FACS - "In Time"

Photo by Zoran Orlic

Almost a year ago to the day we discovered FACS, the Chicago band that rose up from the ashes of Disappears. "In Time" is still the post punk art rock we loved from FACS's previous release, but something about it just feels a bit off (in the best possible way). "In Time" is oddly melodic, but extremely disjointed. The rhythm never quite stabilizes itself, and the song kind of stutters along due to that. It's not a loud, in your face rocker, but it does have intense moments. This might not be appealing to most people, but it's a beautifully uncomfortable listen. Is that sounds appealing to you, you may just love this song.

You can watch the video for "In Time" below. Lifelike, the second album from FACS, will be out March 29 on Trouble In Mind. For more on FACS, check them out on Bandcamp, Facebook, and Twitter.

Leland Sundries - "Dreamed About El Paso"

Leland Sundries (led by Nick Loss-Eaton formerly of New York City but recently relocated to Memphis) have just released a new single off their upcoming EP. In the spirit of last October's single "If You're Gonna Drive, I'm Gonna Drink," "Dreamed About El Paso" is another exploration into more of a country sound than their usual garage rock (although their more rock material is still quite country inspired). It's about as country as you'd expect a song called "Dreamed About El Paso" would be, but in a more alt-country way than whatever your co-workers consider country these days. It's a fun rock based country song, and as much as I love Leland Sundries's more rock stuff, this dalliance into country is a fun detour.

You can listen to "Dreamed About El Paso" below. It will be off Leland Sundries upcoming to be announced EP. The band is promising some more "garage-y stuff" in the future if you prefer that. For more on Leland Sundries, check out their website.

First Listen: New Releases for 1 February

Another great week!

Albums of the Week:

Artist: Cherry Glazerr
Album: Stuffed & Ready
Quick Description: Highly-anticipated third album from the alt/indie act.
Why You Should Listen: This should be the breakthrough we're waiting for.
Overall Thoughts: If it wasn’t clear from the videos and the prerelease singles, this may be the album that is designed to propel CG into stardom. They’ve deserved it for some time now, with a lot of really great songs under their belt up to this point, but “Wasted Nun” (which I’m still obsessed with) was a shot across the bow, and the album doesn’t let up off the gas. “That’s Not My Real Life” is a real highlight, and album cuts feel more polished while still retaining the flair that made CG so appealing to start. Do not sleep on this – not only is there plenty of room on the bandwagon, but I have a feeling we will be hearing a lot about CG in 2019.
Recommendation: A best of the week, and a must-listen.

Artist: STL GLD
Album: The New Normal
Quick Description: New album by the local rap group.
Why You Should Listen: STL GLD is the best rap group you're not listening to. And if you are listening to them, you already know they're the best rap group you're listening to.
Overall Thoughts: We've been raving about STL GLD for a while here, and they're on a run at this point that makes me question why they're not being spoken of in the same breath as some of the greats. And somehow, even after putting out some great singles over the last year and winning award after award in Boston, they somehow present us with The New Normal, which feels absolutely epic in scope and grandeur. I almost wish I had more to say about it because I feel like just saying "this is the best rap album I've heard in ages, and you're missing out" and "I don't care if you don't like rap, this will change your mind" over and over. You owe it to yourself to listen to this, because if there's any justice left in the world, STL GLD will be huge because of this record.
Recommendation: My other best of the week. Don't ignore it.

Artist: Abigail Lapell
Album: Getaway
Quick Description: New album from a Canadian roots artist.
Why You Should Listen: This album hooked me in and stuck around for its entire playtime.
Overall Thoughts: This is such a gorgeous, rootsy affair that I was so into right from the start and just kept loving more and more as it progressed. The closing song is so pretty, “Devil in the Deep” sneaky addictive… I could go on and on, but if you’re looking for a great, often-lush-but-also-sparse affair, man. This would be my favorite of the week in so many other weeks, and it’s only that CG is going to take up so much space in my brain that this won’t. With that said, this might even have more staying power - I almost wish, personally, that this came out a week later so it wouldn't be overwhelmed by two other juggernauts. So I dunno, but either way, don’t miss this, as it's a true highlight in a week full of them.
Recommendation: Make time for this one.

