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
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 .
