Get Fresh.

MUSIC MONDAYS THE BLOODSUGARS - Light At the End of the...

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:00:00 -0500

MUSIC MONDAYS

THE BLOODSUGARS - Light At the End of the Tunnel

I didn’t like The Bloodsugars when I first heard them. I’m not sure why exactly, but it rubbed me the wrong way; like it was trying too hard to emulate its heroes. Eventually, I pulled my head out of my ass and succumbed the relentlessly hooky material on the band’s newest record, I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On.

The album opener, “Light At The End of the Tunnel,” is hands down one of the best pop songs I’ve heard in the last year, thanks mostly to its infectious vocal melody and the soft delivery of singer, Jason Rabinowitz. Despite my initial impressions, it now feels smart and original to me, while drawing lightly from artists like Peter Gabriel and Prince.

What’s that? You want to see some live video?

BAND
LABEL
BUY

OK GO Does It Again!

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:00:29 -0500

Another phenomenal video from OK GO for their new single, “This Too Shall Pass.”...

NEW MUSIC MONDAY ROGUE WAVE - Good Morning Chances are Rogue...

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:00:00 -0500

NEW MUSIC MONDAY

ROGUE WAVE - Good Morning

Chances are Rogue Wave is a band you’ve heard of. With a handful of releases on Sub Pop, and then Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records, the band has been recording and touring heavily for the better part of a decade. While the band has slowly morphed from lo-fi bedroom-born indie rock into a more lush sounding, high gloss act, they’ve still maintained their penchant for clever songwriting, as evidenced by “Good Morning,” the first single off of their upcoming record Permalight.

This is Rogue Wave at their most “studio.” Driving bass synths, drum machines, and a super produced finish leaves “Good Morning” sounding a bit like a guilty pleasure. However upon closer inspection, every little nuanced part of “Good Morning,” plays a specific, structured role. While the electronics are heavy, it’s not particularly reflective of the album as a whole. Permalight still maintains a more classic Rogue Wave sound as evidenced on the album opener “Solitary Gun,’ which you can download for free below.

DOWNLOAD “SOLITARY GUN”

BAND
LABEL
BUY

The Best Way to Share Your Music on Twitter

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:20:57 -0500

So there’s a handful of services out there that let you tweet about music; Twt.fm, Songtwit,...

Walter Schreifels - Arthur Lee's Lullaby

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:23:27 -0500

“Arthur Lee’s Lullaby” is the first single from the new Walter Schreifels album,...

Delay in Game!

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:20:02 -0500

I spent this past weekend hanging out and playing shows with House of Fools, who are some of the...

Product Review: LiveMusicMachine

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:31:00 -0500

LiveMusicMachine touts itself as the future of booking; yet another widgified concept, aimed at...

NEW MUSIC MONDAY HOLY GHOST TENT REVIVAL - Needing You My...

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:00:00 -0500

NEW MUSIC MONDAY

HOLY GHOST TENT REVIVAL - Needing You

My affinity for rollicking, rootsy, southern folkiness is no secret, so imagine my delight when I was introduced to Holy Ghost Tent Revival last year. On a weekend trip to Greensboro, NC to visit my friends in House of Fools, I watched in awe as members of HGTR laid down tracks at the Fools home studio. It was an explosion of ragtime, jazz, blues, country, and rock. Brassy and encompassing, fast paced and melodic; I was surprised that something this loud and impassioned hadn’t yet reached my ears.

Holy Ghost Tent Revival maintains a hefty tour schedule, and their buzz is growing as the band regularly packs houses along the mid-atlantic. Be sure to catch one of their high energy shows when they’re in your area. Probably at your local speakeasy.

TOUR DATES:

2/17 - Ferrum, VA @ Ferrum College
2/18 - Asheville, NC @ UNCA (The Grotto)
2/19 - Greenville, SC @ Gottrocks
2/20 - Chattanooga, TN @ JJ’s Bohemia
2/24 - Frederick, MD @ Cafe Nola
2/25 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
2/26 - Scranton, PA @ Backyard Ale House
3/11 - Decatur, GA @ Twain’s Billiards
3/12 - Augusta, GA @ Stillwater Taproom
7/23 - Floyd, VA @ Floyd Fest
7/24 - Floyda, VA @ Floyd Fest
9/11 - Carlisle, MA @ Union Hall Coffee House

BAND
BUY

KILLED BY THE BULL - Anthem For The Dying It seems like the...