Artist: Whoa Melodic
Album: Whoa Melodic
Quick Description: Great early-90sish alt-rock.
Why You Should Listen: This will be in your throwback rotations for months to come.
Overall Thoughts: I was listening to some Toad the Wet Sprocket earlier this week, since I needed some musical comfort food and Dulcinea is typically my go-to. I am shocked at how reminiscent the sort of college alt-rock that TTWS occupies in my head that Whoa Melodic offers. A multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter maybe best known for his work with The Hayman Kupa Band, this is a gorgeous slice of music taken out of a different era and deposited directly into 2019 that just hits all the right spots for me. If you’re looking for something modern or groundbreaking, you won’t find it here. Instead, you might find something that instead reminds you of why you fell in love with music in the first place.
Recommendation: A good listen this week.

Artist: Le Butcherettes
Album: bi/MENTAL
Quick Description: Think if Screaming Females formed in drama camp.
Why You Should Listen: Really fun, off-kilter rock music for what feels like a concept album.
Overall Thoughts: Le Butcherette is a band I've had in my periphery for some time now, and a few songs from this new album have been trickling out over the last few months. The full album is a real wild ride, with some truly crazy moments to go along with some sharp songwriting and a ton of personality. This concept album honestly won't work for everyone, but I suspect Le Butcherettes are not pushing for mass appeal here, either.
Recommendation: Give it a shot.

Artist: Mandolin Orange
Album: Tides of a Teardrop
Quick Description: Great, rootsy, mandolin-based music.
Why You Should Listen: This is just well-executed Americana.
Overall Thoughts: I spent a lot of time trying to figure out exactly the angle to get people excited about this, because, on the surface, this is almost a little too traditional in the grand scheme of things. If Mandolin Orange has an interesting or offbeat approach, it's not apparent in their music. On the other hand, that might be exactly why it works. The duo clearly embraces what they do, and they do it so well and in a way that is so catchy and notable that they don't need the frills that other acts might toss in just to get ahead. Just don't think I'm damning them with faint praise, please - I love a good bluegrass album, I love good roots music, and Mandolin Orange delivers it in spades. What else should I be asking for?
Recommendation: A superlative entry this week.

Artist: Tiny Ruins
Album: Olympic Girls
Quick Description: Light, airy indie pop rock.
Why You Should Listen: You feel like you've heard this before, but it's still so different that it feels new anyway.
Overall Thoughts: Tiny Ruins has been around for some time, and I can't remember if I ever heard of the act before. This album is a folky, poppy, often-ethereal affair. Everything sounds like it's transmitted through a haze or veil that gives it an air of mystery to accompany the compelling melodies and instrumentation, and the result is something I really enjoyed. In a week with a lot of superlative releases, I fear this might be overshadowed by many, but there's no excuse if you're reading this.
Recommendation: Find some time for this one.

Of note:

* Girlpool - What Chaos is Imaginary (Lots of great moments here.)
* Born to Uke (Springsteen ukulele covers. More fun than you’d think.)
* Deer Tick - Mayonnaise (Compilation of covers and alternate tracks.)
* Nia Nesbitt - The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change (Solid mainstream pop.)
* Highasakite - Uranium Heart (Interesting, yet accessible, electro-pop.)
* Blank Range - In Unison (With so many good roots records out this week, don't let this slip by.)
* Boy Harder - Careful
* Beirut - Gallipoli
* Ian Brown - Ripples
* Lewsberg - Lewsberg

EPs:

* Burly - Self Titled Demon
* Tim Heidecker - Another Year in Hell
* Jealous of the Birds - Wisdom Teeth (Listen to "Blue Eyes," it's guaranteed to become earwormy.)

