Dinosaur Jr Announce Fall Tour!

Photo by Cara Totman

Everything is looking pretty good right now. Things aren't great, and the vaccine roll out is going slower than we hoped (at least in Massachusetts where signing up is a nightmare), but it is happening. All reports show a return to somewhat normal sometime over the summer, maybe late fall. That means live music should be returning this year! (Hopefully...) It's hard to not get our hopes up, especially when our beloved indie gods Dinosaur Jr just announced a huge fall East coas/Midwest tour! They've also announced dates for this year's Camp Fuzz! Taking place July 27-20 in Big Indian, NY, it's an all inclusive retreat that features performances, master classes, arts & crafts, and more! The tour kicks off September 7 in Montreal at Corona Theatre and ends November 27 in Boston at the House of Blues. Those on the West coast will have to wait until February. Pretty much all of February 2022 sees J, Lou, and Murph all over the coast from Pioneertown, CA on February 3 to February 26 when they end the tour in Denver, CO. These dates are sure to be a lot of people's first forays out into the world of live music in well over a year, so get your tickets early and do not forget your earplugs!

You can see the full tour dates for Dinosaur Jr below! Their upcoming album, Sweep it Into Space, is due out April 23 on Jagjaguwar. You can pre-order the album here. For more on Dinosaur Jr and their tour, check out the band's website!

Tue. July 27 - Fri. July 30 - Big Indian, NY @ Camp Fuzz
Tue. Sept. 7 - Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre
Thu. Sept. 9 - Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
Fri. Sept. 10 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Venue TBA
Sat. Sept. 11 - Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
Mon. Sept. 13 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
Tue. Sept. 14 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Thu. Sept. 16 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
Mon. Sept. 20 - Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
Tue. Sept. 21 - Kansas City, MO @ Truman
Thu. Sept. 23 - Austin, TX @ Moody Theater @ ACL Live
Fri. Sept. 24 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
Sat. Sept. 25 - Dallas, TX @ Canton Hall
Mon. Sept. 27 - Birmingham, AL @ Saturn
Tue. Sept. 28 - Bloomington, IN @ The Bluebird
Thu. Sept. 30 - Columbus, OH @ Athenaeum Theatre
Fri. Oct. 1 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora
Sat. Oct. 2 - Ithaca, NY @ State Theatre
Fri. Nov. 12 - Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
Sat. Nov. 13 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
Mon. Nov. 15 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
Tue. Nov. 16 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Thu. Nov. 18 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Fri. Nov. 19 - New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall
Sat. Nov. 20 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
Fri. Nov. 26 - Northampton, MA @ Academy of Music
Sat. Nov. 27 - Boston, MA @ House Of Blues
Thu. Feb. 3 - Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy’s and Harriets
Fri. Feb. 4 - Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
Sat. Feb. 5 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
Mon. Feb. 7 - Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory Music Hall
Tue. Feb. 8 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
Thu. Feb. 10 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox at Market
Fri. Feb. 11 - Portland, OR @ Venue TBA
Sat. Feb. 12 - Portland, OR @ Venue TBA
Tue. Feb. 15 - Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
Wed. Feb. 16 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Thu. Feb. 17 -  San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Sat. Feb. 19 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda
Sun. Feb. 20 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda
Tue. Feb. 22 - San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park
Wed. Feb. 23 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
Fri. Feb. 25 - Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theatre
Sat. Feb. 26 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre

Sara Bug - "Lotta Pride"

Photo by Bendrix Littleton

Nashville's Sara Bug is the self-described "World's finest southern-kitsch artist." Her latest single, "Lotta Pride," doesn't sound like what you would consider Southern. It's not quite country, although it kinda is. Maybe country-adjacent? It's this endearingly odd mix of indie pop, lo-fi indie rock, and country. Plus, it has a killer string arrangement over fuzzed out guitar. "Lotta Pride" doesn't really know what it is, so how should anyone, really? It's a captivating little one minute twenty second song that will truly have you needing more.

Sara Bug talks about the new song:

"Lotta Pride was written in 2016 when I was in the middle of moving back to the south from new york. After living there for a couple years, working in the fashion industry, I was ready to move home for multiple personal reasons. After losing a close family member my priorities shifted. Lotta Pride is an accumulation of thoughts I had during that time of grief and letting go of old hopes and dreams."

