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Showing posts from April, 2015

First Listen: New Releases for April 28

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This is the week we've been waiting for. Heather Maloney - Making Me Break : I've been a fan of Heather Maloney for a while now. A Northampton singer-songwriter, she was on the more rootsy/folksy side of things, and this album really has the chance of being a breakout for her. The closest thing I can compare the maturity and sound advances of this album is how I felt about Amanda Shires's most recent album. It keeps the same tone while really feeling like a strong step forward. I knew I'd like this, but on first listen? I think I love it. Highly recommended, arguably the release of the week. Mew - +/- : Mew is not a band I have a lot of familiarity with, and this is their first album in around 6 years. I think I had always put them in with post-rock bands or other strange stuff from Northern Europe, but wow was I wrong. It turns out Mew is actually a really great listen with some straightforward, sometimes complex, often hooky rock music that fits in well w...

Love Love - "I Like You Weird"

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Love Love is the latest project from Boston based singer-songwriters Chris Toppin and Jefferson Davis Riordan. After her time in Fuzzy ended, Toppin took 10 years off to raise her kids. After the two met, they began working on music together, and Love Love was born. With two gifted songwriters, Love Love's songs are tight, poppy showcases of Americana. Their latest video, "I Like You Weird" from their EP released back in September, features Riordan on vocals with Toppin singing back up. It starts off simply enough with a basic guitar/bass/drums mix, and then slowly becomes more lush as extra instruments get added. It's an ideal blend of the mid 90s Boston scene and the contemporary country/folk revival. You can check out the video for "I Like You Weird" below. For more information on Love Love, you can head over to their website or Bandcamp . Their debut full length is due out in May. If you're in the Boston area, you can see them at The Midway Ca...

Torres - "Cowboy Guilt"

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Photo by Shawn Brackbill We're a week away from the new album from Torres, and this new song has me even more excited for the release. "Cowboy Guilt" is pure indie pop bliss with just enough quirk to keep it interesting. Torres (aka Mackenzie Scott) has grown incredibly as a songwriter between her first and now second albums. She has a new sense of confidence and her vocals are absolutely amazing on this track. The closest artists to compare her to (more as a point of reference would be PJ Harvey or her former tour mate Lady Lamb. "Cowboy Guilt" is pretty much guaranteed to be stuck in your brain all day, which you'll thank us for. Sprinter  is due out May 4 on Partisan Records. Check out her website here, and her tour also starts on May 4. The dates are below. Mon. May 4 - Saxapahaw, NC @ Haw River Ballroom * Wed. May 6 - Nashville, TN @ The Stone Fox @ Fri. May 8 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada @ Sat. May 9 - Austin, TX @ The Mohawk @ Mon. May 11 - ...

Smokey - "How Far Will You Go...?"

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Photo courtesy of John Condon Smokey should have been huge. In 1973, John "Smokey" Condon moved from Baltimore (where he partied with John Waters as a teenager) to Los Angeles. There he met with EJ Emmons, who was just starting out as a record producer. Together they formed Smokey. In 1974, they released their first single, "Leather." While most record company executives agreed that it was really, they felt that it couldn't be released since it was exuberantly openly gay. Since Condon had marched after the Stonewall Riots, he wasn't about to change for anyone, so they formed S&M Records to self release their music. Their single "How Far Will You Go...?" features James Williamson right after recording Raw Power  with Iggy & the Stooges. The live band featured Randy Rhoads (yes, that Randy Rhoads from Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne). With that kind of pedigree, you should know this. And finally, 40 years after the fact, you will get a chanc...

First Listen, Part Two: New Releases for April 21

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And we're back with the rest of this week's new release slate! Mavis Staples - Your Good Fortune : Mavis Staples is a legend in her own right, and this quick hit EP is a great reminder/introduction into why. A good soulful gospel quick hit, it may not be your favorite thing she's done, but it's still a worthwhile listen. Passion Pit - Kindred : Passion Pit goes back to basics somewhat with this third album. The falsetto is back, the electronica more pronounced, and, while it still feels more mainstream than their debut, it's still strange enough to feel like a return to form. In a way, they feel a lot more like Washed Out than I expected. Otherwise, though, if you were a fan of the first album and couldn't quite get into the second, this one is something you should really give a shot. Built to Spill - Untethered Moon : Why am I not chomping at the bit for new Built to Spill music all the time? This album continues the consistently great stuff the band...

Total Babes - "Circling"

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Total Babes is a project from Jayson Gerycz of Cloud Nothings with Christopher Brown, his bandmate in Swindlella, as an outlet for pop songs that didn't quite fit into the noise of that band. "Circling," from their second album Heydays , is definitely pop but keeps a lot of the noise intact. It's pop in the way that Archers of Loaf or Parquet Courts are pop. It's funky and has melody, but there is still some noise and quirks kicking around, particularly with the be bop sax from Cloud Nothing's Dylan Baldi. "Circling" is just a rambunctious, fun time.  Heydays  is due out on May 18 on Wichita Records. You can listen to "Circling" below. Also, make sure you "like" Total Babes on Facebook . They also have some dates coming up with Sebadoh. Make sure to look for those below. TUE 6/02 - CLEVELAND, OH @ Grog Shop WED 6/03 - PITTSBURGH, PA @ Brillobox or Club Cafe  THU 6/04 - BUFFALO, NY @ Mohawk Place  FRI 6/05 - HAMDEN, CT @ Bal...

First Listen, Part One: New Releases for April 21

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This is a ridiculously busy new release week, so let's just go through what we can today, and we'll get to the rest tomorrow. The Ballroom Thieves - The Wolf in the Doorway : Ken sent this over to me saying he felt it was too Lumineers for his taste, but I can't really agree. Yes, it's got hints of the sort of strident folk/rock hybrids that have been so pervasive in the music culture as of late, but the only real negative thing I can say about this debut is that they don't do enough to set themselves apart. They come across a lot like The Wind and the Wave without being so aggressive, or perhaps a less interesting Civil Wars, and, while being good is fine and all, it misses the mark in possibly being great on first listen. Definitely take a flyer on this, though, it may have a lot of growth potential. They Might Be Giants - Glean : I'm perfectly within the wheelhouse of who should be a fan of TMBG. Still, maybe I'm just a little too young to have re...

liè - Consent

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lié are one of those bands you have never heard anything like it before, and you have no idea how that is possible. Hailing out of Vancouver, BC, I only heard about them because they were opening for The Dead Milkmen on a recent West Coast tour. It's dark gothic heavy punk. Imagine straight edge hardcore style punk mixed in with European goth new wave, but it a really melodic way. It's not goth in a "Let's put bats on our merch and wear black eyeliner" way, but just dark. I can't call it catchy, but it's not meant to be. lié take all these elements that have never been mixed together, and especially never like this. It's heavy and groovy all at once. "Saved" just barrels in at this breakneck pace with a chanting call and response gang vocals. If you like any kind of music that is heavy or dark, this will be for you. The band also just premiered a new video for "Sorry," which is just this crazy discordant mindfuck of a song. This ...

The Dead Milkmen - "Prisoner's Cinema"

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This was a pleasant surprise this morning. I woke up to a Spotify notification for a brand new Dead Milkmen song! Weathervane Music has an online documentary series where they have musicians come in and record a song in 2 days. The Dead Milkmen are featured in the upcoming season, which means there's a new Dead Milkmen song. "Prisoner's Cinema" is probably the closest that they'll ever come to an adult contemporary song, complete with a chorus sung by what sounds like a female folk trio. Of course, knowing the Dead Milkmen, this just makes the song that much more political and dark. It's a call to arms for a fair wage and worker's rights, which is a pretty perfect topic for Rodney Anonymous. You can hear "Prisoner's Cinema" below. To download a free copy, head over to Weathervane Music's Bandcamp . As always, for more info on The Dead Milkmen, go to www.deadmilkmen.com . 

Live Shows: Neutral Milk Hotel, Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, Providence, RI 4/19/15

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This is the one show I've been the most nervous for. Like many people, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea  is one of my most beloved and cherished albums. Reunion shows can be dicey, with many being obvious cash grabs by bands looking for a quick nostalgia payday, and just walking through the hits. Because of this (and my hatred of the Orpheum Theater in Boston), I had missed their first run of dates. Since this appears to be their final run, I had to suck it up and head down to Providence. I'm thrilled to say I had no reason to be nervous. Holy shit was this an amazing show. It was literally everything I could have hoped for as far a a reunion goes. The band, including the notoriously performance shy singer Jeff Mangum, seemed genuinely thrilled to be there. As the other members went through one of the greatest assortments of instruments I've ever seen on a stage (and the only time I've ever seen a banjo played with a bow and used as a noise instrument), they would sing...