Also out:

* Guided by Voices - Zeppelin Over China
* Empire Circus - Ti
* B Leafs - The Horizon
* The Specials - Encore
* Emily King - Scenery
* Lou Doillon - Soliloquy
* American Authors - Seasons

Haint Blue - "Another Year"

Photo by Rachel Verhaaren

"Another Year," the latest single from Haint Blue, is a powerful alt-folk song that is going to draw virtually all of our readers in. The song builds painfully slowly, starting off with just a quiet piano and drums. Oh, and then you'll notice this intense noise filling up the background. It's not quite feedback, but it's definitely the folk version of feedback brought in to amp up tension like this is a horror movie. The song slowly adds instruments and just keeps getting bigger and bigger until it just overflows with singer Mike Cohn's absurdly powerful voice exploding into your brain. All of this sounds like a painful, uncomfortable listen, and it is. But it's also incredibly gorgeous and somehow mainstream enough to possibly go huge. And then, just when you need the song to bring you somewhere safe, it just ends. Cohn says of "Another Year": There's a lot of rage/frustration in the song, the kind of frustration any adult feels when they grow up and realize that life's not going to be what they thought it would be (and that it has a habit of getting away from you). But there's also this softer, sadder, almost humorously self-aware part of it, too. That's why I like the song so much, it's a great (accidental) allegory to growing up."

We can't recommend this song enough.

You can watch the video for "Another Year" below. Haint Blue's new album, Overgrown, will be out on February 15. You can order a copy here. For more on Haint Blue, check out their website. Their current tour dates are below the video.

02/22 – New Deal Cafe – Greenbelt, MD

02/23 – Frozen Harbor Festival – Baltimore MD

03/04 – 49 West – Annapolis, MD

03/08 – Dante’s – Frostburg, MD

03/15 – Metro Gallery – Baltimore, MD (Album Release Show)

03/22 – Villain & Saint – Bethesda, MD

03/23 – Front Royal Brewery – Front Royal VA

Live Shows: Jon Spencer + The HITMakers and Bodega, Great Scott, Allston, MA 2/1/19

Any time you go see a new project from one of your long time favorites, it's natural to worry about what the show will be like. I've seen far too many shows where a musician hires a band half their age to crank out songs with no emotion or sense of joy. Of course, this is Jon Spencer. There will never be anything to worry about with a live Jon Spencer performance.  

Jon Spencer + The HITMakers is similar enough to fans of Jon Spencer Blues Explosion but different enough to warrant a new project. The band consists of Jon Spencer on guitar along with a drummer, a percussionist, and a keyboard player. His new backing band is age appropriate, though. The percussionist is Bob Bert, Sonic Youth's drummer for Confusion is Sex through Death Valley 69. And by percussionist I mean he hit metal objects with hammers. The band busted out most of Spencer's fantastic 2018 album Spencer Songs the Hits! Definite highlights from the new material were "Ghost" and "Do the Trash Can." Spencer even went back to his days with Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and busted out "Dang" early in the set and played maybe the first minute or two of "Bellbottoms." At this point, Jon Spencer + The HITMakers lack the wild abandon of a Jon Spencer Blues Explosion show. There weren't the wild punk edged furious jams with Spencer rambling about the blues and rock 'n' roll, but maybe they just need to more into a groove to be able to do that. For an unbelievably special encore, the band brought Julia Cafritz, his bandmate in Pussy Galore, on stage to play four Pussy Galore covers.

Opening the show was Brooklyn's Bodega. Bodega blasted through a short-ish set of their punk art-rock that you can dance to songs. They're even more fun live than on their albums, truly performing and not just playing songs. They stop just short of being so artsy that they're gimmicky. Bodega had their own small set of fans that we're just there for them, and they were treated to a band that is going to be far bigger very, very soon. Songs like "How Did This Happen?!" and "Jack in Titanic" are going to propel this band to huge things. Bodega might be the most Brooklyn band I've seen live in years, and I mean that as a compliment.