You can listen to "Lotta Pride" below. Sara Bug's self-titled album is due out May 14 on Egghunt Records. The album can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp. For more on Sara Bug, check out the artist's Instagram. 

Vandoliers - "Every Saturday Night"

Photo via Facebook

This one almost slipped by us, but luckily for all of us it was caught just in time. This week marks the last time live music truly happened in this country, so it's the perfect time for this latest song from Vandoliers. "Every Saturday Night" is a cowpunk anthem about how we all took going out going out to see live music, hanging with our friends, dancing, etc. for granted before the pandemic. It was just something we could do basically whenever we wanted, and now it's been gone for a year. It's a mournful and rowdy rocker of a song with one of the most shout along choruses you've heard in a long, long time. This should probably come with a warning: You are going to miss your life from the before times even more after hearing this song.

You can watch the video for "Every Saturday Night" below. The song is available as a single here via Amerikinda Records. For more on Vandoliers, check out the band's website.

Tunic - "Invalid"

Photo by Adam Kelly

The latest song from Tunic has been kicking around for a while. According to their press release, "Invalid" has gone through three different versions and survived three band line ups. On its current version, it's a blistering art punk track. It sounds like it would have been right at home with Dischord in the early 90's, but with some Nirvana In Utero era thrash. It's not a fully pleasant listen, but Tunic isn't meant for that. Of course, if Dischord meets late era Nirvana sounds like your cup of tea, "Invalid" is going to be downright thrilling to you. 

Tunic explains the meaning behind their new song: "Our new track, 'Invalid,' addresses the constant feeling of judgement from your peers, parents, and more importantly yourself. There is a guilt you feel for allowing your adolescent dreams to run your adult life."

You can listen to "Invalid" below. Exhaling is due out April 9 on Artoffact Records. You can pre-order the album here. For more on Tunic, check out the band's Facebook and Twitter.

tunic · Invalid

Moontype - "3 Weeks"

Photo by Julia Dratel

Chicago's Moontype are back with a new single that is gorgeous in its simplicity. "3 Weeks" is a simple little song that dances on the edge of folk but is still plated a little too much in indie rock to go full out folky. Their previous singles have gotten them compared to Galaxie 500, so "3 Weeks" imagines if Galaxie 500 had gone Americana. It's a delicate song filled with finger picked guitars and Margaret McCarthy's captivating vocals. The song has an excited, hopeful vibe as it was written about having a new crush.

Margaret McCarthy explains the new song:

"I wrote this song in the midst of a big crush that was mixed with a new friendship and a new job and a new city. I was trying to get a handle on how to move through this phase of transition while also having a feeling that was too big to really put into words. I kept waiting for the moment to come, when I would know exactly what to say and how to say it, but it never came."

You can watch the video for "3 Weeks" below. Bodies of Water is due out April 2 on Born Yesterday Records. You can pre-order a copy over at Bandcamp. For more on Moontype, check out the band's Facebook.

The Natvral - "Sun Blisters"

The Natvral is Kip Berman's (formerly of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart) new project with a more folky sound than his previous band. "Sun Blisters," his new single, is a little less folk but nowhere near the indie pop of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Instead, "Sun Blisters" is more of a 90's style Americana rocker. It's a mid-tempo Cracker meets Tom Petty kinda song. There's a bit of a Bob Dylan ramble to it, but it's definitely a rock song. Maybe it's just the fact that the word "sun" is in the title, but "Sun Blisters" screams just driving around in the summer without any rush to get to your destination.

Kip Berman says of the new song: "It's a song about how you don't always want what's for the best-- and neither do I."

You can listen to "Sun Blisters" below. Tethers is due out April 2 on Kanine Records. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on The Natvral, check out the artist's website.

The Natvral · Sun Blisters

Birthday Ass - "Sunlit Toes"

"Skrunk" is a genre name I've never heard before, but that's what a press release calls Birthday Ass. Their new single, "Sunlit Toes," is more of what we liked on "Blah." "Sunlit Toes" almost starts off normal. Almost. The song is this bizarre blend of jazz and indie pop/rock. It starts off like a more discordant version of bands like Rubblebucket or And the Kids, and then the horns kick in. Then it turns into a free jazz sounding hippie dance party. "Sunlit Toes" is another one of those songs that shouldn't work at all. It should be a complete unlistenable mess, and I'm sure there are those out there that will think of it that way. But they can't say Birthday Ass isn't one of the most unique and creative bands out there. This is one of those songs you really owe it to yourself to try out because it could very well turn into a diehard fascination.

You can listen to "Sunlit Toes" below. Head of the Household is due out April 23 on Ramp Local. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Birthday Ass, check out the band's Facebook and Twitter.

Lucy Dacus - "Thumbs"

Photo by Marin Leong

To say we've been transfixed by the music of Lucy Dacus is an understatement. Her blend of indie rock/indie pop/folk songs that slowly build into these epic crescendos hits an ideal sweet spot for us. Her latest single, "Thumbs," changes the formula a bit while still being pure Lucy Dacus. A part of her live shows since 2018, "Thumbs" starts off quietly and then stays there. It's a very quiet, moody song that is as lovely as it is haunting. Dacus' vocals are at the forefront of this, with barely any instrumentation at all. It's just her voice, synth, and mellotron. It's a truly powerful song, both in subject matter and execution.

Lucy Dacus says of the song: 

“Like most songs I write, I wasn’t expecting it and it made me feel weird, almost sick. It tells the story of a day I had with a friend during our freshman year of college, a significant day, but not one that I had thought of for years. I started playing it live a month or so later during the boygenius tour after Phoebe and Julien encouraged me to. I knew I wanted a long time to get used to playing it since it made me feel shaky, so I ended sets with it for about half the shows I played in 2019. Before I played it, I would ask the audience to please not record it, a request that seems to have been respected, which I'm grateful for."

You can listen to "Thumbs" below. You can get a copy of the song here. For more on Lucy Dacus, check out her website.

McKinley Dixon - "Swangin'"

Photo by David Muessig

It's been a while since I've been this excited for an upcoming hip hop release, but the latest from McKinley Dixon is hardly your typical hip hop album. His latest single, "Swangin'," runs a little more mainstream hip hop than "make a poet Black" was. In some bizarro world, "Swangin'" could be a huge top 40 hit, and it very well could end up there. Dixon's flow is laid back to being almost Snoop Dogg level, although it does slowly build in intensity as the song goes on. This is the kind of song that begs for driving around with your windows down in the warm weather. It could very well end up being the summer song of 2021.

McKinley Dixon says of the new song: "I usually don’t have one person produce all the instrumentals on songs of mine but Letjoux isn’t just anybody. Living in Richmond, this beat Josh (Letjoux) made just sounded so Virginia, I had to rap over it. It sort of fills the void of wanting to make a song that had the feel of children banging on a lunch room table."

You can listen to "Swangin'" below. For My Mama and Anyone Who Look Like Her is due out May 7 on Spacebomb Records. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on McKinley Dixon, check out the artist's Facebook and Twitter.

First Listen: New Releases for 5 March

Artist: Adult Mom
Album: Driver
Quick Description: Solid indie rock.
Why You Should Listen: Adult Mom is always good, and shifts from genre to genre with ease.
Overall Thoughts: Wanted to highlight this up top as one that I liked this week. Adult Mom brings a really solid listen here, with an opening track that just kills it and an album with some solid indie rock tunewriting. This is a very enjoyable album this week.
Recommendation: Give this a shot.

Artist: Field Mouse
Album: Memory Card
Quick Description: Bandcamp-only covers record from a favorite here.
Why You Should Listen: The only flaw is that it's only 11 songs.
Overall Thoughts: We can't get enough of Field Mouse around these parts. I'll be honest, though: I usually don't buy stuff on Bandcamp even though I really should. Spotify is too easy. But Field Mouse puts this out during a pandemic on Bandcamp Friday for five bucks? Yeah, I'm in. And it would have been worth ten bucks - there's so much fun on here to go around, and even tragic choices like Dave Matthews Band's "Crash Into Me" are turned into something noteworthy. We're biased, for sure, but if you like cover songs of the songs you couldn't avoid 20-30 years ago, this is worth the financial investment for a ton of reasons.
Recommendation: Give up a Starbucks run for this one.

