We cover a lot of artists that blur the lines between indie rock and Americana, and as much of a cliche as it is, no one does it quite like S.G. Goodman. The Kentucky artist's latest single, "Satellite," leans more into the indie rock side of the spectrum while keeping roots in Americana. The song is a slow burn that moves along with a dark sense of menace. Much of Goodman's upcoming album was inspired by the loss of her dog Howard and a close friend, and that sense of grief is audible in "Satellite." As indie rock leaning as the song is, there is that Appalachian sense of darkness that seems to dominate the track. This one is certainly not an upbeat listen, but Goodman finds beauty in the grief and darkness throughout the song.
S.G. Goodman says about her latest single:
“The whole premise behind the practice of Planting by the Signs, is that we can look to nature to understand when would be the best time to do something to get the best results. I am interested in how man is obstructing nature and its ancient knowledge, while the human condition remains the same: that to survive we must be in harmony with nature and each other.”
You can watch the video for "Satellite" below. Planting by the Signs is due out June 20 on Slough Water Records/Thirty Tigers, and is available for pre-order here. For more on S.G. Goodman, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video and include a November 1 date at The Sinclair in Cambridge, MA, and November 2 at The Iron Horse in Northampton, MA.
5/29 - Jacksonville, FL - VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena +
5/30 - Gainesville, FL - Heartwood Soundstage
6/1 - Orange Beach, AL - The Wharf Amphitheater +
6/27 - Lexington, KY - The Burl (w/ Secular Pets)
6/28 - Lexington, KY - The Burl (w/ Nick Harley)
7/5 - Duluth, MN - Bayfront Festival Park “
8/7 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE ^
8/8 - Columbus, OH - KEMBA Live! ^
8/9 - Rochester Hills, MI - Meadow Brook Amphitheatre ^
8/23 - Falkenberg, Sweden - Rootsy Summer Fest
8/24 - Stockholm, Sweden - Stockholm Roots
8/26 - Oslo, Norway - Belleville
8/28–8/29 - Tønder, Denmark - Tønder Festival
8/31 - Den Haag, Netherlands - Once In A Blue Moon Festival
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...
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.
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...
