Margo Price - "Twinkle Twinkle"

Photo by Bobbi Rich

It's no shocker that the newest song from Margo Price is great. It would be bigger news if it wasn't. What's surprising is how different "Twinkle Twinkle" is from anything else we've heard from Price in the past. Her new album was produced by Sturgill Simpson and Price, and if you were to think That's How Rumors Get Started would be a little more rock with Sturgill producing, you'd be right. "Twinkle Twinkle" takes Price's trademark perfected old school 70's rhinestone country and mixes it with garage rock. I guess she decided if the country establishment won't give her the respect she truly deserves, she's going to go off and make her own sound. And thank goodness for that. "Twinkle Twinkle" is a masterpiece, and shows an artist coming into her own comfortably. 

You can watch the video for "Twinkle Twinkle" below. That's How Rumors Get Started, the new album from Margo Price, will be out May 8 on Loma Vista. You can pre-order your copy here. For more on Margo Price, check out her website.

Neak and Since9ine6ix - "Abstract"

Neak comes from quite the musical heritage. His father is Robert Kelly of The Kelly Brothers, who also performed with James Brown and Sam Cooke. How could he not end up getting into music?

His latest single, "Abstract," sees the Chicago rapper/producer teaming up with Since9ine6ix. "Abstract" isn't like much hip hop I've heard recently. It's polished and mainstream without sounding like everything else out there. It has a laid back and futuristic feel, but doesn't have a cartoony space gimmick. Neak and Since9ine6ix look back to what made hip hop great in the early 90's while looking to the future. They do this without sounding like a throwback or being overly produced or technical. 

You can listen to "Abstract" below. The song is available now via Neak's Bandcamp. For more on Neak, check out his website. For more on Since9ine6ix, check him out on Twitter.

Fenne Lily - "Hypochondriac"

Photo by Nicole Loucaides

The latest single from Fenne Lily is going to remind you a lot of Lucy Dacus. There's just no getting around that. Lily's new single, "Hypochondriac," is a deeply personal singer/songwriter track somewhere in the land between indie rock and folk. What's sets "Hypochondriac" apart is that it dips ever so slightly into the world of dream pop. Lily brings us this fully lush and captivating song that will be impossible not to get sucked completely into. 

Fenne Lily explains the song: “The song’s theme was realised immediately; pressure to feel enough but not too much in a time of hyper connectivity, plus a personal reminder to be accountable for and have agency over the part of me that gravitates towards meltdown. It’s the first in a collection of tracks addressing myself as both the cause of and solution to my anxieties, as well as a shift in attention from predominantly relationship-based writing to a more self-reflective dialogue."

You can listen to "Hypochondriac" below. For more on Fenne Lily, check out her website. Current tour dates are below the song.

Sat. March 28 - Bristol, UK @ Ritual Union Festival
Thu. April 16 - Dijonfranche-comt, FR @ Péniche Cancale *
Sat. April 18 - Lausanne, CH @ Le Romandie *
Tue. April 21 - Vienne, AT @ B72 *
Thu. April 23 - Prague, CZ @ Chapeau Rouge *
Sat. April 25 - Berlin, DE @ Roter Salon *
Mon. April 27 - Hamburg, DE @ Hebebühne *
Tue. April 28 - Dortmund, DE @ TYDE STUDIOS *
Wed. April 29 - Utrecht, NL @ ACU *
Fri. May 1 - London, UK @ Union Chapel *
Mon. May 4 - Glasgow, UK @ Centre for Contemporary Arts *
Tue. May 5 - Belfast, UK @ Limelight *
Wed. May 6 - Dublin, IE @ Button Factory *
Sat. Aug. 8 - Waynesville, OH @ Ohio Renaissance Festival Grounds
Thu. Aug. 20 - Sun. Aug. 23 - Crickhowell, UK @ Green Man Festival
Thu. Sept. 3 - Sun. Sept. 6 - Salisbury, UK @ End of the Road Festival
 
*= w/ Lucy Dacus

Thao & The Get Down Stay Down - "Tample"

Photo via Facebook

It's been four long years since Thao & The Get Down Stay Down released A Man Alive. Luckily for the entire universe, they are back with a new album, due in May. The first single off the album, "Temple," marks a change in sound for the band. It still sounds like Thao & The Get Down Stay Down's blend of indie/folk/dance music, so don't fret about that. But "Temple" isn't quite as celebratory as previous music has been. Even a song like "Nobody Dies" was a dance party just waiting to happen. "Temple" is nearly somber, and much more serious sounding. It's still a great song, and somehow still feels celebratory... just not as much as Thao has been in the past.

You can watch the video for "Temple" below. Temple, the upcoming album from Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, is due out May 15 on Ribbon Music. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, check out their website. Current tour dates are below the video.