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:52:19 -0500

KILLED BY THE BULL - Anthem For The Dying

It seems like the once vibrant New Jersey music scene has dwindled over the last few years. Venues continue to close, booking is centralized by a few well-established talent buyers, and if you asked me to name the big local bands that play every weekend, I wouldn’t even know where to start. In an effort to do my part, I’m going to start featuring NJ area bands as regularly as I can. And here we go…

Killed By The Bull reminds me of my youth. It was a simpler time where I only cared about skateboarding and dubbing punk CDs onto cassettes (hey mp3s were new technology back then!) from my friends and their older siblings. “Anthem for the Dying,” from KBTB’s latest Failing Is Fun, conjures up the wiry, tremolo guitars of East Bay Ray, and the snotty vocal delivery of Johnny Rotten and Jello Biafra.

Killed By The Bull is fast, dirty, fun, and melodic in the ways of California punk in the 1980s. Think T.S.O.L., Dead Kennedy’s, and a little bit of early AFI. We may be older these days and have more responsibilities, but sometimes it’s nice to kick back and throw on a record that reminds you of when you just didn’t give a shit about anything.

Killed By The Bull Tour Dates:

2/17 - Norfolk, VA @ House Show w/ Folk The System
2/18 - Baltimore, MD @ The Sidebar w/ Deep Sleep
2/23 - Ask The Band, NJ @ The Torrid Zone w/ Zhenia Golov, Holy Shit!
2/26 - New Brunswick, NJ @ The Court Tavern w/ Chambers, Bayonet
3/4 - Goshen, NY @ Sound Asylum
3/20 - Fairfield, NJ @ The Party Zone w/ Hoover Flags, Man vs. Wild

BAND
LABEL
BUY

RADIOHEAD - Lotus Flowers

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:40:00 -0500

NEW MUSIC MONDAY RADIOHEAD - Lotus Flowers This was recorded at the band’s Haiti...

A Few Words About The Oscars

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:58:00 -0500

The Oscars are one of the few awards programs I actually look forward to. They regularly honor...

LCD Soundsystem "Making Of..." Video

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:03:59 -0500

The new LCD Soundsystem record is looming on the horizon! While us listeners teem with excitement,...

NEW MUSIC MONDAYS FRONTIER RUCKUS - Mount Marcy Frontier Ruckus...

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:30:00 -0500

NEW MUSIC MONDAYS

FRONTIER RUCKUS - Mount Marcy

Frontier Ruckus is hardly the type of music you’d expect to emerge from the Detroit area, a region better known for the acts like Eminem, Insane Clown Posse, and The Stooges. However, as Michigan continues to bear the brunt of much of the current economic downfall, it almost starts to make sense that this is where Frontier Ruckus calls home. The music is emotive, full of lush imagery, and while it sounds more like Appalachia than the Motor City, it reeks of authenticity, desperation, and hope.

Above all the banjos, guitars, horns, and yelping harmonies, lies Matthew Milia’s wavering vocal. Untrained and raw, it’s utterly endearing, with a tone and confidence reminiscent of Conor Oberst or Bob Dylan. Yet the most fantastic part of about Frontier Ruckus is that they’re so engaging, constantly turning the listener’s attention to hidden melodies, mood shifts, smart lyrics, and all sorts of other audible twists and turns.

Frontier Ruckus is currently on tour supporting their album, The Orion Songbook, and will release their new record, Deadmalls and Nightfalls, this summer.

BAND
LABEL
BUY

NEW MUSIC MONDAYS MINIBOONE - Devil In Your Eyes MiniBoone is a...

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:00:00 -0500

NEW MUSIC MONDAYS

MINIBOONE - Devil In Your Eyes

MiniBoone is a five piece indie rock band from Brookl-WAIT! Stop right there. You’ve heard this shit before, right? Yes, there are a LOT of indie rock bands from Brooklyn, but not like this. This one is good. This one is unpretentious. This one isn’t riding the coattails of DFA or Grizzly Bear (not that there’s anything wrong with that). This one is different because they rock like a rock band should, while managing to bring the party AND keep it interesting for all of us nerdy music kids out there.

“Devil In Your Eyes” is the exemplary MiniBoone track: a tight rhythm section, dynamic harmonies, and lyrics that would make David Byrne smile with approval. The band’s new EP Big Changes, comes out January 26th (that’s TOMORROW kids!) via online retailers. Until then, listen to more music on the band’s myspace and check out one of their high energy live shows.

On a personal note, I like MiniBoone so much that I decided to work with the band on the press side. Dude, isn’t that like, a conflict of interest or something? Who cares? It’s my blog and I do what I want!

Enjoy!

BAND
LABEL
BUY

Movin' On Up!

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:22:00 -0500

I’ve found a new professional home, and I’m excited about it. Starting Monday, 1/25,...

NEW MUSIC MONDAYS GIVERS - Up Up Up (Remix) It’s hard to...

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:02:18 -0500

NEW MUSIC MONDAYS

GIVERS - Up Up Up (Remix)

It’s hard to believe an act like Givers is still under the radar. While still a young band, they’ve already managed to pack venues in their home state of Louisiana, and land a tour opening for indie darlings, The Dirty Projectors. Givers’ affinity for auxiliary percussion, nontraditional instruments, and a natural tendency to play their asses off, help the band create bouncing, danceable, harmony-laden world-pop.

At their core, the band’s rhythmic focus and flawless guitar interplay brings to mind the sunny, fun-loving cousin of Battles, while their big harmonies and tasteful electronics give bands like Ra Ra Riot and Discovery runs for their money.

Givers won’t remain a secret for long, Having recently recorded a new full length, and with a whole slew of tour dates ahead of them, the band is due their spotlight.

Check out Givers playing a live version of “Saw You First” from their EP, Givers EP.

“Saw you first” from eliot brasseaux on Vimeo.

BAND
BUY

Ian MacKaye explains "You Betrayed Me By Growing Up"

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:00:00 -0500

Shortly after my post about the previously unreleased Minor Threat track, “You Betrayed Me By...

NEW MUSIC MONDAYS THE WINTER SOUNDS - The Anthem is a...

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:53:00 -0500

NEW MUSIC MONDAYS

THE WINTER SOUNDS - The Anthem is a Gift

I’m drawing a blank on who suggested this band to me, but whoever you are, thank you. The Winter Sounds, from South Carolina, feel new to me. I mean, I know they’re not treading entirely original ground, but they pull together my favorite elements of other bands into a cohesive one-stop-orchestral-indie-pop-shop. They have the harmonies of Fleet Foxes, the soaring melodies of The Gloria Record, and the aural aesthetic of Of Montreal’s more poppy moments but without all that obnoxious shock-and-awe, avant-garde shit. EDIT: I just got the new record from the band, and add a heavy dose of The Killer’s style pop/rock to those references and you’ve got a pretty accurate description!

But the thing I think I like most about The Winter Sounds is their work ethic. The band averages 150-200 shows a year, and they do it all without a booking agent or label. I appreciate that kind of work ethic because it reminds me of me about 5 years ago. It’s a nomadic lifestyle and it’s really fucking hard to maintain. So props to you, The Winter Sounds, I wish there were more bands like you. Keep fighting the good fight!

Check out The Winter Sounds doing a bitchin’ live cover of Toto - Africa, below.

BAND
BUY

NEW MUSIC MONDAYS MINOR THREAT - You Betrayed Me By Growing Up...

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:00:00 -0500

NEW MUSIC MONDAYS

MINOR THREAT - You Betrayed Me By Growing Up (LIVE)

And we’re back folks! Hope you all enjoyed your holidays. While we were on break, I came across this rare, previously unreleased Minor Threat song, and I thought it would be great to share with all of you.

While Minor Threat isn’t the type of music I generally cover here, they are near and dear to my heart as one of the first hardcore bands I ever laid ears on. The members’ subsequent work in Fugazi and Bad Religion further shaped my young, musical mind, and as such, I feel a debt of gratitude to these guys.

This song is called, “You Betrayed Me By Growing Up,” and it was recorded at Woodlawn High School in Arlington, VA back in 1982. The quality isn’t the best, nor is the mix, but this is the only version that exists.

EDIT: I’ve been notified that “You Betrayed Me By Growing Up” was originally discovered by the good people at More Than A Witness, and I am happy to give them the credit for originally sharing this. Check out them out and find a whole bunch of rad hardcore bootlegs: More Than A Witness.

Enjoy a full Minor Threat set from 1983 below!

BAND
LABEL
BUY

Almost Back to Normal!

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:47:52 -0500

Hey everyone! Just wanted to drop you all a quick note to let you know that due to my travels I am...