Joanna Sternberg is one of those artists that comes so close to being a completely mainstream singer/songwriter, but something about their sound just sets them apart. Their latest single, "People are Toys to You," is the kind of song that could be a huge hit. It's a little folky without being purely folk, and it has this killer blues sound to the guitar. It's a sweet song that isn't trying to hide the venom hiding behind the chipper sound. But Sternberg just has this outsider artist sound to their music that will most likely keep this from going too mainstream, but gives "People are Toys to You" a sound that is going to be irresistible to many of us. Sternberg is a captivating artist that is perfect if you keep going back to artists like Daniel Johnston or The Moldy Peaches.
Joanna Sternberg says of their new single:
“I wrote this song while I was in a rush walking to the subway with my double bass. I was upset about something and the song sort of wrote itself. The funny thing is that Soundcloud Pro’s ‘who is listening’ feature told me the person I wrote this song about listened to it four times when I posted it on Facebook. Oops!”
You can watch the video for "People Are Toys to You" below. I've Got Me is due out June 30 on Fat Possum, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Joanna Sternberg, check out the artist on Instagram and Twitter. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Wed. June 14 - Seattle, WA @ Here-After Fri. June 16 - Portland, OR @ Show Bar Sun. June 18 - San Francisco, CA @ Make-Out Room Wed. June 21 - Los Angeles, CA @ Genghis Cohen Fri. June 30 - Brooklyn, NY @ Public Records [I’ve Got Me release show] Wed. Sept. 20 - South Deerfield, MA @ Tree House Outside ! Thu. Sept. 21 - Ithaca, NY @ State Theatre ! Fri. Sept. 22 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground ! Sat. Sept. 23 - New London, CT @ Garde Arts Center ! Sat. Dec. 2 - Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall ^ Tue. Dec. 5 - Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall ^ Wed. Dec. 6 - Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl ^ ! supporting Kurt Vile ^ supporting Angel Olsen
Joanna Sternberg plays Americana that feels familiar while still not quite sounding like anyone else. Their new single, "I've Got Me," is so close to just being a straight up roots song, but it's just... not. They just have such a unique voice and songwriting style that the song just doesn't quite fit into any branch of folk, roots, or Americana. The closest artists I can compare "I've Got Me" to are Daniel Johnston or Kimya Dawson, but it's a little more traditional than either of those artists. I know I'm making Sternberg sound like a complete outsider artist, but they're really not. As unique as "I've Got Me" may be, it has enough rooted in mainstream folk that it has some crossover potential.
Joanna Sternberg says of their new song:
“I do not remember if I wrote this song before or after reading the poem 'Oh Yes' by Charles Bukowski, but the song is definitely meant to reflect the same sentiment. I also have the poem tattooed on my right arm!”
You can watch the video for "I've Got Me" below. I've Got Me, the album, is due out June 30 on Fat Possum Records. The album can be pre-ordered here. For more on Joanna Sternberg, check out the artist on Instagram and Twitter. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Tue. Mar. 14 - Fri. Mar. 17 - Austin, TX @ SXSW Wed. Mar. 22 - New York, NY @ Union Pool Wed. Mar. 29 - New York, NY @ Union Pool Fri. Apr. 21 - Boston, MA @ Cafe 939 Sat. Apr. 22 - Northampton, MA @ Bishop’s Lounge Thu. Apr. 27 - Wayne, PA @ 118 North Fri. Apr. 28 - Washington, DC @ Comet Ping Pong
I first discovered Buffalo Nichols opening up for Drive-By Truckers in 2020 and loved his self-titled 2021 album. He just has this great laid back, solo blues vibe to his music that is impossible to resist. With his latest single, he keeps all that but amps it up into a noisy blues rocker. I hesitate to call "Meet Me in the Bottom" a blues rocker, because I know what you're imagining when you hear that description and this song is not that. "Meet Me in the Bottom" is loud and heavy. Nichols describes the song as "a classic blues song, reimagined as an action movie." There is something inherently cinematic with the song as it is almost comprised of acts like a film is. Nichols brings in elements of noise rock with loads of feedback and distortion along with some psychedelia and garage rock, but this is still primarily a blues song.