6/17 - Tacoma, WA - Alma Mater
6/18 - Vancouver, BC - Imperial
6/19 - Seattle, WA - Neptune Theatre
6/20 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
6/22 - Sacramento, CA - Harlow's
6/24 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
6/25 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom
6/26 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom
6/27 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
7/15 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line
7/16 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
7/18 - St. Louis - The Ready Room
7/19 - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
7/21 - Cincinnati, OH - The Woodward Theater
7/22 - Millvale, PA - Mr. Smalls Theatre
7/23 - Toronto, ON - Longboat Hall
7/24 - South Burlington, VT - Higher Ground Ballroom
7/25 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
7/28 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
7/29 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
7/30 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
7/31 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
8/01 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West
8/02 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn
8/04 - Houston, TX - Studio at Warehouse Live
8/05 - Austin, TX - Emo's
8/06 - Dallas, TX - Trees
8/07 - Oklahoma City, OK - Tower Theatre
8/08 - Kansas City, MO - Grinders at XRDS
8/10 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
8/11 - Salt Lake City, UT - The State Room

TONER - "Dark Ecstasy"

Photo via Facebook

When you read that a band started off as a solo bedroom project, you know what to expect. It will be limited instruments, probably a noisy, off tune guitar going through some pedal effects, and a drum machine, at most. Hailing from Oakland, TONER obliterates that notion. Their new single, "Dark Ecstasy," is borderline metal. It takes nearly alt-metal like Quicksand and Helmet and reworks it through shoegaze like My Bloody Valentine. Yes, that is one of the weirdest descriptions I've ever written, and it shouldn't work at all, but the more I think about it, the more this sound needed to happen, and the more shocked I am that it took this long. TONER gives us this sound that we've been crazing all these years without knowing it.

You can listen to "Dark Ecstasy" below. Silk Road, the upcoming album from TONER, will be out April 17 on Smoking Room. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on TONER, check them out on Facebook and Bandcamp.

Why Bonnie - "Voice Box"

Photo by Pooneh Ghana

Austin's Why Bonnie create some of the most lush and hypnotic dream pop around. Their latest single, "Voice Box," drones on in the best possible way with fuzzy, swirling guitars. What truly makes "Voice Box" stand out among the dream pop revival going on right now is Singer Blair Howerton's voice. I'm not sure if her voice would stand out in another genre of music, but it's perfectly suited to Why Bonnie's style. In fact, her vocals blend with the music in a way that just adds to the hypnotic aspects of "Voice Box." Did the song last a few minutes? Maybe half an hour? That's how sucked into the song you can get, that you just lose sense of time while it's playing. But you'll know you need more.

You can watch the video for "Voice Box" below. Why Bonnie's new EP, also called Voice Box, will be out April 10 on Fat Possum. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Why Bonnie, check out their Facebook and Twitter. Current tour dates are below the video.

Wed. March 18 - Austin, TX @ Beerland (High Road Touring Showcase)
Sat. March 21 - Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas (Burgermania)
Mon. March 23 - Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge *
Wed. March 25 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo *
Thu. March 26 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill *
Sat. March 28 - Seattle, WA @ Barboza *
Sun. March 29 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge *
Tue. March 31 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court *
Thu. April 2 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge *
Fri. April 3 - Omaha, NE @ (drips)
Sat. April 4 - Iowa City, IA @ Mission Creek Festival
Mon. April 6 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry *
Tue. April 7 - Chicago, IL @ Schubas *
Wed. April 8 - Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s *
Fri. April 10 - Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere
Mon. April 13 - Asheville, NC @ The Mothlight
Tue. April 14 - Oxford, MS @ Proud Larry’s
Thu. April 16 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall (Upstairs)
Fri. April 17 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk Indoors
Sat. April 18 - Dallas, TX @ Ruins
Tue. April 21 - Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop Bar
Wed. April 22 - Cincinnati, OH @ MOTR Pub
Thu. April 23 - Detroit, MI @ Sanctuary #
Fri. April 24 - Toronto, CA @ Baby G #
Sat. April 25 - Montreal, QC @ Brasserie #
Mon. April 27 - Allston, ,MA @ O’Brien’s Pub
Tue. April 28 - Philadelphia, PA @ Boot & Saddle #
Wed. April 29 - Washington, DC @ Pie Shop  #
Thu. April 30 - Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall #
Fri. May 1 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle (Back Room) #
Sat. May 2 - Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn #
Sun. May 3 - Nashville, TN @ DKRMTTR #
 
* = w/ Squirrel Flower
#  -w/  Kevin Krauter

First Listen: New Releases for 6 March

Artist: Phantogram
Album: Ceremony
Quick Description: First new music in a while from the alt-electro act.
Why You Should Listen: Phantogram is always great, and this is no different.
Overall Thoughts: It’s been a minute since we heard from Phantogram, but I’ll say this much – if what they put out is this high in quality every time they take this long to put out new music? Sign me up. It’s modern, it’s odd, it’s challenging without losing its accessibility, and it’s an unexpected yet welcome evolution from an act that has always been good-to-great.
Recommendation: One of the best of the week.