Green River Festival Has a Smaller, Mini Version

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As if the organizers of the Green River Festival weren't absurdly busy enough putting together one of the best line ups we've seen in years (Steve Earle! Lydia Loveless! J Mascis! Polaris!), they've announced a brand new one day mini-festival called Amourasaurus! Basically, they took a bunch of bands that they wanted for Green River but couldn't book, and booked them for August 30 instead. Amourasaurus will feature Lake Street Dive, JD McPherson, Parsonsfield, Winterpills, and And the Kids. It's perfect if you've already made plans for the weekend of July 10-12, or just want to keep the fun going.  The inaugural Amourasaurus will take place August 30 at Pines Theater at Look Park, Florence, MA. You can get more details and tickets here . Today is also the final day for Early Bird tickets for this year's Green River Festival . You know you're going to want to go, so you should just suck it up and buy them now.

Sally Dige - "Hard to Please"

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If you love the early 80s synth scene, you're in luck. Sally Dige is truly a disciple. She recently released the (fairly NSFW) new video for the title track of her upcoming album, Hard to Please . The song and clip would have fit right in with anything shown on the early days of MTV or 120 Minutes. It's a cross between bands like early Depeche Mode and Workforce with a hint of Madonna thrown in. Dige gives off the vibe of a true performance artist turned musician, and I mean that as a compliment. If she was around in the 80s, I'm sure she would have been named in The Dead Milkmen's "Instant Club Hit (You'll Dance to Anything)." Sally Dige's new album, Hard to Please, is due out May 11 on Night School Records. It can be pre-ordered here . You can watch the video for "Hard to Please" below. Like Sally Dige on Facebook , and/or follow her on Twitter .

Clementine - Crooked Brain

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Minneapolis's music scene is stuck in the very best parts of the 90s. It's pretty amazing that the scene keeps churning out bands that are heavily influenced by that decade but still sound modern. The latest is Clementine with their recently released album Crooked Brain. Their sound is reminiscent of bands like Spiritualized and Slint, but a little more poppy. "Blood Diamonds" borrows a lot from Spiderland , with it's spoken/shouted word parts. "Float" might be my favorite, reminding me quite a bit of Pablo Honey  and The Bends  era Radiohead. Basically, if you went to the 1998 Radiohead/Spiritualized tour, you'll be very happy with this album. "The Leaves Are Changing Brown" is one of the most unexpected and fantastic ballads I've heard in years. With the majority of the album packing a much stronger punch, this track is just nuanced enough to stand out. Crooked Brain (the name is what seems to be an obvious homage to Pavement'...

First Listen: New Releases for April 14

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Much better than last week, for sure, but the gap between the good and not so good is very vast this week. Ava Luna - Infinite House : I shouldn't really trash this week's release slate and then come around with Ava Luna first, as the album is actually pretty decent if not a little/lot difficult. It reminds me as a good extension of their previous stuff, but it's still not entirely for me, if you get my gist. Worth a listen this week, though, you'll know very quickly if it's your cup of tea. Kym Warner - Everything That Brought Me Here : One of the best releases of the week is the debut album by Greencards member Kym Warner, basically an instrumental bluegrass affair that is simply beautiful from start to finish. Balances the stark and the full sounds completely, and is just a really pretty record that is surprising to me in how high-quality it ended up being, especially as I tend to trend a little negative on instrumental stuff overall. It's not a class...

Peach Kelli Pop - "Princess Castle 1987"

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Photo by Bekah Cope With their new album, III,  coming out April 21 on Burger Records, Peach Kelli Pop have just released a video for "Princess Castle 1987." The song clocks in at right around 1:30, and is a perfect slice of sugary pop punk that's very light on the punk. The video features all four members of the band dressed in Princess Toadstool dresses, running around Los Angeles looking for a castle (Spoiler alert: They find one!). If "Princess Castle 1987" and the previously discussed "Plastic Love" are any indication, III  is going to be a fun as hell release next week. III  will be released April 21 on Burger Records. You can preorder it here , and check out Peach Kelli Pop's Bandcamp here . The video for "Princess Castle 1987" is posted below, along with their current tour dates.  Peach Kelli Pop - Princess Castle 1987 from Eddie R on Vimeo . Wed. April 15 - Toronto, ON @ Smiling Buddha Fri. April 17 - Ottawa, ON ...

The Sheila Divine - Fossils From the Future

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The Sheila Divine have been fairly active in their reunion recently, releasing a few singles here and there on their Bandcamp . At the very end of March, they released an EP, Fossils From the Future , their first release since 2012's The Things That Once Were. It's starts off a little rocky, with "Weightless" falling into the Nada Surf-esque Adult Contemporary emo doldrums. It's not a bad song, just more of a personal preference kinda thing. The second track, "Indie Rock Ranger," starts to turn it around with a great middle ground of their late 90s scream heavy cuts and their more current, mature sound. This is middle aged alternative power pop at its finest."I Love You Yeah" is more of a power ballad, but goes more in the direction that I prefer The Sheila Divine to go in with their more mellow tracks. They are best when they have more of an edge to their melodic side, which this EP really shows off. Fossils From the Fire is available now ...

Book Review: Kim Gordon - Girl In a Band: A Memoir

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Let's just get this out of the way: Kim Gordon's memoir deals with her divorce from husband and bandmate Thurston Moore quite extensively. It was a long, drawn out process, with issues dating way back further than any of us would have guessed or assumed. It would be easy to see someone criticizing this as harping on the divorce or bashing Thurston, but, as someone who has been through one of his own, it's nearly impossible to discuss without coming across as bitter and angry even if you have come to the point of understanding and acceptance. Plus, she was with him for the entire run of Sonic Youth, so it's pretty much impossible to not bring up. As someone who has always idolized Sonic Youth, it's a hard thing to accept any of your heroes as flawed, so I'll reserve judgment on the divorce, knowing there are always two sides and assume both were unhappy for a while. However, it is hard to ignore the most damning fact about Thurston: He remained friendly with Co...

Brown Bird - "Adolescence"

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Every time we get a new track from Brown Bird, I have such mixed emotions. I love having these new songs, but there are a finite number left. There is a sense of sadness with every one, and with "Adolescence" it's really apparent. It's a song about loss and aging, with lyrics like "Lay me down on sacramental ground," which is even more powerful since Dave Lamb, the man singing the lyrics, is gone. Listening to the song at work was a bad move last week, as it's not quite acceptable for a man in his late 30s to be tearing up at work to a song. But it's such a touching and powerful song. It has Brown Bird's trademark Eastern European tinged folk, but it also showcases their hard rock influences much more strongly than anything else they've done.  Axis Mundi , the final Brown Bird album, is due out April 28 on Supply and Demand Music. You can listen to "Adolescence" below. For more information, and to pre-order the album, head over ...

Murder Shoes - "Maybe You Can"

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Photo credit:  Aaron Fenster Murder Shoes are described as "surf" in their profile. Maybe this is what surfing sounds like in their hometown of Minneapolis, MN, because this sounds nothing like any surf I've ever heard before. That's a good thing. While they might have a slight surf rock base, they also bring in elements of 60s French pop, indie rock, gothic rockabilly, and just a hint of the shoegaze trend that's been taking over Minnesota lately. "Maybe You Can" showcases Tess Weinberg's haunting vocals being surrounded by this out of control, swirling rock track. It's a bunch of stuff we've all heard before, but never put together like this. It's both familiar and strikingly unique. Murder Shoes' debut self-titled EP is due out May 1 on Land Ski Records. You can find out more information on their website . You can listen to "Maybe You Can" below, and check out their Bandcamp to pre-order . Murder Shoes by Murder S...

Live Shows: Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton, MA 4/9/15

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If you were at the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion show at the Iron Horse Music Hall Wednesday night, you would have forgotten that you were in a tiny, half filled club. That's not meant to be a knock on the band at all. When you're a band that appeals mostly to the 30+ crowd, and you're playing a college town on a Wednesday night that just happens to be the last snowy/icy night of an already shit show of a winter, getting anyone to come out is a feat. A JSBX show starts of like any ordinary show does: The band gets up, starts playing a few songs in the way they do off their albums, and that's a show, right? Something starts to happen during any JSBX show. About halfway through, the band hits this insane groove where the entire audience gets completely swept up in what's happening. Jon Spencer turns from rock frontman to blues revival preacher. You would start to wonder if the band was using some of the tricks you hear youth pastors use to work kids in religious frenz...