Category: indie rock

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

Currently comprised of Drew Citron (vocals, guitar) and Scott Rosenthal, the Brooklyn-based band Beverly was initially formed back in 2013 by Citron and Frankie Rose, best known in New York music scene circles as being in the early lineups of Dum Dum Girls, Vivian Girls and Crystal Stilts, as well as several other projects before releasing material as a solo artist. Now, if you were following this site back in 2014 you may recall coming across  a post on “Planet Birthday,” the third single off the band’s full-length debut Careers was a noisy and propulsive song with swirling and towering feedback and layers of buzzing guitars paired with seductively crooned vocals. Sonically, the song seemed to channel early Dum Dum Girls and The Go-Gos but as though they were covering The Jesus and Mary Chain — but with a loose, boozy feel.

“Contact,” is the latest single form the band’s long-awaited sophomore effort, The Blue Swell, slated for a May 6 release through Kanine Records, and the new effort not only reveals a lineup change but also a decided change in sonic direction as the band pairs shimmering guitar chords, a propulsive and driving rhythm section with gorgeous and ethereal vocals. Sonically, the song sounds as though the band drew from Too True-era Dum Dum Girls, My Gold Mask, garage rock and shoegaze.

The band is the middle of an lengthy tour, which will include several sets at SXSW and an NYC area set at Baby’s All Right. Check tour dates below.

Tour Dates
Mar 15 Austin, TX – Hotel Vegas
Mar 16 Austin, TX – Spider House
Mar 16 Austin, TX – Valhalla
Mar 17 Austin, TX – Container Bar
Mar 17 Austin, TX – El Sapo
Mar 18 Austin, TX – Maggie Mae’s
Mar 19 Dallas, TX – Spillover Fest
Mar 22 Columbia, MO – Rose Music Hall *
Mar 23 Omaha, NE – Milk Run *
Mar 24 Chicago, IL – Beat Kitchen *
Mar 25 Cincinnati, OH – MOTR Pub *
Mar 26 State College, PA – Chronic Town *
May 5 Brooklyn, NY – Baby’s All Right (Record Release Show)
May 7 Rough Trade Record Store, Brooklyn, NY (2pm free instore)
May 10 Amsterdam, NE – De School
May 13 Paris, FR – La Mécanique Ondulatoire
May 16 Manchester, UK – Soup Kitchen +
May 17 Bristol, UK – The Louisiana +
May 18 London, UK – The Victoria Dalston +
June 14 Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s %
June 18 Atlanta, GA – Drunken Unicorn %
June 20 Memphis, TN – The Hi-Tone %
June 22 Cincinnati, OH – Northside Yacht Club %

* w/Lazyeyes
+ w/Box of Light
% w/Flowers

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of Leslie Sisson (vocals, guitar), best known as a member of The Wooden Birds, Matt Pond PA, Western Keys, Black Lipstick, Black Forest Fire, Tanworth-in-Arden, and Aero Wave, collaborations with The American Analog Set, Windsor for the Derby, Rhythm of Black Lines, RIDE‘s Mark Gardener, Dan Mangan, John Wesley Coleman, Snowden, and Broken Social Scene, as well as a solo artist; Rozie Castoe (bass); and Karen Skloss (drums), a member of Black Forest Fire,  the Austin, TX-based dream pop trio Moving Panoramas can trace their origins to when Sisson had returned to home to Texas to be closer to the members of her previous full-time band The Wooden Birds and her family. Sisson took on a job teaching music at School of Rock where she met Castoe, who was in an ’80s show that Sisson directed. And while this was going on Sisson was subbing on bass in Black Forest Fire with Skloss, who was a longtime friend and former graduate film school student. When each individual member’s various projects broke up, the trio of Sisson, Castoe and Skloss decided to form a band together, based on their mutual love of shoegaze.

The trio has been praised by the likes of NPR, Tom Tom Magazine, Austin Chronicle and others, and as a result they’ve seen a rapidly growing local and national profile for their full-length album One, which possesses a sound that’s indebted to 4AD Records, 90s alt rock and classic shoegaze; in fact, the album’s first single and album title track “One” sounds as though it could have been recording and released in the 80s as the band pairs shimmering guitar chords, a tight groove, propulsive drumming and anthemic hooks with gorgeous harmonies with Sisson’s gorgeous crooning. To my ears the song reminds me quite a bit of The Sundays, The Go-Gos and even contemporary acts like Seapony. The album’s second single “Radar” is a shimmering and slow-burning ballad that employs the use of a gorgeous harmony, and sonically speaking the song sounds as though it draws from 120 Minutes MTV-era alt rock but with a subtly modern sheen. In some way, both songs evoke road trips — the sense of endless possibility and adventure; the regrets and mistakes you’re leaving behind; and the road and horizon rushing past your window . . .

Moving Panoramas will be on a rather extensive tour throughout the Spring which includes several SXSW sets and two NYC area dates. Check out tour dates below.

SXSW SHOWS:
March 13th @ Spider House (Main Patio Stage) – 2908 Fruth St at 9PM
March 13th @ The Volstead – 1500 E 6th St at 1AM
March 14th @ Boat Show on Lady Bird Lake – 208 Barton Springs Rd – 3:30PM
March 15th @  The Sidewinder (Inside Stage) – 715 Red River at 12AM
March 16th @ Hotel Vegas (Patio Stage) – 1500 E 6th St at 2PM
March 16th @ Scratch House (Backyard Stage) – 617 E 7th St at 11PM
March 17th @ El Sapo Cantina – 1900 Manor Rd at 3PM
March 18th @ Maggie Mae’s – 323 E 6th St at 12:45PM
March 18th @ Guacamole Showdown – COLLiDE on Rainey at 3PM
March 18th @ Hotel Vegas Annex – 1504 E 6th St at 6:30PM
March 19th @ Street Legal Guitars (Storefront Stage) – 2200 E 7th St at 3 PM
March 19th @ TOMS Austin – 1401 South Congress at 5PM

Tour Dates:

03/23 – Dallas, TX – Crown & Harp
03/24 – Tulsa, OK – The Vanguard
03/25 – Springfield, MO – Outlands
03/26 – Kansas City, MO – Replay Lounge
03/27 – Lincoln, NB – Duffy’s
03/28 – Rock Island, IL – Rozz-Tox
03/29 – Madison, WI – Mickey’s
03/30 – Chicago, IL – Tonic Room
03/31 – Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club
04/01 – Fort Wayne, IN – The Tiger Room
04/02 – Grand Rapids, MI – Pyramid Scheme
04/04 – Toronto, ON – Silver Dollar
04/05 – Montreal, QC – L’Escogriffe
04/06 – Boston, MA – O’Brien’s Pub
04/07 – New York, NY – Pianos
04/08 – Brooklyn, NY – Union Hall
04/09 – Asbury Park, NJ – The Saint
04/10 – Richmond, VA – Strange Matter
04/11 – Asheville, NC – The Mothlight
04/13 – Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre Roof
04/14 – Atlanta, GA – 529
04/15 – Nashville, TN – TBA
04/21 – Austin, TX – The Scoot Inn – w/ Brass Bed
05/13 – Austin, TX – Barracuda
05/14 – Marfa, TX – Lost Horse
05/15 – Phoenix, AZ – Rhythm Room
05/16 – Los Angeles, CA – TBA
05/18 – San Francisco, CA – DNA Lounge
05/20 – Portland, OR – Kelly’s Olympian
05/21 – Seattle, WA – The Black Lodge
05/22 – Missoula, MO – TBA
05/24 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater *
05/25 – Kansas City, MO – Crossroads *
05/28 – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater *
05/29 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall **

* w/ Nada Surf
** w/ Nada Surf, Flaming Lips, Roky Erickson, Lucero, Title Fight, Diiv

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Leeds, UK-based psych rock/shoegaze quartet Chaika have developed a national profile across the UK for an incredibly anthemic, arena rock-friendly version of shoegaze that sounds as though it’s indebted to Oasis, Kasabian and The Verve. And as you’ll hear on the band’s latest single “Quietness,” they eschew familiar and recognizable songwriting structures: the song is divided into three clear sections loosely held together by feedback and effects laden guitar chords paired with a propulsive motorik-like groove with the first section being an anthemic and urgent with slashing guitar chords and punchy vocals that ends with an explosive burst of cacophonous feedback that fades into a slow-burning and swaggering, bluesy psychedelic section propelled forward by four-on-the-floor drumming.

Interestingly, as the band explains in press notes, the song was written as a rumination on the creative process and was written in two sleepless night. The first section of the song focuses on creative inertia and writer’s block as fractured and unfinished thoughts are repeated and revised and repeated  to exceeding frustration and desperation. In fact, the song’s narrator seems to about ready to give up with the whole thing — until the second section section which deals with the sudden and overwhelming breakthrough in which as the band says “time bends for reality to warp and become illusion.” In any case, the song manages to evoke the frustration and joy of the creative process in a way that’s uncanny and familiar — and with power chords and feedback.

 

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Back in January, I wrote a post on Reno, NV-born and Nashville, TN-based alt rock/blues/rock artist  Jack Berry. Berry can trace the origins of his recording career to when he wrote and recorded his first album while studying in  Los Angeles. Berry then worked and performed along the West Coast as one half a of a duo before before he decided that it was time to go solo. Relocating to Nashville, Berry spent several months couch-surfing and writing and recording material with the hopes that he could catch the attention of that city’s local press. Eventually, Berry began receiving praise from outlets such as Nashville Scene, The Deli Magazine, Blues Rock Review and others, which resulted in slots at Toronto‘s North by Northeast (NXNE), CMJ and SXSW‘s Red Gorilla Festival. Since then, Berry has played a number of venues between his hometown and NYC; however, 2016 may be his breakthrough year with the Spring 2016 release of his latest album, Mean Machine. 

Now, as I mentioned a little earlier, back in January I wrote about Mean Machine‘s first single “The Bull,” a sultry and bluesy single that paired arena rock-friendly power chords, propulsive and carefully syncopated drumming, an anthemic hook and Berry’s seductive crooning and howling that sonically seems to draw from Soundgarden (think of “Mailman” “Spoonman,”and “Fell on Black Days” off Superunknown) as it does from old-school blues and contemporary rock. Mean Machine‘s latest single “Bad Dog” continues where “The Bull” left off: arena-friendly power chords, propulsive drumming paired with  Berry’s sultry crooning; however, the song possesses a cocksure swagger and menace that pushes the song towards the old school blues territory — in particular think of Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Triple Hex Returns with Sleazy Visuals for Their New Single “Dead Stars”

Founded by Dave Tudi (guitar, vocals), Brooklyn-based act Triple Hex have developed a reputation for a decadently sleazy, gritty, late night drugs, drink and sex-based rock sound that seems to draw heavily from the likes […]

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Comprised of Ellie English, Sade Sanchez and Irita Pai, Los Angeles, CA-based trio L.A. Witch have developed a reputation local for a garage rock-based sound that draws from the likes of The Pleasure Seekers, The Sonics, The Black Angels, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and others. “Drive Your Car,” off the trio’s “Drive Your Car” 7 inch single will further cement the their reputation in specializing in grungy, old-timey garage and psych  rock as layers of chugging and jangling guitar chords played through tons of reverb and delay pedal, paired with a propulsive rhythm and Sanchez’s sneering vocals in song that possess a murderous and malicious intent.

If you’re out in the West Coast or Southwest, you can catch L.A. Witch live. Check out tour dates below.

TOUR DATES
03.11 – San Diego Art Institute – San Diego, CA
03.12 – Firecreek – Flagstaff, AZ
03.13 – Highlife Tavern – Tucson, AZ
03.14 – Exit 19 Music Festival – El Paso, TX
03.15 – Hot Burrito Boat Show Boogie – SXSW
03.15 – Desert Daze x NRMAL @ Hotel Vegas – SXSW
03.16 – She Shreds @ Hotel Vegas – SXSW
03.17 – Levitation Showcase @ Hotel Vegas – SXSW
03.18 – Spillover Fest @ Club Dada – Dallas, TX
03.19 – Entheo Sound @ The Shed – SXSW
03.20 – Burger Hangover @ Paper Tiger – San Antonio, TX
03.22 – House: The Venue – Albuquerque, NM
03.23 – Mesa Brewing – Taos, NM
03.24 – Time Out Lounge – Tempe, AZ
03.25 – Beauty Bar – Las Vegas, NV

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Check Out A Digital 45 from Daptone Records’ First Old School/Lo-Fi Rock-Leaning Signing

Comprised of Mike Brandon (guitar and vocals), L.A. Solano (guitar), Alex Q. Amini (bass) and Kevin Harris (organ), New York-based quartet The Mystery Lights specialize in old timey garage rock and psych rock sound that’s […]

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: The 120 Minutes Channeling Visuals for Dunes’ “Runner”

  Comprised of Stephanie Chan (vocals, guitar), a former member of Finally Punk and The Carrots; Kate Hall (drums), formerly of Mika Miko; Mark Greshowak (guitar, synths), formerly of Talbot Tagora; and Dave Reichardt (guitar, bass, synths), Los Angeles, CA-based post-punk quartet Dunes features […]