Lucy Dacus Covers Edith Piaf

Last year we became completely obsessed with Lucy Dacus. It doesn't appear we'll get a new album this year, but we will be getting a singles series entitled 2019. In a Facebook post, Lucy Dacus has this to say about the series:

"This also begins a series of songs I'll be putting out through 2019. Holidays are tough and I often write music to try to understand them, or listen to music to buoy myself through. Over the past two years, I've been recording some holiday related songs that have been collecting dust, until now. Some are covers, some are originals, some are kind of out of character, but all of them were a lot of fun to make.

The holidays will be:
Valentine's Day
Taurus Season (also my bday, my mom's bday, and Mother's Day)
Independence Day
Bruce Springsteen's Birthday lol
Halloween
Christmas
New Year's Eve"

First up is a Velentine's Day cover of Edith Piaf's "La Vie En Rose." It's a completely lovely cover of a song I'm not quite familiar with, but, to my knowledge, it's a very straightforward version. It also fits perfectly in with the vibe we love from last year's Historian, so it's safe to say that we're on board.

You can watch the lyric video for "La Vie En Rose" below. We're especially looking forward to Bruce Springsteen's birthday and Halloween. For more on Lucy Dacus, check out her website.

David Wax Museum Have Launched an IndieGogo

Photo by David LaMason

We don't usually tell you about a crowdfunded project unless we can bring you at least a new song from that project, but this is David Wax Museum. They've long been a favorite of ours, and I believe they just might be the last artist I was able to drag Jeff out to see live. Right now they are finishing up their newest album and have launched an IndieGogo to fund it. Line of Light appears to be set for a June release, and if you know you're going to be purchasing it, why not do it now? It can be as simple as an album pre-order, but they also have some pretty sweet tiers that include a handmade Valentine from Suz Slezak, a singing Valentine, VIP concert tickets, a donkey jawbone necklace, and a duo house concert.

You can find out more about the pre-order for Line of Light over at Indiegogo. It was produced by Carl Broemel and recorded in Nashville. For more on David Wax Museum, check out their website. Current tour dates are below.

Feb 7 - Kennett Square, PA - House Concert (duo) 
Feb 9 - Westport, CT - Supper & Soul 
Feb 11 - Buxton, ME - Buxton Common 
Feb 14 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Caffe Lena (duo)
Feb 15 - Montreal, QB - Folk Alliance
Feb 16 - Weston, VT - Weston Playhouse 
Mar 13-16 - Austin, TX - South by Southwest Music Festival

Mekons - "Lawrence of California"

Photo by Ricky Malpas

Mekons are one of the more interesting bands I need to fully explore. Depending on who you ask and what period of their forty year career you're talking about, they can be described as punk, post punk, cowpunk, alternative, and even folk. Their latest single, "Lawrence of California," can be called all of that. It's a romping, rollicking song that just plows ahead. It never quite breaks out into the all out fracas it threatens to, but that's perfectly fine. It's probably too country to be punk and too punk to be country, existing in its very own world. I don't think I could even call this outlaw country, which is the category this kind of music gets shuffled into. It just has too many noisy and strange elements. Instead, it's just the Mekons.

You can watch the video for "Lawrence of California" below. Deserted, the new album from Mekons, will be out March 29 on Bloodshot Records. You can pre-order the album here. For more on Mekons, check out their Facebook. Current tour dates are below the video, and include an interesting Green River Festival sized hole in July, so we can hope and dream.