Artist: Genesis Owusu
Album: Smiling With No Teeth
Quick Description: Slighty off-center rap music.
Why You Should Listen: There's something different about Owusu's presentation that just works.
Overall Thoughts: I tripped up on "Gold Chains" a few weeks back and really fell for this one. Is it a rap record? An R&B effort? There are a lot of ways to describe it, but none of them quite fit, and that's what makes it special. The delivery, the music behind the whole thing, it's all really compelling and infectious.
Recommendation: Make time for this one.

Artist: Wayside
Album: Shine Onto Me
Quick Description: Debut from a fuzzy rock act.
Why You Should Listen: Has some elements of shoegaze and alt-rock mixed in.
Overall Thoughts: This was one album that caught me off-guard this week. Wayside does noisy, melodic, fuzzed-out rock music right, and there's something about it that makes the album stand out. Songs like "Shine (Onto Me)" and "Room 22" really set the tone for the record. It's definitely a favorite this week.
Recommendation: Mandatory.

Artist: Jane Weaver
Album: Flock
Quick Description: Interesting indie rock.
Why You Should Listen: Jane Weaver has decades of great work behind her.
Overall Thoughts: I didn't know the name Jane Weaver when I tripped up on this album. Listening, I loved it - it's strange, it's different, it has a very unique feel to it, songs like "Pyramid Schemes" get stuck in my head. I go hunting for the cover image, and Weaver was a member of Misty Dixon, a band in the Twisted Nerve family that I was fairly into back whenever. So it explains a whole lot. Anyway, loved this album, one of my favorites this week as well.
Recommendation: Make time for this one.

Artist: Jimbo Mathus and Andrew Bird
Album: These 13
Quick Description: Collab between the whistling violinist and the Squirrel Nut Zipper.
Why You Should Listen: Everyone involved is great.
Overall Thoughts: I don't have a lot to say about this one, but its got a lot of great moments throughout, and is an interesting, raw folk record.
Recommendation: Don't miss it.

Artist: SATURNIIDS
Album: Duplicate Tapes
Quick Description: A nice 1990s time capsule.
Why You Should Listen: This is almost too on-the-nose to be real.
Overall Thoughts: Another one I didn't want to slip through the tracks. If you told me this came out in March 1991 instead of March 2021, I would believe you. This is so good, and it might be the one more than any other that I'm excited to go back to.
Recommendation: Listen. To. This.

Of note:

* W O L F C L U B - Just Drive - Part 1 (Really good synth pop.)
* Elizabeth and the Catapult - sincerely, e (New record from the adult-alternative-adjacent act, some excellent moments.)
* Prism Bitch - Perla (Don't sleep on this one, it's fun.)
* Electrocute - Make Some Noise (This one is fun, too!)
* Tigers Jaw - I Won't Care How You Remember Me (Another solid indie rock record.)
* Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats - UNLOCKED 1.5
* Fake Fruit - Fake Fruit
* Zara Larsson - Poster Girl
* Bernice - Eau De Bonjourno
* Fruit Bats - The Pet Parade
* Ian Sweet - Show Me How You Disappear
* Kaiti Jones - Tossed
* Jay Gonzalez - Back to the Hive
* Sarah Haras - Mirage
* Charles Ellsworth - Honeysuckle Summer
* Lisa Jeanette - Jellyfish on the Moon
EPs:

* Linnea's Garden - Nowhere Friday Nights (New music from one of the minds behind Powerslut.)
* April March and Olivia Jean - Palladium
* Norma - Full Emptiness
* Worriers - The Old Friends EP
* Middle Kids - Stacking Chairs
* upsammy - Bend
* Octo Octa - She's Calling EP
* Otto Von Schirach and Qubrus - Ottobrus
* Billy Nomates - Emergency Telephone
* Juliet Quick - Glass Years
* Rene Wise - WSNWG007
Live albums/Compilations:

* Allie X - Cape God (The Digital Concert)

Also out:

* Arab Strap - As Days Get Dark
* Kings of Leon - When You See Yourself
* Ron Gallo - PEACEMEAL
* The Spill Canvas - Conduit
* of Montreal - I Feel Safe With You, Trash