You can listen to "Meet Me in the Bottom" below. The song is available as a single with a B-side of "Friends." Both tracks were produced by Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio and are available via Fat Possum. For more on Buffalo Nichols, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the song.
11/5/2022 - Little Rock, AR - Oxford American
12/9/2022 - Bethel, ME - Gem Theater
1/5/2023 - Hershey, PA - The Englewood
1/6/2023 - Washington, DC - The Kennedy Center
1/7/2023 - Kennett Square, PA - Kennett Flash
1/8/2023 - Thomas, WV - Purple Fiddle
2/2/2023 - Ann Arbor, MI - The Ark
2/3/2023 - Pittsburgh, PA - The Warhol
2/4/2023 - Chicago, IL - Judson & Moore
2/5/2023 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club
2/16/2023 - Minneapolis, MN - Turf Club
2/17/2023 - Stoughton, WI - Stoughton Opera House
2/18/2023 - Rhinelander, WI - Nicolet Theater
4/7/2023 - Brownfield, ME - Stone Mountain Arts Center
Keith Morris may be in the midst of a giant tour with Circle Jerks, but that doesn't mean he forgot about his other musical project. OFF! is back with new music and a new line up. The band is still Keith Morris with Dimitri Coats (Burning Brides), but this time around they are joined by (... And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead) and Justin Brown (Thundercat). The band's new single, "War Above Los Angeles," is basically exactly what you'd expect from these four musicians. It's heavy and fast hardcore punk, the kind that sounds like the band is just holding on for their lives while the music crashes over them. OFF! is barely in control of this song and are just trying to keep it together for our own safety.
You can watch the video for "War Above Los Angeles" below. Free LSD is due out September 30 on Fat Possum Records, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on OFF!, check out the band on Facebook and Twitter.
Chicago's Dehd are absolute masters of that newfangled punk that is infused with a ton of pop hooks without being even remotely pop punk. Their latest single, "Window," is this song that slowly builds into an absolute epic. It starts off slow and just builds and builds with all the power of a band like Pulp or U2, but a lower scale punk pop version. It's as catchy as possible without being too saccharine, and even had more than just a hint of an edge. And it does all this while remaining mostly a ballad. Dehd are the kind of band that are going to be huge by this time next year.
Emily Kempf says the new song is about "... “being obsessed with true love and the construct of ‘the one.’ I wrote it to address my addition to the terrible and wonderful pursuit of perfect love.”
You can watch the NSFW-ish video for "Window" below. Blue Skies is due out May 27 on Fat Possum. You can pre-save/pre-order the album here. For more on Dehd, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Wed. May 25 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom ! - SOLD OUT 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 * - SOLD OUT Sat. Jun. 11 - New York, NY @ Governor's Ball Music Festival Sat. Jul. 9 - Chicago, IL @ Square Roots Festival Sun. Aug. 21 - Hasselt, BE @ Pukkelpop Mon. Aug. 22 - Rotterdam, NL @ Rotown Wed. Aug. 24 - Utrecht, NL @ Tivoli De Helling Fri. Aug. 26 - London, UK @ All Points East Sun. Aug. 28 - Edinburgh, UK @ Connect Festival Sat. Aug. 30 - Birmingham, UK @ The Castle & Falcon Sun. Aug. 31 - Cambridge, UK @ Junction 2 Fri. Sep. 2 - Wiltshire, UK @ End of the Road Festival Thu. Sep. 4 - Maastricht, NL @ Bruis Festival Wed. Sep. 21 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre Thu. Sep. 22 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown Fri. Sep. 23 - Denver, CO @ The Summit Sat. Sep. 24 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot Tue. Sep. 27 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom Wed. Sep. 28 - Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre Fri. Sep. 30 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market Sat. Oct. 2 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall Wed. Oct. 5 - Los Angeles, CA @ Belasco Theater Thu. Oct. 6 - San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park Fri. Oct. 7 - Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theater Sat. Oct. 9 - Austin, TX @ ACL Fest Wed. Oct. 12 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater Thu. Oct. 13 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren Sun. Oct. 16 - Austin, TX @ ACL Fest Fri. Oct. 21 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel Sat. Oct. 22 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore Sun. Oct. 23 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat Tue. Oct. 25 - Boston, MA @ Royale Wed. Oct. 26 - Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre Thu. Oct. 27 - Toronto, ON @ Opera House Wed. Nov. 2 - Milan, IT @ Magnolia Thu. Nov. 3 - Aaru, CH @ Kiff Mon. Nov. 7 - Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen Tue. Nov. 8 - Stockholm, SE @ Kristallen Wed. Nov. 9 - Oslo, NE @ John Dee Fri. Nov. 11 - Hamburg, DE @ Molotow Sat. Nov. 12 - Brussels, BE @ Grand Salon Wed. Nov. 16 - Bristol, UK @ The Lanes Thu. Nov. 17 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club Fri. Nov. 18 - Sunderland, UK @ Pop Recs Sat. Nov. 19 - Glasgow, UK @ Oran Mor Sun. Nov. 20 - Dublin, IE @ Button Factory * w/ Pixel Grip ! w/ 81355
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
Legendary L.A. punk band X always had a country/rockabilly side, and when John Doe has done solo music he has tended to go full on country/rockabilly. His upcoming solo album is made up of songs that take place in the 1890's, and the first single, "Never Coming Back," is going to be beloved by X fans. It has all the edge of anything Doe's band has done, but just a less in-your-face version of that sound. Maybe it's just Doe's iconic voice, but "Never Coming Back" sounds like a stripped down version of an X song. When one of your favorite punk legends announces a solo album, this is exactly what you want. It still sounds like what you've always loved from them, but doesn't just sound exactly like their band.
You can watch the video for "Never Coming Back" below. Fables in a Foreign Land is due out May 20 on Fat Possum, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on John Doe, check out the artist's website.
Dehd are one of those bands I've known by name without ever having heard them. Based solely on their name, I've always assumed they were a jam band or something particularly heavy. I was wrong. Completely.
Their latest single, "Bad Love," is a ridiculously catchy and dance friendly slice of post punk meets pop. It sounds like a classic doo wop/girl group track put through a bizarro filter that strips out all of the pomp and minimalizes the song while putting a layer of grime on it, while still keeping it pop friendly. "Bad Love" is a stripped down version of post punk and doo wop while being fun as hell. My expectations were so decidedly wrong that it took me a few listens to adjust and enjoy what I was listening to, but I'm slowly getting sucked in as a Dehd fan.
You can watch the video for "Bad Love" below. Blue Skies is due out May 27 on Fat Possum, and can be pre-ordered/pre-saved 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 (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 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
The Weather Station just released the fantastic Ignorance In February 2021. Tamara Lindeman had written an abundance of material for that album, so when it was completed she decided to make another. For this one, she used her own money to get back into the studio without telling her record company. The first song off this album is "Endless Time." The new song is a simple and gorgeous piano ballad. It was recorded on March 11, 2020... and we all know the significance of that time period. The song somehow captures the tension of that time, with literally every aspect of life being up in the air. It does all that with just Lineman's vocals and piano, and ends up being one of the most lovely songs we've heard in a long time despite the inherent tension.
In a press release, Tamara Lindeman says of the new song:
“In Toronto, I live in a world of overwhelming abundance; fruits and fresh vegetables flown in year round from Chile, California, Malaysia. Standing outside a neighbourhood fruit stand one day, I found myself wondering how I would look back on this time from the future; if I would someday remember it as a time of abundance and wealth I did not fully comprehend at the time, and I wondered how it would feel to stand at that threshold of change. I wondered too if we were not already there. The song was written long before the pandemic, but when we recorded it, on March 11, 2020, it began to feel eerily prescient. The day it was recorded truly was the end of an endless time, and as ever, I don’t know how the song knew.”
You can watch the video for "Endless Time" below. How is it That I Should Look at the Stars is due out March 4 on Fat Possum Records and can be pre-ordered here. For more on The Weather Station, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Sat. Feb. 12 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour & Sun. Feb. 13 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent & Tue. Feb. 15 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios & Thu. Feb. 17 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern & Sat. Feb. 19 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room ^ Mon. Feb. 21 - Denver, CO @ Globe Hall ^ Wed. Feb. 23 - Minneapolis, MN @ Turf Club ^ Thu. Feb. 24 - Madison, WI @ High Noon ^ Fri. Feb. 25 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall ^ Tue. Mar. 15 - Brighton, UK @ Komedia + Wed. Mar. 16 - Bristol, UK @ Thekla + Thu. Mar. 17 - Manchester, UK @ Gorilla + Fri. Mar. 18 - Dublin, IE @ Workmans Club + Sat. Mar. 19 - Belfast, UK @ Black Box + Mon. Mar. 21 - Glasgow, UK @ Mono + Tue. Mar. 22 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club + Wed. Mar. 23 - London, UK @ Scala + Fri. Mar. 25 - Brussels, BE @ Botanique ~ Sat. Mar. 26 - Paris, FR @ La Boule Noire ~ Sun. Mar. 27 - Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Noord ~ Mon. Mar. 28 - Berlin, DE @ Frannz Club ~ Wed. Mar. 30 - Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen ~ Thu. Mar. 31 - Oslo, NO @ Bla ~ Fri. Apr. 1 - Stockholm, SE @ Debaser / Bar Brooklyn ~ Sat. Apr. 2 - Gothenburg, SE @ Oceanen ~ Mon. Apr. 4 - Hamburg, DE @ Nochtwache ~ Tue. Apr. 5 - Cologne, DE @ Blue Shell ~ Wed. Apr. 6 - Munich, DE @ Milla ~ Thu. Apr. 7 - Zurich, CH @ Bogen F ~ Sat. Jun. 11 - Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Thu. Jun. 16 - Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo &= w/ Cassandra Jenkins ^= w/ Helena Deland *= w/ Sam Amidon += Ami Dang ~= Aoife Nessa Frances
Tamara Lindeman's project The Weather Station has released one of the more interesting singles in recent memory. "Atlantic" is nearly a dance/pop track. It certainly has the beat and groove for that, but it can hardly be considered pop. "Atlantic" is artsy as hell, and contains too many organic elements to be considered a dance track, even though it is. Instead of electronic music, the song contains little bursts of woodwind and strings that you would never expect. Plus, Lindeman's vocals are captivating and unique, but hardly what you would expect in pop or dance. It's truly a unique song from an artist that is going to demand our attention.
Tamara Lindeman says of the new song:
“Trying to capture something of the slipping feeling I think we all feel, the feeling of dread, even in beautiful moments, even when you’re a little drunk on a sea cliff watching the sun go down while seabirds fly around you; that slipping feeling is still there, that feeling of dread, of knowing that everything you see is in peril. I feel like I spend half my life working on trying to stay positive. My whole generation does. But if you spend any time at all reading about the climate situation circa now, positivity and lightness are not fully available to you anymore; you have to find new ways to exist and to see, even just to watch the sunset. I tried to make the band just go crazy on this one, and they did. This is one where the music really makes me see the place in my mind; the flute and the guitar chasing each other, wheeling around like birds, the drums cliff like in their straightness; I love the band on this one.”
You can watch the video for "Atlantic" below. Ignorance, the upcoming album from The Weather Station, will be out February 5 on Fat Possum. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on The Weather Station, check out the artist's website.
