New Music, Emerging from your Local Scene
Garage Rock group Gal Gun kicked off 2020 by releasing a new EP called “Beauty Community”. This is the first new music from the group since 2018’s Special Music of Emotion.
Our favorite track on first listen is the catchy and fun closer, “Pizza Community”.
While Brooklyn shoegaze newcomers Minaxi gear up for the release of their debut LP Khwab, last year’s similarly monosyllabic Zidd is a heavy, pedal-friendly extended play, a release that doesn’t eschew melodic, alt rock sounds and the muted, introspective vocals we’ve come to expect of the subgenre. EP standout “In The Blur” hits all the right notes; grungy vox, heavy effects, and the right amount of somber sweetness to induce a healthy degree of ennui. A good tune for an evening M train commute, give it a spin below ahead of Minaxi’s Alphaville show on January 15th.
Today Oakland’s The Saxophones released the second single off their forthcoming, sophomore album Eternity Bay (out March 6 on Full Time Hobby). The song is a fusion of jazz, quiet pop and folk. Vocalist Alexi Erenkov says of the album, "While this record was influenced by a broad range of music the through line seems to be conveying a strong mood or sense of place. I love music that transports listeners to another space, whether it’s Jonathan Richman making you feel like you’re walking the streets of Boston in ‘I Love Hot Nights’ or Arthur Lyman transporting you to a Hawaiian hotel lobby in the 50s." Erenkov and wife Alison Alderdice create songs that live up to that transportive feel. Catch their latest single here and be on the look out for upcoming tour dates and Eternity Bay. –Lucille Faulkner
Alexandra Savior has seen many places up and down the West Coast, and all of her experiences have led to the creation of The Archer, her sophomore studio album. Savior delivers her wistful lyrics in a voice and with arrangements that will remind indie fans of Lana Del Rey, with songs incorporating elements that are soft and airy as well as abrasive and thundering in their proclamations. The album focuses on feelings of isolation, as the inspiration came from an unhealthy relationship that Savior didn’t realize she was in. The music video for the title track focuses on Super 8-filmed grim scenes of a lighthouse in Port Townsend, WA, which symbolize the mood of being in that relationship at the time. Take a look at the video below, and make sure to check out the rest of Savior’s work on The Archer. – Will Sisskind
For those foggy New England days and beyond, the folk music of Windsor Connecticut’s Ben Mueller is uplifting: the sparkly electric guitar chords, lively drum beats, and merry-reflective lyrics brighten up the most somber of moods. His latest work under the project Low Ceilings titled Learn to Sew has tracks like “Alter Ego” which showcase all the previously mentioned elements of cheer while songs like “Forget the Fence” have an indie-rock edge to them, with reverb-dipped vocals leading the way past arpeggiating bass runs and shivering cymbals. The title-track gallops at a soothing pace as its rich harmonies add to the feeling of tranquility, and all seems well. The album, recorded at Janky Studios in Windsor, is indie-folk in its purest essence: exquisite with a slight spice. Listen to the contrast of overdriven guitar chords and acoustic strums in “Everybody Knows” from the new record streaming below. – Rene Cobar, photo by Abigail Baldwin
Hali Palombo has released visuals for the first single, “MABLE”, from her forthcoming album Cherry Ripe. The is album is set to be released on March 21st and is the follow-up to her 2018 self-titled debut.
Sonically, Cherry Ripe is composed from almost entirely of shortwave radio recordings. This gives the album a sense of nostalgia while also being filled moments of humor and sadness.
You can help Hali celebrate the release of her album on March 21st at Cafe Mustache.
Late last month Blaqrock released a remastered edition of their debut EP “No Love for Blaqkid”. The release was accompanied by a new video for one of the EP’s singles, “Kicks”.
Blaqrock is the work of Gardner Mcfadden III (Vocals), Myles Bacon (Guitar), Austen Goebel (Bass), and Danny Delgado (Drums).
Emerging five years after the joint release of double albums ! and ?, Sean Cronin’s Very Good bursts back onto the New York scene with the timely release of new record Adulthood. The ragtag band of banjoleles, clarinet, plectrum resophonic guitar and tuba belie Cronin’s New Orleans jazz background, superimposed over contemporary indie-inspired songwriting, freak folk gang vocals, and forays into the theatric; in short, there’s no shortage of disparate threads Very Good has weaved into this impressively diverse nine track offering. As so much of this LP was inspired by the “several musical lifetimes” lived prior to its release, Adulthood very much lives up to its namesake, a sonic memoir that represents differing influences that magically congeals into a cohesive, functioning album, a smattering of eclectic folk and chamber pop that delights and surprises the listener at every turn. Stream it below, and catch the band at the Ace Hotel on January 19th. —Connor Beckett McInerney
A persistent sense of dread dominates “Gracie,” the latest music video by Brooklyn-based indie outfit LAPéCHE. Perhaps it’s the synergy of outdated televisions and a 1950s costume aesthetic that seems inherently Lynchian — alternatively, the track’s dramatic vocal performance by Krista Holly Diem and esoteric lyrics create for a somber listen external to any aesthetic accompaniment. Regardless, “Gracie” is a compelling visual, seemingly existent in a universe of its own, that showcase the New York four piece’s ear for harmonically minor melodies and engaging, interweaving guitar work, a track that will immediately resonate with enthusiasts of darker post-punk. Watch it below, and see LAPéCHE at Gold Sounds on January 30th.
NYC and Iowa-based musician Pictoria Vark is fresh off her first 2020 show at Muchmores — as she hits the road for her ongoing winter tour, her self-titled remains a collection of sad and predominantly quiet tunes inspired by feelings of inertia, a soundtrack for quiet contemplation and personal crossroads. Written around the experiences of “being home, being young, quitting music, and falling out of love,” the EP is a venerable endeavor, punctuated by the artist’s dedication to radical honesty and a minimalistic instrumental approach, a succinct release for those seeking a fresh voice. Stream it below. Photo by Kevin Jiang
Bee Appleseed will release his new psych folk album Starflower’s Cosmic Soul on February 21st, but he has already shared a small part of his ethereal sound in the single "I Was Dreaming". The jangle pop of Bee Appleseed takes from Devendra Banhart and Beirut and tacks on the powerful wail of a saxophone, which matched with Appleseed’s voice creates a sound that embodies the meaning of spirit. Backed by a 15-piece band and a cloud of incense, Appleseed uses every facet of his musical ability to craft tracks that seek to help listeners find their own cosmic soul. Take a listen to "I Was Dreaming" below, and look out for Starflower’s Cosmic Soul in February. – Will Sisskind
Ratboys have released visual for the latest single, “I Go Out At Night”, from their forthcoming album Printer’s Devil. The album is set for release on February 28th via Topself.
You can help Ratboys celebrate the release of their album on February 28th at Lincoln Hall with Slow Mass.
