Keith A/B - "Without Grievance"

According to his brief Bandcamp bio, "Keith A/B is a singer-songwriter from the Providence area." But that doesn't really describe his newest album, Without Grievance.

The opening song, "Hey Kelly," does not fit what you'd expect from a singer-songwriter. That term conjures an image of an acoustic guitar and something along the lines of folk, or maybe some mainstream, straight up rock music. Instead, "Hey Kelly" sounds like Jason Lowenstein's contributions to Sebadoh. It's much louder and more dissonant than a singer-songwriter usually sounds. From there "I'd Be a Success" sounds more like a singer-songwriter, but only because it's more mellow. It still has an undercurrent of abrasive noise lurking underneath. It's not until the fourth track, "No Black Magic Required," that Without Grievance almost sounds like a traditional singer-songwriter, but once again even this song goes off in its own direction. And these are all good things.

You can listen to "Hey Kelly" below. Without Grievance is out now via 75 or Less Records. You can get a copy via Bandcamp. For more on Keith A/B, check him out on Facebook.

J Mascis Covers Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

Photo by Cara Totman

Three of the things I love the most are covers, J Mascis, and Tom Petty. All of these things have collided with a J Mascis cover of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers's 1979 classic "Don't Do Me Like That." Mascis's version stays mostly true to Petty's original. In fact, it's much more true to the original than I had expected. That being said, it's still a song being performed by J Mascis, so there's plenty of the fuzzed out guitar that we'd want from that. The cover has a sense of what you'd expect from a bar band covering Tom Petty. This is just a bar band cover that happens to feature J Mascis.

You can listen to J Mascis's cover of "Don't Do Me Like That" below. The song is available on your favorite digital platform via Sub Pop. For more on J Mascis, be sure to check out his website. Mascis's current tour dates are below the song.

Apr. 16 - Tokyo, Japan - Shibuya WWWX
Apr. 17 - Osaka, Japan - Drop
May. 09 - Brighton, United Kingdom - Concorde 2
May. 10 - London, United Kingdom - Islington Assembly Hall
May. 11- Leeds, UK - Belgrave Music Hall
May. 13 - Glasgow, United Kingdom - St. Luke’s [SOLD OUT]
May. 14 - Oxford, UK - O2 Academy Oxford
May. 15 - Nottingham, United Kingdom - Rescue Rooms
May. 17 - Liverpool, United Kingdom - Arts Club
May. 18 - Bristol, United Kingdom - Thekla [SOLD OUT]
May. 19 - Manchester, United Kingdom - Manchester Gorilla
Jun. 15 - Provincetown, MA - Twenty Summers @ The Hawthorne Barn
Jun. 21 - Athens, GR - AN Club
Jul. 01 - Hamburg, Germany - Knust
Jul. 03 - Berlin, Germany - Festsaal Kreuzberg
Jul. 06 - Paris, France - La Maroquinerie
Jul. 08 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso Noord
Jul.  09 - Rotown - Rotterdam, Netherlands [SOLD OUT]
Jul. 11 - Genova, Italy - Giardini Luzzati
Jul. 12 - Prato, Italy - Festival Delle Colline
Jul. 14 - Rome Unplugged in Monti - Rome, Italy

J.R. - "Be My Man"

J.R. (aka Juliana Riolino), is an Ontario based musician who just released a new single. "Be My Man" is a fast based, fuzzy pop single that, according to J.R., "...is about making the same mistake over and over, hoping that you learn from it. Going into a new relationship with unbridled confidence that a disaster isn't waiting to happen. “BE MY MAN” was inspired by leaving the city and going back to my hometown... At the time of recording, an abusive relationship had depleted my confidence and amplified my self-doubt. This song is a reflection of that period in my life and my response to an angry man. I know what I want – to love and be loved. I don’t care about the past. I’m just thinking about how great the future could be." Despite the subject matter, or maybe because of it, the song is an uplifting epic crammed into less than two minutes.

You can watch the video for "Be My Man" below. For more on J.R., be sure to follow her on Instagram.

First Listen: New Releases for 5 April

Kind of busy this week, along with some catch-up.

Artist: Chrysta Bell
Album: Feels Like Love
Quick Description: Latest from the artsy Lynchian chantreuse.
Why You Should Listen: This is the most interesting and compelling release of the week, by far.
Overall Thoughts: I’ll admit it: I got into Chysta Bell because of her appearance in the Twin Peaks revival, and I’ve come to really love her music. David Lynch has referred to Bell as his “muse,” and I have to admit that I hear a definite influence in the other direction as well here. Honestly, Chrysta Bell makes me feel the way discovering PJ Harvey almost two decades ago made me feel, and this album gives me true To Bring You My Love vibes in some regards. This album skirts the edges of weird in many ways, and songs like “Everest” and “52hz” are just off enough to be intriguing and different while also feeling fresh and familiar. This is an album I was confident I would enjoy, but this is a definite favorite this week and I truly believe is going to have some real staying power in my rotation.
Recommendation: My favorite this week.

Artist: Molly Tuttle
Album: When You're Ready
Quick Description: Awesome roots music.
Why You Should Listen: Molly Tuttle seemingly comes to us fully-formed.
Overall Thoughts: Molly Tuttle deftly moves between different current ideas in roots music with this album, and it is absolutely one of my favorites this week. Sometimes she sounds like Sarah Jarosz, sometimes she sounds like she walked into a country radio station and dropped the next big thing on their desk. No matter what, she's absolutely nailing what she's doing, and the result is just wonderful.
Recommendation: Do not miss this one.

Artist: Kitty
Album: Rose Gold
Quick Description: Latest release from the internet electro-rap sensation.
Why You Should Listen: Kitty has consistently put out interesting music during her tenure.
Overall Thoughts: Kitty's first foray into producing her own work results in a truly adventurous affair informed by basically everything she's done since the stellar Miami Garden Club. There's her standard electronic rap, but also sounds inspired by her work as The Pom Poms and even some interesting American Pleasure Club inspirations sprinkled throughout. I liked this quite a bit even if it's a bit of a challenge in comparison to her previous work,
Recommendation: Find time for this, it's one of the most interesting listens this week.

Artist: Lady Lamb
Album: Even in the Tremor
Quick Description: Latest from a blog favorite.
Why You Should Listen: Lady Lamb, who has always been good, keeps getting better.
Overall Thoughts: If you’ve been reading us for a while, you know how much we love Lady Lamb here. It has been especially enjoyable hearing her sound transition over the years, and this is a very enjoyable, straightforward release. There aren’t the types of long, Ripely Pine epics, but this is also much more lush and complete than the stripped-down Tender Warriors Club EP. I liked this quite a bit, and I feel like it would serve as a good entrypoint for anyone interested in Lady Lamb, but also something positive for those who have been fans for a while. A solid listen.
Recommendation: A great listen.

Artist: Rose Elinor Dougall
Album: A New Illusion
Quick Description: Latest from the European singer-songwriter.
Why You Should Listen: Dougall has one of the most striking voices out there.
Overall Thoughts: “Stellular” was in constant rotation for me a few years back, and while there aren’t as many upbeat, driving tunes on this new record, it does cement Dougall as an underrated powerhouse of a singer-songwriter. Deliberate songs through with a distinct voice and music that sticks to you as you’re listening, I have a hard time finding any major flaws with this record outside of no song grabbing me the way “Stellular” did. Still, I’ll be spending some solid time with this.
Recommendation: A solid listen this week.

Artist: Priests
Album: The Seduction of Kansas
Quick Description: Long-anticipated album from a favorite act here.
Why You Should Listen: This will consistently keep you on your toes.
Overall Thoughts: We’ve been not-so-quietly going nuts over this upcoming album for some time, and I will say that the small tastes we’ve gotten so far haven’t done it justice. This album is exciting and brash and does not hold back, with a nice little dancepunk 80s aesthetic that reminds me of a lot of music that I love all rolled into one. Just a truly brilliant, manic album that hits a lot of buttons. Definitely something worth checking out.
Recommendation: Worth the time.

Of note:

* Silver Lake 66 - Ragged Heart (Good, mainstream country-roots music.)
* The Suitcase Junket - Mean Dog, Trampoline (Definitely feels like a mainstream play. Great for fans of Father John Misty and the like.)
* Lissie - When I'm Alone: The Piano Retrospective (Piano takes of her best efforts from the last decade or so.)
* American Pleasure Club - Fucking Bliss (Oddball, cinematic, atmospheric electronic music. Came out last week, features Kitty among others.)
* Cherry Pickles - Cherry Pickles Will Harden Your Nipples (Fun retro lo-fi music.)
* Night School - Disappear Here (Solid, guitar-based new wavey throwback. Really liked this.)
* GIRLI - Odd One Out (Truly exuberant pop music along the lines of Icona Pop.)
* PUP - Morbid Stuff (Indie punk for mainstream listeners afraid of Jeff Rosenstock. This is solid, but not forging any new ground.)
* The Drums - Brutalism (I haven't loved a lot of the output from this band, but this is a really good album.)
* Weyes Blood - Titanic Rising
* Control Top - Covert Contracts
* The Proper Ornaments - Six Lenins
* Rozi Plain - What a Boost
* Idlewild - Interview Music
* Mini Dresses - Heaven Sent
* Alexia Avina - All That I Can't See

7 Song Albums:

* Lady Pills - Pink Void (Don't sleep on this, it's very good.)

EPs:

* FACS - Lifelike
* Sharkmuffin - Gamma Gardening
* Partner - Saturday the 14th
* Shovels and Rope - I'm Coming Out
* Jasmine Thompson - Colour

Also out:

* Bill Janovitz - Covers of the Weeks II ("No Surprises!" "Wendell Gee!")
* Circa Waves - What's It Like Over There?
* Mike Mains and the Branches - When We Were in Love

Pile - "The Soft Hands of Stephen Miller"

Pile is one of those bands I really need to become more obsessed with. They have that loud, noisy aggression I connect with on a primal level. Their latest single, "The Soft Hands of Stephen Miller," is what I look for in artsy, noisy, aggressive punk. The first half is just build. It's noisy and tense, and you're just waiting for it to explode, which it finally does. I say finally even though the song is just over two minutes long since you want it to explode so badly. And when it does it's such an ideal cathartic release. It's kind of like The Jesus Lizard meets The Dismemberment Plan.

You can watch the video for "The Soft Hands of Stephen Miller" below. Green and Gray, the new album from Pile, will be out May 3 on Exploding in Sound. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Pile, check out their website.

Daughter of Swords - "Gem"

Photo via Facebook

We love Mountain Man. Their three part old school folk harmonies just do it for us, and we're always thrilled to hear anything new from then. When I found out Alexandra Sauser-Monnig was releasing a solo project, I knew exactly what to expect. It would obviously sound like Mountain Man, but with one singer, right? Daughter of Swords is just about as far from traditional folk as you can get. Her first single, "Gem," is far more pop sounding than I could have anticipated. Sure, it has folk elements, but I'm fairly certain that's a drum machine I hear in the song. There's plenty here for fans of Mountain Man to love, just not in the way we expected.

You can listen to "Gem" below. You can get your copy of the single here. For more on Daughter of Swords, check out the band's website.

Field Guide - "Full Time"

The latest song from Field Guide hits one of our sweet spots: Mainstream adjacent Americana-ish bedroom music. "Full Time" is a low key, soulful track about mourning major changes that happen during life. The instrumentation is mostly quiet, except for these flares of reverb heavy guitar and drum flourishes that keep you sucked in and listening. Despite how low key the song is, Field Guide keep an undercurrent of groove going. It's another one of those songs that rewards you the more closely you pay attention to it.

You can listen to "Full Time" below. Full Time, the new EP from Field Guide, will be out April 5. For more on Field Guide, check them out on Facebook.

Alex Lahey - "Am I Doing It Right?'

Photo by Callum Preston

Now this is what we love about Alex Lahey. Her latest single, "Am I Doing It Right?," dances right along the edge of pop and alt-rock. It's huge hooks, fuzzy guitars, and a perfect shout along chorus. It somehow lives in both the worlds of mid 90's alt-rock/power pop and the pure pop of the early 2000's. Normally something this centered in pop wouldn't appeal to me, but that's the joy of Alex Lahey: Even us curmudgeonly old guys that hate pop can't help but get sucked into the song. 

Lahey says about "Am I Doing It Right?": "Being a musician is considered a weird job without any explanation necessary, but one of the strangest parts about being a musician is that there is absolutely no set pathway you’re supposed to follow to get where you want to go. This song reflects on being thrust into a lifestyle and going with it while feeling like others are looking over your shoulder to make sure you’re doing all the right things by you and everyone else. It’s like fighting a losing battle while loving every minute of it.”

You can listen to "Am I Doing It Right?" below. The Best of Luck Club, the new album from Alex Lahey, will be out May 17 on Dead Oceans. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Alex Lahey, check out her website. Current tour dates are below the song.

Mon. May 13 - Glasgow, UK @ Broadcast

Wed. May 15 - Belfast, UK @ Empire Music Hall

Thu. May 16 - Dublin, IR @ The Grand Social

Fri. May 17 - Liverpool, UK @ Arts Club

Sun. May 19 - Leicester, UK @ The Cookie

Mon. May 20 - Cardiff, UK @ Clwb Ifor Bach

Thu. May 23 - London, UK @ Oslo

Thu. June 6 - Adelaide, AU @ The Gov

Fri. June 7 - Perth, AU @ Rock Rover

Thu. June 13 - Brisbane, AU @ The Tivoli

Fri. June 14 - Canberra, AU @ The Basement

Sat. June 15 - Sydney, AU @ Metro Theatre

Sat. June 22 - Melbourne, AU @ Forum Melbourne

Fri. Aug. 9 - Sun. Aug. 11 - San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands

Tue. Aug. 13 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Troubadour

Wed. Aug. 14 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar

Thu. Aug. 16 - Austin, TX @ Antone’s

Sat. Aug. 17 - Dallas, TX @ Deep Ellum Art Co.

Mon. Aug. 19 - Atlanta, GA @ The Earl

Tue. Aug. 20 - Nashville, TN @ Exit / In

Thu. Aug. 22 - Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall

Fri. Aug. 23 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Sat. Aug. 24 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s

Sun. Aug. 25 - Allston, MA @ Great Scott

Tue. Aug. 27 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall

Wed. Aug. 28 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club

Sun. Sep. 1 - Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret

Tue. Sep. 3 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge

Michael Nau - "No Quit"

The latest single from Michael Nau is a very pleasant listen. It's the kind of song you can just put on in the background and go about your workday, half paying attention to it. But if you really take time and pay attention to it, listening becomes such a rewarding experience.

With "No Quit," the first thing you'll notice is the guitar. It's fuzzy without being noisy. Nau's vocals have the same quality, like the song is being filtered through a haze. "No Quit" is definitely a soul song, but unlike most soul music, the vocals aren't being held on a pedestal and highlighted. It's chilled out soul vocals. "No Quit" is heavy on a psychedelic feel, but a relaxed psychedelic feel and not a tripped out, acid heavy feel. Like I said, this would be an easy song to just put on in the background, but when you actually pay attention to it, it's filled with such a reward.

You can listen to "No Quit" below. The single is available now on Karma Chief Records/Colemine records. For more on Michael Nau, check him out on Facebook. Current tour dates are below the song.

Apr 12 Chattanooga -  The Signal

Apr 13 North Charleston -  High Water Festival

Apr 14 North Charleston -  High Water Festival

Apr 14 Raleigh -  The Ritz

Apr 16 Richmond -  The National

Apr 17 Norfolk -  The NorVA

Apr 19 Asheville -  Highland Brewing Company

Apr 20 Atlanta -  Tabernacle

Apr 22 Nashville -  Ryman Auditorium

May 3 Winooski -  Waking Windows

May 3 Portsmouth -  3S Artspace

May 4 Winooski  - Waking Windows

May 5 Winooski  - Waking Windows

Priests - "Jesus' Son"

Photo by Erika Reinsel

This Friday sees the release of the much anticipated new album from Priests, and we have a final single/video before the album. "Jesus' Son" (the title taken from a Lou Reed line which also inspired the title of a Denis Johnson book which was made into a movie starring Billy Crudup) is a groovy dance/rock song. It might be the most straightforward song in Priests's career, almost completely dropping the noise rock sound for pop, but still rock enough to keep me into it. Plus, I don't think Priests will ever drop their guitar sound that, even while sounding mainstream, is still pretty off.

You can watch the video for "Jesus' Son" below. The video is a pretty obvious homage to Nine Inch Nails's "March of the Pigs." The Seduction of Kansas, the new album from Priests, will be out April 5 on Sister Polygon, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on Priests, check out their website. Current tour dates are below the video.

Mon. April 15 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Tue. April 16 - Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
Thu. April 18 - Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
Fri. April 19 - Montreal, QC @ Casa Del Popolo
Sat. April 20 - Toronto, ON @ The Garrison
Sun. April 21 - Detroit, MI @ El Club
Mon. April 22 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
Thu. April 25 - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
Fri. April 26 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry
Sat. April 27 - Omaha, NE @ Reverb
Sun. April 28 - Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
Tue. April 30 - Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
Wed. May 1 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
Sat. May 11 - Brighton, UK @ The Great Escape
Sun. May 12 - Bristol, UK @ Rough Trade
Mon. May 13 - Manchester, UK @ YES (Pink Room)
Tues. May 14 - Glasgow, UK @ The Hug and Pint
Wed. May 15 - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Thu. May 16 - London, UK @ 100 Club
Fri. 17 May - Lille, FR @ Aeronef
Sat. 18 May - Paris, FR @ Supersonic
Mon. 20 May - Brussels, BE @ Botanique (Witloof Bar)
Tue. 21 May - Cologne, DE @ Bumann & Sohn
Wed. 22 May - Munich, DE @ Import/Export
Thu. 23 May - Zurich, CH @ Rote Fabrik
Fri. 24 May - Heidelberg, DE @ Queer Festival (Karlstorbahnhof)
Sat, 25 May - Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling
Mon. 27 May - Aarhus DK @ Tape
Tue. 28 May - Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen
Wed. 29 May – Berlin, DE @ Kantine am Berghain
Thu. 30 May - Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklag (Goldener Salon)
Fri. 31 May - Hilvarenbeek, NL @ Best Kept Secret Festival
Sat. 1 June - Neustrelitz, DE @ Immergut Festival
Sat. June 15 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Sun. June 16 - Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
Mon. June 17 - Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn
Tue. June 18 - New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
Thu. June 20 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
Fri. June 21 - Austin, TX @ Barracuda
Sat. June 22 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
Mon. June 24 - Albuquerque, NM @ Sister
Tue. June 25 - Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Wed. June 26 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar
Thu. June 27 - Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom
Sat. June 29 - Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club
Mon. July 1 - Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall
Tue. July 2 - Vancouver, BC @ The Bitmore
Wed. July 3 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos
Sat. July 6 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
Sun. July 7 - Denver, CO @ Lost Lake
Tue. July 9 - Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar
Wed. July 10 - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway