At this point, The Beths releasing a fantastic indie rock/pop song isn't a huge story. The New Zealand band just keeps cranking out great single after great single seemingly at ease. But something is just different about their latest. "Knees Deep" leans a little more towards the pop side of things. It's a little bit cleaner and more polished than what we normally hear from The Beths, but in a fantastic way. "Knees Deep" is the kind of song that should be a huge crossover hit, and it still could be if there is any justice in the world. It's undeniably catchy with mesmerizing guitar work. If you've somehow avoided jumping on The Beths' bandwagon so far, this one will basically force you onboard.
Singer/guitarist Liz Stokes says of the new single:
“I'm the kind of person who wants to go swimming, but takes like ten minutes to get all the way into the cold water, slowly and painfully. I hate this about myself, and am kind of envious of people who can just jump straight in the deep end. In a shocking twist, this is also a metaphor?! For how I wish I was the kind of person who was brave and decisive instead of cautious and scared.”
You can watch the video for "Knees Deep" below. Expert in a Dying Field is due out September 16 on Carpark Records, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on The Beths, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Mon. Aug. 22 - Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
Tue. Aug. 23 - Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry
Thu. Aug. 25 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar
Fri. Aug. 26 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes
Sat. Aug. 27 - Portland, ME @ Portland House of Music
Sun. Aug. 28 - Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB
Wed. Aug. 31 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit Hall
Thu. Sep. 1 - Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar
Thu. Sep. 15 - Melbourne, AU @ 170 Russell
Fri. Sep. 16 - Sydney, AU @ Metro Theatre
Sat. Sep. 17 - Brisbane, AU @ The Triffid
Tue. Sep. 20 - Adelaide, AU @ The Gov
Wed. Sep. 21 - Perth, AU @ Magnet House
Fri. Sep. 23 - Wellington, NZ @ Opera House
Sat. Sep. 24 - Nelson, NZ @ Theatre Royal
Fri. Sep. 30 - Christchurch, NZ @ James Hay Theatre
Sat. Oct. 1 - Dunedin, NZ @ The Glenroy
Fri. Oct. 7 - Auckland, NZ @ Auckland Town Hall
Thu. Feb. 16 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Fri. Feb. 17 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Wed. Feb. 22 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Fri. Feb. 24 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Sun. Feb. 26 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
Tue. Feb. 28 - Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
Thu. Mar. 2 - New York, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Fri. Mar. 3 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Sat. Mar. 4 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Mon. Mar. 6 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
Tue. Mar. 7 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade - Heaven
With this weekend's upcoming Newport Folk Festival, we thought we'd highlight some of this year's can't miss acts. We're focusing on the bands playing smaller stages and earlier in the day. I mean, you're obviously going to see Ryan Adams and Jack White. Instead, these are the acts worth getting there early for, and seeking out the smaller stages. Phox Friday, 1:50, Quad Stage Phox hails from Baraboo, WI, the winter home of the Ringling Brothers' Circus. I'm not sure if that is connected to their music or not, but Phox has an otherworldly charm and a magical feel. They come across as a more grounded St. Vincent or a less intense version of early Tori Amos. Their music is simply beautiful and uplifting. Reignwolf Friday, 2:55, Quad Stage Truly pushing the boundaries of what can be considered "folk" are Reignwolf. Reignwolf is Jordan Cook, who sounds like a mixture of The Black Keys and Queens of the Stone Age, mixed with just a lit...
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 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...
