certainly standout and you should check out their show and pick up an album just to make sure you keep your music taste diverse.
Head out to the Hemlock Tavern TONIGHT to see Buzzmutt share a bill with Wild Pack of Canaries and The Shape.
NYC
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Free Time unveils new video about NYC: ‘Guess Work’
This could not NOT make The Deli’s NYC blog! Entirely shot in the Big Apple, the video of ‘Guess Work’ by Brooklyn (via Australia) Free Time, manages to find NYC’s old character and poetry even in the streets and buildings of today’s Manhattan. The song is included in the band’s latest 7" released by Underwater Peoples – together with the more uptempo track ‘Esoteric Tizz.’ See Free Time live at Glasslands on 09.21 and at soon to be closing Death By Audio on 09.29
NYC
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NYC bands to keep an ear on: See Through
Started by singer-songwriter James Pollis (who is now backed by Eric Davis, Jon Wiley, and Ignacio Rivas Bixio), See Through is a synth pop/rock outfit with a truly expansive (but somewhat… transparent!) sound. Thus far, the project has released an album in February with singles “Forward Motion” (streaming) and “Chemical,” both comprehensive pieces with strong, technically sound instrumentals and neatly layered vocals. See Through is working on a new album. Catch them late tomorrow night at Baby’s All Right — it promises to be a powerful, high-energy show.
Philadelphia
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New Track: “Autumn Leaves” – Revolution, I Love You
As we inch closer to the official start of fall, Revolution, I Love You creeps up on us with its latest track "Autumn Leaves." It’s the first single from their upcoming album Black Feathers, which is slated for release in 2015. For some reason, we envision this song to be something that you’ll find on the soundtrack for the remake of The Lost Boys. Come on – you know that they’re going to eventually bastardize that movie too!
Toronto
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Flash Lightnin’- Dirty Penny **Video Release**
Check out the latest video ‘Dirty Penny‘ from Flash Lightnin‘. Totally cool! The video was shot @ the Drake Underground. Love me some ‘Dirty Penny’ action; soulful vocals layered on thick guitar riffs, and driven by thrashy-swinging drums. Flash Lightnin’ is pure rock n’ roll. Get info on their cross-Canada tour which kicks off this weekend.
NYC
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BRNDA single release party this Saturday, 9/13, w/ Paperhaus, The Sea Life, and DJ Outputmessage
BRNDA is releasing a new single, called "Apple King," this Saturday, 9/13 at Comet Ping Pong. The lineup for the night is a superb collection of local favorites. Paperhaus will be headlining the show, fresh from tour, including a stop at the Hopscotch Music Festival, in advance of the release of their new album. Before the tour, Paperhaus released the lead single "Cairo" to much acclaim, and the locals are restless to see them tight off of tour with new material.
Also on the bill are DC favorites, and perpetual performers, The Sea Life who also recently released a new single, "Prozac & Merlot." Between sets, DJ Outputmessage will be spinning his magical sound-webs. Earlier this ear, Outputmessage released the ambitious and fantastic album The Infinite Void.
This show is a superb collection of local powerhouses, all with new material. It is not to be missed. –Natan Press
NYC
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Radical Dads premiere new video + play Baby’s All Right on 09.20
I don’t think the guys in Radical Dads are actually fathers/mothers yet, but they certainly have been around for at least thrice as long as your average Brooklyn band. Not only that, but the slacker rock trio’s "children" (read: their songs) are getting better every year, which should make them proud. In 2013 the band released LP ‘Rapid Reality‘ in April and double single ‘Creature Out‘ (streaming) in November, and recently unveiled a geeky, video-game inspired video for Dust USA (featured in the album). You can catch them live at Baby’s All Right on 09.20.
We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best garage/slacker rock songs by emerging NYC artists – check it out!
NYC
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Sexy avant-electro from Brooklyn: Archie Pelago
It’s rare to stumble upon a band reminiscent of legendary British musician/filmaker Funki Porcini (for the unaware, best band in the world to create a sophisticated soundtrack conducive to… "sexual events"). Brooklyn trio Archie Pelago recreates similarly intriguing, progressive, and sax ridden atmospheres, only with an approach that’s closer to EDM than trip hop. These guys have a gazillion tracks on their SoundCloud profile (good sign), and while their biggest single seems to be ‘Breezy Whey,’ we prefer the impressionistic jungly touches of ‘Saturn V’ (streaming below). They also pride themselves of being a live band (they recently played Baby’s All Right) so make sure you catch them next time they play in the area.
We added this song to The Deli’s playlist of Best electronic tracks by emerging NYC artists – check it out!
L.A.
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Soft Swells release “Floodlights” on 9.30
Soft Swells release their sophomore album, Floodlights, on September 30th, which follows their self-titled debut (2012) and follow-up EP Lifeboats (2013). Their first single, "Floodlights", was just remixed by the electro-pop band EXROYALE, lending the original’s garage sounding guitar riffs a slightly more mellow pop finish. "Don’t you want to think this is our time", the song’s mantra echoes in both versions. The band name also serves as a pretty good description of their music. It’s derived from surf terminology, and their sound mimics the ease of the small waves it represents. Though they may have started small, their swell is definitely growing. They have a standing Monday residency at the Echo until September 22nd. After that, they’ll kick off their tour – the next stop being Austin, TX. Catch them before their wave breaks. – Jennifer Mergott