Shoegaze legends Slowdive continue to prove that they are masters of the genre decades into their career. The British band's latest single, "skin in the game," is a gorgeous, almost painfully slow track that builds so slowly you'll barely even notice. It's almost orchestral in its complex layers of noise. It might just be the oppressive humidity here in New England, but you can almost feel the song flow by you in waves. I tend to enjoy the louder side of shoegaze more than the more quiet side, but when the quieter side is done this masterfully, it's impossible to resist. Most bands tend to slow down thirty plus years into their career, but not all do it as perfectly as Slowdive.
You can watch the video for "skin in the game" below. everything is alive is due out September 1 on Dead Oceans, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Slowdive, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
Wed. July 19 - Brisbane, AU @ Princess Theatre [SOLD OUT] Fri. July 21 - Sydney, AU @ Enmore Theatre [SOLD OUT] Sat. July 22 - Melbourne, AU @ Forum [SOLD OUT] Sun. July 23 - Adelaide, AU @ Hindley St. Music Hall Wed. July 26 - Auckland, NZ @ Powerstation [SOLD OUT] Sat. July 29 - Niigata Prefecture, JP @ Fuji Rock Festival Sat. Aug. 5 - Mysłowice, PL @ Off Festival Fri. Aug. 11 - Sicily, IT @ Ypsigrock Festival Fri. Aug. 18 - Brecon Beacon, GB @ Green Man Festival Sat. Sep. 23 - Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre [SOLD OUT] Mon. Sep. 25 - Boston, MA @ Citizens House of Blues Boston [SOLD OUT] Wed. Sep. 27 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall [SOLD OUT] Thu. Sep. 28 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall [SOLD OUT] Fri. Sep. 29 - Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer [SOLD OUT] Sat. Sep. 30 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club [SOLD OUT] Mon. Oct. 2 - Cleveland, OH @ The Roxy @ Mahall’s [SOLD OUT] Tue. Oct. 3 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre [SOLD OUT] Wed. Oct. 4 - St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre Fri. Oct. 6 - Denver, CO @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom [SOLD OUT] Sat. Oct. 7 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union Mon. Oct. 9 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom [SOLD OUT] Tue. Oct. 10 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo [SOLD OUT] Thu. Oct. 12 - San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield [SOLD OUT] Sat. Oct. 14 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether [SOLD OUT] Sun. Oct. 15 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Bellwether [SOLD OUT] Mon. Oct. 16 - San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield Mon. Oct. 30 - Glasgow, UK @ QMU [SOLD OUT] Tue. Oct. 31 - Manchester, UK @ Ritz [SOLD OUT] Wed. Nov. 1 - Bristol, UK @ SWX [SOLD OUT] Fri. Nov. 3 - London, UK @ Troxy [SOLD OUT] Sun. Nov. 5 - Belfast, UK @ Mandela Hall Mon. Nov. 6 - Dublin, IR @ National Stadium Sat. Nov. 25 - Sun. Nov. 26 - Buenos Aires, AR @ Primavera Sound Mon. Dec. 4 - Santiago, CL @ Teatro Coliseo Thu. Dec. 7 - Asunción, PY @ Primavera Sound Sat. Dec. 9 - Sun. Dec. 10 - Bogotá, CO @ Primavera Sound
Artist: Josaleigh Pollett Album: In the Garden, By the Weeds Quick Thoughts: My favorite recent album and it's not even close. If you're not on board by the time lead track "YKWIM" hits its peak, I don't know what else to tell you. This is a modern, fascinating folk effort that challenges you just as much as it takes up real estate in your head, and I loved everything about it. Do not miss out on this. It's one of the best of the year. Songs of Note: "YKWIM," "The Nothing Answered Back," "Bad Dreams (Not Broken)," "cinderblocks," "July," "Earthquake Song"
Artist: Grumpy Plum Album: Real Tough Guy Quick Thoughts: We missed this Grumpy Plum album when it first came out and it's crazy how great this is. It's that sort of twee-adjacent indie pop that resonates on all levels and harkens back to a time decades before they were probably even around. Loved this, and you will love this too. Songs of Note: "i don't care," "proud," "415"
Artist: Tessa Violet Album: MY GOD! Quick Thoughts: I know we're at peak influencer at this point, and there are more than enough vloggers-turned-tiktokers-turned-serious-artists to go around, but I don't think it's entirely fair to bundle Tessa Violet in with that group. She knows how to write a pop hook, and while you might not be the target demographic for a lot of these songs, there is a ton to love here and a lot of talent packed into this effort. Don't miss it. Songs of Note: "BAD BITCH," "YES MOM," "song without a title," "I Don't Know Who I Am Without You," "You Are Not My Friend"
Faces Brewing Co. has been killing it lately with local triple bills. I haven't made it out to anywhere near as many as I've wanted to, but when two favorites get booked together (The Devil's Twins and Aaron & The Lord), I simply couldn't miss it. Kingshot was the third band of the night, and ended up being a great discovery.
Aaron & The Lord opened up the night, and were the only band not celebrating a new album release. They opened up with "The Darkness," and guitarist Steven Lord was already on his knees playing before the song even started. That's usually reserved for well into a noise rock song, but it's also the secret of an Aaron & The Lord live show. The band plays these perfectly crafted alt-rock/pop songs that are irresistibly beautiful, even though they are filled with darkness and noise. You can easily get swept away by how simply beautiful a song like "Lilydale" is without even noticing how much noise lurks beneath, or vice versa. This is the third time I've seen them, and each performance has gotten tighter and more intense.
Kingshot played next, celebrating the release of their album. (They mentioned some of the songs had been written in 2013, and at first I forgot how long ago that was...) The band includes The Devil's Twins' trumpet player Eric Ortiz on bass, but has a completely different sound. However, that sound is nearly impossible to define. Some songs were completely mainstream and straightforward alt-rock, while others had a much more pop punk sound. And then there was their metal side, which peeked through during most songs with guitar solos. My personal favorite of their songs were their straight up thrash metal ones. Not many bands can pull off so many genres and have it all work together seemlessly, but Kingshot pulled it off.
The Devil's Twins closed out the night by focusing on their recently released (and great!) album HORNS. A lot of these songs have been in their repertoire for a few years now, but they always seem to find a way to keep it fresh. It could be that Jeremiah John Louf and Nicole Marie Coogan are such dynamic performers that it's virtually impossible not to be entranced by anything they are doing. Plus, no one quite mixes blues, metal, and roots the way they do. Every show of The Devil's Twins I've seen just breaks out into a party of pure joy, and Friday night was no exception. There are just some bands that are good on an album, but great live, and this is one of them. They remain one of the true must see acts in New England.
I first discovered Dilemma Rose & The Wailin' Milfs almost exactly a year ago at a show at Lynch Family Skatepark in Cambridge. I loved their punk, metal, and New Wave Sound, and how as noisy and loud as it was, that it still had this oddly sugarcoated sound to it. Now they're back with a nine song album, MILFOLOGY. The nine songs range from three seconds to four and a half minutes. The songs swing wildly between noisy, screamy, and loud to pure pop, sometimes within the same song. A perfect example of that is "luv that 4 u," which starts off as an unhinged noise punk ? and the Mysterians and then swings into 60's girl group/doo wop and then back again. "PEE AFTER SEX" kind of sounds like early Red Hot Chili Peppers mixed with Sonic Youth and Le Tigre, but much, much better than that sounds. And it includes a killer flute solo. MILFOLOGY also includes their cover of Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer," which was an absolute highlight at last year's show.
You can listen to "luv that 4 u" below. MILFOLOGY is available now via The Pelvic Floor, and can be downloaded over at Bandcamp. For more on Dilemma Rose & The Wailin' Milfs, check out the band on Tumblr.
Irish folk punk can be a bit hokey at times, but when a band nails it, they just nail it. The Mary Wallopers are actually Irish, which is always a plus. The band they get compared to the most is The Pogues, and once you hear their latest single, you'll understand why. "Wexford" is a very traditionally Irish song, but it still has just enough of an edge to it to be considered punk. It's a ballad, and a beautiful and traditional one at that, but the song still has that punk thing going for it. It's not even a Mary Wallopers original, but a traditional Irish song written by Pecker Dunne. Still, they make this song sound like their own, imbuing the song with enough emotion to make it feel completely personal.
Andrew Hendy says of the new single:
“The song was written by Pecker Dunne, who was a travelling musician. He brought so many songs into circulation over the years he played, you’ll have heard the Dubliners playing a lot of his songs. He came from a line of traveling musicians. His father was a fiddle player and his mother was a tightrope walker, the whole family’s trade was entertainment. Wexford is one of the most beautiful songs in the ballad tradition. He wrote it about growing up in Wexford. It touches on his upbringing and on the grief that travelers suffer in Ireland which is something that’s not really talked about much. It’s an incredible, emotional song. We’ve always gravitated towards that side of folk music - the most accessible side of music, the kind you can just stand on the street singing. Pecker Dunne wrote so many funny songs, which makes it even more hard hitting when he’d sing a song like this.”
You can watch the video for "Wexford" below. Irish Rock 'n' Roll is due out October 6, and is available for pre-order here. For more on The Mary Wallopers, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
For their latest single, Philadelphia's Soraia move slightly away from garage rock and move into the world of metal just a bit more. "Wretch Like Me" straight up rocks. There is still the edge of garage rock, but with the slickness of metal. There are also guitar solos in the song that could only exist in the world of heavy metal. This is a giant and at times theatrical rock song that shows Soraia is starting to aim higher than the clubs they've been inhabiting recently. This is the kind of song that is begging to be blasting out of amplifiers at festivals and arenas, and if they keep releasing singles like "Wretch Like Me," it will be sooner than later.
You can watch the video for "Wretch Like Me" below. The single is out now via Wicked Cool Records. For more on Soraia, check out the band's website.
