We tend to cover a lot of roots/folk and indie rock artists here, especially those that blur the lines between the two genres. But no one is making that sound quite like Charlotte Cornfield. "You and Me" has a very mainstream and straightforward singer/songwriter with roots in Americana sound, but it also has such a unique sound to it that it could hardly be considered mainstream. Cornfield injects a certain something that I hate to call quirky into this song, but I also can't think of any other adjective that truly fits right. Once you find out that Cornfield's inspirations for her upcoming album are Tapestry, Blood On the Tracks, and Car Wheels On a Gravel Road, it all makes sense. All three of those are albums that defined an artist's career and were hits without the artist compromising themselves. Cornfield could very well have the staying power these other three have.
You can watch the video for "You and Me" below. Could Have Done Anything is due out May 12 on Polyvinyl and Double Double Whammy. The album can be pre-ordered here. For more on Charlotte Cornfield, check out the artist's website.
If you loved the retro 90's sound of Momma's 2022 album Household Name as much as we did, you're going to be thrilled to hear they already have a new single. "Bang Bang" is a sonic and lyrical departure for the band. It's still very 90's influenced, but there's more of an electronic element to the song than we've heard from the band previously. There's kind of a more mainstream trip hop meets alt-rock thing going on here, giving "Bang Bang" a Sneaker Pimps meets Veruca Salt sound. It's also just a pure sex song with zero entendres involved, so get your Liz Phair comparisons ready. It's great to hear a newer band freshen up their sound so boldly, and you're going to love this one.
Allegra Weingarten says of her band's new song:
“We wanted to write something lyrically different than anything else we’d done – just super literal and crude. We shared it with Aron and he sent us back a new version with a lot of added extra production: drums, bass, synths, acoustic guitar, etc. It felt totally different and fresh. The finished song has a lot of classic Momma - heavy guitars and catchy melodies - but packaged in a different form. It feels immediate, like a whole new sound for the band.”
You can listen to "Bang Bang" below. The single is out now via Polyvinyl Records. For more on Momma, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the song, including some on Weezer's Indie Rock Road Trip tour with Modest Mouse (and don't even get me started on how mad I am that particular leg isn't coming to New England...)
03/16 - Dublin, Ireland - Vicar Street % SOLD OUT
03/17 - Glasgow, Scotland - SWG3 % SOLD OUT
03/18 - Manchester, England - O2 Ritz % SOLD OUT
03/20 - Leeds, England - Leeds University Stylus % SOLD OUT
03/21- Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms % SOLD OUT
03/22 - Bristol, England - SWX Bristol % SOLD OUT
03/23 - London, England - The Roundhouse SOLD OUT
03/25 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Tolhuistuin % SOLD OUT
03/26 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso %
03/28 - Antwerp, Belgium - TRIX %
03/30 - Hamburg, Germany - Knust %
03/31 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega %
04/01 - Berlin, Germany - Festsaal Kreuzberg %
04/03 - Munich, Germany - Ampere %
04/04 - Cologne, Germany - Gebaude 9 %
04/05 - Tourcoing, France - Le Grand Mix %
04/06 - Paris, France - Le Trabendo % SOLD OUT
04/13 - Los Angeles, CA - The Roxy (Goldenvoice Presents April '23)
04/16 - Indio, CA - Coachella Music and Arts Festival
04/23 - Indio, CA - Coachella Music and Arts Festival
05/12 - 5/14 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court Block Party
06/04 - Huntsville, AL - The Orion Amphitheater #
06/06 - Irving, TX - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory #
06/08 - Del Valle, TX - Germania Insurance Amphitheater #
06/10 - Oklahoma City, OK - Zoo Amphitheatre #
06/11 - Bonner Springs, KS - Azura Amphitheater #
06/13 - Minneapolis, MN - The Armory #
06/14 - Madison, WI - Breese Stevens Field #
06/16 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center #
Formerly of Boston and now residing in Chicago, Squirrel Flower (aka Ella Williams) has reworked a song from last year's Planet EP for a new single. "Your Love is a Disaster" was a heartwrenching, stripped down track filled with hypnotic reverb. "Your Love" is a full band rocker. There is still the same haunting quality in Williams' vocals, but the newer version is driven by drums and indie rock guitars infused with just the slightest twang. It's rare for an artist to redo a song and make it bigger, but Squirrel Flower has taken a fantastic song and given it just a little more oomph.
Ella Williams says of her new single:
“This song is the big version of itself. I started playing it live with a full band last year and it was so fun I had to record it. Jake put down the incredible solo and voila the song was complete.“
You can listen to "Your Love" below. The song is available as a single via Polyvinyl. For more on Squirrel Flower, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the song.
