The latest from Chicago's Dehd sounds exactly what it's about. As the band explains, "Empty in My Mind" is about “the floating mindless space around a new crush… The sort of high that occurs, the spinning, the detachment and the feeling of ungroundedness. All of these things being either very fun or absolutely dreadful.” The song is this hypnotic swirl that expresses both joy and hope while still feels rooted in anxiety. It's that newfangled punk/indie rock that is still heavily rooted in modern indie pop. You're going to get some serious post punk vibes from this one, and I'm hearing more than a little of The Cure.
You can watch the video for "Empty in My Mind" below. Blue Skies is due out May 27 on Fat Possum, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on Dehd, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Sat. Apr. 30 - Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Festival Sat. Apr. 30 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade - Purgatory (Shaky Knees Aftershow) Mon. May 2 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater * Tue. May 3 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall * Thu. May 5 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos * Fri. May 6 - Vancouver, BC @ The Imperial Sat. May 7 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom * Mon. May 9 - San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel * Tue. May 10 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Theater* Wed. May 11 - Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress * Fri. May 13 - Austin, TX - Antones * Sat. May 14 - Dallas, TX @ Trees * Sun. May 15 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Studio * Mon. May 16 - New Orleans, LA @ Toulouse Theatre ! Wed. May 18 - Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall ! Thu. May 19 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle ! Sun. May 22 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer ! Tue. May 24 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom - SOLD OUT ! Wed. May 25 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom ! Thu. May 26 - Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall ! Fri. May 27 - Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount Sat. May 28 - Toronto, ON @ Lee’sPalace Sat. Jun. 4 - Chicago, IL @ Metro * Sat. Jun. 11 - Queens, NY @ The Governors Ball Music Festival * w/ Pixel Grip ! w/ 81355
Somehow Peter Prescott of Mission of Burma and Volcano Suns has another band that I never knew about. Minibeast already released an album that I completely missed back in 2012, and they are currently at work on the follow up, Free Will. Based on a track from the upcoming album, "High Sea," Minibeast shares some common sonic ground with Mission of Burma, but with an added emphasis on the groovy side of things. It's basically the noise and dissonance of Burma but heard through a 60s surf groove, as if Frankie and Annette were punks. You can listen to "High Sea" below. Minibeast currently have a Kickstarter to help fund the final production of Free Will. You can get more information on that here . It should be out sometime in June.
Photo by Annabel Kean For their latest single, New Zealand's The Beths have released "Mother, Pray for Me." This is a heartbreaking ballad consisting of Elizabeth Stokes' vocals and guitar with just the slightest hint of organ. It's a deeply personal song for Stokes, made obvious with how intimately the song comes across. It truly feels almost confessional, and it's quite simply beautiful. The Beths are most known for huge little indie rock gems perfect for bopping along to, but "Mother, Pray for Me" is quite the opposite. Stokes' vocals and lyrics are right up front on this one, and I can't imagine it any other way. Elizabeth Stokes says of her latest single: “I cried the whole time writing it. It's not really about my mother, it's about me — what I hope our relationship is, what I think it is, what it maybe actually is, and what I can or can't expect out of it. “My mother is a first gen Indonesian immigrant, and very Catholic....
Photo by Cecil Sykes Midnight Peg are an Edmonton, AB based band that are referred to as "madhouse punk." Their latest single, "Thirstland," is a just barely under control two minute burst of punk. You have guitar riffs that will make you think of At the Drive In, and somewhat spoken and yelled vocals which create a feeling of chaos throughout. This is a loud and angry track that is completely in your face. But, unlike most tracks this loud and punk based, "Thirstland" still keeps a sense of art in their music. Midnight Peg feel like a higher class of loud, angry punk rock. This one is great, with just enough of an emo undercurrent to make the song kind of melodic and almost palatable to a mainstream audience. You can listen to "Thirstland" below. Skinning is due out in October on Thousand Island Records. For more on Midnight Peg, check out the artist's website .