April 2 – Newport, United Kingdom –  Le Public Space Newport
April 3 – Leeds, United Kingdom – Brudenell Social Club 
April 4 –  Brighton, United Kingdom – Patterns 
April 5 – London, United Kingdom – 100 Club 
April 6 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Cinetol
April 7 – Berlin, Germany – Music & Frieden
April 8 – Hamburg, Germany – Hafenklang
April 9 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Alice
April 10 – Frankfurt, Germany – Mousonturm 
April 11 – Linz, Austria – Stwst Stadtwerkstatt
April 12 – Vienna, Austria – Chelsea
April 13 – Reutlingen, Germany – Franz.K 
April 14 – Bad Salgau, Germany – Franziskaner 
July 14 – Chicago, IL, United States – Hideout 
July 15 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon 
July 17 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Warhol Entrance Space 
July 18 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
July 19 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg 
July 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room 
July 23 – Big Sur, CA – Henry Miller Library 
July 24 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel 
July 25 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern 

Stella Donnelly - "Lunch"

Photo by Pooneh Ghana

If we were excited about the upcoming full length debut from Stella Donnelly, "Lunch" has whipped us into a frenzy. Her previous single, "Old Man," was more of a pop song than the more folk side we had expected from Donnelly. "Lunch" is back more on the folk side of things, especially at the start. As the song builds, it becomes much more layered and complex, but in a very quiet way. The song is about being a touring musician and being away from home for extended periods of time to the point that everything feels different when you come back. As Donnelly sings: “You’ve got plots and persuasions and time to explain/But I’ve only got time for lunch/And I get homesick before I go away.” It's a heartbreakingly stunning song, made more so by Donnelly's voice. She really croons on "Lunch" in a way we haven't heard before, but I think we'll all want to in the future.

You can watch the video for "Lunch" below. Stella Donnelly's debut full length album, Beware of the Dogs, will be out March 8 on Secretly Canadian. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Stella Donnelly, check out her website. Current tour dates are below the video.

Fri. March 15 - Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall #
Sat. March 16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s #
Mon. March 18 - Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade #
Wed. March 20 - Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom #
Fri. March 22 - Somerville, MA @ ONCE Ballroom #
Sat. March 23 - Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo #
Sun. March 24 - Toronto, ON @ The Drake Hotel #
Mon. March 25 - Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx #
Wed. March 27 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups #
Thu. March 28 - Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop #
Fri. March 29 - Chicago, IL @ Schuba’s #
Sat. March 30 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club #
Tue. April 2 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza #
Wed. April 3 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall #
Fri. April 5 - San Francisco, CA @ Cafe Du Nord #
Sat. April 6 - Los Angeles, CA @ Bootleg Theater #
Thu. April 11 – Berlin, DE @ Badehaus
Fri. April 12 – Hamburg, DE @ Skybar
Sat. April 13 – Rotterdam, NL @ Rotown
Mon. April 15 – Cologne, DE @ Yuca
Tue. April 16 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique 
Wed. April 17 – Amiens, FR @ La Lune Des Pirates *
Thu. April 18 - Paris, FR @ Le Pop Up Du Label
Tue. April 23 - Cardiff, UK @ Clwb Ifor Bach
Wed. April 24 - Bristol, UK @ Thekla
Thu. April 25 - Southampton, UK @ Joiners
Sat. April 27 - Brighton, UK @ Haunt
Sun. April 28 - Manchester, UK @ Yes
Mon. April 29 - Dublin, IE @ Grand Social
Wed. May 1 - Glasgow, UK The Blue Arrow
Thu. May 2 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Community Room
Sat. May 4 - Liverpool, UK @ Liverpool Sound City
Sun. May 5 - Nottingham, UK @ Bodega
Tue. May 7 - London, UK @ Scala
 
# = with Faye Webster
* = supporting Yak

Holiday Ghosts - "Slipstream"

The latest single from Holiday Ghosts hearkens back to when pop music was weird. "Slipstream" will remind you of classic early alternative artists like Talking Heads, The Modern Lovers, and Violent Femmes, but it also has the 90's slacker vibe of Pavement and Beck. It turns into a crazily fun and just offbeat enough indie rock/pop song.

You can watch the video for "Slipstream" below. West Bay Playroom, the new album from Holiday Ghosts, will be released February 15 on PNKSLM Recordings. The album was recorded in band member Sam Stacpoole's childhood home, specifically his old playroom. You can pre-order the album here. For more on Holiday Ghosts, check out their Facebook.