Goose, the band from Norwalk, Connecticut, surprised with a year-end single so fun it had to save it for last. The year-closing single “Wysteria Lane” is funky with its smooth ‘70s guitar riffs, hot bassline, and reverberating vocals that evoke a festive feel. Known for its excellent live performances, Goose is a group that injects that communal feel into each piece, and this new single is no different: close your eyes, turn up the volume and feel the vibe so lively. The final seconds of the track are exquisite; the overall composition is primed for a solid live showing to come. Stream the new track below to kick off your weekend right. – Rene Cobar
NYC
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Fantastic Negrito’s 2-night NYE residency at The Chapel
As he does all things, Fantastic Negrito is celebrating the end of decade in style. The singer combines passionate blues meets soul meets R&B and is a performer you won’t want to miss. Fantastic Negrito is playing a two-night residency at The Chapel, concluding with a New Year’s Eve show. What a way to end a decade and what a forceful way to start the new year. Here’s a taste of some of his latest work, featuring blind dancer Odil Gerfaut. Presented by Folk Yeah, get your tickets now. –Lucille Faulkner
L.A.
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rook&nomie electrify with coldwave mastery on “me&you”
On Twitter, rook&nomie advertise themselves as a "gay girl band from the cutest hell", but their ghostly coldwave suggests something more grim than cute. That’s not to say that their new album me&you isn’t a wonder of sound; the duo create webs of haunting melodies and spectre-like backbeats that provide gut punches of intensity even in their quieter moments. The album’s lyrics invoke images of cruelty — as well as love — towards oneself and between two people, creating scenes of darkness where little specks of light fight to shine through. On me&you, rook&nomie sing in search of that light. Take a look at the music video for "azure paler than the sky", a track from me&you, below. – Will Sisskind
Chicago
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The Hazy Seas “Heavy Heads”
The Hazy Seas recently released a new single called “Heavy Heads”. This is the first single from the band’s forthcoming self-titled debut album which is due out in January.
This is the work of Alec Heredia, Jack Komos, Jacob Leyba, and Tim Hutchinson.
You can catch The Hazy Seas at Empty Bottle on January 6th with The Knees and Brass Calf.
Chicago
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Town Criers III
Garage Rock group Town Criers recently released second EP of the year and their third overall, Town Criers III.
The band was interviewed by Jennifer Machuca for Music Why Not! two years ago after having just released their first two singles, and you can relive that full interview below.
Chicago
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Horrible “Shortsighted”
Post Punk group Horrible recently released a new EP called “Shortsighted”. The three song EP contains a new track called “Myopia”, and two rerecorded versions of older songs.
This is the work of Pat Bond (Guitar/Vox), Jeff Gonzales (Drums), Joey Hribar (Guitar), and Phil Skurski (Lead Conga Whistle/Bass/Vox/Rhythm Conga Whistle).
Austin
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Tasi Floats Chill Vibes Over Lo-Fi Beats
Tåsi’s music is described as “coral reef meets poetry,” and as abstract as that sounds it’s also the perfect descriptor for Marlon Hedricks’ romantic, lo-fi rap. Tåsi urges himself and his audience to reflect, a theme that plays out both lyrically and sonically. His production is smooth but not entirely unfractured, with beats and drops that create a mirroring effect within each song. It’s a very chill, relaxing house of mirrors.
Tåsi does a lot of collaborations, blending his sound well with the sound of his fellow musicians. His most recent release was East 10th St, a 5 song LP he produced with Lungfulls, Falling Awake Sound Therapy and Malekinho. Tåsi & BLakchyl wrote and recorded the entire album at 1609 East 10th, a street that has significant meaning for both artists. As they say in the description, ”this is our love letter:” The LP starts out strong and ends even stronger. The speech sampling done on “DDD” is thoughtful and powerful, but it doesn’t distract the audience from the song at all. It’s a great example of Tåsi’s strengths as both a solo artist and a collaborator.
-Avril Carrillo
Chicago
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Mooner “EML 101 Vol. 2”
Mooner has teamed up with Kit Shields again to release their second collection of covers, EML 101 Vol. 2. They first did this back in March 2017, and this go around have selected songs from bands like the Bee Gees, Elvis Costello, Poison, The Jam, Depeche Mode, Weezer, Hall & Oates, and many more.
NYC
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Grand Kid’s new Americana explodes on “We’ll Be,” plays C’mon Everybody 1.3
Grand Kid’s brand of groove-focused roots rock is equally at home in the city as it is in the Upstate countryside, an indie romp with all the trappings of good Americana, wrapped up in a Fender-friendly package. Their debut EP We’ll Be, recorded at New Paltz’s Welterweight Sound Studio, has all the energy of a live performance, bolstered by the occasional dramatic instrumental breakdowns; three quarters through driving introductory track “They’ll Be,” Grand Kid engages in a chromatic descent, just ahead of exploding into a lush chorus before seamlessly transitioning into a falsetto-laden last minute bridge. While just two tracks, We’ll Be demonstrates the Brooklyn trio’s willingness to engage in experimental song structures while maintaining all the fittings of classic (yet modern) instrumentation. Listen below, and catch Grand Kid at C’mon Everybody on January 3rd, opening for Gorgeous and Leafing. —Connor Beckett McInerney
L.A.
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12.27: Post Life celebrates new EP release at The Hi Hat
On December 27th, see Post Life have a ball celebrating the release of their brand new EP Nothing/All Is Said, available on the legendary Shrimper Records. They’ll take the stage at the Hi Hat on a bill with Yaawn and Lunch Lady, both fellow LA indie acts who will come with the heaviest tunes they have to offer in order to properly close out the year and the decade. For Post Life, the show marks another step in a quest to become one of LA’s most intense acts, with a no-frills punk sound that can turn any room into a frenzy. See them do so at the Hi Hat on 12/27. For a preview, take a look at their video for "Brand Damage", a new single, below. – Will Sisskind
Chicago
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Fat Night “This Christmas!”
Fat Night released a live recording from their recent show at Sleeping Village of the Christmas classic “This Christmas!”. For this song the group, Daniel Hanson (Guitar), Gabriel Gundacker (Keys, Vocals), Ted Issen (Bass), and Nik Ritchie (Drums), were joined by the talented Wyatt Waddell.
The soulful funk group released a new single, “Sweet Nothings”, a few months ago and are back in their hometown of Orlando this week for a string of shows.
Photo by Rebekah Witt
NYC
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Garcia Peoples expand their psych sound on “One Step Behind” play Poisson Rouge 12.30
The term “jam band” can be a divisive term, evoking images of meandering guitar work and instrumentation pandering to a heady listener base, and while NJ-based outfit Garcia Peoples incorporates psych rock as a founding pillar of their music, their new LP One Step Behind embraces a fuller sound. Opener and title track “One Step Behind” begins on a jazz fusion note, gradually segueing into an accessible, more indie influenced groove; while there’s no shortage of noodling guitar solos, the band’s eager incorporation of garage and prog rock could turn even the most reticent of listeners into full fledged fans. Stream it below to hear for yourself, and catch Garcia Peoples at Le Poisson Rouge on December 30th, opening for Ryley Walker.