Artist: Georgia
Album: Seeking Thrills
Quick Description: Great mainstream pop from an indie artist.
Why You Should Listen: There's a lot to love about this listen, and not just how danceable the whole thing is.
Overall Thoughts: Mainstream pop has always been a little weird, sure, and even though Katy Perry is cosplaying our May Queen and Lady Gaga looks like she might be close to wearing meat dresses again, Georgia is maybe the first electronic artist to try and balance the PC Music-style oddness with a mainstream bent from the independent side of things. There’s a definite Charli XCX/Grimes vibe to a lot of this effort, but for every “Feel It,” you get a legitimate club banger rooted in a traditional dance style. I really, really dug this album, and while it may have some limited appeal, it might also be a bit of a breakthrough.
Recommendation: Give this a shot if you're feeling adventurous.

Artist: Luke Haines and Peter Buck
Album: Beat Poetry for Survivalists
Quick Description: Britpop legend and American alt-rock legend combine on an album.
Why You Should Listen: It kind of defies expectation, and that's not a bad thing.
Overall Thoughts: This is a weird album, but I suspect if you’re familiar with Luke Haines you’d expect that. Very British in many regards, but Peter Buck’s inclusion is similarly obvious and the result is an album that should be heard. It won’t be for everyone, but I’d imagine everyone involved understands that.
Recommendation: Worth a listen no matter what.

Artist: Mandy Moore
Album: Silver Landings
Quick Description: Comeback album from the teen pop star turned serious singer-songwriter.
Why You Should Listen: Moore's last album was great, and Mike Viola is back on board.
Overall Thoughts: Mandy Moore's best album was Amanda Leigh, which was produced by Mike Viola and was such a nice slice of folk pop that it's a shame we didn't get more of it. Since then, Moore has done some television, been in a high-profile (and not good) relationship with Ryan Adams, and she is finally dipping her toes back into music. This isn't as good as Amanda Leigh, but it is lovely and different nonetheless, and it's an album I not only fully enjoyed listening to, but really want to spend more time with.
Recommendation: A great achievement.

Artist: The Mastersons
Album: No Time for Love Songs
Quick Description: Excellent, gorgeous folk pop.
Why You Should Listen: I won't be the first or last to compare this duo to The Civil Wars, but I truly believe this is the act we've been waiting for.
Overall Thoughts: This is somehow their fourth album, and I'm spending a lot of time trying to figure out how I missed their first three. This is a beautiful record for so many reasons, and it was just something I'm really glad Ken sent over my way, because it was an immediate favorite for me. Do not skip this one, it's definitely one of the best of the week and arguably of the year thus far.
Recommendation: A can't-miss listen.

Of note:

* Geoff Gordon - Sex and the City (Sort of psych, and a band and not a person. An interesting enigma in many ways.)
* Powerslut - Fun With Junk
* WANK - White Knuckle Ride
* Bleach Day - As If Always
* ROCH - Via Media
* Overcoats - The Fight
* U.S. Girls - Heavy Light
* Cornershop - England is a Garden
* Snarls - Burst
* Nadia Reid - Out of My Province
* Stephen Malkmus - Traditional Techniques
* Esme Patterson - There Will Come Soft Rains
* Worriers - You or Someone You Know

Seven song albums:

* Anna Calvi - Hunted

EPs:

* Wilma Laverne Miner - Used To (Don't miss this EP.)
* Donna Blue - Inbetween EP
* Tricky - 20,20
* Viagra Boys - Common Sense
* Lauren Auder - Two Caves In
* Jasmine Guffond - Microphone Permission
* Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Blue Moon Rising
* Winona Oak - Closure

Also out:

* Body Count - Carnivore
* Caroline Rose - Superstar
* Amanda Palmer and Friends - Forty-Five Degrees: Charity Flash Record

Partner - "Good Place to Hide (At the Time)"

Partner, who have the best ever band descriptions of "loveable guitar shredding Canadian stoner goofballs" and "Partner is funny, but not a joke. Gay, but not for each other," have released a new single, "Good Place to Hide (At the Time)." Last time we heard from them was back in August when they were covering Rush, and it sounds like they might still be in full on Rush mode. Partner have always had a much bigger sound than you would think possible from a band on a smaller label, but "Good Place to Hide (At the Time)" is just epic in scope. Plus, this seems to be the most serious Partner song to date, but I might just not be paying attention to the lyrics closely enough.

Partner explains the song: 

"You find yourself in a room with a locked door. You have always been there. It is all you have ever known. You have no reason to believe you could leave, no reason to believe you would ever want to. And then one day you hear the murmurs. Faint at first, you can’t make out the words. But their very existence tells a truth that you have always known. There is something else. And you search and search and just when you are feeling spent and the bright beam of hope has faded to a glimmer, it reveals itself to you, miraculously. The key. And so you cast aside your doubt and grin with victory. But when you slide the key in, behind the door there is another locked door. The search continues.

We wrote this song over the course of about a year. We had long wanted to explore the idea of hiding, of hidden truths. A chance phrase from our friend Alfred set this song in motion. We hope you enjoy our newest offering." 

You can listen to "Good Place to Hide (At the Time)" below. The single is available now via You've Changed Records here. Partner will be releasing their second album later this year. For more on Partner, check out their website.

The Chats - "Dine N Dash"

Photo by Matt Walter

Australia's The Chats are going to make us all feel old. Really old. First of all, the band formed when the three members were in high school... in 2016. Second, their latest single, "Dine N Dash," is literally about eating in a restaurant and bailing on the check. But it's a gloriously fun, kick ass old school sounding punk song, and not just what would be considered old school to kids in their early 20's. "Dine N Dash" has a snottier than you can imagine late 70's/early 80's punk feel. It's a mixture of Sex Pistols snot and Descendents brattiness. The video clocks in at two minutes and twelve seconds, and the song isn't even playing for that entire time. Yeah, no matter how old this makes you feel, it's pretty great. 

You can watch the video for "Dine N Dash" below. High Risk Behaviour, the debut album from The Chats, will be out March 27 on Bargain Bin Records/Cooking Vinyl Australia. You can pre-order the album here. For more on The Chats, check out their website. Current tour dates are below the video.

Fri. April 10 - Indio, CA @ Coachella
Sat. April 11 - Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre
Sun. April 12 - Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
Mon. April 13 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
Tue. April 14 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
Fri. April 17 - Indio, CA @ Coachella
Sat. April 18 - San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park
Sun. April 19 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Mon. April 20 - Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
Wed. April 22 - Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
Thu. April 23 - Austin, TX @ Emo’s
Fri. April 24 - Houston, TX @ Bronze Peacock at House of Blues
Sun. April 26 - Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
Tue. April 28 - St. Paul, MN @ Amsterdam Bar & Hall
Wed. April 29 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
Thu. April 30 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
Fri. May 1 - Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
Sat. May 2 - Charlotte, NC @ Epicenter Festival
Sun. May 3 - Washington, DC @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
Tue. May 5 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
Wed. May 6 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
Thu. May 7 - Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
Wed. Oct. 7 - Amsterdam, BL @ Melkweg Max
Sat. Oct. 10 - Paris, FR @ Maroquinerie
Sun. Oct. 11 - Cologne, DE @ Gloria
Mon. Oct. 12 - Hamburg, DE @ Gruenspan
Tue. Oct. 13 - Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg
Fri. Oct. 16 - Southampton, UK @ 1865
Sat. Oct. 17 - Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
Mon. Oct. 19 - Dublin, IE @ Olympia
Tue. Oct. 20 - Belfast, UK @ Limelight
Thu. Oct. 22 - Glasgow, UK @ Galvanizers
Fri. Oct. 23 - Manchester, UK @ O2 Academy
Sat. Oct. 24 - Newcastle, UK @ Boiler Shop
Sun. Oct. 25 - Leeds, UK @ Stylus
Mon. Oct. 26 - Brighton, UK @ Dome
Tue. Oct. 27 - Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy
Wed. Oct. 28 - London, UK @ Electric Brixton
Thu. Oct 29 -  London, UK @ Electric Brixton 

NOVA ONE - "lovable"

Photo by Kendra Rose

Ever since I saw them opening for Deer Tick, I've been growing more and more obsessed with Roz Raskin's project NOVA ONE. Their latest single, "lovable," perfectly showcases why. NOVA ONE takes 60's girl group R&B and lets it shine through a bizarro indie rock filter. "lovable" is a little more pop than that sounds, but perfectly mixes modern pop with lo-fi indie rock. The guitar is making this slightly off tune racket while Raskin's vocals nail the girl group genre. None of this should work together at all, but the magic of NOVA ONE is that it does. Perfectly. For someone who grew up listening to the oldies station with their parents and came of age during the early 90's, "lovable" is perfect.

You can listen to "lovable" below. NOVA ONE's debut full length, also called lovable, will be out April 24 on Community Records. You can pre-order it via Bandcamp. For more on NOVA ONE, check out the artists's website.