Thu. Jan. 26 - Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village ! Tue. Feb. 21 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop # Fri. Mar. 3 - Brattleboro, VT @ The Stone Church $ Sat. Mar. 4 - South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground $ Sun. Mar. 5 - Portland, ME @ SPACE Gallery $ Tue. Mar. 7 - Portsmouth, NH @ The Press Room Wed. Mar. 8 - Providence, RI @ Fete Lounge $ Thu. Mar. 9 - Kingston, NY @ Tubby’s $ Fri. Mar. 10 - Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom $ Sat. March 11 - Brooklyn, NY @ Public Records ^ Sun. March 12 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church Side Chapel &
! w/ Dearly Somber & Soft and Dumb # w/ NoSo $ coheadline w/ Horse Jumper of Love & w/ Brian Brittle ^ w/ Dan English
Brooklyn's Momma are releasing their new album Friday and have released one last single in case we just can't wait. (We can't.) "Motorbike" shows off everything we love about Momma. It's a song steeped in 90's alt-rock and power pop, with this one leaning a little bit more into modern pop-rock than previous singles have. It's fuzzy guitars, vocals that sound like Shirley Manson going slacker, and impossibly catchy everything with huge choruses. Momma's upcoming album has Album of the Year contender written all over it, so you're going to want to jump on this one ASAP.
Allegra Weingarten says of her band's new song:
“I wrote this song about a boy I had a crush on who really wanted nothing to do with me. The song is basically just fantasy—even though it’s about a real person, it’s also about how we can make up elaborate ideas of who other people are in our heads, and get so caught up in these fake scenarios that they kind of end up feeling real. I wanted the song to feel like you’re escaping something, because my daydreams about this boy and his motorcycle were definitely an escape from my life at the time.”
You can watch the video for "Motorbike" below. Household Name is due out on Polyvinyl Record Co on July 1. For more on Momma, check out the band's Facebook and Twitter. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
08/12 - Providence, RI @ Fete Music Hall !
08/13 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground !
08/16 - New Haven, CT @ Toad's Place !
08/17 - Asbury Park, NJ @ The Stone Pony !
08/19 - Richmond, VA @ The National !
08/20 - Norfolk, VA @ Haw River Ballroom !
08/21 - Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre !
08/23 - Orlando, FL @ The Beacham Theater !
08/24 - Tampa, FL @ The Ritz Ybor !
08/26 - Birmingham, AL @ Saturn !
08/27 - Knoxville, TN @ The Mill & Mine !
08/28 - Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall !
08/30 - Bloomington, IL @ The Castle Theatre !
08/31 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre !
09/02 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall !
09/03 - St Louis, MO @ The Pageant !
09/04 - Columbus, OH @ The Athenaeum Theatre !
09/06 - Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre !
09/07 - Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre !
09/09 - Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore !
09/12 - Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall #
09/14 - Toronto, ON @ The Drake #
09/16 - Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village #
09/17 - Minneapolis, MN @ Turf Club #
09/20 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza %
09/21 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios %
09/23 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop %
09/24 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo %
09/25 - Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room %
09/27 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar %
09/30 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk - Indoors ^
10/01 - Dallas, TX @ Three Links ^
10/02 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall - Upstairs ^
10/04 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl ^
10/07 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's #
10/08 - New York, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg #
Brooklyn's Momma have released a single that is going to be intensely nostalgic for those of us in our early to mid-forties. "Lucky" has that mid-90's alt-rock power pop sound that was all the rage then. Think bands like Weezer and Veruca Salt. It's all crunchy guitars and slacker solos. It's the kind of song that is deceptively heavy even though it's mid-tempo but filled with dreamy pop hooks. Plus, never before has anyone sung in a 90's slacker style as well as Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten do here. This song is much more poppy than we would have ever admitted in 1995, but this would have gone straight to the Buzz Bin back in the day.
Etta Friedman says of the new song:
“I wrote it after my significant other and I had to spend an unknown amount of time apart from each other on opposite sides of the country. I wanted it to feel anthemic, like a sappy and sentimental love song, but I still wanted to speak on how exciting it feels to know you found true treasure with someone you are in love with.”
You can watch the video for "Lucky" below. Household Name is due out July 1 on Polyvinyl Record Co. and Lucky Number Music. The album can be pre-ordered and pre-saved here. For more on Momma, check out the band's Facebook and Twitter. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
08/12 - Providence, RI @ Fete Music Hall !
08/13 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground !
08/16 - New Haven, CT @ Toad's Place !
08/17 - Asbury Park, NJ @ The Stone Pony !
08/19 - Richmond, VA @ The National !
08/20 - Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa !
08/21 - Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre !
08/23 - Orlando, FL @ The Beacham Theater !
08/24 - Tampa, FL @ The Ritz Ybor !
08/26 - Birmingham, AL @ Saturn !
08/27 - Knoxville, TN @ The Mill & Mine !
08/28 - Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall !
08/30 - Bloomington, IL @ The Castle Theatre !
08/31 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre !
09/02 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall !
09/03 - St Louis, MO @ The Pageant !
09/04 - Columbus, OH @ The Athenaeum Theatre !
09/06 - Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre !
09/07 - Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre !
09/09 - Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore !
09/12 - Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall #
09/14 - Toronto, ON @ The Drake #
09/16 - Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village #
09/17 - Minneapolis, MN @ Turf Club #
09/20 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza %
09/21 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios %
09/23 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop %
09/24 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo %
09/25 - Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room %
09/27 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar %
09/30 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk - Indoors ^
10/01 - Dallas, TX @ Three Links ^
10/02 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall - Upstairs ^
10/04 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl ^
10/07 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's #
10/08 - New York, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg #
We've been huge fans of Julia Jacklin's blend of neo-folk and indie rock for a few years now. While many of her contemporaries have been delving more and more into the world of pop music, Jacklin is staying with what she does quite well on her latest. That's not to say "Lydia Wears a Cross" doesn't show Jacklin expanding her sound and even creeping towards pop a little. The new song definitely has a little bit more of a pop feel than her previous songs. Even the drums in "Lydia Wears a Cross" sound a bit electronic. But the guitars keep far more noise and branch out into a slacker solo that could never be considered pop. While Jacklin may be going a little pop, this is a beautiful folk/pop indie rock song that longtime fans of hers are going to adore.
You can watch the video for "Lydia Wears a Cross" below. PRE PLEASURE is due out August 26 on Polyvinyl, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on Julia Jacklin, check out the artist's website.
"Surf inspired indie rock band" Say Sue Me have just released a strong candidate for song of the year. The Busan, South Korea quartet's "To Dream" is this delightful mix of dream pop and indie rock. The track is as gorgeous as it is mesmerizing, with vocals and guitar work that is nearly dreamlike. It's a hazy and breezy track, and then the guitar cacophony kicks in. The last third of the song is a brilliant display of noise, kind of like Sonic Youth's later period when their chaos was more about beauty than aggression. The guitars just swirl around each other in the most delightful way during this burst, and "To Dream" is going to end up on a lot of year end playlists to come.
Vocalist and guitarist Sumi Choi says of the new song:
“I dreamed that everyone was alive, and I came to think that there might be no end. One day everyone will come back and meet somewhere."
You can watch the video for "To Dream" below. The Last Thing Left is due out May 13 on Damnably, and can be pre-ordered/pre-saved here. For more on Say Sue Me, check out the band's website.
I first stumbled onto Momma from an article about them that had a headline calling them "Wet Leg approved." Apparently my Wet Leg fandom extends to checking out bands they like, because I quickly checked them out and became a fan of their 2020 album Two of Me. Now, the Brooklyn band is back with new music. "Speeding 72" is going to be loved by fans of Wet Leg. It has a lot of that same indie rock versus pop sound, but this is hardly a Wet Leg sound alike. "Speeding 72" is a little more pure pop, but with tons of guitar based indie rock vibes and even some punk edge. The song starts off light and breezy, and as it goes on it adds more and more guitar and rock to it. It's almost like Momma decided to trick pop fans into liking a rock song. And for some indie rock cred, they even name check Pavement's "Gold Soundz."
The band says of their new song:
“‘Speeding 72’ is probably the most collaboratively written song on the new record. We wanted it to be the sort of summertime anthem that you can turn on during a drive to impress your crush,” explains the band. “The most important part of the production was setting the right mood to transport the listener. The song starts with Aron getting into his car (which is featured on the album cover), and then turning on the ignition.”
You can watch the video for "Speeding 72" below. Household Name is due out July 1 on Polyvinyl, and can be pre-ordered/pre-saved here. For more on Momma, check out their Facebook and Twitter. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
05/06 - Leeds, UK @ Headrow House %
05/07 - Glasgow, UK @ Road To The Great Escape
05/10 - London, UK @ Brixton Windmill
05/12 - Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape
05/13 - Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape
05/14 - Manchester, UK @ YES
08/12 - Providence, RI @ Fete Music Hall !
08/16 - New Haven, CT @ Toad's Place !
08/17 - Asbury Park, NJ @ The Stone Pony !
08/19 - Richmond, VA @ The National !
08/20 - Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa !
08/21 - Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre !
08/23 - Orlando, FL @ The Beacham Theater !
08/24 - Tampa, FL @ The Ritz Ybor !
08/26 - Birmingham, AL @ Saturn !
08/27 - Knoxville, TN @ The Mill & Mine !
08/28 - Louisville, KY @ Headliners Music Hall !
08/30 - Bloomington, IL @ The Castle Theatre !
08/31 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre !
09/02 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall !
09/03 - St Louis, MO @ The Pageant !
09/04 - Columbus, OH @ The Athenaeum Theatre !
09/06 - Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre !
09/07 - Millvale, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre !
09/09 - Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore !
09/12 - Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall #
09/13 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground #
09/14 - Toronto, ON @ The Drake #
09/16 - Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village #
09/17 - Minneapolis, MN @ Turf Club #
09/20 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza %
09/21 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios %
09/23 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop %
09/24 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo %
09/25 - Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room %
09/27 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar %
09/30 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk - Indoors ^
10/01 - Dallas, TX @ Three Links ^
10/02 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall - Upstairs ^
10/04 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl ^
10/07 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda's #
10/08 - New York, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg #
