The latest single from Olden Yolk, "Vital Sign," is a little more mainstream than "Takes One to Know One." That's not to say it's not still a little odd, but it's not quite as freak folk based as their previous single. Most of "Vital Sign" stays fairly mainstream neo-folk, although as far to the edge of mainstream that a band can go. Musically, it's straightforward. Vocally, the styling is a bit too monotone like a Nico sung song from The Velvet Underground. The late period Sonic Youth influence is all but missing, until we get to the bridge. That's when the song gets into a strange, high pitched organic feedback sound. It could be a guitar, but it could also be a flute or a harp. I'm not 100% sure, but it adds some intrigue to an already great song. You can watch the video for "Vital Sign" below. Olden Yolk's debut self-titled album will be out February 23 on Trouble in Mind. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Olden Yolk, check out their Bandcamp. Their current tour dates are below the video.
Sat. Feb 17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle Sat. Feb 24 – Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool Sat. March 3 – Boston, MA @ Lilypad Thu. March 29 – London, UK @ Café Oto
Photo by Rachel Cassels The Cairo Gang is mostly Emmett Kelly, who recorded most of their upcoming album, Goes Missing, on his own while travelling. "Be What You Are" is pure pop gold, reminiscent of British invasion bands like The Kinks and The Zombies. It features jangly guitars and some of the most infectious layered vocals you've heard in years. Luckily the beauty of this style of music is that it never quite sounds dated. It might sound like it's from a certain era that happened 50 years ago, but everything you've ever listened to since then borrows so heavily from it that it always sounds current. It's the kind of music you wish you hadn't missed, only now you haven't. Goes Missing is due out June 23rd on God? Records. You can pre-order the album now, and be sure to check out The Cairo Gang's Facebook . Listen to "Be What You Are" below, and below that are tour dates, many opening for Mikal Cronin. Sat. Sept. 5 - Portlan...
Photo by Ebru Yildiz Somehow TORRES keeps surprising us with her music. The musical project of Mackenzie Scott has released a new single that features her vocals and acoustic guitar that would feel at home in a neo-folk song over a pre-programmed drum beat with sounds that at times are either a light squall of guitar feedback and electronic noises. The song has this haunting and unsettling feeling to it, despite sounding like it's trying to be upbeat. I'd say art doesn't always have to be a pleasant experience, but "I got the fear" can be a pleasant listening experience, except for the times it's not. Mackenzie Scott says of her latest single: “A collective dread has been mounting. Everyone I know is having a brawl with the universe, with themselves…wars, climate catastrophe, a pandemic, the worldwide regression on human rights, the political hellscape — it affects everybody, and I know we’re all feeling it in waves of varying degree all the time. I think it’s...
Photo by Hanna Katrina I never thought we'd be covering a band that formed after a karaoke party doing a song about Meghan Markle, but 2019 is weird. Also, Dry Cleaning are a shockingly great band. Only forming two years ago, the band is set to release their debut EP next month. "Magic of Meghan" is obviously about Meghan Markle, but it might be the only post punk and new wave influenced song about the Duchess of Sussex. As the band says about the song: “ The song acknowledges that following the lives of those in the public eye can provide people with an escape; an outlet for difficult emotions, and subsequently help them to cope with hard times in their lives, ” says Florence Shaw. “ The song is, in part, intended to serve as a thank you to Meghan for this service (‘You got engaged on the day that I moved out. It’s ok. She’s a smasher, perfectly suited to the role’). The song also aims to highlight how the news media dissect her decisions (‘Never has one outfit bee...