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: The Trippy and Introspective Visuals for The Veldt’s “Sanctified”

Last month, I wrote two rather lengthy posts on the pioneering Raleigh, NC/NYC-based shoegaze quintet The Veldt. Currently comprised of founding members and identical twin brothers Daniel Chavis (vocals, guitar) and Danny Chavis (guitar) along with […]

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Xu Xu Fang’s Murky and Doom-Laden Visuals for Their The Cure and 4AD Records Channeling New Single

Comprised of Sinosa Micik (vocals), Bobby Tamkin (drummer, production and songwriting), Devin Johnson (guitar), Lisa Fendelander (keyboards), Kyle Hines (bass), and Derek Muro (synths) Mar Vista, CA-based sextet Xu Xu Fang have developed a local and national […]

New Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: 120 Minutes Channeling Visuals and Sounds of Candace’s “New Future”

Comprised of Sarah Rose (guitar, bass and vocals), Sarah Nienaber (guitar, bass and vocals) and Mara Appel DesLauriers (drums and vocals), the Portland, OR-based indie rock/shoegaze/dream pop trio Candace can trace their origins to the […]

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

 

If you were frequenting this site last year, you may recall coming across posts on Toronto, ON-based proto-metal/doom metal trio CROSSS. And although the band is rather mysterious and little is publicly known about the band’s personnel I can tell you that the band, which originally began as a Halifax, Nova Scotia-based duo, went through several lineup changes before relocating to Toronto and settling on the band’s current configuration. Since relocating to Toronto, the trio have developed a reputation for crating murky, sludgy and intense dirges that are deeply inspired by proto-done, lo-fi indie rock, noise rock and metal, and as a result bear a sonic resemblance to the likes of Black Sabbath, A Place to Bury Strangers and others — but more bottom heavy and doom-laden as you’ll hear on “Interlocutor,” off their last effort, LO which, was release to quite a bit of attention across the blogosphere.

Naturally, as a result of the attention they received, the Canadian trio opened for the likes of Viet Cong, Built to Spill, Thee Oh Sees, King Tuff, Dirty Beaches, Pop1280,  Oneida, Built to Spill, METZ, Grimes, Fuzz and Moon Duo among a growing list. But adding to a growing profile, CROSSS announced that they had recently signed to Joyful Noise Recordings, who will re-issue the trio’s first two efforts, 2013’s Obsidian Spectre and the aforementioned LO — and they also announced that they’ll be releasing their third full-length effort later on this year. In the meantime, check out “Eye Seance” a doom-laden and lo-fi-leaning dirge  that has the trio pairing rumbling down-tuned bass, enormous power chords with howled vocals in a song that sounds like an existential howl into an indifferent and cruel void.

The band will be embarking on a Stateside tour throughout the end of this month and April, and it includes a NYC area stop. Check out tour dates below.

 

Tour Dates:

3/25-3/26: Indianapolis, IN
3/27: Milwaukee, WI @ Quarters
3/28: Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
4/27: Toronto, ON @ Smiling Buddha
4/20: Montreal, QC @ La Vitrola
4/21: Boston, MA @ O’Briens
4/22: Brooklyn, NY @ The Acheron
4/23: Philadelphia, PA @ TBA
4/24: Baltimore, MD @ The Crown
4/26: Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place

 

 

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Created by Portland, OR-based Southerly and Sndtrkr frontman and SELF Group founder Krist Krueger as a shoegaze/experimental rock side project, Yardsss has received critical applause with the release of Fama, the first part of a Kurt Vonnegut-inspired trilogy that also featured a companion short film of the same name. Granfalloons is the second part of that trilogy and it features Krueger collaborating with Southerly bandmate Eli Savage and Gardening, Not Architecture‘s Sarah Saturday.

The album’s first single “Granfalloons II” is a slow-burning, introspective and shoegazey track consisting of dirge-inspired power chords, soaring backing vocals, swirling electronic and feedback and anthemic hooks paired with Krueger’s earnest and yearning baritone underneath the arena-filling bombast, the song sounds as though it could be a moody, shoegazer-inspired version of Live‘s “I AloneI Alone” — but with an art school sheen.

 

 

 

 

 

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Wander Through Hidden and Surreal Los Angeles in La Sera’s New Video for “I Need An Angel”

Initially begun as a solo side project from her time in Vivian Girls and All Saints Day, Katy Goodman’s recording project La Sera has developed a growing national profile through the release of three critically applauded albums — the project’s self-titled […]