Western Massachusetts' Landowner are back with one last single before their new album is released this Friday. "Damning Evidence" demonstrates their "abrasively clean minimalist punk" sound. The song is basically just vocals are guitar for the first minute and a half, and we had no idea you could be this abrasive or punk with just vocals and guitar. The truly crazy this is no matter how stripped down a song like "Damning Evidence" is, it still rocks out. It's nowhere near as shouty as you'd expect, but mostly singing in a fairly bizarro way. Landowner have made a song that is gloriously anxiety inducing, in the best possible way.
You can listen to "Damning Evidence" below. Escape the Compound is due out July 21 on Born Yesterday Records, and is available for pre-order through Bandcamp. For more on Landowner, check out the band's Facebook and Instagram.
Folk punk is one of those genres that is hard to describe, but you know when you hear it. Skinny Lister are almost the auditory definition of folk punk. The English band just released "Company of the Bar," and it even nails the subject matter of most folk punk: drinking, traveling, and the sea. It's a fun and raucous tune that is sure to remind a lot of people of Flogging Molly. (Skinny Lister are playing Flogging Molly's Salty Dog Cruise in November.) It's the rare folk that is sure to inspire moshing without having to turn up the volume or even really use yelling. Sure, there are gang vocals, but more pleasant ones. Skinny Lister are a bunch of fun, and you're going to want to check this one out.
You can listen to "Company of the Bar" below. Shanty Punk is due out October 21 on Xtra Mile Recordings, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on Skinny Lister, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the song.
OCTOBER 19 — Philadelphia, PA — Milkboy * 20 — Brooklyn, NY — Meadows * 21 — Boston, MA — Middle East * 22 — Montreal, QC — Foufounes * 24 — Toronto, ON — Lee’s Place * 25 — Detroit, MI — Loving Touch * 26 — Grand Rapids, MI — Pyramid Scheme * 27 — Milwaukee, WI — Xray Arcade * 28 — Chicago, IL — Beat Kitchen * 30 — Cleveland, OH — Grog Shop * 31 — Pittsburgh, PA — Thunderbird *
NOVEMBER 02 — Washington, DC — Jammin Java 03 — Richmond, VA — Richmond Music Hall * 04 — Charleston, SC — Music Farm * 05 — Atlanta, GA — Masquerade Hell * 06 — Orlando,FL —Conduit * 08 — 13 — Miami, FL — Flogging Molly’s Salty Dog Cruise
For his latest single, Tré Burt takes traditional folk and expands on the sound. "Kids in the Yard" infuses folk with vintage soul and blues. That might be nothing new in and of itself, but Burt just mixes it all together in a unique way. It could be that "Kids in tha Hall" has more than a little of an indie rock/DIY feel to it. There's just something a little rugged and intimate to the single. It's as if Burt captured the vibe of a bedroom recording within a full, lushly produced track that includes back-up singers.
TréBurt says of his new single:
"Dunno about you but looking at this world of excess and ever expanding consumption don’t look too good. How did we end up a culture of gimme gimme more more big and bigger fast and faster? Those clammy nerds up high sold us long ago an identity that of factory pigs feeding on trendy garbage and shiny plastics just to throw it into the ocean, just to drink it to us later. All the while even clammier beings with daddy issues threaten us all with nuclear extinction and mutual destruction. As it lays, the planet is poised to be an oversexed fruitless ball of scorched bone with an ant problem.
“'Don’t it drive you crazy? Your river’s dry. There’s still time to save it. REVIVE YO SPIRIT! Turn tha light on, baby. You’re killing me, how you rely on the comfort of thieves'
"Yes! They’re attempting to steal you away from yourself and fill the zombified void in your wake with alllllll the shit they wanted you to want as to distract you while they do their weird breeding. A plea for tha kids’ sake: Must reject trends and return to a more basic self. This will awaken us in each other again and where all hope lies. it’s all up to you and yo spirit, which is not nothing. Not nothing at all. Be kind. Let each other pass."
You can listen to "Kids in tha Yard" below. Traffic Fiction is due out October 6 on Oh Boy Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Tré Burt, check out the artist's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the song.
9/23: Healing Appalachia - Lewisburg, WV
10/7: Los Angeles Folk Festival at The Ford - Los Angeles, CA
Looking Glass War formed last Fall from members of Parlour Bells, The Easy Reasons, The Rationales, and Strangeways. According to their press release, "... the band bonded over a shared love of glam, post-punk, modern rock, shoegaze, UK indie, and Britpop," and you're going to hear all of those influences in their debut single. "Arrive!" might just be the perfect introduction to Looking Glass War. It starts off with a burst of fuzzed out, feedback drenched guitar, and then kicks into a post-punk beat. By the time singer Goddamn Glenn starts up with his theatrical vocals, you'll know if you're in love with a new band or not, and you probably will be. "Arrive!" has the kind of intensity usually reserved for teenagers just starting out, but Looking Glass War have that with decades of chops at their service.
Goddamn Glenn says of his band's new single:
"'Arrive!' seemed like a fitting first shot across the bow because this band is literally 'arriving' on the scene. It can be interpreted as a call to action, as in 'arrive at our show and check this out'."
You can listen to "Arrive!" below. Looking Glass War's debut EP is expected later this year. For more on the band, check them out on Instagram and Facebook.
